- 'O Eternal The prayer, 'O Eternal God, Creator, &c.,' which Matrimony. occupies the place of this short blessing, is formed The Prayer, from the two prayers which were said at the blessing God, &c.' of the ring. In 1549 the ancient 'tokens of spousage, as gold and silver,' were still given with the ring, and therefore were mentioned in this prayer: 'that as Isaac and Rebecca (after bracelets and jewels of gold given of the one to the other for tokens of their Matrimony) lived faithfully together, &c.' This was omitted in 1552; and thus we use as ceremonies only the two simple and expressive forms, which were also retained in the ritual compiled for Archbishop Hermann of Cologne, viz. the giving of a ring and the joining of hands. The latter. ceremony, and the declaration that follows it, are taken from that ritual;1 and the blessing, which then concludes the actual Marriage-rite, is taken from that of the mediæval Church : Benedicat vos Deus Pater, custodiat vos Jesus Christus, illumiret vos Spiritus Sanctus. Ostendat Dominus faciem suam in vobis et misereatur vestri. Convertat Dominus vultum suum ad vos: et det vobis pacem : impleatque vos omni benedictione spirituali, in remissionem omnium peccatorum vestrorum ut habeatis vitam æternam, et vivatis in sæcula sæculorum. Amen.2 confirm this their Marriage in the 1 'Then, if perchance they have joining of hands, I the Minister of rings, let them put them one upon Christ and the congregation pronounce another's finger, and so let the Minis- that they be joined together with lawter join their right hands together, ful and Christian Matrimony, and I and say: That that God hath joined, let no man dissever. And let the Pastor say moreover with a loud voice that may be heard of all men: Forasmuch as then this John N. desireth 2 Manual. Sar. Ordo ad faciend. this Anne to be his wife in the Lord, Sponsalia, Maskell, Mon. Rit. I. and this Anne desireth this John to p. 49. In 1549 this was simply be her husband in the Lord, and one translated; the sign of the cross was hath made the other a promise of omitted at the revision in 1552, and holy and Christian Matrimony, and the blessing slightly altered to its have now both professed the same present form. In the American openly, and have confirmed it with Prayer Book the Service ends at this giving of rings each to other, and blessing. Matrimony. The Service Espousals. after the The first Prayer, 'O God of Abraham, &c.' The second Prayer, 'O merciful Lord, &c.' The preceding Service corresponds to the ancient espousals, and includes the ceremony of Marriage, performed at the church door, according to the old custom,1 but in the body of the church according to the English rubric. The Service then proceeds with appropriate prayers for the newly-married persons, which, like the preceding ceremonies, are mainly formed from the ancient Office: Hic intrent ecclesiam usque ad gradum altaris:2 et sacerdos in eundo cum suis ministris dicat hunc Psalmum sequentem: Beati omnes.3 Sine nota, cum Kyrie eleison. Tunc prostratis sponso et sponsa ante gradum altaris, roget sacerdos circumstantes orare pro eis, dicendo: Pater noster. Et ne nos. Sed libera. Salvum fac servum tuum et ancillam tuam. Deus meus sperantes in te. Mitte eis, Domine, auxilium de sancto. Et de Syon tuere eos. Esto eis, Domine, turris fortitudinis. A facie inimici. Oremus. Domine exaudi. Et clamor. Dominus vobiscum. Benedicat vos Dominus ex Syon, &c. Oremus. Deus Abraham, Deus Isaac, Deus Jacob, bene dic adolescentes istos: et semina semen vitæ æternæ in mentibus eorum: ut quicquid pro utilitate sua didicerint, hoc facere cupiant. Per Jesum. Oremus. Respice, Domine, de cœlis, et benedic conventionem istam. Et sicut misisti sanctum angelum tuum Raphaelem ad Tobiam et Saram filiam Raguelis : ita digneris, Domine, mittere benedictionem tuam super istos adolescentes : ut in tua voluntate permaneant: et in tua securitate persistant: et in amore tuo vivant et senescant: ut digni atque pacifici fiant et multiplicentur in longitudinem dierum. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Oremus. Respice, Domine, propitius super hunc famulum tuum, 1 'Then lete hem come and wytnes To stonde by at here weddynge; 2 'Then shall they go into the quire; Rubr. (1549). 3 Ps. cxxviii. A second Psalm (lxvii.) was appointed in 1549, to be used when the language of the ancient Marriage-psalm is clearly unsuitable. 4 This clause was altered at the revision of the Prayer Book in 1552. et super hanc famulam tuam: ut in nomine tuo benedictionem cœlestem accipiant : et filios filiorum suorum et filiarum suarum usque in tertiam et quartam progeniem incolumes videant,' et in tua voluntate perseverent, et in futuro ad cœlestia regna perveniant. Per Christum. Matrimony. ing. Oremus. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui primos parentes The Blessnostros Adam et Evam sua virtute creavit, et in sua sanctificatione copulavit: Ipse corda et corpora vestra sanctificet et bene+ dicat, atque in societate et amore veræ dilectionis conjungat. Per Christum. Deinde benedicat eos dicens: Oremus. Benedicat vos Deus omnipotens omni benedictione cœlesti, efficiatque vos dignos in conspectu suo: superabundet in vobis divitias gratiæ suæ, et erudiat vos in verbo veritatis, ut ei corpore pariter et mente complacere valeatis. Per Dominum nostrum.2 The third Prayer is taken from the Mass, which formed the conclusion of the medieval Office. It is the prayer which included the sacramental benediction, and which was said while the newly-married persons were kneeling under a veil : 3 Deus, qui potestate virtutis tuæ de ninilo cuncta fecisti; qui dispositis universitatis exordiis, homini ad imaginem Dei facto inseparabile mulieris adjutorium condidisti, ut fœmineo corpori de virili dares carne principium, docens quod ex uno placuisset institui, nunquam liceret disjungi. Hic incipit benedictio sacramentalis : Deus, qui tam excellenti mysterio conjugalem copulam consecrasti, ut Christi et ecclesiæ sacramentum præsignares in fœdere nuptiarum. Hic finitur benedictio sacramentalis. Deus, per quem mulier jungitur viro et societas principaliter ordinata ea benedictione donatur, quæ sola nec per originalis peccati pœnam, nec per diluvii est ablata sententiam, respice propitius super hanc famulam tuam quæ maritali jungenda est consortio, quæ se tua expetit protectione muniri. Sit in ea jugum dilectionis et pacis: fidelis et casta nubat in Christo: imitatrixque sanctarum permaneat fœminarum. Sit amabilis ut Rachel viro: sapiens ut 1 The clause,-'that they may see 2 Maskell, Mon. Rit. I. pp. 50-52. their children Christianly and virtu- 3 Of the ancient custom of veiling ously brought up,'-was substituted the bride, see Bingham, Antiq. XXII. at the last revision (1661). 4, § 4. {Matrimony Holy Communion at a Marriage. The Address. Rebecca longæva et fidelis ut Sara... et ad beatorum requiem atque ad cœlestia regna perveniat. Per Dominum, &c. Per omnia sæcula sæculorum. Amen.1 The Reformed Service, like that from which it had been derived, ended with an administration of the Holy Communion, the rubric being expressed in positive terms, The new married persons, the same day of their Marriage, must receive the Holy Communion." This was altered in 1661, in compliance with the objection of the Presbyterians, or more probably from a conviction that many persons would be married according to the rites of the Church, who were far from being in communion with it.1 The Address which now closes the Service is of the nature of a homily, showing the relative duties of married persons. It consists of a series of extracts from the Epistles of St. Paul and St. Peter; the intention of our Reformers being clearly to keep before the minds of the people the idea that Matrimony was recognised by the 2 1 Maskell, Mon. Rit. I. p. 57. Although this is no longer the rule, yet the rubric still asserts that it is convenient: and this shows that a Deacon should not officiate at a Marriage, the Office being also, in an ecclesiastical point of view, especially one of benediction. Cf. Blunt, Annotated Prayer Book, p. 264 3 This rubric doth either enforce all such as are unfit for the sacrament to forbear Marriage, contrary to Scripture, which approves the Marriage of all men; or else compels all that marry to come to the Lord's Table, though never so unprepared; and therefore we desire it may be omitted, the rather because that Marriage-festivals are too often accompanied with such divertisements as are unsuitable to those Christian duties, which ought to be before and follow after the receiving of that holy Sacrament.' The Bishops reply to this, that it 'enforces none to forbear Marriage, but presumes (as well it may) that all persons marriageable ought to be also fit to receive the holy Sacrament; and Marriage being so solemn a covenant of God, they that undertake it in the fear of God will not stick to seal it by receiving the Holy Communion, and accordingly prepare themselves for it. It were more Christian to desire that those licentious festivities might be suppressed, and the Communion more generally used by those that marry: the happiness would be greater than can easily be expressed.' Cardwell, Conferences, pp. 331, 360. 4 This was necessarily the case before the Act of 1836 (6 and 7 Gul. IV. c. 85), which allowed a civil contract of Marriage to be made in the presence of a registrar. Apostles as a holy estate, in which Christians were to serve God, and was forbidden to none, inasmuch as married men, of the laity or clergy, were in holy brotherhood with 'St. Peter, the Apostle of Christ, who was himself a married man.' SECT. IV.-The Order for the Visitation of the Sick. Matrimony. This Office, like that of Private Baptism, is intended to bring the ministration of the Church to the chambers of those members who are unable to join in her public worship. The apostolical precept,1 that the sick man shall call for the elders of the Church,' was as strongly urged in mediæval2 as in our own times;3 and our present Order for the Visitation of the Sick is mainly taken Our Service from that which was used before the Reformation, as will be seen by the following extracts from the Sarum Manual: Ordo ad Visitandum Infirmum. The seven penitential Psalms were sung as the Priest was going to the sick man's house, concluding with the antiphon, Ne reminiscaris, Domine. derived from the Mediaval Office. Et cum intraverit domum dicat: Pax huic domui et omnibus The Peace. habitantibus in ea: pax ingredientibus et egredientibus.... Deinde 1 James v. 14, 15. person is dangerously sick in any 2 Constitutiones Richardi Poore, parish, the Minister or Curate having Episc. Sar. (circ. 1217), Tit. 72: knowledge thereof, shall resort unto "Cum anima longe pretiosior sit cor- him or her (if the disease be not pore, sub interjectione anathematis known, or probably suspected, to be prohibemus, ne quis medicorum pro infectious), to instruct and comfort corporali salute aliquid ægro suadeat, them in their distress, according to quod in periculum animæ convertatur. the order of the Communion Book, Verum cum ipsis ad ægrum vocari if he be no preacher; or if he be a contigerit, ægrum ante omnia mon- preacher, then as he shall think most eant et inducant, quod advocent me- needful and convenient.' dicos animarum; ut postquam fuerit 4 Maskell, Mon. Rit. I. pp. 66 sqq. infirmo de spirituali salute provisum, 5 In 1549, Ps. cxliii. was said ad corporalis medicinæ remedium after the Peace,' and before the salubrius procedatur.' Mansi, XXII. anthem, 'Remember not, &c.' The 0128. answer, Spare us, good Lord,' was * Canon LXVII. (1604), 'When any added in 1661. |