¶ The or­der of the Com­munion.

The proclamation.

EDward by the grace of God Kyng of Englād, Fraūce and Irelande, defendor of the faithe, & of the churche of En­gland and Ireland in erthe ye supreme hed: To al and singu­lier our louing subiectis, Gre­tyng▪

for so muche as in our high Courte of Par­liament, lately holden at Westmynster, it was by vs wyth the consent of the Lordes spirituall and temporall, and Commons there assembled moste godly and agreably to Christes holy institution enacted, that the mooste blissed Sacrament of ye body and bludde of our sauiour Christ should from thensfurthe be commonly deliuered and mi­nistred vnto all personnes within out Realme of Englande and Ireland, and other our dominiōs vnder bothe kyndes, yt is to say, of breade & wyne, (except necessitie other wayes requyre) least euery man phantasiyng and deuisyng a sondry way by hymself, in the vse of thys moste blissed Sacra­ment of vnitie, there myghte thereby arise any vnsemely and vngodly diuersitie: Our pleasure is by thaduise of our moost deere vncle the Duke of Somersett, gouernour of our parson, & Pro­tector of al our Realmes, dominions & subiectes, and other of our preuye Counsaill, that the sayde blessed Sacrament be ministred vnto our people only after suche fourme and maner as hereafter, by our aucthoritie, with thaduise before mencio­ned [Page] is set furthe and declared: Willyng euery man with due reuerēce and christian behaueour, to come to this holye Sacramente and mooste blessed Communion, lest that by the vnworthye receauing of so hygh misteries, they become giltie of the body and bludde of the Lord, and so eate & drincke their awne damnation: but rather dili­gently triyng themselfes, that they maye so come to this holy table of Christe, and so be partakers of this holy Communion, that they may dwell in Christe, and haue Christe dwellyng in them: And also wyth suche obedience and conformitie to re­ceaue this our ordinaunce, and mooste godly di­rection, that wee may be encouraged from tyme to tyme, further to trauell for the reformatiō, and settyng furthe of suche godly ordres, as maye be moost to goddes glory, the edifiyng of our subie­ctes, and for thaduauncement, of true religion. Whiche thinge, wee (by the help of God) mooste ernestly entende to bryng to effecte: Willyng all our louing subiectes in the meane tyme, to stay and quyet themselfes, wyth this our direction, as men content to followe aucthoritie (accordyng to the boundē duety of subiectes,) and not enterpri­syng to ronne afore, and so by their rashenes, be come the greatest hynderers of such thynges, as they more arrogātly then godly, wolde seme (by their awne priuat aucthoritie) mooste hotly to set forwarde. Wee woulde not haue our subiectes so much to myslike our Iudgement, so muche to mistruste our zeale, as though wee eyther coulde not discerne what were to be doen, or woulde not [Page] do all thinges in due tyme: God be praysed, wee knowe bothe what by his wourde is mete to be redressed, and haue an ernest mynd, by the aduise of our moost deere vncle, and other of our priuey Counsail, with all diligence and cōuenient spede so to sett furthe the same, as it maye mooste stand wyth goddes glory, and edifying and quyetnes of our people: Whiche wee doubt not, but all our obedient and louing subiectes, will quyetly and reue­rently tary for.

¶ God saue the Kyng.

The order of the Communion.

FYrste the personne, Vicar or curat, the next Sonday or ho­ly day, or at the least one day before he shall minister the Communion, shal geue war­nyng to his parysshioners, or those whyche be present that they prepare them selfes ther­to, saiyng to them opēlte and plainlte as herafter followeth, or such lyke.

DEre frendes, and you especially, vpon whose soules I haue cure and charge, vpon [...] daye next I doe entēde by Godes grace to offer to all suche as shalbe therto godlie dys­posed, ye most cōfortable Sacramēt of the body and bloude of Chryste, to be taken of them in the remēbraunce of his most fruictfull and gloryous pas­siō: By the which passiō, we haue ob­teuied remission of our synnes, and be made partakers of the kyngdom of heuen, wherof, we be assured & asser­teyned yf we come to the sayd Sacra­ment, with hartye repentaūce for our [Page] offences, stedfast faith in Godes mer­cye, and earnest mynde to obey godes wyll, and to offend no more: wherfore our duety is, to come to these holy mi­steries with most harty thankes to be geuen to almightye God, for his infi­nite mercy and benefites, geuen & be­stowed vpon vs, his vnworthye ser­uauntes, for whome he hath not only geuen his body to death and shed his bludde, but also dothe vouchesaufe in a Sacrament, and mysterye, to geue vs his said body & bloud spiritually, to fede and drynke vpon. The whych Sacrament, being so diuine and holy a thynge, and so comfortable to them whych receaue it worthelye, & so daū ­gerous to them that will presume to take the same vnworthely: my duty is to exhorte you, in the meane season, to consyder the greatnes of the thynge, and to searche & examyne your awne consciences, and that not lightlie, nor after the maner of dyssimulers wyth god: But as they which should come [Page] to a most godly and heauēlie banket: not to come, but in the maryage gar­mēt, requyred of God in scripture, that you maye so muche as lyeth in you, be founde worthie to come to suche a ta­ble: The wayes & meanes therto is.

Fyrst, that you be truly repentaūte of your former euell life, and that you cōfesse wyth an vnfayned harte to al­myghtie god your synnes & vnkind­nes towardes his Maiestye cōmitted eyther by wil, worde or dede, infir­mitie or ignoraunce, and that wyth inwarde sorowe and teares, you be­wayle your offēces, and requier of al­mightye god, mercy, and pardon, pro­mising to him, frō the botome of your hartes, thamendment of your former life. And emonges all others, Iam cō maūded of God, especially to moue & exhorte you, to reconcile your selfs to your neyghbours, whome you haue offended, or who hath offended you, puttyng out of your hartes, alhatered [Page] and malyce against them, and to be in loue and charyte wyth all the worlde & to forgeue other, as you would that God should forgeue you. And if there be any of you, whose cōscience is trou­bled and greued in any thing, lacking comforte or counsaile, let him come to me, or to some other dyscrete & learned priest taught in the lawe of God, and confesse and open his synne and grief secretlie, that he maye receaue suche ghostlie counsaile, aduise, and cōforte, that his conscience maye be releued, and that of vs as a minister of God & of the church, he may receaue comfort and absolution to the satisfaction of his mynde and auoyding of al scruple and doubtfulnes: requyring suche as shalbe satisfied with a generall con­fession, not to be offended with them that doth vse, to their further satis­fiyng, thauriculer and secret confessiō to ye priest, nor those also, which think nedeful or cōuenient for the quyetnes of their awne cōsciences, particulerly to [Page] the Lord. Let your mynd be without desier to synne: Repent you trulie for your sinnes past, haue an earnest and lyuely faith in Christ, our sauiour, be in perfect charytie wyth all men, so shal ye be mete partakers of these ho­ly misteries: But aboue all thynges you muste geue most humble & hartye thankes to God the father, the son­ne, & the holy ghost, for the redemptiō of the world, by the deathe and passiō of our sauiour Christ both God & mā who dyd humble him self euen to the deathe vpon the crosse for vs misera­ble synners, liyng in darknes and the shadowe of death, that he might ma­ke vs the children of God, and exalte vs to euerlastyng life. And to thende that wee shoulde alwaye remember the excedyng loue of our Master and onlie sauiour Iesus Christ thus doīg for vs, and the innumerable benefi­tes which by his precyous bloud she­dyng, he hath obteyned to vs, he hath lefte ī these holy misteries as a pledge [Page] of hys loue, and a contynuall remem­braunce of the same, his awne blessed body and precyous bloud, for vs spi­ritually to fede vpon, to our endles comforte and consolation. To hym therefore wyth the father and the ho­ly ghost, let vs geue, as wee are most bounden, contynual thankes, submit­tyng our selfes wholy to his holy wyl & pleasure, and studiyng to serue hym in true holynes and righteousnes all the dayes of our life. Amen.

¶ Then the priest shall say to them which be redy to take the Sacrament.

‘If any man here be an open blas­phemer, aduouterer, ī malice, or enuy, or any other notable cryme, & be not truly sory therefore, & earnestlye myn­ded to leaue the same vyces, or that doth not trust himself to be recōcyled to almightye God, & in charyte with all the worlde, let him yet a whyle be­wayle his synnes & not come to thys holy table, least after the takīg of this moste blessed breade, the deuell enter [Page] into him, as he dyd into Iudas, to fulfill in him all iniquite, and to bring him to destruction, bothe of body and soule.’

Heare the priest shal pawse a while, to see yf any man will wythdrawe hym selfe: and if he percea­ue any so to do, then let hym common wyth hym pryuely at conuement leasure, and see whether he can wyth good exhortacion, bring him to grace: & after a lytle pause, the priest shal say.

‘You that do trulie and earnestlie repent you of your synnes, and offen­ces, commytted to almyghtie God, & be in loue and charytie wyth your neyghbours, and entende to leade a newe life and hartelye to followe the commaundementes of God, and to walke from hensforthe in his holye waies, drawe nere, and take this holy Sacrament to your comforte, make your humble confession to almightye God, and to his holy church, here ga­thered to gether, in hys name, mekely kneling vpon your knees.’

Then shall a generall confession be made in the name of al those that are mynded to receyue ye holy Communion, either by one of them, or els by one of the ministers, or by the priest hymself, all kneelyng humbly vpon their knees.

‘Almyghtie God, father of our lord Iesus Christe, maker of all thinges, iudge of all men, wee knowlege and bewayle our manyfolde synnes and wyckednes, whyche we from tyme to tyme, most greuouslie haue commyt­ted by thought, worde, and dede, a­gainst thy diuine maiestie, prouoking most iustlye, thy wrath and indigna­cion against vs: wee doe earnestlie re­pent, and be hartely sory, for these our mysdoinges: The remembraunce of them is greuouse vnto vs, the burthē of them is intollerable, haue mercy vpon vs, haue mercy vpon vs, moste mercyfull father, for thy sonne our Lord Iesus Christes sake: Forgeue vs al that is past, and graunt that we maye euer hereafter, serue and please the, in newnes of life to the honour & [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] glorye of thy name, through Iesus Christ our Lorde.’

Then shall the priest, stand vp, and tur­nyng hym to the people, say thus.

‘Our blessed Lord, who hath left po­wer to his churche, to absolue penitēt synners, from their synnes, and to re­store to the grace of ye heauēlye father suche as trulie beleue in Christ, haue mercy vpon you, pardon and delyuer you, from al synnes, confyrme and strength you in al goodnes, & bryng you to euerlastyng life.’

Then shall the priest stande vp, and turnynge him toward the people, say thus:

Here what comfortable woordes our sauiour Christ saith to all that trulie turne to hym.

‘Come vnto me al that trauail and be heauy loden, and I shall refreshe you. So God loued the world that he gaue his onlie begottē sonne, to thēd that all that beleue in hym, shoulde not peryshe, but haue life euerlastīg.’

Here also what S. Paule sayth.

‘This is a true saiyng, and worthy [Page] of all men to be embraced and recea­ued, that Iesus Christ came into this world to saue synners.’

Heare also what S. Iohn sayth.

‘Yf any man synne, wee haue an ad­uocate wyth the father, Iesus Christ the righteous, he it is that obtey­ned grace for our sinnes.’

Then shall the priest kneele doune and saye in the name of all them that shall receaue ye Com­munion, this prayer followyng.

‘WE do not presume to come to this thy table (O mercyful Lord) tru­sting in our awne ryghteousnes, but in thy manifold and greate mercyes: we be not worthie so muche as to ga­ther vp the crōmes vnder thy table: But thou arte the same Lord, whose propertye is alwayes, to haue mercy: Graunt vs therefore gracious Lorde so to eate the fleshe, of thy dere sonne Iesus Christ, and to drynk his bloud in these holy misteries, that we maye continually dwell in hym, and he in vs, that oure synfull bodyes, maye be [Page] made cleane by his body, and our sou­les washed through his most precious bloud. Amen.’

Then shall the priest rise, the people still reue­rentlie knelyng, and the prieste shall deliuer the Communion, first to the ministers, if any be there present, that thei maie be redy to helpe the priest, and after to the other. And when he dooth deliuer the Sacrament, of the body of Christe, he shall say to euery one, these wordes followyng.

‘The bodye of oure Lorde Iesus Christ, whiche was geuen for the, pre­serue thy body vnto euerlastyng life.’

And the priest delyuering the Sacrament, of the bloud, and geuyng euery one to drynke once and no more, shall saye.

‘The bloude of oure Lorde Iesus Christ, which was shed for the, preser­ue thy soule vnto euerlastyng life.’

If there be a deacon or other priest, then shall he followe with the Chalyce, and as the priest mi­nistreth the breade, so shall he for more expedicion minister the wine, in forme before wrytten.

Then shal the priest, turnyng him to ye people, let the people dep [...]rt with this blessynge.

‘The peace of God whiche passeth all vnderstandyng, kepe your hartes and myndes in the knowlege and loue of God, and of his sonne Iesus Christe, our Lorde.’

To the whiche the people shall answere.

‘Amen.’

Note, that the breade that shalbe consecrated shalbe suche as heretofore hath bene accustomed. And euery of the sayd consecrated breades, shalbe broken in twoo peces, at the least, or more, by the discretion of the ministre, and so distributed. And men must not thynke, lesse to be receiued in part, then in the whole, but in eche of theim the whole body of our sauiour Iesu Chryst.

Note, that yf it dothe so chaunce, that the wyne halowed and consecrate dooth not suffice or bee ynough for theim that dooe take the Commu­nion, the prieste after the firste Cuppe or Chalice be emptied, may go again to the aulter, and reue­rentlie, and deuoutlie, prepare, and consecrate an other, and so the thirde, or more lykewyse, begyn­nyng at these woordes, Simili modo, postquam ce­natum est, and endyng at these woordes, qui pro nobis & pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum, and wythout any leuacion or lyf­tyng vp.

Imprinted at London, the eyght daie of Marche, in the second yere of the reigne of our souereigne lorde kyng Edvvard the. VI: By Rychard Grafton printer to his moste royall Ma­iestie.

In the yere of our Lorde.

M. D. XLVIII.

Cum priuilegio ad impri­mendum solum.

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