A New Pathway Unto Prayer, Part 4
¶ In what place a Chrysten shoulde Praye.
¶ The. xxii. Chapter.
ALthough God in y• olde lawe was called vponupon, & prayed vntounto of ye Iewes in the temple of Ierusalē, which Salomō buylded, & although God had chosē that place, wher… chefely they shoulde call vponupon his name, offer Sacrifyce vntounto hym, read & learne his moost holy law, & do such thynges as he had appoynted them in his word, yet both at that tyme, yea & also many yeres before, we read that dyuers holy mē prayed in other places besydes that Temple, & were harde. Neyther dyd God so institute that temple to be a house of prayer, as though it should only be there lawefull to call on hys diuyne name,Why the tē ple of Salomō was builded. but yt by that meanes he shoulde kepe the grosse Iewes in an order, whiche els would hauehave inuēted newe kyndes of worshyppyng God after theyr owne fantasy, & resorted to such places, wher Idolles were worshypped, & by this meanes be prouoked vntounto Idolatrye, where vntounto they were very much bent, as we may se in the holy Scriptures. Therfore god appointed thē to pray in that temple of Salomon, not takynge awaye yet for all that the lybertie of prayeng in eueryevery place frō the faythfull.Gene. iiii. For we read ye Enos y• sonne of Seth dyd fyrst begynne to call on the name of the LORDE, before ony temple was buylded. And it is to be thoughte, that Abell also prayed vntounto God, whan he offred in crisyce, Enoch, Nohe, Thare, Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Ioseph with many other of the aunciēt Patriarkes worshypped & prayed vntounto God, one in this, another in that place, before ony one peculiar house was appointed & dedicated vntounto prayer, yea and God hearde those prayers, accepted them, & graunted the peticions asked in them. What other thynge do the examples of all these holye men teach vsus, than that it is lawfull for a faythfull man to praye wythoute ony differency in eueryevery place.Exod… ▪ ii. Dyd not the chyldren of Israell praye to God, whā they were oppressed wyth miserable captiuite in Egypt a lond full of Idolatrye, supersticion, & all kynde of wickednes? Dyd not Moses & Aaron many tymes praye vntounto ye LORDE in wyldernes?Iosue. … Dyd not Iosue praye vntounto God in hys watres before, we read that dyuers holy mē prayed in other places besydes that Temple, & were harde. Neyther dyd God so institute that temple to be a house of prayer, as though it should only be there lawefull to call on hys diuyne name,Why the tē … ple of Salomō was builded. but yt by that meanes he shoulde kepe the grosse Iewes in an order, whiche els would hauehave inuēted newe kyndes of worshyppyng God after theyr owne fantasy, & resorted to such places, wher Idolles were worshypped, & by this meanes be prouoked vntounto Idolatrye, where vntounto they were very much bent, as we may se in the holy Scriptures. Therfore god appointed thē to pray in that temple of Salomon, not takynge awaye yet for all that the lybertie of prayeng in eueryevery place frō the faythfull.Gene. iiii. For we read yt Enos ye sonne of Seth dyd fyrst begynne to call on the name of the LORDE, before ony temple was buylded. And it is to be thoughte, that Abell also prayed vntounto God, whan he offred sacrifyce, Enoch, Nohe, Thare, Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Ioseph with many other of the aunciēt Patriarkes worshypped & prayed vntounto God, one in this, another in that place, before ony one peculiar house was appointed & dedicated vntounto prayer, yea and God hearde those prayers, accepted them, & graunted the peticions asked in them. What other thynge do the examples of all these holye men teach vsus, than that it is lawfull for a faythfull man to praye wythoute ony differency in eueryevery place.Exod… ii. Dyd not the chyldren of Israell praye to God, whā they were oppressed wyth miserable captiuite in Egypt a londfull of Idolatrye, supersticion, & all kynde of wickednes? Dyd not Moses & Aaron many tymes praye vntounto ye LORDE in wyldernes?Iosue. … Dyd not Iosue praye vntounto God in hys warres, whan he made the Sonne and Moone to stand styll, vntyll he had reuenged hymselfe of hys enemyes?…. Reg. xvii. Dyd not Helias praye in the house of the wydowe of Sarepra, whā he restored her sōne from death to syfe? Dyd not he agayne pray in ye toppe of the mounte Carmelus, & obtayned after long droute plēte of rayn?…. Reg. …. Esaie. …xii…. Dyd not Ezechias the kynge whan he heard that he should dye, pray to the LORDE in his bed, & obtayned to lyue.Nehem. … xv. yeres longer? Dyd not Nehemias but lare vntounto kyng Artaxerzes both do seruyce vntounto his Lorde, & also pray vntounto God?Toby. viii. Dyd not Toby & Sara his wyfe pray vntounto God in theyr houses? Dyd not Iob pray vponupon ye dungehyll?Iudith. xii. Dyd not Iudith praye vntounto the LORDE in her Oratory, & diuers other places?Dani. vi. Dyd not Daniel, when he serued the wycked kynge knele downe & pray vntounto the LORDE thryse eueryevery daye in his chā ber? Dyd not he praye to God,Dani. xi…. whā he was cast into the denne of Lyōs? Dyd not Ionas pray in the whales belly?Ionas. ii. Hester. xiiii. Dyd not quene Hester praye secretlye in her chamber?Daniel. xiii. Dyd not Susanna pray in the streate, as she wente for to be stoned vntounto deathe? Dyd not Ieremye praye vntounto God, when he was in prysonne?Luke. vi. Dyd not Christ customably praye on ye mountaynes in the feld?Math. xxvi. Dyd he not pray in the gardyns? Dyd he not praye hangynge vponupon the crosse?Math. xxvii. Actum. vii. Dyd not Stephen pray to God, whā ne was stoned vntounto death?Actum. ii. Dyd not ye Apostles wyth certayne women, & Mari the mother of Iesu & his brothers praye togither after Christes ascencion in a parloure?Actum. x. Dyd not Cornelius the Centurion pray at home in his house? Dyd not Peter praye in the ouer parte of the house of Symon the Cāner?Actum. xxi. Dyd not Paule wt his cōpanyons praye in dyuers places, as cities, townes, felde s, see bāckes, shyppes, prysons. &c? Were not all these heard? yes verely, & theyr peticions graunted them mercifully. What do we learne of all these Histories? Certes that a faythfull christian is boūd to no place. Wher soeuer a faithful mā prayeth, he shal vndoutedly beheard. Christ sayd to the womā of Samaria:Ioan. iiii. Womā beleue me, ye houre cōmeth, whā neither in this mountayne, nor at Ierusalē ye shall worshyp the Father. Ye worshyp ye knowe not what. We worshyp that we knowe. For helth is of the Iues. But the houre cōmeth, & nowe it is, whā true worshyppers shall worship the father in spiryte & trueth. For ye father also seketh suche ye maye worshyp hym. For God is a spiryte, and they that worshyp hym, muste worshyp him in spirite & trueth. Saynt Paule also sayth,i. Tim. ii. I wyll that men praye in eueryevery place, lyftynge vppepure handes wythout wrath & contēcion. But let vsus heare what Chrisostome sayth.
¶ The. xxiii. Chapter.
LEt vsus not excuse our selues sayenge,Home. lxxxix de oratione. that it is no easye thynge for a man beynge entāgled wt worldly businesses to praye, seynge that he hath no oratory nor house fytte for prayer nygh vntounto hym. For wher so euer thou be, thou mayst make and appoynt thyne altare. For the place hyndereth nothynge, neyther dothe the tyme let, but though thou doste not bowe thy knees, nor knocke thy brest, nor stretche out thy handes to heauen, yet mayst thou pray aright & make thy prayer perfecte, so that thou only shewest & bryngest forth a feruēt mynde. For thou mayst whā thou goest vntounto markette, & walkest by thy selfe alone, make longe prayers. Thou mayst also syttynge ī thy shoppe, & sowynge skynnes dedicate thy soule vntounto the LORDE. The seruaunt also that byeth, or goeth vp & downe, & the Cooke doyng his office whan he can not go to chyrche, may make a prayer longe & discrete. For God disdaineth not the place, but requyreth one thynge, that is to saye, a feruent mynde, & a pure soule. For Paule also, not in an Oratory, but in the prison lyenge wyde open, nor stondynge ryghte vp, nor bowynge his knees, for the clogge, wherwyth his feete were bound, dyd not suffer hym, yet seynge that he lyenge prayed feruently, he shaked the prysonne vnlosoned the foundacions, & dydde bynd the keper of the pryson, & afterward brought hym vntounto holy religion. And Ezechias not stōding right vp, nor bowynge hys knees, but lyeng wyde open in his bedde bycause of his syckenes, whā he turned hymselfe vntounto the wall, in asmuche as he called vponupon God feruently & wyth a pure soule, he both called agayne the sentence pronoūced, obtayned much beneuolence, & was restored to hys olde helth. And the these beyng stretched out vponupon the crosse, wyth fewe wordes purchased the heauēly kyngdome. And Ieremy in the myre and lake, & Daniel in the prysone and amonge the wylde beastes. And Ionas in the belly of a whale, prayeng vntounto God, dyd both dissolue all maner of euels, wherwith they were beseged, cōpassed & set about, and also found fauoure at the hande of God, what than oughteste thou to saye, when thou prayest? Uerely euen the same thynge that the woman of Canane dyd. For euē as she sayd. HaueHave meroye on me, my doughter is greuously vexed of a dyuell, so say thou lykewyse, hauehave mercye vponupon me, my soule is very greuously vexed of a diuell. For synne is a great dyuell, she y• had the dyuell dyd fynde mercy, & yet was she hated; whā she dyd syn? HaueHave mercy on me, is but a short saienge, yet doth it contayns an whole see of mercy. For wher soeuer mercy is, ther are all good thīges. Though thou be without the chyrch, cry, sayeng, hauehave mercy on me though thou dost not moue thy lyppes, but onlye crye in thy mynde. For God also heareth them that holde theyr peace. Ther is no place to be sought, but a begynnyng of a place. Ieremy was in the myre, & he made God bounteous vntounto hym by prayer. Iob was on ye dunge hyll, & he made God mercyfull vntounto hym. Ionas was in the whales bellye, & he had God gentle to hym. Though thou be in a vayne praye. Wher so euer thou be, praye. Thou arte the temple, seke no place. The see was before the Iewes, and the Egipcians behynd at theyr backes, & Moses in the myddes speking nothynge, for he was greatlye troubled in his prayer, yet sayd God vntounto hym, what cryest thou to me? In lyke maner thou therfore, whan soeuer temptacion shal come vponupon the, flye vntounto God, & call on the LORDE. Is he a mā, that thou shouldest seke after a place? God is euer at hande. For thou yet spekynge, he wyll say: Beholde here I am presente. Thou hast not yet made thy praier, and he bryngethe helpe. For yf thou haste a mynde pure from vncleane mociōs, though thou be in the market, or in way, or in the consystory, or in ye see, or in the ynne, or in the shyppe, or in onye other place of the worlde, loke where so euer thou calleste on God, there mayest yu obtayne thy peticiō.
Hytherto hauehave I rehersed ye wordes of S. John Chrisostome.De bet a innocen. cap. cccxiii. Lyke vntounto this wryteth Sayncte Austē, sayenge: Why dost yu seke for a fytte and holy place, whan thou shouldest make thy supplicaciō to God? make cleane thy inward partes, & all eue… lustes expulsed from thence, prepare thy selfe a secrete place in the peace of thy herte. Thou wyllyng to pray in the temple, praye in thy selfe, and so behaue thy selfe alway that thou mayste be the tēple of God. For God heareth there, where he dwelleth.
Thus se…we both by the authoryte of the holy scriptures, & the auncient fathers, that a faythfull & Chrysten man may praye lawfully in eueryevery place,1. Cor. iii. …. vi 11. Cor. vi. in asmuch as he is the temple of God, as S. Paule sayeth: Do ye not knowe that ye are the Tēple of God, & the spiryte of God dwelleth in you? The Temple of God is holy which you are.Math. vi. And this is it ye christ sayth: Whan thou shalt praye, enter into thy closette, & the dore sparred, praye to thy father, whiche is in secrete. Therfore let hym ye shall pray, nothynge feare to praye vntounto God in eueryevery place boldly, wyth this perswasion y• God wil heare hī, & grafit hī his hertes desyre i what soeuer place he be.
¶ The xxiiii. Chapter.
I HaueHave not spokē these thynges to make ony psō for to hauehave ye lesse deuocion to go vntounto the Chyrche & accustomed place of prayer,Slaunder not ye syco phantes. when time requy…eth (whiche thynge God forbyd that anye man contrary to my meanyng should gather of these my wordes, or thereby be occasioned the lesse to obserue and kepe the commendable order of thys Realme nowe a dayes vsed among vsus) but to shewe that a faythefull Chrysten man maye lawefullye by Goddes worde praye in eueryevery place, wt thys perswasiō ye God wyl also heare him in eueryevery place,Mat. xxi. Marc. xi. Luk. xix. yea & that whan soeuer he prayeth, so that his prayer be made accordynge vntounto the wyll of god, & as I hauehave taught heretofore. For we reade that Christ at dyuers tymes dyd so approue & allowe the temple of Ierusalem,Ioan. ii. Esa. lvi. Iere. vii. that of the very same place he rehearsed this text of the holy scripture, my house shall be called the house of prayer. Agayn he droue out with whyppes such as dyd bye & sell in the tēple, declaryng thereby, that it was a place of more holines, & of greater pryce in ye sight of God, than that ony prophane businesses myght lawfullye be in it exercysed. He also many tymes preached in the Temple, & it is not to be doubted but that he also vsed there to praye. Agayne, we reade that the Apostles after Christes ascension repared thyther oftentymes bothe to preach & praye.Act. iii. Places therfore dedicated to prayer ought not to be despysed nor abhorred, but vsed vntounto ye end for ye which they were instituted
Mat. xviiiChrist sayth, wher soeuer two or thre shalbe gathered togyther in my name, there am I in the myddes of them. Nowe in Chyrches it is to be thought that many are gathered togyther in Christes name, therfore is Christ there amonge them. Seyng that he is so, eueryevery man ought ioyefully to repare thyther, whan they maye conueniently, but chefely whē the tyme & publyque order doth require, & ther both faithfully to pray deuoutly to be present at ye ministraciō of the moost blessed Sacrament of the altare Christes very body and bloud, & dilygently to read or heare the worde of God, & furthermore to do such thinges, as the place & tyme shall than requyre. At all other tymes whan so euer a christen mā shal be desposed to praye, let hym praye boldely, and althoughe he be not in the chyrche, yette let hym nothynge doute, but that his prayer shall ther also be hearde and graunted.