authorised version, and the sentence following them, "These words, good brother, are God's words, and written in holy Scripture," was altered to "These words, good brother, are written in holy Scripture."

The question concerning the Creed is as in 1549. In the Sarum Office the sick man was questioned in like manner concerning his faith. The answer was added in 1662. The Sarum Office had, "All this I stedfastly believe, as holy mother Church believes," &c.

The rubric, "Then shall the minister examine," &c. is as in 1549, except that the words, "whether he repent him truly of his sins," were inserted in 1662. The rubric of 1549, concerning the moving to almsgiving, was, "The minister may not forget nor omit to move the sick person (and that most earnestly) to liberality toward the poor." It was altered in 1662. Also in 1662 the words, "be moved to make a special confession of his sins," were substituted for "make a special confession;" and the words, "if he humbly and heartily desire it," were inserted after "absolve him." The rubric of 1549 concluded with the direction, "and the same form of absolution shall be used in all private confessions." This was omitted in 1552. In the Sarum Office the sick person was here moved to charity, hope, and confession.

The formula of absolution has come down unaltered from 1549. It seems to have been based on the form in the Sarum Office. That form is not so strong as ours, inasmuch as, according to it, the priest absolved the penitent from those sins which he had heartily repented of and confessed, and from all other sins which, if he had remembered, he would have freely confessed, and restored him to the sacraments of the Church.

The Collect, "O most merciful God," &c. was taken in 1549 from the Sarum Office, in which it followed the absolution as with us. In 1662 the clause "strengthen him with thy blessed Spirit, and when thou art pleased to take him hence," was inserted. This prayer is found in the Sacramentary of Gelasius, A.D. 494. In a MS. cited by Martene (De Antiquis Ecclesiæ Ritibus, Vol. III. p. 582) of the year 800, it is placed in the Office of Extreme Unction.

The Psalm is as in 1549. In the Sarum Manual this Psalm and the anthem following it commenced the Office of Extreme Unction.

The rubric, following the Psalm, was in 1549, "Adding this anthem." The anthem, which was literally translated from the Sarum Manual, then was, "O Saviour of the world, save us, which by

thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed us, help us, we beseech thee. O God." In 1662 the anthem was altered to its present form.

The blessing, "The Almighty Lord,” &c. as in 1549.

The Sarum Office concludes with a second absolution, as follows.

"We absolve thee, N, in the stead of St Peter, prince of the apostles, to whom the Lord hath given the power of binding and loosing; and, so far as blame attaches to thee and forgiveness of sins to us, may the Almighty God be to thee life and salvation, and mercifully pardon thee all thy sins. For the Greek form of absolution, see p. 221.

"

¶ After the blessing the Office of 1549 continued,

"If the sick person desire to be anointed, then shall the priest anoint him upon the forehead or breast only, making the sign of the cross, saying thus,

"As with this visible oil thy body outwardly is anointed, so our heavenly Father, almighty God, grant of his infinite goodness that thy soul inwardly may be anointed with the holy Ghost, who is the Spirit of all strength, comfort, relief, and gladness. And vouchsafe for his great mercy (if it be his blessed will) to restore unto thee thy bodily health and strength, to serve him: and send thee release of all thy pains, troubles, and diseases, both in body and mind. And howsoever his goodness (by his divine and unsearchable providence) shall dispose of thee; we, his unworthy ministers and servants, humbly beseech the eternal majesty to do with thee according to the multitude of his innumerable mercies, and to pardon thee all thy sins and offences committed by all thy bodily senses, passions, and carnal affections: who also vouchsafe mercifully to grant unto thee ghostly strength, by his holy Spirit, to withstand and overcome all temptations and assaults of thine adversary, that in no wise he prevail against thee: but that thou mayest have perfect victory and triumph against the devil, sin, and death; through Christ our Lord; who by his death hath overcomed (sic) the prince of death; and with the Father and the holy Ghost, evermore liveth and reigneth, God, world without end. Amen."

This was followed by the 13th Psalm.

The final benediction of our present Office, "Unto God's gracious mercy,' &c. was added in 1662. It is found as a benediction in an Easter mass of the old Gallican Missal, exactly as in Numbers, vi. 24-26.

The prayers, following the final benediction, were all added in 1662.

The Priest begins with a blessing. He says Pss. cxliii. xxiii. xxvii. lxiii. li. An Invocation of the Virgin with a Doxology to the Trinity follows.

To these is appended an office of supplication to our Lord, the Virgin, and the Saints. It consists mainly of short invocations to God for mercy with which Theotokia are largely mingled.

The first may serve as a specimen.

one.

'O Lord my Creator and Redeemer, help of the faithful, hasten and save me from the present danger. Thy servant cries unto thee, O only compassionate Thou, who alone knowest our weakness, speedily rescue and save, O Saviour, thy servant from his present affliction and the oppressing enemy.' Hymns and Doxologies are interspersed with these addresses.

A series of Prayers follows. The subjoined are two of them:

'O holy Father, healer of our souls and bodies, who has sent thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ healing every disease and redeeming us from death, heal this thy servant from the weakness of soul and body that besets him by the grace of thy Christ, and quicken him as it shall seem expedient unto thee, that he may shew due thankfulness and honour unto thee in good works, through the intercession of the blessed mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary and all thy Saints. For thou art the fount of healing, to thee we ascribe glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now, always, and for ever and ever.

'O Lord our God, who curest by a word alone terrible and deeply-rooted diseases, who didst heal a fever of the mother-inlaw of Peter; do thou, O Lord, now also heal this thy servant of the plague which afflicts him, thou who chastenest in compassion and healest in mercy, thou who

canst remove all disease and weakness; raise him from a bed of sickness and a couch of suffering, laying upon him the balm of thy mercy; grant him perfect health and soundness. For thou art the healer of our souls and bodies, to thee we ascribe glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now, always, and for ever and ever. Amen.'

A Gospel from Mark v. 24-34 is read. For a person at the point of death the form is as follows.

The priest pronounces a blessing, the Trisagion, the invocation of the Trinity, the Lord's Prayer, Kyrie eleëson twelve times, the Invitatory founded on Ps. xcv., Pss. lxx. cxliii. li.

Short supplications for help to God, mingled with Theotokia, follow.

A longer prayer is added, in which the dissolution of the body, which has suffered the corruption of sin, is treated as a mercy; and God is besought to render this dissolution easy, and to take the spirit to the place where the spirits tarry until the general resurrection.

The next prayer, headed For a soul under judgment,' is:

O Lord, our God Almighty, who wouldest have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, who wouldest not the death of a sinner but that he should be converted and live, we beseech and entreat thee, release the soul of this thy servant, N, from all curse: for it is thou alone who releasest them that are fettered, that raisest up them that are broken down, thou the hope of the hopeless. Bid, O Lord, the soul of thy servant, N, depart in peace and rest in the everlasting mansions with all thy saints: through thy only-begotten Son, with whom and thy all holy life-giving Spirit, thou art blessed, now, always, and for ever. Amen.'

IN

Then shall the Minister say this Psalm.

In te, Domine, speravi. Psal. lxxi. TN thee, O Lord, have I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion: but rid me, and deliver me in thy righteousness; incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

Be thou my strong hold, whereunto I may alway resort thou hast promised to help me; for thou art my house of defence, and my castle. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the ungodly out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

For thou, O Lord God, art the thing that I long for: thou art my hope, even from my youth. Through thee have I been holden up ever since I was born: thou art he that took me out

of my mother's womb; my praise shall alway

be of thee.

I am become as it were a monster unto many : but my sure trust is in thee.

O let my mouth be filled with thy praise : that I may sing of thy glory and honour all the day long.

Čast me not away in the time of age: forsake me not when my strength faileth me.

For mine enemies speak against me, and they that lay wait for my soul take their counsel together, saying: God hath forsaken him, persecute him, and take him; for there is none to deliver him.

Go not far from me, O God: my God, haste thee to help me.

Let them be confounded and perish that are against my soul: let them be covered with shame and dishonour that seek to do me evil.

As for me, I will patiently abide alway: and will praise thee more and more.

My mouth shall daily speak of thy righteousness and salvation: for I know no end thereof. I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God: and will make mention of thy righteousness only.

Thou, O God, hast taught me from my youth up until now: therefore will I tell of thy wondrous works.

Forsake me not, O God, in mine old age, when I am gray-headed until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to all them that are yet for to come.

Thy righteousness, O God, is very high, and great things are they that thou hast done : 0 God, who is like unto thee?

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen.

¶ Adding this.

SAVIOUR of the world, who by thy Cross

us, and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Then shall the Minister say,

THE Almighty Lord, who is a most strong tower to all them that put their trust in him, to whom all things in heaven, in earth, and under the earth, do bow and obey, be now and evermore thy defence; and make thee know and feel, that there is none other Name under heaven given to man, in whom, and through whom, thou mayest receive health and salvation, but only the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

And after that shall say,

UNTO God's Lord bless thee, and

[NTO God's gracious mercy and protection

keep thee. The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace, both now and everinore. Amen.

A Prayer for a sick child. ALMIGHTY God, and merciful Father, to whom alone belong the issues of life and death; Look down from heaven, we humbly beseech thee, with the eyes of mercy upon this child now lying upon the bed of sickness: Visit him, O Lord, with thy salvation; deliver him in thy good appointed time from his bodily pain, and save his soul for thy mercies' sake: That, if it shall be thy pleasure to prolong his days here on earth, he may live to thee, and be an instrument of thy glory, by serving thee faithfully, and doing good in his generation; or else receive him into those heavenly habitations, where the souls of them that sleep in the Lord Jesus enjoy perpetual rest and felicity. Grant this, O Lord, for thy mercies' sake, in the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

A Prayer for a sick person, when there appeareth small hope of recovery.

We

FATHER of mercies, and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need; We fly unto thee for succour in behalf of this thy servant, here lying under thy hand in great weakness of body. Look graciously upon him, O Lord; and the more the outward man decayeth, strengthen him, we beseech thee, so much the more continuman. Give him unfeigned repentance for all ally with thy grace and Holy Spirit in the inner the errors of his life past, and stedfast faith in thy Son Jesus; that his sins may be done away by thy mercy, and his pardon sealed in heaven, before he go hence, and be no more seen. know, O Lord, that there is no word impossible with thee; and that, if thou wilt, thou canst even yet raise him up, and grant him a longer continuance amongst us: Yet, forasmuch as in all appearance the time of his dissolution draweth near, so fit and prepare him, we beseech thee, against the hour of death, that after his departure hence in peace, and in thy favour, his soul may be received into thine everlasting kingdom, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thine only Son, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

4

commendatory Prayer for a sick person at the point of departure.

ALMIGHTY God, with whom do live the spirits of just men made perfect, after they are delivered from their earthly prisons; We humbly commend the soul of this thy servant, our dear brother, into thy hands, as into the hands of a faithful Creator, and most merciful Saviour; most humbly beseeching thee, that it may be precious in thy sight. Wash it, we pray that was slain to take away the sins of the world; that whatsoever defilements it may have contracted in the midst of this miserable and naughty world, through the lusts of the flesh, or the wiles of Satan, being purged and done away, it may be presented pure and without spot before thee. And teach us who survive, in this and other like daily spectacles of mortality, to see how frail and uncertain our own condition is; and so to number our days, that we may seriously apply our hearts to that holy and heavenly wisdom, whilst we live here, which may in the end bring us to life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ thine only Son our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for persons troubled in mind or in conscience.

BLESSED Lord, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comforts, we beseech thee, look down in pity and compassion upon this thy afflicted servant. Thou writest bitter