reformation of practice not answerable hereunto Now the vse concerneth either all hearers in generall or Ministers themselues in speciall First al hearers of what ranke or sort soeuer are taught hence to make more account of the prayers of Ministers and the better to respect their persons First their prayers are to be preferred before the prayers of others especially publike prayer performed by them and of publike prayers their blessing prayer particularly for it is said in the Text their prayer came vp to heauen that is the prayer of the Priests and the prayer spoken of was publike prayer and it is meant of the prayer wherewith the Priests blessed the people For the first it is true that the prayer of the righteous is acceptable as it is Prou. 15. 8. euen of any righteous man but if a righteous Prophet or publike Minister may be had it is so much the better When Abimelech was punisht for taking Sarah it was Abrahams prayer that must doe him good because he was a Prophet Gen. 20. 7. And S. Iames for this cause would not haue the sicke man to content himselfe with his owne prayers only but to desire the Ministers helpe Iam. 5. 14. He saith indeed Is any man afflicted Let him pray Euery one is to pray for himselfe but that is not all that he is to doe Is any sicke among you Let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him Is any sicke be he what he will be if he be neuer so good let him not trust to his owne prayers if he may haue further helpe Why but will it not serue the turne as well if hee send for some good Christian in the towne to pray for him No let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him and it is promised that there shall be speciall fruite of their prayers The sicke shal be raised vp and if he haue committed sinnes they shall be forgiuen him But it may be obiected We doe not alwaies see this fruite of Ministers prayers many times the sicke that haue their prayers are little the better for them I answere it may well be so because there is a great difference of Churchmen and a great difference of those which haue their prayers First all Churchmen are not alike some are righteous and some vnrighteous some pray in faith others haue not that grace And the Apostle there speaketh of the prayers of the righteous and instanceth in a righteous Prophet Elias And it is the prayer of faith which he commendeth for efficacie Secondly all afflicted and sicke persons are not alike First against some almightie God is growne to such displeasure that he will heare no man for them As he said Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my minde could not be towards this people cast them out of my sight and let them go foorth Iere. 15. 1. And elsewhere Though these three men were in it Noah Daniel and Iob as I liue saith the Lord God they should deliuer but their owne soules by their righteousnes Ezech. 14. 14 16 18 20. Secondly that place before named Luk. 10. 5. may giue satisfaction touching this matter where promise of blessing to the Ministers prayer for others is but conditionall If they be the sonnes of peace it shall doe them good not else if they be contemners of our office and ministerie as many be they are not qualified and prepared for grace they shall haue no benefit by our prayers But for the sonnes of peace which humble themselues and vnfainedly loue the Lords messengers and reuerence their doctrine and desire their prayers God will heare his faithfull seruants Such shall be the better for the prayers of Gods Ministers which they make for them vnto the Lord in their sicknesse Therefore let them doe as S. Iames appoynteth them call for the Elders of the Church for this purpose preferring the prayers of righteous Ministers before the prayers of any other whatsoeuer But as their priuate prayers are specially to be desired so publike prayer performed by them is to be preferd before priuate Such was the prayer spoken of in the Text and it went vp to heauen The distance of heauen and earth the cloudes and celestiall bodies betweene them the infirmities of them that prayed could not hinder but it pierced thorow all and had speedie accesse vnto God and gracious acceptance with him When many ioyne together with one accord it is pleasing to God and most auailable with him when there is a consort of hearts and voyces and a harmony of affections and many haue one and the same suite and supplication vnto the God of heauen it preuaileth mightily with him prouided that the Minister be the speaker So it is appoynted Ioel. 2. 16. Gather the people It is not enough for euery family apart to pray but all families must assemble together and pray and the prayer must proceed from the Priests lips Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord say Spare thy people O Lord then will the Lord heare and shew mercie Is there any man then in loue with his owne priuate deuotion and thinketh that sufficient and therefore absenteth himselfe from the publike assemblies when he might be present if he would Let him know he erreth not knowing the Scriptures and the pleasure of God and hee certainly wrongeth his owne soule neglecting that which would be most profitable for him Non aequè exoras saith Chrysostome dum solus Dominum obsecras atque cum fratribus tuis Thou doest not so soone obtaine thy desire when thou prayest alone as when thou prayest with thy brethren And againe That which thou canst not obtaine when thou prayest alone by thy selfe thou shalt receiue when thou prayest with a multitude Thus antiquitie conceiued of the power and efficacie of publike prayer aboue priuate Yea will the Separatist say Publike prayers no doubt are of great power if they be conceiued prayers I answere Indeed to conceiue prayer is an excellent gift and by no meanes to be despised if it be not rashly vndertaken by those which haue no grace to performe it in due sort but I make no question but that a man may pray also as acceptably vnto God in a set forme and so may publike praiers as well as priuate be made also as the Church hath euer practised and it is a vaine thing to think that God is so delighted with varying of words and phrases that when we haue the same suits and requests to make vnto him daily yet wee must alter the words and manner of asking Not to presse the example of our Sauiour Christ himselfe who had a better gift in prayer then all the Separatists in the world and could haue varyed better then them all yet when hee had the same suit vnto God vsed the same words diuers times Father if it be possible let
blest By whom By the Priests The Priests the Leuites blest the people Not any of the Laity not any of the Princes not King Hezekiah though present but the Leuiticall Priests Church-men Ecclesiasticall persons Masters of the assembly that had the managing of diuine affaires at such times But were the people euer the better for their blessing Yes their prayer went vp to heauen this was intended in their consecration and separation The Lord separated the Tribe of Leui to minister vnto him and to blesse in his name Deut. 10. 8. and Numb 6. 22. there is the ordinance of God touching the same the Priests the sonnes of Aaron are called of God to this office and appointed to the constant execution thereof and a prescript forme is giuen vnto them for the purpose Speake vnto Aaron saith the Lord and to his sonnes saying On this wise ye shall blesse the children of Israel saying vnto them The Lord blesse thee c. Where first there is a generall benediction in these words The Lord blesse thee and then fiue great blessings are specified First of custody and protection in these words The Lord keepe thee tending to this that the Lord would euer be the Keeper of Israel and preserue his Church and people from all euill The second blessing mentioned is the sense of Gods loue in the next words The Lord make his face to shine vpon thee Alluding to the Sunne which when it shineth is sensible vnto vs. The third blessing is mercy to their sinnes in these words The Lord be mercifull or gracious vnto thee tending to this that the Lord would in mercy passe by their offences and see no iniquity in Iacob nor transgression in Israel The fourth blessing is a plentifull manifestation of the loue of God towards them The Lord lift vp his countenance vpon thee The last but not the least is peace the consequent of the rest and the very complement of all And giue thee peace Meaning not onely externall prosperity but also that happy peace with God which passeth all vnderstanding which the world cannot giue Loe thus did the Lord appoint his Priests to blesse his people and to that which they should doe according to his holy ordinance he annexed a most gracious promise saying further Ego benedicam I will blesse them Therefore it is to good purpose that Illyricus saith that sacerdotall benediction is not a bare good prayer but as it were a pledge and testimony of the fauour of God and he speaketh further of it as if it were of speciall power and efficacie to open heauen to those which are partakers thereof In this place of Numbers wee may obserue three materiall differences betweene the Priests blessing and all others making much for the dignity and authority thereof First they are expresly required to blesse the Lords people they haue such a commission and charge giuen vnto them touching the same as the like is not giuen to any other thorowout the whole Scripture Speake vnto Aaron and to his sonnes c. Secondly to them is giuen a prescript forme and onely to them and to no other We reade of Salomon and other religious Kings who haue blessed the people publikely but not conceptis verbis in any prescript forme as did the Priests Thirdly to their benediction a promise of the Lords blessing is annexed in such sort as the like is not made to any other This three-fold difference there is betweene the Priestly benediction and others The Priests the publike Ministers of the Lord had a speciall charge a speciall forme and a speciall promise First a speciall charge to doe it Secondly a speciall forme how to doe it Thirdly a speciall promise if they doe it they should not blesse in vaine but the Lord whose name they thrice inuocated in the blessing as if it were with secret reference to the three persons now better knowne the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost promised to confirme and ratifie their act to the benefit of the people The Priests pronouncing the blessing as they were appointed he ingaged himselfe to doe according to their prayer and to blesse them actually and really Now this part of the Priests office was not ceremoniall but morall and of perpetuall vse and therefore we finde that it was put in practice both before the law and since the comming of Christ the like hath beene done by the chiefe Ministers of the new Testament Before the law we read that Abraham and his company was blest Gen. 14. 18. By whom By a Priest namely by Melchizedech called the Priest of the most high God and the Patriarch paid Tithes to him that blest him And when our high Priest came who is a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedech they brought their children to him to be blest And hee laid his hands on them and blessed them Mark 10. 16. and Luk. 24. 50. Before he departed from his Disciples Priestlike hee lifted vp his hands and blessed them And the Apostles vsually blessed the Churches of Christ which they taught and from them we haue receiued that forme of Euangelicall benediction vsed in all Churches by the publike Ministers The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God the Father and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Amen Which differeth from the former in words more than in substance For it comprehendeth as much as that but is so much the sweeter because in this the sweete and blessed name of Iesus Christ is mentioned and all the three persons distinctly therefore wee vse this rather than the other But it may be said Is there any commandement giuen to the Ministers of the Gospell to blesse I answere when Christ sent Preachers abroad into the Cities whither he would come he appoynted them to blesse the places where they came and shewed them how to doe it Luk. 10. 5. Into whatsoeuer house saith he yee enter first say Peace be to this house Ther 's a briefe forme of blessing appoynted vnto them to vse And if saith he the sonne of peace be there that is any worthie of peace which will receiue you then your peace shall rest vpon it that is that blessing which you prayed for shall be vpon that house but if not it shall turne to you againe you shall be the better for it but it shall take no effect for their good Whereby we see that as it pertained to the Priests vnder the Law to blesse the people so it likewise belongeth to the Ministers of the Gospell and as the Priestly benediction of old was not meerely verball but effectuall so to the blessing pronounced by the Ministers of Christ a promise of like efficacie is annexed And this may serue for confirmation of the poynt propounded and for information of the iudgement I come now to the speciall inferences hence tending to the
the Centurion when he stood in need of helpe Why He loueth our nation and hath built vs a Synagogue And Saint Paul prayed for all Christians but not so as hee did for Onesiphorus his speciall good friend When he remembred him 2. Tim. 1. 16. hee blessed him and his house and doubled his blessing vpon him The Lord giue mercy to the house of Onesiphorus for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chaine And againe The Lordgrant vnto him that he may finde mercy of the Lord in that day He prayed not so Iwis for Alexander the Copper-smith These Priests did not could not at all times blesse the people so cheerfully and effectually as they did now Now it is said that Hezekiah spake comfortably vnto them and encouraged them greatly Now they found the Congregation tractable to good and they had extraordinary comfort by them therefore now their zeale was vp and they lifted vp their voices and their hearty prayer for them ascended vp to heauen Excellent therefore is the counsell of the Apostle Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that haue the ouersight of you which watch for your soules that they may doe it with ioy and not with griefe for that is vnprofitable for you It maketh their blessing the more vnprofitable Therefore let those which would bee blest by them effectually looke they deserue their loue and be farre from contempt of their persons or calling or doctrine I should also vse a word of Exhortation to my brethren of the Ministery the more holy and reuerent our Calling is the more it concerneth vs to looke that wee walke worthy thereof and to beware lest wee dishonour it by our words or deeds My brethren it is not for vs to bee despisers of those which follow holinesse for our doctrine teacheth vs and all others to bee holy it is not for vs to be childish for God hath called euen the youngest of vs to bee Fathers in his Church and made vs as it were Patriarchs to blesse the Israel of God it is not for vs to be youthfull with the children of this world for we are called Elders and therefore grauitie becommeth vs. That which is vanity in others is double iniquitie in vs. The excellencie of our Ministeriall function aggrauateth our sinnes before God and men according to that of S. Ierome Malus sacerdos de sacerdotio suo crimeÌ„ acquirit non dignitateÌ„ If a Minister be bad this aggrauateth his offence because hee is a Minister and his Ministry is no such grace to him as he is a disgrace to his Ministrie And obserue what commeth of it Those that are scrupulous care not for the iudgement of such as be scandalous about any poynt in controuersie Brownists thinke they haue iust cause to separate from our Church where such guides are in place of better men The Iesuite and Seminarie Priest taketh aduantage thereby to depraue our Religion and to breed in the simpler sort an ill opinion thereof they name Such are knowne to be of euill conuersation and bid Marke their liues An vnhappy meaning Hee had though he spake it pleasantly who said of a vicious Priest that he would not for any thing heare him say the Creed lest it should make him call the Articles of his faith into question Certainly those of this sacred function which are of vngodly conuersation are an occasion of much mischiefe Many haue no minde to haue their children baptized by such and it goeth against their stomakes to receiue the venerable Sacrament of Christ his Body Blood from their foule hands and their blessings and prayers they regard little because they see they regard wickednesse in their hearts and therefore they thinke the Lord will not heare them Many also care not for their doctrine because they say and doe not I iustifie not all this in them but rather thinke they are transported too farre in a preposterous zeale For good food being brought vnto Elias he receiued it not only from an Angell but also from a Rauen. And Christ bid the people not only to heare him and his Apostles but the Pharises also when they taught them that which was good though they followed it not themselues Good water which passeth into a Garden thorow a channell of stone doth the Garden good though it doe the channell none and so may the Word and Water of Life coÌ„ueied by a bad instrument of a stony hart it may doe good to the Church of God though it worke not vpon himselfe And good seed sowne in good ground with foule hands will fructisie and so may the good Seed of Gods Word sowne by a Minister of impure conuersation One may be a bad man and yet a good Seedesman both in the field and in the Church yet woe be to them by whom the offence commeth woe to them which make the people to abhorre the offering of the Lord through their misdemeanour Eli his sonnes smoked for this And to many which haue prophecied in his name Christ will say in his iust displeasure Away from me ye workers of iniquitie Therefore to conclude the Lord giue vs all grace so to demeane our selues in our places that his Name may be glorified by vs his Church edified and our reuerend Calling adorned that our prayers may be accepted of the Lord and our blessing of the people may with this Priestly benediction goe vp vnto his holy dwelling Place euen vnto heauen which he grant for his infinite mercies sake in Christ to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be ascribed all praise and glorie now and for euer Amen FINIS The Text The Context The diuision The subdiuision The sense What the Priests were What the Leuites Numb 8. 7. 19. Psal 103. 1. Gen. 12. 2. What it is to blesse Gen. 24. 12. Blessing ordinary by all sorts 1. By the law of naturall affection Gen. 24. 60. 2. By the law of curtesie Ruth 2. 4. Psal 129. 8. Aug. in Psal 3. By the lavv of equitie 1. Sam. 25. 33. Ruth 2. 20. 4 By the law of charity Mat. 5. 44. Superiors to blesse Blessing Oeconomicall 1. Chron. 16. 43. Paternall Gen. 27. 27. Politicall Iosh 22. 6. Sacerdotall Numb 6. 23. Hier. in praefa lib. 2. in Gal. God his habitations cohabitations 1. Kings 8. 27. Iohn 14. 2. Three heauens Esther 5. 2. Heauen why called holy Leuit. 19. 2. 1. Pet. 1. 16. Heb. 12. 14. It belongeth to Ministers to blesse the people The end of their consecration and separation Deut. 10. 8. The ordinance of God for it Numb 6. 22. Fiue blessings to be desired for the people First custody or protection Secondly the sense of Gods loue Thirdly mercie to their sinnes Fourthly a plentifull manifestation of Gods loue Fiftly peace The Priests blessing more then a prayer Clau. Scrip. A three-fold difference betweene the Priests blessing others First they had a speciall charge Secondly a speciall forme 1. Kings 8. 55. Pet. Mart. in locum Thirdly a speciall promise Gen. 14. 18. Mark 10. 16. Luk 24. 50. The Euangelicall blessing 2. Cor. 13. 14. Luk. 10. 5. Ministers prayers to be preferd before others Prou. 15. 8. Gen. 20. 7. The sicke to send for Ministers to pray for them Iames 5. 14. A difference of Ministers and of their praying A difference amongst those that are prayed for Jere. 15. 1. Ezech. 14. 14. Luk. 10 5. Publike prayer to be preferd before priuate Ioel. 2. 16. Chrysost de Dei natura Hom. 3. Chrysost on Thess 2. Hom. 4. Prayer in a set forme defended Mat. 26. 44. Luk. 11. 1. Proued from the Text. Our Church alloweth Ministers to vse conceiued prayer Preaching not to be despised Preaching necessary for the conuerted 1. Cor. 14. 4 5 6 22. For Israel Deut. 33. 10. 1. Pet. 2. 2. Preaching necessary to profitable reading Acts 8. 31. To worthy receiuing 1. Cor. 11. To good praying Those of yeeres to bee called vpon to heare sermons by the ordinance of the Church Esay 2. 3. 2. Tim. 4. 2. 1. Pet. 2. 2. The Temple a house of preaching as well as of prayer Matth. 26. 55. 1. Thess 5. 17. Great regard to be had to the blessing pronounced by the Minister Leuit. 9. â—2 Pendebat ex benedictionibus magna ex parte Saserdotij dignitas c. Gualt in Mal. 2 Heb 7. 7. All offices appointed of God to his Ministers honorable Can. 12. Iudg. 17. 10. and 18. 19. Chrysost de Sacerd Saluian diesque auaritiam lib. 1. pag. 61. Chrysost in Mat. Hom. 13. Titus 3. 5. Ioh. 3. 5. Ioh. 6. 53. 1. Cor. 10. 16. Matth. 18. 1â— Ioh. 20. 23. Theod. lib. 5. cap. 24. Euseb lib. 6. cap. 34. Emperours excommunicated by Ministers Paulinus in vita Ambrosij 1. Kings 2. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The King vpon the Lords Prayer Doctor King Bishop of London Vitis Palatina Courts Ecclesiasticall why ordained A view of the Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall Law p. 105. Luk. 10. 16. All not blest with the like affection Gen. 27. 3. 4. Vers 27. 1. King 3. 15. Gen. 44. 22 Luk. 7. 4 5. 2. Tim. 1. 16. 2. Tim. 4. 14. Heb. 13. 17. Nugae nugae sunt in ore sacerdotio blasphemiae Bâ—r. * Sir Thomas More Psal 66. 18. 1. Kings 17. 6. Matth. 2â— 3. 1. Sam. 4. 11. Matth. 7. 23.