bution of alms when
there is an offertory, _i.e._ the reading of the offertory
sentences. Other collections are in the hands of the incumbent
only. The Ordinary is the Bishop.

The "declaration" is a protest against certain low and gross
notions of a carnal presence, as taught in the Roman Church. The
"_kneeling_" here, and the "_meekly kneeling_" in the rubric after
the Consecration Prayer, exclude prostration, which is not kneeling.

(3) _The Service_. As was said in the paragraph on the _History_ of
the Communion Service, it is chiefly taken from the "Sarum Use."
When there is no celebration, the Service concludes with a Collect
and the Benediction, said immediately after the Prayer for the
Church Militant; and this is called the Ante-Communion Office. The
Lord's Prayer is said by the Priest alone, notwithstanding the
general rubric to the contrary; that, and the Collect following,
being taken from an Office which was repeated by the Priest alone,
in preparation for Mass. The Decalogue was inserted in 1552 (see
_Commandments_.) In the Collects following, the Mediaeval Offices
coupled the Pope, King, and Bishop of Diocese together.

It is an ancient custom to sit during the reading of the Epistle,
and to stand during the reading of the Gospel, out of reverence for
the repetition of the words or acts of Christ. The Doxology "Glory
be to Thee, O Lord" has, from a very early period, followed the
announcement of the Gospel; but the "Thanks be to Thee, O Lord,"
afterwards, is a comparatively late custom. For the Nicene Creed,
see _Creed_. In the Prayer Book of 1662, the Banns of Marriage were
ordered to be published after the Nicene Creed. For the Sermon see
article _Sermon_. The sentences following are called the "Offertory
Sentences;" formerly a verse was sung before the oblation of the
elements. The next prayer, called the _Prayer for the Church
Militant_, has, in some form or other, formed part of every known
Liturgy. It is divided into three main parts--(1) The Oblation; (2)
Commemoration of the living; (3) Commemoration of the faithful
departed. The oblation is twofold, firstly of the alms which have
been collected, and, secondly, of the elements, the bread and wine
for Holy Communion. The Exhortations, here and elsewhere in the
Prayer Book, are sixteenth century compositions. The first is from
Hermann's "Consultation" (which see); the close of this exhortation
is important as shewing that in certain cases the Re