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our Liturgy prudently extracting, from both, what was proper to enrich and add Authority to the Work, in which they were engaged. And it begs that Protection of God more especially for the present Day, which the former begs in general: but above all, that we may fall into no Sin even undefignedly, much less run into any Kind of Danger of it wilfully, but do always what is righteous in his Sight.

After these Collects, follows, on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the Litany. But I fhall speak of that hereafter, God willing; and proceed now with the stated Service of the other Days of the Week: in which, having put up the before-mentioned Prayers for ourselves, we begin our Interceffions for other Perfons; and first for the King, as fupreme1: in Obedience to the Apostle's Injunctions, and in Imitation of the primitive Chriftians, even while they lived under Heathen Emperors. The Duties of that Station being very important and difficult, and the Hazards of erring and finning in it many and great, We therefore pray Him, who is the only Ruler of the Heart and Conduct of Princes, and beholds the State of all the Dwellers in their Dominions every where on Earth, to replenish

a 1 Pet. ii. 13.

1 Tim. ii. 1.

aur Sovereign, both with the Graces and the Gifts, needful for him: to grant him long to live in Health and Wealth; that is, Profperity; as we pray God, in the Litany, to deliver us in all Time of our Tribulation, in all Time of our Wealth; to ftrengthen him, that he may overcome all his Enemies, all that wish ill to Him or his People; and finally to bestow on him everLafling Felicity.

Then, because the Royal Family are the future Hopes of the Public, and in the mean while their whole Behaviour is of very great Confequence to it: we apply more diftinctly than the ancient Church did, but furely with Reason, to the Fountain of all Goodness, who therefore is able to fupply the Branches, as well as the Root, for fuch Bleffings on every Branch, especially the principal by Name, as their Condition. requires.

After this, we pray for the whole Clergy and People of our Land: that he, who alone worketh great Marvels; who hath in all Ages marvelloufly protected his Church against the Devil and wicked Men; who endued his Apostles with marvellous and miraculous Gifts on the Day of Pentecoft, and by their Means many others; who doth and ever will produce mar

vellous

vellous Effects on the Hearts of Believers by the Ministry of his Word and Sacraments, and who only can do fuch Things; would send down the healthful, that is, the healing, ftrengthening and faving, Spirit of his Grace, on all Bishops and Curates; Perfons, to whom the Cure or Care of Souls is intrufted; for this the Word, Curate, fignifies throughout the Prayer Book, not merely thofe Minifters who affift the proper Incumbent; and likewife on all Congregations committed to their Charge. And we further befeech him not only to bestow on them at first good Difpofitions; but (that they may truly and lastingly please him) pour upon them his continual Blessing, like a kindly Dew defcending from above. For neither is be that planteth any Thing, neither be that watereth, but God, that giveth the Increase".

Next to this, in the Time of War, we addrefs ourselves to the Almighty Governor of all Things, whofe Justice in punishing us Sinners with this Evil we acknowledge, and whose Mercy to deliver us from it, on our true Repentance, we hope for, and cannot hope for it elfe: complaining of the Pride and Malice of our Enemies; of which they must be guilty, if 1 Cor. iii, 7.

the

the War on our Side be lawful, otherwife there would be Peace and in the genuine Spirit of Christianity intreating, that the one may be abated, the other affwaged; which is praying for Them, as well as ourselves. And till they suffer their Difpofitions to be mended, We beg that their Devices and Enterprizes may be confounded: which Word, as dreadful as it founds too often in paffionate common Speech, means here no more than, difappointed: and this is the worst we wish, even to those who hate us and defpitefully use us a.

There is also appointed a very fit Prayer to be read during the Seffion of Parliament, for a Bleffing on their Confultations. But here it may be asked, how the Compilers of it could venture to call in it every one of our Kings, in all Time to come, most religious. Now certainly they did not intend to prophefy, that, in the common Meaning of the Word, they always would be fo: nor yet to require, that we fhould call them fo in a Senfe, that was not true. And therefore they muft either mean by Religious, (what it fometimes means in the Language, from which it is derived,) the Object of moft awful Regard, facred, a Title fre

d Matt. v. 44.

quently

quently afcribed to Kings: or indeed rather, most religious must be understood in the fame Manner, as the next Word to it, Gracious, conftantly is, without the leaft Difficulty or Scruple, both in the Liturgy and out of it; and as the Titles, moft Chriftian, and, most Catholic are; to denote the good Qualities, which Princes profess, and should have; and therefore their Subjects are willing and ought to hope they have; and by reminding them, endeavour that they may have. Accordingly this very Epithet, most religious, was conftantly afcribed to all fucceffive Emperors in St. Chryfoftom's and St. Bafil's Liturgies, the common ones of the Greek Church, as it is to all fucceffive Kings in ours. The Intention being thus cleared, the Lawfulnefs of joining in the Expreffion is evident. In the Prudence of chufing it originally we are lefs concerned. Yet in Defence of that we may plead, that this Prayer was compofed and originally used in the Reign of a Prince, acknowledged to be unfeignedly religious, King Charles the firft. And whatever Scruples have been raised concerning the Propriety of this Part of it in fome Reigns fince, happily there is no Room for them in the present.

• See Wilkins Conc. Vol. 4. p. 539.

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