The Nature Parts and Kinds of Prayer, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Sheweth, to whom we muſt pray.
Sect. 1.
NOw am I to ſhew, to whom our prayers are to be directed, and that is to God alone. Prayer (as a Father well ſaith) is a familiar co… ference with God; by it we talk wi… him (as it were) face to face: A… what greater dignity and priviled… can be vouchſafed to ſinfull duſt a… aſhes, then familiarity to talk wi… ſo great a God, and daily to have free and eaſie admittance into … preſence, to manifeſt our neceſſit… to him, and to crave his ſupply a… ſuccour? God onelyonly is to be pray unto; he is ſtiled in Scripture, … God hearing prayer, Vid. Sharpij curſum theologica. Tom. 2. Quaest. 5. Col. 42. & 51.Pſalm 65.1. … thou that heareſt prayer, unto thee ſh… all fleſh come. Not Angels, Sain… nor any other creatures are to be ca… led upon. David in his diſtreſſe ca… leth not upon any of the Patriarc… departed, not upon Samuel or Jon… than his dearly beloved frien… whereas had he been of the Popi… faith, he would have applied himſelf unto them; for that as the P… piſts hold, as the Saints have a ge… neral care of the Church mili… tant, ſo more eſpecially they at ready to befriend ſuch as the… were acquainted withall in their li… time.
The Reaſons to prove, that God …nely is to be prayed unto, are …heſe.
We have a precept for this duty, Reaſ. 1 Pſalm 50 15. God ſaith, Call upon …e in the day of trouble, and I will …eliver thee. Look as nature teach…th children to come to their Parents …or every thing they need, not to ſervants in houſe with them; ſo grace and Gods word, teacheth Gods children to come to him, and cry Abba Father, and to flie to him in their neceſſities. All others are rather perſons praying to God, than perſons to be prayed unto as God.
Object. But, are we to pray onelyonly to God the Father? (becauſe our Saviour ſeems to direct us to pray onelyonly to God the Father, After this manner pray ye, Our Father] and even Bellarmine and the Papiſts themſelves do except, that it is lawfull alſo to pray to the Sonne, and to the holy Ghoſt: For if the word [Father] were uſed excluſively, then might we deny praying to the Sonne, as to Angels and Saints.
Reſp. It is not neceſſary, th… the word [Father] ſhould be u…derſtood perſonally, but rather eſſe…tially for the whole Deity. Call … man father on earth, for one is yo… Father which is in Heaven, Matt… 23.9. Thus the Godhead is o… Father, as well by Nature, as … Grace, by Creation, as Adoptio… Iſai. 64.8. He is called the Fath… of ſpirits, Heb. 12.9 he being th… natural Father of Chriſt from a eternity; he alſo vouchſafeth f… …his ſake to take us to be his ſonn… by faith in Chriſt Jeſus, Gal. 3.20 In this acception the Sonne is calle… a Father, Iſa 53.10.an everlaſting Father, Iſ… 9.6. Iſa. 8.8. And thus the Spir… may be called Fa…her alſo,Unus potentialiter, trinus perſonaliter. becau… by him we are regenerated, Joh… 3.5. whereas the Angels an… Saints cannot be called our Fa…thers, but our Brethren, Rev. 22 9 in the Deity we muſt think of thre… Perſons, but one divine Eſſence, on… God.
2. If the word [Father] were to be underſtood perſonally, yet is not the inference the ſame; the Father is to be invocated, therefore not the Son, nor the holy Ghoſt with theſe; therefore not the Angels nor Saints: For there is no natural difference between the three Perſons, for they are each the ſame one inviſible God; and therefore all their work, ad extrà ſunt indiviſa: but there is a natural and eſſential difference between the Father and the Angels, and alſo an external difference. And therefore the Ancients have obſerved, That when the Father is onelyonly mentioned,foreign. it is not to exclude the other two Perſons, but only to difference the true God from thoſe that are not gods by nature.
Object. 2. Bellarmine excepteth, That Chriſt in that prayer doth not teach his Diſciples to whom they ſhould pray (for that they knew well enough) but for what thing they ſhould pray.
Reſp. Chriſt taught his Diſciples, not onelyonly materialitèr, but formalitèr, how they ſhould pray; as appeareth by their requeſt, Lord, teach us to pray; which requeſt was general, as well of the form, as f… the matter; whereas if they h… meant of the materials, they ſhou… have framed their requeſts thu… Lord teach us for what things w… muſt pray. And although the knew he was to be prayed unto yet they were ignorant how the… ſhould pray unto him; and ther… fore he taught them how to pra… which comprizeth both matter are manner; and therefore thereby yo… may obſerve,
1. That the Apoſtles intreat o… Saviour in general, how they ma… pray, and not in particular how t… pray to God; for then it migh… have ſeemed, there had been prayers diſtinctly, ſome for God, ſom… for the Saints; but this general reque… takes away all cavil.
2. Chriſt ſaith, Cum oratis, Who ye pray, anſwering to their genera… requeſt; and therefore is as muc… as Quoties oratis, as often as y… pray. Now if Chriſt here gave a… general form to be uſed, then ſuch as when they pray do not ſay, Our Father which art in Heaven, &c. …hey do not pray: But ſuch as call …pon the Virgin Mary, Angels and …aints, dare they ſay, Our Father …hich art in Heaven? Therefore …hriſt taught no other to be called …pon but God alone.
Reſp. 2. Prayer is a part of Gods wor…hip; it is that which he requireth of …s, Hoſ. 14.2, 3. It is that wherin much …f his glory conſiſteth, and his glory …e will not give to another, Iſa. 42.8. Now we glorifie God by nothing …ore than by praying to him, Pſalm …0.15. Hereby we acknowledge …im to be the fountain of all mercies …nd bleſſings, we have or do deſire; …raiſing him for his bounty and libe…ality towards us, as being both able …nd willing to help us in all our ne…eſſities. The Heathen that knew …ot the true God, and in what man…er he was to be worſhipped, did …now by the light of nature, that God was to be called upon in all ne…eſſities; therefore the Mariners in a… ſtorm, Jonah 1.5. Cried every man …nto his God. Now, 1. This was good that they prayed; for it's a tri…ute due to God, ſuch a tribute as none can be excuſed for not payi… 2. Good alſo it was that they pray… when they were in trouble. 3. N… were they to be blamed for crying their prayers;Sub errore religionis intellexerunt. Naurae, aliquid numen verendum eſſe. Hieron. ſo as it procee… from fervency of affection, and … from vain-glorious affectati… 4. It was good alſo that they joyed together in prayer: but h… was their fault, onelyonly they pray… unto falſe gods; They cried e… man to his god. Theſe Heather… mariners under a falſe Religi… underſtood that ſome Divine Po… er was to be adored, ſaith Jer… and therefore they cry alſo to … nas being aſleep, Awake, O ſlee… and call upon thy God. The A… nians likewiſe ſet up an Altar w… this Inſcription, To the unknown G… Acts 17.23.
Now as he is an Idolater, w… prayeth to thoſe who by nat… are not gods; then is he to be t… counted godly, who prayeth he… tily to the true God: to him o… ly we are bound to pray, who… we muſt ſerve and worſhip: B… God alone is to be ſerved a… worſhipped by us, therefore to …im alone muſt we pray, Deuter. … 13.
Prayer is a ſpiritual Sacrifice; …ow under the Law, Sacrifice was …o be offered to God alone: Let …y prayer be as Incenſe, and the …ifting up of my hands, as the Eve…ing Sacrifice, Pſalm 141.3. When …he Prieſt of Jupiter with the peo…le would have offered Sacri…ice to Paul and Barnabas, they …ent their cloathes, and cried out, …irs, why doe ye theſe things? Acts 4.12, 13, 14. The Rhemiſts Rhem. Annot. in Act. 14.on …hat place tell us, That externall Sacrifice is not to be offered to man nor Angel, nor any creature, but to God alone. Now the Sacrifice of prayer is …n higher and more excellent Sa…rifice, than any outward Sacri…ice can be, and the offering up of …he calves of the lips, more acce…table than a calf out of the ſtall, …or a Bullock that hath hornes and …hoofs.
None ought to be called upon but Reaſ. 3 ſuch as we beleeve in, Rom. 10.14. How ſhall they call upon him in wh… they have not beleeved? therefore pra… er muſt be made in faith: Pſal. 5 2… 2. therefore ſaith David, hearken u… the voice of my cry, my King, and God, for unto thee will I pray. Pſal. 5 it is a wicked thing to derive fa… from any creature: Bellarmine Vid Jun. animad v. in Bellarm.to … clare the force of this reaſon, hath … jugle: He cannot, ſaith he, call … the Saints, who doth not beleeve … there are Saints, and in a manner hop… them: but the Scripture teach… that the Saints are in no manne… be beleeved in, but God alone. I… one thing, ſaith Mr. Ball, Ball's Treat. of Prayer.to have f… of the Saints, another to beleeve in Saints: he that holds not the fo… er, denies the communion of Sai… in the unity of the ſpirit; he t… affirmeth the other, hath not learned Chriſt or piety.
Reaſ. 4 He only that is foreign, is to called upon; for prayer is often… inward groaning and deſire of … heart alone: now he that muſt h… and grant our petitions, muſt diſc… the ſincerity of the perſons prayi… to him; elſe the hypocrite may ſpe… …s well as the upright perſon, for he …an give as good words, and make as …air ſhews as the ſincere: but this …he Lord only can do: God onelyonly …noweth our hearts, and what we …nwardly deſire. Jer. 17.9, 10. Acts 1.…4. God is omnipreſent, and heareth …ll prayers in all places, and at all …imes; and as for mentall prayers, no Angels, much leſs can Saints know …hem; now the Lord is preſent in all …laces, filling heaven and earth; and …e onelyonly is infinite in knowledge, …nd truth it ſelf, who can not deceive, …or be deceived.
God onelyonly is all-ſufficient, and able Reaſ. 5 …o ſupply all our wants, therefore we …uſt come to God onelyonly in prayer, …s who is the all-ſufficient God, the …ther of lights, from whom every …ood and perfect gift deſcendeth, …am. 1.17. who can irreſiſtibly effect …hatſoever is good for us. Mr. John …radford Jo. Bradford. Meditat. in Orat. dominic.tells us, that three things …uſt of neceſſity be in that party, to …hom prayers muſt be made: 1. He …uſt be preſent in all places at once; …nd have ſuch ears, as he may hear all …e world at once. 2. He muſt be ſo mercifull, as that he will par… all the faithfull that call upon hi… and deliver them that cry unto h… and beſtow ſuch things as he kno… eth beſt for them. 3. He muſt b… ſufficient power to help all at onc…
Sect. 2.
BUt here it will be neceſſary to … ſwer divers Objections of Papiſts.
Object. 1. It is objected by th… that Jacob prayed unto an Angell i… behalf of Joſephs ſons. Gen. 48. The Angel which redeemed me fro… evil bleſs the lads, and let my na… named upon them.
Resp. By the Angell that deli… ed him is meant Chriſt, who is ca… an Angell, and the Angell of th… … venant. Baſil. contr. Eun. lib. 2. Athanaſ. Orat. 4. contr. Cyril. theſ. lib. 3. cap. 1. Hilar. in Pſal. 122. Procop. Gaz. in Gen. 48.Mal. 3.1. he is ſet out b… ſacerdotall office, as being he was covenanted for, or promiſed he that ſhould adminiſter the c… nant: and the Fathers are of op… on that this Angell was no cre… Angell, becauſe he is joyned … God, mentioned verſe 15. and as … called an Angell here, and Exod. 23.…, 23. Behold I ſend an Angell before …ee. So is he called a man, Gen. 32.…4. becauſe he was in a mans ſhape; …t was indeed true God, as appear…h by the name which was given to …acob, after he had prevailed with …im, verſ. 28. and as himſelf did un…erſtand, verſ. 30.
2. When Jacob ſaith, Let my …ame be named or called upon the …ds, his meaning is, that Jacob would …ave Joſeph's ſons be counted for his …ns, and be called the ſons of Jacob; …s appeareth Gen. 48.5. as afterward …ey were reputed, and the Hebrew …hraſe doth import no other, as it is …ſed, Iſa. 4.1. and elſewhere: beſides …ve never find, that ever they wor…hipped him after his death, but ra…her the contrary; as may be col…cted from Iſa. 63.16. and why …hould Jacob require this of Joſeph's …ons, rather than of his own chil…ren?
Object. 2. They object further out …f Job. 5.1. that ſpeech of Eliphaz to …ob, Call now, if there be any that will …nſwer thee, and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn? Job 5.1.
Resp. 1. This is meant rather of … Saints then living, than of the Sai… departed, by the ſcope of the pla… ſc. thoſe that were then preſent, that conference, or any other th… known unto him; to ſee if after … peal to them, any of them wo… maintain him in his cauſe, or t… the wrath of God did not at one ti… or other deſtroy the wicked man.
2. Or if it were meant of Sai… departed, his meaning is, that could not give inſtance of any … Saint in former ages, that ever ſ… fered the like with him; theref… they concluded, that he muſt ne… be an hypocrite.
3. If Eliphaz did exhort Job to … for aid to the Saints departed, it f… loweth not, that it was therfore la… full; for he that ſpake not the tri… in other particulars, as Iob 42.7. mi… the more likely offend in this: a… therefore Bellarmine granteth t… this is not a convincing argume… becauſe Iob himſelf doth not ſay… but onelyonly as it was the cuſtome to do.
4. Some underſtand this of the Angels: Call to the Angels and ſee,Maſcus in Ioſ. 5.13. Vatabl. Annot. Mercer. any of them will vouchſafe to an…er thee, which may be to thee an …rgument how vile thou art: and ſo is an Irony.
Object. 3. Pſal. 139.17. where we …anſlate, How pretious are thy thoughts me O God? Vulgat. in Pſ. 139.17.the vulgar Latin turn…th thus; Mihi autem nimìs honori fi…iti ſunt amici tui: Lord, thy friends …te wonderfully honoured of me: …ow theſe friends (ſay they) are …aints departed, and this honour is …vocation.
Reſp. One of the originall words …gnifieth to be pretious,foreign and [Reang] …ough it ſometime ſignifie a friend, …et it alſo ſignifieth a thought, and … ſo tranſlated Pſal. 139.2. by the …XX, and the vulgar Latin; ſo that … may very well be tranſlated, How …etious are thy thoughts to me? and …us it would ſuit far better, if we …ompare it with the context. But 2. …et the tranſlation be according to …heir mind, what force is in it? For …. It cannot be proved, that David …eant rather the Saints living than the Saints departed, according that Pſal. 16.3. My goodneſs extend to the Saints that are on the earth, the excellent in whom is all my deli… Pſal. 16.3. But 2. What if t… were dead, and he did honour th… yet what manner of honour this that he gave them canno… proved: We confeſs that the Sa… departed are to be honoured, not with the honour of invocat… neither is there the leaſt groun… Scripture, that ever the Patriarc… Jews did ever honour the dead … if they did, this would prove, tha… ſhould honour the Saints dead b… Chriſt, of whom the Papiſts (are otherwiſe mad enough with kind of adoration) make not… ſtanding no account of ad… any of the Patriarchs dead b… Chriſt.
Object. 4. One creature may b… full to another, therefore we may p… to another.
Resp. 1. No creature of it ſelf be helpfull to another, further God permits or enableth them: ſaith, Iſa. 10.3. What will ye do i… …y of viſitation, and in the deſolation …hich ſhall come from far? to whom …ill ye flee for help? and where will ye …ave your glory? and Iſa. 31.3. The …gyptians are men, and not God, and …heir horſes fleſh, and not spirit, when the Lord ſhall ſtretch out his hand, both he that helpeth ſhall fall, and he that is hol…en ſhall fall down, and they all ſhall fail …ogether.
2. Its not a ſufficient ground to move us to call upon another, becauſe it may be helpfull to us (for then might prayer be made to unrea…onable creatures:) We muſt know alſo; that he to whom we pray, heareth us, and is both able and willing to help us; but this we cannot ſay of the Angels and Saints.
3. We muſt diſtinguiſh between civill and religious worſhip; the former is done onelyonly in civill reſpects, in ſuch particulars, wherein we have ſome ground, that the party we requeſt can help us; as Miniſters to inſtruct us; Magiſtrates to protect us from wrong; Phyſitians to heal our diſeaſes, and to theſe we are to repair onelyonly as Inſtruments under God for our help, depending on G… and praying to him for bleſſi… Now when we ſue unto men help, ſuch prayer is not religio… for that is to be made with aſſurance of faith, which is on… proper to God, and therefore no creature. So that this A… gument is of no force or co… quence.
Sect. 3.
HOw then doth this condemn t… groſs Idolatry and Will-worſt of the Papiſts in divers particulars:Regina Coeli, mater miſericordiae, gratiae vita, dulcedo & ſpe… noſtra. that they maintain the Doctrine Angel-worſhip, of adoration Saints, and of the Virgin Mary a canonized Saints, calling eſpecia… on the Virgin Mary, as the Que… of Heaven, the mother of mer… the life of grace; the ſeed that ſhou… bruiſe the head of the Serpent, & and in their Liturgy they have a L… tany whereby they pray, 1. To he… 2. To the Arch-angels and Angel… 3. To Patriarchs and Prophets. 4. T… the Apoſtles and Evangeliſts. 5. T… the Martyrs. 6. To Fathers and Doctors. 7. To Popes and Con…ſſors. 8. To Monks and Ere…ites. 9. To all the Saints, Vir…ins and Widows, that they would …oyn together to make Interceſſion …or them; and to theſe Saints they …ave their ſet Holy-dayes, to them …hey burn Tapers, perform Maſſes …nd Trentals: Each have their ſun…ry Collects, Hymns, Prayers and Oblations; each have their ſundry …ffices deſigned them. Some are …ver Cities and Countreys; ſome …re over trades; ſome are over di…eaſes; ſome have the ſpecial gift of …eſtowing Arts and Sciences. Now what is all this but to forſake the …ountain of living waters, and to hew …ut broken ciſterns that can hold no water, as God complaineth in a like …aſe? Jer. 2.12. And what's the …iſe of all this, but from a prepo…terous admiration of Saints depart…d (or I may ſay of ſome of them …hey were rather Devils incarnate) …nd from the perverſe opinion of …uch as make no difference between …ivil prayer to men living, and religious prayer to Saints departe… Which errour hath been maintai… ed and heightned by the pertina… ous ambition, and great avarice the Popiſh Clergy; ſo that now Proverb among the French is without ground;Qu'on ne cognoiſt Dieu plus entre les Saints. God knoweth more than the Saints. Thus h… they jumbled together God and Saints in a promiſcuous manne… worſhip: Nay, to what an he… of madneſſe are they run, in t… the very bones, aſhes, and garme… of Saints departed are preſerved them in boxes, and publickly a… red, by carrying them about in p… ceſſion, falling down before the… and praying to them, kiſſing them, burning incenſe before the… and aſcribing to them the po… er of working miracles, h… ing diſeaſes, and driving aw… Devils.
Let us now therefore learn abhor all creature-adoration, b… in deed and deſire; and pray o… ly to the true God: all others … but miſerable comforters; as … our neceſſities, none can know the… …ut God onelyonly; none will more …ity them than God, as Auſtin …ittily obſerveth out of the Para…le of Chriſt,Nullus de janitoribus reſpondit, q. omnes tenuerat ſomnus, nòn Angeli, nòn Propherae: at licet pueri tui dormiunt, tu nòn dormis qui cuſtodis Iſrael. Auguſt. in Luc. 11. Vid. Lycer. Harmon. cap. 107. Luke 11.7, 8. where …nely the maſter of the houſe an…wered, and gave what was craved: None of the Porters anſwered; for …leep had held them all, neither Angels nor Prophets anſwered: But though thy children ſleep; yet …hou never ſlumbereſt nor ſleepeſt, who art the keeper of Iſrael. There…ore to the Lord alone let us ſeek, …et no pretence divert us from him: It were an ill excuſe, for a wiſe to plead, ſhe loved her husband dearly; and therefore in his abſence ſhe muſt have others, to ſee them and embrace them, and communicate her loves to them, as remembrances of him; but the husband would loath it, and account it but a whoriſh love: Even ſo it would be far worſe to give that worſhip to others that is due to God alone. Beſides, in all …he Scriptures you ſhall not find, that any Patriarch, Prophet or Apoſtle, hath at any time put up any prayer to any Angel or Saints departed. And, 2. … gels have refuſed this honour, … would not accept thereof, w… men would have worſhipped th… Revel. 19.10. Revel. 22.9. The A… ſtles alſo have refuſed to be w… ſhipped, while they were living, … 10.25, 26. Acts 14.14, 15. And no … vel, for if it be true what is rep… ed of Olympias the mother of A… ander the Great, that hearing … he ſtiled himſelf the ſon of Jup… ſhe wrote to him, deſiring him forbear doing ſo any more, if … for his own ſake, yet (at leaſt) hers, becauſe ſhe feared the diſp… ſure of Juno: Much more had … Angels and Saints cauſe to fear … diſpleaſure of Almighty God, if t… ſhould adventure to aſſume to the… ſelves what was proper to him alo… Origen Origen. contra Celſum, lib. 8.teacheth us, that this was ancient Faith and Religion of Church, ſhewing that God onelyonly to be worſhipped, that Chriſtians … make their pray…s onelyonly to … by Jeſus Chriſt: That althou… the Angels be ſo divine and exc… lent in nature, as that the Scriptu… ſometimes calleth them gods, and …ey do bring unto us the gifts of …od, yet that we are not for all …at to worſhip them, or to do divine …onour unto them, but that all pray…s, all ſupplications, interceſſions and …ankſgivings are to be deſtinated …nto God the Lord of all things by …e Highprieſt the living Word, …ho is God, greater than all Angels: …hat no man ſhould dare to offer …rayers, but onelyonly to the Lord God who alone is abundantly ſufficient …r all) by our Saviour the Sonne of …od.Theodoret. in Coloſ. cap. 2. The Council of Laodicea alſo …creed, Ne praecarentur Angelos, that …en ſhould not pray to Angels, …uch leſſe did they intend that …en ſhould pray to men, who know … not, and being only men, can be no …ediators for our prayers, and our …aying to them can no whit avail to …r ſalvation. No creature hath ears …ng enough to reach the complaints, …r ſtock large enough to ſupply the …ants of his fellow-creature: there…re to God alone muſt all fleſh …me.