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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	believe_v	faith_n	justification_n	2,510	5	8.9827	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08806	A godly learned exposition, together with apt and profitable notes on the Lords prayer written by the late reuerend orthodoxe diuine, and faithfull seruant of Iesus Christ, Samuel Page ... ; published since his death, by Nathaniel Snape, of Grayes Inne, Esquire.	Page, Samuel, 1574-1630.; Snape, Matthew.	1631 (1631)	STC 19092; ESTC S924	210,836	387

declare vnto you the whole counsell of God The principall points of our doctrine are what wee must beleeue what wee must doe and what wee must pray for The doctrine of faith the doctrine of good life and the doctrine of prayer Iohn taught all these for 1 He preached Christ to them the ground of faith 2 He exhorted them to repentance and good life 3 He taught them also to pray His example is our direction in all these things You also haue two lessons from hence 1 To stirre vp your selues by the example of other Disciples and other congregations to doe the like if you heare of their diligence in hearing and their proficiencie in learning the duties of Gods worship let their sicut their good example inflame you with holy emulation to make as good a progression in knowledge and piety as they haue made For why should other congregations outlearne you in these necessarie duties doe not you thinke that God will require his good seed of the word sowne in you and examine what you haue done with it 2 You are further to be moued to an holy emulation of Gods graces in your selues to contend with your selues to increase your knowledge adde strength and growth to your iudgement that you may outgrow your owne infancy and minority in that spirituall vegetation which is called incrementum Dei so Andrew that had learned of Iohn comes now to be taught of Christ 3 You haue a faire example to require instruction at the hands of them who haue the ouersight of you you may say to that Archippus as the Disciples of Christ did to Christ teach vs as Iohn taught his Disciples that is you may stirre vp your Minister to teach and instruct you as other faithfull and conscionable Ministers of the word doe instruct their congregations The Apostle biddeth the Colossians say to Archippus Take heed to the ministery which thou hast receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it You haue the same right to his labours in his calling as he hath to the tithes of your labours Christs Disciples put him to it to teach them and let all people doe the like to their minister LVC. 11.2 And hee said vnto them when you pray say Our Father c. HEre begins Christs answer to the Disciples motion in which you may obserue 1 That he answers 2 What he answers 1 That he answers The answer of Christ is ready and present declaring that he accepteth the persons and the requests of these petitioners and herein hee comforteth such as cannot pray declaring himselfe readie to teach them if they demand it of him and he comforteth them that pray to him for any thing necessarie that he heareth prayers and granteth requests So that they which pretend they cannot pray haue no excuse for they know where they may be taught euen in this it is but aske and it shall be giuen to you If Iohn taught his Disciples to pray how much more and sooner will Christ teach those that come to him if the lampe shined so cleare to his schollars how much brighter will the shine bee of this Sunne of righteousnesse But as they made this motion for themselues and for vs so Christ taught them in his answere for themselues and for vs and for the whole Church to the worlds end Christ is now sitting at the right hand of his father but this record of his answere to direct vs in prayer liues in this book of the eternall gospell here wee may haue it at a short warning and though Iohns prayer be lost and no monument left of it yet this holy direction contained in his answere to his disciples shall remaine and what he saith to them hee saith to all that haue the same desire and affection to learne to pray When you pray say Our father c. Our comfortable lesson from hence is that it is not labour lost to come to Christ with our petitions to bee instructed as he is the wisdome of the father to teach vs so he is the goodnesse and loue of his father and our father to heare and answere our lawfull and good petitions Which Dauid doth make as an encouragement to all men to pray O thou that hearest prayer vnto thee shall all flesh come This is wisdome to know how to speake and what to aske of God and S. Iames biddeth If any of you lack wisdome let him aske of God who giueth to all men liberally 2 What he answereth When you pray say Our father His answere doth containe a forme of holy prayer to be vsed when you pray wherein two mistakes may wrong the good meaning of our Sauiour 1 If wee thinke this so precise a direction for prayer as that we may neuer vse any other words but these in prayer but that all our prayers must be totidem verbis for that that is not our Sauiours meaning is plain in the doctrine of prayer deliuered by our Sauiour in the sermon which he preached on the mount where hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is pray on this manner or to this purpose according to these instructions in this forme contained For I must informe you that the precise frame of the prayer for the words thereof is not punctually the same in S. Matthew and S. Luke which shewes that there is no necssitation of the Church obliging it to the words thereof 2 Another mistake is on the contrary hand when we quite forsake the words which Christ himselfe hath put into our mouthes and esteeme this prayer but as a coppy to write after a mould to make prayers by and not a prayer it selfe This error hath put it selfe in print and some of our nouelists haue taken vpon them to shew reason why this should neuer be vsed for a prayer His late Maiesty of worthy memory giues a quick touch of this erroneous fancy in his learned and godly exposition of the Lords prayer for he saith that the Brownists the authors of this opinion doe approue this prayer for a samplar to make prayers by but refuse it for a prayer because they hold all set formes of prayer vnlawfull His Maiesty saith well that they like praying by descant and not by plainesong by commentary but not by text 1 One reason against the vse of this prayer is because it is Scripture which were a good reason to iustifie the vse of it for that is the vse of Dauids Psalmes and the holy hymnes of Scripture to apply them to our occasion It is Scripture In manus tuas Domine commendo animam meam yet Christ vsed it for a prayer vpon the crosse 2 They alledge that prayer must expresse our wants to God in particular but the Lords prayer is generall Our answer is that both in generall and in particular we must pray to God and therefore our larger prayers doe referre themselues to the generall heads of this prayer and this concludeth them all and this prayer is

although they went too farre in this opinion of the force of imitation wee may truely charge a great deale euen the most of our euill vpon it It giueth all Superiors warning to obserue their whole carriage warily For children wil take great notice what their Parents say or doe the eyes of the Hand-maid vpon the hand of her Mistresse the eyes of Pupils on their Tutors of Subiects to their Soueraigne and their good example may doe much good their ill example may corrupt and peruert much here Christs example of praying did put them all vpon it to make a motion concerning praier Obserue also a modest ciuill manner obserued amongst them though there were many of them I suppose the full number of his Disciples yet but one speaketh for all It is a good precept of the Apostles and applyable to all conuersations of men Let all things be done decently and in good order In our publique meetings where all of vs doe come to moue our God in petitions for things necessary for vs it were a rude and vnciuill confusion if we should all speake at once euery man the desire of his heart therefore the Minister is appointed to speake for vs all and we as before declare our consent of hearts either in some short eiaculation of prayer or in our deuout Amen 3 The motion it selfe Lord teach vs to pray Wherein obserue 1 That they found it a necessary duty to pray 2 That they found themselues not well instructed in that duty and therefore desired to be taught 3 That they resort to their Master and intreate him to teach them 1 They finde it a necessary duty If there had beene no other prouocation but the example of their faithfull Master that had beene sufficient to proue to them the necessitie of this duty 1 I cannot conceiue of these Disciples that they were vtterly ignorant of this duty before because I know that prayer which is the inuocation of power able to helpe vs as we beleeue is a suggestion of nature for as no man is simpliciter atheos but beleeues in some deity whose power is sufficient to protect them from euill and to giue them supply of their wants so naturall reason directeth to seeke that protection and supply by way of petition and therefore in the ship that transported Ionah in the storme euery man called vpon his god Euery man had a god to whom he might flye in time of need and danger and in that extremitie to that god euery man directed his prayer therefore the Disciples could not be ignorant of this duty which is a lesson taught in the schoole of nature 2 The practise of the Church taught them the vse of prayer there was Domus orationis and men vsually went vp thither to pray The Scribes and Pharises were great examples of frequent of long prayers Neither can I suspect these Disciples strangers to the better examples of the holy men and women of foregoing times whose holy deuotion and worship of God those Bookes of Scripture which then were read publiquely in their Synagogues did sufficiently declare But all this is helped and their affections be now by Christs example stirred to apprehend the necessity therof more then before Examples be of great vse in this kinde Beloued this is a necessary point to be taught and beleeued whosoeuer shall desire to be instructed in the doctrine of prayer let him be first perswaded of the necessity of this duty Two things doe make this duty of prayer necessary in the Church and amongst the holy seruants of God 1 The ordinance of God who hath commanded it 2 Our owne necessities which are no other way to be relieued 1 Concerning Gods ordinance We finde it often commanded in Scripture in direct termes and it is implied in the two great Commandements of the Law for not onely obedience is commanded therein but all those holy duties also by which our obedience may be any waies furthered and that giues great place in the precept to prayer seeing that is the chiefest meanes by which we doe obtaine that ability by which the law of God is in any measure fulfilled And therefore it is a note of the faithfull that they be viri orationum and where God giueth his spirit there is prayer for his is a spirit of grace and supplications Vnder the name of prayer is comprehended the whole duty of Christian religion for the Apostle saith Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued Which words are taken from the Prophet Ioel as the margent of the Bibles directeth you And it is vrged also by the Apostle Saint Peter And the Apostle doth well declare that prayer is the chiefe part of Gods worship by that gradation for no man praieth aright but he that beleeueth and none beleeueth but hee that hath heard and none can heare without a Preacher none can Preach except he be sent In which gradation you may obserue the whole worke of mans guiding to saluation is accomplished in prayer For first God sendeth his Minister to Preach his word to his Church he is not disobedient to the heauenly calling but goeth on the errand of God and preacheth in season and out of season The faithfull heare the word from him faith commeth by this hearing and doth bring forth this ripe fruit of inuocation so that the worke of meanes is compleate in prayer and saluation followeth which maketh prayer the summe of Christian duty and to stand there for the whole exercise and practise of religion In the contrary Dauid describing the vngodly by many notes doth conclude with this as the last and strongest proofe to conuince them of vngodlinesse They call not vpon the name of the Lord. The reason on Gods part is for by prayer God is honoured This declareth him to be God when the eyes of all things looke vp to him when wee seeke his face and confesse him the onely giuer of euery good and perfect gift this is a sacrifice of righteousnesse With such sacrifices GOD is pleased so that our Sauiour pressed no doctrine more by precept then prayer in three seuerall words commanding the same thing Petite quaerite pulsate And to encourage the seruice hee directeth vs both in the matter and forme of praier and in the way and meanes to the Father in his name and he fortifieth the precept with full and gratious promises made to them that doe pray to him And the Apostles doe so much vrge this duty Saint Paul to pray continually to put our whole strength to prayer Saint Iames vrgeth the same precept and sheweth that wisedome is obtained by prayer and declareth what it is that makes many prayers miscarry when we aske amisse But the feruent prayers of the iust doe speed alwaies 2 Another matter that necessitateth the duty of prayer is that God hath left vs no other reuealed meanes to obtaine supply of our wants but by prayer insomuch as

before thy face who shall prepare thy way before thee And a little after and if ye will receiue it this is Elias which was for to come The later Iewes haue beene so transported with the letter of that prophecie that they vsed to set a voyd chaire at euery Circumcision expecting that Eliah should come to them but themselues therein sate beside the cushion Iohn is called Eliah as for the like feruor of zeale and holinesse of life and diligence in preaching and boldnesse in increpation and chiding the one hauing to deale with vngodly Ahab the other with incestuous Herod but especially as I conceiue propter similitudinem temporum for As in Eliahs time the Church was so streightned that few remained in the true and sincere worship of God so in the daies of the mission of Iohn the Baptist true religion was defiled and vitiated with much corruption and he was sent to be an instrument of the reformation thereof It doth stand in good steed to know thus much of Iohn the Baptist because hee was a man sent of God to this purpose to preuent a iudgement lest God should smite the earth with a curse 2 This holy messenger of the Lord did diligently instruct the people in the doctrine of repentance and holinesse of life both by the word of wholesome doctrine and by the example of vnblameable conuersation and so drew multitudes to his audience to his Baptisme to his sequence And herein he was also the forerunner of Christ for he had also speciall Disciples whom he instructed I doe not finde any of the Disciples of Iohn named but onely Andrew Simon Peters brother and hee was one of the two that heard Iohn saying Ecce agnus Dei and thereupon those two Disciples did follow Christ Andrew is named the other not so I cannot conceiue nor will too busily search either who he was or why his name is supprest but I finde Saint Andrew named one of Iohns Disciples and worthy of high estimation in the christian Church 1 Because he adhered to the forerunner of Christ and was his disciple 2 Because he no sooner saw Christ whom Iohn had preached but he followed him and applied himselfe to his sequence and was of Christ the first Disciple that gaue him sequence 3 Because he had not sooner informed himselfe concerning Christ the Messiah but he presently communicated that light that was in him to his brother Simon Peter and brought him to Christ so that Peter the first of the Apostles in order by the nomination of the Text was in time after Andrew a Disciple of Christ and by him brought to Christ But Peter in the election of the twelue had the first place though in priority of notice of Christ and desire of adherencie Andrew was before them all Andrew first chose Christ to bee his Master Christ first chose Peter to be his Disciple We cannot charge the Disciples of Iohn with newfanglednesse for multiplying teachers to themselues when they forsooke the sequence of Iohn to follow Christ for Iohn did but prepare them for Christ and acknowledged himselfe but the Vsher of that Schoole whereof Christ was the chiefe Master But during their following of Iohn he taught them diligently and preached Christ to them and amongst other good instructions which they receiued from him 3 It followeth in the last place that hee taught them to pray S. Augustine doth well obserue that we haue many words in Scripture of things quae in re gestâ non inveniuntur The fall of the Angels who kept not their first estate is mentioned by Iude by way of example but there is no historicall narration thereof in the storie of Moses The great contention betweene Michael the Archangell and the deuill about the body of Moses by Iude cited for an example but no mention of it in any historicall part of holy Scripture The prophecie also of Henoch the seuenth from Adam by S. Iude cited but in no history recited vpon record S. Paul also mentioneth Iannes and Iambres who resisted Moses But also of that particular resistance no story speaketh S. Paul also mentioneth some appearance of Christ after his resurrection vnreuealed in the holy Gospels as of that to Iames and to more then fiue hundred brethren at once This is a like example for here is mention that Iohn taught his Disciples to pray but neither haue wee any record when he taught them or what forme of prayer he taught them but whatsoeuer it was Christ is now desired to teach them and his prayer is left for the perpetuall vse of the Church But I will not con●●a●e from you what vse a cunning Spanish Fryar would ●●●ne insinuate of those concealements of Scripture for he saith these things though not mentioned in the historicall part of Scripture yet are of certaine truth And so he saith that modus conficiendi sacramenta and multae pontificiae ordinationes the Lent Faest and such like Quibus Ecclesia Romana vtitur must bee beleeued to be Apostolicall though there be no mention thereof in the historie of those times A poore deuice to legitimate their vaine traditions and humane inuentions by comparing them with those omissions of storie which yet are verified to vs in the way of Apostolical doctrine recorded in holy Scripture For let them produce any thing to vs by warrant of Scripture though not historified wee will imbrace it but their vnwritten traditions carry no such weight with vs nor haue any such pretence to warrant them Iohn though he had the holy Ghost yet it was giuen him by measure but in Christ the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt bodily Iohn was in his time Lucerna ardens when the Sunne of righteousnesse arose vpon the Church Christ Iesus Iohn gaue warning He must increase but I must decrease therefore the prayer that Iohn taught his Disciples gaue place to Christs prayer as Iohn himselfe did giue place to Christ But the fidelitie of Iohn is notable for hee omitted no necessarie doctrine to informe the vnderstanding and to direct the holy practise of his Disciples therefore comming now to a fuller vessell euen a liuing fountaine of grace and wisedome they desire no longer to drinke at the Cisterne but to replenish themselues at the Well head But the argument is effectuall because Iohn omitted not that care of teaching his Disciples to pray that therfore they might boldly claime that instruction also from him their Master whose shooe latchet Iohn was not worthy to loose We haue our lesson from this example of Iohn to omit nothing that concerneth the full instruction of them to whom we preach that when wee come to a suruay of the seruice that we haue done to God in our holy ministerie we may be able with a good conscience to auouch with the Apostle I haue kept backe nothing that is profitable vnto you but haue shewed you and haue taught you publikely and againe I haue not shunned to

life may be fit to minister comfort to soules sicke of the leprosie of sinne yet none can purge this leprosie by forgiuing the sinnes and absoluing the sinner from the guilt and punishment of them but the ministers who are called and separated by the voyce of God to that office It is well exprest in the words of Christ for when he speaketh of this power of absolution and giueth it to his Apostles he vseth the same word to them which he vseth in the Lords prayer for in my Text he teacheth vs to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to them hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For as God hath reconciled the world to himselfe by Iesus Christ so hath he giuen to vs the ministery of reconciliation So that the Ministers forgiuing of sinnes is no intrusion vpon the rights of God no impeachment of the honour of God but it is his owne act declared by his own ordinance and by his appointment particularly applyed Yet haue we no warrant to say to our Minister forgiue vs our sinnes but hauing declared to him our repentance we may pray to God for his pardon and desire our Minister by the power giuen to him by Iesus Christ to pronounce it to vs. This power was in the Church long before the comming of Christ into the world as it may appeare by the words of Elihu to Iob. For he speaking of the remedy which God hath ordained for the restoring of sinners saith If there be with him an Angell an Interpreter one among a thousand to shew vnto man his vprightnesse Then hee is gratious vnto him and saith Deliuer him from going downe into the pit I haue found a ransome Obserue Gods ordinance in calling a Minister to bee his Angell or messenger euery man is not fit for this seruice such a one is one of a thousand to him God committeth the office of an interpreter to declare to man his vprightnesse that is to comfort him against the terrours of his sinne by preaching to him the doctrine of Iustification by the righteousnesse of Christ To him is committed the office of deliuering a sinner from the pit that is from hell and that is by absoluing him from his sinnes this is the greatest power that is left vnto any creature vpon earth For to vse the words of the holy Ghost to which of the Angels did God say at any time that he should deliuer a soule from going downe into the pit To the King is committed the ciuill gouernment of vs in policie to the Lawyer the care of our goods and good name to the Physitian the care of our health of body to the Souldier the care of our goods and liues but our soules are committed to the care of the Minister to saue them So saith the Apostle Thou shalt be able to saue thy selfe and those that heare thee which made Saint Ambrose say Nihil in hoc saeculo excellentius Sacerdotibus Our power is to deliuer men vp to Sathan by binding and to saue them from going downe to the pit by loosing of them from their sinnes Master Caluin is iudicious and moderate in this point for he aduiseth sinners that are burthened in their consciences for sinne rather to seeke the remedy in the meanes ordained and setled by God in the Church then any other way which is to exonerate their conscience of the burthen of sinne to some godly learned and discreet Minister of the word Cuius officium est publicè priuatim pop dei euangelica doctrina consolari But such an euen course must be held herein vt tyrannidem abesse velint a se a populo superstitionem Therefore let me admonish you in the holy feare of God to seeke the forgiuenesse of sinnes and the peace of your consciences in the holy and good way which God hath ordained and especially vpon your sicke beds when you are enditing your whole life to God neglect not the establishing of your hearts in the remission of sinnes by confession and absolution Let not a iealousie of Popish superstition discourage you from this for what is there in christian religion which they haue not corrupted but doe you separate the cleane from the vile and forsake not the holy direction of Gods word It is againe obiected if I must onely aske forgiuenesse of God for my sinne why is there mention here of my forgiuing such as doe trespasse against me Is it lawfull for me to aske man forgiuenesse of any sinne I answer that euery sinne that wee commit doth trespasse God being the preuarication of his law but if that sinne doe trespasse our brother also we must goe and be reconciled to our brother for if it be possible so much as lyeth in vs we must haue peace with all men Man may forgiue the offence done by his brother to him but the offence done to the law of God none but God can forgiue I will speake a bold word it is a truth God may forgiue a sinne committed against man so farre as it is a breach of the law of duty and obedience to him without man but God cannot forgiue a sinne done by one man against another except the man trespassed doe forgiue it for there can be no reconciliation betweene God and vs so long as there is warre between our brother and vs. Our Sauiour hath exprest as much When thou commest to offer thy gift vpon the Altar and remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thy gift goe and be reconciled c. It may appeare also in the very case of debt he that is a debter to his neighbour and refuseth to make him satisfaction doth breake the law of the kingdome and is an offender against the King and therefore is the kings prisoner for breach of the Kings law the King may forgiue his prisoner the breach of his law wherein hee is trespassed but he cannot forgiue the debt which hee oweth to his subiect If wee would haue a full forgiuenesse of our sinnes wheresoeuer they offend let vs labour to giue satisfaction but if we meete with harsh natures to whom no reasonable satisfaction is answerable they begge their owne iudgement in this petition for so shall they bee forgiuen as they forgiue and they shall finde God as inexorable and as implacable as themselues are 6 Another duty we learne here in the word nobis for we are taught charitably to pray for the forgiuenesse of one anothers sinnes not of our owne onely We doe not pray God for the pardon of the sinnes of the Angels that fell they kept not their first estate and the holy Ghost hath reuealed to vs that there is no possibility of their reconciliation to God for Saint Peter saith God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them downe to hell and deliuered them into chaines of darkenesse to be reserued vnto iudgement The God of spirits spared not the spirits that transgressed but the Prophet