An Exposition of the Lords Prayer, Introduction

An Exposition of the Lords Prayer · Introduction

p. 1Of all the spirituall exercises of a Christian (wherein stādeth the principall part of Gods diuine worship,) what one more holie, more heauenly, or more necessarie then true prayer? And yet what is more neglected, and prophaned as that is?Psalm. 14.Ps 14 Not to call vponupon the name of God at all, is a note of a wicked man: and to pray though much and often without any regarde or care to pray aright,Esai. 1.Isa 1 is a badge of p. 2an hypocrite: Yet who almost for the whole neglect of so great a duetie, feareth the censure of a wicked man? or for the horrible prophaning of the name of God in abusing an exercise so heauenly and necessarie, suspecteth himselfe to be in the way of hypocrites, which leadeth to eternall destruction both of bodie and soule? Some care not whether they pray or no, & thinke it a needles labour and vnprofitable to call vponupon the almightie, and such there were in Iobs time.Iob. 21. …5.Job 21:5 The reason of which their outragious blasphemie, or blasphemous outrage, is their aboundant prosperitie, and great wealth, wherein they put their confidence, and in the pride of their wicked hearts sticke not either to deny God, or to defie him.Psalm. 55.Ps 55 Some thinke prayer to bee needfull, and doe sometime vse the same, being forced thereunto either by the biting of conscience, or extremitie of paine, or because it is the custome, and that it is good manners to doe as others doe. Some pray when they are at leisure, and till they bee at leisure God must waite vponupon them, and when their good leisure seru…th them, the Lord shall p. 3hauehave his stint, whether they vnderstand it or no, or whether it be betweene waking & sleeping, or no, they neuer look to that: and if God will not take their lazie, drowsie, colde, slouthfull, ignorant, and idle prayers, he is like to get none of them: as though the halt, the lame, blinde, & skuruie sacrifices were good enough for him, when the diuell hath the best. Some are a little more deuout & earnest in prayer, but yet very preposterous and prophane, preferring earthly things before heauenly blessings like Esaw, who preferred pottage before an inheritāce: and when they craue such things, it is likewise as S. Iames saith,Iam. 1.Jas 1 to spend them vponupon their own pleasures. Some pray, but not in charitie, because they are all for themselues, forgetting quite the cōmunion of Saints, which yet they say they doe beleeue. But if their praiers did proceed from that faith which worketh by louelove, and by that louelove which seeketh not her owne things,Galath. 5. then would they also remember the afflictiō of poore.1. Cor. 13.1 Cor 13 Ioseph, and the wants of their Christian brethren in all places of the world. Othersome hauehave more charitie in prayer, for p. 4they will not stick to pray for all Christian soules liuing or dead, like beggars which strawe their prayers at eueryevery mans doore they come at. Some againe neuer pray for any man vntill they bee dead, and then they are merueilous pitifull, and painfull in throwing the…r deuotions after them, whom in their life time they neuer regarded. Some againe are growne to be more charitable in prayer thē God would hauehave them to be, like the Papists, which wil doe more worke for their wages, then euer the Lord required at their handes, because they wil not be beholding to him for heauen, but he shal be beholding to them for their works of supererogation. Such are they that holde wee ought to pray for all men, according to the very letter of the scripture, without any exception, liuing or dead, elect or reprobate, for the enemies of the Gospell as well as for the friends of the Gospell, that God would blesse them in al their enterprises, whatsoeuer they be, whether with God or against him, with Prince, or countrie, or against them, all is one: and for the reprobate likewise, that they may bee saued, as well as the elect, p. 5whatsoeuer God hath decreed to the contrarie: and some thinke it a poynt of charitie too, to pray for the diuels, and it may be in good policie that they doe it, for by this meanes, if they should chance to goe to hell, they may finde more fauour at the diuels hande, then others, because they were so charitable as to pray for him whē they liued. Now as touching those that of their charitie are so good as to pray for the saluation of the reprobate (whosoeuer they bee that is knowne to GOD) what warrant, or example out of Gods booke hauehave they to beare them out in this superfluous and foolish charitie? I cannot yet finde of whom they should learne to bee so pitifull, except it be of Pope Gregorie, of whom in the Popes Legend there is this storie recorded, to his euerlasting commendation, as they thought, viz. That on a time going through the Market of Rome, called Traianns Market, he remembred that Traianus was in Hell torments, because he dyed a Pa…nime or Infidell: and all on a sudden he betooke him to his deuotions, and in great pitie fell to prayer for Traianus being in Hell, and (as p. 6the storie sayth) a voyce from heauen told him that his prayers were heard, and Traianus should bee deliuered from the paines of Hell, but not from the prison of Hell: and he for his part (because he was so sawcie and bolde with God as to pray for one that God had decreed to be damned) must needes bee punished, and two penalties were appoynted him, of which he was to take his choyce, & that was either to lye two dayes in Purgatorie, or to suffer sicknesse while he liued. He knowing the paines of Purgatorie very well, would none of that, but chose rather to endure sicknes al daies of his life: wherevpon he presently …ell sicke, and diseased, and was euer after to his dying day troubled with feuers, or the axes, or head ach, or sore eyes, or gow…e in the feete, or with one disease or other. And well enough serued, to teach him to pray for a reprobate another time. And surely if all those that are so charitable as Pope Gregorie was, that is, to pray for the saluation of all men, without exception, if (I say) they were sure to be inioyned Pope Gregories penance, it would make them take heede p. 7how they prayed against the will of God for reprobates and all, while they liued.

But now for the better satisfying of those which hauehave been troubled about this matter, and desired resolution at my hands for the remouing of their doubts, wee will a little further consider of the matter, and see what we are to iudge of it by the word of God, which is the perfectest rule that wee can goe by.The state of the question. Your question (beloued in the Lord) is, Whether it be lawfull to pray for al men or no: yea euen for the very reprobate whom God hath reiected in his eternall counsel, that they may bee saued in the day of the Lord: for that is the state of the question indeede. To which my answer is, that all men being taken in that sense, we are not, nay we ought not to pray for all, because all shall not be saued. Indeed some of the ancient writers hauehave thought that al men shall be saued,Origen. and that the diuels and all shall bee saued in the day of iudgement. But that was their error: for it is euident by the whole course of the scriptures, that al men shal not be saued.Matth. 7.Matt 7 There is a broad way, and there is a narrow way, sayth the p. 8Lord Iesus, the one leading to destruction, the other to saluation. Many walke in the one, fewe finde the other. And being once in hell there is no redemption. Againe, many shal striue to enter and shal not enter: to shew that all shall not be saued. And the Apostle saith, that the church is like a Noble mans house,2. Timoth. 22 Tim 2 wherein are vessels some appoynted to honour, and some to dishonor, and the Lord knoweth who bee his: as if he should say, also the Lord knoweth some that be not his: and all to shewe that all shall not bee saued. The whole world standeth of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers; they that beleeue passe from death to life;Ioh. 3.John 3 they that beleeue not are condemned alreadie: therefore all shall not bee saued. When the Sonne of man commeth to iudgement, who shall stande before him? Goates and sheepe sayth the Euangelist,Matth. 25.Matt 25 to whom he shall say, Depart ye wicked into hell fire: to the other, Come ye blessed, &c. therefore all shall not bee saued. This doth Saint Iohn also plainly shewe,Apocal. 21.Rev 21 when hee sayth, that there is a burning, lake without the heauenly Ierusalem; wherein the whore of p. 9Babylon shall bee tormented, and with her dogges, that is, dogged people, enchanters, whoremongers, lyers, blasphemers, the fearefull and vnbeleeuers, &c. all which places doe crye lowde enough, and tell vsus that all shall not be saued. The Apostle Paul rendereth a reason for it, whē he sayth, that it pleased the Lord to chuse Iacob, and to reiect Esau, that he might shewe his wrath,Rom. 9. 22, 23.Rom 9:22Rom 9:23 and make his power knowne in the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction: and that he might declare the riches of his glorie vponupon the vessels of merciemercy, which hee hath prepared vntounto glorie. But you will say, that we know not who be reprobates, and who be not, therfore we ought to pray for all. It is true indeede, that no man knoweth certainly who are the Lords but the Lord himselfe, doth it therefore followe, that wee must pray that all may bee saued? What? for those whom God will not hauehave saued? God forbid. Our Sauiour Christ (that was as wise and as charitable as they that hold this poynt) hath taught vsus to pray otherwise: When you pray, say▪ Thy will be done: that is, Lord saue those whom thou wilt p. 10saue, and not whom thou wilt not saue. So that our prayers wee see must bee grounded vponupon Gods will, and not vponupon our owne willes. If then he will not saue all, we must not pray against his will, that he would saue al: For then in stead of saying, thy will be done, wee should pray thus or to this effect: Lord wee knowe that thou hast decreed, and appoynted from euerlasting, whom to glorifie in thy kingdome, and whom to cast downe to hell for euer:Esai. 46. 10.Isa 46:10 and we know that thy counsell shal stand, for so sayth thy word: but yet for all that wee hauehave a minde and desire to hauehave all men saued, therefore alter thy decree, and change thy purpose, that is, bee contrarie to thy selfe, and so not thy will, but ours be done. From such kind of praying, or rather blasphemous and presumptuous prating, the Lord deliuer vsus, & giuegive vsus grace to pray as his word doth teach vsus to pray, that is, in our prayers to referre our willes to Gods will, and not to presume to craue that which God will neuer graunt. But for as much as God hath his number in al parts of the world, who are knowne to himselfe, and Christian charitie which is a p. 11most liuely fruite of faith, bindeth vsus to pray for the whole Church of Christ, which is Catholike, that is, scattered vponupon the face of the whole earth, which Church likewise is sometime visible, & sometime inuisible vntounto men, and sometime more visible, and sometime lesse visible, as in the dayes of Elias, when the Lord had 7000. in Israel more then Elias sawe, as sharpe sighted as he was: and because all are not called at one houre, but some to day, some to morrowe, some at one time, and some at another: therefore it is lawfull for vsus to pray for thē thus: That in Spayne, Portingale, Rome, Turkie, Iewrie, and in al other places of the world, yea, and of those which doe now persecute Gods Church, as sometime Paul did, so many of them as doe belong to Gods eternall election, it would please his Maiestie to conuert by the preaching of his word, and the effectuall working of his holy spirite in their hearts, or by such meanes as shall seeme good to his diuine Maiestie in his best appoynted time. And as for the rest, which doe not belong to his eternall election, and couenant of grace, we are to pray that p. 12his will may bee done vponupon them, and he may bee glorified in his iudgements vponupon thē, as he was glorified in the ouerthrow of Pharao, and his host.

But the matter must not bee so lightly carried away:Obiect. for they that hold the contrarie, seeme to hauehave scripture to beare them out: which if they did vnderstand and apply so well, as they can auouch it, al should bee well. The common alleadged place is out of 1. Tim. 2. 4.1. Timoth. 2. 4.1 Tim 2:4 God wil that al men shall be saued, and come to the knowledge of the trueth. Now for an answere, this I say, that, that place must of necessitie bee vnderstood either of the reuealed will of God, or of his secret will. If this place bee vnderstood of Gods reuealed will set downe in his word, then the sense is this, that God doth call all men by the preaching of his word to the knowledge of his trueth, and to eternall life, if they beleeue in Christ: and this saluation is offered to all men, though al men beleeue not. For by this meanes the reprobate and vnbeleeuers, are shewed what they shuld doe, and so are left without excuse in the day of iudgement. But God doth not p. 13giuegive them grace to repent, and beleeue, as hee doth to the elect, because he hath otherwise decreed of them, and if he doth not, who shall compell him so to doe? or who shal complaine iustly against his diuine Maiestie, seeing as the Lord is bound to no man? If that place be vnderstood of the secret will of GOD, then the sense is three-fold: First, God will that all men shall be saued: that is, God in his eternall counsell, according to his good pleasure, hath decreed of all sorts and degrees of men to saue some, of Iewes and Gentiles some, of Kings and Princes some, of subiects and commons some, of learned and vnlearned some, of rich and poore some, of Captaines and soldiers some, of Marchants & Marriners some, of Craftsmen and Husbandmen some, and of all sorts, of all estates, and of all degrees, and conditions of men some shalbe saued: which agreeth with the saying of S. Iohn in the Reuelation, who sayth,Reuel 7.Rev 7 That he sawe a great multitude of all nations, and kindreds, and languages follow the lambe, that is, Iesus Christ, and stood before the throne, and praised him that sate vponupon the throne. And the cause of p. 14the Apostles writing thus to Timothie, was for that the Church of God liued thē vnderunder Nero a wicked Prince and cruell tyrant, and an enemie to the Gospell of Christ, in so much as some doubted whether he were to be prayed for or no: therfore the Apostle puts them out of doubt for that matter, and sheweth that prayers must be made for Kings and Princes, and all men, and therefore for their Prince, though he were a wicked enemie, for that of all men and all sorts of men God hath his number, and what could they tel whether he were one of that number or no? therfore they were to pray for him. There is a seconde sense or meaning of those words deliuered by the learned, and that is this: God will that all men shall be saued, &c. That is, so many as are saued, are saued by the will of GOD, for as much as none are saued against his will. And that this may likewise bee the Apostles meaning, it may appeare by another place of scripture like vntounto that. It is in Iohn. 1. 9. where the Euangelist speaking of the Sonne of God, he sayth thus: He was the true light that lighteneth eueryevery man that p. 15commeth into the worlde: meaning indeede, that whosoeuer is lightened, is enlightened by the Sonne of God; not that eueryevery one particularly that commeth into the world is lightened, none excepted: for there bee some in the world which remaine in darknes, and the Gospell is hidden from them,2. Cor. 4. 3, 4.2 Cor 4:32 Cor 4:4 such as the god of this world hath blinded, that is, the diuel hath blinded their eyes, that the light should not shine vntounto them, as the Apostle sheweth. And this is no otherwise spoken, then wee vse in our common manner of speaking: For if there bee but one man in a towne that reacheth Grammar, wee say, such a man teacheth all the towne Grammar, meaning, that all that are taught of that towne are taught by him. Or if there be but one way into a Noble mans house, and suppose by one gate onelyonly the way lyeth into the house: if any man aske of vsus whether he may not goe into the house another way, wee will answere and say: No, al men go in at this gate, or the Noble man hath giuen commandement that all shall come in at that gate: meaning, that so many as doe goe in, doe enter by that p. 16gate. So in God there is but one will, by which all men doe enter into heauen, that is, all that doe enter into heauen doe passe by that will of God, and not without it, nor besides it, nor against it. But yet there is a third sense of that place in Timot. God will that all men shall be saued, &c. That is, God hath certainly decreed, that all his elect and chosen people shall be saued, but not eueryevery particular man in the worlde. And wee are to consider, that this word (all) is not put alwayes in the scripture for eueryevery particular man, woman, and childe, but sometime for the greater part, and sometime for the elect only. For the greater part it is taken in Gen 47. 15.Gen. 47. 15.Gen 47:15 All the Egyptians came vntounto Ioseph, and sayd, giuegive vsus bread, &c. that is, a great part of the Egyptians came to Ioseph: for you must imagine that some might be sicke, & some were infants, and could not come. And so it is also taken in Matth. 21. 10.Matth 21. 10.Matt 21:10 When he was come into Ierusalem, all the citie was moued, that is, the greatest part of the citie was moued. And in Mark 1. 5.Mark. 1. 5.Mark 1:5 All the countrey of Iudea went out vntounto Iohn, and were baptized of him, that is, a great companie p. 17of Iudea. For the elect only it is also taken sometime: as in Luk. 3. 6. All flesh shall see the saluation of God, that is,Luk. 3. 6.Luke 3:6 all the elect shall …e it.Rom. 5. 18.Rom 5:18 And in Rom. 5. 18. As by the offence of one man, the fault came on all men to condemnation: so by the iustifying of one, the benefite abounded toward all to the iustification of life: that is, towards all the elect it abounded.1. Cor. 15. 22.1 Cor 15:22 And in 1. Cor. 15. 22. As by Adam all dye, so by Christ shall al be made aliue: that is, all the elect shall bee saued by Christ. These generall speeches must be restrained to their kinds, because (as Pet. Martyr sayth) the holy scripture doth marke two sorts of men, one of the godly, and another of the wicked: and doth vsually set downe vniuersall or generall propositions of them both, which the wise and discreete reader should obserue, and referre them, or restraine them to their proper kinde of which they bee spoken, and of which they are to bee vnderstood: As for example,I…h. 6. 45. in Iohn 6. 45. They shall all be taught of Goa. Ioh. 12. 32.John 12:32Ioh. 12. 32. If I were lift vp from the earth▪ I will draw all men vntounto me, sayth the Lord Iesus. And in Esai. 66. 23.Esai. 66. 23.Isa 66:23 From monethmonth to monethmonth and p. 18from Sabbath to Sabbath shal al flesh come to worship before me, sayth the Lord. And in Ioel 2. 28.Ioel. 2. 18.Joel 2:18 I will powre out my spirit vponupon al flesh: with many such like. Now all these places are vniuersally and generally propounded, but yet they are to be restrained onelyonly to the godly and faithfull people of the Lord, of them onelyonly they are to bee vnderstood, and cannot be applyed to the wicked. So there be other places of scripture, which be as vniuersally propounded, but are to be vnderstood only of the wicked, and vnfaithfull, and not of the godly: as in Iohn 3. 32.Ioh. 3. 32.John 3:32 That he testifieth, which he hath seene, and heard, but no man receiueth his testimonie: that is, none of the wicked receiue it, or very fewe doe receiue it: for the faithfull doe receiue it, but the reprobate and vnbeleeuers doe not receiue it. And in Matth. 10. 22.Matth. 10. 22.Matt 10:22 Ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake: that is, of al the wicked. And againe, see the like in Philip. 2. 21. All seeke their owne, & not that which is Iesus Christs: that is, a great number do so, all the wicked doe so, but not the godly. There bee many moe places like vntounto these, which must bee restrained to their proper kind: but this may suffice for an answere p. 19to that obiection out of Timothie.

There is another obiection as common as the former,Obiect. 2. and to as great purpose. And thus they reason: So many shall bee saued as Christ dyed for: but Christ dyed for all, therefore all shall bee saued. To which obiection some answere as the Schoolemen doe, that Christ dyed for all men, sufficienter, non efficaciter, sufficiently, but not effectually: meaning, that his death was sufficient to hauehave saued 10000. worlds, in respect of the merite of his death, by reason of the worthines of his person, if all did beleeue in him: but all doe not beleeue in him, therefore all shall not be saued. But this distinction of sufficiencie and efficacie, is thought, and that of very learned Diuines, to bee a very idle distinction, and too weake to beare away the burden of the question: for if Christ dyed sufficiently for all, he dyed effectually for all: and if it be not effectuall, how is it sufficient? And they hold that the efficacie of his death, and the sufficiencie of his death be all one. But to this replie will be answered againe, that it is sufficient, in respect of his owne merite, and should be effectuall for all if all did beleeue. But all p. 20doe not beleeue, and for them it is not effectuall. True it is, for vnbeleeuers it is neither effectual, nor sufficient. And whereas it is effectuall for the faithfull, it is in respect of the infinite merite of his death & passion, by reason of the worthines and excellencie of his person, wherein dwelt the fulnes of the Godhead bodily:… 2. or els it had been neither sufficient, nor effectuall for them, no more then for the other. Now whereas they say, if all did beleeue in him, his death were sufficient to saue all; it is true: but then it is demaunded againe, Why al doe not beleeue? It cannot be denied, but that fai…h is the gift of God,… and that it is not in mans power to beleeue when hee will, as freewill Papists dreame. Sure it was neuer intended in the vnchange…ble will and eternall purpose of God that they should beleeue, as it was his purpose on the other side to giuegive faith to his elect. And as it was neuer intended by God that all should beleeue, so likewise was it neuer intended by God that his Sonne shuld dye for al: but it was euer intended by his diuine Maiestie that his elect only should beleeue, so likewise was p. 21it intēded that his Sonne should dye only for the elect, whom onelyonly the Lord purposed from euerlasting to saue by faith in the merits of his Sonnes death & passion. But as touching the vnbeleeuers, it was neuer intended by his Maiestie that his Sonne should dye for them: for if he had, then should they also hauehave beleeued as well as others. And therefore what sufficiencie of Christs death can be there imagined for vnbeleeuers, where there was neuer any intendement of his death for them?**The death of Christ had been in deed sufficient for all men, if God had decreede it for al, or else not, for his will, power and grace, doe alwaies goe together: for what hee will doe, his power is sufficient to effect, but what his will or nature resisteth, his power and grace cānot effect. 2. Timo. 2. 13. He is faithfull, and cannot denie himselfe. In 2. Corin. 12. 9. The Lord… saith▪ My grace is sufficient for thee, but in Rō. 9. 18. Hee ioyneth his wil & his mercy together in the softning of the elect: and likewise matcheth his will and his wrath together in the hardening of the reprobate: to shew, that both of the elects saluatiō, and the reprobates damnation, there is a higher cause then faith in the one, & vnbeliefe in the other, and that is the will of GOD: with which his grace is sufficient to saue many, and without which it is not sufficient to saue any: for neither doth his grace drawe any to heauen, nor his wrath send any to hell against his will, but both are according to his good will and pleasure, & in both his owne glorie is the marke that he aimeth at.2 Cor 12:9 If any man wil say that Christ hath saued more by his death, then his father had from euerlasting elected, and chosen, he doth plainly deceiue himselfe: for Christs will and his fathers are all one: He prayed, Thy will, not mine be done. Christ dyed for none but those & such like, as he prayed for, being our Mediatour: And he prayed for none but for such as his father had giuen him, that is, for such as hee had elected to be saued by faith in him, as appeareth in Iohn 17. 9. I pray not for the world, but for such as thou hast giuen mee, for they are thine. Now, if the Lord Iesus p. 22had dyed for all the world, as hee did for the elect onelyonly, shall wee thinke that hee would not also hauehave prayed for them as well as for the elect?

But (to draw to an end) if it be lawfull to pray for the saluation of the reprobate, th… is it lawful to pray for Iudas, & Saul, & Esau, of whō the scriptures do testifie, that they be reiected of the Lord. Iudas is called the lost child of perdition, and a diuell. Ioh. 6. Esau is sayd to finde no place to repentance, though he sought the blessing with teares, Heb. 12. And of Saul, the Lord himself in expres words saith, that he hath reiected him, 2 Sam. 7. Shall we now pray that he wold change his decree & receiue them againe to fauour? (Suppose that they were aliue againe, as they bee dead) but indeed prayer for the dead, & prayer for the reprobate, are much alike, the one hath as good warrant as the other, and the one shall bee heard as soone as the other. That it is not lawfull to pray for such as God hath cast out of his fauour, appeareth plainely by diuers places of the scripture: In Iere. 7. 15. 16. the Lord faith thus, concerning the obstinate Iewes which contemned the word of the Lord: I will p. 23cast you out of my sight, as I hauehave cast out all your brethren, &c. Therefore thou shalt not pray for them neither entreate me, for I will not heare thee. VponUpon which place we may reason thus: Whosoeuer God hath cast out of his sight, that is, out of his fauour, and will not bee entreated for them, for such we must not pray, but such are all the reprobate, therefore we must not pray for them, I meane for their saluation. The very like words we hauehave againe in Ier. 11. 14. (speaking of obstinate Idolaters in the land of Iudah and Ierusalem) he saith thus to the Prophet: Therefore thou shalt not pray for this people, neither lift vp a crie, or prayer for them, for when they crie vntounto me in their trouble I will not …eare them: To teach vsus that wee must pray for none but for such as shall be heard themselues when they pray: but such are not the reprobate, Prouer. 28.Prov 28for the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: therefore we must not pray for them. Many reasons and arguments moe might bee brought for this purpose, but these may suffice.

Now, as the scripture hath forbidden prayers to be made for those that are cast p. 24out of Gods gracious presence, so doth it also approue the prayers of the faithfull which hauehave been made against them, and against such as hauehave been apparant and professed enemies of Gods trueth and Gods Church: and thereof we hauehave many examples; as the Is…aelites praying against the Egyptians, both when they were oppressed in Egypt, and when they were dist…essed at the red sea. We hauehave also Moses holding vp his hands in prayer against Amal…k till they were weary:Exod. 17. 12.Exod 17:12 Hezechiah against Rabsakah, and Senacherib: Dauid prayeth against the vnnaturall conspiracie of Absalom his sonne, and the vngodly counsell of Achitophel his subiect. And in the Psalme… how many prayers doth he make against the enemies of God, that the Lord would confound them in their deuises, and destroy them in their conspiracies, that their memoriall might perish out of the earth? and many such: which are to teach vsus, that as we are not to pray for the reprobate, whether they bee knowne to man or not knowne: so also we are bound sometime to pray against them, but especially against p. 25such as oppose themselnes maliciously against God, against his truth, and against his Church and children: for such were the persons against whom Dauid praieth so earnestly, and denounceth such fearefull curses and iudgements.As the Pope, Tur…, Spanyards, and Papists, and other traitors doe. For shall we pray God to blesse and saue those that go about to destroy his Church, his truth, his annoynted, and his children? God forbid, but that either the Lord would conuert them, or so many of them as doe belong vntounto his Maiestie, or els confound them in their mischieuous deuises & practises, when, and how it pleaseth him, that they may not make spoyle of the Lords inheritance. And yet thus farre, the scriptures doe teach vsus to pray for the verie knowne enemies of Gods Church,Note. that the Lord would vouchsafe in his merciemercy to blesse them with temporall blessings, as health, and plentie, and peace for the Churches sake, that is amongst them: which is manifest in Iere. 29. 7.Iere. 29. 7.Jer 29:7 The Iewes being Captiues in Babylon, are commanded to pray for the prosperitie of Babylon: his reason is this: for in the peace thereof you shall hauehave peace: which is p. 26nothing els but to pray that the Whale may do well, & come safely to the shore, for Ionas his sake which is in his belly, and liueth in hope to be cast vp on land. And what els is this kind of praying, but in policie to reprieue a woman condemned by law, and to vse her well, to saue the childe that is in her wombe, which may proue a profitable mēber in the common wealth? But otherwise, if Gods enemies come to inuade, or deale extreamely with Gods seruants, or goe about any wicked enterprise against the Prince, or Countrey, or Gospell, or any Christian professor of the same, we ought to pray against them, and doe what wee can lawfully to suppresse them & roote them out, which is nothing els but to kill a Lyon, that a man may bee saued which is in the Lyons clawes readie and likely to bee deuoured: or to plucke downe one house that is on a fire, for the sauing of many that els are likely to bee consumed: or to pull vp the weedes that the corne be not choked. And further, as it is in these and such like poynts touching manners of men, so ought it also to be in matters of faith and doctrine, which (if p. 27it be not sound, but corrupt and false) tendeth to the destruction of the faith, & the soules of men, as the sword commeth to destroy the bodies of men. And therefore is commandement giuen by the Lord, that the false Prophet, and seducer of the Lords people should dye the death: and if any come with any other doctrine, then that which is agreeable with the word of God, Saint Iohn sayth, we must neither receiue him to house,2. Ioh. nor so much as bid him God speede, that is, we must not bee familiar with him, much lesse must wee pray for him, except it bee for his conuersion, if it standeth with the will of God, and not els neither.

Now a little to cleere our selues from the suspition of Pelagian heresie, wherewith some thinke that they are tainted, which deny prayers for the saluation of reprobates, and all men without exception, not respecting the will of GOD, whereunto all our prayers indeede are to be referred. Indeede Pelagius and his followers as they held many very foule and monsterous heresies, so in that matter of prayer they erred most grosly. But that p. 28the difference may appeare betweene Pelagius and vsus, it will not bee amisse to set downe the words of S. Augustine, as they be gathered by that reuerend and learned man Dan…us in his booke of Heresies, who I belceaue did as well vnderstand S. Augu…ine, as they that would seeme to make thi… doctrine Pela…ian heresie by alleadging S. Augustine: Destruunt etiam orationes, quas facit Ecclesia, siue pro infidelibus, & doctrinae Det resistentibus, vt conu…rtantur ad Deum, siue pro fidelibus, vt augeatur eis fides, & perseuerent in ea. Haec quippè non ab ipso accipere, sed à seipsis homines habere contendunt, gratiam Dei, qua liberamur, dicentes secundum merita nostra d…ri: that is, The Pelagians doe destroy prayers which the Church maketh either for infidels, and those that resist the doctrine of God, that they may bee conuerted vntounto God: or for beleeuers, that their faith may bee encreased, and they may continue in the same: for that they hold that men hauehave not this grace from God, but of themselues, saying, that our deliuerance is giuen vsus according to our deserts. Here wee hauehave the heresie of Pelagius p. 29and his disciples plaine enough: … for my owne part I hold to be most accursed, and all true Christians fearing God, doe with all their hearts detest, and abhorre it. But let vsus see what it is. They will hauehave no prayers to bee made by the Church, either for the conuersion of vnbeleeuers, or for the confirmation & strengthening of the faithfull. We hold the contrarie …o them both: for with the true Church of … we pray for the conuersion of Turkes, of Iewes, of Papists, of Atheists, and al vnbeleeuers, and heretikes, and vngodly men, if they belong to God, and stand with his sacred will: and wee doubt not but that God hath his number amongst them all, which are knowne best to himselfe, for he knewe 7000. in Israel that were no friends to Baal, more then Elias saw. Againe, amongst our selues that professe the Gospel, an vnbeleeuer to day may be a beleeuer to morrow, if his houre be come which God hath set: for all infidels or vnbeleeuers, which is all one, are not reprobates, for some may be conuerted, neither are all called at one houre: therefore charitie bindeth vsus to liue in p. 30hope of him so long as he liueth, and in hope of his conuersion (if hee belong to God still I say, which no man knoweth but God himselfe) we are to pray for him, but still referring our prayers to the will of God. And againe, wee hold it a most necessarie and Christian duetie of louelove, to pray for the confirmation of Gods children, and the proceeding and growing vp of the faithfull in faith, and godlines: therefore there is great oddes betweene the heresie of Pelagius and our doctrine.

There is no lesse difference in the reasons, then there is in the propositions: the reason why they denie the prayers of the Church for the conuersion of infidels, and the encreasing of the faithfull, is for that man hath (as they say) this grace of conuerting, and abilitie of beleeuing, repenting, &c. of him…elfe, which wee vtterly both denie and defie. But our question is of praying for the saluation of reprobates, and of all men without exception, and our reason is grounded vponupon the will of God, and the vnchangablenes of his will. And thus you see beloued, that wee are as p. 31farre from the heresie of Pelagius, as they which would charge vsus with heresie, are from vnderstanding what Pelagian heresie meaneth. Much more might bee said of this matter, but the large and full handling therof I leaue for those that are more able to performe it then my selfe, as God shall giuegive them occasion to deale therein. In the meane time, this may serue as a plaine confession of that which my selfe beleeue of that point, according to the worde of God, both for the cleering of my selfe from all suspition of heresie, as also for the better satisfiyng and further confirming of you my beloued in the Lorde Iesus, which are of my congregatiō which feare God, and are desirous of the trueth: and for your benefite indeed I was principally drawen to the penning and publishing hereof. The Lord giuegive that blessing vntounto it which I could wish: and the God of all merciemercy and grace confirme and establish your hartes and soules, in the sauing knowledge of his blessed truth; and grant that your louelove may abound yet more and more in all knowledge and iudgement, that you may discerne those things which p. 32differ, and allow the best things: and that you may be sincere and without offence, vntounto the cōming of the Lord Iesus Christ, filled with the fruites of righteousnes, which are by Iesus Christ vntounto the praise and glory of God. Reade with your best affections: and assist me with your prayers.

Your seruant for Christ Iesus, William Burton.