Offerings.

Veils.

Unmarried

women.

Place of service in the

order of the day.

upon it below. The canon law says, that a month is a reasonable time for women's coming to be churched after their deliverance, unless in case of great weakness; and that standard is the proper one to regulate this custom by; and therefore the court below ought to be allowed to go on in their proceedings. But by the court: We are not to consider the methods by which this fee may be ascertained, but only that it is not certain as it stands upon the libel; and therefore upon the libel we ought not to suffer them to proceed. And they said the proper method in this case would have been, for the plaintiff to set forth in the libel the proper time when women are usually fit to be churched, and then to have averred that the defendant's wife was not churched within that time. And upon the whole matter judgment was arrested (c).

In the records of the ecclesiastical courts are to be found several instances of presentations at visitations of clergymen for refusing to church women who did not wear veils or kerchiefs when they came to make their thanksgivings, and also of women for coming without them (d). Veils appear to have been commonly used in the latter part of the seventeenth century.

The service for the churching of women was formerly not used for unmarried women until they had done penance. In 1571, Archbishop Grindal issued an injunction, "That they should not church any unmarried woman "which had been gotten with child out of lawful matri"mony: except it were upon some Sunday or holyday: and except either she before child-bed had done penance or "at her churching did acknowledge her fault before the "congregation."

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The last rubric in this service enjoins that "The woman who cometh to give her thanks must offer accus"tomed offerings: and if there be a communion, it is "convenient that she receive the holy communion.”

It has been well observed by a recent very learned writer on our liturgical services, that "As the churching "service is a restoration of the woman to the privileges "of the Lord's House, it is clear that it should be said at "the beginning of, that is before, any service at which "she is to be present for the first time after her recovery. "If she is to communicate, a convenient time would be immediately before the Lord's Prayer and collect for

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(c) Ld. Raymond, 1558; 1 Barnadiston's Rep. 159.

(d) Archdeacon Hale's Prece

dents, pp. 237, 259; Blunt, Ann. Book of Common Prayer, "The Churching of Women.'

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purity, supposing she has not been present at litany "and mattins; and such a use of this service would doubt"less be nearest to the intention of the church in every 66 way.

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Bishop Sparrow says, that this time was mentioned "in visitation articles; and Bishop Wren's directions expressly enjoin it, adding, that if there is a marriage, "the churching is to come immediately next to the com"munion service, after the conclusion of that for the marriage. In Bishop Cosin's revised Book he began "this rubric, the priest here goeth to the communion "service.' This rule about holy communion clearly ex"cludes impenitent unmarried women from churching.' "Convenient is a word that meant " fitting,' more dis"tinctly in former days than now" (e).

6

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(e) Blunt, Annotated Book of Common Prayer, "The Churching of Women.'

Visitation of the sick.

Communion of the sick.

CHAPTER IX.

VISITATION AND COMMUNION OF THE SICK.

As to the visitation and administration of the holy communion to the sick, the following rules are laid down by the church.

By Can. 67 of 1603, When any person is dangerously sick in any parish, the minister or curate having knowledge thereof shall resort unto him or her (if the disease be not known or probably suspected to be infectious), to instruct or comfort them in their distress, according to the order of the communion book, if he be no preacher, or if he be a preacher, then as he shall think most needful and convenient.

And by the rubric before the office for the visitation of the sick, when any person is sick notice shall be given thereof to the minister of the parish, who shall go to the sick person's house, and use the office there appointed.

And the minister shall examine the sick person whether he repent him truly of his sins, and be in charity with all the world; exhorting him to forgive from the bottom of his heart all persons that have offended him; and if he hath offended any other, to ask them forgiveness; and where he hath done injury or wrong to any man, that he make amends to the uttermost of his power. And if he hath not before disposed of his goods, let him then be admonished to make his will, and to declare his debts, what he oweth and what is owing to him, for the better discharge of his conscience and the quietness of his executors. But men should often be put in remembrance to take order for the settling of their temporal estates whilst they are in health.

And the minister should not omit earnestly to move such sick persons as are of ability to be liberal to the poor.

As to the special confession of his sins which the sick man is to be moved to make in certain cases, see the chapter on Confession (a).

By a constitution of Archbishop Peccham, the sacrament of the eucharist shall be carried with due reverence to the sick, the priest having on at least a surplice and

(a) Page 698, supra.

stole, with a light carried before him in a lantern with a bell, that the people may be excited with due reverence, who by the minister's discretion shall be taught to prostrate themselves, or at least to make humble adoration wheresoever the King of Glory shall happen to be carried under the cover of bread (b).

But by the rubric of the Prayer Book of 2 Edw. 6, it was ordered that there shall be no elevation of the host, or showing the sacrament to the people.

By the present rubric before the office of the communion of the sick it is ordered as follows: "Forasmuch as all mortal men be subject to many sudden perils, diseases, and sicknesses, and ever uncertain what time they shall depart out of this life, therefore to the intent they may be always in readiness to die whensoever it shall please Almighty God to call them, curates shall diligently from time to time (but especially in the time of pestilence or other infectious sickness) exhort their parishioners to the often receiving of the holy communion of the body and blood of our Saviour Christ, when it shall be publicly administered in the church; that so doing they may, in case of sudden visitation, have the less cause to be disquieted for lack of the same. But if the sick person be not able to come to the church, and yet is desirous to receive the communion in his house, then he must give timely notice to the curate, signifying also how many there are to communicate with him (which shall be three or two at the least); and having a convenient place in the sick man's house, with all things necessary so prepared that the curate may reverently minister, he shall there celebrate the holy communion.

By the rubrics at the end of the service; But if a man, either by reason of extremity of sickness, or for want of warning in due time to the curate, or for lack of company to receive with him, or by any other just impediment, do not receive the sacrament of Christ's body and blood, the curate shall instruct him that if he do truly repent him of his sins, and stedfastly believe that Jesus Christ hath suffered death upon the cross for him, and shed his blood for his redemption, earnestly remembering the benefits he hath thereby, and giving him hearty thanks therefore, he doth eat and drink the body and blood of our Saviour Christ profitably to his soul's health, although he do not receive the sacrament with his mouth.

In the time of the plague, sweat, or other such like

(b) Lind. 249.

1

Departing out of this life.

contagious times of sickness or diseases, when none of the parish can be gotten to communicate with the sick in their houses, for fear of the infection, upon special request of the diseased the minister may only communicate with him.

By Can. 67 of 1603, When any is passing out of this life a bell shall be tolled, and the minister shall not then slack to do his last duty. And after the party's death (if it so fall out) there shall be rung no more but one short peal, and one other before the burial, and one other after the burial.

And this tolling of the bell seems to have been orginally founded on the doctrine of masses satisfactory, or prayers for the dead; that every person upon hearing of the bell should apply himself to prayer for the soul of the person departing or departed out of this life.

And the alms usually given at funerals seem to have been intended for the like purpose.