The Doctrine of Practical Praying, Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. Of knowledge which is required necessarily in prayer.
THus much of that which is generally required in the soul: Now let us see what is more particularly required in the mind and in the heart. In the mind two things are required, Knowledge and Faith.
Knowledge 1. Of God to whom we pray, andFirst, we must know God. of his will according to which we are to pray; 2. Of that which we in our invocation do utter in the presence of God. First, there is required knowledge and acknowledgement of the true God, and of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent: otherwise we are subject to the censure of our Saviour given to the Samaritanes, John 4. 22. You worship you know not what. First we must know God before we can believe in him, and we must believe in him or else we cannot call upon him, Rom. 10. 14. Therefore David exhorteth his sonne Solomon, 1. Chron. 28. 9. first to know, then to worship the God of his fathers with a willing mind and an upright heart. For all worship of God which is not guided by knowledge is mere will-worship and superstition. Neither is that to be accounted religion or pietie which proceedeth from ignorance; as the Papists hold ignorance to be the mother of devotion. But that devotion is blind superstition. Knowledge is as it were the stern which guideth us in the right way of serving God according to his word, without which we wander into will-worship and superstitious inventions. And therefore as of God there is knowledge required, so also of his will revealed in2. We must know Gods will▪ and pray accor… ing unto it. his word: For we can have no assurance that we shall be heard, unlesse we pray according to his will, 1. John 5. 14. Neither can we pray according to his will, unlesse in some measure we do know it, Col. 3. 16.
Secondly, there is required knowledge and understanding of that which we do pray; otherwise we are subject to our Saviours reproof, Matth. 20. 22. You ask you know not what. Prayer not understood is the lifting up of the voice, and not of the soul unto God, and a pouring forth of our breath and speaking into the aire, and not a pouring forth of our hearts and souls unto the Lord: for as Augustine saith; Seeing as it is Psal. 89. 16. Beatus populus In Psal. 99.qui intelligit jubilationem. Curramus ergò (saith he) ad hanc beatitudinem, intelligamus jubilationem, non eam sine intellectu fundamus. Quid opus est jubilare & non intelligere jubilationem? ut vox nostra sola jubilet, & cor non jubilet? Sonus enim cordis intellectus est: that is, Blessed is the people which understandeth the joyfull sound. Let us therefore haste (saith he) after this happinesse, let us understand this joyfull sound, and not vent it out without understanding. What use is there of a joyfull sound and not to understand it? that our voice onelyonly should make this joyfull sound, and not our heart? For the sound of the heart is understanding. Wherefore the Apostle, Col. 3. 16. exhorteth us that the word of God dwell in us plenteously in all wisdome, teaching and admonishing our selves in psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord. Where the Apostle as he doth in generall require in every Christian a plentifull knowledge of the word of God to direct him in his worship of God, so he teacheth us the use of our Psalmes and songs which we sing unto the Lord, to wit, that we and those that heare us may be instructed and edified thereby, which without understanding of that which is said cannot be done, as the Apostle sheweth, 1. Cor. 14. And to the same effect doth the Prophet David exhort us, Psal. 47. 7, 8. foreign, which words though diversly translated do in every sense require understanding in those that call upon God: whether you read it, Sing praises every one that hath understanding, or sing praises understandingly, or with understanding, or (as foreign also signifieth, as appeareth by the titles of divers psalmes) sing a Psalme of instruction whereby you may (according to the exhortation of the Apostle, Col. 3.) instruct and edifie your selves and others.
Here therefore two sorts of men are condemned: the first of those who pray in an unknown tongue; the second of them who praying in their own tongue do not understand their own prayer.
The former fault is commited in the Church ofThe doctrine and practice of the church of Rome confuted, who pr…sse prayer in an unknown tongue. Rome both in publick and private prayers. And first for publick, the Church of Rome hath ordained that all the publick Divine service in the Westchurches should be done in the Latine tongue. And although this their practice be directly repugnant to the word of God, and contrary to common sense and reason, yet they do not onelyonly stiffly retein andConcil. Trid. sess. 22. can. 9 maintein it, but also pronounce Anathema against him that shall say that the Divine service ought onelyonly to be celebrated in the vulgar tongue: and yet this expressely is the doctrine of the Apostle, 1. Cor. 14. From whence I reason thus:
First, That which the Lord by his Apostle hath commanded to be done, that is necessarily to be observed: But the Lord by his Apostle hath commanded that the sacred service should be done in a language known, and not in a strange language unknown to the people. For what he there teacheth he testifieth that they were the commandments of God, v. 37.
But let us heare the Popish shifts used to avoid the force of this testimonie.
1. That the Apostle speaketh not of prayer butThe Papists shifts avoided which they use to clude the Apostles words, 1. Cor. 14. of preaching and exhortation, which they confesse are to be made in a known tongue, otherwise that they are unprofitable and edifie not. Why then by the same reason do they not reade the holy Scriptures in a known tongue unto the people, but hide the light of Gods word under the bushel of a strange language? But I answer, That the Apostle speaketh of the whole Divine service of God, the Church as well praying and praysing of God, as preaching and prophesying, v. 14, 15, 16, 17.
2. Yea, but the Apostle speaketh of such as havingObject. the gifts of tongues, did pray in a tongue which themselves knew not; and of them he saith, that in their spirit, that is, in their affection, they pray; but their mind, not understanding what they say, is unfruitfull, namely to themselves.
It is not credible that they which had the gift ofAnsw. tongues did not understand the language which they spake (though some of the Fathers have so conceived) for that had been an unprofitable gift to them and others. Chrysostome in 1. Cor. 14. Homil. 35. You will say, Doth the tongue edifie no bodie? Not so. For he that speaketh, saith he, with tongues edifieth himself, v. 4. which verily cannot be except he understand what he saith. Neither is it the Apostlesvers. 14. meaning, that his understanding is unprofitable to himself (as Bellarmine affirmeth) for he saith that he edifieth himself, but to the hearers who understand him not. Neither is it to pray in the spirit in that place, to pray in affection without understanding himself: but to pray in the spirit, is to pray in the closet of a mans soul, being not understood of others; and to pray with understanding, is to pray that others may understand. So the Apostle seemeth to expound the phrase v. 19. In the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might teach others also, then ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
Secondly, the people of necessitie ought to understand the publick prayers made in the Church: therefore they ought to be made in a language known to them. The antecedent is denied by the Papists under this pretense; Publick prayer is madeObject. not to the people, but to God for the people, which may be as available for them in an other language as in their own.
If God understood or regarded no language butAnsw. Latine, there were some shew of reason in this answer: but all tongues are alike known & esteemed of God; and he is no accepter of persons, much lesse of tongues. Again, publick prayer as it is made for the people, so it is the prayer of the congregation; and we shall prove that every one ought to understand his own prayer. The Minister doth pray, but the people ought to concurre with him in their prayers, and to give their consent thereunto by saying, Amen: which they cannot do if they understand not what is said, v. 16. Else when thou shalt blesse in the spirit, how shall he which occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
But the Papists say, That the Apostle meaneth not every one unlearned in the Laitie, but the clerk of the Church, who supplieth the place of the Laitie. But the words do signifie not him who supplyeth the place or stead, but he that filleth or occupieth the place of the unlearned, that is to say, one of that rank, and so is expounded by the Greek Fathers.
Moreover, why is speech used at all in publick prayer? and why do the people assemble themselves thereunto? For speech is not needfull in respect of God, who searcheth the heart; neither is the presence of the people necessarie at a prayer which is onelyonly made for them: but words in publick prayer are used that the people both might be guided and edified, and also that they might joyn with the speaker and adde their consent, in which respect also their presence, is necessary. So Augustine,Lib. De Ma…, cap. 1. Opus est locutione in publicis precibus, non ut Deus sed ut homines audiant: Speech is needfull in publick prayers, not that God but that men may heare.
But that the people ought to understand the publickThat the people ought to understand publick prayers. prayers, I prove, 1. Because, as I have said, it is their prayer, whereunto also they are to give their consent, which the Apostle saith they cannot do unlesse they understand what is spoken, v. 16.
2. Prayer uttered in a language unknown is unprofitable to the congregation, as the Apostle saith; If I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you? v. 6. such an one speaketh in the aire, v. 9. that is, saith the Greek Scholiast, foreign, in vain and unprofitably; &, his understanding is unprofitable, v. 14. So Basil, foreign,Basil. in desbreb. 278. that is, When as the words of the prayer are not understood of those that are present, the understanding is without fruit, so that no man so prayeth with the profit of another. So Oecumenius; foreign, We are not unprofitable unto you.
Thirdly, all things must be done to edification: Which generall the Apostle applyeth to this particular, v. 26. For it is a most true saying of Augustine,De Genes ad literam, lib. 12. cap. 8. Nemo …dificatur audiendo quod non intelligit: No man is edified by hearing that which he doth not understand.
Fourthly, all things must be done decently and in order, v. 40. But when publick prayers are made in an unknown language, there happeneth much disorder and confusion, like that of Babel. The Minister though he speak Latine is a barbarian to the people, and the people to the Minister, v. 11. If … know not the meaning of the voyce, I shall be to him that speaketh abarbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me; not simply, but to me, saith Chrysostome.In 1. Cor. 14. Hierome truly saith, Omnis sermo qui non intelligitur barbarus judicatur: All speech not understood is deemed barbarous. So Ovid in banishment, Barbarus hîc ego sum, quia non intelligor ulli, De …. lib. 5. cleg. 11.I am barbarous here, because I am not understood by any. 2. The minister and people meeting to publick prayer use not publick prayer but private, for it is not the place but the congregation that maketh it publick. But the minister praying in an unknown language, his prayer is private; and the people when they do pray at all, betake themselves to their private devotions.
Hereunto adde examples and precedents. For the Patriarchs and Prophets under the law, the Apostles and Primitive Church did alwayes pray in a known tongue. Neither can any sound testimonie or approved example be produced to the contrary for six hundred yeares after Christ. Vitalicus the Pope about the yeare 666, which is the number of the beast whose name is foreign, is thought to have been the first authour of this ordinance, concerning Divine service to be done in Latine. Origen saith,Contra Celsum, lib. 8. That every nation in their mother tongue make their prayers unto God and yield him due praises. So Basil, Epist. 63. ad cler. Neocaesar. And to the examples of the ancient Church we may adde the practice not onelyonly of the reformed Churches, but also of the Ethiopians and Egyptians, Syrians, Armenians, Moscovites, Moravians, and Sclavonians; all which at this day observe the ancient form of praying in their vulgar languages.
De Cyrillo Moraviorum praesule, qui vixit 900, Aeneas Sylvius Hist. Bohem. cap. 13. scribit, Ferunt Cyrillum cùm Romae ageret Pontifici supplicasse ut Sclavorum linguâ ejus gentis hominibus quam baptizaverat rem Divinam faciens uti posset. De qua re dum in sacro senatu disputaretur, essént que non pauci qui contradicerent, auditam vocem tanquam de coelo in haec verba missam, OMNIS SPIRITUS LAUDET DOMINUM,Chemnit. Exam. par. 2. 172. a. ET OMNIS LINGUA CONFITEATUR EI. Indéque datum Cyrillo indultum, &c. They report that Cyrill when he was at Rome sued unto the Bishop, that executing Divine service he might use the tongue of the Sclavonians to the men of that nation which he had baptized. About which when they disputed in the sacred senate, and there were many that gainsaid it, a voice sent as it were from heaven was heard uttering these words, Let every spirit praise the Lord, and let every tongue confesse unto him. And so Cyrills suit was granted, &c. And yet will the Papists be counted Catholicks, who in this point, as in many more, go against the practice and doctrine universall of the Primitive Church for six hundred yeares after Christ.
But, say they, the Latine tongue doth better becomeObject. the majestie of the Divine service, which is diminished in vulgar languages.
The commendation of prayer consisteth not inAnsw. the language, whereof there is no difference to be made in respect of God, but in the sense of the words and devotion of him that prayeth. That which the Apostle speaketh against praying in unknown tongues, is as much verified concerning the Latine tongue, in respect of them which understand it not, as concerning any other.
Yea, but holy mysteries are not to be communicatedObject. to the vulgar, nor precious stones are to be cast unto dogs and hogs.
But holy mysteries are to be expounded to theAnsw. people of God; who may not be compared to dogs or swine, by whom are meant profane persons and scorners of religion.
But since prayers have been made in vulgarObject. tongues devotion is waxed colder in those parts and religion decayed.
Many are made worse by the preaching of theAnsw. Gospel; and where best means are used, the people if they be not the better are the worse. In respect of them devotion is decayed, but in respect of all sound Christians it flourisheth. Neither was that true devotion or religion which they say by vulgar prayers is decayed, but will-worship and superstition, in which men are usually more fervent then in the profession of the truth. For such is the common hypocrisie of men, that when they think to satisfie the Lord with outward observations, they will be forward in that kind; Micah 6. 7.
Now as touching private prayers in an unknownOf private prayers in an unknown tongue, and the evils thereof. tongue, it is certain that they which so pray do scarcely perform any dutie that is required, or exercise any grace which is to be shewed in prayer. For first, he prayeth without understanding, and therefore not as a man, but rather as an unreasonable creature, as Augustine saith; Quid hoc sit quod in In Psal. 18. Expos. 2.Psalmo dicitur, AB OCCULTIS MUNDA ME, intelligere debemus, ut humanâ ratione non quasi avium voce cantemus: Nam & merulae & psittaci & pici & hujusmodi volucres saepe ab hominibus docentur sonare quod nesciunt: What this should be which is said in the Psalme, Cleanse me from secret sins, we ought to understand, that we ought to sing with humane reason, and not (as it were) with the voice of birds: For even black-birds, parrots, pies, and such like birds are often taught by men to sound that which they do not understand. So Cassiod. in Psal. 46. Nemo sapienter facit quod non intelligit: No man doth wisely that which he understandeth not.
2. Neither doth he pray in spirit, but the prayer not understood is a mere lip-labour. The sound of the soul is the understanding. Neither is that any speech of the soul which it doth not understand, neither can they pray but with continuall wandring thoughts: For the mind will not attend that which it doth not understand: or if they do, they do but attend to the words, and not to the matter, which they do not understand.
3. As he which prayeth before others in a language unknown to them, his understanding is unprofitable to them, neither are they edified thereby; so when a man prayeth in a language which himself understandeth not, his understanding is unfruitfull to himself. And as he which praying in an unknown tongue to others, is to them a barbarian; so he which prayeth in a tongue which he doth not understand, is a barbarian to himself.
4. Neither can he pray with faith that his request shall be granted, when he knoweth not what his request is.
5. What reverence is here shewed to the majestie of God, when men presume to babble before him they know not what? And what conceit have they of God, when they hope by such lip-labour to satisfie for their sinnes and to merit eternall life?
6. How can men either ask with fervencie of spirit or give thanks with alacritie of heart when they do not so much as know whether they pray or give thanks?
7. Bodily exercise profiteth little, 1. Tim. 4. 8. for God respecteth not the mouth but the heart: But this prayer in an unknown tongue is a mere bodily exercise; and so in the church of Rome is usually injoyned to penitents as a penall work.
8. Battologie is to be avoided in prayer, Matth. 6. But this babbling and multiplying of prayers without understanding, especially joyned with numbring of them on their beads, as though by how much the more and longer so much more meritorious and satisfactorie, is most grosse battologie.
I conclude with the Apostle, 1. Cor. 14. 37, 38. If any man think himself to be a prophet or spirituall, let him acknowledge what the prophet hath written concerning the use of a known tongue in the service of God, to be the commandments of God: But if any, saith he, be ignorant let him be ignorant.
The like may be said of those who praying in their mother-tongue, do not understand what they say. For the prayer which is made without understandingPrayer unprofitable in our mothertongue, if we pray not with understanding. is also without faith, without feeling, without true devotion: neither is it a lifting up of the mind but of the voyce unto God, and a bare recitall of a set form of words without any inward grace; such as parrots might be taught to make. Wherein many are so grosse that they use the Creed and the ten Commandments for prayers, and recite them with the like devotion as they do the Lords prayer. I deny not but that it is good for the simpler sort to meditate both of the Creed & of the Decalogue, the one conteining the summe of that which we are to believe, the other comprising the summe of that which we are to do; & likewise to pray unto God that he would increase our faith in the one and our obedience to the other. But neither of both is to be used as a form of prayer, because in neither we do either ask any thing which we want, or give thanks for that which we have received. Let men therefore which would call upon God, labour for knowledge and understanding. For a prayer of five words (such as was the Publicanes prayer, Deus, propitius esto mihi peccatori, God be mercifull unto me a sinner, uttered with understanding is better then a prayer of an houre long not understood.