well to the truth of thine eternal word, as to his Crown and Realm, which thou hast of thy divine providence assigned unto him in these our days. Most merciful Father, if it be thy holy will, make soft and tender the stony hearts of all those, that exalt themselves against thy truth, and seek to oppress the professors thereof. Convert them to the knowledge of thy Son, the only Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ, that we and they may jointly glorify thy mercies: lighten (we beseech thee) their ignorant hearts to embrace the truth of thy word, or else so abate their cruelty, (O most mighty Lord,) that such Christian regions as confess the holy Gospel, may obtain by thy aid and strength surety from their enemies without shedding of Christian and innocent blood, whereby all they that be oppressed with their tyranny may be relieved, and all which be in fear of their cruelty may be comforted. And finally, that all Christian Realms, and specially this Realm of England, may by thy defence and protection enjoy perfect peace, quietness, and security. And that we for these thy mercies jointly altogether, with one consonant heart and voice, may thankfully render to thee all laud and praise, and in one godly concord and unity amongst our selves may continually magnify 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. XXXIV. A PRAYER used in the Queen's Majesty's house and Chapel, for the prosperity of the French King and his nobility. assailed by a multitude of notorious rebels that are supported and waged' by great forces of foreigns2. 21 Aug. An. 1590. O MOST mighty God, the only protector of all Kings and Kingdoms, we thy humble servants do here with one heart, and one voice, call upon thy heavenly grace, for the prosperous estate of all faithful Christian Princes, and namely at this time, that it would please thee of thy merciful goodness to protect by thy favour, and arm with thine own strength, the most Christian King, the French King, against the rebellious conspirations of his rebellious subjects, and against the mighty violence of such foreign forces, as do join themselves with these rebels, with intention not only to deprive him most unjustly of his kingdom, but finally to exercise their tyranny against our Sovereign Lady, and this her Kingdom and people, and against all other, that do profess the Gospel of thy only Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Now (O Lord) is the time, when thou mayest shew forth thy goodness, and make known thy power; for now are these rebels risen up against him, and have fortified themselves with strange forces, that are known to be mortal enemies both to him and us. Now do they all conspire and combine themselves against thee, O Lord, and against thy anointed. Wherefore, now, O Lord, aid and maintain this just cause; save and deliver him, and his army of faithful subjects, from the malicious cruel bloody men: send him help from thy holy Sanctuary, and strengthen him out of Zion. O Lord, convert the hearts of his disloyal subjects, bring them to the true and due obedience of Jesus Christ. Command thy enemies not to touch him, being thy Anointed, professing thy holy gospel, and putting his trust only in thee: break asunder their bands, that conspire thus wickedly against him; for his hope is in thee let his help be by thee: be unto him as thou wast to king David, whom thy right hand had exalted, the God of his [Waged: hired, kept in pay.] [ Spaniards.] salvation, a strong castle, a sure bulwark, a shield of defence, and place of refuge. Be unto him counsel and courage, policy and power, strength and victory: defend his head in the day of battle, comfort his armies, his true faithful Noble men, the princes of his blood, and all other his faithful subjects: Strengthen them to join their hearts and hands with him; associate unto him such as may aid him to maintain his right, and be zealous of thy glory. Let thy holy Angel stand in circuit about his Realm, and about his loyal people, that the enemies thereof, though they be multiplied in number, though they exalt themselves with horses and horsemen, though they trust to their numbers, to their shield, and glory in their strength; yet they may see with Elizeus the unresistable [2 Kings vi. army of angels, which thou canst send for the defence of thy inheritance, and that thy enemies may know and confess, that thy power standeth not in multitude, nor thy might in strong men: but thou (O Lord) art the help of the humble, the defender of the weak, the protector of them that are forsaken, and the saviour of all those who put their trust in thee. O merciful Father, we acknowledge thy gracious goodness in our own former deliverance 3 from the like kind of enemies and rebels, against thy anointed our Sovereign Lady and Queen, professing thy Gospel: so will we do in this, and be as joyful of it, and no less thankful for it, and make the same to be for ever an occasion unto us of our more faithful subjection to our own dread Sovereign: Whom (Lord) we beseech thee now and evermore most mercifully to bless with health of body, peace of Country, purity of religion, prosperity of Estate, and all inward, and outward, earthly happiness, and heavenly felicity. This grant (merciful Father) for the glory of thine own name, and for Christ Jesus' sake, our mediator and only Saviour. Amen. Imprinted at London by the Deputies of Christopher Barker, [3 In 1569. See p. 462.] 17.] XXXVI. AN ORDEr for Prayer anD THANKSGIVING (necessary to be used in these dangerous times) for the safety and preservation of her Majesty and this realm. Set forth by Authority. LONDON. Printed by the Deputies of Christopher Barker, Printer to the Queen's most excellent Majesty. 1594. 19, 20. An admonition to the Reader. There have been sundry, but heathen men (as Plato and others), being no better instructed than the lame reach of reason could guide them, nor any clearer enlightened, than by the dimmed glimpse of nature, who nevertheless arrived thus far, as to know and acknowledge that God, who is above all, extendeth his careful providence over all, and especially in preservation of Kingdoms, and of other politic societies, and of their Governours and Rulers. For that which may be known of God, is manifest Rom. 1. ver. (saith Saint Paul) among them: for God hath opened it unto them. For his invisible things being understood by his works through the creation of the world, are seen that is, both his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Then how much more must all Christians, to whom the Day-star hath in greater brightness and measure appeared, and the treasures of God the Father in his Son Christ Jesu been opened, acknowledge this his providence, and reverently adore and magnify that good God, which to the heap of all other his mercies towards them addeth this blessing and protection of Magistracy and government, whereby men live peaceably with all honesty in this life! But if ever any nation, yea, if all the nations in the world besides, have cause with thankfulness to acknowledge this kind of benefit, surely we the people of England have most just and abundant occasion, of all others, to perform this duty unto God. First, for placing over us our most gracious dread Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth, by whose happy government we have so long breathed from the burden of intolerable miseries of scarcity, bloodshed, and spiritual bondage, under which afore we lay grovelling, and pitifully groaned. Then, for preserving these her Realms and dominions so long in the true profession of the Gospel, and in peace and tranquillity, notwithstanding the sundry privy conspiracies. and open hostilities practised, both inward and outward, for the interruption of our quiet repose and holy profession. Thirdly, for protecting so long and so often her sacred royal person from the cruel and bloody hands of such and so many several detestable and treacherous Conspirators. And likewise for the Lord's provident and watchful eye over her and us, and for the wonderful happy discoveries of so manifold cruel designments so closely plotted against her innocent life, and so dangerously against her Highness' Realms and dominions. Which mischievous devices as they have all flowed from none other fountain, than from that city of seven hills, the See of Rome, and seat of the Beast, not in regard of any desert Apocal. 13. & of ours, but because we have abandoned the cup of spiritual abominations, wherewith these have long intoxicated the kings of the earth: So have they been continually projected, carried forward, and managed by idolatrous Priests and Jesuits his creatures, the very loathsome Locusts that crawl out of the bottomless pit. Howbeit they have been and are mightily seconded by certain Potentates of the earth', who do nothing else but serve themselves of that idolatrous Romish religion, as of a Mask and stalking-horse, there with to cover the unsatiable ambition, wherewith they are possessed, of usurping other men's kingdoms. For if we will first particularly cast our eyes upon the variable conspiracies that have been entered into but against her Highness' realms: shall we not find the treason of the two Pooles3, of Felton*, and of the late Duke of Northfolk" ; [The two other editions mentioned in the next note have not these four words, "Potentates of the earth."] [ There exist three editions of this Order, but only one has the following long enumeration of conspirators. The other two (which are in the University library, Cambridge, and at Lambeth) differ from each other merely in the arrangement of the type, and in the number of pages, one containing C in fours, the other D iii. In both the Admonition goes on thus, "of vsurping the kingdoms of other Princes. Which their most dangerous and desperate plots and enterprises, God of his great mercie hath hitherto most happily discouered to his infinite glorie, and our vnspeakeable comfort. So that it may aptly, &c."] [ In October, 1562, Arthur Pole, and his brother Edmund, (great grandsons of George, duke of Clarence, Edward the fourth's brother,) with others, were apprehended on a charge of conspiring, by means of a French army landing in Wales, to depose Elizabeth, and set on the throne Mary, queen of Scots, who was to marry Edmund, and create Arthur duke of Clarence. They were tried on the 26th of February, 1563, but, though found guilty, were all pardoned. Carte, Vol. I. p. 403. Zurich Letters, second edition, p. 172.] [ Pope Pius V., he who even desired to 'shed his blood in an expedition against England,' issued, February the 25th, 1570, a bull, excommunicating the heretic Elizabeth, and absolving her subjects from their oaths of allegiance. This bull one John Felton affixed to the gates of the bishop of London's palace in St Paul's church-yard, May the 25th, and on the 8th of August was hanged for his offence before the same gates. Camden, p. 428. Foulis, p. 433. Zurich Letters, pp. 341, 349.] [Thomas Howard, duke of Norfolk, a protestant since he knew what religion meant,' the pupil of John Foxe, the martyrologist, to whom he left Twenty pound a yeare,' was beheaded on Tower hill, the 2nd of June, 1572, five months after condemnation, for a second time intending to marry Mary, queen of Scots, and thereby further her designs |