authority under him; for that you shall so shew your obedience, it is the will of God. God will that you be in subjection to your head and king. This is God's ordinance, God's commandment, and God's holy will, that the whole body of every realm, and all the members and parts of the same, shall be subject to their head, their king, and that, (as St. Peter writeth) For the Lord's sake; and (as St. Paul writeth), For conscience sake, and not for fear only (1 Pet. ii. 13; Rom. xiii. 5).

Thus we learn by the word of God to yield to our king that is due to our king; that is, honour, obedience, payments of due taxes, customs, tributes, subsidies, love, and fear (Matt. xxii. 21; Rom. xiii. 7). Thus we know partly our bounden duties to common authority, now let us learn to accomplish the same. And let us most instantly and heartily pray to God, the only author of all authority, for all them that be in authority, according as St. Paul willeth, writing thus to Timothy in his first epistle, I exhort therefore, that above all things, prayers, supplications, intercessions, and giving of thanks be done for all men; for kings, and for all that be in authority; that we may live a quiet and a peaceable life, with_all godliness and honesty; for that is good and accepted or allowable in the sight of God our Saviour (1 Tim. ii. 1-3). Here St. Paul maketh an earnest and especial exhortation, concerning giving of thanks, and prayer for kings and rulers, saying, Above all things, as he might say, in any wise principally and chiefly, let prayer be made for kings. Let us heartily thank God for his great and excellent benefit and providence concerning the state of kings. Let us pray for them, that they may have God's favour and God's protection. Let us pray that they may ever in all things have God before their eyes. Let us pray that they may have wisdom, strength, justice, clemency, and zeal to God's glory, to God's verity, to Christian souls, and to the commonwealth. Let us pray that they may rightly use their sword and authority, for the maintenance and defence of the catholic faith contained in Holy Scripture, and of their good and honest subjects, for the fear and punishment of the evil and vicious people. Let us pray that they may most faithfully follow the most faithful kings and captains in the Bible, David, Hezekiah, Josiah, and Moses, with such other. And let us pray

So we

for ourselves, that we may live godlily in holy and Christian conversation: so shall we have God on our side, and then let us not fear what man can do against us: shall live in true obedience, both to our most merciful King in heaven, and to our most Christian king in earth: so shall we please God, and have the exceeding benefit, peace of conscience, rest and quietness here in this world, and after this life we shall enjoy a better life, rest, peace, and the everlasting bliss of heaven; which he grant us all, that was obedient for us all, even to the death of the cross, Jesus Christ: To whom, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, both now and ever. Amen.

AN HOMILY OR SERMON CONCERNING PRAYER,

THERE is nothing in all man's life (well-beloved in our Saviour Christ) so needful to be spoken of, and daily to be called upon, as hearty, zealous, and devout prayer, the necessity whereof is so great, that without it nothing may be well obtained at God's hand. For as the apostle James saith, Every good and perfect gift cometh from above, and proceedeth from the Father of lights (James i. 17); who is also said to be rich and liberal towards all them that call upon him, not because he either will not or cannot give without asking, but because he hath appointed prayer as an ordinary means between him and us (Rom. x. 12). There is no doubt but he always knoweth what we have need of, and is always most ready to give abundance of those things that we lack (Matt. vi. 32).

Yet to the intent we might acknowledge him to be the giver of all good things, and behave ourselves thankfully towards him in that behalf, loving, fearing, and worshipping him sincerely and truly, as we ought to do, he hath profitably and wisely ordained, that in time of necessity we should humble ourselves in his sight, pour out the secrets of our heart before him, and crave help at his hands, with continual, earnest, and devout prayer. By the mouth of his holy prophet David, he saith on this wise, Call upon me in the days of thy trouble, and I will deliver thee (Psal. 1. 15). Likewise in the gospel, by the mouth of his well-beloved Son Christ, he saith, Ask, and it shall be given you; knock, and it shall be opened: for whosoever asketh, receiveth; whosoever seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened (Matt. vii. 7, 8). St. Paul also, most agreeably consenting hereunto, willeth men to pray every where, and to continue therein with thanksgiving (1 Tim. ii. 8; Phil. iv. 6; Col. iv. 2). Neither doth the blessed apostle St. James in this point any thing dissent, but earnestly exhorting all men to diligent prayer, saith, If any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God, which giveth liberally to all men, and reproacheth no man (James i. 5). Also in another place,

Pray one for another, saith he, that ye may be healed: for the righteous man's prayer availeth much, if it be fervent (James v. 16). What other thing are we taught by these and such other places, but only this, that Almighty God, notwithstanding his heavenly wisdom and foreknowledge, will be prayed unto, that he will be called upon, that he will have us no less willing on our part to ask, than he on his part is willing to give? Therefore most fond and foolish is the opinion and reason of those men, which therefore think all prayer to be superfluous and vain, because God searcheth the heart and the reins, and knoweth the meaning of the Spirit before we ask (Rom. viii. 27). For if this fleshly and carnal reason were sufficient to disannul prayer, then why did our Saviour Christ so often cry to his disciples, Watch and pray ([Mark xiv. 38]; Luke xxi. 36)? Why did he prescribe them a form of prayer, saying, When ye pray, pray after this sort: Our Father, which art in heaven, &c. (Matt. vi. 9-13)? Why did he pray so often and so earnestly himself before his passion? Finally, why did the apostles, immediately after his ascension, gather themselves together into one several place, and there continue a long time in prayer (Acts i. 14)? Either they must condemn Christ and his apostles of extreme folly, or else they must needs grant, that prayer is a thing most necessary for all men, at all times, and in all places. Sure it is, that there is nothing more expedient or needful for mankind, in all the world than prayer. Pray always, saith St. Paul, with all manner of prayer and supplication, and watch thereto with all diligence (Ephes. vi. 18). Also in another place, he willeth us to pray continually, without any intermission or ceasing; meaning thereby that we ought never to slack or faint in prayer, but to continue therein to our lives' end (1 Thess. v. 17). A number of other such places might here be alleged of like effect, I mean, to declare the great necessity and use of prayer: but what need many proofs in a plain matter? seeing there is no man so ignorant but he knoweth, no man so blind but he seeth, that prayer is a thing most needful in all estates and degrees of men, For only by the help hereof, we attain to those heavenly and everlasting treasures, which God our heavenly Father hath reserved and laid up for his children, in his dear and well-beloved Son Jesus Christ,

with this covenant and promise most assuredly confirmed and sealed unto us, that if we ask, we shall receive ([John xiv. 13, 14]; John xvi. 23-27).

Now the great necessity of prayer being sufficiently; known, that our minds and hearts may be the more provoked and stirred thereunto, let us briefly consider what wonderful strength and power it hath to bring strange and mighty things to pass. We read in the book of Exodus, that Joshua, fighting against the Amalekites, did conquer and overcome them, not so much by virtue of his own strength, as by the earnest and continual prayer of Moses, who as long as he held up his hands to God, so long did Israel prevail; but when he fainted, and let his hands down, then did Amalek and his people prevail: insomuch that Aaron and Hur, being in the mount with him, were fain to stay up his hands until the going down of the sun, otherwise had the people of God that day been utterly discomfited, and put to flight (Exod. xvii. 11, 12). Also we read in another place of Joshua himself, how he at the besieging of Gibeon, making his humble petition to Almighty God, caused the sun and the moon to stay their course, and to stand still in the midst of heaven for the space of a whole day, until such time as the people were sufficiently avenged upon their enemies (Joshua x. 12-14). And was not Jehoshaphat's prayer of great force and strength, when God at his request caused his enemies to fall out among themselves, and wilfully to destroy one another (2 Chron. xx. 18-23). Who can marvel enough at the effect and virtue of Elijah's prayer? He, being a man subject to afflictions as we are, prayed to the Lord that it might not rain, and there fell no rain upon the earth for the space of three years and six months. Again, he prayed that it might rain, and there fell great plenty, so that the earth brought forth her increase most abundantly ([1 Kings xvii. 1]; xviii. 42-45; James v. 17, 18).

It were too long to tell of Judith, Esther, Susannah, and of divers other godly men and women, how greatly they prevailed in all their doings, by giving their minds. earnestly and devoutly to prayer. Let it be sufficient at this time to conclude with the sayings of Augustine and Chrysostom, whereof the one calleth prayer "the key of heaven;" the other plainly affirmeth, "that there is nothing