ALmighty God most merciful Father which of thine infinite goodness hast given thy only and most dear beloved Son 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 Pastours 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 he 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 together 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 chiefe 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 onely be earnest to reprove beseech and rebuke with all patience and doctrine but also may be to such as believe an wholsome 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 righteousnesse 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 IESUS appeared unto the Eleven as they sate at meat and cast in their teeth their unbelief and hardnesse 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 Baptized 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 divels 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 hands 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 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 Darknesse and the darkness comprehended it not There was sent from God a man whose name was JOHN The same came as a witnesse to bear witnesse 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 the KING putteth his Gold about their necks That light was the true light which lighteth every man that 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 onely begotten Son of the 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 OUr Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven 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 sinners for thy Names sake Vers O Lord hear our Prayer Resp And let our Cry come unto 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 goodnesse 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
to him COme unto me all that travel and be heavy laden and I shall refresh you So God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten son to the end that all that believe in him should not perish but have life everlasting Heare also what S. Paul saith THis is a true saying and worthy of all men to be embraced and received that Iesus Christ came into this world to save sinners Heare also what St. John saith IF any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous he it is that obtained grace for our sins Then shall the Priest kneel down and say in the name of all them that shall receive the Communion this prayer following WE do not presume to come to this thy table O merciful Lord trusting in our own righteousnesse but in thy manifold and great mercies we be not worthy so much as to gather up the crombs under thy table but thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy grant us therefore gracious Lord so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Iesus Christ and to drink his blood in these holy Mysteries that we may continually dwell in him and he in us that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body and our souls washed through his most pretious blood Amen Then shall the Priest rise the people still reverently kneeling and the Priest shall deliver the Communion first to the Ministers if any be there present that they may be ready to help the Priest and after to the other And when he doth deliver the Sacrament of the body of Christ he shall say to every one these words following THe body of our Lord Iesus Christ which was given for thee preserve thy body unto everlasting life And the Priest delivering the Sacrament of the blood and giving every one to drink once and no more shall say THe blood of our Lord Iesus Christ which was shed for thee preserve thy soul unto everlasting life If there be a Deacon or other Priest then shall he follow with the Chalice and as the Priest Ministreth the bread so shall he for more expedition Minister the wine in form before written Then shall the priest turning him to the people let the people depart with this blessing THe peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his son Iesus Christ our Lord. To the which the people shall answer Amen Note that the bread that shall be consecrated shall be such as heretofore hath been accustomed And every of the said consecrated breads shall be broken into two pieces at the least or more by the discretion of the Minister and so distributed And men must not think lesse to be received in part then in the whole but in each of them the whole body of our Saviour Iesus Christ Note that if it doth so chance that the wine hallowed and consecrate doth not suffice or be enough for them that do take the Communion the Priest after the first Cup or Chalice be emptied may go again to the altar and reverently and devoutly prepare and consecrate an other and so the third or more likewise beginning at these words Simili modo postquam coenatum est and ending at these words qui pro vobis pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum and without any levation or lifting up Articles to be enquired of in visitations to be had within the Diocesse of Canterbury in the second year of the Reign of our Dread Sovereign Lord Edward the 6. by the grace of God King of England France and Ireland defender of the Faith and in earth of the Church of England and also of Ireland the supreme head FIrst Whether Parsons Vicars and Curates and every of them have purely and sincerely without colour or dissimulation four times in the year at the least preached against the usurped power pretensed authority and jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome Item Whether they have preached declared likewise 4. times of the year at the least that the Kings Majesties power authority and preheminence within his Realms and dominions is the highest power under God Item whether any person hath by writing ciphring preaching or teaching deed or act obstinately holden and stand with to extol set forth maintain or defend the authority jurisdiction or power of the Bishop of Rome or of his sea heretofore claimed and usurped or by any pretense obstinately or maliciously invented any thing for the extolling of the fame or any part thereof Item Whether in their common prayers they use not the Collects made for the King and make not special mention of his Majesties name in the same Item Whether they do not every Sunday and Holy day with the collects of the English procession say the prayer set forth by the Kings Majesty for peace between England and Scotland Item Whether they have not removed taken away and utterly extincted and destroyed in their Churches Chappels and houses all images all shrines coverings of shrines all tables candelsticks trindels or rolles 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 glaswindowes or elsewhere Item Whether they have exhorted moved and stirred their parishoners to do the like in every of their houses Item Whether they have declared to their Parishoners the Articles concerning the abrogation of certain superfluous holy dayes and done their indeavour to perswade the said parishioners to keep and observe the same Articles inviolably and whether any of those abrogate dayes hath been kept as holy dayes and by whose occasion they were so kept Item Whether they have diligently duly and reverently ministred the Sacraments in their Cures Item Whether they have preached or caused to be preached purely and sincerely the word of God in every of their Cures every quatter of the year once at the least exhorting their parishioners to the works commanded by Scriptures and not to works devised by mens phantasies besides Scripture as wearing or praying upon beads or such like Item Whether they suffer any Torches Candles Tapers or any other lights to be in your Churches but only two lights upon the high Altar Item Whether they have not every holy day when they have no Sermon immediately after the Gospel openly plainly and distinctly recited to their parishioners in the Pulpit the Pater Noster the Creed and the Ten Commandements in English Item Whether every Lent they examine such persons as come to Confession to them whether they can recite the Pater Noster the Articles of our Faith and the Ten Commandements in English Item Whether they have charged fathers and mothers masters and governours of youth to bring them up in some vertuous study or occupation Item Whether such beneficed men as be lawfully absent from their benefices do leave their Cure to a rude and unlearned
of God and in the same exhort their hearers to the works of faith mercy and charity specially prescribed and commanded in scripture and that workes devised by mens phantasies besides Scripture as wandering to Pilgrimages offering of mony candels or tapers or relicks or Images or kissing and licking of the same praying upon beades or such like superstition have not only no promise of reward in scripture for doing of them but contrariwise great threats and maledictions of God for that they be things tending to Idolatry and superstition which of all other offences God almighty doth most detest and abhor for that the same diminish most his honour and glory Item that such Images as they know in any of their cures to be or to have been abused with Pilgrimage or offering of any thing made thereunto or shall be hereafter censed unto they and none other private persons shall for the avoiding of that most detestable offence of Idolatry forthwith take down or cause to be taken down and destroy the same and shall suffer from henceforth no Torches nor candles Tapers or Images of wax to be set afore any Image or picture but onely two lights upon the high altar before the Sacrament which for the signification that Christ is the very true light of the world they thall suffer to remain still admonishing their Parishioners that Images serve for no other purpose but to be a remembrance whereby men may be admonished of the holy lives and conversation of them that the said Images do represent which Images if they do abuse for any other entent they commit Idolatry in the same to the great danger of their souls Item that every holy day throughout the year when they have no Sermon they shall immediately after the Gospel openly and plainly recite to their Parishioners in the pulpit the Pater noster the Credo and x. Commandments in English to the intent the people may learn the same by heart exhorting all parents and housholders to teach their children and servants the same as they are bound by the law of God and in conscience to do Item that they shall charge Fathers and Mothers Masters and governours to bestow their children and servants even from their childhood either to learning or to some honest exercise occupation or husbandry Exhorting and counseling and by all the wayes and means they may aswel in their sermons and collations as otherwaies perswading their said Fathers and Mothers Masters and other governours diligently to provide and foresee that the youth be in no manner of wise brought up in idlenesse least at any time afterward for lack of some craft occupation or other honest mean to live by they be driven to fall to begging stealing or some other unchriftinesse Forasmuch as we may daily see through sloth and idlenesse divers valiant men fall some to begging and some to theft and murder which after brought to calamity and misery do blame their parents friends and governours which suffered them to be brought up so idlely in their youth where if they had been well brought up in learning some good occupation or craft they would being rulers of their own houshold have profited aswell themselves as divers other persons to the great commodity and ornament of the Common wealth Also that the said Parsons Vicars and other Curates shall diligently provide that the Sacraments be duly and reverently ministred in their Parishes And if at any time it happen them in any of the cases expressed in the statutes of this Realm or of special licence given by the Kings Majesty to be absent from their benefices they shall leave their Cure not to a rude and unlearned person but to an honest well learned and expert Curate that can by his ability teach the rude and unlearned of their Cure wholsom doctrine and reduce them to the right way that do erre which will also execute these Injunctions and do their duty otherwise as they are bound to do in every behalf and accordingly may and will profit their cure no less with good example of living then with the declaration of the word of God or else their lack and default shall be imputed unto them who shall straightly answer for the same if they do otherwise And alwayes let them see that neither they nor their Curates do seek more their own profit promotion or advantage then the profit of the souls that they have under their Cure or the glory of God Also that they shall provide within three moneths next after this visitation one book of the whole Bible of the largest volumn in English And within one twelve moneths next after the said visitation the paraphrasis of Erasmus also in English upon the gospels and the same set up in some convenient place within the said Church that they have Cure of whereas their Parishioners may most commodiously resort unto the same and read the same The charges of which books shall be ratably born between the Parson or approprietary and parishiones aforesaid that is to say the one half by the Parson or proprietary the other half by the parishioners And they shall discourage no man authorised licensed thereto from the reading of any part of the Bible either in Latine or in English but shall rather comfort exhort every person to read the same as the very lively word of God and the special food of mans soul that all Christian persons are bound to embrace believe and follow if they look to be saved whereby they may the better know their duties to God to their sovereign Lord the King and their neighbour ever gently and charitably exhorting them and in his Majesties name straightly charging and commanding them that in the reading thereof no man to reason or contend but quietly to hear the Reader Also the said Ecclesiastical persons shall in no wise at any unlawful time nor for any other cause then for their honest necessity haunt or resort to any Taverns or Alehouses And after their dinner or supper they shall not give themselves to drinking or riot spending their time idlely by day or by night at dice cards or tables playing or any other unlawful game but at all times as they shall have leasure they shall hear and read somewhat of holy Scripture or shall occupie themselves with some other honest exercise and that they alwayes do the things which appertain to honesty with endeavour to profit the common weale having alwayes in minde that they ought to excel all other in purity of life and should be an example to the people to live well and Christianly Item that they shall in confessions every Lent examine every person that cometh to confession to them whether they can recite the Articles of their faith the Pater noster and the ten Commandments in English and heare them say the same particularly wherein if they be not perfect they shall declare then that every Christian person ought to know the said things before they
a Minister of God of the Church he may receive comfort and absolution to the satisfaction of his mind and avoiding of all scruple and doubtfulness requiring such as shall be satisfied with a general confession not to be offended with them that do use to their further satisfying the auricular and secret confession to the Priest nor those also which think needful or convenient for the quietness of their own consâ—iences particularly to open their sins to the Priest to be offended with them which are satisfied with their humble confession to God and the general confession to the Church But in all these things to follow and keep the rule of charity and every man to be satisfied with his own conscience not judging other mens minds or acts whereas he hath no warrant of Gods word for the same The time of the Communion shall be immediatly after that the Priest himself hath received the Sacrament without the varying of any other rite or ceremony in the Masse until other order shal be provided but as heretofore usually the Priest hath done with the Sacrament of the body to prepare blesse and consecrate so much as will serve the people so it shall yet continue still after the same manner and form save that he shall blesse and consecrate the biggest Chalice or some faire and convenient cup or cups full of wine with some water put unto it And that day not drink it up all himself but taking one onely sup or draught leave the rest upon the altar covered and turn to them that are disposed to be partakers of the Communion and shall thus exhort them as followeth DEarly beloved in the Lord ye coming to this holy Communion must consider what S. Paul writeth to the Corinthians how he exhorteth all persons diligently to try and examine themselves or ever they presume to eat of this bread and drink of this Cup for as the benefit is great if with a truely penitent heart and lively faith we receive this holy Sacrament for then we spiritually eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood then we dwell in Christ and Christ in us we be made one with Christ and Christ with us So is the danger great if we receive the same unworthily for then we become guilty of the body and blood of Christ our Saviour we eat drink our own damnation because we make no difference of the Lords body we kindle Gods wrath over us we provoke him to plague us with divers diseases and sundry kinds of death Iudge therefore your selves brethren that ye be not judged of the Lord. Let your minde be without desire to sin Repent you truely for your sinnes past have an earnest and lively faith in Christ our Saviour be in perfect charity with all men so shall ye be meet partakers of these holy mysteries But above all things you must give most humble and hearty thanks to God the Father the Son and the holy Ghost for the redemption of the world by the death and passion of our Saviour Christ both God and man who did humble himself even to the death upon the crosse for us miserable sinners lying in darknesse and the shadow of death that he might make us the children of God and exalt us to everlasting life And to the ende that we should alwayes remember the exceeding love of our Master and onely Saviour Iesus Christ thus doing for us and the innumerable benefits which by his precious blood-shedding he hath obtained to us he hath left in these holy mysteries as a pledge of his love and a continual remembrance of the same his own blessed body and precious blood for us spiritually to feed upon to our endlesse comfort and consolation To him therefore with the Father and the holy Ghost let us give as we are most bounden continual thanks submitting our selves wholly to his holy will and pleasure and studying to serve him in true holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Amen Then the priest shall say to them which be ready to take the Sacrament If any man here be an open blasphemer adulterer in malice or envie or any other notable crime and be not truely sorry therefore and earnestly minded to leave the same viâ—es or that doth not trust himself to be reconciled to Almighty God and in charity with all the world let him yet a while bewaile his sins and not come to this holy table least after the taking of this most blessed bread the devil enter into him as he did into Iudas to fulfil in him all iniquity and to bring him to destruction both of body and soul Here the Priest shall pause a while to see if any man will withdraw himself and if he perceive any so to do then let him commune with him privily at convenient leasure and see whether he can with good exhortation bring him to grace and after a little pause the Priest shall say You that do truely earnestly repent you of your sins and offences committed to almighty God and be in love and charity with your neighbours and intend to lead a new life and heartily to follow the Commandments of God and to walk from hence forth in his holy wayes draw neer and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort make your humble confession to almighty God and to his holy Church here gathered together in his name meekly kneeling upon your knees Then shall a general confession be made in the name of all those that are minded to receive the holy Communion either by one of them or else by one of the ministers or by the Priest himself all kneeling humbly upon their knees Almighty God Father of our Lord Iesus Christ maker of all things judge of all men we knowledge and bewaile our manifold sins and wickednesse which we from time to time most grievously have committed by thought word and deed against thy divine majesty provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us we do earnestly repent and be heartily sorry for these our misdoings The remembrance of them is grievous unto us the burthen of them is intolerable have mercy upon us have mercy upon us most mercyful Father for thy son our Lord Iesus Christs sake Forgive us all that is past and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life to the honour and glory of thy name through Iesus Christ our Lord. Then shall the priest stand up and turning him to the people say thus Our blessed Lord who hath left power to his Church to absolve penitent sinners froÌ„ their sins to restore to the grace of the heavenly Father such as truely believe in Christ have mercy upon you pardon and deliver you from all sins confirm and strengthen you in all goodnesse and bring you to everlasting life Then shall the Priest stand up and turning him toward the people say thus Here what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith to all that truely turn
Peter doth testifie The Resurrection of Christ CHrist did truely 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 untill 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 some time received of the Faithful as godly and profitable for an order and comlinesse 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 mankinde by Christ who is the onely Mediator between God and man being both God and man Wherefore they are not to be heard which feign that the old fathers did look onely 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 staudeth not in the following of Adam as the Pelagians do vainly talk which allso the Anabaptists do now adayes 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 alwayes contrary to the spirit and therefore in every person born into 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 confesse 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 neverthelesse 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 onely Faith in Iesus Christ in that sense as it is declared in the Homily of Iustification is a most certain and wholsome 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 meet to receive grace or as the School-authors say deserve grace of congâ—uity 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 caught without arrogancy and iniquity For by them men do declare that they do not onely render to God as much as they are bound to do but that they do more for his sake then of bounden duty is required Whereas Christ saith plainly When ye have done all that are commanded you say We be unprofitable servants No man is without sin but Christ alone CHrist in the truth of our nature was made like unto us in all things sin onely except 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 forever should take away the sins of the world and sin as S 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 truth is not in us Of sin against the holy Ghost Every deadly sin willingly committed after Baptisme 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 Baptisme 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 stubborness of minde 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 intangle themselves with a most grievous and hainous crime whereupon this kinde 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 judgement secret to us to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen out of mankinde and to bring them to everlasting salvation by Christ as vessels made to honour 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 Gods only begotten Son Iesu 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 minde 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 fervently 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 may thrust them either into desperation or into wretchlesnesse of most unclean living no less perillous then desperation Further more although the decrees of Predestination are unknown unto us yet 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 We must trust to obtain eternal Salvation onely by the Name of Christ THey also are to be had accursed and abhorred 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 law and the light of nature For holy Scripture doth set out unto us onely the name of Iesu Christ whereby men must be saved All men are bound to keep the Moral Commandments of the Law THe Law which was given of God by Moses although it binde not Christian men as concerning the Ceremonies and Rites of the same neither is it required that the civil precepts and orders of it should of necessity be received in any Common-Weale yet no man be he never so perfect a Christian is exempt and loose from the obedience of those Commuadements which are called Moral wherefore they are not to be hearkned unto who affirm that holy Scripture is given only to the weak and do boast themselves continually of the spirit of whom they say they have learned such things as they teach although the same be most evidently repugnant to the holy Scripture Of the Church THe visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men in the which the pure word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duely ministred according to Christs ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same As the Church of Ierusalem of Alexandria and of Antioch hath erred So also the Church of Rome hath erred not onely in their living but also in matters of faith Of the authority of the Church 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 witnesse and a keeper of holy Writ yet as it ought not to decree any thing against the same so beside the same ought it not to enforce any thing to be believed for necessity of salvation 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 forasmuch as they be an assembly of men whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and word of God they may erre and sometimes have erred not onely in worldly matters but also in things pertaining unto God Wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation have neither strength nor authority unless it may be declared that they be taken out of holy Scripture Of Purgatory THe Doctrine of Schoole Authors concerning Purgatory Pardons worshipping and adoration aswel of Images as of Relicks and also invocation of Saints is a fond thing vainly feigned and grounded upon no warrant of Scripture but rather repugnant to the Word of God No man may minister in the Congregation except he be called IT is not lawful for any man to take upon him the office of publick preaching or ministring the Sacraments in the congregation before he be lawfully called and sent to execute the same And those we ought to judge lawfully called and sent which be chosen and called to this work by men who have publick authority given unto them in the Congregation to call and send Ministers into the Lords vineyard Men must speak in the Congregation in such a tongue as the people understandeth IT is most seemly and most agreeable to the word of God that in the Congregation nothing be openly read or spoke in a tongue unknown to the people the which thing St. Paul did forbid except some were present that should declare the same Of the Sacraments OVr Lord Iesus Christ hath knit together a company of new people with Sacraments most few in number most easie to be kept most excellent in signification as is baptisme and the Lords Supper The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be Gazed upon or to be carried about but that we should rightly use them And in such onely as worthily receive the same they have a wholsome effect and operation and yet not that of the work wrought as some men speak which word as it is strange and unknown to holy Scripture so it engendreth no godly but a very superstitious sense but they that receive the Sacraments unworthily purchase to themselves damnation as S. Paul saith Sacraments ordained by the word of God be not onely badges and tokens of Christian mens profession but rather they be certain sure witnesses and effectual signes of grace and Gods good will towards us by the which he doth work invisibly in us and doth not onely quicken but also strengthen and confirm our faith in him The wickednesse of the Ministers doth not take away the effectual operation of Gods Ordinances ALthough in the visible Church the evil be ever mingled with the good and sometime the evil have chief authority in the ministration of the Word and Sacraments yet forasmuch as they do not the same in their own name but do minister by Christs commission and authority we may use their ministery both in hearing the Word of God and in the receiving the Sacraments Neither is the effect of Gods ordinances taken away by their wickedness nor the grace of Gods gifts diminished from such as by faith and rightly receive the Sacraments ministred unto them which be effectual because of Christs institution and promise although they be ministred by evil men Neverthelesse it appertaineth to the discipline of the Church that enquiry be made of such and that they be accused by those that have knowledge of their offences and finally being found guilty by just judgement be deposed Of Baptisme BAptisme is not onely a signe of profession and mark of difference whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not Christned but it is also a signe and seal of our new birth whereby as by an instrument they that receive Baptisme rightly are grafted into the Church the promises of forgivnesse of sin and of our adoption to be the sons of God are visibly signed and sealed faith is confirmed and grace increased by vertue of prayer unto God The custome of the Church to Christen young Children is to be commended and in any wise to be retained in the
this Realm And also that if there shall happen any contempt or irreverence to be used in the Ceremonies or Rites of the Church by the misusing of the orders appointed in this book the Queens Majesty may by the like advice of the said Commissioners or Metropolitan ordain and publish such farther Ceremonies or Rites as may be most for the advancement of Gods Glory the edifying of his Church and the due reverence of Christs holy mysteries and Sacraments And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforsaid All Lawes Ordinances made for other service shall be void That all Laws statutes and ordinances wherein or whereby any other service administration of Sacraments or Common Prayer is limited established or set forth to be used within this Realm or any other the Queens Dominions or Countryes shall from henceforth be utterly void and of none effect Coke pla fol 352. A Clause Anno 8. Eliz. cap. 1. A confirmation of the Stat. of 1 Eliz. 2. touching the book of Common Prayer Administration of the Sacraments WHerefore for the plain declaration of all the premisses and to the intent that the same may the better be known to every of the Queens Majesties subjects whereby such evil speech as heretofore hath been used against the High state of Prelacy may hereafter cease Be it now declared and enacted by the Authority of this present Parliament that the said Act and Statute made in the first year of the reign of our said Soveraign Lady the Queens Majesty whereby the said book of Common-prayer and the Administration of Sacraments with other Rites and Ceremonies is authorized and allowed to be used shall stand and remain good and perfect to all respects and purposes And that such order and form for the Consecrating of Archbishops A Confirmation of the Stat. of 5. 6. Ed. 6. 1 touching the form of consecrating Archbishops c. and Bishops and for the making of Priests Deacons and Ministers as was set forth in the time of the said late King Edward the sixth and added to the said Book of Common-prayer and authorised by Parliament in the fifth and sixth years of the said late King shall stand and be in full force and effect and shall from henceforth be used and observed in all places within this Realm and other the Queens Majesties Dominions and Countries Anno 13. Eliz. cap. 12. Reformation of Disorders in the Ministers of the Church c. THat the Churches of the Queens Majesties Dominions may be served with Pastors of sound Religion Be it enacted by the Authority of this present Parliament That every person under the degree of a Bishop which doth or shall pretend to be a Priest or Minister of Gods holy Word and Sacraments by reason of any other form of Institution Consecration or ordering than the form set forth by Parliament in the time of the late King of most Worthy Memory King Edward the sixth 3. Edw. 6.12 5. Edw. 6.1 Dyer f. 377. or now used in the Reigne of our most gracious Soveraigne Lady before the Feast of the Nativity of Christ next following shall in the presence of the Bishop or Guardian of the Spiritualities of some one Diocesse where he hath or shall have Ecclesiastical living declare his assent Every Ecclesiastical person shall subscribe to the Articles touching the Confession of the Faith and declare his assent thereunto and subscribe to all the Articles of Religion which only concern the Confession of the true Christian Faith and the Doctrine of the Sacraments comprised in a book imprinted entituled Articles Whereupon it was agreed by the Archbishops and Bishops of both Provinces and the whole Clergy in the Convocation holden at London in the year of our Lord God a thousand five hundred sixty and two according to the computation of the Church of England for the avoiding of the diversities of opinions and for the establishing of consent touching true Religion put forth by the Queens Authority and shall bring from such Bishop or Guardian of Spiritualties in writing under his Seal Authentick a testimonial of such assent and subscription and openly on some Sunday in the time of some publick service afternoon Reading of the Articles testimonial in every Church where by reason of any Ecclesiastical living he ought to attend read both the said testimonial and the said Articles upon pain that every such person which shall not before the said Feast do as is above appointed shall be ipso facto deprived and all his Ecclesiastical promotions shall be void as if he were then naturally dead And that if any person Ecclesiastical or which shall have Ecclesiastical livings shall advisedly maintain or affirm any Doctrine directly contrary or repugnant to any of the said Articles The penaltie of maintaining of Doctrine against the Articles and being convented before the Bishop of the Diocesse or the Ordinary or before the Queens Highnesse Commissioners in causes Ecclesiastical shall persist therein or not revoke his error or after such revocation eftsoones affirm such untrue Doctrine such maintaining or affirming and persisting or such eftsoone affirming shall be just cause to deprive such person of his Ecclesiastical promotions And it shall be lawful to the Bishop of the Diocess or the Ordinary or the said Commissioners to deprive such persons so persisting or lawfully convicted of such eftsoones affirming and upon such sentence of deprivation pronounced he shall be indeed deprived Several things required in him which shall be admitted to a Benefice And that no person shall hereafter be admitted to any Benefice with Cure except he then be of the age of three and twenty years at the least and a Deacon and shall first have subscribed the said Articles in presence of the Ordinary and publickly read the same in the Parish Church of that Benefice with declaration of his unfeigned assent to the same And that every person after the end of this Session of Parliament to be admitted to a Benefice with Cure except that within two moneths after his Induction he do publickly read the said Articles in the same Church whereof he shall have Cure in the time of Common Prayer there with declaration of his unfeigned assent thereto and be admitted to minister the Sacraments within one year after his Induction if he be not so admitted before shall be upon every such default ipso facto immediately deprived And that no person now permitted by any dispensation or otherwise shall retain any Benefice with Cure being under the age of One and Twenty years or not being Deacon at the least or which shall not be admitted as is aforesaid within one year next after the making of this Act or within six moneths after he shall accomplish the age of twenty four years on pain that such his dispensation shall be meerly void The age of a Minister or Preacher and his testimoniall And that none shall be made Minister or admitted to
persons present 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 them so to be And the Bishop shall say unto the people BRethren if there be any of you who knoweth any impediment or notable 〈◊〉 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 found 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 Letany 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 world 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 most 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 blindnesse of heart from pride vain-glory and hypocrisy from envy hatred and malice and all uncharitablenesse 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 privie conspiracy from all false doctrine and heresie from heardnesse of heart and contempt of thy word and commandment Good Lord deliver us By the mystery of thy holy Incarnation by thy holy Nativity and Circumcision by thy Baptisme Fasting and Temptation Good Lord deliver us By thine Agony and bloody Sweat by thy Crosse and Passion by thy precious death and burial by thy glorious resurrection and ascenson and by the coming of the holy Ghost God Lord deliver us In all time of our tribulation in all time of our wealth in the hour oâ—… death and in the day of judgement Good Lord deliver us We sinners do beseech thee to 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 worshiping of thee in righteousnesse and holinesse of life thy servant CHARLES our most gracious 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 evermore 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 blesse and preserve our gracious Queen Mary Prince 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 edue the Lords of the Councel and all the Nobility with grace wisdome and understanding We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. That it may please thee to blesse 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 blesse 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 vp 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 childe 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 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 thee to hear us Son of God we beseech thee 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 O God 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 oppresse 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 goodnesse they may be dispersed that 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 didest in their dayes 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 troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy and evermore serve thee in holinesse and purenesse of living to thy honour and glory through our onely 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 doest promise that when two or three be gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests fulfil now O Lord the desires and petitions of thy servants 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 S. Stephen with other mercifully behold these thy servants now called to the like office and administration replensh 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 their 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 oughtest 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 godlinesse God was shewed in the flesh was justified in the spirit was seen among the angels was preached unto the Gentiles was believed on in the world and received up in 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 businesse 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 Prochorus 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 encreased and the number of the disciples multiplied in Ierusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient unto the faith And before the Gospel the Bishop sitting in a chair shall cause the Oath of the Kings supremacy and against the power and authority of all forreign 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 Highnesse is the onely supreme governour of this Realm and of all other his Highnesse dominions and Countries as well in all spiritul or Ecclesiastical things or causes as temporal and that no forraign Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to have any jurisdiction power superiority preeminence or authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual within this Realm therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all forreign jurisdictions powers superiorities and authorities and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear faith and true Allegiance to the Kings Highnesse his Heires and lawful Successors and to my power shall
assist and defend all jurisdictions priviledges preeminences and authorities granted or belonging to the Kings Highnesse his Heirs and Successors or united and annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm so help me God and the Contents of this Book Then shall the Bishop examine every one of them that are to be ordered in the presence of the people after this manner following DO you trust that you are inwardly moved by the holy Ghost to take upon you this office and ministration to serve God for the promoting of his glory and the edifying of his people Answer I trust so The Bishop DO you think that ye truely be called according to the will of the Lord Iesus Christ and the due order of this Realm to the Ministery of the Church Answer I think so The Bishop DO you unfeignedly beleive all the Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testament Answer I do believe The Bishop WIll you diligently read the same unto the people assembled in the Church where you shall be appointed to serve Answer I will The Bishop IT appertaineth to the office of a Deacon in the Church where he shall be appointed to assist the Priest in Divine service and specially when he Ministreth the holy Communion and to help him in distribution thereof and to read holy Scriptures and Homilies in the Congregation and to instruct the youth in the Catechisme to Baptize and to Preach if he be admitted thereto by the Bishop And furthermore it is his office where provision is so made to search for the sick poor and impotent people of the parish to intimate their estates names and places where they dwell unto the Curate that by his exhortation they may be relieved by the Parish or other convenient almes will you do this gladly and willingly Answer I will do so by the help of God The Bishop WIll you apply all your diligence to frame and fashion your own lives and the lives of your familie according to the doctrine of Christ and to make both your selves and them as much as in you lieth wholesome examples of the flock of Christ Answer I will so do the Lord being my helper The Bishop WIll you reverently obey your Ordinary and other chief Ministers of the Church and them to whom the government and charge is committed over you following with a glad minde and will their godly admonitions Answer I will endeavour my self the Lord being my helper Then the Bishop laying his hands severally upon the head of every of them shall say Take thou authority to execute the office of a Deacon in the Church of God committed unto thee In the Name of the Father the Son and the holy Ghost Amen Then shall the Bishop deliver to every one of them the new Testament saying Take thou authority to read the Gospel in the Church of God and to preach the same if thou be thereto ordinarily commanded Then one of them appointed by the Bishop shall read the Gospel of that day Then shall the Bishop proceed to the Communion and all that are ordered shall tarry and receive the holy Communion the same day with the Bishop The Communion ended after the last Collect and immediatly before the Benediction shall be said this Collect following ALmighty God giver of all good things which of thy great goodnesse hast vouchsafed to accept and take these thy servants unto the Offices of Deacons in thy Church make them we beseech thee O Lord to be modest humble and constant in their ministration to have a ready will to observe all spiritual discipline that they having alwayes the testimony of a good conscience and continuing ever stable and strong in thy Son Christ may so well use themselves in this inferiour Office that they may be found worthy to be called unto the higher Ministeries in thy Church through the same thy Son our Saviour Christ to whom be glory and honour world without end Amen And here it must be shewed unto the Deacon that he must continue in that Office of a Deacon the space of a whole year at the least except for reasonable causes it be otherwise seen to his Ordinary to the intent he may be perfect and well expert in the things appertaining to the Ecclesiastical administration in executing whereof if he be found faithful and diligent he may be admitted by his Diocesan to the Order of Priesthood ⧠The form of ordering of Priests When the exhortation is ended then shall follow the Communion And for the Epistle shall be read out of the twentieth Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles as followeth FRom Mileto Paul sent messengers to Ephesus and called the elders of the congregation which when they were come to him he said unto them Ye know that from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I have been with you at all seasons serving the Lord with all humblenesse of minde and with many tears and temptations which happened unto me by the lying in wait of the Iews because I would keep back nothing that was profitable unto you but to shew you and teach you openly throughout every house witnessing both to the Iews and also to the Greeks the repentance that is toward God and the faith that is toward our Lord Iesus And now behold I go bound in the spirit unto Ierusalem not knowing the things that shall come on me there but that the holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that bands and trouble abide me But none of these things move me neither is my life dear unto my self that I might fulfil my course with joy and the ministration of the word which I have received of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God And now behold I am sure that henceforth ye all through whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God shall see my face no more Wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men For I have spared no labour but have shewed you all the counsel of God Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock among whom the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to rule the congregation of God which he hath purchased with his blood For I am sure of this that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock Moreover of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw disciples after them Therefore awake and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one of you night and day with tears And now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build further and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified I have desired no mans silver gold or vesture Yea you know your selves that these hands have ministred unto my necessities and unto them that were with me I have shewed you all things how that so
labouring ye ought to receive the weak and to remember the words of our Lord Iesus how that he said It is more blessed to give then to receive Or else this third Chapter of the first Epistle to Timothy 1 Tim. 3. This when Deacons and Priests are made both in one day THis is a true saying If any man desire the Office of a Bishop he desireth an honest work A Bishop therefore must be blamelesse the husband of one wife diligent sober discreet a keeper of hospitality apt to teach not given to overmuch wine no fighter not greedy of filthy lucre but gentle abhorring fighting abhoring covetousnesse 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 shall he care for the congregation of God he may not be a young scholar lest he swell and fall into the judgement of the evil speaker He must also have a good report of them which are without lest he fall into rebuke and snare of the evil speaker Likewise must the Ministers be honest not double tongued not given to 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 their 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 great liberty in the faith which is in Christ Iesus These things write I unto thee trusting to come shortly unto thee but if I tarry long that then thou mayest have yet knowledge how thou oughtest 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 godlinesse God was shewed in the flesh was justified in the spirit was seen among the angels was precahed unto the Gentiles was believed on in the world and received up in glory After this shall be read for the gospel a piece of the last Chapter of Matthew as followeth JEsus came and spake unto them saying All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world Or else this that followeth out of the tenth Chapter of Saint John VErily verily I say unto you He that entreth not in by the door into the sheepfold but climbeth up some other way the same is a thief and a murderer But he that entreth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep to him the porter openeth and the sheep hear his voice and he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out And when he hath sent forth his own sheep he goeth before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice A stranger will they not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voice of strangers This Proverb spake Iesus unto them but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them Then said Iesus unto them again Verily verily I say unto you I am the door of the sheep and all even as many as came before me are thieves and murderers but the sheep did not hear them I am the door by me if any man enter in he shall be safe and go in and out and finde pasture A thief cometh not but for to steal kill and to destroy I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly I am the good shepherd A good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep An hired servant and he which is not the shepherd neither the sheep are his own seeth the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth and the wolf catcheth and scattereth the sheep The hired servant fleeth because he is an hired servant and careth not for the sheep I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine As my Father knoweth me even so know I also my Father And I give my life for the sheep And other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also must I bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd Or else this of the 20. Chapter of John THe same day at night which was the first day of the Sabboths when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled together for fear of the Iews came Iesus and stood in the midst and said unto them Peace be unto you And when he had so said he shewed unto them his hands and his side Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Then said Iesus unto them again Peace be unto you As my Father sent me even so send I you also And when he had said those words he breathed on them and said unto them receive ye the holy Ghost Whosoevers sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoevers sins ye retain they are retained When the Gospel is ended then shall be said or sung COme holy Ghost eternal God proceeding from above Both from the Father and the Son the God of peace and love Visit our minds and into us thy heavenly grace inspire That in all truth and godliness we may have true desire Thou art the very Comforter in all wo and distress The heavenly gift of God most high which no tongue can express The fountain and the lively spring of joy celestial The fire so bright the love so clear and unction spiritual Thou in thy gifts art manifold whereby Christs Church doth stand In faithful hearts writing thy law the finger of Gods hand According to thy promise made thou givest speech of grace That through thy help the praise of God may found in every place O holy Ghost into our wits send down thy heavenly light Kindle our hearts with fervent love to serve God day and night Strength and stablish all our weakness so feeble and so frail That neither flesh the world nor devil against us do prevail Put back our enemy far from us and grant us to obtain Peace in our hearts with God and man without grudge or disdain And grant O Lord that thou being our leader and our guide We may eschew the snares of sin and from thee never slide To us such plenty of thy grace good Lord grant we thee pray That thou mayest be our Comforter at the last dreadful day Of all strife and dissension O Lord dissolve the bands And make the knots of peace and love throughout all Christian lands Grant us O Lord through thee to
committed to your charge and to teach nothing as required of 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 alwayes 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 Commandements 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 faithfull diligence to vanish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to Gods word and to use both publick and private monitions 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 diligent 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 endeavour 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 lieth in you quietnesse peace and love among all Christian people and specially among them that are or shall be committed to your charge Answer I will so do the Lord being my helper The Bishop WIll you reverently obey your Ordinary and other chief ministers unto whom the government and charge is committed over you following with a glad minde and will their godly admonitions and submitting your selves to their godly judgements Answer I will so do the Lord being my helper Then shall the Bishop say ALmighty God who hath given you this will to 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 he 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 goodnesse towards us hast given to us thy onely and most dearly beloved 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 goodnesse and for that thou hast vouchsafed to call these thy servants here present to the same office and ministery of salvation of mankinde 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 dayly increase and go forwards in the knowledge and faith of thee and thy Son by the 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 alwayes 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 doest forgive they are forgiven and whose sins thou doest retain they are retained and be thou a faithful dispenser of the word of God and of 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 have received the Communion The Communion being done after the last Collect and immediatly before the Benediction 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 all justice and that thy word spoken by their mouthes may have such successe 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 encrease 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 shal be read as it is set out before in the order of Priests And immediatly after the Epistle the Deacons shall be ordered And it shall suffice the Letany 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 blamelesse the husband of one wife diligent sober discreet a keeper of hospitality apt to teach not given to over much wine no fighter not greedy of filthy lucre but gentle abhorring fighting abhoring covetousnesse 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 shall he care for the congregation of God He may not be a young scholar lest he swell and fall into the judgement of
the evil speaker He must also have a good report of them which are without lest he fall into rebuke and the snare of the evil speaker The Gospel JEsus said to Simon Peter Simon Iohanna lovest thou me more then these He said unto him Ye Lord thou knowest that I love thee he said unto him Feed my Lambs He said to him again the second time Simon Iohanna lovest thou me He said unto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee he said unto him Feed my sheep He said unto him the third time Simon Iohanna lovest thou me Peter was sorry because he said unto him the third time Lovest thou me And he said unto him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Iesus said unto him Feed my sheep Or else out of the tenth Chapter of John as before in the Order of Priests After the Gospel and creed ended first the elected Bishop shall be presented by two Bishops unto the Arch-Bishop of that Province or to some other Bishop appointed by his commission the Bishops that present him saying MOst reverend Father in God we present unto you this godly and well learned man to be consecrated Bishop Then shall the Arch-Bishop demand the Kings mandate for the Consecration and cause it to be read and the Oath touching the knowledge of the Kings Supremacy shall be ministred to the persons elected as it is set out in the order of Deacons And then shall be ministred the Oath of due obedience unto the Archbishop as followeth The Oath of due obedience to the Arch-Bishop IN the Name of God Amen I. N. chosen Bishop of the Church or See of N. do professe and promise all due reverence and obedience to the Archbishop and to the Metropolitical Church of N. and to their successors so help me God through Iesus Christ This Oath shall not be made at the Consecration of an Archbishop Then the Archbishop shall move the Congregation present to pray saying thus to them BRethren it is written in the Gospel of St. Luke that our Saviour Christ continued the whole night in prayer or ever that he did chuse and send forth his twelve Apostles It is written also in the Acts of the Apostles that the disciples which were at Antioch did fast and pray or ever they laid hands upon or sent forth Paul and Barnabas Let us therefore following the example of our Saviour Christ and his Apostles first fall to prayer or that we admit and send forth this person presented unto us to the work whereunto we trust the holy Ghost hath called him And then shall be said the Letany as afore in the Order of Deacons And after this place That it may please thee to illuminate all Bishops c. That it may please thee to blesse this our brother elected and to send thy grace upon him that he may duly execute the office whereunto he is called to the edifying of the Church and to the honour praise and glory of thy Name Answer We beseech thee to hear us good Lord Concluding the Letany in the end with this prayer Almighty God giver of all good things which by thy holy Spirit hast appointed divers orders and Ministers in thy Church mercifully behold this thy servant now called to the work and ministry of a Bishop and replenish him so with the truth of thy doctrine and innocency of life that both by word and deed he may faithfully serve thee in this Office to the glory of thy Name and profit of thy Congregation through the merits of our Saviour Iesus Christ who liveth and reigneth with thee and the holy Ghost world without end Amen Then the Archbishop sitting in a chair shall say to him that is to be consecrated BRother forasmuch as holy Scripture and the old Canons commandeth that we should not be hasty in laying on hands and admitting of any person to the goverment of the Congregation of Christ which he hath purchased with no less price than the effusion of his own blood afore I admit you to this administration whereunto you are called I will examine you in certain articles to the end the Congregation present may have a trial and bear witnesse how you be minded to behave your self in the Church of God Are you perswaded that you be truely called to this ministration according to the will of our Lord Iesus Christ and the order of this Realm Answer I am so perswaded The Archbishop ARe you perswaded that the holy Scriptures contain sufficiently all doctrine required of necessity for eternal salvation through the faith in Iesus Christ And are you determined with the same holy Scriptures to instruct the people committed to your charge and to teach or maintain nothing as required of necessity to eternal salvation but that you shall be perswaded may be concluded and proved by the same Answer I am so perswaded and determined by Gods grace The Archbishop WIll you then faithfully exercise your self in the said holy Scriptures and call upon God by prayer for the true understanding of the same so as ye may be able by them to teach and exhort with wholsome doctrine and to withstand and convince the gainsayers Answer I will so do by the help of God The Archbishop BE you ready with all faithful diligence to banish and drive away all erronious and strange doctrine contrary to Gods word and both privately and openly to call upon and encourage others to the same Answer I am ready the Lord being my helper The Archbishop WIll you deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live soberly righteously and godly in this world that you may shew your self in all things an example of good works unto others that the adversary may be ashamed having nothing to lay against you Answer I will so do the Lord being my helper The Archbishop WIll you maintain and set forward as much as shall lie in you quietnesse peace and love among all men and such as be unquiet disobedient and criminous within your Diocesse correct and punish according to such authority as ye have by Gods word as to you shall be committed by the ordinance of this Realm Answer I will so do by the help of God The Archbishop WIll you shew your self gentle and be merciful for Christs sake to poor and needy people and to all strangers destitute of help Answer I will so shew my self by Gods help The Archbishop ALmighty God our heavenly Father who hath given you a good will to do all these things grant also unto you strength and power to perform the same that he accomplishing in you the good work which he hath begun ye may be found perfect and irreprehensible at the latter day through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Then shall be sung or said Come holy Ghost c. As it is set out in the Order of Priests That ended the Archbishop shall say Lord hear our prayer Answer And let our cry come unto thee ¶ Let us Pray