8. Who are unqualified to receive the Lord's Supper? Those who have not been confirmed, and are not desirous of being confirmed; excommunicate persons; insane persons; open and notorious evil livers; and those who are not in charity with all men. 9. Repeat the second part of the Rubric. And if any of those be an open and notorious evil liver, or have done any wrong to his neighbours by word or deed, so that the Congregation be thereby offended; the Curate, having knowledge thereof, shall call him and advertise him, that in any wise he presume not to come to the Lord's Table, until he hath openly declared himself to have truly repented and amended his former naughty life, that the Congregation may thereby be satisfied, which before were offended; and that he hath recompensed the parties, to whom he hath done wrong; or at least declare himself to be in full purpose so to do, as soon as he conveniently may. 10. What was the custom of the primitive Church respecting those who were unqualified? When discipline was strictly maintained, all such persons, as soon as known, were put under censure; but if, before censure, they offered themselves at the communion, they were repelled. 11. How then is the minister to act if an evil liver gives notice of his intention of being a partaker of the Lord's Supper? The curate shall call him, and advertise him, that in any wise he presume not to come to the Lord's Table until he hath openly declared himself to have truly repented, and amended his former naughty life. 12. What is the next part of the Rubric? The same order shall the Curate use with those betwixt whom he perceiveth malice and hatred to reign; not suffering them to be partakers of the Lord's Table, until he know them to be reconciled. And if one of the parties so at variance be content to forgive from the bottom of his heart all that the other hath trespassed against him, and to make amends for that he himself hath offended; and the other party will not be persuaded to a godly unity, but remain still in his frowardness and malice: the Minister in that case ought to admit the penitent person to the holy Communion, and not him that is obstinate. Provided that every Minister so repelling any, as is specified in this, or the next precedent Paragraph of this Rubric, shall be obliged to give an account of the same to the Ordinary within fourteen days after at the farthest. And the Ordinary shall proceed against the offending person according to the Canon. 13. What power is here given to the curate? He seems to have power given him to deny the holy Sacrament upon his own personal knowledge of the party's unfitness to receive it. But if he repel any, he must give an account of the same to the ordinary within fourteen days at the farthest. 14. Repeat the concluding part of the Rubric. The Table, at the Communion-time, having a fair white linen cloth upon it, shall stand in the Body of the Church, or in the Chancel, where Morning and Evening Prayer are appointed to be said. And the Priest standing at the North-side of the Table shall say the Lord's Prayer, with the Collect following, the people kneeling. 15. Why is the priest directed to stand on the north side of the table? The north side being the right hand, or upper side of the table, it is most proper for the officiating priest to stand there. And Bishop Beveridge has shewn that wherever in ancient Liturgies the minister is directed to stand before the altar, the north side is always meant. 16. Why does the Order of the Administration of the Lord's Supper commence with the Lord's Prayer? Because this holy Sacrament and this divine prayer had one and the same Author, and therefore the Lord's Prayer must be the most proper preface to the Lord's Supper, in the celebration of which the primitive Church always used this prayer, as the Fathers testify. 17. Repeat the Collect which follows the Lord's Prayer. The Collect. ALMIGHTY God, unto whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen. 18. What is this collect called? The Collect for Purity; it is at least nine hundred years old, for it appears in a manuscript Sacramentary of the tenth century, which was used in England. 19. Shew from Scripture that all hearts are open unto God. "Hear thou in heaven, thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways whose heart thou knowest; for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men." (1 Kings viii. 39.) 20. Shew that to God all things are known. "I know the things that come unto your mind every one of them." (Ezek. xi. 5.) 21. Shew that from Him no secrets are hid. "All things are naked, and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." (Heb. iv. 13.) 22. By what do we beseech God to cleanse the thoughts of our hearts? By the inspiration of his Holy Spirit. "Create in me a clean heart, O God! and renew a right spirit within me." (Ps. li. 10.) 23. When our hearts are thus cleansed, how do we love God? Perfectly. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." (Matt. xxii. 37.) 24. How do we magnify his holy name? Worthily. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Rev. iv. 11.) 25. Repeat the next Rubric. Then shall the Priest, turning to the people, rehearse distinctly all the TEN COMMANDMENTS; and the people still kneeling shall, after every Commandment, ask God mercy for their transgression thereof for the time past, and grace to keep the same for the time to come, as followeth. 26. Why does the priest turn himself to the people when he rehearses the Ten Commandments? Because he speaks as from God, while the people receive the Commandments kneeling, that being a posture denoting reverence to what God commands. 27. Are the Ten Commandments properly introduced in this place? They are; for these divine precepts of the moral law as much oblige Christians as they did the Jews. We vowed to keep them at our Baptism, and we renew that vow at every communion, and therefore it is very proper that we should hear them when we are going to make fresh engagements to observe them. 28. Repeat the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt have none other gods but me. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, and visit the sins of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless, that taketh his Name in vain. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all that thou hast to do; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt do no manner of work, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, thy cattle, and the stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it. Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long in the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt do no murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his servant, nor his maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his. The petition after each of the nine first commandments, "Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law," and that after the tenth, "Lord, have mercy upon us, and write all these thy laws in our hearts, we beseech thee," correspond with part of Solomon's prayer, (1 Kings viii. 57, 58,) "The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us that he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments." 29. Repeat the Rubric which follows the Commandments. Then shall follow one of these two Collects for the Queen, the Priest standing as before, and saying, 30. Repeat the first of the Collects for the Queen. Let us pray. ALMIGHTY God, whose kingdom is everlasting, and power infinite; Have mercy upon the whole Church; and so rule the heart of thy chosen Servant VICTORIA, our Queen and Governour, that she (knowing whose minister she is) may above all things seek thy honour and glory: and that we, and all her subjects (duly considering whose authority she hath) may faithfully serve, honour, and humbly obey her, in thee, and for thee, according to thy blessed Word and ordinance; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, ever one God, world without end. Amen. 31. Why are these collects placed here? St. Paul commands us to pray first of all for kings, and for all that are in authority, and therefore in the beginning of this office we place these prayers; and though we have prayed for our Sovereign before, yet her prosperity is so great and universal a blessing, that we cannot ask it too often. 32. What Scripture proves God's kingdom to be everlasting, and his power infinite? "Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations." (Ps. cxlv. 13.) 33. Upon what do we pray God to have mercy? Upon his whole Church. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper who love thee." (Ps. cxxii. 6.) 34. Why do we beseech God to rule the heart of our Sovereign? Because "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the : rivers of water he turneth it whithersoever he will." (Prov. xxi. 1.) 35. Whose ministers are kings? 66 They are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing." (Rom. xiii. 6.) 36. What do we pray our Ruler may seek above all things? God's honour and glory. "Hezekiah wrought that which was good, and right, and truth before the Lord his God: and in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered." (2 Chron. xxxi. 20.) 37. Repeat that part of Scripture which exhorts us to faithfully serve, honour, and humbly obey our Ruler. "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God." (Rom. xiii. 1.) "Honour the king." (1 Pet. ii. 17.) 38. Shew that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, live and reign ever one God, world without end. "These three are one." (1 John v. 7.) "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever." (Ps. xlv. 6.) 39. Repeat the second Collect for the Queen. Or, ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, we are taught by thy holy Word, that the hearts of Kings are in thy rule and governance, and that thou dost dispose and turn them as it seemeth best to thy godly wisdom: We humbly beseech thee so to dispose and govern the heart of VICTORIA thy Servant, our Queen and Governour, that, in all her thoughts, words, and works, she may ever seek thy honour and glory, and study to preserve thy people committed to her charge, in wealth, peace, and godliness Grant this, O merciful Father, for thy dear Son's sake, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 40. In whose rule and governance are the hearts of kings? an heart to know me, that "And I will give them am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart." (Jer. xxiv. 7.) 42. How do we beseech God to dispose the heart of our Queen and Governor? That in all her thoughts, words, and works, she may ever seek his honour and glory. "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor. x. 31.) 43. How do we pray the Queen may preserve the people committed to her charge? 1st. In wealth. "That our sons may grow up as young plants: |