meet, every one hath, viz. already, which supposes they had it prepared against the meeting. For the Spirit could help as well at home in their meditation, as in the public upon a sudden; and though it is certain the Holy Spirit loves to bless the public meetings, the communion of saints, with special benedictions, yet I suppose my adversaries are not willing to acknowledge any thing that should do much reputation to the church, and the public authorized conventions, at least not to confine the Spirit to such holy and blessed meetings they will, I suppose, rather grant the words do probably intimate, they came prepared with a hymn;' and, therefore, there is nothing in the nature of the thing, but that so also might their other forms of prayer; the assistance of the Spirit (which is the thing in question) hinders not, but that they also might have made them by premeditation.

43. Secondly, in this place, praying with the Spirit signifies no other extraordinary assistance, but that the Spirit helped them to speak their prayer in an unknown tongue : ἐὰν γὰρ προσεύχωμαι γλώσσῃ, τὸ πνεῦμα προσεύχεται, “ Ι I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is without fruit:" what then? "I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also." Plainly here, praying in the spirit, which is opposed to praying in understanding, is praying in an unknown tongue; where, by the way, observe, that praying with the spirit, even in the sense of Scripture, is not always most to edification of the people; not always with understanding. And when these two are separated, St. Paul prefers five words with understanding, before ten thousand in the spirit. For this praying with the spirit was indeed then a gift extraordinary and miraculous, like as prophesying with the spirit, and expired with it. But while it did last, it was the lowest of gifts, "inter dona linguarum,” it was but a gift of the tongue, and not to the benefit of the church directly or immediately.

44. This also observe in passing by: if St. Paul did so undervalue the praying with the spirit, that he preferred edifying the church a thousand degrees beyond it; I suppose he would have been of the same mind, if the question had been between praying with the spirit and obeying our superiors, as he was when it was between praying with

the spirit and edification of the church; because, if I be not mistaken, it is matter of great concernment towards the edification of the church, to obey our superiors, not to innovate in public forms of worship, especially with the scandal and offence of very wise and learned men, and to the disgrace of the dead martyrs, who sealed our liturgy with their blood.

45. But to return. In this place, praying with the spirit, beside the assistance given by the Holy Ghost to speak in a strange tongue, is no more than "my spirit praying" that is, it implies my co-operation with the assistance of the Spirit of God, insomuch that the whole action may truly be denominated mine, and is called "of the spirit," only by reason of that collateral assistance. For so St. Paul joins them, as terms identical, and expressive of one another's meaning, as you may please to read, 1 Cor. xiv. 14, 15., “I will pray with the spirit, and my spirit truly prayeth." It is the act of our inner man, 'praying holy and spiritual prayers. But then, indeed, at that time, there was something extraordinary adjoined, for it was in an unknown tongue, the practice of which St. Paul there dislikes. This also will be to none of their purposes: for whether it were extempore, or by premeditation, is not here expressed; or if it had, yet that assistance extraordinary in prayer, if there was any beside the "gift of tongues," which is not here or any where else expressed, is no more transmitted to us, than the speaking tongues in the spirit, or prophesying extempore and by the spirit.

46. But I would add also one experiment, which St. Paul also there adds, by way of instance. If praying with the spirit, in this place, be praying extempore, then so is singing too; for they are expressed in the same place, in the same manner, to the same end, and I know no reason why there should be differing senses put upon them to serve purposes. And now let us have some church music too, though the organs be pulled down; and let any the best psalmist of them all compose a hymn in metrical form (as Antipater Sidonius in Quintilian, and Licinius Archias in Cicero, could do in their verses), and sing it to a new tune with perfect and true music, and all this extempore; for all this the Holy Ghost can do if he pleases. But if it be said,

that the Corinthian Christians composed their songs and hymns according to art and rules of music, by study and industry, and that to this they were assisted by the spirit; and that this, together with the devotion of their spirit, was singing with the spirit: then say I, so composing set forms of liturgy by skill, and prudence, and human industry, may be as much praying with the spirit, as the other is singing with the spirit; plainly enough. In all the senses of praying with the spirit, and in all its acceptations in Scripture, to pray or sing with the spirit, neither of them of necessity implies extempore.

47. The sum or collecta of the premises is this: praying with the spirit is either, first, when the spirit stirs up our desires to pray, "per motionem actualis auxilii;” or, secondly, when the spirit teaches us what or how to pray, telling us the matter and manner of our prayers: thirdly, or lastly, dictating the very words of our prayers. There is no other way in the world to pray with the spirit, or in the Holy Ghost, that is pertinent to this question. And of this last manner the Scripture determines nothing, nor speaks any thing expressly of it; and yet suppose it had, we are certain the Holy Ghost hath supplied us with all these; and yet, in set forms of prayer, best of all, I mean there, where a difference can be; for, 1. as for the desires and actual motions or incitements to pray, they are indifferent to one or the other, to set forms or to extempore.

48. Secondly but as to the matter or manner of prayer, it is clearly contained in the express and set forms of Scriptures, and there it is supplied to us by the Spirit, for he is the great dictator of it.

49. Thirdly. Now then for the very words. No man can assure me that the words of his extempore' prayer are the words of the Holy Spirit. It is neither reason nor modesty to expect such immediate assistances to so little purpose, he having supplied us with abilities more than enough to express our desires aliundè,' otherwise than by immediate dictate. But if we will take David's psalter, or the other hymns of holy Scripture, or any of the prayers which are respersed over the Bible, we are sure enough that they are the words of God's Spirit, mediately or immediately, by way of infusion, or ecstasy, by vision, or at least

by ordinary assistance. And now, then, what greater confidence can any man have for the excellency of his prayers, and the probability of their being accepted, than when he prays his psalter, or the Lord's prayer, or any other office which he finds consigned in Scripture? When God's Spirit stirs us up to an actual devotion, and then we use the matter he hath described and taught, and the very words which Christ, and Christ's Spirit, and the apostles and other persons full of the Holy Ghost, did use; if in the world there be any praying with the spirit, I mean, in vocal prayer, this is it.

50. And thus I have examined the entire and full scope of this first question, and rifled their objection, which was the only colour to hide the appearance of its natural deformity at the first sight. The result is this: "Scriben dum, ergo, quoties licebit: si id non dabitur, cogitandum : ab utroque exclusi, debent tamen adniti, ut neque deprehensus orator, neque litigator destitutus esse videatur":" "In making our orations and public advocations, we must write what we mean to speak, as often as we can ; when we cannot, yet we must deliberate and study; and when the suddenness of the accident prevents both these, we must use all the powers of art and care, that we have a present mind, and call in all our first provisions, that we be not destitute of matter and words apt for the employment." This was Quintilian's rule for the matter of prudence, and in secular occa sions; but when the instance is in religion, and especially in our prayers, it will concern us nearer to be curious and deliberate what we speak in the audience of the eternal God, when our lives and our souls, and the honour of God, and the reputation of religion, are concerned, and whatsoever is greatest in itself, or dearest to us.

QUESTION II.

51. THE second question hath in it something more of difficulty; for the men that own it will give leave that 'set forms' may be used, so you give leave to them to make them;

Quintil. x. 7. 29. Spalding.

but if authority shall interpose, and prescribe a liturgy, every word shall breed a quarrel; and if the matter be innocent, yet the very injunction is tyranny, a restraining of the gifts of the Holy Ghost, it leaves the spirit of a man sterile and unprofitable, it is not for edification of the church, and is as destitute of comfort as it is of profit. For God hath not restrained his spirit to those few that rule the church in prelation above others, but if he hath given to them the spirit of government, he hath given to others the spirit of prayer, and the spirit of prophecy. "Now the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withal; for to one is given, by the Spirit, the word of wisdom; to another, the word of knowledge, by the same Spirit." And these, and many other gifts are given to several members, that they may supply one another, and all join to the edification of the body. And, therefore, that must needs be an imprudent sanction, that so determines the offices of the church, that she cannot be edified by that variety of gifts which the Holy Spirit hath given to several men to that purpose; just as if there should be a canon, that but one sermon should be preached in all churches for ever. Besides, it must needs be, that the devotion of the suppliants must be much retarded by the perpetuity and unalterable reiteration of the same form; for since our affections will certainly vary, and suffer great alteration of degrees and inclinations, it is easier to frame words apt to comply with our affections, than to conform our affections, in all varieties, to the same words. When the forms are daily changed, it is probable that every man shall find something proportionable to his fancy, which is the great instrument of devotion, than to suppose that any one form should be, like manna, fitted to every taste; and, therefore, in prayers, as the affections must be natural, sweet, and proper, so also should the words expressing the affections, issue forth by way of natural emanation. "Sed extemporalis audaciæ atque ipsius temeritatis vel præcipua jucunditas est. Nam ingenio quoque, sicut in agro, quanquam alia diu serantur atque elaborentur, gratiora tamen, quæ suâ sponte nascuntur." And a garment may as well be made to fit the moon, as that one form of prayer should be made apt and proportionable to all men, or to any man, at all times.

i Quintil. Dial. de Oratorib. c. vii. Seebode, p. 7.