"594 Cafes about Prayer. ------------------------- But yet it's poflible for them to fpeak thtfc words from fuch co.~mmon· dejiru as are not fO bld as none at aU. !j0cj!.. q. ~· 13· Qlefi. 13• h it Idolatry to Pray to Sai11tJ or AngtiJ l Or i< it alwayujinful? . P.a .6). 2. tht[r:r. I love not to be too quarrclfome with other mens devotions : But 1. 1 fee not how I([' 6; t6. 8 Praying to an Angel or a deputed Saint can be cxcufed from lin : Becaufe it fuppofcth them to ; ~~ ~.V.',•IJ. · be t~ery where pref:nr, or to be Omnifcient, and ro know the hear~. yea to kno": at once the hearts AtJ. 1 , }. 4 . of a,I men; or elfc the fpeakct prctcndeth to know when the S.unt or Angel 15 prefcnt and hear~ Rom. 8. 17. eth him and when not : And bccaufe the Scripture doth nowhere fignitie: that God would ~1 ave tl'i & ' 06~48 puy to any fuch .Slints or Angds :, but lignifieth enough to fatistic us of the contruy. 2 , But ~~;:-'l·w~. · all prayer to them IS nnt Tdolatry, lmt fome is, ~nd therefore we m11fl diflingui01, if we will judge rightcouJly. I· To puy to SJinls or An~cls as fuppofed Omniprcfent, O:nnilcient or O.nnipotenr is Au ldo\atr)'. 2. To pray to them to Forgipt zu our finJ a~,.ainjl Gud, or to Jultihe, or S.mCbfie 0 ; Red con or favc us from H-:11, or any thing which bdongeth to God only to do, is no better than Idolatry. 3· But to pray to them only w do that which be.longeth to the guardian or charitable R_cv. u. s, 9· ofli.-:c that is committed to them, and to think that though they are nor Onmiprefent nor Omnifci– Co~. ~- ,g, enr, nor you ~now_ not. whether they hear you at this t.imc or not, yet you will venture your pray– ers at unct:rrauuy, H be10g bur fo much labour lofi ; th1s I rake to be finfully {t1pcrjiitiour, bur nor Idolatry. 4· But to pray to living Sliots or Sinners, for that which belongeth to them to give, is r,o fin at all. §0rft. 14• ~. 14· Q_lefi. 14:• It a maH lo>nd to pray ordiNarily in hi< family l Anfw. l have anlwered this ;,ffi.rrnativeJy before, and proved it: One grain of grac~ would anf~ver it better than arguments can do. fferf1. I 5• ~· 1 5• Q!cfi. IS· Muff the famt malt P"Y fecretl)'th•t bath pr>yrd in hit fJmily or n•ith otiJtfll Anfw. J, Diflinguilh between thofe that were the JPtak,rn, and thofc that were not ; and 2. B·:rwecn thofe that have lcifure from greater or JY.ore urgent duties, and thofe that have nor. And fo J. Thofc that are free from the urgency of all other duties, which at th:Jt time art grtater, (houid pray both in the family and in [ecrrr: efprcially if they were not themfelvcs the fpeakers 1 ufu 3 1!y they will have the more need of fccret I>rayer: becaufe their hearts in publick may eafilicr fhg, and much of their cafe may be omitted. 2. But thofe that have more urgent gre~tcr duties m"t' rake ; rJ~k thr f ' up ¥ at tb.lt time wilh family-prayer alone\ (with fecret ejaculations ; cfpecial\y if they' were the rh?.;~;.] ' · Speaktrs:) havin·g there put up the fame rrquells as they would do in ftcrcr. f<.!rjl. 1 6. · ~· t6. Q_lefi. 16. It it bejl to /;!ep fit h'"" for prayer, or to ta/;f tbe timt rr>hicb i< fitujl at prt· fim l A~tfrr. Ordinarily fer rimes will p.rovc the fitte£l t'1mes; and to Ieavc the rime undetermined ami uncertain, will put all out of ordtr, and multiply impediments, and hinder duty. Bur yet when ex~ traordinary caf<:s make the ordin.uy time unfit, a titter time mufi be taken. ~eft. 17· 9· IJ· QueA. IJ· It it larr>fHI to joyn i• family (.er Church) praym with ltn?,odly men l At~jw. ) joyn both together, becaufe the cafes little differ: For the P11jlorhath the Governmtnt of the people in Cburch-worlhip, as the MaOer of the family hath in family-worlhip : You may choofe at firH whether you will be a mcrnb:r of the Church or family (if you were not born ro it as your , privilcdge ) ; But when you arc a member of either, you mufi be Governed as members. And to the cafe, 1 Yuu mufl diflinguifh between Profiffrd wick._td men, and thofe that fin againft their pro– fdfion. 2· And between afamily (or Church) that is totaVy n•ick,.ed, and thn which is mix:t of good and bad. 3· And between thofc: wicked ~en whofe prefencc is your fm, becaufe you have pawcr to remove lhem, and thofe whofe prtft:nce is not your fin, nor the matrer in your power. 4• And between one th<~.t may yet cboo[t of rrb.Jt f;mily he will be, and one that rn.ty not. And lo 1anfwer, I· If it be the fault of the M•ficr of the family (or the Pafiorsof the Church) that fuch wicked mm are thcrt, a11d not cafi out, then it is their fin to joyn with them, becaufc it is their d11ty 1o remove them : But that is not the cafe of the fellow-fervants (or people,) that have no power. 2. If that wicked men profcji their wickednefs, after· fufficient admonition, you mull: profdfedly difown co01munion with them: And then you are morally fLparared and'difchargcd, when you have not powtr loc.tL) to fcpararc. 3· lt is your fin to fly from your duty, becaufe a wicked man is there, whom you have no power to remove. 4• There are many prayers that a wick.ed man isbound to pwt up ro God : And you mufi not omit your duty 1 becaufe he ptrformttb hil, though faultily : M' thinks you lhould more fcruple joyning or converfing with one that forfakerh Prayer ( which is the greater fin ) than with one that prayerh. 5· But It you are free to choofe, you arc to be bhmed if you wil111ot choofe a bttttr f•mily (or Church,) (other rhi11gs being equal; ; dpccia!ly ifaU the company be wicked. !t.f!rf1. 1 g, ~· 18. QJcfi. 18. l!1tt.what if thr Ma/lrr of tht f•mily (or Pajlor ) bt a Heretic~ or Hngodly l Anfw. You muti difiinguifh between his perfonaJ f.mltJ, and the faults of his perfl)rm>l;rce or worjhip. · His pcrf.ma~ [a11fti ( fi.1ch as ~wearing or drunkennefs, &c. ) you mull difown, and mull nor choo[t a MaJ1er (or PJf\or) 'lhat is fuch, while you have your choice, and may have better: Btt[ othcrwifc it is lawful to joyn with him in doing good, though not in evil. But.if the fault of hjs Duty it frlf be imolcrabJe you muO: not joyn with him : Now it is intolrrablt m thefe cafes, 1 • In cafe: lie be utterly unable to exprefs a prayer, and fo make it no prayer. 2· I~ ca{e he bend his prayers againHG"diinrfi, and '<..nown 1'ruth, and Cb.zriJy and Peace, and [o make h1s prayers but the lnfhuments ol (11ifchief, ro vent hcrcfie, or mahcc:, and do more hurt th1n good to othm.
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