A30158:352
I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also,…
I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also, or, A discourse touching prayer, from I Cor. 14.15 wherein is briefly discovered 1. What prayer is, 2. What it is to pray with the spirit, 3. What it is to pray with the spirit and with the understanding also / by John Bunyan.
London : Printed for the author, 1663
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.
Thus is the Spirit of Prayer disowned, and the Form imposed; the Spirit debased, and the Form extolled: they that pray with the Spirit, though never so humble and holy, counted Fanatics; and they that pray with the Form, though with that only, counted the Virtuous. And how will the favourites of such a practice, answer that Scripture, which commandeth, that the Church should turn away from such as have a Form of Godliness, but deny ⟨p. 113⟩the Power thereof? 2 Tim. 3. 5.
Thus is the Spirit of Prayer disowned, and the Form imposed; the Spirit debased, and the Form extolled: they that pray with the Spirit, though never so humble and holy, counted Phanaticks; and they that pray with the Form, though with that only, counted the Vertuous. And how will the favourites of such a practice, answer that Scripture, which commandeth, that the Church should turn away from such as have a Form of Goaliness, but deny ⟨p. 113⟩the Power thereof? 2 Tim. 3. 5.
And if I should say, That men that do these things aforesaid, do advance a Form of Prayer of other mens making, above the Spirit of Prayer, it would not take long time to prove it.
For, he that advanceth the Book of Common-Prayer, above the Spirit of Prayer, he doth advance a Form of mens making above it.