1786 Proposed Book of Common Prayer · 1786 Proposed Book of Common Prayer: Preface

The Book of Common Prayer

	1786 Proposed U. S. Book of Common Prayer

A CATECHISM,
THAT IS TO SAY, AN INSTRUCTION
To be learned by every Person, before he be brought
to be confirmed by the Bishop.
Question.
WHAT
is your Name?
Answ. N. or M.
Quest. When did you receive this Name?
Answ. I received it in Baptism; whereby I became
a member of the Christian Church.
Quest. What was promised for you in Baptism?
Answ. That I should be instructed in all the
Articles of the Christian Faith as contained in the Apostles Creed; and
brought up in the Fear of God, and to obey his holy Will and Commandments.
Quest. Dost thou think that thou art bound to
believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith as contained in the Apostles
Creed; and obey God’s holy Will and keep his Commandments?
Answer. Yes, verily; and by God’s help so I
will. And I heartily thank our heavenly Father, that he bath called me
to this state of salvation, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. And I pray
unto God to give me his grace, that I may continue in the same unto my
life’s end.
Catechist. Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief.
Answ. I believe in God, &c.—[as
in the Creed in the Morning Service.]
Question. What dost thou chiefly learn in these
Articles of thy Belief?
Answer. First, I learn to believe in God the
Father, who hath made me, and all the world.
Secondly, in God the Son, who hath redeemed me, and
all mankind.
Thirdly, in God the Holy Ghost, who sanctifieth me,
and all the elect people of God.
Quest. You said that your Godfathers and Godmothers
did promise to instruct you to keep God’s Commandments. Tell me how many
there are?
Answ. Ten.
Quest. Which are they?
Answ. The same which God spake in the twentieth
Chapter of Exodus, saying, I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out
of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
1. Thou shalt have none other Gods but me, &c.—[as
in the Communion Service.]
Quest. What dost thou chiefly learn by these
Commandments?
Answer. I learn two things; my duty towards
God, and my duty towards my Neighbour.
Question. What is thy duty towards God?
Answer. My duty towards God, is to believe in
him, to fear him, and to love him with all my heart, with all my mind,
with all my soul, and with all my strength; to worship him, to give him
thanks, to put my whole trust in him, to call upon him, to honour his
holy Name and his Word, and to serve him truly all the days of my life.
Question. What is thy duty towards thy Neighbour?
Answer. My duty towards my Neighbour, is to
love him as myself, and to do to all men, as I would they should do unto
me: To love, honour, and succour my Father and Mother: To honour and obey
my Civil Rulers: To submit myself to all my governors, teachers, spiritual
pastors and masters; To order myself lowly and reverently to all my betters:
To hurt no body by word or deed: To be true and just in all my dealings:
To bear no malice nor hatred in my heart: To keep my hands from picking
and stealing, and my tongue from evil-speaking, lying, and slandering:
To keep my body in temperance, soberness, and chastity: Not to covet nor
desire other men’s goods; but to learn and labour truly to get mine own
living, and to do my duty in that state of life, unto which it shall please
God to call me.
Catechist. Thou art not able to do these things
of thyself, nor to walk in the Commandments of God, and to serve him,
without his special grace; which thou must learn at all times to call
for by diligent prayer: Let me hear there fore, if thou canst say the
Lord’s Prayer.
Answ. Our Father, &c.—[as in the
Morning Service.]
Quest. What desirest thou of God in this Prayer?
Answer. I desire my Lord God our heavenly Father,
who is the giver of all goodness, to send his grace unto me, and to all
people; that we may worship him, serve him, and obey him, as we ought
to do. And I pray unto God, that he will send us all things which are
needful both for our souls and bodies; and that he will be merciful unto
us, and forgive us our sins; and that it will please him to save and defend
us in all dangers ghostly and bodily; and that he will keep us from all
sin and wickedness, and from our ghostly enemy, and from everlasting death.
And this I trust he will do of his mercy and goodness, through our Lord
Jesus Christ. And therefore I say, Amen; So be it.
Question.
HOW many
Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church?
Answ. Two only, as generally necessary to salvation,
that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord.
Quest. What meanest thou by this word Sacrament?
Answ. I mean an outward and visible sign
of an inward and spiritual grace given unto us, ordained by Christ himself,
as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof.
Quest. How many parts are there in a Sacrament?
Answ. Two; the outward visible sign, and the
inward spiritual grace.
Questi. What is the outward visible sign or
form in Baptism?
Answ. Water; wherein the person is baptized
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Quest. What is the inward and spiritual
grace?
Answ. A death unto sin, and a new birth unto
righteousness: for being by nature born in sin, and the children of wrath,
we are hereby made the children of grace.
Quest.What is required of persons to be baptized?
Answ. Repentance, whereby they forsake sin;
and Faith, whereby they stedfastly believe the promises of God made to
them in that Sacrament.
Quest. Why then are Infants baptized, when by
reason of their tender age they cannot perform them?
Answ. Because their Sureties promise to instruct
them.
Quest. Why was the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
ordained?
Answ. For the continual remembrance of the sacrifice
of the death of Christ, and of the benefits which we receive thereby.
Quest. What is the outward part or sign of the
Lord’s Supper?
Answ. Bread and Wine, which the Lord hath commanded
to be received.
Quest. What is the inward part, or thing signified?
Answ. The Body and Blood of Christ, which are
spiritually taken and received by the faithful in the Lord’s Supper.
Quest. What are the benefits whereof we are
partakers thereby?
Answ. The strengthening and refreshing of our
souls by the Body and Blood of Christ, as our bodies are by the Bread
and Wine.
Ques. What is required of those who come to
the Lord’s Supper?
Answ. To examine themselves, whether they repent
them truly of their former sins, stedfastly purposing to lead a new life;
have a lively faith in God’s mercy through Christ, with a thankful remembrance
of his death; and be in charity with all men.
¶ The Minister of every Parish shall
diligently upon Sundays and Holy-days, or on some other convenient occasions,
openly in the Church instruct or examine so many Children of his Parish,
sent unto him, as he shall think convenient, in some part of this Catechism.
¶ And all Fathers, Mothers, Masters,
and Mistresses, shall cause their Children, Servants, and Apprentices.
(who have not learned their Catechism,) to come to the Church at the time
appointed, and obediently to hear, and be ordered by the Minister, until
such time as they have learned all that is here appointed for them to
learn.
¶ So soon as Children are come to a
competent age, and can say the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments;
and can answer to the other Questions of this short Catechism; they shall
be brought to the Bishop.
¶ And whensoever the Bishop shall give
knowledge for Children to be brought unto him for their Confirmation,
the Minister of every Parish shall either bring, or send in writing,
with his hand subscribed thereunto, the names of all such persons within
his Parish, as he shall think fit to be presented to the Bishop to be
confirmed.
THE
ORDER OF CONFIRMATION,
OR
LAYING ON OF HANDS UPON THOSE WHO ARE
BAPTIZED AND COME TO YEARS OF DISCRETION.
¶ Upon the Day appointed, all who are
to be then Confirmed, being placed, and standing in order, before the
Bishop he (or some other Minister appointed by him) shall read this Preface
following.
TO the
end that Confirmation may be ministered to the more edifying of such as
shall receive it, the Church hath thought good to order, That none shall
be Confirmed, but such as can say the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the
Ten Commandments; and can answer to such other questions, as are contained
in the Catechism: which Order is very convenient to be observed; to the
end, that Children, being now come to the years of Discretion, and haying
learned what their Godfathers and Godmothers promised to have them taught,
may themselves, with their own mouth and consent, openly before the Church,
ratify and confirm the same; and also promise, that by the grace of God
they will evermore endeavour faithfully to observe such things, as they
by their own confession, have assented unto.
¶ The the Bishop shall say,
DO ye
here in the Presence of God, and this Congregation, profess your Belief
in all the Articles of the Christian Faith as contained in the Apostles
Creed, wherein ye were to be instructed the promise made for you at your
Baptism?
¶ And every one shall audibly answer,
I do.
Quest. Do ye now, in your own Persons, promise
to live in this Faith, and in obedience to God's holy Will and Commandments?
Answ. I do.
The Bishop.
OUr help is in the Name
of the Lord;
Answ. Who hath made heaven and earth.
Bishop. Blessed be the Name of the Lord;
Answ. Henceforth, world without end.
Bishop. Lord, hear our prayer.
Answ. And let our cry come unto thee.
Bishop.
ALmighty
and everliving God, who didst vouchsafe to receive these they Servants
into thy Church by Baptism, and hast given them grace now in their own
Persons to confess the true Faith, wherein they were to be instructed
according to the promise then made for them; strengthen them, we beseech
thee, O Lord, with the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, and daily increase in
them thy manifold gifts of grace: the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and ghostly strength, the spirit of knowledge and
true godliness; and fill them, O Lord, with the spirit of thy holy fear,
now and for ever. Amen.
¶ Then all of them in order kneeling
before the Bishop, he shall lay his hand upon the head of every one severally,
saying,
DEfend,
O Lord, this thy Child [or this thy Servant] with thy heavenly
grace; that he may continue thine for ever; and daily increase
in thy Holy Spirit more and more, until he come unto thy everlasting
kingdom. Amen.
¶ Then shall the Bishop say,
The Lord be with you.
Answ. And with thy spirit.
¶ And (all kneeling down) the Bishop shall add,
Let us pray.
OUr Father,
who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And
for give us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Amen.
¶ And this Collect.
ALmighty
and everliving God, who makest us both to will and to do those things
which are good, and acceptable unto thy divine Majesty; We make our humble
supplications unto thee for these thy servants, upon whom (after the example
of thy holy Apostles) we have now laid our hands, to certify them (by
this sign) of thy favour and gracious goodness towards them. Let thy Fatherly
hand, we beseech thee, ever be over them; let thy Holy Spirit ever be
with them; and so lead them in the knowledge and obedience of thy Word,
that in the end they may obtain everlasting life; through our Lord Jesus
Christ, who with thee and the same Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth ever,
one God, world without end. Amen.
O Almighty
Lord, and everlasting God, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to direct, sanctify,
and govern, both our hearts and bodies, in the ways of thy laws, and in
the works of thy commandments; that, through thy most mighty protection,
both here and ever, we may be preserved in body and soul; through our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
¶ Then the Bishop shall bless them, saying
thus,
THe Blessing
of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be upon you,
and remain with you for ever. Amen.
¶ And there shall none be admitted
to the Holy Communion, until such time as he be confirmed, or be ready
and desirous to be confirmed.

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