The Treasure of the Church, Title page – Dedication
Thesaurus Ecclesiae: that is, The treasure of the Church consisting of the perpetuall intercession and most holy praier of Christ, set forth in the 17. chapter of the Gospel by S. Iohn:
Which in this treatise is plainly interpreted, with necessarie doctrines enlarged, and fit applications enforced.
1. Iohn, 2. 1, 2. If any man sinne, we hauehave an aduocate with the father, Iesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sinnes, &c.
Printed by IOHN LEGAT, Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge, 1604.
And are to be sold at the signe of the Crowne in Pauls Churchyard, by Simon Waterson.
TO THE RIGHT honorable the Lord Thomas Howard, Earle of Suffolck, Baron of Walden, Knight of the honorable order of the garter, Lord high Chamberlaine to the kings most excellent Maiesty, and of his most honorable priuie Counsell.
IT is an vsuall thing (Right honourable) for subiects to imitate their prince, & for inferiours to conforme themselues to the example of great persons: as Abimeleck said to his soldiers:Iud. …. 4…. what ye hauehave seene me doe, make hast and doe the like: for as Ambrose saith,lib. … amplius proficitur exemplo: nec difficile redditur quod iam fact… est, & vtile, quod probatum: men profit much by examples, for neither seemeth that hard, which is done before, nor vnprofitable that is tried by others:
Thus should we all set before our eies the example of our master Christ, and tread in his holy steppes: I hauehave giuen you an example saith our blessed sauiour Iohn 13. 15. this it is to run after the sauour of his ointment,Cantic. 1. 2. to followe his sweete example. As Aarons ointment ranne down from his head to the skirtes of his cloathing:Psal 134. so Christs holy vestures are from him as our head dispersed among his members: therefore Christ vouchsafeth to call his faithfull seruants his fellowes or partners. Psal. 45. 7. because they partake of his goodnes, and sauour of his vertues.
Heere then is set forth vntounto vsus in this treatise the example of Christ praying: that we should therein be like our heauenly master, to be occupied in earnest and faithfull praier: wherein in particular diuerse profitable points are to be obserued.
I We are taught how necessary a thing it is to be suters vntounto God by praier: for if Christ praied, who in respect of himselfe needed not to pray, but for our example: who neither wanted any grace to pray for▪ nor yet had any imperfection to pray against, if he notwithstanding praied for vsus, much more hauehave we cause to pray for our selues, both to receiue graces, which we hauehave not, and to be released of the euills which we hauehave. Ambrose saith well: quid pro tua salute facere oportet,Lib. 5. in L…. quando pro te, Christus in oratione praeuertat? what should we doe for our selues seeing Christ watched for vsus al night in praier? foreign.wherefore as the saying is, it is more necessary for vsus to pray then to breath.
II We learne also by this holy prayer of our sauiour, which was fulfilled in eueryevery part thereof, how effectuall the praiers and teares of the faithfull are: whatsoeuer they desire (saith our sauiour) shall be giuen them of my heauenly father Math. 18. 19.Ad Cel…tium. vim faciebat precum tuarū fidelis ambitio: the faithfull ambition of thy praiers did as it were force God: saith Hierome Alexander said to Antipater,foreign. that made great complaints of his mother: knowest thou not that she with one teare will blot out all thy complaints? much more auaylable with God are the teares of his seruants, which as precious liquor he preserueth in his bottles.Psal 56. 8.
III In that our Sauio…r praied often,Luk. …. and continued in praier, it teacheth, that we also should therein be daily exercised, and as the Apostle saith,1. Thes. 5. 17. pray continually: quia semper accipis semper inuoca: because thou hadst need alwaies to receaue, … de obit. Theodo…ii. Xen. lib. 1. de Cyri. ….alwaies pray: Xenophon writeth o… Cyrus, that would neither dine nor supp, foreign before he had swett; neither should we eate or drinke before we had shed teares vntounto God.
IV Christ when he praied, was wholy intent and fixed vponupon that holy action: so should our thoughtes be setled in prayer, that then most of all men should follow the wise mans counsell,Prou 4 23. to keepe our hart with all diligence that we shew our selues in praier not foreign but foreign as Zeno said of his schollers, not bablers of words, but vtterers of matters: Hierome foūd this to be his infirmitie, that oftentimes in my praier saith he,aduer Luciferius aut per porticus deambulo, aut de faenore computo: I thinke I am walking on the streates, or accounting my mony: so it is an easy matter for the thoughts to roue in praier, which we are taught to settle by Christes example.
V Our blessed sauiour had therefore free recourse to praier, because he was of an holy and innocent life: soe if we would hauehave our praiers heard, we must lift vp pure hands as the Apostle saith 1. Tim. 2. 8. Basilo saith well: that the presence of an honest life doth make our praiers to hauehave a loud sound.foreign.
VI Our sauiour also by his example teacheth vsus for what things we should cheifely pray: not for temporall, but spirituall blessings: as v. 17. he saith sanctifie them with thy truth: 1 King 3.Salomon, because he asked wisdome rather then honour or riches, pleased god, and receiued them all, euen those temporall things▪ which he had not asked: Hierom saith well: auarus sum ad accipienda beneficia, quanto plus bibero,…d C…esiphon…. tanto plus sitio: we should be euen couetous of spirituall blessings: & the more we drinke, the more to thirst, for he that craueth temporall blessings, often asketh them to his owne hurt: as he that is sick of a feuer, foreign.as one saith, craueth for wine.
VII Lastly our Sauiour praieth confidently v. 24. father I will: soe hath he taught vsus to pray without doubting:Mark. 11 3…. whatsoeuer you desire beleeue you shall hauehave it and it shall be done vntounto you: we should not be discouraged, though at the first one request be not granted. Deus differt desiderium, non ausert: God differreth our desire he dissolueth it not: Bias that heathen philosopher could say,foreign. that a good conscience is without feare: soe should our conscience in praier be free from fearefull doubting.
Thus this example of our Sauiour as a rich store-house affordeth infinite treasure, and as a bundle of mirrh sendeth forth a most fragrant smell. This Christian exercise, is the supporter of princes, the sheild of defence for nobles, the hauen of rest for all: This maketh honourable persons truly noble indeed, when they acknowledge him, by whome they are innobled: and indeed the greater the affaires of state are, wherein your honours are imployed, the more need hauehave your honours of spirituall direction: as Daniel that great Regent vsed to pray thrice in the day. Herein his Christian maiestie, imitating the diuine and highest maiestie may be an example to all both honorable and inferior subiectes, who as he practiseth in his royall person,foreign. 11. soe prescribeth to his princely sonne to pray often, and in what manner, and for what things to pray. And indeed what can be more honourable then to talke with the most high? what more comfortable, then for God to speake to our hartes? for when we drawe neere vntounto God by praier, he draweth neare vntounto vsus, and as one saith: a pure praier is Gods temple: foreign.luctare ergo cum deo sicut Iacob, vt ipse se gaudeat superati:Lib 1. de Genes. …. striue therefore with God in praier (as Augustine saith) with Iacob, that he may ioy to be ouercome.
This treatise I hauehave beene bould to present to your honour, and to make you the honourable patron of these my poore trauailes: beeing mooued therevnto both in respect of that dutie which I owe in generall for your noble affection & true louelove to the vniuersity of Cambridge whereof I was once a member, & euer remaine a welwiller, and in particular for your honorable fauour to a brother in law of mine, your honours seruant: I say no more at this time, then to wish vntounto you encrease of true honour and louelove of the truth in earth, and afterward euerlasting honour and an endlesse reward of your faith in heauen.
Your honours readie to be commanded in the Lord. Andrew VVillet.