A TREATISE OF PRAYER.  
Two Queries resolved touching forms of Prayer. And Six Queries relating specially to the LORDS PRAYER.  
That the Reader may have full Resolution, specially to the fourth of these Queries, relating to the Lords Prayer, he shall find in the end of this Treatise, That Holy and Learned Man's judgement, Dr Owen, as to that matter in his Answer to Mr Biddles second question of Prayer Pag. 667, 668, 669.  
They who ask not for the Spirit, that they may pray in the Spirit, are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Brutes and Mutes. Chry:  
A Malefactor expecting his sentence to death, needs not man or book to prompt him how to plead for his life. He that can read himself Cast and condemned by sin, needs not a book to prompt him how to plead his pardon. Paris: of Divine Rhetor: Compare with this Jer: 3. 13. and Rom: 10. 9, 10.  
The Lord's Prayer is the mould, wherein all the Church's prayers are cast, moulded and form: Bez: Luk. 11. 2.  
See to it, that God be as well pleased with thee calling Him Father, as thou art well pleased to call Him Father. Cyp: Sermon the sixth upon the Lord's prayer: ●.  
Thou shalt call me My father, and shalt not turn away from Me, Jer: 3. 19 [that is, I will put filial affections, awful thoughts, constant resolutions into thy heart, and thou shalt not turn away from Me].  
London, Printed by M. S. for Henry Cripps in Popes-head-Alley, 1656.   

THE FOURTH TREATISE OF PRAYER.  
Two Queries touching forms of Prayer, and six relating to the Lords Prayer. I. Whether a wicked man may say that prayer? II. Whether our Lord gave His Disciples this prayer, that they should pray to His Father in those very words? III. Whether a Godly man takes it into his Closet? iv Whether it be comely for a Godly Minister to take it into his pulpit? V Whether John taught his Disciples to pray, by giving them forms of prayer to say? VI Whether a Godly parent can teach his child to pray, by giving him any form of prayer? And in special, by teaching his child to say the Lords Prayer?  
The Negative in all these is under our Maintenance.  

CHAP. I.  
WE shall not enter into the Common place of prayer, it is not a place to say much of it; and to say little is to say little more than nothing at all. It is, being mounted on the wheel of Faith, the great Engine of the world, and wheels all about there; it is an Appeal to God in the Name and Mediation of Christ; A committing the cause and Condition of His Church, and of His Truth, the concernements thereof in General, His own in special, to Him, and so takeing fast hold of the almighty, the All-sufficient God in Christ, it hath an Omnipotency in it, and can do what God Himself is pleased to do, all things, that stand with His good will and pleasure for the support and supply of His Church, every faithful soul there: And the carrying on of His Truth, whereby immortality and light is brought to light in the soul. In a word, It is the breathing-in andout of the Spirit of God and of Glory; It is that which fetcheth-in all from God through the hand of Christ by the Spirit; And the Return of All to God the first spring and fountain of all by the same way of Conveyance: For he or she, that Remembers they have all from God, cannot forget to Return all to Him. The Disciple hath all by askeing, and it is but ask and have, the same he asketh, or that which is better; he writeth uponall he hath, Asked of God, The Gift of God; His Lord and Master 
Psal 2. Math. 26.  had nothing but by askeing, Ask of Me, and I will give thee. And that He, the Mediator of His Church, giveth-out unto His people at this present, He asketh His Father first. Surely the Saint must ask in Faith, if he will receive in mercy; for so he asketh His Lords leave, and acknowledgeth Him to be Lord of the Manor of 〈◊〉 and Earth. To shut up this, and to proceed to what we chiefly intent in this place; Prayers are the Ambassadors of the poo●● empty soul, to God for supply from the abundant Riches of His grace: We say a poor empty Spirit, for that is full of prayer, and much supplication The poor man 
Prov. 18. 23.  speaks supplications, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 entreaties, that is his Character and his Dialect. But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no sense of poverty, there is no prayer, for there is a 〈◊〉 temper, Rich enough and wanting 
Revel. 3.  nothing; That person prayeth not, or not to purpose, it is but a Custom only and a form.  
Now we crave leave to put two Questions, and humbly to give our persuasion in way of Answer unto both.  

SECT. I.  
1. WHether persons full of themselves, as we are all by nature, wholly empty and swept of all Goodness, and garnished with noisome lusts, the furniture and rich garnish of 
Math. 12. 44.  the unclean Spirits house, whether these are like to help themselves by useing set forms of Prayer?  
2. Whether Babes in Christ, newly converted ones, renewed in the Spirit of their minds, have need of forms, those crutches and helps of devotion, when they are addressing themselves unto their God?  
Quest. ●. The first; Whether unreasonable and wicked men, as all are, that have not faith, can help themselves in this their condition by useing set forms of prayer?  
Answ: To this we humbly give our opinion, That they cannot help themselves at all, but the more they use them, the more they are disadvantaged by them, the more indisposed to, and put further off from the power of Godliness. For  
First, The reason of this we take from the Philosophers known rule, which indeed we think falls-in with common Experience, That habits, whether in good things or in evil, are acquired and improved both by continual exercise. These things, which we learn for practise, we learn by practice, as saith learned D● Wilkins. Now for any one to habituate or accustom himself to forms of prayer, that is, to prayers made or written by another, and said by himself, shall find himself as unable, and as hard a matter to come off from them (yet off he must come i● ever he look to find acceptance with his God) as it is with an Ethiopian to change his skin, or the Leopard his spots. O! we are much taken with and hardly taken off from forms of prayer, we have been accustomed to from our youth up, and never found these did the flesh any hurt, putting it to Cost; as these never did the spirit or hid-man of the heart any good. So then these forms of prayer we come with before God, do more indispose us to God, and estrange us from Him: And it is not good to accustom ourselves to that, we must leave at last, and come off from, if ever good be wrought in us or by us.  
Secondly, Because we may say of these forms of prayer, as is said of the wicked themselves, these are sensual not having the 
Judas 19  Spirit: though we may suppose them very exactly composed; and by the most accomplished Men, we mean, by Holy men, having the Spirit. For though they might pray in prayer, wrought by the Spirit for that very thing; Yet being written before their eyes, and prayed by the book visible or invisible, we mean the memory, there is no more spirit and life therein, than there is in a dead letter. Indeed we may call these prayers flesh, being written with ink which profiteth nothing, it is the Spirit that quickeneth; And thereby, that is by the Spirit of God, His people call Him Father, and Jesus their Lord. But praying without the Spirit, and wholly careless to ask after the Spirit, calling for it in prayer, we are never more likely than at such a time, and when we are upon that solemn work, never more likely than then to call Christ accursed. Can we say, Abraham's, Isaac's, Jacob's 
● Cor. 12. 3.  prayers, with Paul's prayers, etc. And have not that Spirit, by which they prayed, our prayers would become as we believe, in the ears of our God, but as sounding brass or a tinkling Cymbal.  
Thirdly, We may Consider this. All that God giveth to us, or works for us, He doth all by the Hand of His Spirit: So also, All that His people give bacl again to Him, or work for Him, They do it by the special help of the Spirit too; Therefore it is they see so much need of the Spirit, and call so earnestly for a supply from the same.  
Quest: 1. But it may be said, how shall sensual men, not having the Spirit call for the Spirit; unless as they are taught to do it in other's words?  
Answ: This is a lesson can never be taught by man, not by all or any prayers suggested to us by Man; That every one of us by Nature is the devil's house emptied and swept of all Goodness, brimful of all filthiness, adorned and garnished with noisome lusts, the ornament and garnish of that house the Devil calls his own; this we think no man questioneth. Now if all this were debated upon and set down prayer-wise, according to the exactest form, It could not accomplish the thing: what is it to say in another's words, I am a sinner, or I have sinned, though, saying 
Job 5. 20.  so much, he had said all, if his heart had said it, and not another for him, freely, feelingly, sincerely and beleivingly: So than one word spoken in desire and endeavour from the heart, as aforesaid, hath more virtue and efficacy in it, than a thousand words suggested to us by the eyes or memory only. Certainly we must confess sin in our own words, our Confession will not be accepted else; as we must forsake sin in our works; they, that confess and forsake sin, are the same.  
Quest: 2. But is there not a double use of these set forms of prayer? first, for directing of our desires? secondly, for execiteing our affections?  
Answ: We humbly conceive there is not a single use of them; not first for the directing our desires. These are all inward and are moved by a principle within, never stirred to move after God, Christ, Grace, Glory, till there be some inward sense, or feeling of the want, and necessity of having God in Christ, and all the needs of the soul supplied by Him. Sense of want is the Giving of Desire. Now we cannot see how this inward sense can be wrought in the Soul, by a form of words lying before us, any more than painted bread can stirre-up desire, or satisfy desire being stirred-up. As no outward thing can inwardly defile, for all real and truly called defilement is within and from within, else the Devil himself could not defile us; so no outward thing can inwardly purify; and then, not purifying, it can give but poor directions, to our desires. Secondly, Nor are they of use, (as we conceive) for the exciteing our affections: These are warm and hit and do heat and warm, but still by some workings from within first. Affection is like fire, it is hot itself first, before it heat others; We must be affected before we can affect. Now we cannot see how a dead powerlesse form (which as one hath it, nourisheth the hid-man of the heart, no more than stockfish nourisheth the body, and that gives no more nourishment, saith Erasmus, than a stone does) can excite affections, unless to itself, because so exceeding pleasing to flesh and blood, never crossing in the least the Desires of the same.  
Quest: 3. But is not this to take the generality of men quite off from praying?  
Answ: No: to our seeming it puts them on upon prayer, to pray that they may be enabled to pray in a deep sense of sin, and the need they have of the blood of Christ to purify their hearts, and pacify their Consciences; all which they are to pray for.  
Quest: 4. But pray they cannot, unless they pray by the book, visible or invisible.  
Answ: To this we say, That to our seeming if they do pray by the book, they do not pray at all in God's account. And truly those men are b●lder with God than they durst be with men; had they offended a great Lord, they must acknowledge the offence with their own mouths, and not another for them, and have righted their offended Lord, if he would have it so, with their own hands; and glad with all their hearts, that the offended Lord would be so accorded; But we are bold with God though who made us so, but our own shameless impudent Spirits? We can offend God sinning against Him, and confess it by a proxi, in his words who did not give the offence. We sin with our own mouths, and will confess with another's mouth: may not the Lord say, offer this to your Governor, see whether he will 
Mal: 1. 18.  accept of your Person?  
Quest: 5. But this will be said still, if they may not pray by the book they cannot pray at all so the Lord God shall have no service from them at all?  
Answ: Indeed the Lord God, to Whom all we are, and have, and can, is due, hath no service, none at all from a wicked man, his lusts are deep sharers here, for they have all; as once so they say still, It is in vain to serve the Lord. But all the Disservice 
Mal. 3. 14.  they can do, they do unto the Lord, even all they can against Him, because they know Him not; for this is a Ruled Case, or a known Conclusion; The more we know of God, the more we honour Him, and ourselves the less; And the less we know of God, the less we honour Him, and ourselves the more; As God riseth in our thoughts, so we fall, and as we rise in our own thoughts, so God falls. We would add this, That the hardness of our hearts appears in nothing more than in these stout words, We cannot pray, our Spirits are so barren; These are stout words indeed, and argue the stoutest heart, and much pride of Spirit, as usually spoken by proud Men; It is as if so be a man should say; I sin and I will sinne: But I will not say unto God I have sinned, what shall I do? If He will take my Confession from another's-mouth, let Him take it; I will not confess myself a sinner, with my own Mouth; nor will I ask Him pardon. These are as stout words, to our seeming, as can be spoken; upon the Readers thoughts we leave them. When we have added this more; As we are Creatures, and have our dependence upon God, every moment we are obliged to pray unto Him: As sinful Creatures, such as sin and Satan can make us, we are obliged to confess unto Him with our own Mouths. We would answer a Question one or two more before we give Resolution to the other Case.  
Quest: 6. But would not praemeditated forms prevent many rude, Crude or indigested expressions?  
Answ: Yes sure, with those, that know not in the world how to pray without them; If sensual men not having the Spirit, wholly carried by sense, and minding nothing above the place their foot treads on, if these should pray without the book, possibly, as their parts might be, low and mean, they would use strange and uncouth expressions. But they, who set themselves before their God, and expect the supplies of His Spirit from Him, looking upon their own strength as rottenness, to be rested on; knowing they cannot think a good thought, as of themselves, and would not for a world utter rash words in His presence; surely they shall find the assistance they look for, and such a supply as shall be best for them; And if they rise not from their knees more comforted, They shall be more humbled, which is as good; for a groan from the heart is as good as a tear from the 
The Spirit of adoption may be in a groan as well as in a prayer. Mr. Ford. sp. Ador. 480.  eye; And they shall be kept from speaking that in prayer, which is unbecomeing their God to hear; or the Ask of that, which is unbeseeming their God to grant. But we would add this, which we think more properly relates to the Resolution of this Question. A wicked man's prayer, we mean him, who is resolved to goeon in his wickedness, comes from his necessities, fear and dread being before him, trouble and anguish upon him, perhaps and terror within him, looking upon death now not at a distance, but as the King of terrors, requiring his soul of him, and killing him with death: his prayer now, as we were saying, comes from his necessities, not from his heart, therefore shall not come near God's heart (to speak after the manner of men) And then it is all one whether he pray by the book, or by his own Spirit, the one as the other hath the same acceptance with God. Dear children, followers of God always, are always heard, though they do but chatter like a Crane. And children of Belial, who never heard God speaking unto them in His Word, are not heard of God, for He heareth not such sinners, who wallow in their sin as doth a swine in the mire, and return unto it as doth a dog to his vomit. Whether then their expressions are exact, and as well composed as words in print can be: or rude, indigested or incomposed, it is much the same, and comes to as much as nothing. Such a wicked-mans' praying is but tattling, and babbling; or to speak as the holy Scripture doth, It is as the roaring of Bears, or howling of Dogs, Isa. 59 11. Hos. 7. 14.  
Quest: 7. Moreover, It is said, do not they, who dare not bring premeditated forms before their God, rush upon duty, without useing the Common means of fitting themselves, and so tempt God?  
Answ: To this we say, that to expect any thing from God, without useing the means allowed by God, as helps that way, were to tempt God and provoke Him to His face; Therefore doubtless it is the wicked man that rushes upon Duty, not bethinking himself beforehand unto what a glorious presence he is come, and what is the work he is to engage upon, and what the danger is of miscarrying; He that thinks of none of all this, he Rushes upon Duty; And indeed what needs the meditation of what I am to speak unto God, when it is suggested unto me? I can read it with mine eyes, and see myself speak? But that man, that prayeth in the Spirit, though he doth make a total resignation of himself unto the hands of the Spirit, expecting His immediate suggestions, Yet so as he hath omitted no means before to fit and prepare for that high service; as thoughts of himself and his nothingness; of the glorious Name of God, and all his expectations, therein and from the same: These things together with the word of God, he gives himself to, meditates upon, and is wholly in it, and is so as the season fits, he addresseth himself before his God: He knows, That, that glorious promise, Math: 10. 19 Take no thought how or what ye shall speak, for it shall be given you in the same hour; relateth to extraordinary services, when God calls forth unto them, that then they may expect extraordinary assistance. But when he may use Common and ordinary means of God's appointment to prepare him for this praying work, and should be negligent in the use thereof, which through grace he cannot br, than it were a great presumption to depend upon extraordinary help; So now before we come to give some resolution to the Second Querie, we would in the close of this, give-in some Counsel, which we hope shall be well agreeing with the word of God, to them, who being sensual not having the Spirit, must needs be wholly unacquainted, with the Lord and Christ, who is the way, the Truth, and the life, and yet haply, they pray to God, and praise Him, as ordinarily as they rise-up from their Beds, and Tables; lie down upon the one, and sit at the other. This is the Counsel we would give, That they would cease from their forms of praying, or from praying by a form, which differs as much from praying in the Holy Ghost, as doth the Sun in the firmament, from the Sun painted on a signpost: And apply themselves to hearing the Word, whereby faith comethin to the soul; so may they, by the blessing of God, attain to the knowledge of Him, to whom they are praying; and of Him in whose Name they must pray, and find access unto the Father; of Him also through whose intercession within us the prayer is form (Rom. 8. 26.) and so finds acceptance, by the Mediation of that Advocate without us, at the right hand of the Father, being as sweet Odours now, all that from the flesh adhering to them, being separated from them. Hereby also, we mean by diligent hearing the Word preached, they may attain to a knowledge of themselves, what lost-ones they are in themselves, and that they must be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power, if they know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and be found in Him; which may put them upon praying that they may profit by hearing. Indeed we would take off these sensual persons, not having the Spirit from praying by the book; and Reading the Holy Scriptures, as they read them; and apply themselves to the hearing God's Word in season and out of season, and attend upon the mooving of the Holy Spirit, upon the Word preached, which is the Chariot of the Spirit, therewith (for so it is appointed of God) the good Spirit comes into the heart, as the Sun into the house; works Faith there, and makes us light in the Lord: so as now we can see clearly how to pray, and how to read, and set our seal to it; whereas before we did not pray, nor did read the book, neither did we look thereon 
* Revel. 5. 4. See Bright. . We say it again, this is the Counsel, which hath been given to us, and, through mercy, we have received it, and therefore we would give it to others, who may be (as we were when time was) as much versed in reading the Holy Scriptures, as they are in praying, and all this while, as we did, slighting the place appointed for Hearing, and despising the Word preached there. Thus then, as we were saying, we would advise them to frequent Sermons, and give all Diligence to profit thereby, we mean, to get faith by hearing, that therewith they may mix that they hear, and make it profitable unto them. For if we inquire at the Holy Oracle, we believe it will resolve us, as to Reading the Holy Scriptures before we have profited by Hearing, That the word of God preached, which is called, we think, The sword of the Spirit, is as different from the Word read in our house, as is a sword in the hand of a Mighty man, different, in point of working, or making execution upon our lusts, from the sword liftedup in George's hand upon a signpost. Give we then all Diligence in Hearing, that we may read and pray at home with understanding. This is our Counsel, and this our Conclusion, That, whosoever rejecteth it, multiplies Transgressions, as he multiplies prayers, and praises. Nor can he think, and show himself a man, That he shall be taught of the Father, who heareth not His Word: or that Christ appears in the presence of God for him in heaven; when he visibly and apparently appears against Him on earth, turning His Word behind his back, and setting his heart against it. We proceed to the second Querie.   

SECT. II.  
Q: II. WHether Babes in Christ, newly converted ones, renewed in the spirit of their minds, have need of forms, those commonly called crutches and helps of Devotion when they appear before their God?  
Answ: We humbly conceive, no: If they that were Lame before cannot now leap like an Hart, yet they can go to God without a Crutch. And this we think the Scripture holds forth before us, that the Adopted of God in Christ, His Sons and Daughters, have outgrown their Crutches and helps of Devotion, though some of them but Babes in Christ. For whensoever The Spirit tells a person, he is the son or daughter of God, having wrought faith in his heart; The second thing the Spirit doth, it teacheth him to pray, that is, to Call God Father, which is the voice of God's Spirit in a sanctified soul; It enableth him 
G●la. 4. 6▪  to Cry Abba Father: to pray earnestly, to be fervent in prayer; They were cold prayers before, but a lip-labour only; But the Spirit, comeing-in to witness with his Spirit, and bringing faith with Him, makes the Child to go to God, and look upon Him as a Father, whose favour he doubts not off; or if he do, he would have his doubts resolved, and his evidences cleared; and for this he cries; and is not helped at all, as we conceive, by any set form, which heateth the Spirit no more than the Censer is without fire; for the Holy Ghost having sanctified the heart, and put it into a wholeframe of Grace; The heart speaks to God as it is quickened, acted, and moved by the Spirit of God: And herein we would appeal to the experience and practise of all, that are but Babes in Christ, whether ever they were gainers, by any forms of Devotion, prayers set before them? And if they say, no; then they will not be easily persuaded to pray by those forms, from which they gain nothing but more dullness, drossiness and indisposedness in their Spirits. It is our persuasion, That a child of God, who is afflicted with the sense of sin, and affected with the sense of a pardon, had rather speak five words to God with his understanding and suitable affections, than ten thousand words prompted or suggested to him by a visible 
Books are a memory without us, and memory is a book within▪ us.  book, before his eye, or an invisible, his memory; And more acceptance should he find with his God. He hath told his errand in his own words; perhaps he wants words and can but chatter, like a Crane: It is, as was said, a prayer notwithstanding, and may cry aloud in the ears of his God; It is delivered with understanding, with suitable affections▪ with Humility, an excellent ingredient in prayer, with an inward sense of his Condition; It is a good prayer sure and finds acceptance with his God. We are generally deceived about prayer, It is, think we, a work of memory, of a good wit, a ready invention, a voluble tongue, This makes an excellent prayer in the esteem of a man's self, and in the account of others; But this is not prayer; Prayer is the work, 
Mr. Ford. p. 629. 525, 526 545, 546.  of God's Spirit, in a sanctified heart, and feels no need of Crutches to support and bear it up Heaven-ward; these help us not we find, when we are lame; it is granted, these hinder us when we are sound; The Lord Christ is the Church's Advocate by Office; The Spirit her Advocate by Energy and operation. All the prayers, 
Rom. 8. 26.  which prevail with God are form, wrought and fashioned in our hearts by the Spirit of God. Now we suppose here is a B●be in Christ, as weak as Babes are, notwithstanding he hath 
Bez▪  no need of a form; he is in Christ, and therefore hath the Spirit of Christ, and therefore in the Spirit he can pray. The Spirit helpeth his infirmities▪ Rom: 8. 26. helpeth. The Greek word is very emphatical, a De-compound, helpeth as a Father helpeth the little Child at a burden; The Child only puts to his hand, the Father his strength. Indeed the Father doth all, so doth the Spirit in this Babe: and if any thing else come to help with Him, He will not help at all. If the Crutch do any thing, the Spirit will do nothing. He is an help sufficient of Himself, The Spirit will not help with a Crutch. When the Spirit of God sets home our misery and extreme necessity, we cannot want witty words and Ingenious expressions. Grande doleris ingenium est miserisque venit solertia rebus: misery felt is full of ingenuity, and energy too: It will tell its tale well enough; the man is sensible of his wants, you need not supply him with words. If a poor Tenant, finding he hath a hard bargain, comes to his Landlord, Let him alone for telling his tale, (said excellent Sibs) you may warrant his ability that way; he will lay open the state of his wife and Children, and the ill year he hath had; he will be eloquent enough. There is no man that hath an humble and broken heart (though he be never so illiterate) but he will have a large heart to God in this kind. The great work in ourselves is, for the working whereof we must attend the Spirits work in the Use of the means, is a true sense of our own necessity: 
See D. in W. p. 27.  And then we shall not need, as the sentenced Malefactor needs not, Any Master to teach us how to supplicate; nor any book out of which we might learn a fit form of petitioning. The apprehension of our present danger will make us both importunate and eloquent, in the desire of mercy. A spring of Desire ariseth from the sense of want.   

SECT. III.  
THus we have told our Apprehension in this matter; It were no● fair dealing now, if we should conceal from the Reader, that the Godly learned have spoken much in favour of set forms of prayer; And the latest, we think, that have written for them, is Reverend Hilderson; I do not deny, saith he, but a weak Christian may use the help of a good prayer book; In this 
Psal. 51. 63.  case better to pray with a book, than not to pray at all. Certainly 'tis a Spirit of Error that hath taught the world otherwise. First our Blessed Saviour prescribed to His Disciples a form of prayer, not only to be to them, and to His whole Church, a Rule and Sampler, according to which all our prayers should be framed; but even for them, and to say it, tying themselves to the words of it. Luk. 11. 2. It is clear also that John taught his Disciples to pray, by giving them forms of Prayer to say, And the best reformed do now and ever have, used prescript forms of Prayers, and have judged them of great use and necessity for the Edification of the Church: Reverend Hilderson's words all these; A man, as all know, of precious note and account in the Church, and so with all, we think, that fear their God; we would be numbered amongst them in this matter; but for our Reason, now that the Lord hath, we hope, sanctified it; and our Judgement, we reserve it as a  Virgin for the Lord; our meaning is, we will not give up our judgement to any man; In desire and endeavour, through Grace, we will lay that level to the Rule of God's Word. We will not, we are sure we ought not to call any man on Earth Father or Master, That is, we will give no man power on Earth over our Judgements and Consciences, such the Father hath (or seem to take) over the person of his Child. We are to follow none but as they follow Christ, 
Math. 23. 8, 9  no● ought we to be commanded by any, that Command not from His mouth; our Leaders must le●d to Him, our Commander must command for Him, else we must not be lead, or Commanded by 
Isa. 55. 4.  them. My Conscience, as one ●aith, is God's throne, I cannot 
Mr. Ford. sp. of Ad. p. 4●●.  answer it to God, if I permit (any man) much less Satan to usurp it▪  
So now it will be expected we should give some account of our dissenting from those Learned and Godly men in point of set forms of prayers. For the same we have read from worthy Hild. 
First ●ol p 348. Saints e●o p. 80.  we may read from others the excellent of the Earth, Perkins; Preston. These were for set forms; Therefore We profess we are in some kind of pain, while we are declareing our Judgement, which will be somewhat differing from theirs in this point, these being as is well known in all the Earth eminently Learned and Godly. But for the last of these, That excellent Preacher in his time, Dr: Preston, it may be noted, That he alloweth the practice of the primitive times, and of our times, in reference to their Liturgies only, in their public meeting places; And tells us, it is not enough to be present at and join in these prayers, but we must Go to God in secret, and he that is exceeding weak, that is his 
See Mr. Ford of Adop: 525, 526. 545, 545.  expression, may use a prop to help him, as a Child that cannot go, he means a set form of prayer for a time; In the next place it may be observed of them both, That they take in this obiter, and as it were upon the by; It was not to their scope, and therefore not in their purpose or intention to plead by way of Argument for set forms to bring with us, when we go to prayer, that is, to God; Only worthy Held: as was said, speaks more for set forms than any we have met with, Mr Rogers himself not excepted▪ so we take leave to examine the proof he makes, these are his words, for we know there is much notice taken of them.  
I dare not Deny, but a weak Christian (him we called by Scripture allowance a Babe in Christ) may use the help of a good prayer-book: This is taken-up at a very cheap rate, without the price of a proof; or if you will call it a proof, this it is; Better to pray in a Book, than not to pray at all.  
This we take to be, as, we think, the Scholar's phrase it, Petitio principij, a mere begging of the Question, It asserteth something, but proves nothing; It asserts this, That if a Babe in Christ, a truly converted one, have not a book to pray by, he cannot pray at all, whence he infers, 'tis better to pray in a book, than not to pray at all.  
Now we have asserted the Contrary, and do assert it still, That a Babe in Christ would pray to his Heavenly Father in the Name of Christ, though there were not a set form of prayer in the world.  
And we would humbly add what we conceive to be a truth, if there were as many set forms of prayers, that the world it sel●e could not contain the boots written thereof, yet all these, altogether, or apart, could not give the least help to the Devotion of this Babe in Christ. All those would not make him cry in prayer Abba Father. But this one Charge against himself, which surely 
2 Sam. 12. 13. Job 7. Luke 5. 18. Jere: 3. 13.  he can do very readily, I have sinned, spoken from him freely, feelingly, humbly, sincerely as David, Job, the Prodigal now come to himself, and as the Babe in Christ can speak it, is of more account with his God, and more prevailing to incline His ear, than all the Rhetoric in the world, suggested to this Babe by another's tongue or pen. Prayer, we have heard say, is the key that openeth all God's Treasuries; But now fewer key, be it never so exactly made (to argue it by way of a similitude) cannot fit the wards of my lock; Our plain meaning is, and without a figure; A form of prayer, the exactest that ever was made, cannot surely fit my needs, cannot speak out the things, that I want, to the ears of my God; or speak out His praises, for what I have received from Him. It cannot reach the troubles of my Soul, nor can it tell the Consolation there; or suppose it could, It would not supply me with the Spirit, By whom I must, through Christ, present all this before my God; for what man 
1 Cor. 2. 11, 12  knoweth the things of a man, save the Spirit of man within him? and so forth, for it requires our observation throughout. We will put a close to this, when we have spoken two or three things more very briefly.  
First, We conceive that those set forms cannot take any whit with a Babe in Christ, one Reason is, Because set forms are so taking with us while we are out of Christ, we cleave to them as fast as the skin to the flesh, or the flesh to the Bone; And what we cleave to, we plead for. Surely it is otherways with him or her, that is in Christ; as the nature is changed, so are the actions, the desires, the affections. They remember well they never prevailed any thing by set forms; unless to the hardening and brawning of their own hearts; The stupifying or deadning of their own spirits; they never prevailed with God to give them a sight of their sin, and forgiveness of the same; for they were never in earnest with Him about this matter; if they had, they had pleaded with their God in their own words, and not in another's for them.  
It is the wicked man that sticks to his forms as fast as he cleaves to his sins; The Babe in Christ not so; he or she is renewed in the spirit of their mind, and therefore stand as much against set forms, as the wicked stand for them.  
Secondly, Suppose we, for information sake, That the person praying hath a sense of the want of that he prays for, That granted, we affirm, he hath no more need of a set form, teaching him to pray, than an hungry man hath to pray for his bread; If he hath no sense or feeling of what he prays for, which cannot be supposed in a Babe, than the set form of prayer will do him no good; for the form of prayer is as dead a piece as the heart is, and two dead things, like two withered sticks, cannot enliven and quicken each other.  
Thirdly, We would appeal to the Conscience of every wicked man, seared though it may be, as well as to the observation and experience of all the godly that know them, and that are acquainted with them; whether by their set forms or prayer books they have gained more strength against sin, or more strength to sin? To our seeming the answer must be (for so speaks their conversation to the godly that do observe it) by their set forms they have gained more strength to sin, thereby their hearts have risen with more opposition against God, and indignation against the Godly; for it is a ruled case, They that stick fastest to forms of godliness, are the greatest enemies to the power thereof. And this is a known Maxim also, That a man's lusts are no more shaken by such prayers, though he should turn them over as fast as that Antichristian doth his beads, than a Giant is shaken by the shaking of a straw in a Pigmy's hand.  
Fourthly, A form of prayer is an artificial prayer made by the art and skill of another, and it is but like artificial breath of bellows, or the like, cold, whereas natural breath is hot; surely cold praying hath cold working; and moves not at all with God; as good ask doubtingly as coldly, for, as the saying is, it teacheth God to deny.  
Fifthly, Set forms of prayer are too pleasing and suitable to flesh and blood, to be pleasing to God, or Good men or to do the soul any Good. That which hath any virtue in it to do the soul good, must hurt the flesh, even to a torment; that must offend the flesh that doth indeed defend the spirit. But this prayer by a prayer-book doth no more execution upon our lusts, than a potgun can against an heard of Hearts, or a Gun charged with powder among Armed men. It is a lazy sensual prayer, else fleshly minds would never so plead for it; for as was said, Give them that which is sweet, though it chokes them, Per fallacia bona itur ad vera mala, through seeming good and pleasant things, we hasten to real evils: As per fallacia mala itur ad vera bona, through seeming evil things we come to true and real good things. It is but a seeming good to please the flesh, and but a seeming evil to cross it, as the Babe in Christ doth, and wrestleth with God in His strength about it, knowing he oweth his flesh nothing but mortification, save only to make it serviceable to his God, and his own soul.  
Sixthly, We will close with this; possibly a Babe in Christ may want convenient utterance, by reason of some defect in the tongue, or bashfulness in the presence of others. And upon that account, our famous and excellent Perkins (but it was forty years ago, when forms of prayer were of more account than now they are, and the hurt they did, not so looked into, as now it is, and with that allowance you must weigh them if they should not hold weight) moves in this Babes behalf, for a prayer-book, in these very words; The Grace and gift of prayer may be showed in 
Mr. Ford. 480.  reading of a prayer, other ways it would go very hard with them, that want convenient utterance.  
We humbly crave leave to say, That notwithstanding that want, which a Babe in Christ may have, there is no want of a prayer-book though; This Babe serveth his God in his spirit, who can supply that want, yea a greater want than that, supposing he could not speak one articulate or distinct word before his God, he can pray in his spirit through the mediation of His Son, and find acceptance sure enough; his Lord takes not his prayers by number, but by weight; nay, the Lord doth not so much weigh the words of prayer, no nor the grace of prayer by the scale, as he tries both by the touchstone; He not so much regards the number as the truth of prayers, and these may be but breathe after God and Christ, yet they have a voice as loud in God's ear as is thunder in ours.  
We will draw to a close; Who ever hath the spirit of Grace hath also the spirit of supplication, who may be in a groan, as well as in a prayer. Whence we may conclude, That he who hath this spirit, hath no need of a prayer-book whereafter to pray. If you grant, he hath th' one in his heart, he will disdain, we think, to take the other into his hand. The Good Spirit is his Great Helper at this great and high service, when he is engageing upon it. Take this withal, if please you, it pleaseth this Babe very well, 
Non actibus sed finibus pensantu● officia.  for it makes much for his comfort; That his Duties are weighed, and reckoned upon, not by their Acts, but by their ends.   

SECT. iv  
WE have humbly given our opinion, in way of satisfaction to those two Queries, relating to prayer, under that General notion. And here we have forborn to reply any thing to the customs and practices of primitive times, and times more lately bypast; for (first) They plead for forms of prayer in their public places, we plead against the use of them in our private Closets. (Secondly) Again, we are to walk close up to the rule of God's word, and not by the practice and precepts of men, whereunto something hath been hinted before more than once. (thirdly) We have replied nothing to John's teaching his Disciples to pray by giving them a form of prayer to say, which is not so clear to us, that so he did, but we may speak more to it hereafter.    

CHAP. II.  
WE come now to that special prayer, which by good warrant we call the Lords prayer, and to make answer as we can, and as the Lord shall assist to six Queries thereupon. But first we may not dissemble what we find written by worthy Held: and excellent Perkins, That the Lords prayer may be said by us as we read it; Our blessed Saviour prescribed to his Disciples a form of prayer, not only to be to them and his whole Church a rule and sampler, according to which all our prayers should be framed, as appears. Mat. 6. 9 After this manner pray ye, but even for them, and to say, tying themselves to the very words of it, as appeareth Luke 11. 2. When you pray say Our Father. So worthy Held: excellent Perkins speaks in these words; The Lord's prayer is a direction and as it were a sampler to teach us how and in what manner we ought to pray: None is to imagine, That we are bound to use these words only and no others, for the meaning of Christ is not to bind us to the words, but to the matter and to the manner, and to the like affections in prayer; And then a little after making answer to the third plea against the use of the Lords prayer, He answers, That therefore the rather it should be used as a prayer. But he makes no proof hereof, unless this which follows may be taken for a full proof; Sure it is that ancient and worthy Divines have reverenced it as a prayer choosing rather to use the same words than any other, as Cyprian, Tertullian, Augustine, And so concludes, Wherefore this opinion that the Lords prayer is not to be used as a prayer, is full of ignorance and error.  

SECT. II.  
THus we have dealt faithfully in setting down what we find pleaded for the saying of the Lords prayer. Yet we hope to acquit ourselves of both these, Ignorance and Error, in the words of truth and soberness, though our Judgements bend from Mr Hilds words. That our Saviour gave his Disciples that prayer to say, tying themselves to the very words: nor can we fall in with these ancient Divines, choosing rather to use those words in prayer than any other. We shall in all humility and modesty interpose our judgement against this, without making the least reflection upon the good knowledge, excellent learning and Godliness of these two men, the one famous for all these all over this Nation, the other over all the Christian world; And therefore how loath are we to make mention of these things: But that here is a necessity for it, because they that are such sticklers for forms of prayer, and are resolved to bare themselves up upon those crutches. They also, who, as far can be observed, never used any other prayer but the Lord's prayer, do catch at such say as these, coming from such excellent men, when they slightingly pass over what they may find in every page for their edification; we were saying, full loath we are to meddle in these things, but for the reason abovesaid; Though we hope we shall do but our duty herein, which is to bring the say of men to the say of God; The words of men, to the words of God, as to their standard or scale, where they must be weighed in the balance of the Sanctuary.   

SECT. III.  
HE is a perfect man that slips not with his tongue; and as perfect is he, that slips not with his pen, Dabimus veniam petimusque vicissim, we give and we crave the same pardon. But still we take leave to do our duty, finding we have such warrant for it, to examine the forementioned words by the touchstone of God's word. Those brave and generous Bereans did show 
Act. 17. 11, 12  themselves to be such, by enquiring into, and questioning the Apostles words, who yet, if any in the world, might have been believed upon his ipse Dixit, his own word for it, that Apostle might; It was enough that Paul said it; no, not enough, for these truly wise Bereans; they have a sure word to go by, and to that word they will bring the Apostles words, to inquire of them whether they be the words of truth, as we do inquire whether it be true gold by the touchstone and fining pot; They that receive the word with all readiness of mind, will with the same readiness search the Scriptures daily, whether those things be so or no. And behold a blessed effect of this; Many of them believed. We think this was spoken before, If so, so much the more we should observe it.   

SECT. iv  
BEfore we proceed to our next Chapter, we desire the Reader to observe for the close of this; That these excellent men have but spoken their own words, and given us their own persuasion, as to the matter of our enquiry, only the later of them tells us the Judgement of others, Cyprian, Tertullian, and Augustine, these chose rather to pray in these very words: But what is this to us, if we cannot understand our Lords words as they did? Indeed we find Cyprian hath a whole Sermon of the Lords prayer, which in order is his sixth. And it was so clear to him, All were to pray in those very words; that he concludeth That to pray in any other words, argueth not only ignorance but a sin. Yet these are but words, spoken only not weighed, and in dark times compared with ours. And, we think, there are some other words in the said Sermon more to be taken notice of, which are these; The New man, now borne again, and like the Prodigal, come 
Homo novus renatus quando Deum, patrem dicimus, quas● fil●● Dei agere debemus, ut quomodo nobis placemus de Deo▪ patre sic sibi placeat & ille de nobis.  to himself, and returned to his Father, the first word he speaks is Father. And now he is declared a Son, he carries himself like a child. Whence he infers it should be our great Care so to do, That as it pleaseth us well to Call God Father; so it may please Him as well to call and acknowledge us His children: which falls-in fully with what we read, Jer: 3. 19 Thou shalt call Me my Father, and shalt not turn away from Me; that is as before explained, I will give thee the Disposition of a child, when I give thee leave to call Me Father. This now we have cited out of Cyprian, tendeth much, we think, both to our edification, and information, that we may know how to balance his words, and, by the just weight we find in the later, make allowance for the lightness of the former. And all this we shall be able to do, we mean, we shall be edified and fully informed in these and all other matters necessary to salvation, when we shall humbly yeeld-up ourselves into His Hands who leads into all Truth, and will not suffer us to be lead by our own humours or principles. So we proceed according to our proposed Method, to Answer some Queries about the Lords prayer, where these matters will fall-in in their due place and order.    

CHAP. III  
THe first Query is, Whether a wicked man may say the Lords Prayer. Now because it is Questioned by some whether a wicked man ought to pray at all; We will clear this first, That h●w wicked soever the man be, yet he ought to pray; whereof that holy and learned Man's words, in the place forequoted upon the Title page, make full proof; Prayer, saith he, is a Natural acknowledgement of God, That every man is everlastingly and indispensably obliged unto by virtue of the Law of Creation, though the matter of it be▪ varied according to the several states and conditions whereinto we fall, or are brought. Every one, that lives in dependency on God, and hath his supplies from Him, is by virtue of that dependence, obliged to this Duty, as much as he is to own God for his God. That excellent Expositor upon Job 22. p. 264. speaks the same thing; We own prayer to God as His Creatures, or in regard of our natural dependence upon Him, much more as New Creatures, or in regard of our spiritual dependence upon Him.  
And this might suffice; but because we intent the instruction of the simple, such as we ourselves are, we intent to be larger here in showing what the Duty of every man is, how wicked soever, though he be wholly unable to perform that duty. First then  
We would show whom we mean by the wicked man? Not every man in the horrid state of nature, lying in his blood; for there we all were for as much as we all were wicked: But that wicked man we mean, who lieth in his blood in his wickedness (for our blood is as we think was said, our wickedness, as our Lord's blood is our righteousness▪) in that evil▪ one, under the Dominion of 
Math. 1. 23. 5. 2. Acts 26. 18. 1 John 5. 19  an unclean spirit within, and that other without, which rules in him, as he doth in the darkness of the world, in the children of disobedience there. And he is best content it should be so, for in his blood he lieth as on a pillow of Down, or bed of Roses, never better content than now that God hath made a punishment of his sin, giving him up to his own hearts lusts, and laying him in the lap of his own will, to commit sin with greediness, as the hungry beast eateth its meat, or the thirsty, swalloweth down water, a very Epicure in both, past-feeling now, and void of judgement, pride hath so covered his eyes, and drawn such a thick skin over his heart, that it makes him forget all God and all, He is not in all his thoughts; he forgets all save himself. And this his remembrance of himself serves him only to cloth and garnish, feed and pamper that Idol his flesh, and then to Glory in it when he hath so done; he is out of Christ, and slighteth the means, the great Appointment of God, whereby to discover this his horrid condition unto man, and to deliver him out of it. Those he hath slighted, turned his back upon them, while he was sitting under them, with full consent of mind, withdrawing his heart from obedience, when, in show, his ear gave audience; hating to be reform; 
Zach. 7. 11. Psal. 50. 16.  fully resolved, as a man built-up upon the bottom of his confidence, that he will not forsake his way, nor his thoughts, nor 
Jer. 2. 30.  will he return unto the Lord; he hath no need of Him, being a Lord, and a God to himself. This is the wicked man (he is a legion) twice dead; the Gospel hath been to him a savour of 
Jud. 12.  death unto death; unto the death they are involved in, and are obnoxious to by nature, they add a second death, or rather seal 
See Dr Owen pag. 356. Mr Caryl on Job 8. 19 116. Dr K. Ch. 5. 63.  up their souls under the power, and misery of the other, by contempt of the means of life, and recovery; We will add but this for the completing of this man's misery, out of Learned Dr Rainolds (and all this we have said in the description of this man, and his misery tends to this, that we might hear and fear and not do as he doth praesumptiously, for) these men, that 
Tre. with us, pag. 25.  do their utmost to keep themselves out of Christ, and by consequence under the curse, as their persons, so their possessions are under the same curse; as their consciences, so their estates are still unclean, they eat their meat like swine rolled up in the dirt of their own sin and of God's curse.  
Notwithstanding thus wicked though they are, and are resolved so to be, yet pray they ought, though pray they cannot, but as a Dear roars, because of some pain upon the flesh; or as a dog howls; or if there be no pain upon them, than they pray as a Parrot speaks: Yet, as we were saying, pray they ought, though they be in praying, as they are in being, and their prayers are as their persons are, an abomination to the Lord; for such is God's Law unto them; yet pray they ought, that is their duty, and the Homage they are to give unto the Lord, as was said. The Counsel that Daniel gives to Nabuchadnezzar, Chap. 4. 27. and the direction Peter gives to Simon Magus, Acts 8. 22. clears this unto us, that a wicked man's duty is to repent and pray, and do the works of righteousness, though he is no more able, of himself to do it, than a mountain can move and tear itself up by the roots and mount up into the Moon; or a bramble yield grapes; or a Thistle figs; or a Serpent spit pearls; natural impotency can give no excuse to wilful neglect; A wicked man's necessity of sinning, must not nullify the Law of God, which requireth the doing of these things, though not with such an unclean heart as he doth them. The impotency of man must not either prejudice God's authority, or Diminish his own duty; These are the words of our Learned Rainolds in his Treat: pag, 246 247. where the Reader may meet with much more, giving resolution to the same case with this, that a wicked man ought to pray, it is his duty. And oh! that he could pray for a sight of his sin, and sense of that wrath, which he is treasuring-up every day against the day of wrath, being busily employed every hour of the day in damning himself; that so he might look after Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world to be a propitiation 
Joh. 6. 36. 1 Joh. 2. 2.  for the sins thereof; and oh that he would pray against the Grand delusion of his desperately wicked heart, which will persuade him to believe that he looks after Christ Jesus the Lord for life and immortality from Him, while yet he looks not after the means, but turns his back upon the Glorious Gospel, whereby He is declared to the world to be a Prince, and a Saviour, all salvation in Him, and none other Name given among Men 
Acts ●.  under Heaven, whereby we might be saved; The desperate heart of man will persuade to turn the Back upon all this, The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet he shall have Salvation by Him, though not receiving His Word.  
To our seeming now this is fully proved, That a wicked Man ought to pray, though he doth not pray, neither can he, nor will he, unless as Pharaoh did, take away the plague, remove this evil of punishment. And then perhaps he will cry Lord, Lord, for possibly he sees death, sin and judgement, not as formerly at a distance, but near at hand, and upon him; and then with Balaam he may say, My God; And oh! that I may die the death of the Righteous; Therefore he that liveth like a Devil would die like a Saint, and so he may pray at the hour of his death, when his time is gone, and the time of God's patience is spent, and the hour of judgement is come, but than it will be too late, no remedy now but a Torment; He must live to God, that prays to God, walk with Him, and before Him, who looks for special mercy from Him. For if we expect God should come to us in ways of mercy, we must attend upon Him in ways of Duty, dealing with us as Creatures endued with Reason, understanding, wills, affections. But because all these are miserably depraved, he deals with us as such, and so depraved, wholly disenabled in ourselves for the useing or improving any the forementioned without special Grace from Him, which He bestows upon us in the use of means He vouchsafeth to us. But though wicked men do none of this, nor is it possible, as his estate now is, that he can do it; nay it is the abhorring of his soul to do it, for he abhors the Lord; yet he ought to do it, That is the point, and we think cleared, he ought to pray, it is his duty.   

CHAP. IU. Q. 1.  
Q. I. BUt whether he may pray the Lords Prayer that is the Question, which now we shall endeavour to put out of Question, A wicked man ought not to say the Lords prayer; he is a proud, bold, and daring person, he will adventure herein. It is probable he knows no other prayer, and this he received by Tradition from his Parents, who possible knew no other prayer neither. But he ought not to say this prayer, say we, and these are our Reasons for so saying.  
First, It is the Church's prayer, we mean not a Nationall Church, we have not a thought of it, when our thoughts are upon This Church, the Church of the living God; A Nationall Church a huge vast body, a Monster rather; and as cold as frost, which we know congregates, & fasteneth together very heterogeneous things, which heat separates; we mean not that commonly called a Church, which takes-in very heterogeneous persons, wicked and righteous, the Beleiver and the Infidel, if not worse; the Disciple and the Drunkard; the True Saint and the Real Devil together, for these were borne in a Church, and quickly after Baptised there, and growing up, though in their Debauchedness▪ getting strength therein▪ as years come on; yet by virtue of their water Baptizement are become visible Saints: we mean not these, nor that called a Church, a●d ●ath but a Name only, till the Spirit within gives the thing; we mean a company of New Creatures, differing as much from the common or Nationall Church, as Men do from Beasts: That we may be clear at this point, we mean the General Assembly, and Church of the firstborn, The Sons and Daughters of God; begot and borne unto Him in Christ of water and of the Spirit; It is their prayer; It is the Disciples prayer, theirs, who are disciplined by the Gospel, received, believed, and obeyed; by their Lord's appointment it is theirs. Both the Scriptures (Math: 6. 9 Luke 11. 2.) we conceive holds it forth clearly, pray ye; And when ye pray, say. Our blessed Lord spoke to His Disciples, here is the mould wherein to cast your prayers; this shall be to you a Rule and Sampler, according to the which all your prayers shall be framed; but of this hereafter. It is the Church's prayer, the ●eleivers, the Disciples, and Saints prayer really such and indeed, which they can hold forth and have to show for, not only, because they were borne in England and Baptised there (a mere vanity, and less if less can be) but they were borne of God through Christ, by the Spirit with the Word, and so baptised with fire, and the Holy Ghost, it is their Prayer. It is true the wicked man claims it for his, because he was borne and Baptised in this Nation; so doth he children's▪ Bread too, it belongs to him upon the same score. But he hath right to neither, as we have heard, and may yet more fully hear. We proceed.  
Secondly, And humbly offer this to the thoughts of reasonable men, can we think that our Blessed Lord would put these words into a wicked man's mouth? Bid him call God Father, Whom he knows not, endeavours not to know, nay abhors to know? He indeed will say, for who so wilful as he, as Balaam did, My God, and as he, and he was many, My Father. 
Num. 22. 18. Jer: 3. 4.  But who bade them say so? you know the saying; It is presumption in the highest degree to speak of God, or from God, or to God, without His leave or command so to do; You say, saith the Lord Christ of my Father, He is your Father, your God but ye 
John 8 54, 55  say presumptuously in so saying; He is not the Father of those that know Him not, but as He is the Father of the rain; But ye have not known Him, saith the Lord. And not knowing Him, how care they, how they Rebel against Him? Can we think that the Son of God, while He tabernacled here on Earth, would bid notorious Rebels, rebelling against the light of their own Consciences within, and of the Word without to call God Father, and Him Lord, while they were speaking and do●ing evil things, as they could?  
We humbly conceive, It cannot enter into the heart of a Reasonable man to think that so our Blessed Saviour would do. He hath resolved the Case; Thou shalt call Me my Father, and 
Jer. 3. 1●.  shalt not turn away from Me. I will give thee the disposition of a Child, or give thee to look after it, before thou shalt, with my leave, call Me Father: I will put filliall-affections, awful thoughts; constant Resolutions into thy heart, to love fear and serve Me. And then thou shalt call Me Father.  
Thirdly, Yet again, Can it enter into our thoughts, that our Blessed Saviour should bid a wicked man call Jesus accursed? No; you will say, for who can think so? we do, If we hold to this, That a sensual man not having the Spirit, can call God Father, 
1 Cor. 12. 3.  or Christ Lord: No man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed. What, they say, that speak by another Spirit, judge you, saith That Learned man; The Apostle would say, 
Dr. Kendal, Chap. 16. pag. 145. Psal: 110. 19, 20.  They call Jesus accursed. And no man can say (hearty) Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost. Because, as our Learned Reinolds saith, other Lords are present with sensual, and wicked men, who do with their own eyes oversee, and by their own visible power order, and direct them in their service. It is not possible, that they should fear honour and serve Christ (which is to say hearty Jesus is the Lord) unless Christ be in them by His Spirit, and they in the faith. Sensual men not having the Spirit may, out of external conformity to the Discipline and profession under which they live, with their mouths acknowledge Him to be Lord, yet their hearts will never tremble and willingly submit themselves to His obedience; Their Consciences will never set to its seal to the Spiritual power of Christ over the thoughts, desires, and secrets (yet this is to call Him Lord) but by the overruling direction of the Holy Ghost; Therefore he blasphemes in Calling God Father, and Christ accursed: he hath no allowance from Christ so to do, it were blasphemy to think so; and that is our third Reason.  
Fourthly, Nor would the Lord Christ put a lie into a man's mouth in bidding him, this sensual man, we mean this Legion, call God, Father; when as He is not their Father, but they are of 
Joh. 8. 34. 44.  their Father the Devil, and do that, which they have seen with their Father, even the Lusts of their Father they will do. If it be asked how wicked men see the Devil do, that which they did and do? Worthy Mr Burgess answers it; Because they express in their lives such wickedness, as was and is in the Devil, even the same things which the Devil would do, and we should see him do, if he were visible before our eyes. Naturae sequitur semina quisque sua. As man's Nature is, and his principle within, such are his actings and do without; As he is in being, such he is in acting; If he be in the evil one, that is, under the power and dominion of an unclean Spirit; most unclean will his actings 
Math. 1. 23. 5. 2. Joh. 1. 5.  be, for he will do that which he hath seen his Father do: Certainly the Lord will not bid such an unclean wretch call God Father; for that were for the Lord of truth to put a lie into a man's mouth, which were Blasphemy to think.  
Fifthly, Yet again, though as Excellent Turkney hath it out of Morney first Chapter first words; A man hath never less 
De veritate Religionis. Cap. 1. ●.  to say than when that, which he is to prove or clear is more certain and manifest than his proof. Omni luce clarius, omni interpretatione notius; Notwithstanding we will proceed. The Lord Christ would not bid a man, (we should tremble to speak this, or to hear it, but sigh it is commonly done, and in a zeal for our God we would not have it so done being assured from a sure word; That a wicked man Blasphemes the Name of his God, and hasteneth his own Curse, by letting this prayer go out of his mouth; as he doth by taking into his mouth the Bread and Wine at the Lords Table) we were saying, The Lord Christ would not bid a man blaspheme This Glorious & fearful Name, The Lord his God; and so hasten his Curse, bringing upon himself 
Deut. 8.  swift destruction; but so he must that Bids a wicked man say 
1 Pet. 2. 1. Isai. 52. 5.  the Lords Prayer; call God Father; My Name Continually every day is blasphemed? how so, or what had they done? why, they would lie, and steal, and swear, and yet would come unto 
Jer. 7.  God's Temple, and call upon Him; They that did wickedly as they could, liars, Cursers, opposers of what is Good (These are worthy Mr Burgesse's words) Yet they will: come here and say our Father. Nay you cannot meet with any beastly 
Jer. 3.  sinner, but his heart is filled with this bold impudence, he will say as they did we are Jews▪ i e. true beleivers (for as that 
Revel. 2 9 Mr caryl. Job 11. 4. 21.  Learned man saith, under the old Testament-Termes, Gospel professors are expressed in the Revelations) I am such a one, a true Christian, for the time was, when I was Borne, and quickly after Baptised, and a visible Saint I was ever since being a member of a (Nationall) Church, and yet this Beastlike man, doth not so much as pretend to piety; which yet were double iniquity; for the show of his countenance doth witness against him, he declares his sin 
Isai. 3.  as Sodom, he hideth it not; yet so impudent he is, he calls God, Father. And so goes on to the end of his prayer. Tell us your opinion here Sir, doth not this tread upon the brinks of Blasphemy at least? And if it do so, It were blasphemy to think, That our Saviour Christ would bid a wicked man say that prayer, for that were to bid him blaspheme the Name of his God, fearful and glorious.  
Sixthly, And in the last place, to bid him say this prayer, were to bid him hasten his own Curse, and to bring upon himself swift destruction, which he must needs do continually, and daily blaspheming that holy and sacred Name, which yet he takes into his mouth, and says before the Lord and His people, Hallowed be Thy Name; As if a Malefactor should set▪ himself before his Judge, and remember the Judge of the Murder which he had committed, and call-down vengeance upon himself: So doth every wicked man that calls God Father, and continueth to rebel against Him; he minds God, as we may say, to inflict the Curse upon him, which he hath deserved, which certainly shall be done so soon, as he hath filled-up the Measure of his Blasphemies: We leave it to your judgement, Sir; so you will rule it by the Scriptures, whether a wicked man doth not hasten his Curse by letting this prayer go out of his mouth? Whence have and still do issue forth so many vain, lying, and deceitful words, and Cursed Oaths, as he doth by taking into his mouth the Bread and Wine at the Lords Table? We shall speak more to this in the next Treatise where we shall hold-forth this undoubted sign of a faithful Minister, whom Satan's tongue (in his instruments and servants) is still disquieting, and as they possibly can, vexing and tormenting, because the tongue of this good Minister is still, and still will be vexing and tormenting him and them: But if a 
Rev. 11. 10.  Minister's tongue will not torment Satan, Satan's tongue will not torment him. There we shall also commend unto your reading, and, if you please, to your translating Isidor: Pelusiot's Epistle to his friend about this prayer, that so your Saint (that hath no more to plead for his Saint-ship, but that he was borne in sin, so he will acknowledge, only he is cleansed from it, and he hopes thoroughly purged by Baptism quickly after he was borne, and can say this prayer before your face in the Congregation:) We were saying, That so your Saint may, by God's blessing upon your instruction of him at that point, yourself being better informed about it first, may consider, at what an high degree of blasphemy he hath arrived, that dares say that prayer before his God, while his heart riseth-up in Rebellion against Him.  
Here we would add this, that the more excellent your prayer is, and this is excellency in the abstract, the more unbecoming a loathsome person it is, as a pearl in a swine's snout; But this is 
Prov. 13. 5.  not the worst, the more excellent and sovereign a thing is, being received or used after the due manner, and according as God hath appointed it to be received or used, the more deadly it works; the more distractive it is, the more it hasteneth the curse upon the spirit, and bringeth-on destruction swiftly, being profaned, and blasphemed by unclean lips, and hands; We might make instance in the Word of God despised, and rejected; cast behind the back, it is a savour of death unto death; at once it kills twice, like the strongest poison mixed with the strongest wine, the very scent kills, or as the wine received at the Lords Table by a visible sensual person not having the Spirit: See by their outworks, what dreadful workings the wine hath upon their spirits! But look to the thing in hand, and here is a loathsome person, and delights in his loathsomeness, which should be loathsome to him, yet he says the Lord's prayer. Now observe him in his walk, his cursed acts therein, and tell yourself whether the curse of God, which 〈◊〉 hath been plucking down upon himself with both hands, 〈◊〉: as with cart-ropes, doth not cleave as fast to him as his heart cleaveth to his sin?  
We think we have made sufficient proof, That a wicked man ought not to say this prayer, certainly he hath no warrant from our Lord and Saviour so to do; But since he will do it on his own head, as we say, and so is carried headlong towards his curse, meeting it as it were half way; we have read how he curseth himself by calling Christ accursed; and how he hath drawn upon himself swift destruction; And we have been the longer at this point, That all that see this man with his curse upon him, clothed with it as with a Garment, eating his meat, as was said, as a swine doth his, rolled up in dirt, may see and fly away, as he will do, that hears, and fears, and will no more presumptuously call God Father, as the wicked man doth, while, with a high hand, and an uncovered head, he acteth villainy against the Lord. We will close this with worthy Manton's words; I have read of a Jewel, saith he, that being put into a 
Upon James 5. 16.  dead man's mouth, looseth all its efficacy; Prayer is such a Jewel in a dead man's mouth, it is of no power nor efficacy, but to hasten his ruin and utter destruction.   

CHAP. V Q. 2.  
Q. II. WE come now to make enquiry into the second Question; Whether our Blessed Saviour gave his Disciples this prayer, That they should pray to His Father in those very words?  
The Affirmative is much pleaded for, but generally, and usually, by those, who are enemies to the Cross of Christ, adversaries to all goodness, and not acquainted at all what prayer in the Holy Ghost meaneth: We say it again, because we would not be mistaken, The Affirmative is generally and universally pleaded for by such kind of men, who cleave as fast to their forms, as sin cleaveth to them; or they to their sin; And they bear themselves out at this point from these words of our Blessed Saviour; when ye pray say. But indeed it is not much to be minded what such manner of persons say, who will catch at any thing, that may make for their present ease, and put the flesh to no c●st. Yet it is to be regarded what any good man saith learned and godly. And thus, as we have heard, worthy Held: says; Our Blessed Saviour prescribed to His Disciples a form of prayer, for them to say by, tying themselves to the very words of it. Had he attempted the proof of this assertion, perhaps he would have found it, a more difficult undertaking than barely to affirm it; so that excellent man speaks upon a different account, whose words are so much in our hearts, that they must needs be much in our mouths; we will tell our persuasion here, That a man shall not readily meet with such like an expression in any godly man's writings; and we thought it our duty to set it down, that we may wrest it, what we can, out of their hands, who are unlearned, and unstable, and do wrest words, such words as these, as they do all other Scriptures, to their own destruction; so we will now endeavour to evince the Negative; That our blessed Saviour did not give this prayer to His Disciples, that they should pray this prayer, tying themselves to the very words ●● it: for indeed we 〈◊〉 worthy Hilds: words to be the out-lashing of his pen, starting aside, as the ablest pen may do, from its very scope, and main intendment. Which was to show, That our blessed Saviour prescribed to His Disciples a form of prayer, which should be to them and His whole Church a rule, and sampler, according to which all our prayers should be made: Which is the same with learned Beza's latin note; for it is not in the English, Perfecta Christianae precationis formula, & 〈◊〉 typus, a most perfect form of Christian prayers, and the very type and mould, wherein to cast all our prayers; which words have no agreement with those, that went before, not only to be; nor with those that follow, tying themselves to the very words of it, very cross, as we said, are these latter words, to the good man's scope, and intendment: as they are to excellent Perkins words; The Lord's prayer is, as it were, a direction, and sampler to teach us how, and in what manner we ought to pray: None is to imagine, we are bound to use these words, and none other: For the meaning of Christ is not to bind us to the words, but to the matter and manner; and to the like affections in prayer.  
Thus we have heard what others say; now we crave leave to cast in our own thoughts here, and to give our opinion; That our blessed Saviour prescribing this prayer, did not intent, That any one of His Disciples should pray unto the Father in these very words.  

SECT. I.  
FOr first; The whole carriage of this prayer, from the Alpha to the Omega, from the beginning to the end, and closing words thereof, argueth it to be of general concernment to the whole Church of God, more relating that way to the good of the Body, than to the peculiar good of any member thereof: though we know this cannot be severed, the good of the whole, and of the part; for that, which is good for the Body, is good for the member too; and what is good for the member, is good for the whole Body; as what is good for the Beehive, is good for the Bee, and what is good for the Bee, is good for the Beehive; Yet we conceive when a Disciple comes before God, he spreads before Him, his peculiar case, and saith, not our Father, but my Father; not others cases, but his own. This we conceived relates to the Church in general; but a Disciples prayer relates to himself in special, and his own concernments, though he can no more forget the Church of Christ, than he can to eat his bread, or his right hand forget its cunning.   

SECT. II.  
Again, our thoughts are, That the scope, and intendment, of this prayer, is mainly to be looked after, And tells the Disciple what he is mainly to tend unto, and bend against, be his prayer long, or never so short, Viz, The Hallowing the great and glorious Name of God, in the laying himself out to the utmost for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ, in his own heart, His interest there, and thorough the world; and the throwing down the kingdom of sin, and Satan there, and here and every where. This we conceive was our Lords main scope in prescribing His Disciples this prayer; And this must be the Disciples scope in the moulding their petitions thereafter.   

SECT. III.  
WE cannot conceive that this prayer should be put into the Disciples mouths to say it in those words; and yet they never said it so fare as we can hear, not one of the Apostles, nor Disciples in those days, yet we meet with many of their prayers: nor any of the Blessed Martyrs that we read of, and we have read some volumes of them.   

SECT. iv  
ANd lastly, the height and depth, length and breadth of the Contents in this prayer, which we think the understanding of an Angel cannot comprehend, makes us believe; That the Lord intended not, That His Disciples should huddle it-up as he reads it; Nor can we think, That any true Disciple in the world, that shall well ponder on the matter, and weigh the contents thereof with all his heart and soul (which every true Disciple doth not do) will say that Prayer after the manner; Sing ye praises with understanding: so, put-up your petitions with understanding. It is good to be full of affection, but it is best to work in the full Assurance of understanding. Affections without understanding, are blind; understanding without affection is lame; the want of either runs us upon a thousand inconveniences. But if any duty, then that of prayer calls-up all our Affections; It calls for a work of the understanding also. Now, we think, no godly man's understanding (though his only is opened, renewed and sanctified) is able to go along with this manner of saying it, as he reads it; he will make a pause sure at the ontrance▪ My Father. We have told you our thoughts, as to this matter. Only we entreat the Reader to observe what he met with in the first Chapter second and third section, and in the second Chapter, specially the fourth paragraph there; together with the first paragraph in the Chapter following, which we think, refers much to that which precedeth, as to that which follows.    

CHAP. VI Q. 3.  
Q. III. WHether a Godly person he or she, brings this prayer into the Closet with them, there and then humbling themselves before their God.  
We told you, we maintained the Negative, our Reasons are.  

SECT. I.  
ANd the first we would only offer to your Consideration, being rejected by the godly Learned, yet we conceive no reason is given for their refusing of it: That, which is a pattern to make all prayers by, should not be used as a prayer. To this the only Answer is; Therefore the rather it may be used as a prayer. But this makes no proof, nor do the words following. That sure it is, Ancient and worthy Divines have reverenced it, as a prayer, choosing rather to use those words than any other. And so many worthy Divines do now, and yet by so doing prove nothing to the purpose. We will offer but a word in it, and tell you what we conceive, that the Argument is very strong; The pattern to make all prayers by, is not to be used as a prayer, for if we use the pattern for our prayer, we shall never pray according 
1 John 3. 2.  to the pattern; As the Disciples do not stint themselves with any degree of holiness, Gods own purity being their Copy, so neither can they stint themselves in prayer, the Lords own prayer being their pattern: We proceed.   

SECT. II.  
WE think it clean besides the scope and intendment of our Blessed Saviour in giving His Disciples this Prayer, if they shall plead their case with Him in those very words; Now in this Case we cannot reach our Lord's mind, nor eye His scope, but by observing what He did while He tabernacled among men; He put up many prayers to His Father, and indeed, though Lord of all, yet as Mediator of His Church, and so a servant to His Father in the Church's behalf, He could have nothing, nor 
Psal. 2. 8. Ma●●. ●6. 5●. Heb. 7. 25.  hath He to this day, but He must ask for it: And among all these prayers we read not (and quod non ligitur, non creditur) That this sacred prayer came-out of His sacred lips any more than once. Nor have we observed it from the mouths of any of His Apostles, or other of His Dear Children Yet we read of their prayers, and though short, yet were they moulded after this manner, That the throne of His Glory may be advanced in their Hearts; And that the world, and all that, which mightily opposeth the lifting-up of the same, may be throwne-downe, Crushed to the earth and ruined: but never heard we this Prayer from their lips, nor from any of the Blessed Martyrs. Now, certainly, these, being of the Number of That Virgin▪ Company, follow their Leader and Commander, though haud passibus aequis, yet they follow Him, and did eye, mark, and behold His Blessed scope, and intendment in all He did or spoke.   

SECT. III.  
THe Disciple doth not, as we think, bring this Prayer before His Lord for this were to limit and stint himself, and so to Restrain prayer, which sure was far from the Intent of our Lord to prescribe so Contrary to the workings of His own Spirit in the hearts of His Chosen; These find a restraint upon themselves, as often as they find not the Blessed Spirit enlargeing of them to pray; and then humbled they are, when Comforted they cannot be: But it is far from them, as it was from the Mind of Christ prescribing this prayer, to stint themselves, so many words, and no more, as acceptable with their God, as so many Ave-maries' and Pater-nosters given out by Number, you know by whom. A natural prayer put-up by the strength of Nature, is a stinted and a limited prayer: But a Spiritual prayer, as a Disciples prayer is, hath always an Infiniteness in it; his spirit being right set, is enlarged to a kind of Infiniteness in God's Service; There is a Natural Bias in his soul, which inclines him to a limited prayer; But we know the strength of the Arm takes away that Bias: So the strength of the Inward man takes away this Bias. Though this Disciple is not able to do what is actually infinite, yet his desire is infinite in this, That being to deal with an Infinite God, were he able to do ten thousand times more than he doth, yet his heart would do more. Oh that I could do more; As he grows in grace, so his desire after grace is enlarged, as much as a wicked man is after the world and sin; he enlargeth his desire as hell, and a godly man enlargeth his as Heaven. He limits not himself; Those desires are boundless which the Holy Spirit enlargeth to a kind of Infiniteness, Causing those to Centre in the infinite Love of God unto them through Jesus Christ; and this is our third Reason.   

SECT. iv  
THese Disciples have their stated and set times for prayer every day. It is true, they pray Continually, or without Ceasing. 
Acts 10. 2. 1 Thes▪ 5. 17.  Prayer never Ceaseth to goe-forth, till the grace desired comes-in: Though the words of prayer cease in the mouth; yet the grace of prayer ceaseth not in the heart: But they have their stated times for prayer, and the very flower and cream of time it shall be, which is appointed for that high Service: from hence we prove, That the Disciple brings not this prayer before his God; He hath more to say, and must take more time for it, than is taken-up in repeating these words; They have many more words to utter before their God, we say not, than are contained in that prayer (for all the Angels in Heaven cannot readily tell us, and explain to us the Contents thereof, or what is contained therein) but many more ●ords than numerically word for word are Contained therein; Therefore he must take time for it, and, if we may so say, the firstling thereof; As he prays to God continually, so he praises God continually; prayers and praises go together, very few breathe go betwixt: but be they few or many, the Disciple takes time for it. No sooner is he awake in the morning, but he ascribeth to God the Glory, Who alone g●ve him sleep, which all created strength could not do; and awakened him out of sleep, else he had slept on till the Great Day of the Lord God had come: he praiseth his God for this in the Name of Jesus Christ. And no sooner is he set upon his legs, but he is upon his knees, praising Him with heart and voice, That set him on his legs, whereas He might have laid him restless upon his pillow, where many an head lieth akeing. But how if he be awakened with pain and sorrow upon the flesh? (to take itin by the way) Notwithstanding he finds matter of praise, and his heart enlarged that way; He can sing the high praises of his God, for those glorious excellencies, that are in Himself, and for the Emanations or flow forth of the same by Jesus Christ in the exceeding abundant riches of His goodness to His beloved ones in and through Him; and to himself in special; For though his flesh feels pains upon it, yet saith the Spirit, I am not sick, mine iniquity is forgiven, my sin is pardoned: Hitherto he never found, That his Heavenly Father did him any hurt by afflicting him, but good a great deal. Which may mind you of him chrysostom tells us off, who was acquainted with griefs in his measure, as his Lord and Master was (in His Church's stead, and for her sake) that they may never have any hurt therefrom) and never came before his God, but the first words he spoke, were praises to his God for his pains and sorrows upon the flesh (to use his own words) for his hell here, as well as for his Heaven hereafter. And you may remember another, A very good Man, who enjoyed health, and wealth, all was prosperous with him for fifty years together; and after the Date of those years, he had scarce a Comfortable day to the hour of his death: But this is for our Learning, how praiseful was he, That his God spared him so many good days, and instructed instructed him to that Discretion, as to make an improvement of them, therein to lay-up, as we say, for a rainy day, or spending time, and to bear his Crosses, now they are come, willingly, and more, rejoyceingly; for he found no loss by them. Indeed this is the Glorious Privilege of Disciples really and indeed such; Amidst all their Crosses they find not one Loss. But this is it we were proving, There must be time for this praiseing the Lord, and these must be uttered with a Man's own mouth; and surely these will not endure to be bounded within a set form, nor can they have acceptance with their God▪ But that person, Man or Woman, who brings that Prayer before his God, Cannot praise Him for that he hath received (and what hath he, and hath not received?) for himself, and for all his, for all which God must be praised. Prayer and thanks are like the Double motion of the Lungs (as 
Dr. G: of prayer, pag. 61.  saith that Learned, Holy Man) the Air that is sucked in by prayer, is breathed forth again by thanks.  
Secondly, Nor can he pray unto Him for supply of what is wanting, keeping himself to that form of prayer, and speaking to his God in these very words. The Disciples of Christ are very wanting, at lest none knows their wants or sees their wants, or feels their wants, as these do; And the● none prays for the supply of their wants as these do, these poor ones and needy ones: Indeed the Hebrew word for poor (as we have heard) springs from a root signifying Desire; And the Reason is, as one saith, 
Mr. Caryl. Job 5. 15. 298.  because poor men are commonly rich in desires. They that are full of sensible wants, are full of earnest wishes. And the Reason why poverty of Spirit in our Spiritual Estate is pronounced a Blessing, is, because the poor in Spirit are full of Desires after Spiritual Riches. They are ever craveing and seeking to be filled with that fullness which is in Jesus Christ, with Grace for Grace; they would have the Image of every Grace in Christ engraven upon their Souls; or (in an holy Covetousness) they would be as rich in Grace, as Christ is; These are the words of that Excellent Man before cited; more there are and tend much as to give instruction, so to our scope and purpose, That a Disciples prayer, whereby he makes known his Requests to God, cannot possibly be encircled or pent-up within that Compass of six lines, which may be utternd in so many breathe, or within the space of one Minut's time; for we think within that space of time and less, that prayer may be said, or rather huddled; as within two Minut's-time the 67 ●h Psalm may be said over and over, whereby as you may remember Bellarmine could measure the huge body of the Sun, and the quickness of his race; For I observed (said he) the first peering of the Sun on our side of the Globe, and by that time I have said that Psalm over twice, the Sun is up: and in a full body appears to us: So then in twelve breathe the Psalm is said over, and over, and in six breathe the prayer is said. And is not this to the heart of a wicked man, In less than a minute's time, and that is the smallest parcel of time, he can begin and end his prayer, which being the Lords Prayer, he hath said it as well as the best Clerk in the Nationall Church, and yet he prayed no more than that Pillar of Antichrist, in his time, prayed, while he read over that Psalm.  
But to proceed in this a little farther; A Disciples Prayer, wherein he himself tells his whole mind to God, it is not uttered in six breathe: Certainly he hath much upon his spirit, when he comes before his God. We will put a question here; and give you leave to Answer it. What would this Disciple have more, than he hath, that he is still begging? he hath all, God and all; he is complete in Christ, and now what can he need? It is granted unto him, being one of the Number, to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, which is the Righteousness of Saints: his Defence is the Munition of Rocks; The promise is made good unto him; Bread shall be given him, his waters shall shall be sure; that is, he 
Isai ●3. 16. Cal:  shall want nothing for this life, nor for that which is to come; What would this man have more? You are, we hope, a Disciple, and not of the common Rank or stamp of Disciples, that have no more to show for their Discipleship, but that they were borne and Baptised in a Nationall Church. But you are borne again and made a Disciple indeed: And then you can make answer and tell us, what this Disciple would have more, by what yourself would have; he sees his Lord in the shade, he would see him in the Sunshine; he would stand more in the Sunshine of God's favour; That Sunshine upon him never wearieth with its beam; The more it is, the more refreshing it is; More of the light of thy countenance, more and more good Lord; Show me Thyself more clearly: let me have a fuller sight of Thee, and insight into myself; for I would abhor myself more, I would repent more. We verily believe, That You, being a Disciple, do pray after that manner. And yet you find not a word of all this in the Lord's Prayer, we mean, explicit there, or expressed; Employed it is and much more in that one sweet word, Father. We take leave to proceed yet farther, and so to try your Discipleship.  
You believe on the Name of the Son of God; you know Him, who is eternal life; yet so sure as you are a Disciple, you go on praying, That you may believe on the Name of the Son of God. 
1 Joh 5. 13.  You do believe, and yet you would believe; you do believe, and this shall save you from all evil; for as you know full well, and do teach it your people, It is not this or that Degree of faith, which saveth, but the truth of faith, though but as the least grain or lowest degree thereof: Yet you rest not here, nor will you suffer your people to rest; for he that sits down at the lowest degree of Grace, it may be doubted, he hath no grace at all, and shall become a Christian indeed, when an Ape becomes a Man; or a 
He that hath true grace may go to heaven certainly; but he who hath strong Grace only goeth to Heaven comfortably. Mr. Jen: on Judas pag. 165.  Nominal Disciple, because Baptised in England, becomes a real Saint. Grace is still aspiring higher and higher, so are you, being a gracious Man; you do believe, than we believe, you would believe more strongly, that you might act more vigorously in the whole worship of your God; Specially in those simple Duties, which none but the Disciple performeth, flesh and blood can do nothing at them; as to love God; To Trust him; To depend on him; To have joy and delight in Him; To have Communion with Him; To take Him for your portion, and inheritance, and to be all in all to Him; These are simple Duties, are acts of the soul, not compounded of matter and form, And these you are able to do through Him, that strengthen's you: But this you 
1 Joh. 5. 13.  could not do, but that you are still aspiring after a full assurance of hope; And for this you bow your knee before your Heavenly Father day and night, for so true Disciples use to do; but then they bond not themselves within the Lord's Prayer.  
More should be added to this paragraph; but that we have been large in it. Sometimes this Disciple looseth the sight of his God, A Child of Light and walks in Darkness of discomfiture and sorrow. And what says he then to his God? Whom perhaps, his evidences being now so blurred and blotted, he cannot call Father. There is a Cup of trembling in his hand, there are sad apprehensions in his heart; what says he now to his God? No man can tell, but the Man in his Case; nor perhaps he neither; for he cannot tell himself. He is in the same case his Lord and Master was in before him, and that is his Comfort, if he could see it; he shall be brought out of it anon with joy and gladness: but this is his case at present, his soul is troubled, and what shall he say? 
John 12. 27.  We will cast a veil over this and pass on, Curae parvae loquuntur in●èntes stupent; but certainly he prays, rather the Spirit within him; and no set form in the world helps him with a word here, much less with a groan, Once more and so to come to a period, or full stop here: This Disciple now on his knees; as we suppose him to be, spreadeth the concernments of his Churches before his God, as near and dear to him as his own, he cannot keep silence being a faithful Remembrancer: This takes up some time also, and more words, than are numbered up in six lines; and so much to our fourth Reason, why a true Disciple brings not this prayer with him when he kneels before his God. Before we proceed we would make answer to that we have heard argued for the bringing the Lords Prayer before the Lord; It is this;  
Quest. When a Disciple hath but little time, and can speak but few words, than he may draw-up all into a narrow roomth, and say the Lords Prayer only, may he not?  
Answ: To this we say first, That a Disciple (Remember you still▪ that we do not mean a Disciple at large, a member of the Nationall Church, because he was Baptised therein; and received into that huge, we had almost said, and let it go, Monstrous Body, to whom Duty is a burden, and sin light, with whom praying time is waste-time, that takes up more time than saying the Lords prayer, we do not mean him, he is not in our thoughts, unless it be to mourn over him, and yourself, that account him such, we mean a Disciple indeed, and what we were saying of him, we are speaking out) That a Disciple indeed, prayeth indeed, and being a man of much Grace, hears much, and reads much, meditates much, and prays much: he is a man of much prayer; he spends much time to get Grace, to make him rich to God, to get strength in the inward man, to pass through all variety of afflictions; for all this he prays unto his God, at the least 
Psal. 55. 17. Dan. 6. 10.  twice a day, we verily believe thrice, as others have done before him.  
It may be said, this spends much time; whereunto it may be answered, That no time is better spent, than that, which is spent in Calling upon God, if called upon in truth. It hinders not in our Business, though it seem to hinder and though it takes (these are Excellent Preston's words) so much from the heap, yet indeed it increaseth the heap; The baiting of the horse hinders not the journey; nor the oileing of the wheel, nor the whetting of the ; though there be a stop in the work for a time, yet as our Common saying is, A whet is no let; and praying time as it may be improved, is the most gaining time. One hours' Communion 
Dr. G.  with God may in a moment bring in more sweetness, than all other gaineings can do to Eternity; The words of that Excellent Man Dr G: We would conclude, That a Disciple holds on a Constant Course in prayer: He would rather forget to eat his bread, than forget to pray to Him, & to praise Him for his bread. As he hath stated times for ea●ing and drinking, so hath he for praying and praiseing; and if he finds not a fit season for eating, yet he will for praying He thinks much and often upon Glorious Preston's words: The neglect of prayer uncovers the roof as it were, and the Curse is reigned down upon our Tables, upon our meat and drink, upon all our endeavours, and all the enterprises we take in hand: Thus with the outward man. And the loss we suffer in the inward man, upon the neglect of this Duty is very great, that being ready still to be distempered, to go out of order, to contract hardness and soil; for it falls out with a man's heart; as it doth with a garden, that is neglected, it will quickly overrun with weeds, if you look not diligently to it▪ and the way to look to it, is Constancy in this Duty— there is much more to excellent purpose.  
But (2) now suppose, some great business comes to hand (there is none greater than Prayer) and the Disciple hath but a moment's time to breath forth unto his God. What will he pray in prayer? we mean, what words will he use? Happily such like words as these; Lord hear, Lord forgive, Cause the light of Thy Countenance to shine upon us; and take away that, which more than Eclipseth it from us; Truly We cannot tell what he will say, if you can tell, you may tell us. But we are verily persuaded, he ●ill not say the Lords prayer, what ever his time be more or less; And this is our Confidence in this matter. Now we proceed.   

SECT. V  
WE suppose this will be granted, having its ground in the word of God, That so soon as a Child Calls God Father, 
Luke 15. 18.  and Christ Lord, he remembers he hath sinned against Him; That is all we will say, he hath sinned against Him; And now, what shall he do? here is guilt Contracted, and filth too, who knows how much? and now what shall he do to have the Gild remooved, and his Conscience pacified, his filth purged, and his Conscience purified; what shall he do? surely he hath no way to take, but to fly, as the , whom blood pursued to the City of Refuge, unto the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness, and Entreat (for all comes-in at the door of free Grace) that he may be put into the Jordan of Christ His Blood. Well, this shall be in good time, but not yet to his sense and feeling (for we inquire not what was done in Heaven before time was, but what is done on Earth, and within the heart, to make all sure there) we were saying, he, having taken a right Course, and waiting at a sure door, he shall have a pardon sealed to his Soul anon, in his Lords good time. But yet what shall he do? for surely something is to be done. The Apostles (said that Learned expositor) 
Upon Job 7. 20 p. 691.  gave Gospel Counsel, yet when men asked them, What shall we do to be saved? they said not, ye must do nothing, God will save you by His free Grace; No, they called them to repent and believe every one of them. Sin must be known to be sin (call it by the worst name you can think of, than you call it Sin) above 
Rom. 7.  measure sinful, and must be acknowledged so to be; Only acknowledge thy iniquity. Know the Plaegue of thine own heart and 
Jer. ●. 13. 1 King's ●. 38.  mourn for thy sin, because Committed against the Lord; and do this as David for his Son every day, for every day thou sinnest; 
1 Sam. 13. 37. Zach 12.  and as true Mourners do, mourn bitterly; and mourn the more because thou canst not mourn enough. This is that the Lord will have the Disciples do. And so now, for we must Contract, we will conclude; That Confession of sin is the great ingredient in prayer for pardon of sin, whereunto the Scriptures speak every where. Only Acknowledge: Confessing their sins; And forsaking of sin must go before pardon of Sin; yea and subduing of sin too: All this in the strength of God; but he must be enquired of touching these matters; He will have sin acknowledged; He will have sin forsaken, put as far away by us, as the East is from the West, as to our Love to it, liking of it, desire after it, delight in it: So far we must put it away, before the Lord will tell us, that He hath put our sins so far away from Himself and from 
Psal. 103.  us; That it shall be as possible for the East and West to meet together, as for a Man and his sin, to hurt him. So now we conclude, That this Confession of sin, which every man will grant, must be with a man's own mouth, not by any set form whatsoever, is not expressed, no not the least sound that way, in the Lord's prayer, Therefore his Disciples indeed, what ever your Disciples 
*  do, bring not this Prayer before their God. And   

SECT. VI  
OUr sixth reason, why a Disciple bringeth not this Prayer before his God, is, because it is already wrought to his hand: he need not take any pains about it; The least Child in his house, that can speak, though he cannot read, can say it. This Disciple, that knows in his measure, what a Disproportion there is, betwixt the Great and Dreadful God; and this worm, the Creature, (yea base than a worm, considered in himself, because a sinful Creature) or, to express it in excellent greenhill's words, betwixt Majesty and nothingness; And that sloth to use the same man's words, is a Gulf betwixt this God who is all, and this Creature who is nothing at all, in himself considered, but a thing of nought, worse than Nothing; This Disciple now knowing all this in his measure, dareth not, as we suppose, and were saying, Come before his God with a prayer wrought to his hand, but having access to the Father, through the Mediation of the Son, by one Spirit, he casteth himself into the Arms of the Spirit, looks for a supply from Him, enableing this Disciple to put-up a prayer wrought 
James 5. 16.  now in him, and wrought out from him by the same Spirit. This prayer wrought to our hands, The Lords Prayer, is the exactest piece of work in sight that ever was: But yet this Disciple that says this prayer (if any such there be, as many such there be in the Nationall Church) is not exact in this prayer; for praying this Prayer, wrought to his hand, he prays nothing to purpose; Nothing wrought in him by the Spirit of God nor wrought-out from him by the same Spirit; he doth exercise neither the gift of prayer, nor the Grace of prayer. Nay, he doth not exercise any one faculty of his Soul in saying his prayer wrought to his hand, nor any one member of his body, unless it be his tongue; and what is lip-labour before the Lord, any more than eye-service before 
● Sam. 24.  a Man? Certainly this Disciple is of David's mind; I will not, said he offer unto the Lord my God of that which shall c●st me nothing. There is a body-prayer, of this we have been speaking hitherto (to use that Excellent Expositors Distinction) which 
Upon Job 11. 13 p. 108.  is never alone with a Disciple, for woe to Body-prayer, when it is alone. And there is a Soule-prayer, which may be alone, and 
1 Sam. 1. 13. Neh: 2. 4.  as fervent & effectual both as Hannah's and Nehemiah's prayers were; For the soul and spirit of a prayer, is the soul and spirit in the strength of God liftedup in prayer, which doth infinitely more in prayer than the body doth; yet in saying this prayer the body doth nothing, the soul less. But this is the thing; A Disciples Body-prayer (wherein he exerciseth himself every day, and likely thrice a day) exerciseth the whole outward-man: The hands pray, knees pray, the eyes pray, (we have this in the place ) gestures are speaking in prayer. By these we pray when we hold our peace, and lift-up a loud voice, when we say never a word; but in saying this prayer wrought to our hands, the Soul and Body both, every power of the one and every member of th' other may fit as still as a stock; only let the tongue wag, and by help thereof say the prayer notwithstanding. The tongue is all-sufficient for that work; All the Rest both the powers of the Soul, and members of the Body, may stand stock-still the while; when one member is all-sufficient for the work what needs more? Frustrà sit per plura. We had more reasons to give why a Disciple brings not this prayer before his God; but we think this may suffice; only remember this, Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. We come now to the fourth Querie.    

CHAP. VII. Q. 4.  
Q. IU. WHether it be comely for a Godly Man, and true Minister of Christ to pray the Lords Prayer before his people, that is, to add it unto the close of his own?  
It hath been said by two only in our hearing; The one old enough to make a Minister if years would do it. But— Tempora certè  
Virtutem nec prima negant, nec ultima donant. The other young enough, to say no more: These two, and only these spoke this, more than ever we heard spoken by any in the Close of their prayers. Thou mayest Lord justly neglect our imperfect prayers if we should neglect to say Thy most perfect prayer, Thou hast prescribed to us & Commanded us to say. If this now can be proved, that our Blessed Saviour hath commanded His Ministers to close their prayers with His prayer, than The Question is resolved in the Affirmative, and put out of all Question, That every Godly Minister must close his prayer with the Lord's prayer. Why? His Lord commands him: and he is not a godly Minister that doth not do what his Lord Commands. But now we are persuaded, these are but men's words, who are resolved to say something to carry forth their matters before the people, though they can prove nothing Nay we are Confident, That these two, the old Man, and the Novice, affirming, That their Lord commands them to join His prayer to the end of their own, have spoken Contrary to the mind and will of their Lord, and their presumptuous words will be required at their hands. And herein we do appeal to the Godly in all the world, Ministers and people; And if any amongst them all, should affirm it, That the joining of this prayer to the end of his own is commanded him of his Lord, we would appeal from him, to our only Lord God Himself, the Lord of Glory. He hath commanded His Disciples to pray; for they shall have nothing, as He Himself the Mediator and Advocate of His Church hath not of His Father, but by askeing, which was said before. But if He hath commanded them to pray this very prayer, than we would humbly ask why should they pray any other prayer? or why do not they not give this the praecedency before any other prayer? this being given them under a special command to pray; When ye pray say; as to our understanding they wrist their Lords words, and thwart His scope and intendment wholly: more of this hereafter.  
But we come to our undertaking, which is to Maintain the Negative: That it is not comely for a Minister of Christ to join the Lords prayer to the end of his own. But first we would hear how they do maintain the Affirmative: That it is comely for a Minister so to do; And what we have heard alleged for the Maintenance thereof, we will take leave to set down in this place.  
First, Godly Ministers say that prayer at the end of their own. We only reply to that. So do the ungodly and Brutish Ministers too, all over your Nationall Church; It is their very Sibboleths. 
*  You may know a Brutish Pastor, as by his walk, so also by 
Judg. 12.  pronounceing of that prayer, we mean as to the words and syllables there, these he can frame to pronounce aright, like a Clerk, as we say. But surely what these Brutish ones do is not comely for the Godly to do: Nor indeed can we possibly discern their Godliness, godly though they may be, and we hope are, by their so doing.  
Secondly, It hath been anciently so done, and customarily so now and of course. To this we Reply as followeth.  
All this makes nothing in the matters of God. Antiquity (though Truth indeed be most Ancient) and Custom, or mos populi; the Mode of the people, will plead as hard every whit for the greatest plague of the world, for the head (that Man of Sin, merum scelus, as Learned Beza) of that Cursed Kingdom; For the Shoulders and pillars of the same, for all their Cursed doctrines and practices; Antiquity and Custom will plead as hard for all these; And for a Service-Booke, will-worship too, which is as unpleasing to God our Lord, as it would be to a Prince if we should pay him money of our own Coincing; for which he would be so fare from thanking us, That he would arraigne-us for Traitors. As a Minister must not speak from God, but the preaching of God, even as it is written: So nor ought he to speak to God, but by the Direction of the same Word.  
Quest. But doth not this Cast some blot upon the Universities manner and old Customs? for Generally the Learned and godly there did conclude their prayers with the Lords prayer; And it was so strictly observed, That the Country-Minister who never used so to do in his own pulpit, yet going thither to take his Degree of Bach: or Dr: It was expected of him, he should close his prayer after the usual manner, and that he might not give offence to others, so he did, though with some offence to himself.  
Answ. This we think cannot be denied, no more than can this, That from the Prophets in those places, Corruption in Doctrine, as well as profaneness in life went forth into all the Land. But we believe, That it is not now, as than it was; matters are done, we hope, at least in desire and endeavour in right order, and measured forth, according to the Standard of God's Word: for it is true, we doubt not, which one saith of the present state of the Universities; There have been more Muses heretofore, but never so many Graces as now. But if not, which God forbidden, yet non ad Consuetudinem, sed ad Norman vivimus. And as many as walk according to this Rule, peace be on them and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. This Rule, fixing the eye thereupon, and enquiring not what was the Custom of men to do, but what was the mind of God that they should do.  
And this last said may suffice in way of Answer to that so commonly urged, and is thought so Cogent upon Ministers, next to the pretended Command of Christ, to add the Lords prayer to th' end of their own; That the Assembly of Divines in their Directory for Worship, have thought fitting, Ministers should close their prayer with the Lords Prayer.  
To that which hath been said, we would add but these two words (1) That we are inclined to think, That the fiery indignation of the Lord flaming forth against those His enemies, who stood-up in their might for that old Directory for Worship, commonly called the Service-Booke, or Book of Common-Prayers, and pressed it upon God's people with Arguments, Cogent enough, and too much with flesh and blood. Whereupon it might, nay it was said of that said Book, A bloody book was that Service-booke unto them; and accordingly was it dealt with by the powers above us, though not full-up to the rate of that bloody persecution was raised against the Godly Ministers by the same. We were saying, we are inclined to think, That the Destruction from the Almighty is a terror to Godly Ministers to apply themselves to any other Directory for worship, than to the Spirit of God and of Glory; Who, being the great purchase of Christ's blood, promise of the Father▪ and prayer of the Son, is given to His Church for their A●suffi●ient guide, only Help, and to make an Abundant supply unto them when they are setting themselves in prayer to make their supplications unto their Father in Heaven. (2) The other word we would add, is, That when the Ministers of the Gospel and Glory of Christ, who have their Mission, Commission, Institution, and Induction, chief and principally from Him, and can show their Letters Patents for it, when these, are so hardly Driven, (as those are, who are quite forfaken of the Spirit of God) that they may use those platforms of prayer there prescribed, or else not pray at all, as we heard before, than they will, (for necessity, they say, hath no law) be so bold or impudent rather, to use that prayer also, being the most exact form of all forms. But these never were, and never shall be so forsaken of their God; And in assured Confidence thereof we proceed.  
Thirdly, This we have heard, some one of us at least, alleged for the saying of this prayer. There is a sickness upon all the faculties of the soul. And the memory amidst the Rest is a very sickly, weak, and infirm thing; So as we manytimes forget to put up those Requests unto God, which were in the purpose of our hearts to do. Now to help and secure us in this matter, we adjoine the Lords prayer to the end of ours, that being complete as we all know, in the whole and in every part, and Contains in it, as the Creed, all things to be believed, so this, all things to be desired. To this we reply.  
Granting this first, That this sickness is Epidemical, universally spread over all men, and over all in man. And the Memory, the soul's store-house is fearfully tainted with it, most unhappily, and tenaciously retentive of all that is evil; So as what was but once heard, seen or done, giving pleasure to the flesh, will be kept in the Memory and repeated there, who knows how long and how often? (yet take-it-in by the way, as often as any evil, seen heard or done is remembered with delight, so often is it acted over again) But now when any thing truly Good is Commended to it, and received-in, of how short continuance it is there? If a Hand Allmighty lodgeth it not there, and keepeth it there! The memory of itself, and in its own nature is a very Stepdame to Good or like a very leaking vessel. This is her Sickness, and if it be not Cured, it will be our woe. And now to draw nearer to the point in hand, we cannot possibly see▪ though, we hope, we Cry for His eyesalve, which only maketh to see; how the sickness of the memory, causing the praying man to forget what he would have remembered, and made his request to God for, Can be helped (for to this particular we speak) by adjoining His Lord's prayer.  
We crave leave to ask this Godly Minister, what he hath forgot to petition his God in behalf of the people, to whom he is made an Overseer. He hath not Confessed their sins so fully nor so feelingly as he should, and thought to have done; This may be; He knew full well some special mercies his people had received from God, and he quite forgot to render God the praise; He knew as well some special mercies his people had not and yet felt not any want of them, as a seeing eye, and hearing ear, but he quite forgot here also. He was well acquainted with some particular misery, that was felt by some one or more of his people, being sickness and sorrow upon the flesh: and another misery he might know of also, which is the misery of all miseries, because not felt nor feared, yet clapped fast upon them, perverseness of Spirit, and hardness of heart. Here the Godly man's memory may fal●e him also. In all these, he might not petition God as he ought and haply thought to have done, and in some of these particulars his memory wholly failed him. Now he will rele●ve himself and his people, whose good he specially intends, by saying the Lords prayer. But is that the way to relieve himself or them? We humbly offer it to the thoughts of every intelligent Man. Will his repeating the Lords prayer before the people help them, when they are returned home, to Confess their sin there more fully or feelingly? doth that prayer supply them with words that way? or to praise God for the mercies they have, or to pray unto Him for what they would have; for the taking away the Stone in the heart, if it be not all over Stone, as desirerously as we would have the Stone takenout of the Bladder; but is there one express 
*  word in the Lord's prayer that helps to the putting-up that great petition? we meddle not with what is Comprehended there (which exceeds the Comprehension of an Angel) but with what is expressed there: And to our seeming there is not in that prayer, one express word there, that can help the praying man in all or any of those particulars .  
To close this we conceive it to be thus; every godly person going to prayer, goes to God in the Name of Jesus Christ; Through Him by the Spirit, he hath an access unto the Father. 
Eph. 2.  And oh what a deal of Eloquence and Rhetoric is in this one word, Father! how it works upon the bowels of the Father, upon the bowels of the Child too! so as the Child cannot choose but crave, the Father cannot choose but grant, what ever is good for the Child. There is a reciprocal work still, a reflexing Act of the soul. The Father's bowels yearn towards the Child, The Child's bowels yearn towards the Father. But we recall ourselves, being to deliver our thoughts what a Godly Minister doth, when he hath entered the pulpit. Surely in desire and endeavour he comes wholly off from himself; he useth all that Ged hath given him, and layeth out the very Male of his flock, for that very end given him: but he trusteth it not, he hath no Confidence in the flesh: It is fully and wholly set upon his God; He loves to be trusted, and cannot be trusted too much; as the creature cannot be trusted too little. In a word, he rolls himself upon God, puts himself as he can, into the good Spirits hand; Leaves his matters there, humbly expects supplies from Him; He is in the place, where he should be, unto which his God hath called him; upon his work, which he doth with more Delight than to receive his wages. Now he would not doubt but that the good Spirit to Whom he hath committed himself and his work, will carry him through it both in praying and preaching. And now, for now we are closeing the point, notwithstanding the sickness of his memory, and many other his infirmities, who knows how many? yet he knows Whom he hath trusted, and upon Whose score, and that He is able to lead him unto his work, and to carry him through his work▪ nor dares he for his life take a dead letter 
*  (such a thing is the Lords prayer, as uttered by Man, as dead as other letters he reads in the same Chapter) he will not, we were saying take a dead letter to help the living Spirit. These are our thoughts of this matter.  
Fourthly, We have heard in the Last place, this alleged for the saying the Lord's prayer at the end of their own prayer; our prayers are very imperfect, we all know, and God may neglect them; therefore we add the Lords prayer to the end of ours, that perfect and complete prayer which the Father will not neglect.  
We reply, Granting as before, that the prayers of the best men are but imperfect, as themselves are, very imperfect things. Prayer is a mixed or Compounded Duty, for though it be wrought within by the Spirit of God, before it be putout by the tongue, yet flesh hath much to do in it, enough to defile it; and so the best prayer form as we heard, passeth from us, as Wine through a Dunghill, therefore these can have no acceptance for the prayers sake, nor for his sake that prayeth: if that be all which makes for its acceptance, it will be neglected sure enough; but for His sake only, Whose business it is now in heaven to take away the 
Revel. 5.  iniquity of our holy things, and to present our persons and our services pure and spotless in His sight; And, in special, these prayers as the sweetest odours in the Nostrils of His Father; provided still, that we loathe this uncleanness, that cleaves so fast to our persons and prayers, and put it away as a loathed thing; Now it shall do us no hurt, nor hinder our prayers neither; for it is not what Corruption cleaves to us, but whether we cleave to it; not the having of it; for as sure we have it, as it is sure we have flesh: but it is the loving of it. No more sin is imputed by God, than is seen and allowed by us. So than it is granted, That Prayers are very imperfect, they receive a tincture of uncleanness, which cleaves to the spirit and mind of a man, though renewed, that are subservient and instrumental in this praying work; they are simple duties, that are so good, that none but the good can do them, and they cannot do them ill, we mean, not sinfully, though imperfectly, as to love God, to fear Him, to trust Him, to rejoice, yea to glory in Him, having chosen Him for their portion, and set their hearts upon Him.  
To put a close to this also. Will the adding that perfect prayer to the end of yours, make any thing at all towards the taking away the uncleanness of your prayers? or help at all against the imperfection thereof? We take it, you must answer one way or other; It helps, or it doth not help: if you say it helpeth, how absurd were your saying? you know, Who liveth ever to help at this work, and all proud helpers together with Him shall stoop under Him; If you say the adding the Lords prayer to the end of yours, helpeth not, no, not at all, than you say all the Truth as to this matter; but withal we fear, you charge yourselves with some folly, in adding that to your prayers, which profiteth not at all, being never intended for that end. We will conclude with this, It profiteth no more than doth dead flesh profit a quickened and quicking spirit: So we come to make out the Negative, That it is not comely for a Godly Minister to add the Lords prayer to the end of his own.  

SECT. II.  
OUr Reasons are these; First, Their Lord commands them not so to do; for if so, an absurdity would follow; If their Lord hath commanded them so to do, then s●li & semper, this is the only prayer they must say, and always say; for the Command 
〈◊〉  of Christ must take place still. It is this prayer and no other, and not at this time only, but at all times, When ye pray say. Thus we conceive it must be, and this were very absurd and incongruous to common sense and reason. The Commands of God in the old Testament, as to the Sacraments there, and other legal observations of places and of Days, they had their until: until the fullness of time shall come, until God be manifested in the flesh, for these pointed unto Him, That was to come; ●●t the Commands of Christ now, as we conceive, bind us to their observation till His Coming in some glorious way, whether to restore His Church, Math: 17. 11. Acts 3. 21. or make her complete in Glory, is too deep for our shallowness; But His commands bind us till His Coming. Nothing shall be added to them or taken from them. See Hild: on Joh: 4. pag: 187.  
Secondly, If their Lord commands them to say this prayer at the end of their own, than the Godly Ministers all over the Land, truly and indeed such, could have no more omitted the saying of it, than they could forbear to eat and drink: for the Commands of Christ, all and every one do come with as much force upon their Spirits, to do thereafter, as Eating and drinking come upon them when their need is. For they have the same mind that is in Christ, they delight to do His will, His Command, His Law is within their heart, the doing of it is their meat and drink, (so saith the Spirit) now what an absurd thing were this, for can it take with a Reasonable man; That these words, when ye pray say (this prayer at the end of you●s) ●or have not I commanded you? have they not My Stamp upon them? And yet scarce one Godly Minister among many do or dare say it at the end of their own. Certainly they would do the Command of their Lord, boldly and constantly, and fervently too; though it should put them to as much cost the doing of it, as is imaginable, yet they would do it, Their Lord hath commanded it. This is the poin●, The Godly Minister would do it, he could not but do it, were it commanded him of his Lord, when ye pray say. And it were absurd to say or think the Contrary.  
And which we must not forget, It were as absurd to think, that any one Brutish Pastor, amidst the Droves and Herds of them, ●ould say this prayer, suppose now, what they pretend▪ our Lord Commanded them so to say, when ye pray say; this prayer after your own, for it hath My stamp of Command upon it, suppose it so to be, as they say, Then it were absurd to think, they would say, as now they do willingly and more, rejoyceingly, it being commanded them of God; for all the Commands of God, as was said before, are an abomination to them: they abhor 
Christmas day. pag. 18, 19  to do them, as they Abhor God▪ their heart stands in the greatest opposition to the Commands of Christ; as do the remotest extremes, Heaven and Hell. These do wickedly as they can, and cannot but do it, fullfilling all the wills of the flesh, and so they will do, that's the voice of their nature; The Godly Man doth foolishly sometimes, we mean sinfully against the commands of his Lord, but not with full consent of his will, he doth it▪ overtaken now, or surprised, or betrayed, but, oh! he would not do it, that is the voice of Grace. The evil man in doing God's commands, is as the good man in doing the commands of the flesh. The evil man does do God's Commands sometimes, he reads, and hears, and prays, but as unwillingly all this, as Haman brought Mordecai on horseback through the streets of the City, that he would not do in good things, that doth he. The godly man sometimes doth the Commands of the flesh, which are most contrary to the Commands of Christ, but what He hates that doth he. This is the point, and so we have done, A Brutish Pastor, and a brutish people are so fare from doing the Commands of Christ, That they hate to do it, with their whole heart, and with their whole soul; and it were absurd to say or think the contrary. When ye pray, say (this prayer after your own) The Lord Christ commands no such thing, neither ever came it in His heart, for could we suppose, our Lord had commanded so to do, The Pastor after Gods own heart had never omitted it; The Brutish one had never said it, unless as a Parrot his chair, he had not said it like a Clerk, as now he says it, nor done it so, as he doth the wills of the flesh. This is the second.  
Thirdly, We would ask this Godly Minister, what good he finds by adding this prayer to the end of his own, which we would suppose was wrought in him, and out from him, by the Spirit of God. We know Cui bono? is the greatest enquiry; and in this Case, what Spiritual advantage by so doing? what hath this advantaged the Spirit; God's Spirit, or his own, renewed by the same Spirit? We pass this, leaving it upon his thoughts, having spoken so much thereunto before; only this we would add; It is, you know, a sure saying, That every act of Grace, extends grace in the heart of a Disciple; as every act of sin, extends sin in the sinner; for grace, as corruption, gains by acting; Now it is left upon your thoughts, whether you have found grace hath been extended in your heart, by the addition of this prayer to the end of your own?  
Fourthly, What good doth he do by repeating this prayer, or what advantage is it to his hearers? Certainly a Godly Minister should look to that, whereby he may profit his people. The Preacher was wise; and how did he evidence his wisdom? He 
Eccles. 12. 9  still taught the people knowledge, yea he gave good heed, and sought out: he would not speak a word sure but to profit, and the building up of his people. Two great works he is continually versed and exercised in, being charged upon him, praying and preaching, 
Acts 6. ●.  and how studiously careful is he, being the people's mouth to God, and God's mouth to the people, that not one word pass from his mouth, which makes not for the good of his people, and for the clearing of his account at the great Day. He remembers well before Whom he is, and to Whom he speaks in prayer, and from Whom he speaks in preaching. And he considers, as he can the infinite distance betwixt Majesty and Nothing; and now how fixedly doth he look to Him who is the Middle person, and having laid His hand upon Both, stands as a screen, betwixt everlasting Burning, and this piece of dried stubble, as in itself considered: and so rolling himself upon This one Mediator, and casting himself into the hands of His Spirit; and trusting in His supply, he falls to his work, and now what advantage hath he, or have his hearers by addition of this prayer? that is the Question, and the answer thereunto, you must make unto your God; only this which we have heard, we will say more, which you know is a Ministers Motto, or should be, Nusquam doceo, ubi non moveo: Nusquam moveo ubi non doceo, I never teach savingly, where I do not move or stir feelingly; that is praevailingly: nor do I ever so move, where I do not so teach, so we leave this upon your thoughts, and proceed to one Reason more.  
Fifthly, To our seeming, it is a very sinful doing to add this prayer to the end of our own, and this upon a threefold account.  
First, You glad the hearts of them that should not be gladded, the wicked we mean; if yond have not heard it said by them, we have once and again, What a Brave Minister have we to day? Why? he said the Lords prayer twice to day (and oh how sweetly did he say it!) and that was all they observed; for the addition of that prayer, rendered him so gracious in their eyes, and his Sermon so sweet. Certainly we must not glad the hearts of wicked ones, for than we glad That Wicked-One.  
Secondly, Ye must not make the wicked Blaspheme in Calling God, Father; and Christ accursed; but this they will do in spite of your heart; for they and they only will say it after you, and if they should be asleep, as Commonly they are, all the time of your praying, yet they will awaken at this prayer, or if, while you are running it over with the speed of a good Clerk, they should chance to nod at the first or second Petition, yet they will be perfectly awaked at that signal Conclusion, AMEN— But we forbear— for Nemo libentèr moratur in asperis.  
Thirdly, Ye sad them, whom the Lord would not have sadded, ye sad the hearts, we think, of all the truly Godly there; They cannot endure to hear the Name of God profaned, That sweetest Name, Father, Blasphemed; their only Lord, called accursed; They cannot endure it, it is more grievous to them to hear this within the meeting place, than see their filthy Conversation without We tell you again; The Truly Godly cannot endure to hear this, they can with much more patience hear their Earthly father abused, etc. But their heavenly Father, Who loved them, and Gave His Son unto them; and them unto His Son: and this Son of God, Who, taking their nature, hath redeemed their Souls from all adversity, washing them in His own blood; we were saying, they cannot endure to hear their Father Blasphemed. nor their Lord called accursed; nor that Signal Word, Amen— echoed forth by persons little better than Quakers and Ranters; damnable Heretics; wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. But we have done: These are our Reasons, why a Godly Minister may not add the Lord s prayer to th' end of his own. Only you will remember here what an Excellent Man said; It is Better to occasion wrath in the Bad, than grief in the Good.    

CHAP. VIII. And fift Querie.  
Q. V. WHether John the Baptist taught his Disciples to pray by giving them forms of prayer to say? And, (which may be queried thereupon) Whether a Parent can teach his child to pray, by setting forms of prayer before him whereafter to pray? As thus (for we would be clear, as to the holding-forth our meaning, and persuasion, in this matter) here, Child, is a form of prayer, when you pray say as you see here is prescribed unto you.  
That this aught to be, we mean, That a child may and ought be taught to pray by forms of prayer set before him, is affirmed and argued from John's practice with his Disciples. Now our persuasion is, That John did not give his Disciples, nor should a parent give his child any form of prayer whereafter to pray. And if he shall so do, we are inclined to think, he hath not by so doing, taught his child to pray, we mean, by giving the child a form whereafter to pray.  
We will hear, as hitherto we have done, what we have heard said, for the holding forth the Affirmative; and  
First, This is forced against us, without any show of reason, as we conceive, That we allow not a parent to teach his child to pray.  
Truly we would not say it for a world, for we know it is a parents Duty to teach his Child to pray, and to make it their very work and their business, that their Child may be still Learning at that high work.  
Secondly, But this cannot be done, but by giving them a form of words wherebyto pray.  
We think, yes; it may, by God's blessing upon the Parents faithful and Constant endeavour, this way; and that a form of prayer prescribed will rather hinder than further the work, as was said before.  
Thirdly, But ye, in so saying, do Cross, I verily believe, the practice of most the Godly all over the world.  
It is but your Faith, and it is quickly said, and impossible to be Proved, That most of the Godly give their Children forms of prayer, to teach them to pray; though you do so, you will not conclude that others so do. You may be, as was said, norma publica, as a pattern or standard to your own people and Children, not so to others.  
Fourthly, We are sure we have a sure pattern for it, John Baptist himself.  
We had rather, you had said, we have a sure word for it from the Lord God Himself: Yet we refuse not this pattern; As fare from Despising what John the Baptist did, as we are from rejecting what John the Baptist said; And this you say John did, he 
Luke 11. 1.  taught his Disciples to pray; we yield it; and that every Godly parent is to make him his pattern, in teaching his Child to pray.  
Fifthly, The● he must give his Child a form of prayer, not possible else to teach him to pray. Besides so taught John his Disciples to pray, as worthy Held: says, by giving them forms of prayer to say.  
We move heavily here, because against the Stream, even of the Learned in this very matter; John's teaching his Disciples to pray. Yet if we have the Mind of God's Spirit, and the tide of the Scriptures with us, we shall hold-on our course, and attain our end anon. To this we say then; That it is very possible to teach a child to pray, without giving them forms of prayer to say; And so we are persuaded John taught his Disciples to pray; we would be rightly understood here, speaking after the manner of men, and according to the possibility, our heavenly Father, for his only Son's sake, hath made possible unto men. It is not clear to us, nor do we think it possible for any man to make it clear to himself from the word of God, That John taught his Disciples to pray by giving them forms of prayer to say; He taught them to pray, that is out of all question, for so we read, and so he did his duty, and full-up to his charge. But that he gave them forms of prayer to say, this is of man's adding, and upon an ungrounded supposition, as we conceive; That it was not possible for John, but by those forms to teach his Disciples to pray. We conceive, yes; And that John in those days, and that a godly parent in these our days, can skill better to teach his child to pray without forms of prayer, than with them.  
Surely John did teach his Disciples, To Whom they were to address themselves in prayer, after he had told them first what a solemn and sacred work it was; And then acquainted them with the New and living way unto the Father, through Whom and 
John 14. 6. Heb. 7. 19 10. 19, 20. Eph. 2. 18.  by Whose hand, introduction, or hand-leading they have access unto the Father. He manifested unto them, as he could, for that was his great work to do, The Messiah; he shown Him openly before them; and what lost ones they were without Him. And what glorious creatures they are, being found in Him, not having their own righteousness, which more insnareth the soul, and indangereth it also, than the grossest sins do. It is a grave and weighty 
Dr G trial. gr. 1. 53.  speech which that excellent man hath; There is no danger to be liftedup by the righteousness of another, for it is without us, we can't vainly boast of it, for that faith, that apprehends it, emptyes us first of ourselves, and goeth out to another for it. But sanctification being a work wrought in us, we are apt to dote on that, as too much upon any excellency in ourselves.  
Surely John beat them off from their own righteousness, the putting any confidence in their flesh; he clubbed down that Monster, for so Luther calls it; he treated much with them, as we read, about Repentance towards God, and faith in the Lord Jesus▪ Christ; and dealt with them much, specially with his Disciples, in this, what blind, poor, naked, empty ones they must be in their own sense and feeling, before it can ever enter into their thoughts to pray for the anointing with eyesalve, that they may see a faroff, or before they will look after faith, which pitcheth the soul upon Christ, and then fetcheth in all that maketh truly rich, and putteth upon the soul the glorious clothing of the Saints, emptieth the soul, and then fills it with the fullness of God, through Jesus Christ.  
Thus we conceive, and by no other means did John teach his Disciples to pray; We cannot reach to his words, and may seem too bold in making offer that way; But thus we conceive, and we say it again, John taught his Disciples to pray. And not by prescribing them certain forms of prayer to say, when they come before their God. And this we conceive to be the ready way a godly parent takes now to teach his child to pray to his God. What way must he take? This he may know better than we. But he must teach the child to know God first; or, if to pray first, then to pray, that he may know Him, believe in Him and obey Him; And this the parent cannot well teach the child till he hath taught the poor simple creature to know itself first in some measure, and what need he hath of a God in Christ (for so the parent drops into the child, as he can, a little vessel, and a less mouth to receive in, and how much falls by, and how little is in when it is there in such matters as these are?) But this (we were saying) the godly parent endeavours to do now a little and then a little, A little more knowledge of himself, what he is in the first Adam, as he was borne in the world, a child of death, of, or under wrath there; what they are, that are translated or taken out of the first Adam, in whom all dye, and are planted in the second Adam, in whom all are made alive: This and what more we cannot so well tell the godly parent treateth w●th his child about, and so teacheth him to pray; and a fare more ready way doth he take by so doing, then if he could give unto his hands All the prayer-books that are in the world. This is our persuasion, and that we are so taught out of the word of God. And truly we are the more inclined hereunto.  
First, By reason that this was the manner of all the godly in the holy Scriptures, teaching their▪ children to pray so fare as we can learn thereby, and have any discerning thereof, held forth before us. Hear his words to Solomon his son, they contain much; Know thou the God of thy father [A mighty motive 
● Chro●. 28. 9  to Solomon to learn to know the Lord; he had a godly father that knew him, as the father had a godly mother that knew her God; and surely taught David to know him also, The son of 
Psal. 8. 6. 16. 116. 16.  thy handmaid] And serve him.  
[Solomon must know the God of his father, before he can serve Him, as his father did. We cannot worship or pray unto Him, whom we know not, for in so doing, we worship we know not 
John 4. ●2.  what.] A God.  
A God in Christ must in some measure and degree be reveiled to us, before we can come to God, and plead our matters with Him, in His Sons blessed Name, and for His glorious▪ sake; We can no more serve a God▪ Whom we know not, than we can be saved by a Christ whom we never heard of: for that were, as if a captive held under the power of death, sin, devil, and hell, should be redeemed by a price paid by one, whom never before nor after he had an● knowledge of; or as if God for Christ's sake should save us, and yet never by any means or in any measure make That Christ known to us. He must by some means or other be reveiled to them, who, being grown up to the use of reason, were ever saved by him. These are excellent Dr Tuckneyes words. We should, as a 
Sermon upon Acts 4. 12.  godly parent will with his child, and whom he will teach to pray, go through the forementioned Scriptures which contains so much, but we have attained our scope thereby, A godly parent teacheth his child to know God first what He is in himself out of Christ mere wrath, a consumeing fire; and as such an one he cannot be served. Then to know Him a God in Christ, and a Father, and so He is served, and well-pleased with the service if it be in truth.  
We pass on and shall pass over David's Catechism and Bathsheba's also, whereof we read in the book of the Proverbs, but not a word there of teaching the child to pray by form●s of prayer. We think that Paul's direction to parents how they should order their children, and special●y how to teach them to pray▪ contains as much to that m●tter as doth that Catechism, Bring them up, so we read it; the word is, nurse them 
Eph. 6. 4. 1 Thes. 2. 7.  up. As a nurse, saith he, in another place, taketh care of the bodies concernments, so do ye parents of your children's souls concernments. Nurse them up in the nurture; It implies all care and diligence about the inward man still, that all be done as matters shall require, whether they exhort, charge, reproove, correct, or instruct, that all be done to the child in a motherly way, or, as Paul saith, as a father his children; remembering still, that godliness is a rich and sure trade, if the child be taught well to follow it.] And admonition [A dealing about the mind of the child still, rectifying or moulding of it betime, as the nurse doth the mould of the head, when its tender: It signifies a dropping or putting into the 
Eph. ●. 4▪  mind still. It is a thrusting of somewhat upon the child still with an holy violence, which may mind him of his Lord Jehovah his God; so that the child may see, that, what his parents speaks to him comes from his Lord, and tendeth to this, to bring the mind of the child up to the Lord, there to fix and pitch his soul for ever] Zanch: (so we are told) speaks usefully to this as his manner is, upon this verse, where he tells us the manner of all the godly in the primitive times, and what course Abraham took to teach his children. We verily think we may add, to pray. And what way also L●is the grandmother and Eunice the mother 
2 Tim. 1. 5.  taught their young Timothy, we will add again, to pray. The very way which the old Christians (prisci christiani) did take to 
3. 1.  teach their children [to pray] by bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And all this is but according to the prescript and charge unto us from the Lord God almighty; These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart, 
Deut. 6. 6, 7.  and thou shalt teach them diligently (thy children) and shalt talk of them, when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And this is the way, we are persuaded in our hearts, every godly parent must take, who makes it his business to teach his child to pray, for this was the manner of the godly in days of old: which is our first reason.  
Secondly, And in the second place we are apt to think, That to bring up a child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, is the only ready way to teach a child to pray; and not to give him forms of prayer to say; because these forms hinder rather than further the work, carrying the child on in such a high work (the calling upon God in prayer) by the Eye upon the forms, or by the memory, which is all one, whereas he should understand what he doth, and know Him in some measure and degree, Whom he calleth upon.  
Thirdly, If to give a child a form of prayer, when you pray say these words, were to teach him to pray, then to teach a child to pray is the easiest work in the world, & of as quick dispatch, for so easy it is, and as quickly done, to give a child a form, whereby to pray. But no godly parent ever found it from ancient days to this day an easy work and of quick dispatch to teach his child to pray, no more than it is an easy work or the work of a day to rule well his own house, and to have his children in subjection 
1 Tim. 3. 4.  with all gravity, which falls-in fully with these words before-cited, to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, whereby to teach his child to pray. It is not the work of a day, or two, as was said in another case, but the work of every day, while the child is under the parent's eye and ear, To teach the child to pray: Nay to add this; It is easy for the vilest person in your Nationall Church to teach a child to pray, if to give him a form to pray be to teach him to pray; for so much he or she can do having learned so much themselves to pray that way. But sure he or she must be taught to pray and help by the good Spirit to pray, before they can teach their child to pray.  
Fourthly, And in the fourth place, we think, it at least coasteth near the brink of presumption, nay is it not downright presumption to teach a child to pray by giving him a form of prayer to say? As thus, for, as we said, so plain we would be; Dear child, what ever thy ignorance is of God the Father, thou prayest unto; or of God the Son manifest in the flesh, in whose name thou prayest; what ever mercy thou hast received, and wouldst praise God for; what ever want thou feelest, and wouldst pray to Him for a supply from Him; what ever thy sins are thou shouldst confess before Him, yet do thou, child, pray in these words, according to this very form I have prescribed unto thee. Surely we will not fear to say, this were presumption; and, so, as may be feared, it will be accounted before his God.  
Fifthly, Besides, and so we have done, In so doing, we mean so teaching this child to pray by a form, The parent hath told a loud lie in the ears of God, and of all the godly, for he tells God and men both, he hath taught his child to pray, when indeed there is no such thing done; he hath not taught his child to pray; for by his own confession he hath given his child a form whereby to pray, which form will become a prayer wellpleasing unto God, when copper becomes gold, the bramble a vine the Moon a Sun, or when the Sun painted on a signpost shall shine in the firmament of Heaven. And so we have taken in your reasons, and examined the reasonableness of them, That a parent teaching his child to pray, must give him a form whereafter to pray. We have given in our reasons also from sacred Scripture, as we suppose, That by giving your child a form whereby to pray, is not to teach the child to pray. But let it be committed to Him, Who guides into all truth.   

CHAP. IX. sixth and last Querie.  
Q. VI WE are come to our sixth 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?  
We said, a Command from Christ, for we 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 do, I have a sure Word for what I do. And having his Lord's 
S●quis De●●h ●empe●et jam ut da●ne u● a ●en tum Mand●●● tis est h●h●r? D●um ●uth● en. Lum 3. 38.  word for that he doth should he be condemned by an hundred worlds (to use excellent calvin's words) he has enough to bear him out▪ his Lord Commanded him.  
But, Sir; before we proceed we crave leave to give-in a sho●t account, wherefore we meddle with this here; yourself giving the occasion thereof, and little less, though perhaps against your purpose, provoking us so to do: Our account in short is this: Our Minister in the course of Catechising 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 special 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 we 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 seem) 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 inclined, at least, to pull out their Ministers eyes from him, than their own for him. Truly we judge Charitably, as our duty is, and conceive good hope, that the Opposers or contrary-minded herein, some of them, are godly in the main, (only seduced or misguided by former guides) though one of them well stricken in years, was taught that prayer at the first, when he was a Child, and seldom 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 Duty was to have Consulted with the Scriptures, our Minister laid before them, and afterwards, as occasion required, with himself; But it is not our manner to do things after their right manner.  
Though yet we Blame them not for adviseing with you, only we say they should have searched the Scriptures, and have advised with their Minister first. Your Answer to them was sweet and comely, fare 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. Only this you said to them, which they looked for and it pleased them well, and it was abundantly enough to mar 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 we are forced to call your practice into Question, which truly, but for the Truth's sake, we shall do unwillingly, and so we shall state the Question in the Negative; That a Godly Parent ought not to teach his Children the Lord's prayer. You hold the Affirmative, for thereafter you practise, we would hope you can make full proof that your practice is Godly. So, Sir, we crave your reasons, at least, we crave your leave to guess at them, by what we have heard from others, and so to set down, 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 God's word, whereafter you order, we hope, your whole conversation, your say and do before your people, and your whole house, your children specially the main and principal parts, and your chief goods there: for by your well-ruling of them, and care over them, you will make full proof what care you take of the Churches of God; for he who knows 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 we 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 do in your own house, which you order, we would hope, in desire and endeavour, as those whose praise is in the Gospel. Probably your reasons are these, or such like, to these; for we will not mention here any of that, which went before, one we 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 form may be used whereafter to pray, useing the very same words, than this form above any. No prayer being more excellent, nor more comprehensive. But therefore think we, the more unfit to be taught a Child, the more unsuitable to his understanding. The prayer is excellent, considered in itself, and as you may be able to consider of it; but it hath no excellency with a child; he speaks as a child, he understands as a child, he thinks, or reasoneth as a child; And with due regard to all this, you must speak 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 child's understanding.  
It is readily granted. Yet you may consider, it is one thing to drop-in, as into a very narrow mouthed vessel, drop by drop, and to pour in all at once; we mean, To deal with a child word after word, then to see how the first word taketh, before you deal 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 do the visible Heavens; O the vast comprehension of this Prayer! And the shallowness of a child's; shall we say of a man's 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 child, but he comprehends it no more, than doth the darkness the light.  
Thirdly, You may say as we hear others do, 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 lisp 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 lisp Abba Father, but as He hath adopted me, that is, in Jesus Christ, in Whom alone He is become the Father of mercies unto me, saith that learned man Dr K: Chap: 4. ●: 115. Yet it is granted, you are to teach your child 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 every thing is comely in its due time and order. We conceive you are to teach your child first, to call himself rebel against this heavenly Father; that he was borne into the world with his back against him, (being borne a child of wrath assoon as he was a child of a man:) an enemy to this Father, even enmity itself, and an hater of Him. And then we take it, the child is to be farther questioned (and that is the best way of teaching by questioning) whether this enmity is in any measure or degree discovered to him, by the Spirit with the Word, and shine in him? (for enmity cannot become friendship, though enemies may be made friends) enmity must be slain. This we 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 we take leave to give-in our reasons, as few and as briefly as we have taken-in yours; Wherefore it is not becomeing a godly parent to teach his child the Lords prayer. We shall not recall here neither, but remind you only of what went before, that carried very level to this very scope.  
First, It is clean cross to the right method of teaching to exercise the child's 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 than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the fowls of heaven. You teach a child as becometh a child to be taught; You teach a fowl, bird or beast, as is comely for them to be taught; besides, you put a greater difference betwixt earthly and heavenly matters; sensual and spiritual; and accordingly you must vary in your teaching. This may suffice for the first.  
Secondly, You would have your dear child to be a gainer by your teaching. We beseech you ask him, now you have taught him the Lords prayer, what he hath gained by your teaching? Our persuasion is you will find his gain to be but small; only whereas when time was he said it as a child, Parrot-like now, being growne-up, he says it with more grace in the ear of the hearer, saying it like a Clerk, but perhaps with as little grace in the heart as he said in before when he was a child. But yet we cannot grant 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 himself to say it without your help.  
Thirdly, You should not do as all the wicked of the world do; we mean, of your Nationall Church, who have only this to show for their Christianity, and whereby to make full proof thereof, That they were borne in your Church, and washed there: We think it is not comely for you to do as they do; 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 persuaded, 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 Latin as well as the English, and the Greek too) their Creed, and the ten Commandments; and so much they will teach their children, either by themselves or another, and having learned so much without the book, they have learned enough for themselves and their children after them. You that know the Countryfolk 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 do better. You would not be numbered among the wicked in after time, you must not do, as they do 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 express in these words; At the last end the Priest calling the Godfathers and Godmothers together, shall say th●● exhortation following, the fullest part whereof is this, Ye shall provide that these children shall learn the Creed, the Lords prayer, and the ten Commandments in the English tongue.  
You will not▪ ground your practice hereupon, for so you would practise after that heathen Priest, whom you may know; This Priest justifies his customs as to Church-matters, by quoteing (as we have heard) the Service-Booke, and those customs in use then, which he follows to a tittle; for as to that sacred Book, we cannot tell whether he so much as looks upon it; certain it is he hateth the contents there with his heart; for he hateth to hear it, and to be informed by it. You abhor we hope, such do, which were in use amongst us, when Tyranny and Popery were in their Tropic, or Zenith, the highest vertical point; then indeed these words were in use, which some will call a command or charge. But so will not you, for you (we would hope) do bless God day and▪ night, who hath delivered His Church (we mean, not that you call Nationall, for that is in Egypt 
Acts 7. 39  still, being never out, or if a day's journey out, yet returning thereunto, and is there in heart, there it would be as before in the Bishop's days) we say His Church from out of that more than Egyptian darkness, whereunto it shall return no more; being the Vineyard of red wine, which He hath undertaken to water every moment, and that nothing hurt it, to keep it night and day.  
Fourthly, And in the last place; you should not teach your child that, which you must unteach again: what is taught and learned by the precepts of men, must be untaught and unlearnt by the precept of God. But, we think, we have proved, That the teaching by forms, is but the teaching of men, and they have their warrant, only by precept from men: You know what is storied of a godly Matron, after her heart was turned, and set upon Christ, It was told us once, and we heard it twice; before she was humbled, as was said of Manasseh, she had taught her children 
2 Chr. 33. 19  as you do, the Lords prayer, and so she confessed, but coming to herself, or to use her own words, to her right mind; she endeavoured all she could to unteach them again; what she effected with all her endeavour is more than we can tell. But you may tell us when you go about it, what an hard and difficult work 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 learned) In the mean time, we can tell ourselves, That children and grown-folke also are as hardly beat off from their forms, as an hungry Mastyffe is from his prey. Naturally we cleave as fast to forms of all fashions, and these to us, as the flesh cleaveth to the bone, and sin to the flesh. How hard a thing is it then to leave a form, and look to the power? when in leaving this we must overcome a double Nature, our own first, and that, which custom hath made our own, or second Nature, having learned it from our Cradle, and grown up in the practice of it.  
Take heed good Sir, Look over your scholars, and consider them well, you may teach them in these easy matters, or please you, they can learn without teaching, such easy lessons, six lines in six minutes time; Lenocinante Natura, their nature is a very bawd hereunto, to learn forms, and cleave unto them, when she hath done; but when you come to unlearne them, which you must do, if ever you learn them right, you shall find it a work impossible to flesh and blood. Why! What think you? A child or a man prays, as you have taught him, and exactly well he thinks, for he says the Lord's prayer (without either fear or wit, because without understanding) Can you think now that he will be drawn off from this praying by a form? 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 dear 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 stick, because a lesson from a father comes with authority, and so with more advantage to prevail. (2) Because he can pray by a form, yet read nothing to purpose, nor hear any thing to purpose: nor meditate upon any thing to purpose that he hears or reads; 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 sin. Dear Sir, remember what you have read, and add it, if please you, to all that, which went before; He that reads much, and hears much, and meditates much upon what he reads and hears, he prays much, (for to meditate and to pray are from the same root) persuade your children to read much, and hear, and meditate much, that is, to think on what they read and hear (for thoughts are but exercising of the soul's 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 forms, one, or more, as to their help in that matter, than they do of another's mouth and teeth, thereby to chew their meat; or of another's feet whereby to go. Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, Exod: 30. 9 Mr ainsworth's 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 we have done; Live well before your children, we hope you do, a ready 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 practice or example; he that lives well prays well; and he that believes much, prays much, though he say not a word. A good life is a good prayer, it is a continued prayer, as you have read. We will close with this; Train up a child (saith the wisdom of God) in his way of Gods prescribing, and when he is old he will not departed from it. As if he had said; He will be the better for it while he liveth. Train up a child in forms 
Prov. 22. 6.  (according to the wisdom of the flesh) and when he is old he will not departed from them; As if we 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 shot, or the Cawl of the heart against the paw of a Lion. We will shut up with this, and so call to remembrance, That there was an huge great person, who had learned 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 form of prayer in his cradle, which if, through the favour of the times, he be admitted to the pulpit, he will use there also; and so exact he will be therein, that all that hear him, may conclude, he was taught that form from his cradle. It is important sure, and very momentous, else Quintilian (we rather mention him) had not been so full and large upon it; what choice we should make of Nurses, because commonly these parley 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 duty, or careless of what they know, we are like to have, as was once said wirtily, but truly, a child, or a boy of him all his life long— The sum is this; Be well advised about that you teach your child in the morning of his years, he will savour of it to the evening of the same. Nurses or mothers, who should make all, commonly mar all, if special grace interpose not. No more, for this contains 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 brief.  
We have shown what a serious work it is; and what a slight, and vain thing forms are: we have declared against a wicked man's prayer; for so the Lord himself doth: it is an abomination; yet it is his duty to pray; though a greater abomination it is to say the Lords prayer.  
We have shut it out of the Closet; It is too short for Closet-worke. And too long for an after prayer, being, who knows how full of heavenly sense, and spiritual meaning. Therefore we have cut it off from the Minister's prayer in the pulpit; If he will set it too again, be it at his pleasure, it may be to his peril.  
We 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 forms of prayer to say. We have cleared it to be a parent's duty to teach his child to pray; and, as we could, we have directed his practice, and concluded, That a parent teacheth not his child to pray, that gives him forms of prayer to say, for that they learn 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, we think, is, to say that they cannot pray; yet we should tempt God, if we ourselves should not pray, and teach our children so to do, to pray, that they may be enabled to pray. To shut up, The God of all graces and father of mercies, in and through His Son, gives forth no temporal, much less eternal salvation; no common mercy, much less any spiritual grace, which is eternal, to His marvellously 
Psal. 4. 3.  separated ones, His gracious Saints, but He will stir them up to inquire after Him first before He gives it; They shall ask before they have; and but ask, and have, yet not for their ask.  
Now it is marvellous to consider Satan's devises here, that implacable enemy and adversary of all righteousness He persuades the wicked to sit down 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 babbling; A mere prophaneing of God's Name, if not blaspheming. If they will pray as the most will, they shall pray in another's words, and no matter in whose name; by a book or without it, by the memory, never with the heart, unless for the removing of some plague, felt or feared. But never about the plague of the heart, the plague indeed.  
And for these gracious Saints, This adversary shows himself such an one, in no one thing more than in this, To keep them from praying but if that cannot be, than he employs all his force policy 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.     

Postscript.  
WE have purposely forborn to discharge our Treatise of that charge of blasphemy once and again charged upon it; we have given a mark in the margin all along where the youngman, in the name perhaps of his elders, enters not his dissent only but the charge of blasphemy 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 Letter 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. We will add two words more; The one we borrow from him, whose words we shall hereafter set down; 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 plainly told is learnedly pleaded, especially if a Meek Moses or just Joshua be the Judge thereof. So we come to set down here, as was specified upon the Title page, the words of that holy and learned Man, who speaks to all matters he undertakes in the Name of his God to speak 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 dear Lord and Christ, of the same persuasion▪ 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 soon 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 work of the Ministry; and for the edifying of the Body of Christ. Having spoken this which every man, we think, that hath read all, or any part of this learned man's works, as one amongst us hath done, will find himself pressed to speak, and so give that honour to the said excellent Man, to say what can be said in any subject his God shall engage him upon. We shall now set down what he saith for the reader's fuller resolution, especially to the fourth Query, relating to the Lords prayer, as was specified in the Title page.  
Q. two. Did not Christ prescribe a form of prayer to his disciples, so that there remaineth no doubt touching the lawfulness of using a form?  
A. Luk. 11. 1, 2, 3, 4.  
Ans. If Christ prescribed a form of prayer to his disciples, to be used as a form by the repetition of the same words; I confess it will be out of Question, that it is lawful to use a form: but that it is lawful not to use a form, or that a man may use any prayer but a form, on that supposition, will not be so easily determined. The words of Christ are, when you pray, say, Our Father etc. If in this prescription, not the matter only, but the words also are attended, and that form of them which follows is prescribed to be used, by virtue of this command of Christ, it will be hard to discover on what ground we may any otherwise pray, seeing our Saviour's command is positive, when you pray, say, Our Father, etc.  
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 form ought to be used, not at all that any else may. If our Saviour have prescribed us a form, how shall any man dare to prescribe another? or can any man do it without casting on his form the reproach of imperfection and insufficiency? Our Saviour hath prescribed us a form of prayer to be used as a form 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 form etc. therefore we may use another, which he hath not prescribed, hath neither show 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 address themselves to God, and under what considerations they are to look 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 etc. which at large Mat: 6. is, pray after this manner: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to this purpose. I do not think the Prophet prescribes a form of words, to be used by the Church when he says, Take with you words, and turn to the Lord, and say unto him, Take away iniquity, (Hos: 14. 2) but rather calls them to fervent supplication for the pardon of sin, as God should enable them to deal with him. And though the Apostles never prayed for any thing, but what they were for the substance directed to by this prayer of our Saviour, yet we do 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 days, 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 ourselves, or him by whom we have access 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 duty.  
Our Saviour says when ye pray, say, Our Father; on supposition of the sense contended for, and that a form of words is prescribed, I ask whether we may at any time pray, and not say so? seeing he says, 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 available? 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 form of words, and the gift of a spirit of prayer be consistent? whether the form be prescribed because Believers are not able to pray without it? Or because there is a peculiar Holiness force and energy in the letters words and syllables, as they stand in that form? 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 Charm in the worship of God? whether in that respect Pater n●ster be not as good as Our Father? whether innumerable poor so▪ les are not deluded and hardened by satisfying their consciences in, and with, the use of this form never knowing what it is to pray in the holy Ghost? And whether the Asserting this form of words to be used have not confirmed many in their Atheistical 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 plain terms ridiculous? When M. Biddle, or any on his behalf, hath answered these questions, they may be supplied with more of the like nature and importance.  
An End.