The Communion of the Sick. 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 specially in the plague time, exhort their parishioners to the oft receiving in the church of the holy communion of the body and blood of our Saviour Christ. Which if they do, they shall have no cause in their sudden visitation to be unquieted 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 knowledge over night, or else early in the morning, to the Curate, signifying also how many be appointed to communicate with him. And having a convenient place in the sick man's house, where the Curate may reverently minister, and a good number to receive the communion with the sick person, with all things necessary for the same, he shall there minister the holy communion 3. The Collects1. ALMIGHTY everliving God, Maker of mankind, which dost correct those whom thou dost love, and chastisest every one whom thou dost receive: we beseech thee to have mercy upon this thy servant visited with thy hand, and to grant that he may take his sickness patiently, and recover his bodily health (if it be thy gracious will), and whensoever his soul shall depart from the body, it may be without spot presented unto thee: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Epistle. My son, despise not the correction of the Lord, neither Hebr. ii. faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord [Grafton, yee.] [A misprint for, Collect.] [1578 omits this rubric.] [ Grafton omits, Amen ; and also, The Epistle.] John v. loveth, him he correcteth: yea, and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. The Gospel. VERILY, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come unto damnation, but he passeth from death unto life. At the time of the distribution of the holy Sacrament, the Priest shall first receive the Communion himself, and after minister unto them that be appointed to communicate with the sick. But if any man, either by reason of extremity of sickness, or for lack 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: then 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. ¶ When the sick person is visited, and receiveth the holy communion all at one time, then the priest, for more expedition, shall cut off the form of the visitation at the Psalm, In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust, and go straight to the communion. In the time of plague, sweat, or such other like contagious times of sicknesses or diseases, when none of the parish3 or neighbours 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 alonely communicate with him. [1578 has only this rubric.] [1578, the Minister.] The Order for the Burial of The priest meeting the corpse at the church stile, shall say: Or else the priests and clerks shall sing, and so go either unto the church, or towards the grave. I AM the resurrection and the life (saith the Lord): he John xi. that believeth in me, yea, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall not die for ever. I KNOW that my Redeemer liveth, and that I shall rise Job xix. out of the earth in the last day, and shall be covered again with my skin, and shall see God in my flesh: yea, and I my self shall behold him, not with other, but with these same eyes. We brought nothing into this world, neither may we 1. Tim. vi. carry any thing out of this world. The Lord giveth, and Job L the Lord taketh away. Even as it hath pleased the Lord, so cometh things to pass: blessed be the name of the Lord. When they come at the grave, whiles the corpse is made ready to be laid into the earth, the priest shall say, or the priest and clerks shall sing. MAN that is born of a woman hath but a short time to Job xi.9 live, and is full of misery: he cometh up, and is cut down like a flower; he flieth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay. In the midst of life we be in death of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord, which [1578, The Minister.] [ Misprint in both editions of 1559, and in 1596. 1578, Ministers.] [Grafton, priestes. 1578, Ministers. A misprint.] for our sins justly are displeased? Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death. Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts, shut not up thy merciful eyes to our prayers: But spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy judge eternal, suffer us not at our last hour for any pains of death to fall from thee. Then while the earth shall be cast upon the body by some standing by, the priest1 shall say. FORASMUCH as it hath pleased almighty God of his great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dear brother here departed: we therefore commit his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in sure and certain hope of resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body that it may be like to his glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself. Then shall be said, or sung, I HEARD a voice from heaven saying unto me: Write from henceforth blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Even so saith the Spirit, that they rest from their labours. Then shall follow this lesson, taken out of the .xv. Chapter to the Corinthians, the first Epistle. CHRIST is risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For by a man came death, and by a man came the resurrection of the dead. For as by Adam all die, even so by Christ shall all be made alive: but every man in his own order. The first is Christ, then they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he hath delivered up the kingdom to God the Father, when he hath put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till he have put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed, is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. When all things are subdued unto him, then shall the Son also him self be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. Else what do they which are Baptized over the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then Baptized over them? yea, and why stand we alway then in jeopardy? By our rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesu our Lord, I die daily. That I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, after the manner [ 1578, the Minister.] [ Grafton, slepe.] [ Grafton omits, all.] 2 of men, what avantageth it me, if the dead rise not again? Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we shall die. Be not ye deceived, evil words corrupt good manners. Awake truly out of sleep, and sin not. For some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. But some man will say: How arise the dead? with what body shall they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die. And what sowest thou? thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare corn, as of wheat or some other: but God giveth it a body at his pleasure, to every seed his own body. All flesh is not one manner of flesh: but there is one manner of flesh of men, and other manner of flesh of beasts, and other1 of fishes, another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and there are bodies terrestrial. But the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one manner glory of the Sun, and another glory of the Moon, and another glory of the stars. For one star differeth from another in glory. So is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it riseth again in incorruption. It is sown in dishonour, it riseth again in honour. It is sown in weakness, it riseth again in power. It is sown a natural body, it riseth again a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body, as it is also written: the first man Adam was made a living soul, and the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit, that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and then that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy. The second man is the Lord from heaven, heavenly. As is the earthy, such are they that be earthy. And as is the heavenly, such are they that are heavenly. And as we have borne the Image of the earthy, so shall we bear the Image of the heavenly. This say I, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit uncorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery. We shall not all sleep: but we shall all be changed, and that in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye by the last trump. For the trump shall blow, and the dead shall rise incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. When this corruptible hath put on incorruption, and this mortal hath put on immortality: then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is thy sting? Hell, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be unto God, which hath given us victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brethren, be ye stedfast and unmovable, always rich in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know how that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. The Lesson ended, the Priest shall say, Lord, have mercy upon us. [Grafton, another.] [ Grafton, incorruption.] |