followeth or to this sense ALmighty God thou art the Creator and the Lord of all Thou art the Soveraign Majesty whom wee have offended Thou art our merciful Father who hast given us thy Son to reconcile us to thy self who hath ratified the New Testament and Covenant of Grace with his most precious blood and hath instituted this Holy Sacrament to bée Celebrated in memorial of him till his coming Sanctifie these thy Creatures of bread and wine which according to thy will wée set apart to this holy use that they may bée Sacramentally the Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ And through his sacrifice and intercession give us the pardon of all our sins and bée reconciled to us and nourish us by the body and blood of Christ to Everlasting life And to that end give us thy quickning spirit to shewChrist to our beléeving souls that is here represented to our senses Let him soften our hearts and humble us for our sins and cause us to féed on Christ by Faith Let him shed abroad thy love upon our hearts and draw them on in love to thée and fill us with Holy Joy and thankfulness and fervent love to one another let him comfort us by witnessing that wée are thy Children and confirm us for New obedience and bée the Earnest of our Inheritance and seal us up to life Everlasting through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Let it bee left to the Ministers discretion whether to deliver the Bread and Wine to the People at the Table onely in General each one taking it and applying it to themselves or to deliver it in General to so many as are in each particular form or to put it into every persons hand As also at what season to take the Contribution for the Poor And let none of the people be forced to sit stand or kneel in the Act of Receiving whose Judgement is against it The Participation being ended let the Minister pray thus or to this sense MOst Glorious God how wonderful is thy power and wisdome thy Holiness and Justice thy love and mercy in this work of our Redemption by the Incarnation life death resurrection intercession and dominion of thy Son No power or wisdome in Heaven or Earth could have delivered us but thine The Angels desire to pry into this Mystery the Heavenly Host do celebrate it with praises saying Glory bée to God in the Highest On Earth peace Good will towards men The whole Creation shall proclaim thy Praises Blessing Honour Glorie and power bée unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Honour and Glory for hée hath redeemed us to God by his blood and made us Kings and Priests unto our God Where sin abounded Grace hath abounded much more And hast thou indéed forgiven us so great a debt by so precious a Ransome Wilt thou indéed give us to reign with Christ in Glory and sée thy face and love thée and bée beloved of thée for ever Yea Lord thou hast forgiven us and thou wilt glorifie us for thou art faithful that hast promised With the blood of thy Son with the Sacrament and with thy spirit thou hast sealed up to us these precious promises And shall wée not love thée that hast thus loved us Shall wée not love thy Servants and forgive our Neighbours their little debt After all this shall wée again forsake thée and deal falsly in thy Covenant God forbid O set our affections on the things above where Christ sitteth at thy right hand Let us no more minde Earthly things but let our Conversation bée in Heaven from whence wée expect our Saviour to come and change us into the likeness of his glory Teach us to do thy will O God and to follow him who is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that do obey him Order our steps by thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over us Let us not henceforth live unto our selves but unto him who died for us and rose again Let us have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but reprove them And let our light so shine before men that they may glorifie thée In Simplicity and Godly Sincerity and not in Fleshly wisdome let us have our Conversation in the world O that our waies were so directed that wée might kéep thy statutes Though Satan will bée desirous again to sift us and séek as a roaring Lion to devour strengthen us to stand against his Wiles and shortly bruise him under our féet Accept us O Lord who resign our selves unto thée as thine own and with our thanks and praise present our selves a living Sacrifice to bée acceptable through Christ Useful for thine honour Being made frée from sin and become thy Servants let us have our fruit unto Holiness and the End Everlasting Life Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Next add this or some such Exhortation if there bee time DEar Brethren wee have been here feasted with the Son of God at his Table upon his Flesh and Blood in preparation for the Feast of Endless Glory You have seen here represented what sin deserveth what Christ suffered what wonderful Love the God of infinite Goodness hath expressed to us You have had Communion with the Saints you have renewed your Covenant of Faith and thankful Obedience unto Christ You have received his renewed Covenant of Pardon Grace and Glory unto you O carry hence the lively sense of these great and excellent things upon your hearts You came not onely to receive the mercy of an hour onely but that which may spring up to Endless Joy You came not onely to do the duty of an hour but to promise that which you must perform while you live on Earth Remember daily especially when temptations to unbeleef and sinful heaviness assault you what pledges of Love you here received Remember daily especially when the Flesh the Devil or the World would draw your hearts again from God and temptations to sin are laid before you what bonds God and your own consent have laid upon you If you are Penitent Beleevers you are now forgiven and washed in the Blood of Christ O go your way and sin no more No more through wilfulness and strive against you sins of weaknesse Wallow no more in the mire and return not to your vomit Let the exceeding Love of Christ constrain you having such Promises to cleanse your selves from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God And as a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a Peculiar People to bee Zealous of good works and shew forth the Praises of him that hath called you Next sing some part of the Hymn in meeter or some other sit Psalm of Praise as the 23. 116. or 103. or 100 c. And conclude with this or the like Blessing NOw the God of
peace to us wée returned again to Folly wée have deserved O Lord to bée cast out of thy presence And to bée forsaken as wée have forsaken thée and to hear to our confusion Depart from mée I know you not yée workers of iniquity Thou mayest justly tell us thou hast no pleasure in us nor wilt receive an offering at our hand But with thée there is abundant mercy And our Advocate Jesus Christ the Righteous is the propitiation for our sins who bare them in his body on the Cross and made himself an offering for them that hée might put them away by the sacrifice of himself Have mercy upon us and wash us in his blood Cloath us with his Righteousness take away our iniquities and let them not bée our ruine forgive them and remember them no more O thou that delightest not in the death of sinners heal our backslidings love us freely and say unto our souls that thou art our salvation Thou wilt in no wise cast out them that come unto thée receive us graciously to the Feast thou hast prepared for us cause us to hunger and thirst after Christ and his Righteousness that wée may bée satisfied Let his Flesh and blood bee to us Meat and Drink indéed And his spirit bée in us a well of living water Springing up to Everlasting life Give us to know thy Love in Christ which passeth knowledge Though wée have not séen him let us love him And though now wée see him not yet beleeving let us rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Though wée are unworthy of the crums that fall from thy Table yet féed us with the Bread of Life and speak and seal up Peace to our sinful wounded souls Soften our hearts that are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin Mortifie the Flesh and strengthen us with might in the inward man that wee may live and glorifie thy Grace through Jesus Christ our onely Saviour Amen Here let the Bread he brought to the Minister and received by him and set upon the Table and then the Wine in like manner or if they be set there before however let him bless them praying in these or the like words ALmighty God thou art the Creator and the Lord of all things Thou art the Soveraign Majesty whom wée have offended Thou art our most loving and merciful Father who hast given thy Son to reconcile us to thy self who hath ratified the New Testament and Covenant of Grace with his most precious blood and hath instituted this Holy Sacrament to bee celebrated in remembrance of him till his coming Sanctifie these thy Creatures of Bread and Wine which according to thy Institution and Command wee set apart to this holy use that they may bee Sacramentally The Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ Amen Then or immediately before this Prayer let the Minister read the words of the Institution saying HEar what the Apostle Paul saith 1 Cor. 11. For I have received of the Lord that which also I deliver unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which hee was betrayed took Bread and when hee had given thanks hee brake it and said Take Eat This is my Body which is broken for you This do in remembrance of mee After the same manner also hee took the Cup when hee had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood This do yee as oft as yee drink it in remembrance of mee For as often as yee eat this Bread and drink this Cup yee do shew the Lords death till hee come Then let the Minister say THis Bread and Wine being set apart and consecrated to this Holy use by Gods appointment are not now Common Bread and Wine but Sacramentally the Body and Blood of Christ Then let him thus Pray MOst merciful Saviour as thou hast loved us to the death and suffered for our sins the just for the unjust and hast instituted this holy Sacrament to bee used in remembrance of Thée till thy coming Wée beséech Thée by thine intercession with the Father through the Sacrifice of thy Body and Blood give us the pardon of our sins and thy quickening Spirit without which the Flesh will profit us nothing Reconcile us to the Father Nourish us as thy Members to Everlasting Life Amen Then let the Minister take the Bread and break it in the sight of the People saying THe Body of Christ was broken for us and offered once for all to sanctifie us Behold the sacrificed Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World In like manner let him take the Cup and pour out the Wine in the sight of the Congregation saying WEE were redeemed with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Then let him thus Pray MOst holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son by whom Christ was conceived by whom the Prophets and Apostles were inspired and the Ministers of Christ are qualified and called that dwellest and workest in all the members of Christ whom hou sanctifiest to the Image and for the service of their Head and comfortest them that they may shew forth his Praise Illuminate us that by Faith wée may sée him that is here represented to us Soften our hearts and humble us for our sins Sanctifie and quicken us That wée may rellish the Spiritual Food and feed on it to our Nourishment and growth in Grace Shed abroad the Love of God upon our hearts and draw them out in love to him Fill us with thankfulness and holy Joy and with love to one another Comfort us by witnessing that wée are the Children of God Confirm us for New Obedience Bée the Earnest of our Inheritance and seal us up to Everlasting Life Amen Then let the Minister deliver the Bread thus Consecrated and broken to the Communicants first taking and eating it himself as one of them when hee hath said TAke yée Eat yée This is the Body of Christ which is broken for you Do this in remembrance of him In like manner hee shall deliver them the Cup first drinking of it himself when hee hath said THis Cup is the New Testament in Christs Blood or Christs Blood of the New Testament which is shed for you for the remission of sins Drink yee all of it in remembrance of him Let it be left to the Ministers choice whether hee will consecrate the Bread and Wine together and break the Bread and pour out the Wine immediately or whether hee will consecrate and pour out the Wine when the Communicants have eaten the Bread If hee do the latter hee must use the fore-going Prayers and Expressions twice accordingly and let it bee left to his discretion whether hee will use any words at the breaking of the Bread and pouring out the Wine or not And if the Minister chuse to pray but once at the Consecration Commemoration and Delivery Let him pray as
that you return not to your vomit or to wallow again in the mire when you are washed but obey the spirit and keep close to God in the means of your preservation A Form of Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Restored Penitent OMost merciful Father Wée thank thée that thou hast brought us under so gracious a Covenant as not only to pardon the suis of our unregenerate state but also upon our Penitent confession and return to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness and pardon our falls by the blood of Christ and to restore our souls and lead us again in the Paths of Righteousness and command thy Servants to receive us Wée thank thée that thou hast thus restored this thy Servant giving him repentance and remissian of sin and returning him to the Communion of thy Church Wée beséech thée comfort him with the beleeving Apprehensions of thy forgiveness and reconciliation through Jesus Christ Restore unto him the joy of thy salvation and uphold him by thy frée spirit stablish strengththen settle him that with full purpose of heart he may cleave unto thée and now thou hast spoken peace to him hée may not return again to Folly as hée nameth the Name of Christ let him depart from Iniquity and never more dishonour Thée thy Church or truth nor his holy profession but save him from Temptation Let him watch and stand fast and sin no more least Worse befal him Let him not receive this grace in vain nor turn it into Wantonness nor continue in sin that grace may abound But let this old man bée crucified with Christ and the Body of sin be destroyed that henceforth hée may no more serve sin remembring what fruit hée had in those things whereof hée is now ashamed and that the Eud and waies of sin is death and let us all take warning by the falls of others and bee not high minded but fear And let him that thinketh hée standeth take héed least hée fall Let us watch and pray that wee enter not into Temptation remembring that the flesh is weak And our Adversary the Devil walketh about séeking whom hée may devour And let none of us hate our Brother in our hearts but in any wise rebuke our neighbour and not suffer sin upon him and confirm us unto the end that wée may bée blameless in the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with thée O Father and thy Holy Spirit bée Kingdome and Power and Glory for ever Amen APPENDIX A Larger Letany or General Prayer to bee used at Discretion O Most Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost thrée persons and one God Infinite in Power Wisdome and Goodness our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier our Owner Governour and Father hear our Prayers and have mercy upon us Miserable sinners O Lord our Saviour whose Jucarnation Nativity Subjection Fasting Temptation Poverty Reproaches Agony and Bloody sweat Scourging Desertion Crucifying Death and Burial were all undergone to take away the sins of the World Who being risen ascended and glorified art the great Priest and Prophet and King of thy Universal Church for which thou makest Intercession which thou doest gather teach and guide by thy Spirit Word and Ministers which thou dost justifie and wilt glorifie with thyself who wilt come again and raise the Dead and judge the world in righteousness Wée beséech thée hear us Miserable sinners Cast us not out that come unto thée Make sure to us our Calling and Election our unfeigned faith and repentance that being justified and made the Sons of God wee may have peace with him as our Reconciled God and Father Let our hearts bee right with thee our God and stedfast in thy Covenant cause us to deny our selves and give up our selves entirely unto thee our Creatour Redeemer and Sanctifier as being not our own but thine Let thy Holy spirit dwell in us and sanctifie us throughout that wee may bee new creatures and holy as thou art Holy let it bee in us the spirit of Adoption and supplication and the seal and earnest of our Glorious Inheritance and let us know that wee are thine and thou abidest in us by the spirit which thou hast given us As thy name O Lord is Holy and thy glory covereth the Heavens so let the Earth bee filled with thy praises Let our souls ever Magnifie thee O Lord and our Tongues extoll thée Let us speak of the glorious honor of thy Majesty of thy Greatness thy Power thy glorious Kingdome thy Wisdome Holiness Truth and Righteousness thy Goodness thy Mercy and thy wonderous Works Let all Flesh bless thy Holy Name Let the desire of our Souls bee to thy Name Cause us to love thee with all our hearts to fear thee trust in thee and to delight in thee and bee satisfied in thee as our Portion and what ever wee do to do it to thy glory Kéep us from Inordinate self love from Pride and vain Glory and self séeking and from dishonouring thée thy Word or service in the World Let the world acknowledge thee the Universal King Give thy Son the Heathen for his Inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for his Possession Let the Kingdomes of the world become his Kingdomes Convert the Atheistical Idolatrous Infidel Mahomitan and ungodly Nations of thè Earth that every knée may bow to Christ and every tongue confess him the King of Kings and Lord of Lords To the Glory of God the Father Let the Word of thy Kingdome and Salvation be preached to all the World let it have frée course and be glorified and by the Power of thy Spirit convert many unto Christ and let him be thy Salvation to the Ends of the Earth Send forth more Labourers into the Harvest which is great and fit them for so great a work and deliver them from unreasonable and wicked men that to fill up their sins forbid them to speak to the People that they might be saved Deliver the Churches that are oppressed by Idolaters Mahomitans or other Infidels and Enemies Give all thy Servants Prudence Patience and Innocency that suffering as Christians and not as Evil-Doers they may not be ashamed but may glorifie thée and wait for thy Salvation committing the kéeping of their souls unto thée in hope of a Reward in Heaven Deliver the Church from the Roman Papal Usurpations and Corruptions dispel the deceits of Heresies and false Worship by the light of thy prevailing Truth Unite all Christians in Christ Jesus the true and onely Universal Head that by the true Christian Catholick Faith and Love they may grow up in him and may kéep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace the strong receiving and bearing the Infirmities of the weak Heal the divisions that are among Beléevers Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory but in lowliness of mind let each
A Petition for Peace with the REFORMATION OF THE LITURGY As it was Presented to the Right Reverend BISHOPS BY THE DIVINES Appointed by His Majesties Commission to treat with them about the alteration of it LONDON Printed Anno Dom. MDCLXI A Petition for Peace To the most Reverend Archbishop and Bishops and the Reverend their Assistants commissioned by His Majesty to treat about the Alteration of the Book of Common-Prayer The humble and earnest Petition of others in the same Commission Most Reverend Fathers and Reverend Brethren THe special Providence of God and His Majesties tender regard of the Peace and Consciences of His Subjects and his desire of their concord in the things of God hath put into our hands this opportunity of speaking to you as humble Petitioners as well as Commissioners on the behalf of these yet troubled and unhealed Churches and of many thousand souls that are dear to Christ on whose behalf wee are pressed in spirit in the sense of our duty most earnestly to beseech you as you tender the peace and prosperity of these Churches the comfort of His Majesty in the union of his Subjects and the peace of your souls in the great day of your accounts that laying by all former and present exasperating and alienating differences you will not now deny us your consent and assistance to those means that shall bee proved honest and cheap and needful to those great desirable ends for which wee all profess to have our offices and our lives The things which wee humbly beg of you are these 1. That you will grant what wee have here proposed and craved of you in our Preface Even your charitable interpretation acceptance of and consent unto the alterations and additions to the Liturgy now tendered unto you that being inserted as wee have expressed it may bee left to the Ministers choice to use one or other at his discretion upon His Majesties approbation according to his gracious declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs And that seeing wee cannot obtain the form of Episcopal Government described by the late Reverend Primate of Ireland and approved by many Episcopal Divines wee may at least enjoy those benefits of Reformation in Discipline and that freedome from Subscription Oaths and Ceremonies which are granted in the said Declaration by the means of your charitable Mediation and Request 2. Seeing some hundreds of able holy faithful Ministers are of late cast out and not onely very many of their Families in great distress but which is of far greater moment abundance of Congregations in England Ireland and Wales are overspread with lamentable ignorance and are destitute of able faithful Teachers And seeing too many that are insufficient negligent or scandalous are over the Flocks not meaning this as an accusation of any that are not guilty nor a dishonourable Reflection on any party much less on the whole Church wee take this opportunity earnestly to beseech you that you will contribute your indeavours to the Removal of those that are the shame and burdens of the Churches and to the Restauration of such as may bee an honour and blessing to them And to that end that it bee not imputed to them as their unpardonable Crime that they were born in an Age and Country which required Ordination by Parochial Pastors without Diocesans And that Re-ordination whether absolute or hypothetical bee not made necessary to the future exercise of their Ministry But that an Universal Confirmation may bee granted of those ordained as aforesaid they being still responsible for any personal insufficiency or crime Were these two granted The Confirmation of the Grants in His Majesties Declaration with the liberty of the Reformed Liturgy offered you and the restoring of able faithful Ministers to a capacity to bee serviceable in the Church of God without forcing them against their consciences to bee Re-ordained how great would bee the benefits to this unworthy Nation How glad would you make the peoples hearts how thankful should wee bee for the cause of Christ and the souls of men to those that grant them and procure them being conscious that wee seek not great things for our selves or for our Brethren that wee are ambitious of no greater wealth or honour than our daily bread with such freedome and advantage for the labours of our Ministry as may most conduce to the success the increase of holiness and peace wee shall take the boldness to second these Requests with many of our reasons which wee think should prevail for your consent chusing rather to incur whatsoever censures or offence may by any bee taken against our necessary freedome of expression than to bee silent at such a time as this when thousands of the servants of the Lord that are either deprived of their faithful Teachers or in fears of losing them together with the freedome of their consciences in Gods worship do cry day and night to Heaven for help and would cry also in your ears with more importunate Requests if they had but the opportunity as now wee have And 1. Wee beseech you bear with us while wee remember you that you are Pastors of the flock of Christ who are bound to feed them and to preach in season and out of season and to bee laborious in the Word and Doctrine but are not bound to hinder all others from this blessed work that dare not use a Cross or Surplice or worship God in a form which they judge disorderly defective or corrupt when they have better to offer him Mal. 1. 13 14. Is it not for matter and phrase at least as agreeable to the holy Scriptures If so wee beseech you suffer us to use it who seek nothing by it but to worship God as neer as wee can according to his will who is jealous in the matters of his worship If indeed yours have more of strength and ours of weakness yet let not Fathers cast the children from the House of God because they are sick or weak and need the more compassion let not our Physicians resolve their Patients shall all bee famished or cast off whose temperature and appetites cannot agree to feed on the same dish with the same preparation and sauce Hee that thrice charged Peter as hee loved him to feed his Lambs and Sheep did never think of charging him to deny them food or turn them out of his fold or forbid all others to feed them unless they could digest such forms and ceremonies and superscriptions as ours 2. May wee presume to minde you that the Lord of the Harvest hath commanded us to pray that more Labourers may bee sent into the Harvest For still proportionably the Harvest is great and the Labourers are few Mat. 9. 37. And that the Lord hath not furnished them with his gifts in vain nor lighted these Candles to put under a Bushel but to bee set on a Candlestick that they may give light to all that are in the house Mat. 5. 15 And that there are few
worship It is easier to agree upon few things than upon many upon great and certain and necessary things than upon small uncertain and unnecessary things and upon things that God himself hath revealed or appointed than upon things that proceed from no surer an Original than the wit or will of man The strict prohibition of adding to or diminishing from the things commanded by the Law-giver of the Church Deut. 12. 3â— doth put such a fear in the minds of multitudes of the loyal subjects of Christ lest by such additions or diminutions in the matters of his worship they should provoke him to displeasure as will bee a certain perpetual hindrance to any common unity or Concord in such humane impositions of which many of the servants of the jealous God will have a continual jealousie With grieved hearts wee now renew the lamentable divisions occasioned already by these Impositions ever since the Reformation in the daies of King Edward 6th and the grievous fruits of those Divisions How they destroyed Charity the character of Christs Disciples and exasperated mens minds against each other How they corrupted mens prayers and other exercises of devotions and made them pray and preach against one another How their tongues were emboldned to the censuring of each other one party calling the other Factious Schismatical Singular and Disobedient and the other calling them Antichristian Proud Tirannical Superstitious Persecutors and Formalists And such language still increasing the uncharitableness and divisions till the increase of imposing rigour on the one side and of impatience under Sufferings on the other side was too great a preparation to those greater calamities which are yet bitter to the remembrance of all whose interests or passions have not Conquered their humanity And the continuance of so much of the causes and effects doth infallibly prove that if the same impositions bee setled upon us the same Heart-divisions will bee still continued Brethren will disdain the name and love of Brethren to each other which yet Christ himself by condiscending and reproving love vouchsafeth to them all Instead of loving one another with a pure heart fervently there will bee if not hating yet grudging at one another censuring and despising one another Which effects will still increase their cause and make one side think that they are necessitated to bee more rigorous in their Coercions and the other think that they are allowed to bee more censorious against those by whom they suffer And how many thousands on both sides by such a stream of temptations will undoubtedly bee carried on in a course of Sin from day to day and by heart sin and tongue sin by Pulpit sins or sins in other parts of Worship will dishonour God and provoke him to indignation against them and the Land wee may not without astonishment and grief of heart foresee or foretell And its easie to foresee how the innocent will bee numbred with the faulty and those that do but feel their sufferings and the sufferings of the Church on these occasions and do but groan and sigh to God and pray for succour and deliverance will bee thought to bee guilty of discontent and faction and bringing the Government of the Church and consequently of the Kingdome into hatred or dislike and so their sufferings will be increased And hee that is commanded by the Laws of humanity to be compassionately sensible of the Calamities of others shall bee thought an offender for being sensible of his own It s easie to fore-see how those expressions in mens Sermons or Prayers or familiar Conference which seem to any mis-understanding or suspicious or masicious hearers to intimate any sense of sufferings will be carried to the ears of Rulers and represented as a crime And nature having planted in all men an unwillingness to suffer and denied to all men a love of calamity and necessitated men to feel when they are hurt and made the tongue and countenance the Index of our sense these Effects will be unavoidable while such Impositions are continued and while a fear of sinning will not suffer men to swallow and digest them and what wrong such divisions about Religion will be to the Kingdome and to His Majesty wee shall not mention because our Governours themselves may better understand it On the other side what universal ease and peace and joy would be the fruits of that happy unity and concord which the reasonable forbearances which wee humbly petition for would certainly produce how comfortable would our Ministerial labours bee when wee had no such temptations burdens or disquietments When wee lay not under the Reproofs of Conscience nor the suspicions or displeasure of our Superiours but might serve the Lord without distraction and bee among his servants without such fears Phil. 1. 14. 1 Cor. 16. 10. How much would the hands of the Builders be strengthened for the work of God when they speak the same things and there are no divisions among them but they are perfectly joyned together in the same minde and judgement 1 Cor. 1. 10. when they are like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one minde doing nothing through strife or vain glory which will never be while the one calls the other factious and schismatical and the other calleth him superstitious and tyrannical but when Christ hath taught us in lowliness of minde to esteem others better than our selves and not to look every man on his own things his own gifts and virtues and worth and interest but every man also on the things of others and till the same mind bee in us that was in Christ Jesus that humbled himself and took upon him the form of a servant and made himself of no Reputation Phil. 1. 2 to 9. How much should wee honour the Body the Spirit the Hope the Lord the Faith the Baptism the God and Father of all Beleevers which are one if wee were one among our selves which will never be till with lowliness and meekness and long-suffering wee forbear one another in love instead of hating reviling and persecuting one another and till wee endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit though given in various degrees rather than an unity in unnecessary things in the bond of peace Ephes 4. 2 3 4 5 6 7. and till the well-joynted and compacted body do edifie it self in love by a due contribution of mutual supply and grow in Christ the proper head instead of contending with it self and dis-joynting and tearing it self into peeces because of our different measure of understanding and our unavoidable differences about some small unnecessary things vers 13 14 15 16. How beautiful would our holy Assemblies be and how delightful the worship of God there celebrated if wee had all laid by the unchristian spirit of hatred envy emulation murmuring wrath variance strife heresies seditions and all uncharitableness and with one minde and one mouth did glorifie God Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Rom. 15. 16. which will never
or the other according to His Majecties gracious Declaration concerning ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS THE Ordinary Publick-Worship ON THE LORDS-DAY The Congregation being reverently composed let the Minister first crave Gods assistance and acceptance of the Worship to bee performed in these or the like words ETERNAL Incomprehensible and Invisible GOD infinite in Power Wisdome and Goodness dwelling in the Light which no man can approach where thousand thousands minister unto Thée and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before Thee yet dwelling with the humble and contrite and taking pleasure in thy People Thou hast consecrated for usâ—…a new and living way that with boldness wée may enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus and hast bid us séek Thée while thou mayest be found Wée come to Thée at thy call and worship at thy Footstool Behold us in thy tender Mercies Despise us not though unworthy Thou art greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in Reverence of all that are about thée Put thy fear into our hearts that with Reverence wée may serve Thée sanctifie us that thou mayest be sanctified of us when wée draw nigh Thée Give us the Spirit of Grace and Supplication to help our infirmities that our prayers may be faithful fervent and effectual Let the desire of our souls bée to Thée Let us draw néer Thée with our hearts and not only with our lips and worship Thée who art a Spirit in Spirit and Truth Let thy Word be spoken and heard by us as the Word of God Give us attentive hearing Ears and opened beleeving understanding hearts that wee may no more refuse thy calls nor disregardthy merciful cut-stretched-hand nor sleight thy Counsels and Reproofs but be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of Fools Put thy Laws into our hearts and write them in our minds and let us bee all taught of God Let thy Word bee unto us quick and powerful a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hearts mighty to pull down strong-holds casting down imaginations and reasonings and every high thing that advanceth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Let us magnifie Thée with thanksgiving and triumph in thy Praise Let us rejoyce in thy Salvation and glory in thy holy Name Open thou our lips O Lord and let our mouths shew forth thy praise And let the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts bee acceptable in thy sight through Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour Amen Or thus when Brevity is necessary O Eternal Almighty and most gracious God Heaven is thy Throne and Earth is thy Footstool holy and reverend is thy Name Thou art praised by the heavenly Hosts and in the Congregation of thy Saints on Earth and wilt bee sanctified in all that come nigh unto Thee Wée are sinful and unworthy dust but being invited by Thée are bold through our blessed Mediator to present our selves and our supplications before Thée Receive us graciously help us by thy Spirit let thy Fear bee upon us let thy Word come unto us in power and bée received in love with attentive reverent and obedient minds Make it to us the savour of life unto life Cause us to be fervent in Prayer and joyful in thy Praises and to serve Thée this day without distraction that wee may finde that a day in thy Courts is better than a thousand and that it is good for us to draw néer to God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Next let one of the Creeds bee read by the Minister saying In the Profession of this holy Christian Faith wee are here assembled I beleeve in God the Father c. I beleeve in one God c. And sometimes Athanasius Creed The Ten Commandements God spake these Words and said c. For the right informing and affecting the People and moveing them to a penitent beleeving confession some of these sentences may bee read GOd created man in his Image By one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God God so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Hee that beleeveth on him shall not bee condemned but hee that beleeveth not is condemned already because hee hath not beleeved in the name of the only begotten Son of God And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should bee reproved Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law beeing made a curse for us Except a man be born of water and of the spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God That which is born of the Flesh is Flâ—sh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit Verily I say unto you except yee bee converted and become as little Children yee shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn yee turn yee from your evil waies for why will yee dye oh house of Israel I say unto you there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over a sinner that repenteth I will arise and go to my Father and say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to bee called thy Son The Confession of Sin and Prayer for Pardon and Sanctification O Most Holy Righteous and Gracious God who hatest all the workers of iniquity and hast appointed death to bée the wages of sin but yet for the glory of thy mercy hast sent thy Son to be the Saviour of the world and hast promised forgiveness of sin through his blood to all that beléeve in him and by true Repentance turn unto Thée and that whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy Wée confess that wée are vile and miserable sinners being conceived in sin by nature children of wrath and transgressors from the womb All wée like shéep have gone astray and turned every one to his own way Thou madest us and not wée our selves Thou boughtest us with a price and wée are not our own and therefore wée should have wholly given up our selves unto Thée and have glorified Thée with our souls and bodies as being Thine What ever wée did should have been done to thy glory and to please Thée in the obeying of Thy Will But wee have displeased and dishonoured Thée and turned from Thée exalting séeking and pleasing
our selves Thou art the King of all the world and Thy Laws are holy iust and good But wée have denied Thée our due subjection and obedience being unruly and self-willed minding the things of the flesh and making provision for its lusts Wée have staggered at Thy Word through unbeléef and have not fully placed our trust and hope in Thée Wée have rather feared man that is dust and can but kill the body than Thée that canst destroy both soul and body in Hell Thou art infinitely good and love it self yet have wée not fully taken Thée for our portion nor loved Thée with all our heart and soul and might nor mads Thée our full desire and delight But wée have inordinately loved our selves and the world and the things of the world and lived by sense when wée should have lived by Faith and cared and laboured for the food that perisheth when wée should have laboured for the one thing néedful and that which indureth to everlasting life wée have béen slothful servants yéelding to temptations ashamed of our duty losing our precious time when wee should have béen fervent in spirit serving the Lord cleaving to Thée with full resolution redéeming the time and with diligence making sure our Calling and Election Wée have not with due holiness and reverence drawn neer Thée and used thy holy Name thy Worship and thy Day Wée have dishonoured and disobeyed our Superiours and neglected our Inferiours Wée have béen guilty of not loving our Neighbours as our selves and not doing to others as wée would they should do to us but have sought our own against their welfare not forbearing and forgiving not loving our enemies as wee ought nor following peace nor studying to do good to all according to our power Wee have sinned secretly and openly in thought word and déed ignorantly and presumptuously in passion and upon deliberation against thy Precepts Promises and Threats against thy mercies and thy judgements under thy patience and in thy sight against our consciences our purposes and our covenants when wée were hasting to death and judgement for which through all our lives wée should have prepared Thou hast commended thy wonderful love towards us in giving thy Son to dye for sinners to reconcile us to Thée while wée were enemies and all things being made ready thou hast sent thy Messengers to invite us to come in preaching to us the glad tidings of salvation and fréely offering us pardon and life in Jesus Christ but wee have made light of it and neglected this great Salvation and made excuses or too long delaies undervaluing our Redeemer his blood and merits his offered grace and endless glory rejecting his holy Doctrine and Example resisting his Spirit Ministers and Wrod Wee have sinned O Lord against Thée and against our own souls and are not worthy to be called thy children Wée have deserved everlasting wrath to us belongeth confusion but mercy and forgiveness unto Thée Have mercy upon us O God according to the multitude of thy Mercies Heal our souls that have sinned against Thée and enter not into judgement with thy servants Hide thy face from our sins and blot out all our iniquities Cast us not away from thy presence and avenge not upon us the quarrel of thy Covenant Wash us in the blood of the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world Accept us in thy Beloved Son who was made a curse for us and was wounded for our transgressions that wée might bee healed by his stripes Turn us O God of our salvation and cause thy face to shine upon us Give us Repentance unto life cause us to loathe our selves for all the evils that wée have committed Give us that broken contrite Spirit which thou wilt not despise Create in us a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within us Take out of us the old and strong heart and give us a new and tender heart Give us the Spirit of thy Son and bee our God and let us bée thy People Enlighten our understandings to know the wonderful things of thy Law the dimensions of thy love in Christ the mysteries of thy Kingdome and the riches of the glory of thy Inheritance in the Saints and that wee may approve the things that are excellent and may escape the snares of the Devil and may hate every false way Shed abroad thy love in our hearts by thy holy Spirit and cause us so to love Thee that nothing may separate us from thy love Put thy fear into our hearts that wee may never depart from Thee Cause us to seek first thy Kingdome and its Righteousness and as those that are risen with Christ to seek the things that are above and to lay up a treasure in Heaven and let our hearts and conversations bee there mortifie our earthly inclinations and desires Crucifie the world to us and us unto the world by the Cross of Christ Cause us to live by Faith and look at the things that are unseen and use the world as not over-using it seeing the fashion of it passeth away striving to enter in at the strait gate and running so as to obtain let us no longer live the rest of our time to the lusts of men but to the will of God studying in all things to please Thee and to bee accepted of Thee let us not seek our own wills but the will of him that called us yea let us delight to do thy will O God let our delight bee in thy Law and let us meditate therein day and night cause us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soverly and righteously and godly in this present world as obedient children not fashioning our selves to the former lusts of our ignorance but as hee that hath called us is holy let us be holy in all manner of conversation Cause us to love one another with a pure heart fervently forbearing and forgiving one another if any have a quarrel against other even as Christ forgave us Give us the wisdome which is first pure and then peaceable In our eyes let a vile person bee contemned but let us honour them that fear the Lord. Cause us to walk circumspectly without offence and to bee zealous of good Works to love our enemies and not to give place to wrath and in patience to possess our souls Help us to deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow Christ esteeming his reproach to bee greater riches than the treasures of the world that having suffered with him wee may also bee glorified with him Though wee must bee tempted help us to overcome and bee faithful unto the death and then let us receive that Crown of Life through the merits and intercession of Christ Jesus our Lord and onely Saviour in whose comprehensive words wee summ up our Requests saying as hee hath taught us Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed bee thy Name Thy Kingdome come c. Or thus when Brevity is
of his that do his pleasure Bless the Lord all his Works in all places of his Dominions Bless the Lord O my soul my mouth shall speak the Praises of the Lord And let all Flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise yee the Lord. The Order of Celebrating the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ This or the like Explication of the Nature Use and Benefits of this Sacrament may bee used at the discretion of the Minister when hee seeth it needful to the Instruction of the Communicants THat you may discern the Lords body and understand the nature use and benefits of this Sacrament you must know that God created man in his own Image to know and love and serve his Maker That man fell under the guilt of sin and condemnation and left his holy Fitness for the work for which hee was created That hereupon the wonderful love and wisdome of God provided us a Remedy in our Redeemer to the end hee might not lose the glory of his Creation that hee might pardon and save us upon terms Securing the honour of his Justice and attaining the ends of his Law and Government and recover us to his love and service by appearing to the world in the greatest demonstrations of Goodness Love and Mercy By the greatest Miracle of Condiscension hee first promised and then gave his onely Son the Eternal Word to take mans nature into personal union with his God-head that being God and Man hee might bee a fit Mediator between God and Man to restore us and reconcile us to himself Thus Jesus Christ conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary became the second Adam the Physician and Saviour of undone Sinners the Captain of our Salvation to bee the glorious King and Head of all that are sanctified and saved Hee revealed the Holiness the Goodness and the Love of God by the perfect Holiness Goodness and Love of his Blessed Person Doctrine and Conversation and by suffering for us all the Afflictions of this life and at last the cursed death of the Cross as a Sacrifice and Ransome for us That all this might be effectual to our Recovery hee made for us a new and better Covenant and preached it himself undertaking the Pardon Justification and Sanctification of all that by unfeigned Faith do take him for their Saviour repenting of their sins and consenting to be sanctified by his Word and Spirit by which also hee inviteth and draweth men to himself and giveth them to beleeve Into this blessed pardoning saving Covenant wee are first solemnly entred by Baptism And when Christ was ready to leave the world and to give up himself a Sacrifice for us and intercede and exercise the fulness of his Kingly Power as the Churches Head and by his grace to draw men to himself and prepare them for his glory hee did himself institute this Sacrament of his body and blood at his last Supper to bee a continued Representation and Remembrance of his Death and therein of his own and his Fathers Love until his coming appointing his Ministers by the Preaching of the Gospel and Administration of these Sacraments to bee his Agents without and his Spirit within effectually to communicate his Grace The Lords Supper then is a holy Sacrament instituted by Christ wherein Bread and Wine being first by Consecration made Sacramentally or Representatively the body and blood of Christ are used by breaking and pouring out to represent and commemorate the Sacrifice of Christs Body and Blood upon the Cross once offered up to God for sin and are given in the Name of Christ unto the Church to signifie solemnize the renewal of his holy Covenant with them and the giving of himself unto them to expiate their sins by his Sacrifice and sanctifie them further by his Spirit and confirm their right to everlasting life And they are received Eaten and drunk by the Church to profess that they willingly receive Christ himself to the Ends aforesaid their Justification Sanctification and Glorification and to signifie and solemnize the Renewal of their Covenant with him and their holy Communion with him and with one another It being the renewing of a mutual Covenant that is here solemnized as wee commemorate Christs Sacrifice and receive him and his saving benefits so wee offer and deliver to him our selves as his redeemed sanctified people to bee a living Acceptable Sacrifice thankfully and obediently to live unto his Praise Before the receiving of this holy Sacrament wee must examine our selves and come preparedly In the receiving of it wee must exercise holy affections suited to the work And after the receiving of it wee must by consideration of it indeavour to revive the same Affections and perform our Covenant there renewed The holy Qualifications to bee before Provided and in Receiving exercised and after Receiving are these 1. A true beleef of the Articles of the Christian Faith concerning the Father Son and Holy Ghost the Person Offices Works and Sufferings and Benefits of Christ 2. The sense of our sinful and undone condition as in our selves and of our need of Christ so as humbly to loath our selves for our transgressions with the sense of our present weaknesses to bee strengthened and sins to bee forgiven 3. A true desire after Christ for pardon and spiritual Nourishment and Salvation 4. A thankful sense of the Wonderful Love of God declared in our Redemption and in the present offers of Christ and Life 5. The exercise of holy love and joy in the sense of this unspeakable Love if these two bee not felt before wee come yet in and after the Sacrament we must strive to exercise them 6. A love to one another and forgiving wrongs to one another with a desire after the Communion of Saints 7. The giving up our selves in Covenant to God with resolution of renewed Obedience 8. A patient hope for the coming of Christ himself and of the Everlasting Kingdome where wee shall bee perfectly united in him and glorified with him Those onely are to bee invited to the Lords Table and to come that truly repent and beleeve and unfeignedly consent to the terms of the Covenant though all are not to bee invited thus to beleeve and repent and so to come But those are to be admitted by the Pastors if they come who having the use of reason to understand what they do and examine themselves have made a Personal Profession of Faith Repentance and Obedience and are Members of the Church and not justly for Heresie or scandalous sin removed from its present Communion The benefit of the Sacrament is not to be judged of onely by present Experience and Feeling but by Faith God having appointed us to use it and promised his Blessing wee may and must beleeve that hee will make good his Promise and what ever wee feel at present that wee sincerely wait not on him in
person bee able and willing let him before the Congregation give the foresaid account at large of his Knowledge Faith and Obedience But if through backwardness or disability for publick speech hee shall refuse it let him make the same Profession privately to the Minister and own it in the Assembly when the Minister shall declare it and ask him whether hee owns it But unless it bee in case of some extraordinary natural Imperfection and disability of utterance let him at least openly recite the Creed and profess his consent to the Covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Let the Minister of every Parish keep a double Register one of the Names of all that are there baptized another of the Names of all that are approved upon their foresaid credible Profession and so admitted into the number of Communicants or that have a certificate of such Approbation regularly elsewhere performed And if Confirmation bee continued let His Majesties Declaration bee observed requiring That Confirmation bee rightly and solemnly performed by the Information and with the consent of the Minister of the place Let no Minister bee inforced to admit any himself to the Lords Supper who hath been clancularly and irregularly approved Those that after this Approbation prove scandalous offenders shall not by the Minister be suffered to partake of the Lords Table until they have openly declared themselves to have truly repented and amended their former naughty lives Of the Celebration of Matrimony BEfore the Solemnizing of Marriage between any Persons their purpose of marriage shall bee published by the Minister three several Lords daies in the Congregation at the place or places of their most usual abode respectively And of this Publication the Minister who is to joyn them in marriage shall have sufficient Testimony before hee proceed to Solemnize the Marriage The Parents consent being first sufficiently made known At the Celebration the Minister shall either by a Sermon or other Exhortation open to them the Institution Ends and Use of Marriage with the conjugal Duties which they are faithfully to perform to each other And then shall demand of them whether it bee their desire and purpose to bee joyned together in the Bond of the Marriage-Covenant and if they answer affirmatively hee shall say to them I require and charge you as you will answer at the dreadful day of Judgement when the secrets of all hearts shall bee disclosed that if either of you do know any Impediment by Preconâ—ract or otherwise why you may not lawâ—ully bee joyned together in marriage you discover it and proceed not If no Impediment bee discovered by them or others hee shall Proceed to Pray MOst merciful Father who hast ordained Marriage for mutual help and for the increase of mankinde with a legitimate Issue and of the Church with a Holy séed and for prevention of uncleanness Bless thy own Ordinance to these persons that entring this state of Marriage in thy fear they may there â—â—tirely devote themselves unto thée and bée faithful in all conâ—…gal Affections and duties unto each other and if thou bless them with Children let them bee devoted unto thée and accepted as thine own and blessed with thy grace and educated in thy fear Subdue those corruptioins that would make their lives unholy or uncomfortable and deliver them from temptations to impiety worldlyness unquietness discontent or disaffection to each other or to any Unfaithfulness to thée or to each other make them meet helps to each other in thy fear and in the lawful management of the affairs of this World Let them not hinder but provoke one another to love and good to works and foreséeing the day of their separation by death let them spend their daies in a Holy Preparation and live here together as the Heirs of life that must reâ—oyce at the great marriage day of the Lamb and live for ever with Christ and all the Holy Angels and Saints in the presence of thy glory Amen The Woman if shâ—e bâ—e under Parents or Governours being by one of them or some deputed by them given to bâ—e married the Man with his Right hand shall take the Woman by the Right hand and shall say I. A. do take thée B. to bée my Married Wife and do promise and Covenant in the presence of God and before this Congregation to bée a loving and faithful Husband to thée till God shall separate us by death Then the Woman shall take the Man by the Right hand with her Right hand and say I. B. do take thée A. to bée my Married Husband and I do promise and Covenant in the presence of God and before this Congregation to bée a loving obedient and faithful Wife unto thée till God shall separate us by death Then let the Minister say These two persons A. and B. being lawfully married according to Gods Ordinance I do pronounce them Husband and Wife And those whom God hath conjoyned let no man put asunder Next hee may read the duty of Husbands and Wives out of Eâ—hes 5. 2. Coll. 4. 2. 1 Pet. 3. and Psalm 128. or some other Pertinent Psalm may bee said or sung And let the Minister exhort them to their several duties and then Pray MOst merciful Father let thy Blessings rest upon these Persons now joyned in lawful Marriage Sanctify them and their Conversations their Family Estates and 〈◊〉 unto thy Glory Furnish them with love to thée and to each other with méekness patience and contentedness Let them not live unto the Flesh but unto the spirit that of the spirit they may reap Everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen Then let him Conclude with a Benediction GOd Almighty the Creator Redéemer and Sanctifier bless you in your Souls and Bodies Family and Affairs and preserve you to his Heavenly Kingdome Amen The Visitation of the Sick and their Communion THe Visitation of the Sick being a private duty and no part of the Pubâ—ick Liturgy of the Church and the case of the Sick being so exceeding various as to soul and body and it being requisite that Ministers bee able to suiâ— their Exhortations and Prayers to the Condition of the Sick let the words of such Exhortations and Prayers bee left to their Prudence So urgent is the necessity of the Sick and so seasonable and advantagious the opportunity that Ministers may not negligently over-pass them but in love and tenderness instruct them according to their several Conditions Endeavouring the Conversion of the ungodly the strengthening of the weak and comforting such as need Consolation directing them how to improve their afflictions and helping them to bee sensible of the evil of sin the negligences and miscarriages of their lives the vanity of the World their necessity of a Saviour the sufficiency of Christ the Certainty and Excellency of the Everlasting Glory Exhorting them to repentance and to faith in Christ and to set their affections on the things above And if
spirit of the humble and the heart of the Contrite ones for thou wilt not contend for ever neither wilt thou bee alwaies wroth for the spirit would fail before thée and the soul which thou hast made Look down in tender mercy on the affliction of this thy Servant O Lord rebuke him not in thy wrath neither chasten him in thy hot displeasure All his desire is before thée and his groaning is not hid from thée Have mercy upon him O Lord for hée is weak O Lord heal him whose boues and soul is vered In death there is no remembrance of thée In the grave who shall give thée thanks Remember that wée are but flesh a Wind that passeth away and cometh not again wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble Remember not the Iniquities of his youth or his transgressions look upon his Afffiction and his pain and forgive all his sins Though the sorrows of death do compass him about yet if it bée for thy glory and his good recover him and let him live and praise thy name Rebuke his sickness direct unto such means as thou wilt bless In the time of his trouble wée call upon thée do thou deliver him and let him glorifie thée however shew him the sin that doth offend thée let him search and try his waies and confess and turn from his Inquity and let it bée good for him that hée was afflicted Let this bée the fruit of it to purge and take away his sin That being chastened of the Lord hée may not bée condemned with the world And though chastisement for the present séemeth not to bée joyous but grievous yet afterwards let it yéeld the peaceable fruit of Righteousness to this thy Servant that is exercised therein In the mean time O Lord bée thou his Portion who art good to the Soul that séeketh thée and waiteth for thée Let him patiently and silently bear thy yoak let him hope and quietly wait for thy salvation Considering that thou wilt not cast off for ever that thy anger is but for a moment but in thy favour is Life Wéeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning and that whom thou lovest thou chastenest and scourgest every son whom thou receivest and that if hée indure Chastening thou dealest with him as a Son If hée bée recovered let him devote himself entirely to thy glory That when thou hast put off his sackcloath and mourning and girded him with gladness hee may speak thy praise and give thée thanks If hée receive the sentence of death in himself let it cause him to trust in thée that raisest the dead knowing that as thou didst raise up the Lord Jesus thou wilt raise him up also by Jesus Therefore suffer not his hope to faint but though his outward man perish yet let his inwardman bée renewed from day to day and let him live by faith and look at the things which are not séen even at the excéeding eternal weight of glory Let him bée found in Christ not having his own righteousness but that which is of God by faith Restrain the tempter and deliver thy servant from the sinful fears of death by Christ who through death destroyed the Devil that had the power of death That hée may finde that death hath lost his sting and Triumph over it by Faith in him through whom wée are made more than Conquerers That by faith and love his soul may now ascend with Christ that ascended unto his Father and our Father and to his God and our God and is gone to prepare a place for us and hath promised that where hée is there his servants shall bée also That they may behold the glory which thou hast given him Magnifie thy self in his Body whether by life or death and safely bring him into thy glorious presence where is fulness of Joy and Everlasting pleasures through Jesus Christ our Life and Righteousness Amen A Prayer for Women drawing neer the time of Childe-bearing MOst merciful Father who hast justly Sentenced Woman that was first in the Transgression to great and multiplyed sorrows and particularly in sorrow to bring forth Children yet grantest preservation and reliefe for the propagation of Mankinde Bée merciful to this thy servant bée néer her with thy present help in the néedful time of trouble and though in Travel shée hath sorrow give her strength to bring forth Being delivered let her remember no more the Anguish for ioy that a Childe is born into the World Bless her in the fruit of her body and being safely delivered let her return thée hearty thanks and devote it and the rest of her life to thy service through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen A Thanksgiving for those that are restored from Dangerous Sickness WEe thank thée O Most Gracious God that thou hast heard us when wée cryed unto thée for thy servant in his weakness and distress that thou hast not turned away our Prayer nor thy mercy from him wée cryed to thée and thou hast delivered and healed him thou hast brought him from the grave thou hast kept him alive that hée should not go down into the Pit thou hast forgiven his iniquity and healed his diseases thou hast redéemed his life from destruction and hast crowned him with loving kindeness and tender mercies thou hast not deprived him of the residue of his years thou hast repented thée of the Evil His Age is nor departed Thou hast renewed his youth and given him to sée man with the Inhabitants of the World And to sée the Goodness of the Lord in the land of the living day and night thy hand was heavy upon him but thou hast turned away thy wrath and hast forgiven the iniquity of his sin for this every one that is godly shall pray unto thée in a time of trouble 〈◊〉 Thou art a hiding place thou preservest us from trouble when our Flesh and our heart faileth us thou art the strength of our heart and our Portion for ever indéed Lord thou art good unto thine Israel Even to such as are clean of heart many are the afflictions of the Righteous but thou deliverest them out of all Though all the day long they bée afflicted and chastened every morning yet are they continually with thée Thou holdest them by the right hand thou art a present help in trouble when all the help of man is vain Let thy servant love thée because thou hast heard his voice and supplication Let him offer unto thée the sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay his vowes to the most high and take the Cup of Salvation and call upon thée all his daies let him bée wholly devoted to thy praise and glorifie thée in Soul and Body as being Thine and seasonably depart in peace unto thy glory through Jesus Christ our life and righteousness Amen A
Thanksgiving for the Deliverance of Women in Childe-bearing WEE return thée thanks Most Gracious God That thou hast heard our Prayers for this thy hand-maid and hast béen her helpin the time of her necessity and delivered her from her fears and sorrows death and life are in thy power thou killest and thou makest alive thou bringest down to the grave and thou bringest up Thou makest the Barren to keep house to bée a ioyful Mother of Children Wée thank thée that thou hast given thy servant to see the fruit of her Womb and that thou hast brought her again to thy Holy assembly to go with the multitude to thy house and worship thee with the voyce of ioy and praise that shée may enter into thy gates with thanksgiving and into thy Court with praise and wée may all bée thankful to thée on her behalf and speak good of thy Name Thou art good O Lord to all and thy tender mercies are over all thy works thou preserveit them that love thée thou raisest up them that are vowed down thou fulfillest the desire of them that fear thée thou also dost hear their cry and save them command thy blessing yet upon thy servant and her off-spring Let her not forget thée and thy mercies but let her devote the life which thou hast given her to thy service and educate her off-spring as a Holy séed in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and as thou hast said that thy scurse is in the house of the wicked but thou blessest the habitation of the just let her and her house serve thée and let holiness to the Lord bée written upon all wherewith thou blessest her Let her make thée her refuge and habitation Give her the ornament of a méek and quiet spirit which in thy sight is of great price let her not love the world nor minde Earthly things but use the world as not abusing of it Seeing the time is short and the fashion of this world passeth away Restore her Soul and lead her in the paths of righteousness though shée must walk through the valley of the shaddow of death let her fear no evil Let thy goodness and mercy follow her all the daies of her life and let her dwell for ever in thy Glorious presence Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen If the Childe bee dead those passage which imply its living must be omitted and if the Woman bee such as the Church hath cause to judge ungodly the Thanksgiving must bee in words more agreeable to her condition if any bee used Of Pastoral Discipline Publick Confession Absolution and Exclusion from the Holy Communion of the Church THe Recital of the Curses are said in the Book of Common Prayer to bee instead of the godly discipline of the primitive Church till it can bee restored again which is much to bee wished which is the putting of notorious sinners to open Penitence His Majesties Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical affairs determineth that all publick diligence bee used for the instruction and reformation of Scandalous offenders whom the Minister shall not suffer to partake of the Lords Table until they have openly declared themselves to have truly repented and amended their former naughty lives provided there bee place for due appeals to Superiour Powers And the law of Christ commandeth if thy Brother trespass against thee go and tell him his faults between him and thee alone if hee shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother but if hee will not hear thee then take to thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may bee Established and if hee shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if hee shall neglect to hear the Church let him bee unto thee as a Heathen man or as a publican Mat. 18. 15 16 17. And it is the office of the Pastors of the several Congregations not only to teach the people in General and guide them in the Celebration of the publick Worship but also to over-see them and watch over each member of their flock particularly to preserve them from Errours Heresies Divisions and other sins defending the truth confuting gain-sayers and seducers instructing the Ignorant exciting the Negligent incourageing the Despondent comforting the Afflicted confirming the weak rebuking and admonishing the disorderly and scandalous and directing all according to their needs in the matters of their Salvation and the people in such needs should have ordinary recourse to them as the officers of Christ for guidance and resolution of their doubts and for assistance in making their salvation sure and in proving maintaining or restoring the peace of their consciences and spiritual comfort If therefore any member of the Church bee a scandalous sinner and the Crime bee either notorious or fully proved let the Pastor admonish him and set before him the particular command of God which hee transgresseth the supream Authority of God which hee despiseth the promises and mercies which hee treadeth under foot and the curse and dreadful condemnation which hee draweth upon himself let this bee done with great compassion and tender love to the offenders soul and with gravity reverent and serious importunity as beseemeth men imployed on the behalf of God for the saving of a soul and yet with judgement and cautelous prudence not taking that for sin which is no sin nor that for a gross and scandalous sin which is but an ordinary humane frailty not dealing as unreverently with a Superiour as with an inferiour nor making that publick which should bee concealed nor reproving before others when it should bee done more secretly nor speaking unseasonably to those who through drink or passion are incapable of the benefit nor yet offending by bashfulness or the fear of man or lukewarmness negligence or slighting over great offences on the other extream Prudence also requireth them to bee cautelous of over-medling where the Magistrates honour or concernment or the Churches unity or peace or the reputation of others or the interest of their Ministry requireth them to forbear These Cautions observed If the scandalous offenders continue impeâ—itent or unreformed after due admonitions and patience let the Pastor in the Congregation when hee is present rebuke him before all that the Church may sufficiently disown the Crime and others may see the odiousness danger of the sin But let this also bee with the love and seriousness and prudence before mentioned If the offender in obstinacy will not bee there the Pastor may open the crime before the Congregation And present or absent in case hee remain impenitent if the case will bear so long delay it is convenient that the Pastor publickly pray for his conviction and repentance that hee may bee Saved And this hee may do one or two or three or more daies as the nature of the case and prudence shall direct him If during these means for his Recovery after the proof of the Crime there
of the Son of God to a perfect man hee is set at Gods right hand in the Celestials far above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion and every name that is named not only in this World but in that to come God hath put all things under his feet and gave him to bee head over all things to the Church which is his Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Without Controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached to the Gentiles beleeved on in the World received up into glory This is the Record that God hath given us Eternal life and this Life is in his Son Hee that hath the Son hath life and hee that hath not the Son hath not life Hee was in the World and the World was made by him and the world knew him not Hee came to his own and his own received him not This is the Condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their Deeds are Evil. But as many as receive him to them gives hee Power to become the Sons of God even to them that beleeve in his Name There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit He forgiveth our Iniquities and will remember our sins no more who shall lay any thing to Charge of Gods elect It is God that Justifieth who is hee that Condemneth It is Christ that died Yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Who gave himself for us that hee might redéem us from all Iniquity purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works If any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Hee that nameth the name of Christ must depart from Iniquity If wee regard Iniquity in our hearts God will not hear our Prayers But wee are washed wee are sanctified wee are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Not by works of Righteousness which wee have done but according to his mercy hee saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost And being justified by faith wee have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also wee have Access by Faith into this Grace wherein wee stand and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us For if when wee were Enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being Reconciled wee shall bee saved by his life Hee that spared not his own Son but gave him up for us All how shall hee not with him also freely give us all things hee that is gone to prepare a place for us will come again and receive us to himself that where hee is there wee may bee also It is his will that they that the Father hath given him bee with him where hee is that they may behold the Glory that is given him Because hee liveth wee shall live also For wee are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall wee also appear with him in Glory when hee shall come to bee glorified in his Saints and to bee admired in all them that do beleeve Then shall men discern between the Righteous and the Wicked between those that serve God and those that serve him not Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father Hee that overcometh shall inherit all things Hee shall enter into the Joy of his Lord Hee shall bee a Pillar in the Temple of God and shall go out no more Christ will grant him to fit with him in his Throne even as hee overcame and is set down with his Father in his Throne hee will rejoyce ever as with joy hee will test in his love Even in the Holy City the new Jerusalem prepared as a Bride adorned for her 〈◊〉 where the Tabernacle of God will bee with men and hee will dwell with them and they shall bee his people and God himself shall bee with them their God and shall wipe away all tears from their Eyes and there shall bee no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor pain for the former things are passed away And the City needeth not the Sun or the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof The Throne of God and of the Lamb shall bee in it and his Servants shall serve him and shall see his face who is the Blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Of him Through him and To him are all things To him bee Glory for ever Amen FINIS 1 Tim. 1. 17. Psal 147. 5. Mat. 19. 17. 1 Tim. 6. 16. Dan. 7. 10. Isa 57. 15. Psal 149. 4. Heb. 10. 19 20. Isa 55. 6. Psa 95. 6. 1 2. 99. 5. 51. 1 17. 89. 7. Jer. 32. 40. Heb. 12. 28. 1 Thes 5. 23. Levit. 10. 3. Zech. 12. 10. Rom. 8. 26. Jam. 5. 16. 1. 6. Isa 26. 8. Matth. 15. 18. Joh. 4. 23 24. 1 Thes 2. 13. Act. 16. 14. Mark 4. 12. Phil. 1. 29. Prov. 1. 24 25. Eccles 5. 1. Joh. 6. 45. Heb. 4. 12 13. 2 Cor. 10. 4 6. Psal 69. 30. Psal 106. 46. Psal 9. 14. Psal 105. 3. Psal 51. 15. Psal 19. 14. Heb. 13. 21. Isa 66. 1. Psa 111. 9. Luke 2. 13. Psa 103. 20. Heb. 1. 6. Psa 149. 1. Lev. 10. 3. Gen 18 27. 2 Tim. 2. 5. Dan. 9. 18. Hos 14. 2. Rom. 8. 26. Heb. 12. 28. 〈◊〉 Thes 2. 10. Luke 19. 48. Isa 1. 19. 2 Cor. 2. 16. James 5 16. Psal 63. 5. 1 Cor. 7. 35. Psal 84. 10. 73. 28. Gen. 1. 27. Rom. 5. 12. Rom. 3. 23. Joh. 3. 16. 18 19 20. Gal. 3. 13. Joh. 3. 5. 6. Mat. 18. 3. Eze. 33. 11. Luk. 15. 10 18 19. Psal 5. 5. Rom. 6. 23. Ephes 1. 6. 12. John 4. 42. Rom. 3. 25. Ephes 1. 5. Luk. 24. 47. Act. 5. 37. Prov. 28. 13. Rev. 3. 17. Psal 51. 5. Ephes 2. 3. Isa 48. 8. Isa 53. 6. Psal 100. 3. 1 Corinth 6. 20. 2 Cor. 8. 5. 1 Cor. 10. 31. 7. 32. 1 Thes 4. 1. 1 Joh. 3. 22. Rom. 2. 23. 1 Chron. 21. 7. Phil. 2. 21. Luke 18. 14. Rom. 15. 1. Psal 47. 7. Rom. 7. 12. Dan. 9. 9. 10. Tit. 1. 7 10. Rom 8. 5. 13. 14. 4 20. Psal 78. 7. 22. Isa 51. 7 8.