Sect. did not deliver this Bread and Wine until he had confecrated them by bleffing them, and giving thanks. So XXII. that this prayer is the most ancient and effential part of the whole Communion office; and there are some who believe that the Apostles themselves, after a fuitable introduction, ufed the latter part of it, from those words, Who in the fame night 73, &c. and it is certain that no Liturgy in the world hath altered that particular. scent of the 'mitive §. 2. But befides this, there was always inferted in the A prayer primitive forms a particular petition for the defcent of the for the deHoly Ghost upon the Sacramental Elements, which was Holy Ghoft alfo continued in the first Liturgy of King Edward VI. in always used very exprefs and open terms. Hear us, O merciful Father, by the priwe beseech thee, and with thy Holy Spirit and Word vouch-church. fafe to blefs and fanctify these thy gifts and creatures of Bread and Wine, that they may be unto us the Body and Blood of thy moft dearly beloved Son Jefus Chrift, who in the fame night, &c. This, upon the fcruples of Bucer, (whom I am forry I have fo often occafion to name,) was left out at the review in the fifth of King Edward; and the following fentence, which he was pleased to allow of, inferted in its ftead; viz. Hear us, O merciful Father, we most humbly beseech thee, and grant that we receiving thefe thy creatures of Bread and Wine, according to thy Son our Saviour Jefus Chrift's holy Inftitution, in remembrance of his Death and Paffion, may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood, who in the fame night, &c. In thefe words, it is true, the sense of the former is ftill implied, and confequently by these the Elements are now confecrated, and fo become the Body and Blood of our Saviour Chrift. buted the In the rubric indeed, after the form of Adminiftration, To which the church feems to fuppofe that the Confecration is they attri made by the words of Inftitution: for there it fays, that Confecra if the confecrated Bread and Wine be all spent before all tion of the have communicated, the Prieft is to confecrate more according Elements. to the form before prefcribed; beginning at [Our Saviour Chrift in the fame night, &c.] for the bleffing of the Bread; and at [Likewife after Supper, &c.] for the blessing of the Cup. This rubric was added in the laft review: but to what end, unless to fave the Minifter fome time, does not appear. But what is very remarkable is, that it was taken from the Scotch Liturgy, which exprefsly calls the words 72 Matt. xxvi. 26. 1 Cor. xi. 14. 73 Alcuin. de Divin. Offic. c. 39. of : Chap. VI. of Inftitution the words of Confecration; though the compilers of it had restored the fentence that had been thrown out of King Edward's fecond Common Prayer, and united it with the claufe in our prefent Liturgy t, imagining, one would think, that the Elements were not confecrated without them. For though all churches_in the world have, through all ages, ufed the words of Inftitution at the time of Confecration; yet none, I believe, except the church of Rome, ever before attributed the Confecration to the bare pronouncing of those words only that was always attributed, by the most ancient fathers, to the prayer of the church 74. The Lutherans and Calvinifts indeed both agree with the Papifts, that the Confecration is made by the bare repeating the words of Inftitution 75; the reafon perhaps of which is, because the words of Inftitution are the only words recorded by the Evangelifts and St. Paul, as fpoken by our Saviour, when he administered to his difciples. But then it fhould be confidered, that it is plain enough that our Saviour used other words upon the fame occafion, though the very words are not recorded: for the Evangelifts tell us, that he gave thanks, and bleffed the Bread and Wine: and this fure must have been done in other words than those * To the end there may be little left, be that officiates is required to confecrate with the leaft, and then if there be want, the words of Confecration may be repeated again, over more, either Bread or Wine: the Prefbyter beginning at these words in the prayer of Confecration, (Our Saviour in the night that he was betrayed, &c.) Scotch Liturgy, in the fifth rubric at the end of the Communion Office. † Hear us, O merciful Father, we moft bumbly beseech thee, and of thy Almighty goodness vouchfafe so to blefs and fanctify with thy Word and holy Spirit these thy gifts and creatures of Bread and Wine, that they may be unto us the Body and Blood of thy most dearly beloved Son; fo that we receiving them according to thy Son our Saviour's boly Inflitution, in remembrance of bis Death and Paffion, may be partakers of the fame bis most precious Body and Blood; who in the night, &c. Scotch Liturgy. 74 Τὴν δὲ Εὐχῆς-εὐχαριτηθεῖσαν Tgopy. Juft. Mart. Apol. 1. c. 86. p. 129. Προσαγομένους ἄρτους ἐσθίομεν σῶ μα γενομένους διὰ τὴν εὐχήν. Orig. contra Celf. lib. 8. See alfo Conftit. Apoft. 1. 8. c. 12. Cyril. Hierof. Catech. Myftag. 3. p. 289. Optat. adv. Parmen. lib. 6. Bafil. de Spir. San&t. c. 27. Chryfoft. Homil. in Cœmeterii Appellationem. August. de Trinitat. 1. 3. C. 4. 75 See their Book of Reformation of Doctrine, Administration of their Sacraments, &c. printed at London, by John Day, 1547. which he spoke at the delivery of them to his difciples: Sect. for bleffing and thanksgiving must be performed by fome XXII. words that are addreffed to God, and not by any words directed to men: and therefore the words which our Saviour spake to his difciples could not be the whole Confecration of the Elements, but rather a declaration of the effect which was produced by his confecrating or bleffing them. And therefore I humbly prefume, that if the Minifter fhould at the confecration of fresh Elements, after the others are spent, repeat again the whole form of Gonfecration, or at least from those words, Hear us, O merciful Father, &c. he would answer the end of the rubric, which feems only to require the latter part of the form from those words, Who in the fame night, &c. be always ufed at fuch Confecration. And this is certainly a very effential part of the fervice. For during the repetition of these words, the Priest performs to God the reprefentative facrifice of the death and paffion of his Son. By taking the Bread into his hands, and breaking it, he makes a memorial to him of our Saviour's Body broken upon the Crofs; and by exhibiting the Wine, he reminds him of his Blood there fhed for the fins of the world; and by laying his hands upon each of them at the fame time that he repeats thofe words, Take, eat, this is my Body, &c. and Drink ye all of this, &c. he fignifies and acknowledges that this commemoration of Chrift's facrifice fo made to God, is a means inftituted by Chrift himself to convey to the Communicants the benefits of his death and paffion, viz. the pardon of our fins, and God's grace and favour for the time to come. For this reafon we find, that it was al- Breaking ways the practice of the ancients, in confecrating the Eu- the Bread, a charift, to break the Bread, (after our Saviour's example,) ceremony always used to reprefent his Paffion and Crucifixion 76. The Roman by the anchurch indeed, instead of breaking the Bread for the cient Communicants to partake of it, only breaks a fingle Wa-church in fer into three parts, (of which no one partakes,) for the ing the Eu fake of retaining a fhadow at leaft of the ancient cuftom. charift. They acknowledge, it is true, that this is an alteration from the primitive practice: but then they urge that they had good reasons for making it, viz. left in breaking the Bread fome danger might happen of fcattering or lofing some of the crumbs or particles 77; as if Christ himself 76 See this proved in Mr. Bingham's Antiquities, book 15. chap. 3. vol. vi. page 713, &c. 77 Salmero. Tract. 30. in A&. Ap. confecrat Chap. VI. could not have foreseen what dangers might happen, or have given as prudent orders as the Pope, concerning his own inftitution. other cere fame time. ; Signing Very judicioufly therefore did our good Reformers with the (though they ordered thefe words before rehearsed to be. Crofs, an- faid, turning ftill to the Altar, without any elevation or mony that hewing the Sacrament to the people, yet) reftore these was always other ceremonies to avoid fuperftition: and yet this very ufed at the restoration of them is charged as fuperftitious by Bucer 79 who therefore objects to them, and prevails for the leaving them all out, as well as the above-mentioned petition for the defcent of the Holy Ghoft, together with the croffings that were then alfo ufed during the pronunciation of the faid petition. The taking of the Bread and the Cup into the hands, has indeed fince been restored, viz. firft to the Scotch Liturgy, and then to our own, even at the request of the Prefbyterians, at the last review 5o. But the figning of them with the Crofs has ever fince been difcontinued: though I do not know that there is an ancient Liturgy in being, but what fhews that this fign was always made use of in fome part or other of the office of Communion 81. Such a number of croffings indeed as the Roman Miffal enjoins, renders the service theatrical; and are not to be met with in any other Liturgy: but one or two we always find; fo much having been thought proper, on this folemn occafion, to testify that we are not afhamed of the Cross of Chrift, and that the folemn fervice we are then about is performed in honour of a crucified Saviour. And therefore as the church of England has thought fit to retain this ceremony in the miniftration of one of her Sacraments, I fee not why the fhould lay it afide in the miniftration of the other. For that may very well be applied to it in the miniftration of the Eucharift, which the church herfelf has declared of the Crofs in Baptifm, viz. That it was held in the primitive church as well by the Greeks as the Latins, with one confent, and great applaufe: at what time, if any had oppofed themselves against it, they would certainly have been cenfured as ene Chamier. de Euch. 1. 7. c. 11. n. 26. 78 Rubric after the prayer of Con- VI. 79 Cenfur. apud Script. Anglican. P. 472. 80 See the Proceedings of the Commiffioners, &c. page 18. and the Reply, page 130. 81 Vide et Chryfoftom. Demonftrat. Quod Chriftus fit Deus, c. 9. et Aug. Hom. 118. in Johan. mies of the name of the Cross, and confequently of Chrift's Sect. merits, the fign whereof they could no better endure 82, XXII. §. 3. But befides this, our Liturgy at that time suffered a more material alteration: the Prayer of Oblation, which The prayer by the first book of King Edward was ordered to be used of Oblation mangled after the prayer of Confecration, (and which has fince been and difreftored to the Scotch * Cominon Prayer,) being half laid placed. afide, and the rest of it thrown into an improper place; as being enjoined to be faid by our present rubric, in that part of the office which is to be used after the people have communicated; whereas it was always the practice of the primitive Chriftians to use it during the act of Confecration. For the holy Eucharift was, from the very first inftitution, efteemed and received as a proper facrifice, and folemnly offered to God upon the Altar, before it was received and partaken of by the Communicants 83. In conformity whereunto, it was Bishop Overall's practice to use the first prayer in the Poft-Communion office between the Confecration and the Adminifterings+, even when it was otherwife ordered by the public Liturgy. §. 4. In the beginning of this prayer, inftead of those A various words, ONE Oblation of himself once offered, which are reading in now printed in moft Commou Prayer-Books; I have feen this prayer. fome that read own Oblation of himself once offered; and fo, among others, does Dr. Nichols give it us, in his edition of it, which he fays he corrected from a fealed * In the first book of King Edward, and in the Scotch Liturgy, the first prayer in our Poft-Communion is ordered immediately to follow the prayer of Confecration with this beginning: Wherefore, O Lord and heavenly Father, according to the Inftitution of thy dearly beloved Son our Saviour Jefus Chrift, we thy bumble fervants do celebrate and make here before by divine Majesty, with these thy holy gifts, the memorial which thy Son bath willed us to make; baving in remembrance bis bleffed Paffion, mighty Refurrection, and glori ous Afcenfion, rendering unto thee moft bearty thanks for the innumerable benefits procured unto us by the fame: entirely defiring thy fatherly goodness, &c. as the first prayer goes on in our Poft-Communion. And in King Edward's book, towards the end of the fame prayer, after the words, Our bounden duty and fervice, it follows thus: and command thefe our prayers and fupplications, by the ministry of thy boly angels, to be brought up into thy boly tabernacle, before the fight of tby divine Majefty, not weighing our merits, c. 82 Can. 30. A. D. 1603. 83 The reader may fee the fubje&t exhaufted to the utmoft fatisfaction, by the Learned and Reverend Mr. Johnfon, in his treatife on the Un- 84 See Dr. Nichols's additional X book; |
