A MEDITATION VPON THE LORDS PRAYER, Written BY THE KINGS majesty, For the benefit of all his subiects, especially of such as follow the Court.  joh. 16.23. whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name, he will give it you. 
LONDON, Printed by BONHAM NORTON and John BILL, Printers to the Kings most Excellent majesty. M.DC.XIX.   

HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  royal blazon or coat of arms   

THE PREFACE.  
I Might justly prefix for a Preamble to this my Meditation, Ille ego qui quondam: as well as Virgil did in his Poëtike Preamble to his Aeneides, but to a clean contrary end. For his Ille ego, was to show how high he was mounted in his new subject, from writing of the plough, to writ now of Princes and their Warres: whereas I now, clean contrary, am come from wading in these high and profound Mysteries in the revelation, wherein an Elephant may swim; to meditate vpon the plain, smooth and easy Lords Prayer, that every old wife can either say or mumble, and every well bread child can interpret by his catechism: having left so the solid meat that men feed vpon, for the milk fit for babes. But the 
The trial of Wits wisheth every man to abstain from writing any books, as soon as he is past fifty, cap. 1.  reason is, I grow in yeeres, and old men are twice babes, as the proverb is; having imitated cardinal Bellarmine herein, who of late yeeres hath given over his bickerings in Polemikes and controversies, wherein he was bread all his life, and betaken himself now to set out a short Meditation every year, only embellishing almost every one of them with some two or three 
Roijce aniles fabulas. 1. Tim.  fabulous miracles, wherein he shall go alone for my part. But now when I bethink myself, to whom I can most aptly dedicate this little labour of mine, most of it being stolen from the houres ordained for my sleep: and calling to mind, how careful I haue ever been to observe a decorum in the dedication of my books. As my {αβγδ} was dedicated to my son HENRY, now with God, because it treated of the Office of a King, it now belonging to my only Son CHARLES, who succeeds to it by right, as well as to all the rest of his brothers goods: and as I dedicated my apology for the Oath of allegiance to all free Christian Princes and States, because they had all of them an interest in that argument. other of my books which treated of matters belonging to every quality of persons, being therefore indefinitely dedicated to the Reader in general, I cannot surely find out a person, to whom I can more fitly dedicate this short Meditation of mine, then to you, BVCKINGHAM. For it is made vpon a very short and plain Prayer, and therefore the fitter for a Courtier: For Courtiers, for the most part, are thought neither to haue list nor leisure to say long prayers, liking best court mess& long disner. 
Like St. Christopher that neither could nor would fast nor pray for attaining to the service of Christ, and therefore was set to a Porters work by the hermit.  But to confess the truth now in earnest, it is the fitter for you that it is both short and plain. That it is short, because when J consider of your continual attendance vpon my service, your daily employments in the same,& the uncessant swarm of suitors importunately hanging vpon you, without discretion or distinction of times, I can find but very little time for you to spare vpon meditation: And that it is plain, it is the fitter for you, since you were not bread a scholar. You may likewise claim a just interest in it for diuers other respects. First, from the ground of my writing it; for diuers times before J meddled with it, I  told you, and onely you, of some of my conceptions vpon the Lords Prayer, and you often solicited me to put pen to paper: next, as the person to whom wee pray it, is our heavenly Father, so am J that offer it unto you, not onely your politic, but also your oeconomike Father, and that in a nearer degree then unto others. Thirdly, that you may make good use of it; for since J daily take care to better your understanding, to enable you the more for my service in worldly affairs, reason would that Gods part should not be left out, for timor Domini, is, initium sapientiae. And lastly, I must with ioy aclowledge, that you deserve this gift of me, in not onely giuing so good example to the rest of the Court, in frequent hearing the word of God: but in special, in so often receiving the Sacrament, which is a notable demonstration of your charity in pardoning them that offend you, that being the thing I most labour to recommend to the world, in this meditation of mine: and how godly and virtuous all my advises haue ever been unto you, I hope you will faithfully witness to the world. 
This paper-friend will not importune you at unseasonable houres, come uncalled, nor speak vnrequired,& yet will he neither flatter, lye, nor dissemble.  receive then this Newyeers gift from me, as a token of my love, being begun vpon the eve of our saviours nativity, and ended far within the first month of the year: praying God, that as you are regenerated and born in him anew, so you may rise to him, and bee sanctified in him for ever.  
Amen.   

A Meditation vpon the LORDS Prayer.  
OF all things, the service of God is the most due, necessary, and profitable action of a Christian man. Of all services of God, Prayer is the most excellent for many respects, and of all Prayers, the LORDS PRAYER is the most perfect, useful and comfortable. That the service of God is to be preferred to all other actions of a Christian man, no Christian will doubt, the glory of God being the proper end of mans creation, whom he is ordained to glorify: First, temporally, during the time of his pilgrimage vpon this earth; and next for ever in his eternal habitation. That Prayer is to be preferred to all other actions of a Christian man, the Commandement given us, the excellency of the Action, and the infinite fruit we receive by the use thereof, doth sufficiently prove it. The Commandement, Pray continually; wee are commanded to do no other thing continually, but to pray: all other things haue fit times set for them. every thing 
Eccles. 3.  hath a time, as Salomon says, but prayer is barred at no time, if a mans zeal kindle his heart, and dispose his thoughts unto it. And the excellency of the action is manifest in that, ●… hat, whereas at all other times when wee speak, it is out with men like ourselves; wee then by prayer speak with God, and in a maner confer with him, as half Angels for that time, our faith and hope being, by the force of Prayer, stirred up and enabled to draw God down to us, and make him become ours; yea, even to dwell with us, that wee may bee his for ever. And as to the infinite fruit wee receive by the use thereof, wee are commanded by our saviour, to ask and it shall be granted unto us, to seek and wee shall find, to knock and it shalbe opened unto vs. If 
Luke 6.  we ask bread, we shall not haue stones, if wee ask fishes, wee shall not haue serpents, and if wee ask eggs, we shall not haue scorpions. He also tells us, what things soever wee desire when wee pray, so that wee beleeue we receive them, we shall haue them; Yea, even wee are commanded to imitate the importunity of the 
Luke 18.  widow in prayer, with assurance of the like success. And if ever this doctrine was needful in any age, it is most in ours: for now our zeal to prayer is quiter dried up and cooled, and turned to 
In this age we content ourselves to talk of the service of God in common discourses, but our actions intend nothing loss, every ignorant woman, and ordinary craftsman taking vpon them to interpret the Scriptures, as jerome complains ad Paulinum.  prattling, especially in this Isle, where the Puritans will haue us hunt for hearing of Sermons without ceasing, but as little prayer as ye will, turning the commandement of the Apostle from Pray continually, to Preach continually, onely obeying another commandement of the same Apostle, in preaching and exhorting both in season and out of season. Now that the LORDS PRAYER is the most excellent and perfect of all prayers, is agreed vpon by all Christians, even by the very rebellious Brownists themselves( though they will never say it in their own prayers) the reason is, because it is the onely Prayer that our saviour dictated out of his own mouth, with a precept to us of imitation. But that foolish ground whereupon the Brownists disobey CHRISTS precept of imitation, is onely founded vpon their imitation of their fathers, the English Puritans, whom they strive to outgo in zeal, vpon their own grounds. For our Puritans will say no set prayer; forsooth, 
Set forms of Common Prayers haue ever been appointed. and used in all Churches, in all ages. Conc. Mileuit. can. 12. Nec aliae omnino preces dicantur in Ecclesia, nisi qua à prudentioribus fuerint tractata, vel comprobatae in Synoda fuerint, &c.  that is prescribed by their mother the Church, but every brother must conceive one vpon the sudden, and therefore the Brownists refuse to say the LORDS PRAYER, because it is a set Prayer, though prescribed by God himself, shifting their disobedience vpon this equivocation, that they are commanded to pray after this manner, but not in the same words, that is, they may pray, or rather sing the descant of it, as their own vain brains shall please to conceive it, but not the plain song; they may pray by a Commentary, but not by a Text. 
Aug. Symb. ad catech. lib. 4.  And thus, nec agnoscunt Deum pro Patre, nec Ecclesiam pro master, in setting down rules unto them; for in the Text itself, S. Luke 11. Christ himself prescribeth, Quando oratis, dicite, PATER NOSTER, &c. and indeed our Puritans go very near to join with them in blotting out the LORDS PRAYER. For they 
The first year of my reign in England at the conference kept at Hampton Court by my appointment, one of the things quarreled by the puritans, in our English liturgy, was the repetition of the LORDS Prayer.  quarrel our Church for having it twice said in our daily Common prayer, so as they could bee content with as little of it as may be. But this monstrous conceit of 
Abusing that place, Mat. 10.19. dabitur vobis in illa hora, &c.  conceived prayers, without any premeditation, spoileth both Puritans and Brownists. I justly call it monstrous, since they will haue a thing both conceived and born at once, contrary to nature, which will haue every thing to lye in the belly of the mother a certain time after the conception, there to grow and ripen before it bee produced, and this is the universal course of nature, as well in animal as vegetable things, yea, even in minerals within the bowels of the earth, though the alchemists, in that point agree with the Puritans and Brownists: and indeed, our Puritans may justly bee called chemical doctors in divinity, with their Quintessence of refined and pure doctrine. And in this, Grace imitates Nature, not producing any perfect work at the first, but by degrees. But in case men might think that I wrong our Puritans, in calling them the Brownists fathers; I must crave leave of the Reader to digress here a little, for his better satisfaction in this point. I told you already, how that vpon our Puritans ground of rejecting all set prayers, they refuse to say the LORDS PRAYER. And now I am to prove, how that vpon our Puritans grounds they found their total separation from vs. Our Puritans are adverse to the government of Bishops, calling it an Antichristian government, and therefore the Brownists, lest the ruins of Babylon should fall vpon them, will not aclowledge the Bishops, neither in their name or Title, neither in their temporal or spiritual jurisdiction. And our Puritans quarrel with all the Ceremonies of our Church, that agree not with their taste, because the Church of Rome doth use them, who( say they) haue polluted them, though they were clean before, abusing these words in the Canticle of Salomon; 
These words of the Canticle were alleged in this sense in the Lincoln shire Puritans Petition, presented by themselves unto me  nigra sum, said formosa; whereupon the Brownists conclude, that they can no longer remain in the bosom of that Church, nor suck her breasts any longer, that is so polluted with Antichristian superstitions. And this is the true ground of their separation, for these causes, which make our Puritan ministers, desertores officij sui,& gregis eis commissi, seem to the Brownists a just ground for going out of our Church: and because that all our goodly material Churches were built in time of Popery, and so polluted by the hands of Papists, and with their consecrations and holy water, therefore to the woods and caues must they go, like outlaws and rebels, to their Sermons& divine exercises, just building vpon 
Cartwright contra Whitgift.  Cartwrights ground; That he that was once a Popish Priest, can never be admitted to the ministry in a rightly reformed Church. And thus haue I sufficiently proved, I hope, that our Puritans are the founders and fathers of the Brownists; the latter onely boldly putting in practise what the former do teach, but dare not perform. And not onely are our Puritans founders and fathers to the Brownists, but vpon their foundation and ground are also built up all these innumerable Sects of new Heresies, that now swarm in Amsterdam.  
For the true visible Church, when shee is in prosperity, as( God be thanked) she is now in this kingdom, is civitas supper montem posita, she is seated vpon the top of a steep hill, where her children must stay and dwell with her; for one step down may make them slide over the precipice, where there is no bush nor stay to hold them by, till they fall to the bottom of the hill with all their weight, where lies that unquenchable fiery lake of fire& brimstone. For although a man that had never known Christ, being willing to become a Christian, must bee well advised what Church he will become a member of, if he be not already bread in the bosom of the true Church; and therein he must trust to his own conscience to bear him witness, what Church doth truly preach the word of salvation, according to the revealed will of God, and doth not mix, and contradict the points of salvation contained in the Scripture, with their own traditions: For all the points of our salvation are( God be thanked) clear and plain in the Scriptures; a lamb may easily wade through that ford, as Saint 
Greg. in prafat. in job.  Gregory saith: Yet then assoon as he hath thus made his choice what Church to live and die in, audi eam, as Christ commands: for his conscience in this must onely serve him for a guide to the right Church, but not to judge her, but to be judged by her. For he that will haue God to bee his Father, must also haue the true Church to bee his Mother, as 
Aug. Symb. ad catechum.  S. Augustine saith. Hold fast therefore your profession, as the 
Eph. 4.14.  Apostle exhorts us, and be not carried away with the wind of every doctrine; nor trust not to that private spirit or holy ghost which our Puritans glory in; for then a little fiery zeal will make thee turn Separatist, and then 
This word proceed, is the phrase that these startup heretics use and apply to themselves when they change from one heresy to another, and ever the last proves the worst.  proceed still on from Brownist to some one Sect or other of Anabaptist, and from one of these to another, then to become a Iudaized Traskite, and in the end a profane Familist. Thus ye see, how that letting slip the hold of the true Church, and, once trusting to the private spirit of Reformation, according to our Puritans doctrine, it is easy to fall and slide by degrees into the Chaos, filthy sink and farrago of al horrible heresies, whereof hell is the just reward.  
And now I return to my purpose, craving pardon for this digression; for the zeal I haue to preserve the Church from these foxes, and little foxes, heretics and Sectaries, hath enforced me, that with the dove took this olive branch in my mouth in this Meditation of mine vpon the LORDS PRAYER; to seem to play the raven that was sent out of the Ark, in flying over the sweet olive boughs, and lighting on a stinking carrion.  
The LORDS PRAYER then being my present Meditation, I haue thought good, first to set down the Prayer itself, as it is written by Saint Matthew; next, I will, with Gods grace, shortly interpret the meaning thereof; and last, I will in very few words draw it into a short sum: which will bee the more easily understood when the meaning of the words shall bee first explained. The words then are these: our FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME: THY kingdom COME: THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN: GIVE us THIS DAY our DAILY BREAD: AND FORGIVE us our DEBTS, AS WE FORGIVE our DEBTORS: AND led us NOT INTO TEMPTATION, but DELIVER us FROM EVIL: FOR THINE IS THE kingdom, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY, FOR EVER, AMEN.  
our FATHER: FATHER, is a title of dignity and honour, but our FATHER is a title of infinite love, joined with greatness. These two first words, are to put us in mind, that are but dust and ashes, what person wee are to speak unto; for preparing our reverence in the highest degree; not like the Puritans, to talk homely with God, as our fellow; who therefore love to sit Iack-fellowlike with Christ at the Lords Table, as his brethren and camerades: and yet our reverence to be mixed with a sweet confidence in his love; for he is our Father, and we are his adopted children and coheirs with Christ of his kingdom. every one of us is commanded to call him our FATHER, in the plural number, to show that holy communion which is among the Saints, and that every one of us is a member of a body of a Church, that is compacted of many members: contrary to those little start-vp sects in Amsterdam, where two or three make a Church; and contrary to all those contemners of antiquity, that will haue nothing, but all Babylonish till their time.  
WHICH ART IN HEAVEN: This is the place where the Throne of his majesty is set; for though he be present every where, as well in his infinite essence as power, in spite both of Vorstius and some of the Arminians; yet is he onely resident in heaven, as the Seat of his majesty, according to that of Esay 66.1. heaven is my Throne, and earth is my footstool. And by the nomination here of heaven, it puts us in mind what Father we pray unto, that it is no earthly man, but onely our heavenly Father, sursum corda.  
Now we come to the Petitions, the number whereof by most of the ancient Church was reckoned to be seven, dividing in two Petitions, lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil: whereas of late dayes wee haue confounded them in one. But surely in mine opinion, the Fathers had good reason to divide them, as I shall show in the own time.  
HALLOWED BE THY NAME: This is the first Petition, and this is the affirmative of that whereof the contrary is prohibited in the third Commandement. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain. Wee first make this Petition, that all men may do their homage which they owe unto God, as wee now do, before wee make our suits, either for the public welfare of the Church, or our own private benefit. For it were an impudent thing for any subject to make a suit to his sovereign Prince, before he did his homage unto him. The principal end for which God created man after his Image, was that he might sanctify his Name; and this is not onely the Office of the Militant Church here, and of every one of them; but it is also the eternal Office of the Church triumphant in heaven, composed of Angels and men, who without ceasing praise and sanctify the Name of God for ever. We sanctify his Name in this earth, either when wee praise God, pray to him with reverence, or speak of his wonderful works, repent us of our sins with confession of them, edify our brethren to salvation, or bear witness to the truth being duly required. Wee are also to observe that these words are not here set down in the present time, Wee hallow thy Name, but in the sense of the optative mood, Hallowed be thy Name; because every Christian man, as a feeling member of the body of the Church, ought to pray that Gods Name may bee praised, and sanctified by men and Angels: not onely for the present, but in all times coming, and after that there shalbe no more time, for ever and ever eternally. And although wee know it must and ever will be so, yet wee pray and wish it; to show and express our harmony and holy zeal to praise God, jointly with the rest of the members, both of the Militant& triumphant Church. But that wee are to pray for in this Petition is, that all the behaviour of the Militant Church may ever be directed chiefly to that end, that his Name may be sanctified in all their words and actions. Now that wee do not wish God to be hallowed, but his Name; the reason is easy, for God is not onely perfectly holy, but he is even ipsa sanctitas,& quicquid est in Deo est Deus: therefore wee pray that his Name may bee hallowed amongst us here vpon earth, as himself is perfectly holy both in his Name and essence, not that hereby wee can imagine to make him and his Name holy, but that God would give us grace to use it holily. It is also to bee noted, that not only in this prayer, but even in all other prayers, wee speak to God in the singular number, Thou, whereas, We, is a style of greatness amongst men; the reason is, that God is one, yea unity itself: not that wee aclowledge with the Iewes, Arrians, and other heretics, but one person in the Godhead, blotting out both the son and the Holy Ghost; but because though there be three persons, yet is there but one individual essence, one in three& three in one distinguished, but not divided, according to the Athanasian Creed. And therefore because wee haue only one to pray unto, to whom onely all glory appertains, wee call him Thou, per excellentiam; keeping out of our calendar, as well the Heathen gods as the Popish Saints: for God Almighty will haue no fellows joined in worship with him, as himself declares in the first of the ten Commandements, and also in Esay 42.8. God tells us, he will not give his glory to another.  
THY kingdom COME, This is the second Petition, and it will admit two interpretations, that may both stand with the analogy of Faith. The first, that in these words we pray for the second coming of CHRIST, which is promised to bee hastened for the elects sake: the reason is that an end may bee put to the miseries of the Church, especially in regard of that fearful defection that is threatened to come in the latter daies, and whereof we in our dayes haue the doleful experience, that 
Luke 18. ●.  Faith shall not bee found on the earth, and the 
Matth. 24.12.  love of many shall wax cold. And whosoever will make choice of this interpretation, must understand the next Petition in this form, In the mean time, Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heaven. The other interpretation is, to which I rather incline, that the words of thy kingdom come are seconded by the next following Petition, Thy will bee done in earth, as it is in heaven. The reasons persuading me to like best of this opinion are two; first, because it is CHRISTS usual phrase in the gospel by the kingdom of heaven to mean the Church Militant; and all the faithful are bound to pray for the flourishing prosperity of the Church, and that there may bee peace in Israel. The other reason is, because of the next following Petition, Thy will bee done, &c. that is, that by the means of the flourishing of the Church, the will of God may be done in earth as it is in heaven. And vpon the other part, although wee bee commanded when wee shall see the signs going before the latter day, to 
Luke 21.28.  lift up our heads, knowing that the latter day, the day of our deliverance is at hand: and although S. Paul tells us, that the 
Rom. 8.22.  whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain, to be renewed; and that S. John after he had been ravished in spirit, where besides many other heavenly mysteries, he saw the glory of the very Throne of God. Albeit( I say) that vpon that glorious sight he burst forth in these words, 
revel. 22.20  etiam veni Domine Iesu: yet I can find no clear place of Scripture that commands every faithful man to pray continually for the hastening of the Lords coming: and to aleadge these words in the LORDS PRAYER for it, is petitio principij, and to take controuersum pro confesso. For though death be the deliverer of every faithful man from this prison& body of sin, to eternal felicity, our saviour by his death& passion having killed the sting of death in us: and although S. Paul, ravished in a high contemplation, wished to be 
Phil. 1.23.  dissolved,& be with Christ, yet haue wee no warrant every man to pray for the hastening of his own death; and death is to every particular faithful man the same thing, that the general transmutation will be at the latter day to the whole body of the Elect; except that wee will, after the general dissolution, attain to a greater degree of glory. Now that wee desire the kingdom of God to come, is thereby meant, that wee desire, that the Church of God may more and more be spread vpon the face of the earth; and that the number of the elect may bee multiplied. In a word, that he would sand a plentiful harvest, with sufficient store of labourers.  
THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. This third Petition I take to be a Prayer, to grant us the means of attaining to his kingdom; as if ye would say, Thy kingdom come, and to this effect let thy will bee done, &c. S. Luke hath it, as in heaven, so in earth, to show how precisely wee ought to wish that Gods will were done in earth just as it is in heaven. God hath two 
Voluntas signi& beneplaciti.  wills, a revealed will towards us, and that will is here understood: he hath also a secret will in his eternal counsel, whereby all things are governed, and in the end made ever to turn to his glory, often times drawing good effects out of bad causes, and light out of darkness, to the fulfilling either of his mercy or iustice, Which made S. Augustine say, bonum est vt fit malum.  
Wee are then to pray, that his revealed will may bee obeied in earth by his militant Church, as it is by his triumphing Church in heaven: then would this Militant Church vpon earth observe better the two Tables of the Law, then now they do, and then would the Church be free of schisms, Heresies, and all new opinions; but this is never to bee looked for in this world. We are onely to wish, that God would multiply and increase his blessings vpon her, in that measure that he shall think most expedient for his glory, and her comfort. For let the vain Chiliasts gape after that thousand yeeres of Christs kingdom to bee settled vpon earth, and let Brightman bring down that heavenly jerusalem, and settle it in this world, the word of God assures us, that the latter dayes shall prove the worst, and most dangerous dayes. Now as for the performance of the decrees and secret will of God; wee are not commanded to pray for that, for it is inevitable; but wee must without murmuring submit ourselves unto it, saying with our saviour, Mat. 26.39. not my will, but thy will bee done. For the first Article of the Apostles creed teacheth us, that God is Almighty, how ever Vorstius and the Arminians think to rob him of his eternal decree, and secret will, making many things to bee done in this world whether he will or not.  
GIVE us THIS DAY our DAILY BREAD. This is the fourth Petition in order, but the first that every particular man is to beg for himself; having first preferred his general petitions for the aduancement of the glory of GOD, and the felicity, by consequence, of the whole Church militant in general. But though every man in particular is to beg this for himself, yet do wee beg it for us, in the plural number; and this we do to show our charity, as feeling members of that Body, whereof Christ is the Head: and so in all the rest of our petitions following, according to that rule in the New Testament, 
james 5.16.  Orate alij pro aliis. And by this word, our, are we also taught never to pray for ourselves, without praying also for our neighbour. But vpon this rule of praying one for another, to ground the prayer to the Saints to pray for us, is very far fetched; for then should follow, That since we are commanded to pray one for another, wee should pray for the Saints, as well as they for vs. Surely we that are vpon this earth, are commanded to pray one for another, but no mention is made of Saints nor Angels in that precept, nor any where else in the word of God; and it is a good sure rule in theology, in matter of the worship of God, Quod dubitas ne feceris; according to that of S. Paul, Rom. 14.5. Let every man bee fully persuaded in his mind. Besides, we do not make a formal prayer and worship one to another, that he may pray for us, as the Papists do to their Saints. I meddle not with that question, whether the Saints or Angels pray for us or not; but I am sure wee haue no warrant in the word of God to pray to them for that end. Now the thing we pray for in this petition, is our daily bread, which this day we beg at Gods hand. Wee beg our daily bread, this day, at Gods hand, to show that from the poorest beggar to the greatest King, no mortal creature is exemed from that necessity of daily begging all temporal benefits that we haue need of, at Gods hand: for every hour, yea, every minute wee haue need of GODS assistance, both in our spiritual and temporal necessities; and therefore Saint Luke hath it, day by day, to express our daily necessity so to pray. And wee are to observe, that not onely in this Petition, which is the first in order of these four which every man prays for himself; but also in the other three following, this word daily, is to bee understood, although it bee not expressed: for wee haue daily, yea, hourly need to crave pardon for our sins, to pray that we be not led into temptation, and to bee preserved from all evil. By this word, hody, this day, is likewise understood the supplying of our temporal necessities through the whole course of our life; for in that sense the word, hody, for the 
Heb. 3.7.  whole life, is taken in diuers places of the Scripture.  
This word, daily, doth likewise put us in mind, that wee are but pilgrims in this world, and therefore are not to make a settled provision for ourselves here; according to the rule that our saviour gave to his Apostles, not to take care for to morrow. Not that hereby all lawful providence is forbidden to any man, according to his degree, for that were a tempting of God; but onely that wee should not haue a distrustful or anxious care, nor prefer the care of providing for worldly things, to our care of laying up a store of heavenly treasure: laying our special trust vpon Gods blessing of our lawful and moderate industry, for provision of temporal things; remembering ever, that in vain we plant or sow, except God give the increase and blessing unto it. For our principal care must ever be for our heavenly habitation, and then God will the better bless& prosper our second and moderate care, for providing for our temporal necessities. Let us care for the principal, and not omit the other, as Christ said to the Pharisees, Mat. 23.23. By this word, bread, that we pray for, is signified& understood all kind of food, or other temporal necessities. Bread thorough all the Scriptures signifies all sort of food; for it is the most common& necessary sort of food for man. And we see even in these northern parts of the world where wee live, and where flesh is most eaten, corn whereof bread is made, is only called victual,& the word of victual comes à victu, because we live vpon it: and notwithstanding the abundance of flesh that wee consume, yet good cheap yeeres or dear yeeres, are onely counted so, because of the abundance or scarcetie of corn in these yeeres. And therefore CHRIST ordained the Sacrament in bread, to represent thereby our food in general unto us; for his flesh is very meat indeed. All our temporal necessities are also comprehended here under the name of bread, to teach us, that as bread is the commonest food both to rich and poor, so we ought to pray onely for such temporal things as are necessary for our esse, or at farthest for our been esse; but not for those things that are ad luxum& ad superfluitatem. For commonly we abuse them to our own hurt,& they serve us but for baits to entice us to sin: but if it shall please God, liberally to bestow likewise these things vpon us, we are bound to be thankful for them, using them with sobriety and without excess, according to our ranks and callings, ever remembring whose gift they are. And when wee pray for Bread, that is, to be supplied of all our temporal necessities, wee must also comprehend therein the staff of bread, that is, to pray that the blessing may bee joined with the benefit, that it may serve us for the right use for which it is ordained: otherwise wee shall starve of hunger and the bread in our mouths, wee shall die like the Israelites, with the flesh of quails amongst our teeth, and we shall haue all things for the supplying of our worldly necessities, and yet want the use and comfort of them: like the rich Miser, who abounding in wealth starves for want, or like the carriage-Moyle that carries a load of provender, and yet cannot satisfy her hungry belly with any part of it. Now that wee pray God to give it us, it is easy to be understood; for the Lord is the onely proprietary both of heaven and Earth, and all that therein is, and wee are onely Vsu-fructuaries and his Tenants at will, every one of us of such little parcels of earth, as it pleaseth him to bestow vpon us; nam 
Psal. 24.1.  Domini est terra& plenitudo eius.  
AND FORGIVE us our DEBTS, AS WE FORGIVE our DEBTERS. This is the fift Petition, and the most important of them all, for every man in particular; and therfore we are not to crave that inestimable benefit of the pardon of our debts, except vpon that condition, that wee forgive our debters. S. Luke expresseth this condition more clearly: for he hath it thus, And forgive us our sins; for wee also forgive every one that is indebted unto vs. So as God cannot bee moved for any other condition to pardon our sins, but because he sees wee haue already pardonned every one that hath offended us; and where every one is expressed, none is excepted: durus est hic sermo amongst them that are thought the brave men of this world. Our sins are called debts in Saint matthew, as an argument à maiore ad minus, that if wee would haue God to pardon us our debts, how can we refuse to pardon our debters; except wee look for the like 
Matth. 18.34  reward that the evil seruant got of his master: and in Saint Luke they are called sins, to teach us that if wee would haue our heavenly Father, to remit unto us all our innumerable mortal sins; how much more haue wee reason to pardon the offences of our brethren against us, which are but slight debts, in comparison of our grievous sins against God. And in that wee pray God to forgive us our sins, wee thereby make a general implicit confession of our sins: for if wee had committed no sins, wee would haue no need to crave pardon for them. Whereupon it doth necessary follow, that if the doctrine of the Church of Rome bee true, that diuers men can keep the ten Commandements, without ever in their life committing any mortal sin; then must all such persons bee exemed from praying the LORDS PRAYER, as not having need of it, and their distinction between mortal and venial sins cannot elide this consequence. For what needs a man crave pardon at God for his venial sins, when he may haue as many pardons from the Pope 
This was foelix error in the Church of Rome. For the monstrous& unsupportable abuse of these pardons in Germany in the time of lo decimus, awaked Luther, by whom such a breach was made in the Popes jurisdiction, as could never after be made up again. , as he shall please to bestow his money vpon, both for mortal and venial sins; and not only for sins already committed, but even for sins to come, which is a far greater grace then ever God promised vs. And I protest that I haue seen two of these authentical bulls with mine eyes; one, when I was very young in Scotland, and it was taken from a Scottish Priest; and the other I saw here in England, taken from an irishmen, and both of them pardoning such& such sins, as well bypassed as to come. But I return to their distinction betwixt mortal and venial sins. For venial sins carry the souls but to Purgatory, according to their doctrine, whereof the Pope hath the key to open and lock at his pleasure▪ and yet I hope no man doubts, but all the Apostles prayed the LORDS PRAYER; for their Master taught it them in special, as appears in S. Luke: and it is likely that they were as holy, and committed as few Mortal sins, as any of the Popes late legended Saints haue done. But wee are all commanded in S. Matthew to pray thus, and where all are commanded none are excepted, no not the blessed virgin herself,( whom all ages shall call blessed) though the gray Friers, and Bellarmine with them, labour hard to exeeme her, both from original and actual sins. And we ought daily to make this general confession of our sins, and crave pardon for them, because we daily commit sins, 
Prou. 24.16.  Septies in die cadit justus. here now are wee taught to confess our sins to God, but I cannot find, that in any place of the Scriptures a necessity is imposed vpon us, under the pain of damnation, of confessing the least one of our secret sins to a Priest: nay if the least sinful thought be omitted, all the charm is spilled. For as to that place, 
james 5.16.  Confitemini alij aliis; if ye mean it of the offences made by one against another in this world, a Priest will not be necessary to take the confession; or if ye mean it by confession of sins, we are not by that commandement restrained to make it to no other degree of persons, but to a Priest: though I confess indeed, a godly discreet Church man is the fittest friend, that a man can choose to confess his sins unto; and by his help to obtain comfort, and absolution of his sins, by the power of the keys. Neither will these places serve their turn, Dic 
Matth. 18.17  Ecclesiae, or, Present 
Matth. 8.4.  thyself to the high Priest, or, 
John 20.23.  Quorum remiseritis peccata. For the first of these places, Dic Ecclesiae, is onely meant by the offences that one of us commits against another; besides that the Confession in that case must be public, the offence being first made public, for purging the public scandal, contrary to their private whispering in a Priests ear, who is bound by his profession, never to reveal it to any creature, no though the concealing of it should endanger a Kings life, and the destruction of a whole kingdom: 
According to that assertion of a jesuit, mentioned in resp. ad Epist. carded. Perronij. pag. 28.  nay even though it should endanger the life of our saviour, if he were come in mortal flesh into this world again. And the second concerning the coming before the high Priest, is likewise to bee understood of a public action; besides that their presenting themselves before the high Priest, was rather done for a public thanksgiving, and declaration of their obtaining of health, or any such benefit, as is manifest in that particular case of cleansing of the Leper, to whom Christ gave 
Matth. 8.4.  that commandement. And as to the third place, Quorum remiseritis peccata; that doth indeed contain the power of the keys given to the Church, not by astricting every particular man, to make a particular enumeration of every sin, to a private Priest by auricular confession: but onely to show the Churches ministerial power in pardoning, that is, in declaring such sins to be pardonned in heaven, as the party shall then show a due contrition for. And yet Bellarmine is not ashamed to say, that this constrained Auricular confession of theirs, is juris divini, and grounded vpon the word of God. For my part, with* calvin I commend Confession, 
just. lib. 3. cap. 4. sect. 12.  even privately to a Churchman, as I said before. And with all my heart I wish it were more in custom amongst us then it is, as a thing of excellent use, especially for preparing men to receive the Sacrament worthily. But that necessity imposed vpon it by the Romish Church, that every secret thought that can be stretched towards any sin, must bee revealed to a Confessor; that necessity, I say, I justly condemn, as having no warrant at all in the word of God, though very beneficial to the Church of Rome. Now as to the clause irritant in the contract betwixt God and us, That he will not pardon our sins, except wee first forgive every one that is indebted to us, I  told you already, it is durus sermo; and specially to them that are thought to haue high spirits: but I am sure wee shall never attain to that height of our heavenly habitation, except wee do it. Since then this clause is causa sine qua non, in the point of our eternal felicity, we haue all great reason seriously to consider, First, what we are to win or lose, in the performing or not performing, of this condition set unto us: And next, whether the performance thereof, may easily bee done or not, in case wee haue a mind to it. For the first, the case is plain; for by performing of this condition vpon our part, wee gain the kingdom of heaven, by obtaining pardon for our sins:& by not performing it, wee shut with our own hands the gates of heaven against us; for without remission of sins can bee no salvation. As to the next question, our brave men, at least these that would be thought so, tell us that this is a hard and almost impossible condition, and that wee must put ourselves in Christs mercy for not performing this, no more then diuers other of his precepts; as, If 
mat. 5.39.  one give thee a box vpon the one ear, hold up the other; and 
mat. 18.9.  if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, for better it is &c. But these two are not to bee understood as absolute precepts, as some of the Anabaptists haue done the first of them, and some other 
Origen was justly punished in a point like this, for turning all the plain places of the Scripture into allegories, being so blinded in the literal misunderstanding of the allegory of castration, as he foolishly gelded himself.  heretics haue done the last. But they are onely meant comparatively, as thus: Rather then that thou shouldst thyself be the avenger of thine own wrong resistendo malo, ratione vllâ malâ; and so to take the sword out of Gods and his deputy the Magistrates hand, it were better or less harm for thee to endure a double injury. Otherwise fortitude were a 'vice, which indeed is a high virtue, being rightly defined and understood. For vim vi repellere, is juris naturalis; and our saviour came not to pervert or destroy Nature, but onely to rectify and sanctify it: and I dare say, there is no vain fabulous Romanzo, that more highly commends fortitude, and valiant men 
It is a tenant fit for an atheistical Machiauell to hold, that Religion daunts a mans courage; and abundantly confuted by the constancy of many thousand Martyrs.  for their valour, then the Scripture doth: but all is in the right use of it. And so is likewise to bee understood that, of plucking out thine eye; for if thou cannot keep thyself from giuing offence, by the means of one of thine eyes, better it were or less harm to pluck it out and bee saved with the loss of one eye, then bee damned with both. But the meaning of this precept is not to be understood literally, of the amputation, or destruction of any of our members, for that were a sort of parricide: but onely, that if we find that any of our sences provoke us to bee tempted, as if the sight of faire and beautiful women provoke us to lust, or if any other of our sences tempt us to any sin, let us deprive ourselves of such occasions, which may otherwise bee lawful, rather then hazard to be led into temptation by them; and so by depriving ourselves of that sight, which so much pleaseth us, we do, as it were, pluck out one of our eyes: and by depriving ourselves from the hearing of that which so much delights us, we cut off in a maner one of our ears; and the like in the other sences. For when wee deprive ourselves of that use of any of our senses, which we most delight in, we do in a manner rob ourselves of that fence. And whereas they account this condition in the LORDS PRAYER to be impossible to be performed: I answer, It is blasphemy to say, that any of Christs precepts are impossible to bee performed; for it is to give himself the lye, who out of his own mouth  told us, that 
Matth. 11.28, 30.  his yoke is easy, and bids us that are burdened, come to him, and he will ease vs. For our saviour came into this world, that by his merits and passion, he might redeem us from the thraldom of the Law, to the liberty of the sons of God. Since therefore this condition is of no lower price then the kingdom of heaven, and that it is not only possible, but easy to be performed by us, if we will earnestly set our mindes to it; what should we not do, omnem mouendo lapidem, for enabling us to attain to so great a felicity, and to eschew so great a misery? for there is no midway in this case. Now the onely way for enabling us to perform it, is by our earnest prayer to God, that he will enable us to do it, according to that of S. Augustine, Da Domine quod jubes,& jube quod vis: For it is true, that that grace is a flower, that grows not in our own garden, but wee must set our mind to it, as I said already, and not lazily leave it off, and betake us to his mercy, because it agrees not with our humour and passions: for wilfully to disobey his precept, is a plain refusing, and scorn of his mercy, which is but offered unto us in case of obedience; and to refuse obedience because it is against our mind, is like the excuse of the Tobacco-drunkards, who cannot abstain from that filthy stinking smoke, because, forsooth, they are bewitched with it. And this is an excuse for any sin, they will not leave it, because they cannot leave it; but the truth is, because they will not leave it: like a sluggard, who when he hath lain in bed,& slept more then can do him good; yet he cannot rise, because he will not rise for cleanness. But since we cannot pardon them that haue offended us, except wee haue charity, I will shortly set down& describe the contrary to it, which is rancour and reuenge, that so I may make that divine virtue of charity, the better to shine& appear in the own colours, when her contrary is set down, ex diametro opposed unto her, according to that old and true saying, Contraria iuxtase posita magis elucescunt.  
The sin of rancour and reuenge proceeds from baseness and want of courage in men,& even amongst beasts and creeping things it proceeds of a defect and want of courage in thē. Among men these are justly to be accounted the basest that are reprobates and outlaws to their heavenly King; for these that are disgraced and banished even out of an earthly Kings Court, are in a lower estate, then these that are highly preferred in it. The first that ever practised it, was Cain vpon his brother Abel, for not being able to avenge himself vpon God, who was the agent, for accepting his brothers oblation, and rejecting of his, he exercised his rancour vpon his brother in murdering of him, who was but the patient. But what came of this? he was made an Outlaw and a runagate for it, both from the presence of God, and his own father. O brave Cain, thou wast bravely exalted and preferred for this brave and manly act, in giuing the first example of murder and shedding of innocent blood! Wee red of another after, who not content to practise it, made his vaunt of it, as of a brave and honourable resolution; and this was Lamech, who made his vaunt of reuenge before his two wives, to make them afraid of him, as it is thought. But if it be true that some of the jewish rabbins guess at, he killed Cain, and so got the curse for his reward, that GOD set vpon any that should kill Cain, when he had marked him. How ever it bee, sure I am, that both Cain and he were damned, and all their posterity destroyed by the Flood. But of this point I need to city no more examples, whereof there bee so many thousands in all ages. And I will come a degree lower, from wicked men to cowards; for though wicked men and outlaws bee inferior to honest and good men; yet cowards are far inferior to them, for they are not accounted in the rank of men. And it is a known and undeniable truth, that cowards are much more cruel and vindicative, then men of courage are: for a coward can never enough secure himself of his enemy; In so much as when he is lying dead at his feet, he is yet afraid, qu'il ne lieu saute aux yeux, as the French proverb is. But let us look a degree lower yet, vpon women, who are weaker vessels then men: the world knows that the most part of them are cowards, and it is also well known, that they are a great deal more vindicative and cruel then men. But if we will yet go lower, even to beasts, wee shall find that the fearfullest beasts are ever the most cruel and vindicative. What the Lion is, my dicton tells you, Est nobilis ira leonis, &c. Besides that, the most part of the beasts of reafe, and the noblest sorts of them, prey for hunger and for necessity of food, and not for reuenge. But the Deere that are so naturally cowards, as one chop of a Beagle, will make a herd of great Stagges run away, I know not how many miles, these cowardly beasts, I say, who never dare fight, but when they are enraged, either with lust, desperate fear, or reuenge: yet are they so cruel after that they haue once gotten the victory, that when life leaves the party whom one of them hath overcome; yet will he not leave him for a long time after, still wounding the dead carcase, and insulting and trampling vpon it. And the better to express the revenging nature of these fearful creatures, I haue thought it not amiss to set down here, what I haue heard by credible report to haue been done by two diuers Stagges in two diuers places. The one of the Stagges was in a little read Deere park of the late Viscount Bindon, which keeping rut in a corner of the park with a brace of Hinds, the Keeper chanced in making his walk, to come thorough the bush where these hinds were, whereupon they ran away, and the stag followed them: but not being able to make them stay with him any longer, by reason of their sudden fright, he looked back once or twice very sullenly vpon the Keeper, without pressing to do any more for that time. But within two dayes after, or thereabout, he watched the Keeper walking in the park, and after he had worn him by little and little to a straight, at a corner of the Pale he ran fiercely at the Keeper, broken his bill,& gave him many wounds, whereof he dyed within a day or two after, though the stag was put from him at that time, by I know not what accident. The other stag was one of them that was first put in, in my Lord of Suffolkes Redde-Deere park, who, being the first rut time there, mastered only by one Deere, that was greater and older then he, and so kept from the Hinds; watched his time the next spring when the other mewed his head, he being still vnmewed, as the younger deere, and immediately thereupon set on him in a morning in the sight of one of the Keepers first, and then of all the rest:& notwithstanding that they followed him, for saving the other, both on horse and foot as fast as they could, yet never left he coursing of his fellow through the park, like a Grey-hound after a Hare, till he killed him with a number of wounds. And this vindicative stag did I kill after with my Hounds, I and all my Huntesmen giuing him no other style, but, The murderer. And of all beasts none are more unprofitable for the necessary use of man, then Apes and monkeys, seeming only to be created in ludibrium naturae; so as Galen carried ever some of them about with him wheresoever he went, only to make Anatomies of them, for their likeness in proportion to man. For in Galens time it was thought an inhuman thing to make Anatomies of men or women, wherein the Christian world now hath less horror then the Ethnikes then had. And that sort of beasts are known to bee so natural cowards, that they dare never pursue any body to bite them, but women or children, and such as they see afraid of them or flying from them; and yet will they remember an injury two or three yeares, and watch an opportunity for revenging it. And if wee will go yet lower, even to them that lick the dust of the earth, as to Serpents and all sorts of venomous worms, the Histories are full of their malicious and revengeful nature: but it is no new thing with them, the seed of the woman must bruise their heads, and they must bite his heel. Nay will wee for conclusion of this point, consider of the very lowest of all places, even hell itself; wee shall find that the inhabitants thereof, the devils, breath nothing but malice and reuenge. Satan was a liar and a murderer from the beginning, and his first work, after his fall, was to avenge himself vpon the Image of GOD in man, by deceiving him; since his malice could not reach to God himself, making choice of that malicious beast the Serpent for his organ. And now, I hope, I haue sufficiently proved by the low descent of this sin by degrees, even to hell itself, that as it is a grievous, so it is a base sin, contrary to true courage. But since wee haue now put it in hell, from whence it first came, there let us leave it, and solace our sight a little with the contemplation of that divine virtue, Charity, the right opposite to that hellish sin and 'vice.  
charity is not onely a divine virtue, but God himself is charity, as I said already. Saint Paul reckoning the three great 
1. Cor. 13.  theological virtues, without which no man can be saved, not onely puts in charity for one, but even for the most excellent of all, without the which the rest are nothing. And it is also the onely permanent virtue of them all; for Faith and Hope remain only with the elect, while they are in this world, but charity is ever with them, here and hence for ever. Yea even, will ye look to God himself, misericordia eius supper omnia opera eius, and mercy is a work of charity. charity dwells with God; and all the Elect, Angels, Saints and men are clad with it, eternally. I know not by what fortune, the dicton of PACIFICVS was added to my title, at my coming in England; that of the Lion, expressing true fortitude, having been my dicton before: but I am not ashamed of this addition; for King Salomon was a figure of CHRIST in that, that he was a King of peace. The greatest gift that our saviour gave his Apostles, immediately before his Ascension, was, that he left his Peace, with them; he himself having prayed for his persecutors, and forgiven his own death, as the proverb is. The footsteps of his charity being so vively imprinted in the disciple whom his Master loved, and who learned on our saviours bosom; as he said nothing, wrote nothing, did nothing: yea in a maner breathed nothing all the dayes of his life, but love and charity. To the blessed Virgin and him CHRIST vpon the cross recommended their charitable cohabitation together, as Mother and son: his style in all his writings, is full of love and charity, his Gospel and Epistles sound nothing but charity. Yea 
Hieron. in Epist Pauli ad Gal.  S. jerome maketh mention, that when he was so old, as he could not preach and scarce walk, he would many times make himself bee led to the Preaching place, and there repeating oft these words, Little children love one another, he would come back again; and being asked why he so often repeated that sentence, his answer was, This is the new and last Commandement that our Master left us, Et si solum fiat, sufficit. But above all the third Chapter of his Gospel deserves to be graven in letters of Marble, in the hearts of all Christians, especially the sixteenth verse thereof, God so loved the world, &c. And here I must record to the eternal memory and good famed, of my father in Law the late King of denmark, that he not being a scholar; yet took he the pains to writ up a little 
This manuel of my father in law, S●r PETER young, my old Master brought out of denmark, and shewed me, ●nd  told me also of this form of his death.  manuel, with his own hand, of some of the most comfortable selected psalms, which was his continual Vade mecum, as Homers Iliads was to Alexander: And at his death he made that part of the third Chapter of S. Iohns Gospel to bee red over& over unto him. And as he thus died happily, so left he a goodly and prosperous posterity behind him. And in the issue of one of his, I hope, God shall in his mercy deal with me in one point, as he did with job: if in not restoring unto me so many children as he hath taken from me; yet in restoring them unto me in my childrens children; praying God to bless that work of mercy, that he hath already begun towards me in this point. But to return to Saint John, wee may see at last, even by his death, how God loved him for his charity, besides the manifold other proofs, that he gave him thereof during his life; for he died peaceably in his bed, full of dayes, and was the notablest Confessor that ever was, albeit no Martyr, as all the rest of the Apostles were. To conclude then my description of this divine virtue, Charity, I remit you to that pattern, which that admirable, learned, and eloquent penne-man of the holy Ghost, hath set forth of her in his thirteenth of his first to the Corinthians.  
And thus having with the pencil of my pen represented unto you, as vively as I can, in so little compass, the bright beauty of this divine virtue, charity: it rests that I set down her true limits, and how we may make our right use of her, by knowing towards whom our charity is to bee extended, in what cases, and in what measure; that so wee may be able to perform vpon our part, that condition which God so exactly requires at our hands. As to the first question, towards whom; no doubt we ought to extend our charity towards all persons, yea, even in some sort to beasts: wee are in diuers places of the Scripture commanded to bee 
Pro. 12.10.  merciful to our beasts, 
1. Cor. 9.9.  boui trituranti as non obligabis. But wee ought especially to bee 
Gal. 6.10.  charitable to the household of faith, and then we are more particularly to measure our charity according to those degrees that do more or less concern us; as our country, our Magistrates spiritual or temporal, the strangers within our gates, widows and orphans; and those of our consanguinity or affinity, our wives, parents, brethren or sisters, or children, our professed friends, especially those that wee are obliged unto in thankfulness. And as we ought to be charitable to all persons, so are wee bound to extend our charity to them in all cases, by giuing them either spiritual or temporal comfort, as they haue need of it; assisting them as well with our advice and counsel, as with our fortunes: but in our assisting them, especially with our fortunes, wee are to measure it, according to the before mentioned degrees, and our own abilities; otherwise, whereas wee were able before to ease the burdens of others, wee shall then make ourselves to become burdensome to others. And above all, we must pardon all them that haue offended us, which is the direct point now in hand. But in all these cases of charity, wee are to observe such a measure, as may preserve us from both extremities; for though wee be to pray for all men, yet are wee not to keep company with all men, much less to bee in professed friendship with every man. No man ought to be so secure of himself, as not to be afraid to be corrupted with evil company: ye know the saying, Corrumpunt bonos mores colloquia mala; and therefore, 
1. Cor. 15.33.  Qui stat, videat ne cadat; 
1. Cor. 10.12.  besides the evil name a man gets by haunting infamous company. It is reported of that holy Apostle of love, of whom I lately made large mention, that one day in his age he 
Irenaus aduersus haeres. lib. 3.& Euseb. lib. 3. eccl. hist. cap. 25.  went in Ephesus, to bathe himself in a hot Bath, and seeing Cerinthus the heretic, he hasted out of the bath before he was bathed, fearing that the Bath should fall, because Cerinthus the enemy of the truth was in it. And indeed this practise of his agrees well with his doctrine in his Epistle; If thou meet one that brings not this doctrine, 
jo. ep. 2. 10.  ne dicas ei, aue, lest thou bee partaker of his sin. Since then this holy Apostle whom his Master loved was so afraid of evil company, how much more reason haue wee to bee so, considering how much weaker the best of us are in spiritual graces, then he was? And likewise this condition which is required at our hands, in pardoning them that offend us, hath also the own limits, which makes the performance thereof the more easy unto vs. For our saviour commands us, to forgive them that offend us, as oft as they repent them of their offending us: so as they are as well tied to repent, as wee to forgive, albeit our forgiveness must not be precisely tied to their repentance, mark the 11.25. When ye stand and pray, &c. So as what part soever of the world your debtor bee in, you cannot pray with fruit except you forgive him. We must also understand, that our forgiving them that offend us, ties not the hands of such of us as are Magistrates, to punish them that are offenders, according to the nature of their offences; so that wee do it for our zeal to Iustice onely, and not for serving of our own particular ends, or satisfaction of our passions. And private men are not by this precept restrained, from complaining to the lawful Magistrate, and seeking redress of the injuries done unto them, agreeable to the qualities of the offences, according to that rule of our saviour, Dic Ecclesiae: but wee ought so to love,& esteem every man more or less, according as their virtues, good name, or particular behaviour towards us shall deserve. Wee are no way likewise barred of our just defence, in case wee be unlawfully invaded and assailed; for defence is juris naturalis, and tolerated by the laws of all Nations; onely we are to keep rancour and malice out of our hearts, and our hands from reuenge: for reuenge belongs onely to GOD, and by deputation from him, to his Lieutenants vpon earth, 
Rom. 12.19.  Mihi vindictam ego retribuam. And I pray you, what life would we haue in this world, if every man were his own judge, and avenged his own injuries? Sure I am, there would bee no need of Kings nor Magistrates, and I think, there would bee no people left to be governed. For then every man would be homo homini lupus, whereas, by the contrary, men are created to bee 
{αβγδ}  animalia gregalia, and to live together like sociable creatures. It was a curse pronounced vpon ishmael, when it was prophesied, that his hand should he against every man, 
Gen. 16.12.  and every mans hand against him. But our brave spirited men, cannot digest wrongs so easily, and they are ashamed to complain to the magistrates. I answer, they must then bee ashamed to obey GOD, and the King, and consequently to live under their protection, but like Giants and mighty hunters, they must wander up and down the world, and live vpon spoil. But what use is there for swords then and sword-men? I answer, excellent good use, for the service of GOD, their King and their country, for their own just defence, and preserving the weaker sort from injury or oppression, in case of accidental necessity. How honourably are the worthies of david recorded in the word of God, 
1. Chron. 11.  and what made the Gentiles to deïfie Hercules? read the ancient oaths of the Orders of Knighthood, in special, ours of the Order of the Garter, and even the oath that is still given to every ordinary Knight at this day in Scotland; and let us vpon this occasion consider with pity the miserable case that too many are in, in this iceland; who will not receive the Sacrament, because they haue malice in their hearts; forgetting Saint Pauls two precepts, 
1. Cor. 11.28.  first to try ourselves, and then to come. But they think it enough to prove themselves, so they never come, and think it never time for them to come there, till they be perfect; not remembering that CHRIST came in this world for the sick and not for the whole, and that wee come to that Table weak and full of infirmities, to be strengthened with that spiritual and heavenly food; only carrying with us there, a will and an earnest desire of amendment. And if they will not purge their hearts of malice, what can their abstaining from the Lords Supper avail them? For how shall they pray the LORDS PRAYER, except they forgive their debtors? and consequently how shal they obtain remission of sins, without which there can be no salvation? They must resolve then, as long as they live in this state, to live as outlaws and aliens from the covenant of God; and if they die without repentance, to bee certain of damnation. truly the best man living hath great need to pray earnestly to bee preserved from a sudden death, as it is in our English litany, that before his end he may haue space and grace to purge his heart, and clear his conscience from all uncleanness. For wee are all of us enticed and alured to our own perdition, by three terrible persuasive solicitors, the World, the Flesh, and the devill. But if the best live still in that daungerous warfare, what case then are these men in, if they shall die in that open rebellion, in disobeying the commandement of God, and not being able to pray for the remission of their sins?& yet is none of them secure of a minutes repriual from death. Surely, me thinks, the apprehension of a sudden death should be a perpetual torture to their consciences; and yet the number of them is grown so great amongst us here, as a man cannot discern betwixt a Papist and an Atheist, in this point: for many Papists take the pretext of malice for keeping them out of the penalty of the Law, for not receiving the Sacrament. And now that I haue been a great deal longer vpon this Petition then vpon any of the rest, I hope the Reader will easily excuse me, since the remission of our sins is causa sine qua non to every Christian man( as I said before) as also since this condition annexed unto it, is so lightly regarded, and so little obeied in our age, yea even in the Court, and amongst the better sort of men, I mean for quality. Following in this the example of CHRIST himself, the author of this prayer, who in the same place, where he teacheth it, Matth. 6. doth immediately there after enlarge himself vpon the interpretation of the condition of this Petition, without pressing to interpret any of the rest.  
AND lead us NOT INTO TEMPTATION. The Arminians cannot but mislike the frame of this Petition; for I am sure, they would haue it, And suffer us not to bee led into temptation; and Vorstius would add, as far, Lord, as is in thy power, for thy power is not infinite. And vpon the other part, wee are also to eschew the other extremity of some Puritans, who by consequent make God author of sin; with which error the Papists do wrongfully charge our religion; but medio tutiùs itur. Saint 
August. de praedestinatione Sanctorum. de dono perseuerantiae. contra Pelagianos;& passim alibi in sun operibus.  Augustine is the best decider of this question, to whom I remit me. In so high a point it is fit for every man, sapere ad sobrietatem; which is Saint Pauls counsel, Rom. 12. Notwithstanding that himself was ravished to the third heaven, and best acquainted with these high mysteries; not to bee preached unto, but to be adored. And it sufficeth us to know that Adam by his fall, lost his free will, both to himself and all his posterity; so as the best of us all hath not one good thought in him, except it come from God; who draws by his effectual grace, out of that attainted and corrupt mass, whom he pleaseth, for the 
Rom. 9.18.  work of his mercy, leaving the rest to their own ways, which all lead to perdition: so as though God 
joh. 6.44.  draw all the Elect unto him, who otherwise can never win heaven, yet doth he force none to fall from him; perditio tua ex te Israel. 
Ose. 13.9.  And therefore God is said to lead us into temptation, when by a strong hand he preserves us not from it;& so was he said to harden Pharaos heart because he did not soften it: even as a nurse, having a child that is but beginning yet to learn to go, may be justly said to make the child fall, if shee leave it alone, knowing that it cannot scape a fall without help. Now temptations are either bread within us, or come from external causes; If they breed within us, earnest prayer and holy Meditations are often to be used; cures also would bee applied of contrary quality to these sins that wee find budding within us, for contraria contrarijs curantur: good books likewise will be a great help, and specially the good advice of a sound divine, provided that he haue the reputation of a good life. And if our temptations come from external causes; if any of our sences bee caught with unlawful delights, let us then( as I said already) deprive our sences of these dangerous objects. If prosperity or adversity bring us in temptation, let us apply the remedies accordingly: against adversity tempting us to despair, let us arm ourselves with patience the best wee can, fly solitude, and oft seek consolation from wise, godly, honest, and entire friends. If we be tempted with prosperity( which commonly is the more dangerous, though the other be sharper) let us consider by every little disease, and other crosses, our natural frailty, often meditate vpon the necessity of death, and be careful to read and hear oft good funeral Sermons, pulvis es, 
Gen. 3.19.  & in pulverem reverteris. And in a word, let us consider, that having so many tempters, and occasions of temptation within& about us, all the houres of the day; so as the whole life of a true Christian, is nothing else but a continual trial of his constancy, in his uncessant spiritual warfare. Wee haue therefore the greater reason to watch ourselves continually, and carefully take heed to all our thoughts and actions: for otherwise it will be in vain for us to pray to God, not to lead us in temptation, and in the mean time we shall be leading ourselves into it vpon every occasion; like one that will wilfully lye in the mire, and call to another to help him out of it.  
but DELIVER us FROM EVIL. This is the last petition, and the seventh in the account of the ancient Church, as I told you before, and the sixth as we now do ordinarily reckon it. The Fathers made it the seventh, dividing it from, lead us not into temptation, because wee pray here to be delivered from evil. Now delivery presupposeth a preceding thraldom, or at least an imminent danger; so as in the former petition wee pray to be kept out of temptation in times to come; and in this we pray to be delivered from all evil that already is fallen, or presently hangeth vpon us; not onely evil of 
Malum poena& malum culpa.  temptation, but evil of punishment, or whatsoever adversity that is laid vpon vs. But our Church makes this a branch of the former Petition, and so a part of the sixth; in regard it begins with {αβγδ}, but, as ye would say, Lord lead us not into temptation, but keep us ever safe from all such evil. But whether ye account it the seventh Petition, or a branch of the sixth, either of the ways is orthodox, and good enough,( though the older way bee the fuller, as I haue now shown) for the substance is, that we pray to God, not to lead us in temptation, but to deliver us from any evil either present or to come. The greek hath it, {αβγδ}, from the evil one; and these words put us in mind, what need we haue of continual prayer to God, to bee preserved from that old traitorous and restless enemy, 
1. Pet. 5.8.  qui circundat terram, like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour. And by this Petition thus understood, we are taught, not to trust to our own strength, against so strong and fiercely cruel an enemy, but to bee armed with faith, that we may safely sleep, 
Psal. 91.4.  sub vmbra alarum tuarum Domine. The latin translation, â malo, will bear either any evil thing, or the evil one; and our vulgar translation, evil, is general for eschewing of any evil that may befall us, whether by the means of Satan, or otherwise. And so we are to pray that God by his merciful hand would deliver us from all evil, either in corporal or spiritual things; either against our temporal necessities and comforts in this life, or our spiritual graces for our eternal salvation: that wee may lye down safe, and rise again, and not be afraid, though thousands of enemies, both spiritual and temporal, should encompass vs. here now the LORDS PRAYER ends in S. Luke, but in Saint Matthew is subjoined that Epilogue, For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever. Amen.  
Who will seriously consider the occasion, whereupon our saviour taught the LORDS PRAYER in both the Gospels, he shall find, that Christ taught it twice; first, privately to his disciples, at the suite of one of them to teach them to pray; and then he taught the Petitions onely, prefixing that short preamble, Our Father which art in heaven: and at that time he expressed two or three of the Petitions in this Prayer, more plainly then he did after in his public Sermon before the people. For his manner was ever, to express himself more plainly to his disciples, then he did to the whole people: and this is the form set down in the 11. of S. Luke. And after at another time, he taught it vpon the mountain, to a multitude of people in the midst of a long Sermon that he made unto them, and then he added this foresaid Epilogue;& this form is contained in the sixth of Matthew, at which time it seems he added the Epilogue, to teach the people to pray, both with the greater confidence and reverence, since to him whom they prayed unto, belonged the kingdom, &c. It is true that this Epilogue is wanting in the vulgar latin Translation, even in Saint Matthew: and Robert steven that learned Printer saith it is also wanting in some old greek exemplar; but that is no matter, it is sufficiently acknowledged to bee canonical. Now as to the words of this Epilogue, they contain the reason of our praying to our heavenly Father; for his is the kingdom, he is not onely a King, but the kingdom per excellentiam is his {αβγδ}. even as, although there shalbe multi Antichristi, yet is the great Antichrist, head of the general defection, called {αβγδ}: So as God is the onely KING of all in solidum, al earthly deputy kings kingdoms being but small brooks and riuers derived from that Sea. And he is not onely King of all, but power is his onely, so as he is not onely an infinitely great KING,( for great Kings may not do all that they would) but he is also an infinitely powerful, and almighty KING. And not onely is the kingdom his, and the Power his, but also the Glory is his, which maketh the other two excellent: so as all worldly kingdoms, powers and honours( for without honour all worldly kingdoms and powers are nothing) are onely drops borrowed out of that great and vast Ocean. But if all this were but temporal, then might wee doubt of the decay thereof; and therefore to resolve us of this doubt also, For ever, is subjoined to the end of these supremely high titles; to show that his kingdom, his Power and his Glory is never to receive end, change or diminution. remembering then, that in the first words of this Prayer, wee call him Our Father, which settles our confidence in his love; and in the last words thereof we aclowledge his infinite power: with great comfort wee may be confident, that he both may and will hear,& grant these our petitions. And to this Prayer is Amen put, as the conclusion of all; for hereby are wee stirred up, to recollect shortly to our memory all that which we haue said: adding a faithful wish, that our petitions may bee granted unto vs. Which is a sign that wee should know what we say, when we make this Prayer, contrary to the Papists, who teach ignorant wives and children, to mumble, or rather mingle-mangle this Prayer in latin ad intentionem Ecclesiae. But if Saint Pauls rule be true in his 14. of his 1. to the Corinthians, those ignorants can never say Amen to their own prayer which they understand not: but the Church of Rome hath not onely evil lucke to be contrary to S. Paul in this point, but also to Christes own prohibition, in his preface to this same Prayer in the 6. of S. Matthew. For there he forbids vain repetitions, as the heathen do, but bids them pray thus. Now they haue preferred the imitation of the Heathen to CHRISTS example, witness our Ladies rosary, and witness all their prayers vpon beads, making up such a rabble of Paters and aves, contrary to CHRIST that forbids vain repetitions▪ and I am sure there cannot bee a vayner repetition, then to repeat a 
I red with mine eyes within these 10. or 12. veeres, a little Pamphlet, set out by an English Priest, printed in some part of the Archdukes dominion, which laboured to maintain by many arguments, that the LORDS PRAYER, and other short prayers, were more profitable for the vulgar and ignorant sort, to be said by them in latin, although they understood it not, then in their own natural language.  prayer they understand not; and contrary to Saint Paul also, as I said already, and I dare say without any precept or example of antiquity, for the space of many hundred yeeres after CHRIST: and yet these vain and ignorant repetitions are matters of great merit with them. And it is also to bee observed, that although our saviour commanded us to make our petitions to God in his Name, yet hath he not made mention of his own Name in this prayer, not that I doubt but that under the Name of the FATHER in this Prayer, all the Trinity is to bee understood; but it may bee that he hath omitted the inserting of his Name in this prayer, foreseing that in the latter dayes, superstition would insert too many intercessors in our prayers, both of he and she Saints. And surely the darkness of this superstition was so gross in our fathers times, as a great Theologue was not ashamed, within little more then these threescore yeeres; to preach publicly in Saint Andrewes; That the LORDS PRAYER might be said to our Lady: whereupon grew such a controversy in the university there, that a synod in that same place, was forced to take knowledge of it and decide it. And what less superstition was it in so learned a man as bonaventure, to turn the meaning of the psalms vpon our Lady? I mean whatsoever was spoken of God in them to be meant of our lady: and yet was this famous book of his reprinted at Paris within these few yeares. But since God in his great mercy hath freed us in this iceland, from that more then Egyptian darkness, I cannot wonder enough at the inconstancy of too many amongst us in our dayes; that like fools fain of flitting, as the Scottish proverb is, are so greedy of novelties; that forsaking the pure verity for painted tables, they will wilfully hoodwink themselves, and thrust their heads in the dark again, refusing the light, which they may live and ioy in, if they list.  
And thus having ended this my Meditation vpon the LORDS PRAYER, it rests onely that I draw it into a short sum( as I promised) that wee may the better understand, and remember what we pray; and that our prayer may the more vively and deeply be imprinted and engraven in our hearts. And it is shortly this: We first for a preamble invocate God, by the sweet name of Our Father; thereby to settle our confidence in his love, that he will hear and grant our petitions; next, to breed the greater reverence in us, and to assure ourselves of his alseeing eye, wee make mention of the place of the residence of his glory, which is heaven. Then wee make first three general petitions for his glory, before wee come to our own particular suits. In the first whereof wee do our homage unto him, in wishing his Name to bee hallowed, both in heaven and earth, like as wee then do; then our next general petition is, that his kingdom may come, as well generally and universally at his second coming, as that the militant Church may flourish in the mean time, and that we may in Gods appointed time, every one of us come to that kingdom of his. That in the mean time his will may bee done in earth as it is in heaven, the effect which the kingdom of heaven in this earth will produce, which is our third and last general petition for the propagation of his glory, and the felicity of his Church. And if we please a little deeplier to meditate vpon these three petitions, they may likewise put us in mind of the trinity; of God the Father, by wishing his Name to be sanctified, whose Name no tongue can express: of God the son, by wishing his kingdom to come, for he is King, Priest, and Prophet, and of his kingdom there shall never be an end. And wee are put in mind of God the holy Ghost, by praying that his will may be done in earth, as it is in heaven, for he it is that sanctifies the wils of the elect, and makes them acceptable to God the Father, through Iesus Christ. And our first private suite that follows, is for our daily bread; for except God presently furnish, and sustain us, with that which our temporal necessities do require; our being in this world will fail before wee can perform any part of our service which he requires at our hands, and a sudden death will prevent our due preparation for our journey to our true home. Wee next pray for remission of our bypassed sins, that wee may stand recti in curia, being washed in the blood of the lamb; for else our corporal sustenance doth but feed us to the slaughter. And wee show ourselves capable of this great and inestimable blessing and benefit, by the profession of our charity in pardoning our brethren, according to his commandement. And then the ugly horror of our bypassed sins, and our true and sensible sorrow for the same, together with the acknowledgement of our own weakness, and distrust in our own strength, makes us pray that wee be not hereafter led into so dangerous temptations: but that he will hereafter deliver us from all evil both in body& soul; especially from the cruel and crafty assaults of that evil one. And as in the preamble we called him our heavenly Father, to stir up our reverent confidence in his love; so do wee in the Epilogue aclowledge his almighty and eternal glorious power: thereby to assure ourselves, that he is as able, as he is ready to hear and grant these our petitions; closing up all with AMEN, for the strengthening our wishes with that small measure of faith that is in us, and assurance of the truth of the performance of our petitions, that our requests may be granted. To which I add another AMEN, etiam fiat DOMINE jesv.   

LONDON Printed by BONHAM NORTON, and John BILL, Printers to the Kings most Excellent majesty. M.DC.XIX.