Concerning the Lawfulness of Joining with Forms of Prayer Part 1, Title page – Publishers advertisement
CERTAIN Cases of Conscience RESOLVED, Concerning the Lawfulness of Joyning WITH Forms of Prayer IN Publick Worship. PART I. VIZ.
I. Whether the using of Forms of Prayer, doth not stint and limit the Spirit.
II. Whether the using Publick Forms of Prayer be not a sinful omission of the Ministerial Gift of Prayer.
III. Whether Praying by a Publick Form doth not deaden the Devotion of Prayer.
LONDON: Printed by Henry Hills, Jun. for Fincham Gardiner at the White Horse in Ludgate-street, 1683.
Books Printed by FINCHAM GARDINER.
A Continuation and Vindication of the Defence of Dr. Stillingfleets Unreasonableness of Separation, in Answer to Mr. Baxter, and Mr. Lob, &c.
A Perswasion to Communion with the Church of England.
A Resolution of some Cases of Conscience, which Respect Church-Communion.
The Case of indifferent things, used in the Worship of God, Proposed and Stated by considering these Questions, &c.
A Discourse about Edification.
Considerations of present use, considering the Danger Resulting from the Change of our Church-Government.
The Resolution of this Case of Conscience, Whether the Church of England's Symbolizing so far as it doth with the Church of Rome, makes it Unlawful to hold Communion with the Church of England?
A Letter to Anonymus, in Answer to his Three Letters to Dr. Sherlock about Church-Communion.
A RESOLUTION OF THE Cases of Conscience, Which concern the Use of FORMS of PRAYER.
ONE of the main Points which our dissenting Brethren insist on to justifie their Separation from our Church, is, That our Publick Worship is perform'd in a Form of Words of Man's Invention; which, they conceive, is unlawful; for hereby, say some of them, the Holy Spirit, who inspires our Prayer, is stinted and limited, and hereby the Gift of Prayer, say others, which the Holy Spirit communicates to Ministers, to inable them to express the Devotions of their Congregations to God, is rendred useless; and not only so, but even the Devotions of the Congregation too are mightily deaden'd, by being continually express'd in the same form of words: besides, that the wants of Christians being various, casual, and emergent, cannot be so fully represented in a fixt Form, as in conceiv'd Prayers, which upon the account of their variation in Expressions, may be the better extended to the continual variations of Mens cases and circumstances: besides all which, say they, we have no warrant for the use of Forms, either in Scripture, or pure Antiquity; and if we had, yet an universal imposition of them, can by no means be lawfully compli'd with: this, according to the best recollection I can make, is the sum of what our Brethren urge against the lawfulness of joyning with us in a stated Liturgy, or Form of Publick Worship: and therefore, in order to the satisfying their Consciences in this matter, I shall reduce their whole Plea to these following Cases, and indeavour a plain and clear resolution of them.
1. Whether Praying in a Form of Words, doth not stint or limit the Spirit of Prayer?
2. Whether the Use of Publick Forms of Prayer, be not a sinful neglect of the Ministerial Gift of Prayer?
3. Whether the constant Use of the same Form of Prayer, doth not very much deaden the Devotion of Prayer?
4. Whether the common wants of Christian Congregations may not be better represented in conceiv'd Prayer, than in a Form of Prayer?
5. Whether there be any warrant for Forms of Prayer, either in Scripture, or pure Antiquity?
6. Whether, supposing Forms to be lawful, the imposition of them can be lawfully compli'd with?