Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	pray_v	tongue_n	unknown_a	2,458	5	9.8592	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41608	A papist mis-represented and represented, or, A two-fold character of popery the one containing a sum of the superstitions, idolatries, cruelties, treacheries, and wicked principles of that popery which hath disturb'd this nation above an hundred and fifty years fill'd it with fears and jealousies and deserves the hatred of all good Christians : the other laying open that popery which the papists own and profess : with the chief articles of their faith, and some of the principal grounds and reasons, which hold them in that religion / by J.L. ; to which is annexed, Roman-Catholick principles, in reference to God and the King.	Gother, John, d. 1704.; Corker, James Maurus, 1636-1715. Roman-Catholick principles.	1685 (1685)	Wing G1334; ESTC R8084	89,548	131

were excluded the Land of Canaan As in the Case of David 2 Sam. 12. who was punish'd in the loss of his Child after his sin was forgiven Secondly That there are some sins which of their own nature are Light and Venial such as cool the fervour of Charity but do not extinguish it from which even Holy Men are not exempt and of which it is said that the Just Man falls seven times Augustin Enchir. c. 70. lib. Quaest Oct. tr 9. 26. Thirdly That to all sins whether great or small some Penalty is due to the Justice of God who as he has Mercy to forgive has also Justice to punish so that as St. Augustin says in Enarr in Psal 50. Whosoever seeks to God for mercy must remember that he is just and that his sin shall not pass unpunished Fourthly That generally speaking few Men depart out of this life but either with the guilt of some light offences and venial sins or else obnoxious to some Temporal Punishment due to former sins forgiven From these Heads Discourse leads him immediately to the Necessity of some Third Place For since the Infinite Goodness of God can admit nothing into Heaven which is not clean and pure from all sin both great and small And his Infinite Justice can permit none to receive the Reward of Bliss who as yet are not out of debt but have something in Justice to suffer There must of necessity be some Place or State where Souls departing this life pardon'd as to the Eternal Guilt or Pain yet obnoxious to some Temporal Penalty or with the guilt of some venial faults are Purg'd and Purify'd before their Admittance into Heaven And this is what he is taught concerning Purgatory Which though he knows not Where it is of what nature the Pains are or how long each Soul is detained there yet he believes that those that are in this Place being the Living Members of Jesus Christ are reliev'd by the Prayers of their Fellow-Members here on Earth and that the Charitable Works perform'd upon their Death-bed and the Alms dispos'd on in their Last Will are very available afterwards in order to their speedier release XXIV Of Praying in an Unknown Tongue HE is counsell'd by his Church to be present at Sermons but never permitted to hear any he is able to understand they being all deliver'd in an unknown Tongue He is taught to Pray but it must be in Latin He is commanded to assist at the Church-Service and to hear Mass but it must be without understanding a word it being all perform'd in a Language of which he is altogether Ignorant And thus is miserably depriv'd of all the comfortable Benefits of Christianity Hearing but without Understanding Praying but without Reaping Fruit assisting at Publick Assemblies but like a Stock or a Stone without feeling or any the least sense of Devotion HE is counsell'd by his Church to be present at Sermons such as he is able to understand they being always deliver'd in the Vulgar Language of every Country In France French in Spain Spanish in Italy Italian in England if permitted English They being purely intended for the good Instruction of the Congregation present He is taught to Pray and always provided of such Books of Devotion as he is capable of understanding every Nation being well furnished with such helps extant in the Language proper to the Country He is commanded to assist at the Church-Service and to hear Mass and in this he is instructed not to understand the Words but to know what is done For the Mass being a Sacrifice wherein is daily commemorated the Death and Passion of Christ by an Oblation made by the Priest of the Body and Blood of the Immaculate Lamb under the Symbols of Bread and Wine according to his own Institution 't is not the business of the Congregation present to imploy their Ears in attending to the Words but their Hearts in contemplation of the Divine Mysteries by raising up servent affections of Love Thanksgiving Compassion Hope Sorrow for sins Resolutions of amendment c. That thus having their Heart and Intention united with the Priests they may be partakers of his Prayers and of the Sacrifice he is then offering than which he believes nothing is more acceptable to God or beneficial to true Believers And for the raising of these affections in his Soul and filling his Heart with the extasies of Love and Devotion he thinks in this case there 's little need of Words a true Faith without these is all-sufficient Who could but have burst forth into Tears of Love and Thanksgiving if he had been present while our Saviour was tyed to the Pillar Scourg'd and Tormented though he open'd not his mouth to the By-standers nor spake a word who would have needed a Sermon to have been fill'd with Grief and Compassion if he had seen his Saviour expos'd to the scorn of the Jews when he was made a bloody spectacle by Pilate with Ecce homo Lo the Man Who could have stood cold and senseless upon Mount Calvary under the Cross when his Redeemer was hanging on it though he had heard or not understood a word that he spoke Does any one think that those Holy Women who follow'd their Lord in these sad Passages and were Witnesses of his Sufferings wanted Holy Affections in their Souls because he spoke not or were they scandaliz'd at his silence Was not their Faith in him that suffer'd by which they believ'd him to be Christ Jesus true God and Man laying down his life for the Redemption of Man sufficient to excite in their Souls all the Passions due from a sinful Creature to his bleeding Redeemer to his Crucified Jesus The like Faith also is sufficient to fill him with Devotion when he is present at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass For believing that Christ is there really present before him under the Species of Bread and Wine and that He that lies upon the Altar is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World What need of more to quicken in his Soul all the Affections of a Devout Lover Can he behold his Redeemer before him and not break forth into Love and Thanksgiving Can he see him that gives sight to the Blind health to the Sick and life to the Dead and yet stand still senseless and un-mov'd without putting any Petition to him without asking any thing for his blind sick and sinful Soul Can he believe that he that gives his life for the World and died for our sins is there before him and not be touch'd with sorrow and contrition for his Offence Can he see commemorated every doleful passage of his Saviour's sufferings in the several Misteries of the Mass and yet not be fill'd with grief and compassion Is not Jesus welcom to a devout Soul although he come in silence Is not the Presence of Christ a more forcing motive to a Christian than any Humane Words could be And if he

and there to imploy it in Meditation Love Thanksgiving Imitation c. as the Object requires As many good Christians placing a Death'-head before them from the sight of it take occasion to reflect often upon their last end in order to their better preparing for it or by seeing Old Time painted with his Fore-lock Hour-Glass and Scythe turn their thoughts upon the swiftness of Time and that whosoever neglects the present is in danger of beginning then to lay hold when there 's no more to come These Pictures or Images having this advantage that they inform the mind by one glance of what in reading requires a Chapter and sometimes a Volume There being no other difference between them then that Reading represents leisurely and by degrees and a Picture all at once Hence he finds a convenience in saying his Prayers with some devout Pictures before him he being no sooner distracted but the sight of these re-cals his wandring thoughts to the right Object and as certainly brings something good into his mind as an immodest Picture disturbs his heart with naughtiness And because he is sensible that these holy Pictures and Images represent and bring to his mind such Objects which in his heart he loves honours and venerates he cannot but upon that account love honour and respect the Images themselves As whosoever loves their Husband Child or Friend cannot but have some love and respect for their Pictures and whosoever loves and honours his King will have some honour and esteem for his Image Not that he venerates any Image or Picture for any Virtue or Divinity believ'd to be in them or for any thing that is to be petition'd of them but because the honour that is exhibited to them is refer'd to the Prototypes which they represent So that 't is not properly the Images he honours but Christ and his Saints by the Images As it is not properly the Images or Pictures of Kings or Dukes we generally respect or injure but by their Images or Pictures we respect or injure Kings or Dukes themselves All the veneration therefore he expresses before Images whether by kneeling praying lifting up the Eyes burning Candles Incense c. 't is not at all done for the Image but is wholly referr'd to the things represented which he intends to honour by these actions And how by so doing he breaks the Second Commandment he cannot conceive for he acknowledges only one God and to him alone gives Sovereign Honour and is so far from honouring Images as Gods that for any ones satisfaction he is ready to break or tear a Crucifix or other Image whatsoever into a thousand pieces and cast them into the fire And what respect he shews them seems to him no more injurious to any of the Commandments than 't is for a Christian to love and honour his Neighbour because he bears the Image of God in his Soul to kiss and esteem the Bible because it contains and represents to him God's Word or to love a good Preacher because he minds him of his Duty all which respects do not at all derogate from God Almighty's Honour but are rather Testimonies of our greater Love and Honour of him since for his sake we love and esteem every thing that has any respect or relation to him II. Of Worshiping Saints HE makes Gods of Dead Men such as are departed hence and now are no more able to hear or see or understand his necessities And tho' God be so good as to invite all to come unto him and to apply themselves to their only and Infinite Mediator Jesus Christ Yet so stupid is He that neglecting and as it were passing by both God and his only Son and all their Mercies he betakes himself to his Saints and there pouring forth his Prayers he confides in them as his Mediators and Redeemers and expects no Blessing but what is to come to him by their Merits and through their hands And thus without scruple or remorse robs God of his Honour HE believes there 's only one God and that 't is a most damnable Idolatry to make Gods of Men either living or dead His Church teaches him indeed and he believes That it is good and profitable to desire the Intercession of the Saints reigning with Christ in Heaven but that they are Gods or his Redeemers he is no where taught but detests all such Doctrine He confesses That we are all redeem'd by the Blood of Christ alone and that he is our only Mediator of Redemption But as for Mediators of Intercession that is such as we may desire lawfully to pray for us he does not doubt but 't is acceptable to God we should have many Moses was such a Mediator for the Israelites Job for his three Friends Stephen for his Persecutors The Romans were thus desir'd by St. Paul to be his Mediators so were the Corinthians so the Ephesians so almost every sick man desires the Congregation to be his Mediators that is to be remember'd in their Prayers And so he desires the Blessed in Heaven to be his Mediators that is that they would Pray to God for him And in this he does not at all neglect coming to God or rob him of his Honour but directing all his Prayers up to him and making him the ultimate Object of all his Petitions he only desires sometimes the Just on Earth sometimes those in Heaven to joyn their Prayers to his that so the number of Petitioners being increas'd the Petition may find better acceptance in the sight of God And this is not to make them Gods but only Petitioners to God 't is not to make them his Redeemers but only Intercessors to his Redeemer he having no hopes of obtaining any thing but of God alone by and through the Merits of Christ for which he desires the Saints in Heaven and good men on Earth to offer up their Prayers with his the Prayers of the Just availing much before God But now how the Saints in Heaven know the Prayers and Necessities of such who address themselves to them whether by the Ministry of Angels or in the Vision of God or by some particular Rovelation 't is no part of his Faith nor is it much his concern it should be determin'd For his part he does not doubt but that God who acquainted the Prophets with the knowledge of things that were yet to come many hundred years after That inform'd Elijah of the King of Syria's Counsel tho' private resolv'd on in his Bed-chamber and at a distance 2 Kings 6. 12. can never want means of letting the Saints know the desires of those who beg their Intercession here on Earth Especially since our Saviour tells That Abraham heard the Petitions of Dives who was yet at a greater distance even in Hell and told him likewise the manner of his living while as yet on Earth Nay since 't is generally allow'd that even the very Devils hear those desperate wretches who call on them Why

and as Represented And as different as the One is from the Other so different is the Papist as reputed by his Maligners from the Papist as to what he is in himself The One is so Absurd and Monstrous that 't is impossible for any one to be of that Profession without first laying by all thoughts of Christianity and his Reason The Other is just contradictory to this and without any farther Apology may be expos'd to the perusal of all Prudent and Vnpassionate Considerers to examine if there be any thing in it that deserves the hatred of any Christian And if it be not in every Point wholly conform to the Doctrine of Christ and not in the least contrary to Reason The Former is a Papist as he is generally apprehended by those who have a Protestant Education such as whensoever reflected on is conceiv'd to be a perverse malicious sort of Creature Superstitious Idolatrous Atheistical Cruel Bloody-minded Barbarous Treacherous and so Prophane and every way Inhumane that 't is in some manner doubted whether he be Man or no. The other is a Papist whose Faith is according to the Proposal of the Catholick Church which by Christ's Command he is oblig'd to believe and hear and whose whole design in this World is for obtaining Salvation in the next And is it not strange that these two Characters so directly opposite so wholly unlike one the other that Heaven and Hell is not more should agree to the same person 'T is certainly a strange piece of injustice and yet not at all strange to those who know that they that follow Christ shall be hated by the World that those who study the Wisdom of Heaven shall have the repute of Fools and that as many as attend the Lamb shall be painted in the Livery of Satan Our Fore-fathers were so before us all the Primitive Christians the Apostles and even the Lamb himself our Redeemer Calumny ever follow'd them Mis-representation waited upon them and what wonder that Infamy was their constant Attendance And now if the Orthodox Christians have thus in all Ages had their double Character one of Justice exactly drawn from what they really believ'd and practis'd the other of Malice copied from them as Mis-represented 'T is not at all strange to find it so now in our days when Calumny Malice Ignorance c. are as powerful as ever who though from the beginning of the World that is above five thousand Years they have made it their chief business to Paint Copy and Represent Things and Persons yet they never did it with so much injury so altogether unlikely as they do now to the Papists there being scarce any one Point of their Faith and Profession which they do not either blindly mistake or basely disguise The Papists believe 't is convenient to pray before Holy Images and give them an inferiour or relative respect These describe the Papists Praying to Images and Worshipping them as Idols The Papists believe 't is good to desire the Prayers of the Saints and Honour them as the Friends of God These Paint out the Papists as believing Saints to be their Redeemers and Adoring them as Gods The Papists believe that Christ left a Power in the Priests of his Church to Absolve all truly Penitent Sinners from their Offences These Represent the Papists as believing That the Priests can infallibly forgive all such as come to Confession whether they Repent or no. The Papists believe there 's Power in the supreme Pastor upon due Motives of granting Indulgences that is of releasing to the Faithful such Temporal Penalties as remain due to their past sins already remitted as to their guilt on condition they perform such Christian Duties as shall be assign'd them i. e. humble themselves by Fasting Confess their sins with a hearty Repentance Receive Worthily and give Alms to the Poor c. These make the Papists believe That the Pope for a sum of Mony can give them leave to commit what sins they shall think fit with a certain Pardon for all Crimes already incurr'd and that there can be no danger of Damnation to any that can but make a large Present to Rome at his death The Papists believe That by the Merits of Christ the good Works of a just Man are acceptable to God and through his Goodness and Promise meritorious of eternal happiness These report That the Papists believe they can merit Heaven by their own Works without any dependance on the work of our Redemption The Papists worship Christ really present in the Sacrament true God and Man These say they fall down to and worship a piece of Bread Some Papists maintain the Deposing Power These will have it to be an Article of their Faith and that they are oblig'd to 't by their Religion Some Papists have been Traytors Rebels Conspirators c. These make these Villanies to be Meritorious among the Papists and that 't is the Doctrine of their Church And thus there is scarce any one thing belonging to their Faith and Exercise of their Religion which is not wrong'd in the describing it and injuriously Mis-represented And if any be so curious as to desire to be satisfied how this comes about let him but stand by any of the Undertakers while they are taking the Copy of Popery and observe their Method and he may soon come to the bottom of the Mystery He may see them seriously viewing some of her Tenets and upon a short consideration immediately to fall to the making Inferences and deducing Consequences then down go these for so many Articles of Popery They go on and see other of her Tenets and these containing Mysteries such as Reason cannot reach to when Faith is not an assistant they are presently follow'd with variety of Absurdities and seeming Contradictions And down go these to the former for so many Articles of Popery They pass on to others and these being not conform to the Principles of their Education several Mis-constructions are presently rais'd upon them and down go these for so many Articles of Popery They look forward and seeing others in the practice of which many Abuses have been committed then down go the Abuses for so many Articles of Popery Hence they turn to the Court of Rome and as many Disorders and Extravagancies as they find there so many Articles of Popery They enquire into the Actions and Lives of her Pastors and Prelates and as many Vices as many wicked Degsins they discover there so many Articles of Popery They examine the behaviour of her Professors and whatsoever Villanies whatsoever Treasons and Inhumanities they find committed by any that own themselves Members of that Communion down they all go for so many Articles of Popery They hear the reports of such as have deserted her Authority and tho' through their extravagancies and rashness they deserve not credit even in a trifle yet their whole Narrative shall be accepted and all their idle Stories be summ'd up for so many