vpon the Lords Prayer. i a tention.But my vnderttanding to pray and the language to b e orange to me that I. pray in, is jmpoflible, therfore fàrre was yprtan from this folly. S. Chrfoflome a. Deorat.De, gaine the like, and manymo, that I fpare to name in this briefe treatifc. The fa- v orersof Rome in later daies law this truth, and- yeilded their tetlimonies plaine- ly for it. Lyra and Thomas of.Aquin fpare not toauouchit, that the common fern ice in the Primatiue Church was euer in the common vulgar tongue that the people did underhand. That earnett and as fome thinke, thong defender of the contrary to this, by the power of a truth is drawen to thefevery words : that Dixi io. S. in the Primatiue Church the prayers were made in a common tongue knowen to the people, for faultof their further infiruetion, and it was fo necelfary to bee. And againe in an other places It were good the peoplehauing humble and reue- `Diisifo. 3 t é rent hearts vnderttood theferuice, I deny it not, And wheras they fay they can as heartily,as earnefily,andwith asvehementanaffettion pray,although they know not what they fay, may they not fee their own Dottor fay the contrary flatly,and a man of no common learning? Si popular intelliQit orationem Sacerdoti,, meliue re- Lyra in discitur adDeum, Z% demo-tut refpondet, Amen. that is, if the people vnderftaisd the Cor, r.}, prayer of the Prieft, they are the better brought vnto God, and with more deuo- tionfarre,anhvere, Amen, Now there is the famereafon of their deuotion open- ly, and of our own privately. May they not fee it plainely affirmed, uo mode An great. potet debiteDee pfallere qui nonintellgitquid pfellit. How can he tightly fittgvnto inPfal God that vnderttandeth not himfelte that he fingeth ? as if hee fhould fay it can- not be, it is impolftble, and not to be hoped for. Lau ofall is it not an old faying grounded vpon a true reafon,Ignotime & ef}cispids:There is no delire of the thing that we know not: and nodelreIthi like isa very cold af feeion, Let vs end then this point oftheptattife and iudgernent of men with that decree of Pope Innocent the third in the Counfell of Latently, about the- yeare ofthe Lord r zoo, that in fuch Cities as fhould be concourfe of people of diners nations, the Bithop fhould take order that euery people fhould haue a Pallor of their ownlanguage,which might ferue them, and minifler visco them in the fame. A thing very worthy ob- feruing, that euen with the Pope himfelfe the truth of this caufe, that Prayers ought to be vnderflood lhould,tpreuaile. We haue feene then God,and we haue frenemenagainfl this great corruption and hinderance ofour Prayer, and men both in praife and iudgement. What if we ioyne now for conclufion of ally eryopen reafon again ft it ?I t may do good. For truly euen this flickerh fo deepe in this behalfe, as any Chritlian heart may feare euer to come before the Lord with Prayet in this order. For is it not one, and a very fingular vie ofour prayers, to ftrengthen and frame our Faith by the experience of mercies asked and receiued atour God his hands 3 It working euer in vs a trufl,a hope, yea, an vnfpeakable comfort, that he will be as he bath been, being no changeling in himfelfe, and that whom he bath heard fo gracioufly, fo readily,and fo often, with graunt of their delires, thofe he will euer heave, and (lil heare.in their right and lawfull praiers, to the praife of his mercie, and the ioyof them his feruantt in their diflre!l'es? Now this fi ngular vie and profite as I fay of praier are they depriuedof,that vie to pray in a fitange tongue, for ifany partial.; lar beneSte bee giuen them, they know not whether it bath come at their in- treacle r or no, becaufe they know not what they haue praied for, and fotecciue they no fore and certaine tellirnonie ofthe Lords helpe and goodnelle to them, to the comfort of their hearts at all times when they (hall need againe to canyon him. And therfore if this bee ablelling to haue true experience, nay thòufatsds ofexperiences of the Lords fweet fauour to vs, then mutt it needs be a dangerous thing to our Faith, that robbeth vs ofalland entry triall ofour God. Therfore let but even reafon fpeak in this caufe, & itwill conclude veto our con- fciencesthus, thatforafmuchas petitions known- ofvs to be made by vs to the Lord, and ofhim granted to vs, (which is done when we vndertland ourpraiers) dot
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