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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91279	The signal loyalty and devotion of God's true saints and pious Christians, especially in this our island towards their kings: (as also of some idolatrous pagans) Both before, and under the law and gospel; expressed by their private and publick prayers, supplications, intercessions, thanksgivings, well-wishes for the health, safety, long life, prosperity, temporal, spiritual, eternal felicity of the kings and emperours under whom they lived, whether pagan or Christian, bad or good, heterodox or orthodox, Papists or Protestants, persecutors or protectors of them: and likewise for their royal issue, posterity realms; and by their dutiful conscientious obedience and subjection to them; with the true reasons thereof from scripture and policy. Evidenced by presidents and testimonies in all ages, worthy the knowledg, imitation, and serious consideration of our present degenerated disloyal, antimonarchical generation. In two parts. By William Prynne Esq; late bencher, and reader of Lincolns-In; Signal loyalty and devotion of Gods true saints and pious Christians, towards their kings. Parts 1 and 2.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1680 (1680)	Wing P4082A; ESTC R229902	277,267	460

expresse our unspeakable Joyes That immediately upon the dissolution and decease of Elizabeth late Queen of England the Imperial Crown of the Realm of England and of all the Kingdoms Dominions and Rights belonging to the same did by inherent Birthright and lawfull and undoubted Success●en descend and come to your most Excellent Majestie as being Lineally Justly and Lawfully next and sole Heir of the Blood Royal of this Realm as is aforesaid And that by the goodnesse of God Almighty and lawfull Right of descent under one Imperial Crown your Majestie is of the Realms and Kingdoms of England Scotland France and Ireland the most Potent and mighty King and by Gods goodnesse more able to protect and govern us your loving Subjects in all Peace and Plentie than any of your noble Progenitors And thereunto we most humbly and faithfully do submit and oblige our selves our heirs and posterities for ever until the last drop of our Bloods be spent And do beseech your Majestie to accept the same as the first fruits in this high Court of Parliament of our Loyalty and faith to your Majestie and your Royal Progenie and posterity for ever Which if your Majestie shall be pleased as an argument of your gracious acceptation to adorn with your Majesties Royal Assent without which it can neither be complete and perfect nor remain to all posteritie according to our most humble desire as a memorial of your Princely and tender affection towards us we shall adde this also to the rest of your Majesties unspeakable and inestimable benefits In which Act there are these particulars very seasonable and observable in respect of the present posture of our publike affairs 1. That the happy union and conjunction of our divided Kingdoms formenly torn and wasted with long and miserable dissentions and bloody civil wars between Competitors for the Crown and the King and Subjects is a great and unspeakable benefit and blessing to the Kingdom and Nation bestowed on them by God himself 2. That the re-uniting not only of the two but three mighty famous and antient Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland under one Imperial Crown and Heredirary King is a far more inestimable and unspeakable blessing to all 3. Kingdoms and Nations 3. That there is no Interregnum in Law in the Realm and Crown of England but that immediately upon the decease of the King thereof the Imperial Crown of the Realm of England and of all the Kingdoms Dominions and Rights belonging to the same do by inherent birth-right and lawfull and undoubted Succession Lineally Justly and lawfully descend to the next heir of the blood Royal before he be publikely crowned King As this Act in direct Terms declares and all the Judges of England unanimously adjudged in the case of Watson and Cleark 2. Popish Priests who held King James no lawfull King before he was Crowned and thereupon conspired to imprison him in the Tower c. for which they were both condemned and executed as Traytors Hill 1. Jacobi as had been oft adjudged before in the first 7. years of King H. 6. and in the cases of Queen Jane the Dukes of Northumberland and Suffolk the Lord Rochford Sir John Gates Sir Thomas Palmer and others condemned in levying War against her and executed 1 Mariae for Treason against Qu. Mary before she was Crowned to deprive her of the Crown which both the Peers and Judges of the Realm and the Parliament of 1 Mariae ch 16. adjudged Treason within 25 E. 3. against the mistaken Doctrine of Mr. Thomas Scot and some temporizing Lawyers of late years 4. That it is the duty and practice of all loyal and faithfull Subjects of all estates and degrees with all possible publike joyes unspeakable general rejoycings acclamations applauses affectionate desires by other means to proclaim acknowledge and Crown their lawfull hereditary Kings after the decease of their Ancestors and to make all possible demonstrations of their cordial loyalty love zeal and affection to them both in and out of Parliment being obliged thereunto both by the Laws of God and Man 5. That this Act of Parliament and the Oathes of Supremacy and Allegiance do both in point of Law Loyalty Justice Conscience oblige the whole English Nation their heirs and posterities for ever to be true faithfull loyal and obedient to King James his heirs and posteritie for ever and so to our present King till the last drop of their blood be spent as to their undoubted lawfull and hereditary Kings and Soveraigns 6. That a numerous hopefull royal Progeny likely to continue and perpetuate the hereditarie succession of the Crown in the true Regal line is an extraordinarie blessing and happinesse to the Kingdom for which they are all bound both in and out of Parliament to render all humble thanks and praises unto God To this I shall subjoyn the Statute of 3 Iacobi ch 1. entituled An Act for a publick Thanksgiving to Almighty God every year on the fifth day of November FOrasmuch as Almightie God hath in all ages shewed his power and mercy in the miraculous and gracious deliverance of his Church and in the protection of religious Kings and States And that no Nation of the earth hath been blessed with greater benefits than this Kingdom now enjoyeth having the true and free profession of the Gospel under our most gracious Soveraign Lord King Iames the most great learned and religious King that ever reigned therein enriched with a most hopefull and plentifull Progeny proceeding out of his Royal loyns promising continuance of this happinesse and profession to all posterity the which many malignant and devillish Papists Jesuites and Seminary Priests much envying and fearing Conspired most horribly when the Kings most Excellent Majesty the Queen the Prince and all the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons should have been assembled in the Upper House of Parliament upon the fifth day of November in the year of our Lord 1605. suddenlie to have blown up the said whole House with Gunpowder An invention so inhuman barbarous and cruel as the like was never before heard of and was as some of the principal Conspirators thereof confesse purposely devised and concluded to be done in the said House that where the sundry necessarie and Religious Laws for preservation of the Church and State were made which they falsly and slanderously term cruel Laws enacted against them and their Religion both place and persons should be all destroyed and blown up at once which would have turned to the utter ruine of this whole Kingdom had it not pleased Almighty God by inspiring the Kings most Excellent Majestie with a Divine spirit to interpret some dark phrases of a Letter shewed to his Majestie above and beyond all ordinarie construction thereby miraculously discovering this hidden Treason not many hours before the appointed time for the execution thereof Therefore the Kings most Excellent Majestie the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and all his Majesties Faithfull and loving

a Quaker apprehended by a company of Souldiers and kept Prisoner for a time only for praying in general for all Christian Kings Princes and Governors according to this Text when George Whitehead and George Fox two Quakers blasphemously railed and disputed against Jesus Christ the two other Persons the blessed Trinity and the word of God an whole hour together in the Maiors presence and sundry others without check or punishment such are the atheistical antimonarchical times wherein we live In this text consider 1. The Pen-man of it by divine inspiration S. Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ specially delegated by him to the Gentiles uncircumcision to open their cies to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God And to bear Christs name before the Gentiles and Kings Acts 9. 15. c. 26. 16 17 18. Gal. 2. 2 7 8 9. Eph. 3. 1 to 12. Acts 13. 46 47. c. 15. 7. c. 18. 6. c. 21. 19 20. c. 22 21. c. 28. 28. Rom. 11. 13. c. 15. 15 to 25. Col. 1. 27 28. 2 Tim. 1. 11. c. 4. 17. Therefore these Duties are specially recommended and prescribed to them 2ly The person to whom this Epistle and exhortation was principally particularly directed even Timothy his dearly beloved Son and Fellow Minister in preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles then residing at Ephesus 1 Tim. 1 3. a City and Church of the Gentiles where he exercised his Ministry and was to perform these Duties publickly in his own person as a Minister to excite all others thereunto Therefore these Duties of making publick Supplications Prayers Intercessions and Thanksgivings for Kings both in publick and private do principally belong and are carefully to be performed by all Ministers and Preachers of the Gospel to and amongst the Gentiles 3ly The manner of pressing these Duties the Apostle doth most earnestly and zealously urge their performance as the words I exhort or earnestly desire import Exhortings being the most passionate pathetical fervent pressing of men to duties Lu. 3. 18. Act. 11. 23. c. 13. 15. c. 2. 40. c. 15. 32. c. 20. 2. Rom. 12. 8. 1 Thes 2. 11 12. c. 4. 1. c. 5. 14. 2 Thes 3. 12. 1 Tim. 4. 13. c. 6. 2. 2 Tim. 4. 2. Tit. 1. 9. c. 2. 6 15. Heb. 3. 13. c. 12. 5. c. 13. 22. 1 Pet. 5. 1. Jude 3. 4ly The grounds of his enforcing these Duties so earnestly implyed in the word therefore relating to the close of the precedent Chapter v. 18 19 20. This charge I commit unto thee Son Timothy according to the Prophecies that went before on thee that thou by them mightest war a good warfare holding Faith and a good Conscience which he could not do or perform unless he discharged these Duties he thus exhorted him to being a part of his spiritual good warfare and both a means and evidence of his holding Faith and a good Conscience and his neglect or contempt of them a ready way to make shipwrack of them as Hymeneus and Alexander had done whom he had dilivered to Satan Antimonarchical and Antimagistratical Ministers or Christians will soon turn Apostates and Blasphemers yea put away and make shipwrack of their Faith and good Conscience towards God when they became disloyal and rebellious to their Kings and give over Supplications Prayers Intercessions and Thanksgivings for them as we have found by late sad experiments 5ly The primacy and excellency of these Duties before all others expressed in the clause I exhort therefore that first of all that is in the first place before and above all other Duties parts of Ministry or Christianity they are carefully conscienciously cordially to be performed without the least omission or neglect 6ly The variety of the Duties set forth by these various expressions That Supplications Prayers Intercessions and Thanksgivings all in the plural number be made for Kings Which pluralities imply 1. A universality of their several kinds to wit That all sorts of Supplications Prayers Intercessions and Thanksgivings whatsoever ought to be made for them 2ly A multiplicity of each of them not a single Supplication Prayer Intercession Thanksgiving and no more but many and manifold Supplications Prayers and Thanksgivings 3ly A frequency fervency constancy perpetuity in the performance of them both in publick and private all our lives long without ceasing or flagging as the marginal Scriptures evidence 4ly An universality in respect of persons and places thus expressed in the verse following I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands 5ly An universality of things Mercies Blessings c. for which Supplications Prayers Intercessions and Thanksgivings ought at any time ordinarily or extraordinarily publickly or privately to be made to God in behalf of Kings 6ly Supplications for the pardon and remission of all their sins errors miscariages frailties iniquities whatsoever for converting diverting or keeping them from all evil and destructive waies errors counsels designs undertakings whatsoever dishonourable to God scandalous to Religion hurtfull to the Church fatal to their Kingdoms People Royal persons families and posteritie and for removing all inflicted threatned or feared judgements evils from their Persons Families Kingdoms Relations Prayers for all sorts of corporal temporal spiritual eternal Blessings Mercies which they at any time stand in need of and the continuance increase and sanctified use of all they doe enjoy for themselves their Families Kingdoms Counsellors Officers People Allies Intercessions against all machinations dangers conspiracies of spiritual or temporal Enemies Traytors Conspirators against their precious souls bodies lives Crowns Kingdoms Posterities Forces publike undertakings Councils to divert Gods wrath and judgements from and impetrate his gracious love and favour to them upon all occasions Thanksgivings for their births coronations health lives wisdom power justice graces preservations issues posterity all sorts of mercies blessings favors victories successes deliverances from evils sicknesses dangers enemies conspiracies of all kinde conferred on them their Kingdoms Families Posterities Relations for all blessings received from or enjoyed under them and their Government as the free use exercise enjoyment of the Word Sacraments with all other parts of Gods Worship Peace Health Wealth Safety Liberty Prosperity Laws Privileges Parliaments exemptions from Oppressions Rapines Murders Rapes extortions Illegal Taxes Excises Executions Imprisonments banishments wars for all particular benefits and royal favors conferred by them on their own persons or relations All these and what ever else are or may be included in Supplications prayers intercessions thanksgivings are here prescribed to all Ministers and Christians under the Gospel in behalf of their Kings 7ly The primacy and precedence of Kings above all other Governors and persons in authority both in all our supplications prayers intercessions thanksgivings and likewise in their Civil dignity and Authority For although the Apostle to avoid all suspition of flatterie as the Fathers observe exhorts in the first place that Prayers c. should be made for

to be discharged of the said Treason comprised in that Judgement These prayers were much against and directly contrary to the Judgement of Archbishop Cranmer Bishop Farrer Bishop Hooper Rowland Taylor John Philpot John Bradford Edward Crome John Rogers Laurence Saunders Edward Laurence Miles Coverdale Bishop of Fxon and other of our godly Protestant Bishops and Ministers who soon after suffered as Martyrs they in their Letter the 8. of May Anno Dom. 1554. professing That as obedient Subjects we shall behave our selves towards Queen Mary and all that be in Authority and not cease to pray to God for them that he would govern them all generally and particularly with the spirit of wisdom and grace and so we heartily desire and humbly pray all men to do in no point consenting to any kind of rebellion or sedition against our Soveraign Lady the Queens Highnesse but where they cannot obey but they must disobey God there to submit themselves with all patience and humility to suffer as the will and pleasure of the higher powers shall adjudge as we are ready through the goodness of the Lord to suffer whatsoever they shall adjudge us unto And Bishop Hooper writ an Apology against the slanderous Report made of him that he should encourage and maintain such as cursed Qu. Mary printed 1552. wherein his innocency and loyalty to the Queen in praying for her are vindicated at large In this Parliament there being a general opinion that Queen Mary was with child by King Philip her husband there was a special Act made that in case Queen Mary should die during her childs Minority that King Philip should have the education and protection of him In which Act The Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons assembled in Parliament have firm hopes and confidence by the goodnesse of Almighty God that he will of his infinite goodnesse give the Queens Majesty and Highnesse strength the rather by our continual prayers so passe well the danger of deliverance of Child c. Upon this occasion the Popish Bishops Clergy and Churchmen made many Processions Masses Collects and Prayers to be daily said in all Churches for Qu. Maryes safe deliverance and her issue recorded at large by Mr. Fox where you may peruse them in one of which prayers there were these expressions Give unto our Queen thy servant a little infant in fashion and body comely and beautifull in pregnant wit notable and excellent Grant the same to be in obedience like Abraham in chastity and Brotherly love like Joseph in meeknesse and mildnesse like Moses in strength and valour like Sampson let him be found faithfull as David after thy heart let him be wise among Kings as the most wise Solomon let him be like Job a simple and an upright man fearing God and eschewing evil let him finally be garnished with the comlinesse of all virtuous conditions and in the same let him wax old and live that he may see his Childrens Children to the third and fourth generation And give unto our Soveraign Lord and Lady King Philip and Queen Mary thy blessings and long-life upon earth and grant that of them may come Kings and Queens which may stedfastly continue in faith love and holinesse And blessed be their seed of our God that all Nations may know thou art only God in all the earth which art blessed for ever and ever Amen After Queen Maries decease Anno 1558. Masses and Popish Prayers being again abolished and the Book of Common Prayer restored by the Parliament of 1 Eliz. ch 2. there were the same prayers publickly used for the Queen both in the Letany and Collects as were formerly used for King Edward and in sundry Books dedicated to her Majesty and Prayers published during Her reign there were many loyal and zealous Prayers Supplications and Intercessions made to God for her long life and Prosperous reign over-tedious to recite at large and vulgarly known and in all or most Prayers Morning and Evening for Private Families and Christians there were special Petitions to God for her Majesty some of them being Printed with the Bibles themselves then in use and likewise at the end of most Quarto Bibles under King James and King Charles I shall touch only upon some few presidents of many In the 2. year of her reign John Veron Divinity Lecturer at Pauls in the close of his Dedicatory Epistle to Her Majestie before his Fruitfull Treatise of Predestination prayes thus Christ Jesus of his tender mercy and goodnesse vouchsafe to defend and preserve your most Gracious Highnesse from all your Enemies and with his holy Spirit so to fill strengthen and comfort your Princely heart that ye may at all times boldly set forth his glory and maintain it to your lives end Which the Lord long continue to his Honor. In the 7th year of Queen Elizabeth there was a Collection of Prayers in Latin intituled Preces privatae printed by William Seres and published by the Queens special Privilege and Authority wherein not only the Duty of Subjects is set down out of Mat. 22. 17. Rom. 13. 1 Tim. 2. 1 2 3. Tit. 3. 1. 1 Pet. 2. but these special Prayers Psalms and Hymnes made to God to be used daily in private Closets and Families for the Queen Domine Pater coelestis Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium omnium Principum gubernator rector intimis votis te suppliciter quaesumus Reginam nostram Elizabetham benigno vultu respicias eique singulari gratia spiritu sancto ità semper assistere digneris ut voluntatem tuam ubique exequatur secundum saluberimam normam mandatorum tuorum omnem vitam transigat Accumula in illam coelestia tua dona ut diu feliciter Nobis imperet Hostes fortiter devincat tandemque in Coelesti gloria vivat in aeternum qui vivis regnas Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum Amen After which follow the same Prayers for her in Latin in the Letany as in the English Letany in the Book of Common-prayer And the same Collects for her in Latin as for her and the King in English Then there ensue Psalmi selecti peculiares pro Rege vel Regina to wit Psalm 20 21 72. applyed to the King and Queen litterally with Domine salvum fac Regem exaudi nos in die in qua invocaverimus After that Precatio d exemplum orationis Salomonis pro Regina Domine Deus qui serenissimam nostram Reginam super nos regnare fecisti eamque in medio populi tui ut in aequitate Nos regat in cordis integritate subditos suos judicet constituisti Mitte illi quaeso de coelis sanctis ●uis à sede majestatis tuae affistricem tuam sapientiam ut ei semper adsit apud eam perpetuò refideat ut sciat quod tibi acceptum fit Dies praetereà super Dies ejus adjicito eique tàm benignè Principali tua

placed under their Hands and Seal or by one of the two Universities under their Seal likewise and except he shall first subscribe to these three Articles following in such manner and sort as we have here appointed 1. That the Kings Majesty under GOD is the only supreme Governour of this Realm and of all other his Highnesse Dominions and Countries aswell in all Spiritual or Ecclesiastical things or causes as Temporal and that no forein Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate have or ought to have Jurisdiction Power Superiority Preeminence or Authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual within his Majesties said Realms Dominions and Countreys c. And Can. 55. They prescribed this form of prayer to be used by them in their prayers before all their Ser-Lectures and Homilies And herein I require you most especially to pray for the Kings most excellent Majesty our Soveraign Lord CHARLES King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defendor of the Faith and Supreme Governour in these his Realms and all other his Dominions and Countries over all persons in all causes aswell Ecclesiastical as Temporal Ye shall also pray for the Kings most honourable Councel and for all the Nobility and Magistrates of this Realm that all and every of these in their several callings may serve truly and painfully to the glory of GOD and the edifying and well governing of his people remembring the account that they must make Also ye shall pray for the whole Commons of this Realm that they may live in true Faith and Fear of God in humble obedience to the King and brotherly charity one to another Which all Ministers and Preachers duly observed usually adding this clause thereunto That God out of his infinite mercy would grant so to blesse the Kings Majestie and his Royal issue with a perpetual Posterity that there might never want a Man of that Royal race to sway the Scepter of these Realms so long as the Sun and Moon should endure and till all Scepters and Kingdoms should be resigned at the last day into the hands of Jesus Christ the King of Kings The Lords Spiritual Temporal and Commons of the Realm of England assembled in Parliament in the first year of King James do thus expresse and declare their own and the whole Kingdoms unspeakeable joys acclamations and thanksgivings unto God and their own and their posterities Signal Loyalty affection and Devotion to King James his Heirs and Royal progeny for ever in the Statute of 1 Jacobi ch 1. intituled A most joyfull and just Recognition of the immediate lawfull and undoubted succession descent and Right of the Crown Great and manifold were the benefits most dread and most gracious Soveraign wherewith almighty God blessed this Kingdom and Nation by the happy union and conjunction of the two Nobles houses of York and Lancaster thereby preserving this noble Realm formerly torn and almost wasted with long and miserable dissention and bloodie Civil War But more inestimable and unspeakable blessings are thereby powred upon us because there is derived and grown from and out of that union of those two Princely families a more famous and greater union or rather a re-uniting of two Mighty Famous and antient Kingdoms yet antiently but one of England and Scotland under one Imperial Crown in your most Royal Person who is lineally rightfully and lawfully descended of the body of the most excellent Lady Margaret eldest daughter of the most renowned King Henry the 7th and the high and noble Princesse Queen Elizabeth his wife eldest daughter of King Edward the 4th The said Lady Margaret being eldest sister of King Henry the 8th father of the high and mightie Princesse of famous memorie Elizabeth late Queen of England In consideration whereof albeit we your Majesties loyal and faithfull Subjects of all Estates and Degrees with all possible publike Joy and Acclamation by open Proclamations within few houres after the decease of our late Soveraign Queen acknowledging thereby with one full voice of tongue and heart that your Majesty was our only lawfull and rightfull Leige Lord and Soveraign and by our unspeakable and general rejoycing and applause at your Majesties most happy inauguration and Coronation by the affectionate desire of infinite numbers of us of all degrees to see your Royal Person and by all possible outward means have indeavoured to make demonstration of our inward love zeal and devotion to your most excellent Majestie our undoubted rightfull Leige Soveraign Lord and King yet as we cannot do it too often or enough so can there be no means or way so fit both to sacrifice our unfeined and heartie thanks to Almighty God for blessing us with a Soveraign adorued with the rarest gifts of mind and body in such admirable peace and quietnesse and upon the knees of our hearts to agnize our most constant faith obedience and loyalty to your Majestie and your Royal Progenie as in this high Court of Parliament where all the whole body of the Realm and every particular Member thereof either in Person or Represeatation upon their own free Elections are by the Laws of this Realm deemed to be personally present To the present acknowledgment whereof to your Majestie we are the more deeply bounden and obliged as well in regard of the extraordinarie care and pains which with so great wisdom knowledge experience and dexteritie your Majestie since the Imperial Crown of this Realm descended to you have taken for the continuance and establishment of the blessed peace both of the Church of England in the true and sincere Religion and of the Common-wealth by due and speedy administration of justice as in respect of the gracious care and inward affection which it pleased you on the first day of this Parliament so lively to expresse by your own words so full of high wisdom learning and virtue and so repleate with Royal and thankfull acceptation of all our faithfull and constant endeavours which is and ever will be to our inestimable consolation and comfort We therefore your most humble and loyal Subjects the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled do from the bottom of our hearts yield to the divine Majestie all humble thanks and prayses not only for the said unspeakable and inestimable benefits and blessings above mentioned but also that he hath further enriched your Highnesse with a most Royal Progenie of Most rare and excellent gifts and forwardnesse and in his goodnesse is like to increase the happy number of them And in most humble and lowly manner do beseech your most Excellent Majestie that as a memorial to all posterities amongst the Records of your high Court of Parliament for ever to endure of our Loyalty Obedience and harty and humble Affection it may be published and declared in this high Court of Parliament and enacted by authority of the same That we being bounden thereunto both by the Laws of God and Man do recognize and acknowledge and thereby

thee in thy Church and alwaies sing joyfully that thy mercifull 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 confesse our selves above all the Nations of the earth infinitely bound unto thy heavenly Majesty 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 faithfull Professor and Defendor of the same both which exasperate the enemies of true Religion and enrage their thoughts to the invention of most dreadfull designs 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 wisedom 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 wickednesse may hurt him but that under him we may still enioy this his peaceable Government with the profession of the Gospel of thy Son Jesus Christ 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 since 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 snares of the Fowler and his Nobles from the fire of the fury of the wicked he shall rejoyce in thy Salvation and we his People shall tryumph in this thy wonderfull Deliverance thy Gospel shall prosper and thine Adversaries shall be confounded And multiply good Lord we beseech thee thy great goodnesse towards our gracious King and his Kingdoms from this time forth through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen After this Deliverance from this horrid Powder-plot there were these 2. forms of Prayers used in the Commons House by the Speakers during the Parliaments session very seasonable for our times wherein they expressed their Loyalty and Devotion to the King and his Royal Progeny 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 the King and wealth of our State doth depend knowing that without thee we can do nothing do at this time with fear and reverence in the beginning of our consultations first look up unto thee from whom wisedom and happie successe doth come praying thee to look down upon us who first look up unto thee from whom wisdom and happie successe doth come praying thee to look down from Heaven upon us with the eye of thy mercy to draw near unto us with the presence of thy grace to prepare us all with counsel and understanding and to be President and Director of all our conferences that those things may be propounded conceived allowed and confirmed which may best please thee and most directlie and soundly uphold the honour of thy Name the sinceritie of thy worship the safety of our King and peace of thy people even for thy Son our Lords sake And that we may not our selves be any hinderance to the obtaining of these our desires either by means of any sin formerly committed or of any corruption yet remaining in us we humblie pray thee to forgive our sins and blot out all our iniquities and to stand reconciled unto us in an everlasting covenant of peace as if we had never sinned against thee And because our hearts by nature are not fit for good cogitations create a new heart and renew a right spirit in us remove far from us all vain-glorious humour of advancing our private profit all envious humour of disgracing other mens gifts all malicious humour of hurting anie mans person and finally all froward humour of opposing our selves against just needfull and godly things by whomsoever propounded Furnish us with knowledge wisedom and zeal by sending down thy spirit into our hearts that we may understand discern prefer and set forward all things tending to the advancement of thy glorie and such as may be thought worthie our assent and furtherance And because all good things are not of equal goodness nor all needfull things of equal necessitie let our care and zeal be equallie proportioned to the degrees of things in goodnesse and necessitie different And therefore first make us carefull of the glory of thy Name which is the high end of all thy counsels and works and ought to be the last and first respect of all our purposes and doings And therein let our especial care be to provide for the continuance of thy word and religious practice of thy worship by the Ministery and means that Christ hath planted in his Church next let the good of this whole Island move our care and zeal which consisting in the safety and honour of the King and the enacting and executing of good Laws let us be wisely carefull and faithfully zealous for the Person of our King whom thou the King of Kings hast in mercy set over us And because no Law can be good that is not agreeable to thy Law which containeth the Fundamental equity of all Laws in making Laws to govern thy people let us alwaies have an eye unto thy Law not digressing from the holy equity thereof and what through thy mercy we shall here profitably enact we pray thee through the whole Kingdom it may be truly executed that our great labour may not be disgraced with little fruit And forasmuch as we all and every one of us have in this place with wonder and astonishment and without any merit of ours found a most evident assurance of thy mercy and goodnesse in a miraculous deliverance from the greatest danger by Popish treachery that ever was attempted or threatned towards our King our State and Vs give us good Lord hearts above the hearts of men to offer unto thee in the same place a daily sacrifice of thanksgiving in the highest measure together with a servent and incessant zeal care and diligence in all our proceedings for the setling of the peace and happy estate of thy Church amongst us the preservation of our King his royal