tyme to tyme they perceiue to be most abused as in mens ordinaunces it often chaunceth dyuersely in dyuerse countreyes ¶ An Acte for the vniformitie of common prayer and administracion of the Sacramentes WHere there hath been a very Godly ordre set furth by autoritie of Parlamēt for common prayer and administraciō of the Sacramentes to be vsed in the mother tongue within this Church of England agreable to the word of God and the primatiue Church very cōfortable to al good people desyring to liue in Christen conuersacion moste profitable to the state of this Realme vpon the whiche the mercy fauour and blessyng of almighty god is in no wise so readilye and plenteously powred as by commō prayers due vsing of the Sacramentes often preaching of the gospel with the deuocion of the hearers And yet this notwithstanding a great noumbre of people in diuerse partes of thys realme folowing their owne sensualitie and liuing either withoute knowledge or due feare of God doe wilfully and damnablye before almightie God absteyne and refuse to come to theyr Parishe Churches and other places where commō prayer adminystracion of the Sacramentes preachyng of the word of God is vsed vpon the Sundayes and other dayes ordeyned to be holy dayes For reformacion herof be it enacted by the King our souereigne lord with thassent of the Lordes and commons in this present Parlament assembled and by the autoritie of the same that frō and after the feast of al Sainctes next coming al euery person and persons enhabiting within this Realme or any other the kynges Maiesties dominions shal diligently and faythfully hauing no lawefull or reasonable excuse to be absent endeuour themselues to resorte to theyr Parishe Churche or Chapell accustomed or vpon reasonable let therof to some vsual place where cōmon prayer such seruice of God shal be vsed in such tyme of let vpon euery Sunday and other dayes ordeyned and vsed to be kept as holy daies then and there to abide ordrely soberly during the time of the cōmon prayer preachinges or other seruice of God there to bee vsed ministred vpō payn of punishment by the Censures of the church And for the due execucion herof the Kynges most excellent maiestie the Lordes temporal and all the Commons in this presente Parlament assembled dooeth in Goddes name earnestlye require and charge all tharchbishoppes Bishoppes and other Ordenaries that they shall endeuour themselues to the vttermoste of theyr knowledges that the due and true execuciō herof may be had throughoute theyr Dyocesses and charges as they will aunswere before God for such euils and plages wherewith almyghtie God may iustly punishe his people for neglecting thys good and wholesome lawe And for theyr autoritie in this behalfe be it further likewise enacted by the autoritie aforesayde that all and synguler the same Archbishops Bishops al other theyr officers exercisyng ecclesiastical iurisdiccion aswel in place exempt as not exempt within their Dyocesses shall haue full power and autoritie by this Acte to refourme correct and punishe by Censures of the churche all and synguler persones whiche shall offende within anye theyr iurisdiccions or Dyocesses after the sayd feast of all sainctes next comming against thys Acte and statute anye other lawe statute priuiledge libertie or prouision heretofore made had or suffered to the contrary notwithstanding And because there hath ariesen in the vse and exercise of the foresayde common seruice in the Churche heretofore sette foorth diuerse doubtes for the fashion and maner of the ministracion of the same rather by the curiositie of the minister and mistakers then of any other woorthy cause therfore aswel for the more playne and manifest explanacion hereof as for the more perfeccion of the sayde ordre of cōmon seruice in some places where it is necessari to make the same prayer and fashion of seruice more earneste and fitte to stire christian people to the true honoring of almighty God The kinges most excellent maiestie with thassent of the lordes and Commons in this presēt Parlament assembled and by thauctoritie of the same hath caused the foresayde ordre of common seruice entituled The booke of Common prayer to be faythfully godly perused explaned and made fully perfect by the foresaid autoritie hath annexed and ioyned it so explaned and perfected to thys present statute adding also a fourme and maner of makyng consecrating of Archebishops Bishops priestes and Deacons to be of lyke force autoritie value as the same like foresayde boke entituled The boke of Common prayer was before and to be accepted receued vsed and estemed in like sort and maner with the same clauses of prousions and excepcions to al ententes construccions and purposes as by the Acte of Parlamente made in the seconde yere of the kinges Maiesties reigne was ordeined limited expressed and appoynted for the vniformitie of seruice and administracion of the Sacramentes throughout the realme vpō such seueral paynes as in the said Act of Parlament is expressed And the sayd former Act to stande in full force and strength to all ententes and construccions to be applyed practised and put in vre to and for the establishing of the boke of common praier now explained and herunto annexed also the said fourme of making of Archbishops Bishops priestes and Deacons hereunto annexed as it was for the former boke And by thautoritie aforesayd it is nowe further enacted that if any maner of persone or persones enhabiting being within this Realme or any other the kinges Maiesties dominions shall after the sayde feaste of all Sainctes willinglye and wittinglye heare and bee present at anye other maner or fourme of common prayer of administracion of the Sacramentes of makyng of ministers in the churches or of anye other rites conteyned in the booke annexed to this Acte then is mencioned and set furth in the sayd boke or that is contrary to the fourme of sondry prouisions excepcions conteined in the foresayde former statute and shal be thereof conuicted accordyng to the lawes of this realme before the Iustices of Assise Iustices of Oyer and Determiner Iustices of peace in theyr Sessions or any of them by the verdict of twelue men or by his or theyr own confession or otherwyse shall for the fyrst offence suffre impriesonment for sixe monethes without bayle or maynprice and for the seconde offence beeyng likewise conuicted as is aboue sayde empriesonment for one whole yere and for the third offence in like maner empriesonment duryng hys or theyr liues And for the more knowledge to be geuen hereof and better obseruacion of this lawe Be it enacted by the auctoritie aforesaid that al and singuler Curates shal vpon one Sunday euery quarter of the yere duryng one whole yere nexte folowyng the foresayd feast of al Sainctes next coming reade thys present Acte in the Churche at the time of the most assembly and likewise once in euery yere folowing at the same tyme declaring
The booke of common prayer and adminystracion of the Sacramentes and other rytes and Ceremonies in the Churche of Englande Londini in officina EdoVardi Whitchurche Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ⧠⧠The Contentes of thys boke i. A Preface ii Of Ceremonyes why some be abolisshed and some retayned iii. The ordre how the Psalter is appointed to be read iiii The table for thorder of the Psalmes to be sayd at Morning and Euening prayer v. The order howe the rest of holy Scripture is appoynted to be read vi Proper Psalmes and Lessons at Morning and Euening prayer for certayne feastes and dayes vii An Almanacke viii The table and Kalender for Psalmes and Lessons with necessarie Rules apperteining to thesame ix Th order for Mornyng prayer and Euenyng prayer throughout the yeare x. The Letany xi The Collectes Epistles and Gospelles to bee vsed at the mynystracyon of the holy Communyon throughoute the yeare xii Th order of the ministracion of the holy Communyon xiii Baptisme both Publique and Priuate xiiii Confyrmacyon where also is a Cathechysme for chyldren xv Matrimonie xvi Visitacion of the sicke xvii The Communion of the sicke xviii Buriall xix The thankes geuing of women after childe byrth xx A Comminacion against sinners with certayne prayers to be vsed dyuerse tymes in the yeare The Preface THere was neuer any thyng by the wyt of man so well deuysed or so sure establysshed whyche in contynuaunce of tyme hath not been corrupted as emong other thynges it may plainly appeare by the cōmon prayers in the Churche cōmonly called deuine seruice The first originall and grounde whereof if a man would searche oute by the auncyente fathers he shall fynde that thesame was not ordained but of a good purpose and for a greate aduauncement of godlynes For they so ordred the matter that all the whole Byble or the greatest part thereof should be read ouer once in the yere entēdyng therby that the Cleargie and speciallye suche as were ministers of the congregacyon shoulde by often readyng and meditacyon of Goddes worde be styrred vp to Godlynes themselues and be more hable also to exhorte other by wholesome doctryne and to confute them that wer aduersaries to the truth And further that the people by dayly hearing of holy scrypture read in the church should contynually profyt more and more in the knowledge of God and be the more enflamed with the loue of hys true religyon But these many yeres passed this godly and decente ordre of the auncyente fathers hath been so altered broken and neglected by plantyng in vncertayne Storyes Legendes Respondes Verses vayne Repeticions Commemoracions Sinodalles that commonly whē any boke of the Bible was begon before three or foure Chapters were read out al the rest were vnread And in thys sorte the boke of Esai was begonne in Aduent and the booke of Genesis in Septuagesima but they were only begonne and neuer read throughe After a lyke sorte were other bokes of holy scripture vsed And moreouer wheras Sainct Paul would haue such language spoken to the people in the Churche as they myghte vnderstande and haue profyt by hearyng the same The seruice in thys Churche of Englande these many yeres haue been read in Latine to the people which they vnderstode not so that they haue heard with their eares onely and theyr heartes spirite and mynde haue not been edifyed thereby And furthermore notwythstandyng that the auncyente fathers haue deuyded the Psalmes into seuen porcyons wherof euery one was called a Nocturne now of late time a fewe of them haue been dayly sayd and oft repeated and the rest vtterly omytted Moreouer the noumbre and hardnes of the rules called the Pye and the manyfolde chaungeinges of the seruyce was the cause that to turne the booke onely was so hard and intricate a matter that manye tymes there was more busynes to fynde out what should be read then to reade it when it was founde out These inconueniences therefore consydered here is set furth suche an ordre whereby the same shal bee redressed And for a readinesse in thys matter here is drawen out a Kalender for that purpose whych is playne and easy to be vnderstanden wherin so muche as may be the reading of holy scriptures is so set furth that all thynges shal be done in ordre without breaking one piece therof from an other For this cause be cut of Anthemes Respondes Inuitatories and suche lyke thynges as did breake the continuall course of the reading of the scripture Yet because there is no remedie but that of necessitie there must be some rules therefore certayne rules are here set furthe whiche as they be few in numbre so they be playne and easy to bee vnderstanden So that here you haue an ordre for prayer as touching the reading of holye scripture muche agreable to the mynde and purpose of tholde fathers and a greate deale more profitable and commodious then that which of late was vsed It is more profitable because here are left out many thynges whereof some be vntrue some vncertayne some vayne and supersticious and is ordeined nothing to be read but the very pure woorde of God the holye scriptures or that whiche is euidentlye grounded vpon the same and that in suche a language and ordre as is most easy and playne for the vnderstandyng both of the readers and hearers It is also more commodious bothe for the shortnes thereof and for the playnnes of the ordre and for that the rules be few and easy Furthermore by this ordre the Curates shall nede none other bookes for theyr publyque seruice but thys booke and the Byble By the meanes whereof the people shall not bee at so greate charge for bookes as in tymes past they haue been And where heretofore there hath been greate diuersitie in saying and synging in churches within this realme some folowyng Salisbury vse some Herforde vse some the vse of Bangor some of Yorke and some of Lincolne Now from hence foorthe all the whole Realme shall haue but one vse And yf any would iudge thys waye more paynfull because that all thinges must be read vpon the booke whereas before by the reason of so often repeticion they could saye many thynges by hearte If those men will weigh their labour with the profite and knowledge whiche daylye they shall obteyne by readyng vpon the booke they wyll not refuse the payne in consideracion of the great profite that shall ensue thereof And forasmuche as nothyng can almost bee so playnely sette foorthe but doubtes may ryse in the vse and practisyng of the same To appease all suche diuersitie if any aryse and for the resolucion of al doubtes concernyng the maner howe to vnderstande dooe and execute the thynges conteyned in this booke The parties that so doubte or diuerslye take anye thyng shall alwaye resorte to the Bysshoppe of the Dyocesse who by hys dyscrecion shall take ordre for the quieting and appeasyng of the
wrath thinkest vpon mercye Spare thy people good Lorde spare them and lette not thy herytage bee brought to confusion heare vs O lord for thy mercy is great and after the multytude of thy mercyes loke vpon vs. Here endeth the boke of common praier The psalter or Psalmes of Dauid after the trāslacion of the greate Byble poynted as it shal be sayed or song in Churches ☞ ¶ The Psalmes of Dauid Beatus vir qui non abiit psal i. Mornīg prayer BLessed is that man that hath not walked in the coūsel of the vngodly nor stande in the way of sinners and hath not sit in the seate of the scornefull But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law wil he exercyse hymselfe daye and night And he shall be like a tree planted by the water side that wil bryng furth hys fruite in due season Hys leafe also shall not wyther and loke whatsoeuer he doeth it shall prosper As for the vngodly it is not so with them but they are lyke the chaffe which the wind scattereth awaye from the face of the earth Therefore the vngodly shall not bee hable to stande in the iudgement neither the sinners in the congregacyon of the ryghteous But the lord knoweth the way of the righteous and the way of the vngodly shall peryshe Quare fremuerunt gentes psal ii WHy doe the Heathen so furiously rage together and why doe the people ymagine a vayne thyng The kinges of the earth stande vp and the rulers take counsayle together agaynst the Lord and against hys annoynted Let vs breake their bandes a sunder and cast away their cordes from vs. He that dwelleth in heauen shal laugh them to scorne the lord shall haue them in derision Then shall he speake vnto them in his wrath and vexe them in hys sore displeasure Yet haue I set my kyng vpon my holy hyll of Syon I wil preache the lawe wherof the lord hath sayed vnto me thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Desyre of me and I shall geue thee the heathen for thine enheritaunce and the vttermost part of the earth for thy possession Thou shalt bruise them with a rodde of yron and breake them in pieces lyke a potters bessell Be wyse now therefore O ye kynges be learned ye that are iudges of the earth Serue the Lorde in feare and reioyce vnto hym wyth reuerence Kisse the sonne left he be angry and so ye perishe from the ryght waye if his wrath be kiendled yea but a little blessed are all they that put theyr trust in hym Domine quid multiplicati psal iii. LOrd how are they encreased that trouble me many are they that ryse aganst me Many one there be that say of my soule there is no helpe for hym in hys God But thou O Lord art my defendour thou art my worship and the lifter vp of my head I did call vpon the Lord with my voice and he heard me out of hys holy hyll I layed me downe and slepte and rose vp agayne for the Lord sustayned me I wil not be afraid of ten thousandes of people that haue set themselues against me round about Vp Lorde and helpe me O my God for thou smytest all myne enemyes vpon the cheke bone thou haste broken the teeth of the vngodly Saluacion belongeth vnto the Lord and thy blessing is vpon the people Cum inuocarem psal iiii HEare me when I call O God of my ryghteousnesse thou haste set me at libertie when I was in trouble haue mercye vpon me and hearken vnto my prayer O ye sonnes of men how long wyll ye blaspheme myne honor and haue suche pleasure in vanitie and seeke after leasyng Knowe thys also that the Lorde hath chosen to hymselfe the man that is godlye when I call vpon the Lorde he wil heare me Stande in awe and synne not comen with youre owne hearte and in your chambre and be styll Offre the sacrifice of righteousnesse and put your truste in the Lorde There bee manye that wyll saye who wyll shewe vs any good LORD lyfte thou vp the lyghte of thy countenaunce vpon vs. Thou haste putte gladnes in my hearte sence the tyme that theyr corne and wyne and oyle increased I wyll laye me downe in peace and take my reste for it is thou Lorde only that makest me dwel in safetie Verba mea auribus Psalm v. POnder my wordes O LORDE consyder my meditacyon O herken thou vnto the voyce of my callyng my kyng and my God for vnto thee wyl I make my prayer My voyce shalte thou heare betimes O Lorde earlye in the mornyng wyll I directe my prayer vnto thee and wyll loke vp For thou arte the God that hathe no pleasure in wickednesse neyther shall any euyll dwell with thee Suche as bee foolyshe shall not stande in thy syghte for thou hatest all them that worke vanitie Thou shalte destroye them that speake leasyng the Lorde wyll abhorre bothe the bloudthirstye and deceytfull man But as for me I wyll come into thy house euen vpon the multitude of thy mercye and in thy feare wyl I worshyp towarde thy holy temple Leade me O lord in thy righteousnes because of myne enemies make thy waye playne before my face For there is no faithfulnes in his mouth theyr inwarde partes are very wickednes Theyr throte is an open sepulchre they flatter with their tongue Destroye thou them O God let them peryshe throughe theyr owne ymaginacyons cast them out in the multitude of theyr vngodlynes for they haue rebelled agaynst thee And let all them that put theyr truste in thee reioyce they shall euer be geuyng of thankes because thou defendest thē they that loue thy name shal be ioyefull in thee For thou Lorde wylte geue thy blessyng vnto the ryghteous and with thy fauourable kyndnesse wilt thou defend him as with a shielde Domine ne in furore Psalm vi Euening prayer O Lorde rebuke me not in thyne indignacion neyther chasten me in thy displeasure Haue mercy vpon me O Lord for I am weake O Lorde heale me for my bones are vexed My soule is also sore troubled but Lorde howe long wilte thou punishe me Turne thee O Lorde and delyuer my soule oh saue me for thy mercies sake For in death no man remembreth thee and who wil geue thee thankes in the pitte I am wearye of my gronyng euery night washe I my bedde and water my couche with my teares My beautie is gone for verye trouble and worne awaye because of all my enemies Awaye fro me all yet that worke vanitie for the Lorde hath hearde the voyce of my wepyng The Lorde hath hearde my peticyon the Lorde wyll receyue my prayer All myne enemyes shall bee confounded and sore vexed they shal be turned backe and put to shame sodeynly Domine deus meus psalm vii O Lorde my God in thee haue I put my trust saue me from all them that persecute me and delyuer me Left he
least communicate with the priest And in Cathedrall and Collegiate churches where bee many priestes and Deacons they shall all receyue the Communion with the Minister euery Sundaie at the least except they haue a reasonable cause to the contrary And to take away the supersticiō which any person hath or might haue in the bread and wyne it shall suffyse that the bread be suche as is vsual to be eaten at the Table with other meates but the best and purest wheate bread that conuenienly may be gotten And yf anye of the bread or wine remayne the Curate shall haue it to his owne vse Although no ordre can be so perfectly deuised but it may be of sonne either for theyr ignoraunce and infirmitie or els of malice and obstinacie misconcostrued depraued and interpreted in a wrong part And yet because brotherly charitie willeth that somuche as conuenientlie maye be offences should be taken awaye therefore we willyng to doe the same Wheras it is ordeined in the boke of common prayer in the administracion of the lordes Supper that the communicantes knelyng should receyue the holy Communion which thyng beeing well mente for a significacion of the humble gratefull acknowledgeing of the benefices of Christ geuen vnto the worthye receyuer and to auoyde the prophanacion and disordre which about the holy Communion might els ensue Leste yet the same kneling might be thought or taken otherwise we doe declare that it is not meant therby that any adoracion is done or ought to be done eyther vnto the Sacramentall bread or wyne there bodely receyued or vnto any reall and essenciall presence there beeyng of Christes naturall fleshe and bloud For as concerning the Sacramentall bread and wyne they remayne still in theyr very natural substaunces and therfore may not bee adored for that were Idolatrie to be abhorred of all faithful Christians And as concerning the naturall body and bloud of oure fauiour Christ they are in heauen and not here for it is agaynste the trueth of Chryestes true naturall body to be moe in places then in one at one tyme. The bread and wyne for the Communion shall be prouyded by the Curate and the church wardens at the charges of the Parishe the Parishe shal be discharged of suche summes of moneye or other dueties which hetherto they haue payd for the same by ordre of their houses euery Sundaye And note that euery Parishioner shall communicate at the leaste three tymes in the yeare of which Easter to bee one and shal also receyue the Sacramētes and other rites according to the order in this Boke appoynted And yerely at Easter euery Parishioner shal rekē with his Person Vicar or Curate or hys or theyr deputie or deputies and pay to them or him all Ecclesiasticall dueties accustomably due then and at that tyme to bee payde ¶ The Ministracion of Baptisine to be vsed in the Churche IT appeareth by auncyente wryters that the Sacrament of Baptisme in the olde time was not commonlye ministed but at two tymes in the yeare at Easter and Whitsontide At whych times it was openlye ministred in the presence of all the congregacion which custome now beyng growen oute of vse although it cannot for many consideracyons bee well restored agayne yet it is thoughte good to folowe the same as nere as conuenientlye may bee wherfore the people are to bee admanisshed that it is moste conuenient that baptisme shoulde not bee ministred but vpon Sundayes and other holye dayes when the most noumbre of people may come together aswel for that the congregacion there presente maye testifie the receiuing of them that be newely Baptised into the noumbre of Christes Churche as also because in the Baptisme of infantes euery man presente maye be put in remembraunce of his owne profession made to God in his Baptisme For whiche cause also it is expediente that Baptisme bee ministred in the Englishe tongue Neuerthelesse yf necessitie so require children maye at all tymes be Baptised at home ¶ Publique Baptisme When there are children to be Baptised vpon the Sundaye or holy daye the Parentes shal geue knowledge ouernight or in the Morning afore the beginning of Mornyng prayer to the Curate And then the godfathers godmothers people with the childrē must be ready at the Fonie either immediately after the last Lesson at Morning praier or els immediately after the last Lesson at Euening prayer as the Curate by his discrecion shal appoint And the standing there the Priest shall aske whether the children be Baptised or no. If they answere no Then shall the Priest saye thus DEarely beloued forasmuch as al mē be conceiued and borne in synne and that our Sauiour Christ sayeth none can entre into the kyngdome of God except he be regenerate and borne a new of water and the holy goste I beseche you to call vpon God the father through our lord Iesus Christe the of his bounteous mercy he wil graunte to these children that thing which by nature they cannot haue that they maye be Baptised with water and the holy goste and receiued into Christes holye churche and be made liuely membres of the same ¶ Then the Priest shall saye ¶ Let vs praye ALmightie and euerlasting god which of thy great mercy didst saue Noe and his familie in the Arke from perishing by water and also diddest safelye leade the children Israel thy people through the redde Sea figuring therby thy holy Baptisme and by the Baptisme of thy welbeloued sonne Iesus Chryste diddest sanctifie the floud Iordā and al other waters to the misticall wasshyng awaye of synne We beseche thee for thy infinite mercyes that thou myit mercifully loke vpon these childrē sanctifie them and washe them with thy holy gost that they being deliuered from thy wrath maye be receiued into the Arke of Christes churche and beeing stedfast in faith ioyefull through hope and rooted in charitie maye so passe the waues of this troublesome worlde that finally they maye come to the lande of euerlastyng lyfe there to reigne with thee world without ende through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ALmightie and immortall god the ayde of al that nede the helper of all that flee to thee for succoure the lyfe of them that beleue and the resurreccion of the dead We call vpon thee for these infantes that they comming to thy holy Baptisme may receiue remisstō of their sines by spirituall regeneracion Receiue them O Lord as thou hast promised by thy welbeloued sonne saying Aske you shall haue seke and you shall finde knocke and it shal be opened vnto you So geue now vnto vs the aske Let vs that seke find Open the gate vnto vs that knocke the these infantes may enioye the euerlasting benedicciō of thy heauenly wasshing and maye come to the eternall kingdom which thou hast promysed by Christ our Lorde Amen Then shal the Priest say heare the wordes of the Gospel written by Sainct Marke in the tenth Chapter Mark x. AT a certayne