A Treatise of Prayer, Treatise · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Sixt and laſt Querie.
Q. VI. WEE are come to our ſixt and laſt Querie, to give▪ in our thoughts thereunto; Whether a Godly parent hath any Command from Chriſt, to teach their children the Lords prayer, thereafter to pray, ſaying the very ſame words?
Wee ſaid, a Command from Chriſt, for wee ſuppoſe it granted, That a Godly perſon will, in every thing he doth, ſpecially in matters of ſo high concernment, look firſt to his Warrant; This I doe, I have a ſure Word for what I doe. And having his LordsS…quis De…h …empe…et jam ut da…ne u… a …en tum Mand… tis eſt h…h…r? D…um …uth… ē. Lum 3. 38. word for that he doth ſhould he be condemned by an hundred worlds (to uſe excellent Calvins words) he has enough to beare him out▪ his Lord Commanded him.
But, Sir; before we proceed we crave leave to give-in a ſho…t account, wherefore wee meddle with this here; your ſelfe giving the occaſion thereof, and little leſſe, though perhaps againſt your purpoſe, provoking us ſo to doe: Our account in ſhort is this: Our Miniſter in the courſe of Catechizing his people (as was hinted before in our Introductive part) fell upon the Expoſition of the Lord's Prayer, and as an Introduction thereunto, he put ſome Queries about this prayer, and among others, of ſpeciall uſe all▪ as we thought, this was one; Whether a Godly parent ought to teach his Children this prayer? and ſo reſolved it from Scripture, as wee ſuppoſe, in the Negative he ought not. But how were the Godly people (they ſeemed ſuch to be and we would hope they, ſome of them, more than ſeeme) ſtirred at this? as much every whit as the ungodly are, when their Idol is pulled at, to pull it-away; for whereas (we tell you the words of one of them) they could have pulled out their eyes for their Miniſter, before he meddled with the Lord's prayer, now they were more enclined, at leaſt, to pull out their Miniſters eyes from him, than their owne for him. Truely we judge Charitablie, as our dutie is, and conceive good hope, that the Oppoſers or contrary-minded herein, ſome of them, are godly in the maine, (onelyonly ſeduced or miſguided by former guides) though one of them well ſtricken in yeares, was taught that prayer at the firſt, when he was a Childe, and ſeldome ſaid any other to that day, as hath been told to us by one that did know, if any did To Conclude our narrative part; Theſe perſons thus moved and diſquieted, addreſſed themſelves to you Sir, as their Oracle, whereas their Dutie was to have Conſulted with the Scriptures, our Miniſter laid before them, and afterwards, as occaſion required, with himſelfe; But it is not our manner to doe things after their right manner.
Though yet we Blame them not for adviſeing with you, onelyonly wee ſay they ſhould have ſearched the Scriptures, and have adviſed with their Miniſter firſt. Your Anſwer to them was ſweet and comely, farre otherwiſe than was reported by one of them, who may be as much taken with that prayer, as ſome are with that they make an Idol. OnelyOnly this you ſaid to them, which they lookt for and it pleaſed them well, and it was aboundantly enough to marre all our Miniſter had ſaid from the Lord unto them, That you teach your Children that prayer, or allow it they ſhould be ſo taught. And now wee are forced to call your practiſe into Queſtion, which truly, but for the Truth's ſake, wee ſhall doe unwillingly, and ſo wee ſhall ſtate the Queſtion in the Negative; That a Godly Parent ought not to teach his Children the Lords prayer. You hold the Affirmative, for thereafter you practiſe, wee would hope you can make full proof that your practiſe is Godly. So, Sir, we crave your reaſons, at leaſt, wee crave your leave to gueſſe at them, by what we have heard from others, and ſo to ſett downe, as may be allowed us in theſe caſes, what probably your reaſons may be to hold-forth your practice with your children to be godly and holy, full-up to your rule and preſcription in Gods word, whereafter you order, wee hope, your whole converſation, your ſayings and doeings before your people, and your whole houſe, your children ſpecially the maine and principall parts, and your cheife goods there: for by your well-ruling of them, and care over them, you will make full proofe what care you take of the Churches of God; for he who knowes how to rule his own houſe well, is in a good poſture of ſpirit to rule well the houſe of God—But this was ſpoken before in the ſecond Treatiſe, relating to the Lords Supper pag. 19. This wee were ſaying your ruling well your own houſe, will be a good Teſtimoriall, that you rule well as a good Steward in the Houſe of the living God. Therefore we hope, you can give good reaſon for all you doe in your owne houſe, which you order, we would hope, in deſire and endeavour, as thoſe whoſe praiſe is in the Goſpell. Probably your reaſons are theſe, or ſuch like, to theſe; for wee will not mention here any of that, which went before, one wee would remind you of the ſame.
Firſt, Can there be a more excellent prayer, and more comprehenſive than the Lords prayer is?
Verily, No; And therefore is it ſo takeing in the world; for if any forme may be uſed whereafter to pray, uſeing the very ſame words, then this forme above any. No prayer being more excellent, nor more comprehenſive. But therefore thinke wee, the more unfit to be taught a Child, the more unſuitable to his underſtanding. The prayer is excellent, conſidered in it ſelfe, and as you may be able to conſider of it; but it hath no excellencie with a childe; he ſpeakes as a child, he underſtands as a child, he thinkes, or reaſoneth as a childe; And with due regard to all this, you muſt ſpeake to him, and reaſon with him, in lower matters than are the contents of this prayer.
Secondly, You may ſay, I muſt reaſon with him about God, and Chriſt, and what manner of perſon He is, and how He is to be ſerved; but theſe are no low matters, but high, and much above the reach of a childs underſtanding.
It is readily graunted. Yet you may conſider, it is one thing to drop-in, as into a verie narrow mouthed veſſell, drop by drop, and to powre in all at once; wee meane, To deale with a childe word after word, then to ſee how the firſt word taketh, before you deale with him about the ſecond; And to give him ſix lines together, whereas each line ſingle and apart, comprehends more of God and of Chriſt in it, of grace and glory by Him, then doe the viſible Heavens; O the vaſt comprehenſion of this Prayer! And the ſhallowneſſe of a childs; ſhall wee ſay of a mans comprehenſion about it! You may teach your child to ſay it, ſo you may your Parrot too; and teaching him it altogether to ſay it, as you, in your pulpit, he will underſtand it as much as the Parrot doth; and by ſo ſaying it, you ſhall teach the people to underſtand it, if not all, yet but little better alſo; You may put this prayer, as to the words of it, into the mouth of your childe, but he comprehends it no more, than doth the darkneſſe the light.
Thirdly, You may ſay as wee heare others doe, It is a commendable thing, and well becomeing a godly parent ſure, to teach his child to call God father, though as Hieron ſaith, he doth but liſpe out father.
You know, and you know it for your good, To call God father, or rather to cry, Abba Father, is as was ſaid, of the Spirits teaching, I cannot liſpe Abba Father, but as He hath adopted mee, that is, in Jeſus Chriſt, in Whome alone He is become the Father of mercies unto mee, ſaith that learned man Dr K: Chap: 4. …: 115. Yet it is graunted, you are to teach your childe to call God father, as you can. And you have heard of the method or ready way you may take till you know a better in teaching your child, that great and high leſſon. But everie thing is comely in its due time and order. Wee conceive you are to teach your child firſt, to call himſelfe rebell againſt this heavenly Father; that he was borne into the world with his backe againſt him, (being borne a child of wrath aſſoone as he was a child of a man:) an enemie to this Father, even enmitie it ſelfe, and an hater of Him. And then wee take it, the child is to be farther queſtioned (and that is the beſt way of teaching by queſtioning) whether this enmitie is in any meaſure or degree diſcovered to him, by the Spirit with the Word, and ſhine in him? (for enmitie cannot become friendſhip, though enemies may be made friends) enmitie muſt be ſlaine. This wee conceive the child muſt be taught firſt, before he can be taught to call God Father, after a due manner and a right underſtanding.
SECT. IV.
NOw wee take leave to give-in our reaſons, as few and as breifely as wee have taken-in yours; Wherefore it is not becomeing a godly parent to teach his child the Lords prayer. Wee ſhall not recall here neither, but reminde you onelyonly of what went before, that caried verie levell to this verie ſcope.
Firſt, It is cleane croſſe to the right method of teaching to exerciſe the childes memory firſt, for it is to teach your child as you would teach your Parrot, between whom you know to put a wide difference, Sith God hath made them ſo to differ, Who teacheth Job 35. 11.us more then the beaſts of the earth, and makes us wiſer then the fowles of heaven. You teach a child as becometh a childe to be taught; You teach a fowle, bird or beaſt, as is comely for them to be taught; beſides, you put a greater difference betwixt earthly and heavenly matters; ſenſuall and ſpirituall; and accordingly you muſt vary in your teaching. This may ſuffice for the firſt.
Secondly, You would have your deare childe to be a gainer duplicate page duplicate page by your teaching. Wee beſeech you aske him, now you have taught him the Lords prayer, what he hath gained by your teaching? Our perſwaſion is you will find his gaine to be but ſmall; onelyonly whereas when time was he ſaid it as a child, Parrot-like now, being growne-up, he ſayes it with more grace in the eare of the hearer, ſaying it like a Clarke, but perhaps with as little grace in the heart as he ſaid in before when he was a child. But yet we cannot graunt you, That by all your teaching, you have taught your child the Lords prayer▪ for if you have taught him to read it, he can teach himſelfe to ſay it without your helpe.
Thirdly, You ſhould not doe as all the wicked of the world doe; we meane, of your Nationall Church, who have onelyonly this to ſhew for their Chriſtianitie, and whereby to make full proofe thereof, That they were borne in your Church, and waſhed there: Wee thinke it is not comely for you to doe as they doe; they hold to that Injunction appointed them by their Prieſt, as he by the Biſhop, whereof hereafter. All the wicked perſons in your Church, we are perſwaded, not one excepted, no not the verieſt varlet there, but they all teach it their children, they ſhall have it, as they themſelves had it, by tradition from their parents. Theſe were taught their Pater noſter; (they underſtand the Latine as well as the Engliſh, and the Greeke too) their Creed, and the ten Commandements; and ſo much they will teach their children, either by themſelves or another, and having learnt ſo much without the booke, they have learnt enough for themſelves and their children after them. You that know the Country-folke and their uſage, know it ſo to be, having heard them ſaying ſo much you know not how often. You know better, and you muſt doe better. You would not be numbred among the wicked in after time, you muſt not doe, as they doe now. And yet to excuſe them a little, and blame you more. Theſe, as they conceived, had a command or charge laid upon them, when time was, by their guides and rulers of their Church then; their charge is expreſſe in theſe words; At the laſt end the Prieſt calling the God-fathers and Godmothers together, ſhall ſay th… exhortation following, the fulleſt part whereof is this, Yee ſhall provide that theſe children ſhall learne the Creed, the Lords prayer, and the ten Commandements in the Engliſh tongue.
You will not▪ ground your practiſe hereupon, for ſo you would practiſe after that heathen Prieſt, whom you may know; This Prieſt juſtifies his cuſtomes as to Church-matters, by quoteing (as we have heard) the Service-Booke, and thoſe cuſtomes in uſe then, which he followes to a tittle; for as to that ſacred Booke, wee cannot tell whether he ſo much as lookes upon it; certaine it is he hateth the contents there with his heart; for he hateth to heare it, and to be informed by it. You abhorre wee hope, ſuch doeings, which were in uſe amongſt us, when Tyrannie and Poperie were in their Tropick, or Zenith, the higheſt verticall point; then indeed theſe words were in uſe, which ſome will call a command or charge. But ſo will not you, for you (wee would hope) doe bleſſe God day and▪ night, who hath delivered His Church (wee meane, not that you call Nationall, for that is in Egypt Acts 7. 39.ſtill, being never out, or if a dayes journey out, yet returning thereunto, and is there in heart, there it would be as before in the Biſhops dayes) wee ſay His Church from out of that more than Egyptian darkneſſe, whereunto it ſhall returne no more; being the Vineyard of red wine, which He hath undertaken to water every moment, and that nothing hurt it, to keepe it night and day.
Fourthly, And in the laſt place; you ſhould not teach your child that, which you muſt unteach againe: what is taught and learnt by the precepts of men, muſt be untaught and unlearnt by the precept of God. But, wee thinke, wee have prooved, That the teaching by formes, is but the teaching of men, and they have their warrant, onelyonly by precept from men: You know what is ſtoried of a godly Matron, after her heart was turned, and ſett upon Chriſt, It was told us once, and wee heard it twice; before ſhe was humbled, as was ſaid of Manaſſeh, ſhe had taught her children2 Chr. 33. 19. as you doe, the Lords prayer, and ſo ſhe confeſſed, but comeing to her ſelfe, or to uſe her owne words, to her right minde; ſhe endeavoured all ſhe could to unteach them againe; what ſhe effected with all her indeavour is more then wee can tell. But you may tell us when you goe about it, what an hard and difficult worke you ſhall find it to be to unlearne your children what you have ſo eaſily and quickly taught them, (if it had been good, it had not been ſo eaſily taught, nor ſo quickly learnt) In the meane time, wee can tell our ſelves, That children and grown-folke alſo are as hardly beat off from their formes, as an hungry Maſtyffe is from his prey. Naturally wee cleave as faſt to formes of all faſhions, and theſe to us, as the fleſh cleaveth to the bone, and ſinne to the fleſh. How hard a thing is it then to leave a forme, and looke to the power? when in leaving this wee muſt overcome a double Nature, our owne firſt, and that, which cuſtome hath made our owne, or ſecond Nature, having learnt it from our Cradle, and growne up in the practiſe of it.
Take heed good Sir, Looke over your ſcholars, and conſider them well, you may teach them in theſe eaſie matters, or pleaſe you, they can learn without teaching, ſuch eaſie leſſons, ſix lines in ſix minutes time; Lenocinante Natura, their nature is a very bawd hereunto, to learne formes, and cleave unto them, when ſhe hath done; but when you come to unlearne them, which you muſt doe, if ever you learne them right, you ſhall finde it a worke impoſſible to fleſh and blood. Why! What thinke you? A childe or a man prayes, as you have taught him, and exactly well he thinkes, for he ſayes the Lords prayer (without either feare or wit, becauſe without underſtanding) Can you thinke now that he will be drawne off from this praying by a forme? why not? becauſe (1) his father taught him ſo to pray, and he knew well what he did, for he was a Miniſter of Chriſt: father and mother are deare names, and what they teach is like to abide with them, ſpecially if it put the fleſh to no coſt; but however, it is like to ſticke, becauſe a leſſon from a father comes with authoritie, and ſo with more advantage to prevaile. (2) Becauſe he can pray by a forme, yet reade nothing to purpoſe, nor heare any thing to purpoſe: nor meditate upon any thing to purpoſe that he heares or reades; this is moſt pleaſing to the fleſh. Your child will part as hardly from it as he will part from his skin, yea or from his ſinne. Deare Sir, remember what you have read, and adde it, if pleaſe you, to all that, which went before; He that reades much, and heares much, and meditates much upon what he reades and heares, he prayes much, (for to meditate and to pray are from the ſame root) perſwade your children to reade much, and heare, and meditate much, that is, to thinke on what they reade and heare (for thoughts are but exerciſing of the ſoules faculties, you know) and by the bleſſing of God with you and them, you may teach them to pray, and to account no more of their formes, one, or more, as to their helpe in that matter, then they doe of anothers mouth and teeth, thereby to chew their meate; or of anothers feet whereby to goe. Ye ſhall offer no ſtrange incenſe thereon, Exod: 30. 9. Mr Ainſworths note there-upon is this; It figured the prayers of the Saints, which muſt be according to the will of God, by His Spirit, and in faith: not after the tradition of men, or will of the fleſh.
Once more and wee have done; Live well before your children, wee hope you doe, a readie way alſo to teach them to pray well, for you know the ſaying, well living is a well teaching; and the ſhorteſt way of teaching; a long way about by precept, a ſhort way by practiſe or example; he that lives well prays well; and he that beleives much, prayes much, though he ſay not a word. A good life is a good prayer, it is a continued prayer, as you have read. Wee will cloſe with this; Traine up a child (ſaith the wiſdome of God) in his way of Gods preſcribing, and when he is old he will not depart from it. As if he had ſaid; He will be the better for it while he liveth. Traine up a child in formesProv. 22. 6. (according to the wiſdome of the fleſh) and when he is old he will not depart from them; As if wee had ſaid, he will be the worſe for them while he liveth, if grace interpoſe not. Theſe are too ſweet to the fleſh, for the fleſh to leave; theſe are all the comfort the fleſh hath while the man is living; but dying ſhall ſtand the man in no more ſtead, than a paper wall can defend againſt a Cannon ſhott, or the Cawle of the heart againſt the paw of a Lion. Wee will ſhutt up with this, and ſo call to remembrance, That there was an huge great perſon, who had learnt that in his Cradle, which he could not unlearne on his throne; and it was no ſmall diſhonour to him. So may a child be taught a forme of prayer in his cradle, which if, through the favour of the times, he be admitted to the pulpitt, he will uſe there alſo; and ſo exact he will be therein, that all that heare him, may conclude, he was taught that forme from his cradle. It is important ſure, and very momentous, elſe Quintillian (wee rather mention him) had not been ſo full and large upon it; what choice wee ſhould make of Nurſes, becauſe commonly theſe parle firſt with the child in the morning, and laſt at night, and much all the day long. And if they be bad, not knowing their dutie, or careleſſe of what they know, wee are like to have, as was once ſaid wirtily, but truely, a child, or a boy of him all his life long—The ſumme is this; Be well adviſed about that you teach your child in the morning of his yeares, he will ſavour of it to the evening of the ſame. Nurſes or mothers, who ſhould make all, commonly marre all, if ſpeciall grace interpoſe not. No more, for this containes much, if not all.
Now we will Contract, what hath been ſaid of this ſubject prayer, and the ſcope whereto it tends, and give it in this breif.
We have ſhewen what a ſerious worke it is; and what a ſlight, and vaine thing formes are: wee have declared againſt a wicked mans prayer; for ſo the Lord himſelfe doth: it is an abomination; yet it is his dutie to pray; though a greater abomination it is to ſay the Lords prayer.
Wee have ſhutt it out of the Cloſet; It is too ſhort for Cloſet-worke. And too long for an after prayer, being, who knowes how full of heavenly ſenſe, and ſpirituall meaning. Therefore wee have cutt it off from the Miniſters prayer in the pulpit; If he will ſett it too againe, be it at his pleaſure, it may be to his perill.
Wee have queſtioned it very much, and endeavoured to put it out of queſtion, that John did not teach his Diſciples to pray by giving them formes of prayer to ſay. Wee have cleared it to be a parents dutie to teach his child to pray; and, as wee could, wee have directed his practiſe, and concluded, That a parent teacheth not his child to pray, that gives him formes of prayer to ſay, for that they learne without teaching, too prompt and ready that way. The Spirit of the Lord teacheth parent and child to pray; and the firſt thing the Spirit teacheth, wee thinke, is, to ſay that they cannot pray; yet wee ſhould tempt God, if wee our ſelves ſhould not pray, and teach our children ſo to doe, to pray, that they may be enabled to pray. To ſhutt up, The God of all graces and father of mercies, in and through His Sonne, gives forth no temporall, much leſſe eternall ſalvation; no common mercy, much leſſe any ſpirituall grace, which is eternall, to His marvelouſly Pſal. 4. 3.ſeperated ones, His gratious Saints, but He will ſtirre them up to inquire after Him firſt before He gives it; They ſhall aske before they have; and but aske, and have, yet not for their asking.
Now it is marvelous to conſider Satans deviſes here, that implacable enemy and adverſary of all righteouſneſſe He perſwades the wicked to ſit downe fully content with their condition, and ſatisfied with common mercies, and not pray at all; and if they will be praying; it ſhall be but …prating and babling; A meere prophaneing of Gods Name, if not blaſpheming. If they will pray as the moſt will, they ſhall pray in anothers words, and no matter in whoſe name; by a booke or without it, by the memorie, never with the heart, unleſſe for the remooving of ſome plague, felt or feared. But never about the plague of the heart, the plague indeed.
And for theſe gratious Saints, This adverſary ſhewes himſelfe ſuch an one, in no one thing more than in this, To keepe them from praying but if that cannot be, then he imployes all his force policie and might to hinder and interrupt prayer, and for the effecting of this—what will he caſt in; and how readily doth fleſh comply with him▪ But theſe know whom they have truſted; And that His grace ſhall be ſufficient for them.
AMEN.