tyme to tyme they perceiue to be most abused as in mens ordinaunces it often chaunceth dyuersely in dyuerse countreyes ¶ An Acte for the vniformitie of common prayer and administracion of the Sacramentes WHere there hath been a very Godly ordre set furth by autoritie of Parlamēt for common prayer and administraciō of the Sacramentes to be vsed in the mother tongue within this Church of England agreable to the word of God and the primatiue Church very cōfortable to al good people desyring to liue in Christen conuersacion moste profitable to the state of this Realme vpon the whiche the mercy fauour and blessyng of almighty god is in no wise so readilye and plenteously powred as by commō prayers due vsing of the Sacramentes often preaching of the gospel with the deuocion of the hearers And yet this notwithstanding a great noumbre of people in diuerse partes of thys realme folowing their owne sensualitie and liuing either withoute knowledge or due feare of God doe wilfully and damnablye before almightie God absteyne and refuse to come to theyr Parishe Churches and other places where commō prayer adminystracion of the Sacramentes preachyng of the word of God is vsed vpon the Sundayes and other dayes ordeyned to be holy dayes For reformacion herof be it enacted by the King our souereigne lord with thassent of the Lordes and commons in this present Parlament assembled and by the autoritie of the same that frō and after the feast of al Sainctes next coming al euery person and persons enhabiting within this Realme or any other the kynges Maiesties dominions shal diligently and faythfully hauing no lawefull or reasonable excuse to be absent endeuour themselues to resorte to theyr Parishe Churche or Chapell accustomed or vpon reasonable let therof to some vsual place where cōmon prayer such seruice of God shal be vsed in such tyme of let vpon euery Sunday and other dayes ordeyned and vsed to be kept as holy daies then and there to abide ordrely soberly during the time of the cōmon prayer preachinges or other seruice of God there to bee vsed ministred vpō payn of punishment by the Censures of the church And for the due execucion herof the Kynges most excellent maiestie the Lordes temporal and all the Commons in this presente Parlament assembled dooeth in Goddes name earnestlye require and charge all tharchbishoppes Bishoppes and other Ordenaries that they shall endeuour themselues to the vttermoste of theyr knowledges that the due and true execuciō herof may be had throughoute theyr Dyocesses and charges as they will aunswere before God for such euils and plages wherewith almyghtie God may iustly punishe his people for neglecting thys good and wholesome lawe And for theyr autoritie in this behalfe be it further likewise enacted by the autoritie aforesayde that all and synguler the same Archbishops Bishops al other theyr officers exercisyng ecclesiastical iurisdiccion aswel in place exempt as not exempt within their Dyocesses shall haue full power and autoritie by this Acte to refourme correct and punishe by Censures of the churche all and synguler persones whiche shall offende within anye theyr iurisdiccions or Dyocesses after the sayd feast of all sainctes next comming against thys Acte and statute anye other lawe statute priuiledge libertie or prouision heretofore made had or suffered to the contrary notwithstanding And because there hath ariesen in the vse and exercise of the foresayde common seruice in the Churche heretofore sette foorth diuerse doubtes for the fashion and maner of the ministracion of the same rather by the curiositie of the minister and mistakers then of any other woorthy cause therfore aswel for the more playne and manifest explanacion hereof as for the more perfeccion of the sayde ordre of cōmon seruice in some places where it is necessari to make the same prayer and fashion of seruice more earneste and fitte to stire christian people to the true honoring of almighty God The kinges most excellent maiestie with thassent of the lordes and Commons in this presēt Parlament assembled and by thauctoritie of the same hath caused the foresayde ordre of common seruice entituled The booke of Common prayer to be faythfully godly perused explaned and made fully perfect by the foresaid autoritie hath annexed and ioyned it so explaned and perfected to thys present statute adding also a fourme and maner of makyng consecrating of Archebishops Bishops priestes and Deacons to be of lyke force autoritie value as the same like foresayde boke entituled The boke of Common prayer was before and to be accepted receued vsed and estemed in like sort and maner with the same clauses of prousions and excepcions to al ententes construccions and purposes as by the Acte of Parlamente made in the seconde yere of the kinges Maiesties reigne was ordeined limited expressed and appoynted for the vniformitie of seruice and administracion of the Sacramentes throughout the realme vpō such seueral paynes as in the said Act of Parlament is expressed And the sayd former Act to stande in full force and strength to all ententes and construccions to be applyed practised and put in vre to and for the establishing of the boke of common praier now explained and herunto annexed also the said fourme of making of Archbishops Bishops priestes and Deacons hereunto annexed as it was for the former boke And by thautoritie aforesayd it is nowe further enacted that if any maner of persone or persones enhabiting being within this Realme or any other the kinges Maiesties dominions shall after the sayde feaste of all Sainctes willinglye and wittinglye heare and bee present at anye other maner or fourme of common prayer of administracion of the Sacramentes of makyng of ministers in the churches or of anye other rites conteyned in the booke annexed to this Acte then is mencioned and set furth in the sayd boke or that is contrary to the fourme of sondry prouisions excepcions conteined in the foresayde former statute and shal be thereof conuicted accordyng to the lawes of this realme before the Iustices of Assise Iustices of Oyer and Determiner Iustices of peace in theyr Sessions or any of them by the verdict of twelue men or by his or theyr own confession or otherwyse shall for the fyrst offence suffre impriesonment for sixe monethes without bayle or maynprice and for the seconde offence beeyng likewise conuicted as is aboue sayde empriesonment for one whole yere and for the third offence in like maner empriesonment duryng hys or theyr liues And for the more knowledge to be geuen hereof and better obseruacion of this lawe Be it enacted by the auctoritie aforesaid that al and singuler Curates shal vpon one Sunday euery quarter of the yere duryng one whole yere nexte folowyng the foresayd feast of al Sainctes next coming reade thys present Acte in the Churche at the time of the most assembly and likewise once in euery yere folowing at the same tyme declaring
it Whē Iesus hearde these woordes he merueiled sayde to them that folowed him verely I say vnto you I haue not foūd so great fayth in Israel I say vnto you that many shal come frō the East Weste and shall reste with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kyngdome of heauen but the children of the Kingdome shabe caste oute into vtter darkenes there shall bee wepyng and gnashyng of teeth And Iesus said vnto the Centurion Goe thy waye and as thou beleuest so bee it vnto thee and hys seruaunte was healed in the selfe same houre The fourth Sunday after Christmas ¶ The Collecte GOd whiche knowest vs to bee sette in the middest of so many and great daungers that for mans fraylnesse we cannot always stande vprightly Graunte to vs the health of body and soule that all those thinges whiche we suffre for sinne by thy helpe we may wel passe and ouercome through Christe oure Lorde ¶ The Epistle Ro. xiii LEt euery soule submitte hymselfe vnto the auctoritie of the higher powers for there is no power but of God The powers that be are ordained of God whosoeuer therefore resisteth power resisteth the ordinaunce of god But they that resiste shal receiue to themselues damnacyon For rulers are not fearefull to them that doe good but to them that doe euill Wilt thou be withoute feare of the power doe well then and so shalte thou bee praysed of the same for he is the minister of God for thy wealth But and if thou doe that whiche is euil then feare for he beareth not the sweorde for nought for he is the minister of God to take vengeaunce on them that do euyll Wherefore ye muste nedes obey not onely for feare of vengeaunce but also because of conscyence and euen for this cause pay ye tribute For they are Goddes ministers seruing for that purpose Geue to euery man therefore hys duetye tribute to whom tribute belongeth custome to whom custome is due feare to whom feare belongeth honour to whō honour pertayneth ¶ The Gospell Mat. viii ANd when he entered into a shippe his disciples folowed hym And behold there arose a great tempeste in the sea insomuche as the shyppe was couered with waues but he was aslepe And hys disciples came to hym and awoke hym saying Master saue vs we peryshe And he sayde vnto them why are ye fearefull O ye of lytle faythe Then he arose and rebuked the wyndes and the sea and there folowed a greate calme But the men meruayled saying what maner of man is thys that bothe wyndes and sea obeye hym And when he was come to the other syde into the countrey of the Gergesites there met with hym two possessed of deuils which came oute of the graues and were oute of measure fierce so that no manne myghte goe by that waye And behold they cried out saying O Iesu thou sonne of God what haue we to doe with thee Arte thou come hither to tormente vs beefore the tyme And there was a good waye of from them a heerde of Swyne fedyng So the deuils besought him saying If thou cast vs oute suffre vs to goe into the heerd of Swyne And he sayde vnto them goe youre wayes Then wente they oute and departed into the heerd of Swyne And beholde the whole heerd of Swyne was caryed headlong into the sea and peryshed in the waters Then they that kepte them fled and went theyr wayes into the cytie and tolde euery thyng and what had happened vnto the possessed of the deuils And beholde the whole citye came oute to mete Iesus and when they sawe hym they besought hym that he woulde departe out of theyr coastes ¶ The fifth Sundaye after the Epiphanie ¶ The Collecte LOrde we beseche thee to kepe thy Churche and householde continually in thy true relygion that they whyche doe leane onely vpon hope of thy heauenly grace maye euermore bee defended by thy myghtye power Through Christe oure Lorde ¶ The Epistle Collo iii. PVt vpon you as the electe of God tendre mercy kindnes humblenes of mynde mekenesse long suffryng forbearyng one another and forgeuing one another yf any man haue a quarell agaynste another as Christe forgaue you euen so doe ye Aboue all these thinges put on loue which is the bonde of perfectnes And the peace of God rule your heartes to the which peace yeare called in one bodye And see that ye be thankefull Let the word of Christe dwell in you plenteously with all wisedome Teache and exhort your owne selues in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songes singing with grace in youre heartes to the Lorde And whatsoeuer ye doe in woorde or dede doe all in the name of the Lord Iesu geuyng thankes to God the father by hym ¶ The Gospell Mat. xiii THe kyngdome of heauen is lyke vnto a manne whiche sowed good seede in his fielde but while men slepte his enemie came and sowed tares among the wheate and wente his waye But when the blade was sprong vp had brought furth fruite then appeared the tares also So the seruaūtes of the housholder came and sayde vnto hym Sir didst not thou sowe good seede in thy fielde from whence then hathe it tares He sayde vnto them the enuyous man hathe doone this The seruauntes sayde vnto him wilte thou then that we goe and wede them vp But he sayd naye leaste while ye gather vp the tares ye plucke vp also the wheate with them let bothe growe together vntill the haruest and in the tyme of haruest I wyll saye to the reapers gather ye fyrste the tares and bynde them together in sheaues to bee brente but gather the wheate into my barne The sixth Sunday if there be so many shal haue thesame Collect Episstle and Gospell that was vpon the fifth Sundaye ¶ The Sunday called Septuagesima ¶ The Collecte O Lord we beseche thee fauourably to heare the praiers of thy people that we which are iustli punished for our offences maie be mercifullye delyuered by thy goodnesse for the glori of thy name through Iesu Christ our sauiour who liueth and reygneth worlde withoute ende ¶ The Epistle i. Cor. ix PErceiue ye not howe that they whiche runne in a course runne all but one receiueth the rewarde So runne that ye maye obtayne Euery man that proueth masteries abstaineth from all thynges And they doe it to obtayne a crowne that shall peryshe but we to obteine an euerlastyng crowne I therfore so runne not as at an vncertayne thyng So fight I not as one that beateth the ayre but I tame my bodye and bryng it into subieccion lest by any meanes it come to passe that when I haue preached to other I my selfe shoulde be a castawaye ¶ The Gospell Mat. xx THe kyngdome of heauen is lyke vnto a manne that is an housholder whiche wente oute early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyarde And when the agremente was made with the labourers for a peny a daye he
soule of our dere brother here departed we therefore commit hys body to the ground earth to earth asshes to asshes dust to dust in sure certaine hope of resurreccion to eternal lyfe through our Lord Iesus Christ who shal chaunge our vile bodi that it may be like to his glorious body according to the mightie working wherby he is hable to subdue all thynges to hymselfe Then shal be sayde or song I Heard a voyce from heauen saying vnto me write from hence for the blessed are the dead whiche dye in the Lorde Euen so sayeth the spiryte that they rest from theyr laboures Then shall folow this lesson taken out the .xv. Chapter to the Corinthians the firste Epistle CHrist is rysen from the dead and become the fyrste fruites of thē that slepe For by a man came death and by a man came the resurrecciō of the dead For as by Adam all dye euen so by Christe shal all bee made alyue but euery man in his owne ordre The firste is Christe then they that are Christes at hys comyng Then cometh the end when he hath deliuered vp the kyngdom to god the father when he hath put down al rule and al auctoritie and power For he muste reigne tyll he hath put all hys enemies vnder his fete The last enemie that shal be destroied is death For he hath put al thinges vnder his fete But whē he sayeth all thynges are put vnder hym it is manifest that he is excepted whyche did putte all thynges vnder hym When all thynges are subdued vnto him then shal the sonne also himselfe bee subiecte vnto hym that putte all thynges vnder him that god may be al in al els what doe thei which are Baptised ouer the dead yf the dead ryse not at al Why are they then Baptised ouer them yea and why stande we alwaye then in ieopardye by oure reioysyng whiche I haue in Christ Iesu our Lord I die dayly That I haue foughte with beastes at Ephesus after the maner of mē what auantageth it me if the dead rise not again Let vs eate drinke for to morowe we shal dye Be not ye deceyued euil wordes corrupt good maners Awake truely out of slepe sinne not For some haue not the knowledge of god I speake this to your shame But some man wyl saye how arise the dead With what bodi shal they come thou foole that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die And what sowest thou thou sowest not the body the shal be but bare corne as of wheate or some other but god geueth it a body at his pleasure to euery sede his own body Al fleshe is not one maner of fleshe but there is one maner of flesh of mē other maner of flesh of beastes other of fishes another of birdes There are also celestial bodyes there are bodyes terrestrial But the glory of the celestial is one and the glory of the terrestrial is another There is one maner glory of the sunne and another glory of the moone another glory of the starres For one starre differeth from another in glory so is the resurreccion of the dead It is sowen in corrupcion it riseth again in incorrupcion It is sowen in dishonoure it riseth agayn in honour It is sowen in weakenes it riseth again in power It is sowen a naturall body it riseth agayne a spirituall body There is a natural body there is a spiritual body as it is also written the first man Adam was made a liuing soule and the last Adam was made a quickening spirte How beit that is not first which is spiritual but the which is natural then that which is spiritual The firste man is of the earth earthy The second mā is the lord from heauen heauely As is the earthy such are they that be earthy And as is the heauenly such are they the are heauenly And as we haue borne the image of the earthy so shall we beare the Image of the heauenly Thys say I brethren that fleshe and bloud cannot inherite the kingdome of god neyther doeth corrupcion inherite vncorrupcion Behold I shewe you a mistery We shall not all slepe but we shall al be chaunged and that in a momente in the twinkeling of an eie by the last trumpe For the trumpe shal blow the dead shal rise incorruptible and we shal be chaunged For this corruptible must put on incorrupcion this mortal must put on immortalitie When this corruptible hath put on incorrupciō this mortal hath put on immortalitie thē shal be brought to passe the saying that is written Death is swalowed vp in victorie Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victorye The sting of Death is synne and the strength of synne is the lawe But thankes be vnto god which hath geuen vs victory through our Lorde Iesus Christ Therfore my deare brethren be ye stedfast and vnmoueable alwayes riche in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as ye know now that your labour is not in vayne in the Lorde The Lesson ended the Priest shall saye Lorde haue mercy vpon vs. Christ haue mercy vpon vs. Lorde haue mercy vpon vs. ¶ Our father which art in heauen c. And leade vs not into temptacion Aunswere But delyuer vs from euill Amen The Priest ALmightie god with whom doe liue the spirites of them that depart hence in the Lord and in whom the soules of them that be elected after they be deliuered from the burthen of the fleshe be in ioye felicitie We geue thee harty thākes for that it hath pleased thee to deliuer this N. our brother out of the miseries of thys synneful world beseching thee that it may please thee of thy gracious goodnes shortely to accōplishe the numbre of thine elect and to hast thy kyngdome that we with thys our brother al other departed in the true faith of thy holy name may haue our perfect consummacion blisse both in body soule in thy eternall and euerlastyng glory Amen ¶ The Collecte O Merciful god the father of our lord Iesus Christ who is the resurreccion and the lyfe in whom whosoeuer beleueth shal liue though he die And whosoeuer lyueth and beleueth in him shal not die eternally who also taught vs by his holy Apostle Paul not to be sorye as men without hope for them that slepe in him We mekely beseche thee O father to rayse vs from the death of synne vnto the lyfe of righteousnes that when we shall depart this lyfe we may rest in him as our hope is this our brother doeth and that at the general resurreccion in the last day we may be foūd acceptable in thy sight and receiue that blessing which thy welbeloued sonne shall then pronounce to all that loue and feare thee saying Come ye blessed chyldren of my father receiue the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world Graunte this we beseche thee O merciful father through Iesus Christe our