.. Of the TVorfoipping to t!,e posre, Iubn '3· 19. And !aft of all, the .Agapa: or lo'lJe-fe~ Chriltians for releefe of the poore, doe mofl plainly cxprelfethatt ~ meane. In place ?f which ~when they after proved incon~enient) f~cceeded theChriftzan Offertom. And la!tly, whereas we continue in the 'DoBrineandPrayers of the Church, we doe many times di[continue this action a whole yearetog • ther. Thefe long intermiilions (fo that, if it bepanis annuuo,oncca yee~e received, we thinke our duty difcharged) are alfo (no doubt) afecond imagination in our common practice. For fi1re, we fhould continue alfo in this part, and the frequenting of it, ifnot fo often as the Primitive Church did (which, either thrice in the weeke, or at the furthefi once did communicate) yet, as often as the Church doth celebrate . whi~h (I thin:ke) fhould do better to celeb~atemoreoften. And rhofdexceptions which commonly we alleage to d1flurbe our felves for that action make us no leffe meet for prayers than for it. For except a manaband~n the purpofe offin, Pfol. 66. 18. and except he be in Charity, Mat. 6. 14. he is no more fit topray than to communicate ; and therefore lhould ab.flaine from the one as well as from the other : Or, to fay the truth, fbould by renewing himfelfe in both thefe points, make himfelfe meet for both, continuing no leffe in thebre.Wngofbread, than inprayers anddoEfrine, 11 11. · Imttt.intttions touchingprayers. As the formerwas the moll fpeciall lm~gillatim exercife ofa Chriltian, and chiefefl in dignity . So this is themoll <>e. touching nerall and chic:fdl:in ufe. Therefore he puts it i~ theplurall number /'as PraJ(T'!· "if, both inpreacbing,cenfuring,andcommunicating, it hadhis ufe; as indeed it hath. 'Before aU tl,ings (t 1lm.z.1.) b1 all tl1ings ( 1 The[.;. 17.) After aO t/,ings (EpheJ. 6. 18. Num. 6. ~erje ult.) And in this alfo we want not phanfies: In this age efpecially, whcrein,an idle conceit is taken up,thac never came into the heads of anJ'ofrhe old heretikes, though never fo Luk;n.u. brain-fickeoncetoimagine: Our SAVIOUR CH R 1sT thuswil– \eth us, Wben yee pray, fay, Our FAT HE a, &c. Amofl fond imagina. tton is fl:art up in our times, never once dreamed ofbefore, that rdlerh us; in no cafe we mufl: fay, Our FAT HE R,&c. with which form (if Saint Auguftinebe to be beleeved as a witneffe of antiquity) the univc:r~ fall Church of CH R 1s T, hath ever ufed to begin and end all herpray. ers, Bp. 59· as flriving indeed by divers otherformesmarelargelyto expreffe the fenfe of that prayer, but not beingabletocome neerethc high arc, and moll excellent fpirit of perfection in that pattern, they al– waies conclude with it; as beingfure, howfoeverrheymay ford1vers defects not attaine to the depth ofit ; and by it, they fhall be fure to ?eg all things neceffary at GoD's hands. This, Inamedfirll,becauleltlS appropriate to our times. Belides, _;1s t_h_e<:;h ___ u_r_~~ o_f _rJ\!lm_~ ha~~- her_ ima•inations couching - - ··- <:> ·- •· - Prayers
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