That indetermination of the office may not introduce indifferency nor indifferency lead in a freer liberty or liberty degenerate into licentiousness or licentiousness into folly and vanity and these come sometime attended with secular designs lest these be cursed with the immission of a peevish spirit upon our Priests and that spirit be a teacher of lies and these lies become the basis of impious theoremes which are certainly attended with ungodly lives and then either Atheism or Antichristianism may come according as shall happen in the conjunction of time and other circumstances for this would be a sad climax a ladder upon which are no Angels ascending or descending because the degrees lead to darkness and misery 5. But that which is of special concernment is this that the Liturgy of the Church of England hath advantages so many and so considerable as not onely to raise it self above the devotions of other Churches but to endear the affections of good people to be in love with Liturgy in general 6. For to the Churches of the Romane Communion we can say that ours is reformed to the reformed Churches we can say that ours is orderly and decent for we were freed from the impositions and lasting errours of a tyrannical spirit and yet from the extravagancies of a popular spirit too our reformation was done without tumult and yet we saw it necessary to reform we were zealous to cast away the old errours but our zeal was balanced with consideration and the results of authority Not like women or children when they are affrighted with fire in their clothes we shak'd off the cole indeed but not our garments lest we should have exposed our Churches to that nakedness which the excellent men of our sister Churches complained to be among themselves 7. And indeed it is no small advantage to our Liturgy that it was the off-spring of all that authority which was to prescribe in matters of Religion The king and the Priest which are the Antistites Religionis and the preservers of both the Tables joyn'd in this work and the people as it was represented in Parliament were advised withal in authorizing the form after much deliberation for the Rule Quod spectat ad omnes ab omnibus tractari debet was here observed with strictness and then as it had the advantages of discourse so also of authorities its reason from one and its sanction from the other that it might be both reasonable and sacred and free not onely from the indiscretions but which is very considerable from the scandal of popularity 8. And in this I cannot but observe the great wisdome and mercy of God in directing the contrivers of the Liturgy with the spirit of zeal and prudence to allay the furies and heats of the first affrightment For when men are in danger of burning so they leap from the flames they consider not whither but whence and the first reflections of a crooked tree are not to straightness but to a contrary incurvation yet it pleased the Spirit of God so to temper and direct their spirits that in the first Liturgy of King Edward they did rather retain something that needed further consideration then reject any thing that was certainly pious and holy and in the second Liturgy that they might also throughly reform they did rather cast out something that might with good profit have remained then not satisfy the world of their zeal to reform of their charity in declining every thing that was offensive and the clearness of their light in discerning every semblance of errour or suspicion in the Romane Church 9. The truth is although they fram'd the Liturgy with the greatest consideration that could be by all the united wisdome of this Church and State yet as if Prophetically to avoid their being charg'd in after ages with a crepusculum of Religion a dark twilight imperfect Reformation they joyn'd to their own starre all the shining tapers of the other reformed Churches calling for the advice of the most eminently learned and zealous Reformers in other Kingdomes that the light of all together might shew them a clear path to walk in And this their care produced some change for upon the consultation the first form of King Edwards Service-book was approved with the exception of a very few clauses which upon that occasion were review'd and expung'd till it came to that second form and modest beauty it was in the Edition of M D L II and which Gilbertus a German approved of as a transcript of the ancient and primitive forms 10. It was necessary for them to stay somewhere Christendome was not onely reformed but divided too and every division would to all ages have called for some alteration or else have disliked it publickly and since all that cast off the Romane yoke thought they had title enough to be called Reformed it was hard to have pleased all the private interests and peevishness of men that called themselves friends and therefore that onely in which the Church of Rome had prevaricated against the word of God or innovated against Apostolical tradition all that was par'd away But at last she fix'd and strove no further to please the people who never could be satisfied 11. The Painter that exposed his work to the censure of the common passengers resolving to mend it as long as any man could finde fault at last had brought the eyes to the ears and the ears to the neck and for his excuse subscrib'd Hanc populus fecit But his Hanc ego that which he made by the rules of art and the advice of men skill'd in the same mystery was the better peece The Church of England should have par'd away all the Canon of the Communion if she had mended her peece at the prescription of the Zuinglians and all her office of Baptism if she had mended by the rules of the Anabaptists and kept up Altars still by the example of the Lutherans and not have retain'd decency by the good will of the Calvinists and now another new light is sprung up she should have no Liturgy at all but the worship of God be left to the managing of chance and indeliberation and a petulant fancy 12. It began early to discover its inconvenience for when certain zealous persons fled to Frankford to avoid the funeral piles kindled by the Romane Bishops in Queen Maries time as if they had not enemies enough abroad they fell foul with one another and the quarrel was about the Common Prayer Book and some of them made their appeal to the judgement of M r Calvin whom they prepossessed with strange representments and troubled phantasms concerning it and yet the worst he said upon the provocation of those prejudices was that even its vanities were tolerable Tolerabiles ineptias was the unhandsome Epithete he gave to some things which he was forc'd to dislike by his over-earnest complying with the Brethren of Frankford 13. Well! upon this the wisdome of
fires of devotion then the straw and the stubble which some men did suddenly or weakly rake together when ever they were to dress their Sacrifice Now although these prayers have no authority to give them power yet they are humbly and charitably intended and that may get them love and they have been as to the matter of them approved by persons of great learning and great piety and that may sufficiently recommend them to the use of those who have no other or no better and they no way doe violence to Authority and therefore the use of them cannot be insecure and they contain in them no matter of question or dispute and therefore cannot be justly suspected of interest or partiality and they are especially in the chiefest offices collected out of the devotions of the Greek Church with some mixture of the Mozarabick and AEthiopick and other Liturgies and perfected out of the fountains of Scripture and therefore for the material part have great warrant and great authority and therefore if they be used with submission to Authority it is hop'd they may doe good and if they be not used no man will be offended 49. I hope there will be no need of an apology or an excuse for doing an act of charity If no man will confess that he needs any of these they can be let alone for they are intended onely for them that doe but if there be a need these prayers may help to obtain of God to take that need away and to supply it in the mean while But there is nothing else intended in this design but that we may see what excellent forms of prayer were used in the ancient Church what a rare repository of Devotion the Scripture is how it was the same spirit of prayer that assisted the Church of England and other Churches of God how much better the Curates of souls may help themselves with these or the like offices then with their own extempore how their present needs may be supplied and their devotion enlarged and a day of Religion intirely spent and a provision made for some necessities in which our calamities and our experience of late have too well instructed us For which and for other great reasons all Churches have admitted variety of Offices In the Greek Church it is notorious they have three publick Books and very many added afterwards by their Patriarchs their Bishops and their Priests some are said often and others sometimes and in Spain the Mozarabick office was used until the time of Alfonsus the 6 th and to this very day in six Parishes in Toledo and in the Cathedral Church it self in the Chappel of Frier Francis Ximenez and at Salamanca upon certain days in the Chappel of Doctor Talabricensis And after all these may be admitted into the use and ministery of families for all the necessities of which here is something provided 50. He that gathered these things together intends as humbly as piously as charitably as he can doe in any action whatsoever and if any of his brethren can tell his heart better then himself I am sure he may say much more of it but if any man can think I have in it any purpose less pious or less severe or that there is any obliquity or any thing but what is here expressed I must answer for it if there be and he must answer for it if there be not January hath xxxi days The Moon xxx Sun in Aquar riseth h. 7. m. 52. sec. 34. In lat 52. setteth h. 4. m. 7. sec. 26. Jan. 10.  h. 8. m. 3. sec. 56. In lat 54.  h. 3. m. 56. sec. 4.      Morning prayer Evening prayer      1 Lesson 2 Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Less 19 1 A Calend. Circumcision * * * * 8 2 b 4 Non.  Gen. 1. Matt. 1 Gen. 2. Rom. 1.  3 c 3  3 2 4 2 16 4 d Pr. No.  5 3 6 3 5 5 e Nonae Edward K. 7 4 8 4  6 f 8 Idus Epiphany * * * * 13 7 g 7  Gen. 9. Matt. 5 Gen. 12 Rom. 5. 2 8 A 6 Lucian 13 6 14 6  9 b 5  15 7 16 7 10 10 c 4  17 8 18 8  11 d 3  19 9 20 9 18 12 e Pr. Idus  21 10 22 10 7 13 f Idus Hilary Bp. 23 11 24 11  14 g 19 Cal. of February 25 12 26 12 15 15 A 18  27 13 28 13 4 16 b 17  29 14 30 14  17 c 16 Sulpitius Bp. 31 15 32 15 12 18 d 15 Prisca Virg. 33 16 34 16 1 19 e 14 Ulstan Bp. 35 17 37 1 Cor. 1.  20 f 13 Fabian 38 18 39 2 9 21 g 12 Agnes 40 19 41 3  22 A 11 Vincent Mart. 42 20 43 4 17 23 b 10  44 21 45 5 6 24 c 9 Timothy Bp. 46 22 47 6  25 d 8 Conv. S. Paul * * * * 14 26 e 7 Polycar Mart. Gen. 48 Mat. 23 Gen. 49 1 Cor. 7. 3 27 f 6  50 24 Exod. 1 8  28 g 5  Exod. 2 25 3 9 11 29 A 4 Valerius Bp. 4 26 5 10 19 30 b 3 C. R. M. 7 27 8 11 8 31 c Pr. Cal.  9 28 10 12 February hath xxviii days The Moon xxix Sun in Pisc. riseth h. 7. m. o. sec. 28. latit 52. setteth h. 4. m. 59 sec. 32. Feb. 8.  h. 7. m. 1. sec. 40. latit 54.  h. 4. m. 58 sec. 20.      Morning prayer Evening prayer      1 Lesson 2 Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Less  1 d Calend. Fast Exo. 11 Mark 1 Exo. 12 1 Cor. 13 16 2 e 4 Non. Purific Mary * 2 * 14 5 3 f 3 Blasius Exo. 13 3 Exo. 14 15  4 g Pr. No.  15 4 16 16 13 5 A Nonae Agathe 17 5 18 2 Cor. 1 2 6 b 8 ld  19 6 20 2  7 c 7  21 7 22 3 10 8 d 6  23 8 24 4  9 e 5 Apollon Virg 32 9 33 5 18 10 f 4 Scholast Virg. 34 10 Lev. 18 6 7 11 g 3  Lev. 19 11 20 7  12 A Prid. ld  26 12 Nu. 11 8 15 13 b Idus  Nu. 12 13 13 9 4 14 c 16 Cal. Valentine 14 14 16 10  15 d 15  17 15 20 11 12 16 e 14  21 16 22 12 1 17 f 13  23 Lu. di 1 24 13  18 g 12  25 dim 1 27 Galat. 1 9 19 A 11  30 2 31 2  20 b 10  32 3 35 3 17 21 c 9  36 4 Deut. 1 4 6 22 d 8  Deut. 2 5 3 5  23 e 7 Fast 4 6 5 6 14 24 f 6 S. Matthias * 7 * Ephes. 1 3 25 g 5  6 8 7 2  26 A 4  8 9 9
What is man that thou art mindfull of him and the Son of man that thou visitest him ¶ For thou hast made him little lower then the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour * Thou madest him to have dominion over the workes of thy hands and hast put all things under his feet ¶ All sheep and oxen yea and the beasts of the feild the fowle of the aire and the fishes of the sea * O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy name in all the world ¶ The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work * Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge ¶ Their line is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world * To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thankes unto thee for ever ¶ Shew me thy wayes O Lord teach me thy paths lead me in thy truth and teach me for thou art the God of my salvation on thee doe I wait all the day * Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving-kindnesses for they have been ever of old ¶ Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgression according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodnesse sake O Lord. * For thy names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is very great O keepe my soule and deliver me let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee ¶ That which I see not teach thou me I have done iniquity but I will doe no more for there is no darkenesse nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves * For his eyes are upon the wayes of man and he seeth all his goings but none saith where is God my maker who giveth songs in the night ¶ But I put my trust in thee O Lord I have said thou art my God * Into thy hand I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth ¶ I will lay me downe in peace for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Or this * PReserve me O God for in thee doe I put my trust O my soule thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my Lord my goodnesse extendeth not to thee ¶ But to the Saints which are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight * The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot ¶ I will blesse the Lord who hath given me counsell my reines also instruct me in the night seasons * I have set the Lord alwaies before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be mooved Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope ¶ For thou wilt not leave my soule in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy one to see corruption * Thou wilt shew me the path of life in thy presence is the fulnesse of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore ¶ As the heart panteth after the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God * My soule thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appeare in the presence of God ¶ The Lord will command his loving-kindnesse in the day time and in the night his song shall be with me I will make my prayer unto the God of my life * For thou art the God that doest wonders thy way O God is in the sanctuary who is so great a God as our God ¶ Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the Fowler and from the noisome pestilence * Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day ¶ For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keepe thee in all thy waies they shall beare thee in their hands least thou dash thy foot against a stone * I will remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night-watch for thou hast been my health therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoyce ¶ Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits even the God of our salvation * He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues of death ¶ Also unto thee O Lord belongeth mercy for thou rendrest to every man according to his worke Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Lesson 1 Thessal 5. 2. YOur selves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so commeth as a theife in the night * For when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction commeth upon them as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape * But ye brethren are not in darknesse that that day should overtake you as a theife ye all are children of the light and children of the day we are not of the night or of darknesse * Therefore let us not sleepe as doe others but let us watch and be sober * For they that sleep sleep in the night and they that be drunken are drunken in the night * But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breast-plate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation * For God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtaine salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ * Who died for us that whether we wake or sleepe we should live together with him Or read a chapter in the Sapientiall bookes in order After the lesson recite the Creed I beleive in God the Father Almighty c. The Lord be with you Ans. And with thy Spirit Let us Pray I. The confession of sins taken out of the prayer of S. Ephraim the Syrian O Almighty God who dwellest in the inaccessible light before whom the greatest mountaines are like the dust of the ballance and in whose sight the heavens are not pure and the Angels tremble and the Saints are charg'd with folly and all the world shall feare in thy glorious presence we confesse to thee O Lord Father of heaven and earth all those sins which we have wrought in private and in publick for thou knowest all things and nothing is hid from thy righteous eyes Thou art the God of mercy and pity and thou wouldst have all even strangers to be sav'd we fly therefore unto thee who art the lover and Saviour of all the soules of the faithfull Have pity upon us who have many times imbitterd and greiv'd thy most holy spirit to the joy of our enemies and the sad ruine of our pitiable and wounded soules Behold O God we have been dead in sins and trespasses and servants to thy enemy There is no kind of sins but we have committed or would have committed If it were pleasant we cared
them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evill For thine is the Kingdome the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen The Collect. O King of Glory Lord and Maker of the World thou art a God knowing all things and all thoughts even long before they are be thou present with us in this religious solemnity calling upon thee Deliver us from the shame of our sins from the corruption and evill inclinations that attend them anâ— from all the evils that may justly follow them Cleanse our wills and our understandings from all evill lusts and concupiscence from the deceits of the world from the violence and snares of the Devill from all guile and hypocrisy from every evill word and worke that we may serve thee faithfully worship thee religiously and pray unto thee acceptably through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Then shall the Minister humbly say this prayer of preparation first in behalfe of himselfe then of the congregation O Lord God who in mercy and great compassion doest consider thy people and hast given unto us thy unworthy servants miserable sinners confidence and commandement to present our selves before thee at thy holy table to represent a holy venerable and unbloody sacrifice for our sins and for the errors and ignorances of all thy people looke upon me the meanest and most polluted of all them that approach to thy sacred presence Pity me O God and wash away all my sins Cleanse my heart and my hands my head and my lips from all impurities of the flesh and spirit and remoove far from me all irreverence and undecency all foolish imaginations and vaine reasonings and by the power of the Holy Ghost make me worthy for this ministery accepting this service for his sake whose sacrifice I represent and by whose commandement I minister even our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen HAve mercy upon this thy people who with hungry and thirsty soules come to be refreshed comforted by the divine Nutriment of thy Holy Body and Blood Pity our infirmities despise not our unworthynesse Curse not our follies and take not from thy servants thy grace and the light of thy Divine Countenance but according to the multitude of thy great mercies doe away all our offences that without selfe condemnation we may appear before thy glory covered with the vaile of Jesus adorned with the robe of his righteousnesse and illustrated with the brightnesse of thy Divine spirit that we may live by thy grace and feel thy mercy and pardon in this world and in the world to come through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Then shall the Minister rising up rehearse with a loud voice the Eight Beatitudes the people still kneeling Minister Our Lord Jesus seeing the multitudes went up into a mountaine and he opened his mouth and taught them saying 1. BLessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven People Lord pardon our faults and incline our hearts to obey thee that we may inherit this blessing Minister 2. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted People Lord pardon our faults and incline our hearts to obey thee that we may inherit this blessing Minister 3. Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the Earth People Lord pardon our faults and incline our hearts to obey thee that we may inherit this blessing Minister 4. Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be filled People Lord pardon our faults and incline our hearts to obey thee that we may inherit this blessing Minister 5. Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie People Lord pardon our faults and incline our hearts to obey thee that we may inherit this blessing Minister 6. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God People Lord pardon our faults and incline our hearts to obey thee that we may inherit this blessing Minister 7. Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God People Lord pardon our faults and incline our hearts to obey thee that we may inherit this blessing Minister 8. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven People Lord make us ready in heart and body to obey thee in every thing that we may inherit all these blessings in the Kingdome of our Lord Jesus Amen Let us Pray O Lord God our Creator who hast given us life and being and hast showne unto us the way of salvation vouchsafing to us the revelation of Heavenly Mysteries and hast commanded to us this service in the power of the Holy Ghost and obedience of the Lord Jesus be thou well pleased O Lord with this our service and dutie and grant that with a holy fear and a pure conscience we may finish this service presenting a holy sacrifice holily unto thee that thou maist receive it in heaven and smell a sweet odor in the union of the eternall sacrifice which our Blessed Lord perpetually offers and accept us graciously as thou didst entertaine the gifts of Abel the sacrifice of Noah the services of Moses and Aaron the peace-offering of Samuel the repentance of David and the incense of Zecharias and as from the hands of thy Holy Apostles thou didst accept this ministery so vouchsafe by the hands of us miserable sinners to finish and perfect this oblation that it may be sanctified by the Holy Ghost and be accepted in the Lord Jesus that we being adopted into the society and participation of his holinesse and sufferings admitted to his service incorporated to his body united to his purity made partakers of his intercession pardoned by his mercy sanctified by his grace confirmed by his strengths professing his religion beleiving in his word hoping in his promises and keeping all his commandements may receive the reward of faithfull and wise stewards in the day of righteous judgement Grant this O God for his sake who is the food of our soules and the joy of our hearts the object of our faith and hope and the great example of charity and all excellencies our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Then all arising from their knees shall be read some portions of scripture relating to the present Mystery viz. 1 EPistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians 11 chap. from verse 23. to the end The Gospel according to S. Marc. 14. 2. verse unto verse the 26. Or 1 Epistle of S. Paul written to the Corinthians 10 chapter from verse 1. to the 18. Gospel according to S. Matthew 26. verse 17. to verse 30. Sometimes one of these may suffice but never above two are to be us'd at once one out of the Epistles one out of the Gospels Then shall follow this Eucharistical Hymne all standing up reciting the verses interchangeably ONe thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life to
sanctifying these waters a new and heavenly off-spring may hence arise full of health and light that humane nature which was made after thy own image being reformed and restored to the honour of its first beginning may be cleansed from all the impure adherencies of sin preserved from the Dominion of it and rescued from all its sad effects that what shall be so born in the wombe of the Church may dwell in the house of God and Reign with thee for ever in the inheritance of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Amen II. OUR Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus who was baptized of John in Jordan who walked upon the waters who converted water into wine who out of his precious side shed forth bloud and water the two Sacraments of life unto his holy Church and commanded his disciples to teach all nations baptizing them with water in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost he blesse and sanctifie by his holy Spirit this water that it may be instrumental and effective of grace of pardon and sanctification Hear us O most gracious God that whoever shall be baptized in this water may be renewed by thy grace justified by thy mercy sanctified by thy Spirit preserved by thy providence and guided by thy word that in this water springing from the Paradise of God the Soul or Souls presented unto thee may be cleansed and purified and that there may be added to thy Church daily such as shall be saved in the day of thy glorious appearing O Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Amen Then the Minister and People arising from their knees the following Gospel shall be read Hear the words of the holy Gospel written by S. Matthew in the third chapter c. Verse 13. to verse 17. inclusively THen cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him * But John forbad him saying I have need to be baptized of thee and commest thou to me And Jesus answering said unto him Suffer it to be so now for thus it becommeth us to fulfill all righteousness Then he suffered him And Jesus when he was baptised went up straitway out of the water and loe the heavens were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a Dove and lighting upon him * And loe a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Hear likewise what S. Mark writeth in his tenth chapter Verse 13. 17. exclusively THE Jews brought children to Christ that he should touch them and his Disciples rebuked those that brought them * But when Jesus saw it he was much displeased and said unto them Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of God Verily I say unto you whosoever shall not receive the kingdome of God as a little child he shall not enter therein * And he took them up in his armes put his hands upon them and blessed them FRiends in these Gospels you see the actions and hear the words of our Blessed Saviour how he commanded little children to be brought unto him how he rebuked those that would have kept them away how readily he blessed them how kindly he embraced them how he pronounced them capable of and entitled to the kingdome of God how he commanded us to receive the kingdome as infants received it and affirmed that we can no way receive it but by being like them you know also that although Christ commanded them to be brought unto him there is no ordinary and appointed way for Infants to come to Christ and no way poâ—â—â—ble for them to be brought to Christ but by this new birth and regeneration in the laver of Baptisme you see also by the example and words of our Blessed Lord himself that even the most innocent persons ought to be baptized For he himself who knew no sin was yet baptized in the Baptisme of Repentance and so to doe was the fulfilling of righteousness we may therefore easily perceive that the innocence of infants and their freedom from actual sin cannot excuse them from Baptisme and if we remember that although our Blessed Saviour required faith of them who came to be healed of their diseases yet by the * faith of others who came in behalf of such as could not be brought or could not come the sick person was healed we are sufficiently instructed that although Infants have no more actual faith then they have actual sin yet the faith of others can be is by the usual and revealed method of the divine mercy as well imputed to them to the purposes of grace and life as the sin of Adam can be imputed to the purposes of death that as in Adam all die so in Christ all should be made alive we may therefore from these certain evidences conclude that God alloweth in you this obedience and charity in bringing this child to Christ to receive all blessings of which he is capable a title to the promises and adoption to be the child of God a sanctification by the spirit a designation to the service of Christ and putting him into the order of eternal life Therefore as circumcision was the seal of the righteousness of faith and yet minâ—stred to infants eight daies old and commanded so severely that God said the uncircumcised child whole flesh is not circumcisedâ— that soul shall be cut off from his people so Baptisme which is now the seal of the same faith and the same righteousness and a figure like unto the former is to be administred to infants although they have no more actual faith then the children of the Israelites had our Blessed Saviour having made Baptisme as necessary in the new Testament as Circumcision in the Old For because little children can receive the kingdome of God and in infants there is no incapacity of receiving the mercies of God the adoption to be children of God a title to the promises the covenant of repentance and a right to pardon whosoever shall deny to baptize infants when he is justly required is sacrilegious and uncharitable Since therefore the Church of God hath so great so cleer so indubitable a warrant to baptize infants and therefore did alwaies practice it let us humbly and charitably give thanks to God for his great mercies unto us all and with meekness and love recommend this child to the grace of God Let us pray O Almighty and eternal God who hast redeemed us from sin and shame from the gates of hell and the sting of death and from ignorance and darkness by thy holy Son who is that light which lightneth every man that cometh into the world we praise and glorifie thy name that thou hast called us to the knowledge of thy will and the love of thy name and the service of thy majesty which is perfect freedome the freedome of the sons of God II. As thou hast
this Psalme * PLeade thou my cause O Lord with them that strive with me for they have laid their net to destroy me without a cause yea even without a cause have they made a pit for my soule ¶ Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoyce over me neither let them winke with the eye that hate me without a cause * For they speake not peace but they devise deceitfull matters against them that are quiet in the land ¶ They rewarded me evill for good to the great discomfort of my soule * Stirre up thy selfe and awake to my judgement even unto my cause my God and my Lord. ¶ Judge me O Lord my God according to my righteousnesse and let them not rejoyce over me * And my soule shall be joyful in the Lord it shall rejoyce in his salvation ¶ All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee which deliverest the poore from him that is too strong for him yea the poore and needy from him that spoileth him * Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my righteous cause yea let them say continually let the Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants ¶ Trust in the Lord and doe good so shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed * Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him fret not thy selfe because of him who prospereth in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to passe ¶ For the Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his day is comming * Glory be to the Father c. ¶ As it was in the beginning c. Minister The Lord be with you Answer And with thy Spirit Let us pray Our Father which art in Heaven c. The Collect. ALmighty and everlasting God who hatest nothing that thou hast made and lovest not that a sinner should die before thee and before thy Angels there is joy in heaven at the conversion of a sinner thou hast promised pardon to the penitent and salvation to them that persevere O grant that we may never presume on thy mercy or despise the riches of thy goodnesse but that thy forbearance and long suffering may lead us to repentance create and make in us new and contrite hearts that we truly mourning for our sins and forsaking them condemning our selves and justifying thee crucifying the old man and becomming new creatures may obtaine of thee mercy and remission that though we are now worthily punished for our sins by the comfort of thy grace we may be mercifully releived through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen I. The prayer for the Church O Eternal God thou preserver of men and the Great lover of soules have pitty and compassion upon thine afflicted handmaid the Church of England Thou hast humbled us for our pride and chastised us for our want of discipline O forgive us all our sins by which thou hast been provoked to anger and to Jealousie to despise our sorrowes and to arme thy selfe against us II. Blessed God smite us not with a final and exterminating judgement call not the watchmen off from their guards nor the Angels from their charges let us not die by a famine of thy Word and Sacraments If thou smitest us with the rod of a man thou canst sanctify every stroke unto us and canst bring good out of the evil and delightest to doe so but nothing can bring us a recompence if thou hatest us and sufferest the soules of thy people to perish III. Unite our hearts and tongues take away the Spirit of error and division from amongst us and so order all the accidents of thy providence that religion may increase and our devotion may be great and popular and truth may be incouraged and promoted and thy Name glorified and thy servants comforted and instructed that thy holy Spirit may rule and all interests may stoope and obey publish and advance the honour of our Lord Jesus Amen For the Superiour Clergy O Most blessed Saviour Jesus King of Heaven and earth the head and prince of the Catholick Church who hast appointed thy servants Ministers and stewards in the house of thy Father to give bread to the hungry and drinke to them that thirst after the water of life flowing from the Fountaines of our Saviour continue and blesse sanctify and adorne with thy gifts and graces all the Spiritual guides and governours which thou hast appointed over us that they may continue in thy service to comfort the afflicted to instruct the ignorant to confirme the strong to defend and promote thy truth to intercede for thy servants to open the kingdome of heaven to all beleivers and to shut up the disobedient and rebellious in everlasting prisons by the keyes of the Kingdome by thy word and Sacraments by thy power and by thy Spirit remove not the Candlestick from us neither doe thou quench the light of Israel but let thy servants our Bishops and Priests be like burning and shining lights in the Temple of God by a continual never failing never broken succession offering up the daily sacrifice rejoycing in the plenty of peace and the imployments of thy house in holy offices and a daily ministration that thou being for ever pleas'd and for ever glorified we may be thy peculiar people a chosen generation a royal priest-hood clothed with righteousnesse and singing with joyfulnesse Eternall Hallelujahs to the honour of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen For Priests and the Inferiour Clergy MOst Blessed and Eternal Jesu who art a Preist for ever after the order of Melchisedek and hast separated thy servants to minister to thee in holy offices and to convey holy things unto the people give unto all thy servants the Ministers of thy word and Sacraments the spirit of prudence and knowledge of faith and charity of watchfulnesse and holy zeale that they as good helpes in Government may declare thy will faithfully to their congregations and administer the Sacraments purely and devoutly and by their holy life become an example to thy litle flock that so they with cheerfulnesse and joy may render an account of their charge and may by thy mercy obtaine the blessing of thy Preisthood the glories of thy Kingdome O most Blessed and Eternall Saviour who livest and reignest with the Father and the holy Spirit eternal God world without end Amen The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ c. To this office may be added the confession of sins taken out of S. Ephraim the Syrian in the Evening prayer for a family and said immediately before the collect Or else Immediately before the blessing as opportunity shall require or permit may be said the Let any described at the end of these devotions Any of these prayers or psalmes may upon any occasion ordinary or extraordinary be used in any of the other offices In time of VVarre to the foregoing offices may be added these following prayers taken out of a special
Give me grace to despise the world and all its interests and possessions that while we set not our affections upon them we may not be too much afflicted when we are crossed in them but let our great care be to please thee our greatest fears least we should sin against thee let our dutie be our imployment thy providence our portion thy Spirit our guide thy law our rule That when this cloud is passed over we may see the brightnesse of thy face and perpetual showers of grace and mercy refreshing our sad and weary spirits so shall thy servants sing praises to the honour of thy Name when thou shalt have saved our soules from death our eyes from teares and our feet from falling grant these mercies O blessed God and Father for Jesus Christ his sake our dearest Lord and Saviour Amen A private prayer to be said by or for a person mutatis mutandis apt to be afflicted with feare of death or Gods anger and the uncertaine state of his of her soule O Eternal God most gracious Father in much mercy compassion behold me thy servant loaden with my sins encompassed with infirmity assaulted by enemies without and apt to be betrayed by my owne weaknesses within If I am cheerfull I am apt to be carelesse of my dutie If I am sad I am timorous and unsafe too ready to distrust thee and to sinke under the burden of those calamities which by my sins I have deserved O God I confesse with sorrow and shame that I resolve often to give my selfe intirely to thy service but I am so perpetually beaten with the violent tempests and stormes of passion that all my hopes and all my feares grow unactive and uselesse and are overcome by them and sinke under my owne evil customes and infirmities Lust Pride Ambition Anger And under this state of infelicity I groane and labour and to thee I humbly make my complaint for thou art my hope and my strength my rock and my might my Saviour and defender my support and my deliverer O hear the saddest cries of thy humble and afflicted servant and give me ease from my greatest sorrowes Give me a cheerfull heart and a severe spirit a love of thy mercies and a trembling at thy judgements an infinite desire to please thee and a great fear to offend thee and though I humbly desire of thy glorious goodnesse to secure and promote my eternall interest by what instruments thou pleasest yet because thou art my Father and my mercifull God I begg of thy infinite goodnesse to take care of my infirmities and to pity my weaknesses and make my religion to be to me the pleasantest thing in the world that nothing may tempt me from thee and prevaile in the daies of my weaknesses and disadvantage II. O Blessed God be pleas'd to give me a perfect repentance for all my sins and admit me to a full pardon and not onely so but if it be thy gracious will consigne this my pardon by some testimony from heaven by a holy and humble hope by a strong faith and a cheerfull spirit by joy in God and a command over my passions by meeknesse and charity by forgiving every one that troubles me and every one that offends me O God my God give to thy servant an excellent religion and a devout spirit and grant that I may take great pleasure in the service of God in obedience to my spirituall superiors in doing the works of that dutie to which thou hast called me in my present state of life and never suffer me to fall into a despairing or an amazed conscience into the evils of a tedious or impatient a wounded or an afflicted spirit but grant that rejoycing in thee evermore and delighting in doing my dutie in mortifying my passions in loving and serving my dearest Relations I may be preserved in thy fear and thy favour and nothing may be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus Amen III. O my deareft Saviour take from thy servant all inordinate fear of death and give me a great desire after heaven and heavenly things and when thou shalt call me from this world conduct me by the graces and comforts of thy Holy Spirit evenly and holily certainly and cheerfully to the regions of hope and joy that in thy armes I may expect and long for the day of recompences and of thy glorious appearing O God hear the prayer and most passionate desires of thy servant and since thou hast commanded us in the time of need to come with boldnesse to the throne of grace grant that I may be accepted by thy mercies and loving kindnesse through the merits and intercession of my Lord in whom I desire to live and for whom I will not refuse to die our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus to whom with thee O blessed Father and most Holy Spirit I humbly give all honour and thankes and glory and love and service and desire to doe so for ever Amen A forme or prayer of Thanksgiving The Preface to the following office Since it hath pleased God to heare our prayers and to give us the blessing we now feele and rejoyce in the blessing of Peace Health Plenty Victory c. let us faithfully and devoutly give thankes unto God for his great benefit and grace and say Psalmes Eucharistical or of thanksgiving upon special times of festivity to be added to any of the foregoing offices or to be said distinctly After a plentifull Harvest Our Father which art in Heaven c. * O Be joyful in God all ye lands sing praises unto the honour of his Name make his praise to be glorious ¶ O come hither and behold the works of God how wonderful he is in his doing toward the children of men * Thou visitest the earth and blessest it thou makest it very plenteous ¶ Thou waterest her furrowes thou sendest raine into the little vallies thereof thou makest it soft with the drops of raine and blessest the increase of it * Thou crownest the yeare with thy goodnesse and thy clouds drop fatnesse ¶ They shall drop upon the dwellings of the wildernesse and the little hils shall rejoyce on every side * The folds shall be full of sheepe the vallies also shall stand so thick with corne that they shall laugh and sing ¶ Praised be God which hath not cast out our prayer nor turned his mercy from us * Let us now feare the Lord our God that giveth raine both the former and the latter raine in his season ¶ He reserveth unto us the appointed weekes of the harvest * Lord what is man that thou hast respect unto him or the Son of man that thou so regardest him ¶ The eyes of all waite upon the O Lord and thou givest them their meat in due season * Thou openest thine hand and fillest all things living with plenteousnesse ¶ The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workers * The Lord is