A Godly Letter to the Faithful in London, Part 10 – Part 31
¶God deliuerith his choſen frome theyr enymyes.
THat prayer aſcendith into goddes preſence and retourneth not in vayne / as Dauid in the vehement perſecucion of Saule / Pſal. 7.hunted and chaſed from eueryevery hole / fearing that one day or other he ſhulde fal in to the hā des of his perſecutors / after that he had complayned / that no place of reſt was lefte for him vehemently / prayde ſayinge / o Lorde which art my God / in whome I hauehave truſted / ſaue me frome al that perſecute me / and delyuer me / let not th…s man (meninge Kinge Saule) deuoure my life as the liō doth his pray / ſeing their is no man to delyuer me / in the myddeſt of theſe āguiſhes / the goodnes of God ſuſtainid hym / that the preſent tribulacion was tollerable / and the infallible promyſis of God / ſo aſſured him of deliueraunce / that feare was partly nitegate and gone / as playnly apereth to ſuche as diligently marke the proſſes of his prayer / for after longe meniſſ…nge and threateninge made to his enemye / he concludith with theſe wordes. The dollor which he entē dith vntounto me / ſhal fal vppon his own head / & the violence wherwith he wolde hauehave oppreſſed me / ſhal caſt doun his owne head / and I ſhal magnify the Lord / accordinge to his iuſtice / and ſhal prayſe the name of the moſt higeſt.A cōforte to the writer / being in aduerſite.
This is not written for Dauid only / but for al ſuche as ſhal ſuffer tribulacion / to the ende of the worlde / for I the writer hereof (let this be ſayd to the lāde & prayſe of God alon) in anguiſhe of mynde / & vehemēt tribulaciō & affliction called vntounto the Lorde / when not only the vngodly / but euen my faytheful brother / yea and my owne ſelfe / that is / al natural vnderſtandinge. Iudge my cauſe to be irremydiceble & yet in my greateſt calamyte. And whē my paynes wher moſt cruel / wold his eternal wiſdome / that my hande ſhuld write (farre contrary to the iudgemēte of carnal reaſon) which his mercy hathe prouyd true / and therfore dare I be in the veryte of Godes worde to permit that not withſtandinge / the vehemency of troble / the longe continuance therof / the deſperacion of al men / the fearfulnes dolore / and anguiſhe of our own hartes / yet yf we cal conſtantly to God / that by expectacion of al men he ſhal delyuer.
Notewel Vvhere cō ſtant praier is, this graū ted the peticion. Pſal. 41. Pſal. 119.Let no mā thinke him ſelfe vnworthy to cal and pray vntounto God / becauſe he hath greuouſly offendid God in tymes paſt / but let hym bryng to God a ſorowful and repentynge harte / ſayinge with Dauid / heale my ſoule o Lorde / for I hauehave offendid agaynſt the / before I fel in myſery I tranſgreſſed / but now let me obſerue thy commaūdementes.
To mitegate or eaſe the ſorowes of our woū did conſcience / two playſters hath our moſt prudent phiſition prouyd to geue vsus / in corrage for to pray / notwithſtanding the knowlege of offences committed / that is a precepte and a promyſe / the precept or commaūdement to pray is vniuerſal frequently inculeate and repetyd in Godes ſcripturs.Mat. 7. Pſal. 49. Matt. 26. 1. Tim. 2. 1. Teſſa. 5 Aſke and it ſhalbe geuen vntounto you. Cal vppon me in the day of thy tribulacion / watche and pray that ye fal not into temptacion. I commaunde that euer ye make deprecacions / pray inceſſable and geue thankes in al thynge / which commaundement / who contemneth or diſpiſeth / doth e…ally ſinne with hym that doth ſteale.
For as this commaundement / thou ſhal not ſteale / is a precept negatyue / ſo thou ſhalt pray is commaūdement affirmatyne / and God requireth equal obedience of / and to al his commaūdementes (yet more boldly wil I ſay) whē neceſſite cōſtraynth deſireth / Notewelnot ſupporte and helpe at God / doth prouoke his wrathe no leſſe then ſuche as make falſſe Gods / doo or openly deny God.
¶Who prayth not in tribulaciō denieth God.
FOr like as it is to know no phiſicion or medicine / and in knowinge them refuſe to vſe and receyue the ſame / ſo not to cal vppon God in thy tribulacion is / lyke as thou not God / or els vtterly denye hym.
¶Not to pray is ſinne moſt odious.
O Why ceaſſe we to cal inſtantly to his mercy / hauinge his commaūdement ſo to do aboue al our iniquities / we worke manifeſt contemtion and diſpiſinge / when by wekid negligens / we delay to cal for his ſupporte / we doth cal to God obeyth his wil / Iere. 7.& fyndeth therin no ſmall conſolacion / knowynge no ſacryfice / ſo acceptable to his maieſtye / as humble obedience is.
To his commaūdement he addeth his moſt vndoubted promyſe in many places / Mat. 7.aſke and ye ſhal hauehave / ſeke and ye ſhal fynde / Ierem. 27and by the Prophet Ieremy ye ſhal cal vppon me / and I ſhal hear you / ye ſhal ſeke and ſhal find me / and by Eſaye / may the father forget his natural ſonne / or the mother the child of her wombe / and although they do / yet ſhal I not forget ſuche as cal vpō me. And hereto correſpondēt and agree the wordes of Ieſus Chriſt / ſaying / yf ye beynge wekid / Lucke. 1.can geue good gyftes to your ſonnes / muche more my celeſtial father ſhal geue the holy ghoſte too them that aſke of hym. And that we ſhould not thinke God to be abſent or not heare vsus accurreth. Moyſes ſaying / Deut. 4there is no naciō that hauehave theyr godes ſo adherent or nyghe vntounto them as our God is preſent / at al our prayers. And the pſalmiſt / nyghe is the lord to al / which cal vpō him in veryte / & Ieſus Criſt ſayth / whereſoeuer are two or thre gathered together in my name / there am I in the myddes of them.
¶Reddines of God to heare ſinners.
THat we ſhal not thynke that God wil not heare vsus / Eſay ſayng befor they crye I ſhal hear / and while they yet ſpeake / I ſhal aunſwer / and alſo yf at euen / come ſorowe or calamiti / before the morninge ſpringe I ſhal redreſſe & turne gladnes / and his moſt comfortable worde / ſpoken not to carnal Iſrael only / but to al men ſore oppreſſed / abidinge Gods deliuerance. Frome a moment and a lyttel ſeaſon hauehave I turned my face frome the / but in euerlaſtinge mercye ſhall I comforte the.
¶The hope to obteyn our peticions / ſhuld depende vppon the promyſes of God.
O Stony are the harts / whome ſo manyfolde moſt ſwete & ſure promiſ is dothe not molyfye / wherevppon ſhoulde depend the hope to obtayne our peticions / the dingnite or vnworthynes of our ſelfes is not to be regarded / for albeit to the choſen / which are departed in holynes and purite of lyfe / we be inferiors / yet in that parte we are equal in that we hauehave / the ſame Commaūdement to pray / and the ſame promiſe to be harde / for he eſtimeth not the prayer / neither grauntith the peticion / for any dingnite of the perſon that prayth / but for his owne promyſe ſake. And therfore ſayth Dauid.1. King. 7 Thou haſt promyſed vntounto thy ſeruāt / o Lorde that thou wilte build an houſe for hym / and therefore thy ſeruaunt hath founde conueniēt matter to pray in thy preſence. Now ſo o Lord God / thou art God / and thy wonders are true / thou haſte ſpoken theſe good thinges vntounto thy ſeruaunte / begin therfore to do / according to thy promiſe / multiplie o Lorde the houſholde of thy ſeruaunte.Gene. 23. Beholde / Dauid altogether dependith vppon Gods promiſe / as alſo did Iacobe / who after he had confeſſed hym ſelfe vnworthy of all the benefites receyued / yet dare he boldely aſke greater benefytes in tymes ſubſequent / & that becauſe God had promiſed. In the lyke maner let vsus be encouraged / too aſke whatſoeuer the goodnes of God hath frely promiſed / what we ſhould aſke prīcipally we after ſhal heare.
¶Obſeruacion in godly prayer.
THe fifth obſeruaciō / which godly praier requireth / is the perfyt knowledge off the aduocate interceffour & mediatour for ſeing no man is of hym ſelfe worthy to cō pare / or apeare in Gods preſence by reaſon / that in all men cōtinually reſteth ſynne.
¶Of neceſſyte we muſt hauehave a mediator.
WHiche by the ſelfe doth offende the maieſtie of God / reaſinge alſo / debate / ſtryfe / hatered / and deuiſion betwixt his inuiolable iuſtice and vsus. Wherunto / oneles ſatiſfactiō be made by any other then by our ſelfs / ſo littel hope reſteth that any thyng from him. We can attayne / that no ſuerty may we hauehave with hym at all.
To examine vsus of hys horrible confuſion / knowinge that our mindes moſt fragile / here by continually ſhuld hauehave ben deiectid / our merciful father hathe geuen vntounto vsus his onelyonly begotton ſonne Ieſus Chriſt to be aduocate and foreſpeaker for vsus / 1. Ioh. 2. Hebre. 8.that we ledde by ſuche a guyde with whoſe iuſtice (yf in him we beleue) we are ſo clede that we may with boldnes cōpayr and apeare before the trone of goddes mercy / doubtyng nothing / but whatſoeuer we aſke by our mediator / Heb. 4.the ſame we ſhal obtayn in moſe opportunite.
Here is moſt diligently to be eſchewed / that without our mediatour for ſpeaker / & peace maker / Note diligently, by Vvhom vve muſt praie.we enter into prayer / ſo the benifite of ſuche as pray without Ieſus Criſt / are not only vayn / but alſo they are odious / & abhomenable before God / which thing to vsus in the leuitical prieſthode mooſt euident was prefigurate & declarid / for as within ſantum ſantorū entred no mā / …. par. 26.but the hige prieſt allone / and as al ſacrifices offred by any other then by prieſtes only / prouoked the wraught of God vppon the ſacrifice maker / ſo who dothe intende to enter into goddes preſence / or to make prayrs without Ieſus Criſt ſhal find nothīg / but fearful iudgmēt & horrible dānacion. Wherfore it is playne that Turkes & Iewes not withſtāding that they do appearaūtly / Turkes Iewes.& moſt verfently pray vntounto God / who created heauē & earth / who guideth & ruleth theſame / who defendeth the good / & puniſheth the euil / yet neuer are theyr prayers pleaſant vntounto God / neither honor they his maieſty in any thyng / becauſe they acknowlege not Iheſus Chriſt.
¶When we be not hearde.
FOr who honoreth not the ſonne / honorith not the father / for as the lawe is a ſtatute / that we ſhall call vntounto God / and as the promiſe is made that he ſhal heare vsus / ſo are we cōmaunded only to cal by Ieſus Chriſt / 2. Cor. 1…by whome alone our peticions we obtayne / for in hym allone are al the promiſes of God confirmed & cōpleant / wherof without all contreuerſes / it is playne that ſuche as hauehave caullid or calleth preſentlye vntounto God / by anye other meane / thē by Ieſus Criſt allone / doth nothing regarde Godes wil / but obſtinatly preuaricat / & do agaynſt his cōmaundementes / & therfore neither obtaī thei their peticiō / nor yet hauehave entres in his mercy. For no mā cōmeth to the father (ſayith Ieſus Chriſt / but by me he is the right way / who declineth frō him errith and goyth wronge / he is oure leder / whome without we folowe / we ſhal walke in darknes / & he alone is our captain / without whome neither praiſe nor victory we ſhal obtayne agaynſt ſuch as depend vponupon the interceſſion of ſayntes / no otherwyſe wil I cōtend / but ſhortly touche the propertis of a perfyt mediatour.
¶Interceſſion to ſayntes.
FIrſt are the wordes moſt ſure of Paule / a mediatoure is not the mediatour of one / that is / whereſoeuer is required a mediator / there are alſo two parties / to wyte one party offendant & the other party / which is offendid whiche partiſe by thēſelfe maye in no wiſe be reconſiled.
Secondly the mediator / Mediator.which taketh vppon hym the recōſiling of theſe two parties / muſt be ſuche one as hauehave truſte and fauor of both parties in ſome thinges / And differre frome bothe / and muſte be cleane and innocent / alſo of the cryme / committed agaynſt the party offended / let thys be more playne by thys ſubſequent declaration.
¶Aungels may not be mediators.
THe eternall God ſtandeth vppon the one parte / and all naturall men / deſcē ding of Adam vponupon the other / the infinite iuſtice of God is ſo offended with the trāſgeſſion of all men / that in no wyſe can amyte be made / excepte ſuche one be founde as fully maye make ſatiſfaccion / for mans offences / amonge the ſonnes of men none was founde able. For all they were founde criminall in the faulte of one / and God infinite in iuſtice muſt abhorre the ſocietie and ſacrifice of ſinners. And vntounto aungelles / what preuailed the preuarication of man / who albeit / they wolde hauehave interponed them ſelfes mediators / had not the iuſtice infinite / who ſhall here be foūd peace maker. The infinite goodnes and mercy of God / might not ſuffer the perpetuall loſſe and repudiaciō of his creature / & therfore his eternall wyſedome / prouyde ſuch an medyator hauing wherwith to ſatiſfy. The iuſtice of God differeth alſo frō the godhead / his onelyonly ſonne / cledde in the nature of manhead / who interponed him ſelf mediator / not as mā only.
¶Ieſus Chriſt / God & man is mediator.
FOr the pure humanitie of Chriſte of it ſelfe / might neither make interceſſ…ō nor ſatiſfacciō for vsus / but God & man in that that he is God / he might complete the will of the father / & in that / that he is man pure and cleane / without ſpot or ſinne he might offer ſacrifice / for purgacion of our ſynnes & ſatiſfaction of Gods iuſtice / without ſainctes. HaueHave theſe twoo godhead equale with the father / & humanite without ſynne / the office of mediators they may not vſurpe / Obiectiō but here wilbe obiected / who knoweth not Ieſus Chriſt / to be the onelyonly mediator of our redemciō / Aūſwere. but that impedites or letteth nothing. Sainctes and holy men / to be mediators to make interceſſion for vsus / as though that Ieſus Chriſte had bene one houre or mediator / & after had reſined thoffice vntounto his ſeruauntes.
¶Who maketh other mediators then Ieſus Chriſt / taketh ouer from hym.
DO not ſuch men ientelly intreate Ieſus Chriſt / detracting frō him ſuch porcion of his honor / otherwiſe ſpeaketh the ſcriptures of God / teſtefying hym to be made mā / & to hauehave proued oure infirmites to hauehave ſuffred death willingly / to hauehave ouercome the ſame / & all to this ende / that he might be oure perpetuall hyghe ſouerayne & pryſe / Heb. 6.7.9.10.in whoſe place or dignitie none other mighte entre / as Ihon ſayth / yf any man ſinne / we hauehave an aduocate with the father / euen Ieſus Chriſt the iuſt / marke well this wordes / Ihon ſayth / Ioh. 3. Rom. 8.we hauehave preſently a ſufficiente aduocate / whome Paule affirmeth to ſit / at the righte hande of God the father / and to be the only mediator betwene God and man / for he alone (ſayeth Ambroſe) is our mouth / by whome we ſpeake to God / he is our eyes / by whome we ſe God / & alſo oure righte hande / by whome we offer any thinge vntounto the father / who oneleſſe he make interceſſion / neither we / neither any off the ſainctes maye hauehave any ſociete or felowſhip with God.Libro de Iſaac de anima. True membres. Note diligently.What creator may ſay to God the father / let mankinde be receyued into thy fauoure / for the payne of hys tranſgreſſion that hauehave I ſuſtayned in my owne bodye / for hys cauſe cōpaſſed with all infirmety became I the moſt contempted & diſprayſed of all mē / and yet in my mouth was foūd no diſceyt nor gyle / but always obedient to thy will / ſuffred death / that for mankynd.Obedience of Chriſt. And therfore behold not the ſinner / but me / who by my infinitie iuſtice / hauehave perfetly ſatiſfied for hys offences / maye any other Ieſus Chriſt / except I / in theſe wordes make interceſſion for ſinners / yf they may not then / are they not neither mediators nor interceſſors.Libro cō tra parme niz, ca For albeit / ſayeth Auguſtine Chriſtians do cōmend one another vntounto God in theyr prayers / yet not make interciſſion / or dare vſurpeth office of a mediator / not Paule albeit vnderunder the head / he was a principale mē bre / yet becauſe he commendeth hym ſelfe too the prayer of faithfull men Obiectiō yf any do obiecte. Such is not the condicions of the ſaynctes departed / who nowe hathe put of immortalite / and beareth no lenger the fragilite of the fleſh. Aūſwer. Which albeit / I graunte to be moſte true / yet are they all compelled to caſte theyr crounes before hym that dothe ſitte in the throne / Apoc. 6.knowleginge them ſelfes to be deliuered from greate affliccion / too hauehave bene purged by the bloud of the Lam / and therfore none of them do attempt to be a mediator / ſeynge they neyther hauehave being / nor iuſtice of them ſelfe / but in ſo great light of the Goſpel (prayſe be to the omnipotent) it is not neceſſary vpō ſuch matter longe to remayne.Note this wel. Some ſay / we will vſe but one mediator Ieſus Chriſt to God the father / but we muſte hauehave ſainctes / and chiefly the virgin Mary / mother of Ieſus Chriſt too praye for vsus vntounto hym.
¶Agaynſte ſuche as wolde hauehave mediators too Ieſus Chriſte.
A Lace / whoſoeuer is ſo mīded / ſheweth playnly them ſelf to know nothing of Ieſus Chriſt righteouſly / is he who diſcended frō heauen / conuerſed among ſinners. Commaunded all / vexid ſore / Math. 11.ſeke too come vntounto hym / who hanginge vppon the croſſe / prayde fyrſt for hys enemies / become newe ſo vntractable / that he will not heare vsus withoute a parſon to be a meane. O Lorde / open the eye of ſuche / that they maye clearly perceyue thy infinete kyndnes / gentelnes and louelove towardes mankynde. Aboue all precidentes is to be obſerued / that what we aſke of God / oughte too de proffitable to oure ſelfe and too others / and hurte or daunger of no man.
Secondarely / we muſte conſider whether our peticions extenditeth to ſpirituall or corporall thinges.Spirituall thinges ſhoulde be axid vvithout cōditiō. Spirituall thinges / ſuch as are deliuerance from impiete / remiſſion of their ſinnes / the gifte of the holy ghoſte / and of lyfe euerlaſting ſhould we deſire abſolutely / without any condicion by Ieſus Chriſt / in whome alone all theſe are promiſed / & in aſking hereof / we ſhould not pray thus: O father forgeue our ſinnes / yf thou wilt / for his will he hath expreſſed / ſayinge: as I lyue / I deſire not the death of a ſynner / but rather that he conuert and lyue / mark welwhich in mutable and ſolēpned othe / who calleth in doubt / maketh God a liar / and ſo farre as in hym lyeth / wolde ſpoyle God of hys godhead / for he cā not be God / but he muſt be eternal & infallible veritie / as Ihon ſayth:1. Ioh. 5. This is the teſtimony / which God hath teſtified of hys ſonne / that who beleueth in the ſonne / hath eternal lyfe to the verite whereof we ſhoulde ſtedfaſtly cleue / although calamite and worldly dolor apprehendith vsus / 2. Reg. 15as Dauid exiled from hys kyngdom / and depriued of all hys glorie / ſecluded not frome God / but ſtedfaſtly beleued reconſiliacion by the promyſe made / notwithſtandinge that all creators in earth had refuſed / obiected / & rebelled agaynſt hym / happy is the man whome thou ſhalle inſpire o Lorde.Corporal thinges. In aſking corporal thinges / firſt let vsus inquire / yf we be at peace with God in our conſcience by Ieſus Chriſte / Fyrmly beleuinge our ſinnes to be remitted in hys bloud. Secondly / let vsus inquire our owne hartes / yf we know temporall ryches or ſubſtaunce / not to come to man by accidēte fortune or chaūce / neither yet by the induſtre & diligence of mās labor / but to be the liberall gyft of God onelyonly / wherof we ought to lande & prayſe hys goodnes / wyſedome / & prouidence alone.
¶What ſhould be prayed for.
ANd yf this we do truly knowlege & confeſſe / let vsus boldely aſke of him / whatſoeuer is neceſſary for vsus / as ſuſtentacion of the body / health therof / defence frō miſery deliueraunce from troble / tranquilite & peace to our cōmon wealthes / proſperous ſucceſſe in our vocaciōs / labours & affaires / & whatſoeuer which God wil / we aſke all of hym too certify vsus / that all thing ſtande in his regimēt and diſpocition. And alſo by aſking and receyuinge this corporall commodites / we may taſt of hys ſweatnes / and be inflamed with hys louelove / that therby our fayth of reconciliation & remiſſion of our ſynnes maye be exerciſed and take increace.
But in aſayng ſuche temporal thinges / we muſt obſerue.Note we Vvhy Go… differreth or prolongeth to graunt vsus our peticion. Fyrſt / that yf God differrith or prolonge to graunt our peticions / euen ſo long that he doth apparantly reiecte vsus / yet let vsus not ſeace to call / preſcribing to hym / neither tyme nor maner of deliuerance / as it is written / yf he prolonge tyme abyde paciently vponupon hym / and alſo let not the faythful be to haſty. For God ſometyme differreth / and will not haſtely graunt to the probacion of oure eontinuaūce / as the wordes of Iſeus Chriſt teſtefie / & alſo that we may receiue with greater gladnes / which with hardent deſire we long hauehave loked for / as Anna / Sara & Elizabeth / after great ingnontye of their barranenes & ſterilite / receiued frute of their boſumes with ioye.
Secondarely / becauſe we knowe the churche at all tymes to be vnderunder the croſſe / in aſkynge temporall commodites / and ſpecially deliueraunce frome troble let vsus offer vntounto God obedience / 2. Re. 15.yf it ſhall pleaſe hys goodnes we lō ger be exerciſed / that we may paciently abyde it / as Dauid deſired to be reſtored to his kyngdome / what tyme he was exiled by his owne ſonne offereth vntounto God obedience / ſaying: yf I hauehave founde fauoure in the preſence of the Lorde / he ſhall bryng me home agayne / and yf he ſhall ſaye / thou pleaſeſt my not longer too beare auctorite / I am obediēt / let hym do what ſemed good vntounto hym.Dani. 3. And the thre chyldren vntounto Nabuchodonoſor ſaye: we knowe that our God / whome we worſhip / maye deliuer vsus / but if it ſhall not pleaſe hym ſo to do / let it be knowen to the o kynge / that thy Gods we will not worſhip.
¶Better it is to obey God then man.
HEre geue they a true confeſſiō of their perfit fayth / knowing nothinge to be impoſſible to the omnipotēcy of God / affirming alſo themſelf to ſtāde in his mercy for otherwiſe the nature of man coulde not willingly geue it ſelf to ſo horrible a torment / but offer they vntounto God moſte humble obedience to be deliuered at hys pleaſure & godly will. As we ſhoulde do in all afflictions / for we knowe not what too aſke / or deſire as we ought / that is the frayle fleſh / oppreſſeth with feare and payne / deſireth deliueraunce euer abhorring and drawing backe from obedience geuen. (O Chriſten brother / I write by experience) but the ſprite of God calleth backe the mynde to obedience / that albeit / it doth deſire and abyde for deliueraunce / yea / wolde it not repyng the goodwil of God inceſſantly aſketh that it may abyde with pacience. Howe harde is the battail / no man knoweth but he / whiche in hym ſelfe hath ſuffred triall / Note welit is to be noted that God ſometime doth graunt the peticion of the ſprete / wyle he yet defferreth the deſired of the fleſh.
¶The peticion of the ſprete.Gene. 9
AS who doubteth / but God did mitigate the heauines of Ioſeph / althoughe he ſent not haſty deliueraunce in his longe impriſonemēt / & that as he gaue hym fauour / in the ſighte of his iaylour / ſo inwardly alſo gaue he vntounto hym conſolation in ſprite. And more ouer / God ſometime graūteth the peticiō of the ſprite / where all vtterly he repelleth the deſyre of the fleſh / for the peticion always of the ſprete is / that we may obtayn to felicite wherunto we nedes muſt enter by tribulaciō / and the finall death / both which doth euer the nature of man abhorre / and therfore the fleſhe vnderunder the croſſe / & at the ſight of death / call…h and truſteth for haſty deliueraunce / but God who alone knoweth what is expediēt for vsus.
¶Fleſh ſtriueth agaynſte the ſprete.
Percecuciō of the fay…ful.Sometyme prolongeth the deliueraūce of hys choſen / and ſometime permitteth them to drinke / before the maturite of age / the bitter cuppe of corporal death / that therby they may receyue medicine and care from all infirmite / but who doubtith / but Ihon the Baptiſer / deſired to hauehave ſene more dayes of Ieſus Chriſt / and to hauehave bene longer with hym in conuerſacion.…. 7. Or that Steuen wolde not hauehave labored more dayes in preaching Chriſtes goſpell / whome neuertheleſſe / both he ſuffered haſtely to vnderlye the ſtatute and generall ſentence. And albeit / we ſe therfore no apparant / helpe to oure ſelfe / nor yet to others afflicted / let vsus not ceaſe to call / thinkinge oure prayers to be in vayne / whatſoeuer become of oure bodies.Cōforte to the afflictyd God ſhall geue vnſpeakable comforte too the ſprete / and ſhall turne all to our commodite / by our owne expectacion. The cauſe I am ſo longe and tedious in this matter is / I knowe how harde the battaill is betwixt the fleſhe & the ſprete.
¶Impedimentes cōmith of the weakenes off the fleſhe.
SPrete vnderunder the heauy crocē of affliccion / where no worldely defence / but preſence death doth appeare / I know the grudging and murmoringe complayntes of the fleſhe / I know the anger wrathe & indignacion / which it conceiueth agaynſt God / calling all hys promiſes into doubte / & beinge redy eueryevery houre / vtterly to fall from hym. Agaynſt whiche all reſteth in faith / prouoking vsus to call inſtantly and to praye for aſſiſtaunce of Gods ſprete. Whereunto / yf we continew our moſte deſperat calamites / ſhall he turne to gladnes & ioye and proſperous fyne.
¶To the o Lorde alone be prayſe / for with experience I write this & ſpeake: it is not too be permitted / where / for whome / and at what tyme we ought to praye.
PRiuate prayer / Priuate prayer. Matt. 6.ſuch as men ſecretly offer vntounto God by them ſelfe / require no ſpeciall place / althoughe that Ieſus Chriſte commaūdeth / when we praye to enter in our chaumber / and to cloſe the dore after vsus / & ſo to pray ſecretly vntounto oure father / To enter in to thi chamber to praywhereby he wolde we ſhoulde chuſe to our prayers ſuche place as might offer leaſt occaſion too call vsus backe from prayer / and alſo that we ſhoulde expell forthe of our myndes in tyme of oure prayer all vayne cogitacions / for otherwyſe Ieſus Chriſt hym ſelfe doth obſerue no ſpecial place of prayers / for we finde hym ſometyme pray in mounte Oliuete / ſometyme in the deſerte / ſometime in the temple.Actū. 10. Peter coueteth to praye vppon the toppe of the houſe / Paule prayeth in pryſon / & was harde of God / who alſo commaundeth men to pray in all places / Priuate places to praie in.lifting vp vntounto God pure and cleane handes / as we fynde that the Prophetes & muſte holy men did / whereſouer daunger or neceſſitie requyred.
¶Apoynted places too praye in / maye not be neglectd.
BVt publike & cōmon prayers ſhuld be vſid in place apoynted / for aſſemblye of the cō gregacion / from whence / whoſoeuer negligentlye extracte theym ſelfe is in nowyſe excuſable / I meane not that to abſent frome that place is ſinne / becauſe it is more holy than another. For the hole earthe created by God / is equal holy / but the promiſe made / that wherſoeuer two or thre be gathered together in my name / there ſhall I be in the middes of them / condemneth all ſuche as contemneth the cōgregation / gathered in hys name / but marke wel gathered / I ſaye not to heare pyping / ſinging or playing / not to patter vponupon beades or bokes / wherof they hauehave no vnderſtanding / not to cō mit Idolatrie / honoring that for God / which is no God indede / for with ſuch wil I neither ioyne my ſelfe in cōmon prayer / nor receyuing of the externall ſacramentes / for in ſo doyng I ſhould affirme their ſuperſticion and abhominable Idolatrie / which I neuer wil do nor coū ſail other to do to the ende.
¶What is to be gathered in the name of Chriſt.
THis cōgregacion / which I meane / ſhould be gathered in the name of Ieſus Chriſt / that is to laude & magnefye God the father for the infinite benefites they had receiued by his onelyonly ſonne our Lord / in thys congregacion ſhould be diſtributed the miſticall and laſt ſupper of Ieſus Chriſt / without ſuperſticiō / or any more ceremonies then he hym ſelfe vſed / & hys apoſtels after hym indiſtribution thereof / in thys congregacion ſhould inquiſiciō be takē of the poore among them / & ſufficient ſupport whyle the tyme of their next conuenciō / ſhuld be prouided and diſtributed.
In this congregacion ſhoulde be made common prayers / ſuche as all men hearing might vnderſtande that the hartes of all ſubſcribing to the voyce of one / mighte with vnfayned & ferfent mynde ſay Amē. Whoſoeuer do withdrawe them ſelfe from ſuche a congregacion / but allace where ſhall it be founde / do declare them ſelfes too be no members of Chriſtes bodye.
¶For whome and at what tyme we ſhoulde praye.
FOr all men / 1. Tim. 2. Vvhen and for vvhome vve ſhould praie.& at all times doth Paule commaund that we ſhall praye / & principally for ſuche of the houſholde of fayth / as ſuffer perſecucion / and when cōmon wealths tyranniouſly we oppreſſed / then inceſſantly ſhoulde we call that God of hys infynite mercy and power woll withſtande the violence of ſuche tyrauntes.