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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	form_n	prayer_n	set_a	6,678	5	11.9559	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10834	A iust and necessarie apologie of certain Christians, no lesse contumeliously then commonly called Brownists or Barrowists. By Mr. Iohn Robinson, pastor of the English Church at Leyden, first published in Latin in his and the churches name over which he was set, after translated into English by himself, and now republished for the speciall and common good of our own countrimen; Apologia justa et necessaria quorundum Christianorum, aeque contumeliose ac communiter, dictorum Brownistarum sive Barrowistarum. English	Robinson, John, 1575?-1625.	1625 (1625)	STC 21108; ESTC S102955	59,722	74

formes wherewith also they equalize their own are parts and portions of the same Scriptures More particularly And first for Psalms I deny that there is th● same reason of a prayer and of a Psalm or whereupon the difference hangeth that singing and praying are all one For the question is not which I desire the Reader once for all to bea●●●n minde eyther of the internall affection of him which singeth or prayeth or of the subject matter of the song or prayer but of the externall act and exercise of praying and singing Now these two exercises both the holy Scriptures and common sence in everie man that pleaseth but to open his eyes and look upon them do plainly difference For first if to sing be to pray then whosoever singeth prayeth but how far from truth this is the Psalmes of David 1 2 and many others in which not the least parcell of prayer is to be found do plainly evince 2. Is any man sad amongst you sayth the Apostle let him pray is he merry let him sing To pray then and to sing are not the same nor which do agree to wit primarily with the same constitution of the minde 3. In prayer the Pastours voyce is onely heard unto which the people as the Apostle teacheth are to add their Ame● but in singing all the multitude have as well their part for tunable voice as the pastour himself Neyther can divers possibly sing together without confusion but by a certain and set form both of words and syllables which yet may be done in church prayer and is everie where 4. We have the same Apostle els where teaching us thus Speaking to your selvs in Psalms Hymnes and spiritual songs c. And again Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously with all wisdom teaching and admonishing yourselvs mutually in Psalms Hymns c. In singing then we doe speak to our selvs or one to another mutually but in praying neither to our selvs nor to our brethren but unto God alone And the reason hereof is evident When as we read or sing the Psalms of David for what other thing is it to sing out of a book then to read with a loud and harmonious voice of which Harmonie singing is a kinde these self same Psalms in this verie use do still remain and so are read or sung as a part of the word of God in the holy Scriptures and in which God speaketh unto us whereas on the other side we do speak unto God in all our prayers whether mentall onely or vocall withall 5. Even these verie Psalmes whose matter is prayer and thanksgiving were framed and composed by the prophets into Psalms and spirituall songs for this verie end that the men of God might in them teach us as in the written word of God whereof they are parts both what petitions they in their distresses put up to the Lord and also what thanksgiving they returned upon their deliverance that so we in reading singing them might instruct and admonish ourselvs both publiquely privatly whether by way of doctrine or admonition or consolation for the promoteing of the glorie of God in our hearts Lastly that I may discend unto them who are onely taught by experience If any going out of the temple wh●lst the Church were singing a Psalm either before or after sermon being asked of one that met him what the church were then doing should answer that it were at prayer would he not be judged by all men to tell a ly But altogether without cause if to sing be to pray as many imagine Touching the Lords prayer We deny it to be the meaning of Christ teaching his dise ples when they pray to say Our father c. to binde them and the Holy Ghost in them by which they ought to pray to a certain form of words sillables which they should repeat by heart or which is our question read out of a book Because 1. the two Euangelists Matthew and Luke of whom both the one and other did aright both understand and expresse the meaning of Christ do not precisely keep the same words 2. By these words when you pray is meant whensoever you pray whereupon it should follow that we were tyed to this stint of words alone and alwaies and so might lawfully use none other except it be lawfull for us sometimes to pray raither by the levell of our own dev●se then of Christs prescript The words therefore of Cyprian are good in a good sence To pray otherwise then Christ hath taught is not onely ignorance but guilt seeing he himself hath sayd you reject the precept of God that you may observ your own tradition 3. Amongst the manie and manifould prayers of the Apostles to be seen in the holy scriptures this form of words is not found and yet can it not be denyed but they alwaies prayed as they were taught in this place by their Master Christ whose meaning therefore it could not be to tye them necessarily to anie such certain of words 4. It appears by the context that the purpose of Christ is to speak of private or raither secret prayer and such as everie Christian apart from others and in his closet with the doore shut unto him should pour out unto the Lord. Now that one alone and by himself should say Our father seems not verie congtuous Lastly seeing of the like there is the like consideration If the Apostle Iames in these words Go to now ye that say to day or to morrow we will goe into such a cittie c. and vers 15. For that ye ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and doe this or that do neither simplie fault with the form of words nor prescribe necessarily anie other but onely to use Calvins words wakens them from their dream who without respect of the divine providence will make themselvs maysters of a whole yeare when there is not a moment in their power so neither are we to conceav that our Saviour Christ Math. 6. and Luke 11 doth injoin unto his anie set words to pray in but onely shewes whither all our prayers and vowes ought to be referred as with all other orthodox writers about this matter the said Author speaketh howsoever divers uns●kilfull men cease not still to sing unto us euen to loathsomnes the song when you pray say as the Papists do theirs This is my bodie as though the controversie were about the words and not raither about the meaning of them But for that we are verie odiously traduced by divers as abhorring from this form and that we will not as they use to speak say the Lords prayer I will in few and plain terms set down what our judgment is about it 1. And seeing that as the Poet hath it the names do commonly suit with the things we may see and sorrow withall in the phrases in common use about this most Christian

I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Genes 17 9. and the seal of the righteousnes of fayth Rom. 4 11. and is one as there is one sayth and one baptism Ephes. 4 4 5. and therefore ought not to be administred to others then those within the compasse of the same covenant nor but upon fayth coming between either of the partie to be baptized or of one parent at the least If any shall answer that this gratious promise of God is not to be restreined to the next immediate children but is extended euen to those who follow a fa●r off I grant it except infidelitie or other sin come between by which the parents with themselvs break off their seed externally actually from the cōmunion of the church holy things thereof And if we be not to insist in the next and immediate parent why in the grand-father or great-grand-father and so for the rest till we climbe up as high as to No●h himself Whereupon it should follow that not the Infants of Iewes nor of Turks no nor of Gentiles neither should have baptism denyed them Surely the grace of Christ must needs be universall and wherein all have interest if the seal thereof apperteyn unto all Neither should the Church amongst whose sacred furniture Baptism is by this rule be any more the house of God peculiar to his children and servants but more like a common In whose doore stands wide open to all that passe by the high way 2. The Apostle 1 Corinth 7 14. upon this ground that the one parent is a beleever avoweth the childe holy which otherwise he pronounceth impure in respect of the Covenant and holynes thereof leaving unto God his secret judgments Now what have the impure and unhallowed to do with the holy things of God And what hath the Pastour and sheepheard in holy things to do with them who are no portion of the Lords flock What have I to doe sayth the Apostle to judg them that are without Do not ye judg them that are within So reverend brethren what have you to do to baptize them that are without do you not baptize them that are within and them alone In the number of whom yet you reckon not those infants though baptized by you nor belonging to your charge Whence also God knoweth it cometh to passe for the most part that they who are thus by you baptized into the name of the Lord are by their godlesse parents education made the servants of Sathan 3. The Baptism of Infants in all soundnes of judgment serveth and that immediately for the comfort of their godly parents whose hearts it filleth with no small joy whilst they behould the gratious promise of God made to them and their seed ratified and confirmed by this seal even as of ould the circumcision of Isaak was granted and injoyned by God unto Abraham his and our father first and immediately for the confirmation of his fayth Whence I conclude that the seal of the righteousnes of faith which baptism is doth no more belong to the seed of godlesse parents then doth the comfort flowing from the righteousnes of fayth unto the parents themselvs Whom as it would effectually move to more serious and sad thoughts of their own estate with God if they beheld their infants so dear unto them excluded thorough their default from the comfortable ●eal of Gods Covenant so can they not but by the undue administration of the same take occasion of hardening themselvs in their accustomed perversnes I conclude then with Tertullian speaking as Iunius interprets him of the children of such as were strangers from the covenant of God Let them come when they are grown to year●s let them when they have learned and are taught wherefore they come let them then be made Christians when they can know Christ. CHAP. III. Of written Leyturgies VVE cannot but mislike that custome in use by which the Pastour is wont to repeat and read out of a prayer-book certayn formes for his and the Churches prayers and that for these reasons 1. Because this externall mean and manner of worshiping God in prayer is no where found in the written word by the prescript whereof alone he is to be worshipped whatsoever either the Iewes fable of the Leyturgie of Ezra or the Papists of S. Peters or S. Iames Leyturgies Yea contrariwise I add for overplusse that it did not seem good to the Apostles the last penmen of the 〈◊〉 ghost that any such prescript form for such end should come in use in the churches And this seemeth unto me verie clear from the former Epistle of Paul to Timothy chap. 2 1 2. The kings of the earth in those dayes and such as were in authoritie under them being as it were so many sworn enemies of the name of Christ this conceipt might easily and it seems did creepe into the mindes of divers Christians that these kindes of men were raither to be prayed against then for by the servants of Christ. And now what was the medicine prescribed by the Apostle for this malad●e in that Epistle written to Timothy for that verie end that he might know how to converse in the church of God Did he now either send Timothy to any Leyturgie formerly let forth for his own and others da●●tion Or did he himself frame any for the purpose whose b●●ten troad the Churches following afterwards should not erre Nothing lesse although a more ●it and full occasion for that busines scarce be offered which without doubt Paul would ●o more have l●t slip th●n did the other Apostles th●t which was more light for the introduction of Deacons if ●t had seemed good to th● H. Ghost by whose singe● he was guided in the ordering of the Churches that any such book-prayer should have come into use Three things especially are objected which must here be cleared The first is that David and other Prophets penned the book of Psalmes for the mother Church of Israell The second that Christ himself delivered to his disciples a certain form of prayer commonly called The Lords prayer The third that Moses from the Lord Numb 6. gave direction to Aa●on and his sonnes in what form of words they should blesse the children of Israel I answer first generally that the consequence followeth not from the authoritie of Christ and of Moses and of the Apostles in ordeyning these and these forms of divine worship for the like authoritie in ordinance Bishops and Pastours to ordeyn other and divers forms for the same end What can be spoken more insolently Christ the Lord Moses the Prophets and Apostles being immediately and infallibly guided by the spirit of Christ have prescribed certain set formes of Gods worship therefore others though not immediately and infallibly guided by the same spirit may also prescribe them Why may they not by this argumentation as well frame us a new Canon of holy Scriptures considering that even th●se verie

duetie of prayer what it is with the unhallowed multitude of Christians to pray namely to say prayer to read prayer to hear prayer and raither any thing then indeed to pray that is then to pour out the conceptions of a godly and devout minde unto God from faith and feeling of our wants by the holy Ghost 2. We do affirm that this form of words is unproperly how commonly soever called the Lords prayer as neither being a prayer as it is the Lords nor the Lords as it is a prayer As it is of the Lord Christ and so the Lords whether by himself uttered in words or committed to writing by his Euangel●sts it hath the consideration and respect of a sermon and of Euangelicall doctrine in which Christ taught his disciples and not of a prayer put up to his Father as on the contrarie it neither was nor could be used prayer wise by Christ in so manie words with whose most persit sanctimonie it did not agree for him to say forgive us our trespasses 3. We do firmly beleiv that all and everie both Church and person is bound alwayes to pray as Christ hath there taught whether we respect the matter there propounded or the affections there injoyned or the commodious and compend●ous simplicitie which Christ our Saviour and onely mayster there opposeth both to the vain bablings and oft repetitions of the heathens and that in these things and them alone the commandement of Christ doth consist we both firmly beleiv and confidently avow 4. And lastly we doubt not but that this verie form of words may be and is rightly used in prayer unto God provided there be neither opinion of necessitie by which superstitious persons think themselvs stinted by the Lord to words and sillables nor of perfection by which many are of minde that they have then at the last and not before prayed per●itly when they have repeated this form of words And it is well if some spot of this myre cleav not to the fingers of many ministers which make it a matter of great conscience not to conclude their and the churches prayers applyed specially to the present state of things with this number and measure of words Which custom as it is used verie commonly so in my judgment with no great reason for these two causes First it seems to crosse all good order and method by which men should d●scend from the more generall unto that which is more speciall and not go the clean contrarie way as in this they do Secondly Since the rule according to Phylosophie and good reason is alwaies before the thing ruled and that this form is by Christ inst●tuted for this purpose that it might be the rule and squire of all our prayers and as Tertullian saith is premised as the foundation of all our accessorie d●s●●es me thinks the same should raither be used in the first place upon which as the same author hath it everie one should build the circumstances of his occasioned requests It remayneth that in a few words I answer that which is by some objected touching those solemn blessings at the first imparted by the Patriarks to their first born and after by the Preists to Israel the first born of God And to let passe 1. that the composers and imposers of the Leyturg●es now in use have not equall authoritie with Moses the man of God not are th●● writings any way comparable with his 2. That Moses did not prescribe unto the Priests a st●nt of words for blessing much lesse to be read out of a book but the substance of the thing which by manie Arguments save that I studie for brevitie might be proved 3. If that were Moses his minde and the Lords by him the minister were bound to the same form of blessing upon the Israell of God now which the church is since there is nothing in it not morall and perpetuall or not concerning the church now as then I do answer this one thing the same in Calvins words viz. that these blessings were not ordinarie prayers but a lawfull author●tie divinely interposed to testifie the grace of election which 〈◊〉 also confirms by divers reasons Neither can anie man who considers the words of the text make question but that the Priests in blessing Israel not God do direct their speach unto Israel by way of promise and not unto God by way of prayer So blesse you saith Moses the children of Israel saying unto them The Lord blesse thee c. The same is to be judged of the salutations of the Apostles in their Epistles whereof they are a part and so a part of the holy Scriptures albeit yet they in them as the Preists in their blessings desired to have their truly loving affection taken knowledg of by them to whom they wrote and what good things they both desired at the hands of the Lord for them and also promised them in his name 2. We dislike all reading of prayer in the act of praying as inconvenient yea directly contrarie unto that act In prayer we do pour out matter to wit the holy conceptions of the minde from within to without that is from the heart to God on the contrarie in reading we do receav and admit matter from without to within that is from the book into the heart Let him that prayeth do that which he doth not another thing not a divers thing Let the whole man and all that he is both in soul and bodie be b●nt upon God with whom he converseth The eyes of the minde are lifted to God in prayer and why not the eyes of the bodie also both which ●e that prayeth by intending them upon a book both depresseth averteth from God The Apostle exhorteth that the men pray lifting up pure hands to God in everie place In like manner besides the reason of the thing we have the Patriarks Prophets Christ himself with his Apostles and disciples for insample of lifting up the eyes to heaven in prayer Not this gesture of body is simply necessarie but most convenient save in some great temptation and depression of minde both to expresse and further the intention of a godly heart Let devout and learned men if they please commit to writing their holy meditations and secret conferences with God as did Austin and others amongst the ancients and many of later time● which may be read and that with no small benefit both by Pastour and people but privately and for better preparation unto prayer Now the preparation unto prayer is verie unseasonable at the self-same time of the solemn performance thereof and unreasonable in and by the self same act 3. Seeing that publique prayer as Bucanus saith is a second part of the ministrie as also that amongst the gifts of the holie Ghost wherewith the Pastor is indued from above that is not small not to be despised by which he is able conveniently both for matter and form to conceav