[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 thankesgeuynge vnto God, that he hathe brought vs out of the darke∣nesse of mens tradicions▪ into the glo∣ryous lyghte of his holy gospell.

O Lorde GOD and oure hea∣uenlie father,* 1.1 thou by thy ho∣lye Prophete declareste that

thy people were ledde captyue be∣cause thei had no knowledge nor vnderstandynge in thy blessed word. No maruel, for as thy dear∣ly beloued sonne sayethe, he that walketh in y^e darcknes,* 1.2 knoweth not whither he goeth. Yea,* 1.3 vaine ar al they in whom the knowlege of y^t oure lord god is not.* 1.4 For this is euerlasting life, euen to knowe the to be the true God, and whō thou hast sent, Iesu Christ.* 1.5 Whē y^• preaching of thy word faileth, y^e people perysh and go to hauocke. For man liueth not with bread a∣lone,* 1.6 but wyth euerye worde that commeth out of thy mouth,* 1.7 wher no knowlege of y^e & of thi blessed worde is, there is no goodnes for the soule. Yea there doth y^e soule pine awaye, as the body for wāte of corporall foode,* 1.8 and is moued and led away wyth euerye winde of doctrine, be it true or false.* 1.9 Ne∣ther

is it to be wōdred at. For the ignoraunt and vntaughte bylde not theyr faythe vppon the rocke, that is, vpon thy sōne Christ, and vpon hys holye Gospel, agaynste the whych the verye gates of hell canne not preuail,* 1.10 nether can the raging flouds,* 1.11 nor the boistrous windes moue them that so bilde, but vppon the sands, therfore are they throwne downe wyth euery blast, and myserably ledde whych waye their teachers luste. Thys was euidently perceiued in vs (o blessed father) whyche so manye yeares for want of knowledge of thi blessed word wer to much wre¦chedlyled captyue of Satan and of his ministers, whiche chaūged them selfes into angels of lyght, when in dede they wer the bond slaues of Antichriste, & beleued & did whatsoeuer thei commanded vs to beleue or to do.* 1.12 The man of

synne that son of perdicion, so sat in our consciences, that we fered him more then the our Lord god. His trifling tradiciōs, his croked cōstitucions, & diuelishe decrees,* 1.13 wer more earnestli regarded bele¦ued & obeyed thē thy blessed word wherof we wer altogether igno∣rāt. His ceremonies, we thought to be thi seruice. His dreames we estemed true godlines. We wor∣shypped the not after thy worde, but after Antichristes tradyciōs. As for thy holy Gospell, we knew no parte of it a ryghte. Yea Anti∣christ and hys impes condemned thy holy Byble for heresy, & brent it as most abhomynable doctrine vnto the greate grife of al godly personnes. Many other notable workes also cōpiled by thy fayth∣full seruauntes for the auaunce∣ment of thy glorye and for bryng∣yng of the simple people vnto the

knowledge of thy truth, they cru∣••llye burnte and destroyed after the exāples of the wycked kyngs, Ioachim and Antiochus.* 1.14 And as for the authors of thē, some those bloudy Edomits brent,* 1.15 some thei murthered preuely some thei em¦prisoned, flocked, cheyned & putte to shame, al, euen so mani as thei could get, they cruelly and moost tirantlike entreated after the exā¦ple of their predecessors the high priests of Iewry,* 1.16 which sought al meanes possible both wyth tyra∣ny and brybes, to kepe downe thy sonne Christe and hys gloryous gospel, y^t thei alone might reygn: O most gētle god, whē these belly¦••d hipocrites & chaplens of Baal, had brent thy holye Bible, so y^t we the simple people might not read the word of oure soule healthe, in our owne mother tonge, agayne whē these false annointed shaue¦linges

had killed & put to flyghte thy true ministers and godly pre∣chers,* 1.17 thē made they vs to beleue as they woulde, to walke, to do, to speke as they lusted, to honoure & worshippe the,* 1.18 not after thy holye law, but after the tradycions and doctrins of men, to do works not commaunded of the, but suche as their idle braines fāsied wythout authority of thy worde. O Lorde thou longe sufferynge God, with how greate blyndenesse were we ouerwhelmed of these antichristi¦an monstures when they taught to run a Pilgrimage to thys and that Idol, to paynt thys taberna∣cle, and to gyld that Maumet, to pray to this he Saint and to that she Sainte, to bie other mennes merites, and to seke saluacion in them, to put our truste in water, salte, breade, palmes, ashes, wax, oile, creme, bels, pardons, rotten

reliques & such other peltīg pedla¦rye, to beleue that our souls after this present life shuld be boiled & perboiled in antichristes fornace, ther to lie piteously yellīg, puling & crying til they were redemed w^t Diriges, Masses, trētals, ladyes Psalters▪ &c. to beleue y^t our sins could not be forgeuen tyl we had whyspered oure synnes into the Priests eare, and to receiue abso∣lucion at his hand: to beleue that after the wordes of cōsecracion, as they cal them, ther remain no more breade nor nomore wine in the sacrament of Christes bodye and bloude, but that the breade is changed into the natural flesh of thy deare sonne Christ Iesu, and the wyne into his moste precious bloude,* 1.19 that was shedde for oure sins vpon the aulter of the crosse when notwithstandinge the Pa∣pistes them selfs do many tymes

keepe the breade so longe, that it both mouldeth, stynketh and bre∣deth ful of worms, and afterward they burne it accordynge to theyr owne law. Ah Lord, thus wer we to much wretchedly mocked and led captiue of antichriste and hys disciples. The darknesses wherin we walked wer so gret, that they mighte be felte.* 1.20 But thanckes be vnto the (o most merciful father) which haste called vs oute of the darcknes of mennes tradycyons into the glorious light of thy gos∣pell. We haue nowe learned, that Antichriste and his mēbers haue longe deceyued vs, & taughte vs theyr owne drowesye dreames in stede of thi blessed word. We now know, that thou requireste not of vs, that we shuld runne gadding to stocks and stones,* 1.21 but that we shuld visit suche as are sicke and in prysonne and comfort thē. We

nowe knowe, that thy wyll is not that we shuld paynt tabernacles and gyld ymages, but rather that we shuld cloth the pore and helpe the nedi.* 1.22 We now know that it is vaine to pray to this or to y^e saynt seyng they nether here vs nor yet canne helpe vs. We haue lerned of thy blessed word,* 1.23 that Christ the son is our alone intercessour me∣diatour and aduocate. We nowe knowe,* 1.24 y^t no saluacion is to be lo∣ked for in any ceremonys, but on∣ly in thy great mercies set forthe frely to al penitente sinners tho∣row faith in Christs bloude. We now know that, Christes bloude is the alone Purgatorye of oure soules,* 1.25 whiche purgeth & maketh vs clene from all sinne. We now know, that whē soeuer we repent confesse our sinnes vnto the, and beleue to haue remission of al our synnes,* 1.26 thorow Christes bloude,

we shall surely be forgeuen. Yet despise we not but rather hertely de••yre the counsell of godlye and learned preachers,* 1.27 whiche with y^e comfortable words of the gospel may raise vp, strengthen and con∣firme our weke cōscience against Satan, sinne, death, hel and des∣peracion. We now knowe that y^e Masse mongers haue without al shame lyed vnto vs, when they taught vs to beleue, that y^e Mas, which they mumbled, was a pro∣piciatorye sacrifice, & of as greate vertue, strengthe & power, as the gloryous passion of our sauioure Iesu Christe, and that it was ne∣cessarye bothe for the quycke and dead. Ad salutem. We nowe knowe also, that y^e sacrament of Christs bodye and bloude is not the very selfe real and naturall bodye and bloude of Christe, but an holye signe,* 1.28 figure and tokē of his bles∣sed

bodye and precyouse bloude. For thys worde sacramente is as muche to say as a signe of an ho∣lye thynge. Nowe that whyche is the signe of a thyng, cānot be the thynge it selfe. And thoughe thy sonne called the bread hys bodie, and the wine his bloude, because the disciples should the better re∣mēber the breaking of hys bodye and the sheddynge of hys bloude (as he likewise called him selfe a vine a dore,* 1.29 a rock, whē not with standing he was nether naturall vine,* 1.30 * 1.31 material dore or stony rock, but onlye lykened vnto them for certain properties, which he hath with the vine, dore▪ and rocke) yet is neyther the bread hys naturall bodye, nor the wyne hys naturall bloud, as diuers of the aunciente Doctours doe declare and proue but onelye a fygure of hys bodye and bloude.* 1.32 The breade is called

Christes body, because it visibly•• preacheth & bryngeth to oure re∣mēbrance the brekīg of Christes bodye. The wyne also is called Christes bloud, because it putteth vs in remēbrance of the sheddīg of Christes bloude. Of such phra∣ses and manners of speakynge thy holye scriptures are full. But as in many other thyngs so lyke∣wise ī this blessed sacramēt haue the Papistes for the mayntenāce of their Idle and beastli life most foulye deceyued vs, makynge vs to worshyppe a wafer cake and a sponeful of wyne myngled wyth water, in stead of our sauiour Ie¦su Christe God and manne. And thys Idolatrus erroure is yet so rustered and cākered in y^e hertes of many bothe learned & vnlear∣ned (whose myndes,* 1.33 iudgements senses and wyts the God of thys world, euē the deuil, hath blinded)

that the light of y^e glorius gospell of christ shuld not shine vnto thē, y^t they cast away thys doctryne as heresye, & go forth stil of an obsty∣nate and froward minde to wor∣shyp y^e bread & wine as god, & con¦dēne al other for heretikes, why∣che hold y^e contrarie. O lord, these bread christians may wel be resē∣bled to the men of Babilō, which would not be perswaded by anye meanes but that Bell & the great Dragon, whō they dayly worship¦ped and offred vnto,* 1.34 were liuyng godds, and therefore sought they al meanes possible to destroy both Daniel and the king, because thei taughte the contrarye, and braste tho••e Idols, geuing commande∣ment that the liuyng God alone, which thou art, shuld be honored & worshipped of al nacions in the worlde. But we, O Lord, to whō thou haste reueled the misteris of

thy godlye truthe; and delyuered out of the kyngedome of darcke∣nesse, confes our selfs to be great lye bounden vnto the for thy mer¦cyful benefyte. We therefore be∣seche the to gyue vs grace, so to walk in this glorious light of thy holye Gospel, as it becommeth y^e chyldren of light in al goodnesse,* 1.35 ryghteousnesse and truth. Thou haste deliuered vs from stinking Sodome, suffer vs no more to loke backe toward it.* 1.36 Thou hast brought vs home againe frō Ba∣bylō, y^• land of bondage, vnto the newe Ierusalē. Grant y^t we beīg delyuered oute of the handes of our enemis may serue the in holi¦nes & righteousnes al the dais of our lyfe.* 1.37 * 1.38 We haue sene Christ thy sonne and oure kynge, suffer vs no more to returne vnto wycked Kyng Herode.* 1.39 We haue put oure hande to the ploughe, grante that

we neuer loke backe agayne, but perseuer contynew & go forward vnto the end. Let it be neuer say¦ed to vs, as thy sonne sayde vnto the Iewes:* 1.40 the kyngdom of God shal be taken frō you, & shalbe ge∣uen to a people, which shal bringe forthe the fruites of it. Make vs fruteful fig trees. Giue vs grace, to be ryche and plenteouse in all good workes, As we confesse the with oure words: so let vs expres the w^t our workes. As we fauour and loue thy Gospell, so lette vs folowe and loue thy gospel. For that seruant whiche knowe∣eth hys masters wyll and doeth it not, shalbe beatē w^t mani stripes. If after we haue escaped frō the filthynesse of the worlde thorowe the knowledge of the,* 1.41 and of our sauiour Iesu Christ, we are tan∣gled again therin and ouercome,* 1.42 then is the latter ende worse w^t

vs then the beginning. For it had ben better for vs not to haue kno¦wen the wai of righteousnes, thē after we haue knowē it, to turne from the holy cōmaundement ge¦uē vnto vs. So might it be sayde of vs accordynge to the true pro∣uerbe.* 1.43 The dog is turned to hys ••omit agayne,* 1.44 and the sowe that was washed, to her walowīg in y^e myre. Graunte therfore we moste humbly pray the, that accordynge to oure knowledge we may leade an honest conuersaciō among all menne,* 1.45 that they which backbyte vs as euyll doers, maye see oure good worckes, and glorifie the our heauenly father in the day of visitacion. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esaye. v.
• * 1.2

  Ihon. xii.
• * 1.3

  Sapi. xiii.
• * 1.4

  Iohn. xvii.
• * 1.5

  Prou. xxix.
• * 1.6

  Math. iiii.
• * 1.7

  Proue. xix.
• * 1.8

  Hebru xiii.
• * 1.9

  Math. vii▪ xvii.
• * 1.10

  Math. vii.
• * 1.11

  Luke. vi.
• * 1.12

  ••. Cori. xi.
• * 1.13

  ii. 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.14

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. xxxvi.
• * 1.15

  i. ••ath. i.
• * 1.16

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••xvii.
• * 1.17

  mat. xxiiii.
• * 1.18

  Math. xv.
• * 1.19

  ☞
• * 1.20

  i. Pet••r. i,
• * 1.21

  Math. xx••.
• * 1.22

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 lviii.
• * 1.23

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••iii. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vii.
• * 1.24

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 ii.
• * 1.25

  •• Iohn. i.
• * 1.26

  Iohn. i. Ephe i. Collos. i.
• * 1.27

  ☞
• * 1.28

  Note.
• * 1.29

  Iohn. xv.
• * 1.30

  Iohn. ••.
• * 1.31

  Math. vii. ••nd .xvii.
• * 1.32

  ☞
• * 1.33

  ii. Cor. i••ii.
• * 1.34

  Dan. x••iii.
• * 1.35

  Ephe. v.
• * 1.36

  Gene. xi.
• * 1.37

  Luke. i.
• * 1.38

  Mathe. ii.
• * 1.39

  Luke. ix.
• * 1.40

  Math. xxi.
• * 1.41

  Luke. xii.
• * 1.42

  ••ii. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ii.
• * 1.43

  Pro. xxvi.
• * 1.44

  Pr••. ••xvi.
• * 1.45

  i. Peter. ii.