Common Places, Prayer
A praier of D. Peter Martyr againſt falſe worſhipping of God, and all maner of ſuperſtition.
COme (we beſeech thee) at the length, O heauenlie father, & illuminate the harts and minds of all thy Chriſtians with the ſpirit of Ieſus Chriſt thy Sonne, that they forſaking idols and ſuperſtitions, may conuert to thee alone, who oughteſt to be purelie & ſincerelie ſerued, honored, & called vponupon. And ſuffer thou no longer the honour, which onelie is due vntounto thee, to be impiouſlie and lewdlie giuen vntounto bread, wine, images, and dead mens bones. Thy holie name hath now beene long enough diſhonoured with reproches, the pureneſſe of thy Goſpell hath now beene long enough polluted; enough & a great deale too much hauehave men abuſed the inſtitution of thy ſonnes ſupper vntounto moſt vnpure idolatrie. Stop at the length, O Lord, theſe furies of men, which are mad, and doo moſt miſerablie ouerthrowe themſelues. Let them not anie longer with bread and wine, vnderunder the name of the ſacrament of thy ſonne, ſo ſhameleſlie and deſperatelie vponupon euerie hill, vnderunder euerie tree, in all high waies, ſtreets, temples, and chappels, commit fornication, and ſo horriblie and deteſtablie defile thy holie religion. Vnleſſe thou, O omnipotent God, by thy mightie hand doo rid and turne awaie theſe things, there is no more hope of mans ſaluation, and cleanſing againe of thy church. Helpe, O God, helpe thy people, whom thou haſt redeemed with the bloud of thy ſonne. And thou Ieſus Chriſt, the true and eternall God, confirme this worke, which thou haſt begun, and bring the ſame to a deſired end: or elſe, if there be no hope of recouerie, and that there ſhall be no more in thy church anie publike and open place for thy truth, come quicklie and haſten thy iudgement, and for the glorie of thy name turne awaie ſo ſhamefull contumelie from thy holie ſupper, which thou, of thine incredible merciemercy and ſingular goodneſſe haſt inſtituted: who, with the Father and the holie Ghoſt, liueſt and reigneſt world without end, Amen.