FORASMVCHE
as prayer is the
veray true meane
ordeyned of almightie
god, and
taught vs playnly
in his holy word, wherby not
onely we may, but also by gods
holy co~mandement be bounden
to haue a recourse and a refuge
for helpe and ayde of almightie
god our heauenly father, not
onely in all our necessities, and
tribulations of this world, but
also vniuersally in all our affaires
and businesses, what soeuer
shalbe fall vnto vs, orels what
soeuer thing we shall enterprise
or take in hand. And forasmuch
also as our father in heauen, of
his mere mercie and infinite

A.ii.

goodnes, hath bounden him self
by his owne free promise, and
certified vs of the same, by his
owne sonne, our onely sauiour
and lorde CHRIST IESV, in
his gospel, that what soeuer we
shall aske of him, we shall haue
it, so that we aske such thinges,
and in suche sorte, as we ought
to doo. For these causes good
christian people, beynge thus
grounded vpon the sure foundation
of goddis holie & blessed
word, which can not deceiue vs,
We are here at this time gathered
togither, to make our comon
prayer to our heauenly father.
But nowe good christian people
that by the true vse of praier
we may obteine and enioye his
gratious promise of aide, comforte,

and consolation, in al our
affayres and necessities, two
thinges, concerning prayer, are
specially to be learned. The first
is, to knowe, for what thynges
we ought to make our request
and petition in our praier. The
second is, in what wise we shuld
make our prayer, in suche sorte
as it may be acceptably hearde,
and graciously graunted of our
heauenly father.
As for the first, we ought instantly
to aske of our heauenly
father, his holy and blessid spirite,
godly wisedome, faith, charitie,
and to feare and dreade
him, and that his holy name in
al thingis, and euery where thorough
al the hole world may be
glorified, that his kyngedome

A.iii.

maye come vnto vs, that is to
saye, that here he may reigne in
vs, by the faith of his welbeloued
sonne our sauiour IESV
CHRIST, and after this lyfe
also to reigne in vs, and ouer
vs euerlastingly in glorye.
We ought to pray, that his blessed
wyl may be fulfylled here in
this world emo~ges vs his mortall
creatures, as it is of his
immortall angels, and of al the
holy company of the heauenly
spirites. We muste pray for our
dayly breade, that is, for our necessary
fode and sustena~ce bothe
of body and soule. Of body, as
meate, drinke, and necessary apparaile,
peace, helthe, and what
soeuer god knoweth to be necessary
for the behofe and conseruation

of the same, that we may
do to our lorde god true seruice
therwith, euery man in his state
and vocation, wherevnto god
hath called hym. Of the soule,
as the word of god, and the true
knowledge of the same, the true
conseruation of our heauenlye
fathers holy and blessid co~mandementis,
the liuely bread of the
blessed body of our sauiour Iesu
Christe, the holy and sacrate
cuppe of the precious and blessed
bludde, whiche was shed for
vs vpon the Crosse, to purchase
vs pardon and forgyuenes of
our synnes. Furthermore we
must pray for the forgiuenes of
our synnes, that our heauenly
father wyll be mercyfull vnto
vs, and forgyue vs our synnes

A.iiii.

bothe many and great, wherby
we offende againste his infinite
goodnes, as we do forgiue the
offences of them that offend vs.
whiche, howe great so euer they
appere vnto vs, yet in comparison
of the offences that we do against
god, they be bothe small
and fewe. We muste pray, that
oure heauenly father suffre vs
not to be ledde into temptation,
for without his continuall aide
and protection, we are but weke
and soone ouerthrowen. Our
gostely ennemy is stronge, violent,
fierse, subtyll, and exceding
cruell. And therfore we muste
co~tinually pray, with all insta~ce
that in al his assaultes we may
be deliuered by the mighty ha~de
of our heauenly father, from al

euyll. Fynally, and before all
thing, as saint Paule exhorteth
vs in the fyrst epistle to Timothe,
Let vs make our prayers,
and supplycations, rendrynge
and gyuyng of thankes for all
men, and namely for kynges,
princis, and al other set in chief
dignitie and high roumes, that
by theyr godly gouerna~ce, their
true faithfull and diligent execution
of iustice and equitie vnto
all their subiectes, our heauenly
father may be gloryfied,
the common welth may be daily
promoted and increased, and
that we al, that are theyr subiectes,
may liue in peace and quietnes,
with al godlines and vertue,
and our christen princis &
heades in vnitie and concorde

A.v.

emonges them selfes, euer callyng
vppon theyr heauenly father,
whiche is the king of all
kynges, and the lorde of all lordes,
which shall iudge without
respecte of persone, accordynge
to euery ma~s doing or workes,
at whose hande the weake shall
take no wronge, nor the myghty
may not by any power escape
his iuste iudgement. That our
princes I say, thus calling vppon
theyr heauenly father for
grace, maye euer in all their affaires
be directed and gouerned
by the holie spirite of god, and
bothe rule, and be ruled, by his
holy feare, to their owne endles
ioye, comforte, and consolation,
and to theyr owne euerlastyng
saluation, thorough our sauiour

Iesus Christ.
AND here specially let vs
pray for our moste dere and soueraigne
lorde the kynges maiesty,
who dothe not onely study
and care dayly and hourely for
our prosperitie and wealth, but
also spareth not, to spende his
substance and treasure, yea redye
at all tymes to endaunger
hym self for the tender loue and
fatherly zeale, that he bereth towarde
this his realme, and the
subiectes of the same. Who at
this present tyme hath taken vpon
hym the great and dangerous
affayres of warre. Lette
vs praye, that it may please almyghty
god, lorde of hostes, in
whose handes is onely wealthe
and victorie, mercifully to assyst

him, sending his holy angell, to
be his succour, keper, & defender
fro~ all his aduersaries, and
from all euyls. Let vs pray for
our bretherne, that bende them
selfes to batail for goddis cause
and our defence, that god maye
grant them prosperous successe,
to our comfort, and the increase
of his glory. Let vs praye for
our selfes that remain at home,
that almyghty god defende vs
from synne, sickenes, derth, and
all other aduersyties of bodye
and soule.
The seconde thynge to be lerned,
concernynge praier, is to
know, howe we shal make true
prayer, so that it may be graciousely
harde, and mercyfully
graunted of oure heauenly father.

Fyrst of al we must, vpon
consideration of our heauenly
fathers mercy and goodnes towardes
vs, and of his euerlastyng
trueth, and free promyse
made vnto vs in his owne holy
worde, conceyue a full affiance
hoope and trust: and that without
waueryng or doubtfull mistrustyng,
eyther in his trueth,
his goodnes, or in his almightie
power, certainely assuring
our selfe, that both of his omnipotencie,
he may do what soeuer
shall please his goodnes, and
also for his infinite goodnes,
and fatherlye affection towarde
vs, that he woll both here and
graunt al our lauful and godly
requestes, after that measure,
sort, and degree, as he of his infinite

and incomprehensible wisdome
knoweth the thynge to be
moost mete, moost conuenient,
and behofeful both for his own
glorye and honour, and for the
profit, behoufe, and commoditie
of vs his children.
Furthermore also it is necessarily
requyred to that, that our
prayer may be acceptable vnto
our heuenly father, to haue charitie,
and brotherly loue betwixt
neighbour and neighbour, and
towarde all our euen christen.
So CHRISTE him selfe teacheth
vs, sayinge, whan you
stande to praye, forgyue, if you
haue any dyspleasure agaynste
any personne: that your father,
whiche is in heauen, maye forgiue
you. It is a true saying

that saint Augustine sayeth:
There is no good fruicte, no
good deede, no good woorke,
whiche springeth not out of the
roote of charitie. And saincte
Paule teacheth plainely, that
where as charitie lacketh, nothyng
can auayle vs.
And moreouer we must in our
prayer, be ware of vayne glory
and prayse of man, outwardly
shewing a great pretence of holynes,
and being vayne of true
godlynes inwardly, onely to
haue the commendation of men
before the world. for if we so do,
we shall lose the reward and benefit
of our prayer, as our sauiour
CHRIST saieth his owne
selfe. We must take hede also,
that we thincke not the vertue

of prayer, to consiste in multiplyeng
of many wordes without
faythe and godly deuotion,
thynckyng as the heathen doth,
that for our many wordes or
moche speking, we shalbe herde
of our heauenly father. Who so
euer doth thinke so, he shall deceyue
him selfe. for god doth not
regarde neither the swete sound
of our voice, nor the great number
of our woordes, but the ernest
feruentnes and true faythful
deuotion of our hartes. Fynally
we muste beware in our
praier of that common pestilent
infection, and venemefull poyson
of all good prayer, that is
to say, when our mouthe prayeth,
and our hartes praye not.
Of the whiche the prophete Esaie

complayneth sore. And our
sauyour in saynte Mathewes
gospel rebuketh the pharisees,
for the same, saying thus: O hipocrites,
Esaie the prophet prophecied
well vppon you, when
he sayde thus: This people draweth
nighe me with theyr lyppes,
but their hartes are farre
from me, that is to saye, they
speake with their tongue and
lippes, the wordes of praier, but
in theyr harte, they mynde no
thyng lesse then they speake, as
that the goodnes of the prayer
stode in the outwarde speking
onely of the woorde, and not in
the inwarde, true and faythfull
request of the harte. And to the
intent therfore your hartes and
lyppes maye goo together in

B

praier, it is verye conuenient,
and moche acceptable to god,
that you shuld vse your priuate
prayer in your mother tongue,
that you vnderstandyng what
you aske of god, may more ernestly
& ferue~tly desyre the same
your hartes & myndes agreing
to your mouthe and woordes.
Wherfore let vs eschewe (good
people) in our prayers, al the afore
rehersed vices, for elles we
shall not obteine our petitions,
and requestes, but contrarye
wyse we shall hyghly displease
god and greuously offende him.
Therfore good Chrystian bretherne,
seynge we are come togyther
to praye, let vs do it accordyng
to our bounden duetie,
and as it ought to be done. Let

vs truly praye with a faithfull
harte, and a sure affiaunce of
our heauenly fathers infinite
mercy, grace, and goodnes: let
vs make our prayers, beyng in
loue and charitie with all and
euery one of our neighbours, euer
hauing in our herte an ernest
request and desyre of those
godly benefyttes, which are appointed
in goddes worde, that
we shulde pray for, and yet not
prescribing vnto god, either the
tyme, place, measure, or degree
of his gracious benefittes, but
holly committing our selues to
his blessed wil and pleasure, receyuyng
in good woorthe, and
with thankes giuinge, what so
euer, and when so euer, it shall
please his gracious goodnes,

B.ii.

to bestowe his gracious gyftes
vpon vs. Let vs also fournishe
and beautifie this our prayer,
that it may plese god the better,
and delite the eares of our heauenlie
father, with fasting and
holsome abstinence, not onely
from all delicious liuing in voluptuouse
fare, and from all excesses
of meate and drinke, but
also to chastyse and kylle the
synfull lustes of the bodye, to
make it bowe and redy to obey,
vnto the spirituall mocions of
the holye gooste. Let vs also
furnish it with almes dede, and
with the woorkes of mercie and
charite. For praier is good and
acceptable vnto god, when it is
accompanied with almose dedes,
& with the workes of mercy,

as the holy man Thobye sayth.
with the whiche, and vsyng the
vertues afore rehersed, and also
eschewyng dyligently the foresayde
vices, our prayers shalbe
of muche price and value, as
was the prayers of Hely, Danyel,
& Moyses, before our heauenly
father, and that for our
sauiour Iesus Chrystes sake,
whiche hathe redemed vs with
his preciouse bloude, and hathe
signed & sealed vs vp to euerlasting
life. To whom both
now and euer, with his
father and the holy
goost, be glorie
and honour
without
ende.
AMEN.

B.iii.

AS THESE holye prayers and suffrages
folowynge, are sette furthe of
most godly zeale for edifying and stirring
of deuotion of al true faythfull
christen hartes: so it is thought conueniente
in this co~mune prayer of procession to haue it
set furthe and vsed in the vulgar tungue, for
stirringe the people to more deuotion: and it
shalbe euery christen ma~s part, reuerently to
vse the same, to the honour and glory of almighty
god, and the profit of their own soules.
And such among the people, as haue bokes,
and can reade, may reade them quietely
and softly to them selfe, and suche as can not
reade, let them quietly & attentifely gyue audience
in tyme of the said prayers, hauynge
their mindes erect to almighty god, & deuoutly
praying in theyr hartes, the same petitions
which do entre in at their eares, so that with
one sounde of the hart, and one accord, God
may be glorified in his churche.
And it is to be remembred, that that whiche
is printed in blacke letters, is to be sayde
or songe of the priest with an audible voice,
that is to say, so loude and so playnly,
that it maye well be vnderstande
of the hearers: And that
which is in the redde,
it to be answered
of the quiete
sobrely
and deuoutely.
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