Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	forgive_v	pray_v	trespass_n	2,036	5	11.2620	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69095	The third part of the Defence of the Reformed Catholike against Doct. Bishops Second part of the Reformation of a Catholike, as the same was first guilefully published vnder that name, conteining only a large and most malicious preface to the reader, and an answer to M. Perkins his aduertisement to Romane Catholicks, &c. Whereunto is added an aduertisement for the time concerning the said Doct. Bishops reproofe, lately published against a little piece of the answer to his epistle to the King, with an answer to some few exceptions taken against the same, by M. T. Higgons latley become a proselyte of the Church of Rome. By R. Abbot Doctor of Diuinitie.; Defence of the Reformed Catholicke of M. W. Perkins. Part 3	Abbot, Robert, 1560-1618.	1609 (1609)	STC 50.5; ESTC S100538	452,861	494

Bishop to his reason for we see he knoweth not the law As for vs we doubt not but the law of God is the full description of all morall dutie and that euery trespasse in morall dutie and namelie their veniall sinnes are transgressions of the law and therefore that no man fulfilleth the law because no man liueth without daily veniall sinnes veniall as they call them though all sinne by the law be adiudged mortall Thus we see how foully M. Bishop was mistaken to thinke with his elder sticks to prop vp his foure points of Poperie which whether he will or not are fallen to the ground and he can deuise no further to hold them vp 40. W. BISHOP He saith further In this clause as we forgiue our debters it is taken for granted that wee may certainly know that we repent and beleeue and are reconciled by God which all Roman Catholikes deny Answ Nothing lesse because much more is required to the one than to the other For it is farre easier to discerne whether I doe yet beare any euill will to my neighbour than to know assuredly that I doe hartily repent me of all my sinnes and that for the loue of God and further that I haue a firme purpose not to commit hereafter any kind of mortall sinne these things as euery one may plainly see are farre more difficult than the other of forgiuing them that trespasse against vs. R. ABBOT M. Perkins doth not say Our repentance and faith to be known as wel as our charity that in this clause it is taken for granted that we may certainly know that we repent and beleeue as M. Bishop hath falsly and guilefully set down but that in this clause it is taken for granted that wee may certainlie know that we are in loue and charity with men when we make reconciliation Whereupon he inferreth the other Why then may we not know certainly that we repent and beleeue and are reconciled to God M. Bishop telleth vs that much more is required to the one than to the other but what that is he telleth not He saith it is far easier to discerne the one than the other but reason he giueth none He saith that euery one may plainly see it and we thinke we can see into a milstone as far as he and yet we cannot see but that a man may discerne the truth of his heart in the one as well as in the other and till he giue reason to the contrary wee so leaue him 41. W. BISHOP In the last words and lead vs not into temptation Psal 26.1 wee pray not saith he that God should free vs from temptation for it is otherwhiles good to be tempted but that wee be not left vnto the malice of Satan and held captiue of the temptation for heere to be led into temptation and to be deliuered are opposed Now hence I gather that hee who is the childe of God truely iustified and sanctified shall neuer fall wholly and finally from the grace of God and I conclude on this maner 1. Ioh. 5. That which we aske according to the will of God shall be granted But this the childe of God asketh that he might neuer be wholly forsaken of his father and led captiue into temptation this therfore shall be granted Answ If this argument were sound neuer should any Christian that saith our Lords praier fall finally be damned because they all make this petition and that according to the will of God who would haue all men saued Many things then besides saying our Lords praier are required to saluation for want of which many that haue often said that praier fall finally Againe he mistaketh the true sense of that petition for therein we do not aske that we continue not in sin which we asked in the former petition forgiue vs our trespasses but wee pray that we be not ouercome by the diuell by yeelding our consent to the temptation and so fall into sinne Lastly he forgeteth himselfe much when he saith that it is good to be tempted for he holdeth for certaine that the very first motions to sinne in vs which is the beginning of the temptation are mortall sinnes and so by himselfe it is good to fall into mortall sinne if it be good we should be tempted R. ABBOT Many there are who are Christians in name The true Christian neuer falleth away but not in deed Christians to men but not to God Christians by outward profession and partitipation of Sacraments but not by inward regeneration and grace M. Perkins namely speaketh of them who are truely iustified and sanctified who with a true heart and vnfeined faith doe call vpon the name of our Lord Iesus Christ The rest speake praiers but they do not pray they repeat words with the mouth but the heart where is the true seate of praier hath no feeling of that they say Now of them that are truely the children of God and do faithfully and truely pray it is vndoubtedly true which M. Perkins saith that neuer any doth wholly and finally fall away from the grace of God For a Psal 145.18 the Lord is nigh vnto all them that call faithfully vpon him and fulfilleth the desire of them that feare him hee will heare their crie and will helpe them And b 1. Ioh. 5.14 this is the assurance that we haue of him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs and if we know that he heareth vs whatsoeuer we aske wee know that we haue the petitions that wee haue desired of him c Aug. do bono pers●uer cap. 6. Quisquis igitur exauditur hoc poscens non infertur in contumaciae tentationem qua possit vel dignus sit perseuerantiam sanctitatis amittere At enim voluntate sua quisque deserit deum vt merito deseratur à deo Quis hoc negauerit sed ideo petimus ne inseramur in tentationem vt hoc non fiat si exaudimur vtique non fit quia deus non permittit vt fiat Whosoeuer then is heard saith S. Austin in that he praieth not to be led into temptation hee is not brought into the temptation of that wilfulnesse whereby hee should faile to perseuere in holinesse And whereas it may be obiected Yea but it is by a mans owne will that hee forsaketh God so as to be woorthily forsaken of God he answereth Who will denie that But therefore doe wee aske not to be brought into temptation that that may not come to passe and if we be heard surely it doth not come to passe because God doth not suffer it so to be As touching the sense of the petition M. Bishop to assume somwhat to himselfe taketh vpon him to correct M. Perkins whereas the sense deliuered by M. Perkins is the more sound and effectuall that our praier is not to be left to the malice of Satan and held captiue of the temptation For whereas M. Bishop saith that

it lawfull to pray to Christ himselfe neither could it be prooued thereby that we should pray in Christs name As if any of vs doe say that that onely forme of praier is to bee vsed who doe commonly our selues vse other formes of praier and condemne them that hold it vnlawfull so to doe Wee onely say as hath beene alreadie declared that no praier is to be made the matter and substance wherof is not conteined in the Lords praier And though that onely forme were to bee vsed yet it followeth not that Christ is not to bee praied vnto because Christ is that God who is our heauenly father and therefore to Christ also wee pray when wee say Our father which art in heauen Neither doth it follow that then we shold not pray in the name of Christ because it should nothing detract from the perfection of this form of praier that we be otherwhere taught to make this praier in the name of Christ Albeit the praier it selfe though not in words yet in effect leadeth vs thereunto because God is our Father no otherwise but in Christ who hath taken vs into his communion and fellowship where he hath said e Iohn 20.17 I ascend to my father and your father to my God and your God f Cyprian de orat Domin Hoc nomen nemo nostrum in oratione auderet attingere nisi ipse nobis sic pernasisset orare Which name of father saith Cyprian none of vs might presume to vse in praier but that Christ hath giuen vs liberty so to pray Now therfore we cannot truly say vnto God Our Father but with implication of the name of Christ in whose name only it is that we vnderstand him to bee our father As for that which M. Bishop saith that God may be truly called our father in that he immediatly createth and giueth vs our soules that is nothing to the purpose because we question not how God may be called our father but in what meaning it is that we doe call him father when wee say Our father which art in heauen For sith g Catechis Roman p. 4. cap 9. sect 1. Quid iucundius est patrius nomine quod induigentiam sonat charitatem the name of father importeth kindnesse and loue as their own Romane Catechism expoundeth surely it followeth that because God is no otherwise kind and louing vnto vs but h 2. Cor. 1.20 onely in Christ therefore in Christ only it is that we can call him father 35. W. BISHOP Secondly he hoppeth to the fourth petition Giue vs our daily bread in which words we acknowledge saith he that euery morsell of bread is the meere gift of God what madnesse then is it for vs to thinke that wee should merit the kingdome of heauen that cannot merit so much as bread It is false that we cannot merit our bread Math. 10. v. 11. 1. Cor. 9. v. 14. For Christ teacheth that he who goeth to preach the Gospell is worthy of that is meriteth and deserueth his meat which S. Paul testifieth saying that our Lord ordained that those who preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell And doe not day-labourers deserue their bread before they eat it and others that buy their bread doe I hope deserue it What ignorance then is it in the very principles of our faith to auouch that we cannot merit bread which notwithstanding wee pray God to giue vs because neither could we deserue and yerne it without his helpe and as sistance neither would it do vs any good without his blessing R. ABBOT When Christ saith Our daily bread is of Gods mercy a Mat. 10.10 The workeman is worthy of his meat he maketh one man debtour to another but God is debtour to no man The preacher deserueth his liuely hood of the hearer but yet at Gods hands he can challenge nothing by desert He that setteth a day-labourer to worke is bound to pay him his hire but God is not bound to pay him bread Yea many a man laboureth most painfully and yet cannot thriue to maintaine himselfe with bread and will M. Bishop say that God doth him wrong in not giuing him his desert And if the labour of the hands be to merit at Gods hands then the wicked man meriteth as wel as the iust because the wicked often laboureth as carefully as the iust So if to buy bread be to merit bread then the vngodly also meriteth his bread because he hath mony to pay for it Would any man expect such silly and childish toies from so learned a man as M. Bishop would bee thought to be Notwithstanding all the labour and trauell of our hands notwithstanding all the vertues and righteousnesse of our life yet we beg our bread at Gods hands as the gift of his mercy M Perkins therfore rightly argueth that if by merit we cannot claime of God the bread of this life much lesse can we haue any merit whereby to lay claime to euerlasting life 36. W. BISHOP Thirdly in the next petition Forgiue vs our debts foure opinions of the Roman religion saith he are directly ouerthrowne What foure at one blow what a Hercules haue we here let vs heare which The first is humane satisfaction for the child of God is taught here to pray for the pardon of his sinnes now to pray for pardon and to make satisfaction be contrary Answ This is a silly ouerthrow for it is so farre off that praier and satisfaction are contraries that praier it selfe is one of the three works of satisfaction Fasting Praying and giuing of Almes are not contrary but the very workes of satisfaction And our Lords praier is esteemed by S. Augustine who is assoone to be beleeued as M. Lib. 1 de Symbolo cap. 6. in Enchir. cap. 69. PERKINS sufficient of it selfe to satisfie for the light dayly offences that iust men fall into besides Christ himselfe praied for pardon of these mortall sinnes for which notwithstanding Gods iustice was fully satisfied by Christ his sufferings wherefore satisfaction and to sue for pardon are not so contrary but they may well stand together R. ABBOT Christ offered himselfe to God for the sacrifice and satisfaction of our sinnes Forgiuenesse of sinnes excludeth our satisfaction that by vertue of this satisfaction he might intreat pardon for vs and we thereby also in his name might intreat pardon for our selues Therefore we doe not say that praier for forgiuenesse of sinnes is the denial of satisfaction but we say that this praier being grounded vpon a satisfaction made already in Christ is a denial of satisfaction to be made by vs. Our sinnes being satisfied for in Christ remaine vpon our faithfull praier freely for his sake to be forgiuen vs. The forgiuenesse of sinnes is noted in scripture to be a 2. Cor. 5.19 the not imputing of them If satisfaction be required for sinne it cannot be said not to be imputed and if it be not imputed because

we pray that we be not ouercome by the diuell by yeelding our consent to the temptation and so fall into sinne it is true indeed that so we pray but yet because wee know that God doth not so free his elect from temptation but that they are sometimes ouercome and doe consent to the temptation and fall into sinne wee vnderstand further that if God see it expedient thus to let vs fall by temptation yet he will not leaue vs to bee holden captiues therein nor suffer vs so to be tempted but that he be alwaies with vs to deliuer vs from euill that d Psal 37.24 though wee fall yet wee may rise againe whilest he supporteth vs with his hand For whereas M. Bishop saith that M. Perkins much forgetteth himselfe in saying that it is good otherwhiles to be tempted it is he indeed that much forgetteth himselfe in so blameing M. Perkins who intendeth not that temptation is good of it selfe but onely accidentally in respect of the good vse which God maketh thereof turning the poison of one sinne to be a preseruatiue against another and by falling once making a man the more warie not to fall againe And thus S. Austin by the words of the Apostle saith that e Rom. 8.28 all things to Gods elect worke together for good f Aug. de corrept grat ca. 9. Talibus diligentibus deum omnia cooperātur in bonū vsqueadeo prorsus omnia vt si qui corum deuiant exorbitant etiam hoc ipsum eis faciat proficere in bonum euen so altogether all things as that if any of them swarue and goe aside out of the w●y hee maketh that also to further their good g Bernar. de diuers ser 1. An verò ei peccata ipsa non cooperantur in bonū qui ex eis humilior feruentior solicitior timoratior cauti or inuenitur For doe not sinnes worke for good to him saith S. Bernard who is found thereby more humble more feruent more carefull more fearefull and warie than before And thus Gregorie verie truely saith that h Greg. Moral l. 2. c. 25. Fit mira dispensatione pietatis vt vnde malignus hostis cor tentat vt interimat inde misericors conditor hoc erudiat vt viuat by the woonderfull dispensation of pietie it commeth to passe that by what the wicked enemy tempteth the heart to destroy it by the same our mercifull creatour nurtureth it to life But the concupiscences and lusts of sinne doe specially serue for this end which God hath left as an enemie within our owne berders to fight against vs for the exercising of our faith and hope that seeing our owne weakenesse and danger in our selues we may the more earnestly call vpon God and depend vpon his power that being vexed and afflicted with the temptations of sinne wee may hunger and thirst after righteousnesse so much the more that being wearied with warre we may the more long after the place of our peace and obteining through his grace the conquest and victorie we may through his mercy obteine the promise of the crowne of glory Thus God i 2. Cor. 4.6 commandeth the light to shine out of darknesse and out of euill worketh good vnto those that are his which M. Bishop also I doubt not would acknowledge but that a malicious spirit of wilfull contradiction carieth him headlong to resist apparent and knowen truth 42. W. BISHOP Finally he saith this clause Amen signifieth a speciall faith concerning all the former petitions that they shall be granted and therefore a speciall faith concerning remission of sinnes Answ It signifieth a speciall hope and confidence to obtaine them but no certaintie of faith vnlesse vpon a condition which is vncertaine that is if wee doe our parts God will not faile of his if wee doe heartily repent vs and vse the Sacrament of Penance duly wee shall assuredly obtaine remission of our sinnes R. ABBOT The Romane Catechisme in this point confirmeth that which M. Amen what it importeth in the Lords praier Perkins saith and maketh good our speciall faith expounding Amen to bee added by our Sauiour Christ a Catec Roman p. 4. cap. 17. sect 4. Cui voci illa quodammodo subiecta sententia est scito tuas auditas esse preces Habet enim vim respondentis illum qui precibus quod velit impetrarit cum bona gratia dimittentis dei Et sect 6 Intelligentes nos iam impetrasse omnia ac sentientes praesentem vim diuini auxilij illud vnà cum propheta canimus Ecc● dominus adiuuat me c. as Gods answer to this effect Know that thy praiers are heard and that we are to vnderstand it as that wee haue obtained all our desires and feeling the present power of the helpe of God doe sing with the Prophet Behold God is my helper the Lord is the protector of my soule If I be to conceiue Amen to be Gods answer that hee hath heard the praier that I haue faithfully made vnto him then am I to beleeue that God hath forgiuen me my sinnes because that is one part of the praier which I haue made Whatsoeuer poison there is in the Romane Catechisme that M. Bishop sucketh very greedily but this acknowledgement of truth though perhaps vnwarily deliuered he can by no meanes admit As for his vncertaine condition I haue before shewed that it is the ouerthrow of Christian faith and hope which wholly withdraweth our eies from looking vpon our selues and our owne merits that we may rest wholly and only vpon the mercy and goodnesse of almighty God It may well stand with that doubting and feare which elsewhere he requireth but confidence and hope can in no sort grow vpon it 43. W. BISHOP Hitherto M. Perkins hath argued against vs out of the Lords praier now I will briefly shew how the Protestants doctrine contrarieth it I haue in my answer to his obiections touched some points already I adde that one position of their doctrine crosseth three of the first petitions I prooue it thus In euery petion we must be assured as M. Perkins holdeth or at the least haue a good hope to obtaine that wee pray for or else it booteth vs not to pray but according to the Protestants doctrine no man can be assured nay can haue any hope to obtaine the three first petitions for if originall sin do continually dwell in vs and infect all our actions with deadly sinne as they teach Gods name cannot be sanctified in vs that are infected with such an vnclean leprosie neither secondly can God raigne as a King in vs if sinne possesse and command all our members and thirdly Gods will cannot bee done by vs on earth as it is done in heauen if wee cannot keepe his lawes and commandements which they in heauen doe wherefore the Protestants haue no assurance to obtaine the three first petitions who are by their teachers assured that they are not to bee

purpose he misinforceth the testimony of Epiphanius whereby he would exempt Aerius from the crime of heresie iustly laied vnto his charge by S. Austin and many others But I answer him that though as a man I may be deceiued yet God hath giuen me more grace than that in these matters I will willingly deceiue my selfe In this matter of Epiphanius I do not take my selfe in any sort to be deceiued His conclusion against Aerius as touching praier for the dead is this r Epiphan haer 75. Ecclesia necess●r●ò hoc perficit traditione à patribus accepta quis autem poterit staturum matris dissoluere aut legem patris velut Solomon dicit Audi fili fermones patris tui ne repudies statuta matris tuae ostendens per hoc quòd in scriptu sine scripto decuit pater mater autem nostra ecclesia habet statuta in se posita indissolubilia quae dissolui non p●ssunt●● Cùm itaque ordi nata sint in ecclesia statuta benè se habeant omnia mirab●ittèr fiant confuta●us est tursus etiam hic seductor The Church necessarily doth this by tradition receiued from the Fathers and who may dissolue the statute of his mother or the law of his Father as Solomon saith My sonne heare thy Fathers words and refuse not thy Mothers statutes heereby shewing that both in writing and without writing the Father hath taught and our Mother the Church hath statutes set downe in her which are inuiolable and may not be broken Seeing then saith hee that there are statutes ordeined in the Church and they are well and all things are admirably done this seducer is confuted Now then doe I say that praier for the dead is a tradition Epiphanius saith the same that the Church doth it by tradition from the Fathers Doe I say that he maketh it a statute or ordinance of the Church He himselfe expresly calleth it so and finally presseth the authority of the Church onely for the confuting of Aerius He alleageth no Scripture his words import that he hath none to alledge Onely to grace the ordinances of the Church he wresteth a saying of Salomon nothing pertinent thereto as if we were taught that God without scripture teacheth vs by the Church And if he meane any otherwise but that it is the ordinance of the Church very vainly and idlely doth he heere name the ordinance of the Church But M. Higgons will say that though Epiphanius name it thus a tradition and an ordinance of the Church yet he meaneth it to be such a tradition and ordinance as is from the Apostles But let him meane what he will yet so long as he maketh it a tradition without Scripture my words stand good which I vsed to M. Bishop ſ Answer to Doct. Bishops epistle sect 10. pag. 79. 80. Epiphanius resolueth vs that praier for the dead is a matter of tradition and an ordinance of the Church and therefore freeth vs from any trespasse against any thing that Moses or the Prophets or Christ and his Apostles in the Scriptures haue deliuered vnto vs. If it be no matter of Scripture with Epiphanius then I say rightly that he cleereth vs from impugning therein any thing that is deliuered in the Scriptures Albeit because it is by Epiphanius his confession a tradition without Scripture therefore we resolue vndoubtedly that it came not from the Apostles because whatsoeuer they taught concerning faith and saluation is conteined in the Scriptures as before hath beene shewed at large Yea and how vnsoundly Epiphanius vrgeth Apostolike tradition is to be seene in the point which he speaketh of immediately before where he saith that t Epiphan haer 75. Decreuerunt Apostoli quarta prosabbato ieiunium per omnia excepta Pentecoste de sex diebus Paschatis praecipiunt nihil omninò accipere quàm panem salem aquam the Apostles decreed a fast vpon Wednesdaies and Fridaies continually saue betwixt Easter and Whitsuntide and that six daies before Easter men should receiue nothing but bread and salt and water whereas S. Austin professeth that u Aug. epist 86. Quibus diebus non oporteat ieiunare quibus oporteat praecepto Domini vel Apostolorum non inuenio de finitum what daies to fast or what daies not to fast he findeth it not defined or set downe by any commandement of Christ or his Apostles and by Tertullian it appeareth that the Primitiue Church alledged against the Montanists x Tertul. de ieiunio sic Apostolos obsernasse nullum aliud imponentes iugum certorū in cōmune ●mnibus obeundorum ●etunorum that the Apostles imposed no yoke of standing and common fasts and of the Lent-fast Socrates resolueth that y Socrat. hist. li. 5. c. 21. Quoniam nemo de ea praeceptum literarum monumentis proditum potest ostēdere perspicuum est Apostolos liberam potestatem in eadem cuiusque menti arbitrio permisisse vt quisque nec metu nec necessitate inductus quod bonum est faceret because no man can shew any written commandement thereof it is manifest that the Apostles left it free to euery mans will and discretion that without feare or necessity euery man should doe what good is Now we cannot wonder that he that would thus vnaduisedly name Apostolike tradition for the one should do the same for the other also Albeit if M. Higgons can iustifie praier for the dead according to Docter Fields rule we will not sticke with him to grant it to be an Apostolicall tradition But he might haue seene that I had put it without the compasse of that rule if he had been desirous to know the truth and had not resolued first vpon other occasions to fall away and afterwards to seeke shifts to excuse his fall I shewed by Origen that the Church at first vsed no praier for the dead by the authour of the ecclesiasticall Hierarchy that when it was first vsed it was vsed onely for iust and holy men of whose soules they were resolued that they were in heauen for what causes I haue expressed there by Epiphanius that they added afterwards to pray for euill men also and publicke offenders by Austin that there was not knowen any definite and certaine vse and effect of praiers and offerings for the dead and that many in his time did plead that if any good were to be done for the soule after death it should rather be by it owne confession of sinnes than by offerings procured by other men And lastly whereas praier for the dead by M. Higgons confession dependeth vpon Purgatory I shewed by Austins expresse words that he had no certaine beleefe or knowledge of any such place which are more cleere to that purpose than that by any Popish sophistications they can be shifted or deluded 36. Albeit I did not only alledge him doubting of Purgatory but also plainly excluding it vpon occasion by denying any third place