thy holy Name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in thy eternal and everlasting glory. Amen. The Collect. O MERCIFUL God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life, in whom whosoever believeth, shall live, though he die, and whosoever liveth, and believeth in him, shall not die eternally; who also taught us (by his holy Apostle S. Paul) not to be sorry as men without hope, for them that sleep in him: We meekly beseech thee (O Father) to raise us from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness, that when we shall depart this life, we may rest in him, as our hope is this our brother doth and that at the general Resurrection in the last day we may be found acceptable in thy sight, and receive that blessing which thy wellbeloved Son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear thee, saying, Come, ye blessed children of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Grant this, we beseech thee, O merciful Father, through Jesus Christ our Mediator and Redeemer. Amen. ¶ THE THANKSGIVING OF WOMEN AFTER CHILDBIRTH. Commonly called, The Churching of Women. The woman shall come into the church, and there shall kneel down in some convenient place, nigh unto the place where the Lord's Table standeth; and the Presbyter, standing by her, shall say these words, or such like, as the case shall require. FORASMUCH as it hath pleased Almighty God of his goodness to give you safe deliverance, and hath pre Summan ternal a rd Jes in whom die, and not de Apos pe, fr n the to the tthis D served you in the great danger of childbirth; ye shall therefore give hearty thanks unto God and pray. ¶ Then shall the Presbyter say this Psalm following. Or else Psalm the 27th. Psalm cxxi. I WILL lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day; nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in, from this time forth and even for ever more. Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. Lord, have mercy upon us. Amen. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. OUR Father, which art in heaven, &c. And lead us not into temptation. Answer. But deliver us from evil. Amen. Presbyter. O Lord, save this woman thy servant : Presbyter. Be thou to her a strong tower: Presbyter. Let us pray. O ALMIGHTY God, which hast delivered this woman thy servant from the great pain and peril of childbirth: Grant, we beseech thee, most merciful Father, that she, through thy help, may both faithfully live and walk in her vocation, according to thy will in this life present, and also may be partaker of everlasting glory in the life to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The woman that cometh to give her thanks, it is convenient that she receive the holy Communion, if there be any at that time. A COMMINATION AGAINST SINNERS, With certain Prayers to be used divers times in the year, and especially on the first day of Lent, commonly called AshWednesday. ¶ After Morning Prayer, the people being called together by the ringing of a bell, and assembled in the church, the English Litany shall be said after the accustomed manner : which ended, the Presbyter shall go into the pulpit, and say thus, the people sitting and attending with reverence. BRETHREN, in the primitive Church there was a godly discipline, that at the beginning of Lent such persons as were notorious sinners, were put to open penance, and did humbly submit themselves to undergo punishment in this world, that their souls might be saved in the day of the Lord: and that others admonished by their example, might be the more afraid to offend. In the stead whereof, until the said discipline may be restored again, (which thing is much to be wished,) it is thought good, that at this time (in your presence) should be read the general sentences of God's cursing against impenitent sinners, gathered out of the 27th chapter of Deuteronomy, and other places of Scripture: and that ye should answer to every sentence, Amen: to the intent that you, being admonished of the great indignation of God against sinners, may the rather be called to earnest and true repentance, and may walk more warily in these dangerous days, fleeing from such vices, for the which ye affirm with your own mouths the curse of God to be due. CURSED is the man that maketh any carved or molten image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place to worship it. Deut. xxvii. 15. ¶ And the people shall answer and say, Amen. Presbyter. Cursed is he that curseth his father and mother. Deut. xxvii. 16; Prov. xx. 20. Answer. Amen. Presbyter. Cursed is he that removeth away the mark of his neighbour's land. Deut. xxvii. 17. Answer. Amen. Presbyter. Cursed is he that maketh the blind to go out of his way. Deut. xxvii. 18. Answer. Amen. Presbyter. Cursed is he that in judgment hindereth, stoppeth, or perverteth the right of the stranger, of them that be fatherless, and of widows. Deut. xxvii. 19. Answer. Amen. Presbyter. Cursed is he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. Deut. xxvii. 24. Answer. Amen. Presbyter. Cursed is he that lieth with his neighbour's wife. Lev. xx. 10. Answer. Amen. Presbyter. Cursed is he that taketh reward to slay the soul of innocent blood. Deut. xxvii. 25. Answer. Amen. Presbyter. Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, and taketh man for his defence, and in his heart goeth from the Lord. Jer. xvii. 5. Answer. Amen. Presbyter. Cursed are the unmerciful, the fornicators, and adulterers, and the covetous persons, the worshippers of images, slanderers, drunkards, and extortioners. Matt. xxv. 41; 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10; Gal. V. 19, 20, 21; Psal. xv. 3. Answer. Amen. Presbyter. Now seeing that all they be accursed, (as the prophet David beareth witness, Psal. cxix.) which do err and go astray from the commandments of God; let us (remembering the dreadful judgment hanging over our heads, and being always at hand) return unto our Lord God, with all contrition and meekness of heart, bewailing and lamenting our sinful life, acknowledging and confessing our of fences, and seeking to bring forth worthy fruits of penance. For now is the axe put unto the root of the trees, so that every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Matt. iii. 10. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Heb. x. 31. For upon the wicked he |