A FORM OF CONSECRATION or DEDICATION OF CHURCHES AND Chappels Together with What may be used in the Restauration OF RVINED CHVRCHES AND EXPIATION of CHURCHES Desecrated or Prophan'd Dublin Printed by John Crook Printerto the Kâ—â—â—â— Most Excellent Majesty and are to be soâ—â— by Sam. Dancer in Castle-street 1666 Imprimatur Haecformula Consecrationis c. Ja. Armachanus Mich. Dublin Can. A FORM OF CONSECRATION OR Dedication of Churches and Chappels according to the use of the Church of Ireland ¶ THe Patron or the chief of the Parish where a new Church is erected is to give timely notice to the Bishop of the Diocess and humbly to desire him to appoint a convenient time some Lords day or other great Festival of the Church for performance of the solemnity ¶ At the day appointed the Bishop with a convenient number of his Clergy of which the Dean or Archdeacon to be one and the Chancellor of the Diocess and his Register shall come between the hours of eight and ten in the morning and when they are neer the bell is to ring till they be entred into the Church appointed to be consecrated ¶ First the Bishop and his Clergy together with the Patron or his Deputy shall go round about the Coemitery or Church-yard which done the Bishop and his Clergy shall enter into the Church at the West door the Patron and people standing without while the Bishop and Priests do vest themselves in their respective Ecclesiastick habits ¶ When they are vested they shall kneel down in the body of the Church with their faces to the East and say together OUr Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy Name thy Kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Amen ¶ Then the Bishop shall pray PRevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious favour and further us with thy continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ Then rising up they shall go together to the West door and the Dean or Archdeacon on one hand and the Chancellour on the other shall bring the Patron to the threshold of the West door and present him to the Bishop who shall thus say to him SIr I am come hither at your desire I ask therefore for what intent you have desir'd my coming ¶ The Patron shall answer or some of the Clergy at his request and appointment shall answer for him HE hath or mutatis mutandis I have caused a house to be built for the service of God and the publick Ministeries of Religion and separated a burying place for my dead and his or my humble desire is that it may be set apart from all common and prophane uses and dedicated to the honour of God by your prayers and holy Ministeries according to the Word of God and the Laws and Customs of this Church ¶ Then shall the Bishop say WHiles it remained was it not thine own and before it is given to God was it not in thine own power but when once you give it to God it can never be recalled but is in his propriety for ever ¶ The Patron or his Deputy shall answer I humbly desire he will be graciously pleased to accept it and that it may remain his own for his service and his honour for ever ¶ Then shall the Patron kneel down and receive the Bishops blessing in the words following ¶ The Bishop laying his hand upon or lifting it over the Patrons head shall say THe Lord bless you and prosper you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be merciful unto you Remember thy servant O God concerning this also accept his gift sanctifie his heart purifie his intentions reward his loving kindness and spare him according to the greatness of thy mercies Enrich him and his family with all blessings of thy Spirit and thy Providence for ever through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen And now in the Name of God and to the honour of our Lord Jesus Christ let us perform this Ministery ¶ Then the Patron arising the Bishop shall call for the instrument of Donation which the Bishop receiving from the hands of the Patron shall deliver to the Register to be read publikely in that place ¶ Which being done all may enter into the Church Then shall the Bishop attended by his Clergy kneel in the body of the Church before the Chancel door at a convenient distance upon a footstep raised higher than the floor and shall say Let us pray I. BLessed be thou O Lord God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever Thine O Lord is the greatness 1 Chron. 29. 10 c. and the power and the glory and the victory and the Majestie All that is in the heavens and in the earth is thine Thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all Now therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious Name that thou hast put it into the heart of thy servants to build a house for the honour of thy Name and the service of thy Majestie O Lord our God What are we and what is this people that from thy servants any thing should be given and offered unto thee by us All things come of thee and of thy own we give unto thee But we know also O God that thou triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightness O Lord God of our Fathers God of mercy and Father of men and Angels keep this and all thankfulness and piety and devotion in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy servants for ever and prosper thou the works of our hands unto us O prosper thou our handy-work Confirm this thing which thou hast wrought in us from thy holy Temple which is in Jerusalem which is from above and is the Mother of us all And for ever be pleased to imploy us in thy service to strengthen us in all obedience to lead us in the way everlasting and to accept us in those Religious duties which we shall perform by thy Commandment and by the assistances of thy holy Spirit through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen II. O Almighty and Eternal God who by thy Immensity fillest all places both in heaven and earth and canst not be limited or circumscrib'd in any Thou art the most High and dwellest not as we do in houses made with hands for Heaven is thy Throne and the earth is thy foot-stool And what house can we build for
thee and what is the place of thy rest that we can furnish out for thee Surely every place is too little and too low for thee who dwellest on high and thy glory is above the Heavens And yet thou humblest thy self to behold the things that are in heaven and earth and thy delight is to be with the sons of men Thou speakest our words thou compliest with our weaknesses thou acceptest our services and wilt be worshipped and ador'd according to what thou hast put into our power Thou therefore hast been pleas'd in all ages to meet with thy servants in places separate for thy worship and for the invocation of thy holy Name In Paradise there was a proper place which thy servant Moses called The presence of the Lord and thy servant Abraham called on thy Name in the place of the Altar And thou didst meet the Patriarch Jacob Gen. 13. 4. at Bethel and he consecrated a stone for thy memorial and it became dreadful and venerable the House of God and the Gate of Heaven and Rebekah had a proper place Gen. 28. 17. whither she went to inquire of the Lord. Thou also didst fill the Tabernacle with thy presence and the Temple with thy glory and when the fulness of time was come thou by thy most holy Son didst declare that thou wilt be present in all places where two or three are gathered in thy Name and that amongst all Nations for ever Thy house shall be called the house of prayer and by thy Apostle hast signified to us that our dwelling houses are to eat and drink in but that we must not despise the Churches of God For thou art a jealous God and wilt not endure that thy Temples should be defiled Our God is a consuming fire and he that defiles a Temple him will God destroy Therefore in confidence of thy goodness in expectation of thy favours in full assurance of thy promises in obedience to the manifold declaration of thy pleasure and in imitation of the piety of thy servants who in all the generations of the world have separated places and houses for thy service and left great monuments of their piety for our comfort and example that we may come together into one place * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Ignat. Epist ad Magness and by a joyn'd prayer wrastle with thee for blessings and not depart thence till thou hast blessed us We thy servants walking in the steps of their most holy faith partakers of the same hope fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God are this day met together in thy fear and love to dedicate a house to thee and to the glories of thy Name that we may not neglect the assembling of our selves together but meet here to implore thy mercies to deplore our sins to deprecate thy anger to magnifie thy goodness to celebrate thy praises to receive thy Sacraments to bless thy people and to perform all ministeries of Salvation Be pleased therefore most gracious Lord and Father to accept the devotion and oblation of thy servants admit this place and house into a portion of thine own inheritance Let it be a resting place for thy feet and the seat of thy Graciousness Depute thy holy Angels to abide here to defend thy servants and to drive away all the power of the Enemy Place thy mercy-seat among us also Let thine eyes and thine ears be open towards this house night and day and hear the prayers of thy people which they shall make unto thee in this place granting to them all the graces which they shall need and ask And whensoever in humility and contrition they shall confess their sins unto thee be thou more ready to hear than they to pray forgive them all their sins encrease and perfect their repentances remove thy judgements far from them and let them feel and rejoyce in thy mercies and loving kindnesses for ever and ever Grant this for his sake who is the King of the Saints and the Head of the Church the great lover of souls and our High Priest who continually makes intercession for us our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Amen III. O Almighty God who art the Father of the faithful and a gracious God to all that call upon thee in truth and love thou hast taught us by thy holy Apostle that every thing is sanctified by the word of God and prayer Attend this day and ever to the prayers of thy servants be present with thy grace in all our ministeries of the Sacraments and Sacramentals and bless all the labours and accept all the religious duties and satisfie all the holy desires of them who in this thy house shall make their supplications before thee And let the dew of thy Divine blessing descend and abide for ever upon this house which by invocation of thy holy Name and to the honour of the Lord Jesus and the Ministeries of thy servants we though unworthy consecrate and dedicate unto thee Spare all the penitents relieve the distressed comfort the comfortless confirm the strong and strengthen the weak Ease the afflicted heal the wounded and the sick provide for the widows and be a Father to the fatherless and unto all them whose consciences being accus'd for sin come with confidence to the Throne of Grace Give help in all the times of their need that whensoever thy Name is called upon thy blessings may certainly descend Let thy Eternal peace be to this house and to them who in this house come to thee to be eased and refreshed Here let thy Priests be cloth'd with righteousness and let thy Saints sing with joyfulness Here let thy people make their prayers and perform their vows and offer thee freewill offerings with a holy worship Here let the weight of their sins that so easily besets them be laid aside here let the chains of their corruption and the chords of vanity be broken Let the lapsed be restored let the sick be cured let the blind eyes and hearts be inlightned with the lanthorn of thy Word and the light of thy Spirit Here let the power of Satan be lessened and destroyed and let thy servants find a cure for all their wounds a comfort for all their sorrows a remedy to all their inconveniences that all who shall enter this house now dedicated to thy service may obtain all their desires and triumph in the Name of the Lord our God who hath perform'd all their petitions Preserve their souls from sin their eyes from tears and their feet from falling for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thee O Father and thy most Holy Spirit be all honour and glory praise and thanksgiving love and obedience for ever and ever Amen ¶ Then the Bishop and the Congregation arising from their knees the Bishop attended by his Clergy shall go in Procession round about the Church within and say this Hymn alternately HYMN I. 1. EXcept the Lord build the house they labour
waters 15. Thou smotest the heads of Leviathan in pieces and gavest him to be meat for the people in the wilderness 16. Thou broughtest out fountains and waters out of the hard rocks thou driedst up mighty waters 17. The day is thine and the night is thine thou hast prepared the light and the sun 18. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth thou hast made summer and winter 19. Remember this O Lord how the enemy hath rebuked and how the foolish people hath blasphemed thy Name 20. O deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude of the enemies and forget not the congregation of the poor for ever 21. Look upon the covenant for all the earth is full of darkness and cruel habitations 22. O let not the simple go away ashamed but let the poor and needy give praise unto thy Name 23. Arise O God maintain thine own cause remember how the foolish man blasphemeth thee daily 24. Forget not the voice of thine enemies the presumption of them that hate thee encreaseth ever more and more ¶ Then entring into the Church the Bishop and Clergy shall vest themselves which being done and the people in their places the Bishop shall kneel down in the body of the Church on a footstool rais'd above the floor and say OUr Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name thy Kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil ¶ The Clergy and people repeating after him every petition ¶ Then shall the Bishop say PRevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious favour and further us with thy continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ Then the Bishop standing up with his face to the people shall pray in the words of Ezra paucis mutatis ut sequitur O Lord our God we are asham'd and blush to lift up our faces unto thee O God for our iniquities are Ezra 9. increased over our heads and our trespasses grown up unto the heavens Since the days of our Fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day and for our iniquities have we our Kings and our Priests been delivered unto the hands of our Enemies to the sword and to the spoil and to confusion of face as it is this day And now for a little space hath grace been shewed to us from the Lord our God to leave us a remnant to escape and to give us a nail in his holy place that our God may lighten our eyes give us a little reviving from our afflictions For our God hath not forsaken us but hath extended mercy to us in the sight of our enemies to give us a reviving to set up the house of our God and to repair the desolations thereof And now O our God what shall we say after this For we have forsaken thy Commandments which thou hast commanded us by thy servants the Prophets And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespasses seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve and hast given us such a deliverance as this should we again break thy Commandments Wouldst not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us O Lord God of Heaven and earth thou art righteous and just and true thou art also good and gracious and of great mercy and loving kindness and though thou hast punished us for our inventions yet thou hast forgiven our misdeeds and restor'd us to a rejoycing this day O give unto us abundance of thy grace that we may no more provoke thee to anger or to jealousie that we may never force thee to severity and to pour forth thy heavy judgements upon us but give us thy holy Spirit to lead us in the ways of righteousness and to prepare us for thy mercies for ever Defend thy Church and bless thine inheritance feed them and set them up for ever So shall we thy people give thee thanks in the Congregation of thy redeemed ones and rejoyce in giving thee praises for the operations of thy hands who hast mightily delivered thy sons and servants through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ Then shall be said or sung Psalm 144. alternately BLessed be the Lord my strength who teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight 2. My hope and my fortress my castle and deliliverer my defender in whom I trust who subdueth my people that is under me 3. Lord what is man that thou hast such respect unto him or the son of man that thou so regardest him 4. Man is like a thing of nought his time passeth away like a shadow 5. Bow thy heavens O Lord and come down touch the mountains and they shall smoke 6. Cast forth thy lightning and tear them shoot out thine arrows and consume them 7. Send down thine hand from above deliver me and take me out of the great waters from the hand of strange children 8. Whose mouth talketh of vanity and their right hand is a right hand of wickedness 9. I will sing a new song unto thee O God and sing praises unto thee upon a ten-stringed lute 10. Thou hast given victory unto kings and hast delivered David thy servant from the peril of the sword 11. Save me and deliver me from the hand of strange children whose mouth talketh of vanity and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity 12. That our sons may grow up as the young plants and that our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple 13. That our garners may be full and plenteous with all manner of store that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets 14. That our oxen may be strong to labour that there be no decay no leading into captivity and no complaining in our streets 15. Happy are the people that are in such a case yea blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God ¶ After which the Bishop attended with the Clergy shall go to the Font and use the same Office as is appointed for the consecration or dedication of Churches and so to the end Omitting the word place or places because the place was consecrated before and so was the Coemetery In other things proceed without change ¶ The first Lesson at Morning prayer shall be Haggai 1. ¶ The second Lesson Luke 12. beginning at verse 32. to the end ¶ The Collect the same as is used at Morning-prayer in the Office of consecration A SHORT OFFICE FOR EXPIATION ILLUSTRATION OF A CHURCH Desecrated or Prophan'd ¶ IF a Church hath been desecrated by murther and blood-shed by uncleanness
send faithful labourers into thy harvest and grant that all the people which from this place shall hear thy word may not receive it as the word of man but as the good word of God able to save their souls and let thy holy Spirit for ever be the Preacher and imprint thy word in their minds opening their hearts convincing their understandings over-ruling their wills and governing their affections that they may not be hearers of the Word onely but doers of good works that they by their holy lives adorning the Gospel of God and seeking for glory and honour and immortality may attain eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ Then the Bishop and Clergy shall go towards the Chancel the doors of which being shut he shall stand there and with the Priests recite this Hymn alternately HYMN II. 1. O Pen to me the gates of righteousness I will go into them and praise the Lord. 2. This is the gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter 3. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner 4. This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes 5. This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it 6. Save now I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech send us now prosperity 7. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. 8. God is the Lord which hath shewed us light bind the sacrifice with chords even to the horns of the altar 9. O Lord open thou my lips and my lips shall shew forth thy praise 10. For thou desirest not sacrifice else would I give it thee but thou delightest not in burnt offerings 11. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise 12. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walls in Jerusalem 13. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar 14. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation right I will shew the salvation of God Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen ¶ Then the doors being open'd the Bishop with his Clergy shall enter and ascend to the Communion Table and sitting in a chair on the South side of it shall appoint the Dean or Archdeacon to read this Lesson ¶ The Lesson at the Communion Table I Speak as to wise men judge what I say The cup of 1 Cor. 10. 15. blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ For we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils ye cannot be partakers of the Lords table and the table of Devils Do we provoke the Lord to jealousie Are we stronger then he Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat Heb. 13. 10. which serve the Tabernacle Wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the gate Let us go forth therefore unto him bearing his reproach For here we have no continuing city but we seek one to come By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name But to do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased ¶ Then the Bishop arising from his chair shall kneel before the Altar or Communion Table and say ¶ Let us pray O Eternal God who in an infinite mercy to mankind didst send thy holy Son to be a sacrifice for our sins and the food of our souls the Author and finisher of our faith and the great Minister of eternal glory who also now sits at thy right hand and upon the heavenly altar perpetually presents to thee the Eternal Sacrifice and a never ceasing prayer be present with thy servants and accept us in the dedication of a Ministerial altar which we humbly have provided for the performance of this great Ministery and in imitation of Christs Eternal Priesthood according to our duty and his Commandment Grant that all the gifts which shall be presented on this table may be acceptable unto thee and become unto thy servants a savour of life unto life Grant that all who shall partake of this table may indeed hunger after the bread of life and thirst for the wine of elect souls and may feed upon Christ by faith and be nourished by a holy hope and grow up to an eternal charity Let no hand of any that shall betray thee be ever upon this table let no impure tongue ever taste of the holy body and blood which here shall be Sacramentally represented and exhibited But let all thy servants that come hither to receive these mysteries come with prepar'd hearts and with penitent souls and loving desires and indeed partake of the Lord Jesus and receive all the benefits of his passion Grant this for his sake who is the Priest and the Sacrifice the feeder and the food the Physician and the physick of our souls our most blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Amen ¶ Then the Bishop arising shall return to his Chair and sitting covered some persons by the Patrons appointment shall bring the Carpet the Communion cloth and napkins the Chalice Paten and the other Vessels Books and Vtensils for the Communion and humbly presenting them on their knees to God the Bishop shall receive them severally and deliver them to the Deacon to be laid orderly on the Communion Table excepting onely the Chalice and the Paten which two Priests shall when the Table is covered humbly on their knees lay upon it Then the Bishop returning to the Altar shall with reverence and solemnity his face being Eastward lay his hands upon the plate and say this prayer standing WHat are we O God and what is this people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this 1 Chron. 29. 14. sort For all things come of thee and of thine own we have given thee Accept the Oblation of thy servants who in the uprightness of their hearts have willingly offered these things and give unto them a perfect heart to keep thy Commandments thine Ordinances and thy Sacraments and be pleased to grant to them a greater ability an enlarged heart and an increasing love to serve thee with their souls and bodies with all their time and all their goods that thou maist