Glimpses of Christian History Presents Pastwords #106: History of the Reformation of the Church of England by Gilbert Burnet ©2007

BURNET, GILBERT. The History of the Reformation of the Church of England. The Second Edition, Corrected. London, Printed by T. H. for Richard Chiswell, M DC LXXXI [1681]] 3 vols., folio.

Gilbert Burnet (1643-1715) Bishop of Salisbury. Regarding this work Allibone quotes Wharton: "The defects of Peter Heylyn's History of the Reformation are abundantly supplied in our author's more complete history. He gives a practical account of all the affairs of the Reformation, from its beginning in the reign of Henry VIII, to its final establishment under Queen Elizabeth, A.D. 1559. And the whole is penned in a masculine style, such as becomes an historian, and is the property of this author in all his writings. The collection of records which he gives at the end of each volume, are good vouchers of the truth of what he delivers in the body of the history, and are much more perfect than could reasonable be expected, after the pains taken in Queen Mary's days to suppress every thing that carried the marks of the Reformation upon it." A great work of history, it contains many letters & documents of great interest, including letters from many of Henry's wives (Lady Jane, Anne Boleyn).

IDDING PRAYER. The form of prayer interceding for the Universal Church, the State, Clergy, Nobility and Commons, and commemorating the departed, which the Anglican Canon 55 (1604) ordered to be used by preachers before the sermon. In origin it derives from the group of intercessions, usually in Litany form, which in ancient liturgies occurred after the Sermon or the Gospel. These survive in the Roman Solemn Prayers ('the Collects') of the *Good Friday Liturgy and in the isolated 'Oremus' in the ordinary Latin Mass (at the beginning of the 'Mass of the faithful').

By the 9th cent. The priest prayed for all conditions of men and made commemoration of the departed after the sermon at Mass on Sundays and festivals. In England during the Middle Ages this was called 'Bidding the *Bedes'. These Biddings formed part of the vernacular devotions, instructions, and notices attached to the sermon, and together were known in France (where they survive in certain places) as the Prone (a word of uncertain origin). At first they were left to the discretion of the priest but gradually tended to assume fixed forms. The Bidding Prayer is now seldom used except in the universities, at Assize sermons, and on state occasions.

In the Liturgical Constitution of the Second *Vatican Council (4 Dec. 1963), provision was made for the restoration of the 'Community Prayer' or 'Prayer of the Faithful' in the Roman Mass, esp. on days on which there is a homily. 'By this prayer, in which the people are to take part, intercession will be made Holy Church, for the civil authorities, for those oppressed by various needs, for all mankind and for the salvation of the entire world' (sect. 53). In the C of E a similar prayer, in the form of a series of biddings, has been incorporated in the Eucharist in the ASB.

FROM THE COLLECTION OF RECORDS
Number 8.
The Form of bidding Prayer before the Reformation.
OUT OF THE FESTIVAL PRINTED 1509
The Bedes on the Sunday.

Ye shall kneel down on your knees, and lift up your Hearts, making your Prayers to Almighty God, for the good State and Peace of all-holy Church, that God maintain, save, and keep it. For our Holy Father the Pope, with all his true College of Cardinal, that hold and increase, and all Misbelif and Heresy be less and destroy'd. Also ye shall pray for the Holy Land, and of the Holy Land, and for the Holy Cross, that Jesus Christ died on for the redemption of Mens Souls, that it may come into the Power of Christian Men the more to be honoured for our Prayers. Also ye shall pray for all Arch-bishops and Bishops; and especially for the Arch-bishop of Canterbury our Metropolitan, and for the Bishop of N. our Diocesan, that God of his Mercy give to them Grace so to govern and rule Holy Church, that it may be to the Honour and Worship of him, and Salvation of our Souls. Also ye shall pray for Abbots, Priors, Monks, Canons, Friers, and for all Men and Women of Religion, in what Order, Estate, or Degree that they stand in, from the highest Estate unto the lowest Degree. Also ye shall pray for all them that have Charge and Cure of Christian Mens Souls, as Curats and Parson, Vicars, Priests and Clarks; and in especial for the Parson and Curat of this Church, and for all the Priests and Ministers that serve therein, or have served therein; and for all them that have taken any Order, that Almighty God give them Grace of continuance well for to keep and observe it to the honour and health of their Souls. Also ye shall pray for the Unity and Peace of all Christian Realms, and in especial for the good Estate, Peace and Tranquillity, of this Realm of England, for our Liege Lord the King, that God for his great Mercy send him Grace so to Govern and Rule this Realm, that God be pleased and worshipped, and to the Profit and Salvation of this Land. Also ye shall pray for our Liege Lady the Queen, my Lord Prince, and all the noble Progeny of them; for all Dukes, Earls, Barons, Knights, and Esquires, and other Lords of the King's Council, which have any Rule and Governance in this Land, that God give them Grace so to Council Rule, and Govern, that God be pleased, the Land defended, and to the Profit and Salvation of all the Realm. Also ye shall pray for the Peace, both on Land and on the Water; that God grant Love and Charity among all Christian People. Also ye shall pray for all Parishes, where that they be, on Land of on Water, that God save them from all manner of Perils; and for all the good Men of this Parish, for their Wives, Children, and Men, that God them maintain, save and keep. Also ye shall pray for all true Tithers, that God multiply their Goods and Encrease; for all true Tillers that labour for our Sustenance, that Till the Earth; and also for all the Grains and Fruits that be sown, set, or done on Earth, or shall be done, that God send such Weather that they may grow, encrease, and multiply, to the help and profit of all Mankind. Also ye shall pray for all true Sipmen and Merchants, wheresoever that they be, on Land or on Water, that God keep them from all Perils, and bring them home in safety, with their Goods, Ships, and Merchandises, to the Help, Comfort, and Profit of this Realm. Also ye shall pray for them that find any Light in this Church, or give any Behests, Book, Bell, Chalice, or Vestment, Surplice, Water-cloath, or Towel, Lands, Rents, Lamp or Light, or any other Adornments, whereby God's Service is the better served, sustained and maintained in Reading and Singing, and for all them that thereto have counseled, that God reward and yield it them at their most need. Also ye shall pray for all true Pilgrims and Palmers, that have taken their way to Rome, to Jerusalem, to St. Katherine's, or St. James, or to any place, that God of his Grace give them time and space, well for to go and to come, to the profit of their Lives and Souls. Also ye shall pray for them that be sick or diseased of this Parish, that God send to them Health, the rather for our Prayers; for all the Women which be in our Lady's Bands, and with Child, in this Parish, or in any other, that God send to them fair Deliverance, to their Children right Shape, Name, and Christendom, and to the Mothers, Purification; and for all them that would be here, and may not, for Sickness or Travail, or any other lawful Occupation, that they may have part of all the good Deeds that shall be done here in this Place, or in any other. And ye shall pray for all them that be in good Life, that good them hold long therein; and for them that be in Debt, or deadly Sin, that Jesus Christ bring them out thereof, the rather for our Prayers. Also ye shall pray for him or her that this day gave the Holy Bread, and for him that first began and longest holdeth on, that God reward it him at the day of Doom; and for all them that do well, or say you good, that God yield it them at their need, and for them that otherwise would that Jesus Christ amend them; For all those, and for all Christian Men and Women, ye shall say a Pater Noster; Ave Maria; Deumisereatur nostri; Gloria Patri; Kyrie Eleison; Christe Eleison; Lyrie Eleison; Pater Noster; Et ne nos; Sed libera; Versus; Ostende nobis; Sacerdotes; Domine salvum fac Regem; Salvum fac Populum; Domine fiat Pax; Domine exandi; Dominus vobiscum; Oremus; Ecclefia tua quasumus; Deus in cujus manu; Deus a qup sancta, Oc. Furthermore, ye shall pray for all Christian Souls, for Arch-bishops and in especial, for all that have been Bishops of this Diocefs; and for all Curats, Parsons and Vicar's Souls, and in especial, for them that have been Curats of this Church, and for the Souls of all Christian Kings and Queens, and in especial for the Souls of all Christian Kings and Queens, and in especial for the Souls of them that have been Kings of this Realm of England; and for all those Souls that to this Church have given Book, Bell, Chalice, or Vestment, or any other thing, by the which the Service of God is better done, and Holy Church worshipped. Ye shall also pray for your Mother's Soul; for your Godfathers Souls, for your Godmothers Souls; for your Brethren and Sisters Souls, and for your Kindred Souls, and for your Friends Souls, and for all the Souls we bound to pray for; and for all the Souls that be in the Pains of Purgatory, there abiding the Mercy of Almighty God; and in especial for them that have most need and least help, that God of his endless Mercy lessen and minish their Pains by the means of our Prayers, and bring them to his Everlasting Bliss in Heaven. And also of the Soul N. or of them that upon such a day this Week we shall have the Anniversary; and for all Christian Souls ye shall devoutly say a Pater Noster and Ave Maria; Psalmus de profundis, Oc. with this collect, Oremus; Absolve quosumus Domine ammas famulorum tuorum Pontificum, Regum, Sacerdotum, Parentum, Parochianorum, Amicorum, Benefactorum Mostrorum, & omnium fidelum defunctorum ab omni vinculo delictorum, ut in Resurrectionis Gloria inter sanitos & electos tuos resuscitati respirent, per lesum Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.