An account of all the proceedings of the commissioners of both persuasions appointedAn accompt of all the proceedings of the commissioners of both persvvasions appointed

Sect. 1.

[The Connection of the parts of our Liturgy,¹ is conformable to the ⟨p. 60⟩example of the Churches of God before us, and have as much dependence as is usually to be seen, in many Petitions of the same Psalm; And we conceive the Order and Method to be excellent, and must do so, till they tell us what that Order is which Prayers ought to have, which is not done here.]

[The Connexion of the parts of our Lyturgy,¹ is conformable to the ⟨p. 60⟩example of the Churches of God before us, and have as much dependance as is usually to be seen, in many Petitions of the same Psalm; And we conceive the Order and Method to be excellent, and must do so, till they tell us what that Order is which Prayers ought to have, which is not done here.]

1. 1N. 16.

Repl. There are two Rules of Prayer;¹ one is the Nature of the things compared (in matter and order) with nature and necessity: The other is the revealed Will of God in his Word, in General the holy Scripture, more Especially the Lords Prayer: The Liturgy (for the greatest part of the Prayers for daily use) is confused, by which soever of these you measure it. You seem much to honour the Lords Prayer by your frequent use of it, (or part of it) we beseech you dishonour it not Practically, by denying it for matter and order, to be the only ordinary and perfect Rule; we know about particular Administrations, where it is but certain Select Requests that we are to put up, suited to the particular subject and occasion, we cannot follow the whole Method of the Lords Prayer which containeth the heads of all the parts, where we are not to take in all the parts; we cannot take them in that order: But that none of all your Prayers should be formed to that perfect Rule; that your Litany which is the comprehensive Prayer, and that the body of your daily Prayers (broken into several Collects) should not (as set together) have any considerable respect unto that order, nor yet to the order which reason, and the nature of the thing requireth, (which is observed in all things else) and yet that you should so admire this, and be so tenacious of that, which in conceived Prayer you would call by worse names then Confusions, this showeth us the power of prejudice: We were thus brief in this Exception, lest we should offend by instances: But seeing you conceive the Order and Method to be excellent, and to be willing to hear more as to this, and the following Exception, we shall, when you desire it, give you a Catalogue of Defects, and Disorders, which we before forbore to give you. The Psalms have ordinarily an observable Method: If you find any whole parts you cannot so well set together, as to see the Beauty of Method, will you turn your eye from the rest, and from the Lords Prayer, and choose that one for your President? or excuse disorder on that pretence?