will not stick to seal it by receiving the holy communion, and accordingly prepare themselves for it. It were more Christian to desire that those licentious festivities might be suppressed, and the communion more generally used by those that marry: the happiness would be greater than can easily be expressed. Unde sufficiamus ad enarrandam felicitatem ejus matrimonii, quod ecclesia conciliat, et confirmat oblatio. Tertull. lib. 2, ad uxorem.

VISITATION OF THE SICK.

§ 1. "Forasmuch as the conditions," &c. [Exc. 1.] All which is here desired is already presumed, namely, that the minister shall apply himself to the particular condition of the person; but this must be done according to the rule of prudence and justice, and not according to his pleasure. Therefore, if the sick person shew himself truly penitent, it ought not to be left to the minister's pleasure to deny him absolution, if he desire it. Our church's direction is according to the 13th canon of the venerable Council of Nice, both here and in the next that follows.

§ 2. Exc. 2. The form of absolution in the liturgy is more agreeable to the Scriptures than that which they desire, it being said in St. John xx, "Whose sins you remit, they are remitted," not, whose sins you pronounce remitted; and the condition needs not to be expressed, being always necessarily understood.

COMMUNION OF THE SICK.

It is not fit the minister should have power to deny this viation, or holy communion, to any that humbly desire it according to the rubric; which no man disturbed in his wits can do, and whosoever does must in charity be presumed to be penitent, and fit to receive.

THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD.

§ 1. Rub. 1. [Exc. 2.] It is not fit so much should be left to the discretion of every minister; and the desire that all may be said in the church, being not pretended to be for the ease of

tender consciences, but of tender heads, may be helped by a cap better than a rubric.

§ 2. [Exc. 5.] We see not why these words may not be said of any person whom we dare not say is damned, and it were a breach of charity to say so even of those whose repentance we do not see: for whether they do not inwardly and heartily repent, even at the last act, who knows? and that God will not even then pardon them upon such repentance, who dares say? It is better to be charitable, and hope the best, than rashly to condemn.

CHURCHING WOMEN.

§ 1. Exc. 1. It is fit that the woman performing especial service of thanksgiving should have a special place for it, where she may be perspicuous to the whole congregation, and near the holy table, in regard of the offering she is there to make. They need not fear popery in this, since in the Church of Rome she is to kneel at the church door.

§ 2. Exc. 2. The psalm cxxi is more fit and pertinent than those others named, as cxiii, cxxviii, and therefore not to be changed.

§ 3. Exc. 3. If the woman be such as is here mentioned, she is to do her penance before she is churched.

§ 4. Exc. 4. Offerings are required as well under the gospel as the law; and amongst other times most fit it is, that oblations should be when we come to give thanks for some special blessing. Psa. lxxvi, 10, 11. Such is the deliverance in childbearing.

§ 4. Exc. 5. This is needless, since the rubric and common sense require that no notorious person be admitted.

THE CONCESSIONS.

§ 1. We are willing that all the epistles and gospels be used according to the last translation.

§ 2. That when anything is read for an epistle which is not in the epistles, the superscription shall be, "For the epistle."

§ 3. That the Psalms be collated with the former translation, mentioned in rubric, and printed according to it.

§ 4. That the words "this day," both in the collects and prefaces, be used only upon the day itself; and for the following days it be said, "as about this time."

§ 5. That a longer time be required for signification of the names of the communicants: and the words of the rubric be changed into these, "at least some time the day before."

§ 6. That the power of keeping scandalous sinners from the communion may be expressed in the rubric according to the 26th and 27th canons; so the minister be obliged to give an account of the same immediately after to the ordinary.

§ 7. That the whole preface be prefixed to the commandments.

§ 8. That the second exhortation be read some Sunday or holyday before the celebration of the communion, at the discretion of the minister.

§ 9. That the general confession at the communion be pronounced by one of the ministers, the people saying after him, all kneeling humbly upon their knees.

§ 10. That the manner of consecrating the elements be made more explicit and express, and to that purpose these words be put into the rubric, "Then shall he put his hand upon the bread and break it," "then shall he put his hand unto the cup."

§ 11. That if the font be so placed as the congregation cannot hear, it may be referred to the ordinary to place it more conveniently.

§ 12. That those words, "Yes, they do perform those," &c., may be altered thus, "Because they promise them both by their sureties," &c.

13. That the words of the last rubric before the catechism may be thus altered, "that children being baptized have all things necessary for their salvation, and dying before they commit any actual sins, be undoubtedly saved, though they be not confirmed."

§ 14. That to the rubric after confirmation these words may be added, " or be ready and desirous to be confirmed."

§ 15. That those words, "with my body I thee worship," may be altered thus, "with my body I thee honour."

§ 16. That those words, "till death us depart," be thus altered, "till death us do part."

§ 17. That the words "sure and certain" may be left out.

XVII.

The Petition for peace and concord presented to the Bishops with the proposed Reformation of the Liturgy.—A Petition for Peace with the Reformation of the Liturgy as it was presented to the Rt. Rev. Bishops, London, 1661.

Most Reverend Fathers and Reverend Brethren, THE special providence of God, and his majesty's tender regard for the peace and consciences of his subjects, and his desire of their concord in the things of God, hath put into our hands this opportunity of speaking to you as humble petitioners, as well as commissioners, on the behalf of these yet troubled and unhealed churches, and of many thousand souls that are dear to Christ; on whose behalf, we are pressed in spirit in the sense of our duty, most earnestly to beseech you, as you tender the peace and prosperity of these churches, the comfort of his majesty in the union of his subjects, and the peace of your souls in the great day of your accounts, that laying by all former and present exasperating and alienating differences, you will not now deny us your consent and assistance to those means that shall be proved honest and cheap, and needful to those great, desirable ends, for which we all profess to have our offices, and our lives.

'This

paper was drawn up by Baxter.-Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, p. 334.

The things which we humbly beg of you are these.

1. That you will grant what we have here proposed and craved of you in our preface; even your charitable interpretation, acceptance of, and consent unto the alterations and additions to the liturgy now tendered unto you, that being inserted, as we have expressed, it may be left to the minister's choice to use one or other at his discretion upon his majesty's approbation, according to his gracious Declaration concerning ecclesiastical affairs. And that (seeing we cannot obtain the form of episcopal government, described by the late reverend primate of Ireland, and approved by many episcopal divines) we may at least enjoy those benefits of reformation in discipline, and that freedom from subscription, oaths, and ceremonies, which are granted in the said Declaration, by the means of your charitable mediation and request.

2. Seeing some hundreds of able, holy, faithful ministers are of late cast out, and not only very many of their families in great distress, but (which is of far greater moment) abundance of congregations in England, Ireland, and Wales, are overspread with lamentable ignorance, and are destitute of able, faithful teachers: and seeing too many that are insufficient, negligent, or scandalous, are over the flocks (not meaning this as an accusation of any that are not guilty, nor a dishonourable reflection on any party, much less on the whole church) we take this opportunity earnestly to beseech you, that you will contribute your endeavours to the removal of those that are the shame and burdens of the churches; and to the restoration of such as may be an honour and blessing to them. And to that end, that it be not imputed to them as their unpardonable crime, that they were born in an age and country which required ordination by parochial pastors, without diocesans: and that re-ordination (whether absolute or hypothetical) be not made necessary to the future exercise of their ministry. But that an universal confirmation may be granted of those ordained as aforesaid, they being still responsible for any personal insufficiency or crime. Were these two granted (the confirmation of the grants in his

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