be honored with all their heart and all their strength and grant that these gifts may be received into the lot and right of God and of Religion and the Donours be continued for ever in the lot of thine inheritance that by thy grace accepting these gifts they may in all their other possessions be blessed and by the use of these gifts in the Ministeries of thy holy Religion they may be sanctified and by a Guard of Angels they may be preserved from all evil and by the perpetual presence of thy holy Spirit they may be lead into all good and accepted to pardon and preserved in peace and promoted in holiness and conducted certainly to life Eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ Then the Bishop shall go to the North end of the H. Table and turning to the people shall say The Lord be with you Answer And with thy Spirit Let us pray I. O Most Glorious and Eternal God who makest all things by thy power and adornest all things with thy bounty and fillest all things with thy goodness and sanctifiest the hearts and gifts of thy servants by thy Spirit we worship and adore thy glories who fillest all the world by thy presence and sustainest it by thy Almightiness We love and magnifie thy mercies that thou hast been pleased to enable and admit thy servants to build an house to thee * That clause is to be omitted when the Bishop only dedicates any oblation and so are the other clauses which are inclosed in and out of thine own store to give gifts to thee who givest all that we possess We humbly pray thee by the Death and Passion by the Resurrection and Ascension and by the glorious Intercession of our Lord that thou wouldst vouchsafe to sanctifie this house and these gifts to thy service by the effusion of thy holiness from above Let the Sun of Righteousness for ever shine here and let the brightest illumination of the holy Spirit fill this place and fill all our hearts for ever with thy glorious presence That which we have blessed do thou bless that which we offer do thou accept that which we place here do thou visit graciously and for ever through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen II. LEt this house be for the Religious uses of thy servants let it be the abode of Angels let it be the place of thy Name and for the glory of thy Grace and for the mention and honour and the memorial of the Lord Jesus Let no unclean thing ever enter here Drive from hence all sacrilegious hands all superstitious Rites all prophane persons all proud and unquiet Schismaticks all misbelieving Hereticks Let not the powers of darkness come hither nor the secret arrow ever smite any here Let no corrupt ayre and no corrupt communication no blood-shed and no unclean action ever pollute this place dedicated to thy holiness By the multitudes of thy mercies and propitiations to the visitors of this place coming with devotion and charity let there be peace and abundance of thy blessings Hear them that shall call upon thee sanctifie their Oblations let the good Word of God come upon them and dispense thy good things unto them Let the title of this Church abide until the second coming of Christ and let thy Holy Table stand prepar'd with the blessings of a Celestial Banquet Bless the gifts and the givers the dwellers and the dwelling and grant unto us here present and to all that shall come after us that by the participation of thy heavenly graces we may obtain Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen III. O Eternal God who art pleas'd to manifest thy presence amongst the sons of men by the special issues of thy favour and benediction make our bodies and souls to be Temples pure and holy apt for the entertainments of the Holy Jesus and for the inhabitation of thy holy Spirit Lord be pleas'd with the powers of thy grace to cast out all impure lusts all worldly affections all covetous desires from these thy Temples that they may be places of prayer and holy meditation of godly desires and chaste thoughts of pure intentions and great zeal to please thee that we also may become Sacrifices as well as Temples eaten up with the zeal of thy glory and even consumed with the fires of thy love that not one thought may be entertain'd by us but such as may be like perfume exhaling from the Altar of Incense and not a word may pass from us but may have the accent of Heaven in it and sound pleasantly in thy ears O dearest God fill every faculty of our souls with the impresses of Religion that we loving thee above all things in the world worshipping thee with frequent and humblest adorations continually feeding upon the apprehensions of thy Divine sweetness and living in a daily observation of thy Divine Commandments and delighted with the perpetual feast of a holy Conscience may by thy Spirit be seal'd up to the day of Redemption and the fruition of thy glories in thine everlasting Kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee O Father of mercies Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and with thee O blessed and Eternal Spirit the Comforter all honour and power be ascribed from generation to generation for ever and ever Amen ¶ Then adde the Prayer of S. Clement GOd the beholder and discerner of all things the Lord Clement 1 epist ad Corinth in fine of Spirits and all flesh who hath chosen our Lord Jesus and us through him to be a peculiar people grant unto every soul that calleth upon his glorious and holy Name faith and fear peace and patience long-suffering and temperance with purity and wisdom to the well-pleasing of his Name through our High Priest and Ruler by whom unto him be glory and Majestie both now and to all ages evermore Amen ¶ Then the Bishop arising shall sit in his Chair at the South end of the H. Table and being covered shall cause the Chancellor to read the Instrument of Consecration and give command that it be entred into the Registry and an Act made of it in perpetuam rei memoriam A Duplicate of which Instrument attested under the Registers hand and seal of the Office is to remain with the Patron or Founder and the Original with the Bishop ¶ After which this Anathematism shall be read by him and his Clergy alternately all standing up ¶ The Anathematism KEep not thou silence O God hold not thy peace Ex Psalmis 79. 83. 129. and be not still O God 2. Let not thine Enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee lift up their head 3. Let them not come into thine inheritance to defile thy holy Temple lest they lay waste thy dwelling places and break down the carved work thereof with axes and hammers 4. Make their Nobles like Oreb and Zeeb yea all their princes like Zeba and Zalmunna 5. Who say let us take to
or any other sort of prophanation the Bishop attended by two Priests at least and one Deacon shall enter into the Church which shall be first prepared by cleansings and washings c. ¶ The Bishop and his Clergy being vested shall go in Procession about the Church on the inside saying alternately the seventh Psalm and the ningth Psalm ¶ After which the Bishop with his Clergy shall go to the Holy Table and there kneeling down shall pray O Almighty God who art of pure eyes and canst not behold impurity behold the Angels are not pure in thy sight and thou hast found folly in thy Saints have mercy upon thy servants who with repentance and contrition of heart return unto thee humbling our selves before thee in thy holy place We acknowledge our selves unworthy to appear in thy glorious presence because we are polluted in thy sight and it is just in thee to reject our prayers and to answer us no more from the place of thy Sanctuary for wickedness hath entred into the Courts where thy holy feet have trod and have defiled thy dwelling place even unto the ground and we by our sins have deserved this calamity But be thou graciously pleased to return to us as in the days of old and remember us according to thy former loving kindnesses in the days of our Fathers Cast out all iniquity from within us remove the guilt of that horrible prophanation that hath been committed here that abomination of desolation in the holy place standing where it ought not and grant that we may present unto thee pure Oblations and may be accepted by the gracious interpellation of our High Priest the most glorious Jesus Let no prophane thing enter any more into the lot of thine inheritance and be pleased again to accept the prayers which thy servants shall make unto thee in this place And because holiness becometh thine house for ever grant to us thy grace to walk before thee in all holiness of conversation that we becoming a Royal Priesthood a chosen Generation a people zealous of good works thou mayest accept us according to thy own loving kindness and the desires of our hearts O look upon thy most holy Son and regard the cry of his blood and let it on our behalf speak better things than the blood of Abel O Let that sprinkling of the blood of the Holy Lamb who was slain from the beginning of the world make this place holy and accepted and purifie our hands and hearts and sanctifie our prayers and praises and hallow all our Oblations and preserve this house and all the places where thy Name is invocated from all impurity and prophanation for ever and keep our bodies and souls and spirits unblmeable to the coming of our Lord Jesus Then O blessed Father grant that we being presented unto thee without spot or wrinkle or any such thing may be clothed with the righteousness of the Saints and walk in white with the Lamb in the Kingdom of our God for ever and ever Grant this O Almighty God our most gracious Father for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and the Holy Spirit be all worship and love and honour and glory from generation to generation for ever Amen ¶ Then the Bishop and Clergy arising from their knees shall say the Anathematism unto the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Acclamation as in the form of Consecration After which kneeling down shall be said the III. prayer plac'd in that Office a little before the Anathematism And next to that the II. Prayer which is immediately before that and then the Prayer of S. Clement ¶ After which arising from his knees the Bishop shall say SEing now dearly beloved in the Lord we have by humble prayer implor'd the mercy of God and his holy Spirit to take from this place and from our hearts all impurity and prophanation and that we hope by the mercies of God in our Lord Jesus Christ he hath heard our prayers and will grant our desires let us give hearty thanks for these mercies and say ¶ Then shall be said the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Acclamation as at the end of the Office of Consecration of Churches c. ¶ And then shall the Priest whom the Bishop shall appoint begin Morning prayer ¶ The Psalms for the day are Psalm 18 and Psalm 30. ¶ The first Lesson is Zechariah I. ¶ The second Lesson Mark II. unto verse 26. inclusively ¶ The Collect the same with that at Morning-prayer in the Consecration of Churches ¶ If any Chalice Paten Font Pulpit or any other Oblation or Vtensil for the Church be at any time newly to be presented the Bishop is to use the forms of Dedication of those respective gifts which are particularly used in the dedication and this to be done immediately after the Nicene Creed at the time of the Communion ever adding the Anathematism and Acclamation Te decet Hymnus Instrumentum Publicum conficiendum ad finem Consecrationis publicè legendum postea in ARCHIVIS EPISCOPALIBUS reponendum IN nomine Dei Amen Quum dilectus filius noster A. B. de C. in Comitatu D. pia Religiosâ devotione ductus Ecclesiam in villa de H. continentem intra muros ejusdem in longitudine ab Oriente ad Occidentem pedes aut circitèr in latitudine verò ab Aquilone ad Austrum versùs pedes aut circiter aedificaverit erexerit construxerit sacra mensâ decentèr ornatâ suggestis ad precandum legendum paerdicandum convenientèr compositis nec non locum sive aream pro Coemiterio separaverit qui locus in toto circuitu continet pedes aliáque necessaria ad cultum divinum sufficientèr decorè concinnaverit nobisque supplicaverit quatenùs Nos authoritate nostrâ ordinariâ atque Episcopali pro nobis successoribus nostris dictam Ecclesiam ab usibus pristinis communibus Prophanis quibuscunque separare in usus sacros divinos consecrare dedicare dignaremur Nos T. D. permissione divinâ D. Episcopus pio Religioso ejus desiderio in hâc parte favorabilitèr annuentes ad consecrationem Ecclesiae hujus de novo sicut praefatur erectae ornatae authoritate nostrâ ordinaria atque Episcopali procedentes eandem Ecclesiam ab omni communi prophano usu in perpetuum separamus soli divino cultui divinorum celebrationi in perpetuum addicimus dicamus dedicamus ac insuper eâdem authoritate pro nobis successoribus nostris licentiam pariter facultatem in Domino concedimus ad rem Divinam inibi faciendam nempè preces publicas sacram liturgiam caetui suo in linguâ Anglicana aut alio Idiomate ipsis communiter intellecto recitandum ad verbum Dei sincerè fideliter proponendum atque supplicandum ad sanctissima sacramenta quoties par erit in eâdem ministranda ad mortuos si voluerint sepeliendos ad caetera quaecunque peragenda quae in aliis Capellis Ecclesiis Parochialibus communitèr licite fieri possunt solent ac tam Presbyteris Diaconis respectivè ad leges Ecclesiasticos inserviendi preces divinas dicendi ceteraque praemissa faciendi quam dicto A. B. Parochianis omnibus in eadem preces divinas audiendi caeteraque praemissa percipiend plenam in domino potestatem facimus eandem quoque Ecclesiam in honorem Dei sacros usus eorum qui in Parochia habitant commorantur nunc in futurum consecramus per nomen Ecclesiae SS individuae Trinitatis vel Christi c. sic consecratam fuisse esse in futuris temporibus sic remanere debere palam publicè pronunciamus decernimus declaramus privilegiis insuper omnibus singulis in tali Ecclesia usitatis aut alicui Ecclesiae Parochiali in hac Diaecesi ab antiquo fundatae competentibus Ecclesiam hanc ad omnem Juris effectum munitam publicam esse volumus quantum in nobis est de Jure possumus sic munimus stabilimus per praesentes Reservamus tamen semper nobis successoribus nostris Episcopis D. potestatem visitandi dictam Ecclesiam quando visum fuerit ad officium spectare ut constet an reparationibus aliisque rebus decoris conservetur an omnia ibidem Canonicè secundùm ordinem fiant quae omnia singula sic reservamus quoad caetera vero praemissa quatenus in nobis est de jure possumus pro nobis successoribus nostris decernimus stabilimus per praesentes FINIS
thee and what is the place of thy rest that we can furnish out for thee Surely every place is too little and too low for thee who dwellest on high and thy glory is above the Heavens And yet thou humblest thy self to behold the things that are in heaven and earth and thy delight is to be with the sons of men Thou speakest our words thou compliest with our weaknesses thou acceptest our services and wilt be worshipped and ador'd according to what thou hast put into our power Thou therefore hast been pleas'd in all ages to meet with thy servants in places separate for thy worship and for the invocation of thy holy Name In Paradise there was a proper place which thy servant Moses called The presence of the Lord and thy servant Abraham called on thy Name in the place of the Altar And thou didst meet the Patriarch Jacob Gen. 13. 4. at Bethel and he consecrated a stone for thy memorial and it became dreadful and venerable the House of God and the Gate of Heaven and Rebekah had a proper place Gen. 28. 17. whither she went to inquire of the Lord. Thou also didst fill the Tabernacle with thy presence and the Temple with thy glory and when the fulness of time was come thou by thy most holy Son didst declare that thou wilt be present in all places where two or three are gathered in thy Name and that amongst all Nations for ever Thy house shall be called the house of prayer and by thy Apostle hast signified to us that our dwelling houses are to eat and drink in but that we must not despise the Churches of God For thou art a jealous God and wilt not endure that thy Temples should be defiled Our God is a consuming fire and he that defiles a Temple him will God destroy Therefore in confidence of thy goodness in expectation of thy favours in full assurance of thy promises in obedience to the manifold declaration of thy pleasure and in imitation of the piety of thy servants who in all the generations of the world have separated places and houses for thy service and left great monuments of their piety for our comfort and example that we may come together into one place * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Ignat. Epist ad Magness and by a joyn'd prayer wrastle with thee for blessings and not depart thence till thou hast blessed us We thy servants walking in the steps of their most holy faith partakers of the same hope fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God are this day met together in thy fear and love to dedicate a house to thee and to the glories of thy Name that we may not neglect the assembling of our selves together but meet here to implore thy mercies to deplore our sins to deprecate thy anger to magnifie thy goodness to celebrate thy praises to receive thy Sacraments to bless thy people and to perform all ministeries of Salvation Be pleased therefore most gracious Lord and Father to accept the devotion and oblation of thy servants admit this place and house into a portion of thine own inheritance Let it be a resting place for thy feet and the seat of thy Graciousness Depute thy holy Angels to abide here to defend thy servants and to drive away all the power of the Enemy Place thy mercy-seat among us also Let thine eyes and thine ears be open towards this house night and day and hear the prayers of thy people which they shall make unto thee in this place granting to them all the graces which they shall need and ask And whensoever in humility and contrition they shall confess their sins unto thee be thou more ready to hear than they to pray forgive them all their sins encrease and perfect their repentances remove thy judgements far from them and let them feel and rejoyce in thy mercies and loving kindnesses for ever and ever Grant this for his sake who is the King of the Saints and the Head of the Church the great lover of souls and our High Priest who continually makes intercession for us our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Amen III. O Almighty God who art the Father of the faithful and a gracious God to all that call upon thee in truth and love thou hast taught us by thy holy Apostle that every thing is sanctified by the word of God and prayer Attend this day and ever to the prayers of thy servants be present with thy grace in all our ministeries of the Sacraments and Sacramentals and bless all the labours and accept all the religious duties and satisfie all the holy desires of them who in this thy house shall make their supplications before thee And let the dew of thy Divine blessing descend and abide for ever upon this house which by invocation of thy holy Name and to the honour of the Lord Jesus and the Ministeries of thy servants we though unworthy consecrate and dedicate unto thee Spare all the penitents relieve the distressed comfort the comfortless confirm the strong and strengthen the weak Ease the afflicted heal the wounded and the sick provide for the widows and be a Father to the fatherless and unto all them whose consciences being accus'd for sin come with confidence to the Throne of Grace Give help in all the times of their need that whensoever thy Name is called upon thy blessings may certainly descend Let thy Eternal peace be to this house and to them who in this house come to thee to be eased and refreshed Here let thy Priests be cloth'd with righteousness and let thy Saints sing with joyfulness Here let thy people make their prayers and perform their vows and offer thee freewill offerings with a holy worship Here let the weight of their sins that so easily besets them be laid aside here let the chains of their corruption and the chords of vanity be broken Let the lapsed be restored let the sick be cured let the blind eyes and hearts be inlightned with the lanthorn of thy Word and the light of thy Spirit Here let the power of Satan be lessened and destroyed and let thy servants find a cure for all their wounds a comfort for all their sorrows a remedy to all their inconveniences that all who shall enter this house now dedicated to thy service may obtain all their desires and triumph in the Name of the Lord our God who hath perform'd all their petitions Preserve their souls from sin their eyes from tears and their feet from falling for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thee O Father and thy most Holy Spirit be all honour and glory praise and thanksgiving love and obedience for ever and ever Amen ¶ Then the Bishop and the Congregation arising from their knees the Bishop attended by his Clergy shall go in Procession round about the Church within and say this Hymn alternately HYMN I. 1. EXcept the Lord build the house they labour