ISABEL I DE INGLATERRA
Oraciones

1552
Meditation about the 13th Psalm of David

Fools that true faith yet never had
Saith in their hearts, there is no God.
Filthy they are in their practice,
Of them not one is godly wise.
From heaven the Lord on man did look
To know what ways he undertook.
All they were vain and went astray,
Not one he found in the right way.
In heart and tongue have they deceit,
Their lips throw forth a poisoned bait.
Their minds are mad, their mouths are wode,
And swift they be in shedding blood.
So blind they are, no truth they know,
No fear of God in them will grow.
How can that cruel sort be good,
Of God's dear flock which suck the blood?
On him rightly shall they not call,
Despair will so their hearts appall.
At all times God is with the just,
Because they put in him their trust.
Who shall therefore from Sion give
That health which hangeth in our belief?
When God shall take from his the smart,
Then will Jacob rejoice in heart.
Praise to God.

Elizabeth

1556
Meditation about the mirror of the sinful Soul, in front of God

If thou doest rede thys whole worke, beholde rather the matter and excuse the speeche, consydering it is the worke of a woman wiche hath in her neyther science or knowledge, but a desyre that eche one might se what they gifte of God doth when it pleaseth hym to justifie the harte of a man. For what thinge is a man (as for hys owne strenght) before that he hath receyved the gifte of fayth wherby onely hath the knowledge of the goodnes, wisedom and power of God, and as soone as he knowethe the truthe, than is his hart full of love, and charitie. So that by the ferventenes therof he doth exclude all vayne feare, and stedfastely doth hope upon God unfaynedly.

Even so the gifte the wich oure creatoure giveth at the beginninge doth never reste tyll he hath made hym godly, wich putteth hys trust in God. O the hapy gifte wich causeth a ma[n] to be like unto god and to possesse hys so desyred dwellinge. Alas no man coulde never understande it, onles by this gifte god hathe gyven hym it and he hath great cause to doubte of it, onles god hath made hym fele it into hys harte. Therfore reader, with a godly mynde: I beseche the to take it pacientely to peruse this worke, wich is but lytell, and taste nothinge but the frutte of it: praieng to God, full of all goodnes, that in your harte he will plante the lively fayth.

Elizabeth

1559
Queen Elizabeth's reply to an address from five Catholic bishops

Sirs,—As to your entreaty for us to listen to you, we have it yet, do return you this our answer. Our realm and subjects have been long wanderers, walking astray whilst they were under the tuition of Romish Pastors, who advised them to own a Wolf for their head (in lieu of a careful Shepherd) whose inventions, heresies, and schisms be so numerous, that the flock of Christ have fed on poisonous shrubs for want of wholesome pastures. And whereas, you list us and our subjects in the teeth, that the Romish Church first planted the Catholic faith within our realms, the records and chronicles of our realms testify to the contrary, and your own Romish idolatry maketh you liars; witness the ancient monument of Gildas, unto which both foreign and domestic have gone in pilgrimage, there to offer. This author testifieth Joseph of Arimathea to be the first preacher of the word of God within our realms. Long after thatperiod when Austin came from Rome, this our realm had Bishops and Priests therein, as is well known to the wise and learned of our realm, by woeful experience, how your Church entered therein by blood, they being martyrs for Christ, and put to death because they denied Rome's usurped authority.

As for our Father being drawn away from the Supremacy of Rome by schismatical and heretical counsels and advisers, who, we pray advised him more or flattered him than you, good Mr. Father, when you were Bishop of Rochester? And then, you Mr Bonner, when you were Archdeacon? And you Mr. Turberville? Nay, further... who was more an adviser to our Father than your great Stephen Gardiner, when he lived?.... Was it not you and such like advisers that... stirred up our Sister against us and other of her subjects? Whereas you would frighten us by telling how Emperors... have owned the Bishop of Rome's authority. It was contrary in the beginning, for our Saviour Christ paid His tribute unto Cæsar, as the chief superior; which shows your Romish supremacy is usurped.... We give you, therefore, warning, that for the future, we hear no more of this kind, lest you provoke us to execute those penalties enacted for the punishing of our resisters, which out of our clemency we have foreborne.

From Greenwich, Dec. 6, Anno Secundo Regni,
Queen Elizabeth

1574
Queen Elizabeth's personal prayer to God

Stretch forth, O Lord most mightie, Thy right hand over me, and defend me from mine enemys, that they never prevayle against me. Give me, O Lord, the assistance of Thy Spiritt, and comfort of Thy grace, truly to know Thee, intirely to love Thee, and assuredly to trust in Thee.  And that as I do acknowledge to have received the government of this Church and Kingdom at Thy hand, and to hold the same of Thee, so grant me grace, O Lord, that in the end I may render up and present the same again unto Thee, a peaceable, quiett, and well-ordered State and Kingdome, as also a perfect reformed church, to the furtherance of Thy glory.  And to my subjects, O Lord God, grant, I beseech Thee, faithful and obedient hearts, willingly to submit themselves to the obedience of Thy word and commandments, that we altogether being thankfull unto Thee for Thy benefitts received, may laud and magnifie Thy Holy Name world without end. Grant this, O merciful Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

Queen Elizabeth

1585
Of the high idea which Elizabeth entertained with respect to her own superior skill in theology, as well as the haughty tone in which she dictated to her subjects what they ought to believe, we have a striking picture in her speech at the close of the parliament

One thing I may not overskip. Religion, the ground on which all other matters ought to take root, and, being corrupted, may mar all the tree. And that there be some fault-finders with the order of the clergy, which so may make a slander to myself, and to the church, whose over-ruler God hath made me, whose negligence cannot be excused, if any schisms or errors heretical were suffered. Thus much I must say, that some faults and negligences must grow and be, as in all other great charges it happeneth; and what vocation without?  All which, if you, my lords of the clergy, do not amend, I mean to depose you.

Look ye, therefore, well to your charges. This may be amended without needless or open exclamations. I am supposed to have many studies, but most philosophical. I must yield this to be true, that I suppose few (that be no professors) have read more. And I need not tell you, that I am not so simple that I understand not, nor so forgetful that I remember not; and yet, amidst my many volumes, I hope God's book hath not been my seldomest lectures, in which we find that which by reason all ought to believe. I see many overbold with God Almighty, making too many subtile scannings of his blessed will. The presumption is so great that I may not suffer it.

Queen Elizabeth