The Service for the Consecration of Trinity Chapel at Lincolk’s Inn on Thursday, May 22nd, 1623 — Reconstructed
This reconstruction combines the rites for Morning Prayer, The Great Litany, and Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer (1604), together with additional prayers and proclamations written especially for the occasion and John Donne’s sermon delivered on this occasion.
In this reconstruction, words in red italic type are rubrics from the Book of Common Prayer. Words in black italic type are from documents in the Archive of Lincoln’s Inn. Words in blue italic are editorial comments my the editor.
At 8:00 am on the morning of May 22, 1623, being the Feast of the Ascension, the reverend father in Christ [George Montaigne, Bishop of London], accompanied by many reverend and venerable men, approached the doorway of the chapel to be consecrated, and to him the venerable men Thomas Spenser, Richard Digges, and Egidius Tooker, esquires, owners (together with others) of the aforesaid Inn, and William Ravenscroft, one of the worshipful counselors of the aforementioned Inn, indicated that they had, for the everlasting honor and service of God almighty, and the use of those staying in the aforesaid Inn, seen to the erection and equipment of the said chapel, on their own private grounds and with their own private funds.
And they yielded their rights in the same, and so in their own names as also in the names of all others having an interest in this area, unanimous in agreement and consent, they granted, gave, and donated the aforesaid chapel to God almighty and to the highest, holy, and indivisible Trinity, and in token of a free donation of this sort, they presented and handed over the keys of the aforesaid chapel to the same reverend, humbly beseeching the said reverend father to declare and consecrate the aforesaid chapel to the everlasting honor and service of God almighty, and the use of those staying in the aforesaid Inn.When these things had been done, the reverend father aforesaid entered the empty (but suitably fitted out) chapel alone, while the assembly of those present stood outside and looked on. And he himself, on the very doorstep to the entrance, spoke and blessed the place in this fashion, to wit:
I was glad when they said unto me: we will go in the house of the Lord. Peace be within these walls and prosperity within these doors. Because thou art a house for the Lord our God we will seek to do thee good. I have chosen and sanctified this place that my name may be there for ever, and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
Then, moving forward a little, the reverend father, on bent knees and with hands lifted to the sky towards the east, spoke, alone, the following prayer, to wit:
O eternal God mighty in power and of incomprehensible Majesty who fillest both heaven and earth with thy glorious presence, and therefore canst not be contained within any the largest circuit, much less within this narrow room, for the consecration whereof we are now assembled.
Notwithstanding because it hath pleased thee to promise thine special presence in that place where two or three shall be gathered together in thy name and for thine honor: We doe here in all humility and with readiness of heart, wholly devote and dedicate this place this day for ever unto thee (utterly separating it henceforth from all profane and domestical uses or affaires) and are bold to consecrate it to thy service onely, for hearing thy word, celebrating the sacrament of the Lords Supper, and offering up the sacrifices both of prayer and thanksgiving.
And although (miserable wretches as we are) we be altogether unworthy to appoint any earthly thing to so great a Majesty, and the most unfit of all thy Ministers to appear before thee in so honorable a service, Yet we most humbly beseech thee to forget and forgive our manifold sins, and to be present amongst us in this religious action : vouchsafe to accept it graciously at our hands, bless it with happy success,and because thy holy word is here to be preached, and thy holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper here to be administered, Lord give a blessing to thy holy word and Sacrament so oft as thy servants shall be here partakers of them.
And we beseech thee O Lord receive the prayers and supplications of us here assembled at this present, and of all others, who hereafter (entering into this hallowed place) shall call upon thee, and give both them and us grace whensoever we come into this thy place and house of residence, to bring hither clean thoughts, pure hearts, bodies undefiled and minds sanctified, to wash our hands in innocency (good Lord) and then to come to thine Altar, that so we may present unto thee both our souls and bodies as holy temples of thy spirit, within this little temple, to the glory of thy holy name, and accomplishment of our desires, through Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost be all glory, world without end. Amen.
Then the reverend father aforesaid, turning himself towards the congregation still standing at the doors of the chapel, and himself standing in view of the congregation, consecrated the aforesaid chapel by reading in public a schedule of dedication and consecration, a pronouncement put in writing and at that time extended and handed over to him by his vicar general in spiritual matters, containing the following words, to wit:
In the name of God, Amen. Since the worshipful and venerable men – counselors and students — in the Inn commonly called Lincoln’s Inn, sited and located, as is well known, beside the lane commonly called Chancery Lane in the suburbs of the city of London, of our London diocese and jurisdiction, induced by pious and religious devotion, have now newly erected, built and constructed this chapel in the aforesaid Inn, containing between the walls of the same, in longitude from east to west, sixty-eight feet or thereabouts, and in latitude, from north to south, forty-one feet or thereabouts, and a certain construction with steps or stairs for access or entrance to the same, upon their own lands and at their own expense for the honor of God and the use of counselors, students, and those staying now and in the future in the same; and have sufficiently and suitably decorated and fitted out the same chapel with altar, pulpit, suitable seats, a bell, and other things necessary to divine worship; and have begged us that we, by our ordained and episcopal authority, on our own behalf and that of our successors, should separate said chapel and other premises from all previous uses, common and profane, whatsoever, and dedicate and consecrate it to sacred and divine uses:
We therefore, George, by divine permission Bishop of London, In response to the religious desire of said worshipful and venerable men in this matter and favorably assenting to the consecration of this chapel erected anew (as reported before), built, constructed and adorned by the expenditures of the aforesaid worshipful and venerable men, proceeding by our ordained and episcopal authority: We have separated from every common and profane use this chapel, the whole building and the entrance of the same, and steps or stairs of the said chapel, as they exist constructed at present, and other premises connected with the said chapel, and we bear witness through those present that it has been so separated.
And as well, by our same ordained and episcopal authority, we grant license and right in the Lord, on our own behalf and that of our successors, for divine service to be conducted in the aforesaid chapel, to wit: recitation of public prayers and the holy liturgy of the Anglican church; the faithful propagation and preaching of the word of God, and the administration of the sacrament of the holy Eucharist, or supper of the Lord, in the same chapel. And just as to the priest ordained according to the custom and ritual of the Anglican Church, who will serve in the same chapel, we grant full power in the Lord to say divine prayers and do (the other) things aforementioned; so also to the said worshipful and venerable men — counselors and students — and those staying in the aforesaid Inn, (we grant full power) to hear divine prayers in the said chapel and sermons made in the same place, and to participate in other aforementioned observances.
And the same chapel, so far as is in us, and we are able by the law, legislation, statutes, and canons of this kingdom of England, and so far as is permitted us, we consecrate to the honor of God and the sacred uses of the said worshipful and venerable men and others staying in the aforesaid Inn, now and in the future, with the name, for the chapel, of the Holy and Indivisible Trinity in the Inn of Lincoln’s Inn, and we so call and name it and openly and publicly announce, decree, and declare that it has been so assigned, dedicated, consecrated, called and named, and should remain so in future times everlasting. In addition, we wish this chapel to be secured to every effect of the law with privileges, all and sundry, in that area customary and requisite as applying by law to consecrated chapels.
And so far as is in us and by law we are able, we so fortify and establish it through those present — without however any prejudice, and always reserving the right and interest of the parish churches of St Dunstan in the West of London and St Andrew in Holborn of London; and reserving the right and interest also of rectors, vicars, curates and wardens of the aforesaid churches, and of other ministers of the same, as they exist at this time and of all other churches whatsoever in whose parishes the aforesaid Inn or the boundaries of the same or any part thereof are located and situated, reserving their interest, that is in all or any ecclesiastical offerings, donations, payments, fees, revenues, privileges, rights and emoluments, ordinary and extraordinary, owed to the same or customary, respectively, and arising and forthcoming within the precinct or boundaries of the aforesaid Inn to the said churches by law or custom, belonging and pertaining in any way to rectors, vicars, curates, wardens, and other ministers of the same churches, in as ample a manner and form as was owed before this our consecration of this chapel.
Which aforementioned things, all and sundry, as much as is in us and so far as we are able by law, on our own behalf and that of our successors we so decree and establish through the present document.
When these things were done, the whole congregation was called together into the chapel, and immediately by the bidding and direction of said reverend father, regular prayers were celebrated in the same place by Master Thomas Wilson, bachelor of sacred Theology, one of the domestic chaplains of the said reverend father.
AN ORDRE FOR MORNING PRAYER DAYLY THROUGHOUT THE YERE.
At the beginning . . . of Morning Prayer . . . the Minister shall reade with a lowde voyce, some one of these sentences of the Scriptures that folowe. And then he shall say that, which is written after the said sentences.
AT what tyme soever a synner doth repent him of his sin from the bottome of hys harte; I wil put al his wickednes out of my remembraunce sayeth the Lord.
Turne thy face awaye from our sinnes (O lorde) and blotte out all our offences. A sorowful spirite is a sacrifice to God: despise not (O Lorde) humble and contrite hartes.
Rende your hartes, and not your garmentes, and turne to the Lorde your God, because he is gentle and mercyful, he is pacient and of muche mercie, and such a one that is sory for your afflictions.
Correct us, O Lorde, and yet in thy judgement, not in thy furie, least we shoulde be consumed and brought to nothyng.
Amende your lives, for the kyngdome of God is at hande.
I will go to my father, and say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven, and againste the, I am no more worthy to be called thy sonne.
Entre not in to judgement wyth thy servaunts, O Lorde, for no fleshe is rightous in thy sight.
If we saye that we have no synne, we deceyve ourselves, and there is no truthe in us.
DERELY beloved Brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sondry places, to acknowledge and confesse our manifolde sinnes and wickednes, and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of almighty God our heavenly father, but confesse them with an humble, lowly, penitent and obedient harte to the ende that we may obtaine forgevenes of the same by his infinite goodnesse and mercie. And although we ought at all tymes humbly to acknowledge our synnes before God, yet ought we moste chiefly so to doe, when we assemble and mete toguether, to rendre thankes for the greate benefites that we have received at his handes, to sette furth his moste worthie praise, to heare his moste holye worde, and to aske those thynges whiche be requisite and necessarie, aswel for the bodye as the soule. wherfore I praye and beseche you, as many as be here presente, to accompany me wyth a pure harte and humble voice, unto the throne of the heauenly grace, saying after me.
A generall confession, to be made of the whole congregacion after the minister, knelyng.
ALMIGHTIE and most merciful father, we have erred and straied from thy waies, lyke lost shepee we have folowed to much the devises and desires of our owne hartes. We have offended against thy holy lawes: We have left undone those thinges whiche we ought to have done, and we have done those thinges which we ought not to have done, and there is no health in us, but thou, O Lorde, have mercy upon us miserable offendours. Spare thou them O God, whiche confesse their faultes. Restore thou them that be penitent, accordyng to thy promises declared unto mankynde, in Christe Jesu our Lorde. And graunt, O most merciful father, for his sake, that we may hereafter lyve a godly, ryghtuous, and sobre life, to the glory of thy holy name. Amen.
The absolution, or remission of sins, to be pronounced by the Minister alone.
ALMIGHTY God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which de sireth not the deathe of a sinner, but rather that he maye turne from his wickednesse and lyve: and hath geven power and commaundement to hys Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people beyng penitent, the absolution and remission of their synnes: he pardoneth and absolveth all them which truly repent, and unfeinedly beleve his holy gospel. Wherefore we beseche him to graunt us true repentaunce and hys holy spirite, that those thynges may please hym, whych we doe at thys present, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy so that at the last we may come to his eternall ioye, through Jesus Christe our lorde.
The people shal aunswere.
Amen.
Then shall the Minister beginne the Lordes Prayer wyth a loude voice.
OUR Father, whiche arte in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kyngdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Geve us this day our dayly breade. And forgeve us our trespasses, as we forgeve them that trespasse against us. And lead us not into temptacion. But deliver us from evil. Amene.
Then likewise he shall saye.
O Lord, open thou our lippes.
Aunswere. And our mouthe shall shewe furth thy prayse.
Prieste. O God, make spede to save us.
Aunswere. Lord, make haste to helpe us.
Prieste. Glory be to the father, and to the sonne and to the holye Ghoste.As it was in the beginning, is nowe and ever shalbe: worlde without ende. Amen.
Praise ye the Lorde.
Then shalbe sayde or song, this Psalme folowyng.
O COME let us syng unto the lord: let us hartely rejoyce in the strength of our salvacion.
Let us come before his presence wyth thankesgevinge: and shewe oureselfe* gladde in hym wyth Psalmes.
For the Lorde is a great god: and a greate Kynge, above all goddes:
In his hand are al the corners of the earth: and the strength of the hilles is his also.
O come, let us worshippe and fal doune: and knele before the lorde our maker.
For he is the Lord our god: and we are the people of his pasture, and the shepe of his handes.
To day if ye wyl heare his voyce, harden not your hartes: as in the provocacion, and as in the daie of temptacion in the wildernesse.
When your fathers tempted me : proved me, and sawe my workes.
Fortie yere long was I greved with this generacion, and saide: it is a people that doe erre in their hartes: for they have not knowen my wayes.
Unto whom I sware in my wrath that the shoulde not enter into my rest.
Glory be to the father, and to the sonne: and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: wrold without end. Amen.
Then shal folowe certeyn Psalmes in order, as they bene appoincted in a table made for
that pourpose, excepte there be proper Psalmes appointed for that day, and at thend of everye Psalme throughout the yere, and likewise in thende of Benedictus, Benedicite, Magnificat, and Nunc Dimittis, shal be repeated. Glory be to the father, and to the sonne, and to the Holy Ghoste. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shal be. Amen.
The Psalms Appointed for the day — These psalms were chosen especially for this occasion. Otherwise the Psalms appointed for the Day at Matins were Psalms 8, 15, and 21.
PSALM 23. Dominus regitme.
THE Lord is my shepherd: therefore can I lack nothing.
He shall feed me in a green pasture: and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.
He shall convert my soul: and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness, for his Name’s sake.
Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me: thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.
But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Glory be to the father, and to the sonne, and to the holy Gost*.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shalbe : worlde wythout ende. Amen.*
PSALM. 24. Domini est terra.
T H E earth is the Lord’s, and all that therein is: the compass of the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas: and prepared it upon the floods.
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord: or who shall rise up in his holy place?
Even he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart: and that hath not lift up his mind unto vanity, nor sworn to deceive his neighbour.
He shall receive the blessing from the Lord: and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him: even of them that seek thy face, O Jacob.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors: and the King of glory shall come in. Who is the King of glory: it is the Lord, strong and mighty, even the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors: and the King of glory shall come in.
Who is the King of glory: even the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.
Glory be to the father, and to the sonne, and to the holy Gost*.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shalbe : worlde wythout ende. Amen.*
PSALM 84. Quam dilecta!
How amiable are thy dwellings: thou Lord of hosts! My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.
Yea, the sparrow hath found her an house, and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young: even thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be alway praising thee.
Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee: in whose heart are thy ways.
Who going through the vale of misery use it for a well: and the pools are filled with water. They will go from strength to strength: and unto the God of gods appeareth every one of them in Sion.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: hearken, O God of Jacob.
Behold, O God our defender: and look upon the face of thine Anointed.
For one day in thy courts: is better than a thousand.
I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God: than to dwell in the tents of ungodliness.
For the Lord God is a light and defence: the Lord will give grace and worship, and no good thing shall he withhold from them that live a godly life.
O Lord God of hosts: blessed is the man that putteth his trust in thee.
Glory be to the father, and to the sonne, and to the holy Gost*.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shalbe : worlde wythout ende. Amen.*
Then shalbe redde two lessons distinctly with a loude voyce, that the people may heare. The first of the olde Testament, the seconde of the newe, Lyke as they he appointed by the Kalender, except there be proper Lessons, assigned for that daye: the Minister that readeth the Lesson, standyng and turning him so as he may best be heard of all such as be present, And before every lesson, the Minister thai saye thus. The fyrst, second, thyrd, or fourth chapiter of Genesis or Exodus, Mathewe, Marke, or other like, as is appoincted in the Kalender, And in thend of everye chapiter, he shal saye, Here endeth such a Chapiter of suche a Booke. And (to the ende the people maye the better heare) in suche places where they do synge, there shall the lessons be songe in a plaine tune after the maner of distinct readinge: and likewise the Epystle and gospell.
The First Lesson – Second Chronicles, Chapter 6
This text was specially chosen for this day. Otherwise, the Old Testament Reading would have been Deuteronomy, Chapter 10.
Then said Solomon, The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thicke darkenesse. But I haue built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for euer. And the King turned his face and blessed the whole Congregation of Israel, (and all the Congregation of Israel stood) And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath with his handes fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my father Dauid, saying, Since the day that I brought foorth my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no citie among all the tribes of Israel to builde an house in, that my Name might be there, neither chose I any man to be a ruler ouer my people Israel: But I haue chosen Ierusalem, that my name might be there, and haue chosen Dauid to be ouer my people Israel. Now it was in the heart of Dauid my father to build an house for the Name of the Lord God of Israel. But the Lord said to Dauid my father: Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to builde an house for my Name, thou diddest well in that it was in thine heart. Notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house, but thy sonne which shall come foorth out of thy loynes, he shall build the house for my Name. The Lord therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken: for I am risen vp in the roome of Dauid my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and haue built the house for the Name of the Lord God of Israel. And in it haue I put the Arke, wherein is the Couenant of the Lord, that hee made with the children of Israel. And he stood before the Altar of the Lord, in the presence of all the Congregation of Israel, and spread foorth his hands: (For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold of fiue cubites long, and fiue cubites broad, and three cubites high, and had set it in the midst of the Court, and vpon it hee stood, and kneeled downe vpon his knees before all the Congregation of Israel, and spread foorth his hands towards heauen.) And said, O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heauen, nor in the earth, which keepest couenant, and shewest mercy vnto thy seruants, that walke before thee with all their hearts, Thou which hast kept with thy seruant Dauid my father, that which thou hast promised him: and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. Now therefore, O Lord God of Israel, keepe with thy seruant Dauid my father, that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not faile thee a man in my sight, to sit vpon the throne of Israel: yet so, that thy children take heede to their way, to walke in my Law, as thou hast walked before me. Now then, O Lord God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken vnto thy seruant Dauid. (But wil God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heauen, and the heauen of heauens cannot conteine thee: how much lesse this house which I haue built?) Haue respect therfore to the prayer of thy seruant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken vnto the cry, and the prayer which thy seruant prayeth before thee: That thine eyes may bee open vpon this house day and night, vpon the place whereof thou hast saide, that thou wouldest put thy Name there, to hearken vnto the prayer, which thy seruant prayeth towards this place. Hearken therefore vnto the supplications of thy seruant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make towards this place: heare thou from thy dwelling place, euen from heauen; and when thou hearest, forgiue. If a man sinne against his neighbour, and an oath be layd vpon him, to make him sweare, and the oath come before thine Altar in this house: Then heare thou from heauen, and doe, and iudge thy seruants by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way vpon his owne head, and by iustifying the righteous, by giuing him according to his righteousnesse. And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they haue sinned against thee, and shall returne and confesse thy Name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house: Then heare thou from the heauens, and forgiue the sinne of thy people Israel, and bring them againe vnto the land which thou gauest to them, and to their fathers. When the heauen is shut vp, and there is no raine, because they haue sinned against thee: yet if they pray towards this place, and confesse thy Name, and turne from their sinne, when thou doest afflict them: Then heare thou from heauen, and forgiue the sinne of thy seruants, and of thy people Israel; when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walke, and send raine vpon the land, which thou hast giuen vnto thy people for an inheritance. If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mil-dew, locusts or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land: whatsoeuer sore, or whatsoeuer sicknesse there be: Then what prayer, or what supplication soeuer shall bee made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when euery one shal know his owne sore and his owne griefe, and shall spread foorth his hands in this house: Then heare thou from heauen thy dwelling place, and forgiue, and render vnto euery man according vnto all his wayes, whose heart thou knowest, for thou onely knowest the hearts of the children of men. That they may feare thee, to walke in thy waies so long as they liue in the land which thou gauest vnto our fathers. Moreouer concerning the stranger which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a farre countrey for thy great Names sake, & thy mightie hand, and thy stretched out arme: if they come and pray in this house: Then heare thou from the heauens, euen from thy dwelling place, and doe according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy Name, and feare thee, as doeth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I haue built, is called by thy Name. If thy people goe out to warre against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray vnto thee toward this citie which thou hast chosen, and the house which I haue built for thy Name: Then heare thou from the heauens their prayer and their supplication, and maintaine their cause. If they sinne against thee (for there is no man which sinneth not) and thou be angry with them, and deliuer them ouer before their enemies, and they cary them away captiues vnto a land far off or neere: Yet if they bethinke themselues in the land whither they are caried captiue, and turne and pray vnto thee in the land of their captiuitie, saying, Wee haue sinned, we haue done amisse, and haue dealt wickedly: If they returne to thee with all their heart, and with all their soule, in the land of their captiuitie, whither they haue caried them captiues, and pray toward their land which thou gauest vnto their fathers, and toward the citie which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I haue built for thy Name: Then heare thou from the heauens, euen from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintaine their cause, and forgiue thy people, which haue sinned against thee. Now, my God, let (I beseech thee) thine eyes bee open, and let thine eares be attent vnto the prayer that is made in this place. Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting place, thou, and the Arke of thy strength: Let thy Priests, O Lord God, be clothed with saluation, and let thy Saints reioyce in goodnesse. O Lord God, turne not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of Dauid thy seruant.
After the firste lesson shall folowe, Te deum laudamus in Englyshe dayly throughe the whole yere.
Te Deum.
We prayse the, O God, we knoweledge thee to be the Lorde
All the earth doth worship the, the Father everlastynge.
To the al Aungels crye aloude, the heavens and all the powers therein.
To thee Cherubin, and Seraphin, continually do crye.
Holy, holy, holy, Lorde God of Sabaoth.
Heaven and earth are ful of the majestye of thy glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles prayse the.
The goodly felowship of the Prophetes prayse the.
The noble armye of Martyrs, prayse the.
The holye Churche through out al the worlde dothe knowledge acknowledge the.
The father of an infinite Majestye.
Thy honourable true, and onely sonne.
Also the holy ghost the comforter.
Thou art the kyng of glory, O Christe. Thou arte the everlastynge sonne of the father.
When thou tokest upon thee to deliver man, thou diddest not abhore the virgins wombe.
When thou haddeste overcome the sharpnes of death thou diddest open the kyngdome of heaven to al belevers.
Thou syttest on the ryght hand of God, in the glorye of the father.
We beleve that thou shalt come to be our judge. We therefore pray the, helpe thy servants whom thou hast redemed wyth thy precious bloude.
Make them to be numbred with thy saintes, in glorye everlasting.
O Lord save thy people: and blesse thine heritage.
Govern theme and lifte them up for ever.
Day by day we magnifye the.
And we worshyp thy name ever world without ende.
Vouchsafe, O Lorde, to kepe us thys daye withoute synne.
O Lorde, have mercy upon us, have mercie upon us.
O Lorde, let thy mercy lyghten upon us : as our trust is in the.
O Lorde, in the have I trusted: let me never be confounded.
Glory be to the father, and to the sonne, and to the holy Gost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shalbe : worlde wythout ende. Amen.*
Or this canticle
Benedicite omnia opera Domini domino.
O ALL ye worckes of the Lorde, blesse ye the Lorde : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Aungels of the Lord, blesse ye the Lorde : praise ye him, and magnifye him for ever.
O ye heavens, blesse ye the Lorde : prayse him, and rnagnifye him for ever.
O ye waters that be above the firmamente, blesse ye the Lorde: prayse him, and magnifye him for ever.
O all ye powers of the lord, blesse ye the Lorde : prayse hyrn, and magnifie him for ever.
O ye Sonne, and Mone, blesse ye the Lorde : prayse hym, and magnifie him for ever.
O ye starres of heaven, blesse ye the Lorde : praise him, and magnifie him for ever.
O ye showers, and dewe, blesse ye the Lorde : prayse him, and magnifie him for ever.
O ye windes of God, blesse ye the Lorde : prayse him, and magnifye him for ever.
O ye fyre and heate, blesse ye the Lord : praise him, and magnifie him for ever.
O ye Winter and Sommer, blesse ye the Lorde : praise him, and magnifye him for ever.
O ye dewes and frostes, blesse ye the Lorde : praise him, and magnifie him for ever.
O ye froste and cold, blesse ye the Lorde : praise him, and magnifie him for ever.
O ye Ice and Snowe, blesse ye the Lorde : praise him, and magnifie him for ever.
O ye nightes and daies, blesse ye the Lord : praise him, and magnifie him for ever.
O ye light and darknes, blesse ye the Lorde : prayse him, and magnifie him for ever.
O ye lyghtenynges and cloudes, blesse ye the Lorde : prayse him, and magnifie him for ever.
O let the earth blesse the Lorde : yea, let it praise hyrn, and magnifie hyrn for ever.
O ye mountaynes and hills : blesse ye the Lorde, prayse hym, and magnifie hym for ever.
O al ye grene thynges upon the earthe, blesse ye the Lord praise him, and magnifie hym for ever.
O ye welles, blesse ye the Lorde : praise him, and magnyfie hym for ever.
O ye Seas, and fluddes, blesse ye the Lorde : praise hym, and magnifie hym for ever.
O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, blesse ye the Lorde : prayse him, and magnifie him for ever.
O all ye foules of the aire, blesse ye the lord, praise him, and magnifie him for ever.
O all ye beastes, and cattell, blesse ye the Lorde : praise him, and magnifye him for ever.
O ye children of men blesse ye the Lord : praise him, and magnifye him for ever.
O let Israel blesse the Lorde : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye prestes of the lord, blesse ye the Lord : prayse hym, and magnifye him for ever.
O ye servauntes of the Lord, blesse ye the Lord : prayse him, and magnifye him for ever.
O ye sprites and soules of the righteous, blesse ye the Lord: prayse him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye holy and humble men of herte blesse ye the Lord : praise him, and magnifye him for ever.
O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, blesse ye the lord : prayse him, and magnifye him for ever.
Glory be to the father, and to the Sonne : and to the holye Ghoste.
As it was in the begynninge, is nowe, and ever, etc.
The Second Lesson John 10, vss. 22 – 42.
And it was at Hierusalem the feast of the dedication, & it was winter. And Iesus walked in the temple in Solomons porch. Then came the Iewes round about him, and said vnto him, How long doest thou make vs to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell vs plainely. Iesus answered them, I told you, and ye beleeued not: the workes that I doe in my Fathers name, they beare witnesse of me. But ye beleeue not, because ye are not of my sheepe, as I said vnto you. My sheepe heare my voyce, and I know them, and they follow me. And I giue vnto them eternall life, and they shall neuer perish, neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand. My father which gaue them me, is greater then all: and no man is able to plucke them out of my fathers hand. I and my father are one. Then the Jewes tooke vp stones againe to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good workes haue I shewed you from my Father; for which of those workes doe ye stone me? The Iewes answered him, saying, For a good worke we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, and because that thou, being a man, makest thy selfe God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods? If hee called them gods, vnto whom the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken: Say ye of him, whom the father hath sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Sonne of God? If I doe not the workes of my Father, beleeue me not. But if I doe, though yee beleeue not me, beleeue the works: that ye may know and beleeue that the Father is in me, and I in him. Therefore they sought againe to take him: but hee escaped out of their hand, And went away againe beyond Iordane, into the place where Iohn at first baptized: and there he abode. And many resorted vnto him, and said, Iohn did no miracle: but all things that Iohn spake of this man, were true. And many beleeued on him there.
And after the second lesson shalbe used and sayde Benedictus, in Englyshe, as foloweth,
BLESSED be the Lord God of Israell : for he hath visited and redemed his people;
And hath raised up a mighty salvacion for us : in the house of hys servaunt David;
As he spake bi the mouth of his holy prophetes : which have benne sence the worlde began;
That we should be saved from our enemyes : and from the handes of al that hate us;
To performe the mercy promised to our forfathers : and to remember his holy covenant;
To perfourme the othe whiche he sware to our forefather Abraham : that he would geve us.
That we beyng delivred out of the handes of oure enemies : might serve him withoute feare
In holynesse and ryghtuousnesse before hym : all the dayes of our lyfe.
And thou Chylde, shalt be called the Prophete of the hyghest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lorde to prepare hys wayes;
To geve knowledge of salvacion unto hys people: for the remission of theyr synnes,
Through the tender mercie of our God : whereby the day spring from on hyghe, hath visited us;
To geve light to them that sitte in darckenes, and in the shadowe of death : and to guyde our feete into the waye of peace.
Glory be to the father, and to the sonne, and to the holy Gost*.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shalbe : worlde wythout ende. Amen.
Or this Psalme.
O be joyfull in the Lorde (al ye landes:) serve the Lorde wyth gladnes, and come before hys presence wyth a song.
Be ye sure that the Lord he is God : it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are hys people, and the shepe of his pasture.
O go your way into his gates wyth thankesgeving, and into his courtes wyth prayse : be thanckefull unto hym, and speake good of hys name.
For the Lorde is gracious, his mercy is everlastyng : and his truth endureth from generacion to generacyon.
Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the, &c. Amen.
Then shal be sayd the Crede, by the Minister and the people, standyng.
I BELEVE in God the father almightie maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ hys onely sonne our Lorde, which was conceived by the holy ghoste, borne of the Virgen Mary. Suffred under Ponce Pylate, was crucified dead and buried, he descended into Helle. The thirde daye he rose agayn from the deade. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the ryghte hande of God the Father almightie. From thence he shall come to judge the quicke and the deade. I beleve in the holy Ghoste. The holy Catholique Churche. The communion of sainctes. The forgevenesse of sinnes. The resurrection of the body. And the life everlasting. Amen.
And after that, these prayers folowyng, aswell at Evenyng praier as at Mornyng prayer: al devoutlye knelyng. The Minister firste pronouncinge with a loude voyce.
The Lorde be with you.
Answer. And with thy spirite.
Minister. Let us praie.
Lorde have mercy upon us.
Christ have mercy upon us.
Lorde have mercy upon us.
Then the Minister, Clarkes, and people; shall saye the Lordes praier in Englyshe, with a loud voice.
OUR Father, whiche arte in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kyngdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Geve us this day our dayly breade. And forgeve us our trespasses, as we forgeve them that trespasse against us. And lead us not into temptacion. But deliver us from evil. Amene.
Then the Minister; standing up shal say.
O lorde, shewe thy mercy upon us.
Aunswere. And graunte us thy salvacion.
Prieste. O Lorde save the King.
Aunswere. And mercifully here us when we call upon the.
Prieste. Endue thy ministers with rightuousnes.
Aunswere. And make thy chosen people joyful.
Prieste. O Lorde save thy people.
Aunswere. And blesse thyne enheritaunce.
Prieste. Geve peace in our tyme, O Lorde.
Aunswere. Because there is none other that fyghteth for us, but onely thou, O God.
Prieste. O God make clene our hartes with in us.
Aunswere. And take not thy holy spirite from us.
Then shal folowe three Collectes. The firste of the daye, whiche shall be the same that is appoincted at the Communion, The seconde for peace, The thirde for Grace to live wel. And the two leaste Collectes shal never altre, but dayly be sayde at Mornyng praier, throughoute al the yere, foloweth.
The Collect of the Day
GRAUNTE we beseche thee, almightie god, that like as we doe beleve thy onely-begotten sonne our lorde to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascende, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the holy Ghost, one God world without end. Amen.
The seconde Collecte for Peace.
O GOD, whiche art authour of peace, and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal lyfe, whose service is perfect fredom; defend us thy humble servaunts in al assaultes of our enemies that we surely trusting in thy defence, may not feare the power of any adversaries : through the might of Jesu Christ our lord, Amen.
The thirde Collecte for Grace.
O LORDE our heavenly father, almightie and everlastyng God, whiche hast safely broughte us to the begynnyng of thys day: defende us in the same wyth thy myghtye power, and graunte that this daie we fall into no synne, nether rune into any kinde of daunger: but that al our doinges may be ordred by thy governaunce, to doe alwayes that is rightuous in thy sighte: through Jesus Christe our Lorde. Amen.
HERE FOLLOWETH THE LETANI TO BE USED UPON SONDAIES, WEDNESDAIES, AND FRIDAYES, AND AT OTHER TYMES, WHEN IT SHALBE COMMAUNDED BY THE ORDINARYE.
O GOD the father of heaven: have mercy upon us miserable synners.
O God the Father of heaven etc.
O God the sonne redemer of the worlde: have mercye upon us miserable synners.
O God the sonne redemer of, etc.
O God the holye Ghoste, proceding from the father and the Sonne: have mercye upon us miserable synners.
O God the holy ghoste, proceding from, etc.
O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinitie, three persons and one god: have mercy upon us miserable synners.
O holy, blessed, and glorious trinitye thre persons, etc.
Remember not, Lorde our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers, neyther take thou vengeaunce of oure synnes spare us good Lorde, spare thy people whome thou haste redemed with thy moste precious bloude, and be not angry with us for ever.
Spare us good Lorde.
From all evil and mischief, from synne, from the craftes and assaultes of the Devil, from thy wrath, and from everlasting dampnation.
Good Lorde delyver us.
From all blyndnes of herte, from pride, vayne glorye, and hypocrisy, from envy, hatred and malice, and all uncharitablenes.
Good Lorde delyver us.
From fornicacion and all other deadly synne: and frome all the deceiptes of the worlde, the Fleshe and the Devill.
Good Lorde delyver us.
From lightninges and tempestes, from plague, pestilence and famine, from battayle and murther, and from soudeine death.
Good Lorde delyver us.
From all sedicion and privey conspiracye, from all false doctrine and heresy, from hardnes of harte, and conternpte of thy worde and commaundement.
Good Lorde delyver us.
By the misterye of thy holye Incarnacion, by thy holy Nativitie and circumcision, by thy Baptysme, fastynge and temptacion.
Good Lorde delyver us.
By thyne agonye and bloudy sweate, by thy crosse and passion, by thy precious deathe and buriall, by thy glorious resurrection, and ascencion, and by the commynge of the holy Ghoste.
Good Lorde delyver us.
In al tyme of our tribulacion, in al tyme of our welth, in the houre of death, and in the daye of judgement.
Good Lorde delyver us.
We synners do beseche the to heare us (O Lord God,) and that it may please the to rule and governe thy holy Churche universally, in the right way.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the, to kepe and strengthen in the true worshipping of the in righteousnes and holynes of lyfe, thy servaunt JAMES our most gracious king and governour.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the, to rule her harte in thy faith, feare, and love, that she may evermore have affiaunce faith in the, and ever seke thy honoure and glory.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the, to be her defender and keper, geving her the victory over al her enemyes.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please thee to bless and preserve our gracious Queen Anne, Prince Henry, and the rest of the King and Queen’s Royal issue.
We beseech thee to hear us good Lord.
That it may please the to illuminate all Byshoppes, Pastours, and ministers of the Church, with true knowledge, and understanding of thy words, and that both by their preaching and livinge, they may sette it furth and shewe it accordingly.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it maye please thee to endue the Lordes of the Counsayle, and all the nobilitie, with grace, wisedom, and understanding.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please thee to blesse and kepe the Magistrates, geving them grace to execute justice, and to maynteyne truthe. That it may please the to blesse, and kepe al thy people.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please thee to geve to all nacions, unitie, peace and concorde.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it maye please the to geve us an harte to love and dread respect the, and diligently to lyve after thy commaundementes.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it maye please the to gyve all thy people encrease of grace, to heare mekely thy worde, and to receyve it wyth pure affeccion, and to bring furthe the fruites of the spirit.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the to bring into the way of truth all suche as have erred, and are deceyved.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it maye please thee to strengthen suche as dooe stande, and to comforte, and helpe the weake-harted, and to rayse theym up that falle, and finally to beate downe Sathan under our feete.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the to succour, helpe and comforte all that be in daunger, necessitie, and tribulation. We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it maye please thee to preserve all that travayle travel, by lande or by water, al women labouringe of chylde, all sycke persons and yonge chyldren, and to shew thy pitye upon all prisoners and captives. We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the to defende, and provide for the fatherles children and widowes, and all that be desolate and oppressed.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the to have mercy upon all men.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the to forgeve our enemyes, persecutours and slaunderers, and to turne theyr hertes.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the to geve and preserve to our use the kindly fruites of the earth, so as in due tyrne we maye enjoye them.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
That it may please the to geve us true repentaunce, to forgeve us all our sinnes, negligences, and ignoraunces; and to endue us with the grace of thy holy spirite, to amende our lyves according to thy holy worde.
We beseche the to heare us good Lorde.
Sonne of God we beseche thee to heare us.
Sonne of God: we beseche thee to heare us.
O Lambe of God, that takest away the synnes of the worlde.
Graunt us thy peace.
O Lambe of God that takest awaye the synnes of the worlde,
Have mercy upon us.
O Christ heare us.
O Christe heare us.
Lorde have mercy upon us.
Lorde have mercy upon us.
Christe have mercy upon us.
Christe have mercy upon us.
Lorde have mercy upon us.
Lorde have mercy upon us.
OUR Father, whiche arte in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kyngdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Geve us this day our dayly breade. And forgeve us our trespasses, as we forgeve them that trespasse against us. And lead us not into temptacion. But deliver us from evil. Amene.
The Versycle. O Lorde deale not with us after our synnes.
The Aunswere. Neither rewarde us after our iniquities.
Let us praye.
O GOD merciful father, that dispisest not the syghing of a contrite hart, nor the desyre of suche as be sorowfull, mercyfully assiste our praiers that we make before the, in all our troubles and adversities, whensoever they oppresse us. And graciouslye hear us, that those evilles, whiche the crafte and subtiltie of the devel, or man worketh against us, be broughte to noughte, and by the providence of thy goodnesse they may be dispersed, that we thy Servauntes, beyng hurt by no persecucions, may evermore geve thanckes to the, in thy holy Church, through Jesus Christ our Lorde.
Lord aryse, helpe us, and deliver us for thy names sake.
O GOD we have hearde with our eares, and our fathers have declared unto us the noble worckes that thou diddeste in their dayes, and in the olde tyme before them.
O Lord aryse, helpe us, and delyver us, for thyne honoure.
Glory be to the father, and to the sonne, and to the holye Goste.
As it was in the beginninge, is nowe, and ever shalbe worlde without ende. Amen.
From our enemues defende us, O Christ.
Graciously loke upon our afflictions.
Pitifully beholde the sorowes of our harte.
WE humbly beseche the, O father, mercifullye to loke upon oure infirmities, and for the glory of thy names sake, turne from us all those evilles that we moste righteously have deserved: and graunte that in all oure troubles we maye put our whole truste and confydence in thy mercye, and evermore serve the in holynes and purenes of living, to thy honour and glory : throughe our onely mediatoure and advocate Jesus Christe our Lorde. Amen.
A Prayer for the Kynges Majesty.
O LORD our hevenly father, high and mighty king of kynges, Lorde of lordes, the onely ruler of princes, which doest from thy throne beholde all the dwellers upon earth, most hartely we beseche the with thy favoure to beholde our mooste gracious soveraigne Lord James , and so replenyshe him with the grace of thy holy spirit, that he may alway incline to thy wil, and walcke in thy waye: Indue him plentifully wyth heavenly gifts: Graunt him in health and wealthe longe to live: strength him that he may vanquish and overcome al his enemies: And finally after this life he may attaine everlasting joye and felicitie, thorowe Jesus Christ our Lorde.
The people shal aunswere. Amen.
A Prayer for the Queen and Prince, and other the King and Queen’s children.
ALMIGHTY God, which hast promised to be a Father of thine Elect, and of their seed, We humbly beseech thee to bless our gracious Prince Charles, Frederick the Prince Elector Palatine, the Lady Elizabeth his wife with all their royall issue: endue them with thy holy Spirit, enrich them thy heavenly grace, prosper them with all happiness, and bring them to thine everlasting Kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The people shal aunswere. Amen.
ALMIGHTY and everlastinge God, whiche onely workest great mervailes, sende downe upon our Bishoppes and Curates, and al congregacions committed to their charge, the healthful spirit of thy grace, and that they may truely please thee, Powre upon them the continuall deawe of thy blessinge: Graunte this, O Lorde, for the honour of our advocate and mediatoure, Jesus Christ.
The people shal aunswere. Amen.
After that collect in the Litany for Bishops and Curates, the following prayer was delivered, to wit:
Almighty God which dwellest not in Temples made with handsas saith the prophet, and yet vouchsafes to accept the devout services of thy poor creatures, allotting special places for divine Offices, promising even there to hear and grant their requests, We humbly beseech thee to accept this our day’s duty and service of dedicating this Chappell to thy great and dreadful name, and fulfill, we pray thee, thy gracious promises that whatsoever prayers in this sacred place shall be made according to thy will, may be favorably accepted and returned with their desired success, to thine eternal glory and our especial comfort in Jesus Christ, to whom, etc
The people shal aunswere. Amen.
The Inn’s Account of the Consecration Service says that this prayer was followed by the singing of Psalm 23, which was then followed by Donne’s sermon for the occasion. If so, a bit of the Great Litany went unused, which seems odd, given the deliberate attempt to use the formal rites of the Book of Common Prayer as the means of consecrating Trinity Chapel. I think it more likely that after the prayer for the occasion, the Great Litany was concluded. Then, to provide a transition from the Prayer Book liturgy to the sermon, Psalm 23 was sung, perhaps as a plainsong chant (given the large presence of clergy from St Paul’s who were accustomed to this kind of setting for the Psalms and could lead the congregation) or as the setting of the 23rd Psalm from Sternold and Hopkins, perhaps more familiar to the larger crowd present for this occasion. So, in this reconstruction, you will find the text of the 23rd Psalm from the Prayer Book Psalter and Donne’s sermon following the completion of the Great Litany, see below.
And the Litany shall ever end with this Collect following.
O GOD, whose nature and propertie is ever to have mercy, and to forgeve, receyve our humble peticions: and thoughe we be tyed and bounde with the chayne of our synnes, yet let the pitifulnes of thy great mercy lose us, for the honoure of Jesus Christes sake, our mediatoure and advocate. The people shal aunswere. Amen.
ii. Corin. xiii. THE grace of oure Lorde Jesus Christe, and the love of God, and the felowship of the holye ghoste, bee wyth us all evermore.
The people shal aunswere. Amen.
Now comes a transition from the Great Litany to the Rite for Holy Communion, which includes a sermon. For whatever reason, this is where the planners of the Trinity Chapel consecration chose to place Donne’s sermon, using a repetition of Psalm 23 (previously used at Matins) to provide a transition.
PSALM 23. Dominus regit me.
THE Lord is my shepherd: therefore can I lack nothing.
He shall feed me in a green pasture: and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.
He shall convert my soul: and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness, for his Name’s sake.
Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me: thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup ſhall be full.
But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, now is, and ever shalbe, world without end. Amen
JOHN DONNE: THE PRAYER BEFORE THE SERMON
0 Eternall, and most gracious God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; and in him, of all those that are his, As thou diddest make him so much ours, as that he became like us, in all things, sinne onely excepted, make us so much his, as that we may be like him, even with out the exception of sinne, that all our sinnes may bee buryed in his wounds, and drowned in his Blood. And as this day wee celebrate his Ascension to thee, bee pleased to accept our endeavour of conforming ourselves to his patterne, in raysing this place for our Ascension to him. Leane upon these Pinnacles, 0 Lord, as thou diddest upon Jacobs Ladder, and hearken after us. Bee this thine Arke, and let thy Dove, thy blessed Spirit, come in and out, at these Windowes: and let a full pot of thy Manna, a good measure of thy Word, and an effectual} preaching thereof, bee evermore preserved, and evermore bee distributed in this place. Let the Leprosie of Superstition never enter within these Walles, nor the hand of Sacriledge ever fall upon them. And in these walles, to them that love Profit and Gaine, manifest thou thy selfe as a Treasure, and fill them so; To them that love Pleasure, manifest thy selfe, as Marrow and Fatnesse, and fill them so; And to them that love Preferment, manifest thy selfe, as a Kingdome, and fill them so; that so thou mayest bee all unto all; give thy selfe wholly to us all, and make us all wholly thine. Accept our humble thanks for all, &c.
The Canons state that sermons should be preceeded by a prayer for the occasion and by the Lord’s Prayer.
OUR Father, whiche arte in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kyngdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Geve us this day our dayly breade. And forgeve us our trespasses, as we forgeve them that trespasse against us. And lead us not into temptacion. But deliver us from evil.
The people shal aunswere.
AMEN.
THE TEXT (Drawn from the Second Lesson at Morning Prayer)
John 10.22. AND IT WAS AT JERUSALEM, THE FEAST OF THE DEDICATION; AND IT WAS WINTER; AND JESUS WALKED IN THE TEMPLE IN SALOMONS PORCH.
DONNE’S SERMON
SAINT Basil in a Sermon upon the 114. Psalme, upon the like occasion as drawes us together now, The consecration of a Church, makes this the reason and the excuse of his late comming thither to doe that Service, that he stayd by the way, to consecrate another Church: I hope every person heere hath done so; consecrated himselfe, who is the Temple of the Holy Ghost; before hee came to assist, or to testifie the consecration of this place of the Service of God. Nostra festivitas haec est, quia de Ecclesia nostra; sayes Saint Bernard. This Festivall belongs to us, because it is the consecration of that place, which is ours, Magis autem nostra, quia de nobis ipsis: But it is more properly our Festivall, because it is the consecration of our selves to Gods service. For, Sanctce Animce propter inhabitantem Spiritum; your Soules are holy, by the inhabitation of Gods holy spirit, who dwells in them. Sancta corpora propter inhabitantem animam; Your Bodies are holy, by the inhabitation of those sanctified Soules. Sancta parietes, propter Corpora Sanctorum. These walles are holy, because the Saints of God meet here within these walls to glorifie him. But yet these places are not onely consecrated and sanctified by your comming; but to bee sanctified also for your comming; that so, as the Congregation sanctifies the place, the place may sanctifie the Congregation too. They must accompany one another; holy persons and holy places; If men would wash sheep in the Baptisterie, in the Font, those sheep were not christned. If prophane men, or idolatrous men, pray here after their way, their prayers are not sanctified by the place. Neither if it be after polluted, doth the place retain that sanctitie, which is this day to be derived upon it, and to bee imprinted in it.
Our Text settles us upon both these considerations, The holy place, and the holy person. It was the Feast of the Dedication: there’s the holinesse of the place; And the holy person, was holinesse it selfe in the person of Christ Jesus, who walked in the Temple in Salomons Porch. These two will bee our two parts: And the first of these wee shall make up of these pieces. First, we shall see a lawfull use of Feasts, of Festival dayes. And then of other Feasts, then were instituted by God himselfe; divers were so; this was not. And thirdly, not only a festivall solemnizing of some one thing, at some one time, for the present, but an Anniversary returning to that solemnitie every yeare; And lastly, in that first part, this Festivall in particular, The Feast of the Dedication of the Temple: that sanctified the place, that shall determine that part. In the second part, The holinesse of the person, we shall carry your thoughts no farther, but upon this, That even this holy person Jesus himselfe, would have recourse to this place, thus dedicated, thus sanctified: And upon this, that hee would doe that especially at such times, as hee might countenance and authorise the Ordinances and Institutions of the Church, which had appointed this Festivall. And this, sayes the Text, he did in the Winter: First, Etsi Hiems, though it were Winter, hee came, and walked in the Porch, a little inconvenience kept him not off: And, Quia Hiems, because it was Winter, he walked in the Porch which was covered, not in the Temple which was open. So that heere with modestie, and without scandall he condemned not the favouring of a mans health, even in the Temple, And it was at Jerusalem, the Feast of the Dedication; and it was Winter; and Jesus walked in the Temple in Salomons Porch.
In our first part, Holy Places, wee looke first upon the times of our meeting there, Holy dayes. The root of all those is the Sabboth, that God planted himselfe, even in himselfe, in his owne rest, from the Creation. But the root, and those branches which grow from that root, are of the same nature, and the same name: And therefore as well of the flower, as of the root of a Rose, or of a Violet, we would say, This is a Violet, this is a Rose: so as well to other Feasts of Gods institution, as to the first Sabboth, God gives that name; hee cals those severall Feasts which he instituted, Sabboths; enjoynes the same things to be done upon them, inflicts the same punishments upon them that breake them. So that there is one Moralitie, that is the soule of all Sabbaths, of all Festivalls; howsoever all Sabbaths have a cere monial} part in them, yet there is a Morall part that inanimates them all; they are elemented of Ceremonie, but they are animated with Moralitie. And that Moralitie is in them all, Rest: for if Adam could name creatures according to their nature, God could name his Sabboth according to the nature of it, and Sabboth is Rest. It is a Rest of two kindes; our rest, and Gods rest. Our rest is the cessation from labour on those dayes; Gods rest, is our sanctifying of the day: for so in the religious sacrifice of Noah, when bee was come out of the Arke, God is said to have smelt, Odorem quietis, the savour of rest: upon those dayes we rest from serving the world, and God rests in our serving of him. And as God takes a tenth part of our goods, in Tythes, but yet he takes more too, he takes Sacrifices, so though he take a seventh part of our time in the Sabboth, yet he takes more too, he appoints other Sabboths, other Festivalls, that he niay have more glory, and we more Rest: for all wherin those two concurre, are Sabboths. Vacate & videte quoniam ego sum Dominus sayes God. First vacate, rest from your bodily labours, distinguish the day, and then videte, come hither into the Lords presence, and worship the Lord your God, sanctifie the day: And in all the Sabboths there is still a Cessate, and a Humiliate animas, bodily rest, and spirituall sanctifying of the day. Holy dayes then, that is, dayes seposed for holy uses, and for the outward and publike service of God, are in Nature, and in that Morall Law which is written in the heart of man. That such dayes there must be is Morall; and this is Morall too, that all things in the service of God bee done in order; and this also, that obedience be given to Superiours, in those things wherein they are Superiors. And therfore it was to the Jewes, as well Morall, to observe the certaine dayes which God had determined, as to observe any at all. Not that Gods commandement limitting the dayes, infused a Moralitie into those particular dayes: for Moralitie is perpetuall; and if that had been Morall, it must have been so before, and it must bee so still; Gods determining the dayes did not infuse, not induce a Moralitie there, but it awakened a former Moralitie, that is, an obedience to the commandement, for that time, which God had appoynted that for them; for this Obedience, and Order is perpetuall, and so, Morall.
We depart therefore from that error, which those ancient Heretiques, the Ebionites begun, and some laboured to refresh in Saint Gregories time, and which continues in practise in some places of the world still; To observe both the Jewes Sabbath, and the Christians Satterday, and Sunday too; because the Sabboth is called Pactum sempiternum: for to that any of Saint Augustines Answeres will serve; either that it is called ever lasting, because it signified an everlasting rest; (where be pleased to note by the way, that Holy dayes, Sabbaths, are not onely instituted for Order, but they have their Mystery, and their Signification; for Holy dayes, (as the Text calls them there) and New Moones, and the Sabboth, were but shadowes of things to come:) or else the Sabboth was called everlasting to them, because it bound them everlastingly, and they might never intermit it, as some other ceremonies they might. But their Sabboths bind not us; we depart from them who thinke so; and so we doe from them, who think we are bound to no Festivalls at all, or at least to none but the Sabboth. For God requires as much service from us, as from the Jewes, and to them hee enlarged his Sabboths, and made them divers. But those were of Gods immediat institution: but all that the Jewes observed were not so; and thats our next consideration, Festivalls instituted by the Church. At first, when God was alone, it is but Faciamus, let us, us the Trinity make man. This was, when God was, as we may say, in Ccelibatu. But after God hath taken his spouse, maried the Church, then it is Capite nobis vulpes, doe you take the little Foxes, you the Church; for our vines have grapes; the vines are ours; yours and mine, sayes Christ to the Church: and therfore do you looke to them, as well as I. The Tables of the law God himselfe writ, and gave them written to Moses: he left none of that to him; not a power to make other Lawes like those lawes: but for the Tabernacle, which concern’d the outward worship of God, that was to be made by Moses, luxta similitudinem, according to the paterne which God had shewed him. God hath given the Church a paterne of Holy dayes, in those Sabboths which hee himselfe instituted, and according to the paterne, the Church hath instituted more: and Recte festa Ecclesite colunt, qui se Ecclesite filios recognoscunt: They who disdaine not the name of sonnes of the Church, refuse not to celebrate the daies which are of the Churches institution. There was no immediate commandement of God for that Holy day, which Mordechai, by his letters establish’d; but yet the Jewes undertook to do as Mordechai had written to them. There was no such commandement for this Holy day, in the Text; and yet that was observed, as long as they had any beeing. And where the reason remaines, the practise may; The Jewes did, we may institute new Holy dayes. And not onely transitory daies, for a present thanks giving for a present benefit, but Anniversaries, perpetual memorials of Gods deliverances. And thats our next step.
Both the Holy dayes, which we named before, which were instituted without special Commaundement from God, were so. That of Mordechai, he commanded to be kept every yeare for two dayes, and this in the Text, Judas Maccabeus commanded to be kept yearely for eight dayes, which was more then was appoynted to any of the Holy dayes, instituted by God himselfe, for the Festival} alone. According to which paterne, one Bishop of Rome, ordained that the Festivals of the Dedication of Churches should bee yearely celebrated in those places; and another extended the Festival} to eight dayes; at least at the first dedication thereof, if not every yeare: that God might not onely be put into the possession of the place, but setled in it. God by Moses made the children of Israel a Song, because, as hee sayes, how soever they did by the Law, they would never forget that Song, and that Song should be his witnesse against them. Therefore would God have us institute solemne memorialls of his great deliverances, that if when those dayes come about, we doe not glorifie him, that might aggravate our condemnation. Every fift of August, the Lord rises up, to hearken whether we meet to glorifie him, for his great deliverance of his Majesty, before he blest us with his presence in this Kingdome: and when he finds us zealous in our thankes for that, he gives us farther blessings. Certainly he is up as early every .fift of November, to hearken if we meet to glorifie him for that deliverance still; and if hee should finde our zeale lesse then heretofore, hee would wonder why. Gods principall, his radicall Holy day, the Sabboth, had a weekly returne; his other Sabbaths, instituted by himselfe, and those which were instituted by those paternes, that of Mordechai, that of the Maccabees, and those of the Christian Church, They all return once a yeare. God would keepe his Courts once a yeare, and see whether wee make our apparances as heeretofore; that if not, hee may know it. Feastes in general. Feastes instituted by the Church alone, Feasts in their yearely returne and observation, have their use, and particularly those Feasts of the Dedication of Churches, which was properly and literally the Feast of this Text. It was the Feast of Dedication.
As it diminishes not, prejudices not Gods Eternitie, that wee give him his Quando, certaine times of Invocation, God is not the lesse yesterday, and to day, and the same for ever, because wee meet here to day, and not yesterday, so it diminishes not, prejudices not Gods Vbiquitie and Omnipresence, that wee give him his Vbi, certaine places for Invocation. Thats not the lesse true, that the most High dwells not in Temples made with handes, though God accept at our hands our dedication of certaine places to his service, and manifest his working more effectually, more energetically in those places, then in any other. For when we pray, Our Father which art in Heaven, It is not (sayes Saint Chrysostome) that wee deny him to bee heere, where wee kneele when we say that Prayer, but it is that we acknowl edge him to be there, where he can graunt, and accomplish our prayer. It is as Origen hath very well expressed it, Vt in melioribus mundi requiramus Deum: That still wee looke for God in the best places; looke for him, as he heares our petitions, here, in the best places of this world, in his House, in the Church; looke for him as he graunts our petition, in the best place of the next world, at the right hand, and in the bosome of the Father. When Moses sayes that the word of God is not beyond Sea, he addes, It is not so beyond Sea, as that thou must not have it without sending thither. When he sayes there, it is not in heaven, he adds, not so in heaven, as that one must goe up, before hee can have it. The word of God, is beyond Sea, the true word, truly preached in many true Churches there, but yet we have it here, within these Seas too; God is in Heaven, but yet hee is here, within these walles too. And therefore the impietie of the Manicheans exceeded all the Gentiles, who concluded the God of the Old Testament to be an impotent, an unperfect God, because hee commaunded Moses first to make him a Tabernacle, and then Salomon to make him a Temple, as though he needed a House. God does not need a house, but man does need, that God should have a House.
And therefore the first question, that Christs first Disciples asked of him, was Magister, ubi habitas, they would know his standing house, where he hath promised to bee always within, and where at the ringing of the Bell, some body comes to answere you, to take your errand, to offer your Prayers to God, to returne his pleasure in the preaching of his Word to you. The many and heavy Lawes, with which sacred and secular stories abound, against the prophanation of places, appropriated to Gods service, and that religious custome, that passed almost through all civill Nations, that an oath, which was the bond between man, and man, had the stronger Obligation, if that were taken in the Church, in the presence of God, (for such was the practise of Rome towards her enemies, Tango aras mediosque ignes, to make their vowes of hostility in the Church, and at time of divine Service, ( and such is their practise still, they seale their Treasons in the Sacrament) such was Romes practise towards others, and such was the practise of others towards Rome, (for so Anniball sayes, that his father Amilcar swore him at the Altar, that he should never bee reconciled to Rome,) And such is your practise still, as often as you meet here, you renew your band to God, that you will never bee reconciled to the Superstitions of Rome) all these, and all such as these, and such as these are infinite, heap up testimonies, that even in Nature there is a disposition to apply, and appropriate certaine places to Gods service. And this impression in nature is illustrated in the Law, as the time, so the place is distinguished, Yee shall keepe my Sabboths, there is the time, and you shall reverence my Sanctuary, there is the place. But that they may be reverenced, that they may bee Sanctuaries, they are to be sanctified; and thats the Enccenia, the Dedication.
Even in those things which accrue unto God, and become his, by another title, then as he is Lord of all, by Creation, that is, by appropriation, by dedication to his use and Service, There is a Lay Dedication, and an Ecclesiasticall Dedication. I hope the distinction of Laytie, and Clergie, the words, scandalize no man. Luther, and Calvin too might have just cause to decline the words, as they did; when so much was overattributed to that Clergie which they intend, as that they were so Sors Domini, the Lords portion, as that the world had no portion in them, and yet they had the greatest portion of the world; and howe little soever they had to doe with God, yet no State, no King might have any thing to doe with them. But, as long as we declare, that by the Layetie we intend the people glorifying God in their secular callings, and by the Clergie, persons seposed by his ordinance, for spiritual functions, The Layetie no farther remoov’d then the Clergie, The Clergie no farther entitled then the Layetie, in the blood of Christ Jesus, neither in the effusion of that blood upon the Crosse, nor in the participation of that blood in the Sacrament, and that an equall care in Clergie, and Layetie, of doing the duties of their severall callings, gives them an equall interest in the joyes, and glory of heaven, I hope no man is scandaliz’d with the names. The Lay Dedication then is, the voluntary surrendring of this piece of ground thus built, to God. For we must say, as Saint Peter said to Ananias, Whiles it remain’d, was that not your owne? and now, when that is raised (saving that there was Dedicatio lntentionalis, a purpose from the beginning to appropriate it, to this holy use) might you not, till this houre, have made this roome your Hall, if you would? But this is your Dedication, that you have cheerfully pursued your first holy purposes, and deliver now into the hands of this servant of God, the Right Reverend Father the Bishop of this See, a place to be presented to God for you, by him, not misbecomming the Majestie of the great God, who is pleased to dwell thus amongst us. What was spent in Salomons Temple is not told us. What was prepared, before it was begun, is such a summe, as certainly, if all the Christian Kings tl1at are, would send in all that they have, at once, to any one service, all would not equall that summe. They gave there, till they who had the overseeing therof, complain’d of the abundance, and proclaim’d an abstinence. Yet there was one, who gave more then all they; for Christ sayes the poore widdow gave more then all the rest, because she gave all she had. There is a way of giving more then she gave; and I, who by your favours was no stranger to the beginning of this work, and an often refresher of it to your memories, and a poore assistant in laying the first stone, the materiall stone, as I am now, a poore assistant again in this laying of this first formall Stone, the Word and Sacrament, and shall ever desire to be so in the service of this place, I, I say, can truly testifie, that you (speaking of the whole Societie together of the publike stock, the publike treasury, the publike revenue) you gave more then the widow, who gave all, for you gave more then all. A stranger shall not entermeddle with our joy, as Salomon saies: strangers shall not know, how ill we were provided for such a work, when we begun it, nor with what difficulties we have wrastled in the way; but strangers shall know to Gods glory, that you have perfected a work of full three times as much charge, as you proposed for it at beginning: so bountifully doth God blesse, and prosper intentions to his glory, with enlarging your hearts within, and opening the hearts of others, abroad. And this is your Dedication, and that which without prejudice, and for distinction, wee call a Lay Dedication, though from religious hearts, and hands.
There is another Dedication; that we have call’d Ecclesiasticall, appointed by God, so as God speaks in the ordinances, and in the practise of his Church. Hereditary Kings are begotten and conceiv’d the naturall way; but that body which is so begotten of the blood of Kings, is not a King, no nor a man, till there bee a Soule infused by God. Here is a House, a Child conceiv’d (wee may say borne) of Christian parents, of persons religiously disposed to Gods glory; but yet, that was to receive another influence, an inanimation, a quickening, by another Consecration. Oportet denuo nasci, holds even in the children of Christian parents; when they are borne, they must be borne again by Baptisme: when this place is thus given by you, for God, oportet denuo dari, it must be given againe to God, by him, who receives it of you. It must; there seems a necessitie to be implied, because even in Nature, there was a consecration of holy places; Jacob in his journey, before the Law, consecrated even that stone, which he set up, in intention to build God a House there. In the time of the Law, this Feast of Dedication, was in practise; first in the Tabernacle; that and all that appertain’d to it, was annointed, and sanctified: So was Salomons Temple after; so was that which was reedified after their return from Babylon, and so was this in the Text, after the Heathen had defiled and profan’ d the Altar thereof, and a new one was erected by Judas Maccabeus. Thus in Nature, thus in Law, and thus far thus in the Gospell too: that as sure as wee are that the people of God had materiall Churches in the Apostles first times, so sure we are, that those places had a Sanctitie in them. If that place of Saint Paul, Despise yee the Church of God? be to be understood of the locall, of the materiall Church, and not of the Congregation, you see there is a rebuke for the prophanation of the place, and consequently a sanctity in the place. But assoone as the Church came evidently by the favour of Princes, to have liberty to make lawes, and power to see them practised, it was never pretermitted to consecrate the places. Before that, we find an ordinance by Pope Hyginus (he was within 150. after Christ, and the eighth Bishop of that See after Saint Peter) even of particulars in the Consecrations. But after, Athanasius in his Apologie to Constantius, makes that protestation for all Christians, That they never meet in any Church, till it bee consecrated: And Constantine the Emperour least hee should be at any time unprovided of such a place, (as we read in. the Ecclesiasticall story) in all his warres, carried about with him a Tabernacle which was consecrated: In Nature, in the Law, In the Gospel, in Precept, in Practise, these Consecrations are established.
This they did. But to what use did they consecrate them? not to one use only; and therfore it is a frivolous contention, whether Churches be for preaching, or for praying. But if Consecration be a kind of Christning of the Church, and that at the Christning it have a name, wee know what name God hath appoynted for his House, Domus mea, Domus orationis vocabitur. My House shall bee called the House of Prayer. And how impudent and inexcusable a falshood is that in Bellarmine, That the Lutherans and Calvinistes doe admit Churches for Sermons and Sacraments, Sed reprehendunt quod fiant ad orandum, They dislike that they should be for Prayer: when as Calvin himselfe, (who may seeme to bee more subject to this reprehension then Luther) (for there is no such Liturgie in the Calvinists Churches, as in the Lutheran) yet in that very place which Bellarmine cites, sayes Conceptce preces in Ecclesia Deo gratae; and for singing in Churches, (which in that place of Calvin cannot be only meant of Psalmes, for it was of that manner of singing, which being formerly in use in the Easterne churches, S. Ambrose, in his time, brought into the Church of Millan, and so it was derivd over the Western churches, which was the modulation and singing of Versicles and Antiphons and the like) this singing, sayes Calvin, was in use amongst the Apostles themselves, Et sanctissimum & saluberrimum est institutum. It was a most holy and most profitable Institution. Still consider Consecration to be a Christning of the place; and though we find them often called Templa propter Sacrificia, for our sacrifices of praier, and of praise, and of the merits of Christ, and often called Ecclesice ad conciones, Churches, in respect of congregations, for preaching, and often call’d Martyria, for preserving with respect, and honor the bodies of Martyrs, and other Saints of God there buried, and often, often, by other names, Dominica, Basilica, and the like, yet the name that God gave to his house, is not Concionatorium, nor Sacramen tarium, but Oratorium, the House of Prayer. And therefore without prejudice to the other functions too, ,(for as there is a vae vpon me, Si non Euangelizavero, If I preach not my selfe, so may that vae be multiplied upon any, who would draw that holy ordinance of God into a disestimation, or into a slacknesse,) let us never intermit that dutie, to present our selves to God in these places, though in these places there bee then, no other Service, but Common prayer. For then doth the House answere to that name, which God hath given it, if it be a house of Prayer.
Thus then were these places to receive a double Dedication; a Dedication, which was a Donation from the Patron, a Dedication which was a consecration from the Bishop, for to his person, and to that ranke in the Hierarchy of the Church, the most ancient Canons limited it; and to those purposes, which wee have spoken of; of which, Prayer is so farre from being none, as that there is none above it. A little should be said, (before wee shut up this part) of the manner, the forme of Consecrations. In which, in the Primitive Church, assoone as Consecrations came into free use, they were full of Ceremonies. And many of those Ceremonies deriv’d from the Jewes: and not unlawfull, for that. The Ceremonies of the Jewes, which had their foundation in the prefiguration of Chnst, and were types of him, were unlawfull after Christ was come; because the use of them, then, implyed a deniall or a doubt of his being come. But those Ceremonies, which, though the Jewes used them, had their foundation in Nature, as bowing of the knee, lifting up the eyes, and hands, and many, very many others, which either testified their devotion that did them, or exalted their devotion that sawe them done, are not therefore excluded the Church, because they were in use amongst the Jewes. That Pope whom we named before, Hyginus, the eighth after Saint Peter, he instituted, Ne Basilica sine Missa consecretur. That no Church bee consecrated without a Masse. If this must binde us, to a Masse of the present Romane Church, it were hard; and yet not very hard truely; for they are easily had. But that word, Masse, is in Saint Ambrose, in Saint Augustine, in some very ancient Councels; and surely intends nothing, to this purpose, but the Service, the Common Prayer of the Church, then in use, there. And when the Bishop Panigarola sayes in his Sermon vpon Whitsunday, that the Holy Ghost found the blessed Virgin and the Apostles at Masse, I presume hee meanes no more, then that they were mett at such publique Prayer, as at those times they might make. Sure Pope Clemens, and Pope Hyginus meane the same thing, when one sayes Missa consecretur, and the other Divinis Precibus: One sayes, Let the Consecration bee with a Masse, the other, with Divine Service; the Liturgie, the Divine Service was then the Masse. In a word, a constant forme of Consecrations, wee finde none that goes through our Ritualls: the Ceremonies were still more or lesse, as they were more or lesse obnoxious, or might bee subject to scandalize, or to be mis-interpreted. And therefore I am not heere either to direct, or so much as to remember, that which appertaines to the manner of these Consecrations; onely in concur ring in that, which is the Soule of all, humble and heartie prayer, that God will heare his Servants in this place, I shall not offend to say, that I am sure my zeale is inferiour to none. And more I say not of the first Part, The Holy place; and but a little more, of the other; though at first it were proposed for an equall part, The Holy Person, That at the Feast of the Dedication, lesus walked in the Temple in Salomons Porch. In this second part, wee did not spread the words, nor shed our considerations upon many particulars: the first was, that even Jesus himselfe had recourse to this Holy place. In the new Jerusalem, in Heaven, there is no Temple. I saw no Temple there sayes Saint John: for the Lord God Almightie, and the l.Ambe are the Temple of it. In Heaven, where there is no danger of falling, there is no need of assistance. Heere the Temple is called Gnazar, that is Auxilium: A Helper: the strongest that is, needs the helpe of the Church: And it is called Sanctificium, by Saint Hierom, a place that is not onely made holy by Consecration, but that makes others holy by GOD in it. And therefore Christ himselfe, whose person and presence might consecrate the Sanctum Sanctorum, would yet make his often repayre to this Holy place; not that hee needed this subsidie of Locall holinesse in himselfe, but that his example might bring others who did neede it; and those who did not; and, that even his owne Preaching might have the benefite and the blessing of Gods Ordinance in that place, hee says of himselfe, Quotidie apud vos sedebam docens in Templo, and Semper docui in Synagoga, & in Templo; as in the Actes, the Angell that had delivered the Apostles out of prison, sends them to Church, Stantes in Templo loqttimini plebi. The Apostles were sent to preach, but to preach in the Temple, in the place appro priated and consecrated for that holy use and employment. He came to this place, and he came at those times, which no immediate command of God, but the Church had instituted. Facta. sunt Enccenia, sayes the Text; It was the Feast of the Dedication. Wee know what Dedication this was; That of Salomon was much greater; A Temple built where none was before; That of Esdras at the returne was much greater then this, An intire reedification of that demolished Temple, where it was before. This was but a zealous restoring of an Altar in the Temple: which having beene prophaned by the Gentiles, the Jewes themselves threw downe, and erected a new, and dedicated that. Salomons Dedication is called a Feast, a Holy day: by the very same name thatthe Feast of unleavened bread, and the Feast of the Tabernacle is called so often in Scripture, which is Kag. The Dedication of Ezra is sufficiently declared to bee a solemne Feast too. But neither of these Feastes, though of farre greater Dedications, were Anniversarie; neither commanded to be kept every yeare; and yet this, which was so much lesser then the others, the Church had put under that Obligation, to bee kept every yeare; and Christ himselfe contemnes not, condemnes not, disputes not the in stitution of the Church. But as for matter of doctrine hee sends even his owne Disciples, to them who sate in Moses Chayre, so for matter of Ceremony, he brings even his owne person, to the celebrating, to the authorizing, to the countenancing of the Institutions of the Church, and rests in that. Now it was Winter, sayes the Text: Christ came etsi Hyems, though it were Winter; so small an inconvenience kept him not off. Beloved, it is not alway colder upon Sunday, then upon Satterday; nor at any time colder in the Chappell, then in Westminster Hall. A thrust keepes some off in Summer; and colde in Winter: and there are more of both these in other places, where for all that, they are more content to be. Remember that Peter was warming himselfe, and hee denyed Christ. They who love a warme bed, let it bee a warme Studie, let it bee a warme profit, better then this place, they deny CHRIST in his Institution. That therefore which CHRIST sayes, Pray that your flight bee not in the Winter, nor upon the Sabbath; we may apply thus, Pray that upon the Sabbath (I tolde you at first, what were Sabboths,) the Winter make you not £lie, not abstaine from this place. Put off thy shooes, sayes God to Moses, for the place is holy ground. When Gods ordinance by his Church call you to this holy place, put off those shoes, all those earthly respects, of ease or profit, Christ came, Etsi Hyems. But then, Quia Hyems, Because it was Winter, Hee did walke in Salomons Porch, which was covered, not in Atrio, in that part of the Temple, which was open, and expos’d to the weather. We doe not say, that infirme and weak men, may not favour themselves, in a due care of their health, in these places. That he who is not able to raise himselfe, must alwayes stand at the Gospell, or bow the knee at the name of Jesus, or stay some whole houres, altogether uncovered heere, if that increase infirmities of that kinde. And yet Courts of Princes, are strange Bethesdaes; how quickly they recover any man that is brought into that Poole? How much a little change of ayre does? and how well they can stand, and stand bare many houres, in the Privy Chamber, that would melt and flowe out into Rhumes, and Catarrs, in a long Gospell heere? But, Citra Scandalum, a man may favour himselfe in these places: but yet this excuses not the irreverent manner which hath overtaken us in all these places; That any Master may thinke himselfe to have the same libertie heere, as in his owne house, or that that Servant, that never puts on his hat in his Masters presence all the weeke, on Sunday, when hee and his Master are in Gods presence, should have his hat on perchance before his Masters. Christ shall make Master and Servant equall; but not yet; not heere; nor ever, equall to himselfe, how ever they become equall to one another. Gods service is not a continuall Martyrdome, that a man must bee heere, and here in such a posture, and such a manner, though hee dye for it; but Gods House is no Ordinary neither; where any man may pretend to doe what he will, and every man may doe, what any man does. Christ slept in a storme; I dare not make that generall; let all doe so. Christ favoured himselfe in the Church; I dare not make that generall neither: to make all places equall, or all persons equall in any place.
Tis time to end. Saint Basill himselfe, as acceptable as hee was to his Auditory, in his second Sermon upon the 14. Psalme, takes knowledge that hee had preached an houre, and therefore broke off: I see it is a Compasse, that all Ages have thought sufficient. But as we have contracted the consideration of great Temples, to this lesser Chappell, so let us contract the Chappell to our selves: Et facta sint Enccenia nostra, let this be the Feast of the Dedication of our selves to God. Christ calls himselfe a Temple, Solvite templum hoc: Destroy this Temple. And Saint Paul calls us so twice; Know ye not that ye are the Temples of the Holy Ghost? Facta sint Enccenia nostra: Enccenia signifies Renovationem, a renewing: and Saint Augustine sayes that in his time, Si quis nova tunica indueretur, Encceniare diceretur. If any man put on a new garment, hee called it by that name, Enccenia sua. Much more is it so, if wee renew in our selves the Image of God, and put off the Olde man, and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is truly Encceniare, to dedicate, to renew Our selves: and so Nazianzen in a Sermon, or Oration, upon the like occasion as this, calls, Conversionem nostram, Enccenia, our turning to God, in a true repentance, or renewing, our dedication. Let mee charge your memories, but with this note more, That when God forbad David the building of an House, Because hee was a man of blood, at that time David had not embrued his hands in Vriahs blood; nor shed any blood, but lawfully in just warres; yet even that made him uncapable of this favour to provide God a house. Some callings are in their nature more obnoxious, and more exposed to sinne, then others are: accompanied with more tentations; and so retard us more in holy duties. And therefore as there are particular sinnes that attend certaine places, certaine ages, certaine complexions, and certaine vocations, let us watch our selves in all those, and remember that not only the highest degrees of those sinns, but any thing that conduces therunto, prophanes the Consecration, and Dedication of this Temple, our selves, to the service of God; it annihilates our repentance, and frustrates our former reconciliations to him.
Almighty God worke in you a perfit dedication of your selves at this time; that so, receiving it from hands dedicated to God, hee whose holy Office this is, may present accept ably this House to God in your behalfes, and establish an assurance to you, that God will be alwayes present with you and your Succession in this place. Amen.
The Inn’s account of this service says that at this point, Bishop Montaigne “prepared himself for celebrating the Eucharist,” summoning “the reverend and venerable lords along with some other counselors of the aforesaid Inn” to join him at the chapel’s altar.
THE ORDRE FOR THE ADMINISTRACION OF THE LORDES SUPPER, OR HOLY COMMUNION.
The table, havyng at the Communion tyme a fayre whyte linnen cloth upon it, shall stand in the body of the churche or in the chauncell where mornyng prayer and evenyng prayour be appointed to be sayd.
And the priest, standyng at the Northe syde of the table, shal say the Lordes prayour wyth this collecte followyng.
ALMIGHTY God, unto whom al hartes be open, al desires knowe, and from whom no secretes are hyd: clense the thoughtes of our hartes by the inspiracion of thy holy spirite, that we may perfectly love the, and worthily magnify thy holy name, through Christe our Lorde. Amen.
Then shal the Priest rehearse distinctly at the .x. Commaundementes, and the people knelyng, shal after every Commaundemente aske Goddes mercye for theyr transgressyon of the same, after thys sorte.
Minister. God spake these wordes, and saide, I am the Lord thy God, Thou shalt have none other Goddes but me.
People. Lorde have mercye upon us, and encline our hartes to kepe this lawe.
Minister. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven ymage, nor the likenes of any thyng that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneth, or in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow doune to them, nor worshyppe the, for I the Lord thy God am a gelous God, and visite the synne of the fathers uppon the children, unto the thyrde and iiii. generacyon of them that hate me, and shew rnercie unto thousandes in theim that love me, and keepe my commaundementes.
People. Lorde have mercye upon us, and encline our hartes to kepe this lawe.
Minister. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine, for the Lorde wil not holde hym giltlesse that taketh his name in vaine.
People. Lorde have mercie upon us, and encline our, &c.
Minister. Remembrethat thou kepe holy the Sabboth daie: .vi. dayes shalt thou laboure, and doe all that thou haste to do, but the .vii. day is the Sabboth of the lorde thy god. In it thou shalt do no maner of worke, thou and thy sonne and thy daughter, thy man servaunt, and thy mayd servaunt, thy Catel, and the straunger that is within thy gates: For in .vi. daies the Lord made heaven and earth, the Sea and all that in them is, and reasted the seventh daye. Wherefore the Lorde blessed the seventh daye and halowed it.
People. Lordehave mercy upon us, and encline our. &c.
Minister. Honourthy father and thy mother, that thy daies may be long in the lande which the Lord thy God geveth the.
People. Lorde have mercy upon us, and encline. &c.
The Minister. Thou shalt not do murther.
People. Lorde have mercy uponus, and encline. &c.
Minister. Thou shalt not committe adultery.
People. Lorde have mercy upon us, and encline. &c.
Minister. Thou shalt not steale.
People. Lorde have mercy upon us, &c.
Minister. Thou shalte not beare false wytnesse agaynste thyneyghboure.
People. Lorde have mercy upon us, and encline our hartes to kepethis lawe.
Minister. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife, nor his servaunt, nor hismaide, nor his oxe, nor his asse, nor any thing that is his.
People. Lord have mercy upon us, and write al these thy lawes in our hartes we beseche the.
Then shall folowe the Collect of the day with one of these two Collectes folawyng for the King, the Priest standyng up and saying.
Priest. Let us praye.
The Collect for the Day – A Collect specially composed for this occasion.
Most merciful Saviour, which by thy bodily presence at the feast of Dedication didst approve and honor such devout and religious services as this we have now performed, present thyself also unto us by thy holy spirit, And because that Holiness becometh thy house for ever, Consecrate us, we pray thee, as an holy temple unto thine own self, that thou dwelling in our hearts by faith, we may be cleansed from all carnal and profane affections, and devoutly given to all good works for the glory of thy most holy name, To whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honor and glory whorld without end.
The people shal aunswere.
Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, whose kyngdom is everlasting, and power infinite, have mercy upon the whole congregacion, and so rule the heart of thy chose servant James our King and governoure that he (knowing whose minister he is) may above all thinges, seke thy honoure and glorye: and that we his subjectes, (dulyconsidering whose aucthority he hath) may faithfully serve, honour, and humblye obey him in the and for the, according to thy blessed worde, and ordinance, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with the and the holye ghost, lyveth and reygneth ever one God, worlde without ende.
The people shal aunswere.
Amen.
Immediately after the Collectes, the Priest shall reade the Epystle beginning thus.
The Epystle written in the tenth Chapiter of Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians.
Brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.
Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.
If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.
But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof:
Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience?
For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
And the Epystie ended, he shal say the Gospel, beginninge thus.
The Gospell wrytten in the Second Chapiter of the Gospel according to John, beginning with the thirteenth verse.
The Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
But he spake of the temple of his body.
When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
The Epistle and Gospel being ended, shalbe said the Crede.
I BELEVE in one God, the father almighty maker of heaven and earthe, and of all thynges visible and invisible: And in one Lorde Jesu Christe, the onely begotten sonne of GOD, begotten of his father before al worldes, god of God, lyghte of lyghte, veryeGod of verye God, gotten, not made, beynge of one substance wyth the father, by whome all thinges were made, who for us men, and for oursalvacion came doune from heaven, and was incarnate bythe holy Ghoste, of the Virgine Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us, under poncius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the thyrde dayhe rose againe accordinge to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hande of the father. And he shal come againe with glory, to judge both the quicke and the deade, whose Kyngdome shall have none ende. And I beleve in the holye Ghoste, The Lorde and gever of life, who procedeth from the father and the sonne, who with the father and the sonne together is worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophetes. And I beleve one catholicke and Apostolicke Churche. I acknowledge one Baptisme, for the remission of synnes. And I loke for the resurreccion of the dead : and the lyfe of the worlde to come. Amen.
After the Crede yf there be no sermon, shall folowe one of the Homelies alredy set furth, or hereafter to he set furth by commune aucthoritie. After suche Sermon, homely, or exhortacion, the Curate shall declare unto the people, whether there be anye holy dayes or fastynge dayes the weke folowyng, and earnestly exhorte theim to remembre the poore, saying one, or moe of these sentences following, as he thinketh most convenient by his discretion.
Donne’s sermon, already given, fulfills this requirement. So we proceed directly to the offertory sentences, the Officiant’s choice of one or more of the following:
LET your light so shyne before men, that they maye see your good workes, and glorifye youre father whyche is in heaven. Math. v.
Laye not up youreselves treasure upon the earthe, where the ruste and mothe doeth corrupte, and where theeves breake through and steale: But lay up for youreselves treasures in heaven, where neyther rust, nor motthe doeth corrupt, and where theeves do not breake thorowe and steale. Math. vi.
Whatsoever you woulde that menne shoulde do unto you, even so due unto them, for this is the lawe and the Prophetes. Math. vii.
Not every one that sayeth unto me Lord, Lord, shall entre into the Kingdome of heaven; but he that doeth ye wyl of my father whiche is in heaven. Math.vii.
Zaccheus stode forth, and sayde unto the Lord, beholde Lord, the halfe of my goodes I gyve to the poore,and yf I have done any wronge to any man, I restore foure folde. Luk. xix.
Who goeth a warefare at any tyme of his owne coste? Who planteth a vyneyarde, and eateth not of the fruicte thereof? Or who feedeth a flocke, and eateth not of the mylke of the flocke? i Cor. ix.
If we have sowen unto you spiritual thinges, is it a great matter, yf we shal reape your worldly thinges?
i. Cor. ix.
Do ye not knowe, that they whiche minister aboute holy thinges, lyve of the sacrifyce? whyche wayte of the aultare, are partakers with the aultare. Even so hath the Lorde also ordeyned : that they whiche preache the Gospell, shoulde lyve of the gospel. i. Cor. ix.
He which soweth lytle shal reape lytle; and he that soweth plenteously, shal reape plenteously. Let every man doe accordynge as he is dysposed in his harte, not grudgynglye or of necessitie: for God loveth a cherefull gyver. ii. Cor. ix.
Let hym that is taughte in the woorde, minister unto him that teacheth, in all good thinges. be not deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reape. Gala. vi.
Whyle we have tyme, let us do good unto al men, and specially unto them, whiche are of the householde of faythe. Gala vi.
Godlynes is great ryches, yf a man be contente with that he hath: for we brought nothynge into the worlde, neyther may we cary any thing out. i. Tim. vi.
Charge them whyche are ryche in thys worlde, that they be ready to give, and glade to distribute, laying up in store for them selves a good foundacion, against the time to come, that they may attayne eternal lyfe. i Tim. vi.
God is not unrighteous, that he wil forget your workes and laboure that procedeth of love, whiche love ye have shewed for his names sake, whiche have ministered unto sainctes, and yet do minister. Hebr. vi.
To do good, and to distribute, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Heb. xiii
Whoso hath thys worldes good, and seeth his brother have nede and shutteth up his compassyon from hym, how dwelleth the love of God in hym? i. John iii.
Geve almose alms of thy goodes, and turne never thy face from any poore man, and then the face of the Lorde shall not be turned away from the. Tob. iiii
Be mercifull after thy power. If thou hast muche gyve plenteously, if thou hast litle, doe thy diligence gladly to geve of that litle, for so gatherest thou thy selfe a good rewarde in the day of necessitye.
Tob. iiii
He that hath pitye upon the poore, lendeth unto the Lorde: and looke what he layeth out: it shalbe paied him agayne. Pro xix.
Blessed be the man that provydeth for the sycke, and nedy, the Lorde shall deliver him, in the time of trouble. Ps. xli.
Then shal the Churchewardens, or some other by them appoyncted, gather the devocion of the people, and put the same into the poore mens boxe, and upon the offeryng daies appoincted, every man and woman shal pay to the Curate the due and accustomed offerings, after whiche done, the Priest shal saie.
Let us pray for the whole estate of Christes Churche militant here in earth.
ALMIGHTYE and everliving God, whych by thy holye Apostle hast taughte us to make prayers and supplicacyons, and to geve thanckes for all men: We humbly beseche thee moste mercifully (to accepte our almose) and to receyve these our prayers whyche of we offer unto thy divine majestie, beseechyng the to inspire continually, the universal Churche wyth the spiryte of truthe, unitye, and concorde: And graunt that all they that do confesse thy holy name, may agree in the truthe of thy holy woorde, and lyve in unytye and godlye love. We beseche thee also to save and defend alle Christyane Kynges, Prynces, and Governours, and specially thy servaunt, Elyzabeth our Quene that under her we may be godly and quietly governed: and graunt unto her whole Counsaill, and to all that be put in aucthoritye under her, that they may truely and indifferently impartially minister justice, to the punishement of wyckednes and vice, and to the maintenaunce of goddes true religion and vertue. Give grace (O heavenly Father) to al Bishopes, Pastours and Curates, that they may bothe by theyr life and doctrine set furth thy true and lively worde and rightely and duely administer thy holy Sacramentes: and to all thy people gyve thy heavenlye grace, and especially to thys congregacion heare present, that with meke harte and due reverence, they may heare and receive thy holy worde, truely servyng the in holines and ryghtuousnes all the dayes of theyr lyfe. And we moost humbly beseche the of thy goodnes (O Lord) to comfort and succoure all theym whyche in thys transitory lyfe bee in trouble, Sorowe, nede, sicknes, or any other adversity. Graunt this, O father, for Jesus Christes sake our onely Mediatour and advocate. Amen.
Then the said reverend father girded himself for the Lord’s supper; those departed who were not to participate, while with the Bishop and the chaplains, the Governors of the Inn, and some others remained, counselors, etc., who were to participate etc.
Then shal folowe this exhortacion, at certayne tymes when the Curate shal see the people negligent to come to the holy Communyon.
Given the specialness of the occasion, it is possible that no Exhortation would have been read. If one was read, it, presumably was the third of the three Exhortatiosn that follow.
WE be come together at thys tyme, derely beloved brethren to fede at the Lordes supper, unto the whyche in Goddes behalf I bydde you all that be heare present, and beseche you for the lorde Jesus Christes sake, that ye wyll not refuse to come thereto, beyng so lovingly called, and bidden of God him selfe. Ye know howe grevous and unkynde a thing it is, when a manne hath prepared a riche feaste: decked his table with al kynde of provisyon, so that there lacketh nothinge but the gestes to sitte downe: and yet they whych be called wythout anye cause, mooste unthankfully refuse to come. Whyche of you in suche a case woulde not be moved? Who woulde not thyncke a greate injurie and wrong done unto hym? Wherefore moste derely beloved in Christe take ye good heade, lest ye, wythdrawyng your selves from this holy supper, and provoke Goddes indignation against you, it is an easy matter for a man to say, I will not communicate, because I am otherwise letted hindered with worldly busynes, but suche excuses be not so easily accepted and allowed before god. If any man say, I am a grevous sinner, and therefore am afrayed to come. Wherefore then do ye not repent and amende? When god calleth you, be you not ashamed to say ye wil not come? when you should returne to god, wil you excuse your self and say that you be not redy? Considre ernestly with your selves howe litle such feined excuses shall availe before God. They that refused the feaste in the Gospell, because they had bought a farme, or would trie their yokes of oxen, or because they were maried, were not so excused, but conpted counted unworthy of the hevenly feast. I for my part am here present and according to myne office, I bid you in the name of god, I cal you in Christes behalf, I exhort you, as you love your owne Salvation, that ye wil be partakers of this holy Communion. And as the sonne of God, did vouchesafe to yelde up his soule by death upon the crosse for your healthe, even so it is youre duety to receyve the Communion together in the remembraunce of his death as he hymselfe cornmaunded. Nowe, yf ye wyll in no wise thus do, consider with your selves, how great injury ye doe unto God, and howe sore punishment hangeth over your heades for thesame. And whereas ye offende God so sore in refusing this holy banquet, I admonishe, exhorte, and beseche you, that unto this unkyndenes ye wyll not adde any more. Whiche thing ye shall doe yf ye stand by as gasers and lokers of them that do Communicate, and be no partakers of the same your selves. For what thing can this be accompted els, then a further contempt and unkindenes unto God? Truly it is a greate unthankefulnes to saye naye when ye be called, but the faulte ismuche greater, when men stande by, and yet wyll neyther eate, nor drincke this holye Communion with other. I praie you what can this be ells but even to have the misteries of Christ in derision: it is sayde unto al: Take ye and eate, take and drincke ye al of this, do this in remebraunce of me. With what face then, or with what countenaunce shal ye here these wordes? what wyl this be els, but a neglecting, a despisyng, and mockynge of the Testament of Christ? wherfore rather the you shold so do, departe you hence, and geve place to them that be Godly dysposed. But when you departe, I beseche you pondre with yourselves, from whome ye departe: ye departe from the Lordes Table: ye depart from your brethren, and from the banket banquet of most heavenly foode. These thynges (yf ye earnestly consydre) ye shall by Goddes grace, returne to a better mynde, for the obteining wherof, we shall make our humble peticions while we shal receive the holy Communion.
And some tyme shalbe said this also, at the discretion of the Curat.
DERELY beloved, for asmuche as our dutye is to rendre to almighty God our heavenly father most harty thanckes for that he hathe geven his sonne our Sauiour Jesus Christ not onely to die for us, but also to be oure Spirituall fode, and sustenaunce, as it is declared unto us, aswel by Goddes worde, as by the holy sacramentes of his blessed body and bloud, the which being so comfortable a thing to them whiche receive it worthelye and so daungerous to them, that wil presume to receyve it, unworthely. My duty is to exhorte you to considre the dignitie of the holy mistery, and the great peril of the unworthy receiving therof, and so to searche and examine youre owne conscieces, as you shold come holy and cleane to a moste godly and hevenly feast, so that in no wise you come but in the mariage garment, required of God in holy scripture, and so come and be receyved as worthye partakers of suche a heavenly Table, the waye and meanes therto is.
First to examine your lives and conversation by the rule of Goddes commaundementes and wherinsoeuer ye shall perceyve your selves to have offended eyther by wil, worde, or deede, there bewayle your owne synfull lives, confesse your selves to almighty God, with ful purpose of amendement of life. And yf ye shal perceive your offences to be such, as be not only against God, but also against your neighbours. Then ye shal reconcyle youre selves unto them, ready to make restitucion and satisfaction according to the uttermost of your powers for all injuries and wronges done by you to any other, and likewise being ready to forgeve other that have offended you as you would have forgevenes of your offences at Goddes hande. For otherwyse the receiving of the holy Communion doth nothing els, but encrease your dampnation.
And because it is requisite that no manne shoulde come to the holye Communion, but with a ful trust in goddes mercy, and with a quiet conscience: therfore yf there be any of you, which by the meanes aforesaid cannot quiet his owne conscience, but requireth further comforte or counsail, then let him come to me, or some other discrete and learned minister of gods word, and open his griefe, that he may receive suche ghostly counseil, advise, and comfort, as his conscience may be releved, and that by the ministery of Gods word, he may receyve comfort, and the benefyte of absolution, to the quieting of his conscience, and advoiding of all scruple and doubtfulnes.
Then shall the Priest say this exhortation.
DERELY beloved in the Lorde: Ye that mynde to come to the holye Communion of the bodye and bloude of oure savioure Christe, must consyder what saincte Paule writeth unto the Corinthiens, howe he exhorteth all persones diligentlye to trye and examyne them selves, before they presume to eate of that breade, and drincke of that cuppe. For as the benefyte is greate, yf wyth a trulye penitente herte and lyvely faith we receive that holy sacrament (for then we spiritually eate the fleshe of Christ, and drincke his blonde, then we dwell in Christe and Christe in us, we be one wyth Christ, and Christe with us) so is the daunger great, if we receyve the same unworthely. For then we be gilty of the body and bloud of Christ our saviour. We eate and drincke our owne dampnation, not considering the lordes bodye. we kindle Gods wrath against us, we provoke him to plague us with divers diseases, and sundrye kyndes of death. Therfore if any of you be a blasphemer of god, an hinderer or slaunderer of his worde, an adulterer, or be in malyce or envye, or in anye other grevous crime, bewaile your Sinnes, and come not to this holy table, lest after the taking of that holy sacrament, the devil enter into you, as he entred into Judas, and fil you full of al iniquities, and bring you to destruction both of bodye and soule. Judge therefore your selves (brethren) that ye be not judged of the Lord. Repent you truly for your sinnes past, have a lively and stedfast faithe in Christ our saviour. Amende your lives, and be in perfect charitie wyth all men, so shal ye be mete partakers of those holy misteries. And above al thinges ye must geve most humble and herty thankes to God the father, the sone, and the holye ghost, for the redemption of the world by the deathe and passion of our saviour Christ, bothe God and man, who did humble him selfe, even to the deathe, upon the crosse, for us miserable sinners which lay in darckenes, and shadowe of death, that he mighte make us the children of God, and exalte us to everlasting life. And to thende that we should alwaie remembre the exceadinge greate love of our master and onelie saviour Jesu Christ, thus diyng for us, and the innumerable benefites (which by his precious bloudsheading) he hath obteined to us, he hath instituted and ordeined holy misteries, as pledges of his love, and continuall remembraunce of his death, to our great and endles comfort. To him therfore with the father and the holye Ghost, let us geve (as we are moste bounden) continuall thankes, submitting our selves wholy to his holie will and pleasure, and studiyng to serve him in true holines and righteousnes, al the daies of our life. Amen.
Then shall the Priest saye to them that come to receyve the holy Communion.
You that do truly and ernestly repente you of youre sinnes, and be in love, and charite with your neighbors and entende to lede a newe lyfe, folowing the commaundementes of God, and walkynge from hence furthe in his holy waies: Draw nere and take this holy Sacrament to your comforte make your humble confession to almighty God, before this congregation here gathered together in his holye name, mekely knelynge upon your knees.
Then shall this generall confession be made, in the name of all those, that are mynded to receyve this holy Communion, either by one of them, or els by one of the ministers, or by the priest him selfe, all kneling humbly upon their knees.
ALMIGHTY God, father of oure Lorde Jesus Christe, maker of all thynges, Judge of all menne, we acknowledge and bewayle oure manifolde synnes and wyckednesse, whiche we from tyme to tyme moste grevously have committed, by thoughte woorde and deede, against thy divine Majestie, provokynge mooste justlye thy wrathe and indignation againste us: we do earnestly repente, and bee hartely sorye for these oure misdoinges, the remembraunce of them is grevous unto us: the burthen of theim is intollerable: have mercy upon us, have mercye upon us, mooste mercyfull father, for thy sonne oure Lorde Jesus Christes sake, forgeve us all that is paste, and graunte that we may ever hereafter serve and please the, in newenes of lyfe, to the honour and glorye of thy name throughe Jesus Christ our Lorde. Amen.
Then shall the priest or the Bishop (beyng present) stande up, and turning himself to the people shall say thus.
ALMIGHTYE God, oure heavenly father, who of his great mercy hathe promised forgevenes of sinnes, to al them, whiche with hartye repentaunce and true faithe turne to hym: have mercye upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sinnes, confirme and strengthen you in all goodnes, and bring you to everlastyng lyfe; through Jesus Christ our Lorde. Amen.
Then shall the Priest also saye.
Here what comfortable wordes our saviour Christ saithe to all them that truly turne to him.
COME unto me all that travaile and be heavy laden, and I shal refreshe you. So God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten sonne, to thende that al that beleve in him, should not perishe but have life everlastyng.
Heare also what S. Paule saithe.
This is a true saieng, and worthy of all men to be receyved, that Jesus Christ came into the worlde to save synners.
Heare also what S. John saieth.
If any manne sinne, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propiciation for our sinnes.
After the whiche the priest shall procede saying.
Lift up your hartes.
Aunswere. We lyfte them up unto the Lorde.
Priest. Let us geve thanckes unto our Lorde God.
Aunswere. It is mete and right so to do.
Priest. It is very mete, right, and our bounden duety that we should at al times, and in all places, geve thanckes to the, O Lord holy father, almighty everlasting God.
Here shall folow the proper prefaces, according to the tyme, yf there be any specially appointed, or els immediatly shal folow:
PROPER PREFACE for the Feast of the Ascension.
Upon the Ascencion day, and vii dayes after.
THROUGH thy most deare beloved sonne, Jesus Christ our Lorde, who after his moste glorious resurrection, manifestly appered to al his Apostles, and in their sight ascended up into heaven, to prepare a place for us, that where he is, thether might we also ascende, and reigne with him in glory.
After which preface, shall folow immediatly.
THERFORE with Aungelles and Archangelles, and wyth all the company of heaven, we laude and magnify thy glorious name, evermore praising thee, and saying: Holy, holy, holy, lord god of hostes, heven and earth are ful of thy glory, glory be to the, O Lord most hyghe.
Then shall the priest knelynge downe at Gods borde, say in the name of all them that shall receyve the communion, this prayer folowing.
WE do not presume to come to this thy table (O merciful Lorde) trustinge in oure owne rightuousnesse, but in thy manifolde and greate mercies, we be not worthy so muche as to gather up the crommes under thy Table, but thou arte the same Lord, whose property is alwaies to have mercy. Graunt us therefore gracious Lorde, so to eate the fieshe of thy deare sonne Jesus Christ, and to drinke his bloude, that oure synful bodies may be made cleane by his body, and our soules washed through his most precious bloud, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us.
Then the priest standing up, shal say as foloweth:
ALMIGHTY God our heavenly father whiche of thy tender rnercye, diddest give thine onely Sonne Jesus Christ, to suffer death upon the Crosse for our redeption, who made ther (by his one oblation of himself once offered) a ful, perfect and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the synnes of the whole worlde, and didde institute, and in his holy gospel commaunde us to continue a perpetual memory of that his precious deathe, untyll his comminge againe: Heare us O merciful father, we besech the, and graunt that we receivyng these thy creatures of breade and wine, accordinge to thy sonne our saviour Jesu Christes holy institution, in remembrauce of his death and passion, may be partakers of his moste blessed body and bloude, who in the same night that he was betraied, toke bread, and when he had geven thankes, he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eate, this is my bodie, which is geven for you. Doe this in remembraunce of me. Likewise after supper he toke the cuppe, and when he had geven thankes, he gave it to them, saying: Drinke ye all of this, for this is my bloude of the new Testament, whiche is shedde for you and for many, for remission of sinnes: doe this as oft as ye shall drinke it in remembraunce of me.
Then shall the minister fyrste receyve the Communion in bothe kyndes him selfe, and next deliver it to other Ministers (yf any be there present, that they may helpe the chief minister) and after to the people in their handes kneling. And when he delivereth the breade, he shall saye.
THE bodie of our lord Jesu Christ, which was geven for the, preserve thy body and soule into everlastinge life: and take and eate this in remembraunce that Christ died for thee, feede on him in thine heart by faith, with thankesgevynge.
And the minister that delivereth the cuppe shall saye.
THE bloude of our lorde Jesu Christ, which was shedd for the, preserve thy body and soule into everlasting life: and drinke this in remembraunce that Christes bloude was shedde for thee, and be thankeful.
Then shall the priest say the Lordes prayer, the people repetynge after him every peticion.
+OUR Father, whiche arte in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kyngdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Geve us this day our dayly breade. And forgeve us our trespasses, as we forgeve them that trespasse against us. And lead us not into temptacion. But deliver us from evil. Amene.
After shalbe sayde as foloweth.
O LORDE and heavenly father, we thy humble servaunts, entierly desire thy fatherly goodnes mercifully to accept this our Sacrifice of praise and thankesgeving moste humblye besechynge thee to graunte, that by the merites and death of thy sonne Jesus Christ, and throughe faith in his bloude, we (and all thy whole church,) may obteine remission of our sinnes, and al other benefites of his passion. And here we offer and presente unto the, O Lord, our selves, our soules, and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and lively sacrifice unto the, humblye beseching the, that al we which be partakers of this holye communion, may be fulfilled with thy grace, and heavenly benediction. And although we be unworthye throughe our manifolde sinnes, to offer unto the any sacrifice, yet we beseche the to accept this our bounden duty and service, not weighing our merites, but pardoning our offences, throughe Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom and with whom, in the unitie of the holy ghoste, all honour and glorye be unto the, O father almighty, world without ende. Amen.
Or this,
ALMIGHTY and everlastinge God, we moste hartely thancke the, for that thou doest vouchsafe to fede us, whiche have duly received these holy misteries, with the spiritual fode of the moste precious body and bloude of thy sonne, our saviour Jesus Christ, and doest assure us therby of thy favour and goodnes towarde us, and that we be very membres incorporate in thy mistical body, whiche is the blessed company of al faithful people, and be also heyres through hope of thy everlasting kingdom, by the merites of the most precious death and passion of thy deare sone. We now most humbly beseche the, O hevenly father, so to assist us with thy grace, that we may continue in that holy felowship, and do all suche good workes as thou hast prepared for us to walke in, throughe Jesus Christe our Lord; to whom with the and the holy ghost be all honour and glory, world without ende. Amen.
Then shalbe sayde or songe.
GLORYE be to God on hyghe. And in earthe peace, good wyll towardes men. We prayse thee, we blesse thee, we worshyppe thee, we glorifye thee, wee geve thanckes to thee, for thy greate glorye. O Lorde God, heavenlye Kynge, God the father Almightie. O Lorde the onely begotten Sonne Jesu Christ. O Lord God, Lambe of God, Sonne of the father, that takest awaye the sinnes of the worlde, have mercye upon us: Thou that takest awaye the Sinnes of the worlde, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the synnes of the worlde, receive our praier. Thou that syttest at the right hande of God the Father, have mercy upon us. For thou onely art holy: Thou only art the Lorde, thou only O Christe with the holy Ghost, art most highe in the Glory of God the father. Amen.
When the communion was completed, however, the said Lord Bishop added this thanksgiving for finale, and in a deep voice pronounced, to wit:
Blessed be thy name, O Lord our God for that it pleaseth thee to have thine habitation among men, and to dwell in the assembly of the righteous. Bless we beseech thee this day’s action unto us, prosper thou the work of our hands upon us, Lord prosper those our handy work, bless this house [and family] and the owners thereof into whose minds thou diddest putt it to have this place consecrated unto thee, Be with them and theirs in their going out and coming in and make them truly thankful unto thy glorious name, who being so great a God and the Lord of the whole earth, vouchsafeth to accept these poor offerings from sinful men which are themselves but earth and ashes And grant that they and their successors may faithfully serve thee in this place to the comfort of their own souls and the everlasting praise of thy glorious Majesty, through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Savior.
The people say,
Amen.
When these things were done, with the above named worshipful and venerable lords and some others, counselors of the aforesaid Inn, placed facing the altar, the reverend father Lord Bishop of London aforesaid addressed them in these or similar words, to wit:
It was your most earnest desire to have this place consecrated which request you have obtained and therein a double favor both from God that it will please him to accept from simple men such mean offers and to tie his presence by promise to such places as this. And also from the Church which hath appointed the means for performing thereof, and this request is by me already satisfied and that duty performed. Now then you must know that this place is become an Anathema, and that in every anathema is both a consecration and an execration, a blessing and curse. If you shall use it rightly, and to that purpose only for which it is sanctified, it will be an anathema, a blessing to you and to your house and families. If it be otherwise that you profane it, it will be an Anathema, a curse to you and your house, and posterity.
Therefore I doe here charge you in the name of Almighty God, in whose presence you now appear, and to whose great and glorious name this place is now dedicated that neither Yee by yourselves, or by any permission of others, do or suffer to be done any thing contrary to that is now intended and performed, If ye shall, I doe call the great God of heaven, before whose Altar ye now stand, and this congregation here present, witnesses against the souls of you and Yours at the dreadful day of Judgment.
But my hope is you will not and yet for more assurance, I doe require you to pass me your promises before God and the company not to do or suffer it any way to be profaned.
Then, when the pledge was given by the said worshipful and venerable lords and some others of the aforesaid Inn, to the effect aforesaid, the reverend father aforesaid dismissed the whole congregation with that Apostolic benediction, to wit:
THE peace of God, which passeth all understanding, kepe youre hartes, and mindes in the knowlege and love of God, and of his Sonne Jesu Christe, oure Lorde. And the blessing of God almyghty, the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, be among you, and remayne with you alwaies. Amen.
After the chapel was consecrated and all things there were done, the reverend father Lord Bishop of London descended to consecrate the ground assigned for burial. First, before the entrance, action and petition concerning the ground to be consecrated were performed by the lords of the Inn in the same way as the action and petition earlier at the door of the chapel, and to their petitions the reverend father Lord Bishop of London decreed that the said ground would be consecrated, and then he took possession.
Then the said reverend father along with his vicar general in spiritual matters and the lords of the ground and many other persons accompanying him circled the ground to be consecrated, and then he betook himself to a seat prepared for him and fittingly decked out, and in the same place rested himself for a little while.
When the noise had settled down the reverend father Lord Bishop of London aforesaid made a prayer before the attending congregation, and then Master Thomas Worrall, bachelor of sacred theology, domestic chaplain of the said reverend father, read aloud Chapter 23 of Genesis.
Genesis Chapter 23
And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.
And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,
I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.
And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,
Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.
And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.
And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.
And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.
And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure
Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the sons of Heth.
Then the venerable man, Lord Henry Marten, vicar general in spiritual matters of the said reverend father, to the same reverend father presented a schedule or pronouncement of dedication or consecration put in writing, humbly begging on the part of the lords of the aforesaid ground, that it be read and promulgated. And in response to his petition the same reverend father consecrated the aforesaid ground by reading aloud the aforesaid schedule or pronouncement of dedication and consecration, handed over to him (as stated before) and received through him, with the following words, to wit:
In the Name of God Amen. Since the worshipful and venerable men — counselors and students — in the Inn commonly called Lincoln’s Inn beside the lane commonly called Chancery Lane in the suburbs of the city of London, of our London diocese and jurisdiction, led by pious and religious devotion, have offered and donated this place or ground, recently belonging to the said worshipful and venerable men by best right, and the passage or access to the eastern boundary of the same, from consideration of piety, and for the burying of the dead, which very place or ground, for the greater part of the same, located under the arch or vault of the same chapel, and through the outsides of the supports of the same building, bounded by it on both sides, contains from the east part of the same towards the west, seventy six feet, and from the north part of the same towards the south, sixty seven feet, or thereabout, and the passage or access to the western boundary of the same contains in longitude twenty one feet, and in latitude seven feet, or thereabout, and (since they) have begged us that we, with our ordained and episcopal authority, see fit to separate said place or ground and the entrance or access to the western boundary of the same, from all former uses common and profane whatsoever, and convert them to sacred uses.
We therefore, George, by divine permission Bishop of London, and agreeing with pleasure to their religious desire in this direction, decree that the place and ground of this sort, and the entrance or access to the western boundary of the same, containing quantities specified above, are to be separated from former and other uses whatsoever, common and profane, for the uses following.
And to the same counselors and students in the aforesaid Inn and those staying in the precinct of the aforesaid Inn, and to their successors, we assign for a cemetery or place of burial of dead bodies in and for the aforesaid Inn, so far as is in us, and we are able by the laws, statutes and canons of this kingdom of England, and by our episcopal authority we dedicate and consecrate and attest to have been thus assigned and consecrated, through the present document. And we openly and publicly pronounce, decree, and declare that the same should remain thus dedicated and consecrated for future times everlasting.
We want the cemetery, or places of burial, to be secured with the privileges, all and sundry, customary and requisite for cemeteries or consecrated places of this sort, eligible by law, to the full effect of the law, and so far as is in us and we are able by law, we so fortify and stabilize (it) according to the intention of those present. Without however any prejudice, and saving always the right and interest of the parish churches of Saint Dunstan in the west of London and Saint Andrew in Holborn of London, and of the rectors, vicars, curates, and wardens of the aforesaid churches, and of other ministers of the same existing at the time, and of all other churches whatsoever, and of rectors, vicars, curates, and wardens and other ministers of the same existing at the time, in the parishes of which the aforesaid Inn, or the boundaries of the same, or any part therefrom are sited and situated, in all and sundry payments, fees, incomes, privileges, rights and emoluments whatsoever for burials, owed or customary to the same churches respectively, and by the reckoning of the aforesaid arising and forthcoming from the precinct or boundaries of the aforesaid Inn, and belonging to the said churches by right or custom in any way, and pertaining to the rectors, vicars, curates, wardens and other ministers of the same churches in so ample a mode and form as was owed to the same, or accustomed to be paid before this our consecration of this chapel and cemetery, or place or ground of this sort now assigned for burial.
Which aforementioned (rights and reservations), all and sundry, so far as is in us and by right we are able, we so decree and establish on our behalf and that of our successors through those present.
When this was done the same reverend father made prayers for the blessing of the aforesaid work, praying as follows, to wit:
Most merciful Father thou hast bin pleased to teach us in thy Holy words, that the very bodies of thy faithful servants are not made in vain, but that living and dying they have their special uses appointed by thy self. Thou hast framed them here on earth to be the workmanship of thy hands, and to sound out thy glory, thou hast fashioned them unto the shape of thy own son, that by a spiritual union, they should be as bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. Thou hast made them the Temples of the Holy Ghost, that thy sacred spirit may move and work in them those things which by thy mercy are acceptable in thy sight, And when they are to rest with their fathers and to return unto the earth from whence they were taken, thou hast appointed them not for ever to remain there in corruption, but at the day of the general resurrection to come forth of the graves, to be possessed with eternity and to be crowned with immortality.
Wee cannot therefore but take Knowledge by the examples of thy Patriarchs and holy men in all ages, and by that which thy blessed word hath revealed unto us, that it is thy gracious pleasure that when thy servants shall by thee be called out of this miserable world, their bodies should be seemly and decently committed unto Christian burial, that in the bowels of the earth they may remain in hope of a joyful resurrection. And having for that purpose made choice of this place where we now are, that it may be a receptacle for the bodies of such of our brethren as thou dost ordain hither.
Wee beseech Thee to accept this work of ours, and mercifully to grant that we who be here present may never forget our dissolution from the Tabernacle of this flesh, but that living we may think on death, and dying we may apprehend life, to the everlasting comfort of our souls. And for those whose bodies are hereafter to be committed to this earth so guide them with thy grace while they are here in this world, that setting Thee evermore before their eyes, and accompting all things vain in comprison of their enjoying of Thee their only God and Savior, they may live in Thy fear and dye in thy faith, and so be made heirs of thy everlasting Kingdome through Jesus Christ our Lord and blessed redeemer. Amen.
And so the reverend father aforesaid dismissed the whole congregation, with that Apostolic benediction, to wit:
THE peace of God, which passeth all understanding, kepe youre hartes, and mindes in the knowlege and love of God, and of his Sonne Jesu Christe, oure Lorde. And the blessing of God almyghty, the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, be among you, and remayne with you alwaies.
The people say,
Amen.
After the Service of Consecration for Trinity Chapel, Bishop Montaigne, Dean Donne, other clergy, and the officials of Lincoln’s Inn retired to the Great Hall (now the Old Hall) of the Inn, next door to Trinity Chapel, to the south of the Chapel’s West Front, for refreshments and, perhaps, lunch.
For more on the Old Hall then and today, go here.
