his infinite mercy bring thee to the regions of holinesse and eternal peace through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen I. A prayer to be used in behalfe of Fooles or Changelings O Eternal and most blessed Saviour Jesus who art the wisedome of the Father and art made unto us wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and Redemption have pity upon the miserable people to whom thou hast given life and no understanding Thou didst create us of nothing and gavest us being when we were not and createdst in us capacity of blessings when we had none and gavest us many when we did not understand them thou bringest infants from the wombe and from the state of nature to the state of grace and from their mothers breasts thou doest often convey them to the bosome of Jesus and yet they doe nothing but thou art glorified in thy free gift O be gracious to all Natural fooles and innocents for thou hatest nothing which thou hast made and lovest every soule which thou hast redeemed we that have reason can deserve heaven no more then these can but these doe not deserve hell so much as we have done Impute not to them their follies that are unavoidable nor the sins which they discerne not nor the evils which they cannot understand keepe them from all evil and sad mischances and make supply of their want of the defences of reason by the special guard of Angels and let thy obedience and thy sufferings be accepted and thy intercession prevaile for them that since they cannot glorify thee by a free obedience thou mayest be glorified by thy free mercies to them and for their destitution of good in this world let them receive eternal blessings in the world to come through thy mercies O eternal and most Blessed Saviour Jesus Amen II. A prayer for Madmen ALmighty God whose wisedome is infinite whose mercy is eternal whose tranquillity is essential and whose goodnesse hath no shore In judgement remember mercy and doe thou delight to magnify thy mercy upon them who need it but cannot aske it who are in misery but feele it not who doe actions without choice and choose without discretion and sober understanding Pity the evil they suffer and pardon the evils that they have done and impute not unto them the evils which they rather beare then act and let not their entry into this calamity be an exclusion from their future pardon but let this sad calamity and judgement which they beare be united to the sufferings of our Lord and be sanctified by his intercession and become an instrument of their peace Lord restore them to their health and understanding take from them all violent passions and remove all evil objects far from their eyes and eares create a cleane heart and renew a right Spirit in them Give them sober thoughts and meeke Spirits contempt of the world and love of holy things suffer them not to doe violence to any man and let no man doe violence to them let them be safe under the conduct of thy providence and the publick lawes and be innocent under the conduct of thy holy Spirit that when thou shalt returne and speake peace to thy people they may rejoyce in thy mercies and salvation thou didst O God shew mercy to Nebuchadnezar gavest to him the heart of a man after he had sin'd and fallen into the lot of beasts and wildnesse and thy hand is not shortned that thou canst not helpe but let thy mercies and loving kindnesse returne upon thy servants as at first that thou mayest rejoyce in thy mercies and salvation because thou hast pleasure in the prosperity of thy Servants Grant this Almighty God and Father for Jesus Christ his sake our Lord and dearest Saviour Amen III. A prayer in behalfe of Hereticks and seduced persons O Most blessed most Gracious Saviour Jesus who art the way and the truth and the life thou art a light to them that sit in darkenesse the light that lightneth every man that commeth into the world preserve thy Church in peace and truth in love and holinesse to thy second comming Reduce every misbeleiver to the fold of thy Church instruct every ignorant person in the wayes of Godly wisedome subdue the pride of man and bring every understanding to the obedience of thy sacred law Let no mans vanity or ignorance divide the church let not any holy truth be sullied with the mixture of impure and heretical doctrines nor evil principles disorder the beauties of religion and godly living nor any doctrines of men be taught as the commandement of God but grant that the truth of God may be publikely maintained constantly taught hūbly beleived zealously practized by all men in their several stations that in the church of God there be no contention but in giving honour to each other and glory to God in all the wayes of faith and charity through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen II. Blesse the ministery of thy holy word in its ordinary dispensation grant it may prevaile mightily for the convincing of them that have no faith for the reprooving of the errors of them whose faith is not pure for the confirming them who are weake in faith for the perfecting them who are novices in faith open the hearts of all gainsayers take from them all their prejudices and all their passions their secular interests and confident opinions that they may humbly and meekely attend to the voice of God in the mouths of thy servants in the pages of scripture in the doctrines of the Spirit that they may doe nothing against the truth but for the truth that they may not quench the Spirit nor despise prophecying nor shut their eyes against the light and their hearts against the love of God but grant that in all things being obedient to the heavenly calling they may receive the blessings of truth and peace in this world and in the world to come exalting the kingdome and partaking the glories of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen These three last prayers are to be used upon any of the great Festivals of the yeare especially Easter day Ascension day Whitsunday and upon 8 dayes after these Festivals or upon good Friday Prayers and Psalmes to be used by the Minister and Curate of Soules at the Visitation of the sick In the Name of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Our Father which art in Heaven c. Minister O God make speed to save us Answer O Lord make hast to helpe us * Glory be to the Father c. ¶ As it was in the beginning c. Then recite this Psalme * REbuke me not O Lord in thine anger neither correct me in thy heavy displeasure ¶ Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heate me for my bones are vexed * My soule is also sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou punish me ¶ Turne thee O Lord and deliver my soule O save me for thy mercies sake * For in death no
That indetermination of the office may not introduce indifferency nor indifferency lead in a freer liberty or liberty degenerate into licentiousness or licentiousness into folly and vanity and these come sometime attended with secular designs lest these be cursed with the immission of a peevish spirit upon our Priests and that spirit be a teacher of lies and these lies become the basis of impious theoremes which are certainly attended with ungodly lives and then either Atheism or Antichristianism may come according as shall happen in the conjunction of time and other circumstances for this would be a sad climax a ladder upon which are no Angels ascending or descending because the degrees lead to darkness and misery 5. But that which is of special concernment is this that the Liturgy of the Church of England hath advantages so many and so considerable as not onely to raise it self above the devotions of other Churches but to endear the affections of good people to be in love with Liturgy in general 6. For to the Churches of the Romane Communion we can say that ours is reformed to the reformed Churches we can say that ours is orderly and decent for we were freed from the impositions and lasting errours of a tyrannical spirit and yet from the extravagancies of a popular spirit too our reformation was done without tumult and yet we saw it necessary to reform we were zealous to cast away the old errours but our zeal was balanced with consideration and the results of authority Not like women or children when they are affrighted with fire in their clothes we shak'd off the cole indeed but not our garments lest we should have exposed our Churches to that nakedness which the excellent men of our sister Churches complained to be among themselves 7. And indeed it is no small advantage to our Liturgy that it was the off-spring of all that authority which was to prescribe in matters of Religion The king and the Priest which are the Antistites Religionis and the preservers of both the Tables joyn'd in this work and the people as it was represented in Parliament were advised withal in authorizing the form after much deliberation for the Rule Quod spectat ad omnes ab omnibus tractari debet was here observed with strictness and then as it had the advantages of discourse so also of authorities its reason from one and its sanction from the other that it might be both reasonable and sacred and free not onely from the indiscretions but which is very considerable from the scandal of popularity 8. And in this I cannot but observe the great wisdome and mercy of God in directing the contrivers of the Liturgy with the spirit of zeal and prudence to allay the furies and heats of the first affrightment For when men are in danger of burning so they leap from the flames they consider not whither but whence and the first reflections of a crooked tree are not to straightness but to a contrary incurvation yet it pleased the Spirit of God so to temper and direct their spirits that in the first Liturgy of King Edward they did rather retain something that needed further consideration then reject any thing that was certainly pious and holy and in the second Liturgy that they might also throughly reform they did rather cast out something that might with good profit have remained then not satisfy the world of their zeal to reform of their charity in declining every thing that was offensive and the clearness of their light in discerning every semblance of errour or suspicion in the Romane Church 9. The truth is although they fram'd the Liturgy with the greatest consideration that could be by all the united wisdome of this Church and State yet as if Prophetically to avoid their being charg'd in after ages with a crepusculum of Religion a dark twilight imperfect Reformation they joyn'd to their own starre all the shining tapers of the other reformed Churches calling for the advice of the most eminently learned and zealous Reformers in other Kingdomes that the light of all together might shew them a clear path to walk in And this their care produced some change for upon the consultation the first form of King Edwards Service-book was approved with the exception of a very few clauses which upon that occasion were review'd and expung'd till it came to that second form and modest beauty it was in the Edition of M D L II and which Gilbertus a German approved of as a transcript of the ancient and primitive forms 10. It was necessary for them to stay somewhere Christendome was not onely reformed but divided too and every division would to all ages have called for some alteration or else have disliked it publickly and since all that cast off the Romane yoke thought they had title enough to be called Reformed it was hard to have pleased all the private interests and peevishness of men that called themselves friends and therefore that onely in which the Church of Rome had prevaricated against the word of God or innovated against Apostolical tradition all that was par'd away But at last she fix'd and strove no further to please the people who never could be satisfied 11. The Painter that exposed his work to the censure of the common passengers resolving to mend it as long as any man could finde fault at last had brought the eyes to the ears and the ears to the neck and for his excuse subscrib'd Hanc populus fecit But his Hanc ego that which he made by the rules of art and the advice of men skill'd in the same mystery was the better peece The Church of England should have par'd away all the Canon of the Communion if she had mended her peece at the prescription of the Zuinglians and all her office of Baptism if she had mended by the rules of the Anabaptists and kept up Altars still by the example of the Lutherans and not have retain'd decency by the good will of the Calvinists and now another new light is sprung up she should have no Liturgy at all but the worship of God be left to the managing of chance and indeliberation and a petulant fancy 12. It began early to discover its inconvenience for when certain zealous persons fled to Frankford to avoid the funeral piles kindled by the Romane Bishops in Queen Maries time as if they had not enemies enough abroad they fell foul with one another and the quarrel was about the Common Prayer Book and some of them made their appeal to the judgement of M r Calvin whom they prepossessed with strange representments and troubled phantasms concerning it and yet the worst he said upon the provocation of those prejudices was that even its vanities were tolerable Tolerabiles ineptias was the unhandsome Epithete he gave to some things which he was forc'd to dislike by his over-earnest complying with the Brethren of Frankford 13. Well! upon this the wisdome of
this Church State saw it necessary to fixe where with advice she had begun and with counsel she had once mended And to have altered in things inconsiderable upon a new design or sullen mislike had been extreme levity and apt to have made the men contemptible their authority slighted and the thing ridiculous especially before adversaries that watch'd all opportunity and appearances to have disgraced the Reformation Here therefore it became a Law was established by an Act of Parliament was made solemne by an appendant penalty against all that on either hand did prevaricate a sanction of so long and so prudent consideration 14. But the Common Prayer-book had the fate of S. Paul for when it had scap'd the storms of the Romane Sea yet a viper sprung out of Queen Maries fires which at Frankford first leap'd upon the hand of the Church but since that time it hath gnawn the bowels of its own Mother and given it self life by the death of its Parent and Nurse 15. For as for the Adversaries from the Romane party they were so convinc'd by the piety and innocence of the Common Prayer-Book that they could accuse it of no deformity but of imperfection of a want of some things which they judged convenient because the error had a wrinckle on it and the face of antiquity And therefore for ten or eleven years they came to our Churches joyn'd in our devotions and communicated without scruple till a temporal interest of the Church of Rome rent the Schism wider and made it gape like the jaws of the grave And let me say it addes no small degree to my confidence and opinion of the English Common Prayer-Book that amongst the numerous Armies sent from the Romane Seminaries who were curious enough to enquire able enough to finde out and wanted no anger to have made them charge home any errour in our Liturgy if the matter had not been unblameable and the composition excellent there was never any impiety or heresy charg'd upon the Liturgy of the Church for I reckon not the calumnies of Harding for they were onely in general calling it Darkness c. from which aspersion it was worthily vindicated by M. Deering The truth of it is the Compilers took that course which was sufficient to have secur'd it against the malice of a Spanish Inquisitor or the scrutiny of a more inquisitive Presbytery for they put nothing of controversy into their prayers nothing that was then matter of question onely because they could not prophecy they put in some things which since then have been called to question by persons whose interest was highly concerned to finde fault with something But that also hath been the fate of the Penmen of holy Scripture some of which could prophecy and yet could not prevent this But I doe not remember that any man was ever put to it to justify the Common Prayer against any positive publick and professed charge by a Romane Adversary Nay it is transmitted to us by the testimony of persons greater then all exceptions that Paulus 4 tâ—s in his private entercourses and Letters to Queen Elizabeth did offer to confirm the English Common Prayer Book if she would acknowledge his Primacy and authority and the Reformation derivative from him And this lenity was pursued by his Successor Pius 4 tus with an omnia de nobis tibi polliceare he assured her she should have any thing from him not onely things pertaining to her soul but what might conduce to the establishment and confirmation of her Royal Dignity amongst which that the Liturgy newly established by her authority should not be rescinded by the Popes power was not the least considerable 16. And possibly this hath cast a cloud upon it in the eyes of such persons who never will keep charity or so much as civility but with those with whom they have made a league offensive and defensive against all the world This hath made it to be suspected of too much compliancâ— with that Church and her Offices of devotion and that it is a very Cento composed out of the Mass Book Pontifical Breviaries Manuals and Portuises of the Romane Church 17. I cannot say but many of our Prayers are also in the Romane Offices But so they are also in the Scripture so also is the Lords Prayer and if they were not yet the allegation is very inartificial and the charge peevish and unreasonable unless there were nothing good in the Romane Books or that it were unlawful to pray a good prayer which they had once stain'd with red letters The Objection hath not sense enough to procure an answer upon its own stock but by reflection from a direct truth which uses to be like light manifesting it self and discovering darkness 18. It was first perfected in King Edward the sixths time but it was by and by impugned through the obstinate dissembling malice of many They are the words of M. Fox in his Book of Martyrs Then it was reviewed and published with so much approbation that it was accounted the work of God but yet not long after there were some persons qui divisionis occasionem arripiebant saith Alesius vocabula penè syllabas expendendo they tried it by points and syllables and weighed every word and sought occasions to quarrel which being observed by Archbishop Cranmer he caused it to be translated into Latine and sent it to Bucer requiring his judgement of it who returned this answer That although there are in it some things quae rapi possunt ab inquietis ad materiam contentionis which by peevish men may be cavill'd at yet there was nothing in it but what was taken out of the Scriptures or agreeable to it if rightly understood that is if handled and read by wise and good men The zeal which Archbishop Grindal Bishop Ridly D r Taylor and other the holy Martyrs and Confessors in Queen Maries time expressed for this excellent Liturgy before and at the time of their death defending it by their disputations adorning it by their practice and sealing it with their blouds are arguments which ought to recommend it to all the sons of the Church of England for ever infinitely to be valued beyond all the little whispers and murmurs of argument pretended against it and when it came out of the flame and was purified in the Martyrs fires it became a vessell of honour and used in the house of God in all the days of that long peace which was the effect of Gods blessing and the reward as we humbly hope of an holy Religion and when it was laid aside in the days of Queen Mary it was to the great decay of the due honour of God and discomfort to the Professors of the truth of Christs Religion they are the words of Queen Elizabeth and her grave and wise Parliament 19. Archbishop Cranmer in his purgation A. D. 1553. made an offer if the Queen would give him leave to prove All that
when thou hadst taken upon thee our Nature and our sin and appeased thy Fathers wrath and perform'd all his will and overcome death and rescued all obedient soules from the hand of the enemy didst ascend to thy Eternall Father and open the Kingdome of Heaven to all beleivers thou hast espoused thy Church unto thy selfe with the eternall circles of thy providence with thy love and with thy care with thy word and with thy Spirit thy promises and thy holy intercession thou hadst a feeling of our infirmities and art our mercifull High Preist makeing intercession for us for ever O be pleased to represent and supply all our wants excuse all our infirmities pity all our calamities pardon our sins and send downe thy holy spirit of grace into our hearts that though we walke upon the earth yet our conversation may be in heaven and there also may be our portion and inheritance for ever through thy mercies O most Gracious Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Amen For Whitsunday Psalmes for Morning Prayer Psalme 87. Morning Prayer Psalme 89. Evening Prayer Psalme 2. Evening Prayer Psalme 45. Evening Prayer Psalme 110. The Hymne to be said after the second lesson at Morning and Evening Prayer * SIng a loud unto God our strength make a joyfull noise unto the God of Jacob. ¶ I will remember the workes of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old I will meditate of all thy workes and talke of thy doings * Thy way O God is in the sanctuary who is so great a God as our God thou art the God that doest wonders thou hast declared thy strength among the people ¶ Vow and pay unto the Lord your God let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared * He shall cut off the spirit of princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth ¶ Say unto God how terrible art thou in thy workes thorough the greatnesse of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee * Sion heard and was glad and the daughters of Judah rejoyced because of thy judgements O Lord. ¶ For thou Lord art high above all the earth thou art exalted farre above all Gods * Light is sowne for the righteous and gladnesse for the upright in heart ¶ Rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous and give thankes at the remembrance of his Holinesse * The Lord hath made knowne his salvation his righteousnesse hath he openly shewed in the sight of the Heathen ¶ He hath remembred his mercy and truth toward the house of Israel all the ends of the earth have seene the salvation of our God * Give unto the Lord O ye kinreds of the people give unto the Lord glory and strength ¶ For he commeth For he commeth to judge the earth he shall judge the world with righteousnesse and the people with his truth Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Collect. O Eternall God the Great Father of spirits the great Lover of soules who didst send thy holy Spirit upon thy Church in the day of Pentecost and hast promised that he shall abide with thy Church for ever let thy holy Spirit lead us into all truth defend us from all sin enrich us with his gifts refresh us with his comforts rule in our hearts for ever conduct us with his truth and lead us in the way everlasting that we living by thy Spirit and walking in him may by him be sealed up to the day of our redemption O let thy Spirit witnesse to our spirits that we are the children of God and make us to be so for ever through Jesus our Lord who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Spirit one God world without end Amen Upon Trinity Sunday O Blessed ineffable and most mysterious Trinity how admirable are thy beauties how incomparable are thy perfections how incomprehensible are those relations of the three most Blessed Persons which we believe and admire and adore but understand not The Angels are amazed in the unimaginable beauties of that glorious presence and are swallowed up with the Ocean of thy infinity How then can we who are in the lowest order of understanding creatures and have removed our selves further from thee and the participation of thy excellencies by a sinfull life praise thee either according to our duty or thy glories yet be pleased to accept the humblest adorations and with a favourable and a gracious eye behold the lowest worshippings and duty of thy servants We confesse and glory in thy omnipotency thy immensity thy goodnesse thy uncircumscribed Nature thy truth thy mercy thy omniscience O let us also receive thy blessings and gracious influences that we may adore thee with all our powers and possibilities for ever love thee with all our affections for ever serve with our best and earliest and all our industry that being here wholly inebriated with love and busied in thy service and the duties of a holy obedience we may to all eternity rejoyce in the beholding of those glories which are above all capacities above all heavens above all Angels even those glories which streame forth from the throne of the Eternall God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost to whom be glory and dominion honour and adoration eternally confessed due and humbly paid by all men and all Angels world without end Amen A Collect to be used upon any of the Festivals or Commemoration of the Apostles ALmighty God who hast built thy holy Church upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets Jesus Christ himselfe being the cheife corner stone we blesse and magnifie thy Name thy holy and ever glorious Name for thy great graces which thou gavest to thy Apostles and Prophets and Martyrs in the daies of their flesh and this day we have thy servant S. Paul S. Peter S. James c. here name the Apostle c. in remembrance praising thee for the benefits which the church hath received by his ministery and example we pray unto thee to give us thy grace that we obeying thy doctrine which he taught and publish'd and following his example as he followed Christ we also may with safety and holinesse passe through this vally of tears that serving thee in our generation advancing thy honour and obeying thy lawes we may in the society and communion of Saints and Angels sing eternall Hallelujahs to the honour of thy mercy and of thy majesty through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen An Office or Order for the Holy Sacrament of the LORDS SUPPER An Office or order for the Administration of the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper according to the way of the Apostolicall Churches and the doctrine of the Church of England THE ANTECOMMUNION OUr Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdome 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
When he fell and broke thy easy Commandement thou didst not despise his folly nor leave him in his sin but didst chastise him with thy rod and restrain him by thy law and instruct him by thy Prophets and at last didst send thy Holy Son into the world that he might renew and repair thy broken image The People shall answer Blessed be God He comming from heaven and taking our flesh by the power of the Holy Ghost of the Vâ—rgin Mary conversed with men and taught us the way of God and the dispensation of Eternal life People Holy Jesus Blessed be God But when for the redemption of us sinners he would suffer death upon the Cross without sin for us who were nothing but sin and misery in the night in which he was betrayed he took bread he looked up to heaven he gave thanks he sanctified it he brake it and gave it to his Apostles saying Take eat This is my body which is broken for you Doe this in remembrance of me Likewise after Supper he took the Cup and when he had given thanks and blessed it he gave it to them saying Drink ye all of this for this is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins Doe this in remembrance of me For as often as ye shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shall shew forth the Lords death till he come The people shall answer Amen Minister We beleeve and we confess People We declare thy death and confess thy resurrection Then the Minister kneeling shall say this prayer of Oblation I. WE sinners thy unworthy servants in remembrance of thy life-giving passion thy Cross and thy pains thy death and thy burial thy resurrection from the dead and thy ascension into Heaven thy sitting at the right hand of God making intercession for us and expecting with fear and trembling thy formidable and glorious return to judge the quick and dead when thou shalt render to every man according to his works doe humbly present to thee O Lord this present sacrifice of remembrance and thanksgiving humbly and passionately praying thee not to deal with us according to our sins nor recompence us after our transgressions but according to thy abundant mercy and infinite goodness to blot out and take away the hand-writing that is against us in the book of remembrances which thou hast written and that thou wilt give unto us spiritual celestial and eternal gifts which neither eye hath seen nor ear hath heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to understand which God hath prepared for them that love him thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Then shall follow the reception and distribution of the Holy Sacrament The Minister first receiving and privately saying this short prayer O Blessed Jesus My Lord and my God thou art the celestial food and the life of every man that cometh unto thee I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am not worthy to partake of these holy Mysteries but thou art my merciful Saviour grant that I may religiously thankfully and without reproof partake of thy Blessed body and blood for the remission of my sins and unto life eternal Amen Then reverently taking in his hand the consecrated bread that he means to eat let him say THE Body of our Lord Jesus which was broken for me preserve my body and Soul into everlasting life Amen Then praying a while privately let him receive the Chalice saying THE Bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for the remission of my sins cleanse my Soul and preserve it into everlasting life Amen Then let him pray awhile privately and recommend to God his own personal necessities spiritual and temporal and the needs of all his Relatives c. After that let him distribute it first to the Clergy that helps to officiate and after that to the whole Congregation that offers themselves saying the same words changing the person While the Minister of the Mysteries is praying privately the people may secretly pray thus or to this purpose I Beleeve O God and confess that thou art Christ the Son of the living God who came into the world to save sinners whereof I am chief Lord make me this day partaker of thy heavenly Table for thou dost not give thy secrets to thy enemies but to the sons of thine own house Let me never give thee a Judas kiss I confess thee and thy glories I invocate thee and thy mercies I trust upon thee and thy goodness like the thief upon the Cross Lord remember me in thy kingdome with the remembrances of an everlasting love Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof but as thou didst safe to lie in a Manger with beasts and to enter into the house of Simon the leper nor didst despife the repenting harlot when she kissed thy feet so vouchsafe to lodge in my soul though it be a place of beastly affections and unreasonable passions throw them out and dwell there for ever purifie my soul accept the sinner cleanse the leper so shall I be worthy to partake of this Divine Banquet Amen When every of the Communicants hath received in both kinds let the Paten and Chalice if any of the consecrated Elements remain be decently covered and then shall follow these prayers THE POSTCOMMUNION The Minister and People devoutly kneeling shal say the Lords prayer the people repeating every petition after the Minister Our Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdome 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 aganist us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen Then the Minister shall pray this prayer for the Catholick Church I. REceive O Eternal God this sacrifice for and in behalf of al Christian people whom thou hast redeemed with the bloud of thy Son and purchased as thine own inheritance From the fountains of mercy the springs of our Blessed Saviour let all thy people upon whom the name of Jesus is called receive confirmation and increase of grace fruitfulness in good works and perfect understanding in the way of godliness Defend O God thy Church and preserve her from all heresy and scandal from sacrilege and Simony from covetousness and pride from factions and schism from Atheisme and irreligion from all that persecute the truth from all that work wickedness and let not thegates of hell prevail against her nor any evil come neer to hurt her II. Give thy blessing O God to this Nation remember us for good and not for evil be reconcil'd unto us in the Son of thy love and let not thine anger be any longer upon us nor thy jealousy burn like fire Send us health and peace justice
and truth good laws and good government an excellent religion undivided undisturbed temperate air seasonable showers wholesome dewes fruitful seasons Crown the year with goodness and let the clouds drop fatness that we may glorify thy name and confess thy goodness while thou bearest witness to us from heaven filling our hearts with food and gladness III. With a propitious eye a great pity behold the miseries of mankind put a speedy period to all our sins and to all our calamities Hear the sighings of the distressed the groans of the sick the prayers of the oppressed the desires of the poor and needy support the weakness of them that languish and faint ease the pains of them that are in affliction and call to thee for help Take from the miserable all tediousness of spirit and despair Pardon all the penitents reform the vitious confirme the holy and let them be holy still pity the folly of young men their little reason and great passion succour the infirmities and temptations of the aged preserving them that they may not sin towards the end of their lives for Jesus Christ his sake IV. Admit O Blessed God into the society of our prayers and the benefits of this Eucharist our Fathers and Brethren our wives and children our friends and Benefactours our charges and relatives all that have desired our prayers and all that need them all that we have and all that we have not remembred thou knowest all their necessities and all their dwellings their joyes and their sorrows their hopes and their fears the number of their sins and the measures of their repentances O dear God sanctifie them and us let our portion be in the good things of God in religion and purity in the peace of Conscience and the joyes of the Holy Ghost in the love of God and of our Neighbours O gather us to the feet of thy elect when thou wilt and in what manner thou art pleased onely let us appear before thee without shame and without sins through the merits of JESUS Christ our most mercifull Saviour and Redeemer Amen Then shall follow the Eucharistical prayers I. GLory be to thee O God our Father who hast vouchsafed to make us at this time partakers of the Body and Bloud of thy holy Son We offer unto thee O God our selves our souls and bodies to be a reasonable holy and living sacrifice unto thee Keep us under the shadow of thy wings and defend us from all evil and conduct us by thy Holy Spirit of grace into all good for thou who hast given thy holy Son unto us how shalt not thou with him give us all things else Blessed be the Name of our God for ever and ever Amen II. Glory be to thee O Christ our King the onely begotten Son of God who wert pleas'd to become a sacrifice for our sins a redemption from calamity the Physician and the Physick the life and the health the meat and the drink of our souls thou by thy unspeakable mercy didst descend to the weakness of sinful flesh remaining still in the perfect purity of spirit and hast made us partakers of thy holy Body and Bloud O condemne us not when thou comest to judgement but keep us ever in thy truth in thy fear and in thy favour that we may have our portion in thine inheritance where holiness and purity where joy and everlasting praises doe dwell for ever and ever Amen III. Proceeding from glory to glory we still glorifie thee O Father of Spirits and pray thee for ever to continue thy goodness towards us Direct our way aright establish us in holy purposes keep us unspotted in thy faith let the enemy have no part in us but conforme us for ever to the likeness of thy holy Sonne lead us on to the perfect adoption of our Souls and to the redemption of our bodies from corruption and fill our hearts and tongues with everlasting praises of thy name thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Blessing The peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Sonne Jesus Christ our Lord and the blessing of God Almighty and Father Son and Holy Spirit be upon you and abide with you and be your portion for ever and ever Amen The end of the Communion Office A form of Administration of the Holy Sacrament OF BAPTISME A FORM OF Administration of the Holy Sacrament OF BAPTISME Pure water being provided and put into the Fount or into a Lavatory of silver or some other clean vessell fit and decent for this sacred action the Minister being vested in an Ecclesiastical habit shall begin with this exhortation Dearly beloved Brethren FOrasmuch as from our first parents we derive nothing but flesh and corruption and that flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven it is necessary that every man who is reckoned in Adam should be also reckoned in Christ that every one who is born of the flesh be also born again and born of the spirit that every son of man by nature may become the son of God by Adoption be incorporated into Christ intitled to the promises and become heir of heaven by grace and faith in Jesus Christ and that this cannot be done but by being admitted to the Covenant of grace in Baptisme our Blessed Saviour saying that except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God let us humbly and devoutly pray unto God in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that he will be pleased to send down his holy Spirit upon these waters of Baptisme that they may become to this infant all that shall be washed in them a laver of regeneration and a well of water springing up to life eternal and that this infant may be admitted to the Covenant of grace and pardon of mercy and holiness receiving from grace what by nature he cannot have that being baptised in water to the remission of sins he may all his life walk in this Covenant of grace and holiness as a lively member of the holy Church which is the mysticall body of Christ our Head Let us Pray I. O Almighty and Eternal God Father of Men and Angels Lord of heaven and earth whose spirit moving upon the waters at the beginning of the world produced every living and every moving creature thou by the flood of waters did wash away the iniquity of the old world and by preserving to thy self a generation of holy persons whom thou didst bring up from those waters didst consign to us a type of regeneration Look O Lord graciously upon the face of thy Church and multiply in her thy regenerations and the new births of thy Spirit With the abundance of thy grace make thy holy city to rejoice and still open this holy fountain of Baptisme for the reformation and sanctification of all the nations of the world that thy blessed Spirit
dealt graciously with us so deal with this infant whom we humbly bring and offer to our blessed Saviour Jesus that he should receive him and blesse him with the blessings of an everlasting love Receive him O most gracious Lord who is thy child by creation make him thine also by adoption into thy covenant of grace and favour let him be consigned with thy Sacrament be admitted into Christs kingdome enter into his warfare beleeve his doctrine labour and hope for his promises that this child witnessing here a good confession may have his understanding for ever brought unto the obedience his affections to the love and all his faculties to the service of Christ and after he hath served thee in his generation he may receive his part and portion in thy glory thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Then arising from their knees the Minister shall say unto the Godfathers and Godmothers as followeth WEl beloved friends you have brought this child to be presented unto Christ as a servant of his laws and a Disciple of his doctrine ye have prayed that God would receive him and give him a portion in the Gospel and kingdome of his Son ye have heard what promises God hath made on his part and ye beleeve and know all his words are yea and Amen and not one tittle of them shall pass unaccomplished now therefore because it is a Covenant of grace and favour on Gods part and of faith and obedience on ours though God prevents us with his grace and begins to doe for us before we can doe any thing to him yet you under whose power this child is and by whose faith and charity this child comes to Christ in holy Baptisme must also on his or her behalf promise that he will forsake the devil and all his wicked works that he will faithfully beleeve Christs holy Gospel and dutifully keep all Christs Commandements Minister Dost thou abjure and renounce and promise to forsake the Devil and all his wicked works not to listen to his temptations not to be led by the flesh by the vain powers of the world by carnal or covetous desires but thou wilt be the servant of the Lord Jesus Answer I forsake them all and will be a servant of Jesus Minister Dost thou beleeve in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus Christ his onely begotten Son our Lord And that he was conceived by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary that he suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried that he went down into hell and also did rise againe the third day that he ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty and from thence he shall come again at the end of the world to judge the quicke and the dead And dost thou believe in the holy Ghost the Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the remission of sins the resurrection of the flesh and everlasting life after death Answer All this I will profess and stedfastly beleeve Minister Wilt thou be baptized into this faith Answer That is my desire Let us Pray O Almighty God who hast given the promise of thy Spirit to us and to our children even to as many as the Lord our God shall call Give thy holy Spirit to this infant that the evil spirits of darkness may not take thy portion from thee nor hurt the body nor deceive the understanding nor corrupt the will nor tempt the affections of this infant but that thy Spirit who bloweth where it listeth no man knows whence he cometh nor whether he goeth may be in this child as the seed of God springing up to life eternal that the kingdom of God which is within and commeth not with observation may early rule and conduct this infant prevent the folly of his childhood from growing up to sins in his youth and may work strongly in him when his weakness his ignorances and temptations are most powerful to prevail upon him that from his cradle to his grave he may be guided by the Spirit of God in the paths of the divine Commandements Admit him O God into the bosome of the Church into the armes of thy mercy into a right of the promises into the service of Christ into the Communion of Saints and give him power to become the Son of God that being buried with Christ in Baptisme he may also rise with him thorough the faith of the operation of God thorough the same our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Then the Minister of the Sacrament shall take the child in his armes and ask the Name Then naming the child aloud he shall dip the head or face or body of the child in the water saying N. I baptize thee in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Dipping the head at the naming of the holy Trinity If the child be weak or any other great Cause intervene it may suffice instead of dipping to sprinkle water on the face using the same form of words Then shall the priest make the sign of the Cross upon the childs forehead saying WE sign this child with the sign of the Cross and enroll him a Soldier under the banner of Christ to signifie and in ceremony to represent that the duty of this and all baptized persons is manfully to fight under the banner of Christ against the flesh the world and the Divel all the daies of their life and by the power which Christ our Blessed Lord who hath the key of David hath given unto me I admit this child into the Communion of Saints into the bosome of the visible Church the kingdome of Grace and the title to the promises Evangelical and the hopes of glory OUr Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus who when he had overcome the sharpness of death did open the kingdom of heaven to all beleevers and gave unto his Church the keyes of the kingdome that his ministers might let into it all that come to him he of his infinite goodness and truth make good his gracious promises upon this infant that what we doe on earth according to his will he may confirme in heaven by his spirit and by his word to the glory of the blessed and undivided Trinity God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Amen Then shall the Minister adde this Invitation SEeing now dearly Beloved that this infant hath received holy Baptisme and is washed in the laver of regeneration admitted into the bosome of the Church into the Covenant of faith and repentance pardon and holiness let us give thanks to God for these graces and pray that this child may lead his life according to the present undertaking I. WE give thee thanks and praise O heavenly and most gracious Father that it hath pleased thee to call this child to thy holy Baptism to renew him with thy holy Spirit to admit him into the Church to adopt him for thy child and to receive him
with faith and hope submit his body and soule to thy merciful and just dispensation that he may not discompose the duties of his repentance by a new sin nor provoke thee to anger by his impatience nor offend them who charitably minister to him nor neglect the doing of any thing that can be in his power or in his duty to his body or his soule O God be mercifull unto thy servant and presse not him or her with an unequal load but remember that we are but flesh and vanity that we are crushed before the Moth and die in thy displeasure give him ease and rest a quiet mind and a peacefull conscience make thou all his bed in his sicknesse and deliver him not into the will of his Spiritual enemies but glorify thy mercies and make thy goodnesse illustrious upon thy servant through Jesus Christ our Lord. III. Against death and the feare of it O Eternal God who for the sin of man didst send death into the world and by the Resurrection of thy holy Son didst bring life to all beleivers have mercy upon this thy servant whom thou hast smitten with thy rod and brought into the vally of teares and the shadow of death O let not thy feirce anger goe beyond a fatherly correction let this rod be discipline not vengeance let it kill his sin but not the man but in judgement remember mercy take from thy servant all inordinate feare give him a present mind a hopeful Spirit a faithful heart a perfectly repenting conscience a charitable and a devout soule Take from him the feare and take from him the sentence of death preserve his life and restore his health if that be best for him for to thy power we submit on thy goodnesse we doe depend by thy wisedome we desire to be governed and that thy love should choose for thy servant But if thou hast otherwise decreed O grant to thy servant the comforts of a holy hope and the strengths of an unconquerable faith the constancy of an unmooved patience and the meekenesse of a perfect resignation that to him to live may be Christ and to die may be gaine that whether he lives or dies he may be thine through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen IV. For Pardon O Most gracious and eternal Son of God who onely hast power to forgive sins and to rescue erring soules from the power of sin and from the wrath of God be gracious toâ— thy servant who confesses thy justice in his suffering and begs to feele thy mercy in his pardon and thy pity in his ease and restitution Contend no longer with the miserable who confesses himselfe guilty reject him not that begs for remission of his sins and remission of thy anger remember not the follies of his childhood nor the vanities of his youth the sins of his tongue nor the sins of his anger the sins of desire nor the innumerable breaches of charity his infinite omissions of duty the inexcusable actions of his choice Thou hast glorified thy selfe in all generations of the world by giving pardon to the penitent and ease to the afflicted comfort to the comfortlesse and refreshment to the weary Behold O God the sorrowes of thy servant and remember his sins no more Behold the passion and the paines which our blessed Lord suffered for our sins and let not the sins of thy servants cause thee to take another forfeiture and produce another and an eternall anger but spare thy servant in thy anger and remember him in thy mercy and pity him in thy infinite compassion and releive him with thy mighty grace and deliver him from his sins and bring him to thy glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. V. If he be in or neere the agonies of death O Blessed God thou lover of soules and the Saviour of thy servants who gavest thy Son to die for us that we might live in him looke with mercy and great compassion upon the soule of thy servant for whom the Lord Jesus gave his precious bloud Now O God is that sad period in which he is to be consign'd over to his final sentence now is the day of his great expence his needes of mercy are great as his sins and great as his dangers and great as all his enemies let him or her receive the fruit of all his labours a blessed returne of all his prayers the grace of thy promises and the effect of all the sufferings of the holy Jesus Now O God let him find the end of his hopes and a just peace in his conscience a spiritual communion with Christ and the benefit of all his Passion pardon of his sins and the sweetest visitations of thy holy Spirit the comforter Now let him feele the effect of thy mighty power and of thy glorious victory over sin and all the powers of darkenesse let them have no portion in him and let thine angers end in comfort and pardon in the visitation of Angels and the glorious appearing of thy holy Spirit Now let him feele the truth of religion and the substance of the things he hath hoped for the verification of thy promises and the goodnesse of God let all the sermons of the Gospel passe into real exhibition of thy loving kindnesse and let thy servant rejoyce in the portions of the blessed in the redemption of his soule in the communion of Saints in the society of the spirits of just men made perfect through Jesus Christ our Lord. Then shall the Minister recommend the soule of the Dying man if it be departing the body I. O Most Blessed and most gracious Saviour Jesus into thy holy hands we commend the soule of this our Brother or Sister praying thee to defend it from all evil from the wrath of God which he hath deserved from the evil Spirits of darkenesse which are ready to devoure it from the flames of hell from whence nothing can rescue it but the mercies of God in our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen II. Let thy holy Angels receive this soule from her prison and ruinous house of clay and carry it to the region of loving and obedient soules in the bosome of Jesus there with joy and longing with the assurance of hope and a peaceful charity to expect the Resurrection of the just and the day of thy righteous judgement Amen III. O let not the Devils accuse this soule before thee or if they doe let them not prevaile but interpose thy death and passion thy mediation and intercession between thy judgement and this soule now at her departure and at the day of judgement that in the terrors of that day this soule may stand upright supported by the armes of thy eternal mercy Amen IV. Let not this soule carry along with her the infirmities of her present state but be immur'd with a guard of loving and blessed Spirits to defend her against all the hostilities and incursions of all evil Angels Now she shall see what she never saw and heare what she