thy holy Commandments And as thou didst confirm the faith of Thomas thy Apostle whom thou didst suffer to be doubtful of thy Sons resurrection so grant unto us that we may so perfectly and without all doubt believe in thy Son Jesus Christ that our faith in thy sight may never be reproved And as thou didst chuse thy faithful servant Matthias in the place of the traytor Judas to be numbred with the Twelve Apostles so grant still that thy Church being alwayes preserved from false Apostles may be ordered and guided by faithful and true Pastors And seeing thou hast instructed thy Church with heavenly doctrine in thy Gospel by the labour and care of St. Mark and the other Evangelists give us grace that we be not like children carried away with every blast of vain doctrine but finally be established in the truth of thy holy Gospel and grant us perfectly to know thy Son Jesus Christ to be the way the truth and the life whom truly to know is everlasting life as thou hast taught Philip and the other Apostles And O Lord as thou didst earnestly command thy Apostle Peter to feed thy flock make we beseech thee all Bishops and Pastors diligently to preach thy holy word and the people obediently to follow the same that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory And as thy holy Apostle James leaving his Father and all that he had without delay was obedient to the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ and followed him so we forsaking all wordly and carnal affections may be evermore ready to follow thy commandements that as he preached what he was taught from thee so we may believe what he preached and love what we do believe And let the example of Matthew who readily obeyed thy blessed Sons call from the receipt of custome to be an Apostle and Evangelist be our imitation in forsaking all covetous desires and inordinate love of riches and to follow thy Son Jesus Christ who is God blessed for ever Grant us to love our enemies by the example of thy Martyr Stephen who prayed for his persecutors and cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church that it being lightned by the doctrine of thy Apostle and Evangelist John may attain to thy everlasting gifts And seeing we read those young innocent children of Bethlehem did shew forth thy praise not in speaking as witnesses but in dying for thy names sake mortifie and kill all vices in us that in our conversation our life may express thy faith which with our tongues we do confess And as thou wert pleased to teach the world through the preaching of thy blessed Apostle Paul grant we beseech thee that we which have his wonderful conversion in remembrance may follow and fulfil the holy doctrine which he hath taught us whom with Barnabas as thou didst endue with singular gifts of the Holy Ghost so let us not be destitute of thy manifold gifts nor yet of grace to use them always to thy glory And seeing thou hast ordained and constituted the services of all Angels and men in a wonderful order mercifully grant that they which alway do thee service in Heaven may by thy appointment succour and defend us in earth And as thou didst call Luke the Physician whose praise is in the Gospel throughout the Churches to be a Physitian of the Soul may it please thee by the wholsome medicines of his doctrine to heal all the diseases of our Souls and thus O Lord seeing thou hast built thy Church upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the head corner stone and that thou hast knit together thy Elect in one Communion and fellowship in the mystical body of thy Son We beseech thee grant that we may so be joyned together in unity of spirit by the doctrine of thy Apostles that we may be made an holy Temple acceptable unto thee as also that we may so follow thy holy Saints in all vertuous and godly living that we may come to those unspeakable joyes which thou hast prepared for them that unfeignedly love thee through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour in whose name and words we further call upon thee saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Heavenly Prayer VI. O Most holy and merciful God We do here humbly and thankfully acknowledge thy infinit love in the great work of our redemption by thy Son Jesus Christ the glad tidings of whose incarnation Conception of our Saviour thou wert pleased to make known unto us by the message of an Angel We beseech thee poure thy grace into our hearts that as we are brought to the knowledge of his conception so by his Cross and Passion we may be translated unto the glory of his Resurrection Thou wert gratiously pleased to give him thy only begotten Son to take our nature upon him and to be born of a pure Virgin Grant Birth that we being regenerate and made thy children by Adoption and grace may dayly be renewed by thy holy Spirit through the same our Lord Jesus Thou didst also make thy blessed Son to be circumcised and obedient Circumcision to the law for man grant us the true circumcision of the heart that our hearts and all our members mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts may in all things obey thy blessed will And as thou wert pleased by the leading of a Star to manifest thy only begotten Epiphâ—â—y Son to the Gentiles mercifully grant that we which know thee now by faith may after this life have Presenting in the â—emple the fruition of thy glorious Godhâ—ad And as he was presented in the Temple in the substance of our flesh So grant that we may be presented unto thee with pure and clean mindes And as by thy providence thy servant John Baptist was wonderfully born and sent to prepare the way to the manifestation of thy Son our Saviour by preaching of repentance make us so to follow his doctrine and holy life that we may truly repent according to his preaching and after his example constantly speak the truth boldly rebuke vice and patiently suffer for the truths sake And O Lord who of thy tender love towards man hast sent our Saviour Jesus Christ not only to take upon him our flesh but to suffer death upon the Cross mercifully Passion grant that we may both follow the example of his great humility and patience and be made partakers of his Resurrection And we beseech thee graciously to behold this thy family for the which our Lord Jesus Christ was contented to be betrayed and thus to be given up into the hands of wicked men And not only us but the whole body of thy Church which by thy Spirit is governed and sanctified and all estates of men in thy holy Congregation for whom we beseech thee to receive our supplications and prayers which we now offer before thee for them that every member of the same in
the Kingdome the power and the glory for ever Amen A Prayer for the Evening II. ALmighty God from whom all holy desires all good Counsells and all just works do proceed give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandements and also that by thee we being defended from the feare of our enemies may passe our time in rest and quietnes And we beseech thee O Lord to lighten our darknes and by thy great mercy defend us from all perills and dangers of this night following and grant that by thy preventing us in all our doings with thy most gratious favour and furthering us with thy continuall helpe we may in all our works begun continued ended in thee glorifie thy holy name and finally by thy mercy attaine everlasting life And seeing thou hast by thy holy Apostle taught us to make prayers and supplications and give thanks for all men Wee humbly beseech thee most mercifully to receive these our prayers which we offer unto thy divine Majesty beseeching thee to inspire continually the universall Church with the Spirit of truth unity and concord And grant that all they that do confesse thy holy name may agree in the truth of thy holy word and live in unity and godly love We beseech thee for such as are in authority over us that under them we may be godly and quietly governed And grant to the Magistrates that they may truely and indifferently minister justice to the punishment of wickednes and vice and to the maintenance of Gods true religion and vertue Give grace O heavenly Father to all Bishops Pastors and Ministers of thy word that they may both by their life and doctrine set forth thy true and lively word and rightly and duely administer thy holy Sacraments and to all thy people give thy heavenly grace and specially to us here present that with meeke heart and due reverence we may heare and receive thy holy word truely serving thee in holiness and righteousnes all the dayes of our lives And we most humbly beseech thee of thy goodness O Lord to comfort and succour all them which in this transitory life be in trouble sorrow need sicknes or any other adversity And thou O Lord who hast promised to heare the petitions of them that aske in thy Sons name we beseech thee mercifully to encline thine eare to us that have made now our prayers and supplications unto thee and grant those things which we have faithfully asked according to thy will may effectually be obtained to the relief of our necessities and to the setting forth of thy glory through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose name and words we further pray OUr Father which art in heaven hallowed by thy name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasse as wee forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evill Amen A Prayer for the Morning III. ALmighty and Everlasting God which hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning grant that we may in such wise heare read marke learne and inwardly digest them that by patience and comfort of thy holy word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life which thou hast given us in our blessed Saviour And give us grace that we may cast away the workes of darkenes and put on the armour of light now in the time of this mortall life when the true light thy Son Christ Jesus hath come to visit us in great humility that in the last day when he shall come in his glorious Majesty to judge both the quick and the dead we may through him rise to immortall life And we beseech thee to lighten our hearts by thy gratious visitation to raise up thy power and come among us and with thy great might succour us that whereas through our sins and wickednes we be sore let and hindered thy bountifull grace and mercy through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord may speedily deliver us And mercifully receive the prayers of thy people which call upon thee and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do and also may have grace and power from thee to fulfill the same that so under thy governance who rulest all things in heaven and earth they may have peace continued to them all dayes of their lives And seeing O Lord thou knowest our infirmities looke favourably upon us and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy right hand to helpe and defend us Thou seest how we are set in the midst of many and great perills that for mans frailnes we cannot alway stand uprightly Grant us the health both of body and soule that all those things which we suffer for sin by thy helpe we may overcome And we beseech thee to keepe thy Church and household continually in thy true religion that they which do leane only upon hope of thy heavenly grace may evermore be defended by thy mighty power and though we be justly punished for our offences yet we may mercifully be delivered by thy goodnes to the glory of thy name And O Lord which seest that we put not our trust in any thing we do and that thou hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth send thy holy Ghost and poure into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity the very bond of peace and all vertue without the which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee And seeing we heare thou wilt forgive the sinnes of all them that be penitent Create and make in us new and contrite hearts that we worthily lamenting our sinnes and acknowledging our wretchednes may obtaine of thee the God of all mercy a present remission and forgivenes And may through thy grace continually use such abstinence that our corrupt flesh being subdued to the Spirit we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holines to thy honor and glory And O Lord which doest see that we have no power of our selves to helpe our selves keepe thou us this day both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our soules that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body and from all evill thoughts which may assault and hurt the soule We beseech the thus to looke upon the heartie desires of thy humble servants and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty in the defence of us against all our enemies that we which for our evill deeds are worthily punished by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved and by thy great goodness may be governed and preserved ever more both in body and Soule unto thy eternall kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose name and words we call upon thee saying Our Father which art in
his vocation and Ministery may truly and godly serve thee And O Lord who hast made all men nor wouldest the death of a sinner but rather that he should be converted and live have mercy upon al Jews Turks Infidels and Hereticks and take from them all ignorance and hardness of heart and contempt of thy word and so fetch them home blessed Lord to thy flock that they may be saved among the remnant of the true Israelites and be made one fold under one shepherd Jesus Christ And merciful God which through thy only begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death and by his resurrection Resurrection opened unto us the gate of everlasting life We humbly beseech thee that as by thy special grace preventing us thou doest put into our mindes good desires so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect And as thou didst give him not only to die for our sins but to rise again for our justification grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness that we may always serve thee in pureness of living and truth And as thou didst give him both a sacrifice for sin and also an example of godly life give us the grace that we may alwayes most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit and also dayly endeavour our selves to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life And like as we do believe thy only begotten Son our Lord to have ascended with Ascension great glory into the Heaven so we beseech thee grant us that we may also in heart and mind thither ascend also and with him continually dwell who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost And do not leave us comfortless but according to thy promise send us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour is gone before And as thou didst after our Saviours Ascention teach the hearts of thy faithful people by thy sending them the light of thy Holy Spirit Sending the holy Spirit Grant us by the same spirit to have a right judgement in all things and evermore to rejoyce in his holy comfort through the merits of Christ Jesus And seeing thou hast given us grace thus by the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternall Trinity and in the power of Trinity the Divine Majesty to worship the unity We beseech thee that through the stedfastnes of this faith wee may evermore be defended from all adversities through Jesus Christ our Saviour who liveth and reigneth with the in the unity of the selfe same Spirit one God world without end Amen An Excellent Prayer VII O Almighty and Everliving Lord God God the Father God the Son God the holy Ghost holy blessed and glorious Trinity three persons and one God have mercy upon us Remember not our offences nor the offences of our forefathers neither take thou vengeance of our sins but spare us good Lord spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy most pretious blood and be not angry with us for ever Preserve us from all evill and mischief from sin from the crafts and assaults of the Divell from thy wrath and from everlasting damnation Deliver us from all blindnes of heart from pride vaine glory and hypocrisie from envy hatred and malice and all uncharitablenes from fornication and all other sins the wages of which is death and from all the deceits of the world the flesh and the Divell keep us from any hurt by lightning and tempest from the plague pestilence and famine from battels and murder and from sudden death deliver us from all sedition and privy conspiracy all false doctrine and heresie hardnes of heart and contempt of thy word and commandements And these things wee beseech of thee for and through the mystery of thy holy incarnation thy holy nativity and circumcision thy baptisme fasting and temptation through thine agony and bloody swet thy crosse and passion thy pretious death and buriall thy glorious resurrection and ascension and the comeing of the holy Ghost And O Lord God we do beseech thee that it would please the to rule and governe thy holy Church universall in the right way Illuminate all Bishops Pastors and Ministers of the Church with true knowledge and understanding of thy word and that both by preaching and living they may set it forth and shew it accordingly Be pleased to blesse and keepe the Magistrates giving them grace to execute justice and to maintaine truth And Blesse and keepe all thy people give us all hearts to love and dread thee and diligently to live after thy commandements That we may have increase of grace to heare meekely thy word and receive it with pure affection and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit Wee beseech thee to give unto all Nations unity peace and concord bring into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived strengthen such as do stand comfort and helpe the weake-hearted raise up them that fall and finally beate down Satan under our feete Be pleased O Lord to succour helpe and comfort all that be in danger necessity and tribulation preserve all that in their lawfull affaires travell by land or water all women labouring with child all sick persons and young children and to shew thy pitty upon all prisoners and captives defend and provide for the fatherlesse children and widdowes and all that are desolate and oppressed and let it please thee to have mercy upon all men Forgive our enemies persecutors and slanderers and turne their hearts And we beseech the to give and preserve to our use the kindly fruits of the earth so as in due time we may enjoy them and deale not with us after our sins nor reward us after our iniquities but give us true repentance forgive us all our sins negligences and ignorances indue us with the graces of thy holy Spirit to amend our lives according to thy holy word And O mercifull father that despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart nor the desires of such as be sorrowfull mercifully assist our prayers that we make before thee in all our troubles and adversities whensoever they oppresse us and gratiously heare us that those evils which the craft and subtilty of the divell or man worketh against us be brought to nought and by the providence of thy goodnes they may be dispersed that we thy servants being hurt by no persecutions may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church And seeing we have heard with our eares and our fathers have declared unto us the noble works that thou didst in their dayes and in the old time before them We beseech thee in the midst of these our divisions and distractions to arise and helpe us by thy power and deliver us for the honour of thy name defend us from all our enemies and let thy mercy be shewed upon us as we do put our trust in thee
shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father 24 when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power For he must reign till he hath put all enemies 25 under his feet The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death For he 26 hath put all things under his feet but 27 when he saith all things are put under him it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him And when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all 28 things under him that God may be all in all Else what shall they do which 29 are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all Why are they then baptized for the dead And why stand 30 we in jeopardy every houre I protest 31 by your rejoycing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord I die dayly If after the manner of men I have fought with 32 beasts at Ephesus what advantageth it me if the dead rise not Let us eat and drink for to morrow we die Be not deceived evil communications 33 corrupt good manners Awake to righteousness and sin not for some 34 have not tbe knowledge of God I speak this to your shame But some man will say how are the dead raised up And 35 with what body do they come Thou fool 36 that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die And that which thou sowest thou sowest not that body which 37 shall be but bare grain it may chance of wheat or of some other grain But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased 38 him and to every seed his own body All flesh is not the same flesh but there is one 39 kinde of flesh of men another flesh of beasts another of fishes and another of birds There are also celestial bodies and 40 hodies terrestial but the glory of the celestial is one the glory of the terrestrial is another There is one glory of the sun 41 and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars for one star differeth from another star in glory So also is the resurrection of the dead it 42 is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption It is sown in dishonour 43 it is raised in glory it is sown in weakness it is raised in power It is 44 sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body And so 45 it is written The first man Adam was made a living soul the last Adam was made a quickning spirit Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual 46 but that which is natural and afterward that which is spiritual The first man is of the earth earthly the second 47 man is the Lord from heaven heavenly As is the earthly such are they that are 48 earthly and as is the heavenly such are they also that are heavenly And 49 as we have born the image of the earthly we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Now this I say brethren 50 that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption Behold I shew you a mystery we shall not all 51 sleep but we shall all be changed In a moment in the twinkling of an eye 52 at the last trump for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall he changed For this corruptible must put on incorruption 53 and this mortal must put on immortality So when this corruptible 54 shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory O Death where is thy 55 sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and tbe strength 56 of sin is the law But thanks be to God 57 which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast immovable alwayes abounding in the work 58 of the Lord for asmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Welbeloved seeing we all know that with God do live the spirits of them that dâ—part hence in the Lord and that the souls of them that be elected after they be delivered from the burthen of the flesh be in joy and felicitie let us labour hereafter so to live in his fear that when he shall be pleased to accomplish the number of his elect and to hasten his kingdome or shall deliver us out of the miseries of this sinful world we may by his gracious goodness with all those departed in the true faith of his holy name have our perfect consummation bliss both in body soul in his eternal and everlasting glory And seeing we have heard that our Lord Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life in whom whosoever believeth shall live though he die and whosoever liveth and believeth in him shall not die eternally who also hath taught us by his holy Apostle Paul not to be sorry as men without hope for them that sleep in him let us endeavour so to be here raised from the death of sin to the life of righteousness that when we shall depart this life we may rest in him as our hope is this our brother doth and at the general resurrection at the last day we may be sound acceptable in his sight and receive that blessing which his welbeloved Son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear him saying Come ye blessed children of my Father receive the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world Which God of his mercy grant us all The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with us all now and evermore Amen Prayers for the Fifth of November These Prayers following framed or approved by the reverend Bishops of that age do demonstrate how causelesly that conjunction of Prelacy and Popery hath been of late years continued to their reproach Prayers and Thanksgivings for the happy deliverance of his Majesty the Queen Prince and States of the Parliament from the most traiterous and bloody intended Massacre by Gunpowder November 5. 1605. I. ALmighty God who hast in all ages shewed thy power and mercy in the miraculous and gracious deliverances of thy Church and in the protection of righteous and religious Kings and States professing thy Holy and Eternal truth against the wicked conspiracies and malicious practises of all the enemies thereof we yield unto thee from the very ground of our hearts all possible praise and thanks for the wonderful and mighty deliverance of our gracious Soveraign King James the Queen the Prince and all the
Royal branches with the Nobility Clergy and Commons of this Realm assembled together in Parliament by Popish treachery appointed as sheep to the slaughter and that in most Barbarous and Savage manner no age yielding example of the like cruelty intended towards the Lords anointed and his people Can this thy goodness O Lord be forgotten worthy to be written in a pillar of Marble that we may ever remember to praise thee for the same as the fact is worthy a lasting monument that all posterity may learn to detest it From this unnatural conspiracy not our merit but thy mercy not our foresight but thy providence hath delivered us not our love to thee but thy love to thine anointed servant and thy poor Church with whom thou hast promised to be present to the end of the world And therefore not unto us not unto us Lord but to thy Name be ascribed all honour and glory in all Churches of the Saints throughout all generations for thou Lord hast discovered the snares of death thou hast broken them and we are delivered be thou still our mighty protector and scatter our cruel enemies which delight in blood infatuate their counsel and root out that Babylonish and Antichristian sect which say of Jerusalem down with it down with it even to the ground And to that end strengthen the hands of our gracious King the Nobles and Magistrates of the land with judgement and justice to cut off these workers of iniquity whose Religion is rebellion whose faith is faction whose practise is murthering of souls and bodies and to root them out of the confines and limits of this Kingdome that they may never prevail against us and triumph in the ruine of thy Church and to give us grace by true and serious repentance to avert these and the like judgements from us This Lord we earnestly crave at thy merciful hands together with the continuance of thy powerful protection over our dread Soveraign the whole Church and these Realms and the speedy confusion of our implacable enemies and that for thy dear Sons sake our only mediatour and advocate II. ALmighty God and heavenly Father which oâ— thy everlasting providence and tender mercy towards us hast prevented the extream malice and mischievous imagination of our enemies revealing and confounding their horrible and devilish enterprise plotted against our Soveraign Lord the King his Royal house and the whole State of this Realm for the subversion thereof together with the truth of thy Gospel and pure Religion amongst us and for the reducing into this Church and land of Popish superstition and tyranny we most humbly praise and magnifie thy glorious name for thine infinite gracious goodness in this our marvellous deliverance we confess it was and is thy mercy thy mercy alone most merciful Father that we are not consumâ—d that their snare is broken and our soul is escaped For our sins cried to Heaven against us and our iniquities justly called for judgement upon us but thy great mercy towards us hath exalted it self above judgement not to deal with us after our sins to give us over as we deserved to be a prey to our enemies but taking our correction into thine own hands to deliver us from their blood-thirsty malice and preserve from death and destruction our King and State with thy holy Gospel and true Religion amongst us Good Lord give uâ— true repentance and unfeigned conversion unto thee to prevent further judgâ—ments increase in us more and more a lively saith and fruitful love in all obedience that thou mayest continue thy loving favour with the light of thy Gospel to us and our posterity for evermore Make us now and alwayes truely thankful in heart word and deed for all thy gracious mercies and this our special deliverance Protect and defend our Soveraign Lord the King with the Queen and all the Royal progeny from all treasons and conspiracies preserve them in thy faith fear and love under the shadow of thy wings against all evil and wickedness prosper their raign with long happiness on earth and everlasting glory following in the kingdome of Heaven Bless the whole State and Realm with grace and peace that with one heart and mouth we may praise thee in thy Church and alwayes sing joyfully that thy merciful kindness is ever more and more towards us and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever through Jesus Christ our only Saviour and Redeemer Amen III. ETernal God and our most mighty protector we thy people of this land confess our selves above all the Nations of the earth infinitly bound unto thy heavenly majestie for thy many unspeakable benefits conferred and heaped upon us especially for planting thy Gospel among us and placing over us a most gracious King a faithful professour and defender of the same both which exasperate the enemies of true religion and enrage their thoughts to the invention of most dreadful designes all which notwithstanding it hath pleased thee hitherto either to prevent or overthrow at this time principally thou hast most strangely discovered an horrible and cruel plot and device for the massacring as well of thy dear servant and our dread Soveraign as of the chief States assembled in thy fear for the continuance of thy truth and good of this Realm We humbly present our selves at thy feet admiring thy might and wisdome and acknowledging thy grace and favour in preserving them and the whole Realm by their safety beseeching thee for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake to continue still thy care over us and to shield our gracious King under the shadow of thy wings that no mischievous attempt may come near nor the sons of wickedness may hurt him but that under him we may still enjoy this his peaceable government with the profession of the Gospel of thy Son Christ Jesus to whom with thee and the holy Ghost c. IV. O God infinit in power and of endless mercy we give thee all possible thanks that it hath pleased thee so miraculously to discover and defeat the mischievous plots of thine and our enemies thou hast delivered our dread Soveraign from the snare of the fowler and his Nobles from the fire and the fury of the wicked he shall rejoyce in thy salvation and we his people shall triumph in this thy wonderful deliverance thy Gospel shall prosper and thine adversaries shall be confounded And multiply good Lord we beseech thee thy great goodness towards our gracious King and his kingdomes from this time forth through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen A Prayer used by the Speaker of the Commons House of Parliament I. O GOD most great and glorious which dwellest in the Heavens over all yet humblest thy self to behold the things that are done upon the earth we the people and sheep of thy pasture assembled by thy providence to the performance of this high service whereupon the honour of thy name the beauty of thy Church amongst us the glory of our King and wealth
the entrance into each the people were asked if any of them knew any impediment or notable crime in any of them now presented for the which they ought not to be admitted and were desired in the name of God to come forth and declare it and if any were objected the person accused was not to be ordained until such time as he had fully cleared himself of it The place where it was to be done was in the face of the Church or congregation on the Lords day or some other day of publick meeting the manner of the Ordination as followeth First for the Deacons THey were first commended unto God by the prayer of the whole congregation then some fitting portions out of holy Scripture were read before them containing their duties viz. 1 Tim. 3. from the 8. ver to the end of the Chapter Acts 6. from the 2. to the 8. After this the office of a Deacon was declared unto them many serious questions asked them some in matter of belief as whether they did believe they had an inward call by the motion of the Holy Ghost to take upon them that office and ministration and that their outward was according to the will of Christ that they did believe all the Canonical books of holy Scripture Some in matter of practice as whether they would frame their own lives and the lives of their families as examples unto others and would reverently obey their Governours and superiours hearkning to their admonitions c. To these there were solemn engagements for them accordingly in the presence of the congregation The manner of Ordaining was thus The Deacons being upon their knees the Bishop laid his hands severally upon the head of each of them saying Take thou Authority to execute the office of a Deacon in the Church of God committed unto thee In the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Amen Then was delivered to each of them the New Testament saying Take thou authority to read the Gospel in the Church of God and to preach the same if thou be thereto ordinarily commanded And as an initiation of them one of them by appointment did read a portion out of the Gospel that day The oath of Supremacy administred unto each and the seasonable and sitting prayers both before imposition of hands and after and that they were that day to receive the Communion may be found in the book it self of which is here intended only a summary thus much for the inferiour office of the Deacon upon the experience and trial of whom in it for the space of a year except for reasonable causes it should be thought otherwise and being found faithful and diligent they might be admitted unto the higher ministries in the Church viz. unto the order of Priesthood or Presbyters which followeth The ordination of Presbyters NOw secondly for the manner of ordering of those admitted into the Ministry of Priesthood or Presbyters it was thus after the Sermon or exhortation wherein their office and duty was to be shewen unto them they were solemnly presented by a principal person for that end the consent and approbatition of the people was asked in these words following Good people these be they whom we purpose God willing to receive this day unto the holy office of Priesthood and after due examination we finde not to the contrary but that they be lawfully called to their function and ministrie and that they be persons meet for the same but yet if there be any of you which knoweth any impediment or notable crime of any of them for the which he ought not to be received into this holy ministrie now in the name of God declare the same c. And if any were objected the person was not to be ordained till he had cleared himself of it Those that were to be ordained were first commended as before unto God by the prayers of the whole congregation of which this was one viz. That God who is the giver of all good things and by his holy spirit had appointed diverse orders of Ministers in his Church would be pleased mercifully to behold these his servants now called to that office that he would replenish them so with the truth of doctrine and innocency of life that both by word and good example they might faithfully serve him in this office to the glory of his name and profit of his Church or congregation c. After Prayer some select portions out of holy Scripture containing their duties were read before them viz. Acts 20. 17. to the 36. From Mileto Paul sent messengers to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church c. or 2 Tim. 3. 1. to the 8. If a man desire the office of a Bishop he desires a worthy work a Bishop must be blameless c. Mat. 28. 18 19 20. containing the Apostles commission from our Saviour or John 10. 11. to 17. chap. 20. 19. to 24. And then an Ancient Hymn said or sung as may be seen more at large in the book of Ordination These things premised then followed the Ordination it self first a grave solid exhortation and admonition directed to the persons to be ordained with divers serious questions and solemn engagements taken of them and I conceive 't is more profitable to have things of this nature punctually set down without any variation whereby all come to be a like obliged and each may have an often serious review of what was charged upon him and engaged by him then to have them left to the ordainers sudden transient expressions which cannot be well called to minde by either and for the same causes a set form of Prayer at these solemnities is the most prudent The Exhortation given by the Bishop to the persons ordained YOu have heard brethren as well in your private examination as in the exhortation and in the holy lessons taken out of the Gospel and of the writings of the Apostles of what dignity and of how great importance this office is whereunto ye be called And now we exhort you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ to have in remembrance into how high a dignity and to how chargeable an office ye be called that is to say the messengers the watchmen the pastours and the stewards of the Lord to teach to premonish to feed and provide for the Lords family to seek for Christs sheep that be dispersed abroad and for his children which be in the middest of this naughty world to be saved through Christ for ever Have alwayes therefore printed in your remembrance how great a treasure is committed to your charge for they be the sheep of Christ which he bought with his death and for whom he shed his blood The Church and congregation whom you must serve is his spouse and his body And if it shall chance the same Church or any member thereof to take any hurt or hinderance by reason of your negligence ye know the greatness of the fault and also