Articles of the Christian Faith And thirdly that I should keep Gods holy will and Commandements and walk in the same all the dayes of my life Question Dost thou not think thou art bound to believe and do what was promised for thee Answer Yes verily and with Gods help so I will and I pray God give me his grace that I may continue in the same unto my lives end Question Rehearse the Articles of thy belief Answer I Believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord which was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried he descended into hell the third day he rose again from the dead he ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Ghost the holy Catholick Church the communion of Saints the forgiveness of sins the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting Amen Question What dost thou chiefly learn in these Articles of thy belief Answer First I learn to believe in God the Father who hath made me and all the world Secondly in God the Son who hath redeemed me and all mankinde Thirdly in God the Holy Ghost who sanctifieth me and all the Elect people of God Question How many Commandements be there Answer Ten. Question Which be they Answer THe same which God spake in the twenty Chapter of Exodus saying I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Aegypt out of the house of bondage I. Thou shalt have none other Gods but me II. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor the likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the water under the earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God and visit the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shew mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandements III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain IV. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day Six dayes shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt do no manner of work thou and thy son and thy daughter thy man-servant and thy maid-servant thy cattle and the stranger that is within thy gates for in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it V. Honour thy father and thy mother that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee VI. Thou shalt do no murther VII Thou shalt not commit adultery VIII Thou shalt not steal IX Thou shalt not beare false witness against thy neighbour X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his servant nor his Maid nor his Ox nor his Ass nor any thing that is his Question What dost thou chiefly learne by these commandements Answer I learne two things my duty towards God and my duty towards my neighbour Question What is thy duty towards God Answer My duty towards God is to believe in him to feare him and to love him with all my heart with all my mind with all my soule and with all my strength To worship him to give him thanks to put my whole trust in him to call upon him to honour his holy name and his word and to serve him truely all the dayes of my life Question What is thy duty towards thy neighbour Answer My duty towards my neighbour is to love him as my self and to do to all men as I would they should do unto me To love honour and succour my father and Mother To honour and obey the King or supream Magistrate and his Ministers To submit my self to all my Governours teachers spirituall pastours and Masters To order my self lowly and reverently to all my betters to hurt no body by word nor deed To be true and just in all my dealing To beare no malice nor hatred in my heart To keepe my hands from stealing and my tongue from evill speaking lying and slandering To keepe my body in temperance sobernesse and chastity Not to covet or desire other mens goods but to learn and labour truely to get mine own living and to do my duty in that state of life unto the which it shall please God to call me Question My good childe know this that thou art not able to do these things of thy self nor to walke in the commandements of God and to serve him without his speciall grace which thou must learne at all times to call for by diligent prayer Let me heare therefore if thou canst say the Lords Prayer Answer OUr Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy name Thy Kingdome come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our dayly bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And leade us not into temptation But deliver us from evill For thine is the kingdom the power and the glory for ever Amen Question What desirest thou of God in this prayer Answer I desire my Lord God our heavenly Father who is the giver of all good to send his grace unto me and to all people that we may worship him serve him and obey him as we ought to do And that he would send us all things that be needefull both for our soules and bodyes And that he will forgive us our sinns and save and defend us in all dangers ghostly and bodily and that he will keepe us from all sinne and wickedness and from our ghostly enemy and from everlasting death And this I trust he will do of his mercy and goodness through our Lord Jesus Christ And therefore I say Amen So be it Question How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church Answer Two onely as generally necessary to salvation that is to say Baptisme and the supper of the Lord. Question What meanest thou by this word Sacrament Answer I meane an outward and visible signe of an inward and spirituall grace given unto us ordeined by Christ himself as a meanes whereby we receive the same and a pledge to assure us thereof Question How many parts be there in a Sacrament Answer Two the outward visible signe and the inward spirituall grace Question What is the outward visible signe or forme in Baptisme Answer Water wherein the person baptized is dipped or sprinkled with it In the Name of the Father and
Good Lord we beseech thee to heare us and graciously looke upon our afflictions pittifully behold the sorrowes of our hearts favourably with mercy forgive the sins of thy people and grant us what else thou knowest more necessary for us even for Jesus Christ his sake who is the Son of God and Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world in whose blessed name and words we conclude our imperfect prayers saying as he himself hath taught us OUr Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evill for thine is the kingdome the power and the Glory for ever Amen These particulars following having been in the peoples memories and still are it is good to preserve them so by an often rehearsal in their due time and place most of them being either select places out of holy Scripture or containing the necessary points of faith to be believed by us Psalm 95. (a) This was wont to precede the reading of the Psalms O Come let us sing unto the Lord let us heartily rejoyce in the strength of our salvation Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and shew our selves glad in him with Psalms For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all Gods In his hands are all the corners of the earth and the strength of the hills is his also The Sea is his and he made it and his hands prepared the dry land O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our maker For he is the Lord our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hands To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness When your fathers tempted me proved me and saw my works Forty years long was I grieved with this generation and said it is a people that do erre in their hearts for they have not known my wayes Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning c. (b) This is both a hymn and a Creed and if 1200. years continuance in the Church may not be a suflicient plea for the keeping its place after the first Chapter out of the old Testament in the morning the Ten Commandements much neglected may be read in the room of it WE praise thee O God we knowledge thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship thee the Father everlasting To thee all Angels cry aloud the Heavens and all the powers therein To thee Cherubin and Seraphin continually do cry Holy Holy Holy Lord God of sabbath Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee The noble army of martyrs praise thee The holy Church throughout all the world doth knowledge thee The Father of an infinit majesty Thine honourable true and only Son Also the Holy Ghost the comforter Thou art the King of glory O Christ Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man thou didst not abhorre the virgins womb When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death thou didst open the kingdome of Heaven to all believers Thou sittest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge We therefore pray thee help thy servants whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood Make them to be numbred with thy Saints in glory everlasting O Lord save thy people and bless thine heritage Govern them and lift them up for ever Day by day we magnifie thee And we worship thy Name ever world without end Vouchsafe O Lord to keep us this day without sin O Lord have mercy upon us have mercy upon us O Lord let thy mercy lighten upon us as our trust is in thee O Lord in thee have I trusted let me never be confounded Luke 1. 68. (c) This or the next were wont to be read after the second lesson or chapter out of the New Testament in the morning BLessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us in the house of his servant David As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began That we should be saved from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers and to remember his holy covenant To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham that he would give us That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear In holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life And thou childe shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his wayes To give knowledge of salvation unto his people for the remission of their sins Through the tender mercy of our God whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace Or Psalm 100. O Be joyful in the Lord all ye lands serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song Be ye sure that the Lord he is God it is he that hath made us and not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise be thankful unto him and speak good of his name For the Lord is gracious his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth from generation to generation Luke 1. 46. (d) This or the next were used to be read after the first chapter at the Evening MY soul doth magnifie the Lord my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour For he hath regarded the lowliness of his hand-maiden For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed For he that is mighty hath magnified me and holy is his Name And his mercy is on them that fâ—â— him throughout all generations He hath shewed strength with his arm he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meek He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent empty away He remembring his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel as he promised to our
the Kingdome the power and the glory for ever Amen A Prayer for the Evening II. ALmighty God from whom all holy desires all good Counsells and all just works do proceed give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandements and also that by thee we being defended from the feare of our enemies may passe our time in rest and quietnes And we beseech thee O Lord to lighten our darknes and by thy great mercy defend us from all perills and dangers of this night following and grant that by thy preventing us in all our doings with thy most gratious favour and furthering us with thy continuall helpe we may in all our works begun continued ended in thee glorifie thy holy name and finally by thy mercy attaine everlasting life And seeing thou hast by thy holy Apostle taught us to make prayers and supplications and give thanks for all men Wee humbly beseech thee most mercifully to receive these our prayers which we offer unto thy divine Majesty beseeching thee to inspire continually the universall Church with the Spirit of truth unity and concord And grant that all they that do confesse thy holy name may agree in the truth of thy holy word and live in unity and godly love We beseech thee for such as are in authority over us that under them we may be godly and quietly governed And grant to the Magistrates that they may truely and indifferently minister justice to the punishment of wickednes and vice and to the maintenance of Gods true religion and vertue Give grace O heavenly Father to all Bishops Pastors and Ministers of thy word that they may both by their life and doctrine set forth thy true and lively word and rightly and duely administer thy holy Sacraments and to all thy people give thy heavenly grace and specially to us here present that with meeke heart and due reverence we may heare and receive thy holy word truely serving thee in holiness and righteousnes all the dayes of our lives And we most humbly beseech thee of thy goodness O Lord to comfort and succour all them which in this transitory life be in trouble sorrow need sicknes or any other adversity And thou O Lord who hast promised to heare the petitions of them that aske in thy Sons name we beseech thee mercifully to encline thine eare to us that have made now our prayers and supplications unto thee and grant those things which we have faithfully asked according to thy will may effectually be obtained to the relief of our necessities and to the setting forth of thy glory through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose name and words we further pray OUr Father which art in heaven hallowed by thy name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasse as wee forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evill Amen A Prayer for the Morning III. ALmighty and Everlasting God which hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning grant that we may in such wise heare read marke learne and inwardly digest them that by patience and comfort of thy holy word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life which thou hast given us in our blessed Saviour And give us grace that we may cast away the workes of darkenes and put on the armour of light now in the time of this mortall life when the true light thy Son Christ Jesus hath come to visit us in great humility that in the last day when he shall come in his glorious Majesty to judge both the quick and the dead we may through him rise to immortall life And we beseech thee to lighten our hearts by thy gratious visitation to raise up thy power and come among us and with thy great might succour us that whereas through our sins and wickednes we be sore let and hindered thy bountifull grace and mercy through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord may speedily deliver us And mercifully receive the prayers of thy people which call upon thee and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do and also may have grace and power from thee to fulfill the same that so under thy governance who rulest all things in heaven and earth they may have peace continued to them all dayes of their lives And seeing O Lord thou knowest our infirmities looke favourably upon us and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy right hand to helpe and defend us Thou seest how we are set in the midst of many and great perills that for mans frailnes we cannot alway stand uprightly Grant us the health both of body and soule that all those things which we suffer for sin by thy helpe we may overcome And we beseech thee to keepe thy Church and household continually in thy true religion that they which do leane only upon hope of thy heavenly grace may evermore be defended by thy mighty power and though we be justly punished for our offences yet we may mercifully be delivered by thy goodnes to the glory of thy name And O Lord which seest that we put not our trust in any thing we do and that thou hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth send thy holy Ghost and poure into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity the very bond of peace and all vertue without the which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee And seeing we heare thou wilt forgive the sinnes of all them that be penitent Create and make in us new and contrite hearts that we worthily lamenting our sinnes and acknowledging our wretchednes may obtaine of thee the God of all mercy a present remission and forgivenes And may through thy grace continually use such abstinence that our corrupt flesh being subdued to the Spirit we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holines to thy honor and glory And O Lord which doest see that we have no power of our selves to helpe our selves keepe thou us this day both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our soules that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body and from all evill thoughts which may assault and hurt the soule We beseech the thus to looke upon the heartie desires of thy humble servants and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty in the defence of us against all our enemies that we which for our evill deeds are worthily punished by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved and by thy great goodness may be governed and preserved ever more both in body and Soule unto thy eternall kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose name and words we call upon thee saying Our Father which art in
his vocation and Ministery may truly and godly serve thee And O Lord who hast made all men nor wouldest the death of a sinner but rather that he should be converted and live have mercy upon al Jews Turks Infidels and Hereticks and take from them all ignorance and hardness of heart and contempt of thy word and so fetch them home blessed Lord to thy flock that they may be saved among the remnant of the true Israelites and be made one fold under one shepherd Jesus Christ And merciful God which through thy only begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death and by his resurrection Resurrection opened unto us the gate of everlasting life We humbly beseech thee that as by thy special grace preventing us thou doest put into our mindes good desires so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect And as thou didst give him not only to die for our sins but to rise again for our justification grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness that we may always serve thee in pureness of living and truth And as thou didst give him both a sacrifice for sin and also an example of godly life give us the grace that we may alwayes most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit and also dayly endeavour our selves to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life And like as we do believe thy only begotten Son our Lord to have ascended with Ascension great glory into the Heaven so we beseech thee grant us that we may also in heart and mind thither ascend also and with him continually dwell who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost And do not leave us comfortless but according to thy promise send us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour is gone before And as thou didst after our Saviours Ascention teach the hearts of thy faithful people by thy sending them the light of thy Holy Spirit Sending the holy Spirit Grant us by the same spirit to have a right judgement in all things and evermore to rejoyce in his holy comfort through the merits of Christ Jesus And seeing thou hast given us grace thus by the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternall Trinity and in the power of Trinity the Divine Majesty to worship the unity We beseech thee that through the stedfastnes of this faith wee may evermore be defended from all adversities through Jesus Christ our Saviour who liveth and reigneth with the in the unity of the selfe same Spirit one God world without end Amen An Excellent Prayer VII O Almighty and Everliving Lord God God the Father God the Son God the holy Ghost holy blessed and glorious Trinity three persons and one God have mercy upon us Remember not our offences nor the offences of our forefathers neither take thou vengeance of our sins but spare us good Lord spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy most pretious blood and be not angry with us for ever Preserve us from all evill and mischief from sin from the crafts and assaults of the Divell from thy wrath and from everlasting damnation Deliver us from all blindnes of heart from pride vaine glory and hypocrisie from envy hatred and malice and all uncharitablenes from fornication and all other sins the wages of which is death and from all the deceits of the world the flesh and the Divell keep us from any hurt by lightning and tempest from the plague pestilence and famine from battels and murder and from sudden death deliver us from all sedition and privy conspiracy all false doctrine and heresie hardnes of heart and contempt of thy word and commandements And these things wee beseech of thee for and through the mystery of thy holy incarnation thy holy nativity and circumcision thy baptisme fasting and temptation through thine agony and bloody swet thy crosse and passion thy pretious death and buriall thy glorious resurrection and ascension and the comeing of the holy Ghost And O Lord God we do beseech thee that it would please the to rule and governe thy holy Church universall in the right way Illuminate all Bishops Pastors and Ministers of the Church with true knowledge and understanding of thy word and that both by preaching and living they may set it forth and shew it accordingly Be pleased to blesse and keepe the Magistrates giving them grace to execute justice and to maintaine truth And Blesse and keepe all thy people give us all hearts to love and dread thee and diligently to live after thy commandements That we may have increase of grace to heare meekely thy word and receive it with pure affection and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit Wee beseech thee to give unto all Nations unity peace and concord bring into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived strengthen such as do stand comfort and helpe the weake-hearted raise up them that fall and finally beate down Satan under our feete Be pleased O Lord to succour helpe and comfort all that be in danger necessity and tribulation preserve all that in their lawfull affaires travell by land or water all women labouring with child all sick persons and young children and to shew thy pitty upon all prisoners and captives defend and provide for the fatherlesse children and widdowes and all that are desolate and oppressed and let it please thee to have mercy upon all men Forgive our enemies persecutors and slanderers and turne their hearts And we beseech the to give and preserve to our use the kindly fruits of the earth so as in due time we may enjoy them and deale not with us after our sins nor reward us after our iniquities but give us true repentance forgive us all our sins negligences and ignorances indue us with the graces of thy holy Spirit to amend our lives according to thy holy word And O mercifull father that despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart nor the desires of such as be sorrowfull mercifully assist our prayers that we make before thee in all our troubles and adversities whensoever they oppresse us and gratiously heare us that those evils which the craft and subtilty of the divell or man worketh against us be brought to nought and by the providence of thy goodnes they may be dispersed that we thy servants being hurt by no persecutions may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church And seeing we have heard with our eares and our fathers have declared unto us the noble works that thou didst in their dayes and in the old time before them We beseech thee in the midst of these our divisions and distractions to arise and helpe us by thy power and deliver us for the honour of thy name defend us from all our enemies and let thy mercy be shewed upon us as we do put our trust in thee
also faithfully for their part by you that be their sureties profess the faith of Christ and promise that they will forsake the Divel and all his works and constantly believe Gods holy word and obediently keep his commandements Minister Doest thou in the name of this Childe promise to forsake the Devil and all his works the vain pomp and glory of the world with all covetous desires of the same the carnal desires of the flesh so that thou wilt not follow nor be led by them Answer I will forsake them all Minister Doest thou in the name of this Childe profess this Faith to Believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord and that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary that he suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried descended into Hell and also did rise again the third day that he ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty and from thence shall come again at the end of the world to judge the quick and the dead And doest thou in the name of this childe believe in the Holy Ghost the holy Catholick Church the communion of the Saints the Remission of sins the Resurrection of the flesh and everlasting life after death Answer All this I stedfastly believe Minister Wilt thou be Baptised And do you dedesire in the name of this Infant that he may be Baptized in this faith Answer That is my desire Now dearly beloved forasmuch as all men be conceived and born in sin and that our Saviour Christ saith none can enter into the Kingdome of God except he be regenerate and born anew I beseech you to call upon God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ that of his bounteous mercy he will grant to these children that thing which by nature they cannot have that they may be baptized with water and the Holy Ghost and received into Christs holy Church and be made lively members of the same that our Lord Jesus Christ would vouchsafe to receive them to lay his hands upon them to bless them and release them of their sins to give them the Kingdome of Heaven and everlasting life Let us Pray ALmighty and everlasting God which of thy great mercy didst save Noah and his family in the Ark from perishing by water and also didst safely lead the children of Israel thy people through the red Sea figuring thereby thy holy baptisme and by the baptisme of thy welbeloved Son Jesus Christ didst sanctifie the flood Jordan and all other waters to the mystical washing away of sin we beseech thee for thine infinite mercies that thou wilt mercifully look upon these children sanctifie them and wash them with the Holy Ghost that they being delivered from thy wrath may be received into the Ark of Christs Church and being stedfast in faith joyful through hope and rooted in Charity may so pass the waves of this troublesome world that finally they may come to the land of Everlasting life there to reign with thee world without end And O Lord who art the aid of all that need the helper of all that flee to thee for succour the life of them that believe and the resurrection of the dead we call upon thee for these Infants that they coming to thy holy baptisme may receive remission of their sins by spiritual regeneration Receive them O Lord as thou hast promised by thy welbeloved Son saying ask and you shall have seek and you shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you So give now unto us that ask let us that seek find open the gate unto us that knock that these Infants may enjoy the everlasting benediction of thy Heavenly washing and may come to thy Eternal Kingdome And O Heavenly Father we give thee humble thanks that thou hast vouchsafed to call us to the knowledge of thy grace and faith in thee Increase this knowledge and confirm this faith in us evermore Give thy Holy Spirit to these Infants that they may be born again and be made heirs of everlasting Salvation and as the way to attain it grant that the old Adam in these children may be so buried that the new man may be raised up in them and that all things belonging to the Spirit may live and grow in them That they may have power and strength to have victory and to triumph against the Devil the world and the flesh And grant that whosoever is here dedicated to thee by our office and ministrie may also be endowed with heavenly vertues and everlastingly rewarded through thy mercy And seeing we hear thy most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins did shed out of his most precious side both water and blood and gave commandment to his Disciples that they should go and teach all Nations and baptize them in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost regard we beseech thee the supplication of thy congregation and grant that these thy servants which shall be baptized in this water may receive the fulness of thy grace and ever remain in the number of thy faithful and elect children through Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour Amen N. I Baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Amen We receive this child into the Congregation of Christs Flock * If they that bring the Children do defire it the Minister may add viz. and do signe him with the signe of the Crosse that so hereafter he may not be ashamed to confesse the faith of Christ crucified and manfully to fight under his banner against Sin the world and the Devill and to continue Christs faithfull Souldier and servant unto his lives end Amen Seeing now deerly beloved Brethren that these children have received the Sacrament of Regeneration and thus visibly grafted into the body of Christs Congregation Let us give thanks unto God for these benefits and with one accord make our prayers unto Almighty God that they may lead the rest of their life according to this beginning OUr Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name Thy Kingdome 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 wee forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deilver us from evill For thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for ever Amen Wee yield thee hearty thanks most mercifull Father that it hath pleased thee to make this infant partaker of this Sacrament of Regeneration and thus to receive him for thy child by adoption and to incorporate him into thy holy congregation And humbly we beseech thee to grant that he being dead unto Sin and living unto righteousness and being buried with Christ in his death may crucifie the old man and utterly abolish the whole body
the man may give unto the woman a Ring and put it upon the fourth finger of her left hand saying With this Ring I thee wed with my body I thee * i. e. I give thee my personal honours worship with all my worldly goods I thee endow In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Then may the Minister joyn their right hands together and say Those whom God hath joyned together let no man put asunder Forasmuch as N. and N. have consented together in holy wedlock and have witnessed the same before God and this company and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other and have declared the same by giving and receiving of a Ring and by joyning of hands I pronounce them to be man and wife together In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Let us pray O Eternal God Creator and preserver of all mankind giver of all spiritual grace the author of everlasting life send thy blessing upon these thy servants this man and this woman whom we bless in thy name that as Isaac and Rebecca lived faithfully together so these persons may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant between them made and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together and live according to thy laws And O Lord seeing it is by thy gracious gift mankinde is encreased give that thy blessing of children to these two persons and grant them to live so long together in godly love and unity that they may see their childrens children and peace upon Israel O Lord bless them and sow the seed of eternal life in their mindes that whatsoever in thy holy word they shall profitably learn they may indeed fulfil the same Look O Lord mercifully from Heaven upon this thy servant and thy handmaid which do put their trust in thee send them help from thy holy place and evermore defend them be unto them a tower of strength from the face of their enemies And as thou didst send thy blessing upon Abraham and Sarah to their great comfort so vouchsafe to send thy blessing upon these thy servants that they obeying thy will and alway being in safety under thy protection may abide in thy love unto their lives end And O God which by thy mighty power hast made all things of nought which also after other things set in order didst appoint that out of man created after thine own image and similitude woman should take her beginning and knitting them together didst teach that it should never be lawful to put asunder those whom thou by Matrimony hast made one O Lord which hast consecrated the state of Matrimony to such an excellent mystery that in it is signified and represented the spiritual marriage and unity betwixt Christ and his Church look mercifully upon these thy servants that both this man may love his wife according to thy word as Christ did love his Spouse the Church who gave himself for it loving and cherishing it even as his own flesh and also that this woman may be loving and amiable to her husband as Rachel wise as Rebecca faithful and obedient as Sarah and in all quietness sobriety and peace be a follower of holy and godly matrones O Lord bless them both and grant them to inherit thy everlasting Kingdome through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose name and words we conclude our imperfect prayers saying Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy name thy Kingdome come thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven give us this day our dayly 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 For thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory for ever Amen The Blessing ALmighty God which at the beginning did create our first Parents Adam Eve and did sanctifie and joyn them together in marriage poure upon you the riches of his grace sanctifie and bless you that you may please him both in body and soul and live together in holy love to your lives end God the Father God the Son God the Holy Ghost bless preserve and keep you The Lord mercifully look upon you and so fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace that you may so live together in this life that in the life to come you may have life everlasting Amen AN EXHORTATION AT THE BURIAL FOr asmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dear brother here departed we therefore commit his body to the ground earth to earth ashes to ashes dust to dust in sure and certain hope of a resurrection by our Lord Jesus Christ who shall change their vile bodies who do sleep in him that they may be like unto his glorious body according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself And now while the body is interring it will be seasonable and profitable for us to hear some portions out of Scripture which may put us in minde of our mortalitie and of the resurrection 'T is the speech of Job Man that Job 14. 1 2. is born of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble He cometh forth like a flower and is cut down he flieth also as a shadow and continueth not I know that my redeemer liveth and Job 19. 25 26. that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and my eyes shall behold and not anothers though my reins be consumed within me The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. The speech of our Saviour I am John 11 25 26. the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die The speech of Saint Paul We 1 Tim. 6. 2. brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out Saint John saith I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me write Rom. 14. 23. blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they rest from their labours But no place is more seasonable to be read now unto you then that of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 15. 20. which chiefly concerneth the resurrection Christ is risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept 20 For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead 21 For as in Adam all died even so in Christ shall all be made alive But every 22 man in his own order Christ the 23 first fruits afterwards they that are Christs at his coming Then cometh the end when he
of our State doth depend knowing that without thee we can do nothing do at this time with fear and reverence in the beginning of our consultations first look up unto thee from whom wisdome and happy success doth come praying thee to look down from Heaven upon us with the eye of thy mercy to draw near unto us with the presence of thy grace to prepare us all with counsel and understanding and to be president and director of all our conferences that those things may be propounded conceived allowed and confirmed which may best please thee and most directly and soundly uphold the honour of thy Name the sincerity of thy worship the safety of our King and peace of thy people even for thy Son our Lords sake And that we may not our selves be any hinderance to the obtaining of these our desires either by means of any Sin formerly committed or of any corruption yet remaining in us we humbly pray thee to forgive our sins and blot out all our iniquities and to stand reconciled unto us in an everlasting covenant of peace as if we had never sinned against thee And because our hearts by nature are not fit for good cogitations create a new heart and renew a right spirit in us remove far from us all vain-glorious humour of commending our own wit all covetous humour of advancing our private profit all envious humour of disgracing other mens gifts all malicious humour of hurting any mans person and finally all froward humour of opposing our selves against just needful and godly things by whomsoever propounded Furnish us with knowledge wisdome and zeal by sending down thy spirit into our hearts that we may understand discern prefer and set forward all things tending to the advancement of thy glory and such as may be thought worthy our assent and furtherance And because all good things are not of equal goodness nor all needful things of equal necessitie let our care and zeal be equally proportioned to the degrees of things in goodness and necessity different And therefore first make us careful of the glory of thy Name which is the high end of all thy counsels and works ought to be the last end and first respect of all our purposes and doings And therein let our especial care be to provide for the continuance of thy word and religious practise of thy worship by the ministery and means that Christ hath planted in his Church next let the good of this whole Iland move our care and zeal which consisting in the safety and honour of the King and the enacting and executing of good laws let us be wisely careful and faithfully zealous for the person of our King whom thou the King of Kings hast in mercy set over us And because no Law can be good that is not agreeable to thy law which containeth the fundamental equity of all laws in making laws to govern thy people let us alwayes have an eye unto thy law not digressing from the holy equity thereof and what through thy mercy we shall here profitably enact we pray thee through the whole Kingdome it may be truly executed that our great labour may not be disgraced with little fruit And forasmuch as we all and every one of us have in this place with wonder and astonishment and without any merit of ours found a most evident assurance of thy mercy and goodness in a miraculous deliverance from the greatest danger by popish treachery that ever was attempted or threatned towards our King our State and Us give us good Lord hearts above the hearts of men to offer unto thee in the same place a dayly sacrifice of thanksgiving in the highest measure together with a fervent and incessant zeal care and diligence in all our proceedings for the setling of the peace and happy estate of thy Church amongst us the preservation of our King his royal progeny our selves and our posterity and for the preventing suppressing and final rooting out of the spring issue and fruit of all such hellish and popish hearts intentions and practises to the everlasting praise and glory of thy blessed name Hear us we pray thee O Father of mercy in these our most humble and needful petitions forgive and answer us according to thy fatherly and great goodness for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost three persons and one God be all praise glory and power now and for ever Amen A Prayer for the Parliament used also in the House II. ALmighty God which by thy holy Prophet David art most truly said to stand in the congregation of Princes and givest judgement in the midst of the mighty men of the world and through whose authority Princes do raign Law-makers do discern just things Lords bear rule and all Judges of the earth execute judgement and for that cometh of thee all counsel and equity all understanding and strength grant unto us here gathered together in thy name that wisdome which is alwayes assistant to thy seat to give knowledge to our feeble and ignorant mindes Send down we beseech thee the same wisdome out of thy holy heavens and from the throne of thy majesty that it may be now with us and labour with us whereby we surely knowing what is acceptable unto thee may be led through it to the debating weighing and final determining of those matters by the which thy blessed Name may be glorified thy Catholick Church of England confirmed and increased the Kings assurance established the common tranquillity of this Realm safely maintained and last of all all estates and people thereof in true obedience and charity united and knit together Grant this O God for thy only Sons sake Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The Ancient manner of ORDINATION In the CHURCH of ENGLAND Received and observed by the most Eminent Divines since the Reformation The prudence and excellency of which constitution these particulars following do demonstrate to any ingenuous and unbiassed Reader THere were foure times in the year ordinarily appointed for it Prayer and Fasting of the whole Church was to precede it which times being known the persons ordained might be the more assured of the benefit of it There was to be a strict examination of the persons to be presented both for their learning vertuous and godly conversation and a great charge laid upon him that did present them to take good heed they were apt and meet to exercise their Ministry duely to the honour of God and the edifying of his Church and a principal person of the Ministery whose office it was did affirm it publickly that he had enquired of them and examined them and conceived them so to be Upon the day of Ordination both of Deacons and those admitted unto the Ministry of Priesthood or Presbyters there was to be a Sermon declaring the duties and office of Ministers the necessity of such orders in the Church and how the people ought to esteem of them in their vocation At
excellent prayer pag. 28. Psalm 95. O come let us sing c. pag. 34. We praise thee O God c. pag 35. Luk. 1. 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel c. pag. 37. Psalm 100. O be joyful in the Lord c. pag. 38. Luk. 1. 46. My soule doth Magnify the Lord c. pag. 39. Psalm 98. O sing unto the Lord a new song c. pag. 40. Luk. 2. 29. Lord now letest thou thy servant depart c. pag. 41. Psam 67. God be Mercifull unto us and blesse us c. pag. 41. The Creed I believe in God c. pag. 42. The Nicen Creed I believe in one God c. pag. 43. The Creed of Athanasins commonly so called Whosoever will be saved c. pag. 45. The Ten Commandements 49. Some Choice sentences out of Scripture used at the beginning of prayer c. pag. 51. Prayers for raine faire wether in time of dearth and famine in time of war in time of any common plague or sicknes and thanksgivings for the returne of each pag. 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59. A thanksgiving of Women after Childbirth pag. 59. The Seven administrations 1. Baptisme pag. 63. 2. Communion pag. 75. 3. Visitation of the sick pag. 91. 4. Catechisme pag. 117. with confirmation pag. 128. 5. A day of fasting or Humiliation pag. 131. 6. Matrimony pag. 141. 7. An Exhortation at the Buriall pag. 153. Some prayers used upon the Fifth of November pag. 161. A prayer formerly used by the Speaker of the house of Commons in Parliament pag. 169. A prayer for the Parliament used in the house pag. 174. The substance of the Ancient manner of Ordination in the Church of England pag. 177. The Articles of the Church of England An Advertisement PAge 80 81 82. some Prayers at the Communion in relation to the Nativity Resurrection and Ascension of our Saviour Pentecost Trinity-Sunday are intended only for their proper festivals but may be used at the discretion of the Minister Page 27. line 18. read glory and triumph into thy kingdome of Heaven p. 29. l. 21. dele any hurt by p. 31. l. 13. dele in their lawful affairs p. 118. l. 4. r. and I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that he hath called me to this state of salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour p. 123. l. 27. r. be merciful unto us and p. 199. dele 100. DEVOTIONS OF THE ANTIENT CHURCH A Prayer for the Morning I. ALmighty God and in thy Son Jesus Christ our most mercifull Father we acknowledge we have erred and strayed from thy wayes like lost sheep we have followed too much the corrupt desires of our own hearts and have offended against thy holy lawes by leaving undone those things which we ought to have done and doing those things which we ought not to have done So that in us dwelleth no good thing We beseech thee to have mercy upon us who are miserable offenders to spare us who do confesse our faults and restore us who are penitent for them according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant O most mercifull Father for his sake that we may hereafter live a godly righteous and sober life to the glory of thy holy name And O Lord in regard we heare out of thy word that thou desirest not the death of a sinner but rather that he may turne from his wickedness and live and hast given power and commandement to thy Ministers to declare and pronounce to thy people being penitent the forgiveness and remission of their sinnes And that thou wilt pardon all them that truely repent and unfeignedly believe thy holy Gospell We beseech thee to grant us true repentance and thy holy Spirit that those things may please thee which we do at this present and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy so that at the last we may come to thy eternall joy where our lips shall be opened and our mouth continually shew forth thy praise in giving glory to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Ghost world without end And O Lord our heavenly Father who art the author of peace and lover of concord in the knowledge of whom standeth our eternall life whose service is perfect freedom mercifully heare us now we call upon thee defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies that we surely trusting in thy defence may not feare the power of any adversaries but by thy being with us and shewing thy mercy upon us and granting us thy salvation thy chosen people may be still joyfull in thee peace may be given and continued in our time O Lord and thy inheritance even thy people may be blessed and saved and taught to put their trust in thee there being no other that fighteth for us but only thou our God and do thou make cleane our hearts within us that thy holy Spirit be not taken from us And seeing O Lord thou hast safely preserved us hither to this day defend us in the same with thy mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sinne neither run into any kind of danger but that all our doings may be ordered by thy Governance to do allwayes that which is righteous in thy sight And we humbly beseech thee O Father mercifully to looke upon our infirmities and for the glory of thy names sake turne from us all those evills 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 purenes of living to the honor and glory of thy name And O Lord who art the Governor of all things whose power no creature is able to resist to whom it belongeth justly to punish sinners and to be mercifull unto them that truely repent wee beseech thee to save and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies abate their pride aswage their malice and confound their devices that we being armed with thy defence may be preserved evermore from all pâ—rills to glorifie thee who art the only giver of all victories And seing thou hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee and dost promise that when two or three be gathered together in thy name thou wilt grant their requests fulfill 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 Through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose name and words we further pray saying OUr Father which art in heaven hallowed by thy name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as wee forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evill for thine is