it sufficiently if more be added to his instructions 2 Wee must in praier begge nothing but good and perfect gifts which I thinke none will deny And it is folly to begge those of any one or more who are not able to giue them therefore S. Iames doth direct vs to God because Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the father of lights in spinis non quaeris vnas 3 Praier is a principall part of Gods worship and therefore onely proper to God according to his law Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue 4 Inuocation and faith are ioyned together we may not pray but to him in whom we must beleeue so the Apostle How shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued Where the Apostles argument is plainely vrged that people did not beleeue in God therefore they did not pray Which consequence sheweth that where there is no beleeuing there is no praier for faith must goe before praier so Saint Iames let him aske in faith And I hope no good Christian will hold it lawfull to beleeue in any but God therefore Our father which art in heauen which begins our praier answereth to I beleeue in God the Father Almighty which beginnes our Creed Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire besides thee God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer 5 Praier is not lawfully directed to any but to him who knoweth what we stand in need of And this none but Almighty God knoweth therefore he onely is to be called vpon I take this argument from our Sauiour your heauenly father knoweth what things yee haue need of before yee aske him Therefore babble not in long praiers hee onely knoweth whether our praiers be for such things as wee haue need of for no other things may be desired of him in our praier but what we need this none of our fellow creatures can perfectly know yea our selues want many things and are not alwayes sensible of our wants and sometimes we doe falsely flatter our selues that wee haue those things which we want as the Church of Laodicea thought her selfe rich and happy being poore and miserable 6 It is fit that we direct our prayers to such a one who is able to releeue vs against all opposition this no creature can doe for Sathan and all the euill angels which continually pursue vs to annoy vs and to hinder our good will certainly preuaile against vs if wee haue no strength but our owne and the assistance of our fellow-creatures to aide vs. But our God is the rock and fortresse of his Church which is impregnable he opens his hand and all the kingdome of Sathan cannot shut it hee stretcheth out his hand and the powers of darknesse can neither shrinke vp nor shorten it for who hath resisted his right hand None can hinder the dispensation of his bounties none can stoppe the decourse of them to vs none but himselfe can take them from vs. 7 Prayers must be directed to him only who alone heareth the prayers of all them that pray all the world ouer It were a lamentable state of man if his danger be at hand and his remedy farre off if hee feele his misery and his mercy be to seeke no Dauid saith O thou that hearest prayers vnto thee shall all flesh come To what creature can we ascribe this vbiquity this omniscience this omnipotence that we should pray to him and all things but God are creatures therefore none but God to be prayed to I will vrge the argument of Moses the man of God concerning all other inuocations of any but this liuing God Aske now of the dayes that are past which were before thee since the day that God created man vpon the earth and aske from the one side of heauen to the other Search the liuing booke of Gods truth the canon of faith and manners from the first in principio to the last amen and see if there be either precept or example of any other inuocation then that which Christ here teacheth of God only Examples and instructions are frequent for this inuocation none against it therefore no other inuocation but this pleadable I deny not but the Church of Rome hath both doctrine and practise against this truth of the word of God and it is no newes for their kingdome is of this world and it were much out of their way that all the world should beleeue that the way to God is open in the only mediation of Christ Iesus for all that wee would haue either giuen or forgiuen vs therefore they maintaine prayer to Angels and to Saints Which they haue long laboured to defend but their pretended proofes haue beene euer so learnedly and fully reproued by the patrons of the truth that any indifferent minded man might see the light euen through the mists which they cast vpon it and poore shifts haue they made to put off the shame of their foyle I will giue you instance In the controuersie betweene Bishop Iewell and Harding The Bishop doth presse him with this their blasphemous prayer to the Virgin Mary Salva omnes quae te glorificant Hard. Our meaning is pray for vs to God that we may be saued Were not words taught vs to expresse our meaning doe these words import any such thing as their glosse putteth vpon them But because wee liue now in the times wherein the Papists make more bold then euer they durst these 60. yeares and more and because his Maiestie hath left their doctrines open to our confutation though for some reason of State their persons are priuiledged from the iustice of the lawes of the state Seeing praier is a chiefe part of our holy seruice of God and it belongeth to vs to teach the doctrine of praier it is fit that we be setled in iudgement in this first point to whom we must pray Wherein because there is a difference betweene the Papists and vs let vs set that to rights first In a late pocket Pamphlet which smels yet of the Presse dispersed to corrupt the religion of such as are either vngrounded or giddie it is vndertaken to bee proued out of the Kings Bible in English 1 That Angels may be praied to 2 That Saints may be inuocated 1 For inuocation of Angels 1 It is alleadged that Iacob blessing the sonnes of Ioseph vsed these words The Angell which redeemed mee from all euill blesse the lads What is this but a calling vpon the Angell and as much is it a praier as the former wherein hee inuocateth the name of God who fed him all his life long The state of this question lyeth in the search and finding out what Angell Iacob meaneth in that benediction His words are plaine the Angell that redeemed him from all euill and will it not fall out to be the
before thy face who shall prepare thy way before thee And a little after and if ye will receiue it this is Elias which was for to come The later Iewes haue beene so transported with the letter of that prophecie that they vsed to set a voyd chaire at euery Circumcision expecting that Eliah should come to them but themselues therein sate beside the cushion Iohn is called Eliah as for the like feruor of zeale and holinesse of life and diligence in preaching and boldnesse in increpation and chiding the one hauing to deale with vngodly Ahab the other with incestuous Herod but especially as I conceiue propter similitudinem temporum for As in Eliahs time the Church was so streightned that few remained in the true and sincere worship of God so in the daies of the mission of Iohn the Baptist true religion was defiled and vitiated with much corruption and he was sent to be an instrument of the reformation thereof It doth stand in good steed to know thus much of Iohn the Baptist because hee was a man sent of God to this purpose to preuent a iudgement lest God should smite the earth with a curse 2 This holy messenger of the Lord did diligently instruct the people in the doctrine of repentance and holinesse of life both by the word of wholesome doctrine and by the example of vnblameable conuersation and so drew multitudes to his audience to his Baptisme to his sequence And herein he was also the forerunner of Christ for he had also speciall Disciples whom he instructed I doe not finde any of the Disciples of Iohn named but onely Andrew Simon Peters brother and hee was one of the two that heard Iohn saying Ecce agnus Dei and thereupon those two Disciples did follow Christ Andrew is named the other not so I cannot conceiue nor will too busily search either who he was or why his name is supprest but I finde Saint Andrew named one of Iohns Disciples and worthy of high estimation in the christian Church 1 Because he adhered to the forerunner of Christ and was his disciple 2 Because he no sooner saw Christ whom Iohn had preached but he followed him and applied himselfe to his sequence and was of Christ the first Disciple that gaue him sequence 3 Because he had not sooner informed himselfe concerning Christ the Messiah but he presently communicated that light that was in him to his brother Simon Peter and brought him to Christ so that Peter the first of the Apostles in order by the nomination of the Text was in time after Andrew a Disciple of Christ and by him brought to Christ But Peter in the election of the twelue had the first place though in priority of notice of Christ and desire of adherencie Andrew was before them all Andrew first chose Christ to bee his Master Christ first chose Peter to be his Disciple We cannot charge the Disciples of Iohn with newfanglednesse for multiplying teachers to themselues when they forsooke the sequence of Iohn to follow Christ for Iohn did but prepare them for Christ and acknowledged himselfe but the Vsher of that Schoole whereof Christ was the chiefe Master But during their following of Iohn he taught them diligently and preached Christ to them and amongst other good instructions which they receiued from him 3 It followeth in the last place that hee taught them to pray S. Augustine doth well obserue that we haue many words in Scripture of things quae in re gestâ non inveniuntur The fall of the Angels who kept not their first estate is mentioned by Iude by way of example but there is no historicall narration thereof in the storie of Moses The great contention betweene Michael the Archangell and the deuill about the body of Moses by Iude cited for an example but no mention of it in any historicall part of holy Scripture The prophecie also of Henoch the seuenth from Adam by S. Iude cited but in no history recited vpon record S. Paul also mentioneth Iannes and Iambres who resisted Moses But also of that particular resistance no story speaketh S. Paul also mentioneth some appearance of Christ after his resurrection vnreuealed in the holy Gospels as of that to Iames and to more then fiue hundred brethren at once This is a like example for here is mention that Iohn taught his Disciples to pray but neither haue wee any record when he taught them or what forme of prayer he taught them but whatsoeuer it was Christ is now desired to teach them and his prayer is left for the perpetuall vse of the Church But I will not conâ—â—aâ—e from you what vse a cunning Spanish Fryar would â—â—â—ne insinuate of those concealements of Scripture for he saith these things though not mentioned in the historicall part of Scripture yet are of certaine truth And so he saith that modus conficiendi sacramenta and multae pontificiae ordinationes the Lent Faest and such like Quibus Ecclesia Romana vtitur must bee beleeued to be Apostolicall though there be no mention thereof in the historie of those times A poore deuice to legitimate their vaine traditions and humane inuentions by comparing them with those omissions of storie which yet are verified to vs in the way of Apostolical doctrine recorded in holy Scripture For let them produce any thing to vs by warrant of Scripture though not historified wee will imbrace it but their vnwritten traditions carry no such weight with vs nor haue any such pretence to warrant them Iohn though he had the holy Ghost yet it was giuen him by measure but in Christ the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt bodily Iohn was in his time Lucerna ardens when the Sunne of righteousnesse arose vpon the Church Christ Iesus Iohn gaue warning He must increase but I must decrease therefore the prayer that Iohn taught his Disciples gaue place to Christs prayer as Iohn himselfe did giue place to Christ But the fidelitie of Iohn is notable for hee omitted no necessarie doctrine to informe the vnderstanding and to direct the holy practise of his Disciples therefore comming now to a fuller vessell euen a liuing fountaine of grace and wisedome they desire no longer to drinke at the Cisterne but to replenish themselues at the Well head But the argument is effectuall because Iohn omitted not that care of teaching his Disciples to pray that therfore they might boldly claime that instruction also from him their Master whose shooe latchet Iohn was not worthy to loose We haue our lesson from this example of Iohn to omit nothing that concerneth the full instruction of them to whom we preach that when wee come to a suruay of the seruice that we haue done to God in our holy ministerie we may be able with a good conscience to auouch with the Apostle I haue kept backe nothing that is profitable vnto you but haue shewed you and haue taught you publikely and againe I haue not shunned to
and are with God toward that part of the Church which is militant here on earth and we giue God thankes for them and their glory But wee haue no warrant to resort to them for their intercession but haue an open way to the perfect and full al-sufficient Mediatour Iesus Christ who sitteth at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. Yet let vs see how faithfully this apostata doth quote the Fathers to the maintenance of this idolatrous inuocation I will examine some few of his quotations out of the Fathers that you may tast him in a little for hee that hath dealt doubly with God and vnfaithfully with the faith it selfe what hope can wee haue of him that he same he being now in the cleare light where he may behold the truth would therefore pray to God for such as sit yet here below amiddest many clouds of darkenesse But that he meant not to make Cyprian a Mediatour betweene God and the Church who can better tell then Saint Augustine himselfe who of purpose handling this point doth 1 Shew the necessity of a Mediatour betweene God and vs. 2 He sheweth what kinde of Mediatour hee must be that will serue our turnes God and man and from thence 3 He excludeth Angels Boni igitur Angeli inter miseros mortales beatos immortales medij esse non possunt This declareth his found iudgement against mediations of any but Christ So that adiuuet nos orationibus suis is no prayer to him but a figuratiue kinde of Colloquie with him as when Dauid saith Laudent eum coeli The next authority is S. Aug. De verbis Apostoli Serm. 47. I know not where he found that sermon for we haue in print but 35. in all It were a long worke for me and not so pleasant for you nor profitable that I should pursue this fugitiue Apostata in all his colourable pretences for inuocation of Saints I desire to establish your hearts in the doctrine of truth grounded vpon the name of Father It teacheth vs to seeke the face of God onely in his mediation for whose sake God is become our Father To worke this stedfast faith in you know that there be three things which properly belong to a Mediatour which can be found in none but Christ onely 1 He must be of Gods appointing and declaring to vs none but hee can tell whom he will admit or heare for vs. And we finde Christ onely reuealed If any sinne we haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous I am the way no man commeth to the Father but by me 2 He must be iustus institia suâ we say of Angels that they are iust iustitia data a quo nostram ab eo habent iustitiam we say of Saints that they be rather Iustificati then iusti But Christ is called sapientia patris iustitia nostra 3 He must be able to merit for others that no Angell nor Saint can doe Christ confirmed Angels Christ restored man For the angels wee deny not but they may know what our wants are because they are ministring spirits that by the appointment of God doe attend vpon vs yet no Scripture hath reuealed any example of inuocation directed to them But for the Saints they know not our particular necessities they see not the euils which wee suffer onely they know as hauing beene members of the militant Church that we are left behinde them here in a valley of teares and therefore in generall they pray for vs as hath beene said Against their particular knowledge of our wants two plaine texts conuince our aduersaries of errour therein 1 When the Church confesseth that Abraham is ignorant of vs and Israel knoweth vs not 2 Huldah the Prophetesse telleth Iosiah he must bee gathered to his fathers and put into his graue in peace that his eyes may not see all the euill that God would bring vpon that place From whence wee may conclude that they who see not our miseries heare not our prayers and therefore are not to be required to mediate for vs. I conclude this point in the words of S. Aug. All christian men commended each other in their prayers to God and he who praies for all and for whom none praies he is that one and true Mediatour you may easily know whom he meanes We call him Father to teach vs that prayer is a spirituall exercise a worke of the holy Ghost in vs therefore Rea. 4 it is called the spirit of grace and supplications which teacheth vs to pray and enableth vs in praier It is the spirit of God onely which witnesseth to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God by which we call Abba Father Therefore all those that pray to God by that name without that sweet and secret testimony of the holy Ghost assuring them that they are the children of God doe not pray but prate and babble and God heareth them not This confuteth the Popish doctrine of doubting whether we be in the state of grace for shall I call God Father and yet stand in doubt whether he be my Father if I beleeue as I say that hee is my Father vpon what shall I build my faith is it not the suggestion of Gods spirit that is the author of my regeneration and that leadeth me into the way of all truth that telleth me so This is the right comming to God in prayer to aske as S. Iames teacheth nothing doubting to come in assurance of faith We call him Father to comfort all our distresses and Rea. 5 to warrant the successe of our prayers for Christ hath taught vs that this Father exceedeth all naturall Parents both in the knowledge of the necessities of his children and in tendernesse of compassion of them and in readinesse to heare them and grant their requests and in giuing good things to them what can I sinne against my father that he will not forgiue what can I aske that he will not giue Rea. 6 Another great reason is to assure vs of the excellencie of the state of grace for so Saint Iohn doth vrge it Behold what manner of loue the Father hath bestowed vpon vs that we should be called the sonnes of God This would be thought an high honour if wee did wisely consider the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God hereafter the gratious liberty of them here We call the sonnes of rich men happy because they are like to be left full and the sonnes of great men because they shall sit amongst the Princes of the earth but if these be not the Sonnes of God they may one day see poore Lazarus in ioyes when themselues are tormented in flames The truth is though the flesh the world and the deuill oppugne it that there is no man in the way of happinesse but such onely as are the Sonnes of God such onely as haue God to their Father by a speciall interest in him by Iesus Christ If
did first by his apostolique authority bring the Gospell into this kingdome And inferreth that he being his successor and equall in name and dignity though inferiour to him in sanctity and vertue should follow his footsteps in restoring the gospell to this land againe But the assertion of Gregories first plantation of the Gospell in England is most false for Parsons in his Booke of the three conuersions of England to the Gospell doth make that of Gregory the third and not the first conuersion But were it true the argument followeth not that hee who now carrieth his name but is inferiour to him in holinesse and vertue should haue the same power or hope to worke the same effect that hee did for the instruments of God in the conuersion of soules doe not worke by name and dignity but by sanctitie and vertue And euen herein this Gregory that then vsurped the Church Monarchie is inferiour to Gregory the great in holinesse and vertue because Gregory the great did not onely abstaine from the name of vniuersall Bishop and the common Father of the Church but he wrote most inuectiuely against it For he wrote an angry reprehension to Eulogius Patriarch of Alexandria for stiling himselfe vniuersall Biship And when Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople vsurped that vndue title he wrote to him to rebuke it hee called it nefandum stultum superbum vocabulum he saith that the Councell of Chalcedon offered his predecessours at Rome that title sed tameÌ„ nullus sibi hoc temerariuÌ„ nomen arripuit But now Bellarmine hath charged the late Kings Maiestie with denyall of the faith because he supposeth that in the oath of alleageance he denyeth the Pope the title of supreame Father of the Church I had not diuerted thus farre to the Popes vsurpation of this honour of Our Father but that the times grow sicke of a surfer of light and truth and beginne to incline and propend to apostacie that the God of mercies grows impatient thereof and by admirable iudgeiudgement declareth his indignation against it Therefore restoring this title of Our Father to God to whom onely it belongs and taking it away from the Pope who blasphemously vsurpeth it we say Our is vox charitatis and calleth all the faithfull sonnes of God brethren all the world ouer Christ Iesus our elder brother being the author maintainer of this brotherhood It is the said Kings Maiesties learned obseruation vpon this word that it sheweth the communion which is among the Saints and that euery one is a member of a body of a Church that is compacted of many members contrary to those vpstart Amsterdam sects where two or three make a Church Who as S. Cyprian saith doe sibi extra Ecclesiam contra Ecclesiam constituere sibi conuenticula perditae factionis And yet nothing is more vsuall with them then to giue the name of the Brethren to their irregular societies and schismaticall complices But this common interest of the faithfull in God vniteth them in one holy society and they that diuide this into factions are schismatiques they that breake forth into new opinions against the truth of God are heretiques onely they are brethren truely who encrease the truth of God in vnity and these doe pray to God omnes pro omnibus singulis singuli pro omnibus singulis 4 There is no pride in them they are not ashamed to call one another brethren King Dauid cals his subiects Brethren and Companions for my Brethren and Companions sake c. One is your Master euen Christ and all ye are Brethren one is your Father which is in heauen This Father is no accepter of persons he is as much father to the poore as to the rich and though here on earth the difference of ranke and degree doth much aduance some and deiect others in this court of supreme audience Princes haue no more right to the fatherhood of God then their meanest vassals their wants are no sooner seene their miseries no sooner pitied and releiued their petitions no sooner receiued and answered then of those that lye in the dust and they that wander vp and downe in Sheepe skins and Goat skins derided despised persecuted are as gratiously inuited and with as much welcome receiued with our Father as those that haue their pathes annointed with butter and whose portion is the fattest It is a certaine rule that the proud man who despiseth his brethren cannot pray hee that will not owne his brethren our Father will not owne him The common duty of Christians is as the Apostle admonisheth in giuing honours goe one before another This very compellation calling God Our Father doth honour all the faithfull seruants of God with the honour that is due to them according to the precept of the Apostle Honour all men And we not knowing who belong to the kingdome of God and not daring to iudge are therefore to esteeme all men our brethren and to honour them with the name of brethren I beseech you let prayers and supplications be made for all men for seeing Christ hath prayed not onely for his twelue but for all those that shall beleeue through their word we doe charitably conceiue that all men are either in present profession or in Gods gratious expectation our brethren Let vs not boast our selues either against them who are not yet come into the Church or against them that are gone out for such pride God resisteth and let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Let nothing be done in strife vain glory but in lowlinesse of minde let each esteeme others better then himself Looke not euery man on his owne things but euery man also on the things of others This is called the same mind that was in Iesus Christ and they that pray to God in Christs words and not with his minde loose labour They be flatterers that ouerdoe in giuing honour belying men to their faces with false and vndue ascriptions They be slanderers that put vniust aspertions vpon their brethren they be proud or worse that ouerlooke them as vnworthy of their regard humility findeth an equality in the hoâ—shold of God and they say with the sonnes of Iacob we are brethren the sonnes of one God our Father which is in heauen we are all one mans sonnes in the land of Canaan There is no malice in them that say aright Our Father they pray one for another and wish the welfare of one another They remember that they were all at first in the loynes of the first Adam and that now they are in the loue and fauour of the second Adam and this reuiueth that principle of nature facâ—â—lijs fieri quod cupis ipse tibi It is not lawfull for vs to begge any thing of God for others that we would not wish to our selues Why should we striue saith Abraham to Lot seeing we are brethren and therefore he that biddeth vs to
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
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
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for some haue rendred it of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 super and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 substantia panem superstantialem and that hath put many into the fancy which before I declared and disclaimed that this petition is meant of spirituall and not of our corporall bread Many haue read it panem supersubstantialem and euen in this land Master Cambden doth giue vs the coppy of the Lords prayer out of the Saxon translation of the Euangelists 900 yeare old in which this petition is thus put vp Vren hlaf ouer wirtlic which is our loafe supersubstantiall Hee produceth another translation in the Saxon tongue some 200 yeares yonger that is 700 yeare agoe wherein this bread is called vrn daegthantican hlaf that is daily bread In the raigne of Henry the second 160 yeares after that Adrian an Englishman then Pope of Rome sent the Lords prayer in English translated into metre wherein this petition is thus rendred That holy bread that lasteth ay Thou send it vs this ilk day In the time of Henry the third it is thus rendred Gif vs all bread on this day In the time of Richard the second Wicliffe translated it thus Gif vs this day our bread ouer other substance And this conceiued opinion of a spirituall food here desired commeth from the word here vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Scaliger in his notes vpon the new Testament doth refuse this deriuation and bringeth it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sequor following bread that is from day to day giue vs bread which he vnderstands bread sufficient according to that of Agur the sonne of Iakeh which he prayeth for panem dimensi or sufficientiae So that vnder this word two things are begged of God in this petition 1 That God would giue vs the necessaries of our mortall life in a sufficiency 2 That he would giue his blessing with them that they may serue vs to that purpose for which hee giueth them to support nature For it is a great distresse to want necessaries but a greater to haue them without their proper vse to eate and not to be satisfied to weare garments not to bee kept warme with them Thus then we desire God daily to nourish and support vs with our food so long as we liue that the temples of our bodies in which he is praised may be keept in good repaire that we perish not either for want of his good creatures or of his blessing giuen to vs with them So Iun. saith that in the Syriake reading of Matthew desunbanan the word here vsed doth signifie panem necessitatis nostrae And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may well signifie bread added to our substance and therefore not to bee omitted in our praier nor changed for a word of another signification quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surely the very life blood of this petition is conteined in this word therein is the blessing desired therefore Theophilact reading it panem nostrum supersubstantialem da nobis doth interpret it Panem dicit qui substantiae et constitutioni nostrae sufficit But he addeth the spirituall bread withall Corpus autē Christi panis est supersubstantialis cuius esse participes contra condemnationem precamur Thus then I vnderstand this petition giue vs the ordinary food of our life both in a sufficient proportion to serue our turne and with thy blessing vpon it that it may serue vs to that vse for which wee desire it and thou ordainest it 5 This day Christ teacheth vs to desire this bread only for the present time for the body doth need refection euery day and euery day it must bee sought for of the gift of God it is not his meaning that wee should giue ouer praying vnto God after this day for he saith When you pray say Our father giue vs bread for this day and he supposeth that wee will pray euery day because all these things which are here desired of God are of absolute necessity for euery day of our life And therefore this particular notation of time may be annexed to euery one of the petitions Hallowed be thy name this day Let thy kingdome come this day Let thy will be done this day on earth c. And so in the following petitions We pray against our sinnes this day and for deliuerance from euill thi◠day 6 Let vs now come to the duties which belong to those that pray thus 1 From the word Bread vnder which all the necessaries of life are comprehended we are taught that our prayers haue warrant to beg the preseruation of our life and we are directed to esteeme life the pretious gift of God and it is our duty to seeke by all good meanes to maintaine it The reason is because life is our season for hallowing of the name of God for aduancing the kingdome of God for doing and suffering the will of God They that desire to doe this must desire to bee preserued in life that they may doe it So that herein wee begge of God life He asked life of thee saith Dauid and Dauid himselfe doth presse this petition hard and often that God would preserue his life to this purpose that he may glorifie God Returne O Lord deliuer my soule O saue me for thy mercyes sake For in death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall giue thee thanks So Ezekiah The graue cannot praise thee death cannot celebrate thee they that goe downe into the pit cannot hope for thy truth The liuing the liuing the liuing he shall praise thee as I doe this day Therefore after those petitions that concerne the glory of God this is put to teach vs to desire life that we may spend it in the worship and seruice of God this then is Dauids prayer Let my soule liue and it shall praise thee giue mee bread that I may liue to serue thee This petition for the supportation of life doth reproue all vnreasonable afflicting of the body those that boast of their fastings and watchings and selfe-whippings as if God tooke delight in the torments and tortures of our flesh doe glory in vaine God requireth not these extremities he will haue mercy and not sacrifice they that destroy their life in zeale of Gods glory are called Martyrs of a foolish Philosophie felons de se they wilfully demolish the temple in which God should be praised and by vnseasonable and vnacceptable violence of mortification they turne this bread into a stone this fish into a serpent Long life is the promise of God in the Law the first promise of the second table to such as honour superiour authority They that destroy the temple of God them shall God destroy Remember this so often as you eat bread you aske it and God giueth it you of purpose to strengthen your heart that when he saith My sonne giue me thy heart
bowels and therefore he prayeth Cast me not off in the time of old age O forsake me not when my strength faileth To establish this faith and to make it fruitfull of obedience God himselfe giuing his law to his people saith I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Aegypt out of the house of bondage And we may say God hath sed and clothed me and preserued me hitherto therefore my trust is in him for he neuer forsaketh those that trust in his mercy This made Dauid confident against Goliah when Saul the king discouraged him saying Thou art not able to goe against this Philistin to fight with him for thou art but a youth and he a man of warre from his youth But Dauid called to minde how God had enabled him against a Boare and a Lion that attempted one of his Lambes which hee kept and hee slew them and he resolued This vncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them Faith buildeth vpon this rock and trusteth not to any selfe abilility And is strong only in the strength of Gods might keepe faith then and keepe thy selfe This is the mercy of the Church Gods gratious protection Ionah calleth it so They that obserue lying vanities forsake their owne mercy God is euer prior in amore he reserueth mercy for thousands of them that feare him So that the mercy of protection from euills is our owne if wee forsake it not this is the patrimony and birth-right of the Church for mercy imbraceth them on euery side for if God be ours as we call him here our Father His mercy is to them that feare him throughout all generations Dauid describing his safety vnder this protecting and supporting mercy of God The Lord is my shepheard c. concludeth from this proofe and experience of Gods good fauour Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the daies of my life They haue not this faith and so forfeit their interest in this mercy who hauing growne vp like yong Plants watered with Gods early and later raine to whom God hath beene a sunne to enlighten and warme them a shield to defend them the more they receiue from God the more they feare and cruciate themselues with the sollicitous and anxious iealousie of losse and want The faith here meant to be holden in the whole course of life is a constant and equall dependance vpon God casting all our care vpon him because he hath declared that he careth for vs. 2 Another thing to ensure Gods protection from euils is the holding fast of a good conscience this makes our life a continuall feast that is when we haue the secret testimonie of our heart that In simplicitie and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we haue had our conuersation in the world This godly sincerity I conceiue to be best exprest 1 In our generall vocation to the Church of God for therein wee must labour to be sound in our knowledge of the truth and will of God without those crotchets fancies which commonly possesse the phanaticall brains of such as study new wayes as heretiques and schismatiques doe Without that dead and dull ignorance which implicite faith-founders doe cast and mould into deuotion And without hypocrisie the leauen of Scribes and Pharisees which turnes all religion into a formall outside of pretence and hath no heart this is rottennesse at the core 2 Sincerity in our priuate callings which keepes from idlenesse the moath and rust that corrupteth the whole conuersation and exposeth vs to Sathans temptations Herein we must walke as in our wayes and we may promise our selues a guard of Angels to protect vs and we need not to waste and consume our selues with cares of the world but cast the successe of all vpon God 3 In sincerity of godly conuersation not giuing not taking euill counsaile not defiling not defiled with euill example eschuing ill words and corrupt communications vaine delights and wicked and vngodly company hauing no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse but rather reprouing them They that goe in this way may not promise themselues any priuiledge from the calamities of life for if the deuill or the Pope can doe such a shrewd turne he will but they may boldly and faithfully put themselues vnder the wings of Gods sauing protection and pray to him Libera nos a malo 3 This as the rest imposeth on vs all the dutie of charity for we pray not euery one for himselfe but each for all libera nos that law proximum vt teipsum doth make vs as much obliged to procure the good of our neigbbour as our owne good which reproueth 1 Those whose care begins and ends with themselues the lash of calamity doth not smart vpon them if it fall not vpon their own particular these make themselues entire bodies they are not members of the whole body of Christ the Church and they had need of a particular Mediatour for cutting themselues from the body they are no members of Christ neither can they haue any interest in the common saluation 2 These are much more to be reproued who worke their owne good out of the common euill and heale themselues with the wounds and soares of the Common-wealth for if the procuration of common good be an incumbent care on euery member both of Church and Common-wealth when we pray libera nos a malo we pray to be deliuered from all those proiectours and deuisers of new rods to scourge their brethren 3 This reproueth them that curse and banne their brethren with all bitternesse of imprecation that by secret or open meanes doe practise the vexation and molestation the impouerishing or defamation of their brethren Christ teacheth vs to pray one for another that we may be all deliuered from ill Dauid biddeth Pray for the peace of Ierusalem he promiseth They shall prosper that loue thee he directeth them in a forme of blessing Peace be within thy wals He putteth them on by his owne example For my brethren and companions sake I will wish thee now prosperity For the house of Gods sake I will seeke to doe thee good It was Cains voyce Am I my brothers keeper we may answere thou art to the vtmost of thy power To thee belongeth the care and custody of thy brother to saue and keepe him from hurt if thou maiest if any euill come to him which thou mightest haue diuerted thou art answerable to him before God for it but if thou procure his hurt or but wish it in thy heart or if thou ioy in his griefe this petition is thy accusation 4 This last petition doth teach vs the Apostles doctrine pray continually in all things giue thankes For there be so many euils towards vs by reason of our continuall trespasses that we are euer in danger Iuge peccatum Iuge periculum so that there is not a moment of our life but it had neede be
things reuealed done by all that loue and conscionably serue him 11 His goodnesse in himselfe and toward all things that haue being of him 12 His grace by which he declareth himselfe in Iesus Christ the father of vs all 13 His mercy in which he couereth our sinnes and pardoneth all our iniquities 14 His righteousnesse by which hee iustifieth his elect and condemneth the vngodly In all these God is glorious in his Church and his Church confesseth it 2 He is glorious in his workes It is a worke for the Sabbath to thinke of them Dauid makes two good vses of them 1 To debase himselfe 2 To exalt God O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth 3 He is glorious in his word 1 In veritate it is called verbum veritatis 2 In aeternitate durat in saeculum Truth maketh vs free and eternity crowneth vs with indesinent perpetuity Our faith is hereby supported that seeing our God is the King of glory and all our prayers are directed to his glory that he will therefore heare vs from heauen and when he heareth he will haue mercy And in that faith we all say Amen to these our holy deuotions MATH 6.13 Amen THis is the last gaspe of this heauenly prayer 1 Consider we what Amen is 2 To what it is said 3 By whom it must be said 4 How we must say it 1 What Amen is It is one of those Hebrew words which is retained in the vse of the Church in all languages and Gabriel Gerson saith it is vsed in Scripture three wayes 1 Nominaliter 2 Aduerbialiter 3 Verbaliter 1 Nominaliter and that 1 Personaliter 2 Realiter Thus it signifieth the truth of the person and so it is the appellation of Christ These things saith Amen the faithfull and true witnesse onely proper to Christ Ego veritas omnis homo mendax Thus it signifieth the truth of things so called all the promises of God in him are yea and Amen that is perfect truth 2 Aduerbialiter So it signifieth verily a word of earnest asseueration sometimes vsed single sometimes double Amen Amen Our Sauiour vseth it much in the Gospell alwaies in serious matters 1 In doctrina Baptism Verily I say vnto you nisi quis renatus fuerit c. 2 In doctrina Euchar. Amen Amen dico vobis Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud you haue no life in you 3 In doctrina orationis Amen Amen dico vobis quaecunque petieritis patrem in nominâ— meo dabit vobis 4 In the doctrine of comfort in afflictions Verily verily I say vnto you ye shall weepe and lament and the world shall reioyce but your sorrow shall bee turned into ioy So it is vsed in many other important passages in holy Scripture Origen per quod verbum vernaculo Hebraeorum sermone vera fidelia esse quae scripta sunt dicta consignatur Therefore where you finde that word beginne the sentence expect some thing of great moment to follow Attendite credite 3 Verbaliter And thus it is equiualent to So be it and is vsed in the close of 1 Thankesgiuing 2 Praise 3 And prayer 1 Of thankesgiuing The Apostle taketh care that this seruice bee performed lingua familiari Idiomate noto that Amen may be said to it 2 Of praise or blessing of God Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from euerlasting and to euerlasting Amen and Amen Blessed be the Lord for euermore Amen and Amen God teacheth his Leuites to blesse his people when they dismisse the congregation He addeth They shall put my name vpon the children of Israel Amen is his name and the seale of that blessing 3 Of prayer So our prayers end generally and it hath a double vse which I learne of two Fathers 1 Signaculum consensus nostri 2 Votum desiderij nostri 1 It sheweth our vnderstanding well informed 2 Our affections feruently inflamed 2 To what it is said 1 To the Preface 2 To the seuen petitions 3 To the Conclusion 1 To the Preface Here are three things of import 1 That wee chalenge interest in God and call him ours 2 That wee seeke his face as his children and call him Father 3 That we lift vp our hearts to him as being in heauen In all these we vse Amen both aduerbialiter and verbaliter 1 Amen verily he is ours it is vox fidei wee beleeue him so to be 1 We beleeue our right in him noster 2 His loue to vs in Pater 3 His prouident power ouer vs by reason his dwelling is in heauen from whom euery good and perfect gift commeth Amen verily as Aquila fideliter as Origene ad confirmationem omnium quae dicta suut all this is true This is signaculum fidei He that sealeth to his conscience a full perswasion that God dwelling in heauen is his father may be bold to goe on with all the seuen petitions He that will pray let him aske in faith and wauer not Heare the Church prayer Looke downe from heauen and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse and glory where is thy zeale and strength and the multitude of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me are they restrained Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham bee ignorant of vs though Israel acknowledge vs not thou O Lord art our Father our redeemer c. Say Amen to this and pray on There is also another vse of Amen by way of blessing our selues in the name of the Lord. Amen So be it for this is votum desiderij nostri 1 That he may owne vs and call vs his 2 That he may loue vs and call vs children 3 That he may possesse the place From whence euery good gift commeth That his prouidence may be our storehouse to supply all our wants That his loue may be our banner That his power may be our fenced citie So be it 2 Amen to the petitions Amen to the whole body of the prayer Amen to euery part of it not onely to euery petition but to euery member thereof 2 Aduerbiabiter 1 For our hearts must be established with a full perswasion that it cannot goe well with vs by any meanes except all this be done that we pray for 1 The name of God which is our tower and refuge must be hallowed else quo fugiemus 2 The kingdome of God must come else who shall raigne ouer vs 3 The will of God must be obeied by vs and fulfilled vpon vs for it is his will to saue vs. 4 And if this will of God be not obeyed on earth according to the patterne of heauenly obedience performed by the Angels and Saints of God it will not be accepted in his sight 5 If he giue vs not bread and his blessing with it we shall not liue in his sight 6 If he forgiue vs not wee