Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	pray_v	prayer_n	use_v	2,592	5	5.6421	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33979	A supplement to a little book entituled, A reasonable account why some pious nonconforming ministers cannot judg it lawful for them to perform their ministerial acts in publick solemn prayer, ordinarily, by the prescribed forms of others : wherein is examined whatsoever Mr. Falconer in his book called, Libertas ecclesiastica, and Mr. Pelling in a book called, The good old way, have said to prove the ancient use of forms of prayers by ministers : and it is proved, that neither of the two aforementioned authors have said anything that proveth the general use, or imposition of such forms of prayer in any considerable part of the church, till Pope Gregories time, which was six hundred years after Christ, nor in any church since the reformation, except that of England, and (which is uncertain) some in Saxony.	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.; Falkner, William, d. 1682. Libertas ecclesiastica.; Pelling, Edward, d. 1718. Good old way.	1680 (1680)	Wing C5343; ESTC R18940	53,644	120

Reading the Scripture Singing of Psalms Prayers and Adlocutions These he will have to be Biddings of Prayer the Deacons saying Let us pray then telling them what they should pray for So then Preaching was no part of the Sabbath-days Service which I should rather understand by Allocutiones considering that there is a book called Dies Dominica so abundantly proves it and we have such plentiful proof of it from Chrysostome Justin Martyr c. But a thing never thought on by Christ or his Apostles Bidding of Prayer that forsooth must be made one of the parts of the Sabbath-service Most ridiculous But in all this good Reader consider what little of proof there is besides the Authors Questionless and without doubt Cyprian speaks of solemn things Offices he puts in and are there no solemn things but Prayers made by forms He hath sursum corda And do not those who pray by no forms ordinarily begin with Let us lift up our hearts to God Cyprian saith they pray continually and earnestly and might they not do so without a book Origen saith they used Prayers appointed but doth he say the words they should use in those prayers were also set and appointed them Origen reciteth a form of three lines and he might for ought we know or say to the contrary both make it and use it but is it proved that the Church generally used that form His interpretation of the Petitions mention'd by Tertullian as part of the solemn Service of the Sabbath to be Collects is a new whimsi of our Authors and I think his Exposition of Tertullians sine Monitore is as new and precacious for Tertullian's preces delegatae they signified all the prayers which the Congregation put up to God by their Ministers delegated and instructed to speak to God in the name of all the people who upon this account by Greg. Naz. is said to have had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind of Mediatorship between God and man he being the peoples mouth unto God There was then in the Church-Meetings but one voice heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostome Homil. 36. in 1 Cor. That is There ought never to be but one voice in the Church He that readeth readeth alone and the Bishop saith he is in the mean time silent He that sings sings alone and when all sing together 't is all as one voice c. Our Author in the last place spends much Paper upon a quotation from Justin Martyr It is too long to transcribe p. 62. he comes to his Collections from it 1. He saith the Catechumeni were taught to pray the congregation of believers praying with them he would have them taught to pray by the Deacons admonishing them to pray Admonishing whom did they think we admonish those not admitted yet into Church to pray in the solemn Assembly of the Believers Surely the latter and they told them the general matter of Prayer This certainly concludes they had no stated forms of words which they used and might use no other So fair a proof is this 2. In the next place he collecteth that the Catechumeni did in a form make confession of their faith What is this to the purpose 3. In the third place he gathers from Justin Martyr that the Catechumeni were brought from the water to the congregatiou and Sermon ended they went jointly to prayer So then they had a Sermon and prayers after it but how doth it appear this was by a form of words from which they might not vary Questionless saith our Author it is pretty that he should think his Questionless should make a good argument But he hath found the form in Clements Constitutions a book not heard of 300 years after Clements death out of what hole soever it is now come All he saith else is no more to the purpose than that Prayers being ended they saluted one another with an holy kiss they received the Sacrament and prayed again and praised God in a copious and large manner by their Minister And these prayers being concluded the people jointly cryed out Amen What proof there is for forms of prayer comes out of the forged Constitutions of Clement and this Authors strong fancy not out of Justin Martyr and our Author p. 62. confesseth Justin Martyr tells us no such things but yet he saith They did it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cyril he talks of as so ancient was an Author lived near 500 years after Christ and was not like to know so exactly what was done in Justin Martyrs time Any writer now would be lookt on to give a very incertain account of what was done in England Anno 1200. nor would any give much credit to what he should write It is a great vanity men have when they are eager of a thing to fancy all they meet with to look that way if they do but see a word or a letter or two of that nature I knew a Dignitary of our Church who was strongly conceited against the Morality of the Sabbath and therefore was engaged to put another sense upon the fourth Commandment or to leave us but Nine Moral Precepts in the Decalogue He at last finds in Origen and Epiphanius a place or two where Christ was call'd The great Sabbath and presently writes a book about a new 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mightily triumphing That he had found out Gospel in the midst of the law The sense of that Commandment was nothing else but remember to sanctifie the Name of Jesus Christ When alas the old Fathers meant no more than that Christ in whom alone is rest for our souls was typified by the holy day of rest appointed by the law and though Christ be our rest our great rest yet he is not a day of rest which is that which the Commandment only speaketh of Just so I observe it is in this Controversie Some men are so mightily zealous for stated and universally imposed forms of prayer that where-ever in any of the Ancients they meet with the words Liturgy Offices common-Common-prayers Prayers solemn Services they presently think they have a full proof for forms of prayer composed by others to be used by all Ministers When as alas there 's nothing more weak and ridiculous and these arguments speak nothing of reason but only a fancy disturb'd by unreasonable passion A Liturgy signifies nothing but an order of Ministration in holy things which may be without one form of prayer only directing the time or times when the Ministers shall pray Offices in the ancients signifies no more than Duties The approbation of the term Offices to forms of prayer to be used at Burials Christnings c. is but a very modern Popish Device to suggest to silly souls that Ministers did not do their duties if they did not use their Missals and Rituals c. and surely Prayers and solemn Services may be without forms and so may Common prayers too I am the more confirmed in this by what our

to those Numerical words or syllables Luther and Calvin's use proveth it not I hope but yet we think we may lawfully use any form of Gods prescription the question is Whether we may use no other nor that with the least variation Our Brother's second argument is yet weaker The Disciples said Lord teach us to pray as John taught his Disciples What then was it not an apposite answer for him to tell them That now they must call God Father and pray that his Name might be sanctified his Kingdom come his will be done c. unless he set them a form of words to which they might not add nor diminish The Disciples did not say Lord tell us what words and no other we must use in prayer But thirdly saith our Brother our Saviour gives in the phrase of prayer but doth this conclude so do we sometimes give our Children forms which we desire not they should use as forms but directions to speak to the like purpose For Cyprian Tertullian and Gregory who lived 300 400 800 years after Christ they were not like to know Christs intention in this more than we and for their use of it as a form We do not think it unlawful to use those intire words and phrases as a part of our prayers nor indeed any other Scriptural forms of words that are proper But on the other side are they not two great presumptions that our Saviour never intended it as a form 1. That we never read in Scripture that it was so used afterward 2. That the name of Christ in whose name Joh. 16. we are commanded to pray is not in it unless by implication as it hath been in all prayers of the Church since the Ascension of Christ the prayers concluding for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ To compremise this business I believe it was as a form given to the Disciples being then but children and not perfectly instructed to the Kingdom of God and they might or might not use it as a form until they should be more fully instructed and inabled but not with any obligation upon them or the Church after them necessarily to use those numerical words in that order nay that after Christs Resurrection it was their duty to add something more to their prayers asking plainly and expresly in the name of Jesus Christ For he tells them Joh. 16. 24. Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name how could that be true if they had used the lords-Lords-prayer till then and the petitions there had been so put up in the name of Christ as appears to have been his will now vers 23. Our Brothers next instance is pag. 103 104 105. from the example of the Jewish Church here he tells us That the Jews did use prayers with their sacrifices and had their hours of prayer These things he proveth well from Lev. 1. 10. Act. 3. 1. and that Aaron was to confess the sins of the people over the live-goat Lev. 16. 21. What is all this to the purpose none doubts but that Priests and people prayed under the Old Testament as well as the New But the question is Whether by stated forms or no 2. He tells us there are evidences in Scripture of such forms 2 Chron. 29. 30. The King commanded the people to praise God with the words of David and Asaph That is with such and such portions of holy writ do not all men grant that some parts of holy Writ may be sung in publick Worship The Nonconformists will allow no other he instanceth in Joel 2. 17. Hos 14. 2. Deut. 21. 8. Deut. 26. 3 4 5 13 14. It is true in all these Texts there are some short very short forms of prayer as they lye before us they are so But 1. can our Reverend Brother think so short phrases or sentences as some of them are were ever used as the only solemn prayer used at that time 2. Is there any Record that they were ever syllabically used 3. Is it said you shall use these words and no other 4. Is it not ordinary for us in our Sermons directing people only to what sense to pray in our Sermons to say Go to God and say c. and then give them a short prayer which we never intend they should use as a form 5. Is it not reasonable to think this was all intended in these passages when we consider the length and solemnity of the Prayers recorded in Scripture of Solomon Ezra Daniel Hezekiah Jehoshaphat For the practice of the Jews in later days I shall only say this 1. That he knows how little credit is to be given to any testimony of the Rabbins and what time the earliest writings of theirs appear'd 2. How ill their practice can be pleaded who our Saviour saith worshipped God vainly teaching for Doctrines the Traditions of men 3. That I observe Luk. 4. 16. that when our Saviour at Nazareth went into the Synagogue the Clerk did not bring him any Common-prayer-book but the book of the Prophet Isaias which he made use of § 6. Let us now leave these pretences of more ancient proof and come to consider what hath indeed been the practice of the Church since the Apostles times for our Reverend Brother thinks it probable that while the miraculous gifts of the Spirit continued Prayer was performed by them For the time succeeding the Apostles it must be divided into three periods 1. The first is the purer period of it before the Bishop of Rome got fully into Saddle this as to Doctrine held to a great degree for 500 years but as to Rites and Ceremonies scarce half so long as we shall possibly shortly shew 2. The second is the depraved period of it which was for a 1000 years as to Doctrine 1200 and more as to some matters of Rites and Government 3. The Reformed period of it which was from the year 1516 and is yet going on For the first of these Periods we have not so full and clear an evidence of what was the practice of the Church as we could desire For though it was after the year 600 that the Bishop of Rome got the Title of Vniversal Bishop and some years after that before the Church of Rome was furnished with all her present accoutrements and 1200 before Transubstantiation was setled Yet betwixt that and 1500 they had time enough to burn all the Writings of the Ancients from which the practice of the Primitive Church might appear to us or so to correct them and interpolate that we might see little or nothing that could be made use of to shew the Novelties of their Doctrine and practice yet Bernardus non vidit omnia some things scaped their eye or correction of which our Divines make good use Let us see what our Reverend Brother produceth for the first 300 years which all Divines say was the most pure times of the Church It is not our part to prove the Negative it lyeth upon our Brethren to

was from it both all her Reign and after that all King James his Reign is too sad a story to repeat Whereas had it pleased God so to have moderated the spirits of our Bishops in the beginning of her Reign that they had only composed a Liturgy and left Ministers to a liberty as in all other Reformed Churches it is all had been quiet It is very like that the most of the Ministers at that time being very little practiced in Praying or in Preaching would have used and been studying to pray without it and long ere this we might have had flourishing Church shining in every corner with a Ministry that needed no book to have told them the words and syllables they must put up their prayers to God in When on the other side these contests about this thing have carried some few into great extremes on both sides Some on one side thinking that there is no true Prayer but by the Liturgy at which they are very devout but studying to shew all manner of slight and irreverence at other prayers believing them no true worship of God no whole-faced Son of the Church must use any prayer in his family no Lady or Gentlewoman any other prayer in her Closet but this Common-prayer It was a great objection against a person of great Honour and Piety appearing for Knight of the Shire in his County though he constantly attended publick prayers and received the Sacrament as constantly that he used fanatick Prayers in his family that is his Chaplain there prayed not by the publick forms at all times This madness not to say profaneness by the way is to us a sufficient argument against our use of any set publick forms in our Devotion we ought not to nurse up people in these most erroneous conceptions to speak no worse of them If people will adore humane constitutions at this rate they must be to us Nehushtan On the other side this madness hath run some to that excess that they will allow no forms to be lawful of any use in any time for any persons their children must not learn the Lords Prayer nor a form of Catechism none must hear a form c. But the number of these is very small and their judgment is as invaluable Forms of prayer are lawful useful many a good man learns to pray by a form as Scholars learn to write by their Masters first guidance of them and holding their hand They are useful and lawful for Devotion for persons that have not an ability yea for Ministers in that case The people always pray by the form of him that ministreth The Minister doth well if he can do no better he conducts the people that they may in faith say Amen he guides himself But if he have an ability otherwise to do we cannot think he doth his duty and we are sure every Minister should have an ability from himself both to pray and preach How hard it is to keep out of extremes I challenge any to shew me how our judgment thus stated and opened dissents from the Revelation of the Will of God in Scripture or of any valuable persons in the Church of God in any age § 18. It is an easie thing for men to talk of all the Fathers and the Church in all ages but it is an hard thing for those that talk at this rate to prove what they say in any tolerable measure A man is right in his own cause until his neighbour cometh and searcheth him out When men have worn out their tongues and pens in writing and speaking vain words they will be found to have spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words of men puft up with a desire to prove some unproveable thing or with an opinion We will not say our opinion is infallible but we will in sincerity say it is what we cannot dispossess our selves of by any ratiocination within our selves or with others Some will say we have a liberty to use our gifts before Sermons in our Families in our Closets the Vanity of that is shewed But is not the Administration of the Sacraments a great piece of our Ministry what liberty is left us as to that or by what rule are we restrained in any part of our Ministry or how long shall we have it in any allowing this principle We owe no such Idolatrous Reverence to any Father or Person or Church as to take their judgment against the plainer letter or Reason of Scripture this were to set up one higher than the highest no nor to practice any thing upon the recommendation of men or in obedience to them contrary to what our consciences tell us is the Will of God in Scripture This were not to set up man above God possibly but above Gods Deputy in our souls All the Reverence we can owe to man in that cause is to examine our opinion to the utmost again and again to compare things spiritual with things spiritual But if after all our Consciences say It is not lawful to the utmost we can discern it is not lawful Though as to the reality of the truth of the notion it is not all one yet as to our practice it must be all one as if God said from Heaven It is not lawful for you But in the present case there is no other prejudice appears against us from the judgment of the Church in former ages than what was against the whole Protestant Religion objected by Harding It is not probable that God would leave his Church in Errors a thousand years We confess the judgment of what the Papist calls the Church for a thousand years is in a great measure against us But so it was against many points of the Protestant Religion Bishop Jewell durst not make his challenge for more than the first 500 years to them to shew any one point of their new Creed maintained in We make the like challenge as to this point of the lawfulness of forms of prayer to be universally used by Ministers or imposed upon them It certainly robbeth God of the most natural proper Calves of our lips and makes our lips but Ministers to offer up others sacrifices when we have a male in our own flock § 20. I shall conclude with the Reformed Church in Holland I have not seen their Agenda but I am assured by a Reverend Divine Pastor of one of those Churches in England that they are not so tyed up but that they have a liberty in all parts of their publick worship to use their own prayers and do accordingly use it And this I take to be enough to have spoken on this Argument until I hear what will be said against any thing here spoken WHen I had finished this discourse I had an intimation given me of something spoken upon this Argument by one Mr. Pelling Chaplain to his Grace the Duke of Somerset in a book called The good old way Though I was pretty well satisfied that I could