Are FQrms of Prayer or Pr<aching lawful~ Qyefl:. 7'· Whether a Form of Prayer be Iawfulr 'Anfw• J Have faid fo much of this and fome following quefiions in many Books already, avoid repetition, I !hall fa_y very_Iittle here•. . The qudlion mufi be out of quefiton with all Chnfitans : thar ro J. B"aufe the Scripture it felf bath many forms of prayel ; which therefore cannot be ••· lawful. Object. 1hty were l•wful tbm, but not now. . . .Anfw. He that faith fo, mull pro~e where God bath fince forbtddco them. Which can ne• ver be. . • ·. , Object. they may lawfully bt rtad in S<r•plurt for ••flrxl1wn, but not •fid at praytrs. . , .Anfw· They were ufed as prayers then, and ;:e ncver _fince forbtdden : Yea, J ohn and Chnll dui teacb their Difciples to pray, and Chnll thus prefa<cth hiS form, Wbtn yt pr~y, fay- ,_ >J· . 11. All things muA be done tuEdification : , l{u,t.to afc a form ·of prayer is for the edification of many perfons, ( At !call thofe that c~nnot ~therwi~e dofo _well ) Therefore thofc pcrfonr muft ufe a form. Full experience doth prove the Mmor, and nothmg but llrangeneiS to men Qn cooua, .\lict it. .,--- ~efl:. 71. Are Forms of Pri!Jer or Preaching in the ~hurciJ lawful? ~ · • God g2Ve . ._\ 'A•fw. yE• : Moll Minillcrs: lludy the Methodical form of their Sermons before they preach form• ?f .' rhem : And many write the very words, or lludy them: And fo moll Sermons.are a ~~cht~ '~e form. And fure it is as lawful to ~hink .before. hand what to fay . in pra~ing as i~ preaching. Pw;h~s,;.. r. That which God harh not.forbtdden IS lawful : But God bath not forb,dde,. Mmtllers to fludy a Jugc form their Sermons or Prayers, cithct for m'nlf', mtrbod or "ord1, and fo to make them many waycs o( prayer for a form. 1 1 · all 1hrpt>opJ~; . 2· That which God pre[cribtd is lawful ( if he reverfc it not) : But God pref_c-ribe<l/~blicl(. ~;:';;.~.;!(, forms •f prayer; As rhe tides and matter of manJ of the Pfolmt prove, which were dady ufc m the elfewbcre .Jewilh Synagogues. r, • ••. th~reare m~~ , Objett. Pfalms bting to be fung,, 4rt mm tkan Pr•ym. ny. An[,.. They were Prayers, though mort. They arc caUtl/. Prayirs, and for the Matter many o( .thcmwcrenomorethanprayers ; ·butonly for th~.mcafures (ofwords: Nor was their finginglikc purs now, but liker to ourfaying. And there are many other prayers recorded in the &:ripturc:. , · ' • 3• And all the Churches ofChri!\ at lea!\ thefc thirteen or fo,urt~el) hundred years have taken pub· lick forms for lawful: which is not to be gainfaycd with~ut proof. ,. ,J, '' Q!!efl:. 73· .Are pttblick Forms of mans J)e)lijing or (pmpQjing lawful! ·< · · ,. t :. j . . .,1 •An[w• yEs : r. The Minillers afore mentioned throughout .the Chrillian world, do dcvifc and compo!e the form of their own Sermons and Prayers : And that makcth them·not un– lawful. 2· And who ever fpealicth !-"' 1tmport, his words are ~ form when he fpeaketh them, though nor a premeditated form . 3• And when Scripture fo vehemently cornmandeth us to fearch, mcdi• • rate,~udy the Scriptures, and take heed to our felvcs and unto do~rioc, tfl"c. What a pcrfon is that who will condc.rnn prayer or preaching, only btcaufe wt before hand fludied or eonfidercd what ' ~o (ay > A• if God abhorred .di!igencc and the ufc of reafon. , Men are not tyed \ now ) from rhinking bctore handwhatro fay to the Judge at the Bar for cflare or life, or what to fay on aa Emb~!fagc, or to a Kmg, or.any man tl-iat we convcrfe with? And where are we for}>iddcn to fore– think what to fay to God ? Muf\ the people taf<! httd h.,. tbty hear,and Iooft to lhtirfoot whtn1heygo ;,. to 1he heufe of God1 And rnuf\ not we take heed what we fptak._, and look to our ,.0~srhot thcJ ·;be fit and decent ? • · Object. Forms are Imagn •f P'-Y" alfd preaching ,forEiddm in lbt ficond Cotnmandmtnt• An[rr. Provcir, and add not to the Word of God. 1. Then S<riprure and. Gods..l<z.vants, <Ven ch,ill
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