Chap. X. fect of all figures, and was used by the ancients as the hieroglyphic of Eternity) was understood to imply, that the conjugal love should never have an end1. An ancient fal rite. But these feem only allegorical fignifications: the use of and univer-it, we have feen, was inftituted at firft to imply fomething more; viz. that the Woman, in confideration of a certain dowry contracted for by the Man, of which the Ring is delivered as an earnest and pledge, efpoufes and makes over herself to him as his Wife. With this fignification it has been used by Christians in all ages, and all parts of the church 2: and for the fame intent it is prescribed by our own, as is evident from the words which are spoken at the delivery of it, and from the prayer which follows immediately after; where the giving and receiving it is called a token and pledge of the Vow and Covenant betwixt them made. The fame is practifed by the modern Jews 3, who it is not likely would have taken up the cuftom in imitation of the Chriftians, and who therefore probably reIceived it from their forefathers. Good reason therefore had our judicious Reformers to retain a rite so ancient and univerfal, and which even Bucer himself (who, one would think, was as fcrupulous as any man need to be) thought fit to approve of as decent and proper *. Why laid upon the book. Why put upon the fourth finger of the Woman's left hand. §. 2. Before the Ring may be given to the Woman, the Man muft lay it upon the Book, with the accuftomed duty to the Prieft and Clerk. And the Priest taking the Ring fhall deliver it unto the Man, intimating, to be fure, that it is our duty to offer up all we have to God as the true proprietor, before we use them ourselves; and to receive them as from his hand to be employed towards his glory. §. 3. When the Man efpouses his Wife with it, he is to put it upon the fourth finger of her left hand. The reafon of this, the rubric of the Salisbury Manual fays, is because from thence there proceeds a particular vein to the heart. This indeed is now contradicted by experience: but several eminent authors, as well Gentiles as Chriftians, as well Physicians as Divines, were formerly of this opinion; and therefore they thought this finger the propereft to bear this pledge of love, that from thence it might 1 Scalig. ib. Ifid. de Divin. Offic. 1. 2. c. 15. Vide et Rationalia Divin. Officior. 2 Clem. Alex. Pædag. 1. 3. c. 11. p. 245. C. Ambr. 1. 14. Ep. 34. Ifidor. Hyfpal. Etymol. 1. 19. c. 32. p. 268. et de Offic. Eccl. 1. 2. c. 19. p. 608. col. 2. C. et D. 3 Buxtorf. Synag. Judaic. c. 39. P. 633. and Ockley's Hiftory of the prefent Jews, page 170, 171. 4 Bucer. Cenfur. pag. 488. be be conveyed, as it were, to the heart .. However, the mo- Sect. V. ral may fafely be retained, viz. That the Hufband hereby expreffes the dearest love to his fpoufe, which ought to reach her heart, and engage her affections to him again. If we should add the other reason of placing the Ring upon this finger, viz. its being the leaft active finger of the hand least used, upon which therefore the Ring may be always in view, and yet least fubject to be worn out; this alfo may teach us, that the two parties fhould carefully cherish each other's love, that fo it may endure and laft for ever. wed. §. 4. The Man holding the Ring therefore upon this fin- The words ger, being taught by the Prieft, and fpeaking to his Wife, explained. he affures her, that this is a vifible pledge that he now takes her to his wedded Wife; with this Ring I thee wed, With this or make a covenant with thee, (for fo the word fignifies 6,) Ring I thee that all the rights and privileges of a lawful Wife do from this inftant belong to thee. After these words, in the first book of King Edward VI. followed, This Gold and Silver I thee give; at the repeating of which words it was cuftomary to give the Woman a purfe of money, as Livery and Seifin of their Eftate: but this was left out of the fecond book, probably because it was more than fome people could perform. Befides, by what has been faid, it appears that the defign of it is fully enough answered by the delivery of the Ring. The Man therefore having wedded her with the Ring, in the next words proceeds to affign over the rights accruing to her thereby. The firft of thefe is Honour, and therefore he immediately adds, With my body I thee wor- With my Ship; i. e. with my body I thee honour; for fo the word Body I thee fignifies in this place; and fo Mr. Selden 7, and before him worship. Martin Bucer, who lived at the time when our Liturgy was compiled, have translated it. The defign of it is to exprefs that the Woman, by virtue of this Marriage, has a Thare in all the titles and honours which are due or belong to the person of her Husband'. It is true, the modern fenfe of the word is fomewhat different: for which reason, I find, that at the review of our Liturgy, after the Restoration of King Charles II. worship was promised to be changed for 5 Alex. ab Alex. Gen. Dier. 1. 2. c. 19. Appian. in lib. Egypt. et ex eo Aul.Gel.No&t. Attic. l. 1o. c. 10. Ifidor. Hyfpal. in locis fupra citatis, Durand. Rational. 1. 3. c. 14. Atreius Capit. in Macrob. Saturn. l. 7. c. 13. Levinus Lemn. et Forreftus ap. Brown. 6 See the Saxon dictionaries. 8 Cum meo Corpore te honoro. Honour. Chap. X. Honour 10. How the alteration came to be omitted I cannot discover: but fo long as the old word is explained in the fenfe that I have given of it, one would think no objection could be urged against the ufing it. And with all my worldly Goods I thee endow. But to proceed: the fecond right accruing to the Wife, by virtue of her Marriage, is Maintenance; and therefore the Husband adds, in the next place, With all my worldly Goods I thee endow. And those that retain the old cuftom of giving the Woman Gold and Silver, take the opportunity of these words to deliver to her a purse. But I have fhewed that formerly other words were provided for the doing of this: and the defign of the words I am now speaking of, is not fo much to inveft the Woman with a right to all her Husband's goods, as to declare that by Marriage fhe has acquired fuch right. For from the very inftant of their making the mutual ftipulation, the Woman has a right to fue for a maintenance during the life of her hufband, fhould he be fo brutish as to deny it; and after his decease, is entitled to a third, or perhaps a larger fhare (according to the laws of the place where the lives) in all her Hufband's goods and chattels, and may farther demand what the law calls her Quarentine, which is lodging and maintenance in his best manfion-house for forty days after his death ". Nor is this either a new or an unreasonable privilege; for it was a law of Romulus, the firft King of the Romans, that the wedded Wife, who was married to a Man according to the facred laws, was to have all that he had in common with himself. And the fame is affirmed long after by Cicero, viz. that they ought to have one house, and all things common "3. For this reafon the Roman laws would not allow of donations to be made between a Man and his Wife, because they were to enjoy their eftates in common 14; which community of goods they alfo expreffed by offering the Wife Fire and Water at her first coming into her Husband's house, and by that ufual expreffion, Ubi tu Caius, ego Caia, where you are Master, I am Miftrefs 15. Nor did this only continue during his life for the laws of Rome appointed the Wife to be the fole heir, when her husband died without iffue; and if 10 See the Papers that paffed between the Commiffioners, &c. page ult. 11 Selden. Uxor Ebraic. 1. 2. c. 27. p. 202. 12 Dion. Halicarn. 1. z. 14 Plut. L. de Præcept. Connub. 15 Ant. Hotman. de Vet. Rit. Nupt. c. 18. he. he left children, fhe was at least to have a child's part, Sect. V. and to be reckoned as a daughter16. Only it is to be noted, that during the Hufband's life, the Wife has no power to alienate or difpofe of any thing without her Husband's confent, but only to enjoy and ufe it as there is occafion. The fame privileges undoubtedly belong to the Wives of Chriftians; and indeed reafon determines very strongly on their fide. The Woman affigns all that fhe is poffeffed of to her Husband at the Marriage; and what lefs can the Man do in return of fuch kindnefs, and in compenfation for what he enjoys by her, than inveft her with the enjoyment of what is his? Even the barbarous Gauls were used to give as much out of their own eftates, as they received in portion with their Wives, and out of those two sums to make provifion for the Woman, if the furvived the Man "7. And furely Chriftians fhould not come behind the Heathenis in fuch reasonable duties, it being unjuft and unworthy to fuffer any person to fuftain damage by their kindness, where we are able to requite them. the Father, But to conclude: the last part of thefe words, In the In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Name of Amen, are a folemn confirmation of the engagement here &c. made, being an invocation of the facred Trinity as witnefs to this compact, who will therefore undoubtedly revenge the perjury on those who break it. V. And now the covenant being finished, it is very re- The Prayer. quifite we fhould defire a bleffing on it: for even the Heathens looked upon their Marriage-Covenant as inaufpicious, if it were not accompanied with a facrifice 18. And therefore Chriftians fure can do no less than call upon the divine Majefty upon the like occafion. For this reafon, the Man leaving the Ring upon the fourth Finger of the Woman's left Hand, and both of them kneeling down, the Minifter begs for them the bleffing of God, that they may always perform and keep the covenant which they have now been making *. * In this prayer, as it ftood in King Edward's first Liturgy, there was a parenthefis, I fuppofe alluding to the Ring, which was afterwards left out, viz. That as Ifaac and Rebecca (after Bracelets and Jewels of Gold given of the one to the other for Tokens of their Matrimony) lived faithfully together; fo thefe perfons, &c. 16 Dion. Halicarn. 1. 2. Ulpian. Fragm. Tit. 22. §. fui Hæredes, Aul. Gel. 1. 18. c. 6. 17 Cæfar. de Bell. Gallic. lib. 6. 18 Ant. Hotman, de Vet. Rit. Nupt. c. 29. apud Grævii Thefaur. Antiq. Roman, tom. viii. col. 1141, C. sation. Chap. X. VI. And as it was an ancient custom among the RoThe Ratifi- mans, and other Heathens, for Mafters to ratify the Marriages of their Servants; fo, fince we profefs to be the fervants of God, it is neceffary that he fhould confirm our contract. To which end the Priest, who is his reprefentative, joining the Right Hands of the married perfons together, declares, in the words of our bleffed Lord", that they are joined by God, and that therefore no human power can separate them: Thofe whom God hath joined together, let no Man put afunder. The Publication. The Bleffing. Why to go to the blc. VII. And now the holy covenant being firmly made, it ought to be duly published and proclaimed: and therefore the Minifter, in the next place, Speaking unto the People, and recapitulating all that has been done between them, makes proclamation that the Marriage is legal and valid, and pronounces that they be Man and Wife together, in the Name, and by the Authority, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. VIII. With a bleffing from whom, this part of the office is in the next place concluded. For the covenant being made by the authority of God, the inftitution being his, the method his, and he being the author, witness, and ratifier of this contract; what could be added more properly at the conclufion, than a folemn benediction from that holy, bleffed, and undivided Trinity, who is se many ways engaged to blefs it? SECT. VI. Of the Introits, or Pfalms. THE Marriage-Covenant being now completed, the Minifter and Clerks (of whom I have taken occafion Lord's Ta- to fpeak before 20) are to go to the Lord's Table. For by all the Common Prayer-Books till the last review, the new married perfons were obliged to receive the holy Communion the fame day of their Marriage". Our prefent rubric indeed does not infift upon this; for what reafon it does not, I fhall fhew by and by 22. But it still declares it is convenient they should do fo; and therefore, that they may not omit it for want of being reminded, they are ordered to accompany the Minifter and the Clerks to the Lord's Table. 19 Matt. xix. 6. 20 See pages 152, 153. 21 See the Rubric at the end of the Office, in the old Common Prayer- 22 In the laft Section. |