c. They act his materiall praise also in that themselves are the excellent works of God a matter of great praise and therefore they should take notise of themselves to be stirred up to praise God formally as they are alwayes his praise materially 2. All other creatures act only his materiall praises that is They are a matter of his praise in that they show forth in themselves admirable effects of his power wisdome love bountifulnesse justice and holinesse c. which things prove procure most great praise and glory And therefore in the psalme 148. all creatures are exhorted to praise God that is They should show forth the excellent things that God placed in them that the great creator of all may be taken notise of thereby and praised The psalmest speaketh to dumb creaturs who can not make answer but in that God inableth them to hold out show to the world his excellent gifts it is in stead of an answer for it is a materiall praising of God And also his speach to creatures void of understanding provoketh men to take notise of Gods gifts in the creatures to be stirred up to praise God formallie lest they prove worse then the creatures Quest Our Psalms in meeter are they a translation or a paraphrase of the Hebrew text You call them paraphrases as the set forms of prayer are of the Lords prayer Answ The miter showeth them to be paraphrases for it hath the meaning of the text in mo words then a translation requireth 2. When translators adde mo words then the just interpretation requireth it is because the meaning of the text can not otherwise be understood and yet the text that hath these words added if with these words all be considered as parts of one sentence they are a short paraphrase because more then the text is added to explicat the text But when all the words or sentences of the book are explicat and illustrat by other words there the whole work is a paraphrase 3. The most learned Latine Poets call their psalms turned mirer a paraphrase Buchanan calleth his psalms Paraphrasis Poetica because sometimes sentences figurative speaches and other illustrations and words are added to the text sometimes the words of the text are turned into other words and sentences of the same sense these things are done in the whole work that the Poet may have choose of words to make the miter agree with the text so is it with our psalms in miter for no Scriptures can bee turned into miter by a naked translation Qu. If our psalms in miter be a paraphrase then we may make paraphrases of all the Scripturs and so read them publictly A. That is not needful for many scripturs are understood at the reading without a paraphrase 2. If our psalms in meeter were only the translated text then Preachers should make sermons on them and readers should read them publictly as they do other scripturs the verses in miter cited to prove matters of divine verity 3. It were not hurtfull but profitable for the hearers sometimes to read paraphrases of all scriptures but this is supplied by preaching catechising by the plainnes of many scripturs at the reading then these paraphrases are not so needfull Quest Seeing the translators of other Scripturs adde some vvords to the text vvhy may not the translations be called paraphrases Ans If the whole scripturs had illustrations other helps forsaid in every sētence as the book of the psalms hath then might it be so called but such helps are few seldom foūd in other scripturs Adde these following to the chap. 6. viz. GIve some example in the book of the Psalms where the vvhole sentence Gloris to the Father and to the Son c. is said in substance Answ In Psal 110.1 The Lord said to my Lord c. that is The Father said to the Son sit thou at my right hand c. and vers 2. the holy Ghost is called The rod of thy strength He is a golden scepter holden out to comfort the godly but an yron rod to bruise the wicked thus glory is given to all the three persons the Father is glorified in subduing the enemies of Christ the Son is glorified in sitting at the right hand of God and that his enemies shall be his footstool the holy Ghost is glorified in that he is the effectuall rod of Gods power ruling in the mids of Christs enemies and subduing them and in verse 4. the Eternitie of the three persons is expressed in that the Lord made Christ a Priest for ever without beginning and without ending because He is after the order of Melchisedeck Heb. 7. He can not be a priest for ever except God his Father continue for ever for none can be a priest without a God unto whom he must offer sacrifice and with whom he must interceed for people the holy Ghost must also continue for ever for if the anoynting whereby Christ is effectuall shall cease at any time then Christ could no longer remain a priest nor doe that office So in this psalm God is glorified according to the full sentence wherewith we conclude our psalmes Quest Pope Damasus caused first that sentence be sung in Gods Kirk should we not reiect it because papists first practised it Answ Shall no man make use of cities tents harps and musicall instruments because cursed Cain builded the first city and his children invented the rest Balaam the false prophet fist said Let me die the death of the righteous Palladius sent from pope Celestine brought the gospel first into Scotland and one Augustine sent from pope Gregorie brought it into England when popish superstition was greater then in the dayes of Damasus who lived in the 400 year Palladius in the 500. and this Augustine in the 600 year of Christ The builders of Babel first spake all languages shall wee therefore absteene from all these things 2. Therefore let us embrace the good things agreeable to Gods word which they made use of but cast away the infidelitie of Balaam the vain confidence of the builders of Babel the superstition of papists who used this sentence at the masse and at the end of every psalm read or sung 3. Pope Damasus said not first the substance of that sentence neither used he it first in musicall praise the substance of it was said in Revel 4.8 and it was sung when the psalm 100. was first sung and other passages of the psames have the sentence included in them as the psalm 45. vers 7. psalm 2. and salm 136. Quest Is it comely at one exercise of divine praise to sing parts of diverse psalmes together as if they were parts of one psalm or song and that in publict meetings Answ Gods Spirit approveth it by the like practise in 1 Chron. 16 7. When David gave a psalm to thank the Dord into the hands of Asaph and his brethren this song or psalm was made up thus to wit from the verse eight of the chapter unto the end of the verse 23. are written fifteene verses of the psalme 105. and from the 23 verse unto the end of the verse 33. are written the words of the whole psalme 96. and in the verse 34. is the first verse of the psalm 107. all is one song Item the first five verses of the psal 108. are the last five verses of the psal 57. and the rest of the psal 108. are the last eight vers of the psal 60. Quest. Is it not good to practise some of these erroneous novations for eschewing of shisme and for keeping of union and conformitie with some religious persons who in great Zeal defend them Zeal in defending error is not a godly but a blind zeal it is thus known in that they defend these errors as carefully as they do the clearest principals of divine veritie and they persecute such as embrace them not as if they were hereticks 2. Would thou keep union with them in their errours rather than with Christ and his apostles who were immediatly taught by Gods Spirit in divine veritie which admitteth not such novations By so doing you eschew not but you entertaine a most dangerous schisme dividing your selves from the puritie of the most loyal and infallible preachers of the truth 3. If for to make you strong with humane friendship you so despise Gods truth that you make errors equall unto it professing both together as if they were both but one truth then it will be a just reward if God suffer you to fall by degrees into palpable antichristian darknesse and if God kindle unquenchable hatred and discord between you and your affected societie wo shall be to him that maketh flesh his arme Jerem. 17.5 FINIS
Gods favour and mercie it is a spirituall song and melodie in the heart to the Lord though it want outward musick Quest But in Coloss 3.16 he biddeth admonish one another in psalmes and hymnes Answ When men know not what they sing they neither admonish nor are admonished by such melody 2. Paul admonisheth Christians not to be like Pagans who at their feasts and other occasions were delighted with badry filthy and protain longs but they should use songs of heavenly consolation and of spirituall admonitions and instructions tending to edification See the end of Chapter 6. CHAP. VI. Some never sing the words Glory to the Father to the Son and to the holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Some sing them at every passage of the psalmes Quest ARE these words or their meaning in the Scriptures Answ In Math 28. the Disciples are bidden baptise in the name of the three persons of the Godhead In 2 Cor. 13.14 Paul prayeth to them In Esay 6.3 the three persons are pointed at in the words Holy holy holy c. In Revel 4.8 is the meaning of the whole sentence viz. Holy holy holy Lord God almightie which was and is and is to come In Psal 45.7 God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladnesse above thy fellows That is The Father hath declared the Son to be anoynted with the holy Ghost fully dwelling in Him by whom His manhead is replenished with gifts above all measure And thus John 1 John 2.27 calleth the Holy Ghost the anointing that teacheth The psalm 136. biddeth Give glorie to God pointing at the unity of his essence in the words Iehovah and Adonai and in the relative His and at the plurality of persons in the words Elohim Haadenim And at His Unchangablenes and Eternity in the words His mercie endureth for ever His mercy indureth not without Himselfe for it floweth from Him In Psalm 110.1 The Lord said to my Lord that is The Father hath said to the Son And in vers 2. the Holy Ghost is called The rod of thy strength Hee is a golden Scepter holden out to comfort the godlie but an Tron Rod to bruise the Wicked Item the three persons are mentioned in the second psalme Quest Should these vvords be sung concluding every passage of the psalmes or should they never be sung at all Ans It is a necessary duety of thankfulnes to make expresse mention of our benefactors so far as we know them such are the persons of the Trinity The papists superstitiously said these words at the masse and at the end of every psalm read in proofe albeit they had read ten psalms in an hour as if the psalms had no religious use without these words others reject them altogether The papist by the frequent use of the words make great shew of holines that men may take lesse notise of their errors and heresies They who neglect the words make a great show of precisenes that their erroneous novations may seem to be nothing else but precisenesse 2. Therefore these words or words of the like sense should be used because the duty of thankfulnes should distinctly expresse our benefactors and sometimes they should be omitted to eschew superstition and the appearance thereof and to show that God may be praised expressing only the Unity of Essence as well as the distinction of Persons Quest May vve not glorifie God sometimes expressing onlie one or tvvo of the persons Ans We may do it both in prayer divine praise for as the wife is inriched by the riches given to her Husband so is the Husband by the riches of his wife Matrimoniall union maketh their riches not to be divided The soul the body and all the members thereof are honoured if a crown be put on a mans Head a ring on his finger a chain on his neck because of the naturall union of the members of the body and because of the personall union which is a more strict naturall union of the soul body so if thou honour any of the three peisons it redoundeth to them all not only because they all work together in every work that God doth to the creatures and therefore all the three merit the same glory honour but also because of their essentiall union in one Godhead 2. This is practised in Philip. 4.20 Vnto God our Father be glorie Paul prayed to the Father and to the Son 1 Thess 3.11 and to Christ only 2 Thess 3.18 2 Tim. 2.22 Peter glorisieth Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 Christ said Pray Our Father vvhich art in heaven Luk. 11.3 If then the Honour expresly given to one of the three persons redound unto all of them it can not be prejudiciall to any of the three if the Honour be expresly given to all the three 4. Albeit neither the whole sentence nor the parts thereof were so expresly mentioned in Scriptures as they are yet either this or the like sentence with good reason should be sung in divine praise because not only the whoole book of the psalms but all the Scriptures all Gods works mercies also tend to the setting foorth of the praise glory of all the 3. persons 5. Christ might have commanded the Apostles to baptise in the name of Father only or of God ony but He commanded to expresse all the three persons to show that as we increase in the knowledge of God so we should expresse more punctually that which we know of God 6. As for the last verse of the 28. psalme containing a short prayer for Gods people it is very pertinent to sing it or the like sentence with the words of praise foresaid because prayer and praise agree well together so Christ conjoined them together in the Lords prayer adding to the prayer the words For thine is the kingdome the power and glory c. and also it is fit oftimes to use such short verses of prayer and praise as we conclude the singing of psalmes that such as can not read may get these lines in their memories to sing them with the people if they can do no further this may be done without abusing of Gods name and it is used by many in a laudable custome Many of the psalmes do conjoin praise and prayer we then may do the same both at the singing of psalmes and in our prayers CHAP. VII Some after Divine Service blesse the People in a legall manner Quest SHould not the Preacher after Divine Service say The Lord blesse you c. Answ He should say The LORD blesse us and save us c. not excluding himself in a legall manner for these reasons 1. To acknowledge thereby his owne miserie and that he hath need of blessing as much as any of the people and so he casteth away pharisaicall holinesse 2. To eschew Judaisme the priests did pray and offer sacrifice for themselves and for the people acknowledging thus their own sinfull condition and miserie
as if you would say I am not sufficiently sensible nor cōforted in the assurance that my former words were accepted therefore I pray again for the same things No man hath power and authoritie from GOD to abrogate or despise any form which GODS word approveth Quest If we use set formes we should only use the Lords prayer for no other forme is enjoined to us Answ The apostles also used other set forms and so do we they spake by the Spirit in using them also Quest In Numb 6. the Lord said Thus shalt thou blesse that is in this manner Hee said not Vse the same words Ergo the Priests used not a set form of blessing If thus import the same sense then it is a set form of sense why may not the same sense have the same words seeing the words are a manner of speaking as the sense is a manner of signification no words can better expresse the same sense then the words that Gods Spirit hath dited 3. The text showeth that the priests should have used the same words for the Lord saith Thus shalt thou blesse saying The Lord blesse thee they are bidden say The Lord blesse thee this is the manner how they shall blesse 4. Albeit the priests had used only conceived words yet the despisers of set formes blesse only in a set forme Quest What call you stinted prayers Are they lawfull Ans Both prayers and divine praise are stinted when men willingly reject the ful libertie of using them which GOD hath granted GOD in his word hath given us alike warrand and libertie to use both conceived and set forms of prayer hee that rejecteth any of the two stinteth to himself the form which he useth and restraineth the libertie which GODS Spirit hath granted in rejecting the other form The papists in their service book have stinted set formes others stint unto themselves conceived forms though they alter the words yet they stint the form but we stint neither the form nor the words because 1. we use both the forms 2. we sometimes change the formes a set form into a conceived form or we use diversitie of set forms in the same purpose and so we stint not the words of a set form 3. At the end of a conceived prayer wee sometimes say a set form as the LORDS prayer or the blessing sometimes we conceive words at the end of a set form 4. Sometimes we mixe words of a set forme among conceived words Quest Do not many through envie complaine that we absteine from set forms because themselves want eloquence Ans It is as true in some who want it as it is true in others who have it that they despise such as want it 2. But it is not true in many both private and publict persons who have as much eloquence as you have and yet they use set forms not onely to countenance the lawfull practise of Christ his prophets and apostles but also because GODS Spirit worketh by it and warrandeth it in his word as he doth conceived formes Quest Should not all men conceive at all times for Gods word proveth that all men can conceive as Ioel 2.18 I will poure out my Spirit upon all flesh and Zacharie 12. I will poure out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication Answ Thus you prove that both private and publict persons can conceive which we deny not of some but negligent pastours know not that others can never conceive nor yet understand mens conceptions they know not pastorall dueties who know not this both of young and aged persons 2. But you make a false glesse on these texts as if the pouring out of the Spirit in Joel were only a giving of the gift of conceiving prayers Peter Act. 2. interprets it to be the extraordinarie gifts of the Spirit given unto GODS servants in a greater measure then was usuall as diversities of tongues prophesies visions working of miracles c. and also the ordinarie gifts as faith hope charitie humilie temperance c. were given more largely and you interpret the Spirit of grace and supplication in Zacharie to be only the gift of conceiving prayers as if Christ his prophets and apostles wanted the spirit of grace and supplication when they used set forms Quest Are not conceived formes of greater dignitie and therefore wee should not use set formes Answ Doth GOD abolish the Moon and Stars because the Sun is of greater dignitie Shall a man cut off his little finger because the other fingers are stronger Shall the Sacraments bee neglected because the Word edifieth more 2. The two forms of prayer are of equall dignitie in these respects viz. they have one author the holy SPIRIT who dyted them in his Word they are both in one language they both signifie alike excellent and spirituall things both alike able to stir up our devotion otherwise the LORD would not have used set formes in his greatest extremitie it is out corruption that hindereth us to make such use of them Eloquence and varietie of words are much admired by Pagans and naturall men like Agrippa who was almost perswaded to be a Christian and yet was void of sanctification Our corruption doth still dote too much upon the same though we be Christians so that we contemn the other form which Christ and his Saints made use of 3. All the prerogative of a conceived form is that it expresseth mo meditations than a set form but it neither maketh our prayer more acceptable unto GOD neither can it expresse more excellent things The examples foresaid of Christ and his Saints do show that GOD accepteth the one as well as the other and if he make a difference it is his custome oftimes to respect more of the things which the world esteeme least of so CHRIST in his greatest extremitie choosed a set form as was said before see the rest in the next chapter CHAP. IIII. They forbid all reading of prayers Qu. SHould not set formes be said from the memorie or from the heart that is they should be said perqueer seeing reading of prayers is not commanded in Scripture Answ Neither repeating from the memorie nor conceiving of prayers nor singing of psalmes on a book nor off the book are commanded in Scriptures should they therefore not be used The dueties of prayer and praise are commanded and these circumstances are lawfull usefull and no wayes hurtfull to these exercises 2. Whether you read them out of the invisible book of your memorit or from the visible book of paper the words are alike heard by the people and the devotion of both reader and hearer is alike stirred up thereby if the corruption of our unruly hearts and itching ears hinder not Qu. Is it not ridicolous if a child ask from his father bread or a fish on paper so is it to read prayers unto God Answ It is as comely thus to seek benefits from God as to
superstition the constant neglect thereof is an antichristianlike extremity to hide by silence the chiefest principals of GODS truth which should bee confessed before men 7. Papists also blesse the people in a legall maner 8. Popish prelats are enemies to presbyteriall government taking upon themselves the whole power of church government so some pretended reformers would have the ministration of church government to be common to all the people that none should rule above themselves 9. The baptizing of children onely in the the years of discretion is like popish confirmation which is a baptizing of children in the years of discretion as if the baptisme ordained by Christ were of no effect 10. Some deny that Ministers admitted by bishops are lawfully called though some bishops be actuall Ministers popish prelats do take the power of admission from Ministers if they be not bishops so both are enemies to Ministeriall authority 11. Pharisaicall professors separat themselves at divine service not onely from pagans but also from such weak Christians as are not much respected among men so papists are much addicted to separation men of Church office are separat from the people in that they are called clergy and the people laiks And prelats as if they were more holy are separa-from the inferior orders and they separat all sound professors from themselves by excommunication 12. The forbidding to read the works of learned men and sound writers is oftentimes practised by papists to the maintaining of antichristian darknes 13. To forbid reading of Scriptures without interpretation is a hindering of people as the papists do to read any Scriptures at all for if people be perswaded that publict reading edfieth not what confort can they expect of privat reading 14. To forbid the publict office of readers bringeth also privat reading in contempt and so it maketh for hiding of Gods truth 15 To forbid privat prayer in a publick place before people it hindereth the glorifying of God before men in a worship wherein God should be most glorifyed so Antichristianlike it obscureth Gods glory To forbid privat prayer in churches whether people be present or not it maketh a superstitious difference of places as if God should not be worshipped in every place by Christians in their generall calling papists made the like difference between the body of the church and the chancell or quier 16. The Antinomians are members of Antichrist for they are enemies to faith and repentance the chief doctrine of the Gospell they either contradict or pervert the Scripturs in all their tenets 17. All the humaine traditions herisies and errours were brought into the church under the pretence of pietie and reformation of religion and many embraced them through blinde zeal thus are the foresaid novations brought in none of them have warrand from Scripture which is GODS revealed will An addition to the foutrh Chapter 〈…〉 26. the Lord saith to the Apostles that 〈…〉 â—â—â—ost cometh he shall teach you all things and bring all 〈…〉 go we should only use conceived prayers for the Spirit 〈…〉 conceptions and bringeth them to our memories Answ When Christ his prophets and apostles used of times words which were said before had Gods Spirit no medling with these words because they were not new conceptions 2. That text speaketh chiefly of preaching which was the proper end of their particular calling If they should not preach using meditation reading and other mens travels as means to help them but only look for new conceptions from Gods Spirit it would almost seeme that prayer should be so used but the text proveth nothing of these 3. The words of the text seeme rather to favour set forms of prayer for the Lord saith The Spirit shall teach and bring all things to your memorie whatsoever I have said unto you there is no mention here of new conceptions but of things which Christ spake to them before the text showeth that Gods Spirit bringeth to mens memories things spoken before 4. Gods Spirit giveth new conceptions and maketh to remember old conceptions forgotten and also to keep in memorie conceptions not forgotten and he giveth men grace in their hearts to make use of all conceptions new and old forgotten and not forgotten whether they be read from the visible book of paper or from the invisible book of the memorie 5. Then as the Sun and Stars are not only Gods work when they are newly created but also they still remain Gods work so the conceptions of devout prayer are not only the work of Gods Spirit when they are newly dyted unto men but they remaine still his work whether they be written or keep in memorie as it is a gift of God that men may make use of the Sun and Stars newly created or at any time afterwards so it is the gift of Gods Spirit to use religiously any devout conceptions when they are newly conceived or at any time afterwards The poesie of Homer is his as well now as at the beginning so are the meditations of prayer the effects of a sanctifying Spirit as well no was before FINIS The second answers against some Novations Adde these to the Chap. 1. viz. Question SHould we not use privie meetings for exercising our talents lest they be given unto us in vain Answ Davids brethren were stronger then himself The souldiers which Gedeon removed were stronger then the three hundred which he retained but God glorifieth himself in doing great things by the imployment of the weak ones and by the humble patience and ready attendance of the strong ones GOD did accept the zealous readinesse of David in preparing materialls for the temple as well as the travels of Salomon in building it The service done to GOD in the heart and intension shall be as surely rewarded as the labours of the hand if these things be done in faith All the waters of a river and the clouds of the air attend on mens service though all be not imployed So gifts given unto men should glorifie GOD either attending on his service or imployed in his service Adde these to the Chap. 3. viz. Quest SEeing the set formes of prayers in scripture are but short tailed prayers as some affirme can they be fit for our imitation who use longer prayers Answ If short prayers should not be imitated nor used then we should neither use the Lords prayer nor yet pray after that manner as the LORD commanded 2. Neither should wee use nor imitat conceived prayers whereof the most part in Scriptures are short tailed as they call them 3 The longest prayer in Scripture was said by Salomon at the dedication of the temple It is twise repeated viz. in 1 King 8. and 2 Chron. 6. Thus Gods Spirit indyted twise the longest prayer Repetitions are often indited by Gods Spirit as in the 7 epistles Revel 1.2 and 3. chap. In the beginning of every epistle is written I know thy works And in the ending Let him that hath an ear hear what the
more substantiall and true prayers then the outward expressions alone though both severally be called prayers 2. These images in a lively way teach us how to form our prayers but the holy Ghost inableth us effectually to pray whether we use the means of hearing or seeing these images so the most substantiall prayers can not bee born in a pocket or gotten from men though the expressions may be gotten from men it is only the expressions which men receive from ministers as they concur but the holy Ghost addeth true prayer to the expressions heard or seene Quest Christ after his ascension gave gifts unto men to bee faithfully used should we then by reading neglect our conceptions Ans You need not neglect them seeing you may conceive as much as ever you did before or after reading 2. True grace is more known in using the basest means as Christ and his servants used then to use the most glorious means that our loftie nature affecteth most Q. The Scripture biddeth us pray it biddeth not read the words Ans Neither biddeth it conceive the words 2. We are bidden drink wine in a cup at the Lords supper we are not bidden drink in a cup of mettall or timber shall we therefore use only cups of gold rejecting silver cups saying they are not Gods ordinance because they are not expresly commanded to be used at the Sacrament and shall we say that cups of gold are Gods ordinance because we esteeme most of them when as God warrandeth not the one more than the other So we are commanded to pray without naming any form yet we should rather use both the forms then both these cups for examples of both the forms but not of the mater of sacramentall cups is mentioned in Scripture Then when generals are commanded in Scripture we should obey in such particulars as wherein true obedience may bee seene So we may pray truely in any form read or not read if we do otherwise the cause is not in the form but in our corrupt naturs that can not use the formes which the dearest Saints used Quest Is it not idolatrie in Gods worship to direct our faces towards a book we should look up to heaven where God sitteth in glory Answ If thou canst read turning thy back to the book thy speach would seeme to have some reason But thou canst not read without looking on the words the book is not a religious object of adoration but an object of necessitie 2. The words are images of the things signified if it be idolatrie to direct thy face towards them at prayer so should it be at the singing of Psalmes and at the reading of scriptures for it is Divine Service to read GODS word for edification 3. Elias upon mount Carmel and our Saviour in the garden without idolatrie prayed with their faces towards the earth Quest How many wayes doth Gods word warrand us to exercise spirituall dueties in particular circumstances Answ Three wayes 1. When Gods word expreslie commandeth the duety with the circumstances as when the Lord forbad his disciples to fast like the hypocrits he bade them wash their faces and anoint their heads 2. When scriptures bring exampls of the godly practising these duties in their circumstances as when Steven prayed kneeling Act 7. 3. It warrandeth by way of consequent that is it commandeth the general duety not showing the particular circumstances But none can obey except in circumstances which inable them to obey Then Gods word which commandeth the duety expresly consequently commandeth to use the same circumstances because without them they can not do the duety Wee have a threefold warrand of setformes of prayer in scripture 1. It is commanded as in Math. 6. Luk. 11. He sets down the manner and forme of prayer 2. We have examples of set formes in scripture as the blessing of the Priests it was also commanded Numb 6. And Christ prayed thrise in the same words in the garden So did the Psalmest in the Psal 80.3 By of consequent the scripture proveth that such as can not understand nor imitat new conceptions must use often repeated conceptions or else they can not pray at all And learned men though they can conceive by the same consequent they must use set formes or else they can not teach the weak ones to pray neither can they be free of the contempt of the practise of Christ and of his servants and of the simplicitie of GODS word except they use also set formes They should not seeme wiser but esteeme it great wisdome to imitat them in things lawfull which are neither cerimoniall rites that are abrogat nor miracles that can not be imitat Then as Christ commanded to give almes to the poor consequently he commanded Peter to cure a creple because he had no other riches He commanded to baptise with water consequently biddeth that in cold regions infants should be sprinkled least dipping in water kill or hurt them So in commanding us to pray he willeth us to use formes fittest for our habilitie Quest Commandeth he such as can not make use of conceived formes consequently to read or hear them read Answ He willeth 1. that they pray in set formes and concur with them 2. And if they can not read they should get some set formes perquier by hearing them often repeated by reading without reading 3. And for that purpose ministers should read them for the best memories through cold and other deseases will forget words unawares and they say other words of the same sense for them yet it confoundeth weak memories who are forced to forget the words in whose place they hear new words repeated A book is an artificiall memory ordained to help the weaknes of naturall memories for this end God did writ his law on two tables caused his prophets write the scriptures Gods Spirit worketh holy motions in mens hearts at the hearing of his word read and also of read prayers which the enemies of read prayers confesse were dyted by Gods Spirit at the first conception and what hindereth him to be still effectuall with his own work Quest Is it not a shinting of prayers if the weak ones use set formes only Answ It is rather a stinting when the strong ones use conceived formes only they stint the forme though not the words men stint their prayers when they use only a part and not the full liberty which God hath granted in his word when they are able to use the rest also which the weak ones cannot do God hath given them liberty only to use a set form for he hath not made them capable of any further so that without miracle they can not conceive 2. They who urge them to conceive because others can conceive they tempt God as if they urged them to speak all languages because the apostles spake them If God enlarge their gifts none hindereth them also to conceive 3. Neither are they so stinred but they have liberty to concur with
that his reproof should be feared or the praise formall and the prayer included in it materiall as a leper said unto Christ If thou wilt thou canst make me clean Item A broken and contrite bea rt O GOD thou wilt not despise Psal 51. Or whether a formall prayer and a formall praise be together in one sentence as Give ear O sheepbeard of Israel thou that leadest Joseph like a flock Psal 80. 3. Ioy and sadnesse are contrarie Christians may have them together in their remitted degrees in this life but in the next world the Elect shall have joy and the reprobat sadnesse in their extreme degrees In this life if the joy of Christians be greater then their sadnesse they should sing formall or materiall praises or prayers if their sadnesse be greater they should not sing at all as James sayeth but rather pray without singing though praise be included in the prayer they should expresse lesse mirth when their sadnesse exceedeth their joy Quest When we sing a psalme which hath prayers in it we sing to the praise of God is this singing a formall or materiall praise Answ Both materiall and formall praise may be sung to the praise of God 2. In respect of the musick our praise should be formal keeping the right manner of the tune and herein they transgresse who interrupt musical praise giving place to a reader at the end of every line by reading the line following The pauses used between lines is a comely ornament unto singing and is as necessar to distinguish the lines or principall parts of the tunes as it is necessar that shorter pauses should divide every note from another without distinctions and pauses all the tune should be but one note Musick without number and division is not musick but musicall praise is deformed by a non musical interruption of reading and Gods ordinance ordeined to chear up men for divine praise is deformed and rent and so it abaiteth chearfulnesse they do evill that good may come of it choosing a deformed musicall praise when they may have a rightly formed praise They do it that ignorant people may sing with them But humane will-worship can not take a good effect for Gods Spirit never taught it Therefore in stead of praise they abuse Gods name because they sing oftimes many lines not knowing what they say of God even when the sentence is ended Their blind zeal do not read sentences of prayer that the ignorant may learn to pray which is more needfull in this life It were better to sing perquier but one verse of a psalme all our lifetime then to deforme Gods worship thus singing all the psalms Some use this deformitie because niggardnesse hindereth them to buy a number of psalme books and slugishnesse hindreth them to teach their domesticks to read 3. Where there are two or four or six or mo lines in a sentence before the last line be heard the ignorant know not what they have sung and so they play the hypocrit and abuse Gods name seeming to praise GOD when they know not what they say of God and when the last line is read many know not the sense because they have forgotten what was sung and so still they abuse Gods name And such as know the sense also abuse Gods name for they have but sung the last line only with understanding It is a none sense to sing a part and not the whole fentence with understanding And though some have the psalme in their memorie yet they deforme Gods worship interrupting it with reading When ignorant papists pray in Latine not knowing what they say it is as true Divine worship as when we sing words of praise in our own language not knowing what we say If any sing reading on a book not taking heed what he saith it is but his own fault and hee may amend it at other times but when a multitude is forced by a law or custom to do it this is more antichristian like the ignorant might praise God in their hearts with a hundreth fold more true devotiō with understanding if only the psalme were read to them in prose or in verse But the pride of the obstinat will not amend thogh they know their errours In respect of the transcendent condition of all the psalms the praise of every psalm may be called formall for every psalm hath some formall praise in it even the penitentiall psalms as Psal 6.8 9. Psal 51.16 17 4. Materiall praise in singing may be made formall by adding to it and concluding it with a sentence of formall praise as Glory to the Father and to the Son c importing that not only the glory of all things but particularly of the things mentioned in the words presently sung belongeth to the Father c. If the ignorant get these words with the last verse of the psalm 28. viz. Thy people and thine heritage c. they may sing them orderly albeit they sing no more with the rest at all occasions for these words of prayer and praise are as substantiall and plain as any words in the book of the the psalms 5. When men sing words which have no formall confession they may make the praise formall in their hearts if they consider and acknowledge what work God hath in the things mentioned by these words 6. When formall prayers and other speaches are equivolent to formall praises they may also bee called formall praises Quest How are they equivalent to formall praises Answ If a formall praise be added to a formall prayer in the same sentence as in the third petition of the Lords prayer Thy will be done in earth c. and Psal 51.1 Have mercy on me O God according to thy loving kindnesse c. 2. If in the prayer Gods name be expressed with epithites of praise as Give ear O sheepheard of Israel Psal 80 3. If the matter and purpose of the prayer concerne the manifesting of GODS glory in expresse words as in the first two petitions of the Lords prayer In Psal 115 Not unto us O Lord but unto thy name give the glory The third petition of the Lords prayer is a formall praise both in this respect and in the respect forsaid 4. Speaches that are not formall praises by expressed confession if they attribute unto God honourable and divine things by insinuation they are formall praises by insinuation as in Psal 2. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice in trembling for it is a direct formall praise that God should be served and feared Quest Who are actors of Gods praises Answ The elect men and angels act his formall praises when they consider his excellent works and the good things in them and the good things of God manifested in his word and works And they ascribe all the honour and glory thereof unto God by confessing him to be the Author Conserver and Ruler of all more Excellent then all void of all imperfections and wants that are in all