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Let us pray. Omnipotens.

Almighty and eternal God, receive with a fatherly tenderness this fheep, which thy might hath fnatched from the jaws of the wolf, and mercifully join it to thy flock; that the enemy may never rejoice at any lofs of thy family, but that thy church may rejoice at his [or her] converfion and, deliverance, as a tender mother doth for finding her fon. Thro' Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

Let us pray. Deus, qui.

God, who mercifully repaireft man, whom thou wonderfully createdft to thy own image and likeness: graciously look down upon this thy fervant, that what he [or fhe] hath loft by blindness and ignorance, and the deceit of the devil the enemy, thy mercy may pardon and abfolve: and that he [or the] may be restored to thy altars, having now again partaken of the communion of truth. Thro' Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

2. Do you believe in God the Father, the Creator of heaven and earth? A. I believe in him.

2. Do you believe in Jefus Christ our Lord, who was born and fuffered for us? A. I believe in him.

2. Do you believe in the holy Ghoft, and that the holy catholick church is the communion of faints; as alfo the forgiveness of fins, the refurrection of the flesh, and everlafting life after death? A. I believe it all.

2. Do you renounce the devil, and all his angels? A. Í renounce them.

2. Do you renounce every fect of heathenifm, or heretical wickedness, or Jewish fuperftition? A. I renounce them.

2. Do you defire to be admitted into, and live in the unity of the catholick faith? A. I do defire

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Let us pray. Domine, Deus. Lord, Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who haft vouchfafed mercifully to deliver this thy fervant from [the errors of heathenifm or the lies of heretical wickednefs, [or Jewish fuperftition] and to recal him [or her] to thy church; do thou, O Lord, fend down on him [or her] the holy Spirit the Comforter from heaven. R.. Amen.

The fpirit of wisdom, and understanding. R. Amen.

The spirit of counfel, and ftrength. R. Amen. The fpirit of knowledge, and of piety. R. Amen. Fill him [or her] with the light of thy brightnefs, and let him [or her] be marked with the fign of the crofs to everlafting life, in the name of our Lord Jefus Christ. R. Amen.

A PRAYER for obtaining an INDULGENCE.

A

INSTRUCTION.

N Indulgence is a favour granted by the Church to penitent finners, whereby, in confideration of their performing fome particular acts of religion, fpecified in the grant of the indulgence, the whole, or part of the canonical pennance formerly enjoined for particular fins, is relaxed and remitted. If the whole be remitted, the Indulgence is called Plenary; if only a part, it is called an Indulgence of feven years, four years, two years, or forty days, according to the part of the Canonical pennance to be remitted. The Bifhops of Rome alone at prefent grant fuch as are plenary; the other Bishops in their respective Diocefes feldom exceed in their grants that of forty days.

Hence it appears that an Indulgence is fo far from being either a leave or permiffion to commit fin, (as is fometimes pretended by thofe, who venture their falvation on condemning doctrines they either do not, or will not understand) that it is not fo much as even a forgiving of fins, but only a relaxation of the punifhment due to fins already forgiven in the facrament of pennance.

That the Church was intrufted with fuch an authority by Christ, and hath in every age exercised this authority, must be acknowledged by all, who are not ftrangers to Scripture and Church- hiftory. St. Paul had juftly excommunicated the incefluous Corinthian; but, in confideration of the fervour of his repentance, he restored him again to the facraments and the communion of the faithful, in confequence of the power of loofing, as well as binding, which Chrij? had left in the Church. And in the primitive ages we meet with nothing more frequent, than a relaxation of the canonical pennances at the intreaties and request of the Martyrs.

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The following decree therefore of the Council of Trent, Seff. 24 de Reform. cannot but be applauded by every fober and difpafliorate man. "As the power of beftowing Indulgences was granted by Chrift to the Church, and as the "Church, even in the moft early ages, made ufe of this "power...the holy fynod teacheth and appointeth the ufe "of indulgences, fo very falutary to Chriftian people, and "approved of by the authority of the facred Councils, "to be retained in the Church...but defires that modera"tion fhould be ufed in the grant of them, according to "the ancient and approved ufe of the Church; left, by "too much eafe, the difcipline of the Church be enerva"ted. But defiring likewife that the abufes that have crept therein may be corrected, fhe orders in general "the abolishing all traffick for gaining the fame." And defires all the Bishops to apply "proper remedies to what"ever abufes may have arifen from fuperftition, ignorance, "and irreverence, in the ufe thereof."

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The conditions upon which alone we can receive the effects of any Indulgence, are, 1. To be truly forry for our fins. 2. To have a fincere defire of fatisfying for them. 3. To fatisfy as far as is in our power. 4. To have obtained the remiffion of fin as to the guilt of it. 5. To fulfil the acts of religion preferibed for the obtaining the Indulgence; fuch as fafting, praying, vifiting churches, giving alms, receiving the blefied Eucharift, &c.

The PRAYER.

Almighty and everlafting God, it is with con

fufion of countenance and contrition of heart that I prefent myfelf in this pofture of humility on

my bended knees before thy divine Majefty, whom I have offended moft grievously by my manifold crimes and offences. Great hath been their enormity, and fuch as thy justice would have punished with eternal torments, had not thy mercy interpofed, and faved me from thy wrath by the blood of thy holy only Son, which hath been applied to my foul by thy minifter in the facrament of pennance. Thou haft again therefore, in thy infinite goodnefs, admitted me into favour thou haft placed me again at thy table with thy children, and fed me with the food of life, and the bread of Angels. But I can never forget my paft ingratitude to thee, O my God, my Father, and my King. I deteft again all the crimes I have ever committed against thy divine Majefty. I acknowledge, that tho' thou haft taken away my fins, there remaineth yet a punishment due to them. The difcipline of thy Church, tho' ever unchangeable in the spirit that guides and directs it, requires no longer those external rigours of pennance formerly practifed, and which I know the enormity of fins demand; but thy juftice is ftill the fame, and fin muft ftill be fatisfied for. This, my God, I have in fome meafure endeavoured to do, and will fill increafe my efforts to perform in the best manner I am able.

But do thou, O God, confirm and ratify what thy Vicar on earth hath done. He hath opened the treafures of the Church, and I may now apply to my foul the fuperabundant merits of Jefus Chrift, thy only Son, and thofe of all his faints, which are his own gifts in them, to fupply all the defects of the fatisfaction I have or may perform for my fins.

Accept therefore the alms, fafts, and prayers which I offer to thy divine Majefty. I pray not for myfelf only, but for the whole Catholick Church all over the world. For the fupreme Paftor thereof, the fucceffor of St. Peter, the chief of thy Apofiles for the Prelate, to whom thou haft commit

ted the care of thy flock in this district, and for all the Paftors, who labour under him in the falvation of fouls for the Prince appointed by thee for the government of thefe realms. I pray alfo for all Chriftian Princes, that they may live in peace and perfect concord, and avoid all the profanations, horrors, and devastations of war. Look down alfo, in thy mercy, on all thofe unhappy fouls that know not thee, the true and living God, or refuse to believe thofe truths thou haft revealed to thy holy Catholick Church, or obftinately remain feparate therefrom, and by fchifm destroy that unity, which thy only-begotten Son appointed to be kept by all his difciples. Grant this my humble petition. I befeech thee, O almighty God, thro' the fame Jefus Christ thy Son our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Ghoft liveth and reigneth one God world without end. Amen.

H

A PROFESSION

Of the CATHOLICK FAITH published by Pope PIUS IV. ufually made by Graduates, &c. in Catholick Countries.

I

N. N. with a firm faith believe and profefs all and every one of thofe things, which are contained in the Creed, which the holy Catholick Church maketh use of, viz. I believe in one God, the Father almighty, &c. in the Nicene Creed, at Moss.

I moft ftedfaftly admit and embrace Apoftolical and Ecclefiaftical traditions, and all other observances and conftitutions of the church.

I alfo admit the holy Scripture according to that fense which our holy Mother, the Church, hath held, and doth hold, to which it belongs to judge of the true fenfe and interpretation of the Scriptures: neither will I ever take and interpret them

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