275. The Woman, at the usual time after her Delivery, shall come into the Church decently apparelled, and there shall kneel down in some convenient place, as hath been accustomed, or as the Ordinary shall direct: And then the Priest shall say unto her, Forasmuch, &c.
By the direction that the woman should be decently apparelled, it was originally meant that she should be veiled. This was part of the general practice of her being (in the words of the Bishops at the Savoy Conference), 'perspicuous to the whole congregation.' And although the custom of veiling cannot be revived, yet its principle of marking the individual should be borne in mind in the arrangement of the Service, as e.g. placing the woman in a special place.
The convenient or proper place in which the woman was to kneel, was 'near the church door' in the ancient English use, 'near the choir door' in the Prayer-Book of 1549, 'nigh unto the place where the Table standeth' in the book of 1552. The words 'as hath been accustomed' refer to the one of these usages which has survived, and been adhered to, in any old church. The place at the altar rails was approved by the Bishops at the Savoy Conference, in regard of the offering she is there to make. The Priest, in all cases, should stand by her—i.e. near to, and in front of, her.
He is to say to her the Address and the Psalm. The congregation should not join in the latter. Care must be taken not to replace from an ordinary Psalter the verses omitted from the 116th Psalm.
In cases where the new-born child has died, it is better to use the 116th Psalm.
276. (Then shall the Priest say the cxvith Psalm,)
277. Or Psalm cxxvii.
278. Then the Priest shall say,
Let us pray. Lord, have mercy, &c.
The Priest may at this point properly turn to look eastward.