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.

A thanksgiving and prayer for the preservation of the Queen and the Realm. [1572.]

O GOD, most merciful Father, who in thy great mercies hast both given unto us a peaceable princess, and a gracious Queen, and also hast very often and miraculously saved her from sundry great perils and dangers, and by her government hast preserved us and the whole Realm from manifold mischiefs, and dreadful plagues, wherewith nations round about us have been and be most grievously afflicted: have mercy upon them, O Lord, and grant us grace, we beseech thee, for these thy great benefits, that we may be thankful and obedient unto thee, to fly from all things that may offend thee, and provoke thy wrath and indignation against us, and to order our lives in all things that may please thee; that thy servant our sovereign Lady, and we thy people committed to her charge, may by thy protection be continually preserved from all deceits and violences of enemies, and from all other dangers and evils both bodily and ghostly, and by thy goodness may be maintained in all peace and godliness: grant this, O merciful Father, for thy dear Son's sake our Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God immortal, invisible, and only wise, be all honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

A PSALM AND COLLECT OF THANKSGIVING, not unmeet xxix. for this present time: to be said or sung in Churches.

At London. Printed by the Deputies of Christopher Barker, Printer to the Queen's most excellent Majesty. 1588.

A Psalm of thanksgiving.

O COME hither, and hearken, all ye that fear God, and Psal.66.c.141. we will tell you what he hath done for our souls.

For we may not hide his benefits from our children, and Psal. 78. a. 4. to the generation to come, and to all people we will shew the praises of the Lord, his power also, and his wonderful works, that he hath done for us.

When the Kings and Rulers of the earth, and Nations Psal. 2. a. 1. round about us, furiously raged, and took counsel together against God, and against his anointed.

Matt.10, d. 22.

24. b 9.11.

Psal. 115. a.4.

When2 men of another devotion than we be, (men bewitched Psal. 144. b.7. by the Romish Antichrist,) men drowned in idolatries and super- & stitions, hated us deadly, and were maliciously set against us, for our profession of the word of God, and the blessed Gospel of our Saviour Christ.

They cast their heads together with one consent, took their common counsel, and were confederate, and gined mischief, against thy people, O Lord God.

Psal. 55. a. 3.

5.

they Psal. 83. a. 3. ima- The council

of Trent, and the holy league.

& 56. b. 6. &

They secretly laid wait, they privily set snares and nets, Psal. 35. b. 7. they digged pits for our souls, thinking that no man should 64. a. 5. 6. & see them.

83. b. 3.

cruel Psal. 12. a. 1.

2. 3. & 14. Psal. 59. b. 7.

They communed of peace, and prepared for most war; for they think that no faith nor truth is to be kept with us, but that they may feign, dissemble, break promise, c. 12. & 120. swear, and forswear, so they may deceive us and take us unwares, and oppress us suddenly.

[See p. 549, note 4.]

[Dr Williams's MS. quotes the present passage to illustrate a remark on Christopher Stile's publication (p. 609, note 2): "In this, and most of these Forms they terme the Pope Antichrist, and acknowledge their desert to be plagued, persecuted, and troubled, by the sword of forren power stirred vp against vs by the Romish antechrist, the Pope.'"]

a. 2. & 140. a. 2. 3. b. 9.

Psal. 3. a.1. 2.
Psal. 22. c. 12.

& 69. a. 4.

And indeed innumerable multitudes of these most subtle 16.& 50.3 and cruel enemies, and too mighty for us, came suddenly upon us, by sea and by land, when we looked not for them.

Psal.17. b. 12.

Psal. 22. c. 13.

Psal. 27. a. 2.

They came furiously upon us, as it were roaring and 56.1.2. ramping Lions, purposing to devour us, and to swallow us up: they approached near unto us, even to eat up our flesh. Psal. 74. b. 8. They said in their hearts, Let us make havoc of them altogether, let us root them out that they be no more a people, and that the name of England may be no more had in remembrance.

& 83. a. 4.

Israel.

Psal. 27. c. 15.
Psal. 55. a. 3.

1. 2. &c.

And surely their coming was so sudden, their multitude, Psal. 124. a. power, and cruelty so great, that had we not believed verily Psal. 94. c. 17. to see the goodness of God, and put our trust in his defence and protection, they might have utterly destroyed us.

Psal. 56. a. 3.

& 107. b. 6.

& 108. c. 12.

Psal. 60, c. 11. 12. & 108. c. 12. 13.

Psal. 81. b. 7.

& 18. d.34. 35.

37.

But though we had great cause to be afraid, yet we put our whole trust in God: we cried unto the Lord in our trouble and distress; we said, Help us, O Lord our God, for vain is the help of man.

We said, We commit ourselves wholly unto thee; according to the greatness of thy power, preserve us, O Lord, who are appointed to die.

And the Lord inclined his ear and heard us, and gave Psal. 48.a.5.6. Courage to the hearts, and strength to the hands, of our captains and soldiers, and put the enemies in fear.

Psal. 10. c. 12. 14.

The Lord arose, and took the cause (which indeed was his own) Psal. 35. a. 1. into his own hands, and fought against them, that fought against us.

Psal. 11. b. 6.

Psal. 18. c. 11. 12. 13.

Psal. 48. a. 6. 83. c. 15.

Exod. 15. a.

The Lord scattered them with his winds, he confounded and disappointed their devices and purposes of joining their powers together against us.

The Angel of the Lord persecuted them, brought them Psal.35. a. 5.6 into dangerous, dark, and slippery places, where they wandering long to and fro, were consumed with hunger, thirst, cold, and sickness the sea swallowed the greatest part of them.

4.5.

Psal.7.c.15.16.
Psal. 35. b. 8.

16. 17. 18.

And so the Lord repressed the rage and fury of our cruel Psal. 9. c. 15. enemies, intending nothing but bloodshed and murther, and Psal. 9. b. 9. turned the mischief which they purposed against us upon Psal. 44. b. 12. their own heads; and delivered and saved us, who were as sheep appointed to the shambles and slaughter.

Psal. 18. d. 17.

d. 22.

Psal. 64. b. 9.
Psal. 107.f.42.

This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our

4.3.

and in our enemies' sight, and in the eyes of all people; Psal.118.d.23. and all that see it shall say, This is the Lord's work.

God is our king of old: the help that is done by sea and Psal. 74. c.13. by land, is his.

Psal. 107. d.

22. 23. &c.

10.

It is God that giveth deliverance unto Princes, and that Psal. 144. b. rescueth our QUEEN from the hurtful sword, and saveth David. her from all dangers and perils.

We will therefore give thanks, whom the Lord hath re- Psal. 107. a. 2. deemed, and delivered from the hand of the enemy.

We will confess before the Lord, and praise him for his Psal.107.d.21. goodness and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men.

We will offer unto him the sacrifice of thanksgiving: and d. 22. tell out his works with gladness.

We will exalt him also in the Congregation of the peo- Psal.107.c.32. ple, and praise him in the presence of the Elders.

O sing unto the Lord a new song: for he hath done Psal. 98. a. 1. marvellous things.

With his own right hand, and with his holy arm: hath a. 2. he gotten himself the victory.

O give thanks unto the Lord, and call upon his name ; Psal. 105. a. 1. tell the people what things he hath done.

O let your songs be of him, and praise him: and let a. 2. your talking be of all his wondrous works.

Rejoice in his holy name: let the hearts of them rejoice a. 3. that seek the Lord.

And thou, my soul, be joyful in the Lord: let it rejoice Psal. 35. b. 9. in his salvation.

All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, b 10. which deliverest the oppressed from them that be too strong for them yea, and them that are in distress from them that seek to spoil them?

Blessed be the Lord God, even the God of Israel: which Psal. 72. c. 18. only doth wondrous things.

And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever and c. 19. ever and all the earth shall be filled with the glory of his majesty. Amen. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

A Collect of thanksgiving.

WE cannot but confess, O Lord God, that the late terrible intended invasion of most cruel enemies was sent from thee to the punishment of our sins, of our pride, our covetousness, our excess in meats and drinks, our security, our ingratitude, and our unthankfulness towards thee, for so long peace, and other thy infinite blessings continually poured upon us, and to the punishment of other our innumerable and most grievous offences continually committed against thy divine majesty. And indeed our guilty consciences looked for (even at that time) the execution of thy terrible justice upon us, so by us deserved. But thou, O Lord God, who knowest all things, knowing that our enemies came not of justice to

[In 1610 Thomas Sorocold, rector of St Mildred's in the Poultry, gave to the world a handfull of flowers, picked, sorted, and tyed up into a bundle,' entitled 'Supplications of Saints.' The book contained also three prayers by Queen Elizabeth, 'carying in matter pithe, in stile maiestie, and in words true deuotion,' one of which will not be inappropriately placed here.

Queen Elizabeth's Prayer of Thanksgiving, for the overthrow of the Spanish Navy, sent to invade ENGLAND, Anno 1588.

MOST omnipotent Creator, Redeemer, and Conserver. When it seemed most fit time to thy worthy Providence to bestow the workmanship of this world's Globe: with thy rare judgment, thou didst divide into four singular parts the form of all this Mould, which aftertime hath termed Elements: all they serving to continue in orderly Government of all the mass. Which all, when of thy most singular bounty, and never yerst seen care, thou hast this year made serve for instruments to daunt our foes, and to confound their malice; I most humbly, with bowed heart, and bended knees, do render my humblest acknowledgments, and lowliest thanks: And not the least, for that the weakest Sex hath been so fortified by thy strongest help, that neither my people need find lack by my weakness, nor Foreigners triumph at my ruin: Such hath been thy unwonted grace in my DAYS, as, though Sathan hath never made Holy-day in practising for my life and state, yet thy mighty hand hath overspread both with the shade of thy wings, so that neither hath been overthrown, nor received shame, but abide with blessing, to thy most glory, and their greatest ignominy. For which, Lord, of thy meer goodness, grant us grace to be hourly thankful, and ever mindful. And if it may please thee to pardon my request, give us thy continuance in my days of like goodness; that my years never see change of such grace to me, but especially to this my kingdom: which, LORD, grant (for thy Son's sake) may flourish many ages after my end. Amen.]