<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2014-04-07</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Colm MacCrossan</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="OX" ID="B00346">
<STC T="S">16570</STC>
<STC T="C">S125801</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">56572885</BIBNO>
<VID>180988</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<P>A Booke OF THE FORME of common prayers, admi|ni&s;tration of the Sacraments, &amp;c. agreeable to Gods Worde, and the v&s;e of the reformed Churches. To this fourth editio~ is added the maner of ordination and admi&s;&s;ion of a Pa&s;tor to his charge, according to the maner of the refor|med Churches. <HI>The contents of this booke, are contey|ned in the page following.</HI></P>
<P>MIDDELBVRGH, Imprinted by <HI>Richard Schilders,</HI> Prin|ter to the States of Zeeland. 1602.</P>
<P><FLOATEXT LANG="eng" TYPE="license">
<P><HI>Cum Priuilegio,</HI></P>
</FLOATEXT></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="3" MS="y">
<HEAD>The contents of this Booke.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM>THe confe&s;&s;ion of the Chri&s;tian faith Of publike exerci&s;e in the A&s;&s;em|blie.
<LIST>
<ITEM>First of prayers before the Ser|mon, with a confe&s;&s;ion of our &s;innes.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Then the preaching of the worde.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Lastlie, diuers formes of generall prayers for the whole estate of the Church after the Sermon.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Of the administration of the Sacra|ments, Bapti&s;me, and the L. Supper.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The forme of Mariage.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The vi&s;itation of the &s;icke.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The maner of buriall.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The weekelie a&s;&s;emblie of Ministers, for interpretation of Scriptures.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Of Church officers, their election and ordination.</ITEM>
<ITEM>And first of the Ministers ordinatio~.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Of their depo&s;ing for iust cau&s;es.</ITEM>
<ITEM>The order of Eccle&s;iasticall Di&s;ci|pline.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Of the ciuill Magistrates office in cau|&s;es of the Church.</ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="creed">
<PB REF="3" MS="y">
<HEAD>A CONFES|&s;ion of the faith of the Churches of Englande.</HEAD>
<P>_I Beleeue<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Rom. 1</NOTE> &amp; con|fe&s;&s;e,<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Gen. 1 P&s;alm. 6 139.</NOTE> my Lorde God, eternall, in|finite, vnmea&s;u|rable, incompre|hen&s;ible, inui&s;i|ble,<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Gen. 1 Ephe. 4</NOTE> and almigh|tie, mo&s;t mercifull, mo&s;t iu&s;t, and only wi&s;e: one &s;ub&s;tance and<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Gen. 2 1 Iohn: Mat: 3.</NOTE> three per|&s;ons, the Father, the Sonne, and the holie gho&s;t.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">I beleeue in GOD the Fa|ther Al|mightie, maker of heauen &amp; earth</NOTE>I beleeue al&s;o, that the Father, by his almightie<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Hebr. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Prouer.</NOTE> power and wi&s;edome, hath not onlie of<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Gene&s;. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Iere. 32 P&s;al. 33</NOTE> nothing created heauen, earth, &amp; all things therein co~|tained, &amp; man after his own<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Gene. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Ephe. 4.</NOTE> image, that he might in him bee<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. Iohn. 17.</NOTE> glorified: but al&s;o by his<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Matth. 6 Luke. 17</NOTE> fatherlie prouidence gouerneth, maintaineth, and prefer|ueth the &s;ame, according to the<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 1</NOTE> pur|po&s;e of his will.</P>
<PB REF="4" MS="y">
<P>I Beleeue al&s;o and confe&s;&s;e<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Matt. 1. Actes 4. 1 Tim. 1.</NOTE> IESVS Chri&s;t the onely Sauiour &amp; Me&s;&s;i|as: who being equall with<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Iohn 1. Phil. 2. 1 Tim. 3. 1 Iohn 5 Rom. 9</NOTE> God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">And in IESVS Chri&s;t his only So~ne our Lord.</NOTE> made him &s;elfe of no reputation, but tooke on him the &s;hape of a &s;eruant, and be|came<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Heb. 2. Phil. 2. 1 Pet. 2</NOTE> man in all things like vnto vs, &s;inne excepted, to<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 1 Iohn 2.</NOTE> a&s;&s;ure vs of mercie and forgiuenes. For whe~ through our father<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Gen. 3. Rom. 5 Ephe. 2. Galat. 3</NOTE> Adams tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, we were become children of perdition, there was no meanes to bring vs from that yoke of &s;inne and damnation,<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Actes 4. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Petr. 2. I&s;a. 28 Rom. 9</NOTE> but only Ie&s;us Chri&s;t our Lorde:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Whiche was con|ceyued by the holie Gho&s;te, borne of the vir|gine Ma|rie.</NOTE> who gi|uing vs that by<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Iohn. 1. Heb. 1. Rom. 1</NOTE> grace, which was his by nature, made vs, through faith the<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Galat. 3. Iohn 1.</NOTE> children of God. For when the<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Galat. 4 Actes 2.</NOTE> ful|nes of time was come, he was concei|ued by the power of the<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 7. Luke. 1</NOTE> holy Gho&s;t, borne of the Virgine Marie (accor|ding to the fle&s;he) and<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Act. 10.</NOTE> preached in earth the Go&s;pell of &s;aluation, till at length, by the enuie of the<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Iohn. 7. Matt. 12</NOTE> Prie&s;tes, he was guiltles co~demned vnder Pon|tius Pilate, then Pre&s;ident of Iurie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Suffe|red vnder Pontius Pilate, was cru|cified.</NOTE> &amp; mo&s;t reprochfullie hanged and nay|led on the Cro&s;&s;e betwixt two theeues, as a notorious tre&s;pa&s;&s;er: where, ta|king vpon him the<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Gal. 3.</NOTE> puni&s;hment of our &s;innes, hee deliuered vs from the cur&s;e of the Law.</P>
<PB REF="4" MS="y">
<P>And fora&s;much as he, being onely God, could not feele death, neither beeing onely man, could ouercome death, being both God and man, hee &s;uffred in his humanitie, mo&s;t cruell death, feeling in him &s;elf the anger &amp; &s;euere iudgment of God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dead &amp; buried.</NOTE> euen the ex|treeme<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Actes. 2 1 Petr. 2. I&s;a. 5 3.</NOTE> torments of hell, and there|fore cried with a loude voice,<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Mat. 27</NOTE> My God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">He de&s;|cended into Hell.</NOTE> my God, why ha&s;t thou for&s;aken me! And &s;o died, and was buried, re|maining vnder the power of death three dayes.</P>
<P>Thus of his<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 5 Heb. 9. Galat. 1. Rom. 4.</NOTE> free mercie without compul&s;ion, he offered vp him &s;elf as the onely &s;acrifice to purge the &s;innes of all the worlde: &s;o that all other &s;a|crifices for &s;inne are bla&s;phemous &amp; derogate fro~ the &s;ufficiencie thereof. The which death, albeit it did &s;uffici|entlie<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Colo. 2.</NOTE> reco~cile vs to God, yet the &s;cri|ptures commonlie doe attribute our regeneration to his<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Rom. 1 1 Pet. 1.</NOTE> re&s;urrection. For as by<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Matt. 28. Actes 10. 1 Cor. 1</NOTE> ri&s;ing againe fro~ the graue the third day,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The third day he ro&s;e a|gaine fro~ death.</NOTE> he<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">O&s;e. 1 1 Cor. 1 2 Cor. 1</NOTE> conquered death, euen &s;o, the victorie of our faith &s;tandeth in his re&s;urrection: and therfore with|out the one, we can not fele the bene|fite of the other. For as by death<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Rom. 4.</NOTE> &s;in was taken away, &s;o he ro&s;e againe for our righteou&s;nes.</P>
<PB REF="5" MS="y">
<P>And becau&s;e he would<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Eph. 4 Iohn 14 Ephe. 2</NOTE> accompli&s;h all things,<NOTE PLACE="marg">He a&s;cen+ded into heauen.</NOTE> &amp; take po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion for vs in his kingdom, he<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Mar. 16 Luke. 24. Actes 1.9</NOTE> a&s;cended into hea|uen, to enlarge his kingdome by the aboundant giftes and power of his<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Luke. 24 Iohn. 14 Actes 2</NOTE> &s;pirit: by whom we are mo&s;t a&s;&s;ured of his continuall<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8 Hebr. 9 1 Iohn 2.</NOTE> interce&s;&s;ion to God the Father for vs.<NOTE PLACE="marg">And &s;it|teth at the right hande of God the Father almigh|tie.</NOTE> And although he be in<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Actes 1.</NOTE> heauen, as touching his cor|poral pre&s;ence, where the Father hath now &s;et him at his<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Colo. 3. Roma. 8. Heb. 3.</NOTE> right hand, com|mitting vnto him the admini&s;tration of all<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 1. Philip. 2. Colo. 2</NOTE> things, as well in heaue~ aboue, as in the earth beneath, yet is he<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Mat. 28</NOTE> pre|&s;ent with vs his members, euen to the end of the world, in pre&s;eruing &amp; go|uerning vs with his effectuall power and grace, who (when all things are<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Actes 3.</NOTE> fulfilled,<NOTE PLACE="marg">From thence &s;hall hee come to iudge the quicke &amp; the dead.</NOTE> which God hath &s;poken by the mouth of all his Prophetes &s;ince the worlde began) will come in the<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Actes 1.</NOTE> &s;ame vi&s;ible forme, in the which hee a&s;cended, with an vn&s;peakable<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Mat. 25 Philip. 3.</NOTE> Ma|je&s;tie, power, &amp; companie, to &s;eparate the Lambes from the goates, the elect from the reprobate: So that<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Mat. 24. Actes 10. 1 Cor. 15. 1 The&s;. 4. 2 Tim. 4.</NOTE> none, whether he be aliue then, or dead be|fore, &s;hall e&s;cape his iudgement.</P>
<P>MOreouer,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I beleeue in the ho|lie gho&s;t.</NOTE> I beleeue and confe&s;&s;e the holie Gho&s;t,<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Matth. 3. 1 Iohn. 5. 1 Petr. 1 1 Cor. 6 Actes 17.</NOTE> God equall
<PB REF="5" MS="y"> with the Father, and the Sonne, who regenerateth &amp; &s;anctifieth vs, ruleth and guideth vs into all trueth, per&s;ua|ding mo&s;t a&s;&s;uredlie in our<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Rom. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> con|&s;ciences, that we bee the children of God, brethren to IESVS Chri&s;t, and fellow-heires with him of life euer|la&s;ting. Notwith&s;tanding it is not &s;uf|ficient to beleeue that God is omni|potent, &amp; mercifull: that Chri&s;t hath made &s;ati&s;faction:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Abac. 8. Rom. 1. 1 Iohn. 3.</NOTE> or that the holie Gho&s;t hath his power and effect, ex|cept we doe (&Dagger;) applie the &s;ame bene|fites to our &s;elues whiche are Gods<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Iohn. 17</NOTE> elect by the Spirit.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The holy catholike Church. The com|munio~ of Saintes.</NOTE>I Beleeue therefore and confe&s;&s;e one holie vniuer&s;all<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Matt. 26 Iohn. 10. Ephe. 5. Rom. 8. Cantic. 2</NOTE> Church, which, is<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 1. Colo&s;&s;. 2. 1 Cor. 12.</NOTE> the bodie of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t the<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 4.</NOTE> on|lie head thereof,<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 4. Philip. 3. Colo&s;. 2.</NOTE> con&s;enteth in faith, hope, and charitie, v&s;ing the giftes of God,<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Actes. 2 Roma. 12 1 Cor. 12.</NOTE> whether they be temporall, or &s;pirituall, to the profite and furthe|rance of the &s;ame. Which Church is not<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Ro~. 11.</NOTE> &s;eene to mans eye, but onelie knowne to God, who hath ordained &s;ome as<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Rom. 9.</NOTE> as ve&s;&s;els of wrath to damnati|on, to the prai&s;e of his iu&s;tice: &amp; hath cho&s;en others,<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 1.</NOTE> as ve&s;&s;els of honour to be &s;aued, to the prai&s;e of the glorie of his grace: the which al&s;o in due
<PB REF="6" MS="y"> time he calleth to faith, to<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8 Ephe. 5.</NOTE> integritie of life &amp; godlie co~uer&s;ation, to make them a glorious Church to him &s;elf.</P>
<P>But that Church<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Matt. 18. 2 Cor. 15</NOTE> whiche is vi&s;ible in the &s;euerall congregations, &amp; &s;eene to the eye, hath three tokens or marks whereby it may be knowen. Fir&s;t the<NOTE N="&ldquo;" PLACE="marg">Mat. 28. Rom. 10. Ephe. 2. Iohn 10. 2 Cor. 3.4 2 Tim. 3. 2 Per. 1.</NOTE> Word of God conteined in the olde and new Te&s;tament: which as it is<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 2 Matth. 17 Iohn 10</NOTE> a|boue the autoritie of y^e &s;ame church, and onely<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Iohn. 26. 2 Tim. 3.</NOTE> &s;ufficient to in&s;truct vs in all things concerning &s;aluation: &s;o is it left for<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Io&s;. 1. Iohn. 5.</NOTE> all degrees of men, to read &amp; vnder&s;tand: for without this<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 5. Mat. 15.</NOTE> Word neither Church, Councell, or Decree, can e&s;tabli&s;h anie point touching &s;al|uation.</P>
<P>The &s;econde is, the holy<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Matth. 26.28 Rom. 4. Ephe. 5.</NOTE> Sacra|ments, to wit, of Bapti&s;me &amp; the Lords Supper, whiche Sacramentes Chri&s;t hath left vnto vs as holy &s;ignes, and &s;eales of Gods promi&s;es in him. For as by Bapti&s;me, once receyued, is &s;igni|fied that we, as well infantes as others of age and di&s;cretion, being<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Rom. 5. Ephe. 2. Tit. 3. Rom. 7. Rom. 4. P&s;alm. 31. 1 Cor. 11</NOTE> &s;traun|gers from God by originall &s;inne, are receyued into his familie and Con|gregation, with full a&s;&s;urance that al|though this roote of &s;inne lye hydde in vs, yet to the electe it &s;hall not bee
<PB REF="6" MS="y">
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Rom. 4. P&s;al. 32.</NOTE> imputed: &s;o the<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1 Co. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> Supper declareth, that God, as a mo&s;t prouident Father, doeth of his great goodnes &s;piritually nouri&s;h our &s;oules,<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Iohn. 6</NOTE> making vs par|takers of his Sonne &amp; all good things in him by faith: which the Scripture calleth eating of his fle&s;h, &amp; drinking of his bloud. Neither mu&s;t wee in the admini&s;tration of the&s;e Sacramentes, follow mans phanta&s;ie, but as Chri&s;t him &s;elf hath ordayned, &s;o mu&s;t they be mini&s;tred, and by &s;uch as by<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Hebr. 5. Iohn. 3.</NOTE> ordi|narie vocation are therevnto called. Therefore, who&s;oeuer wor&s;hippeth the&s;e Sacraments, or co~trariwi&s;e con|temneth them, or without lawfull calling &s;hall admini&s;ter them, procu|reth to him &s;elfe damnation.</P>
<P>The third marke of this Church is<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Mat. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Luke. 17. Leuit. 17. Prouerb. 5.</NOTE> Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Di&s;cipline, which &s;ta~|deth in admonitio~, &s;eparation, excom|munication, and the cur&s;e called A|nathema, in &s;ome &s;peciall ca&s;es.</P>
<P>Concerning the ciuill<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Rom. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. Tit. 3. 1 Pet. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> Magi&s;trates, ordained of God to mini&s;ter to euerie man iu&s;tice, defending the good, and puni&s;hing the euil, I acknowledge we mu&s;t render vnto them honour &amp; o|bedience in all things, whiche are a|greeable to the worde of God.</P>
<PB REF="7" MS="y">
<P>And as<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Exo. 32. 2 King. 18 2 chro. 29</NOTE> Mo&s;es, Ezechias, Io&s;ias, and other godly rulers purged the church of God from &s;uper&s;tition and idola|trie: &s;o, where &s;uch are, the reforma|tion and defence of Chri&s;tes Church appertaineth to the Chri&s;tian Magi|&s;trates, again&s;t all idolaters and here|tiks, as Papi&s;ts, Anabapti&s;ts, familie of Loue, with &s;uch like members of An|tichri&s;t, to roote out all<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 4 Colo&s;. 2. Matth. 25 I&s;a. 29. Hebr. 9 Actes 10. Rom. 7. Gal. 5. Col. 2. Rom. 14 Matth. 19 <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Cor. 7 <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Co. 8. Luke 17. Rom. 3 2 Cor. 3. Galat. 4.</NOTE> doctrine of diuels and men, as the Ma&s;&s;e, Purga|torie, Limbus patru~, prayer to &s;aints, and for the dead, free-will, &s;uper&s;titi|ous di&s;tinction of meates, apparell, &amp; dayes, vowes of &s;ingle life, pre&s;ence at idol &s;eruice, mans merits, with &s;uch like: which drawe vs from the &s;ocie|tie of Chri&s;tes Church,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The for|giuene&s;&s;e of &s;innes.</NOTE> wherein<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 33 Matth. 1 Iohn 20. 2 Cor. 5. Rom. 1. Ephe. 2.</NOTE> on|lie is remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes, purcha&s;ed by Chri&s;ts bloud, to all them that be|leeue, whether they bee Iewes or Gen|tils, and lead vs to vaine confidence in creatures, &amp; tru&s;t in our owne ima|ginations. The puni&s;hment whereof, although God oftentimes<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Petr. 2. Iade 6. Rom. 9.</NOTE> deferreth in this life, yet after the generall<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Actes 24 1 Co. 15 Phil. 3.</NOTE> re|&s;urrection,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The re|&s;urrectio~ of the bo|die.</NOTE> when the bodies &s;hall ri&s;e againe to bee ioyned to their &s;oules in immortalitie, they &s;hall be<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">2 The&s;. 4 2 Iohn. 1. I&s;a. 30 Iohn 5.</NOTE> damned to vnquencheable fire: and then wee
<PB REF="7" MS="y"> which haue for&s;aken all mans wi&s;e|dome, to cleaue vnto Chri&s;t, &s;hall heare that ioyfull voyce:<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Mat. 25.</NOTE> Come yee ble&s;&s;ed of my Father, inherite yee the kingdome prepared for you, from the beginning of the world: and &s;o &s;hall goe triumphing with him, in<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1 The. 4. Iohn. 5. I&s;a. 1</NOTE> bodie and &s;oule, to remaine euer|la&s;tinglie in glorie, where we &s;hall &s;ee God ^c face to face, and &s;hall no more neede one to in&s;truct another:<NOTE PLACE="marg">And life euerla|&s;ting.</NOTE> for we &s;hall all<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Iere. 31 Hebr. 8.</NOTE> know him from the highe&s;t to the lowe&s;t. To which true God, the Father, the Sonne, and the holie Gho&s;t, be all prai&s;e, honour and glo|rie, now and euer. So be it.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="order of service">
<PB REF="8" MS="y">
<HEAD>Publike exerci&s;es in the A&s;&s;emblies.</HEAD>
<P>VPon the dayes appointed for the preaching of the worde, when a conuenient number of the congregation are come togither, that they maye make fruite of their pre&s;ence, till the A&s;&s;emblie be full, one appointed by the El|der&s;hip, &s;hall read &s;ome Chapters of the Ca|nonical bookes of Scripture, &s;inging P&s;almes betweene at his di&s;cretion: and this reading to bee in order as the bookes and Chapters followe, that &s;o from time to time the holy Scriptures maye bee read throughout. But vppon &s;peciall occa&s;ion, &s;peciall chapters may be appointed. When the houre apoin|ted for the Sermon is come, beginning with the&s;e wordes: Our helpe bee in the name of the Lorde, who hath made both Heauen &amp; Earth: v&s;ed after the Confe&s;&s;ion following: or the like in effecte, &s;ayinge to the people, Lette vs fall downe before the Maiestie of Almightie God, humblie confe&s;&s;inge our &s;innes, and followe in your hartes the tenor of my wordes.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<PB REF="8" MS="y">
<HEAD>THE CONFESSION OF OVR &s;innes v&s;ed before Sermon.</HEAD>
<P>O Eternall God, &amp; mo&s;t mercifull Father, we confe&s;&s;e and acknowledge heere be|fore thy diuine Maie&s;tie, that wee are mi&s;era|ble<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Rom. 3. P&s;alm. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> &s;inners,<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 5</NOTE> conceyued and borne in &s;inne and iniquitie, &s;o that in vs there is no<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Rom. 7</NOTE> good|ne&s;&s;e. For the<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Gal. 5.</NOTE> fle&s;he euermore rebelleth a|gain&s;t the &s;pirit, wherby we co~tinuallie tran&s;|gre&s;&s;e thine holy precepts &amp; co~mandements, &amp; &s;o purcha&s;e to our &s;elues through thy iu&s;t iudgement<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Rom. 2 Ieremie 3. I&s;a. 10.</NOTE> death and damnation. Notwith|&s;tanding &ocirc; Heauenlie Father, fora&s;much as thou ha&s;t vouch&s;afed to offer pardon to all that repent, &amp; &s;eeke it in the name of thy be|loued Sonne Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, &amp; that by thy grace we are di&s;plea&s;ed with our &s;elues for the &s;inns that we haue committed again&s;t thee, and do vnfainedlie repent vs of the &s;ame, wee mo&s;t humblie be&s;eech thee for Ie&s;us Chri&s;tes &s;ake, to &s;hew thy mercie vpon vs, to forgiue vs all our &s;innes, &amp; to increa&s;e thine holy Spirit in vs, that we<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Colo&s;. 3 Rom. 6 Ephe. 4. 1 Petr. 2</NOTE> acknowledging fro~ the bottome of our hearts our owne vnrighteou&s;nes, may from hencefoorth not onely mortifie our &s;in|full lu&s;tes and affections, but al&s;o bring forth &s;uch fruites, as may plea&s;e thee: not for anie worthine&s;&s;e therof, but for the<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Rom. 5 Hebr. 9 Ephe. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> merits of thy dearly beloued Sonne Ie&s;us Chri&s;t our onely
<PB REF="9" MS="y"> Sauiour, whom thou ha&s;t alreadie giuen an oblation and &s;acrifice for our &s;innes, and for who&s;e<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Iohn 14. Matth. 7. Iam. 1.</NOTE> &s;ake we are certainlie per&s;uaded, that thou wilt denie vs nothing, that we &s;hall a&s;ke in his name, according to thy will. For thy<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Iohn. 3 Rom. 8.</NOTE> Spirite doeth a&s;&s;ure our con&s;ciences, that thou art our mercifull Father, and &s;o loue&s;t vs thy children through him, that<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.</NOTE> nothing is able to remooue thine heauenlie grace and fauour from vs. To thee therefore, o Father, with the Sonne and the holie Gho&s;t, bee all honour and glorie, worlde without ende: So be it.</P>
<P><HI>This confe&s;sion made, the people are to &s;ing a P&s;alme, as the Mini&s;ter appointeth: which ended, the Pa&s;tour prayeth for the a&s;si&s;tance of Gods holie Spirit, that the word may be expounded faithfullie, to the honor of his name, and the edification of the Church, and that it may be receyued with &s;uch humilitie and obe|dience as therevnto belongeth: concluding with the Lords prayer. Then he is to reade the Text: alwayes to be taken out of &s;ome part of the Canonicall Scrip|tures, and &s;o to proceede to the Sermon. The Sermon ended, the Pa&s;tour is to v&s;e one of the&s;e prayers fol|lowing.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<HEAD>A PRAYER FOR THE WHOLE &s;tate of Chri&s;tes Church.</HEAD>
<P>ALmightie God, and mo&s;t mercifull Fa|ther, we<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 3</NOTE> humblie &s;ubmit our &s;elues and<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Num. 26 Deut. 9. Io&s;u. 7.</NOTE> fall downe before thy Maie&s;tie, be&s;eeching thee from the bottome of our hearts, that this
<PB REF="9" MS="y">
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Mat. 13.</NOTE> &s;eede of thy worde, now &s;owen among&s;t vs, may take &s;uch deepe roote, that neither the burning heate of per&s;ecution cau&s;e it to wi|ther, neither the thornie cares of this life doe choake it: but that as &s;eede &s;owen in good ground, it may bring foorth thirtie, &s;ixtie, or an hundred fold, as thine heauenlie wi&s;edom hath appointed. And becau&s;e we haue neede continuallie to craue many thinges at thine hands, we humblie be&s;eech thee, o Heauenlie Father, to graunt vs thine holie<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Luk. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Rom. 1 Iames 5. 1 Iohn. 5 Wi&s;d. 9.</NOTE> Spirit, to di|rect our petitions, that they may proceede from &s;uch a feruent minde, as may be agree|able to thy mo&s;t ble&s;&s;ed will.</P>
<P>And &s;eeing that our infirmitie is able<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 3. Iohn. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Phil. 2.</NOTE> to doe nothing without thine help, &amp; that thou art not ignorant with how many and how great<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 4<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> 1 Petr. 1.</NOTE> tentations wee poore wretches are on euerie &s;ide inclo&s;ed and compa&s;&s;ed, let thy &s;trength, &ocirc; Lord, &s;u&s;taine our weakene&s;&s;e, that wee beeing defended with the force of thy grace, may be &s;afelie pre&s;erued again&s;t all a&s;|&s;aults of Satan, who goeth about continually like a<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 5.</NOTE> roaring Lion, &s;eeking to deuoure vs<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Luk. 1</NOTE> Increa&s;e our faith, &ocirc; mercifull Father, that we doe not &s;warue at any time from thine heauenlie Word, but augment in vs hope and loue, with a care to keepe all thy commande|ments, that no<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 95. Heb. 3.4.</NOTE> hardne&s;&s;e of heart, no hypo|cri&s;ie, no concupi&s;cence of the eyes, nor en|ti&s;ementes
<PB REF="10" MS="y"> of the worlde, doe draw vs away from thine obedience. And &s;eeing wee liue now in the&s;e mo&s;t<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 4. 2 Petr. 3. 2 Tim. 3.</NOTE> perillous times, let thy Fatherlie prouidence defende vs again&s;t the violence of all our enemies, which doe euerie where pur&s;ue vs, but chieflie again&s;t the wic|ked rage and furious vprores of the Anti|chri&s;t of Rome.</P>
<P>Furthermore, fora&s;much as by thine holie Apo&s;tle wee be taught to make our<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 2.</NOTE> prayers and &s;upplications for all men, wee pray not onlie for our &s;elues here pre&s;ent, but be&s;eech thee al&s;o to reduce al &s;uch as be yet ignorant, from the mi&s;erable captiuitie of blindne&s;&s;e &amp; error, to the pure vnder&s;tanding of thine hea|uenlie trueth, that we all with one<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Rom. 15. Ephe. 4.</NOTE> con&s;ent and vnitie of mindes, may wor&s;hip thee our onlie God and Sauiour: and that all Pa&s;tors, Shepheardes, and Mini&s;ters, to whom thou ha&s;t committed the<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Iohn 21. Matth. 28 1 Cor. 9. Marke 16</NOTE> di&s;pen&s;ation of thine holie word, and charge of thy cho&s;en people, may both in their life and doctrine, be found faithfull, &s;etting onlie before their eyes thy glorie, and that by them all poore &s;heepe which wander and goe a&s;tray, may be gathe|red and brought home to thy fold.</P>
<P>Moreouer, becau&s;e the<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Pro. 21.</NOTE> hearts of rulers are in thine handes, we be&s;eech thee to direct &amp; gouerne the heartes of all Kings, Princes and Magi&s;trates, to whom thou ha&s;t committed
<PB REF="10" MS="y"> the<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Rom. 13. Iohn: 19</NOTE> &s;worde: e&s;peciallie, &ocirc; Lordes, accor|ding to our bounden duetie, wee be&s;eeche thee to maintaine and increa&s;e the pro&s;pe|rous e&s;tate of our mo&s;te noble Queene ELIZABETH: Whom as thou ha&s;t placed ouer vs in thy great mercie, and pre&s;erued her by thy mightie power: &s;o wee be&s;eeche thee, o Lorde, by the &s;ame mercie, to mul|tiplie on her y^e excelle~t gifts of the H. Spirit: And by the &s;ame power as thou ha&s;t always pre&s;erued her, &s;o to pre&s;erue her &s;till. And as thou ha&s;t di&s;couered the vnnatural trea|&s;ons, &amp; wicked practi&s;es, &s;o to di&s;couer the~ &s;til: that as for all other thy &s;ingular graces, &s;o al&s;o for this great mercie, both Prince &amp; people may reioyce and magnifie thy great Name. Al&s;o we pray thee for her Maie&s;ties right Honorable Coun&s;ell, that thy good Spirit may furni&s;h euerie one of them with wi&s;edom and &s;trength, and other excellent gifts, fitte for their calling. Furthermore, we pray thee for all other Magi&s;trates, and for the whole Realm, that all men in their calling may be found faithfull in &s;eeking to &s;et foorth thy glorie, and to procure the godlie peace &amp; pro&s;peritie of all the lande. And lette thy fatherlie fauour &s;o pre&s;erue them, and thine holie Spirit &s;o gouerne their hartes, that they may in &s;uch &s;orte execute their office, that thy Religion may
<PB REF="11" MS="y"> be purelie mainteined,<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">1. Tim. 2 Iames 1.</NOTE> maners reformed, and &s;inne puni&s;hed, according to the pre|ci&s;e rule of thine holie Worde.</P>
<P>And for that we be all<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 12. Rom. 12.</NOTE> members of the my&s;ticall body of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, wee make our reque&s;tes vnto thee, O Heauenlie Fa|ther, for all &s;uch as are<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Iames 5.</NOTE> afflicted with anie kinde of cro&s;&s;e or tribulation, as warre, plague, famine, &s;ickne&s;&s;e, pouertie, impri|&s;onment, per&s;ecution, bani&s;hment, or anie other kinde of thy roddes: whether it bee<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 1 Hebr. 13.</NOTE> griefe of bodie, or vnquietnes of minde, that it would plea&s;e thee to giue them pa|tience and con&s;tancie, till thou &s;ende them full deliuerance of all their troubles. Final|lie, O Lorde, we mo&s;t humblie be&s;eeche thee, to &s;hewe thy great mercies vppon our brethren, which are per&s;ecuted, ca&s;t in<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Heb. 13. Rom. 8. P&s;alm. 43.</NOTE> pri|&s;on, and daylie condemned to death for the te&s;timonie of thy trueth. And though they be vtterlie de&s;titute of all<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Iohn 16.</NOTE> mans ayde, yet let thy &s;weet comfort neuer depart fro~ them: but &s;o inflame their heartes with thine holy Spirite, that they may boldlie and chearefullie abyde<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 1.</NOTE> &s;uch triall, as thy<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Actes 2. Mat. 10. Luke 21.</NOTE> godlie wi&s;edome &s;hall appoint, &s;o that at length as well by their death as by their<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Rom. 14.</NOTE> life, the kingdome of thy Sonne IESVS Chri&s;t may increa&s;e and &s;hine throughout all the world.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<PB REF="11" MS="y">
<HEAD>&para; AN OTHER PRAYER that may &s;ometimes be v&s;ed after the Sermon.</HEAD>
<P>ALmightie God and heauenlie Father, &s;ince thou ha&s;t promi&s;ed to graunt our reque&s;tes, which wee &s;hall make vnto thee in the Name of our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t thy welbeloued Sonne, and that we are al|&s;o taught by him &amp; his Apo&s;tles, to a&s;&s;em|ble our &s;elues in his Name, promi&s;ing that he will be among vs, and make interce&s;&s;i|on for vs vnto thee, for the obtayning of all &s;uch things, as we &s;hall agree vpon here in earth: we therefore (hauing fir&s;t thy co~|mandement to pray for &s;uch as thou ha&s;t appointed rulers and gouuernours ouer vs, &amp; al&s;o for all things needfull both for thy people, &amp; for all &s;ortes of men, fora&s;much as our faith is grou~ded on thine holy word and promi&s;es, and that we are heere gathe|red togither before thy face, &amp; in the name of thy So~ne our Lord Ie&s;us) we, I &s;ay, make our earne&s;t &s;upplicatio~ vnto thee, our mo&s;t mercifull God and bountifull Father, that for Ie&s;us Chri&s;tes &s;ake our onely Sauiour &amp; Mediator, it may plea&s;e thee of thine in|finite mercie freelie to pardo~ our offences, and in &s;uch &s;orte to draw and lift vp our heartes &amp; affections towards thee, that our
<PB REF="12" MS="y"> reque&s;tes may both proceed of a feruent minde, and al&s;o be agreeable vnto thy mo&s;t ble&s;&s;ed will and plea&s;ure, which is onlie to be accepted.</P>
<P>(&middot;) We be&s;eeche thee therefore, O Hea|uenlie Father, for all Princes and Rulers, vnto whom thou ha&s;t co~mitted the admi|ni&s;tration of thy iu&s;tice, and namelie, for the excellent e&s;tate of the Queenes Maie|&s;tie, and all her Honorable Coun&s;ell, with the re&s;t of her Magi&s;trates and Commons of the Realme, that it would plea&s;e thee to graunt her thine holy Spirit, and increa&s;e the &s;ame fro~ time to time in her, that &s;hee may with a pure faith acknowledge IESVS Chri&s;t thine onely Sonne our Lord, to bee King of all kings, &amp; gouuernor of all gou|uernours, euen as thou ha&s;t giuen all pow|er vnto him both in heauen and in earth: and &s;o giue her &s;elfe wholie to &s;erue him, and to aduaunce his kingdome in her Do|minions, ruling according to thy worde, her &s;ubiectes, which are thy creatures, and the &s;heepe of thy pa&s;ture, that wee beeing mainteyned in peace and tranquillitie, may &s;erue thee in all holine&s;&s;e and vertue: and finallie, being deliuered from all feare of enimies,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke. 15.</NOTE> may render thankes vnto thee all the dayes of our life.</P>
<P>We be&s;eeche thee al&s;o mo&s;t deare Father,
<PB REF="12" MS="y"> for all &s;uch as thou ha&s;t appointed Mini|&s;ters vnto thy faithfull people, and vnto whom thou ha&s;t committed the charge of &s;oules, and the mini&s;terie of thine holy go|&s;pell, that it would plea&s;e thee &s;o to guide them with thine holy Spirit, that they may be found wi&s;e, faithfull and zealous of thy glorie, directing alwayes their whole &s;tu|dies vnto this ende, that the poore &s;heepe whiche are gone a&s;tray out of thy flocke, may be &s;ought out &amp; brought againe vn|to the Lord Ie&s;us, who is the chiefe Shep|heard and Prince of Pa&s;tors, to the intent they may from day to day grow &amp; increa&s;e in him to all righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and holine&s;&s;e. And on the other parte, that it would plea&s;e thee to deliuer all the Churches from the dau~gers of rauening Wolues, and fro~ hire|linges, who &s;eeke their owne ambition and profit, and not the &s;etting forth of thy glo|rie onely, and the &s;afegarde of thy flocke.</P>
<P>Moreouer, wee make our prayers vnto thee, &ocirc; Lorde God, mo&s;t mercifull Father, for all men, that as thou woulde&s;t haue all &s;ortes of men &s;aued, &amp; come to the know|ledge of the trueth: &s;o it may plea&s;e thee, that &s;uch as haue bene hitherto holde~ cap|tiue in darkne&s;&s;e &amp; ignorance, for lacke of the knowledge of thy Go&s;pel, may through the preaching thereof, and the cleare light
<PB REF="13" MS="y"> of thine holy Spirit, bee brought into the right way of &s;aluation, which is, to knowe thee the onely true God, and Ie&s;us Chri&s;t whom thou ha&s;t &s;ent. Likewi&s;e, that they whom thou ha&s;t alreadie endued with thy grace, &amp; illuminated their hearts with the knowledge of thy Worde, may continually increa&s;e in godline&s;&s;e, and bee plenteou&s;lie enriched with &s;pirituall benefites: So that we may altogither wor&s;hip thee, both with heart and mouth, and render due honor &amp; &s;eruice vnto Chri&s;t our Lord.</P>
<P>In like maner, &ocirc; Lord of all true comfort, we commende vnto thee in our prayers all &s;uch per&s;ons as thou ha&s;t vi&s;ited &amp; cha&s;ti|&s;ed with any cro&s;&s;e and tribulatio~: all &s;uch people as thou ha&s;t puni&s;hed with pe&s;ti|lence, warre, or famine: and all other per|&s;ons afflicted with pouertie, impri&s;onme~t, &s;ickne&s;&s;e, bani&s;hme~t, or any like bodily ad|uer&s;itie, or ha&s;t otherwi&s;e afflicted in &s;pirit: that it may plea&s;e thee to make them feele thy fatherlie affection towardes them, and to know that the&s;e cro&s;&s;es are cha&s;ti&s;eme~ts for their amendement, to the end that they may vnfainedlie turne vnto thee, and &s;o re|ceyue full comfort, and be deliuered from their euills. But e&s;peciallie wee commende vnto thy diuine protection, all &s;uch as are vnder the tyrannie of Antichri&s;t, and both lacke the preaching of the Word, the food
<PB REF="13" MS="y"> of life, &amp; haue not libertie to call vpon thy Name in ope~ A&s;&s;emblie: chieflie our poore brethren which are impri&s;oned and per&s;e|cuted by the enimies of thy Go&s;pell, that it may plea&s;e thee, O Father of con&s;olations, to &s;trengthen them by the power of thine H. Spirit, in &s;uch &s;ort, as they neuer &s;hrink backe, but may co~&s;tantly per&s;euere in their holy faith, &amp; &s;o to &s;uccour and a&s;&s;i&s;t them, as thou knowe&s;t to be mo&s;t expedient: com+forting them in their afflictions, maintay|ning them in thy &s;afegard again&s;t the rage of the enimies, and increa&s;ing in them the giftes of thy holy Spirit, that they may glorifie thee their Lord God, both in their life and in their death.</P>
<P>Finallie, &ocirc; Lord God mo&s;t deare Father, wee be&s;eeche thee, to graunt vnto vs al&s;o, which are heere gathered togither in the Name of thy Sonne Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, to heare his Word preached,<NOTE N="&ldquo;" PLACE="marg">If y^e lords Supper bee mini&s;tred, then is here added this clau&s;e, <HI>And to cele|brate his holy Supper.</HI></NOTE> that we may acknow+ledge truelie &amp; without hypocri&s;ie, in how mi&s;erable a &s;tate of damnation wee are by nature, and how worthilie we procure vn|to our &s;elues euerla&s;ting death, prouoking from time to time thy grieuous puni&s;he|mentes again&s;t vs, thorough our wicked and &s;infull life, to the ende, that &s;eeinge there remayneth no &s;parke of goodnes in our nature, and that there is nothing in vs,
<PB REF="14" MS="y"> as touching our fir&s;t birth, meete to enioye the heritage of thy kingdom, we may whol+lie render vp our &s;elues with all our hearts, and with an a&s;&s;ured confidence vnto thy dearelie beloued Sonne Ie&s;us Chri&s;t our Lord, our onely Sauiour &amp; Redeemer, that he dwelling in vs, we may mortifie our old man and &s;infull affections, that we may be renued into a more godlie life, whereby thine Holie Name may bee aduanced and magnified in vs:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hallowed bee thy Name.</NOTE> likewi&s;e, that thou maye&s;t haue the tuition and gouuernance ouer vs, and that we may learne daily more &amp; more to humble and &s;ubmit our &s;elues vnto thy Maie&s;tie, in &s;uch &s;orte that thou maye&s;t be counted King and Gouuernour ouer all,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Thy king|dome come.</NOTE> guyding thy people with the &s;cepter of thy Worde, &amp; by the vertue of thine holy Spi|rit, to the confu&s;ion of all thine enimies, thorough the might of thy trueth &amp; righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &s;o that by this meanes all power and height which with&s;tandeth thy glorie, may be continuallie throwne downe and aboli&s;hed, vntill &s;uch time as the full and perfect face of thy kingdom &s;hall appeare, when thou &s;halt &s;hewe thy &s;elfe in iudge|ment in the per&s;on of thy Sonne: whereby al&s;o we with the re&s;t of thy children, may render vnto thee perfect &amp; true obedience, euen as thine heauenlie Angels doe applie
<PB REF="14" MS="y"> them &s;elues onely to the performing of thy commaundements:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Thy will be don in earth as it is in heauen.</NOTE> &s;o that thine onely will may be fulfilled without any co~tradiction, and that euerie man may bende him &s;elfe to &s;erue and plea&s;e thee, renouncing their owne willes, with all the affections and de|&s;ires of the fle&s;h. Grau~t vs al&s;o, good Lord, that we thus walking in the loue and dread of thine Holie Name, may bee nouri&s;hed through thy goodne&s;&s;e, and that wee may receyue at thy handes all things expedient and nece&s;&s;arie for vs,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Giue vs this day our dai|lie bread.</NOTE> and &s;o v&s;e thy giftes peaceablie and quietlie, to this ende, that when we &s;ee that thou ha&s;t care of vs, wee may the more effectuallie acknowledge thee to be our Father, looking for all good giftes at thine hande, and by withdrawinge and pulling backe all our vaine co~fidence from creatures, may &s;et it wholy vpo~ thee, and &s;o re&s;t onelie in thy mo&s;t bountifull mercie. And for &s;o much as while&s;t we con+tinue heere in this tran&s;itorie life, we are &s;o mi&s;erable, &s;o fraile, and &s;o much enclined vnto &s;inne, that we fall continuallie and &s;warue from the right way of thy com|maundements, we be&s;eeche thee pardon vs our innumerable offences, whereby we de|&s;erue thy iu&s;t iudgement and condemnati|on, and forgiue vs &s;o freelie, that death and &s;inne may hereafter haue nothing again&s;t
<PB REF="15" MS="y"> vs,<NOTE PLACE="marg">And forgiue vs our tre|&s;pa&s;&s;es.</NOTE> neither laye vnto our charge that wic|ked roote of &s;inne, which doeth euermore remaine in vs: graunt that by thy com|maundement, we may forgette the wrongs which other doe vnto vs, and in &s;teede of &s;eeking ve~geance, may procure the wealth of our enemies. And for as much as of our &s;elues wee are weake, vtterlie vnable to &s;tande,<NOTE PLACE="marg">And lead vs not into ten|tation.</NOTE> and a&s;&s;alted euermore with &s;uch multitude of mo&s;t dangerous enemies, the Deuill, the Worlde, &s;inne, and our owne concupi&s;cences which doe neuer leaue off to fight again&s;t vs, lett it be thy good plea|&s;ure, to &s;trengthen vs with thy holie Spirit, and to arme vs with thy grace, that there|by we may be able con&s;tantlie to with&s;tand all tentations, and to per&s;euere in this &s;pi|rituall battel again&s;t &s;inne, vntill &s;uch time as we &s;hall obtaine the full victorie, and &s;o at length may triumphantlie raigne in thy Kingdome, with our Captaine and gouer|nour Ie&s;us Chri&s;t our Lord, in who&s;e name we further pray as he hath taught vs.</P>
<P><HI>This prayer following may be al&s;o v&s;ed to bee &s;aide after the &s;ermon, on the day whiche is appointed for common prayer: and it is very proper for our &s;tate and time, to mooue vs to true repentance, and to turne backe Gods &s;harpe roddes which yet threaren vs.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="prayer">
<PB REF="15" MS="y">
<P>O God almightie and heauenly Father, we acknowledge in our co~&s;ciences &amp; co~fe&s;&s;e, as the trueth is, that we are not wor|thie to lift vp our eyes to heaue~, much le&s;&s;e meet to come into thy pre&s;ence, &amp; to be &s;o bold as to thinke that thou wilt heare our prayers, if thou haue re&s;pect to that which is in vs: for our con&s;ciences accu&s;e vs, and our owne &s;innes doe beare witne&s;&s;e again&s;t vs: yea, and wee know that thou art a righ|teous Iudge, which puni&s;hed the faultes of &s;uch as tran&s;gre&s;&s;e thy commaundements. Therefore, &ocirc; Lorde, when we con&s;ider our whole life, we haue cau&s;e to be co~foundeth in our own hearts, and to be &s;wallowed vp in the deep gulfe of death. Notwith&s;ta~ding mo&s;t mercifull Lorde, &s;ince it hath plea&s;ed thee of thine infinit mercie to co~maund vs to call vpon thee for helpe, euen from the deepe bottome of hell: and that the more lack &amp; defaut we fele in our&s;elues, &s;o much the rather we &s;huld haue recour&s;e vnto thy gratious bou~tie: &s;ince al&s;o thou ha&s;t promi+&s;ed to heare &amp; accept our reque&s;tes &amp; &s;up|plications, without hauing anie re&s;pect to our vnworthines, for the merits of our lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, whom alone thou ha&s;t appoin+ted to bee our Interce&s;&s;our and Aduocate, we humble our &s;elues before thee, renoun|cing all vaine confidence in mans helpe,
<PB REF="16" MS="y"> and cleaue onelie to thy mercie, calling v|pon thy holy Name, to obteine pardon for our &s;innes.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, O Lorde, be&s;ides the innumerable benefites which thou doe&s;t vniuer&s;allie be|&s;towe vpon al men, thou ha&s;t giuen vs &s;uch &s;peciall graces, that it is not po&s;&s;ible for vs to rehear&s;e them, no nor &s;ufficientlie to co~|ceiue them in our mindes. It hath plea&s;ed thee to call vs to the knowledge of thy ho|ly Go&s;pell, drawing vs out of the mi&s;erable bondage of the Deuill, who&s;e &s;laues wee were, and deliuering vs from mo&s;t cur&s;ed idolatrie and wicked &s;uper&s;tition, wherein we were plunged, to bring vs into the mer|uailous light of thy trueth. Notwith&s;tan|ding &s;uch is our vnthankfulne&s;&s;e, that not onely we forget tho&s;e thy benefites whiche we haue receyued at thy bountifull hande, but haue gone a&s;tray from thee, and haue turned our &s;elues from thy Law, to goe af|ter our owne concupi&s;cences &amp; lu&s;tes, and neither haue giuen worthie honour &amp; due obedience to thine holy Worde, neither haue aduanced thy glorie, as our duties re|quired. And although thou ha&s;t not cea&s;|&s;ed continually to admoni&s;h vs mo&s;t faith|fullie by thy Worde, yet we haue not giuen eare to thy Fatherlie admonition.</P>
<P>Wherefore, &ocirc; Lord, wee haue &s;inned and
<PB REF="16" MS="y"> haue grieuou&s;lie offended again&s;t thee, &s;o that &s;hame and confu&s;ion appertayneth to vs: and we acknowledge that wee are alto|gither guiltie before thy iudgement, and that if thou woulde&s;t deale with vs accor|ding to our demerites, we could looke for no other then euerla&s;ting death and dam|nation. For although we would excu&s;e our &s;elues, yet our owne con&s;cience would ac|cu&s;e vs, and our wickednes would appeare before thee to condemne vs. And in verie deed, O Lorde, wee &s;ee by the corrections which thou ha&s;t alreadie laid vpon vs, that we haue giue~ thee great occa&s;ion to be di&s;|plea&s;ed with vs: for &s;eeing thou art a iu&s;t &amp; vpright Iudge, it can not be without cau&s;e, that thou puni&s;he&s;t thy people. Wherefore, for as much as we haue felt thy &s;tripes, wee acknowledge that we haue iu&s;tlie &s;tirred vp thy di&s;plea&s;ure again&s;t vs: yea, and yet wee &s;ee thine hande lifted vp to &s;trike vs again: for the roddes &amp; weapons wherewith thou art accu&s;tomed to execute thy vengeance, are alreadie in thine hande, and in full rea|dine&s;&s;e. Wherewith though thou &s;houlde&s;t puni&s;h vs much more grieuou&s;lie the~ thou ha&s;t hitherto done, and that, whereas wee haue receyued one &s;troke, thou woulde&s;t giue vs a thou&s;ande: yea, if thou woulde&s;t bring vpon vs all the cur&s;es written in thy
<PB REF="17" MS="y"> Law, and pur&s;ue vs with the grieuous pu|ni&s;hments, wherewith thou didde&s;t puni&s;h thy people I&s;raell, wee confe&s;&s;e that thou &s;houlde&s;t doe therein mo&s;t righteou&s;lie, &amp; we can not denie, but we haue fullie de&s;er|ued the &s;ame. Notwith&s;tanding, &ocirc; Lorde, our heauenlie Father, &s;eeing thou art our maker, and we the workman&s;hip of thine hands, &s;eeing thou art our Pa&s;tor, &amp; we thy flocke: &s;eing al&s;o that thou art our Redee|mer, and wee the people whom thou ha&s;t bought: finallie, becau&s;e thou art our God, &amp; we thy cho&s;en Heritage, &s;uffer not thine anger &s;o to kindle again&s;t vs, that thou &s;houlde&s;t puni&s;h vs in thy wrath, neither remember our wickednes &s;o, as to take ve~|geance therof, but rather cha&s;ti&s;e vs accor|ding to thy mercie. We confe&s;&s;e, O Lord, that our mi&s;deedes haue enflamed thy wrath again&s;t vs, yet, co~&s;idering that by thy grace we call vpon thy Name, &amp; make pro|fe&s;&s;ion of thy trueth: mainteine, we be&s;eech thee, the worke that thou ha&s;t begon in vs, to the ende that all the worlde may knowe that thou art our God and Sauiour. Thou knowe&s;t that &s;uch as thou ha&s;t de&s;troyed &amp; brought to confu&s;ion, do not &s;et forth thy pray&s;es, but the heauie &s;oules, the humble hearts, the con&s;ciences oppre&s;&s;ed, &amp; loaden with the grieuous burden of their &s;innes,
<PB REF="17" MS="y"> and therefore thir&s;te after thy grace, they &s;hall &s;et foorth thy pray&s;e and glorie.</P>
<P>Thy people of I&s;rael ofte~times prouoked thee to anger through their wickedne&s;&s;e, whervpon thou didde&s;t iu&s;tlie puni&s;he the~: but &s;o &s;oone as they acknowledged their offences, and returned to thee, thou didde&s;t receiue them alwayes to mercie: and were their enormities &amp; &s;ins neuer &s;o grieuous, yet for thy Couenantes &s;ake which thou hadde&s;t made with thy &s;erua~ts, Abraha~ I&s;a|ac &amp; Iacob, thou didde&s;t alwaies withdraw fro~ them thy roddes &amp; cur&s;es, which were prepared for them, in &s;uch &s;orte, that thou didde&s;t neuer refu&s;e to heare their prayers.</P>
<P>We haue obtained by thy goodne&s;&s;e, in a farre more excellent maner, the &s;ame Co|uenant, &s;tabli&s;hed by the meanes of IESVS Chri&s;t our Sauior, written with his bloud, &amp; &s;ealed with his death and pa&s;&s;ion. Ther|fore, O Lord, we renouncing our &s;elues, &amp; all vaine co~fidence in mans helpe, haue our onely refuge to this thy mo&s;t ble&s;&s;ed Coue|nant, whereby our Lord Ie&s;us, through the offering vp of his body in &s;acrifice, hath reconciled vs vnto thee. Behold vs there|fore, O Lorde, in the face of Chri&s;t thine annoynted, that by his interce&s;&s;ion, thy wrath &amp; indignation may be appea&s;ed, and that the grieuous plagues and iudgements
<PB REF="18" MS="y"> which we haue de&s;erued, may be remoued from vs, and that the bright beames of thy countenance may &s;hine vpon vs, to our great comfort and a&s;&s;ured &s;aluation: and from this time forwarde, vouch&s;afe to re|ceyue vs vnder thine holy tuition, and gou|uerne vs with thy holy Spirit, whereby we may bee regenerate a new vnto a farre bet|ter life.</P>
<P>And albeit we be mo&s;t vnworthie in our owne &s;elues, to open our mouthes, and to intreate thee in our nece&s;&s;ities, yet for &s;o much as it hath plea&s;ed thee to commaund vs to pray one for another, wee make al&s;o our hu~ble prayers vnto thee, for our poore brethren, whom thou doe&s;t vi&s;ite and cha|&s;ti&s;e with thy roddes and corrections, mo&s;t in&s;tantly de&s;iring thee, to turne away thine anger from them. Remember, &ocirc; Lorde, that they are thy children, as wee are: and though they haue offended thy Maie&s;tie, yet we be&s;eech thee that it may plea&s;e thee not to cea&s;e to proceede in thine accu&s;to|med bountie and mercie, which thou ha&s;t promi&s;ed, &s;hould euermore continue to|wardes thine elect. Vouch&s;afe therefore, &ocirc; Lorde, to extende thy pitie vppon all thy Churches, and towardes all thy people, whom thou doe&s;t now cha&s;ti&s;e, either with pe&s;tilence or warre, or &s;uch like thine ac|cu&s;tomed
<PB REF="18" MS="y"> roddes, as &s;ickne&s;&s;e, pri&s;on, po|uertie, or any other affliction of body or minde, that it would plea&s;e thee to co~fort them as thou knowe&s;t to bee mo&s;t expedi|ent for them, &s;o that thy roddes may be in|&s;tructions for them, to a&s;&s;ure them of thy fauour, &amp; for their amendement, whe~ thou &s;halt giue them con&s;tancie and patience, &amp; al&s;o a&s;&s;wage and &s;tay thy corrections: and &s;o at length by deliuering them fro~ al their troubles, giue them iu&s;t occa&s;ion to reioice in thy mercie, and to prai&s;e thine Holie Name. E&s;peciallie, &ocirc; Lord, haue compa&s;&s;io~ on tho&s;e that employe them &s;elues for the maintenance of thy trueth: &s;tre~gthen them with an invincible con&s;tancie: defende and a&s;&s;i&s;t them: ouerthrow the craftie practi&s;es and con&s;piracies of their enemies: bridle their rage, and lett their bolde enterpri&s;es, which they vndertake again&s;t thee and the members of thy Sonne, turne to their own confu&s;ion: and &s;uffer not thy kingdome to be vtterlie de&s;olate, neither &s;uffer the reme~|brance of thine holy Name to be cleane a|boli&s;hed, nor that they,<NOTE PLACE="marg">To this the Mini&s;ter ad|deth that part which is in the for|mer prayer marked thus (&middot;)</NOTE> among who~ it hath plea&s;ed thee to haue thy prai&s;e &s;et forth, be de&s;troyed, and that the Turkes, Paganes, &amp; other infidels, the church of Rome, or o|ther heretikes, by &s;uch occa&s;io~ boa&s;t them &s;elues thereby, &amp; bla&s;pheme thy Name. (&middot;)</P>
<PB REF="19" MS="y">
<P><HI>Then the people are to &s;ing a P&s;ealme, as the Pa|&s;tor appointeth: Which ended, he is to pronounce one of the&s;e ble&s;sings, and &s;o the Congregation departeth.</HI></P>
<P>THe Lord ble&s;&s;e vs and &s;aue vs: the Lord make his face to &s;hine vpon vs, and bee mercifull vnto vs:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Num. 6.</NOTE> the Lord turne his cou~|tenance towards vs, &amp; graunt vs his peace.</P>
<P>THe grace of our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, the loue of God, and communion of the holie Gho&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. Cor. 13.</NOTE> be with vs all: So be it.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="sacraments">
<HEAD>OF BAPTISME.</HEAD>
<P>It &s;hall not be nece&s;&s;arie for the Pa&s;tour daylie to repeate all the&s;e thinges before mentioned, but be|ginning with &s;ome like confe&s;sion, to proceede to the Sermon: which ended, he eyther is to v&s;e the prayer for all e&s;tates, before mencioned, or el&s;e to pray, as the Spirit of God &s;hall mooue his hearte, framing the &s;ame according to the time and mat|ter which he hath intreated of. And if there &s;hall be at anie time any pre&s;ent plague, famine, pe&s;ti|lence, warre, or &s;uch like, which be euident tokens of Gods wrath, as it is our parte, to acknowledge our &s;innes to be the occa&s;ion thereof, &s;o are we ap|pointed by the Scriptures, to giue our &s;elues to mourning, fa&s;tinge, and prayer, as the meanes to turne away Gods heauie di&s;plea&s;ure. Therefore it &s;hall be conuenient, that the Mini&s;ter, during &s;uch time, doe not onely admoni&s;h the people thereof, but al&s;o v&s;e &s;ome forme of praier, according as the pre&s;ent nece&s;sitie requireth, to the whiche he may appointe by con&s;ent of the Elder&s;hippe, &s;ome &s;e|uerall day after the Sermon, weekelie to be ob&s;er|ued, where it may be done conuenientlie.</P>
<DIV2 N="baptism" TYPE="sacrament">
<PB REF="19" MS="y">
<HEAD>&para; OF THE ADMINISTRA|TION OF THE SACRA|mentes, BAPTISME, and the Lordes SVPPER. Fir&s;t of the order of BAPTISME.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Fora&s;much as it is not permitted by Gods Worde, that women, or any priuate per&s;on &s;hould preache or mini&s;ter the Sacramentes, and it is euident that the Sacraments are not ordained of god to be v&s;ed but in places of the publike Congregation, &amp; ne|ce&s;&s;arilie annexed to the preaching of the Worde, as &s;eales of the &s;ame, therefore the infant which is to be baptized, &s;halbe brought to the Church at &s;ome day appointed to common prayer and prea|ching, accompanied with the Father &amp; godfathers, as the Elder&s;hip of that Congregation &s;hall think conuenient. After the Sermon, the childe beeing pre&s;ented to the Mini&s;ter, hee demaundeth this que&s;tion:</HI></P>
<P>DOe you pre&s;ent this Childe to bee Bap|tized?</P>
<P><HI>The Aun&s;were.</HI></P>
<P>Yea, we require the &s;ame.</P>
<P><HI>Then the Pastor is to proceed, &s;aying:</HI></P>
<P>THen let vs co~&s;ider, dearlie beloued, how Almightie God hath not onely made vs his children by "adoption, and receiued vs into the fellow&s;hip of his Church, but al|&s;o hath promi&s;ed that he wil be our<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Gen. 17. Exod. 12.</NOTE> God,
<PB REF="20" MS="y"> and the God of our childre~, vnto the thou|&s;ande generation. Which thing as he con|firmed to his people of the olde Te&s;tament by the Sacrament of<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Gen. 17. Roma. 4.</NOTE> Circu~ci&s;ion, &s;o hath he al&s;o renewed the &s;ame to vs in his newe Te&s;tament by the Sacrament of<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Colo 1 Galat. 3 Actes 2.</NOTE> Bapti&s;me: commaunding his<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Mat. 8. Marke. 16.</NOTE> Apo&s;tles to baptize in the Name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Gho&s;t: declaringe thereby that &s;uch as beleeue, and their infantes, ap|pertaine to him by couenant, and therfore ought not to bee defrauded of tho&s;e Holie &s;ignes and &s;eales<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Actes 10.</NOTE> whereby his childre~ are knowne from infidels and pagans.</P>
<P>Neither is it requi&s;ite, that all tho&s;e that receiue this Sacrament, haue the v&s;e of vn|der&s;tanding and faith, but that they be co~|teined vnder the name of<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Actes. 2. 1 Cor. 7.</NOTE> Gods people: &s;o that remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes in the bloud of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, doeth appertaine vnto them by Gods promi&s;e.</P>
<P>This thing is mo&s;t euident by<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 7.</NOTE> S^t Paule, who pronounceth the children begotten &amp; borne, either of the parents being faith|full, to be cleane and holie. Al&s;o our Saui|our Chri&s;t admitteth<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Marke. 10. Mat. 19. Luc. 18. P&s;alm. 22.</NOTE> children to his pre|&s;ence, imbracing &amp; ble&s;&s;ing them. Which te&s;timonies of the holy Gho&s;t a&s;&s;ure vs, that infants be of the number of Gods peo|ple, and that remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes doeth al&s;o
<PB REF="20" MS="y"> appertaine to them in Chri&s;t. Therefore without iniurie, they can not bee debarred from the common &s;igne of Gods children. And yet is not this outward action of &s;uch nece&s;&s;itie, that the lacke<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Rom. 4. Gal. 3. Iames. 2. Gen. 15.1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> thereof &s;hould be hurtfull to their &s;aluation, if that, preuen|ted by death, or &s;uch like cau&s;e of nece&s;&s;i|tie, they may not conuenientlie be pre&s;en|ted to the Church. But wee hauing re&s;pect to that obedience, which Chri&s;tians owe to the voyce and ordinance of Chri&s;t IESVS, who commaunded<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Mark. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Mat. 28.</NOTE> to preach and baptize al &s;uch without exception, doe iudge them onely vnworthie of anie fellow&s;hip with him, who contemptuou&s;lie refu&s;e &s;uch or|dinarie meanes, as his wi&s;edome hath ap|pointed to the in&s;truction of our dull &s;en|&s;es.</P>
<P>Furthermore, it is euident, that Bapti&s;me was ordeyned to bee mini&s;tred in the ele|me~t of<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Mat. 3. 1 Pet. 3. 1 Iohn. 5 1 Cor. 10</NOTE> water, to teach vs, that like as water outwardlie doeth wa&s;he away the filth of the bodie, &s;o inwardlie doeth the bloode of Chri&s;t purge our &s;oules from that cor|ruption and deadlie poy&s;on, wherewith<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 2.</NOTE> by nature we were infected. Who&s;e vene|mous<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Rom. 7</NOTE> dregges, although they continue in this our fle&s;he, yet by the merites of his death,<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Rom. 4. Galat. 3. P&s;alm. 32.</NOTE> are not imputed vnto vs, becau&s;e the iu&s;tice of Ie&s;us Chri&s;te is made<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Roma. 6. Galat. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> ours
<PB REF="21" MS="y"> by Bapti&s;me: not that we thinke any &s;uch vertue or power to be included in the vi&s;i|ble water or outward action,<NOTE PLACE="marg">As Iudas, Si|mon Magus, Hymeneus, Alexander, Philetus.</NOTE> (for manie haue bene baptized, and yet neuer inward|lie purged) but that our Sauior Chri&s;t, who commanded Bapti&s;me to be mini&s;tred,<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Actes 2.13</NOTE> wil by the power of his holie Spirit effectuallie work in the hearts of his ^c elect in time co~|uenient,<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 3. 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 6. Col. 2.</NOTE> all that is meant &amp; &s;ignified by the &s;ame. And this the Scripture calleth our ^d regeneration,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The fruit of bapti&s;me &s;ta~+deth in two points: mor|tification, and regene|ration.</NOTE> whiche &s;tandeth chieflie in the&s;e two pointes, In mortification of the rebellious lu&s;tes of the fle&s;h, and in new|ne&s;&s;e of life, whereby we continuallie &s;triue to walke in that purenes and perfection, wherewith we are cladde in bapti&s;me.</P>
<P>And although we in the iourney of this life be<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 5. Luke. 22. Iob. 7.</NOTE> encumbred with manie enimies, which in the way a&s;&s;aile vs, yet fight we not without fruit. For this ^f continuall battell which we fight again&s;t &s;inne, death &amp; hell, is a mo&s;t infallible argument, that God the Father,<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Rom. 1.5 1 Pet. 1 Iames. 1 Ephe. 6.</NOTE> mindfull of his promi&s;e made vnto vs in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, doeth not onlie giue vs motions and courage to re&s;i&s;t them, but al|&s;o a&s;&s;urance<NOTE N="&ldquo;" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 15 O&s;e. 13. Heb. 2.</NOTE> to ouercome, and obtaine victorie. Wherefore, dearelie beloued, it is not onlie of nece&s;&s;itie that we be baptized, but al&s;o it much profiteth oft to be pre&s;ent at the mini&s;tration thereof, that we being
<PB REF="21" MS="y"> put in minde of the<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Deut. 6. Io&s;h. 1.</NOTE> league &amp; Couenaunt made betweene God and vs, that he will be<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Iere. 3<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. Heb. 8.</NOTE> our God, &amp; we his people: he our Father, and we his children, may haue occa&s;ion as well to trie our liues pa&s;t, as our pre&s;ent co~uer&s;ation, and to proue our &s;elues, whe|ther we &s;tande fa&s;t in the faith of Gods e|lect: or co~trariwi&s;e, haue &s;trayed from him through<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 4. Col. 3.</NOTE> incredulitie &amp; vngodlie liuing: whereof if our con&s;ciences doe accu&s;e vs, yet by hearing the louing promi&s;es of our heauenlie Father (who calleth all men to mercie by<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Ezech. 18 Act. 1.13. 2 Pet. 3. Deut. 4.6.</NOTE> repentance) we may from hence foorth walke more warelie in our voca|tion.</P>
<P>Moreouer, ye that be Fathers and Mo|thers, may take hereby mo&s;t &s;ingular com|fort, to &s;ee your children thus receyued into the bo&s;ome of Chri&s;tes Congregati|on, whereby you are daylie admoni&s;hed, that ye nouri&s;he and bring vp the children of gods fauour and mercie, ouer whom his fatherlie prouidence<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Mat. 18.</NOTE> watcheth continual|lie. Which thing, as it ought greatly to re|ioice you, knowing that<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Matth. 6. Luke. 12.</NOTE> nothinge can come vnto the~ without his good plea&s;ure, &s;o ought it to make you diligent &amp; careful to nourture, and in&s;truct them in the<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Deut. 4.6. Ephe. 6.</NOTE> true knowledge and feare of God. Wherein if you be negligent,<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">King 2.</NOTE> ye doe not onely<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 2.</NOTE> iniurie
<PB REF="22" MS="y"> to your own children, hydinge from them the good will &amp; plea&s;ure of almightie God their Father,<NOTE PLACE="marg">What daun+ger hangeth ouer tho&s;e parentes, which neg|lect the brin+ginge vp of their childre~ in godlines.</NOTE> but al&s;o heape damnation v|pon your &s;elues, in &s;uffering his children, bought with the bloud of his deare So~ne, &s;o trayterou&s;lie, for lacke of knowledge to turne back from him. Therefore it is your duetie, with all diligence to prouide that your children in time conuenient bee in|&s;tructed in all<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Gene. 18. Deut. 32.</NOTE> doctrine nece&s;&s;arie for a true Chri&s;tian: chieflie that they be taught to re&s;t vpo~ the iu&s;tice of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us alone, and to abhorre &amp; flee all &s;uper&s;tition, He|re&s;ie and Idolatrie.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The true v&s;e of the Catechi&s;me to the execu+tion wherof the fathers and godfa|thers binde them &s;elues.</NOTE> Finallie, to the intent that wee may be a&s;&s;ured, that you the Fa|ther or the Suerties con&s;ent to the perfor|mance hereof, declare here before God &amp; the face of his Congregation, if this be the &s;umme of thy faith, that you beleeue, and wherin you will &s;ee this childe in&s;tructed: Which is conteyned in the&s;e Wordes:</P>
<P>I beleeue in God the Father. &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Wherevnto aun&s;were being taken, hee prayeth in this maner, or &s;uch like.</HI></P>
<P>ALmightie and euerla&s;tinge GOD, which of thine infinite mercie and goodne&s;&s;e ha&s;t promi&s;ed vnto vs, that thou wilt not onely bee our God, but al&s;o the God and Father of our Children, wee be|&s;eeche thee, that as thou ha&s;t vouch&s;afed
<PB REF="22" MS="y"> to call vs to be partakers of this thy great mercie in the<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Galat. 3. 1 Petr. 1. Phil. 3</NOTE> fellow&s;hip of faith, &s;o it may plea&s;e thee to &s;anctifie with thy<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Rom. 3.4. 1 Cor. 5 Rom. 8. Ephe. 2.3.</NOTE> Spirite, &amp; to receyue into the number of thy children this infant, whom we &s;hall baptize accor|ding to thy<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Matth. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Marke. 16. Actes. 2.</NOTE> worde, to the end that he, co~|ming to perfect age, may<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Roma. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. Iohn. 17.</NOTE> confe&s;&s;e thee onelie the true God, and whome thou ha&s;t &s;ent, Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, and &s;o &s;erue thee, &amp; be<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Rom. 1 1 Cor 11. 1 The&s;. 5</NOTE> profitable to thy Churche, in the whole cour&s;e of his life, that after this life be en|ded, he may be brought as a liuely mem|ber of the body of Chri&s;te, vnto the full fruitio~ of thy<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Roma. 6. Titus. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> ioyes in the Heauens, where thy Sonne our Sauiour Chri&s;t reigneth worlde without ende. In who&s;e Name wee praye as hee hath taught vs:</P>
<Q>Our Father which art in heauen.</Q>
<P>&para; When they haue prayed in this &s;orte, the Mini&s;ter is to require the childes name, whiche knowen,</P>
<P><HI>Hee is to &s;aye:</HI></P>
<P>N.<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Matt. 28. Marke. 16. Actes. 2.</NOTE> I baptize thee in the Name of the Father, of the Sonne, &amp; of the holie Gho&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>And as he &s;peaketh the&s;e wordes, hee &s;hall take wa|ter in his hande, and<NOTE N="&sect;" PLACE="marg">or wa&s;hed</NOTE> powre it vpon the childes face, Which done, he is to giue thanks as follow|eth.</HI></P>
<P>FOra&s;much, mo&s;t holy and merciful Fa|ther, as thou doe&s;t not onelie ble&s;&s;e vs
<PB REF="23" MS="y"> with common benefits, like vnto the re&s;t of mankinde,<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 3 1 Pet. 2. O&s;e. 2.</NOTE> but al&s;o heape&s;t vppon vs mo&s;t aboundantlie rare and wonderfull giftes, of duetie we lift vppe our eyes and mindes vnto thee, &amp; giue thee mo&s;t hum|ble thankes for thine infinite goodne&s;&s;e, which ha&s;t not onely numbred vs among&s;t thy<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 2. Ephe. 2.</NOTE> Saintes, but al&s;o of thy free mercie doe&s;t cal our children vnto thee, marking them with this Sacrament, as a &s;ingular token and &s;eale of thy loue. Wherefore, mo&s;t louing Father, though we be not able to de&s;erue this &s;o great a benefite (yea, if thou woulde&s;t handle vs according to our<NOTE N="&ldquo;" PLACE="marg">Rom. 1. Iere. 2. I&s;a. 40. Luke. 17.</NOTE> merites, wee &s;hould &s;uffer the puni&s;h|ments of eternall death &amp; damnation) yet for Chri&s;tes &s;ake wee be&s;eeche thee, that thou wilt confirme this thy fauour more &amp; more towards vs, and take this infant into thy tuition and defence, whom we offer &amp; pre&s;ent vnto thee with common &s;upplica|tions, &amp; neuer &s;uffer him to fall away from thee: but that hee maye knowe thee conti|nuallie to bee his mercifull Father, tho|rough thine holie Spirite, working in his heart, by who&s;e diuine power hee maye &s;o preuayle again&s;t Satan, that in the end, ob|tayning the victorie, he may be exalted in|to the libertie of thy kingdome. So be it.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="eucharist" TYPE="sacrament">
<PB REF="23" MS="y">
<HEAD>THE MANNER OF ADMINISTRING the Lords Supper.</HEAD>
<P><HI>The day when the Lords Supper is to be mini&s;tred, which &s;halbe commonly once a moneth, or &s;o ofte as the Congregation &s;hall thinke expedient, the Mini&s;ter &s;hall v&s;e to &s;ay as followeth.</HI></P>
<P>LET vs marke, deare brethren, and con|&s;ider how Ie&s;us Chri&s;t did ordaine vn|to vs his Holie Supper, according as Saint Paule maketh rehear&s;hall in the 11. Chap. of the fir&s;te Epi&s;tle to the Corinthians, &s;aying:</P>
<P>I haue receyued of the Lord, that which I haue deliuered vnto you, to witte, that the Lord Ie&s;us the &s;ame night he was betrayed, tooke bread, and when he had giuen thankes, he brake it &s;aying: Take yee, eate ye, this is my bodie, which is broken for you: do you this in remembrance of mee. Likewi&s;e after Supper, hee tooke the Cup, &s;aying: This Cuppe is the new Te&s;tament or Couenant in my bloud: doe yee this &s;o ofte as yee &s;hall drinke thereof, in re|membrance of mee. For &s;o ofte as you &s;hall eate this bread, and drinke of this Cuppe, yee &s;hall declare the Lords death vntill his comminge. Therfore who&s;oeuer
<PB REF="24" MS="y"> &s;hall eate this breade, &amp; drinke the Cuppe of the Lorde vnworthily, he &s;hall be guiltie of the body and bloud of the Lorde. Then &s;ee that euery man prooue &amp; trie him &s;elfe, and &s;o let him eate of this breade, &amp; drinke of this Cuppe, for who &s;o euer eateth or drinketh vnworthily, he eateth &amp; drinketh his owne damnation, for not hauing due regarde and con&s;ideration of the Lords bodie.</P>
<P><HI>&para; This done, the Pa&s;tor is to proceede to the exhor|tation, &s;aying:</HI></P>
<P>DEarely beloued in the Lorde, for a&s;|much as we be now a&s;&s;embled to cele|brate the holy communion of the bodie &amp; bloud of our Sauiour Chri&s;t, let vs con&s;ider the&s;e wordes of Saint Paule, howe he ex|horteth all per&s;ons diligently to trie and examine them &s;elues, before they pre&s;ume to eate of that bread, and drinke of that Cuppe. For as the benefite is great, if with a truelie penitent heart, and liuelie faith wee receyue that holie Sacrament (for then wee &s;pirituallie eate the fle&s;he of Chri&s;t, &amp; drinke his bloude: the~ wee dwell in Chri&s;t, and Chri&s;t in vs: we be one with Chri&s;t, &amp; Chri&s;t with vs:) &s;o is the daunger exceeding great, if wee receyue this holie Sacramente vnworthilie: for then wee be guiltie of the
<PB REF="24" MS="y"> bodie and bloud of Chri&s;t our Sauiour: we eate and drinke our owne damnation, not con&s;ideringe the Lorde his bodie, which is offered in this Sacramente to the worthie receyuer: wee kindle Gods heauie wrath a|gain&s;t vs, and prouoke him to plague or cha&s;ti&s;e vs, with diuer&s;e di&s;ea&s;es, and &s;un|drie kindes of death.</P>
<P>Therefore, if anie of you bee<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Ho&s;e. 4.5.</NOTE> ignoraunt of God,<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Roma. 10 Marke. 8.</NOTE> a denier of the faith,<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 11. Tit. 2.10.</NOTE> an here|ticke or &s;ci&s;matike,<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 5 1 Iohn. 5</NOTE> an Idolatour, a wor|&s;hipper of Angells, Saintes, or anie other creatures,<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Gal. 5.30.</NOTE> a witch, &s;orcerour, &s;outh&s;ayer, or &s;uche as haue anie tru&s;te or confidence in them,<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Deut. 4. 1. Iohn. 5.</NOTE> a mainteyner of Images or mans inuentions in the &s;eruice of GOD, a ne|glecter,<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Gene. 17 Num. 9. 1 Cor. 11. Mat. 18.3<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> contemner, hinderer or &s;launde|rer of God, his holye Worde, Sacramentes, and Di&s;cipline, a<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Mat. 5.33</NOTE> periured per&s;on, a pro|phaner of the Lords Sabboth: di&s;obedient to Parents, Magi&s;trates, Mini&s;tres, &amp; other Superiours, or bee a murderer, or in ma|lice and enuie, or bee mercile&s;&s;e and cruell, or an oppre&s;&s;our, V&s;urer, or fornicatour, adulterour, an ince&s;tuous per&s;on, bugge|rer, or bee a theefe,<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 5 1 The&s;. 4.</NOTE> a fal&s;e dealer in bar|gayninge, or anie the like matter: a &s;laun|derour, backebyter, or fal&s;e witne&s;&s;e bea|rer, or in anie other grieuous crime, lament
<PB REF="25" MS="y"> and bewayle our &s;innes and iniquities, and pre&s;ume not to come to this holie Table, lea&s;t the Deuill enter into you, as he entred into Iudas, and<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Iohn. 13.</NOTE> fill you full of all iniqui|ties, and bring you to de&s;truction, both of bodie and &s;oule.</P>
<P>Iudge therefore your &s;elues, examine and trie your hearts (Brethren) that ye bee not iudged of the Lord:<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Mat. 3. Titus. 2.</NOTE> Repente you truelie for your &s;innes pa&s;t, and haue a liuelie and &s;tedfa&s;t faith in Chri&s;t our Sauiour, &s;ee|king onlie your &s;aluation in the<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Actes 4 Galat. 2.</NOTE> merites of his death and pa&s;&s;ion, of his righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e and obedience: from hence foorth refu&s;ing and forgetting all enuie and<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 2. 1 Cor. 14. Ephe. 4.</NOTE> ma|lice, with full purpo&s;e and deliberation, to liue in Brotherly amitie, and all godlie and hone&s;t conuer&s;ation all the dayes of your life.</P>
<P>And albeit wee feele in our &s;elues much fraieltie and wretchedne&s;&s;e, as that we haue not our faith &s;o perfect and con&s;tant, as we ought, being manie times readie to di&s;tru&s;t Gods goodne&s;&s;e through our corrupt<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Rom. 7</NOTE> na|ture, and al&s;o that we are not &s;o throughlie giuen to &s;erue God, neither haue &s;o fer|uent a zeale to &s;et foorth his glorie, as our duetie requireth, feeling &s;till &s;uch rebellion in our &s;elues, that wee haue neede daylie to<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Galat. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> fight again&s;t the lu&s;tes of our fle&s;h, yet
<PB REF="25" MS="y"> neuerthele&s;&s;e, &s;eeing that our Lorde hath dealth thus mercifullie with vs, that hee hath printed his<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Heb. 8. Iere. 31. I&s;a. 5.</NOTE> Go&s;pell in our hearts, &s;o that wee are pre&s;erued from falling into de&s;peration and mi&s;beliefe: and &s;eeing al&s;o he hath indued vs with a<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Rom. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. Phil. 1.</NOTE> will, and de&s;ire to renounce and with&s;tand our owne af|fections, with a longing for his righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e and the keeping of his commaunde|mentes, we may be now right well a&s;&s;ured, that tho&s;e defaultes and manifold imper|fections in vs &s;hall be no hinderance at all again&s;t vs, to cau&s;e him not to accepte and impute vs as worthy to come to his &s;piri|tuall Table. For the ende of our comming thither is not to make<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Luke. 18.</NOTE> prote&s;tation that wee are vpright or iu&s;t in our liues, but contrariwi&s;e, wee come to &s;eeke our life and perfection in IESVS Chri&s;t, acknow|ledging in the meane time, that wee of our &s;elues be the children<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 2. Luc. 8.</NOTE> of wrath and dam|nation.</P>
<P>Let vs con&s;ider then, that the Sacra|ment is an excellent medicine for all poore &s;icke creatures, a comfortable helpe to weake &s;oules, and that our Lord requireth no other worthine&s;&s;e on our parte, but that wee vnfainedlie acknowledge our wicked|ne&s;&s;e, and imperfection. Then to the end that wee may bee worthy partakers of his
<PB REF="26" MS="y"> merites, and mo&s;t comfortable benefits, by<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Iohn. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> the true and &s;pirituall eating of his fle&s;h, and drinking of his bloud, let vs not &s;uffer our mindes to wander about the co~&s;idera|tion of the&s;e earthlie &amp; corruptible things (which we &s;ee pre&s;ent to our eyes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tra~&s;ub&s;ta~|tiation, Tra~&s;-elementati|on, Tran&s;|mutation, &amp; Transfor|mation, as the papi&s;tes v&s;e the~, are the doctrine of Deuilles. The true eatinge of Chri&s;t in the Sacrament.</NOTE> and feele with our handes) to &s;eeke Chri&s;t bodilie pre&s;ent in them, as if hee were inclo&s;ed in the bread or wine, or as if the&s;e Elementes were turned &amp; chau~ged into the &s;ub&s;tance of his fle&s;h and bloud. For the onely way to di&s;po&s;e our &s;oules to receyue nouri&s;he|ment, releefe and quickening of his &s;ub|&s;taunce, is to lift vp our mindes by faith a|boue all things worldlie and &s;en&s;ible, and thereby to enter into Heauen, that we may finde and receyue Chri&s;t, where he<NOTE N="&ldquo;" PLACE="marg">Reuel. 5.</NOTE> dwel|leth vndoubtedlie verie God, &amp; verie man, in the incomprehen&s;ible glorie of the Fa|ther, to whom bee all pray&s;e, honour, and glorie, now and euer, Amen.</P>
<P><HI>&para; The exhortation ended, the Mini&s;ter is to giue thankes, either in the&s;e wordes following, or like in effect.</HI></P>
<P>O Father of mercie, and God of all con|&s;olation,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gene. 1.</NOTE> &s;eeing all creatures doe ac|knowledge and confe&s;&s;e thee as Gouuer|nour and Lorde, it beco~meth vs the work|man&s;hip of thine owne handes, at all times
<PB REF="26" MS="y"> to reuerence and magnifie thy godlie Ma|ie&s;tie: fir&s;t, for that thou ha&s;t created vs to thine own<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 2. Galat. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Gen. 3.</NOTE> image &amp; &s;imilitude, but chief|lie becau&s;e thou ha&s;t deliuered vs fro~ that euerla&s;ting<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Actes 4. Heb. 1.</NOTE> death and damnation, into the which Satan drew mankinde by the meane of &s;inne: from the bondage where|of, neither man nor Angell was<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Iohn 3.</NOTE> able to make vs free, but thou, o Lord, riche in mercie, and infinite in goodne&s;&s;e, ha&s;t pro|uided our redemtion to &s;tand in thy onelie &amp; welbeloued Sonne, whom of very<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Iohn 3.</NOTE> loue thou didde&s;t giue to bee made man like<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Hebre. 8</NOTE> vnto vs in all things,<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Hebr. 4.</NOTE> &s;inne except, that in his bodie hee might receiue the puni&s;h|ment of our tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, by his death to make<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 2. I&s;a. 43, 53.</NOTE> &s;atisfaction to thy iu&s;tice, and by his re&s;urrection to<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Mat. 3. Iere. 31. Hebr. 8. Rom. 5.</NOTE> de&s;troy him that was author of death, &amp; &s;o to bring againe<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Heb. 2. Iohn 6.</NOTE> life to the worlde, from which the whole of|&s;pring of<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Gene. 3.2. Rom. 5.</NOTE> Adam mo&s;t iu&s;tlie was exiled.</P>
<P>O Lord, we acknowledge, that no crea|ture is able to<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 3.</NOTE> comprehend the length and breadth, the deepene&s;&s;e and height of that thy mo&s;t excelle~t loue which mooued thee to &s;hew mercie where none was<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 2.</NOTE> de&s;erued: to promi&s;e and giue life,<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Iohn. 6. Ephe. 1.</NOTE> where death had gotten victorie: to receiue vs into thy grace when wee could doe<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Gen. 6. Rom. 3. I&s;a. 64. P&s;alm. 5.14</NOTE> nothing but rebell again&s;t thy iu&s;tice. O Lord, the blind dul|ne&s;&s;e
<PB REF="27" MS="y"> of our<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Matt. 16. 1. Cor. 2. Luke 11. Mark. 10.</NOTE> corrupt nature, will not &s;uffer vs &s;ufficientlie to weight the&s;e thy mo&s;t am|ple benefites: yet neuerthele&s;&s;e, at the<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Mat. 26. Luke 22.</NOTE> co~|maundement of IESVS Chri&s;t our Lord, wee pre&s;ent our &s;elues to this his Table (which he hath left to be v&s;ed in<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 11.</NOTE> remem|brance of his death vntill his comming a|gaine) to declare and witne&s;&s;e before the world, that by him alone we haue receiued<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Iohn. 8. Galat. 5.</NOTE> libertie, and life: that by him alone thou doe&s;t acknowledge vs thy children and<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Roma. 8. 1. Pet. 1. Ephe. 5.</NOTE> heyres: that by him alone wee haue<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 2. Heb. 4. Roma. 3.</NOTE> en|trance to the throne of thy grace: that by him alone we are<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Matth. 25. Iohn. 14. Luke 12.</NOTE> po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed in our &s;piritu|all kingdome, to eate &amp; drinke at his<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Luke 22. Reuel. 2.</NOTE> Ta|ble, with whom we haue our<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Phil. 3. Ephe. 2.</NOTE> conuer&s;ati|on pre&s;entlie in heauen, and by whom our bodies &s;hall bee rai&s;ed vp againe from the du&s;t, and &s;hall be placed with him in that endle&s;&s;e ioye, which thou, &ocirc; Father of mer|cie, ha&s;t prepared for thine elect<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 1. Reuel. 1</NOTE> before the fou~dation of the world was laide. And the&s;e mo&s;t ine&s;timable benefits we acknow+ledge and confe&s;&s;e to haue receyued of thy<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Roma. 3. Ephe. 2. Titus 3.</NOTE> free mercie and grace, by thine onely be|loued Sonne Ie&s;us Chri&s;t: for the whiche therefore we thy Congregation<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Roma. 8.</NOTE> mooued by thine holy Spirit, re~der thee all thanks, pray&s;e and glorie, for euer and euer.</P>
<PB REF="27" MS="y">
<P><HI>&para; This done, the Mini&s;ter comming to the Table, &amp; the Table being furni&s;hed, is to break the breade and deliuer it to the people, &s;aying: Take &amp; eate, this bread is the body of Chri&s;t that was broken for vs, Doe this in remembrance of him: who di|&s;tribute and diuide the &s;ame among them &s;elues, according to our Sauiour Chri&s;tes commande|ment. Likewi&s;e he &s;hall giue the Cuppe, &s;aying: Drinke ye all of this. This Cuppe is the new Te|&s;tament in the bloud of Chri&s;t, which was &s;hedde for the &s;innes of manie: Doe this in remembrance ofhim. During the which time,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 26. Marke 14. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 11. Iohn 13.14</NOTE> &s;ome place of the Scriptures is to bee read, whiche doeth liuelie &s;ett foorth the death of Chri&s;t, to the intent that our eyes and &s;en&s;es may not onely be occupied in the&s;e outward &s;ignes of bread and wine, which are cal|led the vi&s;ible word, but that our hearts &amp; mindes al&s;o may bee fullie fixed in the contemplation of the Lords death which is by this holy Sacrament repre&s;ented. And after the action is done, he is to giue thankes, &s;aying:</HI></P>
<P>MOST mercifull Father, wee render to thee all pray&s;e, thankes and glorie, for that it hath plea&s;ed thee of thy great mercies, to graunt vnto vs, mi&s;erable &s;in|ners, &s;o excellent a gift and trea&s;ure, as to receyue vs into the<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 10.</NOTE> fellow&s;hip and com|panie of thy deare &s;onne IESVS Chri&s;t our Lorde, whom thou ha&s;t<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Roma. 4.</NOTE> deliuered to death for vs, and ha&s;t giuen him vn|to vs, as a nece&s;&s;arie<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Iohn. 6.</NOTE> foode and nou|ri&s;hement vnto euerla&s;ting life. And now wee be&s;eeche thee al&s;o, O heauenlie Fa|ther, to graunt vs this reque&s;t, that
<PB REF="28" MS="y"> thou neuer &s;uffer vs to become &s;o vnkind, as to forgette &s;o worthie benefites, but ra|ther imprint and fa&s;ten them &s;ure in our hearts, that we may<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Luke 17.</NOTE> grow &amp; increa&s;e day|lie more &amp; more in true faith, which con|tinuallie is<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Gal. 5.</NOTE> exerci&s;ed in all maner of good workes: and &s;o much the rather, &ocirc; Lord, confirme vs in the&s;e<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">1. Tim. 4. Ephe. 5. 2. Pet. 3.</NOTE> perillous dayes, and rages of Satan, that wee may con&s;tantlie &s;tand and continue in the confe&s;&s;ion of the &s;ame, to the aduancement of thy<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Mat. 5. 2. Pet. 2.</NOTE> glorie, which art God ouer all thinges ble&s;&s;ed for euer.</P>
<P><HI>The action thus ended, the people are to &s;ing the 103. P&s;alme, My &s;oule giue laude, &amp;c. or &s;ome o|ther of thankes giuing: which ended, one of the ble&s;singes before mencioned, is to be recited, and &s;o they ri&s;e from the Table and departe.</HI></P>
<P>If &s;o bee that anie would maruell why wee followe rather this order, then anie other in the admini&s;tra+tion of this Sacrament, let him diligentlie con&s;ider, that fir&s;t of all we vtterlie renounce the errour of the Papi&s;tes: &s;econdlie, we re&s;tore vnto the Sacra|ment his owne &s;ub&s;tance, and to Chri&s;t his proper place.</P>
<P>And as for the wordes of the Lordes Supper, we re|hear&s;e them not becau&s;e they &s;hould change the &s;ub&s;tance of the bread or wine, or that the repeti|tion therof with the intent of the &s;acrificer,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Why this or+der is to bee ob&s;erued ra|ther then a|nie other.</NOTE> &s;hould make the Sacrament (as the Papi&s;ts fal&s;lie beleeue) but they are reade &amp; pronounced to teach vs how to behaue our &s;elues in that actio~, and that Chri&s;t might witne&s;&s;e vnto our faith, as it were with his
<PB REF="28" MS="y"> owne mouth, that he hath ordayned the&s;e &s;ignes for our &s;pirituall v&s;e and comfort. Wee doe fir&s;te therefore examine our&s;elues, according to Sainct Paules rule, and prepare our mindes that we may be worthie partakers of &s;o high my&s;teries. Then taking bread, we giue thankes, breake and di&s;tri|bute it as Chri&s;t our Sauiour hath taught vs.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 26. Marke 14. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 11.</NOTE> Fi|nallie, the mini&s;tration ended, we giue thankes a|gaine according to his example: &s;o that without his worde and warrant, there is nothing in this holy action attempted.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="order of service">
<HEAD>&leaf; THE FORME OF MARIAGE.</HEAD>
<P>After the contract hath bene publi&s;hed three &s;euerall Sabboth dayes in the Congregation, to the intent that if any per&s;on haue intere&s;t or title to eyther of the parties, they may haue &s;ufficient time to make their chalenge, the parties a&s;&s;emble at the begin|ning of the Sermon, and the Mini&s;ter at time con|uenient, &s;ayeth as followeth.</P>
<P><HI>The exhortation.</HI></P>
<P>DEarelie beloued Brethren, wee are heere gathered togither in the &s;ight of God, and in the face of his Con|gregation, to knitte and ioyne the&s;e parties together in the " honourable &s;tate of Ma|trimonie,<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Heb. 13.</NOTE> which was in&s;tituted and autho|rized
<PB REF="29" MS="y"> by God him &s;elfe in<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Gene. 2. Prouer. 18.</NOTE> paradi&s;e, man being then in the &s;tate of innocencie. For what time God made Heauen and Earth, and all that is in them, &amp; had created and fa&s;hioned man al&s;o after his owne &s;imili|tude &amp; likene&s;&s;e, vnto whom he gaue rule &amp; lord&s;hip ouer all the bea&s;tes of the earth, fi&s;hes of the &s;ea, and fowles of the aire, hee &s;aide: It is not good that man liue alone: let vs make him an helper like vnto him &s;elfe. And God brought a deepe &s;leepe vpo~ him, and tooke one of his ribbes, and &s;haped Heua thereof, doeing vs thereby to vnder|&s;tande<NOTE N="&ldquo;" PLACE="marg">In Ebrue man is called I&s;ch, and the woma~ I&s;cha whereby is well expre&s;|&s;ed the natu|ral affinitie betwixt man &amp; his wife.</NOTE> that they two are one bodie, one fle&s;he and one bloud: for the which cau&s;e man<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Gene. 2. Matth. 19. Marke 10. 2. Cor. 6.</NOTE> leaueth his father and mother, and taketh him to his wife, to keepe companie with her: the which al&s;o he ought to loue euen as our Sauiour loueth his Church, that is to &s;ay, his<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Iohn. 17. Roma. 5. Hebr. 9. 1. Pet. 3.</NOTE> elect and faithfull Con|gregation, for the which he gaue his life.</P>
<P>And &s;emblablie al&s;o, it is the<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 5. Col. 3. 1. Pet. 3. 1. Cor. 11 1. Tim. 2.</NOTE> wiues duetie to &s;tudie to plea&s;e and obeye her hou&s;hande, &s;eruing him in all things that be godlie and hone&s;t: for &s;hee is in &s;ubie|ction, and vnder the gouuernance of her hu&s;bande, &s;o longe as they continue both<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Roma. 7. 2. Cor. 7. Matth. 19.</NOTE> aliue. And this holy mariage, beeing a thing mo&s;t honorable, is of &s;uch vertue &amp; force, that thereby the hu&s;bande hath no
<PB REF="29" MS="y"> more<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 7. 1. Pet. 3. Ephe. 6. 1. Tim. 2.</NOTE> right or power ouer his owne body, but the wife: and likewi&s;e the wife hath no power ouer her owne body, but the hu|&s;bande, for as much as God hath &s;o knitte them together in this mutuall &s;ocietie, to the procreatio~ of childre~, that they &s;hould<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 7.</NOTE> bring them vp in the feare of the Lorde, and to the increa&s;e of Chri&s;tes kingdome.</P>
<P>Wherefore they that bee thus coupled together by GOD, can not bee &s;euered or put apart, vnle&s;&s;e it bee for a &s;ea&s;on, with the a&s;&s;ente of<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Matth. 19 1 Cor. 7.</NOTE> both parties, to the ende to giue them &s;elues the more feruentlie to fa|&s;ting and prayer, giuing diligent heede in the meane time, that their longe being a|part, be not a &s;nare to bring them into the daunger of Sathan, through incontinen|cie: and therefore to auoide fornication, euerie man ought to haue his owne wife, and euerie woman her owne hu&s;bande: &s;o that &s;o many as can not liue cha&s;te, are<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 2. Cor. 6. Leuit. 26. 2. Petr. 1.</NOTE> bound by the commandement of GOD, to marie, that thereby the Holy<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">1. The&s;. 4.</NOTE> Temple of GOD, whiche is our bodies, may bee kept pure and vndefiled: For &s;ince our bodies are nowe become the verie mem|bres of IESVS Chri&s;t, how horrible and de|te&s;table a thing is it to make the~ the mem|bers of an harlot? Euery one ought there|fore to keepe his ve&s;&s;el in all holine&s;&s;e and
<PB REF="30" MS="y"> honour:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Roma. 12. Ephe. 5.</NOTE> for who&s;oeuer<NOTE N="&ldquo;" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Cor. 3.</NOTE> polluted and de|fileth the Temple of GOD, him will GOD de&s;troye.</P>
<P><HI>The Mini&s;ter is to &s;peake to the parties that &s;hall be maried, in this wi&s;e:</HI></P>
<P>I Require and charge you, as you will an|&s;were at the day of iudgement, when the<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 4. Matth. 7. Roma. 2.</NOTE> &s;ecretes of all heartes, &s;hall bee di&s;clo&s;ed, that if either of you doe know any impedi|ment, why ye may not be lawfullie ioyned togither in Matrimonie, that ye confe&s;&s;e it. For be ye well a&s;&s;ured, that &s;o manie as bee coupled otherwi&s;e then Gods worde doeth allow, are not ioyned togither by God, neither is their matrimonie lawfull.</P>
<P><HI>If no impediment be by them declared, then the Mini&s;ter is to &s;ay to the whole Congregation:</HI></P>
<P>I Tak you to witnes that be heere pre&s;ent, be&s;eeching you al to haue good remem|brance thereof: and moreouer, if there bee anie of you, which knoweth that either of the&s;e parties bee contracted to anie other, or knoweth anie other lawfull impedime~t, let them now make declaration thereof.</P>
<P><HI>If no cau&s;e be alleadged, the Mini&s;ter is to proceed &s;aying:</HI></P>
<PB REF="30" MS="y">
<P>FOr a&s;much as no man &s;peaketh again&s;t this thing, you N. &s;hall prote&s;t heere be|fore God, and his holy Congregation, that you haue taken and are nowe contented to haue N. here pre&s;ent for your lawfull wife, promi&s;ing to keepe her, to loue and intreat her in all things according to the<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Colo&s;. 3. 1. Pet. 3. Matth. 19. 1. Cor. 7. Mala. 2.</NOTE> duetie of a faithful hu&s;band, for&s;aking all other, during her life: and brieflie, to liue in all holy conuer&s;ation with her, keeping faith and trueth in all pointes, according as the worde of God and his holy Go&s;pell doeth commaunde.</P>
<P><HI>The an&s;were.</HI></P>
<P>Euen &s;o I take her before God and in the pre&s;ence of this his Congregation.</P>
<P><HI>The Minister al&s;o &s;hall &s;ay to the &s;pou&s;e:</HI></P>
<P>YOu, N. &s;hall prote&s;t here before the face of God, in the pre&s;ence of this holy Congregation, that ye haue taken and are now contented to haue, N. heere pre&s;ent, for your lawfull hu&s;bande, promi&s;inge to him<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Ephe. 5. Colo&s;&s;. 3. 1. Tim. 2. 1. Pet. 3. E&s;ther. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> &s;ubiection and obedience, for&s;aking all other, during his life: and finallie to liue in an holy co~uer&s;ation with him, keeping faith and trueth in all pointes, as Gods worde doeth pre&s;cribe.</P>
<P><HI>The an&s;were.</HI></P>
<PB REF="31" MS="y">
<P>Euen &s;o I take him before God, and in the pre&s;ence of this his Congregation.</P>
<P><HI>The Minister then &s;hall &s;ay:</HI></P>
<P>GIue diligent eare then to the&s;e wordes of the Go&s;pel, that ye may vnder&s;tand how our Lorde would haue this holy con|tract kept and ob&s;erued, and how &s;ure and fa&s;t a knot it is, which may in no wi&s;e bee loo&s;ed, according as we be taught in the 19 Chapter of Saint Matthewes Go&s;pell.</P>
<P><HI>THe Phari&s;ees came vnto Chri&s;t to tempt him, and to feele his minde, &s;aying: Is it lawfull for a man to put away his wife for euerie light cau&s;e? He aun&s;wered, &s;ayinge: Haue ye not read, that he which created ma~ at the beginning, made them male &amp; female? &s;aying: For this thing &s;hall man leaue Fa|ther and mother, &amp; cleaue vnto his wife, &amp; they twaine &s;hall be one fle&s;he, &s;o that they are no more two but are one fle&s;he. Lett no man therefore put a&s;under that, which God hath coupled togither.</HI></P>
<P>IF yee beleeue a&s;&s;uredlie the&s;e wordes, which our Lord and Sauiour did &s;peake (according as ye haue heard them now re|hear&s;ed out of the holy Go&s;pell) then may you be certaine, that God hath euen &s;o knit you togeather in this holy e&s;tate of Wed|locke. Wherefore applie your &s;elues to liue
<PB REF="31" MS="y"> together in godlie loue, in chri&s;tian peace, and good example, euer holding fa&s;t tho bande of charitie without any breach, kee|ping faith and trueth the one to the other, euen as Gods worde doeth appoint.</P>
<P><HI>Then the Mini&s;ter commendeth them to God, in this or &s;uch like &s;orte:</HI></P>
<P>The Lorde &s;anctifie and ble&s;&s;e you: the Lorde powre the riches of his grace vpon you, that ye may plea&s;e him, and liue toge|ther in holie loue to your liues end. Amen.</P>
<P><HI>Then the Mini&s;ter is to proceede to the ordinarie exerci&s;e.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="order of service">
<HEAD>THE VISITATION OF the Sicke.</HEAD>
<P>BEcau&s;e the vi&s;itation of the &s;icke is a thing verie nece&s;&s;arie, and yet not|with&s;tanding it is hard to pre&s;cribe al rules appertayning therevnto, it is referred to the di&s;cretion of the Godlie and Prudent Mini&s;ter, who according as hee &s;eeth the patient afflicted, eyther maye lifte him vppe with the &s;weete promi&s;es of Gods mercie thorough Chri&s;t, if hee perceyue him much afraide of Gods threatninges: or contrariwi&s;e, if he be not touched with the feeling of his &s;innes, may beate him downe with Gods iu&s;tice: euermore like
<PB REF="32" MS="y"> a skilfull Phy&s;ition, framing his medicine according as the di&s;ea&s;e requireth.</P>
<P>Moreouer, the partie that is vi&s;ited, may vpon nece&s;&s;arie occa&s;ion for his comfort, &s;ende for the Mini&s;ter: who doeth not on|lie make prayers for him there pre&s;entlie, but al&s;o if it &s;o require, commendeth him in the publike prayers to the co~gregation.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="order of service">
<HEAD>OF BVRIALL.</HEAD>
<P>THe corps is reuerentlie to be brought to the graue, accompanied with the neighbours in comely manner, without a|nie further Ceremonie.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="order of service">
<HEAD>INTERPRETATION of Scriptures.</HEAD>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">And for the Churches in the&s;e low countries, it is ordered by the la&s;t generall Sy|node, &sect; agree able to God his Worde, and the prac+ti&s;e of other churches, that other by their order may &s;peak, that &s;o &s;ome of them may be ripened to the Mini&s;terie, prouided that none of the~ preach or &s;peake out of the place appointed for it, nor admini&s;ter the Sa|craments, without a full calling to the Mini&s;terie.</NOTE>EVerie weeke once the Mini&s;ter of the le&s;&s;e Conference which may conveni|entlie, are to a&s;&s;emble in &s;ome Church to heare &s;ome place of the Scriptures<NOTE N="&sect;" PLACE="marg">Act. 15.22, 23.26.31. &amp; 13.15. 1 Cor. 14.26, 33. 1 The&s;. 5.20. Luke 2.46.47. 1 Sam. 19.22.</NOTE> order|lie expounded, by &s;uch of them as they &s;hal appoint for it: who are al&s;o to appoint one for the moderation of the action, that all things may be done in it orderlie and to e|dification.</P>
<PB REF="32" MS="y">
<P><HI>The ordinarie officers of the Church by the worde of God, are the&s;e foure:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 12. Act. 6. 1 Tim. 5. 2 Cor. 22.</NOTE> Pa|&s;tors, Teachers, Elders, Deacons.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="church government">
<HEAD>OF THE PASTORS, THEIR OF|fice, election, and ordination.</HEAD>
<P><HI>What things are chieflie required in the Pastors.</HI></P>
<P>THE church that is de&s;titute of a Pa&s;tor, is<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Act. 1.13.</NOTE> fir&s;t diligentlie to con&s;ider, that he which is to be cho&s;en Pa&s;tor, be not found<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 3. 2 Tim. 2.4. Ezech. 33 Ier. 3. Iohn 2 I&s;a. 62 1 Cor. 9.</NOTE> culpable of anie &s;uch faultes as S. Paule reprehendeth in a man of that vocatio~: but co~trariwi&s;e, indued with &s;uch vertues, that he may be able to vndertake his charge &amp; diligentlie execute the &s;ame. Secondlie, that he ought to<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 2 1 Cor. 4 Mat. 25.</NOTE> di&s;tribute faithfullie the Worde of God, &amp; mini&s;ter the Sacraments &s;incerelie, euer<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Act. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> 2 Tim. 4.</NOTE> carefull not onlie to teach his flocke publikelie, but al&s;o vpon cau&s;e, priuatelie to admoni&s;h them: remembring alwayes that if anie thing<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Ezec. 3. 2 Cor. 2.</NOTE> peri&s;h through his default, the Lorde will require it at his hande.</P>
<P>ANd becau&s;e the charge of the Worde of God is of greater<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 9. Act. 6.</NOTE> importance,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Pa&s;tors duetie.</NOTE> then that anie man is able to di&s;pen&s;e therwith: and Saint Paule exhorteth to e&s;teeme them
<PB REF="33" MS="y"> as mini&s;ters<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 4. 2 Cor. 4.</NOTE> of Chri&s;t, &amp; di&s;po&s;ers of Gods my&s;teries: not<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 5. 2. Cor. 1. Mat. 20.</NOTE> lordes or rulers, as S. Peter &s;aith, ouer the flocke: The Church is ther|fore to co~&s;ider, that the Pa&s;tors chief office &s;tandeth in<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Mat. 26. Mall. 2. 1. Pet. 4. Act. 3.16. 1. Cor. 1.15</NOTE> preaching the worde of God, and mini&s;tring the Sacramentes: So that in con&s;ultations, iudgementes, elections, and other eccle&s;ia&s;ticall affaires, his<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Actes 20. 2. Cor. 4.</NOTE> coun&s;ell rather then authoritie, taketh place.</P>
<P>And if &s;o be the Congregation by the ad|ui&s;e of the Elders, vpon iu&s;t cau&s;e agree to excommunicate, then it belongeth to the Mini&s;ter, according to their<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 5.</NOTE> generall de|termination, to pronounce the &s;entence, to the end that all thinges may bee done<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 15.</NOTE> or|derlie, and without confu&s;ion.</P>
<P>ANd therefore the Elders of the vacant Congregation and certeine Pa&s;tors ap|pointed by the next Co~ference to it (who&s;e a&s;&s;i&s;tance the &s;aide Elders are to &s;eeke and de&s;ire of that Conference) at &s;uch time are to a&s;&s;emble the Congregation hauing before appointed a day for fa&s;ting &amp; pray|er,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The election and ordina|tion of Pa|&s;tors.</NOTE> to exhort them to pray, that God would direct the election to bee made, as may bee mo&s;t agreeable to his will, and mo&s;t profi|table for that Church. Then after they are to meete by them &s;elues, and to adui&s;e of one fitt for the place that is vacant, whom that a&s;&s;emblie of the Elders and &s;uch Pa|&s;tors
<PB REF="33" MS="y"> are to prooue and examine.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, as touching<NOTE N="&ldquo;" PLACE="marg">2 Tim. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. Tit. 1.</NOTE> Doctrine, whether he that &s;hould be Pa&s;tor, haue good &amp; &s;ounde knowledge in the holy Scriptures, and fitt and apt giftes to communicate the &s;ame to the edification of the people. For the triall whereof, they are to propo&s;e him a theame to be treated priuatelie, and to take &s;uch o|ther triall, whereby his abilitie may the more manife&s;tlie appeare vnto them. Se|condlie, they are to inquire of his life and conuer&s;ation, if he haue in times pa&s;t liued without &s;launder, and gouuerned him &s;elf in &s;uch &s;orte as the worde of God hath not heard euill,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 1. Iames 1. 1. Sam. 2.</NOTE> or bene &s;laundred through his occa&s;ion, which being &s;euerally done, they &s;ignifie to the congregation that they finde his giftes meete and profitable for that mi|ni&s;terie: appointing al&s;o by a generall con|&s;ent twentie dayes, that euerie man may di|ligentlie inquire of his life &amp; maners: with warning that if in that time no iu&s;t excep|tion be taken, their &s;ilence &s;halbe accou~ted as their free con&s;ent: in which time he is to preach in the co~gregatio~, that they may al|&s;o di&s;cerne of his fitnes, to co~municate his giftes with the~. And if in the meane &s;ea&s;on any thing be brought again&s;t him, wherby he may be fou~d vnworthie by lawful proof the~ is he to be di&s;mi&s;&s;ed, &amp; &s;ome other pre|&s;ented.
<PB REF="34" MS="y"> If no &s;ufficient matter be alleadged again&s;t him within the time appointed, the~ one of the Mini&s;ters afore the morning Ser+mon, declaring no iu&s;t exception to be ta|ken again&s;t the pre&s;ented, and therfore the partie as cho&s;en with free co~&s;ent of the Mi|ni&s;ters, Elders, and the whole co~gregation, to be ordained, is to frame his Sermon, or &s;ome part thereof, to the &s;etting foorth of the duetie of the Mini&s;ter and the Church: &amp; &s;o giueth<NOTE N="&ldquo;" PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 3. Colo&s;. 4. Ephe. 5. Phil. 3.</NOTE> thanks to God, with reque&s;t of &s;uch thinges as &s;halbe nece&s;&s;arie for his office. After that, he is to bee ordained by the laying on of the handes of the Elder|&s;hip of that Co~gregation, &amp; the Mini&s;ters apointed for that purpo&s;e, wherof one is to pronou~ce the&s;e wordes: According to this lawfull calling, agreeable to the worde of God, whereby thou art cho&s;en Pa&s;tor in the name of God, &s;tand thou charged with the Pa&s;torall charge of this people, ouer which the holy gho&s;t hath made thee ouer &s;eer,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 20.</NOTE> to gouuerne the flocke of God, which he hath purcha&s;ed with his bloud.</P>
<P>This done, the people are to &s;ing a P&s;alme and &s;o to depart. And the next time of the whole a&s;&s;emblie of the Co~gregatio~, the Pa|&s;tor &s;o ordeined, is to begin the executio~ of his office, being broght to the place where he is to doe it, by the Elders of the &s;ame.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="order of service">
<PB REF="34" MS="y">
<HEAD>THE MANNER OF OR|DAINING MINISTERS OF the Worde, and e&s;tabli&s;hing them in their Churches.</HEAD>
<P>WElbeloued Brethren in the Lord, it is knowen to you all, that wee haue three or foure times propou~ded vnto you the name of our deare brother N. heere pre&s;ent, to know whether anie man had to except again&s;t him co~cerning his doctrine and conuer&s;ation, whereby he were to bee helde vnfit for the Mini&s;terie in this Con|gregation. But &s;o it is, that no man appea|reth, to alleadge anie lawfull exception a|gain&s;t him: wherfore we are at this pre&s;ent time to proceed in the Name of the Lorde to his in&s;titution. For the which cau&s;e, you N. &amp; all that be heere pre&s;ent, are to heare a &s;hort declaration out of the Scripture, concerning the in&s;titution and charge of the Mini&s;ters of the worde: Namelie, that our heaue~lie Father, purpo&s;ing to call and gather out of mankinde, being corrupted, a Church vnto life euerla&s;ting, doeth by a &s;peciall grace v&s;e therevnto the labour of men: as S. Paule teacheth vs <HI>Ephe.</HI> 4. That the Lord <HI>Chri&s;t gaue &s;ome to be Apostles, &amp; &s;ome Prophetes, and &s;ome Euangelistes, &amp;
<PB REF="35" MS="y"> &s;ome Pastors and Teachers: for the gathe|ring together of the Saints, for the worke of the Mini&s;terie, and for the edification of the body of Christ.</HI> Heere wee &s;ee plainlie a|mong other things, that the Pa&s;tors office is an in&s;titution of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. Nowe to know what belo~geth to this holy charge, wee may ea&s;ilie gather out of the name it &s;elfe. For as the duetie of a common Pa&s;tor or Sheepheard is to feede, to leade, to de|fende and gouerne the flock that is co~mit|ted vnto him: &s;o doeth it al&s;o &s;tande with tho&s;e &s;pirituall &s;heepheardes, &s;et ouer that Co~gregation, the which God calleth vnto &s;aluation, and holdeth to be the &s;heepe of his pa&s;ture. Which pa&s;ture to graze the&s;e &s;heepe withall, is nothing els but the prea|ching of Gods word, with the annexed ad|mini&s;tration of prayers and of the holie Sacramentes. The &s;ame worde is al&s;o that &s;taffe, whereby this flocke is guided and gouerned. Con&s;equentlie it is plaine, that the charge of Pa&s;tours or Mini&s;ters con&s;i|&s;teth therein:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, that they are vppon good ground, &s;oundlie to deliuer vnto the people the worde of the Lotd, co~tained in the bookes of the Prophetes and Apo&s;tles: and to ap|plie the &s;ame both in general and particu|lar, to the vtilitie &amp; profit of the hearers,
<PB REF="35" MS="y"> by in&s;tructing, admoni&s;hing, comfortinge and rebuking them, according as the ne|ce&s;&s;itie of euerie one requireth: preaching conuer&s;ion vnto God, and reconciliation with him through faith in Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, &amp; refuting by the holy Scriptures all errours &amp; here&s;ies that are repugna~t to this &s;ound doctrine. All which is taught vs plainlie in the holy Scriptute. For the Apo&s;tle Saint Paule &s;aith, That the&s;e doe labour in the worde. And el&s;where:<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 5.17 Rom. 12.3.</NOTE> That it is to be done according to the mea&s;ure or rule of faith. Moreouer,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tit. 1.9. 2 Tim. 2.15 1 Cor. 14.3</NOTE> that a Pa&s;tor mu&s;t hold fa&s;t that faithfull worde according to doctrine, and deuide the &s;ame aright. Al&s;o, He that pro|phecieth (that is that preacheth the word) &s;peaketh vnto men to edifying,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 20.20.</NOTE> and to ex|hortation, &amp; to comfort. In an other place he doeth &s;et downe him &s;elf for a patron vnto all Pa&s;tors, declaring that openlie and throughout the hou&s;es, hee hath taught repentance towards God, and faith toward our lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. But &s;pecially he doth deliuer vnto vs a notable de&s;cription of the charge of a Preacher of the Go&s;pell 2. Cor. 5.17.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 5.17.</NOTE> <HI>All thinges</HI> (&s;aith hee) <HI>are of God, which hath reconciled vs vnto him&s;elfe by Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, and hath giuen vnto vs (name|lie Apostles and Pastors) the ministerie of reconciliation. For God was in Chri&s;t recon|ciling
<PB REF="36" MS="y"> the word to him&s;elfe, not imputing their &s;innes vnto them: and hath committed vnto vs the worde of reconciliation. Now then are wee Amba&s;&s;adours for Christ: as though God did be&s;eech you through vs, wee pray you in Christes &s;teade, that ye be re|conciled to God.</HI> Concerning the refuting of fal&s;e doctrine, the &s;ame Apo&s;tle &s;aith Tit. 1.9. that a Mini&s;ter mu&s;t hold fa&s;t the word of God, that he may convince them that &s;peake again&s;t it.</P>
<P>Secondlie, the Pa&s;tors charge is, to make publike prayers in the behalf of the whole church, for that which the Apo&s;tles &s;ay, Act. 6.4. we will giue our &s;elues co~tinually to prayer, &amp; to the mini&s;tery of the word, is co~men to al Pa&s;tors.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Timo. 2.</NOTE> Therfore S. Paul &s;aith to Timothe, <HI>J exhort, that &s;upplications, prayers, interce&s;&s;ions, and thanke&s;giuings be made for all men, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdlie, they are to admini&s;ter the Sacra|ments,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 28.</NOTE> which the Lord hath ordained to be &s;eals of his grace, as it appeareth by the co~|mandme~t that Chri&s;t gaue to his Apo&s;tles, belonging al&s;o to all other Pa&s;tors, Bapti&s;e them in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, &amp; of the holy Gho&s;t. Al&s;o 1 Cor. 11 I haue receaued of the Lorde that which I al&s;o deliuered vnto you, to wit, That the Lorde Ie&s;us in the night when hee was be|trayed,
<PB REF="36" MS="y"> tooke bread, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Finally, the Pa&s;tors ought to maintaine &amp; gouerne the church of God in good di&s;ci|pline, after the maner that the Lorde hath appointed. For Chri&s;t Math. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. hauing &s;poken of the Chri&s;tian cen&s;ures, &s;aith to his Apo&s;tles, <HI>What &s;oeuer ye &s;hal binde vpo~ earth, &s;hall be bound in heauen.</HI> And Paule will haue the Mini&s;ters to bee able to gou|uerne well their own hou&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Tim. 3.5</NOTE> becau&s;e other|wi&s;e they &s;hould not be able to rule the Church of God.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tit. 1.7.</NOTE> Therefore are the Pa&s;tors called in the Scriptue <HI>Stewards</HI> &amp; <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> that is to &s;ay, Ouer&s;eers &amp; Watchmen, be|cau&s;e they haue the ouer&s;ight ouer the hou&s;e of God in the which they conuer&s;e, to the end that all things may be done in it orderlie, decentlie, and hone&s;tlie: and that by the keyes of the kingdome of heauen,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 16.19.</NOTE> that are committed vnto them, the &s;hut|ting and opening may be practi&s;ed, accor|ding to the charge that God hath giuen them.</P>
<P>By the&s;e things ye may &s;ee, what an excel|lent work the Pa&s;tors office is, &s;eeing ther|by &s;o great thinges are brought to pa&s;&s;e: yea how nece&s;&s;arie it is in all re&s;pectes, to bring men vnto &s;aluatio~. For which cau&s;e the Lord willeth y^e &s;ame to remain alwayes: &s;eeing he &s;aid to his Apo&s;tles, when he &s;ent
<PB REF="37" MS="y"> them out to execute this holie mini&s;terie, <HI>Lo I am with you alway vnto the end of the world.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 28.</NOTE> Whereby he &s;heweth his will is, that his holie Mini&s;terie (con&s;idering the Apo|&s;tles could not liue vntill the ende of the world) from time to time &s;hould be main|tained vpon earth. Therefore Paul al&s;o ad|moni&s;heth Timothe, <HI>That what thinges he had heard of him,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Timo. 2.2</NOTE> <HI>he &s;hould deliuer to faith|full men, that were able to teach others like|wi&s;e.</HI> And hauing ordained Titus to bee a Pa&s;tor,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tit. 1.5.</NOTE> commaundeth him further to or|daine Elders in euerie Cittie.</P>
<P>Con&s;idering then that we al&s;o, to entre|taine the &s;ame Mini&s;terie in the Church of God, doe ordaine or admit this our<NOTE N="&ldquo;" PLACE="marg">or brothers</NOTE> bro|ther N. &amp; haue hetherto &s;ufficientlie &s;po|ken of his chariage: You therfore N. &s;hall aun&s;were vpon that which I am to pro|proud vnto you, to the end that euerie one may vnder&s;tand that you are minded to accept the &s;ame charge in a conuenient manner.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t I a&s;ke you, whether you feele in your heart that you are called lawfullie by the church of God, and con&s;equentlie by God him&s;elfe, to this holie mini&s;terie?</P>
<P>Secondlie, whether you hold the bookes of the old and new Te&s;tament to be the onlie word of God &amp; the perfect doctrine
<PB REF="37" MS="y"> of &s;aluation: and doe for&s;ake all doctrines repugnant vnto the &s;ame:</P>
<P>Thirdlie, whether you promi&s;e to exe|cute your charge as before it is de&s;cribed, with all fidelitie according to the &s;ame do|ctrine: and to execute &amp; accompanie your in&s;tructions with a godlie life: as al&s;o to &s;ubmit your &s;elf to the Church-cen&s;ures, according to the common order of the Churches, if it happe~ that you &s;hould mi&s;|carie your &s;elfe either in doctrine or life?</P>
<P><HI>Vpon this he aun&s;wereth.</HI></P>
<P>Yea with all my heart.</P>
<P><HI>Then &s;hall the Minister who hath asked him the&s;e questions (or an other Minister when there are more) lay their "handes vpo~ his head, and &s;peake thus:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">NOTE, That this ce+remonie is not v&s;ed in the co~firma|tion of tho&s;e that haue bin orday|ned before: but onelie the geuing of hands af|ter the acti|on.</NOTE> "<HI>handes vpo~ his head, and &s;peake thus:</HI></P>
<P>God our heauenlie father who hath cal|led you to this holy calling, illuminate you by his Spirit, &s;trengthen you by his hande, and &s;o direct you in your Mini&s;terie, that you may walke in the &s;ame orderlie, faith|fullie and fruitefullie, to the prai&s;e of his holy name, and the furthering and increa|&s;ing of the kingdome of his Sonne IESVS Chri&s;t, Amen.</P>
<P><HI>After this &s;hall the Mini&s;ter from the Pulpit admoni&s;h in this &s;orte both the con|firmed Mini&s;ter, and the people:</HI></P>
<P>You therefore welbeloued Brother and
<PB REF="38" MS="y"> fellow Mini&s;ter in Chri&s;t, take heed vnto your &s;elfe, and vnto all the flocke, whereof the holy Gho&s;t hath made you Ouer&s;eer, to feed the Church of God, which he hath purcha&s;ed with his owne bloud. Loue Chri&s;t, and feede his &s;heepe, hauing a care of them, not by con&s;traint, but willinglie: not for filthie lucre, but of a readie minde: not as though you were a Lorde ouer the people committed vnto you, but as beeing become a paterne vnto the flocke. Be an en&s;ample vnto them that beleeue, in word, in conuer&s;ation, in loue, in &s;pirit, in faith, and in purene&s;&s;e: giue attendance to rea|ding, to exhortation, and to doctrine, and neglect not the gift that is giuen you: exer|ci&s;e the&s;e things, and giue your &s;elfe vnto them, that it may bee &s;eene how you doe profit among all men. Take heede vnto learning, and continue therein. Beare pa|tiently all gain&s;aying &amp; reproch, as a good &s;ouldior of Chri&s;t. Doeing this you &s;hall &s;aue your &s;elfe and tho&s;e that heare you: And when the chiefe Pa&s;tor &s;hall appeare, you &s;hall receyue the incorruptible crown of glorie.</P>
<P>You likewi&s;e deare brethre~, receyue this your Mini&s;ter in the Lord, with all ioy, and make much of &s;uch: thinke that God him &s;elfe doeth &s;peake by them vnto you, and
<PB REF="38" MS="y"> pray you. Embrace the Worde which hee (according to the Scripture) is to deliuer, and that not as any mans word, but (as it is in deed) the worde of God. Let the feete of them that publi&s;h peace, and declare good things, be beautifull and acceptable vnto you. Obey them that haue the ouer&s;ight of you: for they watch for your &s;oules, as they that mu&s;t giue account: that they may doe it with ioy, and not with griefe: for that is vnprofitable for you. By doeing &s;o, the peace of God &s;hall enter into your hou&s;es, &amp; you receyuing this man in the name of a Prophete, &s;hall receyue the rewarde of a Prophete: and by his worde, beleeuing in Chri&s;t, &s;hall inherite life euerla&s;ting. Not|with&s;tanding, &s;eeing no man is fit to anie of all the&s;e thinges of him&s;elf, let vs call vnto God with thanke&s;giuing in this ma|ner:</P>
<P>O mercifull Father, we thanke thee that it hath plea&s;ed thee, out of mankinde that is corrupted, to gather thee a Church vnto life euerla&s;ting, by the mini&s;terie of man, and that &s;o mercifullie thou ha&s;t prouided the Church here of a faithfull and tru&s;tie Mini&s;ter: wee be&s;eech thee heauenlie Fa|ther, to make him by thy &s;pirit, more and more fitt for that &s;eruice wherevnto thou ha&s;t called him, giuinge him wi&s;edome
<PB REF="39" MS="y"> to vnder&s;tand thy holy Scripture, and vt|terance to open his mouth boldly, and pu|bli&s;h the my&s;terie of the Go&s;pell. Endue him with wi&s;edome &amp; courage, to rule a|right and maintaine in Chri&s;tian peace the people committed vnto him, and that thy Church vnder his admini&s;tration &amp; good en&s;ample may increa&s;e in multitude &amp; true godlines. Graunt him a good hearte in all troubles and cro&s;&s;es that may meete him in his charge, that beeing &s;trenghtened by the comfort of thy Spirit, and continuing co~&s;tantlie vnto the end, he with all thy true &s;eruants may be receaued into the ioyes of thee his Lord God. Likewi&s;e &s;hew mercie to this people, that they may behaue them|&s;elues reuerently towards this their Pa&s;tor, acknowledging him to be &s;ent vnto them from thee, receauing his doctrine with all re&s;pect and honour, &amp; &s;ubmitting them|&s;elues vnto his exhortations, that they by his word beleeving in Chri&s;t, may be made partakers of life euerla&s;ting. Heare vs &ocirc; Fa|ther through thy welbeloued Sonne, who hath taught vs thus to pray:</P>
<P><HI>Our Father, &amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="order of service">
<PB REF="39" MS="y">
<HEAD>THE MANNER OF OR|DAINING ELDERS AND DEACONS, either iointly, or each of them &s;euerallie.</HEAD>
<P>WElbeloued in the Lorde, you know that wee haue at diuers times pro|pounded and declared vnto you the names of our brethen here pre&s;ent, who are cho|&s;en to execute the charge of Elder&s;hip <HI>and Deacon&s;hip</HI> in this Congregation, to know whether anie thing could bee produced why they ought not to bee ordained in the &s;aid calling. Whervpon &s;eeing that no ma~ hath appeared before vs, alleadging anie lawfull exception again&s;t them: Therefore we are at this pre&s;ent time to proceede in the name of the Lord to their ordination.</P>
<P>To this effect, you<NOTE N="&ldquo;" PLACE="marg">or brothers if there be-more then one to be or|dayned.</NOTE> brother, who mu&s;t be ordained, and all be&s;ide that be heere pre|&s;ent, are to heare out of the worde of God a &s;hort declaration of the in&s;titution and charge of Elders <HI>and Deacons.</HI> Co~cerning the Elders, wee mu&s;t note that the worde Elder or Auncient (beeing taken from the old Te&s;tament, and &s;ignifying a per&s;on e|&s;tabli&s;hed in &s;ome honorable callinge for the gouerning of others) is attributed vn|to two maner of per&s;ons that &s;erue in the Church of Chri&s;t. For the Apo&s;tle &s;aieth: <HI>The Elders that rule well,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 5.1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> <HI>let them bee had
<PB REF="40" MS="y"> in double honour, especiallie they which la|bour in the worde and doctrine.</HI> Heere wee &s;ee in the Apo&s;tolike Church to haue bene two &s;ortes of Elders, whereof the fir&s;t did labour in the worde and doctrine, and the other not. The fir&s;t were Mini&s;ters of the Word, and Pa&s;tors: who preached the Go|&s;pell and admini&s;tred the Sacraments: but the other who laboured not in the worde, &amp; yet were likewi&s;e &s;eruing in the church, had a &s;peciall office, namelie the ouer&s;ight of the Church, and the ruling of the &s;ame together with the Mini&s;ters of the Worde. For Paule hauing &s;poken of the offices of teaching,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 12.8.</NOTE> and of di&s;tributing or Deacon|&s;hip, &s;peaketh afterward of this office &s;pe|ciallie, &s;aying: <HI>He that ruleth, let him doe it with diligence.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Cor. 12.2</NOTE> Likewi&s;e in an other place among the giftes and offices whiche the Lorde hath ordained in his Church, he doeth mention <HI>Gouuernours</HI> or <HI>Rulers.</HI> This &s;orte then of Church-Officers, were to helpe and a&s;&s;i&s;t the other that Preached the Go&s;pell, as in the Old Te&s;tament the co~mon Leuites were ioyned to the Prie&s;tes in the Mini&s;terie of the Tabernacle, to bee their helpers in thinges which the Prie&s;tes alone, were not able to performe: remay|ning alwayes offices di&s;tinct and &s;euerall. Moreouer, it is good that &s;uch fellow ru|lers
<PB REF="40" MS="y"> bee ioyned with the Mini&s;ters of the worde, to the end that hereby all tyrannie and dominion may more ea&s;ilie bee bani|&s;hed out of the Church of God, the which may breake in the &s;ooner, when the gou|uernement con&s;i&s;teth but in one or verie fewe per&s;ons. So that the Mini&s;ters of the worde and the Elders togeather, make one fellow&s;hip, beeing as a Church-councill, &amp; repre&s;enting the whole Church. Wher|vpon the Lorde Chri&s;t hath regard, when he &s;ayeth, <HI>Tell it vnto the Church.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 18.17</NOTE> The which can not be vnder&s;tood of all and e|uerie member of the Church &s;euerallie, but mo&s;t fitlie of tho&s;e that gouuerne the Church, by the which they are elected.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, there is required of the Elders, to haue with the Mini&s;ters of the worde, an ouer&s;ight of the Church, that is co~mitted vnto them: carefullie to looke that euerie one behaue him &s;elfe convenientlie in his profe&s;&s;ion and conuer&s;ation, To admo|ni&s;he tho&s;e that giue offence: and to pro|uide, as much as is po&s;&s;ible, that the Sacra|ments be not prophaned. Likewi&s;e, accor|ding to the Chri&s;tian di&s;cipline, to deale again&s;t the impenitent, and receiue againe the penite~t into the bo&s;ome of the church: as not onely it is made plaine by the for|mer &s;entence of Chri&s;t, but al&s;o by other
<PB REF="41" MS="y"> te&s;timonies of Scripture,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 5.4 2 Cor. 2.6.7</NOTE> that the&s;e things &s;tande not by one or two per&s;ons only, but by manie that are appointed fot it.</P>
<P>Secondlie, &s;eeing the Apo&s;tle comman|deth that all thinges amonge Chri&s;tians,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cor. 14.40.</NOTE> &s;hall be done comelie and by order, and that no ma~ without lawfull calling, ought to &s;erue in the Church of Chri&s;t, as Chri|&s;tian order requireth: It belongeth al&s;o to the Elders to looke to this, and in all mat|ters that fall out appertayning to a good con&s;titution &amp; order of the Church, with good cou~&s;ell to a&s;&s;i&s;te the Mini&s;ters of the worde: yea with coun&s;ell and comfort to &s;erue the whole Congregation.</P>
<P>Thirdlie, it is their charge to haue a &s;pe|ciall regarde of the doctrine and life of the Mini&s;ters of the worde, to the end that all thinges be &s;eruing for the edifying of the Church: and that no &s;traung doctrine be taught, as we &s;ee the Apo&s;tle doeth ex|horte,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 20.28.29.</NOTE> that diligent watch bee held again&s;t the wolues that might enter into the &s;heep|coat of Chri&s;t. For the performing where|of, the Elders are bound carefully to &s;earch the word of God, &amp; to exerci&s;e them&s;elues continuallie in the meditation of the my|&s;teries of faith.</P>
<P><HI>Concerning the Deacons, we may reade of their originall &amp; institution in the Actes</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 6.1.5.</NOTE>
<PB REF="41" MS="y"> <HI>of the Apostles. For there we doe finde that in the beginning the Apo&s;tles them&s;elues, ministred to the poore, at who&s;e feete the price of the &s;old goodes were brought, and the di&s;tribution was done to euerie one ac|cording as his nece&s;&s;itie required. But be|cau&s;e after this there aro&s;e a murmuringe, for that the widowes of the Graecians were neglected in the daylie ministring: By the admonitio~ of the Apo&s;tles, certain men were cho&s;en to &s;upplie this bu&s;ines of prouidinge for the poore, that the Apostles might giue them&s;elues continuallie to prayer and to the ministration of the word. From which time this hath bin ob&s;erued in the Church, as ap|reth by Paul the Apostle,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 12.8.</NOTE> <HI>who &s;peaking of this charge, &s;aith: That he who di&s;tributeth, &s;hall doe it with &s;implicitie. And els where &s;peaking of the</HI> HELPERS,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 12.28.</NOTE> <HI>he vnder&s;tan|deth tho&s;e that are appointed to helpe the poore and afflicted, in their neede. Which places do &s;ufficientlie &s;hew what the office is of the Deacons: Namelie first, That they with fidelitie &amp; carefulne&s;&s;e doe gather and keepe the almes and goodes which are giuen to the poore: yea labour be&s;ides with all dili|gence, that many good meanes may be found for the reliefe of the poore. The &s;econd parte of their charge con&s;isteth in the di&s;tribution: wherevnto is requi&s;it, not onelie di&s;cretion
<PB REF="42" MS="y"> &amp; prudencie, least they &s;hould giue where is no need: but al&s;o a ioyfull mind &amp; &s;implici|tie, to helpe the poore with a cheerefull and mercifull heart,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 12.8</NOTE> <HI>as the Apostle requireth. To which purpo&s;e it is verie good, that they &s;ucccour the poore &amp; afflicted,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 9.7.</NOTE> <HI>not only with outwarde giftes, but likewi&s;e with comfor|table con&s;olations out of the word of God.</HI></P>
<P>To the end therefore, deare brethren, N. N. that each one of you here pre&s;ent, may vnder&s;tande that your intention is to em|brace, receyue, and faithfullie execute the fore&s;aide<NOTE N="&ldquo;" PLACE="marg">or charges.</NOTE> charge [namelie each of you his owne] you are to an&s;were to the&s;e que|&s;tions:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, I aske you Elders, <HI>and Deacons,</HI> whether you doe not feele in your heartes, that you are by the Church of God, and con&s;equentlie by God him &s;elfe, &s;euerallie called to this holy charge, [or charges?]</P>
<P>Secondlie, whether you holde the Scri|pture of the Old and New Te&s;tament, to be the onelie worde of God, and the per|fect doctrine of &s;aluation, and doe reiect all doctrine contrarie vnto the &s;ame?</P>
<P>Thirdlie, whether you promi&s;e to admi|ni&s;ter your charge (as before it is de&s;cribed out of the &s;aid doctrine) with all fidelitie, according to your power: namely you El|ders N.N, in the church gouernement, to|geather
<PB REF="42" MS="y"> with the Mini&s;ters of the worde, <HI>And you Deacons N. N. in the mini&s;tring of the poore?</HI> Likewi&s;e whether <HI>all of you,</HI> doe promi&s;e to liue in a godlie conuer&s;ati|on, &amp; to &s;ubmit your &s;elues to the church|lie admonitions and cen&s;ures, if you at any time offend again&s;t the good order of the Church?</P>
<P><HI>Vpon this they &s;hall an&s;wer:</HI></P>
<P>Yea, that we doe.</P>
<P><HI>Then the Minister &s;ayeth:</HI></P>
<P>The Almightie God and Father, graunt vnto you all his grace, that in this your charge you may behaue your &s;elues faith|fullie and fruitfullie with comfort, Amen.</P>
<P><HI>Then &s;hall he admoni&s;h them and the Congregation in this maner:</HI></P>
<P>Looke then ye Elders that ye be diligent in gouerning the Church that which (to|gether with the Mini&s;ters of the worde) is committed vnto you. Be al&s;o good watch|men ouer the hou&s;e and citie of God, to admoni&s;h euerie one faithfully, and warne him of his de&s;tructio~. Haue a care to main+taine the purenes of doctrine, and the inte|gritie of life in the Church of the Lord.</P>
<P><HI>And you Deacons, be carefull in the gathe|ring of the Almes, circumspect and cheere|full in bestowing them: helpe the distre&s;&s;ed, prouide for the right Widowes and orphans:
<PB REF="43" MS="y"> doe good vnto all men, but speciallie vnto them which are of the hou&s;holde of faith.</HI></P>
<P>Be all of you faithfull and tru&s;tie in your charge: and hold the my&s;terie of faith in a pure con&s;cience, &s;hewing good exa~ple vnto all the people. So &s;hall you get to your &s;el|ues a good degree and great libertie in the faith which is in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, &amp; hereafter enter into the ioye of your Lord.</P>
<P>On the other &s;ide welbeloued Chri&s;tians, receaue the&s;e men as the &s;eruants of God. E&s;time the Elders that rule well worthy of double honor: &s;ubmit your &s;elues willing|lie to their ouer&s;ight and rule: <HI>Prouide and furni&s;h the Deacons of good meanes for the helping of the poore: Bee beneficiall ye that are rich, giue liberallie and impart readilie: And ye that are poore, be poore in spirit, &amp; carie your &s;elues reuerentlie towardes your prouiders: be thankefull towards them, and murmure not: follow Chri&s;t for the foode of the &s;oule, and not for bread &s;ake. Let him that hath &s;tolen, or bene burthen&s;ome to his neighbour, &s;teale no more, but let him rather labour and worke with his handes the thing which is good, that he may haue to giue vn|to him that needeth.</HI> Doing &s;o, <HI>each for his owne parte, you &s;hall receaue of the Lorde the reward of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI> But &s;eeing of our &s;elues we are vnfit for this, let vs call
<PB REF="43" MS="y"> vpon the Almightie God in this &s;orte:</P>
<P>Lord our God and mercifull Father, we render thee thankes, becau&s;e it hath plea|&s;ed thee for the better furtheringe of thy Church, to appoint in the &s;ame, be&s;ides the Mini&s;ters of the worde, Rulers, <HI>&amp; Hel|pers,</HI> Whereby thy Congregation might be maintained in good peace and pro&s;pe|rous e&s;tate, <HI>and the poore people relieued:</HI> and that pre&s;entlie in this place thou ha&s;t graunted vnto vs men of good te&s;timonie, and endued with thy Spirit: Wee be&s;eeche thee, furni&s;h them more and more of &s;uch giftes as they haue neede of in their admi|ni&s;tration, namelie, the gift of wi&s;edome, readines, and of di&s;cerning, <HI>as al&s;o of be|neficence,</HI> to the ende that euery one may behaue him &s;elfe duelie in his charge, the Elders in hauing a carefull regarde to do|ctrine and conuer&s;ation, to the keeping out the wolues from the &s;heepe-folde of thy welbeloued Sonne, &amp; in admoni&s;hing and reproving the di&s;orderlie and vnrulie. <HI>Likewi&s;e the Deacons in collecting careful|lie, and in be&s;towing liberally &amp; prudently the almes of the poore, as al&s;o in comforting them with thy holie word.</HI> Graunt both vn|to the Elders <HI>and vnto the Deacons,</HI> thy grace, that they may goe on con&s;tantlie in their faithfull worke, and that they neuer
<PB REF="44" MS="y"> waxe &s;low by rea&s;on of what&s;oeuer paine, grief, trouble, or per&s;ecution of the world: Graunt likewi&s;e thy diuine ble&s;&s;ing vnto this people e&s;peciallie, co~mitted vnto their charge, that they &s;ubmit them &s;elues wil|linglie to the good admonition of the El|ders, and giue due honour vnto them for their office &s;ake. <HI>Graunt vnto the rich, li|berall heartes, towardes the poore: and vnto the poore a thankefull spirit towards tho&s;e that helpe and mini&s;ter vnto them.</HI> In &s;uch &s;orte, that euerie one di&s;charging him&s;elfe in his callinge, thy holie Name thereby may be magnified, and the kingdome of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t aduanced: In who&s;e Name we conclude our prayer, &s;ayinge, <HI>Our Father which art, &amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="order of service">
<PB REF="44" MS="y">
<HEAD>OF TEACHERS, THEIR OFFICE, ELECTION, AND ORDINATION.</HEAD>
<P>THere is al&s;o another &s;orte of Mini&s;ters of the Worde, called Doctors or Tea|chers, who&s;e office is to in&s;truct, &amp; teache Doctrine, by expounding the Worde, tea|ching the principall points of religion: &amp; prouiding with all diligence, that the pu|ritie of the Go&s;pell bee not corrupted, ei|ther through ignorance, or euill opinions.</P>
<P>The Doctours election and ordination, is as the Pa&s;tors: &s;auing that if there bee a Pa&s;tor of that co~gregation, he is to be v&s;ed with the Pa&s;tors of the next Conference: and chieflie for that which otherwi&s;e is to be done by one of them: and that the pray|er, triall, and wordes of ordination, are to re&s;pect his &s;peciall office.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="order of service">
<HEAD>OF ELDERS, THEIR OF|FICE ELECTION, AND ORDINATION.</HEAD>
<P>THe Elders mu&s;t be men of good life,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nom. 11. Act. 14. Rom. 11. Ephe. 4. 1 Cor. 12. Iames. 5. 1. Pet. 5.</NOTE> &amp; godly conuer&s;ation, without blame, &amp; all iu&s;t &s;u&s;picion, carefull for the flocke, wi&s;e, and aboue all things, fearing God.</P>
<P>Who&s;e office &s;tandeth in gouerning with the re&s;t of the Mini&s;ters, in con&s;ulting, ad|moni&s;hing,
<PB REF="45" MS="y"> correcting, and ordering all things appartayning to the comelie direc|tion of the co~gregation. They differ from the Mini&s;ters, in that they preache not the worde, nor mini&s;ter the Sacraments. In a&s;|&s;embling the people, neither they without the Mini&s;ters, nor the Mini&s;ters without them, may attempt any thing. The electio~ and ordination is to be as the Pa&s;tors at the fir&s;t e&s;tabli&s;hing of them in anie Congre|gation.</P>
<P>After, if anie of the number &s;hall want, then it may &s;uffice to be ordered by the El|der&s;hip of the congregation, in &s;uch &s;orte, for other circu~&s;tances then are here men|tioned, as in the election and ordination of the Mini&s;ters of the worde: the prayer, triall wordes of ordinatio~ re&s;pecting their &s;peciall office.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="order of service">
<HEAD>OF THE DEACONS, THEIR OFFICE, ELECTION, AND ORDINATION.</HEAD>
<P>THE Deacons mu&s;t bee men of good e&s;timation and report, di&s;creete, of good con&s;cience,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts. 6.</NOTE> charitable, wi&s;e, and fi|nallie indued with &s;uch vertues,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Tim. 3. Rom. 1.</NOTE> as Saint Paule requireth in them. Their office is to gather the almes diligentlie &amp; faithfullie,
<PB REF="45" MS="y"> to di&s;tribute it, with the con&s;ent of the Mi|ni&s;ters, and Elders. Al&s;o, to prouide for the &s;icke and impotent per&s;ons, hauing euer a diligent care, that the charitie of godlie men, bee not wa&s;ted vpon<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> The&s;. 3.</NOTE> loyterers and idle vagabondes. Their election is to bee made by the Elder&s;hip, in &s;uch &s;ort as hath bene afore rehear&s;ed in the Elders, &amp; their ordination with prayer, and by wordes, re|&s;pecting their &s;peciall office.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="disciplinary action">
<HEAD>THE DEPOSITION OF Church officers, vpon iu&s;t cau&s;es.</HEAD>
<P>COncerning the Church officers, be|cau&s;e Chri&s;t reproueth them that e&s;pie a moate in another mans eye, and will not &s;ee a beame in their owne: and for that the eye &s;hould be clearer then the re&s;t of the bodie, the Mini&s;ter of the word can not be criminous, but to the great hurt of the Church. Therefore it is to be vnder&s;tood, that there be certaine faultes which if they be found in a Mini&s;ter, by like authoritie as he was elected, he is to be depo&s;ed: as for example, for papi&s;trie, or other here&s;ie, A|nabapti&s;trie: for adulterie, felonie: for be|ing a drunkarde, an v&s;urer, a game&s;ter, or giuen to filthie lucre, &amp;c.</P>
<PB REF="46" MS="y">
<P>Other are not &s;o grieuous, if &s;o bee that after brotherlie admonition hee amende them: as for example, &s;traunge and vnpro|fitable fa&s;hion in preaching, and handling the Scriptures, curio&s;itie in &s;eeking vaine que&s;tions, neglige~ce as well in his &s;ermons &amp; in &s;tudying the &s;criptures, as in all other things concerning his vocatio~: &s;currilitie, flattring, lying, backbiting, wanto~ words, deceit, couetou&s;nes, taunting, di&s;&s;olution in apparell, ge&s;ture, and other his doeings: which vices as they be odious in all men, &s;o in him that ought to be as an<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 5. Mark. 9.</NOTE> example to others, they are in no wi&s;e to be &s;uffered. And if &s;o bee that accordinge to Chri&s;tes rule,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 8. Luke. 17. Iames. 5.</NOTE> beeing brotherlie aduerti&s;ed, hee ac|knowledge not his faulte, and amende, hee is to be depo&s;ed. The &s;ame rule is to be fol|lowed in like cau&s;es with the re&s;t that haue charge in the Church.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="disciplinary action">
<HEAD>THE ORDER OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL DISCIPLINE.</HEAD>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The nece&s;|&s;itie of di&s;|cipline.</NOTE>AS no Citie, Towne, Hou&s;e, or Fami|lie, can mainteine their e&s;tate, and pro&s;per without policie &amp; gouerne|ment,
<PB REF="46" MS="y"> euen &s;o the Church of God, which requireth more purelie to bee gouerned then any Citie or familie, can not without &s;pirituall policie, and eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Di&s;ci|pline, continue, increa&s;e, and flouri&s;h. And as the Worde of God is the life and &s;oule of this Church,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> &s;o a godlie order of Di&s;ci|pline, is as it were &s;inewes in the bodye, which knit and ioyne the members toge|ther with decent order and comelines: It is a bridle to &s;tay the wicked from their mi&s;|chief: it is a &s;purr to pricke forward &s;uch as bee &s;low and negligent: yea and for all men it is the fathers rodde, euer in a readi|nes to cha&s;ti&s;e gentlie the faults commit|ted, and to cau&s;e them afterward to liue in more godlie feare and reuerence. Finallie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">what Di&s;|cipline is.</NOTE> it is an order left by the Lord our God vnto his Church, whereby men learne to frame their willes and doeings, according to the lawe of God, by in&s;tructing and admoni|&s;hing: yea, and by correcting and puni|&s;hing all ob&s;tinate rebelles and co~temners of the &s;ame.</P>
<P>There are three cau&s;es chieflie whiche &s;hould moue the church of God to the ex|ecuting of Di&s;cipline. Fir&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">For what cau&s;es it ought to be v&s;ed.</NOTE> that men of euill conuer&s;ation be not numbred among Gods children, to their fathers reproch,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> as if the Church of God were a &s;anctuarie
<PB REF="47" MS="y"> for noughtie and vile per&s;ons. Secondlie, that the good be not infected with accom|panying the euil: Which thing Saint Paule fore&s;awe, when he commaunded the Co|rinthians to bani&s;h from among them the ince&s;tuous adulterer,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 5. Galat. 5.</NOTE> &s;aying: A litle leauen maketh &s;oure the whole lumpe of dowe. Thirdlie, that a man thus corrected or ex|communicated, might bee a&s;hamed of his fault, and &s;o through repentance come to amendment:<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;. 3. 1. Cor. 5.</NOTE> the which thing the Apo&s;tle calleth deliuering to Satan, that his &s;pirit may be &s;aued in the day of the Lord: mea|ning that hee might be puni&s;hed with ex|communication, to the intent his &s;oule &s;hould not peri&s;h for euer.</P>
<P>This cen&s;ure, corrction or di&s;cipline, may ri&s;e either vppon priuate or publike occa&s;ion: priuate, as if a man offend either in manners or doctrine again&s;t thee, to ad|moni&s;h him brotherlie betweene him and thee: if &s;o be he &s;tubburnlie re&s;i&s;t thy cha|ritable aduerti&s;emens, or by continuance in his fault, declare that he amendeth not, then, after he hath bene the &s;econde time warned in pre&s;ence of two or three witne&s;|&s;es, and continueth ob&s;tinatelie in his fault, he ought, as out Sauiour Chri&s;t co~|mandeth, to be di&s;clo&s;ed &amp; manife&s;ted to the Church, &s;o that according to publike
<PB REF="47" MS="y"> di&s;cipline, he either may bee reformed, or el&s;e be puni&s;hed, as his fault requireth.</P>
<P>Touching priuate admonition, three things are to bee ob&s;erued: Fir&s;t, that the admonitions proceed of a godlie zeale and con&s;cience, rather &s;eeking to winne our brother, then to &s;launder him. Next, that we be a&s;&s;ured, that his fault be reproueable by Gods worde. And finallie, that wee v&s;e &s;uch mode&s;tie and wi&s;edome, that if wee &s;omewhat doubt of the matter, wherof we admoni&s;h him, yet with godlie exhortati|ons, he may be brought to the knowledge of his faulte.</P>
<P>Be&s;ides priuate admonition, hauinge great v&s;e to reforme offendours in publike Di&s;cipline, the Elder&s;hip hath power of Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall cen&s;ures, to bee v&s;ed accor|ding as the qualitie of the offence &s;hall re|quire.</P>
<P>The&s;e cen&s;ures are, Admonition, Su&s;|pen&s;ion, excommunication: which in all tender regard and godlie zeale of pre&s;er|ving the members of Chri&s;t from infectio~ of &s;inn, they are to v&s;e, if they perceiue any euiil in anie man, either offen&s;iue in exam|ple, or &s;launderous in manners, or vnwor|thie his profe&s;&s;ion. As for example. If there ba anie per&s;on di&s;obedient, trayterous, &s;e|ditious, or couetous, an adulterer, or for|nicator,
<PB REF="48" MS="y"> for&s;worne, theefe, bryber, fal&s;e witnes bearer, bla&s;phemer, drunkard, &s;lau~|derer, v&s;urer, or di&s;&s;olute: Any here&s;ie or &s;ecte, as papi&s;ticall, Anabapti&s;ticall, and &s;uch like: brieflie, what&s;oeuer it bee that might &s;port the Chri&s;tian Congregation,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe. 5.</NOTE> yea rather what&s;oeuer is not to edification, ought not to e&s;cape eyther admonition or puni&s;hment.</P>
<P>And becau&s;e it commeth to pa&s;&s;e &s;ome time in the church of Chri&s;t, that when o|ther remedies a&s;&s;ayed, profit nothing, they mu&s;t proceede to the Apo&s;tolicall rod and correction, which is, excommunication: It is ordeyned, that nothing be attempted in that behalfe without the determination of the whole Congregation: wherin al&s;o they are to beware &amp; take good heede, that they &s;eeme not more readie to expell from the Congregatio~, then to receiue againe tho&s;e in whom they perceiue worthie fruites of repentance to appeare: neither yet to for|bid him the hearing of Sermons,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rigour in puni&s;hme~t ought to be auoy|ded.</NOTE> which is excluded from the Sacramentes and other benefites of the Church, that he may haue libertie and occa&s;ion to repente: finallie, that all puni&s;hmentes, corrections, cen|&s;ures, and admonitions &s;tretch no further, then Gods word with mercie may lawful|lie beare.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gods word is the onely rule of di&s;|cipline.</NOTE></P>
<PB REF="48" MS="y">
<P>For the better execution of this holie Di&s;cipline, the Elder&s;hip of euerie parti|cular Congregation, is euerie weeke to a&s;|&s;emble for the ouer&s;ight and guidance of that church, that all thinges may be done to the furtherance of pietie and true Reli|gion, and for the correction and puni&s;h|ment of offences to the contrarie.</P>
<P>&para; This may be &s;ufficient for particular Congregations: for the vi&s;itation whereof and deci&s;ion of cau&s;es, which can not bee ended in them and &s;uch like: Meetinges, Conferences, and Synodes of Mini&s;ters and Elders, cho&s;en by particular Churches and Meetings, are to be helde as the Mini|&s;ters for time and place and other circum|&s;tances &s;hall thinke meete.</P>
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