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Missa Ecclesia Sarisb.

The First English Communion.

Auricular Confession not con

demned, but

not required.

lum convertendo: et cum dici debeat, Benedicamus Domino, vel Requiescat in pace, convertendo ad altare dicitur.

His dictis sacerdos inclinato corpore, junctisque manibus, tacita voce coram altari in medio dicat hanc orationem:

et

Placeat tibi, sancta Trinitas, obsequium servitutis meæ: præsta, ut hoc sacrificium, quod oculis tuæ majestatis indignus obtuli, tibi sit acceptabile, mihique et omnibus pro quibus illud obtuli sit, te miserante, propitiabile. Qui vivis et regnas Deus. Per omnia sæcula sæculorum. Amen.

Qua finita erigat se sacerdos, signans se in facie sua, dicens: In nomine Patris, etc. Et sic inclinatione facta, eo ordine quo prius accesserunt ad altare in principio missæ, sic induti cum ceroferario et cæteris ministris redeant. Et statim post Deo gratias, incipiatur in choro hora nona quando post missam dicitur. Sacerdos vero in redeundo dicat Evangelium: In principio.1

SECT. III.-The Reformed Communion Office.

The Order of the Communion (1548).2

This Liturgy was not at once set aside at the commencement of the reign of Edward VI.; but a Communion for the people was first ordered to be added to it. This English addition to the Latin Mass commenced. with an address to be read to the people the next Sunday, or Holy Day, or at the least one day before administering the Communion. The form is mainly that which still stands in our Prayer Book, as the first notice of Communion; omitting the clause, 'Therefore if any of you be a blasphemer, &c.;' and, in addition to the invitation to those who are troubled in conscience,

Requiring such as shall be satisfied with a general confession not to be offended with them that doth use, to their further satisfying, the auricular and secret confession to the priest; nor those also which think needful or convenient, for the quietness of their own consciences, particularly to open their sins to the priest, to be offended with them which are satisfied with their humble confession to God, and the general confession to the Church.

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'The time of Communion' was ordered to be immediately after that the Priest himself hath received the sacrament, without the varying of any other rite or ceremony in the Mass (until other order shall be provided), but as heretofore usually the Priest hath done with the sacrament of the body, to prepare, bless, and consecrate so much as will serve the people; so it shall continue still after the same manner and form, save that he shall bless and consecrate the biggest chalice, or some fair and convenient cup or cups full of wine with some water put unto it; and that day not drink it up all himself, but taking one only sup or draught, leave the rest upon the altar covered, and turn to them that are disposed to be partakers of the Communion, and shall thus exhort them as followeth: 'Dearly beloved in the Lord, ye coming to this holy Communion must consider what St. Paul writeth to the Corinthians, how he exhorteth all persons diligently to try and examine themselves, &c.' (very nearly in the words of our present Exhortation at the time of the celebration of the Communion).

'Then the Priest shall say to them which be ready to take the Sacrament: If any man here be an open blasphemer, &c.' (the clause which is now inserted, in almost the same words, in the first Exhortation, giving warning of the Communion).

Order of Communioz (1548).

'Here the Priest shall pause a while, to see if any man will withdraw himself: and if he perceive any so to do, then let him commune with him privily at convenient leisure, and see whether he can with good exhortation bring him to grace: and after a little pause, the Priest shall say: You that do truly and earnestly repent you of Address to your sins. . . make your humble confession to Almighty God, and to His holy Church, here gathered together in His name, meekly kneeling upon your knees.

the communicants.

'Then shall a general Confession1 be made in the name of all The General

This part of the Service was taken from the Simple and Religious Consultation of Archbishop Hermann (see above, p. 42). The following extract will show how carefully our Reformers made their selection, when working upon foreign models:

Almighty everlasting God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Maker of all things, the Judge of all men, we acknowledge, and we lament that we were conceived and born in sins, and that therefore we be prone to all evils, and abhor from all good things; that we have also trans

gressed thy holy commandments with-
out end and measure in despising
thee and thy word, in distrusting thy
aid, in trusting ourselves and the
world, in wicked studies and works,
wherewith we have most grievously
offended thy Majesty, and hurt our
neighbour. Therefore we have more
and more buried ourselves into eternal
death. And we are sorry for it with
all our hearts, and we desire pardon
of thee for all the things that we
have committed against thee; we
call for thy help against sin dwelling
in us, and Satan the kindler thereof;

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Confession.

Order of Communion (1548).

The Abso¡ution.

Prayer of
Access.
Communion.

those that are minded to receive the Holy Communion, either by one of them, or else by one of the ministers, or by the Priest himself, ali kneeling humbly upon their knees: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, &c. Then shall the Priest stand up, and turning him to the people, say thus: Our blessed Lord, who hath left power to His Church, to absolve penitent sinners from their sins, and to restore to the grace of the heavenly Father such as truly believe in Christ, have mercy upon you, pardon, &c.'

Then followed the 'Comfortable Words,' the Prayer' in the name of all them that shall receive the Communion, and the Administration, with these words: 'The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for thee, preserve thy body unto everlasting life ··

keep us that we do nothing hereafter against thee, and cover the wickedness that remaineth in us with the righteousness of thy Son, and repress it in us with thy Spirit, and at length purge it clean out. Have mercy upon us, most gentle Father, through thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Give, and increase thy Holy Spirit in us, which may teach us to acknowledge our sins truly and thoroughly, and to be pricked with a lively repentance of the same, and with true faith to apprehend and retain remission of them in Christ our Lord, that dying to sins daily more and more, we may serve, and please thee in a new life, to the glory of thy name, and edifying of thy congregation. For we acknowledge that thou justly requirest these things of us, wherefore we desire to perform the same. Vouchsafe thou, O Father of heaven, which hast given us a will, to grant us also that we may study to do those things with all our hearts which pertain to our health, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Hear ye the Gospel. John iii.: God so loved the world, that he gave his onlybegotten Son, that all which believe in him should have life everlasting. Or, 1 Tim. i.: This is a sure saying, and worthy of all embracing, that Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners. Or, John iii. The

Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hands: he that believeth in the Son hath life everlasting. Or, Acts x.: All the prophets bear witness unto Christ, that all that believe in him receive remission of their sins through him. Or, 1 Joh. ii.: My little children, if any have sinned, we have a just advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, and he is an atonement for our sins. When the pastor hath showed to the people one of the said Gospels, he shall say further, -Because our blessed Lord hath left this power to his congregation, that it may absolve them from sins, and restore them into the favour of the heavenly Father, which being repentant for their sins, do truly believe in Christ the Lord; I, the minister of Christ and the congregation, declare and pronounce remission of sins, the favour of God, and life everlasting, through our Lord Jesus Christ, to all them which be sorry for their sins, which have true faith in Christ the Lord, and desire to approve themselves unto him.' Hermann's Consultation, fol. 213 sq. (1547). A medieval English form of Exhortation before Communion is printed in Maskell, Mon. Rit. III. 348; and in Blunt, Annotated Prayer Book, p. 178.

'The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for thee, preserve thy soul to everlasting life :' concluding with the blessing: 'The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and in his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.'

A rubric ordered that 'If there be a Deacon or other Priest, then shall he follow with the chalice, and as the Priest ministereth the bread, so shall he for more expedition minister the wine? also that the bread shall be such as heretofore hath been accustomed; and every of the said consecrated breads shall be broken in two pieces at the least and if the wine hallowed doth not suffice, the Priest, after the first cup or chalice be emptied, may go again to the altar, and reverently, and devoutly, prepare and consecrate another, and so the third, or more, likewise beginning at these words, Simili modo postquam cœnatum est, and ending at these words, qui pro nobis et pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum, and without any levation or lifting up?'

The Communion Office in the First Prayer Book of Edward VI. (1549) differs in so many particulars from the re-arrangement of the Service in 1552, and has been the subject of so much discussion, that an abstract, at some length, is given of it, as the most satisfactory mode of describing its construction.1 It is entitled:

The Supper of the Lord, and the Holy Communion, commonly called the Mass.

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1. So many as intend to be partakers of the Holy Communion, The Rubries shall signify their names to the Curate over night, or else in the morning, afore the beginning of Matins, or immediately after.

2. And if any of those be an open and notorious evil liver, &c. 3. The same order .... him that is obstinate.

4. Upon the day, and at the time appointed for the ministration of the Holy Communion, the Priest that shall execute the holy ministry, shall put upon him the vesture appointed for that minis

15.

1 See Freeman, Principies, 1. p.

2 Comp. Hermann's Consultation, fol. 207. 'We will that the pastors admit no man to the Lord's Supper, which hath not first offered himself to them; and after that he hath first

made a Confession of his sins, being
catechised, he receive absolution,
according to the Lord's word. . .
and for this purpose let the people
be called together at eventide the
day before.'

Book

(1549)

First Prayer-tration, that is to say, a white albe plain, with a vestment or cope And where there be many Priests or Deacons, there so many shall be ready to help the Priest, in the ministration, as shall be requisite ; and shall have upon them likewise the vestures appointed for their ministry, that is to say, albes with tunicles. Then shall the Clerks sing in English for the Office, or Introit (as they call it), a Psalm appointed for that day.

Gloria in xcelsis.

The Collect.

The Creed.

The Priest standing humbly afore the midst of the altar, shall say the Lord's Prayer, with this Collect: 1

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts be open, &c.

Then shall he say a Psalm appointed for the Introit: which
Psalm ended, the Priest shall say, or else the Clerks shall sing,
iii. Lord, have mercy upon us, &c.

Then the Priest, standing at God's board shall begin,
Glory be to God on high.

The Clerks. And in earth peace, &c.

Then the Priest shall turn him to the people and say,
The Lord be with you.

The Answer. And with thy Spirit.

The Priest. Let us pray.

Then shall follow the Collect of the day, with one of these two Collects following for the King : 2

Almighty God, whose kingdom is everlasting, &c.

Almighty and everlasting God, we be taught, &c.

The Collects ended, the Priest, or he that is appointed, shall read the Epistle, in a place assigned for the purpose, saying, The Epistle of St. Paul, written, &c. The Minister then shall read the Epistle. Immediately after the Epistle ended, the Priest, or one appointed to read the Gospel, shall say, The holy Gospel, written, &c. The Clerks and People shall answer, Glory be to Thee, O Lord.3 The Priest or Deacon then shall read the Gospel. After the Gospel ended, the Priest shall begin,

I believe in one God.

The Clerks shall sing the rest.

After the Creed ended, shall follow the Sermon or Homily, or some portion of one of the Homilies, as they shall be hereafter divided: wherein if the people be not exhorted to the worthy receiving of the holy Sacrament of the body and blood of our Saviour

1 See above, p. 322.

2 A Collect for the King is found in the Sarum Missal, in the reign of Henry VII.

This seems to have been the old

custom, except at certain seasons; Missal. Sar. Dominica in ramis palmarum; 'Non dicitur, Gloria tibi Domine.'

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