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
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
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
to the earth from whence it came and the spirit of man returneth unto God that gave it so to make diverse accompts of the Bodies of Mankind and the Bodies of other living Creatures in so much as the Body of Adam was resolved on and afterwards the workmanship of thine own hands and endued with a soul from thine own breath But much more since the second Adam thy blessed Son by taking upon him our nature exalted this flesh of ours to be flesh of his flesh whose flesh thou sufferedst not to see Corruption so that the Body returns to the earth and the soul to him that gave it It shall from thence return again it is but a rest and a rest in hope as saith the Psalmist for it is a righteous thing with God that the Body which was partaker with the soul both in doing and suffering should be rais'd again from the Earth to be partaker also with the soul of the reward or punishment which God in Mercy or Justice shall reward not to one of them alone but joyntly to them both There being then so great difference it is not thy will O Lord that our Bodies should be cast out as the Bodies of Beasts to become dung for the earth or our bones lye scatter'd abroad to the sight of the Sun But when thy servants are gathered to their Fathers their Bodies should be decently and seemly laid up in the bosom of the Earth from whence they were taken Neither is it thy pleasure O Lord that they should be buried as an Ass in the open fields but in a place chosen and set apart for that purpose For even so from the Beginning we find the holy Patriarch Abraham the Father of the faithful would not bury his dead in the common fields nay nor amongst the Bodies of Hethites who were heathen men but purchased a burial place for himself in the plain of Mamre which became as it were the Church-Yard of the Patriarchs therein they laid the dead bodies of Sarah his Wife of himself his son Isaac and Rebecca his wife after them Iacob and Leah were buried there After this manner did the Patriarchs in old time who trusted in God sever themselves places for Burial whose children we are so long as we do their works and walk in the steps of their most holy Faith Ensuing then the steps of the Faith of our Father Abraham we for the same purpose have made choise of the very same place wherein we now are that it may be as the Cave of Mamre even Gods store-house for the Bodies of such our Brethren and Sisters to be laid up in as he shall ordain there to be interred there to rest in the sleep of peace till the last Trump shall awake them for they shall awake and rise up that sleep in the dust for thy dew shall be as the dew of herbs and the earth shall yield forth her dead We beseech thee good Lord to accept this work of ours in â—hewing mercy to the dead and mercifully grant that they whose bodies shall be here bestowed and we all may never forget the day of putting off the Tabernacle of this flesh but that living we may think upon death and dying we may apprehend life and rising from the death of Sin to the life of Righteousness which is the first rising of Graceâ— we may have our parts in the second which is the 〈◊〉 to glory by thy Mercy O most gracious Lord God who doest live and govern all things world without end Priorem dein formulam per omnia secutus in Cathedram ibi se collocat atque Actum consecrationis promulgat IN Dei Nomine Amen Nos Lancelotus permissione divina Winton Episcopus hunc locum jacentem in vasto solo vulgo nuncupatum Ridgway-heath infra Parochiam Ecclesiae parochialis sanctae Mariae c. jam propriis sumptibus strenui viri Richardi Smith de Peer-tree Armigeri in circuitu Capellae noviter ab eo quoque propriis sumptibus suis constitutae palis inclusum arboribus consitum continentem in longitudine 148 pedes aut circiter in latitudine 124 pedes aut circiter in toto vero circuitu 435 pedes aut circiter a pristinis aliisque quibuscunque communibus usibus profanis in usus sacros separandum fore decernimus sic separamus ac eundem inhabitantibus vel degentibus in familia Ric. Smith in villa de Weston Hamlettis de Itchin Wolston Ridgeway in parte Manerii de Bitterne quae est de Parochia sancta Mariae juxta Southampt in Caemeterium sive locum Sepulturae pro corporibus inibi decedentium Christiano ritu humandis quantum in nobis est ac de jure Canonibus Ecclesiasticis ac de statutis hujus Regni Angliae possumus authoritate nostra ordinaria Episcopali assignamus ac per nomen Coemeterii Capellae IESU designamus dedicamus in usum praedictum consecramus ac sic assignatum dedicatum consecratum fuisse esse in futurum perpetuis temporibus remanere debere palam ac publice declaramus Ac Coemeterium Capellae IESU deinceps in perpetuum nuncupandum decernimus Privilegiis insuper omnibus fingulis Coemeteriis locis sepulturae ab antiquo consecratis dedicatis competent Coemeterium praedictum sive locum sepulturae ad omnem juris effectum munitum esse volumus quantum in nobis est de jure possumus sic munimus stabilimus per praesentes Proviso tamen quod praedict Richardus Haeredes Assignati sui ac reliqui in dicta villa Hamlettis c. inhabitantes propriis suis sumptibus dictum coemeterium de tempore in tempus in decenti statu conservabunt clausuras ejus quoties opus fuerit sufficienter convenienter reparabunt Salvis etiam omnino reservatis Rectori Ecclesie Parochialis sanctae Mariae praedictae ac Guardianis aliisque Ministris dictae Ecclesiae pro tempore existentibus in perpetuum omnibus singulis oblationibus mortuariis Feudis vadiis pro omnibus singulis sepulturis Mortuorum in hoc coemeterio aut ratione eorundem de jure sive consuetudine debitis in tam amplis modo forma ac si personae praedictae sepultae fuissent in Coemeterio Matricis Ecclesiae praedictae Quas quidem oblationes mortuaria feuda vadia omnia singula sic de jure ac consuetudine debita Rectori Guardianis Ministris dictae Matricis Ecclesiae pro tempore existentibus in perpetuum soltendi quantum in nobis est jura patiuntur reservamus per praesentes salva item nobis successoribus nostris tanquam loci Ordinariis potestate visitandi dictum Coemeterium de tempore in tempus inquirendi an sufficienter reparatum fuerit in clausuris an omnia ibi decenter et secundum ordinem fiant et si minus fiant per censuras Ecclesiasiicas corrigendi His finitis