Son our Saviour Christ, save us in thy mercy (O heavenly Father) from the cruelty of these conspirators: cast a fear and trembling into their hearts, take our cause into thine own hands, go before our host, fight our battles, and subdue them: So shall they have no cause to insult over thy true Church, and over us thy servants, nor to say with the old enemies, Where is now their God? And we thy penitent and most humble suppliants will from henceforth declare thy Name. with cheerful heart unto our brethren: in the midst of the Congregation we will ever praise thee, and magnify thy salvation, world without end. Grant this (O merciful Father) not for our own sakes, but for thy dear Son's sake, our Lord and Saviour Jesus. Christ to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, three persons and one God, be all honour, glory, power, and dominion now and for ever. Amen. : A prayer for the Queen's Majesty. O LORD our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the only ruler of Princes, which dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth, most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth, and so replenish her with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that she may alway incline to thy will, and walk in thy way: endue her plenteously with heavenly gifts, grant her in health and wealth long to live, strengthen her, that she may vanquish and overcome all her enemies, and finally after this life she may attain everlasting joy and felicity, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O ALMIGHTY God, King of all Kings, and governour of all things, whose power no creature is able to resist, to whom it belongeth justly to punish sinners, and to be merciful to them that truly repent: save and deliver us (we humbly beseech thee) from the hands of our enemies, abate their pride, assuage their malice, and confound their devices: that we, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore from all perils, to glorify thee which art the only giver of all victory, through the merits of thy only Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Prayers for true repentance and mercy. Most merciful Father, who hast in thy holy word, the word of truth, promised mercy unto sinners that do repent and turn unto thee, and hast by thy terrible examples of thy just anger, being executed upon people and countries round about us, called us, and most mercifully moved us to repentance, and by thy patience and long suffering of us hitherto hast graciously granted us time and space to repent: grant also, we beseech thee, both to them and us grace truly to repent, and unfeignedly to turn unto thee with amendment of life, and to trust in thy mercies, and safely to rest under thy continual protection from all enemies and evils both bodily and ghostly, through our Saviour Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God world without end. Amen. Another for the same. WE have sinned, Lord, we have sinned grievously, we have done unjustly, we have lived wickedly; we are sorry therefore, O Lord, yea, we are most sorry, that we are no more sorry for our sins: but thou, Lord God, Father of all mercies, we humbly beseech thee, be not angry with us for ever for our great and manifold sins, neither deal with us according to our deserts, neither reward us according to our wickedness; but even for thyself, O Lord God, and for thy holy name's sake, for thy most gracious assured promises made unto penitent sinners in thy holy word, the word of truth, for thy infinite mercies which are in thy dearly beloved Son Jesu Christ our Saviour, for his sake, for his death and precious blood, be merciful unto us sinners, and so we, who have most grievously offended thy divine Majesty, shall continually magnify thy great and infinite mercy, through our Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory world without end. Amen. Another prayer to be delivered from our enemies. O LORD God of hosts, most loving and merciful Father, we thy humble servants prostrate ourselves before thy divine Majesty most heartily beseeching thee to grant unto us true repentance for our sins past, namely for our unthankful ness, contempt of thy word, lack of compassion towards the afflicted, envy, malice, strife and contention among ourselves, and for all other our iniquities. Lord, deal not with us as we have deserved, but of thy great goodness and mercy do away our offences, and give us grace to confess and acknowledge, O Lord, with all humble and hearty thanks, the wonderful and great benefits which thou hast bestowed upon this thy Church and people of England, in giving unto us, without all desert of our part, not only peace and quietness, but also in preserving our most gracious Queen thine handmaid so miraculously from so many conspiracies, perils and dangers, and in granting her good success against the attempts of her adversaries for the which so wonderful and great benefits we humbly beseech thee to stir up our dull minds to such thankfulness and acknowledging of thy mercies as becometh us, and as may be acceptable unto thee. We do instantly beseech thee of thy gracious goodness to be merciful to thy Church militant here upon earth, many ways vexed and tormented by the malice of Satan and his members, and at this time, as it were, compassed about with strong and subtil adversaries. And especially, O Lord, let thine enemies know, and make them confess, that thou hast received England (which they most of all for thy Gospel sake do malign) into thine own protection. Set, we pray thee (O Lord), a wall about it, and evermore mightily defend it. Let it be a comfort to the afflicted, a help to the oppressed, a defence to thy Church and people persecuted abroad. And forasmuch as thy cause is now in hand, we beseech thee to direct and go before our Armies both by sea and land; bless and prosper them, and grant unto them, O Lord, so good and honourable success and victories, as thou didst to Abraham and his company against the four mighty kings, to Josua against the five kings, and against Amalech, to David against the strong and mighty armed giant Goliah, and as thou usest to do to thy children when they please thee. We acknowledge all power, strength and victory to come from thee: some put their trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember thy name, O Lord our God. Thou bringest the counsel of the heathen to nought, and makest the devices of the people to be of none effect. There is no king that can be saved by the multitude of an host, neither is any mighty man delivered by 41 [LITURG. QU. ELIZ.] much strength. A horse is but a vain thing to save a man: therefore we pray unto thee, O Lord; thou art our help and our shield. O Lord, give good and prosperous success to all those that fight thy battle against the enemies of thy Gospel, shew some token continually for our good, that they which hate us may see it and be confounded; and that we thy little and despised flock may say with good King David, Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord Jehovah, and blessed are the folk that he hath chosen to be his inheritance. These and all other graces necessary for us, grant, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our only Mediator and Redeemer. An other prayer for the same. O LORD our God and heavenly Father, look down, we beseech thee, with thy fatherly and merciful countenance upon us thy people and poor humble servants, and upon all such Christians as are any where persecuted and sore afflicted for the true acknowledging of thee to be our God, and thy Son Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent, to be the only Saviour of the world: save them, O merciful Lord, who are as sheep appointed to the slaughter, and by hearty prayer do call and cry unto thee for thy help and defence: hear their cry, O Lord, and our prayer for them, and for our selves deliver those that be oppressed: defend such as are in fear of cruelty: relieve them that be in misery, and comfort all that be in sorrow and heaviness: that by thy aid and strength they and we may obtain surety from our enemies, without shedding of Christian and innocent blood. And for that, O Lord, thou hast commanded us to pray for our enemies, we do beseech thee, not only to abate their pride, and to stay the fury and cruelty of such as either of malice or ignorance do persecute them which put their trust in thee, and hate us, but also to mollify their hard hearts, to open their blinded eyes, and to lighten their ignorant minds, that they may see and understand, and truly turn unto thee, and embrace the holy word, and unfeignedly be converted unto thy Son Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of the world, and believe and love his Gospel, and so eternally to be saved. Finally, that all Christian Realms, and especially this Realm of England, may by thy defence and protection enjoy per fect peace, quietness, and security, and all that desire to be called and accounted Christians, may answer in deed and life to so good and godly a name; and jointly altogether in one godly concord and unity, and with one consonant heart and mind, may render unto thee all laud and praise, continually magnifying thy glorious name, who with thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, art one eternal, almighty, and most merciful God, to whom be all laud and praise, world without end. Amen. A prayer. Be merciful (O Father of all mercies) to thy Church universal, dispersed throughout the whole world: and grant that all they that confess thy holy name, may agree in the truth of thy holy word, and live in godly concord and unity. And specially be merciful to such as are under persecution for the testimony of their conscience, and profession of the gospel of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Repress (0 Lord) the rage and tyranny of such as are bent to bloodshed, and mind nothing but murther: and save and deliver those silly souls, which (as sheep) are appointed to the shambles and slaughter. And, namely, be merciful to thy Church and realm of England: to thy servant our Sovereign and gracious Queen Elizabeth, whose life (O Lord) long and long preserve from all the conspiracies and evils, which the craft and malice of the devil, Antichrist, or other wicked men hath or can devise against her (as hitherto most graciously thou hast done.) Be merciful (O Lord) to the Queen's most honourable council, giving them grace to counsel and to execute that which may be to thy honour and glory, to the edifying of the Church of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, and to the benefit and safety of the realm. Be merciful also (O Lord) to the clergy, nobility, Judges, magistrates, people, and commonalty of this realm, granting to every one thy heavenly grace, that they may in their vocation do their duties, to the honour and glory of thy name, the benefit of this Church and realm, and to the salvation of their own souls. Grant this (O Lord) to us most unworthy sinners for the worthiness of thy dear Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory world without end. Amen. |