Before the Bishop begins the Office of Confirmation, he shall take fome Chrifm or Ointment; and putting it into a decent Veffel, he shall ftand and confecrate it in manner and form following, unlefs he hath fome by him already confecrated.

Bishop.

Let us pray.

And the People kneeling, the Bishop shall say,

O
Lord of mercies, and Father of lights, from
whom every good and perfect gift proceed-
eth; Send down, we beseech thee, thine Holy
Spirit to fanctify this Ointment: And grant, that
all those who after Baptifm fhall be anointed
therewith, may be cleanfed and purified both in
body and foul, be confirmed in godliness, and
obtain the bleffings of the Holy Ghost; who, with
the Father and the Son, liveth and reigneth ever
one God, world without end. Amen.

9 Then the People fall ftand up, and the Bishop Shall proceed to the Office.

9 The Matter of the Chrism or Ointment for Confirmation is fweet Oil of Olives, and precious Balfam commonly called Balm of Gilead.

59€

THE

ORDER

FOR THE

Vifitation of the Sick.

S When any Perfon is fick, notice fhall immediately be given thereof to the Priest; that the fick perfon may be visited, and receive the Affiftance of the Church, before his firength be too far spent. The Priest coming into the fick perfon's houfe, Shall fay,

P

EACE be to this houfe, and to all that dwell in it.

When he cometh into the fick man's prefence, he Shall fay,

IS any fick among you? let him call for the Elders,, that is, the Priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith fhall fave the fick, and the Lord fhall raise him up; and if he have committed fins, they fhall be forgiven him. James v. 14, 15:

¶ Then

As moka

Then fhall the Priest exhort the fick person after this form, or other like.

DEarly beloved, know this, that Almighty God

11:

is the Lord of life and death, and of all things to them pertaining, as youth, ftrength, health, age, weakness, and ficknefs. Wherefore, whatso ever your fickness is, know you certainly that it is God's vifitation. And for what caufe foever this fickness is fent unto you; whether it be to try your patience for the example of others, and that your faith may be found in the day of the Lord laudable, glorious, and honourable, to the encreafe of glory and endless felicity; or else it be fent unto you to correct and amend in you whatsoever doth offend the eyes of your heavenly Father; know you certainly, that if you truly repent you of your fins, and bear your fickness patiently, trufting in God's mercy, for his dear Son Jefus Chrift s fake, and render unto him humble thanks for his Fatherly vifitation,fubmitting yourfelf wholly unto his will; it fhall turn to your profit, and help you forward in the right way that leadeth unto everlasting life.

If the perfon visited be very fick, then the Curate may end bis Exhortation in this place, or elfe proceed.

9

TAKE therefore in good part the chaftifement of the Lord for (as Saint Paul faith) whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every fon whom he receiveth. If ye endure chaftening, God dealeth with you as with fons;

for

for what fon is he, whom the father chafteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not fons. Furthermore, we have had Fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: fhall we not much rather be in fubjection to the Father of fpirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chaftened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Thefe words, good brother, are written in Holy Scripture for our comfort and inftruction, that we fhould patiently and with thanksgiving bear our heavenly Father's correction, whenfoever by any manner of adverfity it fhall pleafe his gracious goodnefs to vifit us. And there fhould be no greater comfort to Chriftian perfons, than to be made like unto Chrift, by fuffering patiently adverfities, troubles, and fickneffes. For he himself went not up to joy, but firft he fuffered pain; he entred not into his glory, before he was crucified. So truly our way to eternal joy, is to fuffer here with Chrift; and our door to enter into eternal life, is gladly to die with Chrift; that we may rife again from death, and dwell with him in everlafting life. Now therefore taking your ficknefs, which is thus profitable for you, patiently, I exhort you in the Name of God to remember the Profeffion, which you made unto God in your Baptifm. And forafmuch as after this life there is an account to be given unto the righteous judge, by whom all must be judged without refpect of perfons; I require ftate both toyou to examine felf and your wards God and man; fo that accufing and con

your

demning

demning your felf for your own faults, you may find mercy at our heavenly Father's hand for Christ's fake, and not be accufed and condemned in that fearful judgment. Therefore I fhall rehearfe to you the Articles of our Faith, that you may know whether you believe as a Chriftian fhould, or no.

Here the Priest hall rehearse the Articles of the
Faith, faying thus,&

RE

DOS
OST thou believe in God the Father Almigh-
ty, maker of heaven and earth?

rat

And in Jefus Chrift his only begotten Son our Lord? And that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost; born of the Virgin Mary; that he fuffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; that he went down into hell, and alfo did rife again the third day; that he into heaven, and fitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and from thence fhall come again at the end of the world to judge the quick and the dead?

a

And doft thou believe in the Holy Ghoft; the holy Catholick Church, the Communion of Saints the remiffion of fins; the refurrection of the flesh, and everlafting life after death?

The fick perfon shall answer,
All this I ftedfastly believe,não es

30

H

Then (the Company being withdrawn) the Prieft
fall examine the fick perfon, whether he repent
him truly of his fins, and be in charity with

all

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