THere was never any sig­nal Deliverance afford­ed by God Almighty to his Church, but as it proved an occasion of greater piety to the devout and sincere Christian, so it stir'd up a desire in such as were either it's open enemies, or disguised friends, to joyn themselves in external com­munion with the true mem­bers of the Church, when they were delivered from their op­pressions.

[Page 2] Thus we read of a mixt mul­titude that joyned themselves 2. to the Jews and went up with them out of the Land of Egypt: These certainly were no others than some of the Egyptians and other nations, who having seen the miracles wrought by Mo­ses, and being convinced by them, that they must needs be the people of God, in whose fa­vour so many amazing prodi­gies had been effected, thought it their wisest course to forsake the Idolatry of Egypt, and joyn themselves with the Professors of the true Religion.

Thus the Samaritans that dis­claim'd all friendship and alli­ance 5. with the Jews, in the time ant. c. of their distress, did notwith­standing [Page 3] court and implore their favour, pretended to be of the of the same religion and communion with them, when they were restored to the li­berty of their religion, and the enjoyment of their properties in their own countrey: And it c. 54 was foretold by the Prophet Isaiah, that their deliverance out of Captivity should be so wonderful to the Heathen Na­tions round about them, that it should invite vast numbers of them to joyn themselves to their communion: And what was thus foretold so long be­fore their return out of the Babylonish Captivity, did accord­ingly come to pass after their deliverance, for many of the [Page 4] Nations that before were their 2. Enemies, did declare them­selves in favour of them, and desired to be admitted to their communion. And as it hap­pen'd thus with the Jews be­fore the coming of our Saviour, it was so likewise with the Christian Church after it: For 300 years she enjoyed little of delight or quiet in the world, and few or none embraced her Religion, but those that did it on a pure principle of con­science, without any regard to secular profit or advantages; but when Kings and Princes became nursing Fathers to the Church, and encouraged the Religion by making Laws for its security, and countenanc'd [Page 5] the professors of it, by large priviledges and promotions in Church and State; then many of the Heathens flock'd to its communion, and embraced the profession of it; not because they loved it better than their own, but because they saw it enjoyed the countenance of the State, and found it the ready way to those honours and ad­vantages which they knew they must want in the profes­sion of their own: This having been the state and condition of the Church in former Ages, we have reason to believe, will be again the consequent of that great deliverance that God has afforded her in this Kingdom, it being reasonable to presume [Page 6] that those who never were of her communion, as well as those who Apostatized from it, will be desirous to be received into her communion: The lat­ter out of a principle of shame and sorrow, and the former out of desperation, as being out of all hopes of seeing their Re­ligion to flourish again among us, especially since it received so remarkable a disappoint­ment, at a time when they flat­tered themselves with the hopes of an entire establish­ment of it. And because it is fit that some penance should be imposed on those that for­sook us in time of danger, as well as a method propounded for the admission of those that [Page 7] never were of our communion, that so the former may be brought to a due sense of their sin and danger, and the latter encouraged to continue in our communion, I shall therefore presume to offer my thoughts upon this point, and lay down such a Scheme for the admissi­on of them both, as may serve the present necessities of the Church, 'till the wisdom of the Convocation shall prescribe another in its stead.

In order to this I shall con­sider,

First, What the Ancient Dis­cipline of the Church was, in recei­ving Penitents that had fallen from her.

2ly, How far that Discipline is at [Page 8] present practicable.

3ly, What methods are most proper to be used for the admission of Papists, or the reconciling of A­postates.

In the handling of the first head, I do not design to insist Peculiar places appoint­ed for the Pe­nitents. upon all the particulars of the ancient discipline of Penance, for that would be a laborious and voluminous work, but shall only mention such bran­ches of it as may be serviceable to my present design, and in order to that I consider,

First, That there were pecu­liar Nic. c. 11. An­cyr. c. 4. Tert. de poen. Basil ad Amphil. c. 22. 56 places appointed for the Penitents and Catechumens in the Church; some difference indeed there is in the number of them, for the Councils of [Page 9] Nice and Ancyra mention only three, because they did not e­steem the [...] or weep­ers to be any order of penitents, but rather as Candidates and expectants of it, and accord­ingly they are said by Tertul­lian, to be in vestibulo panitentiae, rather in the way and passage to it, than reckon'd up as a di­stinct Order of them: But the great St. Basiil takes notice of four, viz. the [...] [...] [...] & [...] Weepers, Hearers, Prostrates and Consistents, and so doth Balsamon in his notes on the Council of Neocaesaria. To these Greg. Thau­matur gus adds a fifth order, that of the [...] or Communi­cants, tho' they cannot proper­ly [Page 10] be reckon'd any Order of penitents, but should rather be esteemed as persons that have performed their penance, and so were admitted to an en­tire communion with the Church; but notwithstanding this difference in the number, it is agreed on all hands that there were several places ap­pointed for the several Orders of penitents.

These places and stations were introduced into the When first in­troduc'd, how long continu­ed. Church long before the Coun­cil of Nice, or Constantine the Great's time, as may appear by the disputes between the No­vatians and the Catholicks con­cerning the reception of the Lapsi, and the Story of Philip [Page 11] the Emperour in Eusebius, who Hist. Eccl. 6. 34. tells us that the Bishop would not admit him to enter into the Church before he had made a confession of his sins and stood in the place of penitents. And it is plain by the fore­mentioned Canon of Nice, that it rather supposeth them as things of long use and practice in the Church, then prescribes any new rules or directions a­bout them: And as they were introduced very early into the Church, so they continued in practice much longer in the Western than the Eastern Church, for the three first were abrogated in the fifth Century, soon after the days of Nectarius Patriarch of Con­stantinople; [Page 12] but they continued in the Western Church till the ninth Century, as may appear by the Capitulars of Charles the L. 5. c. 71. Great: After which time the discipline of penance begin­ning to be relax'd, the stations of the penitents decay'd with it.

2ly, That the place for the Where those sta­tions were. Weepers was in the Church­porch without the doors of the Church, the place for the Hear­ers was at the further end of the Narthex, the place for the Prostrate within the body of the Church, but before the Ambon the Pulpit or reading desk, and that for the Consi­stents before the Choire or Chancel: This will be more [Page 13] evident by applying proofs out out of ancient Writers to each of these particulars. First then for the place of the Weepers, we have the testimonies of Greg. Can. 11 Thaumaturgus and St. Basil, the former of whom tells us, that it was without the doors of the O­ratory where the penitent stood and beseeched the [...]ithful to pray for him: and the latter Ep. Can▪ c. 56. 75▪ saith, that they were to stand without the doors of the Church and confess their sins and desire the prayers of the faithful in their behalf. The The place for the hear­ers. place for the Hearers was at the hither end of the Narthex, or the entry into the Church, which whether it was within or without the Church is not [Page 14] much material to my present purpose, it being only incum­bent on me to make good that there was such a peculiar de­termined place appointed for this order of penitents: per­haps that controversy is easily reconciled by adjusting the se­veral notions of the Ancients concerning the word Ecclesia, which some extended not only to the [...] but the [...] also, and included the Nave or body of the Church under the word Ecclesia, and then it must be granted that the Narthex was within the Church, and a part of it: But others take the word Ecclesia in a more re­strained sense as including on­ly the Nave or Body of the [Page 15] Church where the faithful did assemble to Prayers and the Sacrament, and then the Narthex was no part of it, but must be supposed to be a part without it: However let that controver­sy lie as it will, I am only concerned to prove, that the Narthex was the place or station of the Hearers: And by the Narthex, I mean, the [...] the fore-part or first entry into the Church, extending from the West door till you come to the Pulpit; of which we have some footsteps remain­ing in the two Cathedrals of the Holy Trinity & St. Patricks [Page 16] Dublin, in each of which, there is a stone Pulpit fix'd about the middle of the Nave or Body of the Church: Now the Narthex will con­tain all that part of the Church that reacheth from the great West door, till you come near the stone Pul­pit, and here anciently the Catechumens and Daemo­niacks, and the Hearers had their stations; the place be­fore the Pulpit (which an­ciently was fixed in the mid­dle of the Nave, tho' now re­moved to the Wall) was the place of the [...] or the prostrate, and from thence, to the Choire or [Page 17] Chancel, was the place of the Faithful or Consistents, where they stood to hear the Word & pray, and from thence forward is the Chan­cel, called by the Ancients [...] and [...]

Now that the Narthex was the place of the Hear­ers, is plain from the testi­mony can. 11. of Greg. Thaumatur gus, who saith that the station of Hearers was within the doors, in the Narthex, where they were to stand till the Catechumens were dismissed, and then to goe out with them: To the same purpose are the words of Balsamon and Zonaras and Ga­briel [Page 18] the metropolitan of in can. 4. Ancyr. lib. de paenit. c. 10. Philadelphia affirms, that the place of Hearers, was within the door of the Church, viz. in the Narthex, where the Hearers stood and commu­nicated in the Hymns and reading of the Scripture.

The place for the [...] The place of the pro­strate. or Prostrate, was behind the Ambon, or the Reading Desk: All the Scho­liasts on the Codex canonum agree on this, as Balsamon and Zondras Aristenus and Math. Blastares; Balsamon places it [...] in can. Nicen. [...] 1. 12. Ancyr. 4. 5. behind the Reading Desk Zonaras and Aristenus [...] in the hind [Page 19] part of it, and Blastares af­firms, in can. praed. syntag. lit. m. 6. it was within the Church, [...] but behind the Ambon, and that they went out of the Church with the Catechumens when the Dea­con pronounced [...]

The last place for the Consistents, was between the The place of the faithfu Reading Desk and the Chan­cel, tho' not without some distinction of place between them and the faithful that were not under the censures of the Church: This is plain not only from the afore­mentioned Canons of Nice and Ancyra, but from the [Page 20] Annotations of the Scho­liasts upon them, which we do all place them in the same rank and station with the faithful, and allow them the same priviledges with them, except the participa­tion of the Lords Supper, and the liberty of bringing their Offerings to the Holy Table.

3ly. That those several distincti­on in ha­bits, prayers, &c. made between them. Orders of Penitents were not only distinguished from the faithful in their places, but also in their habits, in the form of prayer that was used for them, and in the time of their departure out of the Church. The several [Page 21] Writers on the discipline of Pacian. in paraen ad paenit. Ambros­ad virg­laps. c. 8. Cypr. de laps. Hie­ron. Ep. 30. ad Ocean. Conc. A­gath. c. 15. To­let. 3. c. 12. B [...]rc. in c. 6. Eligius hom. 8. penance do take notice of a distinct habit that they were to put on, during the time of their penance, which by some is called Sordida vestis, by others lugubris, atra & pullata, by others velamen pae­nitentiae, & habitus religiosus.

To these, others require, as necessary signes of contri­tion, tears in their eyes, and sadness in their countenance, shaving of the haire and ly­ing on the ground, the put­ting sackcloth on their bodies and ashes on their heads, and all for this end and purpose, that it might be known to all persons that they were under [Page 22] the censures of the Church, and that they might prove by these tests whether they were sincere in their refor­mations; If any denyed to undergoe these severities, they looked upon him as an hypocrite, and a person un­quallify'd for their com­munion.

Besides they were distin­guished Laod. c. 19. Clem. const. l. 8. c. 6. 7. 8. l. 2. c. 57. Dion. Hier. Eccl. c. 3. Basil. Ep. can. c. 56. 75. So­zom. hist. l. 7. c. 16. Chrys. hom. 72. in Math. & hom. 3. in Ep. ad Ephe­sios. from the rest of the people, in the time and man­of their departure out of the Church, and the form of prayer and benediction that were used over them: for as soon as the Hymns were sung, and the Scriptures read and the Sermon finished, the [Page 23] Hearers were dismiss'd, and then the doors were shut, & the Catechumens were pray­ed for, and when that pray­er was finished, the Catechu­mens were dismiss'd, and then the Penitents come un­der discipline, and as soon as they had kneeled down, and some certain prayers were offered up in their behalf, and the Bishop or Presbiter had laid his hands on them, then they were dismissed out of the Church, and the doors were shut again, and then the Faithful proceeded to the second Service, and the participation of the Lords Supper. These things [Page 24] are so plainly set down in the synod of Laodicea, and in those Authors that have given us an account of the manner and order of the service of the Church, that I need not insist any further on them.

4ly. confession of their sin Confessi­on requi­red. was also required of them ac­cording to the nature and quality of it, and this was judged so necessary a part of their repentance, and so sure a sign of the sincerity of their sorrow, that without it no one could receive the benefit of Absolution: The antient canons indeed take notice of two sorts of [...] or [Page 25] confession, the one, before the penance was imposed, and this was done either in private to the Bishop, or in publick in the Church, as the Bishop should direct, the other after the penance was performed: The former of these was looked on as neces­sary to free the Church from the guilt and the scandal of publick sins, and in the case of private ones it was requir­ed as a means to bring the sinners to a more due sence and conviction of their faults: Thus Tertullian commends it de pae­nit. c. 9 ▪ to the penitent as a thing highly available to Repent­ance, for he calls it proster­nendi [Page 26] & humilificandi hominis disciplina, and saith that it is the parent of Repentance, and disposeth the penitent for pardon and forgiveness and St. Cyprian in his accompt of the proceedings with the penitents, tells us that by outward gestures and tokens they shewed themselves to be sorrowful for their sins, and then made an humble confession of them before the whole congregation, and de­sired all the brethren to pray for them: This was also the in Sal. 37. practice in Origen's time, and we have an ample account of the custom of the Church in this particular out of Sozo­men, [Page 27] where he tells us, that Hist. Eccl. l. 7. c. 16. it was the custom at first for the penitents to confess their sins in publick, that after­wards to consult the modesty of the penitents, and because it was thought a little to se­vere, to make the congrega­tion privy to their sins, there was a peculiar Penitentiary appointed to receive their confessions; that this office was after abolish'd by Necta­rius, upon the occasion of a crime confess'd by a penitent, that they who were consci­ous to themselves of having offended, did fall down flat upon the the ground, with weeping and lamentation, [Page 28] &c. In the Church, and then the Bishop runs to them with tears in his eyes, and falls down to the ground in token of sorrow and com­pasion, the whole Congrega­tion in the mean time sym­pathizing with them both, and expressing their com­passion with tears and sor­row : It would be an endless thing to transcribe all the authorities of the primitive Writers to this purpose, I shall therefore only mention two particulars, that are a plain evidence of it. The first is, that the word,

[...] or confesion is fre­quently used by Ecclesiasti­cal [Page 29] Writters for the whole action of Repentance, and this is so common in the Greek and Latin Fathers, in Ireneus, & St. Basil, Tertullian, St. Cyprian, Pacianus, and others, that the crafty So­phisters of the Church of Rome, make use of it as an argument to prove their new Doctrine of Auricular Con­fession, and wherever they find the word [...] or confessio mentioned, they do not so much inquire into the genuine sense of the word, as force it into a proof for the practice of their Church in this particular. Now to me it is a plain evidence that [Page 30] confession of sins in publick was estemed a necessary part or principal ingredient of Repentance, because it could give a dinomination to the whole action, and make the discipline of Repentance to pass under that name, 2ly. That the Romish Doctrine of Auricular Confession has been superstructed upon this foundation: for it is realy nothing else but the publick exomologesis reduced to ashes and sprang up in the Church out of it's ruines, and as a late Bishop Taylor. Un. Ne­cess. ch. 10. S. 4. excellent Author saith, it is the reliques of that excellent discipline of Ecclesiastcal re­pentance which was in some [Page 31] cases necessary, in very many usefull, until by the disolu­tion of manners, it became unsufferable, and a bigger scandal than those which it did intend to remedy.

5ly. That during the time of their Ecclesiastical pe­nance, fasting injoyn­ed. they were required to fast. There is none of the an­cient Writers on the disci­pline of penance, but among the rest of the austerities that were practised by the peni­tents, do mention this of fasting, as a principal part of it, sometimes under the no­tion of jejunium, sometimes under the terms of cibus siccus, and [...] and this [Page 32] will be evident, if we consi­der the several periods of the Church and deduce the Hi­story of fasting and the pra­ctice of it through them; from whence it will appear that tho' it was always con­tinued as a part of the peni­tential discipline, yet it ad­mitted of different degrees, both as to the manner of fasting and the time of it: Tert: de paenit. c. 9. 10. 11. 12. Mor­ni. de pae­nit. l. 4. c. 9. for the three first Centuries we only read of fasting in general without determin­ing the nature of it, or the time how long, or the kinds of meat that were to be ab­stain'd from; and where there is any mention of the [Page 33] time of performing it, 'tis rarely extended beyond se­ven weeks at most. The in­cestuous 1. Co­rinth. 5. 2. Co­rinth. 2. Corint hian mention'd in St. Paul (who was the first instance of the Churches se­verity in her censures, and of her indulgence in the relax­ation of them) did not con­tinue aboue a year under that discipline, if we may be permited to draw any ar­gument from the distance of time between the writing of the two Epistles, and the Euseb. 3. 23. young man reclaim'd by St. John from the society of Rob­bers, was not above a month or two at most under the severity of it: And it is plain [Page 34] from that story and several passages in Tertullian and St. Cyprian, where they describe de paenit. c. 9. 10. Cypr. de lapsis. the manner and order of this discipline, that there is only mention of tears and fasting, of sackcloth and ashes, and prostrations on the ground, of cibus siccus, and [...] and cibus and potus purus without any determination of the nature of the fast or the time of it's continuance.

In the 4th Century, as the time of the penance was made more tedious, so the time of fasting was inlarged with it, and that fasting con­fined to a spare diet, and an abstinence from some parti­cular [Page 35] meats: We read in the Ancyr. c. 16. Ni­cen. c. 11. 12. Basil. Ep. Can. Councils that were call'd, and the Fathers that writ within this Century, of pe­nance imposed for 5. 7. 10: 12. 20. 30 years, according to the nature of the crimes that the penitents had been guilty of; and because it was impossible for men to fast so long from all manner of food, we are therefore to pre­sume, that their fasting did consist rather in a spare dyet during all the time, or a setting apart of some one or more days in a week (wher­in they eat nothing till Evening) than in a total ab­stinence from all manner of food.

[Page 36] From the 4th Century on­ward, the manner of fasting came to be prescribed and limited, and then it was thought a tolerable degree of abstinence, if the penitent did fast with bread and wa­ter, as may appear by the Canons of several Councils and the penitential Canons extant at the end of Gratians decrees, and thus things con­tinued, till the Eleventh Century, at which time the disipline of the Church began to be Corrupted by the ava­rice of the Priests and the ease & luxury of the people, and then pilgrimages to the shrines of the saints, and the [Page 37] entring into Monasterys, the going on an expedition for the recovery of the Holy-Land, or the maintaining of those that were willing to engage in the Expedition, destroyed the ancient disci­pline of the Church, and reduced it to that weak and languishing state in which it is at present.

2ly, I come now to the se­cond how far the anti­ent disci­pline is practica­ble. particular, to enquire, how far the antient discipline of the church, is at present practica­ble, and here I consider, that some things are of the sub­stance of it, which continu­ed the same in all ages, and were constantly practised as [Page 38] long as the discipline conti­nued in its vigour, and o­thers are of a mutable and circumstantial nature, which being altered and changed according to the custom of places and the will of the Governours of the Church, may still be laid aside as they think fit. Those things that are of the substance of it, I see no reason why they ought not still to be con­tinued, for they are pra­cticable now as well as for­merly, and having received no alteration through the several Ages of the Church that have transmitted them to us, are a plain evidence [Page 39] to any unprejudiced man, that they are not altera­ble at the will of the Church; that they may be suited to her in any state or condition, and may still be reduced to practice when the wisdom of her Govern­ours shall think it expe­dient: And among these I reckon three things former­ly mentioned, viz. The pe­nitents confession of his fault, his afflicting himself with fasting for a season, and his standing for some time in a peculiar place of the Church appointed for that purpose, before he be admitted to her communion. Among the [Page 40] circumstantial and less ne­cessary things I reckon the distinction of their Apparel, and the Ashes on their Heads, the Sack-cloth on their bodies, and prostra­tions on the ground, the abstinence from Feasts, and and all kind of Civil Busi­ness and Commerce, the macerating of the body, by want of sleep, and long and severe Fastings, the length of time in which they were forced to continue under the Censures of the Church, and wait for Absolution, before they could receive it, which sometimes and in some cases, extended to [Page 41] twenty or thirty years, and as to some particular Sins, they would never grant a relaxation of their Censures, till the penitent was ex­piring. These things, some of them, were the peculiar flights and excellencies of the primitive Christians, and were an argument of a rare and excellent tem­per that reign'd among them, and may put us in­to a just admiration, whe­ther the severity of the Bishops and Presbiters in imposing them, or the rea­diness of the people in com­plying with them, were more to be valued, and e­steemed. [Page 42] But alas! since ease and Luxury have broken all the forces of Piety, and the true practice of Reli­gion is decay'd in most, 'tis in vain to talk of re­ducing a debauch'd Age to the austerities of the for­mer, or prescribe those things as a remedy for their Disease, which they nau­seate the thoughts of; it is sufficient for us, if we can be able to revive the sub­stance of it, though we can­not be so happy as to re­cover it to its primitive vi­gour: There remains only to consider,

3ly, What methods are most pre­sent methods fit to be used. [Page 43] proper for the admission of Pa­pists to our Communion, or the reconciling of Apostates from it, and here it is to be consi­dered,

‘ First, that the cases of these two are very diffe­rent, and therefore the method of dealing with them must be so too: For the Romanists having never been of our commu­nion, may and ought to be treated with more tender­ness then an Apostate Prote­stant, for he has the pre­tence of ignorance for his excuse, but the others sin is the more inexcusable, because he has acted [Page 44] against the light of his Con­science, and has had the opportunity of knowing better things.’

2ly, ‘That some diffe­rence distincti­on to be made be­tween the lapsi must be made as to the case of the Protestants that have fallen off from us, according to the seve­ral grounds and occasions of their Apostacy: Some of them have been ser­vants under the power of severe Masters, and others wives under the authority of their husbands, some have forsaken us out of a principle of fear, lest they should be stript of all, and exposed to want, [Page 45] and others have complyed out of hopes of gain and making their fortunes by the exchange; some have sat down quietly on their fortunes, behaving them­selves peaceably and in­offensively among their Protestant neighbours, & endeavouring to do them all the good offices that lay in their power, others have Joyn'd with the Ro­manists in their violence against the Protestants, and have been more than ordinarily eager in the prosecution of them, that so they might approve their zeal and the sincerity [Page 46] of their conversion to their new Masters; and as the motives to their change before they made it, and their actions and behaviour after, has been very different, so the me­thods of treating them must be more mild or se­vere, and temper'd ac­cording to the several cir­cumstances of the party.’

3ly, ‘Let there be a seat Peni­tents Seat. prepared at the entry into the Church behinde the West door, called by the name of the penitents seat, and let the party, that de­sires to be received, sit there during the times of [Page 47] prayer & Sermon on every Sunday for a month toge­ther, that the Congrega­tion may know the per­son, and take notice of his behaviour during his continuance there.’

4ly. ‘Let none of them Confe­rence with them. be permitted to come to Church, or be present at Divine Service, that do not give notice beforehand, to the Minister of the Pa­rish, of his desire to be ad­mitted to our communion; and when he doth so, let the Minister spend some time in conference with him, and labour to bring him to a due sense and con­viction [Page 48] of his fault, in for­saking our communion (if he were a member of it) or of his danger in conti­nuing so long in the com­munion of the Church of Rome, if he were a Romanist.’

5ly. ‘Let the Minister, Peni­tents address to the Minister, and his answer. the next Lords Day (after notice given him by the person that desires to be reconciled) appoint him to attend him to the Church, and when they come to the Church door, let the penitent (standing without the door) in the presence of some of the Congregation, say these words to him: Sir, I have [Page 49] formerly been a Member of the Church of Rome, & am now sensible of my sin and danger in being so, & I am come hither to desire that I may be admitted into the communion of your Church, and to desire yours, and the Prayers of the faith­ful, to God in my behalf; To which let the Minister an­swer: Brother, the Arms of the Catholick Church are always open to embrace those that are truly penitent for their faults, but you must wait here a while, till I go into the Church, and desire to know the minds of my Christian Brethren, whether they are willing that you should be admitted, for since they have [Page 50] been scandalized by your fall, it is but reasonable that they should be satisfied in your Re­pentance.:’

6ly. ‘Then let the Mini­ster Consent of the Church necessa­ry. go into the Church (the penitent still standing without the door) and ac­quaint the Congregation with the request of the penitent, and if they be willing to have him ad­mitted, let him go to him again, attended with three or four of the people, and bring him into the Church, placing him in the peni­tents seat, and saying: Sir, I have acquainted the Congregation with your desire, [Page 51] and they are willing to consent to it, but you must be content to wait for four several Sundays in this place, and communicate only in the prayers of the Church, and the preaching of the Word, till you be ad­mitted to a more full commu­nion with them. When this is done, let him proceed in the Office of the Church, and when prayers are end­ed, let a Sermon be preach­ed, Sermon for the occasion. adapted to the present occasion, and consisting of these heads. First, the lay­ing open the errors and corruptions of the Church of Rome, both in Doctrine and Worship. 2ly, The [Page 52] danger of continuing in the communion of a Church that is so corrupt. 3ly. That notwithstanding this danger, yet there is hopes of pardon with God upon the sincere repent­ance of the party. 4ly. Let the nature of Repentance be opened to him, and let him be told what Acts and Offices he is to do for the making his repentance ac­ceptable with God. 5ly. Let him give him some general Rules for the regulation of his life & conversation.’

7ly. ‘When this is done, Fasting and Prayer. let the Parish Minister go to his house, and discourse [Page 53] over the heads of his Ser­mon to him. Let him advise him to set apart one day in a week during his su­spension, for the work of fasting and prayer; Let him direct him how to ob­serve that fast, and give him a few short prayers, suited to his occasions, and advise him how to employ his thoughts, that they may not interfere for want of a subject fit for medita­tion: In particular, let him advise him to say the Li­tany and the seven Peni­tential Psalms, and the three prayers in the Office [Page 54] of Commination: All this is advised in case the party can read, but if he cannot, the Minister must take more pains with him in instructing him, and learning him some few prayers by heart. 8ly. Let him also acquaint him publick confessi­on. that a publick confession of his sin, in forsaking the communion of our Church, will be expected from him, together with an abjurati­on of the errors of the Church of Rome, and an o­pen promise of continuing for the future, in the com­munion of our Church, according to the form here­after [Page 55] prescribed, and let him read over to him the several things that he is to do in the face of the Church, upon the day of his admission, that he may not be surprized at the time of doing them.’

9ly. ‘When the party Form of admissi­on. has observed these Rules, and has stood four Sundays in the penitents seat, as before directed, let the Mi­nister on the last Lords Day tell him, that he in­tends to admit him into the communion of the Church the next Lords Day following, and desire him to prepare himself ac­cordingly [Page 56] for it; And when the day for his ad­mission is come, which must always be some Sun­day or Lords Day, publick­ly in the Church) let the penitent sit in his seat, till after the Second Lesson at Morning prayer, and then let the Minister go down for him, and bring him up to the middle of the Church before the Read­ing-Desk, and then let him pray,’

PRevent us, O Lord, in all our doings with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy conti­nual help, that in all our [Page 57] works begun continued and ended in thee we may Glo­rify thy holy name & final­ly by thy mercy obtain e­verlasting life through Jesus Christ Our Lord.

¶ Then let the penitent say

Sir,

I am come hither with a design to make a publick Peni­tent's address to the Minister confession of my fault, in deserting the communion of this reformed Church, in the times of danger and af­fliction, & embracing the communion of the Church of Rome to preserve my selfe from trouble; I doe here [Page 58] publickly own this to be a great sin in me, and doe beg your assistance, in read­mitting me to the com­munion of the Church from which I have Apostatized, as also your holy prayers, and the prayers of the Con­gregation unto God for me, for the pardon of this great and crying sin, and for the assistance of his Spirit to preserve and strengthen me in this Communion all the days of my life.

If the person can read, he is to read the aformentioned pro­fession, if not let some one that can read, repeat it for him saying Sir, I. N. of C, in the parish of B▪ [Page 59] is come hither &c. And then let the penitent express his assent to it.

¶ Then let the Priest say,

Sir,

Before you are admitted Interr [...] ­tories into the communion of our Church, it is fit that you should make some pub­lick profession of your faith, and acquaint the present Congregation with the mo­tives of your Change, to the end it may appear to them, that you do not return to us again rashly & unadvisedly, for worldly ends and secu­lar respects; but upon so­ber [Page 60] grounds and weighty ar­guments of conviction, I demand therefore of you.

First, Doe you believe all the Articles of the Christian faith?

2ly. Repeat them then for the satisfaction of the Con­gregation.

I believe, &c.

3ly, Do you here in the presence of God and of this Congregation renounce all the errors and corruptions of the Church of Rome as they stand determin'd by the Council of Trent, and are at present taught and practised in that Church?

4ly, Declare unto the [Page 61] Congregation for what rea­sons you forsook the com­munion of our Church.

5ly, Are you sensible of your sin in forsaking our communion for those rea­sons, and sorry for so doing?

6ly, Doe you desire to be admitted into the commu­nion of our Church which you have forsaken?

7ly, Are you resolved by the Grace of God to live and die in the unity of the Ca­tholick faith, and in the communion of the Church of Ireland as it is reform'd from the errors and corrup­tions of Popery?

¶ Then let the Priest say

ALmighty God who has Prayers to be used put these good resolu­tions into your heart give you grace and strength to perform them, through Je­sus Christ our Lord.

¶ After this let the party read his abjuration, openly in the Church (if he can read, and if not let some one of the standers by read it for him) and at the end of it, let him be asked by the Priest whether he assents to the contents of it. Then say, let us pray.

[Page 63] O Most merciful God, who according to the multitude of thy mercies, dost so put away the sins of those that truly repent, that thou remembrest them no more, open thine eyes of mercy, upon this thy servant who most earnestly desires pardon and forgivness, re­new in him, whatsoever has been decay'd either by the fraud of the devil or by his own carnal will and frail­ty, preserve and continue him in the unity of the Church, and restore him to thy peace and favor in hea­ven, upon our admission of him into the communion of [Page 64] thy Church on earth: Give him Grace to perform the good Resolutions that he has made, and let the sense of his former frailty, in de­parting from the truth, have so strong an influence upon his Soul, as to make him em­brace it the more firmly for the time to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

MOst Gracious God and Merciful Father, re­ceive we beseech thee, this wandring Sheep into thy Fold, which by the snares of the Tempter, & the frailty of his nature has gone astray from it; pardon his sin in so doing, & accept of his Repen­tance [Page 65] for it; let thy Fatherly pitty be extended towards him, and receive him into the Arms of thy Mercy, now that he desires to return in­to the way of truth, that so the Enemy may not tri­umph in the ruine of thy Servant, but that the Church may rejoyce like an Indul­gent Mother, at the conver­sion and return of her lost Child, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

¶ Then let the Priest stand up (the Penitent kneeling) and lay his hand on his head saying,

BY vertue of the Autho­rity, Absolu­tion. to me committed, by our Lord and Saviour [Page 66] Jesus Christ, I do readmit this person into the communion of the Church, and restore him to the prayers of the Church, and the participa­tion of the Eucharist, and to all other Rites and Sym­bols of communion, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Let us pray.

MOst Gracious God and merciful Father, who hast vouchsafed to call this thy Servant from the dark­ness of error, to the light of thy truth, and to recall him into the bosom of the Catho­lick Church; send down up­on him, we beseech thee, the [Page 67] the Holy Ghost the Comfort­er, and daily encrease in him the gifts of thy Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel & Ghostly strength, the Spirit of Knowledge and true Godliness, and fill him, O Lord, with the Spirit of thy holy fear, now and for ever. Amen.

Exorta­tion.¶ After this let the Minister make some short exhortation to him on these heads. 1st. The nature of the Promise and Ob­ligation that he has entred in­to. 2ly. the necessity of per­forming a promise that has been made so publickly and upon such solemn occasion. 3ly. The shame, danger & hazard of breaking it.

‘ This Abjuration should be signed by the party, and witnessed, and then deli­vered to the Priest, that it may be entred into the Parish Registry, then let it be sent to the Bishop of the Diocess that it may remain on Record on his Registry also.’

‘ If the lapsed person has [Page 70] done injury to any of his Protestant Neighbours by robbing them of their goods, he ought not to be admited till he makes re­stitution, or professes a willingness to it.’

¶ Then let the Priest say,

Sir,

BEfore you are admit­ted to the Commu­nion of our Church, it is fit that you make some pub­lick profession of your Faith, & acquaint the Congregati­on with the motives of your change, that it may appear to them that you have nei­ther forsaken the commu­nion of the Church of Rome, nor embraced the commu­nion of ours, for finister ends, and worldly respects, but [Page 80] upon sober grounds, and solid arguments of conviction; I de­mand therefore of you,

First. Do you believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith.

Ans. I do▪

2ly. Repeat them for the sa­tisfaction of the Congregation.

3ly. Do you here in the pre­sence of God & this Congrega­tion heartily and sincerely re­nounce all the errors and cor­ruptions of the Church of Rome, as they stand determined by the Council of Trent, and are at present taught and practised in that Church?

Ans. I renounce them all.

4ly. Are you sensible of your sin and danger in continuing so long in the communion of that [Page 81] Church?

Ans. I am.

5ly. Do you desire to be ad­mitted into the communion of our Church?

Ans. I do desire it.

6ly. Are you resolved by the grace of God to live and die in the unity of the Catholick faith and in the communion of the Church of Ireland as it stands reformed from the errors and corruptions of Popery?

Ans. I am so resolved.

7ly. Read your Renuntiation.

¶ After the reading of it let the Minister say,

ALmighty God, who has put these good Resolu­tions into your heart, and has discovered to you the light of [Page 82] his Truth, give you grace and strength to walk in that light, and perform those good resolu­tions, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ Then let the Minister use the two former Collects, & then pro­ceed as in the former Office, ex­cept only in the first Collect instead of these words [let the sense of his former frailty in depart­ing from the truth] let these be inserted, Let the sense of his former ignorance of the truth have so strong an in­fluence, &c. After the two Collects, let the Minister stand up (the Penitent kneeling) and lay his hand upon his head, say­ing,

[Page 83] BY vertue of the Authori­ty to me committed by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, I do receive this person into the communion of the Church, and admit him to the prayers of the Church, and the participation of the Lords Sup­per, and to all other Rites and Symbols of communion, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, & of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

¶ Then shall follow the Collect in the former Office, and after that a short Exhortation upon these following heads. First. To shew to him the advantages that the Protestant communion has beyond that of the Church of Rome, in al­lowing the liberty of reading [Page 84] the Scripture, and the benefit of the publick prayers in a known tongue, in drawing its Members off from relyances on Saints and Angels, on hal­lowed Beads and Medals, and and fixing their trust and confidence only upon God. 2ly. To lay before them the necessity of continuing sted­fast in the communion that they have embraced. 3ly. To shew them the danger and hazard of breaking the Pro­mise which they have so so­lemnly and publickly made, and to forewarn them of, and arm them against the loud clamours of Heretick and Schismatick, and their being out of the Church, which they [Page 85] must expect will be raised a­gainst them & said unto them by the men of the commu­nion which they have for­saken.: