sick person afore noon. And, cutting off the form of the visitation at the psalm, "In Thee, O Lord," shall go straight to the communion; that is, after he hath said the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel there directed, he shall go to the Communion Service.i BURIAL.k THE Priest MEETING THE CHURCH STILE, SHALL GO BEFORE IT TO THE GRAVE, saying or singing, "I am the resurrection and the life." This, in triumph over death, “() death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" Thou mayest awhile hold the corpse, but He that is "the resurrection and the life," will make the dead man alive again. Therefore, "thanks be to God, who gives this victory through Jesus Christ our Lord." Much after this sort did the ancients: Quid sibi volunt ista lumpades tam h Rubric 3, Communion of the Sick. k The present Rubrics stand now-- i First King Edward the Sixth. "Here it is to be noted, that the office ensuing is not to be used for any that die unbaptized, or excommunicate, or have laid violent hands upon themselves. "The Priest and Clerks meeting the Corpse at the entrance of the churchyard, and going before it, either into the church, or towards the grave, shall say or sing." 1 Hieron. Epist. LXXXIV. ad Ocean. de Fabiola. vol. iv. p. 657. Chrysost. Hom. IV. in Hebr. vol. xii. p. 46. splendida? nonne sicut athletas mortuos comitamur ? quid etiam hymni? nonne ut Deum glorificemus, quod jam coronavit discedentem, quod a laboribus liberavit, quod liberatum a timore apud se habeat ? "What mean the bright burning torches? do we not follow the dead like champions? What mean the hymns? do we not thereby glorify God, for that He hath crowned our departed brother, that He hath freed him from labours, that He hath him with Himself, freed from fear? All these are expressions of joy, whereby we do in a holy valour laugh at death," saith Chrysostom there. And this is Christian-like, "whereas if we be sad and dejected as men without hope," mortem Christi, qua mors superata est, calumniamur; “we disgrace the death of Christ, that hath conquered death:" and heathens and atheists will deride us, saying, how can these contemn death, that cannot patiently behold a dead friend? Talk what you will of the resurrection, when you are out of passion, it is no great matter, nor persuades much; but shew me a man in passion of grief for the loss of his friend, playing the philosopher, and triumphantly singing to God for his happy deliverance, and I will believe the resurrection. Of so good use are such triumphant hymns at this time; and of this sort are the three first. When they come to the grave, while the corpse is made ready to be laid into the grave, THE PRIEST SHALL SAY OR SING, "MAN THAT IS BORN OF A WOMAN," &c. closing with a most devout prayer for grace and assistance IN OUR LAST HOUR; a prayer very suitable to such a time, and such a spectacle before us. Then they commit the body to the earth, (not as a lost and perished carcass, but as having in it a seed of eternity,) IN SURE AND CERTAIN HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION TO ETERNAL LIFE. This is to bury it Christianly; the hope of the resurrection, being the proper hope of Christians. Such was the Christian's burial of old, that it was accounted both an evident argument and presage of the resurrection; and an honour done to that body, which the Holy Ghost had once made His temple for the offices of piety." n After follows another triumphant hymn. Then a Lesson out of St. Paul to the same purpose; then a thanksgiving for that our brother's safe delivery out of misery; lastly, a prayer for his and our consummation in glory, and joyful absolution m Aug. de Civit. b.i. ch. xiii. vol. vii. p. 13. n In the first book of King Edward, instead of Psalms xxxix. or xc. there were three others appointed, cxvi. cxxxix. cxlvi. And when they were left out at the next review, there werejno others whatever ordered in the room of them, till these were inserted at King Charles's restoration. By the first Common Prayer, both the psalms and lesson with the suffrages were to be said in the church, either before or after the burial of the corpse. But from that time to the restoration the lesson (the psalms being left out) was appointed to be read wherever the grave was, whether in the church or churchyard, immediately after the sentence, "I heard a voice," &c.----See Wheatly on the place. at the last day. By all which prayers, praises, and holy lessons, and decent solemnities, we do glorify God, honour the dead, and comfort the living. "Take away these prayers, praises, and holy lessons, which were ordained to shew at burials the peculiar hope of the Church of the resurrection of the dead, and in the manner of the dumb funerals, what one thing is there, whereby the world may perceive that we are Christians? "P There being in those dumb shows nothing but what heathens and pagans do, how can any unlearned or unbeliever be convinced by them, that either we who are present at them do, or that he ought to believe any part of Christian religion? But when the unlearned or unbeliever hears us sing triumphant songs to God for our victory over death, when he hears holy lessons and discourses of the resurrection, when he hears us pray for a happy and joyful resurrection to glory: by all these he must be convinced, that we do believe the resurrection, which is a principal article of Christian faith, and the same may be the means to convince him also, and make him believe the same, "and so fall down and worship God." And this is according to St. Paul's rule, 1 Cor. xiv. 23-25, who thence concludes, that all our public religious services ought to be done, that the "unlearned or un o At the last review the Apostolical blessing was added. believer may be convinced, and brought to worship God." For the due performance of these holy public services, a Priest, ordained for men in things pertaining to God, Heb. v. 1, is required by the Church, as it ought to be, and as it was of old.9 It was an ancient custom after burial to go to the holy communion, unless the office were performed after noon. For then, if men were not fasting, it was done only with prayers." Funeral doles were an ancient custom.s THANKSGIVING OF WOMEN AFTER CHILD-BIRTH, Commonly called the Churching of Women. HE woman, when she comes to give her thanks, THE shall kneel near to the place where the holy table stands: but in the Church of Rome, she was to kneel at the church door. The woman may come to give her thanks when q S. Chrysost. Hom. IV. in Hebr. vol. xii. p. 38. Ambr. Serm. XC. r Conc. Carth. III. can. xxix. vol. ii. p. 1171. s Chrysost. Hom. XXX. in Matt. vol. viii. p. 356. t The Rubric now is, "The woman, at the usual time after her delivery, shall come into the church decently apparelled, and there shall kneel down in some convenient place, as hath been accustomed, or as the ordinary shall direct. And then, &c." |