A WORD OF EXHORTATION TO OUR SEPARATING BRETHREN of whatever denomination, especially those commonly called Anabaptists, Beseeching them to stir up their Hearts to an upright impartial, and unbended considering of their ways, in order to their giving Glory to Truth and Peace, and to Taking hold of the strength of God, in this day of our own weakness.  
The chief points, these four;  

1. Twenty particulars, wherein our Brethren seem to have receded from Christ Crucified, or the Gospel.  
2. Active obedience to Authority, in things, by God neither commanded nor forbidden; whether a Gospel duty?  
3. Infant baptism, seeming to go upon most short and clear grounds of Holy Scripture and sanctified reason.  
4. Known set forms of Prayer, whether an help to devotion in congregations and families, much more proper and effectual, then Prayer by the gift?   
OXFORD, Printed by William Hall, Anno 1663.   

A word of EXHORTATION to our SEPARATING BRETHREN of whatever denomination, especially those commonly called ANABAPTISTS;  
Beseeching them to stir up their Hearts to an impartial upright, and unbended considering of their ways, in order to their giving Glory to Peace and Truth, and to Taking hold of the strength of God, in this day of our own weakness.  
BRethren, hearty beloved in the God of love, Christ Jesus: he, that now takes upon him, To be your monitor, is one that is peaceable in Israel; wisheth, with the Apostle, Grace, mercy and Peace may be multiplied unto you; seeks not yours, but you; acknowledges in you, and from his heart congratulates to you, these two most Christian dispositions, which heretofore he hath observed in most of you; namely, first, That generally ye do fear an Oath and all open deboshery& profaneness. Secondly, That, when lately the right Church-Order and Constitution in this Land, through the mistake of the times, was either destroyed or brought into contempt and disrepute, somewhat near a destruction, and nothing of any worth set up in stead of it( as indeed nothing of any worth, but that itself, could be set up) Ye yet would not be contented to live at large, and out of all both real and seeming Church Order, as many did. These dear Brethren, are two such believing qualifications, namely, strict living, and great devotion to Discipline, That would ye now, with these, comform and apply yourselves( through the power of grace and mercy) to the established way of this Nation; The advantage, ye might hereby bring to the truth of the Gospel, to the peace of christendom, and to the eternal welfare both of yourselves and of others, would be such, as no conceit can aforehand sufficiently make out and declare.  
To the end therefore, ye may thus( through Grace) bless both yourselves and others,& that the God of Order may love you the Sons of Order, yet more and more; he I verily believe; hath stirred up my Spirit, to lay before you those convictions of the un-Evangelicallness of your way, that to me truly seem utterly unresistible. For judge, Brethren, even the meanest of you, whether that way can possibly be the right, which seems to have all these un-Christian things, most truly charged upon it; namely,  
First, That ye do strike in with the Papists, in the most venomous and un-Christian point of all, namely, Their judging and condemning all other, or, their holding all other Christians besides themselves, to be in state of damnation; and, separating from them accordingly. Thus do the Papists; thus also do ye. But that in so thinking and doing, both of you, do both do and think clean contrary to Christ Crucified, or, the Gospel.  
Secondly, Your rejecting of the Three Creeds.  
Thirdly, Your uncharitable affirming all the Ministers of England, to be deceivers, impostors, &c.  
Fourthly, Your counting all, or most Societies of Christians, besides yourselves, to be the Revelation-Babylon: And to this purpose in your arrows against Babylon, making, quickly, shortly, and, the time is at hand( expressions in sundry places of that Book) to signify a Tract of time, reaching our times and even to the very end of the World; contrary not onely to the Truth, but also to the Scripture use of the Word, as well, as of all otber Books and Languages beside.  
Fiftly, Your Urging People to judge for themselves in controverted Points; which yet by Gods Word, are left to the Rulers gathered together in a Council, Heb. 13. 17. Compared with Act. 15.  
sixthly, Your slighting of Prayer and Praise and of the word distinctly red, in the Assemblies, as a Part of Worship.  
seventhly, Your endeavouring to persuade People against all sense and Reason, That the whole Church, not onely in S. Cyprians and Tertullians, but also in Hyginus his time, was ignorant, whether the 50. or 100. years before, Infants were Baptized or no; When themselves, or their Fathers, were some of those Infants.  
Eightly, Your simulation, pretending to Preach onely by inspiration, when ye yourselves know well enough, that ye do it, not without much use and study and conference, and those other means and ways, that other men take and use; And not onely by the present Incitations, Assistances, Suggestions and Inspirations of the Spirit.  
Ninthly, Your making all Infants uncapable of any room in the visible Church, whilst Infants. A piece of cruelty never heard of, from the beginning of the World, till, about 200. years ago.  
Tenthly, Your making no difference at all, between the Infants of believers and of Infidels.  
Elevently, Your making both Jews and Gentiles to be now,( under Christ, and the Gospel in a far worse estate, in respect of their Infants, then they were, under Moses and the Law.  
Twelfthly. Your allowing yourselves in the violation of the 6. and 7. Commandements, by your endangering not the health onely, but Chastity also, of many, that ye dip.  
Thirteenth. Your making nothing of the general custom, usage& practise of Christians; clean contrary to what S. Paul does For he, in that solemn debate about being covered, or uncovered in the public sacred Assemblies, makes this his concluding, and, as it were, stabbing and unanswerable argument; 1 Cor. 11. 16. But if any man seem to be contentious, We have no such custom, nor the Churches of God. For his meaning even in the opinion of Mr. Walter Craddock, is this; if with all this, that I have said, the contentious among you will not be satisfied, but will in the Holy Assemblies, the Women be uncovered; and the Men covered; I have then to allege against them, this undeniable and unanswerable Argument, as being matter of known fact and practise, among all civil as well as Christian people; That no where is it in use for Men in the sacred Assemblies to cover themselves, and for Women to be uncovered. But most signally true is this, among Christians, There being not a Church of God any where that so does. Now to go by ones self, and in such things as these, to do and practise in a clean different way from all other Christians, This sure must needs be very great Arrogance, singularity and self admiration at least; to say nothing of the unchartitableness, and Impiety thereunto conjoined.  
This, Brethten, seems to be the true mind and meaning of S. Paul in this place: And if so it be, then Judge ye, whether your slighting of the use and Practise of Christians, be an apostolical and Christian thing or no.  
Fourteenth. Your restraining the manner of Baptizing to dipping: Whereas 1. The word signifies washing, affusion, or sprinkling, as well as dipping& immersion and dowsing over head and ears. 2. Christ hath not appointed the measure of Water, nor the manner of Washing; no more then he hath appointed in the Lords Supper, what quantity of Bread and Wine each must take. And as it would be but folly for any to think, that Men must needs fill themselves full of Bread and Wine, because it best signifies the fullness of Christ: so it is no better to say, We must be washed all over, because it best signifies our burial with Christ, &c.  
Fifteenth. Your teaching, that the Infants of visible Church members under the Gospel( or, That the Infants of Christians) ought to have their baptism deferred, till they come to Age; and, doing accordingly. For which your Doctrine and practise, there's no one word, or example in all the New Testament.  
Sixteenth. Your deceaving yourselves& others with Arguments à Testimonio Negative, thus, We red not in all the New Testament, that the Apostles Baptized any Infants; Therefore they Baptized none. An argument no better then these; We red not in all the New Testament, that the Apostles did in their Prayers lift up their eyes to Heaven; Therefore they never did so. That they did ever make use of the Lords Prayer. Therefore they never did use it, &c. A non dicto ad non factum, non valet consequentia.  
Seaventeenth. Your turning Scripture affirmatives into exclusives, thus; The Apostles Baptized Men and Women come to Age: that is, say ye, They Baptized such onely, and none else. They Baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus; that is, say ye, In the Name of the Lord Jesus onely, without mentioning Father or Holy Ghost, &c. Enarrations, no better then these; The Apostles joh. 21. Did eat Fish; therefore Fish onely, and never any Flesh. The Apostles did Preach the Gospel by Word of mouth; therefore onely by Word of mouth, and did never put it into writing. Blessed are they, that have not seen, and yet have believed; therefore only such are blessed; Therefore S. Thomas, who by seeing the Wounds and Scars of the Lord Jesus after his Resurrection came to believe, was not a blessed believer, &c.  
eighteen. Your comforting up yourselves with passive obedience, that is, with suffering what the Law inflicts, when ye do not, what it commands. But consider, Brethren.  
1. That in all the Book of God there cannot be any one believer name, nor any one Word of God noted, Warranting believers so much as to doubt or dispute, much less to disobey and condemn when once due Authority has interposed in things indifferent. So that not onely disobedience, but also more passive obedience, in this case, is utterly unscripturall, that is, such as has neither precept nor practise, nor Text nor fact, to warrant it throughout the whole Bible.  
2ly. That, whereas some perhaps may think to evade the force of this Observation by distinguishing about Things indifferent clothed with their Circumstances, and Things Indifferent not-clothed with their circumstances; We may sure be bold to tell them aforehand, That, this distinction seems but a more Notion, or, a distinction without a difference; Because One part of It appears to be entirely wanting, There being no particular things in Common life, but are clothed with Accidents and Circumstances. And therefore, If the sovereign Powers may interpose in any indifferent Things, It must be in Things indifferent, clothed with their Circumstances, There being no other things at all, in Common life, for them to interpose in.  
3ly. That Circumstances, though never so many, if some where in God's word they be not certainly forbidden, can never make any Thing Indiffirent, Not Indifferent, or Unfit and unlawful for the sovereign Magistrate to interpose in, whether by Prohibition or Injunction, as he sees Cause.( If indeed the Unseparable Accidents and Circumstances be certainly forbidden, The Thing itself we aclowledge to be forbidden to; Not in and of itself, but because of those sinful forbidden Adherescencies. But no such, we are competently certain, can be noted in any part of our Constitution. And for the faulty Executions, that be, These are the faults of men, not of the laws.)  
4ly. That St. Pauls Rules about not giving offence to weak Brethren, have place only in such things as the Christian Magistrate has not interposed in, neither by Prohibition, nor Injunction; For then no Christian Magistrate had determined one way or other; Nor was there Any One then, so to do. But now;( blessed be our God, who hath made so many kingdoms of the world to be the kingdoms of the Lord Jesus!) The case now is far otherwise, as in many Soveraigneties besides, so particularly in these our Independent kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland. add hereunto 1. That the Case, that St. Paul speaks to directly and particularly, namely, Things offered to Idols, is now no where to be met with in the Christian world. 2. That To make Rules for Conscience by analogy or Proportions, when therein we have not the Ancient Church going before us, neither by known Practise, nor undoubted Canon, seems a daring very dangerous and noway justifiable.  
5ly. That the Word requires, not only Passive, but also Active Obedience from you, In all these Scripture-undetermin'd Matters, wherein the Magistrate by the word may interpose. Now that in settling the Outward worship of God, He may and ought to put in, seems competently certain, as otherwise, so especially from 1 Chron. 25. vers. 1. 2. 3. and 2 Chron. 29. 30: for in the former of these places recorded we have a plain Order or Act from King David and his Captains, that is, his council of Officers; not only from King David, the man after Gods own heart, but also from sundry Ordinary men, his commissioned Officers:( The Great and most Legal parliament not then sitting, this extemporary Convention of Officers served the turn. How much more ought a most free, full and most deliberately chosen Parliament satisfy us.) I say by this Authority an Ecclestical Order is no sooner emitted, for prophesying, that is, for praising, with Harps, Psalteries, and Cymbals; But presently It is most cheerfully and universally obeied. The like submission also we find in the other place, given to the ordinance of Hezekiah and his Princes for Common Prayer, or, in the literal words of the text, for singing praise unto the Lord, as we now are appointed to do by our King, his Princes and Parliament, in the words of David and of Asaph the Seer: for the very next words are; And they sang praises with gladness, in these forms, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.  
6ly. That if Ye suffer never so patiently and meekly, when Ye should have obeied Actively, sin yet doth lie at the door and upon the Conscience. Because Impossible it is, that corporal outward suffering should be any expiation of Inward soule-sinne.  
7ly. That, If ye suffer as Busy bodies in other mens matters, then can ye not be innocent; nor, by the Gospel rule, take any comfort at all in your sufferings. For, when we underake to Judge the laws, which thing belongs only to the law makers, are we not Busybodies in other mens matters?  
8ly. That, It seems to be the most hazardous and curious point( one of them) in all Christianity, Passively to Obey, without being guilty of some sin or other: Because; Thereunto these two things are found to be of Absolute necessity. 1. That, we be Antecedently Innocent, that is, That We be sure, We neither do deserve, nor have deserved our sufferings, by any our own Weakness or Wickedness. 2. That in our suffering, We sin not against any point of Christian meekness and Patience; especially, That we speak not evil of the Power, By and under which we suffer; and, That we be so far from grudging at our sufferings, and from desiring by any indirect means, To shift ourselves of our across, that we greatly rejoice under it. Whether thus It be, or, when It comes to trial, be like to be with You, Brethren, in all Respects, yourselves will make the Rightest estimate.  
9. add hereunto, That in things by God in Scripture neither clearly forbidden, nor clearly commanded i. e. in things doubtful and Indifferent, The most conscientious and prudent Believers have ever counted The state of subjection, to be the hugely Happy state, that is, That the Supreme Magistrate and the laws should choose for them. For he, that hath the laws on his side, hath always some thing of true religion to warrant him. And, Taking things upon trust from due Authority, or, Presumption in the behalf of Authority is always the safer: Praesumptio est pro Authoritate Imponentis. And subjects ought to judge in favour of the law: Subditi tenentur in favorem legis judicare. And many the like good Rules there are to this purpose.  
Nineteenth. Your Contempt of deductions from Scripture; Contrary not only to the Practise of our Lord himself, Mat. 2. 32; and of his Apostles, 2 Cor. 5. v. 14. 15. 1 Tim. 5. v. 17. 18: but also your own to; For, nothing either do ye bring or can ye bring against christian, It being in Scripture no where forbidden) save only certain pretended deductions and Reasonings from Scripture words and Phrases. For instance, When' ye say, Infants are not to be baptized, ye draw it from Consequence, thus; Because there is no Command for it in your sense. When ye affirm the Covenant is not made with Believers and their seed now, as with Abraham; It's drawn by consequence, Because, say ye, Abraham is no natural Father to us, as to the Jews, and, Because that Covenant was a mixed Covenant, &c. When ye come to prove, Baptizing is by Plunging, ye argue by consequence, Because the word signifies it; Because they went where much water was, and went down into the water, &c. And though ye greatly mistake in all these and many like consequences; Yet this is full ad Homines, or, Against yourselves, who deny consequences to warrant Institutions, and yet have nothing to prove your own way, but what is by consequence from Scripture.  
Twentieth. Your wilfulness. Ye will not, ye say, be persuaded, that christian hath any ground in Scripture, unless ye may see some Scripture in so many words affirming, That Infants were baptized, or, ought to be baptized. Is not this to say, Wee will not believe that God hath spoken any thing to this point, because, he hath not spoken it just as we would have had him? Or, We will not receive the sense and drift of the Scripture, because the words are not just such, as we think had been fittest? Or, We will not content ourselves with good grounds for the Practise, because they are not just such grounds, as we would have? What is frowardness and mere wilfulness, if this be not? By the same Artifice, ye may reject the Trinity, the Lord's day, and indeed every thing of faith, that is not in Scripture, in so many and such words, as ye think had been best and fittest.  
Upon these and other like considerations, It was, sure, That One( almost your own) did yet, many yeares ago, thus proclaim in print; The sum of All, writes he, that our Brethren have to say, though they make a great noise in the world, is only this; That they can find in the New Testament no syllabical precept, or words of command in terms, saying, go, baptize Infants; Or, any full positive Example, where, it is recorded in so many words, that Infants were baptized. All that they say besides, is, to quarrel with our Argumens, and make shift to evade the strength of them; But this is the only Argument, and their All to speak on. For, however they talk of the Covenant, and Fleshly and spiritual seed, and some other matters; Yet this is their Great and most successful Argument. And yet it's whole strength, is nothing but this false Principle, That no Consequences from Scripture are obliging, or of Divine Authority. A principle carrying in the face of it, these three intolerable Absurdities,( among sundry other.)  
1. Then, No One can speak Divine Truth, but those that speak just the very expressions of Scripture.  
2. Only the very letters and Syllables in the Bible should be Scripture, not the sense and meaning.  
3. All Prophesyings( commonly called Preaching) All Enarrations, Opening, Applying and expounding of Scripture, should be laid aside, as Useless, if not Godless. add to all this; That the Way of the Church of England, which ye have left, seems to go upon most clear short and certain Grounds of Holy Scripture and sanctified Reason, such as these.  
1. Infants may and ought to be entered into Covenant with God, as upon other Authorities, so particularly. Deut. 29. 11. ye stand this day All of you— Your Captaines— Your Elders— Your Little Ones, Your Wives— That thou shouldst enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God.  
2. When we see the Lord Jesus himself counting childrens coming to Him by their believing friends, to be Very coming unto Him; We have sure sufficient ground to believe, That He counts also their Professing the faith by their believing friends, to be Very Professing. Physically indeed or, According to the Physical, sensible or decretive Will of God, This Professing is the act of the sureties: But in Law sense or Morally, that is, According to his Moral, Intelligible, Legislative Will, It is the Childs own Act. Just as when a Father puts his Childs life into a living, and ties him to take such or such a man for his Land-lord, and to pay him such or such a Rent; and if he do not, to forfeit his estate; if he do, to enjoy it according to the Covenants: Physically, All this is the Fathers Act, but Morally and in the sense of the law, The Child is possessed of the benefit, as well as of the burden, as much as if he had both-known what is done, and also had done it himself. The accommodation to our present business is so obvious, that scarce Any sure need to be holpen to do it. For who sees not that the sureties, having Power and obligations from Deut. 29. 11. to enter the Child into Covnant with God, do indeed so do? Engage him to take Christ for his Landlord as' twere? To enjoy and hold of him, all the Benefits of the Gospel, under the Rent of Faith and Repentance and the other Gospel. Observations? If he do not pay his Rent, to forf●it his living? If he do, To enjoy it with surety and Highest comfort? &c. And boldly may the sureties in the Child's behalf, protest, That it is, His desire to be baptized into the faith of Christ, because every One may and ought to be presumed not only Consenting to, but also desirous of, That, which is for his Good; As this his being entred into Covenant with his God, for certain is No small Good to every Child so entered; Unless haply we dare be so absurd and wicked to affirm, That it is better to be out of Covenant with God, then in; And, To be out of the bosom of the visible Church, then within it. &c.  
3. In the Institution of Christian baptism some time before. Joh. 3. vers. 22. 26: and chap. 4. vers 1. 2: and in the Commission for Baptizing, Math. 28. There is nothing against Infant baptism; But rather, Math. 28. vers. 19. 20. room purposely left for it, because therein Discipling by Baptizing, that is, by Engaging into the Name of Father, son and Holy Ghost that is▪ unto the true Christian Religion, is clearly set before Teaching. The words, these; being gone therefore Disciple all Nations, Baptizing them into the Name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Ghost, Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have, &c.  
4. The Baptizing of grown Believers is so frequently noted in the New Testament, To show not the Proper and adequate subject of baptism, but the success and Power of the Gospel; that, notwithstanding there seemed to be in Christian Religion so many ●●surd and unlikely things, yet in very dead such reasonableness as well as power was in ●he dispensation, that so many thousands of Men and Women, come to mature years ●nd judgement, and some of them the greatest and most judicious Scholars of the times, did yet very readily and deliberately engage in it, in the ordinary way.  
5. Whereas the main things, that ye so much vaunt of, and stand upon, are these two, your personal professing and Covenanting; both these( suppose it were lawful for every man to choose, which way he will go, whether ours or yours every sober Christian sure would choose to have his Children do, in our way, rather then in yours; because they may be done, if not better and sooner, yet as soon and as well, in our way as in yours. For, whereas the time, that ye would have young Ones admitted to baptism, is then, when they are come to be of so perfect age, as to be able understandingly to profess, and seriously to engage; at this very point of time, our Church( according to apostolical Institution and practise) hath ordered all such adult to be presented to the Bishop for Confirmation, and after that to be admitted to the Holy Communion, and not before. And whether ratifying and confirming their baptismal vow, openly before the Church, with their own mouth and of their own accord, together with all these venerable and weighty circumstances, that are or ought to be used and stood upon at the time in order to their being confirmed, and admitted unto the Holy Commuion, be not like to work as much upon them, and as much to prevent unworthy receiving, as would at the same time their professing& covenanting, in order to their being admitted to Holy baptism; let any one Judge, that hath but once seen that ordinance dispensed 
Augustè, curatè, severè as the Now Bishop of Sarum, hath most happily expressed the matter, in his latin preface, to D. Hammonds latin Treatise of Confirmation.  So gravely, so seriously,& so severely as it ought to be. So that the whole question, as to this point of Covenanting and Professing, is now come to this issue; whether a Baptized Child, 15. years old, may not Covenant as hearty and truly with his God as an unbaptised Child of the same age and gifts? No man sure of ordinary Capacity, can be much to seek, which part of the Question to take. add hereunto, that once already it hath been sufficiently made out, and, if need be, may be again, that by this apostolical ordinance of Confirmation worthily administered, every Bishop in his diocese, in all likelihood, shall have really gained engaged unto Iesus Christ more by far in two or three moneths, then all the Preachers of the Country, put 'em all together, shall have done by their Preaching, throughout the whole year. So great encouragement is there, and so great an Obligation lies there, upon and unto all Parents, natural as well as ecclesiastical; whatever heretofore they have done, never any more, to be slight and Perfunctory in this part of paternal care and relation.  
6. Those words in S. Paul, else your Children are unclean, but now they are Holy; seem to be direct and home for Infant baptism. For the true meaning of them is this sure; else your Children are or remain Un-baptized, but now they are Baptized. For, all other Interpretations are resisted by the Scope of the Apostle, or some other weighly considerations; such as this.  
The holiness, that the Apostle here speaks of, is a holiness proper to the Infants of believing Parents( of one side, at least:) But now no holiness ir proper to such, save onely the Relate holiness, of being dedicated to God and holiness by baptism: Therefore this is the holiness here meant by the Apostle; And, Holy, here as much as Baptized, or, Dedicated to God and the Holy Christian Religion by baptism.  
add hereunto, That in the Inscriptions of the Epistles, Holy, seems to be used altogether in this power. For what other Holynes may be affirmed of all the members of a Church visible, besides this Relative, of being Dedicated to God and the Holy Christian Religion by Holy baptism? Rom. 1. 7. 1 Cor. 1. 2. 2 Cor. 1. 1. Ephes. 1. 1. Phil. 1. 1. Coloss. 1. 1. Compared with Ephes. 5. 26. That he might sanctify and cleanse it, with the washing( or, by the laver) of water ( in the Word, or) by the Word; that is, That he might sanctify& separate the whole catholic Church to himself and Purify by baptism, as that comprehends. 1. The sacred Ceremony of Baptismal washing. 2. The Word, or, The Name of the Father, Son and Holy Chost, or, The true Christian Religion; Into which, through or in the power of the promises thereof, and the obligation therein laid upon Parents, so to devote their Children as well as themselves, They are in very dead Baptized and engaged; And by which, having the secret powerful assistances of the Spirit and Grace always accompanying it, They are enabled to live holily, that is, according to the Intention of God, in causing them to be thus sanctified and separated to himself and Purity, by the Laver of baptism  

Two Prolepses, or Anticipations.  
The former, this; not, but that, Holy, or Saints, in other places signifies otherwise; But that in these places, and 1 Cor. 7. 14. This is that power, which is most agreeable.  
The other, this; The holiness, called federal, or, of special separation to God being sifted to the bottom, is found to be nothing, but this Relative, if not formally, yet fundamentally, namely, when Children are born such, as by the Covenant of Grace, have a Right to be made visible Church-members( or, To be sanctified and separated to God and holiness) by the Laver of baptism, and in due time are Actually treated, according to this their Native moral▪ right.   

A submonition, or Item.  
Though federal holiness( in the Nature of the Word) may signify the Right or Ground of being Baptized, as well as the being actually Baptized; as one would say, the Relative holiness Fundamentally, as well as the Relative holiness formally; Yet this and not that, is that, which seems most agreeable to this happy place, 1 Cor. 7. 14.  
Lastly, whereas ye are, many of you, against all set forms of Prayer; To all those unanswered, and indeed un-answerable, Justifications of them, that heretofore and of late have been given out, add but this one Consideration, so easy to every willing, though but very mean, understanding; namely.  
That, whereas the great Ends of Prayer Common to two or three or more, whether in Church or family, are these two, to Act and Testify our dependence on God, and our Communion of Saints( these two, believing in God with all the Heart, and perfect charity, being the things, that, for the new Covenants sake in Christ, will do any thing with Him and his Father;) When once ye have rid your hearts of all prejudices, and, by Grace, have brought them to that evennes, equity and indifferency to both sides, that is necessary; we shall then make no question, but, upon your due and sufficient experience both of the one and of the other way, ye will yourselves aclowledge, that these two great graces, may not onely be testified, but acted also, and that God may be worshipped in Spirit and in truth( in the true sense of the Words) much more surely and effectually, when all the Company aforehand know what Prayers and praises, they are to offer up to God, and also do fully approve of the matter of them, then, when it is, as amongst most of you, clean otherwise: as much as to say; when believers have nothing to do, but to fix their mindes, and to draw out their devotion; Whether in all reason, they may not do this much more certainly, having but this one thing to look to: then, when they have another care besides this, much more difficult for them, though if performed never so well, nothing near so pleasing to Almighty God, namely, For the mouth of the Company to be, besides steady in his cogitations, fit and proper also in his expressions; and for all the Company, to see, that their understanding of, and passing judgement upon, his Elocution, do not disturb and interrupt their Heavenly mindedness and devotion; Whether, I say, both Speaker and Hearers, be like to answer these two cares better, then onely one of them, yourselves give sentence.  
And indeed somewhat the more confidently do we make you yourselves the Judges in your own cause, because of this late not un-considerable providence; namely, that one there is, who, being both very able and very upright and having, till about four years since, gone on very far in your way, has now at last, after due and long trying of yours and all ways, given up his most deliberate Judgement, as to this Matter, in these words;  
If believers, writes he, were but once provided, and as it were, stock't with so much faith and Heavenly mindedness, as to desire to act and exercise their own Infused graces in every Prayer and praise and Worshipping out of the word of God, as God himself, rather then to hear others to act and exercise their acquired gifts, in making Prayers and Prophesyings and Preachings upon and out of that Word; if once they would but prevail with themselves to lay a side certain vulgar errors, such as these, that in things of difficulty is the greatest excellency, That sure and easy ways of Worship, cannot be the truest and rightest ways of Worship; that, because some casts of Men and Preachers do require things of them, which they can very hardly, if at all, perform up to the rule, that is set them, therefore these sure do show the narrow and hard way of life, the most truly and uprightly of any; In one word, that hard and hazardous venerations, are the most Heavenly and Holy venerations: If people would but persuade themselves, what is truth, That these errors are as gross as they are general, and, being obeied to the uttermost, as killing and pernicious, as they are plausible and catching; It would not then be long, but, by the holy and happy experience both of themselves and others, they would conclude with themselves, That, as in diet the simplest and plainest victuals is always the most wholesome and healthy; and as in curing the body, Parabilia Remedia, as oft as we can hit on them, that is, remedies at hand and cheap and such as every one may have, are found to be the best and most effectual: so also in cherishing the Soul, that way of public Worship, wherein every one that will, may join in tongue and in gesture, outwardly ( Psal. 95. 2.& 35. 28.& 63. Vers. 4. 5. 6. &c) as well as in dead and in truth,; inwardly, Is that certes, which is like to be most acceptable to God, by how much the more suitable it is to whatsoever degrees and conditions of the People of God.  
To this, add; 1. That the gift of Prayer( as they, that are most eminently endowed with it, will readily aclowledge) is not a boon dropped into the Soul from Heaven, entirely, immediately, by extraordinary favour, and in one instant; and so one sure Argument of a mighty power of grace and of the Spirit in all those in whom it appears( as most simplo people by little and little have been brought to think); But a very acquisition of Industry, time, and unwearied Practise, as Preaching is.  
2ly. That the main parts of it, are these three:  
1ly. Confidence; gotten by venturing, long use, successses and encouragements from acquaintance and others, as well as from God. Second; The supervening presence, or, quickenings, strengthnings and secret heartnings of the Spirit; obtained by lifting up the heart aforehand for them, by resolving to go forth in the strength of the Lord God, by teaching the greater cares for saying and doing what may be most pleasing to God and most profitable to the hearers, to drive out these lesser, concerning Applause and censure, and by despairing of any success worth speaking of, unless He, in his still but effectual way, do, in the very Act, supply us, minutely, with aids, Divine, sudden and as yet not appearing. Third part; a magazine of Scripture, expressions for all occasions( such as, be thou our arm every morning; cause us to take hold of thy strength &c.) laid up in the memory, and, after much use, offering themselves upon occasion, especially if we have had time aforehand, by meditation to rub them up, and to range and dispose of them in our minds, as we conceive to be most decent and affecting.( for so certainly, even the most able of us do always desire some time for our preparation, especially if the occasion be more solemn then ordinary, That, they that make as though they do not so desire, do but deceive and cheat the credulous, as well, as defile and abuse their own souls.)  
3ly That one of the ablest defenders of the Way of the Directory, being pressed on every side by a most able Opponent, at last very ingeniously gave out his very best defence; This namely, That he saw no reason but Ministers should be engaged to Study for their Prayers as for their Sermons. Thereby plainly acknowledging, That they are the leisurely products of human study, and not only sudden Injections of Divine Operation.  
4ly That the Spirit of Grace and Supplications Zech. 12. 10. is there signified to consist in looking at Him, whom we have pierced and in mourning for him, and for our sins, that brought him into that mournful condition; as one would say, In Acting faith and Repentance rather then in uttering fit expressions about and of them. And so we always have That about us, though we never have This; albeit our credit haply may be less among some men, yet our Comfort shall not, before the God of them, and of us, and of All. For so great and happy a difference is there between the spirit of Prayer, and the gift of Prayer, That, As the latter very frequently is without the former, namely, in many Learned Heads and good Wits, but unsanctified: so also the former is as frequen●ly without the latter, in many poor unletterd, but very devout, and humble, and true believing souls. Not that we are to take no care, or to make little esteem of the Gift; But that in Prayer the main thing we look to and after, be not the Gift of Prayer, but the Spirit of Prayer. All the other Texts, that by some have been applied to this matter, that is, To asserting the Necessity of the Praying Gift, are found to be as unconcluding and wide from It, as this in Zecharie appears to bee.  
5ly: That one great mischief of the late tying all Ministers in public, to Praying by the Spirit, or, at least to Pretending so to do, has been this; That thereby many Godly good-meaning Christians have come to mis-perswade themselves, that All set forms of Prayer, are not only self-denial, but unlawful too. And so in their respective families, have set themselves to variety and effusions, most-what so very unhappy and unbecoming, that the end has been, the great dislike, Regrette, and Blushing not only of Friends, Children and Servants, but also of themselves too. Nay hence, that greater mischief also; namely, When they saw they could not worthily keep up their Family-devotions by the Gift, have kept it up no Way at all, but have let it wholly sink; to the great dishonour of God and Religion, add to the great decay of Faith and Piety both in themselves and Housholds.  
6ly That for these Minister, that in very dead have the gift in any measure, They may use, and, if they think it lawful, show it too, not onely in their families, but in the Congregation also, In their Prayer before Sermon. And these two open exercises of it, together with that of the closet( the most proper place of all for it) may in all reason be thought scope enough for the gift to walk in at pleasure; without encroaching and growing upon those other times and places, which due authority has otherwise determined of. Especially, when now that is by most granted which is most true, that God may, if not more earnestly, yet as earnestly be sought and wrestled with, by forms as by the gift.  
7ly That to be so zealous for the honour, and use of a pure human acquisition, as, for it, to venture upon violating a Divine command, namely, That for obedience and submission to due authority, seems a hardiness savouring as little of prudence and sound discretion, as it does of faith and true Religion.  
8ly That, if a man pray never so readily and devoutly by the gift, yet to Him onely it is gift, but to all the company form, for as much tied and stinted all they seem to be by His words, as they would be, if they were the words of a Book. And hence comes it, that praying by the gift, has been most reasonably deemed to be much more fit for the closet, then for the Church, or Parlour. For, in these, to the respective companies, it ceaseth to be gift, and comes to be form; and so had as good be very form, known and acknowledged so to be. Because, in very dead, never a whit the less is it, what it is, for pretending to be otherwise.  
9ly If any say, they find by experience, they can be much more devout and enlarged, when they hear a man praying by the gift, then in and by a form; We answer, this comes to pass generally, because great prejudice they have against the one, and greatest kindness for the other way. But let them be but upright and unbended in their opinions, and then, as but now was hinted, upon and after due experience, find they will the clean contrary.  
To conclude, as to the whole, do but honestly consider, there there is no end of disputing and arguing pro and con, That, if a man will set himself about it, he may have some thing or other, to say against any thing whatsoever; That the Itch of reasoning, has proved the very scab of Religion: And therefore, if in very dead we do desire to keep the spark of faith a live in our hearts, one great care for all time coming will sure be rhis, to deny ourselves in our boldness of questioning every thing, that we can and have a mind to; and, when that, which seems to be truth, is held out to us, presently to admit and embrace it, though never so contrary to our former, whether practices or prepossessions.  
And now, Brethren, these 2. Things, the groundedness of the way ye are persuaded to,& the unjustifiableness of that ye are persuaded from, simply& sincerely being laid to heart; ye will, we hope, now at last be very fain upon that great Legacy of Unity& concord that our Lord so near his death, so earnestly bequeathed unto us; and also take effectual care, That in this our dear& Native Country, That heavenly prayer of our dying Lord may not in vain be poured out upon and for us, Namely, That they may be one, even as we are one. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one,[ {αβγδ}, into or in one thing or mind, I and that the World may know, that thou hast sent me. Even so, come Lord Jesus, come quickly.  
Dear Brethren, your most affectionate and daily Servant at the throne of grace, G. P. Saturday Octob. the 4. 1662.   
FINIS.