shalt return This gift went far beyond the loss Paradise was the place from which we fell but we were this day carried up to heaven and mansions are there provided for us Chrys. in diem Christ ascended up into heaven in the sight of his Disciples that they and we might assuredly believe that we should follow and not deem it impossible for us body and soul to be translated thither Cypr. in diem This day hath proper Lessons and Psalms The First Lesson at Morning Service is Deut. 10. Wherein is recorded Moses going up into the Mount to receive the Law from God to deliver it to the Jews a type of Christs ascension into Heaven to send down the new Law the Law of Faith For when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men Apostles Evangelists Pastors and Teachers to publish the new Law to the world Ephes. 4. 8. The First Lesson at Even is 2 Kings 2. Wherein Elias his ascending into Heaven was a type of Christs Ascension but Christ went far beyond his type in many particulars Elias went up with a single Chariot but Christ was attended with thousands Psal. 68. 17. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels and the Lord ascending is among them Elias upon his ascension doubles his Spirit upon Elisha But Christ gave such an abundance of the holy Spirit to his Disciples upon his Ascension that they not only were filled with it themselves but it ran over upon others from them by laying on of hands they imparted it to others Acts 8. 17. We have no proper Second Lessons appointed but in Edw. 6. Liturgy were appointed S. Iohn 14. Ephes. 4. both very fit for the day Psalms for the Morâ— are 8. 15. 21. Psalms The 8. Psal. begins O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy name in all the world thou that hast set thy glory above the heavens This was fulfilled this day For this day he set his glory above the Heavens ascending from earthly humility to heavenly glory This made thy Name wonderful in all the world For hereby it appears that thou that didst before descend so low and wert for a time so vile reputed art greater than all Principalities and Powers in Heaven and Earth since some saw and all men now believe that thou didst ascend into Heaven whereby thou hast gotten A name above all names That at the Name of Iesus every knee should bow both of things in Hevven and earth Phil. 2. 9 10. Psal. 15. Who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle or who shall rest upon thy holy hill even he that hath clean hands c. shews both how just it was that Christ should ascend and rest upon the holy Hill the highest Heaven of which Mount Sion was a type for he of all others had clean hands and a pure heart and withal tells us the way which we must walk viz. the way of righteousness and holiness if we desire to follow Christ to heaven The 21. Psal. is to be understood of Christ. S. Aug. in loc Ver. 4. Thou gavest him a long life even for ever and ever his honour is great in thy salvation The raising him from death hath made his honour great and all the world to believe in him Glory and great worship shalt thou lay upon him by setting him at thy right hand in Heaven The rest of the Psalm is to the same purpose of Christs absolute triumph over his enemies which was this day fulfilled when he led captivity captive The Even Psalms are 24. 68. 108. Psalms The 24. was sung this day at Christs Ascension by a Quire of Angels some going before the Lord Christ knocking as it were at Heaven gates and singing Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in to whom other Angels in Heaven desirous to know who this King of glory was sing the next words Who is the King of glory The first Angels that waited upon our Lord in his Ascension answer The Lord strong and mighty even the Lord mighty in battel as ye may see by the prisoners that he leads captive in his triumph Therefore Lift up your heads O ye gates that never were yet opened to humane nature where never man yet entred S. Iohn 3. 13. Acts 2. 24. Heb. 10. 20. The other Angels as yet as it were amazed at the glory of the triumph ask again Who is the King of glory what Lord is it that is so mighty His heavenly Guard answer again The Lord of hosts he is the King of glory Theodor. in Psal. Then Heaven gates were opened and our dear Lord entred and took possession for us and prepared places for us S. Iohn 14. 2. The 68. Psal. at the 18. ver is by the Apostle applyed to the Ascension of Christ Ephes. 4. 8. Thou hast ascended up on high and led captivity captive It is not to be denied but that it may be applyed to others also for the Scripture is full of sense as to Moses For he from the bottom of the Red Sea went up to the top of Sinai leading with him the people of Israel that long had been captive to Pharaoh and there received gifts the Law the Priesthood but above all the Ark of the Covenant to be the pledge of Gods presence amongst them this is the literal sense This of Moses by analogy doth King David apply to himself to his going up to mount Sion and carrying up the Ark thither For all agree this Psalm was set upon that occasion The very beginning of it Let God arise shews as much the acclamation ever to be used at the Arks removing Num. 10. 35. This was done immediately upon his conquest of the Iohnsites whom he had taken captives what time for the honour of the solemnity he dealt gifts bread and wine to the people 1 Chron. 15. But in the prophetical sense this Psalm belongs to Christ to the Testimony of Iesus which is the Spirit of all prophesie Rev. 19. 10. For that was the greatest captivity that ever was led captive his the highest up-going higher than Sion or Sinai far that the most gracious and glorious triumph when Christ made a shew of Principalities and Powers of Hell triumphing over them in his own person Col. 2. 19. which was this days triumph Bishop Andrews Serm 7. in Pentecost In the 108. Psal. The Prophet awakes himself and his Instruments of Musick to give thanks to God among the people and among the Nations for setting himself above the heavens and his glory above all the earth which was most litterally fulfilled in his Ascension into Heaven and sitting down at the right hand of God It is true this Psalm is thought to be set upon another occasion viz. Gods promise of subduing the Ammonites and Idumeans under David for which he here vowes his best thanks yet for all this it may be and that principally meant
of Christ for this day Christ both prayed and dyed for his Enemies and as he exprest the height of his love this day by dying for them so does the Church her height of Charity in praying for them The Antiquity of this Holy day appears by Euscb. Hist. l. 2. c. 17. who there tells us That it was an Holy-day in his time and long before That day of our Saviours Passion we are wont to celebrate not only with fastings and watchings but also with attentive hearing and reading of the holy Scriptures SATURDAY THis day the Gospel treats of Christs body ly in the Grave the Epistle of his Souls descent into Hell Of the Collects from Septuagesima to Easter THough the Church be always militant while she is upon Earth yet at this time the time when Kings go out to battel 2 Sam. 11. she is more than ordinary militant going out to fight against her avowed enemies the World the Flesh and the Devil making it her especial business to get the mastery over them so far that they may not be able to prevail over her the year following Now because as S. Paul saith 1 Cor. 9.25 Every one that strives for mastery is temperate in all things therefore at this time especially when she is seeking the mastery over her Enemies holy Church does more than ordinary addict her self to temperance fasting and other works of Penance and Mortification and accordingly she suits her Readings not aiming to fit them to each particular day this is to be expected only upon priviledged days the subject matter of whose solemnity is more particularly recorded in holy Scripture but to the Season in general and the Churches design at this time commending to us Fasting Repentance Alms Charity and Patience in undergoing such voluntary afflictions And the Collects are suitable also to the Readings and the time praying earnestly for those Graces and Vertues before mentioned which are especially requisite to this her holy undertaking And because she knows her own weakness and her Enemies both craft and strength who will then be most active and busie to hurt when we thus set our selves to fight against them therefore does she earnestly and frequently also in divers Collects pray for Gods protection and defence from those Enemies for his strength and assistence whereby she may overcome them That he would stretch forth the right hand of his Majesty and by his power defend us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls which of our selves have no power to help our selves And in such prayers as these the Church continues lifting up her hands as Moses did his against the Amalekites all the time of this spiritual conflict EASTER THis is the highest of all Feasts says Epiphanius upon the day This day Christ opened to us the door of Life being the first-fruits of those that rose from the dead whose Resurrection was our life for he rose again for our justification Rom. 4.45 Instead of the usual Invitatory O câ—me let us sing unto the Lord holy Church uses special Hymns or Anthems concerning Christs Resurrection Christ rising again from the dead c. And Christ is risen c. set down before the Collect on Easter-day Having kept company with the Apostles and first Believers in standing by the Cross weeping upon Good-Friday and kept a Fast upon the Saturday following to comply with the Apostles and Catholick Church who were that day sad and pensive because their Lord was taken away from them we are directed this day to rejoyce with them for the Rising again of our Lord and to express our joy in the same words that they then did and the Church ever since hath done Christ is risen S. Luke 24. 34. the usual Morning salutation this day all the Church over to which the Answer in some places was Christ is risen indeed and in others this And hath appeared to Simon Holy Church her aim is in all these chief days to represent as full as may be the very business of the day and to put us into the same holy affections that the Apostles and other Christians were when they were first done she represents Christ born at Christmas and would have us so affected that day yearly as the first believers were at the first tidings delivered by the Angel So at his Passion she would have us so affected with sorrow as they were that stood by the Cross. And now at his Resurrection she desires to represent it to us as may put us into the same rejoycing that those dejected Christians were when the Angel told them He is not here but is risen S. Luke 24. 6. Holy Church supposes us to have fasted and wept upon Good-Friday and the day following because our Lord was taken away according to that of our Saviour The time shall come that the Bridegroom shall be taken away from them then shall they fast in those daies and now calls upon us to weep no more for Christ is risen And that she may keep time also with the first tidings of the Resurrection she observes the Angels direction to the Women S. Matt. 26. 7. Go quickly and tell his Disciples that he is risen Supposing us as eager of the joyful news of Christs Resurrection as they were she withholds not the joy but immediately after Confession and Absolution she begins her Office with Christ is risen Proper Psalms at Morn are 2. 57. 111. The first of these is a Triumphant Song for Christs victory over all his Enemies that so furiously raged against him Ver. 6. Yet I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion Notwithstanding all the fury of his Enemies that persecuted and murdered him Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion by his glorious Resurrection from the dead as it is expounded Acts 13â— 33. The 57. Psalm is of the same nature It mentions Christs Triumph over Hell and Death My Soul is among Lions Verse 4. And the children of men have laid a net for my feet and pressed down my soul crucifying the Lord of glory but God sent from Heaven Ver. 3. and saved him from the Lions both Devils and Men by a glorious Resurrection And therefore he â—reaks forth Ver. 9. Awake up my glory awake Lute and Harp I my self will awake right early I will give thanks unto thee O Lord c. The 3. Psal. is a Psalm of Thanksgiving for marvellous works of redemption Ver. 9. works worthy to be praised and had in honour Ver. 3. And therefore though it be not set particularly for the Resurrection but may serve for any marvellous work of mercy yet is it most fit for this day and the work of this for amongst all the marvellous works of Redemption this of Christs Resurrection is the chief and most worthy by us to be had in honour For If Christ be not risen we are yet in our sins We are utterly lost 1 Cor 15. But Christ is risen The merciful and
unto him Other reasons for an Octave to great Feasts are given which are mystical The Octave or eighth day signifies Eternity for our whole life is but the repetition or revolution of seven dayes Then comes the eighth day of Eternity to which by Gods mercy we shall be brought if we continue the seven daies of our life in the due and constant service and worship of God or else which is much the same in sense the eighth day is a returning to the first it is the first day of the week begun again signifying that if we constantly serve God the seven days of our life we shall return to the first happy estate that we were created in The Second Quaere is how the Prefaces appointed for these eight daies can be properly used upon each of them for example how can we say eight days together Thou didst give thine only Son to be born this day for us as it is in the Preface To which the Answer may be That the Church does not use the word Day for a natural day of 24. hours or an ordinary artificial day reckoning from Sun to Sun but in the usual acception of it in holy Scripture where by the word Day is signified the whole time designed to one and the same purpose though it lasts several natural days Thus all the time that God appoints to the reclaiming of sinners by merciful chastisements or threatnings is called The day of their visitation Luke 19. 42 44. So all the time allotted us for the working out of our salvation though it be our whole life long is called a day Work while it is day the night comes when no man can work and most directly to our purpose speaks S. Paul Heb. 3. 13. Exhort one another daily while it is called to day or this day that is while you live here in this world In like manner all that time which is appointed by the Church for the thankful commemoration of the same grand blessing for the solemnity of one and the same Feast is as properly called a day and all that time it may be said daily to day as well as all our life S. Paul saies is called Hodie this day After which follows the thrice holy and triumphant song as it was called of old Therefore with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnifie thy glorious name evermore praising thee and saying holy holy holy c. Here we do as it were invite the heavenly host to help bear a part in our thanks to make them full O praise the Lord with me and let us magnifie his name together And in this hymn we hold communion with the Church triumphant Which sweet hymn in all Communions is appointed to be said and though it should be said night and day yet could it never breed a loathing Conc. Vasen c. 6. All that is in our Service from these words Lift up your hearts to the end of the Communion-service is with very little difference to be seen in S. Chrys. Liturg. and in S. Cyrils Catech. mystag 5. Part. 3. Next is the CONSECRATION So you shall find in Chrysost. and Cyril last cited Which Consecration consists chiefly in rehearsing the words of our Saviours institution This is my body and this is my blood when the Bread and Wine is present upon the Communion-table Can. Anglie 21. S. Chrys. Ser. 2. in 2. ad Tim. The holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper which the Priest now makes is the same that Christ gave to his Apostles This is nothing less than that For this is not sanctified by men but by him that sanctified that for as the words which God our Saviour spake are the same which the Priest no◠uses so is the Sacrament the same Again Ser. de Iuda lat Ed. tom 3. Christ is present at the Sacrament now that first instituted it He consecrates this also It is not man that makes the body and blood of Christ by consecrating the holy Elements but Christ that was crucified for us The words are pronounced by the mouth of the Priest but the Elements are consecrated by the power and grace of God THIS IS saith he MY BODY By this word the bread and wine are consecrated Before these words THIS IS MY BODY the bread and wine are common food fit only to nourish the body but since our Lord hath said Do this as oft as you do it in remembrance of me This is my body this my blood as often as by these words and in this faith they are consecrated the holy bread and blessed cup are profitable to the salvation of the whole man Cyprian de coena Dom. The same saies S. Ambr. l. 4. de Sacram. c. 4. 5. S. Aug. ser. 28. de verb. Dei And others After the Consecration the Priest first receives himself so is it ordain'd Conc. Tolet. 12. 5. wherein it is decreed that The Priest shall receive whensoever he offers up the Sacrifice For since the Apostle hath said Are not they which eat of the Sacrifice partakers of the Altar 1 Cor. 10. it is certain that they who sacrifice and eat not are guilty of the Lords Sacrament After he hath received he is to deliver it to the people in their hands So was it in Cyrils time Cat. mystag 5. and Let every one be careful to keep it for whosoever carelesly loses any part of it had better lose a part of himself saies he And Whosoever wilfully throws it away shall be for ever excluded from the Communion Conc. Tolet. 11. c. 11. It is to be given to the people KNEELING for a sin it is not to adore when we receive this Sacrament Aug. in Psal. 98. And the old custome was to receive it after the manner of Adoration Cyril ibidem When the Priest hath said at the delivery of the Sacrament the body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee preserve thy body and soul into everlasting life The Communicant is to answer AMEN Cyril Myst. 5. By this Amen professing his faith of the presence of Christs Body and Blood in that Sacrament The people were of old called out of the Body of the Church into the Chancel even up to the Rails of the Holy Table there to receive it of the Priest Niceph. l. 18. c. 45. So Clement Const. l. 2. c. 57. these be his words in English Afterwards let the Sacrifice be made all the people standing and praying secretly and after the Oblation let every Order apart receive the Body and precious Bloud of the Lord coming up in their Order with fear and reverence as to the Body of a King Where you see they were to come up to the Sacrament and to or near the Railes of the Holy Table saies S. Chrys. Liturgy For after the Priest and Deacons have received the Deacon goes to the door of the Rails 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and lifting up the holy Cup shews it to the people saying
erect a stone in Bethel to be an house to thee which act of his thou didst call for and highly allow of By express Commandmeâ—t from thine own mouth So did Moses make thee the Tabernacle of the Congregation in the Desert which thou didst honour by covering it with a Cloud and filling it with thy Glory And after when it came into the heart of thy servant David to think it was in no wise fitting that himself should dwell in an house of Cedar and the Ark of God remain but in a Tabernacle thou didst testifie with thine own mouth that in that David was so minded to build a House to thy Name it was well done of him to be so minded though he built it not The material Furniture for which house though his Father plentifully prepared yet Solomon his Son built it and brought it to perfection To which House thou went pleased visibly to send fire from Heaven to consume the Sacrifice and to fill it with the Glory of thy presence before all the people And after when for the sins of thy people that Temple was destroyed thou didst by thy Prophets Aggai and Zachary by shewing how inconvenient it was that they should dwell in cieled houses and let thy house lye waste stir up the spirit of Zorobabel to build thee the second Temple anew which second House likewise by the fulness of the Glory of thy presence thou didst shew thy self to like and allow of Neither only wert thou well pleased with such as did build thee these Temples but even with such of the people afterwards as being moved with zeal added unto their Temple their Mother Church lesser places of prayer by the names of Synagogues in every Town throughout the Land for the Tribes to ascend up to worship thee to learn thy holy will and to do it Which very Act of the Centurion to build thy people a Synagogue thou didst well approve and commend in the Gospel And by the bodily presence of thy Son our Saviour at the feast of the Dedication testified by S. Iohn didst really well allow of and do honour to such devout Religious services as we are now about to perform Which also by thy holy Word hast taught us that thine Apostles themselves and the Christians in their time as they had houses to eat and drink in so had they also where the whole Congregation of the Faithful came together in one place which they expressly called Gods Church and would not have it despised nor abused nor eaten nor drunken in but had in great Reverence being the very place of their holy Assemblies By whose godly examples the Christians in all Ages successively have erected and consecrated sundry godly houses for the Celebration of Divine Service and Worship Monuments of their Piety and Devotion as our eyes see this day We then as Fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God being built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the head corner-stone walking in the steps of their most holy Faith and ensuing the examples of these thy Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles have together with them done the same work I say in building and dedicating this house as an habitation for thee and a place for us to assemble and meet together for the observation of thy Divine Worship invocation of thy Name reading preaching hearing thy most holy Word administring thy most holy Sacraments above all in thy most holy place the very gate of Heaven upon earth as Iacob nam'd it to do the work of Heaven to set forth thy most worthy praise to laud and magnifie thy most glorious Majesty for all thy goodness to all men especially to us of the Houshold of Faith Accept therefore we beseech thee most gracious Father of this our bounden duty and service accept this for thine house and because thine Holiness becomes thine house for ever sanctifie this house with thy gracious presence which is erected to the honour of thy most glorious Name Now therefore arise O Lord and come into this place of thy rest thou and the ark of thy strength Let thine eye be open towards this House day and night Let thine ears be ready towards the Prayers of thy children which they shall make unto thee in this place and let thine heart delight to dwell here perpetually And whensoever thy servants shall make to thee their petitions in this House either to bestow thy good graces and blessings upon them or to remove thy punishments judgments from them hear them from Heaven thy dwelling place the Throne of the glory of thy Kingdom and when thou hearest have mercy and grant O Lord we beseech thee that here and elsewhere thy Priests may be cloathed with Righteousness and thy Saints rejoyce in thy Salvation And whereas both in the Old and New Testament thou hast consecrated the measuring out and building of a material Church to such an excellent Mystery that in it is signified and presented the fruition of the joy of thy Heavenly Kingdom we beseech thee that in this material Temple made with hands we may so serve and please thee in all holy Exercises of Godliness and Christian Religion that in the end we may come to that thy Temple on high even to the holy places made without hands whose Builder and Maker is God so as when we shall cease to pray to thee on Earth we may with all those that have in the like manner erected such places to thy Name and with all thy Saints eternally praise thee in the highest Heavens for all thy goodness vouchsafed us for a time here on earth and laid up for us there in thy Kingdom for ever and ever and that for thy dear Sons sake our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ to whom c. BLessed Father who hast promised in thy holy Law that in every place where the remembrance of thy Name shall be put thou wilt come unto us and bless us according to that thy promise come unto us and bless us who put now upon this place the memorial of thy Name by dedicating it wholly and only to thy Service and Worship Blessed Saviour who in the Gospel with thy bodily presence didst honour and adorn the Feast of the dedication of the Temple at this dedication of this Temple unto thee be present also and accept Good Lord and prosper the work of our hands Blessed Spirit without whom nothing is holy no person or place is sanctified aright send down upon this place thy sanctifying power and grace hallow it and make it to thee an holy habitation for ever Blessed and glorious Trinity by whose Power Wisdom and Love all things are purged lightened and made perfect enable us with thy Power enlighten us with thy Truth perfect us with thy Grace that both here and elsewhere acknowledging the glory of thy eternal Trinity and in the Power of thy Divine Majesty worshipping the Unity we may obtain to the
effectual as if God did pronounce it from Heaven So sayes the Confession of Saxony and Bohemia and so sayes the Augustan Confession and which is more so says S. Chrys. in his fifth Hom. upon Esay Heaven waits and expects the Priests sentence here on Earth the Lord follows the servant and what the servant rightly binds or looses here on Earth that the Lord confirms in Heaven The same sayes S. Gregory Hom. 26. upon the Gospels The Apostles and in them all Priests were made Gods Viâ—egerents here on earth in his Name and stead to retain or remit sins S. Augustine and Cyprian and generally Antiquity sayes the same so does our Church in many places particularly in the form Absolution for the sick but above all holy Scripture is clear S. Iohn 20. 23. Whosesoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them Which power of remitting sins was not to end with the Apostles but is a part of the Ministry of Reconciliation as necessary now as it was then and therefore to continue as long as the Ministery of Reconciliation that is to the end of the world Ep. 4. 12 13. When therefore the Priest absolves God absolves if we be truly penitent Now this remission of sins granted here to the Priest to which God hath promised a confirmation in heaven is not the act of Preaching or Baptizing or admitting men to the holy Communion For all these powers were given before this grant was made As you may see S. Mat. 10. 7. As ye go preach saying c. And S. Iohn 4. 2. Though Jesus baptized not but his disciples And 1 Cor. 11. In the same night that he was betrayed he instituted and delivered the Eucharist and gave his Apostles authority to do the like Do this that I have done bless the Elements and distribute them Which is plainly a power of admitting men to the holy Eucharist And all these powers were granted before our Saviours Resurrection But this power of remitting sins mentioned S. Iohnâ— 20. was not granted though promised S. Matt. 16. 19. till Now that is after the Resurrection As appears first by the ceremony of Breathing signifying that then it was given And secondly by the word Receive used in that place Verse 22. which he could not properly have used if they had been endued with this power before Therefore the power of Remitting which here God authorizes and promises certain assistance to is neither Preaching nor Baptizing but some other way of Remitting namely that which the Church calls Absolution And if it be so then to doubt of the effect of it supposing we be truly penitent and such as God will pardon is to question the truth of God and he that under pretence of reverence to God denies or despises this power does injury to God in slighting his Commission and is no better than a Novatian saies S. Ambrose l. 1. de Poenit. cap. 2. After the Priest hath pronounced the Absolution the Church seasonably prayes Wherefore we beseech him to grant us true repentance and his holy spirit c. For as repentance is a necessary disposition to pardon so as that neither God will nor man can absolve those that are impenitent So is it in some parts of it a necessary consequent of pardon and he that is pardoned ought still to repent as he that seeks a pardon Repentance say Divines out to be continual For whereas Repentance consists of three parts as the Church teaches us in the Commination 1. Contrition or lamenting of our sinful lives 2. Knowledging and confessing our sins 3. An endeavour to bring forth fruits worthy of penance which the Ancients call satisfaction Two of these Contrition and Satisfaction are requisite after pardon The remembrance of sin though pardoned must always be grievous to us For to be pleased with the remembrance of it would be sin to us and for Satisfaction or amendment of life and bringing forth fruits worthy of penance that is not only necessary after pardon but it is the more necessary because of pardon for divers reasons as first because immediately after pardon the Devil is most busie to tempt us to sin that we may thereby lose our pardon and he may so recover us again to his captivity from which by pardon we are freed And therefore in our Lords prayer assoon as we have begg'd pardon and prayed Forgive us our trespasses We are taught to pray And lead us not into temptation suffer us not to fall into sin again which very method holy Church here wisely intimates immediately after pardon pronounced directing us to pray for that part of repentance which consists in amendment of life and for the grace of Gods holy Spirit enabling us thereunto Again Repentance in this part of it viz. an endeavour of amendment of life is the more necessary upon pardon granted because the grace of pardon is a new obligation to live well and makes the sin of him that relapsed after pardon the greater and therefore the pardoned had need to pray for that part of repentance and the grace of Gods holy Spirit that both his present service and future life may please God that is that he may observe our Saviours rule given to him that was newly cured and pardoned by him that he may go away and sin no more lest a worse thing happen to â—im S. Iohn 5. 14. There be three several forms of Absolution in the Service The first is that which is used at Morning Prayer Almighty God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ c. And hath given power and commandment to his Ministers to declare and pronounce to his people being penitent the Absolution and Remission of their sins He pardoneth and Absolveth The second is used at the Visitation of the Sick Our Lord Iesus Christ who hath left power to his Church to absolve all sinners which truly repent of his great mercy forgive thée and by his Authority committed to me I absolve thée c. The Third is at the Communion Almighty God our heavenly Father who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith turn to him Have mercy upon you pardon and forgive you c. All these several Forms in sence and virtue are the same For as when a Prince hath granted a Commission to any servant of his to release out oâ— Prison all penitent offenders whatsoever it were all one in effect as to the Prisoners discharge whether this servant sayes by virtue of a Commission granted to me under the Princeâ— hand and seal which here I shew I release this prisoner Or thus The Prince who hath given me this Commission He pardons you Or lastly The Prince pardon and deliver you the Prince then standing by and confirming the word of his Servant So is it here all one as to the remission of sins in the penitent whether the Priest Absolves him after this form Almighty God who hath given me and all
styling the one Canonical the other Apocryphal As for the second Lessons the Church in them goes on in her ordinary course The HYMNS Te Deum c. AFter the Lessons are appointed Hymns The Church observing S. Pauls Rule Singing to the Lord in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs every way expressing her thanks to God The antiquity of Hymns in the Christian Church doth sufficiently appear by that of our Saviour S. Matth 26. When they had sung an Hymn they went out upon which place S. Chrys. sayes They sung an Hymn to teach us to do the like Concerning singing of Psalms and Hymns in the Church we have both the Precepts and Examples of Christ and his Apostles S. Aug. Ep. 119. S. Paul ordered it in the Church of Coloss. Singing to your selves in Psalms and Hymns Col. 3. Which we find presently after practised in the Church of Alexandria founded by S. Mark Eus. Hist l. 2. c. 17. where Philo reports that the Christians had in every place Monasteries wherein they sang Hymns to God in several kinds of Meeter and Verse S. Ambrose brought them into Millaine to ease the peoples sad minds and to keep them from weariness who were praying night and day for their persecuted Bishop and from hence came all Hymns almost to be called Ambrosiani because that by him they were spread over the Latin Church With the Morning and Evening Hymns God is delighted saies S. Hierome and Possidius in the life of S. Augustine tells us c. 28. that towards the time of his dissolution S. Augustine wept abundantly because he saw the Cities destroyed the Bishops and Priests sequestred the Churches prophaned the holy Service and Sacraments neglected either because few or none desired them or else because there were scarce any Priests left to administer to them that did desire them lastly because the Hymns and Lauds of God were lost out of the Church These Hymns are to be said or sung but most properly to be sung else they are not so strictly and truly called Hymns that is Songs of praise and not only by the Church of England but by all Christian Churches of old was it so practised and so holy David directs Psal. 47. 6. O sing praises sing praises unto our God O sing praises sing praises unto our King The profit of which singing Hymns is much many wayes especially in this that they inkindle an holy flame in the minds and affections of the hearers O how I wept sayes S. Aug. in the Hymns and holy Canticles being enforc'd thereunto by the sweet voices of thy Melodious Church by reason of the proneness of our affections to that which delights it pleas'd the wisdom of the Spirit to borrow from melody that pleasure which mingled with heavenly mysteries causes the smoothness and softness of that which touches the ear to conveigh as it were by stealth the treasure of good things into mens minds to this purpose were those harmonious tunes of Psalms devised And S. Basil. in Psal. By pleasing thus the affections and delighting the mind of man Musick makes the service of God more easie When we sing or say these Hymns we stand which is the proper posture for Thanksgivings and Lauds Psal. 134. Praise the Name of the Lord standing in the Courts of the Lord. And 2 Chron. 7. 6. The Priests waited on their office the Levites also with instruments of musick of the Lord which David the King had made to praise the Lord with the 136. Psalm because his mercy endureth for ever when David praised by their ministery and the Priest sounded Trumpets before them and all Israel STOOD The erection of the body fitly expresses the lifting up of the heart in joy whence it is that rejoycing in Scripture is called the lifting up of the head S. Luke 21. 28. Lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh So then joy being a lifting up of the soul and praise and Thanksgiving being effects of joy cannot be more fitly expressed then by erection and lifting up of the body Standing in the Courts of the Lord when we sing praise unto him After the Morning first Lesson follows Te Deum We praise thee O God or O all ye works of the Lord c. called Benedicite The first of which We praise thee O God c. was as is credibly reported framed miraculously by â— Ambrose and S. Augustine at his Baptism and hath been in much esteem in the Church ever since as it deserves being both a Creed containing all the mysteries of Faith and a most solemn Form of Thanksgiving Praise Adoration and what not and so hath that other Canticle O all ye works of the Lord in the which the whole Creation praises God together been received and esteemed universally in the Church Concil Toletan 4. c. 13. After the Second Lesson at Morning Prayer is appointed Blessed be the Lord God of Israel called Benedictus or O be Ioyful in the Lord called Iubilate After the Evening Lessons are appointed Magnificat or My soul doth magnifie the Lord and Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace or else two Psalms And very fitly doth the Church appoint sacred Hymns after Lessons For who is there that hearing God speak from Heaven to him for his fouls health can do less than rise up and praise him and what Hymns can be fitter to praise God with for our salvation than those which were the first gratulations wherewith our Saviour was entertained into the world And such are these Yet as fit as they are some have quarrell'd them especially at Magnificat My soul doth magnifie the Lord and Nunc dimittis or Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace The Objections are these That the first of these was the Virgin Maries Hymn for bearing Christ in her womb The latter old Simeons for seeing and holding in his arms the blessed Babe neither of which can be done by us now and therefore neither can we say properly these Hymns The answer may be that bearing Christ in the womb suckling him holding him in our arms is not so great a blessing as the laying up his holy word in our hearts S. Luke 11. 27. by which Christ is formed in us Gal. 4. 19. and so there is as much thanks to be returned to God for this as for that He that does the will of God taught in his word may as well say My soul doth magnifie the Lord as the holy Virgin for Christ is formed in him as well as in the Virgins womb S. Matth. 12. 50. Whosoever doth the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my brother and sister and mother And why may not we after the reading of a part of the new Testament say Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace as well as old Simeon for in that Scripture by the eye of Faith we see that salvation which he then saw and more clearly reveal'd We have then
thus distinguished that Preces or Supplications were those alternate Petitions where the people answered by responsive Versicles Oratio or prayer was that which was said by the Priest alone the people only answering Amen Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy c. Lord have mercy c. This short Litany as it was called by some Ancients this most humble and piercing Supplication to the Blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost was frequently used in ancient Liturgies as it is to be seen in them and also in the COUNCIL of VAS c. 5. Anno Dom. 440 or thereabouts Because saith that Council the sweet and wholsom Custom of saying Kyrie Eleeson or Lord have mercy upon us with great affection and compunction hath been received into the whole Eastern and most of the Western Church Therefore be it enacted that the same be used in our Churches at Mattins Evensong and Communion-Service It was anciently called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earnest or vehement supplication because as it is a most pathetick Petition of mercy to every Person of the Blessed Trinity so it was uttered by those primitive good men with much earnestness and intention of Spirit being sensible of their danger of sinking into endless perdition without the mercy of the Blessed Trinity and therefore with no less earnestness than S. Peter cryed Master Save when he was sinking â—into the sea did they cry out Lord have mercy God the Father have mercy God the Son have mercy God the holy Ghost have mercy have mercy upon us in pardoning our sins which make us worthy to be cast out of thy favour but unworthy to serve thee Have mercy in helping our weakness and inability of our selves to serve thee Many are our Dangers many are our wants many wayes we stand in need of mercy therefore Lord have mercy c. This excellent Comprehensive â—itany is seasonable at all times and all parts of the Service after our Singing of Hymns and Psalms after our Hearing and Confession of Faith such is our unworthiness such our weakness that it cannot be thought amiss to beg Gods Mercy after we have pray'd such is our dulness and coldness in our prayers that we had need pray Lord have mercy upon us It may be observed that this earnest and humble supplication was usually in old Services and so is in ours set immediately before the Lords Prayer as a preparation to it and very fitly For as we cannot devise a more suitable preparation to prayer than this humble Petition of Mercy and acknowledgement of our own misery so is there no Prayer whereto greater preparation is required than that Divine Prayer sanctified by the sacred Lips of our Lord wherein we say Our Father c. Clem. in Const. l. 7. c. 25. advises when we say this prayer to be careful to prepare our selves so that we may in some manner be worthy of this divine Adoption to be the Sons of God lest if we unworthily call him Father He upbraid us as he did the Jews Mal. 1. If I be your Father where is mine Honour The Sanctity of the Son is the Honour of the Father Indeed it is so great an Honour to call God our Father 1 Ioh. 3. that we had need with all humility beg pardon of his Majesty before we venture upon so high a title Therefore our Mother the Church hath been careful to prepare us for this divine Prayer sometimes by a confession of our sins and Absol as at Morning and Evening Service but most commonly by this short Litany First teaching us to bewail our unworthiness and pray for mercy and then with an humble boldness to look up to Heaven and call God our Father and beg further Blessings of Him VERSICLES and Answers AFter the Lords Prayer follow short Versicles and Answers taken out of Holy Scripture Psal. 85. 7. Psalm 20. 10. Psal. 132. 9. Psal. 28. 10. 2. Kings 20. 19. Psalm 51. 10 11. The Priest beginning and the people Answering contending in an holy Emulation who shall be most devout in these short but pithy Ejaculations or Darts cast up to Heaven Such short Ejaculations were much used by the devout Brethren which S. Augustine commends as the most piercing kind of prayer Ep. 121. Such as these were that of the â—eper S. Matth. 8. 1. Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean and that of the Disciples S. Matth. 8. 24. Master save us we perish Short but powerful as you may see by our Saviours gracious acceptance of them And here I must further commend the Order of ANSWERS of the PEOPLE in all places of the Service where it stands It refresheth their attention it teaches them their part at publick prayers not to stand by and censure how well the Priest playes the mouth of the Congregation Lastly it unites the affections of them altogether and helps to keep them in a league of perpetual amity For if the Prophet David did think that the very meeting of men together in the house of God should make the bond of their love indissoluble Psalm 55. 15. How much more may we judge it reasonable to hope that the like effects may grow in each of the people toward other in them all towards the Priest and in the Priest towards them between whom there daily and interchangeably pass in the hearing of God himself and in the presence of his holy Angels so many heavenly Acclamations Exultations Provocations Petitions Songs of comfort Psalms of praise and thanksgiving in all which particulars as when the Priest makes their suits and they with one voice say Amen Or when he joyfully begins and they with like alacrity follow deviding betwixt them the Sentences wherewith they strive which shall most shew his own and stir up others zeal to the glory of God as in the Psalms and Hymns Or when they mutually pray for each other the Priest for the people and the people for him as in the Versicles immediately before the morning Collects Or when the Priest proposâ—s to God the peoples necessities and they their own requests for relief in every of them as in the Litany Or when he proclaims the Laâ—r oâ— God to them as in the Ten Commandments they adjoyning an humble acknowledgement of their common imbecillity to the several branches thereof together with the lowly requests for Grace to perform the things commanded as in the Kyries or Lord have mercy upon us c. at the end of each Commandment All these Interlocutory Forms of Speech what are they but most effectual partly testifications partly inflammations of all piety The Priest when heâ— begins these short prayers is directed by the Rubrick to STAND It is noted that the Priest in the holy offices is sometimes appointed to kneel sometimes to stand The Reason of this we shall here once for all enquire The Priest or Minister being a man oâ— like infirmities with the rest of the Congregation a sinner and so standing in need
spirit of thy grace The BLESSING We end our Service with a BLESSING which is to be pronounced by the Bishop if he be present See the Rubrick before the Blessing in the Communion-Service Then the Priest or Bishop if present shall let them depart with this Blessing This is order'd for the honour of the Bishops authority Heb. 7. 7. Without contradiction the less is blessed of the greater Therefore blessing being an act of Authority the Bishop ought not to be blest by the Priest but the Priest by the Bishop This blessing of the Bishop or Priest was so highly esteem'd in the Primitive times that none durst go out of the Church till they had received it according to the Councils of Agatha Can. 31. in the year 472. and Orleans the third Can. 22. And when they received it they did it kneeling or bowing down their heads And the Deacon to prepare them to it was wont to call out immediately before the time of the Blessing in such words as these Bow down your selves to the Blessing Chrys. Liturg. The Iews received it after the same manner Eccles. c. 50. v. 23. When the Service was finished the high Priest went down and lifted up his hands over the Congregation to give the blessing of the Lord with his lips and they bowed down themselvs to worship the Lord that they might receive the Blessing from the Lord the most high And doubtless did we consider the efficacy and vertue of this blessing of Priest or Bishop we could do no less than they did For it is God from heaven that blesses us by the mouth of his Minister We have his word for it Numb 6. 22. And the Lord spoke to Moses saying Speak to Aaron and his sons saying On this wise shall ye bless the children of Israel The Lord bless thee c. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel And I will bless them And the same promise of Gods assistance and ratifying the Priests Blessing we have in the Gospel S. Matth. 10. 13. S. Luke 10. 5. where our Saviour charges his Apostles and Disciples that into whatsoever house they enter they should say not pray say with authority Peace be to this house and not if your prayers be servent or if they in the house joyn in prayer with you but if the Son of peace be there that is if he that dwells in the house hinders not nor resists your blessing if he be a person capable of so much good as your blessing for this is signified by this Hebrew phrase Son of peace your peace shall rest upon him but if he be not such a son of peace your blessing shall return to you again which it could not be said to do unless vertue together with the blessing had gone out from them The EVENING SERVICE differs little or nothing from the Morning and therefore what hath been said concerning the Morning office may be applyed to that The LITANY LItany signifies an humble an earnest Supplication These Forms of prayers call'd Litanies wherein the people are more exercised than in any other part of the Service by continual joyning in every passage of it are thought by some to have been brought into the Church about four hundred years after Christ in times of great calamity for the appeasing of Gods wrath True it is that they are very seasonable prayers in such times and therefore were by Gregory and others used in their Processions for the averting of Gods wrath in publick calamities but it is as true that they were long before that time even in the first Services that we find in the Church used at the Communion-Service and other Offices as Ordination of Priests and the like witness Clem. Const. l. 8. c. 5 6 10. where we find the Deacon ministring to the people and directing them from point to point what to pray for as it is in our Litany and the people are appointed to answer to every Petition Domine miserere Lord have mercy And in all Liturgies extant as Mr. Thorndyke hath well observed in his Book of Religious Assemblies the same Allocutions or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are indeed Litanies may be seen And S. Aug. Ep. 119. c. 18 tells us of the Common-prayers which were indited or denounced by the voice of the Deacon All which make it probable that the practice of Litanies is derived from the Apostles and the custom of their time And S. Câ—rys in Rom. c. 8. seems to assert the same For upon that verse We know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit helps our infirmities he saies thus In those daies amongst other miraculous gifts of the Spirit this was one Donum prâ—â—um the gift of making prayers for the Church to help the ignorance of the people that knew not what to pray for as they ought he that had this gift stood up and prayed for the whole Congregation and taught them what to pray for whose Office now the Deacon performs viz. by directing them from point to point what to pray for To every of which Petitions sayes Clem. above cited the people were to answer Domine Miserere This continual joyning of the people in every passage of it tends much both to the improving and evidencing that fervour and intention which is most necessary in prayers Hence was it that these Forms of prayers where the peoples devotion is so often excitedâ— quickned and exercised by continual Suffrages such as Good Lord deliver us We beseech thee to hear us good Lord were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earnest or intense Petitions In which if they were relished aright the earnest and vehement devotion of Primitive times still breaths and in these prayers if ever we pray with the Spirit Concerning the Litany of our Church we may boldly say and easily maintain it that there is not extant any where 1. A more particular excellent enumeration of all the Christians either private or common wants Nor 2. A more innocent blameless form against which there lies no just exception Nor 3. A more Artificial Composure for the raising of our devotion and keeping it up throughout than this part of our Liturgy In the beginning it directs our prayers to the right object the Glorious TRINITY For necessary it is that we should know whom we worship Then it proceeds to Deprecations or prayers against evil lastly to Petitions for good In the Deprecations as right method requires we first pray against sin then against punishment because sin is the greatest evil From all which we pray to be delivered by the holy actions and passions of CHRIST the only merits of all our good The like good order is observed in our Petitions for good First we pray for the Church Catholick the common mother of all Christians then for our own Church to which next the Church Catholick we owe the greatest observance and duty And therein in the first place for the principal
Wednesday and murdered on Friday Epiphan adv Aerium And though our Church in imitation of the Western hath chang'd the Wednesday-Fast to Saturday yet in memory of the Eastern custom the still appoints the Litany to be used upon Wednesday Friday was both in Greek Church and Latin a Litany or Humiliation-day and so is kept in ours And whosoever loves to feast on that day rather than another in that holds not communion with the ancicient Catholick Church but with the Turks who in contumely of Christ crucified Feast that day Chemnit in 3. praec Of HOLY-DAYES HOly in Scripture phrase is all one with separate or set a part to God and is opposed to common What God hath clean'd that call not thou common Acts 10. 15. Holy daies then are those which are taken out of common dayes and separated to Gods holy service and worship either by Gods own appointment or by holy Churches Dedication And these are either Fasting and Penitential daies for there is a holy Fast Ioel 2. as well as a holy Feast Nehem. 8. 10. such as are Ash-wednesday Good-Friday and the whole week before Easter commonly called the Holy-week which daies holy Church hath dedicated to Gods solemn worship in religious fastings and prayers Or else holy Festivals which are set apart to the solemn and religious commemoration of some eminent mercies and blessings of God And amongst those Holy-daies some are higher daies than other in regard of the greatness of the blessing commemorated and of the solemnity of the Service appointed to them So we read Lev. 23. 24. c. The Feast of Tabernacles was to continue seven daies but the first and the eighth were the highest dayes because then were the most solemn Assemblies This sanctification or setting apart of Festival-daies is a token of that thankfulness and a part of that publick honour which we owe to God for admirable benefits and these dayes or Feasts so set apart are of excellent use being as learned Hooker observes the 1. Splendor and outward dignity of our Religion 2. Forcible witnesses of ancient truth 3. Provocations to the exercise of all Piety 4. Shadows of our endless felicity in heaven 5. On earth everlasting records teaching by the eye in a manner whatsoever we believe And concerning particulars As the Iews had their Sabbath which did continually bring to the mind the former World finished by Creation so the Christian Church hath her Lords dayes or Sundays to keep us in perpetual remembrance of a far better World begun by him who came to restore all things to make Heaven and Earth new The rest of the holy Festivals which we celebrate have relation all to one Head CHRIST We begin therefore our Ecclesiastical year as to some accounts though not as to the order of our service with the glorious Annunciation of his Birth by Angelical message Hereunto are added his blessed Nativity it self the mystery of his legal Circumcision the Testification of his true Incarnation by the Purification of his blessed Mother the Virgin Mary his glorious Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven the admirable sending down of his Spirit upon his chosen Again for as much as we know that CHRIST hath not only been manifested great in himself but great in other his Saints also the dayes of whose departure out of this world are to the Church of Christ as the birth and coronation-dayes of Kings or Emperors therefore especial choice being made of the very flower of all occasions in this kind there are annual selected times to meditate of Christ glorified in them which had the honour to suffer for his sake before they had age and ability to know him namely the blessed Innocents glorified in them which knowing him as S. Stephen had the sight of that before death whereinto such acceptable death doth lead glorified in those Sages of the East that came from far to adore him and were conducted by strange light glorified in the second Elias of the World sent before him to prepare his way glorified in every of those Apostles whom it pleased him to use as founders of his kingdom here glorified in the Angels as in S. Michael glorified in all those happy souls that are already possest of bliss Besides these be four dayes annext to the Feasts of Easter and Whitsunday for the more honour and enlargement of those high solemnities These being the dayes which the Lord hath made glorious Let us rejoyce and be glad in them These dayes we keep not in a secret Calendar taking thereby our private occasions as we list our selves to think how much God hath done for all men but they are chosen out to serve as publick memorials of such mercies and are therefore cloathed with those outward robes of holiness whereby their difference from other dayes may be made sensible having by holy Church a solemn Service appointed to them Part of which Service are the Epistles and Gospels of which in the first place we shall discourse because these are peculiar and proper to each several Holy-day the rest of the Service for the most part being common to all Concerning these two things are designed 1. To shew the Antiquity of them 2. Their fitness for the day to which they belong or the reason of their choice Concerning the Antiquity of Epistles and Gospels it will be sufficient once for all to shew that the use of them in the Christian Church was ancient Concerning the antiquity of the dayes themselves to which the Epistles and Gospels appertain it will be sit to be more particular That the use of Epistles and Gospels peculiar to the several Holy-dayes was ancient appears first by ancient Liturgies Secondly by the testimony of the ancient Fathers Let S. AVGVSTINE testifie for the Latin-Church in his Preface to his Comment upon the Epistle of S. Iohn and in his X. Sermon De verb. Apost We heard first sayes he the Apostolical Lesson then we sung a Psalm after that the Gospel was read Now let S. CHRYS testifie for the Greek Rom. 19. in cap. 9. Act. The Minister stands up and with a loud voice calls Let us attend then the Lessons are begun which Lessons are the Epistles and Gospels as appears in his Liturgy which follow immediately after the Minister hath so call'd for attention The fitness of the Epistle and Gospel for the day it belongs to and the reason of the choice will plainly appear if we observe that these holy Festivals and Solemnities of the Church are as I have touch'd before of Two Sorts The more high dayes or the rest The First commemorate the signal Acts or Passages of our Lord in the Redemption of mankind his incarnation and Nativity Circumcision Manifestation to the Gentiles his Fasting Passion Resurrection and Ascension the sending of the Holy Ghost and thereupon a more full and express manifestation of the Sacred Trinity The Second sort is of Inferiour dayes that supply the Intervals of the greater such as are either
for all times and so not unseasonable for this 3. Sunday Adv. The Epistle mentions the second coming of Christ the Gospel the first The Collect prayes for the benefit of this light This week is one of the four Ember weeks concerning which see after the first Sunday in Lent 4. Sunday Adv. The Epistle and Gospel set Christ as it were before us not prophesied of but being even at hand yea standing among us pointing him out as S. Iohn Baptist did to the people Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world The Collect Prayes most earnestly and passionately to him to succour us miserable sinners Feast of CHRISTMAS-day THe Epistle Gospel and Collect are plainly suitable to the day all mentioning the birth of Christ. Besides this Feast hath proper Psalms in which some Verses are peculiar to the day as will appear if they be well considered The First Psalm for the Morning Service is the 19. The heavens declare the glory of God very suitable to the Feast for at His Birth a a new Star appeared which declared his Glory and Deity so plainly that it fetcht the Sages of the East to come and worship him S. Matt. 2. Where is he that is born King of the Iews for we have seen his Star in the East and are come to worship him The Second Psalm for the Morning is 45. Which at the beginning of it is a Genethliack or Birth-song of Christ The fairest of the children of men v. 3 And of his mighty success in subduing the Devil aâ—d the world by the word of truth of meekness and righteousâ—ess vers 5. c. The third is Psal. 85. which is principally set for the Birth of Christ. For it is a thanksgiving to God for sending a Saviour which should save his people from their sins the greatest captivity that is and therefore cannot properly be meant of any but Christ who was therefore call'd Iesus because be should save his people from their sins S. Matt. 1. 21. And so the Primitive Church understood it and therefore selected it out as a part of their Office for this day as being proper and pertinent to the matter of the Feast For the meeting here specified ver 10. 11. of Mercy and Truth Righteousness and Peace was at Christs birth who said of himself that he was the Truth who as he had a birth from Heaven to wit his Divine nature so had he another as Man from Earth from the Virgin which birth drew Righteousness to look from Heaven upon poor sinners with a favourable look and made righteousness and peace kiss for the delivering of sinners from their captivity True it is the Prophet in the first Verses speaks of this delivery as of a thing past Lord thou hast turn'd away the captivity of Iacob Yet for all this it may be a prophesie of our salvation by the coming of Christ hereafter for as S. Peter sayes Acts. 2 30. David being a Prophet and seeing this before spake of Christs Nativity as if it were already past The Evening Psalms are 89 110 132. The first and last of which are thankful commemorations of Gods merciful promise of sending our Lord Christ into the world that seed of David which be had sworn to establish and set up his Throne for ever For which O Lord the very heavens shall praise thy wondrous works and thy truth in the congregation of the Saints v. 5. Psal. 89. The Church was in affâ—iction now as is plain in both these Psalms but such was the joy that they were affected with at the promise of Christs birth and coming into the world that they could not contain but even in the midst of their misery break forth into Thanksgiving for it and how can the Church excite us better to Thanksgiving to God for the birth of Christ upon the day then by shewing us how much the promise of it afar off wrought upon the Saints of old The 110. Psalm expresly mentions the birth of Christ ver 3. The dew of thy birth is of the womb of the Morning as the morning dew brings forth innumerable fruit so shall the birth of Christ bring forth innumerable faithful people and therefore the Prophet here does as we should this day adore and praise the goodness of God for the birth of Christ the cause of so much good It is admirable to behold the frame of the Churches holy Office and Service this day In the First Lessons she reads us the prophesie of Christs coming in the flesh in the Second Lessons Epistle and Gospel she gives us the History of it In the Collect the teaches us to pray that we may be partakers of the benefit of his birth In the proper Preface for the day as also in the proper Psalms she sets us to our duty of Adoring and Glorifying God for his mercy In the Lessons and Gospels appointed holy Church does the Angels part brings us glad tydings of our Saviours Birth Behold I bring you glad tydings of great joy for unto you is born this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord S. Luke 2. 10. In pointing the special Hymns and Psalms the calls upon us to do the Shepherds part to glorifie and Praise God for all the things that this day we hear and see ver 20. And to sing with the Angels Glory to God in the highest for this good will to Men. For the Antiquity of this day many testimonies might be brought out of the Ancients but because I intend brevity I shall be content with two beyond exception S. Augustine Ep. 119. witnesses that it was the custome of holy Church to keep this day And upon the five and twentieth of December in Psalm 132. S. Chrysostom makes a Sermon to prove that the keeping of Christmas-day was ancient even from the first times and that the Church kept the true day In the same same sermon he sayes It is a godly thing to keep this day Nay further that the keeping of this day was one of the greatest signs of our love to Christ. Amongst other Arguments which he uses there to perswade his hearers to keep this day he brings this that the custome of keeping this day was religious and of God or else it could never have been so early spread over the whole World in spight of so much opposition Orat. in Natal Dom. Tom. 5. Edit Savil. S. Stephen S. Iohn Innocents IMmediately after Christmas â—ollow as attendants upon this high Festival S. Stephen S. Iohn and Innocents not because this was the very time of their suffering but because none are thought fitter attendants on Christs Nativity than the blessed Martyrs who have laid down their lives for him from whose birth they received spiritual life And there being three kinds of Martyrdom I. In will and deed which is the highest 2. In will but not in deed 3. In deed but not in will in this order they attend S. Stephen first who suffered both
in will and deed Next S. Iohn who suffered Martyrdom in will but not in deed being miraculously delivered out of boyling Cauldron into which he was put before Port-Latin in Rome Lastly the holy Innocents who suffered in deed but not in will yet are reckoned amongst the Martyrs because they suffered for Christ whose praise these his witnesses confest and shewed forth not in speaking but in dying Collect for the day The reason of the choice of the Epistles Gospels and Collects for these dayes is plain these being all priviledged dayes that is days which have in Scripture their peculiar histories But â—or the Collect for S. Stephens day we may note in particular That as the Church offers up some of her Collects directly to the Second Person of the Trinity so one of them is this for S. Stephens day and very properly For as S. Stephen in the midst of his Martyrdom prayed to Jesus saying Lord Iesus receive my spirit and Lord lay not this sin to their charge so the Church in imitation of this blessed Proto-Martyr upon his day calls upon the Lord Jesus also desiring of him such a spirit as that of S. Stephen to love and pray for our Enemies which is that Heroical and Transcendant vertue which is peculiar to Christian Religion Before we endeavour to shew the antiquity of these days in particular it will not be amiss to give some account of the ancient observation of Saints dayes in general That the observation of Saints days was very ancient in the Church will appear by these testimonies following The Councel of Carthag 3. c. 47. tells us that the Church did celebrate the Passions and Anniversaries of the Martyrs This Counc was held in S. Augustines time S. Aug. in Psal. 88. Attend therefore my Dearly Beloved All of you unanimously hold fast God your Father and the Church your Mother Celebrate the Saints Birth-days so they Anciently called the dayes of their Death and Martyrdom with sobriety that we may imitate them that have gone before us that they may joy over us who pray for us that so the Blessing of God may remain upon us for ever Amen Amen Chrys. Hom. 66. ad Pop. Antioch The sepulchres of the Saints are honourable and their dayes are known of all bringing a festival joy to the world Before these S. Cyprian l. 4. ep 5. We celebrate the Passions of the Martyrs and their days with an anniversary commemoration And before him Anno 147. the Church of Smyrna says the same Enseb. Hist. l. 4. c. 15. If it be demanded why the Church kept the days of the Saints deaths rather than of their Birth or Baptism The answer may be 1. Because at their deaths they are born Citizens of Heaven of the Church triumphant which is more than to be born either a man or a Christian a member of the Church Militant whence as above said these days were usually styled by the Ancients Their Birth-days 2. Then do they perfectly triumph over the Devil and the world by which the Church Militant hath gained to her comfort an example of persevering constancy and courage and the Church Triumphant hath gained a new joy by the addition of a new member For surely if the Saints and Angels in heaven joy at the conversion of a sinner much more do they joy at the admission of a Saint into Heaven Thus much of the Saints days in general For these three holy days in particular that they are ancient S. Augustine shews us who hath Sermons upon all these days Tom. 10. And Chrysol who hath Sermons upon S. Stephen and Innocents And Origen in his Comment upon these words A voice was heard in Rama tells us the Church did and did well in it to keep the Feast of Innocents and there is as much reason for the keeping of S. Stevens day who was the first Martyr and of S. Iohns the beloved Disciple and Evangelist as for the keeping of Innocents and therefore it is to be thought that the Church did then as well observe them as this â—ince as we have proved she did keep the days of Martyrs Sunday after Christmas THis Sunday hath the Collect with Christmas-day and the Epistle and Gospel treat about the same business the birth of Christ for we have not yet done with the Solemnity of Christmas Thus great Solemnities have some days after them to continue the memory of them in prorogationem Festi Feast of CIRCVMCISION or Newyears-day THe Feast of the Circumcision is affirmed by Learned men to be of a later institution for though many of the ancients mention the Octave of Christmas and Newyears-day yet they do not mention or seem to keep it say they as a Feast of the Circumcision But suppose it be so yet surely it cannot be denied that there is reason enough for the keeping of this day solemn as it is the Feast of Christs Circumcision For as at Christmas CHRIST was made of a woman like us in nature so this day he was made under the Law Gal. 4. 5. and for us took upon him the curse of the Law being made sin for us and becoming a surety to the offended God for us sinners Which suretiship he seal'd this day with some drops of that precious blood which he meant to pour out whole upon the Cross. As by his Birth we received the adoption of Sons so by his Circumcision the redemption of the Law and without this his Birth had not availed us at all The Epistle Gospel and Collect are plainly fit for the day This Holy day hath no fast before it the Reason we shall shew and to save trouble we will here once for all shew Why some Holy-dayes have Fasts before them and then Why this and some other have none For the first It was the religious custom of the primitive times to spend the night or a greater part of it before the Holy-dayes in watching and prayers and tears partly to prepare them for the more solemn and religious observation of the Holy-day following partly to signifie that we should be as the blessed Saints were after a little time of mortification and affliction translated into glory and joy according to the Psalm Heaviness may endure dure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Thus after a Vigil comes a Holy-day These Vigils or night-watches being in continuance of time abused by the wickedness of some who under colour of those holy nightly exercises stole a liberty of intemperance lust and other villany were say some by the wisdom of holy Church to avoid scandal turn'd into Fasts which still retain the old name of Vigils The truth of this Assertion I question for neither do I find any decree of holy Church for bidding these Vigils the 35. Can. of the Counc of Eliber and the fifth Can. of the Counc of Altisiodorum or Auxeres which are usually produced to this purpose coming far short of such a prohibition nor is it so probable
of Christ and his triumphant Ascension For God Almighty did so direct the mind of the Prophets that that which was spoken by them of other persons and actions is oft-times more exactly fulfilled in and by Christ. Osee 11. 1. Out of Egypt have I called my Son was there spoken of the deliverance of the people of Israel out of Egypt fulfilled in Christ S. Matth 2. 15. What David sayes of himself I will open my mouth in a payable was fulfilled by Christ S. Matth. 13. 35. The 72. Psalm was written for Solomon as the title shews but more exactly fulfilled of Christ. Davids complaint or his own nâ—sery Psal. 35. 19. verified in Christ. S. Iohn 15 25. Nay more which is worth our observation some things David speaâ—s of himself which do not agree to him but in a figure which agree to Christ in the letter as They parted my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture Psalm 22. 17 18. Nay in the same Psalm and sometimes in the same verse some words will not agree to Christ as Psal. 69. 5. My faults are not hid from thee These cannot be spoken of Christ who knew no sin Some words again most properly belong to Christ as verse 22. They gave me gall to eat and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink Thus holy Church hath in the Lessons and Gospel preached to us the Ascension of Christ in the type and antitype In the Epistle she teaches us our duty not to stand gazing up to Heaven wondring at the strangeness of the sight but to take heed to demean our selves so as that we may with comfort behold him at his second coming his coming to judgment Act. 1. 11. Why stand ye gazing up into heaven there is other business to be done fit your selves for another coming for this same Iesus which was taken up from you into heaven shall so come even as ye have seen him go into heaven In the Collect we are taught to pray that we as far as may be may conform to our Lord in his Ascension that like as we believe him to have ascended into the Heavens so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend and with him continually dwell In the special Psal. and Hymn we adore and bless God for our Saviours glorious Ascension It is pleasant to behold the rare beauty of the Churches offices as on others so on this day how each part suits the other The Gospel to the Lessons the Epistle to the Gospel the Collect and Psalms and Hymns all fitted to the same and all to the day For the Antiquity of this day See S. Aug. Epist. 118. cited upon Easter day Epiphanâ— and Chrys. upon the day Sunday after Ascen This is called Expectationsweek for now the Apostles were earnestly expecting the fulfilling of that promise of our Lord. If I go away I will send the Comforter to you S. Iohn 16. 7. The Epistle exhorts to earnest prayer for the Comforter promised in the Gospel which the Church performs in the Collect. WHIT SVNDAY THis day the HOLY GHOST came down from heaven upon his Church as the Epistle tells according to the promise of the Gospel As in a long war it happens when the war is ended and peace concluded Pledges and Hostages are mutually sent both as tokens of and securities for the mutual agreement and peace so was it betwixt God and Man After our Lord Jesus had ended the long war betwixt God and Man and finished the reconciliation he sent up or rather he carried up himself our Hostage our flesh and nature ennobled by the union with his Divine Person as a royal pledge to his Father on the other side God sent this day his royal Hostage his holy Spirit a security for our future peace 1. S. Iohn 4. 12 13. Chrys. Hom. 1. in Pentecost Edit Savil. tom 5. The Devil had taken us captive our Lord Christ undertakes the quarrel his death was his battel but then he seem'd to be overcome but up he got again at his Resurrection that was his victory his Ascension was his triumph and as the ancient custome was for Conquerours to scatter gifts amongst the beholders especially on the last and great day of the triumph so does our Lord in this last day of the Feast the Conclusion of his triumph he doth as it were make the Conduits run with Wine he poured out his Spirit so upon all flesh that some mockers said they were full of new wine Acts 2. 12. He casts abroad his new wine new gifts and graces of the world giving to some the word of wisdome to others the gift of knowledge to others faith to others the gift of healing to others the working of miracles to others prophesie to others discerning of spirits to others divers kinds of tongue to others the interpretations of tongues all these worketh one and the same spirit the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 4. whom the Lord Christ as he promised sent down this day with these gifts in honour of whom and his gifts we keep this day holy This time was also appointed of old for solemn baptism The reason was 1. Because this day the Apostles were baptized with the holy Ghost and fire Acts 2. 3. 2. Because this day three thousand were baptized by the Apostle Acts 2. 40. In memory of which the Church ever after held a solemn custome of baptizing at this Feast Gratian. de Consec Dis. 3. c. 13. This day is called Pentecost because it is fifty days betwixt the true Passeover and Whitsunday As there were fifty days from the Jews Passeover to the giving of the Law to Moses in Mount Sina which Law was written with the finger of God for from the 14. day of the first month the day of the Passeover to the third day of the third month the day of the Laws giving Exod. 19. are fifty days so from the true Passeover which was celebrated when Christ was offered up for us are fifty days to this time when the Holy Ghost came down upon the Church to write the new Lawâ— of Charity in their hearts Upon this meditation S. Aug. breaks out thus Who would not prefer the joy and pleasure of these mysteries before all Empires of the world Do you not see that as the two Seraphins cry one to another holy holy holy Esay 6. 3. So the two Testaments Old and New faithfully agreeing convince the sacred truth of God S. Aug. Ep. 119. Note that we must not count the fifty days from the very day of the Passeover but from the Sunday following and so God directed the Jews Lev. 23. 15. speaking of their Pentecost or Feasts of Weeks And ye shall count from the morrow after the Sabbath from that day seven weeks shall be compleat It is also called Whitsunday from the glorious Light of Heaven which was then sent down upon the Earth from the Father of Lights so many tongues so many Lights which kindled such
Meditation of each day should be the chief subject of one and this to be the day For no sooner had our Lord ascended into Heaven and Gods holy Spirit descended upon the Church but there ensued the notice of the glorious and incomprehensible Trinity which before that time was not so clearly known The Church therefore having solemnized in an excellent order all the high Feast of our Lord and after That of the descent of Gods Spirit upon the Apostles thought it a thing most seasonable to conclude these great solemnities with a Festival of full special and express Service to the holy and blessed Trinity And this the rather in after-times when Arrians and such like Hereticks had appeared in the world and vented their blasphemies against this Divine Mystery Some proper Lessons this day hath as the Morning First and Second The first Lesson is Gen. 18. wherein we read of three that appeared to Abraham or the Lord in three Persons ver 1 2. A type of that mysterious Trinity in Unity which was after revealed in the Gospel So Theodor. l. 2. ad Graec. Because the Jews had long lived in Egypt and had learned there the worship of many gods the most wise God did not plainly deliver to them the mystery of the Trinity lest they should have mistaken it for a doctrine of a plurality of gods Yet the Doctrine of the Trinity was not wholly hidden in those times but some seeds of that perfection of Divinity were dispersed and for that cause the Quire of Angels sing thrice Holy but once Lord holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts and here Three Men appeared to Abraham The Second Lesson S. Matth. 3. is thought fit for this Feast because it delivers to us the baptism of Christ at which was discovered the mystery of the Trinity for there the Son is baptized the holy Spirit descends upon him and the Father speaks from Heaven This is my beloved Son The Epistle and the Gospel are the same that in Ancient Services were assigned for the Octave of Pentecost The Epistle being of the vision of S. Iohn Rev. 4. and the Gospel the Dialogue of our Lord with Nicodemus And the mentioning which we find therein of Baptism of the holy Spirit and gifts of it though it might then fit the day as a repetition as it were of Pentecost so is it no less fit for it as a Feast to the Blessed Trinity The mission the Holy Ghost brings with it as aforesaid more light and clearness to the doctrine of the Trinity and when more fit to think of the gifts of the Spirit than on a solemn day of Ordination as this is one when Men are consecrated to spiritual Offices But besides this we have in the Gospel set before us all the Three Persons of the Sacred Trinity and the same likewise represented in the Vision which the Epistle speaks of with an Hymn of praise Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty c. which expressions by ancient interpretation relate to the holy Trinity as is above said Of the Sundayes after TRINITY till ADVENT THe Church hath now finished the celebration of the high Festivals and thereby run as it were through a great part of the Creed by setting before us in an orderly manner the highest Mysteries of our Redemption by Christ on earth till the day he was taken up into Heaven with the sending down of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost Now after she hath in consequence and reflexion upon these Mysteries broke out into a more solemn and special Adoration of the Blessed Trinity she comes according to her Method in the Intervals of great Feasts of which see Pag. 93. to use such Epistles Gospels and Collects as suit with her holy affections and aims at this season Such namely as tend to our edifying and being the living Temples of the Holy Ghost our Comforter with his Gifts and Graces that having Oyl in our Lamps we may be in better readiness to meet the Bridegroom at his second Advent or coming to judgment And this done in the remaining Sundaies till Advent which in their Services are as it were so many Eccho's and Reflexions upon the Mystery of Pentecost the life of the Spirit or as Trumpets for preparation to meet our Lord at his second coming Which will be more manifest if we take a general view of the Gospels together and afterwards of the Epistles and Collects The GOSPELS for this time according to the method which hath before been declared pag. 93. are of the holy Doctrine Deeds and Miracles of our Saviour and so may singularly conduce to the making us good Christians by being followers of Christ and replenished with that Spirit which he both promised and sent and for which the Church lately kept so great a solemnity For to be charitable heavenly-minded repentant merciful humble peaceable religious compassionate and thankful to trust in God and abound with such spiritual qualities are the Lessons taught us by our Lord in these Gospels and that not only by word and deed but many miracles also for divers Gospels are of such and tend much to our edifying From his healing of the sick and going about doing good we may learn to employ that power and ability we have in works of mercy and goodness He that raised the dead and did such mighty works can be no other we may be sure than God and Man the Saviour of the world and able to protect us even against death it self to raise our bodies from the dust and glorifie them hereafter Thus we have in general the intent of these Gospels as may easily appear by particular observation and withal how pertinent they are to the time And with them the Church concludes her Annual course of such readings having thereby given us and in such time and order as most apt to make deep impression the chief matter and substance of the four Evangelists True it is that in ancient Rituals and particularly in S. Hieromes Comes or Lectionarius where we find this same order of Epistles and Gospels See Pamelii Liturg. Eccles. Lat. T. 2. there are some other besides these which our Church useth as for Wednesdays Fridaies and other special times and Solemnities But these for Sundaies and other Holy-daies which are retained by our Church are so well chosen for the fitness variety and weightiness of the matter and out of that Evangelist that delivers it most fully that the chiefest passages of all the Evangelists are hereby made known and preached to us and what we meet not with here is abundantly supplied by the daily Second Lessons And the like also may be said concerning the Epistles In the EPISTLES for this time there is an Harmony with the Gospels but not so much as some have thought in their joynt propounding of-particular considerations and those several and distinct as the daies they belong to for that belongs to more special solemnities but rather as they meet all in the common stream
therefore is it called also the Constantinopolitan Creed This Creed began to be used in Churches at the Communion Service immediately after the Gospel in the year of our Lord 339. Afterward it was established in the Churches of Spain and France after the custome of the Eastern Church Conc. Tolet 3. c. 2. and continued down to our times The Reason why this Creed follows immediately after the Epistle and Gospel is the same that was given for the APOSTLES CREED following next after the Lessons at Morning and Evening prayer To which the Canon of Toledo last cited hath added Another Reason of the saying it here before the people draw neer to the holy Communion namely That the breasts of those that approach to those â—readful mysteries may be purified with a â—â—ue and right faith A third reason is given by Dionys. Eccl. Hierar c. 3. par 2. 3. It will not be amiss to set down some passages of his at large because they will both give us a third reason of using the Creed in this place and discover to us as I conceive much of the ancient beautiful order of the Communion-Service The Bishop or Priest standing at the Altar begins the melody of Psalms all the degrees of Ecclesiasticks singing with him This Psalmody is used as in almost all Priestly Offices so in this to prepare and dispose our souls by holy affections to the celebration of the holy mysteries following and by the consent and singing together of divine Psalms to work in us an unanimous consent and concord one towards another Then is read by some of the Ministers first a Lesson out of the Old Testament then one out of the New in their order for the reasons before mentioned in the discourse of Lessons at Morning Service After this the Catechumens the possessed and the penitents are dismist and they only allowed to stay who are deem'd worthy to receive the holy Sacrament which being done some of the under Ministers keep the door of the Church that no Infidel or unworthy person may intrude into these sacred Mysteries Then the Ministers and devout people reverently beholding the holy signs not yet consecrated but blest and offered up to God on a by-standing Table called the Table of Proposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praise and bless the Father of Lights from whom as all good gifts so this great blessing of the Communion does come with the Catholick hymn of praise which some call the Creed others more divinely The Pontifical Thanksgiving as containing in it all the spiritual gifts which flow from Heaven upon us the whole mystery of our salvation when this hymn of praise is finished the Deacons with the Priest set the holy Bread and Cup of Blessing upon the Altar after which the Priest or Bishop saies the most sacred that is the Lords Prayer gives the Blessing to the people then they in token of perfect charity a most necessary vertue at this time of offering at the Altar S. Mat. 5. 23. salute each other After which the names of holy Men that have lived and died in the faith of Christ are read out of the Diptychs and their memories celebrated to perswade others to a diligent imitation of their vertues and a stedfast expectation of their heavenly rewards This commemoration of the Saints presently upon the setting of the holy signs upon the Altar is not without some mystery to shew the inseparable sacred union of the Saints with Christ who is represented by those sacred signs These things being rightly performed the Bishop or Priest that is to Consecrate washes his hands a most decent Ceremony signifying that those that are to do these holy Offices should have a special care of purity I will wash mine hands in innocency O Lord and so will I compass thine Altar Psal. 26. 6. After he hath magnified these divine gifts and God that gave them then he consecrates the holy Mysteries and having uncovered them reverently shews them to the people inviting them to the receiving of them Himself and the Priests and Deacons receive first then the people receive in both kinds and having all received they end the Service with a Thanksgiving which was Psal. 34. After the Epistle and Gospel and the confession of that Faith which is taught in holy Writ follows THE SERMON Amb. ep 33. ad Marcel Leo 1. Ser. 2. de Pascha which usually was an exposition of some part of the Epistle or Gospel or proper Lesson for the day as we may see in S. Augustine in his Serm. de Temp. according to the pattern in Nehem. 8. 8. They read in the book in the law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused the people to understand the reading And the Preacher was in his Exposition appointed to observe the Catholick interpretation of the old Doctors of the Church as we may see in the 19. Can. of the sixth Council of Constantinople held in Trull The Canon is this Let the Governors of Churches every Sunday at the least teach their Clergy and people the Oracles of pieâ—y and true Religion collecting out of Divine Scripture the sentences and Doctrines of truth not transgressing the ancient bounds and traditions of the holy Fathers And if any doubt or controversie arise about Scripture let them follow that interpretation which the Lights of the Church and the Doctors have left in their writings By which they shall more deserve commendation than by making private interpretations which if they adhere to they are in danger to fall from the truth To this agrees the Canon made in Queen Elizabeths time Anno Dom. 1571. The Preachers chiefly shall take heed that they teach nothing in their preaching which they would have the people religiously to observe and believe but that which is agreeable to the Doctrine of the Old Testament and the New and that which the Catholick Fathers and Ancient Bishops have gathered out of that Doctrine These Golden Canons had they been duly observed would have been a great preservative of Truth and the Churches peace The Sermon was not above an hour long Cyril Catech. 13. Before the Sermon no prayer is appointed but the Lords Prayer the petitions being first consigned upon the people by the Preacher or Minister who is appointed to bid the prayers as it is in Edw. 6. and Queen Eliz. Injunctions that is to tell the people beforehand what they are at that time especially to pray for in the Lords Prayer which in the 55. Can. of the Constit Anno Dom. 1603. is called moving the people to joyn with the Preacher in praying the Lords Prayer Of old nothing was said before the Sermon but Gemina Salutatio the double Salutation Clem. Const. l. 8. c. 5. Optat. 1. 7. The Bishop or Priest never begins to speak to the people but first in the Name of God he salutes the people and the salutation is doubled that is the Preacher says The Lord be with you and the people answer
were practised by the Father in the Christian Church So saies Epiphan haer 80. Irenaeus l. 4. c. 34. By a gift to the King his honour and our affection is shewn therefore our Lord willing us to offer with all simplicity and innocency preached saying When thou bringest thy gift to the altar c. We must therefore offer of our goods to God according as Moses commanded Thou shalt not appear before the Lord empty There are offerings under the Gospel as well as under the Law the kind of offerings is the same Here is all the difference they were offered then by servants now by sons S. Hier. ep ad Heliodor The axe is laid to the root of the tree if I bring not my gift to the Altar nor can I plead poverty since the poor widow hath cast in two mites We should do well to think of this Though oblations be acceptable at any time yet at sometimes they have been thought more necessary as First when the Church is in want Ex. 35. 4 c. Secondly when we have received some signal and eminent blessing from God Psal. 76. When David had recounted the great mercy of God in breaking the bow and the shield of the Churches enemies at the 11. verse he presses this duty Bring presents to him that ought to be feared Thirdly at our high and solemn Festivals Deut. 16. 16. Three times in the year shall they appear before me and they shall not appear empty Especially when we receive the holy Communion Theodoret Hist. l. 5. c. 17. tells us that it was the ancient custome before the receiving of the holy Sacrament to come into the Quire and offer at the holy Table And surely it becomes not us to be empty-handed when God comes to us full-handed as in that Sacrament he does Next to the OFFERTORY is that excellent PRAYER for the CHVRCH-MILITANT wherein we pray for the Catholick and Apostolick Church For all Christian Kings Princes Governors for the Whole Clergy and people for all in adversity Such a prayer hath S. Chr. in his Liturg a little before the Consecration After which follow some wholsom Exhortations to those that are coming to the holy Communion seriously exhorting the unprepared to forbear So was the custome of old in the Greek Church The Priest admonishes all that are coming to that holy Sacrament driving away the unworthy but inviting the prepared and that with a loud voice and hands lifted up standing aloft where he may be seen and heard of all Chrys. in Heb. hom 9. in Ethic. Those that after these exhortations stay to receive the Church supposing prepared invites to draw near and after their humble confession the Priest or Bishop absolves and comforts them with some choice sentences taken out of holy Scripture After which the Priest saies Lift up your hearts For certainly at that hour when we are to receive the most dreadful Sacrament it is necessary to lift up our hearts to God and not to have them groveling upon the earth for this purpose the Priest exhorts all to leave all cares of this life and domestick thoughts and to have our hearts and minds in heaven upon the lover of mankind The people then answer We lift them up unto the Lord assenting to the Priests admonition And it behoves us all to say it seriously For as we ought alwayes to have our minds in heaven so especially at that hour we should more earnestly endeavour it The Priest goes on Let us give thanks to our Lord God and many thanks we ought to render him that calls and invites such unworthy sinners as we be to so high grace and favour as to eat the Flesh and drink the Bloud of the Son of God The people answer It is meet and right so to do For when we give thanks to God we do a work that is just and of right due to so much bounty Then follow for great daies some proper Prefaces containing the peculiar matter or subject of our thanks that day which are to be said seven daies after Rubr. ibidem except Whitsunday Preface which is to be said but six daies after because Trinity Sunday is the seventh day after which hath a peculiar Preface By this it appears that the Church intends to prorogue and continue these high Feasts several daies even eight daies together if another great Feast comes not within the time which requires a peculiar Service But when we say that the Church would have these high Feasts continued so long it is not so to be understood as if she required an equal observance of those several daies for some of those daies she commands by her Canons and Rubricks Some she seems only to commend to us to be observed some are of a higher festivity some of less The first and the last namely the Octave of the first are usually the chief daies for solemn Assemblies yet every of those daies should be spent in more than ordinary meditation of the blessings of the time and thanksgiving for them according to that which the Lord commanded to the Jews concerning the Feast of Tabernacles Lev. 23. 36. Upon every one of the daies of that Feast an offering was to be made but the first and last were the solemn Convocations The reason of the Churches proroguing and lengthning out these high Feasts for several days is plain The subject matter of these Feasts as namely Christs Birth Resurrection Ascension the sending of the holy Ghost is of so high a nature so nearly concerning our salvation that one day is too little to meditate of them and praise God for them as we ought a bodily deliverance may justly require a day of thanksgiving and joy but the deliverance of the soul by the blessings commemorated on those times deserve a much longer Feast It were injurious to good Christian souls to have their joy and thankfulness for such mercies confined to a day therefore holy Church upon the times when these unspeakable blessings were wrought for us by her most seasonable commands and counsels here invites us to fill our hearts with joy and thankfulness and let them overflow eight daies together See above of the Continuation of great Solemnities pag. 128. 174. 180. and of the service of Octaves p. 178. But two Quaeries here may be fit to be satisfied First why eight dayes are allowed to those high Feasts rather than another number For which the reasons given are divers one is from the example which Almighty God sets us commanding his people the Jews to keep their great Feasts some of them seven daies and one namely the Feast of Tabernacles eight daies Lev. 23. If the Jews were to keep their Feasts so long by a daily Burnt-offering which were but as types of the Christians great Feasts the Christians ought by no means to come short of them but offer up to God as long daily hearty thanksgivings presenting our selves souls and bodies a reasonable holy and lively Sacrifice
did confirm And S. Hierom. dial adv Lucifer saies it was Totius orbis consensus in hanc partem the general acknowledgement of the whole Christian World The Office begins on this wise Our help standeth in the Name of the Lord. Of such short ejaculations in general hath been said in the Morning Prayer concerning these in particular that they are fitted to the Office will appear to them that consider that Confirmation is appointed for the strengthning of us against all our ghostly enemies which though they be many and great yet is there no reason to despair of obtaining strength enough to resist them for Our help stands in the Name of the Lord who hath made heaven and earth who is therefore able enough and willing also to help them that call upon his Name Blessed therefore be the Name of the Lord hence forth and for ever After these Versicles follows a Prayer that God would strengthen the baptized with the holy Ghost the Comforter who had in their baptism received him as a Sanctifier These two wayes to omit others we are taught in holy Scripture that the holy Ghost may be received as a sanctifier and cleanser in holy baptism Tit. 3. 5. He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost and after baptism we may receive him again as a Comforter and strengthener The Apostles who received him the first way in baptism are promised to receive him the second S. Iohn 16. 7. Acts 1. 8. which was performed Acts 2. 4. They were filled with the holy Ghost Then shall the Bishop lay his hands upon them severally By this sign certifying them of Gods Goodness towards them and consigning it upon them This is the most ancient and Apostolical Rite of Confirmation Acts 8. 17. and by this name it is known Heb. 6. 2. The doctrine of baptisms and laying on of hands After a most excellent prayer for their continuance in Gods love obedience to him the Bishop departs them with a Blessing Of such blessings hath been said already This holy Rite hath been too little understood by many and therefore too lightly esteem'd and valued for the remedy whereof it may not be amiss to shew the benefit of it in these conclusions following 1. The Holy Ghost was given to persons baptized by the Apostles prayers and laying on of hands Acts 8. 14 15 16. Acts 19. 6. 2. This gift of the Holy Ghost so givâ—n was not only nor principally the gift of miracles or speaking with tongues For first Confirmation is reckoned by S. Paul amongst Fundamentals Heb. 6. 1 2. which were necessary to all ages of the Church but the gift of miracles was not such for that lasted but a whâ—le as experience hath taught us Again confirmation was administred to all baptized persons Acts 8. 15. 19. 6. but all baptized persons were not to have the gift of miracles 1 Cor. 12. 8 9. To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom to another the working of miracles And again 29. verse Are all workers of miracles It is true that in the Apostles times the inward grace of confirmation was attended with miracles but it will not thence follow that miracles were the principal intended gift in confirmation no more than that the visible opening of Heaven is the proper effect of baptism because at our Saviours baptism the heavens were so opened S. Matthew 3. or that the proper effect of preaching is to work miracles because that at the Apostles preaching miracles were wrought Acts 10. 44. In those first times the Holy Ghost fell upon Believers and they spake with tongues Signa erant tempori opportuna Those signs were seasonable to those times does any man now expect that those that receive the holy Ghost by our prayers and imposition of hands should speak with tongues and if they do not speak with tongues is any man of so perverse a heart as to say that they have not received the holy Ghost S. Aug. in ep S. Ioh. tractat 6. In the beginning of spiritual and marvellous dispensations outward signs appeared to confirm the new preached faith but now that the faith is sufficiently confirm'd although such miracles be not wrought yet we receive those inward graces and vertues which were signified and demonstrated by those signs Chrys. in S. Matth. Hom. 13. 3. The proper and principal effect of confirmation was and is Ghostly strength and power to resist temptations as our Church teaches Rubr. 1. before the Catechism That the baptized when they come to years and the use of reason may have not their baptism confirm'd which needs no confirmation to perfect it but themselves and their souls by some new vertue and power or by an addition and increase of former graces by which they may be enabled against those temptations that shall assault them whence it is called Confirmation Regeneramur ad vitam per baptismum in hoâ— confirmamur ad pugnam By baptism we are regenerated to life in confirmation we are strengthned to fight against our enemies Melchiad ep ad Epis. Hisp. about the year 311. In Confirmation the Holy Ghost is given for strength as he was given to the Apostles at Pentecost that Christians may boldly confess the Name of Christ. Conc. Flor. Tertul. de bapt Cypr. ep 2. ad donat For our fuller perswasion of this it will be necessary to consider that our Lord Christ promised to his Apostles after they had been baptized that When he went away he would send them the holy Ghost to be their comforter or strengthener S. Iohn 16. 7. to make them able to bear witness of Christ notwithstanding all the threats and terrors of men S. Iohn 15. 27. 16. 1 2 3. And Acts 1. 5. he promises them that Not many daies hence they should receive the holy Ghost or the power of the Holy Ghost whereby they that forsook him formerly and fled should be henceforth emboldned and encouraged to bear witness to him all the World over vers 8. This promise was performed at Pentecost Acts 2. 4. They were filled with the holy Ghost and began to speak and to bear witness of Christ with courage verse 36. This very promise made to the Apostles formerly and perform'd at Pentecost belongs to every one of us that are baptized Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost For this promise of the holy ghost fulfilled on us verse 33. is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off And what S. Peter here promises them was fulfilled by him and the other Apostles for by their prayer and imposition of hands they received after baptism the holy Ghost not only enabling them to speak miraculously but also strengthening and comforting them inwardly as he did the Apostles For the same that was promised to the Apostles belonged to them
bright Stars the circling roof the Firmament the Priests within the Quire beginning the divine Hymns represent the first order of Angels that stand before God the Deacons with the Readers and Singers orderly succeeding the middle order or quire of heaven the whole company of true believers joyning with the Priests and Deacons in heart and affection saying Amen to the divine Hymns and prayers and so inviting and alluring the mercy of God resemble the lowest rank of Angels with whom no prophane Heretick or unclean notorious sinner is suffered to assemble for what fellowship hath light with darkness thus the whole Church typifies heaven but the Chancel parted and separated from the Nave or body of the Church so as that it cannot be seen into by those that are there typifies the invisible heaven or things above the heaven not to be seen by the eye of flesh The Nave or body resembles the lowest visible heaven or Paradise and as man for sin was cast out of Edens Paradise into the earth accursed to briars and thorns there to eat his bread in sorrow and not suffered by the flaming sword to enter again Gen. 3. till after much affliction and sorrow in this troublesome world he shall be reconciled to God by repentance and so his peace being made be received as the thief upon the Cross was to our Lord Christ in Paradise so in like manner notorious sinners were by the sentence of excommunication cast out of that Paradise the body of the Church abroad into the Church porch which represents the earth not to be received in again to the society of the faâ—thful till after a wearisome attendance there in a place call'd of old Narthex or Ferula because those that stood there were under the Churches Ferula or censure begging the prayers entreating the tears hanging upon the knees of all that entred into the Church by much spiritual affliction and castigation they had made their peace and were reconciled In the Nave we shall mention but two things as observable here First the Doors called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beautiful Doors or Gate Acts 3. 2. because those that had entred them might see the whole beauty of the Church and the Pulpit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which stood in the midst or side of the Nave Sym. Thess. This signifies the stone rolled away from the Sepulchre and because the Angel sitting upon it preacht the Gospel of the Resurrection of Christ to the women S. Matth. 28. 6. the Priests and Deacons imitating the Angels pattern from this Pulpit publish and proclaim the glad tidings of the Gospel The Chancel was divided from the Body of the Church Cancellis whence it is called the Chancel This was as was said peculiar to the Priests and sacred persons In it were at least in some principal Churches these divisions Chorus Cantorum the Quire where was an high Seat for the Bishop and other Stalls or Seats for the rest of the Quire yet perhaps this Chorus as also the next called Soleas might be more properly reckoned a part of the Nave and the Chancel properly that which of old was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sanctuary which was separated from the rest of the Church with rails and whither indeed none but sacred persons entered whereas the Laity entred into the other as will appear after but account it to which you please such a place there was and immediately beyond it divided from the Quire with boards on the one side and from the Sanctuary by the rails of the Altar on the other side was a place called Soleas from the Latine Solium or Throne because this was Christs lower Throne his higher or upper Throne was the Altar where the precious body and blood of Christ was consecrated and offered And this was his lower Throne where the Bishop or Priest in Christ his stead stood and distributed the holy Sacrament to the people Beyond this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sanctuary rail'd in of old as you may see plainly Syn. Calc Acts 1. that it might not be prest upon by the multitude Euseb. Hist. l. 10. c. 4. At the upper end of this Sanctuary or Chancel is a large Arch or Absis within that a Seat called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Seat or Seats built for the Bishop and his assistent Priests in the Celebration the middle of which is the highest where the chief Bishop sate which S. Chrys. in his Liturgie calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of this Seat is the 56. Can. of Laodic to be understood The Priests ought not to go into the Church and sit in Tribunalibus before the Bishop be entred unless he be sick and cannot come The Bishop sitting in this Seat by the Altar having his assistent Priests sitting with him resembles Christ with his Apostles by him instituting the holy Sacrament and blessing the prayers offered up at the Altar by the Priest Right under this Seat stood the Altar or holy Table the Propitiatory Christs Monument and the Tabernacle of his glory The Shop of the great Sacrifice Sym. Thessal Now that no man take offence at the word Altar Let him know that anciently both these names Altar or holy Table were used for the same things though most frequently the Fathers and Councils use the word Altar And both are fit names for that holy thing For the holy Eucharist being considered as a Sacrifice in the representation of the breaking of the Bread and pouring forth the Cup doing that to the holy Symbols which was done to Christs Body and Blood and so shewing forth and commemorating the Lords death and offering upon it the same Sacrifice that was offered upon the Cross or rather the commemoration of that Sacrifice S. Chrys. in Heb. 10. 9. may fitly be call'd an Altar which again is as fitly call'd an holy Table the Eucharist being considered as a Sacrament which is nothing else but a distribution and application of the Sacrifice to the several receivers To put all out of doubt it is questionless lawful and safe to speak the language of the New Testament and to give this holy thing the name which is given it there now there it is called an Altar Heb. 13 10. we have an Altar S. Paul in the verse before had perswaded that they should not be carried away with strange doctrines of Jewish and carnal observances which are grown unprofitable to those that walk in them For we have an Altar now whereof they that serve at the Tabernacle the Jewish Priests have no right to eat unless they will receive the Faith of Christ our Altar is better than theirs and theirs was but a shadow of ours the Sacrifices of their Altar but types of ours theirs are vanished and ours only continue And for this reason do you leave strange doctrines of legal observances and Jewish Altars and continue in the grace of the Gospel whose Altar is to continue for we have an Altar Again S.
between two hooks of which there are even still some remainders though now for the most part neglected 3. Neither does this our Translation always follow the LXX And Vulgar Lat. Even in Additions As for Example Not Psalm 1.5 in the repetition of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not Psalm 68. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not Psalm 125.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not Pslam 138.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not Psalm 145. in the verse put in between the 13 and 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it may seem to be wanting in our present Hebrew Copies all the rest of the verses of this Psalm going in the order of the Alphabet and this verse which should begin with ◠only wanting in our present Copies but found or supposed by the LXX to begin with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. The Additions are not very many wherein it doth follow them The chiefest which I have observed are these Psal. Ver.  1. 5. from the face of the Earth 2. 11. unto him  12. right 3. 2. His 4. 8. and Oyle 7. 12. strong and patient 11. 5. the poor 13. 6. yea I will praise the Name of the Lord most Highest 14. 4. no not one 14. 5 6 7. Their throat is an open Sepulchre c. before their eyes  9. Even where no fear was 19. 12. my 14.  all way 22. 1. look upon me 31.  my and ver 32. the Heavens 23. 6. thy 24. 4. his neighbour 28. 3. neither destroy me 29. 1. bring young Rams unto the Lord the Hebrew words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 twice translated 30. 7. from me 33. 3. unto him and ver 10. and casteth out the counsels of Princes 36. 12. All 37. 29. * the unrighteous shall be punished Edit 1540. v. 37. his place 38. 16. Even mine Enemies v. 22 God 41. 1. And needy ver 11 And Amen 42. 12. That trouble me 45. 10. wrought about with divers colours 12. God in the Latin only not in the Greek 47. 6. Our 48. 3. of the Earth 50. 21. wickedly 51. 1. Great 55. 13. peradventure ver 25 O Lord 65. 1. In Jerusalem 67. 1. And be merciful unto us 71. 7. that I may sing of thy glory 73. 12. I said ver 27 In the Gates of the daughter of Sion 77. 23. Our 85. 8. Concerning me 92. 12. of the house 95. 7. the Lord 108. 1. my heart is ready repeated 111. 11. Praise the Lord for the returning again of Aggeus and Zachary the Prophets Edit 1540. 115. 9. thou house of 118. 2. That He is gracious and 119. 97. Lord 132. 4. Neither the Temples of my head to take any rest 134. 1. Now ver 2 Even in the Courts of the house of our God 136. 27. O give thanks unto the Lord of Lords for his mercy endureth for ever being in the Latin only not in the Greek 137. 1. Thee O 145. 15. The Lord 147. 8. And herb for the use of men 148. 5. He spake the word and they were made For Psal. 58. 8. Or ever your Pots c. I conceive our Translation to agree very well both with the sence and letter of the Hebrew Neither doth it go alone but so translated both Pagnin a little before and Castellio since who both keep as close to the sence of the Hebrew and Pagnin to the letter also as any that I have observed Pagnin whom Vetablus follows Antequam sentiant lebetes vestri ignem rhamni sicut care cruda sic ira ut turbo perdat cum Castellio Ac veluti si cujus ollae spinas Annot. ignem qui fieri solet ex spinis nondum senserint sic illi tanquam crudi per iram vexentur Annot. Pereant aetate immaturâ ut si carnes ex olla extrahantur semicrudae See also Calvin in Loc. For Psal. 105. 28. They were not obedient c. Herein our Translators follow the LXX who supposing this to be spoken of the Egyptians translate the Hebrew words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leaving out the negative particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et exacerbaverunt sermones ejus or according to another reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia exacerbaverunt which is all one with our English They were not obedient that is they rebelled or were disobedient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exchanging significations And this reading is also followed by the Syriack the Arabick and the Ethiopick translations Only which is strange the Vulgar Latin which usually in the Psalms is a meer translation of the LXX yet here differs from them and puts in the Negative Particle according to the Hebrew And in three other things in the same Hemistick it differs not only from the LXX but also from the Hebrew and from S. Hierome and from all other Translations that I have seen viz. Altering the Verb from the plural number to the singular 2. supposing Deus to be the Nominative case to it And so 3. making the Pronoun affixed to be reciprocal Et non exacerbavit sermones suos See Mr. HOOKERS Eccles. Polity lib. 5. Sect. 19. pag. 214. where he defends this our Translation thus far at least that it doth not contradict the present Hebrew as it seems was objected The Epistles and Gospels in our Liturgie seem to follow Coverdales Translation Printed 1540. Here ends the book of Common-prayer truly so called being composed by the publick spirit and prescribed by the publick Authority of the Church for the publick service and worship of God to be offered up to him in the name and spirit of the Church by those who are ordained for men in things pertaining to God to which every person of the Church may according to S. Paul say Amen with understanding because he knows before hand to what he is to say Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come all together to the same prayer let there be one Common-prayer one and the same mind and Spirit Ignat. ad Magnesianos SOLI DEO GLORIA I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with the understanding also Obsecrationem sacerdotalium Sacramenta respiciamus quae ab Apostolis tradita in toto Orbe at que in omni Catholica Ecclesia uniformiter celebrantur ut legem Credendi lex statuat supplicandi GENNAD Eccles. Dogm 30. FINIS THE TABLE A. THe Absolution by the Priest alone standing why pag. 13 19 20. Remission of sins by the Priest what it is not p. 15 16. What it is p. 16. Three parts of Repentance p. 17. The several forms of Absolution in the Service p. 18. All in sence and vertue the same p. 19. Advent Sundays p. 98. Ashwednesday 125. Caput Jejunii ibid. Dies Cinerum ibid. The solemnity then used upon sinners p. 126. S. Andrew p. 198. All-Saints why kept p. 206. Ascension-day hath proper Lessons and Psalms p. 162. the Antiquity thereof p. 170. B. Of Baptism p. 245. S. John 3. 5. expounded p. 246. The Benediction or Consecration of the Water
fruition of the glorious Godhead Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity to be adored for ever God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost accept sanctifie and bless this place to the end whereunto according to his own Ordinance we have ordain'd it to be a Sanctuary to the most High and a Church for the living God The Lord with his favour ever mercifully behold it and so send upon it his spiritual Benediction and Grace that it may be the House of God to him and the Gate of Heaven to us Amen Haec precatus Episcopus Baptisterium adit atque impositâ manu ait REgard O Lord the Supplications of thy Servants and grant that those Children that shall be baptiz'd in this Laver of the New birth may be sanctified and washed with the Holy Ghost delivered from thy wrath received into the Ark of Christs Church receive herein the fulness of Grace and ever remain in the number of thy faithful and elect Children Suggestum dein GRant that thy Holy Word which from this place shall be preach'd may be the savour of life unto life and as good seed take root and fructifie in the hearts of all that shall hear it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quoque GRant that by thy Holy Word which from this place shall be read the hearers may both perceive and know what things they ought to do and also may have Grace and Power to fulfil the same Sacram etiam Mensam GRant that all they that shall at any time partake at this Table the highest blessing of all thy Holy Communion may be fulfill'd with thy Grace and Heavenly Benediction and may to their great and endless Comfort obtain Remission of their sins and all other Benefits of thy Passion Locum Nuptiarum GRant that such persons as shall be here joyned together in the holy estate of Matrimony by the Covenant of God may live together in holy Love unto their lives end Vniversum denique Pavimentum GRant to such bodies as shall be here interr'd that they with us and we with them may have our perfect consummation and bliss both in body and soul in thine everlasting kingdom Tum flexis genibus ante sacram Mensam pergit porro GRant that this place which is here dedicated to thee by our Office and Ministry may also be hallowed by the sanctifying power of thy holy Spirit and so for ever continue through thy Mercy O blessed Lord God who dost live and govern all things world without end Grant as this Chappel is separated from all other common and profane uses and dedicated to those that be sacred only so may all those be that enter into it Grant that all wandring thoughts all carnal and worldly imaginations may be far from them and all godly and spiritual cogitations may come in their place and may be daily renew'd and grow in them Grant that those thy servants that shall come into this thy holy Temple may themselves be made the Temples of the Holy Ghost eschewing all things contrary to their profession and following all such things as are agreeable to the same When they pray that their prayers may ascend up into Heaven into thy presence as the Incense and the lifting up of their hands be as the morning sacrifice purifie their hearts and grant them their hearts desire sanctifie their spirits and fulfil all their minds that what they faithfully ask they may effectually obtain the same When they offer that their Oblation and Alms may come up as a Memorial before thee and they find and feel that with such Sacrifices thou art well-pleased When they sing that their souls may be satisfied as with marrow and fatness when their mouth praiseth thee with joyful lips When they hear that they hear not as the word of man but as indeed it is the Word of God and not be idle Hearers but Doers of the same Populus interea tacite ingressus in imis substitit dum haec in Cancellis agerentur quibus finitis sedes quisque suas jussi capessunt atque ad solennem Liturgiam Sacellani se parant Alter Sacellanorum coram sacra mensa venerans sic incipit IF we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth c. Confessionem Absolutionem Dominic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 recitant c. Psalmos canunt pro tempore accommodos Ps. 84. 122 132. alternis respondente populo quibus facultas erat libri Lectio prima definitur ex 28. Gen. à ver primo ad finem Hymn Te Deum c. Lectio secunda ex secundo capite S. Joh. à vers◠13. ad finem Hymn Psal. 100. I Believe in God c. Et post usitatas Collectas hanc specialem addidit Episcopus O Lord God mighty and glorious and of incomprehensible Majesty thou fillest Heaven and earth with the Glory of thy presence and canst not be contain'd within any the largest compass much less within the narrow walls of this Room yet forasmuch as thou hast been pleased to command in thy holy Law that we should put the Remembrance of thy Name upon places and in every such place thou wilt come to us and bless us we are here now assembled to put thy name upon this place and the Memorial of it to make it thy house to devote and dedicate it for ever unto thee utterly separating it from all worldly uses and wholly and only consecrate it to the invocation of thy glorious Name wherein supplications and intercessions may be made for all men thy sacred Word may be read preached and heard the Holy Sacraments the Laver of Regeneration and the Commemoration of the precious death of thy dear Son may be administred thy Praise celebrated and sounded forth thy people blessed by putting thy Name upon them we poor and miserable creatures as we are be altogether unfit and utterly unworthy to appoint any earthly thing to so great a God And I the least of all thy servants no ways meet to appear before thee in so honourable a service yet being thou hast oft heretofore been pleased to accept such poor offerings from sinful men most humbly we beseech thee forgiving our manifold sins and making us worthy by counting us so to vouchsafe to be present here among us in this religious action and what we sincerely offer graciously to accept at our hands to receive the prayers of us and all others who either now or hereafter entring into this place by us hallowed shall call upon thee And give us all grace when we shall come into the house of God we may look to our feet knowing that the place we stand on is holy ground bringing hither clean thoughts and undefiled bodies that we may wash both our hearts and hands in innocency and so compass thine Altar I am alter Sacellanus denuo exiens venerans ante sacram Mensam incipit Litaniam in fine cujus recitavit hoc ipse Episcopus O Lord God who dwellest
precatur denuo LOrd God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob who because thou art the God not of the dead but of the Living shewest hereby that they are living and not dead and that with thee do live the spirits of all them that dye in the Lord and in whom the Souls of them that are Elect after they be delivered from the burden of this flesh be in joy and felicity thou hast said thou wilt turn men into small dust and after that wilt say Return again you Children of men Thou art the God of Truth and hast said it thou art the God of power and might and wilt do it by that power whereby thou art able to subdue all things unto thy self and bring to pass whatsoever pleaseth thee in Heaven and Earth with whom nothing is impossible Lord Jesu Christ who art the Resurrection and the Life in whom if we believe though we be dead yet shall we live who by thy death hast overcome death and by thy rising again hast opened to us the Gate of everlasting life who shalt send thine Angels and gather the bodies of thine Elect from all the Ends of the Earth and especially those who by a mystical union are flesh of thy flesh and in whose hearts thou hast dwelt by Faith we humbly beseech thee for them whose bodies shall in this place be gathered to their Fathers that they may rest in this hope of Resurrection to eternal life through thee O blessed Lord God who shalt change their vile bodies that they may be like thy Glorious body according to the mighty working whereby thou art able to bring all things even death and all into subjection to thy self Holy and blessed Spirit the Lord and giver of life whose Temples the bodies of thy Servants are by thy sanctifying Grace dwelling in them we verily trust that their bodies that have been thy Temples and those hearts in which Christ hath dwelt by Faith shall not ever dwell in corruption but that as by thy sending forth thy Breath at first we received our Being Motion and Life in the beginning of the Creation so at the last by the same Spirit sending forth the same breath in the end of the Consummation Life Being and Moving shall be restored us again so that after our dissolution as thou didst shew thy holy Prophet the dry bones shall come together again Bone to his Bone and Sinews and Flesh shall come upon them and thou shalt cause thy Breath to enter into them and we shall live and this Corruption shall put on Incorruption and this Mortal shall put on Immortality God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost accept sanctifie and bless this place to that end whereunto according to thine own Ordinance we have ordain'd it even to bestow the Bodies of thy Servants in till the number of thine Elect being accomplished they with us and we with them and with all other departed in the true Faith of thy Holy Name shall have our consummation and Bliss both in Body and Soul in thy eternal everlasting glory Blessed Saviour that didst for this end dye and rise again that thou mightest be Lord both of the Living and the Dead whether we live or die thou art our Lord and we are thine living or dying we commend our selves unto thee have mercy upon us and keep us thine for evermore Reintrantes igitur Capellam cantant priorem partem Psal. 16. Conscendit suggestum Magister Matthaeus Wren Thema ei posterior pars vers 17. cap. 2. S. Ioan. Zelus domus tuae c. Agit de affectibus in Christo Zelo inter caeteros nec illo falso sed pro Deo nec caeco sed secundum scientiam pro Domo pro Cultu Dei de praesentia Dei praecipue in Templis magno non Morum solummodo nostrorum sed sâ—ei quoque Fidei incremento fulcimentoque Deum Locorum distinctione gaudere confirmat tum exemplo mirifice Jacobi tantopere distinguentis Bethel tum maximo omnium miraculo quo Christus Mercatores è Templo ejecit Enarratis Christi per hoc factum devotionibus concludit in debitam à nobis Templorum reverenâ—â—â—â— atque istius Fundatoris Encomium meritissimum Cantatur pars reliqua Vespertinae precationes incipiendo jam à Symbolo Apostolico secundum communem Ecclesiae formulam finiuntur FINIS Balsam in Nomâ—caâ— tit 2. 6. 2.