hast promised to all them that seek thy kingdom, and the righteousness thereof, all things necessary to the bodily sustenance; Send us (we beseech thee) in this our necessity, such moderate rain and showers, that we may receive the fruits of the earth to our comfort and to thy honour; through Jesus Christ our Lord. For fair weather. O LORD God, which for the sin of man, didst once drown all the world, except eight persons, and afterward, of thy great mercy, didst promise never to destroy it so again; We humbly beseech thee, that although we for our iniquities have worthily deserved this plague of rain and waters, yet, upon our true repentance, thou wilt send us such weather whereby we may receive the fruits of the earth in due season, and learn both by thy punishment to amend our lives, and by the granting of our petition, to give thee praise and glory; through Jesu Christ our Lord. Upon Wednesdays and Fridays the English Litany shall be said or sung in all places, after such form as is appointed by the king's majesty's injunctions; or as is or shall be otherwise appointed by his highness. And though there be none to communicate with the Priest, yet these days (after the Litany ended) the Priest shall put upon him a plain albe or surplice, with a cope, and say all things at the altar, (appointed to be said at the celebration of the Lord's supper,) until after the offertory and then shall add one or two of the Collects aforewritten, as occasion shall serve, by his discretion. And then, turning him to the people, shall let them depart with the accustomed blessing. And the same order shall be used all other days, whensoever the people be customably assembled to pray in the church, and none disposed to communicate with the Priest. Likewise in chapels annexed, and all other places, there shall be no celebration of the Lord's supper, except there be some to communicate with the Priest. And in such chapels annexed, where the people hath not been accustomed to pay any holy bread, there they must either make some charitable provision for the bearing of the charges of the communion, or else (for receiving of the same) resort to their parish church. For avoiding of all matters and occasion of dissension, it is meet that the bread prepared for the communion be made through all this realm after one sort and fashion; that is to say, unleavened, and round, as it was afore, but without all manner of print, and something more larger and thicker than it was, so that it may be aptly divided in divers pieces; and every one shall be divided in two pieces at the least, or more, by the discretion of the Minister, and so distributed. And men must not think less to be received in part than in the whole, but in each of them the whole body of our Saviour Jesu Christ. And forsomuch as the Pastors and Cu rates within this realm shall continually find at their costs and charges in their cures, sufficient bread and wine for the holy communion, (as oft as their parishioners shall be disposed for their spiritual comfort to receive the same,) it is therefore ordered, that in recompense of such costs and charges the parishioners of every parish shall offer every Sunday, at the time of the offertory, the just value and price of the holy loaf, (with all such money and other things as were wont to be offered with the same,) to the use of their Pastors and Curates, and that in such order and course as they were wont to find and pay the said holy loaf. Also, that the receiving of the sacra ment of the blessed body and blood of Christ may be most agreeable to the institution thereof, and to the usage of the primitive church; in all cathedral and collegiate churches there shall always some communicate with the Priest that ministereth. And that the same may be also observed every where abroad in the country, some one at the least of that house in every parish, to whom by course, after the ordinance herein made, it appertaineth to offer for the charges of the communion, or some other whom they shall provide to offer for them, shall receive the holy communion with the Priest: the which may be the better done, for that they know before when their course cometh, and may therefore dispose themselves to the worthy receiving of the sacrament. And with him or them who doth so offer the charges of the communion, all other who be then godly disposed thereunto, shall likewise receive the communion. And by this means the Minister, having always some to communicate with him, may accordingly solemnize so high and holy mysteries with all the suffrages and due order appointed for the same. And the Priest on the week day shall forbear to celebrate the communion, except he have some that will communicate with him. Furthermore, every man and woman to be bound to hear and be at the divine service, in the parish church where they be resident, and there with devout prayer, or godly silence and meditation, to occupy themselves; there to pay their duties, to communicate once in the year at the least, and there to receive and take all other sacraments and rites in this book appointed. And whosoever willingly, upon no just cause, doth absent themselves, or doth ungodly in the parish church occupy themselves; upon proof thereof, by the ecclesiastical laws of the realm, to be excommunicate, or suffer other punishment, as shall to the ecclesiastical judge (according to his discretion) seem convenient. And although it be read in ancient writ ers that the people many years past received at the priest's hands the sacrament of the body of Christ in their own hands, and no commandment of Christ to the contrary; yet forasmuch as they many times conveyed the same secretly away, kept it with them, and diversely abused it to superstition and wickedness: lest any such thing hereafter should be attempted, and that an uniformity might be used throughout the whole realm, it is thought convenient the people commonly receive the sacrament of Christ's body in their mouths, at the Priest's hand. Upon the holydays, if there be no communion, shall be said all that is appointed at the communion, until the end of the Homily, concluding with the general prayer for the whole state of Christ's church militant here in earth; and one or more of these Collects before rehearsed, as occasion shall serve. And there shall be no celebration of the Lord's Supper, except there be a good number to communicate with the Priest, according to his discretion. And if there be not above twenty persons in the parish of discretion to receive the communion; yet there shall be no communion, except four, or three at the least, communicate with the Priest. And in cathedral and collegiate churches, where be many Priests and Deacons, they shall all receive the communion with the Min ister every Sunday at the least, except they have a reasonable cause to the contrary. And to take away the superstition which any person hath, or might have, in the bread and wine, it shall suffice that the bread be such as is usual to be eaten at the table with other meats, but the best and purest wheat bread that conveniently may be gotten. And if any of the bread or wine remain, the Curate shall have it to his own use. The bread and wine for the Communion shall be provided by the Curate and the churchwardens, at the charges of the parish; and the parish shall be discharged of such sums of money, or other duties, which hitherto they have paid for the same, by order of their houses every Sunday. ¶ And note, that every parishioner shall communicate at the least three times in the year; of which Easter to be one and shall also receive the sacraments, and other rites, according to the order in this book appointed. And yearly, at Easter, every parishioner shall reckon with his Parson, Vicar, or Curate, or his or their deputy or deputies, and pay to them or him all ecclesiastical duties accustomably due, then and at that time to be paid. The Litany and Suffrages. : Here followeth the Litany, to be used upon Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and at other times, when it shall be commanded by the Ordinary. O God the Father, of heaven have mercy upon us miserable sinners. O God the Father, of heaven have mercy upon us miserable sinners. : : O God the Son, Redeemer of the world have mercy upon us miserable sinners. |