2. If the Motions of the Spirit be necessary to every particular Duty, whether should he be waited upon, that all our Acts and Words may be according as he gives Utterance and Assistance?
3. Whether every one that bears the Name of a Christian, or professes to be a Protestant, hath such an uninterrupted Measure thereof, that he may, without waiting, go immediately about the Duty?
4. If there be an Indisposition and Unfitness at some Times for such Exercises, at least as to the spiritual and lively Performance thereof, whether ought they to be performed in that Case, and at that Time?
5. If any Duty be gone about, under Pretence that it is in Obedience to the external Command, without the spiritual Life and Motion necessary, whether such a Duty thus performed can in Faith be expected to be accepted of God, and not rather reckoned as a [111]Bringing of strange Fire before the Lord, seeing it is performed at best by the Strength of natural and acquired Parts, and not by the Strength and Assistance of the Holy Ghost, which was typified by the Fire that came down from Heaven, which alone behoved to consume the Sacrifice, and no other?
[111] Lev. 16. 1.
6. Whether Duties gone about in the mere Strength of natural and acquired Parts, whether in Publick or Private, be not as really, upon the Matter, an Image of Man’s Invention as the Popish Worship, though not so gross in the outward Appearance? And therefore whether it be not as real Superstition to countenance any Worship of that Nature, as it is to countenance Popish Worship, though there be a Difference in the Degree?
7. Whether it be a Ground of Offence or just Scandal to countenance the Worship of those whose professed Principle it is neither to speak for Edification, nor to pray, but as the Holy Ghost shall be pleased to assist them in some Measure less or more; without which they rather choose to be silent, than to speak without this Influence?
Unto these they answered but very coldly and faintly, whose Answers likewise long ago he refuted.
We must not lose our Witnessing for God.Seeing then God hath called us to his spiritual Worship, and to testify against the human and voluntary Worships of the Apostasy, if we did not this Way stand immoveable to the Truth revealed, but should join with them, both our Testimony for God would be weakened and lost, and it would be impossible steadily to propagate this Worship in the World, whose Progress we dare neither retard nor hinder by any Act of ours; though therefore we shall lose not only worldly Honour, but even our Lives. And truly many Protestants, through their Unsteadiness in this Thing, for politic Ends complying with the Popish Abominations, have greatly scandalized their Profession, and hurt the Reformation; Elector of Saxony’s Scandal given to Protestants.as appeared in the Example of the Elector of Saxony; who, in the Convention at Augsburgh, in the Year 1530, being commanded by the Emperor Charles the Fifth to be present at the Mass, that he might carry the Sword before him, according to his Place; which when he justly scrupled to perform, his Preachers taking more Care for their Prince’s Honour than for his Conscience, persuaded him that it was lawful to do it against his Conscience. Which was both a very bad Example, and great Scandal to the Reformation, and displeased many; as the Author of the History of the Council of Trent, in his first Book, well observes. Secondly, Objections against spiritual Prayer answered.But now I hasten to the Objections of our Adversaries against this Method of Praying.