Let us pray

Oremus. O most merciful God, who, Deus misericors, Deus cleaccording to the multitude of

mens, qui secundum multituthy mercies, dost so put away

dinem miserationum tuarum, the sins of those who truly re

peccata pænitentium deles, et pent, that thou rememberest præteritorum criminum culpas them no more ; open thine venia remissionis evacuas : reeye of mercy upon this thy spice super hunc famulum tuum servant, who most earnestly N. sibi remissionem omnium desireth pardon and forgive peccatorum suorum tota cordis ness. Renew in him, most lov- contritione poscentem. Renoing Father, whatsoever hath

va in eo piisime Pater quicquid been decayed by the fraud and diabolica fraude violatum est : malice of the Devil, or by his et unitati corporis ecclesiæ tuæ own carnal will and frailness ; membrum infirmum, peccatopreserve and continue this sick

rum percepta remissione, remember in the unity of the stitue. Miserere Domine gechurch; consider his contri- mituum ejus; miserere lachrytion, accept his tears, assuage

marum ; miserere tribulatiohis pain, as shall seem to thee num atque dolorum : et non most expedient for him. And habentem fiduciam nisi in tua forasmuch as he putteth his misericordia, ad sacramentum full trust only in thy mercy, reconciliationis admitte. Per impute not unto him his for- Christum Dominum nostrumi. mer sins, but strengthen him with thy blessed Spirit; and, when thou art pleased to take him hence, take him unto thy favour, through the merits of thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. | Then shall the minister say

Deinde dicatur psalmus.
this psalm.
In te, Domine, speravi. Ps. lxxi.
In thee, O Lord, have I put

Ι

In te, Domine, speravi, non

i Man. Sarisb. fol. 92. Mis- Martene, this form is entitled, sale MS. Leofrici, fol. 239. “ Reconciliatio Pænitentis ad Gelasii Sacramentar. Muratori, Mortem ;" see Martene de Antom. i. p. 552. In a MS. a tiq. Eccl. Rit. lib. iii. c. 15. thousand years old, printed by P. 590.

p

my trust; let me never be put confundar in æternum ; in justo confusion; but rid me, and titia tua libera me et eripe me, deliver me in thy righteous

&c.

ness, &c.

Glory be to the Father, and Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spito the Son, and to the Holy ritui Sancto. Sicut erat in Ghost; as it was in the be- principio et nunc et semper ginning, is now, and ever shall et in sæcula sæculorum. Abe, world without end. Amen. men. Adding this.

Finito psalmo dicatur Antiphona. O Saviour of the world, who Salvator mundi, salva nos, by thy cross and precious blood qui per crucem et sanguinem hast redeemed us, save us, and tuum redemisti nos : auxiliare help us, we humbly beseech nobis te deprecamur, Deus nosthee, O Lord.

terj.

Of the two benedictions which conclude this part of the office, the former is (as far as I am aware) peculiar to the English ritual, into which it seems to have been introduced in the time of king Edward the Sixth. The latter is derived from the benediction which the priest was directed to give under the covenant of the law, and which has been adopted by almost every Christian church for some occasion or other. This benediction is directed to be used in the office for visiting the sick according to the Irish ritual, which sir W. Betham published in the first number of his Antiquarian Researches, from a MS. which he refers to the seventh century. It would be tedious to enumerate the many offices and churches which have prescribed this benediction, and I shall therefore content myself with citing it from the liturgy of the ancient Gallican church. Unto God's gracious mercy

Benedicat vos Dominus et and protection we commit thee.

The Lord bless thee, and keep Dominus faciem suam super thee. The Lord make his face vos, et misereatur vestri. Conto shine upon thee, and be vertat Dominus vultum suum gracious unto thee. The Lord ad vos, et det vobis pacem. lift up his countenance upon

Per Dominum k thee, and give thee peace, both now and evermore. Amen.

COMMUNION OF THE SICK.

The English ritual, in conformity with the universal practice of the catholic church, has directed the holy communion to be administered to the sick. It is of course unnecessary to defend or justify this practice to those who have a right faith with regard to that sacrament; but it may be objected to the English ritual, that the custom of the Christian church has been to reserve the sacraments of Christ's body and blood from the public liturgy, and not to consecrate them in private. It is true, that this reservation has been the most usual, and, perhaps, the most ancient, practice of the church; but there are many instances in antiquity of the celebration of the eucharist in private for the sick. Thus Paulinus, bishop of Nola, caused the eucharist to be celebrated in his own chamber not many hours before his death! Gregory Nazianzen informs us, that his

k Missale Gallican. vet. Ma- dictus Hyacinthinus quasi billon de Liturg. Gell. p. 371; profecturus ad Dominum, jualso MS. Leofr. fol. 332.

father communicated in his own chamber, and that his sister had an altar at homem; and Ambrose is said to have administered the sacrament in a private house at Rome". The English church is therefore justified in directing the eucharist to be consecrated in private houses, for the benefit of the sick; and she has taken care, in the rubric immediately preceding the office, that the sacrament should be decorously and reverently administered.

“ Having a convenient place in the sick man's house, with all things necessary so prepared, that the curate may reverently minister, he shall there celebrate the holy communion.” In case “a man, either by reason of extremity of sickness, or for want of warning in due time to the curate, or for lack of company to receive with him, or by any other just impediment, do not receive the sacrament of Christ's body and blood,” the minister is to comfort him in the following manner, which has long been customary in the English church :

The curate shall instruct Deinde communicetur infirhim, that if he do truly repent mus, nisi prius communicatus him of his sins, and steadfastly fuerit, et nisi de vomitu, vel believe that Jesus Christ hath alia irreverentia probabiliter suffered death upon the cross timeatur : in quo casu, dicat for him, and shed his blood for sacerdos infirmo: Frater in hoc his redemption, earnestly re- casu sufficit tibi vera fides, et

:

o Man. Sarisb, fol. 97.