The Supper of the Lorde, AND THE HOLY COMMUNION, COMMONLY CALLED THE MASSE. (According to the First Common Prayer Book of Edward VI. 1549.) So many as intende to bee partakers of the holy Communion, shall sygnifie their names to the Curate, ouer night: or els in the morning, afore the beginning of Matins, or immediatly after. And if any of those be an open and notorious euill liuer, so that the congregacion by hym is offended, or haue doen any wrong to his neighbours, by worde, or dede: The Curate shall call hym, & aduertise hym, in any wise not to presume to the lordes table, vntill he haue openly declared hymselfe, to haue truly repented, and amended his former naughtie life: that the congregacion maie thereby be satisfied, whiche afore were offended: and that he haue recompensed the parties, whom he hath dooen wrong vnto, or at the least bee in full purpose so to doo, as sone as he conueniently maic. The same ordre shall the Curate vse, with those betwixt whom he perceiveth malice, and hatred to reigne, not suffering them to bee partakers of the Lordes table, vntill he knowe them to bee reconciled. And yf one of the parties so at variaunce, be content to forgeue from the botome of his harte, all that the other hath trespaced against hym, and to make amendes, for that he hymself hath offended: and the other partie will not bee perswaded to a godly vnitie, but remaigne still in his frowardnes and malice: The Minister in that case, ought to admit the penitent persone to the holy Communion, and not hym that is obstinate. Upon the daie, and at the tyme appoincted for the ministracion of the holy Communion, the Priest that shal execute the holy ministery, shall put vpon hym the vesture appoincted for that ministracion, that is to saye: a white Albe plain, with a vestement or Cope. And where there be many Priestes, or Decons, there so many shalbe ready to helpe the Priest, in the ministracion, as shalbee requisite: And shall haue vpon theim lykewise, the vestures appointed for their ministery, that is to saye, Albes, with tunacles. Then shall the Clerkes syng in Englishe for the office, or Introite, (as they call it) a Psalme appointed for that daie. The Priest standing humbly afore the middes of the Altar, shall saie the Lordes praier, with this Collect. A LMIGHTIE GOD, vnto whom all hartes bee open, and all desyres knowen, and from whom no secretes are hid : clense the thoughtes of our heartes, by the inspiracion of thy holy spirite that we may perfectly loue thee, & worthely magnifie thy holy name: Through Christ our Lorde. Amen. Then shall he saie a Psalme appointed for the introite: whiche Psalme ended, the Priest shall saye, or els the Clerkes shal syng. iij. Lorde haue mercie vpon vs. iij. Christ haue mercie vpon vs. iij. Lorde haue mercie vpon vs. Then the Prieste standyng at Goddes borde shall begin. Glory be to God on high. The Clerkes. And in yearth peace, good will towardes men. We praise thee, we blesse thee, we worship thee, we glorifie thee, wee geue tankes to thee for thy greate glory, O Lorde GOD heauenly kyng, God the father almightie. O Lorde the onely begotten sonne Jesu Christe, O Lorde God, Lambe of GOD, sonne of the father, that takest awaye the synnes of the worlde, haue mercie vpon vs: thou that takest awaye the synnes of the worlde, receiue our praier. Thou that sittest at the right hande of GOD the father, haue mercie vpon vs: For thou onely art holy, thou onely art the Lorde. Thou onely (O Christ) with the holy Ghoste, art moste high in the glory of God the father. Amen. Then the priest shall turne hym to the people and saye, The Lorde be with you. Then shall folowe the Collect of the daie, with one of these two Collectes folowyng, for the Kyng. A LMIGHTIE God, whose kingdom is euerlasting, and power infinite, haue mercie vpon the whole congregacion, and so rule the heart of thy chosen seruaunt Edward the sixt, our kyng and gouernour: that he (knowyng whose minister he is) maie aboue al thinges, seke thy honour and glory, & that we his subiectes (duely consydering whose auctoritie he hath) maye faithfully serue, honour, and humbly obeye him, in thee, and for thee, according to thy blessed word, and ordinaunce: Through Jesus Christe oure Lorde, who with thee, and the holy ghost, liueth, and reigneth, euer one God, worlde without ende. Amen. A LMIGHTIE and euerlasting GOD, we bee taught by thy holy worde, that the heartes of Kynges are in thy rule and gouernaunce, and that thou doest dispose, and turne them as it semeth best to thy godly wisedom: We humbly beseche thee, so to dispose and gouerne, the hart of Edward the sixt, thy seruaunt, our Kyng and gouernour, that in all his thoughtes, wordes, and workes, he maye euer seke thy honour and glory, and study to preserue thy people, committed to his charge, in wealth, peace, and Godlynes: Graunt this, O mercifull father, for thy dere sonnes sake, Jesus Christ our Lorde. Amen. The Collectes ended, the priest, or he that is appointed, shall reade the Epistle, in a place assigned for the purpose, saying. The Epistle of sainct Paule written in the Chapiter The Minister then shall reade thepistle. Immediatly after the Epistle ended, the priest, or one appointed to reade the Gospel, shall saie. The holy Gospell written in the Chapiter of. The Clearkes and people shall answere. Glory be to thee, O Lorde. The priest or deacon then shall reade the Gospel: after the I belieue in one God. The clerkes shall syng the rest. The father almightie maker of heauen and yearth, and of all thinges visible, and inuisible: And in one Lorde Jesu Christ, the onely begotten sonne of GOD, begotten of his father before all worldes, God of GOD, light of light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, beeyng of one substaunce with the father, by whom all thinges were made, who for vs men, and for our saluacion, came doune from heauen, and was incarnate by the holy Ghoste, of the Virgin Mary, and was made manne, and was Crucified also for vs vnder Poncius Pilate, he suffered and was buried, and the thirde daye he arose again according to the scriptures, and ascended into heauen and sitteth at the right hande of the father: And he shall come again with glory, to iudge both the quicke and the dead. And I belieue in the holy ghost, the Lorde and geuer of life, who procedeth from the father and the sonne, who with the father and the sonne together, is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the Prophetes. And I beleue one Catholike and postolike Churche. I acknowlege one Baptisme, for the remission of synnes. And I loke for the resurreccion of the deade: and the lyfe of the worlde to come. Amen After the Crede ended, shall folowe the Sermon or Homely, or some porcion of one of the Homelyes, as thei shalbe hereafter deuided: wherin if the people bee not exhorted, to the worthy receiuyng of the holy Sacrament, of the bodye & bloude of our sauior Christ: then shal the Curate geue this exhortacion, to those y'. be minded to receive yo. same. D ERELY beloued in the Lord, ye that mynde to come to the holy Communiō of the bodye & bloude of our sauior Christe, must considre what S. Paule writeth to the Corinthias, how he exhorteth all persones diligently to trie & examine theselues, before they presume to eate of that breade, and drinke of that cup for as the benefite is great, if with a truly penitent heart, & liuely faith, we receiue that holy Sacramēt: (for then we spiritually eate the fleshe of Christ, & drinke his bloude, then we dwell in Christ & Christ in vs, wee bee made one with Christ, and Christ with vs) so is the daunger great, yf wee receyue the same vnworthely, for then wee become gyltie of the body and bloud of Christ our sauior, we eate and drinke our owne damnacion, not considering the Lordes bodye. We kyndle Gods wrathe ouer vs: we prouoke him to plague vs with diuerse dyseases, and sondery kyndes of death. Therefore if any here be a blasphemer, aduouterer, or bee in malyce or enuie, or in any other greuous cryme (except he bee truly sory therefore, and earnestly mynded to leaue the same vices, and do trust him selfe to bee reconciled to almightie God, and in Charitie with all the worlde) lette him bewayle his synnes, and not come to that holy table, lest after the taking of that most blessed breade: the deuyll enter into him, as he dyd into Judas, to fyll him full of all iniquitie, and brynge him to destruccion, bothe of body and soule. Judge therfore your selfes (brethren) that ye bee not iudged of the lorde. Let your mynde be without desire to synne, repent you truely for your synnes past, haue an earnest & lyuely faith in Christ our sauior, be in perfect charitie with all men, so shall ye be mete partakers of those holy misteries. And aboue all thynges: ye must geue moste humble and hartie thankes to God the father, the sonne, and the holy ghost, for the redempcion of the worlde, by the death and passion of our sauior Christ, both God and man, who did humble him self euen to the death vpon the crosse, for vs miserable synners, whiche laie in darknes and shadowe of death, that he myghte make vs the children of God and exalt vs to euerlasting life. And to thend that wee should alwaye remembre the excedyng loue of oure master, and onely sauior Jesu Christe, thus diyng for vs, and the innumerable benefites (whiche by his precious bloudshedyng) he hath obteigned to vs, he hath lefte in those holy Misteries, as a pledge of his loue, & a continual remebraunce of the same his owne blessed body, & precious bloud, for vs to fede vpon spiritually, to our endles comfort & consolacion. To him therfore with the father and the holy ghost, let vs geue (as we are most bounden) continual thankes, submittyng our selfes wholy to hys holy will and pleasure, & studying to serue hym in true holines and righteousnes, al the daies of our life. Amen. In Cathedral churches or other places, where there is dailie Communion, it shal be sufficient to reade this exhortacion aboue |