Fides Catholica, or, The doctrine of the Catholick Church in eighteen grand ordinances referring to the Word, sacraments and prayer, in purity, number and nature, catholically maintained, and publickly taught against hereticks of all sorts : with the solutions of many proper and profitable questions sutable to to [sic] the nature of each ordinance treated of / by Wil. Annand ...

Quest. 1. Whether men by Industry may obtaine a prompt∣nesse in prayer.

This question taketh its rise, from the practise of those igno∣rant pretenders to the spirit of prayer; whose devotion in a great

2.The external forme which consists in the gestures of the body must be considered, God will be worshipped with the whole man, that is both soul and body.

We have them that pretending to inward worship, will not give God outward service; but we shall find the Saints both in the old and new Testament using their bodies in this duty of prayer, both in the generall and some particular parts of it.

• 1. The body in general, and that in different gestures, as pro∣stration, Numb., 16.22. Kneeling, Acts 20.36. Standing, Luk 18.13. Lying, Isa. 38.12. (a) Sitting 2 Sam. 7.18 leap∣ing,* 1.1 Act. 3.8.
• 2. We have some particular parts of the body exercised in this ordinance in a particular sort, as the head, eyes, hands mouth or tongue.
  • 1. The head, and that bowed down, 2 Chro. 29.30. noteing the reverence they bore to him in their hearts. It is also called a bowing with the face, and once was done so low as the very ground of the pavement, 2 Chro. 7.3.
  • 2. The eyes and they, sometimes cast down, Luk. 18.13. noteing humility, and sometime cast up, Iohn 12.41. noteing, faith.
  • 3. The hands, and they spread abroad, noteing fulnesse of grief, Ezra. 9.5, and also fulnesse of joy, 1 King. 8.22, holding forth anger to throw a way the thing prayed against, and a desire to receave the thing prayed for.

  Again the hands are lifted up, noteing zeal of Gods glory Psal. 63.4. and sincerity of heart, Lam. 3.41. In praying and noteing an appeal to God inswearing, Gen. 14.22. Dan. 12.7. further they finite some parts of the body at the breast, noteing sorrow, Luk. 18.13. as the thigh noteing shame and guilt, Iere. 31.19.

• 3. The tongue: this needs no proof it is so clear and so com∣monly known.

And was there not a cause, to use the severall parts of the body in his service; did the Saints do this without a reason?

1.The body is Gods as well as the soul, it is a creature

measure, consisted in hums, and haws, way faces, and strained words, not being prompt in their extemporary deliveries, which to a voyd, and that the weak Christian may have where with to expresse himself in a prompt and decent manner, let him practise those known following rules.

• 1. Be observant of the providences of God to themselves or others, that they ether know, hear or see, this evil befalling now upon such, and this good being given to others, our own deliverance in such a danger, and anothers being left in the same danger; will afford abundance of matter in prayer.
• 2. Be studious of the Scriptures of God, by observing and heading the promises, threatnings, and passages therein, a great furtherance shall they be to him that intends to go to God by prayer.
• 3. Be often in the pactise of prayer. In this use may go a great way, and bares a great stroake, men that have great parts may lose them by not useing of them, and they that have small parts with exercise, may abundantly improve them.
• ••. Be frequent in examinings the turnings and windings of the heart, the vanity, and folly and wickednesse that lodge therein, will bring in great store of provision to that part of prayer, Con∣fession.
• 5. Be strengthening the heart in the doctrine of faith, this will make a man bold, confident, which will also make him prompt and fluent.
• 6. Be studious in reading practical Divinity which treasures the soul with abundance of found knowledge, and that affords matter of meditation, and that again in prayer is brought forth with abundance of advantage.
• 7. Call upon God for the Spirit of prayer, not that I mean thou shouldst desire the spirit imediatly to act upon the heart and mind, and then upon the tongue, (as some fond ones in those dayes) for it may be aquestion whether that prayer would be lawfull, in regard that whatever is sayd upon that ground is equall to what was delivered by the Apostles, and equally bind∣ing

• the whole Church of God, and to be a rule and canon of faith to all that hears thee so pray, and Indeed some mens zeal in calling up a spirit of prayer, gave breath to their Impu∣dence who pretended a spirit of preaching; which spread so farre that even womens preaching hath been taught to be as Infallible as St. Pauls, and their sayings to be received under the pain of damnation, as well as the sayings of our Lord.

By the Spirit of prayer therefore we understand two things.

• 1. The spirit of Justification, to sprin le the soul of Christ. of sanctification to wash away all uncleannesse, called the wash∣ing of regeneration, Tit. 3.5. which spirit wherever it is, is ac∣compained with a desire to pray, and disposeth the soul to pray, though it were but in groans, and wishes, Rom. 8.26. and by ob∣serveing the rules before given, having obtained this gift, the soul may not only gro••ne, but speake unto God its de∣sires.
• 2. The graces of the spirit, or fruits of the Spirit, as Faith, Humility, Charity, &c. with whcih graces whosoever prays by the spirit, and the humble or faith∣full soul, shall by putting in practise the rules before given make known their humble and faithfull petitions with good, apt, orderly and found words, as well as with unseigned lips.

Notes

• * 1.1

  (a) This gesture we read of only in this place and that privatly.