A Treatise of Prayer, Postscript
Poſtſcript.
WEE have purpoſely forborne to diſcharge our Treatiſe of that charge of blaſphemie once and againe charged upon it; wee have given a marke in the margine all along where the yong-man, in the name perhaps of his elders, enters not his diſſent onelyonly but the charge of blaſphemie againſt us. It is humbly referred to God and His Scriptures to judge how juſt that charge is. And if it ſhall pleaſe thoſe whom God hath made able Miniſters of the New Teſtament, not of the Leter but of the Spirit (for the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life) to give-in thei… judgement here alſo, we are aſſured it ſhall be according to Truth. Wee will adde two words more; The one we borrow from him, whoſe words we ſhall hereafter ſet downe; It is far more facile to give the hardeſt Cenſures, than to Anſwer the eaſieſt Arguments. The other is this which one of us has read ſome where; A good Cauſe when plainely told is learnedly pleaded, eſpecially if a Meeke Moſes or juſt Joſhua be the Judge thereof. So we come to ſet downe here, as was ſpecified upon the Title page, the words of that holy and learned Man, who ſpeakes to all matters he undertakes in the Name of his God to ſpeake unto after his manner, which is to ſay all that can be ſaid in any ſubject whatſoever. This encomie or high Commendations was given to Grotius by one of our own, in ſome matters of the higheſt concernment, relating to our deare Lord and Chriſt, of the ſame perſwaſion▪ with him; And ſo thought it not enough to Commend the ſaid man without any exception, but he muſt admire him alſo ſine modo and without juſt reaſon. May it not be feared, That he feareth not his Maker as he ought, nor Conſiders how ſoone He can take him away▪ who can give ſuch flattering words, or high commendations to that man, who hath ſuch low thoughts of our deareſt Lord and Saviour. To ſay no more; Surely ſuch an honour as this to ſay what can be ſaid in any ſubject belongs to that Man, who honours God, and whom God doth honour; whoſe whole heart is taken-up with the love of Him; his tongue with the praiſe of Him; and whole life with the ſervice of Him; And bleſſed be our God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who giveth gifts unto Men, plenty of his Spirit, and variety of His Graces, for the perfecting of His Saints; for the worke of the Miniſtry; and for the edifying of the Body of Christ. Having ſpoken this which every man, we thinke, that hath read all, or any part of this learned mans works, as one amongſt us hath done, will find himſelfe preſſed to ſpeake, and ſo give that honour to the ſaid excellent Man, to ſay what can be ſaid in any ſubject his God ſhall ingage him upon. We ſhall now ſett downe what he ſaith for the readers fuller reſolution, eſpecially to the fourth Query, relating to the Lords prayer, as was ſpecified in the Title page.
Q. ii. Did not Chriſt preſcribe a forme of prayer to his diſciples, ſo that there remaineth no doubt touching the lawfulnes of uſing a form?
A. Luk. 11. 1, 2, 3, 4.
Anſ. If Chriſt preſcribed a forme of prayer to his diſciples, to be uſed as a forme by the repetition of the ſame words; I confeſſe it will be out of Queſtion, that it is lawfull to uſe a forme: but that it is lawfull not to uſe a forme, or that a man may uſe any prayer but a forme, on that ſuppoſition, will not be ſo eaſily determined. The words of Chriſt are, when you pray, ſay, Our Father &c. If in this preſcription, not the matter onelyonly, but the words alſo are attended, and that forme of them which followes is preſcribed to be uſed, by vertue of this command of Chriſt, it will be hard to diſcover on what ground we may any otherwiſe pray, ſeing our S… viours command is poſitive, when you pray, ſay, Our Father, &c.
That which M. B. is to prove is, that Our Saviour hath preſcribed the repetition of the ſame words enſuing, and when he hath done ſo, if ſo be he can do, his concluſion muſt be, that that forme ought to be uſed, not at all that any elſe may. If our Saviour have preſcribed us a forme, how ſhall any man dare to preſcribe another? or can any man do it without caſting on his forme the reproach of imperfection and inſufficiency? Our Saviour hath preſcribed us a forme of prayer to be uſed as a forme by the repetition of the ſame words; therefore we may uſe it, yea we muſt, is an invincible argument, on ſuppoſition of the truth of the propoſition. But our Saviour hath preſcribed us ſuch a forme &c. therefore we may uſe another, which he hath not preſcribed, hath neither ſhew nor colour of Reaſon in it.
But how will M. B. prove that Chriſt doth not here inſtruct his Diſciples in what they ought to pray for, and for what they ought in prayer to addreſſe themſelves to God, and under what conſiderations they are to looke on God in their approaches to him, and the like, only, but alſo that he preſcribes the words there mentioned by him to be repeated by them in their ſupplications. Luk: 11▪ he bids them ſay Our Father &c. which at large Mat: 6. is, pray after this manner: foreign to this purpoſe. I doe not thinke the Prophet preſcribes a forme of words, to be uſed by the Church when he ſayes, Take with you words, and turne to the Lord, and ſay unto him, Take away iniquitie, (Hoſ: 14. 2) but rather calls them to fervent ſupplication for the pardon of ſin, as God ſhould enable them to deale with him. And though the Apoſtles never prayd for any thing, but what they were for the ſubſtance directed to by this prayer of our Saviour, yet we doe not find, that ever they repeated the very words here mentioned, or once commanded or preſcribed the uſe of them, to any of the Saints in their dayes, whom they exhorted to pray ſo fervently and earneſtly. Nor in any of the Rules and Directions, that are given for our praying▪ either in reference to our ſelves, or him by whom we have acceſſe to God, is the uſe of theſe words at any time in the leaſt recommended to us, or recalled to mind, as a matter of dutie.
Our Saviour ſayes when ye pray, ſay, Our Father; on ſuppoſition of the ſence contended for, and that a forme of words is preſcribed, I aske whether we may at any time pray, and not ſay ſo? ſeeing he ſayes, when you pray, ſay: whether we may ſay any thing elſe, or uſe any other words? whether the ſaying of theſe words be a part of the worſhip of God? Or whether any promiſe of Acceptation be annexed to the ſaying ſo? whether the ſpirit of grace and ſupplication be not promiſed to all beleivers? And whether he be not given them to enable them to pray, both as to matter and manner? and if ſo, whether the Repetition of the words mentioned by them, who have not the Spirit given them for the ends before mentioned, be availeable? and whether prayer by the Spirit where theſe words are not repeated, as to the letters and Syllables, and order wherein they ſtand, be acceptable to God? whether the preſcription of a forme of words, and the gift of a ſpirit of prayer be conſiſtent? whether the forme be preſcribed becauſe Believers are not able to pray without it? Or becauſe there is a peculiar Holineſſe force and energy in the letters words and ſyllables, as they ſtand in that forme? And whether to ſay the firſt of thoſe be not derogatory to the Glory of God, and efficacy of the Spirit, promiſed and given to Believers▪ and the ſecond, to aſſert the uſing of a Charme in the worſhip of God? whether in that reſpect Pater n…ſter be not as good as Our Father? whether innumerable poore ſo▪ les are not deluded and hardned by ſatisfying their conſciences in, and with, the uſe of this forme never knowing what it is to pray in the holy Ghoſt? And whether the Aſſerting this forme of words to be uſed have not confirmed many in their Atheiſticall blaſpheming of the holy Spirit of God, and his Grace in the prayers of his people? And whether the repetition of theſe words, after men have been long praying for the things contained in them, …s the manner of ſome is, be not ſo remote from any pretence or colour of warrant in the Scripture, as that it is in plaine termes ridiculous? When M. Biddle, or any on his behalfe, hath anſwered theſe queſtions, they may be ſupplyed with more of the like nature and importance.
An End.
End of the text · Hezekiah Woodward, A Treatise of Prayer (1656)