The Thanksgiving of Women after Child Birth, commonly called
The Churching of Women.

The Woman when she comes to give her thanks, shall kneel near to the place where the holy Table stands: but in the Church of Rome, she was to kneel at the Church door.

The Woman may come to give her thanks, whensoever she shall be able, Decretal. l. 3. Tit. 4. But if she be likely to live, she is required by the Civil Law, according to the Tradition of the Church, to forbear the coming to partake of the holy Mystery forty days after the Birth. Not for any unholiness in the Woman, or incapacity of receiving the holy Mysteries at that time; (for if there be fear of death, she may receive them, as soon as she please after the birth;) but for some secret reasons in the Law, which are set down, Constit. Leon. 7.

The Woman that is to be Churched, is to have a Veil; and good reason; For if as S. Paul 1 Cor. 11. sayes, Every woman, when she prayes in publick, ought to have a veil or covering on her head, in token of her modesty and subjection: then much more, when she is to sit in a more eminent place of the Church, near to the holy Table, apart from the rest of her Sex, in the publick view, ought she to have such a Veil or covering. Nor can it be deemed unreasonable for her at that time to have a Veil or habit distinct from others; that so it may be known, for whom thanks is then particularly given.

Α. The thanksgiving of women after childbirth.] When holy Scripture is concerned most graphically to describe sorrow superlative, and at the height, it assimilateth it to that of a woman in travail. If this sorrow be so excessive, how great must the joy be to be delivered from that sorrow? Commensurate certainly, and of adequate proportion: and no less must the dues of thankfulness be to the benefactor, the donor of that recovery; whence a necessity of thanksgiving of women after childbirth.

But cannot this as well be done in private, at home in her family, or in her closet, without putting the Church to the cost of contriving a solemn office for it, considering there are other personal deliverances, wherein the dispensations of God’s mercy are as manifest, whereof she takes no notice? I answer, other deliverances present themselves in so many schemes, some being from fire, some from water, some from the casual ruin of houses, and other things endangering us, some from our own precipitations, some in war, some in peace, &c., as it is scarce possible to frame forms enough to suit all emergencies; and were they framed, rarely would they be made use of, in regard the occasions to which they relate so seldom occur; and then what would they prove but an unnecessary cumber: whereas this preservation out of child-bed pangs observeth one constant shape, so as one form is applicable to all, and almost daily provoketh to the duty. But it may be further opposed, that thousands are seized with corporal maladies, which are accompanied with as great periclitation, whom God sometimes, even to miracle, restoreth to their former strength, that those demonstrations of His protection appear very frequent, that one form of thanksgiving would commodiously enough agree with all, yet hath the Church appointed no such form. I answer, that our Church in this offer did not so much take measure of the peril, as accommodate herself to that note of separation which God Himself had put betwixt Gen. 3.16. this and other maladies. To “conceive and bring forth in sorrow” was signally inflicted upon Eve, and in her upon all mothers, as a penalty for her first disobedience; “multiplying I will multiply thy sorrows and thy conception;” the very breeding fits and nauseous qualms constitute a part of this chastisement. “In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children,” i.e. the very fruit of thy womb, which by an Almighty power thou shouldest otherwise have been delivered of, without the least sense of pain, shall, henceforward, in the very act of parturition, put thee to the extremity of torment; so that the sorrows of childbirth have, by God’s express determination, a more direct and peculiar reference to Eve’s disobedience, than any other disease whatsoever, and though all maladies are the product of the first sin, yet is the malediction fixed and applied in specification to this alone. Now, when that which was ordained primarily, as a curse for the first sin, is converted to so great a blessing, God is certainly in that case more to be praised in a set and a solemn office.

Β. Churching of women.] The former word was purification, worthily expunged by our second reformers: this notwithstanding, we are charged by some weak opponents to judaize in the office; a slander certainly, a great, a senseless one, and it will appear no less to any who shall compare the Jewish or Levitical and the English practice together. First, the Jewish woman was interdicted the sanctuary forty days at least. The English woman withdraweth but her month. No judaizing there. Secondly, the Jewish woman was forbidden, because unclean, expressly so; the English woman abstaineth not upon any such account. If she did, first, the customary circuit of the same cause would operate, at every return, the same effect (sequestration from the congregation) in her, as it did in the Jewish; but our Church commands no such mensurnal forbearance. Again, the same pollution would as long debar her infant also, (as it did the Jewish,) which must needs take part of the mother’s impurity; but our Church not only admitteth, but commands all infants (where necessity interposeth not) into the church within a week at the farthest. So no judaizing there. Thirdly, the Jewish woman was interdicted, that is, excluded by necessity of law; the English woman not so, her separation is voluntary, not commanded by any law of our reformed Church, no nor by the canon law; nunc statim post partum ecclesiam ingredi non prohibetur; “now under the gospel, she may, if she please, there’s no prohibition to the contrary, enter the church as soon as she is delivered.” No judaizing here. Lastly, the Jewish woman was bound to legal offerings, a lamb, turtles or pigeons. The English woman is tied to none of these, only enjoined evangelical oblations, poor pittances, and inconsiderable retributions, yet such as God graciously accepts by the hands of His ministers, as evidences of a grateful heart, for so eminent a blessing. This, if any, is all the resemblance this office beareth to the Jewish rite, which cannot certainly be blamed but upon a false hypothesis, that we are obliged not to be thankful to God for this mercy because the Jews were so.

Now if it be demanded upon what motives this month’s abstinence from church is founded, I answer, upon custom and uninterrupted practice, practice that had strong inducements to it. First, some reasons of conveniency latent, and not so fit to be declared. Secondly, a provident regard to the woman’s personal safety. The whole structure of her body suffereth a kind of luxation through her labour, and therefore requireth no few days to knit and re-consolidate; she becomes feeble in her strength, wasted in her spirits, and such decays of nature are not repaired on the sudden. The pores of her skin by exsudations are relaxed, and when so many wind-doors are open, the cold air (death’s usual harbinger) is ready to enter. So that her stay at home is of medical prescription.

C. Shall come into the church.] If the woman come no further than into the church, how can she there kneel nigh unto the table, or the priest stand by her, when both priest and table are at the east end of the chancel? Therefore to reconcile this rubric with the constant practice of churching the woman in the chancel nigh unto the holy table, you must understand that in this place the word church comprehendeth all the consecrated fabric, both the body and chancel; no novel notion, considering the provincial in Lyndwood, where the archdeacons are enjoined in their visitations, diligently to take into their care fabricam ecclesia, “the fabric of the church;” upon which word Lyndwood makes this gloss, ex hoc quod dicit, ecclesie, comprehendit ecclesiam integram videlicet navem cum cancello: “where it is here said ‘the church,’ the whole structure of the church, that is, its nave and chancel are comprehended.”

The Preface following. Forasmuch, &c. is left arbitrary to the Priest, but the prayers are all prescribed.

Then shall the Priest say the 121. Psal. I have lifted up mine eyes unto the Hills, &c.. The Church appointing this Psalm at this time, does not intend to perswade us by this, that this Psalm was pen'd for such a particular occasion as this; or that the promises of Gods protection and assistence there expressed, were directly and primarily made to persons in that danger of child-birth: but because the Psalm at the very beginning tells us all, that our help comes from God, it is thought seasonable at this time to be used, to mind the woman from whom she hath received that mercy of deliverance, and to whom she is to return the honour due for such a mercy, even to him from whom comes all our help, the Lord that made heaven and earth. And this were enough to justifie the Churches choice of this Psalm at this time; in that, part of it is so fit for this business in hand, though it were not penn'd upon this very occasion "for so we find Hezekiah commended, for appointing of the Psalms of David and Asaph, to set forth the praises of God in the publick services, 2 Chr. 29. 30: although neither had Hezekiah and the Church then, the very same occasions to use them, which David and Asaph had, nor did every particle of those songs, so directly and properly belong to Hezekias and the Church then, as they did to David and Asaph." But not only the beginning of this Psalm, but even the whole body of it is fit and suitable to this service, and those promises of divine assistence therein exprest, though they were primarily and in their first intention made to the Church of the Jews: yet in their proportion they do belong to the person coming to give thanks, and to every one that shall lift up their eyes to the Hills, and trust in God. For not Israel at large, but Israel lifting up her eyes to God, and trusting in God, is the formal and true object of this promise; which therefore belongs to every such person as shall be so qualified, so depending upon God. This rule S. Paul hath taught us, Heb. 13. 5. applying there the promise made particularly to Ioshuah Chap. 1. 5. to every one of us that shall contentedly depend upon God, as Ioshuah was commanded to do in expectance of that promise. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have; For he hath said, I will not leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper.

One verse of this Psalm may perhaps at the first sight seem not so well expressed, namely this, the Sun shall not burn thee by day, nor the Moon by night; for the Moon does not burn but cool. But it is easily cleared, by taking notice that to burn is not always taken in the strict and proper sence, but usually in a larger; whereby it is the same with, to grieve or hurt; a ordinary skill in language will enform us; so the meaning is, The Sun shall not hurt thee by day, nor the Moon by night, whose shine is held to be very hurtful.

D. have lift up mine eyes, &c.] The trifling objection of the abuse of this psalm, by the woman’s usual coming in a veil, is easily answered, by affirming that the Church, as she doth not forbid, so neither doth she command any such habit, but leaveth it as an indifferent thing; and if the woman, who hath an arbitrary power in this concernment, think fit to come forth veiled, that is, better armed against the cold, her act cannot constitute a ceremony of the Church, and so the Church not chargeable with the abuse. Nor can this psalm be truly said to be abused, thus applied, when the contents thereof are expressly thus, “this psalm teacheth that the faithful ought only to look for help from God.”

After the Psalm follow the Kyrie or short Litany, and the Lords Prayer, so admirably good and useful, that there is scarce any publick service dispatcht without them[.]

E. But deliver us from evil.] It hath been long enquired, why all the residue of the dominical prayer being rehearsed in one continued course, in some parts of our liturgy there is a break at this last petition, which is returned by way of response. In satisfaction to which doubt, the consideration of the praxis of former times will contribute very much. The manner, you must understand, was then, for the priest, who did officiate, to rehearse it as our office directeth. And this last position was not returned by the people, but by the choir or chorus, and that with an elevated voice. The design whereof was, to give notice to the people that the Lord’s Prayer was drawing on to an end, that they might be more ready to afford their Amen. For the service being all in Latin, a tongue unknown to them, all their business at church was only to join in the close of Amen, and for this they had no other queue to direct them, than the loud pronunciation of the foregoing member by the chorus: in the Lord’s Prayer, “but deliver us from evil” was their directory : in other prayers, in secula seculorum, or per omnia secula seculorum.

[A]fter these follow some Verses and Responds, of which and the reason of their use, together with the antiquity of it, hath been said already, and need not be here repeated. But there is one thing observable in these Responds or Answers which was not spoken of hitherto, nor was so observable in some of the former Verses and Responds as in these here; and that is this, that some of these Answers are not of themselves intire sentences or petitions, as the others were, but are parts or ends of the foregoing verses, the verse and Answer together making up one entire petition. For example,

O Lord save this Woman thy Servant,
R. Which putteth her trust in thee.

And,

Be thou to her a strong Tower,
R. From the face of her Enemy.

This I observe, because it seems to be the remain of a very ancient custom. For Eus. in Hist. l. 2. c. 17. tells us, that the Primitive Christians in the singing of their hymns, had this use; that one began and sung in rhythm; the rest hearing with silence, only the last part, or akroteleutia, the ends of the Psalm or Hymn, all the rest joyned and sung together with him. Agreeable to this says Clem. Const. l. 2. c. 57. was the usage in his time and before. After the readings of the Old Testament, says he, Let another sing the Psalms of David, and let the people answer τὰ ἀκροστίχια, the extreams or ends of the Verses. What the reason of this ancient custome was, I will not peremptorily determine; whether it were only for variety, which much pleases and delights, and is a great help against weariness; which those Primitive Christians, (who continued in sacred exercises from morning to night) had need of. For which cause says Euseb. in the place above cited, they used all decent and grave variety of rhythmes and Meeters in their Hymns and Psalms. Or whether it were to avoid the inconvenience of indecorum and confusion, which the people (usually not very observant of decency) were guilty of in their joynt singing: and yet to reserve them apart in these Offices; that it was so appointed, that they should only sing the extreams or ends of the Verses. Or what else was the cause, I leave it to others to judge.

The prayer following is clearly fitted to the occasion.

The woman that comes to give her thanks, must offer. Rubr. after the Thanksgiving. Although Offerings be always acceptable to God, yet some times there are, in which the Church hath held them more necessary, as hath been shewn formerly about offerings. First, when the Church is in want. Secondly, at the holy Communion. Thirdly, when we come to give thanks for some more than ordinary blessing received; Then not only in word, but in Deed also to thank God, by bringing a present to God. Psal. 76. 10, 11. That this is more than an ordinary blessing, a deliverance that deserves even perpetual thanks, David tells us, Psal. 71. 5. Thou art he that took me out of my mothers womb, my praise shall be always of thee. This service is to be done betwixt the first and second Service, as I have learnt by some Bishops enquiries at their Visitation; the Reason perhaps is, because by this means it is no interruption of either of these Offices.