Sarum Manual: Ordo ad faciendum sponsalia (Latin and Middle English) (printed editions c. 1500–1554)

The Order for Making Espousals

First let the man and the woman be set before the door of the church, before God, the priest and the people, the man on the right hand of the woman and the woman on the left hand of the man.

And it is to be known that although espousals may be contracted at any time, and also matrimony, which is made privately by consent alone, yet the giving away of wives and the solemnity of weddings are forbidden at certain times: that is, from Advent until the octave of the Epiphany, from Septuagesima until the octave of Easter, and from the Sunday before the Ascension until the octave of Pentecost.

Then the priest shall ask the banns, saying in the mother tongue in this form (looking at the persons as he names them):

Lo, brethren, we are come here before God and his angels and all his saints, in the face of the Church, to join together two bodies, namely of this man and this woman, that from henceforth they may be one flesh and two souls in the faith and law of God, to win together eternal life, whatsoever they have done before this. Therefore I charge you all, that if any of you knows any cause why these may not lawfully be joined together, he confess it now.

The same charge shall be made to the man and to the woman, that if they have done anything secretly, or have vowed anything, or know in any other way why they may not lawfully contract, they confess it now. If anyone will allege an impediment and give security to prove it, the espousals shall be put off until the truth of the matter is known. If no one alleges an impediment, the priest shall ask about the woman's dower, that is, the betrothal pledges: these are the earnest of a ring, money or other things given to the bride by the bridegroom, which giving is called subarrhation, especially when it is done by giving a ring, and is then commonly called espousal.

The priest shall not consent to the plighting of troth between man and woman before the third asking of the banns, which shall be made in the face of the Church within the solemnities of Mass, when most people are present, on three solemn days apart from one another, with at least one weekday between. He shall also set a fit term within which anyone who will may allege a lawful impediment; if the parties are of different parishes, the banns shall be asked in both. A priest who is present at a marriage before the threefold asking of the banns incurs suspension from office for three years. A parish priest who neglects to forbid clandestine marriages in his parish is likewise to be suspended for three years, and more heavily punished if the fault requires; for clandestine marriages give occasion to fornication under hope of marriage, and to the unjust separation of those married, since one party often changes his mind when the proofs are wanting. Any priest who presumes to solemnise a marriage outside the parish church or a chapel having parochial rights from of old, without special licence of the diocesan, or to be present at one, is by that very fact suspended from office for a whole year.

The Consent

Then let the priest say to the man, in the hearing of all, in the mother tongue: N., wilt thou have this woman to thy wife, and love her, and honour her, keep her and guard her, in health and in sickness, as a husband should his wife, and forsaking all others keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live? The man shall answer: I will.

Likewise the priest shall say to the woman: N., wilt thou have this man to thy husband, and obey him and serve him, and love, honour and keep him, in health and in sickness, as a wife should her husband, and forsaking all others keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live? The woman shall answer: I will.

The Giving and the Vows

Then let the woman be given by her father or her friends; if she is a maiden, let her hand be bare, if a widow, covered. The man shall receive her, to keep her in God's faith and his own, as he vowed before the priest, and hold her right hand in his right hand, and so plight his troth to the woman in words of the present tense, saying after the priest:

I, N., take thee, N., to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death us depart, if holy Church will it ordain; and thereto I plight thee my troth. (He withdraws his hand.)

Then the woman shall say after the priest: I, N., take thee, N., to my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to be bonny and buxom in bed and at board, till death us depart, if holy Church will it ordain; and thereto I plight thee my troth. (She withdraws her hand.)

The Ring

Then the man shall lay gold, silver and the ring on the shield or book, and the priest shall ask whether the ring has been blessed before. If not, the priest shall bless it, with The Lord be with you and Let us pray.

Creator and preserver of mankind, giver of spiritual grace, bestower of eternal salvation: send thou, O Lord, thy blessing upon this ring, that she who wears it may be armed with the strength of heavenly defence, and that it may profit her to eternal salvation. Through Christ.

Let us pray. Bless, O Lord, this ring, which we bless in thy holy name, that whosoever wears it may stand fast in thy peace, abide in thy will, and live and grow and grow old in thy love, and be multiplied unto length of days. Through our Lord. Then let holy water be sprinkled on the ring.

The priest shall give the ring to the man, who shall take it in his right hand with his three principal fingers, and, holding the bride's right hand in his left, shall say after the priest:

With this ring I thee wed, and this gold and silver I thee give, and with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly chattels I thee endow.

Then the bridegroom shall put the ring on the bride's thumb, saying In the name of the Father; then on the second finger, saying and of the Son; then on the third finger, saying and of the Holy Ghost; then on the fourth finger, saying Amen; and there let him leave it, because in that finger there is a vein that runs to the heart. And in the ringing of the silver is signified the inward love, which ought to be ever fresh between them. (One manuscript adds: Then the bride shall fall down before his feet and kiss his right foot, and the bridegroom shall raise her up.)

Then, they bowing their heads, the priest shall say the blessing over them: Blessed be ye of the Lord, who made the world out of nothing. Amen.

Then shall be said the psalm Manda, Deus, Command thy strength, O God (Psalm 68:28), with Glory be, and Lord, have mercy; Our Father, with And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil; Let us bless the Father; Let us praise the Lord; Lord, hear my prayer; The Lord be with you. Let us pray. God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, bless these young people, and sow the seed of eternal life in their minds (the prayer given in full below).

Another prayer, with Let us pray. The Lord the Father bless you, Jesus Christ keep you, the Holy Ghost enlighten you. The Lord show his face upon you and have mercy upon you. The Lord turn his countenance unto you, and give you peace, and fill you with all spiritual blessing unto the remission of all your sins, that ye may have eternal life and live for ever and ever. Amen.

Into the Church

Here they shall enter the church as far as the altar step, the priest with his ministers saying as they go the psalm Beati omnes, Blessed are all they that fear the Lord (Psalm 128), with Glory be, without note; and Lord, have mercy.

Then, the bride and bridegroom lying prostrate before the altar step, the priest shall ask those standing by to pray for them, saying Our Father, with And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil; and the versicles: Save thy servant and thy handmaid. Send them help, O Lord, from the sanctuary. Be unto them, O Lord, a tower of strength. Lord, hear my prayer. The Lord be with you.

Let us pray. The Lord bless you out of Sion, that ye may see the good things of Jerusalem all the days of your life, and see your children's children, and peace upon Israel. Through Christ our Lord.

Let us pray. God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, bless these young people, and sow the seed of eternal life in their minds, that whatsoever they learn for their profit they may desire to do. Through Jesus Christ thy Son, the restorer of mankind, who liveth and reigneth with thee.

Let us pray. Look down, O Lord, from heaven, and bless this covenant. And as thou didst send thy holy angel Raphael to Tobias and Sara the daughter of Raguel, so vouchsafe, O Lord, to send thy blessing upon these young people, that they may abide in thy will, continue in thy safekeeping, and live and grow old in thy love, that they may be worthy and peaceable, and be multiplied unto length of days. Through Christ our Lord.

Let us pray. Look mercifully, O Lord, upon this thy servant and this thy handmaid, that they may receive heavenly blessing in thy name, and see their sons' and daughters' children safe unto the third and fourth generation, persevere in thy will, and hereafter come to the heavenly kingdom. Through Christ.

Then he shall bless them, saying: Let us pray. Almighty, everlasting God, who by thy power didst create our first parents Adam and Eve, didst sanctify them with thy blessing and join them in the fellowship of love: may he sanctify and bless your hearts and bodies, and join you in the fellowship and love of true affection. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray. God almighty bless you with all heavenly blessing, and make you worthy in his sight; may the riches of his grace abound in you, and may he teach you in the word of truth, that you may please him alike in body and in mind. Through our Lord.

When the prayers said over them lying prostrate at the altar step are ended, they shall be brought into the presbytery, between the choir and the altar, on the south side of the church, the woman standing on the right of the man, between him and the altar, and the office of the Mass of the Holy Trinity shall begin. The Mass is kept throughout in the manner of a double feast. The fixed parts of the Mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Creed, the preface of the Trinity and the Canon) are said as usual and are not repeated here; the proper parts follow.

The Nuptial Mass

Office (introit): Blessed be the holy Trinity and the undivided Unity: we will give thanks unto him, because he hath shewed his mercy upon us. Psalm: Let us bless the Father and the Son with the Holy Ghost. (In Eastertide, Alleluia, alleluia is added.) Then Kyrie with its verses, and Glory be to God on high.

These two collects are said under one Let us pray and one conclusion: Almighty, everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the divine Majesty to worship the Unity: we beseech thee, that by stedfastness in the same faith we may evermore be defended from all adversities. Hear us, almighty and merciful God, that what is done by our ministry may rather be fulfilled by thy blessing. Through our Lord.

The Epistle, 1 Corinthians 6:15–20: Brethren, know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God, and bear him, in your body.

Gradual: Blessed art thou, O Lord, that beholdest the depths, and sittest upon the cherubim. Verse: Bless ye the God of heaven, for he hath shewed his mercy upon us. (The gradual is not repeated at nuptial Masses.) Alleluia. Verse: Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers, and worthy to be praised for ever. (In Eastertide the second Alleluia verse is one of these: Did not our heart burn within us concerning Jesus, while he talked with us by the way; Jesus our Lord, rising, stood in the midst of his disciples and said, Peace be unto you; The Lord is risen, and meeting the women said, All hail: and they came and held him by the feet; In the day of my resurrection, saith the Lord, I will go before you into Galilee; Tell it among the nations that the Lord hath reigned from the tree; Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him.)

Sequence (Alma chorus): Let the loving choir now sing the names of the most high Lord: Messiah, Saviour, Emmanuel, Lord of Sabaoth, Adonai; Only-begotten, Way, Life, Hand, Of one substance; Beginning, Firstborn, Wisdom, Power; he is called Alpha, Head and End together, and Omega; Fount and Source of good, Paraclete and Mediator; Lamb, Sheep, Calf, Serpent, Ram, Lion, Worm; Mouth, Word, Brightness, Sun, Glory, Light and Image; Bread, Flower, Vine, Mountain, Door, Rock and Stone; Angel and Bridegroom, Shepherd, Prophet, Priest; Immortal, Lord, God almighty, and Jesus. May he save us, to whom be glory through all ages.

The Gospel, Matthew 19:3–6: At that time the Pharisees came unto Jesus, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Then the Creed.

Offertory: Blessed be God the Father, and the only-begotten Son of God, and the Holy Spirit also: for he hath shewed his mercy upon us. (In Eastertide, Alleluia.) Note that blessed incense is never offered in church to the bridegroom and bride; so, when the blessed incense has been offered on the altar, if the thurifer goes down to the clerks or the lay people, other incense is to be put in and offered to them.

Secret: Sanctify, we beseech thee, O Lord our God, by the calling upon of thy holy name and by the power of thine only-begotten Son, the sacrifice of this oblation; and by the working together of the Holy Spirit make us ourselves through it an eternal gift unto thee. A second secret is said under one conclusion. Preface: Who with thine only-begotten Son (of the Trinity).

After Sanctus the bridegroom and bride shall lie prostrate in prayer at the altar step, with a pall held over them by four clerks in surplices at its four corners; unless one of them has been married and blessed before, for then the pall is not held over them, nor is the sacramental blessing said. After Our Father, before The peace of the Lord be always with you, when the host has been broken as usual and laid in three parts on the paten, the priest shall turn to them, they kneeling under the pall, and say these prayers in the tone of a lesson: The Lord be with you. Let us pray.

Be propitious, O Lord, to our supplications, and graciously assist thine ordinances by which thou hast appointed the propagation of mankind; that what is joined by thy authority may be preserved by thy help. Through Christ our Lord.

Let us pray. O God, who by the might of thy power didst make all things out of nothing; who, when the beginnings of the universe were set in order, didst make for man, made after the image of God, the inseparable help of woman, so that thou gavest to the woman's body its beginning from the flesh of the man, teaching that what it had pleased thee to form from one, it might never be lawful to put asunder: O God, who hast consecrated the union of marriage by so excellent a mystery, that in the covenant of marriage thou didst foreshadow the sacrament of Christ and the Church: O God, by whom woman is joined to man, and the fellowship ordained from the beginning is endowed with that blessing which alone was not taken away either by the punishment of original sin or by the sentence of the flood:

Here the priest looks at the woman. Look graciously upon this thy handmaid, who is to be joined in wedlock and seeks to be strengthened by thy protection. May the yoke of love and peace be upon her; may she wed in Christ faithful and chaste, and remain a follower of holy women: may she be lovable to her husband as Rachel, wise as Rebecca, long-lived and faithful as Sara. May the author of transgression usurp nothing in her by her deeds; may she abide bound to the faith and the commandments, joined to one bed, and flee unlawful contacts; may she fortify her weakness by the strength of discipline; may she be grave in modesty, honourable in chastity, learned in heavenly doctrine; may she be fruitful in offspring, approved and innocent; and may she come to the rest of the blessed and to the heavenly kingdom, and see her children's children unto the third and fourth generation, and come to the old age she desires. Through Christ our Lord.

The clause from O God, who hast consecrated the union of marriage as far as O God, by whom woman is joined to man is not said at second marriages: the book explains at length, citing canon law, St Ambrose and the canonists, that the sacramental blessing, which signifies the unity of Christ and the Church, is not repeated where either party has been blessed in marriage before, though all the other blessings and prayers are said.

Then the priest, turning to the altar, says The peace of the Lord be always with you, and Agnus Dei. The bridegroom and bride rise from prayer, and the bridegroom receives the peace from the priest and bears it to the bride, kissing her, and neither he nor she kisses anyone else; but a clerk at once receives the peace from the priest and bears it to the others, as is customary.

Communion: We bless the God of heaven, and before all the living we will give thanks unto him: for he hath shewed his mercy upon us.

Postcommunion: May the receiving of this sacrament, O Lord God, profit us to the health of soul and body, together with the confession of the eternal holy Trinity and its undivided Unity. Another, under one conclusion: We beseech thee, almighty God, accompany with thy favour the ordinances of thy providence, that those whom thou joinest in lawful fellowship thou mayest keep in lasting peace. Through our Lord.

(One manuscript adds: When the nuptial Mass is ended with Ite, missa est, the priest at once blesses them with the chalice and corporals, thus: Our help is in the name of the Lord. Who hath made heaven and earth. Blessed be the name of the Lord. From this time forth for evermore. The divine Majesty and one Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, bless you. Another blessing, with Let us pray: The hand of the Lord be upon you, and may he send his holy angel to keep you all the days of your life. Amen. Another, with Let us pray: The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost bless you, who is three in number and one in name. Amen. This done, he sprinkles them with holy water and dismisses them.)

After the Mass

After Mass, bread and wine, or something else to drink, shall be blessed in a vessel, and they shall taste it in the name of the Lord, the priest saying: The Lord be with you. Let us pray. Bless, O Lord, this bread and this drink and this vessel, as thou didst bless the five loaves in the wilderness and the six waterpots in Cana of Galilee, that all who taste of them may be sound and sober and undefiled; O Saviour of the world, who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God.

On the following night, when the bridegroom and bride have gone to bed, the priest shall come and bless the bedchamber, saying: The Lord be with you. Let us pray. Bless, O Lord, this chamber and all who dwell in it, that they may stand fast in thy peace and abide in thy will, and live and grow old in thy love, and be multiplied unto length of days. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Also a blessing over the bed, with The Lord be with you and Let us pray: Bless, O Lord, this bedchamber, thou that neither slumberest nor sleepest. Thou that keepest Israel, keep thy servants resting in this bed from all the phantom illusions of devils; keep them waking, that they may meditate on thy commandments; sleeping, that they may perceive thee in their slumber; that here and everywhere they may be defended by the help of thy protection. Through our Lord.

Then a blessing over them in bed, with Let us pray only: God bless your bodies and your souls, and give his blessing upon you, as he blessed Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Amen.