Moses, that you say sung by Inspiration, th• he had the Matter of his Song given to him immediately from God, yet did he give it ou• by speaking or writing to the Congregation• else how could they have sung it with him, […] the Holy Ghost positively says they did? so that that was formal too with you. Nay, […] extraordinary Prophets first received the Word of the Lord, and may be sometimes some considerable while before they delivered it out to the People; nay, we find Jeremiah wrote par• of his Prophecy in a Roll, was not that a Form they could repeat the same words over again and sometimes did. 'Tis not material whether the Form be David's Psalms, or Hymns give• out by an extraordinary or by an ordinary hel• of the Spirit, if others sing with him that ha• it, you will, I perceive, say that 'tis formal• tho it be never so spiritual; but I deny that […] ⟨p. 161⟩have any Rule to expect Men should bring forth any thing in the Worship of God by an extraordinary Spirit to be preached or sung, but what is contained in the Word of Christ, or is taken out of the Scripture, or agrees thereunto; because that is a perfect Rule both for Matter and Form, in the performance of all Religious Worship, and Ordinances of the Gospel; and that which you call carnal and formal, I say, is spiritual. The Prayers that a Minister makes in the public Congregation may, and oft do, contain many Scripture-Expressions, (may be half his Prayer may be such) and who shall say he doth not pray spiritually? Nay, moreover, and that Prayer some will tell you is a Form to others, which he that is the Mouth puts up, and many times I have heard some good and godly Christians speak softly over the same words in the Congregation. Now since all Forms are cried down by you, sure this must needs be a […] Crime, or a carnal and formal Practice. There is nothing, I tell you again, without its Form: Is not the reading of God's Word a formal thing? and yet dare you say that is no Duty to be performed in the Church? If a formal thing, then, by your arguing, say I, 'tis no Duty to read the Scripture in private neither. Now because all legal Forms are gone, must all Gospel and Spiritual Forms go too? In all Administrations we should see to our Spirits that they be not formal, but that with Life and Spirituality we perform every Duty, &c.
Moses, that you say sung by Inspiration, th• he had the Matter of his Song given to him immediately from God, yet did he give it ou• by speaking or writing to the Congregation• else how could they have sung it with him, 〈…〉 the Holy Ghost positively says they did? so that that was formal too with you. Nay, 〈…〉 extraordinary Prophets first received the Word of the Lord, and may be sometimes some considerable while before they delivered it out to the People; nay, we find Jeremiah wrote par• of his Prophecy in a Roll, was not that a Form they could repeat the same words over again• and sometimes did. 'Tis not material whether the Form be David's Psalms, or Hymns give• out by an extraordinary or by an ordinary hel• of the Spirit, if others sing with him that ha• it, you will, I perceive, say that 'tis formal• tho it be never so spiritual; but I deny that 〈…〉 ⟨p. 161⟩have any Rule to expect Men should bring forth any thing in the Worship of God by an extraordinary Spirit to be preached or sung, but what is contained in the Word of Christ, or is taken out of the Scripture, or agrees thereunto; because that is a perfect Rule both for Matter and Form, in the performance of all Religious Worship, and Ordinances of the Gospel; and that which you call carnal and formal, I say, is spiritual. The Prayers that a Minister makes in the publick Congregation may, and oft do, contain many Scripture-Expressions, (may be half his Prayer may be such) and who shall say he doth not pray spiritually? Nay, moreover, and that Prayer some will tell you is a Form to others, which he that is the Mouth puts up, and many times I have heard some good and godly Christians speak softly over the same words in the Congregation. Now since all Forms are cried down by you, sure this must needs be a 〈…〉 Crime, or a carnal and formal Practice. There is nothing, I tell you again, without its Form: Is not the reading of God's Word a formal thing? and yet dare you say that is no Duty to be performed in the Church? If a formal thing, then, by your arguing, say I, 'tis no Duty to read the Scripture in private neither. Now because all legal Forms are gone, must all Gospel and Spiritual Forms go too? In all Administrations we should see to our Spirits that they be not formal, but that with Life and Spirituality we perform every Duty, &c.
