dealt Satan with Eue he made shewe that hee had some good thing to tell her whereby their state might be bettered but it turned to theirs and our destructiō So did the foure hundred false Prophets of Baal contrarie to the true Prophet Michaiah prophecie good successe to Ahab in his war against the Aramites but his harkning to them cost him his life And so dealt Hananie with the Iewes when they were besieged by the King of Babels armie contrarie to Ieremies counsell he prophecied peace and safetie but it turned both to his owne and to their destruction Ier. 28. 1 2. c. The 7. pretence is boldnesse and constancie in suffering for their opinions for a man in obstinacie may liue and die for errour as well as the childe of God may doe for the truth Constancie in opinion is no sure note whereby to iudge a true Prophet for many heretikes haue suffered death confidently for the maintenance of their damnable heresies Thus we see the pretences of false Prophets now hereto wee must adde this second point to wit that for all this they bee but wolues because by their damnable doctrine they seeke to poison and corrupt the soules of simple men If it be said they haue no such intent they themselues thinke it to be the truth I answer that may be true in some but this cleareth them not from beeing wolues for the deuill that hath deluded them who is their Lord and master doth by them dangerously delude and deceiue the simple The Vse 1. Considering this danger of false Prophets we must practise Christs lesson Mat. 10. 16. Be simple as doues that is bee innocent and harmelesse thinking euill of none neither intending euil or offence to any in thought word or deede and yet we must be wise as serpents who haue great subtiltie in sauing and defending their head from harme so must euery one that lookes to be saued labour for so much wisedome whereby hee may preserue himselfe from the hurt of false prophets Now the beginning of this wisedome is to feare God in hi◠word beleeuing his promises obeying his commandements The true feare of God is not without knowledge and therefore euery one must labour to be instructed in the principles of religion for without knowledge we cannot feare God and so shall want true wisdome to eschew false Prophets II. In that the false teacher by so many faire shewes seekes to bring in false doctrine it is euery mans dutie in his place to labour to preserue wholesome doctrine and the puritie of true religion This dutie is necessary for we must be as forward for the truth as the enemie is for falshood and doe as much for God as they doe for the deuill Againe no poyson is more deadly to the body then false doctrine 〈◊〉 to the soule therefore seeing God hath long blessed vs with his truth let vs esteeme it aboue all outward blessings and by seeking to preserue the puritie thereof shew our selues thankfull to God for the same Verse 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits do men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles This verse those which follow to the 21. containe the third point which Christ laieth down concerning false prophets namely the means whereby we may discerne and iudge of them And herein he obserueth this order First he giues vs a notable rule to direct vs in iudging of false prophets Ye shall know them by their fruits Secondly hee explanes the same rule by a similitude drawne from trees Doe men gather grapes of thornes c. For the rule that we may vnderstand it the better wee are to search what is meant by the fruits of false Prophets A false Prophet must bee considered two waies First as he is a man taking vpon him the name profession of Christ for so false Prophets vse to do and secondly as he is a false prophet in both these respects hee hath his fruits As he is a man taking vpon him the profession of Christs religion hee may bring forth many outward duties of external obedience vnto the moral law but these fruits are not here meant for a false Prophet may dissemble much goe farre in the outward duties of religion so as he cannot be discerned by his generall profession or by the works of his ciuil conuersatiō There be other fruits which come frō him as he is a false prophet by them must he be discerned these therefore are to be considered Now we shall know them the better by searching out the fruits of a true Prophet 〈◊〉 he is a man of God appointed to teach Gods people The fruits of a true Prophet be principally three I. He teacheth and preacheth in the name of God by vertue of calling from God and otherwise dares not presume to teach Rom. 10. 14. How shall he teach vnlesse he be sent and the author to the Hebrewes saith Christ tooke not the honour of beeing the high Priest and Prophet of the Church to himselfe but was called thereto by his father Heb. 5. 5. And this stands with reason for euery true Prophet and teacher stands in Gods roome and is Gods embassadour to deliuer his will to his people which thing none can doe but he whome God calleth and sendeth for that purpose Yet the calling of Prophets and teachers by God is diuers Some are called by voice from God immediatly as were Abraham Moses and Samuel and all the Apostles in the new Testament by the immediate voice of Christ for Paul was called by the voice of Christ from heauen Act. 9. 4 5 6. Againe others haue their calling from God by the speciall message of some Angel or some men Thus was Aaron called by Moses Elisha by Elias and Philip by an Angel to preach to the Eunuch Act. 8. 26. Thirdly others be called by the instinct and motion of Gods spirit so Act. 8. Philip was by ordinarie calling a Deacon but by extraordinarie instinct he became an Euangelist and a preacher of the Gospel for the building of Gods Church These three kinds of calling men into the ministerie were extraordinarie and are now ceased and not to be looked for neither are they to be regarded which say they are thus called at this day A fourth way whereby God now calleth Prophets and teachers into his Church is by his Church for God hath giuen to particular Churches a particular ministeriall power and seruice whereby they may designe a place vnto the teacher and also make manifest that God hath called him Now this authoritie is but ministeriall to designe and manifest whome God hath called for the principall calling is from God for Act. 20. 28. the Elders of the Church of Ephesus are said to be made ouerseers by the holy Ghost when as they were designed thereto by men And by one of these foure waies are all true Prophets and Teachers called Here some may demaund what kind of calling
lewdnesse nor frowardnesse in them yea the Law of the Lord is perfect his statutes are right and his iudgements true and righteous altogether Now the consideration of this integritie and perfection of the law and word of God must mooue vs to studie the Scriptures with great diligence so saith our Sauiour Christ Search the Scriptures that is shake and sift them as the word signifieth search narrowely till the true force and meaning of euery sentence yea of euery word and sillable nay of euery letter and iotte therein bee knowne and vnderstood conferre place with place the scope of one place with another things going before with things that come after yea compare word with word letter with letter and search it throughly This manner of studying the Scripture is most necessarie as beeing the thing indeede which preserueth and vpholdeth the Church of God and the puritie of religion for about foure or fiue hundred years agone men left off to studie the Bible after this sort and betooke themselues to the writings of men occupying their wits wholly in vaine quidâ—ities in Philosophie and in hid mysteries of Diuinitie by which meanes it came to passe that Poperie and Apostacie from the truth spread it selfe ouer the world for many hundred yeares together Afterward God of his meere mercie put into the hearts of some men to bee carefull searchers in the word of God by which meanes the truth appeared as light out of darkenesse Thus God stirred up Luther about the yeare of our Lord 1517. who by diligent search in the Scripture and especially by serious meditation with praier vpon these words of the Apostle Roman 3. 21. That now by the Gospel without the Law the Iustice of God is made manifest did finde that by the perfect obedience of Christ our iustification was wrought and thereupon began to maintaine and professe Iustification before God to be free through and by faith in Christ onely without helpe from the works of the law against the doctrine of the Church of Rome and so by further diligence and industrie in the Scripture the truth of God shone forth more and more Let all men but especially Students in diuinitie consider this effect of searching out the Scriptures as a spurre to diligence in this behalfe By this means also errors and heresies are auoyded and suppressed the will of God is plainly reuealed And here by the way we may see how profitable and necessarie the gift of Interpretation is It is a most excellent gift of the spirit pertaining to the Ministerie and therefore most commendable necessarie is the vse thereof in Schooles of Learning Eightly this immutabilitie ascribed to Gods law that euery part thereof shall be accomplished to the full teacheth all Princes and Magistrates not onely to be keepers of Moses law in their owne persons but also within their rule and dominions to doe their best indeauour that the same bee fulfilled and kept by others For this cause did the Lord command that the Prince of his people should haue the Law written before him in a booke to read vpon continually that hee may learne to feare God and to keepe all the words of the Law to doe them and that which is there enioyned vnto Princes belongeth also vnto all Magistrates Masters and Parents within their places and charges they must be carefull to see the whole law of God practised and obeyed both in their owne persons and of those that are vnder them Lastly by this immutabilitie ascribed to the Law wee may learne what it is to fulfill the law namely to keepe and obserue to the full euery particular thing which the law commaunds vs and vpon this wee may ground two conclusions against the Papists First that no man can come to life euerlasting by his owne righteousnesse and obedience for hee that would come to heauen by his owne righteousnesse must be able to fulfill the whole law perfectly in euery respect but since Adams fall no man could keepe the lawe in all things sauing our Sauiour Christ both God and man Secondly that our fulfilling of the law must be in the obedience of Christ for he onely was answerable to the whole law in all things and therefore if we would come to heauen we must not come in our owne righteousnesse but in his as Paul wisheth to be found of God Phil. 3. 8 9. Verse 19. Whosoeuer therefore shall breake one of these least commandements and teach men so he shall bee called least in the kingdome of heauen but whosoeuer shall obserue and teach them the same shall bee called great in the kingdome of heauen Our Sauiour Christ hauing plainely propounded in his Apologie for himselfe the stabilitie and eternitie of the whole law doth here laie downe two notable conclusions for the vpholding thereof 1. Because the Law is immutable and eternall therefore he that breaketh one of the least of the commandements and teacheth men so shall be called least in the kingdome of heauen 2. Because the Law is eternall therefore he that keepes the commandements and teacheth men so shall bee called great in the kingdome of heauen For the first by least commandement he meaneth the precepts of the Morall lawe though in the former verse by Law he vnderstood the whole law in three parts Iudiciall Morall and Ceremoniall And he calleth them litle not simply in regard of themselues as though they were so indeede for in it selfe euery commaundement of God is great and waightie but hee speaketh according to the opinion of the Iewes for the Scribes and Pharises had ordained certaine rites and ceremonies according to the tradition of their Fathers the obseruation whereof they made a greater matter of conscience then the keeping of some of Gods commandements and so esteemed them little Againe saying these least commaundements hee pointeth out what particular commaundements of the Morall law the Iewes esteemed lesse then the traditions of men namely those which afterward he expoundeth in this Chapter touching Murther Adulterie Swearing and the rest for they esteemed not all the commaundements of the law lesser then their traditions Shal be called least in the kingdome of heauen Here Christ sets downe the punishment of a false Prophet which breakes Gods commaundements teacheth men so to wit his base esteeme in the Church of God for the kingdome of God is two-fold the kindome of grace and the kingdome of glorie The kingdome of grace is the societie and companie of Gods faithfull seruantes here on earth The kingdome of glorie is the blessed estate of all the Saints in heauen Now here by kingdome of heauen he meaneth the kingdome of grace which is the militant Church on earth and so Iohn Baptist calleth it Math. 3. 2. Repent and amend for the kingdome of heauen is at hand that is the Church of the old Testament is now abolished and the Church of the new Testament is ready to take place
their heart before others in that order which were meete Now to make supplie of all these wants a set forme of praier is to be vsed whereunto all the powers of bodie and soule may be well fitted III. Reason The ancient Church of God long before the time of Poperie vsed a set forme of praier indeede for the first three hundred yeares after Christ by reason of continuall persecution they could not doe so but after those times there was a set forme of praier vsed in all Churches in so much as the souldiers in the field had their set praiers And in many Councels it was decreed that no Church should vse any forme of praier but such as was allowed and appointed and that for these causes first that there might be an vniformitie in the solemne worship of God and secondly that the ignorance and negligence of many Pastors might be preuented who otherwise would haue omitted this dutie in their congregations and therefore there was then set downe a generall forme of Confession of faith of praier and thanksgiuing and of administration of the Sacraments Now considering set praier is Gods ordinance and the imperfections of man require it and the same hath beene so long vsed in former ages I doubt not to affirme the same to be both profitable and necessarie whereby we may see how blinde and rash they are who tearme set prayer an abominable Idol and as loathsome vnto God as swines â—lesh was to the Iewes These be loathsome and vnreuerend tearmes but that we may know their follie and error the better let vs here scanne their principall Reasons against set praier and they be two I. To read a sermon penned by an other is no preaching and therefore to repeate a set praier is no praier Ans. The reason is naught for in reading a penned sermon a man cannot expresse the gift of prophesie but in reading a set praier he may shew the gift of praier as namely a touched heart for his sinnes an hungring desire after grace and a thankfull heart for Gods mercies and herein doth praier consist and not in the words II. Reason We must pray freely as the spirit mooues vs and therefore to vse set formes of praier is to stint and quench the good motions of the spirit Ans. This reason were somewhat if euery one receiued such a portion and measure of the spirit as did inable him hereunto but seeing in this life we haue but the first fruits thereof and not the tenths as one saith we are to vse all good helps to make supplie vnto our wants for in the practise of holy duties we are like vnto a man that is newly recouered of some grieuous sicknes who can walke in his chamber yet not by himselfe alone but either with his staffe or leaning vpon an other mans shoulder euen so we beeing weake and feeble in praier had neede of the helpe of set formes of praier to hold vp our feeble hands vnto God and therefore it is requisite for men to vse set formes of praier at least for the matter and order thereof in their owne hearts yea and many times it is needefull for some to vse set praiers for words for many that haue true grace in their hearts want vtterance to expresse it and if they might not vse set formes of praier they should be depriued of many great comforts especially when they pray with others So that if the heart be rightly prepared thereto set praier doth not quench but helpe the weake gifts of the spirit both in the heart and tongue By this then we see that neither our Church nor any other where a set forme of diuine seruice is established is therefore to be blamed because the same is both necessarie and profitable Secondly here we see that it is meete and necessarie we should haue some set forme of prayer in our hearts according to our peculiar estates whereby we may expresse vnto God our particular wants and craue supplie thereof particularly some thinke we must onely pray vpon extraordinarie instinct and motion of the spirit but so many be our wants that vnlesse we prepare our selues before hand we cannot pray aright and therfore to auoid many distractions and lets in our mind heart and vtterance it shall be sound needeful to prescribe vnto our selues a set forme of praier we are content to keepe a set order for our diet and apparell and why should we not doe it in praier which concernes the comfort and refreshing of our soules A second thing to be gathered from this commandement is this That the Lords praier is the most excellent forme of praier that is or can be made by any creature for it was indited and propounded by the sonne of God who is the wisdome of the father Now the excellencie of it stands in these things I. in the pithie shortnes of it for in few words it compriseth endlesse matter II. in the perfection of it for it containeth in it whatsoeuer is to be asked in prayer in which respect it is well called of one the abridgement of the whole Gospel III. in the order thereof which hereafter we shall see in the resolution of it IV. in the acceptation it hath with God the father for it containeth the words of Christ his sonne in whome the Father is well pleased Use. 1. The excellencie of this praier sheweth plainly that if any set forme of praier may be vsed then this may being indited by the Mediatour of the Church And therefore the Anabaptists of our daies are fouly deceiued who denie the vse hereof for a praier wheÌ„ as before this time for the space of fifteene hundred yeares after Christ there was neuer any that disallowed it Secondly hence we see that the practise of those preachers is commendable who vse to conclude their prayers with the Lords prayer for hereby as by a most perfect and excellent praier the wants and imperfections of our prayers are supplied Thirdly whereas some would gather from the perfection and excellencie of this prayer that it alone is sufficient to be vsed they are deceiued for Christs intent was rather to commend this prayer vnto vs for matter and manner then for the words thereof Againe though it be a most perfect prayer yet it is only generall but euery true beleeuer must haue particular prayers whereby in speciall forme and manner his particular estate and condition may be made knowne vnto the Lord yet so as they be alwaies suitable vnto this forme here prescribed And thus much of the Commandement Now followeth the prayer it selfe Our Father which art in heauen halowed be thy name c. This praier hath three parts I. a preface II. the petitions III. the conclusion The Preface in these words Our Father which art in heauen In the handling whereof as also in the rest of this praier I will first propound the Meaning then the Instructions I. The Meaning Our Father This