A Form for the Admission of Members of the Church of Rome, &c. 497

the importance, the necessity, of supplying the absence of those extraordinary powers by the best means to which, under Heaven's guidance, sound judgment and sober reason shall direct.

(To be continued.)

A FORM FOR THE ADMISSION OF MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF ROME INTO THE COMMUNION OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Composed by Archbishop Tenison, by order of Queen Anne, 1714.

Extracted from the "Concilia Magnæ Britanniæ."

[The Bishop, or some Priest appointed by him for that purpose, being at the Communion Table, and the person to be reconciled standing without the rails, the Bishop, or such Priest as is appointed, shall speak to the Congregation as follows;]

DEARLY beloved, we are here met together for the reconciling of a penitent, lately of the Church of Rome, to the Established Church of England (and Ireland) as to a true and sound part of Christ's Holy Catholic Church. [Nevertheless, if there be any of you who know of any impediment or notable crime, on account of which the profession about to be made should not be looked upon as sincere, let him come forth in the name of God and shew what that crime or impediment is.]* Now that this weighty affair may have its due effect, let us, in the first place, humbly and devoutly pray to Almighty God for his blessing upon us, in that pious and charitable office we are going about.

Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help, that in this, and all our works, begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy name, and finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, who shewest to them that be in error, the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness; grant unto all them that are, or shall be, admitted into the fellowship of Christ's religion, that they may eschew those things which are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

PSALM CXIX. from ver. 169 to the end.

Let my complaint come before thee, O Lord; give me understanding according to thy word.

Let my supplication come before thee; deliver me according to thy word.

My lips shall speak of thy praise; when thou hast taught me thy

statutes.

Yea, my tongue shall sing of thy word; for all thy commandments are righteous.

*

The words within brackets are not in the original form.

Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy commandments. I have longed for thy saving health, O Lord; and in thy law is my delight.

O let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and thy judgments shall help me.

I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost; O seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

THE LESSON.

Luke xv. to ver. 8.

Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and his neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance.

PSALM CXV. to ver. 10.

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give the praise; for thy loving mercy, and for thy truth's sake.

Wherefore shall the heathen say, Where is now their God?

As for our God, he is in heaven; he hath done whatsoever pleased him...

Their idols are silver and gold: even the work of men's hands. They have mouths, and speak not: eyes have they, and see not. They have ears, and hear not; noses have they, and smell not. They have hands, and handle not: feet have they, and walk not: neither speak they through their throat.

They that make them are like unto them; and so are all they that put their trust in them.

But thou, house of Israel, trust thou in the Lord; he is their succour and defence.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

[Then the Bishop sitting in a chair, or the Priest standing, shall speak to the Penitent, who is to be kneeling, as follows ;]

Dear Brother, (or Sister,) I have good hope, that you have well weighed and considered with yourself the great work you are come about, before this time; but inasmuch as with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation; that you may give the more honour to God, and that this present congregation of Christ here assembled may also understand your mind and will in these things, and that this your declaration may the more confirm you in your good resolution, you shall answer plainly to these questions, which we

in the name of GOD and of his Church shall propose to you, touching the same.

Art thou thoroughly persuaded that the books of the Old and New Testament, which are received as Canonical Scriptures by this Church, contain sufficiently all doctrine requisite and necessary to eternal salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus?

Answer. I am so persuaded.

Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth?

And in Jesus Christ his only-begotten Son, our Lord?

And that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; that he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; that he went down into hell, and also did rise again at the third day; that he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty: and from thence shall come again at the end of the world to judge the quick and the dead?

And dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church; the communion of Saints; the remission of sins; the resurrection of the flesh, and everlasting life after death?

Answer. All this I stedfastly believe.

Art thou truly sorrowful that thou hast not followed the way prescribed in these Scriptures for the directing of the faith of a true disciple of Jesus Christ?

Answer. I am heartily sorry, and I hope for mercy through Jesus Christ.

Dost thou embrace the truth of the Gospel in the love of it, and stedfastly resolve to live righteously and soberly in this present world, all the days of thy life?

Answer. I do embrace it, and do resolve, God being my helper.

Dost thou earnestly desire to be received into the Communion of this Church, as into a true and sound part of Christ's Holy Catholic Church? Answer. This I earnestly desire.

Dost thou renounce all the errors and superstitions of the present Romish Church, so far as they are come to thy knowledge?

Answer. I do from my heart renounce them all.

[If the Convert from the Church of Rome be in Holy Orders, let these further questions be asked.]

Dost thou in particular renounce the twelve last articles added in the Confession, commonly called "the Creed of Pope Pius IV."* after having read them, and duly considered them?

Answer. I do upon mature deliberation reject them all, as grounded upon no warrant of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the word of God. Dost thou acknowledge the supremacy of the Kings [or Queens] of this Realm as by law established, and declared in the 37th Article of Religion.

Answer. I do sincerely acknowledge it.

Wilt thou then give thy faithful diligence always so to minister the doctrine and sacraments, and the discipline of Christ, as the Lord hath commanded, and as this Church and realm hath received the same,

according to the commandments of God; so that thou mayest teach the people with all diligence to keep and observe the same?

Answer. I will do so by the help of the Lord.

Wilt thou conform thyself to the Liturgy of the Church of England, (and Ireland) as by law established?

Answer. I will.

[If the Penitent be one who has relapsed, the following question is to be

asked.]

Art thou heartily sorry when thou wast in the way of truth, thou didst so little watch over thine own heart as to suffer thyself to be led away with the shadows of vain doctrine? and dost thou stedfastly purpose to be more careful for the future, and to persevere in that holy profession which thou hast now made?

Answer. I am truly grieved for my former unstedfastness, and am fully determined, by God's grace, to walk more circumspectly for the time to come, and to continue in this my profession to my life's end.

[Then the Bishop or Priest, standing up, shall say;]

Almighty God, who hath given you a sense of your errors, and a will to do all these things, grant you also strength and power to perform the same, that he may accomplish his work which he hath began in you, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

THE ABSOLUTION.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hast promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto Him, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and bring you to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [Then the Bishop or Priest, taking the Convert by the right hand, shall say unto him.]

I. N. Bishop of —— (or I. A. B.) do upon this thy solemn profession and earnest request, receive thee into the Holy Communion of the Church of England (and Ireland) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

People. Amen.

[Then the Bishop or Priest shall say the Lord's Prayer with that which follows, all kneeling.]

Let us pray,

Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil; For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

O God of truth and love, we bless and magnify thy holy name for thy great mercy and goodness in bringing this thy servant into the communion of this Church. Give him, we beseech thee, the stability

and perseverance in that faith of which he hath, in the presence of God and of this congregation, witnessed a good confession. Suffer him not

to be moved from it by any temptation of Satan, enticements of the world, the scoffs of irreligious men, or the revilings of those who are still in error; but guard him by thy grace against all these snares; and make him instrumental in turning others from the errors of their ways to the saving of their souls from death, and the covering a multitude of sins; and in thy good time, O Lord, bring, we pray thee, into the way of truth, all such as have erred and are deceived; and so fetch them home, blessed Lord, to thy flock, that they may be one fold under one Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ; to whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen. [Then the Bishop or Priest, standing up (if there be no communion at that time), shall turn himself to the person newly admitted, and say ;] Dear Brother [Sister], seeing that you have, by the goodness of God, proceeded thus far, I must put you in mind that you take care to go on in the good way into which your are entered; and for your establishment and furtherance therein, that if you have not been confirmed, you endeavour so to be the next opportunity, and receive the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. And may God's Holy Spirit be with you! Amen.

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your heart and mind by Jesus Christ.

Amen.

The Articles of the Creed of Pope Pius IV. previously referred to.

1. "I most stedfastly admit and embrace the Apostolical and Ecclesiastical Traditions, with the rest of the Constitutions and observations of the Church.

2. "I do also receive the Holy Scriptures, according to that sense which the Holy Mother Church (to whom it belongs to judge of the true sense and interpretations of the Holy Scripture) did and doth hold, nor will I ever take and interpret it otherwise than according to the unanimous consent of the Fathers.

3. "I do also profess, that there are properly seven sacraments of the New Law, instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, and are necessary for the salvation of mankind, (although all the sacraments are not necessary to every person) viz. Baptism, Confirmation, the Lord's Supper, Penance, Extreme Unction, Orders, and Matrimony. All which do confer grace, and whereof Baptism, Confirmation, and Orders cannot be repeated without Sacrilege. I do also receive and admit all the received and approved rites of the Catholic Church, in the solemn administration of the aforesaid sacraments.

4. "All and every thing that was declared and defined about original sin and justification by the most holy Council of Trent, I embrace and receive.

5. "I do profess also, that in the Mass is offered to God a true, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the quick and dead, and that in the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, there is really and substantially the Body and Blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord

VOL. XVI. NO. VIII.

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