O Christ, hear us. O Christ, hear us. Lord, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. ¶ Our Father, which art in heaven. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. The Versicle. O Lord, deal not with us after our sins. Let us pray. O God, merciful Father, that despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor the desire of such as be sorrowful; Mercifully assist our prayers that we make before thee in all our troubles and adversities, whensoever they oppress us; and graciously hear us, that those evils, which the craft and subtilty of the Devil or man worketh against us, be brought to nought; and by the providence of thy goodness they may be dispersed; that we thy servants, being hurt by no persecutions, may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy church; through Jesu Christ our Lord. O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thy name's sake. O GOD, we have heard with our ears, and our fathers have declared unto us, the noble works that thou didst in their days, and in the old time before them. O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thine honour. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen. From our enemies defend us, O Christ. Graciously look upon our afflictions. Pitifully behold the sorrows of our heart. Mercifully forgive the sins of thy people. Favourably with mercy hear our prayers. O Son of David, have mercy upon us. Both now and ever vouchsafe to hear us, O Christ. : Graciously hear us, O Christ; graciously hear us, O Lord Christ. The Versicle. O Lord, let thy mercy be shewed upon us. The Answer. As we do put our trust in thee. Let us pray. WE humbly beseech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon our infirmities; and for the glory of thy name's sake turn from us all those evils that we most righteously have deserved; and grant that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living, to thy honour and glory; through our only Mediator and Advocate Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ALMIGHTY God, which hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee, and dost promise that when two or three be gathered in thy name, thou wilt grant their requests; Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them, granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen. Then shall be said also this that followeth : ALMIGHTY God, which by thy divine Providence hast appointed diverse orders of ministers in the church, and didst inspire thine holy apostles to choose unto this order of Deacons the first martyr Saint Stephen, with other; Mercifully behold these thy servants, now called to the like office and administration: replenish them so with the truth of thy doctrine, and innocency of life, that, both by word and good example, they may faithfully serve thee in this office, to the glory of thy name, and profit of the congregation; through the merits of our Saviour Jesu Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost now and ever. Amen. Then shall be sung or said the communion of the day, saving the Epistle shall be read out of Timothy, as followeth : LIKEWISE must the Ministers be honest, not doubletongued, not given unto much wine, neither. greedy of filthy lucre; but holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. And let them first be proved, and then let them minister, so that no man be able to reprove them. Even so must their wives be honest, not evil speakers, but sober and faithful in all things. Let the Deacons be the husbands of one wife, and such as rule their children well, and their own households. For they that minister well get themselves a good degree, and a great liberty in the faith which is in Christ Jesu. These things write I unto thee, trusting to come shortly unto thee: but and if I tarry long, that then thou mayest yet have knowledge how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the congregation of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth. And without doubt great is that mystery of godliness: God was shewed in the flesh, was justified in the Spirit, was seen among the angels, was preached unto the Gentiles, was believed on in the world, and received up in glory. Or else this, out of the sixth of the Acts. THEN the twelve called the multitude of the disciples together, and said, It is not meet that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, and full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, to whom we may commit this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the administration of the word. And that saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and full of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Procorus, and Nichanor, and Tymon, and Permenas, and Nicholas, a convert of Antioch. These they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient unto the faith. ¶ And before the Gospel, the Bishop, sitting in a chair, shall cause the oath of the king's supremacy, and against the usurped power and authority of the bishop of Rome, to be ministered unto every of them that are to be ordered. ¶ The Oath of the King's Supremacy. I FROM henceforth shall utterly renounce, refuse, relinquish, and forsake the bishop of Rome, and his authority, power, and jurisdiction. And I shall never consent nor agree that the bishop of Rome shall practise, exercise, or have any manner of authority, jurisdiction, or power within this realm, or any other the king's dominions, but shall resist the same at all times to the uttermost of my power. And I from henceforth will accept, repute, and take the king's majesty to be the only supreme head in earth of the church of England: and to my cunning, wit, and uttermost of my power, without guile, fraud, or other undue mean, I will observe, keep, maintain, and defend the whole effects and contents of all and singular acts and statutes made and to be made within this realm, in derogation, extirpation, and extinguishment of the bishop of Rome, and his authority; and all other acts and statutes made or to be made, in confirmation and corroboration of the king's power, of the supreme head in earth of the church of England. And this I will do against all manner of persons, of what estate, dignity, or degree, or condition they be; and in no wise do, nor attempt, nor to my power suffer to be done or attempted, directly or indirectly, any thing or things, privily or apertly, to the let, hinderance, damage or derogation thereof, or any part thereof, by any manner of means, or for any manner of pretence. And in case any other be made, or hath been made by me, to any person or persons, in maintenance, defence, or favour of the bishop of Rome, or his authority, jurisdiction, or power, I repute the same as vain and annihilate. So help me God through Jesus Christ. ¶ Then shall the Bishop examine every one of them that are to be ordered, in the presence of the people, after this manner following: Do you trust that you are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon you this office and ministration, to serve God, for the promoting of his glory, and the edifying of his people? Answer. I trust so. The Bishop. Do ye think that ye truly be called, according to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the due order of this realm, to the ministry of the church? Answer. I think so. The Bishop. Do ye unfeignedly believe all the canonical scriptures of the Old and New Testament? Answer. I do believe. The Bishop. Will you diligently read the same unto the people assembled in the church, where you shall be appointed to serve? Answer. I will. The Bishop. It pertaineth to the office of a Deacon in the church where he shall be appointed, to assist the Priest in divine service, and specially when he ministereth the holy communion, and to help him in distribution thereof, and to read holy scriptures and homilies in the congregation, and to instruct the youth in the catechism; to baptize and to preach, if he be admitted thereto by the Bishop: and furthermore, it is his office, where provision is so made, to search for the sick, poor, and impotent people of the parish, and to intimate their estates, names, and places where they dwell, to the Curate, that by his exhortation they may be relieved by the parish, or other convenient alms. Will you do this gladly and willingly? Answer. I will so do by the help of God. The Bishop. Will you apply all your diligence to frame and fashion your own lives, and the lives of all your family, according to the doctrine of Christ, and to make both yourselves and them, as much as in you lieth, wholesome examples of the flock of Christ? Answer. I will so do, the Lord being my helper. The Bishop. Will you reverently obey your Ordinary, and other chief Ministers of the church, and them to whom the government and charge is committed over you, following with a glad mind and will their godly admonitions? Answer. I will thus endeavour myself, the Lord being my helper. Then the Bishop, laying his hands severally upon the head of every of them, shall say, Take thou authority to execute the office of a Deacon in the church of God committed unto thee; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen. Then shall the Bishop deliver to every one of them the New Testament, saying, Take thou authority to read the Gospel in the church of God, and to preach the same, if thou be thereunto ordinarily commanded. Then one of them, appointed by the Bishop, shall read the Gospel of that day. Then shall the Bishop proceed to the communion, and all that be ordered shall tarry and receive the holy communion the same day with the Bishop. The communion ended, after the last Collect, and immediately before the benediction, shall be said this Collect following. ALMIGHTY God, giver of all good things, which of thy great goodness hast vouchsafed to accept and take these thy servants unto the office of Deacons in thy church; Make them, we beseech thee, O Lord, to be modest, humble, and constant in their ministration, to have a ready will to observe all spiritual discipline, that they, having always the testimony of a good con |