A Just Defense of Hearing the Sermons, Chapter 7 · Section 9
Sect. 9. Praying in a Form, may be praying in the Spirit.
2. Saith this Author, That tis lawful for Saints to pray in a Form (i. e. to tye themselves to a written stinted form of words in Prayer) is not yet proved, nor like to be; tis too large a field for us to enter into: nor is it needful to do so, till it be proved, That to pray in the form of the Common-Prayer Book, or imposed devised Liturgies, is so: Yet in transitu, we crave leave humbly to offer, That to pray in a Form, as before explained, is altogether unlawful, being,
1. A quenching of the Spirit of Prayer.
2ly. A rendring useless the donation of the Spirit, as a Spirit of Prayer, unto the children of God.
3ly. Directly opposite unto the many positive precepts of Christ, before instanc'd in, of stirring up the Gifts given to us of God, improving the Talents he hath been graciously pleased to intrust us withall.
4ly. If it be lawful for Saints to pray in a Form, tis lawful, either because they have not the Spirit; or that having the Spirit, he is not a sufficient help to them in their approaches to God: If the first, they are not Saints, Rom. 8.9. To assert the second, is little less than blasphemy, besides its direct opposition to Rom. 8.26.
Answ. The position of this Author here, by his words, appears to be, That not only it is altogether unlawful for Ministers, but also for all Saints, all that have the Spirit of God, to pray in a Form: And though he seems to mean by his addition, that he counts it only then unlawful, when they tye themselves, … whether by vow, or customary use, or once only, to a stinted form of words in Prayer, without variation, written, not conceived by him that prays, and kept in his memory; Yet his Arguments are against using any set Form, by any Saint, conceived by himself, and kept in memory without writing, though but once used: For then the Spirit of Prayer is quenched, its donation is rendred useless, its against the positive precepts of stirring up our Gift, improving our Talent, disabling the Spirit; which are at no time to be done: And if so, no way of Worship of Christs institution, and therefore Idolatrous, and, by this Authors Doctrine, to be separated from; and therefore this Authors principles▪ carry him, not only to separate from hearing the present Ministers, but also from every Saint, that not only often, but once useth a set Form, devised by himself, in Family exercises, as before meals, or other times: And, if he be of Mr. Ainsworths mind, in the controversie between him and Mr. R…binson of old, he must not only separate from the publique communion of the Church of England, but also from the private religious communion of every one that joyns in common Prayer, or in private stinted forms of Prayer, except they profess their repentance: And if we should prove it lawful to pray in the form of the Common-Prayer Book, or imposed devised Liturgy (which seems no hard thing to do, if we suppose the Ministers, and Common-Prayer Book Worshippers, not to have the Spirit; for then, by his Arguments, they do not quench, make useless, neglect the gift of the Spirit; and therefore are not forbidden a stinted Form, which would overthrow this Argument against the Ministers) yet we must do somewhat more; we must prove it lawful for the Saints, who have the Spirit, to use once a stinted form of words, though it be the Lords Prayer only. Which I think will be done by this Argument: That Prayer may be lawful to Saints, in which neither is any thing done forbidden by God, nor any thing omitted which God requires thereto, but such may be praying in a Form: Therefore. To what this Author humbly offers, I answer,
1. That the things he offers, proceed only upon mistakes: That the praying the Spirit, Ephes. 6.18. Jude 20. in the Holy Ghost, is meant of extemporal, unpremeditated, unprescribed forms of words▪ Whereas, praying in the Spirit, is meant of praying by the operation of the Spirit within, not of Prayer in respect of the form of words wherein it is expressed; which may be gathered concerning the former Text, in that the Prayers there, which are to be in the Spirit, are all, alwayes with all prayer and supplication, watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication: which cannot be well expounded of other Prayers, than such as are solitary, of which many are only ejaculatory, without words: And this is confirmed by the words, Ephes 5 19. where the effect of being filled with the Spirit, is the speaking to themselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord in their heart. Besides, as all the directions, Eph…s. 6.13, 14, 15, 16, 17. are precepts of what each Christian should do by and for himself: so is v. 18. and so, if not solely, yet chiefly meant of solitary Prayers, to which words are not necessary; and therefore, praying in the Spirit, is by the operation of the Spirit in the heart, not by the Spirits immediate forming of words in the tongue. And the same is to be said of Jude 20. Of 1 Cor. 14.15. I have spoken before, in answer to ch. 5. sect. 7.
2. The ability to express petitions in words extemporary, unpremeditated, is termed, the Spirit of Prayer, as if it were in every one that hath the sanctifying Spirit of God, and they only; for so the alleging Rom. 8.9.26. for it, in the 4th. Argument, must inferr. But who knows not by experience▪ that many that have not the Spirit of God, have yet this ability to admiration, as is related by Camden, Saravia, the Author of the relation of the conspiracy concerning Hacket, in Q Elizabeths time, and many others: And on the other side, many whose holiness of life shewed they had the Spirit, yet not this ability; and therefore it is ill called, the Spirit of Prayer, whereby many unwary souls are ensnared with the opinion, as if such as can express themselves fluently in words, largely, and with shew of affection, were immediately moved by the Spirit; and they distill thereby into many inconsiderate persons, errours and evil principles: Whereas it is acknowledged to be but an acquired ability, with help of natural endowments, and many times is proved to be but a counterfeit and deceitful practice. Now then, in answer to each of the particulars, I say,
1. That the Spirit is not quenched, as is forbidden, 1 Thes. 5.19. by a set Form of Prayer, used by another, and read out of a Book, any otherwise, than by a pronouncing without a Book, a conceived Form; the ability of another to conceive and utter, for matter and words, is as much limited by the one, as by the other. It is true, when prejudice is against reading, or the Forms read, or the Reader huddles it over, or delivers it coldly, it much abates the affection of the hearer: and so it is in saying over a conceived Prayer, if there be a prejudice against the person, or his delivery be dull and heavy. And it is not to be denied, that lively affectionate expressions, with readiness of speech, and apt emphatical words, have much energy on hearers; and so sometimes it is, when a written Sermon or Prayer is well and pathetically pronounced: So that the Form doth but lessen the affection by accident, not necessarily, and of it self; and thus either when a stinted Form is pronounced by another, or by the person praying, it may be very incommodious to use it, usually such Forms being read or said without heed or feeling. Yet universally it is not so: Nor is the quenching of the Spirit (meant 1 Thes. 5.19.) meant of the Spirit of Prayer, more than any other exercise of godliness or gifts, whether ordinary or extraordinary: Nor is the quenching the Spirit, the act of another, but of him in whom the Spirit is quenched; who, either by his sinful life, or by cares, and riches, and pleasures of this life, and lusts of other things, ch…kes the word of God (which is the sword of the Spirit, Ephes. 6.17.) as our Saviour speaks, Luke 8 14. and they bring no fruit to perfection (unto which sense the following Exhortations, of not despising prophecyings, and proving all things, v. 20, 21. do incline me) and so the sense is, Quench not the operation of the Spirit, by the preaching of the Word, whether by embracing errours, or by evil lusts: Or if, by the Spirit, be meant, the comforts or extraordinary gifts of it: In any of these wayes, the quenching is by the persons own act, in whom the Spirit is quenched: It is neither, by any Interpreter I meet with, or any shew of reason, applyed to the extinguishing or slackning the ability of another, to utter and conceive Prayers, by publique use of a Liturgy, which doth not any otherwise quench that ability, than any other way of expression doth the ability of the hearer, which must be stinted; and so, the Spirit of Prayer, as this Author terms it, be quenched by the speaker in all joynt-prayer, unless it be allowed all to speak together, contrary to 1 Cor. 14.27. Whence I conclude, that this Text is most impertinent: And though it be, that some mens reading, and in like sort, some mens speaking without book, some using of a set Form in publique, and in private, may by accident, through the fault of the speaker, hearer, or user, abate the fervency of spirit in solitary or joynt prayers; yet it is not so necessarily, or of it self, and therefore not unlawful, nor quenching the Spirit of Prayer, nor a rendring useless the donation of the Spirit, as a Spirit of Prayer, unto the children of God, as this Author speaks in his 2d. Offer: But in some cases a stinted Form is helpful, both to the understanding, memory, affections, utterance in prayer, both publique and private, as many holy Saints have found by experience.
To the 3d. I say, That the precept to Timothy, of stirring up the gift of God, which was in him, by the putting on of Pauls hands, 2 Tim. 1.6. cannot be understood, of the ability to express himself in extemporary prayer; but of his ability to preach the Gospel, as 1 Tim. 4.14. is meant; which he is encouraged to by the next words, v. 7. For, God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind; or, as some read, of castigation, or reducing others to s…briety. However, it is impertinent to the purpose of the Author here, it being not meant of exciting the gift of expression in prayer with others; and yet, if it were, he that reads a Liturgy, may stirr up the gift of expression at another time, if he cannot when he reads. As for the impr…ving of the talents, Matth. 25.15.27. Luke 19.13.23. it is the duty of every Christian, and not only of Ministers; and if it be meant, of using abilities in joynt-prayer, every Christian must, as he is able, utter himself in prayer, contrary to 1 Cor. 14.26, 27. I conceive, by comparing Matth. 25.29, 30. with Matth, 13.11, 12. Mark 4.24, 25▪ that the talent which is given to each, is the knowledge, or teaching of the Word of God, or the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, which each person is to improve, by bringing forth the fruits of it, Matth 21.43. Or if it be meant of the Ministers gift, it is to be understood of his ability to preach the Gospel, and the improving it, by converting others to faith and obedience; not of so mean a thing, as an ability of conceiving and uttering Forms of prayer without book.
As for the 4th. thing offered, The lawfulness of the Saints praying in a Form, is neither because they have not the Spirit; nor, that having the Spirit, he is not a sufficient help to them in their approaches to God: but because in such praying, neither is any thing done forbidden by God, nor any thing omitted thereby, which God requires for the performing the duty of prayer. The Spirit, I grant, is sufficient to help in our approaches to God, and doth help, Rom 8.15.26 But that it is done by enabling, by immediate inspiration, to utter matter of prayer, for the benefit of others, is not meant in those places. And indeed, such a mistake hath filled some with high conceit of themselves, and others with admiration of such, to their mutual perditions: Whereas this is but a common gift, or rather an acquired ability▪ often used with cunning to deceive others, of which there are many footsteps in the affected expressions, & otherwise, which shew, their p…aying is not from the Spirit of God, but their own spirit▪ But of the impertinency of this Text I have spoken before, in answer to ch. 5. sect. 7. It follows,