James Chap. 4.11 for the Law it self in condemning Images and the imaginations of mens devising commandeth and establisheth the Images and imaginations ordained by God Therefore for you to call such a distinction of Images as is established by the Law of God a meer shift is to make your self pardon my plainnesse in this case not an observer of the Law but a Judge so farre will inordinate zeale to a way of error transport even godly minds But to speak to the grounds of such a censure though it were granted that the question is not of this or that form of Prayer in particular yet is of a set form devised by men and prescribed to be read out of a book for an ordinary Prayer yea I might adde further that the occasion of the Question in hand springeth from an offence taken at some brethren as appeareth by the letters sent to us about this matter by sundry Reverend godly brethren and subscribed amongst others by your own name for their not joyning with others to worship God in a common stinted Liturgy known to be devised by men and prescribed to be read for the publique Prayers of all the Churches in the Countrey howsoever therefore the question be reduced by your Discourses ab Hypothesi ad Thesin by lawfull rules of dispute so may be yet it is against the rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to palliate the matter as to draw the question above the kind and occasion of the question you may upon occasion of one prescript form of Prayer devised by men put the question of any prescript form of Prayer devised by men but it is an utter changing and forsaking of the cause to put off the question in hand to forms of Prayer devised and prescribed by God what though some that have spoken or written in this cause have waved some forms of Prayer devised by God himself and have used some arguments that grasp at more than they can hold The state of the question must not be drawn to the arguments but the arguments to the state of the question It is true some have doubted and some have denyed the use of the Lords Prayer as it is called for a Prayer but they would never have denyed it or doubted of it if they had thought it had been prescribed by Christ for a Prayer But howsoever not to spend words and time in vain we for our parts I speak for the most part do grant it may be lawfull to pray thut very Prayer in the same words and yet this will not at all prejudice the cause in hand to justifie Prayers in a Book composed by men and imposed by one Church upon another Neverthelesse that Argument against such Prayers which are fetched from the Topicks of the Pocket or of the Book-binders Shops we neither use nor allow they which use them may clear their own intentions and drift in them Having thus cleared the denyall of the Major Proposition we do as justly deny the ground of the Minor for though it do appear from Scripture that some forms of Prayer or blessing or baptizing or thanksgiving devised by God were sometimes used by godly men and it was lawfull for them so to do yet we deny that which was the ground of the Minor that God in his Word did set down any prescript form of any of these Prescript I say In such a sence as in this Question is intended to wit precisely injoyning the use thereof in all their publique holy Assemblies nor will any of the Scriptures alledged reach that in Numb 6.22 23. The Priests are directed to a form of blessing But that they used that and not other forms doth not appear It is evident that the Apostles used divers other forms as hath been shewed above in Psal 22.1 there is no prescribing of a form of words at all only Christ used the same words with a little variance upon the like occasion on the Crosse or if you urge the title of the Psalms from Junius his notes as if the Psalm were appointed to be sung every morning by break of day Bear with us if we rather fetch the meaning of these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Psalm it self vers 19. where the Prophet alluding to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calleth the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my strength hasten to help me the words therefore in the title hold forth no more but the Argument of the Psalm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for speedy help a Psalm of David In Psalm 102.1 the Title sheweth what an afflicted soul in such a case did pray but doth not prescribe all afflicted soules to powre out the same form of words in their afflictions Hosea 14.2 3. The Prophet directeth them to take words to themselves to such a purpose But whether the self same words or some other such like he doth not limit or prescribe The like may be said of Joel 1.17 Deut. 5.10 hath nothing sounding towards the point in hand I suppose it is miswritten by the errour of the Scribe In Psal 92.1 the Psalm is penned for the Sabbath but whether for a word of instruction for the Sabbath or for thanksgiving on the Sabbath it is not mentioned we willingly grant it was penned for both But neverthelesse it was not prescribed every Sabbath day to be sung In Ezra 3.10 it doth appear as also 2 Chron. 29.30 That they praised God with the words of David and after his Ordinance But his Ordinance and words were appointed by God 2 Chron. 29.25 And yet not so prescribed to be used as never to be omitted In Rev. 15.3 when it is said they sung the Song of Moses the servant of God and the Song of the Lamb It is only meant they praised God with Psalms to the like effect as that of Moses not with the same words much lesse upon prescript Isa 12.1 It is prophesied the Church shall praise God to such a purpose as these words hold forth But whether in these very words is uncertain certain it is they are not so prescribed to do but left at liberty In Matth. 29.19 the place is miswritten as before Disc But it sufficeth us that these forms of Blessing and Prayer might lawfully be used as a blessing or Prayer though in conscience they were not necessarily tyed to the use of them The lawfull not the necessary use of a prescript form of prayer or liberty is now in question for if the Saints in former times might pray unto God or praise him in a stinted form of words indited by others or invented by themselves as we find they might and did we also at this day do the same Answ We deny not that forms of Prayer and blessings indited by the Holy Ghost in Scripture may be lawfully so used but we deny that they were prescribed or limited to be so used but still the Church left at liberty to use them or some other holy forms in their stead and therefore
able but are not to conceive a form of worship of themselves or else through the nature and condition of the worship it selfe which cannot be performed but in a set form whatsoever the gifts of men be in this latter sense not in the former is the singing of Psalms in a set form necessary for unlesse a Psalm be expressed in a set form of words and so set before the people all the people cannot joyn in voyce as well as heart singing and praising God together in the same words we admit of no necessity of any set forms of prayer or other worship in the former sense as concerning such men unfit to be Ministers of the Gospel as want gifts to conceive a prayer according to the present occasion but a set form of Psalms we allow as necessary in the latter sense as necessary by consequence from divine institution for if singing of Psalms be as it is of divine institution and if Psalms be a kind of spiritual Poetry and therefore to be put into verse If it be also of divine institution that all the people should joyn as well in voyce as in heart in singing of Psalms and that in a language known and understood by themselves then it will be requisite and necessary by divine institutions for he that instituteth the end instituteth the necessary means that leadeth to the end that in our English Churches the Psalms be translated into English verse or metre and received of the Churches in a set form that so all the people may joyn with one voyce and heart to praise the Lord together in the same words but there is not the like necessity of a set form of words in prayer For in prayer as hath been said there is no more required of the people then when they hear the words of the Minister to go along with him in heart and in the end of the prayer to answer with one accord in voyce Amen And so whatsoever is required of the people by divine institution for joyning in prayer is fully attained without a set form of words in prayer which cannot be attained in singing without a set form of words in Psalms Disc It is said of prayer Christ hath given gifts to his Ministers for preaching and praying hath he not for the singing of Psalms also If it be a dishonour to Christ as some affirme that they should use a form of prayer devised by others Is it not a dishonour likewise if they shall use a form of singing devised by others Answ It hath been answered above that though God hath given gifts to his Ministers for preaching and praying yet he hath not given to many the gift of inditing Psalms also and yet neither is it any dishonour to Christ nor sinfull defect in his Ministers that he hath not so furnished them seeing he himself hath sufficiently furnished them with all set forms of Psalms by the Ministry of his Prophets divinely inspired for the service of the Church and it is no dishonour to Christ or his Ministers that they should take up forms of words devised by him for his own worship Disc If there be any such necessity of a set form of Psalmes as is pretended because some Ministers are not enabled of themselves to furnish the necessities of the Church It should rather exempt them from the practise of singing Psalms then give liberty to a devised form for it is a rule in divinity that against a general negative precept no particular affirmative can be lawfull unlesse that particular be warranted in Scripture c. But against this supposed generall negative precept forbidding all devised helps and furtherances in Gods worship there is no particular warrant alowing it in singing of Psalmes Answ It is not a supposed but a reall negative precept that generally forbiddeth all devised helps and furtherances in Gods worship meaning helps and furtherances devised by men without warrant from the word For this is indeed the proper true meaning of the second Commandement as hath been shewed above but we deny that set forms of Psalms recorded in Scripture as helps and furtherances devised by men but given by the Holy Ghost and though the translation of the Psalms both in English and in verse be by men yet not without warrant from the Holy Ghost who hath commanded that the Word of God should dwell in us plenteously teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymnes and spiritual Songs Coloss 3.16 who hath also commanded that we should sing with understanding 1 Cor. 14.15 which the people could not do to their own understanding or the understanding of their brethren if the Psalms were not translated into their own mother tongue and when the translation doth fitly expresse the sense of the originall Psalms we have warrant also to make use of the translation though compiled by ordinary men as we see the Apostles did many times make use of the translation of the Septuagints provided the translation be not imposed upon us as that was not upon and that liberty be still left to correct or reform whatsoever shall be found in the translation to swerve from the true meaning and just weight of the originall Scripture besides it hath been shewed above in opening the meaning of the second Commandement that though the negative precept forbid all helps and means of Gods worship devised by men without warrant from the word yet not the help of Tongues and Art which not the wit and will of man but the wisdom of God hath provided as necessary helps for the furtherance of sundry parts of Gods worship The Scriptures cannot be translated into our Mother Tongue without the help of Grammer nor the Psalms into verse and metre without the help of Poetry nor sung without the help of Musick naturall Musick at the least and therefore these kinds of helps we make use of as not being means of worship devised or suggested by the wit or will of man but as they are indeed prepared and ordained according to the light of nature by God And so not falling under the generall negative precept which forbiddeth all humane Inventions and Injunctions in the worship of God Disc Now whether the pretended necessity of a set form should exempt from the generall negative precept forbidding devised formes or from the affirmative precept of singing Psalmes let them judge who put the Exception Answ We doubt not to judge it safe to obey the affirmative precept of singing Psalms in a set form of words though translated into English and into verse by men because set Psalms are ordained of God and their translation into English verse is necessarily implyed and warranted by God himself And yet neverthelesse we do not pretend any necessity to exempt any such set form from the generall negative precept which falleth under the prohibition of it for these the negative precept did never intend to prohibit You need not therefore to wonder as you do in the following words
a conceived Prayer may be said to be humane as it is conceived and indited in the heart of a man and by man offered as worship to God as all other holy duties be in this sense humane yet such a conceived prayer being indited by the Spirit of God in the heart of him that prayeth and being expresly commanded in the Word it cannot be truly called an humane invention which is only spoken of those things as have neither commandement nor pattern from the Word in which sense we called a set form humane Disc If our Brethren dispair not of the goodnesse of their Cause let them in an orderly Treatise set down what is necessary and essentially required to the nature and being of true Prayer and then shew that some one or other of them cannot be observed in a stinted or Prescript forme of Prayer and we will readily yeeld unto them and some Reason or pregnant place of Scripture shall put us to silence Answ We see no cause to dispair of the goodnesse of the cause which we conceive is not ours but Gods we choose rather to bewaile the sinfulnesse of our former course then eagerly to dispute for our present proceedings we all of us have sinned with our Brethren and with our Fathers in worshipping God after the precepts of men and have as much cause to judge our selves for it as you have To write a Treatise of all the requisites to true prayer is nothing to the standing or falling of the Cause As hath been said prayer may be true and have all those things which are necessary and essentially requisite to true prayer and yet sinfully def ective in some extenall circumstances It were much more pertinen to write a Treatise of the Second Commandement whereunto the consideration of the helps and Forms of Worship doth properly belong from thence to consider whether any sound reason at last which you desire may not be inferred against prescript Forms of Prayer Let us therefore consider together of the meaning of that Commandement though not in the full latitude of it for that were not so pertinent to the Cause in hand but so far as concerneth the present businesse and yet not seeking thereby nor striving to put you to silence but to awaken both our selves and you if it be the Will of God to repentance The Second Commandement in forbidding Images forbiddeth not only bodily Images Graven or Molten or Painted but all spirituall Images also which are the Imaginations and Inventions of men whether they be ordained for worship as Apocrapha Scriptures and the Lawes of men binding the Conscience or for helps and means of worship as significant Ceremonies to teach and stir up to spirituall Duties or finally for formes and manner of worship yet when we speak of helps and means of worship invented by Men and forbidden by God in this Commandement we doe not speak either of naturall or artificiall helps to help the natural sense in Gods worship such as Scaffolds be to mens hearing nor of the helps of Tongues and Arts which the wisdome of God hath given for an help to the mind and understanding in all knowledge As if God commanded the people to read in his Word all their dayes and to read with understanding the Translation of Scripture into the Mother-Tongue of each Nation is a necessary help to this end the knowledg of grammer tongues is a necessary help to such a translation And so if God command the people to joyne together as well in voyce as in heart to sing Psalmes and to sing them with understanding seeing Psalmes are a kind of holy Poetry even as Grammar will be a necessary help to translate the Psalmes into English So Poetry will be requisite to translate the English into verse and such kind of helps though they be not expresly commanded by God yet we look at them as warranted by necessary consequence from the Word because God who commanded thr duties of Reading the Scripture and singing of Psalmes and both to be done with understanding he doth imply a necessary warrant of such means as do naturally and necessarily lead to those ends and without which those ends without a miracle cannot be otained We speak therefore of such means and helps of worship forbidden in this Commandement not which do naturally and necessarily help forward the same though remotely but of such Arbitrary helps as are voluntarily taken up by the wisdome and will of man for spirituall ends as Gideons Ephod and Pharisaicall washings and superadded to those means and helps of worship which God hath sufficiently yea and abundantly supplyed his Church and people withall by his Word and Spirit for all spirituall duties Neverthelesse this distinction of voluntary and necessary helps may not be stretched so farre as to justifie devise and set forms of Prayer to supply the defects of sinfully ignorant or carelesly bashfull people as cannot pray especially before company without a book For first God would not have such persons so sinfully ignorant and bashfull to be called forth into publique Ministry the lame and the blind shall not come into Sion into Davids House 2 Sam. 5.8 nor may such ignorant and lame Christians be admitted to come into the publick place in the Church 3. God hath provided other sufficient helps to supply these defects to private Christians for besides the Spirit of God which helps all our infirmities Rom. 8.26 who supplieth both the ignorant with knowledge of what and how to pray and the bashfull with power he hath also ordained instruction to help the ignorant and frequent exercise and diligent Catechising of a mans own family to help his bashfulnesse in praying before them and if strangers come in and they sit to partake in such an ordinance God then offereth him the help of a Christian friend to supply his necessity before strangers and when we speak of form and manner of worship devised by men we speak not of such as light of nature and civill custome taketh up for order and decency but of such as are taken up by the voluntary choice of the wisdome and will of man either for such ends as God hath not appointed as uniformity in Rites and conformity to Idolaters or for such ends as for which God hath provided otherwise as the Love-feasts in the Church to maintain brotherly love for which God ordained the Lords Supper and feasts in private houses or contrary to such ends and wayes as God hath appointed as the Chemarines to offer incense a type of Prayer to maintain a Praying Ministry without sacrificing as a read Liturgie to maintain a reading or praying Ministry without preaching It was touched upon before that when God forbad us such a manner of worship as Heathens use to their god and against that one false manner of worship establisheth his own institutions in his Word Deut. 12.30 31 32. He doth thereby evidently condemn under one false manner of worship all other
when the Discourse saith the lawfull not the necessary use of a prescript form is now in question you make the question to imply a contradiction for a prescript form is put upon the Churches as necessary to be used in all publique holy assemblies else it is not a form prescribed but described only Disc But saith the Discourser if they will hear with patience the consequence of that argument The use of a devised and prescribed form of prayer will be justified from their own ground for they teach that God hath not appointed in his Word any prescript form which of necessity we are tyed to use at all that the matter of our prayers are divers according to the severall occasions which happen and fall out that the Inward frame is the elevation of the soul to God in humility love fear and confidence from which premises it will necessarily follow if one godly forme of prayer may be used another also fit for matter grave for phrase of speech may be allowed for none is absolutely commanded Answ The contrary conclusion doth rather follow from the premises for if none be absolutely commanded by God then none ought to be commanded or prescribed by men what God hath left free in his worship let no man limit To what Church did God ever give power to bind where himself looseth And if it be unlawfull for Church Governours to bind where God looseth it will be unlawfull for the people so deeply to offend the conscience of their Governours as to build them up or to harden them in their sins by ready subjection to such injunctions and serious and zealous pleading for them How much safer were it for the people of God to stand fast in the liberty which Christ hath purchased for them in accepting no other yoke of ordinances nor forms of worship then himself hath put upon them that so Church Governours might contain themselves within the power in Church affairs wherein the Lord hath contained himselfe throughout the Scriptures when shall it once be that the servants of God will learn to be wise and teach others to be wise not above that which is written but according to it that so an end might be put at length to the inventions and innovations of the sons of men whereby they take upon themselves an usurpation beyond the bounds of Apostolicall Authority and put upon the people an unjust restraint of the bounds of their dear bought Christian liberty Disc The use of a prescript form of prayer or Liturgy derogateth as some say from the honour fruit and benefit of Christs ascention who ascending up on high hath given gifts to men for the work of the Ministry Eph. 4.8 Let it be granted that every particular Minister is able in so full and ample manner at all times to open his heart before God which can never be proved as that he shall not need the help of a book Is there no warrant therefore for others to prescribe or for themselves to read or use stinted prayer why not an able Minister hath discretion to know what portion of Scripture is fit to be read Hath the Church then no power to appoint what Books and Chapters shall ordinarily be read or hath a Minister no warrant to observe that appointment A learned Linguist is able to translate a Chapter in the old or new Testament peradventure as well as it is translated may not the Church yet ordain one usually to be read Let our brethren judge the strength of their Reason in one framed after the same manner If a Minister be indued with gifts to judge what portion of Scripture is meet to be read then is there no warrant for another to prescribe nor for them to read stinted portions of Scripture prescribed by men prayer is a part of Gods worship so is reading of Scripture the externall form of words are humane so is the prescription of such a Book or Chapter Answ The Reason is of more weight against prescript forms then will so easily be cast off at least to our best apprehensions For if the Lord Jesus by his ascention hath given sufficient furniture of gifts to the Ministers of his Church for prayer as well as for preaching For the whole work of the Ministry for the edification of the Church For the perfecting of the Saints unto the fulnesse of the slature of the age of Christ Then it is dishonourable unto Christ and superfluous for the Governours of the Church to prescribe unto Ministers set forms of Prayer in Liturgies any more than set forms of preaching in Homilies If Christ hath not gifted them as sufficient for the one as for the other it doth indeed derogate from the honour and fruit of his ascention if he have then it is superfluous for Church governours Actum Agere even as much as to tie bladders under the wings of Sea-fowls to keep them from sinking or to help them to swim It is true that every good Minister is not able at all times to open his heart to God in Prayer but neither is he able at all times to open the mind of God in preaching but if he be not able to do both without book neither will he be able to do either upon a book prescribed to him I have known a Minister to edifie the people more by silence in the Pulpit through strength of temptation then ever I knew any do by reading a Homily upon the Book If an able Minister have discretion to know what portion of Scripture is fit to be read to what end should the Church appoint him what Books and Chapter to read ordinarily It is a commendable work in any state to procure a faithfull translation of the Bible to be extant in the mother tongue of each people under their dominions for the common benefit of them all And we do easily grant a Minister though he be a learned Linguist hath liberty not onely to make use of it in his private studies but also to make use of it in the Congregation for seeing reading of Scripture is an ordinance of God yea and reading of it in the mother tongue of each people it will best agree with the edification of each people to read it out of such a book as is frequent and currant in all their hands But yet the Church may not so bind him to such a translation as not to give him leave to amend it if need be and he be able And besides this will no way reach the binding of Ministers to a set form of Prayer upon a book seeing reading of Prayers in the Church as Prayers is not any ordinance of God as all the reading of translated Scriptures be CHAP. IV. Answering to the third Reason Disc IF it be lawfull to sing Psalmes in a form of words devised by men then likewise to pray unto God in a stinted forme If the one of these be an invention of men a strange prayer a similitude of a prayer
so is the other a similitude of a Psalm Answ First the singing of Psalms whereof you speak in a form of words devised by men may have a double meaning for either you mean such Psalms as are compiled by ordinary men or else Psalms penned by the Prophets but translated by ordinary men into English verse to be sung in the Churches If you speak of the former then this is our first answer 1. We see as little warrant for singing Apocrypha Psalms in the Church as for praying prescript Lyturgies of men in the Church and for both together as little warrant as for reading Apocrypha Scriptures in the Church but if you speak of the latter then our second answer is this 2. There is an observable difference between singing of Psalms and Prayer as also between the Psalms penned by the Prophets and by other ordinary men for in the peoples joyning in prayer there is no more required but their going along in silence with consent of the heart and in the end of the prayer expressing their consent in voyce by saying Amen 1 Corinth 14.16 But in singing of Psalms all the people of God as spiritual Priests do sing with voyce together according to Isa 52.8 which putteth a necessity upon a set form of Psalms else one should sing one thing and another another thing which would instead of harmony breed confusion but there is no necessity of a set form of Prayer for if the words of the Ministers prayers be understood of the people they go along joyn with him in silent consent as well in a form conceived for the present occasion as in a set form of words whereunto they have been accustomed besides the Psalms penned by the Prophets as by David and the rest being of divine inspiration and part of the holy word of God which we are commanded should dwell in us plenteously and wherewith we are to teach and admonish our selves and one another by the singing of them unto the Lord we have therefore a lawfull warrant to sing such Psalms even in such a form of words as they are translated into by men when yet we have not the like warrant to pray the forms of Prayer devised by ordinary men which are not of divine inspiration but of humane invention and injunction Psalms and Scripture translated are still as truly the Word of God in the translation as in the originall language Disc But say you If a man be disposed to reason against the singing of Psalms he may a great deal more plausibly argue that the infancy of the Church when God saw a set form to be necessary he inspired holy men to pen such as might be of use for that time when such worship was approved and therefore seeing at this day no such forms are given us of God they are not to be allowed Answ Such an argument though you think it were plausible yet indeed it is lesse defenceable for the truth is set forms of Psalms are as necessary now as they were then for seeing it is necessary that all the people should joyn in voyce as well as in heart in the singing of Psalms It is therefore necessary they should know before-hand the same set form of words in which they should all joyn and seeing a set form of words in Psalms is necessary it pleased the Lord to devise himself to our hands a set form of them by his holy Prophets who being carried by the Holy Ghost farre above humane infirmity and possibility of erring they have set down such forms as were fit not only for the infancy of the Church but for the publique use of all Churches in all ages and for all occasions which cannot be said of any compilements de vised by ordinary men Disc But say you a set form of words is as necessary in preaching and publique prayers as in singing this or that form is necessary in neither a set form is necessary in both the people cannot sing with the Minister unlesse what is sung be represented to them in a set form of words nor can they joyn in prayer or attend to the word preached unlesse the matter of praying or preaching be conveyed to them in a set form of words Answ You confound a form of words understood and a set form it is true no man can joyn in prayer or attend unto the Word preached unlesse the matter of prayer or preaching be conveyed in a form of words understood but yet without a set form of words they may the words being delivered in a known tongue By set forms we understand standing forms such as come to be used again and again day by day in the same words common sence maketh it evident men may joyn in prayer and attend to the Word preached as well in a new form of words according to the present occasion which he never heard before as in a set form which he heareth every day Disc But you demand Is a Minister able to expresse the necessities of the people or the doctrine of salvation in a form of words devised and studied by himselfe and is he not able by meditation and study to dictate and compose a Psalm to be sung by the people as occasion requireth and if so is not a stinted form of singing devised by men an arbitrary help to him and so forbidden Answ 2. Many a good Minister that is able to expresse the necessities of the people or the doctrine of salvation in a form of words devised and studied by himself is not able so to dictate and compose a Psalm to be sung by the people each several occasion no though he should meditate and study hard for it Poetry is not every good Scholars faculty nor the penning of holy Psalms the skill of every good Minister nor is it required that it should For seeing the Holy Ghost hath already dictated and composed to our hands divers forms of Psalms for all occasions it would be superfluous for Ministers to take up their meditations and studies about the inventing other forms though they had gifts fit for it and therefore if such as have the skill to pen Psalms do nevertheless sing the forms of Psalms set and composed by David and other Prophets as they cannot be said therein to make use of the inventions of men but of Gods institutions so neither can they be said to sin upon the other respect which you mention because they use an help to them not necessary whereas others that want their skill do lawfully use Davids Psalms because such an help to them is not arbitrary but necessary no no we do not approve of that distinction between arbitrary and necessary in that sense to that purpose in that sense I say for I here see you work upon an equivocation in this word necessary For there is a double necessity spoken of in this case a set form of worship may be said to be necessary either through sinfull defects in men who should be