A02990:134
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 6: In scripture there be prescript forms of blessing, prayers, salutations, &c. which may…
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.
It sufficeth,1 that these forms of blessing, prayer, and thanksgiving, and administration of baptism, might or may be used; though in conscience neither the priests then nor we at this day are necessarily tied unto them in so many precise words: For the lawful not the necessary use of a prescript form of prayer or Liturgy is now in question: which is proved by the places above rehearsed, and not gainsaid at all by this answer.2 For if the Saints in former times might pray unto or praise the Lord in a stinted form of words invented by themselves or indited by others▪ 3as we find they might and did; if the priests might use a stinted form of words in blessing the people, whereunto they were not tied;4 if Christians may salute one another in this stinted form of words,5 Peace be unto you, The Lord be with you, The Lord bless thee, though they be not tied thereunto, nor can reach every particular comprehended in those short sentences recorded in scripture; then a stinted form ⟨p. 100⟩of prayer or blessing, in words invented by themselves or indited by others, is lawful to us: for in that particular the ground and reason is common to them and us. Apply this answer to the reason, That the priest might use that form without variation, but was not tied unto it, That we may use the Lords prayer without alteration, and the form of baptism without addition and diminution, but are not necessarily obliged to use the very words and syllables precisely; and I know not how they should tie the knot faster. For is not this in plain terms to confess,6 That an arbitrary stinted form is lawful but not necessary? If God had commanded a form, it only had been necessary; if God had determined one precise form, that only and none other had been lawful: but seeing he hath commanded none, determined none precisely, but left us free to use those recorded in scripture, or some others in the selfsame or other words, a stinted form is apparently warranted of God though not commanded.