Chap. VI. How this §. 4. How the rubric that orders these exhortations to be read after the Sermon or Homily is ended, may be reconciled to the rubric that orders the Minister to give notice of the Communion before Sermon, I have already shewed upon ciled with that place. that after the Nicene Creed. of it. SECT. XIII. Of the Exhortation at the Communion. The design THE former exhortations are designed to increase the numbers of the Communicants, and this to rectify their dispositions; that so they may be not only many but good. In the ancient Greek Church, besides all other preparatory matters, when the congregation were all placed in order to receive the Sacrament; the Priest, even this unkindness ye will not add any more. Which thing ye shall do, if Sect. XIII. then standing on the steps to be seen of all, stretched out his hand, and lifted up his voice in the midst of that profound silence, inviting the worthy, and warning the unworthy to forbear 52. Which if it were necessary in those blessed days, how much more requisite is it in our looser age, wherein men have learned to trample upon Church discipline, and to come out of fashion at set-times, whether they be prepared or not? Every one hopes to pass in the crowd; but knowing the terror of the Lord, though the people have been exhorted before, and though they are now come with a purpose of communicating, and are even conveniently placed for the receiving of the holy Sacrament, yet the Priest again exhorts them in the words. of St. Paul, diligently to try and examine themselves before they presume to eat of that bread, and drink of that cup, &c.† The Com§. 2. The ordering that the Communicants shall be con- municants veniently placed for the receiving of the holy Sacrament, be- how to be C. when and conveni ently pla * Agreeably to which the clause in the first of our present ex- ced. hortations, Therefore if any of you be a blasphemer of God, &c. to the words, Body and Soul, was in all the former books inserted in this exhortation, between the words, sundry kinds of death, and-judge therefore yourselves, &c. And in the first English Communion office published in the year 1547, the same clause was still more aptly appointed to be said after this exhortation, to them which were ready to take the Sacrament. After which the Priest was to pause a while to see if any man would withdraw himself: (and if he perceived any so to do, he was then to commune with him privately at convenient leisure, and see whether he could with good exhortation bring him to grace.) After a little pause the Priest was to say, Ye that do truly, &c. 53 † In all the books between the first of King Edward and our present one, this exhortation was to be added to one of the others, which, as I have shewed in the preceding note, were, during all that time, appointed to be used upon the day of Communion. But in King Edward's first book the rubric ordered this immediately to follow the Sermon or Homily, i. e. if the people were not exhorted in the said Sermon or Homily itself to the worthy receiving of the holy Sacrament: and that too only where Communions were not frequent for by the rubric that immediately follows the exbortation in the same book, it is allowed, that in cathedral churches or other places where there is daily Communion, it shall be sufficient to read this exhortation above written once in a month: and that in parish churches, upon the week-days, it may be left unsaid. 52 Chrysost. Hom. 27. in ix. ad Hebr. tom. iv. p. 524. 529. 53 Sparrow's Collection, page 22. Chap. VI. fore the Minister reads the exhortation, seems to have an eye to an old custom, still retained in some country churches, where the Communicants kneel down in rows one behind another, and there continue till the Minister comes to them. In the first Common Prayer of King Edward, it is thus ordered, just after the Offertory or Sentences; Then so many as shall be partakers of the holy Communion shall tarry still in the choir, the men on the one side, and the women on the other side: where it may be remarked, that the separating the men from the women, and allotting to each sex a distinct place, was what was very strictly observed in the primitive Church 54. The design of it. SECT. XIV. Of the Invitation. THE feast being now ready, and the guests prepared with due instruction, the Priest (who is the Steward of those mysteries) invites them to draw near; thereby putting them in mind, that they are now invited into Christ's more special presence, to sit down with him at his own table: (and therefore I think it would be more proper if all the Communicants were, at these words, to come from the more remote parts of the church as near to the Lord's Table as they could.) But then he adviseth them, in the words of the primitive Liturgies 55, (i. e. according to our present book,) to draw near with faith, without which all their bodily approaches will avail them nothing, it being only by faith that they can really draw near to Christ, and take this holy Sacrament to their comfort. But seeing they cannot exercise their faith as they ought, until they have heartily confessed and repented of their sins; therefore he farther calls upon them to make their humble Confession to Almighty God, meekly kneeling upon their knees*. SECT. XV. Of the Confession. BESIDES the private Confession of the closet, and that The suita- made to the Priest in cases of great doubt, there was bleness of it in this place. * In King Edward's first book, it was—to Almighty God, and to his holy church here gathered together in his name, meekly kneeling, &c. In all the other old ones-to Almighty God, before the congregation here gathered together in his holy name, &c. 54 Const. Apost. 1. 2. c. 57. 55. Μετὰ φόβο καὶ πίσεως προσέλθετε, Liturg. S. Chrys, et S. Jacob. anciently a general prayer for forgiveness and mercy in Sect. XV. the public service of the Church, used by all the Communicants when they were come to the altars. And since Christ's sufferings are here commemorated, it is very reasonable we should confess our sins which were the causes of them: and since we hope to have our pardon sealed, we ought first with shame and sorrow to own our transgressions, for his honour who so freely forgives them : which the congregation here does in words so apposite and pathetical, that if their repentance be answerable to the form, it is impossible it should ever be more hearty and sincere*. SECT. XVI. Of the Absolution. fore the Sa WHEN the discipline of the ancient Church was in The neces force, no notorious offender could escape the censures sity of it bethat his sin deserved: nor was he admitted to the crament. Sacrament without a public and solemn absolution upon his repentance. But this godly discipline being now every where laid aside, (to the great detriment of the Church,) it is so much the more necessary to supply it by a general Confession and Absolution: of which see more upon the morning and evening service. §. 2. As to this particular form, it shall suffice to note, Why used that it is in imitation of that ancient form of blessing re- in this corded, Numb. vi. 24, &c. And since it is certain that place. there is such a power vested in the Ministers of the Gospel, as to support the spirit of a dejected penitent, by assuring him of a pardon in the name of God; there can be no fitter opportunity to exercise it than now, viz. when so many humbled sinners are kneeling before him, and begging forgiveness at his hands: which therefore thus coming accordingly from a person commissionated by Christ for this end, ought to be received with faith and gratitude, * In all the Common Prayer Books this general Confession was to be made in the name of all those that were minded to receive the holy Communion, either by one of them, or by one of the Ministers, or by the Priest himself: but by the Scotch Liturgy it was confined to the Presbyter himself, or the Deacon, and from thence by our own (upon the exception of the Presbyterians at the last review) to one of the Ministers, both he and all the People humbly kneeling upon their knees. 56 Chrys, Hom. 18. in 2 Cor. viii. tom. iii. p. 647. lin. 12, &c. Chap. VI. since it is the only way to quiet people's consciences, now revelations are ceased. tage of them in this place. SECT. XVII. Of the Sentences of Scripture. The advan-IT is so necessary for every one that would receive comfort and benefit by this blessed Sacrament, to have a lively faith, and a mind freed from unreasonable fears; that the Church, lest any should doubt of the validity of the foregoing Absolution, hath subjoined these Sentences; which are the very promises on which it is grounded, and so overflowing with sweet and powerful comforts, that if duly considered they will satisfy the most fearful souls, heal the most broken hearts, and utterly banish the blackest clouds of sorrow and despair. SECT. XVIII. Of the Lauds and Anthem. The anti- AFTER quity we have exercised our Charity, Repentance, and Faith, the next part of the office is Thanksgiving, which is so considerable a part of our present duty, that it hath given name to the whole, and caused it to be called the Eucharist or Sacrifice of Praise. And here we begin with the Lauds and Anthem, which, together with most of the remaining part of the office, are purely primitive, near as old as Christianity itself, being to be found almost verbatim amongst the ancient writers 57. Having therefore exercised our faith upon the foregoing sentences, and so got above this world, we are now ready to go into the other, and to join with the glorified saints and angels, in praising and adoring that God who hath done so great things for us. In order to this, the Minister calls upon us Pr. Lift up to Lift up our hearts, viz. by a most quick and lively faith your hearts. in the most high God, the supreme governor of the whole world, which being ready to do, we immediately answer, Answ. We We lift them up unto the Lord; and so casting off all thoughts of the world, turn our minds to God alone. lift them up, &c. Pr. Let us give thanks, &c. Answ. It is meet and right, &c. §. 2. And our hearts being now all elevated together, and in a right posture to celebrate the praises of God, the Minister invites us all to join with him in doing it, saying, Let us give thanks unto our Lord God: which the people having consented to and approved of, by saying, It is meet and right so to do; he turns himself to the Lord's 57 Const. Apost. 1. 8. 12. Liturg. S. Jacob. S. Chrysost. S. Basil.-Cyril. Catech. Mystag. 5. |