The chronicle and institution of the Order of the seraphicall father S. Francis conteyning his life, his death, and his miracles, and of all his holie disciples and companions / set foorth first in the Portugall, next in the Spanish, then in the Italian, lastlie in the French, and now in the English tongue.

Of the prayer and thanckes giuing to God which S. Francis made after the confirmation of his rule.

THE CX. CHAPTER.

MOst mighty, most high, most holy, and soueraigne God holy Father and iust Lord, king of heauen and earth, we thanck thee for the loue of thy selfe, because that by thy will, and by thy only Sonne with the holy Ghost, thou hast created all thinges corporall and incorporall: then diddest frame vs according to thine image, and placed vs in the terrestriall Paradice, whence through our fault we are fallen. We also thancke thee for that, as thou hast created vs for thy Sonne, so for the infinite loue which thou diddest beare vnto vs thou hast procured him to be borne in this world, true God and true man, of the wombe of the euer glorious virgin Mary, and wouldest that his life should be vnto vs an example of pouerty, humility, and penitence: and that his precious bloud▪ his tormentes, and most cruell death, should be the price of the Redemption of humaine nature. Fi∣nally we thanck thee for that thy Sonne is once againe to come dow∣ne on earth, in glory and maiesty, to chase the accursed into hell, who would not repent nor acknowledge thee for Redeemer; and to say to them that shall haue serued and adored him, and done pennance: Come ye blessed of my Father, possesse the kingdome, which is pre∣pared for you from the beginning of the world. But because we mi∣serable sinners are not worthy so much as to name thee, we humblie beseech thee to accept, that our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST thine only beloued Sonne, with the holy Ghost the true comforter, doe yeld vnto thee for each of vs the thanckes we owe thee, according to thy pleasure, and that he satisfy thee for all the graces thou giuest vs by his meane and shalt giue vs, prouided that we faile not in our endeauour, such and so great as no humane tongue shalbe able to expresse. We also pray the blessed Virgin, S. Michael, S. Gabriel, S. Raphael, and all the quiers of blessed Spirittes, Seraphins, Cheru∣bins, Thrones, Dominations, Principalities, Pouers, Vertues, Ar∣changels, and Angels, the blessed Elias and Noe, and all the Pa∣triarckes and Prophetes, S. Iohn Baptist, and all the holy Inno∣centes, S. Peter, and S. Paul, withall the other Apostles and Euangelistes, Disciples, Martyrs, Confessors, Virgins, and all the sainctes that haue bin, are, and shalbe, that with the good pleasure of thy diuine Maiesty, they giue thee thanckes

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for so many fauours as it hath pleased thee to afford vs, to thee that art soueraine, true, eternall and liuing, and to thy most glorious Sonne, our Lord IESVS CHRIST, and to the holy Ghost the com∣forter, world without end. Amen. Al••etuya. We Frere Minors vnprofi∣table seruantes, demaund of thee and most humbly beseech thy diuine Maiestie, to graunt vnto all them that will serue thee in thy holie Catho∣licke, Apostolique & Romane church, and to all Orders of the said holy Church, Preistes, Deacons, Subdeacons, Acolites, Exorci••tes, Lectors, Por∣ters, and to all the Cleargie, to all Religious of both sex, and to al Kinges, Princes, Lords, and seruants, Artizans, and labourers, to all Virgines, wi∣dowes and maryed women, and to all lay men and women, healthy and diseased, children, yong and old▪ to all people, families, & tongues, to all nations; and all the men of the whole earth, that are, and shalbe, the grace of true pennance in this life and so perseuerance in the true faith, with∣out which no man can be saued; and we beseech thee to graunt vs grace together with thē, to loue thee withall our hart, withal our spiritt, with all our forces, withall our vnderstanding, and withall our affections, de∣sires and interious willes, sith thou alone hast giuen vs, soule, body, and life, creating and redeeming vs by thine only mercie: thou hast saued vs, and hast giuen vs miserable, rotten and putrified, ingratefull and igno∣rāt, lowed and rebellious wretches, & dayly doest giue vs infinite bene∣fittes. Permitt then, good God, that we neuer desire nor seeke other thinge, and that no other thing seeme good vnto vs, or delight vs, but they selfe our Creatour, Sauiour and Redeemer, only true God▪ that art the perfect good, all true and soueraine good, that only is good and pitifull, meeke and delightfull, that only is holy, iust, true, and vpright of whome, for whome, and in whome, consisteth all our pardon, all the grace and glory of all penitentes, of all the iust, and of all the bles∣sed that raigne in heauen. Permitt, also Lord, that nothing preuaile and hinder vs, but that in euery place, in all time, att all houres, & con∣tinually we loue thee, in verity, and humility, and that we hold thee im∣printed in our hart, as our true God▪ And graunt, if thou please, that we loue thee, honour, adore, serue, prayse, glorifie, and preach thee for great and glorious, and that we thank thee, thou that art most high and God, three and one, Fa••her, Sonne, and holy Ghost, Creatour of althinges, and Sauiour of all them that beleeue in thee, and haue placed in thee their only hope and loue, who art without beginning and without end immutable, inuisible, inenarrable, ineffable, incomprehensible, inscruta∣ble, blessed, praysed, glorious, glorified, high, amiable, agreable, delecta∣ble, and aboue all thinges desirable world without end. Amen.