is limited in both alike.

117. But if, by "conceived forms" in this objection, they mean extempore prayers, (for so they would be thought most generally to practise it,) and that in the use of these, the liberty of the Spirit is best preserved; to this I answer, that the being extempore, or premeditate, will be wholly impertinent to this question of limiting the Spirit. For there may be great liberty in set forms, even when there is much variety; and there may be great restraint in extempore prayers, even then when it shall be called unlawful to use set forms. That the Spirit is restrained, or that it is free in either, is accidental to them both; for it may be either free, or not free, in both, as it may happen.

118. But the restraint is this, that every one is not left to his liberty to pray how he list, (with premeditation or without, it makes not much matter,) but that he is prescribed unto by the spirit of another. But if it be a fault thus to restrain the Spirit, I would fain know, is not the Spirit restrained when the whole congregation shall be confined to the form of this one man's composing? Or shall it be unlawful, or at least a disgrace and disparagement, to use any set forms, especially of the church's composition? More plainly thus:

119. Secondly; Doth not the minister confine and restrain the spirit of the Lord's people, when they are tied to his form? It would sound of more liberty to their spirits, that every one might make a prayer of his own, and all pray together, and not be forced or confined to the minister's single dictate and private spirit. It is true, it would breed confusions, and, therefore, they might pray silently till the sermon began, and not for the avoiding one inconvenience run into a greater, and to avoid the disorder of a popular noise restrain the blessed Spirit; for even in this case, as well as in the other, where the Spirit of God is, there must be liberty.

120. Thirdly; If the spirit must be at liberty, who shall assure us this liberty must be in forms of prayer? And if so, whether also it must be in public prayer, and will it not suffice that it be in private? and if in public prayers, is not the liberty of the spirit sufficiently preserved, that the public spirit is free? That is, the church hath power, upon occasion, to alter and increase her litanies. By what argument shall any man make it so much as probable, that the Holy Ghost is injured, if every private minister's private spirit shall be guided (and therefore, by necessary consequence, limited) by the authority of the church's public spirit?

121. Fourthly; Does not the Directory that thing, which is here called restraining of the Spirit,-does it not appoint every thing but the words? And after this, is it not a goodly palladium that is contended for, and a princely liberty they leave unto the Spirit, to be free only in the supplying the place of a vocabulary, and a "copia verborum?" For as

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122. Fifthly; Did not Christ restrain the spirit of his apostles, when he taught them to pray the Lord's prayer, whether his precept to his disciples concerning it was, Pray this," or "Pray thus;" "Pray these words," or Pray after this manner?" Or though it had been less than either, and been only a directory for the matter, still it is a thing which our brethren, in all other cases of the same nature, are resolved perpetually to call a restraint. Certainly then, this pretended restraint is no such formidable thing. These men themselves do it by directing all of the matter, and much of the manner, and Christ himself did it, by prescribing both the matter and the words too.

123. Sixthly; These restraints, as they are called, or determinations of the spirit, are made by the Spirit himself. For I demand, when any assembly of divines appoint the matter of prayers to all particular ministers, as this hath done, is that appointment by the Spirit or no? if no, then for aught appears, this directory, not being made by God's Spirit, may be an enemy to it. But if this appointment be by the Spirit, then the determination and limitation of the spirit is by the Spirit himself; and such indeed is every pious and prudent constitution of the church, in matters spiritual. Such as was that of St. Paul to the Corinthians, when he prescribed orders for public prophesying, and interpretation, and speaking with tongues. The spirit of some he so restrained, that he bound them to hold their peace; he permitted but two or three to speak at one meeting, the rest were to keep silence, though possibly six or seven might, at that time, have the spirit.

124. Seventhly; Is it not a restraint of the spirit to sing a psalm in metre, by appointment? Clearly, as much as appointing forms of prayer, or eucharist; and yet that we see done daily, and no scruple made. Is not this to be partial in judgment, and inconsiderate of what we do?

125. Eighthly; And now after all this strife, what harm is there in restraining the spirit in the present sense? What prohibition? What law?

What reason or revelation is against it? What inconvenience in the nature of the thing? For, can any man be so weak as to imagine a despite is done to the Spirit of grace, when the gifts given to his church are used regularly, and by order? As if prudence was no gift of God's Spirit, as if helps in government, and the ordering spiritual matters, were none of those graces, which Christ, when "he ascended up on high," gave unto men. But this whole matter is wholly a stranger to reason, and never seen in Scripture.

126. For, divinity never knew any other vicious restraining the spirit, but either suppressing those holy incitements to virtue and good life, which God's Spirit ministers to us externally, or internally, or else a forbidding by public authority the ministers of the word and sacraments, to speak such truths as God hath commanded, and so taking away the liberty of prophesying. The first is directly vicious "in materia speciali:" the second is tyrannical and antichristian. And to it persecution of true religion is to be reduced. But as for this pretended limiting or restraining the spirit, viz. by appointing a regular form of prayer, it is so very a "chimæra," that it hath no footing or foundation upon any ground, where a wise man may build his confidence.

127. Ninthly; But lastly, how if the spirit must be restrained, and that by precept apostolical ? That calls us to a new account. But if it be not true, what means St. Paul by saying, "The spirits of the prophets must be subject to the prophets ?" What greater restraint than subjection? If subjected, then they must be ruled; if ruled, then limited; prescribed unto, and as much under restraint, as the spirits of the superior prophets shall judge convenient. I suppose by this time, this objection will trouble us no more. But perhaps another will.

128. For, why are not the ministers to be left as well to their liberty in making their prayers, as their sermons? I answer, the church may if she will, but whether she doth well or no, let her consider. This I am sure, there is not the same reason, and I fear the experience the world hath already had of it, will make demonstration enough of the inconvenience. But, however, the differences are many.

129. First; Our prayers offered up by the minister, are in behalf and in the name of the people; and, therefore, great reason they should know beforehand what is to be presented, that if they like not the message they may refuse to communicate, especially since people are so divided in their opinions, in their hopes, and in their faiths; it being a duty to refuse communion with those prayers, which they think to have in them the matter of sin or doubting. Which reason, on the other part, ceases. For the minister being to speak from God to the people, if he speaks what he ought not, God can right himself, however, is not a partner of the sin,-as, in the other case, the people possibly may be.

130. Secondly; It is more fit a liberty be left in preaching than praying, because the address of

our discourses and exhortations is to be made according to the understanding and capacity of the audience, their prejudices are to be removed, all advantages to be taken, and they are to be surprised that way they lie most open; "But being crafty, I caught you," saith St. Paul to the Corinthians. And discourses and arguments "ad hominem," upon their particular principles and practices, may more move them than the most polite and accurate that do not comply, and wind about their fancies and affections. St. Paul, from the absurd practice of being baptized for the dead, made an excellent argument to convince the Corinthians of the resurrection. But this reason also ceases in our prayers. For God understandeth what we say sure enough; he hath no prejudices to be removed, no infirmities to be wrought upon, and a fine figure of rhetoric, a pleasant cadence and a curious expression, move not him at all: no other twinings and compliances stir him, but charity, and humility, and zeal, and importunity, which all are things internal and spiritual. It was observed by Pliny, "Deos ipsos, non tam accuratis adorantium precibus, quàm innocentiâ, et sanctitate lætari: gratioremque existimari, qui delubris eorum puram castamque mentem, quàm qui meditatum carmen intulerit." " And, therefore, of necessity, there is to be great variety of discourses to the people, and permissions accordingly, but not so to God,-with whom a "Deus miserere" prevails, as soon as the great office of forty hours, not long since invented in the church of Rome, or any other prayers spun out to a length beyond the extension of the office of a pharisee.

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131. Thirdly; I fear it cannot stand with our reverence to God, to permit to every spirit a liberty of public address to him, in behalf of the people. Indeed, he that is not fit to pray, is not always fit to preach; but it is more safe to be bold with the people, than with God, if the persons be not so fit. In that there may be indiscretion, but there may be impiety and irreligion in this. The people may better excuse and pardon an indiscretion, or a rudeness, if any such should happen, than we may venture to offer it to God.

132. Fourthly; There is a latitude of theology, much whereof is left to us, so without precise and clear determination, that without breach either of faith or charity, men may differ in opinion: and if they may not be permitted to abound in their own sense, they will be apt to complain of tyranny over consciences, and that men lord it over their faith. In prayer this thing is so different, that it is imprudent, and full of inconvenience, to derive such things into our prayers, which may with good profit be matter of sermons. Therefore, here a liberty may well enough be granted, when there it may better be denied.

133. Fifthly; But indeed, if I may freely declare my opinion, I think it were not amiss, if the liberty of making sermons were something more restrained than it is, and that either such persons only were intrusted with the liberty, for whom the church herself may safely be responsive, that is, to men Plin. Panegyr. Trajan. dictum.

they have considered, and many such cases will occur in extempore or unlicensed prayers, that need much considering before we attest them. But if the people be not intelligent, they are apt to swallow all the inconveniences which may multiply in so great a license and therefore it were well that the governors of the church, who are to answer for their souls, should judge for them, before they say

134. Sixthly; But yet methinks the argument objected so far as the extempore men make use of it, if it were turned with the edge the other way, would have more reason in it; and instead of arguing, "Why should not the same liberty be allowed to their spirit in praying as in preaching?" it were better to substitute this: "If they can pray with the Spirit, why do they not also preach with the Spirit?" And, it may be, there may be in reason or experience, something more for preaching and making orations by the excellency of a man's spirit and learning, than for the other, which, in the greatest abilities, it may be unfit to venture to God, without public approbation: but for sermons, they may be fortunate and safe, if made extempore. "Si calor ac spiritus tulit, frequenter accidit, ut successum extemporalem consequi cura non possit; Deum tunc adfuisse, cum id evenisset, veteres oratores, Cicero ait," dictitabant."x Now let them make demonstration of their spirit, by making excellent sermons extempore: that it may become an experiment of their other faculty, that after they are tried and approved in this, they may be considered for the other and if praying with the Spirit be praying extempore, why shall not they preach extempore too, or else confess they preach without the Spirit, or that they have not the gift of preaching? For to say that the gift of prayer is a gift extempore, but the gift of preaching is with study and deliberation, is to become vain and impertinent. "Quis enim discrevit ?" "Who hath made them of a different consideration?" I mean as to this particular, as to their efficient cause? Nor reason, nor revelation, nor God, nor man.

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135. To sum up all. If any man hath a mind to exercise his gift of prayer, let him set himself to work, and compose books of devotion; (we have need of them in the church of England, so apparent need, that some of the church of Rome have made it an objection against us ;) and this his gift of prayer will be to edification. But, otherwise, I understand it is more fit for ostentation, than any spiritual advantage. For God hears us not the sooner for our extempore, long, or conceived prayers, possibly they may become a hinderance, as in the cases before instanced. And I am sure, if the people be intelligent, and can discern, they are hindered in their devotion; for they dare not say "Amen," till * Quintilian. 10, 7, 14.

forms of liturgy. My sentence therefore is, iva μévwμev woñeρ loμèv, "let us be as we are already;" few changes are for the better.

136. For if it be pretended, that in the liturgy of the church of England,-which was composed with much art and judgment, by a church that hath as much reason to be confident,—she hath the spirit and gift of prayer, as any single person hath; and each learned man, that was at its first composition, can as much prove that he had the Spirit, as the objectors now-a-days (and he that boasts most, certainly hath the least): if, I say, it be pretended, that there are many errors and inconveniences, both in the order and in the matter of the common prayer-book, made by such men, with so much industry: how much more, and with how much greater reason, may we all dread the inconveniences and disorders of extempore and conceived prayers? Where respectively there is neither conjunction of heads, nor premeditation, nor industry, nor method, nor art, nor any of those things, or at least, not in the same degree, which were likely to have exempted the common prayer-book from errors and disorders. "If these things be done in the green tree, what will be done in the dry ?"

137. But if it be said, the extempore and conceived prayers will be secured from error by the Directory, because that chalks them out the matter; I answer, it is not sufficient, because, if when men study both the matter and the words too, they may be, and, it is pretended, are actually, deceived,

much more may they, when the matter is left much more at liberty, and the words under no restraint at all. And no man can avoid the pressure and the weight of this, unless the compilers of the Directory were infallible, and that all their followers are so too, of the certainty of which I am not yet fully satisfied.

138. And after this, I would tain know, what benefit and advantages the church of England, in her united capacity, receives by this new device? For the public, it is clear, that whether the ministers pray before they study, or study before they pray, there must needs be infinite deformity in the public worship, and all the benefits which before were the consequents of conformity and unity, will be lost; and if they be not valuable, I leave it to all them to consider, who know the inconveniences of public disunion, and the public disunion that is certainly consequent to them, who do not communicate in any common forms of worship; and to think that the Directory will bring conformity, is as if one should say, that all who are under the same hemisphere, are joined "in communi patriâ," and will love like countrymen. For under the Directory