Scotlands Ancient Obligation to England, Prayer
A Thankeſgiving unto God, taken out of the Form of Prayer and Adminiſtration of the Sacraments uſed in the Church of Scotland after their Deliverance from the tyranny of the Frenchmen, by the Engliſh: with prayers made for the continuation of Peace between the Realms of England and Scotland. Printed at Edinburgh by Thomas Baſſandine, Anno Dom. 1575.
NOW, Lord, ſeeing that we enjoy comfort both in body and Spirit by reaſon of this quietneſſe of thy mercy granted unto us, after our moſt deſperate troubles, in the which we appeared utterly to have been over-whelmed; we praiſe and glorifie thy mercy and goodneſſe, who pitiouſly looked upon us when we in our own ſelves were utterly confounded. But ſeeing, O Lord, that to receive benefits at thy hands, and not to be thankfull for the ſame, is nothing elſe but a ſeal againſt us in the Day of Judgement; we moſt humbly beſeech thee to grant unto us hearts ſo mindfull of the calamities paſt, that we continually fear to provoke thy Juſtice …o puniſh us with the like or worſe plagues. And ſeeing That we by our own power were altogether unable to have freed our ſelves from the tyranny of ſtrangers, and from the bondage and thraldome pretended againſt us, thou of thine eſpeciall goodneſſe didſt move the hearts of our Neighbours (of whom we had deſerved no ſuch favour) to take upon them the common burthen with us, and for our deliverance, not onelyonly to ſpend the *Note.lives of many, but alſo to hazard the estate and tranquility of their Realm and Common-wealth. Grant unto us, O Lord, That with ſuch reverence we may remember thy benefits received, that after this, in our default, We never enter into Hoſtility againſt the Realm and Nation of England. Suffer us never, O Lord, to fall to that ingratitude and deteſtable unthankfulneſſe, that we ſhall ſeek the destruction and death of thoſe whom thou hast made inſtruments to deliver us from the Tyranny of mercileſſe ſtrangers. Diſsipate thou the Councels of ſuch as deceitfully travell to ſtir the hearts of the Inhabitants of either Realm against the other. Let their malicious practices be their own confuſion, and grant thou of thy mercy that love, concord, and tranquility may continue and encreaſe amongſt the Inhabitants of this Iſle, even to the comming of the Lord Jeſus Christ, by whoſe glorious Evangel thou of thy mercy doſt call us both to Unity, Peace, and Chriſtian Concord. The full perfection whereof we ſhall poſſeſſe in the fulneſſe of thy Kingdome, when all Offences ſhall be removed, iniquity ſhall be ſuppreſſed, and thy choſen children be fully endued with that perfect glory, in the which now our Lord Jeſus Chriſt reigneth. To whom with thee, and the Holy Ghoſt, be all honour, praiſe, and glory, now and ever. So be it.
In the History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland, l. 3. f. 251. 252. 253. I read, that on a publike Day of Thankſgiving at S. Giles Church in Edenborough, for this great Deliverance and ſettlement they received by the Engliſh, (at which the whole Nobility and greateſt part of the Congregation of Scotland aſſembled,) after the Sermon made for the purpoſe, publike thanks were given unto God for this mercifull Deliverance concluding in forme as followeth, the ſame in ſubſtance, but a little different in words from that forementioned, recorded in their Liturgy.
But ſeeing that thou haſt mercifully heard us, and haſt cauſed thy Virtue to triumph in us; ſo we crave of thee continuance to the end that thy godly Name may be glorified in us thy creatures. And ſeeing that nothing is more odious in thy preſence (O Lord) then is Ingratitude and violation of an Oath and Covenant made in thy Name. And ſeeing thou haſt made our Confederates of England the *Note.Inſtrument by whom we are now ſet at this liberty, and to whom in thy Name we have promiſed mutuall faith again. Let us never fall to that Unkindneſſe (O Lord) that either we declare our ſelves unthankfull unto them or prophaners of thy holy Name. Confound thou the Counſell of thoſe that go about to break that moſt godly League contracted in thy Name, and retain thou us ſo firmly together by the power of thy holy Spirit, that Sathan have never power to ſet us again at variance not diſcord. Give us thy grace to live in that Chriſtian charity, which thy Son our Lord Jeſus hath ſo earneſtly commended to all the members of his body, that other Nations provoked by our example, may ſet aſide all ungodly War, Contention, and ſtrife, and ſtudy to live in tranquility and peace, as it becommeth the Sheep of thy Paſture, and the people that dayly look for our finall deliverance by the comming again of our Lord Jeſus. To whom with thee and the holy Spirit be all honour, glory, and praiſe now and ever. Amen.
A prayer very fit to be publikely uſed now.
The Contract made at Barwick with the Kingdome of England, by our Brethren of Scotland, dated the 10 of May 1560. whereupon we were induced to ſend them this Brotherly Aſsiſtance, was thus Prefaced by themſelves; Recorded in the ſelf-ſame History, p. 233.
JAMES, Duke of Chattellarault, Earl of Arrane, Lord Hamilton, and others of the Councell, Nobility, and principall Eſtates of Scotland; To all and ſundry whoſe knowledge theſe preſents ſhall come, Greeting. We have well conſidered and are fully perſwaded, in what danger, deſolation, and miſery, the long Enmity with the Kingdome of England hath brought our Country heretofore: how *Note.wealthy and flouriſhing it ſhall become, if thoſe two Kingdomes, as they are joyned in one Iſland by Creation of the World, ſo they may be knit in a conſtant and aſſured friendſhip. Theſe conſiderations grounded upon a moſt infallible Truth, ought no leſſe to have moved our Progenitours and forefathers then us. But the preſent danger hanging over our heads, by the unjuſt dealing of thoſe, of whom we have alwayes beſt deſerved, hath cauſed us to weigh them more earneſtly then they did. The misbehaviour of the *Note.French Monſieurs, I had almoſt ſaid Monſters, here, hath of late years been ſo great. The oppreſſions and cruelties of the Souldiers, the tyranny and ambition of their Superiors and Rulers, ſo grievous to the people, the violent ſubverſion of our liberty, and conqueſt of the land, whereat they have by moſt crafty and ſubtill means continually preſſed, hath been, I ſay, ſo intollerable to us all; that at laſt when we could not obtain redreſſe by humble ſuits, and earneſt ſupplications preſented to the Queen Dowager, who both for duties ſake, and place ſhe doth occupie, ought to have been moſt carefull of our ſtate; we have been by very neceſſity conſtrained, not onelyonly to aſſay our own Forces, but alſo to implore the Queens Majeſtie of Englands ayde and ſupport, which her Majeſty hath moſt willingly granted, upon certain conditions ſpecified in a Treaty paſt at Barwick, betwixt the Duke of Norfolk, Leiutenant to her Majeſty, on the one part, and certain our Commiſſioners on the other part, whereof the Tenour followeth. &c.
Theſe Publike profeſſions of our Scottiſh Brethrens deep Engagements to our Nation heretofore, to omit our Brotherly Ayd and large contributions towards them in the year 1641. and deniall to grant any Subſidies to the King himſelf againſt them, when extreamly preſſed in the diſſolved Parliament, Anno 1640. as they were forcible Enducements (by way of Retaliation and Gratitude) to enduce them to contribute the like Brotherly Aſsistance unto us in our Neceſsities (though upon our own Expence, Pay, and for the preſervation of their own Kingdome and Liberties as well as ours;) ſo I preſume the publication of them to the World, will be a moſt ſtrict Obligation to them inviolably to maintain that ancient League of Friendſhip, into which they then entred with us, and have of late more ſolemnly renewed by their moſt ſolemne Vow and Covenant, then before, and to demean themſelvs in theſe Diſtracted times, (when ſo many ſeek to divide and daſh us one againſt another even now we have vanquiſhed the common Enemie) with that Syncerity, Integrity, Simplicity, and Candor towards us, without giving the leaſt juſt occaſion of Jealoſie or Complaint unto Our Nation by Speech, Action, or violating the leaſt Title of their Covenant and Articles of Agreement with the Parliament; as may exactly anſwer our ancient and late brotherly ſquare carriage towards them; and their laſt fair and honourable Retreat from hence into their own Country, to the ſilencing of all Malignant, Jealous, Spirits: & moſt inſeperably unite, moſt cordially glue us one to another for Eternity, and fruſtrate all the Machivillian Plots and remaining hopes of our inveterate Enemies, who have now no other Policy left to raiſe themſelves and ruin us, but our Diviſion after ſo ſolemn and ſacred an Union. Si collidimur frangimur; The prevention whereof, is the onelyonly end and Motive of this ſeaſonable Publication.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Prynne, Scotlands Ancient Obligation to England (1646)