deepe in the blood of Gods Saints he careth not to destroy Christs kingdome to aduance his owne vsurping that power in the world in the name of Christ which himselfe did not assume who said My kingdome is not of this world The Turke the Iew and all the Barbarous nations of the world who liue in the darke to whom the pretious light of the Gospel hath not appeared all professe hostilitie to this Gospell of the kingdom that we may say of it as the Iewes sayd to Paul As concerning this sect we know that euery where it is spoken against But these profest enemies of the kingdome of Iesus Christ are in open hostility against the Church and proclaime warres to it they are the forces of that great king who came against that litle city in the booke of the preacher and besieged it and built bulwarkes against it we can expect no better from them then force and fury There be secret enemies Wolues in sheepes cloathing whose close malice doth put vs into more danger and feare these hide themselues within the Church and carry a semblance of brethren and they are 1 Heretikes that corrode and fret the holy truth of the Gospell with their false doctrines and blasphemous and impious assertions of vntruthes to mis-lead the ignorant into errour and to corrupt their iudgements 2 Schismatikes that disquiet the peace of the Church disturbe the order rankes of Gods wel ordered armies and disfigure the beautie of holinesse setting vs together by the eares fermēting the masse of Christian charity with their gall of bitternesse which they maliciously infuse into the body of that city that is compact together 3 Hypocrites which put on Religion as they do fine garments for shew onely and personate pietie to make the world of opinion that they are holy whereas all their Religion and holinesse is in the eye those are but the outsides of professors and their workes denie and blaspheme the faith of which their mouthes tongues doe make formall profession Against all these we pray that the Kingdome of Iesus Christ may come to vs to reueale to vs the light of Gods truth to establish peace and concord amongst brethren and to declare the true and vnfeined Religion which consisteth in the sincere seruice of our God for where this kingdome is throughly established there truth and peace and sincerity doe shew their faces and lift vp their heads and are exalted by all the subiects of that Kingdome 3 Our naturall corruptions are enemies to this kingdome the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the law of our members resisteth the law of God there is ventus ab oriente which bringeth into vs whole armies of Grashoppers and Catterpillars that is a corruption from our birth which spanneth in our vnderstandings with multiplicity of phantasticall opinions various distraction of our thoughts and filleth the inferiour part of the soule with many vnlawfull desires vnquiet longings for things forbidden wherby our affections are troubled and corrupted with vniust appetite of things forbidden Against these also we pray in the comming of this kingdome that God would rule in our vnderstandings to instruct vs and that God would rule in our thoughts to limit them and keepe them from all wandring distraction and that he would rule in our affections to bridle restraine their loosenesse to correct their rebellion to the spirit of God to awe them to the obedience of God and to sanctifie vs wholly both in our bodies soules and spirits that neither in thought word nor deed we may grieue the holy Spirit of God by whom we are sealed vp to the day of our redemption So that in this petition we pray against the dominion of sinne in our mortall bodies against the pollution of sinne in our immortall soules against all spirituall and carnall wickednesse that the brightnesse of Christs kingdome may driue away the darkenesse of Sathans kingdom in vs that he would enter into vs by his grace and bind the strong man Sathan who possesseth vs by his power and cast him out in his iustice and abide in vs by his mercie For so shall no iniquity haue dominion ouer vs. What need we haue to pray for this as Christ praied with strong cries we may easily discerne for when wee looke about vs and behold what horrible sins are afoot in the world euen all the workes of the flesh Adultery lasciuiousnesse Idolatry Contentions seditions heresies enuie murther drunkennesse and such like all which are the pretious stones in the Diademe of Sathan When wee see how much those are despised that walke conscionably and feare the prophanation of Gods Sabbath by doing their owne workes on Gods holy day and feare the blasphemie of Gods holy name by an oath would faine put off the very garment that is spotted with the flesh When we see the proud esteemed happy and them that worke wickednesse set vp yea them that tempt God deliuered When wee behold corruption in courtes of iustice oppressions of the mighty persecutions of the poore and weake Simony bribery extort on trades of liuing swearing gluttony drunkennesse filthy speaking sins in fashion There is no hope to helpe all this but by the comming of the kingdom of grace to pardon these trāsgressions to conuert these transgressors for this great King is able to set vp a light in our vnderstandings to informe vs in the truth and to shed his loue in our affections to knit vs together both to himselfe and to one another of vs. 3 Saint Cyprian hath a good caution vpon this petition Continua oratione opus est ne excidamus a regno Coelesti this doth bring in the Kingdome of glory into this petition This is our maine ambition to be heires of this heauenly Kingdome and S. Cyprian saith Cauendum ne excidamus a regno Coelesti sicut Iudaei For it is an heauy saying of Christ And I say vnto you many shall come from the East and West and shall sit downe with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen But the children of the kingdome shall be cast out into vtter darkenesse c. By the children of the kingdome here hee meaneth the Iewes the seed of Abraham to whom the promises of this kingdome came and to whom all the meanes for attaining this kingdome were tendered so that being then the visible Church of God on earth they were in a kinde of possession of the kingdome of heauen but lost it by their disobedience and so left a way open for many to come from the East and West that is for the Church of the Gentiles to come in euen in their place and now till Plenitudo gentium be come in there is no promise of the restitution of the Iewes ad viam regni It is a good note of Saint Cyprian quando cessauit in eis no men paternum cessauit et regnum When they gaue ouer hallowing
of the name of God God withdrew his kingdome from them and cast them off This shewes how earnestly we had neede to fixe our hearts on the hallowing of Gods name that we may be bold to aske of him and may beleeue to obtaine of him the desired comming of his kingdome Concerning the enemies that we haue to hinder our settingforth and progression to this kingdom of glory they be all the same which would hinder the comming of the kingdome of grace for the way of grace leadeth vs to glorie Sathan by tempting vs here and by accusing vs to God The world partly by fascination of vs leading vs into an ouer-loue of things temporal partly by persecuting of vs with many afflictions and vexations of life Our owne bodie of sinne being like tinder ready to take fire from the least sparke of carnall suggestion all these lay themselues in our way to hinder our passage to this heauenly kingdome Against which we pray Adueniat regnum tuum that is O Lord let none of our enemies preuaile so farre against vs as to hinder the saluation of our soules 2 It is needfull to pray this in respect of the necessary graces of God which we doe naturally want by which wee are made members of that holy commonwealth which is subiect to the Kingdome of Gods grace and made capable of the kingdome of Gods glory These graces of God are partly outward partly inward and Spirituall 1 Of the outward 1 These are the libertie of the Gospell that wee may freely professe Christ and openly avow his holy worship and keepe his Sabbaths and holy daies and our publike meetings in the house of God there was a time when Dauid was forced to fly from the angry face of Saul and escape for his life then hee bewaileth this as his most heauy oppression that hee was banished from the Tabernacle and might not come to the meetings of the holy congregations hee hath a psalme of purpose for that complement Therefore we are much bound to God for this holy liberty of his house and seruice which wee enioy vnder the pious gouernment of our King and in this petition wee pray that this libertie may bee maintained and enlarged to vs and euermore continued that the free vse of the ministrie of the word holy Sacraments may be established in our Church and that the Lord of the haruest would furnish his work with worthy able labourers in this haruest for the perfiting of his Saints And consequently that God would remoue all hinderances to this light either arising from the opposition of such as are profest enemies to it or the wickednesse or vnsufficiency of such as by their weakenesse and vnworthinesse or by their idlenesse and vnprofitablenesse or their vngodlinesse and iniquity may hinder the free course of the Gospell or bring a scandall vpon the Church of God amongst vs. Further we pray for the efficacy of our Ministery in all those that are partakers thereof that God would thereby enlighten the vnderstandings of all our congregations that his name and seruice may be knowne to them and that they may not liue in darkenesse in the sunneshine of this glorious light of truth That when wisdome preacheth they may not walke as fooles when truth preacheth they may not belieue lies when faith preacheth they may not liue in infidelity when holinesse preacheth they may not liue in all sensuall vncleanesse walking in the way of their corrupt lusts in all abomination to the prouoking of God to anger against them The inward meanes for the aduancing of this kingdome of God here desired is the holy Ghost creating in vs new hearts and regenerating vs to a godly life and establishing vs in the same Christ promised to send this Spirit into his Church to abide with it for him foreuer to instruct it to be a remembrancer to it of all things that he had said to it To strengthen it against errours in doctrine to sanctifie it against corruptions of lusts fortifie it against the principalities and powers that oppose it to comfort it in spirituall and temporall grieuances So Adueniat regnum tuum is asmuch as reueale to vs that spirit which thou hast promised to supply thy roome in the perpetuall regiment of thy Church and let the holy Ghost gouerne vs This then is the suite Adueniat regnum gloriae nostrae We pray for the coming of the kingdome of Gods glory which is the consummation of our happinesse as if we would answer Christ he saith It is your fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome We cry Lord let it come Where our desire of the coming of it doth expresse our expectation of his coming to giue it to vs our loue of his coming and our longing desire of it The reasons why we desire this coming of it are 1 Because God hath reuealed to vs so great a mercy layed vp for vs and reserued in the decree of his good pleasure and wee may bouldly aske it of him for his commandement is Aske and receiue 2 Because God hath promised vs the gift of it and we may boldly claime all the precious promises of God in our praier promise is our warant 3 Because God hath reuealed to vs that he wil shorten 〈◊〉 dayes of the troubles of his Church for the elect sake We pray therefore for the hastening of that time according to his good pleasure 4 Because we haue great examples of this prayer both in earth and in heauen 1 Of the whole creature which groaneth and trauaileth in paine together with vs. Where insteed of praying for this aduent of Christs kingdome there is The earnest expectation of the creature waiting for the manifestation of the Sonne of God For the whole creature hath a promise to be deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God 2 Of the elect of God here for that followes And not onely they but our selues also which haue the first fruits of the spirit euen wee our selues groane within our selues wayting for our adoption to wit the redemption of our body 3 We haue helpe in these our groanes from the spirit teaching vs as we ought to pray for this Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for wee know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it selfe maketh intercession for vs with groanings which cannot bee vttered 2 In heauen The soules vnder the altar of them that were slaine for the word of God and for the testimony which they held They cry with a loud voyce saying how long O Lord holy and true dost thou not iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth and they haue their petition answered That when the number of these Saints is fulfilled then this kingdome shall come 4 Regnum gloriae dei The comming of this kingdome is the full consummation of Gods glory both in his gratious mercy to saue
words and therefore some haue conceiued that these words haue their seuerall reference to each of the three petitions and are not a proper appendix to this alone but to the rest Hallowed be thy name in earth as it is in heauen so in the two following I approue the necessary implication of it in them all but I take it where I find it and it is a full Sicut a compleat example For in heauen are the Angels of God and Dauid saith of them faciunt voluntatem ejus there are the soules of iust men made perfect and now euer since his ascensiō there sitteth at the right hand of God he that taught vs to pray this prayer Who came into the world of purpose to do the wil of his father that sent him he continueth the office yet in heauen A mediator making intercession to the Father for his Church a mighty protector sending his Angels as ministering spirits for the good of them whom he hath called of purpose So that the example is full Iesus Christ the Angels in what difference so euer of ranke or degree the soules of the iust who are also tanquam angeli dei all these obey and fulfill the will of God in perfect obedience to the vttermost of what is exacted of them We pray fiat sicut That is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grudgingly but as Saint Paul saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to the Lord who knowes when he hath seruice that is due to him 1 They do the will of God willingly that is their meat and drinke as Christ said of himselfe here they haue no body of sinne to resist them they haue no flesh to oppresse and burthen them no temptation can fasten vpon them they alwaies behold the face of God attending vpon him to be commanded by him 2 They are exprest to vs as hauing winges wherein the holy Ghost doth declare to our apprehension the quicke readinesse of their expedition in the seruice of God So let Gods will bee done on earth speedily So Dauid I made hast and delaied not to keepe thy Commandements 3 They doe the will of God first for indeed they haue nothing else to doe here on earth wee haue many occasions for the necessities of the body to entertaine time and endeauour and God is so tender of our necessities as to dispense with his law in compassionate support of them But the Angels and heauenly spirits haue no other busines in heauen but to attend the will of God and to doe it at first their nature is so perfectly diuine that they are onely gouerned by the will of God there is nothing concerning themselues to be desired but the aduancement of Gods kingdome ouer all 4 They doe the whole will of God in full obedience For Dauid saith They doe Gods Commandements by obeying the voyce of his Word That is the right way of obedience to be directed by the voyce of the Word of God and to doe so as hee commandeth all that he biddeth Here note that this Sicut doth not imply aequalitatem that we should performe it in the same fulnesse of perfect complete obedience as they do which is impossible for them that dwell in houses of clay and who carrie about them Corpus peccati but qualitatem similitudinem so farre as in holy imitation wee can follow them as Iulus followed Aeneas Sequiturque patrem non passibus aequis This is the heroicall spirit of the elect of God they are therby carried towards perfection what they faile either in act of obedience or in endeuour of seruice that they supply with feruencie of holy desire God heareth the desires of the poore This is further holpen by our griefe of heart and holy sorrow for our weakenesse and holy indignation against our iniquities that hinder this obedience and holy carefulnesse to amend it and holy prayers to God to assist our endeuour herein It is obserued of Lot when hee laboured the conuersion of the Sodomites that his righteous soule was vexed from day to day with their vnlawfull deedes This also pleaseth God that our hatred of sinne in our selues and others do declare that wee seeke for the fulnesse of obedience that the will of God may be fulfilled according to the great example of heauenly seruice 4 What dueties are taught here 1 We must labour for the knowledge of the will of God so saith the Apostle That yee may prooue what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God That is first concerning the secret will of God wee must know that it is absolute not to be changed by God not to be resisted by man but implicitly to be yeelded vnto although we know it not we beleeue it doth decree all things out of wisedome and Counsaile with iustice and goodnesse and all for the best and when God shall by euents declare it to vs wee must know that God is to be praised and thanked for it How therefore we must remember in our deuotions to referre our petitions to this absolute will of God so that our petitions must be with reseruation of that will saluo semper decreto diuino For so Christ prayed his father to take the cup of his passion from him he hath warrant from the following petition to pray against all euill and against Sathan the suggester of it Libera nos a male But because it pleaseth God for some iust motiues in himselfe to determine the exercise of the patience of his Church in afflictions or for some other reason alwayes iust though often secret to let that euill come vpon vs against which we pray therfore our will in this stoopeth to the absolute will of God with that exception of our Sauiour Father if thou be willing remoue this cup from me neuerthelesse not mine but thy will be done Seeing this secret and absolute will of God is within himselfe the Saints of God by a generall warrant for prayer for all things needfull doe goe to God often for such things as in that free and absolute will he hath decreed not to grant and this may be done without sinne in the faithfull and without preuarication of this vnreuealed will of God So we pray for the peace of Ierusalem that is the Church of God when yet God may finde it fit in his wisedome to send the sword amongst them as we see in the Churches of Bohemia both the Palatinates and the French Protestants God hath declared his will to vs in that which they haue suffered and in that which as yet they endure vnder the Popish tyranny of those Iesuited Princes by whom the religion and truth of God is opprest Yet we pray still for their deliuerance from the hand of their enemies but neither disliking the effects nor doubting the wisedome nor quarrelling the counsell of God in this decree but submitting to it So we pray often for the recouerie of our
Gods mercy to vs for the foundation of God is sure and sealed with this seale Dominus novit qui sunt sui But we are admonished by the Apostle to make our calling and election sure not in the decree of God but in our owne perswasion And it cannot bee sure except we vse the meanes ordained to assure vs. But if wee haue truely discouered in our selues the body of sinne and haue opened into God in a contrite confession and haue bewailed them with teares of vnfeined contrition which S. Augustine calleth Sanguinē vulnerati cordis and haue asked God forgiuenesse and cried him mercy from them This is applicatio remedij that there is a ground for our saith to beleeue the pardon of them sealed to vs and not before God testified of Dauid that he was a man after his owne heart yet he sinned soulely and till he had made confession of his sinne and had deplored it penitentially he was not absolued from it Christ told Peter that Sathan desired to sift him but he had prayed that his faith should not faile him That did not make his threefold denyal of his Master no sinne he knew it and remembring himselfe he went forth from the place where hee had done the fault and wept bitterly The rule therefore is that All the promises of God and our faith in those promises haue reference to the holy vse of the meanes ordained by God for establishing our peace with him Therefore in the name of God goe the way that hee hath ordained for you to walke in follow the holy example of all the faithfull seruants of God who haue gone to Gilead for balme when they haue had any soarenes and haue humbly prostrated their diseases before the Physitian who came to comfort them that mourne and to binde vp the broken hearted and say Domine dimitte nobis debita nostra Another duty is to pray only to God for pardon of our sinnes When Christ said to the sick of the palsey Sonne bee of good cheare thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee The Scribes said within themselues This man blasphemeth Our Sauiour defendeth himselfe by lawfull authority The sonne of man hath power on earth to forgiue sinnes S. Marke is more expresse in this relation for these Scribes gaue a reason why they charged Christ with blasphemy saying Who can forgiue sinnes but God only They were in the right for that generall rule that none but God can forgiue sinnes but they mistooke Christ not knowing him to be God God laieth claime to this authority I euen I am hee that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And againe I haue blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sinnes returne vnto me for I haue redeemed thee Sing O ye heauens for the Lord hath done it So by the Prophet Ezechiel he saith I will sprinckle cleane water vpon you and yee shall bee cleane from all your filthinesse A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you Dauid stirreth vp himselfe to blesse the Lord for this Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Who forgiueth all thy iniquities Therefore our Sauiour sendeth his disciples to our father in heauen to forgiue them their sinnes Contrary to this doctrine is the precept of the Church of Rome which imposeth on the consciences of men a necessity of auricular confession of all mortall sinnes to the Priest for obteining pardon thereof For if only God must forgiue only to God must confession of sins be made The doctrine and practise of auricular confession in the Church howsoeuer pretended by the Councell of Trent to be the institution of Christ yet did it come in when partly humane policy partly superstition corrupted the Church in the doctrine and discipline thereof For in Saint Augustines time it was not heard of who protesteth against it as a thing vnreasonable and thus he disclaimeth it Quid mihi est cum hominibus vt audiant confessiones meas quasi ipsi sanaturi sint omnes languores meos Curiosum genus ad cognoscendam vitam alienam desidiosum ad corrigendam suam Quid a me quaerunt audire qui sim qui nolunt a te audire qui sint The power of forgiuing sinnes is onely in God but he hath left in his Church a ministeriall dispensation of that power by application to true penitents and they that presse it further inuade the rights of God Therefore to rectifie your iudgements in this point concerning men forgiuing of sinnes know that this belongeth to men two wayes 1 In Church discipline it belongeth to the Minister to absolue penitents for as God hath left in the Church the ministerie of exhortation of doctrine of conuiction and of reprehension so hath he left the ministerie of absolution to pronounce his pardon to them that truely repent them of their sinnes If you obiect that any priuate lay-man may assure him that truely repenteth that his sinnes are forgiuen from the certaine warrant of the word of God or a man may assure himselfe hereof by reading and meditation in holy Scriptures I answer that nothing is well done that hath not the warrant of a lawfull calling to authorize it for that is transgression of the ordinance of God The Apostle doth impose it on all sorts of men promiscuously to exhort and instruct one another but none may performe this duty publiquely but they who are called to it For how shall he preach except he be sent He that gaue his Apostles authoritie to goe into all nations to preach and baptize said also to them whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whosoeuers sinnes ye retaine they are retained And though the Church of Rome doth reserue certaine cases of absolution onely to the Pope as in the right of Peter vnder colour of whose succession he vsurpeth yet the text is cleare that what Christ spake to Peter he spake to the rest and Saint Basil did so vnderstand him who saith Christus omnibus pastoribus doctoribus ecclesiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnes ex aequo soluunt et ligant And their owne Thomas of Aquine saith quilibet sacerdos quantum est ex virtute clauium habet potestatem indifferenter in omnes And the very phrase of Christ not saying to whomsoeuer you declare remission of sinnes they are remitted but whosoeuers sinnes ye remit shewing that Christ in our ministery doth this for nos legatione fungimur pro Iesu Christo euen as if Christ did beseech you by vs. Therefore as the waters of Damascus might bee as cleare and as sweet and as wholesome as the waters of Iordan yet not so effectuall to wash off the leprosie of Naaman because the word of the Lord sent Naaman to that Riuer So though any other man in respect of his knowledge and zeale and good
the Lord say spare thy people O Lord. And the people declare their assent to his praiers by their ioynt Amen The Iewes vttered this with great zeale and therefore doubled it saying Amen Amen They had foure sorts of Amen at praiers whereof three they condemned and refused 1 Was that Amen which was giuen to praiers that they vnderstood not they called it Iethima like to the Amen in the latine seruice which the people doe not vnderstand onely they know when the praier is ended and for fashion sake they say Amen 2 Was that Amen surreptum which was vttered before the praier was finished which shewed a wearinesse they would faine haue it done 3 Otiosum when the people did ioyne only in the Amen at the close and took no regard to the praier going before which is the most general fault of congregations 4 Tzaddik the Amen of the iust whose hearts following the voyce of the prayer quite through the mind and intention zealously affixed to the holy worship concluded with an Amen And Saint Ierome commending the deuotion of Christians in his time doth say that the noise of the Church at this Amen was reboatus Amen ad similitudinem coelest is tonitrui The proper places for these publike meetings be those houses of God which are consecrated to praier our Churches and Oratories and Chappels Priuate praier doth not discharge vs of the duty of publike praier with the Church though some schismatickes and separatists too confident in their owne gift of praier and ill affected to the Church seruice and vncharitably preiudicate against their brethren doe despise our Church praiers and thinke their duty sufficiently discharged in their priuate deuotions For in all ages of the Church since Christ Christians as they were able did striue to erect houses of prayer Temples for the publike conuentions of people to the worship of God They begun this euen in the time of their persecution and euer since they haue had the estimation of Religion and deuotion that haue aduanced any such workes for the accommodating of congregations to this worship as our Church Homily of prayer hath very fully and profitably exprest This prayer of Christ here mentioned was priuate and though he retired from his Disciples as it may bee conceiued to some priuate place yet they take notice of his errand and thereupon followeth 2 The motion following When he ceased one of his Disciples said to him Lord teach vs to pray Wherein I obserue 1 The discreet seasonablenesse of the time for this motion quando cessauit 2 The manner of it one of his Disciples 3 The motion it selfe doce nos orare 1 Of the seasonablenesse of the motion When he ceased after his praier was ended and that he returned to his Disciples this was moued Christ withdrawing from them to this priuate place to pray did admonish them of his desire to be priuate and therefore in good manners they would not interrupt him with vnseasonable Interpellation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 It is our lesson from hence not to giue ouer our prayers to God till wee haue brought our seruice to a pawse it is one of the quarrels against our Church seruice the longsomnesse of it yet the whole seruice at the longest distinctly read may bee well comprehended within an houre and Christ speaketh it passionately and taking it vnkindely Could you not watch with mee one houre Let vs not be weary of well doing Thou louest to bring all thy businesse to a full end that concerneth thy estate or thy delight and wilt thou slight the greatest worke of all which crowneth all the rest with the blessing of God by thy vnconstant and vnfixt indeuotion thinke not the time long that thou spendest in conference with thy God finish thy holy worke with him and then returne to thy occasions as Christ did 2 It is our lesson from the example of these Disciples not to interrupt the deuotions of others not to hinder their praiers it is a kinde of quenching of the spirit in our selues and others to disturbe deuotion or to interpose in an vnseasonable time to hinder Gods seruice It is obserued in Samuel that when he had assembled the people in Mispeh to pray to the Lord and to offer sacrifice that the Philistins hearing of their meeting came vpon them neither Samuel nor the people gaue ouer the seruice that they were then about but rather the more earnestly applied it for The children of Israel said vnto Samuel cease not to cry vnto the Lord our God for vs and hee will saue vs out of the hand of the Philistins and God answered their praiers and desires with desired successe But Saul contrarily vpon the comming of the Philistines against Israel and being then with the Priest to haue consulted with God about that assault hearing of their neere approach said to the Priest Withdraw thy hand and interrupted the consultation and went immediately to the battaile which though it succeeded well for Israels sake yet Saul did quench his owne spirit in neglecting the ordinance of God and hindering the Priest of the Lord in his holy office Amongst our selues let vs take warning not to doe any thing that may disturbe one anothers priuate or publike deuotions If we haue any thing to say to one that is praying let vs after this example of these disciples tarry the time till it come to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men will take it ill to be troubled in the time of their game or in the presse of a serious businesse or in some earnest conference or in the times of their refection these are no fit times of interpellation who dares take off or call aside a subiect that is speaking to a King who is a man and shall we withdraw one that is in speech with almighty God Doe not say now is best talking with him he is in a good minde For I say vnto you hee that prayeth to God as hee should is not his owne man for the time he is in the spirit and hath abstracted himselfe from the world and euen from himselfe to attend vpon God Therefore prayer is called a pouring forth of our soules before God 2 The manner of this suite One of his Disciples One of them but it is not said which of them but one of them it appeares in the behalfe of the rest of them with himselfe and so Christ did vnderstand him and therefore in answer he said to them verse 2. when ye pray It seemeth by this that the example of Christ tooke amongst them for whilest Christ was from them praying we finde it agreed vpon amongst them to make this motion Obserue in this the power of a good example for when it is in the eyes of them that desire to serue God aright it worketh in them an affection of imitation There were heretiques that denied any originall sinne by propagation but charged all the euill that corrupteth man vpon imitation surely
what God hath directly promised to vs yet hee requireth vs to demand this of him by prayer whether it be for giuing vs good things or for remouing euill from vs. God himselfe doth giue it a cause of his indignation against Iacob Thou hast not called vpon me O Iacob therefore I haue giuen Iacob to the curse and Israel to reproach God in fauour meant to forgiue the friends of Iob who had not spoken right of him as Iob had done and therefore he blameth them and sheweth his anger kindled against them yet notwithstanding hee directeth them the way of their reconciliation to him They must offer sacrifice to God for themselues and Iob must pray for them Him I will accept saith God so his prayer preuailed for them with God The like fauour God meant to Abimelech yet hee passed it to him by prayer by the prayer of Abraham He is a Prophet he shall pray for thee viues Pharaoh himselfe could discerne that there was no way out of the plague that oppressed Egypt but by prayer and therefore he saith to Moses Intreate the Lord that he may take away the Frogges from me and my people It is obiected that the wicked of the earth doe possesse many great fauours of God and in more plenty then the iust and yet they neither pray for what they want nor giue thankes for what they receiue and indeed God is not in all their waies Let not this quench our zeale or abate any thing from the reuerent frequencie of this holy duty for God the Father hath two manners and kindes of distribution and dispensation of his fauours amongst the children of men here on earth 1 God bestoweth his gifts as a faithfull Creator and so he is conseruer of his creatures by a generall prouidence and thus he letteth his Sunne shine and his raine fall vpon the iust and vniust thus he openeth his hand and filleth all things with plenty 2 God bestoweth other fauours as a mercifull Father for Iesus Christs sake and with those fauours his blessing goeth forth and passeth vpon them onely that feare him for seeing he hath ordained Christ his Sonne to be the way of his blessing all the benefits that he bestoweth on man without the mediation of Iesus Christ doe come without his blessing The vngodly of the earth doe receiue many of Gods common gifts but not by the way of grace therefore they are without his blessing so that we cannot esteeme the owners thereof rich seeing the blessing of God maketh man truely rich But whatsoeuer the vngodly possesse is to them vnsanctified therefore let not our eye be set vpon that which they haue and enioy to enuy their prosperity rather let vs consider the want of Gods blessing to lament their miserie and let Saint Paul teach vs that The good things which God bestoweth on his deare children are sanctified by the word of God and by prayer Thus the gifts of God are made blessings to vs the holy Ghost hath an hand in the dispensation of them to Gods glory in vs the aduancement of our saluation The difference betweene these two receiuers doth appeare to vs 1 In the effect that these gifts worke in them 2 In the vse to which they are applied 1 For the effect Where God for Christs sake doth bestow and wee doe receiue good things from him there followeth contentation which euer accompanieth godlinesse but the vngodly man is neuer satisfied 2 For the vse The iust man applieth all the gifts of God to three ends 1 To the glory of God for he vseth the gifts of God as the faculties of well doing whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glory of God 2 To the good of our neighbour for that is the law proximum tuum vt teipsum so that in the Church of God there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and both our spirituall and temporall gifts doe by communion of charity so participate themselues to our brethren and sisters as the stomach in the body receiueth in nourishing food not for it selfe onely though into it selfe first but for the good of the whole body 3 Because the end of our creation was not for this life and we haue here no abiding city therefore the faithfull doe apply all the gifts of God as helpes to the prosecution of eternall life whereas the vngodly finde them impediments to them the cause is for they make them the end of their labours and fixe their hearts vpon them The doctrine of the necessity of prayer is thus cleared from the Commandement by which it is imposed and from our necessities no other way to be relieued 2 In the next place I obserued in those Disciples that they found themselues not well instructed in that seruice of God and therefore desire to be taught And this is a common defect for although by a naturall instinct we know that good things are sought by prayer and the wants and griefes which we doe feele will easily breake forth into words yet the Apostle saith Wee know not what wee should pray for as we ought I vnderstand that the Apostles doe here desire to be instructed 1 In the matter of prayer what to aske 2 In the manner of it as they ought But because this motion doth arise from a sense of defect in themselues we know not saith Saint Paul 1 Then of that sense 1 Euery man hath this defect for flesh and bloud is not wise enough to pray prayer is the worke of a better spirit then that which enliues and actuates our mortall bodies it is the worke of the holy Ghost the same spirit that is the spirit of grace is also the spirit of supplications But euery man doth not feele this defect for many doe ouerweene their ability this way and despise the helpe of all set prayers and take vpon them to be able without any other directions to tell their owne tales to God Almighty and vpon this ability which they conceiue in themselues for this seruice they doe neglect the publique meetings of our Church to our common prayers I iudge not their sufficiencie that way but I must admonish you that you doe mistrust it euery man in himselfe so farre as to put all the feare and holy reuerence you can to this worke For if we be carefull in petitions to great personages and Princes to weigh our words and to aduise with our best care both what and how we desire This holy seruice of God which is so maine a part of Gods worship cannot bee vndertaken with too much feare and reuerence wee cannot come too prepared to this conference with our God They that are sensible hereof as no doubt these Apostles were doe well to desire to be taught Wee had need to bee taught our owne and it is not quenching the spirit in our brethren to admonish them of this naturall vnfitnesse that is in vs to pray
beleeuing that he is our Father we pray with assurance of perswasion that we shall preuaile For they that haue the comfortable perswasion of their hearts that God is their God cannot doubt of right and interest in his good and perfect gifts if hee be ours qui se dedit dabit sua In our right wee can call nothing our owne but our sinne for our bodies and soules are not ours glorifie God in your bodies and in your soules for they are Gods Gods in the right of creation And ye are bought with a price so not your owne in respect of redemption And God to shew his right in his Saints maketh them a temple for his holy spirit to dwell in so he taketh possession of vs for himselfe But all our sinnes are ours or Sathans those that grow out of our owne corruption are ours those that are infused in vs by Sathans temptations are his in vs yet our guiltinesse and infection The grace of God which bringeth saluation doth make vs proprietaries in God and calleth him ours The comfort of this interest taketh away feare So God to Abraham feare not I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward This fixing of our faith vpon him to whom we pray doth put it out of question that none is to be prayed to but he in whom we must onely beleeue Indeed we haue no right or interest in any of our fellow creatures but by the interest that we haue in God by the mediation of Iesus Christ Sinne hath both diuested vs of the primitiue right wee had in them and them of the primitiue power that they had to ayde and support one another so that faith carrieth noster to God onely and resteth in him Master Foxe from sufficient testimonie out of Scotland reporteth that in anno 1551. there arose a great schisme in Scotland about the Pater noster whether it might be said to Saints or no. It was deliuered publiquely in a Sermon at S. Andrewes that wee could call none our Father but God onely and presently a gray Fryar tooke vpon him to confute that doctrine in the Pulpit and to proue that it might be said also to Saints And first because we call old men fathers one may therefore much rather call a Saint our Father 2 Because God hath made the names of Saints holy therefore we may say to them Hallowed be thy name 3 Because the kingdome of heauen is theirs by Gods free gift therefore we may say to them adueniat regnum tuum 4 Seeing their will is Gods will else they had neuer come to that kingdome we may say fiat voluntas tua But when hee came to the rest of the petitions his wits failed him and hee beganne to alleadge that they might vse the intercession of Saints to God for daily bread and for forgiuenesse of sinnes and for deliuerance from euill But the three first Petitions which directly are referred to the onely glory of God these he blasphemously applyed to Saints Which gaue occasion of a great schisme in Scotland insomuch as they distinguished their parties by this Shiboleth to whom say you the Pater noster to God or to Saints The people were much distracted with this schisme and in the Abbey Church of S. Andrewes this pasquell was set vp Patres nostrì in Collegio Concludunt idem cum Lucifero Quod sancti sunt similes altissimo Another in english The Fryars would be called Rabbi Magister noster and know not to whom to say Pater noster But after much contention it was at last resolued that it was onely to be said to God This word Our ioyned with Father is vox fidei as you haue heard and directed to one and therefore not to be either communicated with others nor withdrawne from God Our is vox charitatis for it containeth the spirituall kindred of the faithfull who doe all acknowledge but one common father of all one God one Father this is the obiect of our common faith We haue patres carnis our naturall Parents we haue Magistrates and Princes in things temporall Bishops and Ministers in spirituall and all these haue the honourable title of Fathers giuen to them in the law of the fift Commandement but this compellation extendeth not to the longitude or latitude of this fatherhood in the Lords prayer these haue particular references this hath an vniuersall relation to the whole body of the Church and herein God goeth alone away with the name of our Father the other hold by seruice this honour from him onely hee holdeth that in Capite ouer them and their sonnes And herein the Pope encroacheth vpon God with abhominable vsurpation and is by his Parasites stiled Sanctissimus pater and the blinde ignorants that see no further then by his Lampelight and speake no other language then what he hath taught them doe mannerly call him our holy father God hath no honour intire but he comes in for his share with him not the name of Lord God he inuadeth that also It is a knowne and printed blasphemie Dominus Deus noster papa which the glosse vpon the extrauagancie of Iohn 22. doth lewdly giue the Pope True it is that when the Bishop of Rome was an orthodoxe Bishop and maintained the Apostolicall doctrine of the true Church he was called Pappa or Papa of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greeke word which is Pater And so it was not a proper title to the Bishop of Rome but common to all Bishops as at this day the name of Father is giuen to them But this vnlimited claime to the name in chiefe ouer all not onely the lay people but the very Clergie of the whole Church he hath rather purchased with S. Pauls sword then with S. Peters keyes But he holdeth it now with that absolute right to it that none can be a member of the true Church but he must be his sonne And therefore Gregory the fifteenth in his letters lately sent from Rome to our then most excellent Prince residing for the time in the Court of Spaine doth thus court his Highnesse Truely the armes of papall charity with sighes doe worship the God of mercy and doe stretch them forth for your safety to embrace you a most desired sonne c. I cannot blame him for when the Kings and Princes of England were popish his Holinesse had his coffers much the fuller for it and his Kitchin was the better prouided But one thing I note in that letter that this Gregorie the then Pope doth confesse himselfe modestly farre inferiour to Gregory the first whose name he assumed at his Coronation in sanctitie and vertue although equall in dignity and of the same name I wonder that he should be so open as to confesse a succession in dignity and not in sanctity in seate and not in vertue for this makes it no argument which yet is falsely vrged and his Holinesse forsakes the truth in it He affirmeth that Gregory the great
his name The Lawes of this kingdome are the holy Scriptures and these are called often the kingdome of heauen in their Ministerie for by them the glory and power of Gods kingdome is declared on earth and they are The rod of his mouth The arme of God by which he directeth and aweth all his subiects Therefore the Scepter of this Kingdome is called Sceptrum iustitiae This Kingdome of God is 1 Outward in the visible profession of the same faith and coniunction in one body of a Church and so all that ioyne together in the one worship of the same God professing to be ruled and gouerned by his holy Lawes are the visible kingdome 2 Inward in the hearts of all the elect people of God And so Christ saith Behold the kingdome of God is within you For God reigneth in the hearts and consciences of all his chosen by their faith and obedience and loue and this kingdome is not meate or drinke but it is Righteousnesse Peace and ioy in the holy Ghost 1. Righteousnesse that is the iustification of his subiect by faith whereby Christ is made to vs of God righteousnesse because the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed to vs. 2 Peace for the Gospell of the kingdome is called the Gospell of peace because it filleth vs with peace of conscience in the assurance of the pardon of all our sinnes and it giueth vs a loue of outward peace in the Church knitting vs so together with the bonds of loue that as much as in vs lieth we desire to haue peace with all men 3 Ioy in the holy Ghost for where righteousnesse and peace dwell there is all spirituall ioy The voyce of ioy is in the Tabernacles of the righteous for hauing once tasted how sweete the Lord is then the soule delighteth in the Lord. Then the Statutes of God taste sweeter then hony or the hony combe they are more pretious then all manner of riches they are the very ioy of our hearts Then the feete of them that bring vs glad tydings of peace are beautifull Then the house of Gods worship is the place of our delight we will begge of God that we may dwell there where his honour dwelleth Then we shall loue the holy assemblies and be glad when it is sayd to vs we will goe vp to the house of the Lord our feete shall then stand in the gates of Gods house And the assembly of his armies will seeme to vs to be in perfect beauty Then we shall call the Sabbath of the Lord our delight and we shall make conscience of doing our owne will vpon Gods holy day Then shall we be weaned from the immoderate loue of the world and contentednesse shall meete with godlinesse Then shall we find and tast sweetnesse in afflictons and perciue it good for vs that wee haue beene afflicted and shal reioyce in our sufferings for Iesus Christ so then the kingdome of grace is two fold 1 Generall in the whole body of the Church where Christ reigneth King beeing head of his Church to guide it with his wisedome to saue and defend it by his power to Sanctifie it by his Spirit 2 Particular in euery elect member of the Church where Christ reigneth in the conscience and hid man of the heart gouerning and protecting and teaching and sanctifying the same to himselfe 3. Regnum gloriae 1 Nostrae 2 Dei This is that heauenly inheritance of the Church which Christ hath purchased for all the faithfull of which our Sauiour saith Feare not little flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome And of this is said Come yee blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Of this Dauid saith I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse and before In thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand pleasures for euermore This is a place of glory 1 In respect of the holinesse of the subiects of it for no vncleane thing can enter into it it is called Ciuitas sancta He that is left in Ierusalem and he that remaineth in Sion shall be called holy euen euery one that is written among the liuing in Ierusalem When the Lord shall haue washed away the filth of the daughters of Sion and shall haue purged the bloud of Ierusalem from the middest thereof by the spirit of iudgement and by the spirit of burning 2 It is a kingdome of glorie because all the subiects of it are stripped out of all their infirmities and made like to the glorious Angels of God Yea the Scripture telleth vs more that we shall be like to Christ because we shall see him as he is More it saith that our vile bodies shall be like his glorious bodie Eternall health eternall ioy perfect and full knowledge blessednesse which shall neuer be taken away from vs and a full and finall abolition of all our wantes Here is that Crowne of righteousnesse and the reward of faith and the purchase of our Mediatour Here we are subiects and Kings our subiection is a royaltie for we reigne with Christ and the adoption of children is so complete in heauen and in glory that like the Elder sonne in the parable of the prodigall all that our father hath is ours The kingdome of grace is the way to the kingdome of glory it is the suburbs of this abiding city The kingdome of grace is that kingdome which Christ exerciseth in his Church here and which he deliuereth vp to God his father when the kingdome of glory cometh of which the Apostle saith Then cometh the end when he shall haue deliuered vp the kingdome to God euen the Father when he shall haue put downe all rule and all authority and power For he must reigne till hee haue put downe all his enemies vnder his feete Then shall the sonne also himselfe be subiect to him that put all things vnder him that God may be all in all Where the Apostle sheweth the vtter cessation of the kingdome of grace swallowed vp of this kingdome of glory This place of the Apostle is notable and containeth points of deepe consideration 1 Concerning Christs deliuering vp of the kingdome we must know that Christ is King as God and man so is the head of his Church and this kingdome hee holdeth by vertue of his office as hee is Mediatour between God and man and when that worke is accomplished in the fulnesse of his glory of the elect then that kingdome must cease and be giuen vp into the hands of the Father who gaue him the administration thereof for the gathering together of the Saints and for the bringing of all the elect to him 2 When he saith that Christ shall deliuer vp this kingdome to his Father let no man conceiue that the Father was all this while out of his kingdome and is now by the Sonne restored at
hath beene said it is plaine how God leadeth into temptation and that it is a malitious slander that is put vpon the Protestants by the shauelings of Rome that we maintaine God to bee the authour and suggestor of sinne Campian in his paradoxes of the Protestants chargeth Master Caluin with this and shamelesly citeth a chapter in his institutions which beareth this title and maketh it good by learned proofes Deumita impiorum opera vti animos flectere ad exequenda sua iudicia vt purus ipse ab omni labe maneat Wherein he maintaineth that no euill is or can bee done against the will of God for where were his prouidence if any thing could be done whether he will or no so that there is not a bare permission of God but there is the hand of action in all euils for seeing in him all liue moue and haue their being there can be nothing done but by his power And Thomas of Aquine hath put a difference betweene these two Actio Actionis vitium wee cannot exclude the will and power of God from the action we cannot include his approbation of the euill in the action Yet Maldonate the Iesuite vpon this petition demandeth quomodo nos deus in tentationem inducitur he answereth facilè Caluinistae respondent quia nos ad peccandum impellit he addeth facile est hareticum esse We reply facile est mendacem esse Master Caluins booke is in many hands and they that will reade him vpon this point shall conuince his accusers of malitious calumniation and shall finde the truth of God cleerely and learnedly and vnanswerably maintained against all contradiction and strife of tongues 3 What duties are required of those that moue God in this petition 1 We are admonished to know the danger that we are in of being tempted to euill 2 Of Gods iustice in leauing many in their temptations for their punishment 3 Of our easinesse in yeelding of our impotencie in resisting temptations 4 Of the necessitie of faith to apprehend the remedy of this temptation 5 Of the vse and application of this remedy 1 The danger The danger as you haue heard is double 1 From within vs by our concupiscence 2 From without vs by Sathan 1 The danger from within vs is by the Apostle Saint Iames well set forth Euery man is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and inticed Against this the Apostle instructeth vs. Dearely beloued I beseech you as pilgrims and strangers abstaine from fleshly lusts which warre against the soule The way to put them off at the first breeding of them is to meete with them in their conception and to kill them vpon the neast according to the old rule principijs obstat If ye through the spirit doe mortifie the deedes of the body ye shall liue But then sinne is growne to a full stature when it commeth to deeds of the body yet euen then not inuincible But it is not safe suffering of lust to hatch her yonglings and to send them abroad in deeds of the body it is a surer way to begin sooner Blessed shall hee be that taketh and dasheth the little ones against the stones for it is a true rule that primi motus ad peccata sunt peccata We kill whole neasts of yong vermine not for any hurt that they haue done yet but because they are ex genere noxio they are inuisam genus so must we breake the egges of concupiscence for as the Prophet saith Out of the Serpents roote shall come forth a Cockatrice and his fruit shall be a fiery flying Serpent Therefore the surest way is to lay our Axe to this roote And let no man excuse himselfe of being ouertaken with a temptation for it is a mans owne fault and not his excuse if he be so miscarried for this I dare say The vnregenerate man by the light of the law written in his heart by the finger of God hath vnderstanding to distinguish betweene good and euill and though humane appetite doe approue euill yet humane reason doth defie it Therefore to the naturall man I say If he desire to leade a morall and ciuill life in the society of men let him rather be directed by his reason then his appetite and let reason doubt of all the faire tenders of appetite and proue all things and hold onely what is good In the regenerate man there is the spirit of God and the will of man these the Apostle saith are contrary the one to the other for the flesh that is the will of man lusteth against the spirit so that except by this spirit we mortifie those lusts we shall suffer sinne to raigne in our mortall bodies to our obedience of it in the lusts thereof But hee that desireth to leade a christian and a holy life is admonished omnicustodia custodire cor suum and when his owne corruption is kindling a fire in him to giue way to the spirit of God to blow it out for the spirit of God is not either idle or impotent in the children of God to resist concupiscence if we doe hearken to it and imbrace the good motions thereof Here is the safety of a christian in this spirituall combat for if we incline to the better part and rather suffer our selues to be led and guided by the spirit of God then by our owne spirits temptation to euill is soon put off and wee ouercome euill with goodnesse therefore our rest must be that of Ioseph How shall I doe this great euill and so sinne against God If there be a voyce before vs wasting vs to euill God hath told vs Thine eare shall heare a word behinde thee this is the way walke ye in it when ye turne to the right hand and when ye turne to the left If the naturall man cannot doe euill against his owne reason but that will rise vp against it to resist it surely the regenerate man cannot doe euill against the conscience and the secret checke of the spirit of God but hee shall be sure to heare of it This is a worke of grace in the faithfull seruants of God that they take timely notice of these spawning lusts and muster the graces of the spirit of God and array them against their first appearing calling for helpe from him that is mighty in this petition Leade vs not into temptation 2 Our second danger is from without vs by Sathan who goeth about sometimes as to Euah with an apple of temptation like a subtle Serpent sometimes with fire and tempests and instruments of violence as to Iob. In Iobs story wee finde how he comes into the presence of God how he seeketh for leaue to afflict and how he spareth not the vttermost of malice so farre as his power and leaue extendeth In Saint Peters story wee see how he desireth to sift and winnow him In Saint Pauls storie we reade how the angell of Sathan
shall dye in our sinnes who then shall haue pitty on vs 7 If we forgiue not as we would be forgiuen will he not say to vs Oughtest not thou to haue forgiuen thy fellow seruant as I forgaue thee and he will require the vtmost farthing of our debt of vs. 8 If he leade vs into temptation and suffer our owne corruptions to guide vs or Sathans temptations to preuaile against vs how shall we be able to keepe faith and a good conscience 9 If hee doe not either preuent euils comming or support in euils incumbent or deliuer vs out of them how can we subsist in them Therefore our double Amen is requisite in all these 1 Signaculum sidci that we beleeue a necessitie of obtaining all these for Gods glory and our good 2 Votum desiderij that wee expresse an earnest and feruent desire to preuaile with God in all these 1 We must pray that his name may bee hallowed that 2 We may be partakers of his kingdome 3 We must desire that his will may be done that we may eate of his bread 4 We must desire forgiuenesse of sinnes past and protection against all after temptations that we may be deliuered from all euils of punishment and that Sathan may not touch vs. Leaue out nothing hee is our father of whom wee aske and he hath a full hand and our prayers will open it They whose hearts doe say Amen to some part of this prayer and their zeale tooleth in the rest obtaine nothing of God but pro corona fidei they haue poenam perfidiae How many be there in the world that cry heartily panem nostrum quotidianum and libera nos a malo who neither care for the name the kingdome nor the will of God they neither feele any inconuenience in sinne nor feare rather like temptations which haue a pleasing relish Like those that dye with tickling Others presse the first petition slightly concerning the name of God because they are profane and sweare by it They will allow God a kingdome and take it away by disobeying his will Bread they would haue but they thinke much to bee limited to aske for the day They like the forgiuenesse of their owne sinnes but not the sicut nos They feare not temptation euils they deprecate But Amen to all is our lesson 3 Amen to the conclusion i. In faith beleeuing kingdome power and glory to be his Amen So is it In zeale desiring that God may euer haue all due ascriptions Amen So be it 3 By whom it must be said All that pray must say Amen for as we pray one for another so one with another We haue one God one faith in that God one Baptisme into that faith one Eucharist the seale of the couenant one word the rule of faith and manners one prayer and one Amen They that bring their bodies without their hearts doe increase the company but they doe not mend the quire Cardinall Bellarmine confesseth vsum respondendi Amen antiquissimum in ecclesia But to come to Church onely to heare prayers and not to pray to pray and not to seale it with an Amen is to prophane the seruice and worship of God We are or should be an holy Priest-hood to offer vp vnto God the sacrifice of praise and the incense of prayers with one voyce one heart as Zeph. saith with one shoulder Multorum preces impossibile est contemni So all the congregation and euery part of it must say Amen to all the prayers and to euery petition of them And that was the reason why our holy Church did so dispose of the common prayers that the people should haue their part in sundry short eiaculations that their deuotions might be set a worke to ioyne with the Minister whereas in other reformed Churches the congregation hath nothing to say but Amen This was so well obserued in the Church in Saint Ieromes time that the people made the Church ring againe with the loud voyce of their ioynt Amen hee saith ad similitudinem coelestis tonitrui reboauit And the Iewes of old in their Synagogues did redouble it Amen Amen 4 How we must say Amen Caninius in voces novi testamenti saith there is 1 Amen pupillum a non intelligentibus 2 Surreptum spoken in hast before the prayer ended 3 Otiosum of them that minde it not 4 Iustorum and that must be said 1 With knowledge They that know thy name will trust in thee If we know what we pray for Who is the giuer of it For whose sake we aske it For what vse What need we haue say Amen heartily They that pray in a strange tongue pray without knowledge therefore God will say to the Church of Rome nescitis quid petatis They that say this prayer and vnderstand it not sinne as much in Our Father as they in Pater noster If God should say to them as Philip to the Eunuch intelligis quid dicis would they not say how can I without a teacher You haue beene taught take heed that you learne for All ignorant deuotion is no better then taking the name of God in vaine 2 Amen must be said with the spirit These two vnderstanding and the spirit must not be parted in our prayers I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the vnderstanding also As the Hart panteth after the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God So O God thou art my God early will I seeke thee my soule thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is This spirit is willing though the flesh be weake Our prayer is directed to him who is called the God of spirits who is also a spirit and to be serued in spirit and in truth This is the holy fire from Gods Altar which inflameth deuotion euen the zeale of this spirit this fireth the incense of our prayers and makes them ascend The Amen of the lips is thus welcome to God Populus hic honorat me labijs But let our soules and all that is within vs say Amen euen the hid man of the heart and God will answer vs with his Amen 3 Amen with faith Three things there are in God for faith to fasten on 1 Quia fidelis Dauid vrgeth him vpon that point Heare my prayer O Lord giue eare to my supplications in thy faithfulnesse answere me We pray in confidence of Gods promise for hee is faithfull that promised Saint Peter calleth him a faithfull Creator Commit the keeping of your soules to him in well doing as vnto a faithfull Creator 2 Quia potens We may say boldly with the paralitike Domine si vis potes me mundum facere Apud deum nihil est impossibile Omnia tibi seruiunt Amen may rest in that power which ruleth ouer all and doth quicquid vult 3 Quia volens The first compellation in this prayer is proofe enough of this quia