citie he fainted the hartes of the souldiours and of the people but principally Such vvealthe do the papistes promis the people for receauinge the Idolatrous masse againe into Englande Iere. 28. he was vnfrendly to the faythe that Passhur taught the people To weke / the fayth of their forefathers / who alwaies rebelled agaynst God And therefore he was reputed a heretycke / accused of sedicion / and dampned of treason Playne preachinges were made agaynste all that he had spoken / and suche felicitie was promised / that within twoo yeares shoulde the yocke of Nabuchonosor be broken from the neckes of all people and the vessels of the lordes house together with all prysoners should be brought agayne to Ierusalem Iere. 13. HaboÌ„dauÌ„ce cam before the destruccion Iere. 38. Now dyd this habound with wyne oyle / O pleasing and blessed amoÌ„gst the people were such prophetes / Ieremy had trobled them and therefore he must dye To pryson shall he go / for the kyng can denye nothing to his princes / of whome Pashur apeareth / to haue ben chief chauÌ„celour / by whom was not only the kyng / but also the hole multitude so blinded / that boldly they durst crye No mischaunce shall come too vs we shall neither se pestilens nor hunger The kynge of Babylon shall neuer come againste thys lande Iere. 27 In the middest of these stormy trobles / no other comfort had the prophet / then to complayn to hys God / at whose commaundement he had spoken And in this his coÌ„plaint he is so kyndled agaynst their Idolatrie / and great vnthankefulnes that he crieth / as in a raige O thou Lord of hostes Iere. â—0 the tryar of the iust thou that seith the reynes and the hart Let me se thy vengeaunce taken vpon theÌ„ for vnto the haue I referred my cause â–ª 〈◊〉 this prayer was most fearful to his enemyes / yf they had sene the effiaccie therof so by thesame was the prophet assured / that Goddes wrath was kyndled against that sinful natioÌ„ that it shoulde not turne backe / till he had performed the cogitations of his owne hart I appeale to the conscieÌ„ce / of euery indiffereÌ„t maÌ„ / in what one point differeth the regiment manners / A coÌ„parison betwene EnglaÌ„de Iuda and estate of Englande this day froÌ„ the aboue rehearsed estate off Iuda in those dayes / except that they had a kynge / a man as apeareth of nature / more facied / nor cruell / who sometymes was entreated in the prophetes fauour / and also requyred hym of counsail in some daungers The quene stubburne against the truthe of gods vvord and hateful to the preachers of the same And you haue a Quene / a woman of a stoute stomack / more styffe in opynion / then flexible too the truthe / who in nowyse maye abyde the presens of Gods prophetes In this one thing you disagre in al other thinges so lyke as one nut is too another Their kyng led by pestilence priestes / who guides your quene / it is not vnknoweÌ„ / Vnder such came Idolatrie to the highte agayne O wold to God / that the worse were not amoÌ„gst you / In Ierusalem was Ieremie persecuted / for speakinge the truthe / for rebuking their Idolatrie What pryson within London / tormenteth not some trew prophet of God The Idolatrous masse of late first erected in the tovver of London for the same causes And o thou doungeon off darkenes where that Idole of late dayes was fyrst erected thou Tower of London in the doth moo Ieremies then one suffer iniurye trouble / The B. of Canterb. D. Ridleye M. Latimer Bradforde Sandes Becon Veron c. Preachers and prisoners in the Tovver of London whome God shal comfort according to hys promyse / and reward their persecutors euen as they haue deserued / and in that daye shalt thou trymble / and suche as shal purpose to defende the / shal perishe with the / because thou waste fyrst defyled with that most abhominable Idol Consider deare brethern if all thinges / as appertayninge to iniquitie be a lyke betwixte Englande and Iuda / before the destruccion therof / yea / Yf Englande be worse then Iudea was in those dayes / seing God spared not them / shal we thinke that the Lordes vengeaunce shal slepe / mans iniquitie beyng so rype No deare brethren Iere. ix He that hath vnderstandinge muste know the contrary And he to whome the Lordes mouth hath spokeÌ„ / must shew the causes / why the lande shal be waste It maye offende you / that I cal Englande worse / then was vnthankeful Iudea / but yf good and euident reasones aduised maye take place / then I feare not iudgement Wherein Iudea was better then England is now From Ierusalem / many passed at admonition of the prophetes / leauing all that they had / rather then they wolde abyde the daunger of Gods plagues that were threatned Goddes prophetes hath cryed but I heare not of many that prepareth to flye / God graunte they repent not In Ierusalem were princes / noble men who defended Ieremy and also that dyd absolue hym / when wrongfully he was accused by the priestes But howe many now of the nobilitie within Englande boldely speaketh in in the defence of Gods messinger is easy too be tolde Amongest them had Gods prophet lyberty / to speake in maintenaunce of his doctrine How such as seketh a tryal of their doctrine / hath bene and are entreated amongest you / it is hard of in straunge countries In Ierusalem was Abdemelech / why when the prophet was cast in prysoÌ„ as worthy of death boldly past to the king / and defending the innocency of the innocent / obtayneth hys liberty / but in EnglaÌ„d I hear of none God stur some that dare be so bolde / as to put their handes betwixt the Lyons / and their praye / the poore sainctes of God / those cruell murtherers In Ierusalem / Ieremy beyng dampned to pryson / was fedde of the kynges charges / that when great hunger and scante of bread was in the hole citie In London where all plenty haboundes / are Gods messingers permitted to hunger Yea / O horrable to be harde and aunciente fathers / are so cruelly entreated / that lyke extremetye hath seldom bene vsed vpon theues and murtherers In this behalf do I not blame you beloued brethren for I assuredly know your hartes to mourn for the trobles of your brethren / and faythfull preachers and that you seke all meanes possible / how they maye be comforted releaued / but these thinges to th ende that you mayese / that more abhominacion / lesse fear of God / more in iust dealing / and lese shame more cruel persecucion against Gods messengers / and lesse mercy and gentlenes / is now amongst youre chief rulars within Englande / then in those dayes was in Iudea / and yet did not
and that he maye multiplye thy / as he hathe sworne vnto thy fathers Vvliij Idolatrie is too be eschevved the mainteners therof In these wordes most euidently is expressed vnto vs / why God wil that we auoide all felowship with Idolatrie / with the maintainers of the same In whiche are thre thinges chiefly to be noted / fyrste that the holy Ghost instruct vs / that maintaynours of Idolatrie / prouokers to the same / intēdeth to draw vs frō God / therfore he cōmaūdeth vs / that we shal not coūsail their īpietie / but that we shall make it knowen / that we shall punishe it / if we will haue the leage betwixte vs God too stande sure And here is the firmamente of my fyrst cause / why / it is necessary to auoyde Idolatrie / because that otherwise we declare oure selfes litell to regard / yea / to haue broken / and plaīly denied that holy leage / which is betwen vs God / through Christ Iesus Secōdarely it is to be noted / that Idolatrie so kindleth the wrath of God / that it is neuer quenched / vntill the offendors / all that they poses / be destroyed frō the earth / that by fyre It may appeare that this is seueare rygorous iudgement / but let the cause be cōsidered / thē shall we vnderstāde / that in the same / God sheweth vnto vs his most singuler loue / declaring him selfe enemye vnto oure enemies / for all those that wold draw vs frō God be the kynges or quenes beīg of the diuels nature / Dravvers of men frō God are of the deuils nature are enemies vnto God / therfore wil God that in such cases / we declare our selfes enemies vnto them And last it is to be noted / that obediēs geuē vnto God / in taking vēgeaūce vpō Idolatours / by suche meanes / as God hath appointed / is a cause why God sheweth his mercye / why he multiplieth vs / enbraseth vs with brotherly loue / where cōtrary wyse / by cōsentinge with Idolatrye / are the mercies of God shut vp frō vs / are cutted of the bodie of Christ / to wyther and roote / as trees withoute moysture But nowe shall some demaunde / what then shall we go too / and kyll all Idolatours Questiō Aūswere That were the office dutye of euery ciuell magistrate within hys realme and Iurisdiccion But of you is requyred only to auoyd participacion and company of that abhominacion / as wel in body as in soule / as Dauid and Paule plainly teacheth Psal xvi Dauid in his exile / in the middes of Idolatours sayth I will not offer their drinke offeringes of bloud neyther yet will I take their name into my mouthe Paule sayth 1. Cor. x. You maye not be partakers of the Lordes table and of the table of deuils you may not drinke the Lordes cup / and the cup of deuils As these two places / of scriptur plainly resolueth the former question / so do they confirme that which is before sayd That the leag betwixt vs and God requireth / auoydinge off all Idolatrye 1. Regū xxvij Fyrst playne it is / that in Gathe and in Corinthus / were no smal number off Idolatours / when Dauid was there in exile / when Paule wrote hys Epistle / yet neither sayth Dauid / that he wil kyl any in that place because he was their magistrate / neither geueth Paule any suche commaundement / but in one thing they both agre / that suche as hath socitie leage with God / must so abhorre Idolatrye / that no parte of the bodye be defyled therwith For Dauid sayeth I will not take their names in my mouth As he wolde saye / so odious are the names of false vaine Goddes / that the mencion of them is righteouslye compared to stinckinge donge / vile carion / whiche neither can be eaten / neither yet smellid without displeasur of suche that hath not lost the iudgemente of their sences / therfore sayeth Dauid / I wil not defyle me mouth with thē / that is / I wil neuer speake one fauorable worde of them I thinke much lesse / wolde he haue croched and kneled before them for anye mans pleasure Aduert brethren / Shyfte makers are double dissemblers that Dauid inspyred with the holy Ghoste knew no such sheftes / as worldly wyse men imagyn nowe a dayes That they maye kept their hartes pure and cleane to God / howbeit / their body daūse with the diuel Not so deare brethrē not so The temple of God hath nothing to do with Idols The cause expresseth Dauid in their wordes The Lorde hym selfe is my portion and my enheritaunce Greate is the cause / yf it be deaply considered Dauid illuminated by the holy Ghost seyth euē the selfe same thing / which before we haue aleaged of the Apostles wordes / that God will not parte spoyle with the deuil / promitting hym to haue the seruaūt of the body / he too stande contente with the soule / harte and mynde No brethren / Dauid marketh this / the fundament reason / why / he wil neither offer sacrefice to Idols / neither yet defyle hys mouthe with their names / because sayeth he the Lorde is my porcion Vvhat the leage betvvene vs and God requireth as he wolde saye / suche is the cōdiciō of the leage betwene me and my God / that as he is my tower of defence against my enemies / preseruing and norishing bothe the body soule / so muste I be hole his in bodye and soule / for my God is of that nature / that he will suffer no portiō of hys glory to be geuen to another In confirmation of this sayeth Esay / Esai 57. after he had rebuked their Idols and vayne inuecinons These are thy porcion and Ieremy likewise in mockinge of thē sayth / let thy bedfellowes deliuer thy / call vpon them / and let them heare thy / thou hast committed fornicacion whordome with stocke and stone Ierem. 3. The prophetes meaning thereby / that Idolators can haue no leage nor couenaunt with God / in so farre / that their hartes be alyenated from hym / which the seruice of their bodies doth testefye / and therfore renounceth God suche leage / bounde as was before offered for Esay wolde saye / euen suche as thou hast chosen / suche shal be the portion And Ieremye wolde say / thou put thy trust to them / which he meaneth / by the lyēg with thē in bed / therfore let them shewe their power in thy deliueraunce / and thus he sendeth them as it were to sucke water from hote burninge coles Note wel It shall nothing excuse / to saye we trust not in Idols / for so will euery Idolatour alleage / but if either you or they in Gods honor / do any thing contrary to
suffer what inconueniēs may folow therupon by mans tyrāny O be not like to Esau / that solde and lost his byrthright for a mease of potage I am not preiudiciall too Gods mercies / as that suche as after shall repent / shall not fynd grace God forbidde / for here in am I most assuredly perswaded That in what so euer houre a synner shall repente / God shall not remēber one of hys iniquities / but albeit / his offences were as redde as Skarlette / they shall be made as whyte as snowe ze 18.33 And albeit in multitude they passed number / yet so shall they be blotted out / that none of thē shall appeare to the dānacion of the very repētant / for hys promises be infallible / Esai 1. that suche as truly beleue in Christ / shall neuer entre in to iudgement / for the bloud of Christe Iesus / Ioh. 3.5 purgeth them frō all synne / so that how farre the heauen is dystant from the earth / so farre doth he remoue the synnes from the penitēt But consider dearly beloued brethren 1. Ioh. 1. that these and lyke promisies are made to penitent sinners / dothe nothing apertaininge to prophaine parsons / Idolatours / The confutable promises of God are made to penitent sinners onely nor too fearfull shrinkers from the truthe / for feare of worldly troble And yf any alleage / God may cal them to repentaunce / how wicked that any man be I aunswere that I acknowlege / and doth censes Gods omnipotensye / to be so free / that he maye do what pleaseth hys wysedom / but yet is he not bounde to do / all that our fantesie requyreth Note And likewise I know that God is so louing and so kinde / to suche as feareth hym / that he will performe their willes and pleasures / although kynges princes had sworne to the contrary But herein stādeth the doubt whether that suche as for pleasure of men / or for auoydinge tempo all punishment / defyleth them selfes with Idolatrie Feareth God / and whether they with all their lyues / denyeth Christ by consentinge to Idolatrie / shal at the laste houre / be called to repentaunce No suche promese haue we within the scriptures of god but rather the exprest contrarie And therfore God is not to be tempted / but is too be harde / feared and obeyed When thus earnestly he calleth threatneth not withoute cause Apoc. 18. Passe from the middest of her / o my people saith the Lorde that you be not partakers of her plagues / and that is ment of that abhominable whore / and of her abhomination 3. Reg 18 1. Cor. 10 Math. 10 How long will you halte on bothe partes you maye not bothe be partakers of the cup of the Lorde / and of the cup of the deuel He that denieth me before men / I will denye hym before my father / he that refuseth not hym selfe / taketh vp hys crosse folow me / is not worthy of me No man putting his hande to the plough / lokinge backwarde is worthie of the kyngdome of God And Paule to the Hebrewes only meaneth of this synne / where he sayeth heb 6.10 who willinglye synneth after the knowledge of the trueth / cānot be renewed to repentaunce O deare brethren / remember the dignitie of your vocatiō / you haue folowed Christ / you haue proclaymed warre against Idolatrie / you haue laide hande vpō the trueth / and hath communicat at the Lordes table Will you now sodenlye slyde backe will ye refuse Christ his truth and make paccion with the dyuell with his deceauable doctrine Will ye treade the precious bloud of his testament vnder your fete / and set vp an Idoll before the people / whiche thinges assuredly you doo / as ofte as euer you present your bodies amongst Idolatours / before that blasphemous Idoll God the father of all mercies for Christ his sonnes sake preserue you from that sore temptation / whose dolours and daungers / very sorowe will not suffer me to expresse Alas brethren / it is to be feared / that if you fall once a slepe / you lye to long before you be wakened Note Yet some shall obiect / Peter the Denyar obteyned mercye A comparisō betvven Peter our dissembling gospelers To whome I aunswer particular examples / maketh no common law / neither yet is there any resemblance or lykelyhodde betwene the fall of Peter / and our daily Idolatrie Peter vpon a sodayn / without any former purpose / thus denyed Christe within the space of a houre or two We vpon determined purpose / and aduised mynde dayly deny Christ Peter had Christes assurance and promyse / that after hys deniall he should be conuerted We haue Christes threatninges / that if we denye we shal be denyed Peter in the bishops hall / and amongst wicked men of warre / committed hys offence for feare of lyfe We in oure citie and housholde / onely for the loose of the wicked Mammon / dothe no lesse Peter at the warninge of the Cocke / and at Christes looke / left that companye / that prouoked hys synne We after Christes admonitions yea / after gentle exhortations / and fearfull threatninges / will continew in the middest of Idolatours / and for their pleasures will crocke knele / as the deuel commaundeth / what lykelyhode is here / let euery mā iudge But much I wonder / that men that can espye so narow thiftes / as to hyde them selfes frome the presens of God / behynde a busshe with Adam their father / can not also espye that Iudas was an Apostle in presens of men / of no les auctoritie then Peter was / that Cayn was the fyrst borne in the world 1. Reg. 10 That Saule was the first anoynted king by Gods commaundement / and by his prophete / and that Achitophel was a man of moste singular wysedom / and yet none of these foūd place of repentāce 2. Reg. 16 Haue we any other assuraunces and particuler warrantes within the scriptures of God / then they had that all our lyfe we maye be in leage with the deuell / Note and then at oure pleasure that we maye laye hande vppon Christe / and clothe vs with hys iustice Ioel. 2. Rom. 10. 2. timo 2 Be not deceaued brethren for albeit moste / trewe it is / that who soo euer incalleth the name of the Lorde / shal be saued / Yet lyke trew it is / that whosoeuer incalleth the name of the Lorde / shall auoyde and esschewe all iniquitie / that whosoeuer contine with in open iniquitie / thesame man incalleth not the name of the Lord / neither hath God any respecte to hys prayer / Ioh. 9. Ioh. 38. The masse the deuels sacrament and seale and greater iniquitie was neuer from the beginninge of the worlde / then is contayned in that abhominable Idoll /
for it is the seale off that leage / whiche the deuell hath made with the pestilent sonnes of Antechriste / and is the very chief cause / why the bloud of the sainctes of God / hath ben shed nere the space of a thousand yeare / for so longe almost hath it bene in deuising / and in deckinge with that whorishe garmeÌ„t / The longe parching of the popisshe â—â—asse wherein it now triumpheth / against Christ / againste the onely one sacrifice of hys death / merites of hys passion / which whole abhomination you confirme / and sheweth youre selfes / consentinge to the murther of those that hath suffered for speaking againste it / as oft as euer you decore that Idoll wyth your presens Note And therfore auoyde it / as that ye will be partakers with Christ / with whom ye haue sworne to dye and to lyue in baptisme and in his holye supper Shame it were to breake promys vnto man / but is it not more shame too breake it vnto God foolishnes it were to leaue that kynge / whose victorie you did se presente / and too take parte with hym / whome vnderstode perceaued to be so vanqueshed and ouerthrowen / that he neither might withstande / neither yet abyde the comming of his aduersarie Ioh. 12.16 O brethren / is not the deuel the prince of this worlde / vanquished cast out hath not Christe made conqueste off hym hath he not caryed our selfe vp to glorie in dispite of sathans malice Acto 1. Shall not oure champion retorne you vnderstande that he shall and that with expedition / when sathan and his adherentes Idolatours / Apo. 20. worshippers of that blasphemous beast / fylthie personnes / and fearefull shrinkers frome the truthe of God shal be caste in the lake burninge fyre and brimstone / which neuer shal be quenched Folishe feare But in the meane tyme / you feare corporall death / yf nature admitted any man too lyue euer / then had your feare some apareÌ„ce of reason / but yf corporall death be common to all / why will you leoperde to lese the lyfe euerlastinge to decline and escape / that whiche neyther ryche / neither poore / neither wyfe / neyther foolishe / proude of stomake / nor feable of coraige / and fynally no earthly creature / by no craft nor mene of man did euer escape / yf any hath escaped the horrible feare of deathe / it was suche as boldely did withstande mennes iniquitie in the earthe The fleshe can doo nothing but grudge But it grudgeth the flesshe saye you for feare of the torment / let it do the owne nature and office / for so must it do tyll it be burdened with Christes crosse / and then no doubte / shall God sende suche comforte / as now we looke not for Let vs not torne backe from Christe / albeit the fleshe coÌ„plaine / and feareth the torment Wonder it is that the waye too lyfe is so fearfull vnto vs considering that so greate a number of our brethren / hath passed before vs in at the same gatte / that we so muche alhorre Hath not the moste parte of the sainctes of God entred in to their rest / by tormente trobles of whome witnesseth Paule / some were racked / Others before vs hath past to lyfe by torment some heawin a sonder / some slayne with swerdes / some walked vp doun in shepe skinnes / in neade tribulatioÌ„ vexation Heb. 11. in mountaines / dennes / and in caues off the earthe / and in all those extremities / what complaintes heare we of their mouthes / except it be that they lament the blindnes of the world / and the perdition of their persecutors Did God comforte them / and shall he despise vs yf in obediens to him / we folow their footsteppes / he shall not do it / for he hath promysed the contrarye And therfore dearly beloued in the Lorde As that you purpose too auoyde the vengeaunce of God / that sodenly shall strike all obstinate Idolatours As that you wolde hane the leage betwene God and you to stande sure / and as that you will declare your selfes to haue true faith / withoute whiche no man euer shall entre in lyfe And fynally / as that you wil leaue the true knowledge of God / in possession to youre chyldren Auoyde Idolatrie / all participation thereof / for it is so odious before Gods presens / that not onely dothe he punishe the inuentours / and fyrste offendours / but oftentymes theyr posteritie are stryken with blindenes and dasynes of mynde Deut. 28. The battaylle shall apeare stronge / which you are to suffer / but the Lord hym selfe shall be youre coÌ„forte / he shall come in youre defence with hys mightie power / Zacha. 2â— Psal 46.57.61 he shall geue you vittorie / when none is hoped for / he shall tourne your teres to euerlastynge Ioye / he shall confounde your enemyes with the breath of hys mouthe / Apoc. 7.22 Psal 55. he shall set you se their destruction that now are most proude The God of all comforte consolation for Christ Iesus / his sonnes sake / grauÌ„t that this simple plaine admonition / yea / rather the warning of the holy ghoste maye be receaued / accepted of you with no les feare obedieÌ„ce then I haue written it vnto you with vnfayned loue / and sorowfull hart / then I doubte not / but we shall be comforted / when all suche as now motesteth vs / shall trymble shake by the comming of our Lord Iesus / whose omnipotent sprete perserue and kepe you vndefiled bodye and soule to the ende Amen ☞ A godly prayer AH Lorde / moste stronge and mightye God / which destroyest the couÌ„sayles of the vngodly / and ryddest awai the tyrauntes of thys worlde / out of the earth at thy pleasure / so that no counsaill or force caÌ„ tesiste thyne eternal counsaill and euerlasting determination / we thyne pooreÌ„ creatures and humble seruauntes / do moste instantly desyre the for the loue that thou hast to thyne welbeloued / and onely begotten soune oure Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ / that thou wilt loke vpon thyne cause / for it is tyme o Lorde / and bringe to naught all those thinges that are or shal be apoynted / determined and fully agreed agaynste the and thy holy woorde / let not the enemyes of thy trueth to miserablye oppresse thy word thy seruauÌ„tes / which seke thy glorie / tender the aduancement of thy pure religion / aboue all thinges wishe in their hartes that thy holy name may onely be glorefied amonge all nations Geue vnto thy seruauÌ„tes the mouth of thy truthe wysedom / whiche no man maye resiste And althoughe we haue moste iustly deserued thys plague and famyn of thyne worde / yet vpon our trew repentaÌ„ce / graunte we beseke the / we maye be
thereof released / and here we promise before thy deuyne maiestie / better to vse thy gyftes then we haue done / and more strayghtlye to ordre oure lyues / accordinge to thy holye will and pleasure / and we will synge perpetuall prayses too thy moste blessed name / worldes withoute ende / throughe Iesus Christe oure Lorde Amen FINIS GOD IS MY HELPER ¶ A confession declaratiō of praiers added thervnto / by Ihon Knox / minister of christes most sacred Euangely / vpon the death of that moste verteous and moste famous king Edward the VI. kynge of Englande / Fraunce and Ireland / in whiche confession / the sayde Ihon doth accuse no lesse hys owne offences / then the offences of others / to be the cause of the awaye takinge / of that moste godly prince / nowe raininge with Christ whyle we abyde plagues for our vnthāfulnesse ¶ Imprinted in Rome before the Castel of s Aungel / at the signe of sainct Peter In the moneth of Iuly / in the yeare of our Lorde 1554. A declaration of prayer / made by Ihon Knox. VNto the small and dispersed flocke of Iesus Christ / How necessary is the right inuocatiō of Gods name / otherwise called perfit prayer / becōmeth no christiā to misknow Prayer sprīgeth out off true fayth Rom. 10. Seyng it is the very braūch / which sprigeth forth of tru faith Wherof / yf man be distitute / notwithstāding he be induid with whatsoeuer other vertues / yet in the presens of God is he reputid for no Christian / Men negligēt ī praier are not perfit in fayth therfore a manifest signe vnderstād nothing of perfyt fayth / for yf the fyre may be without heate / or the burning lampe without lighte / then true fayth maye be without feruēt prayer But because in tymes passed was / and yet alas / within smal multitude is / that recoued to be prayer / whiche in the sighte of God was and is nothing lesse I intende shortly too touch the circonstaunce of prayer ¶ What prayer is wHo wil praye / must knowe and vnderstande that praier is an erust familiar talking with God / to whom we declare our miseries / whose supporte and helpe / we implore and desyre in our aduersities / whom we laude prayse for our benefytes receiued Vvhat prayer contayneth So that prayer contayneth the exposition of our dolours / the desyre of Gods defence / and louinge of his magnificēt name / as the Psalmes of Dauid clearly teacheth ¶ What is to be obserued in prayer THat this be most reuerētly done should prouoke vs the consideracion / in whose presens we stande / to whome we speke / and what we desyre / standinge in the presence of the omnipotent creator of heauen earth / and of all the contentes therof / to whome assist serue a thousande thousande of aungels / Daniel 3 Iob. 16. geuing obedience to his eternal maiestie / speking vnto hym / who knoweth the secretes off our hartes / dissimulation lyes are alwayes odious / hated And asking that thing / which without we receiue of all other creators we are most miserable / diligētly should we attēde that suche thinges as maye offende his godly presence to the vttermost of our power be remoued And fyrst that worldly carēs / fleshly cogitacions / suche as drawe vs from contemplacion of God be expellid from them / that it may frely without interrupcion call vppon God Note But howe diffysed harde is this one thing in prayer to performe / knoweth no mā better / then such as in their prayers / not content to remayne within the bandes of their owne vanitie / but as it were rauished / do intēde to a pure worde of God / asking not such thinges as the blinde folish reason of mā desireth / but what may be plesaunt acceptable in Gods presens Petre. 5 Our aduersary sathā / at all tymes cōpassing vs about / is neuer more busy then when we adresse bēde vs to prayer / for o / how secretly subtilly crepeth he in oure brestes / calling vs backe frō God / causeth vs to forget what we haue to do ¶ Let euer man iudge his owne hart SO that frequently / when we with all reuerince should speake to God / we fynde oure harts talkīg with the vanites of the world or with the folish imaginacions of our own cōsent / so that without the sprete of God ¶ How the sprete maketh intercession for vs. Roma 8. SVportinge oure infirmities / mightely making intercession for vs / with incessable grōnes / which can not be expressed with toūge / hope is there none / that any thing we can desire / according to Gods wil. I meane not that the holy ghost mournes or prayes / but that he sterith vp our myndes / geuing vnto vs a desire or boldnes for to pray / causeth vs to mourne when we are extracted plucked there from / which thinges to conceiue / no strength of man suffiseth / neither is able of it selfe Who prayeth not Hereof it is playne / that such as vnderstāde not what they praye / or expoūdes not / or declare not the desire of their hartes / clearly in Gods presens And in tyme of praier / to their possibilite with out their expell vaine cogitacions from their myndes profyt / nothinge in prayer ¶ Why we should pray / and also vnderstande what we do praye Obiectiō BVt some wil obiect say albeit / we vnderstād not what we do pray / ye God vnderstādeth / who knoweth the secret of our hartes / knoweth also what we nede / although we expounde not or declare our necessites vnto hym Such mē verely declareth them selfs / neuer to haue vnderstāding / what profit prayer ment / nor too what ende Iesus Christ cōmaundeth vs to pray Which is first that our hartes may be enflamed with continuall feare / honor loue of God / to whome we runne for supporte helpe / when soeuer daunger or necessitie requireth / that we so lerninge to notefye oure desiers in his presence / may teache vs what is earnestly to be axed / what not Secōdarely that we knowing our peticions to be graūted by God / to hym alone we muste referre geue lande and prayse And that we euer hauing his infinite goodnes / fixid in our myndes / may constantly abide to receiue that / which with feruent prayers we desier / Vvhif God deffereth to graunt our praier for sometime God deffereth or prolōgeth to graunt oure peticions / for the excercision trial of our faythe / not that he slepeth / or is absente frome vs at any tyme / but that with more gladnes we mighte receiue that / whiche with longe expectacion we haue abyden / that therby we assured of his eternall prouidence / so farre as the infirmetie of our corruptie most weked nature