More Work for Priests, Answer 14 – Answer 15
I. GREENWOOD.
I Have proved in the first Argument, that no mens writtngs are to be brought into the publique assemblies, for there the liuely graces of Gods owne spirit and Cononical Scriptures onelyonly must be heard: In the Seconde, the vnlawfullnes of reading for praying, in the third, the vnlawfullnes to impose any thing by commaundement, that God hath not commaunded. And here we shall handle in few wordes the end of your stinted praiers. Your distinction is, far, differing from the wisedome of the spirit, for though many thinges be at all tymes needfull to the publique assemblies, yet stand not the assemblies either all at any tyme, or anie at all times in the same neede and feeling of them, or fitnes to receave them, so that except you cā make all assemblies in the same want of such thinges as are alwaies needfull, or any at al times in the same preparednes to aske, and use them that be needfull, you can make no stinted prayers for them. Give eare then to the Scripture in this point 1 Cor. 2.11. For what man knoweth the thinges of a man, if not the spirit of man which is himself, &c. Againe, who knoweth what (shalbe) tomorrow? Iam. 4.14.Whiles you then thought to have founde out more then the only wise governour of his house lawe needfull for his worship in his Church, and of every soule, you have lifted up your self into his seate: and taken the office of his spirite upon you, who searcheth the heartes and knoweth the reynes, and teacheth his people how and when to aske, according to his will and their needs, Rom. 8.26.27. also the spirit helpeth our infirmities, for what we should pray as we ought, we know not: But the spirit it self maketh request for us with sighs and groanes, which can not be expressed: Yet searching the heartes knoweth, the meaning of the spirit, because he maketh request for the saincts according to the will of God. And wher you say then, that if we marke the prescript forme of prayers of all Churches, we shall see this regard,Rom 8.7. and 11 34.1 Cor. 2.16. & 3.19. that nothing be left out which is necessarie, etc. This bewrayeth your shallownes, the wisedome of the flesh is foolishnes with God: who hath searched the depth of Gods spirit, or knowne the minde of man? who can prescribe the estate of all Churches, and what every moment is needfull to be praied for? Odious then is such drosse of a fleshly mans heart.
Your second provision, that nothing be prayed for in your liturgy that falleth seldom out, but they are limited to the time. Your Church hath not this provision, you compell men to pray against thunder and lightning at midd winter, and in your most solemne feastes against sodeine death: But the truth is, till you amend your wayes, God will accept no sacrifice of you, much lesse requireth this at your handes, to doe more in his worship then he hath commaunded.
And where you say, in the Church of England the preachers are not limited touching the matter of their prayers, it is not true, you are all sworne to your portuis, howsoever, you may omitt some of it for your Sermons, and under pretext therof. what part you will. And why is ther not a forme for prayer prescribed, to be used after and before your Sermons? is it because the text is not allwayes the same, or that the speaker is not in like fitnes, or the auditorie in the same preparednes? I assure you these thinges might be sufficient cause why you cannot use alwaies the same wordes, and pray according to your necessities, and even so standerh the case for al other affaires in the Church. The disposition of the soule and the distresses thereof, continve not in one state one howre. But let me tell you why you have no forme of praier for your preachings, In manie of your parishes, or (as you would have them) Churches, Sermons are of those rare thinges, whereof you saye ther can be no prescript forme of praier, yea your liturgie approveth a ministerie and sufficyent administration without anie doctrine, which sheweth it came out of the divells forge, and not out of Christes Testament.
But seing you would take vponupon you to set so manie prescript formes of prayer, as ther are thinges necessarie for every assemblie to pray for, wher Christ hath set none. And if it were a thing so necessarie to have prescript wordes at the administration of the Sacraments, I asked you whether our saviour Christ had not forgott himselfe as you thought, that when he commaunded his ministers to go preach and baptise, and shewed them the wordes of institution, and the Elementes to be vsed with all things thervnto needfull, he did not prescribe some forme of wordes for prayer in particular: In the tabernacle every pinne was prescribed, so that ether such formes of praier are not necessarie, or Christes Testament hath some wants. To this you answere, that it is not of necessitie ther should be a sett forme of praier prescribed for the administration of the Sacraments: The minister may conceive praier, etc. Hold you to this, that it is not of necessity: you will denie it againe in the next Argument. Wel here you graunt, it is not of necessitie. But you have not answered me, tell me whether you hold it necessarie or no. if it be at all times necessarie, the Testament is not perfect. Againe do you not hold it of necessitie, when you excommunicate men, & depose your ministery for not observing it? But you saye, it is for conveniencie, If it be a part of Gods worship, and all times convenient, then is it necessarie, and if it be not necessarie, put such conveniency in your corner Capp, or surplus. Nowe if it be necessarie at all times: you must prove it is commanded in Gods worde, or els say that all things necessarie in Gods worship be not conteyned in Gods worde, which were blasphemous and papisticall to affirme. To this you graunt all things necessarie and convenientare conteyned, and aske if I be ignorant that ther be manie thinges conteyned in the Scriptures, that are not expressed in particular, but be gathered from the generall rules. No, I am not ignorant of this; but if it may be gathered ether by expresse wordes, or by generall rules, that there should be prescript formes of praier for the administration of the Sacraments, or anie other particular action of the Church, then must it be so of necessitie, because God hath commaunded it, though not in particular, yet in generall rules: But you graunt it is not of necessity: therfore it is not commaunded in particular, nor conteyned in anie generall rule,
Yet you demaunde of me, if one should, obiect that ther were not commaundement in the scriptures, nor example for anie prayers to be made at all before preaching etc. I would say he should lye against God, we1 Tim. 4. 5. Act. 16.13.13 have both. For the Apostle shewes it was the chief part of their office, to continue in the worde and prayer. Act. 6.4.1. Cor. 14. and 1. Tim. 2, 1 Acts. 2.42. besides, all things are sanctified vntounto vsus by the word & praier. And because they never vsed doctrine in the Ch., but praier wēt before therfore their meetings is said to be vntounto praier, some things ther are I graunt that are not prescribed in particular, and yet are commaunded by general doctrine, as baptisme of Infants. But whatsoever is commaunded either in particular or necessary collections, from generall rules, are of necessitie to be obeyed, as the commaundements of God and may not be altered, but your particular forms of prescript wordes have no such warrant. Nowe seing you would have no prescript wordes of prayer for the minister to vle before his preaching, not of necessitie for the Sacraments, & have none for excommunication, etc. I wondred wher of your Portuis is made, & wherto it should serve, except for churchings, and burialls and such popery, wherby you leaue the commaundements of God to sett vp your owne traditions. And here vponupon I demaunded, wherupon you would make your stinted and sett praiers. You marueile I should be so babling and make such questions, you meane about your babling worship. You saye of the particulars of the Lordes praier. I demaunde nowe againe, whether you can number the starres of heavē, or the sandes of the sea, if not, much lesse the particulars of the Lords praier. There is medecine, and direction of praier for every soule & every disease, therfore to be drawē fourth by doctrine & parier as need requireth, you would sett a liturgie vponupon some thinges, and compell men thervnto every meeting, which were no thing els but to seale vp the fountaine, and send men to the drye pitts of your execrable devises, from the whole fountaine, to a pitcher of water, from the liuely graces of Doctrine and prayer, to your owne writings. Paul commaunded to pray for Kings and Princes, yet bounde no man what wordes to vse. The Lord give you repentance of such presumptuousTim. 2.1 34 5. sinne, as to alter his worship. If you cannot knowe the estate of the soule before hand, you can make no formes of wordes for it.
The Eight Argument.
Read prayers were devised by Antichrist, and maintaine superstition and an Idoll ministery: therfore read prayers and such stinted service are intollerable &c.
G. GIFFORD.
Antichrist devised manie blasphemous wicked prayers. But to say that the making or following a prescript forme of prayer was his, is most false, for there were Liturgies in the Church of olde, before Antichrist was set in his throne &c.