of a Number of Persons, whom the public Wifdom hath chofen for that End, is furely more likely both to excite, and to exprefs fitly, than the hafty Produce of each private Minifter's Invention especially as he is expected by his People to vary even this continually, though it be for the worse.

One Man will doubtless excell another in this Way: and fome perhaps may, really or feemingly, furpafs at fome Times the public Forms. But what Multitudes would there be, who through Inability; Careleffhefs, Want of Memory, Diffidence, or Imprudence, would fall vastly short of them, were every Minister in the Nation to use, every Time he officiates, a new Prayer of his own devifing upon the Spot? How often doth it happen, were we to know the Truth, amongst the small Number of our THE Diffenters, that the Perfon praying hesitates and is at a Lofs, omits Things neceffary or ufeful, expreffes himself obfcurely, improperly, irreverently, works himself into Gestures and Accents by no means edifying, not to say worse? All which must grievously hurt the Devotion of those, who defire to pay God a reasonable Service"; and bring Thoughts into their Minds,

* Rom, xii. 1,

extremely

extremely unsuitable to the Work in which they are engaged. Then what Danger is there in this Way, that Men may fill their public Addreffes to Heaven with their own private, it may be abfurd and pernicious, Notions and Opinions: that national Prayers may change, like Fashions and Fancies, and the Faith of Chriftians change. along with them; which the Weight and Authority of an established Liturgy greatly contributes to keep ftedfaft, and preserve from noxious Errors? What Danger is there alfo, that Perfons, either by ill Design, or ill judging Zeal, may mix their Interefts, their Paffions, their Party-Attachments of various Kinds, with the Requests and Thanksgivings, which they utter in the Name of the Congregation; may inflame one Part of a Neighbourhood, one Part of their Fellow-Subjects, against another; ftir up fome to Mischief, under Colour of its being the Cause of God; and by fo doing, make his Worship abhorred by the reft? I am far from charging the Body of thofe amongst us, who ufe extempore Prayer, with being guilty of thefe Things now. I am only representing, what Evils a more general Use of it would be likely to produce, especially in Times of public Dif cord. Indeed most of them, if not all, it for

merly

merly hath produced: and preventing them is much easier, and every Way better, than punishing them.

But fuppofing these Inconveniences avoided, another, very confiderable, would remain. Let their Diflike of Forms be ever fo great, the Words of their Minister in praying are as absolutely a Form to Them for the Time, as the Words of a national Liturgy: but with this unhappy Difference, that his Expreffions being continually varied, poffibly the most judicious, at least the flower and more ignorant, may often doubt of their Meaning; and the fcrupulous, of their Fitness: and though upon Confideration they should be fatisfied, yet He in the mean while is gone on to fomething else. And thus they may follow after him through the whole of a Prayer, and be able to overtake and really join with him in but a small Part of it whereas a Form may always be examined beforehand; and when it is once understood and found to be right, our Judgement and Affections will go together in the Use of it, without Let or Hindrance; and we shall be edified, not in Imagination, but Reality.

Upon the whole, the Reasons for a public Liturgy are fo ftrong, that Calvin, the most univerfally

univerfally esteemed by our diffenting Brethren of all the Reformers, in a Letter to the Protector of England, under Edw. VI. hath thefe Words. "As to a Form of Prayer and of Ecclefiaftical Rites, I highly approve that it should be certain, from which it may not be lawful for any Minister to depart: as well in Confideration of the Weakness and Ignorance of fome, as that it may more plainly appear, how our Churches agree among ft themselves; and lastly, that a Stop may be put to the Giddiness of those, who affect

Novelties.

Still I am fenfible, that fome of the Arguments, which I have urged against Devotions composed by the Minifter, may feem to lie equally against Sermons compofed by him; and to require, that Inftruction be in a conftant Form, as well as Prayer. But, befides that one hath been the Cufiom of the Churches of God, the other not; Prayer is the Voice of the People to their Heavenly Father; and fhould therefore be preferved, with fingular Caution, from every Thing, which they ought not to fay, or may not immediately comprehend or approve; elfe, in fuch Parts of the Service, either they do not pray at all, or they pray

• 1 Cor. xi. 16:

amifs. But preaching is the Voice of the Minifter to the People, which they may weigh and judge of at their Leifure: and even should they fail of learning their Duty from thence, they may learn it from a much higher Authority, the Leffons of Scripture read to them. Further, where a fixed Form of Worship is appointed, Inftruction may be left at Liberty more fafely; because it will be observed, if the latter contradicts the former: and also very ufefully, becaufe a much greater Variety of Things is requifite to be faid to the People in Sermons, than is needful for them to fay to Heaven in their Prayers. But how proper foever it may be to have fome Form, they, who diffent from us, apprehend there are such great Imperfections and Faults in the established Form, that if they must pray with the Spirit and with the Understanding, they must not pray by that. Now Imperfections will be found in every Thing human and if these be a fufficient Objection against our Prayers, it will hold against their own and all Prayers, excepting that of our bleffed Lord. From every Thing unlawful we are ready to prove that our Service Book is intirely free. But the Faults of extempore Devotions, which are different in

every Congre