of a sacred nature. Paley, in his Moral
Philosophy, says, "Whether it hath grown out of some tradition of
the Divine appointment of marriage in the persons of our first
parents, or merely from a design to impress the obligation of the
marriage-contract with a solemnity suited to its importance, the
marriage-rite, in almost all countries of the world, has been made
a religious ceremony; although marriage, in its own nature, and
abstracted from the rules and declarations which the Jewish and
Christian Scriptures deliver concerning it, be properly a civil
contract, and nothing more." It was forbidden in the 4th century
during Lent, and so custom and propriety forbid it now during the
same season. In the Manual marriages were prohibited in the
following seasons:--(_a_) Advent to the octave of Epiphany, (_b_)
Septuagesima to the octave of Easter inclusive, (_c_) Rogation
Sunday to Trinity Sunday.

The Roman Church has exalted Holy Matrimony into a Sacrament.

The State so far recognises the position of the Church with regard
to Holy Matrimony that no clergyman can be forced to marry a divorced
person, though he may be obliged to lend his church to any other who
will perform the ceremony.

MATRIMONY, THE FORM OF SOLEMNIZATION OF. Of all our services this
preserves most of the older Office in the Sarum Manual. Some of the
hortatory portions come as usual from Hermann's Consultation. There
has been no change since 1549, except the omission of the ceremony
of giving gold and silver to the bride as "tokens of spousage."

The Service is divided into two parts (_a_) the Marriage Service
proper, performed in the body of the Church; (_b_) the succeeding
service at the Holy Table, evidently intended as an introduction
to the Holy Communion which should follow.

_The Banns_. From a barbarous Latin word meaning an edict or
proclamation. In 1661 the rubric directed them to be published
immediately before the offertory sentences. The marriage Acts of
the Georges are supposed to set aside this rubric, and to order
them to be published after the Second Lesson. It is doubtful whether
this does not apply to the Evening Service only, in places where
there is no Morning Service.

The _Licence_ of the Bishop makes the publication of Banns
unnecessary. Without a Special Licence, Marriage can be solemnized
only between the hours of 8 and 12 in the forenoon.

(_a_) _The Marriage Service_ proper should be performed in "the
body of the chu