The Signal Loyalty and Devotion of Gods Saints Part 2, Title page – Dedication
THE SECOND PART OF THE Signal Loyalty and Devotion of Gods true Saints and Pious Chriſtians under the Goſpel, (eſpecially in this our Iſland) towards their Chriſtian Kings & Emperors, Whether Orthodox or Heterodox, Virtuous or Vicious, Proteſtants or Papiſts, Protectors or Perſecutors, ever ſince their KINGS and EMPERORS firſt became CHRISTIAN, till this preſent.
Expreſſed in, and Evidenced by their publike and private Supplications, Prayers, Interceſſions, Thanksgivings, OPTIONS, Acclamations, for their long life, Health, Safety, Preſperity, Victory over Enemies, temporal, ſpiritual and elernal Felicity; peaceable, juſt, glorious reign over them, &c. And likewiſe for their Queens, Children, Royal Poſterity, Realms, Armies, Counſels, Officers. Largely manifeſted both in point of Theory and Practice in a Chronological method, by Fathers, Councils, Ecclefiaſtical Hiſtories, Liturgies, Miſſals, Books of publike and private Prayers, Poems, Panegyricks, Epiſtles, Records, Charters, and Authors of all ſorts and ages.
Together with the various Forms of Prayers, Supplications, Collects, Votes, and Acclamations uſed at the Coronations of Emperors and Kings, eſpecially of our ancient and late Kings of England and Scotland (not hitherto publiſhed.)
By WILLIAM PRYNNE Eſq a Bencher of Lincolns Inne.
Pſal. 132. 1.
Lord remember David, and all his afflictions.
Pſal. 46. 6, 7.
Sing Prayſes unto our God. ſing prayſes; ſing Praiſes unto our King, ſing praiſes. For God is the King of all the Earth, ſing ye Praiſes with underſtanding.
2 Sam. 19. 24, 15.
And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as one man, ſo as they ſent this word unto the King; Return thou and all thy ſervants: So the King returned and came to Jordan; and all Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the King, to conduct the King over Iordan.
LONDON Printed by T. Childe, and L. Parry, and are to be ſold by Edward Thomas at the Adam and Eve in Little Britain, 1660.
To his moſt Illuſtrious over-long Exterminated, but now happily Reſtored Soveraign, CHARLS the SECOND, By the Miraculous Grace of God, and indubitable Hereditary Birthright and Succeſſion, of ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, FRANCE and IRELAND KING, the invincible conſtant Profeſſor and DEFENDOR of the truly Antient, Catholick and Apoſtolick FAITH in the midſt of manifold Perſecutions, Provocations, Solicitations, Temptations, and Fiery Tryals; the Magazin of all Chriſtian and Royal Virtues, and Miracle of Gods preſerving and reſtoring Mercies.
Moſt gracious Soveraign,
THe a1 Tim. 6. 15. Rev 19. 16.only potentate, and KING OF KINGS, who bDan 2, 41. c. 4. 25. Job 12. 19, 20, 21. 1 …am 2 8. Pſa. … 13. 7. 8.removeth Kings, and SETTETH UP KINGS, and ruleth in the KINGDOM OF MEN TO GIVE IT TO WHOMS OEVER HE PLEASETH; having by his own Omnipotent cPſal …. 1. Exod 15. 16. …eat. 4. 34.out-ſtretched arm, and ſucceſſive Miraculous Providences, unexpectedly cutoff, caſt down, ſubverted, diſsipated, dDan. 2. 34. 43.without hands or bloodſhed, the moſt Execrable, Perfidious, Trayterous Murderers of your Royal Father KING CHARLS the firſt, of Glorious Memory, and Unjuſt diſinheriters and proſcribers of your Sacred Majeſtie out of all your own Hereditary Kingdoms, and ſome forein States by Violence, War, and inhumane Tyranny, (enforcing your Majeſty oft to cry out with the Exiled Kingly Prophet; ePſal. 120. 4, 5, 6.We is me that I am conſtrained to dwell in Meſech, and to have my habitation among the tents of Kedar &c.) who by rigorous Edicts debarred your Majeſtie not only of the Charitable Relief of your own Protestant Subjects, but likewiſe of the Chriſtian Aid, and f1 T…m. 2. 1, 2, 3.Evangelical Tribute, (due to all Pagan as well as Chriſtian KINGS, by divine and common natural Right) of their daily Supplications, Prayers, and Interceſsions to God, for your Perſonal Preſervation, and Reſtitution, under ſevereſt Penalties; impoſed many inſupportable new Yoaks of Bondage on all your Subjects necks, and worſe than Aegyptian Burdens upon their galled backs, for ſundry yeares, almoſt to their Irrecoverable ruine, it pleaſed this gpſ. 46. 7.Soveraign King over all the earth, hNum. 16. 22. c. 27. 16.and God of the Spirits of all fleſh, by ſtrange Miracles of mercy, through the preparatory loyal Endeavours of ſome of your Majeſties moſt inconſiderable faithfull Subjects, upon the very firſt Reception and reading of your Majeſties moſt gracious Letters and Declarations to the Lords, Commons, City of London; Army, and Navy, immediately to bow the hearts and ſpirits of both your Houſes of Parliament, and all your Subjects, (yea of the very Military Officers, Forces by Land and Sea, formerly raiſed & engaged againſt your Majeſties Cauſe and Kingſhip,) as the heart of one man, (as he i2 Sam. 16. 9. to 10.bowed the hearts of the men of Judah after rebellious uſurping Abſoloms death, in the …aſe of exterminated King David) ſo that they immediately and unanimouſly voted your Majeſties ſpeedy return, diſpatched their ſeveral Letters, Votes, Meſſengers, Fleet and Monies to your Majeſty, without one diſſenting voice; to haſten your Majeſties return, and tranſport you with honour and ſafety, to enjoy your KINGLY AUTHORITY and PATRIMONY, contending with a moſt cordial aemulation, who ſhould be firſt and forwardeſt, to bring back and conduct your Majeſty (together with your Princely Brothers and Followers) from your long moſt deplorable exile, to your Royal City and Palace, with all poſſible demonſtrations of their publike joy, and dutifull Allegeance to your Majeſty, and farr greater Magnificence, Solemnity, Triumph, and multitudes of Conductors, than any of your moſt Victorious Royal Progenitors enjoyed when they returned into England from their greateſt Forein Conqueſts. And that which crowned this Miracle of Mercies, was its celerity and ſeaſon, it having both its inception and perfection within the limits of one Month, and its completion on Your Majeſties Birth-day (May 29.) whereon, as You were firſt born a Prince, You were now re-born A MOST GLORIOUS KING, and moſt magnificently inveſted in the poſſeſſion of Your Royal Throne at Whitehall, in the preſence of all your Majeſties Lords, Commons, and thouſands of your People there aſſembled, who with their united Shouts, Prayers, Praiſes, Acclamations, Benedictions, and Panegyricks congratulated your Maties Natural and Political Nativity thereon, both as a Man and Monarch; together with the new Birth and Reſurrection of Your three United Kingdoms and Churches of ENGLAND, SCOTLAND and IRELAND, and their reſpective Dominions, being all raiſed from their Graves of Death and Miſery (wherein they had for ſome years ſpace before been interred) and were new born AS KINGDOMS and Churches too on that joyful day; worthy to be celebrated by them in all ſucceeding Generations; and to have this Divine motto engraven thereon: aPſal. 118. 22, 23, 24.The ſtone which the builders refuſed is (this day) become the Head of the corner; This is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes, THIS IS THE DAY WHICH THE LORD HATH MADE, WEE WILL REJOYCE AND BE GLAD THEREIN.
What the elegant Prophet bIſa 66. 7, 8, 9.Iſaiah records of Gods miraculous Mercies towards his Church and people: Before ſhe travelled, ſhe brought forth; before her pain came, ſhe was delivered of a man-child. Who hath heard ſuch a thing? WHO HATH SEEN SUCH THINGS? Shall the Earth be made to bring forth in ONE DAY? OR SHALL A NATION BE BORN AT ONCE? For as ſoon as ZION-travelled, ſhe brought forth her children; Was now verified both of your Majeſty, and your three whole Kingdoms & Churches. all brought forth and born together in this one DAY. Wherefore, Rejoyce ye with Jeruſalem, (with England) and be glad with her all ye that love her; rejoyce for joy with her, all ye that mourned for her.
It hath been the antient cavill of our cBellarmin. de Notis Ec…leſ. c. 14.Romiſh Adverſaries, B…ſhop Jewels Def. of the Apology of the Ch. of Engl. ch 16. Diviſ. 1 D. John White his Way to the true Church, Sect. 42 Dig…eſſ. 44.againſt our Reformed Proteſtant Churches & Religion, that they are falſe and ſpurious, becauſe they have no miracles wrought in them: And they have daily upbraided your ſacred Majeſty & your followers, yea pierced your ſouls during your Exile among them, with this ſoul-piercing Quaere, *Pſal. 43. 10.Where is now the God of the Prot…ſtants? He can neither p…eſ…rve nor reſtore You to your Crowns and Kingdoms; Unleſs you renounce your Prot…ſtant God Church, Hereſie, & embrace our Roman Cathol…ke God, Church, R…ligion, there is no hope nor poſsibility of your reſtitution and that only by the Arms of your Catholike Allyes and …ubjects. But bleſſed and for eve… magnified be the gl…riou Name of our great Go…, who hath now vindicated his own Glorie and Omnipotencie againſt their reproaches, & wrought ſo many Miracles in your Maties reſtitution to juſtifie b…th the Truth of the Proteſtant Religion, Churches, & your Su…jects, that all their ‖See …urius, …i…omanes, Ri…ade… a, in thei… lives of the Saints.ſpurious Miracles and Impostures wherewith they abu…e their over-c…edulous Proſelytes, and fraught their Legends even to n…u…couſn…ſſe, are no more to be compared with them, than a Glo-worm to the Noon day Sun: And their God and *Deut. 32. 31.rock is not as our God and rock, our Enemies themſelves being (now) Judges.
Verily, your M…jeſty with all your Proteſtant Subjects, after ſuch a ſtupendious, glorious deliverance from their late uſu…ping Pharaohs, worſe than Aegyptian Tax maſters, Burdens and ſervitude, have juſt cauſe to ſing aloud to the God of their Salvation, this triumphant ſong of Moſes and the Children of Iſrael, and King David after them; aExod. 15. 11, 12, 13, 21.Wh… is like unto thee, O Lord, amongſt the Gods? who is like unto thee, glorious in holyneſſe, fearfull in prayſes doing wonders? Thou ſtr…tcheſt out thy right hand, the earth ſwallowed them; Thou in thy mercy haſt led forth thy people, which thou hast redeemed. Sing ye unto the Lord, for he hath triu…phed gloriouſly. bPſal. 21. 1, 2, 3. &c.The King ſhall joy…n thy strength O Lord and in thy ſalvation how greatly ſhall he rejoyce? for thou haſt (now) given him his hearts deſire, thou haſt not with h…lden the requeſt of his lips: For th… preventeſt him with the bleſsings of goodneſſe, thou ſet teſt a Crown of pure gold on his head: His glory is great in thy ſalvation, Honor and Majeſty haſt thou laid upon him. Thou haſt made him moſt Bleſſed for ever, thou haſt made him exceeding glad with thy Countenance, For the King truſteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the moſt High he ſhall not miſcarry. *Pſal 106. 48.Bleſſed be the Lord God of England from everlaſting to everlaſting (for this unexpreſſible mercy) and let all the people ſay, Amen; Praiſe ye the Lord. Yea they all now joyntly and ſeverally apply to your Majeſtie, the bleſſing and words of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, after ſhe beheld his tranſcendent Wiſdom, Virtues, and Magnificence: (which far exceeded the report thereof, as your Majeſties royal wiſdom and graces of all kinds much tranſcend their fame) *2 Chron 9. 5, 6, 7.Bleſſed be the Lord thy God, who delighted in thee, to ſet thee upon his Throne, to be King for the Lord thy God. Becauſe the Lord thy God loved Iſrael (England, Scotland and Ireland) TO ESTABLISH THEM FOR EVER, THEREFORE MADE HE THEE KING OVER THEM TO DO JUSTICE AND JUDGEMENT, yea, to reſtore them to their priſtine Liberty, Peace, Plenty, Traffick, Renown, Proſperity, and make them the happieſt of all Subjects in the world.
In the contemplation of which inchoated common Felicity, I humbly preſume to dedicate to your Majeſty, this now compleated Treatiſe of, The Signal Loyalty and Devotion of Gods true Saints and pious Chriſtians in all ages (and likewiſe of Pagans) to their KINGS, both before and under the Law and Goſpel; more eſpecially within this your firſt Chriſtian Realm of Britain, (wherein I have moſt expatiated) expreſſed both by their publike and private Prayers, Supplications, and Interceſsions unto God for their long life, health, ſafety, victory, proſperity, temporal, ſpiritual and eternal felicity; and all ſorts of bleſsings both on their Royal Perſons, Queens, Progenies, Families, Government, Kingdoms, Armies, Counſels; by their Thankſgivings to God for their advancement to their Royal Thrones, Victories, Succeſſes, Deliverances, Piety, Juſtice and Gratious reigns over them; by their loyal Acclamations, Salutations, Addreſses, Panegyricks, Epiſtles to them, and their dutiful Subjection and Obedience under them, which I have evidenc'd by preſidents and Teſtimonies in all ages, (never formerly collected into one Manual) To which I have ſuper added the antient and modern Forms of the Coronations of Chriſtian Emperors, Kings, Queens, (and of ſome Pagans) with the Ceremonies, Solemnities, Prayers, Collects and Benedictions uſed at them, eſpecially thoſe relating to England and Scotland, (not hitherto publiſhed) as a preſident for, and Prologue to your Majeſties much deſired and ſhortly-expected Coronation.
The firſt Part of this Treatiſe, I lately Printed, in January laſt, for Your Majesties ſervice, to inthrone You in the Hearts, publike Prayers and Supplications of all Your loyal Subjects, to prepare the way for Your Majeſtyes ſpeedy Reſtauration to Your Hereditary Crowns and Kingdoms, which (bleſſed be God) you now actually enjoy, to their unſpeakable comfort: of the accompliſhment whereof without Armes or Blood, I had ſuch full aſſurance then and ſince in my own apprehenſions, from the Obſervation of Gods admirable Providences, of Your Majeſties Oppoſites …ntollerable Extravagances and Infatuatious, & of Your Subjects late dutiful … nations tending thereunto, through the loyal Endeavour of ſome Faithfull Friends to your Majeſtie and your People, that I committed the Second Part of this Treatiſe, and all that concerns Your Coronation, to the Preſſe, in the beginning of April laſt; before any viſible appearances thereof to the eyes or thoughts of others: And I repute it an extraordinary Bleſsing and Honour from God and your Majeſty, that any of my Paper Arms and Publications (in your Majeſties and others apprehenſions) have been inſtrumental to promote this your happy, Unbloody, moſt joyfull Reſtitution to your Throne and Kingſhip, maugre all late Ingagements, & Oaths of Abjuration, to debar your Majeſtie and all the Royal line for ever from them.
I humbly beſeech your Royal Majeſtie graciouſly to accept this Unpoliſh'd work (compiled in the midſt of many publike diſtracting Imployments) being your Highneſſes peculiar by all Rights and Circumstances, as a Publick Testimony of my Loyalty to your Majeſtie, and a laſting Monument of my Thankfullneſſe to Almighty God, for hearing my many years conſtant Prayers, and bleſſing my impotent Paper Artillery and endeavors for your Majeſties long-deſired, and now happily accompliſhed Inveſtiture, not only in your Royal Throne, but likewiſe in the Hearts, Conſciences, private and publike Devotions and Supplications of all your People. Whom this Treatiſe, ſeconded with my Healths Sickneſſe, (dedicated to your Royal Father many years paſt) and your Majesties moſt Pious freſh Proclamation, will inſtruct and excite moſt devoutly to pray for your Majesties Health and Happineſs in their Churches, Chapels, Families, Cloſets, rather than heatheniſhly to prophane, or abuſe your Sacred Name, in drinking your Majeſties Health (to the Hazard of their own and their ſouls to boot, through Drunkenneſſe and Intemperance) in Taverns, Alehouſes, or at their own or others Tables, as well to God… diſhonor as your Majeſties.
In fine, I ſhall be a daily Orator to the God of your Majeſties and your Kingdoms Salvation, that all the temporal, ſpiritual, and eternal bleſſings, compriſed in the ſeveral Prayers, Collects, Benedictions, Salutations, Acclamations, and Paſſages, collected in this Treatiſe, for any Chriſtian Emperors, Kings, and Princes, may concenter in, and be abundantly powred forth on your Majeſties Royal Perſon, Family, Kingdoms, Councils, Court, Armies, Government, People; that ſo your Majeſtie may be Chronicled to all Poſterity (as in truth you really demerit) for the beſt, devouteſt, holieſt, juſtest, and moſt gratious of all Chriſtian Kings that ever reigned, and your formerly diſloyal, degenerated Subjects, by your moſt righteous Reign, and pious *Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis Claudian.Royal Example, henceforth become the moſt Loyal, Religious, Free, and Happieſt of all Subjects in the Univerſe: Which is and ſhall be the daily Prayer of
Your Majeſties moſt humble, yet Faithfull and Loyal Subject William Prynne. From my Study in Lincolns Inne June 5. 1660.