Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

God the Father of heaven,

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

God the holy Ghost,

Holy Trinity, one God,

Holy Mary,

Holy Mother of God,

Holy Virgin of Virgins,
Mother of Christ,

cy on us.

Have mer

Luke i. 28.

32.

27.

ii. 11.

Pray for us.

[blocks in formation]

Mother untouched,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Redeemer,
Virgin most prudent,

- Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of Justice,

[ocr errors]

Seat of Wisdom,

Cause of our joy,

Vessel of singular devotion,

Spiritual Vessel,

Vessel of honour,

Mystical rose,

Tower of David,

Tower of ivory,

House of gold,

Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,

Morning star,

Health of the weak,

Refuge of sinners,

Comforter of the afflicted,

Help of christians,

ii. 51.

John i. 14.

Luke ii. 30.

Cant. iv. 7.
Prov. ix. I.
Luke ii. 10.

Acts. ix. 15.

Rom. ix. 21.

2 Tim. ii. 21.
Eccl. xxiv. 18.

Cant. iv. 4.
vii. 4.

3 Kings vi. 22.
Jos. iii. 3.
Psal. lxxvii. 23.

Eccl. 1. 6.
Gen. iii, 15.

John ii. 3...

Luke i. 41.

John ii. 4

Ps. xliv. 11.

Cant. vi. 8.

Queen of angels,

Queen of patriarchs,

Queen of prophets,

Queen of apostles,

Queen of martyrs,

Queen of confessors,

Queen of Virgins,

Queen of all saints,

Pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

V. Christ, hear us.

R. Christ, graciously hear us.
V. Lord have mercy on us.
R. Christ, have mercy on us.
V. Lord, have mercy on us.
Our Father, &c.

Anth. We fly to thy patronage, O Holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

POUR forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ thy Son has been made known by the message of an angel, may, by his passion and cross, be brought to the glory of his resurrection. Thro' the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

May the divine assistance remain always with us. Amen.

And may the souls of the faithful, thro' the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

PENANCE, OR SACRAMENTAL

CONFESSION.

¶ Penance, or Sacramental Confession of sin, is a penitential Institution of Jesus Christ (John xx. 23.) in Use among every Christian People of the World: and was for a Length of Time considered an indispensable duty by the Protestant as well as by the Catholic. It was declared by the former to be the proper Preparation for receiving the 1 Holy Communion-the self probation required

* The Preparation for Communion in the Common Prayer Book, directs the people in these words; "Therefore," says the minister, "if there be any of you, who by this means cannot quiet his own conscience herein, but requireth further comfort or counsel, let him come to me, or to some other discreet and learned minister of God's word, and open his grief; that by the ministry of God's holy word, he may receive the benefit of absolution, together with ghostly counsel and advice, to the quicting of his conscience, and avoiding all scruples and doubtfulness."----See also the 19th Canon of the Protestant Synnd held in Dublin, in the Year 1634, and published in Wilkins's Councils. "Whereas every lay person is bound to receive the holy communion thrice every year, and many, notwithstanding, do not receive that sacrament once in a year; we do require every minister to give warning to his parishioners publicly in the church at morning prayer, the Sunday before every time of his administering the holy sacrament, for the better preparation of themselves. Which said warning we enjoin the said parishioners to accept and obey under the penalty and danger of the law. And the minister of every parish, and in cathedral and collegiate churches, some principal minister of the church shall, the afternoon before the said administration, give warn. ing by the tolling of the bell, or otherwise, to the intent, that if any have any scruple of conscience, or desire the special ministry of recon ciliation, he may afford it to those who need it. And to this end the - people are often to be exhorted to enter into a special examination of the state of their own souls; and that finding themselves extremely dull, or much troubled in mind, they do resort unto God's ministers, to receive from them as well advice and council for the quickening of their dead hearts, and the subduing those corruptions whereunto they have been subject, as the benefit of ABSOLUTION likewise for the quieting of their consciences by the power of the keys which Christ hath committed to his ministers for that purpose."

by St. Paul (1 Cor. xi. 28.)-and the Absolution was administered in the same Form of Words as in the Catholic Church, even the Minister laid under an obligation of Secrecy, by a formal Canon of the Established Church.+-The natural Dislike, however, which human Nature feels to Penance and Humiliation has led Numbers to reject it entirely, and to them it is become an Object of Derision. Whatever in Religion is not honoured and esteemed, must soon be a Matter of Contempt. Baptism itself, in similar Circumstances, or in the Judgment of the Unbeliever, is an Object for Ridicule and Scorn. There is nothing, however, that affords to the dejected mind of the Sinner so much Consolation and Peace, as this sacramental Confession of sin; and most of those shocking Cases of Suicide and Despondency, which daily

* "O Lord Jesus Christ, who hath left power to his Church to absolve all sinaers, who truly repent and believe in him, of his great mercy forgive thee thine offences; and by his authority committed to me, I absolve thee from all thy sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Amen ---(See the Common-Prayer Book, Art. Visitation of the Sick.)

+ On Superiors declining or neglecting, "It shall be lawful for all Rectors and Vicars, or (they being absent) for their Curates and substitutes to give an account to the ordinaries (Bishops) at parti cular times, or whenever they shall judge proper, of all such crimes as It may belong to them to inquire into, or any others, which they, in quality of lawful suppressors of vice in their own parishes, shall think necessary to be corrected. Provided always, that if any one should privately confess his secret sins to a minister, for the purpose of dis burthening his conscience by receiving from him spiritual consolation and relief, it is not our meaning that such ministers should be any ways bound by our order aboves but rather we strictly command him, never to reveal to any person any crime or sin so intrusted to his in tegrity and confidence, unless it should be that kind of offence, the concealment of which is made capital by the laws of this kingdom. Whoever acts contrary shall be irregular ipso facto."---( See the 113th Canon of the Protestant Council held in London, in the year 1604, approved, ratified, and confirmed by his Majesty James I. and directed to be most exactly observed throughout all England. Wil kins's Councils, vol. iv. p. 400.)

occur, are to be ascribed to the Want of this only Remedy of Remorse. There is no Act of Charity, no religious Exercise, which gives such real and lasting Peace to the Conscience, as the Performance of this Duty. Its Effects on the Soul can only be compared to what is felt by the. Body on opening a festered Wound; or, on our entering a warm Bath in a raging Fever. Long Habits of Sin, however, often so completely sear the Conscience, as to obliterate the Impressions of Remorse, and render it insensible to every Thing.

PRAYERS BEFORE CONFESSION.

I am perfectly sensible, O my God, that I have many ways offended thy Divine Majesty, and provoked thy wrath by my sins, and that if I obtain not pardon, I shall be cast out of thy sight for ever. I desire therefore at present to call myself to an account, and look into all the sins whereby I have displeased thee. But, O my God, how miserably shall I deceive myself, if thou assist me not in this work by thy heavenly light. Grant me therefore at present thy grace, whereby I may discover all my imperfections, see all my failings, and duly call to mind all my sins; for I know nothing is hidden from thy sight. I confess myself to be in the dark as to my own failings; my passions blind me, self-love flatters me, presumption deludes me; and tho' I have many sins which stare me in the face and cannot be hidden, yet how many also are quite concealed from me. But discover even these to me, O Lord, enlighten my darkness, cure my blindness, and remove every veil that hides my sins from me, that I may no longer be a secret to myself, nor a stranger to my own failings, nor ever flatter myself with the thoughts of having repented, while at the same time I nourish folly and vice within my breast. Come, O holy Ghost, and by a beam of thy divine light, illuminate my understanding, that hav

« ZurückWeiter »