Before the Bishop begins the Office of Confirmation, he shall take some Chrism or Ointment; and putting it into a decent Vessel, he shall stand and confecrate it in manner and form following, unless he hath fome by him already confecrated.

:

And the People kneeling, the Bishop shall say,

Lord of mercies, and Father of lights, from whom every good and perfect gift proceedeth; Send down, we beseech thee, thine Holy Spirit to sanctify this Ointment: And grant, that all those who after Baptifm shall be anointed therewith, may be cleansed and purified both in body and foul, be confirmed in godliness, and obtain the blessings of the Holy Ghost; who, with the Father and the Son, liveth and reigneth ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Then the People shall stand up, and the Bishop
Shall proceed to the Office.
The Matter of the Chrism or Ointment for Con-
firmation is sweet Oil of Olives, and precious
Balsam commonly called Balm of Gilead.

THE

ORDER

FOR TНЕ

Vifitation of the Sick.

When any Person is fick, notice shall immediately be given thereof to the Priest; that the fick perfon may be visited, and receive the Afsistance of the Church, before his strength be too far spent. The Priest coming into the fick person's house, shall say,

EACE be to this house, and to all that

PEACE

IS

When he cometh into the fick man's presence, he Shall say,

any fick among you? let him call for the Elders, that is, the Priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. James v. 14, 15.

Then

Then shall the Priest exbort the fick person after this form, or other like.

1

DEarly beloved, know this, that Almighty God

is the Lord of life and death, and of all things to them pertaining, as youth, strength, health, age, weakness, and sickness. Wherefore, whatfoever your sickness is, know you certainly that it is God's visitation. And for what cause soever this fickness is fent unto you; whether it be to try your patience for the example of others, and that your faith may be found in the day of the Lord laudable, glorious, and honourable, to the encrease of glory and endless felicity; or else it be fent unto you to correct and amend in you whatsoever doth offend the eyes of your heavenly Father; know you certainly, that if you truly repent you of your sins, and bear your fickness patiently, trusting in God's mercy, for his dear Son Jesus Christ s fake, and render unto him humble thanks for his Fatherly visitation, fubmitting yourfelf wholly unto his will; it shall turn to your profit, and help you forward in the right way that leadeth unto everlasting life.

"

If the person visited be very fick, then the Curate may end bis Exhortation in this place, or elfe proceed.

TAKE therefore in

good part the chastisement

the Lord : for (as Saint Paul faith) whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every fon whom he receiveth. If ye endure chaftening, God dealeth with you as with sons;

for

for what son is he, whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not fons. Furthermore, we have had Fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjeCtion to the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. These words, good brother, are written in Holy Scripture for our comfort and instruction, that we should patiently and with thanksgiving bear our heavenly Father's correction, whenfoever by any manner of adversity it shall please his gracious goodness to visit us. And there should be no greater comfort to Christian persons, than to be made like unto Christ, by fuffering patiently adversities, troubles, and ficknesses. For he himself went not up to joy, but firft he fuffered pain; he entred not into his glory, before he was crucified. So truly our way to eternal joy, is to fuffer here with Chrift; and our door to enter into eternal life, is gladly to die with Chrift; that we may rise again from death, and dwell with him in everlasting life. Now therefore taking your sickness, which is thus profitable for you, patiently, I exhort you in the Name of God to remember the Profeffion, which you made unto God in your Baptifm. And forafmuch as after this life there is an account to be given unto the righteous judge, by whom all must be judged without respect of persons; I require you to examine your self and your state both towards God and man; so that accusing and condemning demning your self for your own faults, you may find mercy at our heavenly Father's hand for Christ's fake, and not be accused and condemned in that fearful judgment. Therefore I shall rehearse to you the Articles of our Faith, that you may know whether you believe as a Christian should, or no.

Here the Priest shall rehearse the Articles of the Faith, saying thus,

DOST thou believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth?

And in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son our Lord? And that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost; born of the Virgin Mary; that he fuffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; that he went down into hell, and also did rife again the third day; that he afcended into heaven, and fitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and from thence shall come again at the end of the world to judge the quick and the dead?

And dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholick Church, the Communion of Saints the remiffion of fins; the refurrection of the flesh, and everlasting life after death ?

4

The fick person shall answer,

All this I stedfastly believe.to

Then (the Company being withdrawn) the Priest shall examine the fick person, whether he repent bim truly of his fins, and be in charity with

all