any

other Paten.

his Hand upon the Bread, in The fame he is to do by the Cup, holding it in his Left-hand, and not fetting it down, till the End of the Prayer.

Then fhall the Minister first receive the Communion in both Kinds himself, and then proceed to deliver the fame to the Bishops, Priefts and Deacons, in like Manner, i. e. that they may Such communicate help the chief Minifter. within the Rails.

Then fall the Priest say the Lord's Prayer, the People repeating after him (instead of with him) every Petition. After fhall be faid as followeth.

Tho' the Prayer of Oblation, by the first Book of Edward VI. was placed after the Prayer of Confecration, and not as it is now after the Participation; yet for the most Part does it take Place of the other, notwithstanding that the last, as a Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving, is more full of Acknowledgments, for the Benefits juft receiv'd, and therefore more proper to be oftner used than the

other.

Then fhall be faid or fung

It is highly noble, that all the devout Communicants should after fo fpiritual a Feast pour out their Souls in joint Praises to God, and

with

with the Minifter unite their Voices in this divine Hymn of, Glory be to God on high, &c.

Then the Priest, after a Collect or two (or Bishop, if he be prefent) fhall let them depart with this Bleffing.

The first of these Collects, is to help our Infirmities, and to direct ourWays towards everlafting Salvation: The Second is for the Protection and Preservation of our Souls and Bodies: The next is a Supplication for bringing forth the Fruit of a good Life: The fourth is for God's preventing Grace: The fifth, for the Forgiveness of our Infirmities and Imperfections: And the laft, for God's Acceptance of our Prayers.

And the fame may be faid alfo, as often as Occafion fhall ferve.

As it is therefore left to the Difcretion of the Minister to read fome of thefe Collects after Morning or Evening Prayer, it is highly fitting, that one or two of them, that were not used in the Morning, fhould be read upon a Sunday Evening; efpecially, if there be no

Sermon.

And note, That every Parishioner fhall communicate at the least three Times in the Year, of which Eafter to be one.

There are fome that look upon this no further, than that they are not required to communicate oftner; and because of the Nearness

I

of

of Whitfuntide to Eafter, and Eafter being always one of them, they do not, from that Time, cornmunicate any more, till about the Feaft of St. Michael.

The Church ordering every Parishioner to communicate at least three Times in the Year, is far from requiring them not to communicate oftner; and wherever the Sacrament is not celebrated upon Whitfundey, there the Parish do not enough confider, that they should never fail of having one upon that High-Day; and that it is very proper too, that they should not be without one, when all the Fruits of the Earth have been gathered in.

And yearly at Eafter every Parishioner shall reckon with the Parfon, Vicar or Curate, and pay all Ecclefiaftical Duties. What these accuftom'd Dues are, is Matter of Difpute.

Bifhop Stilling fleet fuppofes them to be a Compofition for perfonal Tithes: But Bishop Gibson's Opinion is, that they were partly a Compofition for the Holy Loaf, which the Holy Communicants were to bring and offer.

After the Divine Service ended, the Money given at the Offertory fhall be difpofed of to fuch pious and charitable Ufes, as the Minifter and Church-wardens fhall think fit; wherein if they difagree, it shall be difpofed of as the Ordinary fhall appoint.

The

The Scotch Liturgy fays, that

That which was offered fhall be divided in the Prefence of the Prefbyter and Church-wardens, whereof one Part shall be to the Ufe of the Pref byter, to provide him Books of Holy Divinity; the other fhall be faithfully kept and employ'd on fome pious and charitable Ufes, for the decent Furnishing of the Church, or the publick Relief of the Poor.

Notwithstanding the Word pious, as well as charitable, yet the common Way is now, for the Minifter and Church-wardens to difpofe of the Charity-Money to any poor Perfons, that are not entred upon their Parish Books.

There are yet ftill fome Places where it is otherways difpofed of.

It is faid, that fome Colleges in Cambridge, give their Communion-Money to their Charity Schools, befides Subfcriptions.

That at Nantwych, there are forty Boys taught, who are made to wear blue Caps, that their Behaviour may be more remarkable; and that the Minifter has alfo fet up another School, for thirty Girls, and fupports it by the Offertory.

At Beconsfield we referve the greatest Part of the Alms every Communion, not only in Order to put out fuch Children to School, as, very likely, but for that, would never have been there; but to make it likewife a fure and

conftant Fund for the Support and Comfort of all fuch, as fhall at any Time be found to be unany Manner of Distress.

der

And tho' fome of the antient People were outragiously concern'd for fome Time, to be fo arbitrarily deprived of Part of their Income; yet as foon as they began to feel, that their Friends and Relations were by this Means very feafonably as well as very extraordinarily relieved; and that the fame Affiftance would as certainly reach them, whenever they should have the fame Occafion for it; why then, indeed, they began too to be pretty well fatisfied, that the Alteration had been made for the good of them all.

The Miniflration of publick Baptifm of Infants.

Baptifm is to be adminiftred upon Sundays and other Holidays, when the most Number of People come together, as well that the Congregation there prefent may teftify the receiving of them that be newly baptized into the Number of Christ's Church; as also because in the Baptifm of Infants, every Man present may be put in Remembrance of his own Profeffion made to God in his Baptifm. Nevertheless (if Neceflity fo require) Children may be baptized upon any other Day.

In