View of the he New Directory, Appendix
A Poſtſcript by way of Appendix to the two former Chapters.
Sect 1 THe truth of all which we have hitherto ſpoken, if we have not ſufficiently evidenced it already, will abundantly appear by one farther teſtimony, which is authentick and undeniable to them, againſt whom we ſpeak. And it is, (what the providence of God, and the power of truth hath extorted from them) their own confeſſion, in a book juſt now come to my hands, called, a Supply of Prayer for the Ships that want Miniſters to pray with them, agreeable to the Directory eſtabliſhed by Parliament, publiſhed by authority. From which theſe things will be worth obſerving, 1. That the very body of it is a ſet forme of Prayer, and ſo no Superſtition in ſet formes. 2. That their publiſhing it by authority, is the preſcribing of that forme, and ſo 'tis lawfull to preſcribe ſuch formes. 3. That the title, [of Supply of Prayer] proveth that ſome there are, to whom ſuch ſupplies are neceſſary, and ſo a Directory not ſufficient for all. And 4. That [its being agreeable to the Directory.] Or as it is, word for word form'd out of it, (the Directory turn'd into a Prayer) ſheweth, that out of the Directory a Prayer may eaſily firſt be made, and then conſtantly uſed, and ſo the Miniſter ever after continue as idle without exerciſing that gift, as under our Liturgy is pretended, and ſo here under pretence of ſupplying the ſhips, all ſuch idle Mariners in the ſhip of the Church are ſupplyed alſo, which it ſeems was foreſeen at the writing that preface, to the Directory, where they ſay, the Miniſter may if need be, have from …hem ſome helpe and furniture. P. 8.5. That the Preface to this new Work entitled, A reaſon of this work, containeth many other things, which tend as much to the retracting their former work, as Judas's throwing back the mony did to his repentance.
Sect 2 As 1. That there are thouſands of Ships belonging to this Kingdome, which have not Miniſters with them, to guide them in Prayer, and therefore either uſe the Common Prayer, or no Prayer at all. This ſhewes the nature of that fact of thoſe which without any objection mentioned againſt any Prayer in that book, which was the only help for the devotion of many thouſands, left them for ſome Months, to perfect irreligion and Atheiſme, and not Praying at all. And beſides theſe ſhips which they here confeſſe, how many Land-companies be there in the ſame condition? how many thouſand families which have no Miniſter in them? of which number the Houſe of Commons was alwaies wont to be one, and the Houſe of Lords, ſince the Biſhops were removed from thence, and to deale plainly, how many Miniſters will there alwaies be, in England and Wales, for ſure your care for the Vniverſities is not ſo great as to be likely to worke Miracles, which will not have skill, or power, or gift, (which you pleaſe) of conceiving Prayers as they ought to do? and therefore let me impart to you the thoughts of many prudent men (ſince the newes of your Directory, and abolition of our Liturgy) that it would prove a moſt expedite way to bring in Atheiſme; and this it ſeems, you do already diſcern and confeſſe in the next words, that the no prayer at all, which ſucceeded the aboliſhing of the Liturgy, is likely to make them rather Heathens then Chriſtians, and hath left the Lords day without any marke of piety or devotion: a ſad and moſt conſiderable truth, which ſome perſons ought to lament with a wounded bleeding conſcience, the longeſt day of their life, and therefore we are apt to beleeve your charity to be more extenſive, then the title of that book enlarges it, and that it hath deſigned this ſupply, not only to thoſe ſhips, but to all other in the like want of our Liturgy. Your only blame in this particular hath been, that you would not be ſo ingenuous, as Judas and ſome others, that have ſoon retracted their precipicous action, and confeſt they did ſo, and made reſtitution preſently, while you, rather then you will (to reſcue men from heatheniſme cauſed by your abolition) reſtore the Book again, and confeſſe you have ſinned in condemning an innocent Liturgy, will appoint ſome Aſſembler, to compile a poor, ſorry, piteous forme of his own, of which I will appeale to your greateſt flatterer, if it be not ſo low that it cannot come into any tearmes of compariſon, or competition, with thoſe formes already preſcribed in our book; and ſo ſtill you juſtify your errour, even while you confeſſe it.
Sect 3 2. That 'tis now hoped that 'twill be no griefe of heart to full Chriſtians; if the thirſty drink out of ciſterns, when themſelves drink out of fountaines, &c. which is the ſpeciall part of that ground, on which we have firſt formed, & now labour'd to preſerve our Liturgy, on purpoſe that weaker Chriſtians may have this conſtant ſupply for their infirmities, that weake Miniſters may not be forced to betray their weakneſſe, that they that have not the gift of Prayer (as even in the Apoſtles times there were divers gifts, and all Miniſters, had not promiſe to ſucceed in all, but one in one, another in another gift by the ſame ſpirit) may have the helpe of theſe common gifts, and ſtanding treaſures of Prayer in the Church, and (becauſe there be ſo many of theſe kinds to be lookt for in a Church) that thoſe which are able to pray as they ought, without a forme, may yet in publick ſubmit to be thus reſtrain'd, to the uſe of ſo excellent a forme thus ſet before them, rather then others ſhould be thus adventur'd to their own temerity, or incurre the reproach of being thought not able; and then this providing for the weak, both Miniſter and People, will not now, I hope, be charged on the Liturgy, by thoſe, who hope their ſupply of Prayer will be no griefe to others.
Sect 4 3. That theſe Prayers being enlivened, and ſent up by the ſpirit in him that prayeth, may be lively prayers, and acceptable to him, who is a ſpirit, and accepts of ſervice in ſpirit and truth. Where 1. It appears by that confeſſion, that as the place that ſpeaks of worſhipping in ſpirit and truth, is not of any force againſt ſet prayers, ſo neither is that either of the Spirits helping our infirmities, belonging, as it is here confeſt moſt truly, to the zeale, and fervor, and intenſeneſſe of devotion infuſed by the Spirit, and not to the words wherein the addreſſe is made, which if the Spirit may not infuſe alſo, in the uſe of our Liturgy, and aſſiſt a Miniſter and Cnngregation in the Church, as well and as effectually as a company of Mariners in a ſhip, I ſhall then confeſſe that the Directory firſt, and then this Supply, may be allow'd to turne it out of the Church.
Sect 5 Laſtly, That in truth though Prayers come never ſo new, even from the Spirit, in one that is a guide in Prayer, if the Spirit do not quicken and enliven that prayer in the hearer that followes him, it is to him but a dead forme, and a very carcaſe of Prayer, which words being really what they ſay, a truth, a perfect truth, and more ſoberly ſpoken, then all or any period in the Preface to the Directory, I ſhall oppoſe againſt that whole Act of abolition, as a ground of confutation of the principall part of it, and ſhall only adde my deſire, that it be conſidered what Prayers are moſt likely to be thus quickned and enlivened by the ſpirit in the hearer, thoſe that he is maſter of, and underſtands and knowes he may joyn in, or thoſe which depend wholy on the will of the Speaker, which perhaps he underſtandeth not, and never knowes what they are, till they are delivered, nor whether they be fit for him to joyne in; or in plainer words, whether a man be likely to pray, and aske moſt fervently he knowes not what, or that which he knowes, and comes on purpoſe to pray. For ſure the quicking and enlivening of the Spirit, is not ſo perfectly miracle, as to exclude all uſe of reaſon or underſtanding, to prepare for a capacity of it, for then there had been no need to have turn'd the Latine Service out of the Church, the ſpirit would have quickned thoſe Prayers alſo.