A godly and learned exposition of Christs Sermon in the Mount

The use. I. From the union of this word with the petitions, we learn,¹ that every child of God must believe particularly and certainly the pardon of his own sins, & endeavour by grace to attain thereunto, if as yet he cannot be persuaded of it. This the Papists deny, teaching that a man must only believe in general, that remission of sins belongs to Gods Church, & hope well for himself; and they make it presumption for a man to arrogate particular certainty unto himself. But it is no presumption, because we must believe to receive from God that we ask according to his will: now God bids us ask forgiveness of our particular sins, & therefore we must believe it, & so by faith may be assured of it: as for their general faith, it differeth not from the faith of devils, for they believe there is remission of sins in Gods church. And to say we hope well when we are not assured by faith, is to bewray both ignorance & negligence in the matter of our salvation: for faith is the ground of things hoped for, & therefore their hope without faith must needs be a blind presumption. And here further we may note, that by their opinion they abolish a great part of the Gospel; for with the gracious promises of mercy in Christ made therein, the Gospel commandeth every penitent person that believeth, to apply the same promises particularly to himself; & this part of it they cut off, & so deprive the child of God of all² true comfort. II. This testification of our faith joined to our requests, shows that all prayer ought to be made in a known tongue, for else the assent & affiance of the heart cannot be given together. Ob. The word here used is an hebrew word, which was unknown to the Greek churches, now if one word of main use in prayer, may be in unknown tongue, why may not many, & so a whole prayer. Ans. Though this word Amen be hebrew, yet by use it became as familiar & well known in the Greek Church, & so in other Churches, as any word of their own dialect; as many Latin words (as nisi prius, and other terms of law) by common use, become familiar and well known in our English tongue.

The vse. I. Frō the vnion of this word with the petitions, we learne,¹ that euery child of God must beleeue particularly and certenly the pardon of his own sinnes, & endeauour by grace to attaine thereunto, if as yet he cannot be perswaded of it. This the Papists denie, teaching that a man must onely beleeue in generall, that remission of sinnes belongs to Gods Church, & hope well for himselfe; and they make it presumption for a man to arrogae particular certenty vnto himselfe. But it is no presumption, because we must beleeue to receiue frō God that we aske according to his will: now God bids vs aske forgiuenes of our particular sinnes, & therfore we must beleeue it, & so by faith may be assured of it: as for their generall faith, it differeth not from the faith of deuills, for they beleeue there is remission of sinnes in Gods church. And to say we hope well when we are not assured by faith, is to bewray both ignorāce & negligence in the matter of our saluation: for faith is the ground of things hoped for, & therefore their hope without faith must needs be a blind presumption. And here further we may note, that by their opiniō they abolish a great part of the Gospel; for with the gracious promises of mercy in Christ made therein, the Gospel cōmandeth euery penitent person that beleeueth, to applie the same promises particularly to himselfe; & this part of it they cut off, & so depriue the child of God of all