A notable sermon concerninge the ryght vse of the lordes supper and other thynges very profitable for all men to knowe preached before the Kynges most excellent Mayestye and hys most honorable counsel in hys courte at Westmynster the 14. daye of Marche, by Mayster Iohn ponet Doctor of dyuinity. 1550.

A prayer agaynst the pope and Turkes, whiche be the mortall enemies of Christ, hys word, and hys churche.

HEuenly father, full well haue we deser∣ued, to be corrected of the. But correcte vs Lorde thy selfe accordinge to thy mercy, and not after thy

fury.* 1.1 It is better for vs to geue oure selues into the cor∣rection of thy handes,* 1.2 than in∣to the handes of men which be the enemyes of thy worde,* 1.3 as Dauid prayed also.* 1.4 For great is thy mercy. We haue synned against the, & haue transgres∣sed thy commaundementes.

But thou God almighty fa∣ther knowest, that we haue not synned agaynst the deuill, Pope, or Turkes. And y^t they also haue no authoritie nor po∣wer vs to correct. Howe be it thou canst and mayest vse thē, as thy fearful scourge, against vs, which against the haue of∣fended & deserued all michief.

Yea deare God, heauenly father, we haue done no synne agaynst them, wherefore they

might lawfully punish vs. but much rather would they, that we with them most abhomi∣nablye shoulde synne agay∣nst the. For they regarde it not, if wee to the were dis∣obediente, blasphemed the, vsed all maner of Idolatry (as they do) and went about with false doctrine, false fayth, and with lyes, and committed a∣gainst the aduoutry, vnclenly∣nes, murther, thefte, robbery, Sorcery, and al maner of euil. But this is our trespasse agai∣nst them, that we preache, be∣leue, and knowledge the, God the father to be the onely true God, and thy wellbeloued son∣ne, our Lorde Iesus Christ, & the holy ghost, to be one onely God, yea this is the sinne that

we committ against them, but if we shoulde denye the, then should the deuill, worlde, pope and Turke fulwel leaue vs in rest, according to the saynge of thy deare Sonne, if ye were of the world, the worlde wold loue her sone.* 1.5 &c.

Here shewe thy mercye, O mercifull father ouer vs, and earnest iudge ouer our enemi∣es, for they are more thine ene∣myes then ours. Because that when they persecute & stryke vs, then do they persecute and stryke thy for the word, which we preache, beleue and know∣ledge, is not oures, but thyne, and the worcke of thy holye ghost in vs.

The deuill will not suffre, suche thinges, but in steade of

the he wyl be our god,* 1.6 in stede of thy word he wil stablishe ly∣es in vs.* 1.7 The Turke wyll sett hys Marchometh in the row∣me of thy deare sonne Iesus Christ For he speaketh euyl of him, and sayth: That he is no ryght God, and that hys Ma∣chomet is hyer and better then he.

If it be synne, that we hold, knowledge and boast and fa∣ther, and the Sonne, and the holy ghost, for the true onely God. Then arte thou the syn∣ner thy selfe, whiche workest this in vs, and commaundest vs to do it. Therfore do they hate, stryke, and correcte thy selfe, when they for such mat∣ters, do hate stryke or puny∣she vs.

Wherefore awake O Lorde God, and sanctyfye thy name, whome they blas∣pheme, strengthen thy kyng∣dome, whyche they distourbe in vs, and lette thy wyll be done,* 1.8 whyche they wyll quen∣che in vs,* 1.9 and suffer not thy selfe so to be troaden vnder fete for oure synnes sake, of them, that doo not correcte ouresynnes in vs, but woulde quenche in vs thy holy worde, name, and worcke, to thyn∣tent, that thou shouldeste be no God, and haue no people to preache, bileue, and knowled∣ge the. Uouche∣safe O Lorde gratyouslye to heare thys our peticion,* 1.10 & do

according to oure beleue and truste. By the deare Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ, which lyueth and raigneth, with the and the holye ghoste worlde wythout ende.

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Eccli. ij.
• * 1.2

  Dan. xiij.
• * 1.3

  Susan. v
• * 1.4

  ij. Regū xxiiij.
• * 1.5

  Ioh. xv.
• * 1.6

  Gen. iij.
• * 1.7

  Ioh. viij.
• * 1.8

  Mat. vi
• * 1.9

  Luk. xi.
• * 1.10

  Ps. iiij. v xvij