Ritual Conformity Part 7

The whole paragraph is connected with the Sermon, with the object of grouping together all such additions to, and interruptions of, the Office of Holy Communion.

100. Then shall follow the Sermon, or one of the Homilies already set forth, or hereafter to be set forth, by authority.

If the sermon be preached from the pulpit (for which there is no rubrical direction), and by the priest who is celebrating Holy Communion, the Chasuble should be laid aside for the function of preaching. If the sermon be preached from the altar-steps by the celebrant the chasuble should be retained. If the preacher be not the celebrant, it seems to be in accordance with the Prayer-Book of 1549, and with old custom, that he should wear a Surplice, as having previously taken his place in the choir, and also a hood, if a graduate.

Although the 55th Canon enjoins the use of some form of bidding the prayers before all sermons, lectures, and homilies, yet the custom may be regarded as fairly established, of beginning the sermon without any introductory form, or with a collect from the Prayer-Book, or with an invocation of the Holy Trinity, in testimony of the preacher's commission to proclaim the Gospel. The last should be announced to the people, turning the face towards them.

Custom has also established, from the days at least of St.

Chrysostom, the practice of ending the sermon with an ascription of praise, which may properly be p.r.o.nounced turning to the East.

101. Then shall the Priest return to the Lord's Table, and begin the Offertory, saying one or more of these Sentences following, as he thinketh most convenient in his discretion.

The words 'Return to the Lord's Table' point to the Priest having left the table, either for the purpose of preaching, or to take his seat in the sedilia.

In the impoverished condition of the churches at the time of the last revision, it was well to be content that one or more of the sentences should be said by the Priest, not sung by a choir. But now that clerks and choirs have been restored to many churches, it seems reasonable that the sentences may be sung as of old, and as was prescribed in the Prayer-Book of 1549: "Where there be clerks, they shall sing one or many of the sentences above written, according to the length and shortness of the time that the people be offering."

102. Whilst these Sentences are in reading, the Deacons, Church-wardens, or other fit person appointed for that purpose, shall receive the Alms for the Poor, and other devotions of the people, in a decent bason to be provided by the Parish for that purpose; and reverently bring it to the Priest, who shall humbly present and place it upon the holy Table.

The rubric mentions but one bason, to which originally the people brought their alms, instead of putting them into the poor man's box. This one bason is wholly inefficient for making a collection by several persons, and from a large congregation; and therefore is to be used for receiving alms collected in other receptacles.

It is seemly that these should be formally given out to the persons by whom the collection is to be made, and afterwards received from them in the 'decent bason' by the 'deacon, churchwarden, or other fit person appointed for that purpose, who 'shall reverently bring it to the Priest.'

The words 'humbly present' obviously indicate some action beyond the mere placing on the Table, but do not mean a kneeling posture; for neither here nor in any other part of the Service should the Priest kneel, unless when ordered to do so.

103. And when there is a Communion, the Priest shall then place upon the Table so much Bread and Wine, as he shall think sufficient.

After which done, the Priest shall say, Let us pray, &c.

The small fair linen cloth, commonly called the Veil, which is to be used after the Communion, should not be spread upon the fair white linen cloth which covers the Table, nor used to cover the Elements before the Communion.

In order to place the Bread and Wine on the Table, which must be done at this time, and not before, the Priest should have them at hand in another place. This is usually the Credence-table, or some shelf near to the altar. He places them as he did the alms, humbly, as an offering, and so much of each as he judges approximately sufficient for the communion of himself and the people. But if he should afterwards find his computation excessive--as the offering the alms and elements together is not directly connected with consecration--he is not under obligation to consecrate all that he has offered. He may, therefore, if he should think the entire contents of the Flagon likely to be required for Communion, offer the Wine in that vessel. The usage, however, of pouring a portion of the Wine into the chalice (as was directed in the Prayer-Book of 1549), and placing the chalice on the table without the flagon, has been generally maintained, though this pouring forms no part of the rubrical directions of our Liturgy, either here or at any other period of the service.

This usage is properly a.s.sociated also with the primitive custom (prescribed to be used in 1549) of 'putting thereto a little pure and clean water.'

The preparatory action of mixing water with the wine (besides being connected with the original Act of Inst.i.tution), was undoubtedly the custom of the time when this Church and Realm received the order of ministering the Sacrament, and it has never been prohibited in the Prayer-Book. The practice is, therefore, a performance of the Ordination vow of the English Priesthood, "so to minister the Sacraments as the Lord hath commanded, and as this Church and Realm hath received the same, according to the Commandments of G.o.d." A few drops of water are sufficient for compliance with the usage, and in no case should the quant.i.ty of water exceed one third of the whole.

If the chalice is not fitted with a cover, some subst.i.tute for a cover should be placed upon it; a small, square piece of linen, stiffened with cardboard, is sometimes used for this purpose.

It is desirable that the Priest should, as a general rule, consecrate all the Bread and Wine that he offers. And in judging the quant.i.ty, it is to be remembered that on the one hand the consecration of an excessive amount of the elements involves a serious risk of irreverence in the consumption of what remains after Communion; so on the other hand, the error of consecrating too little is to be deprecated, as necessitating a second consecration, and thereby breaking the continuity of the service.

Many such points in the service are left without direction, or with inconsistent directions, in consequence of the old Liturgical order having been so broken and distorted in the revision of 1552, that subsequent revision has been, and probably will be, unsuccessful in removing the inconsistencies.

104. If there be no alms or oblations, then shall the words [_of accepting our alms and oblations_] be left out unsaid.

105. When the Minister giveth warning for the celebration of the holy Communion, (which he shall always do upon the Sunday, or some Holy-day, immediately preceding), after the Sermon or Homily ended, he shall read this Exhortation following, Dearly beloved, on, &c.

106. Or, in case he shall see the people negligent to come to the holy Communion, instead of the former, he shall use this Exhortation, Dearly beloved brethren, on, &c.

These exhortations are in antic.i.p.ation of Communions on subsequent occasions, and are clearly distinct from the notice of Communion directed, in the rubric after the creed, to be given before the sermon, since they must come after the sermon. It is very difficult to say whether they should be read before or after the offertory and prayer for the Church Militant. Probably it was intended to group them generally with the sermon, without disturbing the offertory and prayer for the Church Militant.

We have here an example of inconsistency in the rubrics of our Communion Office referred to in the comment on the last rubric, and which is caused by successive attempts at patching (instead of revoking) the alterations made at the revision of 1552.

These two exhortations, with the third, which is appointed for use on the occasion of Communion, form a great feature of the English rite, but are more appropriate when Communions are rare, than when they are frequent. It is, indeed, somewhat inconsistent to use a prospective exhortation on the occasion of the Communion. It is possible that the expression 'warning' may be taken to except cases where the Minister does not consider unusual mention to be imperatively necessary, and at any rate to apply only where notice is given before the sermon.

107. At the time of the celebration of the Communion, the Communicants being conveniently placed for the receiving of the holy Sacrament, the Priest shall say this Exhortation, Dearly beloved in the Lord, &c.

The rubric seems to direct a change of place to be made by the communicants, and indicates, not the general withdrawal of the rest of the congregation, but the separation of the intending communicants into a part of the church by themselves, after the precedent of the Prayer-Book of 1549, which appoints that 'they shall tarry still in the quire, or in some other convenient place nigh to the quire.'

Such a re-disposition of the congregation requires time, and would be the opportunity for the retirement of children, or other persons, who may be unable (especially when a sermon has been preached) to stay for the whole service.

The neglect of this change of place of intending communicants has introduced many difficulties connected with the attendance of those who are not prepared to communicate on the occasion, and with the orderly reception of the Communion.

This exhortation gives opportunity for intending communicants to reconsider their 'mind to come' on that occasion: it throws upon their consciences with acc.u.mulated force the individual responsibility of coming to the Lord's Table, which the relaxation of discipline, and the removal of compulsory confession, had rendered doubly important: and it being impossible that a person inadequately prepared can fulfil on the moment the requisites here enumerated for coming duly to the Lord's Table, they have no alternative but to abstain.

108. Then shall the Priest say to them that come to receive the holy Communion, Ye that do truly, &c.

The limitation of this invitation 'to those that come to receive the Holy Communion,' is consistent with the presence of others, and the possible retirement of some of those who (previously to hearing the exhortation) were minded to come, to a part of the church not occupied by communicants.

109. Then shall this general Confession be made, in the name of all those that are minded to receive the holy Communion, by one of the Ministers; both he and all the people kneeling humbly upon their knees, and saying, Almighty G.o.d, &c.

This rubric makes it clear that the Confession is primarily intended for those who are about to communicate, though it does not exclude others from joining in it.

With regard to the manner of making the confession, it must be remembered that the direction that it should be made in the name of all those that are minded to come to the Holy Communion, was worded at a time when a considerable proportion of the communicants were too illiterate to follow such a piece of devotion by the use of a book. It was therefore essential that their leader should say it slowly and audibly, if they were to join in it at all. It cannot be said that this reason has wholly disappeared now; while even for persons of high education, so solemn and suggestive a devotion requires all the a.s.sistance of ample time, and facility of hearing, that they may join in it devoutly and deliberately.

The retaining the words 'one of the Ministers,' from the older form of the rubric, implies that if the celebrant have a.s.sistants one of them may lead the confession. And though it may no longer be read by one of the communicant congregation (as it formerly might) still a lay-clerk at the altar is not absolutely excluded. In any case the celebrant, even though not leading the confession, is to kneel.

110. Then shall the Priest (or the Bishop, being present,) stand up, and turning himself to the people, p.r.o.nounce this Absolution, Almighty G.o.d, &c.

'The Bishop' means the bishop of the diocese, or other bishop acting in his stead. The words 'stand up,' imply that the celebrant has been kneeling for the confession.

111. Then shall the Priest say. Hear what, &c.

112. After which the Priest shall proceed, saying, Lift up, &c.

There is authority of ancient custom (though there is no direction for so doing in the rubric) for the Priest to open his arms, and raise his hands, while p.r.o.nouncing the words 'Lift up your hearts,'

which are to be said facing the people.

113. Then shall the Priest turn to the Lord's Table, and say, It is very, &c.

The Priest up to this point has been 'turning to the people' in accordance with the rubric of the Absolution. He must now turn to the Lord's Table.

114. These words [_Holy Father_] must be omitted on _Trinity-Sunday_.

115. Here shall follow the Proper Preface, according to the time, if there be any specially appointed: or else immediately shall follow, Therefore, &c.

116. After each of which Prefaces shall immediately be sung or said. Therefore, &c.

A comparison with the Books of 1549 and 1552 shews that the time at which the people should join in is at the words 'Holy, &c.'

117. Then shall the Priest, kneeling down at the Lord's Table, say in the name of all them that shall receive the Communion this Prayer following, We do not presume, &c.