transgression of the Common Law of the Land which in the Acts of Parliament for Uniformity in Common-prayer both old and new enjoyns peremptorily under severe penalties That no man shall use any prayers openly or in publick but such as are set forth in the said book so that both in this and in the former respects t is an act of Disobedience to the higher Powers and breach of the fifth Commandment I might adde in the last place the Non-conformity of this practice with all other Protestant Communicants beyond the Seas their Ministers being neither fond of it themselves nor permitted such a liberty by their Governors Object But to solve all these particulars t is said A private prayer before Sermon is allowed nay enjoyned by the 55th Canon of the Church which is called indeed a Form of Prayer but therein the Minister is not bound up to the use of the same words but may pray to that effect Answ. First But surely there is no man that understandeth sense and is not blinded with prejudice will say That the form prescribed in the Canons is a Form of prayer but an Exhortation only to move the people to joyn in prayer for Christ's Holy Catholick Church for the King's Majesty for and t is most properly called a bidding of Prayer And 't was Mr. Cartwright that Ring-leader of the Puritan Faction in the time of Q. Elizabeth who first turned this Bidding prayer into a long prayer of his own head and 't was the very Engine whereby he and his followers undermined the Common Prayers of the Church Secondly Because the observance of this Canon was obnoxious to the censure and exceptions of many who desired an absolute Prayer in stead of that bidding Form it was proposed at the Convocation held An. 1640. that it might be so ordered and accordingly there was a short Prayer drawn up comprising all the heads of the Canon the which notwithstanding the confidence some had of its universal reception was rejected by the most Reverend Archbishop who judged it neither safe nor fittng to alter that Canon which was founded on the Injunctions of Queen Elizabeth and King Edward the Sixth at the first Reformation which sufficiently evinceth the said Canon to be no Prayer nor yet lawfully to be altered and used Prayer wise Thirdly T is a presumptuous usurpation and affront upon the Church of Christ for any man to thrust himself upon such a Ministerial Office as he is not by the Authority of the Church intrusted withall and whosoever acts the Presbyterian in this particular becomes Independant the one having no more just Authority derived from the Church that ordained him to use such a private Prayer of his own in publick than the other hath either to preach or pray in publick being not admitted into holy Orders nor lawfully called thereunto Fourthly T is an Innovation in Religion a new up start practice brought into the Church not above 70 years ago and may therefore be reckoned inter profanas vocum novitates which the Apostle admonished to avoid even all profane and vain bablings 1 Tim. 6. 20. canting language new words and new ways such as are contrary to those old paths and those good ways which the Lord commands us to enquire after and to walk therein Jer. 16. 16. And such New ways are fitly called profane quasi procul à fano saith the Commentator Lyra in loc because far from the Temple or different from the words and ways of Christ's Church and contrary to the Apostles Depositum tene in the following words hold fast that which is committed to thee 1 Tim. 6. i. e. saith the Father quod tibi creditum non quod à te inventum what the Church whereby thou art admitted to the Ministerial Function hath committed to thy trust and commanded thee to observe hold fast that keep close to that not following thine own fancy and invention to bring in what is New which ever undermines the Old and true way of Divine worship Fifthly If a Call or command from God be herein pretended though not allowed by the Church yet in this particular they are at a loss except they pretend immediate Revelation with the Enthusiasts for there is neither command nor example in holy Writ to justifie this Private prayer in Publick We have many Sermons of the Apostles upon record but no Prayer before any of them so that this is an act of usurpation upon the Publick Divine Worship a presumption to do that which God hath no where commanded nor the Church of Christ allowed Sixthly Liberty being permitted for any person of what perswasion soever to vent his private conceptions by way of Prayer in publick opens a gap to Heresy and Schism in the Church to Sedition and Rebellion in the Kingdom For their private errors and designs being inserted in their prayers do insinuate into the Affections and more mightily inflame the People than by any other way of perswasion whatsoever Old Truths being undermined by New ways of Worship and vain bablings the constant Parents of errors in the Faith 1 Tim. 6. 20 21. Seventhly Thus Separations and Divisions both amongst Ministers and People are bred and nourished for whilst one Minister or gifted man as such are called prays thus and thus and and another in a way and with words divers from him one sort and sect of men likes this mans way method and language tone and gesture another sort is taken more with anothers way Hence One saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo and another I of Cephas 1 Cor. 1. 12. which is the life and being of Schism the remedy whereof is to obey that most pathetical exhortation Now I beseech you Brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing That there be no divisions among you 1 Cor. 1. 10. To speak the same thing and to use the same words in the publick worship of God or as the same Apostle to glorifie God with one mind and with one mouth is the way to avoid divisions and to take off the people from their partiality and fondness in prefetring one Minister before another merely for their less or more eminencies in this unwarrantable way of praying Eighthly By this Private prayer the Publick prayers of the Church are implied to be imperfect and deficient are slighted nay contemned and undermined For they with whom this way is in repute generally slight and slubber over the Common prayer carelesly irreverently and indevoutly but to their own conceived prayers give all the advantages of seeming zeal both in their tone and language elevation of eyes hands and no marvel then that the one be so much applauded by the vulgar and the other slighted especially when they are perswaded by these Enthusiasts that Common-prayer and all the Ceremonies in that celebration are taken out of the Mass-book that they are but a dead letter and the invention of man whereas the private
affirms the necessity of this Prayer before Sermon saying That Queen Esther prayed for the temporal safety of her Nation before she adventured to speak before the King Ahasuerus that God would be pleased to put into her mouth congruous words How much more ought we to pray for the like gift when we are to speak for the eternal salvation of souls in the Word and Doctrine August de Doct Christiana And again saith he When the hour is come to preach before he opens his mouth let him lift up his thirsting soul unto God Answ. It is undoubtedly a laudable practice for every Preacher to pray for the Divine Assistance in his Sermons to the People And this not only in the publick prayers of the Church but in private also betwixt God and his own soul and this as the Father directs before he opens his mouth in publick And such was Queen Esther's prayer in private before she publickly spake to the King which makes rather against than for the private prayer in publick for and with the whole congregation St. August could not be guilty of any such practice for it was against his judgment being himself one of the Two Hundred Fathers of that Milevitan Councel wherein it was decreed that no prayer should be us'd in publick but such as were approv'd in the Synod Sometimes this Father did conclude his Sermon with an Exhortation conceived in form of a Prayer e g. Conversi Turning unto the Lord God Father Almighty let us render him all possible thanks beseeching him of his great mercy that he would vouchsafe to hear our prayers and expell the Enemy from having any influence upon our thoughts and desires words and actions that he would increase our faith govern our minds fill us with spiritual cogitations and at last bring us to everlasting happiness through Iesus Christ which is not so much a Prayer as an Invitation to Prayer suitable to the Form prescribed in the Canon of our Church Object 11. The liberty or private prayer in publick is the way to make an able Ministry whilst thus they are put on to exercise and improve their Ministerial gifts and graces Answ. T is rather the way to make a Licentious Fanatick Brain-sick Ministry and in process of time no Ministry at all for from this practice it is that so very many unlearned unstable souls have taken up the trade and proved as eminent at least as well approved of by the people for their gift of Prayer as the most learned of their Tutorers therein And whosoever shall impartially weigh and without prejudice consider it he may observe that this private prayer in publick both in Church and at home is the very life and soul of that Schism and Division which is still so perniciously kept up in this Church T is hereby maintained more than by preaching and disputes T is from hence that Parties do call their Leaders Godly Ministers and themselves the godly Brethren the children that cry Abba Father the chosen and familiar friends of God from their over-saucy and familiar converse with God This is that great Idol whom all the world of Non-conformists on this side the pale of the Roman Church adore and worship crying down the goodly frame of Gods worship in his Church under the notion of Idolatry Superstition and Will-worship that every one may set up his Idols in his own heart follow the sway of their own imaginations to be guilty themselves of that Will-worship which they falsly impute to the Church of Christ Upon this Rock many thousands of Souls have suffered shipwrack who have been otherwise piously inclined For being taken with holy language religious tone and sceming zeal of this or the other person in their private and conceived prayers they have in respect thereof slighted and undervalued even the Celestial Prayer of God the Son all the divinely inspired prayers of God the Holy Ghost recorded in Holy Writ with all the devout and excellent Prayers of the Church of Christ which are framed after the pattern prescribed by our Lord commanded by the higher Powers used by the devout people of God in all Ages and whereby many thousand triumphant Saints in Heaven have pray'd themselves into that blissful place of Eternal Glory After all this it would be considered That as every error in Religion is very prolifick in bringing forth many others of the same mishapen stamp and nature so this erroneous way of divine worship the use of a private Prayer in a publick Congregation is also productive of many mistakes and falshoods and deformed ways of worship in the management thereof And 1. Such private Prayers in publick are generally erroneous in the length of them For that Long Prayers are unlawful is apparent First Because they are prohibited by our Lord Mat. 6. 7. When ye pray use not vain repetitions which cannot be understood of the same prayer repeated which is falsly objected against the prayers of the Church for so prayed our Lord himself and his example surely contradicts not his Doctrine whose Prayer when most earnest in his Desires was the same three times repeated and a very short prayer also Mat. 26. 44. By vain repetitions then must be meant the repetitions of the same thing in other words For First to use multitude of words and variety of expressions in prayer is vain i. e superfluous impertinent and to no purpose since our desires may and ought to be expressed in few words and pertinent Secondly such are generally vain i. e. empty and insignificant that have more noise than weight more sound than sense serving only to fill up the time to amuse the minds and tickle the itching ears of the Hearers That such kind of long Prayers are here forbidden by our Lord is manifest Secondly From the parallel Text quoted in the Margin Eccles. 5. 2. Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth therefore let thy words be few And this Text in the margin quotes another to the same purpose Prov. 10. 19. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin but he that refraineth his lips is wise Thirdly From the custom of the Heathen as it follows Use not vain repetitions as the Heathen do It was the manner of the Heathen saith the ordinary Gloss out of Cyprian to endeavour rather to be eloquent than devout in their prayers and to be loud and clamorous rather than fervent and zealous And example whereof we have 1 Kings 18. 27. where Elijah mocks the Priests of Baal calling upon their Pagan Deities Cry aloud for he is a God either he is talking or he is pursuing or he is in a journey or peradventure he is asleep and must be awaked And accordingly they cryed aloud thinking as our Saviour here saith that they should be heard for their much speaking And therefore as it follows v. 18. Be not like unto
of Bidding Prayer And when King Iames of blessed memory turn'd those Injunctions into Canons his Law runs Canon 55. That Ministers should move the People to joyn with him in Prayer viz. in this Form of Bidding Prayer Ye shall pray for Christs Catholick Church c. concluding always with the Lords Prayer Now let any indifferent man judge Are Exhortations proper Forms of Prayer Nay let a discerning man consider it well and it will appear that things there prudently spoken by way of Exhortation and Narration would prove very absurd in Prayer How fond would it appear to tell the great GOD of Heaven of the Kings most Excellent Majesty our Sovereign Lord Charles by the Grace of God King of England c. or as some do oft tell GOD of such a Lord Earl of such a Place and Baron of another and of his Majesties Honourable Privy Councel and his very good Lord c. And yet when we do but exhort them to joyn their Prayers such Clauses may not be unfit I can scarce think of any other way to defend them and yet t is true that this Form is there viz. Can. 55. call'd Prayer before Sermon and so it is because we then say together with the Preacher the Lords Prayer to those very purposes he exhorts And they well know who know Divinity that all kinds of Prayer are reducible to that holy Form but it follows not that the Preacher's Exhortation is a Prayer for that he then speaks not at all to God himself but to the People Indeed upon an occasion extraordinary it is a Prayer of no ordinary composition and therefore call'd the Form of Bidding Prayer both by a reform'd King and a very glorious Queen and yet de facto misus'd by an itching Puritanical party at first no doubt by Cunning and Design and afterwards as I verily think for the most part by a mistake of that bad end to which it drove or by inadvertency of the Law But it is most apparent that such forbidden Prayers are an especial means to eat out the whole English Liturgy A DISCOURSE Of the Difference betwixt Long Prayers prohibited and Continuance in Prayers commanded When thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites c. Matth. 6. 5. OXFORD Printed by L. Lichfield Printer to the University for Richard Sherlock Bookseller In the Year 1684 A Discourse of the Difference betwixt Long Prayers prohibited and coutinuance in Prayers commanded THey who are true members of Christ's Church below are conform to the glorious Saints in Heaven above they do the will of God on Earth as t is in Heaven and that 's undoubtedly the way to Heaven We cannot possibly lose our way thither whilst we follow their steps who are thither gone before us Those Triumphant Saints in Heaven rest not day nor night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty Whereunto conforms the man after Gods own heart saying O Lord God of my salvation I have cryed day and night before thee Our Lord commends it as a duty incumbent that men ought always to pray and by his Apostle commands it positively Pray without ceasing Giving thanks always Praying alway with all Prayer and Supplication But these Examples and Commands are not so to be understood as if we should do nothing else but pray which was an old Heresy of the Messalians and Euchites long since condemned by the Church of Christ as being a thing impossible to pray without ceasing in the bare literal sense because this corruptible body presseth down the soul and corporal necessities do call for supply Neither yet that we should make long Prayers which is the new error and great mistake of these times the which though generally the most used and best liked as being set off with the paint of a seeming zele and pretence of the Spirit yet the unlawfulness of such long Prayers will appear if we will without prejudice and partiality consider that 1. They are forbidden by our Lord saying When ye pray use not vain repetitions Matth. 6. 7. in which words our Lord means not the same prayers repeated as is falsly objected against the Prayers of the Church for thus our Lord prayed himself Matth. 26. 39. 44. where his Prayer was short and three times repeated And therefore undoubtedly by vain repetitions in praying is understood multitude of Words and variety of expressions to the same purpose or rather to no purpose since our Desires both may and ought to be expressed in few words and pertinent according to the pattern our Lord hath given us And that t is the meaning of our Lord when he saith After this manner pray ye that our Prayers should be generally formed to the length of his Prayer prescribed will appear 1. From the Context if seriously weighed and rightly understood wherein is manifest that the manner of praying by such a short Form is commanded in opposition to the Heathenish use of much speaking in Prayer 2. From the Parallel-Text in the Margin Eccles. 5. 2 Be not rash with thy Mouth and let not thy Heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth and therefore let thy words be few 3. From the Prayers of Christ's Church which are in all Liturgies of the Christian World for the most part of the same length and surely the general Practice of the Church is the best Interpreter of the Scripture 4. Such are generally also all the Prayers of the Holy Spirit of God which stand upon Record in Holy Writ viz. the Book of Psalms with many more We meet with none that are of such a continued length as are in use amongst us but they are all divided by distinct Verses into so many several shorter Prayers Long Prayers are forbidden by our Lord because such is the custom of the Heathen as the Heathen do Matth. 6. 7. who mind more the Oratory and Language Tone and Pronuntiation than the Humility and Devotion of the Soul in prayer and t is much misbecoming Christians to worship the true God as the Heathen do their false and feigned Deities And Because they imply a false notion of the Majesty of Heaven and a misbelief of his Divine perfections as if he were asleep and must be awakened or did not understand our Wants and Desires or being otherwise imployed he could not attend our Petitions except in multitude of Words exprest and loud bawling for audience So prayed the Priests of Baal 1 Kings 18. 27. and so saith our Lord of all Heathen people that they think they shall be heard for their much speaking which is directly contrary to the true faith of a Christian who believeth and acknowledgeth the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God as it follows in the Eighth verse Your Heavenly Father knoweth what things you stand in need of before you ask which Divine Truth is implicately denied by loud and long Prayers Long prayers are not only
by holy Baptism he hath called you to the state of Grace and Salvation through Iesus Christ and humbly beseech God to give you his grace to continue in the fame to your lifes end by the religious observance of that Vow which was so solemnly taken in your Name the which you must now perform that you forfeit not the great priviledges rewards and honours of being a member of Christ a child of God and an heir of the Kingdom of Heaven III. When you view the Pulpit REmember how many good Lessons you have received thence the which not being carefully practised will rise up in judgment against you in the great day of your Trial. Resolve therefore for the future to be a Doer of the Word and not a Hearer only deceiving your own Self IV. When you look up towards the Altar say WHat reward shall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me I will receive the cup of salvation offer the sacrifice of Thanksgiving for my Redemption and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my Vows unto the Lord in the sight of all the people in the Courts of the Lords house even in the midst of thee O Ierusalem Praise the Lord. Ps. 116. 12 13 14 18 19. Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning V. When you come to your Seat kneeling down pray I. Prayer LET thy merciful ears O Lord be open to the prayers of thy humble servants and grant that what we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually through Jesus Christ. II. Prayer O God for as much as without thee we are not able to please thee grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts and more especially be assistant to us in all the holy Actions of this Day through Jesus Christ III. Prayer AND since by reason of our sins we are unworthy to offer up any sacrifice to so pure a Majesty grant merciful Lord both to me and to all thy faithful people Pardon and Peace that being cleansed from all our sins we may serve thee with a quiet mind through Jesus Christ DIRECTIONS relating to some parts of the Publick Worship AS soon as the Minister begins with the Publick Worship all your Private Meditations and Prayers must be waved and your Mind applied to attend diligently and to joyn devoutly in every part and passage of Divine Service considering that this is the great end of your coming to Church and your business there is to serve the Lord with your Christian Brethren in Publick 1. Therefore when the Minister exhorts you out of the Word of God to confess and acknowledg your sins and wickedness harden not your heart but with all possible humility both of Body and Soul say after the Minister in the Confession of Sin and to this and to every Prayer or other Act of Divine Worship where t is prescribed neglect not to say Amen for that is as it were the Seal to confirm to your soul the benefits thereof And the Hebrews have a saying that Whosoever says Amen with all his might opens the doors of Paradise 2. Alter the Confession when the Minister comes to the words of Absolution bow down your head and say softly in your heart Lord let this Pardon pronounced by thy Minister fall upon my soul and seal thereunto the forgiveness of all my sins 3. The Psalms and Hymns are to be answered verse by verse with the Minister that so all may joyn and bear a part in the Service of God for in his Temple doth every man speak of his Honour Ps. 29. 9. And here although you cannot read yet your Heart may joyn with them that do read and your Mouth also may shew forth the Praise of God by saying after every Psalm Glory be to the Father and to or else if it fall in couse As it was in the beginning is now adding always Amen to express how affectionately you desire the Glory of God 4. Be not silent nor ashamed publickly and audibly to make Confession of the holy Christian Faith when you are thereunto called by the Minister for this is a duty you owe both to God and Man it is an act of God's Worship and a Declaration that you hold the same Faith with all true Christians and therfore t is required of you not only with the Heart to believe unto righteousness but that with the Mouth also Confession be made unto salvation And when the Confession of Faith is publickly pronounced do not you sit or loll as if it concerned you not but stand up with the rest of the Congregation to signifie and declare that you will stand to this Faith and earnestly contend for it as being the same which was once given to or by the Saints the holy Apostles 5. Be not so cold and careless in giving Honour to God as not to bow at the Name of IESUS for t is a duty positively commanded and universally practised by the Church and people of God in all ages And therefore give no ear to those deceivable Criticisms corrupt Glosses and false Inferences which are too frequently but profanely urged to make void the Commandement of God in the omission of this Religious Practice If you hear any such Allegations out of the Pulpit detest them the rather that any Act of Religious Worship should be spoken against in the place where whatever tends to the honour of God should be magnified and advanced 6. That you may not be tired with the length of Divine Service consider 1. the great variety of its several parts as consisting of Prayers and Praises Confessions Thanksgivings Invitations Lessons Admonitions all of which are with most admirable Prudence and religious Wisdom so ordered and contrived to follow each other that so the ending of one and beginning of another may renew and re-enquicken your Devotion chearfully to joyn in all Remember 2. whose Service it is you are a doing and continue therein from the beginning to the end that you may reap the Beneft of the whole Office both of the Absolution in the beginning and of the Blessing in the end and of the Amen's throughout A SERMON Preached upon the Arch-Bishop of YORK's Provincial Visitation at WARRINGTON Acts. 20. 28. Take heed to your selves and to all the Flock OXFORD Printed by L. Lichfield Printer to the University for Ric. Sherlock Bookseller In the Year 1684. A SERMON PREACHED AT A VISITATION Act. 20. 28. Take heed to your selves and to all the Flock IN the context we have S. Paul upon his Visitation at Miletus vers 17. And the Visitation as this which is now holden with us is Provincial all the Clergy of the Province of Ephesus being conven'd by this great Visitor and appear before him vers 18. The Text presents you with a part but 't is the principal part of the Visitatiion Sermon or as I may rather call it The Visitors charge to the Clergy of the Province
them It is a shame for Christians in the worship of the True God to be like the Heathen in the worship of their false and feigned Deities Our duty is to endeavour more for humility purity and fervency in heart than for glib nimble and voluble tongues to pray not with multitude of words and variety of phrases but with pertinent and pithy expressions with ardency and godly zeal and the reason follows For Your heavenly Father knoweth what things you stand in need of before you ask him He is every where present and knoweth all things even the secrets of all hearts and therefore to court him with long and loud Peayers implies our ignorance or misbelief of his perfections Against such extravagancy in prayers our Lord prescribes us a Form with command saying After this manner pray ye vers 9. i. e. as from the context is manifest not after the manner of the Heathen who think to be heard for their much speaking but after this manner i. e. in few words and such as are pithy and to purpose And That t is the meaning of our Lord in this place that all our Prayers should be short and not much exceeding the length of the Pattern he hath given us is manifest 1. Not only from the Context impartially weigh'd and understood but 2. From the practice of Christ's Church which is undeniably the best and surest Interpreter of Christ's meaning in his words And all the Prayers of the Church of Christ are and ever were such in all Ages in all places amongst all persons that are called Christians their Liturgies or Publick prayers are short and pithy called therefore Collects as being so many Collections of much matter in few words 3. Such are all the Prayers of the Holy and True Spirit of God which stand upon record in Holy Writ both for use and imitation viz. the whole Book of Psalms with many more all which though some of them be long as to the whole Psalm or Hymn yet they are divided by Verses into so many shorter Prayers 4. Long Prayers are not only forbidden by our Lord as the custom of the Heathen but also frequently reproved by him as the practice of the Hypocrites Matth. 23. 14. Mar. 12. 40. Luke 12. 47. 5. By long and manifold sad experience t is well known and hath been often observed That all long conceived prayers have been guilty of manifold infirmities light vain and unseemly expressions not fitting to be offered up to the All wise All-glorious Majesty of Heaven yea many falshoods many impieties and profanations have been uttered in such kind of prayers and what have been contradictory to the Religious Duties we owe to God and men 6. If it be here said How can we be too long in our Prayers since our Lord continued all night in prayer Luke 6. 12. and saith also that we ought always to pray and not to faint Luke 18. 1. and his Apostle commands Continue in Prayers and watch Col. 4. 2. and pray without ceasing 1 Thes. 5. 17. and how can these Commands be obey'd without long prayer Answ. To this I answer that there is a great difference between long prayers and praying long The one is unlawful because forbidden and reprov'd by our Lord the other is a Religious Duty because both commanded and practis'd by him and therefore St. Augustin saith Oratio plus gemitibus quà m sermonibus agitur plus fletu quà m afflatu And t is thus The Spirit helpeth our Infirmities by quickning our Devotions and inflaming our Desires he maketh intercession for us i. e. as the same Father secretly inclining our hearts to intercede for our selves with groanings that cannot be uttered Rom. 8. 26. From which Text it is apparent quite contrary to the Enthusiasts sense thereof that t is inward groanings not outward bellowings the internal fervent desires of the Soul not multitude of words which is the proper work of the Holy Spirit in prayer The ordinary Gloss out of St. Chrysostome asks the same Question If we must not use many words in our Prayers how shall we pray without ceasing as t is commanded And answers out of the same Father That both are to he observ'd in our Religious Devotions viz. 1. That our Prayers be short And aly Frequent and continued So Christ hath both commanded and also exemplified in his Personal Prayers And St. Paul also That our Prayers be short but often renewed in few words but with great devotion ending briefly and beginning afresh leaving some intervals or spaces of time for the re-enquickening and enkindling the fire of fervor and holy zeal in the Soul And it s added out of Cassianus The Fathers conceived it most useful to use short but frequent Prayers To be frequent that our Souls may cleave the more steddy unto God by often addresses to his Majesty To be short that we may quench the fiery darts of the Devìl who is most busie to tempt us to dulness and deadness of heart in our prayers which he very easily effects when the prayers we say or hear are long and continued without any intermission T is recorded of those Primitive Christians in Egypt who were most famous for their transcendent Devotions and great Austerities in the exercise of Religious Duties That their Prayers we many and often night and day continued and yet that they were short also not only in their solemn Assemblies and publick Offices of Devotion but also That their private Prayers were as so many Raptures and Ejaculations or Desires darted up into Heaven For as the Father saith thereupon Absit ab Oratione multa lobutio sed non desit multa precatio si fervens perseveret intentio Let not our Devotions be accompanied with much speaking but much praying so long as we can hold out in attention and fervency FINIS D r STEWARD's Judgment of a Private PRAYER in Publick Relating to the Orders of the CHURCH of ENGLAND With an Account of the BIDDING PRAYER OXFORD Printed by L. Lichfield Printed to the University for Richard Sherlock Bookseller In the Year 1684. These are the words of his Inscription near the place where he was interr'd in France MEMORIAE RICHARDI STEWARD DECANI WEST MONASTER ET SA CELLI REGII IN ANGLIA Qui hoc tantum Monumento suo inscribi voluit Epitaphium Hic jacet R. STEWARD QUI Assiduè oravit pro pace ECCLESIAE Obiit 14o. Novemb. 1652. AETAT LVIIIo. THat it is not lawful for any Person that hath received holy Orders in the Church of England to use any extemporary or premeditated Prayers of his own private composure either before or after Sermon or in the Church in the publick Worship and Service of God but only the Liturgy set forth and allowed First Because it is directly against his own solemn promise made to the Church when he came to be ordained and that Promise is set down under his hand when he subscribed the three Articles contained in Canon 36. the second