Bishop with all humble earnestness for the Graces of the Holy Spirit; that thou may'st not fail to obtain the fame Graces, and thy full portion of them. And that thou may'ft Renew thy Vow, and Pray with the Bishop, as thou oughteft to do, read and confider carefully the Order of Confirmation: And fee that thou doft Understand it, and every part of it. Remember the Commandment, Eph. 6. 2, Honour thy Father and Mother, that it may be well with thee: and that 1 Pet. 5. 5, Ye younger fubmit your felves unto the elder: yea all of you be fubject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God refifteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Therefore that it may be well with thee, and that God may give thee his Grace; be duly obedient in all things to the Orders of the Church, and of the Bifhop; and also to the directions of thy Minifter, and of thy Parents or Mafter. And be not fo foolish as to refufe Examination, altho' thou árt paft thy youth; and to give all the fatisfaction of thy being fit, that any of them may require of thee that thy Minifter may with a good confcience chearfully prefent thee to the Bishop; and that he may likewife with a good confcience chearfully Blefs and Confirm thee. Heb. 13. 17. But if thou art requir'd to go to Confirmation before thou art ready for it, or to do any thing elfe that is contrary to thy duty: then God is to be obey'd before man; and thou must, but in a dutiful manner, refufe that which ought not to be done. And if when thou goeft to be Confirm'd, thou feeft crowding, and no care taken for Order, as the Church requires, depart: and hope for more grace by fo doing, then by ftaying. 1 Cor. 14. 33, 40. Get thy Minister, or fome other fit per K 2 fon, fon, to pray the Bifhop to Confirm thee wherefoever he pleafes, in that Decent Order, which God's Ordinance, and the Church require. If no body will petition the Bishop for thee, go to him thy felf. If thou canst not speak to him, deliver thy petition in writing. It is impoffible for a good man to deny thy requeft. And chufe rather to go never fo far to his place of refidence, then to be Confirm'd in the rude accustomed manner. And affure thy felf that God will pay thee well for thy care, and for thy journey. a Of Infi ty, and to nite Digni The Order for the Adminiftration of the LORDS-SUPPER, or HOLY & COMMUNION, Explain'd. be adminiftred and receiv'd with all Reverence. Nothing can be more neceffary than the strict obfervati on of this; that the O many as intend to be par takers of the Holy Communion, fhall fignify their names to the Curate, at least fometime the day before b. the prefumption of multitudes, that come in wilfull fin, or gross ignorance, or not fo prepar'd as they ought to be; and alfo that they may have opportunity to speak a word in season, for the more perfect preparation even of the best. It is neceffary for all that are well prepar'd to give this notice, both that the Curate may have opportunity to be fatisfied (if there be occafion) that they are duly prepar'd, and to give them counfel for their better preparation; and alfo for an example to others. For if they think they need not give this notice, to be fure others will not give it. i And And it may not without neceffity be put off till the day before: but it ought to be given in the beginning of the week; that the Curate may have time to confider what is beft to be done; and that both, he and they that defire to partake of the Communion, may have time to do what may then be neceffary or expedient to be done. Therefore if thou defireft to be à Worthy partaker of the Holy Communion, go to thy Minifter, as foon as thou canst conveniently, after he has given warning for it: and let him know that thou art willing to give him all reasonable fatisfaction, and to receive any good counfel from him. Heb. 13. 17. Nothing can be more Fatal, than the admitting all that come, without careful inquiry who are fit. For by this means both the impenitent and the ignorant finding admittance, all neceffary preparation is counted needlefs. And this great means of Grace is made the means of Hard'ning people in fin and ignorance. O Dreadful! Or have juft caufe to be offended. For how much is there of the temper of Gallio, Acts 18, 17. And if any of thofe be an open and notorious. evil liver, or have done any wrong to his neighbours by word or deed, fo that the Congregation be thereby offended c; the Curate having knowledge thereof, fhall call him and advertise him, that in any wife he prefume not to come to the Lord's Table, until he hath openly declar'd himself to have truly repented, and amended his former naughty life; that the Congregation may thereby be fatisfied, which before were offended; and that he hath recompenfed the parties to whom he hath done wrong, or at leaft declare himself to be in full purpose fo to do, as foon as he may conveniently. The fame order fhail the Curate ufe with thofe betwixt whom he perceiveth malice and hatred to reign; not fuffering them to be partakers of the Lord's Table, until he know them to be reconciled. And if one of the parties fo at variance, be content to forgive from the bottom of his K 3 heart heart all that the other hath trefpaffed against him, and to make amends for what he himself hath of fended; and the other party will not be perfwaded to a Godly unity, but remain ftill in his frowardness and malice: the Minister in that cafe ought to admit the penitent perfon to the Holy Communion, and not him that is obftinate d. Provided, that every Minifter fo repelling any, as it fpecified in this, or the next precedent paragraph, fhall be obliged to give an account of the fame to the Ordinary, within fourteen days after at the fartheft. And the Ordinary fhall proceed against the offending perfon according to the Canon. d Nor any evil doer, altho' known only to the Minifter, without reafonable proof of his repentance. The general approved custom of the Table ftanding at the Communion time in the Chancel, altho' the morning and evening Prayer are not faid there, is a fufficient reafon for not obferving this Order. f Ecclus. 50. 12. g. Ver. 17. lect following, the The Table at the Communion time having a fair white linnen linnen cloth upon it, fhall ftand in the body of the Church, or in the Chancel, where morn ing and evening Prayer are appointed to be faid e. And the Prieft ftanding ƒ at the north fide of the Table: fhall fay the Lord's Prayer, with the Colpeople kneeling g. Our business at the Holy Table is, To Remember, as in a Feaft, Chrift's Body broken, and Blood fhed for the Sealing of the New Teftament, by their being broken and shed for the forgiveness of our fins. This Remembrance therefore must be First, With comfortable believing that God will give us that truly repent the pardon and grace, and all other mercies promis'd in the New Teftament Seal'd with Chrift's Death. Secondly, Secondly, wsth our highest praife and thankfgiving for the Infinite Mercy of his Dying for us, and for all the Benefits we receive thereby : And Thirdly, with moft thankful giving up our felves to obey all the Commands of the New Teftament Seal'd with his Death, and particularly his Commands and Great Example of Love. When we thus Remember Chrift's Body broken, and his Blood fhed for us; then we truly eat his Flesh, and drink his Blood. That is, God then Gives us the pardon and grace, and all other mercies, for which his Body was broken, and Blood fhed. The Holy Feaft begins with Lift up your hearts; as Chrift began with Giving thanks: and all that is before is Preparation. First, We prepare our felves by hearing the Ten Commandments; and by Prayers for grace to keep them, and for the King, that he may govern us in our obedience to God b; and then hear Kings ing fome portions of Scripture, and a Sermon, 3. 9. This prepares us for a more devout remembrance of Chrift's Sealing with his Death all the Commandments, as well as the Promifes of the New Teftament. And to prepare for our remembrance of his Sealing with his Death the Promifes of the New Teftament, we do in a larger Creed folemnly profefs our belief of the Promifes, and other truths of the Gofpel. And by our Prayer for the whole Church, and giving alms, we prepare for our remembrance of his great Example of Love, and his Command to love one another, as he hath loved us. John 15. 12, 13. K 4 After |