diuine prouidence and protection most mercyfull Father the enemie had longe agâ—ne deuoured vs yea he had so wiped and blowen vs away the scarse any remembraunce of our beinge had remayned on the earth Wherefore sith it is thy good pleasure that the name of Israell should not be vtterly extinguished geue vs grace to 〈◊〉 our steppes in the path of thy coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts that all our deedes wordes thoughtes may tend to thy glory and the commoditiâ— of the common wealth Endue we be sech thee the mynde of our soueragine Quâ—ene Elizabeth that aboue al thinges she may seke thy honor and glory the maintainance of true religion the prosperous and quiet state of her subiectes Directe the myndes of her Maiesties Counsell and the rest of the nobilitie that they may alwayes liue in thy feare with â—rue obedience to the prince deuising suche lawes and statutes as may bee most auailable to the conseruation and publike commoditie of the common welth Inspire the mindes of such as thou hast called to be the ministers of thy word w the spirite of truth and vnderstanding that they may preach the pure doctrine of thy heauenly word reuokeing sinners into the way of repentaunce and amendement of life to embrace the sweete yoke of thy lawe whereby their soules may be saued from euerlastinge â—alnâ—atiâ—n Gâ—ue grace most heauenly Father to all the 〈◊〉 of thys Realme that aboue alâ— things they may laâ—our to followe thy commaundements to liue in due obedience to their Prince and Magiestrâ—tes and to be ruled by the holsome and spirituall counsell of their pâ—stours And 〈◊〉 thy grace in generall most mercyfull Father to the whole body of the Realme that altogether both the Prince Nobilitie Clargy and 〈◊〉 may chiefly 〈◊〉 to abuaÌ„ce thy Gospell and secondly the happy and prosporous â—ate of the coÌ„mon wealth Through Christ. c. A Prayer for patienâ—e in trouble ALmighty and most mâ—rcifull Father which art the onely stay and comfort of all them that are afflicted with the scourge of aduersitie bowe down thy mercifull eare vnto the voyce of my lamentation which am nothing else but a lumpe of sinne euery houre declyninge from thy coÌ„maundements into the reprobate way of iniquitie that I must néedes confesse that myne owne merites and deseruinges haue iustly procured this worthy plage wherin like a vyle and wretched 〈◊〉 I am entangled But thou O most mercyfull and louinge Father thou art alwaies ready to shewe mercy to the repentant sinner which hast promised to put all my offeÌ„ces and misdeedes out of thy remembraunce whensoeuer I repent from the bottome of my hart haue mercy vppoÌ„ my miseries and velease me of this aduersitie which hath worthely chaunced by reason of the innumerable multitude of my sinnes And if it be thy good will and pleasure to proue the more 〈◊〉 with temtations or any other kinde of afflection that thou shalt lay on me then vouchsafe most mercifull Father to arme mée wyth the spirite of 〈…〉 which it hath pleased thy diuine Maiestie to lay vpon me that I murmure not at thy workes neyther blaspheme thy name when I am in miserie but that I maye alwaies haue in mynde that thou art a mercifull iudge and a reuenger of iniquitie to whome onely it beelongeth to throwe downe to hell 〈◊〉 to rayse vp to heauen againâ—â— where with thy sonne Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost c. A prayer against temptation O Lord Iesus Christ the onely defence and pyller of our estate the hope confidence of all them that sleepe in the vaile of this wicked worlde which by the merites of thy most pretious death passion didst ouercome death and triumphest ouer the sting therof in thy heauenly kingedome geue strength vnto vs feeble and impotent sinners against the râ—aringe Lyon whiche continually wandreth aboute séekynge whom he may deuoure endeâ—ouringe alwayes wyth subtill awaitinges strong temtations to withdrawe our myndes from the faith which we haue in thee of euerlastinge lyfe into a reprobate sence to geue ourselues vp to the 〈◊〉 lustâ— and affections of the fleshe to vncleannes Idolatriy innumerable other like abhominatioÌ„s that are chiefe aduersaries and enemyes to the spirite of truthe and vnderstanding Thou therfore that art the iâ—â—aculate Lambe the vanquisher of sinne death and hell geue vnto vs thy little shéep the strength and vertue of thy spirit that being in our owne selues weake and feble and in thée strong and valiant we may be able to withstande and subdue all the assaults of the Deuill that our ghostly enemie may not triumph ouer vs but being coÌ„querors through thée wée maye geue thankes to thy mercy which neuer leaueth them destritute of sucâ—oure whose onely confidence and aâ—â—iance is reposed in the sure defence and sauegerde of thy mercy Thou knowest O Lord that we are but earth and ashes subiect to corrupsion mortalitie the flesh euer rebellinge against the spirite whereby we are alwaies more prone apt to runne the carles race of ignorance and iniquitie then to frame our steppes in the narowe and strayte path of vertue and vnderstanding Therfore illuminate we besech thée our blinde eyes with the light of thy heaueÌ„ly spirit that abhoring the workes of darkenes and preuaylinge against all temptations of the worlde the flesh and the Deuill we may be wholie bent to serue thy diuine Maiestie in truthe and vnderstanding sauinge alwayes an assured hope of a gloryous resurrectioÌ„ on thy right hand wher we may be pertakers of that ioyfull sentâ—nce of life whiche thou wilt pronounce to all them that shall inherite that heauenly kingdome with thée our onely redéemer and Sauiour To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost c. A prayer for the obtayning of wisdome O Almighty Lord most mercifull Father the fountayne and welspring of all heauenly gifts and graces geue me wisdom to knowe what thy will and pleasure is for I thy seruant and the sonne of thy haÌ„d mayde am a féeble person engendred and created of the frayle substaunce of the flesh enuironed round about wyth the darke shadowe â—ayle of ignoraunce that by meanes thereof the beames of my mynde are so obscurely eclipsed that I cannot once looke vp vpon the brightnes of thy diuine Maiestie nor excercyse my selfe at all in contemplation of the misteries of thy heaueÌ„ly word and promises whereby I might saue my soule from hell Inspire therfore most mercifull Father my dull and heauy mynde with the light of the true wisdome and not with worldly wit and policy onely which concerne humayne affayres but with the true vnderstaÌ„ding of thy sacred scripturs wherein thou hast made a faithfull promise of eternal saluation to all them that vnfaynedly beleue that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God and the onely redéemer of all mankinde Thou knowest O Lord that my dull capacitie is farre to grosse to attaine to the knowledge and vnderstandinge of thy iudgemeÌ„ts 〈◊〉 lawes â–ª for I am but meere
sectes and contrarieties in religion while the carnall professors of thy name in cloake of preteÌ„ded holines set forth mainteine such beggerly traditions as the appetite of theire grosse phantasie leadeth them vnto shaking of the sweete yoke of thine vndefiled law wresting the letter thereof to serue the dissolute motion of their carnall cogitations mainteining in stéede of thy pure sincere word the fleshly cerimonies of their own deuise and inuention whereby it commeth to passe that so great dissention raigneth now adayes in the world and that so many sectes schismes and heresies are daylye sette a broach in euery place to the vnspekeable perturbation of the course of thy word and vtter subuersion of diuers common wealthes whiche oughte chiefly to be mainteined by the vniform consente and iudgement touching the worde and by the perfecte band of Amity concerning temporall causes But now wheras men set aside the ryght rules and or dinaunces of thy blessed worde plantinge in steed thereof orders and tradicions of their own imaginations howe can it come to passe that christian peace and vnity of spirite should dwell among vs Therefore graunt O most mercifull Father that wee thy pore dispersed shepe which haue so long ben tossed and turmoyled with tempests of this tumultuous times may at the last by the direction of thine heauenly Spirite bee reduced into one foulde acknoweleging thee our moste louing shepehearde and mercifull Father thy sonne Iesus Christe our onely sauiour and Mediatour to thy diuine maiesty the holy ghost our comforter whyche by the mouth of thy sonne Iesus Christ thou didst promise to send vnto vs which spirite assureth our spirites that we are pertakers inheritours and fellow Citizens of that heauenly Ierusalem whiche thou promysedst to all them that vnfainedly walke in thy statutes and trust onely to be saued by the blood and passion of thine onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Messias the onely redâ—emer of all mankinde Remoue O moste mercifull Father from our eyes the darcke shadow and vayle of ignoraunce that abandoning al the dregges of erronious sectes heretical schismes we may be gathered all together into the vnitie of thy word and confesse that there is but one eternall God and one heauenly Father which thou arte and one Fayth one Baptisâ—e which we all professe that call vpoÌ„ thy name Graunt also most merciful father the we whose minds opinioÌ„s are noted most repugnant and contrary in fayth may he altogether covnited into one iugement opinion in religion which maye bee grounded onely vppon the foundations of thy Prophâ—tes and Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe being the head corner stone And sith ther is but one fayth which directeth vs into the waye of saluation graunt we beséech thée that by the operation of thy holy spirite we may be brought to such an agréement and vniformity in Religion that we maye glorify thée our heauenly Father with one onely spirite and generall consente of conscience whereby wee maye be reduced from the captiuitie of eternall ignoraunce and be made al the shéepe of thee our most mercifull and bountifull shéepheard To whome with c A thankes geuing for restoring of the Gospell VVE render vnto thée most mercifull Father immortall thankes for that thou hast vochsafed to send thine onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ into the world to take our shape and nature vpoÌ„ him and to submit himselfe to the bitter passion of the Crosse to redéeme vs wretched sinners which before were thrales and bonde slaues to the horrible sormente of euerlasting damnation O what condigne thankes are we able to render vnto thée that in the least respect may be able to counter payse thy fatherly kindnes and loue which thou daily sheweâ—t vnto vs most myserable and wretched sinners Thou hast sent thy Christ our Sauioure to redeeme vs from the bondage of sinne death and damnation and that not with Gold nor Siluer but with his most preciâ—use bloode once offered vpon the Crosse to paye our generall raunsome The promises which thou diddest make to our ' forefathers in figures and shadows thou hast openly performed to vs in the open sight of the whole worlde in sending that Mâ—essias to take our sins vpon him to be scourged for our offâ—nces and to beare the burthen of our iniquities â–ª Againe thou hast manifested to vs the perfect pathwaye of saluation by the mouth of thine onely begotten son Iesus Christ and that not in figures nor shadowes but in expresse wordes saying Hoc fac viues do this and thou shalt liue which to our forefathers thou declaredst couertly and in the darke shadowes of secrete misteries and that not by thy sonne Iesus Christ but but by thy prophets which were men mortall as we be and were inferioure to thy sonne both in diuine power and also in dignity of person For how muche the seruaunt or bondman is inferiour to the heyre so much are the Prophets inferiour to thy sonne and heyre Christ Iesus whom our mortal eyes haue séene of late dayes personally here in the earth and reasoned with him face to face euen at his owne mouth haue learned what is the will of thée our moste louing Father and moste mercifull creatoure And moreouer because it was thy good pleasure to take awaye the presence of thy sonne from mankinde as concerning the fleshe we yeld thée moste harty thankes that thou wouldest vouchsafe to seÌ„d down thine heauenly spirite into the hartes of all thy sonnes Apostles which spirite informing their spirites of thy diuine will prouoked them by writing to reuele thy promises of saluation whereof thy sonne preached vnto the posterity of all ages for euermore wherâ—y both we that now liue and the remnaunte of all future yeres may lerne to direct their steppes as with a true line or rule into the waye of thy commaundementes And sith in recompence of all these thine vnspeakeable benefits thou requirest no other sacrafice but thankes giuing with contrition of harte therefore with vncessaunt prayers wee will magnify thy holy name recordiÌ„g thine innumerable benefites with Psalmes of thankes geuing in the midest of the congregation for euer not doubting but thou of thine infinite goodnes wilt accept the thanks which we yelde to thy dyuine Maiestie as procéeding from the very bottom of our vnfained hartes To thée most mercifull Father with thy son Iesus Christ and the holy ghoste be all honour and glory for euer Amen A Prayer for abolishing of Superstition O Eâ—ernall and moste mercifull Father who by thy diuine wisedome diddest lay the foundations of heauen and earth with the Sea and al that is therin haue mercy compassion of thy pore flock dispersed through the whole erth for the constant profession and testimony of thy heauenly worde and deliuer them at laste from the tirrany of Pharao the terrible persecutoure of thy poore members And because that in all Landes many departe into voluntary exile whose conscience cannot sustayne to sée thy true
neuer at all otherwise enclined that then you woulde vouchsafe to take this booke in hand and turning to any title whatsoeuerâ— may serue your tourne to apply the prayer folowing vnto your present purpose But perchaunce you will say that there are alredy extantâ— diuers sundry bookes of prayers which haue bene set fourth by men of greater vnderstaÌ„ding riper iudgement then I and therfore it was a needeles and superfluous trauaile to wade any furthar in that matter Indede Madame I graunt that ther are many praier bokes published but yet I am of this opinion that if there were ten tymes as many yet there were not to many For the common prouerbe is Bâ—num quo â—â—oÌ„munius eo melius The more common a good thinge is the better it is And therefore will I hardly be perswaded that my laboure could anye way haue bene better employed then in suche causes as concerne the aduauncement of Gods glory and the propagation of vertue VVell such as it is I haue presumed to offer vnto your honoures iâ—dgement with assured hope that you will deeme of it as your noble nature hath ben alwaies enclined to iudge of them that attempt the like enterprises that you will accept it as a sure tokeÌ„ and testimonie of his loyall affection and readie dutie that would thinke himselfe happie to bee accoumpted but as the least in the number of those that woulde be allwayes at your Ladiships commaundement Thomas Achelley Morning Prayer O Almighty and moste mercifull Father who of thine vnspeakeable loue and pitie toward the disobediente and loste children of Adam when wee were caried awaye thorough sinne and ignoraunce to damnation folowing Sathan after the blind and vnbrideled lusts of the fleshe diddest reconcile vs to thee by grace and adopcion in Christ Iesus the righteous and immaculate Lambe by faith and sure confidence grounded on the merites of his death whereby we are redeemed from the eternall prison of death and damnation haue mercy vpon vs mosâ—e mercifull louing Father so quicken our dul and heauy mindes by the inspiration of thy holy spirite that we maye shake of this dead sleepe continualy watch in thee abandoning the worckes of darcknes and walking in the worckes of light whereby we may be worthy to walk in this holy vocation where vnto thou haste called vs and with thine elected sainctes to sing prayses vnto thee and at all seasons times to glorify thy holy name And among all other benefites which thou of thy free mercy doste dayly and hourely most aboundantly bestow vpon vs we yeeld thée mortall thankes for that thou haste vouchsaâ—ed to presâ—rue vs both this night and all the time and dayes of our life vnder the shadowe and protection of thy winges keeping our eyes waking in thée without any idle dreames or phantasies that might disturbe our mindes from the meditation of thy grace and haste safely brought me to the beginning of this daye from the drousy graue of my bed which manifestly resembleth in lying downe my death and in rysing vp a manifest tipe and figure of my resurrection Therfore sith thou of thy mercy haste raysed me vp from this earthly reast wherein my mortall body and corrupt nature hath ben partly recreated from the laboures trauayles which I dayly sustayne in this terestrial pilgrimage vouchâ—aâ—e also I beséech thee to direct me with thy holy spirite both this day and euer that all my doinges maye tend to thy glory and to the commoditie of my neighbouâ— And graunt most merciful Father that the residue of my whole life froÌ„ heÌ„ceforth may he gided happly vnder thy tuition whereby all maner of darkenes misbeliefe infidelitie carnall lustes and affections may be vtterly chased driuen out of my hart and that I may be iustified saued both body and soule through a right and perfect fayth in Christ Iesu and so walke in the light of thy most holy word coÌ„maundements all the dayes of this my fraile and transitory being Arme vs with thy grace most mercifull father and strengtheÌ„ vs by thine assistaunce to vanquishe the power of the sinfull flesh and Sathan that hauing victory in the end we may ioyfully triumphe in thy saluation that art the God of our strength and might Endue our blynde hartes with thy heauenly spirite that being strong in fayth although â—éeble in the flesh we may so rule the bridle of our course both now and euer from henceforth that we sleepe not in sinne as the vnbeleuers doo which haue no hope of resurrection in Christ Iesu but folowing the motion of their owne common sence are so linked and tyed to the ground that their grosse capacitie is not of force to loke vp and to be holde the brightnes of thy diuinitie which art God from the beginning for euerlasting world without ende To whome with the sonne the holy Ghost be al honor and glory for euer euer Amen A Prayer for Euening O Almighty and moste mercifull Father maker of heauen and earth with all that is therein whose works are insercheable whose mercy is inâ—â—nite whose power is aboue the Cloudes of heauen we beséech thee of thy accustomed fatherly piety and pittie that thou wilte vouchsafe to be our watche man this night and euer to gard vs from all our enemies both bodily or ghostly that endeuour to disturb the externall rest of our body or to assalt the infernall Closet of our Conscience with any sinful suggestions or deuilish deuises of Sathan our mortall foe and deadly aduersary We acknolege and confesse moste mercifull Father that of our selues we are not worthy to lifte vp our eyes towarde heauen much lesse to presume in presenting oureselues before thy deuine maiestie with confidence that thou wilte heare our prayers or incline to our petitions if we call to remembraunce the vnworthines of our own merites and desertes for we are nothing else but a lumpe of sinne conceaued and borne in iniquity folowing the right path of our naturall imbecilitie and weakenes in Adam euer more prone and apt to folowe the filthy appetite of our own desire like vnbrideled Colts and reiecting the holsome discipline and instructions of thy most holy wil and commaundements Our own consciences accuse vs and our own sinz beare witnes against vs that we are nothing else but miserable wretches subiect to corrupcion clothed with iniquity and not of our selues able to thinck as muche as one good thought so that wée are not able to abide the extremitie of thy straighte iudgement knowing that by the worckes of the flesh we are condemned to deth yet quickned in the spirite and iustified by grace in Christ iesu Wee knowe most merciful Father that thou art a righteous Iudge such a one as visiteth the sinz of the Fathers vpon the Children to the thirde and fourth generation and doest not Iustify the synners and them that walk in the waye of iniquitie but punishest the falts of al such