THE ORDER FOR THE

ADMINISTRATION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER,

OR

Holy Communion.

1. So many as intend to be partakers of the Holy Communion shall signify their names to the Curate, at least some time the day before. 2. And if any of those be an open and notorious evil liver, or have done any wrong to his neighbours by word or deed, so that the Congregation be thereby offended; the Curate, having knowledge thereof, shall call him and advertise him, that in any wise he presume not to come to the Lord's Table, until he hath openly declared himself to have truly repented and amended his former naughty life, that the Congregation may thereby be satisfied, which before were offended; and that he hath recompensed the parties, to whom he hath done wrong; or at least declare himself to be in full purpose so to do, as soon as he conveniently may.

3. The same order shall the Curate use with those betwixt whom he perceiveth malice and hatred to reign; not suffering them to be partakers of the Lord's Table, until he know them to be reconciled. And if one of the parties so at variance be content to forgive from the bottom of his heart all that the other hath trespassed against him, and to make amends for that he himself hath offended; and the other party will not be persuaded to a godly unity, but remain still in his frowardness and malice: the Minister in that case ought to admit the penitent person to the Holy Communion, and not him that is obstinate. Provided that every Minister so repelling any, as is specified in this or the next precedent Paragraph of this Rubrick, shall be obliged to give an account of the same to the Ordinary within fourteen days after at the farthest. And the Ordinary shall proceed against the offending person according to the Canon.

4. The Table, at the Communion time having a fair white linen cloth upon it, shall stand in the Body of the Church, or in the Chancel, where Morning and Evening Prayer are appointed to be said. And the Priest standing at the North side of the Table, shall say the Lord's Prayer, with the Collect following, the people kneeling.

The Lord's Supper. How the inexact use of this phrase, handed down in our Prayer Book arose, it is difficult to say; it is a transference of a Scriptural term from one thing to another which cannot be justified (JHB.). The Holy Communion. Holy because of the Real Presence; Communion because of the Body and Blood of the Lord, 'which are verily and indeed' given, 'taken, and received' therein. For other names see pp. 17, 18, 19 ante. Rubrics 1, 2, and 3' are intended to fence off unworthy recipients' (W.), while I was also meant to help the Cura'e (i.e. the Parish Priest who has cure of souls) in his preparation, by giving an idea as to the quantities of Bread and Wine needed. The Lord's Table, or Holy Table (1 Cor. x. 21), is a recognised Liturgical term in both Eastern and Western Liturgies (SPCK.). It is the Lord's Table as belonging to Him, not the Communion Table of the Communicants (JHB.). The Ordinary or Bishop as a Judge. The 109th Canon of 1663 explains 'an open and notorious evil liver.' The fair white linen cloth is symbolical of the linen clothes in which our Lord's Body was wound in the grave' (S. John xix. 40, xx. 5-7) (SPCK.). In the Chancel. 'The Chancels shall remain as they have done in time past,' Orn. Rub. Not now permissible to bring Altar into Body of Church. Such Ornaments of the Church and of the Minister ... shall be retained and be in use, as were in this Ch. of Eng. . . . in the second year of the reign of King Edward the Sixth,' i.e. 1548. The legal Ornaments of Altar are:-i. Superfrontal (which may be always red); ii. Frontal (changing with the Season, as do the Vestments); iii. ReTable, on which are Altar Cross, [Vases for flowers], and Two Lights; iv. Burse for Corporal and Fair Linen Veil; v. The Fair Linen Cloth; vi. The Pall or Chalice Cover; vii. The Cruets for Wine and Water; viii. Silk Chalice Veil of Colour of Season; ix. Chalice and Paten. A Credence Table set at the South side of the Sanctuary is necessary, and a Paten or Canister for the Altar Bread' (W. based on JHB.). The Priest standing, this is his official posture, save only at the Confession and the Prayer of Humble Access, when he is directed to kneel with the people. The North side, not the North end, but the North side of the Altar's West front. The first Prayer Book of Edward VI. spoke of the Priest as standing humbly afore the midst of the Altar. The Priest

should stand facing East at the North or Gospel side of the Altar' (W.). The Priest shall say the Lord's Prayer. Unlike the general use of the Lord's Prayer in the Prayer Book, see rubric before the first 'Our Father' at Mattins, this is to be said by the Priest alone, even to its Amen; ‘as a prevailing intercession with the Father that he may be found not unworthy in the execution of his special office' (JHB.).

A.-The Ante-Communion.

I. The Introduction or first approach to the Altar :

CONSISTING OF:

1. The Introit or Hymn, sung as the Priest enters into the Sanctuary. 2. The Lord's Prayer.

Thy will be Give us this trespasses, as

UR Father, Which art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. done in earth, as it is in heaven. day our daily bread. And forgive us our we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil.

Amen.

(N. B.-No Doxology, because it is said humbly and penitentially.)

A

3. The Collect for Purity.

LMIGHTY God, unto Whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from Whom no secrets are hid; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love Thee, and worthily magnify Thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

4. The Ten Commandments.

5. Then shall the Priest, turning to the people, rehearse distinctly all the Ten Commandments; and the people still kneeling shall, after every Commandment, ask God mercy for their transgression thereof for the time past, and grace to keep the same for the time to come, as followeth.

GOD

Minister.

OD spake these words, and said; I am the Lord thy God: Thou shalt have none other gods but me.

People. Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.

1. 'The Office of the Holy Communion has several stages of approach into its innermost sanctuary.' It has 'fence within fence, preparation within preparation' (G.). This we may call the first approach.

2. Give us this day our daily Bread, even the Living Bread which cometh down from Heaven,' that 'a man may eat thereof and not die,' St. John vi. 51, 50. For so the primitive Fathers generally expounded this petition (Wh.).

Coming into the Presence of God, Whose Eyes are as a flame of fire, and Who trieth the reins and the hearts, and being about to receive our dear Lord the King of kings into our souls and bodies, we here pray Him to cleanse us, and to prepare our hearts before Him, that they may be throughly furnished and rightly prepared for so great a Guest. So Psalmist, I will wash my hands in innocency, O Lord; and so will I go to Thine Altar' (P's. xxvi. 6).

3. Magnify, i.e. tell forth His greatness. The Eucharistic character of the service is already recognised' (D.).

Turning to the people. Why? Because hitherto he has been looking another way, has been turning from the people, and facing East, as speaking unto God. Quite right that Priest should turn to the people when he speaks to them for God in Exhortations, Sermons, Lessons, Epistles, and Gospels; but when he speaks to God for them in Prayer, Thanksgiving, and Praise, then it is only meet and right that all---Priest and people-should turn the same way, and look towards God. The Bishops replied well to Puritan objectors to Eastward position: 'When the Priest speaks to the people, it is fitting that he turn to them: but when he speaks for them to God, it is equally fitting that he turn the other way, i.e. East, as they do.'

4. The Ten Commandments in this position are peculiar to the English Liturgy; they were first inserted here in 1552; are not taken from the A.V., but from Cranmer's Great Bible of 1539; and may be regarded (1), as a protest against all who wrest the doctrine of justification by faith so far as to consider themselves released from the obligations of the moral law (D.); and (2), as suggesting a method of self-examination, even as the Invitation saith, The way and means thereto (a worthy partaking of that Holy Table) is first to examine your lives and conversations by the rule of God's Commandments.' 'Liturgically considered, the Decalogue is to be considered a lesson from the Law, just as the Epistles and Gospels are lessons from different parts of the New Testament' (G.). The response, Lord, have mercy upon us, etc., generally called 'the Kyrie' (Kỹri-ē), from the first word in the Greek Kups Lord, is a reminiscence of the Litanies with which 'the Greek Liturgies uniformly commence' (CB.). The Kyrie bears the same kind of relation to the Commandments as the Gloria Patri to the Psalms. Just as the Gloria converts the Jewish Psalm into a Christian hymn, so the Kyrie converts the Jewish Commandments into Christian principles' (D.).

Have mercy upon us for our past transgressions of Thy Holy Law: