The order for the buriall

of the dead

¶ The Presbyter meeting the corps at the Church stile, shall say or else the Presbyter and Clerks shall sing, and so go either into the church, or towards the grave.

I Am the the resurrection, and the life (saith the Lord) he that beleeveth in me, though he were dead yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth, and beleeveth in me, shall not die for ever.
 

I Know that my Redeemer liveth, and that hee shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skinne, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God : whom I shall see for my self, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.
 

WE brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taketh away, blessed be the Name of the Lord.

¶ When they come at the grave, while the corps is made ready to be laid into the earth, the Presbyter shall say, or the Presbyter and Clerks shall sing.
 

MAn that is born of a woman is of few dayes, an is full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower and is cut down : he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. In the mids of life we be in death : of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord, which for our sinnes art justly displeased : Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most mercifull saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternall death. Thou knowest LORD the secrets of our hearts, shut not up thy mercifull eyes to our prayers : but spare us Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and mercifull Saviour, thou most worthy judge eternall, suffer us not at our last houre for any pains of death to fall from thee.
 

Job 14.1,2.

¶ Then while the earth shall he cast upon the body, by some standing by, the Presbyter shall say.

FOrasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our deare brother here departed : we therefore commit his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in sure and certain hope of resurrection to eternall life, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be like to his glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.

¶ Then shall be said or sung.

I Heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord, from henceforth : yea, saith the Spirit, that they rest from their labours.

¶ Then shall follow this Lesson, taken out of the xv. chapter to the Corinthians, the first Epistle.
 

CHrist is risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as by Adam all dye, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order, Christ the first-fruits, afterward they that are Christs, at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he have delivered up the kingdome to God even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power. For he must reigne, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed, is death. For he hath put all things under his feet ; but when hee saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himselfe be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead? And why stand we in jeopardy every houre? I protest by your rejoycing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I dye daily. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we dye. Be not ye deceived : evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousnesse, and sin not : for some have not the knowledge of God, I speak this to your shame. But some man will say, how are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest, is not quickened except it die. And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat or of some other grain. But God giveth it a body, as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kinde of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, and other of fishes, another of birds. There are also celestiall bodies, and there are bodies terrestriall : but the glory of the celestiall is one, and the glory of the terrestriall is another. There is one manner glory of the sunne, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the starres : for one starre differeth from another starre in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead, it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption, it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory : it is sown in weaknesse, it is raised in power. It is sown a naturall body, it is raised a spirituall body. There is a naturall body, and there is a spirituall body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul, the last Adam was made a quickning spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spirituall : but that which is naturall, and afterward that which is spirituall. The first man is of the earth, earthy. The second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they that are earthy. And as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mysterie : wee shall not all sleep, but wee shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, (for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortall must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortall shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to passe the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? The sting of death is sinne, and the strength of sinne is the law. But thanks be unto God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
 

OUr Father which art in heaven, &c.
 And leade us not into temptation.

Presbyter.

ALmighty God, with whom do live the spirits of them that depart hence in the LORD, and in whom the souls of them that be elected, after they be delivered from the burden of the flesh, be in joy and felicity : We give thee hearty thanks for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this (N.) our brother out of the miseries of this sinfull world; beseeching thee, that it may please thee of thy gracious goodnesse, shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect, and to hasten thy kingdome : that wee with this our brother, and all other departed in the true faith of thy holy Name, may have our perfect consummation and blisse, both in body and soul, in thy eternall and everlasting glory. Amen.

The Collect

O Mercifull God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life, in whom whosoever beleeveth, shall live, though hee dye, and whosoever liveth, and beleeveth in him, shall not dye eternally; who also taught us (by his holy Apostle S. Paul) not to bee sorry, as men without hope, for them that sleep in him : wee meekly beseech thee (O Father) to raise us from the death of sinne unto the life of righteousnesse, that when wee shall depart this life, we may rest in him, as our hope is this our brother doth : and that at the generall Resurrection in the last day we may be found acceptable in thy sight, and receive that blessing which thy welbeloved Sonne shall then pronounce to all that love and fear thee, saying, Come yee blessed children of my Father, receive the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Grant this, we beseech thee, O mercifull Father, through Jesus Christ our Mediatour and Redeemer. Amen.