a rock of salvation, and a tower of defence unto them. Break the enemies' weapons: As smoke vanisheth, so let their enemies be scattered, and such as hate them, fly before them. Thou seest (O Lord) the malice of our adversaries, how for thy Name, which is called on over us, and for the truth of thy Gospel wherein we rejoice, they bear a tyrannous hate against us, continually vexing and troubling us, that fain would live in peace. Stir up therefore (O Lord) thy strength, and avenge our just quarrel: turn the sword of our enemy upou his own head, and cause his delight in war to become his own destruction. As thou hast dealt with him heretofore, so now scatter his Forces, and spoil his mighty Ships, in which he trusteth; so shall we the people of thine inheritance, give praise unto thy Name, and for thy great mercy give thanks unto thee in the great Congregation: yea, the World shall know, and the Nations shall understand to the praise of thy glory, that thou alone defendest them that trust in thee, and givest victory unto Princes. Hear us (O Lord our strength) in these our prayers, for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen. O ALMIGHTY God, which only doest great wonders, shew forth (we pray thee) at this time the power of thy might, and the glory of thy strength, by preserving our Armies at Sea and Land, from death and sickness, and all perils on the Sea, and by helping them in the day of battle against the rage and violence of the Adversary. Thou seest (O Lord) that not for any worldly respects, but for the defence of this Realm, and the peace of thy Church in it, this journey is undertaken, to abate and withstand the pride, and to daunt the insolencies, of our enemies, who conspire and bandy themselves against us, breathing out wrath and utter subversion. Arise therefore, we pray thee, (O Lord of Hosts), unto our help, and let our enemies feel that thou still defendest our just cause, and in the day of battle dost fight for us. Not in our own sword, nor in the arm of our own flesh, do we put our trust; but our trust is in the multitude of thy mercies, and in the strength of thy mighty Arm, who art God alone. Bless therefore the Chieftains and Leaders of our bands with the spirit of wisdom, counsel, and magnanimity, and the Soldiers with courage and fortitude, to stand undaunted and without fear in the day of battle. But as for their enemies, and such as come out against them, cast a fear and astonishment upon them, that they may fall, and cover their faces with shame and confusion: that all the world may know, that thou (O God) resistest the proud and wicked men, and that thou avengest the cause of such as put their trust in thee. Hear us, O God of Hosts, even for Christ his sake our only Saviour and Redeemer. Amen. O GOD, most glorious, the shield of all that trust in thee, who alone dost send Peace to thy people, and causest War to cease in all the world, consider the daily troubles of thy servants, and behold the malice of our Adversaries, who for thy Name's sake, which is called on over us, and for the truth of thy Gospel wherein we rejoice, do conspire and band themselves against us, breathing out wrath and utter subversion. Many a time hath their wrath been kindled, so that they would have swallowed us up quick: but by thy power their purpose hath been frustrated, their counsels prevented, their preparations overthrown, and we delivered. Yet, O Lord, their heart is set against us, still to vex and trouble us that fain would live in peace. But for the quiet of thy Church, and that thine enemies may know thee to be a God of mercy, cause them to return at last, and not any longer to hate those whom thou hast loved: Make them to see that their plots and designments are against thee, who for us fightest against them, drowning their ships, and casting down their strong-holds in which they do trust; that thy Name may be glorified in the day of their conversion. But if they shall still harden their hearts, and will not understand either our defence, or their own calamity to come of thee: make void their devices, disclose their counsels, discover their secret complots, that in the snare, which they have laid for us, their own feet may be taken. Finally, O Lord, whensoever they prepare themselves to battle, take the defence of our just cause into thine hand: Break their Navies, disperse their Armies, and cast upon them a fear and astonishment, that they may tremble at thy presence, and fly before they be pursued: Grant this, O Lord our strength, even for Christ his sake. Amen. O ETERNAL God, Lord of the whole World, and guide of Sea and Land, who by thy mighty power sortest to what effect thou wilt the Counsels and actions of all men: graciously vouchsafe to bless and order unto happy issue the late begun work of our gracious Sovereign, in the hand of her Nobles and men of war, now sent out by Seas, to withstand the Enemies of her life, her people, and thy Church. As Guide and General of the journey, let it please thee (mighty Lord of Hosts) to go in and out before them, with best fore-winds and straightest course to speed and prosper them in the way. And when thou hast brought them to the appointed place, in a pillar of fire give light to direct their steps, and in a pillar of a Cloud defend them. Put upon them thy spirit of counsel and fortitude, and under the banner of thy power and protection let the work be effected. Courage and embolden them in the day of conflict, to stand undaunted and without fear. Make way and opportunity for them to attempt with advantage, and for thy Name's sake grant (0 glorious God) to their puissant attempts happy success in battle, to their battle a joyful victory, and to their victory a safe and triumphant return. So will we the people of thine inheritance, which now pray for the blessing of thy grace upon them, praise thy Name for ever, and together with them ascribe both cause and glory of the work, not to our own strength, but unto thy power, who alone givest victory in the day of battle; and for thy great mercies will give thanks unto thee in the midst of the Congregation. Hear us, O Father, even for Christ his sake. Finis. Amen. AN ORDER FOR PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING (necessary to be XLI. used in these dangerous times) for the safety and preservation of her Majesty and this Realm. Set forth by Authority. Anno 1594. And renewed with Imprinted at London by the deputies of Christopher Bar- 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 Governors and Rulers. For that which may be known of God, is manifest Rom. I. 19, 20. (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 like wise 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 Apoc.13.& 17. hills, the See of Rome, and seat of the Beast, not in regard of any desert 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, therewith 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 that treason of the two Pooles1, of Felton, and of the late Duke of Northfolk, of Throgmorton, of Englefield, of Paget, of Shelly, and Stanley, and Yorke, and of all the Seminary Priests and Jesuits, to have been tickled up by Romish busses and practices, and to have been carried forward by their own gross dotage upon that absurd Religion? As for those other attempts against her dominions, which have not stayed themselves in the bare terms of conspiracy only, but have also broken farther into open rebellion and hostility: they likewise have no less been blown up by that brood of Massing Priests, being unnatural subjects (for the most part) of these kingdoms. For was not Moreton a priest sent from the Pope's own side to stir up the two Earls and others unto the Northern rebellion? Did not Sanders second his bookish treasons even with banner displayed, and by commotion in Ireland? And doth not that carnal arch-traitor Allen proclaim to the world, unto his own everlasting reproach, that he and others excited the king of Spain's invincible Navy (vainly so surnamed) by invasion to have conquered his own native country, and to have swallowed us all up? And those unnatural and disloyal defections in Ireland, which turned eftsoons into violent commotions, and in the end brast out into open rebellion, and that cruel bloodshed wherewith that country is now so sorely afflicted and gored, arose they not from the irreption of those undermining vermin the Priests and Jesuits covertly sent in, first alienating the minds of true subjects from their Prince, and the faith of sound professors from religion, and then inciting and persuading them to this open hostility and cruelty? Yea, and in all those their latter hidden, hellish and damnable designs against her Majesty's own person and life, such Priests have also been the principal stirrers and agents under their unholy father. Somerfield and Arden, were they not drawn into that action by Hall the priest? Parry by Cardinal Como, and by certain English fugitive priests at Milan [See pp. 655 658 for explanatory notes.] |