The Samaritan Showing Healing, Section 11
SECT. XI.
BEfore I proceed to the remaining Propoſals, I muſt take leave by the way to ſpeak with an Objection or two of ſome folks, who are like to be troubleſome. That Conceived Prayers in Publick Aſſemblies, are unlawful, I never yet ſaw proved, and I believe never ſhall. Neither do I think it any ſuch Novelty as ſome men imagine. There are ſeveral Paſſages in the Fathers that make it ſeem very probable, that they made uſe of Extemporate Conceptions. I will mention a few of them. Illuc ſuſpicientes Chriſtiani manibus expanſis, quia innocuis, capite nudo, quia non erubeſcimus, denique ſine monitore, quia de pectoreoramus, precantes ſumus omnes. Tertullian in Apologetico, cap. 30. What Tertullian means by praying without a Monitor, or Teacher, and by praying out of the heart, unleſs it be by a habit, by preſent Conceptions I underſtand not. Nor do I know how he that prays by a Form can be ſaid to pray without a Teacher. We worſhip with Supplications according to our ability, foreign, the One God, &c. Origen contra Celſum, l. 8. And in the ſame Book, foreign, according to preſent given in Ability, which latter words expound the former, foreign, and makes it appear that their Prayers were Extemporate. To this ſame ſenſe ſome underſtand thoſe words of Juſtin Martyr. The Preſident as his Ability ſerves, foreign, ſends up Prayers and Thankſgivings, the People joyfully ſaying Amen. Apol. 2. cap. 39.
But 'tis objected, that thoſe that uſe that way of Praying, do many times ſpeak Nonſenſe, and blaſpheme in their Addreſſes and Supplications to God Almighty, to which I have theſe few things to ſay, 1. I believe thoſe that make this report of mens Extemporate Conceptions, do not ſpeak upon their own knowledge, (they having little or no Communion with ſuch, as make uſe of them) and thoſe that are their Informers, peradventure may be none of the moſt upright, juſt and impartial men, but may put an ill ſenſe upon words that are very innocent, and of ſound and ſafe ſignification. 2. Let this Objection be acknowledged true, what can reaſonably be inferred from it? Is it unlawful to be uſed, becauſe ſome men have not skill enough to perform it? Will not the ſame Argument hold againſt Preaching? And may it not with as much reaſon be ſaid, ſome men Preach Nonſenſe, Falſe Doctrine, Slanders; others Preach fooliſhly, and pedantickly, not to the Edification, but to the Amazement of their Congregations, and therefore Preaching is unlawful. If this Method of Argumentation be good in one caſe, 'tis good in both; but I am of Opinion, 'tis good in neither; and that the better way of Arguing from thoſe miſcarriages is thus. Some men are neither able to Pray extemporately in a decorous manner, nor to Preach ſoundly, and to the Edification of their hearers, therefore they muſt let it alone, till they be better inſtructed in the one and in the other: Or in Prayer, let them uſe a Form (which I do not doubt is lawful) and in their Sermons let them take aſſiſtance from Books, whoſe Authors were better skill'd in the Art of Preaching than themſelves; but in the mean time let them not condemn thoſe, that need not theſe Helps and Aſſiſtances, but can Pray and Preach in comely, grave, and profitable manner, out of the abundance of their own hearts.
Another Objection as wiſe as the former, is this: In Extemporate Prayers men ſet their hands to a blank, and ſay Amen to they know not what; they give the ſame blind Aſſent to the Prayers of every Prieſt, or Extemporizer, that the Papiſts do in things doctrinal to the Authority of the Church. This very ſilly Objection hath been inſiſted on, & urged, againſt Extemporate Prayers, by ſome very great men: To which I reply. 1. If men ſaid Amen to Petitions before they heard them, or before He that Prayes had expreſſed himſelf in words concerning them, there might be ſomething of ſenſe and truth in it; but Aſſenting to Petitions before they are made, and uttered, is a thing that I underſtand not, nor thoſe, I believe, that have Communion in thoſe kind of Prayers; and if Perſons do not give their Aſſent till the Petition be formed, or expreſſed by words, I hope they may deny their Aſſent, if they judge the matter of it unlawful. 2. According to this Doctrine, no man can joyn with another in Prayer ſafely, unleſs he know aforehand what is the Matter and Contents of it; and thus we muſt have Forms of Prayer for all occaſions and emergencies (if it were poſſible to hit of them) as well as for ordinary Caſes, or elſe perſons may ſet their hands to a blank, and ſay Amen to they know not what. We muſt have an Univerſal Form of Bleſſing before Meat, and of Thankſgiving after it, or Form of Prayer for all Maſters of Families, Tutors, &c. which muſt be alwaies uſed, and no other Form; a Notion that ſome of thoſe that are in Bedlam may poſſibly believe, but it would be ſtrange that any that are out of that place ſhould believe it, unleſs ſome few that ought to be ſent thither. 3. The experience of multitudes of good and pious People, doth confute this Objection every day. They are ſure they do joyn heartily in Extemporate Prayers, and that they do not ſet their hands to a blank, or ſay Amen to they know not what. They know that they Aſſent not to Petitions before they be expreſſed, and that they do Diſſent where they do not approve them, though 'tis very ſeldom that they have occaſion for it; For who are thoſe perſons that expreſs themſelves in words ſinful, blaſphemous, and without ſenſe, they do not know. But enough of this; and peradventure ſome may think I have ſaid too much, to take notice only of ſuch a brainleſs Objection.
This is ſufficient to my purpoſe, that Diſſent from a Publick Lyturgy, and the Uſe of Conceived Prayers, are no Reaſons for making Churches or Perſons Schiſmatical. If any things of this nature are enough to denominate ſingle Perſons or Societies of Men Schiſmatical, 'tis in the Power of thoſe that are uppermoſt to make whom they pleaſe Schiſmaticks. Perſons and Churches may walk in all the Statutes and Commandments of the Lord blameleſs, and yet be cut off from the Church of God as Schiſmatical and conſequently be excluded Life Eternal; for 'tis affirmed of late, that whoever is cut off from a particular True Church, is cut off from the Church Univerſal, out of which there is no Salvation; and ſo, for ought that I can ſee, a Man, or a Society of Men may be very good Chriſtians, and yet ſhut out of the Kingdom of Heaven. Which I ſhall be very ready to believe when I can think the Surface of the Moon to be no broader than a Sieve, or the Body of the Sun no bigger than the Globe that Atlas bears upon his ſhoulders in Cornhill. Ce ſeroit un grand bien que les fideles fuſſent ſi purfait, ment d'accord qu'il n'y euſt ent'reux qu'un ſeul ſentiment ſur toutes les choſes de la religion: Mais ce bon heur eſtant pluſteſt a ſouhaitter, qu' a eſperer pour l'infirmité de noſtre intelligence tamdis que nous voyageons en la terre, l'Apoſtre nous ordonne de nous retiner & moderer, en telle ſorti qu'il ſi rencoutre de la diverſité dans noſtre concord. Daillé ubi ſupra.