dy made ample Provifions, if they were not facrilegioufly alienated). Here we pray, that our Magiftrates may fecure the Churches Revenues, and punish all facrilegious attempts, that fo Religion may be defended and profperous from age to age: And both thefe muft go together in every State; for Justice and Eruth fall or stand together: Religion cannot fail, but it will be the ruine of Laws, and (it is to be feared) of Government also. Wherefore the Lord put his Grace into all their hearts, who are chofen into places of Truft and Authority, that they may promote Justice, and favour Religion, making both the Church and the State to flourish: And when we confider, how full of comfort and honour fuch Adminiftrations will be to the Magiftrates themfelves, how much they will tend to the fuppreffing of Evil, and the quiet of Good men, and finally how furely they will bring Peace and Happiness, and Gods bleffing upon the whole Nation, certainly it will caufe both the Magiftrates and People, both the Governours and the governed all to fubjoyn to this Petition alfo moft heartily their We beseech thee,

&c.

F.XI. That if my please thee to blefs and keep all thy People: We beseech thee,&c,

There must be in every Society of men fome Superiors to govern, and others inferior to be governed, and fo there is in this Nation: The higher we prayed for before, and now we pray alfo for the laft and lowest of the three Eftates, viz. all the Commons of this Land who are the most numerous, though the least eminent, and unless they be fafe and happy, the Governors themfelves cannot be efteemed profperous, Prov.xiv.28. for the diseases of the feet and hands are a trouble to the head alfo, The Petition is taken out of David's Pfalms,

who

(1) Καὶ πάντα To Mars, MVHτι λακ σε, μνήθηTxUp Euchol.

who both commands us to pray for the people of God, Pfal.cxxii.6. and hath a like form unto this,Pfal.xxviii. Io. from whence also the Liturgy of St.Bafil prays,that the Lord would remember all his people (i). As the Jews of old were Gods peculiar People, fo are the Chriftians now, and fince we in this Kingdom do all profess the Faith of God, we are properly called His People, and we call him our God, and fo may hope, That he will both blefs and keep us. The prayer which David makes for Jerufalem is, that she may have Peace and Plenty,Pfal.cxxii.7. and the fame we make for our own Country, that God would keep it in Peace, and bless it with Plenty, that he will blefs it with all Good things, and keep it from all Evil things, and we also have the fame Motive, which holy David had, ibid.ver. 8. For my Brethren and Companions fake I will wish thee profperity, faith he, Yea, because of the house of the Lord our God,&c. That is, we are bound to wish well to, and pray heartily for, this Nation, as the place of our Birth and Habitation, the feat of our Kindred and Friends, the Sanctuary of our Religion, by whofe Laws we are governed, of whofe Profperity we are partakers, and in it's Calamities we, and ours muft fuffer: So that if we have any Love to our Country, any kindness to our Friends, or any Zeal for our Religion, if we have either fo much Charity to defire the publick good, or fo much Prudence to apprehend how much our private welfare depends upon it, we shall moft devoutly make this excellent Request. The Weftern Litanies do extend this Petition fomewhat farther, even unto all Chriftian People (k); and though the Method and Coherence

(k) Ut cunétum populum Christianum Freciofo fanguine tug redemptum confervare digneris; Te roga mus, &c. Miffal.

with the former Petition incline us to interpret this of ours of the People of this Nation, yet the Words in themselves are fo general, that we may well enough apply them as a Supplication for all Gods People in any part of the World. For the whole Church of Chrift maketh up but one body, and therefore every Member of the fame is concerned to pray for all the reft, That God would blefs all Chriftians by making them flourish in Piety and Profperity, and keep them from Sin and from Apoftacy, that he would bless those parts of his Church, that are under Chriftian Princes, and keep those which are under the Tyranny of Turks and Heathens: And if we take it in this Senfe, it is a proper Introduction to the next Requeft; This defiring the good of all that are Christians, and as they are Members of the Church: The next the univerfal Peace of Mankind, as they belong to Civil Societies. Neither of the two Interpretations, but are very good and fuch, which the Charity of every pious man will move him to fign with a devout We befeech thee, &c.

S.XII. Dat it may please thee to give unto all pations Unity, Peace and Concozd:] We be

feech thee,&c.

Though we may be allowed to give the Precedence to those of our own Nation,and thofe of Chriftian Profeffion, yet our Prayers must comprehend all Mankind, according to the Pattern which the antient Greek Offices have fet us, which befeechGod,That all the World may have Peace and Concord (1): Nor is there any Petition, which better befits a Chriftians mouth than Peace; for we are Servants of Je

(1) Tas; ms eiρης το σύμπαν κόσμο καὶ τῆς τῶν Kávov iváσras Lit. S.Chryf.& S.Bafil. Ut totus mundus pace fruatur. Lit.S.Jac.

fus,

(m) Suet.in Octavi

Sect.22.

redeunt Satur

nia regna

-toto furget Gens aurea mundo. Ec

log.4.

fus, who is the Prince of Peace, and came to make Peace on Earth, who came into the world at a time when all Nations were at quiet, the reftlefs Romans had shut up the Temple of Janus, and enjoyed/ a perfect Peace, fo that Virgil fan cied the Golden age was then returning (m). Our Lord is the great. Peace-maker,and therefore we cannot please him better than to pray to him for it, of whom it was prophefied, That be should judge among the Pations, and caufe them to beat their Swords inte Plow-fhares, and their spears into pruning books, so that Nation should not rife up against Nation, neither should they learn War any more, Ifai.ii.4. for the compleat accomplishment of this prediction we pray here, and that with respect to Heathens as well as to Christians,for our Apoftle tells us, God hath made of one blood all ations, that dwell on the face of the Earth, Acts xvii. 26. And the Philosophers fay all Mankind is of kin (n),fprung from the fame Parents, made of the fame matter, and brought up in the fame House, and why then should they fall out, fince they are Brethren, Gen.xiii.8? We therefore pray for the Peace of all Nations,yea and that in as comprehenfive words, as can be devised, 1. That they may have unity at home among themselves. 2. That they may have Peace with one another, and not only fo,but 3. Concon alfo, that is, Amity and Commerce, Leagues and Confederations. First, we pray all Kingdoms and Countries may have nity within themselves, that no Factions

(1) Η συγγένια avega pos wär ἀνθρώπε πρὸς πᾶν åvegówgov går☺. Marc. Anton. 1.12.

26.

Omnes homines velut jure quodam Germani

tatis connexi ab uno patre conditi, ab und matre, tanquam fratres uterini editi. Sa

Ambrof, de Abrah. 1. 2. c.6.

(0) Que domus tam ftabilis.que tam firma

Civitas, que non ediis

atque difidis, fundi

tus poffit everti.Cic.

Factions nor divided Interefts, no Rebellion nor Civil War,may hinder their domeftick happiness: For a Nation may be ruined by internal diffentions,though it had Peace with all the World befide, it being our Saviours own affertion,That a house or Kingdom divided against it felf is brought to defolation, Mat.xii. 25.0). And though Sparta was unwalled, yet Agefilaus was wont to fay, It had the strongest Walls of any City in the World, viz. The unis ty of the Citizens. Secondly, we pray,that all Nations may have Peace with one another, that there might be no Battles,nor Murders, Invafions nor Depopulations, nor any kind of War; but Thirdly, That all Quarrels might be taken up, and all Kingdoms become Confederates, and oblige one another by all freedoms of Traffick and Convenience imaginable: And if this Requeft could prevail,it would not only conduce to the good of our own Country, but of all the whole World, for this would encourageTrade by Land and Sea, when Men might travail fafely, and none affright or difturb them, this would beget Love and Familiarity among the most diftant Nations, it would make the Crowns of Princes fit eafy, and fill their Coffers as well as their Subjects purfes, it would give us all the Commodities of the known, and bring us acquainted with the yet unknown World; finally,it would cause univerfal Plenty,and tend to the general propagation of Christianity and the Converfion of the whole World. But fome will fay fo long as Sathan and Evil men continue to fow the Seeds of Difcord, this is a happiness not to be expected, yea it is thought too great a Felicity to be wifhed for on Earth: Yet because nothing is impoffible to God, we may and ought fure to beg it of him; we are not likely to make fuch univerfal Leagues

Our