or where the excitement of the solemnity would affect him too violently; or again, where there are physical impossibilities to his receiving it, as, for instance, in complaints which are attended with violent nausea and retchings, or which prevent swallowing, as some diseases of the throat.

In the Prayer Book previous to its last corrections it was laid down that the sick man must give timely notice some time overnight, or else early in the morning to the Curate" if he was desirous to receive the Communion; but as the Church has omitted all specification of what time constitutes due notice, it would seem that no Clergyman can resort to this rubric, if he has had time and notice to come prepared to administer the holy Communion, and on his arrival finds the sick man capable of receiving it; unless indeed he is engaged in, or just about to celebrate, the ordinary public Services of the Church.

It has been before observed that according to the literal interpretation of the rubric before Communion, "lack of company to receive with him" does not exist where one co-recipient besides the Priest can be provided.

The clause" any other just impediment" seems introduced to provide for all such cases of moral or physical impossibility of receiving, as the rubric does not lay down; as e.g. there being no wine in the sick man's house, and a great probability that he would die before it could be fetched. But no lower ground than such an

* It may here be observed that (if the Priest should have come to the sick man's house unprovided with the things requisite for Communion, and a necessity to celebrate it should arise) the holy Communion may be administered in white wine, if it be at hand, and red wine cannot be procured. The rubrics, both of the Communion of the Sick and of the Administration of the holy Communion, only prescribe generally "bread and wine," without specifying the description of wine to be used. And the want of wine of that kind in which the Communion is usually celebrated would certainly not be such a "just impediment" as to justify any Priest in endangering a man's dying without Communion. The ancient opinion and usage of the Church of England herein seems to be set forth in the constitutions of a Synod of the diocese of Sodor and Man (Wilkins' Concilia, iii. 11): "Summopere præcaventes quod [vinum cum quo celebratur] potius sit rubrum quàm album. In albo tamen bene conficitur sacrum." But

impossibility would justify the Priest in acting under this general clause; e.g. the want of a proper Chalice and Paten would not be a "just impediment;" for the Priest could administer it with common vessels of earth or glass; and the necessity that a man desirous to receive the Communion do not die without the Sacrament is greater than any law securing the external decency of administration in ordinary cases.

When it is necessary to act under this rubric, it will be advisable to instruct the sick man, as carefully as time will admit, on the nature of Spiritual Communion, and the certainty that such worshippers in spirit and in truth are not debarred from any real participation in the full benefits of Sacramental Communion. And it will be well also to encourage the sick man, not only to entertain a general desire for the holy Communion, but to make a special act of spiritual participation therein, with a careful meditation on the Sacrifice of the Cross, of which the Sacrament is the memorial. To aid the Priest in this, we have furnished him with a short instruction on Spiritual Communion, which can be read to the sick, and with a special Office, containing Scriptures and prayers adapted for the occasion, with a commemoration of the Death and Passion of our blessed LORD, and an act of Communion. This last it will be imit must here be noted, that the wine must be really of the juice of the grape ("the fruit of the vine," S. Matt. xxvi. 29). If therefore any other should be produced to the Priest (as, for instance, what are called British wines; as cowslip, currant, ginger, or such like, which may happen only to be at hand in the sick man's house), he cannot administer the Communion to the sick in these. In a matter so important as whether there is opportunity to administer the Communion to a dying Christian or whether he must leave the world without it, it will not seem trifling to observe, that raisin wine, which may possibly be found at hand, would seem to suffice. It may not be unadvisable to add to this already long note, that as the Church of England only requires the bread to be "the best and purest wheat bread that conveniently may be gotten," (Fifth Rubric after Communion,) it seems doubtful if the Eucharist may be consecrated in any other than white bread, and certain that it cannot be validly administered in any other than wheaten bread. And such too was the ancient rule, which requires the bread to be "candida" and "triticea." (Wilkins, ut supra.)

portant, in every case where it is practicable, to engage the sick man to repeat with the Priest, or at least (if from weakness, or the like, he is unable to join in the words), to unite mentally, and by a deliberate act of the intention, in the act of Communion.

It will, probably, happen in most cases, that those who are thus to be comforted by Spiritual Communion will have been communicants; but other cases may occur, either where the sick, when preparing for Communion, falls suddenly into an inability to receive it, or where, from the nature of the ailment, the sick is from the beginning of the Priest's visits incapacitated for Sacramental Communion, and where, after examination and reconciliation, he will naturally desire to bring the subject of holy Communion before him. In such cases it will of course be essentially requisite to take care that the sick man is fully instructed on the nature and benefits of holy Communion, and in the kind and degree of preparation required, before proceeding to the subject of Spiritual Communion. This instruction may be communicated in Bishop Beve ridge's or Bishop Wilson's forms before mentioned; or in a case of urgency, in the first part of the latter, (pp. 573, 4,) on the nature of the Communion, supplying the examination of preparation by the questions which occur in the Instruction for Spiritual Communion.

It seems scarcely necessary to remark, in connection with what has been previously observed, pp. cxviii., cxix., that this rubric cannot in any way be acted upon where the impediment to the person's receiving is want of fit preparation it being evident, and indeed expressly stated in the rubric itself, that the qualifications for Spiritual Communion are the same as for the actual reception of the Sacrament.

"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."

It would seem from this rubric that when the Priest

has not visited the sick person before he is called upon to communicate him, he is bound to use the portion of the Visitation Office directed. This is, no doubt, mainly that the Minister may examine his faith, repentance, charity, disengagement from temporal matters, and the like, and so ascertain his fitness and preparation for Communion. When these have been previously examined into, as in all ordinary cases they will have been, the Priest is not to use any part of the Visitation Office, but to begin with the Collect of the Communion.

When the Visitation Office is used, the Psalm is not to be said; but the Priest is to break off "at the Psalm," i.e., after the Collect "O most merciful GOD;" for the formal act of reconciliation and benediction of the sick is in that case completed in the Communion.

However, as the power of blessing in God's Name and by His authority is in the Priest, and may be exercised by him on what occasions soever he sees cause, there does not seem any reason why the Priest should not (if he think fit so to do) after the completion of the Communion Service by pronouncing the usual plural blessing, and after making a reasonable pause, give the commendatory benediction to the sick man in the words of the last blessing of the Visitation Office. And it seems fit and reasonable that he should do so, if, as is often the case, he suspects from the state of the sick man that he may probably not see him again before his death: to bid him farewell, and commend him to GOD'S mercy, protection, and to the enjoyment of everlasting peace, will be the most affectionate and comforting valedictory address he can make to him.

For here it is carefully to be noted, that it is advisable for the Priest, after his private prayers and the consumption of the Elements, at once to leave the sick man's presence without further address or exhortation. For it must be borne in mind that the service is a long one; and as well on that account as because of the feelings and affections engaged in it (specially when received for the last time), fatiguing to one in a state of weakness; besides it is better to leave the impression conveyed to the sick man's mind by the words of the Liturgy undisturbed and unchanged: any words of ours

cannot add to it, and may detract from it. For a similar reason the Priest should direct the co-recipients not at that time to enter into conversation with the sick man, but (if they are not of the sick person's own family) to come away with him, or soon after him; and he should also give particular charge to those about the sick that they keep him as quiet and undisturbed as possible, after he receives the holy Communion.

But though it is advisable thus to depart from the sick man's presence as soon as the Office of Communion is completed, without any further ministration, yet it is important, if the sick man lingers on many hours or days before his death, or if he recovers, to keep before him the idea of the importance of the Sacrament, and of the mighty benefits thereby conveyed to him. For this end the Priest will find, in the following volume, an Office to be used with the sick man at some time after he receives the holy Communion; which he can say with the sick person as occasion may offer, either in the evening of the day on which he has been communicated, or on the following day; omitting the words, now, at this time, &c. (in italics), or substituting others which may express the relation of time at which the holy Communion has been administered.

"In the time of the plague, sweat, or such other like contagious times of sickness or diseases, when none of the Parish 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 only communicate with him."

It does not seem to be necessary that the Priest should in case of infectious diseases actually invite persons to be co-recipients, and only on their refusal proceed to communicate alone with the sick man ; but in a case where the sick man's disease is known to him to be contagious, and he is unwilling to ask others to receive with the sick, because he, in his judgment, does not think it fit that they should be exposed to the danger of infection, he is at liberty to communicate with him alone. For a Clergyman might naturally be exceedingly