come not thou into their secret Gen. 49.6 unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united Let us not like the Cocke in the Fable preferre the barly corn before the precious gemme or like Chius sell the good Wine and drink the dregges our selves or like Glaucus change our gold for copper Let us not take darknesse for light Isa 5.20 and light for darknesse bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter shall we make this blessed Prayer of none effect to promote our owne Rom. 3.4 God forbid yea let God be true and every man a lyar let the whole treasure of our prayers be contained in this treasury let us offer the gold frankincense and myrrhe of prayers and thanksgiveings alwayes on this holy Altar for whosoever walketh according to this rule Gal. 6.16 peace shall be upon him and mercy and upon the Israel of God So much for the first consideration of this prayer viz. as it is Regula or a rule of prayer Come we â—ow to the second consideration of it viz. as it is Forma A prayer of it selfe or a prayer of it selfe All the Petitions contained in this prayer were used by our Saviour Christ in the dayes of his flesh as he tooke our nature for sometimes he prayed for the honouring his Fathers name sometimes for the inlarging of his Kingdome sometimes for fulfilling of his will sometimes for multiplication of bread sometimes for deliverance from temptation But one petition seemeth repugnant forgive us our trespasses Quest for how could he pray so who never knew sinne He might pray this Sol. 1 having a fellow-feeling of the Churches miseries he was the head of a body 2 Cor. 5.21 and was made sinne for us and so did not onely confesse himselfe a sinner but suffered the wrath of God for it which made him cry Deus mi Mat. 27.46 Rom. 15.3 Psal 69.9 Deus mi My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The rebukes of them that rebuked thee fell on me Againe Sol. 2 you may beleeve that our Saviour did not recite it as his prayer unto God but left it as a prayer unto his Church There is a distinction made of the whole prayer in the Lesson and in the Liturgie In the Lesson it is commended by God to us in the Liturgie we commend our selves to God by it And although Christ did not use it as a prayer though it might be so yet certainly he commended it as a forme unto the Church And albeit wee read not in any place of holy Scripture that the Apostles used this forme of prayer in reason we are to suppose that as they were Disciples and were ignorant they used it as a prayer as they were Apostles and had the gift of prayer they used it as a patterne to others That it was given as a prayer we need not wee ought not to doubt therefore we see it used in all the Liturgies of the Primitive Church as in the Liturgies of Saint James of Saint Basil of the Syrians of the Ethiopians Marg. Bibliotheâ— pat and in the Liturgie of Saint James there are these words prefixed Vouchsafe us O Lord this confidence that we may dare to pray unto thee and say Our Father which art in Heaven c. And that it was thus intended it is plaine by the words Our Saviour doth not say pray that Gods name may be hallowed his Kingdome come c. in any other forme but he bindeth them to the same words as upon a just occasion he saith pray non in hunc modum sed haec verba When ye pray say Our Father c. And this is the reason why it is so often used in the Liturgie Communion Baptisme and every particular Rite in our Church It is so that if any thing be defective in our prayers or forgotten which were fit to be asked we may quicken our senses and recollect our selves by the sweet recitall of this prayer which if a man could speake with the largenesse of affection that the words will beare he needeth no other prayer And therefore we make it at the least we ought the clause and end of all our prayers Cyprian de orat Dom. It is good saith Saint Cyprian to aske God in his owne words for what is more likly to prevaile with God Quae potest esse magis spiritualis oratio quam quae a Christo nobis data est a quo nobis spiritus saneÌ„tus mâ—ssus est c. then that which was made by God himselfe It beginneth with Kingdome and endeth with Glory It is the best forme that ever was made saith that holy and blessed Martyr for what more excellent and true prayer can there be then that which was made by excellency and truth it selfe It is the most spirituall forme for it was given by the holy spirit Saint Austin preaching upon this prayer Aug. de temp serm 126. doth fall into admiration of it saying O vere coelestis oratio quae tota est oratio O truly celestiall prayer which is all prayer Mr. Calvin And reverend Calvin likewise learnedly and judiciously falleth into admiration of the loving kindnesse of Christ towards us Dum unigenitus Dei filius nobis verba in os suggerit quae mentem nostram omni haesitationâ— expediant In that he putteth words into our mouth which may free our mind of all doubting For five things is this Prayer to be commended First it is to be commended because it is a publike forme it was so intended by our Saviour Christ A publike forme as it plainly appeareth by its running in the plurall number Not my Father but Our Father c. Hence it was well noted by Saint Greg. that although in the latine Church it was said by the Priest onely yet in the Greek Church it was said by all the people as being intended publike forme not but that we should use it in private as a clause of our prayer for it is a prayer as well for the closet Matth. 6.6 as for the Church When thou entrest into thy closet pray after this manner for though then a man prayeth alone yet must he not pray for himselfe alone qui sibi soli orat solus orat saith Saint Austin whosoever prayeth for himselfe alone prayeth alone and hath not God hearing him therefore in the publike Congregations and in our closets let us say Our Father which art in Heaven c. Secondly this prayer is to be commended A set forme because it is a set forme it is plaine and evident by the giveing of it Christ gave it twife in the same words and same forme nay if he had beene desired a forme of prayer a thousand times he would have given the same forme Therefore justy may we dislike Conceptuaries which conceive of other formes and say it is a stinting of the Spirit to pray in a set forme for rather we may say to pray in another forme without premeditation is to abandon the Spirit This monstrous conceit of conceived prayers without
any premeditation Pur. and Br. pag. 9. spoyleth both the Father and the Sonne as King James saith in his learned and godly exposition of the Lords prayer I justly call it monstrous saith he since they will have a thing both conceived and borne at once contrary to nature which will have every thing to lie in the belly of the mother a certain time after the conception there to grow and ripen before it be produced and this is the universall course of nature as well in animal as vegetable things yea even in minerals within the bowels of the earth And in this Grace imitates Nature not producing any perfect worke at the first but by degrees Yet I confesse when a man can swimme well he may cast away his bladders when the Cripple can walke well he may throw away his staffe yet there is a decorum to be kept even by him that hath the best gift that way If a man hath the gift of praier it is not unlawfull to use a set forme especially in publike for when we know before what to pray it is a meanes to stirre up our affections and to keepe them in good tune but by accident it is a meanes to coole our zeale when we have a prayer by roat when we mind the words onely Yet certainly it is a good helpe to those which are not come to a degree of excellency in this gift therefore as one saith so keepe a set forme as that ye varie and so varie as that it be grounded upon this forme and then conclude saying Our Father c. Thirdly this prayer is to be commended A plain form because it is a most plaine and perspicuous forme being easie to such as desire to informe themselves what and how to pray Obscurity is in nothing so odious as prayer they which pray in an unknown tongue pray not by the spirit because to pray without understanding is to offer strange incense so that I may use the words of Malachy Mal. 1.8 to such as put up prayers to God which they understand not Goe now and offer this to thy Prince and see if he will accept thy person will not he thinke himselfe abused and dismisse thee with some sharpe punishment the bruit Beasts may pray better for they have naturall and inarticulate voices Psal 147.9 the Ravens are fed of God when they call upon him their croaking is a kind of invocation the Lions roaring after their prey is a prayer When men know not what they pray Praedatio eorum precatio Aug. how can God or themselves say Amen to their prayers their praying is neither a spirituall nor a reasonable service Therefore the Fathers doe paralell this praying in an unknowne tongue to Caligula's banquet who did set before his friends golden dishes and bad them eate but they found them hard meat and rose up more hungry then before The Romish Priests doe set before the people rather brasen dishes their soules are starved because they cannot eate But if they were golden Quid prodest clauis aurea si non aperiat quid obest lignea si aperiat Aug. what good could they get by them What doth a golden key profit us if it cannot open our doore what doth a wooden one hinder us if it can open our doore Caelius Rhodoginus writeth that Cardinall Ascanius had a Popinjay Lib 3 32. that could pronounce distinctly all the articles of the Creed such Popinjayes or Dauâ—s are the Papists who can say Pater noster yet not Our Eather If the Priest juggle as well in this as in other things he may teach the common people as well to curse as blesse God for ought they know Let us therefore pray with the spirit 1 Cor. 14.15 but let us pray with understanding also Lingua sonet menâ—autem scâ—utetur sensum â—orum quae dicuntur Basil in Ps 28. Let us take Saint Basils rule Let thy voice be heard but let thine understanding find out the sence of those things which are spoken and so let us say Our Father which art in heaven c. Fourthly this prayer is to be commended because it is a briefe forme A brief form Lycurgus injoyned the people to offer little sacrifices unto their Gods for saith he they respect more the inward affection then the outward action Matth. 6.8 Matth. 23.14 A rule which our Master Christ hath given us When ye pray use not much babling And he condemned the Pharises for their long prayers And behold this prayer which he hath given us to say is a short one that for these Reasons which Ludolphus reciteth First to be easier learned Secondly to be better remembred Thirdly to be oftener repeated Fourthly Non tumultuosa loquacitas sed affectio cordis apud Deum praevalet Aug. to assure us that God heareth us the sooner Fifthly that we may not so much respect words as devotion It sheweth us that it is not tumultuous babling but fervency of affection that prevaileth with God The forme of the Decalogue is reduced unto ten words nay by Christ unto two nay to one word love mica salis it is the grain of salt which seasoneth every part of our obedience Likewise the Creed is reduced unto twelve Articles those twelve to six those six to two what we beleeve in and what we beleve of This Prayer for brevity sake is reduced to six petitions for those prayers are best which are shortest and most full of affection Sir Rich. Bak. With the length or elegancy of our prayers as God is not wearied so he is not delighted but Devotion is the length and Faith is the Eloquence which while with perswasions they importune him with importunity they perswade him And therefore the Church hath prescribed Collects prayers answerable to this short prayer of our Saviour Christ Let it not then be irksome unto us when we pray to say Our Father which art in Heaven c. Lastly this prayer is to be commended A perfect forme Quantum restringitur in verbis tantum dissunditur Tertul. lib. dâ— orat because it is a perfect forme By how much it is streightned in words by so much it is defused in signification It may well be called a world of prayer for this is the little world which Christ made upon earth As the world consisteth of Heaven and earth so this prayer consisteth of heavenly and earthly petitions As the whole frame of Nature was made in six dayes so Christ giveth us a forme of prayer in six petitions answerable to the six dayes Protegenes the Painter being from home Apollo in the meane time came to his shop and drow a line by the evenesse and straightnesse thereof Protogenes knew that Apollo had beene there so by the evenesse and straightnesse of this prayer and excellent ontracting of the Petitions though
prayer then to forget it For you may know He gave this Prayer twice once voluntarily when he was preaching on the Mountain which was by them soone forgotten having heard it but once therefore one of the Disciples probably supposed John in the name of all the rest Mat. 6.1 Voluntarily 2. By entreaty Luke 11.1 goeth to Christ when he was praying and when he ceased beggeth a forme of prayer which notwithstanding their forgetfulnesse he granteth speedily fully cheerfully Our comfortable Lesson from hence is Obser that it is not labour lost to come to Christ with our petitions if they be lawful and good for Christ is easie to be entreated Jam. 3.17 A present helpe in trouble When you call saith he I will answer Psal 46.1 Call upon me in the time of trouble Psal 50.15 so will I heare thee And the Prophet David to encourage all men to pray doth set forth the readinesse of God to heare prayer Psal 65.2 O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come And Christ himselfe telleth us what we in our prayer must performe to God and then for our comfort what God for our prayer will performe to us Matth. 7.7 Aske and it shall be given you seeke and you shall find knocke and it shall be opened unto you Aske with the mouth seeke with the heart knock with the hand and it shall be given you and you shall find and it shall be opened unto you And it shall be given you that is for temporall things And you shall sind that is for spirituall things And it shall be opened unto you that is for eternall things And Saint James telleth us Jam. 1.5 if any man lacke wisdome let him aske of God who giveth to all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liberally and reproacheth no man and it shall be given him The Disciples petition was therefore acceptable to Christ because profitable for themselves for thus he professeth of himselfe ego Dominus Deus tuus docens te utilia Esay 48.17 utilia non subtilia Aug. I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest goe Saint Austin observeth that Christ puts no medium betwixt the Disciples motion and his grant they no sooner had said Lord teach us to pray but Christ answered When yee pray say Our Father c. Thr. makâ— emirâ— There are three things which doe make a giver eminent First to give presently for that is to give twice Qui cito dat bis dat The second is beyond that to prevent the asker The third is beyond that to put him in mind of asking And we have Christ an amiable President for all these The first he performeth to the Leper Chrâ—â—ted when the Leper came to him and made no petition onely a supposition Domine sivis Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane the Text saith that Jesus imimediately put forth his hand and touched him saying I will be thou cleane Mat. 8.2 3. and immediately his leprosie was cleansed The second he putteth in practise towards the Paralyticke which was let downe in the bed to him Cl ve asl for he said unto him sonne thy sinnes are forgiven thee here he preventeth his asking the forgivenesse of his sinnes Mar. 3.5 The third he expresseth to the Impotent-man Christ did put in minde of asking Ioh. 5.6 Mar. 10.51 for when Jesu saw him lie and knew that he long time had beene diseased he said unto him wilt thou be made whole The like he expresseth to the Blind-man for he said unto him what wilt thou that I doe unto thee Let us put all these together Applic. and make a cord of them to binde us to the comfortable dutie of prayer for by all these we have encouragement to goe to Christ for if he was so ready to supply our wants when he was here on earth much more ready is he to supply our wants now he is in heaven sitting at the right hand of his Father and making intercession for us In the midst therefore of our distractions and distresses troubles and extremities let us poure out our prayers before him If the bruised reed truly humbled shall send up short ejaculations and say Luke 18.13 Mat. 9.2 Luke 7.48 Luke 17.5 God be mercifull to me a sinner he shall find presently an answer returned Thy sins are forgiven thee If the smoaking flax conscious of its owne weaknesse shall send up this petition Lord increase my faith it shall have that comfortable answer which Christ gave Peter Luke 22.32 I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not If obedient Subjects when their religious upright and gracious King and their sinfull yet quondam flourishing Kingdomes are angustiated on every side shallwith true penitent hearts cry to God in faith fervency of spirit Psa 132.1 saying remember David we have just cause to say Charles with all his affliction Ps 25. ver ult and deliver Israel our England and Ireland out of al their troubles O God they shal individually receive this comfortable answer I have heard that which thou hast prayed me I have spoyled you but I will heal you I have wounded you but I will bind you up 2 King 19 2â— after two dayes will I revive you and in the third day I will raise you up and you shall live in my sight If a man Hos â— 1 2. seeling himselfe so defective in prayer as that he cannot pray so fluently and fervently as others shall move this petition Lord teach me to pray Luke 11.1 he shall have this gracious answer when thou prayest say Our Father which art in Heaven c. So that they which pretend they cannot pray have no excuse for they know where they may be taught even in this it is but aske and it shall be given you If John taught his Disciples to pray how much more and sooner will Christ teach those that come to him Thus much for the Quod respondet That Christ answers Come we now to the Quid respondet Quid resp What Christ answers His answer doth containe a most sacred prayer to be used when we pray and therefore published by two Evangelists Matthew and Luke that so there might be no ground or colour left for Heretickes or Schismatickes to reject it for by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be confirmed saith our Saviour and if every word Mat. 18.16 by the restimony of two or three then undoubtedly the Word of God by the testimony of one for if Pythagoras his ipse dixit was such a stickler amongst his Schollers how much more should the Lord's be amongst his followers If we receive the testimony of men saith Saint John the testimony of God is greater 1 John 5.9 Loe here is the testimony of him who is both God and man and
therefore the greatest that may be and consequently to be carefully regarded Mat. 6.9 The Text. Saint Matthew doth set downe this Prayer as a rule coppy or patterne for prayer After this manner pray yee Saint Luke doth set it downe as a forme When yee pray say Our Father c. Pray thus saith Saint Matthew pray this saith Saint Luke It hath pleased Almighty God to put this as a tongue in the head which is both an instrument of speaking and asking it is not onely a rule or coppy to make other prayers by but a forme to pray in totidem verbis Even as he that writeth a coppy writeth the same letters and after the same manner and as a picture to the beholder representeth a man and to the Painter is a patterne to make others by so these words are a perfect patterne which we must pray by and a perfect forme which we must pray in So then this prayer as reverend Calvin well observeth is taken two wayes Master Calvin as regula as forma First as a rule of prayer Secondly as a forme of Prayer For indeed it is both A rule of prayer Exod. 25.9 First consider we it as a rule of Prayer Moses in the building of the Tabernacle was commanded to make all things according to the patterne shewed him in the Mount so we are commanded to make all our prayers according to Christs patterne shewed in the Mount The absolute consideration of it doth not take away the relative A boundstone so marketh out the ground as that it is still a stone Paternity maketh not a father cease to be a man So though Our Father which art in heaven c. be a prayer in it selfe yet it is a most perfect Patterne to make other prayers by A skilfull builder maketh a goodly house according to the moddell in a peece of paper So though the Lords prayer may be written in a small compasse yet it is so large in extent that all prayers made before may have reference unto it and those made after some dependence on it Pray otherwise we must not not as though it were unlawfull for us to use another forme for Christ gave it twise and there is some little difference betweene that of St. Matthew and that of St. Luke St. Luke hath it Say these very words Saint Matthew hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pray on this manner or to this purpose according to the instructions in this forme contained forgive us our debts saith St. Matthew forgive us our trespasses saith St. Luke as we sorgive saith one for we forgive saith another for thine is the kingdome c. Beza saith the one the other saith it not at all But Master Beza who tooke great paines to search all the old Coppies of the new Testament to perfect his edition thereof by comparing them together doth confesse that in many coppies he found these words wanting in Saint Matthew as well as in Saint Luke and that many Interpreters have thought that they were put into the Text as being the common conclusion used by the Christians in their prayers a As that holy Acclam added at the end of the Iâ—s Gloria potrie but neither without divine Authority 1 Chro. 22.11 12. 2 Cor. 1.3 Reve. 5.13 Psal 48.1 Cyprian Aug. Hierom. Moreover he saith three of the ancient Fathers in their expositions on the Lords Prayer have omitted this conclusion and have not so much as mentioned it Arias Montanus gives this note upon Matth. 6.9 Animadverte lector hanc classulam non esse de textu he addeth also in the Greek Church the Congregation doth never repeate this clause but when they have with the Minister said deliver us from evill The Priest onely pronounceth these words 〈…〉 for thine is the Kingdome However it be as Tertullian observeth it is lawfull to use other words but we must still keepe the sence therefore he calleth it legemorationis the Law of prayer as being the rule by which we must square or the mould wherein we must cast all our prayers And of this judgement was Saint Austin Arâ— Epist 12â— cap. 12. whose words are these Quamlihet alia verba dicamus nihil aliud dicimus quam quod in ista Dominica oratione positum est si recte congruenter oramus although when we pray we may say other words if we pray rightly and congruously we say no other thing then that which is contained in the Lords Prayer Of the same opinion likewise was reverend Master Calvin Calvin in Matth. 6.9 who writeth thus Noluit praescribere filius Dei quibus verhis utendum sit ut ab ea quam dictavit formula deflectere non liceat sed tamen vota nostra sic dirigere fraenareque voluit ne extra metas istas oberrent that it might never be lawfull for us to turne aside from that forme of prayer which the sonne of God hath taught us the sonne of God would not so strictly prescribe what words we must use in our prayers as if all our prayers must be totidem verbis yet for all this he would so direct and bridle our desites that they should not wander beyond their bounds but be confined within the contents of this Prayer which indeed is a patterne that hath not a paralell It is an observation worthy of your consideration that when Christ's Disciples came for an increase of their faith he gave them no forme for their faith Luke 17. but left that for them to give to the Church But he frameth himself to give them a Mappe of prayer that all the Christian world might speake the same language because he knew we knew not what wee should aske we aske oftentimes unlawfull things or lawfull things unlawfully nay we are prone to aske hurtfull things Alexander when the Cynicke asked a groat said it was too little for a King to give when he asked a talent Alexander told him it was too much for a Cynicke to aske so when we aske we either aske things unfit for us to aske or for God to give Therefore our blessed Lord and Saviour who was as Saint Ambrose saith Confiliarius Patris and best knew his Fathers secrets being God he knew what petitions were best pleasing to God being man he knew what petitions were best suitable for man maketh an incomparable rule of prayer for us that so we might have hope of obtaining our requests Applic. But hath Christ given us a prayer written as a mould wherein to cast a touch stone whereby to try the beame of the Sanctuary whereupon to weigh the certaine rule whereby to square all our prayers why then doe so many in these dayes especially both Ministers and people impudently forsake this Fountaine of living waters to digge them pits even broken pits that can hold no water Jer. 2.13 Why doe they say desperatly by their daily practise we will have none of this prayer for a patterne for
all our prayers for we have loved strange prayers Jer. 2.25 A blind 〈◊〉 lâ—adeâ—h them out of the way and them will wee follow Doe not these men follow an ignis fatuus whiles they embrace their owne Chymeraes and fanaticke conciets And least that any should say or thinke I have wronged them by this discourse let us bring to the touchstone their ordinary prayers made and uttered in our publike Congregations None can or I hope will deny the currant stamp onely excepted that they present to God rude and undigegested extemporall evaporations of their desires yea Immethodicall prayers such tautologies battologies and reiterations as no hearer can truly joyne with them in these their prayers for though they often licke them over in one sermocination they are no fitter to be compared then to Beares whelps without forme without fashion And I pray you tell me is this the way to pray according to the Lords prayer Matth. 6.7 hath not our Saviour forbidden vaine repetitions is there in his prayer one word placed amisse is there an iota in it that hath not its full weight things necessary asked out of place Bona oratio quae ordinem ser vat Aug. are not so convenient Christ teacheth not onely what but how to aske He keepeth a good order Againe that their prayers are oblong and tedious for they are an houre 2 Oblong prayers sometimes two houres yea three houres long as if words could prevaile with God Matth. 6.7 and they should be heard for their much babling notwithstanding the Wiseman telleth us that our words must be sew Eccles 5.2 and our Saviour giveth the reason thereof Matth. 6.8 Non vocem audiâ— Deus sed affectum Aug. for your Father knoweth whereof ye have need beâ—ore ye aske of him Is this the way therefore to pray according to the Lords Prayer Ludolphus divâ—ta Christi part 1. cap. 89. which is so short that it may be written in the compasse of a penny doth it not containe an ocean of matter in a little current of speech Brevis sermone capiâ—sa virtute Cypr. ser de orat dom It is short in words long in vertue so if we will make it our patterne our prayers must be fuller of devotion then words Thirdly that they present to God immodest irreverent prayers Immodest prayers for they doe sollicit God in such homely rude and sawey language as they dare not tender to men they are so familiar with him as in their prayers to tell him newes out of their weekly Intelligencer so that their Diurnals Qui orat ut qaasi Deo ignoranti suam necessitatem exponat and Corantoes stand them in great stead In this their immodest carriage and behaviour they imitate that sawcy fellow whom Saint Chrisostome reprehendeth who when he prayed expressed his necessity in such a manner as if God had beene ignorant of it And doe these men likewise pray according to the Lords Prayer Behold its language is sad and serious grave and gracious declaring an holy reverent zeale with true and sanctified judgement In that we say Our Father we call upon the bowels of Gods mercy which begets an holy holdnesse In that we say Which art in Heaven we invocate the arme of his power which begets an holy feare and therefore saith the wiseman Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God Eccles 5.2 Reg. Bible for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth Lastly that they offer up their prayers to God in the heat of fury Immane prayers Luke 9.54 as the two sonnes of thunder let fire come from Heaven and consume the Samaritans And vent the bitternesse of their intemperate spleen in curses and imprecations to Gods dishonour and the breach of Charity even against those whose faces they never saw and from whom they never received any wrong Doe these men pray according to the Lords Prayer which as one said is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ingaging of our charity and love for we desire to have remission of sin no otherwise then as we forgive our brethren whereby the love of our brethren is continually encreased It runnes altogether in the plurall number in a common strane not My Father but Our Father give us forgive us lead us not into temptation deliver us from evill which kind of expression doth include all men for all men are by creation and by conservation and protection the sonnes of God and of these God onely knoweth who are his It is not in our power to discerne who are reprobated and who are elected they be all our fellow creatures and the law of Charity doth bind us to the love of their persons We must therefore pray for all sorts of men not onely for our friends but for our enemies Matth. 5.44 First for our personall enemies Secondly Luke 23.34 for the enemies of our Country and Kingdome Thirdly we must pray for the enemies of Religion nisi Stephanius orasset Jer. 29.7 Fulgentius Ecclesia Paulum non haluisset unlesse Saint Steven had prayed for Saul the Church had never had Paul Acts 7. ve ult And it is Saint Pauls exhortation that supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thankes be made for all men for Kings 1 Tim. 2.2 and all that are in authority Hominem sâ—câ—t Deus pecratorem bama non est homo quâ—est adversator sed peccator ora pâ—o homine ut Deus occidat peccatorem Aug. And in his time all Kings were persecuters of the truth Consider what God made and what man made God made man man made the sinner it is not the man which is thy adversary but the sinner Pray therefore for the man that God may slay the sinner it is a way to destroy our enemy and to save the man Saint Paul did not kill Steven but Saint Steven killed Saul David did not pray against the person of Achitophel but malignity O Lord I pray thee turne the Councell of Achitophel into foolishnesse 2 Sam. 16.31 We may I hope then by this time plainly perceive that instead of sweet savour Isa 3.24 we have stinke and instead of a girdle a rent and burning instead of beauty Our Novelists have made them crooked pathes Isa 59.8 Whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace Are they not bereft of understanding and true Christianity they are saith Hugo Cardinalis Hugo Cardin. in Matth. 6. Stulti qui non orant sicut docuit Christus nec sunt Christi they are fooles saith he which doe not pray as Christ hath taught neither are they of Christ Quisquis id dicit saith Saint Austin quod ad istam Evangelicam precem pertinere non possit Aug. Ep. 121. cap. 12. carnaliter orat whosoever praveth that which cannot appertaine to this Evangelicall prayer prayeth carnally Therefore let every good Christian individually say O my soule
impose a prescript forme of prayer upon mens consciences although Scripture it selfe But cannot we prove that a prescript forme of prayer may be imposed upon the Church let the Author and his followers take notice of 1 Chro. ch 16. v. 7 8.35.36 Again of Joel chap. 2. ve Apparet hunc Pâ—â—â—mum c. Musc in Psal 95. 15 16 17. The 95. Psalme in the judgement of some learned men was used in the publike assemblies of the Jewes even upon the Sabboth day Master Calvia wâ—â—ting to the Lord Protector in the time of King Edward the sixth hath these words Quod ad formulam precum Mr. Calvin Epist ad Proteâ— Angl. 87. pag. 69. rituum Ecclesiasticorum valde probo c. Concerning the forme of prayer saith he and Ecclesiasticall rites I doe very well like that they should be certain in a prescript order and that the Pastors be not suffered to swarve from it as well for the helpe of the simple is also that a consent of all Churches may he held and lastly to prevent the rashnesse of those that affect novelties But againe Object 2 the Admirer of the Lords Prayer said We ought not my Beloved to say the Lords Prayer as a prayer especially the Minister in a publike Congregation because there be many ignorant persons which understand it not To which I answer Answ first that it is very plaine and easie to such as desire to in forme themselves What and How to pray Again I answer that if we must not say the Lords Prayer unlesse we understand it it is unlawfull to teach our children to say it Master Br. of Saint D. E. who as yet are not come to the yeers of discretion But consider these places Deut. 6.7 11.19 Pro. 22.6 Lastly if it be so that none must say or hear the Lords Prayer but those that throughly understand it then it is unlawful to command our children to read the Scriptures or to heare them read especially the 6. chap. of Saint Mathew and the 11. of Saint Luke But this learned Doctor falleth from objecting against the Prayer in generall and betaketh himselfe to particulars First ye ought not to say the Lords prayer Object 1 because if you be in the state of nature you abuse God in that you say Our Father Is God a Father of regenerate persons onely Answ Is not he a Father generally of all creatures All men may say Our Father by a fourfold right Of Creation the Father of our being Of providence the Father of our continuance Of infusion of the spirit Of regeneration In the two first sences not men onely but all other creatures may call God theirs because he created them and provideth for them In the third not onely Saints but all men may generally call God theirs In the fourth th' Elect onely The first is the voice of nature the second of sence the third of reason the fourth of grace But unregenerate persons ought not to say the Lords prayer as a prayer for if they doe Object 2 they desire their owne damnation because they pray Thy Kingdome come I perceive that this famous Teacher never read of the Kingdome of power Answ which enforceth to the Kingdome of the Gospel nor of the Kingdome of the Gospel which makes way to the Kingdome of grace nor of the Kingdome of grace which prepares for the Kingdom of glory yet this petition comprehends all these Not any longer wil I trouble my self to sweep away these slender cobwebs or to presse these rotten grapes onely let me tell you that the chiefest reason as I gesse why the Novelists doe relinquish the sacred prayer of our Saviour is because it containeth this petition Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And behold now I meet with the third and last sort of adversaries unto this prayer which I may call lukewarme Laodiceans they are the more moderate Brownists and Separatists King James conter a Ham. Coaâ—t they will not quite forsake this prayer but they will have as little of it as they can peradventure none oâ— it if they durst appeare to their secret dislike for do not their famous Lecturers refuse to say it except once in a quarter of a yeere and then must it not be said upon the last lecture-day of the quarter because some worthy Citizens else willdeny their liberall Contribution shal I compare these men to those Spanish Friers of whom I read who would say their Pater noster but once a weeke and that was upon the Lords day Nay may I not compare them rather to an honest brother of theirs who being lately asked by a worthy Citizen what he thought of the Lords prayer At Master M. house in G.H. answered I think it is a prayer of all prayers being asked againe why then he did not say it oftener at the end of his owne prayers answered I will give my Audience content Is not that saying of the Apostle verefied of these men Phil. 2.21 all seeke their owne not the things which are Jesus Christs It is a prayer that cannot be said too often and I dare presse the frequent use thereof upon warrant of this plaine and cleare Text Luke 11.2 Quando oratis dicite c. quando is as much as quandocunque quandocunque is as much as quotiescunque whensoever ye pray or as often as ye pray If we repeate the same words to iterate the same petitions to God is it any more blameable in us then in Christ himselfe Mat. 26.44 â— Cor. 1â— 8 who in the Garden is said to have used three times severally the same words not the same petition onely Or then in Saint Paul who when Sathan buffered him did three times pray the same prayer as he confesseth Away then with these proud ignorant wilfull dissembling Novelists for those which are ashamed of the Lords prayer here on earth of those shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels But these are Brethren and I heartily wish therefore that by some good means they were reformed if not it is the Apostles precept that they be avoided Mark those saith he that make contentions Rom. 16.17 and avoid them Marke them as you would the Basilisk avoid them as you would a Pest-house And if ever my beloved you desire to find true comfort by your prayers here on earth or to see the face of Christ in Heaven let me perswade you to honour the Author for the prayers sake the prayer for the Authors sake First let us honour the Author for the Prayers sake It was a good memorandum which Marke the Heremite gave to one of his Schollers for his direction in his duty of thanksgiving unto God which was that he was not onely to blesse God for the good workes which he did but also for the good words which he spake A man must as well blesse God for his good words as for his good actions if we come by the good word of grace to have the grace of words in our speech we are as well to blesse God for it as for good workes because as we are not able to doe any good work no more to speak any good word of our selves for it is not in him that willeth nor in him that speaketh but in God that giveth the power If we must blesse God for our words much more for our prayers and if for our prayers much more for this prayer and the gift of the spirit in it and for his assistance in it And as we must honour the Author for the Prayers sake so let us honour the Prayer for the Authors sake How readily will God heare the Prayer of his sonne and how readily will the son acknowledge his owne Prayer made in his owne name when we offer up this prayer we may say as Saint Bernard of himselfe Nunquam abs te absque te recedo J never goe from thee without thee Cypr. de Orat. Dome Oremus itaque fratres dilectissimi sicut magister Deus docuit Let us therefore my beloved brethren pray as God our master hath taught us Since he hath framed us a prayer of which we are assured that he is pleased with the hearing it let us be delighted with the saying it and let our zeale towards it like true love which groweth by the enjoying encrease by the practising that the oftener we say it the more we may love it and the more we love it the oftener we may say it Amen Amen FJNJS
ORATIO DOMINICA OR THE LORDS PRAYER Pleading for Better ENTERTAINMENT IN THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND A Sermon Preached at Saint Mary Woolnoth London Jun 11. 1643. By Peter Bales Mr. in Arts and Minister of the Gospel NVM 23.12 Must I not take heed to speake that which the Lord hath put in my mouth ECCLES 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hastie to utter any thing before God for God is in heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few Cypr. Ser. de Orat. Dom. Qui hâ—â—itat intus in pectore ipsâ— sit in voce cium ipsum habeamus advocatum apud patrem pro peccatâ—s nostris quandò pro delictis nostris peccatores nos petimus advocati nostri verba promamus London Printed for F. E. and are to be sold at the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1643. TO THE TRVE CHRISTIAN WHICH Loveth Admireth and constantly saith THE LORDS PRAYER P. B. wisheth all spirituall Graces with wordly prosperity in this life and eternall Felicity in the life to come Good Christian IF ever there were a time when if ever a place where Gods Ministers and Watchmen as Esay calleth them Isa 56.10 his Stewards and Embassadours Tit. 1.7 2 Cot. 5.10 as Paul nameth them his Angels and Messengers Mal. 2.7 as Malachy tearmeth them had need to cry aloud and poure out their Prayers before the Lord and to exhort the People to doe the same And of all prayers especially the sacred Prayer of our most gracious Saviour then now is the time here is the place The time is now in this our age the place is here in this our Land In England by the Separatists the Lords Prayer is so used when and where it is either blasphemously contemned wilfully rejected or impudently neglected I therefore though the unworthiest of the Sonnes of Levi have adventured from a cleare Text both to expresse and presse the frequent use of it Agn 〈◊〉 â—ater 〈◊〉 ba 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Cyp that so we may have hope of obtaining our Requests But I confesse I should not have in print exposed my selfe to the snarling of biting Censures had not the constant importunity of mary worthy Friends perswaded and the rarity yet great necessity of the Subject enforced me thereunto It is my comfort and encouragement Nâ—â— ad dâ—sâ—â—d niâ—mâ—unâ—statetutâ—â— nisul addâ—eâ—ndâ—â—m veritate fae lâ—us Greg. Mag. in Ezek. that there is nothing more safe to be defended then honesty nothing more easie to be spoken then truth And God is my witnesse I lie not I know nothing but honesty and truth in this Sermon confirming the Innocent and detecting the Nocent If any one be offended at it let him know that he hath a guilty conscience And as for thee good Christian if there be any thing amisse thy friendly information shall be thrise acceptable In the meane time I entreat thee to read with understanding to remember what thou doest read and the Lord give thee grace to practise what thou doest remember Thine in the Lord Jesus Peter Bales THE LORDS PRAYER Pleading for better entertainment in the Church of England LUKE 11. part of Ver. 2. Say Our Father which art in Heaven c. THE first verse of this Chapter containeth the best suit that ever was made to Christ by his Disciples Wee read in the holy Scripture of other suits made to him The first Mat. for understanding of Parables The second for increase of Faith Luk. The third for superiority in his Kingdome Mat. But this suit or request is more eminent and far above the rest for it is the meanes to procure illumination for understanding of Parables to obtaine increase of Faith in laying hold of Christ superiority in an heavenly not in a temporall Kingdome oâ— which they dreamed And as they shewed more piety in this suit then in any other so Christ sheweth more grace in this grant then in any other The first suit he granted but with exprobration of their ignorance Mat. 15.16 Are yee also without understanding The second he granted but with exprobration of their unbeliefe Mat. 16.8 Mat. 10.40 O yee of little saith The third he granted not at all because it was a thing not to be sued for but he granted a forme of Prayer immediately upon their petition They saying Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples Christ answered When yee pray say Our Father which art in Heaven c. My Text then plainly appeareth to be our Saviours gracious answer to his Disciples humble motion wherein you may be pleased to observe two things viz. Quod respondet quid respondet First That he answers Secondly What he answers Begin we with the first That he answers The great Doctor of his Church never denieth Quod respo deferreth or expostulateth the case with his Disciples but presently returneth a gracious answer When yee pray say Our Father which art in Heaven c. First He might have taken just exception because they alleadged John an example to him of teaching his Disciples to pray He might have said Why doe you tell me of John all the grace that John hath is from me Mat 3.11 Yea John confessed himselfe unworthy to unloose my shooe and may not I now take it in scorne that the Disciples of John should teach me my duty after the example of John Notwithstanding all this Christ to commend his humility is content both in his preaching and praying to follow John Mat. 3.10 John said Every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire And Christ though he were the wisedome of God and furnished with all manner of Doctrine was content to borrow that very sentence from John-Baptist as it is apparent in his Sermon on the Mountaine Matth. 7.19 Nay further he was content also to follow him in praying so that the example of Johns diligence in teaching his Disciples that duty was a motive to him to doe the like unto them Secondly whereas the Disciples of Christ tell him that John was wont to teach his Disciples to pray they spake by experience for diverse of them were before time Disciples unto John as appeareth in Joh. 1.37 And being they were brought up at Johns feet to learne to pray our Saviour might have beene justly offended at them that they would be such Non-prosicients under such a Tutor He might have said what doe you come to me to teach you to pray were you Schollers so long in John's Schoole hearing prayer daily and yet not able to pray It seemeth John hath bestowed great paines to no purpose he hath in teaching you onely plowed the rocks and harrowed the sands Why should I take the Childrens bread and give it unto you who have so often trampled it under your feet Lastly our Saviour might have given them justly the repulse because they no better regarded his owne
He hath left us a Prayer which is as perfect for a prayer as Christ for a Saviour in its spheare and proportion Good God! Ap. Rom. 1.25 Heb. 10.29 what phrensie then hath possessed the practicke and pragmaticke spirits to turne the truth of God into a lie to trample under foote this sacred and unparelled prayer Doe not they count it an unholly thing do not they cry out against it as the Edomites against Jerusalem Psal 137.7 saying down with it downe with it even to the ground Or else doe not they cry out against it as the two possessed with devils cried out against our Saviour saying Matth. 8.29 what have we to doe with thee art thou come to torment us before the time If not why doe not they say it shall I say in their private houses Tâ—r. 1.12 Alwayes liars nay in our publike Congregations three sorts of Christians there are I should say Cretians which doe stand out as professed enemies unto it First there are some who cannot be content to turne it out of doores onely as Sarah did Hagar but they must send a scourge of small cords after it with a pasport of ignomine and disgrace Test Some have not bin ashamed to say that if Christ were upon earth againe he would not give his Church a set forme of prayer because it stinteth the spirit An idle and impudent minion said not long since that shee did thank God A sern in Br. Str. Test she had forgotten the Lords prayer A woman walking up Col. hill within these few weeks said J am very glad that J have not said the Lords prayer for above a twelve-moneth Another farre worse then these if worse can be said A seru in T.P. Test J thinke in my conscience J shall offend God more if J should say the Lords prayer then if J should lie with a man O intolerable impiety O impudent atheisme O horrid blasphemie Doe not these strip off the white and keep the black are not these prophane and without shew of the contrary Rom. 2.5 Doe not they virtually betray the Lord of life Doe they not treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God Certainly they are such as Saint Paul speaketh of in 2 Tim. 4.3.4 2 Tim. 4.3.4 The time will come saith he when they will not indure sound doctrine but after their owne lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching eares And they shall turne away their eares from the truth and shal be given unto fables Againe there are some which doe commend this prayer I feare The Brownists and Anabap. Barrow and Green wood c. in the reign of Q. Eliza. not cordially for an excellent copy to write after a mould to make prayers by but they say it is not a prayer it selfe and therefore they will never conclude their Prayers with it They have put this abominable errour in Print and have likewise published the same lately in our London Pulpits taking upon them to shew reason why it should not be used for a prayer First let us weigh their reasons that are in Print although indeed they are not worth the weighing they are so small First Object 1 say they it is not lawfull to use the Lords Prayer as a prayer because we have no warrant or example for it I Answer Christians have a sufficient warrant Answ for they are commanded Luke 11.2 and taught by the Lord Jesus to pray so When ye pray say this not thus say Our Father c. These words are a contradiction to their ne dicite Disciplina discipuli doctrina Magistri The Masters doctrine is the Schollers discipline Againe Object 2 The Lords Prayer is the patterne or grand-worke of prayer therfore it is not lawfull for a Christian to use it as a prayer The Antecedent is true Answ Matth. 6.9 but I deny the Argument Is it no prayer because it is the groundworke of prayer The argument is like unto these two arguments First the Articles of our Creed are the summe and groundworke of our Faith therefore it is not lawfull to repeat them as the confession of our saith Secondly Concupiscence is the groundworke and originall of sinne Rom. 7. Jam. 1.14.15 therefore concupiscence is not sinne which Popish argument is very false and followeth not for concupiscence is both sinne and the cause of sin Thirdly Object 3 they alleage that Prayer must expresse our wants to God in particular but the Lords Prayer is generall Our Answer is Answ that both in generall and in particular we must pray to God and therefore our larger prayers do refer themselves to the generall heads of this prayer and this concludeth them all Moreover this prayer is full even in particular Petitions Fourthly Object 4 they alleage that our faith cannot arrive to all expressed in the Lords Prayer 1 Cor. 13. therefore it is unlawfull to use it publikely or privately as a prayer The argument is very silly Answ and is like unto this Our knowledge is imperfect and cannot reach unto very many things contained in the Canonicall Scriptures therfore a godly Christian may not travail in the body of the Canonical Scriptures That man that should dispute thus deserveth to be called an Ignaro Fifthly Object 5 the Lords Prayer is Scripture therfore it is not lawfull to use it as a prayer A very good argument it is to justifie the use of it Answ Wherefore doe we use Davids Psalmes and the holy hymues of Scripture but to apply them to our occasion Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit Psal 31.6 Luke 23.46 Is not this Scripture yet our Saviour used it for a prayer on the Crosse But we will passe from the Reasons in the Presse to the Reasons in the Pulpit which are of the same vertue and value First Master T. Object 1 it is said the venerable Sir Antichristian to say the Lords Prayer as a Prayer because it is imposed upon mens consciences Seemeth it a small thing unto him to have eaten up the good pasture Answ Ezek. 34.18 but he must tread downe with his feet the residue of his pastures and to have drunke of the deepe waters Reve. 13.1 but he must trouble the residue with his feet Is not the name of blasphemy upon his head I am sure it is upon his tongue Is Christ Antichrist light darkenesse heaven hell Is it Antichristian to say that prayer which Christ hath commanded us will dare any man question his authority Consider this ye that thus forget God lest he teare you in peeces Psal 50.22 and there be none to deliver you But doth not the Author meane forgetting Christ that this prayer the Church hath imposed upon mens consciences to be said as a prayer therefore it is Antichristian It seemeth then that the Author will not allow the Church so much power as to