the general meditation and affection of the season We may therefore observe that as all the Gospels for Sundaies since Easter day hitherto are taken out of the beloved Disciple S. Iohn who therein gives us many of the last and most tender and affectionate words of our dear Lord before his Passion and Ascension his promising of a Comforter bidding them not fear bequeathâ—ing his peace to them and the like so now the two first Epistles are taken and most fitly out of the same Apostle who therein minds us with much earnest affection of that spirit which our Lord promised for our Comforter and of the great effect and sign of it the love of one another If saith he we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfect in us Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit And the Epistle for the second Sunday exhorteth us in like manner To love one another as he gave commandment and he that keepeth his Commandments dwelleth in him and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in us even by the Spirit which he hath given us In the Epistle for the third Sunday we are put in mind by S. Peter of submission and being humble for God gives grace to such of sobriety watching faith and patience in affliction with an exhortation to cast our care upon God who cares for us and shall perfect seâ—tle strengthen and stablish us which is according to what Christ said That he would not leave us Comfortless The fourth Epistle is out of Rom. 8. and is a comfort against afflictions as not worthy of that glory which shall be shewed upon us provided we be such as they whom the Apostle there speaks of who had received the first-fruits of the Spirit The Epistle for the fifth being taken out of S. Peter exhorts us to Love Peace Innocence and such spiritual affections and if any trouble us not to be afraid but to sanctifie the Lord God in our hearts The rest of the Epistles for all the days following relate much to the same business as newness of life and all the fruits and gifts of Gods holy Spirit and as a particular insight will sufficiently manifest But being not the first that are used in this season they seem to have been chosen with more indifferency for they are taken out of S. Paul and keep the very order of his Epistles and the place they have in each Epistle For of them the first are out of the Epistle to the Romans and so in order the next out of the Epistles to the Corinthians first and second Galatians Ephesians Philippians and Colossians for so far the Order reacheth till the time of Advent Only two of the Sundaies the 18. and 25. do vary from this method in the choice of their Epistles and there is reason for both And first for the 25. or last Sunday the reason is manifest for it being lookt upon as a kind of preparative or fore-runner of Advent as Advent is to Christmas and in S. Ieromes Lectionarius it is comprized within the time of Advent an Epistle was chosen not as hapned according to the former method but such an one as prophesied of Christs Advent or Coming for that plainly appears in This out of Ieremy Behold the time cometh saith the Lord that I will raise up the righteous branch of David which King shall bear rule and he shall prosper with wisdom and shall set up Equity and Righteousness again in Earth The like Prophesie is implyed in the Gospel and applyed to Iesus in the words of the people when they had seen his miracle This is of a truth the same Prophet that should come into the world And therefore when there are either more or fewer Sundays than 25 between Trinity and Advent if we so dispose of the Services as always to make use of this for the last of them it will be agreeable to reason and exemplary practice and that from time of old for we find such a Rule in Micrologus an ancient Ritualist The other Sunday that follows not the method of the rest is the 18. after Trinity for its Epistle is taken out of the first to the Corinthians not out of that to the Ephesians as other are for the Sundayes that go next before and after This seems to be occasioned by a particular circumstance for which a fit Epistle was to be found out though it were not taken out of its place in the usual order and that was the Ordination of Ministers for the understanding of which and the ancient care about Ordinations it will not be amiss to be somewhat the larger We may therefore note that what was said of Collects pag. 70. is true also of this order of Epistles and Gospels that it comes down to us from Ancient Times as appears by S. Hieromes Lectionarius above mentioned and other old Liturgists and Expositors And by them we find that it was the Custome of old to have proper Services for Wednesdays Fridays and Saturdayes in each Ember-week and then followed as with us the conferring of Holy Orders But care being taken that the Ordination should be performed after continuance the same day in Prayer and fasting and yet be done upon the Lords day also and because by ancient Canon that day was not to be fasted they therefore took this course to perform it on Saturday it being one of the Ember Fasts and yet in the Evening of it for that time was accounted as belonging to the Lords day following or if they would continue so long fasting to do it early in the morning following See Leâ— Epist. 81. ad Diosc. In regard therefore that this was accounted a Sundays work and that there had been so much Exercise and Fasting on Saturday the Sunday following had no publick Office and was therefore called Dominica Vacat or Vacans a vacant Sunday But it was afterwards thought better not to let that day pass in that manner nor to continue so long and late on Saturday in such Abstinence and Exercise and therefore the Ordination came to be dispaâ—cht sooner on Saturday and the Sunday following had a Service said on it which at first for some time was borrowed of some other days but afterwards One was fixt being fitted to the day or season with some respect in the frame of it to the Ordination at that time For although there were peculiar Readings Rites and Prayers for the Ordination it self as there is also in our Church much resembling the ancient Form yet besides that in the general Service of the day some reflexion was made on the business of Ordination Only the Vacant Sunday for the Ember week in September had no constant peculiar â—ervice for being fixt to a certain time â—fâ— that Month it chanceth that the said Sunday sometimes is the 18. after Trinity sometimes the 17. or sooner as Easter falls out and accordingly takes
A RATIONALE upon the BOOK OF Common-Prayer of the CHURCH of ENGLAND By Anth. Sparrow D. D. Now Lord Bishop of Exon. WITH The Form of Consecration of a Church or Chappel and of the place of Christian Burial By Lancelot Andrews Late Lord Bishop of Winchester LONDON Printed for Robert Pawlet at the Sign of the Bible in Chancery-Lane near Fleet-street 1672. The Litany to be said in the midst of the Church in allusion to the Prophet Ioel c. 2. 17. Let the Priest the Ministers of the LORD weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say spare thy people O Lord c. Bishop ANDREWS Notes upon the Liturgy A RATIONALE upon the BOOK or Common-Prayer of the CHVRCH of ENGLAND By Anth Sparrow Now Lord B p. of Exon Printed for R Pawlet at y e Bible in Chancery Lane With Entertainments for the Great FESTIVALLS being 〈…〉 of the Proper PSALMS and Lessons for those DAYES The Compilers of The Common-Prayer-Book of the Church of England were Doctor CRANMER Arch-Bishop of Cant. GOODRICK Bishop of Ely SKIP Bishop of Herefâ—rd THIRLBY Bishop of Westminst DAY Bishop of Chichester HOLBECK Bishop of Lincoln RIDLEY Bishop of Rochester MAY Dean of S. Pauls TAYLOR Dean of Lincoln HEYNES Dean of Exeter REDMAN Dean of Westminster COX K. EDWARDS Almâ—ner M. ROBINSON Arch-Deacon of Leicester Mense Maio 1549. Anno regni Edwardi Sexti tertio Hardly can the pride of those men that study Novelties allow former times any share or degree of Wisdom or Godliness K. CHARLES Meditat. 16. upon the Ordinance against the Book of Common-Prayer THE PREFACE THE present Age pretends so great Love to Reason that this RATIONALE may even for its Name hope for acceptation which it will the sooner have if the Reader know that the Author vents it not for a full and just much less a publick and authentick Piece but as his own private Essay wholly submitted to the censure of our Holy Mother The Church and the Reverend Fathers of the same and composed on purpose to keep some from moving that way which it is feared some will say it leads to The Authors design was not by Rhetorick first to Court the Affections and then by their help to carry the understanding But quite contrary by Reason to work upon the Judgment and leave that to deal with the affections The Poor Liturgy suffers from two extreams one sort says it is old superstitious Roman Dotage The other it is Schismatically New This Book endeavours to shew particularly what Bishop JEWEL Apol. p. 117. says in general 1. That it is agreeable to PRIMITIVE USAGE and so not Novel 2. THAT IT IS A REASONABLE SERVICE and so not Superstitious As for those that love it and suffer for the love of it this will shew them Reasons why they should suffer on and love it still moreâ— and more To end if the Reader will cast his Eye upon the sad Confusions in point of prayer wherein are such contradictions made as God Almighty cannot grant and lay them as Rubbish under these Fundamental Considerations First How many Set Forms of Petition Blessing and Praise be recorded in the Old and Newâ—Testament used both in the Church Militant and Triumphant Secondly How much of the Liturgy is very Scripture Thirdly How admirable a Thing Unity Unity in Time Form c. is Fourthly How many Millions of poor souls are in the world ignorant infirm by nature age accidents as blindness deafness loss of speech c. which respectively may receive help by Set Forms but cannot so well or not at all by extemporary voluntary effusions and then upon all these will build what he reads in this Book he will if not be convinced to joyn in Communion with yet perhaps be so sweetned as more readily to pardon those who still abiding in their former judgments and being more confirmed hereby do use THE ANCIENT FORM. ECCLESIAE LITURGIAE Anglicanae VINDICES c. A Short RATIONALE upon the Book of Common-Prayer THe COMMON-PRAYER-BOOK contains in it many holy Offices of the Church As Prayers Confession of Faith holy Hymns Divine Lessons Priestly Absolutions and Benedictions all which are Set and Prescribed not left to private mens fancies to make or alter so was it of old ordained CON. CARTHAG Can. 106. It is ordained that the Prayers Prefaces Impositions of hands which are confirmed by the Synod be observed and used by all men These and no other So is our English Can. 13. The COUNCIL of MILEVIS gives the reason of this Constitution Can. 12 Lest through ignorance or carelesness any thing contrary to the Faith should be vented or uttered before God or offered up to him in the Church And as these Offices are set and prescribed so are they moreover appointed to be one and the same throughout the whole National Church So was it of old ordained CON. TOLETAN 11. c. 3. That all Governours of Churches and their people should observe one and the same rite and order of service which they knew to be appointed in the Metropolitan See The same is ordered CON. BRACCAR 1. Can. 19. and Tolet. 4. c. 2. It is appointed that one and the same order of praying and singing be observed by us all and that there should not be variety of usages by them that are bound to the same Faith and live in the same Dominion This for Conformities sake that according to divine Canon Rom. 15. 6. We may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God Of Daily saying of MORNING and EVENING PRAYER ALL Priests shall be bound to say Daily the Morning and Evening Prayer The end of the Preface before the Service Rubr. 2. So was it of old ordered in the Church of Christ Saint CHRYS 6. hom in 2. cap. 1. ep ad Tim. and Clem. Const. l. 2. c. 39. And this is agreeable to Gods own Law Exo. 29. 38. Thou shalt offer upon the Altar Two Lambs of the first year day by day continually the one Lamb in the Morning the other at Evening Besides the daily private devotions of every pious Soul and the more solemn Sacrifices upon the three great Feasts of the year Almighty God requires a daily publick worship a continual burnt offering every day Morning and Evening teaching us by this saith Saint CHRYS That God must be worshipped daily when the day begins and when it ends and every day must be a kind of holy day Thus it was commanded under the Law and certainly we Christians are as much at least obliged to God as the Jews were our grace is greater our promises clearer and therefore our righteousness should every way exceed theirs our Homage to Almighty God should be paid as frequently at least Morning and Evening to be sure God expects from us as well as from the Jews a publick worship a sweet savour or savour of rest as it is in the Hebrew Num. 28. 6. without which God Almighty will not rest satisfied This publick Service
In the faith and fear of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come hither or as our Liturgy saies draw near the people Answer Amen Amen Amen Blessed be he that comes in the Name of the Lord and so come and receive in both kinds Every Parishioner shall communicate at the least three times in the year whereof Easter to be one Rubr. last after the Communion In the Primitive Church while Christians continued in their strength of Faith and Devotion they did communicate every day This custome continued in Africa till S. Cyprians time Orat. Dom. We daily receive the Eucharist for to be our food of salvation And after him till S. Augustines time Ep. 23. ad Bonifac. Insomuch as these words in our Lords Prayer Give us this day our daily bread they interpreted of the Eucharist as being daily to be celebrated But afterward when charity grew cold and devotion faint the custome grew faint withal and within a small time began to be left by little and little and some upon one pretence and some upon another would communicate but once a week In the East-Church they grew to a worse custome betimes which in after Ages came into the Latin Churches too They fell from every day to Sundaies and Holy daies only and from thence to once a year and no oftner S. Ambr. is cited for the proof of this De Sacram. l. 4. c. 4. But this wicked custome of receiving the Eucharist but once a year was but of some Greeks in the East saies S. Ambrose there which cannot properly be understood of any but the Diocess as it was anciently called or Patriarchate of Antioch For though the Eastern Empire whereof Constantinople was the Metropolis contained many Provinces yet the Eastern Church or Greeks in the East were properly those of Antioch Theodor. Hist. 1.5 c. 9. And possibly some of these might be so supine as hath been observed but of the Greeks in general no such careless custome can be affirmed for S. Chrysost. tells us that in his time in every meeting or congregation of the Church the healthful mysteries of the Eucharist are celebrated Hom. 26. in Matth. In regard of this neglect after-Councels did as the Church of England make Canons that if men could be got to receive it no oftner yet they should be forc'd to receive it at least three times in the year Christmas Easter and Whitsontide Nor was he to be reckoned amongst good Catholick Christians that did not receive at those feasts Conc. Agat c. 18. Eliber c. 81. as they are cited by Gratian. de Consor dis 2. Three times a year at the least they were to receive whereof Easter to be one and good reason For when Christ our Passeover was Sacrificed for us then of all times let us keep a Feast with this holy banquet 1 Cor. 5. 7. These Canons were made for the Laity but for those of the Clergy that lived in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches where there were enough of themselves to make a sufficient company to receive the Sacrament they were bound to receive much oftner every day Edw. 6. Liturg. every Sunday at the least Rubr. 4. after the Communion Thus we see holy Church her care to bring all her Children Clergy and Laity to the heavenly banquet of the body and blood of Christ she invites all to a frequent and due receiving of this holy Sacrament in most passionate and kind manner in that most excellent exhortation next after the prayer for the Catholick Church militant here on earth An exhortation fit to be read weekly by the Priest and seriously considered daily by all the people In which holy Church one while exhorts us by the mercies and bowels of Christ to come to this holy feast another while terrifies us by the indignation of God against those that despise his so great love and refuse to come she sends her Ministers as the man in the Gospel S. Luke 14. to tell them all things are ready◠and to bid them in the Name of God to call them in Christ's behalf to exhort them as they love their own salvation to come to this holy Supper and those that notwithstanding all this bidding shall go about to make excuses because they had bought a Farm or would try their yoke of Oxen or because they were married holy Church by her Canons and Laws endeavours to compel to come in at least three times in the year And it were to be wished that all those that despise the Churches passionate exhortations and contemn her wholsome Canons and commands in this particular would seriously at last think of that dreadful sentence of our Lord upon those that still refuse so great mercy I say unto you that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my Supper S. Luke 14. 24. None of those that are thus bidden by Christ and his Church to his holy Supper the holy Communion and shall refuse to come shall ever taste of his great Supper hereafter or eat and drink with him at his Table in his Kingdom S. Luke c. 22. 29. If any of the Bread and Wine remain the Curate shall have it to his own use Rubr. 5. after the Communion Service That is if it were not consecrated for if it be consecrated it is all to be spent with fear and reverence by the Communicants in the Church Gratian de Consecr dist 2. c. 23. Tribus Concil Constant. Resp. ad Qu. 5. Monachon apud Balsam Theophil Alexand cap. 7. Part 4. After all have received we say the LORDS PRAYER according to ancient Custome Ambr. l. 5. de Sacram. c. 4. The people are to repeat every Petition after the Priest Rubr. If the Church did ever devise a thing fit and convenient what more than this That when together we have all received those heavenly Mysteries wherein Christ imparts himself to us and gives visible testification of our blessed Communion with him we should in hatred of all Heresies Factions and Schisms declaredly approve our selves united as Brethren in one by offering up with all our hearts and tongues that most effectual prayer Our Father c. In which we profess our selves Sons of the same Father and in which we pray for Gods pardon no otherwise than as we forgive them that trespass c. For which cause Communicants have ever used it and we at that time do shew we use yea every syllable of it as Communicants saying it together with one consent and voice This done the Priest offers up the Sacrifice of the holy Eucharist or the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for the whole Church as in all old Liturgies it is appointed and together with that is offered up that most acceptable Sacrifice of our selves souls and bodies devoted to Gods service Of which see Rom. 12. and S. Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 10. c. 6. Then we say or sing the Angelical Hymn GLORY BE TO GOD ON HIGH c. wherein the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy does admirably
that no man quarrel at this harmless phrase let him take notice that to worship here signifies to make worshipful or honourable as you may see 1. Sam. 2. 30. For where our last Translation reads it Him that honours me I will honour in the old Translation which our Common-Prayer book uses it is Him that worships me I will worship that is I will make worshipful for that way only can God be said to worship man After the Priest hath prayed for grace and Gods assistence for the married persons to enable them to keep their solemn vow and contract then does he as it were seal that bond and contract by which they have mutually tied themselves with Gods seal viz. Those whom God hath joyned together let no man put asunder The persons having consented together in wedlock and withnessed the same before God and the Church and plighted their troth each to other and declared the same by giving and taking of a Ring and joyning of hands and the Priest having sealed and ratified all as it were with Gods seal which no man must break he pronounces them man and wife in the Ntame of the Father Son and holy Ghost Which Proclamation or pronouncing of the married persons to be man and wife thus in the Church by the Priest was one of those laws and rites of marriage which the Church received of the Apostles Euar ep ad Epis. Aphric Anno 110. Then the Priest blesses them solemnly according to the old rules Conc. Carth. 4. c. 13. Of the efficacy of which blessings hath been said formerly After this follows the 128 Psalm which was the Epithalamium or marriage-song used by the Jews at Nuptials says Muscul in loc Then pious and devout prayers for the married persons and lastly the COMMUNION Such religious solemnities as these or some of these were used by the Jews at marriages For their rites and ceremonies of their marriage were publickly performed with blessings and thanksgivings whence the house was called the House of Praise and their marriage song Hillulim praises the Bridegrooms intimate friends sung the marriage song who are called children of the Bride-chamber S. Matth. 9. 15. Godwin of Jews mar The Primitive Christians had all these which we have The persons to be married were contracted by the Priest the marriage was solemnly pronounced in the Church the married couple were blessed by the Priest prayers and thanksgivings were used and the holy Communion administred to them And these religious rites the Church received from the Apostles saies Euarist Ep. ad Epis. Aphr. And doubtless highly Christian and useful these solemnities are For first they beget and nourish in the minds of men a reverend esteem of this holy mystery Ephes. 5. 32. and draw them to a greater conscience of wedlock and to esteem the bond thereof a thing which cannot without impiety be dissolved Then are they great helps to the performance of those duties which God Almighty hath required in married persons which are so many and those so weighty that whosoever duly considers them and makes a conscience of performing them must think it needful to make use of all those means of grace which God Almighty hath appointed For if we duly consider the great love and charity that this holy state requires even to the laying down of life Husbands love your wives even a Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it Ephes. 5. 25. of the weighty charge of the education of children which if well performed procures a blessing and an advantage to salvation 1 Tim. 2. 15. She shall be saved in child-bearing if they continue in faith and charity c. so if it be carelesly perform'd it procures a most heavy curse 1 Sam. 2. 29 31. c. Or lastly the chastity and holiness necessary to that state of marriage heightned now up to the representation of the mystical union of Christ with his Church Eph. 5. 32. This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the Church to which holy conjunction our marriage and all our works and affections in the same should correspond and be conformable I say if we consider all these duly can we think we may spare any of those divine helps to performance whether they be vows and holy promises to bind us or our Fathers and Mothers Gods and the Ciâ—â—ches blessings or holy prayers for Gods assistance or lastly the holy Commun on that great strengthener of the soul If mens vices and licentiousness have made this holy service seem unseasonable at this time reason would that they should labour to reform their lives and study to be capable of this holy service and not that the Church should take off her command for the receiving of the holy Communion for their unspeakable good For would men observe Gods and the Churches commands and enter into this holy state not like beasts or heathens at the best but like Christians with these religious solemnities the happiness would be greater than can easily be exprest I know not which way I should be able to shew the happiness of that wedlock the knot whereof the Church doth fasten and the Sacrament of the Church confirm saith Tertual l. 2. ad Uxor VISITATION OF THE SICK THe Priest entring into the sick mans house shall say Peace be to this house so our LORD commanded S. Luke 10.5 And if the Son of peace be there his peace shall rest upon it Then knéeling down he prayes those prayers and ejaculations â—ollowing which whosoever reads and considers impartially shall find them to be both very pious and suitable to the occasion Then shall the Priest exhort the sick person after this manner The prayers are all prescribed but the exhortation is left arbitrary to the discretion of the Priest who can hardly be thought to make a better Then shall the Priest eâ—amine the sick person concerning his Faith whether it be Christian. And this is very necessary for if that be wrong all is wrong Christian Religion consists in these two a right Faith and a righteous Life and as a right Faith without a righteous Life will not save so neither will a righteoâ—s Life without a right belief He that hath said Do this and live hath said Believe and live and how then can we think him safe that lives indeed justly but blasphemes impiously Cyril Cat. 4. This then is a principal Interrogatory or question to be put to the sick person whether he believes as a Christian ought to do And this he does by rehearsing to him the CREED And there can be no better rule to try it by For whatsoever was prefigured in the Patriarchs or taught in the Scriptures or foretold by the Prophets concerning God the Father Son and holy Ghost is all briefly contain'd in the Apostles Creed S. Aug. Ser. de Temp. 137. This Creed 't is the touchstone to try true faith from false the rule of faith contrary to which no man may teach or believe