A peaceable moderator, or, Some plain considerations to give satisfaction to such as stand dis-affected to our Book of common prayer established by authority clearing it from the aspersion of popery, and giving the reasons of all the things therein contained and prescribed / made by Alan Carr ...

Object. 2.Prayer is a Spiritual work proceed••••g from the Spirit, and a work of the Spirit therefore needeth not a Form or Book to pray b••, or to read it upon a Book. Our Saviour saith, John 4. 23, 24. The true wor∣shippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth; for the Father requireth even such to woship him: God is a Spirit, and they tha•• worship him must worship him i•• Spirit and Truth. And the Apostle Paul telleth us, Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our in∣firmities; for we know not what to p••ay as we ought, but the spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered, or

as the Old Translation is, with sighs which cannot be expressed; so that prayer needeth not the help of a Form or Book.

Answ Those words of our Saviour were spoken to the Woman of Samaria, and are grounded on ver. 20. as an answer to her words, where she speaketh of the difference between the Jews and the Samaritans about the place of Gods worship. The Samaritans tied the place of Gods worship to that Mountain called Gerizim. The Jews to Jerusalem; Christ telleth her that the time is now coming under the New Testament, that the worship of God shall be tied to no certain place, neither to that mountain, nor to Jerusalem; but the true worshippers shall worship God in Spirit and Truth. The word (Spirit) is there set against that Commandment which is called carnal, Heb. 7. 26. And (Truth) against the outward Ceremonies of the Law which were only shadows of things to come. The meaning of them then must be this, that under the New Testament Gods worship shall be tied to no certain place; neither shall it consist in any outward corporal or carnal things, sacrifices, purifyings, wash∣ings, and the like Ceremonies of the Law; they shall all cease and be ended in Christ: But the true worshippers shall wor∣ship him in spirit and truth; that is, in a spiritual manner, not with outward observances, but the inward Devotion of the heart and mind: (The mind is there called the Spirit, it is not meant of the Spirit of God, but of the mind, the spirit of man) with true faith, true love, reverence, obedience, holiness and righteousness. Now this we do acknowledge doth forbid and cut down all carnal worship, if any man think that the outward action of reading a prayer upon a Book or in a ••ook, is the wor∣ship of God; but no man can deny but a man may pray by the spirit of God, with sighs and groans proceeding from Faith, when prayers are uttered after a prescript form, or read upon a Book. And for the words of the Apostle, expositours give us the meaning thus: There is no cause why we should faint under the burthen of our Afflictions, seeing prayers yield us a strong defence, help, and comfort, which cannot be in vain because they proceed from the spirit of God; likewise the spirit helpeth

our infirmities; besides the support of faith, hope, and patience (mentioned before) the spirit helpeth to bear up 〈◊〉〈◊〉 burthen that we sink not under it; for we know not what to pray as we ought, but the spirit maketh Intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered; that is, the spirit doth move us and stir us up to prayer, and doth as it were dictate words, groans and sighs within us; helpeth that dulness, ignorance, and blind∣ness in us, teaching us how and what to pray for: And he that searcheth the heart knoweth the meaning of the spirit. What sighs and groans proceed from the spirit▪ from the motion and breathing of the spirit, because it maketh Intercession for the Saints according to the will of God. It teacheth the Saints to pray according to his will, it worketh in us those wishes and desires, and kindleth in our hearts those earnest, fervent, and ardent affections, sighs, and groans, which please God. This we all acknowledge, that we can do nothing in prayer without the help of the spirit which stirreth up earnest affections, desires and groans in the heart; but this spirit of God doth not ex∣clude reason and prudence or any helpes that may be afforded us to forward us in that good duty, but joyneth as it were with them, and followeth them with his assistance.

In the performance of this duty of prayer, three things are especially requisite and needful.

1. To pray with Understanding, to know what we say, and what we pray for.

2. To pray in Faith, to come in the name of Christians to ask those things that are agreeable to Gods will, believing that God both can and will hear us, and help us, and an∣swer our Petitions as far as he shall see and judge fitting for his own glory and our good.

3. To pray in the Spirit, with zeal, fervency, intention of mind and spirit, and with earnestness and true Devotion of the heart.

Now who can say but a man may pray with Understanding, pray in Faith, and pray in the Spirit with true Devotion of heart, and with sighs and groans when the prayer is uttered after a prescript form, or read upon a Book? We grant that▪ prayer

is a spiritual work proceeding from faith; neither is faith in any but there is some power to utter some matter of prayer in every one that prayeth in faith, and to open his mind and to pour out his desires in some measure: and that no prayer is regarded of God unless it do proceed from faith. But because some are so overwhelmed with ignorance, others so weak in ex∣pressions and dull in their conceit; and some so perplexed in mind and disturbed in their thoughts, that they cannot tell how to pray or what to utter of themselves, therefore they need the help of a set form of prayer prescribed by another, or may joyn with another in a form that is read upon a Book. Yet when we pray thus by a Book; we do not fetch the matter from the Book, but from our hearts with sighs and groans, only we are helped by a Book as the Congregarion which prayeth with the Minister is helped and stirred up by the Minister for the manner of delivery of their prayers unto God; Christ himself appointed a set form, saying, not when you meditate, but when you pray, say thus, &c. Luke 11. 1, 2.