written, once in a moneth. And in parish churches, vpon the weke daies it may be lefte vnsayed.

¶ And if vpon the Sunday or holy daye, the people be negligent to come to the Communion: Then shall the Priest earnestly exhorte his parishoners, to dispose themselfes to the receiving of the holy communion more diligently, saying these or like wordes vnto them.

D

ERE frendes, and you especially vpon whose soules I haue cure and charge, on next, I do intende by Gods. grace, to offre to all suche as shalbe godlye disposed, the moste comfortable Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ, to be taken of them, in the remembraunce of his moste fruitfull and glorious Passyon: by the whiche passion, we haue obteigned remission of our synnes, and be made partakers of the kyngdom of heauen, whereof wee bee assured and asserteigned, yf wee come to the sayde Sacrament, with hartie repentaunce for our offences, stedfast faithe in Goddes mercye, and earnest mynde to obeye Goddes will, and to offende no more. Wherefore our duetie is, to come to these holy misteries, with moste heartie thankes to bee geuen to almightie GOD, for his infinite mercie and benefites geuen and bestowed vpon vs his vnworthye seruauntes, for whom he hath not onely geuen his body to death, and shed his bloude, but also doothe vouchsaue in a Sacrament and Mistery, to geue vs his sayed bodye and bloud to feede vpon spiritually. The whyche Sacrament beyng so Diuine and holy a thyng, and so comfortable to them whiche receyue it worthilye, and so daungerous to them that wyll presume to take the same vnworthely: My duetie is to exhorte you in the meane season, to consider the greatnes of the thing, and to serche and examine your owne consciences, and that not lyghtly nor after the maner of dissimulers with GOD: But as they whiche shoulde come to a moste Godly and heauenly Banket, not to come but in the mariage garment required of God in scripture, that you may (so muche as lieth in you) be founde worthie to come to suche a table. The waies and meanes therto is.

First that you be truly repentaût of your former euill life, and that you confesse with an vnfained hearte to almightie God, youre synnes and vnkyndnes towardes his Maiestie committed, either by will, worde or dede, infirmitie or ignoraunce, and that

with inwarde sorowe & teares you bewaile your offences, & require of almightie god, mercie, & pardon, promising to him (from the botome of your hartes) thamendment of your former lyfe. And emonges all others, I am commaunded of God, especially to moue and exhorte you, to reconcile your selfes to your neighbors, whom you haue offended, or who hath offended you, putting out of your heartes al hatred and malice against them, and to be in loue and charitie with all the worlde, and to forgeue other, as you woulde that God should forgeue you. And yf any ma haue doen wrog to any other: let him make satisfaccion, and due restitucion of all landes & goodes, wronfully taken awaye or with holden, before he come to Goddes borde, or at the least be in ful minde and purpose so to do, assone as he is able, or els let him not come to this holy table, thinking to deceyue God, who seeth al mēnes hartes. For neither the absolucion of the priest, can any thing auayle them, nor the receiuyng of this holy sacrament doth any thing but increase their damnacion. And yf there be any of you, whose conscience is troubled & greued in any thing, lackyng comforte or counsaill, let him come to me, or to some other dyscrete and learned priest, taught in the law of God, and confesse and open his synne & griefe secretly, that he maye receiue suche ghostly counsaill, aduyse and comfort, that his conscience mayè be releued, and that of vs (as of the Ministers of GOD and of the churche) he may receiue comfort and absolucion, to the satisfaccion of his mynde, and auoyding of all scruple and doubtfulnes : requiryng suche as shalbe satisfied with a generall confession, not to be offended with them that doo vse, to their further satisfiyng the auriculer and secret confession to the Priest: nor those also whiche thinke nedefull or conuenient, for the quietnes of their awne cosciences particuliarly to open their sinnes to the Priest to bee offended with them that are satisfied, with their humble confession to GOD, and the generall confession to the churche. But in all thinges to folowe and kepe the rule of charitie, and euery man to be satisfied with his owne conscience, not iudgyng other mennes myndes or consciences: where as he hath no warrant of Goddes word to thesame.

Then shall folowe for the Offertory, one or mo, of these Sentences of holy scripture, to bee song whiles the people doo offer, or els one of theim to bee saied by the minister, immediatly afore the offeryng.

Math. v.

Math. vi.

Math. vii.

Math. vii.

Luc. xix.

i. Cor. ix.

i. Cor. ix.

i. Cor. ix.

ii. Cor. ix.

Gala. vi.

Gala. vi.

i. Timo. vi.

i. Timo. vi.

Let your light so shine before men, that they maye see your good woorkes, and glorify your father whiche is in heauen.

Laie not vp for your selfes treasure vpon the yearth, where the rust and mothe doth corrupt, and where theues breake through and steale: But laie vp for your selfes treasures in heauen, where neyther ruste nor mothe doth corrupt, and where theues do not breake through nor steale.

Whatsoeuer you would that menne should do vnto you, euen so do you vnto them, for this is the Law and the Prophetes.

Not euery one that saieth vnto me, lorde, lorde, shall entre into the kyngdom of heauen, but he that doth the will of my father whiche is in heauen.

Zache stode furthe, and saied vnto the Lorde: beholde Lorde, the halfe of my goodes I geue to the poore, and if I haue doen any wrong to any man, I restore foure fold.

Who goeth a warfare at any tyme at his owne cost? who planteth a vineyarde, and eateth not of the fruite thereof? Or who fedeth a flocke, and eateth not of the milke of the flocke? If we haue sowen vnto you spirituall thinges, is it a great matter yf we shall reape your worldly thynges?

Dooe ye not knowe, that they whiche minister aboute holy thinges, lyue of the Sacrifice? They whiche waite of the alter, are partakers with the alter? euen so hath the lorde also ordained: that they whiche preache the Gospell, should liue of the Gospell.

He whiche soweth litle, shall reape litle, and he that soweth plenteously, shall reape plenteously. Let euery manne do accordyng as he is disposed in his hearte, not grudgyngly, or of necessitie, for God loueth a cherefull geuer.

Let him that is taught in the woorde, minister vnto hym that teacheth, in all good thinges. Be not deceiued, GOD is not mocked. For whatsoeuer a man soweth, that shall he reape.

While we haue tyme, let vs do good vnto all men, and specially vnto them, whiche are of the houshold of fayth.

Godlynes is greate riches, if a man be contented with that he hath: For we brought nothing into the worlde, neither maie we cary any thing out.

Charge theim whiche are riche in this worlde, that they bee ready to geue, and glad to distribute, laying vp in stoare for theimselfes a good foundacion, against the time to come, that they maie attain eternall lyfe.

GOD is not vnrighteous, that he will forget youre woorkes Hebre. vi. and labor, that procedeth of loue, whiche loue ye haue shewed

for his names sake, whiche haue ministred vnto the sainctes, and yet do minister.

To do good, & to distribute, forget not, for with suche Sacrifices Hebre. xiii. God is pleased.

Whoso hath this worldes good, and seeth his brother haue i. Jhon. iii. nede, & shutteth vp his compassion from hym, how dwelleth the

loue of God in him?

Geue almose of thy goodes, and turne neuer thy face from any Toby. iiii. poore man, and then the face of the lorde shall not be turned awaye from thee.

Bee mercifull after thy power: if thou hast muche, geue plen- Toby. iiii. teously, if thou hast litle, do thy diligence gladly to geue of that litle, for so gathereste thou thy selfe a good reward, in the daie of necessitie.

He that hath pitie vpon the poore, lendeth vnto the Lorde: and Prouerbes loke what he laieth out, it shalbe paied hym again.

xix.

Blessed be the man that prouideth for the sicke and nedy, the Psal. xli. lorde shall deliuer hym, in the tyme of trouble.

Where there be Clerkes, thei shal syng one, or many of the sentences aboue written, accordyng to the length and shortnesse of the tyme, that the people be offeryng.

In the meane tyme, whyles the Clerkes do syng the Offertory, so many as are disposed, shall offer onto the poore mennes boxe every one accordynge to his habilitie and charitable mynde. And at the offeryng daies appoynted: euery manne and woman shall paie to the Curate, the due and accustomed offerynges.

Then so manye as shalbe partakers of the holy Communion, shall

tary still in the quire, or in some conuenient place, nigh the quire, the men on the one side, and the women on the other syde. All other (that mynde not to receive the said holy Communion) shall departe out of the quire, except the ministers and Clerkes.

Then shall the minister take so muche Bread and Wine, as shall suffice for the persons appoynted to receive the holy Communion, laiyng the breade vpon the corporas, or els in the paten, or in some other comely thyng, prepared for that pur

pose. And puttyng the wyne into the Chalice, or els in some faire or conueniente cup, prepared for that use (if the Chalice wil not serue) puttyng therto a litle pure and cleane water: And settyng both the breade and wyne vpon the Alter: Then the Prieste shall saye.

T is very mete, righte, and our bouden dutie that wee shoulde

IT

at all tymes, and in all places, geue thankes to thee, O Lorde, holy father, almightie euerlastyng God.

Here shall folowe the proper preface, accordyng to the tyme (if there bee any specially appoynted) or els immediatly shall folowe. Therefore with Angelles. &c.

B

PROPRE PREFACES.

Upon Christmas daie.

ECAUSE thou diddeste geue Jesus Christe, thyne onely sonne to bee borne, as this daye for vs, who by the operacion of the holy ghoste, was made very man, of the substaunce of the Virgin Mari his mother, and that without spot of sinne, to make vs cleane from all synne. Therfore. &c.

BUT

Upon Easter daie.

UT chiefly are we bound to praise thee, for the glorious resurreccion of thy sonne Jesus Christe, our Lorde, for he is the very Pascall Lambe, whiche was offered for vs, & hath taken awaie the synne of the worlde, who by his death hath destroyed