A Conference in Boston with the Elders of New England, Reasons – Title page 2
Twelve Reaſons laid down againſt preſcribed and ſtinted Formes of Prayers or Prayſes.
Reaſ. 1.BEcauſe it is againſt Gods glory, in ſtinting unto him ſuch a daily meaſure of Service (conſiſting of Prayer or Praiſe) and ſo hindering the ſpirituall petitions and phraſes, that otherwiſe would be, if Gods good gifts were uſed.
It is againſt the dignity of Chriſt, which hath qualified his Saints with a proportionable meaſure of the gifts of the Spirit, for Prayer or Praiſe, 1 Cor. 14. 15, 16. in making their gifts needleſſe and uſeleſſe, when they can ſerve themſelves with Books, and Formes, without them.
It quencheth the gifts of the holy Spirit; becauſe it hath no ſpirituall imployment for Prayer nor Praiſe in his ſpirituall houſe, 1 Pet. 2. 5.
God is ſo jealous of his glory, that hee cannot endure his worſhip ſhould be corrupted with the leaſt mixture of man: Nadab and Abihu, for offering with ſtrange fire which God commanded them not, were deſtroyed with fire from the Lord, Levit. 10. 1, 2.
Vzzah, for touching the Ark contrary to the order of the God of Iſrael, was ſmitten dead, and Iſrael had a breach made amongſt them, 1 Chron. 13. 9, 10, 11. compared with 1 Chron. 15. 12, 13.
Jeroboam deviſed worſhip at Dan and Bethel, though hee pretended by it to worſhip the true God, and advance the worſhip of Jehovah; yet hee worſhipped nothing but the Devils, and Calves that hee made, 2 Chron. 11. 15. And it became a ſinne to Jeroboam and his houſe, to deſtroy it root and branch, and all the Kings that countenanced and upheld it; 1 Kin. 13. 34. 2 Kin. 17. 21, 22, 23. But ſuch as feared the Lord amongſt them, both Levites and Prieſts, left their Cities, and poſſeſſion; and of the people, ſuch as ſet their heart to ſeeke the Lord God of Iſrael, came to Jeruſalem: So Jeroboams Kingdome weakned; but Rehoboam, that gave liberty of conſcience to worſhip the true God, ſtrengthened; 2 Chron. 11. 16, 17.
Now, was God ſo jealous of his glory under the Law, that hee that …inned againſt that worſhip which God by Moſes preſcribed, hee died without mercy? how much ſeverer puniſhment are they worthy of, that ſinne againſt the Sonnes authority, ſeeing hee is Lord of the ſpiri…uall houſe, whoſe houſe are wee, Heb. …. 6. And the heavenly Father commandeth us to heare him, Mat. 17. 5. and that in all things, or our ſoules muſt periſh, Acts 3. 22, 23? Now, if we worſhip God in prayer or praiſe▪ or any other way, by any innovation or invention of man, let us heare what our Prophet Jeſus ſaith In vaine yee worſhip me, teaching f… Doctrines the Commandements of me… Eſay 29. 13, 14. Mar. 7 6, 7, 8. An… however it may ſeeme glorious … our eyes, yet God hath ſet th… ſtigma on it, That it is a vai… worſhip.
I cannot worſhip God in a ſtinte… forme of worſhip, in prayer, a… praiſe, and the like, leſt I make … ſelfe guilty of the bloud of Chriſt.
Chriſt by his death hath free me from the whole Ceremonia… Law, ſo that if I conſent to rea… againe what Chriſt by his dea… hath aboliſhed, I crucifie Chriſ… make my ſelfe gailty of his blou… and as much as in me lieth, exp… him out of the Nation.
Now, the Ceremoniall Law h… his conſtitution in Iſrael, either fro… Moſes, or from God: Not from … for hee was a ſervant in his …ouſe, and hee did nothing in the Tabernacle, nor about it, but what God ſhewed him, Exod. 25. 4. Acts …. 44. But the Ceremoniall Law … his originall law from God: Now, if the death of Chriſt were …f that power, to put an end to the …hole Ceremoniall preſcribed …orſhip, ſo that whoſoever ſhould …are it again ſhould crucifie Chriſt, …nd make us guilty of his bloud, &c. …hen, that death of Chriſt is of …rce, to put an end to mans Cerenoniall Worſhip:
But the firſt is true; Ergo, the …ter.
Object.The Conſequence is denyed.
Anſw.That power which can diſanull …e greater, muſt needs diſanull the …er; if the death of Chriſt put an … to the heavenly Fathers Cere…oniall Worſhip, and in prayer and …aiſe, at, or before the Ark, or in …e Temple; then it will put an …nd to all mans deviſed Worſhip, unleſſe you will advance the authority of man above God the Father. Col. 2. 20, 21, 22, 23. If Chriſt by his death hath freed us from the rudiments of the world, the Moſaicall Ceremonies, why living in the world are wee intangled with ordinances, after the doctrine, traditions, and commandements o… men?
Object.But they are ſet up for the glory of God.
Anſw.Not I, but Paul ſhall anſwer fom me; They have a ſhew of wiſdome, i… will-worſhip; but it is onelyonly a ſhew there is no ſubſtance in it.
Wee harden the obſtinate Papiſt in their ſuperſtition; for they ſay and that truly, Wee received mo… of our formes of prayer and prai… from them.
Wee rob the Spirit of his glory who is given to Saints to form prayer and praiſe in them, 1 Cor. 1…. 15, 16. Rom 8. 26. Gal. 4. 6.
Wee impoſe a burthen upon … conſcience to be practiſed, which God hath left arbitrary, to be uſed according to our neceſſities; If we be afflicted, then pray; if wee have taſted how bountifull the Lord hath been to us in bleſſings, then let us praiſe him; Jam. 5. 13.
If wee frequent deviſed formes of Worſhip in prayer or praiſe, we ſhall lay a ſtumbling block before a weak brother, and cauſe him to fall. Woe be to them that follow the way of Balaam, who taught Balackto caſt a ſtumbling block before the children of Iſrael, Revel. 2. 14. Jud. v. 11. Now offences muſt come, but woe unto the men by whom they come: It were better for me, that a milſtone were hanged about my neck, and that I were caſt into the ſea, then that I ſhould offend one of theſe little ones, Luk. 17. 1, 2.
If wee frequent deviſed formes of Worſhip in prayer or praiſe, we ſhall offend our conſciences; (even ſo many of us as are Saints enlightned, to behold the beauty of his ſpirituall Worſhip, performed, or offered in his ſpirituall houſe, the Congregation of the faithfull united;) Now if our conſciences condemne us, God is greater then our conſciences, and hee will condemne us alſo, 1 Joh. 3. 19. for he knoweth all things. Therefore I ſay to you (who blame us for not frequenting deviſed forms of Worſhip in prayer and praiſes) as Shadrach, Meſhach, and Abednego did to King Nebuchadnezzar, We are not carefull to anſwer you in this matter; Our God whom wee ſerve is able to deliver us out of your hand: But if he will not, be it known to you, we will not ſerve your gods; nor worſhip our God in that deviſed way that men ſet up, Dan. 3. 16, 17, 18.
It one ſet form of ſpirituall Worſhip in prayer and praiſes had been needfull, Chriſt would have left one: But the Prophets, Chriſt, the Apoſtles, never prayed nor praiſed God by any ſet forme of Worſhip invented by man; but by the powerfull worke of the holy Spirit, Rom. 8. 26. Gal. 4. 6.
A ſet forme of Worſhip preſcribed in prayer or praiſes, cannot in prayer expreſſe the ſeverall neceſſities of Gods people; for the more grace they have, the more they ſee their owne wants; and the more ſenſible they are of their owne infirmities, corruptions, and ſinnes. Neither can it in praiſes expreſſe the manifold experiences that the Saints daily obſerve of Gods mercifull dealing with them: Therefore a ſet Forme of prayer or praiſes to Gods Saints, and faithfull ones, principled with a ſpirit of prayer and praiſe, it is altogether unuſefull; 1 Cor. 14. 15, 16.
Soli Deo honor & gloria
FINIS.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE Spirituall TEMPLE: OR THE SPOUSE Prepared for the LAMBE, The LORD JESUS.
Written by FRANCIS CORNWEL, a Miniſter and Servant of Jeſus, the Chriſt, for the benefit of poore diſtreſſed conſcences, in City and Countrey.
LONDON, Printed by John Dawſon. 1646.