Ratio disciplinae fratrum Nov-Anglorum. A faithful account of the discipline professed and practised; in…

The holy Austin advised all Doctors to pray, before they gave their Tongue the Liberty to preach. And he practiced accordingly.

Thus, 'tis Prayer that begins the public Exercises in the Churches of New-England.

Thus, 'tis Prayer that begins the publick Exercises in the Churches of New-England.

They have no LITURGY composed for them; and much less have they any imposed on them. The Pastors reckon, that the Representation of their Peoples Condition in Prayers, with fit Expressions of their own choosing, is a necessary Gift and Work of the Evangelical Ministry. They seek the Gift; They do the Work; and with a great Variety (ordinarily) every Lord's Day, they present before the Lord, the Condition of their Congregations in their Adapted Supplications. In these their Supplications, when they have acknowledged the Glorious Perfections of the Infinite GOD, and mentioned the Spiritual Blessings which the Covenant of Grace invites them to take notice of, and which perhaps the Subject they are anon to handle does lay before their more particular Notice, they pass on to Intercession and giving of Thanks for all Men; For Kings and for all in Authority, and for others, and every thing, as the Matter may require. It seems evident unto them, That the Praying in (or by) the Holy Spirit, mentioned in the sacred Oracles, was not merely a Gift ⟨p. 47⟩Miraculous and Extraordinary, or a thing to cease in after Ages; Because the Apostle exhorts All Christians to exercise it; which how could they do, if they had it not? Or, if they all might have it, how was it Miraculous and Extraordinary? Our Pastors by blowing up the Flame of the Gift, attain to such Measures of it, that their Flocks apprehend a Liturgy would be a sensible Injury unto them. Nor are there known many Instances among them, like those which Austin mentions in his Time; Aliquos Antiscites et Ministros Ecclesiae, cum Barbarismis et solaecismis Deum invocare. The notable and expressive Words dropped from the Pen of the Marquess of Halifax (which noble Person was little enough in Danger of being taken for a New English Puritan) have been read among them; There may be too great a Restraint put upon Men, whom GOD and Nature hath distinguished by blessing them with an Happy Talent, and giving them not only good Sense, but a powerful Utterance too, has enabled them to gush out upon the Attentive Auditory, with a mighty Stream of Devout and Unaffected Eloquence. When a Man so qualified, endued with Learning too, and above all adorned with a good Life, breaks out into a Warm and Well-delivered Prayer before his Sermon, it has the Appearance of a Divine Rapture;