Against the Outward Apparel and Ministering Garments of the Popish Church, Prayer – Title page 2
¶ A godly prayer, agreable to the tyme and occaſion.
O Almighty God, great Iudge of all, Father of mercy, and louing Lorde of thy flock and congregation: we doe acknowledge they goodneſſe, thorowe which thou haſt vouchedſafe to chooſe and call vsus into the ſocietie of thy Saintes, the fellowſhip of thyne elect, the folde of thy ſheepe, wherein allwayes thou haſte dealt with vsus in all thinges, as with thine owne inheritance, thy choſen ſheepe, and beloued Lambes. For this thy great kindeneſſe, we doe yelde to thee our moſte humble & heartie thankes. We doe confeſſe alſo, that on our behalfe, for want of due conſyderation of this thy goodneſſe, & our dutie, we hauehave grieuouſly offended thee, not onelyonly in vnthankfull vſinge thy benefites, but alſo in wilfull and ſinfull abuſing thy merciemercy.
To holy aſſemblies we hauehave ioyned oure ſelues in the exerciſes of thy worde and ſacraments, of prayer, & charity, yet not with ſuch zeale & diligence as we ought, but with that lothſomeneſſe & contempte, whiche we ought not. In comming to them dayly, we hauehave filled our fanſie, rather than feede our faith, we hauehave come to them more of cuſtome than of conſcience, we hauehave heard much more with oure eares, than we digeſted in our mindes. And thus with harde hearts, hearing much, doing little, promiſing faire, performing nothinge in effect, we hauehave remayned vncorrected, not amended, to the great offence of thy diuine maieſtye.
Of thy diſpleaſure kindled heretofore againſt vsus, we hauehave bene diuers wayes admoniſhed. For euen as thou dideſt leaue a remnaunt of ye Cananites, not caſt out from amōgſt thy people Iſrael, to be ſnares, whippes, and thornes in their ſydes and eyes, bicauſe they did not fully cleane vntounto thee: ſo doe the remnants of the Remiſhe ad…omination, … ſtill amongeſt vsus, to witneſſe thy wrath againſt our colde louelove of ſincere ſeruing thee, & yet is not our zeale inflamed to better. The ſharp ſcourges which we hauehave ſeene & felte, together with ſtraunge ſignes ſhewed in heauen & earth, hauehave teſtifyed thyne anger agaynſt vsus, but we earth and aſhes, are not yet by them taught our good.
The miniſters of thy worde, ſeing oure ſinful ſtate, hauehave ſeuerely threatned greater plagues to fal on vsus, but we hauehave tryfled of our tyme, & not heartly tourned vntounto thee. And therfor it is, that euen now we ſee (as a begynning of greater vengeaunce) their heartes (whoſe power ſhoulde procure the correction of our miſchiefe) not only holdē in neglect & cōtempt of that they ſhould do, but bent alſo to maintayne that they ſhould deſtroy, to the hindering of ye courſe of thy goſpel, which they ſhould ſet forwarde.
Are not the reliques of Romiſhe Idolatrie ſtoutely retayned? Are we not bereaued of ſome of our paſtors, who by worde & example, ſought to free thy flocke from thoſe offences? Ah good Lord, theſe are now by power put downe from paſtural cure, they are forbyd to feede vsus, theyr voyce we can not heare. This is oure great diſcomfort. This is the ioy & triumph of Antichriſt his lymmes, our enimyes: yea, & that is more heauy, increaſe of this miſery, is of ſome threatned of the wicked hoped for, and of vsus feared, as thy iu…t iudgemēt againſt vsus for our ſinnes.
And nowe Lorde, what can we ſay, confuſion of faces is ours. We hauehave ſynned & done amiſſe, we confeſſe our fault. As iuſtice is thyne iuſtelie to correct, ſoe mercye is thyne alſo to pardon and to helpe the miſerable. We perſuaded of thy goodneſſe towardes vsus in Ieſus Chriſt, doe knowe, that of louelove thou doſt nowe chaſtyſe vsus as children. Correct vsus O Lorde, but not in thy wrath. Remember thy louing kindneſſe, and in the ryches of thy great mercye, pardon & forgiue all oure ſynnes, through which, we hauehave thus offended thee. O Lord blot them out of thy remembraunce, by the bloude of thy ſonne Ieſus. And let thy good ſpiryte now tranſforme vsus from our olde euils, ſo that we commit them no more, yt ther apeare no cauſe to moue the memorie of them anye more in thy holy ſight: but rule vsus to growe in regeneration, that this our mortall lyfe maye bring forth plentifully thoſe fruites of the ſpirite, which do pleaſe thee. O heauenlye Father, ſtay thy ſtroke nowe begon. Reſtore our helpes to vsus agayn. Yea of thy liberall goodnes, giuegive more of ſuche ayde and help, as thou knoweſt nedefull to worke the thorow reformation of oure ſtate generally, and of eche one of vsus particularlye.
Much good haſt thou wrought vntounto vsus by our ſouerayne, and the miniſters whom thou haſt appointed to gouernement. Doe not withdrawe thy graces frome them for oure ſinnes ſake, but rather increaſe thy good gyftes in them, for thy mercye ſake. Indue them with increaſe of knowledge, zeale, and diligence, that they may doe that which is to be done, to gyue thy glorious goſpell the full courſe, ſo that by it perfyte ſtabliſhment maye be wrought of thy religion in ſincerity, and of ciuile regiment, in peace and equitie.
Loke Lord and Iudge moſt iuſte on the proude bragge and boaſt of antichriſt thyne enimy, cut his courage, cōfounde his counſell, diſapoint his hope, breake his power, & giuegive him that vtter ouerthrow, that there do not remayne ſo muche as a memorie or token of him, to be had in regarde, but that his memorye maye be had in confuſion. O Lorde ſet vp thy glorye, remoue thy wrath, reſtore thy mercye, comforte thyne afflicted, tourne thy louing countenance to vsus, poure forth thy grace on vsus, build vsus vp in Chriſt, & louelove vsus ſtill. Let the trumpet of thy goſpell with ſuche power & plenty be blowne, that all fleſh may hearken & yelde thereto, thyne elect to their comforte, the reprobate to their confuſion. And let this blaſt continue without ceaſſing with due effect, vntill that laſt trump be ſounded by thine Archā gell, at the daye of Chriſt, And come Lorde Ieſus. In thy name, O Chriſt our Capitayne, we aſke theſe things, & praye vntounto thee o Heauenlye father, ſaying. Our Father, &c. O Lord increaſe our faith whereof we make confeſſion. I beleue in God, &c. Ariſe O Lord, and let thyne enimyes be confounded. Let them vnderſtand that againſt thee they fight. Let them flye from thy preſence, that hate thy godly name. Let the grones of thy afflicted, enter in before thee. And for thy name ſake waſh away all dregs of Poperie and ſuperſtition that preſentlye trouble the ſtate of thy church. And preſerue the Vyne whiche thy ryghthande hathe planted, that the glory of thyne annointed Ieſus Chriſt oure Lorde, maye clearely ſhyne here and before all nations.
So be it.
To my louynge brethren that is troublyd abowt the popiſhe aparrell, two ſhort and comfortable Epiſtels.
Be ye conſtant: for the Lorde ſhall fyght for yow, yowrs in Chriſt.