The Signal Loyalty and Devotion of Gods True Saints Part 1 and 2, Part 2 · Chapter 6 · Part 5
A Prayer for the Parliament, used also in the House
II.
ALmighty God, which by thy holy Prophet David art most truly said, to stand in the Congregation of Princes, and givest judgement in the midst of the mighty men of the world, and through whom Princes do reign, Law-makers do disce…n j…st things, Lords bear rule, and all Judges of the earth execute judgement, and for that cometh of thee all Counsel and equity, all understanding and strength: grant unto us here gathered together in thy name, that wisdom which is alwaies assistant to thy seat, to give knowledge to our feeble and ignorant minds Send down (we beseech thee) the same wisdom out of thy holy heavens, and from the throne of thy Majesty, that is may be now with us, and labour with us, whereby we surely knowing what is acceptable unto thee, may be led through it to the debating, weighing and final determining of those matters, by the which thy blessed Name may be glorified, thy Catholick Church of England confirmed and increased, the Kings assurance established, the common tranquillity of this Realm safely maintained, and last of all, all estates and people thereof, in true obedience and charity united and knit together. Grant this, O God, for thy only Sons sake Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
In the Lords House, the Collects and Prayers in the Common Prayer Book and Letany for the King, Queen, Prince, and Royal Posterity, with other prayers were daily used by the Bishops, and Peers during their Session.
To mention all the particular Prayers for the King, Queen, and Royal posterity, comprised in Books of private Prayers and Devotion (as the Practice of Piety, and the like) and *See Dr. John Whites defence of the way. Bishop Bilson, Bishop Andrews Arch. Bish…p Abbor, Bishop Buckridge, Bishop Abbot, Bish… Davenant, Bishop Usher, Dr. Featly, &c. Anno 165.Epistles Dedicatory, perfixed to hundreds of B…oks, and Sermons, dedicated to King James, by Bishops, Ministers, and others of all sorts, and in usual Graces before and after meals, would be both infinite, and nauseous, being commonly known, and obvious to all, and therefore I shall wholy pretermit them, the substance of them being comprised in those Prayers already mentioned.
I shall now proceed to the reign of our late King Charles; who as he had constant Supplications and Prayers made for him in all Cathedral and Parish Churches, Chapels, Colledges, most private families, and in our Parliaments themselves, by name, during all King James his reign, as Duke of York and Prince of Wales; so after his comming to the Crown March 27. 1625. till January 1648. he had the like publike and private Prayers, Intercessions, and Supplications, made for him throughout his 3. Realms, as King, and for his Queen and royal Posteritie, not only by our preaching Ministers, in their prayers before their Sermons, and by most others in their morning and evening family and closet prayers, & Graces before or after meales, as our own experience attests, but likewise these special set Prayers, Petitions and Collects in our Letany, and common Prayer Book, which I shall here transcribe, because almost quite forgotten, by above 12. whole years discontinuance in most Churches & Families too. In the publike L…tany, ordered to be read thrice every week, or oftener upon occasion, there are these several Prayers, and Petitions to God,
That it would please thee to keep and strengthen in the true worshipping of thee, in righteousnesse and holinesse of life, thy servant Charles, our most gracious King and Governor. That it may please thee to rule his heart in thy faith, fear and love; and that he may evermore have affiance in thee, and ever seek thy honour and glory. That it may please thee, to be his defender and keeper, giving him the victory over all his Enemies. That it may please thee to blesse and preserve our gratious Queen Mary, Prince Charles, and the rest of the Royal Issue. After every of which several Prayers, and Supplications, all the People severally answered; We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. After which followed these two Prayers, for the Kings M…jestie, the Queen, Prince and Royal Issue, and read twice every day in most places.
O God our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the only Ruler of Princes, which dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth, most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most Gracious Soveraign Lord King Charles; and so replenish him with the grace of thy holy Spirit, that he may alwaies incline to thy will, and walk in thy way; endue him plentifully with heavenly gifts, Grant him in health and wealth*Those who Prayed thus cordially could not shorten his life by a violent death. long to live, strengthen him that he may … and overcome all his Enemies; and finally, after this life, he may attain everlasting joy and felicity, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Almighty God, the Father of thine elect and of their seed (which Bishop Laud changed into, the fountain of all goodnesse) we humbly beseech thee to blesse our gracious Queen Mary, Prince Charles, and the rest of the royal issue: Endue them with thy holy Spirit, enrich them with thy Heavenly grace, prosper them with all happinesse, and bring them to thine everlasting Kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
In the Prayer for the whole Estate of Christs Church, there is this Clause, relating to Kings in general, and King Charles in particular. We beseech thee also to besee…h and defend all Christian Kings, Princes, and Governors, and Specia…y thy servant Charles our King, that under him we may be godly, and quietly Governed.
When these Prayers and Collects with the Book of Common-Prayer, were suspended, by the Directory of the publike worship of God, in most places throughout the 3. Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, Printed by order of both Houses, 13 Martii 1644. yet the substance of them was still continued by the very Directory it self, during the heat of the late Wars, between the King and Parliament: witnesse p. 10, 11. of publike Prayer before the Sermon, wherein all Ministers are directed, To pray for all in Authority, especially for the Kings Majesty, that God would make him rich in blessings, both in Person and Government, establish his Throne in Religion and righteousnesse, save him from all evil Counsel, and make him a blessed and glorious Instrument for the Conservation and Propagation of the Gospel, for the Encouragement and Protection of those that do well, and the terror of all that do evil, and the great good of the whole Church, and of all his Kingdoms, for the Conversion of the Queen, the Religious education of the Prince, and the rest of the Royal seed, for the comforting of the afflicted Queen of Bohemia, sister to our Soveraign, and for the Restitution and Establishment of the Illustrious Prince Charls, Elector Palatine, (much more then now of our Illustrious long-exiled King CHARLES) to all his Dominious and Dignities.
To pretermit all Prayers made for King Charles, in Epistles perfixed to hundreds of Books, of all sorts, dedicated to him whiles Prince of Wales, and King of England, Scotland, and Ireland; I shall Conclude only with 3. short Prayers of this Nature, in 3. of our learnedest late deceased Antiquaries Dedicatory Epistles to his Majesty, being of 3. several professions.
The first is Mr. John Seldens, in the cloze of his Dedicatory Epistle to His Mare clausum, Londini 1635. Inexuperabilem Tibi felicitatem, sanctissima illa Majestas, quae Tuae archetypa est, praestet conservetque.
The 2. is Sir Henry Spelmans in the end of his Dedicatory Epistle before the first Tome of his Councils, Londini 1639. Dei Vicario, Ecclesiae Nutricio, Fidei Defensori Carolo, Dei gratia Magnae Britaniae, Franciae, & Hiberniae Regi, &c. Magno, Pio, Augustissimo, Deus optimus maximus, Regi am vestram Majestatem, sobolemque Sere…ssimum, Ecclesiae et Britaniis Imperpetuum sospitet beatissime
The 3, is, most learned, renowned and pious Archbishop Ush…r, who thus winds up his Epistle to King Charls, perfixed to his Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates, Dublini, 1639. Deus optimus maximus, Regum suorum custos et vindex, vitam …ibi det prolixam, imperium securum, domum tutam, exercitus …rtes, Senatum fidelem, populum probum; *Tertullian Apologet.Veteris Ecclesiae pro Imperatoribus s…is vota haec solemnia, pro tua et tuorum salute Redintegrat et toto animi affectu numini divino nuncupat, Serenissimae Tuae Majestatis servus humilimus, Iacobus Armachanus.
The very next day after the most illegal Trial, Condemnation Feb. 1. 1648.and bloody Execution of our late Soveraign Lord King Charles by that Prodigy of Lawyers John Bradshaw, and his Assessors, in the new created High Court of Injustice, against the (aSee the Vind…ation of the secured and secluded Members, and the History of Independency part 2.) Votes and Protests of the Secluded Lords, and Secured Commons, one of the then secured Members (out of his Loyalty to his Majesty, and his royal Heir and Successor whose rights he strenuously asserted in his Speech in the House, for which he was seized and imprisoned by the Army Dec. 6. 1648.) at his own charge Printed, 350. of the ensuing (bSee the 2d. part of the History of Independency where it is likewise printed.) Proclamations, which he caused to be sent to most Sheriffs and Mayors throughout England and Wales, and some of them to be pasted up at Westminster, and elsewhere in and about London, notwithstanding the Anti-Parliamentary, and Antimonarchical Junctoes strict Proclamation to the contrary, under pain of High Treasons and the most Capital Punishments; which deterred others both from crowning and proclaiming their Hereditary Soveraign, according to their former Oathes, Covenants, and printed Remonstrances.