A02990:65
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
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.
Set forms of confessions of churches, set forms of professions of faith to be used in the public worship of God, be not vain inventions, and yet you may say of them as you do of stinted forms of prayer, They may be spared, There is no example for them in scripture since Christ. The word consubstantial is not necessary, as without which the doctrine of that truth of the Divinity of our Saviour Christ cannot be maintained; (for that were to accuse the holy pen-men of scripture) yet was it not an idle or superfluous invention. In some reformed churches before preaching-time the church assembled hath the scriptures read in such order that the whole canon thereof is oftentimes in one year run through: In others there is no such order of simple reading, but, besides their set sermons, two chapters are paraphrastically expounded,1 with the principal points thereof taken and applied unto their auditors: Neither of these simply necessary, nor yet superfluous inventions. To kneel in prayer, yea to prescribe that men shall ordinarily kneel in public prayer, if with conveniency they may, is not an idle invention; and yet men may pray sitting, standing, falling upon the face. Men may meet together to worship God at fit time, in convenient place; observe due order, method, moderation ⟨p. 43⟩in length, according to the abilities and necessities of the people, without rules and prescriptions for that purpose: and yet rules, prescriptions and precedents are not idle inventions. And though it be possible to worship God aright and further the edification of his Saints as much without as with a set form, yet a set form of prayer devised and consented unto (if it were possible) by all the sound, true, orthodox churches in the world, is in many respects expedient; such a form as being free from all exception, approved of all, might testify their sweet harmony and consent. And the like may be said of forms of catechisms, 2confessions, &c. A stinted form then of public prayer is not one in common nature with images devised for worship, nor opposite to the worship which must in special be instituted of God; it is no vain or superfluous devise, much less an humane invention condemned in the second commandment.
Set forms of confessions of churches, set forms of professions of faith to be used in the publick worship of God, be not vain inventions, and yet you may say of them as you do of stinted forms of prayer, They may be spared, There is no example for them in scripture since Christ. The word consubstantiall is not necessary, as without which the doctrine of that truth of the Divinity of our Saviour Christ cannot be mainteined; (for that were to accuse the holy pen-men of scripture) yet was it not an idle or superfluous invention. In some reformed churches before preaching-time the church assembled hath the scriptures read in such order that the whole canon thereof is oftentimes in one yeare run through: In others there is no such order of simple reading, but, besides their set sermons, two chapters are paraphrastically expounded,