ST. THOMAS'S DAY.

St. Thomas's Day seems to be placed next, not because he was the second, that believed Jesus to be the Messiah, but the last that believed his Resurrection; who, though at first the most doubting, had at length the greatest evidence of its truth; which passage the church recommends, at this season, as a fit preparative to our Lord's Nativity; to incline us to believe, with St. Thomas, that the Jesus, whose birth we are afterwards to commemorate, is the very Christ, or, in the words of St. Thomas, our Lord, and our God.

ST. PAUL'S CONVERSION.

St. Paul is not commemorated, as the other Apostles are, by his death, or Martyrdom, but by his Conversion; because it was highly beneficial to the Church of Christ; for, while other Apostles had their particular provinces only, in the propagating of Christianity, he had the care of all the Churches, and contributed to the preaching of the Gospel throughout the world.

THE PURIFICATION, AND ANNUNCIATION.

These Holy-days, though they have relation to the blessed Virgin, do yet more properly belong to our Saviour. The Annunciation has a peculiar respect to his Incarnation; the Purification regards his manifestation in the flesh, when he was presented in the temple. On the latter of these days, Old Simeon declared Christ to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, as may be seen in the Gospel for the day. It is thought to be in allusion to this expression, that the Festival of the Purification used to be celebrated by abundance of candles, so as to be called Candlemas-Day. This practice continued in England, till 2 Edward VI. when it was forbidden by an order of the King in Council.

ST. MATTHIAS'S DAY.

This is on the 24th of February; it used in Leap years to be observed on the 25th; but according to our present Calendar, this day is fixed, in all years, on the 24th, which has put an

end to a variety, and a debate that had subsisted for some time.

ST. PHILIP, AND ST. JAMES.

On this day, the Church read, before the last Review, Acts viii. for the Morning's second Lesson, therein commemorating St. Philip the Deacon; but now she appoints part of John i. and commemorates St. Philip the Apostle, and St. James, the brother of our Lord, the first Bishop of Jerusalem, who wrote the Epistle which bears that name; part of which is appointed as the Epistle for the day.

The other St. James, the son of Zebedee, surnamed the Great, (either by reason of his age, or stature) has another day peculiar to himself, in July.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST.

St. John the Baptist's Nativity, is celebrated by reason of the wonderful circumstances of it, and on account of the great joy it brought to all those who expected the Messiah. There was formerly another day, August 29th, set apart for commemorating his death. But now the Church reminds us of both on the same day; whereon though his mysterious birth is principally solemnized, yet the chief passages of his life, and the story of his death, are severally recorded in the portions of Scripture appointed for the day.

ST. BARTHOLOMEW.

The Gospel for this day is Luke xxii. 24-31. The parallel place to it in St. Matthew is appointed to be read on St. James's day; then indeed more properly, because it contains an admonition, which was occasioned by the request of Zebedee's children, of which James was one. Bartholomew is supposed to be the same as Nathaniel, which would make John i. 43, to the end, a more suitable Gospel. The choice of the Gospel from St. Luke, is said to have arisen from a supposition, that Bartholomew's noble descent gave occasion to the strife there recorded.

ST. MICHAEL, AND ALL ANGELS.

This day is set apart to express our thankfulness to God, for the many benefits received by the ministry of holy Angels; and it bears the name of St. Michael, because he is recorded in Scripture, as an Angel of great power and dignity, and as presiding over the Church of God, with a particular vigilance and application. Dan. x. 13.

ALL SAINTS.

The Pantheon at Rome, dedicated to all the Gods, was, at the desire of Boniface IV. Bishop of Rome, about 610, A. D. taken from the heathens by Phocas the Greek Emperor, and dedicated to the honour of all Martyrs. Hence arose the commemoration of all Saints, which used to be on the first of May; but afterwards was changed to the first of November. Our Reformers, who had laid aside the celebration of a great many Martyrs, thought fit to retain this day, whereon the Church, by a general commemoration, returns her thanks to God for them all.

OF THE ORDER FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE LORD's SUPPER, OR HOLY COMMUNION.

WHAT We more compendiously express in the general conclusion of our Prayers, through Jesus Christ our Lord, we more fully and forcibly represent in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist; wherein we intercede on earth, in conjunction with the intercession of our high priest in heaven. It is on account of this near alliance between praying and communicating, that we find the Eucharist, was always, in the purest ages of the Church, a part of the daily Service.

Our Saviour prescribed no particular method for the performance of this Service; most of the Churches, in the primitive ages, and since, have taken the liberty of composing Forms for themselves. The Compilers of our Liturgy, following their example, no otherwise confined themselves to the ancient Liturgies, than in extracting out of them an Office for

themselves, which they have done with great judgment, and singular success.

This Office was originally intended to be distinct, and to be introduced by the Litany, (as has been before remarked) and consequently to be used at a different time from the Morning Prayer. The Offices are still as distinct, as ever, and might still be read at different times; a custom, which was continued in some Cathedrals, to a late period. It is certain, that the Communion Service still retains the old name of the second Service; and it has, by some strict persons, been deemed a sort of irregularity, that they are ever blended together into one Office.

OF THE RUBRIC BEFORE THE COMMUNION.

It should be noted, that this Rubric distinguishes between absolutely repelling and intirely shutting out any one from the Communion, as by a judicial act, and only suspending him for a time, till the Minister has an opportunity of sending his case to the Ordinary, for his judgment and direction. Neither by the Ecclesiastical or Civil Law, are any to be shut out from the Communion, but such as are notorious delinquents; and none are notorious but such as the sentence of the Law has declared so, upon their confession, or conviction. The Rubric of this Service, seems to refer to the 109th Canon, which requires the Ordinary to punish all such notorious offenders, by the severity of the Laws, and not to admit them to the Communion till they be reformed. This is distinct from the notoriety, by which the Congregation is offended, and of which the Ordinary is supposed not yet to have heard; for which the Curate may refuse the Communion. It may here be observed, that this, and every Rubric, is the Law of the Land, being so made and established by the Act of Uniformity. By Canon 27, no Minister is to administer the Sacrament to any Schismatic; and by the 28th Canon, he is to forbid all strangers, who came from other parishes.

The fourth Rubric, which directs that the Table, at the Communion time, shall stand in the body of the Church, or in the Chancel, is a direction, that related to a matter, which had been the cause of much unhappy dispute, from the beginning of the Reformation. For the first 300 years after Christ, the Holy Board was constantly distinguished by the

name of Altar; in the fourth century, in the writings of Athanasius, it is once called Table; in after times, both names came to be used promiscuously; the one having respect to the oblation of the Eucharist, the other to the participation; but the Board was always placed Altar-wise, in the most sacred part of the Church; and it was fenced in with rails, in order to secure it from irreverent approach.

During the reign of Edward VI. the disposition of the Reformers was to change the Altar into a Table, to be placed in the middle of the Church. When Queen Mary brought back Popery, the Altar was restored. In Queen Elizabeth's time, there was an injunction for placing the Holy Table where the Altar used to stand; and this injunction declared, that there was no essential difference between Altars and Tables, so as the Sacrament was duly administered. This was one of the expedients, used in her reign, for reconciling the different parties in religion.

The direction for the Priest to stand on the north side, is, that he may be better seen and heard; which, as our Altars are now placed, he cannot be, but at the north or south side. As the officiating Minister is to be on the north side; the assisting Minister, if any, is to be on the south side. The Romish Priests used to place themselves on the west side, with their back to the Congregation.

nance,

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

The Lord's Prayer is a fit beginning to this sacred ordiwhich, in so peculiar a manner, claims our Lord for its author. The primitive fathers believed this Form was made on purpose for the Holy Communion; and they generally expounded the petition, give us this day, our daily bread, of the body of Christ, the bread of life, which, in those days, they daily received, as has just been said, for the nourishment of their souls.

OF

THE COLLECT FOR PURITY.
whom, &c.

Almighty God, unto

As the children of Israel were to be purified, before the first publication of the Law, Exod. xix. 14, so must we have clean hearts before we are fit to hear it. For which reason, when the Commandments were added in the second Book of King