A93091:209
A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible…A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible…
A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible church. In answer to the reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Ball. By Thomas Shepherd, sometimes fellow of Emanuel-College in Cambridge, and late pastor of Cambridge in New-England.A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible church. In answer to the reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Ball. By Thomas Shephard, sometimes fellow of Emanuel-Colledge in Cambridge, and late pastour of Cambridge in New-England.
London: printed by E. Cotes for Andrew Crooke, 1652
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
1. Our blessed Saviour taught his Disciples a blessed form, which though it may be lawfully and comfortably used, the rather, not being of mans, but the Lords composing: yet it is evident he never appointed his people to use it as their only form, and therefore the Apostles in the primitive Church, in that heavenly prayer, Acts 4. did not attend to the words and form of this prayer, though they might have this in their eye, as the common rule and direction how to pour out their prayers to God, for particular things, which may be an everlasting witness against their usurpations, that will limit the Churches to their forms which the Lord Christ would not do to his own.
1. Our blessed Saviour taught his Disciples a blessed forme, which though it may bee lawfully and comfortably used, the rather, not being of mans, but the Lords composing: yet it is evident hee never appointed his people to use it as their onely forme, and therefore the Apostles in the primitive Church, in that heavenly prayer, Acts 4. did not attend to the words and forme of this prayer, though they might have this in their eye, as the comon rule and direction how to powre out their prayers to God, for particular things, which may be an everlasting witnesse against their usurpations, that will limit the Churches to their formes which the Lord Christ would not doe to his owne.
2. In the first 300. years after Christ, we read of few forms, that the Churches used, and those rather short ejaculations, then set forms, but contrarily we read frequently of the exercise of their gifts in prayer. They prayed sine monitore, quia de pectore, 1saith Tertullian, i. e. They prayed without a Prompter, because from the heart, which as Zephirus observes was in opposition to the prompted forms then in use amongst the Pagans. We read also what they prayed for, viz. pro inimicis, pro imperatoribus, pro statu seculi, pro morâ finis, &c. but of any set forms we read not. Their persecutions and days of afflictions preserved them from formality in prayer, and taught them how to find their hearts and knees, and tongues, to pour out their souls to God, while under the Altar they were pouring out their blood.