nance will behold the thing that is just.

Glory be to the Father, and

to the Son, &c.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever &c.

The Collect.

MERCIFUL Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it being lightened by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist John may attain to thy everlasting gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Epistle. 1 John i.

THAT which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life; and the life appeared, and we have seen and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and appeared unto us; that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and that our fellowship may be with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ. And this mwrite we unto you, that ye may rejoice, and that your joy may be full. And this is the tidings which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, That God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but and if we walk in light, even as he is in light, then have we fellowship with him, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we knowledge our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The Gospel. John xxi.

JESUS said unto Peter, Follow thou me. Peter turned about, and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following; (which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?) when Peter therefore saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what shall he here do? Jesus said unto him, If I

1 Lord. Amen. 1552.

m we write unto 1552.

n say we 1552.

will have him to tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, That that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not to him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? The same disciple is he which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things which Jesus did, the which if they should be written every one, I suppose the world could not contain the books that should be written.

At Evensong.

The Second Lesson, Apoc. xxii. unto

the end.

The Innocents' Day.

¶At Matins.

The First Lesson, Jer. xxxi. unto, "Moreover I heard Ephraim."

Deus, venerunt gentes. Psalm lxxix. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance: thy holy temple have they defiled, and made Jerusalem an heap of

stones.

The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the air : and the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the land.

Their blood have they shed like water on every side of Jerusalem: and there was no man to bury them.

We are become an open shame to our enemies: a very scorn and derision unto them that are round about us.

Lord, how long wilt thou be angry shall thy jealousy burn like fire for ever?

Pour out thine indignation upon the heathen that have

Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy Name: O deliver us, and be merciful unto our sins, for thy Name's sake.

Wherefore do the heathen say: Where is now their God? O let the vengeance of thy servants' blood that is shed: be openly shewed upon the heathen in our sight.

O let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before thee according unto the greatness of thy power, preserve thou those that are appointed to die.

And as for the blasphemy (wherewith our neighbours have blasphemed thee): reward thou them, O Lord, seven-fold into their bosom.

So we, that be thy people, and sheep of thy pasture, shall give thee thanks for ever and will alway be shewing forth thy praise from generation to generation.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, &c.

As it was in the beginning, is

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, whose praise this day the young innocents thy witnesses hath confessed and shewed forth, not in speaking but in dying; Mortify and kill all vices in us, that in our conversation our life may express thy faith, which with our tongues we do confess; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Epistle. Apoc. xiv.

I LOOKED, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred and forty-four thousand, having his name and his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the sound of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: and they sung as it were a new song before the seat, and before the four beasts, and the elders; and no man could learn the song, but the hundred and forty-four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women, for they are virgins: these follow the Lamb P whithersoever he goeth: these were redeemed from men, being the first-fruits unto God, and to the Lamb. And in their mouths was found no guile; for they are without spot before the throne of God.

The Gospel. Matt. ii.

THE angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a sleep, saying, Arise, and take the child, and his mother, and a fly into Egypt, and be thou there till I bring thee word; for it will come to pass that Herod shall seek the child to destroy him. So when he awoke, he took the child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and was there unto the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my Son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, he was exceeding wroth; and sent forth men of war, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts, (as many as were two year old or under,) according to the time which he had diligently known out of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophet Jeremy, where as he said, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, weeping, and great mourn

r

o hundred forty and four thousand 1552. years 1552.

P wheresoever 1552. q flee 1552.

ing, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they were not.

The Sunday after Christmas Day.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord himself is thy keeper: the Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand.

So that the sun shall not burn thee by day neither the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in: from this time forth for ever

more.

Glory be to the Father, and

to the Son, &c.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever &c.

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, which hast given us, &c. as upon Christmasday.

The Epistle. Gal. iv.

AND I say, that the heir (as long as he is a child) differeth not from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and