Therfore he that praieth thus. Thy kyngdome come, he prayeth nothynge elles, but that God wil gyue vs grace, that we maye rest from our own propre willes, that we do not those thynges that delyte the body, and please our appetites, but that we maye suffre God, by his holy worde and Spirite, to worke in vs holy workes, that so the thirde commaundement may be fulfilled. Remembre that thou sanctifye the sabbot daye. For so doth Esay declare this commaundement, saying. If thou worke Esa. lviii. not after thyn own wyl, in my holy day, than thou shalt be called a pleasant rest, to sanctifye and honoure the Lord, yf thou honoure hym so, that thou worke not after thyne owne wayes, nor fynde the meanes to folow thyne own wil, nor speake thyne owne pleasure, than shalt thou haue pleasure in the Lorde. For all these thynges therefore good children, ought you to praye to God, that his kyngdome may come, that he wil here in earth begynne his kyngdome in vs, that we maye obey hym in suche wyse as you haue herde.

Now the kyngdome of God commeth vnto vs two maner of wayes, first by his word and faithe, whan the gospel is preached vnto vs, that our Lorde Jesus Christ, deliuered vs from synne, death and hel, by crosse, death and resurrection. For by the preaching of his word we do lerne to put oure truste in God and to loue God. And thys knowlege and faith in Christ, increaseth from tyme to time, not only in theim that haue but newly begonne to beleue, but they also which many yeares haue professed Christ, do profyt in the same faith more and more. For their faith and loue towardes God, by the dayly preachyng of the gospel is confirmed and made more strong. Secondly, the kyngdome of God shall come to vs at the laste daye whan the euerlastynge glorye and kyngdome of God shalbe reueled, whan at the laste daye we shalbe raysed from death to lyfe, and be receyued into the kyngdom of heauen, where we shalbe made per

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fytely iuste, holy and safe for euer, whiche thyng so long as we be here in this worlde, is hyd from vs, and appereth not clerlye vnto vs, but at that last day shal appere to all men, that excedynge ioye, which no tonge is able to expresse. As saith saint John in his canonical Epistle. 1 John iii. Yet it appereth not, what we shalbe, but we know that whan it shal appere, we shalbe lyke vnto hym, and we shall see hym, euen as he is.

All these thynges oure Lorde God causeth to be preached in the hole worlde, of his mere goodnes and most abundant mercie, not for our workes or merites, but before we desiered him. But although it be preached through the world, yet it should not auayle vs, if we beleued not, that is to say, if he came not into our hartes, yf the kyngdome of God wer not within vs. Therefore must we with all dilygence praye, that God not onely may make this to be preched, but also that he wil gyue faith, not onely to other, but also to our selfes.

And shortly, this is the summe of this petition, that God by his syncere preachers, wil sende his worde and gospel of Christ, and by his holy Spirite brynge vs to the faith, and obedience to God, and daily to encreace the And than vtterly to abolyshe and take awaye from vs, the rest of the worlde, whiche is wicked and disobedient, withal their sinne and wickednes, and to receiue vs into his eternall kyngdome and glorye.

same.

This is the meanyng and plaine vnderstanding of this seconde petition. The kyngdom of God commeth of it selfe, without our prayer, but here we pray, that it may com to vs. Whiche commeth to passe, whan the heauenly Father gyueth vs his Spirite, to beleue his holye word, to lyue wel and godly, here in his churche for a tyme, and after in heauen for euer.

The thirde peticion.

Thy wil be done in earth as it is in heauen.

Ye haue herde how in the former peticions, we require of our Lord God, to gyue vs al thinges that perteyne to his glorie, and to the kyngdom of heauen, wherof he hath gyuen vs commaundemente in the three preceptes, written in the first Table. Nowe foloweth the thirde peticion, wherin we praye God to graunt vs, that we maye fullfill the other seuen commaundementes also, the whiche intreat of matiers concernyng this worldly kingdome and transitorie lyfe, that is to saye to honoure our parentes and gouernours, to kyl no man, to committe none adulterye, to absteyne from thefte and lyinge, and to behaue our selfes in al thinges obedyentlye, honestly, peaceably and godly. And these be the wordes of this petition. Thy wil be don in erth, as it is in heauen. And to the intent, that you maye the better vnderstande this petition, you shall knowe, that there be two maner of kingdomes. The first is the kingdome of God or of heauen, wherof we spake in the seconde petition. The other is an earthly or worldly kyngdome, of the whiche you shall nowe heare. Nowe our Lord God, is the chiefe ruler and gouernoure, in bothe these kyngdomes. In the kyngdome of heauen

Mat. xxvi.
Mark xiiii.

Luke xxii.

John vi.

and xviii.

he doth so raygne, that he begynneth in vs here in this worlde, the kingdome of euerlastyng lyfe and saluation. And the worldlye kyngedomes he doeth so gouerne, that here he gyueth vs peace and quietnes, that we may heare and learne the kyngdome of God, and so atteyne the kyngdom of heuen. And God hath ordeyned in this erthlye kyngdome, commen officers and rulers vnder him, whiche he hathe appoynted for this purpose, that they shoulde in his name gouerne the commen people, and laboure with all dyligence that peace and quietnes maye be maynteyned in the same. And he hath gyuen them the authoritie of the sworde, that they shoulde not onely therewyth defende the godlye, but also punishe malefactours, and breakers of the commen peace and quyetnes, as traytours, rebellions, manquellers, adulterers, theues, and false wytnesse bearers, and all wronge doers to other men, accordynge to the sayinge of sayncte Paule in the. xiii. chapiter to the Romaynes. Let euery soule (saieth he) submit himself vnto the higher powers. For there is no power, but that commeth of God. And the powers that be, are ordeyned of God. Whosoeuer therfore resisteth the superiour powers, resisteth the ordinaunce of God. And they that resist, do purchase to themselues damnation. For the rulers are not fearefull to theym that do good, but to theym that do euell, wylte thou be wythoute feare of the powers? do well then, and so shalt thou be praysed of the same. For he is the minister of God for thy wealth. But yf thou do euell, then feare, for he beareth not the sworde in vayne. For he is the minister of God, to punishe him that doeth euell. Wherfore you muste nedes obey, not onely for feare of punyshement, but also for veraye conscience. By these wordes you may well perceyue good children, that it is Gods will and pleasure, that we shoulde leade here in this worlde an honest and quiet lyfe, and that they whiche be seditious and full of trouble and vnquietnes in

the commen wealthe, should be punyshed. And vpon these considerations he hath gyuen vs these commaundementes. Honour thy father and mother. Thou shalte not kyll. Thou shalte not commytte adulterye. Thou shalte not steale. Thou shalte beare no false witnesse agaynst thy neyghboure. Thou shalt not desier anye thynge that is thy neyghbours. And God hathe commaunded the gouerners of commen welthes, to punyshe suche as do not obey these commaundementes, and he himselfe wyll punyshe theym also, wherefore lette suche as be disobedient, loke for punishement, not onely of the gouerners here in the syght of the world, but also of God hym selfe. And the gouernours, whiche accordyng to Gods commaundement, do correcte and punyshe offenders, they do wourshyppe God highly, and do to him a pleasaunt and acceptable sacrifice. And God hathe ordeyned the higher powers, and quietnes to be in commen welthes, that thereby we myght heare and learne the gospell more easely and quietly. For whereas warre and sedycion is, there is not the place to preach the word of God wyth fruite and profit. For the which cause saynct Paul, wrytynge to Timothye, saieth on this wyse: I charge you, that prayers and supplications be made for all men, for kinges, and for al that are in authoritie, that we may liue a quiet and a peaseable lyfe, wyth all godlynesse and honestie. For this is good and accepted in the syght of God oure Sauyour, which wylleth al men to be saued, and to come to the knowlege of the truth. Nowe therfore forasmuche as we knowe, by Goddes holy commaundementes, what his wyll is, it is our part to confirme our willes to his wyll, and to desier him, to giue vs his grace and aide, to accomplyshe his most holy wyll, saying as Christ hath taught vs. Thy wyll be donne in earthe, as it is in heauen. And because the wyll of God, (wherby he requireth here in earth obedience to lawes and gouernours) is expressed very plainly in the seuen