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And there shall none be admitted to the holy communion, until such time as he be confirmed, or be ready and desirous to be confirmed.

Item nullus debet admitti ad sacramentum corporis et sanguinis Christi Jesu, extra mortis articulum, nisi fuerit confir matus, vel a receptione sacramenti confirmationis fuerit rationabiliter impeditust.

t Man. Sarisb. fol. 46. Man. Ebor. ad finem Baptismi.

my trust; let me never be put to confusion; but rid me, and deliver me in thy righteousness, &c.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Adding this.

O Saviour of the world, who by thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed us, save us, and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

confundar in æternum; in justitia tua libera me et eripe me, &c.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper et in sæcula sæculorum. A

men.

Finito psalmo dicatur Antiphona.

Salvator mundi, salva nos, qui per crucem et sanguinem tuum redemisti nos: auxiliare nobis te deprecamur, Deus nosterj.

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 and protection we commit thee.

Benedicat vos Dominus et custodiat semper. Ostendat

j Man. Sarisb. fol. 93.

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace, both now and evermore. Amen.

Dominus faciem suam super vos, et misereatur vestri. Convertat Dominus vultum suum ad vos, et det vobis pacem. Per Dominum k

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. Mabillon de Liturg. Gell. p. 371; also MS. Leofr. fol. 332.

1. Cum ante triduum, quam de hoc mundo ad cœleste habitaculum vocaretur, cum jam de salute ejus omnes desperâssent, et duo ad eum episcopi visitandi studio convenissent, id est, S. Symmachus et Bene

dictus Hyacinthinus-quasi profecturus ad Dominum, jubet sibi ante lectulum suum sacra mysteria exhiberi, scilicet ut una cum sanctis episcopis oblato sacrificio animam suam Domino commendaret." Vita Paulini Nolani authore Uranio Presbyt. apud Surium, Junii 22, p. 733.

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 him, that if he do truly repent him of his sins, and steadfastly believe that Jesus Christ hath suffered death upon the cross for him, and shed his blood for his redemption, earnestly re

Deinde communicetur infirmus, nisi prius communicatus fuerit, et nisi de vomitu, vel alia irreverentia probabiliter timeatur: in quo casu, dicat sacerdos infirmo: Frater in hoc casu sufficit tibi vera fides, et

m Gregor. Nazianz. Orat. 19. de Laude Patris; Orat. II. de Gorgonia.

n "Per idem tempus cum trans Tiberim apud quemdam

clarissimum invitatus, sacrificium in domo offerret," &c. Vita Ambrosii a Paulino p. iii. Append. tom. ii. Oper. Ambros. edit. Benedict.

membering the benefits he hath thereby, and giving him hearty thanks therefore, he doth eat and drink the body and blood of our Saviour Christ profitably to his soul's health, although he do not receive the sacrament with his mouth.

bona voluntas; tantum crede, et manducasti o.

• Man. Sarisb. fol.

1.97.

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