suffered his blessed body to be nayled to the Crosse that hee might fasten upon it the handwriting of our sinnes and hath also taken upon himselfe the cursse due to us that hee might fill us with his blessing and hath humbled himselfe into the deepest pangs of Hell with soule and body on the tree of the Crosse where hee cryed out with a loud voyce My God my God Why hast thou forsaken mee that wee might bee received of God and never forsaken of him and finally confirmed with his death and bloodshedding the new and everlasting Covenant of grace and reconciliation when hee sayd It is finished And that wee might firmly believe that wee belong to this Covenant of grace the Lord Jesus Christ in his last Supper tooke Bread gave thankes brake it and gave it to his Disciples and sayd Take eate this is my Body which is given for you do this in remembrance of mee In like maner also after Supper hee tooke the Cup gave thankes and sayd Drinke yee all of this This Cup is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sinnes do this so often as yee drincke of it in remembrance of mee That is as often as yee eate of this Bread and drincke of this Cup yee shall thereby as by a certaine pledge and remembrance bee admonished and assured of this my hearty love and faithfulnesse towards you that whereas yee should have suffered eternall death I have given my body into the death of the Crosse and shed my blood for you and as certainely as you see this Bread broken before your eyes and this Cup given to you and yee with your mouth do eate and drincke the same to my remembrance so do I feed and refresh your hungry and thirsty soules with my body and blood to everlasting life Out of this Institution of the Supper of the Lord Jesus Christ wee do see that hee directs our faith and confidence to his perfect sacrifice which was once offered on the Crosse as to the onely ground and foundation of our soules that hee is become to our hungry and thirsty soules the true food to eternall life For by his death he hath taken away the cause of our everlasting death and miseries namely sinne and hath merited for us the quickening spirit that wee by the same which dwelleth in Christ as the head and in us as his members might have true Communion and fellowship and be made partakers of all his blessings to everlasting life and glory Besides that wee by the same spirit may also be united together into brotherly love as members of the same mystecall body as the Scripture saith One Bread is it so are wee one Body because wee are all made partakers of one Bread For as out of many graines being grinded one Bread is made and out of many Berries being prest together one drincke floweth so shall wee all who by a true Faith are ingrafted into Christ bee one body through brotherly love for Christ his sake who hath so exceedingly loved us and manifested the same one towards another not onely in words but also in workes and deeds Heereto assist us the Almighty Father of our Lord Jesus Christ through his Holy Spirit Amen And that wee may obtaine this let us humble our selves before God and in true Faith call upon him for his grace O Most mercifull God and Father wee beseech thee that in this ordinance in which wee celebrate the blessed memory of the most bitter death and passion of thy Son Jesus Christ thou wilt bee pleased to worke in our hearts through the Holy Ghost that wee may give our selves more and more with true confidence to thy Son Jesus Christ that so our broken and burdened hearts may bee fed and comforted through the power of the Holy Spirit with his body and blood yea with him true God and Man the onely Bread of Heaven and that henceforth wee may not live any longer in our sinnes but hee in us and wee in him and bee also really partakers of that new and everlasting Covenant of Grace no wayes doubting but that thou wilt bee our eternall and Gracious God not imputing our sinnes unto us but filling us with all good things for body and soule as thy beloved Children and Heyres Graunt also unto us thy grace that wee may take upon us our crosse cheerefully deny our selves confesse our Saviour and in all tribulations expect our Lord Jesus Christ out of Heaven where hee will make our mortall bodies conformable to his most glorious body and take us to himselfe to bee with him in all eternity Ans OUr Father which art in heaven 1. Hallowed be thy Name 2. Thy Kingdome come 3. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven 4. Give us this day our daily bread 5. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us 6. And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evill For thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie for ever and ever Amen Strengthen us also by this Holy Sacrament in the Articles of our Christian Faith of which wee make Confession saying with heart and mouth I Beleeve in God the Father almightie maker of heaven and earth ij And in Jesus Christ his onely begotten Sonne our Lord. iij. Which was conceived by the Holy Ghost borne of the virgine Marie iv Suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried he descended into hel v. The third day he rose again from the dead vj. He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almightie vij From thence shall he come to judge the quick and the dead viij I beleeve in the Holy Ghost ix I beleeve an Holy Catholike church the Communion of Saints x. The forgivenes of sinnes xj The resurrection of the body xij And life everlasting Amen That wee may now bee fed with the true heavenly Bread the Lord Jesus Christ so let not our hearts cleave to the outward elements of Bread and Wine but let us lift up the same into Heaven where Christ our Advocate is sitting on the right hand of his heavenly Father whether also wee are directed by the Articles of our Christian faith nothing doubting but wee shall bee fed and refreshed with his Body and Blood by the power of the Spirit so certainly as wee receive this holy Bread and Wine to his remembrance In breaking and distributing of the Bread the Minister shall say The Bread which wee breake is the Communion of the body of Christ. And when hee gives the Cup The Cup of blessing wherewith wee blesse is the Communion of the Blood of Christ. During the Communion there shall eyther bee sung some Psalm or some Chapter read which may serve to the remembring of the Passion of Christ as Esa Chap. 53. Joh. 13. and 14. and 15. and 16. and 18. or the like After the Communion the Minister shall
body And although he fastened immortality upon it by his Resurrection yet he hath not changed the reality of his humane nature because our salvation and resurrection also depends from the reality of his body But these two natures are united so close in one person that they have not been separated even by his death Therefore that which at his dying he committed in the hands of his Father was a real Humane Spirit departing from his body nevertheless the divine nature was alwayes united with the humane even when he laid in the Grave And the Godhead did not cease in him no more then when he was a little Child thô it did not appear so manifestly for a while Therefore we confess him to be real God and real Man real God for to overcome Death by his power and real man that by the infirmity of his flesh he might die for us XX Wee believe that God who is perfectly merciful and just hath sent his Son for to take upon him that nature in which the disobedience was committed that so in it he might give satisfaction for and suffer the punishment of sin by his severe sufferings and Death Thus God hath exercised his justice against his Son when he Laid our sins upon him and hath powred forth his Goodness and Mercy on us who were guilty and worthy of condemnation in giving his Son up unto Death through a perfect love and raising him up to our justification that so by him we might obtain immortality and life eternal XXI Wee believe Jesus Christ to be an everlasting High-priest with and after the order of Melchisedec having proposed him self in our name to the Father for to allay his anger with full satisfaction offering him self up unto the Cross and shedding his precious blood to the cleansing of our sins as the Prophets have fore-told For it is written that the punishment is laid upon the Son of God that we might have peace and be healed by his wounds that he was brought to death like a Lamb being reckoned among the malefactors that he was condemned as a malefactor by Pontius Pilate although he found him not guilty Thus he has paied for that which he did not rob and suffered though just for the un just both in body and soul feeling the horrible punishment which our sins deserved inasmuch that his sweat became like unto drops of bloud falling upon the ground He cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Suffering al this for the remission of our sins Therefore we say right wel with Saint Paul That we do not know anything save Christ and him crucified we count all things but dung for the excellency of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ we find all manner of consolation in his wounds and we have no need to seek or invent any other means to be reconciled unto God but this one sacrifice once offered up through which the Believers become perfect for ever This also is the cause why he was called by the Angel of God Jesus that is Saviour because he should save his people from their sins XXII Wee believe That for the attaining to the true knowledge of this Mystery the Holy Ghost kindles in our hearts a sincere Belief which embraces Jesus Christ with all his merits and owns him seeking nothing besides him For it must needs follow that either every thing which is required to our salvation is not in Christ Jesus or if all things are in him then he who enjoys Christ by Faith must have his salvation intirely Now to say that Christ is not sufficient but that there wants something besides him would be to gross a Blasphemy for hence it would follow that Christ was but half a Saviour Therefore wee have just cause to say with St. Paul that wee are justified onely by Faith or by Faith without works Yet to speak more properly wee do not mean the Faith to be that by which wee are justified for it is but an Instrument by which wee embrace Christ our righteousness But Jesus Christ imputing us all his merits and so many holy works as he has done for us and in our room is our Righteousnes and Faith is an Instrument by which wee are made partakers of all his goods which being become ours are more then sufficient to the absolving us of our sins XXIII Wee believe that our happiness consists in the Remission of our sins for Jesus Christ sake and that our righteousness before God is contained therein as David and St. Paul do teach us declaring this to be the happiness of man that God imputes him the righteousness without works and the same Apostle saith that wee are justified freely or through Grace by the Redemption which is in Christ Jesus And therefore wee do alwayes lay hold of this foundation giving all glory unto God and humbling and acknowledging our selfs to be such as realy wee are without boasting of any thing out of our selves or our own merits but onely relying on the obedience of Christ the crucified which is ours if wee believe in him being sufficient to hide all our Iniquities and to give us boldness to free the conscience from terror astonishment and fear to approach unto God without doing like our first Father Adam who trembling covered him self with fig-leaves And truly if wee were to appear before God relying upon our selves or any other creature though never so little alas wee would be devoured And therefore every one ought to say with David Lord do not enter into judgment with thy servant for no living creature will be justified before thee XXIV Wee believe that this true Faith being wrought in man by the hearing of the Word of God and the operation of the Holy Ghost doth regenerate and change him into a new man by which he comes to live a new life and is made free from the bondage of sin This justifying Faith therefore is so far from making man grow cold in an honest and holy life that without it they will never do any thing out of love unto God but onely out of love unto themselves and for fear of being damned It is therefore impossible that this holy Faith should be unfruitfull in man for wee do not speak of a vain Belief but of such an one which in the Scriptures is called a Faith that worketh by Love and stirreth man to the excercise of those works which God hath commanded in his Word Which works if they proceed from the good root of Faith are good and acceptable unto God because they are sanctified by his Grace in the mean while they are of no account towards our Justification For it is by Faith in Christ that wee are justified even before wee do any good works otherwise they could not be good no more then the fruit of a Tree can be good before the Tree it self is good Thus wee do good works but not for any merit for what could wee merit Nay wee are beholding
he makes manifest in his word without passing beyond those Limits This Doctrine affords us unspeakable consolation since we are taught thereby that nothing can befall us by chance but all is by the direction of our bountifull heavenly Father who watches over us with a Fatherly care keeping all Creatures under his Power so that not a hair of our head for they are all numbred nor a Bird can fall upon the ground without the will of our Father on whom we do rely wel knowing that he refrains the Devils and all our Enemies who are not able without his will and permission to hurt us And thus we reject that damnable Error of the Epicureans who say that God doth not trouble him self with any thing but permits all to be acted by Chance XIV We believe that God hath created Man out of the dust of the Earth and has made and formed him after his own image and likeness good righteous and holy being able to make his will agree in all things with the will of God. But being stated in honour he him self did not understand it neither knew he his Excellency but subjected himself wilfully unto sin and consequently unto Death and the Curse giving ear unto the word of the Devil For he transgressed the command of Life which he had received and by sin separated him self from God his true life having corrupted his whole nature whereby he hath brought upon him corporal and Spirituall death Being thus become wicked perverted and corrupted in all his wayes he has lost all excellent gifts which he had received from God having nothing left him but some small remnants thereof which are sufficient to leave man without excuse for all the Light which is in us is changed into Darkness as the Scriptures do teach us saing The Light shineth in Darkness and the Darkness comprehended it not Where St. John calls men Darkness Therefore we reject all which is taught contrary to this of the Free-will of men seeing Man is but a Slave to sin and can receive nothing but what is given him from Heaven For who can glory of any good which he is able to do out of him self since Christ saith No man can come unto me except the Father who has sent me drawes him Who can rely upon his own will if he understands that to be carnally minded is Enmity against God Who can speak of his knowledge seeing the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God In a word who shall propound any thought since he knowes that we are not able out of our selves to think any thing as from our selves but that our ability is from God and therefore what the Apostle saith ought with right to be kept sure and firme That God worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure for there is no understanding nor will conformable unto the understanding of God but what Christ has wrought in man which he teacheth us saying Without me yee can do nothing XV. We believe that through the disobedience of Adam the Originall Sinn has spread it self over all Mankind which is a Corruption of the whole Nature and an hereditary disease where with all Infants are infected even in their mothers womb and which produceth in man all sorts of sinn being in him as a root thereof and is therefore so vile and abominable in the sight of God that it is sufficient to condemn all mankind neither is it quite put away or destroyed by the Baptism but sin doth always proceed from this unhappy fountain as water out of a well yet it is not imputed the Children of God unto damnation but by his grace and Mercy it is forgiven them not for to rest quiet in sin but because the Believers should often groan under the sence of this corruption desiring to be dissolved from this body of death And therefore we reject the doctrine of the Pelagians who say that this sin is nothing else but from imitation XVI Wee believe that the whole generation of Adam being fallen into corruption and ruine by the sin of the first man God hath shewed him self such as he is viz. Mercifull and just Mercifull because he draweth out of this Corruption and delivers those whom he hath elected in his eternal and unchangeable council of his meer mercy in Christ Jesus our Lord without any regard unto their works Just because he leaves others in their fall and destruction wherein they have cast themselves XVII Wee believe that our gracious God by his wonderful wisdom and goodnes seeing that man had cast him self into a corporal and spiritual Death and so was become a most miserable creature hath even sought for him when he fled away from him with trembling and comforted him promising him to give his son who should be born of a woman and bruise the head of the Serpent to make him everlasting happy XVIII Wee confess that God hath fullfilled the promises which he hath made unto the Fathers by the mouth of his holy Prophets sending his own onely begotten eternal son in the world in due time who took upon him the form of a servant and is become like unto man taking indeed upon him a real humane nature with all its infirmities sin onely excepted being conceived in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary by the virtue of the Holy Ghost without the means of man. And he hath not onely taken upon him the humane nature as to the Body but also a real human soule that so he might be a real man. For seeing that both the Soul and the body were lost it was needfull that he should take them both upon him that so they might both be saved Therefore in opposition to the Heresy of the Anabaptists who deny that Christ took humane flesh from his Mother wee confess that Christ is become partaker of the flesh and blood of Children that he is a fruit of the Loins of David after the flesh proceeded from the seed of David after the Flesh a fruit of Mary's Womb begotten by a Woman a branch of David a Shoot from the root Jesse descended from the Tribe of Juda proceeded from the Jews after the flesh of the seed of Abraham since he took upon him the seed of Abraham and is become like unto his Brethren in all things sin excepted so that of a truth he is our Immanuel that is God with us XIX Wee believe that the Person of the Son through this conception is united and joined inseparably with the humane nature so that there are not two Sons of God nor two Persons but two natures in one single Person united yet every nature keeping its distinct attribute As the divine Nature hath alwayes been uncreated without beginning of dayes or end of life filling heaven and earth also the humane nature hath not lost its qualities but remained a Creature having beginning of dayes being a small nature and keeping all that which belongs to a true
a Gracious Father unto us for ever Therefore hee has given a Charge to Baptize all that are his in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost onely with pure water giving us thereby to understand that as the water cleanses the filth of the body when it is powred upon us which may be seen upon the body of him who receives the Baptisme being sprinkeled thereby so the blood of Christ performeth the same within in the souls by the holy Ghost sprinkling and cleansing them from their sins and regenerating us from Children of wrath unto Children of God. However this is not done by the outward water but by the Sprinkling of the precious blood of the Son of God who is our red Sea through which wee must pass for to escape the Tyranny of Pharao which is the Devil and to enter in to the Spiritual Land of Canaan Likewise the Ministers give us on their part the Sacrament and that which is visible but our Lord gives that which is signifyed by the Sacrament viz. the invisible gifts and graces washing cleansing and purifying our Souls from all filthiness and iniquities and renewing our hearts and silling them with all comfort giving us a true assurance of his Fatherly Kindness enduing us with the new man and putting away the ould man with all his deeds Therefore wee believe that whosoever intends to enter into life eternal he must be Baptised but once with the onely Baptism without ever repeating the same for wee cannot be born twice And this Baptism is not onely usefull whilst the water is upon us and that wee receive the same but also through all our life time therefore wee reject the error of the Anabaptists who are not content with the one onely Baptism which once they have received but condemn also the Baptism of the Infants of Believers which wee believe ought to be baptized and sealed with the mark of the Covenant as the Infants in Israel were circumcised on the same promise which is made to our Children And indeed Christ has shed his bloud no less for the washing of the Children of the faithfull as he hath done for adulted persons And therefore they ought to receive the sign and the Sacrament of that which Christ has done for them as under the Law the Lord commanded to participate unto them the Sacrament of the sufferings and dying of Christ shortly after their birth offering for them a Lambe which was a Sacrament of Jesus Christ Besides what the Circumcision did unto the Jewes the same is done by the Baptisme unto our Children which is the cause why St. Paul call's the Baptisme the Circumcision of Christ XXXV Wee believe and confess that our Saviour Jesus Christ has instituted and ordained the Sacrament of the holy Supper to nourish and sustain those which hee hath already regenerated and incorporated into his Family which is his Church those now who are regenerated have two sorts of lives in them the one corporal and temporal which hath accompanied them from their very birth and is common to all men the other is spiritual and heavenly which is given them in the second birth proceeding from the Word of the Gospel in the fellowship of the body of Christ and this life is not universal but belongs onely to the Elect of God. Thus God hath afforded us to the nourishing of the corporal and earthly life earthly and ordinary bread which is serviceable thereunto and common to every one as life is But to the sustaining of the spiritual and heavenly life which the Believers enjoy he hath sent the living Bread which comes down from Heaven to wit Christ Jesus who feeds and nourishes the spiritual life of the Believers when he is eaten that is assumed and received by faith in the Spirit And for to represent unto us this Spiritual and Celestial Bread Christ hath ordained an earthly and visible Bread which is a Sacrament of his Body and the Wine for a Sacrament of his Blood to testify unto us that as really as wee receive and have in our hands the Sacraments and do eat and drink the same with our mouth by which our life is afterwards sustained so likewise by faith which is the hand and mouth of our Souls the true Body and Blood of Christ our onely Saviour is received in our soules for our spiritual life And it is certain and without all doubt that Jesus Christ has not commanded us the use of his Sacraments invain Therefore he worketh in us whatever he represents unto us by these holy Signs although his method surpasseth our understanding and is incomprehensible to us even as the operations of the holy Ghost are hidden and incomprehensible In the mean while wee do not err in saying that which wee have eaten and drunk is the natural Body and true Blood of Christ but the manner of our partaking of the same is not the mouth but the Spirit through Faith. Wherefore then Christ Jesus sits alwayes at the righthand of God his Father in the Heavens and nevertheless he makes us partakers of him by Faith. This Feast is a Spiritual table at which Christ distributes him self unto us with all his goods and he causes us to enjoy both him self and the merits of his sufferings and Death nourishing strengthening and comforting our poor distressed Souls by the eating of his flesh and refreshing and cherishing the same by the drinking of his Blood. Further thô the Sacraments are joined with the things signified yet they are not received with these two things by every one for the wicked receives the Sacrament to his condemnation but he doth not receive the truth of the Sacrament so Judas and Simon the sorcerer both did receive the Sacrament but not Christ who was signified by it for onely the Believers are made Partakers of him Lastly wee receive the holy Sacrament in the Congregation of the people of God with humility and reverence solemnizing the holy remembrance of the death of Christ our Saviour with thanksgivings making there Confession of our Faith and the Christian Religion None therefore ought to apply him selfe thereunto without a foregoing trial least eating of the bread and drinking of the cup he eats and drinks him self a condemnation To be short through the using of this holy Sacrament wee are stirred up to fervent Love to God and our neighbour Therefore wee reject all mixings and damnable inventions which men have added unto the Sacraments accounting them but profanations of the same and say that wee ought to be content with the ordinance delivered unto us by Christ and his Apostles and that wee ought to speak in the same Termes as they did XXXVI Wee believe that our Gracious God because of the corruption of Mankind hath ordained Kings Princes and Magistrates intending that the World should be governed by Laws and Policy that so the dissolution of mankind might bee refrained and all things proceed orderly among men To that purpose
heartily sorry for the same worke in us a greater measure of sorrow that wee fearing thy judgements which thou executest against stubborne and impenitent sinners may labour so much the more to please thee Graunt that wee may keepe our selves from all pollutions and defilements of the world and of all those who are cut off from the communion of the Church that wee may not make our selves partakers of their sinnes and that those who are cut off may bee brought to shame for their sinnes And seeing thou takest no pleasure in the death of sinners but that they returne and live and settest alwayes open the bosome of thy Church to receive penitent sinners bee pleased to kindle in us a right zeale that both by our admonitions and examples wee may labour to reduce againe this excommunicated person and all such who through infidelity and wickednesse of life are going astray blesse our admonitions that wee may have cause to rejoyce over him for whose sake wee are now in heavinesse that thy holy name may bee glorified through the Lord Jesus Christ who hath taught us to pray Our Father c. FORME For the receiving and admitting againe of excommunicated persons BEloved in the Lord it is knowne unto you that sometimes past our fellow member N. hath beene Excommunicated and cut off from the Church of Christ Now wee can not conceale from you how that hee through the forenamed remedy as also through good admonishions and your prayers is come so farre that hee is ashamed of his sinnes and desireth to bee received againe into the fellowship of the Church Therefore wee being bound to receive such with joy and yet to keepe also good orders therefore wee give you heere to understand that wee are resolved to loose againe the forenamed excommunicated person from the bond of excommunication at the next time when by the grace of God wee shall celebrate the Supper of the Lord and to receive him againe into fellowship with the Church except there bee some who meane while shall shew any lawfull cause wherefore this ought not to bee done which you are to signify to us betime In the meane time every one of you is to praise the Lord for his mercy manifested to this poor sinner and to intreat him to perfect his worke in him to his everlasting salvation If no impediment bee brought the Minister is to proceed to the receiving of the excommunicated person againe after this following manner Beloved in the Lord wee have the last time acquainted you with the repentance of our fellowe member N. that he with your consent may bee received againe into the Church of Christ seeing therefore no body hath brought any thing whereby his admission againe should bee differred therefore wee intend at this time to proceed to the same The Lord Jesus Christ having confirmed the sentence of the Church in the excommunication of an impenitent sinner declareth thereupon presently that whatsoever the Minister shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven whereby hee gives to understand that when any body is cut off from the Church that thereby hee is not bereaved of all hope of salvation but that hee can bee loosed againe from the bond of his condemnation Therefore seeing God doth declare in his Word that hee hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner but that hee bee converted and live the Church in like maner hath hope of the conversion of the excommunicated sinner and keepes her bosome open to receive againe the penitent therefore doth the Apostle exhort 1 Cor. 5. that the Corinthian whom hee had declared should have beene cut off from the Church bee received comforted againe seeing that after hee had beene reprooved by many hee was come to the knowledge of his sinne least hee bee swallowed up by overmuch heavinesse 2 Cor. 2. Secondly Christ in the forenamed place doth teach that the sentence of absolution which is pronounced to such a penitent sinner according to the Word of God is accounted stedfast and firme with the Lord therefore ought no body who doth uprightly repent make any question but that hee is received of God as Christ sayth Joh. 2. Whose sinnes yee remit to those they are remitted To come therfore to the businesse in hand I afke you N. whether you declare heere before God and his Church from your heart that you are truely sorry for your sinnes and obstinacy for which you have most justly beene cut off from the Church and whether you doe unfeignedly beleeve that God hath forgiven and doth forgive your sinnes for Christ his sake and therefore are desirous to bee received againe into the Church to carry your selfe from henceforth in all piety according to the Word of God Answer Yea. Heereupon shall the Minister say further Wee in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ being met heere declare you N. to bee loosed from the bonds of Excommunication and pronounce you to stand againe in the fellowship of the Church the holy Sacraments and all other spirituall blessings and benesits which God hath promised and makes good to his Church in which the eternall God preserve you through his onely begotten Sonne Jesus Christ Amen Rest therefore assured beloved Brother that the Lord hath received you againe in mercy bee carefull to take heed of the subtile temptations of Sathan and the wickednesse of the world that you fall not againe into sinne Love the Lord Jesus Christ for many sinnes are forgiven you And yee beloved Christians receive this Brother with hearthy affection rejoyce that hee who was dead is made alive againe who was lost is found againe rejoyce with the Angels in Heaven over this sinner who repenteth holde him no longer as one who is a stranger but a fellow Citizen of the Saints and of the houshoulde of God. And whereas we can have no good thing from our selves letus blesse the Lord for this his mercy and further call upon his name GRacious God and Father wee blesse thee through Jesus Christ that thou hast given to this our fellow brother repentance to life and us cause to rejoyce in his conversion wee pray thee assure him more and more of the forgivenesse of his sinnes that hee may receive fulnesse of joy and greater willingnesse to serve thee And whereas hee hath offended many hy his sinne graunt that hee may edify many by his conversion and that hee may walke in thy wayes stedfastly to the end and let us learne by his example that there is mercy with thee that thou mayest bee feared and esteeming him our fellow brother and coheyre of eternall life may serve thee togetherwith a child ike seare and obedience all the dayes of our life through our Lord Jesus Christ in whose name wee conclude our Prayers saying Our Father c. FORME For the Confirmation of the Ministers of the Word After Sermon and Prayers ended the Minister shall say thus to the people BEloved Brethren It is knowen to you