A Prayer for the Chief
Governor or Governors of Ireland, to be
used after the Prayer for the Royal Family, in the Morning or Evening
Service; or, when the Litany is used, after the Prayer, (We
humbly beseech thee, &c.)
¶ No Chief Governor is to be Prayed
for until he be sworn.
¶ When there is a Lord Lieutenant,
and also a Lord Deputy, or Lords Justices, then
both shall be prayed for.
ALmighty God, from whom
all Power is derived, &c.
Or,
ALmighty God, in whose
hands all earthly Power, &c.
As in Morning Prayer.
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These
Prayers appears as given here in the 1724 BCP. In the 1739 Book, they
are ptined out in full and placed in the Prayers & Thanksgivings |
A Form of Prayer for the Visitation of Prisoners,
treated upon by the Archbishops, and Bishops, and the rest of the Clergy
of Ireland, and agreed upon by Her Majesty's License in their
Synod, holden at Dublin in the Year 1711.
¶ When Morning or Evening Prayer shall he read in
any Prison, instead of the Venite exultemus, or the Magnificat,
shall be read the 130th Psalm, De Profundis, and the
Minister shall insert, after the Collect for the day, the Collect in
the following Service, [O God, who sparest, &c.],
and at such times as the Litany is not read, he shall add the
Prayer, O God, merciful Father, who despisest not, &c.
¶ And when notice is given to the Minister, that a
Prisoner is confined for some great or capital Ccrime, he shall visit
him; and when he cometh into the Place where the Prisoner is, he shall
say, kneeling down,
REMEMBER not, Lord, our iniquities, nor
the iniquities our forefathers; neither take thou vengeance of our sins;
spare us, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy
most precious blood, and be not angry with us for ever.
Answer. Spare us, good Lord.
Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Our Father, who art in heaven, &c.
Minister. O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us;
Answ. And grant us thy salvation.
Minister. Turn thy face from our sins;
Answ. And blot out all our iniquities.
Minister. Send us help from thy holy place;
Answ. For thine indignation lieth hard upon
us.
Minister. O Lord, hear our prayer;
Answ. And let the sighing of the Prisoners
come before thee.
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| We
also have one copy of a later Book of Common Prayer published by
the APCK in Dublin in 1850 which contains this service, as given
here. |
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The Collect.
GRANT, we beseech thee,
Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be
punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
O GOD, who sparest when
we deserve punishment, and in thy wrath rememberest mercy; We humbly beseech
thee, of thy goodness to comfort and succour all those who are under reproach
and misery in the house of bondage; correct them not in thine anger, neither
chasten them in thy sore displeasure. Give them a right understanding
of themselves, and of thy threats and promises; that they may neither
cast away their confidence in thee, nor place it any where but in thee.
Relieve the Distressed, protect the Innocent, and awaken the Guilty: and
forasmuch as thou alone bringest light out of darkness, and good out of
evil, grant that the pains and punishments which these thy servants endure,
through their bodily confinement, may tend to setting free their souls
from the chains of sin; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ Here the Minister, as he shall see
convenient, may read the Prayer for All Conditions of Men, the
Collect for Ash Wednesday, and the Collect after the
Offertory, beginning Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom,
&c., or any other prayer of the Liturgy, which he shall
judge proper.
¶ Then shall the Minister exhort the
Prisoner or Prisoners after this form, or other like.
DEARLY beloved, know this,
that Almighty God, whose never-failing providence governeth all things
both in heaven and earth, hath so wisely and mercifully ordered the course
of this world, that his Judgments are often sent as fatherly corrections
to us; and if with due submission and resignation to his holy will we
receive the same, they will work together for our good.
It is your part and duty, therefore, to humble yourself
under the mighty hand of God, to acknowledge the righteousness of his
judgments, and to endeavour that, by his grace, this present Visitation
may lead you to a sincere and hearty Repentance.
The way and means thereto is, to examine your life and
conversation by the rule of God's commandments; and whereinsoever you
shall perceive yourself to have offended either by will, word, or deed,
there to bewail your own sinfulness, and to confess yourself
to Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life. And if you shall
perceive your offences to be such as not only against God, but also against
your Neighbours; then to reconcile your self to them, being ready to make
constitution and satisfaction, according to the uttermost of your power,
for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other: and being likewise
ready to forgive others who have offended you would have forgiveness of
your offences at God's hand. And to this true repentance and change of
mind you must add a lively and steadfast faith, and dependence upon the
merits of the death of Christ, with an entire resignation of your self
to the will of God. Except you repent, and believe, we can give you no
hope of salvation. But if you do sincerely repent and believe, God hath
declared, though your sins be as red as scarlet, they shall be made white
as snow; though your wickednesses have gone over your head, yet shall
they not be your destruction.
We exhort you therefore in the Name of God, and of his
dear Son Jesus Christ our Saviour, and as you tender your own Salvation,
to take good heed of these things in time, while the day of salvation
lasteth; for the night cometh, when no man can work. While you have the
light, believe in the light, and walk as children of the light, that you
be not cast into outer darkness; that you may not knock, when the door
shall be shut; and cry for mercy, when it is the time of justice. Now,
you are the object of God's mercy, if by repentance and true faith you
turn unto him; but if you neglect these things, you will be the object
of his justice and vengeance. Now, you may claim the merits of Christ;
but if you die in your sins, his sufferings will tend to your greater
condemnation. O beloved, consider in this your day, how fearful a thing
it will be to fall into the hands of the living God, when you can neither
fly to his mercy to protect you, nor to the merits of Christ to cover
you in that terrible day.
¶ Here the Minister shall examine him
concerning his Faith, and rehearse the Articles of the Creed.
Dost thou believe in God, &c.
And the Prisoner shall answer, All this I steadfastly believe.
¶ Then shall the Minister examine whether
he repent him truly of his sins, and be in charity with all the world,
and farther admonish him particularly concerning the crimes wherewith
he is charged; and exhort him, if he have any scruples, that he would
declare the same, and prepare himself for the Holy Communion, against
the time that it may be proper to administer it to him.
¶ Then, all kneeling, the Minister shall
say as follows, from the 51st Psalm,
Have mercy upon me, O God, &c.
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Let us pray.
O LORD, we beseech thee,
mercifully hear our prayers, and spare all those who confess their sins
unto thee; that they, whose consciences by sin are accused, by thy merciful
pardon may be absolved; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ Then the Minister shall say,
O GOD, whose mercy is everlasting,
and power infinite; look down with pity and compassion upon the sufferings
of these thy servants; and whether thou visitest for tryal of their patience,
or punishment of their offences, enable them by thy grace cheerfully to
submit themselves to thy holy Will and Pleasure.
Go not far from those, O Lord, whom thou hast laid
in a place of darkness, and in the deep; and forasmuch as thou hast not
cut them off suddenly, but chastenest them as a Father, grant that they,
duly considering thy great mercies, may be unfeignedly thankful, and turn
unto thee with true repentance and sincerity of heart; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
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Prayers for Persons under
Sentence &c.
¶ When a Criminal is under Sentence
of Death, the Minister shall proceed, immediately after the Collect, [O
God, who sparest, &c.] to exhort him after this form,
or other like.
DEARLY beloved, it hath
pleased Almighty God, in his justice, to bring you. under the sentence
and condemnation of the Law. You are shortly to suffer death in such a
manner, that others, warned by your example, may be the more afraid to
offend; and we pray God, that you may make such use of your punishments
in this world, that your soul may be saved in the world to come.
Wherefore we come to you in the bowels of compassion;
and, being desirous that you should avoid presumption on the one hand,
and despair on the other, shall plainly lay before you the wretchedness
of your condition, and declare how far you ought to. depend on the mercies
of God, and the merits of our Saviour. Consider then seriously with yourself,
in all appearance of the time of your dissolution draweth near; your sins
have laid fast hold upon you; you are soon to be removed from among men
by a violent death; and you shall fade away suddenly like the grass, which
in the morning is green and groweth up, but in the evening is cut down,
dried up, and withered. After you have thus finished the course of a sinful
and miserable life, you shall appear before the Judge of all Flesh; who,
as he pronounces blessings on the righteous, shall likewise say, with
a terrible voice of most just Judgment, to the wicked, Go, ye accursed,
into the fire everlasting, prepared for the devil and his angels.
Your sins have brought you too near this dreadful sentence
it is therefore your part and duty, my Brother, humbly to confess and
bewail your great and manifold offences, and to repent you truly of your
sins, as you tender the eternal salvation of your soul.
Be not deceived with a vain and presumptuous expectation
of God's favour, nor say within yourself, Peace, Peace, where there is
no Peace; for there is no Peace, saith my God, to the wicked. God is not
mocked; he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; and without holiness
no man shall see the Lord. On the other hand, despair not of God's mercy,
though trouble is on every side; for God shutteth not up his mercies for
ever in displeasure: but if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Do
not either way abuse the goodness of God, who calleth us mercifully to
amendment, and of his endless pity promiseth us forgiveness of that which
is past, if with a perfect and a true heart we return unto him.
Since therefore you are soon to pass into an endless
and unchangeable state, and your future happiness or misery depends upon
the few moments which are left you, I require you strictly to examine
your self, and your estate both towards God and towards man; and let no
worldly consideration hinder you from making a true and full confession
of your sins, and giving all the satisfaction which is in your power to
every one whom you have wronged or injured; that you may find mercy at
your heavenly Father's hand, for Christ's sake, and not be condemned in
ye dreadful day of judgment.
Lastly, Beloved, submit yourself with Christian resignation
to ye just Judgment of God, which your own crimes have brought upon you,
and be in charity with all men; being ready sincerely to forgive all such
as have offended you, not excepting those who have prosecuted you even
unto death: and, though this may seem a hard saying, yet know assuredly,
that without it your charity is not yet perfect. And fail not earnestly
to endeavour and pray for this blessed temper and composure of mind. So
may you cast your self with an entire dependence upon the mercies of God,
through the merits of our Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ.
¶ Here the Minister shall examine him
concerning his faith, and rehearse the Articles of the Creed.
Dost thou believe in God, &c.
And the Criminal shall answer, All this I steadfastly believe.
¶ Then shall the Minister examine whether
he repent him truly of his sins, exhorting him to a particular confession
of the sin for which he is condemned; and upon confession, he shall instruct
him what satisfaction ought to be made to those whom he has offended thereby;
and if he knoweth any combinations in wickedness, or any evil practices
designed against others, let him be admonished to the utmost of his power
to discover and prevent them.
¶ After his confession, the Priest shall
absolve him (if he humbly and heartily desre it) after the form which
is appointed in the Office of the Visitation of the Sick, or
in that used in the Communion Service.
¶ After Absolution shall be said the
Collect following.
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O Holy Jesus, who, of thine infinite
goodness, didst accept the conversion of a sinner on the Cross, open
thine eye of mercy upon this thy servant, who desireth pardon and forgiveness,
though in his latest hour he turneth unto thee. Renew in him whatsoever
hath been decayed by the fraud and malice of the devil, or by his own
carnal will and frilliness. Consider his contrition; accept
his repentance; and forasmuch as he putteth his full trust
only in thy mercy, impute not unto him his former sins, but strengthen
him with thy blessed Spirit: and when thou art pleased to take him hence,
take him unto thy favour. This we beg through thy merits, O Lord, our
Saviour and our Redeemer. Amen.
¶ Then the Minister shall say,
O Father of mercies, and God of all comfort;
We fly unto thee for succour in behalf of this thy servant, who is now
under the sentence of Condemnation. The day of his calamity is at hand,
and he in accounted as one of those who go down into the pit. Blessed
Lord, remember thy mercies; look upon his infirmities; hear the voice
of his complaint; give him, we beseech thee, patience in this his time
of adversity, and support under the terrors which encompass him; set
before his eyes the things he hath done in the Body, which have justly
provoked thee to anger; and forasmuch as his continuance appeareth to
be short amongst us, quicken him so much the more by thy grace and Holy
Spirit; that he, being converted and reconciled unto thee, before thy
Judgments have cut him off from the earth, may at the hour of his death
depart in peace, and be received into thine everlasting Kingdom; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ Adding this.
O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross
and precious Blood hast redeemed us; Save us, and help us, we humbly
beseech thee, O Lord.
¶ Then the Minister, standing, shall say,
IN the midst of life we are in death:
of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins
art justly displeased?
Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy
and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal
death.
Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut
not thy merciful ears to our Prayer; but spare us, Lord most holy, O
God most mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge
eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to
fall from thee.
¶ Then the Minister shall say,
THe Almighty God, who is a most strong
tower to all those who put their trust in him, to whom all things in
heaven, in earth, and under the earth, do bow and obey, Be now and evermore
thy defence; and make thee know and feel, that there is none other Name
under heaven given to man, in whom, and through whom, thou mayest receive
salvation, but only the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
¶ And after that shall say,
UNTO God's gracious mercy and protection
we commit thee. The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord make his
face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up
his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace, both now and evermore.
Amen.
¶ At the time of Execution, besides all, or such
parts of the foregoing Office as, the Minister shall judge proper, shall
be said the Commendatory Prayer for a person at the point
of departure, as it is in the Visitation of the Sick.
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| The Collect for the Communion Service.
O God, who declarest thy
almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity; We beseech thee to have
mercy upon this thy servant, who for his transgressions is appointed to
die. Grant that he may take thy judgments patiently, and repent him truly
of his sins; yet he recovering thy favour, the fearful reward of his actions
may end with this life; and whensoever his soul shall depart from the
body it may be without spot presented unto thee; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle. Heb. 12. 11.
NO chastening for the present
seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth
the peaceable fruit of righteousness, unto them which are exercised thereby.
The Gospel. St. John 5. 24.
VERILY, verily, I say unto
you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed
from death unto life.
A Prayer for imprisoned Debtors.
MOst gracious God, look
down in pity and compassion upon these thine afflicted servants, who are
fallen under the misery of a close restraint. Give them always a deep
sense of their sins, and of thy fatherly love and correction; and the
more their confinement presseth hard upon them, the more let the comforts
of thy grace and mercy abound towards them. Give to their Creditors tenderness
and compassion, and to them a meek and forgiving spirit towards all those
who have confined them, and a full purpose to repair all the injuries
and losses which others have sustained by them. Raise them up friends
to pity and relieve them; give them the continued comfort of thy countenance
here; and so sanctify their afflictions, that they may work for them an
eternal weight of glory through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ
thy Son our Lord. Amen.
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By the Lord Lieutenant and Council of
Ireland.
SHREWSBURY,
ORdered, That the Form of Prayer for
The Visitation of Prisoners, treated upon by the Archbishops and Bishops,
and the rest of the Clergy of this Kingdom, and agreed upon by Her Majesty's
License in their Synod holden in Dublin, in the Year 1711,
be printed and annexed to The Book of Common Prayer, persuant
to Her Majesty's directions.
Given at the Council-Chamber in Dublin,
the 13th Day of April, 1714.
Tho. Armagh. Con. Phipps, Canc. Kildare,
Mount-Alexander. Abercorn. W. Kildare. Edw. Down and
Connor. Char. Fielding Rich. Cox. Robt. Doyne. Rob. Rocefort.
P. Savage. Theoph. Butler. J. Stanley. Wm. Steuart. |
This Declaration appears in the 1739 BCP only. |
