Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A63877
|
A letter to the clergy of the diœcess of Ely from the Bishop of Ely ; before, and preparatory to his visitation.
|
Church of England. Diocese of Ely. Bishop (1684-1690 : Turner); Turner, Francis, 1638?-1700.
|
1686
(1686)
|
Wing T3277; ESTC R38378
|
10,246
|
32
|
stress as to exact it indispensably where I have to do And by Catechizing is meant and intended as plainly appears from His Majesties said Royal Leters as well as from our Canons and Rubricks not only your Examining the Children and Teaching them the words of the Catechism But instructing them and others of riper years who yet may need Instruction and receive no small advantage by your Explaining it publickly so as in a short time all if they be not to blame may understand their common Christianity XII But there is one thing more which I do exceedingly long to see introduc't and would fain obtain that which the Rubrick in the true Intent of it still exacts of you to have Morning and Evening Prayer every day of the week in your Church if you live upon your Cure or keep a Curate upon it and not extream far from your Church And if by any means in the world you can prevail with at least a few of your Parishioners which sure cannot be wanting in most Parishes where there are either some devout Gentry and Persons of Quality or at least some piously dispos'd People and to all such I could almost kneel most earnestly begging of them as they love God and their own and other Christian souls that they will do their parts towards the promoting so good a Work perhaps the Best and the most Publick Good they can ever do in the places where they live and where there are either poor Widows who may well afford to be at Prayers for those whose Pensioners they are or where there are Children taught by a School-Master or Mistress there it is very hard if some little Daily Congregation might not be found would but the Minister attempt and labour it with as much Application and Zeal as the thing it self mightily deserves Nay better the Minister with or without his Parish Clerk and with but some of his own Family that He may say When two or three are gathered together in thy Name than not to begin this worthy Design of Prayers twice a day in your Churches But where that cannot be for the Distance of your houses there to have them without fail in your private families But on Holy-day-Eves and Holy-days on all Litany-days and all the Fasts of the Church in the time of Advent and Lent Ember-Weeks and Rogation-days I live in good hopes and great Expectation you will by Degrees gain such ground upon them that you will bring so many to Church as shall make up a numerous Congregation XIII I should not Doubt to see such very considerable good effects in a short time if you could and would either your self bestow or prevail with any your Parishioners of Ability to bestow and disperse about the Parish among your People Copies of Dr Beveridge's excellent Sermon concerning the Excellency and usefulness of the Common Prayer a Sermon which now We have Reprinted of the seventh Edition Or the second Edition of that devout Laick Mr Seamour's most pious little Book of Advice to the Readers of the Common Prayer and to the People Attending the same to which let me add that small piece but very well and Wisely Design'd and lately publisht at Oxford Entitled The Common Prayer Book the best Companion in the House and Closet as well as in the Temple with a particular Office for the Sacrament Which last Collection if it be once commonly Receiv'd and Reverently us'd will at the same time secure the keeping up sober Religion in private Families and in Closets while it also brings the People to a good liking pious using and easily remembring of those same Prayers which at other times they shall hear Read in your Churches But having touch't accidentally on the Devotions of the Family on those that are more Private and Particular both which I assure My Self you will always Preach up and that most effectually by letting your Light so shine before Men that they may see your Good Works and Good Example of devout Practice let me Recommend to you for the sake of the Poorest and Meanest sort of your people the short Directions for Prayer taken out of the Church-Catechism and Printed in one single sheet by my honoured Dear Friend and Brother The Right Reverend Father in God The Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells And for the use of those that are more Capable His Revis'd Exposition on the Church Catechism or the Practice of Divine Love By the Distribution of these few short cheap Treatises I have seen a World of Good has been done already and though these may seem but small things to fill a Letter withall yet they are such things as without them the Greatest things can never be Compass'd XIV I must also insist and enjoyn you to insist from this time forward upon that Rubrick for Bringing Children to Publick Baptism in your Church which as it will keep up the Solemnity and secure the Decent performance of the thing so the Office it 's self being Excellent will very much edifie the people And in case of the Child's sickness or extraordinary weakness though you yield to Christen it at home with the Office for private Baptism yet you are by no means to doe it with Godfathers and Godmothers except in the Church But when it gathers strength then you are strictly to require that it be brought to Church and it's Baptism publisht there according to our Rubricks and Offices which if Parents refuse to Observe you are to refuse entring their Childrens Names into the Churches-Register and to see such Parents proceeded against in the Spirituall Court XV. I doe also Recommend it to your effectuall care and pains to procure the due Execution of that wise and usefull Rubrick however Disus'd that so many as intend to be partakers of the Holy Communion shall signifie their Names to the Curate at least some time the day before through the Inobservance of which Rule some Excommunicated Persons or that richly Deserve to be so and some that have cut themselves off from the Church may surprize you and be Admitted And as I hope you will never fail on Wednesday Friday and Saturday in the afternoon before the Communion-day to have prayers in your Church so methinks I ought not in Charity to Doubt but All such as intend to be Communicants will at least at some of those times if They cannot at all of them be present at the Prayers and then and there may they give in their Names most conveniently in the Church where to their inexpressible advantage they may be Discourst separately without shaming any grown persons who still may need some Instruction or exposing any one that requires either Counsell or Comfort in either of which Cases the Church of England Invites and Injoynes their coming to the Minister of their own Parish or some other Godly Minister for ghostly Advice XVI And having in my last years progress found no fault so common and almost General as the Careless making