judicious eyes, drawn together from the feveral parts of the Nation, cannot but difcern things tending to the common good,and discover all publick inconveniences, and forefee all probable evil accidents, and prevent many mischievous Defigns: So that they may be a very great happiness, as well to the King as the whole Nation,if they act prudently and pioufly, and aim at God's glory,and the publick good; to which purpose, we make this Prayer for them. And as we have great reafon, fo we have good Authority for fo doing. The primitive Chriftians always prayed, that the Emperor might have a faithful Senate.Tertul.Apol.And the Light of nature taught the Gentiles to begin all their grand Confultations with Sacrifices and Prayers, neither did the Senators meet in a prophane place, but in a folemn and Jacred one, where there were Temples of the God's, and that they might have an auspicious beginning they ought at their entrance to offer Sacrifice on the Altar of that Deity in whofe Temple they affembled — or, as Auguftus decreed, they were to fupplicate with Incenfe and Wine, that every Act might be valid, agreeable to the custom of Athens, where the Priests were wont to facrifice in all publick Consultations, and after the Example of the Spartans, whofe Councels were always attended by an Augur. Alex.ab Alexand.gen.dier.l.4.cap. 11.Now it would be an abominable fhame, that we should exprefs lefs fenfe of our dependance on God, and thew a flighter regard toward the common Good than Heathens; wherefore we also in the Seffion of our great Senate, do beg a bleffing on them in that admirable Form, whofe rare and comprehenfive Method is prefented in this Ta ble. The Analysis of the Prayer for the Parliament. §.2.This Prayer containeth four Particulars. For whom we 1. In general for the 2. In fpecial, for it's pray/Reprefentatives in the Parliament. 2. For what we 1. That their Coun 2. And pray. aim at the right Lends. Moft gracious God, we humbly beseech thee as foz this Kingdom in genetal. So especially for the High-Court of Parliament, under our molt religious and gracious King at this time affembled, That thou wouldeft be pleafed to direct and prof per all their Confultations, 2 per 1. God's Co the advancement of glory, good. od's the Glow, 2. The Churches [he good of the Church, 3.The wel-(The safety, honour, and fare of welfare, of our Soveprince & People. Craign,and his Kingdoms, That all things may be 1.Generally for brin-fo ozdered and fettled by ging all things into 3. good Order. Why We thus their endeavours upon 2. For 1. Profpe- J That Peace and Happi- them fo, by the 2. Properties. [Truth and Justice, Beligion and Piety,may 3.And Re-be established among us for all generations, I. These and all other neThings.ceffaries ligion. S 2. Per-for them, for us, and thy fons. whole Church, we humbly beg In the name and media. 2. Concluding them)tion of Jefus Christ our molt blessed Loid and Sa- A A Practical Difcourfe upon the Prayer for the High- S.III.DE gracious God, we humbly beseech thee, The Jews were enjoyned both to feek, and pray for the Peace of that Kingdom wherein they lived as Captives; because in the Peace thereof they should have Peace alfo, Jer.xxix.7. And it appears by innumerable Teftimonies, that the antient Chriftians daily prayed for the welfare of the Roman Empire,though they were miferably perfecuted under it. How much more reason and great Obligations then have we to pray for this Kingdom, in which we were born and brought up, of 3 which we are natural Subjects, and under which we enjoy our Lives and Liberties,our Eftates and our Consciences upon better Terms, and with greater fecurity, than any People in the world? We may think it is a great matter for fo inconfiderrble Persons,as to our quality or number, to intercede for a whole Kingdom,and fo it is; but therefore we ask humbly, and our comfort is, that we address to a most gracious God, who will not eafily deny us, when we ask with a publick Spirit and a large Charity. It is an Argument of a base and narrow Soul to pray only for our own private welfare, and as Iamblichus notes, the publick and private Interest are not diftinct things, for in the common Good of the whole, the peculiar advantage of private perfons is contained: So that it is a prudenter and nobler courfe to Cc 3 with 1 (b) Tam publicè quam privatim utili us est, ut publica magis quam privata cu rentur. Plutarch. with the Profperity of the whole Nation, that many may be happy together, than to defire felicity alone (b); and the Perfians had a Law, That no man which facrificed fhould confine bis Supplications to fuch things as were only good for himself, but that he must pray for good things to the King, and to all the Perfians, because in that number be bimfelf is included,Herodot. 1. 1.How much more are we Chriftians obliged to pray daily for the whole Kingdom in general? but more especially, we must pray for it in times of Parliament, because then there are very weighty affairs in hand, and, as the Writ of Summons intimates, they are called to advife de arduis regni negotiis,viz. to make Laws, redrefs Grievances, to contrive things tending to the publick safety, to raise Levics for making War, or to propofe terms of Peace: Now while these things are in agitation, that are of fo grand Importance to the whole Kingdom, it is fit we 1hould pray moft affectionately for it then: And the devout Chriftian, whofe fervent Prayers do obtain God's bletting on their Counfels, contributes as much to the Common good by his Petitions, as the most eminent Patriot by his advice. We do fuppofe,that they are now affembled under our moft gracious King; for he did convene them by his Authority, they fit by his permiffion, they do nothing without his Approbation, fo that they are,and ought to look upon themselves,as Subjects fill, and under, not equal to their Royal Mafter. And verily when the late long Parliament would be no more under the King, but above him and against him no good Subject could or ought to pray for any thing, but that they might fee their Error and fubmit; but now when we have Loyal Parliaments, who love and honour the King, and do humbly advise, not arrogant ly ly compel him, we can pray heartily and chearfully for them, and in our praying for them, we pray for the whole Kingdom; for if they be bleffed, the whole Nation will flourish: And if we confider that a Loyal Parliament under a good King are the Compendium of the whole Realm, and the Nation representative, it will be a praying for the whole Kingdom at once, to pray for them; for here are prefent, the King, and the Nobility in Perfon, the Clergy by their Bishops and Procurators, the Commons by their Knights and Burgeffes; fo that if we do diftinguifh the Nation from the Parliament in our minds, yet we ought not to feparate them in our Prayers, for they are the Nation virtually: Whereupon it was a Law at Rome; That whenever they prayed for the People, they should pray for C the Senate and Nobility alfo,and that it should not be lawful to name the one without the other (e).And hence we may learn finally, how great intention and holy fervour is requifite for fo noble a Prayer as this is wherein we petition for the King, and all his Subjects at once; let us be ashamed to make fuch a Prayer with a flight or ordinary Devotion. (c) Manfitque diu mos, ut in omnipreca tione quam pro popu lo facerent, pro Sena. tugnoque & Quiriti bus prcaretur, neque fas effet in folenni tero nominare, Al.ab prece alterum fine alAlex.15.cap.27. S.IV. Dat it may please thee to direct and prosper all thetr Confultations to the advancement of thy glozy, the good of thy Church, the lafety, honour, and welfare of our overaign and his kingDoms.] There are two things required to make any Counfel happy, first, that it be directed to a good end by those that give it: fecondly, that it produce as good effects for the benefit of thofe for whom it is given: the first is the fubject Cc 4 |