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commanded by the ordinary (u). It is not considered that the words "the order of Morning and Evening Prayer daily to be said and used throughout the year" mean every day, though that would certainly seem to be the natural construction, and is in accord with the preface to the Prayer Book (), but it would contradict canons 13 and 14, referred to above. The Pluralities Act, 1885, seems also to imply that services on Sundays and holidays are all that are necessary (y).

It has been held that the ordinary has power to approve relaxations from duty owing to the circumstances of the parish (s), but no statute was cited giving the bishop any such power.

The bishop may in his discretion direct that there shall be two full services in every benefice, each with a sermon or lecture on every Sunday (a), and a third or additional service on Sundays and great festivals (b).

The former regulation also applies to every parish or chapelry where the income of the benefice arising from that parish or chapelry amounts to 1507., and the population of that parish or chapelry to 400 (a). But it has been held that where there are two churches in one benefice, although the bishop may apportion the services between them, the incumbent cannot be made to perform all the usual services in both (c).

No proclamation or public notice of a vestry or other matter, except banns and purely ecclesiastical notices, may be made in any church or chapel during service or at the door after service. Public notices are to be affixed to the church doors (d).

Language.-Generally speaking, English must be used in England, and Welsh in Wales. As to other languages, the rules stated under BIBLE apply to the Prayer Book, save

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that it would seem the Communion Service may not (in England) be read in any language other than Latin or English (e).

Lay Ministrations.-In an unconsecrated place of worship, the services of the Church of England may be read by any layman.

In a consecrated church or chapel there seems to be no rule of law to prevent a layman reading Morning and Evening Prayer, the Litany, and the greater portion of the Communion Service in the absence of an ordained minister, or at services additional to those required by law (f); and formerly this was frequently done in churches or chapels where there was only a small endowment, to the end (as Dr. Burn says), that divine service in such places might not altogether be neglected.

For the same reason it would, no doubt, also be held legal for a minister who suddenly loses his voice, or who for any unforeseen reason cannot read the service, to delegate the task to a layman. But in an ordinary case, where a priest or deacon stands up to conduct the service in a consecrated church, it is his statutory duty to read the whole of it himself (g) (except, of course, such parts as properly fall to the choir and congregation); and it would seem that he may not, even with the bishop's licence, delegate portions of it, such as the Litany, and the lessons, to a layman.

It has been argued that in these matters the rubrics in the Prayer Book are the only guide, and that where there is a direction for a priest or minister to read a certain prayer, only a priest or minister can read it, and that where no direction is given as to who is to officiate, a layman may do so. This method of construction has been adopted because it is supposed to authorize the reading of the lessons by a lay

(e) 2 & 3 Edw. 6, c. 1, s. 6; 13 & 14 Car. 2, c. 4, s. 18.

(f) The Act of Uniformity only makes it penal for a layman or deacon to consecrate or administer the Lord's

Supper, or hold a benefice.

(g) 13 & 14 Car. 2, c. 4, s. 2, and preface to the Prayer Book; and see CLERGY, Ecclesiastical Duties, and ABSOLUTION.

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man, but it is much more in favour of his reading the Litany, sermon, and various collects and prayers. Thus, the rubric preceding the Litany simply says that it is to be "sung or said," and that relating to the sermon, "then shall follow the sermon or one of the homilies, &c." (h); but in the case of the lessons, the minister is specially directed to say, "Here beginneth such a chapter, &c." before every lesson, and after every lesson, "Here endeth the first or the second lesson," and "he that readeth (formerly the minister that readeth') is so to stand and turn himself, &c." The natural construction of this passage undoubtedly is that the minister is to read the lesson, the only argument to the contrary being the change of the word "minister" into "he" (not into "minister or layman") in one part of the rubric (i). To this a certain amount of weight is due, but in any case it is clear that only the minister can say the "Here beginneth" and "Here endeth." The fact that the priest is directed to read the gospel and epistle at the Communion Service (contrary to medieval practice) seems also to show that the clergy were intended to read the word of God themselves. This also appears from the ordination vows (k). And as a matter of principle it would seem that the Reformers were right; for it is difficult to see why the lessons from Holy Scripture, which are certainly not the least sacred parts of the service, should be selected as peculiarly suitable for a layman to read. If, however, it should be held, otherwise than on the ground of custom, that a clergyman can at any time legally delegate the reading of the lessons to a layman, it would seem to follow à fortiori that he may similarly delegate various other parts of the service as before mentioned. Instances of the difficulty of this method of construction are given under ABSOLUTION, and there cannot be any reasonable doubt that

(h) No sermon is directed by the Prayer Book at Morning or Evening Prayer. It depends on the Act of Uniformity. See PREACHING.

(i) It may be observed that the word minister was not left in the

rubric by a "slip." The "note" was entirely re-written. See facsimile copy of the amended Prayer Book, published by Longman's, 1871.

(k) See Ordinal, Deacons.

the order of performance of divine service depends on the Act of Uniformity itself, and that the rubrics are directory only.

At the same time, as previously remarked, a sufficiently ancient and universal post-Reformation custom will, in some cases, be held to form the true interpretation of a statute, as in the case of vestments (q.v.).

It would seem, therefore, that the only safe rule which can be laid down is that the clergyman must perform the whole service himself, and that he is less justified in delegating to a layman the absolution, versicles, and (save by custom) the lessons, than any other parts of the service; but that in grave temporary emergencies he may delegate the whole Sunday service, except the consecration and administration of the Lord's Supper, to a layman; save that in order to preach the sermon such layman must be licensed by the bishop, otherwise he may only read a sermon prepared or approved by the incumbent, or a homily. In all cases of lay ministrations of a permanent character, the licence of the bishop ought to be obtained (7).

It will be useful to compare with the above statement of the law the rules as to lay ministrations in the primitive church as summed up by our greatest authority on the subject. He says, "The existing evidence tends to show that laymen, no less than officers, could, upon occasion, (1) teach or preach, (2) baptize, (3) celebrate the Eucharist, (4) exercise discipline. The inference is that although the officers had, as such, a prior right, they had not an exclusive right to the performance of any ecclesiastical function" (m).

Rites and Ceremonies.-A ceremony is thus distinguished from a rite. Rites consist of services expressed in words, while ceremonies consist in gestures or acts preceding, accompanying or following the utterance of words, including the use of lights, incense, and vestments (n). The

(1) See Resolution of the Upper House of Convocation of Feb. 15, 1884, and other rules laid down in London Diocese Book.

(m) Dr. Hatch, Bampton Lectures, P. xix.

(n) Per Sir R. Phillimore. Phill. Burn, p. 900.

See

present Archbishop of Canterbury gives the following definitions: "The word 'rite' is held to include, if not to consist of the text of the prayers and Scriptures read; the books called 'rituals' containing these, while the books called 'ceremonials' prescribe the mode of using the rites or conducting the service." "A ceremony in worship is an action or act in which material objects may or may not be used, but is not itself any material object" (o).

In the performance of the rites and ceremonies ordered by the Prayer Book the directions contained in it must be strictly observed; no omission and no addition can be permitted, for the Prayer Book in the preface divides all ceremonies into two classes; those which are retained are specified, whereas none are abolished specifically or by name; but it is assumed that all are abolished which are not expressly retained (p). Hence it is, that although a cross or a banner may be lawful decorations in a church, they become unlawful when used in the way of ceremony. Processions (q.v.), bowing, kneeling, genuflection or prostration (unless expressly directed), form an additional and unlawful ceremony (q). So, also, turning to the East during the creeds; and singing "Glory be to thee, O God, for this thy Holy Gospel" after the Gospel; ancient and continuous custom, however, if it could be proved, might preserve some of these ceremonies from condemnation. Such practices, however, as kissing books and stoles, using holy water, and ashes at the Commination Service (r), and ceremonial ablutions, are undoubtedly illegal (o).

Ritual. The elaborate ritual of the Jewish Church was not continued by the Christians generally, though some of its rites, e.g., circumcision, still prevail in the Coptic, and perhaps other eastern churches. The services of the early

(0) Read v. Bishop of Lincoln, L. R. [1891] P. 79, 80. And see LORD'S SUPPER.

(p) Martin v. Mackonochie (1868), L. R. 2 P. C. 365, 388.

(9) Ibid. p. 392. For an authority to the contrary, see Burder v. Hale (1849), 6 N. of C. 620, in the Chancery Court of York, and can. 18. (r) See L. R. 3 A. & E. 97, 108.

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