commandement giuen by the Lord that the false Prophet and seducer of the Lords people should dye the death and if any come with any other doctrine then that which is agreeable with the word of God Saint Iohn sayth we must neither receiue him to house nor so much as bid him God speede that is we must not bee familiar with him much lesse must wee pray for him except it bee for his conuersion if it standeth with the will of God and not els neither Now a little to cleere our selues from the suspition of Pelagian heresie wherewith some thinke that they are tainted which deny prayers for the saluation of reprobates and all men without exception not respecting the will of GOD whereunto all our prayers indeede are to be referred Indeede Pelagius and his followers as they held many very foule and monsterous heresies so in that matter of prayer they erred most grosly But that the difference may appeare betweene Pelagius and vs it will not bee amisse to set downe the words of S. Augustine as they be gathered by that reuerend and learned man Danâ—us in his booke of Heresies who I belceaue did as well vnderstand S. Auguâ—â—ine as they that would seeme to make thiâ— doctrine Pelaâ—ian heresie by alleadging S. Augustine Destruunt etiam orationes quas facit Ecclesia siue pro infidelibus doctrinae Det resistentibus vt conuâ—rtantur ad Deum siue pro fidelibus vt augeatur eis fides perseuerent in ea Haec quippè non ab ipso accipere sed à seipsis homines habere contendunt gratiam Dei qua liberamur dicentes secundum merita nostra dâ—ri that is The Pelagians doe destroy prayers which the Church maketh either for infidels and those that resist the doctrine of God that they may bee conuerted vnto God or for beleeuers that their faith may bee encreased and they may continue in the same for that they hold that men haue not this grace from God but of themselues saying that our deliuerance is giuen vs according to our deserts Here wee haue the heresie of Pelagius and his disciples plaine enough 〈◊〉 for my owne part I hold to be most accursed and all true Christians fearing God doe with all their hearts detest and abhorre it But let vs see what it is They will haue no prayers to bee made by the Church either for the conuersion of vnbeleeuers or for the confirmation strengthening of the faithfull We hold the contrarie â—o them both for with the true Church of 〈◊〉 we pray for the conuersion of Turkes of Iewes of Papists of Atheists and al vnbeleeuers and heretikes and vngodly men if they belong to God and stand with his sacred will and wee doubt not but that God hath his number amongst them all which are knowne best to himselfe for he knewe 7000. in Israel that were no friends to Baal more then Elias saw Againe amongst our selues that professe the Gospel an vnbeleeuer to day may be a beleeuer to morrow if his houre be come which God hath set for all infidels or vnbeleeuers which is all one are not reprobates for some may be conuerted neither are all called at one houre therefore charitie bindeth vs to liue in hope of him so long as he liueth and in hope of his conuersion if hee belong to God still I say which no man knoweth but God himselfe we are to pray for him but still referring our prayers to the will of God And againe wee hold it a most necessarie and Christian duetie of loue to pray for the confirmation of Gods children and the proceeding and growing vp of the faithfull in faith and godlines therefore there is great oddes betweene the heresie of Pelagius and our doctrine There is no lesse difference in the reasons then there is in the propositions the reason why they denie the prayers of the Church for the conuersion of infidels and the encreasing of the faithfull is for that man hath as they say this grace of conuerting and abilitie of beleeuing repenting c. of himâ—elfe which wee vtterly both denie and defie But our question is of praying for the saluation of reprobates and of all men without exception and our reason is grounded vpon the will of God and the vnchangablenes of his will And thus you see beloued that wee are as farre from the heresie of Pelagius as they which would charge vs with heresie are from vnderstanding what Pelagian heresie meaneth Much more might bee said of this matter but the large and full handling therof I leaue for those that are more able to performe it then my selfe as God shall giue them occasion to deale therein In the meane time this may serue as a plaine confession of that which my selfe beleeue of that point according to the worde of God both for the cleering of my selfe from all suspition of heresie as also for the better satisfiyng and further confirming of you my beloued in the Lorde Iesus which are of my congregatioÌ„ which feare God and are desirous of the trueth and for your benefite indeed I was principally drawen to the penning and publishing hereof The Lord giue that blessing vnto it which I could wish and the God of all mercie and grace confirme and establish your hartes and soules in the sauing knowledge of his blessed truth and grant that your loue may abound yet more and more in all knowledge and iudgement that you may discerne those things which differ and allow the best things and that you may be sincere and without offence vnto the coÌ„ming of the Lord Iesus Christ filled with the fruites of righteousnes which are by Iesus Christ vnto the praise and glory of God Reade with your best affections and assist me with your prayers Your seruant for Christ Iesus William Burton Of Prayer in general Question WHat is Prayer Answer Prayer is a familiar and friendly talke of miserable and mortall man with the glorious and immortall God wherein the heart being lifted vp with sure faith and stedfast confidence in his promises we doe either craue for such things as we want or els giue thankes for benefits alreadie receiued Q. Now let me heare how you can prooue this definition of prayer by the Scriptures and first that it is a familiar talke of man with God A. That it is a familiar talke of man with God it appeareâ—h by Abrahams maner of entreating and praying for Sodom in Gen. 18. 27. Q. How proue you that it is a friendly talke betwéene God and man A. It appeareth in that the Lord Iesus vouchsafeth to accompt of the faithfull as of his friends and so to call them in Ioh. 15. 14. Q. You say that prayer is a familiar and friendly talke of man with God what may we learne by that A. We may learne two things 1. That the loue of God is vnspeakable which will vouchsafe to talke with most miserable sinful men and not seldome but when where
little the diuell feared the name of Iesus appeareth more largely and fully in Act. 19. 13. 14. 15. 16. by those vagabonds which tooke vpon them to vse his name without any lawfull calling Q. What say you to the signe of the crosse or a crucifixe is not the diuell afraide of that A. No for hee did helpe to set vp the crosse and to naile Christ vpon the crosse Q. What say you to the holy water and holy bels c. A. They bee but childish toies and strawes to fight withall instead of speares for when the diuel depriued the Papists of true prayer and the powerfull preaching of the worde he gaue them those bables to play withall and made them beleeue that he was afraid of them Q. Whom doth the diuell tempt A. All men in generall both the elect and reprobate Q. But is hée not more busie with some then with other some A. Yes his chiefest desire is to sifte the godly as his desire was to sifte Peter and his greatest malice is against the best men in the world Luk. 22. 31. Q. Why doth he not desire aswell to sifte the wicked A. Hee needeth not for hee hath them already at commandment Q. How can Sathan teÌ„pt al the world to sinne seeing they be so many A. There be armies and multitudes of diuels and wicked spirits in all places and these doe all conspire together the destruction of mens soules Q. But how doe they know all men and all mens affaires A. They are neuer at rest but night and day doe labour and one certifieth another most nimbly and liuely Q. But how can they knowe euery mans nature A. By obseruing their maners and their customes their complexions and their companie c. Q. Doth the diuel know the thoughts of the heart A. No that is proper to GOD onely who is called the searcher of the heart but the diuell doth coniecture of mens thoughts by outward signes Q. Shew how that may be A. By his owne long experience of the worlde he knoweth many thinges for he is the oldest and the greatest politique in the world 2. By the words of a mans mouth he can giue a gesse what is in mans heart because he knoweth that it is written Out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Mat. 12. 3. He obserueth what euery man doth most busie himselfe about and by the outwarde fruite hee iudgeth of the inwarde roote which is in the heart and when hee knoweth the heart he infecteth it that it may bring forth euâ—llactions Q. Doth Sathan tempt al men alike A. No not so but hee marketh how euery man is enclined what hee loueth what he hateth what he feareth and what wantes and when hee hath found him then he fits him Q. How doth he fit them A. He prouideth for euery one according to his humour The tyrant shal not waÌ„t flatterers the wanton shal not want a mate the Vsurer shall not want a broker the theefe shall not want a receiuer he is a factor betweene the merchant and mercer hee is a makebate betweene the man and his wife he is a talebearer betweene neighbour and neighbour Q. Hath hee but one sute or shifte for one man A. Yes the diuels riches is in baites whereof he hath great varietie and store Q. As how for example A. For euery one that will sweare hee hath a packe full of othes for euery one that will deceiue hee hath a packe full of lies for euery one that will dissemble he hath a packe full of excuses Q. Hath hee but one may to compasse one and the same man A. Yes he hath many waies sleights to deceiue one man withall Q. Shew how hee dealeth with one and the same man A. If hee cannot compasse him with Idolatrie nor adulterie nor theft nor any grosse sinne then he will see if he can poison him with vaine glory if not with carelesnes then with distrust if not with despaire then with presumption if he cannot keepe men in poperie then hee will draw them to be Atheists or libertines or Neuters or Protestantes at large as the time serueth if he see any desire reformation he will labour to drawe them from the Church by schisme and separation and he is alwayes in his extremities either going too farre or comming too short Q. Will the diuell be willing that any should embrace religion A. Yea that he is for he hopeth thereby to giue them the greater fall except God by his grace do mightily keep men especially inconstant men hee will perswade to become religious but he hopeth afterwarde by one meanes or other to make them Apostataes and blacksliders from the truth Q. Dooth the diuell neuer cease from tempting one man A. Yes sometime he will leaue a man as it is said hee left the Lord Iesus that is for a season Q. What is his malice then at an â—nde A. No but he doth it onely in policie to bring the heart asleepe and to make men secure that hee may come vpon them afterward with greater force when they mistrust nothing as the children of Dan came vpon the people of Laish and destroyed them when they were quiet and mistrusted nothing Iudg. 18. 27. Q. How doth he set vpon a man when he comes againe A. Where he seeth a man most careles or most weake there he makes the assault like souldiers that inuade a castell Q. How may a man knowe that Sathan hath béen with him A. If God shoulde make vs see our countrey naked our temples desolate our cities ruined and our houses spoyled we would say the Spaniards haue been here so when wee see our mindes corrupted our hearts hardened our willes peruerted our charitie cooled our rulers persecutors our lawyers brablers our patrons symonists our pastours loyterers and our people obstinate wee may say the diuell hath been here and so he hath indeed for these be his foot steps and surely in euery place where he comes like a foggy mist he leaueth an euill fauour behinde him Q. Why dooth Sathan séeke to bring men to a custome in sinne A. That he may the more easily drawe men to hardnes of heart and so to impenitencie Rom. 2. 4. 5. Q. Dooth the diuell preuaile against all that he tempteth A. No for although God suffereth Sathan to tempt and to vexe yea and oftentimes to torment his children yet he doth not suffer him to destroy them Q. But would Sathan destroy vs if he might be suffered A. Yea surely that hee would and not leaue one aliue Q. How proue you that A. By the scripture 1. Pet. 5. 8. for which cause hee is also called by these names following a lyar a deceiuer a tempter an accuser a deuourer a murtherer an aduersarie a viper a lyon a dragon a wolfe a serpent c. by which names appeareth his vnspeakable malice against man Q. The diuell neuer called himselfe by any of these names did he A. No for hee
neuer intended by his Maiestie that his Sonne should dye for them for if he had then should they also haue beleeued as well as others And therefore what sufficiencie of Christs death can be there imagined for vnbeleeuers where there was neuer any intendement of his death for them If any man wil say that Christ hath saued more by his death then his father had from euerlasting elected and chosen he doth plainly deceiue himselfe for Christs will and his fathers are all one He prayed Thy will not mine be done Christ dyed for none but those such like as he prayed for being our Mediatour And he prayed for none but for such as his father had giuen him that is for such as hee had elected to be saued by faith in him as appeareth in Iohn 17. 9. I pray not for the world but for such as thou hast giuen mee for they are thine Now if the Lord Iesus had dyed for all the world as hee did for the elect onely shall wee thinke that hee would not also haue prayed for them as well as for the elect But to draw to an end if it be lawfull to pray for the saluation of the reprobate thâ— is it lawful to pray for Iudas Saul Esau of whoÌ„ the scriptures do testifie that they be reiected of the Lord. Iudas is called the lost child of perdition and a diuell Ioh. 6. Esau is sayd to finde no place to repentance though he sought the blessing with teares Heb. 12. And of Saul the Lord himself in expres words saith that he hath reiected him 2 Sam. 7. Shall we now pray that he wold change his decree receiue them againe to fauour Suppose that they were aliue againe as they bee dead but indeed prayer for the dead prayer for the reprobate are much alike the one hath as good warrant as the other and the one shall bee heard as soone as the other That it is not lawfull to pray for such as God hath cast out of his fauour appeareth plainely by diuers places of the scripture In Iere. 7. 15. 16. the Lord faith thus concerning the obstinate Iewes which contemned the word of the Lord I will cast you out of my sight as I haue cast out all your brethren c. Therefore thou shalt not pray for them neither entreate me for I will not heare thee Vpon which place we may reason thus Whosoeuer God hath cast out of his sight that is out of his fauour and will not bee entreated for them for such we must not pray but such are all the reprobate therefore we must not pray for them I meane for their saluation The very like words we haue againe in Ier. 11. 14. speaking of obstinate Idolaters in the land of Iudah and Ierusalem he saith thus to the Prophet Therefore thou shalt not pray for this people neither lift vp a crie or prayer for them for when they crie vnto me in their trouble I will not â—eare them To teach vs that wee must pray for none but for such as shall be heard themselues when they pray but such are not the reprobate for the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord therefore we must not pray for them Many reasons and arguments moe might bee brought for this purpose but these may suffice Now as the scripture hath forbidden prayers to be made for those that are cast out of Gods gracious presence so doth it also approue the prayers of the faithfull which haue been made against them and against such as haue been apparant and professed enemies of Gods trueth and Gods Church and thereof we haue many examples as the Isâ—aelites praying against the Egyptians both when they were oppressed in Egypt and when they were distâ—essed at the red sea We haue also Moses holding vp his hands in prayer against Amalâ—â—k till they were weary Hezechiah against Rabsakah and Senacherib Dauid prayeth against the vnnaturall conspiracie of Absalom his sonne and the vngodly counsell of Achitophel his subiect And in the Psalmeâ— how many prayers doth he make against the enemies of God that the Lord would confound them in their deuises and destroy them in their conspiracies that their memoriall might perish out of the earth and many such which are to teach vs that as we are not to pray for the reprobate whether they bee knowne to man or not knowne so also we are bound sometime to pray against them but especially against such as oppose themselnes maliciously against God against his truth and against his Church and children for such were the persons against whom Dauid praieth so earnestly and denounceth such fearefull curses and iudgements For shall we pray God to blesse and saue those that go about to destroy his Church his truth his annoynted and his children God forbid but that either the Lord would conuert them or so many of them as doe belong vnto his Maiestie or els confound them in their mischieuous deuises practises when and how it pleaseth him that they may not make spoyle of the Lords inheritance And yet thus farre the scriptures doe teach vs to pray for the verie knowne enemies of Gods Church that the Lord would vouchsafe in his mercie to blesse them with temporall blessings as health and plentie and peace for the Churches sake that is amongst them which is manifest in Iere. 29. 7. The Iewes being Captiues in Babylon are commanded to pray for the prosperitie of Babylon his reason is this for in the peace thereof you shall haue peace which is nothing els but to pray that the Whale may do well come safely to the shore for Ionas his sake which is in his belly and liueth in hope to be cast vp on land And what els is this kind of praying but in policie to reprieue a woman condemned by law and to vse her well to saue the childe that is in her wombe which may proue a profitable meÌ„ber in the common wealth But otherwise if Gods enemies come to inuade or deale extreamely with Gods seruants or goe about any wicked enterprise against the Prince or Countrey or Gospell or any Christian professor of the same we ought to pray against them and doe what wee can lawfully to suppresse them roote them out which is nothing els but to kill a Lyon that a man may bee saued which is in the Lyons clawes readie and likely to bee deuoured or to plucke downe one house that is on a fire for the sauing of many that els are likely to bee consumed or to pull vp the weedes that the corne be not choked And further as it is in these and such like poynts touching manners of men so ought it also to be in matters of faith and doctrine which if it be not sound but corrupt and false tendeth to the destruction of the faith the soules of men as the sword commeth to destroy the bodies of men And therefore is
their comfort 3. Sometime to open their shame and naughtie corrupte nature as namely their impatience their vnthankefulnesse their dulnesse their distrustfulnesse c. which were in them and they not knowing so much Q. Why wil the Lord thus lay open their shame A. For three causes 1. To let them see that they are not the men that they tooke themselues to be 2. That they may liue afterward in greater warines knowing their own weaknes 3. That they may the more earnestly desire his helpe knowing their owne wantes Q. It should séeme that these kinds of temptations which procéed from God may be better called proofes and trials then temptations may they not A. Yea it is very true so they ought to be esteemed and accounted Q. But seeing as GOD vseth these trials to the profite of his chosen and his-owne glorie why shoulde wée pray against them A. Wee ought for all that to pray that wee may not fall into them because wee must abhorre to commit anything wherby our God is iustly offended Q. If God be offeÌ„ded with our déedes why doth he bring vs into them A. With our deedes hee is offended but with that which hee bringeth to passe by them namely our humilitie warines c. he is delighted Q. What difference is there between Gods tempting of his children and his tempting of the reprobate A. This teÌ„ptatioÌ„ into which God bringeth his elect endureth but for a time but the reprobate he bringeth into a perpetual teÌ„ptatioÌ„ vtterly giuing theÌ„ vp to Sathan hardening them in wickednes for euer Q. Is it not vniust that God should leade some into temptation and harden them in wickednes yet punish them for their sinnes A. No for euen in this life wee may see good and iust causes that God should harden the reprobate and leade them into this wofull and eternall temptation Q. What cause can you alledge for y â— A. They are worthy to be hardened and therefore what vnrighteousnesse is it in God to harden them that are worthy to be hardened Q. How can that be when the scripture is plaine that God himselfe hath hardened their hartes A. When the scripture saith that God hardeneth men the meaning is not that they were soft before and that then God did harden them when they were soft before but that God maketh them harder and that is lustly done for their former hardnes deserued to be made harder Q. Why doth not the Lorde soâ—ten all men A. If any man will say it is Gods fault that he softneth not all men let him shew that God first hardened all men and not themselues Q. That is true indéede bâ—t what of that A. If al men first hardened themselues what shall constraine God to soften them againe If he will he sheweth his mercy If he will not he sheweth his iustice But who shall compell him to shew his mercie where he may shew his iustice Q. I am satisfied for this poynt but what vse may we make hereof A. By the knowledge of this poynt the godly may learne to haue in reuerend admiration the exceeding great goodnes of God when they shall consider that he vouchsafeth to take them into the number of those whom of his mercy he would soften whereas of his iustice hee might haue hardened them for euer Q. Do none tempt man but God A. Yes man tempteth man and Sathan tempteth man Q. How doth one man tempt another A. Two waies sometime for good sometime for hurt Q. When are they for good A. When wee try him whom wee doe suspect as some that aske to borrow money c. before they neede Q. How doe men tempt men for the hurt one of another A. Two waies sometimes by words sometime by deedes or both together Q. How by words A. By propounding captious curious questions as the Scribes Pharisees did tempt Christ Mat. 22. 16. Luk. 20. 20. Q. What is that A. To entangle men in their wordes to bring them within compasse of lawe or to winne some aduantage against the trueth by the weakenes and slendernes of mens answeres Q. How by déedes A. When by their owne example or by vrging the examples of others they labour to draw men to euill Q. How are we to pray against these temptations A. Wee are to beseech the Lord 1. To keepe vs from trials aboue our power to satisfie 2. That it would please him to giue vs a mouth and vtterance to speake to his glorie that the enemie may haue no iust aduantage against the cause which we maintaine Of Sathans tempting Q. HOwe proue you that Sathan tempteth any man to euill A. I proue it two waies 1. By the testimonie of the worde of God as in 1. Peter 5. 8. 1. Iohn 3. 8. Iohn 8. 44. 2. By his owne confession in Iob. 1. 7. 8. for when the Lorde asked him from whence he came hee saide that he came from compassing the earâ—h Q. What doth he meane by compassing the earth A. Hee meaneth that hee came from tempting the inhabitants of the earth Q. Why did not Sathan tell the Lord a lye as Cain did but tell the trueth so plainely A. Because hee knewe that it was in vaine for him to lie vnto God for he knew that God knewe well enough where hee had beene Q. Seeing Sathan told the Lord the trueth why doth he teach men to lye A. By that wee may see that carnall men doe not know so much of God as the verie diuell doth Q. But why will the Diuell teach his schollers to doe worse then hee will doe himselfe A. That hee might bring them if it were possible into a worse plight then he is in himselfe Q. Where doth Sathan tempt men A. In all places Q. What in Temples and Churches and at holy exercises A. Yea there hee is most busie both at the exercises of prayer and preaching and when they be done Q. What is his drift at the time of holy exercises A. His purpose is to compasse mens eyes with shewes and their eares with soundes and their sences with sleepe and their thoughts with fancies and all to hinder them from hearing Q. What if hee cannot preuaile that way what doth he then A. Then when wee are gone hee will compasse vs with business and cares and pleasures and quarrels either to make vs forget that we heard or els to contemn it Q. Papists teach men that the diuell is afraid of holy water and holy bread and holy candles and hallowed bels the name of Iesus and the signe of the crosse and that these things will driue him away what thinke you of that A. The diuell inuented those weapons himselfe for the Papistes to fight withall because hee knew that they could neuer hurt him with them but themselues Q. No is not the diuell afraide of the name of Iesus A. If the diuell were afraid of the name of Iesus hee would not haue tempted the Lorde Iesus himselfe and how