“ CONCERNING THE SERVICE OF THE CHURCH. 2. There was never any thing by the wit of man so well devised, &c.
It seems that, having regard to the circumstances under which this rubric was framed, the 'diversity to be appeased,' and the 'doubts to be resolved,' concerned only the manner of saying and singing the Morning and Evening Prayer, not the manner of administration of the Sacraments or other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church. Nor were any 'parties' contemplated as likely to 'doubt, or diversely take anything,' except the clergy. ”

“ Whereas the Church is the house of God, dedicated to his holy worship, and therefore ought to mind us both of the greatnesse and goodness of his Divine Majestie, certain it is that the acknowledgement thereof not onely inwardly in our hearts, but also outwardly with our bodies, must needs be pious in itself, profitable unto us, and edifying unto others. ”

“ The instruction ordered to be given to the sick man, under certain circumstances, of unavoidable impediment to his receiving the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood 'that he nevertheless doth eat and drink Christ's Body and Blood,' must be understood to mean that physical incapacity to eat and drink does not cut off the sick man from the benefits of Holy Communion. But this rubric does not justify any wilful or habitual neglect of receiving the Sacrament itself. ”

“ The opening direction of this rubric evidently contemplates regular and frequent opportunities of access to the public administration of the Holy Communion in church, such as would suffice for times of great danger and distress; and therefore implies frequent celebrations as a permanent system. Otherwise, it would be mere hypocrisy to exhort men to the often receiving thereof, and that, not only in time of pestilence, &c., but generally and habitually. A special order for those not able to come to church was unknown in the Church until 1549. ”

“ The direction that the Clergy when numerous should all receive the Communion every Sunday at the least, so far from debarring them or any one else from the privilege of more frequent Communions, implies that a weekly Communion is the lowest standard in such cases. Any other principle of interpreting the words 'at the least,' in this and in the later paragraph of this rubric (where the laity are required to receive three times in the year at the least) , would involve a prohibition to the laity against receiving more than three times in the year. ”

“ The Act of Uniformity is to be construed by the same rules exactly as any act passed in the last session of Parliament. The clause in question, by which I mean the rubric in question (the Ornaments Rubric) , is perfectly unambiguous in language, free from all difficulty as to construction. It therefore lets in no argument as to intention other than that which the words themselves import. There might be a seeming difficulty in fact, because it might not be known what vestments were in use by authority of Parliament in the second year of the reign of King Edward the Sixth ”

“ In 'moving' the sick person, is included instruction upon the nature and details of sins, as well as help to discover them, such as the suggestion of questions on the Commandments, Baptismal obligations, marriage vows, &c. The expression 'special confession' does not mean a partial confession, but a confession which goes into detail; and the Priest should not absolve the sick person unless his confession comprehends, besides the weighty matter which had immediately prompted it, all matters which ought to press upon his conscience, and can be recalled to mind by his utmost efforts. ”

“ Bishop Cosin was of opinion that when the Church enjoined her Priests and Deacons to communicate every Sunday at least, she supposed it "ought and should be done by them oftener. And from hence was it that the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels were appointed upon the Sundays and Holy-days, and a rubric made at the beginning of the Service Book for the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels to serve all the week-days, that were used on the Sunday—that is, at any time when there is a Communion on the week-day. ”

“ Archbishop Grindal, in his injunctions to the Province of York in 1571, forbad the Minister to pause or stay between the Morning Prayer, Litany, and Communion, and directed him "to continue and say them, &c., without any intermission, to the intent that the people may continue together in prayer and hearing the word of God, and not depart out of the Church during all the time of the whole Divine Service."
The whole of the Blessing, including 'The peace of God,' &c., should be pronounced turning to the people. ”

“ The font should be filled immediately before the Baptism, so that the water may be pure and fresh.
The official dress for the Priest is a surplice and a stole.
It is the custom of some Churches to use a shell for pouring water on the child; and it ensures the application of sufficient water. It is convenient, besides adding to the dignity of the Sacrament, that when it is ministered according to the rubric at Morning or Evening Prayer, the Priest should be attended to the font by two or more of the choir, who will hand him the shell, or napkin, or hold the book when required. ”

“ It is observable that the words 'return praise,' in contrast with the words 'prayers of the congregation,' in the prayer for all conditions of men, implies the presence of those who desire to return thanks. ”

“ This exhortation gives opportunity for intending communicants to reconsider their 'mind to come' on that occasion: it throws upon their consciences with accumulated force the individual responsibility of coming to the Lord's Table, which the relaxation of discipline, and the removal of compulsory confession, had rendered doubly important: and it being impossible that a person inadequately prepared can fulfil on the moment the requisites here enumerated for coming duly to the Lord's Table, they have no alternative but to abstain. ”

“ THE MINISTRATION OF BAPTISM TO SUCH AS ARE OF RIPER YEARS, AND ABLE TO ANSWER FOR THEMSELVES. 181. When any such persons, as are of riper years, are to be baptized, timely notice shall be given to the Bishop, or whom he shall appoint for that purpose, a week before at the least, by the Parents, or some other discreet persons; that so due care may be taken for their Examination, whether they be sufficiently instructed in the Principles of the Christian Religion; and that they may be exhorted to prepare themselves with Prayers and Fasting for the receiving of this holy Sacrament. ”

“ According to the ancient custom of the church, recognized and affirmed in the case of Mastin v. Estcott (1841) , a child baptized by a layman is validly baptized. It follows, that though Baptism by any other than a Bishop, Priest, or Deacon is discouraged, and is only excusable in extreme necessity, the Sacrament should not be repeated.
In selecting the Collects for use after the Lord's Prayer, the Minister should be careful to prefer those which would not be used in the church, when the child (if it afterwards live) is brought into the church. ”

“ This order was adapted for a state of society in which the Parish Priest was intimately acquainted with the circumstances of every deceased person who was brought to be buried. Under the altered conditions of the present day, the officiating Priest being often in ignorance of the lives and deaths of those over whom he has to perform the office of the Church, has no power of inquiry given him, nor any authority to delay a burial for the purpose of making such inquiry. ”

“ The rubric insists that great care should be taken in the selection of the bread; wherefore the Curate and Church-wardens should not be content with the first bread that comes to hand. Indeed, the ordinary bread of commerce scarcely comes up to the standard of excellence and purity here required. There is no mention of any corresponding care about the wine. But considerations of reverence obviously demand a similar standard of excellence and purity ”

“ The Curates of every Parish shall often admonish the people, that they defer not the Baptism of their Children longer than the first or second Sunday next after their birth, or other Holy-day falling between, unless upon a great and reasonable cause, to be approved by the Curate. ”

“ Man that is born, &c.
In the Prayer-Book of 1549 the casting the earth upon the body was directed to be done by the Priest, with the words, 'I commend thy soul to God the Father Almighty.' This action was transferred from the Priest to 'some standing by,' when those words were omitted in 1552. The present rubric seems to direct that any one else is to perform the act. If done, as it usually is, by the Parish Clerk, or other inferior Church official, there is more dignity in it than if done by an unofficial person. ”

“ The ordering the Bread and Wine for the manual acts of consecration, might include the pouring of some of the wine from the flagon into the chalice (if not previously done) ; also the separation of a part of the bread from the remainder which the Priest does not now intend to consecrate, and pre-eminently the arranging conveniently the individual piece to be broken during the consecration.
The expression 'before the people' in this rubric, means simply in the presence of the people.
It was proposed by Baxter, at the Savoy Conference, to direct the Bread to be broken in the sight of the people. ”

“ The rubric does not empower or entitle the Curate to repel any at the time of Communion, on the mere ground of their not having previously signified their names to him. For there is no means provided for receiving their names, or for making any due enquiry; nor is any penalty imposed upon the Curate for communicating people who have not signified their names, nor on the persons who present themselves without having done so. ”

“ This rubric testifies to the intention of the Church that Matrimony should be sealed by the reception of Holy Communion. When considered in conjunction with the ancient feeling in favour of early and fasting Communion, the direction of Canon 62, that Marriages should be celebrated before twelve o'clock at noon, and the custom of styling the subsequent festivity a breakfast, all point the same way. And as Marriage is for all who desire it in the fear of God, the Church hereby assumes that all her Members are Communicants. ”

“ When the sick person prepares an offering of alms, and is afterwards communicated, his alms may well be offered after the Gospel, in the Office for the Communion of the Sick.
250. Here shall the sick person be moved to make a special Confession of his sins, if he feel his conscience troubled with any weighty matter. After which Confession, the Priest shall absolve him (if he humbly and heartily desire it) after this sort. ”

“ 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 a readiness to die, whensoever it shall please Almighty God to call them, the 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 publickly administered in the Church ”

“ This direction to come into the 'body of the church' is best obeyed by placing the persons to be married outside the chancel, and at the chancel-step, the Priest standing upon or above the step, and turning his face towards them.
The word 'Priest' here is to be interpreted strictly, as excluding a Deacon, in accordance with the ancient law and usage that marriage ought not to be celebrated by a Deacon. ”

“ The custom of elevating the consecrated Elements was probably connected with the Jewish heave-offering, and its idea of heavenward oblation. It was directed by the most ancient Liturgies, but was expressly prohibited in the Prayer-Book of 1549. This prohibition, however, was withdrawn in 1552. The elevation cannot therefore be unlawful, though certainly it is not obligatory. The ancient rubric of Sarum gives, as a first alternative respecting the height of elevation of the chalice, that it should be raised to the height of the breast. ”

“ The Curate of every Parish shall diligently upon Sundays and Holy-days, after the second Lesson at Evening Prayer, openly in the Church instruct and examine so many Children of his Parish sent unto him, as he shall think convenient, in some part of this Catechism. ”

“ In accordance with the general protest of this rubric against Solitary Communion of the Priest, he should, at all celebrations, be very careful to allow ample time for the people to present themselves for Communion, not beginning the Lord's Prayer until it is quite evident that none who intend to communicate remain without having done so. ”