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it was to You and the reft of the Hearers.

Let me now in my turn request of You, to fhew Your zeal and affection for the church of England, now especially in these times of danger and trouble, by a conftant and devout attendence upon its worship and fervice. Other means are to be employ'd in our defence befides religion, but without religion all other means will be ineffectual. They, who beft discharge their duty to God, will beft fulfill their other obligations of loyalty to their King, and love to their Country. And in this confidence of You I am,

GENTLEMEN,

Your most faithful

and obedient Servant,

Thomas Newton.

LUKE XI. 1.

---Lord teach us to pray, as John alfo taught his difciples.

P

RAYER is a duty neceffarily arifing from the relation of man to God; and public prayer is as much our duty, as we are members of fociety, as private prayer is our duty, as we are individual and fingle perfons. That we fhould therefore pray unto God, all who have any fenfe of religion are agreed; but they differ greatly as to the matter and manner of their petitions. There is an excellent dialogue in * Plato between Socrates and Alcibiades, wherein is fhewn the great difficulty of framing our peti

• Alcibiades fecundus five De precatione.

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tions fo, as they may prove acceptable to God and beneficial to ourfelves; and Socrates, fenfible of the defects of natural reafon, infers from thence the neceffity of divine revelation, and expreffes his hopes and expectations, that fome divine person would be fent from heaven to teach and inftruct us as in other parts of our duty, fo particularly in the exercife of our devotions. The difciples of our Lord were confcious of the fame wants and infirmities; and therefore they apply themfelves to him, that he would teach them to pray as John also taught his disciples. Our Saviour teaches them accordingly; and in them hath taught us not only the true object of worship but alfo the beft method of worshipping him, not only what petitions we are to offer at the throne of grace but alfo the form and manner wherein we are to offer them. And yet there

are

are men, who pretend to be fo much wifer than the reft of mankind, as to want none of these affiftances and inftructions; they are for pouring out their spirit in extemporary prayer, and utterly condemn all fet forms: And even of thofe, who may approve fet forms

of prayer, fome may yet disapprove

the forms prescribed in our liturgy, and imagin that others more convenient and proper may be fubftituted in their place. For our own vindication and fatisfaction therefore in points of fuch importance we will first attempt to prove the lawfulness and expediency of fet forms of prayer in general, and fecondly endevor to fhew the excellency of our own form in particular; if not to convince our adverfaries, yet at least to justify ourselves in the use

of it.

Firft

2.

First we are to prove the lawfulness and expediency of fet forms of prayer in general. And for the fake of brevity as much as of order, our proofs fhall be reduced to two kinds, and fhall be drawn partly from the authority of Scripture and partly from the reason of the thing.

1. We have the authority of fcripture plainly on our fide, and what better authority can we defire? Are any of our modern fectarifts wifer than Solomon? but he in his directions for our behaviour in the house of God, forbids all long extemporary Ecclef. v. prayers; Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hafty to utter any thing before God, for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few. And much to the fame purpose the son of SiEcclus. rach exhorts us; Before thou prayeft, prepare thyself, and be not as one that tempteth the Lord. In the law of Mofes the form is prescribed, wherein

xviii. 23.

the

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