Primitive Church or any one of the Inferiour Clergy with the Allowance of his Bishop did ever undertake to perform the Public Worship of Almighty God without the Use of the Lord's Prayer I do most confidently Aver That the want of the Practical Understanding of the Lord's Prayer is the chief Cause of all the Sins and Errours in the Christian World Wherefore I earnestly beseech all those that have Named the Name of Christ to joyn with me in the daily Contemplation of the Divine Sence of these Words deliver'd unto us by our Blessed SAVIOUR as a Compleat Directory for All Our Desires OUr Father which art in Heaven Hastowed be Thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this Day our Daily Bread And forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that Trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil. For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen A Vindication of the LITURGY of the Church of England THE Author of these Reflections most stedfastly resolves by the Help of Almighty GOD to embrace Truth and to reject Error wheresoever he finds it He desires That the Friends of R. B. would take these Reflections into their deepest consideration with the same candour and benevolence to all Mankind with which he communicates them to the World I am glad to find these words pag. 233 234. I would not be understood as if I intended the putting away of all set Times and Places to Worship God forbid I should think of such an Opinion Nay we are none of those that forsake the Assembly of our selves together but have even set Times and Places in which we carefully meet together to wait upon God and worship him These words following in the same Page require our Animadversion But the Limitation we condemn is That whereas the Spirit of God should be the immediate Actor moreover Perswader and Influencer of Man in the particular Acts of Worship when the Saints are met together this Spirit is limited in its Operations by setting up a particular Man or Men to preach and pray in Man's Will and all the rest are excluded from so much as believing that they are to wait for God's Spirit to move them in such things and so they neglecting that which should quicken them in themselves and not waiting to feel the pure Breathings of God's Spirit so as to obey them are led meerly to depend upon the Preacher and hear what he will say Answ. I shall undertake by God's assistance to vindicate the Use of the Liturgy of the Church of England the principal parts whereof are the Lord's Prayer and the Holy Psalms I say the Psalms for they are to be us'd in our Religious Assemblies as the Means or Instruments to lift up our Hearts unto God I would here avoid all Disputes concerning the Ordination of Ministers In our Assemblies the People bear a part with the Minister or Preacher in using their Voice in worshiping Almighty God The Spirit cannot be limited in its Operations by any thing that is taught or practised according to any Order of the Church of England We are taught not to Pray in Man's Will but according to the Will of GOD which is our Sanctification We are taught to wait for God's Spirit to move us to the performance of any thing He would have us to do but we are taught also to believe that God's Spirit is always ready to assist the Sincere those who desire above all things to do His Will to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth in Saying or Hearing the Words of our Liturgy in the Congregation The very moment that any Soul truly devout waits for or expects the assistance of the Spirit of Christ to help her to perform any known Duty towards GOD or towards Man she never fails to receive it Concerning the Psalms I shall speak hereafter It is the Duty of all Christians at all times and in all places to retain in their Hearts the Habit Ground or Principle of all those Holy Desires which are exprest in the Lord's Prayer this 't is to pray continually When the words of this Prayer are recited in the Congregation it is impossible but those who have the Habit of those Holy Desires in their Hearts should worship God in Spirit and in Truth viz. in the act or exercise of those Desires by the inspiration of the Divine Spirit whose operation never ceases but when Man in his own Will or Self-love doth suppress or totally extinguish such Holy Desires or Aspirations I am very sorry to see so ingenious and learned a person as R. B. err so grosly about the Lord's Prayer in which he shews himself tainted with that Impurity of Mind for which Dr. Owen has been so often corrected p. 245. We know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us c. Rom. 8. 26. But says R. B. If this Prayer had been such a prescribed Form of Prayer to the Church that had not been true neither had they been ignorant what to pray nor should they have needed the help of the Spirit to teach them p. 245. To this I answer That it is impossible that any man should actually know as they ought to know the sence or meaning of any word in the Lord's Prayer but by an actual Influence of the Divine Spirit upon his Heart and Mind I must therefore proclaim to all the World That it was the Spirit of Error which suggested these words to R. B. If this Prayer had been such a prescribed Prayer to the Church that had not been true neither had they been ignorant what to pray nor should they have needed the help of the Spirit to teach them By what I have already said it appears that if by these words our Adversaries c. p. 264. he means all those who worship God according to the English Liturgy he 's very Uncharitable Our Adversaries says he whose Religion is all for the most part out-side and such whose Acts are the meer product of Man's natural Will and Abilities as they can preach so they can pray when they please and therefore have their set particular Prayers Answ. We acknowledge that we can never pray as we ought but by the assistance of the Spirit of God but his Assistance is always ready for us If at any time we fail of it we our selves are the cause we have it not As to set particular Prayers we own no Prayer but the Lord's Prayer further than the sense of it is implied in some part of that Compleat Body of Vocal Prayer that Divine Summary or Breviary of the Expressions of all holy Desires p. 266. Because this outward Prayer depends upon the inward as that which must follow it and cannot be acceptably perform'd but as attended with a superadded Influence and Motion of the Spirit Therefore
is God and the Holy Ghost is God and yet they are not three Gods but one God You say that you have demonstrated That tho three finite Spirits must needs be three different Substances yet it follows not that three infinite Minds must be so I answer You never did nor ever shall demonstrate but that it is the most palpable Contradiction that Words can express to say there are three infinite Minds or Spirits An infinite Spirit is a Being absolutely infinite To say then that there are three infinite Spirits is to say there are three Beings or Effences absolutely infinite that is there are THREE GODS I am Your Servant in the Vindication of the Truth E. E. To the Reverend Mr. RICHARD BENTLY Reverend SIR MY Reflections on the great Wit and Learning I find in your Sermons make me to hope That you will with all Christian Candor and Tranquility of Mind peruse the Animadversions I shall here present you on some part of your Sermon on Acts 17 27. p. 6. and 7. Such a radical Truth that God is springing up together with the Essence of the Soul and previous to all other Thoughts is not pretended to by Religion No such thing that I know of is affirmed or suggested by the Scriptures Animadv 'T is said expresly Genesis 1. 27. God created Man in his own Image Since God is a Spirit most certainly the principal part of Man must be a Spirit man being created in the Image of God in a peculiar manner made partaker of the Eternal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Image of the Invisible God So that the first Reflexion that Man makes on his own Being must carry him immediately to the perception of the Divine Being in which he lives and moves and has his Being unless his Intellect be obstructed in it's operation by the Pravity of his Will I wonder that you say no such thing is affirmed or suggested by the Scriptures I shall entreat you to consider these words of St. Basil Epist. 399. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ipsissima veritas Deus noster est Primum enim Principale Cognoscibile Deus est Agreeable hereunto are these words of that most excellent Metaphysitian Dr. Thomas Barlow late Bishop of Lincoln in his Fourth Exercitation the Second Edition pag. 125. Sicut impossibile est Tactum quam diu est Tactus non sentire Ignem esse Calidum si ei admoveatur cum illud sit objectum Tactus fortissimè motivum Sic dico Intellectus quam diu est Intellectus non potest non judicare Deum esse esse Colendum cum hoc sit objectum ejus Primarium fortissimè motivum cum sit Veritas Prima in Cordibus Inscripta firmissimè Radicata If this will not serve to convince you of your Error yet I hope you will not stand out against these plain words of the Holy Apostle Rom. 2. 15. speaking of the Gentiles Which shew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts Does not the Apostle mean the Law of God Can there be any innate Notion or natural Sense of the Law of God without any apprehension of this Truth that God is I hope you will not say again that no such thing that you know of is affirmed or suggested by the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament If our Apostle say you had asserted such an Anticipating Principle engraven upon our Souls before all Exercise of Reason what did he talk of seeking the Lord if haply they might feel after him and find him seeing that the knowledge of him was in that manner innate and perpetual there would be no occasion of seeking nor any hap or hazard in the finding Such an Inscription would be Self-evident without any Ratiocination or Study and could not fail constantly to exert its Energy in their minds Answ. The Holy Apostle in these words plainly shews That the way to find the LORD our GOD is not to conceive as Idolaters do that He is far from us but to consider that IN Him we live and move and have our Being viz. That the Divine Essence comprehends or eminently contains the life and every motion or operation and the nature or essence of every Man in the whole World and consequently the essence and operations of all other Creatures so that the LORD our GOD must be no other than a Being INFINITE in all Perfection And since he is IN ALL Creatures and in a peculiar manner in Rational Creatures it must needs follow That 't is impossible that any Rational Creature should not apprehend this Fountain of all Being in every Regular or Orderly Reflection it makes on it self or it s own Being Such an Inscription say you would be Self-evident without any Ratiocination or Study and could not fail constantly to exert its Energy in their Minds To this I Answer That it implyes a contradiction That it should be perceiv'd by the Soul without any Reflexion on it That there is such an Inscription on the Rational Soul you must at length grant unless you will deny that those words were written by Divine Inspiration which shew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts Not only the Admirable Structure of Animate Bodies and such other things as you speak of but every thing in the whole Creation shews the Existence of the one INFINITE Being That any Man is Atheistical proceeds only from the pravity of his Will perverting His Understanding Praesentem monstrat quae libet Herba DEUM I am unspeakably delighted with those words of the excellent Ingenious and Learned Malebranche De Inquirenda Veritate Lib. 4. Cap. 2. An difficile est agnoscere Deus existere Quicquid Deus fecit id probat Quicquid homines bruta faciunt idem etiam probat Quid plura Nihil est quod Existentiam Dei non probet aut saltem quod ingeniis attentis rerum omnium Authorem inquirentibus illam non possit probare I wish you all Happiness and remain Your Servant in the Love of the Truth EDMUND ELYS SIR I Humbly thank you for your Accumulation of Favours Your New Present comes only to put me in mind that I am your debtor for the first Quin fluctus in ipso fluctu I had scarce recover'd from your first when you pour out a new stream of Poetry and Rhetorick upon me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 't is confessedly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I had almost like the unhappy Bee drown'd my self in anothers Hony but that I found Finis before I wish't it And then I bethought my self That you had observ'd the Kings Rule Solomons I mean Has thou found Hony eat as much as is sufficient for you give it out by Doses and measure your pieces by Us that are to read them I have sent your Book to Mr. Boyle and can assure you That he received your Letters and had return'd you an Answer as his H. told me had he known how to have directed it to you
Martyr is so far from favouring the Conceit That the Christians in those Days us'd Extemporary Prayers in their Religious Worship that it clearly demonstrates the contrary For the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having Reference to the Laity of whom Iustin Martyr speaks in these Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plainly shews That the Bishop did send forth or pour out Pryers and Thanksgivings in like manner as the Laity did whose Words no Person of common Sense will believe to be of their own composing These Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plainly im-import the Reciting or Repeating of of Words formerly us'd in Prayer and Thanksgiving Hesychius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does not signifie the utmost strength of his Faculty of framing Extemporary Expressions in the Way of Prayer and Thanksgiving but the utmost intention of his Heart and Mind in the Act of his Devotion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 10. 27. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same Apology 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I pray God to bless you and to lead you by his Holy Spirit into all truth Your Faithful Servant E. E. Jan. 6th 1692. Ianuary 28th 92. Reverend Sir YOur Letter of the 6th Instant I have receiv'd I thank you for your pains to inform me in any thing wherein you imagine I have been mistaken tho I think that in some things you misapprehend my meaning You affirm in the first place That the Primitive Church in the public Worship of Almighty God did always use a Liturgy or Form of Sacred Words namely the Lord's Prayer the Psalms and the Gloria Patri As for the Psalms I say the same with you and I think that I have proved it beyond contradiction pag. 5 6. of my Book As for the Lord's Prayer I say also and have proved it p. 36 37 38. That it was ordinarily and commonly used and no more if so much can be collected from those places which you Cite out of Origen in his Books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and contra Celsum As for the Gloria Patri you never find it within the three first Centuries that which you cite of Origen and Polycarp proves only this That they concluded their Prayers with Praise to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as I think all Christians now do Besides by ascribing too great an Antiquity to the present Gloria Patri you put an Argument into the hands of the Socinians or Unitarians who will retort upon you that you have changed that Apostolical or at least most Ancient Composure as you affirm it to be for that Whereas you now say Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost the Primitive Church as in those very Passages which you quote not to mention any more said Glory be to the Father by the Son in the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Iustin Martyr I do not say that it excludes the Intention and Fervency of the Heart and Mind but that it includes that together with the Exertion of his Personal Abilities What you mean by Extemporary Prayers I do not well understand if you mean a confused immethodical Heap of Words I dislike that as much as you as you may see pag. 40. But if you mean the debarring of a Minister from the Exercise of his Invention Judgment Expression and such like Gifts in Prayer I must therein disagree from you 'till I see more satisfactory Proof As sor your Descant upon the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a good Criticism that may please the Fancy but not satisfie the Judgment and as for Iustin Martyr's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it has not Reference to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to what Iustin Martyr related in the precedent Page which is the 97th of the Edition I use at Colen 1686 and in particular to the Eucharistical Prayer which the Bishop alone made and the People only testified their Assent by saying Amen Thus Sir I have briefly consider'd your Objections and shall crave leave to inform you in short of my Opinion concerning the Custom of the Primitive Church herein that so you may not mistake me viz. That they always used the Psalms in their Public Worship the Lord's Prayer commonly and ordinarily and for other Prayers the Ministers were left to their own Choice and Liberty I have one thing more to add and that is That you would not imagine every thing to be my particular Opinion which I have related in my Book or that I thought every thing necessary to be now used which is contained therein My Design as you may see in the Preface was only nakedly to relate the Customs of the Primitive Church without giving my particular Sentiments in any one Point whatsoever unless it be in the Conclusion of the last Section of the Second Part. How far we are to submit to the Authority of our Governours and to comply with the Peace of the Church I neither there nor here determine I beg Almighty God to inspire our Governours and People with a Spirit of Peace and Love of Unity and Charity and that instead of promoting fiery Disputations and rigid Impositions we may joyn in mutual Condescension and Relaxations I thank you for all your Kindnesses and beseech Almighty God to bless your Studies and make you instrumental for the Advance of his Glory and Honour I am Reverend Sir Your Humble and Affectionate Servant Honoured Sir I Give you most hearty thanks for your Letter I shall have no farther Controversie with you concerning the Gloria Patri since you ackowledge that the Primitive Christians concluded their Solemn Prayers with Praise to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in St. Polycarp's Doxology is the same as if he had said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sufficiently obviates the wrangling of a Socinian I suppose upon second thoughts you will not deny but that the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 has reference to the Prayers of the Laity of whom the Blessed Martyr speaks in these Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I fully Assent to All that our Gracious Soveraign King Charles the First says concerning the Public Worship of Almighty God I believe his Judgment is right in this as in his other Sentiments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the First Edition p. 141. I am not against a grave modest discreet and humble Use of Ministers Gifts even in Public the better to fit and excite their own and the Peoples Affections to the present Occasions Oremus invicem ut salvemur Your Affectionate Servant E. E. Feb. 14. 92. Post-script I Shall make no other Reply to what you say of the Lord's Prayer in your Letter than only by repeating what I said in mine viz. that it cannot be prov'd That any Bishop of the
the Eternity of the Godhead of Christ. Answ. Certainly it was most pertinent to our Lord's design that we should worship the Father Son and Holy Ghost as the Only True God and this we cannot do unless we believe Him to be Eternal To question the Godhead of our Saviour is not only fruitless and dangerous but diabolically impious and pernicious But nothing can more require the greatest ardency of our most zealous Endeavours than to suppress the confidence of those Men who pretend by their Reason to baffle the Divine Wisdom and by the force of a little Sophistry to eclipse the Eternal Brightness of the Glory of the Father of Lights It is fruitless to the Contemplator's own purpose to consider that He whom he believes to be his Saviour is a Person of Infinite Power and Majesty Will not the genuine force and efficacy of this consideration produce in a true Believer the Fruit of the Spirit viz. Love Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance Most certainly he 's in great danger of Hell-fire that calls this Truth into question that our Lord Iesus Christ is the true and eternal God But nothing can more conduce to our Safety and Everlasting Consolation than a firm adherence to this Assertion That our Saviour is Almighty which he could not be if he were not the True and Eternal God For as there is but One Eternal so there is but One Almighty I have seen divers Excellent Books that have been written against this wicked Pamphlet therefore I shall say no more of it but only this That I wish its being burnt may mind the Author of that Fire which shall never be quenched Since the writing hereof I have read a Pamphlet with this fantastick Title The Antapology of the Melancholy Stander-by In Pag. 41. I find such a scandalous Objection against the Creed of St. Athanasius that I think it my Duty with all possible speed to publish my Answer to it and Resentment of it as coming from one who professes himself to be a Son of the Church of England He recites these words of the Creed The Father is eternal the Son eternal and the Holy Ghost eternal and yet they are not Three eternals but One eternal As also there are not Three Incomprehensibles nor Three Uncreated but One Uncreated and One Incomprehensible Suppose now says this Anonymus a Man should thus argue hence If there are Three yet not Three Uncreated but One Uncreated then Two of the Three must be Created for the Three must be either Created or Uncreated that is eternally existent I affirm That if any Man should thus argue the Answer would be ready That the Epithets Incomprehensible and Uncreated are attributed to the Father Son and Holy Ghost as these Three are One and have one Essence Uncreated Infinite or Incomprehensible It does no more follow That if there are Three yet not Three Uncreated but One Uncreated and then Two of the Three must be Created than that if there are Three yet not Three Gods but One God then Two of the Three must not be God Here the Anonymus plainly discovers the falseness of his Heart whatever he pretends he is a Deserter of the Catholic Faith As for his most Impious Endeavours to make his Reader to disgust that most wholsome Petition in the Litiny which being rightly used cures the Soul of all Sin and Error O holy blessed and glorious Trinity Three Persons and One God have mercy upon us miserable Sinners I shall say no more at present but only this That if this Writer receive any Temporal Benefit as a Priest of the Church of England he deserves the Character of a Thief and a Robber And as I profess my self to be a True Son of the Church of England and consequently of the Universal Church of Christ I make my Appeal against him to the King of kings and Lord of lords who is ready to judge both the Quick and the Dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 BOOKS Printed for John Everingâ— at the Star in Ludgate-street 1. MIscellany Essays by Monsieur De 〈◊〉 mont upon History Philosophy 〈◊〉 Morality Humanity Gallantry c. 〈◊〉 with a Character by a Person of Hono◠〈◊〉 England continued by Mr. Dryden 2. A new Family-book or the true 〈◊〉 of Families Being Directions to Pa◠〈◊〉 Children and to those who are instâ—ad of 〈◊〉 shewing them their several Duties with 〈◊〉 and Meditations To which is annexed 〈◊〉 course about the right way of improvin◠〈◊〉 Time with a Preface by Dr. Horneck 3. An Answer to the brief History of the 〈◊〉 tarians called also Socinians By William 〈◊〉 Rector of St. Swithin London 4. An Enquiry into several remarkable 〈◊〉 of Scripture in the Old and New Testamâ— which contain some difficulty in them with 〈◊〉 probable Resolution of them By Iohn Edwarâ— B. D. sometime Fellow of St. Iohn's College in Cambridge 5. Moral Maxims of Reflections in four Parts Written in French by the Duke of Rochefoucault now made English 6. The Gauger and Measurer's Companion being a compendious way of Gauging Superfice and Solids with the Reasons of most Multiplicators and Divisors used in Measuration all difficult Points made easie with a way to Gauge all Quantities under a Gallon also a brief Description of the Gauge-point with a Direction to find the same and the Content of a Circle in all its parts The exact Method of measuring Land Board Glass Pavement Stone be it of what form soever together with a Globe and Round Timber with a Table of Cylinders c. 7. The Royal English School for Their Majesties three Kingdoms being a Catalogue of all the Words in the Bible with a Praxis in Prose and Verse all beginning with one Syllable and proceeding by degrees to eight divided and not divided whereby all Persons both Young and Old of the meanest Abilities may with little help be able to read the whole Bible over distinctly easily and more speedily than in any other Method with Directions to find out any word together with an Exposition on the Creed and variety of Pictures By Tobias Ellis late Minister of the Gospel 8. Monarchia Microcosmi The Origin Vicissitudes and Period of Vital Government in Man for a further discovery of Diseases incident to Human Nature By Edw. Maynwaring M. D. 9. The Divine Art of Prayer containing the most proper Rules to Pray well with divers Meditations and Prayers suitable to the Necessity of Christians useful in every Family with several Prayers for Souldiers both in Their Majesties Army and Fleet. By Marius d' Assigney B. D. 10. Phrascologia Generalis A full large and general Phrase-book comprehending whatever is necessary and most useful in all other Phraseological Books hitherto here published and methodically digested for the more speedy and prosperous progress of Students in their Humanity-Studies By William Robertson M. A. * T.P. H.M. S. T. Doctores