Ritual Conformity Interpretations of the Rubrics of the Prayer-Book

Excerpt: ...rubric of the Absolution. He must now turn to the Lord's Table. 114. These words Holy Father must be omitted on Trinity-Sunday. 115. Here shall follow the Proper Preface, according to the time, if there be any specially appointed: or else immediately shall follow, Therefore, &c. 116. After each of which Prefaces shall immediately be sung or said. Therefore, &c. A comparison with the Books of 1549 and 1552 shews that the time at which the people should join in is at the words 'Holy, &c.' 117. Then shall the Priest, kneeling down at the Lord's Table, say in the name of all them that shall receive the Communion this Prayer following, We do not presume, &c. The Priest is assumed to be at the Lord's Table, to which he had previously turned, and is merely directed to kneel down where he is. 118. When the Priest, standing before the Table, hath so ordered the Bread and Wine, that he may with the more readiness and decency break the Bread before the people, and take the Cup into his hands, he shall say the Prayer of Consecration, as followeth, Almighty God, &c. The expression 'standing before the Table, ' is to be rightly understood by observing that the emphatic word in it is 'standing.' The intention of the framers of this direction was to put an end to the previous posture of kneeling directed in the preceding rubric, and to direct the priest to stand during the consecration. The word 'before' evidently implies a position in front of the Table, and excludes the end, whichever way the Table might be placed. The ordering the Bread and Wine for the manual acts of consecration, might include the pouring of some of the wine from the flagon into the chalice (if not previously done); also the separation of a part of the bread from the remainder which the Priest does not now intend to consecrate, and pre-eminently the arranging conveniently the individual piece to be broken during the consecration. The expression 'before the people' in this..