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times with the frankincense of this prayer, taught unto you by your Saviour Christ: the perfume whereof, if it be cast into the burning coals of faith and charity, it pierceth the clouds, and is so sweet and pleasant unto God, that it vanisheth not away until it have obtained that thing that it was sent for. For it is written, that "the prayer of a just man can do much with God," and "the eyes of the Lord do look upon the righ teous, and his ears he opened to hear their prayers."

Wherefore study you to be the children of God, and there is no doubt but your heavenly Father will give all good things, which you shall desire of him, in the name of his Son, and your Brother, Jesus Christ, to whom be all glory, now and ever. Amen.

JEWELL'S APOLOGY OF THE CHURCH.

We pray (as it is fit we should) in that tongue our people do all understand, that the people, as St. Paul admonisheth, may reap a common advantage by the common prayers, as all the holy fathers, and catholic bishops, not only in the Old, but in the New Testament also, did ever pray, and teach the people to pray, lest, as St. Augustine saith, We should, like parrots, and other prating birds, seem to sound words which we did not understand.

We have no mediator and intercessor by whom we approach to God the Father but Jesus Christ, in whose name only all things are obtained. But that which we see done in their churches is base and heathenish; not only because they have set up an infinite number of intercessors, without any authority of the Word of God; so that, as Jeremiah saith, according to the number of thy cities, so are thy gods; so that miserable men know not which to apply themselves to; and though they are innumerable, yet they have ascribed to each of them their office, and what was to be obtained, had, and received from each of them; but also because they have not only impiously, but impudently, solicited the Virgin Mary, that she would remember she is a mother; that she would be pleased to command her Son; and that she would make use of the authority she hath over him.

NOWELL'S CATECHISM.

Of Prayer and Thanksgiving.

Master. Thou hast in good time made mention of Prayer. For now thou hast ended the 'declaration of the Law of God, and of the Creed, that is to say, the Christian confession, it followeth next to speak of Prayer, and of thanks giving which is nearly conjoined to it: for these

are in order knit, and fitly hanging together with the rest.

Scholar. They be, indeed, most nearly joined, for they belong to the First Table of God's Law, and do contain the principal duties of godliness toward God.

Mast.

In declaring of Prayer, what order shall we follow?

Scho. This order, Master, if it so please you : first, to shew who is to be prayed unto: secondly, with what affiance: thirdly, with what affection of heart: and, fourthly, what is to be prayed for.

Mast. First, then, tell me who thou thinkest is to be called upon ?

Scho, Surely, none but God alone.

Mast. Why so?

Scho. Because our life and salvation standeth in the hand of God alone, in whose power are all things. Sith then God doth give us all that is good, and that a Christian ought to wish and desire; and sith he alone is able, in every danger, to give help and succour, and to drive away all perils: it is meet that of him we ask all things, and in all distresses flee to him alone, and crave his help. For this he himself, in his Word, asketh and requireth, as the peculiar and proper worshipping of his majesty.

Mast. Dost thou then say, that we must use Prayer and Supplication, like as all other duties of godliness, according to the prescription of God's Word, or else we cannot please God?

Scho. Yea, verily; for every offence in religion is committed by changing the order and manner appointed by God.

. Mast. Hitherto, then, thou hast said, that God alone is to be called upon, putting all our trust in him, and that to him all things, as to the spring-head of all good things, are to be imputed; now followeth next to declare with what confidence we wretched mortal men, that are so many ways unworthy, ought to call upon the immortal God.

Scho. We are, indeed, every way unworthy. But we thrust not ourselves in, proudly and arrogantly, as if we were worthy, but we come to him in the name and upon the trust of Christ our Mediator, by whom the door being opened to us, though we be most base silly wretches, made of clay and slime, oppressed with conscience of our own sins, we shall not be forbidden to enter, nor shall have hard access to the majesty of God, and to the obtaining of his favour.

Mast. We need not, then, for access to God, some man to be our mean or interpreter, to commend and declare our suit unto him, as it were unto some worldly prince.

Scho. Nothing less; unless we will think that God is as men be, bound to one place; that he cannot understand many things but by his servants; that he sometimes sleepeth, or hath not leisure to hear. For, as touching our unworthiness, we have already said, that our Prayers stand in confidence, not upon any thing in us,

but upon the only worthiness of Christ, in whose

name we pray.............

Mast. Go on then.

Scho. The sum is this, that we must come to call upon God the Father, resting upon the affiance of the promises made to us by Christ, and trusting upon his intercession, leaving all respect of our own worthiness, and framing our Prayers, as it were, out of the mouth of Christ; which doing, as it is most agreeable to the truth of the Scriptures, so it is most far from the fault of arrogance and presumption.

Mast. Thinkest thou that they which so pray to God as thou sayest, ought to have a good hope to obtain what they ask?

Scho. The Lord himself doth also command us to ask with sure faith, making therewith a promise, and adding an oath, that it shall be given us whatsoever we ask with faith. And likewise his Apostles do teach that right Prayer proceedeth from faith. Therefore we must alway lay this most assured foundation of Prayer, that, resting upon sure trust of his fatherly goodness, we must determine that God will hear our Prayers and Petitions, and that we shall obtain so far as it is expedient for us. Therefore they that come rashly and inconsiderately to Prayer, and such as pray doubting and uncertain of their speeding, they do without fruit pour out vain and bootless words.

Mast. I see with what confidence thou sayest

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