The doctrine of instituted churches explained and proved from the word of God

These public Prayers ought not to be made by the reading of prescribed forms of Prayer, out of a Book, he that hath not the gift of Prayer, is not fit to be a Minister; there may be some exempt Cases wherein it is Lawful for a Man to Pray in a form which they have Learned out of a Book, but the imposing of such a thing on Men is an addition to Divine Institutions, and the ordinary practising of it is of very bad Consequence; it quenches and stifles the Spirit of Prayer, indulges Men in Idleness and is very unprofitable to others.

These publick Prayers ought not to be made by the reading of prescribed forms of Prayer, out of a Book, he that hath not the gift of Prayer, is not fit to be a Minister; there may be some exempt Cases wherein it is Lawful for a Man to Pray in a form which they have Learned out of a Book, but the imposing of such a thing on Men is an addition to Divine Institutions, and the ordinary practising of it is of very bad Consequence; it quenches and stifles the Spirit of Prayer, indulges Men in Idleness and is very unprofitable to others.

The second part of Worship to be performed in the Church, is Singing of Psalms; this is a Moral Duty not belonging peculiarly to the time of the Old Testament, as Christ with his Disciples did practise it; So afterwards Paul and Silas, Act. 16. And we have positive commands for it, Eph. 5.16. Col. 3.16. Jam. 5.13. In the primitive times when God gave to all extraordinary Gifts of his Spirit.

It was the manner sometimes for one Man to sing a Psalm, and the Congregation to say Amen,