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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	day_n	observe_v	sabbath_n	3,417	5	9.5510	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33973	A reasonable account why some pious, nonconforming ministers in England judge it sinful for them to perform their ministerial acts, in publick, solemn prayer by the prescribed forms of others wherein several of their arguments are modestly propounded, opended and justified against pretended answers given to them, either by Ireneus Freeman, or Mr. Falconer, in his book entituled Liberitas ecclesiastica, or others : the strength also of the several arguments brought by them, for the lawfulness of forms to be used universally by ministers, in their publick ministrations, is fairly tried.	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.; Freeman, Ireneus.; Falkner, William, d. 1682. Libertas ecclesiastica.	1679 (1679)	Wing C5330; ESTC R14423	97,441	180

to do which too every Romish-priest and Jesuite will help him in that is To evince to men that the Bishop of Rome in all Spiritual things is all Christians superiour And he hath done the Popes business as effectually as he could have done it had he been hired to it by a Cardinals cap. But both St. Paul Col. 2. 23. and Bp Davenant as before cited on that text have told us what kind of Humility this is § 12 An eighth Argument used by some is this The people that join with a minister in prayer pray by a form The ministers prayer is but a form to them and limitation of them c. Therefore the minister may lawfully do it We have fully answered this before but in short 1 The Question is about vocal-prayer the people are onely required to pray mentally this is quite another species of Prayer In mental-prayer God onely requireth the exercise of grace In ministerial-vocal-prayer he also requireth the exercise of gifts And that not such gifts as remotely but such as specifically relate to the Act. 2 It is one thing barely to worship in prayer Another thing to minister to others in worshipping Our question is what is lawful for him that doth not onely worship but ministreth in worshipping § 13 Ninthly say some If a minister in publick be suffered to pray by conceived-prayer he may vent Blasphemy Heresy Nonsense and how shall the people say Amen This also we have fully before answered But 1 This argument holds equally if not with much more advantage against any other preaching then by reading or reciting other mens Sermons 2 If the minister doth vent error blasphemy c. we hope every one hath his Amen within his own teeth which he may withold if he hear Petitions come out his mouth not according to the will of God nor 3 Is it impossible that men may do the like by miscalling or misplacing words in reading or reciting forms § 14 But Tenthly Forms they tell us are necessary for Vniformity but we must first enquire whether Vniformity be necessary or at all desireable in the sense we here take it Where by it we understand nothing but an uniformity in Sentences Words and Syllables used in prayer Vnity is indeed a beauteous thing whether it be in Affections or Judgment So is Vniformity if understood of a worship of God in the same solemn time That is on the sabbath-Sabbath-day and by the same specifical Acts of worship or As to the matter of prayer Thus far all sober men are agreed We all observe the Sabbath we all on the Sabbath publickly Read the Word Pray Sing Preach c. In our prayers we all Confess our sins put up our petitions to God for good things which we or others need and give God thanks for good things which we or others have received here now is a great and beauteous Vniformity we all speak the same thing do the same thing and on the same day But how shall it be ever proved That that pitiful thing called Vniformity in Words and Syllables and Phrases was ever desired of God or that it ever came into his or his Sons heart Or that it is acceptable to him Or that it hath more beauty in it then would be in a Congregation where all men wear the same coloured clothes Or had the very same lines in their faces or the same fashioned periwiggs upon their heads 2. The Beauty of no end can justify any sinful mean Gods glory is the noblest end the Apostle hath told us That it needeth not our ly to promove it 3 If it be lawful for men to fancy ends as fine things which God never spake of It is no wonder if they can find no means adequate to them but such as are justifiable by no Right Reason or Divine Rule The Princes of Babylon had an end to destroy Daniel they saw that except in the matter of his God nothing was to be found against him In their opinion therefore it was necessary to establish an uniformity in prayers yet not that we read off in words but as to the object of the Act All must be commanded to pray onely to Darius possibly there might be some form limited but the end was naught so was the mean 4 But suppose Vniformity syllabicaluniformity Necessary Lawful Beautiful Desirable and certainly desirable it is as to Doctrines of Religion and some particular terms and phrases by which they may safely be expressed We remember what a difference was made both in the church and the Doctrine of it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How yet shall forms of prayer help us with it without forms of Sermons too and a constant sticking to the use of them and no other § 15 In the next place cometh Ireneus Freeman in and telleth us in p. 38. of his Reasonableness of Divine service That in case liberty be granted to some to do that for which they have a gift it will provoke others who have it not to imitate them He adds If the denial of liberty to some who have the gift be to Cut the man fit for the bed the granting of such a liberty as we desire would be to Stretch a man fit for the bed Now seing both will ly together he saith it is more equitable That the tall man should pull up his leggs then that the low man should be put to the rack The question in issue is Whether it be lawful universally to impose upon ministers Forms of Prayer to be ordinarily used in their publick ministrations Or for ministers whom God hath furnished with the gift of prayer to perform their ministerial acts ordinarily by the use of those forms though imposed Yes saith Mr. Freeman for it is necessary Every thing say we which is necessary eithir is so from nature or a supervening command The first is not pretended But the Second It is necessary because Magistrates or Superiours command us and God hath commanded us to obey our Superiours We say God hath onely commanded us to obey our Superiours in things where in we may obey them and not sin Which say we in this case we cannot You may saith Mr. Freeman And why Because it is necessary If this Medium be good It must be made so by some precept of God particularly relating to this case not by the general precepts of Gods word to obey our Superiours For the thing must first be agreed lawful before we can have in it any superiour but God onely Now whether This use of forms be so or no is the matter in question How then doth what he saith evince the necessity of them 2 All that he saith amounts but to a contingent disorder which may happen upon a liberty given by some to use their gifts in prayer But shall a contingent danger be pleaded in bar to a duty think we Or shall the sin of another be sufficient to justify our superiour in prohibiting

do onely that which the meanest person in the church had a natural ability or power to do There is nothing plainer in the whole book of God then that God hath established a peculiar order of persons to be his ministers in his name to declare his will unto his people and on their behalf to intercede with God in prayer Now if they may do the one by forms of sermons made for them and the other by forms of prayer also made for them This is no more then the meanest of their people could do as well as they it requireth no extraordinary knowledge in the Scriptures no study and meditation c. The minister of the gospel would onely stand distinguished from the people by imposition of hands upon him He would have nothing to do but what any one might do supposing him under the same circumstances of ordination The Apostle Paul needed onely have given Timothy a charge to have found out faithful men for such as should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able they were easy enough to find if this were all the ability requisite Now we cannot entertain any such thoughts of God especially considering how much care he hath taken in his word For a double honour for such as labour in the word and Doctrine which Divines do interpret of Reverence and Honour and Maintenance And if that be not the sense of that phrase yet we are sure that both of them are by many other Scriptures required for the ministers of the gospel Supposing this were lawful there were no great reason for either 1 Not for any peculiar maintenance it were but ordaining so many of the people and that charge might be saved Besides the reasonableness of maintenance depends very much upon their separation from worldly businesses that they might study and attend to their office and be fit for their work but none of this were needful if the great acts of their ministerial office might be so discharged 2 For Honour and Reverence God that knoweth our frame knew it would be hard to gain of the world a reverence for those whom people should onely see their superiors in a notion or by an inoperative character We therefore observe that God himself when hee called any to a place of publick employment constantly capacitated them to some farther noble and powerful actions then others could do or set upon them some special sensible marks of his favour by which rationally an honour and reverence was gained for them Moses is called up to the mount his face shineth so as they were not able to look upon him Moses and Aaron are empowred to do miracles So also the Prophets and the latter to soretel future contingencies The Apostles work miracles speak with tongues c. and though these extraordinary miraculous operations be ceased which were at first to give the gospel credit in the world yet he still gives gifts unto men and that which gains a reverence for ministers is when people see them in gifts and graces higher by the shoulders then themselves There is nothing of such efficacy to destroy the ministry and to make the officers and offerings to be a contempt as to let the people see or to induce them to believe that they are no other then what the meanest of them could offer And of this every day giveth such an ample experience That it were idle for us to spend many words in the proof of it But this would follow viz. That God hath erected a sort of officers to do that which the meanest people might do as will as they if it be lawful ordinarily to perform ministerial acts in Prayer and preaching by the prescribed forms of others for setting aside the application of those general acts there is nothing in the administration of the Sacraments but any one may do who hath hands and a tongue This makes it very probable to us That this principle is false and that it is not lawful c. § 2 It were an easy thing to multiply arguments but we shall onely instance in one thing more and that is those unblest effects which are matters of demonstration to us We hope the Argument will not be judged improper both because our Saviour hath learned us the Topick and most of the Arguments brought for such forms are beholding to this Topick Besides that we say in Logick Talis causa qualis effectus which it true where the effects are natural and any way necessary Yea or ordinary But our Saviour hath taught us to conclude what the tree is from the fruits Math. 7 Let us therefore instance in some too evident effects of forms of prayer universally imposed and to be ordinarily used by ministers 1 The First is The filling of the church of God with an ignorant lazy and sottish ministry This we confess is no necessary consequent A minister may be a diligent painful holy man that yet in his ministerial prayer may think fit to use the prescribed forms of others Blessed be God we have had and have very many that are so Far be it from us either to say or think otherwise But we say That the establishing this for universal use opens a door for such persons to enter in and as a deluge overflow the Church And while such a door is open it is not to be expected but they will enter in and it is evident many such have ordinarily entred in Experience tells us That conscience is not enough in all to oblige them to their duty nay That the very best of men had need of all the obligations that can be laid upon them over and above the bare obligation of conscience arising from the force of the Divine precept We have before said That forms of sermons may every whit as lawfully be imposed as forms of prayer Supposing both we would fain know why a minister may not neglect the use or stirring up of his own gifts improving his mind by study and meditation nay if his own lusts so incline him why he may not spend the whole week at an alehouse and be ready too for his work on the Lords day He will have no ty upon him to take more pains in his study and meditations from the work he hath to do nor from any honour in doing of it well his work if it be meerly to read first Prayers then an Homily needs no preliminary pains and may be done as laudably ex tempore as upon the longest premeditation Whereas if every one were obliged to pray and preach constantly in person and in the excercise of their own gifts men would have an obligation upon them to study to meditate and to give up themselves to their proper work and would not find so much leisure for markets and taverns and coffee-houses Or were forms of prayer onely recommended and left to liberty men would have some obligation upon them from honour and repute to Take heed to their ministry Besides the Test of