The Vindication of Liturgies Proved No Vindication, Introduction · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Containing a Reply to what the Vindicator hath ſaid Chap. 5. p. 193, &c. The Vindicator grants, the Superior may tye up Miniſters and People to Forms in the publick Congregation, and in Families, but not in Cloſets. His reaſon, why not in Cloſets, holds, as to Congregations and Families. They have new Emergences daily. The Evil of tying up, all to Forms expreſſed, exemplyfied, in the neglect or omiſſion of Praiſes to God for deliverance from the late Helliſh Popiſh Plot, and of Prayers for the perfecting of that Salvation: The Vindicator ſaith nothing cogent to prove that Forms of Sermons ought not to be as Univerſally impoſed and uſed, as Forms of Prayer.
1. THe Anſwerer p. 193, comes to my fourth Argument, which I laid thus:
To agree a Principle, which (being agreed) is of ſufficient force to reſtrain the total exerciſe of the Gift of Prayer, is ſinful.Reaſo. Account p. 93.
But to agree it lawful for Miniſters ordinarily, in their Solemn Prayer, to perform their Acts of Prayer by the preſcribed Forms of other Men, were to agree ſuch a Principle. — Ergo.
I ſuppoſed, none would deny the firſt Propoſition, becauſe it could not be denid… without allowing man, to ſuppreſs the total exerciſe of a moſt eminent Gift of the Holy Spirit of God. I proved the Second Propoſition, by an inductio… of the ſeveral kinds of Prayer, and ſhewing, That the Superior had as much Authority to command the uſe of Forms in the Pulpit, as in the Deske, in our Families as in either, yea' and in our Cloſets too, and the Inferiors Obligation to Obedience would be as much concluded as to one place as another, becauſe it related to the Superiors Dominion; and ſo far as that extended, ſo far the Inferiours Obligation to Obedience muſt extend. This was the ſum of what I ſaid, what ſaith our Vindicator to all this?
2. Will he deny the Major? I find not a word in his whole Chapter that way. But it is the Minor which his looſe diſcourſe ſeemeth to deny, but before he doth it he muſt again be premiſing. 1. That he hath before ſhewed that Mens Ability of Expreſſion (which is not properly the Gift of Prayer) are not on other accounts neceſſary to be uſed, unleſs where they be requiſite for the better performing the Worſhip of God. What he hath ſaid about the Gift of Prayer I have anſwered, and proved, That an Ability fitly to expreſs our minds to God in Prayer, is properly the Gift of Prayer, if we ſpeak (as we do) of Vocal Miniſterial Prayer; For the other part of this ſentence, beſides what I have further ſaid before to prove them a Divine, Natural, Proper Mean, I would again know of him, whether every man, as to his own practice, muſt not be judge of his better performing the Wo…hip of God; if he muſt, he hath ſaid nothing.
3. As to his premiſing that he hath before ſhewed the uſefulneſs of ſet Forms in themſelves for the Pablick Offices of Religious Worrship. I have pr…ved that as to Prayer, they cannot be eſtabliſhed … without mans taking upon him to appoint one Eſſential part of VVorſhip in Vocal Prayer, which himſelf denieth man a power to do: I have alſo proved, Gods Inſtitution of another mean, viz. our own Abilities.
4. But he tells us, That he not founding their lawfulneſs and expediences meerly upon obedience to Superiors, can be no ways concerned to determine and enquire after the extent or boundaries of the Authority of our Governours in this thing. But yet I hope we neither being able to ſee, nor yield any ſuch uſefulneſs of them for all Miniſters, muſt enquire, whether we be not obliged to the uſe of them from the meer command of Superiors, and if in that thing they be not our Superiors, that is, have no power to command, we can have no obligation upon us to obey; nor are any of thoſe great Topicks from an Obligation to Ʋnity and Submiſſion to be uſed towards us; for why ſhould not thoſe who are ſo Zealous for Forms, as well unite with us, as we with them, eſpecially conſidering that words in Vocal Prayer are an Eſſential part of Worship, the Calves of our Lipps, which muſt be creatures onelyonly of Gods making. If our Vindicator will only argue them lawful, becauſe they are uſeful, we are not of that mind: ſo let it be a Problematical Queſtion, but then let not us be railed at as Schiſmaticks and ſinfully diſobedient to Governours, who judge them not lawful, and ſo not the object of Superiors power.
5. Beſides, in ſo tender a thing as Gods Worſhip; every thing as we can fancy uſeful is not therefore lawful. Indeed the uſefulneſs of things in Gods Worſhip, muſt be concluded from a preceeding Preſcription of God. No Act, Part or Mean of Worship is uſeful, which God hath not directed by the Light of Nature or in his Revealed Will.
6. As to what he tells me, p. 194. n. 4. I anſwer, That no good Chriſtian can yield a Reverence to Superiors, where he cannot ſave his Reverence to God, in the firſt place; and that he cannot do, till he be ſatisfied, that his Superior is his Superior in that caſe; i. e. That God hath given him a power to command and to determine him in the caſe, if it be the Will of God, that another Mean ſhould be uſed in that caſe, by thoſe that have it; Or if it be the Will of God, that as to any Act of Worſhip a mean ſhould be left to his Peoples liberty as under the Law it was in caſe of the Turtle Doves, or young Pigeons, before named. It is no Reverence to, but a ſinful flattering of Superiors, to tell them by our Tongues, Pens or Practice, that they may appoint ſuch means, as God hath not appointed, or that they may appoint and determine where it is the Will of God that his Miniſters or People ſhould be left at liberty. And Chriſtians ought not to yield Principles, which are improveable againſt them, to carry them on to further ſins.
7. But in the next place he comes to conſider, Whether it be not lawful to forbear Prayers, (conceived Prayers at leaſt) before and after Sermons, he thinks it is. Well then if it be lawful (ſay our Conformable Divines) it may be commanded by Superiors, and ſuch commands ought to be obeyed by Inferiors. Then it is true which I ſaid, That Superiors may wholly in Publick Worſhip ſuppreſs the Gift of Prayer.
8. But what ſhall we ſay for Families? p. 200, he thinks a well compoſed Form may be uſed in a Family. I think ſo too, if he that Miniſtreth hath not the Gift of Prayer, or if it be a form compoſed by himſelf. But the Queſtion is, VVhether Superiors may command the uſe of ſuch, and no other. He ſeemeth to conclude they may, for he determineth them lawful, and according to the Principle, That Superiors may command even in the Worſhip of God what is lawful, not what is neceſſary only; They may alſo as to Families ſuppreſs the uſe of our Gift of Prayer, or Ability to expreſs our ſelves to God in Prayer. So it is granted, that by a Superiors command, the Exerciſe of the Miniſterial Gift of Prayer may be ſhut out of all Churches and all Families; and indeed it is ſo as to a great many.
9. Well then, may we pray otherwiſe then by Forms in our Cloſet, admitting Superiors did command us alſo there to pray only by Forms? He tells us p. 203. That Forms of Prayer are of excellent and ſingular uſe in Families and Cloſets? But p. 202. he tells us as to Cloſets, That if any Superior should forbid all ſuch Confeſſions and Petitions [in Cloſets] this being againſt the duty of a Creature and a Chriſtian, ought not to be ſubmitted to. So then, the Superior in this caſe is no Superior: But I pray why? Where hath God given the Superior a licence to determine the words of Vocal Prayer in one place, more then in another? I am ſure it is not in Scripture, and I cannot conceive how it ſhould be in Nature.
10. Our Anſwerer offers but one thing in reaſon for it, Becauſe there are many things concerning the Perſons own particular wants, which cannot be comprized in a Form, are needful matters of his private and retired Devotions; p. 201. Will not the ſame reaſon hold for leaving Forms of Prayer at liberty to be uſed or not uſed in publick Congregations? What State, what Church almoſt is there, that every Month hath not ſome new particular wants, I will not ſay which cannot be comprized in a Form, but which cannot be comprized in the ſame Form; and if Forms for the Publick muſt upon this account be renewed every Moon, why may they not, or ſhould they not, for perſons be renewed every night (that is only matter of trouble.)
11. Here's one great evil of ſtanding Forms, they cannot provide for the greateſt Emergencies. Within theſe Two years laſt paſt, we have had as great iſſues of Providence, with reference both to our moſt Sacred Soveraigns Life, our Religion, and Civil Government, as ever any Nation or Church in the World had: as great things to give God ſpecial thanks and great praiſe for: as great things to begg of God, for our Bodies, our Souls, our Poſterity. What hath there been in all our publick Forms for it? How many Congregations have there been, where God hath not had one Thankſgiving for ſo great Diſcovery; or one Prayer imploring him either to avert the dangers feared, or his aſſiſtance to our King and Councels for the fuller diſcovery of the wickedneſs, and perfecting our deliverence. I believe ſince Chriſt had a Church upon the Earth and an intereſt in any Kingdom, of the Extent of ours, an inſtance cannot be given, where the King and Parliament, unanimouſly and without any perſons contradiction of it, declared, That they were fully ſatisfied by the proofs they had heard, that there then was, and for divers years laſt paſt …ad been, an Horrid, and Treaſonable Plot, and Conſpiracy, contrived and carried on by thoſe of the Popish Religion, for the Murthering of his Majeſties Sacred Perſon, and for ſubverting the Proteſtant Religion, and the Ancient and Eſtablished Government of the Kingdom. Which was done both in October and November 1678, and again March 25. 1679.
And God received ſo few ſpecial Praiſes for our deliverance, or heard ſo few Special Petitions in reference to it, from multitudes of the Miniſtry of the Nation in their Publick Services; nor indeed could it be helped, conſidering they were tyed to Publick Forms, compoſed many years before any ſuch thing appeared.
12. Another miſchief is this, That upon publick Emergencies, all Miniſters are tyed to ſuch Petitions, as thoſe who make the Forms will prepare, which very little, or nothing at all concern the ſpecial providence, and where they concern it, very little, or nothing at all. How much is God either mocked or deprived of his Glory? We have had ſo late and famous an Inſtance, as no more plain one can be. The King and Parliament in Nov. 1678, had declared their full ſatisfaction as before, and the Parliament applyed themſelves to his Majeſty for a Solemn Publick Faſt. His Majeſty proclaimed it: 13. No. 1678. and in order to it, gave Order for Forms of Prayer proper for it to be made. One Form was made, in which was not any thing new of that nature. This was complained of in Parliament. They Voted another Addreſs, complaining of it, and deſiring ſome ſpecial Forms might be made, taking notice of an Horrid Popiſh Plot, &c. His Majeſty gave preſent Order accordingly. A Second was made, which came out but 4 or 5 days before the Faſt day, but time enough to be ſent into the Country. But on the Lords day a Member of the Houſe complained to the Houſe of Commons that in that, there was not one word of Popiſh Plots, &c. upon this the Houſe Voted a third Addreſs to his Majeſty about it, his Majeſty preſently Ordered it, then the words Popiſh Plots came in, but it was too late to ſend it in that Form all over England. We truſt the King and Parliament of England will from hence conclude, how unreaſonable a thing it is, to tye up all Miniſters to Publick Forms. Since that time, how many occaſions have been for ſpecial Petitions and Thanksgivings, but in very many (I will not ſay moſt) Congregations, God hath loſt that acknowledgment of his influence upon Humane Affairs, becauſe the Miniſters have been tyed to their Old Forms. And from hence I doubt not to ſay, but in a great meaſure it is, That not a few Miniſters, and multitudes of People, have found no difficulty, either to deny there was any ſuch Plot, or is any, or to leſſen it, and turn it to a ridicule, or to inſinuate that honeſt Proteſtants were the Plotters. The often repeated Declarations of it by the King and Parliament, the ſeveral Declarations of the Council, the proceedings againſt the Plotters by the Reverend Judges, are not enough to make theſe Men believe a matter of Fact ſo often proved before them. Let this be in anſwer to the Proviſion for particular Emergencies by Collects, p. 199. This is enough to have ſpoken to this Chapter of our Vindicators; where the Principles we ſeem to differ in are, 1. That all Miniſters may be lawfully tyed up to Forms of Prayers made by others, in the Church, and all People in their Families; and they are uſeful for thoſe who have Abilities to Pray in their Cloſets. 2. That Forms of Prayer for any States and Churches, may be made, comprehending all wants of Churches and States, upon particular Emergences of Providence. I utterly deny the former, and the latter too, if there be not a renewing of them every Month or Week.