An exposition of the Lords Prayer made in diuers lectures, and now drawne into questions and answers for the greater benefite of the simpler sort: whereunto is prefixed a briefe treatise of prayer for all men. Published at the request of diuers godly and well disposed: by W. B. minister of the Word at Reading in Barkshire.

Now of this word, Our.

Q. Why doth the Lord Iesus teach vs to say, Our Father, rather then my father?

A. For diuers causes:

• 1. To teach vs that true prayer is tied to Church of God onely, and therefore requireth of necessitie vnitie with the same.

Q. What reason can you giue for this?

A. My reason is this: We cannot pray aright▪ except God be our father in Christ; if God be our father in Christ, then we be his children; if wee bee his children, then are we also brethren to his children; if we bee brethren to them; then haue wee true faith and loue; if wee haue true faith and loue, then are we knit to Christ, and one to another: if we bee so, then are wee of the true Church of Christ.

Q. What is wee were not of the Church?

A. They that are not of the Church, can

not make this prayer.

Q. Why then belike of necessitie we ought to haue vnitie with the true Church, in faith, and doctrine, and sub∣stance of religion.

A. It is very true: for as wee haue our father adopting vs, and making vs his children, so here we professe that we hold our faith with all the members of Gods Church, and holde one and the selfe same true religion and worship of God with them: yea, and all that can say this prayer truely, are ioyned in vnitie of faith and re∣ligion, in respect of the substance.

Q. What think you then of Schis∣matiques, which doe separate them∣selues from the publique exercises of the Church?

A. It followeth therfore, that no Schis∣matiques can truely say, Our Father, be∣cause in their hellish pride they coumpt the children of GOD none of their bre∣thren.

Q. What els doth this word [our] teach?

A. Secondly, it teacheth vs that wee must haue Christian loue vnto all men,

without the dishonor of God, and breach of a good conscience. See 1. Ioh. 5. 1.

Q. What els doth it teach vs?

A. Thirdly, it putteth vs in minde of that sympathie and fellow-feeling of our brethrens miseries, which may moue vs to helpe them euen when we can, & haue fit occasion: for we are all as members of one and the same bodie by faith: there∣fore if one bee hurt, all must helpe; if one bee grieued, all must bee grieued; and if one reioyce, all must reioyce. See the pla∣ces quoted.

Q. May we not say at any time, My father, but alwayes Our father?

A. Yes as in sicknesse, pouertie, &c. so that wee haue a care of others aswell as of our selues: for in prayer al pride and selfe-loue must be quite shut out.

Q. What els may wée gather from this word, Our?

A. Fourthly, it banisheth all pride and disdaine of our brethren, and breedeth all humilitie, and lowlines, yea, and it teach∣eth vs to haue a base conceit of our selues, and a reuerend opinion of others, yea e∣uen of the simplest, if they feare God, and

haue the spirit of adoption (which God knoweth) for then are they the sonnes and daughters of the same father that wee haue, or professe to haue.

Q. What? must superiours, and men of authoritie, which haue great places & callings, so far humble themselues vn∣to simple & poore Christians, as you say?

A. Yea, that they must, if they will call God their father, and (to deale plainly) no superiour can vse this prayer aright, before they so abase themselues, that they take the most simple, and meanest Christians that are for their brethren, and so likewise vse them.

Q. Some will not be called brethren, nor call others by that name: for they hold this name of brother or sister, (e∣specially in Christ) to be a most odious name, & they vse it (if they do vse it at al) in scorne and reproch, accompting them Puritanes, &c. Which vse such kinde of spéeches: what say you of them?

A. Surely, I thinke that they doe much forget thēselues: for howsoeuer they will seeme to deny & defie y^• name of brother & sister, out of prayer, ••et in prayer (if they

pray as they ough••) they doe confesse it: except they doe mocke and dissemble with God, (which is no small sinne) for God cannot be our father, except the rest of his children and true Christians, be our brethren.

Q. If superiours must so abase them∣selues, as to take the simplest and mea∣nest for their brethren, and so their e∣quals, then you shall agrée with the A∣nabaptists, which would haue no di∣stinction, nor difference to bee allowed betwéene the Prince and subiect, the Magistrate and people, betwéene one and another, but all must be as one.

A. No sir, that is not my meaning, farre be it from me, for there must bee degrees of persons, of callings, and of estates, and there must be a distinction between Ma∣gistrates and inferiours, for the auoyding of disorder, and confusion, and mainte∣nance of peace, which is Gods ordinance, or els all should be head, or all should be foote, &c. which were as monsterous and absurd in the bodie politicall, as it would be in a bodie naturall.

Q. If that bee not your meaning,

then what is your meaning?

A. This I meane, and affirme, that all those which haue any prerogatiue aboue others, should consider, that though they bee aboue others in things of this world, yet others may be aboue them in heauen∣ly things, and equall with them in respect of their heauenly father, who hath called vs all with a heauenly calling to a heauen∣ly inheritance.

Q. How may this poynt bee confir∣med?

A. By the testimonie of holy scripture. When S. Paul would perswade masters to deale well by thier seruants, he vseth this as a reason: that they haue a master in heauen, with whom is no respect of per∣sons. And this is the Apostles meaning, when he sayth: There is neither Iewe, nor Grecian, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Iesus: In the 26. verse hee sheweth the reason why, and how: For, ••e are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus. And for this cause it is sayd: The King shall haue the booke of the law by him, that he exalt not himself aboue his brethrē.

For want of the true knowledge of this poynt, the Corinthiās despised the poore, and would not receiue the Lords Supper with them: and therefore the Apostle re∣proueth them, and willeth them to tarrie one for another.

Q. How can his equalitie and supe∣rioritie stand together, and be acknow∣ledged on both sides at one time, and in one place, and in one action busines?

A. Very well: as they do in the publike assemblies and exercises of the Church, where: 1. That a distinction & difference of persons & degrees may appeare, (for a∣uoiding of confusiō, &c.) euery man hath his place appointed according to his wor∣thines, in respect of office, or calling, or learning, or degree, or birth, or wealth, &c. then 2. That it may likewise appeare that we are all brethren, hauing one God, whom we call (Our father) in the merites of Christ, and because all by one faith be∣leeue one Sauiour, and look all by him for one kingdome, therefore there is also in to∣ken thereof a communitie & equalitie of diuers things, without any respect of per∣sons.

Q. How doe you meane that?

A. Not as the Anabaptistes, which would haue all things common: but my meaning is this: There is not one place for the poore, & another for the rich, one Mi∣nister for the greater learned, and another for the lesse learned: one Sabboth for supe∣riours, & another for inferiours: one water for the baptizing of great mens children, and another for poore mens children: one bread and wine for the veluet gowne, and another for the frize gowne: But on the contrarie in the reformed Churches of Christ, there is one place of meeting for all, one pastour to instruct all, one Sab∣both to bee kept of all, one font, and one water for the baptizing of al, one time for the receiuing of all: and at the Lords Supper, all receiue together, all partake of the same bread, and wine, all drinke of the same cuppe, and all giue thankes by the same spirite, for the same benefites: and where it is not so, it should bee so.

Q. You haue satisfied mee for that poynt: but haue you any thing els to note vpon this word (Our)?

A. Yea, it teacheth vs further, that if we bee of the number of Gods children, then all the faithfull in al places doe commend vs to God in their prayers, euen as them∣selues: and amongst those there are some Abrahams, some Moses, some Elias, some Iobes, &c. whose prayers are more effec∣tuall then others.

Q. What? and is this such a bene∣fite?

A. Yea, it is a great benefite: for if wee feele not that zeale, and power of faith, &c. in prayer, which we desire, yet we are not to bee discouraged, for that is euer in some of them which is wanting in vs: and Christ hath so framed this prayer, that say∣ing it, wee cannot chuse but pray as well for others, as for our selues.

Q. But will not this make men neg∣ligent in prayer?

A. No, this is not to make any negligēt in prayer, but to strengthen those that are diligent.

Q. If you haue any thing els to ob∣serue from these wordes [Our father] note it briefly that wee may goe for∣ward?

A. But one thing more I drawe out of them, and that is a confirmation of two maine poynts:

• 1. Concerning particular faith in ap∣plying Christs merites vnto our felues.
• 2. The certaintie of our saluation.

For the first, when I say Our father, I am taught to call GOD, my father, and so Christ my redeemer, &c. for when I ex∣clude my selfe, I cannot truely say, Our father.

For the second, I know that God being my father, he loueth me, and that I shall be partaker of saluation: for whom he lo∣ueth once he loueth for euer: therefore my saluation is certaine and sure.

Notes

• 1. Doctrine.
• 2. Doctrine.
• 3. Doctrine.
• Rom. 12. 15.
• Heb. 13. 3.
• 1. Pet. 4. 10.
• Iam. 5. 16.
• 4. Doctrine.
• Rom. 12.
• Obiect.
• Ephes. 6. 9.
• Galath. 3. 28.
• Deut. 17. 18. 19. 20.
• 1. Cor. 11. 33.
• 5. Doctrine.
• 6. Doctrine.