The Flower of Godly Prayers, Prayer 41
A praier for the common peace and quietnesse of al Realmes.
HOwe necessarye, O Lorde peace and quietnes is for the conuersacion of realms and al publique weales, the holy scripture declareth in diuers places: the psalmograph exhorteth al the faithefull Israelites to praye for those things that make vntounto the quietnes of Ierusalem,Psal. …xxii. that ther maye be peace, wealthe and abū daunce both in it and all the coastes rounde aboute.
When the Iewes for theyr syns and disobedience against thy diuine maiesty were led away captiue, by kīg Nabuchodonozor frō Ierusalem vntounto Babylon, and ther cōpelled to lyue vnderunder ye vngodly, and vncircūcy…ed gentils, the prophet Ieremy wrote an Epistle vntounto them, wherin among other things he exhorted them to praye for the publyque weale of Babilō, and for the Magi…trates thereof, sayinge:Iere. xxi…. Seeke the peace of the citye, wherein ye bee prisoners, and praye for it vntounto the Lorde. For in the peace thereof, shall youre peace be.
Thy seruant Baruch also wrot a boke vntounto thi people in their captiuite,Baruche. …. commāding them to praye for ye prosperiti of Nabuchodonozor king of Babilō, & for ye welfar of Baltaser hys sonne, that their dayes may be vponupon earthe as the dayes of heauen. &c. Agayne thy holy Apostle warneth, that aboue al thynges praiers, supplicacions intercessions,…. Tim. iii. and geuing of thā kes be had for kynges, and for all that are in authoriti, that we mai liue a quiet & peaceable life wyth al godlines and honestie. Hereof lerne we, O most mercifull sauyour, how necessarye peace, quietnes, & cōcord is for al relms & cō mō welths. For yt bering rule, thi glory is sought, thy holye word is preached, the Magistrates are obeyed, thy prechers ar reuerēced, good letters florysh, charitye resteth in mēs herts, good worcks are exercised, eueryevery mā liueth accordynge to hys callyng, vertu is auaunced, vice is expelled, welth and aboundaunce of all thynges dwelleth amonge vsus, battel with al the pestilences thereof is banished, a fygure of that heauenlye Ierusalem is here found among the children of menne, when contrariwyse if battel or discorde occupyeth kyngdomes or cityes, all goeth to hauock, nothing but cruel barbarie & lyonlyke fearcenes beareth rule. How blessed a thing christē charity, godly peace, frindly quietnes, and brotherly cōcord is in a comon weale: thy seruant Dauid king and prophet hauing in his own relme experience ther of, declareth in thys hys Psalme. Beholde, sayth de,Pt. cxxxiii. how good and ioyfull a thinge it is, brethrene to dwel together in vnitie. It is like a precious oyntement vppon the head that rā down vntounto the berd euen vntounto Aarons beard, & went downe vntounto the skyrts of his clothyng. Lyke the dewe of Hermō, which fel vponupon the hyll of Syon. For ther yu lord promised his blessing & life for euer. Seinge (o almighty & euerlasting God) it is a good plesāt & ioiful thing, brethrē to dwel together in vnity, vouchsafe to geue vntounto al relmes, specially vntounto such as ye inhabitaunts wherof profes thi holi name, this tresure & iewel this plesure & ioy yt they may liue together in vnity quietnes & cōcord o lord so many of vsus as beleue in ye, are brethrē, & hauehave one father, euē thy heauēly father, & by hym wee hauehave y• also our brother, & bi y• we be his sons & heires yea & fellow heirs wt the of eternal glory,…om. viii. grant therfore yt we al may be of one heart of one mind, seing that nothing garnisheth & becometh the name of brethrē better thē brotherli louelove, tru peace, frēdly quietnes, & amiable co…cord. This Christē vnity and brotherly concorde muste nedes be an excellent tresure in a common weale, seinge thy holy Prophet compareth it to a moost preous ointment & to ye most plesaūt dew, ye swet smels wher of cānot be expressed. Lorde geue vsus thys precious ointmēt of mutual louelove whatsoeuer we attempt amonge yt vsus may hauehave a swete smellyng sauour both before the & all good men. GiueGive vsus also yt the most plesaunt dew, euē ye dew of thy heuē lye grace, which may cause vsus thorow thi holi spirit to florish wt the abundaunce of al good works, & prouoke eueryevery one of vsus quietlye and peaceably to do our own besines, & to liue according to oure calling,ii. Tim. ii. ye magistrate godly to gouern, the subiect humbly to obey,Romay. xi. the preachers of thy word diligētly to attend vponupon hys offyce.ps…. cxxxiii. So shall it come to passe, that wee as brethren quietly dwellyng together in this vnitie and concorde, shal hauehave that thou haste promysed, euen thy blessinge, that is in this world abūdaunce of all good things pertaining ether to the body or to the soul, and after our departure from thys vale of misery euerlasting life. Lord let it so cōe to passe. Amen.