The order of the
Communion.

FYrste the personne. Vicar
or curat, ye next Sondaye
or holy day, or at the least
one day before he shall minister
the Co~munion, shall
geue warning to hys parisshioners,
or those which
be presente, that they prepare
them selues therto, saiyng to the~ openly
& plainlie as here after folowed, or such lyke.
DEre frendes, and you especiallye,
vpon whose soules I haue cure
and charge, vpon. daye next I
doe entende by Godes grace to offer to
all suche as shalbe therto godlie dysposed,
the moste co~fortable Sacrament of
the bodye and bloude of Christe; to be
taken of them in the remembraunce of
his moste fruictfull and gloryous passion:
By the whiche passion, we haue
obteined remission of our synnes, and
be made partakers of the kyngdom of
heuen, wherof, we be assured and asserteyned
yf we come to the sayd Sacrament,
with hartye repentaunce of oure

offences, stedfaste faith in Godes mercye,
and earnest mynde to obey Godes
wyll, and to offend no more: wherfore
our duety is, to come to these holye misteries
with moste harty thankes to be
geuen to almightye God, for his infinite
mercye and benefites, geuen & bestowed
vpon vs, his unworthye seruauntes,
for whome he hath not onlye
geuen his bodye to death and shed his
bludde, but also dothe vouche saufe in
a Sacramente, and mysterye, to geue
vs his said bodye & bloude spirituallye,
to fede and drynke vpon. The whiche
Sacrament, being so diuine and holye
a thynge, and so comfortable to them
whiche receaue it worthelye, & so daungerous
to them that will presume to
take thesame unworthelye: my duty is
to exhorte you, in the meane season, to
consyder the greatnes of the thynge,
and to searche & examyne youre awne
consciences, and that not lightlie, nor
after the maner of dyssimulers wyth
God: But as they whiche should come

to a most godlie and heauenlie banket:
not to come: but in the mariage garme~t
requyred of God in scripture, that you
may so muche as lyeth in you, be found
worthye to come to suche a table: The
waies and meane thserto is.

First, that you be truly repentaunte
of your former euell life, and that you
confesse with an vnfayned harte to almightie
God your synnes and vnkindnes
towardes hys Maiestie committed
eyther by will, woorde or deede, infirmitie
or ignoraunce, and that wyth
inwarde sorowe and teares, you bewayle
youre offences, and requier of almightye
God, mercy, and pardon, promising
to him, from the botome of your
hartes, thamendement of youre former
life. And emonges al others, I am commaunded
of God, especially to moue &
exhorte you, to reconcile youre selfes to
youre neighboures, whome you haue
offended, or who hathe offended you,
puttyng out of youre hartes, al hatered

and malyce agaynst them, and to be in
loue and charyte wyth all the worlde
& to forgeue other, as you woulde that
God shoulde forgeue you. And yf there
be any of you, whose conscience is troubled
and greued in any thyng, lackyng
comforte or counsayle, let hym come to
me, or to some other discrete & learned
priest taught in the lawe of God, and
confesse and open hys synne and grief
secretelye, that he maye receyue suche
ghostlye counsaile, aduyse and comfort
that hys conscyence maye bee releued,
and that of vs as a minister of God and
of the churche, he may receyue comforte
and absolucyon to the satysfaccyon of
hys mynd and aduoydyng of al scruple
and doubtfulnes: requyrynge suche as
shalbe satysfyed wyth a generall confessyon,
not to be offended wyth them
that doeth vse, to their further satysfiynge,
tharticuler and secret confessyon
to the priest, nor those also, which think
nedefull or conuenient for the quietnes
of their owne consciences, particulerly

B. j.

to open their sinnes to the prieste, to be
offended, with them whiche are satisfyed
wyth their humble confession to
God, and the generall confession to the
churche: But in all these thinges, to folowe
and kepe the rule of charitie: and
euerye man to be satisfyed with his
awne conscience, not iudginge other
mens myndes or actes, where as he
hathe no warrant of Goddes worde for
thesame.


Derely beloued in the Lord, ye commyng
to this holie communion, muste
consider what S. Paule wryteth to
the Corinthians, how, be exhorteth all
personnes diligentlie to trye and examine
them selfes, or euer they presume
to eate of this bread and drinke of this
Cuppe, for as the benefte is greate, if
with a truely penitent harte, and lyuely
faith, we receiue this holy Sacrament,
(for then we spirituallye eate the fleshe
of Christe, and drynke his blood: Then
we dwell in Christe and Christe in vs,
wee be made one with Christ & Christe
with vs) So is the daunger greate, yf
we receyue thesame, vnworthelie, for
then we become gilty of the body and
bloud of Christe our sauiour, we eate &
drynke our awne dampnation, because
we make no difference of the Lordes
body, wee kyndle Godes wrath ouer
vs, we prouoke him to plage vs wyth
dyuerse dyseases and sondrye kyndes
of death. Judge therfore youre selfes,
(brethren) that ye be not iudged of

B. ij.

the Lord. Let your mynde be without
desier to synne: Repente you trulye for
youre synnes past, haue an earnest and
lyuely fayth in Christ, our sauyoure, be
in perfect charytie wyth all menne, so
shall ye be mete partakers of these holye
mysteryes: But aboue all thynges
you must geue most humble and harty
thankes to God the father, the sonne
and the holy Ghost, for the redempcion
of the worlde, by the death and passyon
of our Sauyour Christ bothe God and
man, who dyd humble hym selfe euen
to the death vpon the crosse, for vs miserable
sinners, liyng in darcknes and the
shadowe of deathe, that he myght make
vs the chyldren of God, and exalte
vs to euerlastynge lyfe. And to thende
that wee alwaye shoulde remember the
excedynge loue of oure Mayster and onlye
Sauyour Jesus Christ thus doyng
for vs, and the innumerable benefytes
whyche by hys precyous bloude shedynge,
he hath obteyned to vs, he hath
lefte in these holy misteries, as a pledge

of hys loue, and a contynuall remembraunce
of thesame, hys awne blessed
body and precyous bloude, for vs spiritually
to fede vpon, to our endles comforte
and consolacyon. To hym therefore
with the father and the holy ghost
let vs geue as we are most bound, continual
thankes, submyttyng our selfes
wholy to his holye wyll and pleasure,
and studiynge to serue hym in true holynes
and ryghteousnes all the dayes
of our life. Amen.


If anye man here be an open blasphemer,
aduouterer, in malice, or enuy,
or any other notable cryme, and be not
truly sory therfore, and earnestly mynded
to leaue thesame vyces, or that
doth not trust him selfe to be reconciled
to almightie God, and in charite wyth
all the worlde, let hym yet a whyle bewayle
his sinnes and not come to this
holy table, least after the taking of this
mooste blessed breade, the Deuel enter

B. iij.

into him, as he dyd into Judas, to
fulfill in him all iniquite, and to bringe
him to destruction, bothe of bodye and
soule.



You that do trulie and earnestlie
repent you of youre synnes, and offences,
commytted to almyghtie God, and
be in loue and charitye wyth youre
neyghbours, and entende to leade a
newe life and hartelye to followe the
commaundementes of God, and to
walke from hensforthe in hys holye
waies, drawe nere, and take this holye
Sacrament to youre comforte, make
youre humble confession to almightie
God, and to his holie churche, here gathered
together, in his name, mekelie
kneling vpon your knees.



Almyghtie God, father of our Lorde
Jesus Christe, maker of all thinges
iudge of all men, wee knowlege and
bewayle oure manyfolde synnes and
wyckednes, whiche we from tyme to
tyme, moste greuouslye haue committed
by thoughte, worde, and dede, against
thy diuine maiestie, prouokinge
moste iustlye, thy wrath and indignacion
against vs: Wee doe earnestlye repent,
and be hartely sory, for these oure
mysdoinges: The remembraunce of
them is greuouse vnto vs, the burthen
of them is intollerable, haue mercye
vpon vs, haue mercye vpon vs, moste
mercyfull father, for thy sonne oure
Lorde Jesus Christes sake: Forgeue
vs all that is past, and graunt that we
maye euer hereafter, serue and please
the, in newnes of life to the honour and

glory of thy name, through Jesus christ
our Lorde.


Our blessed Lord, who hath left power
to hys church, to absolue penytent
synners from their synnes, and to restore
to the grace of the heauenly father
suche as trulye beleue in Christe, haue
mercye vpon you, pardon and deliuer
you from al sinnes, confyrme & stre~gth
you in all goodnes, and bring you to
euerlastyng lyfe


Come vnto me all that trauail and
be heauy laden, and I shal refreshe you.
So God loueth the worlde that he gaue
hys onlie begotten sonne, to thende
that all that beleue in hym, shoulde not
peryshe, but haue lyfe euerlastynge.

This is a true saiyng, and worthye

of all men to be embraced and receyued,
that Jesus Christ came into thys
worlde to saue synners.


If any man sinne, we haue an aduocate
wyth the father, Jesus Christe the
righteous, he it is that obteyned grace
for our synnes.


WE do not presume to come to this
thy table (O mercifull Lorde) trustinge
in oure owne righteousnes, but
in thy manifolde and greate mercies:
We bee not worthy so muche as to gather
vp the crommes vnder thy table:
But thou arte the same Lorde, whose
propertie is alwayes, to haue mercye:
Graunte vs therefore gracious Lorde
so to eate the fleshe, of thy deare sonne
Jesus Christ, and to drynke his bloude
in these holy misteries, that we maye
continuallye dwell in hym, and he in
vs, that oure sinfull bodies, maye bee

C. i.

made cleane by hys bodye, and our soules
washed, through his moste precious
bloude. Amen.


The bodye of our Lord Jesus Christ,
whiche was geuen for the, preserue thy
body vnto euerlastynge lyfe.

The bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ,
whiche was shed for the, preserue thy
soule vnto euerlastyng lyfe.



The peace of God whych passeth all
vnderstandynge, kepe your hartes and
myndes in the knowlege and loue of
God, and of hys sonne Jesus Christe,
oure Lorde.