A02990:120
A friendly trial of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…A friendly triall of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest…
A friendly trial of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest dispute touching the lawfulness of a stinted liturgy and set form of prayer, Communion in mixed assemblies, and the primitive subject and first receptacle of the power of the Keys: tending to satisfy the doubtful, recall the wandering, and to strengthen the weak: by John Ball.A friendly triall of the grounds tending to separation in a plain and modest dispute touching the lawfulnesse of a stinted liturgie and set form of prayer, Communion in mixed assemblies, and the primitive subject and first receptacle of the power of the Keyes: tending to satisfie the doubtfull, recall the wandering, and to strengthen the weak: by John Ball.
Cambridge: printed by Roger Daniel printer to the University of Cambridge for Edward Brewster, 1640Cambridge: printed by Roger Daniel printer to the Universitie of Cambridge for Edward Brewster, 1640
Chapter 5: A stinted form of prayer doth not quench the Spirit.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The question is of a public stinted form of prayer or Liturgy,1 Whether it quench the Spirit in the minister or the people; and, Whether it quench the Spirit because it stinteth it. Whether ⟨p. 92⟩the form be devised by others or by a mans self, imposed or voluntarily taken up, that is nothing to the matter in hand: but, Whether it quench the Spirit, because for the time it is limited to that form of words. And if we look into the matter it self, the Spirit of God may be quenched in a mans self no less by the rude customary use of a form devised by a mans self then by a form imposed by others, and it may be as prejudicial to the comfort of Gods people. And if we consult the scripture, where shall we find this distinction, of limiting the Spirit by prayer devised by a mans self or devised of others; of stinting the Spirit in respect of time, occasion, form of prayer, uttered out of memory or read upon a book? But the distinction it self hath been confuted already, together with the assertion, That a stinted prayer doth quench the Spirit.2 It cannot properly be said, saith one, that the Spirit is limited by his own ordinance: but when the Spirit of the minister is straitened by forms prescribed to him by men without Gods ordinance and appointment, then the Spirit is limited and stinted indeed. But this is a bare repetition of what was said before, without proof or reason: and besides a strange description of limiting the Spirit, is nothing but a proof of one thing by the same. And here I desire two things may be noted. First, though many reasons in show be brought against the use of stinted prayer, yet when the matter cometh to the upshot, they are barely one, and that nakedly affirmed; Stinted prayer is unlawful, because in reading book •prayer he doth not exercise ⟨p. 93⟩his own but another mans gifts. Is this reason good? No; for in reading scripture out of a translation he exerciseth another mans gifts. But stinted prayer is the devise of man. A child of twelve or thirteen years old may read a stinted prayer as well as the minister: The same may be said of reading the Scriptures. But stinted prayer is the devise of man. It is unlawful to stint the Spirit: Yet this is done in praying with others. But stinted prayer is the devise of man. So that all hangeth upon this string, for the confirmation whereof nothing is alleged.