the example of Gods chosen euer with such like and these are great causes to vse it What say you then of the third point concerning the persons to bee prayed vnto I answere that onely God and none but God is to be praied vnto or as the wordes of our faith and Créede hath one GOD in Trinitie and Trinitie in vnitie is to bee worshipped Which answere implying to things as you see to wit that God is to be prayed vnto and onely to bee prayed vnto Let vs see the truth of them both out of the word First then for the former it is mencioned vs in the law Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God serue him swere by his name And in another place Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue him and thou shalt cleaue vnto him swere by his name With a number other proofes in euerie place where the word of seruing the Lord by a figure noteth al duties due vnto him in general so implieth this duty of prayer to him in special Euen as Dauid expoūdeth it in his Psalme saying I will worshippe towardes thy holy Temple then expresseth what one thing he meaneth by that worship I will praise thy name because of thy louing kindnesse truth that is by prayer of thanksgiuing and praise I will doe my dutie So than this is plaine and more plain I trust than that it should need proofe that God is to be prayed vnto If anie would haue reason as well as testimonies the Apostle giueth vs a strong one of contraries when he toucheth the Galathians with it as a fault no lesse than Idolatry that they did seruice vnto them which by nature were no Gods For it inferreth plainly our not offending but most right doing when we doe seruice vnto him that is by nature God But praier is a seruice and a great seruice therefore due and most due to the Lord for euer But it is not this that anie man doubteth of and therefore as I sayde not to bee stoode vpon It is the other that is a question to wit whether God onely is to be praied vnto or no and therefore let vs looke to that rather and see the truth Concerning this then is not the Scripture as plaine if wee will not wilfully bee blinde as in the other And doth not our Sauiour Christ put it quite out of doubt when he saith him only shalt thou serue Onely to God auouched by Christ should stand against not only to God affirmed by tenne thousand worldes if there were so many to doe it But the Lorde affirmeth further that he will not giue his glorie to any other and it is a parte of Gods glorie in any Christian iudgemēt I hope to praie vnto him and to make him the fountaine and welspring of all our good For Call vppon me saith the Lorde in the day of thy trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me The lawe of God saith Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me which is an exclusion of all creatures in heauen and earth from partaking with the Lord in any worship we owe vnto him as our God The 17. Chapter of the second booke of Kings is a notable testimonie of the Lordes abhorring any partners in this behalfe For there we may see and heare him witnesse it vnto our soules who must one day come to iudge them in glorie dreadfull if wee haue not harkned that not to feare him onely is not to feare him at all and not onely to doe after his lawes and commaundements is not at all to doe after them For our additions to the wil of him ouerthroweth vtterly that which wee doe thereof because it is not as wee should doe it that is onely My couenant and charge with the Israelites saith the Lord there was euer this that they should feare no other Gods nor bowe themselues to them nor serue them nor sacrifice to them but onely mee which brought them out of the land of Egipt with great power and a stretched out arme And marke the emphasis Him feare That is as we may see plainly him onely him euer and none but him And therefore ouer and ouer he saith it there no other no other and againe the third time no other Which is proofe sufficient if wee bee the Lordes yet is the Scripture fuller and teacheth vs plainly that they euer were and euer shall bee blasphemous Idolaters iniurious to the Lord that call vppon any in their prayer but the same Lord alone whether it be in heauen or in earth or in the waters vnder the earth whether it bee of golde siluer or whatsoeuer The places are knowne and you may reade them It teacheth vs also that God hath made vs in his great mercie Lordes of all his creatures here and euen the Angels in heauen ministring Spirits to our good as shall please him to appoynt But whatsoeuer we pray vnto we make it superiour to vs and hauing rule and power ouer vs and therefore if it bee a creature we offende greeuously peruerting the Lordes appoynted course and seruilely submitting our selues to that which he in mercie hath put vnder vs not ouer vs in his maner and order Againe that we cannot pray to any thing without beleefe in the same but beleefe must onely be in God and therefore prayer to no other Wherefore it standeth true by the Iudge of trueth the eternall worde of God wee now well see that both God with his worship of prayer is to bée serued and honored and onely God also with exclusion for euer of all others whatsoeuer they may bee and so wee ende this question Your next is through whome or by whome wee must present and offer our Prayers to God It is so And it may bee that in the former question you expected some fuller spéech of Angels and Saints that be dead which many are of opinion may bee called vppon that yet greatly mislike that other folly or rather madnesse of praying to inferiour creatures And if you did it shal now be supplied God willing for I did referre it of purpose hether because no man iustifieth it amongst vs if he haue any cunning that they are simply to bee praied vnto as helpers themselues of themselues but as mediatours to him that is able to helpe that is God the Lorde Let vs see then this if euen but thus much may bee giuen vnto them And to begin at the beginning we know it true that betwixt God and vs a mediatour must needes bee For so sayth the Scripture No man commeth to the father but by me And as there is a God so there is a mediatour betwixt God and man The high Priest in the lawe by God assigned a figure and shadowe of Christ euen in his office taught the same And conscience in vs of our owne vnworthines to appeare before God in our selues and for our selues driuing vs away from his
it be read and heard with sobrietie specially because of those Machabées that suffered so cruell torments for the law of God Wherfore by his owne words now on both sides repeated Augustines minde is playne namely that these bookes alleadged in proofe of faith they are not Canonicall but to be read vnto the people in the Church for example of life in this sence saith hee they are Canonicall and may be thus read so that they be read soberlie And what is this but that which other Fathers haue also saide as Ierome The Church readeth the storie of Iudith the booke of Tobie and the bookes of the Machabees but y e same Church receiueth not these bookes as the Canonicall Scriptures Cyprian Haec omnia legi quidem in ecclesijs voluerunt noÌ„ tamen proferri ad authoritatem ex his fidei confirmandam All these writings our Fathers haue allowed to be reade in the Church yet not to be aleadged for authoritie to confirme the doctrine of our faith Wherefore to goe no further in this you see our reasons why wee allow not any proof of doctrine out of those bookes and therefore not of prayer for the deade Other reasons moe are aleadged by the godlie learned and â—ight by mee now but that these suffice here Next our answere toucheth the matter it selfe and we say that prayer for the dead sought to be proued out of this place of the Machabees is contrarie to the rest of the Scriptures and therefore we dare not allowe it For no trueth and lawfull thing is contrarie to any Scripture but agreeable as receiuing warrant and lawfulnes thence Secondlie that though Iudas had so done which is not likelie he did howsoeuer this place hath béene corrupted to that ende because it is contrarie to the custome of the Iewes euen to this day to pray for the deade yet this particular example is not sufficient to establish a doctrine no more then Zipporalis was to prooue that women may administer the Sacraments or the example of Razis that one might kill himselfe whome this author so much commendeth And therefore concluding since neyther by this place nor by anye Scripture this preposterous loue to the dead to pray for them can finde sure warrant wee desire that it may hartelie bee thought of how ill it becommeth any that professe a desire to please God which commaunded obedience and not with traditions of men or deuices any whatsoeuer either of their owne heades or of any others And thus much of it Sufficient then beeing sayde of these circumstaunces of Praier will you now proceed to the forme it selfe prescribed of our Sauiour Content And first consider what a gracious goodnesse this was in the Lorde our God to laie downe a forme for vs. That we not able to see the bottom of our wants our selues neyther in what wee doe see to take such course as becommeth speakers to so great a GOD by his owne mouth wee might be directed both in the one and the other to our great comfort and assuraunce that keping our selues within the compasse of this forme our prayer shoulde bee to the Lordes good liking and therefore wee obtaine what we aske according to his will Without a forme we might haue wandred to our greate harme asking many times things hurtfull if not so yet things lawful not in forme lawful which also had ben euill And if Heathens saw the nakednesse of men for want of such direction lette vs Christians see Gods mercie and our owne great good by this directioÌ„ Plato we know espying the ignoraunce of men in making their prayers to God for that many times they sought what graunted woulde hurt them sayd this was a good fourme O Iupiter Rex optima nobis et vouentibus et non vouentibus tribuae Mala autem poscentibus quoque abesse iube That is O Iupiter king giue vnto vs the best things whether wee aske them or no. And all euill things command awaie from vs though we aske them Wherein we may see howe daungerously they groped in a great darknesse for want of a forme and were faine for safetie to praie thus generally whereas we nowe plainly are taught how to praie more particularly and yet still truly Wherfore see I say â—â—rst Gods great mercie our great good by hauing this forme layed down vnto vs. Then touching the forme it selfe which our Sauiour hath layed downe it consisteth of three principall partes First of a preface secondly of the petitions themselues and lastly of a conclusion The preface in these wordes Our Father which art in heauen The petitions in order after The conclusion thus for thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for euer euer Amen The first part which is the Preface short in wordes but plentifull in matter is so layd downe by the wisdom of the Lord Iesus as that euery word carryeth his waight and bringeth to vs in vse thereof most singular profite The first is Father by which name we are taught to speake vnto our God when wee pray vnto him and see the vse There is no prayer as we well know and before hath bene declared that can pearce the eares of the almightie God vnlesse it be made both in affection and faith Affection hath his want great too great often in our corruption therefore in mercy of a gracious GOD helpes and meanes prouided for it This is one euermore to consider to whome I pray and to whome I speak namely not to a seuere and sower Iudge not to a cruell and mercilesse tyrant not to a stranger that knoweth me not or hath no aliance with me but to a Father yea in Iesus Christ nowe my Father a kinde a louing a good a tender Father who looketh vpon me with bowels of mercy and pittie sigheth for me before I come runneth out when I doe come meeteth me embraceth mee falleth about my necke with his armes wéepeth vpon me in melting motions of louing kindnesse heareth me speake weigheth my sute whether it may be my good can as sone in conclusion cease to be God as denie me any thing y t may be my benefite And O then y e affection y t we may pray with if we coÌ„sider this name of Father My soule may thirst my heart may long yea burne and burst as it were within me w t desire euer to come to my Father for he is euer a Father hath euer the nature of his name though I bee vile And therfore let vs take the vse intended by the Lord in this giuen title praie cheerefully with sweete comfort in the conceit of whome wee speake vnto euermore When affection then is thus kindled and stirred vp looke at faith in the next place which also must concurre with it or else in vaine we praie and obtaine nothing This knew our Sauiour well and therfore euen to this end also hath taught vs to saie and praie in the name
scorning of Bishops against the power of the Pope against the assistance of temporal Princes against all torments by fire by fagot by sword by imprisonment light such a candel as now shineth to all the Countrey of Europe and by the power of man it cannot be put out Wherefore iudge whether the Apostle sayd not true when speaking of this word he sayd it was a weapon not carnall but mightie through God to cast downe holds casting downe the imaginations euery high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ c. Wherefore we see by this first proofe playne enough that a meanes and a most mightie strong and powreful meanes to erect this kingdom of God in our harts which here we pray for is the word of God For there is no wisedome no Counsell no strength against it But though all the heathen rage most horribly and the people imagine continually yet it is but a vayne thing Though Kings and Princes and all the powers of this earth bande themselues against it yet will it not serue For hee that dwelleth in the heauen shall laugh them to scorne this word of his preuaileth where he will to whom he will when he will and as long as he will Other playne proofes y t this is a meanes to erect this kingdome are these first Saint Iames where it is sayd Of his owne wil he begat vs with the word of truth that we should be as the first fruites of his creatures The authour of all good sayth Saint Iames in generall and of this good in speciall namely our newe birth is the Lorde and the meanes is the word euen the word of truth So sayth our Sauiour himselfe in the Gospel Sanctifie them O Father with thy trueth and what is that thy word is truth So sayth Saint Paul Though ye haue ten thousand instructers in Christ yet haue yee not many Fathers for in Christ Iesus I haue begotten you And by what meanes through the Gospel And againe I beseech thee for my sonne Onesimus whom I haue begottē in my bonds to wit by the word And againe this one thing woulde I learne of you O foolish Galathians receyued ye the Spirit by the works of the lawe or by the hearing of fayth preached vnto you Likewise S. Peter Being borne anew not of mortall seed but immortal by the word of god And lastly father Abraham from heauen They haue Moses and the Prophetes let them heare them c. as if hee shoulde haue sayde if thou wouldst haue thy brethren begotten to the Lord that he ruling in them they may rule heere with him and escape that place of torment where thou now iustly art the meanes truely is Moses and the Prophets that is the worde of God for if that erect not the kingdome of GOD in them it shall not be erected by any dead if they should rise and be sent vnto them For that is the meanes which the Lorde hath ordayned and which to this day hath had power to beget to him so many as he would haue Wherefore when the Lord will promise a blessing to a kingdome Countrey and people that shall bee in deede a great blessing he promiseth this word and this word in plentifull measure and when hee will threaten a plague and a grieuous plague then sayth hee beholde the dayes come that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of breade nor a thirst for water but of hearing the worde of the Lorde And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North euen vnto the East shall they runne too and fro to seeke the woorde of the Lorde and shall not finde it So then see wee that this woorde of our God is his mightie meanes to rayse vp this kingdome of his grace in vs this day when we haue it giuing something so as it were laying one stone to this spirituall building the next day giuing more and so laying as it were an other stone and so on to a perfite man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ that is till he haue wrought his wil in vs in this world and meaneth to translate vs to an other Wherefore as wee pray that the Lorde in mercy woulde erect this kingdome in vs when we pray Thy kingdome come so do we beseech the Lorde in this petition to graunt vs all the meanes appoynted and ordeyned of him to this building and by name this mightie meanes mercy great of his holy worde that wee may haue it amongst vs stil and enioy it in peace if it be his will to the raysing vp of these spiritual walles of a spirituall house of God within vs dayly more and more till it be fully finished to the pleasure of his maiestie here our eternall comfort heere and elsewhere for euer with him in his other kingdome of glory And the God of heauen and all mercy grant this to vs and make vs thankful for it Now beloued is this worde either read vnto vs or of vs without any preaching or preached vnto vs For by these two meanes buildeth it in vs and not by lying in our houses bound in siluer or golde or any costly sort whatsoeuer No mor then the Phisitions prescription confected by the Apothecarie and brought vnto vs profiteth our disease by standing in the windowe and not further touched And therefore as I haue sayd that it was a meanes and proued it to you out of the same word so let me say a little to you of the vsing of this meanes also Of reading the word TWo extremities there are which of all Gods chosen are to be eschewed the one is an estimation of reading so great as that being had wee feele no want neither thinke it a want neuer or seldome to haue any preaching The other is so farre to extoll preaching as that wee vtterly contemne reading yea exclude it from all power in the blessing of God to worke faith in vs or any The meane betwixt both which is a right and true conceipt both of reading and preaching Know we therfore that in the word they are both commended yea commanded and ordained of the Lord as meanes to erect this kingdome of his in our hearts for which wee pray and of which wee now speake And first for reading to name but a fewe places of a number marke what the Lord in his law layd downe for all his people Euery seuenth yeere when the yeere of freedome shall be in the feast of the tabernacles when all Israel shall come to appeare before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose thou shalt reade this Lawe before all Israel that they may heare it Garher the people together men women and children and thy straunger that is within thy gates that they may heare and that
they may learne feare the Lord your God and keepe and obserue all the words of the Law c. See a direct commandement to reade the scriptures to the people as well as to preach them and not onely that but euen a mention also of profite that shall come thereby namely learning and fearing and keeping of the waies of the Lord. And therefore reading is not without all blessing The 13. of the Acts telleth vs it was the custome of the Church then to haue the Law and the Prophets read vnto the people For after the lecture of the Lawe and Prophets saith the text the rulers of the Synagogue sent vnto them saying ye men and brethren if ye haue any word of exhortation for the people say on This godly custome our Sauiour was so farre from misliking as that himselfe willingly vsed it In the 15. of the Acts it is sayd that Moses of old time hath in euerie citie them that preach him seeing he is read in the Synagogue euery Sabboth day In the 36. of Ieremy wee reade and see how Baruch was commaunded by Ieremy to write at his mouth or as he did indite and tell him all the words of the Lord which hee had spoken vnto him vppon a rowle or booke and then to take that rowle and to goe into the house of the Lord and to reade it in the audience of all the people In hope that by that reading vppon the booke to them in the absence of Ieremy who was now shut vp the people might be mooued to pray before the Lord and euery one to returne from his euill way And Baruch did so twise See now and marke both the warrant of reading and a profite hoped for by it of the godly So farre were they euer from either contemning this meanes or frō denying it power in Gods blessing to worke faith and repentaunce in the hearers Bullinger goeth further then I now do vpon these words for I alleage them only to shewe the warrant of this our vse in our Churches here in England of reading the Scriptures to the people and sayth he Ne pigeat nos laborum ne pudeat recitationis ex libro si ea destituamur vi memoriae qua sine libro memoriter verbum Domini libere annuntiemus Nemo reiecisse aut aduersatus esse Baruchum legitur propter recitatos ex libro manuscripto sermones Domini Cur ergo tu fidelem ministrum reijceres audire dedignareris qui fideliter ea praelegit quae reuelata sunt a Domino Non dico haec quod non nisi recitari velim ex scripto sermones ad populū sed si magna necessitas idoneorum ministrorum raritas ita flagitet ne fastidiant verbum dei auditores That is Let vs not be wearie of our labours let vs not bee ashamed to reade vpon the booke the worde of the Lord if wee want memorie fully to declare it by hart or without the booke Wee doe not reade here that any man reiected or refused Baruch for his reading vpon the written booke the words of God why therefore shouldest thou reiect or disdayne to heare a faithfull Minister which faithfully readeth those things that the Lord hath reueiled to him This speake I not because I would haue nothing but reading of Sermons written vnto the people but that if great necessitie cōstraine or a want of fit Ministers so require that the hearers may not lothe the worde of God Thus farre was he from the extremitie I speake of and his wisedome grauitie and deepe iudgement is knowne sufficiently to all the learned Socrates in his storie reporteth thus of Atticus Bishop of Constantinople and a good Bishop Primum cum praesbyterij gradum obtinuerit cōciones quas summo studio confecerat ad verbum ediscens in ecclesia recitauit Postea crebro vsu diligentia maiorem audaciam adeptus ex tempore concionari coepit rationemque docendi magis popularem secutus est c. First when he obtayned the degree of a Minister his sermons that with great studie and diligence he had made worde by worde he learned without booke and then recited them in the Church Afterward with often vse and diligence he attained to greater audacitie and began to preach ex tempore and followed a more plaine way of teaching Yet doe we neuer reade that the Church then disdayned this measure neither refused to heare him much lesse exclaymed against his ministerie as to him vnlawfull to vse and to all others to acknowledge and receiue I lay not downe what Theodoret writeth of Flauianus what Possidonius of Valerius and Alipius what later writers say generally of Ministers that they haue their warrant si mediocria dona if they haue meane gifts and in some measure be able to teach c. I mention not as I might the discrete care of some godly and reuerent brethren protesting 〈◊〉 conscience in frequenting their Churches and communicating in prayer and Sacraments when themselues were restrayned a while from their Ministerie and happely the Ministers for the time in their places of farre meaner giftes Neither that diuers vnder their handes haue testified that they iudge it schismaticall thus to doe Yet might these things be considered and well schoole the violence of some But how schoole them to the bolstring vp and bearing with ignorance vnthought vppon a dead conscience in them that should see Farre is it the searcher of harts knoweth from my soule But thus farre to schoole them neuer to disdayne for a lesse measure whom GOD hath blessed with some measure and carefull diligence giueth hope of better measure as GOD will For truely euen in this case it may be sayd with Caluin Cum sub specie studij perfectionis c. When vnder the colour of desire of perfection we can tolerate beare with no imperfection want either in the bodie or in the members of the Church then doth the deuill puffe vs vp with pride and seduce vs with hypocrisie that he may pricke vs forwarde to forsake the flocke of Christ wel knowing that he shall haue the victorie if he can so doe For when as no where els either remission of sinnes or saluation is to bee had although wee make a shewe of a life more then Angel like yet if with such boldnesse we seperate our selues from a Christian congregation wee become deuils Iustine Martyr sayth that in his time the manner was on the Sabboth daie when the people were gathered together to haue the Scriptures read in the publike congregation and in the time of publyke prayer for the space of one whole houre And how common are these speeches with Austen Ye heard when the Gospell was read ye heard ere while when it was read if ye gaue eare to the reading deerely beloued wee haue heard in the lesson that hath bene read vs c. And for the profit of reading the Fathers
bloud and your fingers with iniquitie c. Nowe then to the wordes themselues if you thinke good and of them in order for that is playne The first word is Forgiue of it selfe so playne that it needeth not any explication and therefore not standing in that sort vpon it let vs consider the conclusions that arise thereof to a Christian mind that carefully weigheth what GOD hath spoken First then it containeth a playne confession of our miserable estate vnto the Lorde and so teacheth vs that before pardon and forgiuenes ought to goe a true faithfull and vnfayned acknowledging of our euill whatsoeuer For why shoulde God vouchsafe to pardon what we not able in truth to hyde from him as being God yet in the strong corruption of our vntamed hearts indeuor to cloke and doe not lay open in woe and godly sorrow before him Very mortal maÌ„ looketh for confession of a faulte and wee vse to say that halfe the amendes is made when it is so done yet may we couer from man very great offences howe much more may the Lord our God iustly require that being notable to blind him we seeke not to do it but in al reuerence of his maiesty and all vehement dislike of our selues and our sinnes we lay them at his foote and begge his mercy It is a notable place in the Psame of Dauid teacheth vs this When he sayth Whilst I helde my tongue my bones consumed or when I roared al the day long for thy hand is heauy vpon me day and night and my moysture is turned into the drought of Summer then I acknowledged my sinne neither hid I mine iniquitie For I thought I wil confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne See howe before he confessed he found no comfort and after confession howe hee found no punishment Looke in the Law of the Lord and marke these wordes to Moses When a man or woman shall commit any sinne that meÌ„ commit and transgresse against the Lord when that person shall trespasse then they shall confesse their sin which they haue done and shall restore the damage c. Confession God required and confession they performed Although the Lord should kill me sayth faythfull Iob yet will I put my trust in him but I will reprooue my wayes for all that in his sight that is I will confesse my euil freely and fully with a single heart as a wretched sinner should do He that hydeth his sinne sayth the wise Salomon shall not prosper but he that confesseth them forsaketh them shall haue mercy If wee say we haue no sinne then wee deceiue our selues and there is no trueth in vs but if wee acknowledge and confesse our sinne God is faithfull to forgiue vs our sinne and the blood of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all sinne This is not that filthy shrift in the eare of a filthy liuer inuented in Rome and throwne downe in Constantinople vppon iust experience of vggly pollution by it but this is the Lords ordynaunce performed euer of the Lordes people to the Lorde himselfe Dauid a sinner hydeth it not when the Prophet spake but cryed peccaui with a feeling heart and a grieued mind that he had so fallen That Dauid when hee had numbred the people and the Lord offended had sent a plague amongst them cryed in his wo. It is I it is I Lorde that haue offended and these seely sheepe what haue they done and againe in an other place Therfore I said Lorde 〈◊〉 mercy vpon mee and heale my souâ—â—â—r I haue sinned against thee The straying sonne returning to himselfe and to the estate of sonne seeth and sigheth for passed folly and confesseth it freely as his bounden duetie Father Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and I am no more worthy to bee called thy sonne The humble publicane beseecheth God to be mercifull to him not a iust proud Pharisie but a poore sinnefull and wretched Publicane Wee are here iustly sayd the thiefe on the crosse wee receiue things worthie of y t wee haue done but this maÌ„ hath done nothing amisse a very plaine confession of a féeling hart WheÌ„ Paul had preached against coniuring and sorcery as we read in that place what was the fruite of his speaking their hearing but this Many that beleeued came and confessed shewed their workes Iohn also baptized in the wildernes but whom such as confessed their sinnes against the Lorde Euer therefore before pardon must goe confession for so euer hath it done as by all these proofes is now plaine Priuat to God if the sinne be priuat Publique to the Church if the sinne bee such as shall more appeare hereafter in an other place Wherefore let vs end this note vpon this first word Forgiue and knowe it euer that wee are taught if wee seeke mercy not to hide sinne For the Lords pardon requireth the sinners confession Couers and clokes they do but couer the light of Gods countenance that it shyne not vpon vs and yet do what we can wee can couer nothing in deede from his eyes Wee shewe our will and wee want our wish sinne vnto sinne we grieuously adde and we deale with our soules as some sory ones with their bodies concealing their sore till the time bee past the body perished Wherfore euen as often as we shal euer hereafter say this prayer let vs adde this confession to it O Lord our grieuous trespasses our many great transgressions this blot of our bodies or spot of our soules whatsoeuer it is in that mercy that hath no measure forgiue it dash it and wash it out that it neuer appeare againe before thee What Secondly Secondly it teacheth vs the long suffering of the Lord wonderfull and vnspeakable towards mankind Whereby hee beareth and beareth with vs wretched creatures and although we daily and hourely euer and continually sinne against him yet casteth hee not away so vnprofitable seruants but deferreth his anger spareth his iudgements and if we turne to him he turneth most mercifully to vs and forgiueth heapes of vggly sinne against him If we wormes and dust should be vsed of any as he is vsed of many we would shew our corruption quickly and recken vp the faultes committed and pardoned by vs thinking we had shewed great fauour done much for our brethren if wee had twise or thrise bene intreated by them to forgiue them we would deny at the last and say playnely to them we might not euer forgiue if they so euer would offende Yet what are we as bad as they If not to them yet to others and therefore no such cause we should be so strickt in measure When often our selues must neede the same curtesie and request a fauourable hand to strike but softly But sée the Lorde His puritie blotteth both Sunne and Moone the heauen
and if you seeke him hee will bee found of you but if you forsake him he will forsake you The like hath dying Dauid to his deere sonne to be left behinde him And thou Salomon my sonne know the God of thy father and serue him with a perfit hart and a willing minde For the Lord searcheth all harts and vnderstandeth all the imaginations of thoughts Jf thou seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he wil cast thee away for euer But what spēd J speech where many giuen graces say spare thy speech J know it wel Then stay J so to you both Right H. J adde but this that as duetie bindeth and many great and honorable fauours both to me and mine require and charge me I rest before my God in praier that goeth out of vnfained lips that it may bee thus with your H. both thus stil I say and thus more thus more agayne and thus still and thus both still more continually during life That those wordes of endlesse comfort may reach vnto you in iudging day Come ye blessed of my father and possesse eternall ioy If this poore trauell of mine may auayle any thing to this effect it is your Honors own proceeded from your owne most deeply bound for euer to be your owne and therefore bold to present it in this sort because he is your owne It was begun in your Honors hearing being that part of the Catechisme that then fell to my course both the lawe and faith hauing bene expounded before the one by my selfe the other by my fellowe that followed because it could not at that time be gone forwarde withall J haue since as J could layd it downe in this sort if it please the Lord for the good of mo VVho all shall welcome it by thus much more as they did the other by how much it bringeth countenance from your Honors both vnto them and is a gift deriued euen from your selues vnto them The Christian Reader els whosoeuer I should wrong too much if I should not comfortably hope he will accept it well since alreadie he hath shewed his loue in the like respect Therefore most humbly beseeching you both Right Honorable to accept my dutie to weigh my hart and to pardon my boldnesse J beseech the Lord againe and againe to multiplie his mercies towardes you both giuing honor here and honor euer in his happie kingdome of eternal comfort VVilton the 11. of May. 1588. Your Honors most humble bounden to death Geruase Babington A PROFITABLE EXPOSITION of the Lords Prayer by way of Questions and Answers ¶ Of Prayer in generalitie MAny things are spoken by many men of Prayer in generalitie and gladly would I heare what you think conuenient of the same Yet would I not prescribe by any questions for feare my want of iudgement in asking might procure in you any needlesse answering Your care is very good yet spare not to speake if I omit any thing whereof you would willingly heare Trueth it is that much is spoken and much may bee spoken of this matter at large but a fewe things may suffice vs at this time hauing fuller discourses to goe to when we will First then let vs consider that Prayer hath a foundation euen in our nature as we are men and is so taught vs by the very instinct and testimonie of reason and conscience that looke what or whomsoeuer we acknowledge and thinke to bee God that and the same wee also willingly confesse ought to be prayed vnto For a perswasion of Godhead standeth not without a confession of Prayer done to the same So wee see in the 14. Psalme where with the deniall of God which the foole maketh in his hart is ioyned an vtter want of prayer and inuocation Contrariwise in the 139. Psal with the confession of God an earnest hartie and often calling vpon his name So that a necessarie consequence the Spirit of GOD maketh it vppon the confession of a God euen by the instinct of nature to vse prayer to the same And contrariwise if we should neuer pray then necessarily must we be euen in the number of those fooles which say in their harts there is no God Which if it were duely and effectually considered of vs it would rowze vs assuredly out of our dead and damnable negligence in this behalfe if there were any spirite of life and feeling in vs and cause vs to acquaint our soules more often and earnestly with this heauenly exercise Fearing euen with a great feare the vengeance of ingratitude towards God for innumerable benefites the plagues in hell due to Atheists and such as denie GOD and the same amongst men that of force must fall vppon vs when being men yet we abhorre from the very nature of man All which three greeuous conditions the want of Prayer forcibly prooueth vpon vs as now wee see Againe the Apostle Saint Paule in his Epistle to the Romanes teaching how the Gentils doing by nature the thinges contayned in the lawe shewe the effect of the lawe written in their harts is a witnesse in steade of many moe sufficient and strong that to pray to God being a thing comprised in the lawe was then is now and euer shall bee whilst man hath mans nature a thing ingrafted and planted of God in the same nature And many other reasons might be brought but these suffice Secondly let vs consider the necessitie of this Christian exercise of Prayer which wee shall euidently see if either we respect the Lord our selues or our brethren For vnto the Lord wee knowe is due euer and eternally here and in the worlde to come praise and thanksgiuing that is Prayer Praise the Lorde all ye people for it is a good thing to sing praises vnto our God O giue thankes vnto the Lord for he is gracious O thanke the Lord of all Lordes c. Yea let euery thing that hath breath praise the Lorde And as long as I haue any being I wil sing praises vnto my God In the world to come see the Scriptures Holy holy Lord God almightie which was and which is and which is to come Thou art worthie O Lord to receiue glory and honor power for thou hast created al things and for thy will sake they are and haue bene created Beside many other places Vnto the Lorde is due worship and seruice of all them that looke for a place in his kingdom of which worship and seruice Prayer is a notable part and therefore necessary Vnto the Lorde is due obedience to his Commaundements if we bee the Lordes for they are holy and iust But this is one that we should pray vnto him and therfore in respect of God Prayer is necessary Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I wil heare thee thou shalt glorifie me saith the Lorde And in an other place
and learned with one consent haue euer sayde that it is greate That we feede our faith thereby rayse vp our affiance fasten our hope growe experte in the Scriptures so that we cannot so easilie be deceiued by false teachers that wee are made acquainted with the phrase and whereas by a preacher one booke cannot be gone ouer in diuerse yeres by this profitable and godly vse of reading the Scriptures euen all the bookes of God are gone ouer many times in one yeere to the great instructiō of people if they wil themselues Let no hardening therefore in the name of al blasphemous Papists call reading of the Scriptures to the people in the Church a spirituall dumbnesse and a thing vnprofitable but let vs with y e chosen of the Lord euer reuerence the good of it blesse God for our libertie For it had neuer ben written in letters to this daie it had neuer ben translated into sundrie tongues by the gift from heauen of the knowledge of tongues neither euer had it bene commanded by the Lord to be read to the people if it had not bin a sanctified meanes by him to the great good of his people and Church Wherefore to go no further since we see it plainly to bee of the Lord both commanded and blessed let vs see a little if it be not also so for the people themselues to reade it if they haue the abilitie Surelie it is For the wordes are playne Search the Scriptures And they cannot with truth bee restrayned from giuing a warrant of reading to all men Blessed is the man that meditateth in the law of God day night Is meditation lawfull all reading damnable Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his waie euen by ruling himself after thy worde Are young men then boūd to rule themselues after Gods booke and yet no man suffered to looke within the leaues A thousand such places there are which I neede not to note Timothie was brought vp in the reading and knowledge of Scriptures from his childhood and the Lord hath commended it The Beraeans tooke theyr Bibles turned to the proues of Paulē when he preached and they are highly commended The Eunuch had his booke in the Chariot and the Lord looked on him The worde of GOD must dwell plentiously amongst vs c. as is there written and therefore wee may reade it We must take the swoorde of the spirite which is the worde of God as well as eyther helmet or breast plate or anie other part of our spirituall armour and therefore we may reade it Wherefore well sayde Saint Austen Nec solùm sufficiat quod in ecclesia diuinas lectiones auditis sed etiam in domibus vestris aut ipsi legite aut alios legentes requirite Let it not content you to heare the holy Scripture read vnto you in the Church onely but in your houses also at home eyther reade them your selues or cause others to reade them Well decreed that first Councell of Nice that no house should be without eyther a Bible or at least a new Testament Well crieth Origen Vtinam omnes faceremus quod scriptum est scrutamini scripturas Woulde God we did all as it is written Search the Scriptures Wel cried that good Father Cōparate vobis Biblia animarū pharmaca seculares Get you Bibles yelaie men for they are the medicines of your soules c. But see the iniquitie of Rome It shall bée lawfull to reade anie mans booke Si faciat pro nobis that is if he be a Papist yea and the mo wee haue in our closets and chambers of such bookes the holier Catholiques wee but the Lordes booke that is able to make vs wise vnto saluation and is sweeter than the honie we may not touch it we may not haue it or reade it For if we doe we shall be heretiques So mans worke shall make vs Saintes and Gods worke diuells Popish writings Catholikes and heauenly writing heretiks if they be read O dreadfull blasphemie and doctrine of death Greate is the patience of the Lorde that putteth vp this and beareth it daylie when with great iustice heauen and earth might agree together to flashe out fire to consume such teachers the other to rend in peeces and swallow vp the ashes when they art burnt of such blasphemers Is not this to shutte vp the kingdome of God before men and neyther to enter in themselues nor to suffer others that woulde enter And Woe to such sayth the Lorde there Hoc non est sanantium nec viuificantium sed magis grauantium et angentium Et multo verior hic lex inuenitur Maledictum dicens omnem qui in errorem mittat caecum in via This is not the parte of them that would heale or giue life but rather of them that augment the burthen and increase ignorance And herein is the lawe wel verified Cursed is he that leadeth the blinde out of the waie What is this but with the amazed ones in the Prophet to saïe Tace et ne recorderis nominis Domini Holde thy peace and neuer thinke vpon the name of the Lord. These men be the right successours of Antiochus and Maximinus who for lyke pollicie burnt the bookes of God least the people shoulde reade them Whereas the godly and first christened Emperor Constantine caused the Bible to be written out and to bee sent abroade into all Kingdomes Countries and Cities of his dominion And king Adelstane heere in England caused it to bee translated into the English tongue that all might reade it Of Iulian the wicked Emperour who charged the Christians with it as an high fault that their women were so skilfull in the Scriptures Forgetting what Saint Hierome writeth that all the maidens about Lady Paula were set dayly to learne the Scriptures Let vs remember how many saued soules are nowe with the Lorde in rest that beeing able to reade neuer a word vpon the booke themselues yet by hearing others reade vnto thē haue receiued blessing from the Lord thereof euen to acknowledge to resist the enimy to a strength with their blouds to seale the truth of that they heard by hearing learned beside all other Churches the Monuments of this our Church will affoord vs many What manner of men and women would these haue beene if they could haue read themselues Let vs remember what Saint Austen confesseth of himselfe that beeing inclined to the heresie of the Manichees he heard a voyce saying Tolle et lege Take vp and reade meaning the booke of God which hee presently did and so by reading was conuerted And concerning reading of the Scriptures eyther vnto the people in the Church by the Ministers or anie other appoynted to that seruice or by the people themselues priuatly at home in theyr houses in a tongue that they vnderstand Let vs conclude vpon playne recited proues that it is a means
his times Yet neither that desperate impietie of the Pharisies nor that loose libertie that ouerflowed as it were the Church then could hinder Christ either from vsing the same forme of seruing God with the people or from comming into the same temple with the multitude to the publique exercises of Religion there appoynted But he would bee circumcised with the rest and presented in the temple as others were when the time came and doe all things with them appoynted by the lawe for him to doe If any man doubt of it let him consider the Scripture well that sayth When the fulnes of time was come God sent foorth his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the lawe that hee might redeeme theÌ„ which were vnder the lawe that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes Hee speaketh of the Ceremoniall lawe by name and therfore no question but he performed whatsoeuer therein was commanded and of man whom he was to redéeme ought to be performed Let him consider also Christes owne wordes when he sayd Wee worship what wee knowe ioyning himselfe not with a fewe picked and choyse Christians but with the whole multitude of the people of the Iewes and adding a reason that proueth so much for saluation commeth from the Iewes Which is as much as if he should haue sayd for the Religion not of some certaine but of the whole people or bodie of the Iewes is a seruice that pleaseth God for his owne appoyntment of it and therefore I communicate with them therein my selfe and we worship what we knowe together Musculus considering asmuch therefore noteth by our Sauiours example what care and conscience ought to bee in euery Christian to obserue the forme of his owne nation in seruing God if it may be warranted And it is not vnnoted of many others that our Sauiour notwithstanding the great corruptions of that Church communicated with it in all holy exercises and made not an other Church by himselfe of some certayne better people and yet there wanted not such euen in those euil daies diuers as Zachary Elizabeth Mary Simeon and others besides his disciples So that our Sauiours example is playne against this deceiuing error that we speake of namely that any man communicating in the publique exercises of religion according to the word of God appoynted with the wicked should by their companie there bee polluted he himselfe hauing a good conscience and doing his duetie as he ought From our Sauiour Christ let vs next come to his disciples tyme and see if they followed not the very same course and trod not in the very same steps of their masters practise Let vs remember the Church of Corinth which the Apostle in the Spirite of trueth calleth the Church of God sanctified beloued and abounding with the gifts of God And yet in it were many imperfections and sundry great and foule enormities There was enuying and strife and diuisions one holding of Paul an other of Apollos an other of Cephas in so much that the Apostle telleth them they are carnall and he could not speake vnto them as vnto spirituall men but as vnto carnall There was puffing and swelling pride in such order that the Apostle asketh shall I come vnto you with a rod or in loue There was fornication and euen such as is not named among the Gentiles one had his Fathers wife and they that sawe it and knewe it were puffed vp and sorowed not neither punished as they ought so foule a wickednes There was quarelling brabling and busie going to lawe one with an other and that vnder infidels Men and women that were maried together made separations and diuorses of themselues one from an other of their owne authorities and when themselues listed without word and warrant without right and conscience which the Apostle rebuketh and telleth them might not be so There was going to the prophane bankets of the Gentiles and eating of thinges sacrificed to Idols with great offence to the weake The vâ—ry Sacrament of the Lords Supper was greatly prophaned Those Spirituall giftes which the Lorde gaue them they abused bragging ambitiously of them and so robbing God of his prayse for them hauing no consideration of their brethren to edifie theÌ„ by an humble mind submitting it selfe to the capacitie of the weakest On the other side they that were inferiors in gifts enuyed the superiors and went about to make a departure so that all that body was as it were skattered and rent in pieces That notable gift of tongues and languages they greatly abused neglecting prophecie And what should I say the very resurrection that great Article of a christians faith was called in question in that Church and yet for all that and al these that I haue thus named it ceased not to bee a Church and the Church of God and Sanctified and beloued and blessed and made rich with many graces neither for these blots might any man haue bene iustified then to haue giuen it the blacke stone of condemnation and to haue separated himselfe from it as from no Church Let vs remember the GalathiaÌ„s of whom the Apostle complaineth that they were so soone remoued away vnto an other Gospell from him that had called them in the grace of Christ that they were bewitched not to obey the trueth but to turne againe vnto impotent and beggerly rudiments seeking to be in bondage to them againe as at the beginning that they obserued dayes moneths tymes and yeres and so foorth euery of which was a great blot and spot and all together a very great declyning from a right course yet neuerthelesse doth the Apostle in the Spirit of trueth salute them as the Church of God and so nameth them and so taketh them To the playne prouing of this truth that imperfections in a Church where the worde is preached truely and the Sacraments administred according to the institution of Christ taketh not away the name of a Church And marke it in Paul because we seeke not nowe other examples howe notwithstanding these great blemishes in Corinth Galatia and other places that he came to yet he euer without any scruple â—ntered into their Churches into y e Iewes Synagogues and into all places to pray and to interpret the Scriptures Yea hee made no doubt to exhibite himselfe in the Temple to call vpon God and to vse other lawfull ceremonies together with others that vsed them although the wickednes impietie of the Scribes Pharises which were there then was exceeding foule and great Neither doth he euer perswade any of the better sort when hee speaketh of the faults either in Corinth or Galatia or other Churches to forbeare all communion with those Churches till thinges were better reformed but onely exhorteth them to beware the vices and euils he speaketh of and neuer mencioneth any separation Which assuredly he would haue done if it had bene as satan