with your wives according to knowledge; giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being hairs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.

Hitherto ye have heard the duty of the husband toward the wife. Now, likewise, ye wives, hear and learn your duties toward your husbands, even as it is plainly set forth in holy Scripture.

Saint Paul, in the aforenamed Epistle to the Ephesians, teacheth you thus; Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church: and he is the Saviour of the body. Therefore, as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. And again he saith, Let the wife see that she

reverence her husband.

And in his Epistle to the Colossians, Saint Paul giveth you this short lesson; Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

Saint Peter also doth instruct you very well, thus saying; Ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the Word, they also may, without the Word, be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible; even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is, in the sight of God, of great price. For, after this manner, in the old time, the holy women also who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands; even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord; whose daughters ye are as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any

amazement.

It is convenient that the new-married persons should receive the holy Communion at the time of their Marriage, or at the first opportunity after their Marriage.

THE ORDER FOR

THE VISITATION OF THE SICK.

When any person is sick, notice shall be given thereof to the Minister of the parish; who, coming into the sick person's house, shall say,

PEACE be to this house, and to all that dwell in it.

When he cometh into the sick man's presence he shall say, kneeling down,

REMEMBER not, Lord, our iniquities, nor the iniquities of our fore

fathers; spare us, good Lord; spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and be not angry with us for ever.

Spare us, good Lord.

Then the Minister shall say,

Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

OUR Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Nam heaven.

kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in

.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

O Lord, save thy servant;

Which putteth his trust in thee.
Send him help from thy holy place;

And evermore mightily defend him.

Let the enemy have no advantage of him;

Nor the wicked approach to hurt him.

Be unto him, O Lord, a strong tower,
From the face of his enemy.

O Lord, hear our prayers;

And let our cry come unto thee.

Minister.

Lord, look down from heaven, behold, visit, and relieve, this thy servant. Look upon him with the eyes of thy mercy, give him comfort and sure confidence in thee, defend him from the danger of the enemy, and keep him in perpetual peace and safety; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

EAR us, Almighty and most merciful God and Saviour; extend

sickness; sanctify, we beseech thee, this thy fatherly correction to him, that the sense of his weakness may add strength to his faith, and seriousness to his repentance; that, if it shall be thy good pleasure to restore him to his former health, he may lead the residue of his life in thy fear, and to thy glory: or else, give him grace so to take thy visitation, that, after this painful life ended, he may dwell with thee in life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then shall the Minister exhort the sick person after this form, or other like.

EARLY beloved, know this, that Almighty God is the Lord of life and death, and of all things to them pertaining; as, youth, strength, health, age, weakness, and sickness. Wherefore, whatsoever your sickness is, know you certainly, that it is God's visitation. And for what cause soever this sickness is sent unto you, whether it be to try your patience for the example of others, and that your faith may be found, in the day of the Lord, laudable, glorious, and honourable, to the increase of glory and endless felicity; or else it be sent unto you to correct and amend in you whatsoever doth offend the eyes of your heavenly Father; know you certainly, that if you truly repent you of your sins, and bear your sickness patiently, trusting to God's mercy, for his dear Son Jesus Christ's sake, and render unto him humble thanks for his fatherly visitation, submitting yourself wholly unto his will; it shall turn to your profit, and help you forward in the right way, that leadeth unto everlasting life.

If the person visited be very sick, then the Curate may end his exhortation in this place, or else proceed.

Taint saith in the twelt, Chapter to the Hebrews) whom the NAKE, therefore, in good part, the chastisement of the Lord: for (as Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits, and live? For they, verily, for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. These words, good brother, are written in holy Scripture for our comfort and instruction; that we should patiently, and with thanksgiving, bear our heavenly Father's correction, whensoever, by any manner of adversity, it shall please his gracious goodness to visit us. And there should be no greater comfort to Christian persons, than to be made like unto Christ, by suffering patiently, adversities, troubles, and sicknesses. For he himself went not up to joy, but first he suffered pain; he entered not into his glory before he was crucified. So truly our way to eternal joy is to suffer here with Christ; and our door to enter into eternal life is gladly to die with Christ; that we may rise again from death, and dwell with him in everlasting life. Now, therefore, taking your sickness, which is thus profitable for you, patiently, I exhort you, in the Name of God, to remember the profession which you made unto God in your Baptism. And, forasmuch as after this life there is an account to be given unto the righteous Judge, by whom all must be judged, without respect of persons, I require you to examine yourself and your estate, both toward God and man; so that, accusing and condemning yourself for your own faults, you may find mercy at our heavenly Father's hand, for Christ's sake, and not be accused and condemned in that fearful judgment. Therefore I shall rehearse to you the Articles of our Faith, that you may know whether you do believe as a Christian man should, or no.

Here the Minister shall rehearse the Articles of the Faith; saying thus,

DOST thou believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven

and earth?

And in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son our Lord? And that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; that he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; that he went down into hell, and also did rise again the third day; that he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and from thence shall come again, at the end of the world, to judge the quick and the dead?

And dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints; the remission of sins; the resurrection of the flesh; and everlasting life after death?

The holy Catholic Church.]-The holy universal church-believers throughout all the world. The term Catholic Church, has, however, several meanings;-First. The whole number of those who shall finally attain salvation ;-Secondly. The Christian church only, as distinguished from the Jewish and other churches ;-Thirdly. Believers in Christ now on earth;-and Fourthly. Believers in Christ now visible on earth by an outward profession of belief in the gospels, and a visible external communion of the word and sacraments.— See Dr. Clarke's Works, vol. 1, sec. 62.

The sick person shall answer,

All this I stedfastly believe.

Then shall the Minister examine whether he repent him truly of his sins, and be in charity with all the world; exhorting him to forgive, from the bottom of his heart, all persons that have offended him; and if he hath offended any other, to ask them forgiveness ; and where he hath done injury or wrong to any man, that he make amends to the uttermost of his power. And if he hath not before disposed of his goods, let him then be admonished to make his Will, and to declare his Debts, what he oweth, and what is owing unto him; for the better discharging of his conscience, and the quietness of his Executors. But men should often be put in remembrance, to take order for thesettling of their temporal estates, whilst they are in health.

These words before rehearsed may be said before the Minister begin his Prayer, as he shall see cause.

The Minister should not omit earnestly to move such sick persons as are of ability to be liberal to the poor.

Here shall the sick person be moved to make a special Confession of his sins, if he feel his conscience troubled with any weighty matter After which Confession the Priest shall absolve him (if he humbly and heartily desire it) after this sort.

UR Lord Jesus Christ, who hath left power to his Church to absolve

O suis truly repent and believe in him, of his great mercy

all

forgive thee thine offences; and, by his authority committed to me, I absolve thee from all thy sins in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

And then the Priest shall say the Collect following.

Let us pray.

Most merciful God, who, according to the multitude of thy mercies, dost so put away the sins of those who truly repent, that thou rememberest them no more; open thine eye of mercy upon this thy servant, who most earnestly desireth pardon and forgiveness. Renew in him, most loving Father, whatsoever hath been decayed by the fraud and malice of the devil, or by his own carnal will and frailness; preserve and continue this sick member in the unity of the Church; consider his contrition, accept his tears, assuage his pain, as shall seem to thee most expedient for him. And forasmuch as he putteth his full trust only in thy mercy, impute not unto him his former sins, but strengthen him with thy blessed Spirit; and, when thou art pleased to take him hence, take him unto thy favour, through the merits of thy most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I absolve thee from all thy sins.]-"Possibly," says Archbishop Secker, "this part of the office may seem to have ascribed so high a power to the minister as may lead some into great mistakes ;"'—and then, after suggesting explanations from the history of the form of words, the learned Prelate adds, "This form is not appointed ever to be used, but when the sick have made, by their own choice, a special confession of some weighty matter,' troubling their consciences, humbly and heartily desiring that it may be used for their consolation. And as this is but seldom requested, and consequently the absolution seldom pronounced over any one, so, whenever it is, it may and ought to be accompanied with such explanations as will prevent any wrong constructions."

Then shall the Minister say this Psalm.

Psalm lxxi.

IN thee, O Lord, have I put my trust, let me never be put to conbut 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.

Cast 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 showed 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: O 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.

0

Lord.

Adding this.

Saviour of the world, who, by thy Cross and precious Blood, hast redeemed us, save us, and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O

Then shall the Minister say,

THE whom all things in heaven, in earth, and under

HE Almighty Lord, who is a most strong tower to all them that put

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.