Many things are disused,1 and that by the best Christians, which are not unlawful. Where there be many ways to the wood, ordinarily men may make choice of one or two, not disallowing the other. It is lawful for Christians when they pray in their families, daily to read the ten commandments, the profession of faith, &c. which is generally laid aside without sin. Many things ⟨p. 119⟩also may be decent in the congregation which are not so expedient and requisite in the family. And in one congregation a thing may be lawful and of use which is disused in another without sin, where yet it would not be unprofitable.2 The deacons in Chrysostoms and Basils time used to call upon the people with these words, Oremus, Attendamus, Let us pray, Let us give ear. The deacon at the holy mysteries stood up and thus spake unto the people, Oremus pariter omnes. The manner was, that before every lesson or chapter the minister should say unto the people, Let us attend. If this custom be disused either in the congregation or Christian families at this day, it doth not argue the thing it self to be indecent or unprofitable.3 And if by Book-prayers all stinted forms, whether read or repeated by help of memory, be understood, they are not so generally rejected in the families of the best Christians nor in the ministry of the most able and godly ministers as the objection importeth.4 Let us hear the testimony of a godly, learned, and well experienced minister now at rest with the Lord: When as, saith he, the question is made by many of the lawfulness or at least of the expediency of praying by the help of a book, or of using a prescript and set form of prayer, it is to be considered, that there be divers degrees and measures of gifts, both ⟨p. 120⟩natural (as wit, memory, utterance) as also of grace (as knowledge, faith, zeal) given to divers men; besides that some have been more trained and exercised in this holy duty then others: Now they that are better gifted, either by nature or else by grace and custom, may use the more liberty. Which difference I have observed not only in divers private Christians, but also in some most reverend, faithful and worthy ministers; some using both in their public ministry and in their private families a stinted prayer and set form of words, with little alteration at all, except some extraordinary occasion have happened:
Many things are disused,1 and that by the best Christians, which are not unlawfull. Where there be many wayes to the wood, ordinarily men may make choice of one or two, not disallowing the other. It is lawfull for Christians when they pray in their families, dayly to reade the ten commandments, the profession of faith, &c. which is generally laid aside without sinne. Many things ⟨p. 119⟩also may be decent in the congregation which are not so expedient and requisite in the family. And in one congregation a thing may be lawfull and of use which is disused in another without sin, where yet it would not be unprofitable.2 The deacons in Chrysostomes and Basils time used to call upon the people with these words, Oremus, Attendamus, Let us pray, Let us give eare. The deacon at the holy mysteries stood up and thus spake unto the people, Oremus pariter omnes. The manner was, that before every lesson or chapter the minister should say unto the people, Let us attend. If this custome be disused either in the congregation or Christian families at this day, it doth not argue the thing it self to be indecent or unprofitable.3 And if by Book-prayers all stinted forms, whether read or repeated by help of memory, be understood, they are not so generally rejected in the families of the best Christians nor in the ministery of the most able and godly ministers as the objection importeth.4 Let us heare the testimony of a godly, learned, and well experienced minister now at rest with the Lord: When as, saith he, the question is made by many of the lawfulnesse or at least of the expediency of praying by the help of a book, or of using a prescript and set form of prayer, it is to be considered, that there be divers degrees and measures of gifts, both ⟨p. 120⟩naturall (as wit, memory, utterance) as also of grace (as knowledge, faith, zeal) given to divers men; besides that some have been more trained and exercised in this holy duty then others: Now they that are better gifted, either by nature or else by grace and custome, may use the more liberty. Which difference I have observed not onely in divers private Christians, but also in some most reverend, faithfull and worthy ministers; some using both in their publick ministery and in their private families a stinted prayer and set form of words, with little alteration at all, except some extraordinary occasion have happend:
- 1Answ.
- 2Chrysost. hom. 3. in 2. ad Thess. Quand• enim qui lectutus est, surgens dicit, Haec DICIT DOMINUS; & diaconus […] omnes indicto silentio compescit.Chrysost. hom. 3. in 2. ad Thess. Quand• enim qui lectutus est, surgens dicit, Haec DICIT DOMINUS; & diaconus 〈…〉 omnes indicto silentio compescit.
- 3Chrys. hom 3. in Epist. ad Ephel. Jewel. Def. art. 3. divis. 16.
- 4Chrys. in Act. hom. 19. Stat minister, & communis minister, & altâ voce clamar. Post illam vocem incipit lector prophetiam Esaiae. Isidor. Hispalens. l. 1. De eccles. offic. c. 10. & l. 2. c •. St. Egèrton Practic. of Christ. Certain advertisements touching prayer, &c. Synops. turior. Theolog. disp. 3•. thes. 33. Quaeri hîc soler, utrùm conceptis precationum formulis publicè aut privatim uti liceat. Nos, si modò cum debita animi attentione pronuncientur, non tantùm licitas sed & valde utiles esse contendm us, quia novas [Greek or Hebrew] concipere cuivis Christiano datum non est, & attentio auditorum in magnis conventibus per usitatas formulas non parùm juvatur, &c. Imò Christus ipse in cruce pendens, deprecationis formâ, a David tanquam typo antea observatâ, usus est, Matth. 27. 46.Chrys. in Act. hom. 19. Stat minister, & communis minister, & altâ voce clamar. Post illam vocem incipit lector prophetiam Esaiae. Isidor. Hispalens. l. 1. De eccles. offic. c. 10. & l. 2. c •. St. Egèrton Practic. of Christ. Certain advertisements touching prayer, &c. Synops. turior. Theolog. disp. 3•. thes. 33. Quaeri hîc soler, utrùm conceptis precationum formulis publicè aut privatim uti liceat. Nos, si modò cum debita animi attentione pronuncientur, non tantùm licitas sed & valde utiles esse contendm us, quia novas 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 concipere cuivis Christiano datum non est, & attentio auditorum in magnis conventibus per usitatas formulas non parùm juvatur, &c. Imò Christus ipse in cruce pendens, deprecationis formâ, a Davide tanquam typo antea observatâ, usus est,
