THE HOLY LITURGY;

Or, the Form of offering the Sacrifice, and of administering the Sacrament, of the Eucharist.

Note, Thai none but the Faithful are to be present at this Office.

Before the Communion-time the Deacon shall prepare so much bread, wine, and water for the Eucharist, as he judgeth convenient: laying the bread in the paten, or in some other decent thing provided for that purpose; and putting the wine into the chalice, or else into some fair and convenient cup provided for that use, and the water into some other proper vessel. After which he shall place them all upon the Prothesis, and cover them with a fair white linen cloth.

The Altar, at the Communion-time, having a fair white linen cloth upon it, shall stand at the East end of the Church or Chapel.

At the beginning of the Communion-Service shall be said or sung (in the same manner as the Psalms for the day are said or sung) for the Introit the Psalm appointed for that day, the Deacon having first turned to the People, and said. The Introit appointed for this day is such a Psalm

THE INTROITS.

The table of Introits is omitted here.

At the end of every Introit shall be said or sung :

    Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost ; [Hallelujah:]
    As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. [Hallelujah.]

Then shall the Priest turn to the People, and say.

The Lord be with you;
Answ. And with thy spirit.

And the Deacon, being turned to the People, shall say.

Let us pray.

Then the Priest shall turn to the Altar, and, standing humbly before it, he shall say, the Congregation kneeling :

Lord, have mercy upon us,
Answ. Christ, have mercy upon us.
Pr. Lord, have mercy upon us.

Then shall the Priest say the Collect following.

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then shall be said the Collect of the day and immediately after the Collect the People shall rise, and the Priest or Deacon shall turn to the People, and read the Epistle, saying:

    The Epistle [or, The portion of Scripture appointed for the Epistle] is written in the —— chapter of —— beginning at the —— verse.

And, the Epistle ended, he shall say,

    Here endeth the Epistle; or, Here endeth the portion of Scripture appointed for the Epistle.

Then shall the Priest or Deacon, being turned to the People, read the Gospel, saying:

    The Holy Gospel is written in the —— chapter of —— beginning at the —— verse.

And the People shall answer,

    Glory be to thee, Lord.

The Gospel ended, the Priest or Deacon shall say.

    Here endeth the Holy Gospel.

And the People shall answer,

    Thanks be to thee, Lord.

Then shall be sung or said the Creed following, the Priest and People standing with their faces towards the Altar, and saying:

I BELIEVE in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible.
    And in one Lord Jesus Christ, The only-begotten Son of God, Begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of very God, Begotten, not made, Consubstantial
with the Father, By whom all things were made: Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made Man, And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate: He suffered and was buried. And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, And ascended into heaven. And sitteth on the right hand of the Father; And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead: Whose kingdom shall have no end.
    And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord, the Giver of life, Who proceedeth from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified. Who spake by the Prophets. And I believe one Catholic and Apostolic Church: I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins: And I look for the Resurrection of the dead. And the Life of the world to come. Amen.

After a pause, the Deacon, being turned towards the People, shall say,

    Let us attend.

Then shall the Priest, being turned to the People, say,

The peace of God be with you all;
People. And with thy spirit.

Then shall the Deacon say,

    Salute ye one another with the Holy Kiss.

And let the Clergy salute the Bishop or officiating Priest, and the Laity one another, the men the men, and the women the women.
 

Then the Deacon, being turned to the People, shall say.

    If there be any here, who are not of the number of the faithful, let them depart.
    Mothers, take care of your children.
    Let none have ought against any one.
    Let none come in hypocrisy.
    Let us present our offerings to the Lord with reverence and godly fear.

Then shall the Priest begin the Offertory, turning himself to the People, and saying one or more of these Sentences following, as he thinketh most convenient in his discretion.

IN process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord ; and Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering, but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. Gen. iv. 3, 4, 5.
    Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering : of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart, ye shall take my offering. Exod. xxv. 2.
    They shall not appear before the Lord empty: every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God, which he hath given you. Deut. xvi. 16, 17.
    But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. 1 Chron. xxix. 14.
    I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee. 1 Chron. xxix. 17.
    Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God. Nehem. x. 32.
    Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts. Psalm xcvi. 8.
    A gift hath grace in the sight of every man living, and for the dead detain it not. Ecclus. vii. 33.
    According to thy ability do good to thyself, and give the Lord his due offering. Ecclus. xiv. 11.
    Thou shalt not appear empty before the Lord; for all these things are to be done because of the commandment. Ecclus. xxxv. 4, 5
    The offering of the righteous maketh the altar fat, and the sweet savour thereof is before the Most High. The sacrifice of a just man is acceptable, and the memorial thereof shall never be forgotten. Ecclus. xxxv. 6, 7.
    Give the Lord his honour with a good eye, and diminish not the first-fruits of thine hands. Give unto the Most High, according as he hath enriched thee; and as thou hast gotten, give with a cheerful eye. Ecclus. xxxv. 8, 10.
    If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way: first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Matth. v. 23, 24.
    Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. Matth. vi. 19, 20.
    And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich, cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. Mark xii. 41, 42.
    Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or, who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 1 Cor. ix. 7.
    If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? 1 Cor. ix. 11.
    Do ye not know, that they who minister about holy things, live of the things of the temple? and they who wait at the altar, are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained, that they who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel. 1 Cor. ix. 13, 14.
    He who soweth sparingly, shall reap sparingly; and he who soweth bountifully, shall reap bountifully. Every man as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 2 Cor. ix. 6, 7.
    Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Gal. vi. 6,
7.
    Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy: that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. 1 Tim. vi, 17, 18, 19.
    God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed towards his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Heb. vi. 10.
    To do good and to communicate forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well-pleased. Heb. xiii. 16.

Whilst these Sentences are reading, the Deacon, or (if there be no Deacon) any other fit person, appointed for that purpose, shall receive the free-will offerings of the People kneeling, in a decent basin provided for that purpose. And that no one may neglect to come to the Holy Eucharist by reason of having but little to give, the person who collects the offerings, shall cover the basin with a fair white linen cloth, so that neither he himself nor any other may see or know what any particular person offers. And when all have offered, he shall reverently bring the said basin with the oblations therein, and deliver it to the Priest; who shall humbly present and place it upon the altar, and, standing before it, shall say the following Thanksgiving, the People kneeling upon their knees.

O Lord Almighty, who by thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord hast made and dost provide for all creatures: We give thanks to thee for all the good things with which thou suppliest us; out of which we here offer unto thee, in acknowledgment of thy bountiful goodness towards us, not as we ought, but as we are able. For who can sufficiently express the praise that is due to thee, for all the beneficence and loving-kindness which thou hast shewed unto us? O God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of all saints, who broughtest all things to perfection by thy word, and didst command the earth to produce all sorts of fruits for our comfort and nourishment, for our use, our health, and delight : thou art exalted far above all the praises that we can render to thee for these and all other thy benefits, which thou continually conferrest upon us by Christ ; through whom to thee in the Holy Ghost, be glory, honour, and adoration, for ever and ever. Amen.
 

Then the Deacon shall bring water to the Priest, who shall wash his hands therein; after which the Deacon shall carry the basin, with the oblations therein, to the Prothesis, and, having mixed the wine and water openly in the view of the People, he shall bring the bread and mixed wine to the Priest, who shall humbly present and reverently place them upon the altar.

If there be no Deacon, the Priest shall go to the Prothesis, and, after having washed his hands, he shall mix the wine and water openly in the view of the People: after which he shall humbly present and reverently place the bread and mixed wine upon the altar.

Then the Priest, having first prayed secretly for a short space, shall turn to the People, and, signing himself with the sign of the cross upon his forehead, shall say:

    The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with you all;
    People. And with thy spirit.
    Pr. Lift up your hearts;
    People. We lift them up unto the Lord.
    Pr. Let us give thanks unto our Lord God;
    People. It is meet and right so to do.

Then shall the Priest turn him to the altar, and say:

It is very meet, and right above all things, to give praise unto thee, the true God, the Being of beings, the great I AM; who existest before all creatures, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named; who alone art unbegotten, without original, without superior, the most high Lord, almighty King, and self-sufficient. Thou art the author and giver of all good things; thou art above all cause and generation; thou art always and immutably the same. From thee, as from a necessary original, all things came into being: for thou art eternal knowledge, sight before all objects, hearing before all sounds, wisdom without instruction; the first in nature, the fountain of being; infinite, incomprehensible. Thou createdst all things out of nothing by thine only-begotten Son, begotten before all ages by thine immediate will, power, and goodness. He is God the Word, the living Wisdom, the first-born of the whole creation, the Angel of thy great counsel, thy high-Priest, but the Lord and King of all sensible and intellectual creatures; who was before all things, and by whom all things were made.
    Thou, O eternal God, didst create all things by him, and by him dispensest thy fatherly care and providence over them: for by whom thou broughtest all things into being, by him also thou preservest them, and bestowest thy blessings upon them. O God and Father of thine only-begotten Son; thou didst by him first make the cherubim and seraphim, the ages and all the heavenly hosts, the principalities and powers, thrones and dominions, angels and archangels; and after these didst by him create this visible world, and all things that are therein. For thou art he, who hast fixed the heaven like an arch, and stretched it out like a canopy; who by thy sole will hast hung the earth upon nothing; who hast established the firmament, and prepared the night and the day, bringing light out of thy treasures, and darkness to overshadow it, that the living creatures of this world might take their repose. Thou hast appointed the sun to rule the day, and the moon to govern the night; and hast implanted in the heavens a choir of stars to the honour of thy glorious majesty. Thou hast created water for drink and for cleansing, and the vital air both for breathing and speaking. Thou madest fire for our consolation in darkness, and for the relief of our necessities, that we might be warmed and enlightened by it. Thou didst divide the sea from the land, making the one navigable, and the other a basis for our feet to walk on : the former thou hast replenished with small and great animals, the latter with tame and wild beasts, and winged fowl which fly in the open firmament of heaven; thou hast also furnished the earth with various plants, crowned it with herbs, beautified it with flowers, and enriched it with seeds.
    Neither hast thou only created the world, but man likewise, the inhabitant thereof; exhibiting him the most beautiful ornament of that beautiful creation. For thou saidst to thine own Wisdom, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth. Wherefore thou madest him of an immortal soul, and a mortal body; the soul out of nothing, the body out of the dust of the ground: this endued with five senses, and a power of motion; that with reason, and a faculty of distinguishing between good and evil, just and unjust.
    Thou, O Almighty God, didst also by thy Christ plant a garden eastward in Eden, adorned with every plant that was fit for food. Into this rich and magnificent habitation didst thou put man; having imprinted a law in his nature, that he might thereby have within himself the principles of divine knowledge. And when thou hadst placed him in this Paradise of pleasure, thou didst allow him the privilege of enjoying all its delights, only forbidding him to taste of one tree, and promising him immortality as the reward of his obedience. But when he had transgressed this command by eating of the forbidden fruit, thou didst justly drive him out of Paradise. And yet in thy goodness didst not abandon and despise him, though he had destroyed himself; for he was the work of thine own hands : but thou, who hadst given him dominion over all things, didst appoint him to procure his daily food by labour, and the sweat of his face; thy providence concurring to produce, augment, and bring all things to maturity and perfection. And having subjected him for a while to a temporary death, thou didst promise to restore him to life again; loosing the bonds of that death, and giving him assurance of a resurrection to life eternal.
    Nor was this all: thou didst likewise multiply his posterity without number, rewarding as many of them as were obedient unto thee, and punishing those who rebelled against thee. For thou art the Creator and Governor of men, the author of life, the supplier of our wants, the giver of laws, the rewarder of those that keep them, and the avenger of those that transgress them : who didst bring a flood upon the world because of the multitude of the ungodly, but didst deliver righteous Noah from it with eight souls in the ark, the last of the foregoing and first of the succeeding generations. Thou art he who didst preserve Abraham from the idolatry of his fore-fathers, and didst appoint him to be the heir of the world, manifesting unto him thy Christ. And when men had corrupted the law of nature, and esteemed the creation sometimes the effect of chance, and sometimes worthy of honour equal to thine, who art the God of all; thou didst not suffer them to wander on in error, but didst raise up thy holy servant Moses, and by him didst give a written law to strengthen the law of nature, and didst shew that the creation was thy work, and that there were none other Gods besides thee.
    For all these things glory be to thee, O Lord Almighty. Thee thine everlasting armies adore, the innumerable hosts of angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, authorities, powers, the cherubim also and six-winged seraphim, with twain of which they cover their feet, with twain their heads, and with twain they fly, saying, together with thousand thousands of arch-angels, and ten thousand times ten thousand angels, crying incessantly with uninterrupted shouts of praise:

Here the People shall join with the Priest, and say.

    Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Sabaoth : Heaven and earth are full of his glory : Blessed is he for evermore. Amen.

After this the Priest shall say :

For thou art truly holy, most holy, holiness itself; the highest, and most highly exalted for ever. Holy also is thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and God; who, ministering to thee his God and Father in all things, not only in the various works of creation, but likewise in the providential care of the same, did not overlook lost mankind: but after the law of nature, the admonitions of the positive law, the reproofs of prophets, the superintendency of angels, when men had perverted both the positive and natural law, and were now ready to perish universally; he who was man's Creator, was pleased with thy consent to become man; the law-giver to be made subject to the law; the high-priest to be himself the sacrifice, the shepherd a sheep, to appease thee his God and Father, to reconcile thee to the world, and to deliver all men from the impending wrath. He was born of a Virgin, born in the flesh: God the Word, the beloved Son, the first-born of the whole creation, was made, as himself had foretold by the mouth of the prophets, of the seed of David and Abraham, and of the tribe of Judah: he who formeth all that are born into the world, was himself formed in the womb of a Virgin; he who was without flesh, became incarnate; and he who was begotten before all time, was born in time. His conversation was holy, and his doctrine divine: he cured all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease, and wrought signs and wonders amongst the people: he who is the feeder of the hungry, and filleth every living creature with his goodness, became partaker of his own gifts, and ate, and drank, and slept among us. He manifested thy name to them who knew it not; he dispelled the cloud of ignorance, revived true piety, fulfilled thy will, and finished the work which thou gavest him to do. And after having acted in all these things with the highest wisdom and order, he was seized by the hands of a disobedient people, and wicked men, abusing the office of priests and high-priests, being betrayed to them by the inveterate malice of one of his own disciples: and when he had by thy permission suffered many things from them, and had been treated with all manner of indignity, he was delivered to Pilate the governor: the Judge of all the world was judged, and the Saviour of mankind condemned: although impassible, he was nailed to the cross; and although immortal, died: the giver of life was himself laid in the grave, that he might deliver those, for whose sake he came, from the pains of eternal death; that he might break the bonds of the devil, and rescue mankind from his deceit. He rose again the third day from the dead; and, having conversed forty days with his disciples, he was taken up into heaven, and is set down on the right hand of thee his God and Father.
    Wherefore, having in remembrance those things which he endured for oar sake, we give thanks to thee, O God Almighty, not as we ought, but as we are able, and fulfil his institution. For in the same night that he was betrayed, he (Here the Priest is to take the paten into his hands:) took bread into his holy and immaculate hands; and looking up to thee his God and Father, and (And here to break the bread with both his hands, having first set the paten down on the altar:) breaking it, he gave it to his disciples, saying: This is the mystery of the New Testament: take of it; eat: (And here to lay his hands upon all the bread:) This is my body, which is broken for many for the remission of sins. In like manner also having mixed (Here he is to take the cup into his hands:) the cup with wine and water, and blessed it, he gave it to them, saying: Drink ye all of it: (And here, the cup being first set down on the altar, he is to lay his hands upon it, and upon every vessel in which there is any wine mixed with water to be consecrated:) This is my Blood, which is shed for many for the remission of sins: Do this for a memorial of me: for as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew forth my death till I come.
    Therefore in commemoration of his passion, death, and resurrection from the dead, his ascension into heaven, and second coming with glory and great power to judge the quick and the dead, and to render to every man according to his works, (Here, the Priest is to lift up his hands and eyes to heaven:) we offer to thee, our King and our God, according to this institution, (And here to point with his right hand to all the bread:) this Bread and (And here to point with his left hand to the cup, and every vessel on the altar in which there is any wine and water:) this Cup; giving thanks to thee through him, that thou hast vouchsafed us the honour to stand before thee, and to sacrifice unto thee. And we beseech thee to look favourably on these gifts, which are here set before thee, O thou self-sufficient God: and do thou accept them to the honour of thy Christ; and send down thine Holy Spirit, the witness of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus, upon this sacrifice, that he may make (Here the Priest is to lay his hands upon all the bread:) this Bread the Body, (And here to make the sign of the cross over all the bread:) of thy Christ, and (And here to lay his hands upon the cup, and upon every vessel on the altar in which there is any wine and water:) this Cup, the Blood (And here to make the sign of the cross over the cup, and over every vessel on the altar in which there is any wine and water) of thy Christ; that they who shall partake thereof may be confirmed in godliness, may receive remission of their sins, may be delivered from the devil and his snares, may be replenished with the Holy Ghost, may be made worthy of thy Christ, and may obtain everlasting life, thou being reconciled unto them, O Lord Almighty.
    We farther pray unto thee, O Lord, for thy Holy Church from one end of the earth to the other, which thou hast purchased to thyself by the precious blood of thy Christ, that thou wouldest preserve it unshaken and undisturbed with storms and tempests to the end of the world. We pray also for the whole Episcopate, rightly dividing the word of truth, [and especially for thy servant N. our Bishop. This is to be omitted when the Bishop himself officiates.] Farther we call upon thee for my unworthiness who am now offering, for the whole Presbytery and all the Clergy; that thou wouldest endue them with wisdom, and fill them with the Holy Ghost. Farther we call upon thee, O Lord, for the King, and all who are in authority under him; that, leading our whole lives in peace and concord, we may glorify thee through Jesus Christ our hope. Farther we offer to thee for all the faithful, who have pleased thee from the beginning of the world; the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, and Confessors, and all whose names thou knowest. (Here the Priest shall pause awhile, he and the people secretly recommending those souls departed, whom each thinks proper.) We farther offer to thee for this people, that thou wouldst render them a royal priesthood, an holy nation, to the glory of thy Christ: for those that live in virginity and chastity; for the widows and fatherless; for all who live in honourable marriage and childbearing; for the infants among thy people: that thou wouldst not permit any of us to become cast-aways. Farther we pray unto thee for this place and the inhabitants thereof; for the sick; for those that are in hard slavery, banishment, or prison; for those who travel by land or by water: that thou wouldst be to all of them an helper, strengthener, and supporter. (Here the Priest shall pause awhile, he and the people secretly recommending those whom each thinks proper.) We farther beseech thee also for our enemies, and those that hate us; and for all who are without, and wander in error: that thou wouldst assuage their malice, turn their hearts, and bring them into the way of truth. [Farther we pray unto thee *for the Catechumens of the Church, that thou wouldst perfect them in the faith; †for those who are under possession, that thou wouldst deliver them from the power of the evil one; ‡ for our brethren who are in the State of penance, that thou wouldst accept their repentance, and forgive both them and us whatever offences we have committed against thee.] Farther we offer unto thee for the good temperature of the air, and the increase of the fruits of the earth ; that we, partaking of the abundance of thy good things, may continually praise thee, who givest food to all flesh. Farther we pray unto thee for all those who are absent on a just cause, that thou wouldst preserve us all in godliness; and keeping us stedfast, unblameable, and unreproveable, wouldst gather us together into the kingdom of thy Christ our King, the God of every sensible and intelligent being. For to thee, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, is due all glory, worship, and thanksgiving, honour and adoration, now and for ever, throughout all ages, world without end.
 

And all the People shall say with a loud voice,

Amen.

Then the Priest shall say the Lord^s Prayer, the People repeating after him every Petition.

Our Father, who art in heaven, &c. For thine, &c. Amen.

Then shall the Priest turn to the People, and say.

The peace of God be with you all ;
Answ. And with thy spirit.

Then the Deacon, being turned to the People, shall say.

    Let us commend ourselves to God through his Christ.

Then the Priest shall turn to the Altar, and say the following Prayer,

O GOD, who art great, great in name, great in counsel, and mighty in thy works, the God and Father of thy holy Son Jesus our Saviour: Look mercifully upon us, and upon this thy flock, which thou hast chosen through him to the glory of thy Name. Sanctify us in body and soul; and grant, that we, being cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, may partake of the mystic blessings now lying on thine altar: and judge none of us unworthy of them, but be thou our supporter, our helper, and defender, through thy Christ; with whom to thee and the Holy Ghost, be glory, and honour, laud, praise, and thanksgiving, for ever and ever. Amen.

Then the Deacon, being turned to the People, shall say,

Let us attend.

Then the Priest shall turn to the People, and say.

    Holy things for holy persons.

And the People shall answer,

    There is one holy, one Lord, one Jesus Christ, blessed for ever, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Here the Priest shall turn to the Altar, and say, the People joining with him :

Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men. Hosanna to the Son of David : Blessed is the Lord God, who cometh in the name of the Lord, and hath manifested himself unto us : Hosanna in the highest.

Then shall the Priest receive the Eucharist in both kinds himself, and then proceed to deliver the same in like manner to other Priests and Deacons, if any he there present, in order, into their hands.

And when he receiveth or delivereth the Oblation, he shall say,

The Body of Christ.

And the person receiving shall say, Amen.

And when he receiveth or delivereth the cup, he shall say,

The Blood of Christ, the cup of life.

And the person receiving shall say. Amen.

After all the Clergy have communicated, the officiating Priest, or according to his direction any or all of the Priests or Deacons there present, shall administer the Eucharist in both kinds to the Deaconesses, and then to the People in order into their hands, and last of all to the children, according to the form above prescribed.

Whilst the faithful are communicating, the following Psalms, one or more of them, may be sung or said in this order : the 34th, the 45th, the 133rd, the 145th.

When all have communicated, what remaineth of the consecrated elements shall he reverently placed upon the altar, and covered with a fair linen cloth, or carried into the vestry by the Deacon or Deacons.

Then the Deacon, being turned to the People, shall say:

Having now received the precious Body and Blood of Christ, let us give thanks to him, who hath vouchsafed to admit us to the participation of his holy mysteries; and let us beseech him, that it may be, not to our condemnation, but to our salvation, to the benefit of our souls and bodies, the preservation of us in godliness, the remission of our sins, and obtaining the life of the world to come. Let us commend ourselves to the only unbegotten God, and to his Christ,
    Answ. Lord, have mercy : We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

Then the Priest, standing before the altar, shall say the following Thanksgiving, the Congregation kneeling.

O Lord God Almighty, the Father of Christ thy blessed Son, who hearest those that call upon thee with an upright heart, and knowest the supplications of those who in silence pray unto thee: We give thee thanks for that thou hast vouchsafed to make us partakers of thy holy mysteries, which thou hast bestowed upon us for the entire confirmation of our faith, for our preservation in godliness, and the remission of our sins: for the name of thy Christ is called upon us, and we are joined unto thee. O thou, who hast separated us from the fellowship of the ungodly, unite us with those who are consecrated to thee in holiness; establish us in the truth by the power of thy Holy
Spirit; enlighten our ignorance, supply our defects, and strengthen our knowledge. Preserve thy priests unblameable in thy service; keep the kings of the earth in peace, the rulers in righteousness, the air in good temperature, the fruits of the ground in plenty, and the whole world by thine almighty providence. Pacify the nations that delight in war, convert those who are in error, confirm them that are newly converted, and sanctify thy people. Preserve those who are in the state of virginity; keep them that are engaged in matrimony firm to the faith, and strengthen all who live in chastity. Bring the infants to years of maturity; [instruct the Catechumens, and render them worthy of initiation: This is to be omitted when there are no Catechumens,] and gather us all into the kingdom of heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord; with whom to thee and the Holy Ghost be glory, honour, and adoration, world without end. Amen.

Then the Deacon, being turned to the People, shall say,

    Bow down your heads to God through his Christ, and receive the Benediction.

Then shall the Priest say the following Prayer of Benediction, the People bowing their heads.

O Almighty God, true, infinite, and above all comparison; who art everywhere present in all things in an expressible manner, but not circumscribed by place; who dost not wax old with time, nor art terminated by the successions of ages; who art not subject to generation, and standest in no need of preservation, but art incorruptible, invariable, and unchangeable; who dwellest in light inaccessible, and art invisible by nature; who art known to every reasonable creature that seeketh thee in uprightness, and art found by all that search after thee in love: O God of Israel, the God of thy people who believe in Christ, mercifully hear me for thy Name's sake, and bless these thy servants who bow down their necks unto thee: grant unto them the requests of their hearts as may be most expedient for them, and suffer none of them to be cast out of thy kingdom; but sanctify and keep them, protect, defend, and deliver them from the adversary, and from every enemy. Guard their habitations, and preserve their going out and their coming in: for to thee belongeth all glory, praise, and majesty, worship, and adoration, and to thy Son Jesus, thy Christ, our Lord, and God, and King, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, world without end. Amen.

And, after a pause, the Deacon shall say to the People,

Depart in peace.

The Bread for the Eucharist may either he unleavened, or such as is usual to be eaten, but the best and purest wheat-bread that conveniently may be gotten.

And the Eucharist shall be celebrated on every Festival, at least, for which Proper Lessons are appointed; and all the faithful are to frequent it constantly, unless sickness or other just and urgent occasions hinder them.

Note, the Priest shall always consecrate more than is necessary for the Communicants: and the remainder of the consecrated elements he shall carefully reserve for the use of the Sick, or other persons who for any urgent cause desire to communicate at their houses. But if there be not persons enow to receive the reserved elements, the Priest and Deacon shall devoutly and reverently receive them, either together or separately, on one day or more, according to their discretion; always observing that some of the consecrated elements be constantly reserved in the Vestry, or some other convenient place in the Church, under a safe lock, of which both the Priest and Deacon are to have a key.

The money given at the Offertory, being the free-will offerings of the People to God, and solemnly devoted to him, the Priest shall take so much out of it as to defray the charge of the Bread and Wine; and the remainder he shall keep, or part of it, or dispose of it, or part of it, to pious or charitable uses, according to the direction of the Bishop.