1. Cor. 14.16 But the very phrase of blessing and giving of thanks makes it probable that this Text is to be understood as Mr. Thorndike expoundeth it of the Consecration of the Communion And at that time the people did ordinarily answer Amen and nothing more as appeareth from the early testimonies of Justin Martyr and Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria 2. But if this sense be not admitted this Text of the Apostle doth neither mention nor in the context more nearly refer to Prayer than to singing in which latter the peoples bare saying Amen is not contended for nor allowed as a constant rule for the Churches practice though it was probable the usual method in the Christian Assemblies in those Apostolical days when the duty of singing was performed by the immediate inspiration of the spirit upon some particular persons and that these extraordinary motions of Gods spirit in those times were only vouchsafed to the Clergy or Ministry is not probable from the contents of that very Chapter And therefore this place of Scripture doth not confine the whole vocal service of God excepting an Amen to the Ministry the people being altogether debarred and excluded 5. But that all the servants of God may allowably be interested where the due rules of order and edification are observed in the outward joint expression of praise and Prayer to God is very agreeable to the holy Scriptures where the holy Angels are represented to cry one to another and say Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his glory Is 6.3 and all Israel praised God and said For he is good for his mercy endureth for ever 2. Chr. 7.3 And as S. Paul exhorteth that with one mind and one mouth Christians should glorifie God Rom. 15.6 S. John in his Vision beheld and heard the four living things the Elders the Angels and every Creature in Heaven and Earth expressing blessing honour glory and power unto God Rev. 4.8 11. Ch. 5 8. 14. and a great multitude whom no man could number crying with a loud voice and saying Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb. Rev. 7 9 10. and he heard also the voice of the 144000. who were with the Lamb on Mount Sion as the voice of many Waters and as the voice of a great thunder singing a new Song Rev. 14.1 2 3. and these places last mentioned are the more considerable because they contain representative Visions of the service acceptably performed to God in the Christian Church 6. If we consult Ecclesiastical practice there is very probable evidence that under the Old Testament the people did vocally join by responsals in the ordinary service of God in the Sanctuary and Synagogues V. Hor. Hebr. in Mat. 6.13 Both the Joma and other Tracts of the Talmud mention the people in the period of their Prayers expressing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Blessed be the name of the glory of his Kingdom for ever and ever In Ch. Par. in Deut. 10.16 And the particular responsals used by the Jews at Circumcision are expressed by Fagius The use of alternate singing among the Essens is sufficiently known but that this was of very ancient use in the Jewish Church is very likely because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth to answer is an usual expression of singing even in the holy Scriptures And there appeareth considerable evidence from Ex. 15. v. 1. v. 20. that that Song of Moses and the Children of Israel Phil. de Vit. Mos l. 3. was uttered as Philo Judaeus averreth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with responsal melodies alternately repeated 7. In the Christian Church the Original of the Antiphona or the alternate singing of Hymns by two quires is ascribed by Socrates to Ignatius the like use of Davids Psalms is declared by Theodoret to have had its beginning at Antioch from Flavianus and Diodorus Their Original in the Latin Church is referred by Platina to Damaseus and by Walafridus Strabo to S. Ambrose Is Hisp de Eccl. Offic. l. 1. c. 7 8. but both Isidorus Hispalensis and Rabanus Maurus do testifie that long before this the Responsoria wherein the whole Quire answered to one Man Rab. Maur. de Inst Cler. l. 2. c. 50 51. were known by that name and used in the Latin Church And sometimes the whole Assembly joined in their Hymns and Psalms sometimes they were sung by one alone all the rest joining to eccho forth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or end of the Hymn Conc. Laod c. 15 and by the Laodicean Council the wholy Assembly were not allowed to join in their publick singing which was required to be performed by the appointed singers only Thus the Ecclesiastical practice hath varied according to what was thought prudent and convenient 8. Concerning Prayers and Confessions S. Basil declareth it to have been in his time the ordinary practice of divers Eastern Churches Bas Ep. 63. that every man by his own words did profess repentance and make confession Naz. Or. 3. And Gr. Nazianzene acquainteth quainteth us that Julian in imitation of the Christians did appoint amongst the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a form of Prayer to be said in parts or by way of Responsals Hierom also relateth that populus cum sacerdote loquitur in precibus the people did speak with the Priest in the Prayers and Gregory the great noteth Gr. Ep. l. 7. c. 63. that in the Greek Church the Lords Prayer was ordinarily said by all the people together and as anciently as we can meet with any parcels of Liturgy or particular Offices the use of responsals may be easily discerned even as far as S. Cyprians sursum Corda and Habemus ad Dominum Wherefore the use of responsals and the people joining in some expressions in the publick service of god was a thing thought useful by the ancient Church as well as by our own and is allowable by the rules of the Scripture and the Order of the publick worship of God and whosoever assert that the vocal joining of the people in any expressions of Prayer in the publick Assembly is as Vzziahs action was an intrenching upon the Priests Office doth set up such Bars about the service of God which do keep Gods people at a greater distance from the throne of Grace than the nature and priviledge of Christian liberty will allow Yet the composing or directing particular Prayers for the publick use of Christian Assemblies is the proper work of the Church Officers who are to be the guides thereof as also teaching and instructing being an act of authority doth ordinarily belong to the Ministers of the Church and this is that speaking which is forbidden to Women in the Church because it is an act of authority 1. Cor. 15.34 1. Tim. 2.12 Whereas the joint expressing some words of confession or supplication is wholly an act of humility and is not forbidden
by those places of S. Paul which purposely provide that women may not usurp authority over the man but be under obedience 9. The next thing to be considered in the composure of our publick service is that it doth not contain one continued Prayer only for a particular Office which God hath no where commanded but several short Prayers which he hath no where forbidden This hath been thought by many considering and Religious men to be advantagious for the quickning our affections and pious desires towards God and for preserving the mind from deadness and dulness But the shortness of these Prayers were censured formerly by the Non-Conformists to be short cuts and shreadings and of late was stiled by the Presbyterians an affected empty tossing Gods name in mens mouths vain repetitionâ— and and tautologies which are not the 〈◊〉 but the worse because Gods name is 〈◊〉 the matter of them Presbyter Papers p. 47 48. But surely 〈◊〉 expressions whereby they indulge themselves to make sport with Religious â—â—rvice is not a thing well becoming soâ—â—â—r men and Christians and is so much the worse when they thereby cast reproach even upon the devout using the holy name of God in pious addresses to him It is an easie thing for the vain fancies of men if they be not more Christianly principled to make use of scornful and deriding speeches concerning any method of service whatsoever and indeed concerning any good thing the effect of which would be to bring contempt upon Religion and dishonour to him whom it should be our endeavour to glorifie 10. But if we consider soberly the main difference between the use of one continued long Prayer and divers short ones to the same purpose is this that in these short Prayers the name and attributes of God are more frequently mentioned in the beginning as the ground of our adoration and dependance and the merits of Christ are often mentioned in the end thereof as the only way and means of our access to God and obtaining grace and help from him with a more frequent saying Amen as an expression of confidence and joint consent in these Prayers Since therefore the serious sense of God and an application to him and confidence in him with an eye to the merits of Christ ought to take place in our minds throughout every petition in our Prayer I cannot see how the vocal expressing them if solemnly performed and not beyond what is decent and convenient can possibly fall under any just censure unless it could be sinful to express that with the mouth in publick service which is both pious and requisite to be conceived in the heart especially since it cannot be denied but that God is honoured by us if we think of him frequently provided it be also piously and no imaginable account can be given why he should not be also honoured by us when we oft express his name in Religious invocation of him but not without a due gravity reverent devoutness and pious affection 11. Indeed our Saviour condemneth battology or vain repetitions where they think to be heard for their much speaking Mat. 6.7 which is when true Religion is neglected and confidence placed in the sound and multitude of words as the Worshippers of Baal cryed from Morning to Noon saying O Baal hear us 1. Kin. 18.26 But the expressing our application to God and dependence upon Christ for several distinct blessings in the Liturgy is not a repetition of the same sense but of that which is different and yet where the very same words and sense are piously repeated this is as far from the vain repetition our Saviour condemned as vanity is from Piety Such repetitions were frequently practised by the Psalmist and our Saviour himself praying thrice in a very short distance of time did use the same words as the Evangelists relate Mar. 14.39 Mat. 26.44 And it is very observable that these repeated Prayers were the Prayers of his agony when he prayed more earnestly as is manifest from Luk. 22.42 43 44. and with special reference to these Prayers the Apostle declareth that in the days of his flesh he offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong cries and tears unto him who was able to save him from death Heb. 5.7 So that affectionate repetitions are no vain repetitions And this may be sufficient to justifie the repeated use of the Lords Prayer both before the use of the Psalms Hymns Scriptures and Creed and after them in the daily service as also in the deprecatory Prayers of the Litany and in other particular Offices appointed 12. But it is objected Pr. Pap. ibid. Presbyt Excep p. 9. that we have in Scripture some examples of the supplications of holy men where they are not composed of several distinct short Prayers but the whole matter of their address is comprised in one entire one But here it is to be considered 1. That there is as much or more reason to admit that it is our necessary duty to observe no other method in Preaching then what was used by the Prophets and Apostle some of whose Sermons are probably extant in the Scriptures as they were delivered to the Jewish and Christian Assemblies as there is to conclude that the method of our publick Prayers must be conformable to the Prayers of some holy men in Scripture though we have probably no one Prayer comprised in the Scriptures which was the entire service of the Jewish or Christian publick Assemblies at that time But the Non-Conformists themselves do not judge themselves obliged to follow the method of the Apostles Sermons who ordinarily took no texts and usually made a continued discourse without dividing it into first and secondly 2. Divers Prayers recorded in the holy Scriptures which were either directed for the use of or declared to have been used in their publick Assemblies were short Prayers such besides the Lords Prayer was the Prayer of Hezekiah referring to the Passover 2. Chr. 30.18 19. the Prayer of humiliation directed for the Temple service Joel 2.17 18. and that of Hos 14.2 3. and the time of these solemnities being considered it cannot in reason be doubted but that they used other Prayers besides these at the same time 3. That the Psalms of David were of ordinary use among the Jews as Hymns of praise is acknowledged by the Jewish Writers and is declared 2. Chr. 29.30 and that divers Psalms were used one after another at the Passover and other Temple services is generally owned but why should not the beginning one Psalm after another be as much disliked as the beginning one Prayer after another 4. There are some examples in the Scripture of one Prayer following another in the same service of God and supplication to him So besides the Prayers in our Saviours agony above-mentioned Solomon at the Dedication of the Temple immediately after the end of one Prayer upon his knees 1. Kin. 8.54 beginneth another Prayer of benediction standing v. 56 57. and
their superiours who are over them in the Church in the things they command or the truths they recommend rather than by the opinions of any other persons whomsoever 1. Because God hath appointed them to be teachers leaders and guides to us and therefore it is against the duty of our relation to them and of the due submission we owe to them and inconsistent with the duty of honouring our Rulers to censure their appointments or instructions as evil meerly upon the credit of any other persons contrary opinion 2. Because they who disobey the Constitutions of their Superiours only out of respect to the contrary judgment of any other persons do not disobey out of Conscience but out of prejudice and disaffection because no principle of Conscience can ordinarily bind men who are not able to judge fully of the Case to conclude their superiours or Ecclesiastical Governours to be in the wrong and those who oppose them to be in the right and Gods command to obey them who have the rule over us cannot safely be overlooked out of respect to mens own prejudices and disaffections Disp of Cerem c. 15. Sect. 3. In this case it was well declared by Mr. Baxter that the duty of obeying being certain and the sinfulness of the thing commanded being uncertain and only suspected we must go on the surer side with much more to the same purpose Now the observing these rules abovementioned See Dr. Ferne's Considerations of concernment c. 1. will both preserve the true freedom of judgment and Conscience which when it proceedeth upon unerring evidence is to be preferred before any humane authority and it will also provide for the establishing of Truth Vnity and Peace in the Church and will be the best security to the Souls and Consciences of men because they who hold fast the Fundamentals of Christian Faith and Life though in matters of a lesser nature they should mistake where they sincerely design to practise their duty so far as they can understand of themselves or are instructed by their teachers without any willing neglect of duty towards God or Man such mistakes or errors are not destructive to Salvation 12. Indeed S. Paul telleth his Romans Rom. 14.23 that he that doubteth is domned or condemned which some expound self condemned if he eat and that whatsoever is not of Faith is sin But as the Rules above-expressed are means for the satisfying doubts so this Apostolical Rule requiring a full and well satisfied perswasion of a mans own judgment and knowledge in what he acteth must be applyed to the special case intended which is this That wheresoever the omitting any action is certainly free from sin and the practice of it appeareth to any person doubtful there to do that action is a very dangerous and evil practice because it containeth in it a chusing to run the hazard of sin which choice is always a sin in such a Case the Apostle alloweth no man to engage upon any such action until he be certainly perswaded by an undoubting knowledge of the lawfulness thereof And the same rule must take place when the practice of any thing is manifestly lawful and the omission doubtful But the Case is very much different when both acting and forhearing may be doubted of where the one of them is a duty and it is impossible that both should be forborn and such to some persons is the question above-mentioned concerning Infant Baptism obedience to Rulers c. Nor doth the Apostle in this place design in general that no Servant Child or Subject may eat any thing observe any time religiously obey any command or perform any other action till he hath obtained so much knowledge as to discern by an undoubting judgment how these actions in their particular circumstances are allowable by the rules of Christianity for then the ignorant person should be directed till he becometh knowing to be idle and do nothing and to be disobedient and under no command but would scarce be allowed to live so long as to obtain knowledge But God having commanded Superiours to rule and Inferiours to obey to suspend all action here is to perform an inward moral action of choice about a matter of duty which if it be not regularly managed is a sin And in this case so far as concerneth the obedience of a Child Servant or Subject they ought to account their superiours command to lay such an obligation upon them to duty that they must be guided thereby unless they be able to prove themselves bound to act the contrary 13. Assert 4. It is neither necessary nor possible that Ecclesiastical Constitutions should not be liable to be scrupled or suspected where those suspicions and scruples are admitted without sufficient evidence of evil in the things themselves Mr. H. Tract of Schism I know that some have asserted that the Church and its Officers are guilty of Schism if they appoint any thing not necessary or indifferent which is by others suspected But that things in themselves lawful and expedient may lawfully be commanded though they be groundlesly suspected or scrupled appeareth I. Because otherwise all rules of Ecclesiastical order would be unlawful where people are needlesly suspitious and scrupulous and a great part of the authority of Princes Parents and Masters would be abridged if it must be limited by all the unnecessary suspitions of inferiours 14. Arg. 2. From the Apostolical practice When S. Paul had directed his Corinthians that the men should pray uncovered and the women covered adding 1 Cor. 11.16 that if any man will be contentious we have no such Custom nor the Churches of God he doth plainly enough express that what is duly and orderly established in the Church must take place notwithstanding contentions and oppositions And when the Apostolical Synod required the Gentiles to abstain from bloud and things strangled even that constitution might have been scrupled and opposed especially considering that many Primitive Christians were not presently satisfied by the Declaration of the Apostles concerning Christian liberty as is manifest from Rom. 14.2 14 20. Had not Christians then been of another temper than many now are and made up more of Vnity humility meekness and peace than of heats parties and controversies they might have objected that this was an encroachment upon Christian liberty whereby they were free from the whole Yoke of Mosaical Ceremonies that it might seem to countenance the distinction of things clean and unclean and to give occasion to the Gentile Christians to Judaize as the Galatians did It might also have been said that that Decree had an appearance of establishing Christianity upon Judaism because the Jews had a sort of Proselytes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proselytes of converse Gemar Sanhedr c. 7. Sect. 5. Cocceius ibidem Buxt Lexic Rab. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who were not circumcised but only enjoined to observe the seven Precepts of the Sons of Noah to whom bloud was prohibited And