The Presen The Thanks The first of the two forms of Thanksgiving was, in 1549, the conclusion of the Prayer of Consecration; and some expressions in it are taken from the corresponding giving. part of the Canon.1 In that position it was a part of what was called in the office of 1637, the Memorial, or Prayer of Oblation. The second form was composed in 1549 for this part of the Service; and it may be allowed to accord most with the thanksgivings which the primitive Church used in the same place. expression in it is taken from the Priest's thanksgiving after receiving.* One excelsis The Hymn Gloria in excelsis' is of Eastern origin, Gloria i but its author is unknown.5 It was appointed in the time of Athanasius to be said with certain Psalms at dawn; and perhaps Symmachus, bishop of Rome (500), directed it to be sung on every Sunday and Holy day at the beginning of the Roman Liturgy. At the revision of the Prayer Book in 1552,8 it was placed at the end 1 Ut quotquot, ex hac altaris participatione, sacrosanctum Filii tui corpus et sanguinem sumpserimus, omni benedictione coelesti et gratia repleamur. . . . Non æstimator meriti, sed veniæ largitor : above, p. 330. 2 See Waterland, Review of the Doctrine of the Eucharist; Works, VII. p. 306. 3 Palmer, Orig. Lit. 1V. § 22. 4 Above, p. 334: 'Gratias. qui me refecisti de sacratissimo corpore, etc.' Cf. the Thanksgiving in the Liturgy of Chrysostom, above, p. 317: in the Liturgy of Basil it is: Euxapioтoûμév σol, Kúpte & @eds ἡμῶν, ἐπὶ τῇ μεταλήψει τῶν ἁγίων, ἀχράντων, ἀθανάτων καὶ ἐπουρανίων σου Μυστηρίων, ἃ ἔδωκας ἡμῖν ἐπ' εὐεργεσίᾳ καὶ ἁγιασμῷ καὶ ἰάσει τῶν ψυχῶν καὶ τῶν σωμάτων ἡμῶν. Αὐτὸς, Δέσποτα τῶν ἁπάντων, δὸς γενέσθαι ἡμῖν τὴν κοινωνίαν τοῦ ἁγίου Σώματος 5 Bingham, XIV. 2, § 2. It is 6 Athanas. Lib. de Virgin. Opp. I. 7 Palmer, Orig. Lit. IV. § 23. III, 8 The words, 'Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have The Present The Blessing. of the Service, which appears to be its most suitable position. The whole Service, indeed, is eucharistical. But opening, as it was then made to do, with the Law, and prayers of humble confession, it is most natural to put the hymn of praise in close connexion with the thanksgiving, which has always been placed after Communion. The following is the version of this hymn sung in the Greek Church : 1 Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη, ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία. Ὑμνοῦμέν σε, εὐλογοῦμέν σε, προσκυνοῦμέν σε, δοξολογοῦμέν σε, εὐχαριστοῦμέν σοι διὰ τὴν μεγάλην σου δόξαν. Κύριε Βασιλεῦ, ἐπουράνιε Θεέ, Πάτερ παντοκράτορ• Κύριε Υἱὲ μονογενὲς, Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα. Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Πατρὸς, ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, ὁ αἴρων τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ κόσμου. Προσδέξαι τὴν δέησιν ἡμῶν, ὁ καθήμενος ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Πατρος, καὶ ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς. Ὅτι σὺ εἶ μόνος Αγιος, σὺ εἶ μόνος Κύριος, Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ Πατρός. ̓Αμην. The Blessing is a composition of the English reformed Church.2 The first clause taken from Phil. iv. 7, was appointed in 1548, and the second clause was added in mercy upon us,' were inserted at the 1 Horologion, p. 71. 2 The_mediæval form was, 'In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti,' which was said at the end of the Service at the altar; Missal. Sar. col. 629 : and 'Pax Domini sit sem per vobiscum ;' in conclusione Missa, Preces in prostratione, col. 634. But longer forms had been used in ancient times (see Ethelwold's Benedictional, published by the Society of Antiquaries), which, however, were said by the Bishop super populum, at the time of the fractio panis: above, p. 331. Mr. Palmer (Orig. Lit. iv. § 24) refers to the Alexandrian Liturgies, in which long prayers and benedictions occur after thanks giving. 1549, taken from Hermann's Consultation,'1 or from some ancient Offices.2 The Present Of the six Collects to be said after the Offertory, when The Collect there is no Communion, &c., three are taken from ancient 3 Offices, the others were composed in 1549. The fourth was a Collect appointed for the second Saturday in Lent: Actiones nostras, quæsumus, Domine, et aspirando præveni, et adjuvando prosequere; ut cuncta nostra operatio a te semper incipiat, et per te cœpta finiatur. Per. A direction to read the opening part of the Communion Service on Wednesdays and Fridays after the Litany was given in 1549. The rubrics seem to assume that there would be a Communion on Sundays but on all other days, beside the Litany days, whensoever the people be customably assembled to pray in the church, and none disposed to communicate with the priest, the office was to be begun. In 1552, this was ordered to be done upon the holy days, if there be no Communion: and this order continued until the last revision in 1661, when this opening portion of the Office was directed to be said upon the Sundays and other Holy days, if there be no Communion.* 1 Several forms are given in Hermann's Consultation, fol. ccxxiv. 'Last of all let the pastor bless the people with these words: The Lord bless thee and keep thee, &c. Or thus: God have mercy on us and bless us, and lighten His countenance upon us, and give us His peace. Or thus: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, bless us and keep Or thus: The blessing of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost be with us, and remain with us for ever.' us. dictio Dei Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus 3 The first is the Collect, 'Adesto, 4 This has been compared with the Missa sicca, a Service without 2 Benedictio Dei Patris omni- consecration or communion; above, potentis, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti p. 322, note. See Palmer, Orig. mancat semper vobiscum;' Saxon Lit. IV. § 26; and Maskell, Anc. Office, ad finem completorii: 'Bene- Lit. 'Addit. notes,' p. 149. The Rubrics Part of the read without The Present Office. Communion three times in a year. Number of Communicants. The Bread. But it has never been allowed in the reformed Church to proceed to the solemn part of the Liturgy without communicants.1 It appears from this direction that a constant celebration of the Lord's Supper never came into use, when the daily Mass was discontinued. For the Priest could not communicate alone, and the people had not learned to communicate except at Easter.2 The Reformers showed that they wished to introduce more frequent Communion, and gave orders to begin the Office by way of reminding the people of their duty.3 Every parishioner is required to communicate three times in the year at least, according to the decrees of ancient Councils.4 The solitary Masses of the Roman Church are excluded by the mention of four or three persons, as the least number with whom the Priest may celebrate the Holy Communion. The bread is required to be made of the best and purest wheat-flour that conveniently may be had; and to 1There shall be no celebration of 2 The Council of Trent (Sess. xii. Cf. the Answer of the Bishops at the Savoy Conference; Cardwell, p. 342. Mr. Freeman (Principles, pp. 186 sqq.) considers that in the earliest age the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, though never less than weekly, was rarely more frequent than that it was in fact a Sunday and Festival celebration. The introduction of daily Mass led to infrequent Communion, as well as to great abuses, when the notion prevailed that the benefits of the Mass might be purchased. There are many canons of the English Church, forbidding a priest to celebrate more than once in one day. Maskell, Anc. Lit. pp. 158 sq. 4 Concil. Agathens. (Agde, 506) can. 18, specifies these times to be Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide : Mansi, VIII. 327. Robertson, Church Hist. I. p. 570. OR HOLY COMMUNION. LIBRAR is to be made in the way in which common bread is The Present made, i. e. it is to be leavened, and is not to be made in Office. the form of wafers.1 Only wine, together with bread, is The WITY OF required to be provided for Communion: and no ceręmonies may be used in the Public Service but those which are specified in the Book of Common Prayer; therefore the mixing of water with the wine, however ancient and simple a ceremony, may not be used. of the conse crated Ele ments to be The remainder of the consecrated bread and wine Remainder may not be carried out of the church, but must be there reverently eaten by the Priest and any communicants eaten. whom he shall call unto him. This direction forbids the reservation of the elements either for a communion of sick persons, or for any superstitious purpose. to be received kneeling. Notice has been already taken of the Declaration 2 con- Communion cerning kneeling at the Communion which was added by the Royal Council in 1552, and having been omitted since the reign of Elizabeth, was again subjoined, with certain modifications, to the rubrics in 1661, in compliance with the wishes of the Presbyterians. It only remains, before leaving this Office, to add a Summary of 1 Unleavened bread was used at Rome in the 7th century: and this was made in the form of wafers soon after the rise of the controversy with the Greek Church in 1053. Riddle, Christ. Antiq., pp. 548 sqq.; Bingham, xv. 2, 85; Robertson, How to Conform, p. 186; and Church Hist. 11. p. 227. 2 Above, pp. 38, 60, 122, 139. Bishop Thirlwall observes upon this declaration (Charge, 1866, Appendix B): 'It must be admitted that, in the Declaration, or Protestation, at the end of the Communion Office, the Church of England has deviated from her own vantage-ground to that of her adversary, and has stated the question in the way most favourable the Office. |