OR LAYING ON OF HANDS UPON THOSE THAT ARE BAP TIZED AND COME TO YEARS OF DISCRETION. TUpon the Day appointed, all that are to be then confirmed, being placed, and landing in Order, before the Bifhop; he (or fome o her Minifter appointed by him) fhall read this Preface following: Tthe more edifying of fuch as fhall receive it, the 'O the end that Confirmation may be ministered to Church hath thought good to order, That none hereafter fhall be confirmed, but fuch as can fay the Creed, the Lord's-Prayer, and the Ten Commandments; and can alfo answer to fuch other Queftions, as in the fhort Catechifin are contained: which order is very convenient to be obferved; to the end, that children, being now come to the years of difcretion, and having learned what their Godfathers and Godmothers promised for them in Baptifm, they may themfelves, with their own mouth and confent, openly before the Church, ratify and confirm the fame; and alfo promife, that by the grace of God they will evermore endeavour themfelves faithfully to obferve fuch things, as they, by their own confeffion, have af fented unto. Confirmation] "When children are well inftructed in the vow made for them at baptifm, by the church catechifm, it is then required they fhould take it upon themfelves, and be confirmed by the bishop: which holy rite of confirmation, though it were not inftituted by Chrift, and fo be not properly a facrament, yet the apoftles did lay their hands on fuch as had been before baptized by an inferior minifter, Acts viii. 14, 15, 16, 17; and xix. 6; which custom the primitive church imitated in the bifhops laying on their hands, with holy prayers, upon perfons that had been baptized; which was believed to convey the holy Spirit to them for enabling them to keep their vow. And this holy rite is ftill retained in the Lattern and Western churches, and in all Proteftant churches where they have bithops. And we have an excellent office for it, containing, first, the preparation for it by a serious admonition to all that come to it, a folemn engagement from the parties to keep their vow, with fome acts of praife and prayer fuited to the occafion. Secondly, the rite itself confifts of the ceremony, which is laying on of the bishop's hands, and his benediction. Thirdly, the office is concluded with prayers; general, as the the Lord's Prayer; and peculiar to the occafion, as the two collects: and with a final blefling.-Comber. Preface. This preface was in the form of rubrics till the last review, when it was thrown into that of a preface. Then fball the Bishop fay, Do ye here, in the prefence of God, and of this con gregation, renew the folemn promise and vow that was made in your name at your Baptism; ratifying and confirming the fame in your own perfons, and acknowledging yourselves bound to believe, and to do, all those things, which your Godfathers and Godmothers then undertook for you? And every one fhall audibly answer, I do. ALMIGHTY and everliving God, who haft vouch fafed to regenerate these thy fervants by water and the Holy Ghoft, and haft given unto them forgiveness of all their fins; Strengthen them, we beseech thee, O Lord, with the Holy Ghost the Comforter, and daily increase in them thy manifold gifts of grace; the spirit of wisdom and understanding; the fpirit of counsel and ghoftly ftrength; the fpirit of knowledge and true godliness; and fill them, O Lord, with the fpirit of thy holy fear, now and for ever. Amen. Our help] Till the review in 1662, the office commenced with these ver ficles. Almighty, &c. This prayer was compofed at the Reformation from ancient forms in the Greek church.—Eucholog. Græc. p. 355. For ever. Amen] In the first book of Edw. VI. the following forms were ufed by the minifter after this prayer: "Sign them, O Lord, and mark them to be thine for ever, by the virtue of thy holy crofs and paflion. Confirm and ftrengthen them with the inward unction of the Holy Ghoft, mercifully unto everlafting life. Amen." After this the Bishop was to crofs them on the forehead, and lay his hands upon their heads, faying, "N. I. 1ign thee with the fign of the crofs, and lay mine hand upon thee, in the name of the Father, &c. &c." And thus fhall he do to every child, one after another; and when he hath laid his hand on every child, then fhall he fay," The peace of the Lord abide with you. Anfwer, And with thy fpirit." On the review of Edward's first prayer-book, the above torms and rubrics were omitted. ¶ Then all of them in order kneeling before the Bishop,be shall lay his hand upon the head of every one feverally, saying, DE EFEND, O Lord, this thy Child [or this thy Servant with thy heavenly grace; that he may continue thine for ever, and daily increase in thy Holy Spirit more and more, until he come unto thy everlasting kingdom. Amen. ¶ Then fhall the Bishop fay, The Lord be with you. Anfw. And with thy fpirit. O ¶ And all kneeling down, the Bishop shall add, UR Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trefpaffes, as we forgive them that trefpafs against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. A And this Collect. Amen. LMIGHTY and everliving God, who makeft us both to will and to do thofe things that be good and acceptable unto thy Divine Majefty; We make our humble fupplications unto thee for thefe thy fervants, upon whom (after the example of thy holy Apoftles) we have now laid our hands; to certify them (by this fign) of thy favour and gracious goodness towards them. Let thy Fatherly hand, we beseech thee, ever be over them; let thy Holy Spirit ever be with them; and fo lead them in the knowledge and obedience of thy Word, that in the end they may obtain everlafting life, through our Lord Jefus Chrift; who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, ever one God, world without end. Amen. Almighty Lord, and everlasting God, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to direct, fan&tify, and govern The Lord, &c.] Thefe two verficles, the rubric following them, and the Lord's Prayer, and the words " and this collect," were all added at the review 1662. O Almighty Lord] This collect was added (from the communion office) at the review 1662. both our hearts and bodies in the ways of thy laws, and in the works of thy commandments; that through thy moft mighty protection, both here and ever, we may be preferve in body and foul, through our Lord and Sa viour Jefus Chrift. Amen. Then the Bishop fhall bless them, faying thus, THE And there fhall none be admitted to the holy Communion, until fuch time as he be confirmed, or be ready and defirous to be confirmed. THE FORM OF Solemnization of Matrimony. First the Banns of all that are to be married together must be published in the Church three feveral Sundays or Holy-days, in the time of Divine Service, immediately before the Sentences for the Offertory; the Curate faying after the accustomed Manner, Publish the Banns of Marriage between M. of and N. of—. If any of you know cause, or just impediment, why these two perfons fhould not be joined And there fhall, &c.] In Edward VIth's first book, this rubric concluded at the firft word "confirmed." In his fecond book were introduced these words, after fuch time," as he can fay the catechifm." At the laft review it was thrown into its prefent form. Our ecclefiaftical conftitutions admit none to communicate, unless in danger of death, but fuch as are confirmed; or at leaft have a reasonable impediment for not being fo; and the gloffary allows no impediment to be legal, but the want of a bishop near the place of the applicant's refidence. Matrimony] The prohibitions with refpect to marriage, obferved by the ancient Chriftian church, (fome of which were derived from the Jewish, and others from the Roman laws) were as follow: Chriftians were not to marry with Infidels, or Jews, or Heretics, or any of a different religion; nor to complete their marriage, without previously acquainting the Church with their designs; nor to marry with perfons of near alliance, either by confanguinity or affinity, to avoid fufpicion of inceft. Children under age not to marry wituout the confent of their parents, or guardians, or near relations. Slaves not to marry without confent of their mafters. Perfons of fuperior rank not to marry flaves. together in holy Matrimony, ye are to declare it: This is the firft fecond, or third time of asking. Widows not to marry again till after twelve months after their husband's death. Women not to marry in the abfence of their husbands, till they were certified of their death. Guardians not to marry orphans in their minory, till their guardianthip was ended. That no marriages fhould be celebrated in Lent; a prohibition which was extended A. D. 1023 to the following feafons-from Advent to the octaves of Epiphany; the fourteen days before the feaft of St. John Baptift; all feaft-days; and the vigils of the folemn feftivals. Vide Selden Conc. Salegunftad. Can. 3. It will throw light upon our fervice to offer a few more remarks on the Rite of Marriage in the ancient church. It confifted then of two parts, Sponfolia, efpoufals or betrothing; and the Nuptialia, or ceremonies of marriage; the former being an obligation or contract to the act, and the other the act itself. The particulars of the efpoufals were thefe :-The free confent of the parties being firft afcertained, the contract of efpoufals was teftified by gifts called Arra, or Donationes Spontialias mutually prefented and accepted by the man and the woman; which were then entered into public acts, and registered or put upon record. Together with thefe efpoufal gifts, it was ufual for the man to give the woman a ring as an additional token and teftimony of the contract; and to kifs her in a folemn manner, in further confirmation thereof. He allo at the fame time fettled a dowry upon the woman, to which she should be entitled after his death. All thefe particulars were performed publickly, before a competent number of chofen witneffes, confifting of the friends of cach party. The contract of the future marriage being thus fettled by fponfals, it was not lawful for either party to join in marriage with any other under very fevere penalties, unlefs the time of marriage was fraudu lently protracted beyond two years, which was the time limited for the duration of the efpoutals. The day of marriage being arrived, the ceremony was performed by a minifter of religion; who, after reading appropriate prayers, and pronouncing a folemn benediction on the parties, joined their hands together; at the fame time the woman was veiled with the confecrated or facerdotal veil. When the facred office of veiling and benediction was over, and the married couple ready to depart, it was ufual to crown them with crowns or garlands, as the fymbols of victory over unlawful pleasure. The ceremony concluded, by the conducting of the woman to the bridegroom's houfe with much profeffional pomp, the attendants finging the epithalamium, or nuptial fong, &c. First the Banns] This rubric was worded nearly thus in all the Prayer-Books till the laft review, (1662) when the words "immediately before the fentence for the offertory," were inferted. But fince that time, by the A&t to prevent clandeftine marriages, (26 Geo. II.) it is ordained that all banns of marriage fhall be publifhed upon three Sundays preceding the folemnization of marriage, immediately after the fecond Jeffon. The form of publication was alfo inferted at the laft review: but the two rubrics fucceeding it were inferted in King Edward VIth's fit prayer-book 1549, with the exception mentioned in the next note. The pubhcation of banns, which fignifies public proclamation, was founded apon the notice given to the church by the contracting parties among the ancient Chriftians; and efpecially enjoined by feveral conftitutions of our own church before the reformation. Marriages may be folemnized at any time of the year within the canonical hours; for, notwithstanding the prohibition of particular days, feafts, &c. in Popish times, at the Re |