9. Then shall the 9. Then shall the Priest Minister say unto the Woman, 10. give their | 10. give their tooth &c. truth &c. 11. I plight thee 11. I pledge thee my troth. my truth.* 12. I give thee 12. I give thee my troth. my truth. 13. a Ring, laying the same upon the book with the accus- | book.f. And the Mitomed duty to the nister, &c. Priest and Clerk. ! And the Priest, &c. and taught by the Priest, shall say, 1 Minister, shall say, 14. with my body I thee worship, and thee honour,f and with all my worldly with my worldly goods, &c. I goods, fc. 15. Then, the Man leaving the Ring upon the fourth finger of the Woman's left hand, they shall both kneel | shall the Minister down; and the Mi- join their right hands nister shall say together, and say, (T. Then shall the i Those whom God Priest join &c.] &c. Then shall the (N.B.- As the re- | Minister speak unto maining portions of this Service are only | the people, transposed in order | Forasmuch as M. and not in language, and N. have conexcept in a few cases, they are not given | sented &c. in this column, ex- j their truth &c. cept when any verbal change has been made. [their troth &c.] 16. (Then the 16. | Then they Man leaving the shall both kneel Ring on the fourth | down; and the Mifinger of the Wo- nister shall say, man's left hand, Let us pray. they shall both kneel | Lord have mer- Let us pray.] 17. [Our Father, 17. Our Father, &c. But deliver us &c. But deliver us from evil. Amen.] from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen. Minister. O Lord save &c. &c. &c. &c. Minister. * O God, who by thy mighty power hast made all things out of nothing &c. O God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, bless these thy servants &c. &c. 9 This Prayer next following shall be omitted where the Woman is past child. bearing. O merciful Lord and heavenly Fa ther &c. 18. sassist with I 18. visit with thy thy blessing these blessing these two two persons, that persons, that they they may both be may both be joyful fruitful in procrea parents of chiltion of children &c.] dren + 8c. O eternal God, Creator and Preserver of all man kind &c. 19. [whereof this 19. whereof a Ring given fc.] Ring given &c. And the Minister shall add this bless ing, 20. [God the i 20. Almighty Father, "God the God, the Father, Son, God the Holy the Son, and the Ghost, bless, pre- | Holy Ghost. I bless, The three principal Collects have been so arranged as to refer [1] to the original institution of marriage; [2] to the example of Abraham and Sarah; and (3] to that of Isaac and Rebeccawhich last is also the fittest to immediately precede the benediction. “He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children.” Psalm cxiii. 9. The Communion-benediction and Exhorta . “ Truth” is the meaning of the old word “troth.” “Pledge " is the meaning of the old word “ plight." + The American form, and that of 1549, are followed in this omission. " "Honour,” see 1 Peter iii. 7. This is the real meaning of the old word “worship” in this place, (see Luke xiv. 10). Thus “your honour” and “your worship” are convertible terms. This alteration was promised at the last review, but was not made. See Bp. Short (History, s. 672, p. 497) who thinks it a “de sirable " change. $ The Collects and Prayers of this Service have been here transposed, so as to render the Office more compact and convenient for use. He is een temeinen serve, and keep you; I preserve, and keep | then as he shall the Lord &c.] you; the Lord fc. think most needful 21. (I Then the 21. Then the and convenient. " Minister or Clerks, | Minister and Clerks 2. the Curate may | 2. the Minister going to the Lord's shall say or sing this end &c. | may end &c. Table &c.] Psalm following. which you made Psalm 128, | or which was made &c. &c. for you. Or this Psalm, unto God in your Baptism. * Psalm 67, 3. only begotten | 3. only foc. ;t &c. &c. &c. descended fc.; The Psalm | 22 | After which, went down fc. ; shall come to judge ended, and the Man if there be no Ser. I shall come again ifc. and the Woman mon declaring the at the end of the kneeling before the duties of Man and world, to judge &c.; | Lord's Table, the | Wife, the Minister the Remission fc.; | the Forgiveness fc.; Priest standing at shall read as follow of the flesh; and of the body; and the Table, and turn- | eth. everlasting life af- the life everlasting? ing his face towards ter death? them, shall say,] 4. The Minister [ After which, if should not omit ear- [Omitted.]1 there be no Sermon All ye that are nestly to move such declaring the duties i married fc. sick persons as are of Man and Wife, of ability to be libethe Minister shall ral to the poor. read as followeth.] 5. | Here shall the sick person be moved 23. [9 Then shall | 23. Then shall to make a special Confession of his sins, the Priest say, the Minister say, if he feel his conscience troubled with any Almighty God, Almighty God. weighty matter. After which Confession, who at the begin- , who at the beginning did create fc.] | ning did create &c. * This is taken from the 67th Canon. “ As the It is convenient usual license is now considered a preaching li| that &c, cense: all the clergy are at liberty to exercise their own discretion." (Lathbury's Convocation, c. viii. THE ORDER FOR THE VISITATION OF p. 203). It is only “in public prayer" that THE SICK. ministers are by their subscription bound to“ use PRESENT REVISED FORM. the form in the ” Prayer "Book prescribed, and PRAYER-Book. none other" (36th Canon). The “order for the 1. When any person is sick, notice Visitation of the Sick” has its true use deshall be given thereof to the Minister of fined " in the Sixty-seventh Canon, according to the Parish; which it seems to have been designed, on the who, coming into the who shall resort un- same principle as the Homilies, for the help sick person's house, to him or her (if the and use of such as could not dispense with its shall say, disease be not known, assistance," (Evans' Bishopric of Souls, c. iv. Peace be to this orprobably suspected p. 82.) Still the Office itself is very useful as a house, and to all to be infectious,) to basis, and guide to the Clergy; and its prayers that dwell in it. instruct and comfort and exhortations are very useful for occasional them in their dis use by way of a little variety, in visiting Churchtress, according to ["Communion-book" i the Order of the men during protracted illness (see Evans, p. 83). in the original.] Prayer. Book, if he + It surely would be better to adhere to the be no preacher; or usual form of the Creed ? I if he be a preacher. I The Rubric respecting liberality to the poor (founded, perhaps, on Psalm xli. 1, 2, 3,/-might tion have here been followed, in the wording be omitted as being liable to perversion. and punctuation of this clause, as giving a The Rubric respecting special confession clearer reference to the great doctrine of the is altogether omitted, together with the absolu“Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity," tion, in the American Liturgy: but, perhaps, on than our present form. the whole, its retention in a slightly altered form • The Scotch Liturgy might be followed in would be preferable,since cases do and must octhe use of the last translation for the Psalms. cur wherein the Christian Minister is called upon coming unto Him sins, t And then the And then the Priest Minister the Priest shall ab- | the Presbyter* (if solve him (if he hum- | he humbly and hearbly and heartily de- i tily desire it) shall sire it) after this say, sort, t Our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath left power to his Church to absolve to declare and pronounce I forgive ness to all sinners 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 I declare and pro. all thy sins, nounces to thee, truly repenting and • This clause is taken from the Exhortation in the Office of Adult Baptism, It is implied even in our present form, as the Bishops' reply at the Savoy Conference testifies, when in answer to the Puritans' request that it might be“I pronounce thee absolved if thou doest truly repent and believe”-they answered that “the condition needs not to be expressed, being always necessarily understood," (Cardwell, p. 361).) to give special and individual assurance of God's forgiving mercy through Christ, to doubting penitents-whose doubts may sometimes arise from the conscience being troubled with some “weighty matter" (see Doddridge's Rise and This indeed appears to be the true meaning of our existing form. For since Wheatly reminds us that the compilers of our Liturgy Breay, C. vii. pp. 250-1). • Scotch form. The word “Presbyter "is here used, since the use of a form which may usually require some degree of experience and discern ment of character, before pronouncing it, should be limited to those who have passed the probation of the Diaconate. + Bishop Burnet informs us (on the authority of Morinus) that it was only “in the twelfth century some few began to use the words, “I absolve thee': yet, to soften this expression, that seemed new and bold, some tempered it with these words, 'in so far as it is granted to my frailty;' and others with these words, as far as the accusation comes from thee, and as the pardon is in me.' Yet this form was but little practised : so that William, bishop of Paris, speaks of the form of absolution as given only in a prayer, and not as given in these words, 'I absolve thee.' He lived in the beginning of the fourteenth century ; so that this practice. though begun in other places before that time, yet was not known long after in so public a city as Paris," (On Article XXV. under “ Penance," p. 371, Page's Edition). 1 See John ii. 12. “ As for the ministerial sentence of private absolution, it can be no more than a declaration what God hath done; it hath but the force of the prophet Nathan's absolution (2 Sam. xii. 13), “God hath taken away thy sin'" (Hooker, b. vi. c. 6. 8. 8). “God alone doth truly give, the virtue of repentance alone procure, and private ministerial absolution but declare remission of sins” (Ibid. s. 13). g From the General Absolution. thee to cases of rare occurrence, from probably “observing....that this form of absolution was not very ancient, and that persons might place too much confidence and security in it, as thinking that the bare pronouncing it over then cleansed them from their inward pollution and guilt, and entirely remitted their sins before God” (c. xv. 8. v. p. 437); since Abp. Secker admits that “possibly this part of the office may seem to have ascribed so high a power to the minister, of absolving the sick from their sins, as may lead them into great mistakes. And it is indeed more liable to be so misunderstood, than the earlier forms, which were expressed in the manner of a prayer" (quoted in Bp. Mant's Prayer-book, p. 478) ; since Bp. Mant confesses its “language” to be “ ambiguous" (Churches of Rome and England, p. 32,) and since the “ Catholic" test of “Quod semper, quod ubique, quod ab omnibus," cannot be adduced in favour of its retention, inasmuch as it was never in use in the Christian Church, till the 12th century, (see Bp. Burnet on Article XXV. on “ Penance,” p. 371); we may fairly adduce the opinion of Dr. M.Neil in favour of fits revisal ; viz. “I cannot withhold my honest conviction that the expression “I absolve thee,' although thus defensible by a friendly interpreter, is an unwise oversight in the purifiers of the Book of Prayer, inconsistent with our other services and needlessly prejudicial in wounding the consciences of weak brethren, and multiplying disaffection in various degrees, against our Church "(Lectures on the Church of England, ii. p. 96). . 6. 1 6. Or this : Psalm cxxx.&c.&c.* Adding this : O Saviour of the world, fc. 7. T Prayers which may be said with the foregoing Ser. vice, or any part thereof, at the discretion of the Mi nister.t A Prayer for a Sick Child, &c. &c. Sweat, or such other | ness or disease &c.* like contagious times of sickness or diseases &c. the Minister may | the Minister alone* only &c. I may &c. THE ORDER FOR THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD. Dnuen Foov. REVIS PRAYER-Book. | Here is to be noted, that the Office ensuing is not to be used for any that die unbaptized, or excommunicate, or have laid violent hunds upon themselves.f. 1. The Priest | 2. The Minister | and Clerks meeting the Corpse at the entrance of the Church-yard, and going before it, either into the Church, or towards the grave, THE COMMUNION OF THE SICK. REVISED FORM. PRAYER-Book. I 1. the Curates 1. The Ministerst &c. to the Curate, &c. to the Minister, &c., and having a &c., and all things convenient place in | necessary being prethe sick man's house, i pared, the Minister with all things ne- | shall there celebrate cessary so prepared, / &c.ß that the Curate may reverently minister, he shall there cele brate &c. 2. the Priest shall | 2. the Presbyterlt proceed &c.". shall proceed &c. 3. Priest shall | 3. Minister shall or shall first &c. first &c. 4. to the Curate, i 4. to the Minis&c., the Curate shall ter, &c., the Minisinstruct &c., he doth | ter shall instruct eat and drink &c., he doth eat and I drink spiritually the body and blood of our Saviour Christ profitably to his soul's health, &c. 5. then the Priest! 5. then the Mi nister &c. 6. In the time I 6. I In the times of the Plague, of contagious sick • American forms. This Office is designed for the burial of the dead, not merely as men, but as (nominally at least) Christian men. See Hooker, b. v. c. 75, s. 2. And the Church as a corporate body can: not take cognizance of the secret operations of Divine grace, but must require an open and sacramental evidence of them. I The American Liturgy has been followed in the use of the word “Minster,” since this service is often performed by Deacons. It omits the words “and clerks," $ " Or towards the grave," when of course the Minister must at once proceed to the Precatory sentences appointed to be used “when they come to the Grave." they come to the Grane." This This evidently gives him the choice either of returning, after the solemnities at the Grave, to the Church, for the reading of the Psalms and Lesson (Wheatly, c. xii. s. iv. p. 474, and Bp. Mant's Prayerbook, p. 489), --which at the burial of persons who have died of infectious disorders, and on Sundays, and also when the Churchyard is some distance from the Church, is very convenient; or the entire omission of the Psalms and Lesson, which course might be made the means of introducing a proper distinction (see Ezekiel xxii. 26) between the burials of those who have died in full communion with the Church, and those who, having attained the canonical age, have not been admitted full members by the reception of the Holy Communion, or have been subjected to the lesser excommunication. The Lesson out of 1 Cor. xv. 20 refers exclusively to the hopes of true Christians. And the Church in her official acts can formally recognize as such, only those who give the outward evidence of it by receiving the Holy Communion. See 1 Cor, v. 12, 13. * In the American form this Psalm is substituted for the 71st. Here it might be added. The Scotch Liturgy might be followed in the use of the last translation in the Psalms. + This Rubric is added from the American form. I “Minister" for "Curate" throughout the Office, from the American form. For the “notice" may be given to the Deacon, who may have everything to do except the actual administration. $ American form. ll Scotch Liturgy. • “Spiritually.” So it was in the Liturgy of 1549. shall say, or sing, the Minister shall rest from their la | may rest from their say, or the Minister bours. labours; and their and Clerks shall works do follow sing, * them. Rev. xiv. 13* 2. When they come to the Grade, 5. Then the l 5. I Then the Miwhile the Corpse is before the Corpse is Priest &c. nister &c. made ready to be laid into the earth,t laid into the earth, the Minister shall 6. Priest. 1 6. Minister. the Priest shall say, I say, or the Minister 7. We give thee | 7. We bless thy or the Priest and I and Clerks shall hearty thanks, for holy Name for all Clerks shall sing : sing : that it hath pleased those thy servants, Man that is born of a woman thee to deliver this who, having finished hath but a short | is of few days, and our brother out of | their course in faith, time to live, and is full of trouble. He the miseries of this do now rest from full of misery. He cometh forth like a sinful world; be. | their labours ;t becometh up, and is flower, and is cut seeching thee, &c. seeching thee, &c. cut down, like a s down : he fleeth al. 8. that we, with 8. that, with all flower; he fleeth as I so as a shadow, and all those that are those that are deit were a shadow, | continueth not. Job departed in the true parted in the true and never conti. xiv. 1, 2.1 faith of thy holy faith of thy holy nueth in one stay. I Name, may Name, we maył 3. the Priest shall I 3. the Minister have our perfect consummation and say, shall say, bliss, &c. Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty • From the last translation. See Scotch God of his great God, in his good Liturgy. mercy to take unto Providence, $to take + From the Prayer for the Church Militant himself the soul of from amongst us in the Scotch Liturgy of 1637. The expression our dear brother | the soul of our de of “hearty thanks,” for the removal by death, here departed &c., I parted brother, 8c., can seldom express the genuine sentiments of in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection the mourning friends around the grave, (whose to eternal life, of the justt to eter feelings should surely in a book of Common nal life, Prayer" be consulted ?) especially in cases of viothrough our Lord Jesus Christ; lent deaths, such as by murder, or accident, &c. who shall change / who, at his coming, I And God requires his "worship" to be "in spirit our vile body, fc. shall change our and in truth" (John iv. 24). The American form vile body, fc. runs thus: “We give thee hearty thanks for the good examples of all those thy servants, who, 4. I heard a voice from heaven saying having finished their course in faith, do now unto me, Write, From henceforth | Blessed are the dead rest from their labours." But it was doubtless derived from the above Scottish form, which blessed are the dead which die in the which die in the Lord, from hence suggested a similar passage in our own Com munion Office to the Reviewers in 1661-2. “We Lord: even so saith forth: Yea, saith the Spirit; for they | the Spirit, that they bless thy holy Name for all thy servants de parted this life in thy faith and fear; beseeching • Till 1661-2 it was in a form like this, only thee." &c. The American form omits the beau“ Priest” for “Minister.” In the Psalms, the tiful petition for accomplishing “the elect " last translation might be followed. and hastening of God's kingdom ! But the word “elect” is also erased from the Prayer of + The literal observance of the present Rubric Consecration in the baptismal services, and the diverts the attention. Catechism, where “all the people of God” is From the last translation. the phrase used. The Collect for All Saints' From the Collect for the 7th Sunday after day is however unchanged in this respect. Trinity, “the protection of thy good Provi I The “we” has been here transposed to dence." correspond with the parallel passage in our || From the Collect for a sick person when Communion Service, “that, with all those that there appeareth small hope of recovery"grant are departed in the true faith of thy holy Name, him a longer continuance amongst us." we may have," &c., and thus to avoid even the • Or (as in the Sea form) “ looking for the appearance of praying for the dead, which some Resurrection." suppose that it now teaches; though the Homily + From Luke xiv. 14. on Prayer plainly condemns this custom, P.i. I From our Sea form. pp. 298, &c. |
