Chap. VIII. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 669 In anfwer to which thefe divines appeal to the proclamation of king K. Charles Ì: Edward VI. wherein the original of it is publifhed to the world. The s6J fiatute mentions four different forms then in ufe, out of which an uni- Smeaymna- form office was to be collefted (viz.) the ufe of Sarum, of Bangor, us's reply. tfYork, andof Lincoln; all which were ROMAN rather than CHRIS- TIAN ; they admit his lordfhip's other encomiums of the englifh liturgy, but affirm that it was 11111 imperfect, and in many places offenfive to tender confciences. The good bithop after all feems willing to compromife the differenceBp. Hall's about prayer; " Far be it from me (lays his lordfhip) to difheartenany cone ikons a- good chriflian from the ufe of conceived prayer in hisprivatedevotions, bout kberty t'' " and upon occafion alto in the public. I would hate to be guilty of prayer''.. " pouring fo much water upon the fpirit, to which I (hall gladly add oil " rather. No, let the full foul freely pour out itfelf in gracious expref- " fions of its holy thoughts into the bofom of the Almighty ; let both the fudden flafhes of our quick ejaculations, and the confiant flames " of our more fixed conceptions, mount up from the altar of a zealous " heart unto the throne of grace ; and-if there be Tome flops or folecifms, " in the fervent utteranceof our private wants, thefe are fo far from being " offenfive, that they are the moll pleafing mufic to the ears of that God " unto whom our prapers come ; let them be broken off with fobs and 'c fghs, and incongruities of our delivery, our good God is no otherways " affected to this imperfect elocution, than an indulgent parent is to the clipped and broken language of his dear child, which is more delightful cc to him than any others fmooth oratory. This is not to be oppofed in cc another, by any man that bath found the true operations of this grace °0 in himfelf" What I have profeffed concerning conceivedprayers, Def of re-- s< is that which I have ever allowed, ever practiled both in private and tnontraneo.. public. God is a free Spirit, and fo tliould ours be, in pouring out our voluntary devotions upon all occafions ; nothing hinders but that " this liberty and a public liturgy fhould be good friends, and go hand " in hand together ;: and whofoever would forcibly feparate them, let them. c, bear their own blame the over-rigorous preßing of the liturgy, to the juflling out of preaching or conceived prayers, was never intended . either by the law-makers, or moderate governors of the church." If' the bithops, while in power, had praftifed according to thefe pious and ge-. nerous principles, their affairs could not have beenbrought to filch a- dan-. gerous crifis at this time.. Ofthé rIf H. The other point in debate between the bifbop and his adverfäries; trnuiion be related to the fuperior order of bJhops.. And here the controverfy was .Q depresbyyie á. flot"Bp. Halt..
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