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A79651 A collection of articles, injunctions, canons, orders, ordinances and consitutions ecclesiastical, with other publick records of the Church of England chiefly in the times of K. Edward VI. Q. Elizabeth, [double brace] K. James, & K. Charles I. Published to vindicate the Church of England, and to promote uniformity and peace in the same. : With a learned preface by Anthony Sparrow, D.D. Lord Bishop of Norwich. Church of England.; Sparrow, Anthony, 1612-1685.; England and Wales. Laws, etc. 1671 (1671) Wing C4094cA; ESTC R173968 232,380 430

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others I am commanded of God especially to move and exhort you to reconcile your selves to your Neighbors whom you have offended or who hath offended you putting out of your hearts all hatred and malice against them and to be in love and charity with all the World and to forgive other as you would that God should forgive you And if there be any of you whose conscience is troubled and grieved at any thing lacking comfort or counsel let him come to me or to some other discreet and learned Priest taught in the Law of God and confess and open his sin and grief secretly that he may receive such ghostly counsel advice and comfort that his conscience may be relieved and that of us as a Minister of God and of the Church he may receive comfort and absolution to the satisfaction of his mind and avoiding of all scruple and doubtfulness requiring such as shall be satisfied with a general confession not to be offended with them that do use to their further satisfying the auricular and secret confession to the Priest nor those also which think needful or convenient for the quietness of their own consciences particularly to open their sins to the Priest to be offended with them which are satisfied with their humble confession to God and the general confession to the Church But in all these things do follow and keep the rule of charity and every man to be satisfied with his own conscience not judging other mens minds or acts whereas he hath no warrant of Gods word for the same The time of the Communion shall be immediately after that the Priest himself hath received the Sacrament without the varying of any other Rite or Ceremony in the Mass until other orders shall be provided but as heretofore usually the Priest hath done with the Sacrament of the body to prepare bless and consecrate so much as will serve the people so it shall yet continue still after the same manner and form save that he shall bless and consecrate the biggest Chalice or some fair and convenient Cup or Cups full of Wine with some Water put unto it And that day not drink it up all himself but take one onely sup or draught leave the rest upon the Altar covered and turn to them that are disposed to be partakers of the Communion and shall thus exhort them as followeth DEarly beloved in the Lord ye coming to his holy Communion must consider what St. Paul writeth to the Corinthians how he exhorteth all persons diligently to try and examine themselves or ever they presume to eat of this bread and drink of this Cup for as the benefit is great if with a truly penitent heart and lively faith we receive this holy Sacrament for then we spiritually eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood then we dwell in Christ and Christ in us we be made one with Christ and Christ with us so is the danger great if we receive the same unworthily for then we become guilty of the body and blood of Christ our Saviour we eat and drink our own d mnation because we make no difference of the Lords body we kindle Gods wrath over us we provoke him to plague us with divers diseases and sundry kinds of death Iudge therefore your selves brethren that ye be not judged of the Lord. Let your mind be without desire to sin Repent you truly for your sins past have an earnest and lively faith in Christ our Saviour be in perfect charity with all men so shall ye be meet partakers of these holy Mysteries But above all things you must give most humble and hearty thanks to God the Father the Son and the holy Ghost for the redemption of the world by the death and passion of our Saviour Christ both God and man who did humble himself even to the death upon the Cross for us miserable sinners lying in darkness and the shadow of death that he might make us the children of God and exalt us to everlasting life And to the end that we should always remember the exceeding love our Master and only Saviour Iesus Christ thus doing for us and the innumerable benefits which by his precious blood-shedding he hath obtained to us he hath left in these holy mysteries as a pledge of his love and a continual remembrance of the same his own blessed body and precious blood for us spiritually to feed upon to our endless comfort and consolation To him therefore with the Father and the holy Ghost let us give as we are most bounden continual thanks submitting our selves wholly to his holy will and pleasure and studying to serve him in true holiness and righteousness all the days of our life Amen Then the Priest shall say to them which be ready to take the Sacrament If any man here be an open blasphemer adulterer in malice or envy or any other notable crime and be not truly sorry therefore and earnestly minded to leave the same vices or that doth not trust himself to be reconciled to Almighty God and in charity with all the world let him yet awhile bewail his sins and not come to this holy Table lest after the taking of this most blessed bread the Devil enter into him as he did into Judas to fulfill in him all iniquity and to bring him to destruction both of body and soul Here the Priest shall pause a while to see if any man will withdraw himself and if he perceive any so to do then let him commune with him privily at convenient leisure and see whether he can with good Exhortation bring him to Grace and after a little pause the Priest shall say You that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins and offences committed to Almighty God and be in love and charity with your Neighbours and intend to lead a new life and heartily to follow the Commandments of God and to walk from henceforth in his holy ways draw near and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort make your humble confession to Almighty God and to his holy Church here gathered together in his Name meekly kneeling upon your knees Then shall a general confession be made in the name of all those that are minded to receive the holy Communion either by one of them or else by one of the Ministers or by the Priest himself all kneeling humbly upon their knees Almighty God Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Maker of all things Iudge of all men we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness which we from time to time most grievously have committed by thought word and deed against thy Divine Majesty provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us We do earnestly repent and be heartily sorry for these our misdoings The remembrance of them is grievous unto us the burthen of them is intollerable have mercy upon us have mercy upon us most merciful Father for thy Son our Lord Iesus Christs sake Forgive us all that is
past and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life to the honor and glory of thy Name through Iesus Christ our Lord. Then shall the Priest stand up and turning him to the people say thus Our blessed Lord who hath left power to his Church to absolve penitent sinners from their sins and to restore to the grace of the heavenly Father such as truly believe in Christ have mercy upon you pardon and deliver you from all sins confirm and strengthen you in all goodness and bring you to everlasting life Then shall the Priest stand up and turning him toward the people say thus Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith to all that truly turn to him COme unto me all that travel and be heavy laden and I shall refresh you So God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son to the end that all that believe in him should not perish but have life everlasting Hear also what St. Paul saith THis is a true saying and worthy of all men to be embraced and received that Iesus Christ came into this world to save sinners Hear also what St. John saith IF any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous he it is that obtained grace for our sins Then shall the Priest kneel down and say in the name of all them that shall receive the Communion this Prayer following WE do not presume to come to this thy Table O merciful Lord trusting in our own righteousness but in thy manifold and great mercies we be not worthy so much as to gather up the crums under thy Table but thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy grant us therefore gracious Lord so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Iesus Christ and to drink his blood in these holy Mysteries that we may continually dwell in him and he in us that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body and our souls washed through his most precious blood Amen Then shall the Priest rise the people still reverently kneeling and the Priest shall deliver the Communion first to the Ministers if any be there present that they may be ready to help the Priest and after to the other And when he doth deliver the Sacrament of the body of Christ he shall say to every one these words following THe body of our Lord Iesus Christ which was given for thee preserve thy body unto everlasting life And the Priest delivering the Sacrament of the blood and giving every one to drrnk once and no more shall say THe blood of our Lord Iesus Christ which was shed for thee preserve thy soul unto everlasting life If there be a Deacon or other Priest then shall he follow with the Chalice and as the Priest ministreth the Bread so shall he for more expedition minister the Wine in form before written Then shall the Priest turning him to the people let the people depart with this blessing THe peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Iesus Christ our Lord. To which the people shall answer Amen Note That the Bread that shall be consecrated shall be such as heretofore hath been accustomed And every of the said consecrated Breads shall be broken in two pieces at the least or more by the discretion of the Minister and so distributed And men must not think less to be received in part than in the whole but in each of them the whole body of our Saviour Iesus Christ Note That if it doth so chance that the Wine hollowed and consecrate doth not suffice or be enough for them that do take the Communion the Priest after the first Cup or Chalice be emptied may go again to the Altar and reverently and dev●utly prepare and Consecrate another and so the third or more likewise beginning at these words Simili modo postquam coenatum est and ending at these words qui pro vobis promultis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum and withiout any leavation or lifting up Articles to be enquired of in the Visitations to be had within the Diocese of Canterbury in the second year of the Reign of our Dread Soveraign Lord Edward the Sixth by the Grace of God King of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and in Earth of the Church of England and also of Ireland the Supreme Head FIrst Whether Parsons Vicars and Curates and every of them have purely and sincerely without colour or dissimulation four times in the year at the least preached against the usurped power pretended authority and jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome Item Whether they have preached and declared likewise four times in the year at the least that the Kings Majesties power authority and preheminence within his Realms and Dominions is the highest power under God Item Whether any person hath by writing cyphring preaching or teaching deed or act obstinately holden and stand with to extol set forth maintain or defend the authority jurisdiction or power of the Bishop of Rome or of his See heretofore claimed and usurped or by any pretense obstinately or maliciously invented any thing for the extolling of the same or any part thereof Item Whether in their Common-prayers they use not the Collects made for the King and make not special mention of his Majesties name in the same Item Whether they do not every Sunday and Holy-day with the Collects of the English procession say the prayer set forth by the Kings Majesty for peace between England and Scotland Item Whether they have not removed taken away and utterly extincted and destroyed in their Churches Chappels and Houses all Images all Shrines coverings of Shrines all Tables Candlesticks Trindels or Rolls of Wax Pictures Paintings and allother Monuments of feigned Miracles Pilgrimges Idolatry and Superstition so that there remain on memory of the same in walls glass-windows or elsewhere Item Whether they have exhorted moved and stirred their Parishioners to do the like in every of their houses Item Whether they have declared to their Parishioners the Articles concerning the abrogation of certain superfluous Holy-dayes and done their endeavor to perswade the said Parishioners to keep and observe the same Articles inviolably and whether any of those abrogate dayes have been kept as Holy-days and by whose occasion they were so kept Item Whether they have diligently duly and reverently ministred the Sacraments in their Cures Item Whether they have preached or caused to be preached purely and sincerely the word of God in every of their Cures every quarter of the year once at the least exhorting their Parishioners to words commanded by the Scripture and not to works devised by mens phantasies besides Scripture as wearing or praying upon Beads or such like Item Whether they suffer any Torches Candles Tapers or any other lights to be in your Churches but only two lights upon the
Chauntery-Priest and Stipendary being under the degree of a Batcheler of Divinity shall provide and have of his own within three moneths after this Visitation the New Testament both in Latine and in English with the Paraphrase upon the same of Erasmus and diligently study the same conferring the one with the other And the Bishops and other Ordinaries by themselves or their Officers in their Synods and Visitations shall examine the said Ecclesiastical persons how they have profited in the study of holy Scripture Also In the time of High-Mass within every Church he that saith or singeth the same shall read or cause to be read the Epistle and Gospel of that Mass in English and not in Latine in the Pulpit or in such convenient place as the people may hear the same And every Sunday and holy-day they shall plainly and distinctly read or cause to be read one Chapter of the New Testament in English in the said place at Mattins immediately after the Lessons and at Even-song after Magnificat one Chapter of the Old Testament And to the intent the premises may be more conveniently done the Kings Majesties pleasure is that when ix Lessons should be read in the Church three of them shall be omitted and left out with the Responds and at Even-song time the Responds with all ●he memories shall be left off for that purpose Also Because those persons which be sick and in peril of death be oftentimes put in despair by the craft and subtilty of the Devil who is then most busie and especially with them that lack the knowledge sure perswasion and stedfast belief that they may be made partakers of the great and infinite mercy which Almighty God of his most bountiful goodness and meer liberality without our deserving hath offered freely to all persons that put their full trust and confidence in him Therefore that this damnable vice of despair may be clearly taken away and firm belief and fiedfast hope surely conceived of all their Parishioners being in any danger they shall learn and have always in a readiness such comfortable places and sentences of Scripture as do set forth the mercy benefits and goodness of Almighty God towards all penitent and believing persons that they may at all times when necessity shall require promptly comfort their flock with the lively word of God which is the only stay of mans conscience Also To avoid all contention and strife which heretofore hath risen among the Kings Majesties Subjects in sundry places of his Realms and Dominions by reason of fond courtesie and challenging of places in procession and also that they may the more quietly hear that which is said or sung to their edifying they shall not from henceforth in any Parish Church at any time use any procession about the Church or Church-yard or other place but immediately before high Mass the Priests with other of the Quire shall kneel in the midst of the Church and sing or say plainly and distinctly the Litany which is set forth in English with all the Suffrages following and none other Procession or Letany to be had or used but the saie Litany in English adding nothing thereto but as the Kings Grace shall hereafter appoint and in Cathedral or Collegiate Churches the same shall be done in such places as our Commissaries in our Visitation shall appoint And in the time of the Litany of the Mass of the Sermon and when the Priest readeth the Scripture to the Parishioners no manner of persons without a just and urgent cause shall depart out of the Church and all ringing and knolling of Bells shall be utterly forborn at that time except one Bell in convenient time to be rung or knowled before the Sermon Also Like as the people be commonly occupied the work-day with bodily labour for their bodily sustenance so was the holy-day at the first beginning godly instituted and ordained that the people should that day give themselves wholly to God And whereas in our time God is more offended than pleased more dishonored than honored upon the holy-day because of idleness pride drunkenness quarrelling and brawling which are most used in such days people nevertheless perswading themselves sufficiently to honor God on that day if they hear Mass and Service though they understand nothing to their edifying therefore all the Kings faithful and loving Subjects shall from henceforth celebrate and keep their holy-day according to Gods holy will and pleasure that is in hearing the Word of God read and taught in private and publick prayers in knowledging their offences to God and amendment of the same in reconciling their selves charitably to their neighbors where displeasure hath been in often times receiving the Communion of the very body and blood of Christ in visiting of the poor and sick in using all soberness and godly conversation Yet notwithstanding all Parsons Vicars and Curates shall teach and declare unto their Parishioners that they may with a safe and quiet conscience in the time of Harvest labour upon che holy-and festival days and save that thing which God hath sent And if for any scrupulosity or grudge of conscience men should superstitiously abstain from working upon those days that then they should grievously offend and displease God Also For as much as variance and contention is a thing which most displeaseth God and is most contrary to the blessed Communion of the body and blood of our Saviour Christ Curates shail in no wise admit to the receiving thereof any of their Cure and flock who hath malitiously and openly contended with his Neighbor unless the same do first charitably and openly reconcile himself again remitting all rancour and malice whatsoever controversie hath been between them and nevertheless their just titles and rights they may charitably prosecute before such as have authority to hear the same Also That every Dean Arch deacon Master of Collegiate Church Master of Hospital and Prebendary being Priest shall Preach by himself personally twice every year at the least either in the place where he is intituled or in some Church where he hath jurisdiction or else which is to the said place appropriate or united Also That they shall instruct and teach in their Cures that no man ought obstinately and maliciously to break and violate the laudable ceremonies of the Church by the King commanded to be observed and as yet not abrogatted And on the other side that whosoever doth superstitiously abuse them doth the same to the great peril and danger of his Souls health as in casting holy Water upon his Bed upon Images and other dead things or bearing about him holy Bread or Saint Johns Gospel or making of crosses of wood upon Palm-sunday in time of reading of the Passion or keeping of private holy-days as Bakers Brewers Smiths Shoe-makers and such other do or ringing of holy Bells or blessing with the holy Candle to the intent thereby to be discharged of the burden of sin or to drive away Devils or
to use themselves in such wise as may be to Gods glory the Kings honor and the weal of this Realm Thirdly ye shall pray for all them that be departed out of this world in the faith of Christ that they with us and we with them at the day of Iudgment may rest both body and soul with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven ALL which singular Injunctionsr the Kings Majesty ministreth unto his Clergy and their Successors and to all his loving Subjects straightly charging and commanding them to observe and keep the same upon pain of deprivation sequestration of fruits or Benefices suspension excommunication and such other coertion as to Ordinaries or other having Ecclesiastical Iurisdiction whom his Majesty hath appointed for the due execution of the same shall be seen convenient charging and commanding them to see these Injunctions observed and kept of all persons being under their jurisdiction as they will answer to his Majesty for the contrary and his Majesties pleasure is that every Iustice of Peace being required thall assist the Ordinaries and every of them for the due execution of the said Injunctions THE ORDER Of the Communion Imprinted at London by Richard Grafton MDXLVII The PROCLAMATION EDWARD by the Grace of God King of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and of the Church of England and Ireland in Earth the Supreme Head to all and singular Our loving Subjects Greeting For so much as in Our high Court of Parliament lately holden at Westminster it was by Vs with the consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons there assembled most godly and agreably to Christs holy institution Enacted That the most blessed Sacrament of the body and blood of Our Saviour Christ should from thenceforth be commonly delivered and ministred unto all persons within Our Realm of England and Ireland and other Our Dominions under both kinds that is to say of Bread and Wine except necessity otherways require lest any man phansying and devising a sundry way by himself in the use of this most blessed Sacrament of Vnity there might thereby arise any unseemly and ungodly diversity Our pleasure is by the advice of Our most dear Vncle the Duke of Somerset Governour of our Person and Protector of all Our Realms Dominions and Subjects and other of Our Privy Council That the said blessed Sacrament be ministred unto Our people only after such form and manner as hereafter by Our Authority with the advice beforementioned is set forth and declared willing every man with due reverence and Christian behaviour to come to this holy Sacrament and most blessed Communion lest by the unworthy receiving of so high mysteries they become guilty of the body and blood of the Lord and so eat and drink their own damnation but rather diligently trying themselves that they may so come to this holy Table of Christ and so be partakeres of this holy Communion that they may dwell in Christ and have Christ dwelling in them And also with such obedience and conformity to receive this our Ordinance and most godly direction that we may be encouraged from to time time further to travel for the reformation and setting forth of such godly Orders as may be most to Gods glory the edifying of Our Subjects and for the advancement of true Religion Which thing we by the help of God most earnestly intend to bring to effect willing all Our loving Subjects in the mean time to stay and quiet themselves with this Our direction as men content to follow Our Authority according to the bounden duty of Subjects and not enterprising to run a fore and so by their rashness become the greatest hinderers of such things as they more arrogantly than godly would seem by their own private Authority most hotly to set forward We would not have Our Subjects so much to mislike Our Iudgment so much to mistrust Our Zeal as though we either could not discern what were to be done or would not do all things in due time God be praised we know both what by his word is meet to be redressed and have an earnest mind by the advice of Our most dear Vncle and other of Our Privy Council with all diligence and convenient speed so to set forth the same as it may most stand with Gods glory and edifying and quietness of Our people which we doubt not but all Our obedient and loving Subjects will quietly and reverently tarry for God save the KING The order of the Communion First the Parson Vicar or Curate the next Sunday or Holy-day or at the least one Day before he shall Minister the Communion shall give warning to his Parishoners or those which be present that they prepare themselves thereto saying to them openly and plainly as hereafter followeth or such like DEar Friends and you especially upon whose souls I have cure and charge upon day next I do intend by Gods Grace to offer to all such as shall be there godly disposed the most comfortable Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ to be taken of them in the remembrance of his most fruitful and glorious Passion by the which Passion we have obtained remisson of our sins and be made partakers of the Kingdom of Heaven whereof we be assured and ascertained if we come to the said Sacrament with hearty repentance for our offences stedfast faith in Gods mercy and earnest minds to obey Gods will and to offend no more wherefore our duty is to come to these holy mysteries with most hearty thanks to be given to Almighty God for his infinite mercy and benefits given and bestowed upon us his unworthy servants for whom he hath not only given his body to death and shed his blood but also doth vouchsafe in a Sacrament and mystery to give us his said body and blood spiritually to feed and drink upon The which Sacrament being so divine and holy a thing and so comfortable to them which receive it worthily and so dangerous to them that will presume to take the same unworthily my duty is to exhort you in the mean season to consider the greatness of the thing and to search and examine your own consciences and that not lightly nor after the manner of dissemblers with God But as they which should come to a most godly and heavenly banket not to come but in the Marriage-garment required of God in Scripture that you may so much as lyeth in you be found worthy to come to such a Table The ways and means thereto is First That you be truly repentant of your former evil life and that you confess with an unfeigned heart to Almighty God your sins and unkindness towards His Majesty committed either by will word or deed infirmity or ignorance and that with inward sorrow and tears you bewail your offences and require of Almighty God mercy and pardon promising to him from the bottom of your hearts the amendment of your former life And amongst all
edifying they shall not from henceforth in any Parish-Church at any time use any Procession about the Church or Church-yard or at any place but immediately before the time of Communion of the Sacrament the Priests with other of the Quire shall kneel in the midst of the Church and sing or say plainly and distinctly the Letany which is set forth in English The Letany with all the suffrages following to the intent the people may hear and answer and none other procession or Letany to be had or used but the said Letany English adding nothing thereto but as it is now appointed And in Cathedral or Collegiate Churches the same shall be done in such places and in such sort as our Commissioners in our Visitation shall appoint And in the time of the Letany of the Common-prayer of the Sermon Let of hearing of Divine Service and when the Priest readeth the Scripture to the Parishioners no manner of persons without a just and urgent cause shall use any walking in the Church nor shall depart out of the Church and all ringing and knolling of Bells shall be utterly forborn at that time except one Bell at convenient time to be rung or knolled before the Sermon But yet for retaining of the Perambulation of the Circuits of Parishes they shall once in the year at the time accustomed with the Curate and substantial men of the Parish walk about the Parishes as they were accustomed and at their return to the Church make their Common-prayers 19. Provided Perambulation of Parishes That the Curate in their said common Perambulations used heretofore in the days of Rogations at certain convenient places shall admonish the people to give thanks to God in the beholding of Gods benefits for the increase and abundance of his fruits upon the face of the Earth with the saying of the Ciii Psalm Benedic anima mea c. At which time also the same Minister shall inculcate these or such sentences Cursed be he which translateth the bounds and dolles of his Neighbor Or such other order of prayers as shall be hereafter appointed 20. Item Spending of the holy-dayes All the Queens faithful and loving Subjects shall from henceforth celebrate and keep their holy-day according to Gods will and pleasure that is in hearing the Word of God read and taught in private and publick prayers in knowledging their offences unto God and amendment of the same in reconciling themselves charitably to their neighbors where displeasure hath been in oftentimes receiving the communion of the very body and blood of Christ in visiting of the poor and sick using all soberness and godly conversation yet notwithstanding all Parsons Vicars and Curates shall teach and declare unto their Parishioners that they may with a safe and quiet conscience after their Common-prayer in the time of Harvest labor upon the holy and festival days and save that thing which God hath sent and if for any scrupulosity or grudge of conscience men should superstitiously abstain from working upon those days that then they should grievously offend and displease God Open contenders to be reconciled openly 21. Also For as much as variance and contention is a thing that most displeaseth God and is most contrary to the blessed Communion of the body and blood of our Saviour Christ Curates shall in no wise admit to the receiving thereof any of their cure and flock which be openly known to live in sin without repentance or who hath maliciously and openly contended with his Neighbor unless the same do first charitably and openly reconcile himself again remitting all rancour and malice whatsoever controversie hath been between them And nevertheless the just titles and rights they may charitably prosecute before such as have authority to hear the same Contemners of laudable Ceremonies 22. Also That they shall instruct and teach in their Cures That no man ought obstinately and maliciously to break and violate the laudable Ceremonies of the Church commanded by publick authority to be observed The abolishment of all things superstitious 23. Also That they shall take away utterly extinct and destroy all Shrines coverings of Shrines all Tables Candlesticks Trindals and Rolls of Wax Pictures Paintings and all other Monuments of feigned Miracles Pilgrimages Idolatry and Superstition so that there remain no memory of the same in walls glass-windows or elsewhere within their Churches and Houses preserving nevertheless or repairing both the walls and glass-windows and they shall exhort all their Parishioners to do the like within their several Houses The Pulpit 24 And that the Church-wardens at the common charge of the Parishioners in every Church shall provide a comely and honest Pulpit to be set in a convenient place within the same and to be there seemly kept for the Preaching of Gods Word The chest of the poor 25. Also They shall provide and have within three months after this Visitation a strong Chest with a hole in the upper part thereof to be provided at the cost and charge of the Parish having three Keys whereof one shall remain with the Parson Vicar or Curate and the other two in the custody of the Church-wardens or any other two honest men to be appointed by the Parish from year to year which Chest you shall set and fasten in a most convenient place to the intent the Parishioners should put into it their oblations and alms for their poor neighbors And the Parson Vicar and Curate shall diligently from time to time and especially when men make their Testaments call upon exhort and move their neighbors to confer and give as they may well spare to the said Chest declaring unto them whereas heretofore they have been diligent to bestow much substance otherwise than God commanded upon Pardons Pilgrimages Trentals decking of Images offering of Candles giving to Fryers and upon other like blind devotions they ought at this time to be much more ready to help the poor and needy knowing that to relieve the poor is a true worshipping of God required earnestly upon pain of everlasting damnation and that also whatsoever is given for their comfort is given to Christ himself and so is accepted of him that he will mercifully reward the same with everlasting life The which alms and devotions of the people The distribution of alms the keepers of the keys shall at all times convenient take out of the Chest and distribute the same in the presence of the whole Parish or six of them to be truly and faithfully delivered to their most needy neighbors And if they be provided for then to the reparation of high-ways next adjoyning or to the poor people of such Parishes near as shall be thought best to the said keepers of the keys And also the moneys which riseth of Fraternities Guilds and other stocks of the Church except by the Queens Majesties Authority it be otherwise appointed shall be put in the said Chest and converted to the said
any shall sell or utter any manner of Books and Papers being not licensed as is abovesaid that the same party shall be punished by order of the said Commissioners as to the quality of the fault shall be thought meet And touching all other Books of matters of Religion or Policy or Governance that have been printed either on this side the Seas or on the other side because the diversity of them is great and that there needeth good consideration to be had of the particularities thereof her Majesty referreth the prohibition or remission thereof to the order which her said Commissioners within the City of London shall take and notifie According to the which her Majesty straightly chargeth and commandeth all manner of her Subjects and especially the Wardens and Company of Stationers to be obedient Provided that these Orders do not extend to any prophane Authors and Works in any Language that have been heretofore commonly received or allowed in any of the Vniversities and Schools but the same may be printed used as by good order they were accustomed 52. Item Although Almighty God is all times to be honoured with all manner of reverence that may be devised Reverence of prayers yet of all other times in time of Common-prayer the same is most to be regarded Therefore it is to be necessarily received that in time of the Letany and all other Collects and common supplications to Almighty God all manner of people shall devoutly and humbly kneel upon their knees and give ear thereunto Honor to the Name of Jesus and that whensoever the Name of Iesus shall be in any Lesson Sermon or otherwise in the Church pronounced that due reverence be made of all persons young and old with lowness of courtesie and uncovering of heads of the menkind as thereunto doth necessarily belong and heretofore hath been accustomed 53. Item That all Ministers and Readers of publick Prayers Curates to read distinctly Chapters and Homilies shall be charged to read leisurely plainly and distinctly and also such as are but mean Readers shall peruse over before once or twice the Chapters and Homilies to the intent they may read to the better understanding of the people the more encouragement to godliness An Admonition to simple men deceived by malicious THe Queens Majesty being informed that in certain places of the Realm sundry of her native Subjects being called to Ecclesiastical Ministery of the Church be by sinister perswasion and perverse construction induced to find some scruple in the form of an Oath which by an Act of the last Parliament is prescribed to be required of divers persons for their recognition of their Allegeance to her Majesty which certainly never was ever meant nor by any equity of words or good sense can be thereof gathered would that all her loving Subjects should understand that nothing was is or shall be meant or intended by the same Oath to have any other duty allegeance or bond required by the same Oath than was acknowledged to be due to the most noble Kings of famous memory King Henry the eighth her Majesties Father or King Edward the sixth her Majesties Brother And further her Majesty forbiddeth all manner her Subjects to give ear or credit to such perverse and malicious persons which most sinisterly and maliciously labor to notifie to her loving Subjects how by words of the said Oath it may be collected that the Kings or Queens of this Realm possessors of the Crown may challenge authority and power of Ministery of divine service in the Church wherein her said Subjects be much abused by such evil disposed persons For certainly her Majesty neither doth nor ever will challenge any authority than that was challenged and lately used by the said noble Kings of famous memory King Henry the eighth and King Edward the sixth which is and was of ancient time due to the Imperial Crown of this Realm that is under God to have the Soveraignty and rule over all manner of persons born within these her Realms Dominions and Countries of what estate either Ecclesiastical or Temporal soever they be so as no other forreign power shall or ought to have any superiority over them And if any person that hath conceived any other sense of the form of the said Oath shall accept the same Oath with this interpretation sense or meaning her Majesty is well pleased to accept every such in that behalf as her good and obedient Subjects and shall acquit them of all manner of penalties contained in the said Act against such as shall peremptorily or obstinately take the same Oath For Tables in the Church WHereas her Majesty understandeth that in many and sundry parts of the Realm the Altars of the Churches be removed and Tables placed for the administration of the holy Sacrament according to the form of the Law therefore provided and in some other places the Altars be not yet removed upon opinion conceived of some other order therein to be taken by her Majesties Visitors In the other whereof saving for an uniformity there seemeth no matter of great moment so that the Sacrament be duly reverently ministred Yet for observation of one uniformity through the whole Realm and for the better imitation of the Law in that behalf it is ordered that no Altar be taken down but by oversight of the Curate of the Church and the Church-wardens or one of them at the least wherein no riotous or disordered manner be used And that the holy Table in every Church be decently made and set in the place where the Altar stood and there commonly covered as thereto belongeth and as shall be appointed by the Visitors and so to stand saving when the Communion of the Sacrament is to be distributed at which time the same shall be so placed in good sort within the Chancel as whereby the Minister may be more conveniently heard of the Communicants in his prayer and ministration and the Communicants also more conveniently and in more number Communicate with the said Minister And after the Communion done from time to time the same holy Table to be placed where it stood before The Sacramental bread Item Where also it was in the time of King Edward the sixth used to have the Sacramental bread of common fine bread it is ordered for the more reverence to be given to this holy mysteries being the Sacramencs of the body and blood of our Saviour Iesus Christ that the said Sacramental bread be made and formed plain without any figure thereupon of the same fineness and fashion round though somewhat bigger in compass and thickness as the usual bread and water heretofore named singing Cakes which served for the use of the private Mass The form of bidding the Prayers to be used generally in this uniform sort YE shall pray for Christs holy Catholick Church that is for the whole Congregation of Christian people dispersed throughout the whole world and especially for the Church of England