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.
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
this cup passe from me Nor to vrge that of the Apostles who could pray before after their manner and yet desired to be taught a prayer by Christ himselfe who vpon their request gaue them a forme as also Iohns Disciples were taught by their master From the Text in hand it may be maintained against all aduersaries that publike prayer in a set forme is well pleasing to God if other things be answerable for heere the Priests blessed the people according to the set forme giuen vnto them No iudicious Writer maketh doubt of this and it was a prayer which they vsed when they blest them so it is called in the Text and it was as publike as any prayer and yet of this publike prayer vsed by the Priest in a set forme it is said It went vp to his holy dwelling place euen to heauen to shew the singular acceptance it had with God Wherfore let no man depraue our Church for this because we vse set praiers in the Congregation nor let any despise such prayers as God himselfe despiseth not for we finde in the Scripture vse both of conceiued prayer and of set formes and both pleasing vnto God and in our Church as ordinarily we are appointed to vse common supplications so vpon extraordinary occasions the Preacher hath liberty to inlarge and to vse the best gift he hath as God shall inable him and his holy Spirit shall guide his hart tongue Let al make vse of both vnto the glory of God for pleasing vnto him are the publike prayers of the Church whether extraordinary or ordinary So long as the prayers be good and holy for the matter whether they be conceiued in a set forme or voluntary we are to make good account of them and vse thē reuerently religiously But whilest I speake thus in cōmendation of publike prayer I am far from falling into the other extreme as some haue done who are all for common prayer and care little for preaching For as the dignity of preaching is excellent that sufficiency being required to that part of Gods seruice specially which the vulgar cannot attaine to so the necessity thereof is exceeding great both to the esse of a Christian and the bene esse Necessary it is to the begetting of soules to God to call sinners to repentance to bring home the lost sheepe of the house of Israel And this hath euer bin the ordinary meanes of conuerting soules and therefore of necessary vse at all times and so in these times wherein iniquity aboundeth though there be an external profession of the true Christian faith necessary it is for those that are already the people of God Prophecying saith the Apostle is for them that beleeue And of old the Priests office was not only to pray but to teach and it is said of the Leuiticall Priests Deut. 33. 10. They shall teach Iacob thy iudgements and Israel thy law Presupposing that the Israelites themselues would alwaies need teaching Non minor est virtus quà m quaerere partatueri Preaching is necessary to the preseruation of those which are brought to the knowledge of the Truth and to make them grow in grace Therefore saith the Apostle Peter vnto the Christians of his time As newborne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that fraudlesse milke that ye may grow thereby 1. Pet. 2. 2. The Word read I confesse is of good vse and profitable but preaching is necessary to make it so for when that noble Eunuch of Ethiopia read the Scripture though he was a man of better parts and capacity then hundreds of our people yet he confessed his owne disability and said How can I vnderstand without a guide Necessary it is also to the due performance of other parts of Gods seruice as to the more worthy receiuing of the holy Sacrament Without the helpe of a Preacher or Catechizer the common sort goe to the Lords Table without preparation not discerning the Lords body nor knowing the end and right vse of the sacred mysteries but by a good Preachers labour Communicants are better taught and come better prepared to that holy Seruice and doe it more vnderstandingly comfortably What should I say more To good praying good preaching is necessary As poore people cannot vnderstand the Scripture without a guide nor vnderstand the mysterie of the Sacrament without a guide so they are as ignorant in prayer also the Lords Prayer they say often but vnderstand not and ignorantly they vse other prayers not knowing what they say sometimes they pray for that they hate as those that pray that the rest of their life may be pure and holy when as in heart they desire no such change in themselues but hate purity and holinesse and despise all that follow it and those that are no prayers they vse for prayers thinking them to be so not onely children but olde men thinke they pray and pray well when they say the Creed and ten Commandements There being therefore such necessity of preaching I can but wonder that vpon the best Day of the weeke many Country people are afraid to do nothing but to goe forth to heare a Sermon They dare ride abroad about their worldly businesses as often as they list they dare goe to all the prophane Wakes in the Country one Sunday after another but dare not goe to a Sermon so much as halfe a Sabbath dayes iourney though they haue none at home as they would make men beleeue for feare of Apparitors and Churchwardens I doe the more wonder at it because I perswade my selfe that our religious Fore-fathers which had a hand in setting foorth the Common prayer booke now established by authority held and would haue the people taught the necessity of hearing the Word of God for they haue appointed prayers to be vsed that the Lord would giue Ministers grace to preach diligently it is giuen in charge to the sureties at Baptisme that when the baptized come to yeeres they call vpon them to heare Sermons not thinking it sufficient for them to heare Seruice onely And none haue written more effectually of the excellency of preaching then those learned and worthy Doctors and Diuines which tooke paines lately in the translation of the Bible See what they haue written of this in their Epistle to his Maiestie Amongst all our ioyes say they there was no one that more filled our hearts then the blessed continuance of the preaching of Gods sacred Word amongst vs which is that inestimable treasure which excelleth all the riches of the earth because the fruit thereof extendeth it selfe not onely to the time spent in this transitory world but directeth and disposeth men vnto that eternall happinesse which is aboue in heauen c. Thus honourably haue they written of the preaching of the Word and these I am sure were no Puritans for they haue written against Puritans and