[The flour of godly praiers] [most worthy to be vsed in these our daies for the sauegard, health, and comforte of all degrees, and estates / newlie made by Thomas Becon].

A Confession of oure sinnes vnto the holye ghooste.

O Moost blessed And ho∣lye spirite, Equall God wyth God the Father, and God the Sonne, I myserable sinner cōfoūded in my consciēce, & almost fallen thorow

the multytude of my synnes, into the hellike pit of desperacyon, am come at thys preasente before thy deuyne maiestye, moste humbly to confesse, and from the boto••e of my hearte to lamente all those my sinnes, and wickednesses whiche from my youthe hytherto I haue vniustly cōmitted, in word, deade, or thoughte against thy goodnes: most entirely besechynge the mer¦cyefullye to forgeue me all those myne offences, and abhominaci∣ons, and to make in me a cleane hearte, endued wyth a newe and ryghte spirite, whiche maye from hencefourth thorowe thy godlye gouernaunce so derecte me in all my doynges, that I may onlye at∣tēpt such enterprises, as be agrea∣ble to thy blessed wyll, profytable to my neyghboure, and pleasaunt to my soule, O lord my God wher thou art, there is lybertye.

But I thorow the craftes of Sa∣tan the lustes of the flesh, and the plesures of the world, am in most miserable captiuity, slauery, bon∣dage and thraldome, wherby I e∣uidently perceiue that thou dwel∣lest not in me, neyther y^e I am thy temple, nor yet haue that ghostlye fredome wherwyth all be endued that haue the dwellyng in them. O Lorde haue mercye on me, and take awaye from me that heauye bondage of the flesh, wherwith I am most gre uously enclo••ed, & ge¦ue me y^t swete & free liberty of the spirite, which bithe is wrought in the hartes of the faithfull, that I being deliuered from y^e power of mine enemies mai serue y^e in holi¦nes and righteousnes al the dais of my life: again that thou makīg me a new creature by mortifying old Adam in me, and by geuīg me a good spirite, mayeste delyght in

me as a father in hys sonne, and continually dwell in me as in thy holy temple. O blessed spirite for∣giue me my synnes, puryfye my mynde wyth thy holy inspiracion, comfort my weake hert w^t thy ioi∣ful presence, make mery my trou∣bled cōcience with true & spiritual myrth, lede me, which haue so lōg erred into all godlye truthe, geue me the knowledge of al heauenly and spiritual things, euē so much as is necessary for my saluacyon, put on me the shield of faithe, that I maye be able to quenche the fy∣rye dartes of the deuyl, kyndle my hart with the fire of Christē loue, make me a frutful oliue tre in the congregaciō of the my Lord God geue me pacience in trybulation, take away from me vayne glorye in prosperytie, engraf in my heart continual humilitie, make be bold to confesse the truthe of thy Gos∣pell

before the tyrauntes of thys worlde, and gyue me grace to per∣seuer in y^e same, vnto the end. Re∣plenysh my brest with thy heauen∣lye gyfts and spirituall treasures that the deuyll, the worlde, & the flesh, wyth al their worckes, pom∣pes and vanities from me vtterli secluded and put a part, thou mai∣est continuallye dwelle in me by thy godlye inspiracio ns. and I in the thorowe true and vndoubted faith, doing that alway, y^t is good & plesant in thy sight vnto the glo¦ry of thi blessed name, which liuest & reignest with god the father and God the sonne in one Maiestye, power and glory, very god worlds wythout ende. Amen.

Notes

• Iohn. xiiii xv, •• xvi. i. Iohn. v
• Psal. ii.
• ii. Cor. iii.
• Luke. i.
• Iohn. xvi.
• Ephe. vi.
• Psal. iii.