Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	new_a	old_a	testament_n	6,607	5	8.4174	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44145	Letters written to J.M. a nonconformist teacher, concerning the gift and forms of prayer The second part. By Matthew Hole, B.D. sometime fellow of Exeter College, Oxon. now vicar of Stoke-gursey in Somersetshire.; Correct copy of some letters written to J.M. a nonconformist teacher, concerning the gift and forms of prayer. Part 2.	Hole, Matthew, 1639 or 40-1730.	1699 (1699)	Wing H2410; ESTC R215281	96,332	185

Forms of Prayer For in your Letter of June 28th you acknowledge Forms to be in themselves lawful and to some needful and complain of your being mis-represented by some as Enemies to all Forms Disputation of Liturgy Proposition 10. Your Oracle Mr. Baxter frequently asserts the lawfulness of them and withal declares That the disuse of Forms is apt to breed a giddiness in Religion and to make Men Hypocrites who delude themselves with Conceits that they delight in God when it is but in these Novelties and varieties of Expression that they are delighted and therefore adviseth Forms to fix Christians and make them sound Reason Discourse And another Brother of yours acknowledges That their Labours are profitable who have drawn the matter of Prayer into Forms Now these Concessions one would think were a fair step to a Reconciliation and might lay a good Foundation for Peace and Unity For this Principle if well observ'd and follow'd would bring all to the Church and help them to join in the same Forms of Publick Worship from which nothing but their unlawfulness can justifie a Separation St. Paul wills us To do what in us lies to live peaceably with all Men Rom. 12.18 and more especially with the Church whereof we are Members And elsewhere requires us To use our utmost Endeavours To keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace Ephes 4.2 Now does it not lie in us to do what we lawfully may Should we not go as far as we can for the sake of Peace and Unity Especially when we are commanded to do so by lawful Authority And what a mighty influence would this Amicable and Christian Temper have to promote Unity and prevent Divisions For if we lawfully may and ought as this Principle teaches to agree in offering up the same Prayer which will have the greater force from the benefit of Concord and Unanimity why should we break into Parties and put up different and contrary Petitions which must lose all their Efficacy from the mischief of Division 'T is evident Sir that you can and do upon occasion join in the Publick Prayers of the Church Which shews you are satisfied both in the lawfulness and use of them Now what should hinder you from doing that always for the sake of Peace which you can do sometimes to serve some other Turn Was ever Peace and Unity valued at so low a rate among Christians as to refuse to do what they lawfully may to preserve it As for what you object of renouncing the Covenant as a hinderance That is long since out of doors and cannot now with any shew or colour of Reason be pretended Only you find it in Mr. Baxter and being something to say you cannot forbear to use it tho' the Author and the Covenant too are both laid asleep in their Graves As for Re-ordination which you mention as another hinderance Neither can that affect you being if I am not mis-inform'd ordain'd by a Bishop And as for Assent and Consent to all that is Established which you talk so often and so much of tho' it be in its self very reasonable and no more than is required in all Established Churches and Societies yet if you cannot presently come to it you are to acquiesce and wait for farther Satisfaction which if you bring but a willing and humble Mind you may soon have In the mean time you are to continue as a private Member of the Church without disturbing the Peace of it either by separating from it your self or drawing the People from it by Objections wherein they are no way concern'd This Sir is unquestionably your Duty if you will keep a good Conscience and shew that Modesty that becomes you without giving Offence to that Church whereof you were Baptiz'd a Member and Ordain'd a Minister But the Misery is tho' you are driven by the evidence of Truth to own the lawfulness of Forms yet there is nothing which you more universally decry and disuse in the Practice even when enjoyn'd by that Power which in all lawful Things you are bound to obey This is a gross inconsistence and plainly shews that you have no mind to do what you safely may to promote Peace Is not this to act quite contrary to the Apostles Advice Nevertheless whereunto we have already attained let us walk by the same Rule let us mind the same Things Phil. 3.16 Where he wills us to go hand in hand together as far as we can and not to differ or break off from the use or practice of those Things wherein we are agreed If we have attain'd to the Knowlege and Belief of the lawfulness of Forms we are here required to join together in the use of them when the Peace of the Church and the Authority of Superiours make it necessary Certainly Sir he that will not do what he may to preserve Unity is an Enemy to Peace and hath another Game to play that is better promoted by Divisions And he that will not obey Magistrates in lawful and indifferent Things shakes off the Yoke and will obey only what he pleases But there is not say you a clearer Proof against Impositions than the following Words If any be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you not Man by his Laws enforce it upon you But how is this to be revealed unto you I hope you do not expect an immediate Revelation or voice from Heaven to satisfie you in this Matter or think that you are safe enough in your Error till you have such a Revelation to convince you Is it not sufficient that God hath in his Word revealed this unto you by appointing Forms of Prayer and Praises both in the Old and New Testament And what clearer Revelation will you have of this Divine Truth Yea is not this Ordinance of God Established by the Ordinance of Man too which we are commanded to submit unto for the Lord's sake If you believe not Moses and the Prophets as our Saviour speaks in another Case neither will ye believe tho' One rose from the Dead Luke 16.31 If so plain a Revelation of this Truth will not convince you neither will you be convinc'd tho' it were revealed to you from Heaven But you tell me If all lawful Things may be enjoyn'd by Superiours in the Worship of God then Spittle and Cream in Baptism Crossing at the Eucharist and abundance more of such Popish Trumpery may be enjoined by them which you endeavour to prove lawful Are you sure Sir that 't is lawful to clog the Institutions of Christ with such needless burdensome and insignificant Things Indeed Decency and Order and Edification require a few Ceremonies and such as are expressive of Reverence and help to promote the inward Piety and Devotion of the Mind but does not the same Decency and Edification forbid too many and such as are vain and unserviceable to those Ends 'T is certain that the Worship of God cannot be perform'd without

the meanest Capacities so that the youngest Persons can distinctly read them and he that occupieth the room of the unlearned may say Amen to them and if this may be done by young Children in our Prayers 't is more than can be done by Older and Wiser Men in yours But if so considerable a part of a Ministers Work say you be only to read a Liturgy that may be done as laudably Extempore as upon the longest Premeditation And why should you not like that which helps you to Read as well as to Pray Extempore The pains after a little use is much the same and the only difference is that the Mind is better edified by the one and the Fancy more gratified by the other But 't will be hard say you to convince Men that the Gift of Reading is more admirable in the Minister at Church than in their Children at Home This is the same with that profane Objection of some loose Persons who ask what need they go to Church when they can read the same or as good things at home But Sir are not the publick Offices of Religion to be prefer'd before the private Hath not our Saviour promis'd a greater Blessing to them that assemble and meet together in his House than those that abide at home in their own Heb. 10.25 And does not the Apostle give a strist Charge to Christians not to forsake the Assembling themselves together as the manner of some is Besides does not the Order Office and Authority deriv'd by Christ upon his Ministers give a greater Efficacy and Solemnity to the Prayers when delivered by them than when they are read by private Persons without such Authority Does it become you Sir to strike in with such Careless Loose and negligent Wretches and to urge the same Objections in defence of your Superstition as they are wont to do to Countenance their Profaneness Nothing I see comes amiss to you that may any way serve your Turn and you stick not to make use of any Enormity that will help to keep up the Dissenting Cause Of this kind is that Appeal to the People Ask say you many Parishes in England whether a most pious Liturgy is a competent supply for the want of an able pious Minister As if a pious Liturgy and a Pious Minister were things inconsistent And elsewhere you sooth the People by putting into their Mouths that Canting Language Oh! Don't think that to read to us those Words that our Children can read every Day at home c. is enough to cure such dark dead disaffected Souls as ours which are Words meerly contriv'd ad Captandum vulgum and plainly shew what Game you are playing upon them But to make good this Charge of Laziness against the Conforming Clergy you urge two or three things more which must be consider'd As first That the Gift of praying Extempore is a necessary Qualification for the Ministerial Function and should be the Test of Ordination Next that they who have this Gift are bound to Exercise it in their publick Ministrations notwithstanding any Command to the contrary Lastly The neglect of this Gift hath been the occasion of Loosness Laziness and other Immoralities With what little appearance of Reason or Truth these things are affirm'd must be shew'd in my next I am SIR Yours M. H. Aug. 30th 1697. LETTER XIV To J. M. SIR I Have been considering the heavy Charge of Loosness and Laziness which you put upon the use of Liturgies and have in some measure shewed the Falshood and Injustice of it However to make it good and to keep the Mind constantly employed you make the Gift of Praying Extempore a necessary Qualification of the Ministerial Function and will scarce allow any to be fit or capable of Holy Orders that want this Faculty or forbear the use of it For You tell me in your first Letter that you are perswaded That the Almighty hath in this Age a great multitude of Suppliants that can and do express Holy Desires understandingly orderly and aptly without any penn'd or prescribed Forms and that Ministers should be ordinarily able to do so And a Brother of yours lays it down That the Church should judge of the Ministers Gift of Prayer before she trust him with the publick Ministry Reason Account p. 13. So that all that have not this Talent of Variations or forbear to use it in publick Worship are but Usurpers of Holy Orders and Intruders into the Ministers Office Now had not this need to be well prov'd that reflects so grosly upon all setled Churches where never any such thing was ever made a Question or Qualification for Holy Orders And yet that same Author tells us That if all Ministers in the constant use of their daily Prayers cannot out-do the perfection and exactness of the best Compos'd Forms Idem p. 157. it is to the shame of the Church of God in England Now is it not a shame think you for Men to own or utter such wild and extravagant Speeches But what is the Proof that is offer'd for this bold Assertion 1 Tim. 3.14 Why nothing but that of St. Paul to Timothy Neglect not the Gift of God that is in thee which was given thee by Prophecy with the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytery In which yet there is not any of the least mention made of Prayer and much less of performing it by any such Gift Ver. 13 and 15. In the Verse before the Apostle wills him to give attendance to Reading Exhortation and Doctrin and in the Verse after to mediate on these things So that if you will needs have the Apostle there speak of Prayer it must be rather of reading Compos'd Premeditated Forms than pouring out New and Extempore Prayers The truth is the Gift there intended by the Apostle was the Ministerial Office or Function which was given to Timothy by the laying on of Hands and his willing him not to neglect it was an Exhortation to a faithful and diligent Discharge of the Duty of his Place But the Mischief is some Men are so vainly conceited of this Talent that where ever they find the word Gift mention'd in the Scripture they will needs understand it of this Gift of Prayer Hence some think they have found it in that Advice of St. Paul Rom. 12.6 7. Having Gifts differing according to the Grace of God given to us whether Prophecy let us Prophesy according to the proportion of Faith c. In which the Apostle hath no Reference at all to it for the Gifts he refers to are particularly reckon'd up in the following Verses where no such Gift of Prayer is either nam'd or implied or if it were could be meant only of that Supernatural Gift of Prayer by which the publick Offices were at that time perform'd Others imagine they have found it in those words of St. Peter 1 Pet. 4.10 As every one hath receiv'd the Gift even so Minister the