Chapter XXII: The Parson in Sacraments has 2 versions (see TEI-XML)
Table of Contents
Witness
p. 88
p. 73
THETHe Countrey Parſon being
to
adminiſter the Sacra-
mentsSacraments, is
at a ſtand with
himſelf, how or what
behaviour
to aſſume for ſo holy
things. E-
ſpeciallyEſpecially at Communion
times he
is in a great confuſion, as
being
not only to receive God, but
to
break,break and adminiſter him. Nei-
ther findes he any iſſue in this, but
to throw himſelf down at the throne
of grace, ſaying, Lord, thou
knoweſt what thou didſt, when
p. 89
thou appointedſtappointed’ſt it to be done
thus;
therefore doe thou ful-
fillfulfill what thou
didſtdidd’ſt appoint; for
thou art not
onelyonly the feaſt, but
the way to it.
At BaptiſmeBaptiſm, be-
ingbeing himſelfehimſelf in white,
he requires
the preſence of all,
and Bapti-
zethBaptizeth not willingly, but on
Sun-
dayesSundayes, or great dayes. HeeHe ad-
mits no vainevain or idle names, but
ſuch as are uſualluſual and accuſtomed.
HeeHe ſaysſayes that prayer with great
p. 74
devotion, where God is thanked
for
calling us to the knowledg of
his
grace, BaptiſmeBaptiſm being a bleſ-
ſingbleſſing, that
the world hath not the
like. He wil-
lingly and cheerfully
croſſeth the
child, and thinketh the
Ceremony
not onelyonly innocent, but
reverend. He
inſtructeth the God-
fathersGodfathers, and God-
mothers, that it
is no complementallcomplemental
or light thing
to ſuſtain that place,
but a great ho-
nourhonour, and no leſs bur-
den, as being
done both in the preſencepre-
ſence of God,
p. 90
&and his Saints, and by way
of un-
dertakingundertaking for a Chriſtian ſoul.
He
adviſeth all to call to minde
their
Baptiſm often; for if wiſe men
have
thought it the beſt way of preſervingpre-
ſerving
a ſtate to reduce it to its
principles
by which it grew great;
certainly,certainly
it is the ſafeſt courſe for
Chriſti-
ansChriſtians alſo to meditate on their
Bap-
tiſmeBaptiſm often (being the firſt ſtep
into
their great and glorious cal-
ling)
and upon what termes, and
with
what vowes they were Bapti-
zed.
At the times of the Holy Commu-
nionCom-
munion, he firſt takes order with
the
Church-Wardens, that the ele-
mentsele-
p. 75
ments be of the beſt, not cheapecheap,
or
courſe, much leſſeleſs ill-taſted,
or unwholſomeun-
wholſom. Secondly, heehe
conſiders
and looks into the igno-
ranceignorance, or
careleſneſs of his flock,
and accord-
ingly applies himſelfehimſelf
with CatechizingsCatechi-
zing, and live-
lylively exhortations, not
on the Sunday
of the Communion
only (for then
p. 91
it is too late)late;) but
the Sunday, or
Sundayes before the
Communion,
or on the Eves of all
thoſe dayes.
If there be any, who
having not re-
ceivedreceived yet,yet is to en-
ter into this
great workWork, he takes
the more pains
with them, that heehe
may lay the
foundation of future
Bleſſings. The
time of every ones
firſt receiving
is not ſo much by
yeersyears, as by un-
derſtandingunderſtanding: particularly,parti-
cularly the rule
may be this: When
any one can
diſtinguiſh the Sacra-
mentalSacramentall from
common bread, know-
ing the In-
ſtitutionInſtitution, and the differencediffer-
ence, heehe
ought to receive, of what
age ſo-
everſoever. Children and youthsyouth are
u-
ſuallyuſually deferred too long, under
pretence of devotion to the Sacra-
ment, but it is for want of Inſtructi-
onInſtruction;
p. 76
their underſtandings being ripe
e-
nough for ill things, and why not
then for better? But Parents, and
Maſters ſhould make haſthaſte in this, as
to a great purchaſe for their children,
p. 92
and ſervants; which while they
de-
ferrdeferr, both ſides ſuffer; the one,
in
wanting many excitings of grace;
the
other,other in being worſe ſerved
and o-
beyed. The ſaying of the
Catechiſm
is neceſſary, but not e-
noughenough; becauſe
to anſwer in form
may ſtill admit ig-
norance: but the
Queſtions muſt be
propounded
looſely and wildely, and
then the
Anſwerer will diſcover
what heehe
is. Thirdly, For the man-
ner of
receiving, as the Parſon uſeth
all
reverence himſelf, ſo he adminiſtersadmini-
ſters
to none but to the reverent.
The
Feaſt indeed requires ſitting, be-
cauſe it is a Feaſt; but man’s unpre-
paredneſſeunpre-
paredneſs asks kneeling. HeeHe that
comes to the Sacrament, hath the
confidencecon-
fidence of a Gueſt, and heehe that
kneels,
confeſſeth himſelf an unwor-
thyunworthy one,
and therefore differs from
other FeaſtersFea-
ſters: but heehe that ſits, or
lies, puts up
to an Apoſtle: Con-
tentiouſneſſeContentiouſneſs in a
p. 77
feaſt of Charity is
p. 93
more ſcandallſcandal thenthan
any poſture.
Fourthly, touching the
frequency
of the Communion, the
Parſon ce-
lebratescelebrates it, if not duly once
a month,
yet at leaſt five or ſix times
in the
year; as, at Eaſter, ChriſtmaſſeChriſtmaſs,
Whitſuntide, afore and after Har-
veſt, and the beginning of Lent.
And this heehe doth, not onelyonly for
the
benefit of the work, but al-
ſoalſo for the
diſcharge of the Church-
wardens,
who being to preſent all
that receive
not thrice a year; if
there be but
three Communions,
neither can all
the people ſo order
their affairs as to
receive juſt at thoſe
times, nor the
Church-Wardens ſo
well take noticeno-
tice, who receive thrice,
and who
not.
Chap.CHAP.
XXII.
The Parſon in Sacraments.
The Parſon in Sacraments.
THETHe Countrey Parſon being
to
adminiſter the Sacra-
mentsSacraments, is
at a ſtand with
himſelf, how or what
behaviour
to aſſume for ſo holy
things. E-
ſpeciallyEſpecially at Communion
times he
is in a great confuſion, as
being
not only to receive God, but
to
break,break and adminiſter him. Nei-
ther findes he any iſſue in this, but
to throw himſelf down at the throne
of grace, ſaying, Lord, thou
knoweſt what thou didſt, when
p. 89
The Parſon in Sacraments.
89
thou appointedſtappointed’ſt it to be done
thus;
therefore doe thou ful-
fillfulfill what thou
didſtdidd’ſt appoint; for
thou art not
onelyonly the feaſt, but
the way to it.
At BaptiſmeBaptiſm, be-
ingbeing himſelfehimſelf in white,
he requires
the preſence of all,
and Bapti-
zethBaptizeth not willingly, but on
Sun-
dayesSundayes, or great dayes. HeeHe ad-
mits no vainevain or idle names, but
ſuch as are uſualluſual and accuſtomed.
HeeHe ſaysſayes that prayer with great
p. 74
74 The Parſon in Sacraments.
devotion, where God is thanked
for
calling us to the knowledg of
his
grace, BaptiſmeBaptiſm being a bleſ-
ſingbleſſing, that
the world hath not the
like. He wil-
lingly and cheerfully
croſſeth the
child, and thinketh the
Ceremony
not onelyonly innocent, but
reverend. He
inſtructeth the God-
fathersGodfathers, and God-
mothers, that it
is no complementallcomplemental
or light thing
to ſuſtain that place,
but a great ho-
nourhonour, and no leſs bur-
den, as being
done both in the preſencepre-
ſence of God,
p. 90
90 The Parſon in
Sacraments.
&and his Saints, and by way
of un-
dertakingundertaking for a Chriſtian ſoul.
He
adviſeth all to call to minde
their
Baptiſm often; for if wiſe men
have
thought it the beſt way of preſervingpre-
ſerving
a ſtate to reduce it to its
principles
by which it grew great;
certainly,certainly
it is the ſafeſt courſe for
Chriſti-
ansChriſtians alſo to meditate on their
Bap-
tiſmeBaptiſm often (being the firſt ſtep
into
their great and glorious cal-
ling)
and upon what termes, and
with
what vowes they were Bapti-
zed.
At the times of the Holy Commu-
nionCom-
munion, he firſt takes order with
the
Church-Wardens, that the ele-
mentsele-
p. 75
The Parſon in Sacraments.
75
ments be of the beſt, not cheapecheap,
or
courſe, much leſſeleſs ill-taſted,
or unwholſomeun-
wholſom. Secondly, heehe
conſiders
and looks into the igno-
ranceignorance, or
careleſneſs of his flock,
and accord-
ingly applies himſelfehimſelf
with CatechizingsCatechi-
zing, and live-
lylively exhortations, not
on the Sunday
of the Communion
only (for then
p. 91
The Parſon in Sacraments.
91
it is too late)late;) but
the Sunday, or
Sundayes before the
Communion,
or on the Eves of all
thoſe dayes.
If there be any, who
having not re-
ceivedreceived yet,yet is to en-
ter into this
great workWork, he takes
the more pains
with them, that heehe
may lay the
foundation of future
Bleſſings. The
time of every ones
firſt receiving
is not ſo much by
yeersyears, as by un-
derſtandingunderſtanding: particularly,parti-
cularly the rule
may be this: When
any one can
diſtinguiſh the Sacra-
mentalSacramentall from
common bread, know-
ing the In-
ſtitutionInſtitution, and the differencediffer-
ence, heehe
ought to receive, of what
age ſo-
everſoever. Children and youthsyouth are
u-
ſuallyuſually deferred too long, under
pretence of devotion to the Sacra-
ment, but it is for want of Inſtructi-
onInſtruction;
p. 76
76 The Parſon in Sacraments.
their underſtandings being ripe
e-
nough for ill things, and why not
then for better? But Parents, and
Maſters ſhould make haſthaſte in this, as
to a great purchaſe for their children,
p. 92
92 The Parſon in
Sacraments.
and ſervants; which while they
de-
ferrdeferr, both ſides ſuffer; the one,
in
wanting many excitings of grace;
the
other,other in being worſe ſerved
and o-
beyed. The ſaying of the
Catechiſm
is neceſſary, but not e-
noughenough; becauſe
to anſwer in form
may ſtill admit ig-
norance: but the
Queſtions muſt be
propounded
looſely and wildely, and
then the
Anſwerer will diſcover
what heehe
is. Thirdly, For the man-
ner of
receiving, as the Parſon uſeth
all
reverence himſelf, ſo he adminiſtersadmini-
ſters
to none but to the reverent.
The
Feaſt indeed requires ſitting, be-
cauſe it is a Feaſt; but man’s unpre-
paredneſſeunpre-
paredneſs asks kneeling. HeeHe that
comes to the Sacrament, hath the
confidencecon-
fidence of a Gueſt, and heehe that
kneels,
confeſſeth himſelf an unwor-
thyunworthy one,
and therefore differs from
other FeaſtersFea-
ſters: but heehe that ſits, or
lies, puts up
to an Apoſtle: Con-
tentiouſneſſeContentiouſneſs in a
p. 77
The Parſon’s Completeneſs.
77
feaſt of Charity is
p. 93
The Parſon in Sacraments.
93
more ſcandallſcandal thenthan
any poſture.
Fourthly, touching the
frequency
of the Communion, the
Parſon ce-
lebratescelebrates it, if not duly once
a month,
yet at leaſt five or ſix times
in the
year; as, at Eaſter, ChriſtmaſſeChriſtmaſs,
Whitſuntide, afore and after Har-
veſt, and the beginning of Lent.
And this heehe doth, not onelyonly for
the
benefit of the work, but al-
ſoalſo for the
diſcharge of the Church-
wardens,
who being to preſent all
that receive
not thrice a year; if
there be but
three Communions,
neither can all
the people ſo order
their affairs as to
receive juſt at thoſe
times, nor the
Church-Wardens ſo
well take noticeno-
tice, who receive thrice,
and who
not.