An Account of Cawdrys Triplex Diatribe, Chapter 6 · Section 6
Sect. 6. The fifth inſtance vindicated. Circumſtances of Prayer acknowledged free. Difference between placing worſhip in geſtures, &c. and pleaſing God by them. So in Feſtivals,
MY fift inſtance was in ſecret prayer, 1. of the adjoining bodily worſhip to it, any ſuch as is moſt humble, and yet not under command, as proſtration &c: 2. of the frequence of it, ſeven times a day, with David, or ſome other proportion above that which is by the evangelical law ſuppoſeable to be required of us. To this he anſwers briefly, that Prayer indeed is a worſhip of God, but for the manner, geſtures, times frequency, they are not properly worſhip, but circumſtances, rites, &c. left to the liberty of every perſon, and ſo though free, not parts of worſhip.
This anſwer is very brief indeed, but needed not to have been larger, being in theſe few words a yielding of the whole cauſe; For is it not evident, that if geſtures and times be free, then ceremonies and Feſtivals are ſo too, and if they are, then are they lawful at once and uncommanded, for freedome comprehends both thoſe being free to be done and ſo lawful, free to be left undone, and ſo uncommanded. I need adde no more, ſure, of that.
What followes in that §. is on purpoſe deſigned to involve this plain matter, and reduce it into an intricacy: And the way to do it is to confound or ſhuffle together, theſe two things, placing the worſhip of God in them, and pleaſing God by them. But to this I anſwer, that theſe are two diſtant things, and ſo in all reaſon to be ſevered. He that juſtifies or defends the uſe of the humbleſt geſtures in the ſervice of God, and affirms them to be more acceptable to God, then either the leſſe humble geſtures, or thoſe which have no humility at all in them, doth not yet place worſhip in them but willingly acknowledges that God may be worſhipt without them.
So he again that undertakes the defending of other Feſtivals annually commemorative of the birth and aſcenſion of Chriſt, &c. beſide the weekly commemoration of the reſurrection, and affirms it to be acceptable to God that we obſerve theſe alſo, and that the thankful pious obſervation thereof is more acceptable to God then the contrary whether negligence or contumacy, doth not yet place the worſhip of God in theſe Feſtivals, but in the prayer and thanksgiving which are offered to God in thoſe Feſtivals. And the ſame will certainly hold in all other particulars, to which either the Treatiſes arraigned by this Diatribiſt, or this defence have attempted to extend it. Such are the frequent, daily, and conſtant houres of prayer, either publick, or private, ſuppoſing as ſtill I do, that they do not interfere with, or ſupplant any other duty, or run out all into formality, &c.
Of this laſt frequency of Prayer, he would fain perſwade us that it is not a foreign (but a debt) and to that end tells us firſt of pray continually, that the ſcope of it is to command frequent prayer every day, and 2. that it hath reſpect to the frequent occaſions and neceſſities of men every day, and ſo bindes to pray as oft as need ſhall be, with ejaculatory prayers at leaſt. And yet in the midſt of this, ſpeaking of the particular number of 7 times a day, he is content to acknowledge it true what I ſay, i. e. that it is no debt. And if ſo, then is that all that I contend for, ſuppoſing a man to pray as oft as that precept [Pray continually] obligeth, & withal to uſe ejaculatory prayers as need ſhall be, and yet farther to have more frequent daily returns to the ſolemn performance of that duty, then that precept is pretended to require, then ſtill this is under no precept, and yet no doubt acceptable, and ſo ſtill as exact a foreign as could be pitcht on.