The Governance of Virtue, Prayers

The Governance of Virtue · Prayers

¶ Here followeth certayne godlye prayers, for sundry & diuers purposes.

A prayer for the Queenes Maiesty.

O Lord our heauenly father high and mightye king of kinges, lord of Lords, the onelyonly ruler of Princes, which doest from thy throne behold al y^• dwelllers vponupon earth most hartely we besech thee with thy fauour to behold our… moste gratious soueraigne lady Queene Elizabeth, and so replenish her wyth the grace of thy holy spirite, that she may alway incline to thy wil, and walke in thy way. Indue her plentifully with heauenly gifts, graunt her in health and wealth long to liue, strength her that she maye vanquish & ouercom al her enemies. And finally y^• after this life, she may attayne euerlasting ioy and felicity, through Iesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A generall confession.

O Lord God almighty, father of mercy, and God of all comfort, we thy poore creatures resort vntounto thee, knowledgyng and confessing our selues before thy gloryous maiestye, that we are all greuous sinners, and can of our selues do nothing but sinne. For all our imaginations, intentes and thoughts are enclined and disposed vntounto euel from our youth vp. Our damnation cōmeth of our selues, wee our selues are not able to thyncke a good thought. It is thou onlye that doest worke in vsus both the will & the dede.

We are but earth and naturally the children of wrath. We of our selues are but vaine, yea lighter then vanitie it self. We can do nothing without thee, theris not one of vsus whole, we are all vnclene, & al our rightousnes is but as a filthy cloth. We hauehave no more power to doo good of our selues then a man of Inde hath power to chaunge his skinne, or the leoparde her spottes. Nowe accordinge to this euell and corrupte inclination of our nature so hauehave we liued in thought… worde and deede. We hauehave finned, we hauehave offended,Dan. … we hauehave gone backe from thy lawe, & hauehave not harkned vntounto thy worde. We hauehave not loued th…, O Lorde with all our strength, with all our heart, with all our power. We hauehave bene sore transgressors of thy commaundementes, wee hauehave not putt oure whole truste, and confidence onelye in thee. Wee hauehave in oure troubles and neede, not soughte for helpe onelyonly in thee. We hauehave not called onelyonly vponupon thy name, but with false confidence, with vaine supersticion, and vnlawfull othe…, hauehave we blasphemed thy name. We hauehave prayed and made intercession vntounto stockes & stones, & made the creatures oure aduocates & mediatours cōtrary to thy word. We reposed our trust and affiance in our own deedes▪ and in such workes as hauehave bene deuised by mens fantasies besides the scripture. We hauehave wandred on vaine pil gremages, offering vp mony, candels, and tapers to Images and reliques, with such like supersticion. We hauehave bene slouthful in our busines. We hauehave not bene feruēt and diligent in doing of our duty. Special ly on suche dayes as be appointed for the preaching of thy word, we hauehave not plyed our selues wholly to learne it, nor occupied our time in prayer, & geuing of thanks vntounto thee. And as touching the louelove that we ought to hauehave vntounto all men & women for thy sake, we hauehave not bene ernest in it at al times. We hauehave not loued our neigh houre as our selues, we hauehave not done as we would be done vntounto, we hauehave bene vngentle, vnpaciēt, vncurteous, froward, angry and displeased: we hauehave reioyced in our neighbors hurte and bene sory of his welfare. We hauehave bene led with false doc trine & errours from the way of thy truth. We hauehave sinned w^t our fathers, we hauehave don amisse, we hauehave delt wickedly, therfore our most deare father whiche art in heauē, forasmuch as we hauehave blasphemed thee & not soughte alway the glory of thy name, graunt now that from henceforth thy name may be sāctified and halowed in vsus. Graunt now that thy kingdome maye come, and that in steede of sin and errour thou onelyonly maiest raigne in vsus: graunte now that our wil may be cōformable vntounto thine, and that in al aduersitie we may be hartely wel content to suffer thy wil to be done in vsus. Graunt now, that we bee neuer destitute of our daily food, but that we may alway be nourished w^t thy worde in our soules, and hauehave such a competent liuing in this life as is necessary for our body Graūt now that we may euen from our heart rootes, forgeue one another all maner of trespasse, as y^• for Iesu Christes sake thy Sonne, haste mercifully forge… vsus. Graūt now that where the world the deuill, and our owne flesh, doth dayly tempt and prouoke vsus to sin, we may thorow thy strength be able to resist all their temptation, Graunte nowe that thorow thy helpe and grace we may be deliuered from all euill, from all daunger, and peryll of soule and body, from all synne, hel, and dampnation, from all pryde, and enny, from all wrathe, and slouthfulnes, frō couetousnesse, vnmeasurable and filthy lyuing. Graunt now, that from hence forth we may be content with such fatherly pro uision as thou haste made for vsus already, graunte now that we may be temperate in eatyng and drinking. And of so honest and cleanly cōuersation, that we geue no man occasion of euyll. Graunte nowe that in steade of our old fayned works we may be occupied with suche fruites of thy holy spirite, as thy worde maketh mencion of. Graūte now, that according to the wholsom monition of thy blessed apostle Peter and of al the scripture besyde, we may be faithful true & obediēt vntounto the king our soueraigne Lord and Supreme head immediatly vnderunder Christ. And not only vntounto al such officers as be sēt of him, but also vntounto al such wholsō lawes & iniunetions as by his autority be made for y^e tranquilt ty and wealth of vsus his subiects. Graunt now that we al may encrease in y^e knowledg of the, that our youth may be brought vp in vertue, that children may obey their fathers & mothers, that seruauntes may be true to their maisters, that landlordes may be gentle to their tenantes, that husbands may be louing to their wiues, and wiues likewise to their husbandes, that men may kepe their houshold in the feare & knowledge of thee, y^e idle people may be set to labour, & that al such as be poore in dede, may be wel and louingly prouided for. Graunt y^e for the louelove of thee we may fede y^• hūgry, geue drink to y^• thirsty cloth y^e naked, geue lodging to thē that be harbourlesse, …urye the dead, visite thē that be in prison, & helpe such as be in sycknesse. Finally, graunt now most mercifull father, that whatsoeuer thou forbiddest, we may forbeare it, and whatsoeuer: thou▪ cō maundest, we may eueryevery one in his calling performe the same, and so cōtinue in thy seruice till our liues ends, that al our thoughts, words & deds may redound vn to y^e glory of thee, now & euermore Amē.

Thankes be geuen to God. Obedience vntounto our Prince… and louelove to our neighboures.

For the Cytie or towne wherin thou dwellest.

EXcept thou (O mercifull lorde God almighty) kepe the citye, the watchmen wake but in vain that kepe it. Therfor O lord god, send thy holy spirit into y^• harts of them which rule our citye or town, to the intent that we with them & they with vsus, may liue in thy godlye feare, so that it may goe well with vsus. And suffer vsus not good Lord to put our truste any more in worldly power, as money, horse, weapon artillery, gunnes or strong walles, but much rather in thee, which arte adefender of al them that put their whole affiaunce and trust in thee.

For kinges, Princes, and Rulars.

O Lord of Lords, Iesus Christ thou art an example and glasse or myror of thē which gouern and beare rule of realmes, coūtreis & cities whome they ought to folowe, for thou art the best and the wisest, and therfore canst thou not erre nor doe any other thing but wel. Uouchsafe with the lyghte of thy clearnes, and wyth the fyre of thy louelove, to kindle the hartes of al such as thou through thy godly prouidēce hast instituted and ordayned to be rulers ouer the people, to the intent that they through thee as by a fore going light, may see and perceiue what is best to be done, and fulfyl the same, and that they taking thee alwaies for a sure mark of their eye, do not that thing which only semeth good in their syghte, but that which may be to thy honour, to our profitte, and to their health and saluation, to the intent also that they may iustly and duly minister, & execute their office geuē vntounto thē of thee, so that we with thē, & they with vsus, maye lead a peaceable, vertuous, and quiet life So be it.

Wheu thou goest to thy labour or worke.

O Most kynd and gentle heauenly father thou knowest and hast taught vsus how great the weakenes of man is so that no man without thy godly helpe, can do any thing. Thus vo…chiafe to send vsus thy ho ly spirit, y^e he may strengthē, styrre & indu our vnderstāding & reasō in al things, y^e we this daye outwardlye shal goe aboute. & take in hande, or it that we in wardlye shall think or hauehave in minde, to the intent that it may be done to thy glorye, and to y^• profite of our neighbour.

A Prayer for a godly life

IT greatly greueth vsus, O mercifull Father and euerlasting God, that we thorow the gre…ous and continuall assaults of our enemies are not able to passe ouer our yeres in this worlde with such puritie of life, as we ought, and as thou requirest of vsus. Uerely we are on eueryevery parte so besieged and compassed round about of oure aduersaries, that scarsely at any time we can be free from their pestiferous & deadly darts, nor yet hauehave so much respite as once to breath toward true godlines. Oh moste louing Lord, thou art our Father and we thy children: conuenient therfore is it that we thy children represent and openlye declare in oure conuersation the maners of thee our father.

Thou art good, gentle, louing suffring holy, righteous, faithful. &c.

It therfore becommeth vsus thy children in our liuing to practise goodnes, gentlenes louelove, charitie, mercy, patience, longe suffering holines, righteousnes, faith. &c

¶ Thou haste geuen vsus an exampleIoh. 13John 13 that euen as thou hast done, so we likewise should do. If we say we dwell in thee, we ought to walke as thou haste walked.

For thou hast called vsus not to vnclennes,1. Iohn. 31 John 3 but vntounto holines.

Thou hast deliuered vsus from y^• power1. Thes. 4.1 Thess 4 of our enemies, that we being w^tout feare should serue the…, in holines and righteous nes all the dayes of our life.

The bloude of thy sonne Iesu Christe1. Ioh. 11 John 1 hath clensed vsus from al sinne, net that we shoulde continue in darkenes, but rather walke in the light, as thou art in light. Thy louing kindnes hath appeared vntounto all men, not that we shoulde followe vngodlines and worldly iustes, but that we should liue soberly, righteously, and godly in this present worlde.

Thou diddest chose vsus in Christ beforeEphe. 1.Eph 1 the foundacions of the world were layde, that we should be holy and without blame before thee through him.

We are thy workemanship created inEphe. 2.Eph 2 Christ Iesu vntounto all good woorkes which thou ordayneste afore, that wee shoulde walke in them. Forasmuche then as all the benefytes which thou haste bestowed vppon vsus, are geuen vntounto this e…de, that we should walk worthy of thy kindnesse, represent thy maners in our cōuersation, mortifye the fleshe and the lustes thereof, hauehave nothing to do with Sathan, nor the world, but leade a good life garnished full of good workes, and in all pointes fashioned after the rule of thy blessed words: we moste hartely pray thee to endue vsus with thy holy spirit, which may take away our stony hart, and geue vsus a new fleshly and soft harte, kil that olde man in vsus whiche is corrupt thorow deceiuable lustes, and fashion in vsus that new man which is made after thy image and likenes in righteousnes & true holines. Suffer vsus not to geue ouer our selues againe vntounto our olde lusts and conc…piscences, where with we were led when we knewe not thee nor thy So… Christe, but euē as thou whiche hast called vsus art holy, so likewise graunt y^t we may… be holy in all our conuersation. O mercyful god, not the hearers of thy law but th… ful…llers of it shalbe iustified. Neither sha… Math. 7.Matt 7eueryevery one that saith vntounto thee: Lord, Lord enter into the kingdom of heauē, but the that do the wil of thee our Father which art in Heauen. To confes thee with our mouth, and to deny thee with our deedes, worketh rather our damnation then saluation. For the true knowledge of thee consisteth not in talking, but in working, not in fauouringe, but in folowinge, not in louinge, but in liuinge. To promise thee by mouth, that we wil worke in thy vineyarde, and yet worke nothing at all, declareth not vsus to bee thy sonnes, but rather bastardes. To bragge of the iustification of faith, and not to bringe forthe the fruites therof, to glorye in the merites of thy sonne Christe, in his bloude, death and passion, and not to liue worthy in his kind nesse, to profes thy holy gospel, and not to walk according to the doctrine thereof, to be baptised in thy name and not to morti…y our members which are of the earth, nor to walke in a new life, to be partakers of the deuine misteries, and not to bee made one spyryte wyth thee: what auayleth it? Wee are thy freendes, if wee doo those thinges that thou commaundest vsus. We are thy seruauntes, if we be obediente to thy will. Wee are thy Sonnes, if we honour and reuerence thee according to thy woord. We seeke thy glory, if we attempt nothing, whereof thou shouldest be dyshonoured. Leadinge a life confirmable to thy blessed will, wee shall prouoke the ve ry enemies of thy truth to prayse thee, but cōtrariwise, thou shalt be euel spoken of. Graunt therfore we beseech thee, that our life may answer to our professiō: and that the light of our good workes may so shine before men, that they seinge our godly cō uersation, may gloryfye thee our heauenly father.

Amen.

¶ A short praier to be sayd at the receiuing of the mystery of Christes bodye at the holy communnion.

O Heauenly and blessed father, I render vntounto thee most harty thanks for all thy benefites, which thou hast shewed vntounto me most wretched sinner, but specially for y^• most swete smeling sacrifice which thy only begotten son offred vntounto thee on the aulter of the crosse, by geuing his most pure and vndefiled body vntounto the deth for the redemption of mankind, in the remenbraunce wherof according to thy welbeloned sonnes ordinance, I now receiue this holy bread, most entierly beseching thee, y^e I may both be partaker of the merites of thy deare sonnes body breaking, and also lead a life worthy of so great a benefit, vntounto the glorye of thy name.

Amen.

A Prayer to be sayd at the receyuing of the mistery of Christs bloud in the holy communion.

O Blessed and merciful Father, thy louelove toward me sinful creature is so exceading great and vnspeakeable, that I cannot but geue vntounto thee most hūble thāks▪ namely for the sheding of the moste precious bloud of thy dear Sonne Iesu Christ, by the vertue wherof thy wrath stirred vp against mee wretched sinner, is pacified: My raunsome is payed, the lawe is fulfilled, my enemies are ouercome and put to flight. In remembraunce of this so noble a victorye and of so great a benefite, I am come to this thy table, O mercifull father to drink of this cup. Desiring thee, that as my outward man is comforted by the drinking of this wine: so likewise, my inward man may be comforted and made stronge by true faith in the precious bloude of thy moste deare son. O Lord my heauenly, father, geue me thy holy spirit, which may so rule and gouerne my hart, that I neuer be vnthankful nor forgetful of this thine exceading great kindnesse: But so traine my life according to thy blessed wil, that what soeuer I do speake or thinke, may be vntounto the glory of thy blessed name, and the helth of my soule: thorowe Iesu Christe oure Lord.

Amen.

For all them whiche lye in the extreme panges of death or otherwise.

O Pitiful Phisicion and healer bothe of soul and body, Christ Iesu: Uouch safe to cast thine eyes vponupon this poore sinfull creature. N… who lyeth heere captiue and boūd with sicknes, turning his weaknes to thy glory and to his helth. And bout safe good Lorde, to send him pacience and sufferance, that he maye with a true and perfect faith fight manfully against all tē tations of the Deuil, that he maye no longer continue. So be it.

☞ A confession for all people to be sayd in the morning.

O Merciful and most louing father, whose louelove is infinite, whose mercy endurethe for euer: We sinful creatures trustinge in thine vnspeakable goodnes, and louelove towards vsus, do appeare this morninge before thy deuine maiesty, most lowlye confessing our manifolde sinnes and in innumerable transgressions of thy commaundements and fatherly wil. Against thee onlye against thee, O Lorde, hauehave we sinned, therfore we confesse our sinnes, we knowledge our offences, we accuse our selues vntounto the O mercifull Lord, and wil not hied our vnrighteousnes. We find in our selues nothing but ignoraunce of thy wil, disobedience, mistrust, doubtfulnes in thy goodnes, incredulitie, hatred, and con tempt of al spiritual thinges, selfloue, con fidence in our selues, and f…ruent lustinge after carnal thinges of this worlde. And this tree of our corrupt nature, bringethe forthe continually in vsus none other fruit, but rotten and vnsauery workes of the flesh, in thoughtes, wordes▪ and doinges, vntounto condemnation. Wherfore, we humbly besech thy fatherly goodnes, euen for thy sonne Iesus christes sake, whom thou hast set forth for a purchaser tōwardes vsus of mercy throughe faithe in his bloude: to make our hearts cleane: Take away our stony hartes, and geue vntounto vsus a true and a liuelye taith, whichshal worke continually by louelove, through Christe. HaueHave mercy vponupon vsus, forgeue vsus our sins, for thy sons sake: Certefy our cōscience of remission of the same, by thy holy spirit, by whose operation we maye so mortefye in vsus our old man the whole body of sinne that we continually dyinge vntounto sinne, may walke in newnes of life, to the glory of thy name, through Iesus Christ our lorde. So be it.

Then say this 86. Psalme treatably.

BOw downe thyne eare O Lord, and heare me, for I am pore and in misery.

O preserue my soule, for I am holye: my God saue thy seruant, that putteth his trust in thee.

Be mercifull vntounto me (O Lorde) for I will call dayly vponupon thee.

Comforte the soule of thy seruaunt, vntounto thee O lord, do I lift vp my soule.

For thou lord art good and gracious, and of great mercy vntounto all them that cal vponupon thee.

Geue eare Lord to my prayer, and ponder the voyce of my humble desyres.

In the tyme of my trouble, I wil cal vp on thee, for thou hearest me.

Among the Gods there is none like vn to thee O lord, there is not one that can do as thou doest.

Al nations whom thou hast made, shal come worship thee, O lorde: and shal gloryfy thy name.

For thou art great and doest wonderous thinges, thou art God alone.

Teach me thy way O lord, and I will walke in thy truth. O knit my hearte vntounto thee, that it may feare thy name.

I will thanke thee, O Lorde my god wyth all my hearte, and wyll prayse thy name for euer.

For great is thy mercy toward me, and thou hast deliuered my soule from the neithermost hell.

O God, the proud are risen against me, and the congregations of naughty men, hauehave not set thee before their eyes.

But thou O lorde god art full of compassion and mercy, long suffring, plenteous in goodnes, and truth.

O turne thee then vntounto me, and hauehave mercy vponupon me, geue thy strength vntounto thy seruaunt, and help the sonne of thine handmaid.

Shew some tokē vponupon me for good, that they whiche hate me may se it, and bee a shamed, because thou Lorde haste helped me, and comforted me.

Glory be to the father, and to the sonne and to the holy ghost.

As it was in the beginning. &c.

Lord hauehave mercy vponupon vsus.

Christ hauehave mercy vponupon vsus.

Lord hauehave mercy vponupon vsus.

Then say the Crede and the Lordes prayer. &c.

Lord shew thy mercy vponupon vsus.

And graunt vsus thy saluation.

O lord saue the Queene.

And mercifully heare vsus when we cal vponupon thee

Indue thy ministers wyth righteousnes.

And make thy chosen people ioyful.

O Lord saue thy people.

And blesse thine heritaunce.

Geue peace in our tyme O lord.

Because there is none other that fighteth for vsus, but only thou O god.

O god make cleane our hartes within vsus.

And take not thy holy spirite from vsus. Let vsus pray.

O God which art authour of peace and louer of concorde, in knowledge of whome standeth our eternall life, whose seruice is perfect fredom: defend vsus thy humble seruauntes in all assaultes of our enemies, that we surele trusting in thy defence, maye not feare the power of any ad uersaryes, thorowe the myghte of Iesu Christ our Lord.

Amen.

O Lord our heauenly father almighty & euerlasting god, whiche hast safelye brought vsus to the beginning of this day: defende vsus in the same with thy mightye power, and graunte that this day we fal into no sin, neither rune into eny kinde of daunger, but that al our doinges may be ordred by thy gouernaunce, to do alway that is righteous in thy sighte, through Iesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOd preserue Quene Elizabeth, god destroy al her enemies, God preserue her most honorable counsellers, God ayde the clergy wyth hys spirit in setting forth of his truth, God preserue al the nobelity of this realme, and the commones of the same, God defend the fauorers of the gospel, God chaūge the harts of our enemies and send them better mynds. The power of god destroy Antichrist with al his wicked kingdome. God send the gospel a ioyfull and a free passage throughoute the whole worlde. God send vntounto all degrees such grace, that they may walke worthyly in their vocation and calling. Amen.

The peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding, kepe our harts and minds in the knowledg and louelove of God, and of his sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde: And the blessing of God almighty, the father, the sonne, and the holy ghost, be amongst vsus and remain with vsus alwais

Amen.

Imprinted at London by Iohn Day, dwelling ouer Aldersgate, beneath S. Martins.

Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis.

End of the text · Thomas Becon, The Governance of Virtue (1566)