the preceding ceremonies, are mainly formed from the MATRIancient office: Hic intrent ecclesiam usque ad gradum altaris1: et sacerdos in eundo cum suis ministris dicat hunc psalmum sequentem: Beati omnes 2. Sine nota, cum Kyrie eleison. Tunc prostratis sponso et sponsa ante gradum altaris, roget sacerdos circumstantes orare pro eis, dicendo: Pater noster. Et ne nos. Sed libera. Salvum fac servum tuum et ancillam tuam. Deus meus sperantes in te. Mitte eis, Domine, auxilium de sancto. Esto eis, Domine, turris fortitudinis. A facie inimici. MONY. Domine exaudi. Et clamor. Dominus vobiscum. Oremus. Benedicat vos Dominus ex Syon, &c. Oremus. Deus Abra- The first ham, Deus Isaac, Deus Jacob, bene+dic adolescentes istos: et God of Abra Prayer, 'O semina semen vitæ æternæ in mentibus eorum: ut quicquid pro ham,' &c. utilitate sua didicerint, hoc facere cupiant. Per Jesum. Oremus. Respice, Domine, de cœlis, et bene+dic conventionem istam. Et sicut misisti sanctum angelum tuum Raphaelem ad Tobiam et Saram filiam Raguelis 3: ita digneris, Domine, mittere bene+dictionem tuam super istos adolescentes: ut in tua voluntate permaneant; et in tua securitate persistant: et in amore tuo vivant et senescant; ut digni atque pacifici fiant et multiplicentur in longitudinem dierum. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Lord,' &c. Oremus. Respice, Domine, propitius super hunc famulum The second Prayer, 'O tuum, et super hanc famulam tuam : ut in nomine tuo bene+dic- merciful tionem cœlestem accipiant: et filios filiorum suorum et filiarum suarum usque in tertiam et quartam progeniem incolumes videant, et in tua voluntate perseverent, et in futuro ad cœlestia regna perveniant. Per Christum. 1 Then shall they go into the quire:' rubr. (1549). 2 Ps. cxxviii. A second psalm (lxvii.) was appointed in 1549, to be used when the language of the ancient marriage-psalm is clearly inappropriate. 3 This clause was altered at the revision of the Prayer-Book in 1552. The clause,-'that they may see their children christianly and virtuously brought up,'-was substituted at the last revision (1661). MATRI MONY. Oremus. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui primos parentes nostros Adam et Evam sua virtute creavit, et in sua sanctificaThe Blessing. catione copulavit: Ipse corda et corpora vestra sanctificet et bene+dicat, atque in societate et amore veræ dilectionis conjungat. Per Christum. The third thy mighty,' &c. Deinde benedicat eos dicens : Oremus. Bene+dicat vos Deus omnipotens omni bene+dictione cœlesti, efficiatque vos dignos in conspectu suo: superabundet in vobis divitias gratiæ suæ, et erudiat vos in verbo veritatis, ut ei corpore pariter et mente complacere valeatis. Per Dominum nostrum1. The third prayer is taken from the mass, which formed God, who by the conclusion of the medieval office. It is the prayer which included the sacramental benediction, and which was said while the newly-married persons were kneeling under a veil2 : Deus, qui potestate virtutis tuæ, de nihilo cuncta fecisti; qui dispositis universitatis exordiis, homini ad imaginem Dei facto inseparabile mulieris adjutorium condidisti, ut fœmineo corpori de virili dares carne principium, docens quod ex uno placuisset institui, nunquam liceret disjungi. Hic incipit benedictio sacramentalis: Deus, qui tam excellenti mysterio conju. galem copulam consecrasti, ut Christi et ecclesiæ sacramentum præsignares in fœdere nuptiarum. Hic finitur benedictio sacramentalis. Deus, per quem mulier jungitur viro et societas principaliter ordinata ea benedictione + donatur, quæ sola nec per originalis peccati pœnam, nec per diluvii est ablata sententiam, respice propitius super hanc famulam tuam quæ maritali jungenda est consortio, quæ se tua expetit protectione muniri. Sit in ea jugum dilectionis et pacis: fidelis et casta nubat in Christo: imitatrixque sanctarum permaneat fœminarum. Sit amabilis ut Rachel viro: sapiens ut Rebecca: longæva et fidelis ut Sara.......... et ad beatorum requiem atque ad cœlestia regna perveniat. Per Dominum, &c. Per omnia sæcula sæculorum. Amen3. 1 Maskell, Mon. Rit. I. pp. 5052. 2 Of the ancient custom of veil ing the bride, see Bingham, Antiq. XXII. 4, § 4. 3 Maskell, ibid. p. 57. MONY. Holy Com Marriage. The reformed service, like that from which it had been MATRIderived, ended with an administration of the Holy Communion, the rubric being expressed in positive terms, 'The munion at a new married persons, the same day of their marriage, must receive the Holy Communion.' This was altered in 1661, in compliance with the objection of the Presbyterians1, or more probably from a conviction that many persons would be married according to the rites of the Church, who were far from being in communion with it2. The address which now closes the service is of the The Address. nature of a homily, shewing the relative duties of married persons. It consists of a series of extracts from the Epistles of St Paul and St Peter; the intention of our reformers being clearly to keep before the minds of the people the idea that matrimony was recognized by the Apostles, as a holy estate, in which Christians were to serve God, and was forbidden to none, inasmuch as married men, of the laity or clergy, were in holy brotherhood with 'St Peter, the Apostle of Christ, who was himself a married man." 1 This rubric doth either enforce all such as are unfit for the sacrament to forbear marriage, contrary to Scripture, which approves the marriage of all men; or else compels all that marry to come to the Lord's Table, though never so unprepared; and therefore we desire it may be omitted, the rather because that marriage-festivals are too often accompanied with such divertisements as are unsuitable to those Christian duties, which ought to be before and follow after the receiving of that holy sacrament.' The bishops reply to this, that it 'enforces none to forbear marriage, but presumes (as well it may) that all persons marriageable ought to be also fit to receive the holy sacra crament; and marriage being so 2 This was necessarily the case VISITATION OF THE SICK. SECT. IV. The Order for the Visitation of the Sick. This Office, like that of Private Baptism, is intended to bring the ministration of the Church to the chambers of those members, who are unable to join in her public worship. The apostolical precept1, that the sick man shall call for the elders of the Church,' was as strongly urged in mediæval2 as in our own times; and our present Our Service Order for the Visitation of the Sick is mainly taken from the Medieval that which was used before the Reformation, as will be seen by the following extracts from the Sarum Manual: derived from Office. Ordo ad Visitandum Infirmum 4. The seven penitential Psalms were sung5 as the priest was going Remember to the sick man's house, concluding with the antiphon, Ne reminiscaris, Domine. not, Lord,' &c. The Peace. Lord's Et cum intraverit domum dicat: Pax huic domui et omnibus habitantibus in ea: pax ingredientibus et egredientibus...Deinde aspergat infirmum aqua benedicta, et statim sequatur: Kyrie eleïson. Vers. Et ne nos. B. Sed libera. Vers. Salvum fac servum tuum vel ancillam tuam. B. Deus meus sperantem in te. Vers. Mitte ei Domine auxilium de sancto. B. Et de Syon tuere eum. Vers. Nihil proficiat inimicus in eo. B. Et 1 Jam. v. 14, 15. 2 Constitutiones Richardi Poore, Episc. Sar. (circ. 1217), Tit. 72: 'Cum anima longe pretiosior sit corpore, sub interjectione anathematis prohibemus, ne quis medicorum pro corporali salute aliquid ægro suadeat, quod in periculum animæ convertatur. Verum cum ipsis ad ægrum vocari contigerit, ægrum ante omnia moneant et inducant, quod advocent medicos animarum; ut postquam fuerit infirmo de spirituali salute provisum, ad corporalis medicinæ remedium salubrius procedatur.' Mansi, XXII. 1128. 3 Canon LXVII. (1604), 'When any person is dangerously sick in any parish, the minister, or curate, having knowledge thereof, shall resort unto him or her, (if the disease be not known, or probably suspected, to be infectious,) to instruct and comfort them in their distress, according to the order of the Communion-book, if he be no preacher; or if he be a preacher, then as he shall think most needful and convenient.' 4 Maskell, Mon. Rit. I. pp. 66 sqq. 5 In 1549, Ps. cxliii. was said after the Peace,' and before the anthem, 'Remember not, &c.' The answer, 'Spare us, good Lord,' was added in 1661. VISITATION OF Vers. Esto ei Domine filius iniquitatis non apponat nocere ei. turris fortitudinis. B. A facie inimici. orationem meam. B. Et clamor. mus1... 'O Lord, Respice, Domine, de cœlo, et vide et visita hunc famulum The Prayers, tuum N. et benedic eum sicut benedicere dignatus es Abraham, look down Isaac, et Jacob. Respice super eum, Domine, oculis miseri- &c. cordiæ tuæ et reple eum omni gaudio et lætitia et timore tuo. Expelle ab eo omnes inimici insidias; et mitte Angelum pacis qui eum custodiat, et domum istam in pace perpetua. Per. ful God,' &c. Exaudi nos omnipotens et misericors Deus, et visitationem Hear us, Almighty and tuam conferre digneris super hunc famulum tuum N. quem most merci diversa vexat infirmitas. Visita eum, Domine, sicut visitare dignatus es socrum Petri, puerumque centurionis, et Tobiam, et Saram, per sanctum angelum tuum Raphaelem2. Restitue in eo, Domine, pristinam sanitatem: ut mereatur in atrio domus tuæ dicere, castigans castigavit me Dominus, et morti non tradidit me salvator mundi. Qui... Deinde priusquam ungatur infirmus, aut communicetur, exhor- The Exhortetur eum sacerdos hoc modo: Frater carissime: gratias age omnipotenti Deo pro universis beneficiis suis, patienter et benigne suscipiens infirmitatem corporis quam tibi immisit: nam si ipsam humiliter sine murmure toleraveris, infert animæ tuæ maximum præmium et salutem. Et, frater carissime, quia viam universæ carnis ingressurus es, esto firmus in fide... Deinde bonum et valde expediens est ut sacerdos exprimat infirmo xiiii. articulos fidei: quorum vii. primi ad mysterium Trinitatis, et vii. alii ad Christi humanitatem pertinent... tation. Et si infirmus laicus vel simpliciter literatus fuerit; tunc potest sacerdos articulos fidei in generali ab eo inquirere, sub hac forma: Carissime frater: credis Patrem et Filium et Spiritum Sanc- The Articles of the Creed. tum esse tres Personas et unum Deum, et ipsam benedictam atque indivisibilem Trinitatem creasse omnia creata visibilia, et 1 Nine collects followed, of which only two were translated. 2 This was translated in 1549. The mention of "Thobie and Sara' and the angel was omitted in 1552; and in 1661, instead of the refer ence to our Lord's miracles of |