A Modest and Clear Answer to Mr Balls Set Forms of Prayer, Tract · Chapter 5 – Chapter 9
CHAP. V. Anſwering to the fourth Reaſon.
Diſc. YOur fourth Reaſon may be thus contracted, If the Spirit of God do work by means, and if he ſtir up good deſires, yet giveth not ability to expreſſe our deſires, in fit and ſignificant words: Then it is lawfull for us to uſe all godly means to ſtir up the graces of God in us: and to premeditate how to utter our Requeſts, in ſuch a form and manner, as may beſt ſerve for our quickning, and the edification of others; and if the uſe of a premeditated form of words in prayer do not ſtint the Spirit; a ſet form of Prayer cannot be injurious to the Spirit, grant the one, the other will follow.
Anſw. If the ſpeech be of publique prayer, the ſame ſpirit that giveth the Miniſter ability to deliver a Sermon, in fit and ſignificant tearms, doth in like ſort give ability to expreſſe his deſires in Prayer, in fit and ſignificant tearms: no man is called of God to be a Miniſter of his Church, but he is as well apt to Pray as apt to Preach; But if the ſpeech be of private perſons, it is true, many good ſouls have better deſires than utterance; In regard of which defect or without ſuch defect we willingly condeſcend to you: It is lawfull, yea, and neceſſary to him, to uſe all godly means to ſtir up the graces of God in him, and to premeditate how to utter his requeſts in ſuch ſort as beſt ſerves for his own quickning, & the edification of others: But this we deny, that the uſing of a preſcript form of Prayer upon a book, deviſed and impoſed by one man upon another to be uſed as their Prayer, is a godly means to ſtir up the graces of God in himſelfe, or to edifie others; For that which the Holy Ghoſt hath not ſanctified in his Word for the ſtirring up of the graces of God in a mans ſelf or others, that is not a godly means for ſuch an end; But throughout the Scriptures we cannot find any where, that the Holy Ghoſt hath ſanctified ſuch a means to ſuch an end: And then it is but an Image, which will rather teach a form of godlineſſe, than edifie to the power of it.
Diſc. Peradventure they would creep out by ſaying the Spirit of God is our only helper in the time of Prayer, ſo that though at other times we might uſe helps to ſtir up the graces of the Spirit, yet not in time of prayer: But this diſtinction is not found in Scripture, neither can be deduced by any ſound reaſon from thence. The Spirit of God is at all times the ſole mover, and enabler of us to pray, and the uſe of lawfull means, and ſuch as ſute with the nature of prayer, are at no time unlawfull, as it is fit we meditate and read before we pray, ſo it is lawfull in prayer to kneel and lift up our hands and eyes, to uſe the help of the voyce, and the benefit of a Chriſtian friend to ſtir up affection. Therefore we may diſpute for the lawfullneſſe of book Prayer, thus, if it be lawfull to uſe externall helps in time of prayer, the better to ſtir up affections, then book prayer is not to be condemned.
Anſw. To creep out, being a borrowed ſpeech from worms; It being put upon us holdeth us forth as worms, and not as men, yea, worſe than worms, (Serpents, rather than Worms:) That being compaſſed in with truth, are willing to creep out by any evaſion, rather than to ſubmit to the authority of the truth: But let our reverend and godly brother, be intreated, not to deal ſuch meaſures to his Brethren: Leaſt the God and Father of us both, be diſpleaſed and ſtir up others to returne like meaſure to you, heaped up, preſſed down, ſhaken together: our plain and ſimple Anſwer (without creeping or ſhifting) Is this, that it is lawfll to uſe any externall or internall helps, either before Prayer, to prepare us for it, or in Prayer to quicken, or inlarge us in it, provided, they be ſuch means and helps as God hath ſanctified to ſuch an end, at ſuch a time.
As we readily grant the help of books and meditation, before Prayer, ſo we do grant alſo the help of holy and reverent geſtures in Prayer, as bowing down the knees, and lifting up of the hands, and eyes, and voyce, the preſence and aſſiſtance of a Chriſtian friend, for all theſe God hath ſanctified, to help the inward affections of the heart in prayer, do but ſhew that God hath ſanctified Book-prayers, impoſed upon us for our prayers, and that by the members of other Congregations, and we will neither creep nor ſtart away: But willingly bleſſe the Lord for his goodneſſe to you in this caſe, (as well as in many others) like as Phineas and the Congregation of Iſrael bleſſed God; for the Rubenites and Gadites that were able to give ſo good an account of their actions, beyond the expectation of their brethren, Joſ. 22.
Diſc. In prayer penned by a godly and well experienced Chriſtian, the caſe of a diſtreſſed ſoul may more pithily and amply be deciphered and anatomized then he of himſelfe is able to do it; and in ſuch a caſe to deny him this lawfull help, is to take away the Crutch from the lame, and bread from the hungry.
Anſw. In caſe a diſtreſſed ſoul do meet with a prayer penned, by a godly and well experienced Chriſtian, and do find his own caſe, pithily and amply deciphered and anatomized therein, we deny not but his heart and affections may go along with it, and ſay Amen to it: And thus far may find it a lawfull help to him; but if you ſet a part ſuch a prayer to ſupport him as a crutch in his prayers (as without which he cannot walk ſtraight and upright in that duty) or if he that penned that prayer, or others that have read it, do injoyn it upon him, and forbid him to pray (eſpecially with others) unleſſe he uſe that form, this inſtead of a crutch, will prove a cudgell to break the bones of the Spirit in prayer, and force him to halt in worſhipping God after the precepts of men; as it hath been ſaid before, ſo it may be again remembred here; a man may help his ſpirit in meditation of his mortallity, by beholding a dead mans ſcalp, caſt in his way by Gods providence; but if he ſhould ſet a part a deaths head, or take it up as injoyned to him by others, never to meditate or conſerre with others about his mortality, and eſtate of another life, but in the ſight and uſe of the deaths head, ſuch a ſoul ſhall find but a dead heart, and a dead devotion from ſuch a means of mortification; if ſome forms of Prayer, eſpecially ſuch as gave occaſion to this Diſpute, do now ſeem to be as bread to the hungry, we ſay no more but this, then hungry ſouls will never be ſtarved, that never want ſtore of ſuch like bread as this is.
Diſc. The ample and particular laying out of our neceſſities doth eaſe the heart, and move affections, and when this may be better done by the help of a Book in prayer then of our ſelves, it is ſenſeleſſe to accuſe the uſe hereof, as a lip-labour, and a quenching of the ſpirit; he ſtinteth not the Spirit that labours to blow the coals of grace, &c.
Anſw. It is true, he ſtinteth not the Spirit, nor quencheth him; that uſeth any means ſanctified by the Spirit to blow the coals of grace; but this we deny, that a ſtinted form of prayer upon a book, deviſed by men, and enjoyned to be uſed as the prayers of a Chriſtian ſoul, is a means ſanctified by the Spirit to blow the coals of his grace; or that the repeating of ſuch a ſet form of Prayer, though ample and particular in laying out his neceſſities, will eaſe his heart, or move his affections according to God; God doth not delight ordinarily to breath in the Maſterly injunctions of brethren upon brethren, or of one Congregation upon another, eſpecially in ſuch things whereof we have neither precept nor preſident in the Word.
Diſc. He doth not ſubſtitute his Chriſtian friend, in the place of the word, and Spirit, who not able to lift up his ſoul to God, by reaſon of ſtraightneſſe of heart, and grievous preſſure, doth crave his help and aſſiſtance in prayer, and may not a godly Book ſupply the want of a Chriſtian companion?
Anſw. It is an ordinance of God, to crave the help of the Prayers of our brethren, and to joyn with them; ſhew the like warrant for Prayer upon a book, preſcribed to us, and then we will grant a godly book may ſupply even in this caſe the lacke of a Chriſtian companion; If a Miniſter be not able to preach by reaſon of the ſtraightneſſe of his heart, and grievous preſſure, he may get his Chriſtian friend to preach for him; but he may not make uſe of a godly homily enjoyned to him by others, to ſupply the lack of a Chriſtian friend.
Diſc. Why ſhould it be a ſin to read or pronounce a godly form of Prayer, is it for that it is read and pronounced, or becauſe a man cannot lift up his heart in faith unto God, when he uttereth his requeſts in a ſtinted form of words; to aſſigne the former, is ſuperſtition: To ſay the latter is to offend againſt common experience?
Anſw. We do not ſay it is a ſin to read or pronounce a godly form of Prayer; but to read a form of Prayer deviſed by others, and to ſet it a part to read, being deviſed by others enjoyned to me as my Prayer; This is ſin, not becauſe it is pronounced, for all publique Prayer is pronounced; nor alwayes in private, becauſe it is read; for (as hath been ſaid) a man may go along in his ſpirit, and be affected with ſome Prayer, which occaſionally he readeth, and may lift up his own heart in it to the Lord; but a ſin it is, as it is ſet apart by himſelfe for his Prayer; or as it is ſo enjoyned to him by others; and in publique it is of ſin, both becauſe it is read, as the Prayer of the Church (and ſo another book brought into the Church beſides Gods Book) And becauſe it is deviſed, not by the gift of Gods Spirit in themſelves, but in others, and alſo becauſe by other it is preſcribed or enjoyned to be read, as the ſervice, and worſhip of God in another Church: For we do not find that ever God gave warrant either for the offering up of read Prayers to God, as the ordinary prayers of the Church; and leaſt of all for Prayers preſcribed and enjoyned by one Church unto another.
It is ſo far off from ſuperſtition to affirm this, that we look at it as a ſuperſtition to deny it; for to ſpeak of ſuperſtition according to the true nature of it (and not according to the old Etymologie) If ſuperſtition be cultus ſupra ſtatutum, there is none of all theſe kinds, whether as read upon a book in the Congregation, for their ordinary Prayers; or deviſed by men of other Congregations for that end; or as impoſed upon us by them: but they are all of them, and each one of them, cultus ſupra ſtatutum, worſhips and helps, and forms of worſhip which never came into Gods heart to allow for his ſtatute and worſhip.
Diſc. Will any man object, that read prayer is not Gods Ordinance? It hath been anſwered already, that prayer is the ordinance of God; but whether our prayers be onelyonly conceived in heart, or uttered by words; whether in our own, or other words; whether by pronouncing or reading, that is not appointed; when ſpake he one word of prayer within Book or without, in this or that form of words?
Anſw. Reply hath been made hereto before; as Prayer is an Ordinance of God, ſo are all the lawfull helps and means and forms of Prayer; God hath plainly expreſſed his allowance of Prayer conceived in the heart, and of prayer uttered, and pronounced by words both in our own words, and in the words of others, whom God calleth to be our mouths in the preſent aſſembly: but of ſet forms of read prayer deviſed by men of another Congregation, and preſcribed and impoſed upon others; it may juſtly be demanded, when did God ſpeak one word of them? And therefore, what have we to do with them? If it be ſaid as God never ſpake word of reading Prayer within book, ſo never did he ſpeak word of pronouncing Prayer without Book; the Text doth plainly enough expreſſe the contrary; for the Word of God ſpeaketh expreſſely, that Chriſt lift up his eyes to Heaven in Prayer, John 17.1. & 11.41. ſo did David, Pſalm 123.1. and God hath ingraffed it in the hearts of all his people, to expreſſe the lifting up of their ſouls, their faith and hope, and deſires to God, by lifting up their eyes ſtedfaſtly to Heaven in Prayer, yea, God hath ingraffed it in the hearts of all men, and even put ſome kind of inſtinct into all living creatures, to lift up their eyes to Heaven for what they want, Pſal. 145.15. Now, if the lifting up of the eyes to Heaven in Prayer be expreſly mentioned in the Word, then how can it be truly ſaid, that God never ſpake word of Prayer without Book? for they that lift up their eyes ſtedfaſtly to Heaven in Prayer, cannot (without ſome diſtractions) caſt them down in Prayer upon a book, if lifting up of the eyes to Heaven in Prayer, be a divine Inſtitution (as the Diſcourſe ſaid even now) if it be an externall means to help the affection of the ſpirit in Prayer) then it is againſt the Inſtitution, and an hinderance to Prayer, inſtead of an help, to ſet a mans ſelf or others, a form of read Prayers, wherein whileſt he is reading he muſt uſually caſt down his eyes upon a Book.
CHAP. VI. Tending to give Anſwer unto the fifth Reaſon.
Diſc. WHere there is no breach of Law, there is no ſin: But the uſe of a preſcript form of Prayer is no breach of Law, or of any Commandement of God.
Anſw. It hath been ſhewed above that it is a breach of the ſecond Commandement more wayes than one, to deviſe and uſe a ſimilitude and form, and means of worſhip, which God never appointed, and ſuch is the reading of a ſer form of Prayer, for the Prayers of the Church.
2. It is an uſurpation of more than Propheticall, or Apoſtolicall authority, to preſcribe a ſet form of Lyturgie, to the Churches, and a greater uſurpation for one Congregation to preſcribe the ſame to another, which is a ſin both againſt the ſecond and fifth Commandements.
3. It is a ſinfull and diſloyall betraying of the ſouls of Magiſtrates to countenance their intruding ſuch preſcript forms of Prayer, upon Churches, by taking up the ſame forms from them, which they have not authority from God to injoyne, and ſtifly to plead for them, a ſin forbidden in the fifth and ſixth Commandements.
4. It is a ſinfull betraying of Chriſtian Liberty, which Chriſt hath purchaſed to every Church of his by his precious blood: For one Church voluntarily to take up the Injunctions and preſcriptions of another, contrary to Col. 2.20, 22. which argument may be applyed another way, by a Teſtimony from the book of Common-Prayer, Gods Service is perfect Freedome, but the reading of a ſet form of Prayer deviſed, and preſcribed by others is not perfect freedome (for many would be right glad to be freed from it) therefore ſuch reading of prayers is not Gods ſervice.
5. It is a ſinfull breach of the rule of decency, to offer up prayers to God in ſuch a form, as cannot well ſtand with that decent geſture which is moſt ſutable to Prayer, It is a geſture moſt ſutable to Prayer; to lift it up to God as with hearts and hands, ſo with eyes ſtedfaſtly lift up to Heaven: But this geſture cannot fitly, and ſtedfaſtly be uſed, in read Prayer, where the eyes muſt be uſually caſt down upon the Book.
CHAP. VII. Wherein Anſwer is returned to the ſixth Reaſon.
Diſc. IF a ſet form of prayer be diſallowed, then a preſcript form of Catechiſme and Confeſſion muſt of neceſſity be condemned; but how abſurd this is he is very blind, or will full that ſeeth not, the neceſſity, antiquity and excellency of catechiſing, is known to them that know any thing, touching the building and governing the Houſe of God.
Anſw. Touching ſet forms of Catechiſme, we have anſwered twice before in clearing ſome objections againſt the firſt Reaſon: whereto we refer you, it hath been already ſhewed us, that God himſelfe hath ſet before us ſundry forms of Catechiſme. Davids Catechiſme was of one form, Pſal. 34.11, 12, 13, 14. Solomons of another, Prov. 4. The Apoſtles of another, Heb. 6.2. Yea, the Apoſtles name the heads of their Catechiſme, but neither propound the queſtions, nor anſwers them in uſe, An evident Argument they never meant to bind Churches to ſet forms of Catechiſme: The excellent and neceſſary uſe of catechizing young men, and novices (as hath been ſaid before) we willingly acknowledge: But little benefit have we ſeen reaped from ſet forms of queſtions and anſwers deviſed by one Church, and impoſed by neceſſity upon another: They muſt look at them with coloured Spectacles, that can diſcern them: The like may be ſaid of forms of Confeſſions, when a Church is ſuſpected and ſlandered with corrupt and unſound Doctrine, they have a call from God, to ſet forth a publique confeſſion of their faith. But to preſcribe the ſame as the confeſſion of the faith of that Church to their poſterity, or to preſcribe the confeſſion of one Church to be a form, and pattern unto others, ſad experience hath ſhewed what a ſnare it hath been to both, nothing in after ages muſt be held for a doctrine of the Church (though never ſo neceſſary a truth) unleſſe it were found amongſt the Articles of Religion agreed upon by their fathers, in the confeſſion of their Faith.
CHAP. VIII. Giving Anſwer to the ſeaventh Reaſon.
Diſc. IT is lawfull to aske common bleſſings of God dayly in a ſet form of words, Ergo. It is not unlawfull to uſe a ſet form of Prayer; and if to pronounce it, to read it alſo: for reading of it ſelfe, is not impure, as pronouncing cannot make an evill matter good, no more can reading make a good matter evill, pronouncing and reading being Adjuncts in prayer both indifferent.
Anſw. Firſt, the Queſtion with us is not ſo much about ſet forms of prayer in generall, as about ſet forms of Prayer deviſed by men of other Churches, precſribed, and injoyned to be read as the Prayers of the Church, or deviſed by one Chriſtian, and ſet apart by another, as his prayers, to which this Argument reacheth not.
Though we do not deny it to be altogether unlawfull to ſeek common bleſſings of God daily in a ſet form of words, yet we would not encourage men to reſt and content themſelves in ſo doing, much leſſe to bind themſelves ſo to do: For beſides that, a daily ſet form will eaſily degenerate to a formallity, how can a Chriſtian be ſaid to watch unto prayer (which we are commanded to do, Eph. 6.18.) If we content our ſelves with the ſame ſet form of prayer, this year, as the laſt: Beſides, the common daily bleſſings, which the Diſcourſer inſtanceth in; as faith, patience, meekneſſe, love, ſanctification of Gods name. Coming of Chriſts Kingdome, the ſtate of theſe things doth ever and anon vary, and to bind a mans ſelfe daily to a ſet form of prayer, for ſuch things as the ſtate whereof is ſo daily varied, will bring in a looſe and Incongruous kind of prayers, fit only for thoſe, that do not diſcern, or are not affected with the preſent ſtate of things, either in themſelves, or others.
When it is ſaid, if it be lawfull to pronounce a ſet form of prayer, then to read it; If the meaning be to read it, for a prayer, the conſequence is not firm, for though (as the Diſcourſer ſaith) the reading of prayer is not impure: Yet the praying of read prayers is the uſing of ſuch a Crutch to pray (as he ſpeaketh) which God hath not appointed, and that maketh ſuch reading impure: And though pronouncing cannot make an evill matter good, nor ſimply reading make a good matter evill, yet reading to ſuch an end, reading a ſet form of prayer, preſcribed to me for my prayer, maketh to me a Will-worſhip of that which he that conceived the prayer might lawfully have pronounced.
The pronouncing of a good Sermon by him that made it, is a good and acceptable ſervice to God, and his Church: But to read a Sermon as my preaching, which was made by another, maketh it neither ſo acceptable to God, nor to his Church, yea the reading of a mans own Sermon inſtead of preaching will much detract from the life and power of it, and make a man of God unſerviceable for his place: Though reading and pronouncing of a thing, be both of them adjuncts, and common adjuncts too, to that which is pronounced or read, yet according to the ends and ſubjects, to which they may be applyed, the one may be lawfull, the other not indifferent but ſinfull, the reading of a Sermon for preaching, is a ſinfull manner of preaching; The difference will ever hold between the word read, and preached: They are two diſtinct Ordinances.
CHAP. IX. Anſwering unto the eight Reaſon.
THe Jewes before the coming of Chriſt uſed a preſcript form of Prayer (as it is probable, and the learned note) in the celebration of the Paſſover, and that which they uſed (as is very probable) was approved by Chriſt himſelf.
Anſw. That the Jewes before the coming of Chriſt, did uſe certain Rites in keeping the Paſſover, It doth appear by the Teſtimonies alledged as alſo by Cauſabon, and others: And that ſome forms of Prayer they uſed, according as the ſeverall paſſages of the Paſſeover required: But it doth not at all appear that they uſed any ſet forms of Prayer, but onelyonly to that and the like effect, and that not by Preſcript or Injunction from one to another, but leaving every father of a family at his liberty therein, much leſſe will it appear that our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, took up any ſet forms of Prayer by their example and leaſt of all from their Injunction.