his vocation and Ministery may truly and godly serve thee And O Lord who hast made all men nor wouldest the death of a sinner but rather that he should be converted and live have mercy upon al Jews Turks Infidels and Hereticks and take from them all ignorance and hardness of heart and contempt of thy word and so fetch them home blessed Lord to thy flock that they may be saved among the remnant of the true Israelites and be made one fold under one shepherd Jesus Christ And merciful God which through thy only begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death and by his resurrection Resurrection opened unto us the gate of everlasting life We humbly beseech thee that as by thy special grace preventing us thou doest put into our mindes good desires so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect And as thou didst give him not only to die for our sins but to rise again for our justification grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness that we may always serve thee in pureness of living and truth And as thou didst give him both a sacrifice for sin and also an example of godly life give us the grace that we may alwayes most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit and also dayly endeavour our selves to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life And like as we do believe thy only begotten Son our Lord to have ascended with Ascension great glory into the Heaven so we beseech thee grant us that we may also in heart and mind thither ascend also and with him continually dwell who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost And do not leave us comfortless but according to thy promise send us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour is gone before And as thou didst after our Saviours Ascention teach the hearts of thy faithful people by thy sending them the light of thy Holy Spirit Sending the holy Spirit Grant us by the same spirit to have a right judgement in all things and evermore to rejoyce in his holy comfort through the merits of Christ Jesus And seeing thou hast given us grace thus by the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternall Trinity and in the power of Trinity the Divine Majesty to worship the unity We beseech thee that through the stedfastnes of this faith wee may evermore be defended from all adversities through Jesus Christ our Saviour who liveth and reigneth with the in the unity of the selfe same Spirit one God world without end Amen An Excellent Prayer VII O Almighty and Everliving Lord God God the Father God the Son God the holy Ghost holy blessed and glorious Trinity three persons and one God have mercy upon us Remember not our offences nor the offences of our forefathers neither take thou vengeance of our sins but spare us good Lord spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy most pretious blood and be not angry with us for ever Preserve us from all evill and mischief from sin from the crafts and assaults of the Divell from thy wrath and from everlasting damnation Deliver us from all blindnes of heart from pride vaine glory and hypocrisie from envy hatred and malice and all uncharitablenes from fornication and all other sins the wages of which is death and from all the deceits of the world the flesh and the Divell keep us from any hurt by lightning and tempest from the plague pestilence and famine from battels and murder and from sudden death deliver us from all sedition and privy conspiracy all false doctrine and heresie hardnes of heart and contempt of thy word and commandements And these things wee beseech of thee for and through the mystery of thy holy incarnation thy holy nativity and circumcision thy baptisme fasting and temptation through thine agony and bloody swet thy crosse and passion thy pretious death and buriall thy glorious resurrection and ascension and the comeing of the holy Ghost And O Lord God we do beseech thee that it would please the to rule and governe thy holy Church universall in the right way Illuminate all Bishops Pastors and Ministers of the Church with true knowledge and understanding of thy word and that both by preaching and living they may set it forth and shew it accordingly Be pleased to blesse and keepe the Magistrates giving them grace to execute justice and to maintaine truth And Blesse and keepe all thy people give us all hearts to love and dread thee and diligently to live after thy commandements That we may have increase of grace to heare meekely thy word and receive it with pure affection and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit Wee beseech thee to give unto all Nations unity peace and concord bring into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived strengthen such as do stand comfort and helpe the weake-hearted raise up them that fall and finally beate down Satan under our feete Be pleased O Lord to succour helpe and comfort all that be in danger necessity and tribulation preserve all that in their lawfull affaires travell by land or water all women labouring with child all sick persons and young children and to shew thy pitty upon all prisoners and captives defend and provide for the fatherlesse children and widdowes and all that are desolate and oppressed and let it please thee to have mercy upon all men Forgive our enemies persecutors and slanderers and turne their hearts And we beseech the to give and preserve to our use the kindly fruits of the earth so as in due time we may enjoy them and deale not with us after our sins nor reward us after our iniquities but give us true repentance forgive us all our sins negligences and ignorances indue us with the graces of thy holy Spirit to amend our lives according to thy holy word And O mercifull father that despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart nor the desires of such as be sorrowfull mercifully assist our prayers that we make before thee in all our troubles and adversities whensoever they oppresse us and gratiously heare us that those evils which the craft and subtilty of the divell or man worketh against us be brought to nought and by the providence of thy goodnes they may be dispersed that we thy servants being hurt by no persecutions may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church And seeing we have heard with our eares and our fathers have declared unto us the noble works that thou didst in their dayes and in the old time before them We beseech thee in the midst of these our divisions and distractions to arise and helpe us by thy power and deliver us for the honour of thy name defend us from all our enemies and let thy mercy be shewed upon us as we do put our trust in thee
evermore from all perils to glorifie thee which art the onely giver of all victory through the merits of thy onely Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen In time of any common plague or sickness O Almighty God which in thy wrath in the time of King David didst slay with the plague of pestilence threescore and ten thousand and yet remembring thy mercy didst save the rest have pitty upon us miserable sinners that now are visited with great sickness and mortality that like as thou didst then command thine Angel to cease from punishing so it may now please thee to withdraw from us this plague and grievous sickness through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Or this O God whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive receive our humble petitions and though we be tyed and bound with the chain of our sins yet let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose us for the honour of Jesus Christs sake our only mediator and advocate Amen A thanksgiving for rain O God our Heavenly Father who by thy gracious providence dost cause the former and the latter rain to descend upon the earth that it may bring forth fruit for the use of man we give thee humble thanks that it hath pleased thee in our greatest necessity to send us at the last a joyful rain upon thine inheritance and to refresh it when it was dry to the great comfort of us thy unworthy servants and to the glory of thy holy Name through thy mercies in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A thanksgiving for fair weaâ—her O Lord God who hast justly humbled us by thy late plague of immoderate rain and waters and in thy mercy hast relieved and comforted our souls by this seasonable and blessed change of weather we praise and glorifie thy holy Name for this thy mercy and will alwayes declare thy loving kindness from generation to generation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A thanksgiving for plenty O Most merciful Father which of thy gracious goodness hast heard the devout prayers of thy Church and turned our dearth and scarcity into cheapness and plenty we give thee humble thanks for this thy special bounty beseeching thee to continue this thy loving kindness unto us that our land may yield us her fruits of increase to thy glory and our comfort through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A thanksgiving for peace and victory O Almighty God which art a strong tower of defence unto thy servants against the face of their enemies we yield thee praise and thanksgiving for our deliverance from those great and apparent dangers wherewith we were compassed we acknowledge it thy goodness that we were not delivered over as a prey unto them beseeching thee still to continue such thy mercies toward us that all the world may know that thou art our Saviour and mighty deliverer through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A thanksgiving for deliverance from the plague O Lord God which hast wounded us for our sins and consumed us for our transgressions by thy late heavy and dreadful visitation and now in the midst of judgement remembring mercy hast redeemed our souls from the jaws of death we offer unto thy fatherly goodness our selves our souls and bodies which thou hast delivered to be a living sacrifice unto thee alwayes praising and magnifying thy mercies in the midst of the congregation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Or this WE humbly acknowledge before thee O most merciful Father that all the punishments which are threatned in thy law might justly have fallen upon us by reason of our manifold transgressions and hardness of heart yet seeing it hath pleased thee of thy tender mercy upon our weak and unworthy humiliation to asswage the noisome pestilence wherewith we lately have been sore afflicted and to restore the voice of joy and health into our dwellings we offer unto thy divine Majesty the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving lauding and magnifying thy glorious Name for such thy preservation and providence over us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Thanksgiving for women after Child-birth O Almighty God we bless and praise thy name that thou hast of thy goodness given safe deliverance unto this woman thy servant and hast preserved her from the great pain and peril of Child-birth grant we beseech thee most merciful Father that she through thy help may both faithfully live and walk in her vocation according to thy will in this life present and also may be partaker of everlasting glory in the life to come through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen After which this blessing may be pronounced to her AS thy help hath been hitherto in the name of the Lord who hath made Heaven and earth even so the Lord himself still be thy keeper and thy defence upon thy right hand the Lord preserve thee from evil yea it is even he that shall keep thy soul the Lord preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth for evermore Amen Seven ADMINISTRATIONS 1. Baptisme 2. Communion 3. Visiting the Sick 4. Catechisme with Conformation 5. Day of fasting or Humiliation 6. Matrimony 7. An Exhortation at the Burial BAPTISME Welbeloved in the Lord Hear the words of the Gospel written by St. Mark in the Tenth Chapter AT a certain time they brought Children to Christ that he should touch them and his Disciples rebuked those that brought them But when Jesus saw it he was displeased and said unto them Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not for to such belongeth the Kingdome of God Verily I say unto you whosoever doth not receive the Kingdome of God as a little Childe he shall not enter therein And when he had taken them up in his arms he put his hands upon them and blessed them Friends you hear in this Gospel the words of our Saviour Christ that he commanded the children to be brought unto him how he blamed those that would have kept them from him how he exhorted all men to follow their innocencie You perceive how by his outward gesture and deed he declared his good will toward them for he embraced them in his arms he laid his hands upon them and blessed them Doubt you not therefore but earnestly believe that he will likewise favourably receive these present Infants that he will embrace them with the arms of his mercy that he will give unto them the blessing of Eternal life and make them partakers of his everlasting Kingdome Wherefore we being thus perswaded of the good will of our Heavenly Father towards these infants declared by his Son Jesus Christ and nothing doubting but that he favourably alloweth this charitable work of ours in bringing these Children to his holy Baptisme let us proceed accordingly in it Welbeloved friends ye have brought these children here to be Baptized ye have heard the gracious promise made by Christ unto them which he for his part will most surely keep and perform wherefore these Infants must
which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels Therefore brethren take we 2 Cor. 6. 2. heed betime while the day of salvation lasteth for the night cometh when none can work let Joh. 9. 4. Joh. 12 35. us while we have the light believe in the light and walk as the children of the light that we be not cast into the utter darkness where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 25 30. Let us not abuse the goodness of God which calleth us mercifully to amendment and of his endless pity promiseth us forgiveness of what is past if with a whole minde and true heart we turn unto him For though our sins be as red as scarlet Isa 1. 18. they shall be as white as snow and though they be like purple yet shall they be as white as wooll Turn you saith the Lord from all your wickedness and your sins shall Ezek. 18. 30. not be your destruction Cast away from you all your ungodliness that ye have done make you new hearts and a new spirit Wherefore will ye die O ye house of Israel seeing that I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth Saith the Lord God Turn ye then and ye shall live Although we have sinned yet have 1 John 2. 1 2. we an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he it is that obtaineth grace and pardon for our sins For he was wounded for our offences and smitten for our wickedness Isa 53. 5 Let us therefore return unto him who is the merciful receiver of all true penitent sinners assuring our selves that he is ready to receive us and most willing to pardon us if we come to him with faithful repentance if we will submit our selves unto him and from henceforth walk in his wayes if we will take his easie yoke and light Mat. 11 29. burden upon us to follow him in lowliness patience and charitie and be ordered by the governance of his holy spirit seeking alwayes his glory and serving him duly in our vocation with thanksgiving This if we do Christ will deliver us from the curse of the law and from the extream malediction which shall light upon them that shall be set on the left hand and he will set us on his right hand Mat. 25 33. and give us the blessed benediction of his Father commanding us to take possession of his glorious Kingdome unto the which he vouchsafe to bring us all for his infinite mercy Amen This Psalm being the fifty-first may be also fitly read Miserere mei Deus HAve mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin For I acknowledge my faults and my sin is ever before me Against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified in thy saying and clear when thou art judged Behold I was shapen in wickedness and in sin hath my mother conceived me But lo thou requirest truth in the inward parts and shalt make me to understand wisdome secretly Thou shalt purge me with Hysop and I shall be clean thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter then snow Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Turn thy face from my sins and put out all my misdeeds Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me O give me the comfort of thy help again and stablish me with thy free spirit Then shall I teach thy wayes unto the wicked and sinners shall be converted unto thee Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God thou that art the God of my health and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness Thou shalt open my lips O Lord my mouth shall shew forth thy praise For thou desirest no sacrifice else would I give it thee but thou delightest not in burnt offering The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit a broken and contrite heart O God shalt thou not despise O be favourable and gracious unto Sion build thou the walls of Jerusalem Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness with the burnt offerings and oblations then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar A PRAYER TUrn us O good Lord and so shall we be turned be favourable O Lord be favourable to thy people which turn unto thee with weeping and fasting and praying for thou art a merciful God full of compassion long suffering as also of great pity Thou sparest when we deserve punishment and in thy wrath thinkest of mercy Spare thy people good Lord spare them and let not thine heritage be brought to confusion but after the multitude of thy mercies so look upon us We beseech thee to hear our prayers and to have mercy on such as do penitently confess their sins unto thee that they whose consciences by sin are accused by thy merciful pardon may be absolved And O Lord which hast compassion of all men and wouldest not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn from sin and be saved mercifully forgive us our trespasses receive and comfort us which be grieved and wearied with the burden of our sins Thy property is to have mercy to thee only it appertaineth to forgive sins Spare us therefore good Lord spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed enter not into judgement with thy servants which be vile earth and miserable sinners but so turn thine ire from us which meekly acknowledge our vileness and truly repent us of our faults So make haste to help us in this world that we may ever live with thee in the world to come through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee and thy holy spirit be all honour and glory now and ever Amen MATRIMONY Welbeloved the ancient laudable order of our Church was that as often as there was a marriage there should be a Sermon wherein ordinarily the duties of man and wife should be declared according to holy Scripture but if there were no Sermon it was left to the Minister to make this or some short exhortation I shall therefore accordingly first let you know what the holy Scripture doth say as touching the duties of husbands towards their wives and wives towards their husbands SAint Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians the fifth Chapter Ephes 5. 25. doth give this commandment to all married men Ye husbands love your wives even as Christ loved the Church and hath given himself for it that he might so sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it unto himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish So ought men to love their wives
excellent prayer pag. 28. Psalm 95. O come let us sing c. pag. 34. We praise thee O God c. pag 35. Luk. 1. 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel c. pag. 37. Psalm 100. O be joyful in the Lord c. pag. 38. Luk. 1. 46. My soule doth Magnify the Lord c. pag. 39. Psalm 98. O sing unto the Lord a new song c. pag. 40. Luk. 2. 29. Lord now letest thou thy servant depart c. pag. 41. Psam 67. God be Mercifull unto us and blesse us c. pag. 41. The Creed I believe in God c. pag. 42. The Nicen Creed I believe in one God c. pag. 43. The Creed of Athanasins commonly so called Whosoever will be saved c. pag. 45. The Ten Commandements 49. Some Choice sentences out of Scripture used at the beginning of prayer c. pag. 51. Prayers for raine faire wether in time of dearth and famine in time of war in time of any common plague or sicknes and thanksgivings for the returne of each pag. 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59. A thanksgiving of Women after Childbirth pag. 59. The Seven administrations 1. Baptisme pag. 63. 2. Communion pag. 75. 3. Visitation of the sick pag. 91. 4. Catechisme pag. 117. with confirmation pag. 128. 5. A day of fasting or Humiliation pag. 131. 6. Matrimony pag. 141. 7. An Exhortation at the Buriall pag. 153. Some prayers used upon the Fifth of November pag. 161. A prayer formerly used by the Speaker of the house of Commons in Parliament pag. 169. A prayer for the Parliament used in the house pag. 174. The substance of the Ancient manner of Ordination in the Church of England pag. 177. The Articles of the Church of England An Advertisement PAge 80 81 82. some Prayers at the Communion in relation to the Nativity Resurrection and Ascension of our Saviour Pentecost Trinity-Sunday are intended only for their proper festivals but may be used at the discretion of the Minister Page 27. line 18. read glory and triumph into thy kingdome of Heaven p. 29. l. 21. dele any hurt by p. 31. l. 13. dele in their lawful affairs p. 118. l. 4. r. and I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that he hath called me to this state of salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour p. 123. l. 27. r. be merciful unto us and p. 199. dele 100. DEVOTIONS OF THE ANTIENT CHURCH A Prayer for the Morning I. ALmighty God and in thy Son Jesus Christ our most mercifull Father we acknowledge we have erred and strayed from thy wayes like lost sheep we have followed too much the corrupt desires of our own hearts and have offended against thy holy lawes by leaving undone those things which we ought to have done and doing those things which we ought not to have done So that in us dwelleth no good thing We beseech thee to have mercy upon us who are miserable offenders to spare us who do confesse our faults and restore us who are penitent for them according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant O most mercifull Father for his sake that we may hereafter live a godly righteous and sober life to the glory of thy holy name And O Lord in regard we heare out of thy word that thou desirest not the death of a sinner but rather that he may turne from his wickedness and live and hast given power and commandement to thy Ministers to declare and pronounce to thy people being penitent the forgiveness and remission of their sinnes And that thou wilt pardon all them that truely repent and unfeignedly believe thy holy Gospell We beseech thee to grant us true repentance and thy holy Spirit that those things may please thee which we do at this present and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy so that at the last we may come to thy eternall joy where our lips shall be opened and our mouth continually shew forth thy praise in giving glory to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Ghost world without end And O Lord our heavenly Father who art the author of peace and lover of concord in the knowledge of whom standeth our eternall life whose service is perfect freedom mercifully heare us now we call upon thee defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies that we surely trusting in thy defence may not feare the power of any adversaries but by thy being with us and shewing thy mercy upon us and granting us thy salvation thy chosen people may be still joyfull in thee peace may be given and continued in our time O Lord and thy inheritance even thy people may be blessed and saved and taught to put their trust in thee there being no other that fighteth for us but only thou our God and do thou make cleane our hearts within us that thy holy Spirit be not taken from us And seeing O Lord thou hast safely preserved us hither to this day defend us in the same with thy mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sinne neither run into any kind of danger but that all our doings may be ordered by thy Governance to do allwayes that which is righteous in thy sight And we humbly beseech thee O Father mercifully to looke upon our infirmities and for the glory of thy names sake turne from us all those evills that we most righteously have deserved and grant that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy and evermore serve thee in holiness and purenes of living to the honor and glory of thy name And O Lord who art the Governor of all things whose power no creature is able to resist to whom it belongeth justly to punish sinners and to be mercifull unto them that truely repent wee beseech thee to save and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies abate their pride aswage their malice and confound their devices that we being armed with thy defence may be preserved evermore from all pâ—rills to glorifie thee who art the only giver of all victories And seing thou hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee and dost promise that when two or three be gathered together in thy name thou wilt grant their requests fulfill now O Lord the desires and petitions of thy servants as may be most expedient for them granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth and in the world to come life everlasting Through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose name and words we further pray saying OUr Father which art in heaven hallowed by thy name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as wee forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evill for thine is
Royal branches with the Nobility Clergy and Commons of this Realm assembled together in Parliament by Popish treachery appointed as sheep to the slaughter and that in most Barbarous and Savage manner no age yielding example of the like cruelty intended towards the Lords anointed and his people Can this thy goodness O Lord be forgotten worthy to be written in a pillar of Marble that we may ever remember to praise thee for the same as the fact is worthy a lasting monument that all posterity may learn to detest it From this unnatural conspiracy not our merit but thy mercy not our foresight but thy providence hath delivered us not our love to thee but thy love to thine anointed servant and thy poor Church with whom thou hast promised to be present to the end of the world And therefore not unto us not unto us Lord but to thy Name be ascribed all honour and glory in all Churches of the Saints throughout all generations for thou Lord hast discovered the snares of death thou hast broken them and we are delivered be thou still our mighty protector and scatter our cruel enemies which delight in blood infatuate their counsel and root out that Babylonish and Antichristian sect which say of Jerusalem down with it down with it even to the ground And to that end strengthen the hands of our gracious King the Nobles and Magistrates of the land with judgement and justice to cut off these workers of iniquity whose Religion is rebellion whose faith is faction whose practise is murthering of souls and bodies and to root them out of the confines and limits of this Kingdome that they may never prevail against us and triumph in the ruine of thy Church and to give us grace by true and serious repentance to avert these and the like judgements from us This Lord we earnestly crave at thy merciful hands together with the continuance of thy powerful protection over our dread Soveraign the whole Church and these Realms and the speedy confusion of our implacable enemies and that for thy dear Sons sake our only mediatour and advocate II. ALmighty God and heavenly Father which oâ— thy everlasting providence and tender mercy towards us hast prevented the extream malice and mischievous imagination of our enemies revealing and confounding their horrible and devilish enterprise plotted against our Soveraign Lord the King his Royal house and the whole State of this Realm for the subversion thereof together with the truth of thy Gospel and pure Religion amongst us and for the reducing into this Church and land of Popish superstition and tyranny we most humbly praise and magnifie thy glorious name for thine infinite gracious goodness in this our marvellous deliverance we confess it was and is thy mercy thy mercy alone most merciful Father that we are not consumâ—d that their snare is broken and our soul is escaped For our sins cried to Heaven against us and our iniquities justly called for judgement upon us but thy great mercy towards us hath exalted it self above judgement not to deal with us after our sins to give us over as we deserved to be a prey to our enemies but taking our correction into thine own hands to deliver us from their blood-thirsty malice and preserve from death and destruction our King and State with thy holy Gospel and true Religion amongst us Good Lord give uâ— true repentance and unfeigned conversion unto thee to prevent further judgâ—ments increase in us more and more a lively saith and fruitful love in all obedience that thou mayest continue thy loving favour with the light of thy Gospel to us and our posterity for evermore Make us now and alwayes truely thankful in heart word and deed for all thy gracious mercies and this our special deliverance Protect and defend our Soveraign Lord the King with the Queen and all the Royal progeny from all treasons and conspiracies preserve them in thy faith fear and love under the shadow of thy wings against all evil and wickedness prosper their raign with long happiness on earth and everlasting glory following in the kingdome of Heaven Bless the whole State and Realm with grace and peace that with one heart and mouth we may praise thee in thy Church and alwayes sing joyfully that thy merciful kindness is ever more and more towards us and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever through Jesus Christ our only Saviour and Redeemer Amen III. ETernal God and our most mighty protector we thy people of this land confess our selves above all the Nations of the earth infinitly bound unto thy heavenly majestie for thy many unspeakable benefits conferred and heaped upon us especially for planting thy Gospel among us and placing over us a most gracious King a faithful professour and defender of the same both which exasperate the enemies of true religion and enrage their thoughts to the invention of most dreadful designes all which notwithstanding it hath pleased thee hitherto either to prevent or overthrow at this time principally thou hast most strangely discovered an horrible and cruel plot and device for the massacring as well of thy dear servant and our dread Soveraign as of the chief States assembled in thy fear for the continuance of thy truth and good of this Realm We humbly present our selves at thy feet admiring thy might and wisdome and acknowledging thy grace and favour in preserving them and the whole Realm by their safety beseeching thee for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake to continue still thy care over us and to shield our gracious King under the shadow of thy wings that no mischievous attempt may come near nor the sons of wickedness may hurt him but that under him we may still enjoy this his peaceable government with the profession of the Gospel of thy Son Christ Jesus to whom with thee and the holy Ghost c. IV. O God infinit in power and of endless mercy we give thee all possible thanks that it hath pleased thee so miraculously to discover and defeat the mischievous plots of thine and our enemies thou hast delivered our dread Soveraign from the snare of the fowler and his Nobles from the fire and the fury of the wicked he shall rejoyce in thy salvation and we his people shall triumph in this thy wonderful deliverance thy Gospel shall prosper and thine adversaries shall be confounded And multiply good Lord we beseech thee thy great goodness towards our gracious King and his kingdomes from this time forth through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen A Prayer used by the Speaker of the Commons House of Parliament I. O GOD most great and glorious which dwellest in the Heavens over all yet humblest thy self to behold the things that are done upon the earth we the people and sheep of thy pasture assembled by thy providence to the performance of this high service whereupon the honour of thy name the beauty of thy Church amongst us the glory of our King and wealth
Articles of the Christian Faith And thirdly that I should keep Gods holy will and Commandements and walk in the same all the dayes of my life Question Dost thou not think thou art bound to believe and do what was promised for thee Answer Yes verily and with Gods help so I will and I pray God give me his grace that I may continue in the same unto my lives end Question Rehearse the Articles of thy belief Answer I Believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord which was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried he descended into hell the third day he rose again from the dead he ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Ghost the holy Catholick Church the communion of Saints the forgiveness of sins the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting Amen Question What dost thou chiefly learn in these Articles of thy belief Answer First I learn to believe in God the Father who hath made me and all the world Secondly in God the Son who hath redeemed me and all mankinde Thirdly in God the Holy Ghost who sanctifieth me and all the Elect people of God Question How many Commandements be there Answer Ten. Question Which be they Answer THe same which God spake in the twenty Chapter of Exodus saying I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Aegypt out of the house of bondage I. Thou shalt have none other Gods but me II. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor the likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the water under the earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God and visit the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shew mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandements III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain IV. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day Six dayes shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt do no manner of work thou and thy son and thy daughter thy man-servant and thy maid-servant thy cattle and the stranger that is within thy gates for in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it V. Honour thy father and thy mother that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee VI. Thou shalt do no murther VII Thou shalt not commit adultery VIII Thou shalt not steal IX Thou shalt not beare false witness against thy neighbour X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his servant nor his Maid nor his Ox nor his Ass nor any thing that is his Question What dost thou chiefly learne by these commandements Answer I learne two things my duty towards God and my duty towards my neighbour Question What is thy duty towards God Answer My duty towards God is to believe in him to feare him and to love him with all my heart with all my mind with all my soule and with all my strength To worship him to give him thanks to put my whole trust in him to call upon him to honour his holy name and his word and to serve him truely all the dayes of my life Question What is thy duty towards thy neighbour Answer My duty towards my neighbour is to love him as my self and to do to all men as I would they should do unto me To love honour and succour my father and Mother To honour and obey the King or supream Magistrate and his Ministers To submit my self to all my Governours teachers spirituall pastours and Masters To order my self lowly and reverently to all my betters to hurt no body by word nor deed To be true and just in all my dealing To beare no malice nor hatred in my heart To keepe my hands from stealing and my tongue from evill speaking lying and slandering To keepe my body in temperance sobernesse and chastity Not to covet or desire other mens goods but to learn and labour truely to get mine own living and to do my duty in that state of life unto the which it shall please God to call me Question My good childe know this that thou art not able to do these things of thy self nor to walke in the commandements of God and to serve him without his speciall grace which thou must learne at all times to call for by diligent prayer Let me heare therefore if thou canst say the Lords Prayer Answer OUr Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy name Thy Kingdome come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our dayly bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And leade us not into temptation But deliver us from evill For thine is the kingdom the power and the glory for ever Amen Question What desirest thou of God in this prayer Answer I desire my Lord God our heavenly Father who is the giver of all good to send his grace unto me and to all people that we may worship him serve him and obey him as we ought to do And that he would send us all things that be needefull both for our soules and bodyes And that he will forgive us our sinns and save and defend us in all dangers ghostly and bodily and that he will keepe us from all sinne and wickedness and from our ghostly enemy and from everlasting death And this I trust he will do of his mercy and goodness through our Lord Jesus Christ And therefore I say Amen So be it Question How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church Answer Two onely as generally necessary to salvation that is to say Baptisme and the supper of the Lord. Question What meanest thou by this word Sacrament Answer I meane an outward and visible signe of an inward and spirituall grace given unto us ordeined by Christ himself as a meanes whereby we receive the same and a pledge to assure us thereof Question How many parts be there in a Sacrament Answer Two the outward visible signe and the inward spirituall grace Question What is the outward visible signe or forme in Baptisme Answer Water wherein the person baptized is dipped or sprinkled with it In the Name of the Father and