it is not to be doubted but that a Christian professing people gathered together in the Name of Christ injoying the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments in purity are a Church of Christ and uniform with all the Churches of Christ without any distinction by this or that Name of Singularity or any Ceremonial Appendixes § 12. And whereas it is pretended that a full and free Conformity in Ceremonies would be the only cure of all our Differences and Divisions Let all Ages witness if any will but impartially enquire what hath been the Grand Cause of all the Factions Breaches Divisions and Schisms in the Church yea and Ecclesiastical Persecutions ever since the Primitive Times it will be found to be the Usurpation of this aforesaid Legislative Power of Christ by some or other and still all the excuse that is made for it is that they assume this Power only in matters of Indifferency and what pretence can any make to a Legislative Power in things necessary already determined by Christ to one part there is no place for a Law in such things unless it be to ratifie or to null the Law so that what Legislative Power is exercised of this kinde must be in matters of Indifferency only i. e. which are so in relation to Christ's Law antecedently to man's Law but by the supervening of such a Church-Law it becomes in kinde Ecclesiastically necessary it being enjoyn'd as to practice under Penalties annexed and it 's no new thing with some sort of men to call necessary things indifferent and indifferent necessary and thereby take occasion to justifie their presumptions when they make Laws even abrogatory to the known Laws of Christ And if weak Brethren as they are apt in derision to call them either take any just exceptions against them pleading their Liberties or it may be from a mistaking judgment are apt to call indifferent things necessary and therefore out of tenderness of Conscience refuse to yield acts of Obedience they are so far from having compassion on their tenderness that they exact the said Law-penalty with greater violence and rigour than they do any that doth directly concern the Glory of Christ established by himself § 13. The greatest Plea that I know can be made for matters of this kinde is the power that Oecumenical Councils have taken upon them especially in the Primitive Times even in the Apostle days and in the first second and third Centuries of the Church especially To which I answer First If the Foundation of this Authority lie in Oecumenical Councels let never any of these Church-Statutes be made and imposed on the world but by them and let not every particular National Independent Church take upon her to make Penal Laws and gull the World into a submission to her Authority by her saying she is The Church as if she were the Catholick Church and Mother-Church Secondly I question whether there were ever any true Oecumenical Council at all much may be said against the best that is pleaded for since the Apostles days and it is easie to prove that Assembly at Jerusalem held by the Apostles and Brethren to be none in the sence intended which is that the chief Officers and Representatives of every particular Church in the World meet together with a determinating Power in matters of Doctrine and with a binding Legislative Power in matters of Discipline and Ceremony Now it will appear that that Assembly was not so though there were more reason for its being so than for any other Assembly being so neither ever was there any Assembly so impowred in the world of that nature § 14. That that Assembly Acts 15.28 was no Oecumenical Council is easie to judge for there were but the Representatives of two Churches Jerusalem and Antioch and they of Antioch came to ask counsel and to be resolved in matter of doubt of the Apostles residing most of them at present in Jerusalem 2. The case in question was argued in foro Ecclesiae particularis and the Apostles making the minde of Christ manifest to that Church have the consent of the Brethren to their determination and sent it forth in and with the Authority of the Holy Ghost 3. The Apostles and Church of Jerusalem changed no Indifferencies into Necessities but enquired after and found out the Will of Christ concerning the present Infant-state of the Gospel-church in some matter of things necessary of two sorts some Absolutely and Morally so others expediently so for that time First Absolutely such as Abstinence from Fornication and things offered to Idols Secondly Respectively only and that in the behalf of the believing Jews coming lately from that Pedagogy that they might not be scandalized or grieved at the freedom of the Gentiles and therefore that the Gentiles should then abstain from things strangled and Blood Now no sound Interpeter will say that this Canon was binding to the Church semper ubique but in behalf only of th Jews who could not so easily at present be brought off from the whole of Judaisme and 't is likely by this concession the Apostles got off the Jewish Believers from many Ceremonious Observations which they stood upon besides or at least abated their edge towards them And therefore the Decree was but as to a necessary Expediency for a time which the Apostle Paul fully explicates who was well acquainted with the Minde of Christ and the Judgments of the Apostles Elders and Brethren in these matters § 15. As we have little evidence for an Oecumenical Council exercising a Legislative Jurisdiction in the Church so we have as little ground for such sorts of Officers as are contended for in the Church of which such Councils as they are pleaded for should principally consist which are Patriarchs Metropolitans Archbishops Bishops Priests and there being not such Officers in the Church by Christ's Institution there is no such Power to be exercised in the said way and manner of Legislation neither may they jure proceed so far as to Execution of any Laws established by Christ being not lawfully commissionated with a Gospel-power If this Assertion be proved I doubt not but it will be granted that there is no Legislation to be exercised in the Church the present Assertors whereof challenging this Power only on the behalf of the said Officers I lay down two things by way of proof 1. That there is no such Officers to be found in the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour as a Pope a Patriarch a Metropolitan an Archbishop a Diocesan Bishop a Parish-Priest no Dean Prebends Canons c. the Scriptures are altogether strangers to all those Ecclesiastical creatures Christ and his Apostles knew nothing of them but prophetically in the foresight of the rise of the Kingdom of Antichrist In this Point I should deal with two sorts of men the Papists and the Protestants As for the Papists the case hath been fully managed over and over against them that there is no such Supreme Officer in
few words more § 13. First If it be lawful for the Church to annex new decencies and order to the decencies and order appointed by Christ then these must be necessary or unnecessary but it 's not lawful Ergo. 1. It 's not lawful to annex unnecessary for this were to trifle and would infer the greatest absurdities imaginary therefore none will insist upon that 2. Not to annex any thing necessary for they must then judge something necessary which Christ hath not declared so as something belonging to the esse or bene esse of the Church and this were a high affront to Christ and impeachment of his wisdom as not perfect and compleat in his House as likewise it 's implicitely to condemn Christ's Worship and Ordinances as left by him for undecent and disorderly and so naked and unfit to come to publick view till they be anew dressed up and trimed by the Church in her Poppet-play Robes and Attire § 14. Secondly And then she might re-establish any old absolete Jewish decencies so she use them Evangelically upon as good or better ground than she hath brought in Heathenish practices into use in the Church Thirdly Decency and Order in the Church is no Indifferency but necessary in its kind as hath been shewed because commanded and enjoyned by Christ and Ergo if the Church hath power to enact Laws in matters of Indifferency it follows not that she hath power to do the like in matters of Decency and Order because they are not indifferent things but necessary if we understand either Moral or Evangelical decency and order § 15. It is fallacious and false to assert that the Church prescribes onely decencies in the Worship of God for they are the smallest part of her Ceremonies for what are Holy-days Cross in Baptism Musick in Divine Service And besides most or all her Ceremonies respect other Objects and are for other significancy and ends than for decency some being chiefly gratiâ divinâ as all reverential Gestures and Postures viz. bowing at the Name of Jesus bowing to the Altar kneeling at the Sacrament standing up at the Gospel These are signes of divine honour and Latrical and can be no otherwise understood than respecting a Divinity and therefore there can be no pretence to call it civil Worship because in all civil Worship man is the Object and were the same or like actions which for the matter are neither civil or divine but indifferent as to both but a peculiar Adaptation to a singular end or object they receive their distinct denomination therefrom Some are chiefly gratiâ humanâ in order to the due preparing and qualifying us for Spiritual Services Surplices to make us appear more pure an Emblem of Purity and mind us of it Musick to raise the Spirits and others more mixt in their intention tà m gratiâ divinâ quà m humanâ as Saints days wherein God is blessed for Saints whereby God is honoured and the Saint too the Cross in Baptism and the Ring in Matrimony which are Seals of obligation religiously made use of therefore more than significant signes and can be no less than Sacraments There are also divers Responses and Salutations betwixt Ministers and People in all which it 's easie to perceive that there is some weightier matters respected than meer civil decencies and order whatever pretences are made to the contrary § 16. We have before hinted what we apprehend true canonical obedience to be viz. that it 's not a submission to a certain body of Laws made by any Church challenging a Legislative power neither to those feigned Canons of the Apostles but it is obedience to the Canons or Rules of Gospel-communion laid down in the Scriptures those that are acquainted with the true Churches of Christ know no other Canons nor no other canonical Obedience they are obliged unto Now those that call for canonical obedience under that term they tell us that it is obedience to the Laws Rules and Constitutions of the Church but I could never rightly understand any reason for their plea from the Church viz. of the authority pleaded for for if it be a National Church that requires the said obedience we say 1. That that Church cannot pretend to challenge obedience that is not capacitated to make or execute any Law but the National is not Ergo. The Minor appears in that there is no such thing as a National organized Church constituted by Christ under the Gospel for if there were there must be National Officers and Ordinances by the same appointment but Christ hath constituted no National Officers i. e. whose Office-power in the Church is of such extent nor no National Ordinances i. e. such Ordinances that the whole Nation may partake of in one Assembly for communion The same Argument will hold against Diocesan Churches 2. How is any one National Church the Church more than another that hath such a Ruling power if all hath it alike how various will Church-canons be and how little Uniformity in canonical obedience 3. If this obedience belongs to any Church it seems most consonant to right reason that it should belong to the Catholick Church for 1. That may be as organical as a National can be by virtue of any institution of Christ 2. That 's most comprehensive therefore challengeth the preheminence of all others in respect of extent and by way of eminency may most properly be stiled the Church 3. This is the likeliest way to attain a Vniformity for it 's pleaded as the great reason why Christ gives a Legislative Compulsive power to a National Church viz. Vniformitatis gratiâ Now it 's but a partial Uniformity obtained thereby of an Independent nature but if true Uniformity be reached it must be that which is Catholick which can be no otherwise than by Catholick canonical obedience CHAP. XXII Of the Imposition of Ceremonies § 1. NExt to the consideration of decencies and order it may be meet to enquire a little into the lawfulness of imposition 1. of Ceremonies 2. of a form of Prayer Whether a Ceremony uncommanded by God may be used in the Worship of God is not our present Undertaking to discuss for in some cases it may be lawful so it be such as is duely qualified and be used as indifferent and occasionally by the Rules of discretion but our present Enquiry shall be Whether the Church is liable to the imposition of such Ceremonies as Christ hath not made necessary by any Law of his Many Arguments before urged against the Churches Legislative power might be here of equal force I shall onely adde something proper upon this state of the Question to prove that such an imposition is not in the Churches power § 2. Arg. 1. Because the Church by such imposition doth subjugate herself in her Members to a yoke of bondage which Christ hath freed her and them from That Christians are freed from such yokes see Gal. 4.31 ch 5.1 and the Church is not to return to
all for truth that obligeth to credence from the evidence of it obligeth not to Practice and Obedience having not a sufficient authority from whence it comes or not laying on us a necessity of obeying and therefore it must binde as a Law-truth challenging its ends by promises of rewards or threats of punishment Again 't is from a principle of self-love and preservation Seeing our selves liable to a Law and such a Law that can do us good or hurt we are bound by this first principle of nature to make an impartial enquiry into our conformity that we may be satisfied of our own safety and danger every one being desirous in this case to know the worst of himself Moreover seeing that all Law that bindes is backed with sufficient power to put it into vigorous and impartial execution and that which prevails so much with Conscience is the Law-givers absolute power to save and destroy He can punish the whole man Body and Soul which no humane Power can So that the Penalty being great and the power of the Law-giver infinite it must needs lay the Conscience under a very strict bond of enquiry Likewise if we consider that 't is not onely a sufficient power for Execution but an unlimited power of law-making wherein his Soverainty doth chiefly consist which Soverainty as it is most supream so it is most just and good and therefore this obligeth because God can make what Law he will and he cannot will to make any Law that is not fit for his Creature to obey Hence his Laws have always a necessary innate goodness in them because they flow from him who is primarily absolutely and independently good Ergo must be cannot but be holy just and good Laws Wherefore the impression of the goodness of a Divine Law is firmly fixed on mans natural Conscience however corruption may attempt the blotting it out it cannot totally do it but those who are renewed by Grace must needs see anotherguess lustre in it seeing not onely Divine goodness stamped on God's Law but Gospel-goodness Not onely the suitableness of his Commands to his Creature but to a sinner viz. the love of God so evidenced in giving and requiring his Law in such a way of Grace and compassion that it engageth them in the highest measure to Obedience yea new Obedience and their Consciences to a diligent and narrow disquisition thereof accordingly Lastly there is an innate reverence unto Divinity which the Creator hath placed in the Heart of man whereby the Law of God hath more command than any Laws in the world besides because there can be no greater distance than between the Creator and the Creature and Creation or giving us being is such an obligation as none but a Creator can lay upon the Creature and consequently our greatest good either in being or well-being is certainly hazzarded by the displeasure of our Creator Thus much of the practical propositions of Conscience from which of necessity follows the particular Conclusion as hath been said § 9. It remains to speak something of the diversities of Conscience which admits of no difference from Divine Law simply considered but from the Information or Illumination which the Understanding receives more or less therefrom The less enlightned Conscience is either the mere natural Conscience illuminated onely by the Light of Nature without a written Law such as the Apostle speaks of Rom. 2. Or the legal Conscience though enlightned by the written Law yet tasting nothing of Gospel-freedom and delivery by Jesus Christ and therefore in bondage to Moses and not yet subjected to the mediatorly Authority of Christ in Justification Sanctification or rules of spiritual walk The more enlightned Conscience is that which hath received Gospel-light and subjected thereunto from a true sence of the love of God in Christ hath submitted his self and ways to the guidance and conduct thereof in his whole progress to Life and Salvation The Conscience admits also of Magis Minus the more evangelically enlightned Conscience is that which is firmly ratified and confirmed in Gospel-truths and a due application thereof by Faith for comfort and practice and this is a firm stable Conscience and of such an one is rightly said that he is a strong Christian one that is rightly informed in his Duties and Priviledges by the Law of Christ The less Evangelically-enlightned Conscience is one that hath but a small information in the Minde and Will of Christ hath a sincere faith but little knowledge is not so well acquainted with the rules of Gospel-obedience nor with his Priviledges purchased by Jesus Christ and hence ariseth a doubting and scrupulous Conscience a doubting Conscience or Opinans is in respect chiefly of the will and minde of Christ is not fully resolved concerning it and therefore at best acts but from Opinion is unsetled and unresolved whether the Light directs him this way or that way and therefore is unstable in all such ways is not carried on with a Plerophory and full resolution to persist and this may be according to some Truths and Duties but not according to others A Christian may be strong in respect of some Truths but weak in respect of others so that the same Conscience may be strong or weak as it is clearly informed in some things and darkly in others yea it may be weak at one time and strong at another as it receives more or less Light A scrupulous Conscience is chiefly in respect of action concerning which he is needlesly and frivolously doubtful and therefore fearful and starting upon all occasions § 10. Thus far of the differences of Conscience taken from Synteresis briefly a few words of its differences also from Syneidesis Conscience may be distinguished from Syneidesis into a good or a bad Conscience The good Conscience is that which makes a diligent just and impartial enquiry into our condition and actions by a due application of them to the Rule or Law-light received by us An evil Conscience is such an one as from its enslavery to a lust doth not perform its duty aright towards the Law of God or ourselves but is either sloathful and will not take pains to search and examine our Hearts and ways Or it is partial and will be more strict in some respects and less in others of the same weight and concernment Or it is fallacious and deals not plainly and fully concerning the matter of fact but mincingly and equivocally feigning it to be better than it is in substance or circumstance or 't is stupid and blockish not valuing the weight of the Law or inspecting the nature of the Action It may be also troublesomely evil as well as negligently c. when it brings in too aggravating a Testimony in accusing beyond the nature of the Transgression representing the matter of fact more hainous and heavy than it ought to be represented Such a Conscience may be Honestè bona but Molestè mala § 11. Lastly we distinguish Conscience
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or medium off cium quod cur factum sit ratio probabilis reddi potest Cic. off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 10.23 an indifferency may become a necessity per accidens pro hic nunc and this is an expediency or non-expediency which cannot be properly a medium between a necessary thing and indifferent because every moral expediency is necessary in genere boni moralis pro hic nunc though not pro semper ubique § 7. Things have a Necessity of nature in them when they are so ordained of God the Creator of all things that they should be or do this or that to the compleating their being or welbeing in order to the accomplishment of that end for which he first introduced them and his command unto them the proper catholick rule of every art so to be and do is the law of nature which all natural agents under the conduct of respective Arts and Sciences do receive viz. what they should be what they should do and to what end they should tend all which are undispensable rebus secundum natucam aut regulas artis positis and unalterable by any but God alone and they are his Ordinances for the rule of Sun Moon and Stars c. given by God and cannot depart from before him Jer. 31.35 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if these Statutes be removed from before me hence all Creatures and things should according to their first constitution have kept their regular Motions to the best ends Supream and Subordinate and so all good though since the breaking in of the Curse upon the Creature for mans moral transgression there 's entred thousands of natural evils into the world so that nature hath swerved from its primitive course in many things and run in the crooked channels of disorder and confusion Hence natural indifferencies are such natural Actions Modes and Tendencies of the created beings which may be or not be without any prejudice to the common course of nature without any destruction to the esse bene esse or last end of the Creature As a man may be Tall or Short Fat or Lean of a fair or black Complexion So a Sheep black or white It may Rain or be fair Weather on this or that day The fuel of Fire may be Hay Straw Coal or Wood The Eye may look on this or that Object The Understanding contemplate this or that truth The Will chuse this or that good and infinite other varieties that nature sports itself in without any distraction or so much as wrong to the necessities of nature or breach of any of the Laws or Rules thereof § 8. Things or Actions are politically necessary or indifferent when they become necessary by subjection to some Law of Polity or indifferent by being void of limitation by that Law Political Necessities and Indifferences are either Civil or Ecclesiastical Civilly necessary are either when the things or actions themselves have an innate tendency to the order of civil Societies or the exercise of distributive or commutative justice flowing from the influence of the moral Law diffusing itself through all natural Consciences and becoming the very Veins and Sinews of Societies or when according to the discretion or prudential arbitrament of the civil Magistrate agreeing to the constitution of the Government a civil Law is enacted where it bindes is civilly necessary and that which it leaves unbound is civilly indifferent and neither good nor evil in respect of that Law Unto this Head may be referred Oeconomical necessities and indifferences of which we may have some such analogical understanding which I shall not now stay upon § 9. Some things and actions fall under a spiritual political consideration and are Ecclesiastical pertaining to instituted Worshp to the Government and Discipline of Christ's Body-politick which is his Church and these are Levitical or Evangelical Levitically necessary where such things which were commanded by the Ceremonial Law the revealed Will of God for the order and manner of his instituted worship in the Jewish Church under the Pedagogy of Moses Levitically indifferent where those things that were left undetermined by the ceremonial Law might be lawfully done or not be done according to discretion § 10. Things or actions Evangelically Ecclesiastical are also necessary or indifferent Necessary when they have a determination of political good or evil laid on them by the Law of Christ for the management of the affairs of his Church under the Gospel Things in respect to the Church-constitutions are also indifferent when they are not declared by the Law of Christ to be of any necessary concernment to the being or well-being of the Ecclesiastical Polity All Ecclesiastical Institutions are founded on the Moral Law but are distinguished from the Moral Precepts by the name of Instituted Worship because God ordained the Moral Law to be a rule of Obedience under all the ages of his Church but Christ hath reserved to himself the prerogative of altering instituted Worship at his pleasure as it shall appear to his wisdom to be more agreeable to those several ages and great ends that he designes the attaining of by the Oeconomy of his Church Militant in the world and the great and principal change that he thought good to make was when he changed his Church-discipline from Oeconomical to National and from National in one Nation to particular Congregations in all Nations whither his Gospel should be dispersed This last change of instituted Worship we are under and it stands constituted by the Laws of his own promulgation by himself immediately when here on earth and by his Apostles after his Ascention inspired with his Spirit extraordinarily commissionated by his Authority From under this last Ecclesiastical Constitution we must not we dare not start till his second coming the date of its continuance being fixed by himself CHAP. X. Some plain Propositions concerning things Necessary and Indifferent § 1. HAving thus briefly described and unfolded all sorts of Necessities and Indifferences requisite to our purpose and ranked them to several Heads that we might not be mistaken in the following Discourse when we speak of any of them distinct from the other We judge it now convenient in the first place before we come to argue the matter in controversie to lay down a few general Propositions to the intelligent Reader whereby the nature of these things will further and more clearly appear 1. No created beings or actions had any thing of moral necessity or indifferency antecedent to a moral Law for where there is no Law things cannot respect it as good or evil and if the two extreams cannot be without a Law neither can the middle be in respect to the said Law and if some things are not made morally good or evil by commanding or forbidding other things cannot be morally indifferent as to good or evil 2. Though things have no indifferency antecedaneous to a Law and without respect thereto
in words and syllables 7. If Christ had bound us to this Form then we were to use no other neither might the Church prescribe any other neither might particular Christians use their gifts in Prayer nor various Forms of their own or others prescription which would be too grosly absurd for any to assert § 5. But fifthly to infer that Christ by prescribing this Form as imitable by us or by propounding and commending this to us as a Rule or Form did thereby tye us up to other Forms or gave power to the Church to binde us to Forms or that we might binde our selves to other Forms is as great an inconsequence as any in the world for we have shewed there 's more reason to judge that he left it as a Rule than Form If he left it as a Form it 's no ground for other men to make Forms but rather a ground to the contrary it being his Prerogative as our Lord and Master And besides if he hath given us a Form and we are thereby bound to words and sentences we ought not to take up other Forms and multiply thousands of mens prescriptions for the sence of Christ must needs be one of these two when you pray say i. e. use this as the onely Form of Prayer and stick to it for words and sentences and never trouble your selves about any other for if it be taken in the other sence it 's universal Take this as a standing general rule of Prayer to which all sorts of Petitions Deprecations Confessions Thanksgivings are referrable If he had authorized any to compose other teaching Forms he would have said You Apostles and your Successors thou Catholick Church or National Church or particular Congregation do you compose a Form of divine Service and I will set my hand to it § 6. The second part of the Question is Whether a Christian may suffer himself to be bound to a Form of Prayer by humane Authority pretending thereunto The Answer to this Enquiry will be double 1. That whatever Authority Ecclesiastical or Civil doth pretend to such an imposing power a Christian is not to subject himself by active submission 2. That no powers beneath Christ can pretend justly to such Authority The reasons of the first hath been largely enough insisted on before therefore I shall here but touch upon them 1. Because Christ hath not left it indifferent to a Christian to be bound in matters of his Worship where he hath left him at liberty for thereby the use of discretion in conveniencies is lost 2. All those reasons why he may not binde himself to a Form of Prayer do formally prove that he is not to permit himself to be imposed upon in this kind by another 3. None but Christ may prescribe Set-forms of his own Worship and we are not allowed obedientially to submit to any Legislative power in this kind as hath been shewed 4. If a Christian suffer himself in this to be imposed upon he parts with one of the most eminent priviledges that he is capable of viz. that of speaking his minde to God in Prayer and not to be bound to the Dictates and Suggestions of another Who can know our own case in respect of Sins Wants Temptations Mercies c. better than our selves What is more unreasonable than that a Childe though he cannot speak plainly should not be suffered to speak his mind to his Parents as well as he can but must be always prescribed to it in the Servants or elder Brothers words and expressions To deal thus with God's Children is to go about to abandon the Spirit of Adoption which God's Children are led by Rom. 8.2.14 15. which Spirit they have for this end that they cry Abba Father that they may speak the language of the Spirit in Prayer though their utterance be in broken and abrupt Sentences even in sighs and groans which God knows the meaning of Wherefore to put our selves under humane set Forms is to put ourselves into the greatest spiritual Bondage of this nature § 7. Secondly No Power Ecclesiastical or Civil can pretend justly to Authority from Christ to impose on Minister or Christian a set Form of Prayer Argum. 1. If any can pretend to such Authority it must be to impose a set Form of Christs composing or of humane composition But they cannot pretend justly to impose any Prayer of Christs composing because Christ hath neither required nor allowed the imposing the use of that which is called the Lord's Prayer by penal Laws What corporal or pecuniary Mulcts are to be inflicted on a man that doth not use the very words of that Prayer by virtue of any Law of Christ Is he to be Whipped or Fined for it by the Magistrate or Excommunicated by the Church Again they cannot pretend to impose a Form of humane composition for if there be no ground to impose a Form of Prayer of Christ's composition by a penal Law much less to impose one of Mans And for any to undertake either Church or State to prescribe the worship of Christ and to enforce it by punishments where Christ never deputed or allowed such Authority is the greatest presumption and insolency in the world § 8. Argum. 2. He or they that impose a Form of Prayer must do it because it is necessarily or indifferently requisite so to do according to the revealed Will of Christ But none can impose a Form of Prayer for any of these reasons Ergo. 1. None can because a Form of Prayer is necessarity requisite 1. Because Christ hath no where required the Church or Magistrate to impose 2. If a Set-form of Prayer were absolutely necessary it could not be to any person or season dispensed with 3. If the necessity be pleaded for publick Prayers that there should be a set Form there is as little necessity of that can be proved from the Word of God as of private Set-Forms 4. If there be need of a Form for help in some cases in respect of present weakness of Ministers or Christians it 's no reason therefore it should be imposed as necessary to all it 's pleaded for upon the account of Uniformity but if some of his Majesties Subjects wear Spectacles because of the weakness of their Eyes must all do so too for Uniformity sake though their Eyes be never so good We are to strive after perfection and conformity to Christ therein but are not to endeavour to conform to the weaknesses and imperfections of his Members and take our measures thereby though we are to bear with and condescend to them as much as may be without sin § 9. Secondly A Form of Prayer cannot be imposed as indifferently requisite to the worship of Christ because 1. If any thing be indifferently i. e. conveniently requisite to the worship of Christ it is because Christ hath willed it indifferently requisite for all matters of his Worship take their first reason from his Will 2. There is no reason from the