B.14 COMMON PRAYER, AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS, AND OTHER RITES AND CEREMONIES OF THE CHURCH, United Church of England and Ireland; TOGETHER WITH THE PSALTER OR PSALMS OF DAVID, Pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches; AND THE FORM AND MANNER OF MAKING, ORDAINING, AND LONDON: WILLIAM COLLINS, 43 PATERNOSTER ROW, BIBLES, PRAYERS, AND CHURCH SERVICES. THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK. 1. THE Preface. 2. Concerning the Service of the Church. 3. Concerning Ceremonies, why some be abolished, and some retained. 4. The Order how the Psalter is appointed to be read. 5. The Order how the rest of the holy Scripture is appointed to be read. 6. A Table of Proper Lessons and Psalms. 7. The Calendar, with the Table of Lessons. 8. Tables and Rules for the Feasts and Fasts through the whole Year. 9. The Order for Morning Prayer. 10. The Order for Evening Prayer. 11. The Creed of Saint Athanasius. 12. The Litany. 13. Prayers and Thanksgivings upon several Occasions. 14. The Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, to be used at the Ministration of the holy Communion, throughout the Year. 15. The Order of the Ministration of the holy Communion. 16. The Order of Baptism, both Publick and Private. 17. The Order of Baptism for those of Riper Years. 18. The Catechism. 19. The Order of Confirmation. 20. The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony. 21. The Order for the Visitation of the Sick, and the Communion of the Sick. 22. The Order for the Burial of the Dead, 23. The Thanksgiving of Women after Child-birth. 24. A Commination, or denouncing of God's anger and judgments against Sinners. 25. The Psalter. 2. Forms of Prayer to be used at Sea. The Form and Manner of Making, Ordaining, and Consecrating of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. 28. A Form of Prayer for the Twentieth Day of June. 29. Articles of Religion. THE PREFACE. IT T hath been the wisdom of the Church of England, ever since the first compiling of her Publick Liturgy, to keep the mean between the two extremes, of too much stiffness in refusing, and of too much easiness in admitting any variation from it. For, as on the one side common experience sheweth, that where a change hath been made of things advisedly established (no evident necessity so requiring) sundry inconveniences have thereupon ensued; and those many times more and greater than the evils, that were intended to be remedied by such change: So on the other side, the particular Forms of Divine worship, and the Rites and Ceremonies appointed to be used therein, being things in their own nature indifferent, and alterable, and so acknowledged; it is but reasonable, that upon weighty and important considerations, according to the various exigency of times and occasions, such changes and alterations should be made therein, as to those that are in place of Authority should from time to time seem either necessary or expedient. Accordingly we find, that in the Reigns of several Princes of blessed memory since the Reformation, the Church, upon just and weighty considerations her thereunto mov ing, bath yielded to make such alterations in some particulars, as in their respective times were thought convenient: Yet so, as that the main Body and Essentials of it (as well in the chiefest materials, as in the frame and order thereof) have still continued the same unto this day, and do yet stand firm and unshaken, notwithstanding all the vain attempts and impetuous assaults made against it, by such men as are given to change, and have always discovered a greater regard ta their own private fancies and interests, than to that duty they owe to the publick. By what undue means, and for what mischievous purposes the use of the Liturgy (though enjoined by the Laws of the Land, and those Laws never yet repealed) came, during the late unhappy confusions, to be discontinued, is too well known to the world, and we are not willing here to remember. But when, upon His Majesty's happy Res toration, it seemed probable, that, amongst other things, the use of the Liturgy would also return of course (the same having never been legally abolished) unless some timely means were used to prevent it; those men who under the late usurped powers had made it a great part of their business to render the people disaffected thereunto, saw themselves in point of reputation and interest concerned (unless they would freely acknowledge themselves to have erred, which such men are very hardly brought to do) with their utmost endeavours to hinder the restitution thereof. In order whereunto divers Pamphlets were pub lished ag inst the Book of Common Prayer, the old objections mus tered up, with the addition of some new ones, more than formerly had been made, to make the number swell. In fine, great importunities were used to His Sacred Majesty, that the said Book might be revised, sad such Alterations therein, and Additions thereunto made, as should be thought requisite for the ease of tender Consciences: whereunto |