Or, in caje be fhall fee the people negligent to come to the holy Communion, instead of the former, he fhall ufe this Exhortation. EARLY beloved brethren, on- I intend, by and God's grace, to celebrate the Lord's Supper: unto which, in God's behalf, I bid you all that are here prefent; and befeech you for the Lord Jesus Christ's fake, that ye will not refuse to come thereto, being fo lovingly called and bidden by God himself. Ye know how grievous and unkind a thing it is, when a man hath prepared a rich feaft, decked his table with all kind of provifion, fo that there lacketh nothing but the guests to fit down; and yet they who are called, without any caufe, most unthankfully refuse to come. Which of you in fuch a cafe would not be moved? Who would not think a great injury and wrong done unto him? Wherefore, most dearly beloved in Chrift, take ye good heed, left ye withdrawing your. felves from this holy Supper, provoke God's indignation against you. It is an eafy matter for a man to fay, I will not communicate, because I am otherwife hindered with worldly bufinefs. But fuch excufes are not fo eafily accepted, and allowed before God. If any man fay, I am a grievous finner, and therefore am afraid to come: wherefore then do ye not repent and amend? When God calleth you, are ye not afhamed to fay, ye will not come? When ye fhould return to God, will ye excufe yourselves, and fay ye are not ready? Confider earnestly with yourfelves how little fuch feigned excufes will avail before God. They that refused the feast in the Gospel, because they had bought a farm, or would try their yokes of oxen, or because they were married, were not fo excufed, but counted unworthy of the heavenly feaft. I, for my part, fhall be ready; and according to mine office, I bid you in the Name of God, I call you in Chrift's behalf, I exhort you, as ye love your own falvation, that ye will be partakers of this holy Communion. And as the Son of God did vouchfafe to yield up his foul by death upon the crofs for your falvation; fo it is your duty to receive the Communion in remembrance of the facrifice of his death, as he himself hath commanded: Which if ye fhall neglect to do, confider with yourselves how great injury ye do unto God, and how fore punishment hangeth over your heads for the fame; when ye wilfully abstain from the Lord's Table, and feparate from your brethren, who come to feed on the banquet of that most heavenly food. These things if ye earnestly confider, ye will by God's grace return to a better mind: for the obtaining whereof. we fhall not cease to make our humble petitions unto Almighty God our heavenly Father. At the time of the celebration of the Communion, the Communicants being conveniently placed for the receiving of the holy Sacrament, the Priest fhall fay this Exhortation. D EARLY beloved in the Lord, ye that mind to come to the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Chrift, muft confider how St. Paul exhorteth all perfons diligently to try and examine themselves, before they prefume to eat of that Bread, and drink of that Cup. For as the benefit is great, if with a true penitent heart and lively faith we receive that holy Sacrament; (for then we fpiritually eat the flesh of Chrift, and drink his blood; then we dwell in Christ, and Chrift in us; we are one with Christ, and Chrift with us:) So is the danger great, if we receive the fame unworthily. For then we are guilty of the body and blood of Chrift our Saviour; we eat and drink our own damnation, not confidering the Lord's body; we kindle God's wrath against us; we At the time] The practice of exhorting the congregation immediately before adminiftering the facrament was of great antiquity. In the ancient Greek church, the priest, ftanding upon the fteps of the altar, with a loud voice and fignificant gefture, invited all prefent who were worthy, to receive; and thofe who were not prepared, to depart.-St. Chryf. in Heb. Hom. ix. in Ethic. tom. iv. 529. In the first book of Edward VIth, after this exhortation, came the following rubric: "In the cathedral churches, or other places where there is daily communion, it fhall be fufficient to read this exhortation above-written once a month; and in parish churches, upon the week-days it may be left unfaid." Conveniently placed In the ancient Chriftian church it was the practice for the male and female communicants to be feparated from each other, and to receive the communion apart. This ufage continued at the reformation, as appears from a rubric cited from Edward VIth's first book in a former note. provoke him to plague us with divers diseases, and fundry kinds of death. Judge therefore yourselves, brethren, that ye be not judged of the Lord; repent you truly for your fins paft; have a lively and ftedfaft faith in Christ our Saviour; amend your lives, and be in perfect charity with all men; fo fhall ye be meet partakers of those holy myfteries. And above all things ye muft give moft humble and hearty thanks to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, for the redemption of the world by the death and paffion of our Saviour Chrift, both God and man; who did humble himself, even to the death upon the cross, for us miferable fimers, who lay in darknefs and the fhadow of death, that he might make us the children of God, and exalt us to everlasting life. And to the end that we fhould alway remember the exceeding great love of our Mafter and only Saviour Jefus Chrift, thus dying for us, and the innumerable benefits which by his precious blood-fhedding he hath obtained to us; he hath inftituted and ordained holy myfteries, as pledges of his love, and for a continual remembrance of his death, to our great and endless comfort. To him therefore, with the Father, and the Holy Ghoft, let us give (as we are moft bounden) continual thanks; fubmitting ourfelves wholly to his holy will and pleasure, and studying to ferve him in true holinefs and righteoufnefs all the days of our life. Amen. T Then fhall the Priest fay to them that come to receive the holy Communion; E that do truly and earneftly repent you of your Yfins, and are in love and charity with your neigh bours, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways; Draw near with faith, and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort; and make your humble confeffion to Almighty God, meekly kneeling upon your knees. Te that do, &c.] This prayer (with a trifling difference at the end of it) occurs in the firft prayer-book of Edward Vith, but is placed after the confecration prayer. It was compofed from forms in the liturgies of St. Chryfoftom and St. Bafil. Then fhall this general Confeffion be made, in the name of all those that are minded to receive the holy Communion, by one of the Ministers; both he and all the People kneeling humbly upon their knees, and faying; A1 Lmighty God, Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; We acknowledge and bewail our manifold fins and wickedness, Which we, from time to time, moft grievously have committed, By thought, word, and deed, Againft thy Divine Majefty, Provoking molt juftly thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, And are heartily forry for these our mifdoings; The remembrance of them is grievous unto us; The burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, Have mercy upon us, moft merciful Father; For thy Son our Lord Jefus Chrift's fake, Forgive us all that is paft; and grant that we may ever hereafter ferve and pleafe thee in newness of life, To the honour and glory of thy Name, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. Then fall the Pricft (or the Bishop, being prefent) ftand up, and turning himself to the People, pronounce this Abfolution; Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of fins to all them that, with hearty repentance and true faith, turn unto him; Have mercy upon you; pardon and deliver you from all your fins; confirm and ftrengthen you in all goodness, and bring you to everlafting life, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. Then fhall the Priest fay, Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Chrift faith unto all that truly turn to him. The Holy Communion] After these words, this rubric contained the following, till the review 1662: Either by one of them, (viz. the congregation) or elfe by one of the Minifters, or by the Prieft himself, &c." The Abfolution] This form was compofed at the Reformation, and introduced as it at prefent ftands, in Edward VIth's firft book. Code, and I will refresh you. St. Matthew xi. 28. So God loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, to the end that all that believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. St. John iii. 16. Hear alfo what Saint Paul faith. This is a true faying, and worthy of all men to be received, That Chrift Jefus came into the world to fave finners. 1 Timothy i. 15. If Hear alfo what Saint John faith. any man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our fins. 1 St. John ii. 1. 2. After which the Pricft fhall proceed, faying, Lift up your hearts. Anfwer. We lift them up unto the Lord. ¶ Then shall the Prieft turn to the Lord's Table, and say, and al places, IT is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we unto fhould at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty Everlasting God. [Thefe words "Holy Father" must be omitted on Trinity Sunday.] Here fhall follow the proper Preface, according to the time, if there be any specially appointed: or else immediately shall follow, TH "HEREFORE with Angels and Archangels, and with Lift up, &c.] Thefe four verficles are found in the Anaphora of St. Bafil; the Liturgies of St. Chryfoftom; and St. Cyril Renaudot, tom. i. d. 13, 28, 40. Indeed the whole of what remains of the Communion Service (with little difference) is to be found in the Liturgy of St. Chryfoftom; and the Catech. Myftag. of St. Cyril, 5. It is very meet, &c.] In Edward VIth's first book, these prefaces occur red before the invitation, "Ye that do truly, &c." the confeffion and abfolution. In his fecond prayer-book, they were placed as they now stand. Therefore with Angels, &c.] This fublime form was borrowed from the Greek Liturgies. It is called the Trifagion, or Seraphic Hymn; the |