Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A34547
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A peaceable moderator, or, Some plain considerations to give satisfaction to such as stand dis-affected to our Book of common prayer established by authority clearing it from the aspersion of popery, and giving the reasons of all the things therein contained and prescribed / made by Alan Carr ...
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Carr, Alan, d. 1668.
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1665
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Wing C627; ESTC R18228
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69,591
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90
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least Allowed for the Minister to use in Publick Divine Administrations And if we look upon Antiquity the Presbyterians themselves will and do confess in their Smâ—ctymâ—â—us The occasion that moved the Church to appoint a Publick Form and Liturgy at first was when the Arrian and Pelagian Heresies did invade the Church then because those Hereticks did convey and spread their poysonous Doctrine in their Forms of Prayer and Hymns the Church thought it convenient to restrain that Liberty and set an Order that none should vary in their Prayers but all should use the same Form which was approved of and prescribed Now be pleased to consider rightly of it doth not the same reason hold good with us Have we not too much cause to complain of our Errours Schisms Heresies and Divisions and so just cause and reason upon the same grounds to tie all to one Form not upon any Opinion that we conceive a set Form to be of an Absolute necessity but only expedient to stop Schisms and Errours to prevent those Extravagancies and to preserve Unity and Order 2. Be pleased without prejudice or any strong over-ruling Affection or Passion to take into your serious consideration this Argument If the Ministers conceived Prayer which he doth make as the Mouth of the Congregation wherein all the Congregation doth or should joyn with him in his suit to God for them and in their behalf is no stinting of the Spirit of God to them nor counted unlawful though it be a form to them why should a Prayer conceived by others and made and framed according to the Rules of prayer prescribed to the Minister to use for himself and the Congregation be a stinting of the Spirit to him or them That the Ministers conceived prayer is a Form to the people and Congregation assembled cannot be denyed they are tied to it as to a Form because they may not vary from him in their hearts but ought in their hearts to joyn every way with him in their Petitions to God still in their hearts going along with him for Matter Form and Manner of expression The tie in regard of a form is still one and a like if the people may be thus tied to the conceived prayer of their Minister which is a form to them why may not the Minister likewise be tied to a form conceived by others made according to the rules of prayer and prescribed to him both to use and follow If it be no stinting of the Spirit of God in the one then how can it be in the other We confess that without the help of the Spirit of God we cannot pray at all that is pray aright so as to find acceptance with God For the Apostle Paul telleth us 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God and Phil. 2. 13 It is God which worketh in you the Will and the Deed even of his good pleasure So that iâ— must be the Spirit of God within us must move us to pray and work it within us moving our hearts to pray and we know God regardeth not multitude of words Matth. 6. 7. Floquent or Elegant Phrases or neat expressions it is the heart God looks upon how that is affected he regardeth the groans and desires of the heart issuing from true faith and proceeding from the Spirit of God as he telleth Moses Exod. 14. 15. Why dost thou cry unto me Neither can we think that the Spirit of God excludeth reason and prudence setting a mans Tongue so agoing that he cannot rule it and guide it or stop it at his pleasure Object 2. Prayer is a Spiritual work proceedâ—â—g from the Spirit and a work of the Spirit therefore needeth not a Form or Book to pray bâ— or to read it upon a Book Our Saviour saith John 4. 23 24. The true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth for the Father requireth even such to woship him God is a Spirit and they thaâ— worship him must worship him iâ— Spirit and Truth And the Apostle Paul telleth us Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pâ—ay as we ought but the spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered or as the Old Translation is with sighs which cannot be expressed so that prayer needeth not the help of a Form or Book Answ Those words of our Saviour were spoken to the Woman of Samaria and are grounded on ver 20. as an answer to her words where she speaketh of the difference between the Jews and the Samaritans about the place of Gods worship The Samaritans tied the place of Gods worship to that Mountain called Gerizim The Jews to Jerusalem Christ telleth her that the time is now coming under the New Testament that the worship of God shall be tied to no certain place neither to that mountain nor to Jerusalem but the true worshippers shall worship God in Spirit and Truth The word Spirit is there set against that Commandment which is called carnal Heb. 7. 26. And Truth against the outward Ceremonies of the Law which were only shadows of things to come The meaning of them then must be this that under the New Testament Gods worship shall be tied to no certain place neither shall it consist in any outward corporal or carnal things sacrifices purifyings washings and the like Ceremonies of the Law they shall all cease and be ended in Christ But the true worshippers shall worship him in spirit and truth that is in a spiritual manner not with outward observances but the inward Devotion of the heart and mind The mind is there called the Spirit it is not meant of the Spirit of God but of the mind the spirit of man with true faith true love reverence obedience holiness and righteousness Now this we do acknowledge doth forbid and cut down all carnal worship if any man think that the outward action of reading a prayer upon a Book or in a â—ook is the worship of God but no man can deny but a man may pray by the spirit of God with sighs and groans proceeding from Faith when prayers are uttered after a prescript form or read upon a Book And for the words of the Apostle expositours give us the meaning thus There is no cause why we should faint under the burthen of our Afflictions seeing prayers yield us a strong defence help and comfort which cannot be in vain because they proceed from the spirit of God likewise the spirit helpeth our infirmities besides the support of faith hope and patience mentioned before the spirit helpeth to bear up 〈◊〉 burthen that we sink not under it for we know not what to pray as we ought but the spirit maketh Intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered that is the spirit doth move us and stir us up to prayer and doth as it were dictate words groans and
Imprimatur hic Liber cui Titulus A Peaceable Moderator Joh. Hall R. P. D. Episc Lond. a sac Domest Ex aedibus Londinens A Peaceable Moderator OR SOME Plain Considerations to give Satisfaction to such as stand Dis-affected to Our BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER Established by Authority Clearing it from the Aspersion of Popery and giving the Reasons of all the things therein Contained and Prescribed Made by Alan Carr an Ancient Minister and Friend of Peace LONDON Printed by G. Miller for William Crooke at the Three Bibles on Fleet-Bridge 1665. The Preface IT was the complaint of Doctor Eedes that Reverend Dean of Worcester long ago the fatal misery of these latter times hath made nothing good but in Shew nothing true but in Opinion when for Justice between Kingdom and Kingdom the longest Sword hath eaten up the Law of Nations and for Justice between Subject and Subject under the same Government Laws are lost in the cases of Law And for the Preserver of all both Truth and Justice Religion it self is in a manner lost in the Questions of Religion Our Fathers you see complained that the dayes were bad we have too much cause to cry out that they are worse and our fear is that yet we have not seen the worst That of the Heathen Poet will still be verified Aetas parentum pejor avis tulit nos nequiores mox daturos Progeniem vitiosiorem Never were more Questions among us raised about Religion then in these days yet never less practice of the duties of Religion We all cry up Religion with our mouths and lips but deny the power of it in our Actions and in our Lives so that we may say as that worthy Whitaker from Linacer did Aut hoc non est Evangelium aut nos non sumus Evangelici Either this is not the true Gospel which we do profess or if it be the Truth our Actions are not suitable to our Profession nor our Lives answerable to the truth of this Gospel We have marr'd the very face of Religion being in Matters of Religion broken into as many Sects Factions Shreds and Pieces almost as be Heads and Persons among us Every man generally differing in his Opinion one way or other from his Neighbour we have Conformists Non-Conformists Separatists Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists Quakers â—anters Seekers and what not Some of all Religions some of no Religion And all Scepticks questioning all that ever waâ— before us not only so but opposing themselves against all Antiquity every man framing Religion to himself which without Gods mercy mâ—st needs bring Confusion in the end We are all Self-conceited highly opinionated and puffed up with the conceit of our own Knowledge Parts Gifts and Graces so that we need Solomons check Eccles 7. 18. Be not thou just over much neither make thy self over wise Some are of such a cross humour high-conceited and contentious Spirit that they raise and foment vain Janglings Differences and Disputes about such things as themselves neither know nor understand whom I may well liken to those two Manlius speaks of who meeting together fell in Discourse and at last to a hot dispute about their Faith One said he was of Doctor Martins Religion the other stood stiff that he was of Doctor Luthers Opinion not knowing poor Simpletons that Martin and Luther were both the names of one man These divisions in Opinion mâ—st needs cause great Distractions in the hearts of well-meaning people who seeing the differences among us about Religion and not knowing what to chuse or to whom to cleave become very Atheists in their judgments and resolve to pitch upon no Religion at all This we may lament but so much liberty hath been given so long in these distracted times and people generally grow so high that we have little hope to amend it yet it lieth upon every one of us to give our helping hand wherein we can to make up our Breaches to heal our Rents and Wounds and to give that information to our people in a mild and gentle way Seeing Ignorance is the general ground of all Errours and that Natura vult Duci non Cogi whereby they may come to see the Truth and the true state of things and so by degrees may be reduced to a better temper with Gods blessing brought into the Unity of the Church and may all endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace Many stumble much at our Bock of Common Prayer Established by Authority and some of them I take to be good Christians honest moderate and well-meaning people and have found by experience much of their Dis-affection to it doth lie upon their Mistake through ignorance not peevish wilfulness because they do not understand the true Grounds and Reasons of the things therein contained and required mistaking much the right meaning of them If this may contribute any thing to their better Satisfaction I shall account this my Labour to be well bestowed Some are against all Forms of Prayer all Liturgies as they are prescribed and stinted Forms of Administration Others again are not against Forms but take Exceptions against this our Book of Common-Prayer Established by Authority TO begin with those who account all Forms of Prayer to be unlawful and condemn all Their Grounds and chief Objections are these Object That to be tied to a set Form of Prayer is a stinting of the Spirit of God Answ To this we shall Answer 1. We find set Forms of Prayer prescribed by God himself in the Old Testament and by Christ and our Saviour in the New and therefore we cannot but judge that they are allowed and approved of God There were set Forms of Prayer prescribed to the people of God of old and used by them To the Priests by Moses from the mouth of God himself Numb 6. 23. Another used by Moses himself who had abundance of Spirit both at the setting forward and resting of the Ark Numb 10. 35 36. In case of an uncertain Murther Deut 21. 7 8. In paying their third years Tithe Deut. 16. 13 14 15. At a publick Feast Joel 2. 17. The 92 Psalm was appointed for the Sabbath and so used and the 102. Psalm was the Prayer of the Church Christ himself in the New Testament gave a Form of Prayer to his Disciples Luke 11. 1. Which the Directory tells us is not only a Patern of Prayer but it self a most Comprehensive prayer and recommended there to be used in the Prayers of the Church And the Christian Church hath been so far from condemning all Forms as utterly unlawful that for about twelve hundred years she hath thought it expedient to use them in Publick Divine Worship besides all this herein they condemn all the Reformed Churches which as they themselves cannot but acknowledge have their Liturgies The Churches of Francâ— â—enâ—va the Lower and Upper Germany have still set Forms of Prayer and Scotland had till these distracted times either Imposed or at