First his Gifts and Graces were not only decried, but almost excluded from the public worship of the Church, by the §. 3 imposition of an operous form of service, to be read by the minister; which to do, is neither a peculiar gift of the Holy Ghost to any; nor of the ministry at all. It is marvellous to consider what pleas and pretences were invented, and used by learned men, from its Antiquity, its composure or approbation by Martyrs, the beauty of Uniformity in the worship of God established, and pressed thereby &c. for the defence and maintenance of it. But the main Argument they insisted on, and the chief field wherein they expatiated, and laid out all their Eloquence was, the vain babbling repetitions and folly of men praying by the Spirit. When once this was fallen upon, all (at least as they supposed) was carried away before them, and their Adversaries rendered sufficiently ridiculous. So great is the cunning of Satan, and so unsearchable are the follies of the hearts of men. The sum of all these reasonings amount to no more but this: Though the Lord Jesus Christ hath promised the Holy Ghost to be with his Church to the end of the world, to fit and furnish men with gifts and abilities, for the carrying on of that worship which he requires, and accepteth at our hands, yet the work is not done to the purpose; the gifts he bestows, are not sufficient to that end neither as to invocation, nor doctrine, ⟨p. 297⟩& therefore we will not only help men by our directions but exclude them from their exercise. This I say was the sum of all, as I could undeniably evidence. Were that my present business. What innumerable evils ensue on this Principle, in a formal setting a part of men to the ministry, who had never once tasted of the powers of the world to come, nor received any gifts from the Holy Ghost to that purpose; of crying up, and growing in, an outside pompous worship, wholly foreign to the power and simplicity of the Gospel; of silencing, destroying, banishing men, whose ministry was accompanied with the evidence, and demonstration of the Spirit, I shall not need to declare. This is that I aim at, to point out the public contempt of the Holy Ghost; his gifts and graces with their administration in the Church of God, that hath been found even where the Gospel hath been professed.
First his Gifts and Graces were not only decryed, but almost excluded from the publike worship of the Church, by the §. 3 imposition of an operous forme of service, to be read by the minister; which to doe, is neither a peculiar gift of the Holy Ghost to any; nor of the ministry at all. It is marvellous to consider what pleas and pretences were invented, and used by learned men, from its Antiquity, its composure or approbation by Martyrs, the beauty of Uniformity in the worship of God established, and pressed thereby &c. for the defence and maintenance of it. But the maine Argument they insisted on, and the chiefe field wherein they expatiated, and layd out all their Eloquence was, the vaine babling repetitions and folly of men praying by the Spirit. When once this was fallen upon, all (at least as they supposed) was carryed away before them, and their Adversaries rendred sufficiently ridiculous. So great is the cunning of Satan, and so unsearchable are the follys of the hearts of men. The summe of all these reasonings amount to no more but this: Though the Lord Jesus Christ hath promised the Holy Ghost to be with his Church to the end of the world, to fit and furnish men with gifts and abilitys, for the carrying on of that worship which he requires, and accepteth at our hands, yet the worke is not done to the purpose; the gifts he bestows, are not sufficient to that end neither as to invocation, nor doctrine, ⟨p. 297⟩& therefore we will not only help men by our directions but exclude them from their exercise. This I say was the summe of all, as I could undeniably evidence. Were that my present busines. What innumerable evills ensue on this Principle, in a formall setting a part of men to the ministry, who had never once tasted of the powers of the world to come, nor received any gifts from the Holy Ghost to that purpose; of crying up, and growing in, an outside pompous worship, wholly forraign to the power and simplicity of the Gospell; of silencing, destroying, banishing men, whose ministry was accompanyed with the evidence, and demonstration of the Spirit, I shall not need to declare. This is that I ayme at, to point out the publike contempt of the Holy Ghost; his gifts and graces wtih their administration in the Church of God, that hath been found even where the Gospell hath been professed.
