gifts and to use our Authors Argument against the restraint of them 14. The high advantages of the influences and aids of the Holy Spirit in the Church of God are with great thankfulness to God and our Saviour to be acknowledged but the operations of this spirit tend to produce purity holiness and goodness Christians are commanded in the Holy Scriptures to pray in the spirit which besides what was extraordinary and peculiar to those times consists in inward piety of heart and not in variety of words And copiousness of expression is so far from being an evidence of his conduct that in S. Chrysostoms judgment where there is an over-flowing abundance and multitude of words in Prayer this cannot consist with that praying in the spirit which is commanded by the Apostle Eph. 6.18 It is saith he y Chrys in Eph. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to pray in the spirit when any one useth multitudes of words and repetitions And indeed to pray in the spirit as the Apostle directs is to perform the duty of Prayer with a pious temper of mind according to the Christian rules whereas the designed use of variety of words and expressions and the affecting this is contrary to the Precepts of our Saviour The Commentaries under S. Ambrose his name declare z In Eph. 6. Hoc est in spiritu semper or are munda conscientia fide integra precem ad Deum dirigere This is to pray always in the spirit to direct prayer to God with a pure conscience and an upright faith and Calvin explains praying in the spirit by declaring the inward devoutness of affection which is a fruit of that spirit a In Ep. Jud. v. 20. hinc ardor vehementia hinc denique gemitus illi inenarrabiles Hence proceed warmth and earnestness of spirit and groans that cannot be uttered 15. I acknowledge a sober and due freedom of expression to be a gift of God in the same manner that the capacities of mens understanding and all other abilities of mind and body are Gods gifts But it is plain that this liberty of expression is the product of the natural capacities men receive from God which are improved in well disposed persons by ordinary means under Gods blessing And I cannot discern and I think no man else can that a Ministers ability of speech either for Prayer or Preaching or Conference is of any other nature than that freedom of expression which a Lawyer hath to plead or which other persons of good capacities and liberal education and who have accustomed themselves to discourse do make use of concerning such things as they have well considered only it may be advanced by a pious affection towards the things he may discourse of 16. I shall now consider whether it be the duty of Christians or particularly of Ministers to make use of such abilities at all times in the exercises of Religion And besides what I have said before How far Ministers are obliged to exercise all their abilities it may justly be accounted a considerable if not an unanswerable objection against the necessity contended for of a Ministers using a particular gift or ability wherewith he is endued meerly because it is a gift in that this would equally make it his duty to use his present or extempore ability of conception and expression in Prayer or Preaching if he have any such ability and the use of his memory in declaring what he hath himself conceived or thought on before-hand and also his reading what hath been before composed either by himself or by others But the use of these several abilities at the same time is impossible because of their being inconsistent with one another But God obligeth no man to impossibilities 17. And besides this if it be necessary to the obtaining the favour of God for Ministers to use their own gifts in uttering variety of expressions in their Prayers to God because they may not neglect the use of any of their gifts or abilities then it must be necessary also where the person who Ministers hath an ability to perform it and the Auditory among learned men and Scholars hath a capacity to understand it to perform the Offices of Prayer in the use of divers languages some part in one language and some part in another exercising therein all his several abilities For our Authors Argument will as much prove the necessity of this as the necessity of his using his own parts in different ways of expression in his own language since the former is a more eminent and extraordinary ability than the latter and if no gift or accomplishment may be totally neglected in the service of God then not this which is of so considerable a degree But yet if we consider God b Cl. Alex. Strom. l. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he desires not and is not pleased with the variety of sounds of words and languages and the urging such a practice as a necessary duty of Religion would represent Religion as if it was a business of affectation fancy and humour and not of piety and seriousness Now this I mention to manifest hereby of how low and little concernment in Religion the meer exercise of a mans own abilities are further than they have an influence upon the profit and edification of others 18. No duty to use any ability further than is orderly and for edification And there are also many other abilities gifts or perfections of another nature which God bestows upon some Ministers the exercise of which they may lawfully and usefully wholly omit in their Ministerial employments For instance he who is eminently able by critical learning to explicate divers difficult Texts of Scripture or who is one of a piercing judgment to fathom the depth of the greatest controversies will not only be free from sin but may be commended if he silence these his abilities in his popular Sermons and acquaint common Auditories with such doctrines and duties as are both useful for their practice and sutable to their capacities Thus S. Paul dealt with his Corinthians feeding them with milk 1 Cor. 3.2 19. I shall now go further and shew 'T is best for the Church that the ablest men in some cases ordinarily make use of what was formed by others abilities that Ministers who have themselves gifts and abilities of the greatest degree both lawfully may and for the greater good of the Church ought to make use of what is drawn up to their hands by others in some great and weighty cases rather than of their own gifts in the neglect of what is so composed drawn up and established And of this I shall give two instances 20. My first instance shall be concerning the translation of the Holy Scripture Now I presume this Author will acknowledge As the Translation of Scripture that Ministers ought to instruct their people in the doctrine and Religion of Christianity out of the holy Scriptures But
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
please other men 10. But in truth the establishing Liturgies doth in a considerable measure put a stop to discords and divisions To this purpose Cappellus accounted it very fit that as far as may be there should be k Thes Salm. ubi sup n. 46. una in Ecclesia externi cultûs divini fermula the same Form of publick divine worship in the Church and this he thought of great use ad unitatem spiritûs charitatis inter fideles quantum obtineri id potest conservandam for the preserving as far as that can be obtained the unity of the spirit and of charity amongst believers And though our Author would be content that some should use Liturgies but other Ministers should use their own words and method Cappellus in the same place declares that this is by no means adviseable and that this would be so far from procuring peace that from hence would arise contemptus odia rixae contentiones c. contempt hatred clashings contentions strife and infinite quarrels to the great scandal of the Church 11. But plain experience doth beyond all authority prove that concord is never like to be the effect of the laying aside all Forms of publick worship For when this was done in our late sad times thereupon all manner of errors sects heresies and blasphemies were broached and vented After this it was that i Jus div Min. Evang Ep. to Read 1653. the Presbyterian Ministers complained of the bitter woful and unutterable fruits of divisions which say they have almost destroyed not only the Ministry but even the very heart and life of Religion and Godliness 12. Our Author saith also that Forms of Prayer m p. 63. hinder Ministers care to study the Scriptures which he before urged and I before answered Chap. 1. n. 47. 13. He saith also n Ibid. that hereby many such Ministers have crept into the Church of whom every one who hath any concern for Gods glory or the Churches repute hath cause to blush and be ashamed Now I shall leave him to consider by himself whose work he is doing whilest he takes all occasions to reproach that Ministry and thereupon to hinder their labours whom our Saviour hath called to serve him in his Church And we have so little reason to blush and be ashamed of the generality of the English Ministry that we have abundant reason to bless God for their great worth And besides this the faults which can be chargeable upon any particular persons in the Ministry must be either from their being 1. not sound in doctrine or 2. not of a holy and good life or 3. from their not being men of sufficient abilities and such as diligently â—â—charge their Ministerial work But set Forms of Prayer piously composed and instantly used can contribute nothing 〈◊〉 either of the two former when they manifestly promote the contrary good And for the last as the great abilities of our Ministry is very evident so I shall answer this where he doth more particularly insist upon it in o Ch. 8. n. 10. another place 14. This Writer in the end of this Chapter declareth p p. 70. that he thinks he â—â—th fully answered whatsoever I had ofâ—â—red but I leave it to the diligent Reaâ—er to judge how little reason he hath to think so But he there saith his strict design is not to answer me but to shew they â—â—ve probable Arguments inducing them to believe that it would be sinful for them ordinarily to use the prescribed Forms of others and therefore he proceeds to add further Arguments Nor is it my design in this discourse mainly to vindicate my self much less to oppose him but to vindicate the truth and therefore I shall add my Answer to his remaining Arguments contenting my self only to give an account of the main substance of them if I may so call it and not to interpose my self in what he speaks against other particular persons or in any digressions which are of no necessary concern to the Vindication of fixed Forms of Prayer or defending other publick Constitutions CHAP. IV. Ch. IV. Forms of Prayer are not forbidden either in the Second Commandment or by any other Divine Precept HIs third Argument is that it is Sinful for Ministers having the gift of Prayer to use prescribed Forms no necessity compelling because God hath (a) Reas Account p. 71. neither by the light of Nature directed them nor in his Word prescribed them Now it is acknowledged that all the parts of Divine Worship must be such Of the parts of Divine Worship and the manner of performing it as the light of Nature or the revealed Will of God do direct By the former our dependance as Creatures doth oblige us to acknowledg and honour God and to call upon him and pray unto him And the holy Scriptures give us further Precepts and encouragements in these Duties And in the parts and duties of Divine Worship the manner of performing them and our outward expressions therein must be such as is sutable to the Duty it self as swerveth from no Divine Precept or Institution and is recommended either by the light of Nature or Scripture But from what I have said in the former Chapter it may appear Forms of Prayer are agreeable to the light of Nature and Scripture that Forms of Prayer in the publick Worship of God are recommended by the Light of Nature as it directeth us to chuse the best and most expedient and profitable way of performing that Worship and that the Scriptures also do encourage us in and give their approbation of the use thereof 2. But there is yet a further design in this Argument which is That nothing may be used in God's Worship which he hath not himself prescribed To this end he saith the sense of the Second Commandment is this (b) P. 73. Thou shalt worship in no other Way by no other Means or Religious Rites than what I have prescribed And again (c) P. 75. the like P. 74. We judg all Acts Rites and Means of Worship prohibited by God which either in express Terms or by first consequences from Scripture are not prescribed Now if he will be consistent with himself and conclude any thing in the Case under debate from these things which are rather Positions And are not forbidden be the the Second Commandment and unproved Assertions than Arguments his Inference must be That no words and expressions for of these we are now discoursing ought to be used in the Worship of God which are not by him prescribed But concerning this Argument I shall observe three things 3. Obs 1. That he here contradicteth what he declared in the stating his Question and hath oft repeated having as he tells us (d) P. 91. Again and again said That they do not think Forms of Prayer unlawful This Argument Clasheth with himself But if they be not prescribed and all means not prescribed
shall give a faithful account of the substance of his Arguments and leave it to the impartial Reader to judge of the validity of my Answers And that I may the more gratifie such who will compare his Discourse and mine I shall keep to his method which he hath used except where he speaks to the same thing in different places and in that Case I shall think it sufficient to have spoken to it once for all And I shall so order my Answer that my first Chapter may answer his first my second his second and so onward to the end of his Book 6. But touching my former Discourse which this Writer opposeth he seemeth not very well pleased with my having chosen that subject c In his last leaf to the Reader to write on viz. the defence of our Liturgy nor with the time when my Book was written which he saith was in that nick of time of his Majesties most Gracious Indulgence if it was possible to perswade the Parliament that there was no need of any indulgence towards them Now as to the subject matter of my Livertas Ecclesiastica if he dislike my having engaged therein or my undertaking now to defend so much of two Sections thereof as he hath opposed I am content so far to bear his dislike and censure but I think my self to have given a sufficient d Libert Eccles B. 1. Ch. 1. account thereof And if what he observes concerning the time was true I think that was a fit time to defend and justify our Communion when they who divide themselves from us made the greatest opposition against it and involved themselves in the heinous sin of Schism But the truth is I was engaged in that work before that Declaration came abroad but may Book was not published till after his Majesty had cancelled that Declaration the Declaration which was made March 1671 2. was Cancelled about the end of 1672. and my Book came abroad in Octob. 1673. 7. But as to the perswading our Governours against any Indulgence or favour towards them it is possible the positions of this Writer may do more to that purpose than I have done I did indeed justify the lawfulness of performing what is required of Ministers concerning the Liturgy which was no more than to vindicate what the practice and acknowledgment of every conforming Minister had before owned But I think it my duty to leave the ordering of publick affairs to my superiours and did not by any expression that I am aware of interpose in their work 8. But I know not how far such Discourses as this of this Author ma◠〈◊〉 vince superiours that such persons ar◠〈◊〉 capable of being taken in into any duly regulated and setled establishment because of the unreasonableness of their demands and the weakness of their Arguments since he declareth against the enjoining the ordinary use of any Liturgy or set form whatsoever in publick Ministrations And we may see by e Ch. 10. p. 164. the close of his Book that he accounteth it the only medium he can fancy for a just comprehension that there be no Forms of Prayer enjoined though they may be recommended by superiours and left at liberty And yet it seemeth probable from his f In the two last leaves Preface that all this is not enough for he there tells us of other six things he hath to put in dispute besides this I do not doubt but all those six things may be as easily answered as produced and the Reader may make a probable judgment of the strength and force of those other things by this one which he hath singled out from the rest and therefore surely he thought it to be as considerable as any of the other 9. And it might be expected that he who is curiously severe in judging of a fit time for publishing other mens Discourses should have a sufficient care of the seasonableness of his own And he who considers the business of our Enemies abroad and how they are encouraged by our discords at home may well think that they who have any true value for the Reformation should at this time encline to promote a setled establishment of the Church which may tend to uphold and secure it And since our dissenters by sufficient tryal found in our late distracted times that they could not erect much less maintain any establishment in their way we may thence discern that no settlement can reasonably be expected but upon the foundations of the Church of England which hath also the advantage of truth and agreement with Primitive Christianity And therefore it was no fit time now to vent such notions which widen our breaches are inconsistent with any publick establishment of a Church and which put advantages into the hands of other Enemies and serve their purposes And yet I confess this of the time is the least fault of this Discourse but that which is the greater is that the drift thereof tends to confusion and the things contained in it are unsound and untrue which I shall now come to manifest CHAP. I. Of stating the Question concerning the established constant use of Forms of Prayer in the publick service of God IN managing his opposition against the constant use of prescribed Forms of Prayer The Question proposed concerning the lawfulness of using Forms by Ministers who have gifts the forementioned Writer doth in his first Chapter give us the state of the Question which he undertakes to dispute and therein he expresseth what he yieldeth and granteth as lawful and what he judgeth and esteemeth to be sinful and undertaketh to prove it so and herein he hath declared himself with sufficient clearness and plainness What he contends for he thus expresseth a Reasonable Account p. 5. All that we affirm is this That our Consciences do from arguments which to us at least seem highly probable judge That it is unlawful for Ministers having the gift of prayer ordinarily to perform their ministerial acts in solemn stated publick Prayer by reading or reciting forms of Prayer composed by other men confessedly not divinely and immediately inspired although our superiours do requrie this of us 2. But he alloweth and acknowledgeth b p. 2. that their labours are profitable who have drawn the matter of Prayer into Forms c p. 3. that any Form of Prayer contained in the Scripture may be used as part of our Prayer whether it be under any command or no but if it be commanded it undoubtedly ought to be used d ibid. That if a Minister distrusting his own memory or invention shall compose Prayers for his own use he may do it e ibid. that it is lawful yea necessary for them who join with others in Prayer to make use of their words which yet are but a Form to them f ibid. that he that ministers in Prayer to others may use a prescribed Form of anothers composure if he have not the gift
of Prayer And g p. 4. that he alloweth short ejaculatory Forms such as Lord have mercy upon us This being the sense of this Writer I shall concerning his stating this Question observe three things 3. Obs 1. From these premises the Reader may yet have a little further insight into the matter of this Question to which end he may consider First that our Prayer is directed to the most high God and therefore it was called by the ancient Writers h Greg. Nys de Orat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and i Cl. Alex. Strom. l. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an having to do with and speaking unto God Secondly that the ordinary wants of Christians except extraordinary emergencies which may be otherwise provided for and consequently the usual matter of Prayer for publick Assemblies especially is constantly the same He who will deny this must as well condemn the Directory for k Direct Of Assembling the Congregation Of publick Prayer before Sermon c. directing to the matter of publick Prayer as the Common Prayer for expressing the words nor can he have such honourable thoughts as he ought to have and as the Christian Church always hath had of the Contents of the Lords Prayer Thirdly that the granting it lawful for a Minister to use a prescribed Form of Prayer of anothers composure if he have not the gift of Prayer is as much as to acknowledge that such a Prayer piously performed is a true worship of God and may be acceptable to him otherwise it would not be lawful Fourthly That the difference betwixt praying for the same things in a Form and praying for them without a Form is this that in the former way the same words and methods are constantly used whereas in the latter the expressions are altered and changed The result of this Question is Whether variety of expressions be of great consequence for the pleasing God and oft-times the order and method also according as the person thinketh fit or as he is able to perform it 4. Wherefore fifthly The main result of this Question at the last comes to this Whether mens changing of expressions varying of phrases and altering their order and method in their Prayers to God be things so valuable and considerable in his sight that his laws and will do require this and that he hath such an eye unto it that the humble devout and Religious supplications and addresses of pious persons are not acceptable to him unless they be attended with such variety of expressions where the persons have so much volubility of speech Now upon a short view it may appear that the affirmative in this Question is very unlikely and improbable upon several accounts 5. If we consult the rules of holy Scripture The contrary appears from Scripture our Saviour particularly rebuked the vanity of them who think they shall be heard by their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much speaking or many and various words Mat. 6.7 And as a remedy against it taught his Disciples that comprehensive Form of the Lords Prayer And from this Text S. Aug. l Aug. Ep. 121. c 10. accounteth superfluity of words to be unmeet for Prayer for things necessary And hence also S. Hilary inferreth that we should m Hil. in Mat. Can. 5. orare ad Deum non multiloquio sed conscientia pray to God not with a multitude of words but with a good Conscience And it is accounted a piece of reverence to God which Solomon directed us to make use of in our addresses to him Eccl. 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth and let not they heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few 6. From the Jewish worship And it may be considered that under the Law God did not require daily various changes of the real expressions of religious worship and service but appointed them to be continually the same Numb 28.2 3 c. which makes it more than probable that the variety of verbal expressions is not requisite to obtain his acceptance under the Gospel The daily burnt-offering was continually without any varying the thing a lamb of the first year with the same sort of meat-offering and drink-offering and the Priests without any varying of rites about that Sacrifice were as Josephus saith n Joseph Ant. Jud. l. 3. c. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 performing their office always in the same manner Only upon their sabbath days the ordinary sacrifice was doubled and upon other days of great solemnity there was an addition of other Sacrifices And I need not direct the intelligent Reader to observe how much the service of our Church is in these things correspondent to what the wisdom of God himself then established our Evangelical services being now morning and evening offered unto God as then were the Legal as hath been observed by o Bishop Sparrow's Ration of Com. Pr. p. 3 8. And from the nature of God our Reverend and Learned Diocesan 7. And he who considereth that God is a spirit and that true piety and goodness and sincerity are the things in which he delights cannot easily perswade himself that the use of different phrases in Prayer can be of any great moment before him unless he had particularly commanded this and then indeed it would be a part of Obedience Proper words are necessary in publick Prayer that by their expressive significancy the whole Congregation may join in their united Petitions and also for the promoting order and decency and manifesting a due honour to Gods worship and reverence for his name and all these things may be most usefully provided for in a well ordered Form But words are not in religious service valuable in themselves further than they have respect to such things but a pure heart and the exercise of true piety is that which God accepteth 8. This truth is so manifest that even the Ethnick Writers do frequently express it The Satyrist declares of a well fixed integrity and inward purity of mind and heart p Pers in Satyr 2. Haec cedo ut admoveam templis farre litabo that this is the most valuable thing without compare in the publick worship And when Hierocles had declared q Hier. in Pyth. p. 26. what the Pythian Oracle spake to the same purpose he thus expresseth his own sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with piety of mind every expression is acceptable to God and without it none And amongst the Christian Writers such expressions are frequent as that of S. Cyprian r Cyp. de Orat. Dom. Deus non vocis sed cordis auditor est God hears not the voice but the heart and that of Cl. Alexandrinus that the most excellent service is ſ Cl. Alex. Strom. l. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a religious devotion and that as men observe our words so God observes our minds and thoughts But now
evidence from the Laws of God and the Constitution of the Christian Church that Schism and unnecessary separation is a sin in the breach of Christian Vnity as that Adultery is a sin in breaking the bond of Wedlock And I account my self to be as certain that if ever there was any unwarrantable separation from any known Church since the Apostles time the separation from the Church of England is really such since our Church is truly as free from any just exception in its Constitution doctrine and worship as any other since that time either was or is And it seemeth highly probable if I do not mistake plain words that some of our dissenters themselves are at some times satisfied either of so much or of that which comes very near it concerning the excellent Constitution of our Church Dr Owen saith i Of Evang. Love p. 54 55. We look upon the Church of England or the generality of the nation professing Christian Religion measuring them by the doctrine received since the Reformation to be as sound and healthful a part of the Catholick Church as any in the World and again k ibid. p. 87. We believe that the generality of the inhabitants of this nation are by their profession constituted an eminent part of the Kingdom of Christ in this World But if pitieth me to consider upon what weak and unwarrantable pretences such persons venture upon the practices of real separation and by what insufficient excuses they plead for themselves in the defence thereof 14. This Authors opinion is a heavy charge against the most eminent Churches and men Obs 3. There are considerable prejudices against the truth of our Authors assertion as it is by him stated even such which beside the more direct evidences of which hereafter will perswade a sober man to be wary of entertaining it if he duly observe them For this opinion is not only against the Church of England but the most famous Churches in the Primitive times who used such set Forms in their publick worship as besides what hath been said already will sufficiently appear in the following Discourse This is also against the Constitution of many eminent Protestant Churches abroad which I have elsewhere l Libert Eccl. B. 1. Ch. 4. Sect. 1. n. 11 12. observed briefly and shall not need here to add further proof since this Author doth not deny the same but tells us m Reason Acc. Ch. 2. p. 9. the continuance of Liturgies upon the Reformation owes it self in a great measure to their not having men able to pray without a Form And yet I cannot but think that this Author is a person of so much modesty and hath such a respect to many of those Reformers and their Successors as not to think them inferiour to himself and then they must come under the censure of his assertion And to me it seemeth a very hard thing to embrace such a position as must cast reproach on almost all the Churches of Christ in all Ages and must also conclude all the most famous Ministers therein to have lived and died in the constant practice of the same sin unrepented of Now I can easily apprehend that such a consideration as this will have a different influence upon such men as this Author according to the different temper in which it may meet with them For at one time he tells us n Ch. 9. p. 163. authority or practice is a lamentable Argument but at another time he declares concerning the sense and apprehensions of good men that o Ch. 2. p. 44. the sensus piorum neither is nor ever was judged by persons of sobriety and worth an inconsiderable Argument for the truth of a proposition especially a practical proposition not plainly determined in holy Writ 15. Nor is it consistent with it self his very stating his Question overthrows the main foundations and chief Arguments of his Discourse and then he who will embrace our Authors assertion according as he hath stated it upon such Arguments as he chiefly urgeth must learn to affirm and deny the same thing or to reconcile things contradictory which to me and to all rational men must be when observed another great prejudice against his opinion Now in stating his Case he grants as I above observed that such Forms of Prayer as God hath commanded in Scripture if any such be must be used and other Scripture Forms though not commanded may be used as part of our Prayer and yet he declares it sinful for such Ministers who can pray otherwise to use Forms 1. From the duty of using their own p Ch. 2. p. 6 7 c. and Ch. 3. gifts and 2. From the hindrance of pious dispositions or attention and fervency from the use of a Form of words in Prayer and yet if these Arguments are of any weight they must conclude against the lawful use of Scripture Forms as well as of others which yet he asserteth to be lawful And indeed some Scripture Forms being in the New Testament commanded to be used that sufficiently manifesteth that a set Form of words in Prayer can be no hindrance to a religious temper of mind unless we will grant that our Saviours commands are hurtful to his Religion and that such Positions of men which are contrary to his Precepts ought to be preferred before them 16. He acknowledgeth also p. 3. that it is lawful yea necessary for them who join with others in Prayer to make use of his words who speaketh which c an be but a Form to them And p. 19. he saith such persons have nothing to do but to exercise their grace And this consideration was made use of to prove the lawfulness of Forms by q Pract. Catechism B. 3. Sect. 2. Bishop Tayl. Of Prayer Extempore n. 46 47. Disp of Liturg. Prop. 1. Arg. 6. Dr Hammond Dr Taylor and Mr Baxter Now from hence it not only follows that such Prayers are acceptable to God which are put up by pious men with devout hearts but without the exercise of their own gifts but it must also be hence concluded that Vnity in publick Prayer is more acceptable to God than the use of mens own abilities in conception or expression For otherwise it would be the duty of all persons in the publick Assemblies who have any such abilities not to take notice of the Ministers words or to join in them but distinctly to exercise their own gifts or make use of their private conceptions there or else to withdraw themselves from the publick Assemblies that they may have the more free opportunity for the exercise of them 17. Nor generally owned by the Non-Conformists I shall only add in the last place that this assertion of our Author is such that a great part and I think the greater part of the Nonconformists themselves will not own Indeed in Qu. Eliz. her time the r In Bishop Whitgifts Defence Tr. 9. Ch. 2. Div. 2.
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
That a mean given of God Means or abilities not necessary for the performing duties may be omitted if it be only capable of being used and not a necessary mean to the performance of the duty may lawfully be omitted Especially when there are several means which may all of them singly be used he who chuseth one of them and the most profitable is not to be faulted because he doth not use the other which is less profitable Thus in the publick Prayers of the Church whereas a Ministers present fluency of expression or his remembrance of what himself hath before conceived with respect to that particular time or his using a set Form are different ways or means of performing this service he who chuseth the last which hath many advantages of the other two is not to be blamed because he doth not chuse either of those two And by this it may appear that this Writers own Argument if it were of any strength might easily be inverted and retorted against himself if we put in the phrase of a Form of Prayer instead of a Ministers own gift c. 33. Secondly That ability of expression was not peculiarly and particularly given by God to Ministers that they might thereby perform the publick Offices of Prayer This is manifest because this is also given to them whom God never calls to perform the publick Offices of Ministration And also because if our Lord had intended it to be the duty of all Ministers of the Gospel that they must use their own abilities of expression in the Prayers of the Church and might not make use of any Forms he would not himself have given them an Example of composing a Form of Prayer and delivering this to be used by his own Apostles and this too to be made use of not as their private addresses for themselves alone but with respect to the whole Christian Society and therefore beginning as was anciently observed f Cyp. de Orat. Dom. Non dicimus patermeus publica nobis est communis oratio Our Father as being a publick and Common Prayer And this was the more considerable because it was agreeable to and in approbation of what John the Baptist had directed his Disciples and the like method had been before used throughout all the state of the Jewish Church as I have in g Libert Eccles p. 103 104. another place evinced and shall further prove Ch. 3. Sect. 3. n. 27 28 c. 34. The Authority of our Governours is to be honoured The authority of our Governours is also in this Case of considerable weight For though the command of man is not to be performed if it be against the will of God yet since it is fit that a due order of publick worship in Christian Assemblies should be provided for by them who have the chief Authority and inspection therein the constant use of the Liturgy being of it self agreeable to the will of God becomes more obligatory upon us because this way of worship is wisely established by our superiours And the Apostle S. Paul declared that the use ever of extraordinary spiritual gifts must give place to decency and order 1 Cor. 14.26 33 40. 35. But he further saith that a man own gift or ability of expression in Prayer is h Reas Account p. 6 7 18. a divine mean but a Form oâ— Prayer is i p. 7. 18. Liturgies are no meer humane means for Gods worship a meer humane mean Now this must be upon supposition that an ability to compose a Prayer to speak it is a divine ability which how far it is true I have shewed above but the same ability to compose the same Prayer if it be to be written is a meer humane ability But no man can see any truth in such a supposition nor any reason for it 36. But however our Author think fit to talk so far as he hath proved any thing he hath proved the composing of Liturgies to be by a divine ability or gift of Prayer For he thus argues against those who deny any such gift as the gift of Prayer k p. 8. This is saith he either 〈◊〉 deny what is evident to sense That there are some persons able fitly to express then minds to God in Prayer or to deny the Scriptures which say Jam. 1.17 thâ—â— every good gift and every perfect gift cometh from above from the Father of lights Besides that it stubbeth up all Liturgies by the roots none it seems having any ability to make them Now the result of this Discourse is that the ability to make Liturgies is the gift of Prayer and a gift of God and consequently they must be a divine mean for the performance of Prayer or such an one as is afforded to us by the assistance of God Besides this God hath so far declared his approbation of Forms of Prayer that he himself delivered such and enjoined them under the Old Testament as our Saviour did under the New and if that may be further called divine which serves the ends of God in the World and conduceth to holiness and piety upon this account also good and well-ordered Forms must be so esteemed 37. But it now remains that I examine his proofs produced to shew that it is a duty in the publick Prayers of the Church for a Minister to use his own gifts of expression if he have such abilities His first l p. 6. proof is 1 Tim. 4.14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by Prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery But Ans 1. In this place the Apostle requires Timothy to take care of executing his Episcopal Office The Precepts of the Scripture concerning the use of gifts considered and exercising his authority which things were given by the laying on of hands and also to discharge the duty of his place and function with care and diligence according to the grace which God had giver him 2. Here is not a word spoken it this Text concerning Prayer or the performance thereof by any such gift as our Author pleads for nor doth the Context which mentioneth reading exhortation and doctrine speak any thing thereof And I suppose this Author doth not account the gift of Prayer to be given by the laying on of hands when himself saith the Church m p. 13. should judge of her Ministers gift of Prayer before she trust them with the publick Ministry 38. And 3. if this Text had particularly expressed the use of the gift of Prayer and intended this concerning utterance and expression as it doth not the Argument from Timothy at that time when publick Offices of the Church were often performed by miraculous gifts and who himself was in all probability furnished therewith would not be of force for them who have no such extraordinary gifts Yet such Precepts do not enjoin the use of any gifts further than may consist with
more devout we are to the higher degree we are raised of this temper and active disposition of mind This is indeed of great consequence in our addresses to God and as c Aug. de Temp. Serm. 157. S. Austin saith Prayer being a spiritual thing it is so much the more accepted of God by how much our spirits and affections are answerable to this duty If this be what he means by his attention and intention it will be readily granted that that way or model of service which hinders these duties and is not consistent with their exercise is thereupon unlawfull And this seems to be his sense when he saith d p. 33. attention is for the soul hoc agere to do what it pretends to do and by e p. 34. intention and fervour he means an holy zeal and heat of the inward man of sorrow in confession desires in petition joy in thanksgiving But there may be too great a stress laid upon zeal earnestness and fervency since this is sometimes found even to some degree of ecstasie in men of hot heads strong imaginations and deluded minds in whom it is far from the temper of sober devotion Sect. I. And an awful reverence of God a Religious and godly fear a humble submissiveness and sober exercise of other Christian graces is far to be preferred before it Now I doubt not but that a pious man may pray seriously religiously and affectionately either in the use of a Form or without one but I think the former hath in many cases the advantage and specially in the publick service of the Church as may hereafter appear 3. When he comes to prove that the use of set Forms of Prayer hindreth attention and fervency he useth high words and saith f p. 25. it is to them next to a demonstration and g p. 26. it is impossible for any without self-condennation to deny it But if after all this his proofs shall appear shallow and insufficient then these will be evinced to be rash words and talking lavishly with immoderate confidence 4. In his discoursing concerning attention instead of Arguments he proposeth three questions which he would have considered First h p. 25. Whether it be possible for any person to read any discourse with that degree of attention of thoughts Diligent attention may be easily given to what is read as he must pronounce the same with by heart To which I Answer that it is certain this may be easily done and I think it strange it should be questioned How usual is it tâ—â— read the Scriptures and other Books wiâ—â— as great attention as the same things caâ— be spoken without reading Particularâ—â— in considering his Arguments I shoulâ— have thought him big with strange conceits who should tell me that I must bâ— at the pains of getting them withouâ— Book before I could attend to their senseâ— and I know I can do it better by viewing them in his Book If our Author caâ—â— not do thus much he cannot be of capacity to make any great proficiency by any thing he hath read and he must bâ— the unfittest man of any I know to answer other mens Writings when he cannot well attend to their sense in readinâ— them And it is strange to me that any man should write a Book if he think 〈◊〉 man can much attend to its sense in reading it and he that is of this opinion needs not be much concerned how carelesly he writes 5. The ancient Christians declared the reading the Holy Scriptures to have had 〈◊〉 mighty efficacy upon their minds and spirits insomuch that he devout Readeâ— was thereby as i Orig. cont Cels Origen expresseth it iâ— a manner inspired which could not have been without a diligent attention 〈◊〉 them But if our Authors way of Dicourse course were of any force the delivery of Christian Doctrine by Oral Tradition must be much more vigorous lively and powerful than by the Scriptures I confess he doth make a particular exception concerning the Scriptures when he speaks of oft reading what we are before acquainted with and saith k p. 27. God hath secured an abiding reverence for them in all pious souls But I suppose he doth not mean that this is done in any extraordinary and miraculous manner And it is plain that even the Scriptures are read by many with carelesness and have been long observed to have been perverted and abused by l Iren. adv Haer. l. 1. c. 1 c. 15. Tert. de praescript adv Haer. c. 17. Hereticks Wherefore the reverence that pious men have for the Scriptures in reading them is chiefly with respect to God because they are his word and his laws whereby his will is declared to men But since as m Aug. de Temp. Serm. 112. S. Aug. observed when we pray we speak to God and when we read God speaks to us a Religious honour and fear of God so far as it prevails will secure a reverence to the frequent use of the same Prayer because therein also we have to do with God and address our selves unto him 6. A second thing he would have considered which as the former hath particular respect to him that Ministreth is whether any thing can more conduce to 〈◊〉 the thoughts upon the duty and God n p. 26. than when a man can trust his affection to thrust out words A pious temper of mind doth more six mens hearts on God in Prayer than the greatest freedom of expression can do Now having considered this I think it past all doubt thâ—â— a devout sense of Gods presence and oâ— his purity and of the great assurance wâ—â— have of his readiness to help and bleâ—â— them who Religiously and diligently seeâ— him together with humble considerations of our dependance upon him and a careful preparing our hearts to approach unto him do wonderfully more conduce to fix our thoughts and minds upon God and our duty than using our own word with freedom of expression and a voleble tongue can do And by this method the whole Christian Assembly as well as the Minister may be prepared for the right performance of this service Our Authorâ— method may occasion him who ministreth to attend the more carefully 〈◊〉 his words but this only is that which commands and guides the heart And that mens hearts may be as much composed anâ— their Spirits as fervent in the use of a fet Form as in any other way is manifest from what I formerly observed o Libert Eccl. B. 1. Ch. 4. p. 135. that our Saviours praying more earnestly in his agony was in repeating again and again the same words And the Leyden p Syn. pur Theol. Disp 36. n. 33. Professors observed that when upon his Cross he said my God my God why hast thou forsaken me he used a Form of deprecation from the Psalmist and yet sure no Christian can think that he the less attended to what he
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
55. authority apart from the reasons they give signifieth little in the case 9. And now I must entreat my Readers patience a while that I may examine his exceptions he enters against this testimony or its being intended to the sense for which I produced it And though some of these lie scattered in his Discourse I have so collected them as to digest them under particular heads 10. He first objects that Reas Acc. p. 46 47 48. the q Cons Cont. in Angl. p. 171. Walachrians profess themselves to agree with Amesius de Cas Consc l. 4. cap. 17. qu. 4. and with the Leyden Professors And then he takes pains to prove that Amesius was not for preferring the use of publick Forms as of most advantage to Piety but in the place cited speaks of them as the less perfect way of praying Now I acknowledge this to be the sense of Amesius But it should have been observed by our Author that the Walachrians only declared their Agreement with him in that Question which was by them proposed viz. Whether Forms were lawful and not superstitious and whether it be lawful to communicate with them who use them And in the resolution of this Question they agree with Amesius in hac controversia faciles accedimus iis quae ab Amesio super hac Quaestione scribuntur But it is another Question Whether praying by publick Forms be the most useful way of performing that service and though Amesius in the same place seems by general expressions to take in this Case they could not in this agree both with him and the Leyden Professors and their own sense of this they fully express r Cons Cont. p. 173 174. that Forms in publick worship help the attention of Auditors and are for edification And they declare not their own sense alone but ſ p. 178 179. in omnibus pene Ecclesiis Reformatis approbantur Ecclesiasticae Liturgiae precumque formulae ut utiles aedificationi Ecclesiae conducentes In almost all the Reformed Churches Church-Liturgies and Forms of Prayer are approved as profitable and conducing to edification And more concerning their sense may appear from n. 13 14 16. 11. Secondly he saith t Reas Acc. p. 48. the Walachrians rejected our English Common-Prayer Book and therefore their testimony ought not to have been produced to countenance it Now I acknowledge that they did rashly condemn u Cons Cont. p. 172. the English Service nor did I produce their testimony as if they had particularly favoured it I am inclined to think it was misrepresented to them But their evidence is the more considerable in what they say concerning Forms in general for which purpose only I cited them since they were so far from being partial on our side that they closed too far with them who were for the subverting our Liturgy and censured it as Idolatrous and superstitious 12. Thirdly he saith they x Reas Acc. p. 53. and the Leyden Professors speak rather of the lawfulness of Forms in general than of Ministers using them Whereas they propose their Question concerning Forms y Consid Cont. p. 171. in publico cultu in publick worship They and the Leyden Professors declare their usefulness in magnis praecipue Ecclesiarum conventibus especially z p. 173. in the great Church Assemblies and in publici cultûs exercitiis in the performances of publick worship and they discoursed of them as a p. 179. Forms of Prayer and of administration of Sacraments Now in these Cases they must have special respect to Ministers using them and the same appears from what I cited concerning Liturgies n. 10. and also from the following Paragraph 13. Fourthly He saith b Reas Acc. p. 53 54. there is not a word in them to justifie the lawful use of Forms imposed upon all Ministers Now the Reader may observe these words say they c Cons Cont. in Angl. p. 179. Mascula est sententia J. Calvini in Epistola 87. ad Protectorem Angliae Quod ad formulas inquit precum c. It is an excellent sentence of Calvin in his 87th Epistle to the Protector of England Concerning Forms of Prayer and Ecclesiastical Rites I much approve that it may be certain from which the Pastors may not depart in their function both to provide for the unskilfulness of some and that the consent and agreement of all Churches may be more manifest and that a stop may be put to the changeable levity of some who affect novelties And they add d Ibid. there ought to be a stated Catechism statam Sacramentorum Administrationem publicam item precum formulam a stated Administration of Sacraments and a stated publick Form of Prayers 14. Fifthly He saith they say e Reas Acc. p. 50 51. holy affections may accompany a Form This saith he toucheth not the Question which is about the magis and minus And so he excepts against them as not speaking an equal intention and fervency to be exercised in Forms Now I might say that they do speak of due attention and reverence in the use of Forms p. 174. and our Author saith due attention must be equal attention p. 52. And when they declare Forms to be profitable and that by them attention is helped p. 173 174. this not only speaks the devotion to be equal in the use of Forms to what it might otherwise be but that it may be hereby the greater And they commend them f Cons Cont. p. 174. ad majorem Ecclesiarum aedificationem for the greater edification of Churches and this must be for the making them the better 15. Sixthly He saith g Reas Acc. p. 53. they speak not a word of the lawfulness or utility of reading Prayers And what they speak of Forms he would it seems have meant not of Forms read but gotten without Book of which he discourseth p. 25 26. But they judge Forms profitable h Cons Cont. p. 174. p. 176. modo cum debita attentione reverentia c. ex libro pronuncientur if they be with due attention and reverence pronounced out of a Book This our Author but half a page before p. 52. thus expressed so they be read with attention so the Walachrians If this be not enough they further declare i p. 176. sacras Scripturae literas legunt fideles c. Christians read the holy Scriptures with understanding humility reverence zeal c. and why may not Prayers be pronounced in the same manner Ch. III. out of prescribed Forms And here again our Author but two pages before p. 51. translates these words of the Walachrians quidni orationes eodem modo ex praescriptis formulis pronunciari possunt and therefore why may not Forms of Prayer be so read These frequent contradictions in this Discourse make me sometimes apt to think that whereas it always speaks in the plural number as we believe we judge we say it may possibly be
the title of Prayers to wit as he counts them according to the Septuagint Psal 16.85.89.101 but in our English Bibles Psal 17.86.90.102 And from hence we may infer the usefulness of Forms for the promoting piety according to the purport and design of my foregoing Argument 40. Liturgies justified by allowing Psalms in Meter to be sung Secondly Whilst he allows the using set Forms of Prayer and praising God in meter to be good and Religious because the matter is directed by God though the expressions are not he doth hereby so far as concerns reason and Argument yield that which will necessarily infer the usefulness of Liturgies to be in like manner generally used For the like allowance may certainly be made to the use of words in prose which may be made to them in meter which is according to his sense that they may by all Christians be profitably used where the matter of them is none other than what God himself hath directed us to pray for and the words such as are fit to express that matter which is according to his will And there is greater security of the matter of a fixed well-considered Liturgy being such as God approves of than there can be in the usual variations of the conceived Prayers of some thousands of persons 41. Thirdly Whilst our Author declares he i p. 78. Ecclesiastical Hymns of publick use in the Christian Church abhorreth any singing in publick worship or what is not composed by the Pen-men of holy Writ even this also is very unreasonable The Scriptures indeed direct us both to pray and to sing praises to God but it is the matter and pious performance of them and not the different tone or flexure of the voice which God regardeth And it is certainly as hard a task for him to prove that we may sing to God in no other Hymns but what are expressed in Scripture as it would be for him to prove that we may pray to God in no other Prayer than what is contained in Scripture which would be as much against other conceived Prayers as against Forms Especially when in some ancient Churches as well as modern their practice was what k Aug. Cons l. 10. c. 13. S. Augustine commends in Alexandria in the time of Athanasius that their reciting Psalms or Hymns was modico flexu vocis with a small alteration of the voice and the manner of uttering them was pronuncianti vicinior quam canenti more a deliberate speaking than a proper singing But there must be an extraordinary acuteness of nicety to discover why any person may express the praises of God according to his own conceptions in his ordinary way of speech but may not do it in somewhat a more deliberate way of pronunciation 42. Fourthly If it had been for our Authors purpose he would have thought it a sufficient proof from Scripture for the composing new Hymns that the Prophet Isay with respect to the Gospel times commands to sing to the Lord a new song Is 42.10 And that the Angelical Hymn Luk. 2. and those of the Virgin Mary of Zechary and of Simeon were all of them newly composed for the special occasions that the Apostle declared he would sing with the spirit 1 Cor. 14.15 and that S. John in his Vision of the Gospel worship representeth the Church as singing a new song Rev. 5.9 and ch 14.3 And however this Writer censureth this the general practice of the Christian Church hath ever admitted and used some hymns composed by men having a particular respect to Christianity as our Church ordereth the Son of S. Ambrose Very many such Ecclesiastical Hymns are collected by l Cassand Hymn Eccl. Cassander And this practice was as early in the Church as the end of the first Century when Pliny upon Examination of the practice of the Christians in their Assemblies found that they were wont upon a set day to meet together before it was light m Plin. Epist l. 10. Ep. 97. carménque Christo quasi Deo dicere secum invicem and to say an hymn to Christ as being God one towards another Now in that it was their usual practice to say such an Hymn and that this was expressed by the generality of the Assembly this speaks it a Form which they used and the phrase of secum invicem is a considerable intimation that they expressed it by parts or Responsals one towards another And its being said to Christ as God makes it highly probable that it was an Hymn particularly composed under Christianity in honour of Christ But this is fully confirmed in that it was part of the charge against Paulus Samosatenus by n Eus Hist Eccl. l. 7. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Council of Antioch that he suppressed the use of those Hymns which were upon our Lord Jesus Christ as being new things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the compositions of men of late days And that there were various Psalms and Odes composed before that time by Christians concerning the Divinity of Christ is also declared in o Eus Hist l. 5. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eusebius 43. But the true cause why our Author doth not allow of any Hymns composed since the Apostles time is not from any Reason or Scripture but because this would not serve the interest of his opinion and withal secure the practice of our Dissenters For he acknowledgeth that the whole Congregation joining in singing p Reas Acc. p. 78. cannot possibly be done but by a set Form without notorious confusion and therefore the allowing new Hymns to be composed would include an allowing men to appoint Forms of Prayer and praise And besides this he is sensible that they cannot without running into many indecencies pretend to abilities of constant varied conceptions in the making Hymns since as he saith q p. 78. not one of many attain the gift of Hymn-making 44. Concerning the Holy Scriptures he saith r p. 60. there are Precepts for reading them and also promises in the same case But this doth the more strengthen my Argument because such Forms as are so far appointed and approved of God can be no hindrances to Piety He saith also f p. 61. that there are different workings of the Soul to God in Prayer and in reading But though there be different acts of the mind exercised in these duties yet that consideration reverence faith submission and other gracious dispositions which sute the special parts of divine truth doth require as much seriousness diligence and care in reading the Holy Scriptures as in Prayer And however having shewed that a Form of words in Prayer doth not hinder any exercises of piety therein I do not think this exception to deserve any further answer 45. But what he saith t Ibid. that there are different workings of the soul towards God in singing and in Prayer I suppose he will upon further consideration discern to be an oversight Since the
prevented 4. And besides this how much this Uniformity which is una eadem publici Divini cultûs externi forma in the expression of l Thes Sal. de Liturg. Par. 3. n. 32. Cappellus doth contribute towards the promoting Unity Peace and Charity I shall represent in his words It is that saith he qua arctius colligantur in eadem sincerae Religionis Fidei Charitatis communione inter se fidelium animi c. in which the minds of the faithful are more closely knit together in the same communion of sincere Religion Faith and Charity amongst themselves and thereby in the Church in every Nation c. there is less of disturbances factions contentions schisms and divisions from that infinite diversity and multiplied variety of external worship which must necessarily arise if there be no certain and prescribed forms of that worship to which all are kept And now is it a pitiful thing that our Governours should in the best manner take care for the preventing so much evil and the promoting so much good or is it not rather an unworthy thing to reproach and calumniate the good deeds of others and especially of our Superiours 5. But whereas our Author declares for an Vniformity in matter of Prayer pursuant to an unity in doctrine and calls that a e Reas Acc. p. 149. beauteous Vniformity when we all speak the same thing as to the matter of Prayer do the same thing in the same specifical acts of worship and on the same day the Lords-day I desire two things may be here observed First that our Author doth not pretend that men ordinarily ought to pray for other things than what may be contained in a well-disposed Form so that the Question only is whether where the matter is the same we are to prefer fixed known and well deliberated words or sudden uncertain and changeable expressions Now all the great advantages mentioned in the foregoing Paragraphs and in the first Section of this Chapter are on our side when on the other side men may have the greater opportunity of shewing what a volubility of speech they have attained unto and what store of good expressions they are furnished with which may gratify the inclinations and fancies of some â—â—en but are not of chief advantage to piety 6. Secondly Let it be considered Ill effects of the want of such an Vniformity whether it can be reasonably expected that Vniformity in the matter of Prayer and the worship of God and Vnity in doctrine should be continued where publick Forms are rejected Now no better tryal can be made of such a case as this than by experience unless it can be proved that the minds of men are now otherwise disposed than they were in those days when this Kingdom had a plain experimental proof hereof But concerning Uniformity in the matter of Prayer it is a thing notorious that in our late times when the Liturgy was taken away the Presbyterians Independents and other Parties prayed one against the other and against the establishing that way of Government which others of them prayed for divers persons made their own passions singular opinions and errors a considerable part of their Prayers others rejected all confession of sins as not owning it to be any part of their devotion In many places of this Kingdom that great part of Christian worship in the Administration and participation of the Lords Supper was for ten twelve fourteen and sixteen years together totally laid aside the administring Infant Baptism was by some Ministers disused and by others appropriated to a select Company I might instance in other things wherein the matter of Prayer then varied too generally from what our Liturgy and the rules of our Religion direct us to particularly concerning our Prayer for the King it being not amiss observed by our f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 16. late gracious Soveraign that one thing which made many be the more against our Liturgy then was on this account 7. And they were then so far from Vnity of doctrine that one who professed himself a Non-Conformist acknowledged about 1646 g Gangraena Part. 1. p. 175. We in these four last years have overpast the Deeds of the Prelates in whose time never so many nor so great errors were heard of much less such blasphemies and confusions We have worse things among us more corrupt doctrines and unheard of practices than in eighty years before denying the Scriptures to be the word of God denying the Trinity and the Divinity of Christ the Immortality of the soul the resurrection of the Body Hell and Heaven c. And I know no sober Christian will call this unity in doctrine 8. But though our Author thinks fit unreasonably to vilify uniformity I suppose some Readers will be apt to think that of the two his words may be the more truly returned upon himself That the affecting that pitiful thing called vaâ—â—ing of words and phrases never entred â—â—o the heart of God to command to â—â—e a part of his Religion and it should not enter into the heart of any good man 〈◊〉 think that such things will please him 9. In another place this Author expresseth much evil to be produced by Liturgies As that they are h Reas Acc. p. 63. an engine of perpetual discord and are made use of to deprive the Church of God of hundreds of â—â—dly and painful Ministers and to the like purpose he speaks i p. 130. Of the causes of ourdiscords and divisions elsewhere Now â—e who shall consider that there have been Liturgies in all ages of the Church of God from the beginning and that no discord was occasioned by them and that they are of themselves of excellent use and that when our Liturgy was laid aside almost forty years since this was far from procuring concord he will be apt to think that our Author hath mistaken the true cause of our discords and divisions But there are other plain and manifest causes thereof viz. from an ill temper of mind whereby men neglect the due reverence they owe to their superiours and the care they ought to maintain of peace and Vnity in the Church when some men set themselves with eagerness to oppose regular establishments upon slight grounds and others yield themselves to be led by the passions and errors of those whom they esteem and when many causlesly affect new things and indulge themselves to set up for new models of ordering the Communion of the Church and the way of divine worship These things will indeed perpetually cause divisions unless they be removed And if any Ministers shall rather forsake their Ministry than admit of any Forms of Liturgy the true cause of this will be from some of the things now mentioned or else from their own great mistakes in being perswaded by such weak Arguments as his discourse may furnish them with or else from their going too far to comply with and
a renewed and Holy life is necessary hereto is manifest from that wrath and threatning denounced against workers of Iniquity and from the impossibility for them to find favour in the sight of God who do not do the Will of our Father which is in Heaven 14. Yet the Gospel justification upon these terms of Grace in the new Covenant is still through the redemption of our Saviour and faith in him and from the benefit of his Sacrifice we receive the pardon of our sins in the Holy Sacraments of the Gospel especially in the administration of which Sacraments is a principal part of the benefit of the Ministry of Reconciliation But it cannot be that the Righteousness of Christ should be so imputed to us that we should be looked on as having done or suffered what he did or suffered for then must every Christian be reputed and looked on as having performed the office of Mediator and having paid to God the price of Redemption for the sins of the World and as having made Reconciliation and obtained thereby Remission and then besides many other gross absurdities they might be invocated on this account for the dispensing the same And they who are reputed to have performed compleat actual sinless Obedience need no such Grace whereby they must receive pardon and Remission But the Holy Jesus by his Sacrifice hath made a way of Reconciliation and as our Mediator hath by his Blood established that new Covenant of Grace whereby through his Redemption we may be justified upon performing the Conditions of his Gospel And I see no other blame can be charged on this Doctrine unless it be that it is consistent with it self and with what was delivered by the Apostles of our Lord. CHAP. VII Praying by a Form is very rashly and injuriously charged with mocking of God IN his seventh Chapter he produceth his sixth Argument which is That for (a) Reas Acc. p. 115. Ministers who have the Gift of Prayer to perform publick Vocal Prayer by the prescribed Forms of others is to pretend to do an act of Worship and at the same time not to do it and is (b) P. 115 to mock God and deceive their own Souls 2. Now this is a very heavy Charge if it be true and can be proved but if all this shall appear to be a false Accusation and to be untrue Ch. VII it is then no little Slander and Calumny upon the Religious Worship of God Praying by a Form no mocking God and upon all those Churches of God and Pious Christians who make use of Forms in their Prayers And to make good his Charge our Author must here recal and deny what he hath so often granted That the use of Forms of Prayer are in themselves lawful and that they may be lawfully used by Ministers in some cases For if they be a mocking of God and the duty of Prayer is not really performed in the use of them but is only pretended so to be to the deceiving mens own Souls then they are certainly unlawful 3. Now his chief and yet trifling Argument to make good this very weighty and heavy Charge is this (c) P. 116 117. That the command to go and Preach requireth the Ministers exercise of his own Inventing and Composing and therefore so must the Command to make publick Prayers Now in answer to this it may be sufficient to say The nature and exercise of Prayer is sutably performed by a Form That every Duty is to be performed sutably to the nature of the Duty it self or in such a manner as may best tend to the pleasing of God and the exercising true Piety therein But in publick Prayer Religious Devotion and gracious dispositions and desires towards God are the great things to be practised and to that end the use of a Form of words in publick Service is well accommodated as I have shewed and therefore may be not only fitly but profitably used 4. And with respect to Preaching though our Author will find it a difficult task to prove that in every Instruction a Minister is bound to have new matter of Invention and Composition yet his greatest mistake is in supposing the cases of Instruction Exhortation or Preaching and of Praying to be parallel For where in instructing others in the knowledg of Religion Of the comparing Preaching and Praying it is the Ministers duty to teach them what they before understood not and to that end to use new Words that they may learn Knowledg it can never be imagined that he ought also to acquaint God in Prayer with what he before understood not And when in Exhortations to Men to make them better and to change their Tempers it may be of good use to suggest to them and urge upon them such Arguments and Considerations as before they either never thought of or at least did not duly consider the weight and force of them there is not the like reason of using frequently new words and expressions to God as if men were to put him in mind of the force of such things as he had not considered Surely nothing can be more weak than to insist on such unlike Comparisons instead of Arguments 5. But besides this he tells us that those words in Scripture which are used in commanding publick Prayer are not used concerning the reciting or reading the words of others Thus he saith when Prayer is commanded Hos 14.2 and Joel 2.17 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say and he saith (d) P. 118. He is not awar of any Text in the Old Testament where that word signifies the Recitation or repetition of Words formed by others Of the words of Scripture which enjoyn Prayer Now if this was true it would be very little or not at all to purpose unless he could prove that the using of the words of a Form is not Speaking or Saying But yet in truth notwithstanding his pretence to Critical Observations in which he is also very unhappy this very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Speak or Say is very frequently in the Old Testament used for reciting the words prescribed by others as in Gen. 32.4 Deut. 26.5 Deut. 27.14 and in many other places 6. And he tells us (e) P. 119. That in the New Testament the Precepts for Prayer are expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Pray and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Say to wit in Praying But what meaneth he Are these words never made use of for the reciting a Form of Prayer when they are the very words by which the Lords Prayer is prescribed The former (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 6.9 and both of them (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 11.2 And the former of them together with the Noun derived from the latter is used (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 26.44 to express our Saviour his Praying the third time saying the same words I might also mind our
Author that giving thanks to God is in Scripture expressed to be done in reciting the words of others 1 Chron. 16.7 But though I was not willing to pass by any thing which he urged though but under the appearance of an Argument I must intreat the Readers pardon in giving him the trouble of perusing a thing so very inconsiderable as this Argument is 7. Indeed he tells us (i) p. 120. he layes a greater stress upon his former Arguments than upon this but what little reason he hath to lay any such stress upon them may I hope by this time appear But he saith he cannot think this altogether vain and impertinent but of that let others judge But withal this Argument had need to be of great force when upon the account of this he tells us again in the (k) Ibid. close of this Chapter he makes it a great question whether if we think to fulfil the command of God for vocal Ministerial prayer by reading Forms we should not come short of what God requires and both mock God and deceive our own Souls Thus some men with extravagancy enough can speak great and swelling words supported or rather unsupported by weak feeble and impotent Arguments And his last words of this Chapter are That there is neither Precept nor President for praying by Forms which assertion he hath peremptorily avowed again and again though it be plainly against both the Scriptures and the sense of the Vniversal Church and the contrary thereunto I have above (l) Chap. 3. Sect. 2 3. plainly proved CHAP. VIII C. VIII Forms of Prayer are falsly accused of debasing the Ministry and of several unblest Effects HIs seventh Argument is (a) Reas Acc. p. 120 121. That Ministers performing their Ministerial acts in Prayer by prescribed Forms tends to level the sacred Office of the Ministry to the capacity of the meanest of the People but saith he (b) p. 121. God would never have erected an Office to do what the meanest person in the Church hath a natural ability to do And he there adds there is nothing plainer in the whole Book of God than that God hath established a peculiar order of persons to be his Ministers to declare his will unto his People and on their behalf to intercede with God in Prayer And he saith if this (c) p. 122. might be performed by Forms there would be no great reason for any peculiar maintenance for the Ministry nor for Honour and Reverence to them Now in answer to this I shall observe four things 2. Obs 1. That he gives a very defective description of the work and business of the Ministry as if it only consisted in being Orators and in the well using words and expressions Of the work and Office of the Ministry And this is no more than a master of a Family may do to instruct and pray for those of his Family but it must be the exercise of a special power of Office which must be the chief Ministerial performances of those who are in the Sacred function of the Ministry Wherefore by special Authority and Commission to receive persons into the Church in the name of Christ and to govern them in it to exercise the power of the Keys to consecrate the holy Sacraments and therein to exhibit in Christs name the tender and seal of remission of Sins and by his Authority Ministerially to dispense Absolution and Remission to them who are qualified to receive it by performing the conditions of the Gospel these and other such acts of Authority are the great and chief parts of the Ministerial office which he wholly omits And even instructions and prayers performed by those who are in this Sacred function are of greater moment because of their Office But what God worketh by their Ministry is especially to be regarded and if this was nothing as (*) Chrys in 2 Tim. c. 1. Hom. 2. St. Chrysostome argues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Thou thy self neither hast any Baptism nor dost thou receive the Sacraments nor dost thou enjoy Benedictions nor indeed art thou a Christian 3. Obs 2. The use of Forms of Prayer is far from rendring learning knowledg and such like abilities useless or needless for the Ministry nor can any man that knows the work and duty of a Minister judge so Besides his preaching so as to approve himself a workman that need not be ashamed he is by his Office to be a spiritual Guide to the consciences of others Learning and knowledg greatly requisite to the Ministry when they apply themselves to him for Counsel and Advice not only for their comfort but chiefly for their practice He is to direct and oblige Offenders who are under his care to observe the due rules and exercises of Repentance and this with respect to conscience men ought to take more notice of than most persons do And in a time when the Church and Truth hath many enemies and this Author might have been better employed than to have appeared as one the Ministers of the Church are to be able to convince or at least to confound their Adversaries and detect their errors and the danger of them They are also to watch over their charge and as much as may be to preserve them from being led aside by the slight and cunning craftiness of them who would deceive them And these are things which require far greater abilities study care and diligence than is needful to enable any man to use fluent expressions in Prayer 4. The weanest persons Aâ—â—ristred in the Church when forms of Prayer were disâ—â—ed most Obs 3. The time when Liturgies were laid aside in England was that time when many of the meanest of the People both men of weak abilities who yet could speak confidently and also men of bad and erroneous Principles were thought fit to be taken into the Ministry in the place of many sound and able men who were cast out And the performing Prayer and popular Sermons after that method our Author contends for in expression of their own may be effected to the satisfaction of great numbers of ordinary hearers whatever may be pretended to the contrary by a man who hath a forward tongue and but indifferent parts without any considerable learning or study and without much knowledg of the Doctrines of Religion and Christianity There are so many evidences of this among the several parties of our divided Separations that the chief persons among our Dissenters do very well know the Truth thereof 5. Obs 4. Our Author's assertion That God would never erect an Office or Order of Persons to do what the meanest of the People have a natural capacity to do is also certainly false The Priests Office under the Law For under the Law the office of the Priests was particularly appointed to minister before the Lord by offering Incense and Sacrifices though Corah and his Company and any other of the
this in a (u) Ch. 3. Sect. 4. former Chapter and therewith justified Uniformity and shewed the great benefit of it and of Forms of Prayer upon this account I shall not need to repeat it again here 12. But that he may vent himself the more against Liturgy and Vniformity he tells us that in the case of Daniel the Princes resolved (w) p. 150. it necessary to establish an Vniformity in Prayers and all must be commanded to pray only to Darius Yet here was nothing of Vniformity in words and phrases of which he was discoursing but that matters not An act for Uniformity is no such wicked thing as the prohibitive Act of worship by Darius so long as an occasion can be taken to reproach Vniformity He might as well if he had pleased have called that precept of our Saviour Mat. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve an act of Uniformity only that would not serve his purpose to insinuate that Liturgy and Uniformity are like that act in the time of Darius designed wholly for mischief and to hinder the worship of God and to establish Idolatry against the second commandment though not so grosly as in worshiping the Persian Kings who were wont to receive Divine worship as is evident in the many testimonies produced by (x) Drus in Esther c. 3 Drusius But these things are so manifestly uncharitable that every sober considering man may easily discern them And since the Holy God appointed certain Forms of Prayer to be used under the old Testament and our Blessed Saviour prescribed the Lords Prayer under the new and since the ancient Jewish Church and the Christian Church in the purest times used Forms of Prayer no considering person who hath any sense of God or Religion can think that all these must be condemned of designing nothing but mischievous things and the ruining the true way of Religion how far soever some mens angry temper may be unjustly displeased with Forms and Vniformity 13. This Writer in some following pages discoursing about the ability or gift of Prayer at length saith (y) p. 154. as we judg the Apostle Heb. 5.1 hath given us the perfect notion of a Minister in the description of the high Priest he is but a person taken from men and ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he might offer Prayers and praises Preach and administer the holy Sacraments So he But I hope he was not knowingly so bold with the Holy Scripture as to alter and change both the words and sense of it as he pleaseth when the Apostle speaks nothing in that place of Prayer Praise Preaching or Sacraments but of offering gifts and sacrifices for Sins And therefore I shall pass by this as a gross oversight in him or possibly something may be left out by the Printer 14. I now come to justifie five Reasons mentioned in my (z) Ch. 4. p. 97.98 99. Expediency of set Forms proved Libertas Ecclesiastica besides others which I vindicated in the third Chapter of this discourse for the requisiteness of set Forms of Prayer which I there produced to shew not only the lawfulness but the usefulness and expediency of Forms 15. My first Reason was because hereby a fit true right and well ordered way of worship in addresses to God may be best secured to the Church in the publick service of God To this he saith 1. That alone is (a) p. 156. 1. as best securing a fit and right way of worship a right way of worship which God hath instituted And I reply that Prayer performed with a devout heart where the matter is holy pious and religious and expressed without affecting variety of words is according to his will and appointed by him But he hath not instituted the very words we are to use upon all occasions whether we pray by a Form or by any conceived Prayer of which I said more Chap. 4. 16. He saith (b) ibid. 2. That God should be so worshipped is reasonable but that this should aforehand be secured is not possible in men who may err nor will Forms secure it which may be read falsly and disorderly enough To which I answer That when he requires that none should be admitted to the Ministry (c) p. 153. and in other places who have not the gift of Prayer is not the intent of this to secure as much as may be the right performance of that duty but this may be best provided for by a Form as I shewed in the second and third Chapters And what he speaks of reading falsly as a disparagement to Forms is inconsiderable and is one of the weak Arguments of the meanest disputants for Oral Tradition against the Scriptures For there may be as many mistakes Of reading falsly see also n. 24. in reading the Scriptures as the Prayers of the Church and besides that they who would decry their Authority can talk of their being possibly printed false or it may be in some things translated amiss or that the copies whence they were translated might not be every where pure and right But such little objections are easily seen through by men of understanding 17. He saith 3. (d) p. 157. That for twenty years together the worship of God was performed in a well-ordered manner in hundreds of Congregations in England without Forms Now though I have shewed Chap. 2. 3. that it cannot be reasonably expected that it should be constantly performed so well in any one Congregation by any Person whomsoever in a way of constant varying as in the use of a good Form yet there ought to be respect had to all our Congregations And we do not think that a well ordered Worship where one or both the Sacraments were in many places disused and other considerable parts of Worship and Prayer as confession of Sin purposely and generally omitted by others as I observed above And the several Sects ordered the Worship of God according to their own Errors And I can as easily be persuaded that the Papists Arians and Donatists did rightly order the Worship of God as that all our several Sects and Parties did so 18. My second Reason was That needful and comprehensive Petitions for all spiritual and outward wants with fit thanksgivings may not in the publick supplications of the Church be omitted which can be no other way so well or at all secured To this he saith (e) P. 157. It is to the shame of our Church 2 As providing for a comprehensiveness of Prayers if there be not Persons enough sufficient for this and however there are some Now in this Answer he contradicts what in the foregoing Page he said in answer to my former Reason to wit That it is not possible to secure this right Worship before-hand And I have above shewed that no Persons in using constant alterations can perform publick Worship with that due fulness comprehensiveness and