Concerning Prayer, Title page – Dedication
A Treatiſe CONCERNING PRAYER; Containing particularly AN APOLOGY For the uſe of the LORDS PRAYER.
By THOMAS HODGES, B.D. Rector of the Church of Souldern.
LONDON, Printed by John Griſmond. 1656.
TO The very much Honoured, John Crew, Eſq
SIR,
YOu may, perhaps, wonder, that the enſuing Treatiſe, being, for the maine, the ſubstance of a Sermon lately preached in your eares at Brackley, ſhould now be preſented to the eye of the world: And again, that it ſhould come forth after this manner, fronted with your name: And the rather at both, becauſe you will finde your ſelfe ſurpriſed without the leaſt fore knowledge, or fore-thought of either. My anſwer for the firſt of theſe ſhall be this, That it containes an Apology for the uſe of the Lords Prayer, and conſequently, a juſtification of my own, and many of my deare Brethrens practiſe, conformable to the Directory for publique Prayer, compiled by the Reverend Fathers of the late Aſſembly, and authoriZed to be obſerved by Ordinance of Parliament, whereof you were a Member. I would not have it ſaid, No Leiturgie, no Lords Prayer; that, ſince the Church of England hath laid aſide the former, as unneceſſary, or inconvenient; ſhe hath cast out the latter, as unlawfull. And my deſires and endeavours are, that as in the Marian times, times of Idolatry & ſuperſtition, ſome were martyr'd upon occaſion of their ſaying the Lords Prayer in Engliſh; now in theſe dayes of reformation, the Lords Prayer it ſelfe may not be made a Martyr, and they ſuffer in their names and reputations, that dare to uſe or rehearſe it at all as a Prayer.
Now as for the preſent addreſse to you, give me leave, Sir, to ſay, for ſay it I muſt, that when I conſider how many yeares you have been an eminent Patron of Preaching and Prayers in theſe parts of the Nation; and withall, that you were an Auditor of the Sermon, that your own houſe is an houſe of prayer, that God hath remarkably endued and bleſſed you with an underſtanding Head, an honest Heart, a fixed and ſtable Soule, and ſo qualified you to be a fit judge of Truth; I muſt confeſſe, looking about, I doe no where ſee ſuch another excellent Theophilus, under whoſe name and patronage I may with ſo much reaſon and boldneſs commit the following Treatiſe to the Preſſe. I am not without ſome hope, that it may meet with the better entertainment in the world, becauſe it comes forth with the priviledge of your name: ſo that, if the obſcurity of the Author ſhould hazard to darken the preſent Truth, the luſtre of your name may be a meanes to ſcatter that cloud, and to cleare up that truth to the otherwiſe blere-ey'd (i. e.) prejudic'd Reader.
And now, Sir, not deſpairing of your pardon for ingaging you thus far let me beg your patience a little farther, viz. whilſt by way of ſupplement to the Sermon I premiſe in this Epiſtle a few words concerning this ſix finger'd Monſter of errour about the Doctrine of Prayer herein handled. Sir, there are three paire of Errours (if I may ſo ſpeak) contrary to this Truth, and each paire conſiſting of two extreames, the one contrary to the other.
The firſt pair this, That we ought to do nothing at all but pray; and, that we ought not to pray at all: the firſt an error of ſome in the Primitive times, the latter a fancy of theſe laſt daies.
The ſecond paire this, That 'tis abſolutely neceſſary alwaies when we pray, to uſe a form; and, that 'tis utterly unlawfull at any time when we pray, to pray with, or by a form: the former the opinion of ſome chiefly raiſed by Prelacy, when at its height, the latter originally the conceit of others caſt down and kept under by the Hierarchy.
The third paire this, That the often bare repetition of the Lords Prayer merits pardon of ſin, and heaven; and, that the once rehearſing it for a Prayer, is a ſin, and ſo deſerves Hell: the former the tenet of ſome Papists, and fancy of ignorant Proteſtants; the latter the error of ſome reall enemies both to Popery and Formality.
Sir, theſe are the ſeveral errors to the followers and patrons, of which may I have your leave and patronage to ſpeak a few words.
To the poore Euchite (if any ſuch there be in theſe daies) who will doe nothing elſe but pray, I ſay, and that juſtly, Wherefore is this loſſe? who hath required theſe things at your hands? Go to Paradiſe, and there learn of Adam, by Gods own direction and command, to keep and dreſſe the Garden, as well as to ſanctifie or keep holy the Sabbath day. As for thoſe who are guilty of the ſecond error, viz. who will not pray at all: I have preached to them the following Sermon, & here ſhall tell them, I pray for them, becauſe they pray not for themſelves; and, that I think it more neceſſary to write The Lord have mercy on their doores, in whoſe houſes Prayer is not, than where the Plague is.
Thoſe of the third rank, who will allow of no prayer, except with, or by a form; ſuppoſing they will not decline the judgement and practiſe of the Ancients, without weighty reaſons, I referre to *foreign. Juſt. Mart. Apol. 2.Juſtin Martyr and Tertullian, and if their teſtimony will not amount to this, that it was their judgement,Sine monitore quia de pectore oramus. Tert. Apol. cap. 30. and the practiſe of Christians in their time, to pray according to their ability, without any Booke or Prompter, and ſo without any ſet form, yet let them ſhew us how to construe their ſayings, ſo as to reconcile them to their opinion. And again, I beg of them to heare King James, who, in his advice to Prince Henry, counſels him to pray as his heart moves him, pro re natâ, and not bee as the ignorant ones, who pray nothing but out of a book: I would deſire men of this perſwaſion to conſider, that they make the way to the throne of grace onelyonly in a beaten path, or road, and narrower than God and the holy Scriptures have made it; and that, probably, this their inordinate Zeale for ſet Formes, and their intemperate heat against conceived Prayers, gave the firſt occaſion of throwing out all Liturgies out of the Church. When they who are allowed crutches or staves to help their weakneſſe, make uſe of them to fight withall, and to break the heads of thoſe who offer to goe without them, then 'tis thought no injustice or imprudence to take them away. When once the Liturgie, that Sheepherds ſtaff, would pretend to be like that rod of Aaron, when it devoured the rods of the Egyptian Magitians, that is, would become a Serpent, and devour all other prayers in the Church, as if they had not been the product of the holy Spirit, but a deluſion, then it was thought high time to remove it.
Thoſe in the fourth place, who decry all forms as utterly unlawfull, are reaſoned withall in the following Diſcourſe. It ſhall ſuffice here to intreat them to goe to the pattern in the Mount, I mean the Lords Prayer there delivered, Matth. 6.9. which I take to be a warrant and pattern for formes of Prayer, even in Goſpel-times. I aſſert not here the neceſsity or expediency of formes for all; but this I ſay, that, meerely to uſe a forme, is not ſinfull; and further, that ſome formes may be a meet help for ſome men; that Prayer by a forme is better than no Prayer at all; and that, if I could preach Prayer, though by a Form, into all thoſe houſes and cloſets in England where now there is no Prayer at all, I think I ſhould, through Grace, doe God and his Church an acceptable ſervice.
The fifth ſort, namely thoſe who look upon the meere rehearſall of the words of the Lords Prayer, though without a right understanding, and ſuitable affections, to bee a meritorious Act; theſe are the men for whoſe ſake the way of truth, wherein good men goe in this matter, is evil ſpoken of. It is the Idolizing the very words and ſillables of this prayer, without regard to the ſenſe of it, or uſing it with Faith and Fervency, which hath occaſioned others, who have a zeale, but not according to knowledge in this thing, to deal with this golden Prayer, much like as Hezekiah did with the Brazen Serpent. Let me not become their enemy, and I will tell them the truth; the Lords Prayer, in the mouth of an ignorant and profane perſon, is like a Pearle in a Swine's ſnout. As it is not every one that ſaith, Lord, Lord, (that prayers with ſome enlargement and earneſtneſſe, ſo ſome interpret that ſaying, Mat. 7.21.) ſo 'tis not every one that prayes Our Father, &c. ſhall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven. Let us not therefore make that prayer guilty of vain repetition, which was ordained for a remedy thereunto; cauſe no man to ſay this Proverb unto it, Phyſitian heale thy ſelfe.
Lastly, to them that ſcruple the Lawfulneſſe of uſing this prayer; I ſay there is no ſcripture, nor ſufficient reaſon againſt it, and there is both Scripture and reaſon for it. What plainer words needed our Lord to have uſed, upon ſuppoſition he would have us to uſe this Prayer? Surely if he had meant we ſhould not have uſed it, he would never have expreſsed himſelfe in ſuch words as theſe, when ye Pray, ſay, &c. Had our Lord meant it only as a patterne, & in no caſe to be uſed as a Prayer, he would probably have bid them (when they asked to be taught to pray as John taught his Diſciples) pray, that Gods Name might be ſanctified, his Will done, &c. and not have framed it into the forme of a Prayer, and ſo have put it in their mouths with a when ye pray, ſay, &c. Certainly there is no text ſo plaine against, as this is for the lawfulneſſe of uſing it. As for the Prayer it ſelf, I will confidently ſay of this Prayer, what was too boldly, in my judgement, ſaid of the Common-prayer, viz. that it is impſsible for Men and Angels to mend it: yea, though I will not ſay, Our Lord Chriſt could not; yet I dare ſay, hee never did give a more perfect form than this.
It is in charity to be hoped, that, through ſome miſtake, Mr. Roſſe hath done the adverſe opinion too much honour, in fathering it upon Independents; though I conceive he hath done thoſe godly and learned men no honour at all thereby, eſpecially if it be true which Mr Perkins (who taught England to preach) ſaith,Mr. Perk. of the Lo: Prayer. viz. That it is an opinion full of ignorance and error.
I do therefore here humbly beſeech all the reſt of the Apologiſts to do as one of them, viz. Mr. Jer. Burroughs, whoſe name is pretious ſtill amongst the Saints, was wont to do, namely, ſometimes to uſe the Lords Prayer in the Congregation.
For though there are publiſhed reaſons of diſſenting brethren againſt Presbytery, yet I never either ſaw or heard any of their Reaſons againſt the uſe of the Lords Prayer, recommended by the Aſſembly to be uſed in the Prayers of the Church.
Oh that Chriſtians under all the ſeveral Forms of Church government would agree together on earth, with one heart, and one mouth, to lift up this one prayer to our Father in Heaven, in all the Churches of CHRIST throughout all Ages. And though it hath beene thought expedient to lay aſide the Liturgy, compiled, though by good men, yet but by men; yet let it in no wiſe bee thought convenient to diſuſe the Lords Prayer, compoſed and recommended by him who was both God and Man. Though all Liturgies, though all Set Formes compoſed and impoſed by men, ſhould fall, yet let this ſtand. And truly it would well become, in theſe conteſts, all Formes of mens compoſing, not to engage the Lords Prayer in the battell with them, but rather, as King David's loyall Subjects ſaid to him, 2 Sam. 18.3. Thou ſhalt not go forth: for, if we flee away they will not care for us; neither if half of us die or periſh, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thouſand of us, therefore it is better that thou ſuccour us out of the city, it is better that thou be a warrant to us, and a ſtrong city, and that of Refuge to us, if we be put to flight. As for other Prayers, they may have done vertuouſly, but this excelleth them: all others may poſsibly deſerve their thouſands of praiſes, this its ten thouſand. Let not the Streams contend with the Fountain, the Diall with the Sun, the ordinary Meaſures with the royall Standard, nor our Prayers, whether compoſed or conceived with the Lords Prayer. But if any ſhould ſay, Daies ſhould ſpeak, and multitude of Yeares ſhould teach wiſdome, ask the Fathers and they ſhall tell us: My Anſwer is, I joyn iſſue with them. I appeale to the judgement of Tertullian, Cyprian, Hierome, Auſtin, Gregory *In legitima oratione, cùm dicimus ad patrem, ne nos inducas in tentationem (quae autem major tentatio quam perſecutio) abieo illam profitemur accidere, à quo veniam ejus deprecamur. Tertul. de fuga, &c. Amica & familiaris oratio eſt, Deum de ſuo rogare, ad aures ejus aſcendere, Chriſti orationem agnoſcat, Pater Filii ſui verba, cum precem facimus. Cypr de Orat. Dom. Sic docuit Apoſtolos ſuos, ut quotidie, in corporis illius ſacrificio credentes, audeant loqui, Pater Noſter qui es in coelis, &c. Statim in prima corporis Chriſti communione dicunt, Dimitte nobis debita noſtra. Hierom. adverſus Pelag. Oratio vobis quotidie dicenda eſt, cùm baptizati fueritis; in Eccleſia enim ad Altare Dei quotidie dicitur iſta oratio Dominica, & audiunt iſtam fideles: non ergo timemus, ne minùs illam teneatis diligenter, quia ſiquis veſtrùm non poterit tenere perfecté, audiendo quotidie tenebit. Aug. Hom. 42. Orationem Dominicam idcirco mox poſt precem dicimus, quòd nos Apoſtolorum fuit, ut ad ipſam ſolummodò orationem oblationis hoſtiam conſecrarent. Greg. Epiſt. lib. 7. Epiſt. 63..
And to ſay the truth, I have not read, or heard, that ever any of the Fathers or Councils, judged it either unlawfull, or inexpedient, to uſe the Lords Prayer for a Prayer.
And now Sir, having by this time, I ſuppoſe, ſufficiently tried, if not tired, your patience, in detaining you ſo long a ſpectator of our conteſts with this half doZen of errors; I ſhall adde no more, but (deſiring that this Epiſtle may remain as a publique acknowledgement, or expreſse of gratitude, for thoſe Reſpects and Favours wherewith you have been pleaſed to oblige our Brackley-ſociety, I ſhall onelyonly bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jeſus for you, that you may be the bleſſed of the Lord, and your off-ſpring with you; and, particularly, ſith you are one who can ſay Amen to the Prayer of Moſes for Levi, Deut. 33.11. and to the Prayer of Chriſt, Mat. 6.9. &c. and Luke 11.1, 2, &c. that you may beare a part in the Song of Moſes, and of the Lamb. Sir, this is, and ſhall be, the heartie prayer of
Your very humble Servant in the Lord, Tho: Hodges. Decem. 1. 1655.