kneel down, the minister says a prayer, joins their hands together, and adds a blessing; then going to the Lord's table, say or sing a psalm, which being ended, the man and the woman kneeling before the Lord's table, the priest standing at the table, says a litany, followed by some prayers, and an instruction concerning the duties of man and wife, and so concludes. Only the rubric adds, that it is convenient the new-married persons should receive the holy communion at the time of their marriage, or at the first opportunity after their marriage.

The last religious ceremony of the English liturgy is the burial of the dead. In the order for that service, it is noted, first, "That it is not for any that die unbaptized,

or excommunicated, or have laid violent hands Burial of the Dead. upon themselves." The priest and clerk, meeting the corpse at the entrance of the church-yard, and going before it either into the church or towards the grave, say, "I am the resurrection and the life," &c. (John, chap. xi. ver. 25,) with some other sentences of scripture. In the church some suitable psalms are read or sung, with a lesson adapted to that ceremony. When they are come to the grave, and are preparing every thing to put the body into the earth, the priest and his clerk say or sing," Man that is born of a woman," &c. Earth is then cast upon the body, and some prayers are said, in one of which God is desired to grant "that we, with all those that are departed in the true faith, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in glory."

Funerals.

As soon as any one has breathed his last, the minister of the parish, and those who have in charge to visit dead bodies, must have notice given them; this was ordered to be done immediately after the great plague which Civil rites of raged in London in the year 1665, that it might be found out if any distemper proved contagious, and proper precautions taken to prevent its spreading. This visit is commonly performed by two women; the clerk of the parish receives their attestation, and an abstract of it is printed every week, by which the public are informed how many died in the week, of what distemper, or by what accident. An act of parliament, made for the encouragement of the woollen manufac tory, ordains that all corpses shall be buried in flannel, without any allowance for linen, but the flannel may be as fine as they think fit. Those shrouds are either bespoken or bought ready made, and most linen drapers have some by them of all sizes and prices. The corpse being washed very clean, and shaved if it be that of a man, they put on it a flannel shirt, the sleeves of which are ruffled and plaited, with another tufted piece of

the same stuff which covers the opening of the shirt upon the breast. The shirt must be above half a foot longer than the corpse when extended at full length, that the feet of the deceased may be put into it as in a bag, which when performed it is tied with woollen, so as to look like a tuft. They add to this a cap, with a large chin-cloth tied to the cap, a cravat and gloves, all woollen. Some put a large quantity of bran at the bottom of the coffin. Instead of a cap the women have head-clothes with a forehead-cloth. Some coffins are exceedingly fine. When the corpse is in it, they make a second visit, to see whether it be all in flannel, and no linen or even thread, except woollen, employed about it. The body lies so three or four days, and all that time is allowed to provide mourning and prepare for the funeral.

The palls are provided by the undertakers; some of black velvet, some of black cloth, bordered either with white satin, or linen, or taffety, about a foot long. It is so large, that it covers not only the coffin, but likewise the men who carry it upon their shoulders, and still hangs low enough to be supported by the pall-bearers, either men or women, according to the sex of the person who is to be buried, and they have gloves, hat-bands, and sometimes scarfs, black or white, given them. When every thing is ready, two men, called mutes, go first, and they are immediately followed by the corpse and pall-bearers; the chief mourners and other persons invited, two and two, close the procession. Generally they go into the church, in the middle of which, the body being placed upon two tressels, the service for the dead appointed for that occasion is said. If the body be not buried in the church, they carry it to the church-yard belonging to it, and put it into the ground before the whole company, who seldom depart till the earth be again thrown in.

United States.

In respect to the Episcopal Church in the United States, it may be briefly stated in this place, that in her rites and ceremonies she copies those of the mother church in Episcopal England, with those necessary variations, which Church in the arise from a different form of civil government, under which its members live, &c. The English common prayer book is adopted, with the omission of the Athanasian creed, and some other alterations, to conform it to the peculiar state of the church. Subscription to the articles is not required by candidates for holy orders. The number of bishops is fifteen; the number of their clergymen is estimated at five thousand and ninety-six; and their churches at nine hundred and twenty-two. The episcopal establishment in the United States has no archbishops, nor lord bishops, archdeacons, deans, prebends, canons, nor vicars. The bishops are elect

ed by the convention of the diocess. Their bishops have no episcopal palaces, but dwell in their own hired houses; nor episcopal revenues, being pastors of congregations, as are the other clergy, and, like them, supported by the contributions of those who enjoy their instructions. When they travel through their diocess, the churches they visit pay their expenses. The bishops have no patronage, nor can they, by individual authority, appoint or remove any minister. Νο person has the gift of "parish" or "living;" it depends on the choice of the people. Some churches leave the appointment of the minister to the vestrymen, who are annually selected by the pew holders; others select him by the ballot of the whole congregation. It is entirely left to the clergymen who shall be admitted to the ordinances but their discipline varies in the different states. This church is governed by a general convention, which sits once in three years, divided into an upper and lower house; the former is composed of the bishops of the different states, and the latter of a portion of the clergy and laity from the several diocesses. All motions may originate in either house; although the concurrence of the majority of both must be obtained before they pass into a law.

SEC. III. KIRK OF SCOTLAND.*

The conversion of the Scots to the Christian faith began through the ministry of Paladius, about the year 430, and from the first establishment of Christianity in that

Historical

country till the Reformation in the reign of Mary, Incidents. mother of James I. and of Mary I. of England, their church government was episcopacy; but the Presbyterian discipline was not finally established in Scotland until the reign of King William and Mary, A. D. 1689, when episcopacy was totally abolished. The Westminster Confession of Faith was then received as the standard of the national creed; which all ministers, and principals and professors in universities, are obliged to subscribe as the confession of their faith, before receiving induction into office.

The church of Scotland is remarkable for its uncommon. simplicity of worship; it possesses no liturgy, no altar, no instrumental music, no surplice, no fixed canon- Worship.ical vestment of any kind. It condemns the Ministerial worship paid to saints, and it observes no fes- parity, &c.

The word Kirk is of Saxon origin, and signifies Church; or, according to others, it is a contraction of the Greek word, meaning the House of God.