Ritual Conformity Part 8

The Priest is a.s.sumed to be _at_ the Lord's Table, _to_ which he had previously turned, and is merely directed to kneel down where he is.

118. When the Priest, standing before the Table, hath so ordered the Bread and Wine, that he may with the more readiness and decency break the Bread before the people, and take the Cup into his hands, he shall say the Prayer of Consecration, as followeth, Almighty G.o.d, &c.

The expression 'standing before the Table,' is to be rightly understood by observing that the emphatic word in it is 'standing.'

The intention of the framers of this direction was to put an end to the previous posture of kneeling directed in the preceding rubric, and to direct the priest to stand during the consecration. The word 'before' evidently implies a position in front of the Table, and excludes the end, whichever way the Table might be placed.

The ordering the Bread and Wine for the manual acts of consecration, might include the pouring of some of the wine from the flagon into the chalice (if not previously done); also the separation of a part of the bread from the remainder which the Priest does not now intend to consecrate, and pre-eminently the arranging conveniently the individual piece to be broken during the consecration.

The expression 'before the people' in this rubric, means simply in the presence of the people.

It was proposed by Baxter, at the Savoy Conference, to direct the Bread to be broken in the sight of the people. The framers of the rubric seem to have rejected the latter part of this proposal, and to have thought it sufficient to direct it to be done in the presence of the people, irrespective of their being able actually to see it. Any breaking the Bread at this period of the service was then a novelty, and is now peculiar to the English Liturgy. The object of the Puritans probably was to bring the ceremonial acts of the Priest in the Consecration into closer harmony with the order of our Lord's own acts and words in the Inst.i.tution itself, as recorded in the Synoptic Gospels, and this part of their proposal was conceded by the bishops and the revisers, as not inconsistent with the ancient usage of _touching_ the Bread at this period of the service _as if_ breaking it.

The acts of reverence of the Priest, during and after consecration, according to the old English use (as may be plainly seen in the rubrics of the Sarum Missal) consisted not in bending the knee, but in bowing the head and body.

The custom of elevating the consecrated Elements was probably connected with the Jewish heave-offering, and its idea of heavenward oblation. It was directed by the most ancient Liturgies, but was expressly prohibited in the Prayer-Book of 1549. This prohibition, however, was withdrawn in 1552. The elevation cannot therefore be unlawful, though certainly it is not obligatory. The ancient rubric of Sarum gives, as a first alternative respecting the height of elevation of the chalice, that it should be raised to the height of the breast. And this, therefore, would be a sufficient compliance with ancient custom.

There seems to be no reason for p.r.o.nouncing the words of Inst.i.tution in a different voice from the rest of the Prayer. See note e, p. 28.

119. * Here the Priest is to take the Paten into his hands:

120. + And here to break the Bread:

121. ++ And here to lay his hand upon all the Bread.

122. +++ Here he is to take the Cup into his hand:

123. ++++ And here to lay his hand upon every vessel (be it Chalice or Flagon) in which there is any Wine to be consecrated.

The direction of the Priest to 'lay his hand upon all the Bread and every vessel,' indicates the extreme care of the Church that none of the Bread and Wine intended for the Communicants should be overlooked in the performance of the manual acts.

It is better not to consecrate wine in the flagon (though the rubric permits it) except in the emergency of having only one chalice, and a very large number of communicants. Even in that case, a second consecration in the chalice would perhaps be preferable.

124. Then shall the Minister first receive the Communion in both kinds himself, and then proceed to deliver the same to the Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, in like manner, (if any be present,) and after that to the people also in order, into their hands, all meekly kneeling. And, when he delivereth the Bread to any one he shall say, The Body, &c.

This rubric, with the Twenty-first Canon, obliges the celebrant to receive the Communion every time that he celebrates, even if he shall do so more than once in the same day. He does so as a part of the sacrificial action, which is not complete unless a portion of the sacrifice is consumed by the offering Priest. For this reason he communicates himself, standing, as distinct from the congregation, and completing the essentials of the Sacrifice in his priestly character.

As he is not ministering to others when communicating himself, he should not speak audibly in so doing.

He is to deliver the Sacrament first of all to the Clergy a.s.sisting in the service, beginning with the Gospeller and Epistoler, in accordance with the reason a.s.signed in the rubric of 1549 for so doing, viz. that they may be ready to help the chief minister.

The order of communicating the rest of the Clergy, and the lay congregation, would be as follows:--1. To the Metropolitan of the Province (if present). 2. To the Bishop of the Diocese (if present).

3. To other Metropolitans and Bishops (if present), in the order of their seniority of consecration respectively. 4. Priests or Deacons.

5. Lay choristers, and 6. The rest of the laity.

'In like manner' means 'in both kinds.'

'In order.' These words may refer to the distinction of s.e.xes, as in the Clementine Liturgy,[f] or more generally to the usage of taking the Sacrament to the people in their places in the choir, in contrast with the present usage of coming up to the altar-step. At all events, here is no recognition of the practice of communicating by railsful.

'Into their hands.' It was prescribed in the Prayer-Book of 1549, "that, although it be read in ancient writers that the people, many years past, received at the Priest's hands the Sacrament of the Body of Christ in their own hands, and no commandment of Christ to the contrary: yet for as much as they many times conveyed the same secretly away, kept it with them, and diversely abused it to superst.i.tion and wickedness: lest any such thing hereafter should be attempted, and that a uniformity might be used throughout the whole realm, it is thought convenient the people commonly receive the Sacrament of Christ's body in their mouths at the Priest's hand." In 1552, the manner of receiving was again put back to the use of the hands, and this has been continued since, so that the receiving in the mouth is unrubrical now.[g]

Whatever be the manner of holding out the hands for the purpose of reception, the Sacrament should, in order to avoid the possibility of accident, be placed firmly and safely in the hands of the recipient, and not merely offered to be accepted with the fingers.

The words 'meekly kneeling' in this rubric exclude prostration, which is not kneeling.

The expression 'to anyone,' coupled with the use of the singular number in the address to the recipient, obliges the Priest to repeat the words of administration in delivering the Sacrament to each communicant separately.

The rubric is not clear on the point, whether the Priest should give the Sacrament of the Body as soon as he has p.r.o.nounced the words 'The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ,' (when the communicant may be supposed to have made an act of faith in the mystery of the Sacrament,) or whether he should give it at the end of the whole of the first sentence of administration, as he says the word 'Take.'

At all events, he should not wait until he has completed the second sentence.

The words of administration should be distinctly p.r.o.nounced, so as to be audible to the communicant. See note e, p. 28.

125. And the Minister that delivereth the Cup to any one shall say, The Blood, &c.

Although the word 'Minister' is used for priest in the preceding rubric and elsewhere, yet in this place it implies an important distinction between a Priest and a Deacon, the latter being forbidden by ancient Canons of the Church to deliver the Bread. And when it is declared in the Ordination of Deacons that it appertaineth to the office of a Deacon to help the Priest in the distribution of the Holy Communion, this help must be confined to the distribution of the Wine.

The rubric for the delivery of the species of Bread (directing it to be given into the hands of the communicants), seems to govern generally the administration of the Cup, though the words 'into their hands' do not occur in this rubric. Thus, the omission of these words leaves it open to the discretion of the Minister to retain his hold of the Cup while the communicant uses his hands for the purpose of guiding it. But in no case should the communicant abstain from using the hands at all, unless absolutely disabled from doing so.

It is to be noted that the directions of the rubrics on the subject of the administration of the Sacrament, are intended for the guidance of the Priest. No similar details are specified for the acts of the communicants. Hence the celebrant will use a wise discretion in not enforcing exact uniformity in the mode of reception adopted by individuals, provided it be reverent, and does not endanger the safety of the Sacrament.

There seems to be no warrant, in the English use, for making the sign of the cross with the consecrated species, paten, or chalice, in front of the communicant, at the moment of administration. At the end of the words of administration provided for the celebrant at the moment of his own Communion, in the old Sarum rite, occurs the formula '+ In Nomine Patris,' &c., and the sign of the Cross was directed to be made with the Body of the Lord. A similar direction was given for the chalice, which the Priest was at that moment holding in his hands. But this formula does not seem to have been used in communicating the people. If the sign of the cross had been intended to be used in the Order of Communion of 1548 (the first formula of administration in English), we may certainly presume that it would have been notified or printed as a guide, as it is in the Book of 1549, in the Prayer of Consecration, and in the Blessing of the Marriage Service. But no such guide is to be found, either there, or in any subsequent formula of administration; nor does there seem to be any ancient precedent or tradition for its use in that place. Moreover, there is a risk attending the practice, especially in the case of a large chalice nearly full of wine.

126. If the consecrated Bread or Wine be all spent before all have communicated, the Priest is to consecrate more according to the Form before prescribed: beginning at [_Our Saviour Christ in the same night_, &c.] for the blessing of the Bread; and at [_Likewise after Supper_, &c.] for the blessing of the Cup.

The necessity for consecrating more of the species of Bread can almost invariably be avoided by subdividing what is already consecrated.

127. When all have communicated, the Minister shall return to the Lord's Table, and reverently place upon it what remaineth of the consecrated Elements, covering the same with a fair linen cloth.

The direction is express to place 'what remaineth of the consecrated elements' upon the Lord's Table. The Priest is, therefore, not at liberty to consume what remains at this period of the service.

In arranging 'what remaineth of the consecrated elements,' the cover previously used, and not the paten, should be placed upon the chalice. The fair linen cloth, or veil, should be large enough to cover thoroughly the whole of both chalice and paten, when the paten is placed in front of the chalice. It should be observed, that the employment of the word 'linen' excludes a fabric of other material, such as silk or cotton.

128. Then shall the Priest say the Lord's Prayer, the people repeating after him every Pet.i.tion.

129. After shall be said as followeth, O Lord and, &c.

130. Or this, Almighty and, &c.

131. Then shall be said or sung, Glory be to G.o.d, &c.

The Gloria in Excelsis, as it originally stood at the beginning of the office, in the Prayer-Book of 1549, being an opening Act of Praise, was sung by the Priest and Clerks while the people were standing. In its altered position, it may be regarded rather as a prayer. It seems reasonable that when it is sung in a choral celebration, the people should stand, as for an Act of Praise; and that when it is said without music, and in a plain celebration, the people may treat it chiefly as a prayer, and so kneel.

132. Then the Priest (or Bishop if he be present) shall let them depart with this Blessing.

For the meaning of the expression 'or bishop if he be present,' see the note on rubric No. 110, p. 35.

The words 'let them depart' imply that the congregation are not to dismiss themselves previously. Archbishop Grindal, in his injunctions to the Province of York in 1571, forbad the Minister to pause or stay between the Morning Prayer, Litany, and Communion, and directed him "to continue and say them, &c., without any intermission, to the intent that the people may continue together in prayer and hearing the word of G.o.d, and not depart out of the Church during all the time of the whole Divine Service."

The whole of the Blessing, including 'The peace of G.o.d,' &c., should be p.r.o.nounced turning to the people.