The defense of the aunsvvere to the Admonition against the replie of T.C. By Iohn VVhitgift Doctor of Diuinitie. In the beginning are added these. 4. tables. 1 Of dangerous doctrines in the replie. 2 Of falsifications and vntruthes. 3 Of matters handled at large. 4 A table generall.

T. C. Pag. 107. Sect. 2.

And if all the prayers were gathered togither, and referred to these twoo heades of Goddes glorie, and of the thyngs which perteyne to this present lyfe, I can make no Geometricall and ex∣acte measure, but verily I beleue, there shal be founde more than a thyrd parte of the prayers which are not Psalmes and textes of scripture, spent in 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉raying for, and praying against the incommo∣dities of this life, which is contrarie to all the argumentes or contentes of the prayers of the church which are 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉et downe in the scripture, and especially of our sauiour Christes prayers, b〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 the whiche ours ought to be directed, which of seuen petitions bestoweth one onely that wayes: And that these fo〈1 line〉〈1 line〉esayde prayers doe not onel〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 in generall wordes, but by de〈1 line〉〈1 line〉uctyng the commodities and in∣commodities of this lyfe i〈1 line〉〈1 line〉to theyr particular kyndes, & that we praye for the auoyding of those daungers which are noth〈1 line〉〈1 line〉g neare vs, as from lightning and thundring in the myddest of wynter, from stor〈1 line〉〈1 line〉e & tempest, when the weather is most faire, and the seas most calme. &c. It is true that vpon some vrgent calamities prayer may and ought to be fra〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ed, which may begge eyther the com∣moditie,

for want whereof the churche is in distresse, or the turning away of that mischiefe, whiche eyther approcheth, or which is already vppon it, but to make those prayers which are for the present tyme and daunger, ordynary and daily prayers, I cannot hitherto see any either scrupture or exam∣ple of the primitiue churche. And here for the symples sake, I will set downe after what sort this abuse crept into the churche.

Io. Whitgifte.

I thinke you doe confesse and acknowledge that it is lawefull to praye for things whiche perteine to this present lyfe: if you should denie it, I coulde confute you by the prayer that Iacob made to be deliuered from the handes of his brother Esau, Ge, 32. and by sundrye of the Psalmes, and diuers examples in the Gospell, of such as craued the like thinges at Christes handes, and obteined their desyre: howe many such pray∣ers be in the booke of common prayer, it skilleth not, so long as you cannot proue them to be other than godly and necessarie.

If in euery prayer we make some petition for temporall thinges, we doe but imi∣tate and followe that prayer which Christe hath prescribed vnto vs, both as a moste necessarie prayer, and as a rule also to frame and forme all our prayers by. You might as well proue that we ought not so often to aske remission and forgiuenesse of our synnes, bicause of seuen petitions, there is but one onelye bestowed that waye. Howe farre therefore this reason is from godlynesse and reason, the godly and reaso∣nable Reader may i〈1 line〉〈1 line〉dge.* 1.1

All thinges we praye for tende to the glo〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ie of God, who is the authour and giuer of all thinges, both eternall and temporal. Things that are to be prayed for, are of two sortes, the o〈1 line〉〈1 line〉e temporall, the other eternall: but they both perteyne to the glorie of God though not equally and in lyke manner.

The wyse man sayeth, in the dayes of prosperitie thinke of aduersitie. &c. Christe Math. 24. forewarning his disciples of the external afflictions and euils, which should* 1.2 happen as well before the destruction of Ierusalem, as the ende of the worlde, willeth* 1.3 them to praye before the daunger be present, saying: Praye that your flight bee not in wynter, nor vpon the sabbath, and will you not ha〈1 line〉〈1 line〉e vs to praye for deliueraun〈1 line〉〈1 line〉e from* 1.4 such perilles and daungers wherevnto we be subiect, except they be present? shall we not praye to be deliuered from thundering & lightening, stormeand tempest, plague and pesti∣lence and such like, except we be in manifest perill and daunger, these things beyng in Gods handes to punishe vs with, euen in a moment, and when we thinke it moste vnlike? haue we not sundrie examples of such as haue sodenly perished with thun∣dering and lightening, and some sithence the publishing of your booke? what scripture* 1.5 haue you or authoritie of any learned man to the contrarie? wyll you be credited vp∣your bare worde against so many graue, learned, wyse and godly men, that 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ad the penning and allowing of that booke? surely that were against all order and reason: and it is to great presumption for you with so light and slender reasons to go aboute the ouerthrowe of that, which so many godly and learned men haue both liked and al∣lowed, except they had allowed that which the scriptures do disalowe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  All things to be prayed for tende to the glorie of God.
• * 1.2

  Prayers be∣〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 daunger.
• * 1.3

  E〈1 line〉〈1 line〉cle. 11.
• * 1.4

  Math. 24.
• * 1.5

  The presum〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 tion of the Re plier.