that haue not this Spirite as also because no Requests Vocall or Mentall is true Prayer that is not conceived and suggested by the spirit of God therefore Paul Rom. 8. 26. plainly putting himselfe in the number â—aith Wee knovve not hovve to Pray as vve ought but the Spirite it selfe maketh request for vs that is The Spirit of Iesvvs putteth into the mouth of our spirite vvhat to praye To prescribe therefore and enjoyne Setvvordes is to strip the Spirit of his office and the way to quench our Spirit Obiect Every one hath not knovvledge to pray therfore set formes do help such Ans. True and so doe the written set Scriptures help such but yet it followeth not that that is praier it selfe The helpe to Praier Preaching is not our Prayer and preaching it selfe the first is a Cause the second the Effect no Cause and his Effect are the same every halfe-pennie Sophister knowes that Secondly where you say Euery one hath not knowledge to pray thereto I answer every one that is adopted as afore hath the spirit of Iesus every one that hath that spirit hath a speaking not a dumbe spirite a spirite of knowledge and holy Light Obiect But every one who is to be hoped to haue Gods spirite cannot vtter words orderly as were to be wished Ans. That is besides the Question the Question is this Can every one of God his children meaning of aged Persons pray rightly I haue saide they can Nowe for praying so orderly as were to be wished I graunt that young ones in Christ Iesus cannot pray so fully and methodically as these that haue spent som years in Christ his Schoole Children cannot speake as do Elder persons yet Children aswell as Elder persons can cry vnto the Parents vpon the feling of some Want even so can the youngest Babe in Christ. That the blessed Apostle teacheth Rom. 8. 15. when he saith that the Adopted do cry as also Verse 26. 27. when hee affirmeth that the Spirit teacheth vs to pray vvith grones vnvtterable the meaning of which grones is well knowne to God for hee is not ignorant of the meaning of his own spirit And most grosse headed are such as think that any words please God but what hee himselfe first breathes into our hearts by his spirit for he only accepteth the fruites of his owne spirit the fruits of his Sonnes spirit which first fruites are the sanctifier of our whole lumpe Otherwise to think is flat Idolatrie and derogaâ—orie to the spirite of our onely Sacrificer IESVS Quest. Do you then simply condemne all such as vse the wordes of our Saviour as they are set downe Ans. No S. Peter 1. 4. 11. saith If any man speake let him speake as the vvords of God Better wordes than our Saviour than the Apostles than the Prophetes haue vsed we cannot vse nay wee must learne to speake as they before vs haue spoken as in other speach so specially in Prayer which is An holy speach vvith God Whosoever shal vse all or any of our Saviors words according to knowledge and that by the instinct of God his spirit which Spirit teacheth the soule what is most fit necessary for the time to him I say Go in peace But if any for customes sake and of a foolish superstitious affection to the words shall vse them or any other forme of speach in the Scriptures of such I say They are no better than Idolaters Magiâ—al inchautaters neither knowe they what prayer meaneth Two sorts of People offende against our Saviour his forme of Prayer the one sort are such as through a Romish custome do value all their other prayers deade and vnprofitable if so they do not annex it the other sort are such as think it vtterly vnlawfull because the same is repeated for to vse them wordes for Prayer If our Saviour Marke 14. 39. did at his second time of praying vse the same vvords he had before vsed then why should the same in any Faithfull their vse be offensiue to vs But as our Savior there vsing the same words did it because his case was one and the same vnchanged so let vs learne then to vse the same words when our case is the same otherwise we shal make holy Words but prophane Idoles Concluding therefore that Prayer is a povvring out of our soules-feeling according to the present motion of God his spirite as also that Neither olde vvords nor newe vvordes are acceptable to God otherwise then they are sent vp to God the Father in the name of Iesus and that by the immediate vvorke of the spirite I now come vnto our Saviour his Exemplar of Prayer Math. 6. consisting 1. of a Preface in these wordes O our Father vvhich art in Heuen 2. of a SupplicatioÌ„ in these words Hallovved be thy name thy Kingdom come thy vvil be done in Earth as it is in Heauen Giue vs this day our daily bread and forgiue vs our debts as vvee also forgiue our detters And lead vs not into tentation but deliuer vs from euill 3. It consisteth of a Reason why Prayer is offered vp onely to God in these words For thine is the kingdome and the povver the glory for euer 4. Of Faiths Signet or Seale in this word Amen or So it is The first part of the Preface O our Father OH dul heart vntowarde Soule why art thou so lumpish and so heavie trust in God thy deliverer cast out yea breath stronglie out what God his spirit hath conceived in thee ô my heart Sweete Father when thou by thy powerful word had created all Creatures for Man his vse then thou created Man and Woman to vse them Man thou didst make of the earth woman thou took from Mans side by drawing from thence a Rib whereof thou builded Her that she vnto him might be an Helper And so having put thy Image in them thou placed them in Eden yea in the garden of Eden the beautie of the whol earth vnto them thou gaue two Commaundements the first That they should dresse the garden the second That they should not eate of the tree entitled The Tree of Knowledge of good and euill and so they should liue whereof thou gaue them an other Tree sacramentally called The tree of Life but if they disobeyed then in the Daye of such disobedience They should die But thy commandemeÌ„ts were soone broken for Satan adversary to thy glory Mans wel-fare did even in the same daye possesse the Dragon the subtillest beast of the fielde and speaking with the Beasts mouth Woman neglected her Calling and with an idle eare stood harkening vnto the Serpentes voice by whose subteltie she was soone drawne to break the other commandement and then by Her was man also caryed into Transgression Sinne so seazing on their Bodies substance the body became Corruptible and Corruption effected the period of death Sinne seazing not on the Substance but on the Faculties or powers of the Soule thereby it came to passe that
Some wil say incline to the greater voice but I answer and experience hath found it that is not safest Secondly I see no such warraut for that as is nowe here for vsing sacred Lotte The Lot being a divine ordinance it hath a promise of good effect namely of continuing and begetting peace for every man then must needs say The Lord hath thus disposed Prov. 16. 33. Prophaners of Lottes finde a contrary effect namely a kindling of Contenâ—ion and furie not before begunne Let Dicers and such vaine people marke that c Awayting the extraordinarie comming of the holy Ghost d First for preparing of reverence a heavenlie winde filleth the whole house where they had convened then come tongues of fire and sitteth vpon them wherewithall they were al filled with the holy Ghost speaking other languages as the spirite ministred vtterance Tongues are given First for the pulling downe of spirituall Babel Secondly for building vp the mysticall Ierusalem Hee that occupieth his tongue in furthering the false Church and hindering the True had better haue no tongue in his heade such a tongue is set on fire from Hell not from Heaven Nowe were Iewes from all Cuntries come vnto Ierusalem where Melchi-sedeck had Raigned No doubt they had kept a true accompt of Gabrielâ— 70 sevens of yeares and therefore at this time might the rather hearken what newes of Messia at Zion from whence the Lawe was to goe These Iewes strangers hearing the Apostles speaking the tongs of such cuntries as where they had bene dispersed some of them stood amazed there at others mocked 12. Staffe In a Salem they drew faithfull into a One b Steuen then was caught and stoned vnto death Young c Saul converted was to Paul anone Who thence inspired was with holy d breath To e Iaphets People he was destinate The God of Shem his Gospell to relate aa A true visible and christian Church was first planted in Melchi-sedeks Salem and from Salem and Zion was the Law to goe forth vnto the Gentiles Salem is in English Peace Hebr. 7. 2. As the figure of the Newe Testaments Church was called Peace so it was because all true peace is within the true visible Church of Iesus Peace dwelleth in her Pallaces Nether may contention be suffred within this Church for the Church of God hath no such Custome Neither may Confusion stand in this Church For God is not of Confusion but of Peace These spirituall stones are all first hewen and squared whereof I spake in his figure and so are to convene or gather into One. The visible Church then I define to be A companie of People â—athered out of the World or from amongst worldlings by the Ministerie of the word vnto the obedience of Christ their Head They being first one with worldlings God stirreth vp Prophets whereof in the next Staffe who by the power of the worde as by an hammer breaketh their rude hearts for any thing Man fore-knowes wherevpon they willingly adde themselues to the Faithfull gathering as Eagles togither for feeding on Iesus crucified These so gathered they are to do al their things in Loue exhorting one another ministring one to another things necessarie no one eating the bread of Idlenes but so labouring as they may not onely sustaine themselues but also be able to minister vnto others Looke how the Spirit excelleth the Letter look howe Christ his Scepter excelleth Iudahs Scepteâ— Look how farre the Thing figured excelleth his Figure looke howe more perfect the Substance is than the Shadowâ— by so much doth the Newe Testaments Church exceed that olde Church of Zion This not observed it causeth such as haue not scene a true established Church to confound the Faces Beautie Persons Order of them two as though Christ wer not more excellent than Moses in these things Moses is a covering to such b Steuen a glorious Deacon of Ierusalems Church being taken of the Adversaries he was by the frantick Bedlems stoned to death Herevpon the poor Church was scattered the disciples flying here and there Some of the Bretheren amongst whome was Philip called before to be a Deacon do come vnto Samaria and there convert baptise many The Apostles who yet were at Ierusalem heaâ—ing that Samaria had received the gospel they send vnto them Peter and Iohn c The yonker Saul consented to the death of Steuen and much blood abrode he shed But going downe vnto Damascus there to torment the Christians IESVS from Heaven cryed Saul Saul why doest thou persecute me There withall Sir Pursevant and the grand Commissioner was smitten downe blind The Lord enformes of his will To Damasâ—ú s he was led vnto whome Ananias by Gods Commandement came gaue him his sight and so was Paul baptized a newe man d Before he breathed out threatnings against the Church nowe hee breathed sweet promises in the Church Before he was a zealous Pharise but now a zealous Christian. Quest. What was a Pharisie Answ. The Pharisie was a passing precise Iew of what Tribe soever The Saxons interpret Pharisie Sundorhalgan that is One that severs himselfe for Holinesse and indeede such they were Besides this strict Mosaicall sect the Scriptures remember another sect called Saduces These held there was no Angell Spirit Resurrection A third sect the Iewish writers remember called Esseni whereof were two sortes The one sort never married the second sort did but by their sparing fellowship carnall they testified thereby that they married onely for preserving of chast mindes Both these sortes of Essâ—ni notwithstanding loved each other wheresoever they were scattered in Townes and Citties they ever prepared to entertaine to harbour any of their sect Had the one neuer seen the other yet the strange brother was nothing lesse bolde to enter the house Reioycinglie they would suffer any death at the handes of the Romanes as it were therein triumphing over the Vncircumcised In a worde of all the Iewes then these were most honest sober religious charitable e Noah plainly prophecied that Iapheâ— that is the Gentiles come of Iapheâ— should at last dwel in Shems Tent that is become Inhabitants of Salem from aboue that is of the Newe Testaments Church and so it fell out yea what time the Prodigall young son came into the holy Tent the elder brother namely the Iewe generallie disdained to come in as neither willing to come in himselfe nor yet contented that his long wandring brother shuld feede on Iesus To these Gentiles was Paul chieflie appointed Apostle If Rome wold haue a Vicar for Christ me thinks they do wrong they being of the Gentiles to giue the Vicarship from Paul to Peter 13. Staffe With Paul was joyned a Barnabas by a Voice As former twelue so They do Churches plant Elders and Deacons after Churches c Choise They do c Ordaine as every one will graunt Each keeps his roome and d watches in his place The Apostles so commend them to Gods grace aa Paul after his generall alotment to the Apostleship staied
thy Kingdome that consisteth in Righteousnes and Holines oh let it Come and as a stronger man let thy Spirite cast out the Tyrannie of Sinne that howsoever it dwell yet it may never raigne in our mortall members Sweete Father thou hast begunne a good work in vs and shall Satan overturne it shall Sinne supplant it Alas alas except thou vpholde vs wee shall deceiue our owne soules Satan the World and our Flesh are at league therefore as thou hast hitherto caused vs to put our trust in thee so continue thou our Governour and cause vs to stoup vnto the sugered motions of thine own spirit And for the better building vp of our inwarde man and the repairing of thine owne Image in vs mercifully giue vnto vs faithfull Ministers of thy word that so we may receiue the blessing of Illumination and Sanctification that accompanieth thine owne ordinance And for making roome to thine owne Ordināce vouchsafe to remoue from all thy People such as haue run out without thy bidding Remoue hyrelings dumb dogs and all such cursed plants as thy right hand never planted that so an open way being made for thine owne Servants the Scepter of Iesus may be lifted vp in the midst of thy People that they seeing the Banner of thy Sonne displaied they may bring their sons daughters from farre and so giue vp their names to liue Subjects in the kingdome of thy son Christ. And inasmuch as thou hast commanded Kings Queenes Magistrates to bee Nource-fathers and Nource-mothers vnto thy Church Lord we humblie intreate thee not onely to giue such vnto vs and others thy poore people but also do thou put the remembrance of that dutie in their heades that they may not dare like lewde Nources to mingle with thy Wine and Milke their owne liquor and leaven but that they may compt it their Glory as Elders to cast their Crownes downe before thy Throne spirituall wherevpon thou sittes in the middest of thy Church Let them knowe that thou hast appointed thē to lick vp the dust before the feete of thy Church yea to remoue the smallest lets to godlines so farre let them knowe they ought to bee from casting their owne inventions as stumbling blocks before the feete of thy people These of them that will bee brought to honour thee do thou honour them but if with horne side they wil dedicate themselues to push thy Sonnes Spowsesse then mercifull Father do cut their hornes shorter and breake off their power that so they may learne how the kingdome that serues not thee shall perish And because mercifull Father this spirituall kingdome of thine in vs will here never be perfected we therefore intreat thee to hasten the comming of thy Son our blessed Saviour vnto that finall doome that so having gathered his kingdome of Iewe and Gentile into one hee may deliver vp the same into thine hand and so thou maist be al in all In the meane time oh Lord let thy spirit so guide and leade vs in thy truth as by vs The third Petition Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven THy vvill may be done in Earth as it is in Heuen by the blessed Angels Oh Lord They could keepe their place but Satan and wee would needes forsake our place They therefore haue continued happie doers of thy will where Satan and Man-kind haue sought their own will Satan therefore for ever alotted vnto the burning pit whither likewise whol Man-kind had packed had not thy Sonne stept in and made attonement for me and al such as apprehēd him by a liuely Faith which is the Guift even the flower that buddeth out of our adoption Considering all the benefits we haue received from thee oh Lord why should not wee in the Earth do thy will aswell as doe the blessed Angels in Heaven They were created once so were we yea wee haue bene created twise so were not they by so much the more are wee bounde to do thy will even thy will by forsaking our own will yet this will of ours wee are most prest to preferre before thy will Oh false heart crooked heart wilt thou never be duly subject vnto that pure and only holy will of thy Creator of thy Redemer As the Angels do in the heauenlie places continuallie beholde thy face ô Father so hast thou called vs in the Earth to liue before thee as in Heaven and therefore hast thou called vs out of the worlde out of the kingdome of darknes and that to be Citizens with thy Saintes in the Earth who howsoever they are in the worlde yet are not of the worlde howsoever they walke their pilgrimage in the Earth yet their conversation is in Heaven their conversation is heavenly As thou addes vnto thy Sonnes Church such souls as are appointed to be saued so ô mercifull Father it is not sufficient for vs to be in thy Church except thou lead vs doing thy will in the Church It is not sufficient that wee be Cittizens of thy spiritual Ierusalem except we liue according to the Citties Lawes and ordinances Thou having Lord given vs to knowe this giue vs power likewise to do it even to do thy Wil as diligently faithfully earnestly as doe the heavenly spirites whome thou hast appointed to minister vnto the heires of Saluation whome thou hast appointed for to watch over the Church over every the faithfull Giue vnto thy Ministers grace to do thy Wil in preaching thy blessed Wil in season and out of season not measuring what man wold heare but what thou hast commanded them to speake Giue vnto thy people such Pastors as may powerfully Exhort such Teachers as may trulie deliver the Doctrine of faith such Elders as may diligentlie Governe such Deacons as may faithfully Distribute the contribution of the Saintes such Widowes as may with Mercifull Affections attend the sicke and impotent that so the Ministers of thy Church performing dutifully thy will the Communion of thy People as it is called the Kingdome of heauen so it may be beautifull as Heaven Vnto Princes Magistrates People giue grace of subjection to thy wil that all of them seeking thy glory not their owne wil it so may come to passe that thy will may be preferred by Al in every their several callings that Parents and Children Maisters Servants so studying the doing of thy will there may be an heavenly concent and harmony of obedience towardes thee in the Earth as is vnto thee by all the blessed spirits in Heaven And inasmuch as oh mercifull Father after we haue prayed for the glorifying of thy gret Name in the establishing of thy Kingdome and doing thy Will in asmuch as after that we are enjoyned to praye for the things which necessarily and immediatlie concerne our selues wee humblie intreat thee to The fourth Petition Giue vnto vs this day our Daily Bread GIue vnto vs our daily Bread Breade oh Lord is more than we deserue why should wee then be discontented with