A godlie and zealous prayer, to bee vsed of euery Christian and duetifull Subiecte, for the preseruation of our most soueraigne Lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God, of England, Fraunce, and Irelande Queene: and in all causes as well ecclesiasticall as temporall, next vnder God of the Church of Englande and Irelande supreame Gouernesse.
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE
DIEV ET MON DROIT
O Most gratious God and louing father, wee most wretched and miserable sinners prostrate our selues before the throne of thy diuine Maiestie: earnestlye beseeching thee from the bottom of our harts, (not for any of our deserts) but for thy sonne Iesus Christ his sake, to hearken vnto our prayers and supplications, which with groning soules and mourning mindes, wee powre foorth besore thee, which art the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob. For we appeale vnto thee O heauenly Father, and vnto none, but onelie vnto thee, for comfort in these dangerous daies of iniquity: wherein sinne aboundeth, and the godles which haue not thy feare before their eyes, labour without ceasing, to deface thy eternall trueth, to roote vppe violently the precious plants of thy vineyard, to hinder the building of Syon, and to treade downe like blood thirsty Tyrants and rauenous Wolues, thy chosen seruaunt Elizabeth, our most gracious Queene and Gouernes: vnder whome, through thy prouidence, we haue to our great ioy, and her highnes exceeding comfort, beene most peaceablie and quietly gouerned.
Continue we beseeche thee, (O most gracious Father and eternall God) this thine inestimable loue, and vndeserued fauour vnto vs although we haue iustly by the meanes of our greeuous contempt of thy graces, our innumerable wickednesses and immeasurable ingratitude deserued the contrary: yet for thy sonne Christ his sake, moste gracious God and louing Father, lay not the multitude of our sinnes to our charge, but be mercifull vnto vs, that with bitter teares sue vnto thee for thy mercie, loue, and fatherly fauoure.
Vpholde we beseeche thee amongst vs, as graciously thou hast doone hetherto, the sincere preaching of thy Gospell, (O most mighty Iehoua) and giue vs grace without wauering, to hold fast the staffe of thy blessed promises, and to beleeue without faining the sacred testimonies contained in thy holy Lawe. Keepe vs good Lorde vnder the winges of thy defence from the sedicious and damnable doctrine of Antichrist, that man of sinne, which exalteth himselfe aboue God, robbing him of his glorye and honour, in making our Sauiour Christ Iesus, insufficient by his painefull death and bloody passion, to purchase vs the price of our redemption, and thereby to raunsome vs from the infernall lake of hell and damnation.
Plucke the seales of ignoraunce we most hartely beseeche thee (O most louing God and heauenly father) from the eyes of all Christian Princes, and at thy good pleasure giue vnto them the good feeling of thy grace, that by the diuine w [...]rking of the same, they may perfectly vnderstand, and faithfully beleeue thy holy Gospell. Make them of persecuting Saules, to become conuerted Paules, that they with vs, and we with them, may glory and triumphe in the fall of Babilon, and studie in all theyr and our actions, as it becommeth redeemed Christians to aduaunce and set foorth the glory of thy holy name.
And cheefely and especially, (O gracious God and louing father) we commende vnto thee in these our prayers and supplications at this present, according to our bounden dueties, the estate of thy chosen seruaunt, our soueraigne Lady, Queene Elizabeth. Be thou vnto her as thou hast from the beginning to her last ending. O most heauenly father, a Bulwarke of defence against all her and our enemies. Weaken and make feeble sor thy sonne Christ his sake we beseeche thee the perrilous practi [...]es, and dangerous deuises of all peruerse and sedicious Papists, which indeuour to withstand and resist thy trueth, to persecute thee afresh in thy members, and to ouerthrow thine annointed. Stretch foorth thy hand O heauenly Father, and euer defend thy handmayd from those deuouring Bulles of Basan, which haue bent their hornes against her, hardning their hartes in their vngodlines, to worke the confusion of so vertuous and godly a Princesse. Keepe thou (O good Lorde) her highnes from the murmuring of Dathan, Coran, and Abiram, which enuie the godly estate of her gouernment, and let theyr reward bee shame and confusion, which imagine to worke her highnes any harme.
Defende thou (O heauenly Father) by the powre of thy prouidence, our happie Heaster, from the conspiracy of all hatefull Hamons, that thirst after the blood of the righteous, intendinge by treachery to worke the spoyle of thine inheritaunce, yea let their deuillish deuises be brought to naught, and let them perish in their vngodlines, that heaue vp their hands against thyne annointed. Keepe her farre off good Lord we beseeche thee, from all such ambitious minded Absolons, as haue determined to alter the estate of her most gracious gouernment, and let their hire be shame and confusion that haue conspired against her and thy people. Gyue her highnes power and strength from aboue, with victorious Iudith, to draw the sword, and to cutte of the heades of all such drunken Holoferneses, as are become drunken with the deuillish dregges of Antichrist, supersticious popery and treasonne: yea, let them be taken in theyr owne snares, and fall into the pytte which they haue digged for the destruction of the innocent. thus we thy poore people shall reioyce in thy wonderous workes and make our continuall boastes of thy prayses. Establishe wee beseeche thee (O good Lord) the throne of her highnes, make her an olde and aged mother in the house of Israell, to aduaunce the trueth of thy testament to reedify Ierusalem, and to plucke vp by the rootes all such wicked weedes and pestilent plants, as are not grafted by Iesus Christ, in the precious vineyard of his eternall trueth. Endue her with wisedome from aboue, garnish her with the health of body and minde: and plant about her as thou hast doone from the beginning, euen to her last ending, wise and godly Counsaylers, that by theyr foresight and her gracious gouernment, sinne may be suppressed, vertue aduaunced, trueth maintained, Idolatry defaced, and the horne of thine honour for euer bee continually exalted. Increase the number of godly Subiects, and giue vs grace we beseeche thee O eternall God, truely to serue and worshippe thee, to hate sinne, to flye farre from the fellowship of the vngodly, and to abound in all obedience, loue and duety towardes thee and her maiesty. And then thou like a louing father and most gracious God, wilt mercifully stretch foorth vnto vs the assured Scepter of thy euerlasting fauour: double the dayes of our soueraigne, to our exceeding ioy and comfort. Multiply our peace, confounde and ouerthrowe all her and our enemies, as well forraine as domesticall, powre vppon vs plenti [...]lly inthis life, the euerlasting dewes of thy mercy and grace, and in the world to come, make vs partakers of those celestiall ioyes which Christ Iesus hath prepared for the number of his elect in his heauenly kingdome: the which God for his sonne Christe his sake graunt vs. Amen.
Viuat, Valeat, vincatque Regina Elizabetha.
Imprinted at London by Hugh Singleton, dwelling in Smithfielde, at the signe of the Golden Tunne, printer to the right honorable Citie of London.