God of my health and my tongue shall sing of thy righteous

ness.

Thou shalt open my lips, (O Lord): my mouth shall shew thy praise.

For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee: but thou delightest not in burnt-offering.

The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and a contrite heart (O God) shalt thou not despise.

O be favourable and gracious unto Sion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations: then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost ;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and &c.

:

As it was in the beginning, and is now, &c. Amen.

Lord, have mercy upon us, ¶ Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us. Our Father, which art in heaven, &c.

And lead us not into temptation.

Answer. But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Minister. O Lord, save thy servants.

Answer. Which put their trust in thee.
Minister. Send unto them help from above.

Answer. And evermore mightily defend them.

Minister. Help us, O God our Saviour.

Answer. And for the glory of thy name's sake deliver us; be merciful unto us sinners, for thy name's sake.

Minister. O Lord, "hear my prayer.

Answer. "And let my cry come to thee,

Let us pray.

O LORD, we beseech thee, mercifully hear our prayers, and spare all those which confess their sins to thee; that they, (whose consciences by sin are accused,) by thy merciful pardon may be absolved; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

m hear our prayers 1552.

n And let our cry come unto thee 1552.

O MOST mighty God, and merciful Father, which hast compassion of all men, and hatest nothing that thou hast made; which wouldest not the death of a sinner, but that he should rather turn from sin, and be saved; Mercifully forgive us our trespasses; receive and comfort us, which be grieved and wearied with the burden of our sin. Thy property is to have mercy; to thee only it appertaineth to forgive sins. Spare us therefore, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed; enter not into judgment with thy servants, which be vile earth, and miserable sinners; but so turn thy ire from us, which meekly knowledge our vileness, and truly repent us of our faults: so make haste to help us in this world, that we may ever live with thee in the world to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then shall this Anthem be said or sung.

Then shall the people say this that followeth, after the Minister.

TURN thou us, "good Lord, and so shall we be turned. Be favourable, (O Lord,) be favourable to thy people, which turn to thee in weeping, fasting, and praying. For thou art a merciful God, full of compassion, long-suffering, and of a great pity. Thou sparest when we deserve punishment, and in thy wrath thinkest upon mercy. Spare thy people, good Lord, spare them, and let not 'thine heritage be brought to confusion. Hear us, (O Lord,) for thy mercy is great, and after the multitude of thy mercies look upon us.

Of Ceremonies, why some be abolished and some retained.

Of such ceremonies as be used in the church, and have had their beginning by the institution of man, some at the first were of godly intent and purpose devised, and yet at length turned to vanity and superstition; some entered into the church by undiscreet devotion, and such a zeal as was without knowledge: and for because they were winked at in the beginning, they grew daily to more and more abuses, which, not only for their unprofitableness, but also because they have much blinded the people, and obscured the glory of God, are worthy to be cut away, and clean rejected. Other there be, which although they o thy heritage 1552.

n O good Lord 1552.

have been devised by man, yet it is thought good to reserve them still, as well for a decent order in the church, (for the which they were first devised,) as because they pertain to edification; whereunto all things done in the church (as the apostle teacheth) ought to be referred. And although the keeping or omitting of a ceremony (in itself considered) is but a small thing, yet the wilful and contemptuous transgression, and breaking of a common order and discipline, is no small offence before God. Let all things be done among you (saith Saint Paul) in a seemly and due order: the appointment of the which order pertaineth not to private men. Therefore, no man ought to take in hand nor presume to appoint or alter any public or common order in Christ's church, except he be lawfully called and authorized thereunto. And whereas, in this our time, the minds of men P be so diverse, that some think it a great matter of conscience to depart from a piece of the least of their ceremonies (they be so addicted to their old customs); and again, on the other side, some be so new fangle, that they would innovate all thing, and so do despise the old that nothing can like them but that is new; it was thought expedient not so much to have respect how to please and satisfy either of these parties, as how to please God, and profit them both. And yet, lest any man should be offended, (whom good reason might satisfy,) here be certain causes rendered why some of the accustomed ceremonies be put away, and 4some be retained and kept still.

Some are put away because the great excess and multitude of them hath so increased in these latter days, that the burden of them was intolerable: whereof Saint Augustine in his time complained that they were grown to such a number, that the state of Christian people was in worse case (concerning that matter) than were the Jews: and he counselled, that such yoke and burden should be taken away, as time would serve quietly to do it. But what would Saint Augustine have said, if he had seen the ceremonies of late days used among us, whereunto the multitude used in his time was not to be compared? This our excessive multitude of ceremonies was so great, and many of them so dark, that they did more confound and darken than declare and set forth Christ's benefits unto us. And besides this, Christ's gospel is not a ceremonial law, (as much of Moses' law was,) but it is a religion to serve God, not in bondage of the figure or shadow,

P are 1552.

q some retained 1552.

but in the freedom of spirit, being content only with those ceremonies which do serve to a decent order and godly discipline, and such as be apt to stir up the dull mind of man to the remembrance of his duty to God, by some notable and special signification, whereby he might be edified.

Furthermore, the most weighty cause of the abolishment of certain ceremonies was, that they were so far abused, partly by the superstitious blindness of the rude and unlearned, and partly by the unsatiable avarice of such as sought more their own lucre than the glory of God, that the abuses could not well be taken away, the thing remaining still. But now, as concerning those persons which peradventure will be offended for that some of the old ceremonies are retained still; if they consider, that without some ceremonies it is not possible to keep any order or quiet discipline in the church, they shall easily perceive just cause to reform their judgments. And if they think much that any of the old do remain, and would rather have all devised anew, then such men (granting some ceremonies convenient to be had) surely where the old may be well used, there they cannot reasonably reprove the old, (only for their age,) without bewraying of their own folly. For in such a case they ought rather to have reverence unto them for their antiquity, if they will declare themselves to be more studious of unity and concord than of innovations and newfangleness, which (as much as may be with the true setting forth of Christ's religion) is always to be eschewed. Furthermore, such shall have no just cause with the ceremonies reserved to be offended; for as those be taken away which were most abused, and did burden men's consciences without any cause, so the other that remain are retained for a discipline and order, which (upon just causes) may be altered and changed, and therefore are not to be esteemed equal with God's law. And moreover, they be neither dark nor dumb ceremonies, but are so set forth that every man may understand what they do mean, and to what use they do serve: so that it is not like that they, in time to come, should be abused as the other have been. And in 'these all our doings we condemn no other nations, nor prescribe any thing but to our own people only. For we think it convenient that every country should use such ceremonies as they shall think best to the setting forth of God's honour and glory, and to the reducing of the people to a most perfect and godly

living, without error or superstition; and that they should put away other things, which from time to time they perceive to be most abused, as in men's ordinances it often chanceth diversely in diverse countries.

t Certain Notes for the more plain Explication and decent Ministration of Things contained in this Book.

IN the saying or singing of Matins and Evensong, baptizing and burying, the Minister, in parish churches and chapels annexed to the same, shall use a surplice; and in all cathedral churches and colleges, the Archdeacons, Deans, Provosts, Masters, Prebendaries, and Fellows, being Graduates, may use in the quire, beside their surplices, such hoods as pertaineth to their several degrees, which they have taken in any university within this realm: but in all other places, every Minister shall be at liberty to use any surplice or no. It is also seemly, that Graduates, when they do preach, shall use such hoods as pertaineth to their several degrees.

¶ And whensoever the Bishop shall celebrate the holy communion in the church, or execute any other public ministration, he shall have upon him, beside his rochette, a surplice or albe, and a cope or vestment; and also his pastoral staff in his hand, or else borne or holden by his chaplain.

T As touching kneeling, crossing, holding up of hands, knocking upon the breast, and other gestures, they may be used or left, as every man's devotion serveth, without blame.

Also upon Christmas Day, Easter Day, the Ascension Day, Whit Sunday, and the feast of the Trinity, may be used any part of holy scripture hereafter to be certainly limited and appointed, in the stead of the Litany.

¶ If there be a sermon, or for other great cause, the Curate, by his discretion, may leave out the Litany, Gloria in Excelsis, the Creed, the Homily, and the Exhortation to the Communion.

FINIS.

Imprinted at London, in Fleet-street, at the sign of the Sun, over against the Conduit, by Edward Whitchurche. The fourth day of May, the year of our Lord 1540.

The King's Majesty, by the advice of his most dear uncle the Lord Protector, and other his highness' council, straightly chargeth and commandeth, that no manner of person do sell this present book unbound above the price of two shillings and two pence the piece. And the same bound in paste or in boards, not above the price of three shillings and eight pence the piece.

GOD SAVE THE KING.

t These Notes, &c. are not printed in the edition of 1552.