Propositions and Principles of Divinity Disputed, Section 66
PRINCIPLES CONCERNING THE SECOND PETITION OF THE LORDS PRAIER. LXVI.
HAVING EXPOVNDED THE FIRST PEtition, which declareth the firſt ſtep of Gods glorie: wee are nowe to addreſse our ſelues, to the opening of the ſecond, which ſetteth downe the meanes to augment the ſame.
1 THis Petition, THY KINGDOME COME, beeing put in the ſecond place by Chriſt, is juſtly ſet before the third: For as to beare rule, is in nature before the execution thereof; ſo is it meet, that the Lord would firſt eſtabliſh his kingdome among vsus, and then make vsus obedient therevnto.
2 For the wil of God cannot be performed, but by that power, which he doth exerciſe in his ſaid kingdome.
3 Nowe as touching the expoſition of the Petition, the Lord is ſaid to raigne, when as men hauing denied themſelues, doe wholie ſubmit them vntounto him.
4 The principall ſcope then of this Petition is, that the Lord will conſume and abolliſh all the luſts which fight in our members againſt his wil: and that he would frame and faſhion vsus, and all our faculties vntounto the obedience of his will.
5 Now whereas al men, from the higheſt to the loweſt, are blinde by nature, and vnderſtand not what the will of GOD is; and ſeeing it is the office of a King, to appoint lawes for his ſubjects; we craue alſo, that God would manifeſt his will vntounto the world, and would plant the miniſterie of his word, (which it pleaſeth him to vſe as a Scepter, for the graunting of the thinges that are contained in this Petition) throughout all the partes of the worlde, that by meanes thereof, hee may gather togeather, thoſe whom hee hath elected from all aeternitie; and on the other ſide may ouerthrow them, who as farre as they can, doe hinder this worke.
6 So, wee affirme, that it is the right of God, alone to rule, this kingdome by his owne lawes; that is, by the lawe and the Goſpel, wherevnto no man can add or detract any thing, without high treaſon againſt the ſupreame Majeſtie of God.
The Pope then, and all his followers, who hauehave preſumed to impoſe laws vponupon the conſciences, are condemned in this Petition.
7 We deſire furthermore, that he would ſend faithfull ſeruants, to declare this word purely and ſincerely, and that he would driue away all falſe Teachers, and Prophets, who go about by their owne inuentions, to draw others away from the will of God.
8 But in aſmuch as that worde, barely expounded by man, would rather turne vntounto our damnation, then ſaluation, (for our judgement is meere contrarye vntounto Gods will, and our will doth turne away, euen from the knowen will of God:) wee deſire that the Lord would vouchſafe to engraffe the ſame in our mindes, by the force and efficacie of the holie Ghoſt, that the true light may ſhine in them.
9 And ſeeing we can by no meanes fully obtaine theſe thinges in this world, as beeing compelled to carrie about with vsus, the reliques of ſinne, euen vntounto our dying day: we do therefore deſire that that day may come, wherein Sathan, ſinne, and death being ſubdued, the Lord ſhall be all in all: whence it may be eaſilie gathered, how ſenſſeſſe they are, that flie this day as a fearefull thing.
10 Out of all theſe things, we may readily collect, that a ſpirituall, and not an earthly kingdome is here ſpoken of, as alſo our Lord Ieſus doth witneſſe,Iohn. 18.36. becauſe it is exerciſed both by GOD who is a Spirite, and alſo vponupon the conſcience.
11 The neceſsitie of this Petition doth firſt appeare, in that Sathan ſeeketh nothing els, but to erect the kingdom of darknes and confuſion, (which is meere contrarie vntounto this) amongſt men: For the which cauſe, hee is called the Prince and God of this world.
12 Heere vntounto is adjoyned, our naturall infection, together with our corrupt judgement and peruerſe wil, who preferre lies before the truth, ſinne before righteouſnes, earthly before ſpiritual, moſt euill before good, and vnjuſt before right thinges; and in ſome, who cannot bee ſubject vntounto the law of God.
13 But although, the Deuill and wicked men do runne madde, yet the Lorde doth and will exerciſe his gouernement, as well vponupon them as vppon the elect: (For who can bee exempted from his authoritie, who hath created all thinges?) yet in a diuers manner. For hee imbraceth the one with his eternall fauour, whereas he conſumeth the other in his fearefull wrath.
14 And if God be properly ſaid to beare rule, when as men do willinglie ſubmit themſelues vntounto him: he ſinneth moſt greeuouſly, who vnderunder the pretence that GOD doth already rule both the godlie and the wicked, doth not deſire, that the gouernement which GOD exerciſeth in his Church, may be daily increaſed and inlarged.
Defended by FREDERICK BILLETIVS a Low-countrey man.