2. The vse.
TThe vses of this point are manifold.
- 1. First, whereas we are taught to come to God as to a father, & there∣fore in the name of his Sonne our Sauiour Christ, we learne to lay the first ground of all our praiers, which is to hold and maintaine the vnion & the di∣stinction of the three persons in Trinitie. This beeing the lowest and the first foundation of praier, it is requisite that all which would pray aright, should haue this knowledge, rightly to beleeue the Trinitie, and to know how the three persons agree, and how they are distinguished, and the order of them, how the Father is the first, the Sonne the second, the holy ghost the third: and therefore how the father is to be called vpon in the name of the sonne by the holy Ghost. By this, the praiers of Gods Church, and the praiers of heathen men are distinguished, who inuocate God as creator out of the father, Sonne, & holy Ghost. And hence it is manifest, that ignorant and silly people which doe not so much as dreame of the vnion, distinction, and order of the persons in Trinitie, make but a cold and slender kind of praying.
- 2. Secondly, we may learne hereby that we are not in any wise to inuocate Saints and Angels, but onely the true Iehoua. The reason standes thus: This praier is either a perfect platforme for all praiers, or not: to say it were not, were an iniurie to our Sauiour Christ: to say it is so, is also to graunt that it doth fully set downe to whome all praiers are to be made. Now, in these words there is set downe no inuocation but of God alone. For in praier to be tear∣med, Our father is proper to God, Esai 64.16. Thou art our father: though A∣braham be ignorant of vs, and Israel know vs not: yet thou, O Lord, art our father and redeemer. Papists therefore that are the great patrons of inuocation of Saints, in their reformed breuiaries & missals, deale very fondly: for first they pray to Marie, that shee would pray to Christ for them, and when they haue so done, like iuglers they come to Christ and pray vnto him that he would accept Maries praier for them.
- 3. Thirdly, we learne that there can be no intercessour betweene God and vs, but onely Christ. For here we are taught to come to God not as to a iudge, but as to a kind and louing father. Now he is a father to vs onely by Christ: as for Angels and Saints and all creatures, they are not able to procure by any meanes, that God should become a father, no not so much as to one man.
- 4. Againe, if the God to whome we pray be a father, we must learne to ac∣quaint our selues with the promises which he hath made in his word, to quic∣ken our hearts in all our praiers vnto him, and thereby to gather affiance to our selues and perswasion that he wil graunt our requests. For this word [Fa∣ther] implies a readines and willingnes in God to heare and be mercifull to our praiers. And a father can not but must needes make promise of fauour to those that be his children, and therefore it can not be that he should call God his father truly, which hath not in his heart this assurance, that God will fulfill