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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00765	A treatise of prayer, and of the fruits and manner of prayer. By the most Reuerend Father in God Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rochestre, Preist and most eminent Cardinall of the most holy Catholike Church, of the title of S. Vitalis. Translated into English by R.A.B.; Tractatus de orando Deum. English	Fisher, John, Saint, 1469-1535.; Roe, Alban, 1583-1642, attributed name.; Anderton, Robert, attributed name.; Batt, Antonie.; R. A.	1640 (1640)	STC 10890; ESTC S115046	39,954	190

she suffered short delay and had not her petition so quickely granted in so much that the Disciples came vnto our Lord and intreted in her behalfe and sayd Dismisse her for she cryeth after vs. Let vs by example learne to persist in prayer if we doe not spee dily obteine what we aske And our Saviour sayth which of you having a freind and he shall come to him by night and say Freind lend me three loaves because my freind is come vnto me and I have none to put before him and he answereth from with in and sayth good freind doe not trouble me my dores are shutt and my children are in bed with me I cannot rise to giue them thee and he still knocketh on I say vnto you that although he doth not rise and giue him as his freind yet for to avoyd his importunitie he will giue him so many as he hath neede of And I say vnto you aske and it shall be giuen vnto you as likewise it is sayd in the psalme Expecting I haue expected our Lord Psal 39. and he hath attended vnto me and hath heard my prayers Wherefore my brother grow not in thy prayer slacke and dull but expect request knocke hard and thou shalt haue soe much as thou hast neede of Listen vnto me deare brother and imbrace my councell If thou askest any thing at Gods hāds doe not request it presently and prefix him not a time when thou wouldest haue it but leaue it wholy to him and to his divine will As for exāple thou art many times vexed and perplexed with euill vncleane thoughts att which thou art much afflicted and thou prayest God that he would free thee from this conflict yet my brother it is many times expedient for thee to be thus tryed Looke vpon that most excellent pillar of the Apostles how for his profit and aduantage the sting of the flesh the very Angell of Sathan 1. Cor. 12. was giuen him which beate him and boxed him least he should grow proud 1. Cor. 12. If then he which was of soe excellent and great meritts was thus exercised least he should grow proud how much more neede haue we poore weake ones whoe still thinke our selues some thing to be thus beaten and cuffed that we growe not insolent and proud in heart Gal. 6. And if againe any other tribulation fall vpon thee doe not in thy prayer limitt a time whē he shall precisely free thee from it for it is many times expedient that thou suffer this also For it happens many times when thou prayest that thou doest not soe 〈…〉 know what is good for thy soules health as Israëll suffered For Israel did eate and was filled Deut. 32. and my beloued kicked backe he grewe fatt he waxed ouer lustie he grew proud and forsooke God his maker If thou againe prayest to obtaine any thing doe not desire it to be immediately granted thee For it falls out many times that thou being a man thinkest this thing expediēt for thee when indeede it is not But if forsaking thyne owne will thou resigne thy selfe to the will of God and according to that goe on thou art secure For he who knew all things before they were and are gouerneth and disposeth all according to his owne benignitie and pleasure For we know not whether that we aske at Gods hands be expedient for vs or noe seinge that many whē they haue obteyned what they haue asked of God afterwards haue been very sorry and haue oftentimes fallen into great defects and euills because they did not diligently search whether that which they desired was agreeable to the will of God but thinking it soe haue been deluded by the devill and vnder the shape and pretext of vertue and iustice haue been seduced and cast into many dangers and such petitions are many times wayted one by greife and repentance whilst euery one followes thedesire and concupiscence of his owne heart Harken vnto the Apostle saying For we know not what we should pray for as we ought and againe All things are lawfull for me Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 9.10 Ibid. but all things are not expedient for me All things are lawfull for me but all things doe not edifie he onely knoweth what is expedient for vs and what doth edifie vs. And this I doe wish should beleft and referred to his will not that I prohibite thee to aske whatsoeuer thou desirest from him for I rather pray thee and admonish thee that thou shouldest aske all things from him from the least to the greatest but that when thou doest pray and lay thy heart open before him thou shouldest say But let not my owne will but thine be donne if what I aske be expedient doe as thou knowest for soe the scripture adviseth vs saying Reveale vnto our Lord thyway and hope in him and he will doe it Behold our Lord Iesus-Christ praying in our flesh which he assumed and saying Father if it be possible lett this chalice part from me but not as I will but as thou wilt Wherefore deere brother if thou doest aske any thing of God A short prayer for the obteyning of things necessarie persist in thy petition saying Lord if it be thy will I shall obteine what I demand of thee doe thou permitt it to prosper and be effected but if it be not thy will and pleasure permitt it not O my God to come to passe I humblie beseech thee not to deliuer me to my owne concupiscence for thou knowest my follie but preserue me vnder the shadowe of thy protection as thou best knowest and gouerne me and direct me O my God for thy owne mercyes sake But if thou doest pray against any tribulation or vncleane thoughts say with the Prophett Lord rebuke me not in thy furie nor chastise me in thy wrath Lord haue mercy vpon me for I am weake but looke vpon me O Lord and see that I am earth and dust and ashes and can beare nothing Deliuer me not O Lord to my sinns for then I shal be like vnto those that descend into the lake But forgetting my wickednesse giue glory to thy owne name And doe not remember I beseech thee my sinns but thy owne mercyes towards me and hearken vnto my prayer And if it be possible lett this tribulation passe from mee but not as I will O Lord but as thou pleasest Only strengthen my soule and defend me that I may beare it patiently and find grace before thee in this world and in the next And cast thy thoughts vpon him and he will doe what is fitt for thee For know this that he being good and full of benignitie willeth all things that are for our soules health for he the good shepheard layed downe his soule for all vs his sheepe To him beglory world without end Amen FINIS

A TREATISE OF PRAYER AND OF THE FRVITS AND MANNER OF PRAYER By the most Reuerend Father in God IOHN FISHER Bishop of Rochestre Preist and most eminent Cardinall of the most holy Catholike Church of the title of S. Vitalis Translated into English by R. A. B. Printed att Paris by Will Baudry M. DC.XXXX Academiae Cantabrigiensis Liber TO THE VERY HONORABLE AND VERTVOVS LADYE THE LADYE ELIZABETH HERBERT Wife to the honorable Sin Percy Herbert of Powis Castle in Montgomerie shire MADAME The noble favours I have received from your Ladishipp have not onely made me studious to preserve a gratefull mind in my selfe But also encouraged me to vndertake these smal paines in your Ladyshipps behalfe I know good MADAME that by your dayly exercise in prayer you have atteined to a great perfection in that art Yet with all I know your Ladishipps humilitie to be such as you will not scorne nor disdeigne to better your knowledge from the instructions of the most able and most pious vnderstanding of the age in which he lived MADAME I present heere vnto your Ladyshipp a Treatise of the most Reuerend Father Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rochester Preist most eminent Cardinall of the holy Roman Catholike Church as you see MADAME sufficiently recommended hy those titles he deservedly obteined correspondent to the vertues of his most holy and blessed life My care hath onely been to render him faythfullie and for your Ladishipps benefitt as the gravitie of the argument requires not giuing him any other ornamēt the that of truth which I supposie makes it more agreable to your Ladyshipps vertues and with all I desire it may be accepted from him who glories in nothing more then the title of beinge MADAME Your Ladyshipps most humble servant and beadsman R. A. B. APPROBATIO NOs Frater Clemens Raynerus Congregationis Anglicanae Ordinis Sancti Benedicti Presbyter Monachus eiusdemque Congregationis Praeses Generalis per praesentes facultatem concedimus typis mandandi deuotum Tractatum Reuerendissimi in Christo Patris Iohannis Fisheri Episcopi Roffensis Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalis Eminentissimi de Oratione à Reuerendo Patre R. A. eiusdemquc Ordinis Congregationis nostrae in idioma Anglicum traductum In cuius rei sidem his subscripsimus sigillumque nostrum apposuimus die sexto Februarij anno Domini 1640. Fr. CL. RAYNERVS Praeses Generalis Locus † sigilli AN INDEX OF THE CHAPTERS THE FIRST PART HOw We may alwa●se 〈◊〉 Chapt. I. pag. 1. The first reason why God is to be prayed vnto Cha. II. p. 17. The second reason why God is to be prayed vnto Cha. III. p. 27 The third reason why God is to be prayed vnto Cha. IV. p. 37. The last reason why God is to be prayed vnto Cha. V. p. 44. THE SECOND PART Of the three cheife fruits of prayer Chap. I. p. 53. Of the first fruite of prayer to wit of meritt Cha. II. p. 58. Of the second fruite of prayer which is to obteining of the thing we pray for Chap. III. p. 63. Of the third fruite of prayer which is spirituall sweetnesse Chap. IV. p. 70. THE TRIRD PART Of the manner of prayer Chap. I. p. 85. Vn to what thing we ought cheifely to attend when we pray Chap. II. p. 87. How long our prayer ought to be Chap. III. p. 201. Whether prayer of the heart onely be more profitable then that wich is made both with heart and speech Cha. IV. p. 217. OF PREMEDITAtion before Prayer VVhen you intend to offer the Sacrifice of prayer prayses to almighty God and prepare you to prayer First recall your Sences and gather together your wit res with an humble attentiue and deuout minde lift vp your heart to almighty God Reuerontly standing vpright with your hands ioyned before your brest and lifted vp Pause then à little while and aduisedly confider with your selfe wherefore you come whereabout you goe what busines you now take in hand Also before whom you are present the petitions you wil aske and the offering you meane to make Remembre you are nowe before a most mighty diuine Maiestie The Creator and Redeemer of yourselfe and all Mankinde whom infinite number of Angels and al the Celestial multitude do continually adore and worship with feare and trembling And your selfe a most wretched vnworthie creature fraile vnstable falling from him dull and vnapt to cal vpon him And yet his mercie is so much and his goodnesse so great that he is euer readie to heare and gratiouslie to graunt your lawfull requestes and to receaue you when you come vnto him and also to forgiue you all your offences when you are heartelie sorie and aske mercie for them Likewise he is one that hath and doth most bountefully bestowe vpon you all things necessarie for bodie and soule and hath and doth defende and keepe feede and nourish you and all creatures Then thinke that it is before this diuine Presence before the which you presume to enter and to present your selfe to intreate beseech and require mercy and forgiuenesse of sinnes for your selfe and all others and to offer the sacrifice of Prayse and Thankesgiuing vnto him Therefore with all humilitie and reuerence prostrate your selfe at the feete of his mercie and indeuour with deuotion to accomplish that you come for But before you begin your prayers that you may the rather offer them with cleanes of heart and giue thanks to God not onely for his benefites but chiefly for his goodnesse in himselfe make it fully knowen to your heart as true that it is vncertaine whether you shall liue to the end of your Prayers or not Indeuour therefore that they may be such as if it should so happen before you had ended the that so through the mercie of God they may be acceptable vnto him for the full forgiuenes of your offences and the receauing you into his grace and fauour And that you may the more perfectly beginne continue and end all your prayers and other good actions in the Name and to the honour and glorie of GOD the most holie and blessed Trinitie and haue in minde his great goodnesse towardes you and giue thankes for them and also that the Passion of our Lord may take the more effect the benefite of it may be imparted the fruite thereof inioyed and in all spirituall practises remembred You may if it please you begin your Prayers in maner as followeth Meekely falling on your knees your heart and ioyned handes being eleuated to God A TREATISE OF PRAYER AND OF THE FRVITS AND maner of praying THE FIRST PART Hw we may alwaise pray CHAPT I. FOR as much as that which Christ our Saviour affirmeth in the ghospell of Saint Luke to witt thac We ought alwayse to pray cōcerneth all Christians who seeth not how much it doth avayle euery Christian to apply himselfe most diligently to prayer and in no wise to neglect so necessarie and profitable a thing for

all of them together and yet it will not be From hence proceedes that theire is never an end of desiring these things and for the obteining of these things all good order is broken and a generall confusion of all things brought into the world Yet nothing of all these can satiate our desires which are of so large an extent and capacitie that they cannot be satisfide but with the cheifest good which is God himselfe The contemplation therefore and fruition of this good is aboue all things to be desired this onely satisfieth this banisheth all longing But this cannot be obteined but by good life nor good life without prayer where by it appeares that whosoever desires to in ioy this happinesse must cheifely aboue all things be intent to this holy exercise of prayer Thus much for the second reason The third reason why God in to be prayed vnto CHAP. II. IN this third place it will not a litle stirre vs vp that Christ Iesus himselfe hath warned vs with his owne mouth to be sedulous in prayer we ought alwayse to pray For who knowes better how to instruct vs in those things that belong to our eternal saluation then the sonne of Almightie God in whome God the father placed the treasures of his wisedome and knowledge and who for that purpose discended into this world to show vs the right way to our heavenly countrie Or who will endeavour with more efficacy to teach vs the way then hee who for the loue of vs hath vndergonne the most troublesome most ignominious and most painfull and contemptible death of the Crosse Neyther hath he onely admonished vs of the necessitie of praying continuallie but he hath likewise promised that we shall obteine any thing we desire of him in prayer saying Aske and yee shall receiue seeke and yee shal find knocke and is shall be opened vnto yee This Iesus Christ the sonne of God who is truth it selfe hath promissed with his owne mouth Let vs therefore flie vnto the throne of his clemency and lett vs there continuallie pray for the grace of good life and perseuerāce in good workes nothing doubting but he wil more willingly and liberallie grant our requests then we know to begg or demād them at his hands Therefore seing he hath taught vs the necessitie of prayer and that we ought alwayse to pray it cannot be doubtfull to any but that aboue all things it is dayly and houerly to be practissed And especiallie of vs Christians who wander in the miseries of this world exiled from the face of our heavenly father it is so necessarie for vs to obey this wholesome councell of Christ that if any one shall determinately resolue with himselfe not to pray he sinneth mortally And which is more whosoeuer shall maliciously neglect to pray having time and opportunitie and cheifely when he seeth himselfe in danger to fall into sinne such negligence may like wise be mortall although the negligence of its owne nature be but a venial sinne greater or lesser according to the greatnesse of the negligence But if wee shall more diligently discusse the words of our Saviour the necessitie of prayer will yet more manifestly appeare The saluation certeinly of euery Christian depends of God whome we must dayly implore for obtaining of the same and because this saluation of ours is in continual danger and that euery one is bound to procure it with all the care and diligence he can hence is it that euery moment we are bound to pray to God for it alwaise to lift vp our eyes to heauen alwayse to lift vp our hearts to God seing it is not to be obteined by any other meanes then from him and by him Neyther must we onely pray for our owne salvation but also for the saluation of our neighbours For as euery one is bound to succour and releiue him when he seeth him in corporall and temporal necessitye soe is he much more bound when heseeth him in any spirituall danger of his soul to releiue him And at this present time we haue most neede to pray seing the times be such and so dangerous as they now be sinners being so multiplied vpon the earth and sinne it selfe so dayly encreased as we see it is Now adayes sinne is applauded and commended as Iustice and good workes reputed sinnes Now to sim is to doe welle and contrary wise to doe well to sinne Woe be vnto vs that are borne in these miserable times In which with teares I speake whosoeuer indureth with the zeale and feare of God beholdeth the manners and conversation of the people he will presently be moved to greife and teares This very consideration ought iustly to moue vs that being humbled and truly sorrie for our sinnes we should by prayer lye continuallie knocking at the Gates of Gods mercy and clemency not onely for our owne safety but also for the recouery of our neighbours whome we see in so miserable and extreame danger of theire souls from whence they cannot arise but by continuall prayer and imploring of Gods diuine assistance The fourth and last reason why God ought to be prayed vnto CHAP. V. THe fourth and last reason may be gathered after this manner There is noe man clothed with this mortall flesh who hath not sometimes finned and highly offended the Maiestie of God nor that hath any warrant or securitie heereafter not to sinne And in this respect it is most necessary for vs by dayly prayer not onely to seeke that he would graciously pardon and forgiue our former sinnes But also that he would be pleased to prevent vs with his grace lest we fall againe into other sinnes through which we may incurre eternal punishment And first there is no man whose soul hath once been infected with sinne that certeinly knowes whether he be in the grace of God or noe vnlesse it be reuealed vnto him Wherefore Salomon sayth in his booke of Ecclesiastes There be iust and wise men and theire workes be in the hands of God and yet man knoweth not whether he be worthy of loue or hatred but all things are kept vncertaine vnto the last that is all things are left to the last examine where nothing shall be hidden not the least thought that hath entered into mans herat shal be concealed from the most strict iudge But although no man in this estate of life knowes certeinty whether he be in state of grace or noe yet by certeine coniectures he may vndoubtedly beleeue it and especiallie when he knowes not that his conscience is charged with any mortall sinne of which he hath not heere to fore repented or which he hath not discouered to his ghostly father or doth intend to discouer at his first opportunitie And if moreouer he finds himselfe inclined to doe and put in execution those things which belong to the honour of God if he be delighted to heare holy scriptures to be often present at diuine seruice and be resolute by Gods grace so much

as is in his power to absteine from all contagion of sinne This man doubtlesse may belecue that he is in the state of grace but as I sayd before no man can certeinly know this vnlesse he be speciallie illuminated from aboue And for this cause it is necessarie for all men to cōteine themselues within the limitts and bounds of feare and to be perseuerantly knocking at the gates of gods mercy To this feare doth the holy scripture perswade vs saying Be not without feare of the forgiuenesse of thy sinns And truly this feare will so much helpe and avayle vs that if the greife before taken for our sinns were not sufficient Almightie god now approuing of this feare and withall accepting of the prayer which this feare begetteth it wil satisfie Gods wroth and obteine mercy and pardon of all his sinnes before committed Moreouer if we grant there be any man that knowes he hath full remission of all his sinnes and that he be wholy reconciled to God and certeinly in his grace yet may such an one very well doubt whether he may not fall from this so happie an estate seing that there is no man so confirmed in grace but that he may fall from it wherefore S. Paul giues this councell to the Romans Thoustandest by fayth Ro. 11. be not Onerwise but feare as if he should say if thorough fayth any one be in state of grace let him not therefore presume of himselfe but let him rather feare seing he may so easily fall No man can be secure in this world as S. Paul likewise sayth to the Corinthians He that thinketh himselfe to stand 2. Cor. 10. lett him take heed he fals not Wherefore it is most necessarie for vs to lift vp our eyes and hands to heaven and with most humble heartie prayers to intreate of God to grant vs the grace of perseverance least we fal from this happie estate we are in by his grace For we reade of many whoe haue stood vp like pillers a long time in the Church of Christ and haue shined like as burning lamps of sanctitie yet because they haue not conteined themselues within the limitts of this humble feare they haue fallen headlong into the bottomelesse pitt of hell not onely to their owne ruine and infamie but the ruine of many others which here but that I feare to be tedious I could confirme by the authoritie of holy doctors and indubitable histories of the Church Now out of this we haue heere sayd it appeares to euery man that we ought alwayse to pray as well for the obteining pardon of our sinns as also to avoyde the imminent dangers we may so easily fall into And thus having treated of these foure reasons so much I hope as is sufficient I will now speake something of the fruit of prayer which I promised to doe in this second part THE SECOND PART OF THE THREE CHEIFE FRVITS of prayer CHAPT I. ALTHOVGH the a foresayd reasons may seeme more then sufficient to stirre vp mens minds vnto prayer yet not with stāding there be many very slow and dull to this exercise because forsoth they doe not tast that inward sweetnesse which many devout souls doe oftentimes find in themselues They would willingly they say pray if they could in ioy that such inward comfort and content which others doe But withall they then doe not consider that prayer must goe before and swetnesse and delight will come after For as in the bodie by long motion and agitation of it heate comes and increaseth euen so by long vse and perseuerance in prayer begineth and increasseth that sweetnesse and comfort in the soul which is most pleasant and aboue all mesaure comfortable And although euery one tasteth not this sweetnesse in prayer yet there be other fruits which we reape by praying which be of three sorts The first is the meritt it selfe which God hath proposed to giue vnto vs for praying The second is the obteining of the thing we pray for The third is the tast of that wonderfull sweetnesse which we find in our selfes in the time of prayer Which three kind of fruits are so different in themselues that one may attaine vnto the first without the other two For one may by prayer meritt yet not obteine that which he prayeth for as saint Paul did whoe sayth that 2. Cor. 12. He prayed to God three times that the sting of the fleshe with which he was very much troubled might be taken from him Yet he did not obteine what he prayed for but for all this it is most certeine he did not loose the meritt of his prayer And the two first may be obteined without the third which questionlesse dayly happens vnto many who begging pardon of their sinns doe obteine it and besides this they are not frustrated of the meritt of prayer yet theyare not refreshed with that inward ioy and spirituall sweetnesse For the Publican which Christ speaketh of in the ghospel when he begged pardon of his sinns saying God haue mercy on me a sinner Mart. 18. obteined bothe the meritt of his prayer and the forgivenesse of his sinns for it followeth in the ghospell Ibid. He went away iustified into his owne bowse But we doe not reade that he receiued any spirituall sweetnesse or delight in his soul Whereby it is most apparant that these three fruits are so different that happen not all to euery one But that we may more eleerely fee the excellency of each of them we will treat of them in order apart and first of the meritt of prayer Of the first fruit of Prayer that is of the meritt CHAP. II. VVe haue before sayd that meritt is the first fruit of prayer which we will not haue vnderstood of any meritt but of that onely to which a reward in heaven doth correspond and is due which diuines call essentiall For it is certeine Vvicked man haue some meritt of their prayers that there is no man with how great sinns socuer he be charged that shal be deprived of all meritt of his prayer for he shall eyther be rewarded in this world with some temporall reward or at best his paines shal be somewhat mittigated in the next but in respect of such prayer he shall neuer obteine any the Ieast portion of heavenly glory for that is not obteined by any but those whose prayer springeth from the roote of charitie that is who are in the state of grace when they pray Whosoeuer therefore desireth not to be depriued of this meritt must first indeavour to haue charitie deepely planted and rooted in his heart and so not onely his prayer but all his workes shal be meritorious And the greater that the charitie is the more meritorius will the worke be whence I gather that they meritt most 〈◊〉 prayer is most meritorious who heartily pray for their enimies because that kind of prayer proceedes from the highest degree of charitie And therefore it is