A reply to an answer made of M. Doctor Whitgifte Against the admonition to…A replye to an ansvvere made of M. Doctor VVhitgifte Against the admonition to…

If a man should come to a Prince / and keep such order in making his petitions unto him / that having very many things to demand / after he had demanded one thing / he would stay a long time / and then demand an other / and so the third / the prince might well think / that either he came to ask before he knew what he had need of / or that he had forgotten some piece of his suit / or that he were distracted in his understanding / or some other such like cause of the disorder of his supplication. And therefore how much more convenient were it / that according to the manner of the reformed churches: first the minister with an hum ble and general confession of faults / should desire the assistance of the Lord / for the fruitful handling and receiving of the word of God / and then after that we have heard the Lord speak unto us in his word by his minister / the church should likewise speak unto the Lord / and present all those petitions and suits at once / both for the whole church and for the Prince and all other estates which shall be thought needful.

If a man shoulde come to a Prince / and keepe suche order in making hys petitions vnto hym / that hauing very many things to demaund / after he had demaunded one thing / he would stay a long time / and then demaunde an other / and so the thirde / the prince myght well thinke / that eyther he came to aske before he knew what he had nede of / or that he had forgotten some pece of hys sute / or that he were distracted in hys vnderstanding / or some other such like cause of the disorder of his supplication. And therfore how much more conuenient were it / that according to the manner of the reformed churches: first the minister wyth an hū ble and general confession of faults / shuld desire the assistance of the Lord / for the frutefull handling and receiuing of the word of God / and then after that we haue heard the Lord speake vnto vs in hys worde by hys minister / the church should likewise speake vnto the Lord / and present all those petitions and sutes at once / bothe for the whole churche and for the Prince and all other estates whych shall be thought needefull.

And if any will say that there are short prayers found in the Acts / it may be answered / that S. Luke doth not express the whole prayers at large / but only set down the sums of them / and their chief points. And further it may be answered / that always those prayers were continued together / and not cut off / and shred into divers small pieces.