beleeuing that he is our Father we pray with assurance of perswasion that we shall preuaile For they that haue the comfortable perswasion of their hearts that God is their God cannot doubt of right and interest in his good and perfect gifts if hee be ours qui se dedit dabit sua In our right wee can call nothing our owne but our sinne for our bodies and soules are not ours glorifie God in your bodies and in your soules for they are Gods Gods in the right of creation And ye are bought with a price so not your owne in respect of redemption And God to shew his right in his Saints maketh them a temple for his holy spirit to dwell in so he taketh possession of vs for himselfe But all our sinnes are ours or Sathans those that grow out of our owne corruption are ours those that are infused in vs by Sathans temptations are his in vs yet our guiltinesse and infection The grace of God which bringeth saluation doth make vs proprietaries in God and calleth him ours The comfort of this interest taketh away feare So God to Abraham feare not I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward This fixing of our faith vpon him to whom we pray doth put it out of question that none is to be prayed to but he in whom we must onely beleeue Indeed we haue no right or interest in any of our fellow creatures but by the interest that we haue in God by the mediation of Iesus Christ Sinne hath both diuested vs of the primitiue right wee had in them and them of the primitiue power that they had to ayde and support one another so that faith carrieth noster to God onely and resteth in him Master Foxe from sufficient testimonie out of Scotland reporteth that in anno 1551. there arose a great schisme in Scotland about the Pater noster whether it might be said to Saints or no. It was deliuered publiquely in a Sermon at S. Andrewes that wee could call none our Father but God onely and presently a gray Fryar tooke vpon him to confute that doctrine in the Pulpit and to proue that it might be said also to Saints And first because we call old men fathers one may therefore much rather call a Saint our Father 2 Because God hath made the names of Saints holy therefore we may say to them Hallowed be thy name 3 Because the kingdome of heauen is theirs by Gods free gift therefore we may say to them adueniat regnum tuum 4 Seeing their will is Gods will else they had neuer come to that kingdome we may say fiat voluntas tua But when hee came to the rest of the petitions his wits failed him and hee beganne to alleadge that they might vse the intercession of Saints to God for daily bread and for forgiuenesse of sinnes and for deliuerance from euill But the three first Petitions which directly are referred to the onely glory of God these he blasphemously applyed to Saints Which gaue occasion of a great schisme in Scotland insomuch as they distinguished their parties by this Shiboleth to whom say you the Pater noster to God or to Saints The people were much distracted with this schisme and in the Abbey Church of S. Andrewes this pasquell was set vp Patres nostrì in Collegio Concludunt idem cum Lucifero Quod sancti sunt similes altissimo Another in english The Fryars would be called Rabbi Magister noster and know not to whom to say Pater noster But after much contention it was at last resolued that it was onely to be said to God This word Our ioyned with Father is vox fidei as you haue heard and directed to one and therefore not to be either communicated with others nor withdrawne from God Our is vox charitatis for it containeth the spirituall kindred of the faithfull who doe all acknowledge but one common father of all one God one Father this is the obiect of our common faith We haue patres carnis our naturall Parents we haue Magistrates and Princes in things temporall Bishops and Ministers in spirituall and all these haue the honourable title of Fathers giuen to them in the law of the fift Commandement but this compellation extendeth not to the longitude or latitude of this fatherhood in the Lords prayer these haue particular references this hath an vniuersall relation to the whole body of the Church and herein God goeth alone away with the name of our Father the other hold by seruice this honour from him onely hee holdeth that in Capite ouer them and their sonnes And herein the Pope encroacheth vpon God with abhominable vsurpation and is by his Parasites stiled Sanctissimus pater and the blinde ignorants that see no further then by his Lampelight and speake no other language then what he hath taught them doe mannerly call him our holy father God hath no honour intire but he comes in for his share with him not the name of Lord God he inuadeth that also It is a knowne and printed blasphemie Dominus Deus noster papa which the glosse vpon the extrauagancie of Iohn 22. doth lewdly giue the Pope True it is that when the Bishop of Rome was an orthodoxe Bishop and maintained the Apostolicall doctrine of the true Church he was called Pappa or Papa of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greeke word which is Pater And so it was not a proper title to the Bishop of Rome but common to all Bishops as at this day the name of Father is giuen to them But this vnlimited claime to the name in chiefe ouer all not onely the lay people but the very Clergie of the whole Church he hath rather purchased with S. Pauls sword then with S. Peters keyes But he holdeth it now with that absolute right to it that none can be a member of the true Church but he must be his sonne And therefore Gregory the fifteenth in his letters lately sent from Rome to our then most excellent Prince residing for the time in the Court of Spaine doth thus court his Highnesse Truely the armes of papall charity with sighes doe worship the God of mercy and doe stretch them forth for your safety to embrace you a most desired sonne c. I cannot blame him for when the Kings and Princes of England were popish his Holinesse had his coffers much the fuller for it and his Kitchin was the better prouided But one thing I note in that letter that this Gregorie the then Pope doth confesse himselfe modestly farre inferiour to Gregory the first whose name he assumed at his Coronation in sanctitie and vertue although equall in dignity and of the same name I wonder that he should be so open as to confesse a succession in dignity and not in sanctity in seate and not in vertue for this makes it no argument which yet is falsely vrged and his Holinesse forsakes the truth in it He affirmeth that Gregory the great
Ierusalem the spirit of supplications poureth also the spirit of grace to sanctifie the supplications So it is called in Zech. the Spirit of grace and supplications And Dauid can say If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me Obserue it in Saint Iames his directions Draw nigh to God and hee will draw nigh to you clense your hands yee sinners and purifie your hearts you double minded When God appeard to Moses in the bush and Moses was approaching to him he heard a voyce saying to him Put off thy shoes from thy feete for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground There is no Comming then to God without holinesse without which we may seeke but we shall neuer see the face of God 5 This mention of the heauens here doth put vs in minde of the wisedome of God who of nothing raised vp that glorious frame of those celestiall habitations that high Sanctuary for his owne dwelling for in wisedome he hath made them all Which teacheth vs to beware how we appeare before God in our praiers and holy deuotions not as fooles but as wise Take heed to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God and be more neare to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles They that pray not in wisdome doe offer to God the sacrifice of fooles And Salomon saith God hath no pleasure in fooles There is no folly like to the folly that is vsed in prayer and deuotion when the God of wisedome hath vs in his eye and the iealous God who is tender of his worship discerneth that he is slighted That is one of the sinnes of our time a foolish worship without consideration care or reuerence which turneth our praiers into sinne Hath God any pleasure in the set words of a solemne seruice Did he not blame his owne people Populus hic honorat me labijs suis Dauid admonisheth to sing praises to God with vnderstanding It asketh a great deale of spirituall wisedome to addresse our suites to the Court of heauen where the highest King of glory doth wisely consider all the sonnes of men and beholds with what descretion and wisedome they come before him Take heed therefore that thou forget not our Father to be in heauen Heauen is mentioned for the height of Gods sanctuarie for God is in excelsis which teacheth vs in praier to sublime our soules from the earth and earthly things to an holy eleuation thereto agree those outward formes of lifting vp the eyes in prayer I lifted vp mine eyes to the hills from whence my help commeth Our helpe is in the name of the Lord who hath made heauen and earth And let the lifting vp of mine hands be an euening sacrifice Sursum corda It is the voice of the Church Our Conuersation is in heauen and it is the Apostles counsaile If ye be risen with Christ seeke the things which are aboue and not the things which are below where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God O that I had the winges of a Doue the wings of an Eagle rather to fly high there is the Carcase and thither the Eagles resort Our earthly Parents giue good things to vs but they haue them from hence the bread the fish the necessaries of life Sometimes earthly Parents proue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but our heauenly father is one whose compassion falles not when my father and mother forsaketh me the Lord taketh me vp Doubtlesse thou art our father though Abraham knowes not though Israel be ignorant of vs. Earthly Parents see vs sicke and in prison and in disgrace and in want they can sit downe and droppe their teares and viz their groanes with ours but there is no helpe in them they may be parted from vs by death but our heauenly father shall endure for euer his yeares change not he looked down from the height of his sanctuarie From heauen did the Lord behold the earth to heare the groaning of the prisoners to loose those that are appointed to death 7 The mention of heauen added to the title of our Father doth put vs in minde of his goodnesse for hee dwelleth in that place from which euery good giuing and euery perfect gift doth proceed From whence also we are directed in our Prayers not to aske of this Father that is nothing but good and perfect gifts In temporall benefits we must still haue an eye to the true vse of them to make them serue for spirituall and heauenly vses One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I will seeke after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Let our eye be vpon the inheritance and the birth-right and for things temporal so far as they may be adjumenta or oramenta to vs to aduance this final desire of the kingdome of God so farre let vs desire and seeke and vse them Who will petition a King for beades and babies and such trifling things feare nto little flock it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a Kingdome Let our wisedome seeke it where it is to be found in heauen where Iesus Christ sitteth at the right hand of his father and maketh intercession for vs. Why should we aske stones where we may haue bread for asking bread of the finest wheat flower Manna Angels bread 8 The name of our father in the heauens doth put vs in minde of the country which we seeke for we are but Pilgrimes and strangers and we haue no abiding City here we are but soiourners as all our fathers were But we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolued wee haue a building not made with hands but eternall in the heauens For in this we groane earnestly desiring to be cloathed vpon with our house which is from heauen that mortalitie might be swallowed vp of life for Whilest we art at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. We are confident and willing to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. We sit here weeping by the riuers of Babel If I forget thee O Ierusalem c. Returne to thy rest O my soule Studie those heauens search and finde out the way to them there is one that is gone before to prepare a place there for vs in the many Mansions of his Fathers house and as the Church sweetely Hymneth He hath opened the Kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers by a new and liuing way which hee hath Consecrated for vs through the vaile that is to say his flesh Conducting vs to Mount Sion the City of the liuing God the heauenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable companie of Angels To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirits of
complaine of the great want of this zeale euen in his Church amongst those that make confession of his name For the common swearing by the name of God and the ordinary idle naming that holy name vnholily with long custome of euill doing is growne to such an habite of sinne that few of vs doe lay it to heart as we ought We do neither refraine from this iniurie to the name of our God our selues nor seeke to reforme it in others But where the zeale of Gods glory is truly kindled it both consumeth all this euill in our selues and it flasheth out to the combustion of it in others For that wee pray in this petition that the name of God may be hallowed not onely by our owne sanctification of it but by the preparation of others for it the prouocation of others to it and the reformation of others as much as in vs lieth who offend against it This zeale then of the name of God doth require of vs both a conscionable care of the glorie of Gods name within our selues expressed in thought word and deed but with it a charitable care of our brethren that we admonish them and reproue them if you heare them at any time speake vnreuerently of the name of God Remember the word of Gods Commandement Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour that thou beare not sinne for him Obserue that place well and therein note 1. That if a brother that is any man or woman with whom we doe conuerse doth doe any thing to the dishonour of Gods name we must not presently hate him for it as Gods enemie Therefore he is called our brother to endeare him to vs. 2 That we must seuerely rebuke him which is exprest in the Hebrew phrase in rebuking thou shalt rebuke him 3 This must be done as to a brother in loue of thy neighbour shewing him the right and conuincing of euill 4 Note the danger least thou beare sinne for him that is least thou make his sinne thine by thy silence Reproofe is Oleum Sanctorum let the righteous smite me and reproue me saith the Psalmist it is balsamum amicitiae it sheweth true loue and therefore must be performed very discreetly the Hebrew Doctors say Leniter molli Lingua let vs take heed of putting our brother to shame till it come to Dic Ecclesiae and thou spare him not that he may be ashamed and repent him of his sinne 3 The next duty is to sanctifie God in thy life that is confesse him with thy mouth to be holy beleeue him to be so in thy heart teach others that he is so and let thy godly conuersation testifie of thee that thou seruest him so that the name of God be not euill spoken of for thy sake For they be Gods enemies that take his name in vaine the Psalmist saith It is to no purpose to pray daily that the name of God may be hallowed if our life and carriage our words and workes doe dishonour God Therefore let this petition of ours to God remember vs of Gods command to vs Sancti estote the very Idols of the Heathen had that honour done them that the Law went for them Deos caste adeunto And if seruants must Count their Masters worthy of all honour that the name of God be not euill spoken of much more must we esteeme our heauenly father worthy of honour least he be violated in his name This Sanctifying of God in our life extendeth to the vse of his good creatures our food and raiment our dwellings and such like riches of Gods mercy when we doe 1 Preserue them from abuse 2 Employ them to the end for which they are ordained of God and bestowed on vs. 3 When we receiue them with thankesgiuing praising the name of God for them 4 When we suffer the want of them with patience learning as wel how to want as to abound I conclude this point Consider how the name of God suffereth without the Church by Turkes and infidels that worship a God without a Trinitie by Iewes that deny Iesus Christ come in the flesh by all the barbarous nations of the world who haue their seuerall Gods by Papists who rob God of his glory giuing it to images By Anabaptists Schismatikes that serue God in separation by the prophane of the world There are but few left to hallow his name let them doe it well 2 Petition Thy Kingdome come When we haue prouided for the honour of the name of our heauenly father that that may be beleeued and confessed to be holy and that due reuerence may be giuen by vs to it our next request is for the aduancement of the kingdome of God vpon earth This is another addition to the glory of God our father when we desire that he may reigne sole Soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth and that none may rise vp against him For our better vnderstanding of this petition we must consider 1 What is meant by the kingdome of God 2 How we would haue this kingdome come 3 What duties we are taught here 1 What is meant by this kingdome The Kingdome of God is three fold 1 Regnum potentiae 2 Regnum gratiae 3 Regnum gloriae 1 Regnum potentiae In the first we consider God as the Almighty Creator maker of heauen and earth and the high possessor of all that is in them contained as the mighty gouernour and protector of his creatures applying them al to his seruice and to the good of each other So he is called King of kings and Lord of all Lords of this the Psal The Lord hath prepared his throne in heauen his kingdome ruleth ouer all A voyce from heauen told proud Nebuchadnezar that his kingdome was departed from him that he must be humbled with great iudgements Vntill thou know that the most high ruleth in the kingdome of men and giueth it to whom soeuer he will This proues him a lyar who told Christ shewing him the kingdomes of the world All this power will I giue thee for it is deliuered vnto me and to whom soeuer I will I giue it For indeed the Lord is king and he doth whatsoeuer he will in heauen and in earth and in all deepe places Vnder this vniuersall dominion hee hath subiect to him all Creatures Angels and Men and Diuels heauen and earth and hell nothing is in being that is not in subiection to this vniuersall Monarchy 2 Regnum gratiae This is Gods speciall power and goodnesse in the gouernment of his elect people the throne of this kingdome is his Church Iudah is his Sanctuary and Israel his dominion The subiects of this kingdome are the faithfull people of God to whom he speaketh by his Prophet The meeke of the earth which haue wrought his iudgement who seeke righteousnesse and seeke meekenesse all those that feare the Lord and thinke vpon
God against it Seeing the conscience of our frailties doth awake vs to a more watchfull custody of our heart and obseruation of our wayes Therefore as some sharpe fits of an ague in the spring proue medicinall to our bodies So in our spring of grace our infirmities well considered proue physicke to our soules because they make vs remember whereof we are made and shew vs the vse of those meanes which God hath ordained for our recouery such are hearing of the Word meditation in it prayer to God for his blessing vpon vs and such like holy munitions against Sathan 2 These remaines of sinne doe shew vs what neede we haue of a Iesus to saue vs from them that wee may cry with Saint Bernard O Iesu esto mihi Iesus For if any thing will cast vs down at the feete of God and open our hearts and mouthes to say Our father which art in heauen forgiue vs our trespasses this will doe it when we behold these remaines of euill disposition after our repentance But it is obserued that all this labour which we put vpon men for search of their conscience for confession and compunction for sinne and newnesse of life needeth not Seeing God seeth no sinnes in his elect and they are so reconciled to God that they cannot fall from grace For if they be the sheepe of Christ no man or deuill can take them out of his hand This is a flattering heresie which vnder a colour of establishing the decree of Gods election of grace doth destroy the truth of Gods word and nourisheth sinne The Apostle saith If we say we haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. If we confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse If we say we haue not sinned wee make him a lyar and his word is not in vs They obiect from the same Apostle he saith we know that he which is borne of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one toucheth him not Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his seed remaineth in him and hee cannot sinne because he is borne of God Is the Apostle contrary to himselfe Not so for he declareth what sinne it is of which hee speaketh that he which is borne of God cannot commit All vnrighteousnesse is sinne And there is a sinne not vnto death In which words he distinguisheth sinne from sinne for in the former verse he saith There is a sinne vnto death I say not that hee shall pray for it This distinction cleareth the point for sinne is of two sorts 1 Not vnto death 2 Vnto death When the Apostle saith We make God a lyar and deceiue our selues if we say we haue no sinne hee meaneth that of the sinnes of infirmity which are not vnto death because these the elect of God doe confesse to God penitently and he is faithfull and iust to forgiue them vpon their repentance And when he saith Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not neither can sinne hee meaneth that sinne that is vnto death The elect cannot sinne vnto death But when he saith He that committeth sinne is of the Deuill he meaneth such as sinne obstinately and with an high hand and a stiffe neck impenitently which is to death So then to the point of their tenet God doth not see sinne in his elect is a true position cum grano salis if we vnderstand it thus God seeth no sinne in them vnto death no such sinne as either they will conceale from him but they will by confession lay open before him no such sinne as he will punish with aeternall death but hee will forgiue it them But what is the way of their peace Euery man that hath this hope purifieth himselfe euen as he is pure The manner of our purifying our selues is also exprest I will take it as I finde it in the text Whosoeuer abideth in him sinneth not He that doth righteousnesse is righteous euen as hee is righteous Not in aequality as righteous as he but in imitation and by imputation of his righteousnesse This doing of righeeousnesse hee distributeth into the loue of God whom we haue not seene and the loue of our neighbour whom we haue seene This he calleth Keeping of the commandements and doing those things that are pleasing in his fight And this commandement is double 1 Of faith to beleeue on the name of his sonne Iesus Christ 2 Of loue one to another There is also before required on our part our confession on Gods part his absolution Gods absolution consisteth of two parts 1 His pardon of our sinnes that is his releasing vs from the punishment of them 2 His purging and clensing vs from the pollution of them As you haue heard if wee confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse He addeth hereunto prayer Whatsoeuer we aske we receiue of him So that to gather vp all into a short compendium thus it is with vs The elect of God are all sinners The way to helpe it is 1 Search and confession 2 Faith in the sonne of God 3 Obedience to the Law of God 4 Prayer to God for pardon of our sinnes And therefore when Christs holy disciples desired him to teach them to pray hee bade them say dimitte nobis debita nostra shewing that they were debtors and not able to pay the debt but needed to desire of God to pardon it And from hence the whole doctrine of repentance from dead works comes which needed not if the elect had no sinne But it is obiected 1 That Christ hath satisfied his father for the sinnes of all the elect for so saith Isaiah He was wounded for our transgression he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes are we healed And God laid on him the iniquity of vs all What need we then pray for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes which are already forgiuen 2 Remission of our sinnes is one the articles of our faith if we beleeue that our sinne are forgiuen already why doe we yet pray to haue them forgiuen To both we answere That Christ hath indeed answered for all the sinnes of his Church and the elect of God doe beleeue it But this satisfaction of Christ is performed to none but such as both search their heart for sinne and finde it and confesse it and come to him by prayer to aske it Come to me all yee that are weary and heauy laden and I will ease you This coming is by repentance of sinnes by saith of the remission of them and by prayer for the remission of them I confesse that there needeth no more deprecation of the wrath of God to establish the decree of
full euen in particular petitions 3 They plead that this is not to be vsed for a prayer because it is but the patterne by which prayers are to be made which we answere thus 1 It is vntrue that this is onely a patterne to make prayers by it is a prayer also 2 It is no good consequence because it is a patterne therefore it is not a prayer for it is plaine that it is both and it is a sinne against holy Scripture to abridge the full vse of it We alleadge for the vse of it 1 The plaine precept of our Sauiour Pray Our father c. not thus only but this and so long as wee doe what he commandeth we cannot doe amisse 2 The excellency of it from the author for it was dictated from Christ himselfe who best knoweth how to direct and is best acquainted with the stile of heauen 3 The excellency of it from the matter containing in it the summe of all things to bee desired of God by vs. 4 The excellency from the method of it containing the perfect order of those things which are to bee desired which first 5 The excellency of it for vse being a short and compendious composition easie to be remembred and repeated 6 The excellency of it for perspicuity and plainnesse being easie to such as desire to informe themselues what and how to pray 7 The excellency of it in the continuall practise of the Church euer since it was taught first by Christ in all the ages of the Church and the best examples of all times S. Cyprian speaketh to so good purpose for the vse of this prayer as I shall thinke his words worthy your hearing and consideration Quae potest esse magis spiritualis oratio quà m quae à Christo nobis data est à quo nobis spiritus sanctus missus est Quae vera magis apud Deum precatio quà m quae à filio qui est veritas de ejus ore prolata est Oremus itaque fratres dilectissimi sicut magister Deus docuit Amica familiaris rogatio est Deum de suo rogare ad aures ejus ascendere Christi orationem Agnoscat pater filij sui verba cum precem faciamus Qui habitat intùs in pectore ipse sit in voce cum ipsum habeamus advocatum apud patrem pro peccatis nostris quando pro delictis nostris peccatores nos petimus advocati nostri verba promamus Nam cum dicat quodcunque petieritis in nomine meo dabit vobis quantò efficaciùs impetramus quod in nomine ejus petimus si petamus ipsius oratione You see in this learned father and godly martyr that the vse of this prayer is both commanded earnestly and iustified by strong reasons effectually S. Aug. preaching vpon this prayer doth fall into admiration of it saying O verè coelestis oratio quae tota est oratio De tempore serm 126. Therefore Master Calvin learnedly and iudiciously falleth also into admiration of the louing kindnes and fauour of Christ to vs Dum unigenitus Dei filius nobis verba in os suggerit quae mentem nostram omni haesitatione expediant He also calleth it formam and regulam of praying for indeed it is both So I hope I haue satisfied you in the point of lawfulnesse to vse these very words in prayer 3 I must adde yet another rub in our way before I come to the words of the prayer The King complaineth in his exposition hereof that in the conference at Hampton Court wherein the chiefe agents on the behalfe of those who tooke exceptions to our Liturgy were heard and their grieuances there laid open this was one that the Lords prayer is so often repeated in our common seruice as it is indeed After the confession and absolution and againe in the Letany And amiddest the seruice after the lesson againe before the ten commandements bee read it is appointed to be repeated His Maiesty thinks they that dislike the often vse of it would haue as little of it as they could and peraduenture none of it if they durst appeare to their secret dislike Let me be accomptable to you why this prayer is so often vsed in our Church seruice Durandus saith well that it is Sal omnium diuinorum officiorum And so interspersed seasoneth euery part of our seruice 1 After confession of our sinnes to God and the absolution of the penitent pronounced to the comfort of all that haue repentingly confessed their sinnes This prayer hath good place for how shall we better begin our directions in Gods house of prayer then with the prayer that his Sonne the Master of this house hath taught vs. This is vsed at first for the sanctifying of vs to the holy seruice then begun for comming there to feed our soules with the bread of life it is grace before our spirituall meat 2 When we haue heard the word of God in the Psalmes and Lessons the Priest in the name of God blesseth the people and they him and they returne to their deuotions in prayer which we also resume beginning at that prayer which doth regulate all the rest it craueth a blessing vpon the word which wee haue heard and it putteth vs on with more earnestnesse and encrease of zeale to prostrate our wants before God And therein wee shew our obedience in praying the words of Christ and after our holy wisdome in our other praiers composing them according to the rule of that prayer 3 The Letany contaīneth a full exposition of the Lords prayer beeing the most diuine composition that euer the sanctified heart of man composed besides the holy canonicall Scripture fit for all times for all persons and therefore wee conclude that with the Lords prayer as the Well head from whence euery drop of it deriued it selfe It is also appointed to be repeated before the tenne Commandements as a preparatiue to the hearing of the law of God that we may seeke from God all necessarie graces both spirituall and temporall whereby we are inabled to the faithfull keeping of the law in affection and holy obedience True it is that if wee doe but onely say ouer the words of this praier and doe not zealously apply it to these occasions it is a vaine lip-labour and God is much dishonoured in it therefore doe but wisely consider the holy vse that may be made of it and Gods seruice shall be much aduanced in the reuerend vse of it Another reason for the frequent vse of this praier is in respect of the full contents of it for it is so large and extendeth it selfe to so many necessary graces desired as no mans memory can so soone present them to his affection to send vp our petitions to God for them all in the flames of zeale and deuotion all at once wee haue therefore no better way then to frame our requests according to euery petition and then to returne with the same words to God But what
if we repeate the same words to iterate the same petitions to God why is it more blameable in vs then in Christ himselfe who in the Garden is said to haue vsed three times seuerally the same words not the same petition onely Or then in Saint Paul who when Sathan buffeted him did three times pray the same prayer as hee confesseth Neither can I be perswaded that the contrite Publican in the Gospell did giue ouer with once saying Lord be mercifull vnto me a sinner no question he often pressed his humble suit The practise of the Church of Rome to say ouer so many Pater nosters like Parrets not vnderstanding what they say or thinking that God will take his seruice and our deuotions by number without weight is an abhominable abusing of the Maiestie of God and of the holy exercise of prayer it is also a foolish beguiling of themselues But the often repeating this prayer or any other made by the rule of this or any one petition of this is a good signe of that importunity which Christ commendeth in prayer and which we finde effectuall by the euents thereof in the parable of the Widow and vniust Iudge and of him that borrowed loaues of his neighbour It is a rule of charitie to make the best construction we can of any thing that is done or said by our neighbour and therefore in the directions of the holy Church of which we are members and parts and into which by our Baptisme we are admitted it is both piety and charity to make the best of all and not to abuse our wit to finde faults we are very happy in this that God hath by his owne Sonne taught vs both what good things to aske of God and in what fit words and I dare presse the frequent vse hereof vpon warrant of this plain and cleare text Quando oratis dicite quandocunque oratis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may beare a siquando Here is the wood for our sacrifice the very matter of prayer prouided to our hands and methodically put in order we haue rather the sacrifice it selfe prepared and nothing wanteth but fire from heauen to enflame it that is our holy zeale and that may be had for asking if by faith we demand it of God Plato finding that the people of his time were very ill instructed how to pray and did many times desire things to their owne hurt taught them this forme of prayer from an old Poet Iuppiter rex optima nobis vouentibus non vouentibus tribue mala autem poscentibus quoque abesse iube But we may say of Christ hee hath shewed thee O man what is good what thou maist boldly aske by faith he hath drawne thy petition himselfe and puts thee on vpon thy suit that thou shalt neither goe on thine owne head nor in thine owne name ne pecces lingua tua I will yet adde one note Christ saith when ye pray as putting it for granted that you thinke vpon it as a necessary duty that you resolue vpon it as a fit seruice of God to pray So when you Fast saith hee doe thus as supposing that you will finde times for these things if you make no conscience of prayer this direction is of no vse to you To pray you haue heard is an holy serious act of religion and a principall part of Gods worship when you really doe that say thus if it be but saying of prayers as good let it alone It is to no purpose to teach men how to pray that haue no meaning or purpose to pray neither is it to any purpose to teach them the way to heauen that set their faces not to Ierusalem but to Babylon It is a great fault in them that doe not pray and yet say Our father as all they doe whose tongues repeat the words and yet neither their vnderstandings are instructed either in the matter or order of the petitions nor their affections once moued at any thing they say This is a direction for none but such as desire to learne it for none but such as desire to make vse of it that is for such as would poure sorth their hearts and open their desires to God When you meane to doe so you may either vse these very words or you may frame your petitions in this order or if you haue any one of these petitions alone to sollicite God in this may be your rule and direction I must therefore call vpon you to pray and in your prayer to follow this holy direction and to make you more able for it I haue vndertaken to interpret this holy prayer to you wherein you shall see what you may aske and you must keepe you so precisely to this rule as not to dare to aske any thing else for Christ would not say when you pray say Our father but that he meaneth to giue you a full instruction and to set you in a good and perfect way of prayer Whatsoeuer you aske more then this or beside this is sinne and prouoketh God against you Our Father which art in heauen I come now to the prayer it selfe and herein I will not forsake a path so well beaten before me by so many great and learned iudgements both ancient and of yesterday who diuide this whole prayer into three parts 1 An inuocation in the first words 2 Petitions in the body of it 3 A conclusion giuing reason of both 1 Of the Inuocation This hath three words in it which containe the three parts of the inuocation 1 Father shewing who it is to whom our praiers are directed 2 Our expressing the interest that wee haue in him 3 In heauen pointing to the place from whence we looke for helpe and where this our heauenly father is 1 Father herein consider 1 Who is meant in that title 2 Why he is inuocated vnder that title 1 Who is meant No doubt is made that this praier is addressed to God and it is cleare that in this we are by Christ onely directed to God for when they sayd doce nos orare they desired the full instruction in all things concerning praier and when Christ answered them pray our Father he gaue them a full direction in which it is necessary mainely that they be taught to whom they must pray and if Christ doe onely direct them to God wee may conclude that none but God may be called vpon in our praier Our reasons for this onely inuocation of the name of God are 1 From this direction for if any else be to be inuocated Christ himselfe hath not giuen a full instruction who directeth vs onely to our Father in heauen But it is sinnefull to charge the wisedome of God with defect in his directions for if we aske wisedome of God hee giueth it abundantly as S. Iames saith this had beene short of giuing wisedome abundantly for he hath not giuen
it sufficiently if more be added to his instructions 2 Wee must in praier begge nothing but good and perfect gifts which I thinke none will deny And it is folly to begge those of any one or more who are not able to giue them therefore S. Iames doth direct vs to God because Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the father of lights in spinis non quaeris vnas 3 Praier is a principall part of Gods worship and therefore onely proper to God according to his law Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue 4 Inuocation and faith are ioyned together we may not pray but to him in whom we must beleeue so the Apostle How shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued Where the Apostles argument is plainely vrged that people did not beleeue in God therefore they did not pray Which consequence sheweth that where there is no beleeuing there is no praier for faith must goe before praier so Saint Iames let him aske in faith And I hope no good Christian will hold it lawfull to beleeue in any but God therefore Our father which art in heauen which begins our praier answereth to I beleeue in God the Father Almighty which beginnes our Creed Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire besides thee God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer 5 Praier is not lawfully directed to any but to him who knoweth what we stand in need of And this none but Almighty God knoweth therefore he onely is to be called vpon I take this argument from our Sauiour your heauenly father knoweth what things yee haue need of before yee aske him Therefore babble not in long praiers hee onely knoweth whether our praiers be for such things as wee haue need of for no other things may be desired of him in our praier but what we need this none of our fellow creatures can perfectly know yea our selues want many things and are not alwayes sensible of our wants and sometimes we doe falsely flatter our selues that wee haue those things which we want as the Church of Laodicea thought her selfe rich and happy being poore and miserable 6 It is fit that we direct our prayers to such a one who is able to releeue vs against all opposition this no creature can doe for Sathan and all the euill angels which continually pursue vs to annoy vs and to hinder our good will certainly preuaile against vs if wee haue no strength but our owne and the assistance of our fellow-creatures to aide vs. But our God is the rock and fortresse of his Church which is impregnable he opens his hand and all the kingdome of Sathan cannot shut it hee stretcheth out his hand and the powers of darknesse can neither shrinke vp nor shorten it for who hath resisted his right hand None can hinder the dispensation of his bounties none can stoppe the decourse of them to vs none but himselfe can take them from vs. 7 Prayers must be directed to him only who alone heareth the prayers of all them that pray all the world ouer It were a lamentable state of man if his danger be at hand and his remedy farre off if hee feele his misery and his mercy be to seeke no Dauid saith O thou that hearest prayers vnto thee shall all flesh come To what creature can we ascribe this vbiquity this omniscience this omnipotence that we should pray to him and all things but God are creatures therefore none but God to be prayed to I will vrge the argument of Moses the man of God concerning all other inuocations of any but this liuing God Aske now of the dayes that are past which were before thee since the day that God created man vpon the earth and aske from the one side of heauen to the other Search the liuing booke of Gods truth the canon of faith and manners from the first in principio to the last amen and see if there be either precept or example of any other inuocation then that which Christ here teacheth of God only Examples and instructions are frequent for this inuocation none against it therefore no other inuocation but this pleadable I deny not but the Church of Rome hath both doctrine and practise against this truth of the word of God and it is no newes for their kingdome is of this world and it were much out of their way that all the world should beleeue that the way to God is open in the only mediation of Christ Iesus for all that wee would haue either giuen or forgiuen vs therefore they maintaine prayer to Angels and to Saints Which they haue long laboured to defend but their pretended proofes haue beene euer so learnedly and fully reproued by the patrons of the truth that any indifferent minded man might see the light euen through the mists which they cast vpon it and poore shifts haue they made to put off the shame of their foyle I will giue you instance In the controuersie betweene Bishop Iewell and Harding The Bishop doth presse him with this their blasphemous prayer to the Virgin Mary Salva omnes quae te glorificant Hard. Our meaning is pray for vs to God that we may be saued Were not words taught vs to expresse our meaning doe these words import any such thing as their glosse putteth vpon them But because wee liue now in the times wherein the Papists make more bold then euer they durst these 60. yeares and more and because his Maiestie hath left their doctrines open to our confutation though for some reason of State their persons are priuiledged from the iustice of the lawes of the state Seeing praier is a chiefe part of our holy seruice of God and it belongeth to vs to teach the doctrine of praier it is fit that we be setled in iudgement in this first point to whom we must pray Wherein because there is a difference betweene the Papists and vs let vs set that to rights first In a late pocket Pamphlet which smels yet of the Presse dispersed to corrupt the religion of such as are either vngrounded or giddie it is vndertaken to bee proued out of the Kings Bible in English 1 That Angels may be praied to 2 That Saints may be inuocated 1 For inuocation of Angels 1 It is alleadged that Iacob blessing the sonnes of Ioseph vsed these words The Angell which redeemed mee from all euill blesse the lads What is this but a calling vpon the Angell and as much is it a praier as the former wherein hee inuocateth the name of God who fed him all his life long The state of this question lyeth in the search and finding out what Angell Iacob meaneth in that benediction His words are plaine the Angell that redeemed him from all euill and will it not fall out to be the
did first by his apostolique authority bring the Gospell into this kingdome And inferreth that he being his successor and equall in name and dignity though inferiour to him in sanctity and vertue should follow his footsteps in restoring the gospell to this land againe But the assertion of Gregories first plantation of the Gospell in England is most false for Parsons in his Booke of the three conuersions of England to the Gospell doth make that of Gregory the third and not the first conuersion But were it true the argument followeth not that hee who now carrieth his name but is inferiour to him in holinesse and vertue should haue the same power or hope to worke the same effect that hee did for the instruments of God in the conuersion of soules doe not worke by name and dignity but by sanctitie and vertue And euen herein this Gregory that then vsurped the Church Monarchie is inferiour to Gregory the great in holinesse and vertue because Gregory the great did not onely abstaine from the name of vniuersall Bishop and the common Father of the Church but he wrote most inuectiuely against it For he wrote an angry reprehension to Eulogius Patriarch of Alexandria for stiling himselfe vniuersall Biship And when Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople vsurped that vndue title he wrote to him to rebuke it hee called it nefandum stultum superbum vocabulum he saith that the Councell of Chalcedon offered his predecessours at Rome that title sed tameÌ„ nullus sibi hoc temerariuÌ„ nomen arripuit But now Bellarmine hath charged the late Kings Maiestie with denyall of the faith because he supposeth that in the oath of alleageance he denyeth the Pope the title of supreame Father of the Church I had not diuerted thus farre to the Popes vsurpation of this honour of Our Father but that the times grow sicke of a surfer of light and truth and beginne to incline and propend to apostacie that the God of mercies grows impatient thereof and by admirable iudgeiudgement declareth his indignation against it Therefore restoring this title of Our Father to God to whom onely it belongs and taking it away from the Pope who blasphemously vsurpeth it we say Our is vox charitatis and calleth all the faithfull sonnes of God brethren all the world ouer Christ Iesus our elder brother being the author maintainer of this brotherhood It is the said Kings Maiesties learned obseruation vpon this word that it sheweth the communion which is among the Saints and that euery one is a member of a body of a Church that is compacted of many members contrary to those vpstart Amsterdam sects where two or three make a Church Who as S. Cyprian saith doe sibi extra Ecclesiam contra Ecclesiam constituere sibi conuenticula perditae factionis And yet nothing is more vsuall with them then to giue the name of the Brethren to their irregular societies and schismaticall complices But this common interest of the faithfull in God vniteth them in one holy society and they that diuide this into factions are schismatiques they that breake forth into new opinions against the truth of God are heretiques onely they are brethren truely who encrease the truth of God in vnity and these doe pray to God omnes pro omnibus singulis singuli pro omnibus singulis 4 There is no pride in them they are not ashamed to call one another brethren King Dauid cals his subiects Brethren and Companions for my Brethren and Companions sake c. One is your Master euen Christ and all ye are Brethren one is your Father which is in heauen This Father is no accepter of persons he is as much father to the poore as to the rich and though here on earth the difference of ranke and degree doth much aduance some and deiect others in this court of supreme audience Princes haue no more right to the fatherhood of God then their meanest vassals their wants are no sooner seene their miseries no sooner pitied and releiued their petitions no sooner receiued and answered then of those that lye in the dust and they that wander vp and downe in Sheepe skins and Goat skins derided despised persecuted are as gratiously inuited and with as much welcome receiued with our Father as those that haue their pathes annointed with butter and whose portion is the fattest It is a certaine rule that the proud man who despiseth his brethren cannot pray hee that will not owne his brethren our Father will not owne him The common duty of Christians is as the Apostle admonisheth in giuing honours goe one before another This very compellation calling God Our Father doth honour all the faithfull seruants of God with the honour that is due to them according to the precept of the Apostle Honour all men And we not knowing who belong to the kingdome of God and not daring to iudge are therefore to esteeme all men our brethren and to honour them with the name of brethren I beseech you let prayers and supplications be made for all men for seeing Christ hath prayed not onely for his twelue but for all those that shall beleeue through their word we doe charitably conceiue that all men are either in present profession or in Gods gratious expectation our brethren Let vs not boast our selues either against them who are not yet come into the Church or against them that are gone out for such pride God resisteth and let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Let nothing be done in strife vain glory but in lowlinesse of minde let each esteeme others better then himself Looke not euery man on his owne things but euery man also on the things of others This is called the same mind that was in Iesus Christ and they that pray to God in Christs words and not with his minde loose labour They be flatterers that ouerdoe in giuing honour belying men to their faces with false and vndue ascriptions They be slanderers that put vniust aspertions vpon their brethren they be proud or worse that ouerlooke them as vnworthy of their regard humility findeth an equality in the hoâ—shold of God and they say with the sonnes of Iacob we are brethren the sonnes of one God our Father which is in heauen we are all one mans sonnes in the land of Canaan There is no malice in them that say aright Our Father they pray one for another and wish the welfare of one another They remember that they were all at first in the loynes of the first Adam and that now they are in the loue and fauour of the second Adam and this reuiueth that principle of nature facâ—â—lijs fieri quod cupis ipse tibi It is not lawfull for vs to begge any thing of God for others that we would not wish to our selues Why should we striue saith Abraham to Lot seeing we are brethren and therefore he that biddeth vs to
pray continually biddeth if it be possible as much as in you is haue peace with all men for the God of peace must be sought in peace and it is a note of the vngodly The way of peace they haue not knowne Therefore before thou fall downe before the face of God in prayer empty all malice out of thy heart and remember that thy father is thy brothers father and the communion of charity doth giue him a share in all thy holy prayers and deuotions But this neglected will fall so heauy vpon vs before we haue done this prayer that God shall condemne vs from our owne mouthes when we desire to be forgiuen as we doe forgiue Here arise certaine quaeres 1 Is it not lawfull to pray saying My father giue mee No doubt it is and without preiudice of christian charity for we haue the warrant both of reason precept and example for it 1 Of reason the common right of all doth not impeach the particular right of each in this Father this name is borrowed from nature whereby euery childe is warranted to call My father without inuasion of the right of his brethren to that title 2 Of precept God himselfe saith But I said how shall I put thee among the children and I said thou shalt call me my Father 3 By example Christ O my Father if it be possible transeat calix iste Thomas My Lord my God Indeed we haue each of vs our particular occasions to repaire to God and desire his helpe in which cases we may either plead the common interest that we haue in God as members of his Church vnder the name of our Father as here or we may by faithfull zeale inuocate him in our owne right to him by Iesus Christ saying My father so the Sonne of God is my Redeemer and Mediatour the holy ghost my sanctifier and preseruer 2 Seeing our Father is a name of such charity as doth combine vs in loue and well-wishing may it be lawfull to vse imprecations to pray against any The content of this word our doth include all men for all men are by creation and by conseruation and protection the Sonnes of God and God onely knowes of these who are his we know that there is no vniuersall grace Christ hath said many called few chosen so that mankinde is diuided into two portions Gods friends Gods enemies But they be all our fellow creatures and the law of charity doth binde vs to the loue of their persons so farre forth praying for them as may stand with the maintenance of Gods glory Indefinitely we may pray against all the deuices of the wicked that God would make them frustrate as he did the counsell of Achitophel so Dauid Lord I pray thee turne the counsell of Achitophel into foolishnesse We heare that Antichrist is Gods profest enemie we may pray for his confusion for wee may hate where God hateth Whence the enemies of our Church wish the light of the Gospell quenched and the superstition of the Church of Rome and her abhominable idolatry reuiued amongst vs we may lawfully pray to God against their machinations that hee would confound their counsels We haue seene what they would haue done in their Powder Treason we may see how they fell into the pit that they digged we may say with Deborah and Barack So let all thine enemies perish O Lord. Finally whosoeuer are not the sonnes of God either in present admission or in his holy election wee may pray against them that God would glorifie himselfe in their confusion and vtter destruction Generally against all impenitent sinners whom God hath giuen ouer to a reprobate sense we pray to be preserued from their society and from all infection by them and against their prosperity as hurtfull to the Church of God 3 Seeing the law of charity doth thus binde vs all one to another In christian loue that wee must pray for all men in our owne particular quarrels one with another is it lawfull to pray against our enemies Our answere is that Christ hath made it a law to his Church in the exposition of the second great Commandement concerning the loue of our neighbour But I say vnto you loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them which despightfully vse you and persecute you that you may be children of your Father that is in heauen whereby he putteth all them out of the number of the children of God that doe not pray for their enemies and if no children we cannot say our Father Therefore our Church in the holy Letanie thereof prayeth charitably and according to this holy rule That it may please thee to forgiue our enemies persecutors and slanderers and to turne their hearts And by this charitable Shiboleth we are distinguished from the heathen and Publicans from the pharisaicall interpreters of that law who haue said Thou shalt loue thy neighbour and hate thine enemie They that seeke and loue the peace of God doe desire the sauing of the enemy the destruction of the enmity Our enemie is one of the medicines of our life hee serueth vs to good vse to exercise our patience and our charity and wisedome to keepe vs in awe that wee giue no aduantage against our selues if naturally we loue not physicke yet for healths sake we out of iudgement doe approue it and take it patiently 4 Whether we may reioyce at the destruction of our owne enemies or the enemies of our religion and state 1 The very title of our father which doth vnite vs in one bond of common brotherhood doth so enioyne vs to wish the common good of all Adams children that the ruine of any part of this building ought to bee a griefe to all the rest so that nature biddeth vs not to reioyce in the destruction of any man quia homo hee is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone and can the members suffer and the whole body not ake for it 2 There is some remaine of the image of God in all the enemies of God which is louely and ought to bee deare to vs the defacing whereof is such a griefe that though Samuel knew that God had wisely and iustly reiected Saul yet he could not chuse but mourne for him and when Dauid saw that Saul was dead hee bewailed his death bitterly though he got a kingdome by it and when he heard that his traitour sonne and subiect Absolon was dead he deplored his death with great passion and much tendernesse 3 The precept of Christ Be ye mercifull as your heauenly father and his critis filij patris vestri by shewing loue to enemies doth also teach vs to take the fall euen of Gods enemies to heart But it is obiected against this that Salomon saith when the wicked perish there is shouting he giueth a good reason for it for when they perish the righteous increase
seeth not and he walketh in the Circuite of heauen These are grosse and carnall opinions of God that his high habitation in heauen doth make him a stranger to vs and our wayes or maketh our prayers imperssions to him Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God farre of This title of Gods being in the heauens doth not clip the winges of his presence spread and dilated ouer all the world Whither shall I goe from thy spirit or whither shall I fly from thy presence If I ascend vp into heauen thou art there If I make my bed in hell thou art there c. We must therefore search the reasons why God whose presence filleth all places is here called vpon as dwelling in the heauens He is said to be in the heauens in respect of his Maiestie and glory for as the throne of an earthly Prince is his highest place of greatnesse and glory so we can best conceiue God in his glory when wee cast our selues downe before him sitting vpon his throne so Christ saith Heauen is Gods throne and the earth is his footstoole So Dauid The Lords throne is in Heauen his eyes will consider his eye-liddes will try the children of men This teacheth vs to come before God in our praiers with all humble reuerence feare as before a Prince of highest glory sitting in the thron where he iudgeth right They forget this who come before him and present him with their rude and vndigested extemporall euaporations of their desires daring to petition the highest Maiestie with their vnstudied vnpremeditated supplications Salomon presseth this consideration thus Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hastie to vtter any thing before God for God is in heauen and thou vpon earth therefore let thy words be few If the Maiestie of earthly Princes do make thee study thy petitions and take counsaile what thou shalt desire and in what wordes and that thou weighest euery word in it that thou maiest giue no offence doe not make too bold with God who though he be thy father yet is he an heauenly glorious God whose seat is aboue all The sweet and gracious name of a father may peraduenture make vs too bold and therefore this addition of Maiestie is put to it to temper and moderate our presumption and to awe vs. 2. This mention of heauen in Gods title is a remonstrance of Gods omni-videncie for hee is aboue as in speculo in a watch tower from whence hee discerneth all that is done all the world ouer So Dauid Out of heauen did the Lord behold the earth his eye is ouer all the world Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened vnto the eyes of him with whom we haue to doe The Lord is in his holy temple He seeth all mens hearts and discerneth from what affectiōs their praiers are breathed forth into his hearing He seeth who come to him who neglect him he discerneth what it is that bringes to him whether our necessities and wants only or our loue to him he discerneth what vse we intend to make of his gifts if we preuaile with him how we will take it if we speed not in our suites for he knoweth all our thoughts long before So that we are hereby stirred vp to a further conscience of reuerence holy deuotion in our praiers for that we appeare in his presence whose searching doth so narrowly suruey vs from the height of his Sanctuary 3. This mention of the heauens in his title doth expresse the high power of God for what doth more expresse him to vs in fulnesse of omnipotency then this high throne of his greatnesse established in heauen The Heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy-worke This addes yet more to our feare for that power is not to be dallied with The Lord killeth and maketh aliue hee bringeth downe to the graue and bringeth vp By strength no man shall preuaile Here is no contesting with this power and no resisting his right hand our father which art in the heauens Take heed that the presumption on the name of Father doe not dash thee against the rocke of his power for There is no rocke like our God Dauid hath secretly directed vs herein But there is forgiuenesse with thee that thou maist be feared This is the best composition of the heart that prayeth to God to loue and hope and beleeue and approach and sue and all with feare for feare will keepe vs within boundes that we offend not Now that we haue both these considerations in sight together in this compellation of our father in heauen we haue also matter of faith as well as feare There be two doubtes which may be cast in prayer which are both remoued in this title and our faith established against them 1. That of the Leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane He confest him a Lord he belieued of his power but his doubt was of his will But seeing he is our father there can be no cause of that doubt 2. That of Israel Can God furnish a table in the wildernesse here is doubt of the power of God and this is cleared when we confesse that our father is in heauen For his being in heauen which we here confesse is not a bare habitation there for so the Angels of God are in heauen but it acknowledgeth his Creation of the heauens his possession of them his dominion ouer them the heauens are his imperiall chamber wherein he sitteth as supreme Monarch in most absolute and independent omnipotenc y As Dauid He hath done whatsoeuer he would in heauen and in earth and in all deepe places There be two great hinderances to the preuailance of our praiers 1. Nimia trepidatio when we are too much cast down with the terrour of Diuine Maiestie that is healed in Our father 2. Nimia oscitatio when we beare our selues too bouldly vpon the confidence of his fauour and that is quash tif we consider him in the heauens the place of his high glorie 4 This mention of heauens doth call vs to the consideration of the holinesse of God for that is called the Lords Sanctuarie the Sanctum sanctorum and into that shall enter nothing that is vncleane Therefore in the law so many washings and clensings were in vse so many preparations for any speciall resort to God the people called vpon to sanctifie themselues for God that openeth his hand and filleth our empty vessels as the pottes at the marriage in Cana to the brimme will not powre his pure graces into vncleane vessels And hee that is pure and holy will not receiue the praiers that come from an vncleane and pudled spring of flesh and bloud hee that poureth on the house of Dauid and the inhabitants of
His name is in the house of his worship our meetings are in his name the prayers of the Church addressed to his name the word which wee heare is reuelatio nominis ejus the Sacraments we receiue is recordatio nominis ejus the Psalmes we sing to his name 2 In respect of our owne good for our helpe standeth in the name of God his name is a strong fortresse to them that trust in him and so long as we haue that name to friend we haue a strong cittie of refuge to fly to in all our vexations an hiding place in a storme therefore the foundation of our safety and the beginning our felicitie driueth it selfe from the name of the God of our health and saluation We must therefore seeke the sanctification thereof first 3 In respect of all the following petitions for except the name of God haue the due honour there can be no hope either of his kingdome that that may come or of his will that it may be performed of vs c. This is Caput votorum and whatsouer we begge of God in all our other petitions if it all aime not at the hallowing of the name our prayers bee turned into sinne It is enough in the second table of the Law to loue our neighbours as our selues but this is angusta dilectio and will not straine to the extent of the first Commandement for we must loue God more then our selues wee must lay down all naturall morall humane respectes and stoope them to this first care of the sanctification of Gods name Rather then that should suffer Moses cryes dele me delibro quem scripsisti So Saint Paul I could wish my selfe accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh Both of these holy men saw how much the name of God suffered in the Apstoasie of their brethren from God and for the repaire of Gods glory in them and the hallowing of Gods they could haue beene content to haue parted with their glory and saluation in pietie to God in charity to their brethren And surely if the name of God might be glorified in our perdition wee should rather desire the glory of that name then the eternall saluation of our soules for better all the world the whole creature perished then that the glorious name of God should be vnhallowed And this desire in vs cannot hinder our saluation rather it aduanceth it for it is impossible that the soule which hath those holy desires should perish 6. What duties depend vpon this petition 2 We are admonished hereby to seeke the true knowledge of God for wee cannot honour him before we know him and the more we know him the more will his holy name be deare to vs. As Dauid saith They that know thy name will put their trust in thee We are borne with a small glimpse of this knowledge naturally which we haue from the light of the law of God written in our hearts but these be so obscure notions that if we haue not farther helpe to put God more in our sight we may faile of that life eternall which is in the knowledge of him For though the light of nature doth reueale to vs one one God yet it is not cleare enough to shew vs that God in three distinct persons it serueth not to reueale to vs the Mediatour betweene God and man Iesus Christ Therfore to accomplish our knowledge of this God whose name must be hallowed by vs wee must vse the meanes appointed by God which are of two sorts 1. Outward 2. Inward 1 For the outward meanes God hath opened to vs two bookes 1. The booke of his creatures 2 The written booke of his VVord And they that studie both these shal see the name of God so texted in them that he that runneth may read For the booke of Gods creatures that we are stirred vp to study in the Psalme for the Sabbath there is no such delight as that studie for Dauid saith For thou Lord hast made me glad through thy worke I will triumph in the operation of thy hands O Lord how great are thy workes c. These workes of God declare his name to vs when Dauid entred into cōsideration of them he saith O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth who hast set thy glory aboue the heauens When I consider the heauens the worke of thy fingers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast ordained Then he descendeth to the Creation of man and the dominion that God gaue him ouer his other workes And applieth it all to the glory of the Creatour so that the consideration of the Creature doth reueale to vs the glory of the Creatour 2 They declare the wisedome of their maker O Lord how manifold are thy workes in wisedome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches So is this great and wide Sea He hath declared his greatnes in the cōpleate perfection of his worke for so Moses saith Because I will publish the name of the Lord ascribe ye greatnesse vnto our God Hee is the rocke his worke is perfect Dauid is full in this point concerning the declaration of Gods name in his Creatures for when hee had brought in his prouisions for the building of the Temple which was to be performed by Salomon his sonne he deuoted them to that vse in the presence of all the people and there he blessed the Lord before all the congregation saying Blessed be thou Lord God of Israel our father for euer and euer Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and glory and the victory and the Maiestie for all that is in the heauen and earth is thine thine is the kingdome O Lord and thou art exalted as head aboue all Now therefore O God we thanke thee and praise thy glorious name Here is the very close and conclusion of the Lords prayer Quia tuum est regnum potentia gloria 5 When we consider where God hath bestowed all this riches of his fauour holy loue euen vpō man this addeth to the honour of his name for what is man that thou art so mindful of him the Prophets word is Patheticall and maketh the fauour more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that signifieth what is sorrowfull and miserable man The same word he vseth in another place Put them in feare O Lord that the nations may know themselues to be but Aenosh that is sorry men incurably sicke It is a sweete entertainment of our lonely priuatnesse when either we sit at home or ly in our beds or walke abroad it will keepe vs from many loose and euill thoughts and it will honour the name of God to thinke on his workes and to meditate on these thinges We may thanke God for it that let the Church of Rome doe her worst she cannot shut vp nor forbid the reading of this Bible
from his way and liue Turne ye Turne ye from your euill wayes for why will yee die O house of Israel So our Sauiour It is not the will of your Father that is in heauen that one of these little ones should perish To declare this to be his will he rose early to send his Prophets to his people to conuert them to him And our Sauiour in the Gospell doth resemble himself to that good shepherd that went into the wildernesse to seeke a straied sheep to bring it backe to the flocke to the woman that lighted a Candle and swept her house and sought diligently till she found her lost groat Both of them made merry when they found what they had lost Such ioy God hath in the conuersion of a sinner When a profane person becommeth holy when a couetous person turneth liberall when a drunkard becometh sober and a glutton temperate when a swearer feareth an oath a lier loueth the truth when a breaker of the Sabbath is glad when it is sayd to him Come let vs goe vp to the house of the Lord and answereth them My feete shall stand in thy gates O Ierusalem When an oppressor turnes mercifull and a proud man humble and a contentious man quiet and peaceable this is as God would haue it and this is ioy to the Almighty and the Angels of heauen reioyce in it for this is the will of God But in the contrarie our sinnes doe grieue the holy one of Israel grieue not the spirit of God our sinnes do ouercharge him hee complaineth that he is like a Cart ouerladen with sheaues Our sinnes put him into a storme of indignation therfore our conuersion is his will 2 Seeing out conuersion beginneth at the abnegation of our selues that also is the will of God he that will be my Disciple saith our Sauiour must forsake all and follow me Sua suos se as Saint Bernard and none is acceptable according to his wil but he that is a new Creature This maketh a perfect conuersion and this incorporateth vs in the body of the Church for God doth not will our forsaking of our selues and renouncing of the world for our hurt and losse but for our greater good that he himselfe may be our rocke and fortresse our refuge and exceeding great reward 3 The will of God is our obedience to his holy lawes which he hath giuen vs as his couenant that in keeping of them it might goe well with vs. His owne mouth hath reuealed his will in this point O that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me and keepe my Commandements alwayes that it might be well with them and with their children for euer Wherein God is not a seuere exactor of more duetie then we are able to performe but requireth our best endeuour to doe his will and taketh that for pay Neither doth he will this to make profit to himselfe of our obedience but for vs that it may be well with vs and our children for euer 4 The will of God is our holinesse in this obedience that we purge our Conscience from dead workes that we may serue the liuing God That we possesse our vessels that is our bodies in holinesse for they be Vasa animarum a treasure in earthen vessels of great price immortall soules in mortall bodies For this is the will of God euen your sanctification hee giueth the reason of it For God hath not called vs to vncleanesse but to holi 〈…〉 And this was figured in the washings and purifications of the old law and directly commanded by God saying Be ye holy as I am holy But ye are a royall Priesthood Gens sancta 2 The will of God concerning faith is that we beleeue in him and trust him they that know thy name will trust in thee that we cast all our care vpon him that we belieue in him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ and this also for our eternall good For so saith our Sauiour And this is the will of him that sent me that euery one which seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him may haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day This is the law of faith and it is the law of life For it is written The iust man shall liue by faith How needfull this petition is that the will of God may be wrought in vs this way by faith we may soone see 1 If we consider our naturall infidelity for the natural man is so far from beleeuing that he hath not the vnderstanding to discerne those things which belong to the spirit of God neither can hee saith the Apostle for they are spiritually discerned And without faith it is impossible to please God This infidelitie must be purged before the will of God can be done by vs and till this be purged the very preaching of the word the meanes ordained by God to beget faith in vs seemeth foolishnesse For it is as much labour lost to preach spiritual things to a man that hath no faith as to vrge naturall reasons to a man that hath no wit for neither of these vessels be open to receiue any of this pretious liquor stopt with ignorance and vnbeleefe 2 We haue reason to aske this of God because faith is his gift and though he suffereth vs to acquire it by little and little by the hearing of the Word yet the word of God is not any better then litera mortua in it selfe except the holy Ghost do worke by it to beget first then to nourish and encrease our faith 3 Because as Saint Cyprian obserueth well Nobis à diabolo obsistitur quo minus per omnia noster animus atque actus deo obsequatur and therefore he addeth Vt fiat voluntas dei à nobis opus est voluntate dei i. e. ope et protectione quia nemo suis viribus fortis est This is a potent aduersarie hath both his temptations to allure vs and his prouocation to vexe vs wee had need craue ayd against him and God hath laid help vpon one that is mightie to giue vs helpe we had need pray for faith to fasten our hold vpon that helpe If either by fight or flight we can put him off and lay hold vpon the hornes of this altar sub hac indulgentia et misericordia saith Cyprian tuti sumus This enemie hath a great aduantage of vs because of the treason of our owne wils for nothing is more prone and propense to euill then the will of man and there is nothing in man that man loues more then to haue his will euen the regenerate man findeth his will wilfull often and vnruly still We had neede to pray for the will of God to put in to correct and direct our wills 3 The manner how we desire this will of God to be done As in heauen so in earth The 3 first petitions that are addressed mainely to the honour of God end at these
words and therefore some haue conceiued that these words haue their seuerall reference to each of the three petitions and are not a proper appendix to this alone but to the rest Hallowed be thy name in earth as it is in heauen so in the two following I approue the necessary implication of it in them all but I take it where I find it and it is a full Sicut a compleat example For in heauen are the Angels of God and Dauid saith of them faciunt voluntatem ejus there are the soules of iust men made perfect and now euer since his ascensiō there sitteth at the right hand of God he that taught vs to pray this prayer Who came into the world of purpose to do the wil of his father that sent him he continueth the office yet in heauen A mediator making intercession to the Father for his Church a mighty protector sending his Angels as ministering spirits for the good of them whom he hath called of purpose So that the example is full Iesus Christ the Angels in what difference so euer of ranke or degree the soules of the iust who are also tanquam angeli dei all these obey and fulfill the will of God in perfect obedience to the vttermost of what is exacted of them We pray fiat sicut That is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grudgingly but as Saint Paul saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to the Lord who knowes when he hath seruice that is due to him 1 They do the will of God willingly that is their meat and drinke as Christ said of himselfe here they haue no body of sinne to resist them they haue no flesh to oppresse and burthen them no temptation can fasten vpon them they alwaies behold the face of God attending vpon him to be commanded by him 2 They are exprest to vs as hauing winges wherein the holy Ghost doth declare to our apprehension the quicke readinesse of their expedition in the seruice of God So let Gods will bee done on earth speedily So Dauid I made hast and delaied not to keepe thy Commandements 3 They doe the will of God first for indeed they haue nothing else to doe here on earth wee haue many occasions for the necessities of the body to entertaine time and endeauour and God is so tender of our necessities as to dispense with his law in compassionate support of them But the Angels and heauenly spirits haue no other busines in heauen but to attend the will of God and to doe it at first their nature is so perfectly diuine that they are onely gouerned by the will of God there is nothing concerning themselues to be desired but the aduancement of Gods kingdome ouer all 4 They doe the whole will of God in full obedience For Dauid saith They doe Gods Commandements by obeying the voyce of his Word That is the right way of obedience to be directed by the voyce of the Word of God and to doe so as hee commandeth all that he biddeth Here note that this Sicut doth not imply aequalitatem that we should performe it in the same fulnesse of perfect complete obedience as they do which is impossible for them that dwell in houses of clay and who carrie about them Corpus peccati but qualitatem similitudinem so farre as in holy imitation wee can follow them as Iulus followed Aeneas Sequiturque patrem non passibus aequis This is the heroicall spirit of the elect of God they are therby carried towards perfection what they faile either in act of obedience or in endeuour of seruice that they supply with feruencie of holy desire God heareth the desires of the poore This is further holpen by our griefe of heart and holy sorrow for our weakenesse and holy indignation against our iniquities that hinder this obedience and holy carefulnesse to amend it and holy prayers to God to assist our endeuour herein It is obserued of Lot when hee laboured the conuersion of the Sodomites that his righteous soule was vexed from day to day with their vnlawfull deedes This also pleaseth God that our hatred of sinne in our selues and others do declare that wee seeke for the fulnesse of obedience that the will of God may be fulfilled according to the great example of heauenly seruice 4 What dueties are taught here 1 We must labour for the knowledge of the will of God so saith the Apostle That yee may prooue what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God That is first concerning the secret will of God wee must know that it is absolute not to be changed by God not to be resisted by man but implicitly to be yeelded vnto although we know it not we beleeue it doth decree all things out of wisedome and Counsaile with iustice and goodnesse and all for the best and when God shall by euents declare it to vs wee must know that God is to be praised and thanked for it How therefore we must remember in our deuotions to referre our petitions to this absolute will of God so that our petitions must be with reseruation of that will saluo semper decreto diuino For so Christ prayed his father to take the cup of his passion from him he hath warrant from the following petition to pray against all euill and against Sathan the suggester of it Libera nos a male But because it pleaseth God for some iust motiues in himselfe to determine the exercise of the patience of his Church in afflictions or for some other reason alwayes iust though often secret to let that euill come vpon vs against which we pray therfore our will in this stoopeth to the absolute will of God with that exception of our Sauiour Father if thou be willing remoue this cup from me neuerthelesse not mine but thy will be done Seeing this secret and absolute will of God is within himselfe the Saints of God by a generall warrant for prayer for all things needfull doe goe to God often for such things as in that free and absolute will he hath decreed not to grant and this may be done without sinne in the faithfull and without preuarication of this vnreuealed will of God So we pray for the peace of Ierusalem that is the Church of God when yet God may finde it fit in his wisedome to send the sword amongst them as we see in the Churches of Bohemia both the Palatinates and the French Protestants God hath declared his will to vs in that which they haue suffered and in that which as yet they endure vnder the Popish tyranny of those Iesuited Princes by whom the religion and truth of God is opprest Yet we pray still for their deliuerance from the hand of their enemies but neither disliking the effects nor doubting the wisedome nor quarrelling the counsell of God in this decree but submitting to it So we pray often for the recouerie of our
brethren and sisters from sicknesse the returne of our friends from long voyages the prosperous successe of our affaires yet God hath sometimes decreed against these yet wee may pray without sinne in all these cases We finde great examples hereof for the Prophets Moses himself haue praied to God against his will when he hath declared it and when God hath sent the Prophets they haue both threatned in the name of the Lord and yet exhorted to repentance and prayer to diuert the iudgement menaced Abraham for Sodome Dauid prayeth for the life of his childe which was appointed to death and so much Nathan told Dauid before Christ who came of purpose to taste that cup and knew that his fathers will was that he should drinke of it yet doth pray the Father to take it away Which he did 1 Partly to expresse the heauy sufferings that he was to sustaine for our sakes that wee may know wee were bought at a deere rate and an high price was paid for our redemption for it is applied to Christ by the Fathers and fulfilled in Christ Haue ye no regard all ye that passe by the way Consider and behold if euer there were sorrow like my sorrow which was done vnto me wherewith the Lord did afflict me in the day of the fiercenesse of his wrath No man can tell the Angels of God would faine know all the ingredients in this cup which Christ did deprecate It is best left with admiration and wonder at it with due consideration of it as the bitterest cup that euer was tempered by the hand of God not so much for the bodily passion as for the inward pangs and convulsions that the soule of Christ suffered for the sonnes of his Church 2 For our example to warrant our prayers against all euill for though wee know that the hand of God will smite vs and though wee be resolued with patience to beare it saying with Dauid Loe here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes Yet we may lawfully pray reseruing our submission to the will of God that this cup tempered of purpose for vs by the decree of God may be taken from vs. Herein we oppose not the absolute will of God but we oppose the euill malum poenae which is against vs and contrary to vs. 3 For comfort in afflictions for Christ praying his Father though he preuailed not in the maine matter of his suit ad transitum calicis yet he sped another way for in his agonie when there was fire in his bones which melted him that he swet water and bloud There appeared vnto him an Angell from heauen strengthening him For our sakes that wee may see the fruit of our prayers which though they preuaile not for full deliuerance from afflictions yet they may speed for comfort in them and strength to beare them Therefore it is a blasphemous assertion that one of our nouellists vented in print that Christ did directly pray against the will of his Father This cleareth the question in my iudgement our first duty is rightly to know what may concerne vs in the point of Gods absolute and secret will that is that the absolute will of God is to turne all things to the best to them that loue him so farre wee may lawfully pray against that which God hath secretly decreed to doe that his will may bee done vpon vs for our good and his glory Wee deprecate onely that euill that may corrupt either our wisedome faith or patience which is not properly to pray against the will by which this euent is willed but against the sting of it And so Christ prayed transeat amaritudo calicis but euen that with reseruation of his fathers will entire and vnresisted 2 There is required of vs also knowledge of the reuealed will of God The Mine of this treasure of heauenly knowledge of the will of God is holy Scripture which Christ biddeth all men to search and which are profitable to make the man of God perfect absolutely perfect in all good workes These the holy ghost hath recommended to vs with all kinde of holy indulgence and fauour and the blessed man doth exercise himselfe herein day and night To assist this worke of knowledge of his reuealed will as he hath opened the booke of his will to vs the holy Bible so he hath opened the dores of his house to vs for our meetings and therein he hath ordained and established the Euangelicall Priesthood of the new Testament for he sendeth forth Ministers of his gospell to Preach the same and he furnisheth them with his holy instructions directing them what to say and he giueth them their errand then he openeth to them the dore of vtterance that he may declare his will in their mouthes to his Church Then he openeth the vnderstandings and moueth the affections of the hearers to receiue the word of Gods will both in Scientiâ and in Conscientiâ For how can the will of God be done there where it is not knowne nor vnderstood Surely they had no minde to doe the will of God that cried nolumus scientiam viarum tuarum And they that neither studie holy Scriptures nor good helpes in vse for the vnderstanding thereof nor come to Church to heare there what is good and what God requireth at their hands or heare there without profit not heeding or obseruing what is taught all these haue not the care nor conscience of doing Gods will They may giue ouer praying that the will of God may bee done that care not for the knowledge of his will It is said of Christ by his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many 1 Either scientia qua scit for he knoweth who are his and none are predestinate to this life but whom he hath foreknowne 2 Or Scientiâ qua scitur for they that know him and the vertue of his resurrection will trust in him Saint Paul esteemed all things as dung in respect of this knowledge This is life eternall to know thee It is a vaine hope that some haue that their ignorance of the will of God will be pleadable for excuse of their disobedience to it for this may tempt some to liue in ignorance to goe their owne wayes and to extenuate their sinne in the day of their account To put that pretence out of countenance 1 Know that ignorantia affectata is a most heinous sinne it selfe and it abateth nothing of the iudgement due to all the sinnes that are committed in it Noluerunt intelligere vt bene agerent this is the will of God which all know that God who would haue all men to be saued would haue all men come to the knowledge of his truth and we are renewed in knowledge to the image of God And God hath sent his Sonne to giue knowledge of saluation they that will bee darke in so cleare a sunne-shine shew that they loue darkenesse more then light These despise the
people in the wildernesse then was a tange of the curse of God for they were to goe forth to gather the Manna and Quailes and after they must dresse it for food and bread is not made without preparation of the earth for the seed semination of it in the ground expectation of the grouth of it and the reaping gathering into the barne dressing of it for the mill grinding of it for the ouen moulding and making it fit for food This bread I vnderstand here meant in this petition da nobis panem And though some of the ancient of fathers haue extended this name of bread to a comprehension of the Eucharisticall bread of which Christ saith I am the bread which came downe from heauen yet I dare not follow them I must confesse that I finde great Authors diuided in iudgement concerning this bread some only vnderstanding the spirituall bread of our soules susteining them to life euerlasting some only vnderstanding the ordinary necessaries of life The greatest shew that is made for this interpretation is that it is not likely in this absolute forme of prayer that Christ would comprehend any motion for things temporall for the body but at second hand and by way of implication or consequence seeing 1 Our Sauiour hath said Seeke yee first the kingdome of God c. et caetera adijcientur 2 The Apostle saith He that hath giuen vs his sonne how should he not together with him giue vs all things And so no need to looke after the necessities of the body but cast that care vpon God But I answere with S. Bernard· Ne mireris quod bona corporis adeo dixerim quaerenda quoniam eius sunt corporalia omnia sicut et spiritualia omnia dona ab eo ergo petendum et sperandum nobis est vnde possimus in eius seruitio sustentari We may as probably conceiue that Christ teaching mortall men to pray in corpore would not suppresse their necessarie desires for the body Others therefore of our ancients as Saint Cyprian and S. Augustine doe much for they doe better vnderstand both the bodily and the spirituall food yet Saint Cyprian doth make the spirituall food chiefest meant here There is an English popish Catechisme which goeth about in the darke published of purpose to corrupt the yong beginners in the very beginnings of their learning by one George Dowley a Priest he doth vnderstand this petition so as meant of the bread of Christs body and of our common bread but principally of the spirituall bread I meruaile that an ordinary Priest of that Church dare adde any thing to the doctrine of the counsell of Trent for in their Catechisme set forth by the authority of Pius 5. then Pope of Rome this petition is vnderstood and interpreted of the corporeall food And Maldonate a learned Iesuite doth very iudiciously remoue the obiections which are made against it It is thought saith Maldonate that this bread is spirituall not corporeall because it is not likely that Christ would teach vs to aske food for the body before the pardon of our sinnes and our deliuerance from euill He answereth it well 1 That Christ doth not regulate our petitions according to the worth and dignity of the things therein desired but rather according to our necessities for this is nature petition Et natura prius vult viuere nos tum bene viuere 2 That this supply doth preuent a great many of sinnes to which else we might fall for if once we haue sufficient for nature with the blessing of God vpon it and our content with it it is enough and we haue our hearts more free and our owne to attend the holy worship and seruice of our God The Trent Catechisme doth giue good proofes that it is fit and necessarie that we doe goe to Almighty God for those things which belong to the sustentation of the body Non enim petimus temporalia haec tanquam bona nostra sed tanquam necessaria nostra saith Saint Augustine 1 That alleadgeth Iacobs prayer If God will be with me and will keepe me in the way that I goe and will giue me bread to eate and rayment to put on 2 The prayer of Agur the sonne of Iakeh feed mee with food conuenient for me The danger of want lest I be poore and steale and take the name of my God in vaine To these we may adde Salomons prayer in the dedication of the Temple wherein is mention of all sorts of temporall supplies to be sought in that house or toward it by prayer All the necessaries of life are here contained vnder the name of Bread food rayment health peace libertie and bread being the chiefest of the necessaries of life is named for them all So when Moses saith Man shall not liue by bread onely all things necessary for mans sustentation in this life are vnderstood And this exposition of the word Bread here doth distinguish this petition from the former for all spirituall graces whatsoeuer that may concerne the aduancement of Gods glory or the fitting of our soules to that are comprehended in the three former petitions especially that which Saint Cyprian and S. Augustine doe make principall in this petition that is the Bread of heauen Christ or the bread of the Sacrament or the obedience of the holy will of God which Christ calleth his meate and drinke for these doe all belong to the hallowing of Gods name the comming and establishing of his kingdome and the doing of his will 2 Da nobis 1 We aske this bread of God which declareth him to be the authour of this gift and the bestower of it vpon man 2 We aske it to be giuen not to me alone euery one for himselfe but all of vs for all nobis 1 We must come to God for bread For though he hath said in sudore vultus tui comedes panem tuum which may make some thinke that the sweat of our faces doth make this bread ours and that our claime to it is from the merite of our labour which maketh it rather earnings and wages then free gift yet if wee well consider wee doe begge of God herein strength to labour for our liuings in some honest vocation and Gods blessing vpon our endeuours without which we cannot sweate and take paines for our liuing The eyes of all things looke vp to thee O Lord thou giuest them meate in due season thou openest thy hand thou fillest all things liuing with plenty He couereth the heauen with clouds he prepareth raine for the earth he maketh grasse to grow vpon the mountaines He giueth to the Beast his food and to the yong Rauens that cry Man holdeth these things of God by the title of obedience on his part of fauour on Gods part obserue it in the sequence first we pray fiat voluntas tua then Da nobis panem for we haue no plea to this fauour but in
the way of our obedience God onely giueth increase to the field to bring forth corne for the vse of man and when it is come vp vpon the ground hee ripeneth it and when it is come to an haruest he disposeth it to the vse of man therefore Da nobis None of all the gods of the heathen could doe this he onely crowneth the yeare with plenty A fruitfull land he maketh barren abundance is from his full hand and famine or dearth of victuals are his rods The heathens worshipped them for gods that were the first ingenuous deuisers of any profitable inuention for the vse of man Ceres that taught the husbanding of grounds for Corne and Bacchus for Vines Vulcan or rather Tubalcaine that was the father of them that wrought in Iron Had they knowne the authour of euery good and perfect gift and who it is that giueth bread they would haue gone no further but Da nobis panem and haue sought their bread from this father which is in heauen 2 We aske da nobis not mihi this is communio charitatis The extent of this nobis is great for as vnder the name of bread all the necessaries of life are contained The King obserueth it well that we doe esteeme our yeares deare or cheape according to the price of corne so vnder this personall note nobis we comprehend all men all creatures that are supported with food First I say all men euen the wicked and reprobate for though they be neuer so vngodly yet during life on earth they must eate and if their owne meanes and labours be not sufficient to sustaine them our charity must supply what is wanting wee must not hide our selues from our owne flesh we haue all one Our father in heauen the common father of our nature therefore Da nobis wee pray to God to feed them also this is proximum tuum vt teipsum though he be but natura not relgiione proximus I adde that nobis doth also include our beasts and cattel that are created for our vse and seruice by the feeding whereof we are relieued who haue the seruice of their labour and the flesh of their bodies to ease and feed vs they must not be left out in this nobis for these are appurtenances to vs. In the King of Niniuehs edict for a generall fast their beasts were forbidden to eate or drinke for the sinne of man they suffered to augment their masters sorrow and to adde comfort to their owners they must also feede with them therefore da nobis doth include them as a part of our selues belonging to vs. The wise man saith that A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast we cannot shew our care of those helpefull creatures to vs better then in praying to him for them who as Dauid saith saueth both man and beast And euen amongst these beasts which are made for the vse and seruice of man though some of them bee noxious and offensiue now to man rebelling against his domination to punish his rebellion against God yet there is also a good vse to be made of them for man and to that they must be preserued they must be nourished in life that may be helpfull to man in their death Thus farre doe I thinke nobis in this petition extended Giue vs food all things necessary for our own persons for our children that are ex nobis for our brethren that are pars nostri for our neighbours circa nos for our enemies that are contra nos for our cattell pro nobis 3 Our bread 1 This bread wee are taught to call ours and wee learne it of God himselfe for in the very words of that curse which he put vpon man for his disobedience he calleth it so for if we sweate for it and then eate of it nothing doth more assure it ours in the vse of it And that is a legall right that we haue to it by our labour in our vocation The Apostle thinking it iust that he which will not labour should not eate doth include it both fic and lawfull that hee should eate that will labour 2 It is called our bread because it is necessarie for supportation of life for though man doe not liue by bread onely yet not without bread that is without fit food and so all things that we haue are called ours in respect of their vse for our seruice 3 It is called our bread by right of donation for when it is giuen it is ours the giuing of it to vs doth make it so to be So Saint Gregorie Ecce nostrum dicimus tamen dari petimus noster enim est qui accipitur tamen dei est cum ab illo datur for we haue no right to it but by the gift of God whose hand we open by this petition that he may fill vs with his plenty 4 That which we haue in gift of God and in present possession yet is not ours till the blessing of God bee vpon it for the possession without the vse doth not make it ours therefore the miserable wretched man that hath possession of much and starueth himselfe with denying the same to his owne vse cannot call his bread his owne 5 They that haue and possesse bread that is all things necessary for life haue no hold thereof that they may call it theirs except God keepe it and preserue it for them it is subiect to fire and water to theeues and robbers except God make it ours we may sit to eate and haue the bread taken from our table euen the morsells taken and pluckt out of our mouthes therefore da nostrum we pray to God that it may bee ours lest it be taken away from vs. 6 We call it ours because though wee haue it and keepe it and it abide by vs yet we may be smitten with sicknesse and disabled to take vse of it or it may be receiued euen into our bodies and we not nourished by it for that iudgment God also hath in his treasures They shall eate and not be satisfied 7 We call it our bread by a speciall right that only the faithfull haue to this and all things that belong to vs. Ye are Christs and all things are yours saith the Apostle They that hold things temporall by this right haue them in the best tenure for they haue them with the fulnesse of Gods blessing the Lord is their shepherd they shall want nothing 8 We call it our bread that we pray for to exclude panem alienum for we beg not away our brothers bread from him we desire not the bread of fraud or oppression or the bread of idlenesse but desire of God that the sustentation of our life may be with our owne bread without the preiudice of any other and that we may be able to liue without the hurt of our neighbour who dwelleth in peace by vs. 4 Daily bread Here the word vsed in the originall hath bred a question
you may not present him with a dwindled withered heart weakned and infirmed with vntimely afflictions but strong and able for his seruice And make a conscience to bestow the strength of your heart vpon him that giues you bread to strengthen your hearts that he may thinke his bread well bestowed for hee loueth not the sacrifices of the leane and lame and blinde and impotent of your flock the best serues him best 2 From this name of bread giuen to the necessaries of life we are taught that we haue no warrant to pray to God for more then what is needfull The sonne of Iakeh doth pray against riches giue mee not riches yet many there be that sell heauen for riches and exchange God for Mammon whose damnation sleepeth not Many there be who study the back what shall I put on not now only what stuffe but in what fashion that I may out shine my equals my betters they make Idols of their bodies and bestow such painting guilding and iewelling of it as if it were immortall their back is their God Many study what they shall eat all the inquisitions of rarities and delicacies that the earth the ayre the sea can afford are congested into their catories and kitchins to please their various palates with change of viands epicuriously satiating themselues with the marrow and fatnesse of Gods good creatures cramming themselues for the Deuils shambles making their bellies their Gods and delighting in their shame I deny not but God doth open his hand and giueth great abundance of all good things crowning the yeare with his plenty and making the earth not onely to bring forth bread to strengthen the heart of man but wine also to make his heart glad and oyle to make him a chearefull countenance for who can controll him doing with his owne as he please and disposing of it where he will But still I say I finde no warrant to aske of him any more then the needfull support of life we may not pray beyond our proportion food necessary for life for therefore do we aske bread of God to shew our desires limited to the meanes ordained by him for our preseruation If any shall dare to passe these bounds let him remember the fearefull example of Israel in the way of their iourney toward Canaan They lusted exceedingly in the wildernesse and tempted God in the desart And he gaue them their request but sent leanesse into their soule These ouer dainty palates that are euer longing for delicacies may make fat bodies but they haue leane soules and when they pray beyond warrant God may heare them and may grant their request but they shall lose by it There was a rich man who liuing was richly and softly arraied delicately fed euery day but hee that heares him pitifully complaining out of hell for a little cold water will scarce desire to be in his coate or to bee of his messe 1 This teacheth vs to be content with bread and to thanke God for it for if wee haue but sufficient for life we haue as much as we aske and so much as Christ our Master who teacheth vs to pray thinkes fit to allow vs to aske of our father which art in heauen 2 Seeing we finde God so rich and plentifull as to open his hand so wide to giue vs more then we aske exceeding abundantly to some more to some lesse Let not vs like children when wee haue any thing giuen vs measure the worth of the gift by comparing it with that which is giuen to others but weigh the gift in and by it selfe and let vs admire and praise the open hand of God who ouer-doeth our demands and maketh our cup runne ouer But because this name of bread doth so limit vs to the demand onely of things necessarie let me admonish you that there is duplex necessitas 1 Necessitas rei which containes onely the supportation of life 2 Necessitas personae which containes the maintenance of vs in our estate of life I conceiue that this petition doth extend to both these for 1 We craue of God all those things without which we cannot liue 2 Wee aske all those things that are conuenient for our estate and ranke that we may not want the meanes to support our persons and estate with moderate decencie befitting our degree but so that if God who lifteth vs vp and casteth vs downe shall thinke it meete to abase vs and stoope vs below the port and state of our place that we now hold we may abate also of our desires and be content with such things as are of absolute necessitie for subsistence in life and therefore 3 We are taught to learne with the Apostle both how to abound and how to want and may not thinke much if there bee mutatio dexitae excelsi For in these things Iobs lesson is to be learnt The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh away in both we must blesse the name of the Lord. 2 Giue Many duties are learnt from this word 1 Wee are taught to vnderstand and confesse our poore and miserable condition who in creation had all things put in subiection vnder our feete as Dauid saith all sheepe and oxen yea and the beasts of the field the fowles of the ayre the fishes of the sea c. and now by sinne haue lost that right to these things which the grace of creation inuested vs in and are now so poore and needy that we haue not bread of our owne to sustaine vs with God gaue man all these things vpon condition of obedience that failing hee hath cancelled that deed of gift and resumed into his owne hands the possession and power of distribution thereof to the sonnes of men Naked came I into the world naked shall I returne saith Iob we brought nothing with vs into the world saith the Apostle and here we finde nothing that we can call ours The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof they that feele the want of these things doe pray with appetite and feruour for them and therefore all of vs euen such as haue most must learne to know their miserable wants and necessities they all lye at the gates of God as Lazarus at the gates of the rich man desiring to be satisfied with the crums that fall from Gods table and except God doe both giue and blesse his gifts to vs wee must perish for want of bread euen they whose Barnes are fullest crammed whose Winepresses breake with plenty whose Tables are ouercharged with prouision whose stomacks are distent with their full feedings such is our misery that we all want both what we haue not and what we haue if God giue not our bread 2 When we say to our father giue which teacheth vs to know the right owner of these things euen hee whom Melchisedech calleth The most high God possessour of heauen and earth To whom else should wee say giue but to him of whom the Apostle saith euery good giuing
and euery perfect gift is from aboue from the father of lights If thou goe to the earth and say to it giue me bread it will answer thee as Iacob answered Rahel when shee said giue me children Am I in Gods stead If thou goe to the King and say da mihi panem will he not answere thee as the King of Israel answered the poore petitioner in the famine of Samaria If the Lord doe not helpe thee whence shall I helpe thee There is no fruit of our praying and crying till our petition come to this giuer I will heare saith the Lord I will heare the heauens and they shal heare the earth the earth shall heare the Corne and the Wine and the Oyle and they shall heare Israel There is no giuer but he and all those who on earth doe giue are but his stewards and giue in his name and for his sake When the heathen went to Iupiter for raine to Aeolus for windes to Neptune for safety and good passage at sea to Ceres for corne to Bacchus for wine c. What did they worse I may say they did not so ill as the Church of Rome now in the inuocation of Saints for the heathen had not the way to the father by Iesus Christ reuealed to them his name is now knowne to vs and the Church of Rome pretendeth to know and confesse and honour it they confesse vnum est Orco poena polo gloria vita solo Yet hauing the knowledge and of God in the face of Iesus Christ in some measure they seeke out other benefactors to whom they say da nobis What difference is there betweene the heathen women in child-bearing crying out Casta faue Lucina and the Popish women calling vpon the Virgin Mary to helpe them in their throwes and pangs as the supreme Midwife of the Church So they inuocate Saint Sebastian and Saint Roch in pestilence Raphael in dolore oculorum Apollonia in dolore dentium Michael in warre c. Is not this to turne God out of his place and to giue his power of giuing all good things away from him to creatures Indeed they haue no reason to goe to God for any thing or to say to him da nobis because they giue not him the honour due to his holy and vndoubted rights But Christ our Sauiour doth direct vs to whom wee shall goe for our bread and we haue none in heauen to repaire to but to him and none in earth that we esteeme with him and to him onely we say da nobis 3 This prayer to God to giue doth teach vs to confesse and to depend vpon the prouidence of God not onely his generall prouidence by which hee regardeth the whole creature but his particular prouidence by which euery particular creature is conserued and supported it is he that cloatheth euery Lily it is hee that feedeth euery sparrow it is hee that numbreth all the haires of our head And though we must labour and sweat for our bread though wee haue rich reuenues and plentifull meanes for our reliefe yet there is no trust to be giuen to these outward helpes our helpe is in the name of the Lord who hath made heauen and earth This prouidence of God hath an eye to behold our wants hath a store of all sorts of blessings to furnish him with fit gifts to bestow where he thinketh fit hath bowels of compassion to pittie our wants and hath an open hand to distribute his fauours amongst the sonnes of men This prouidence of God is the Barne and Wine-presse of the faithfull to feed them it is their harbenger to lodge them it is their Physitian to heale all their diseases 4 This Da doth teach vs to loue the goodnesse of God to vs of whom our bread is to bee had of gift what a stirre had he in the Gospell to get vp his neighbour at night to lend him some bread to entertaine a stranger withall but we may come at all times to God and to pray him to giue Euen they that will giue nothing themselues nor part with a bit of their great loafe to their hungry brother but like Naâ—al grudge to part with any thing from themselues yet they cry vpon God to haue their bread giuen to them by him They that sell and make prize of all offers in Church and Common-wealth and will not open their mouthes in a charitable or iust mediation for their neighbour but in Iudas his tune quid mihi dabis yet they come to God for their bread of gift this is the cheapest and frankest vtterer of his fauours that euer was to whom we pray it is he that saith Ho euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eate yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price Wherefore doe you spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not hearken diligently vnto me and eate yee that which is good and let your soule delight in fatnesse How are we said to buy and yet to haue all these things freely giuen but because wee doe giue vp our prayers for our bread and we buy them with our petitions as Christ petite pulsate quaerite This is more then the holy father of Rome will say for his indulgencies and pardons praying will not carry them they that will haue them must pay for them and many hard shifts his agents are put to to vent his spirituall treasures and to force them vpon the poore people that had rather want them then come to their price But God who is rich in mercy and needeth nothing of our goods God who is good and doth good standeth not vpon such termes with vs his sonne who is in his bosome and best knoweth both his meanes and his minde bids vs call for our bread of gift This should moue vs to a reuerent regard of our duty of obedience to him to worship and serue him onely to haue no other God but him to defie idolatry to honour his name to sanctifie his Sabboth He hath not less himselfe without witnesses in that he doth good and giues vs raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnesse 5 Da teacheth vs the necessitie of prayer wee must aske of God Christ in our flesh would lose nothing for want of asking who in the daies of his flesh offered vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death And his father that loued him as twice from heauen he proclaimed yet saith to him Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee aske of me and I shall giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance c. When he meant Salomon a good turne the freest and greatest offer that was euer made to man yet he put him to it aske what I shall giue thee When
Herod would reward the daughter of Herodias for her dancing he said Aske of me whatsoeuer thou wilt and I will giue it thee Great persons loue to be sued to for their fauours and thinke it an accession to their honour when they haue many petitions Christ would haue vs know that prayer is the key which openeth the full hand of God and that we haue no right to the bread we eate or to any thing wee possesse except we haue first asked it of God by prayer or sanctified it thereby And therefore it is religion and good manners to blesse our tables before we eate with prayer when you reade of Christs eating or feeding of others there looking vp to heauen and blessing goeth before breaking and eating or giuing to eate As if hee would haue vs know that our bread is the gift of God and we must aske it of him and they that haue learnt no other grace before meat to blesse their table and their food if they can say from a deuout heart but this Our father which art in heauen giue vs this day our daily bread no doubt but hee that put that prayer into our hearts and mouthes will see that it shall speed where it goes for hee onely maketh our prayers passable to God and acceptable with him Saint Paul telleth vs that euery creature of God is good for it is sanctified by the word of GOD and prayer Therefore ancient is the practise of sanctifying the table before meate which we call saying of grace Saint Chrysostome mentioneth the grace vsed by the Monkes of Egypt their manner was before their meat was set vpon the boord to repeate ouer the whole Psal 145. And when the meat was set on one said and hee a Priest Christe Deus noster benedic cibo ac potui servorum tuorum quoniam tu es sanctus nunc semper in saecula saeculorum Amen In the middest of the meale they stood all vp and one for the rest repeated these words Benedictus es Domine Deus qui misereris nostri pascis nos à iuventute nostrâ qui das escam omni carni reple gaudio laetitia corda nostra ut semper habentes animum presentibus contentum exuberemus in omne opus bonum in Christo Iesu Domino nostro In the Latine church ancient is this forme of blessing the table The Priest if any be present or the Master of the family if no Priest were in company standing with the guests about the table said Sacerd. Oculi omnium in te sperant Domine Conv. Et tu das escam illorum in tempore opportuno Sacerd. Aperis tu manum tuâ—m Conv. Et imples omne animal benedictione tua Sacerd. Gloria patri filio c. Conv. Sicut erat in principio c. Sacerd. Benedic Domine nos tua dona quae in tua largitate sumus sumpturi Mensae coelestis participes nos faciat rex aeternae gloriae And we may perceiue that the ordinary manner of blessing our tables is taken from these great and good and ancient examples of the seruants of God in times past Let me therefore admonish you in the feare of God not to lay hands vpon the dayly bread till you haue blessed it with prayer that God may feed you and susteine you with his prouisions for vnblest bread is not wholsome 6 Da teacheth vs the necessity of thanksgiuing for if we receiue our food of gift and God doth expect no other pay or reckoning but our thanks Dauid will tell vs that iustos decet laudare Therefore it was frequent also with those aboue named after their meale to stand vp and to render thanks to God for their food The Latine Church Sac. Confiteantur tibi omnia opera tua Con. Sancti tui benedicant tibi Sac. Gloria patri filio c. Con. Sicut erat in principio c. Sac. Agimus tibi gratias omnipotens Deus pre universis tuis beneficijs qui vivis regnas in saecula saeculorum Sac. Benedicam Domino in omne tempus Con. Et semper laus ejus erit in ore meo Sac. In Domine gloriabitur anima mea Con. Audiant mansueti et laetentur Sac. Magnificate Dominum mecum Con. Et exultemus nomini eius in id ipsum Sac Sit nomen Domini benedictum Con. Ex hoc nunc usque in saecula Sac. Deus det nobis suam pacem And this is the forme of blessing the table vsed according to the statutes of the Colledge where I had my breeding euen at this day In the Greeke Church after meales Gloria tibi sancte pater gloria tibi rex quoniam dedisti nobis escas ad laetitiam imple nos etiam spiritu sancto ut in veniamur in conspectu tuo accepti non confusi pudefacti quando reddes unicuique secundum opera sua To which they added Sicut in medio discipulorum tuorum coenantium adfuisti Salvator dicens pax vobis ita veni etiam ad nos et salva nos I shew you these ancient formes vsed in both the Churches both Greeke and Latine to stirre you vp to reuerence and thanksgiuing in the blessing of this bread which you beg of God that wee doe not like bruite beasts receiue our food from God without imploration of his blessing with recognition of his fauour 7 The last duty is a sober vse of our bread let it not be the bread of gluttony or the wine of drunkennesse We must take heed that the gift of God bee not abused to his dishonour lest it turne vnwholsome and vnprofitable for vs. This is the fathers gift and it is the childrens bread it is no meate for dogges that is for greedy and vnthankfull deuourers thereof But a more proper vse of this point will follow vpon the word Daily 3 Da nobis 1 We must herein consider our first respect the beginning of our charity at our owne persons Christ that taught vs to pray teacheth vs to haue care of our owne maintenance and to seeke it of God for it is a true rule Qui sibi nequam cui bonus The Law makes vs a president of loue ut teipsum This doth reproue the Romish doctrine of voluntary pouerty for they taking aduantage of those words of Christ to the yong man Si vis perfectus esse vende omnia et da pauperibus doe count that a worke of super-errogation to doe so to giue away all and liue vpon almes Whereas that was not an euangelicall counsaile as they suggest but a precept and not a precept of obedience but of probation whereby God did proue the heart of that yong man that himselfe might see how his soule did cleaue to the world and the things thereof Or at the most it was but a particular precept giuen to that man and not a generall counsell extensiue to all persons and all ages and times for God would haue vs eat
Altar should not be able to liue by the Altar he would not haue vs serue and sterue The mouth of the Oxe 〈◊〉 treadeth out the corne must not be muzled They vnderstand not this petition that inuade the goods of the Church the inheritance of God they may say within themselues as William Rufus the Conquerours sonne said when he kept Church-liuings in his hands long voyd and tooke the reuenues of them into his owne coffers Gods bread is sweet But it will bee bitternesse in the latter end to him it was so his end was vntimely and violent There be too many that inuade the rights of the Church and Religion suffereth for it for if worthy maintenance faile worthy seruice will hardly subsist If they that should apply their whole studies to the fitting of the soules of men are directed to the care for their bread time must needs bee lost from the maine worke of our ministery which is to saue soules What encouragement can a student haue to apply his wits and industry to a fitnesse for that calling in which he cānot promise himself bread except he buy it The complaint of Salomon shall end this point though this giues vs iust occasion to renue his complaint which I doubt will neuer end I returned and saw vnder the sunne The race is not to the swift nor the battaile to the strong nor bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of vnderstanding nor fauour to men of skill We see which way all these things goe wee may lament it and pray God to amend it that they may not want the necessaries of this life who shew to vs the way of euerlasting life Remember vs in your prayers for bread that we also may haue our part with you 6 Our dutie to the poore is taught here also for they are ex nobis we must not hide our selues or restraine our prayers or almes from our owne flesh they are digged out of our pit and hewen out of our rocke Iob protesteth his charity this way he did not eate his morsels alone the fatherlesse did eate with him For from my youth vp he was brought vp with mee as with a father I was a guide to her from my mothers wombe he saw none perish for want of cloathing nor any poore without couering the loynes of the poore blessed him and his fleece kept them warme For he considered Did not hee that made me in the wombe make him and did not one fashion vs in the wombe These haue as much right to bread from the hand and of the gift of God as we and except God giue it vs the poore shall no more feele the want of bread then the rich that haue and possesse it in fulnesse Therefore let vs not put the needy off with our prayers but be ye mercifull as your father in heauen of him we say Aperis tu manum imples owne animal benedictionem tua Surely God giueth vs all the bread that we aske for necessity as to owners of it but if hee exceed our demand and giueth vs aboue that he intendeth that wee should be his stewards of it to dispense it to the necessities of our brethren and therefore he maketh the cups of some to ouerflow that their abundance may fill such as are emptie 7 Nobis includeth our enemies wee are also taught here to remember them let not malice drowne our charity and spight drinke vp our deuotion and piety If thine enemy hunger not onely pray God to giue him bread but doe thou feed him if he thirst doe thou giue him drinke forget not of what spirit thou art of the spirit of him who prayed for his transgressors who had not a friend vpon earth but yet came to vs being his enemies to seeke our loue and to make our peace with his father Be angry but sinne not let not the sunne goe downe vpon thy wrath blesse them that curse you pray for them doe them good Anger is a dangerous inmate to harbour in vs for it hindereth our deuotion and maketh vs leaue them all out of our Nobis that we haue any edge against and imperfect prayers cannot haue a full preuailing therefore Salomon saith anger resteth in the bosome of a foole Anger is a fire and canst thou carry fire in thy bosome and not be burnt saith he It is ignis alienus if wee offer vp our prayers to the God of peace with any of our anger in them that one ingredient puts death in the pot we must come to the God of peace in peace When Socrates his seruant had done a fault that moued his Master to some choller one cryed whip him whip him Socrates answered I had need whip my anger first for I finde that more to blame then my man It is our wisedome and patience to beare iniuries and to let the seed of them come vp in vs in benefits and prayers the liker that wee make our selues to him to whom wee pray the better will hee like of vs and our prayers therefore da nobis must meane feed vs and feede our enemies let not them that hate vs want bread This is an holy reuenge to recompence euill with good 8 Nobis doth include as you haue heard our cattaile and creatures giuen to vs for our vse wee owe then a duty to pray to God for them to preserue them to our vse Iobs first blow that he had was in his cattaile his Oxen and Asses the deuill knew that that would bee a smarting rod the next in his seruants and other cattaile The goodnesse of God the giuer is to bee inuocated for preseruation he preserueth man and beast They be beasts that are cruell to their owne cattaile that exact worke of them and care not to feed them their bowels are cruell their labours their bodies are ours If our care must extend to the feeding and nourishing and praying for these helpefull creatures made to our vse they doe much offend God that vpon euery prouocation curse them and smite and abuse them as Balaam did his Asse who would haue beene content to haue killed his beast in his fury to whō God gaue a speaking tongue to reproue him and the record thereof is kept for our instruction to teach vs to vse our seruant creatures with all gentlenesse for the iust man is mercifull to his beast as I told you from Salomon 4 Panem nostrum We gather the doctrine of our duties from the seuerall reasons why the bread that we doe pray for is called ours 1 Seeing it is called ours because we labour for it according to the ordinance of God in sudore vnltus tui comedes panem we are here taught to apply our selues to labour in some honest vocation to winne our bread This is that we are borne to as Eliphaz in Iob saith truely Man is borne to labour as the sparkes flye vpward Therefore the Prophet calleth this our bread
faithfull repose of our trust in him for they who seeke to ingrosse things temporall for feare of want and had rather trust their own prouidence then God shew great weakenesse of faith and distrust in God If we obserue it well the greatest part of men vpon earth haue small certainty of their maintenance certaine charges yet liuing in lawfull callings though not sure of their employments not alwaies sure of the wages they earne of the vent of the commodities in which they trade yet still God supplyeth them from day to day and supporteth them in their wants which sheweth that there is no such thrift and good husbandry as to trust to the prouidence of God for our maintenance in the vse of honest and lawfull meanes he is Diespiter and euery day he looketh vpon the sonnes of men and surueyeth their wants and he that will not let the fowles of the ayre nor the beasts of the field want bread will not suffer his owne deare children to want the necessaries of life if they seeke them from him Men might make their liues much more happy to themselues much more quiet to their neighbours if they did wisely informe themselues in the doctrine of this daily prouidence of God for hee that knowes his duty to be labour in an honest vocation and prayer to God for his blessing vpon his labour needs doe nothing more but cast all the rest of his care vpon God who careth for him But partly the feare of wants and partly the desire of riches doe so transport vs that we can neither be good children to God in deuotion nor good neighbours to our brethren in charity because we doe not depend vpon this daily prouidence of our God If a man sit downe and cast vp the charges of his family and compare it with the short reckonings of his commings in he may say I and my family shall want bread but if religiously he compare it with the rich reuenue of Gods holy prouidence hee will finde a store there so furnished with plenty and an hand so open to giue it away to them that aske it that hee will resolue with the Prophet No good thing will God with hold from them that walke vprightly I conclude this point put thy selfe into an honest calling doe thy indeuour in it conscionably pray to God for his blessing vpon it and trust him with the rest If in this way I want bread I will be bold to tell my God as the holy Prophet did if I be deceiued thou Lord hast deceiued me But that imputation cannot fall on him They that haue put him to it haue found him full and faithfull in his promises and performances Our fathers trusted in thee they trusted in thee and thou didst deliuer them They trusted in thee and were not confounded But you demand Is therefore all prouidence for the time to come vnlawfull and must our thoughts and desires bee onely confined to the present all for to day and nothing for to morrow We answer that our desires must be limited to the present but our endeuours must not be so let vs labour honestly for the blessings of God with contentment in his gifts for to day but if our endeuours so bestowed extend to a further proportion of gettings thrift is allowed where it is not ioyned with distrustfull carefulnesse Ioseph may lay vp in the seauen yeares of plenty for the famine of seauen yeares to succeed when God reuealeth a dearth comming on and warranteth the prouision The good man may haue a treasure wherein is old and new so this treasure be filled for vses of piety and charity Goe to the Ant thou sluggard consider her waies and be wise She prouideth her meate in summer and gathereth her food in the haruest He that gathereth in summer is a wise sonne but hee that sleepeth in haruest is a sonne that causeth shame The sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold therefore shall he begge in haruest and haue nothing and the Apostle saith That Parents ought to lay vp for their children Religion doth not make men ill husbands and the possession of good things must not hinder our daily prayer to God for his blessing vpon them LVC. 11.4 And forgiue vs our sinnes for we also forgiue euery one that is indebted to vs In Saint Matthew we reade thus And forgiue vs our debts as we forgiue our debters But we commonly say and forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. IT is a consideration worthy to be continued to obserue the order and composition of this prayer the foundation of it is laied in the loue and power of God in the preface to it For when wee call him our Father we plead a speciall interest in his loue and when we call him our father in heauen we acknowledge him of power to performe whatsoeuer his loue intends to vs. Then in the first petition we declare our selues the loyall and louing sonnes to this father in seeking the exaltation of his glorious name first which we doe 1 For his sake whose name onely is glorious 2 For our sakes for it is not onely to vs Turris fortissima but it is oleum effusum Then in the second petition we pray for the aduancement stabilitie and propagation of his kingdome that he may onely rule ouer vs onely he may rule in vs. In the third petition we desire a conformity with that part of the Church that is with God in heauen by our obedience to the will of God And hauing made three petitions for the aduancement of the knowledge and worship of God we come in the fourth petition to begge for our selues the necessaries of life that we may liue to serue our God by his giuing and blessing our bread to our vse Now in that which remaineth we pray against all impediments of this holy worship and seruice That which hindereth this seruice of God is our sinne past present and to come therefore here we pray against sinne and we desire 1 The gratious pardon of past and present sinnes 2 The free and full preuention of sinnes to come This petition hath regard to the present guilt for sinnes past and present Saint Cyprian doth say well Post subsidium cibi sequitur venia delicti vt qui à Deo pascitur in Deo viuat nec tantum praesenti corporali vitae consulat sed aeternae ad quam venire potest si peccata donantur For our better vnderstanding of this petition 1 We must know what it is that we pray against 2 What we request 3 Of whom 4 For whom 5 The condition of our request or the manner of it 6 The duties depending vpon all this 1 Against what we pray Saint Matthew calleth them debts figuratiuely Saint Luke here calleth them sinnes literally and wee commonly call them trespasses because by euery sinne we trespasse our God and giue him
offence The name of debts doth well expresse in what case we are for all the seruice which God requireth from vs he exacteth as a due debt to him to which wee stand obliged by the law of our creation being made for it And this obligation of our duty hath annexed to it a counterband of all Gods fauours assured to the obedience of Gods lawes and it implyeth both a release of God from all his promised mercies and an engagement of vs to the whole wrath of God So debtors must either pay their debt or the iustice of the law sendeth them to prison I tell thee saith Christ thou shalt not come out thence till thou hast payd the vtmost farthing Obedience then being due euery sinne that we doe euery good duty that we omit doth increase our debt call them therefore as they are sinnes or as they are like debts against these we pray Againe in the indefinite forgiue our debts or sinnes we comprehend all both of all sorts and of all times our originall and naturall sins our actuall our omissions of good duties our commissions of euill our sinnes of thoughts words and workes our secret our open sins knowne and vnknowne our sinnes which the Church of Rome calleth veniall as well as those that they call mortall we must leaue out none for the least sinne vnpardoned defileth and nothing vncleane shall enter into heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 errours Further seeing our sinnes make vs debters and thereby lyable to Gods iust punishment that obedience which we owe and cannot pay to God faciendo by performing what he doth command that ingageth vs to satisfaction patiendo by induring the punishment due to our sinne So that therein we are Gods debters owing to him the sufferance of his iust punishment It was the state of Gods owne Israel God gaue them the lands of the heathen and they inherited the labour of the people That they might obserue his statutes and keepe his lawes That was their debt But then if they payed not that debt they should owe God a suffering of all his iudgements the vndergoing of all the following curses whereby God should chasten their disobedience and pay himselfe in their iust punishment 2 What we request Forgiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as let them goe haue nothing to say to them There be diuers phrases vsed in holy scripture to expresse this forgiuenesse that is here desired Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiuen whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose speech there is no guile In which words of pardon and couering and not imputing sinne is intended such an abolition both of the fault and punishment as if neither the one had beene committed nor the other deserued Ezechiah finding God fauourable to him in this free pardon of his sinnes doth confesse it and hee expresseth it thus Thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy back Micah hath another phrase for it He will turne againe he will haue compassion vpon vs he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sinnes into the depth of the seas These phrases meet in one expression of a full forgiuenesse for what wee cast behinde vs as willing to see no more what we cast away into the sea as willing it should perish that we desire to quit from any further thought Therefore Dauid calleth this forgiuenesse a washing and purging and clensing from sinne blotting out of transgressions putting them out of the booke of Gods remembrance for euer This forgiuenesse of all our sinnes is an article of our Christian faith so that we may say with Dauid I beleeued therefore I did speake We must first beleeue then we must pray to God for the pardon of our sinnes Nehemiah putteth this petition full into a double request Remember me O Lord and spare me He desireth that God would take notice of all the good seruice hee had done to him and reward it that hee would spare him for all the euill that he had done to forgiue and forget it 3 Of whom this forgiuenesse is desired That is of our father which is in heauen of him only whose name must bee hallowed whose kingdome must rule all and whose will must bee obeied of him only who alone giueth vs bread to nourish vs in whom we liue and moue and haue our being No question but in a cast of so great danger as our sinne doth put vs into Christ would direct vs the right way out of them to him that only hath power to forgiue them 4 For whom this request is made Forgiue vs carrieth the same extent that giue vs doâ—h in the former petition to all that haue done or are now doing any euill wee pray for all that offend God any way that Gods gratious pardon may cancell all the obligations and forgiue all the debts for payment whereof we finde our selues vnable and vnsufficient But vnder this word vs wee doe not comprehend the dead vpon whom God hath past his sentence in their particular iudgement at their death which sentence is not to be reuersed or altered wee finde no warrant in Scripture to beare vs out in any such superstitious charity but vs includeth the liuing without respect of persons high or low bond or free Iew or Graecian Neither yet doe we so include all in this generall pardon as if we had opinion of vniuersall grace for when the Apostle saith The Lord knoweth who are his wee may probably suppose that all are not his therefore we forget not our former petition Fiat voluntas tua for so we desire God to forgiue and so farre to extend this his generall pardon as may stand with your fulfilling of the will of God yet because wee know not how to put difference we pray as the Apostle biddeth for all men declaring our charity to them and referring them to the will of our God 5 The condition of the request so S. Matthew repeateth it Forgiue as we forgiue Or the reason of the request Forgiue vs for we forgiue our debtors Wee must include both in our petition and that helpe we haue by comparing text with text for one giueth light to another and wee professing our forgiuenesse of our brethren trespassing vs are made the more capable of Gods pardon of all our sinnes When before we pray fiat voluntas tua sicut in coelo that sicut importeth our imitation of the heauenly spirits in their obedience but we here say forgiue as wee forgiue this sicut doth not stoope God to an imitation of vs but implieth only a condition that God would forgiue vs if we forgiue our brethren For as one saith quilibet homo est debitor habens debitorem and so resembled by Christ in the parable of one that was a debtor to his Lord and a creditor to his fellow seruant in which parable the point is
Gods mercy to vs for the foundation of God is sure and sealed with this seale Dominus novit qui sunt sui But we are admonished by the Apostle to make our calling and election sure not in the decree of God but in our owne perswasion And it cannot bee sure except we vse the meanes ordained to assure vs. But if wee haue truely discouered in our selues the body of sinne and haue opened into God in a contrite confession and haue bewailed them with teares of vnfeined contrition which S. Augustine calleth Sanguinē vulnerati cordis and haue asked God forgiuenesse and cried him mercy from them This is applicatio remedij that there is a ground for our saith to beleeue the pardon of them sealed to vs and not before God testified of Dauid that he was a man after his owne heart yet he sinned soulely and till he had made confession of his sinne and had deplored it penitentially he was not absolued from it Christ told Peter that Sathan desired to sift him but he had prayed that his faith should not faile him That did not make his threefold denyal of his Master no sinne he knew it and remembring himselfe he went forth from the place where hee had done the fault and wept bitterly The rule therefore is that All the promises of God and our faith in those promises haue reference to the holy vse of the meanes ordained by God for establishing our peace with him Therefore in the name of God goe the way that hee hath ordained for you to walke in follow the holy example of all the faithfull seruants of God who haue gone to Gilead for balme when they haue had any soarenes and haue humbly prostrated their diseases before the Physitian who came to comfort them that mourne and to binde vp the broken hearted and say Domine dimitte nobis debita nostra Another duty is to pray only to God for pardon of our sinnes When Christ said to the sick of the palsey Sonne bee of good cheare thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee The Scribes said within themselues This man blasphemeth Our Sauiour defendeth himselfe by lawfull authority The sonne of man hath power on earth to forgiue sinnes S. Marke is more expresse in this relation for these Scribes gaue a reason why they charged Christ with blasphemy saying Who can forgiue sinnes but God only They were in the right for that generall rule that none but God can forgiue sinnes but they mistooke Christ not knowing him to be God God laieth claime to this authority I euen I am hee that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And againe I haue blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sinnes returne vnto me for I haue redeemed thee Sing O ye heauens for the Lord hath done it So by the Prophet Ezechiel he saith I will sprinckle cleane water vpon you and yee shall bee cleane from all your filthinesse A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you Dauid stirreth vp himselfe to blesse the Lord for this Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Who forgiueth all thy iniquities Therefore our Sauiour sendeth his disciples to our father in heauen to forgiue them their sinnes Contrary to this doctrine is the precept of the Church of Rome which imposeth on the consciences of men a necessity of auricular confession of all mortall sinnes to the Priest for obteining pardon thereof For if only God must forgiue only to God must confession of sins be made The doctrine and practise of auricular confession in the Church howsoeuer pretended by the Councell of Trent to be the institution of Christ yet did it come in when partly humane policy partly superstition corrupted the Church in the doctrine and discipline thereof For in Saint Augustines time it was not heard of who protesteth against it as a thing vnreasonable and thus he disclaimeth it Quid mihi est cum hominibus vt audiant confessiones meas quasi ipsi sanaturi sint omnes languores meos Curiosum genus ad cognoscendam vitam alienam desidiosum ad corrigendam suam Quid a me quaerunt audire qui sim qui nolunt a te audire qui sint The power of forgiuing sinnes is onely in God but he hath left in his Church a ministeriall dispensation of that power by application to true penitents and they that presse it further inuade the rights of God Therefore to rectifie your iudgements in this point concerning men forgiuing of sinnes know that this belongeth to men two wayes 1 In Church discipline it belongeth to the Minister to absolue penitents for as God hath left in the Church the ministerie of exhortation of doctrine of conuiction and of reprehension so hath he left the ministerie of absolution to pronounce his pardon to them that truely repent them of their sinnes If you obiect that any priuate lay-man may assure him that truely repenteth that his sinnes are forgiuen from the certaine warrant of the word of God or a man may assure himselfe hereof by reading and meditation in holy Scriptures I answer that nothing is well done that hath not the warrant of a lawfull calling to authorize it for that is transgression of the ordinance of God The Apostle doth impose it on all sorts of men promiscuously to exhort and instruct one another but none may performe this duty publiquely but they who are called to it For how shall he preach except he be sent He that gaue his Apostles authoritie to goe into all nations to preach and baptize said also to them whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whosoeuers sinnes ye retaine they are retained And though the Church of Rome doth reserue certaine cases of absolution onely to the Pope as in the right of Peter vnder colour of whose succession he vsurpeth yet the text is cleare that what Christ spake to Peter he spake to the rest and Saint Basil did so vnderstand him who saith Christus omnibus pastoribus doctoribus ecclesiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnes ex aequo soluunt et ligant And their owne Thomas of Aquine saith quilibet sacerdos quantum est ex virtute clauium habet potestatem indifferenter in omnes And the very phrase of Christ not saying to whomsoeuer you declare remission of sinnes they are remitted but whosoeuers sinnes ye remit shewing that Christ in our ministery doth this for nos legatione fungimur pro Iesu Christo euen as if Christ did beseech you by vs. Therefore as the waters of Damascus might bee as cleare and as sweet and as wholesome as the waters of Iordan yet not so effectuall to wash off the leprosie of Naaman because the word of the Lord sent Naaman to that Riuer So though any other man in respect of his knowledge and zeale and good
it exceeding ioy when ye fall into diuers temptations this is probatio fidei Dauid beggeth this of God proue me O Lord and try me Saint Augustine Hic vre hic seca this is euer meant to Gods glory and for our good we deprecate it not wholly we pray against the first of these which is Gods leading vs into temptation ad poenam cùm delinquimus for this is Gods act for the punishment of some former to leaue vs to Sathans power for a time 3 Desertio in poena So Iob was by God led into temptation when God gaue Sathan leaue to vexe him with many afflictions wherein God did so hide and conceale his protection that the faith and patience of Iob were staggered and suffered a very hard assault And in like manner was Ieremiah led into temptation when his passion brake forth into some extremities And Saint Paul knew that it was God who led him into that great temptation when the Angell of Sathan buffeted him and hee therefore did thrice beseech the Lord that he might depart from him this was one of Gods desertions wherein hee left his faithfull seruants for a time of which himselfe speaketh by his holy Prophet For a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little season During the fit the seruants of God wanting the light of this countenance of God discouer great weakenesse as you haue heard in the former examples and it will better appeare if you heare themselues vtter their own passions Dauid felt this desertion strongly when he complained Will the Lord cast off for euer and will he be fauourable no more Is his mercy cleane gone for euer doth his promise faile for euermore Hath God forgotten to be gratious hath he in anger shut vp his tender mercies Here Gods desertion led Dauid into temptation This kinde of desertion in punishment the Sonne of God himselfe felt on the Crosse which brake forth into that bitter complaint when he said My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Here was no doubt of the loue of God but here the plaintiue smarted and in the anguish of his paine complained of what he suffered being for the time engulfed in afflictions This was Gedeons case the Angell of the Lord said to him The Lord is with thee he replyed O my Lord if the Lord be with vs why then is all this befallen vs where be all his miracles which our Fathers told vs of saying Did not the Lord bring vs out of Egypt but now the Lord hath forsaken vs and deliuered vs into the hands of the Midianites Many of Gods faithfull seruants finde and feele in themselues a decay of faith an vnwillingnesse and vnablenesse to pray a feare and almost a despaire of the presence and fauour of God a quenching of the spirit in them Some are so farre gone in this desertion as to apprehend the disfauour of God so deepely as to see no way out of it for the time and therefore they iudge themselues vnworthy to liue any longer and are tempted by Sathan to destroy themselues Some are left in their sinnes as Dauid and Peter were and many of Gods Saints who doe many things amisse All these cases are full of danger and require of vs to be importunate suiters to our God for his fauour that hee would not leade vs into any of these temptations that he would not be a looker on or stand farre off when we are thus assaulted that he would not keepe in the influence of his grace from working effectually in vs first ne veniant secondly ne vincant And here for comfort of the faithfull in these kinde of temptations we are taught 1 That there is danger in these temptations but God hath in mercy directed vs where to seek helpe remedy euen from our father which is in heauen and hee that biddeth vs aske his helpe hath promised to giue to them that aske and to open to them that knocke at the gates of his mercy therefore Christ biddeth vs pray ne nos inducas 2 That it is God that leadeth his seruants into these temptations from whence we may comfortably conclude 1 That they shall not preuaile totally and finally against vs for God will suffer no man to be tempted beyond his strength but will giue issue to the temptation though they doe not sodainly finde the way out of them and though they presse and oppresse vs for the time with great violence for his compassions faile not 2 That he which taught vs this prayer the sonne of God was man and himselfe indured temptation and was in all things tempted like to vs and ouercame these temptations for vs. 3 That Christ our Sauiour doth assist vs in our temptations with his prayers to the Father as he said to Peter But I haue prayed for thee that thy faith may not faile 4 That God in these spirituall and temporall desertions doth giue vs grace for grace that if he hide himselfe from vs by with-holding one necessary grace the want whereof doth disquiet vs and put vs in feare yet he gratiously supplieth vs otherwise with some other fauour wherein he secretly signifieth to vs that he hath not quite forsaken vs. So when Dauid by the treasonable insurrection of his sonne saw a curtaine drawne betweene him and the face of his God yet God in fauour gaue him an humble and patient heart to cast himselfe at his foote and to tarry in expectation of his will If the Lord thus say I haue no delight in thee behold here I am let him doe to mee as seemeth good in his eyes Though he giue not the grace of taking away from vs the Angell of Sathan that buffereth vs as he did Paul he saith my grace is sufficient for thee he armeth vs with such fortification and munition as shall safeguard vs from Sathans victory Or if he giueth not the grace of remoue of our temptations from vs in stead thereof hee remoueth vs in grace and good fauour from them The righteous is taken away from the euill to come so to Iosiah Behold I will gather thee to thy fathers in peace and thine eyes shall not see the euill that I will bring vpon this place Or if he take away from vs the sense of his loue and feeling of the comforts of his spirit in stead thereof hee giueth vs an holy desire and longing after him which the Apostle calleth sighes and groanes which cannot bee exprest as in Dauid I cryed vnto God with my voyce euen vnto God with my voyce and hee gaue eare vnto me 2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my soare â—â—nne in the night and ceased not my soule refused to be comforted Reade on and you shall find that God did not leaue him comfortlesse but when hee could not feele the fauour of God he found the grace of prayer and perceiued that God heard him By this that
also telleth vs by his experience Man that is borne of woman is of few daies and full of trouble The best of Gods seruants commonly smart most in these daily grieuances for iudgement beginneth at Gods house Dauid makes great moane often in his Psalmes griefes in his body vnquietnesse in his soule persecutions from his enemies and innumerable vexations S. Paul complaineth of laboures stripes imprisonments shipwrack many perils by land and by sea wearinesse painfulnesse watching fasting hunger thirst cold nakednesse And who is he that walketh conscionably in the feare of God that hath not cause to complaine with Dauid Innumerable troubles haue compassed me about 2 The remedy of this Pater noster libera nos The deliuerance here desired of our father is that copiosa redemptio plentifull redemption which Dauid doth speake of which is By grace of preuention to keepe them off from vs ne ingruant 2 By grace of subuention to support vs in these euils ne opprimant 3 By grace of full deliuerance to remoue them vtterly from vs ne destruant 1 For the grace of preuention Dauid was very neare a shrewd turne when Saul the king threw his iauelin at him So was he when Michall conueied him away through a window that he might escape the messengers which Saul sent of purpose to kill him S. Paul had such a deliuerance In Damascus the Gouernor vnder Aretas the king kept the city with a garrison desirous to apprehend me And through the windowes in a basket I was let downe by the wall and escaped The Scripture is full of examples of this kind and he that obserueth well the course of his own life will find many of these gratious preuentions of euill wherewith the hand of our great deliuerer hath kept off many euils from him Destruction was come euen to the very gates of Niniueh and within forty daies all had perished had not mercy interposed In 88. when Spaine girded on her harnesse against this land and came hitherward with purpose to inuade with the Popes promise to conquer and possesse this kingdome here was the Deuill suggesting the Pope abetting and the Spaniard attempting and God preuenting In 1605 the machination of the powder treason by the sonnes of Belial men of blood the corroboration of the plot by the agents for the Pope the secret abetment of it from Spaine the prosecution of it to the day of destruction lost all their strength and spit their venome vpon themselues in the defeat of their treason the destruction of the traitours and in the perpetuall reproach of Popish religion to all the ends of the world and to the last period of time All this by this preuenting goodnesse of God who kept vs from the euill and would not suffer vs to fall into the pit that they had digged for our soules For this Christ prayed his father Pater si possibile est transeat hic calix And this is that which is promised to the faithfull There shall no euill befall thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling He shall giue his Angels charge ne offendas This is the chiefest of Gods deliuerances and the fullest of Gods temporall mercies this also is a common and usuall tendernesse of God to vs to preserue vs from danger but this is neither so sensibly perceiued nor receiued so thankfully as it deserues It may bee we may report our strange escapes with wonder and tell them for newes but we do not commonly giue God the honor due to his name for them by praysing him for them as we ought 2 The grace of subuention in euils This was the fauour that the father did to the sonne in the agony that he suffered in the garden for hee sent to him then And there appeared to him an Angell from heauen strengthening him Christ our louing Sauiour chose rather to be comforted in his sorrowes then to bee kept quite from them for he did vndergoe them for vs as S. Ambrose sweetly saith Suscepit tristitiam meam vt mihi largiretur laetitiam suam and againe Debuit dolorem suscipere vt vinceret And God sent to him his Angell to comfort him in this distresse as Beda saith Sicut propter nos tristis est propter nos confortatur that we might know that so many as are by faith vnited to Christ haue interest in Gods spirituall consolations in the middest of all troubles Thus Saint Paul was comforted aboord the ship in his dangerous voyage to Rome the Angell of the Lord appeared to him and promised him his owne life and all their liues that sailed with him Thus was Noah supported in the deluge of the whole world Lot in the conflagration of Sodome Daniel in the den of Lyons the three Children in the fierie furnace Ioseph in the prison Peter also being in ward Our Father to whom wee pray euen as Ionah from the belly of hell is called the father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth vs in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort you which be in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selues are comforted of God So he himselfe is a comforter and he would haue vs comforters one to another and his Angels be comforters Yet for all this to make vp a full consolation Christ saith I will giue you another comforter and he promiseth his abode with vs for euer This grace of subuention though it doe not quit the afflictions yet it taketh away the euill of them so that the Saints of God are exprest reioycing in tribulations which they could not doe if the euill thereof were not remoued This mercy of subuention if neither charitie nor zeale desire it yet smart and paine will extort it from men for who suffers paine or griefe or losse or infamie but in the pang of the fit he cryeth God helpe me 3 The grace of full deliuerance Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of them all The snare is broken we are deliuered This fauour Noah and Lot had so had Daniel and the three Children first comforted in tribulations then deliuered from them and Ioseph of whom it is said that they put his feete in the stockes the iron entred into his soule He had the innocency of his cause to comfort him and though for a time he did suffer this affliction in the prison as a malefactor for so we must vnderstand the storie yet after some time of suffering God did giue him fauour in the sight of the Keeper and then he had comfort in his captiuity And as the Psalmist saith he abode there vntill the time that his word came the word of the Lord tryed him The King sent and loosed him the ruler of the people and let him goe free The time when his word came was the time when he interpreted to Pharaoh his double dreame then the word of
crucis non haberet signo tamen crucis samuniri curabat To that place came a congregation of euill spirits declaring to their chiefe an account of the euill they had suggested that day One of them told how he had tempted one Andreas a Bishop to some loose desires the chiefe of them and all the rest vrged his further proceeding therein After espying themselues ouer heard by the Iew which lay quietly by them they thought to haue done him a mischiefe but he was so fenced with the signe of the Crosse that they could not but left him and disappeared The next day the Iew told the Bishop what hee had heard what he had done and the Bishop was by him preserued against Sathan he by the Bishop catechised and baptised Thomas Cantipratanus a suffragan Bishop a great collectour and register of miracles reports from his own eyes he saith Proprijs oculis vidi hee trauailed 40. miles of purpose and there laet is oculis vidit One Voluandus a Prior of the Predicants vsed euer in life often to signe his brest with the signe of the Crosse his bones after being taken vp to be deposited in another place they saw vpon his breast bone the signe of the Crosse of a massie and bony substance quasi scutum cordis I should surfet your christian patience if I should recount to you the legend of Saint Francis and the Wolfe how he saued himselfe and ouercame the cruelty of the Wolfe onely by the signe of the Crosse and after by gentle perswasions made the Wolfe as tame as any Lambe and made the Wolfe promise him neuer to vse any cruelty againe For why should it not bee as possible for a Wolfe to speake as an Asse These things the Roman faith doth follow as Esau did the red potage that lost him the blessing And such lying Legends as these doe beget such an opinion of the signe of the crosse that many simple ignorants thinke themselues sufficiently fortified against all euill by that signe George Dowley a Priest set forth a Catechisme in English in An. 1616. 1 Chapter of the signe of the Crosse Where he perswadeth this manner of blessing our selues against all euill Making with the thumbe a crosse vpon the forehead against all euill thoughts Another vpon the mouth against euill words The third vpon the breast against euill workes which proceed from the heart saying By the signe of the holy Crosse from all our enemies deliuer vs good Lord. This is modest blasphemy compared with that in the Breuiary of the Church of Rome where vpon the feast of the Inuent of the crosse the people are required to prostrate themselues before the crosse and to say these words O crux splendidior astris salva catervam in tuis laudibus congregatam Is not this a flying from our father which is in heauen to seeke helpe against euills from a creature the work of mans hands thus doth the idolatrous Church of Rome dishonour God with highest contumely and blasphemy In like manner their desertion of God is further declared in their inuocations of the virgin Mary of Angels and Saints and their images their Agni Dei hallowed graines and Medailes which the superstitious papists doe beare about them as their munition and defence against euils that God may renew his old complaint My people haue committed two euils they haue forsaken me the fountaine of liuing waters and hewed them out Cisternes that can hold no water Against this damnable error and practise let vs learne of him that teacheth vs here to pray of whom we may seeke for deliuerance from all euills let vs obserue the way of the faithfull in all ages of the Church and see who gaue them deliuerance and whither they resorted in all feares and pressures and we shall find that all the faithfull haue sought and found deliuerance no where but in the arme of our father which is in heauen 3 The duties of such as moue God in this petition Let vs see where this petition is placed for it is the last request that we make to God in this prayer teaching vs that none are capable of deliuerance from the power and fury of the Deuill but such as desire of God heartily and zealously 1 That the name of God may haue right done to it by him by hallowing of it 2 That the kingdome of God may rule him 3 That he may liue in obedience of the holy will of God all his life 4 That he may liue vnder the prouidence of God seeking his meat from him and receiuing it with his blessing thankfully and contentedly 5 That he may be pardoned all his sinnes in the mercy of God and shew mercy himselfe to such as offend him 6 That he may be free from new defections or relapses He that faithfully beleeueth and feruently desireth and heartily prayeth for these spirituall graces may safely pray it out Libera nos à malo Therefore all the duties of zeale and piety of knowledge obedience charity temperance mercy repentance godly life are required of him that sollicites this sute to God to be deliuered from all euill for hee that would not suffer ill must take heed as much as hee can to doe none The first caution directeth vs how to compose our selues for this petition that we may preuaile with our God for deliuerance that is by seeking first the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof by desiring to liue in the sober and thankfull vse of his creatures and maintaining a good conscience toward God and men 2 Seeing we pray for deliuerance from all euill wee are admonished to decline and avoid all the occasions of euill he that would not haue his teeth set on edge let him not taste of sowre grapes it is the forbidden fruit that embroileth vs in all the calamities of life that vnparadiseth vs and turnes vs ouer to labour and sorrow It is a certaine signe of our regeneration if wee haue a care to keepe our selues from these euills As S. Iohn saith We know that he that is borne of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one toucheth him not Which words doe shew that there is a seed of grace in the elect whereby they may keepe themselues from the touch of Sathan The way to keepe our selues from this danger is by Saint Paul thus opened Holding faith and a good conscience 1 Holding faith that is depending only vpon God for our safety louing him and cleauing to him trusting him and resting vpon him desiring the constant course of his vnchangeable loue to vs in Christ Iesus For nothing doth more establish our hearts in faith then the sweet experience that we haue had of Gods former mercies and loue to vs from which we conclude the vndoubted assurance of his future prouidence This was Dauids plea. By thee haue I beene holden vp from the wombe thou art he that tooke me out of my mothers
Arias Montanus giues this note vpon these words in Saint Matthew Animaduerte lector hanc clausulam non esse de textu he addeth also that in the Greeke Church the congregation doth neuer repeate this clause but when they haue with the Minister said libera nos a malo The Priest onely pronounceth these words quia tuum est regnum c. And learned Erasmus thinkes that these words might be added to the Lords prayer by the vse of the Church as at the end of the Psalmes we added that holy acclamation of Gloria patri filio spiritui sancto yet neither of these Apocryphicall or without diuine authority for Dauid is said to blesse the Lord before all the congregation saying Thine O Lord is the greatnesse power and glory and the maiesty and the victory for all that is in the heauen and earth is thine Thine is the kingdome O Lord and thou art exalted as head aboue all Therefore approuing the vse of this conclusion of the Lords prayer we proceed in it 1 And call it by the name which is giuen to it by the holy Ghost our Blessing of God after prayer this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 We will consider it as a motiue to God to grant vs the requests made in the seuen petitions 3 As it is a strengthening of our faith to aske all these things at the hands of God 1 This is a blessing of God We are said to blesse God when we doe praise him and giue him the honour due to his name So Saint Paul meant it Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort And it agreeth well with our duty that we petitioning this father in this prayer for all mercies and all comfort and wrastling with him in our prayer as Iacob did for his blessing vpon vs should also blesse him and praise his name Rea. 1 And for our direction herein we haue our Sicut in coelo in terra for Iohn heard euery creature which is in heauen and in earth and vnder the earth and such as are in the sea saying Blessing honour glory and power bee vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the lambe for euer and euer Rea. 2 Let vs consider what Dauid saith Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised We pray in our first petition Hallowed be thy name for the name of God is great and Dauid saith According to thy name O God so is thy praise vnto the ends of the earth thy hand is full of righteousnesse We labour to open that hand by our prayers that we may partake of his righteousnesse therefore to him belongeth praise for his names sake We are created to this end to glorifie God in our bodies Rea. 3 and in our soules and this is the way to honour him ipse dixit Who so offereth praise glorifieth me Dauid often calleth it Sacrificium laudis And he calleth these kinde of sacrifices the sacrifices of righteousnesse These be called vituli labiorum in Hose they are called fructus labiorum confitentium nomini eius by the author to the Hebrewes The Saints of God haue vsed to cast themselues downe at his feete that in their humiliation he may bee exalted when we kneele or prostrate our selues to one that standeth by vs we make him shew high ouer vs therefore when the Lords faithfull seruants come to him to worship they fall low on their knees before him They euacuate themselues and put off all honour and estimation from themselues to giue it all to him this is blessing of God So doe we in this prayer all petition then confession 2 Consider this as a motiue to God to grant the petitions herein contained 1 Wherein obserue that we haue no arguments to induce God to goodnesse towards vs but such onely as are drawne from himselfe and his owne holy and great attributes Therefore Daniel renounceth all respects drawne from himselfe as vnpleadable Wee doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great mercies therefore he prayeth O Lord heare O Lord forgiue O Lord hearken and doe deferre not for thine owne sake O my God So Nehemiah in his prayer doth make a contrite confession of his sinnes to God and the sinnes of all the people and his plea for mercy and forgiuenesse and for further grace and fauour of God is the promise of God Remember the word that thou commandedst by thy seruant Moses So we pray remember thine owne kingdome thy power and thy glory when we aske of thee these petitions for we haue nothing of our own worth the remembring for whose sake thou shouldest grant our requests 2 Let vs consider how these may be motiues to perswade our God to heare our prayers we doe herein acknowledge and ascribe to God 1 Kingdome as Dauid saith The Lord is King the earth may be glad thereof he is no tyrant but a King to whom belongeth the procuration of the good of his Subiects Hee is our King of old saith Dauid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is therefore the breath of our nostrils he is the common father of vs all ruling vs with authority and loue And because thou art our King we pray thee to glorifie thine owne name in thy Church to let thy kingdome come to it To aduance thy will in it To sustaine vs thy subiects with all the necessaries and conueniences of life To seale thy pardon of all our sinnes To keepe vs from the infection of new sinnes from relapses into our old ones To defend vs from the power of the deuill and to saue vs from any thing that may offend and hurt vs. 2 Power is ascribed to God Wherein we appeale to the omnipotency of our Father we acknowledge him able to doe whatsoeuer hee will in heauen and earth So Nehemiah beginneth his prayer O Lord God of heauen the great and terrible God So began Daniel O Lord the great and dreadfull God This confession of Gods power doth incline the greatnesse and might of God to stoope it selfe to vs for power takes no ioy in aduancing it self against weaknes Amongst men there be of those barbarous and inhumane natures which abuse power to vnmercifull tyranny and oppression but when we confesse the power of God we submit to it and thereby moue the God of power to declare the same to our good He hath power in spirituall graces to bestow them on vs that we may serue him in the hallowing of his name his power can extend his kingdome ouer all his power onely can make vs able to doe his will this power commandeth heauen and earth to minister to our necessities He hath power to pardon all sinnes and to preserue vs from temptation and euill Therefore the consideration of our confession of his power moueth him to grant our requests in all
things reuealed done by all that loue and conscionably serue him 11 His goodnesse in himselfe and toward all things that haue being of him 12 His grace by which he declareth himselfe in Iesus Christ the father of vs all 13 His mercy in which he couereth our sinnes and pardoneth all our iniquities 14 His righteousnesse by which hee iustifieth his elect and condemneth the vngodly In all these God is glorious in his Church and his Church confesseth it 2 He is glorious in his workes It is a worke for the Sabbath to thinke of them Dauid makes two good vses of them 1 To debase himselfe 2 To exalt God O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth 3 He is glorious in his word 1 In veritate it is called verbum veritatis 2 In aeternitate durat in saeculum Truth maketh vs free and eternity crowneth vs with indesinent perpetuity Our faith is hereby supported that seeing our God is the King of glory and all our prayers are directed to his glory that he will therefore heare vs from heauen and when he heareth he will haue mercy And in that faith we all say Amen to these our holy deuotions MATH 6.13 Amen THis is the last gaspe of this heauenly prayer 1 Consider we what Amen is 2 To what it is said 3 By whom it must be said 4 How we must say it 1 What Amen is It is one of those Hebrew words which is retained in the vse of the Church in all languages and Gabriel Gerson saith it is vsed in Scripture three wayes 1 Nominaliter 2 Aduerbialiter 3 Verbaliter 1 Nominaliter and that 1 Personaliter 2 Realiter Thus it signifieth the truth of the person and so it is the appellation of Christ These things saith Amen the faithfull and true witnesse onely proper to Christ Ego veritas omnis homo mendax Thus it signifieth the truth of things so called all the promises of God in him are yea and Amen that is perfect truth 2 Aduerbialiter So it signifieth verily a word of earnest asseueration sometimes vsed single sometimes double Amen Amen Our Sauiour vseth it much in the Gospell alwaies in serious matters 1 In doctrina Baptism Verily I say vnto you nisi quis renatus fuerit c. 2 In doctrina Euchar. Amen Amen dico vobis Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud you haue no life in you 3 In doctrina orationis Amen Amen dico vobis quaecunque petieritis patrem in nominâ— meo dabit vobis 4 In the doctrine of comfort in afflictions Verily verily I say vnto you ye shall weepe and lament and the world shall reioyce but your sorrow shall bee turned into ioy So it is vsed in many other important passages in holy Scripture Origen per quod verbum vernaculo Hebraeorum sermone vera fidelia esse quae scripta sunt dicta consignatur Therefore where you finde that word beginne the sentence expect some thing of great moment to follow Attendite credite 3 Verbaliter And thus it is equiualent to So be it and is vsed in the close of 1 Thankesgiuing 2 Praise 3 And prayer 1 Of thankesgiuing The Apostle taketh care that this seruice bee performed lingua familiari Idiomate noto that Amen may be said to it 2 Of praise or blessing of God Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from euerlasting and to euerlasting Amen and Amen Blessed be the Lord for euermore Amen and Amen God teacheth his Leuites to blesse his people when they dismisse the congregation He addeth They shall put my name vpon the children of Israel Amen is his name and the seale of that blessing 3 Of prayer So our prayers end generally and it hath a double vse which I learne of two Fathers 1 Signaculum consensus nostri 2 Votum desiderij nostri 1 It sheweth our vnderstanding well informed 2 Our affections feruently inflamed 2 To what it is said 1 To the Preface 2 To the seuen petitions 3 To the Conclusion 1 To the Preface Here are three things of import 1 That wee chalenge interest in God and call him ours 2 That wee seeke his face as his children and call him Father 3 That we lift vp our hearts to him as being in heauen In all these we vse Amen both aduerbialiter and verbaliter 1 Amen verily he is ours it is vox fidei wee beleeue him so to be 1 We beleeue our right in him noster 2 His loue to vs in Pater 3 His prouident power ouer vs by reason his dwelling is in heauen from whom euery good and perfect gift commeth Amen verily as Aquila fideliter as Origene ad confirmationem omnium quae dicta suut all this is true This is signaculum fidei He that sealeth to his conscience a full perswasion that God dwelling in heauen is his father may be bold to goe on with all the seuen petitions He that will pray let him aske in faith and wauer not Heare the Church prayer Looke downe from heauen and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse and glory where is thy zeale and strength and the multitude of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me are they restrained Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham bee ignorant of vs though Israel acknowledge vs not thou O Lord art our Father our redeemer c. Say Amen to this and pray on There is also another vse of Amen by way of blessing our selues in the name of the Lord. Amen So be it for this is votum desiderij nostri 1 That he may owne vs and call vs his 2 That he may loue vs and call vs children 3 That he may possesse the place From whence euery good gift commeth That his prouidence may be our storehouse to supply all our wants That his loue may be our banner That his power may be our fenced citie So be it 2 Amen to the petitions Amen to the whole body of the prayer Amen to euery part of it not onely to euery petition but to euery member thereof 2 Aduerbiabiter 1 For our hearts must be established with a full perswasion that it cannot goe well with vs by any meanes except all this be done that we pray for 1 The name of God which is our tower and refuge must be hallowed else quo fugiemus 2 The kingdome of God must come else who shall raigne ouer vs 3 The will of God must be obeied by vs and fulfilled vpon vs for it is his will to saue vs. 4 And if this will of God be not obeyed on earth according to the patterne of heauenly obedience performed by the Angels and Saints of God it will not be accepted in his sight 5 If he giue vs not bread and his blessing with it we shall not liue in his sight 6 If he forgiue vs not wee