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Non nobis, Domine.
NOT unto us, Lord, not to us, | |
| But to thy holy name alwayse, | |
| For thy mercy and truthe done thus, | |
| Ascribed be all laude and prayse. | |
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| These heathen folke that faythles be, | 5 |
| Why should they saye to us in spighte, | |
| Where is their God, let us hym see, | |
| In whom these Christians haue delyghte? | |
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| For their false gods, their chiefe and best, | |
| Are nothing but syluer and goulde: | 10 |
| The handes of men, both most and lest, | |
| Haue forged them out of the moulde. | |
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| Yet haue they for their idols made | |
| Mouthes wherewith they can speak nothing, | |
| And eyes also whereof the trade | 15 |
| Is to be blynde from all seyng. | |
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| Suche eares also in them are wrought, | |
| And heare nothing that one can tell; | |
| And noses whiche are likewyse nought, | |
| For they with them can nothyng smell. | 20 |
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| Vayne handes haue they, and fete also; | |
| For with their handes they handle not, | |
| Nor with their fete they can not goe, | |
| Nor sounde no voice out of their throte. | |
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| Wherefore suche as doe idols make, | 25 |
| Doe their own works resemble just; | |
| And they also that doe them take | |
| For gods, or haue them in their truste. | |
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| Let Israell, then, in the Lorde | |
| Set all their truste and confidence; | 30 |
| And Aaron’s house thereto accorde; | |
| For he is their most sure defence. | |
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| All ye that feare the Lorde aright, | |
| Trust in hym well, be not afrayde; | |
| For he will surely shewe his myght | 35 |
| To succoure you and be your ayde. | |
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| The Lord will not forget doubtless, | |
| But haue us in his mynde full well: | |
| The righteous houses he wyll bles | |
| Of Aaron and of Israell. | 40 |
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| Ye that do feare the Lorde therefore | |
| Are blessed, both the great and small: | |
| The Lorde increase you more and more, | |
| Both you and eke your children all. | |
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| For sithe ye are his chosen sorte, | 45 |
| And haue the Lorde whole in your thought, | |
| He wyll you blesse with greate comforte, | |
| Both heauen and earth that made of nought. | |
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| The heauens and the firmament | |
| Are his, and at his holy wyll; | 50 |
| But the rounde earth he hath forth lente | |
| The sonnes of mortal men untyll. 1 | |
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| The dead, O Lorde, that are gone hence, | |
| Cannot in graue express thy wayes; | |
| Nor such as downe are in sylence | 55 |
| Can honor thee or giue thee prayse. | |
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| But we, O Lorde, that be alyve, | |
| Thy prayse wyll spreade and ramifye, | |
| And in our hearts due thankes contryve | |
| Unto thy name eternally. | 60 |
