LIBRARY ST. MARY'S COLLEGE
The LITANY to be said or sung in the midst of the
CHURCH.* The PRIEST goeth from out of his seat into
the Body of the CHURCH, and (at a low desk hefore the
Chancel door, called the F aid-stool,) kneels, and says or
sings the LITANY. See the Prophet Joel, chap. ii. 1 7.
* Injunct. Elizab. XVIII. A. D. 1555. Spar. Artie, p. 33. Cardwell's Docu-
mentary Annals, X. p. 46. vol. I. Bishop Andrewes' Notes upon the Liturgy,
p. 23 at the end of Nichols on the Common Prayer.
O - : - O
1 RATIONALE
BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER
CHURCH OF ENGLAND,
BY ANTHONY SPARROW, D.D.
C>
SOMETIME LORD BISHOP OF NORWICH.
A NEW EDITION.
118619
OXFORD :
JOHN HENRY PARKER.
MD CC.C XL.
O O
unnanv cr RflftRV'C C(\\ \ FF
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EDITOR'S PREFACE.
NTHONY SPARROW, Bishop suc-
cessively of Exeter and Norwich,
was born at Depden in Suffolk, and was
educated at Queen's College, Cambridge, of
which Society he became scholar and fellow.
In 1643 he was ejected, with the rest of
the body, for their loyalty to King Charles
in refusing the Covenant. Soon afterwards
he accepted the Rectory of Hawkenden in
his own county, but was again ejected,
when he had held it only five weeks, for
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ii EDITOR'S PREFACE.
reading the Common Prayer. It was during
this sorrowful time, in the year 1657, when
the enemies of the Church were triumphant,
that he published the work now presented
to the Christian Reader. On the Restoration
he was reinstated in his living, elected one
of the Preachers at St. Edmond's Bury, and
promoted to the Archdeaconry of Sudbury,
and a Prebendal Stall in the Church of Ely.
While in possession of his living he expended
a considerable sum of money upon it, and
he resigned it, together with his Preacher-
ship, in 1662, on his being elected Master
of Queen's College. On November 3, 1667,
he was consecrated Bishop of Exeter, and
on the death of Dr. Reynolds in 1676 was
translated to the See of Norwich, where he
died in 1688. Besides his Rationale, he is
known as the Author of a Collection of Ar-
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EDITOR'S PREFACE. iii
tides, Canons, &c. of the English Church, a
work which made its first appearance in 1671.
The present Edition is printed from that of
1684, the last which appeared in the Author's
lifetime ; in which, however, he did not think
i
it neccessary to altjir the Rubrics and Collects
as they stood when it was first published,
according to the revised Prayer Book put
forth by authority of Convocation in 1661.
These neccessary substitutions have here been
made ; the older forms being added at the foot
of the page.
The references have all been verified with
great care and exactness by the Rev. GEORGE
BERKELEY, of Pembroke College, and Curate
of St. Aldate's, to whom the Edition is other-
wise much indebted.
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iv EDITOR'S PREFACE.
The Reader will find one or two historical
inaccuracies on the part of Bishop Sparrow
in the course of the volume, which however
are not of consequence enough to require
more than this passing allusion ; such as the
ascription of the Te Deum to St. Ambrose,
the Creed of St. Athanasius to the Father
whose name it bears.
J. H. N.
ORIEL COLLEGE,
September 6, 1839.
O O
PREFACE.
HE present age pretends so great
love to reason, that this RATIONALE
may, even for its name, hope for acceptation ;
which it will the sooner have, if the Reader
! know that the Author vents it not for a
j full and just, much less a public and au-
thentic piece, but as his own private Essay,
(wholly submitted to the censure of our holy
mother the Church, and the reverend Fathers
of the same,) and composed on purpose to
keep some from moving that way, which, it
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Vi PREFACE.
is feared some will say it leads to. The
Author's design was not by rhetoric first to
court the affections, and then by their help
to carry the understanding ; but quite con-
trary, by reason to work upon the judgment,
and leave that to deal with the affections.
The poor Liturgy suffers from two ex-
tremes ; one sort say sit is old superstitious
Roman dotage ; the other, it is schismatically
new. This book endeavours to shew par-
ticularly, what Bishop Jewel says in general ; a
I. That it is agreeable to PRIMITIVE USAGE,
and so, not novel. II. That it is A REASON-
ABLE SERVICE, and so not superstitious. As
for those that love it, and suffer for the
love of it, this will shew them reasons why
they should suffer on, and love it still more
a Juell. Apoll. p. !$<;. Lond. 1692.
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PREFACE. Vli
and more. To end, if the Reader will cast
his eye upon the sad confusions in point of
prayer, (wherein are such contradictions made
as God Almighty cannot grant,) and lay
them as rubbish under these fundamental
considerations ; first, how many set forms (of
petition, blessing, and praise) be recorded in
the Old and New Testament, used both in
the Church militant and triumphant ; secondly,
how much of the Liturgy is very Scripture ;
thirdly, how admirable a thing Unity, (unity
in time, form, &c.) is ; fourthly, how many
millions of poor souls are in the world, ig-
norant, infirm by nature, age, accidents, (as
blindness, deafness, loss of speech, &c.) which
respectively may receive help by set forms,
but cannot so well (or not at all) by extem-
porary voluntary effusions, and then upon all
these will build what he reads in this book ;
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Viii PREFACE.
he will, if not be convinced to join in com-
munion with, yet perhaps be so sweetened
as more readily to pardon those who, still
abiding in their former judgments, and being
more confirmed hereby, do use THE ANCIENT
FORM.
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CONTENTS.
Page
Advent Sundays 90
All Saints 190
Ascension Day 149
Ash Wednesday 1 1 6
Baptism 228
Burial of the Dead 281
Caution Sermon 341
Chancels, Altars, Fashion of Churches 299
Christmas Day 93
Churching of Women 285
Circumcision, Feast of 101
Collects from Septuagesima to Easter 128
Commemorations, Synodals, Pye, &c 336
Commination 291
Communion Service 191
of the Sick 266
Confirmation 244
Conversion of St. Paul 183
Daily saying Morning and Evening Prayers 3
Dedication of Churches and Chapels 293
Divine Service may be said privately 308
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CONTENTS.
Page
Easter 130
Ember Week 1 18
Epiphany 105
Good Friday 127
Gunpowder Treason 326
Holy Days 82
King Charles' Birth 333
Martyrdom 329
Lent 113
Matins, or Morning Service 12
Matrimony 254
Maunday Thursday 125
Ornaments to he used 310
Priest, the word 312
Private Baptism 242
Purification of the Virgin Mary 184
Septuagesima Sunday u i
Sexagesima and Quinquagesima Sundays 112
St. Stephen, St. John, Innocents 97
St. Andrew 183
St. Philip and St. James 186
St. John Baptist 189
St. Michael 190
Translation of Psalms 317
Trinity Sunday 1 65
Visitation of the Sick 262
Whitsunday 157
THE COMPILERS OF
THE COMMON PRAYER BOOK
OF THE
CHURCH OF ENGLAND
WERE
DR. CRANMER, Archbishop of Canterbury.
DR. GOODRICK, Bishop of Ely.
DR. SKIP, Bishop of Hereford.
DR. THIRLBY, Bishop of Westminster.
DR. DAY Bishop of Chichester.
DR. HOLBECK, Bishop of Lincoln.
DR. RIDLEY, Bishop of Rochester.
DR. MAY, Dean of St. Paul's.
DR. TAYLOR, Dean of Lincoln.
DR. HEYNES, Dean of Exeter.
DR. REDMAN, Dean of Westminster.
DR. COX, King Edward's Almoner.
DR. M. ROBINSON, Archdeacon of Leicester.
Mense Maio, 1549.
Anno Regni Edwardi Sexti tertio.
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Hardly can the pride of those that study novelties
allow former times any share or degree of wis-
dom or godliness. "KiNG CHARLES, Medita-
tion xvi. upon the Ordinance against the Book
of Common Prayer in his EIKflN BA2." p. 93.
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SHORT RATIONALE
UPON THE
BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER.
HHHE Common Prayer Book contains in it many
J- Holy Offices of the Church ; as Prayers, Confes-
sion of Faith, Holy Hymns, Divine Lessons, Priestly
Absolutions, and Benedictions; all which are set
and prescribed, not left to private men's fancies, to
make or alter. So was it of old ordained,* "It
is ordained that the prayers, prefaces, imposi-
tions of hands, which are confirmed by the Synod,
be observed and used by all men." These and no
a Con. Carth. Ca
ap. Balsamon. p. 716.
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I
2 RATIONALE ON THE COMMON PRAYER.
other. So is our English canon. b The council of
Milevis gives the reason of this constitution,
" Lest through ignorance or carelessness, any thing
contrary to the faith should be vented or uttered
before God, or offered up to Him in the church."
And as these offices are set and prescribed, so
are they moreover appointed to be one and the
same throughout the whole national Church. So
was it of old ordained. d "That all governors of
Churches, and their people, should observe one
and the same rite and order of service, which they
knew to be appointed in the metropolitan see."
The same is ordered in the 2nd Council of Braga, e
and at the 4th Council of Toledo/ " It is appointed
that one and the same order of praying and singing
be observed by us all ; and that there should not be
variety of usages by them that are bound to the same
faith, and live in the same dominion. This for
conformity's sake, that according to Divine Canon,
" we may with one mind and one mouth glorify
God."*
J> Can. xiii. Due celebration of Sundays and holydays.
c Can, xii. torn. ii. p. 1540. d Cone. Tolet.xi. Can. iii. torn vi. p. 546.
e Can. i. torn, v. p. 840. f Can. ii. torn. v. p. 1704. gRom.xv.6.
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OF DAILY SATING OP
MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER.
ALL PRIESTS SHALL BE BOUND TO SAY DAILY
THE MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER. h The end
of the preface before the service, Rubric 2.
So was it of old ordered in the Church of
Christ. 1 And this is agreeable to God's own law.
" Thou shalt offer upon the altar two lambs of the
first year, day by day continually ; the one lamb in
the morning, the other at evening." k Besides the
daily private devotions of every pious soul, and
the more solemn sacrifices upon the three great
feasts of the year; Almighty God requires a
daily public worship, a continual burnt offering,
every day, morning and evening. "Teaching us
by this," saith St. Chrysostom, " that God must be
worshipped daily when the day begins, and when
h And all Priests and Deacons are to say daily the Morning and Evening
Prayer, either privately or openly, not being let by sickness, or some other
urgent cause.
i S. Chrysostom. Hom.vi. i ep. ad Tim. cap. ii. tom.xi. p. 579. Clement-
Constit. 1.11. cap.xxxix. Pat. Apost. Coteler. torn. i. p. 254.
k Exod. xxix. 38, 39.
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4 RATIONALE ON THE COMMON PRAYER.
it ends, and every day must be a kind of holy day."
Thus it was commanded under the law : and
certainly we Christians are as much at least obliged
to God, as the Jews were; our grace is greater,
our promises clearer, and therefore our righteous-
ness should every way exceed theirs, our homage
to Almighty God should be paid as frequently at
least. Morning and evening, to be sure, God expects
from us as well as from the Jews, a public worship ;
" a sweet savour," or, " savour of rest," as it is in
the Hebrew; 1 without which God Almighty will
not rest satisfied.
This public service and worship under the law
was appointed by God Himself, both formatter and
manner of performance," 1 but under the Gospel,
our Lord hath appointed only the materials and
essentials of His public worship: in general,
prayers, thanksgivings, confessions, lauds, hymns,
and eucharistical sacrifices are commanded to
be offered up in the name of Christ; in the
virtue and merits of that Immaculate Lamb, whereof
the other was but a type, and for whose sake alone
that was accepted : but for the manner and order
of His public worship, for the method of offering
up prayers or praises, and the like, our Lord hath
not so particularly determined how, but hath left
that to be ordered and appointed by those to
whom He said at His departure out of this world,
1 Num. xxviii. 6. m Exod. xxix. 38.
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MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER. 5
" As My Father sent Me, so send I you," n to govern
the Church in His absence, viz. the Apostles, and
their successors in the Apostolic Commission. And
therefore, the public prayers of the Church are
called the Apostles' Prayers. The disciples are
commended there for " continuing in the Apostles
doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and
prayers." And therefore St. Paul writes to Timothy,
the bishop and governor of the Church of Ephesus,
to take care that prayers and supplications be made
for all men; especially for kings, &c. p And
concerning the manner of celebrating the holy
Eucharist, St. Paul gives some directions, and
adds, "The rest will I set in order when I come." q
And, " let all things," 1 i. e. all your public services,
for of those he treats in the chapter at large,
"be done decently and Kara rdgiv," according to
Ecclesiastical Law and Canon.
The service and worship of God thus prescribed,
according to our Lord's general rules, by those to
whom He hath left a commission and power to
order and govern His Church, is the right public
service and worship of God, commanded by Himself
in His law ; for though God hath not immediately
and particularly appointed this public worship, yet
He hath in general commanded a public worship in
the second commandment. For where it is said,
" Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship
n John xx. 21. o Acts ii. 43. p I Tim. ii. 1,2. qiCor.xi.34. r i Cor.siv.4o.
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6 RATIONALE ON THE COMMON PRAYER.
them -, " by the rule of contraries, we are commanded
to bow down to God, and worship Him. A public
worship then God must have, by His own command ;
and the governors of the Church have prescribed
this form of worship for that public service and
worship of God in this Church, which being so
prescribed, becomes God's service and worship by
His own law, as well as the lamb was His
sacrifice. 8
For the clear understanding of this, we must
know that some laws of God do suppose some
human act to pass and intervene, before they
actually bind ; which act of man being once passed,
they bind immediately. For example, " Thou shalt
not steal," is God's law, which law cannot bind
actually, till men be possessed of some goods and
property ; which property is not usually determined
by God Himself immediately,' but by the laws of
him, to whom He hath given authority to determine
it. God hath given the earth to the children of
men, as He gave Canaan to the Israelites in general ;
but men cannot say this is mine, till human laws
or acts determine the property; as the Israelites
could not claim a property on this or that side
Jordan, till Moses had assigned them their several
portions, but when their portions were so assigned,
they might say this is mine, by God's as well as
man's law; and he that took away their right,
s Exod.xxix.s8, 39
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MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER. 7
sinned not only against man's, but God's law too,
that says, " Thou shalt not steal." In like manner
God hath in general commanded a public worship
and service, but hath not, under the Gospel, assigned
the particular form and method; that He hath left
to His ministers and delegates, the governors of the ;
Church, to determine agreeable to His general rules ;
which being so determined, is God's service and
worship not only by human, but even by Divine
law also : and all other public sendees whatsoever,
made by private men, to whom God hath given
no such commission, are strange worship, 1 because \
not commanded; for example, as under thje !
law, when God had appointed a lamb for a !
burnt offering, 11 that alone was the right daily i
worship, the " savour of rest," because commanded, |
and all other sacrifices whatsoever, offered up in j
the place of that, though of far more value and
price than a lamb, suppose twenty oxen, would
have been strange sacrifice: so now the public
worship of God prescribed, as we have said, by those i
to whom He hath given commission, is the only
true and right public worship ; and all other forms
and methods offered up instead of that, though
never so exactly drawn, are strange worship, because i
not commanded. It is not the elegancy of the ;
phrase, nor the fineness of the composition, that
makes it acceptable to God, as His worship and |
t Lev. x.i. u Exod.xxix.
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8 RATIONALE ON THE COMMON PRAYER.
service; but obedience is the thing accepted.
" Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to
hearken than the fat of rams." w
This holy sendee offered up to God by the priest,
in the name of the Church, is far more acceptable
to Almighty God than the devotions of any private
man.
For, first, it is the service of the whole Church,
which, every man that holds communion with that
Church, hath consented to, and said, Amen : and
agreed that it should be offered up to God by the
priest in the name of the Church, and, " if what any
two of you shall agree to ask upon earth, it shall
be granted; 1 " how much more, what is asked
of God or offered up to God by the common
vote and joint desire of the whole body of the
Church !
Besides, this public sendee and worship of God
is commanded by God, i. e. by those whom He hath
empowered to command and appoint it, to be offered
up to Him in the behalf of the Church, and there-
fore must needs be most acceptable to Him, which
is so appointed by Him; for what He commands
He accepts most certainly. Private devotions and
sendees of particular men, which are offered by
themselves, for themselves, are sometimes accepted,
sometimes refused by God, according as the persons
are affected to vice or virtue; but this public
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MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER. 9
worship is like that lamb y commanded to be offered
by the priest for others, for the Church, and there-
fore accepted, whatsoever the priest be that offers
it up. And therefore King David prays, " Let the
lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice," 2
i. e. as surely accepted as that evening sacrifice
of the lamb, which no indevotion or sin of the
priest could hinder, but that it was most certainly
accepted for the Church, because commanded to
be offered for the Church. 8
This public service is accepted of God, not only
for those that are present, and say Amen to it ; but
for all those that are absent upon just cause, even
for all that do not renounce communion with it
and the Church ; for it is the common service of
them all, commanded to be offered up in the names
of them all, and agreed to by all of them to be
offered up for them all, and therefore is accepted
for all them, though presented to God by the priest
alone, as the lamb offered up to God by the priest b
was the sacrifice of the whole congregation of the
children of Israel, "a sweet smelling savour, a
savour of rest," to pacify God Almighty daily, and
to continue His favour to them, and make Him
dwell with them. c
Good reason therefore it is, that this sweet
y Exod. xxix. a Psalm cxli. 9. a S.Cliiysostom. Hotn. in Psalm
cxl. torn. v. p. 430. B. C. D. b Exod. xxix. c Exod. xxix.42. 45.
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IO RATIONALE ON THE COMMON PRAYER.
smelling savour should be daily offered up to God
morning and evening, whereby God may be
pacified and invited to dwell amongst His people.
And whatsoever the world think, thus to be the
Lord's remembrancers, putting Him in mind of the
people's wants, d " being as it were the angels of
the Lord," interceding for the people, and carrying
up the daily prayers of the Church in their behalf,
is one of the most useful and principal parts of the
Priest's office. So St. Paul tells us, who in the I Ep.
to Tim. chap. ii. exhorts Bishop Timothy, that
he should take care first of all that this holy
service be offered up to God. " I exhort first of
all, that prayers and supplications, intercessions
and giving of thanks be made for all men; for
kings," &c, " What is the meaning," says St. Chry-
sostom, " of this 'first of all ?' I will that this holy
service be offered up daily, and the faithful know how
we observe this rule of St. Paul, offering up daily this
holy sacrifice morning and evening." e St. Paul in the
first chapter of this Epistle, at ver 18. had charged
his son Timothy to " war a good warfare, to hold
faith and a good conscience;" and presently adds, " I
exhort therefore, that first of all, prayers, &c. be
made." As if he had said, you cannot possibly hold
faith and a good conscience in your pastoral office,
unless " first of all," you be careful to make and offer
d Isai. Ixii. e S. Chrysostom. Hom.vi.i Ep.ad Tim. cap. ii. tom.xi. p. 579. A.
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MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER. II
up prayers, &c. For this is the first thing to be done,
and most highly to be regarded by you. Preaching
is a very useful part of the Priest's office ; and St.
Paul exhorts Timothy to " preach the word, be
instant in season, out of season," f and the more
because he was a Bishop, and to plant and water
many Churches in the infancy of Christianity
among many seducers and temptations: but yet
" first of all" he exhorts, that this daily office of pre-
senting prayers to the throne of grace in the behalf
of the Church be carefully looked to. This charge
of St. Paul to Timothy holy Church here lays
upon all those that are admitted into that holy
office of the ministry, that they should offer up to
God this holy sacrifice of prayers, praises, and
thanksgivings ; this " savour of rest," daily, morn-
ing and evening. And would all those whom it
concerns look well to this part of their office, I
should not doubt but that God would be as
gracious and bountiful to us in the performance
of this sendee, as He promised to be to the Jews
in the offering of the lamb morning and evening. g
He would meet us and speak with us, that is,
graciously answer our petitions ; He would dwell
with us and be our God, and we should know, by
comfortable experiments of His great and many
blessings, that He is the Lord our God.
f 2 Timothy iv. a. g Exodus xxix. 43,44.
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OF THE MATINS,
OR
MORNING SERVICE.
THE Matins and Evensong, begin with one
sentence 11 of holy Scripture, after which follows
the Exhortation, declaring to the people the
end of their public meeting; namely, TO CONFESS
THEIR SINS, TO RENDERTHANKS ToGoD,TO SET
FORTH HlS PRAISE, TO HEAR HlS HOLY WORD,
AND TO ASK THOSE THINGS THAT BE NECESSARY
AS WELL FOR THE BODY AS THE SOUL. All this
is to prepare their hearts, which it does most
excellently, to the performance of these holy duties
with devotion, according to the counsel of Ecclus.
xviii. 23. "Before thou prayest prepare thyself,
and be not as one that tempteth God." To which
agrees that of Ecclesiastes v. 2. " Be not hasty to
utter any thing before God ; for God is in heaven,
and thou upon earth."
OF CONFESSION.
The Priest and the people, being thus prepared,
make their confession, which is to be done with
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OF THE CONFESSION, 13
AN HUMBLE VOICE, as it is in the exhortation.
3ur Church's direction in this particular is grave
and conform to ancient rules. The 6th Council
f Const, (in Trullo, l ) forbids all disorderly and rude
'ociferation in the execution of holy services ', and St.
Uyprian k advises thus; "Let our speech and
voice in prayer be with discipline, still and modest :
et us consider that we stand in the presence of
Giod, who is to be pleased both with the habit and
posture of our body, and manner of our speech :
for as it is a part of impudence to be loud and
clamorous, so on the contrary it becomes modesty
to pray with an humble voice."
We begin our service with confession of sins,
and so was the use in St. Basil's time. 1 And that
very orderly. For before we beg any thing else, or
ofter up any praise or lauds to God, it is fit we
should confess and beg pardon of our sins, which
hinder God's acceptation of our services. "If I
regard iniquity in mine heart, the Lord will not
hear me." m
" This confession is to be said by the whole con-
gregation," says the Rubric. And good reason. For
"could there be any thing devised better," says
Hooker, " than that we all at our first access unto
God by prayer, should acknowledge meekly our
sins ; and that not only in heart but with tongue ;
all that are present being made earnest witnesses
i Can. Ixxv. torn. vi. p. 1176. k De Oratione Dominica, p. 140.
1 Ep.ccvii.cap.s.B. tom.iii. p. 311. m Psalm Ixvi.iS.
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14 THE ABSOLUTION.
even of every man's distinct and deliberate assent to
each particular branch of a common indictment
drawn against ourselves ? How were it possible that
the Church should any way else with such ease and
certainty provide, that none of her children may, as
Adam, dissemble that wretchedness, the penitent
confession whereof is so necessary a preamble,
especially to common prayer ? " n
THE ABSOLUTION.
Next follows the Absolution, to be pronounced
by the Priest alone, standing. For though the
Rubric here does not appoint this posture, yet
it is to be supposed in reason that he is to do it
here, as he is to do it in other places of the service.
And in the Rubric after the General Confession at
the communion, the Bishop or Priest is ordered to
pronounce the Absolution, standing. Besides,
reason teaches that acts of authority are not to be
done kneeling, but standing rather. And this
Absolution is an act of authority, by virtue of a
POWER AND COMMANDMENT of God TO HlS
MINISTERS, as it is in the preface of this Absolution.
And as we read, "Whose soever sins ye remit,
they are remitted." 1 * And if our confession be
serious and hearty, this Absolution is effectual,
n Hooker's Eccles. Pol. vol. 2. b. v. ch. xxxvi. . 2. p. 2co.
o The absolution, or remission of sins, to be pronounced by the priest
alone, standing ; the people still kneeling. p John xx.23.
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THE ABSOLUTION. l5
as if God did pronounce it from heaven. So
says the confession of Saxony p and Bohemia;* 1
and so says the Augustan Confession;' and, which
is more, so says St. Chrysostom, 8 "Heaven waits
and expects the Priest's sentence here on earth;
the Lord follows the servant, and what the
servant rightly binds or looses here on earth, that
the Lord confirms in heaven." The same says St.
Gregory the Great, in his Homily xxvi. 4 upon the
Gospels. "The Apostles, and in them all Priests,
were made God's vicegerents here on earth in
His name and stead to retain or remit sins." St.
Augustine and Cyprian, and generally antiquity
says the same; so does our Church in many
places, particularly in the form of Absolution
for the sick : but above all, holy Scripture is clear,
"Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted
unto them," u Which power of remitting sins" was
not to end with the Apostles, but is a part of the
ministry of reconciliation, as necessary now as it
was then, and therefore to continue as long as the
ministry of reconciliation, that is, to the end of the
world. w When therefore the Priest absolves, God
absolves, if we be truly penitent. Now this remission
of sins granted here to the Priest, to which God
hath promised a confirmation in heaven, is not the
p De Poenitentia Syll. Conf. cap.xvi. p. 351. q ch.xiv.of the keys of Christ,
p. 450. Prot. Couf. of Faith. r De Confessione, p. 163. et de Potest.
Eccles. Syll. Conf. p. 188. s Horn. v. Isa. vi. i. tom.i. p. 442. M. Ed. lat.
i * tom.iii.p.Sz.F. u John xx. 23. w Ephes. iv. la, 13.
o
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l6 THE ABSOLUTION.
act of preaching or baptizing, or admitting men to
the holy communion; for all these powers were
given before this grant was made, as you may see
St. Matt. x. 7. "As ye go, preach, saying," &c.
And St. Johniv. 2. "Though Jesus baptized not,
but His disciples." And i Cor. xi. 23. in the same
night that He was betrayed, He instituted and
delivered the Eucharist, and gave His Apostles
authority to do the like : Do this, that I have done,
bless the elements, and distribute them ; which is
plainly a power of admitting men to the holy
Eucharist. And all these powers were granted
before our Saviour's resurrection. But this power of
remitting sins,* mentioned in St. John, was not
granted (though promised ?) till now, that is, after
the resurrection ; as appears, first, by the ceremony
of breathing, signifying that then it was given ; and,
secondly, by the word " receive," used in that place, z
which He could not properly have used, if they had
been endued with this power before. Therefore the
power of remitting, which here God authorizes, and
promises certain assistance to, is neither preaching
nor baptizing, but some other way of remitting;
namely, that which the Church calls Absolution.
And if it be so, then to doubt of the effect of it,
supposing we be truly penitent, and such as God will
pardon, is to question the truth of God ; and he that
underpretence of reverence to God, denies or despises
x Johnxx.23. y Matt.xvi.ip. zJohnxx.aa.
o c
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THE ABSOLUTION. 17
this power : does injury to God in slighting His
commission, and is no better than a Novatian, says
St. Ambrose. p
After the priest hath pronounced the Absolution,
the Church seasonably prays, WHEREFORE WE
BESEECH HlM TO GRANT US TRUE REPENTANCE,
AND His HOLY SPIRIT, &c. For as repentance is
a necessary disposition to pardon, so as that neither
God will, nor man can absolve those that are
impenitent ; so is it in some parts of it a necessary
consequent of pardon; and he that is pardoned,
ought still to repent, as he that seeks a pardon.
Repentance, say divines, ought to be continual.
For whereas repentance consists of three parts, as
the Church teaches us in the Commination. I.
Contrition or lamenting of our sinful lives; II.
Acknowledging and confessing our sins ; III. An
endeavour to bring forth fruits worthy of penance,
which the ancients call satisfaction ; two of these,
contrition and satisfaction, are requisite after
pardon. The remembrance of sin though pardoned,
must always be grievous to us. For, to be pleased
with the remembrance of it, would be sin to us :
and for satisfaction or amendment of life, and
bringing forth fruits worthy of penance, that is not
only necessary after pardon, but it is the more
necessary, because of pardon, for divers reasons ;
as first, because immediately after pardon, the
p De Poenit. 1. i. cap. it. torn. ii. p. 393.
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l8 THE ABSOLUTION.
devil is most busy to tempt us to sin, that we may
thereby lose our pardon, and he may so recover
us again to his captivity, from which by pardon
we are freed : and therefore in our Lord's Prayer,
as soon as we have begged pardon, and prayed,
" Forgive us our trespasses," we are taught to pray,
" And lead us not into temptation," suffer us not
to fall into sin again: which very method Holy
Church here wisely intimates, immediately after
pardon pronounced, directing us to pray for that
part of repentance which consists in amendment of
life, and for the grace of God's Holy Spirit enabling
us thereunto. Again, repentance in this part of it,
viz. an endeavour of amendment of life, is the
more necessary upon pardon granted, because the
grace of pardon is a new obligation to live well,
and makes the sin of him that relapsed after pardon
the greater ; and therefore the pardoned had need
to pray for that part of repentance and the grace
of God's Holy Spirit, that both his present sendee
and future life may please God; that is, that he
may observe our Saviour's rule given to him that
was newly cured and pardoned by Him, that he may
go away and "sin no more, lest a worse thing
happen to him.'" 1
There be three several forms of absolution in
the service. The first is that which is used at
morning prayer. ALMIGHTY GOD, THE FATHER
q John v. 14.
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THE ABSOLUTION. Ip
OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, &c. AND HATH
GIVEN POWER AND COMMANDMENT TO HlS Ml-
NISTERS TO DECLARE AND PRONOUNCE TO HlS
PEOPLE, BEING PENITENT, THE ABSOLUTION
ANDREMISSION OFTHEIRSINS. HE PARDONETH
AND ABSOLVETH.
The second is used at the Visitation of the Sick.
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO HATH LEFT
POWERToHlsCHURCHTO ABSOLVE ALLSINNERS
WHO TRULY REPENT, OF HlS GREAT MERCY
FORGIVE THEE : AND BY HlS AUTHORITY COM-
MITTED TO ME, I ABSOLVE THEE, &C.
The third is at the Communion. ALMIGHTY
GOD OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, WHO OF HlS
GREAT MERCY HATH PROMISED FORGIVENESS OF
SINS TO ALL THEM THAT WITH HEARTY RE-
PENTANCE AND TRUE FAITH TURN UNTO HlM,
HAVE MERCY UPON YOU: PARDON AND DELIVER
YOU, &C.
All these several forms, in sense and virtue, are
the same; for as when a prince hath granted a
commission to any servant of his, to release out of
prison all penitent offenders whatsoever, it were all
one in effect, as to the prisoners' discharge, whether
this servant says, by virtue of a commission granted
to me under the prince's hand and seal, which
here I shew. I release this prisoner ; or thus, the
prince who hath given me this commission, he
pardons you; or lastly, the prince pardon and
) O
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20 THE ABSOLUTION.
deliver you, the prince then standing by and
confirming the word of his servant : so is it here all
one as to the remission of sins in the penitent,
whether the Priest absolves him after this form;
Almighty God, who hath given me and all Priests
power to pronounce pardon to the penitent, He
pardons you ; or thus, by virtue of a commission
granted to me from God, I absolve you ; or lastly,
God pardon you, namely, by me His servant,
according to His promise, " Whose sins ye remit,
they are remitted." All these are but several
expressions of the same thing, and are effectual to
the penitent by virtue of that commission mentioned
in St. John xx. " Whose sins ye remit, they are
remitted." Which commission in two of these
forms is expressed, and in the last, viz. that at the
Communion, is sufficiently implied and supposed.
For the Priest is directed, in using this form, to
stand up and turn to the people. Rubric immediately
before it. Which behaviour certainly signifies
more than a bare prayer for the people, for if it
were only a prayer for the people, he should not
be directed to stand and turn to the people when
he speaks, but to God from the people, this gesture
of standing and turning to the people signifies a
message of God to the people by the mouth of His
Priest, a part of His ministry of reconciliation,
a solemn application of pardon to the penitent by
God's Minister, and is in sense thus much,
o <
i O
THE ABSOLUTION. 21
Almighty God pardon you by me. Thus the Greek
Church, from whom this form is borrowed, uses to
express it and explain it: Almighty God pardon
you by me, His unworthy servant; or, Lord,
pardon him, for Thou hast said, " Whose sins ye
remit, they are remitted : " sometimes expressing,
always including God's commission. So then in
which form soever of these the Absolution be
pronounced, it is in substance the same ; an act of
authority by virtue of Christ's commission, effectual
to remission of sins in the penitent.
Of all these forms, the last, in the Communion
service, was most used in primitive times by the
Greek and Latin Church, and scarce any other
form is to be found in their rituals or ecclesiastical
history till about four hundred years since, say
some learned men, but what then ? is another form
unlawful ? Hath not the Church power to vary the
expression, and to signify Christ's power granted to
her, provided the expression and words be agreeable
to the sense of that commission ? But it may easily
be shewn that those other forms are not novelties.
For even of old in the Greek Church there was
used as full a form as any the Church of England
uses : it is true it was not written, nor set down in
their rituals, but delivered from hand to hand down
to these times, and constantly used by them in
their private absolutions. For when the penitent
came to the spiritual man, (so they called their
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22 THE LORD'S PRAYER.
confessor,) for absolution, entreating him in their
vulgar language, HapaKa\a> va pov o-vyxcap^oT/y, I
beseech you, sir, absolve me: the confessor or
spiritual man, if he thought him fit for pardon,
answered, c^co a-e (rvyKex^prj^fvov, I absolve thee.
See Arcudius 1 and Goar in his Euchologion, *
where you may find instances of forms of Abso-
lution as full as any the Church of England uses.
THE LORD'S PRAYER.
mHEN foUows the Lord's Prayer. The Church
J- of Christ did use to begin and end her sendees
with the Lord's Prayer, this being the foundation
upon which all other prayers should be built,
therefore we begin with it; that so the right
foundation being laid, we may justly proceed to
our ensuing requests ; l and it being the perfection
of all prayer, therefore we conclude our prayers
with it. u Let no man therefore quarrel with the
Church's frequent use of the Lord's Prayer. For
the Church Catholic ever did the same. Besides,
if we hope to have our prayers accepted of the
Father only for His Son's sake, why should we not
hope to have them most speedily accepted, when
they are offered up in His Son's own words ?
Both in this place and other parts of the service
r De Poenitentia, 1. iv. cap. ii. p. 370. s Oratio super Poenitentes, p. 673. !
t Tertullian. de Oratione, cap. ix. x. p. 154,3. D. A.B. u S. August. Epist.
cxlix. cap. ii. torn. ii. p. 509. C.
Q O
3 O
THE LORD'S PRAYER. 23
where the Lord's Prayer is appointed to be used,
the Doxology, " For Thine is the kingdom" &c., is
left out. 1 The reason is given by learned men,
because the Doxology is no part of our Lord's
Prayer. For though in St. Matt. vi. 13. it be added
in our usual copies, yet in the most ancient manu-
scripts it is not to be found, no nor in St. Luke's
copy, y and therefore is thought to be added by the
Greek Church, who indeed use it in their Liturgies,
(as the Jews before them did,) but divided from the
prayer as if it were no part of it. The Latin Church
generally say it as this Church does, without the
Doxology, following St. Luke's copy, who setting
down our Lord's Prayer exactly, with this introduc-
tion, when you pray say, not " after this manner,"
as St. Matthew hath it, but say, " Our Father," &c.
leaves out the Doxology, and certainly it can be no
just matter of offence to any reasonable man, that
the Church uses that form which St. Luke tells us
was exactly the prayer of our Lord.
In some places, especially among those Ejacu-
lations which the Priest and people make in
course, the people are to say the last words
" But deliver us from evil, Amen." That so they
may not be interrupted from still bearing a part,
and especially in so Divine a prayer as this, thereby
giving a fuller testification of their concurrence
and communion.
x In the present Book the Doxology is used here. y Luke xi.
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24 THE VERSES.
Then follow the verses,
" O Lord, open Thou our lips."
" And our mouth shall shew forth Thy praise," &c.
This is a most wise order of the Church in
assigning this place to these verses ; namely, before
the Psalms, Lessons, and Collects, and yet after
the Confession and Absolution; insinuating that
our mouths are silenced only by sin, and opened
only by God. And therefore when we meet
together in the habitation of God's honour, the
Church, to be thankful to Him, and speak good
of His name, we must crave of God Almighty first
pardon of our sins, and then that He would put a
new song in our mouths, that they may shew forth
His praise. And because without God's grace we
can do nothing, and because the devil is then most
busy to hinder us, when we are most desirously
bent to serve God: therefore follow immediately
those short and passionate ejaculations : " O LORD
OPEN THOU OUR LIPS, O GOD MAKE SPEED TO
SAVE US !"
"Which verses are a most excellent defence
" against all incursions and invasions of the devil,
" against all unruly affections of human nature ; for
" it is a prayer, and an earnest one, to God for His
" help, an humble acknowledgment of our own
" inability to live without Him a minute. O God
" make haste to help us ! If any be ready to faint
" and sink with sorrow, this raises him, by telling
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THE DOXOLOGY. 25
" him that God is at hand to help us. If any be apt
" to be proud of spiritual success, this is fit to
" humble him, by minding him that he cannot live
" a moment without Him. It is fit for every man in
" every state, degree, or condition. "says Cassianus.*
The Doxology follows ; GLORY BE TO THE
FATHER, &c. which is the Christian's both hymn
and shorter creed. For what is the sum of the
Christian's faith but the mystery of the Holy
Trinity, God the Father, Son, and Holy -Ghost,
which neither Jew nor Pagan, but only the
Christian believes, and in this Doxology professes
against all heretics old and new? And as it is a
short creed, so it is also a most excellent hymn;
for the glory of God is the end of our creation, and
should be the aim of all our services ; whatsoever
we do, should be done to the glory of that God the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost : and this is all that
we can either by word or deed give to God, namely,
Glory. Therefore this hymn fitly serves to close
any of our religious services, our praises, prayers,
thanksgivings, confessions of sins or faith. Since
all these we do to glorify God, it cannot be
unfitting to close with "Glory be to God the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." It cannot easily be
expressed how useful this Divine hymn is upon all
occasions. If God Almighty send us prosperity,
what can we better return Him, than Glory? If
x Collatio, 1. x. cap. x. De Oratione, p. $41-1.
o : o
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26 THE VENITE.
He sends adversity, it still befits us to say, " Glory
be to," &c. Whether we receive good, or whether
we receive evil at the hands of God, we cannot
say a better grace than " Glory be to the Father,"
&c. In a word, we cannot better begin the day
when we awake, nor conclude the day when we
go to sleep, than by " Glory be to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost." Then the
Hallelujah, or PRAISE YE THE LORD; of which
St. Augustine says, "There is nothing that more
soundly delights, than the praise of God, and a
continual Hallelujah." y
THE VENITE.
O COME LET US SING UNTO THE LORD.
THIS is an invitatory psalm ; for herein we do
mutually invite and call upon one another being
come before His presence, to sing to the Lord, to
set forth His praises, to hear His voice, as with joy
and cheerfulness, so with that reverence that
becomes His infinite Majesty, worshipping, falling
down, and kneeling before Him, using all humble
behaviour in each part of His service and worship .
prescribed to us by His Church. And needful it I
is that the Church should call upon us for this I
duty, for most of us forget the Psalmist's counsel, |
y In P. exlviii. torn. iii. p. 1672. et Horn, ccclxii. cap. xxviii. torn. 5. p. 1435. ;
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3- O
THE PSALMS. 27
"To give unto the Lord the glory due unto His
Name/' 8 Into His courts we come, before the
presence of the Lord of the whole arth, and forget
to worship Him in the beauty of holiness.
THE PSALMS.
rflHE Psalms follow, which the Church appoints
I TO BE READ OVER EVERY MONTH, oftcner than
any other part of Holy Scripture : so was it of old
ordained, saith St. Chrysostom. " All Christians
" exercise themselves in David's Psalms oftener than
" in any other part of the Old or New Testament.
" Moses the great lawgiver that saw God face to
" face, and wrote a book of the creation of the
" world, is scarce read over once a year. The
" Holy Gospels, where the miracles of Christ are
" preached, where God converses with man, where
" death is destroyed, the devils cast out, the lepers
" cleansed, the blind restored to sight; where the
" thief is placed in Paradise, and the harlot made
" purer than the stars, where the waters of Jordan
" are consecrated to the sanctification of souls,
" where is the food of immortality, the holy
" Eucharist, and the words of life, holy precepts,
" and precious promises, those we read over once
" or twice a week. What shall I say of blessed
a Psalm xcvi. 8.
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28 THE PSALMS.
Paul, Christ's orator, the fisher of the world, who
" by his fourteen Epistles, those spiritual nets,
" hath caught men to salvation, who was caught
" up into the third heaven, and heard and saw
" such mysteries as are not to be uttered ? him we
" read twice in the week. We get not his Epistles
" by heart, but only attend to them while they are
" reading. But for holy David's Psalms, the grace
" of the Holy Spirit hath so ordered it, that they
" should be said or sung night and day. In the
" Church's vigils, the first, the midst, and the last, are
" David's Psalms : in the morning David's Psalms
" are sought for, and the first, the midst, and the last
" is David. And in funeral solemnities the first,
" the midst, and the last is David. In private
" houses where the virgins spin, the first, the midst,
" and the last is David : O thing unheard of ! Many
" that know not a letter, can say David's Psalms
" by heart : in the monasteries, the quires of
" heavenly hosts, the first, the midst, and the last
" is David : in the deserts where men that have
" crucified the world to themselves converse with
t( God, the first, the midst, and the last is David.
" In the night, when men are asleep, David awakes
" them up to sing ; and gathering the servants of
" God into angelical troops, turns earth into
" heaven, and makes angels of men, singing David's
" Psalms." b The holy Gospels and Epistles contain
b De Poenitentia, Horn. VI. torn. v. p. 85. ed. Lat.
o'
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THE PSALMS. 2p
indeed the words of eternal life, words by which
we must be saved : and therefore should be sweeter
to us than honey or the honey-comb, more precious
than gold, yea than much fine gold ; but they are
not of so continual use as David's Psalms, which
are digested forms of prayers, thanksgivings, praises,
confessions ; and adorations, fit for every temper
and every time. Here the penitent hath a form
of confession, he that hath received a benefit, hath
a thanksgiving; he that is in any kind of need,
bodily or ghostly, hath a prayer; all have lauds,
and all may adore the several excellencies of
Almighty God in David's forms : and these a man
may safely use, being composed by the Spirit of
God, which cannot err : whereas other books of
prayers and devotions are, for the most part,
composed by private men, subject to error and
mistake, whose fancies, sometimes wild ones, are
commended to us for matter of devotion, and we
may be taught to blaspheme, while we intend to
adore ; or at least, to abuse our devotion when we
approach to the throne of grace, and offer up an
unclean beast instead of an holy sacrifice. May
we not think that this amongst others hath been a
cause of the decay of right and true devotion
in these latter days, namely, the neglect of this
excellent book, and preferring men's fancies before
it? I deny not but that Collects and other parts
of devotion which the consentient testimony anc
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30 THE PSALMS.
constant practice of the Church have commended
to us may, and especially the most Divine prayer
of our Lord, ought to be used by us in our private
devotion; but I would not have David's Psalms
disused, but used frequently, and made as they
were by Athanasius and St. Jerome, a great, if not
the greatest part of our private devotions, which
we may offer up to God as with more safety, so
with more confidence of acceptation, being the
inspiration of that Holy Spirit of God, who, when
we know not what to say, helps our infirmities both
with words and affections. If any man thinks
these Psalms too hard for him to understand, and
apply to his several needs, let him make trial
awhile, and spend that time in them, which he
spends in human compositions; let him study
them as earnestly as he does books of less concern ;
let him pray the Holy Spirit that made them, to
open his eyes, to see the admirable use of them ;
let him entreat holy and learned guides of souls to
direct him in the use of them, and by the " grace
" of God, in the frequent use of them, he may attain
" to the primitive fervour, and come to be a man,
" as holy David was, after God's own heart."
"In the morning," saith St. Jerome, "at the
" third, sixth, and ninth hour; in the evening at
" midnight David's Psalms are sung over in order,
c Rom. viii. 26.
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THE PSALMS. 3!
" and none of the sisters are suffered to be ignorant
" of David's Psalms." d
The Psalms we sing or say by course, "The
" Priest one verse, and the people another ; or else
" one side of the quire one verse, and the other
" side another," according to the ancient practice
of the Greek and Latin Church. e And according
to the pattern set us by the angels, f who sing one
to another, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY. These reasons
may be given for this manner of singing by
course.
First, that we may thus in a holy emulation
contend, who shall serve God most affectionately,
which our Lord seeing and hearing, is not a little
pleased. g
Secondly, that one relieving another we may not
grow weary of our service. 11
When we say or sing these Psalms, we are wont
to stand ; by the erection of our bodies expressing
the elevation or lifting up of our souls to God,
while we are serving Him in these holy employ-
ments.
At the end of every psalm, and of all the hymns,
(except Te Deum, which because it is nothing else
almost, but this, " glory be to the Father," &c.
d Ep. Ixxxvi. in Epitaph. Paul. torn. iv. pt. ii. p.68a. e Socr. Eccles.
Hist. l.vi. cap viii. p. 313. D Theodoret. Eccles. Hist. 1. ii. cap. xxiv.
p. 107. D S. Basil. Ep. ccvii. torn. iii. p. 311. B. f Isaiah vi. 3. g Ter-
tullian. ad Uxorem, 1. ii. cap. viii p. 191. D. h S . August. De Confers. 1. ix.
cap. vii.toin. i. p. 162. F.
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32 THE PSALMS.
enlarged, hath not this Doxology added,) we say or
sing, " GLORY BE TO THE FATHER, AND TO THE
SON, AND TO THE HOLY GHOST ;" which was the
use of the ancient Church, never quarrelled at by
any till Arius, who, being pressed with this usage
as an argument against his heresy of making the
Son inferior to the Father, laboured to corrupt this
versicle, saying, "Glory be to the Father by
the Son in the Holy Ghost." 8 The Church on the
contrary was careful to maintain the ancient usage,
adding on purpose against Arius, "As IT WAS IN
THEBEGINNING,ISNOW,ANDEVER SHALL BE." b
Now if this joyful hymn of glory have any use
in the Church of God, can we place it more fitly
than where it now serves as a close and a conclu-
sion to psalms and hymns, whose proper subject
and almost only matter, is a dutiful acknowledg-
ment of God's excellency and glory by occasion of
special effects ?
As an hymn of glory is fit to conclude the Psalms,
so especially this Christian hymn, wherein as Chris-
tians, not as Jews and Pagans, we glorify God the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; by which Christian
conclusion of David's Psalms, we do, as it were,
fit this part of the Old Testament for the service of
God under the Gospel, and make them evangelical
offices.
a Theodoret. Hist. Eccles. 1. xi. cap. xxiv. p. 106. B. b Cone. Vasio. n.
Can. v. torn. iv. p. 1680.
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LESSONS.
i FTER the Psalms follow two lessons, one out
J\. of the Old Testament, another out of the New.
This was the ancient custom of all the Churches
in Egypt; Cassianus says it was not taught by
men, but from heaven by the ministry of angels . c
This choice may be to shew the harmony of them :
for what is the Law but the Gospel foreshewed ?
What other the Gospel but the Law fulfilled ?
That which lies in the Old Testament as under a
shadow, is in the New brought out in the open
sun : things there prefigured are here performed.
Thus as the two seraphims cry one to another,
" Holy, holy, holy," d so the two Testaments, Old
and New, faithfully agreeing, convince the sacred
truth of God. First, one out of the Old Testament,
then another out of the New, observing the method
of the Holy Spirit, who first published the Old,
then the New ; first the precepts of the Law, then
of the Gospel. " Which method of their reading
either purposely did tend, or at the leastwise doth
fitly serve, that from smaller things the mind of the
hearers may go forward to the knowledge of greater;
and by degrees climb up from the lowest to the
highest things," says incomparable Hooker. e
L. ii. dc nocturnis oratiouibus, cap. iv. p. at. d Isaiah vl. 3.
e Eccles. Pol. b. v. ch. xx. . 6. vol. ii. p. 96.
O
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34 THE LESSONS.
A wise constitution of the Church it is thus to
mingle services of several sorts, to keep us from
wearisomeness. For whereas devout prayer is joined
with a vehement intention of the inferior powers of
the soul, which cannot therein continue long without
pain, therefore holy Church interposes still some-
what for the higher part of the mind, the under-
standing, to work upon, that both being kept in
continual exercise with variety, neither might feel
any weariness, and yet each be a spur to other.
For prayer kindles our desire to behold God by
speculation; and the mind delighted with that
speculation, takes every where new inflammations to
pray ; the riches of the mysteries of heavenly wis-
dom continually stirring up in us correspondent
desires to them ; so that he which prays in due sort,
is thereby made the more attentive to hear, and he
which hears, the more earnest to pray.
THE MlNISTER f THAT READS THE LESSONS
STANDING ANDTURNING HIMSELF SO AS HE MAY
BE BEST HEARD OF ALL SUCH AS ARE PRESENT.
Rubric ii. before Te Deum.
Turning himself so as he may be best heard of
all, that is, turning towards the people, whereby it
appears that immediately before the lessons he
looked another way from the people, because here
he is directed to turn towards them. This was the
ancient custom of the Church of England, that
f Instead of the word Minister, the present Rubric is, " he that readeth ."
O C
_____^ O
THE LESSONS. 36
the priest who did officiate in all those parts of the
service which were directed to the people, turned
himself towards them as in the Absolution. See the
Rubric before Absolution at the Communion. THEN
SHALL THE PRIEST OR BISHOP, IF PRESENT,
STAND, AND TURNING HIMSELF TO THE PEOPLE,
SAY,&C. Sointhebenediction,readingofthelessons,
and holy commandments : but in those parts of the
office which were directed to God immediately, as
prayers, hymns, lauds, confessions of faith, or sins,
he turned from the people ; and for that purpose in
many parish churches of late, the reading pew had
one desk for the Bible, looking towards the people
to the body of the Church, another for the prayer-
book looking towards the east or upper end of the
chancel. And very reasonable was this usage ; for
when the people were spoken to, it was fit to look
towards them ; but when God was spoken to, it was
fit to turn from the people. And besides, if there
be any part of the world more honourable, in the
esteem of men, than another, it is fit to look that
way when we pray to God in public, that the turning
of our bodies towards a more honourable place,
may mind us of the great honour and majesty of
the Person we speak to. " And this reason St.
Augustine 8 gives of the Church's ancient custom of
turning to the east in their public prayers, because
the east is the most honourable part of the world,
g De serm. Dom. in montern, 1. ii. cap. v. D. torn. iii. pt. a. p. 207.
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36 THE LESSONS.
being the region of light, whence the glorious sun
arises." That this was the constant practice of
the Church to turn toward the east in her public
prayers, may sufficiently appear by St. Augustine, h
in the place last cited, where he says, " When we
stand at our prayers we turn towards the east."
And by Epiphanius, who detests the madness of
the impostor Elzseus, because that amongst other
things he forbade praying toward the east. 1 And
the Church of England, who professes to conform
to the ancient practices, as far as conveniently she
can, as may be seen in many passages of her canons
and other places, did observe the same custom in
her prayers, as appears by the placing of the desk
for the prayer book above mentioned, looking that
way, and as may be collected from this Rubric,
which directs the Priest in the reading of the lessons
to turn to the people, which supposes him, at prayer
and the psalms, to look quite another way, namely,
as in reason may be concluded, that way which the
Catholic Church uses to do for divers reasons :
and amongst other, for that which St. Augustine
hath given, because that was "the most worthy
part of the world," and therefore most fit to be
looked to, when we come to worship God in the
beauty of holiness. Again, another reason may be
given of turning from the people towards the upper
h Cum ad orationcs stamus, ad Orientem convertimur.
i Adv. User. I. i. her. xix. cap. in. A. torn. li. p. 42.
o . -c
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THE LESSONS. 37 j
end of the chancel in our prayers, because it is fit |
in our prayers to look towards that part of the
church or chancel, which is the highest and chief,
and where God affords His most gracious and mys-
terious presence, and that is the holy table and
altar, which anciently was placed towards the upper
or east end of the chancel. This is the highest
part of the chancel, set apart to the highest of
religious services, the consecration and distribution
of the holy Eucharist, here is exhibited the most
gracious and mysterious presence of God that in
this life we are capable of, the presence of His most
holy Body and Blood. And therefore the altar was
usually called the tabernacle of God's glory, His
chair of state, the throne of God, the type of
heaven, heaven itself. As therefore the Jews in
their prayers looked towards the principal part of
the temple, the mercy-seat ; k so the Christians in
their prayers turned towards the principal part of
the church, the altar, of which the mercy- seat was
but a type. And as our Lord hath taught us in
His prayer, to look up towards heaven when we
pray, saying, " Our Father which art in heaven ;"
not as if God were there confined, for He is every
where, in earth as well as in heaven, but because
heaven is His throne, whereas earth is but His foot-
stool ; so holy Church by her practice teaches us
in our public and solemn prayers to turn and look,
kPsalmxxviii.a.
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38 THE LESSONS.
not towards the inferior and lower parts of the foot-
stool, but towards that part of the church which
most nearly resembles heaven, the holy table or
altar. Correspondent to this practice was the
manner of the Jews of old, for at the reading of
the Law and other Scriptures, he that did minister,
turned his face to the people, but he who read the
prayers turned his back to the people, and his face
to the ark. 1
For the choice of these lessons and their order,
holy church observes a several course.
For the ordinary morning and evening prayers
she observes only this : to begin at the beginning of
the year with Genesis for the first lesson, and St.
Matthew for the second in the morning : and
Genesis again for the first, and St. Paul to the
Romans for the second lesson at even, and so con-
tinues on till the books be read over, but yet leaving
out some chapters, either such as have been read
already, upon which account she omits the Chro-
nicles, being for the most part the same with the
Book of Kings which hath been read already ; and
some particular chapters in some other books,
having been the same for the most part read either
in the same book or some other ; or else such as are
full of genealogies, or some other matter, which
holy Church counts less profitable for ordinary
hearers. Only in this she alters the order of the
1 Thorndyke, of Religious Assemblies, ch. vii. p. 231.
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_ Q
THE LESSONS. 39
books, not reading the prophet Isaiah till all the
rest of the books be done; because the prophet
Isaiah being the most evangelical prophet, most
plainly prophesying of Christ, is reserved to be read
a little before Advent.
For Sundays somewhat another course is ob-
served ; for then Genesis is begun to be read upon
Septuagesima Sunday; because then begins the
holy time of penance and mortification, to which
Genesis is thought to suit best, because that treats
of our misery by the fall of Adam, and of God's
severe judgment upon the world for sin ; then we
read forward the books as they lie in order, yet not
all the books, but only some choice lessons out of
them. And if any Sunday be, as they call it, a
privileged day ; that is, if it hath the history of it
expressed in Scripture, such as Easter, Whitsunday,
&c., then there are peculiar and proper lessons
appointed for it.
For saints' days we observe another order : for
upon them, except such of them as are especially
recorded in Scripture, and have proper lessons,
the Church appoints chapters out of the moral
books, such as Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiasticus,
and Wisdom, for first lessons, being excellent in-
structions of life and conversation, and so fit to be
read upon the days of holy saints, whose exemplary
lives and deaths are the cause of the Church's solemn
commemoration of them, and commendation of them
o. o
O Q
4 THE HYMNS.
to us. And though some of these books be not in
the strictest sense canonical, yet I see no reason but
that they may be read publicly in the church, with
profit and more safety than sermons can be ordi-
narily preached there. For certainly sermons are
but human compositions, and many of them not so
wholesome matter as these which have been viewed
and allowed by the judgment of the Church for
many ages past to be ecclesiastical and good,
nearest to Divine of any writings. If it be thought
dangerous to read them after the same manner and
order that canonical Scripture is read, lest perhaps
by this means they should grow into the same credit
with canonical ; it is answered, that many Churches
have thought it no great hurt if they should, but
our Church hath sufficiently secured us against that
danger whatsoever it be, by setting different marks
upon them, styling the one Canonical, the other
Aporcryphal. As for the second lessons the Church
in them goes on in her ordinary course.
THE HYMNS.
TE DEUM, &C.
AFTER the lessons are appointed hymns; the
Church observing St. Paul's rule, " Singing
to the Lord in psalms and hymns, and spiritual
songs," every way expressing her thanks to God.
o , o
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THE HYMNS. 4*
The antiquity of hymns in the Christian Church
doth sufficiently appear by that of our Saviour,
"When they had sung an hymn they went out;" 8
upon which place St. Chrysostom says, "They
sung a hymn to teach us to do the like." b " Con-
cerning the singing of hymns and psalms in the
Church, we have/ 'says St. Austin, "both the pre-
cepts and examples of Christ and His apostles;"
St. Paul ordered it in the Church of Colosse,
"Singing to yourselves in psalms and hymns." d
Which we find presently after practised in the
Church of Alexandria, founded by St. Mark, e where
Philo reports that the Christians had in every place
almost monasteries wherein they sang hymns to God
in several kinds of metre and verse. St. Ambrose
brought them into Milan, to ease the people's sad
minds and to keep them from weariness, who were
praying night and day for their persecuted Bishop,
and from hence came all hymns almost to be called
Ambrosiani, because that by him they were spread
over the Latin Church. " With the morning and
evening hymns God is delighted." says St.Hierome.
And Possidius, in the life of St. Augustine, tells us,
that towards the time of his dissolution, "St.
Augustine wept abundantly, because he saw the
cities destroyed, the bishops and priests sequestered,
a Matt. xxvi. 30. b Horn. LXXXII. torn. vii. p. 784.
c ICpist. LV. cap. xviii. torn. ii. p. 142. d Col. iii. 16. e Euseb. Hist.
Eccles. lib. ii. cap.xvii. p. 55.
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42 THE HYMNS,
the churches profaned, the holy service and sacra-
ments neglected, either because few or none desired
them, or else because there were scarce any priests
left to administer to them that did desire them;
lastly, because the hymns and lauds of God were
lost out of the Church." f
These hymns are to be said or sung, but most
properly to be sung ; else they are not so strictly
and truly called hymns, that is, songs of praise ;
and not only by the Church of England, but by all
Christian Churches of old, was it so practised:
and so holy David directs, " O sing praises, sing
praises unto our God : O sing praises, sing praises
unto our King."* The profit of which singing
hymns is much many ways ; especially in this, that
they kin die an holy flame in the minds and affections
of the hearers. " O how I wept," says St. Augus-
tine, "in the hymns and holy canticles, being
enforced thereunto by the sweet voices of Thy
melodious Church ! by reason of the proneness of
our affections to that which delights, it pleased the
wisdom of the Spirit to borrow from melody
that pleasure, which, mingled with heavenly mys-
teries, causes the smoothness and softness of that
which touches the ear, to convey as it were by
stealth the treasure of good things into men's
minds : to this purpose were those harmonious
f Cap.xxviii. F. torn. x. p. 377. jj Psalm xlvii. 6.
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THE HYMNS. 43
tunes of psalms devised." h And St. Basil says,
" By pleasing thus the affections, and delighting
the mind of man, music makes the service of God
more easy."
When we sing or say these hymns we stand,
which is the proper posture for thanksgivings and
lauds, " Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants
of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of
the Lord." 1 And 2 Chron. vii. 6. "The priests
waited on their offices, the Levites also with instru-
ments of music of the Lord, which David the king
made to praise the Lord, (with the cxxxvi. Psalm,)
because His mercy endureth for ever, when David
praised by their ministry, and the priests soundeth
trumpets before them, and all Israel stood." The
erection of the body fitly expresses the lifting up of
the heart in joy : whence it is that rejoicing in
Scripture is called the lifting up of the head ; " Lift
up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh." k
So then joy being a lifting up of the soul, and praise
and thanksgiving being effects of joy, cannot be
more fitly expressed than by erection and lifting up
of the body, " standing in the courts of the Lord,"
when we sing praise unto Him.
After the morning first lesson follows TE DEUM,
WE PRAISE THEE, O GOD, or, O ALL YE WORKS
OF THE LORD, &c., called Benedicite. The first of
which, WE PRAISE THEE, O GOD, &c., was, as is
h S. Austin. Confess. 1. x. cap.xxxiii. F. torn. i. p. 187.
i Psalm cxxxi v.i. k Luke xxi. 28. ^^^
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44 THE HYMNS.
credibly reported, framed miraculously by St.
Ambrose k and St. Augustine at his baptism, and hath
been in much esteem in the Church ever since as it
deserves, being both a creed, containing all the mys-
teries of faith, and a most solemn form of thanks-
giving, praise, adoration, and what not. And so
hath that other canticle, " O all ye works of the
Lord," in which the whole creation praises God
together, been esteemed universally in the Church. 1
After the second lesson at morning prayer is
appointed, BLESSED BE THE LORD GOD OF
ISRAEL, called Benedictus, or, O BE JOYFUL IN
THE LORD, called Jubilate.
After the evening lessons are appointed Magni-
ficat, or, MY SOUL DOTH MAGNIFY THE LORD, and
Nunc Dimittis, LORD NOW LETTEST THOU THY
SERVANT DEPART IN PEACE, Or else tWO PsalmS. j
And very fitly doth the Church appoint sacred
hymns after the lessons. For who is there that
hearing God speak from heaven to him for his soul's
health can do less than rise up and praise Him ?
And what hymns can be fitter to praise God with
for our salvation, than those which were the first
gratulations wherewith our Saviour was entertained
into the world ? And such are these. Yet as fit as
they are, some have quarrelled at them, especially
at Magnificat, "My soul doth magnify the Lord]''
and Nunc Dimittis, or, " Lord, now lettest Thou
k Bingham, b.xiv. ch. n. vol. v. p. 39. i Cone. Tolet. iv. Can.xir.
torn. v. p. 1710. jPs. xcviii. and Ixvii. ,-^
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THE HYMNS. 4
Thy servant depart in peace." The objections are
hese : That the first of these was the Virgin Mary's
iymn for bearing Christ in her womb ; the latter
Id Simeon's, for seeing and holding in his arms the
>lessed Babe, neither of which can be done by
us now, and therefore neither can we say properly
;hese hymns.
The answer may be, that bearing Christ in the
womb, suckling Him, holding Him in our arms, is
not so great a blessing " As the laying up His Holy
Word in our hearts," k "by which Christ is formed
n us;" 1 and so there is as much thanks to be re-
turned to God for this as for that. He that doth
the will of God, taught in His Word, may as well
say, " My soul doth magnify the Lord," as the holy
Virgin, for Christ is formed in him, as well as in the
Virgin's womb : " Whosoever doth the will of My
Father which is in heaven, the same is My brother
and sister and mother." 1 " And why may not we
after the reading of a part of the New Testament,
say, " Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in
peace," as well as old Simeon ? For in that Scripture,
by the eye of faith, we see that salvation which he
then saw, and more clearly revealed. We have
then the same reason to say it that old Simeon had,
and we should have the same Spirit to say it with.
There can nothing be more fitting for us, as we
have said, than, having heard the lessons and the
kLukexi.28. IGal.iv.ig. m Matt.xii. 50.
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46 THE HYMNS.
goodness of God therein preached unto us, to break
out into a song of praise and thanksgiving, and the
Church hath appointed two to be used (either of
them) after each lesson, but not so indifferently but
that the former practice of exemplary Churches
and reason may guide us in the choice; for
the Te Deum, Benedictus, Magnificat, and Nunc
Dimittis being the most expressive jubilations and
rejoicings for the redemption of the world, may be
said more often than the rest, especially on Sundays
and other Festivals of our Lord ; excepting in Lent
and Advent, which being times of humiliation, and
meditations on Christ as in expectation, or His suf-
ferings, are not so fitly enlarged with these songs of
highest festivity ; (the custom being for the same
reason in many Churches, in Lent, to hide and con-
ceal all the glory of their altars, covering them with
black to comply with the season ;) and therefore in
these times may be rather used the following psalms
than the foregoing canticles, as at other times also,
when the contents of the lessons shall give occasion ;
as when it speaks of the enlargement of the church
i)y bringing in the Gentiles into the fold of it, for
divers passages of those three psalms import that
sense.
And for the canticle Benedicite, O ALL YE WORKS
OF THE LORD, it may be used not only in the afore-
said times of humiliation, but when either the
essons are out of Daniel, or set before us the won-
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THE APOSTLES' CREED. 47
derful handywork of God, in any of the creatures,
or the use He makes of them either ordinary or
miraculous for the good of the Church. Then it
will be very seasonable to return this song, " O all
ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, praise
Him, and magnify Him for ever;" that is, ye are a
great occasion of blessing the Lord who therefore
be blessed, praised, and magnified for ever.
THE APOSTLES' CREED.
The Creed follows. At ordinary morning and
evening prayer, and most Sundays and holydays, the
Apostles' Creed is appointed; which Creed was
made by the Aopstles' upon this occasion, says
Ruffinus." The apostles' having received a com-
mandment from our Lord to teach all nations, and
withal being commanded to tarry at Jerusalem till
they should be furnished with gifts and graces of
the Holy Spirit, sufficient for such a charge, tarried
patiently, as they were enjoined, expecting the ful-
filling of that promise. In the time of the stay at
Jerusalem, they agreed upon this creed as a rule of
faith, according to the analogy of which they and
all others should teach, and as a word of distinction
by which they should know friends from foes. For
as the Gileadites distingished their own men from
n In 8ymb. np. Cyp. Op. p. 17.
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48 THE APOSTLES' CREED.
the Benjamites, by the word Shibboleth ; and as
soldiers know their own side from the enemy by
then- word ; so the apostles and the Church should
know who were the Church's friends, and who were
enemies, who were right believers, who false, by
this word of faith ; for all that walked according to
this rule, and professed this faith, she acknowledged
for her's and gave them her peace ; but all others
that went contrary to this rule and word, she
accounted enemies p led by false spirits; "For he
that is not of God heareth not us ; hereby know we
the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. "
THIS CREED is SAID DAILY TWICE, MORNING
AND EVENING. So it was of old. " Take the rule
of faith, which is called the symbol or creed, say it
daily, in the morning before you go forth ; at night
before you sleep. 1 " " Say your creed daily morning
and evening." 8 "Rehearse your creed to God,
say not, I said it yesterday, I have said it to-day
already, say it again, say it every day ; guard your-
selves with your faith ; and if the adversary assault
you, let the redeemed know that he ought to meet
him with the banner of the cross and the shield of
faith, above all taking the shield of faith." l " Faith
is rightly called a shield; for as a shield is carried
before the body, as a wall to defend it, so is faith to
o Judges xii. 6. p Tertull.de praescrip. cap. xiv. p. 236. qiJohniv.6.
r August, de Symbol, ad Catechum. 1. i. cap. i. A. torn vi. p. 547.
5 S. Aust.Hom. LVIII. cap. xi. A. torn. v. p.343. tEphes.vi. 16*
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THE APOSTLES' CREED. 49
the soul ; for all things yield to that. This is our
victory whereby we overcome the world, even our
faith." u Therefore we had need look well to our
faith, and be careful to keep that entire ; and for
that purpose it is not amiss to rehearse it often,
and guard our soul with it.
When we are affrighted, run we to the creed*,
and say, " I believe in God the Father Almighty,"
this will guard your soul from fear. If you be
tempted to despair, guard your soul with the creed,
say, " I believe in Jesus Christ His only Son our
Lord, who was conceived," &c. for us men and our
salvation ; that may secure your soul from despair.
If you be tempted to pride, run to the creed, and
a sight of Christ hanging upon the cross will hum-
ble you. If to lust or uncleanness, to the creed,
and see the wounds of Christ, and the remembrance
of them, if any thing, will quench that fiery dart.
If we be tempted to presume and grow careless,
take up again this shield of faith, see Christ in the
creed coming to judgment, and this terror of the
Lord's will persuade men. In a word, the creed
is a guard and defence against all temptations of
the world, all the fiery darts of the devil, all the
filthy lusts of the flesh. Therefore, "above all
take the shield of faith," saith St. Paul, and be sure
to guard your soul morning and evening with the
u Chrysostom. Horn. XXIV. A. tom.xi. p. 180.
x Cum horremus aiiquid, recurrendum eat ad symbolum.
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5o THE APOSTLES' CREED.
creed, the symbol of the most holy faith. Besides,
this solemn rehearsing of our creed is a plighting
of our faith and fidelity to God, before devils,
angels, and men j an engaging and devoting of our
souls in the principal faculties and powers of it,
our reason and understanding and will, wholly to
God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to believe
in the ever blessed Trinity, whatsoever flesh and
blood shall tempt to the contrary ; which is a high
piece of loyalty to God, and cannot be too often
performed. It is that kind of confession, that
St. Paul says is necessary to salvation, as well as
believing, (Rom. x. 10.) for it is there said, ver. 9.
" If we confess with our mouth," as well as, " If
we believe with the heart, we shall be saved;" it
is that kind of confession that our Lord Christ
speaks of, "Whosoever shall confess Me before
men, him will I confess also before My Father
which is in heaven." y And therefore since it is a
sendee so acceptable, it cannot be thought unrea-
sonable for the Church to require it morning and
evening. The creed follows soon after the lessons,
and very seasonably ; for in the creed we confess
that faith that the holy lessons teach.
The creed is to be said not by the priest alone,
but by the minister and people together. (Rubric
before the Creed.) For since confession of faith in
public before God, angels, and men, is so accept-
y Matt. x. 32-
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OF ATHANASIUS'S CREED 5l
able a service to God, as is shewn; fit it is that
every man, as well as the priest, should bear his
part in it, since every man may do it for himself
as well, nay, better than the priest can do it for
him; for as every man knows best what himself
believes, so it is fittest to confess it for himself, and
evidence to the Church his sound belief, by
expressly repeating of that creed, and every parti-
cular thereof, which is and always hath been
accounted the mark and character, whereby to
distinguish a true believer from an heretic or infidel.
We are required to say the creed standing, by
this gesture signifying our readiness to profess, and
our resolution to adhere and stand to this holy
faith.
OF ATHANASIUS'S CREED.
BESIDES the Apostles' Creed, holy Church ac-
knowledges two other, or rather two explica-
tions of the same creed, the Nicene and Athanasius's
Creed. Of the Nicene Creed shall be said some-
what in the proper place, the Communion Service,
where it is used. Athanasius's Creed is here to be
accounted for, because it is said sometimes in this
place instead of the Apostles' Creed. It was com-
posed by Athanasius, and sent to Pope Julius, for
' to clear himself and acquit his faith from the slan-
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52 OF ATHANASIUS'S CREED.
ders of his Arian enemies, who reported him erro-
neous in the faith. It hath been received with
great veneration as a treasure of an inestimable
price, both by the Greek and Latin Churches; 2
and therefore both for that authority, and for the
testification of our continuance in the same faith
to this day, the Church rather uses this and the
Nicene explanations than any other gloss or para-
phrase devised by ourselves ; which though it were
to the same effect, notwithstanding could not be of
the same credit or authority.
This Creed is appointed to be said upon the days
named in the Rubric, for these reasons; partly,
because those days, many of them, are most proper
for this confession of the faith, which, of all others,
is the most express concerning the Trinity, because
the matter of them much concerns the manifesta-
tation of the Trinity, as Christmas, Epiphany, Trinity
Sunday, and St. John Baptist's Day, at the highest
of whose acts, (the baptizing of our Lord,) was
made a kind of sensible manifestation of the Tri-
nity ; partly, that so it might be said once a month
at least; and therefore on St. James's and St. Bar-
tholomew's days, and withal at convenient distance
from each time, and therefore on St. Matthew's,
Matthias's, Simon and Jude's, and St. Andrew's.
z S. Greg. Nan. in laudemMagn. Athanas. oral. xsi. torn. i.p. 394.
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OF MUTUAL PRAYERS. 6
THE LORD BE WITH YOU.
This Divine salutation, taken out of Holy Scrip-
ture", was frequently used in ancient liturgies be-
fore prayers, before the gospel, before the sermon,
and at other times ; and that by the direction of the
holy apostles, says the second Council of Braga. b
It seems as an introit or entrance upon another
sort of Divine service ; and a good introduction it
is, serving as a holy, excitation to attention and
devotion, by reminding the people what they are
about, namely, such holy services as, without
God's assistance and special grace, cannot be per-
formed ; and therefore when they are about these
services, the priest minds them of it by saying,
THE LORD BE WITH YOU. And again, it is amost
excellent and seasonable prayer for them, in effect
thus much, The Lord be with you, to lift up your
hearts and raise your devotions to His service.
The Lord be with you, to accept your services.
The Lord be with you, to reward you hereafter
with eternal life. The people answer,
AND WITH THY SPIRIT. Which form is taken
out of 2 Tim. iv. 22, and is as much as this, Thou
art about to offer up prayers and spiritual sacrifices
for us, therefore we pray likewise for thee, that
a Ruth ii. 4. b Can. iii. torn. v. p. 840.
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64 OF MUTUAL PRAYERS.
He, without whom nothing is good and acceptable,
may be with thy spirit while thou art exercised in
these spiritual services, which must be performed
with the Spirit, according to St. Paul. c Thus the
priest prays, and wishes well to the people; and
they pray, and wish well to the priest. And such
mutual salutations and prayers as this and those
that follow, where priest and people interchange-
ably pray each for other, are excellent expressions
of the communion of saints, both acknowledging
thus that they are all one body, and each one
members one of another, mutually caring for one
another's good, and mutually praying for one an-
other ; which must needs be, if well considered and
duly performed, excellent incentives and provoca-
tions to charity and love one of another ; and, as
St. Chrysostom observes/ if these solemn mutual
salutations were religiously performed, it were
almost impossible that priest and people should be
at enmity. For can the people hate the priest that
blesses them, that prays for them, " The Lord be
with you," or, " Peace be with you ? " which was
anciently the bishop's salutation, instead of, " The
Lord be with you." Or can the priest forget to
love the people that daily prays for him, "And
with thy spirit ? "
c i Cor. xiv. ij.
d Horn. III. Coloss.c. i. v. 15. ao. torn. xi. p. 347, 8.
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OF THE KYRIE. 55
LET US PRAY.
These words are often used in ancient liturgies
as well as in ours, and are an excitation to prayer*
to call back our wandering, and re-collect our
scattered thoughts, and to awaken our devotion,
bidding us mind what we are about, namely, now
when we are about to pray, to pray indeed, that is,
heartily and earnestly. The deacon in ancient
services was wont to call upon the people often,
KTev5>s 8erj6S)fjiev, " Let us pray vehemently," nay,
eKTeveo-Tfpov, " still more vehemently." And the
same vehemency and earnest devotion which the
manner of these old liturgies breathed, does our
Church in her Liturgy call for in these words,
LET us PRAY ; that is, with all the earnestness and
vehemency that we may, that our prayers may be
such as St. James speaks of, active, lively-spirited
prayers; for these are they that avail much with
God. And there is none of us but must think it
needful thus to be called upon and awakened ; for
thoughts will be wandering, and devotions will
abate, and scarce hold out to the prayers' end,
though it be a short one : so that well said the old
hermit, whom Melancthon mentions in his dis-
course, "There is nothing harder than to pray."
e De Invocatione et Precatione, torn. i. p. 478.
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56 OF THE KYRIE.
These words, LET us PRAY, as they are an inci-
tation to prayer in general, so they may seem to
be sometimes an invitation to another form of
petitioning, as in the Litany and other places ; it
being as much as to say, Let us collect our alter-
nate supplications by versicles and answers into
collects or prayers. In the Latin Liturgies (their
Rubrics especially) preces and orationes seem to be
thus distinguished -, that preces, or supplications,
were those alternate petitions where the people
answered by responsive versicles ; oratio, or prayer,
was that which was said by the priest alone, the
people only answering, Amen.
LORD HAVE MERCY UPON US.
CHRIST HAVE MERCY, &c.
LORD HAVE MERCY, &C.
This short Litany (as it was called by some
ancients), this most humble and piercing supplica-
tion to the blessed Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost, was frequently used in ancient liturgies, as
it is to be seen in them, and also in the second
Council of Vaison, f " Because/' saith that Council,
" the sweet and wholesome custom of saying,
Kyrie Eleesonj or, LORD HAVE MERCY UPON us,
with great affection and compunction, hath been
received into the whole Eastern and most of the
Western Church : therefore be it enacted, that the
same be used in our churches at Mattins, Even-
f Can. iii. torn. ir. p. 1680. ^^^
) O
OF THE KYRIE. 67
song, and Communion Service." It was anciently
called KTvrjg uceon'a, "the earnest or vehement
supplication;" because as it is a most pathetic
petition of mercy to every Person of the blessed
Trinity, so it was uttered by those primitive good
men with much earnestness and intention of spirit,
being sensible of their danger of sinking into end-
less perdition, without the mercy of the blessed
Trinity; and therefore (with no less earnestness
than St. Peter cried, " Master, save," when he was
sinking into the sea) did they cry out, " Lord have
mercy." God the Father have mercy, God the Son
have mercy, God the Holy Ghost have mercy :
have mercy upon us in pardoning our sins, which
make us worthy to be cast out of Thy favour, but
unworthy to serve Thee: have mercy in helping
our weakness and inability of ourselves to serve
Thee : many are our dangers, many are our wants,
many ways we stand in need of mercy, therefore,
LORD HAVE MERCY, &c." This excellent compre-
hensive Litany is seasonable at all times and all
parts of the service, after our singing of hymns
and psalms, after our hearing and confession of
faith ; such is our unworthiness, such our weakness,
that it cannot be thought amiss to beg God's
mercy, after we have prayed ; such is our dulness
and coldness in our prayers, that we had need
pray, " Lord have mercy upon us."
It may be observed, that this earnest and humble
o o
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58 OF THE KYRIE.
supplication was usually in old Services, and so is
in ours, set immediately before the Lord's Prayer,
as a preparation to it, and very fitly; for as we
cannot devise a more suitable preparation to
prayer than this humble petition of mercy, and
acknowledgment of our own misery, so is there -no
prayer whereto greater preparation is required
than that Divine Prayer sanctified by the sacred
lips of our Lord, wherein we say, " Our Father,"
&c. Clement, in his Constitutions, 6 advises when
we say this prayer to be careful to prepare our-
selves, so that we may in some manner be worthy
of this Divine adoption to be the sons of God ; lest
if we unworthily call Him Father, He upbraid us
as He did the Jews, " If I be a Father, where is
Mine honour ?" h The sanctity of the Son is the
honour of the Father. Indeed it is so great an ho-
nour to call God " Our Father," l that we had need
with all humility beg pardon of His Majesty, before
we venture upon so high a title. Therefore our
mother the Church hath been careful to prepare us
for this Divine Prayer, sometimes by a confession
of our sins and absolution, as at Morning and
Evening Service ; but most commonly by this short
Litany : first, teaching us to bewail our unworthi-
ness, and pray for mercy ; and then with an hum-
ble boldness to look up to heaven and call God
our Father, and beg further blessings of Him.
g Clement. Constitut. 1. vii. cap. xxv. Pat. Ap. Cot. torn. i. p. 373.
h Malachi i. 6. i i John iii. i, 2.
o o
VERSICLES AND ANSWERS.
A FTER the Lord's Prayer follow short Versicles
jLjL and Answers taken out of Holy Scripture ;
Psalm Ixxxv. 7. Psalm xx. 9. Psalm cxxxii. 9.
Psalm xxviii. 9. I Chroiv. xxii. 9. Psalm xxxiii.
1 6 20. Psalm li. 10, u.
The priest beginning and the people answering,
contending in an holy emulation who shall be most
devout in these short, but pithy ejaculations, or
darts cast up to heaven. Such short ejaculations
were much used by the devout brethren, which St.
Augustine commends as the most piercing kind of
prayer. 1 Such as these were that ot the leper,
" Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean :" k
and that of the disciples, " Master, save us, we
perish." l Short, but powerful, as you may see by
our Saviour's gracious acceptance of them.
And here I must further commend the order of
ANSWERS of the PEOPLE in all places of the service
where it stands. It refresheth their attention, it
teaches them their part at public prayers, not to
stand by and censure how well the priest plays the
mouth of the congregation. Lastly, it unites the
affections of them all together, and helps to keep
them in a league of perpetual amity. For if the
prophet David did think that the very meeting of
i S.August. Ep. cxxx. c.x. F. tom.ii. p. 389.
k Matt. viii. a. 1 Matt. viii. 25.
6 O
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60 OF VERSICLES AND ANSWERS.
men together in the house of God, should make the
bond of their love indissoluble, Psalm Iv. 14. how
much more may we judge it reasonable to hope
that the like effects may grow in each of the people
toward other, in them all towards the priest,
and in the Priest towards them; between whom
there daily and interchangeably pass in the hearing
of God Himself, and in the presence of His holy
angels, so many heavenly acclamations, exultations,
provocations, petitions, songs of comfort, psalms of
praise and thanksgiving. In all which particulars,
as when the priest makes their suits, and they with
one voice say, Amen ; or when he joyfully begins,
and they with like alacrity follow, dividing betwixt
them the sentences wherewith they strive which
shall most shew his own, and stir up others' zeal to
the glory of God, as in the Psalms and Hymns ; or
when they mutually pray for each other, the priest
for the people, and the people for him, as in the
Versicles immediately before the morning Collects ;
or when the Priest proposes to God the peoples'
necessities, and they their own requests for relief in
every of them, as in the Litany ; or when he pro-
claims the law of God to them as in the Ten Com-
mandments; they adjoining an humble acknow-
ledgment of their common imbecility to the several
branches thereof, together with the lowly requests
for grace to perform the things commanded, as in
the Kyries, or, " Lord have mercy upon us," &c. at
O O
D O
OF VERSICLES AND ANSWERS. 6l
the end of each commandment : all these interlo-
cutory forms of speech, what are they but most
effectual, partly testifications, partly inflammations
of all piety ?
THE PRIEST WHEN HE BEGINS THESE SHORT
PRAYERS IS DIRECTED BYTHE RUBRIC TO STAND.
It is noted that the priest in the holy offices is
sometimes appointed to kneel, sometimes to stand.
The reason of this we shall here once for all inquire.
The priest or minister being a man of like infir-
mities with the rest of the congregation, a sinner,
and so standing in need of grace and pardon, as
well as the rest, in all confessions of sins, and peni-
tential prayers, such as the Litany is, is directed to
beg His pardon and grace upon his knees. He
being moreover a priest or minister of the most high
God, that hath received from Him an office and
authority, sometimes stands to signify that his
office and authority. Which office of his may be
considered, either in relation to God or the people.
As it relates to God, so he is God's ambassador,
2 Cor. v. 1 8, to whom is committed the ministry of
reconciliation, in which respect he is to teach,
baptize, consecrate the Holy Eucharist, bless and
absolve the penitent; and in all these acts of
authority, which he does in the name and person
of Christ, he is to stand.
As his office relates to the people, so he is hi
their stead, for them appointed by God to offer up
O O
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62 OF VERSICLES AND ANSWERS.
gifts and sacrifices to God, particularly the sacrifice
of praise and thanksgiving, together with their
prayers; so we read, Heb. v. i. "Every high
priest," or priest, (so the words are promiscuously
used, Heb. viii. 3, 4.) "taken from among men, is
ordained for men," or in their stead, " in things
pertaining to God, to offer both gifts and sacrifices
for sins." Which definition of a priest, belongs not
only to a priest of the Law, but also to a priest or
minister of the Gospel. For St. Paul from his defi-
nition proves that our Lord Christ, who was after
the order of Melchisedec, not of Aaron, a priest
of the Gospel, not of the Law, ought not to call
Himself, (v. 5 .) but was appointed by God, and more-
over, that He ought to have gifts and sacrifices to
offer ; because " every high priest," or priest, " is
ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices."" 1 These
arguments of St. Paul, drawn from this definition,
are fallacious and unconcluding, unless this be the
definition of a gospel priest, as well as a legal.
Seeing then that we must not conclude St. Paul's
arguments to be unconcluding, we must grant that
the ministers of the gospel are appointed by God
to offer up the sacrifices of prayers and praises of
the Church for the people, thus to stand betwixt
God and them ; and to shew this his office, in these
services he is directed to stand. By this we may
m Heb. viii. 3.
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OF THE COLLECTS. 63
see what advantage it is to the people, that their
prayers are offered up by a priest. For God having
appointed him to this office, will certainly assist
and accept His own constitution : and though the
minister be wicked, or undevout in his prayers, yet
God, that will punish this neglect in himself, will
certainly accept of his office for the people. Upon
this ground probably it was that God sent Abime-
lech to Abraham to pray for him, for he was a
prophet, Gen. xx. 7.
THE COLLECTS.
rHHE Collects follow, which are thought by divers
-A- to be so called, either because they were made by
the priest, super collectum populi, over, or in behalf
of the congregation, meeting, or collection of the
people; or rather because the priest doth herein
collect the devotions of the people, and offer them
up to God ; for though it hath been the constant
practice from the beginning for the people to bear
a vocal part by their suffrages and answers in the
public service of God (which for that very reason
was by the ancients called Common Prayer, as may
be gathered out of Justin Martyr and others ; n )
n Apologia Leap. Ixv.B. p. 85. S. August. Kpist. liv.tom. ii. p. 113.
O : , . _<
Q- H
64 OF THE COLLECTS.
yet for the more renewing and strengthening of
their earnestness, importunity, and, as it were,
wrestling with God, and hope of prevailing, they
desired that themselves and their devotions should
in the close be recommended to God by the priest,
they all adjoining their assent, and saying Amen to
it. And that is the reason why in many of the
Collects God is desired to hear the petitions of the
people, (to wit, those that the people had then made
before the Collect,) that they come in at the end
of other devotions, and were by some of old called
missee, that is to say, dismissions, the people being
dismissed upon the pronouncing of them and the
blessing, the Collects themselves being by some of
the ancients called blessings, and also Sacramento.
either for that their chief use was at the Commu-
nion, or because they were uttered per Sacerdotem,
by one consecrated to holy offices.
But it will not be amiss to inquire more particu-
larly what may be said of these very Collects which
we use, they being of so frequent use, and so con-
siderable a part of the devotion of our Church.
And first concerning their authors and antiquity,
we may observe, that our Church endeavouring to
preserve, not only the spirit but the very forms (as
much as may be, and in a known tongue) of ancient
primitive devotion, hath retained these very Collects
(the most of them) among other precious remains of
it : for we find, by ancient testimony, that they
o c
D O
OP THE COLLECTS. 65
were composed or ordered, either by St. Ambrose,
Gelasius, or Gregory the Great, those holy bishops
and fathers of the Church ; and therefore, having
daily ascended up to heaven like incense from the
hearts and mouths of so many saints in the ages
since their times, they cannot but be very venerable,
and relish well with us, unless our hearts and affec-
tions be of a contrary temper.
Secondly, for the object of these Collects, they
are directed to God in the name of Jesus Christ
our Lord, for so usually they conclude, and very
fitly ; for Christ is indeed the altar upon which all
our prayers are to be offered, that thay may be
acceptable ; " Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father
in My name, He will give it you." And so it was
the custom of old: "Itaque orationes nostras,
vitam et sacrificia, et omnia nostra offerimus tibi,
Pater, assidue per Dominum nostrum Jesum
Christum," &c. p But yet we may observe that a
few Collects are directed to Christ, and in the
Litany some supplications to the Holy Ghost,
besides that precatory hymn of Veni Creator in the
Book of Ordination, and that some Collects, espe-
cially for great festivals, conclude with this acknow-
ledgment, "that Christ with the. Father and the
Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth one God world
without end." And this seems to be done to testify
o Johnxvi. 33.
p Bernard, de Contemplando Deo, cap. viii. D. torn. ii. p. 240.
O O
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66 OF THE COLLECTS.
what the Scripture warrants, that although for more
congruity we in the general course of our prayers
go to the Father by the Son, yet that we may also
invocate both the Son and the Holy Ghost, and
that while we call upon one, we equally worship
and glorify all three together ; " Quia dum ad solius
Patris personam honoris sermo dirigitur, bene
credentis fide tota Trinitas honoratur," saith
Fulgentius. p
Thirdly, for their form and proportion, as they
are not one long continued prayer, but divers
short ones, they have many advantages to gain
esteem : the practice of the Jews of old, in whose
prescribed devotions we find a certain number of
several prayers or Collects to be said together ; the
example of our Lord in prescribing a short form ;
the judgment and practice of the ancient Christians
in their Liturgies, and St. Chrysostom, among
others, commends highly short and frequent prayers
with little distances between ; q so doth Cassian
also, and from the judgment of others that were
much exercised therein. r And lastly, as they are
most convenient for keeping away coldness, distrac-
tion, and illusions from our devotion ; for what we
elsewhere say in praise of short ejaculations, is true
also concerning Collects, and that not only in re-
spect of the Minister, but the people also, whose
p Ad Monimum, 1. ii. cap. v. p. 14.
q Horn. II. de Hanna. torn. iv. p. 714.
r De Institutis Coenobiorum, 1. it. cap. s. p. 31.
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q- o
OF THE COLLECTS. 67
minds and affections become hereby more erect,
close, and earnest, by the oftener breathing out
their hearty concurrence, and saying all of them
Amen together at the end of each Collect.
Fourthly, the matter of them is most excellent
and remarkable : it consists usually of two parts,
an humble acknowledgment of the adorable perfec-
tion and goodness of God, and a congruous petition
for some benefit from Him. The first is seen not
only in the Collects for special festivals or benefits,
but in those also that are more general ; for even in
such what find we in the beginning of them but
some or other of these and the like acknowledg-
ments ? that God is Almighty, everlasting, full of
goodness and pity, the strength, refuge, and pro-
tector of all that trust in Him, without whom
nothing is strong, nothing is holy, no continuing in
safety or being, that such is our weakness and
frailty that we have no power of ourselves to help
ourselves, to do any good, to stand upright, cannot
but fall ; that we put no trust in any thing that we
do, but lean only upon the help of His heavenly
grace; that He is the Author and Giver of all good
things, from whom it comes that we have an hearty
desire to pray or do Him any true or laudable
service ; that He is always more ready to hear than
we to pray, and to give more than we desire or
deserve, having prepared for them that love Him
such good things as pass man's understanding.
o o
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68 OF THE COLLECTS.
These and the like expressions can be no other
than the breathings of the primitive Christians, who
with all self-denial made the grace of God their
hope, refuge, protection, petition, and profession
against all proud heretics and enemies of it : and
the petitions which follow these humble and pious
acknowledgments and praises, are very proper, holy,
and good, which will better appear, if we consider
the matter of each Collect apart.
The first in order among the Collects is that for
the day. Now as on every day or season there is
something more particularly commended to our
meditations by the Church; so the first Collect
reflects chiefly upon that, though sometimes more
generally upon the whole matter of the Epistle and
Gospel, desiring inspiration, strength, and protec-
tion from God Almighty, in the practice and pursu-
ance of what is set before us. But concerning the
matter of the Collects for the day, is spoken after-
ward in the particular account that is given of each
Epistle, Gospel, and Collect.
The second Collect is for peace, according to St.
Paul's direction, i Tun. ii. i, 2, and orbem pacatum,
that the world might be quiet, was ever a clause in
the prayers of the primitive Church; and good
reason, for peace was our Lord's legacy My peace
I leave with you ; His new year's gift pax in terris,
Xenium Christi. He prayed for peace, paid for
peace, wept for it, bled for it : peace should there-
o o
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OF THE COLLECTS. 69
fore be dear to us, all kind of peace, outward peace
and all : for if there be not a quiet and peaceable
life, there will hardly be godliness and honesty. 8
This Collect then is fit to be said daily, being a
prayer for peace, and so is that which follows.
The third, for grace to live well : for if there be
not peace with God by an holy life, there will never
be peace in the world. No man can so much as
think a good thought, much less lead a godly life,
without the grace of God ; therefore that is also
prayed for, together with God's protection for the
day or night following.
Then the prayers : according to St. Paul, who
exhorts that "prayers and supplications be made
for all men." 1 In particular for kings; and the
reason he there gives, sufficiently shews the neces-
sity of praying particularly and especially for them ;
namely, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable
life in all godliness and honesty ; " which can hardly
be done, if they do not help towards it. For as the
son of Sirach says, " As the judge of the people is
himself, even so are his officers ; and what manner
of man the ruler of the city is, such are all they that
dwell therein." u A good Josiah, Hezekiah, or David,
promote religion and honesty, and the right wor-
ship of God among the people ; but a Jeroboam, by
setting up calves in Dan and Bethel, makes all the
people sin.
B i Tim. ii. 2. t Ver. i, a. u Ecclus. x. .
o , o
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70 OF THE COLLECTS.
After this follows a prayer for the Church,
excellently described by bishops, curates, and the
people committed to their charge. By curates here
are not meant stipendiaries, as now it is used to
signify, but all those, whether parsons or vicars, to
whom the bishop, who is the chief pastor under
Christ, hath committed the cure of souls of some
part of his flock, and so are the bishop's curates.
The bishop with these curates, a flock or congrega-
tion committed to their charge, make up a Church.
For according to our Saviour's definition, a Church
is a shepherd, and His sheep that will hear His voice ;
to which St. Cyprian's description agrees, "The
Church is a congregation of believers united to their
bishop, and a flock adhering to their shepherd;" 1
whence you ought to know, says he, that the Church
is in the bishop, and the bishop in the Church, and
they that are not with the bishop, are not in the
Church. Now because the bishops are the guides
and governors of the Church, so that all acts of the
Church are ordered and directed by them, as the
same Cyprian says ; therefore the custom of the
Church always was, and not without reason, to
pray particularly by name for their bishop, as they
did for the king.
To make this Church, to gather it from among
infidels and heathens, and to preserve it from all her
x " llli sunt Ecclesia, plebs Sacerdoti adunata, et pastori suo grex ad-
haerens." Epist. LXVI.p. 168.
O 6
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OF THE BLESSING. 71
subtle and potent enemies, by the healthful Spirit
of His grace, is an act of as great power, and a
greater miracle of love, than to create the world.
Although Thou beest wonderful, O Lord, in ah 1 Thy
works, yet Thou art believed to be most wonderful
in Thy works of piety and mercy, says St. Augus-
tine, and therefore the preface is suitable, AL-
MIGHTY GOD, WHICH ONLY WORKEST GREAT
MARVELS, SEND DOWN UPON Thy Church,
BISHOPS, CURATES, AND THE CONGREGATIONS
COMMITTED TO THEIR CHARGE,, THE HEALTH-
FUL SPIRIT OF THY GRACE.
THE BLESSING.
TT7E end our service with a BLESSING, which is
VV to be pronounced by the bishop, if he be
present. See the Rubric before the blessing in the
Communion Service. Then the priest or bishop,
if present, shall let them depart with his blessing.
This is ordered for the honour of the bishop's
authority, " without contradiction the less is blessed
of the greater." ?
Therefore blessing being an act of authority, the
bishop ought not to be blessed by the priest, but
the priest by the bishop.
y Heb.vii.?.
O O
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72 OF THE BLESSING.
This blessing of the bishop or priest was so highly
esteemed in the primitive times, that none durst go
out of the Church till they had received it, accord-
ing to the Councils of Agde, z in the year 5 06,
and Orleans the third. a
And when they received it, they did it kneeling
or bowing down their heads. And the deacon, to
prepare them to it, was wont to call out imme-
diately before the time of the blessing in such
words as these, " bow down yourselves to the bless-
ing." 11 The Jews received it after the same manner,
Ecclus. 1. 19. 21, "When the service was finished,
the high priest went down, and lifted up his hands
over the congregation to give the blessing of the
Lord with his lips, and they bowed down them-
selves to worship the Lord, that they might receive
the blessing from the Lord the most High." And
doubtless did we consider the efficacy and virtue
of this blessing of priest or bishop, we could do no
less than they did. For it is God from heaven that
blesses us by the mouth of His minister. We have
His word for it, " And the Lord spake unto Moses,
saying, Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, On
this wise shall ye bless the children of Israel; The
Lord bless thee, &c. And they shall put My
name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless
z Can.xlvii.tom.iv.p. 1391. a Can.xxix. tom.v. p. 309.
b S.Chrysost. Liturg. ap. Goar. Euch. p. 86.
o 6
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OF THE LITANY. 73
them." c And the same promise of God's assist-
ance, and ratifying the priest's blessings, we have in
the Gospel, where our Saviour charges His Apostles
and disciples, that "into whatsoever house they
enter, they should say," not pray, say with authority,
" Peace be to this house," d and (not if your prayers
be fervent, or if they in the house join in prayer
with you, but) if the son of peace be there j that is,
if he that dwells in the house hinders not, nor
resists your blessing, if he be a person capable of so
much good as your blessing, (for this is signified by
this Hebrew phrase, son of peace,) your peace shall
rest upon him : but if he be not such a son of
peace, your blessing shall return to you again,
which it could not be said to do, unless virtue,
together with the blessing, had gone out from them.
The EVENING SERVICE differs little or nothing
from the Morning, and therefore what hath been
said concerning the morning office, may be applied
to that.
THE LITANY.
[~ ITANY signifies an humble and earnest suppli-
I I cation. These forms of prayers called Litanies,
(wherein the people are more exercised than in any
c Numb. vi. 52-47. d Matt. x. 13. Lukex.J.
o c
74 OF THE LITANY.
other part of the service, by continual joining in
every passage of it,) are thought by some to have
been brought into the Church about four hundred
years after Christ, in times of great calamity, for
the appeasing of God's wrath. True it is, that they
are very seasonable prayers in such times, and
therefore were by Gregory and others used in their
processions, for the averting of God's wrath in
public calamities ; but it is as true, that they were
long before that time, even in the first services that we
find in the Church, used at the Communion Sendee,
and other offices, as ordination of priests, and the
like ; witness the Clementine Constitutions/ where
we find the deacon ministering to the people, and
directing them from point to point what to pray for,
as it is in our Litany, and the people are appointed
to answer to every petition, Domine miserere, " Lord
have mercy." And in all Liturgies extant, (as Mr.
Thorndike hath well observed in his book of Reli-
gious Assemblies, 5 ) the same allocutions or npoo--
vr)s, secretly and mystically. Yet lest
the people should be unsatisfied, and suspicious
that the priest had neglected this his office, which
they could not be assured that he had performed,
because it was done secretly -, therefore the church
appointed that the priest should at the end of the
service come down from the altar, and standing
behind the pulpit, in the midst of the people, say a
loud prayer, called evxrj oTrto-tfa/i/Scoi/os 1 ", which was a
sum or compendium of all that the people had
klleb.r. i. 1 Levit.rvi. 17. m Goar. p. 154.
o c
o o
OF THE LITANY. 8l
)efore petitioned for, which he then solemnly
offered up to God.
The Church of England is generally in her Com-
mon Prayers, as for an humble, so for an audible
voice, especially in the Lord's Prayer, appointing it
to be said, in the Rubric before it, with a loud, that
s, an audible voice, not secretly ; and this, for the
more earnest repetition of so Divine words, and to
make them more familiar to the people. But
though this church does not order the priest to say
these prayers secretly, yet she retains the same
order of offering up by the priest in Collects follow-
ing the people's foregoing supplications.
The Litany is appointed in t
