Chap. VI. fore the Minifter reads the exhortation, feems to have an eye to an old cuftom, ftill retained in fome country churches, where the Communicants kneel down in rows one behind another, and there continue till the Minifter comes to them. In the firft Common Prayer of King Edward, it is thus ordered, juft after the Offertory or Sentences; Then fo many as fhall be partakers of the holy Communion fball tarry fill in the choir, the men on the one fide, and the women on the other fide: where it may be remarked, that the feparating the men from the women, and allotting to each fex a diftinct place, was what was very ftrictly obferved in the primitive church 54.

The defign of it.

TH

SECT. XIV. Of the Invitation.

HE feaft being now ready, and the guests prepared with due inftruction, the Prieft (who is the Steward of those myfteries) invites them to draw near; thereby putting them in mind, that they are now invited into Chrift's more fpecial prefence, to fit down with him at his own table: (and therefore I think it would be more proper if all the Communicants were, at thefe words, to come from the more remote parts of the church as near to the Lord's Table as they could.) But then he advifeth them, in the words of the primitive Liturgiesss (i. e. according to our prefent book), to draw near with faith, without which all their bodily approaches will avail them nothing, it being only by faith that they can really draw near to Chrift, and take this holy Sacrament to their comfort. But feeing they cannot exercife their faith as they ought, until they have heartily confeffed and repented of their fins; therefore he farther calls upon them to make their bumble Confeffion to Almighty God, meekly kneeling upon their

The fuitableness of it in this place.

knees *.

BES

SECT. XV. Of the Confeffion.

ESIDES the private Confeffion of the closet, and that made to the Priest in cases of great doubt, there was

* In King Edward's first book, it was-to Almighty God, and to bis boly church bere gathered together in bis name, meekly kneeling, &c. in all the other old ones-to Almighty God, before the congre gation bere gathered together in bis boly name, &c.

54 Conft. Apoft. 1. 2. c. 57.

55. Μετὰ φίβε καὶ πίςεως προσέλθετε. Liturg. S. Chryf, et S. Jacob. anciently

Se&.

anciently a general prayer for forgiveness and mercy in the public fervice of the church, ufed by all the Com- XVI. municants when they were come to the altar 56.

And fince Chrift's fufferings are here commemorated, it is very reasonable we fhould confefs our fins which were the causes of them: and fince we hope to have our pardon fealed, we ought firft with fhame and forrow to own our tranfgreffions, for his honour who fo freely forgives them: which the congregation here does in words fo appofite and pathetical, that if their repentance be anfwerable to the form, it is impoffible it fhould ever be more hearty and fincere*.

W

SECT. XVI. Of the Abfolution.

fore the Sa

THEN the difcipline of the ancient church was in The necefforce, no notorious offender could efcape the cen- fity of it be fures that his fin deferved: nor was he admitted to the crament, Sacrament without a public and folemn abfolution upon his repentance. But this godly difcipline being now every where laid afide (to the great detriment of the church), it is fo much the more neceffary to fupply it by a general Confeffion and Abfolution: of which fee more upon the morning and evening fervice.

place.

§. 2. As to this particular form, it fhall fuffice to note, Why ufed that it is in imitation of that ancient form of bleffing re- in this corded Numb. vi. 24. &c. And fince it is certain that there is fuch a power vefted in the Minifters of the Gofpel, as to fupport the spirit of a dejected penitent, by affuring him of a pardon in the name of God; there can be no fitter opportunity to exercise it than now, viz. when fo many humbled finners are kneeling before him, and begging forgiveness at his hands: which therefore thus coming accordingly from a perfon commiffionated by Christ for this end, ought to be received with faith and gratitude,

* In all the Common Prayer Books this general Confeffion was to be made in the name of all those that were minded to receive the holy Communion, either by one of them, or by one of the Minifters, or by the Prieft bimfelf: but by the Scotch Liturgy it was confined to the Prefbyter bimfelf, or the Deacon, and from thence by our own (upon the exception of the Prefbyterians at the laft review), to one of the Minifters, both he and all the people bumbly kneeling upon their

knees.

56 Chryf. Hom. 18. in 2 Cor. viii. tom. iii. p. 647, lin. 12, &c.

U 3

fince

Chap. VI. fince it is the only way to quiet people's confciences, now revelations are ceafed.

in this

place.

IT

SECT. XVII. Of the Sentences of Scripture.

The advan-T is fo neceffary for every one that would receive comtage of them fort and benefit by this bleffed Sacrament, to have a lively faith, and a mind freed from unreafonable fears; that the church, left any fhould doubt of the validity of the foregoing Abfolution, hath fubjoined thefe Sentences; which are the very promifes on which it is grounded, and fo overflowing with fweet and powerful comforts, that if duly confidered they will fatisfy the moft fearful fouls, heal the moft broken hearts, and utterly banifh the blackeft clouds of forrow and defpair.

The antiquity of them.

A

SECT. XVIII. Of the Lauds and Anthem.

FTER we have exercifed our Charity, Repentance, and Faith, the next part of the office is Thankfgiving, which is fo confiderable a part of our prefent duty, that it hath given name to the whole, and caufed it to be called the Eucharift or Sacrifice of Praife. And here we begin with the Lauds and Anthem, which, together with moft of the remaining part of the office, are purely primi- ' tivé, near as old as Chriftianity itself, being to be found almoft verbatim among the ancient writers 57. Having therefore exercifed our faith upon the foregoing fentences, and fo got above this world, we are now ready to go into the other, and to join with the glorified faints and angels, in praifing and adoring that God who hath done fo great things for us. In order to this, the Minifter calls upon Pr. Lift up us to Lift up our hearts, viz. by a moft quick and lively your hearts faith in the moft high God, the fupreme governor of the whole world, which being ready to do, we immediately Anfw. We anfwer, We lift them up unto the Lord; and fo cafting off all thoughts of the world, turn our minds to God alone.

lift them

up, &c.

§. 2. And our hearts being now all elevated together, and in a right pofture to celebrate the praifes of God, the Minifter invites us all to join with him in doing it, fayPr. Let us ing, Let us give thanks unto our Lord God: which the thanks, &c. people having confented to and approved of, by faying, It Aníw. It is is meet and right fo to do; he turns himfelf to the Lord's

give

meet and

right, &c.

57 Conft. Apoft. I. 8. 12. Liturg. S. Jacob. S. Chryfoft. S. Bafil.-Cyril. Catech. Myítag. 5.

Table,

Table, and acknowledgeth to the divine Majefty there Seat.XVIII. specially present, that It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give Pr. It is thanks, &c.

very meet,

&c.

uied in the

§. 3. But this, in the primitive church, was only the A large introduction to the Eyaasia, properly fo called, which Thankgiv was a great and long Thankfgiving to God for all his ing always mercies of Creation, Providence, and Redemption, from primitive whence the whole fervice took the name of Eucharist or church. Thanksgiving. For in all the ancient Liturgies, as foon as ever the aforefaid words were pronounced, there was immediately fubjoined a commemoration of all that God had done for man from the foundation of the world, and more particularly in the great and wonderful mystery of our Redemption. And in fome part or other of this folemn glorification, was always included the Trifagion or feraphical hymn that follows next in our own Liturgy; which was fung, as with us, by the Minifter and whole congregation jointly, after which the Minifter again went on alone to finish the Thanksgiving. We have no where elfe indeed fo long a Thankfgiving as that in the Conftitutions ; but the length of this is no argument against its antiquity. For Juftin Martyr, when he defcribes the Chriftian rites and myfteries, fays, that "as "foon as the common prayers were ended, and they had faluted one another with a kifs, Bread and Wine was "brought to him who prefided over the brethren, who "receiving them, gave praife and glory to the Father of "all things, through the name of the Son and of the "Holy Ghoft, and made Exauslav il mond, a very long "Thanksgiving, for the bleflings which he bestowed upon "them " Afterwards indeed, as devotion grew cold, this long doxology was contracted; but ftill fo that the two greatest bleflings of God, i. e. the Creation and Redemption by Chrift, together with the words of institution, were always fet forth, and thanks given to God for thefe things. And this is fuppofed to have been accord

*This is only to be ur derftood of the latter part of it, where it begins with Holy, boly, bely &c. where the chorus came in; the former part of it being only pronounced by the Minifter himself; and fo it was ufed in our own church during the time of King Edward's firft Liturgy.

Chap. VI. ing to our Saviour's own example. For the Jews at the Paffover conftantly commemorated their Redemption from Egypt, their fettlement in the good land which they then poffeffed, and all the other bleffings which God had beftowed upon them and therefore it is not to be doubted but that as our Saviour imitated the ceremonies of the Jews in fo many other particulars of this holy Sacrament; fo alfo, when he gave thanks, he used a form to the same purpose; only adding a Thanksgiving for the Redemption of the world by his fufferings and death, which was probably what he ordered his Apoftles to perform, when he commanded them to do this in remembrance of him, and to Shew forth his death till he come. And accordingly we find, that all the ancient Liturgies have an eucharistical prayer, agreeable in all points to that defcribed by Justin Martyr (excepting in its length, to which that in the Conftitutions only comes up), fetting forth the mercies of God in our Creation and Redemption, and particularly in the Death and Refurrection of his Son. The Roman Miffal, I believe, was the firft that omitted it; and the omiffion of it there might perhaps be the occafion of its not being taken notice of when our own Liturgy was compiled. For the more folemn feftivals indeed there are fome fhort prefaces provided to commemorate the particular mercies of each feafon : but upon ordinary occafions (as our Liturgy ftands now) we have no other Thanksgiving than what thefe Lauds contain.

Therefore with Angels and Arch-An

gels.

T

SECT. XIX. Of the Trifagium.

HE Minifter now looking upon himself and the reft of the congregation as Communicants with the church triumphant; and all of us apprehending ourselves, by faith, as in the midft of that bleffed fociety; we join with them in finging forth the praifes of the most high God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, faying, Therefore with Angels, and Arch-Angels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name, evermore praifing thee, and faying, Holy, boly, holy, Lord God of Hofts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory, [Hofanna in the high