beleives much prayes much though he say not a word A good life is a good prayer it is a continued prayer as you have read Wee will close with this Traine up a child saith the wisdome of God in his way of Gods prescribing and when he is old he will not depart from it As if he had said He will be the better for it while he liveth Traine up a child in formes Prov. 22. 6. according to the wisdome of the flesh and when he is old he will not depart from them As if wee had said he will be the worse for them while he liveth if grace interpose not These are too sweet to the flesh for the flesh to leave these are all the comfort the flesh hath while the man is living but dying shall stand the man in no more stead than a paper wall can defend against a Cannon shott or the Cawle of the heart against the paw of a Lion Wee will shutt up with this and so call to remembrance That there was an huge great person who had learnt that in his Cradle which he could not unlearne on his throne and it was no small dishonour to him So may a child be taught a forme of prayer in his cradle which if through the favour of the times he be admitted to the pulpitt he will use there also and so exact he will be therein that all that heare him may conclude he was taught that forme from his cradle It is important sure and very momentous else Quintillian wee rather mention him had not been so full and large upon it what choice wee should make of Nurses because commonly these parle first with the child in the morning and last at night and much all the day long And if they be bad not knowing their dutie or carelesse of what they know wee are like to have as was once said wirtily but truely a child or a boy of him all his life long The summe is this Be well advised about that you teach your child in the morning of his yeares he will savour of it to the evening of the same Nurses or mothers who should make all commonly marre all if speciall grace interpose not No more for this containes much if not all Now we will Contract what hath been said of this subject prayer and the scope whereto it tends and give it in this breif We have shewen what a serious worke it is and what a slight and vaine thing formes are wee have declared against a wicked mans prayer for so the Lord himselfe doth it is an abomination yet it is his dutie to pray though a greater abomination it is to say the Lords prayer Wee have shutt it out of the Closet It is too short for Closet-worke And too long for an after prayer being who knowes how full of heavenly sense and spirituall meaning Therefore wee have cutt it off from the Ministers prayer in the pulpit If he will sett it too againe be it at his pleasure it may be to his perill Wee have questioned it very much and endeavoured to put it out of question that John did not teach his Disciples to pray by giving them formes of prayer to say Wee have cleared it to be a parents dutie to teach his child to pray and as wee could wee have directed his practise and concluded That a parent teacheth not his child to pray that gives him formes of prayer to say for that they learne without teaching too prompt and ready that way The Spirit of the Lord teacheth parent and child to pray and the first thing the Spirit teacheth wee thinke is to say that they cannot pray yet wee should tempt God if wee our selves should not pray and teach our children so to doe to pray that they may be enabled to pray To shutt up The God of all graces and father of mercies in and through His Sonne gives forth no temporall much lesse eternall salvation no common mercy much lesse any spirituall grace which is eternall to His marvelously Psal 4. 3. seperated ones His gratious Saints but He will stirre them up to inquire after Him first before He gives it They shall aske before they have and but aske and have yet not for their asking Now it is marvelous to consider Satans devises here that implacable enemy and adversary of all righteousnesse He perswades the wicked to sit downe fully content with their condition and satisfied with common mercies and not pray at all and if they will be praying it shall be but â—prating and babling A meere prophaneing of Gods Name if not blaspheming If they will pray as the most will they shall pray in anothers words and no matter in whose name by a booke or without it by the memorie never with the heart unlesse for the remooving of some plague felt or feared But never about the plague of the heart the plague indeed And for these gratious Saints This adversary shewes himselfe such an one in no one thing more than in this To keepe them from praying but if that cannot be then he imployes all his force policie and might to hinder and interrupt prayer and for the effecting of this what will he cast in and how readily doth flesh comply with him But these know whom they have trusted And that His grace shall be sufficient for them AMEN Postscript WEE have purposely forborne to discharge our Treatise of that charge of blasphemie once and againe charged upon it wee have given a marke in the margine all along where the yong-man in the name perhaps of his elders enters not his dissent onely but the charge of blasphemie against us It is humbly referred to God and His Scriptures to judge how just that charge is And if it shall please those whom God hath made able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Leter but of the Spirit for the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life to give-in theiâ— judgement here also we are assured it shall be according to Truth Wee will adde two words more The one we borrow from him whose words we shall hereafter set downe It is far more facile to give the hardest Censures than to Answer the easiest Arguments The other is this which one of us has read some where A good Cause when plainely told is learnedly pleaded especially if a Meeke Moses or just Joshua be the Judge thereof So we come to set downe here as was specified upon the Title page the words of that holy and learned Man who speakes to all matters he undertakes in the Name of his God to speake unto after his manner which is to say all that can be said in any subject whatsoever This encomie or high Commendations was given to Grotius by one of our own in some matters of the highest concernment relating to our deare Lord and Christ of the same perswasion with him And so thought it not enough to Commend the said man without any exception but he must
A TREATISE OF PRAYER Two Quaeries resolved touching formes of Prayer And Six Quaeries relating specially to the LORDS PRAYER That the Reader may have full Resolution specially to the fourth of these Queries relating to the Lords Prayer he shall finde in the end of this Treatise That Holy and Learned Mans judgement Dr Owen as to that matter in his Answer to Mr Biddles second question of Prayer Pag. 667 668 669. They who aske not for the Spirit that they may pray in the Spirit are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Brutes and Mutes Chry A Malefactor expecting his sentence to death needs not man or booke to prompt him how to plead for his life He that can reade himselfe Cast and condemned by sinne needs not a booke to prompt him how to plead his pardon Paris of Divine Rhetor Compare with this Jer 3. 13. and Rom 10. 9 10. The Lords Prayer is the mould wherein all the Churches prayers are cast moulded and formed Bez Luk. 11. 2. See to it that God be as well pleased with thee calling Him Father as thou art well pleased to call Him Father Cyp Sermon the sixt upon the Lords prayer â— Thou shalt call me My father and shalt not turne away from Me Jer 3. 19. that is I will put filiall affections awfull thoughts constant resolutions into thy heart and thou shalt not turne away from Me London Printed by M. S. for Henry Cripps in Popes-head-Alley 1656. THE FOURTH TREATISE OF PRAYER Two Queries touching formes of Prayer and six relating to the Lords Prayer I. Whether a wicked man may say that prayer II. Whether our Lord gave His Disciples this prayer that they should pray to His Father in those very words III. Whether a Godly man takes it into his Closet IV. Whether it be comely for a Godly Minister to take it into his pulpit V. Whether John taught his Disciples to pray by giving them formes of prayer to say VI. Whether a Godly parent can teach his childe to pray by giving him any forme of prayer And in speciall by teaching his childe to say the Lords Prayer The Negative in all these is under our Maintenance CHAP. I. WEE shall not enter into the Common place of prayer it is not a place to say much of it and to say little is to say little more than nothing at all It is being mounted on the wheele of Faith the great Engine of the world and wheeles all about there it is an Appeale to God in the Name and Mediation of Christ A committing the cause and Condition of His Church and of His Truth the concernements thereof in Generall His owne in speciall to Him and so takeing fast hold of the Allmightie the Allsufficient God in Christ it hath an Omnipotency in it and can doe what God Himselfe is pleased to doe all things that stand with His good will and pleasure for the support and supply of His Church every faithfull soule there And the carying on of His Truth whereby immortality and light is brought to light in the soule In a word It is the breathing-in and-out of the Spirit of God and of Glory It is that which fetcheth-in all from God through the hand of Christ by the Spirit And the Returne of All to God the first spring and fountaine of all by the same way of Conveyance For he or she that Remembers they have all from God cannot forget to Returne all to Him The Disciple hath all by askeing and it is but aske and have the same he asketh or that which is better he writeth uponall he hath Asked of God The Gift of God His Lord and Master Psal 2. Math. 26. had nothing but by askeing Aske of Me and I will give thee And that He the Mediator of His Church giveth-out unto His people at this present He asketh His Father first Surely the Saint must aske in Faith if he will receive in mercy for so he asketh His Lords leave and acknowledgeth Him to be Lord of the Mannour of 〈◊〉 and Earth To shutt up this and to proceed to what we cheifly intend in this place Prayers are the Embassadours of the pooâ—â— empty soule to God for supply from the aboundant Riches of His grace We say a poore empty Spirit for that is full of prayer and much supplication The poore man Prov. 18. 23. speakes supplications 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intreaties that is his Character and his Dialect But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no sense of povertie there is no prayer for there is a 〈◊〉 temper Rich enough and wanting Revel 3. nothing That person prayeth not or not to purpose it is but a Custome onely and a forme Now we crave leave to put two Questions and humbly to give our perswasion in way of Answer unto both SECT I. 1. WHether persons full of themselves as we are all by nature wholy emptie and swept of all Goodnesse and garnished with noysome lusts the furniture and rich garnish of Math. 12. 44. the uncleane Spirits house whether these are like to helpe themselves by useing sett formes of Prayer 2. Whether Babes in Christ newly converted ones renewed in the Spirit of their mindes have need of formes those crutches and helpes of devotion when they are addressing themselves unto their God Quest â— The first Whether unreasonable and wicked men as all are that have not faith can helpe themselves in this their condition by useing sett formes of prayer Answ To this we humbly give our opinion That they cannot helpe themselves at all but the more they use them the more they are disadvantaged by them the more indisposed to and putt further off from the power of Godlinesse For First The reason of this we take from the Philosophers knowne rule which indeed we thinke falls-in with common Experience That habits whether in good things or in evill are acquired and improved both by continuall exercise These things which we learne for practise we learne by practise as saith learned Dâ— Wilkins Now for any one to habituate or accustome himselfe to formes of prayer that is to prayers made or written by another and said by himselfe shall find himselfe as unable and as hard a matter to come off from them yet off he must come iâ— ever he looke to find acceptance with his God as it is with an Ethiopian to change his skin or the Leopard his spots O! we are much taken with and hardly taken off from formes of prayer we have been accustomed to from our youth up and never found these did the flesh any hurt putting it to Cost as these never did the spirit or hid-man of the heart any good So then these formes of prayer we come with before God doe more indispose us to God and estrange us from Him And it is not good to accustome our selves to that we must leave at last and come off from if ever good be wrought in us or by us Secondly Because we may say of these formes of prayer as is
as the truth of prayers and these may be but breathings after God and Christ yet they have a voice as loud in Gods eare as is thunder in ours Wee will draw to a close Who ever hath the spirit of Grace hath also the spirit of supplication who may be in a groane as well as in a prayer Whence we may conclude That he who hath this spirit hath no need of a prayer-booke whereafter to pray If you grant he hath th' one in his heart he will disdaine we thinke to take the other into his hand The Good Spirit is his Great Helper at this great and high service when he is engageing upon it Take this withall if please you it pleaseth this Babe very well Non actibus sed finibus pensantuâ— officia for it makes much for his comfort That his Duties are weighed and reckoned upon not by their Acts but by their ends SECT IV. WEE have humbly given our opinion in way of satisfaction to those two Queries relating to prayer under that Generall notion And here wee have forborne to reply any thing to the customes and practises of primitive times and times more lately by-past for first They plead for formes of prayer in their publique places wee plead against the use of them in our private Closets Secondly Againe wee are to walke close up to the rule of Gods word and not by the practise and precepts of men whereunto something hath been hinted before more than once thirdly Wee have replyed nothing to Johns teaching his Disciples to pray by giving them a forme of prayer to say which is not so cleare to us that so he did but wee may speake more to it hereafter CHAP. II. WEE come now to that speciall prayer which by good warrant wee call the Lords prayer and to make answer as wee can and as the Lord shall assist to six Queries thereupon But first wee may not dissemble what we finde written by worthy Hild and excellent Perkins That the Lords prayer may be sayd by us as wee read it Our blessed Saviour prescribed to his Disciples a forme of prayer not onely to be to them and his whole Church a rule and sampler according to which all our prayers should be framed as appeares Mat. 6. 9. After this manner pray yee but even for them and to say tying themselves to the very words of it as appeareth Luke 11. 2. When you pray say Our Father So worthy Hild excellent Perkins speakes in these words The Lords prayer is a direction and as it were a sampler to teach us how and in what manner we ought to pray None is to imagine That wee are bound to use these words onely and no others for the meaning of Christ is not to bind us to the words but to the matter and to the manner and to the like affections in prayer And then a little after making answer to the third plea against the use of the Lords prayer Hee answers That therefore the rather it should be used as a prayer But he makes no proofe hereof unlesse this which followes may be taken for a full proofe Sure it is that ancient and worthy Divines have râ—verenced it as a prayer choosing rather to use the same words than any other as Cyprian Tertullian Augustine And so concludes Wherefore this opinion that the Lords prayer is not to be used as a prayer is full of ignorance and errour SECT II. THus wee have dealt faithfully in setting downe what we find pleaded for the saying of the Lords prayer Yet we hope to acquit our selves of both these Ignorance and Errour in the words of truth and sobernesse though our Judgements bend from Mr Hilds words That our Saviour gave his Disciples that prayer to say tying themselves to the very words nor can we fall in with these ancient Divines choosing rather to use those words in prayer than any other Wee shall in all humility and modesty interpose our judgement against this without making the least reflection upon the good knowledge excellent learning and Godlinesse of these two men the one famous for all these all over this Nation the other over all the Christian world And therefore how loath are wee to make mention of these things But that here is a necessitie for it because they that are such sticklers for formes of prayer and are resolved to bare themselves up upon those crutches They also who as far can be observed never used any other prayer but the Lords prayer doe catch at such sayings as these coming from such excellent men when they slightingly passe over what they may find in every page for their edification wee were saying full loath we are to meddle in these things but for the reason above-said Though wee hope wee shall doe but our duty herein which is to bring the sayings of men to the sayings of God The words of men to the words of God as to their standard or scale where they must be weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary SECT III. HEE is a perfect man that slips not with his tongue and as perfect is hee that slips not with his pen Dabimus veniam petimusque vicissim wee give and wee crave the same pardon But still wee take leave to doe our dutie finding wee have such warrant for it to examine the forementioned words by the touchstone of Gods word Those brave and generous Bereans did shew Act. 17. 11 12 themselves to be such by inquiring into and questioning the Apostles words who yet if any in the world might have been beleeved upon his ipse Dixit his owne word for it that Apostle might It was enough that Paul sayd it no not enough for these truely wise Bereans they have a sure word to goe by and to that word they will bring the Apostles words to inquire of them whether they be the words of truth as wee doe inquire whether it be true gold by the touchstone and fining pot They that receive the word with all readinesse of mind will with the same readinesse search the Scriptures dayly whether those things be so or no. And behold a blessed effect of this Many of them beleeved Wee think this was spoken before If so so much the more wee should observe it SECT IV. BEfore we proceed to our next Chapter we desire the Reader to observe for the close of this That these excellent men have but spoken their owne words and given us their owne perswasion as to the matter of our enquiry onely the later of them tells us the Judgement of others Cyprian Tertullian and Augustine these chose rather to pray in these very words But what is this to us if we cannot understand our Lords words as they did Indeed we find Cyprian hath a whole Sermon of the Lords prayer which in order is his sixt And it was so cleare to him All were to pray in those very words that he concludeth That to pray in any other words argueth not
as Balaam did My God and as he and he was many My Father Num. 22. 18. Jer 3. 4. But who bad them say so you know the saying It is presumption in the highest degree to speake of God or from God or to God without His leave or command so to doe You say saith the Lord Christ of my Father He is your Father your God but ye John 8 54 55 say presumptuously in so saying He is not the Father of those that know Him not but as He is the Father of the raine But ye have not knowne Him saith the Lord. And not knowing Him how care they how they Rebell against Him Can we thinke that the Son of God while He tabernacled here on Earth would bid notorious Rebells rebelling against the light of their owne Consciences within and of the Word without to call God Father and Him Lord while they were speaking and doâ—ing evill things as they could We humbly conceive It cannot enter into the heart of a Reasonable man to thinke that so our Blessed Saviour would doe He hath resolved the Case Thou shalt call Me my Father and Jer. 3. 1â— shalt not turne away from Me. I will give thee the disposition of a Child or give thee to looke after it before thou shalt with my leave call Me Father I will put filliall-affections awfull thoughts constant Resolutions into thy heart to love feare and serve Me. And then thou shalt call Me Father Thirdly Yet againe Can it enter into our thoughts that our Blessed Saviour should bid a wicked man call Jesus accursed No you will say for who can thinke so we doe If we hold to this That a sensuall man not having the Spirit can call God Father 1 Cor. 12. 3. or Christ Lord No man speaking by the Spirt of God calleth Jesus accursed What they say that speake by another Spirit judge you saith That Learned man The Apostle would say Dr. Kendall Chap. 16. pag. 145. Psal 110. 19 20. They call Jesus accursed And no man can say heartily Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost Because as our Learned Reinolds saith other Lords are present with sensuall and wicked men who doe with their owne eyes oversee and by their owne visible power order and direct them in their service It is not possible that they should feare honour and serve Christ which is to say heartily Jesus is the Lord unlesse Christ be in them by His Spirit and they in the faith Sensuall men not having the Spirit may out of externall conformitie to the Discipline and profession under which they live with their mouthes acknowledge Him to be Lord yet their hearts will never tremble and willingly submit themselves to His obedience Their Consciences will never set to its seale to the Spirituall power of Christ over the thoughts desires and secrets yet this is to call Him Lord but by the over-ruling direction of the Holy Ghost Therefore he blasphemes in Calling God Father and Christ accursed he hath no allowance from Christ so to doe it were blasphemy to thinke so and that is our third Reason Fourthly Nor would the Lord Christ put a lie into a man's mouth in bidding him this sensuall man we meane this Legion call God Father when as He is not their Father but they are of Joh. 8. 34. 44. their Father the Devill and doe that which they have seene with their Father even the Lusts of their Father they will doe If it be asked how wicked men see the Devill doe that which they did and doe Worthy Mr Burgesse answers it Because they expresse in their lives such wickednesse as was and is in the Devill even the same things which the Devill would doe and wee should see him doe if he were visible before our eyes Naturae sequitur semina quisque sua As man's Nature is and his principle within such are his actings and doeings without As he is in being such he is in acting If he be in the evill one that is under the power and dominion of an uncleane Spirit most uncleane will his actings Math. 1. 23. 5. 2. Joh. 1. 5. be for he will doe that which he hath seen his Father doe Certainly the Lord will not bid such an uncleane wretch call God Father for that were for the Lord of truth to put a lie into a mans mouth which were Blasphemie to thinke Fifthly Yet againe though as Excellent Turkney hath it out of Morney first Chapter first words A man hath never lesse De veritate Religionis Cap. 1. â— to say than when that which he is to prove or cleare is more certaine and manifest than his proofe Omni luce clarius omni interpretatione notius Notwithstanding we will proceed The Lord Christ would not bid a man we should tremble to speake this or to heare it but sith it is commonly done and in a zeale for our God we would not have it so done being assured from a sure word That a wicked man Blasphemes the Name of his God and hastneth his owne Curse by letting this prayer goe out of his mouth as he doth by taking into his mouth the Bread and Wine at the Lords Table wee were saying The Lord Christ would not bid a man blaspheme This Glorious fearefull Name The Lord his God and so hasten his Curse bringing upon himselfe Deut. 8. swift destruction but so he must that Bids a wicked man say 1 Pet. 2. 1. Isai 52. 5. the Lords Prayer call God Father My Name Continually every day is blasphemed how so or what had they done why they would lie and steale and sweare and yet would come unto Jer. 7. Gods Temple and call upon Him They that did wickedly as they could lyars Cursers opposers of what is Good These are worthy Mr Burgesse's words Yet they will come here and say our Father Nay you cannot meete with any beastly Jer. 3. sinner but his heart is filled with this bold impudency he will say as they did we are Jewes i. e. true beleivers for as that Revel 2 9. Mr Caryll Job 11. 4. 21. Learned man saith under the old Testament-Termes Gospell professours are exprest in the Revelations I am such a one a true Christian for the time was when I was Borne and quickly after Baptized and a visible Saint I was ever since being a member of a Nationall Church and yet this Beast-like man doth not so much as pretend to pietie which yet were double iniquitie for the shew of his countenance doth witnesse against him he declares his sin Isai 3. as Sodom he hideth it not yet so impudent he is he calls God Father And so goes on to the end of his prayer Tell us your opinion here Sir doth not this tread upon the brinks of Blasphemie at least And if it doe so It were blasphemie to thinke That our Saviour Christ would bid a wicked man say that prayer for that were to
your Heavenly Father day and night for so true Disciples use to doe but then they bound not themselves within the Lords Prayer More should be added to this paragraph but that we have been large in it Sometimes this Disciple looseth the sight of his God A Child of Light and walkes in Darknesse of discomfiture and sorrow And what sayes he then to his God Whome perhaps his evidences being now so blurred and blotted he cannot call Father There is a Cup of trembling in his hand there are sad apprehensions in his heart what says he now to his God No man can tell but the Man in his Case nor perhaps he neither for he cannot tell himselfe He is in the same case his Lord and Master was in before him and that is his Comfort if he could see it he shall be brought out of it anon with joy and gladnesse but this is his case at present his soule is troubled and what shall he say John 12. 27. We will cast a vaile over this and passe on Curae parvae loquuntur inâ—èntes stupent but certainly he prayes rather the Spirit within him and no set forme in the world helps him with a word here much lesse with a groane Once more and so to come to a period or full stop here This Disciple now on his knees as we suppose him to be spreadeth the concernments of his Churches before his God as neare and deare to him as his owne he cannot keepe silence being a faithfull Remembrancer This takes up some time also and more words than are numbred up in six lines and so much to our fourth Reason why a true Disciple brings not this prayer with him when he kneeles before his God Before we proceed we would make answer to that we have heard argued for the bringing the Lords Prayer before the Lord It is this Quest When a Disciple hath but little time and can speake but few words then he may draw-up all into a narrow roomth and say the Lords Prayer onely may he not Answ To this we say first That a Disciple Remember you still that we doe not meane a Disciple at large a member of the Nationall Church because he was Baptized therein and received into that huge we had almost said and let it goe Monstrous Body to whome Duty is a burden and sin light with whome praying time is waste-time that takes up more time than saying the Lords prayer we doe not meane him he is not in our thoughts unlesse it be to mourne over him and your selfe that account him such we meane a Disciple indeed and what we were saying of him we are speaking out That a Disciple indeed prayeth indeed and being a man of much Grace heares much and reads much meditates much and prayes much he is a man of much prayer he spends much time to gett Grace to make him rich to God to get strength in the inward man to passe through all varietie of afflictions for all this he prayes unto his God at the least Psal 55. 17. Dan. 6. 10. twice a day we verily beleive thrice as others have done before him It may be said this spends much time whereunto it may be answered That no time is better spent than that which is spent in Calling upon God if called upon in truth It hinders not in our Buisinesse though it seeme to hinder and though it takes these are Excellent Preston's words so much from the heape yet indeed it increaseth the heape The baiting of the horse hinders not the journey nor the oileing of the wheele nor the whetting of the Sithe though there be a stop in the worke for a time yet as our Common saying is A whet is no let and praying time as it may be improved is the most gaineing time One houres Communion Dr. G. with God may in a moment bring in more sweetnesse than all other gaineings can doe to Eternity The words of that Excellent Man Dr G We would conclude That a Disciple holds on a Constant Course in prayer He would rather forget to eate his bread than forget to pray to Him to praise Him for his bread As he hath stated times for eaâ—ing and drinking so hath he for praying and praiseing and if he finds not a fit season for eating yet he will for praying He thinks much and often upon Glorious Preston's words The neglect of prayer uncovers the roofe as it were and the Curse is rained downe upon our Tables upon our meate and drinke upon all our endeavours and all the enterprizes we take in hand Thus with the outward man And the losse we suffer in the inward man upon the neglect of this Dutie is very great that being ready still to be distempered to goe out of order to contract hardnesse and soile for it falls out with a mans heart as it doth with a garden that is neglected it will quickly over-runne with weedes if you looke not diligently to it and the way to looke to it is Constancy in this Duty there is much more to excellent purpose But 2 now suppose some great buisinesse comes to hand there is none greater than Prayer and the Disciple hath but a moments time to breath forth unto his God What will he pray in prayer we meane what words will he use Happily such like words as these Lord heare Lord forgive Cause the light of Thy Countenance to shine upon us and take away that which more than Ecclâ—pseth it from us Truely We cannot tell what he will say if you can tell you may tell us But we are verily perswaded he â—ill not say the Lords prayer what ever his time be more or lesse And this is our Confidence in this matter Now wee proceed SECT V. WE suppose this will be granted having its ground in the word of God That so soone as a Child Calls God Father Luke 15. 18. and Christ Lord he remembers he hath sinned against Him That is all we will say he hath sinned against Him And now what shall he doe here is guilt Contracted and filth too who knowes how much and now what shall he doe to have the Guilt remooved and his Conscience pacified his filth purged and his Conscience purified what shall he doe surely he hath no way to take but to flie as the Man-slayer whome blood pursued to the Citie of Refuge unto the fountaine opned for sin and uncleannesse and Entreate for all comes-in at the doore of free Grace that he may be put into the Jordan of Christ His Blood Well this shall be in good time but not yet to his sense and feeling for we enquire not what was done in Heaven before time was but what is done on Earth and within the heart to make all sure there we were saying he having taken a right Course and waiting at a sure doore he shall have a pardon sealed to his Soule anon in his Lords good time But yet what shall he doe for surely
of death of or under wrath there what they are that are translated or taken out of the first Adam in whome all dye and are plâ—nted in the second Adam in whome all are made alive This and what more wee cannot so well tell the godly parent treateth wâ—th his childe about and so teacheth him to pray and a farre more ready way doth he take by so doing then if he could give unto his hands All the prayer-books that are in the world This is our perswasion and that wee are so taught out of the word of God And truly wee are the more inclined hereunto First By reason that this was the manner of all the godly in the holy Scriptures teaching their children to pray so farre as wee can learne thereby and have any discerning thereof held forth before us Heare his words to Solomon his sonne they conteine much Know thou the God of thy father A mightie motive â— Chroâ— 28. 9. to Solomon to learne to know the Lord he had a godly father that knew him as the father had a godly mother that knew her God and surely taught David to know him also The son of Psal 8. 6. 16. 116. 16. thy handmaid And serve him Solomon must know the God of his father before he can serve Him as his father did Wee cannot worship or pray unto Him whom wee know not for in so doeing wee worship wee know not John 4. â—2 what A God A God in Christ must in some measure and degree be reveiled to us before wee can come to God and plead our matters with Him in His Sons blessed Name and for His glorious sake Wee can no more serve a God Whom wee know not then wee can be saved by a Christ whom wee never heard of for that were as if a captive held under the power of death sin devill and hell should be redeemed by a price paid by one whom never before nor after he had anâ— knowledge of or as if God for Christs sake should save us and yet never by any meanes or in any measure make That Christ knowne to us He must by some meanes or other be reveiled to them who being growne up to the use of reason were ever saved by him These are excellent Dr Tuckneyes words We should as a Sermon upon Acts 4. 12. godly parent will with his child and whom he will teach to pray goe through the forementioned Scriptures which containes so much but wee have attained our scope thereby A godly parenâ— teacheth his child to know God first what He is in himselfe out of Christ meere wrath a consumeing fire and as such an one he cannot be served Then to know Him a God in Christ and a Father and so He is served and well-pleased with the service if it be in truth Wee passe on and shall passe over David's Catechisme and Bathsheba's also whereof wee reade in the booke of the Proverbs but not a word there of teaching the childe to pray by formâ—s of prayer Wee thinke that Paul's direction to parents how they should order their children and specialâ—y how to teach them to pray contains as much to that mâ—tter as doth that Catechisme Bring them up so wee read it the word is nurse them Eph. 6. 4. 1 Thes 2. 7. up As a nurse saith he in another place takes care of the bodies concernments so doe ye parents of your childrens soules concernments Nurse them up in the nurture It implyes all care and diligence about the inward man still that all be done as matters shall require whether they exhort charge reproove correct or instruct that all be done to the childe in a motherly way or as Paul saith as a father his children remembring still that godlinesse is a rich and sure trade if the childe be taught well to follow it And admonition A dealing about the mind of the childe still rectifying or moulding of it betime as the nurse doth the mould of the head when its tender It signifies a dropping or putting into the Eph. â— 4 mind still It is a thrusting of somewhat upon the childe still with an holy violence which may mind him of his Lord Jehovah his God so that the child may see that what his parents speakes to him comes from his Lord and tendeth to this to bring the mind of the child up to the Lord there to fix and pitch his soule for ever Zanch so wee are told speakes usefully to this as his manner is upon this verse where he tells us the manner of all the godly in the primitive times and what course Abraham tooke to teach his children Wee verily thinke wee may adde to pray And what way also Lâ—is the grandmother and Eunice the mother 2 Tim. 1. 5. taught their young Timothy wee will adde againe to pray The very way which the old Christians prisci christiani did take to 3. 1. teach their children to pray by bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And all this is but according to the prescript and charge unto us from the Lord God Allmightie These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart Deut. 6. 6 7. and thou shalt teach them diligently thy children and shalt talke of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest up And this is the way wee are perswaded in our hearts every godly parent must take who makes it his buisinesse to teach his childe to pray for this was the manner of the godly in dayes of old which is our first reason Secondly And in the second place we are apt to thinke That to bring up a childe in the nurture and admonition of the Lord is the onely ready way to teach a childe to pray and not to give him formes of prayer to say because these formes hinder rather than further the worke carrying the childe on in such a high worke the calling upon God in prayer by the Eye upon the formes or by the memorie which is all one whereas he should understand what he doth and know Him in some measure and degree Whom he calleth upon Thirdly If to give a childe a forme of prayer when you pray say these words were to teach him to pray then to teach a childe to pray is the easiest worke in the world of as quicke dispatch for so easie it is and as quickly done to give a childe a forme whereby to pray But no godly parent ever found it from ancient dayes to this day an easie worke and of quick dispatch to teach his childe to pray no more than it is an easie worke or the worke of a day to rule well his owne house and to have his children in subjection 1 Tim. 3. 4. with all gravitie which falls-in fully with these words before-cited to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord
whereby to teach his childe to pray It is not the worke of a day or two as was said in another case but the worke of every day while the childe is under the parents eye and eare To teach the childe to pray Nay to adde this It is easie for the vilest person in your Nationall Church to teach a childe to pray if to give him a forme to pray be to teach him to pray for so much he or she can doe having learnt so much themselves to pray that way But sure he or she must be taught to pray and helpe by the good Spirit to pray before they can teach their childe to pray Fourthly And in the fourth place we thinke it at least coasteth neere the brinke of presumption nay is it not downe-right presumption to teach a childe to pray by giving him a forme of prayer to say As thus for as wee said so plaine wee would be Deare childe what ever thy ignorance is of God the Father thou prayest unto or of God the Sonne manifest in the flesh in whose name thou prayest what ever mercy thou hast received and wouldst praise God for what ever want thou feelest and wouldst pray to Him for a supply from Him what ever thy sinnes are thou shouldst confesse before Him yet doe thou childe pray in these words according to this very forme I have prescribed unto thee Surely wee will not feare to say this were presumption and so as may be feared it will be accounted before his God Fifthly Besides and so wee have done In so doeing wee meane so teaching this childe to pray by a forme The parent hath told a loud lye in the eares of God and of all the godly for he tells God and men both he hath taught his childe to pray when indeed there is no such thing done he hath not taught his childe to pray for by his owne confession he hath given his childe a forme whereby to pray which forme will become a prayer well-pleasing unto God when copper becomes gold the bramble a vine the Moone a Sunne or when the Sunne painted on a signe-post shall shine in the firmament of Heaven And so wee have taken in your reasons and examined the reasonablenesse of them That a parent teaching his childe to pray must give him a forme whereafter to pray Wee have given in our reasons also from sacred Scripture as wee suppose That by giving your childe a forme whereby to pray is not to teach the childe to pray But let it be committed to Him Who guides into all truth CHAP. IX Sixt and last Querie Q VI. WEE are come to our sixt and last Querie to give in our thoughts thereunto Whether a Godly parent hath any Command from Christ to teach their children the Lords prayer thereafter to pray saying the very same words Wee said a Command from Christ for wee suppose it granted That a Godly person will in every thing he doth specially in matters of so high concernment look first to his Warrant This I doe I have a sure Word for what I doe And having his Lords Sâ—quis Deâ—â—h â—empeâ—et jam ut daâ—ne uâ— a â—en tum Mandâ—â—â— tis est hâ—hâ—r Dâ—um â—uthâ— eÌ„ Lum 3. 38. word for that he doth should he be condemned by an hundred worlds to use excellent Calvins words he has enough to beare him out his Lord Commanded him But Sir before we proceed we crave leave to give-in a shoâ—t account wherefore wee meddle with this here your selfe giving the occasion thereof and little lesse though perhaps against your purpose provoking us so to doe Our account in short is this Our Minister in the course of Catechizing his people as was hinted before in our Introductive part fell upon the Exposition of the Lord's Prayer and as an Introduction thereunto he put some Queries about this prayer and among others of speciall use all as we thought this was one Whether a Godly parent ought to teach his Children this prayer and so resolved it from Scripture as wee suppose in the Negative he ought not But how were the Godly people they seemed such to be and we would hope they some of them more than seeme stirred at this as much every whit as the ungodly are when their Idol is pulled at to pull it-away for whereas we tell you the words of one of them they could have pulled out their eyes for their Minister before he meddled with the Lord's prayer now they were more enclined at least to pull out their Ministers eyes from him than their owne for him Truely we judge Charitablie as our dutie is and conceive good hope that the Opposers or contrary-minded herein some of them are godly in the maine onely seduced or misguided by former guides though one of them well stricken in yeares was taught that prayer at the first when he was a Childe and seldome said any other to that day as hath been told to us by one that did know if any did To Conclude our narrative part These persons thus moved and disquieted addressed themselves to you Sir as their Oracle whereas their Dutie was to have Consulted with the Scriptures our Minister laid before them and afterwards as occasion required with himselfe But it is not our manner to doe things after their right manner Though yet we Blame them not for adviseing with you onely wee say they should have searched the Scriptures and have advised with their Minister first Your Answer to them was sweet and comely farre otherwise than was reported by one of them who may be as much taken with that prayer as some are with that they make an Idol Onely this you said to them which they lookt for and it pleased them well and it was aboundantly enough to marre all our Minister had said from the Lord unto them That you teach your Children that prayer or allow it they should be so taught And now wee are forced to call your practise into Question which truly but for the Truth 's sake wee shall doe unwillingly and so wee shall state the Question in the Negative That a Godly Parent ought not to teach his Children the Lords prayer You hold the Affirmative for thereafter you practise wee would hope you can make full proof that your practise is Godly So Sir we crave your reasons at least wee crave your leave to guesse at them by what we have heard from others and so to sett downe as may be allowed us in these cases what probably your reasons may be to hold-forth your practice with your children to be godly and holy full-up to your rule and prescription in Gods word whereafter you order wee hope your whole conversation your sayings and doeings before your people and your whole house your children specially the maine and principall parts and your cheife goods there for by your well-ruling of them and care over them you will make full proofe what care you take of the Churches of God for he