from the first Ages of Christianity and in the Jewish Church both in their Temple worship and Synagogues p. 136 Sect. IV. Some expressions vilifying Uniformity and charging Forms of Prayer to be an Engine of perpetual discord with some others examined p. 164 Chap. IV. Forms of Prayer are not forbidden in Scripture Some things are necessary to be determined in Gods worship which he hath not particularly enjoined Of the Authority of Superiours and the judgment of discretion and some other things p. 177 Chap. V. Of other Prayers besides those in the Liturgy and publick service p. 193 Chap. VI. Of Preaching Whether it be as useful and fit to preach as to pray in a set Form of words Of what account preaching is Exceptions against the Sermons of our Ministers as being satyrical advancing the power of nature and justification by works answered p. 206 Chap. VII Praying by a Form is rashly charged with mocking God p. 219 Chap. VIII Forms of Prayer do not debase the Ministry Of the Ministerial Office and the need of learning and knowledge Of the Priestly Office under the Law and the large Revenue God appointed for the Priests and Levites The pretence of ill effects from Liturgies refuted p. 225 Chap. IX Several Arguments for Forms of Prayer proved solid and substantial and among them some things concerning submission to superiours p. 241 Chap. X. A Perswasive Conclusion directed to our Dissenters to consider how unaccountable to God and how dangerous to themselves their separation is p. 266 A Vindication OF LITURGIES The Introduction giving the Reader an account of the occasion of this discourse HAving several years since published my Libertas Ecclesiastica wherein I endeavoured a Vindication of our Liturgy there came lately to my hands a Discourse in which is a pretended answer to two Sections of my Book concerning the lawfulness expediency and antiquity of set forms of prayer When I first looked into it I thought it a strange undertaking to attempt to prove that it is sinful for Ministers who are able to compose Prayers themselves to make use of any form of Prayer in their Ministration which was composed by other men and that any man might justly suspect his own reasoning when it engaged him in such an enterprize But when I had read it I found many things said therein which might possibly misguide the weak and unwary Reader but nothing which was of any great weight And indeed no false position is capable of being firmly proved by solid Arguments though to undiscerning men it may be rendred plausible by mistaken fallacies Yet because I am very sensible that the Assertion maintained by this Author is both in it self false and erroneous and also tendeth to undermine the true exercise of Religion and the Peace and Well-fare of the Church of God I resolved to examine all his Arguments and to return a fair Answer to so much of his Book as was needful for the discussing of the Question proposed and for the defending my self against his Oppositions And this I thought my self the more concerned to undertake because so far as this strange assertion should be received as true it would make void the design of my former Book which was to manifest that it was both lawful and a duty for Ministers and People to embrace attend upon and join in the publick service worship and Ministrations of the Church of England And I knew not how far any appearances of reasoning might be magnified by such persons who are engaged against our Church many of whom in a sinking cause so far as concerneth the evidence of truth and reason may be willing to catch hold on any twig The Author of this Book hath not published his own name therewith and therefore I shall not be curious to enquire after it but shall treat him as an unknown person And I confess I cannot easily conceive that he under whose name it goes should be so defective both in learning and consideration as to be guilty of such mistakes and palpable over-sights as may be found in some places of this Book For besides many other unaccountable positions and misunderstandings divers of which I shall mention in my following Discourse it is observable that what he writes concerning the ancient practices of the Church after the Apostles time or concerning any thing written in those days is generally done so loosely and sometimes with such wonderful extravagancy as may surprize an intelligent Reader with some kind of admiration of which I shall give the Reader here one instance 4. When he speaks of the original of Liturgies he saith a Ch. 2. p. 68 69. We do believe that Gregory the Great under the protection of Charles the Great was the Father of all those that dwell in these Tents and this eight hundred or a thousand years after Christ But first to speak of Gregory the Great eight hundred or a thousand years after Christ is far enough from truth when he died about the year 604. And secondly that Gregory the Great should be under the protection of Charles the Great is impossible when he was dead about two hundred years before Charles the Great began his Reign And thirdly it is altogether as unaccountable that the original of Liturgies was in the time either of Gregory the Gerat or Charles the Great when they were in use many hundred years before them both as I shall shew b Ch. 3. Sect. 3. in the following Treatise This mistake concerning these persons whose names were so famous in History that a man of ordinary reading could not be unacquainted with them is as if any person should presume to give an account of the Church of the Israelites and should assert that the offering of Sacrifices under the Mosaical Law had its beginning in the days of Eli the Priest in the Reign of King Jehosaphat six hundred or eight hundred years after the Israelites came out of Egypt Surely it is a strange confidence for any person to vent such things and to write positively what he no better understandeth 5. But whoever the Author of this Discourse is I shall apply my self to the clearing of the truth concerning the matter of it which I shall do with as much succinctness as is expedient And therefore though I shall not willingly omit any thing considerable which he urgeth against the lawful use of constant publick Liturgies or against what I have said in their defence yet where he mentions objections made by others against the force of his Arguments and gives his Answers to them I shall pass by such things where the insisting upon them is not needful for the defence of our Church or the decision of the Case proposed And in answering his Arguments I shall wave the repetition of his long Syllogisms which is a tedious way of proceeding and in rational Discourses of this nature is acceptable to few others than those who may admire the art of making a Syllogism But I
Disciples a Form also as the Baptist had taught his Wherefore this manifestly declares an approbation of Forms of Prayer taught and directed by others who have the chief authority in the Church 34. The last thing he urgeth is y p. 57 58. that supposing that Christ intended this as a Form at that time whether it was to last beyond his Resurrection and the descent of the Holy Ghost is a farther Question And though he doth not positively assert this yet he would have his Reader to be of this opinion and offers in proof of it what he saith was well observed which I shall by and by consider The Precepts of Christ which all ancient Churches reverenced may not now be laid aside But first Is it not a strange boldness and irreverence towards any Precept or Institution of our Saviour for him to suggest to men that it is expired and antiquated when our Lord himself gave no intimation of its being temporary and the Vniversal Church hath understood it otherwise Is not this a new piece of Pharisaism in teaching men how to make void the Commandments of God by looking upon them as out of date This Author may by these means do some service for them who contend that the Sacrament of Baptism was only intended for the first admission of Nations into the Christian Church so far as the reputation of his bare authority will go Yea and for those also who look upon the Lords Supper the Ordination of Ministers and many other Christian duties not to be needful for the succeeding Ages after the Apostles 35. The Apostles had extraordinary assistances and abilities before the Resurrection of Christ Secondly His supposing Forms might be requisite for the Apostles before Christ Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Ghost but that no such low things are since that time fit to be continued doth too plainly manifest that some persons are strangely big with swelling conceits of themselves Dare our Author speak out the plain sense of this suggestion which is this That himself and other dissenters are men of far greater abilities than the Apostles of our Saviour were before his Resurrection though they were then called to be his Apostles were sent forth to preach his Gospel and were enabled to work miracles and cast out Devils and consequently that these men now may reasonably look upon such directions and precepts to be of too low and inferiour a nature for them to observe which yet were enjoined upon and were fit for the state of the Apostles before the Resurrection 36. Thirdly his pretence of proof for this opinion is very shallow which is z p. 58. that Christ left out his own name in the Lords Prayer Of praying in the name of Christ but in that name his Disciples were afterwards enjoined to ask Joh. 14.13 14. Joh. 16.23 But to ask in his name is to ask through his mediation upon the encouragement of his merits and his being our intercessor and advocate at Gods right hand in our nature which is a priviledge peculiar to the time since the ascension of our Lord and also to ask sutably to the rules and doctrine of Christianity This is the sense which is generally given of this expression of asking in the name of Christ and even the Assemblies Annotations declare asking in the name of Christ to be a Assembl Annot. on Joh. 14.14 Ch. 16.24 26. through his mediation and they also add from S. Gregory si id quod non expedit petitur non in nomine Jesu petitur pater if that be desired which should not be God is not asked in the name of Jesus And this sense of this phrase In his name that it signifies upon his account and though him is evident from Joh. 1.12 Joh. 20.31 and many other places But the Apostles under the guidance of Gods Spirit did not always verbally express the name Jesus in all their Prayers as Rom. 15.13 2 Thes 3.16 and elsewhere 37. Now in the Lords Prayer we know that what we ask is according to the will of our Lord being directed by him We call not God Our Father but upon the account of Christ and upon his account we desire all our Petitions in the Lords Prayer to be granted And our desiring that Gods name may be hallowed that his Kingdom should come and that our trespasses may be forgiven c. have particular respect to our Mediator And in this whole Prayer we according to the direction of our Church-Catechism trust that God of his mercy and goodness 〈◊〉 do what we ask through our Lord Jesu◠Christ and therefore we say Amen And this is also the general sense of all b Formula à Resormatis usurpata ante illius Orationis recitationem Haec alia quae nosti Domine nobis esse necessaria à te postulamus in nomine Christi ea Orationis formula quam ipse nos docuit Pater noster c. Thes Salm. Par. 3. loc Com. 47. n. 13. sober Protestants 38. My second Argument to prove Forms of Prayer to be no disadvantage to devotion was c Libert Eccles p. 122 123. because it is generally acknowledged that the singing Psalms of Prayer and praise may be advantageously performed in a set Form of words and the Scriptures are not the less edifying because they are contained in a set form of words But concerning singing Psalms this Writer saith d p. 59. this is a mistake of the Question and e p. 60. that these are such Forms as God hath Canonized And he tells us he is against singing by any Forms not made of God which he calls f p. 18 19. p. 60.78 Apocryphal Anthems as much as he is against Liturgical Forms of Prayer And yet he allows g p. 78. p. 60. singing the Psalms in Meter though the words be not dictated of God My second Argument was that the Psalms in a set Form of words are useful to devotion and so are the Scriptures because the sense and matter in the Psalms in Meter is so directed 39. But when he saith this Argument mistakes the Question the Reader will easily see it was proper enough for the Question or Case of which I was discoursing which was in general whether Forms of Prayer are disadvantageous to Piety But our Author that he might avoid the force of this and some other Arguments hath put the Question into another method but hath not done it solidly nor hath he avoided the force of this Argument thereby For first when he grants concerning the Psalms of Prayer and praise that God hath Canonized those Forms he here asserteth what in Answer to the former Argument he would not own viz. that God ever appointed or prescribed any Forms of Prayer And as the matter of many of the Psalms is Prayer So S. Hierome observes there are h Hieron Epist 139. Comment in Ps 189. four Psalms which bear
A Vindication OF LITURGIES SHEWING The Lawfulness Vsefulness and Antiquity of performing the Publick Worship of GOD by set Forms of Prayer Wherein several other things also of considerable use are occasionally discussed In Answer to a late Book Intituled A Reasonable Account why some pious Non-Conforming Ministers in England judge it sinful for them to perform their Ministerial Acts in publick solemn Prayer by the prescribed Forms of others By WILLIAM FALKNER D. D. LONDON Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishops-Head in St Paul's Church-Yard 1680. TO THE Right Reverend FATHER in GOD ANTHONY Lord Bishop OF NORWICH My Honoured DIOCESAN MY LORD IT is too well known that notwithstanding the purity of Doctrine and Worship and the Primitive Orders of the Ministry established in our Church in all which Excellencies and Perfections no part of the Christian World doth excel her if any equal her it hath been and still is her portion in Conformity to our Saviour to his Apostles and to the purest Primitive Church to be assaulted and impugned by the various oppositions of many Adversaries Besides others our Dissenting Parties within this last year have been very active both by other methods and by Books of several kinds expressing their objections against our publick Order and Constitution And one of them for the justifying their separation hath adventured so far as to charge the general use of prescribed Forms of Prayer to be sinful which if it were true would indeed be an high accusation against our publick worship and therewith against all the famous Christian Churches He pretends an Answer to all that I had said for the lawfulness and expediency of fixed Liturgies unto which I have here returned as I hope a sufficient Reply The manner of his writing is in this respect more commendable than of some others in that he plainly stateth his Question and then produceth his Arguments that the strength of them may be fairly tried But I could have wished for his own sake that he had not oft intermixed his passionate and groundless aspersions upon our publick Constitutions and Ministry and his talking at a high rate with confident words upon very weak and slender appearances of Reason For such things are testimonies either of the rashness and weakness of the Writer who brings these things as a supply for want of what is rational and substantial or else of the badness of the cause which needs such supports to maintain it And though I thought this discourse not at all like to prevail with understanding men there were many things which enclined me to undertake an examination thereof That Book is spread abroad under the name of a person of as great esteem amongst our Dissenters as any other in these parts There is a fair appearance of a regular way of reasoning though there wants strength of Argument and he more than once declares that he thinks himself to have fully answered what I had written for Forms of Prayer and therefore I was particularly concerned to shew his mistake And though the more cautious and wary men among our Dissenters will not affirm the constant use of Forms to be sinful because they think such a position not defensible yet the Genius of that party is much set against them and in their practice they reject them almost generally with some eagerness and therefore the determining this case is of the greater concernment with respect to our Non-Conformists in general And I have had so much experience of the World as to know that the greater part of men are not so intelligent and soberly considerative as to search into the strength or weakness of Arguments unless they be directed and assisted which defect when it meets with an unsteady temper is the occasion of much infelicity to Civil and Ecclesiastical Society And as I think it in any case a piece of Christian Charity to guide men in their duty so this is of greater moment where the Peace of the Church is concerned as well as the private duty of Christians But it was not the least thing which prevailed with me to this undertaking that the Book I answer led me to the considering several mistaken notions and assertions and I hope to the clearing them which having been presumed to be truths have misguided many well-disposed persons Upon many accounts this Discourse addresseth it self to your Lordship humbly entreating your acceptance thereof It defends that common way of Christian Worship by publick Liturgies which hath been the constant use of this established Church wherein your Lordship deservedly enjoyeth an eminent place and of the Reasonableness and usefulness of whose publick service your self gave a seasonable account And probably the Book I answer was also written within the limits of your Lordships Jurisdiction and therefore I present this Discourse to your view craving your Approbation And this I do with the greater confidence because of the truth of what I defend the clearness and evidence whereof is such as will also I hope recommend it self to any sober and indifferent enquirer I do confess I had this great advantage against my Opponent that I have manifest truth on my side and this advantage I have made the best use of that I could I am so apprehensive of my own defects that I cannot expect that this Treatise should be in all things free from them But I am sensible that if I have trifled in the main subject which is a matter of weight and seriousness I am so far from deserving your Lordships favour herein that I cannot reasonably presume on your pardon for prefixing your name hereunto But the chief reason of my presenting this to your Lordship is that I might express a thankful acknowledgment of those favourable respects I have received from you and profess that real honour which my self with the rest of your Clergy have for you And that God will preserve and bless your Lordship is the hearty desire and Prayer of him who according to his duty Hath a great and humble Reverence both for your Lordships Office and Person WILLIAM FALKNER Lyn-Regis June 9. 1680. THE CONTENTS THE Introduction giving the Reader an Account of the occasion of this Discourse Page 1 Chap. I. Of the state of the Question proposed by this Writer with some Observations thereupon p. 10 Chap. II. Of the gift of Prayer what it properly is How abilities of expression are the gifts of God and how far Ministers are obliged to use their own abilities in Religious Worship p. 28 Chap. III. Of Devotion and attentive fervency of mind in publick Prayer and whether the use of Liturgies be hindrances or helps therein p. 73 Sect. I. Various pretences for Forms of Prayer being hindrances to attention or fervency examined and the contrary manifested Ibid. Sect. II. A defence of some things urged in my Libertas Ecclesiastica to prove Forms of Prayer to be no disadvantage to devotion p. 98 Sect. III. The Antiquity of the publick use of Liturgies
the affecting variety of words in the worship of God where fit words may be best secured by a good Form is both apt to hinder due devotion and it also speaks such persons much concerned about that which is too low and mean to procure Gods acceptance And it implies a misconception of the divine nature and Being in them who look upon such things as of great concernment to please him And the making that a necessary part of Religion which is not such by laying a doctrinal necessity upon it where men are able to perform it cannot be excused from being a piece of superstition or a teaching for doctrines the precepts or fancies of men Chap. I. 9. Obs 2. Opposition against our Church and Liturgy is upon uncertain grounds It may be noted that this Author though he sometimes talk high doth not account himself certain of the truth of this position which he layeth down in his stating the case and in the following part of his Book undertakes to prove His position expresseth the sinfulness of using Forms of Prayer in the Case he proposeth and he saith t p. 2. their judgment of Conscience is that they are unlawful and this they u Ch. 8. p. 132. from their hearts believe and so must practise But when he speaks of his Arguments he saith they have Arguments which x p. 2. appear very probable and y p. 5. seem highly probable with other like expressions And how far this evidence doth prevail with himself we may discern by these words z p. 164 p. 70. We judge not our selves infallible in our sentiments in this case we condemn not our brethren which judge otherwise and accordingly practise a p. 132. in p. 22. We dare not judge those who we think have the gift of Prayer but think not fit to use it in their ordinary service Whether it be sin in them we leave to Gods determination we pray God that if we be in the mistake God would reveal it to us These words do plainly speak doubtfulness and uncertainty as do those in the Margent for no understanding man can use such expressions concerning what he certainly knows to be sin In speaking of the sinfulness of theft or lying he would not say we condemn not them who practise otherwise c. to wit thieves and lyars since he certainly knows these things to be sin and therefore that the practisers of them ought to be condemned Yet at sometimes he speaks as if he proceeded on b P. 25. p. 123. demonstrations 10. Now I hope to make it manifest that his Arguments do not so much as prove any probability of truth in his assertion yet I could in the mean time heartily wish that both he and others with him would seriously consider how unsafe it is for themselves The hurt and danger of such practices considered and dangerous to Religion for men to oppose the state and order of a well setled Church upon probable Arguments Where we have certain evidence of any thing being our duty we are bound to embrace it whomsoever we contradict but certain evidence no man can have of an errour being truth And to proceed upon probable Arguments only yea or on such as men may by their mistake esteem and confidently assert to be certain is in an errour no safe foundation for practice 11. The Donatists by their restless Pleas and various disputations manifested that they proceeded on such Arguments which to them seemed highly probable the same may be said of the Arians and Eunomians whose Arguments are frequently produced by c Athan. contr Arian Or. 4. passim Athanasius d Naz. Orat 35 36. Gr. Nys Basil adv Eunom Gr. Nazianzene and other ancient Writers to a greater number than this Writer hath against Forms of Prayer And almost all who were of old guilty of any Heresy or Schism as also at this day the Romanists Anabaptists Quakers and other such Sects have their Arguments which they account probable And for the Brownists who declared in their e Praestant Viror Epist p. 925. Preface to their Confession that the Church of England its Ministry and its worship were all adulterous Fr. Johnson published his f John â— Reasonâ— for sâ—â—â—â—tion seven Arguments of one sort and seven of another sort such as to them seemed probable and all of them in Syllogisms as our Author produceth his seven Arguments in Syllogisms against Forms of Prayer And Erbury and others with him had their Arguments which to them seemed probable which they undertook g Mr. Long in Exam. of Mr Hales of Schism p. 133. at Oxford to produce and urge against all ordination and ministry Yet if I should ask this Author whether he thinks all these persons did perform their duty to God aright and were to be discharged from sin in thus venting their errors and heresies and that the Church of God received no disadvantage from them I presume he would not assert this however we are sure of the contrary And then the consequence will be that if it be a duty to hold Communion with our publick Assemblies and to perform the worship of God according to our established Constitutions they cannot be acquitted from sin nor excused from doing hurt to the Church of God who reject these duties upon their probable Arguments 12. But in requital for his so favourable expressions towards us in not condemning our using the Liturgy of the Church this Author expects that we ought not to change him and others of his perswasion with any blame in their dissent and separation h Reasonable Account p. 64. Dissenters are to be blamed We condemn not our brethren Let not them saith he judge and condemn us We are in our dissents in the case anothers servants Now it becomes no man to pass that judgment on others which is peculiar to God as concerning the hidden things of the heart of man or his final state but we are allowed to account and judge those actions of men to be evil which are manifestly so And it is very unreasonable that if they who violate any Laws of God or Man do not blame others for keeping them that therefore they must not be charged with the breaking them If S. Peter did not fault S. Paul who according to his duty kept Communion with the Church at Antioch S. Paul did not therefore think himself obliged not to rebuke S. Peter for his unwarrantable withdrawing from it but he declares in this case Gal. 2.11 I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed and v. 14. I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel 13. Wherefore because I think it my duty to deal faithfully and plainly in these things I do freely profess that besides what concerns the Laws of the Church and of the Realm I account my self to have as plain
first Admonition disliked the being tied to any Forms of Prayer invented by men but Mr Cartwright in his ſ ibid. Div. 3. Reply declares his agreement for a prescript Form to be used in the Church And besides other particular persons the Presbyterian Commissioners at the Savoy made not our Authors Position any part of their objections yea they were willing to have composed t Grand debate in exceptions of Presbyt p. 29. new Forms as themselves express And it would be well if our dissenting Brethren would really consider how great their disagreements are among themselves even in so many things that it cannot be expected that any way of settlement should be agreed upon among themselves as it was experimentally manifested by the proceedings of 1643 1644 1645. and the years ensuing 18. And I should be wanting in due returns of civility to our Author if I do not do him so much right as to acknowledge that his perspicuous stating the Question hath made way for the fairer examination thereof And he also disowns those wilder extreams in denying the lawfulness of all Forms in general and also declares that he u p. 18. doth not argue for praying ex tempore but only in the use of our own gifts which excludes not premeditation But I must likewise do the truth that right as to observe that his position as he hath stated it is not consistent therewith and therefore ought not to be asserted or defended CHAP. II. Ch. II. Of the gift of Prayer THE first Argument produced against the lawfulness of ordinarily using a set Form by such Ministers who have a gift of Prayer is because saith he this gift is a mean given by God for the performance of this religious act of Prayer and therefore a Reasona Account p. 5 6. may not be neglected or omitted And he tells us by the gift of Prayer he means b p. 6. a mans ability fitly to express his mind to God in Prayer And that such a person who is able fitly to express his mind in his own words ought to make use of them in publick Administrations and may not lawfully pray by a Form he endeavours to prove by urging some Scriptures which require the use of some gifts as 1 Tim. 4.14 1 Pet. 4.10 11. Rom. 12.3 6. 2. What the gift of Prayer is Now that I may give the clearest satisfaction to the Reader in this particular I shall not content my self barely to answer this Argument and to shew the weakness thereof but I shall first give an account What that is which is and may be called the Gift of Prayer and how far this is afforded and how far mens own abilities must be exercised Of the nature of Prayer And for the better understanding of this it must be observed that a pious and devout Prayer doth contain a great part of the lively exercise and practice of Religion and Piety especially if we comprehend under the name of Prayer both confession and thanksgiving It includeth a professed owning the true God and Faith in him and acknowledging him to be the Governour and disposer of all things and the Author of all good and this is called by Philo c Philo lib. Quod Deus sit immutabilis p. 306. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great Prayer It taketh in also a professed owning the Almighty power infinite wisdom goodness faithfulness and Omniscience of God and also the exercise of reverence submission humility hope affectionate desire heavenly mindedness and repentance together with a lively sense and belief of the Gospel grace and promises and of the merits Mediation and Intercession of our only Lord and Saviour and a sincere love to all men and particularly to the Church and our Governours for whom we pray 3. Wherefore first that is eminently and especially to be esteemed the gift of Prayer which disposeth and enableth to the performance of the duty of Prayer And therefore since Prayer is not so much a verbal thing The gift of Prayer is a devout temper of mind as a pious address of the heart soul and spirit unto God Gods bestowing the supplies and assistances of his grace which kindle and excite pious dispositions in seeking unto God with earnest and affectionate desires a lively faith and the exercise of inward devotion this is most properly his vouchsafing and bestowing the gift of Prayer and our receiving and exercising them is our having and using the gift of Prayer For as the gift of Charity doth not consist in speaking of the matters or rules of Charity but in being inwardly disposed to the lively practice of that divine grace so is it also in Prayer Now if any persons shall here say as some are used to speak that what I have expressed is not the gift but the grace of Prayer he may consider that by Grace he can here understand nothing else but an excellent and gracious gift and as S. Austin declared d Aug. Ep. 105. Sixto ipsa oratio inter gratiae munera reperitur Prayer it self is to be reckoned amongst the works of grace 4. And whereas this Author e Reas Acc. p. 19. produceth two places of Scripture to prove the gift of Prayer from the holy Spirit This shewed from the Holy Scripture Zec. 12.10 and Rom. 8.26 it is remarkably observable that both these places so far as they speak of the spirit or gift of Prayer have particular respect to the inward affection and devotion of the heart and not according to his notion to the ability of expression The former place is Zec. 12.10 I will pour upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn c. Where the Hebrew word translated Supplications is by divers Interpreters as the Chaldee Paraphrast the Septuagint the Syriack and Arabick Versions and Pagnine agreeably to the derivation of it rendred Mercies or Compassions And since the spirit of supplications is the spirit of grace it therefore is to be understood according to the common sense of Interpreters of piety of mind and affections and an holy temper and disposition of heart to trust in God and call upon him And the following words and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and shall mourn c. will infer the same thing if those words be taken as expressions of true repentance which is the sense of many good Expositors though some modern and f Eus Dem. Evang. l. 8. Test 4. ancient Writers look upon them as expressing the anguish of them who had despised and disobeyed our Blessed Lord and Saviour 5. The other place is Rom. 8.26 The spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Now concerning the former part of these words it cannot be conceived
to be used by S. Paul in this place for the declared sense of his words and expressions or the true p Valla Lud. Cappel in loc meaning of what he spake as appears from v. 19. and so it is used elsewhere in this Epistle 1 Cor. 2.16 we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mind of Christ or the plain and true manifestation of his mind and doctrine 10. From this 1 Cor. Ch. 14. I had in my Libertas Ecclesiastica given this as an Answer to that Argument against set Forms of Prayer that they limit the use of gifts q Lib. Eccl. B. 1. Ch. 4. Sect 2. p. 120. That by the will of God bounds and limits were to be set even to the use of the extraordinary gifts of Gods spirit that the Church might be edified 1 Cor. 14.26 27 28 30 33. Whereas now no such miraculous emanations of the Holy Ghost can be pretended Now in reply to this this Author useth r Reas Account p. 14 15 16 17. many words and saith these Precepts of the Apostle in this Chapter were against two or three speaking or gabling together and for the avoiding undue length in their Discourses and that if any speak in an unknown tongue some should interpret And then he declares that such disorderly things may be restrained but saith it is one thing to restrain the notorious abuse of gifts but it is a quite different thing to restrain the use of them And to this purpose he misrepresents my sense in a Syllogism of his own and then triumphs over what himself had formed wherewith I shall not trouble the Reader but shall in a few words declare what manifest evidence there is in this Chapter for that which I urged from it 11. Rules for the exercise of such gifts laid down 1 Cor. 14. considered My intention was to shew that the use of particular gifts is not of so great necessity in the Church because they are gifts but that even some of the extraordinary emanations of the Holy Spirit might be and ought to be forborn to be exercised where this forbearance tended to decent order or edification And if this be plainly proved from this Chapter the general urging the necessity of the use of all gifts given of God further than that use is orderly and needful for edification is an errour and mistake Now the Apostle in this Chapter declares that charity edification and the good and profit of others are things to be preferred and valued above extraordinary spiritual gifts v. 1 2 3 4 c. that they who had these extraordinary gifts of the spirit were not bound to use them in the Church meerly because they were gifts unless the use thereof was for the profit and edification of others v. 2 6 18 19. Yea the use of the gift of tongues though given by the special inspiration of the Holy Spirit was totally forbidden where there was no interpreter v. 23 27 28. and yet so far as concerns the nature of gifts an ability to speak with other tongues by peculiar assistances of the Spirit was as much yea more a gift than an ability of expressing our selves in our own tongue without any such extraordinary and peculiar assistance And they who had other gifts of revelation interpretation or doctrine were to hold their peace so far as was requisite to the observing the rules of order and decency and the avoiding confusion v. 26 30 33 40. But in our Case there are no such gifts in being now as then were in the Church and therefore no restraint laid upon any such here is no prohibiting that which is the proper gift of Prayer as I have above shewed nor is any thing forbidden directly or indirectly by the injoining Liturgies which is of greater use to the edification of the Church as I shall ſ In Ch. 3. hereafter shew but here is a direction for a better and more useful performance of the duty of Prayer prescribed 12. Thirdly I acknowledge there is an ability in many persons whereby they can express their minds in some degree fitly to God in Prayer This our Author doth t Reas Acc. p. 6 8 10. divers times declare to be that which he accounteth the gift of Prayer And I do not love to contend about expressions yet the phrase of the gift of Prayer is no where used at all in the Scripture and the ancient Writers do usefully for the promoting devotion in Prayer discourse of it as a work of the heart and soul and not of words Prayer saith S. Basil u Basil in Mart. Julitt in Bas de Orat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we do not at all define to be a business of words and whilest we are warned against confidence in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much speaking it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a diligent disposition of heart that is of great use Wherefore as I before said I esteem not this ability of expression to be properly the gift of Prayer but rather of speech or utterance or a piece of elocution 13. How far readiness of expression in Prayer is a gift of God This facility of expression is procured and enlarged in men who have a competent natural freedom of speech by use and exercise and is advanced by various methods I acknowledge that in some an affectionateness of devotion doth contribute much thereto and in others confident self-conceit and an heated fancy and as I have read some particular instances even diabolical contracts have promoted the same And as I cannot admit these things last mentioned to be called the gifts of God so neither is it to be allowed that the natural product of them in those persons should be so esteemed and much less are they to be called Gifts of the Holy Spirit And it is manifest that a readiness of expressing the sense of their minds with fluency of fit words and volubility of speech doth attend even such men who make use of their Prayers and other Discourses to propagate and uphold errors and heretical doctrines and Enthusiasm and even them who are sunk into the depth of impiety as well as those who design to promote truth and goodness And it must be an high dishonour to the Holy Spirit for any to say that he gives his immediate and peculiar assistances to the advancing of error and falshood S. Paul observed a sleight and cunning craftiness in them who lie in wait to deceive Eph. 4.14 and that by good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of innocent and harmless intentions Rom. 16.18 And Nazianzene describes the discourses of Hereticks that they had x Naz. Orat 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a quick nimble and voluble tongue and they spake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a masculine and generous stile and choice and approved words And these persons and such like might be forward enough to call these things
spake 7. The third thing he would have considered is whether any such attention be to be expected from people q p. 27. Of the attention of the People in Prayer to Forms of Prayer which they oft hear as to a conceived Prayers Now that part of attention which consists in considering the way and manner of expressions conceptions or method is like to be the greater in the use of a conceived Prayer by reason of its being new but this is of no benefit to Religion but a real hindrance to true devotion But a pious attention of soul to join in the matter of Prayer may be the better performed by persons Religiously disposed in a set Form when they know before-hand what Prayers they are to present and come prepared to join in them 8. But to render what he aims at the more plausible he saith r Ibid. God requires attention to his word in known duties as much as in new things it is at least an ingenious observation that God to stir up his peoples attentions and affections tells them he would do a new thing and that I did in my Preface to my Libertas Ecclesiastica say the humour of this Age is more apt to seek for new Books Ch. II. than to read 〈◊〉 ones Concerning what he first observeth 1. The Scriptures sometimes call that 〈◊〉 new thing which is so wonderful and â—â—raculous that the like was never hearâ— before Thus when the earth was to opâ—â— its mouth and swallow up Corah and 〈◊〉 Company this is called Gods making 〈◊〉 new thing Num. 16.30 The like expression is used in Jer. 31.22 which Teâ—â— was by the Å¿ Hieron in loc Aug. de Temp. Serm. 9. ancient Writers expounded concerning the miraculous conception 〈◊〉 Christ But are varied expressions thing of this nature 2. Doth God never intenâ— to stir up the attentions and affections 〈◊〉 men by his word but when he tells theâ— he will speak or do a new thing Surelâ— God declared Jer. 7.23 28. that the command of obeying his voice was thâ—â— which all the Prophets had urged anâ— yet he did not thereupon allow that 〈◊〉 should be the less attended to Anâ— whereas in this very page he said thâ—â— God hath secured an abiding reverence 〈◊〉 all pious souls to the holy Scriptures it waâ— not so ingenious an observation as our Author thought it to contradict himself here as if no such reverence and attentioâ— would be given by Gods people to hâ—â— word but in new things 9. And which way soever in otheâ— things the genius of men and the humour of the age may tend true devotion in Religion always enclines to the same things to wit to glorifie God for his infinite excellency to praise him for his abundant goodness to confess our sins and implore his pardon grace and protection and the blessings both of this life and of eternal life He who would leave out these old and constant matters of Prayer will but badly guide others in that duty and they who are diligently attentive to what is new in the variety and novelty of expressions but neglect attention to these old things will not be the better Christians Our Author tells us none gives that attention to a discourse or story he t Ibid. hath heard an hundred times over that he gives to a new one A devout temper not like that of hearing a Story to be pleased only with new things And I wonder he should have no greater sense and understanding in these things than to argue from such comparisons For though in things that tend to instruct mens understandings or gratifie and humour their fancies those things which are new do most affect them yet in the exercise of grace the fear and reverence of God and desires after the same kind of divine blessings are more serious and earnest in those persons who by a long continued practice have accustomed themselves to these very things Ch. III. than in them who have been hitherto strangers to them and unacquainted with the and to whom they are altogether new things 10. He next comes to prove Of fervency in Prayer that fervency and intention of spirit in Prayer is hindred by the use of Forms To this purpose he saith u Reas Acc. p. 28. p. 52. as to him that ministreth there is a great deal of difference between words following the affections and affections following the words And this he saith is an old Argument of Didoclavius And the very same was urged by x De Conscient l. 4. c. 17. qu. 4. Amesius and therefore surely was thought to be the best Argument these Writers could meet with And our Author also saith y p. 31 32. they believe the people do find a different flame in these Prayers but it is not easy to assign the reason of the difference 11. Now here I grant A Religious man is more devout in a Form of Prayer by his frequent use of it that in such a Form of Prayer as the person hath never before read or used there can be no particular previous preparation of heart or affections to join in the several Petitions thereof and this in the first use of such a Form I admit and acknowledge to be a disadvantage to devotion But if thus much be true it will manifest that the people must be hindred in the fervency of their devotions by joining in a conceived Prayer because being unacquainted before-hand with what would be therein expressed Of affections following words in Prayer their affections must follow the speakers words And thus the former part of what he asserts doth wholly undermine and disprove the latter which was laid down without any proof at all and this is the more considerable because the devotion of the people or the whole Congregation rather than of the Minister is chiefly to be regarded in publick Prayer and on their part lyeth this disadvantage 12. But in such an ordinary Form which he who ministreth is well acquainted with there is no such impediment to his devotion For he may come with his heart particularly disposed to apply himself to God for those special blessings and so may the people do also in the like case and so the pious disposition and acting of his spirit as to those particular Prayers is not only the sudden consequent of his present reading those words but is previous thereunto This Author partial But here I cannot but take notice of our Authors great partiality concerning the preparation of mens hearts to Prayer He declares in his own way z p. 26. that a premeditation of the greatness and majesty of God and of ones own vileness c. are of great use but to him who useth a p. 28. prescribed Forms he allows only that there may be some general previous preparation of affections but it is hard to keep them warm so long as until he comes to his work Thus
so it is neither certain nor probable that in all the Primitive Churches these extraordinary gifts were constantly afforded to all its Ministers for the performing all their Ministrations thereby The Apostle's directions to Timothy to give attendance to reading meditation care and diligence 1 Tim. 4.13 15 16. 2 Tim. 2.15 do seem plainly to evince the contrary And since the Jewish Church both at and before the coming of our Saviour made constant use of Forms of prayer as hath been observed by divers g Buxt Syn. Jud. c. 5. learned men and the same hath been particularly proved both both from their Talmud and Rituals as well as from their other Rabbins by h Seld. in Eutychium Mr Selden as was observed by Dr Hammond in his view of the Directory Ch. 1. Sect. 15. and also by i Hor. Heb. in Mat. 6.9 Dr Lightfoot and conformably hereunto the Baptist and our Saviour taught their Disciples Forms of Prayer I see no reason at all to conclude that the publick Prayers in those early Primitive times were never performed by the use of Forms But of this the Reader may judge more when he hath read to the end of this Chapter 16. Secondly When they had these extraordinary assistances it is but reasonable to think that the Holy Spirit did not put them upon designed constant using variety of words and new phrases in those things which were their common and usual parts of worship For since our Saviour himself shewed his dislike to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or many and various words in Prayer and gave an example for the due performance of it in his comprehensive Form the Spirit of God in the Primitive Christians acting according to the will of God would not guide them to what was contrary to our Saviours prescriptions Thirdly Great difference between Prayer by Apostolical and extraordinary gifts and other conceived Prayer Where there were such extraordinary motions of the spirit for the composing Prayers Psalms or Hymns these were free from those disadvantages I have above expressed which attend conceived Prayers of other men Under those impulses the speaker need not be solicitous in his thoughts about words and composure There could be no defects in the matter or fulness of expression where these things were directed by the guidance of the Spirit And the plentiful effusion of that Holy Spirit tended rather more to promote inward fervency and devotion of pious men both speaker and hearers than to guide their expressions since grace and holiness were his chief gifts and principal design And the people could not make any doubts or demurs about their ready consent to every part of those supplications which were directed by extraordinary inspirations And the knowing that they were the special motions of the Holy Spirit would both excite their attention and raise the exercise of their faith and hope in a firm confidence that those intercessions by the Holy Spirit being certainly according to the will of God were accepted of him 17. Now though what I have said may be sufficient to answer his Argument and to vindicate Forms of Prayer from being any obstructions to serious piety yet with respect to this Argument I shall desire three things to be observed Obs 1. That Attention and intention and fervency as our Author expresseth them is not the whole business that is needful to be minded and taken care of in the publick service of the Church as he seems to intimate both in the tendency of this Chapter and particularly when he saith k Reas Acc. p. 27. Attention of thoughts is not all our duty in Prayer intention of spirit and fervency of affections is also a prime requisite Other duties as necessary in Prayer as intention and fervency But men may be vigorous and earnest in the exercise of all this while the matter of their Prayer may not be in all things sutable to the will of God and even when several things which ought to be part of our Religious Addresses are omitted Wherefore there must be a chief care that the matter of our Prayers be rightly ordered and that our expressions and behaviour be such as manifest a due reverence to the Majesty of God And in this Case a well composed Form hath a manifest advantage above other Prayers 18. And we must also take care that our zeal and devotion be regular and orderly and that they do not cross any other duties which we are obliged to perform and the care of such duties are in many Cases of greater consequence than the degree of fervency Thus if any man think he can be more fervent in his private Prayers than in joining in any publick service he is not thereby allowed to neglect the publick Assemblies and to retire himself at that time to his Closet since this publick worship is a special homage we are to do to God and is particularly enjoined in the New Testament Heb. 10.25 as it was in the Old Testament and by the Laws of nature And if any man conceiveth that a different method from that used in the Church whereof he is a member would more conduce to raise his affectionateness he may not thereupon separate and make a Schism but as a member of the Church he is to endeavour the preservation of its Vnity and to obey them who have the rule over it and not to intrude into the place of the Chief Governours Otherwise Schisms would be perpetuated and multiplied without end and yet must they be all justified since they have been generally observed to have appeared under the disguise of exalting Piety and Religion Other Cases might be produced to the same purpose as if a Minister could be more fervent in the publick Assembly in expressing such things as are peculiarly his own private concernment or if the Jews thought their zeal for God to be the highest and their service to him the greatest in their opposing the Gospel but these may manifest that this pretence of fervency being hindred by Forms if it were true as it is not is so ill managed by the Dissenters in being made a principle of separation that it could not justifie their undertaking 19. Obs 2. There may be in many persons a want of due devotion or attention and fervency in the use of a Form and yet this not at all proceed from the Form it self which therefore is not to be blamed but from other manifest causes which ought to be removed Want of devotion in the worship of God is the fault of the person and not of the service in a wel-composed Form It is not possible that well ordered expressions of the matters of Prayer and Religious service should of themselves hinder mens affectionate joining in them Nor can I think that there is any hindrance in any Christian whomsoever of the most Religious exercise of Christian graces or of the most raised devotion in the use of a Form of Prayer unless it
our publick Forms of Prayer besides what he urgeth against this that Forms of Prayer are things forbidden of God as I above noted he hath some other expressions concerning the Power and Authority of Superiours and our obedience to them which I shall reflect upon 9. He grants that the Superiour may in some cases determine of such a thing (n) P. 88. which both he and the Inferiour confess to be in it self indifferent but not in things (o) P. 77. which the Superiour acknowledgeth not necessary and the Inferiour thinks are forbidden Useful things are fit to be stablished tho some by mistake may rashly Condemn them Now if any Inferiour or any Person whosoever account any thing to be forbidden and proceed in his judgment upon good and true grounds no such thing may be appointed being in it self evil whether the Superiours acknowledg it not necessary or by mistake think it is so But where any Superiours do upon good grounds judg any thing to be of good and profitable use for the publick good though not absolutely necessary in it self And some Inferiours out of mistakes or forwardness to censure will condemn such things as sinful and unlawful it is no way fit that such good Orders be laid aside and many others and the Church it self be deprived of the good they might receive from them by yielding a Compliance to these mistakes And whereas he here urgeth (p) P. 77. the duty of Charity he ought to consider that real charity in providing for the good and profit of the Souls of Men is of far greater value than that which he calls Charity in gratifying the Opinions and complying with the Errors of Men in their mistakes But of the appointments of such things as are scrupled I have treated more at large in another (q) Libert Eccl. B. 2. Ch. 2. § 3. throughout Discourse 10. Concerning obedience to Superiours he saith (r) P. 80. Doth this make a sufficient reason for practice in Divine Worship that Man commandeth it And he produceth (Å¿) P. 81. Bishop Jewel's Testimony that God is to be obeyed rather than Men which we assert And (t) P. 82 83 84. Bishop Davenant condemning the blind obedience of the Jesuits and asserting unto all men such a judgment of discretion that they may consider whether the things be true or lawful which are directed by their Superiours And then he tells us That (u) P. 84. blind Obedience is the very foundation of Popery but the judgment of private and practical Discretion is the foundation of the Protestant Religion 11. Now it is true That to yield such a blind Obedience to Superiours as to account them Infallible and thereupon to account that all they deliver must be received without any liberty to examine the truth and lawfulness thereof is a foundation of Popery But to own the due Authority of our superiours and Spiritual guides and to acknowledg that they may determine matters of Order and Decency in the Church and that it is the duty of Inferiours to submit themselves to such Determinations if they be not contrary to the Will of God is that which Christianity requireth and is a necessary foundation of Peace and Vnity What judgment of discretion the true principles of Religion do allow in all Men. And to make use of our own judgments and understandings so as to reject whatsoever we certainly know to be false and evil is that which all true Religion and good Conscience and the Christian and Protestant Principles will direct But for any to think it their duty to close with such Arguments as seem to them probable but are weak and fallacious and are of no clear evidence and undoubted certainty and to account themselves warranted thereby to pursue what is against the established State and Order of the Church and its Peace and Welfare and against the Authority of their Superiours or any rules of Duty this will lead Men into all manner of evil Faction Schism and Fanaticism and such Principles cannot justifie themselves in the sight of God or good Men as I have (w) Ch. 1. n. 9. c. above shewed 12. This is that which the Writers of our Church declare against and so do Protestants generally and so doth particularly (x) Daven de Judice Controvers c. 1.2 Bishop Davenant who first reserving to god the Supreme power of judging (y) ibid. c. 16. asserteth to our Superiors the ministerial judgment whereby besides other things they have Authority to judge de constitutionibus ad externam Ecclesiae politiam pertinentibus of Constitutions belonging to the external Polity of the church And he then declares the necessity of a judgment of discretion in all Christians which he understands according to the sense I have in the former Paragraph expressed as is manifest both from that Treatise and the other cited by this Writer In Epist ad Colos c. 2. v. 23. And he particularly acknowledgeth it to be the general sense of Protestants (z) ibid. cap. ult Judicium hoc discretionis vanum falsum fanaticum esse concedunt quando ex privato sensu phantasmate ipsius judicantis dimanat verum firmum legitimum cum oritur ex lumine infuso Spiritus Sancti dirigitur ad normam verbi That they acknowledg that judgment of discretion to be vain false and Fanatical when it proceeds upon the private sense and fancy of him that judgeth but that it is true firm and allowable when it is inlightned by the Holy Spirit and directed by the rule of the word Wherefore he gives no allowance to mens proceeding upon probable and uncertain arguments but only upon manifest and clear evidence in opposing what is established by Superiors And indeed disobeying upon such grounds as are not manifest is but a blind disobedience which may well be ranked with blind Obedience We and all sober Protestants are against both and if the former should be followed by Children to their Parents and Servants to their Masters especially in working Fancies and weak Judgments it would bring nothing but confusion into Families 13. This Author also tells us That to justifie the Subjects obedience (a) p. 89. there must appear to him some reason from a Divine command requiring the thing Here if the Precepts of Vnity Peace Order and Obedience be sufficient these are frequent and clear but if he still mean that no particular thing may be established unless it be some way determined by a Divine Precept this I have above refuted n. 2. c. 14. He declares also (b) ibid. that Gestures or Actions that are idle or insignificant are in worship sinful and therefore may not be submitted to Now it is well he hereby disallows the fond notion of them who decry our Rites or Ceremonies because they are significant The appâ—inting Liturgy in what sense to reckoned among things indifferent But this can make nothing against Forms
of a good form And I desire that this thing may be seriously and carefully considered it being of concernment to the real profit and good of men however it may be slighted by some conceited and self-pleasing Persons To this purpose Cappellus declared his dislike of them who (t) Thes Salmur de Liturg n. 30. certas orandi formulas etiam in privatis familijs damnant condemn fixed forms of Prayer even in private Families And what Melancthon speaks in approbation of forms in private as well as in publick I have (u) Ch. 3. Sect. 3. n. ult above noted 11. But because many private cases which may be of great concernment to particular persons and Families may be more properly taken into the subject of Family Devotions than of publick Assemblies it is expedient and ordinarily necessary that such things also be upon emergent occasions presented to God for obtaining his help and blessing in as suitable words as the person is able to express and without affecting variety of words And in the Closet many things concerning the persons own particular case and wnats which cannot be comprised in a form are needful matters of his private and retired Devotion which may either be by vocal expressions or only by the inward lively motions of a contrite spirit as the person himself finds most expedient Wherefore Dr. Hammond declared (w) ubi sup That it is supposed by the Church that in the Family and Closet every man may ask his own wants in what form of words he shall think fit and what he said and the liberty therein expressed was observed as an instance of the moderation of our Church by my worthy friend (x) Moderat of the Chur. Ch. 7. §. 6. Dr. Puller And I acknowledg That if any Superior should forbid all such private Confessions and Petitions this being against the duty of a Creature and a Christian ought not to be submitted to But blessed be God our Governors are far enough from any such thing nor ought our Author to propose it 12. Wherefore the result of this matter is this That the performing the publick offices of the Church by a set-form is that which is really profitable to Christianity and the appointing them to be so performed ought not to be looked on as meer act of Power and Dominion in our Superiors which is designed no farther than to try the Subjects obedience but in this case it is a pious act of their Christian care and prudence If all Ministers should perform these Offices without prescribed Forms how many inconveniencies Constant use of Liturgies is advantageous and what impediments to piety must constantly in some things and might frequently in others thence ensue is easie to be considered and in many things hath been and in part will (y) Ch. 9. farther be expressed in this Book the celebrating these Offices by some with a Form and by others without one would be an engine of Discord and Faction and men of high conceit and rash confidence who are most apt to miscarry would be most impatient of that restraint from which others are free And if any one person under a wel-constituted order use his own different way of celebrating Divine Offices being member of that and not of any foreign Church even this would be against the peace of the Church and so not to be desired of any good man And this man also whoever he be unless he keep himself to the same seriously premeditated things will not perform these with that exactness that is in a Form and may be sometimes liable to defects of memory or expression And Forms of Prayer are also of excellent and singular use in Families and in Closets 13. Yet we account other Prayers besides Forms in their place (z) Dr. Hammon Pract. Catech. of Prayer allowable God forbid that any should speak against the general matter and design of such a Work as St. Austins Confessions or the pious Meditations and Soliloquies Other Prayers in their place useful of many ancient and modern devout men And we esteem it so useful an exercise of Religion for Christians frequently to set themselves to take a strict account of themselves and penitently to confess their particular neglects and trespasses and to implore the needful mercies and blessings of God that none need to fear that any Christian Governor will ever prohibit such things And whereas by a constant strict course of Piety some persons have arrived in a tranquillity of mind to an higher degree of Mortification Of the highest and most raised Devotions and holy sublime affections to and sense of God and his Goodness than the generality even of other pious Christians it is fit that in their private Devotions they express as they think most expedient the noble grave and sober sentiments of their Souls in acts of Adoration But such things are unfit for publick conventions being too high for the common state of men who can more easily admire them than joyn in them And all En. husiastical pretences and the methods of speaking mystical non-sense deserve no where either commendation or any allowance 14. And I humbly beseech Almighty God in the name of his only Son who founded his Church in Vnity that all men who have any love of God or goodness may at length learn to study and to do and speak those things which tend to peace in the Church and not to make breaches therein and to divide it And that we may all more thankfully acknowledg the signal mercy of God to us That we have the priviledg of having been educated in so excellent a part of the Christian Church as our Church is And God grant that this Discourse may have some influence towards these ends 15. But it would be diligently considered No peace and order where every person or party will undertake to new-model the Church That no Church can enjoy Peace but that whose members keep their own station and the governing and ordering part is left to the Governors and Superiors to be determined by them others yielding due submission in things lawful But if every man or every several club or distinction and party of men may claim to themselves a power of new-modelling the state of the Church this not only tends to confusions but speaks them to intrude themselves into the office of the Supreme Governor Ch. VI. and that they may overlook and overturn all the foundation and fabrick of a well ordered Church CHAP. VI. Of Preaching and whether it be as reasonable to preach in a Form of Words composed by others as to pray in a prescribed Form HIS fifth Argument is (a) Reas Acc. p. 98 100. that if Ministers may obey Men in performing their Ministerial Acts of solemn Prayer by the prescribed Forms of others upon the same principle may all Ministerial Gifts in preaching be suppressed and Ministers may be appointed to read some Discourses of others to
undertaking goes not so high as to urge these things against the lawfulness of Communion or joyning in the Religious Worship which is so performed 4. If some things be said in behalf of your Separation or as proofs that your withdrawing is no Separation and your dividing no Schism which till they be throughly examined and understood may seem plausible to you even this is not enough Plausible Arguments are no security to them who neglect their duty to justifie your practices without certain evidence that Communion is sinful Those who are men of any parts and learning among your selves know how easie it is to make some fair pretence and plea for almost any Error yea and to bring some subtle Arguments against any truth in the World But no Christian may hence conclude that hereupon he may safely neglect his duty of imbracing that Truth or rejecting that Error And I presume that those who are of the meanest rank among you may know that there are few causes so bad but that a Lawyer who hath used himself to pleading though he be not a person of profound skill in the Law may say something plauble in the behalf thereof But this will not justifie him who doth an injury to his Neighbour in his civil Rights Much less will the like secure you if you act against that which is really your duty to God his Church and other Christians in matters of Religion 5. In reading the holy Scriptures nothing can be more plain than that the Peace and Vnity of the Church The Precepts for Peace and Unity are plain and weighty parts of of our Christian duty is frequently and earnestly commanded and enjoyned and Divisions vehemently condemned and censured in the Christian Religion We profess our selves the Disciples of that Jesus who before his Death expressed his affectionate desire and prayer for Vnity in his Church And he declared this to be a great means whereby his Religion might be propagated and take the greater place in the World John 17.11 21 23. In Christianity while many are eager in prosecuting their Contests too highly in other things the Apostle assures us that Peace is one of the great parts in which the Kingdom of God consists Rom. 14.17 19 And he persuades to Unity in the Church with very great and affectionate earnestness Phil. 2.1 2. and urgeth the same in almost every Epistle Declaring also that they who make Drvisions contrary to this Christian Doctrine serve not our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 16.17 18. But can any persons be the better Christians by despising the weighty and frequently inculcated Precepts of Christianity Or can they be the faithful Disciples of Christ who are earnest in disobeying him even in such Precepts which besides his Authority are intended for the Honour and the progress of his Religion 6. The ancient Church zealous practisers hereof How unlike are these practices to the ancient Catholick temper of Christianity which long continued in the Church sutable to Rules of our holy Religion by the ancient Canons of the Vniversal Church they who would withdraw from the established Church (b) God Can. Eccl. Univ. can 65. and as disesteeming that would privately and without the consent of the Bishop set up another Church were under an Anathema And that the Ancient Fathers and Christians accounted the Precepts of the Gospel for Peace and Vnity to forbid and condemn Divisions and Separations from the Church and that they themselves were zealous in rejecting such practices may sufficiently appear from what I have shewed in (c) Libert Eccles p. 17 18 19 20 23 24. another Discourse But are the rules and practice of Christianity now changed and become quite different from what they were in the Primitive Times Or can any man pretend to a sufficient Warrant and Authority for altering the nature of these Duties or cancelling their Obligation 7. I know that some plead on your behalf that you are not chargeable with any blameable separation You meet indeed by your selves to perform publick worship in a different way from us as one Church may do distinctly from another but you do not censure the Church of England to be no true Church but profess to own her to be a true Church and her Communion to be lawful and therefore you are chargeable with no Schism Those Dissers not excused from schism who professedly acknowledg us to have a true Church and a true worship or unwarrantable division Now though this profession is not always made with sufficient clearness and freedom the acknowledgment thereof is so far from being a plea on your behalf that it is rather an unanswerable charge against you For you reject in your practice the Rules and Constitutions established by Authority concerning the order of the Church and its worship you generally express your dislike of our way of worship or at least your disesteem and undervaluing thereof many of you use your utmost endeavours to draw off persons from our Communion and to bring them to your Congregations and some of your chief Teachers have written their Letters to that purpose to such persons in whom they think they have any great interest some of which I have seen some years since your party frequently useth sharp censures against such pious persons who will not forsake our Church to joyn with you Your people ordinarily use reproachful expressions of our service yea concerning our Church and Ministry and so do your Teachers too frequently and if any persons forsake you and return to our Church they then fall under the load of your displeasure And because this behaviour is used towards that Church which you acknowledg to be a true Church and her Communion not sinful this is so far from justifying your practices that it renders them unaccountable and unexcusable 8. Can it be supposed The contrary proved from one end of Christian Unity that the Vnity and Peace our Saviour recommended for the gaining upon the world was only this that his Disciples and followers should all profess his Name and Doctrine but might make themselves of as many several parties as they pleased all of them openly before the world protesting their dislike of the several models the other parties embraced and also of that worship which was most publickly used and established by the chief Guides and Governours of the Church Now if all this might be done and care must only be taken that the dividing parties do not charge the main body of the Church to be no true Church or to have no true worship could this be the way to promote the honour of Religion or would it not rather make it appear contemptible And in our own present case do the enemies of the Protestant Reformation when they observe your dividing behaviour honour our Reformation because of our Vnity or do not you know that upon this account they upbraid our discord and divisions and make ill use of them And besides this
in the (d) Can. Apost c. 8. ancient Church the very forbearance of open Communicating when this might only be feared to have such effects as to cause offences and raise suspicions in the people was esteemed so blameable though it might continue but a short time that unless a sufficient account was given thereof it was severely punished 9. We know that St. Peters withdrawing from the Gentiles at Antioch 2. From S. Peters withdrawing at Antioch was deeply censured by St. Paul Gal. 2.11 12 13 14. because of the disturbance and trouble it might create to the minds and consciences of the Gentiles But none can think that St. Peter who immediately before communicated with them did now charge them to be no true Church or that their worship and communion was sinful Wherefore it is hence manifest that there may be a scandalous and sinful separation from a Church where there are no such uncharitable censures 10. And I appeal unto any party of our Dissenters themselves whether if any members of their own number should new model themselves into different Forms under several lesser divisions 3. By appeal to the dissenting parties themselves concerning the ill consequences of this their Plea and setting up themselves to be new parties shall desert and declare their dislike of that Society or Communion with which they before joyned still calling them a true Church and not charging their worship with sin I say whether the Teachers and remaining members of this first party will justifie these dividers who thus separate from and forsake them If they will approve these things they must profess themselves Patrons of Confusion and that any part of a Christian Society may separate it self when there is no apparent danger of sin in the Communion and consequently where no rules of conscience will oblige them to forsake that Communion But if they will blame this practice let them reflect upon themselves And yet these new parties of dividers are the less to be condemned by them because they followed their example 11. The danger of dividing to be considered And now let me prevail with you to consider what danger they run upon who causlesly rend the Church of Christ whence it will appear necessary that they who forsake a well-established Church must proceed upon necessary grounds Now disobedience to any Divine precept and therefore to this for Peace and Vnity if it be from carelesness and gross neglect in not minding the will of God or from a temper resolved rather to please it self than to be obedient or from the rule and dominion of pride or passion is so opposite to the spirit of Christianity that he who is guilty hereof cannot find acceptance with God v. n. 16. 12. Joyning in divisions are dangerou to welâ— disposed men But besides this I have one thing more to add which I think is very considerable and which possibly you have not observed It seems plain enough in the Apostolical Doctrine that even such persons who unwarily joyn in dividing and rending the Church though they hold fast the fundamental doctrines of Religion and a care of many other duties of a holy life yet for this miscarriage and their persisting therein they diminish their future happiness and the degrees of glory which they might otherwise attain unto in the other world For the proof whereof I shall give some account of the third Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians 13. When the Apostle reflected upon the Strife and divisions of the Church of Corinth he thence pronounceth them to be carnal and Babes in Christ 1 Cor. 3.1 3 4. or that they were of the lowest sort 1 Cor. Ch. 3. Considered Dividers are not of the highest rank of Christians and meanest rank and degree of Christians if they were Christians at all however they might value and esteem themselves And whereas they were one of Paul and another of Apollos he shews them that Paul and Apollos and all other Ministers of Christ were labourers under God and neither could nor did lay any other foundation than Jesus Christ v. 5.11 which is an Argument against dividing Ch. 1.11 12. 14. And the Apostle Sincerity in Christian Doctrine Piety and Unity is greatly rewarded still continuing his Discourse with a particular respect to this Subject concerning Divisions tells them concerning what is built upon this Foundation that every mans work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it v. 14. and that the Apostle speaks this of the day of judgment or the day of the Lord as being opposed to mans day Ch. 4.3 is manifest from Ch. 3.8 and especially from Ch. 4.4 5. He acquaints them that he who shall build upon this foundation Gold and Silver and precious Stones and whose work shall abide that is who shall keep close to the integrity of the Christian Faith and Doctrine and to the purity of the Christian Life and therein to Christian Unity which is one great duty thereof and a means of growth therein v. 1.3 4. he shall receive a reward v. 12.14 or obtain great and perfect happiness 15. And he lets them know that they who build Hay and Stubble upon this foundation and whose work shall be burnt they shall suffer loss ver 15. Which shews that they who shall joyn hurtful Opinions and Errors though not in things Fundamental with the Christian Religion and irregular Practices tho they be not wholly opposite to a Christian Life Well disposed persons by closing with Divisions lessen their future reward And particularly which is the special occasion of this discourse of the Apostle they who upon this Foundation build Strife Factions or Divisions shall suffer loss Or these though they act from mistaken Zeal or from some other Principle which is not inconsistent with all integrity of heart they shall with respect to another World have abatements of reward Though they shall be saved as by Fire or with appearance of difficulty and danger And besides the evidence that this Truth hath from the scope series and connexion of this Apostolical Discourse it is manifest of it self that such Divisions as these at Corinth were which are so much decried and condemned in the Doctrine of Christianity must be reckoned amongst those works which shall not abide but be burnt to the loss of them who are engaged in them And they who are Babes and carnal ver 1 3. may well be thought inferiour in reward to them who are Spiritual and grown men when every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour ver 8. 16. And this Apostle still eying their Divisions in the Church Dividing the Church is a practice in many destructive of their salvation v. n. 11. goes on to declare their danger Ver. 16. Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God And Ver. 17. If any man desile the Temple of God him will God destroy That is that they who deprave