Disciples nor should a parent give his child any forme of prayer whereafter to pray And if he shall so doe we are inclined to thinke he hath not by so doing taught his child to pray we meane by giving the child a forme whereafter to pray We will heare as hitherto we have don what we have heard said for the holding forth the Affirmative and First This is forced against us without any shew of reason as we conceive That we allow not a parent to teach his child to pray Truely we would not say it for a world for we know it is a parents Duty to teach his Child to pray and to make it their very worke and their buisinesse that their Child may be still Learning at that high worke Secondly But this cannot be done but by giving them a forme of words wherebyto pray We think yes it may by Gods blessing upon the Parents faithfull and Constant endeavour this way and that a forme of prayer prescribed will rather hinder than further the worke as was said before Thirdly But ye in so saying doe Crosse I verily beleive the practise of most the Godly all over the world It is but your Faith and it is quickly said and impossible to be Proved That most of the Godly give their Children formes of prayer to teach them to pray though you doe so you will not conclude that others so doe You may be as was said norma publica as a patterne or standard to your owne people and Children not so to others Fourthly We are sure we have a sure patterne for it John Baptist himselfe We had rather you had said we have a sure word for it from the Lord God Himselfe Yet we refuse not this patterne As farre from Despising what John the Baptist did as we are from rejecting what John the Baptist said And this you say John did he Luke 11. 1. taught his Disciples to pray we yeild it and that every Godly parent is to make him his patterne in teaching his Child to pray Fifthly Theâ— he must give his Child a forme of prayer not possible else to teach him to pray Besides so taught John his Disciples to pray as worthy Hild sayes by giving them formes of prayer to say We move heavily here because against the Streame even of the Learned in this very matter John's teaching his Disciples to pray Yet if we have the Mind of Gods Spirit and the tide of the Scriptures with us we shall hold-on our course and attaine our end anon To this wee say then That it is very possible to teach a child to pray without giving them formes of prayer to say And so wee are perswaded John taught his Disciples to pray wee would be rightly understood here speaking after the manner of men and according to the possibilitie our heavenly Father for his onely Sonnes sake hath made possible unto men It is not cleare to us nor doe wee thinke it possible for any man to make it cleare to himselfe from the word of God That John taught his Disciples to pray by giving them formes of prayer to say He taught them to pray that is out of all question for so wee read and so he did his dutie and full-up to his charge But that he gave them formes of prayer to say this is of mans adding and upon an ungrounded supposition as wee conceive That it was not possible for John but by those formes to teach his Disciples to pray Wee conceive yes And that John in those dayes and that a godly parent in these our dayes can skill better to teach his child to pray without formes of prayer than with them Surely John did teach his Disciples To Whome they were to addresse themselves in prayer after he had told them first what a solemne and sacred worke it was And then acquainted them with the New and living way unto the Father through Whome and John 14. 6. Heb. 7. 19. 10. 19 20. Eph. 2. 18. by Whose hand introduction or hand-leading they have accesse unto the Father He manifested unto them as he could for that was his great worke to doe The Messias he shewed Him openly before them and what lost ones they were without Him And what glorious creatures they are being found in Him not having their owne righteousnesse which more insnareth the soule and indangereth it also than the grossest sins doe It is a grave and weightie Dr G trial gr 1. 53. speech which that excellent man hath There is no danger to be lifted-up hy the righteousnesse of another for it is without us wee can't vainly boast of it for that faith that apprehends it emptyes us first of our selves and goeth out to another for it But sanctification being a worke wrought in us wee are apt to doate on that as too much upon any excellency in our selves Surely John beate them off from their owne righteousnesse the putting any confidence in their flesh he clubbed downe that Monster for so Luther calls it he treated much with them as wee reade about Repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and dealt with them much specially with his Disciples in this what blind poore naked emptie ones they must be in their owne sense and feeling before it can ever enter into their thoughts to pray for the anoynting with eye-salve that they may see a far-off or before they will looke after faith which pitcheth the soule upon Christ and then fetcheth in all that maketh truly rich and putteth upon the soule the glorious cloathing of the Saints emptieth the soule and then fills it with the fulnesse of God through Jesus Christ Thus wee conceive and by no other meanes did John teach his Disciples to pray Wee cannot reach to his words and may seeme too bold in making offer that way But thus wee conceive and wee say it againe John taught his Disciples to pray And not by prescribing them certain formes of prayer to say when they come before their God And this wee conceive to be the ready way a godly parent takes now to teach his childe to pray to his God What way must he take This he may know better than wee But he must teach the childe to know God first or if to pray first then to pray that he may know Him beleeve in Him and obey Him And this the parent cannot well teach the childe till he hath taught the poore simple creature to know it selfe first in some measure and what need he hath of a God in Christ for so the parent dropps into the childe as he can a little vessell and a lesse mouth to receive in and how much falls by and how little is in when it is there in such matters as these are But this wee were saying the godly parent endeavours to doe now a little and then a little A little more knowledge of himselfe what he is in the first Adam as he was borne in the world a childe
A TREATISE OF PRAYER Two Quaeries resolved touching formes of Prayer And Six Quaeries relating specially to the LORDS PRAYER That the Reader may have full Resolution specially to the fourth of these Queries relating to the Lords Prayer he shall finde in the end of this Treatise That Holy and Learned Mans judgement Dr Owen as to that matter in his Answer to Mr Biddles second question of Prayer Pag. 667 668 669. They who aske not for the Spirit that they may pray in the Spirit are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Brutes and Mutes Chry A Malefactor expecting his sentence to death needs not man or booke to prompt him how to plead for his life He that can reade himselfe Cast and condemned by sinne needs not a booke to prompt him how to plead his pardon Paris of Divine Rhetor Compare with this Jer 3. 13. and Rom 10. 9 10. The Lords Prayer is the mould wherein all the Churches prayers are cast moulded and formed Bez Luk. 11. 2. See to it that God be as well pleased with thee calling Him Father as thou art well pleased to call Him Father Cyp Sermon the sixt upon the Lords prayer â— Thou shalt call me My father and shalt not turne away from Me Jer 3. 19. that is I will put filiall affections awfull thoughts constant resolutions into thy heart and thou shalt not turne away from Me London Printed by M. S. for Henry Cripps in Popes-head-Alley 1656. THE FOURTH TREATISE OF PRAYER Two Queries touching formes of Prayer and six relating to the Lords Prayer I. Whether a wicked man may say that prayer II. Whether our Lord gave His Disciples this prayer that they should pray to His Father in those very words III. Whether a Godly man takes it into his Closet IV. Whether it be comely for a Godly Minister to take it into his pulpit V. Whether John taught his Disciples to pray by giving them formes of prayer to say VI. Whether a Godly parent can teach his childe to pray by giving him any forme of prayer And in speciall by teaching his childe to say the Lords Prayer The Negative in all these is under our Maintenance CHAP. I. WEE shall not enter into the Common place of prayer it is not a place to say much of it and to say little is to say little more than nothing at all It is being mounted on the wheele of Faith the great Engine of the world and wheeles all about there it is an Appeale to God in the Name and Mediation of Christ A committing the cause and Condition of His Church and of His Truth the concernements thereof in Generall His owne in speciall to Him and so takeing fast hold of the Allmightie the Allsufficient God in Christ it hath an Omnipotency in it and can doe what God Himselfe is pleased to doe all things that stand with His good will and pleasure for the support and supply of His Church every faithfull soule there And the carying on of His Truth whereby immortality and light is brought to light in the soule In a word It is the breathing-in and-out of the Spirit of God and of Glory It is that which fetcheth-in all from God through the hand of Christ by the Spirit And the Returne of All to God the first spring and fountaine of all by the same way of Conveyance For he or she that Remembers they have all from God cannot forget to Returne all to Him The Disciple hath all by askeing and it is but aske and have the same he asketh or that which is better he writeth uponall he hath Asked of God The Gift of God His Lord and Master Psal 2. Math. 26. had nothing but by askeing Aske of Me and I will give thee And that He the Mediator of His Church giveth-out unto His people at this present He asketh His Father first Surely the Saint must aske in Faith if he will receive in mercy for so he asketh His Lords leave and acknowledgeth Him to be Lord of the Mannour of 〈◊〉 and Earth To shutt up this and to proceed to what we cheifly intend in this place Prayers are the Embassadours of the pooâ—â— empty soule to God for supply from the aboundant Riches of His grace We say a poore empty Spirit for that is full of prayer and much supplication The poore man Prov. 18. 23. speakes supplications 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intreaties that is his Character and his Dialect But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no sense of povertie there is no prayer for there is a 〈◊〉 temper Rich enough and wanting Revel 3. nothing That person prayeth not or not to purpose it is but a Custome onely and a forme Now we crave leave to put two Questions and humbly to give our perswasion in way of Answer unto both SECT I. 1. WHether persons full of themselves as we are all by nature wholy emptie and swept of all Goodnesse and garnished with noysome lusts the furniture and rich garnish of Math. 12. 44. the uncleane Spirits house whether these are like to helpe themselves by useing sett formes of Prayer 2. Whether Babes in Christ newly converted ones renewed in the Spirit of their mindes have need of formes those crutches and helpes of devotion when they are addressing themselves unto their God Quest â— The first Whether unreasonable and wicked men as all are that have not faith can helpe themselves in this their condition by useing sett formes of prayer Answ To this we humbly give our opinion That they cannot helpe themselves at all but the more they use them the more they are disadvantaged by them the more indisposed to and putt further off from the power of Godlinesse For First The reason of this we take from the Philosophers knowne rule which indeed we thinke falls-in with common Experience That habits whether in good things or in evill are acquired and improved both by continuall exercise These things which we learne for practise we learne by practise as saith learned Dâ— Wilkins Now for any one to habituate or accustome himselfe to formes of prayer that is to prayers made or written by another and said by himselfe shall find himselfe as unable and as hard a matter to come off from them yet off he must come iâ— ever he looke to find acceptance with his God as it is with an Ethiopian to change his skin or the Leopard his spots O! we are much taken with and hardly taken off from formes of prayer we have been accustomed to from our youth up and never found these did the flesh any hurt putting it to Cost as these never did the spirit or hid-man of the heart any good So then these formes of prayer we come with before God doe more indispose us to God and estrange us from Him And it is not good to accustome our selves to that we must leave at last and come off from if ever good be wrought in us or by us Secondly Because we may say of these formes of prayer as is
he would not doe in good things that doth he The godly man sometimes doth the Commands of the flesh which are most contrary to the Commands of Christ but what He hates that doth he This is the point and so we have done A Brutish Pastour and a brutish people are so farre from doeing the Commands of Christ That they hate to doe it with their whole heart and with their whole soule and it were absurd to say or thinke the contrary When ye pray say this prayer after your owne The Lord Christ commands no such thing neither ever came it in His heart for could we suppose our Lord had commanded so to doe The Pastour after Gods owne heart had never omitted it The Brutish one had never said it unlesse as a Parret his chaire he had not said it like a Clarke as now he sayes it nor done it so as he doth the wills of the flesh This is the second Thirdly We would aske this Godly Minister what good he finds by adding this prayer to the end of his own which we would suppose was wrought in him and out from him by the Spirit of God We know Cui bono is the greatest enquiry and in this Case what Spirituall advantage by so doing what hath this advantaged the Spirit God's Spirit or his owne renewed by the same Spirit We passe this leaving it upon his thoughts having spoken so much thereunto before onely this we would adde It is you know a sure saying That every act of Grace extends grace in the heart of a Disciple as every act of sin extends sin in the sinner for grace as corruption gaines by acting Now it is left upon your thoughts whether you have found grace hath been extended in your heart by the addition of this prayer to the end of your owne Fourthly What good doth he doe by repeating this prayer or what advantage is it to his hearers Certainly a Godly Minister should looke to that whereby he may profit his people The Preacher was wise and how did he evidence his wisdome He Eccles 12. 9. still taught the people knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out he would not speake a word sure but to profit and the building up of his people Two great workes he is continually versed and exercised in being charged upon him praying and preaching Acts 6. ◠and how studiously carefull is he being the peoples mouth to God and God's mouth to the people that not one word passe from his mouth which makes not for the good of his people and for the clearing of his account at the great Day He remembers well before Whome he is and to Whome he speakes in prayer and from Whome he speakes in preaching And he considers as he can the infinite distance betwixt Majestie and Nothing and now how fixedly doth he looke to Him who is the Middle person and having laid His hand upon Both stands as a screen betwixt everlasting Burning and this peice of dried stubble as in it selfe considered and so rolling himselfe upon This one Mediatour and casting himselfe into the hands of His Spirit and trusting in His supply he falls to his worke and now what advantage hath hee or have his hearers by addition of this prayer that is the Question and the answer thereunto you must make unto your God onely this which we have heard we will say more which you know is a Ministers Motto or should be Nusquam doceo ubi non moveo Nusquam moveo ubi non doceo I never teach savingly where I doe not move or stirre feelingly that is praevailingly nor doe I ever so move where I doe not so teach so we leave this upon your thoughts and proceed to one Reason more Fifthly To our seeming it is a very sinfull doeing to adde this prayer to the end of our owne and this upon a threefold account First You glad the hearts of them that should not be gladded the wicked we meane if yon have not heard it said by them we have once and againe What a Brave Minister have we to day Why he said the Lords prayer twice to day and oh how sweetly did he say it and that was all they observed for the addition of that prayer rendred him so gracious in their eyes and his Sermon so sweet Certainly we must not glad the hearts of wicked ones for then we glad That Wicked-One Secondly Ye must not make the wicked Blaspheme in Calling God Father and Christ accursed but this they will doe in spight of your heart for they and they onely will say it after you and if they should be asleep as Commonly they are all the time of your praying yet they will awaken at this prayer or if while you are running it over with the speed of a good Clark they should chance to nod at the first or second Petition yet they will be perfectly awaked at that signall Conclusion AMEN But wee forbeare for Nemo libentèr moratur in asperis Thirdly Yee sad them whome the Lord would not have sadded yee sad the hearts we thinke of all the truly Godly there They cannot endure to heare the Name of God prophaned That sweetest Name Father Blasphemed their onely Lord called accursed They cannot endure it it is more greivous to them to heare this within the meeting place than see their filthy Conversation without We tell you againe The Truely Godly cannot endure to heare this they can with much more patience heare their Earthly father abused c. But their heavenly Father Who loved them and Gave His Son unto them and them unto His Son and this Son of God Who taking their nature hath redeemed their Soules from all adversitie washing them in His owne blood we were saying they cannot endure to heare their Father Blasphemed nor their Lord called accursed nor that Signall Word Amen ecchoed forth by persons little better than Quakers and Ranters damnable Hereticks wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly But wee have done These are our Reasons why a Godly Minister may not adde the Lord s prayer to th' end of his owne Onely you will remember here what an Excellent Man said It is Better to occasion wrath in the Bad than greife in the Good CHAP. VIII And fift Querie Q. V. WHether John the Baptist taught his Disciples to pray by giving them formes of prayer to say And which may be queried thereupon Whether a Parent can teach his child to pray by setting formes of prayer before him whereafter to pray As thus for wee would be cleare as to the holding-forth our meaning and perswasion in this matter here Child is a forme of prayer when you pray say as you see here is prescribed unto you That this ought to be we meane That a child may and ought be taught to pray by formes of prayer set before him is affirmed and argued from Johns practise with his Disciples Now our perswasion is That John did not give his
of death of or under wrath there what they are that are translated or taken out of the first Adam in whome all dye and are plâ—nted in the second Adam in whome all are made alive This and what more wee cannot so well tell the godly parent treateth wâ—th his childe about and so teacheth him to pray and a farre more ready way doth he take by so doing then if he could give unto his hands All the prayer-books that are in the world This is our perswasion and that wee are so taught out of the word of God And truly wee are the more inclined hereunto First By reason that this was the manner of all the godly in the holy Scriptures teaching their children to pray so farre as wee can learne thereby and have any discerning thereof held forth before us Heare his words to Solomon his sonne they conteine much Know thou the God of thy father A mightie motive â— Chroâ— 28. 9. to Solomon to learne to know the Lord he had a godly father that knew him as the father had a godly mother that knew her God and surely taught David to know him also The son of Psal 8. 6. 16. 116. 16. thy handmaid And serve him Solomon must know the God of his father before he can serve Him as his father did Wee cannot worship or pray unto Him whom wee know not for in so doeing wee worship wee know not John 4. â—2 what A God A God in Christ must in some measure and degree be reveiled to us before wee can come to God and plead our matters with Him in His Sons blessed Name and for His glorious sake Wee can no more serve a God Whom wee know not then wee can be saved by a Christ whom wee never heard of for that were as if a captive held under the power of death sin devill and hell should be redeemed by a price paid by one whom never before nor after he had anâ— knowledge of or as if God for Christs sake should save us and yet never by any meanes or in any measure make That Christ knowne to us He must by some meanes or other be reveiled to them who being growne up to the use of reason were ever saved by him These are excellent Dr Tuckneyes words We should as a Sermon upon Acts 4. 12. godly parent will with his child and whom he will teach to pray goe through the forementioned Scriptures which containes so much but wee have attained our scope thereby A godly parenâ— teacheth his child to know God first what He is in himselfe out of Christ meere wrath a consumeing fire and as such an one he cannot be served Then to know Him a God in Christ and a Father and so He is served and well-pleased with the service if it be in truth Wee passe on and shall passe over David's Catechisme and Bathsheba's also whereof wee reade in the booke of the Proverbs but not a word there of teaching the childe to pray by formâ—s of prayer Wee thinke that Paul's direction to parents how they should order their children and specialâ—y how to teach them to pray contains as much to that mâ—tter as doth that Catechisme Bring them up so wee read it the word is nurse them Eph. 6. 4. 1 Thes 2. 7. up As a nurse saith he in another place takes care of the bodies concernments so doe ye parents of your childrens soules concernments Nurse them up in the nurture It implyes all care and diligence about the inward man still that all be done as matters shall require whether they exhort charge reproove correct or instruct that all be done to the childe in a motherly way or as Paul saith as a father his children remembring still that godlinesse is a rich and sure trade if the childe be taught well to follow it And admonition A dealing about the mind of the childe still rectifying or moulding of it betime as the nurse doth the mould of the head when its tender It signifies a dropping or putting into the Eph. â— 4 mind still It is a thrusting of somewhat upon the childe still with an holy violence which may mind him of his Lord Jehovah his God so that the child may see that what his parents speakes to him comes from his Lord and tendeth to this to bring the mind of the child up to the Lord there to fix and pitch his soule for ever Zanch so wee are told speakes usefully to this as his manner is upon this verse where he tells us the manner of all the godly in the primitive times and what course Abraham tooke to teach his children Wee verily thinke wee may adde to pray And what way also Lâ—is the grandmother and Eunice the mother 2 Tim. 1. 5. taught their young Timothy wee will adde againe to pray The very way which the old Christians prisci christiani did take to 3. 1. teach their children to pray by bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And all this is but according to the prescript and charge unto us from the Lord God Allmightie These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart Deut. 6. 6 7. and thou shalt teach them diligently thy children and shalt talke of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest up And this is the way wee are perswaded in our hearts every godly parent must take who makes it his buisinesse to teach his childe to pray for this was the manner of the godly in dayes of old which is our first reason Secondly And in the second place we are apt to thinke That to bring up a childe in the nurture and admonition of the Lord is the onely ready way to teach a childe to pray and not to give him formes of prayer to say because these formes hinder rather than further the worke carrying the childe on in such a high worke the calling upon God in prayer by the Eye upon the formes or by the memorie which is all one whereas he should understand what he doth and know Him in some measure and degree Whom he calleth upon Thirdly If to give a childe a forme of prayer when you pray say these words were to teach him to pray then to teach a childe to pray is the easiest worke in the world of as quicke dispatch for so easie it is and as quickly done to give a childe a forme whereby to pray But no godly parent ever found it from ancient dayes to this day an easie worke and of quick dispatch to teach his childe to pray no more than it is an easie worke or the worke of a day to rule well his owne house and to have his children in subjection 1 Tim. 3. 4. with all gravitie which falls-in fully with these words before-cited to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord
whereby to teach his childe to pray It is not the worke of a day or two as was said in another case but the worke of every day while the childe is under the parents eye and eare To teach the childe to pray Nay to adde this It is easie for the vilest person in your Nationall Church to teach a childe to pray if to give him a forme to pray be to teach him to pray for so much he or she can doe having learnt so much themselves to pray that way But sure he or she must be taught to pray and helpe by the good Spirit to pray before they can teach their childe to pray Fourthly And in the fourth place we thinke it at least coasteth neere the brinke of presumption nay is it not downe-right presumption to teach a childe to pray by giving him a forme of prayer to say As thus for as wee said so plaine wee would be Deare childe what ever thy ignorance is of God the Father thou prayest unto or of God the Sonne manifest in the flesh in whose name thou prayest what ever mercy thou hast received and wouldst praise God for what ever want thou feelest and wouldst pray to Him for a supply from Him what ever thy sinnes are thou shouldst confesse before Him yet doe thou childe pray in these words according to this very forme I have prescribed unto thee Surely wee will not feare to say this were presumption and so as may be feared it will be accounted before his God Fifthly Besides and so wee have done In so doeing wee meane so teaching this childe to pray by a forme The parent hath told a loud lye in the eares of God and of all the godly for he tells God and men both he hath taught his childe to pray when indeed there is no such thing done he hath not taught his childe to pray for by his owne confession he hath given his childe a forme whereby to pray which forme will become a prayer well-pleasing unto God when copper becomes gold the bramble a vine the Moone a Sunne or when the Sunne painted on a signe-post shall shine in the firmament of Heaven And so wee have taken in your reasons and examined the reasonablenesse of them That a parent teaching his childe to pray must give him a forme whereafter to pray Wee have given in our reasons also from sacred Scripture as wee suppose That by giving your childe a forme whereby to pray is not to teach the childe to pray But let it be committed to Him Who guides into all truth CHAP. IX Sixt and last Querie Q VI. WEE are come to our sixt and last Querie to give in our thoughts thereunto Whether a Godly parent hath any Command from Christ to teach their children the Lords prayer thereafter to pray saying the very same words Wee said a Command from Christ for wee suppose it granted That a Godly person will in every thing he doth specially in matters of so high concernment look first to his Warrant This I doe I have a sure Word for what I doe And having his Lords Sâ—quis Deâ—â—h â—empeâ—et jam ut daâ—ne uâ— a â—en tum Mandâ—â—â— tis est hâ—hâ—r Dâ—um â—uthâ— eÌ„ Lum 3. 38. word for that he doth should he be condemned by an hundred worlds to use excellent Calvins words he has enough to beare him out his Lord Commanded him But Sir before we proceed we crave leave to give-in a shoâ—t account wherefore wee meddle with this here your selfe giving the occasion thereof and little lesse though perhaps against your purpose provoking us so to doe Our account in short is this Our Minister in the course of Catechizing his people as was hinted before in our Introductive part fell upon the Exposition of the Lord's Prayer and as an Introduction thereunto he put some Queries about this prayer and among others of speciall use all as we thought this was one Whether a Godly parent ought to teach his Children this prayer and so resolved it from Scripture as wee suppose in the Negative he ought not But how were the Godly people they seemed such to be and we would hope they some of them more than seeme stirred at this as much every whit as the ungodly are when their Idol is pulled at to pull it-away for whereas we tell you the words of one of them they could have pulled out their eyes for their Minister before he meddled with the Lord's prayer now they were more enclined at least to pull out their Ministers eyes from him than their owne for him Truely we judge Charitablie as our dutie is and conceive good hope that the Opposers or contrary-minded herein some of them are godly in the maine onely seduced or misguided by former guides though one of them well stricken in yeares was taught that prayer at the first when he was a Childe and seldome said any other to that day as hath been told to us by one that did know if any did To Conclude our narrative part These persons thus moved and disquieted addressed themselves to you Sir as their Oracle whereas their Dutie was to have Consulted with the Scriptures our Minister laid before them and afterwards as occasion required with himselfe But it is not our manner to doe things after their right manner Though yet we Blame them not for adviseing with you onely wee say they should have searched the Scriptures and have advised with their Minister first Your Answer to them was sweet and comely farre otherwise than was reported by one of them who may be as much taken with that prayer as some are with that they make an Idol Onely this you said to them which they lookt for and it pleased them well and it was aboundantly enough to marre all our Minister had said from the Lord unto them That you teach your Children that prayer or allow it they should be so taught And now wee are forced to call your practise into Question which truly but for the Truth 's sake wee shall doe unwillingly and so wee shall state the Question in the Negative That a Godly Parent ought not to teach his Children the Lords prayer You hold the Affirmative for thereafter you practise wee would hope you can make full proof that your practise is Godly So Sir we crave your reasons at least wee crave your leave to guesse at them by what we have heard from others and so to sett downe as may be allowed us in these cases what probably your reasons may be to hold-forth your practice with your children to be godly and holy full-up to your rule and prescription in Gods word whereafter you order wee hope your whole conversation your sayings and doeings before your people and your whole house your children specially the maine and principall parts and your cheife goods there for by your well-ruling of them and care over them you will make full proofe what care you take of the Churches of God for he
who knowes how to rule his own house well is in a good posture of spirit to rule well the house of God But this was spoken before in the second Treatise relating to the Lords Supper pag. 19. This wee were saying your ruling well your own house will be a good Testimoriall that you rule well as a good Steward in the House of the living God Therefore we hope you can give good reason for all you doe in your owne house which you order we would hope in desire and endeavour as those whose praise is in the Gospell Probably your reasons are these or such like to these for wee will not mention here any of that which went before one wee would remind you of the same First Can there be a more excellent prayer and more comprehensive than the Lords prayer is Verily No And therefore is it so takeing in the world for if any forme may be used whereafter to pray useing the very same words then this forme above any No prayer being more excellent nor more comprehensive But therefore thinke wee the more unfit to be taught a Child the more unsuitable to his understanding The prayer is excellent considered in it selfe and as you may be able to consider of it but it hath no excellencie with a childe he speakes as a child he understands as a child he thinkes or reasoneth as a childe And with due regard to all this you must speake to him and reason with him in lower matters than are the contents of this prayer Secondly You may say I must reason with him about God and Christ and what manner of person He is and how He is to be served but these are no low matters but high and much above the reach of a childs understanding It is readily graunted Yet you may consider it is one thing to drop-in as into a verie narrow mouthed vessell drop by drop and to powre in all at once wee meane To deale with a childe word after word then to see how the first word taketh before you deale with him about the second And to give him six lines together whereas each line single and apart comprehends more of God and of Christ in it of grace and glory by Him then doe the visible Heavens O the vast comprehension of this Prayer And the shallownesse of a childs shall wee say of a mans comprehension about it You may teach your child to say it so you may your Parrot too and teaching him it altogether to say it as you in your pulpit he will understand it as much as the Parrot doth and by so saying it you shall teach the people to understand it if not all yet but little better also You may put this prayer as to the words of it into the mouth of your childe but he comprehends it no more than doth the darknesse the light Thirdly You may say as wee heare others doe It is a commendable thing and well becomeing a godly parent sure to teach his child to call God father though as Hieron saith he doth but lispe out father You know and you know it for your good To call God father or rather to cry Abba Father is as was said of the Spirits teaching I cannot lispe Abba Father but as He hath adopted mee that is in Jesus Christ in Whome alone He is become the Father of mercies unto mee saith that learned man Dr K Chap 4. â— 115. Yet it is graunted you are to teach your childe to call God father as you can And you have heard of the method or ready way you may take till you know a better in teaching your child that great and high lesson But everie thing is comely in its due time and order Wee conceive you are to teach your child first to call himselfe rebell against this heavenly Father that he was borne into the world with his backe against him being borne a child of wrath assoone as he was a child of a man an enemie to this Father even enmitie it selfe and an hater of Him And then wee take it the child is to be farther questioned and that is the best way of teaching by questioning whether this enmitie is in any measure or degree discovered to him by the Spirit with the Word and shine in him for enmitie cannot become friendship though enemies may be made friends enmitie must be slaine This wee conceive the child must be taught first before he can be taught to call God Father after a due manner and a right understanding SECT IV. NOw wee take leave to give-in our reasons as few and as breifely as wee have taken-in yours Wherefore it is not becomeing a godly parent to teach his child the Lords prayer Wee shall not recall here neither but reminde you onely of what went before that caried verie levell to this verie scope First It is cleane crosse to the right method of teaching to exercise the childes memory first for it is to teach your child as you would teach your Parrot between whom you know to put a wide difference Sith God hath made them so to differ Who teacheth Job 35. 11. us more then the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser then the fowles of heaven You teach a child as becometh a childe to be taught You teach a fowle bird or beast as is comely for them to be taught besides you put a greater difference betwixt earthly and heavenly matters sensuall and spirituall and accordingly you must vary in your teaching This may suffice for the first Secondly You would have your deare childe to be a gainer by your teaching Wee beseech you aske him now you have taught him the Lords prayer what he hath gained by your teaching Our perswasion is you will find his gaine to be but small onely whereas when time was he said it as a child Parrot-like now being growne-up he sayes it with more grace in the eare of the hearer saying it like a Clarke but perhaps with as little grace in the heart as he said in before when he was a child But yet we cannot graunt you That by all your teaching you have taught your child the Lords prayer for if you have taught him to read it he can teach himselfe to say it without your helpe Thirdly You should not doe as all the wicked of the world doe we meane of your Nationall Church who have onely this to shew for their Christianitie and whereby to make full proofe thereof That they were borne in your Church and washed there Wee thinke it is not comely for you to doe as they doe they hold to that Injunction appointed them by their Priest as he by the Bishop whereof hereafter All the wicked persons in your Church we are perswaded not one excepted no not the veriest varlet there but they all teach it their children they shall have it as they themselves had it by tradition from their parents These were taught their Pater noster they understand the
beleives much prayes much though he say not a word A good life is a good prayer it is a continued prayer as you have read Wee will close with this Traine up a child saith the wisdome of God in his way of Gods prescribing and when he is old he will not depart from it As if he had said He will be the better for it while he liveth Traine up a child in formes Prov. 22. 6. according to the wisdome of the flesh and when he is old he will not depart from them As if wee had said he will be the worse for them while he liveth if grace interpose not These are too sweet to the flesh for the flesh to leave these are all the comfort the flesh hath while the man is living but dying shall stand the man in no more stead than a paper wall can defend against a Cannon shott or the Cawle of the heart against the paw of a Lion Wee will shutt up with this and so call to remembrance That there was an huge great person who had learnt that in his Cradle which he could not unlearne on his throne and it was no small dishonour to him So may a child be taught a forme of prayer in his cradle which if through the favour of the times he be admitted to the pulpitt he will use there also and so exact he will be therein that all that heare him may conclude he was taught that forme from his cradle It is important sure and very momentous else Quintillian wee rather mention him had not been so full and large upon it what choice wee should make of Nurses because commonly these parle first with the child in the morning and last at night and much all the day long And if they be bad not knowing their dutie or carelesse of what they know wee are like to have as was once said wirtily but truely a child or a boy of him all his life long The summe is this Be well advised about that you teach your child in the morning of his yeares he will savour of it to the evening of the same Nurses or mothers who should make all commonly marre all if speciall grace interpose not No more for this containes much if not all Now we will Contract what hath been said of this subject prayer and the scope whereto it tends and give it in this breif We have shewen what a serious worke it is and what a slight and vaine thing formes are wee have declared against a wicked mans prayer for so the Lord himselfe doth it is an abomination yet it is his dutie to pray though a greater abomination it is to say the Lords prayer Wee have shutt it out of the Closet It is too short for Closet-worke And too long for an after prayer being who knowes how full of heavenly sense and spirituall meaning Therefore wee have cutt it off from the Ministers prayer in the pulpit If he will sett it too againe be it at his pleasure it may be to his perill Wee have questioned it very much and endeavoured to put it out of question that John did not teach his Disciples to pray by giving them formes of prayer to say Wee have cleared it to be a parents dutie to teach his child to pray and as wee could wee have directed his practise and concluded That a parent teacheth not his child to pray that gives him formes of prayer to say for that they learne without teaching too prompt and ready that way The Spirit of the Lord teacheth parent and child to pray and the first thing the Spirit teacheth wee thinke is to say that they cannot pray yet wee should tempt God if wee our selves should not pray and teach our children so to doe to pray that they may be enabled to pray To shutt up The God of all graces and father of mercies in and through His Sonne gives forth no temporall much lesse eternall salvation no common mercy much lesse any spirituall grace which is eternall to His marvelously Psal 4. 3. seperated ones His gratious Saints but He will stirre them up to inquire after Him first before He gives it They shall aske before they have and but aske and have yet not for their asking Now it is marvelous to consider Satans devises here that implacable enemy and adversary of all righteousnesse He perswades the wicked to sit downe fully content with their condition and satisfied with common mercies and not pray at all and if they will be praying it shall be but â—prating and babling A meere prophaneing of Gods Name if not blaspheming If they will pray as the most will they shall pray in anothers words and no matter in whose name by a booke or without it by the memorie never with the heart unlesse for the remooving of some plague felt or feared But never about the plague of the heart the plague indeed And for these gratious Saints This adversary shewes himselfe such an one in no one thing more than in this To keepe them from praying but if that cannot be then he imployes all his force policie and might to hinder and interrupt prayer and for the effecting of this what will he cast in and how readily doth flesh comply with him But these know whom they have trusted And that His grace shall be sufficient for them AMEN Postscript WEE have purposely forborne to discharge our Treatise of that charge of blasphemie once and againe charged upon it wee have given a marke in the margine all along where the yong-man in the name perhaps of his elders enters not his dissent onely but the charge of blasphemie against us It is humbly referred to God and His Scriptures to judge how just that charge is And if it shall please those whom God hath made able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Leter but of the Spirit for the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life to give-in theiâ— judgement here also we are assured it shall be according to Truth Wee will adde two words more The one we borrow from him whose words we shall hereafter set downe It is far more facile to give the hardest Censures than to Answer the easiest Arguments The other is this which one of us has read some where A good Cause when plainely told is learnedly pleaded especially if a Meeke Moses or just Joshua be the Judge thereof So we come to set downe here as was specified upon the Title page the words of that holy and learned Man who speakes to all matters he undertakes in the Name of his God to speake unto after his manner which is to say all that can be said in any subject whatsoever This encomie or high Commendations was given to Grotius by one of our own in some matters of the highest concernment relating to our deare Lord and Christ of the same perswasion with him And so thought it not enough to Commend the said man without any exception but he must
barren These are stout words indeed and argue the stoutest heart and much pride of Spirit as usually spoken by proud Men It is as if so be a man should say I sinne and I will sinne But I will not say unto God I have sinned what shall I doe If He will take my Confession from another's-mouth let Him take it I will not confesse my selfe a sinner with my owne Mouth nor will I aske Him pardon These are as stout words to our seeming as can be spoken upon the Readers thoughts we leave them When we have added this more As we are Creatures and have our dependance upon God every moment we are obliged to pray unto Him As sinfull Creatures such as sin and Satan can make us we are obliged to confesse unto Him with our own Mouths We would answer a Question one or two more before we give Resolution to the other Case Quest 6. But would not praemeditated formes prevent many rude Crude or indigested expressions Answ Yes sure with those that know not in the world how to pray without them If sensuall men not having the Spirit wholy carried by sense and minding nothing above the place their foote treades on if these should pray without the booke possibly as their parts might be low and meane they would use strange and uncouth expressions But they who set themselves before their God and expect the supplies of His Spirit from Him looking upon their owne strength as rottennesse to be rested on knowing they cannot thinke a good thought as of themselves and would not for a world utter rash words in His presence surely they shall finde the assistance they looke for and such a supplie as shall be best for them And if they rise not from their knees more comforted They shall be more humbled which is as good for a groane from the heart is as good as a teare from the The Spirit of adoption may be in a groane as well as in a prayer Mr. Ford. sp Ador. 480. eye And they shall be kept from speaking that in prayer which is unbecomeing their God to heare or the Asking of that which is unbeseeming their God to grant But we would add this which we thinke more properly relates to the Resolution of this Question A wicked mans prayer we meane him who is resolved to goe-on in his wickednesse comes from his necessities feare and dread being before him trouble and anguish upon him perhaps and terrour within him looking upon death now not at a distance but as the King of terrours requiring his soule of him and killing him with death his prayer now as we were saying comes from his necessities not from his heart therefore shall not come neare Gods heart to speake after the manner of men And then it is all one whether he pray by the book or by his owne Spirit the one as the other hath the same acceptance with God Deare children followers of God alwayes are alwayes heard though they doe but chatter like a Crane And children of Belial who never heard God speaking unto them in His Word are not heard of God for He heareth not such sinners who wallow in their sinne as doth a swine in the myre and returne unto it as doth a dog to his vomit Whether then their expressions are exact and as well composed as words in print can be or rude indigested or incomposed it is much the same and comes to as much as nothing Such a wicked-mans praying is but tatling and babling or to speake as the holy Scripture doth It is as the roaring of Beares or howling of Doggs Isa 59. 11. Hos 7. 14. Quest 7. Moreover It is said doe not they who dare not bring praemeditated formes before their God rush upon dutie without useing the Common meanes of fitting themselves and so tempt God Answ To this we say that to expect any thing from God without useing the meanes allowed by God as helpes that way were to tempt God and provoke Him to His face Therefore doubtlesse it is the wicked man that rushes upon Dutie not bethinking himselfe before-hand unto what a glorious presence he is come and what is the worke he is to engage upon and what the danger is of miscarrying He that thinkes of none of all this he Rusheth upon Dutie And indeed what needs the meditation of what I am to speake unto God when it is suggested unto me I can reade it with mine eyes and see my selfe speake But that man that prayeth in the Spirit though he doth make a totall resignation of himselfe unto the hands of the Spirit expecting His immediate suggestions Yet so as he hath omitted no meanes before to fit and prepare for that high service as thoughts of himselfe and his nothingness of the glorious Name of God and all his expectations therein and from the same These things together with the word of God he gives himselfe to meditates upon and is wholy in it and is so as the season fitts he addresseth himselfe before his God He knowes That that glorious promise Math 10. 19. Take no thought how or what ye shall speake for it shall be given you in the same houre relateth to extraordinary services when God calls forth unto them that then they may expect extraordinarie assistance But when he may use Common and ordinarie means of Gods appointment to prepare him for this praying worke and should be negligent in the use thereof which through grace he cannot br then it were a great presumption to depend upon extraordinary helpe So now before we come to give some resolution to the Second Querie we would in the close of this give-in some Counsell which we hope shall be well agreeing with the word of God to them who being sensuall not having the Spirit must needs be wholy unacquainted with the Lord and Christ who is the way the Truth and the life and yet haply they pray to God and praise Him as ordinarily as they rise-up from their Beds and Tables lye downe upon the one and sit at the other This is the Counsell we would give That they would cease from their formes of praying or from praying by a forme which differs as much from praying in the Holy Ghost as doth the Sunne in the firmament from the Sunne painted on a signe-post And apply themselves to hearing the Word whereby faith cometh-in to the soule so may they by the blessing of God attaine to the knowledge of Him to whom they are praying and of Him in whose Name they must pray and find accesse unto the Father of Him also through whose intercession within us the prayer is formed Rom. 8. 26. and so finds acceptance by the Mediation of that Advocate with-out us at the right hand of the Father being as sweet Odours now all that from the flesh adhering to them being seperated from them Hereby also we meane by diligent hearing the Word preached they may attaine to a knowledge of themselves
The Counsell that Daniell gives to Nebuchadnezzar Chap. 4. 27. and the direction Peter gives to Symon Magus Acts 8. 22. cleares this unto us that a wicked mans duty is to repent and pray and doe the workes of righteousnesse though he is no more able of himselfe to doe it than a mountaine can moove and teare it selfe up by the roots and mount up into the Moone or a bramble yeeld grapes or a Thistle figgs or a Serpent spit pearles naturall impotency can give no excuse to willfull neglect A wicked mans necessitie of sinning must not nullifie the Law of God which requireth the doing of these things though not with such an uncleane heart as he doth them The impotency of man must not eyther prejudice Gods authoritie or Diminish his own dutie These are the words of our Learned Rainolds in his Treat pag 246 247. where the Reader may meet with much more giving resolution to the same case with this that a wicked man ought to pray it is his dutie And oh that he could pray for a sight of his sinne and sence of that wrath which he is treasuring-up every day against the day of wrath being busily imployed every houre of the day in damning himselfe that so he might looke after Him whome the Father sanctified and sent into the world to be a propitiation Joh. 6. 36. 1 Joh. 2. 2. for the sinnes thereof and oh that he would pray against the Grand delusion of his desperately wicked heart which will perswade him to beleeve that he lookes after Christ Jesus the Lord for life and immortalitie from Him while yet he lookes not after the meanes but turnes his backe upon the Glorious Gospell whereby He is declared to the world to be a Prince and a Saviour all salvation in Him and none other Name given among Men Acts â— under Heaven whereby we might be saved The desperate heart of man will perswade to turne the Back upon all this The Gospell of the Lord Jesus Christ and yet he shall have Salvation by Him though not receiving His Word To our seeming now this is fully proved That a wicked Man ought to pray though he doth not pray neither can he nor will he unlesse as Pharoah did take away the plague remove this evill of punishment And then perhaps he will crie Lord Lord for possibly he sees death sinne and judgement not as formerly at a distance but neare at hand and upon him and then with Balaam he may say My God And oh that I may dye the death of the Righteous Therefore he that liveth like a Devill would die like a Saint and so he may pray at the houre of his death when his time is gon and the time of Gods patience is spent and the houre of judgement is come but then it will be too late no remedie now but a Torment He must live to God that prayes to God walke with Him and before Him who lookes for speciall mercy from Him For if we expect God should come to us in wayes of mercy we must attend upon Him in wayes of Dutie dealing with us as Creatures endued with Reason understanding wills affections But because all these are miserably depraved he deales with us as such and so depraved wholy dis-inabled in our selves for the useing or improving any the forementioned without speciall Grace from Him which He bestowes upon us in the use of meanes He vouchsafeth to us But though wicked men doe none of this nor is it possible as his estate now is that he can doe it nay it is the abhorring of his soule to doe it for he abhorr's the Lord yet he ought to doe it That is the point and we thinke cleared he ought to pray it is his dutie CHAP. IV. Q. 1. Q. I. BUt whether he may pray the Lords Prayer that is the Question which now we shall endeavour to put out of Question A wicked man ought not to say the Lords prayer he is a proud bold and dareing person he will adventure herein It is probable he know's no other prayer and this he received by Tradition from his Parents who possible knew no other prayer neither But he ought not to say this prayer say we and these are our Reasons for so saying First It is the Churches prayer we meane not a Nationall Church we have not a thought of it when our thoughts are upon This Church the Church of the living God A Nationall Church a huge vast body a Monster rather and as cold as frost which we know congregates fastneth together very heterogenious things which heate seperates we meane not that commonly called a Church which takes-in very heterogenious persons wicked and righteous the Beleiver and the Infidell if not worse the Disciple and the Drunkard the True Saint and the Reall Devill together for these were borne in a Church and quickly after Baptized there and growing up though in their Debauchednesse getting strength therein as yeares come on yet by virtue of their water Baptizement are become visible Saints we meane not these nor that called a Church aâ—d â—ath but a Name onely till the Spirit within gives the thing we meane a company of New Creatures differing as much from the common or Nationall Church as Men doe from Beasts That we may be cleare at this point we meane the Generall Assembly and Church of the first-Borne The Sonnes and Daughters of God begot and borne unto Him in Christ of water and of the Spirit It is their prayer It is the Disciples prayer their's who are disciplined by the Gospell received beleived and obeyed by their Lords appointment it is theirs Both the Scriptures Math 6. 9. Luke 11. 2. we conceive holds it forth clearely pray ye And when ye pray say Our blessed Lord spake to His Disciples here is the mould wherein to cast your prayers this shall be to you a Rule and Sampler according to the which all your prayers shall be framed but of this hereafter It is the Churches prayer the â—eleivers the Disciples and Saints prayer really such and indeed which they can hold forth and have to shew for not onely because they were borne in England and Baptized there a meere vanitie and lesse if lesse can be but they were borne of God through Christ by the Spirit with the Word and so baptized with fire and the Holy Ghost it is their Prayer It is true the wicked man claimes it for his because he was borne and Baptized in this Nation so doth he Childrens Bread too it belongs to him upon the same score But he hath right to neither as we have heard and may yet more fully heare Wee proceed Secondly And humbly offer this to the thoughts of reasonable men can we thinke that our Blessed Lord would put these words into a wicked mans mouth Bid him call God Father Whome he knowes not endeavours not to know nay abhorr's to know He indeed will say for who so willfull as he
bid him blaspheme the Name of his God fearefull and glorious Sixthly And in the last place to bid him say this prayer were to bid him hasten his owne Curse and to bring upon himselfe swift destruction which he must needs doe continually and dayly blaspheming that holy and sacred Name which yet he takes into his mouth and sayes before the Lord and His people Hallowed be Thy Name As if a Malefactor should set himselfe before his Judge and remember the Judge of the Murther which he had committed and call-down vengeance upon himselfe So doth every wicked man that calls God Father and continues to rebell against Him he minds God as we may say to inflict the Curse upon him which he hath deserved which certainly shall be done so soone as he hath filled-up the Measure of his Blasphemies Wee leave it to your judgement Sir so you will rule it by the Scriptures whether a wicked man doth not hasten his Curse by letting this prayer goe out of his mouth Whence have and still doe issue forth so many vaine lying and deceitfull words and Cursed Oaths as he doth by takeing into his mouth the Bread and Wine at the Lords Table We shall speake more to this in the next Treatise where we shall hold-forth this undoubted signe of a faithfull Minister whom Satans tongue in his instruments and servants is still disquieting and as they possibly can vexing and tormenting because the tongue of this good Minister is still and still will be vexing and tormenting him and them But if a Rev. 11. 10. Ministers tongue will not torment Satan Satans tongue will not torment him There we shall also commend unto your reading and if you please to your translating Isidor Pelusiot's Epistle to his friend about this prayer that so your Saint that hath no more to plead for his Saint-ship but that he was borne in sinne so he will acknowledge onely he is cleansed from it and he hopes thorowly purged by Baptisme quickly after he was borne and can say this prayer before your face in the Congregation Wee were saying That so your Saint may by Gods blessing upon your instruction of him at that point your selfe being better informed about it first may consider at what an high degree of blasphemy he hath arrived that dares say that prayer before his God while his heart riseth-up in Rebellion against Him Here wee would add this that the more excellent your prayer is and this is excellency in the abstract the more unbecoming a loathsome person it is as a pearle in a swines snout But this is Prov. 13. 5. not the worst the more excellent and soveraigne a thing is being received or used after the due manner and according as God hath appointed it to be received or used the more deadly it workes the more distractive it is the more it hasteneth the curse upon the spirit and bringeth-on destruction swiftly being prophaned and blasphemed by uncleane lips and hands Wee might make instance in the Word of God despised and rejected cast behind the backe it is a savour of death unto death at once it kills twice like the strongest poyson mixt with the strongest wine the very sent kills or as the wine received at the Lords Table by a visible sensuall person not having the Spirit See by their out-workes what dreadfull workings the wine hath upon their spirits But looke to the thing in hand and here is a loathsome person and delights in his loathsomenesse which should be loathsome to him yet he sayes the Lords prayer Now observe him in his walke his cursed actâ—â—gs therein and tell your selfe whether the curse of God which 〈◊〉 hath been plucking downe upon himselfe with both hands 〈◊〉 as with cart-ropes doth not cleave as fast to him as his heart cleaveth to his sinne Wee thinke wee have made sufficient proofe That a wicked man ought not to say this prayer certainly he hath no warrant from our Lord and Saviour so to doe But since hee will doe it on his owne head as we say and so is carried head-long towards his curse meeting it as it were halfe way wee have read how hee curseth himselfe by calling Christ accursed and how he hath drawne upon himselfe swift destruction And wee have been the longer at this point That all that see this man with his curse upon him cloathed with it as with a Garment eating his meat as was sayd as a swine doth his rolled up in dirt may see and fly away as hee will doe that heares and feares and will no more presumptuously call God Father as the wicked man doth while with a high hand and an uncovered head hee acteth villany against the Lord. Wee will close this with worthy Mantons words I have read of a Jewell sayth he that being put into a Upon James 5. 16. dead mans mouth looseth all its efficacie Prayer is such a Jewell in a dead mans mouth it is of no power nor efficacie but to hasten his ruine and utter destruction CHAP. V. Q. 2. Q. II. WEE come now to make enquiry into the second Question Whether our Blessed Saviour gave his Disciples this prayer That they should pray to His Father in those very words The Affirmative is much pleaded for but generally and usually by those who are enemies to the Crosse of Christ adversaries to all goodnesse and not acquainted at all what prayer in the Holy Ghost meaneth Wee say it againe because wee would not be mistaken The Affirmative is generally and universally pleaded for by such kinde of men who cleave as fast to their formes as sin cleaveth to them or they to their sin And they beare themselves out at this point from these words of our Blessed Saviour when ye pray say But indeed it is not much to be minded what such manner of persons say who will catch at any thing that may make for their present ease and put the flesh to no câ—st Yet it is to be regarded what any good man sayth learned and godly And thus as wee have heard worthy Hild sayes Our Blessed Saviour praescribed to His Disciples a forme of prayer for them to say by tying themselves to the very words of it Had he attempted the proofe of this assertion perhaps he would have found it a more difficult undertaking than barely to affirme it so that excellent man speakes upon a different account whose words are so much in our hearts that they must needs be much in our mouthes we will tell our perswasion here That a man shall not readily meet with such like an expression in any godly mans writings and wee thought it our dutie to set it downe that wee may wrest it what wee can out of their hands who are unlearned and unstable and doe wrest words such words as these as they doe all other Scriptures to their own destruction so wee will now endeavour to evince the Negative That our blessed Saviour did not give this prayer