proach of the People of God, to the stopping of the Mouths of malignant and difaffected Perfons; and an opening unto us a Door of Hope, that God hath yet Thoughts of Peace towards us, and not of Evil, to give us an expected End: In the Expectation and Confidence whereof we do rejoice, befeeching the Lord to preserve thefe Kingdoms from Herefies, Schifms, Offences, Profaneness, and whatfoever is contrary to found Doctrine, and the Power of Godliness; and to continue with us, and the Generation following, thefe his pure and purged Ordinances, together with an Increase of the Power and Life thereof, to the Glory of his great Name, the Enlargement of the Kingdom of his Son, the Corroboration of Peace and Love between the Kingdoms, the Unity and Comfort of all his People, and our edifying one another in Love.

The CONTENT S.

Of the Aembly of the Congregation.

Of Publick Reading of the Holy Scripture.
Of Publick Prayer before the Sermon.
of Preaching the Word.

Of Prayer after Sermon.

Of the Sacrament of Baptifm.

Of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

Of the Sanctification of the Lord's Day.

of the Solemnization of Marriage.

Of the Vifitation of the Sick.

Of the Burial of the Dead.

Of Publick Solemn Fafting.

Of the Obfervation of Days of Publick Thanksgiving. Of Singing of Pfalms.

An Appendix touching Days and Places of Publick Worship.

THE

THE

*****

DIRECTORY

FOR THE

PUBLICK WORSHIP of GOD:

Agreed upon by the Alfembly of Divines at Westminster, examined and approved, Anno 1645, by the General Affembly of the Church of Scotland; and ratified by Act of Parliament the fame Year.

IN

The Preface.

N the Beginning of the bleffed Reformation, our wife and pious Ancestors took Care to set forth an Order for Redress of many Things, which they then by the Word discovered to be vain, erroneous, fuperftitious, and idolatrous, in the publick Worship of God. This occafioned many Godly and Learned Men to rejoice much in the Book of Common-Prayer, at that Timeset forth; because the Mafs and the rest of the Latin Service being removed, the publick Worship was celebrated into our own Tongue, many of the commom People alfo received Benefit by hearing the Scriptures read in their own Language, which formerly were unto them as a Book that is fealed.

Howbeit, long and fad Experience hath made it manifeft, That the Liturgy used in the Church of England (notwithstanding all the Pains and Religious Intentions of the Compilers of it) hath proved an Offence, not only to many of the Godly at Home, but also to the Reformed Churches Abroad. For, not to speak of urging the reading of all the Prayers, which very greatly increased the Burden of it; the many unprofitable and burdenfome Ceremonies, contained in it, have occafion

ed

ed much Mischief, as well by difquieting the Confciences of many godly Minifters, and People, who could not yield unto them, as by depriving them of the Ordinances of God, which they might not enjoy without conforming or fubfcribing to thofe Ceremonies. Sundry good Chriftians have been by Means thereof kept from the Lord's Table, and divers able and faithful Minifters debarred from the Exercise of their Ministry (to the endangering of many Thousand Souls, in a Time of fuch Scarcity of faithful Pastors) and spoiled of their Livelyhood, to the undoing of them and their Families. Prelates and their Faction have laboured to raise the Eftimation of it to fuch an Height, as if there were no other Worship or way of Worship of God, amongst us, but only the Service-Book; to the great Hindrance of the Preaching of the Word, and (in fome Places, elpecially of late) to the juftling of it out, as unnecellary; or (at beft) as far inferior to the reading of CommonPrayer, which was made no better than an Idol by many ignorant and fuperftitious People, who pleafing themfelves in their Prefence at that Service, and their Liplabour in bearing a Part in it, have thereby hardned themselves in their Ignorance and Carelesness of faving Knowledge and true Piety.

In the mean Time, Papists boasted, that the Book was a Compliance with them in a great Part of their Service; and fo were not a little confirmed in their Superftition and Idolatry, expecting rather our Return to them, than endeavouring the Reformation of themselves: In which Expectation they were of late very much encouraged, when, upon the pretended Warrantablenefs of impofing of the former Ceremonies, new Ones were daily obtruded upon the Church.

Add hereunto (which was not forefeen, but fince hath come to pass) that the Liturgy hath been a great Means, as on the one Hand to make and increase an idle and unedifying Miniftry, which contented itfelf with fet Forms made to their Hands by others, without putting forth themselves to exercise the Gift of Prayer, with which our Lord Jesus Christ pleaseth to furnish all his Servants whom

whom he calls to that Office; So, on the other fide it hath been (and ever would be, if continued) a Matter of endless Strife and Contention in the Church, and a Snare both to many godly and faithful Minifters, who have been perfecuted and filenced upon that Occafion, and to others of hopeful Parts, many of which have been, and more ftill would be diverted from all Thoughts of the Miniftry to other Studies; especially in thefe latter Times, wherein God vouchfafeth to his People more and better Means for the Discovery of Error and Superftition, and for attaining of Knowledge in the Myfteries of Godliness, and Gifts in Preaching and Prayer.

Upon thefe, and many the like weighty Confiderations, in Reference to the whole Book in general, and because of divers Particulars contained in it; not from any Love to Novelty, or Intention to difparage our first Reformers (of whom we are perfuaded, that, were they now alive they would join with us in this Work, and whom we acknowledge as excellent Inftruments, raised by God, to begin the Purging and Building of his Houfe, and defire they may be had of us and Pofterity in everlasting Remembrance, with Thankfulness and Honour;) but that we may, in fome Measure, anfwer the gracious Providence of God, which at this Time calleth upon us for further Reformation, and may fatisfy Our own Confciences, and answer the Expectation of other reformed Churches, and the Defires of many of the Godly among ourselves, and withal give fome publick Teftimony of our Endeavours for Uniformity in Divice Worship, which we have promised in our følema League and Covenant: We have, after earueft and frequent calling upon the Name of God, and after much Confultation, not with Flefh and Blood, but with his holy Word, refolved to lay afide the former Liturgy *, with the many Rites and Ceremonies formerly used in

the

See the Reafons for which the Service-Book, urged upon Scotland, Anno 1637, was refufed, printed in the Year 1638.

the Worthip of God; and have agreed upon this follow. ing Directory for all the Parts of publick Worship, at ordinary and extraordinary Times.

Wherein our Care hath been, to hold forth fuch Things as are of Divine Inftitutión in every Ordinance ; and other Things we have endeavoured to fet forth according to the Rules of Christian Prudence, agreeable to the general Rules of the Word of God: Our Meaning therein being only, that the general Heads, the Sense and Scope of the Prayers, and other Parts of publick Worfhip, being known to all, there may be a Confent of all the Churches, in thofe Things that contain the Substance of the Service and Worship of God; and the Minifters may be hereby directed in their Administrations, to keep like Soundness in Doctrine and Prayer; and may, if Need be, have fome Help and Furniture; and yet fo, as they become not hereby flothful and negligent in stirring up the Gifts of Chrift in them; but that each one, by Meditation, by taking heed to himfelf and the Flock of God committed to him, and by wife obferving the Ways of Divine Providence, may be careful to furnish his Heart and Tongue with further or other Materials of Prayer and Exhortation, as shall be needful upon all Occafions.

Of the Affembling of the Congregation, and their Beha viour in the publick Worship of God.

WH

7Hen the Congregation is to meet for públick Worthip, the People (having before prepared their Hearts thereunto) ought all to come, and join therein; not abfenting themfelves from the publick Ordinances through Negligence, or upon Pretence of private Meetings.

Let all enter the Affembly, not irreverently, but in a grave and feemly Manner, taking their Seats or Places. without Adoration, or bowing themselves towards one Place or other.

The