May a Mi11ijler ill publick Pray in hu orvn name only ? alfo Pf,;l. 50· 8. and compare thcfe ciced Texts, 1 Sam. ~ 5 22. Prov. 15. 8. & 2 r. 17. Mat. s, &c. But whether we fbould begin with Prayer or Htati.ng when we enter into the Church, God bath kft to prudence to be decided by the General rules. Q1e!l:. 120. M1J a Preacher kneel doum in the Pttlpit, and t;{e his pril>att PraJ'ers, when he is m the ajfembly ? Ail[w. THis will have the· fame anfwer with the former ; and therefore I 01all trouble the Rea– dn wilh no more. Q!e!l:. 121. May aMlnijler Pray pr1blickly in his orur1 name {ingly, for himfelf · or others? Or only i11 the (lmrcbes 11ame, as" th~ir mouth to God ~ · A1z[w. IT is good to be as exad: in order and decency as we can : , But they that would not have other mens Ceremonies brought in on that pretence, {hould not bring in their own made dod rines. .. I · It is certain thlt all the: Afi'embly ,come thither, not only to hear a prayer, but to pray as well as rhe Mini!tcr: And therefore the practice .of all Churches in the world (as is fcen in all the Litur.. gic5) is for the Miniller to fpcak in the plural number, and ufually to pray in the Churchu mtme• AnJ fo f1e is both their Guide •nd mou{h in prayer. Therefore even when he prayeth for himfeljj 1t is lifually fittdi (or very tit) for him rather to fay, [ We be[eech thee gipe the Jpeak..er thy af– fiflam, &c. J than [ I bejiech thre J. 2. And even fubjeCtivdy it is not inconvenient to fpeak gf him[df in the third perfon [ G;ve him, J or [ Give the !peak!r thy help, J inflead of{ Give me ]. . 3· Bur they that will place a neceffity in cjther ot thcfe, and make the contr"aiy a fin, mull have more knowledge than I have to be able to p10ve it. 881 fo~or I. In the latter cafe the Minifi:er doth not pray i1t his own perfon, but only for b;s ~wnptr– fon, when he faith, [We brjiecb tbce give me thy help, &c. J 2. And I know no word ofGod that faith, either that the Miniller is only the mQuth of the people, 1 Tim. ~. f 1 J or that he is to fpeak only in their n~Jmu, or that he may not pray for hirntelf or them in his Mini- Ifa. r9. 16. , fterial cap>eity in the firjl per[on. 1"· ' '· •8. & f or, I · He is a Minijler . of Cbrij! for the Church, •nd not the Minij!rr of the Church properly. ~ t6. 1l:~·7• And he is li•bordinate to Chrill in his Prit]llj Office, as well as in his Teaching and RuliHg Office : And 17;1· 4 ,~'· the Priefts did alwayes take it for their Office not only to fpeak as the Peoples m(luth, .bur as Sub·me1 S;11~: 7 .;.. & diator.r or Interceffori for them to God: And as then they were Types of Chxift. by fhnding between 12., 19, :t;. God and the people, fa they were his OfficerS as well as Types: And fo they arc his Officers to this :t Sor. 1 3· 7. day .: And as they, Teach and Ru~e ~n hi~ Name by Office, .fo_ do t~cy intercede in ~1is Name: All ~~]." :: ~; • men confefs tlu.t they may do ~hts ~~ pr~vat.e: And where. IS 1t forbtdden to be don~ 10 publ~ck,..l 1 The/T. ' · ~3• 2. And there axe fume cafes m wluch 1t u fitttft that rt fhould be fo. That 1s, when tt is fup~ 1 The![ r. 1 r. pofed .that the Congregation cloth not joyn with him. As I· When the whole Church is fallen in- • Tbcn: J· •o•j to fome error of judgement, ( as who hath not many) and he knoweth that they differ from him, le is fitttr for him to pray as a Sub-jnurceffor for them in his ow11 ptrfon , than to fpeak as in their perfons, who he knowcth.joyn not with him: For that hath a plain untruth in it. 2. If the whole Church be fallen into fome little fin, which feductiorl yet hindereth them from Repemi;;g Dj, he w::re better confef; it, and profefs farrow for it, in his own per{on, th;m in tbe;rs that joyn not with him in it. 3· When he prayeth for fomewhat for him(eJf and them that is above their underllanding ( as for direction in fornc difficult Controverfics, &c.) I know not th1t he is bound to fpcak in their Ulmcs that undertland him nor. T.herefore this is no bufincfs for Chrit1ians that are not potrefi with a proud, picviih, fclf~conceited, quarrelfi)me humour, to cenfure or defpifc a Minificr for : Nor lhould any introduce that falfe do– Chine of mans invention into the Church, that the Minifter is only topr11y jn. publick as the peoplts moJut!J. But the power of prejudice is great;
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