O Lord God almightie, terrible, and fearefull God, thou Lorde of Hostes, iudge of the worlde, which hatest sinne, and visitest the transgressions of the Fathers vpon the children, to the thirde and fourth generation of them that hate thée; Wée most miserable sinners doe in most humble manner throwe our selues downe before thy maiestie: acknowledg­ing that wee are not worthy of the least of thy mercies, no, not so much as to goe vpon the ground, or to looke vp vnto hea­uen: much more vnworthy are wée to [Page 4] haue this fauour, to call vpon thy name, with anie hope to be heard, and to find fa­uour in thine eies, for the obtaining of our requests, for our selues, and the rest of thy people, for whom wee are bounde to pray.Psa. 50.15 Yet, because it is thy commaunde­ment, that we should call vpon thée in our troubles,Psa. 145.18 and further thou hast promised to bee néere those that call vppon thée in truth: In some measure of conscience to obey thy commaundement, and trusting vnto thy great mercie, we do humble our selues before thée. Praying thée, that wée may not be of the number of them, whose praiers bee abhominable in thy sight (ac­cording as it is with them that regarde wickednes in their harts, and turne their eares from thy law:Psa. 66.18.) but that we may so pray vnto thée in sorrow for our sins past,Pro. 28.9. in vnfained desire to please thée for the time to come, in a true persuasion of thy fauour to vs in Christ, and in such a loue of thy Church, that our seruice may be al­lowed of thée, and our selues & all they for whom we are to make sute, may receiue much comfort, of our performing this du­tie, euen to the honour of thy name.

[Page]And because it is our sinnes onely,Jsa. 59.2. that make separation betwéene thée and vs, kéeping away the good blessinges, which thou else wouldest giue, and pulling vpon vs the plagues, which thou art not easily drawne to powre vpon thy children; We doe first of all in most humble maner con­fesse, that as we were conceiued in sinne and brought forth in iniquity: so we haue besides, yéelded most cursed fruits of that our corrupt nature in rebellion against thée, and breaking thy commandements, in our thoughts, words, and déedes, in do­ing euil, and leauing good things vndone, and doing good things very weakely and imperfectlie. And that not onely in the daies of our youth, and in the time of our ignoraunce, but also since wee came to more yeeres, and haue béene instructed in the knowledge of thy blessed will. O wée haue sinned, wée haue sinned hainously, in neglecting thy seruice, and our duety to our brethren in our callinges. Wée haue sinned openlie and secretelie, alone and in companie, yea, oftentimes wilfullie and against our consciences, when wée knew thy commandement was, that wée [Page 6] should haue done otherwise.

Yea, wee doe not onely thus confesse our owne sinnes, but also after the exam­ple of thy worthy seruants,Dan, 9.1 [...]. Nehe. 1.6 & 9.34. Daniel & Ne­hemiah, we confesse the sins of our whole land, acknowledging, that we, our forefa­thers, our princes, our gouernours, our whole Ecclesiasticall state, & all the peo­ple of the Realme, haue fearefully sinned against thee. If wee were guilty of no o­ther sins before thy maiestie, the idolatry & bloudshed in the former times, yet not reuenged, nor repented of as they ought, were sufficient to bring vtter desolation vpon a lande, wherein such abhominati­ons were committed, as thy seruant Ie­remie in his time,Jere. 15.4. threatened the Iewes for the sinnes of Manasse. But (O Lorde) what haue béen the iniquities committed since our deliuerance from that yoke, and thy bestowing vppon vs the light of thy Gospel? O, haue we not all from the high­est to the lowest damnably sinned against thée? yes verily. If we would denie it, our iniquities would testifie against vs. For, which of thy commandementes haue wée not broken? If we looke to those foure of [Page 7] the first table, which teach vs our duetie towards thée, or those six of the second ta­ble, which teach vs howe to walke in our callinges towardes men: O wee shall be found meruailously faulty before thy ma­iestie. And that, not only some of the peo­ple, but euen euery sort, state, and condi­tion: not in some part of the lande alone, but euery where, in euery quarter and corner, yea, in euery house and familie. For (O Lorde) wée haue loued the vaine things of the worlde, more than thée and thy word: we haue béene more loth to dis­please men than thy maiestie: wee haue made flesh our arme, putting our trust in man, and withdrawen our heartes from thée.Jere. 17.5. Howe seldome and colde haue our praiers bin? And how sparing our thanks to thée for the innumerable benefites be­stowed vpon vs and our nation? What i­dolatry hath bin committed heere by Pa­pists in corners, and by strangers of other countries? There hath wanted care to a­mend thinges throughly, according to the rule of thy word. Thy name hath infinit­ly bin blasphemed: for where almost can we come, in the house or in the stréete, but [Page 8] wee shall heare this most shamefully, by the greater, and by the meaner, by the el­der and by the yonger sort, which take thy glorious name in vaine, speaking of thée rashly and vnreuerently, yea, swearing without cause, forswearing, cursing, and such like. O thy Sabothes, there is scarce one among manie, which maketh consci­ence according to thy law, to dedicate thē wholie vnto thy seruice publikelie & pri­uatelie, but as if they were anie other daies, so they bee bestowed: yea, manie thinke it lawfull to follow a riotous and prophane course then, which vppon other daies they woulde thinke vnfit for them. And how fearefull examples hereof, haue we had from the great places and perso­nages of the lande? The superiours in the common wealth, in the Church, and in the house, haue not done their duetie to their inferiours. The inferiours like­wise haue béene meruailous vndutifull to their Prince, and the rest which thou in thy wisedome diddest set ouer them. The lande hath abounded with murthers, slaughters, quarrels, fightinges and con­tentions, with incests, adulteries, whor­domes, [Page 9] dronkennes, excessiue pride in ap­parrell: filthie stage plaies haue béene suf­fered euen in our chiefest citie, and vppon the Saboths. Thefts be common, oppres­sions, deceits, vsuries, lying, false witnes bearing, and such like. O we are not able to recken vp the innumerable sins, of the which we and the whole land may iustlie be indited and araigned before thy maie­stie. They which haue béene in place to punish sin, and to maintaine well dooing, haue dealt too too fauorably with sinners, on the other side not cherishing the godly as was their dutie. The ministers which should boldly haue reproued these corrup­tions in all sorts and states, haue for the most part béene vnable to doe this, & ma­ny of them corrupt in their conuersation, they haue winked at disorders, daubing with vntempered morter,Ezec. 21.28 that will not hold, as if nothing had béen amisse, and no danger toward, when as iniquitie migh­tily preuailed amongst vs, and thou in thy high displeasure didst threaten war. Iust is the complaint of thy seruant Ieremy in his time against such Ministers.Lame. 2.14. They haue looked out vaine and foolish thinges [Page 10] for vs, they haue not discouered our ini­quities, to turne away our captiuity, but haue lookt out for vs false prophesies and causes of banishment. True it is, we haue had some desirous to doe their dutie, who also accordingly haue laboured, but euen diuerse of them haue béene euill intrea­ted, by wicked and vngodly men, which could not abide to heare their faultes re­proued. Whereas in the mean time, they haue liked well of such, which séeking themselues onely and their owne ease, haue béene vnable to instruct them in thy waies, by occasion whereof, many of the people of the lande haue béene kept in ig­norance of thy maiestie, and suffred to goe on in their other sins.

And although thou (O Lord our God) in tender care of vs, hast warned vs of these great sinnes, by our Preachers in their Sermons, and some of their bookes, which haue béene grauelie and dutifullie written: yea, although thou hast sought to moue our hard harts by thy benefites, so as we haue inioyd thy gospel, outward peace and plentie, when as the Nations [Page 11] about vs haue bene meruailously distres­sed, euen as vntil this time their wounds bée bléeding newe, and remaine vncured. And further, we haue had many wonder­full deliueraunces of our Prince, to our great comfort: and moreouer thou hast threatned vs by insurrection in our owne lande, by vnseasonable times of too much drought, or too much raine, by destroying some fruites of the earth, by scarsitie, by the pestilence, by signes in heauen, and by a fearefull earthquake, not many yeeres past: yet haue not we of this nation pro­fited by anie of these, to bewaile our sins, & to turne vnto thée, as it did become vs. But haue despised thy Prophets, which spake to vs in thy name, and haue still gone away from thee, multiplying our transgressions against thy maiestie. So as now most iustly there belongeth to vs, to our Princes, gouernors, teachers, and to all the people of the land,Dan. 9.7:8. nothing but shame and confusion of face, yea, vtter de­struction of our Nation and state: wher­of, when wée looke into our great sinnes, wée may feare, that thou hast prepared [Page 12] the Spaniard, and such as take his parte, to be thy executioners. Wherein also wée doe confesse, that thou shalt be most iust, if thou giue vs and our kingdome ouer into their hands.

Notwithstanding, because thou art a God ful of mercie and infinite in compas­sion,Ezec. 18.23. and hast alwaies shewed thy selfe so to bée, not delighting in the destruction of sinners, but rather desiring their repen­tance, that they might liue and inioy thy fauour.Jere. 18.7.8 Who hast said by thy seruant Ie­remie, that when thou speakest against a nation, threatning to root it vp, and to de­stroie it, yet thou wilt spare it, if they turne from their wickednesse, according as wée sée it in the example of the Nini­uites. Jonah. Trusting vnto these, and such other promises in thy worde, that we doe iudge our selues and our nation woorthie of all misery, do notwithstanding pray thée, for our Lorde Iesus Christ his sake, to haue mercie vpon vs, to forgiue vs & our land, all the sins, whereof we be guiltie before thée. O pursue vs not with thy iudge­ments, as wee haue giuen thée cause, for then we must néedes perish eternally. A­mong [Page] other plagues, from the which we praie thée to bée deliuered, preserue vs we beséech thée from the handes of the Spani­ards & other idolaters, which haue conspi­red against our nation, to root out thy reli­gion from hence, to place Papistry again, and to dispossesse vs of that parte of the earth, which it séemed good vnto thée to al­lowe vs to dwell in, & where also through thy goodnes, we and our forefathers haue inhabited now many yeres. We confesse, that for our vnwoorthie walking of thy Gospell, and ill behauing of our selues in this pleasant lande, it may iustly spue vs out, and thou maiest suffer the enemies to preuaile. But remember (O Lord) that these men be not behind vs in sinnes (for they be a most wicked generatiō) neither is it our sinnes that they do so much looke vnto in comming against vs, as thy reli­gion among vs professed, and our renoun­cing the man of sinne, the Bishop of Rome thine enemie, & the enemie of thy Christ. So as now whatsoeuer we be that do de­fend it, or howsoeuer we do defend it, the cause is thine owne, therfore looke vnto it we desire thée for the glorie of thy name, and for Iesus Christs sake. O why should [Page 14] such wicked men as these blaspheme thy name,Psal. 79.10. saying, where is their God, and the religion they haue so long professed? As though the religion were not good, which we haue receiued from thy word, or as if thou wouldest not defende those that pro­fesse the same. O remember thy auncient mercies shewed to this Nation manie yéeres, breake not off till thou hast fini­shed them, by giuing yet further helps to thy Church and religion here, for the bet­ter subduing of all the people vnder thy gouernment. Deliuer vs (O Lorde) wee pray thée at this time. Trie vs yet once more, that our magistrats and ministers may in their callinges reforme whatsoe­uer is amisse, and indeuour to bring the whole lande into better order, that thou maiest delight to fauor vs for euer. That these thy blessings may bee obtained, O driue away from our hearts the meruai­lous securitie wherin we haue slept these many yéeres, imagining that our waies did please thée, and that no plague should come néere vnto vs, when we liued verie sinfully in all sorts and states, and so pro­uoked thée to displeasure. Grant that by these thy fearefull warnings, we may at [Page] length be moued to confesse our sinnes, to lament them, to humble our selues before thée in fasting and praier, to turne from our wicked waies, to enter into a newe course, and to make a sure couenant, for euer hereafter in our callinges to doe our dueties better, that thou maiest spare vs, and staie thy hande from our destruction. And howsoeuer we haue meanes for our defence by sea and lande,Psa. 20.7. yet kéepe vs wée pray thée, from trusting in them: though others put their trust in their horses,Psal. 6.4. 1. Sam. 17 45. in their ships and multitude of men. O shew the light of thy countenance vpon vs, and graunt that in thy name onely, trusting to thy mercie, & in thy strength, we may come forth against these our aduersaries. And as for them that thus boile in malice against thy religion, and vs thy most vn­worthie seruants: O turne their hearts if they belong to thée, open their eies to sée thy trueth, that they may with vs depart from that Antichrist of Roome, loue thy Gospell, our nation, and all the professors of thy truth. Or else (Lord) as thou hast begun (for the which we do in most hum­ble manner giue thanks vnto thée) so we pray thée to goe forward, to curse them in [Page 16] all their actions by sea and by lande. Let their table be a snare before them,Psal 69.22 23 & their prosperitie their ruine. Let their eies be blinded that they may not sée, and make their loines alway to tremble. Strike thē with such feare, that the sound of a leafe shaken may make them to quake, & that as wicked men they may flie,Leuit. 26.36 when no man pursueth them.Pro. 28.1. Scatter their coun­sels, ouerthrowe their forces, turne their owne swords one against another, and so prouide by thy mightie power, that the things which they haue prepared for our destruction, may be vsed in thy iustice, for the execution of thy long deserued wrath vpon themselues. And so bring them to naught, that they may not anie longer trouble vs and other of thy Churches, as a long time they haue done, & euen nowe doe.Psal. 79.10. O let the bloud of thy Saints, which they haue cruelly shed, come before thée, to pull vengeance vppon them. Heare the cries of the womē whom they haue made widowes, and of the children whom they haue made fatherlesse. Hearken to the pittifull complaintes of such as they kéepe in prison for thy truth, and deliuer such as they haue appointed to death. Let [Page 17] them bee vppon the seas,Exo. 14. as was Pharao and his companie pursuing thy Israell: let them bee vpon the lande,Jud. cap. 4.7.8. as Sisera and Ia­bin, as the Madianites, Oreb, Zeb, Zebah, and Zalmana, the enemies of thy people, whom thou destroyedst in the time of the Iudges. O make them like a whéele,Psal. 83.13 and as the stubble before the wind, as the fire burneth the forrests, so persecute them with thy tempests, and make them afraid with thy stormes. Fill their faces with shame, that they may séeke thée (O Lord.) Let them be confounded and troubled for euer. Fight against them from heauen,Jud. 5.20. and render into their bosome seuenfolde, al the reproches and iniuries, which they haue done to thy Church, that they may knowe that thou art God, and that it is thy truth, which we haue learned from thy worde, though we haue walked most vnworthy of the same.

Concerning our selues, we doe first of all praie thée for our soueraigne Prince, that notwithstanding all the trecheries of the aduersaries, shée may stil be preser­ued, to finish hir course in thy feare and in peace, euen to the saluation of hir soule. [Page 18] We beséech thee so direct her, and such as vnder her highnes gouerne the state, that in these euill and most dangerous times, they may sée what is for thine honour and our common saftie, accordingly to aduise, command, and take order. Giue consci­ence to our Ministers now to stand in the gap,Ezek. 22.30 Ioel. 2.17. earnestly to cry vnto thée to spare this thy people, and stir them vp, with all fer­uencie to call vs vnto repentance. Giue all the subiects in the land grace, to carry themselues dutifully and loyallie to her Maiestie, & the state, to be readie to do ser­uice in their persons, and by whatsoeuer els they haue, that so they may be helping against the common aduersaries. And as for our countrimen, or any other that are now imploied, or hereafter to be imploied in these seruices by sea or by land for our defence: O Lord so passe by their sinnes, that they may not hinder thy worke, in these causes of so much importance. O so guide them with thy spirite, that repen­ting of their sinnes, and being throughlie perswaded of thy fauour for a better life, they may chéerfullie fight thy battailes, without fearing the faces of the enemies, [Page] Be thou vnto them a piller of a cloude by day and a piller of fire by night,Exo. 13.21 22. as thou wert to the Israelites in their comming from Egypt. Graunt that each of them may knowe their seuerall places, in the same to carry themselues faithfully with­out enuy, or murmuring. O Lord be with them, and so goe foorth with our armies, that one of our fighting men may chase a thousand of theirs,Deut. 31.3 [...] and two may put ten thousand to flight. Giue them such good successe by sea and by land, that we may haue new occasions to praise thy name, and to feare thée more than we haue done. Yea, that many other nations hearing of it, may thereupon be mooued to séeke after thy trueth. We knowe, it is all one with thée, to saue with many, or with no pow­er.2. Cro. 14.1. There were but thrée hundred of Is­rael with Gideon, against the huge army of the Madianites. Asa the King of Iudah, Judg. 7.6. did ouercome the host of the Aethiopians, being ten hundred thousand,2. Cro. 1.4 when as himselfe had not sixe hundred thousand. Yea, thou without any man, diddest in one night destroie the mightie armie of the Assirians in the daies of Ezekiah. Isa. 37.36. We [Page 18] [...] [Page] [...] [Page 20] knowe that thine arme is not shortened, but that thou art nowe also able to helpe vs in like manner, if we had no meanes at all for our defence. And although the forces of our aduersaries bee come some­thing néere vnto vs, yet as thou diddest drowne Pharao and the Egyptians, when they were not farre off from thy people Israell, Exod. 14. and ouerthrowedst the Aethiopi­ans and Assirians, 2. Cro. 14.9. & 32.1. beeing with their ar­mies entered into the land of Canaan: so do we assure our selues, that thou art still able to preserue vs, and to deliuer these our aduersaries into our hands, although their powers were more than they are, and néerer vnto vs than yet they be.Psal. 79.8. Help vs therefore we pray thée (O God of our saluation:) remember not against vs, nor against our nation the former iniquities, but make hast, and let thy tender mer­cies preuent vs. Suffer not thine ene­mies to raile vpon thy truth and thy chil­dren anie longer. Let it appeare that thou onelie art God, and that the Idols whome they haue serued, bee vnable to helpe them. Giue not ouer thy faithfull seruauntes of this nation, and of other [Page] Countries fledde hither for thy truthes sake, into the handes of these miserable men,Psa. 79.2.3 to spill their bloud in the stréets like water, to giue their bodies to the beastes of the field, and their flesh to the foules of heauen. Thou that promisest to spare Sodome, Gen. 18. if there might haue béene tenne righteous found there, spare this Nation we pray thée, where there be manie times ten, that vnfainedlie desire to serue thée. Thou that pitiedst Niniuie hauing in it sixe score thousand young children,Jonah. 4. pittie wee beséeche thée this populous Nation, and giue it not ouer to bee laide wast and desolate. O let not the Churches, where thy faithfull seruauntes haue as­sembled to worshippe thée, by praier, fa­sting, preaching, and the vse of thy Sa­cramentes, bee turned into cages of vn­cleane beastes, and synagogues of Sa­than, to haue the masse and other dam­nable Idolatries in them againe. For the glorie of thy name, turne these great euils farre from vs, although we be most worthie to tast of them all. If thou wilt not be intreated to spare this sinful natiō, which hath so much abused thy patience, [Page 22] and so often and manie waies prouoked thée to wrath: O correct vs yet thy selfe, by some other of thy rods, that we may be brought vnto repentance, but leaue vs not as a praie to these merciles & bloody men. Whatsoeuer shal fall out, grant (we beséech thée) that we may take al thy cha­stisments paciently, acknowledge thy iu­stice therein, and neuer depart from thy trueth, but that wee may holde on in the profession of the same euen to y^e ende not­withstanding all the tormentes wée may be brought vnto. Comforting our selues alwaies, with the féeling of thy loue in Christ, & with looking for his blessed com­ming to iudgement,Phil. 3.21. when he shall change our vile bodies, and make them like his owne glorious body, by his mightie pow­er, whereby he is able to doe all things. O Lord heare vs thus calling vpon thée, and for euerie other grace, for thy Church in the world, for this land, for all sortes and states in the same, and for all other for whome we ought to praie. Receiue also (we beseech thée) our most humble thanks for all thy former benefites vppon our selues, and vpon this nation, for thy Gos­pell, [Page 23] the safetie and preseruation of our Quéene hetherto, the discouerie and ouer­throw of treasons, and the doers of them, thy patience to our realm, our peace thus long, and plentie of outward blessings, as also for the good successe against our e­nemies giuen vnto vs, by sea or by land, of late or before times. O wée doe most humblie praise thy holie name, praieng thée to goe forward to doe vs good stil, and so we cal vpon thée as we are taught.

Psal. 50.15 O Lorde most mercifull fa­ther, thou dooest com­maunde vs to call vppon thée in the time of our trouble, thou promisest to heare and to deliuer vs, requiring that we should then glorifie thée, and offer thée sacrifice of praise. How true thou art in this thy promise, as wée haue manie examples in the Scriptures, so we of this land ought to know it in our owne experience. For wee were in great trouble and not without feare, when the Spaniards, a bloudie and cruell nation, in their rage came forth against vs, with a purpose so to roote vs out, that wee should no more be a people. And indéede there was iust cause, why we should haue béen [Page 25] much astonied. For, if we looke to our sins, and the abhominations of our whole na­tion, what coulde wee else in thy iustice haue looked for,Hos. 9.7. but that the daie of visita­on, and the time of recompence was come, wherein thy purpose was, to haue done execution vpon vs for our transgres­sions? And, if we looke vpon our enemies, they were manie in number, and their forces great both by sea and lande, so as they thought themselues, as it were sure of the victorie, as if they had béene able to haue swallowed vs vp quick, and to haue runne ouer vs, as the proude and swel­ling waters ouerflow the valleies of the fielde. In that our perplexitie, we did now and then sigh vnto thée for helpe, we pow­red forth praiers, though in great weake­nesse. Thy faithfull seruaunts in the mi­nisterie, were more earnest with thée in our behalfe, humbling themselues in fa­sting, and calling the people thereunto, euen as it became them in a matter of so great waight. So as the cries of them were manie, which sued vnto thy maiestie to spare this Nation, and not to giue ouer this part of thine in­heritance, [Page 26] into the handes of the wicked. And now hast thou most graciously fulfil­led thy promise. For whatsoeuer want was in our praiers, yet hast y^u heard vs in that for which we cried. For, notwithstā ­ding the enimie approched verie néere, so as we might haue looked for an attempt of lāding in our coast: yet so miraculously and in diuerse sorts, diddest thou set thy selfe against them, blessing our meanes, & without meanes pursuing thē with thine owne hand, y^t their snare is broken, & wée be escaped,Psal. 124 euen as y^e bird out of the grin of the fouler. The sword, the sea, & famine, haue deuoured a great parte of them, o­thers he returned with such dishonor, as became them that would not learne to ho­nor thée. Manie of their fathers haue thus lost their children, many childrē are made fatherles, & manie of their wiues are be­come widowes. Thou hast in thy iustice rendred into their bosome, a iust reward of their cruelty in other cuntries, and hast serued them, as they meant to do to vs thy people. And now (O Lord) was this for our worthines, or because wée had deser­ued any such thing at thy hands? No ve­rily, [Page 27] for we be a most sinful people, al sorts & states had corrupted their waies, & hai­nously trespassed. But for their vnworthi­nes didst thou deny them y^e conquest ouer vs, & for their innumerable abhominati­ons, hast thou brought vpon them this de­serued destruction. For the glorie of thine own name, mainteining thine own cause, in defending such as professed thy true re­ligion, although in that behalfe we are far short of that we ought to be. Whatsoeuer we be, thou hast performed thy promise, hearing vs in our feare, & doing more for vs, than we could almost haue hoped for. And now it remaineth, y^t according to thy commandement we yéeld vnto thy Maie­sty, the dutie of continual thanks & obedi­ence, which thou callest for at y^e hands of such, whom thou deliuerest so wōderfully as we haue bin deliuered, O that we could therfore confes before thée, this thy louing kindnes, & speake of al these thy wōderful works before the sons of men, as it doeth become vs. The least benefite that we re­ceiue from thée, deserueth infinite thanks from vs. For, what are wée of England, that thou shouldest consider vs, or who [Page 28] were our forefathers, that thou shouldest regard vs? Surely we are excéedingly sin­full,Gen. 32.10. and descended from such as had high­lie prouoked thy displeasure. We are not worthie of the least of thy mercies, yea, it is thy mercie that long ago we were not vtterlie confounded.Lame. 3.22. O then such rare and singular mercies as this, wherein mira­culouslie thou hast shewed thy self for our safetie, and for the confusion of our aduer­saries, how much should they moue vs to magnify thy name, and to sound forth con­tinuallie thy euerlasting praises, which hast vouchsafed such fauour to those that be so vnworthie? For the greater the vn­worthinesse of the Nation is, whereunto thou hast done this great good, the more worthie art thou to be praised for euer. If such a benefite as this had béene bestowed vpon the Churches of France, Geneua, Germanie, or of the low Countries, great had béene our sinne, if wee had not offered to thée a bountifull sacrifice of the calues of our lippes,Hos, 14.2 for such a mercie shewed vn­to them. For as their miseries ought to bée to vs as our owne, and therefore wée shoulde wéepe with them when theyRom. 12.15. [Page 29] wéepe. So their deliuerance shoulde haue béene, as if we our selues had béene deli­uered, in respect whereof, wee ouhht to haue reioiced with them in their ioy. The heauenlie spirites are carried with such a zeale to thine honour,Apoc. 19.1.2.3. and inflamed with such loue to that part of thy Church which is héere vpon the earth, that with a loud voice, they sing praises to thée, for iudging the whoore of Roome, and reuen­ging the bloud of thy Saintes, although shée coulde not haue hurt them, or in anie sort haue diminished their glorie. Howe much more therefore by their example, are wée bounde to praise thée, because in this our deliueraunce, and confusion of our enemies, thou hast not onelie shewed thy power, mercie, and iustice, so getting thy selfe a glorious name, in defending the vnworthie professours of thy truth, and the straungers here banished for the same? But also by this meanes wée our selues be preserued from great miseries. and all the faithfull subiectes of the lande inioie their soueraigne Prince, to their singular comforte, and vnder hir grati­ous gouernement, we haue the vse of the [Page 30] publike exercises of thy word and Sacra­ments, things that shuld be vnto vs more déere than our owne liues: Moreouer, we may each of vs sit peaceablie vnder our owne vines and figge trées, inioieng our wiues, our children, our friends, our liber­tie, & many other blessinges yéelded to vs, in this most fruitfull and pleasant lande: If we do compare these benefites, with the desolation brought vpon our enemies, and with the calamities that wee shoulde haue tasted of in our soules and bodies, if they had preuailed: (according as wee haue examples of their beastlie crueltie in the Indians, and others whome treche­rouslie they haue brought into their bon­dage.) O then our hearts must néeds be more hard than flint, and wee our selues altogether without féeling, except the con­sideration of these things, fill our spirites with ioy, our mouths with laughter, and stirre vs vp to sing new songs of praises vnto thée.

Exo. 15. Moses, Miriam, and the children of Is­rael hauing passed through the red sea, and séene the destruction of their enimies, presentlie doe acknowledge thy mercie, [Page] and sing to the honor of thy name.

Deborah and Barach doe the like,Iudg. 5 the selfe same day that thou gauest thy people that notable victorie ouer Sisera.

Iehoshaphat séeing the confusion,2. Cro. 20.26 which thou broughtest vpon the Moabites, the Ammonites, & them of mount Seir, whom before he feared, after that hee & his com­panie had pursued them & the spoile three daies, the fourth daie they giue thankes, with such feruencie and zeale, that the place it selfe hath a name of their bles­sing God there, as it may appeare by the historie.

Hester, Mordecay, & other of the Iewes, in token of thankfulnesse and ioy,Heb. 9. kéepe a feast the next day, after the kings decrée was frustrated, which Haman had procu­red for their destruction. Yea, they take order to haue that their deliuerance so­lemnlie remembred euerie yéere.

Did their deliuerance from mighty and cruel enimies prouoke them to this? Did the escaping of present daungers, drawe frō them these praises of thy name? Did the ouerthrow of such as rose vp against them, moue them thus to honour thée? O [Page 32] then wee haue cause to doe the like. Our enemies which thus thought in their hearts: Wee will pursue, wee will diuide the spoile, our lust shall be satisfied vppon them, we will draw out our swordes, our hands shall destroie them (according as it is recorded that Pharao spake in his pride:Exo. 15.9.) euen these with him are sunke in the déepe seas like lead.Iudg. 4.21. Iael a woman hath striken a naile into Siseraes head,Iudg. 5.28.29. e­uen then when his mother and hir wise Ladies persuaded themselues that he had gotten the victorie, and was diuiding the spoiles. The subiects of thy seruant Eliza­beth, (a woman) by thy good blessing, haue striken a terror into the harts of the mightie, yea, partlie by their meanes, as thine instruments, & partlie by thine own immediate power (y^e stars in their course, & the seas in their order fighting against them) they haue then fearefully perished,Iudg. 5.20. when there was not onlie an assured per­suasion in themselues, not to be ouercome (as may appeare, in that they called their Nauie inuincible) but also a certaine ex­pectation of the victorie, yea, reportes gi­uen & written, as if they had preuailed.

[Page]Thou turnedst the swordes of such as came foorth on their side as they thought,Jn one of their gallies. against themselues:The ship fi­red by one of their Gon­ners. And the fire which was kindled, to send their shotte against vs, was a mean of deliuering one of their ships, and some of their company into our hands: euen as thou armedst Moab, 2. Cro. 20.22 23. Am­mon, and them of mount Seir one against another in Iehoshaphats time.

The cursed agréement so many yéeres agoe at the councell of Trent, for rooting out the professors of thy trueth, (whereof this attempt of the Spaniardes may séeme to be intended as an execution in respect of vs) is now turned to the destruction of these that fauoured it: so as we may not vnfitly say, that Haman and his be han­ged vpon the gallows, which he caused to be set vp for Mordecay the Iew. That is, thou hast rewarded these proud men, that which they thought to haue done to o­thers. Thou onely indéede we must say. For notwithstanding, thou wentest forth with our ships, prospering them so long as they incountred, wherein sensiblie it appeared to bee thy worke, in the great losses of the aduersaries both of men and Shippes, and so little of ours, as it may [Page 34] worthily be reckoned among thy meruei­lous workes: yet séeing so great wrackes followed them, when we had left them, how els can we thinke it but thine owne hand? Therefore, not withstanding wée haue much cause to reioice in the wise care, foresight, & prouision of our Prince, the honourable counsell and the state: as also in the faithfulnes of our countrimen, so willingly & couragiously offring them­selues, to spend their goods, and to hazard their liues by sea and land in this case:Jude. 5.2. so as we curse such, euen by the sentence of thine owne Angell, which were not wil­ling to helpe,Chap. 5.23. as it is in the Iudges: Yet (O Lord our God) forasmuch as the one were giftes of thine, giuen to such as go­uerne vs, and the other were but thy in­struments to worke by: To thee, yea to thee alone, O Father, Sonne, and holie spirit, three persons and one God, do we ascribe all the glorie, honour, praise, and thankes for euer. For thou onelie hast done this,Exod. 15.2. thou indeede hast shewed thy selfe to be a man of war, that saluation is from thee, and that there is no trust in horses and chariots.Pro. 21.31. For, the horse and the rider hast thou ouerthrowen, the Spani­ards [Page] ships hast thou cast into the seas,Exo. 15.21. his chosen captaines also bee drowned in the sea, the depthes haue couered them,Exo. 15.6.7. they bée sunke to the bottome as a stone. Thy right hād (O Lord) is glorious in power, thy right hand (O Lord) hath brused the enimie. And in thy great glorie, thou hast ouerthrowne them, that rose vp against thée, thou sentest foorth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. Who can ex­presse these thy noble actes? who can shew foorth all thy praise?Psal. 106. [...] 2. If we had the tongs of al men and Angels, we could not suffi­ciently doe it: such praises as by thy grace we be able to offer, we pray thee in Christ to accept. O our soules praise ye y^e Lord, & whatsoeuer is within vs praise yee his holie name, & sée that ye neuer forget this his benefit, praise the Lord ye his angels,Psal. 103.12. that excel in strength, that doe his cōman­dement, in obeieng the voice of his word. Praise the Lord all ye his hostes,Psal. 103.20.22.23 yée his seruants that doe his pleasure, praise the Lord all ye his works in all places of his dominion.

Yea, we beséech thée, that not onely we, but the whole land also may giue thy ma­iestie the whole glory of this, so as it may [Page 36] neuer come into any of our mindes, to thinke that by our worthinesse, or by our own strength this is come to passe. Grant that it be not onelie once euerie yéere, publikely and sollemnlie remembred, af­ter the worthie example, of that which was appointed to be done of the Iewes, for their deliuerance from the crueltie of Haman: Hest. 9. But that also daylie and con­tinuallie, wee may stirre vp our selues to thankfulnesse, and to speake of it to our children, and they to their childrens chil­dren, that so the memory of this thy glori­ous fact, may be continued from genera­tion to generation euen for euer. But aboue all thinges be herein mercifull vn­to vs, that this marueilous benefite pow­red vpon this nation, added to the rest of thy woonderful mercies towards vs, may bée an occasion to lead all sorts and states to true repentance, and to a through re­formation of whatsoeuer is amisse: least if we hold on in our euils, thou make a chaunge, and giue our enimies cause to reioyce ouer vs, as we do now ouer them. For, notwithstanding they bee maruei­louslie weakened, yet such is thy power, that thou art able to arme wounded and [Page] famished men to our destruction,Iere. 37.10 if wee continue to sinne against thee, as thou didst threaten the Iewes with the Chal­deans in Ieremies time. We were deliue­red that we should sinne no more,Iohn. 5.14. as our Lord Iesus saide to the man whom hee had made whole. Our faithfull ministers, when they were most earnest in suing for vs with fasting and praiers, was it vpon any other condition, but that being spared longer, wee should yéelde better fruits, according as the dresser of the vin­yard intreateth for the figtrée,Luk. 13.7.8. which the owner cōmanded to cut vp? Now if spée­dilie euen this present yéere this bee not done by vs, who shall hereafter intreat a­ny more, or what is he that crieng for vs is like to be heard? Nay, wee may feare that thou wilt say to our most faithfull prophets,Iere. 7.16. as sometime thou saidest to Ie­remie: Praie no more for this people, nei­ther lift vp crie or praier for them, nei­ther intreat me, for I will not heare thée. Or as in another place thou sayedst: Though Moses & Samuel stood before me, yet mine affection could not bee toward this people. Cast them out of my sight,Iere. 15.1. & let them depart, such as are appointed to [Page 48] death to death, and such as are for the sword to the sword, and such as are for the famine to y^e famine, & such as are for cap­tiuitie to captiuity. And I wil appoint o­uer them foure kinds, saith the Lord: the sword to slay, the dogs to teare in peeces, the foules of the heauen, and the beasts of the earth to deuoure and destroy. Or as it is in Ezekiel: Ezek. 14.24 though these thrée mē, No­ah, Daniel, & Iob, were among them, they shold deliuer but their own soules. For al­though by thy singular goodnes we haue gotten this victorie, yet are we not past al danger, as if carelesly we might doe what we list. Nay we sée, that Asa the king of Iudah triumphing most gloriously, ouer the ten hundred thousand Ethiopians that came foorth against him, is notwithstan­ding met with by the Prophete Azariah, and by him certified from y^e Lord, that he might no otherwise looke for the continu­ance of his fauor, to himselfe, & to his peo­ple, but as they should continue to do their duetie, and therfore saith vnto them after this maner.2. Cr [...]. 15.2. O Asa and all Iudah and Ben­iamin heare ye me. The Lord is with you while you be with him, & if you séeke him, [Page] hée will be found of you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. The same peo­ple of Israel, for whom thou wroughtest so many great works in Egypt, and after leaddest through the red sea, destroying their enimies which assaied to follow thē, were afterward fearfully destroied in y^e wildernes for their sins.Exo. 12.37 Nu. 14.30 So as of six hun­dred thousand that were numbred, onely two persons Caleb & Iosua entered into the promised Canaan. Thy seruant Iude putteth vs in remembrāce of this in these words: For asmuch (saith hee) as ye once knew this, Vers. 5. how that the Lord after that he had deliuered the people out of Egypt, destroied them that beleeued not. And the same nation of the Iewes, though often­times thou diddest marueilously fight for them and deliuer them, so as among the heathen it might be iustly said: God hath done great things for them, & they on the o­ther side had iust cause to answer them, as with an eccho: He hath done great things for vs, whereof we reioice, as it is in the Psalme. Euen these notwithstanding whē they neglected their dutie,Psal. 126 2.3. were most sharply punished, and giuen ouer as a pray vnto their enimies, as may appeare [Page 40] in the history of their Iudges and Kings. And at length when nothing woulde re­claime them, but that they continued in their disobedience, mocking and il intrea­ting the faithfull prophetes which called them to repentance: then thou brough­test vpon them y^e Chaldeans, who wasted their land, tooke their chiefe city euen Hie­rusalem and their king, put out his eies, slue his children & nobles before his face,Ier. 39.6.7. and dishonorablie ledde him captiue vnto Babylon, leauing that fruitful and popu­lous countrie, as it were a desolate & for­saken wildernes, and bringing scorne, re­proch, confusion & shame vpon that citie & nation, which sometimes were (as a Quéen aboue al others) admired for their prosperitie, as if they had bene the onelie praise of the world.

1. Cor. 10.6.7.8.Their example dost thou set before our eies, as a glasse to looke into, whereby we may sée, what remaineth for such people, as be like them in thy blessings, and not vnlike them in their sinnes. We there­fore of this nation, whom thou hast thus marueilouslie preserued, and defended in peace, prosperitie, plentie, and with the vse of thy holie religion, vnder the reigne [Page] of our souereigne prince now these whole thirtie yeares, and for whom of late thou hast done these great thinges: what else may we looke for but the like destruction with the Iewes, except with all spéed wée doe turne to thée, and reforme our selues according to thy woorde? Therefore (O Lord our God) we do most humbly craue of thée, pardon for all our sinnes past, com­mitted by vs, & by our whole land, either before this our deliuerance, or since wee were deliuered: beséeching thée in y^e blood and obedience of Christ Iesus and for the honor of thy name, not to bring vpon vs the destruction, which for our vnthanke­fulnes for this thy great mercie, and for other our transgressions wee haue most iustlie deserued. And graunt, that for all the time to come, all sortes and states, ci­uill and ecclesiasticall, from the highest to the lowest may be carefull in all thinges to séeke thy will, and to haue the same o­beied, as wel in matters for the Church, as the common-weale, and each of them for the direction of their seueral families, and particular conuersations. That they may all ioyne together in their callinges as one man, for the reformation of the [Page 42] ministerie, that so the preaching of the Gospell may bée established, and setled in all the quarters of the lande, whereby all the subiects may be subdued vnto thée, and taught holie obedience to her Maie­iestie, and the rest that vnder her gouern the state. That godlinesse and godlie men, may more and more bee cherished and maintained, and idolatrie, papistrie, blasphemie, prophanation of the holie Saboths, and all other wickednesse and wicked men, may bee punished and sup­pressed. O teach vs to knowe and beléeue, that in these thinges standeth the blessed­nes & safetie of our state, and realme, that that nation is onely happy,Psa. 144.15 whose God is the Lord, and that thou art a God and sa­uior to such onlie as walke in thy waies, and with all their hearts, séeke to doe thy cōmandements. If this course be thought vpon, & yéelded vnto by vs, then we may assure our selues of thy protection, for e­uer: Then we shall still to our comfort in­ioy our gratious Prince, and her highnes the comfort of the dutifull seruice, and o­bedience of vs her subiectes. Our wise counsailours shall bee able to giue aduise for our good, & our worthy valiāt countri­men [Page] with honour to execute that, which is appointed for our safetie. Thy Gospell shal shine among vs yet in more excellent beautie, we shall haue our peace and our plentie still, wée shall prosper in our af­faires by sea and by land, wée shall sée our desire vpon our bloodie enimies,Deut. 26.7. they shall come foorth against vs one way, and shal flie seuen waies.Leuit. 26.8. One of vs shal chase an hundred of them, and an hundred of vs, shall put ten thousand to flight.Psal. 144.12.13 The voice of mirth and gladnesse shal be heard in our stréetes, our sonnes shall bée as plants growing vp in their youth, and our daughters as the corner stones, grauen after the similitude of a pallace. Our cor­ners shall be full and abounding with di­uers sortes, our shéepe shall bring foorth thousandes, euen ten thousandes in our stréetes. Our oxen shal be strong to labor, there shall be no inuasion or going out, nor crieng in our Cities: the murrain of beasts and the pestilence deuouring men shall not come néere vs. Thus shall wee then bee blessed,Psa. 144.15 for so is the people bles­sed, whose God is y^e Lord. O Lord let our nation be thus blessed for euer, we do pray thée euen for y^e honor of thine own name. [Page 44] So wee thy peeple and shéepe of thy pa­sture shall praise thée for euer,Psal. 79.13. & from ge­neration to generation we will set foorth thy praise. And, for as much as this work of thine is such, that it should not onelie mooue vs, to whome the comfort thereof doth speciallie appertaine, but euen they also should be touched with it, that dissent from vs in religion, and desired to haue séene our ruine (as well the Papistes of our owne nation, as those that be in for­raigne countries:) because, besides the o­ther miracles recorded in thy woorde, wrought by thy sonne Iesus Christ, and his holy Apostles, for the confirmation of thy truth, thou hast also by this our woon­derfull deliuerance, and confusion of our enimies, sealed this to be thy truth, which wee haue learned from the same worde, and whereof wee make profession. We beséech thée euen for these, that so manie of them as belong to thée, may by this oc­casion the rather bee brought to sée, howe detestable a thing in thy sight, Romish and superstitious religion is, & how thou settest thy selfe against such as would vp­hold the same: that so they may not stand a farre off, gazing vpon this thy greate [Page 45] worke,Apoc. 18.9.10.11. Apoc. 18, 4. & 19.20. and bewailing this fall of the whore, but that indéede they may come forth of Babylon, vtterly renouncing the worshippe of the beast and his image, ab­horring to carie the least of his markes in their hands or forheads,Apoc, 17.2. and no longer to bee drunke, with the cup of her spirituall fornications. Yea, wee beséech thée that hauing the mistes and darkenesse of their minds chased away, they may at length, sée the cleare light of thy gospel, so to ioine with vs in one holy profession grounded vpon thy word, that together we may be glad of this fall of Babylon, and ioyne all forces as it were into one, to giue her ac­cording as shee hath done to thy Saints.Apoc. 18.6. That in the end, the may haue the iudge­ment of an harlot executed vpon her, e­uen to bee rooted out for euer. That to their further condemnation, they bee not subiect to the reproofe, which thy spirit gi­ueth to such as they be, that amended not by the vengeance powred vppon others, according as it is saide in the Apocalips, Apoc. 9.20.21. The remnant of the men which were not killed by these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, that they shold not worship deuils, & Idols of golde and [Page 46] siluer, and of brasse, and of stone, & of wood, which neither can sée, neither can heare, nor goe. Also they repented not of their murthers and their sorceries, neither of their fornication, nor of their theft. For their obstinacie shall be greater, and their sinne the more hainous in thy sight, if so sensible a iudgement as this is, prouoke them not to giue thée glorie and to séeke after thy trueth. If there be anie of them so desperatlie hardened, that in stéed of re­penting, they shall presume more & more, to set themselues against thy holie ones, and to blaspheme thy name,Apoc. 16.9. which hast power ouer these plagues: We beséech thée goe forwarde with this thy excellent worke persecute them so continually, that they may know thēselues to be but men, and the Idols whom they serue, not to be God. Turne all their deuises vpon their owne heads, and bring them to such mise­ble confusion, that they may for sorrowe gnash their téeth, and at last be inforced to acknowledge thy power and iustice in their ruine, to whome they will not now stoope, to serue thée according to thy word, that they might be saued.

Yea, we beséech thee, that all the nati­ons [Page] of the heathen, to whom the reportes of these thy great acts shall come, may by this meanes bee mooued to inquire after thee, and to seeke to knowe thee, and thy good pleasure in Christ Iesus, whome thou hast sent to their saluation, if they be­leeue. That so departing from their superstitions and Idolatries, wherein they doe dishonour thee, they may honor thy name in the knowledge of thy trueth. That wee our selues beholding these thinges, and the vtter confusion of all such as rise vp against thee, and thy Christ,Apoc. 20.10 may be assured that that time ap­procheth apace, when the deuill by whom they are led, the beast whome his fauou­rers haue worshipped, and the false Pro­phetes, by whome they haue bene sedu­ced, not being able to hurte anie more, because their time is expired, shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone,Apoc. 10.10.15. where also they shall bee tormented day and night world without end, and with them euerie one not found in the booke of life. When likewise the Church being fréed from all their tyranny, shall come forth as a bride prepared for her husband,Apoc. 21.2. to be ioi­ned with y^e lambe Iesus Christ for euer: [Page 48] Where shee shall hunger, thirst, nor sor­row any more, but hauing all teares wi­ped from her eies,Apoc. 7.16. shee shall enioy perfect blessednesse, in that heauenlie citie whose gates be of pearle,Apoc. 21.2. Apoc. 21.18 whose walles bee pre­cious stones, and the citie it selfe, with the streat therof pure golde, like cleare or shining glasse.Apoc. 22.1.2 Wherein there is a riuer of water of life, cleare as christall, procee­ding out of the throne of God and of the lamb, hauing of either side the trée of life, bearing twelue maner of fruites, and gi­uing fruit euerie moneth,Apoc. 22.20 whose leaues are sauing medicines for the heathen. O Lord Iesus which so long ago saidst I come quickly, euen so Lord Iesus come, Amen. Amen.