side of the church. Here they prostrated themselves before the altar steps, and, while four surpliced clerks held over them a "pallium" or veil as a canopy, other prayers were said. The rubrical directions were intricate and minute all through. Service ended with the mass. There was also in the office a form of benediction of the marriage bed, and of the newly married pair in it.

1549. The office provided for the First Book was a selection from the Sarum Use and almost exclusively from the service at the door; but instead of being held at the door it was directed, as it still is, to be in the body of the church.

The opening address, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered," which in the Sarum Use was three or four lines, was much extended; the bulk of it, beginning "which is an honourable estate," down to "for ever hold his peace," being new, suggested probably by the Consultation. After "gathered in the sight of God," "angels" and "the saints were omitted.

The ring was not blessed, and it was placed on the fourth finger at once; but "tokens of spousage, as gold or silver," were placed upon the book with the ring.

The joining of hands by the priest with "Those whom God," and the address, "Forasmuch as," were first added in 1549, from the Consultation.

After the blessing, "God the Father bless you," just where the service at the door used to end and the party came up to the step, the married pair now went into the quire, where the rest of the service was said. At this point the close correspondence between the

service of 1549 and its predecessor ended. There was no prostration and no canopy. According to the

final rubric, "the newly married persons (the same day of their marriage) must receive the Holy Communion."

1552. The former "tokens of spousage" have now become "the accustomed duty to the priest and clerk." The parenthesis of 1549 after Isaac and Rebecca, viz. "(after bracelets and jewels of gold given of the one to the other for tokens of their matrimony)" is omitted.

In the prayer, "O God of Abraham," the words, "Thou didst send Thy angel Raphael to Thobie and Sara," are altered to, "Thou didst send Thy blessing upon Abraham and Sarah."

In the nuptial blessing, "God the Father bless you ," the cross is omitted.

After the blessing the minister and clerks go to the Lord's Table, and the post-matrimonial service begins with Psalm cxxviii.

After the final blessing, "Almighty God, which at the beginning," there is a rubric directing the Communion to begin.

1662. The form, "I publish the banns," etc., is now given textually in its present place, whereas previously there was only the rubric directing the publication of banns, without any form of doing so.

The initial rubric of 1662, which directed the banns to be published immediately before the Offertory, was inconsistent with the rubric of 1662 after the Nicene Creed, which ordered their publication before the sermon. About 1809 the mention of banns in

the latter rubric was omitted by the University printers, who also changed the Matrimony rubric to what it now is, to make it accord, in their opinion, with the language of the Marriage Act of 1753, 26 Geo. II., c. 33, s. 1. See more in Blt. 376, 447.

The words, "Till death us depart," are altered to "Till death us do part," depart in the sense of part having become obsolete.

The words "holding the ring there are inserted.

The rubric directing the Communion to begin is omitted, and the concluding rubric is so altered as to leave the Communion optional, but recommending it "at the time of marriage, or at the first opportunity after," as "convenient," i.e., fitting.

§ 114. Notes:-

"With my body I thee worship." So in the Sarum Use; in the Hereford it is, "I thee honour." Wiclif's version of Matt. xix. 19 is "Worshippe thi fadir and thi modir."

66

'Afraid with any amazement," substituted from the new version for " dismayed with any fear," which

was the old version.

§ 115. Marriage of Divine Institution.-The service distinctly recognises this, and does not merely seek to give a religious colour to it, as might be done to any secular undertaking. It says, with an evident reference to Gen. ii. 18, that marriage was instituted by God. It quotes Christ's words, "Whom God hath joined" (Matt. xix. 6). It uses St. Paul's language, which represents the mystical union between Christ

and the Church as a marriage (Eph. v. 22, 23; cf. Rev. xxi. 9; Psalm xlv.).

The fact of the Divine institution of marriage colours the whole service. It begins, "We are gathered together here in the sight of God." The man and woman take each other "according to God's holy ordinance." The man weds the woman with a ring "in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." In that same name they are pronounced man and wife; in that name they are blessed.

§ 116. Civil View of Marriage.-The State has the deepest interest in the matrimonial bond, and considers itself entitled to surround it with stringent regulations. For instance, in this country the State not only will not acknowledge bigamy, but punishes it. It insists upon the ceremony being publicly performed, in the presence of witnesses, by an authorised official, in recognised places, and in daylight hours. Since 1886 marriage by a religious ceremony has not been insisted upon in England, and a public registration before witnesses has been held sufficient. Marriages performed in secret, or by the parties themselves, or by unrecognised and unofficial agents, are not acknowledged, and any such unions leave the parties under a public and social stigma and various disabilities.

The Act, 6 & 7 Will. IV. c. 85, 1836, fixed the hours of marriage between 8 a.m. and 12; but in 1886 the law extended the time to 3 p.m.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

VISITATION OF THE SICK.

§ 117. The Church and the Sick.
"Heal the sick that are therein

(Luke x. 9).

"Is any sick? Let him call," etc. (James v. 14). "It is his office to search for the sick, that they may be relieved with the alms of the parishioners or others" (Ordination Service for Deacons).

"When any person is sick, notice shall be given thereof to the minister of the parish" (Rubric of the Visitation of the Sick).

"When any person is dangerously sick in any parish, the minister shall resort unto him or her, to instruct and comfort them in their distress" (Canon Ixvii.).

"Will you be ready .. to use both public and private monitions and exhortations, as well to the sick as to the whole?" (Ordination of Priests).

§ 118. History of the Service.-Under the Sarum Manual (Mask. M.R. i. 80), the priest in surplice and stole, with his subordinates, "cum ministris suis," proceeded to the house of the sick, chanting the penitential Psalms, and on entering saluted it with "Peace be to this house, and to all who dwell in it; peace to those