Iesus Christ to be our Redeemer and Author of everlasting life who after that he had made perfect our redemption by his death and was ascended into heaven poured down his gifts abundantly upon men making some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Doctors to the edifying and making perfect his Congregation grant we beseech thee to this thy servant such grace that he may evermore be ready to spread abroad thy Gospel and glad tidings of reconcilement to God and to use the authority given to him not to destroy but to save not to hurt but to help so that be as a wise and faithful servant giving to thy family meat in due season may at the last be received into joy through Iesu Christ our Lord who with thee and the holy Ghost liveth and raigneth one God world without end Amen Then the Archbishop and Bishops present shall lay their hands upon the head of the elected Bishop the Archbishop saying TAke the holy Ghost and remember that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee by imposition of hands for God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and love and soberness Then the Archbishop shall deliver him the Bible saying GIve heed unto reading exhortation and doctrine Think upon these things contained in this book Be diligent in them that the increase coming thereby may be manifest unto all men Take heed unto thy self and unto teaching and be diligent in doing them for by doing this thou shalt save thy self and them that hear thee Be to the flock of Christ a shepherd not a wolf feed them devour them not hold up the weak heal the sick bind togeâ—her the broken bring again the outcasts seek the lost be so merciful that ye be not too remiss so minister discipline that you forget not mercy that when the Shepherd shall come you may receive the immarcescible Crown of glory through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Then the Archbishop shall proceed to the Communion with whom the new Consecrated Bishop with other shall also Communicate And for the last Collect immediately before the Benediction shall be said this Prayer MOst merciful Father we beseech thee to send upon this thy servant thy heavenly blessing and so endue him with thy holy Spirit that he preaching thy Word may not only be earnest to reprove beseech and rebuke with all patience and Doctrine but also may be to such as believe an wholsom example in word in conversation in love in faith in chastity and purity that faithfully fulfilling his course at the latter day he may receive the Crown of righteousness laid up by the Lord the righteous Iudge who liveth and reigneth one God with the Father and the holy Ghost world without end Amen AT THE HEALING THE GOSPEL Written in the XVI Chapter of St. MARK beginning at the 14. verse JESUS appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat and cast in their teeth their unbelief and hardness of heart because they believed not them which had seen that he was risen again from the dead And he said unto them Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creatures He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned And these tokens shall follow them that believe In my Name they shall cast out devils they shall speak with new tongues they shall drive away serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them †Here the infirm persons are presented to the KING upon their knees and the KING layeth his hands upon them They shall lay their hand on the sick and they shall recover So when the Lord had spoken unto them he was received into Heaven and is on the right hand of God And they went forth and preached every where the Lord working with them and confirming the word with miracles following THE GOSPEL Written in the I. Chapter of St. JOHN beginning at the first verse IN the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and God was the Word The same was in the beginning with God All things were made by it and and without it was made nothing that was made In it was Life and the Life was the Light of men and the Light shined in the darkness and the darkness comprehended it not There was sent from God a man whose name was JOHN The same came as a witness to bear witness of the Light that all men through him might believe He was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of the Light †Here they are again presented unto the KING upon their knees and the KING putteth his Gold about their necks That light was the true light which lighteth every man thâ—t cometh into the world He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not He came among his own and his own received him not But as many as received him to them gave he power to be made Sons of God even them that believed on his Name which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor yet of the will of man but of God And the same Word became Flesh and dwelt among us and we saw the Glory of it as the Glory of the only Son of the begotten Father full of grace and truth THE PRAYERS Vers Lord have mercy upon us Resp Lord have mercy upon us Vers Christ have mercy upon us Resp Christ have mercy upon us Vers Lord have mercy upon us Resp Lord have mercy upon us OVr Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heavâ—n Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Amen These Answers are to be made by them that come to be healed Vers O Lord save thy servants Resp Which put their trust in thee Vers Send help unto them from above Resp And evermore mightily defend them Vers Help us O God Our Saviour Resp And for the Glory of thy Name deliver us be merciful unto us sinnners for thy Names sake Vers O Lord hear our prayer Resp And let our cry come into thee O Almighty God who art the Giver of all health and the aid of them that seek to Thee for succour we call upon thee for thy help and goodness mercifully to be shewed unto these thy servants that they being healed of their infirmity may give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen THE grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with us all evermore Amen A copy of thacte made for thabrogacion of certayne holy-dayes according to the transumpte late sent by the kyngs hyghnes to all biss hops with his
necessity to eternal salvation but that you shall be perswaded may be concluded and proved by the Scripture Answer I am so perswaded and have so determined by Gods grace The Bishop WIll you then give your faithful diligence always so to minister the Doctrine and Sacraments and the Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded and as this Realm hath received the same according to the Commandments of God so that you may teach the people committed to your cure and charge with all diligence to keep and observe the same Answer I will do so by the help of the Lord. The Bishop WIll you be ready with all faithful diligence to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to Gods Word and to use both publick and private admonitions and exhortations as well to the sick as to the whole within your Cures as need shall require and occasion be given Answer I will the Lord being my helper The Bishop Will you be diligently in prayers and in reading of the holy Scriptures and in such studies as help to the knowledge of the same laying aside the study of the world and the flesh Answer I will endeavor my self so to do the Lord being my helper The Bishop WIll you be diligent to frame and fashion your own selves and your families according to the Doctrine of Christ and to make both your selves and them as much as in you lieth wholsom examples and spectacles to the flock of Christ Answer I will apply my self the Lord being my helper The Bishop WIll you maintain and set forwards as much as in you lieth quietness peace and love among all Christian people and especially among them that are or shall be committed to your charge Answer I will so do the Lord being my helper The Bishop VVIll you reverently obey your Ordinary and other chief Ministers unto whom the government and charge is committed over you following with a glad mind and will their godly admonitions and submitting your selves to their godly judgments Answer I will so do the Lord being my helper Then shall the Bishop say ALmighty God who hath given you this will do all these things grant also unto you strength and power to perform the same that he may accomplish his work which he hath begun in you until the time shall come at the latter day to judge the quick and the dead After this the Congregation shall be desired secretly in their prayers to make humble supplications to God for the foresaid things for the which prayers there shall be a certain space kept in silence That done the Bishop shall pray in this wise ¶ Let us pray ALmighty God and heavenly Father which of thine infinite love and goodness towards us hast given to us thy only and most dearly bloved Son Iesus Christ to be our Redeemer and Author of everlasting life who after he had made perfect our redemption by his death and was ascended into heaven sent abroad into the world his Apostles Prophets Evangelists Doctors and Pastors by whose labour and ministery he gathered together a great flock in all the parts of the World to set forth the eternal praise of thy holy Name For these so great benefits of thy eternal goodness and for that thou hast vouchsafed to call these thy servants here present to the same office and ministry of salvation of mankind we render unto thee most hearty thanks we worship and praise thee and we humbly beseech thee by the same thy Son to grant unto all which either here or elsewhere call upon thy Name that we may shew our selves thankful to thee for these and all other thy benefits and that we may daily increase and go forwards in the knowledge and faith of thee and thy Son by thy holy Spirit So that as well by these thy Ministers as by them to whom they shall be appointed Ministers thy holy Name may be always glorified and thy blessed Kingdom enlarged through the same thy Son our Lord Iesus Christ which liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same holy Spirit world without end Amen When this prayer is done the Bishops with the Priests present shall lay their hands severally upon the head of every one that receiveth Orders the receivers humbly kneeling upon their knees and the Bishop saying REceive the holy Ghost Whose sins thou dost forgive they are forgiven and whose sins thou dost retain they are retained and be thou a faithful dispenser of the Word of God and his holy Sacraments In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Amen The Bishop shall deliver to every one of them the Bible in his hand saying TAke thou authority to preach the Word of God and to minister the holy Sacraments in this Congregation where thou shalt be so appointed When this is done the Congregation shall sing the Creed and also they shall go to the Communion which all they that receive Orders shall take together and remain in the same place where the hands were laid upon them until such time as they received the Communion The Communion being done after the last Collect and immediately before the Bendiction shall be said this Collect. MOst merciful Father we beseech thee to send upon these thy Servants thy heavenly blessing that they may be clad about with justice and that thy Word spoken by their mouths may have such success that it may never be spoken in vain Grant also that we may have grace to hear and receive the same as thy most holy Word and the means of our salvation that in all our words and deeds we may seek thy glory and the increase of thy Kingdom through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen And if the Order of Deacons and Priesthood be given both upon one day then shall all things at the holy Communion be used as they are appointed at the ordering of Priests saving that for the Epistle the whole third Chapter of the first to Timothy shall be read as it is set out before in the order of Priests And immediately after the Epistile the Deacons shall be ordered And it shall suffice the Litany to be said once The form of Consecrating of an Arch-Bishop or Bishop ¶ At the Communion The Epistle THis is a true saying If a man desire the office of a Bishop he desireth an honest work A Bishop therefore must be blameless the husband of one wife diligent sober discreet a keeper of hospitality apt to teach not given to overmuch wine no fighter nor greedy of filthy lucre but gentle abhorring fighting abhorring covetousness one that ruleth well his own house one that hath children in subjection with all reverence For if a man cannot rule his own house how thall he care for the congregation of God He may not be a young Scholar lest he swell and fall into the judgment of the evil speaker He must also have a good report of them which are without lest he fall
to put away dreams and phantasies or in putting trust and confidence of health and salvation in the same ceremonies when they be only ordained instituted and made to put us in remembrance of the benefits which we have received by Christ And if he use them for any other purpose he grievously offendeth God Also That they shall take away utterly extinct and destroy all shrines covering of shrines all tables candlesticks trindilles or rolls of Wax pictures paintings and all other monuments of feigned miracles pilgrimages Idolatry and Superstition so that there remain no memory of the same in walls glass-windows or elsewhere within their Churches or Houses And they shall exhort all their Parishioners to do the like within their several houses And that the Church-wardens at the common charge of the Parishioners in every Church shall provide a comely and honest Pulpit to be set in a convenient place within the same for the preaching of Gods Word Also They shall provide and have within three moneths after this Visitation a strong Chest with a hole in the upper part thereof to be provided at the cost and charge of the Parish having three Keys whereof one shall remain in the custody of the Parson Vicar or Curate and the other two in the custody of the Church-wardens or any other two honest men to be appointed by the Parish from year to year Which Chest you shall set and fasten near unto the high Altar to the intent the Parishioners should put into it their Oblation and Alms for their poor Neighbors And the Parson Vicar or Curate shall diligently from time to time and specially when men make their Testaments call upon exhort and move their Neighbors to confer and give as they may well spare to the said Chest declaring unto them whereas heretofore they have been diligent to bestow much substance otherwise than God commanded upon Pardons Pilgrimages Trentalles decking of Images offering of Candles giving to Friers and upon other like blind devotions they ought at this time to be much more ready to help the poor and needy knowing that to relieve the poor is a true worshipping of God required earnestly upon pain of everlasting damnation and that also whatsoever is given for their comfort is given to Christ himself and so is accepted of him that he will mercifully reward the same with everlasting life the which alms and devotion of the people the keepers of the Keys shall at times convenient take out of the Chest and distribute the same in the presence of their whole Parish or six of them to be truly and faithfully delivered to their most needy Neighbors and if they be provided for then to the raparation of high ways next adjoyning And also the mony which riseth of Fraternities Guilds and other stocks of the Church except by the Kings Majesties Authority it be otherwise appointed shall be put into the said Chest and converted to the said use and also the Rents and Lands the profit of cattle and money given or bequeathed to the finding of Lorches Lights Lapers and Lamps shall be converted to the said use saving that it shall be lawful for them to bestow part of the said profits upon the repapation of the Church if great need require and whereas the Parish is very poor and not able otherwise to repair the same And forasmuch as Priests be publick Ministers of the Church and upon the holy-days ought to apply themselves to the common administration of the whole Parish they shall not be bound to go to women lying in childbed except in time of dangerous sickness and not to fetch any coarse before it be brought to the Church-yard and if the woman be sick or the coarse brought to the Church the Priest shall do his duty accordingly in visiting the woman and burying the dead person Also To avoid the detestable sin of Simony because buying and selling of Benefices is execrable before God therefore all such persons as buy any Benefices or come to them by fraud or deceit shall be deprived of such Benefices and be made unable at any time after to receive any other spitual promotion And such as do sell them or by any colour do bestow them for their own gain and profit shall lose the right and title of patronage and presentmenâ— for that time and the gift thereof for that vacation shall appertain to the Kings Majesty Also Because through lack of Preachers in many places of the Kings Realms and Dominions the people continue in ignorance and blindness all Parsons Vicars and Curates shall read in the Churches every Sunday one of the Homilies which are and shall be set forth for the same purpose by the Kings Authority in such sort as they shall be appointed to do in the Preface of the same Also Whereas many indiscreet persons do at this day uncharitably contemn and abuse Priests and Ministers of the Church because some of them having small learning have of long time favored phansies rather then Gods truth yet forasmuch as their office and function is appointed of God the Kings Majesty willeth and chargeth all his loving Subjects that from henceforth they shall use them charitably and reverently for their office and administration sake and especiall such as labour in the setting forth of Gods holy Word Also That all manner of persons which understand not the Latine tongue shall pray upon none other Primer but upon that which was lately set forth in English by the authority of King Henry the eighth of most famous memory And that no teachers of youth shall teach any other then the said Primer And all those which have knowledge of the Latine Tongue shall pray upon none other Latine Primer but upon that which is likewise set forth by the said Authority And that all Graces to be said at Dinner and Supper shall be always said in the English Tongue And that none other Grammar shall be taught in any School or other place within the Kings Realms and Dominions but only that which is set forth by the said Authority Item That all Chauntery Priests shall exercise themselves in teaching youth to read and write and bring them up in good manners and other vertuous exercises Item When any Sermon or Homily shall be had the Prime and hours shall be omitted The Form of bidding the Common-Prayers YOU shall pray for the whole Congregation of Christs Church and especâ—ally for this Church of England and Ireland wherein first I commend to your devout prayers the Kings most Excellent Majesty supreme Head immediately under God of the Spirituality and Temporality of the same Church and for Queen Katherine Dowager and also for my Lady Mary and my Lady Elizabeth the Kings Sisters Secondly you shall pray for the Lord Protectors Grace with all the rest of the Kings Majesties Council for all the Lords of this Realm and for the Clergy and Commons of the same beseeching Almighty God to give every of them in his degree grace
divided whereof is one Christ very God and very Man who truly suffered was crucified dead and buried to reconcile his Father to us and to be a sacrifice for all sin of man both original and actual Of the going down of Christ into Hell AS Christ died and was buried for us so also it is to be believed that he went down into Hell for the body lay in the Sepulchre until the Resurrection but his Ghost departing from him was with the Ghosts that were in Prison or in Hell and did preach to the same as the place of St. Peter doth testifie The Resurrection of Christ CHrist did truly rise again from death and took again his body with flesh bones and all things appertaining to the perfection of mans nature wherewith he ascended into Heaven and there sitteth until he return to judge men at the last day The Doctrine of holy Scripture is sufficient to Salvation HOly Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation so that whatsoever is neither read therein nor may be proved thereby although it be sometime received of the Faithful as godly and profitable for an order and comeliness yet no man ought to be constrained to believe it as an Article of Faith or reputed requisite to the necessity of salvation The Old Testament is not to be refused THe Old Testament is not to be put away as though it were contrary to the New but to be kept still for both in the Old and New Testaments everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ who is the only Mediator between God and man being both God and man VVherefore they are not to be heard which feign that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises The three Creeds THe three Creeds Nicene Creed Athanasius's Creed and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creed ought thorowly to be received for they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture Of Original or Birth-sin ORiginal sin standeth not in the following of Adam as the Pelagians do vainly talk which also the Anabaptists do now adays renew but it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is ingendred of the off-spring of Adam whereby man is very far gone from his former righteousness which he had at his Creation and is of his own nature given to evil so that the flesh desireth always contrary to the spirit and therefore in every person born in this world it deserveth Gods wrath and damnation and this infection of nature doth remain yea in them that are baptized whereby the lust of the flesh called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some do expound the wisdom some the sensuality some the affection some the desire of the flesh is not subject to the Law of God And although there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized yet the Apostle doth confess that concupiscence and lust hath of it self the nature of sin Of Free-will WE have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God without the Grace of God by Christ preventing us that we may have a good will and working in us when we have that will Of Grace THe Grace of Christ or the holy Ghost by him given doth take away the stony heart and giveth an heart of flesh and although those that have no will to good things he maketh them to will and those that would evil things he maketh them not to will the same yet nevertheless he enforceth not the will and therefore no man when he sinneth can excuse himself as not worthy to be blamed or condemned by alledging that he sinned unwillingly or by compulsion Of the justification of man JVstification by only Faith in Iesus Christ in that sense as it is declared in the Homily of Iustification is a most certain and wholsom Doctrine for Christian men Works before Justification WOrks done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Iesu Christ neither do they make men mete to receive grace or as the School-Authors say deserve grace of Congruity but because they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the nature of sin Works of Supererogation VOluntary works besides over and above Gods Commandments which they call works of Supererogation cannot be taught without arrogancy and iniquity For by them men do declare that they do not only render to God as much as they are bound to do but that they do more for his sake than of bounden duty is required whereas Christ saith plainly When ye have done all that is commanded you say We be unprofitable Servants No man is without sin but Christ alone CHrist in the truth of nature was made like unto us in all things sin only excepted from which he was clearly void both in his flesh and in his Spirit He came to be the Lamb without spot who by sacrifice of himself made once for ever should take away the sins of the World and sin as St. John saith was not in him But the rest yea although we be baptized and born again in Christ yet we offend in many things and if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the ruth is not in us Of sin against the holy Ghost EVery deadly sin willingly committed after Baptism is not sin against the holy Ghost and unpardonable wherefore the place for penitents is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after Baptism After we have received the Holy Ghost we may depart from Grace given and fall into sin and by the grace of God we may arise again and amend our lives And therefore they are to be condemned which say they can no more sin as long as they live here or deny the place for penitents to such as truely repent and amend their lives Blasphemy against the holy Ghost BLasphemy against the holy Ghost is when a man of malice and stubbornness of mind doth rail upon the truth of Gods Word manifestly perceived and being enemy thereunto persecuteth that same and because such be guilty of Gods curse they entangle themselves with a most grievous and heinous crime whereupon this kind of sin is called and affirmed of the Lord unpardonable Of Predestination and Election PRedestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the foundations of the world were laid he hath constantly decreed by his own judgment secret from us to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen out of mankind and to bring them to everlasting salvation by Christ as vessels made to honor whereupon such as have so excellent a benefit of God given unto them be called according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through grace obey the calling they be justified freely they be made sons by adoption they be made like the Image of
in Reg. Edward 9. Artic. cannot put away our sins and endure the severity of Gods judgment yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively faith insomuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit 13. Of Works before Justification WOrks done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of this Spirit are not pleasant to God forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Iesu Christ neither do they make men meet to receive grace or as the School-Authors say deserve grace of Congruity yea rather for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the nature of sin 14. Of Works of Supererogation VOluntary Works besides over and above Gods Commandments which they call works of Supererogation cannot be taught without arrogancy and iniquity For by them men do declare that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do but that they do more for his sake than of bounden duty is required whereas Christ saith plainly When ye have done all that are commanded to you say We are unprofitable servants 15. Of Christ alone without sin CHrist in the truth of our nature was made like unto us in all things sin only excepted from which he was clearly void both in his flesh and in his Spirit He came to be a Lamb without spot who by sacrifice of himself once made should take away the sins of the World and sin as S. John saith was not in him But all we the rest although baptised and if born again in Christ yet offend in many things and if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Blasphemia in Spiritum Sanctum EST cum quis Verborum Dei manifestè perceptam veritatem ex malitia obfirmatione animi convitiis insectatur hostiliter insequitur Atque hujusmodi quia maledicto sunt obnoxii gravissimo sese astringunt scelere unde peccati hoc genus irremissibile à Domino appellatur affirmatur Artic. 16. Edward 6. 16. Of sin after Baptism NOt every deadly sin willingly committed after Baptism is sin against the holy Ghost and unpardonable Wherefore the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after Baptism After we have received the holy Ghost we may depart from grace given and fall into sin and by the grace of God we may arise again and amend our lives And therefore they are to be condemned which say they can no more sin as long as they live here to deny the place of forgiveness to such as truly repent 17. Of Predestination and Election PRedestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the foundations of the world were laid he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation as vessels made to honour Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through grace obey the calling they be justified freely they be made Sons of God by adoption they be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Iesus Christ they walk religiously in good works and at length by Gods mercy they attain to everlasting felicity As the godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to godly persons and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members and drawing up their mind to high and heavenly things as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal salvation to be enjoyed through Christ as because it doth frequently kindle their love towards God so for curious and carnal persons lacking the Spirit of Christ to have continually before their eyes the sentence of Gods Predestination is a most dangerous downfal whereby the Devil doth thrust them either into desperation or into wretchlesness of most unclean living no less perilous than desperation Furthermore we must receive Gods promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in holy Scripture and in our doings that will of God is to be followed which we have expresly declared unto us in the word of God Omnes obligantur ad moralia legis praecepta servanda LEx à Deo data per Mosen licet quoad ceremonias ritus Christianos non astringat neque civilia eis praecepta in aliqua Repub. necessario recipi debeant nihilominus ab obedientia mandatorum quae moralia vocantur nullus quantumvis Christianus est solutus quare illi non sunt audiendi qui sacras literas tantum infirmis datas esse perhibent spiritum perpetuo jactant à quo sibi quae praedicant suggeri asserunt quamquam cum S. Scripturis apertissime pugnent Art Edward 6.19 18. Of obtaining eternal Salvation only by the Name of Christ THey also are to be had accursed that presume to say that every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that aw and the light of nature For holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the Name of Iesus Christ whereby men must be saved 19. Of the Church THe visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful men in which the pure Word of God is preached and the Sacramencs be duly ministred according to Christs Ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same As the Church of Jerusalem Alexandria and Antioch have erred So also the Church of Rome hath erred not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies but also in matters of faith 20. Of the Authority of the Church THe Church hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies authority in Controversies of Faith And yet it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to Gods Word written neither may it so expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another Wherefore although the Church be a witness and a keeper of holy Writ yet as it ought not to decree any thing against the same so besides the same ought it not to enforce any thing to be believed for necessity of salvation 21. Of the Authority of General Councils GEneral Councils may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of Princes And when they be gathered together forasmuch as they be an Assembly of men whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and word of God they may erre and sometime have erred even in things pertaining unto God Wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation
to be admitted Deacons The Bishop TAke heed that the persons whom ye present unto us be apt and meet for their Learning and godly conversation to exercise their Ministry duly to the honour of God and edifying of his Church The Archdeacon shall Answer I Have enquired of them and also examined them and think rhem so to be And the Bishop shall say unto the people BRethren if there be any of you who knoweth any impediment or notable crime in any of these persons presented to be ordered Deacons for the which he ought not to be admitted to the same let him come forth in the Name of God and shew what the crime or impediment is And if any great crime or impediment be objected the Bishop shall surcease from Ordering that person until such time as the party accused shall try himself clear of that crime Then the Bishop commending such as shall be founnd meet to be Ordered to the Prayers of the Congregation with the Clerks and people present shall say or sing the Letany as followeth with the prayers The Litany and Suffrages O God the Father of Heaven have mercy upon us miserable sinners O God the Father of Heaven have mercy upon us miserable sinners O God the Son Redeemer of the Word have mercy upon us miserable sinners O God the Son Redeemer of the World have mercy upon us miserable sinners O God the holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son have mercy upon us miserable sinners O God the holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son have mercy upon us miserable sinners O holy blessed and glorious Trinity three Persons and one God have mercy upon us miserable sinners O holy blessed and glorious Trinity three Persons and one God have mercy upon us miserable sinners Remember not Lord our offences nor the offences of our forefathers neither take thou vengeance of our sins Spare us good Lord spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy mâ—â—t precious blood and be not angry with us for ever Spare us good Lord. From all evil and mischief from sin from the crafts and assaults of the Devil from thy wrath and from everlasting damnation Good Lord deliver us From all blindness of heart from pride vain-glory and hypocrisie from envy hatred and malice and all uncharitableness Good Lord deliver us From fornication and all other deadly sin and from all the deceits of the world the flesh and the Devil Good Lord deliver us From lightning and tempest from plague pestilence and famine from battle and murder and from sudden death Good Lord deliver us From all sedition and privy conspiracy from all false doctrine and heresie from hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word and Commandment Good Lord deliver us By thi mystery of thy holy Incarnation by thy holy Nativity and Circumcision by thy Baptism Fasting and Temptation Good Lord deliver us By thy Agony and bloody Sweat by thy Cross and Passion by thy precious Death and Burial by thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension and by the coming of the holy Ghost Good Lord deliver us In all time of our Tribulation in all time of our Wealth in the hour of Deaâ—h and in the day of Iudgment Good Lord deliver us We sinners do beseech thee hear us O Lord God and that it may please thee to rule and govern thy holy Church universally in the right way We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to keep and strengthen in the true worshipping of thee in righteousness and holiness of life thy servant CHARLES our most gratious King and Governour We beseech thee to hear us good Lord That it may please thee to rule his heart in thy faith fear and love and that he may ever more have affiance in thee and ever seek thy honour and glory We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to be his defender and keeper giving him the victory over all his enemies We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to bless and preserve our gracious Queen Catherine James Duke of York and the rest of the Royal Progeny We beseech thee to hear us good Lord That it may please thee to illuminate all Bishops Pastors and Ministers of the Church with true knowledge and understanding of thy Word and that both by their preaching and living they may set it forth and shew it accordingly We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to endue the Lords of the Council and all the Nobility with grace wisdom and understanding We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to bless and keep all the Magistrates giving them grace to execute Iustice and to maintain truth We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to bless and keep all thy people We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to give to all Nations unity peace and concord We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to give us an heart to love and dread thee and diligently to live after thy commandments We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to give to all thy people increase of grace to hear meekly thy Word and to receive it with pure affection and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to bring into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to strengthen such as do stand and to comfort and help the weak hearted and to raise up them that fall and finally to beat down Satan under our feet We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to succour help and comfort all that be in danger necessity and tribulation We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to preserve all that travel by Land or by Water all Women labouring of Child all sick persons and young children and to shew thy pity upon all prisoners and captives We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to defend and provide for the fatherless children and widows and all that be desolate and oppressed We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to have mercy upon all men We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to forgive our enemies persecuters and slanderers and to turn their hearts We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to give and preserve to our use the kindly fruits of the earth so as in due time we may enjoy them We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to give us true repentance to forgive us all our sins negligences and ignorances and to endue us
with the grace of thy holy Spirit to amend our lives according to thy holy Word We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. Son of God we beseech the to hear us Son of God we beseech the to hear us O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Grant us thy peace O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Have mercy upon us O Christ hear us O Christ hear us Lord have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Our Father which art in heaven c. And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil Amen The Versicle O Lord deal not with us after our sins Answer Neither reward us after our iniquities ¶ Let us pray Ood merciful Father that despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart nor the desire of such as be sorrowful mercifully assist our prayers that we make before thee in all our troubles and adversities whensoever they oppress us and graciously hear us that those evils which the craft and subtilty of the devil or man worketh against us be brought to nought and by the providence of thy goodness they may be dispersed thar we thy servants being hurt by no persecutions may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church through Iesus Christ our Lord. O Lord arise help us and deliver us for thy names sake O God we have heard with our ears and our fathers have declared unto us the noble works that thou didst in their days and in the old time before them O Lord arise help us and deliver us for thine honour Glory be to the Father and to the Son c. As it was in the beginning is now c. From our Enemies defend us O Christ Graciously look upon our afflictions Pitifully behold the sorrows of our hearts Mercifully forgive the sins of thy people Favourably with mercy hear our prayers O Son of David have mercy upon us Both now and ever vouchsafe to hear us O Christ Graciously hear us O Christ graciously hear us O Lord Christ The Versicle O Lord let thy mercy be shewed upon us Answer As we do put our trust in thee Let us pray WE humbly beseech thee O Father mercifully to look upon our infirmities and for the glory of thy Names sake turn from us all those evils that we most righteously have deserved and grant that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living to thy honour and glory through our only Mediator and Advocate Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ALmighty God which hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee and dost promis that when two or three be gathered together in thy Name thou wile grant their requests fulfil now O Lord the desires and petitions of thy servanta as may be most expedient for them granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth and in the world to come life everlasting Amen ¶ Then shall be said also this that followeth ALmighty God which by thy divine providence hast appointed divers Orders of Ministers in the Church and didst inspire thine holy Apostles to chuse unto this Order of Deacons the first Martyr St. Stephen with other mercifully behold these thy servants now called to the like office and administration replenish them so with the truth of thy Doctrine and innocency of life that both by word and good example they may faithfully serve thee in this office to the glory of thy Name and profit of the Congregation through the merits of our Saviour Iesu Christ who liveth and reigneth with thee and the holy Ghost now and for ever Amen Then shall be sung or said the Communion of the day saving the Epistle shall be read out of Timothy as followeth LIkewise must the Ministers be honest not double-tongued not given unto much wine neither greedy of filthy lucre but holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience and let them first be proved and then let them minister so that no man be able to reprove them Even so must theâ—r wives be honest not evil speakers but sober and faithful in all things Let the Deacons be the husbands of one wife and such as rule their children well and their own housholds for they that minister well get themselves a good degree and a great liberty in the faith which is in Christ Iesu These things write I unto thee trusting to come shortly unto thee but and if I tarry long that then thou mayest yet have knowledge how thou oughest to behave thy self in the house of God which is the congregation of the living God the pillar and ground of truth And without doubt great is that mystery of godliness God was shewed in the flesh was justified in the spirit was seen among the angels was preached unto the Gentiles was believed in on the world and received up into glory Or else this out of the sixth of the Acts. THen the twelve called the multitude of the disciples together and said It is not meet that we should leave the word of God and serve tables wherefore brethren look you out among you seven men of honest report and full of the holy Ghost and wisdom to whom we may commit this business but we will give our selves continually to prayer and to the administration of the word And that saying pleased the whole multitude And they chose Stephen a man full of faith and full of the holy Ghost and Philip and Brochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicholas a convert of Antioch These they set before the Apostles and when they had prayed they laid their hands on them And the word of God increased and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly and a great number of the Priests were obedient unto the faith And before the Gospel the Bishop setting in a chair shall cause the Oath of the Kings Supremacy and against the power and authority of all foreign Potentates to be ministred unto every of them that are to be ordered ¶ The Oath of the Kings Soveraignty I A. B. do utterly testifie and declare in my conscience that the Kings Highness is the only supreme Governour of this Realm and of all other his Highness Dominions and Countries as well in all spiritual or Ecclesiastical things or causes as temporal and that no foreign Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to have any jurisdiction power superiority pre-eminence or authority Ecclesiastical or spiritual within this Realm and therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all foreign jurisdictions powers superiorities and au horities and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear faith and true Allegiance to the Kings Highness his heirs and lawful successours and to my power shall assist and