A. Morning and evening prayer.] Prayer ought to be made as oft as occasion requireth; as there is daily occasion, so there must be daily prayer. Our daily sins exact a daily confession; our daily wants teach us, as our Saviour prescribed us, to say, "Give us this day our daily bread;" the Lord's mercies are "new every morning," so should our prayers and thanksgivings be; new in practice, though the same in form .
Upon this account were the diurnal sacrifices of the temple: upon this account did the primitive Christians practise it; sacrificia quotidie celebramus, "we daily offer sacrifices to God," saith Cyprian: ἡμέρας ἑκάστης τῷ τοῦτων δεσπότῃ τοὺς ὕμνους προσφέρομεν, saith Theodoret. Yea not only daily, but twice a day, at morning and evening, according to the order of our Church, τούτο ίσασιν οι μύσται, πώς καθ'έκαστην ημέραν γίνεται, και εν εσπέρα και πρωΐα, saith Chrysostom; "all the faithful can bear witness of this," how it is observed in the morning and evening service. And to the same purpose Epiphanius, Εωθινοίτε ύμνοι εν αυτή τη αγία Εκκλησία διηνεκεϊς γίνονται και προσευχαι εωθιναι : Λυχνικοί τε άμα ψαλμοί και προσευχαι. "Morning prayers and hymns are continually used in the holy Church, as also evening prayers and hymns:" what these morning and evening hymns were, shall be seen afterwards. As for the hour of morning prayer with us, it is nine in the forenoon, agreeable to the primitive practice of the Greek Church especially, derived either from the miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost at that hour upon the Apostles, or from the Jewish custom of as sembling for the performance of religious duties at that hour, their third; whereof instances there are enough in Holy Scripture; this in all probability of divine establishment; not So, I conceive, the next or sixth in order of canonical hours, this being added by private devotion: at which hour, after dinner, devout people resorted to the temple to offer up their more peculiar supplications, in reference to their private and proper wants. So "Hannah rose up early after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk, and went into the temple, and prayed unto the Lord," 1 Sam . i . 9, whence old Eli mistook her to be drunk ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ τῆς ἡμέρας, καὶ yap ἦν τὸ μεσημβρινὸν, saith St. Chrysostom, "from the heat of the day, for it was about noon." So the prophet David , "At morning, and evening, and at high noon-day will I rise up to praise thee." In conformity to which the ancient Christians preserved the same observatio; though satisfied I am not, that it was a universal practice, because Clemens Alexandrinus restrained it to some, τινές ώρας τάκτας απο νέμουσιν ευχή τρίτην, έκτης, και εννάτην , “some allot set hours for prayers, the third, sixth, and ninth.”
Of Daily saying of MORNING and EVENING PRAYER. ALL Priests shall be bound to say Daily the Morning and Evening Prayer. The end of the Preface before the Service, Rubr. 2. So was it of old ordered in the Church of Christ, Saint CHRYS. 6. hom. in 2. cap. 1. ep. ad Tim. and Clem. Const. l. 2. c. 39. And this is agreeable to Gods own Law. Exo. 29. 38. 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. 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 publick worship, a continual burnt offering, every day, Morning and Evening, teaching us by this, saith Saint CHRYS. That God must be worshipped daily when the day begins and when 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 righteousness 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 publick worship, a sweet savour, or savour of rest, as it is in the Hebrew, Num. 28. 6. without which God Almighty will not rest satisfied.
This publick Service and worship under the Law was appointed by God himself, both for matter and manner of performance. Exod. 29. 38. but under the Gospel our Lord hath appointed only materials and essentials of his publick 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 publick worship, for the method of offering up Prayers or praises and the like; our Lord hath not so particularly determined now, but hath left that to be ordered and appointed, by those, to whom he said at his departure out of this world. As my Father sent me, so send I you, S. John 20. 21. To govern the Church in his absence. viz. The Apostles and their Successors in the Apostolick Commission. And therefore Acts 2. 42.
The publick 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 S. Paul writes to Timothy the Bishop and Governour of the Church of Ephesus, to take care that Prayers and Supplications be made for all men, especially for Kings, &c. And 1 Cor. 11. 34. 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. And 1 Cor. 14. 40. Let all things, i. e. ( "all your publick services, (for of those he treats in the Chapter at large) be done decently, and kata taxin, according to Ecclesiastical Law and Canon."
The Service and worship of God thus prescribed, according to our Lords general rules, by those to whom he hath left a Commission and power to order and govern his Church, is the right publick Service and worship of God, commanded by himself in his Law; for though God hath not immediately and particularly appointed this publick worship, yet he hath in general commanded a publick worship in the second Commandment. For where it is said, Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them, by the rule of contraries, we are Commanded to bow down to God and Worship Him. A publick worship then God must have, by his own Command; and the Governors of the Church, have prescribed this form of worship, for that publick service and worship of God in this Church, which being so prescribed, becomes Gods service and worship by his own Law, as well as the Lamb was his sacrifice, Exod. 29.
For the clearer understanding of this, we must know, that some Laws of Gods, do suppose some humane act of pass and intervene, before they actually bind: which act of man being once passed, they bind immediately. For example, Thou shalt not steal, is Gods Law, which Law cannot bind actually, till men be possest 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 humane Laws or acts determine the property, as the Israelites could not claim a property on this or that side Iordan, till Moses had assigned them their several portions: But when their portions were so assigned, they might say, this is mine, by Gods, as well as mans Law; and he that took away their right, sinned not only against mans, but God, Law too, that says, Thou shalt not steal. In like manner; God hath in general commanded a publick 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 determin'd, is Gods service and worship not only by humane, but even by divine Law also: and all other publick services whatsoever, made by private men, to whom God hath given no such Commission are strange worship, Lev. 10. 1. Because not Commanded; for example, As under the Law, when God had appointed a Lamb for a burnt-offering, Exod. 29. that alone was the right daily worship, The savour of rest, because Commanded, and all other sacrifices whatsoever, offered up in the place of that, though of far more value and price than a Lamb, suppose 20. Oxen, would have been strange Sacrifice; so now, the publick worship of God prescribed as we have said, by Those to whom he hath given Commission, is the only true and right publick worship, and all other forms and methods offered up in stead of that, though never so exactly drawn, are strange worship, because 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 service, but obedience is the thing accepted. Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, or any fat of Rams, 1 Sam. 15. 22.
This holy service offered up to God by the Priest, in the name of the Church, is far more acceptable to Almighty God, then the devotions of any private man.For, First, it is the service of the whole Church, to 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, S. Matt. 18. 19. How much more, what is ask'd of God or offered up to God by the common vote and joynt desire of the whole body of the Church?
Besides, this publick service and worship of God is Commanded by God, (i. e. by those whom he hath impowr'd to command and appoint it) to be offered up to him in the behalf of the Church, and therefore must needs be most acceptable to him, which is so appointed by him: For, what he Commands he accepts most certainly. Private devotions and services 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 publick worship is like that Lamb, Exod. 29. commanded to be offered by the Priest for others, for the Church, and therefore accepted, whatsoever the Priest be that offers it up. And therefore, King David prayes, Psal. 141. 2. Let the lifting up of my hands be an evening Sacrifice, 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, S. Chrys. Hom. in Psal. 140.
This publick 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, Ex. 29. was the sacrifice of the whole Congregation of the children of Israel,) a sweet smelling savour, a savour of rest, to pacifie God Almighty daily, and to continue his favour to them, and make him dwell with them, Exod. 29. 42, 45.
Good reason therefore it is, that this sweet 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 Lords Remembrancers putting him in mind of the peoples wants. Esay 62. 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 Priests office. So S. Paul tells us, who in the 1 Ep. Tim. chap. 2. 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 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 S. Paul, offering up daily this holy sacrifice Morning and Evening. S. Chrys. upon the place.
S. Paul in the first Chapter of this Epistle at the 18. verse, 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 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 Priests office; and S. Paul exhorts Timothy to preach the word, be instant in season, out of season. 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 presenting prayers to the throne of grace in the behalf of the Church, be carefully lookt to.
This charge of S. Paul to Tim. holy Church here laies upon all those that are admitted into that holy office of the Ministery, that they should offer up to God this holy sacrifice of prayers, praises and thanksgivings, this savour of rest, daily, Morning 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 service, as he promised to be to the Jews in the offering of the Lamb Morning and Evening, Exod. 29. 43. 44. 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.
Whether there was any daily service in the primitive Church. THAT the primitive Christians, besides their solemn service on Sundays, had public prayers every morning and evening daily, has already been hinted upon a former occasion: but a learned gentleman is of the opinion, that this must be restrained to times of peace; and that during the time of public persecution they were forced to confine their religious meetings to the Lord's day only. And it is certain that Pliny and Justin Martyr, who both describe the manner of the Christian worship, do neither of them make mention of any assembly for public worship on any other day: so that their silence is a negative argument that in their time there was no such assembly, unless perhaps some distinction may be made between the general assembly of both city and country on the Lord's day, and the particular assemblies of the city Christians (who had better opportunities to meet) on other days: which distinction we often meet with in the following ages, when Christianity was come to its maturity and perfection. However, it was not long after Justin Martyr's time, before we are sure that the Church observed the custom of meeting solemnly on Wednesdays and Fridays, to celebrate the communion, and to perform the same service as on the Lord's day itself, unless perhaps the sermon was wanting. The same also might be shewed from as early authorities in relation to the festivals of their martyrs and the whole fifty days between Easter and Whitsuntide. Nor need we look down many years lower, before we meet with express testimony of their meeting every day for the public worship of God. For St. Cyprian tells us, that in his time it was customary to receive the holy eucharist every day: a plain demonstration that they had every day public assemblies, since we know the eucharist was never consecrated but in such open and public assemblies of the Church.
The order of their morning and evening service. That these daily devotions consisted of an evening as well as a morning service, even from St. Cyprian's time, the learned author I just now referred to endeavours to prove. However, in a century or two afterwards, the case is plain; for the author of the Constitutions not only speaks of it, but gives us the order of both the services. The morning service, as there described, began with the sixty-third, which was therefore called the morning psalm. Immediately after which followed the prayers for the catechumens, for those that were possessed, for the candidates for baptism, and the penitents, which made the general service on the Lord's day, and which were partly performed by the deacon's [prosphonisis], or bidding of prayer, something like our present Litany, but only directed to the people, and instructing them for what and for whom they were to offer their petitions; and partly by the bishop's invocation over them, pronounced as they bowed down to receive his blessing before their dismission. After these were dismissed, followed prayers for the peace of the whole world, and for all orders of men in the Church, with which the communion-service was begun on the Lord's day; and at which none but those who had a right to communicate were allowed to be present. After this followed another short bidding prayer for peace and prosperity the ensuing day; which was immediately succeeded by the bishop's commendatory prayer, or morning thanksgiving; which being ended, the deacon bid them bow their heads, and receive the bishop's solemn benediction; which after they had done, he dismissed the congregation with the usual form, Depart in peace: the word for dismissing every Church assembly.
This is the order of the morning service, as described by the Constitutions; to which the evening service, as there also set down, is in most things conformable. The prayers for the catechumens, the possessed, the candidates for baptism, and the penitents, were all the same; so also were those for the peace of the world, and the whole state of the Catholic Church. So that all the difference between them was this, viz. that they used the hundred and forty-first psalm at evening instead of the sixty-third, which they used in the morning; and instead of the bidding prayer for peace and prosperity, and the bishop's commendatory prayer in the morning service, two others were used in the afternoon more proper to the evening, and which for that reason were called the evening bidding prayer, and the evening thanksgiving. The bishop's benediction, too, at the conclusion of the whole, was different from that which was used in the forenoon: but excepting in these two or three particulars, both services were one and the same; and in the evening, as well as the morning, the congregation was dismissed with the constant form pronounced by the deacon, Depart in peace. The reader, that is curious to see more of these forms, may consult the learned Mr. Bingham, who transcribes most of them at large, and compares the several parts of them with the memorials and accounts that are left us by other ancient writers of the Church: in which place he also takes occasion to shew, that though in the form in the Constitutions there is but one psalm appointed either at morning or evening; yet from other rituals it is plain, that it was customary in most places to recite several of the psalms, and to mix lessons along with them, both out of the Old Testament and the New, for the edification of the people. But this is what I have not room to do here; and indeed there is the less occasion, as it will come in my way to speak of these points more largely hereafter, as the order of the service I am now entering upon will lead me.
THE Mattins and Evensong begin with one sentence of holy Scripture, after which follows the Exhortation, declaring to the people, the end of their publick meeting: Namely, [To confess their sins, to render thanks to God, to let forth his praise, to hear his holy Word, and to ask those things that be necessary both for body and 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. 18. 23. Before thou prayest, prepare thine heart, and be not as one that tempteth God. To which agrees that of Ecclesiastes 5. 1. Be not hasty to utter any thing before God, but consider that he is in Heaven, and thou upon earth.
F. The priest shall read with a loud voice some one of these sentences.] The first step to repentance the heathen could teach us is, “to know we have offended ;’’ the next is, “to acknowledge it.” By these degrees our Church labours to bring us to our knees, leading us to confession by these excellent sentences, and an exhortation suitable to her purpose ; and without an humble and unfeigned confession, it were madness in us to hope for pardon for our transgressions. Homo es, (saith the father,) et vis rogari, ut ignoscas ; et putas Deum tibi non roganti ignoscere? “Thou art a contemptible man, yet wilt be entreated before thou forgivest; and shall God remit thine own sins unasked?”
But before I advance further, at this first threshold of our liturgy I stumble upon an objection, and an untoward one it is, I confess; for this first sentence referred by the margin to Ezekiel is not there to be found, ῥητῶς, or expressly, the words of the prophet being these, xviii. 21, 22: “ But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die; all his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him.” Whereby it is evident that this sentence in our liturgy resulteth from the original rather by inference than by translation. Now because many such seeming blemishes will perhaps occur to captious inquirers in the comparing of this old translation with that of the best edition, it will be time well spent to alleviate the burden of this and all other objections emergent upon this account. And, first, we are ready to justify our Church thus far, that she never swerveth from the native verity in any one particular, relating to the fundamentals of either faith or morality; secondly, it will be proper to examine what translation we follow.
The first translation of the Bible into the English tongue, in order to our reformation, was performed by Mr. Tyndal, anno 1530, afterwards martyr. But some bishops had represented to King Henry VIII. that Tyndal was of a seditious spirit, and had dispersed several books tending thereunto, (a most false aspersion, witness that most loyal piece, called “The Obedience of a Christian Man,”) and that his translation was very corrupt ; whereupon it was immediately called in and suppressed. But the pope’s authority about the year 1536 going down, upon the entreaty and petition of the clergy, King Henry issued out an order for a new translation, indulging in the interim to his subjects the use of a Bible then passing under a feigned name of Matthew’s Bible, not much differing from Tyndal’s; the king promising a new and more perfect translation shortly to be published. This translation came forth in the year 1540, and was called the Bible of the great volume, or the Great Bible, and sometimes Coverdale’s translation. And though this Bible was enforced by the aid of a proclamation, yet was both it and all other translations abolished by act of parliament 1542, and the public use of the Bible interdicted in churches without leave from the king or ordinary first had: which interdict lasted all King Henry’s reign. But he not living many years after, and his son Edward succeeding him, the former statute was soon repealed, and the Scriptures made public again according to the translation of Miles Coverdale, which in truth doth not differ much from Tyndal’s. In King Edward’s time was our liturgy compiled, and no translation being then more perfect than this of Coverdale’s, reason good it should follow that. And from that doth our liturgy derive both the translations of the Psalms and other portions of canonical Scripture. But there have been two new and more correct translations since; one in Queen Elizabeth’s reign, called the Bishops’ Bible, it being the labour of some bishops commissionated by the queen, the other in King James’s time, and why was not our liturgy reformed in this particular by those translations? Shall I tell you what I have heard, and from a very credible hand.
A convocation in the queen’s time were once in good earnest upon this very design, but proceeding upon good advice, they thought fit first to examine the gust of the parliament then sitting, by some confidents of theirs ; these seriously dissuaded them from further progress in it, declaring that this reformation being not very feasible without dissolving the ancient frame, they had cause to fear it would find so potent enemies in the house (a thing of no great wonder) as it would scarce be allowed to pass again. The case standing thus, it sorted well with Christian prudence to desist. And the same Christian prudence moved the compilers of the Scottish liturgy, who had no other than the royal authority to regard, to reform agreeable to the best translation, not only these sentences, but what else of sacred Scripture was ingredient into the service of that Church.
Why placed at the beginning of the service. PRAYER requires so much attention and serenity of mind, that it can never be well performed without some preceding preparation: for which reason, when the Jews enter into their synagogues to pray, they remain silent for some time, and meditate before whom they stand: and the Christian priest, in the primitive ages, prepared the people's hearts to prayer by a devout preface. The first book of king Edward indeed begins with the Lord's prayer: but when they came to review it afterwards, and to make alterations, they thought that too abrupt a beginning, and therefore prefixed these sentences, with the following exhortation, confession, and absolution, as a proper introduction, to bring the souls of the congregation to a spiritual frame, and to prepare them for the great duty they are just entering upon. The sentences are gathered out of Scripture, that so we may not dare to disobey them; since they come from the mouth of that God whom we address ourselves to in our prayers, and who may justly reject our petitions, if we hearken not to his word.
The choice of them. As to the choice of them, the reverend compilers of our Liturgy have selected such as are the most plain and the most likely to bring all sorts of sinners to repentance. There are variety of dispositions, and the same man is not always in the same temper. For which reason they have collected several, and left it to the discretion of him that ministereth, to use such one or more of them every day, as he shall judge agreeable to his own, or his people's circumstances.
At the beginning of Morning Prayer the Minister shall read with a loud voice some one or more of these Sentences of the Scriptures that follow. And then he shall say that which is written after the said Sentences.
The design of the exhortation. THE design of the exhortation is to apply and set home the preceding sentences, and to direct us how to perform the following confession. It collects the necessity of it from the word of God; and when it hath convinced us of that, it instructeth us in the right manner, and then invites us to that necessary duty, for which it hath so well prepared us. And for our greater encouragement, the minister (who is God's ambassador) offers to accompany us to the throne of grace, knowing his Master will be glad to see him with so many penitents in his retinue. And he promises that he will put words in our mouths, and speak with us and for us; only we must express the humility of our minds by the lowliness of our bodies, and declare our assent to every sentence by repeating it reverently after him.
The Priest and the People, being thus prepared, make their CONFESSION which is to be done with [an humble voice,] as it is in the Exhortation. Our Churches direction in this particular, is grave and conform to ancient rules. The sixth Counc. of CONSTAN. Can. 75. forbids all disorderly and rude vociferation in the execution of Holy Services; and S. Cyprian de Orat. Dominica advises thus, [Let our speech and voice in prayer be with Discipline, still and modest: Let us consider that we stand in the presence of God, who is to be pleas'd 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 in 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 Saint Basils time. Ep. 63. And that very orderly. For before we beg any thing else, or offer up any praise or Lauds to God, it is fit we should confess, and beg pardon of our sins, which hinder Gods acceptation of our Services. Psal. 66. 16. If I regard iniquity with mine heart, the Lord will not hear me.
This Confession is to be said by the whole Congregation, Sayes the Rubr. And good reason. For could there be any thing devised better, than that we all at 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 earwitnesses, even of every mans distinct and deliberate Assent to each particular branch of a Common Indictment drawn against our selves? How were it possible that the Church should any way else with such ease and certainty provide, that none of her children may dissemble that wretchedness, the Penitent Confession whereof is so necessary a preamble especially to Common-Prayer? Hooker.
G. A general confession to be said.] To begin morning prayer with confession of sins, I may call the Catholic custom of the primitive Church. De nocte populus surgens antelucano tempore domum precationis petit, in labore, tribulatione et lachrymis indesinentibus facta ad Deum confessione, saith Basil”. “Early in the morning, at break of day, the people rising, go straight to the house of prayer, making confession of their sins to God, with much sorrow, sobs, and tears.” Which custom, lest it should be thought a peculiar of his own Church, was, he tells us, consonant to all other Churches. Nor is he only a witness for confession, but for confession so qualified as ours, the congregation repeating the words after the minister, suis guisque verbis resipiscentiam profitetur, “every man pronounceth his own confession with his own mouth.”
The Confession, why placed at the beginning of the prayers. THE holy Scriptures assure us, that sin unrepented of hinders the success of our prayers; and therefore such as would pray effectually have always begun with confession; to the end that, their guilt being removed by penitential acknowledgments, there might no bar be left to God's grace and mercy. For which reason the Church hath placed this confession at the beginning of the service, for the whole congregation to repeat after the minister, that so we may first be witnesses of each other's confession, before we unite in the following service. And this, as we learn from St. Basil, is consonant to the practice of the primitive Christians; "who (he tells us) in all churches, immediately upon their entering into the house of prayer, made confession of their sins to God, with much sorrow, concern, and tears, every man pronouncing his own confession with his own mouth."
§.2. An objection answered. As to the form itself, it is blamed by our sectaries for being too general: and yet it is so particular, as to contain all that can be expressed. It begins with an acknowledgment of our original corruption in the wicked devices and desires of our hearts, and then descends to actual guilt, which it divides into sins of omission and commission, under which two heads all sins whatever must necessarily be reduced. So that every single person, who makes this general confession with his lips, may at the same time mentally unfold the plague of his own heart, his particular sins, whatever they be, as effectually to God, who searches the heart, as if he enumerated them in the most ample form. And indeed had this form been more particular or express, it would not so well have answered the end for which it was designed: for a common confession ought to be so contrived, that every person present may truly speak it as his own case; whereas a confession drawn up according to the mind of the objectors, would be but little less than an inquisition, forcing those that join in it to accuse and condemn themselves of those sins daily, which perhaps they never committed in their lives.
A general Confession to be said of the whole Congregation after the Minister, all kneeling.
Next follows the ABSOLUTION to be pronounced by the Priest alone, standing. For though the Rubrick 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 Rubrick 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 his Ministers, as it is in the Preface of this Absolution.] And as we read S. John 20. Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted. And if our Confession be serious and hearty, this Absolution is effectual, as if God did pronounce it from Heaven. So sayes the Confession of Saxony and Bohemia: and so sayes the Augustan Confession, and which is more, so says S. Chrys. in his fifth Hom. upon Esay. [Heaven waits and expects the Priests 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 sayes S. Gregory Hom. 26: upon the Gospels. [The Apostles, (and in them all Priests) were made Gods Vicegerents here on earth in his Name and stead to retain or remit sins.] S. Augustine and Cyprian, and generally Antiquity sayes the same; so does our Church in many places, particularly in the form Absolution for the sick: but above all, holy Scripture is clear, S. John 20. 23. Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them. 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 Ministery of Reconciliation, that is, to the end of the world. Ep. 4. 12, 13. 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 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 S. Mat. 10. 7. As ye go, preach saying, &c. And S. Iohn 4. 2. Though Jesus baptized not, but his disciples. And 1 Cor. 11. 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 Saviours Resurrection. But this power of remitting sins, mentioned S. Iohn 20. was not granted (though promised, S. Matt. 16. 19.) 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, Verse 22. 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 under pretence of reverence to God denies or despises this power, does injury to God in slighting his Commission, and is no better than a Novatian, saies S. Ambrose l. 1. de Poenit. cap. 2.
After the Priest hath pronounced the Absolution, the Church seasonably prayes, Wherefore we beseech him 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, out to be continual. For whereas Repentance consists of three parts, as the Church teaches us in the Commination. 1. Contrition or lamenting of our sinful lives. 2. Knowledging and confessing our sins. 3. 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 Devil is most busie 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 Lords prayer, as soon as we have begg'd 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 Gods 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 Gods holy Spirit, that both his present service and future life may please God: that is, that he may observe our Saviours 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. S. John 5. 14.
There be three several forms of Absolution in the Service. The first is that which is used at Morning Prayer. Almighty God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c. And hath given power and commandment to his Ministers to declare and pronounce to his people being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their sins. He pardoneth and Absolveth.
The second is used at the Visitation of the Sick. Our Lord Jesus Christ who hath left power to his Church to absolve all sinners which truly repent, of his great mercy forgive thee: and by his Authority committed to me, I absolve thee, &c.
The Third is at the Communion. Almighty God our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith turn to him. Have mercy upon you: pardon and forgive you, &c.
All these several Forms, in sence and virtue are the same; For as when a Prince hath granted a Commission to any servant of his, to release out o Prison all penitent offenders whatsoever, it were all one in effect, as to the Prisoners discharge, whether this servant sayes, by virtue of a Commission granted to me, under the Princes 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 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 vertue 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 Saint Ioh. 20. 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 implyed and supposed. For the Priest is directed, in using this form, to stand up and turn to the people. Rubr. 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 Ministery of Reconciliation, a solemn application of pardon to the penitent by Gods Minister, and is in sense thus much, 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; sometime expressing, always including Gods 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 Christs 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 to be found in their Rituals or Eccles. 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 signifie Christs power granted to her, provided the expression and words be agreeable to the sense of that Commission? But it may easily be shown 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's 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 call'd their Confessor,) for Absolution, intreating him in their vulgar language. Παρακαλῶ νὰ μοῦ συγχωρήσῃς, I beseech you, Sir, absolve me: The Confessor or Spiritual Man, if he thought him fit for pardon, answered, ἔχω σε συγκεχωρημήνον, I absolve thee. See Arcadius de Sacra Poenit. l. 4. c. 3. & Goar. in Euchol. Graec. where you may find instances of Forms of Absolution as full as any the Church of England uses.
H. The absolution to be pronounced by the minister alone.] Of absolution I shall treat in the communion of the sick. In the interim take this in part, that the Argentine liturgy, used by such protestants as live there in exile, and which liturgy is dedicated to Edward VI, as it begins service with a confession in substantials like to ours, so doth it enjoin absolution to follow presently upon it. As for this it is, you see, appointed to the minister alone to pronounce it, which word ‘alone’ hath here a double import; first, in relation to the public use of the morning service in the Church, where it implieth that the people must not in this, as in their antecedent confession, say after the minister, but leave it to be pronounced by him alone. Its second relation is to the private, for you must know that morning and evening prayer were not in their original designation intended by our reformers as only peculiar to church assemblies, but as well appointed for the service of God in private families ; this is evident by ancient primers set forth, which are composed of those services, and were designed to be not only lessons for children to be initiated into letters by, but also as helps for devout people in the performances of family duties, as is evint by the injunction proemial to them. Now lest in the private exercises of piety the people or laity ignorantly should rush into the priestly office, this caveat is entered by the Church, declaring that the minister alone, and no layman, ought then to officiate. I think it also not improper here to acquaint you, that the words “or remission of sins” was added, as also the word priest changed into minister, both here and in divers other places, by the reformers under King James.
How seasonably used here. THE congregation being now humbled by the preceding confession, may justly be supposed to stand in need of consolation. And therefore since God has committed to his ambassadors the ministry of reconciliation, they can never more seasonably exercise it than now. For this reason the priest immediately rises from his knees, and standing up, as with authority, declares and pronounces for their comfort and support, that God, who desires not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live, pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel.
§.2. Of what benefit or effect. Now whether this be only a declaration of the condition, or terms, whereupon God is willing to pardon sinners; or whether it be an actual conveyance of pardon, at the very instant of pronouncing it, to all that come within the terms proposed, is a question that is often the subject of dispute. With the utmost deference therefore to the judgment of those who are of a different opinion, I beg leave to declare for the last of these senses: not that I ascribe any judicial power or authority to the priest to determine the case of a private man, so as to apply God's pardon or forgiveness directly to the conscience of any particular or definite sinner; (my notion as to this will be seen hereafter) nor do I suppose that the priest, when he pronounces this form, can apply the benefit of it to whom he pleases; or that he so much as knows upon whom, or upon how many, it shall take effect; but all that I contend for is only this, viz. that since the priest has the ministry of reconciliation committed to him by God, and hath both power and commandment (as it is expressed in this form) to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins; therefore, when he does, by virtue of this power and commandment, declare and pronounce such absolution and remission regularly in the congregation; those in the congregation that truly repent and unfeignedly believe God's holy Gospel, (though the priest does not know who or how many they are that do so) have yet their pardon conveyed and sealed to them at that very instant through his ministration; it being the ordinary method of God with his Church, to communicate his blessings through the ministry of the priest.
I am sensible that this is carrying the point higher than many that have delivered their judgments before me. Even the learned translator of St. Cyprian's works, who contends that this is an authoritative form, yet explains himself to mean nothing more by authoritative, than that it is "an act of office warranted by God, and pursuant to the commission which the priest hath received for publishing authoritatively the terms of pardon at large and in general, and then for pronouncing by the same authority, that when those terms are fulfilled, the pardon is granted." But this explanation seems only to make it an authoritative declaration, and not to suppose (as, with submission to this gentleman, I take both the rubric and form to imply) that it is an effective form, conveying as well as declaring a pardon to those that are duly qualified to receive it. My reasons for this I shall have another occasion to give immediately: for though what this learned gentleman asserts does not come up to my notion of the form; yet it is a great deal more than another learned author is willing to allow; who does not seem to think the form to be authoritative in any sense at all, or that there is any need of a commission to pronounce it. For "it may be asked," saith the Rev. Dr. Bennet upon this place, "whether a mere deacon may pronounce this form of absolution: and to this," saith he, "I answer, that in my judgment he may." The reason that he gives for it is, that he cannot but think it manifest, that this form of absolution is only declaratory: that it is only saying, That all penitent sinners are pardoned by God upon their repentance: and consequently that a mere deacon has as much authority to speak every part of this form, as he has to say, When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness, &c., which is the first of the sentences appointed to be read before morning prayer: nay, that a mere deacon has as much authority to pronounce this form, as he has to preach a sermon about repentance. And that therefore it seems to be a vulgar mistake, which makes the deacons deviate from their rule, and omit either the whole, or else a part of this form, or perhaps exchange it for a collect taken out of some other part of the Liturgy."
Designed by the church to be more than declarative. But now, with submission to the learned doctor, I beg leave to observe, that this form is expressly called by the rubric, The Absolution or Remission of Sins. It is not called a Declaration of Absolution, as one would think it should have been, if it had been designed for no more; but it is positively and emphatically called THE Absolution, to denote that it is really an absolution of sins to those that are entitled to it by repentance and faith.
Again, the terms used to express the priest's delivering or declaring it, is a very solemn one: it is to be pronounced (saith the rubric) by the priest alone. A word which signifies much more than merely to make known, or declare a thing; for the Latin pronuncio, from whence it is taken, signifies properly to pronounce or give sentence: and therefore the word pronounced, here used, must signify that this is a sentence of absolution or remission of sins, to be authoritatively uttered by one who has received commission from God.
But further, if the repeating this Absolution be no more than saying, That all penitent sinners are pardoned by God upon their repentance, as the learned doctor affirms; I cannot conceive to what end it should be placed just after the Confession; for as much as this, the doctor himself tells us, is said before it, viz. in the first of the sentences appointed to be read before morning or evening prayer, When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness, &c., and there I think indeed more properly: for such a declaration may be a great encouragement to draw men to confession and repentance; but after they have confessed and repented, the use of it, I think, is not so great. It is indeed a comfort to us to know that God will pardon us upon our repentance: but then it must be supposed that the hope of this pardon is one chief ground of our repentance; and therefore it cannot be imagined that the Church should tell us that after the Confession, which it is necessary we should know before it, as being the principal motive we have to confess.
All that I know can be said against this (though the doctor indeed does not urge so much) is, that "after the minister has declared the absolution and remission of the people's sins, he goes on to exhort them to pray and beseech God to grant them true repentance, &c., which repentance is necessary, it may be said, beforehand, in order to their pardon; because God pardoneth and absolveth none but those who truly repent. And therefore since the minister here exhorts the people to pray for repentance after he has pronounced the absolution and remission of their sins; it may be thought that the absolution does not convey a pardon, but only promises them one upon their repentance." But in answer to this, we may grant in the first place, that one part of repentance, viz. the acknowledging and confessing of our sins, must be performed before we are pardoned; since, unless we acknowledge that we have transgressed God's laws, we do not own that we stand in need of his pardon. And for this reason the Church orders the people to make their confession, before she directs the priest to pronounce the Absolution. But then there are two other parts of repentance, which are as necessary after our sins are forgiven us, as they are before; and they are contrition and amendment of life: for first, contrition (by which I mean the lamenting or looking back with sorrow upon our sins) is certainly necessary even after they are forgiven us: since to be pleased with the remembrance of them, would be (as far as lies in our power) to act those sins over again, and consequently, though God himself should at any time have declared them pardoned with his own mouth, yet such repetition of them would render even that absolution ineffectual. And, secondly, as to endeavours after amendment of life, if there be any difference, they are certainly more necessary after our former sins are forgiven than before; because God's mercy in pardoning us is a new obligation upon us to live well, and is what will enhance our guilt, if we offend afterwards. And therefore our being pardoned ought to make us pray the more vehemently for repentance, and God's holy Spirit; lest, if we should return to our sins again, a worse thing should happen unto us. From all which it appears, that though repentance be a necessary disposition to pardon, so as that neither God will, nor man can, absolve those that are impenitent; yet, in some parts of it, it is a necessary consequent of pardon, insomuch as that he who is pardoned ought still to repent, as well as he who seeks a pardon: and if so, then the praying for repentance after the minister has declared a pardon, is no argument that such declaration does not convey a pardon.
But, secondly, the design of the Church in this place is, not only to exhort the congregation to repentance, by declaring to them that God will forgive and pardon their sins when they shall repent, but also to convey an instant pardon from God, by the mouth of the priest, to as many as do, at that time, truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel; seems evident from the former part of the Absolution, where the priest reads his commission before he executes his authority. For this part would be wholly needless, if no more was intended by the Absolution than what Dr. Bennet tells us, viz. "a bare declaration, that all penitent sinners are pardoned by God upon their repentance;" for since, as he himself confesses, there is no more contained in such a declaration than what is implied in the first of the sentences before morning prayer, it will be very difficult to account why the Church should usher it in with so solemn a proclamation of what power and commandment God has given to his ministers. But since the Church has directed the priest to make known to the people, that God has given power and commandment to his ministers to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins; it is very reasonable to suppose that, when in the next words the priest declares that God pardoneth and absolveth all those who truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel, he does, in the intent of the Church, exercise that power, and obey that commandment, which God has given him.
But, lastly, the persons to whom this absolution must be pronounced, is another convincing proof that it is more than merely declarative. For if it implied no more than that all sinners are pardoned by God upon their repentance; it might as well be pronounced to such as continue in their sins, as to those that have repented of them: nay, it would be more proper and advantageous to be pronounced to the former than to the latter; because, as I have observed, such a declaration might be a great inducement to forward their conversion. But yet we see that this form is not to be pronounced to such as the Church desires should repent, but to those who have repented. The absolution and remission of sins, which the priest here declares and pronounces from God, is declared and pronounced to his people being penitent, i.e. to those who are penitent at the very time of pronouncing the absolution. For as to those who are impenitent, the priest is not here said to have any power or commandment relating to them: they are quite left out, as persons not fit or proper to have this commission executed in their behalf. From all which it is plain, that this absolution is more than declarative, that it is truly effective; insuring and conveying to the proper subjects thereof the very absolution or remission itself. It is as much a bringing of God's pardon to the penitent member of Christ's Church, and as effectual to his present benefit, as an authorized messenger bringing a pardon from his sovereign to a condemned penitent criminal, is effectual to his present pardon and release from the before appointed punishment.
It is indeed drawn up in a declarative form: and considering it is to be pronounced to a mixed congregation, it could not well have been drawn up in any other. For the minister, not knowing who are sincere, and who are feigned penitents, is not allowed to prostitute so sacred an ordinance amongst the good and bad promiscuously; but is directed to assure those only of a pardon who truly repent, and unfeignedly believe God's holy Gospel. But then to these, as may be gathered from what has been said, I take it to be as full and effective an absolution as any that can be given.
§.3. Not to be pronounced by a deacon. And if so, then the question the learned doctor here introduces, must receive a different answer from what he has given it. For deacons were never commissioned by the Church to give absolution in any of its forms: and therefore when a deacon omits the whole or part of this form, he does not deviate from his rule, as the doctor asserts, but prudently declines to use an authority which he never received; and which he is expressly forbid to use in this place by the rubric prefixed, which orders the Absolution to be pronounced by the priest alone. I am very readily inclined to acknowledge with the doctor, that the word alone was designed to serve as a directory to the people, not to repeat the words after the minister, as they had been directed to do in the preceding Confession; but silently to attend till the priest has pronounced it, and then, by a hearty and fervent Amen, to testify their faith in the benefits conveyed by it. But then as to what the doctor goes on to assert, that "the word priest does in this place signify, not one that is in priest's orders, as we generally speak, but any minister that officiates, whether priest or deacon;" I think I have very good reason to dissent from him. For the signification of a word is certainly to be best learnt from the persons that impose it. Now though it be true that in king Edward's second Common Prayer Book, (which was the first that had the Absolution in it,) and in all the other books till the restoration of king Charles, the word in the rubric was minister, and not priest; yet in the review that followed immediately after the Restoration, priest was inserted in the room of minister, and that with a full and direct design to exclude deacons from being meant by it. For at the Savoy Conference, the presbyterian divines (that were appointed by the king to treat with the bishops about the alterations that were to be made in the Common Prayer) had desired that, as the word minister was used in the Absolution, and in divers other places; it might also be used throughout the whole book, instead of the word priest. But to this the bishop's answer was very peremptory and full, viz. It is not reasonable that the word minister should be only used in the Liturgy: for since some parts of the Liturgy may he performed by a deacon, others by none under the order of a priest, viz. Absolution, Consecration; it is fit that some such word as priest should he used for those offices, and not minister, which signifies at large every one that ministers in the holy office, of what order soever he be. And agreeable to this answer, when they came to make the necessary alterations in the Liturgy, they not only refused to change priest for minister, but also threw out the word minister, and put priest in the room of it, even in this rubric before the Absolution. So that it is undeniably plain, that by this rubric deacons are expressly forbid to pronounce this form; since the word priest in this place (if interpreted according to the intent of those that inserted it) is expressly limited to one in priest's orders, and does not comprehend any minister that officiates, whether priest or deacon, as Dr. Bennet asserts. I therefore could wish that the doctor would take some decent opportunity to withdraw that countenance, which I know some deacons are apt to take from his opinion, which has much contributed to the spreading of a practice which was seldom or never known before. The doctor indeed, in the conclusion of the whole, declares that "he is far from desiring any person to be determined by him: and entreats the deacons to consult their ordinaries, and to follow their directions, which in such disputable matters (as these) are the best rule of conscience." But as to this it should be considered, that the rubric being established by act of parliament, the ordinaries themselves (whom the doctor advises the deacons to consult about it) have no power to authorize them to use this form, any otherwise than by giving them priest's orders: since their authority reaches no further than to doubtful cases, and this, I think, appears now to be a clear one.
§.4. The priest to stand, and the people to kneel. The priest is required to pronounce the Absolution standing, because it is an act of his authority in declaring the will of God, whose ambassador he is. But the people are to continue kneeling, in token of that humility and reverence with which they ought to receive the joyful news of a pardon from God.
Amen, what it signifies. The word [Amen] here enjoined to be used is originally Hebrew, and signifies the same in English as So be it. But the word itself has been retained in all languages, to express the assent of the person that pronounces it, to that to which he returns it as an answer. As it is used in the Common Prayer Book, it bears different significations, according to the different forms to which it is annexed. At the end of prayers and collects, it is addressed to God, and signifies, "So be it, O Lord, as in our prayers we have expressed." But at the end of Exhortations, Absolutions, and Creeds, it is addressed to the priest, and then the meaning of it is either, "So be it, this is our sense and meaning:" or, "So be it, we entirely assent to and approve of what has been said."
§.2. How regarded by the primitive Christians. When this assent was given by the primitive Christians at their public offices, they pronounced it so heartily that St. Jerome compares it to thunder: "They echo out the Amen," saith he, "like a thunder-clap:" and Clemens Alexandrinus tells us, that "at the last acclamations of their prayers, they raised themselves upon their tip-toes, (for on Sundays and on all days between Easter and Whitsuntide they prayed standing) as if they desired that that word should carry up their bodies as well as their souls to heaven."
§.3. Why printed sometimes in Roman and sometimes in Italic. In our present Common Prayer Book it is observable, that the Amen is sometimes printed in one character and sometimes in another. The reason of which I take to be this: at the end of all the collects and prayers, which the priest is to repeat or say alone, it is printed in Italic, a different character from the prayers themselves, to denote, I suppose, that the minister is to stop at the end of the prayer, and to leave the Amen for the people to respond: bit at the end of the Lord's Prayer, Confessions, Creeds, &c., and wheresoever the people are to join aloud with the minister, as if taught and instructed by him what to say, there it is printed in Roman, i.e. in the same character with the Confessions and Creeds themselves, as a hint to the minister that he is still to go on, and by pronouncing the Amen himself, to direct the people to do the same, and so to set their seal at last to what they had been before pronouncing.
§.4. The people not to repeat the prayers aloud. By the people being directed by this rubric to answer Amen at the end of the prayers, they might easily perceive that they are expected to be silent in the prayers themselves, and only to go along with the minister in their minds. For the minister is the appointed intercessor for the people, and consequently it is his office to offer up their prayers and praises in their behalf: insomuch that the people have nothing more to do than to attend to what he says, and to declare their assent by an Amen at last, without disturbing those that are near them by muttering over the collects in a confused manner, as is practised by too many in most congregations, contrary to common sense, as well as decency and good manners.
The Absolution, or Remission of sins, to be pronounced by the Priest alone, standing; the people still kneeling.
The people shall answer here, and at the end of all other prayers, Amen.
If no priest be present the person saying the service shall read the Collect for the Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity, that person and the people still kneeling.
THEN follows the LORDS PRAYER. The Church of Christ did use to begin and end her Services with the Lords 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; Tertul. de orat. c. 9. And it being the perfection of all prayer, therefore we conclude our prayers with it. S. Augustine Ep. 59. Let no Man therefore quarrel with the Churches frequent use of the Lords Prayer. For the Church Catholick ever did the same. Besides, if we hope to have our prayers accepted of the Father only for his Sons sake, why should we not hope to have them most speedily accepted, when they are offered up in his Sons own words?
Both in this place and other parts of the Service, where the Lords prayer is appointed to be used, the Doxology, For thine is the Kingdom, &c. is left out. The reason is given by Learned Men, because the Doxology is no part of our Lords Prayer. For though in S. Matt. 6. it be added in our usual Copies, yet in the most ancient Manuscripts it is not to be found, no nor in S. Lukes Copy, S. Luke 11. 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 S. Lukes Copy, who setting down our Lords Prayer exactly, with this Introduction, when you pray say, not after this manner, as S. 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 S. Luke tells us was exactly the prayer of our Lord.
In some places, especially among those Ejaculations 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.
I. Then shall the minister begin the Lord’s Prayer with a loud voice.] This prayer is appointed to be read with a loud voice for three causes. First, that people ignorantly educated might the sooner learn it. Secondly, that the congregation might the better hear and join with the minister in that most excellent part of holy worship. Thirdly, because it is part of the gospel, which was always pronounced with a loud voice.
K. Amen.] This word being an index of the people’s assent to the preceding prayer, was usually in the primitive Church pronounced by all the people with a loud voice, ad similitudinem celestis tonitrus, Amen: populus reboat, “the people echo out the Amen lke a thunderclap,” saith St. Jerome? Clemens Alexandrinus relateth a mode remarkable in his time at the pronouncing thereof, τοὺς πόδας ἐπεγείρομεν κατὰ τὴν τελυταίαν τῆς εὐχῆς συνεκφώνησιν, “we raise ourselves upon our tip-toes” (for they prayed standing) “at this last acclamation of our prayers;” and he assigneth this reason for it, συναφιστάνειν τῷ λόγῳ τὸ σῶμα τῆς γῆς πειρόμενοι, “as if we desired that word should carry up our bodies as well as our souls to heaven.”
Lord's Prayer, how proper at the beginning. WHAT hath hitherto been done is, for the most part, rather a preparation to prayer, than prayer itself: but now we begin with the Lord's Prayer, with which the office itself began in the first book of king Edward VI. But our reformers at the review of it (as has already been observed) thought it proper to add what now precedes it, as judging it perhaps not so decent to call God Our Father, before we repent of our disobedience against him. The necessity of using it I have already proved; and shall now only observe, that its being drawn up by our glorious Advocate, who knew both his Father's sufficiency and our wants, may assure us, that it contains every thing fit for us to ask, or his Father to grant. For which cause it is, and ought to be, added to all our forms and offices to make up their defects, and to recommend them to our heavenly Father; who, if he cannot deny us when we ask in his Son's name, can much less do so when we speak in his words also.
§.2. The Doxology, why sometimes used, and sometimes omitted. The Doxology was appointed by the last revicw to be used in this place, partly, I suppose, because many copies of St. Matthew have it, and the Greek Fathers expound it; and partly, because the office here is a matter of praise, it being used immediately after the Absolution. But since St. Luke leaves it out, and some copies of St. Matthew, and most of the Latin Fathers; therefore we also omit it in some places, where the offices are not direct acts of thanksgiving.
§.3. The people to repeat the Lord's Prayer aloud with the minister. Here, and wherever else this prayer is used, the whole congregation is to join with the minister in an audible voice: partly that people ignorantly educated may the sooner learn it; and partly to signify how boldly we may approach the Father, when we address him with the Son's words. Though till the last review there was no such direction; it having been the custom till then, for the minister to say the Lord's prayer alone, in most of the offices, and for the people only to answer at the end of it, by way of response. Deliver us from evil. And the better to prepare and give them notice of what they were to do, the minister was used to elevate and raise his voice, when he came to the petition, Lead us not into temptation, just as it is done still in the Roman Church, where the priest always pronounces the conclusion of every prayer with a voice louder than ordinary, that the people may know when to join their Amen.
Then the Minister shall kneel, and say the Lord's Prayer with an audible voice; the people also kneeling, and repeating it with him, both here, and wheresoever else it is used in Divine Service.
This is a most wise order of the Church in assigning this place to these Verses: namely, before the Psalms, Lesson 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 Gods 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 Gods Grace we can do nothing, and because the Devil is then most busie 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 Humane Nature, for it is a Prayer and an earnest one, to God for his help, an humble acknowledgement 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 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, sayes Cassian. Col. 10. c. 10.
L. O Lord, open Thou our lips.] These versicles with their responds are pure canonical Scripture, the singular number only changed into the plural. ‘“O Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise,” Psalm li. 15. “Be pleased to deliver me, O Lord make haste to help me,” Psalm xὶ. 15. Very aptly are they premised to usher in the ensuing doxology. The answers are to be returned by the people, not by the choir, as is the Romish use, direct contrary to the ancient practice, populus cum sacerdote loquitur in precibus, “the people and priest spake one to another in prayers :” conformable is the direction of Bucer, dum sacre preces recitantur nomine totius populi, respondeant ministro, et non tantum Amen, verumetiam omnia alia guecunque ministris solent: ut in litania ac aliis precibus vetusmos obtinet ; “ whilst devout prayers are made in the behalf of all the people, let them answer the minister; and not only the Amen, but also all other responses which are wont to be returned to the minister, as the ancient wont hath been both in the liturgy and other prayers.”
Glory be to the Father, &c.] Glory is appointed to God alone, His peculiar it is, as He is the King of Glory. “The heavens declare it,’ Psalm xix.: the Angels chant it; “Glory be to God on high,” Luke ii. 14: the seraphins resound it ; “ Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, the whole world is full of His glory,” Isa. vi. 3. Is man less obliged to this duty than these blessed spirits? certainly no. If the celestial choir were so ravished, so transported with joy, as to sing that angelical hymn when they were employed as heralds to proclaim that general peace and reconciliation betwixt heaven and earth, God and us, at the birth of our Saviour, sure much more reason hath man, who is the grand concernment of that peace, to ply God with doxologies; and certainly no place on earth more proper for our hallelujahs than God’s own house, in His temple, “ where every man doth speak of His honour.” Every man did so in King David’s time; did they so in ours, the solemn praises of God would take up much more of the Lord’s day than in most places they do, as Master Baxter saith very well.
As for this doxology so often repeated in the service of our Church, cause there is to think it very ancient, and of much older standing than the council of Nice. St. Basil derives it very high, citeth Irenaeus for the use thereof, calleth it antiguam vocem, “a phrase of great antiquity.” And doubtless so it is, for Justint mentions it οὐκ ἀπλῶς ἡ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, καὶ τὸν υἱὸν καὶ TO ἅγιον πνεῦμα δοξολογία τὴν σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν πορίζει, “ glorifying the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost without a sound confession of the Trinity, is not enough to save us.” So also Clemens Alexandrinus, αἰνοῦντες τῷ μόνῳ πατρὶ, καὶ υἱῷ σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεῦματι, “glorifying the Father only, and the Son with the Holy Ghost.” And in all probability to this had Tertullian regard, where interpreting that of the prophet Malachi, “ incense shall be offered and a pure offering,” he gives his sense of it thus, by id est glorie relatio benedictio et hymni, “ the giving glory to God, the blessings and hymns.”
Truth it is, there might in the former times be some small syllabical difference in the rehearsing of it; some thus, “Glory be to the Father, by the Son, in the Holy Ghost;” some thus, “Glory be to the Father, and the Son, with the Holy Ghost,” as Irenaeus in St. Basil; others, as we use it now: in which diversity there was certainly nothing either intended ill towards the truth, or which could be directly drawn into ill construction, but when about the time of the Nicene council, the Arians began to sow their seeds of heresy, touching the inequality of the three Persons, and the better to colour their pretences, sheltered themselves under the protection of the doxology, “the Father, by the Son, in the Holy Ghost,” formerly used, to which they constantly adhered ; hereupon the council of Nice, to avoid all occasion of future question, held herself to that form which came nighest to the form of baptism composed by our Saviour, and the doctrine of Christian faith, prescribing it to be punctually observed by all such as were of the orthodox party. So that the Church being then split into two divisions, the οἰκεία δόξα, and form of doxology used by either side, became the κριτήριον and note of distinction from the other. Now whereas it may be urged out of Philostorgius, that Flavianus first brought it into use, if the author may not be questioned as partial, being an Arian, yet may he be interpreted to speak in reference to Antioch only. And whereas St. Jerome hath been currently delivered to be the author and composer of the second verse, “As it was in the beginning,” &c., the story of Leontius’s cunning pronouncing of only the end of that versicle, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, i. 6. “ world without end,” in an audible tone, is evidence to the contrary, that Leontius being contemporary with Athanasius, and both long before Jerome.
N. And from Easter to Trinity Sunday, Allelujah.] The fifty days between Easter and Whit-Sunday were days of excessive joy in the primitive Church in honour of our Saviour’s resurrection, and were in some particulars observed with equal solemnity to the Lord’s day, as in not fasting, not kneeling, and chanting this angelical hallelujah upon these days ; which last was retained by our first reformers as a mark of honour fixed upon them. In the Scotch liturgy by way of response is added, “ The Lord’s name be praised,” more in compliance to exemplary usage than in advantage of the sense, which is complete enough without it: for the allocution of “ praise ye the Lord” hath no implied reference to any such return from the people, but only regardeth the subsequent psalm, for as “let us pray” is usually premised to incite intention to an ensuing prayer, with the same congruity is “ praise ye the Lord” assigned as an impressive invitatory to a following hymn, calling upon the people to join not only mentally, but vocally, by way of alternate response, after the priest.
The design of the responses. IT was a very ancient practice of the Jews to recite their public hymns and prayers by course: and many of the Fathers assure us, that the primitive Christians imitated them therein: so that there is no old Liturgy wherein there are not such short and devout sentences as these, which, from the people's answering the priests, are called responses. The design of them is, by a grateful variety, to quicken the people's devotions, and engage their attention: for since they have their share of duty, they must expect till their turn come, and prepare for the next response: whereas, when the minister does all, the people naturally grow sleepy and heedless, as if they were wholly unconcerned.
Then likewise he shall say,
§.2. The responses here enjoined consist of prayers and praises: the first, O Lord, open thou our lips, and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise, are very frequent in ancient Liturgies, particularly in those of St. James and St. Chrysostom, and are fitly placed here with respect to those sins we lately confessed: for they are part of David's penitential psalm, who looked on his guilt so long, till the grief, shame, and fear, which followed thereupon, had almost sealed up his lips, and made him speechless; so that he could not praise God as he desired, unless it pleased him, by speaking peace to his soul, to remove those terrors, and then his lips would be opened, and his mouth ready to praise God. And if we were as sensible of our guilt as we ought to be, it will be needful for us to beg such evidences of our pardon, as may free us from the terrors which seal up our lips, and then we shall be fit to praise God heartily in the following psalms.
§.3. The words that follow, viz. O God, make speed to save us; O Lord, make haste to help us, are of ancient use in the Western Church. When with David we look back to the innumerable evils which have taken hold of us, we cry to God to save us speedily from them by his mercy; and when we look forward to the duties we are about to do, we pray as earnestly, in the words of the same Psalmist, that he will make haste to help us by his grace; without which we can do no acceptable service.
Here all standing up, the Priest shall say,
The DOXOLOGY follows. Glory be to the father, &c. which is the Christians both Hymn and shorter Creed. For what is the summ of the Christians 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 Hereticks old and new? and as it is a short Creed, so it is also a most excel-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 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 Glorifie 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 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 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 S. Augustine sayes, [There is nothing that more soundly delights, than the praise of God, and a continual Hallelujah.]
§.4. And now having good confidence that our pardon is granted; like David, we turn our petitions into praises: standing up to denote the elevation of our hearts, and giving glory to the whole Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the hopes we entertain.
In the primitive times almost every Father had his own Doxologies, which they expressed as they had occasion in their own phrases and terms; ascribing glory and honour, &c. sometimes to the Father only, and sometimes only to the Son: sometimes to the Father through the Son, and sometimes to the Father with the Son; sometimes to the Spirit jointly with both, and sometimes through or in the Spirit to either; sometimes through the Son to the Father with the Holy Ghost, and sometimes to the Father and Holy Ghost with the Son. For they all knew that there were three distinct, but undivided Persons, in one eternal and infinite essence; and therefore whilst they rendered glory from this principle of faith, whatever the form of Doxology was, the meaning and design of it was always the same. But when the Arians began to wrest some of these general expressions in countenance and vindication of their impious opinions, and to fix chiefly upon that form, which was the most capable of being abused to an heretical sense, viz. Glory to the Father, by the Son, in the Holy Ghost, this and the other forms grew generally into disuse; and that which ascribes glory to the Holy Ghost, as well as to the Father and the Son, from that time became the standing form of the Church.
So that the Doxology we meet with in the ancient Liturgies is generally thus: Glory he to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and ever, world without end: and so it continues still in the offices of the Greek Church: but the Western Church soon afterwards added the words, As it was in the beginning, not only to oppose the poison of the Arians, who said, there was a beginning of time before Christ had any beginning, but also to declare that this was the primitive form, and the old orthodox way of praising God.
§.5. Having now concluded our penitential office, we begin the office of praises; as an introduction to which the priest exhorts us to Praise the Lord: the people, to shew their readiness to join with him, immediately reply, let the Lord's name be praised; though this answer of the people was first added to the Scotch Liturgy, and then to our own, at the last review.
Of the Hallelujah. The first of these versicles, viz. Praise ye the Lord, is no other than the English of Hallelujah; a word so sacred, that St. John retains it, and St. Austin saith the Church scrupled to translate it; a word appointed to be used in all the Liturgies I ever met with: in some of them upon all days in the year except those of fasting and humiliation; but in others only upon Sundays and the fifty days between Easter and Whitsuntide, in token of the joy we express for Christ's resurrection. In our own Church, notwithstanding we repeat the sense of it every day in English; yet the word itself was retained in the first book of king Edward VI, where it was appointed to be used immediately after the versicles here mentioned, from Easter to Trinity Sunday. How it came to be left out afterwards I cannot tell; except it was because those who had the care of altering our Liturgy, thought the repetition of the word itself was needless, since the sense of it was implied in the foregoing versicles: though the Church always took it for something more than a bare repetition of Praise ye the Lord. For in those words the minister calls only upon the congregation to praise God; whereas in this he was thought to invite the holy angels also to join with the congregation, and to second our praises below with their divine Hallelujahs above.
§.6. Objection answered. Some have objected against the dividing of our prayers into such small parts and versicles: but to this we answer. That though there be an alteration and division in the utterance, yet the prayer is but one continued form. For though the Church requires that the minister speak one portion, and the people the other; yet both the minister and the people ought mentally to offer up and speak to God, what is vocally offered up and spoken by each of them respectively.
THE PSALMS follow, which the Church appoints to be read over every Month, oftner than any other part of holy Scripture: So was it of old ordained saith S. Chrys. Hom. 6. de poenit.
All Christians exercise themselves in Davids Psalms oftner 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 Iordan 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 Paul, Christs Oratour, the Fisher of World, who by his 14. Epistles, those spiritual Nets, hath caught Men to salvation, who was wrapt 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 Davids Psalms, the grace of the holy Spirit hath so ordered it, that they should be said or sung night and day. In the Churches Vigils, the first, the midst and the last, are Davids Psalms: in the Morning Davids Psalms are sought for, and the first, the midst and the last is David. And 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: Many that know not a letter, can say Davids 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 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 Davids Psalms.
The holy Gospels and Epistles contain 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 Davids 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 Davids forms: and these a Man may safely use, being compos'd by the Spirit of God, which cannot erre: whereas other Books of Prayers and Devotions are, for the most part, compos'd 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 dayes, namely, the neglect of this excellent Book, and preferring Mens fancies before it? I deny not but that Collects and other parts of Devotion which the consentient Testimony and 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 Davids Psalms disused, but used frequently and made as they were by Athanasius and S. Ierome, 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? Rom. 8. 26. 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 humane compositions, let him study them as earnestly, as he does books of less concernment; let him pray the holy Spirit that made them, to open his eyes, to see the admirable use of them; let him intreat 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 Gods own heart.
S. HIER. in Epitaph. Paulae. [In the Morning, at the third, sixth and ninth hour; in the Evening at midnight Davids Psalms are sung over in order, and no Man is suffered to be ignorant of Davids Psalms.]
These 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. Socrat. Hist. l. 6. c. 8. Theodoret. l. 2. c. 24. Basil. Ep. 63. And according to the pattern set us by the Angels, Esay 6. 3. 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 pleas'd. Ter. l. 2. ad ux.
Secondly, that one relieving another we may not grow weary of our service. S. Aug. l. Conf. 9. C. 7.
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 employments.
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. enlarg'd, 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 quarrel'd at by any till Arius, who, being prest with this usage as an argument against his Heresie of making the Son inferiour to the Father, laboured to corrupt this Versicle, saying [Glory be to the Father by the Son, in the Holy Ghost. Theodoret, Hist. l. 2. c. 24.] The Church on the contrary was careful to maintain the ancient usage, adding on purpose against Arrius, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, Conc. Vas. can. 7. 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 conclusion to Psalms and Hymns, whose proper subject and almost only matter, is a dutiful acknowledgment of Gods 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 Christians (not as Jews and Pagans) we glorifie God the Father, Son, and holy Ghost; by which Christian conclusion of Davids 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.
The Psalms, why they follow next. AND now, if we have performed the foregoing parts of the Liturgy as we ought, we shall be fitly disposed to sing the Psalms of David with his own spirit. For all that hath been done hitherto was to tune our hearts, that we may say, O God, our hearts are ready, we will sing and give praise. For having confessed humbly, begged forgiveness earnestly, and received the news of our absolution thankfully; we shall be naturally filled with contrition and lowliness, and with desires of breathing up our souls to heaven. And this, St. Basil tells us, was a rite that in his time had obtained among all the Churches of God: “After the Confession,” saith he, “the people rise from prayer, and proceed to psalmody, dividing themselves into two parts, and singing by turns.” For the performance of which we can have no greater or properer assistance than the Book of Psalms, which is a collection of prayers and praises indited by the Holy Spirit, composed by devout men on various occasions, and so suited to public worship, that they are used by Jews as well as Christians. And though the several parties of Christians differ in many other things; yet in this they all agree. They contain variety of devotions, agreeable to all decrees and conditions of men; insomuch that, without much difficulty, every man may, either directly or by way of accommodation, apply most of them to his own case.
§.2. Used oftener than any other part of Scripture. For which cause the Church useth these oftener than any other part of Scripture. Nor can she herein be accused of novelty: since it is certain the temple-service consisted chiefly of forms taken out of the Psalms; and the prayers of the modem Jews also are mostly gathered from thence. The Christians undoubtedly used them in their public service in the times of the Apostles; and in the following ages they were repeated so often at the church, that the meanest Christians could rehearse them by heart at their ordinary work.
§.3. Whether all the members in a mixed congregation may properly use some expressions in the Psalms. But now it is objected, that “it cannot reasonably be supposed that all the members of mixed congregations can be fit to use some expressions in the Psalms, so as to make them their own words; because very few have attained to such a degree of piety and goodness as David and the other Psalmists make profession of: and that therefore the Book of Psalms is not now a proper part of divine service.”
To which it is answered: That so long as men continue in a wicked course of life, they are not only unfit for the use of the Psalms, but of any other devotions: they are not only incapable of applying such passages in the Psalms to their own persons; but they cannot so much as repeat a penitential Psalm, or even the confession of sins in the Liturgy, in a proper and agreeable manner: since he that does this as he ought, must do it with resolutions of amendment. But then as to those who have sincerely repented, and in earnest begun a virtuous course of life; no reason can be given why they may not unite their hearts and voices with the Church, in rehearsing these Psalms. For we may very aptly take a great part of the Psalter as the address of the whole Church to Almighty God; and then no doubt but every sincere member of this body may perform his part in this pious consort Every true Christian may, and must say, that the Church, whereof he professes himself a member, is all glorious within, (i.e. adorned with all manner of inward graces and excellences,) though no Christian that is humble will presume to say so of himself. Perhaps the very best men do not think such elevated expressions fit to be applied to their single lives, or personal performances: but yet any sincere Christian may very well join in the public use of these parts of the Psalter, when he considers that what he says, or sings, is the voice of the Church universal; and that, as he has but a small share of those virtues and perfections, which are the ornament of the Church, the body of Christ; so his tongue is but one, amongst those innumerable choirs of Christians throughout the world. And there is no reason to doubt but that David did in some Psalms speak as the representative of the Church, as in others he expresses himself in the person of Christ: and therefore a devout man may also as well use these Psalms in his closet as in the church; if so be he consider himself, notwithstanding his retirement, as one of that large and vast body, who serve and worship God, according to these forms, night and day. But to return:
§.4. Why sung by course. The custom of singing or repeating the Psalms alternatively, or verse by verse, seems to be as old as Christianity itself. Nor is there any question to be made but that the Christians received it from the Jews; for it is plain that several of the Psalms, which were composed for the public use of the temple, were written in amæbæick, or alternate verse. To which way of singing used in the temple, it is probable the vision of Isaiah alluded, which he saw of the seraphim crying one to another. Holy, holy, holy, &c. That it was the constant practice of the Church in the time of St. Basil, we have his own testimony: for he writes, that the people in his time, “rising before it was light, went to the house of prayer, and there, in great agony of soul, and incessant showers of tears, made confession of their sins to God: and then rising from their prayers, proceeded to singing of psalms, dividing themselves into two parts, and singing by turns.” Ever since which time it has been thought so reasonable and decent, as to be universally practised. What Theodoret writes, that Flavianus and Diodorus were the first that ordered the Psalms of David to be sung alternately at Antioch, seems not to be meant of the first institution of this custom, but only of the restoring of it, or else of the appointing some more convenient way of doing it. Isidore says, that St. Ambrose was the first that introduced this custom among the Latins; but this too must be understood only in relation to some alterations that were then made; for Pope Cælestine, as we read in his life, applied the Psalms to be sung alternately at the celebration of the eucharist. This practice, so primitive and devout, our Church (though there is no particular rubric to enjoin it) still continues in her service either by singing, as in our cathedral worship; or by saying, as in the parochial. For in the former, when one side of the choir sing to the other, they both provoke and relieve each other's devotion: they provoke it (as Tertullian remarks) by a holy contention, and relieve it by a mutual supply and change; for which reasons, in the parochial service, the reading of the Psalms is also divided between the minister and the people. And indeed did not the congregation bear their part, to what end does the minister exhort them to praise the Lord? or what becomes of their promise, that their mouths shall shew forth his praise? To what end again is the invitatory (O come, let tis sing unto the Lord, &c.) placed before the Psalms, if the people are to have no share in praising him in the Psalms that follow?
§.5. Musical instruments used in singing of psalms. Nor does the use of musical instruments in the singing of psalms appear to be less ancient than the custom itself of singing them. The first Psalm we read of was sung to a timbrel, viz. that which Moses and Miriam sang after the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. And afterwards at Jerusalem, when the temple was built, musical instruments were constantly used at their public services. Most of David's Psalms, we see by the titles of them, were committed to masters of music to be set to various tunes: and in the hundred and fiftieth Psalm especially, the prophet calls upon the people to prepare their different kinds of instruments wherewith to praise the Lord. And this has been the constant practice of the Church, in most ages, as well since as before the coming of Christ.
Organs used in churches. When organs were first brought into use, is not clearly known: but we find it recorded that about the year 700, Constantius Copronymus, emperor of Constantinople, sent a present of an organ to king Pepin of France: and it is certain that the use of them has been very common now for several hundred of years; Durand mentioning them several times in his book, but giving no intimation of their novelty in divine service.
The psalms to be repeated standing. When we repeat the psalms and hymns we stand; that, by the erection of our bodies, we may express the elevation or lifting up of our souls to God. Though another reason of our standing is, because some parts of them are directed to God, and others are not: as therefore it would be very improper to kneel at those parts which are not directed to him; so it would be very indecent to sit, when we repeat those that are. And therefore because both these parts, viz. those which are and those which are not directed to God, are so frequently altered, and mingled one with another, that the most suitable posture for each of them cannot always be used, standing is prescribed as a posture which best suits both together; which is also consonant to the practice of the Jewish Church recorded in the Scripture. For we read, that while the priests and Levites were offering up praises to God, all Israel stood. And we learn from the ritualists of the Christian Church, that when they came to the Psalms, they always shewed the affection of their souls by this posture of their bodies.
§.7. The Gloria Patri repeated at the end of all psalms and hymns. At the end of every Psalm, and of every part of the hundred and nineteenth Psalm, and all the Hymns, (except the Te Deum: which, because it is nothing else almost but the Gloria Patri enlarged, hath not this doxology annexed) we repeat Glory be to the Father, &c., a custom which Durandus would have us believe was instituted by Pope Damasus, at the request of St. Jerome; but for this there appears to be but little foundation. In the Eastern Churches they never used this glorification, but only at the end of the last Psalm, which they called their Antiphona, or Allelujah, as being one of those Psalms which had the Allelujah prefixed to it; but in France, and several other of the Western Churches, it was used at the end of every Psalm; which is still continued with us, to signify that we believe that the same God is worshipped by Christians as by Jews; the same God that is glorified in the Psalms, having been from the beginning Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as well as now. So that the Gloria Patri is not any real addition to the Psalms, but is only used as a necessary expedient to turn the Jewish Psalms into Christian Hymns, and fit them for the use of the Church now, as they were before for the use of the synagogue.
§.8. The course observed in reading the Psalms. The present division of the Book of Psalms into several portions (whereby two separate portions are affixed to each day, and the circle of the whole to the circuit of the month) seems to be more commodious and proper than any method that had been used before. For the division of them into seven portions, called nocturns, which took up the whole once a week (as practised in the Latin Church), seemed too long and tedious. And the division of them into twenty portions, to be read over in so many days (as in the Greek Church), though less tedious, is too uncertain, every portion perpetually shifting its day: whereas in our Church, each portion being constantly fixed to the same day of the month, (except there he proper Psalms appointed for that day, as all the former Common Prayer Books expressed it) the whole course is rendered certain and immovable: and being divided into threescore different portions, (i.e. one for every morning, and one for every evening service,) none of them can be thought too tedious or burdensome. In all the old Common Prayer Books indeed, because January and March have one day above the number of thirty, (which, as concerning this purpose, was appointed to every month) and February, which is placed between them both, hath only twenty-eight days; it was ordered, that February should borrow of either of the months (of January and March) one day: and so the Psalter which mas read in February began at the last day of January and ended the first day of March. And to know what Psalms were to be read every day, there was (pursuant to another rubric) a column added in the calendar, to shew the number that was appointed for the Psalms: and another table, where the same number being found, shewed what Psalms mere to be read at morning and evening prayer. But this being found to be troublesome and needless, it was ordered, first in the Scotch Liturgy and then in our own, that in February the Psalter should be read only to the twenty-eighth or twenty-ninth day of the month. And January and March were inserted into the rubric, which before ordered that in May, and the rest of the months that had one and thirty days apiece, the same Psalms should be read the last day of the said months, which were read the day before: so that the Psalter may begin again the first day of the next month ensuing.
§.9. The Psalms to be used according to the translation in the great Bible. The Psalms we use in our daily service are taken out of either of the two last translations of the Bible, but out of the great English Bible, translated by William Tyndal and Miles Coverdale, and revised by archbishop Cranmer: for when the Common Prayer was compiled in 1548, neither of the two last translations were extant.
It is true indeed, that at the last review the Epistles and Gospels were taken out of the new translation: and the Lessons too, since that time, have been read out of king James the First's Bible. But in relation to the Psalms it was noted, that the Psalter followeth the division of the Hebrews, and the translation of the Great English Bible set forth and used in the time of king Henry the Eighth, and king Edward the Sixth. The reason of the continuance of which order is the plainness and smoothness of this translation: for the Hebraisms being not so much retained in this as in the late translations, the verses run much more musical and fitter for devotion. Though, as the old rubric informs us, this translation, from the ninth Psalm unto the hundred and forty-eighth Psalm, doth vary in numbers from the common Latin translation.
Then shall be said or sung this Psalm following; Except on Easter Day, upon which another Anthem is appointed; and on the nineteenth day of every month it is not to be read here, but in the ordinary course of the Psalms.
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 chearfulness, 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 is that the Church should call upon us for this duty, for most of us forget the Psalmists counsel, Psal. 69. 7. To ascribe unto the Lord the honour due unto his Name: into his Courts we come, before the presence of the Lord of the whole Earth, and forget to worship him in the beauty of holiness.
Then shall be said or sung this psalm.] Such also was the mode in St. Basil’s time. Ab oratione surgentes ad psalmodiam instituuntur, i.e. “rising from prayers they” (the assembly) “fall to singing of psalms.”
O. O come let us sing, &c.] This is not, to say properly, the invitatory, but the invitatory psalm; so called, because it comprehends the invitatory ; for the invitatory itself is only the verse, “ O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our maker,” which was in the Church of Rome often, no less than six times, repeated by the priest at certain closes and periods of this psalm, and as oft returned by the people: which our reformers judging to be a vain tautology, thought fit to omit it, appointing the venite to be without the invitatory. The original of this invitatory was at first of valuable consideration. For you must know that anciently, (as appeareth out of Chrysostom*,) before the congregation was complete and fully assembled, the usage was to entertain the time with singing of psalms, whereof this was the chief. And Durandus, who lived about four hundred years since, tells us it was then the fashion in some churches for the people, who lay in expectation of the morning service as soon as they heard this psalm once begun, presently they all hasted into the church.
The Venite Exultemus. THE matter of this psalm shews it was designed at first for the public service; on the feast of tabernacles, as some, or on the Sabbath-day, as others think; but St. Paul judges it fit for every day, while it is called to-day, and so it has been used in all the Christian world; as the Liturgies of St. Chrysostom and St. Basil witness for the Greek Church, the testimony of St. Augustin for the African, and all its ancient offices and capitulars for the Western. St. Ambrose saith, that it was the use of the Church in his time to begin their service with it: for which reason in the Latin services it is called the Invitatory Psalm: it being always sung with a strong and loud voice, to hasten those people into the church, who were in the cemetery or churchyard, or any other adjacent parts, waiting for the beginning of prayers: agreeable to which practice, in the first book of king Edward it is ordered to be said, or sung, without any (i.e. I suppose without any other) invitatory.
§.2. Why used in this place. Our reformers very fitly placed it here as a proper preparatory to the following psalms, lessons, and collects. For it exhorts us, first, to praise God, shewing us in what manner and for what reasons we ought to do it; secondly, it exhorts us to pray to him, shewing us also the manner and reasons. Lastly, it exhorts us to hear God's word speedily and willingly, giving us a caution to beware of hardening our hearts, by an instance of the sad event which happened to the Jews on that account, whose sin and punishment are set before us, that we may not destroy our souls, by despising and distrusting God's word as they did. For which warning we bless the holy Trinity, saying, Glory be to the Father, &c.
§.7. The Gloria Patri repeated at the end of all psalms and hymns. At the end of every Psalm, and of every part of the hundred and nineteenth Psalm, and all the Hymns, (except the Te Deum: which, because it is nothing else almost but the Gloria Patri enlarged, hath not this doxology annexed) we repeat Glory be to the Father, &c., a custom which Durandus would have us believe was instituted by Pope Damasus, at the request of St. Jerome; but for this there appears to be but little foundation. In the Eastern Churches they never used this glorification, but only at the end of the last Psalm, which they called their Antiphona, or Allelujah, as being one of those Psalms which had the Allelujah prefixed to it; but in France, and several other of the Western Churches, it was used at the end of every Psalm; which is still continued with us, to signify that we believe that the same God is worshipped by Christians as by Jews; the same God that is glorified in the Psalms, having been from the beginning Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as well as now. So that the Gloria Patri is not any real addition to the Psalms, but is only used as a necessary expedient to turn the Jewish Psalms into Christian Hymns, and fit them for the use of the Church now, as they were before for the use of the synagogue.
Then shall follow the Psalms in order as they be appointed. And at the end of every Psalm throughout the year, and likewise at the end of Benedicite, Benedictus, Magnificat, and Nunc dimittis, shall be repeated,
AFter the Psalms follow two LESSONS; one out of the Old Testament, another out of the New. This was the ancient custome of all the Churches in Egypt, Cassian. l. 2. cap. 4. who sayes it was not taught by men, but from heaven by the ministery of Angels. 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 into the open Sun: things there prefigured are here perform'd. Thus as the two Seraphims cry one to another, Holy, holy, holy, Esay 6. 3. 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 least wise doth fitly serve, that from smaller things the mind of the hearers may go forward to the knowledge of greater; and by degres climb up from the lowest to the highest things, sayes incomparable Hooker.
A wise constitution of the Church it is, thus to mingle Services of several sorts, to keep us from wearisomness. For whereas devout Prayer is joyned with a vehement intention of the inferior powers of the soul, which cannot therein continue long without pain, therefore holy Church interposes still somewhat for the higher part of the mind, the understanding, 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 wisdom continually stirring up in us correspondent desires to them; so that he which prayes in due sort, is thereby made the more attentive to hear, and he which hears, the more earnest to pray.
The Minister that reads the Lessons standing & turning himself so as he may be best heard of all such as are present. Rubr. 2. before Te Deum. Turning himself so as he may best be heard of all, that is, turning towards the people, whereby it appears that immediately before the Lessons he lookt 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 the Priest who did officiate, in all those parts of the Service which were directed to the people, turn'd himself towards them, as in the Absolution. See the Rubr. before Absol. at the Communion. Then shall the Priest of Bishop if present, stand and turning himself to the people say, &c. So in the Benediction, reading of the Lessons, 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 turn'd 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 publick, 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 S. Augustine gives of the Churches ancient custom of turning to the East in their publick prayers, because the East is the most honourable part of the World, being the Region of Light, whence the glorious Sun arises,
Aug. l. 2. de. Ser. Dom. in Monte c. 5. That this was the constant practice of the Church to turn toward the East in her publick prayers may sufficiently appear by S. Augustin in the place last cited, where he sayes, Cum ad orationes stamus, ad Orientem Convertimur; When we stand at our prayers, we turn towards the East. And by Epiphan. l. 1. haer. 19. c. 19. who there detests the madness of the Impostor Elzaeus, because that amongst other things he forbad praying toward the East. 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 Rubrick, 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 Catholick Church uses to do for divers reasons: and amongst other, for that which S. Augustine hath given, because That was the most worthy part of the World, and therefore most fit to be lookt 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 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 mysterious 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 call'd the Tabernacle of Gods Glory, His Chair of State, the Throne of God, the Type of Heaven, Heaven it self. As therefore the Jews in their Prayers lookt towards the principal part of the Temple, the Mercy-Seat, Psal. 28. 2. So the Christians in their prayers turned towards the principal part of the Church, the Altar, of which the Mercy-Seat is 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 confin'd, 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 publick and solemn prayers to turn and look, not towards the inferior and lower parts of the Footstool, 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. Mr. THORNDYKE of Relig. Assem. pag. 231.
For the choice of these Lessons and their Order, holy Church observes a several course.
For the Ordinary Morning and Evening prayers the observes only this: to begin at the beginning of the year with Genesis for the first Lesson, and S. Matthew for the Second in the Morning: and Genesis again for the First, and S. Paul to the Romans for the Second Lesson at Even, and so continues 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 Chronicles, 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 books, not reading the prophet Esay, till all the rest of the books be done: Because the Prophet Esay being the most Evangelical Prophet, most plainly prophesying of Christ, is reserved to be read a little before ADVENT.
For Sundayes somewhat another course is observed; 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 Gods severe judgment upon the world for sin: Then we read forward the books as they lye 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 priviledged day; that is, if it hath the history of it expressed in Scripture, such as Easter, Whit sunday, &c. then there are peculiar and proper Lessons appointed for it.
For Saints dayes 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 instructions of life and conversation, and so fit to be read upon the daies of holy Saints, whose exemplary lives and deaths, are the cause of the Churches Solemn Commemoration of them, and Commendation of them 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 publickly in the Church, with profit and more safety, than Sermons can be ordinarily preacht there. For certainly Sermons are but humane Compositions, and many of them not so wholsome 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 Apocryphal. As for the second Lessons, the Church in them goes on in her ordinary course.
P. Then shall be read two lessons.] In the Romish Church there are usually appointed nine lessons, whereof the three first are commonly out of the epistles, the three next are short extracts out of the homilies and sermons of the fathers, the seventh is almost constantly out of the Gospel, next which followeth a shred of a homily out of the fathers, which supplieth the place of the sermon in more ancient times, and is a short exposition upon the Gospel; then two lessons taken out of some ancient writer. Therefore in the first injunctions of Edward VI., elder by a year than the first liturgy, it is 1547. appointed, that in order to the reading of the epistles and gospels, and one chapter in the New Testament in English, “when nine lessons should be read in the church, three of them shall be omitted and left out with their responds.”
The reading of lessons out of the Old, as also out of the New Testament, is in a punctual imitation of the ancient Church. Τὰ ἀπομνημονεύματα τῶν ᾿Αποστόλων ἢ τὰ συγγράμματα τῶν προφητῶν ἀναγινώσκεται μέχρις ἐγχωρεῖ, saith Justin Martyr, i. 6. “ The commentaries of the Apostles and writings of the prophets are read, as the time permits.”’ These lessons, except before excepted, are not left arbitrary, but either to be appointed by the calendar, or by the table of proper lessons ; the first for ordinary and work days, the second for festivals. And such also was the primitive custom. Audistis librum legi Job (saith Ambrose) gui solemni munere est decursus et tempore, “ You have heard the book of Job read unto you at its solemn office and peculiar time. And a little after, sequente die (speaking of Good Friday) lectus est de more liber Jonie, “the next day according to the old wont was read the book of Jonas.” His convert St. Augustine to the same purpose: nunc interposita est solemnitas sanctarum dierum, quibus certas ex evangelio lectiones oportet in Ecclesia tractari, que ita sunt annue, ut alie esse non possunt: “now is the solemnity of the holy days” (meaning Easter)“wherein set lessons out of the Gospel are ordered to be read, which are so determined and limited as there can be no other.” And elsewhere: intercesserunt, ut omitteremus textum hujus epistole, quedam pro diebus festis solemnia lectionum, que non potuerunt, nisi legi: “solemn lessons appointed for festival days, which must not be left unread, interposed and caused me to omit awhile the text of this epistle.”
The contents of the chapters were devised as helpful indexes to facilitate the more speedy finding out of the most remarkable passages, being only serviceable for private use ; for which reason from the tenth chapter of the Proverbs to the twenty-fifth there are no contents prefixed, these chapters being not as the other, written in method or upon a set subject, but occasionally uttered at several times, and observed by Solomon’s courtiers, who committed them to writing as they occurred to their memories.
Q. And before every lesson the minister shall say thus.] The primitive custom in this particular was surpassing edifying : κοινὸς ἕστηκεν ὁ διάκονος, μέγα βοῶν, πρόσχῳμεν : ‘the deacon stood up, proclaiming aloud, Listen my brethren. Mer ἐκεῖνον ἄρχεται ὁ ἀναγνώστης εἴτα εἰς ἐπήκοον ἐκφωνεὶ λέγων, τάδε λέγει Κύριος : “then the reader begins to read, first inviting his audience to attention by saying these words, Thus saith the Lord.”
The Lessons, why they follow the Psalms. OUR hearts being now raised up to God in praising and admiring him in the Psalms; we are in a fit temper and disposition to hear what he shall speak to ns by his word. And thus too a respite or intermission is given to the bent of our minds: for whereas they were required to be active in the Psalms, it is sufficient if in the Lessons they hold themselves attentive. And therefore now follow two chapters of the Bible, one out of the Old Testament, the other out of the New, to shew the harmony between the Law and the Gospel: for what is the Law, but the Gospel foreshewed? what the Gospel, but the Law fulfilled? That which lies in the Old Testament, as under a shadow, is in the New brought out into the open sun: things there prefigured are here performed. And for this reason the first Lesson is taken out of the Old Testament, the second out of the New, that so the minds of the hearers may be gradually led from darker revelations to clearer views, and prepared by the vails of the Law to bear the light breaking forth in the Gospel.
§.2. The antiquity of the Lessons. And here it may not be amiss to observe the great antiquity of joining the reading of Scriptures to the public devotions of the Church. Justin Martyr says, “It was a custom in his time to read Lessons out of the Prophets and Apostles in the assembly of the faithful.” And the Council of Laodicea, held in the beginning of the fourth century, ordered “Lessons to be mingled with the Psalms.” And Cassian tells us, that “It was the constant custom of all the Christians throughout Egypt to have two Lessons, one out of the Old Testament, another out of the New, read immediately after the Psalms; a practice,” he says, “so ancient, that it cannot be known whether it was founded upon any human institution.” Nor has this practice been peculiar to the Christians only, but constantly used also by the Jews: who divided the books of Moses into as many portions as there are weeks in the year; that so, one of those portions being read over every sabbath-day, the whole might be read through every year. And to this answers that expression of St. James, that Moses was read in the synagogues every sabbath-day. And that to this portion of the Law they added a Lesson out of the Prophets, we may gather from the thirteenth of the Acts, where we find it mentioned that the Law and the Prophets were both read in a synagogue where St. Paul was present, and that the Prophets were read at Jerusalem every sabbath-day.
§.3. The order of the first Lessons for ordinary days. For the choice of these Lessons and their order, the Church observes a different course. For the first Lessons on ordinary days she observes only this; to begin at the beginning of the year with Genesis, and so to continue on till all the books of the Old Testament are read over; only omitting the Chronicles (which are for the most part the same with the books of Samuel and Kings, which have been read before) and other particular chapters in other books, which are left out, either for the same reason, or else because they contain genealogies, names of persons or places, or some other matter less profitable for ordinary hearers.
The Song of Solomon, why omitted. The Song of Solomon, or the book of Canticles, is wholly omitted; because, if not spiritually understood, (which very few people are capable of doing, especially so as to put a tolerably clear sense upon it) it is not proper for a mixed congregation. The Jews ordered that none should read it till they were thirty years old, for an obvious reason, which too plainly holds amongst us.
Ezekiel, why omitted. Very many chapters of Ezekiel are omitted, upon account of the mystical visions in which they are wrapt up. Why some others are omitted does not so plainly appear, though doubtless the compilers of our Liturgy thought there was sufficient reason for it.
Isaiah, why reserved to the last. Apocryphal books, upon what accounts read for Lessons. After all the canonical books of the Old Testament are read through, (except Isaiah, which being the most evangelical prophet, and containing the clearest prophecies of Christ, is not read in the order it stands in the Bible, but reserved to be read a little before, and in Advent, to prepare in us a true faith in the mystery of Christ's incarnation and birth, the commemoration of which at that time draws nigh) after all the rest, I say, to supply the remaining part of the year, several books of the Apocrypha are appointed to be read, which, though not canonical, have yet been allowed, by the judgment of the Church for many ages past, to be ecclesiastical and good, nearest to divine of any writings in the world. For which reason the books of Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Tobit, Judith, and the Maccabees, were recommended by the Council of Carthage to be publicly read in the church. And Ruffinus testifies, that they were all in use in his time, though not with an authority equal to that of the canonical books. And that the same respect was paid to them in latter ages, Isidore Hispalensis and Rabanus Maurus both affirm.
In conformity to so general a practice, the Church of England still continues the use of these books in her public service; though not with any design to lessen the authority of canonical Scripture, which she expressly affirms to be the only rule of faith: declaring, that the Church doth read the other hooks for example of life and instruction of manners, but yet doth not apply them to establish any doctrine. Nor is there any one Sunday in the whole year, that has any of its Lessons taken out of the Apocrypha. For as the greatest assemblies of Christians are upon those days, it is wisely ordered that they should then be instructed out of the undisputed word of God. And even on the week-days, the second Lessons are constantly taken out of canonical Scripture, which one would think should be enough to silence our adversaries; especially as there is more canonical Scripture read in our churches in any two months (even though we should except the Psalms, Epistles, and Gospels) than is in a whole year in the largest of their meetings. But to return:
§.4. The first Lessons for Sundays. The course of the first Lessons appointed for Sundays is different from that which is ordained for the week-days. For from Advent Sunday to Septuagesima Sunday, some particular chapters out of Isaiah are appointed, for the aforesaid reason. But upon Septuagesima Sunday Genesis is begun; because then begins the time of penance and mortification, to which Genesis suits best, as treating of the original of our misery by the fall of Adam, and of God's severe judgment upon the world for sin. For which reason the reading of this book was affixed to Lent, even in the primitive ages of the Church. Then are read forward the books as they lie in order; not all the books, but (because more people can attend the public worship of God upon Sundays than upon other days) such particular chapters are selected, as are judged most edifying to all that are present. And if any Sunday be (as some call it) a privileged day, i.e. if it hath the history of it expressed in Scripture, such as Easter-day, Whitsunday, &c., then are peculiar and proper Lessons appointed.
§.5. The first Lessons for saints-days. Upon saints-days another order is observed: for upon them the Church appoints Lessons out of the moral books, such as Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiasticus, and Wisdom, which, containing excellent instructions of life and conversation, are fit to be read upon the days of saints, whose exemplary lives and deaths are the causes of the Churches solemn commemoration of them, and commendation of them to us.
§.6. For other holy-days. Other holy-days, such as Christmas-day, Circumcision, Epiphany, &c., have proper and peculiar Lessons appointed suitable to the occasions, as shall be shewn hereafter, when I speak of those several days. I shall only observe here, that there have been proper Lessons appointed on all holy-days, as well saints-days as others, ever since St. Austin's time: though perhaps they were not reduced into an exact order till the time of Musseus, a famous priest of Massilia, who lived about the year 480. Of whom Gennadius writes, that he particularly applied himself, at the request of St. Venerius, a bishop, to choose out proper Lessons for all the festivals in the year.
§.7. The order of the second Lessons. As for the second Lessons, the Church observes the same course upon Sundays as she doth upon week-days; reading the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles in the morning, and the Epistles at evening, in the same order they stand in the New Testament; except upon saints-days and holy-days, when such Lessons are appointed, as either explain the mystery, relate the history, or apply the example to us.
§.8. The Revelation omitted, and why. The Revelation is wholly omitted, except the first and last chapters (which are read upon the day of St. John the Evangelist, who was the author) and part of the nineteenth chapter (which containing the praises and adoration paid to God by the angels and saints in heaven, is very properly appointed to be read on the festival of All-Saints). But, except upon these occasions, none of this book is read openly in the church for Lessons, by reason of its obscurity, which renders it unintelligible to meaner capacities.
§.9. The antiquity and usefulness of this method. And thus we see, by the prudence of the Church, the Old Testament is read over once, and the New thrice (i.e. excepting some less useful parts of both) in the space of a year, conformable to the practice of the ancient Fathers: who (as our reformers tell us) so ordered the matter, that all the whole Bible, or the greatest part thereof, should he read over once every year: intending thereby that the clergy, and especially such as were ministers in the congregation, should (by often reading and meditat-ing in God's word) be stirred up to godliness themselves, and be more able to exhort others by wholesome doctrine, and to confute them that were ad-versaries to the truth: and further, that the people (by daily hearing the holy Scriptures read in the church) might continually profit more and more in the knowledge of God, and be more inflamed with the love of his true religion. Whereas in the Church of Rome this godly and decent order was so altered, broken, and neglected, by planting in uncertain stories and legends,* with multitudes of responds,† verses,‡ vain repetitions, commemo¬rations,§ and synodals;|| that, commonly, when any book of the Bible was begun, after three or four chapters were read out, all the rest were unread. And in this sort the book of Isaiah was begun in Advent, and the book of Genesis in Septuagesima; but they were only begun, and never read through: after like sort were other books of holy Scripture used. Moreover, the number and hardness of the rules called the Pie,• and the manifold changings of the service, was the cause, that to turn the book only was so hard and intricate a matter, that many times there was more business to find out what should be read, than to read it when it was found out.
These inconveniences therefore considered, here is set forth such an order, whereby the same shall be redressed. And for a readiness in this matter, here is drawn out a calendar for that purpose, which is plain and easy to be understood; wherein (so much as may be) the reading of holy Scripture is so set forth, that all things should be done in order, without breaking one piece from another. For this cause be cut off anthems, responds, invitatories, and such like things, as did break the continual course of the reading of the Scripture.
Yet, because there is no remedy but that of necessity, there must be some rules; therefore certain rules are here set forth, which as they are few in number, so they are plain and easy to be understood. So that here you have an order for prayer, and for the reading of the holy Scripture, much agreeable to the mind and purpose of the old Fathers, and a great deal more profitable and commodious than that which of late was used. It is more profitable, because here are left out many things, whereof some are untrue, some uncertain, some vain and superstitious; and nothing is ordained to be read, but the very pure word of God, the holy Scriptures, or that which is agreeable to the same; and that, in stick a language and order, as is most easy and plain for the understanding both of the readers and hearers: it is also more commodious, both for the shortness thereof, and for the plainness of the order, and for that the rules be few and easy.
§.10. The posture of a minister. The Scripture being the word of God, and so a declaration of his will; the reading of it or making it known to the people is an act of authority, and therefore the minister that reads the Lessons is to stand. And because it is an office directed to the congregation, by all the former Common Prayer Books it was ordered, that (to the end the people may the better hear) in such places where they do sing, there shall the Lessons be sung in a plain tune, after the manner of distinct reading: and likewise the Epistle and the Gospel. But that rubric is now left out, and the minister is only directed to read distinctly with an audible voice, and to turn himself so as lie may best be heard of all such as are present: which shews, that in time of prayer the minister used to look another way; a custom still observed in some parish-churches, where the reading pews have two desks; one for the Bible, looking towards the body of the church to the people; another for the Prayer Book, looking towards the body of the church to the people; another for the Prayer Book, looking towards the east or upper end of the chancel; in conformity to the practice of the primitive Church, which, as I have already observed, paid a more than ordinary reverence in their worship towards the east.
§.11. The naming of the Lessons, &c. Before every Lesson the minister is directed to give notice to the people what chapter he reads, by saying, Here beginneth such a chapter, or verse of such a chapter of such a book: that so the people, if they have their Bibles with them, may, by looking over them, be the more attentive. The care of the primitive Church in this case was very remarkable. Before the Lesson began, the deacon first stood up, calling out aloud, Let us listen, my brethren; and then he that read invited his audience to attention, by introducing the Lesson with these words: Thus saith the Lord. After every Lesson the minister with us is also directed to give notice that it is finished, by saying, Here endeth the first or second Lesson; which is the form now prescribed instead of the old one, Here endeth such a chapter of such a book, which were the words enjoined by all our former Liturgies.
§.12. The posture of the people. As for the people, there is no posture prescribed for them; but in former times they always stood, to shew their reverence. It is recorded of the Jews in the book of Nehemiah, that when Ezra opened the book of the law, in the sight of the people, all the people stood up. And in the first ages of Christianity those only were permitted to sit, who by reason of old age, or some other infirmity, were not able to stand throughout the whole time of divine service. And it is very observable, that another ceremony used by the Christians of those times, before the reading of the Lessons, was the washing their hands, a ceremony said to be still used by the Turks, before they touch their Alcoran, who also write thereupon, Let no unclean person touch this: which should excite us at least to prepare ourselves in such a manner, as may fit us to hear the word of God, and to express such outward reverence, as may testify a due regard to its author.
Then shall be read distinctly with an audible voice the First Lesson, taken out of the Old Testament, as is appointed in the Calendar, except there be proper Lessons assigned for that day : He that readeth so standing and turning himself, as he may best be heard of all such as are present.
Note, That before every Lesson the Minister shall say, Here beginneth such a Chapter, or Verse of such a Chapter, of such a Book : And after every Lesson, Here endeth the First, or the Second Lesson.
AFTER the Lessons are appointed Hymns. The Church observing, S. Pauls Rule, Singing to the Lord in Psalms and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, every way expressing her thanks to God.
The antiquity of Hymns in the Christian Church, doth sufficiently appear by that of our Saviour, S. Matth 26. When they had sung an Hymn, they went out, upon which place, S. Chrys. sayes, They sung an Hymn, to teach us to do the like. Concerning singing of Psalms and Hymns in the Church, we have both the Precepts and Examples of Christ and his Apostles, S. Aug. Ep. 119. S. Paul ordered it in the Church of Coloss. Singing to your selves in Psalms and Hymns, Col. 3. Which we find presently after practised in the Church of Alexandria, founded by S. Mark, Eus. Hist. l. 2. c. 17. Where Philo reports that the Christians had in every place Monasteries wherein they sang Hymns to God, in several kinds of Meeter and Verse. S. Ambrose brought them into Millaine, to ease the peoples 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, saies S. Hierome: and Possidius in the life of S. Augustine tells us, c. 28. that towards the time of his dissolution, S. Augustine wept abundantly because he saw the Cities destroyed, the Bishops and Priests sequestred, the Churches prophaned, the holy Service and Sacraments 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.
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, Psal. 47. 6. 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 wayes; especially in this, that they inkindle an holy flame in the minds and affections of the hearers. O how I wept, sayes S. Aug. in the Hymns and holy Canticles, being enforc'd thereunto by the sweet voices of thy Melodious Church: by reason of the proneness of our affections to that which delights, it pleas'd the wisdom of the Spirit to borrow from melody that pleasure, which mingled with heavenly mysteries, causes the smoothness and softness of that which touches the ear, to conveigh as it were by stealth, the treasure of good things into mens minds: to this purpose were those harmonious tunes of Psalms devised. And S. Basil. in Psal. By pleasing thus the affections, and delighting the mind of man, Musick makes the Service of God more easie.
When we sing or say these Hymns, we stand, which is the proper posture for Thanksgivings and Lauds, Psal. 134. Praise the Name of the Lord, standing in the Courts of the Lord. And 2 Chron. 7. 6. The Priests waited on their office, the Levites also with instruments of musick of the Lord, which David the King had made to praise the Lord (with the 136. Psalm,) because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministery, and the Priest sounded 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 rejoycing in Scripture is called the lifting up of the head, S. Luke 21. 28. Lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh; So then, joy being a lifting up of the soul, and praise and Thanksgiving being effects of joy, cannot be more fitly expressed, then 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 credibly reported, framed miraculously by S. Ambrose and S. 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 mysteries of Faith, and a most solemn Form of Thanksgiving, Praise, Adoration and what not? and so hath that other Canticle [O all ye works of the Lord] in the which the whole Creation praises God together, been received and esteemed universally in the Church. Concil. Toletan. 4. c. 13.
There can nothing be more fitting for us, as we have said, than having heard the Lessons and the goodness of God therein Preach't 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 rejoycings for the redemption of the world, may be said more often than the rest, especially on Sundayes 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 sufferings, 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 conceal 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 Lesson shall give occasion, as when it speaks of the enlargement of the Church by bringing in the Gentiles into the Fold of it, for divers passages of those three psalms import that sense.
R. After the first lesson shall follow Te Deum.] This order of intermixing hymns and psalms with lessons is made in pursuance of that excellent canon of Laodicea, περὶ τοῦ μὴ δεῖν ἐπισυνάπτειν ἐν ταῖς συνάξεσι τοὺς ψαλμοὺς ἀλλὰ διὰ μέσου καθ᾽ ἕκαστον ψαλμὸν γίνεσθαι ἀνάγνωσιν : “it is not meet to sing the psalms in a continued course in the church, '‘but to interpose a lesson between every psalm.” So ordered, saith Balsamon, “ that this might be as a rest in music, and after that the congregation to sing again, that the service might not be thought tedious: and therefore he cons that council many thanks for so discreet a canon. Indeed, breve videbitur tempus, quod tantis operum varietatibus occupatur: '‘the variety of such changes is an excellent disposing of the time in such employments.” Nothing is certainly more delight-ful, not only to the outward senses of the body, but even to the very soul itself, than variety ; this it is which calls up in her her former vigour and vivacity, this that makes her shake off her former lassitude, embracing every new object with a most greedy desire, every change is as it were an unbending of the mind: the very heathen orator found it so, stylus lectione requiescit, et ipsius lectionus tedium vicibus levatur, “ the style is refreshed by reading, and reading itself is much relieved by interchanges.” The observation of this rule in other relations hath been motive all-sufficient to God’s people in all ages to frame their divine service so mosaic, of so many pieces, so commodiously disposed to rescue each other from tediousness, as upon every transition and passage from one duty to another, the spirit may still reserve an appetite; whence it is that confessions, prayers, doxologies, psalms, lessons, &c., are assigned their proper vicissitudes, and divide the time allotted for such sacred performances, so as the soul may attend every motion of them.
S. Te Deum Laudamus.] This hymn passeth up and down as the composition of St. Ambrose and St. Augustine jointly, upon occasion of St. Augustine’s conversion and baptism by St. Ambrose. But the very learned primate of Armaghi produceth two very ancient MSS. wherein it is ascribed to Nicetius, and from Menardus) proveth that it is not mentioned by any ancient author before St. Bennet betook himself to a monastic life, which was about the year 500, who speaks of it in his Canonical Rules, or Benedictine Office, in whose time one Nicetius, a bishop, lived, and perhaps the same to whom it is ascribed. But be he the author or be he not, the frame is so excellently modelled, as the Church of human structure could not enjoin a better: and indeed the structure it is alone that is human, the materials being divine, and of sacred derivation, as, for the avoiding of prolixity, I have noted in the margin.
The antiquity of hymns. THE use of hymns among Christians is undoubtedly as old as the times of the Apostles: and we learn, both from the observation of St. Augustin and from the canons of the Church, that hymns and psalms were intermingled with the Lessons, that so by variety the people might be secured against weariness and distraction.
§.2. The reasonableness of them. But besides antiquity, reason calls for this interposition of hymns, in respect to the great benefit we may receive from the word of God: for if we daily bless him for our ordinary meat and drink, how much more are we bound to glorify him for the food of our souls?
§.3. When first added. That we may not therefore want forms of praise proper for the occasion, the Church hath provided us with two after each Lesson, both in the morning and evening service; leaving it to the discretion of him that ministereth, to use those which he thinks most convenient and suitable: though in the first Common Prayer Book of king Edward VI there was only one provided for a Lesson; the hundredth, the ninety-eighth, and the sixty-seventh psalms not being added till 1552. The Te Deum and the Benedicite indeed were both in the first book; but not for choice, but to be used one at one time of the year, and the other at another, as the next section will shew.
Hymns after the first Lessons. HAVING heard the holy precepts and useful examples, the comfortable promises and just threatenings, contained in the first Lesson, we immediately break out into praising God for illuminating our minds, for quickening our affections, for reviving our hopes, for awakening our sloth, and for confirming our resolutions.
I. The Te Deum and Benedicte, why so called. For our supply and assistance in which reasonable duty, the Church has provided us two ancient hymns; the one called Te Deum, from the first words of it in Latin, (Te Deum laudamus, We praise thee, O God) the other Benedicite, for the same reason, the beginning of it in Latin being Benedicite omnia opera Domini Domino; or, O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord. The former of these is now most frequently used, and the latter only upon some particular occasions.
§.2. The original of the Te Deum.The first (as it is generally believed) was composed by St. Ambrose for the baptism of St. Augustin: since which time it has ever been held in the greatest esteem, and daily repeated in the church: so that it is now of above thirteen hundred years standing. The hymn itself is rational and majestic, and in all particulars worthy of the spouse of Christ; being above all the composures of men uninspired, fittest for the tongues of men and angels.
And after that, shall be said or sung, in English, the Hymn called Te Deum Laudamus, daily throughout the Year.
And for the Canticle Benedicite, [O all ye works of the Lord] it may be used not only in the aforesaid times of Humiliation, but when either the Lessons are out of Daniel, or set before us the wonderful handy-work of God in any of the Creatures, of 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 magnifie him for ever: that is, ye are great occasion of blessing the Lord, who therefore be blessed, praised, and magnified for ever.
T. Or Benedicite.] This is called the hymn of the three children; the first mention of it is in Proclus: he declaring it to be a daily hymn saith πᾶσα ἡ οἰκουμένη καθ᾽ ἐκάστην ἡμέραν Bog Εὐλογεῖτε πάντα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου τὸν Κύριον, “all the world over every day is resounded, All the works of the Lord bless the Lord.” I find mention of it in the fourth council of Toledo, anno 634, which saith Ecclesia Catholica per totum orbem diffusa celebrat, “the Catholic Church spread over alle the earth doth sing it,” and that juxta antiquam consuetudinem, “ agreeable to the ancient custom.”
II. Of the Benedicte, or Song of the three Children: its antiquity. The other was an ancient hymn in the Jewish Church, and adopted into the public devotions of the Christians from the most early times. St. Cyprian quotes it as part of the holy Scriptures: in which opinion he is seconded by Ruffinus, who very severely inveighs against St. Jerome for doubting of its divine authority; and informs us, that it was used in the Church long before his time, who himself lived A.D. 390. And when afterwards it was left out by some that performed divine service, the fourth Council of Toledo, in the year 633, commanded it to be used, and excommunicated the priests that omitted it. Our Church indeed does not receive it for canonical Scripture, because it is not to be found in the Hebrew, nor was allowed in the Jewish canon; but it is notwithstanding an exact paraphrase of the hundred and forty-eighth psalm, and so like it in words and sense, that whoever despiseth this, reproacheth that part of the canonical writings.
§.2. The subject of it. As to the subject of it, it is an elegant summons to all God's works to praise him; intimating that they all set out his glory, and invite us, who have the benefit of them, to join with these three children (to whom so great and wonderful a deliverance was given) in praising and magnifying the Lord for ever.
§.3. When proper to be used. So that when we would glorify God for his works, which is one main end of the Lord's day; or when the Lesson treats of the creation, or sets before us the wonderful works of God in any of his creatures, or the use he makes of them either ordinary or miraculous for the good of the Church; this hymn may very seasonably be used. Though in the first Common Prayer Book of king Edward VI, Te Deum was appointed daily throughout the year, except in Lent, all the which time, in the place of Te Deum, Benedicite was to be used. So that, as I have already observed, they were not originally inserted for choice; but to be used at different parts of the year. But when the second book came out with double hymns for the other Lessons; these also were left indifferent at the discretion of the minister, and the words, Or this Canticle, inserted before the hymn we are now speaking of.
Or this canticle,
Hymns after the second Lessons. HAVING expressed our thankfulness to God in one of the above-mentioned hymns for the light and instruction we have received from the first. Lesson; we are fitly disposed to hear the clearer revelations exhibited to us in the second.
Then shall be read in like manner the Second Lesson, taken out of the New Testament.
After the Second Lesson at Morning Prayer is appointed, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, called Benedictus...
V. Benedictus.] This hymn, with Nunc dimittis, and Magnificat, are faulted, because being made upon occasion of particular benefits they are not applicable to all. To which it is answered, that these hymns are not absolutely commanded, but being joined with others, the rule of our Church is precisely this or that; leaving in the minister a power to make his own election. Again, this argument hath the same force and edge against David’s Psalms, many of which were composed upon private emergencies, and seem as incommodious for public concernments, which yet we dare not upon that account proscribe out of the service of the Church: nor may I pretermit the canon of the Belgic Church, established by the synod of Dort, hymni Marie, Zacharie, Simeonis, cantabuntur, “the hymns of Mary, Zachary, Simeon, shall be sung.”
I. Of the Benedictus, or song of Zacharias. As to the second Lesson in the morning, it is always taken out either of the Gospels or the Acts; which contain an historical account of the great work of our redemption: and therefore as the angel, that first published the glad tidings of salvation, was joined by a multitude of the heavenly host, who all brake forth in praises to God; so when the same tidings are rehearsed by the priest, both he and the people immediately join their mutual gratulations, praising God, and saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people; and hath raised up a mighty salvation for us in the house of his servant David, &c.; being the hymn that was composed by good old Zacharias, at the circumcision of his son, St. John the Baptist, and containing a thanksgiving to God for the incarnation of our Saviour, and for those unspeakable mercies which (though they were not then fully completed) were quickly afterwards the subject of the whole Church's praises.
And after that, the Hymn following; except when that shall happen to be read in the Chapter for the day, or for the Gospel on Saint John Baptist's Day.
... or, O be Joyful in the Lord, called Jubilate.
II. Of the hundredth psalm. For variety the hundredth psalm was also appointed by king Edward's second book, in which all lands and nations are invited and called upon to serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song, for his exceeding grace, mercy, and truth, which are so eminently set forth in the Gospels.
Or this psalm,
The Creed follows. At ordinary Morning and Evening prayer, and most Sundaies and Holy-daies, the Apostles Creed is appointed; which Creed was made by the Apostles upon this occasion, sayes Russinus in Symb. n. 2. The Apostles, having received a Commandment from our Lord to Teach all Nations, and withal being commanded to tarry at Hierusalem till they should be furnish'd with gifts and graces of the holy Spirit, sufficient for such a charge, tarried patiently, as they were enjoyned, expecting the fulfilling of that promise. In the time of the stay at Hierusalem, 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 distinguished their own men from the Benjamites, by the word Shibboleth, Iudges 12. 6. And as Souldiers know their own side from the Enemy by their Word, so the Apostles and the Church should know who were the Churches friends, and who were enemies; who were right believers, who false, by this word of Faith: for all that walkt according to this Rule, and profest this faith, she acknowledged for hers, and gave them her peace: but all others that went contrary to this rule and word, she accounted Enemies, Tertul. de praescrip. led by false spirits. For he that hears not us, is not of God; hereby know we the Spirit of truth, and the spirit of error, 1 John 4. 6.
This Creed is said Daily twice, Morning and Evening. So it was of old. Aug. l. 1. de Symb. ad Catech. cap. 1. Take the Rule of Faith, which is call'd the Symbol or Creed, say it daily, in the Morning before you go forth; at Night before you sleep. And l. 50. Hom. 42. Say your Creed daily Morning and Evening.
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, Ephes. 6. Faith is rightly called a Shield, S. Chrys. in loc. For as a Shield is carried before the body, as a wall to defend it, so is faith to the soul; for all things yield to that: This is our victory whereby we overcome the world, even our Faith. 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.
Cum horromus aliquid recurrendum est ad Symbolum: 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 crucified, &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 Christs hanging upon the Cross, will humble 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 terrour of the Lords, will perswade men. In a word, the Creed is a guard (gap: 1 letter) 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 S. Paul, and be sure to guard your soul Morning and Evening with the Creed, thy 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; 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 an high piece of loyalty to God; and cannot be too often perform'd. It is that kind of Confession, that S. Paul says is necessary to salvation, as well as believing, Rom. 10. 10. For it is there said Verse 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, S. Matt. 10. 32. Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven. And therefore since it is a service so acceptable, it cannot be thought unreasonable 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 Priest and people together. Rubr. before the Creed. For since Confession of Faith in publick before God, Angels and men is so acceptable 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 expresly repeating of that Creed and every particular thereof, which is and alwayes hath been accounted the Mark and Character, whereby to distinguish a True Believer from an Heretick 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.
W. Then shall be said the Creed. The Creed, neither this nor any other, was never any part of the liturgy, or public office, either in the Greek or in the Latin Church, until nigh upon six hundred years after Christ: the only and constant use thereof in public, was the prescribing it as the great lesson for the catechumens to learn and rehearse in public in order to their baptism. So, for this Creed, Ruffinus tells us it was the Roman mode, gui gratiam baptismi suscepturi sunt, fidelium populo audiente symbolum reddunt: “ they who are about to receive the grace of baptism, rehearse the Creed in the hearing of all the faithful.” And being himself about to expound upon it, he first premiseth, that he intends to tie himself to the order and form, guem in Aquileiensi Ecclesia per lavacri gratiam suscepimus, “ which in the Church of Aquileia we received, when we were admitted to the laver of regeneration.” So for the Hierosolymitan Creed, Cyril’s Catecheses are explications upon it, for the instruction of the catechumens : so for the Nicene, or rather the Constantinopolitan Creed, Epiphanius tells us that ἕκαστος τῶν κατηχουμένων τῶν μελλόντων τῷ ἁγίῳ λουτρῷ προσίεναι, “every catechumen who intended to come to the blessed laver, was first to learn it :” not a man of them, nor any other author of reputation, giving the least hint of it as any parcel of the liturgy.
As to the ancient names by which it was called, there occur, first, regula fidei, “the rule of faith” used by Tertullian; then symbolum fidei, “the symbol of faith,”’ as Cyprian very often; sometimes confessio fidei, “the confession of faith.” The creed here inserted passeth under the title of the Apostles’ Creed, supposed by many to have been composed by the Apostles when they were about to disperse themselves into their several walks, to be the summary of their faith, every Apostle collating one article, his share, to the frame. But our Church did not confide in this relation, and therefore hath delivered herself very sparingly in these saving terms, Symbolum, quod vulgo Apostolorum dicitur, “the Creed which is vulgarly denominated from the Apostles.” And learned Vossius hath evidently proved it is a vulgar error, and that really the Apostles made no such creed. His arguments are: First, there is not the least syllable witnessing any such creed made by them, neither in the Acts of the Apostles nor in their Epistles. Secondly, amongst all the ecclesiastical writers not a man mentions it. Thirdly, that if any such creed had been made by the Apostles, the ancient fathers of the Church would never have presumed, or attempted to contrive so many several confessions, but would have acquiesced in this. Fourthly, if this creed had been delivered, totidem verbis, by the Apostles, there would not have appeared in several Churches such variety of confessions, with such additions, such omissions of articles, as the year 400 represents, many instances whereof he gives in comparing the three creeds of Rome, Aquileia, and the East, as Ruffinus renders them.
But whereas that judicious man takes exception against the word Catholic in the article of the Holy Catholic Church, and yields this reason, Apostolorum etate nondum obtinebat consuetudo ut Christiani dicerentur Catholici?, “in the Apostolic age custom had not yet prevailed to call Christians Catholics ;”’ that assertion being negative, is tenant only by courtesy, and were it precisely true, yet can it not be rationally deduced from thence, that the word Catholic was not in that age applied to the Church, especially there being record extant to the contrary. For Ignatius who συνεγένετο τοῖς ᾿Αποστόλοις γνησίως, “conversed familiarly with the Apostles,” tells us ὅπου ἂν ἢ Χριστὸς ᾿Ιησοῦς, ἐκεῖ ἡ καθολικὴ ἐκκλησίαν, “where Jesus Christ is, there is also the Catholic Church.” In the right he is, confident I am, Catholice nomen apponi cepit, ut Ecclesia que toto orbe obtineret, distingueretur a conventiculis hereticorum: “the word Catholic began to be annexed, that the Church overspreading all the earth, might be severed from the conventicles of heretics.” And so Clemens Alexandrinus, a hundred and twenty years before the Nicene council, clearly applieth it; for, speaking of those heretics ofthe primitive times, he saith, μεταγενεστέρας τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας τὰς ἀνθρωπίνας συνηλύσεις πεποιήκασιν, “all their conventicles were juniors to the Catholic Church;” which having demonstrated by evident reasons, at length he concludes, κατ᾽ ἐξοχὴν, μόνην εἴναι φαμὲν τὴν ἀρχαίαν καὶ καθολικὴν ἐκκλησίαν, “supereminently, and by way of excellence, we say, the primitive and Catholic Church is one;” to which perhaps that article of the Constantinopolitan Creed alluded, “I believe one Catholic and Apostolic Church,” for apostolic and primitive are in that application convertibles. If then the word Catholic entered upon this account, viz. as a mark of difference to separate the true Church from the conventicles of heretics, and such conventicles there were (whereof there is no doubt) in the Apostles’ days, the inference is spontaneously consequent, that in that early age it might be entertained.
But to return to the Creed ; if it was not framed by the Apostles, how came it to derive denomination from them? My answer is, because it is an excellent epitome of their doctrine, and contrived in a near resemblance to their own language; or rather, because a great part of it was probably digested by the Apostolic Church, though some articles were added by after times. So the great Creed is called the Nicene, though many things were affixed to it by the council of Constantinople, and some things since. For, certain it is, the primitive Church not far distant from the Apostolic age, had a creed resembling this of the Apostles, as to most particulars, and the substance of the articles, though with some syllabical variations, as it is evident by Tertullian’s Regula fidei, which he renders thus:
“ A belief in one God Almighty Creator of the world, and His Son Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, crucified under Pontius Pilate, raised again the third day, received up into heaven, sitting there now at the right hand of His Father, who shall come again to judge both the quick and the dead, at the resurrection of their flesh.”
Where the articles concerning the Holy Ghost and the Church, being omitted, they are to be supplied from the form of the catechizing then in use, which was in truth a creed; so Cyprian, si aliquis illud opponit, eandem legem Novatianum tenere quam Catholica Ecclesia tenet, eodem quo et nos symbolo baptizare: “but some will say Novatian holds the same rule of faith with the Catholic Church, baptizeth with the profession of the same Creed.” With the rehearsal then of the Creed they were baptized; sub-tribus nominibus testatio fidei pignoratur, “the testification of our faith is made under three sacred names,” saith the same Tertullian, and thence inferreth, necessario adjicitur Ecclesie mentio, quoniam uli tres, id est, Pater, et Filius et Spiritus Sanctus, ibi Ecclesia que trium corpus est: “of necessity the mention of the Church must follow, for where these three are, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, there is the Church the body of all three.” Which perhaps was Ignatius’s meaning when he said, “where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.” This is also further made out by Cyprian, who lived not long after Tertullian, and an African too; for mentioning a form of interrogation taken out of the baptismal symbol, he renders it thus, Credis in vitam eternam, et remissionem peccatorum per sanctam Ecclesiam? ? 1. 6. “ Dost thou believe eternal life, and forgiveness of sins by the holy Church ?” where there is not only mention of the holy Church, and of forgiveness of sins, but also of life everlasting, which learned Vossius will have to be an additional article after Ruffinus’s time. True it is, what he saith out of Jerome: omne Christiant dogmatis sacramentum carnis resurrectione concluditur: “all the mysteries of the Christian faith were then terminated in the resurrection of the flesh,” and so Tertullian concludeth his rule of faith; but yet, that notwithstanding, that the article of life everlasting might be, as by St. Cyprian it is clear it was not, no new addition, but represented in a different order.
So that to draw to an end, uniting these African parcels together, we have found a creed, as to the essentials, very conformable to this of the Apostles, and for the verbal diversity, it is the less to be wondered at, when they who are conversant in the ancient fathers know their manner was in citing even canonical Scripture, not always to consult the originals, but often to deliver it in such words as their memories suggested, provided they preserved the sense entire. Probably from the same liberty, practised in those accounts they give of the confessions of their faith, might arise this diversity.
This and the other creeds in the offices of our Church, are always appointed to be said after the reading of some part of canonical Scripture ; because “ faith comes by hearing,” Rom. x. 17, first hearing, and then faith: it is ordered to be read standing, for three reasons. First, because it is, as to the substantials thereof, taken out of the Gospels, which were to be rehearsed standing. Secondly, because the stationary posture is most significant, and importeth a resolution to defend and maintain the faith we profess; when we assert any thing with much earnestness, we usually say, This is truth, and we will stand to it. Thirdly, in imitation of the order of the catechumens, who did rehearse it in a stationary posture. St. Augustine relating one Victorinus’s deportment in this case speaks thus, ut ventum est ad horam profitende fidei, que verbis certis, conceptis retentisque memoriter de loco eminentiore in conspectu populi fidelis reddi solet ; '‘as soon as the time came for him to make profession of his faith, which was used to be done in a set form of words, got by heart, and from a high place of ascent, so as all the faithful might behold, the presbyters offered him, that if he would, he should rehearse it in private” (as some others did, for fear of being daunted with so great an audience); “he refused it, saying he would do it in the presence of the whole congregation, and presently he mounted up.” From which story very inferrible it is, that as the eminence of the place was regularly required for the greater evidence of the fact, so was the posture erect as most serviceable to that end, although St. Augustine saith it not αὐτολεξεὶ, in direct terms.
The Creed. THOUGH the Scriptures be a perfect revelation of all divine truths necessary to salvation; yet the fundamental articles of our faith are so dispersed there, that it was thought necessary to collect out of those sacred writings one plain and short summary of fundamental doctrines, which might easily be understood and remembered by all Christians.
§.2. Why so called. Why called Symbolum. This summary, from the first word in Latin, Credo, is commonly called the Creed; though in Latin it is called Symbolum, for which several reasons are given: as, first, that it is an allusion to the custom of several persons meeting together to eat of one common supper, whither every one brings something for his share to make up that common meal, which from hence was called Symbolum, from the Greek word συμβάλλειν, which signifies to throw or cast together: even so, say some, the Apostles met together, and each one put or threw in his article to compose this symbol.
Another signification of the word is fetched from military affairs, where it is used to denote those marks, signs, or watchwords, &c., whereby the soldiers of an army distinguished and knew each other: in like manner, as some think, by this Creed the true soldiers of Jesus Christ were distinguished from all others, and discerned from those who were only false and hypocritical pretenders.
But the most natural signification of the word seems to be derived from the pagan symbols, which were secret marks, words, or tokens communicated at the time of initiation, or a little before, unto those who were consecrated or entered into their reserved or hidden rites, and to none else; by the declaration, manifestation, or pronunciation whereof, those more devout idolaters knew each other, and were with all freedom and liberty of access admitted to their more intimate mysteries, i.e. to the secret worship and rites of that God, whose symbols they had received: from whence the multitude in general were kept out and excluded: which said symbols those who had received them were obliged carefully to conceal, and not, on any account whatsoever, to divulge or reveal. And for the same reasons the Apostles' Creed is thought by some to have been termed a symbol, because it was studiously concealed from the pagan world, and not revealed to the catechumens themselves, till just before their baptism or initiation in the Christian mysteries; when it was delivered to them as that secret note, mark, or token, by which the faithful in all parts of the world might, without any danger, make themselves known to one another.
§.3. The antiquity of it. That the whole Creed, as we now use it, was drawn up by the Apostles themselves, can hardly be proved: but that the greatest part of it was derived from the very days of the Apostles, is evident from the testimonies of the most ancient writers; particularly of St. Ignatius, in whose epistles most of its articles are to be found: though there are some reasons to believe, that some few of them, viz. that of the descent into hell, the communion of saints, and the life everlasting, were not added till some time after, in opposition to some gross errors and heresies that sprang up in the Church. But the whole form, as it now stands in our Liturgy, is to be found in the works of St. Ambrose and Ruffinus.
§.4. When first recited publicly. It is true indeed the primitive Christians, by reason they always concealed this and their other mysteries, did not in their assemblies publicly recite the Creed, except at the times of baptism; which, unless in cases of necessity, were only at Easter and Whitsun-tide. From whence it came to pass, that the constant repeating of the Creed in the church was not introduced till five hundred years after Christ: about which time Petrus Gnapheus, bishop of Antioch, prescribed the constant recital of the Creed at the public administration of divine service.
§.5. The place of the Creed in the Liturgy. The place of it in our Liturgy may be considered with respect both to what goes before, and what comes after it. That which goes before it are the Lessons taken out of the word of God: for faith comes by hearing; and therefore when we have heard God's word, it is fit we should profess our belief of it, thereby setting our seals (as it were) to the truth of God, especially to such articles as the chapters now read to us have confirmed. What follows the Creed are the prayers which are grounded upon it: for we cannot call on him in whom we have not believed. And therefore since we are to pray to God the Father, in the name of the Son, by the assistance of the Holy Ghost, for remission of sins, and a joyful resurrection; we first declare that we believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and that there is remission here, and a resurrection to life hereafter, for all true members of the Catholic Church; and then we may be said to pray in faith.
§.6. To be repeated by the whole congregation. Both minister and people are appointed to repeat this Creed; because it is the profession of every person present, and ought for that reason to be made by every one in his own person; the more expressly to declare their belief of it to each other, and consequently to the whole Christian world, with whom they maintain communion.
§.7. Standing. It is to be repeated standing, to signify our resolution to stand up stoutly in the defence of it. And in Poland and Lithuania the nobles used formerly to draw their swords, in token that, if need were, they would defend and seal the truth of it with their blood.
§.8. With their faces toward the east. When we repeat it, it is customary to turn towards the east, that so whilst we are making profession of our faith in the blessed Trinity, we may look towards that quarter of the heavens where God is supposed to have his peculiar residence of glory.
§.9. Reverence to be made at the name of JESUS. When we come to the second article in this Creed, in which the name of JESUS is mentioned, the whole congregation makes obeisance, which the Church (in regard to that passage of St. Paul, That at the name of JESUS every knee should bow) expressly enjoins in her eighteenth canon: ordering, that when in time of divine service the Lord JESUS shall be mentioned, due and lowly reverence shall he done by all persons present, as it has been accustomed; testifying by these outward ceremonies and gestures their inward humility. Christian resolution, and due acknowledgment that the Lord JESUS CHRIST, the true eternal Son of God, is the only Saviour of the world, in whom alone all the mercies, graces, and promises of God to mankind for this life, and the life to come, are fully and wholly comprised.
Then shall be sung or said the Apostles' Creed, by the Minister and the people standing : Except only such days as the Creed of Saint Athanasius is appointed to be read.
The good order and method of our service. THE congregation having now their consciences absolved from sin, their affections warmed with thanksgiving, their understandings enlightened by the word, and their faith strengthened by a public profession, enter solemnly in the next place upon the remaining part of divine worship, viz. supplication and prayer, that is, to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul.
And after that these Prayers following, all devoutly kneeling: the Minister first pronouncing with a loud voice,
The psalms, lessons, and hymns, having long employed both minister and people, they now address themselves to prayer again, the priest greeting the people with this form, called therefore “ the salutation of the priest,” whom they re-salute with the response, “ And with thy spirit,’ derived, as many conjecture, from Ruth ii. 4, where Boaz said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you,” and they answered him, “The Lord bless thee.” Very ancient it is, and one of the first formulas used in the Christian Church. Ritualists observe that this form was only an appurtenance to ministers of the lower orb, and that when the bishop did officiate, he did use in lieu thereof, “Peace be to you;” and St. Chrysostom seemeth to persuade as much, εἰρήνην πᾶσαν ὁ τῆς ἐκκλησίας προεστὼς ἐπεύχεται, ὡς εἰς πατρῴαν οἰκίαν εἰσιῶν' i.e. “the chief priest or bishop, wisheth peace to all the people, as entering into his Father’s house ;” and therefore whereas the Braccarian council decreed “that the bishop and presbyter should both use one and the same form, and determineth that form by, The Lord be with you,” with this expression, sicut omnis retinet oriens, ‘as is generally retained in the East,” either the custom must be changed since St. Chrysostom’s days, or else we must reject a great part of his works for counterfeit, which gives us assurance of the contrary, viz. his homilies upon Pentecost, the Philippians, Colossians, and others. This form of salutation Epiphanius saith was derived from our Saviour’s first greeting the Apostles after His resurrection, with His εἰρήνην ὑμῖν, “ peace be to you.” Unobserved let it not pass, that this salutation did anciently denote, as it is here applied, a transition from one service to another, and so St. Chrysostom upon the Colossians, Hom. iii., seems to render the mode of his time.
This Divine Salutation taken out of Holy Scripture, Ruth 2. was frequently used in Ancient Liturgies before Prayers, before the Gospel, before the Sermon, and at other times, and that by the direction of the holy Apostles, saies the Council of Braccara. It seems as an Introit or entrance upon another sort of Divine Service, and a good Introduction it is, serving as an holy excitation to Attention and Devotion, by minding the people what they are about, namely such holy Services, as without Gods assistance and special grace cannot be performed, 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 a most 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. 4. 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 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 S. Paul, 1 Cor. 14. 15. Thus the Priest prayes 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 interchangeably 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 anothers good, and mutually praying for one another, which must needs be, if well considered, and duly performed, excellent Incentives and provocations to Charity and love one of another; and (as S. Chrys. observes hom. 3. in Col.) 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 prayes for them, The Lord be with you, or, Peace be with you? which was anciently the Bishops Salutation, instead of the Lord be with you. Or can the Priest forget to love the People that daily prayes for him, And with thy Spirit.
§.2. But because they are not able to do this without God's help, therefore the minister first blesses them with The Lord be with you; which, it must be observed too, is a very proper salutation in this place, viz. after a public and solemn profession of their faith. For St. John forbids us to say to any heretic, God speed; and the primitive Christians were never allowed to salute any that were excommunicated. But when the minister hath heard the whole congregation rehearse the Creed, and seen, by their standing up at it, a testimony of their assent to it; he can now salute them as brethren and members of the Church. But because he is their representative and mouth to God, they return his salutation, immediately replying, And with thy spirit: both which sentences are taken out of holy Scripture, and together with that salutation. Peace be with you, (which was generally used by the bishop, instead of The Lord be with you) have been of very early use in the Church, especially in the eastern part of it, to which, as an ancient Council says, they were delivered down by the Apostles themselves: and it is observable that they always denoted (as here) a transition from one part of the divine service to another.
These words are often used in ancient Liturgies, as well as in ours, and are an Excitation to prayer, to call back our wandring and recollect 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 ὲκτενῶς δεηθῶμεν,. Let us pray vehemently; nay, ὲκτενέστερον, still more vehemently, and the same vehementy 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 S. 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 call'd upon and awakened; for thoughts will be wandring, and devotions will abate and scarce hold out to the prayers end, though it be a short one; that well said the old Hermit, (whom Melanc. mentions in his discourse de Crat.) There is nothing harder than to pray.
These words, Let us pray; as they are an Incitation 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 alternate supplications by Versicles and Answers into Collects or Prayers. In the Latin Liturgies (their Rubricks 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.
The intention of the mind is never so disposed to relax as in sacred exercises, either seized upon with drowsiness or withdrawn by straying thoughts. Θεῷ προσίοντες χασμώμεθα, ὀκνώμεθα, περιστρεφόμεθα, ῥαθμοῦμεν, τῶν γονάτων χαμαὶ κειμένων ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς πλανώμεθαξ, 1. 68. ‘‘when we come into God’s dreadful presence, we yawn and stretch ourselves, we scratch and scrub, we gape about us, or grow drowsy; while our knees are upon the ground, our minds are on wool-gathering, or about our law-suits;” yea, as Cyprian saith well, “while we supplicate God to hear our prayers, we do not hear them ourselves.” To summon and rouse us therefore to a fixed intention towards the ensuing duty, the Church hath accustomed to call upon us often with an oremus, “let us pray,’' an office anciently peculiar to the deacon, as is evident out of St. Chrysostom, Augustine, and others. And agreeable to this was the practice of those who followed only nature’s dictates. “Orav οἱ ἱερεῖς πράττωσι Ti τῶν θείων, ὁ κήρυξ πρόεισι μεγάλῃ φωνῇ βοῶν, “Ox aye! “ when the priest is officiating in sacred things, the crier proclaims with a loud voice, “Attend or mind what you are about.”
§.3. In the heathen sacrifices there was always one to cry, Hoc agite, or to bid them mind what they were about. And in all the old Christian Liturgies the deacon was wont to call often upon the people, ἐκτενῶς δεηθώμεν, Let us pray earnestly; and then again, ἐκτενέστερον, more earnestly. And the same vehemence and earnest devotion does our Church call for in these words. Let us pray: warning us thereby to lay aside all wandering thoughts, and to attend to the great work we are about; for though the minister only speaks most of the words, yet our affections must go along with every petition, and sign them all at last with an hearty Amen.
This short Litany as it was called by some Ancients, this most humble and piercing Supplication 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 COUNCIL of VAS. c. 5. Anno Dom. 440, or thereabouts.
Because (saith that Council) the sweet and wholsom Custom of saying Kyrie Eleeson; 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, Evensong, and Communion-Service. It was anciently called ἐκτενὴς ἱκεσία, the earnest or vehement supplication; because as it is a most pathetick 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 endless perdition, without the mercy of the Blessed Trinity, and therefore (with no less earnestness than S. Peter cryed, 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 our selves to serve thee: Many are our Dangers, many are our wants, many wayes we stand in need of mercy, therefore Lord have mercy, &c. This excellent Comprehensive 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 Gods Mercy, after we have pray'd, 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 supplication was usually in old Services, and so is in ours, set immediately before the Lords 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 acknowledgement 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. Clem. in Const. l. 7. c. 25. 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, Mal. 1. If I be your Father, where is mine Honour? The Sanctity of the Son is the Honour of the Father. Indeed it is so great an Honour to call God our Father, 1 Ioh. 3. 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 Absol. as at Morning and Evening Service; but most commonly by this short Litany: First, teaching us to bewail our unworthiness and pray for mercy, and then with an humble boldness to look up to Heaven and call God our Father, and beg further Blessings of Him.
These three versicles antiquity called the lesser litany, and of early admission they were into the service of the Church, being mentioned in the Constitutions ascribed to Clemens, ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστῳ τούτων ὧν ὁ διάκονος προσφωνεῖ, ὧς λεγέτω ὁ λαὸς, Κύριε ἐλέησον, i. 6. “at every of these allocutions of the deacon, let the people say, Lord have mercy upon us.” Fitly are they placed before the Lord’s Prayer, because expedient it is we implore God’s mercy before we resort to Him in prayer. The address in it is to the three Persons of the blessed Trinity, and for that cause repeated thrice by the Greeks; but the Western Church put Χριστὲ ἐλέησον, “Christ have mercy upon us,” in the second place.
§.4. But being unclean, like the lepers recorded by St. Luke, before we come to address ourselves to God, we begin to cry, Lord have mercy on us; lest, if we should unworthily call him Our Father, he upbraid us as he did the Jews, If I be a father, where is mine honour? And it is to be observed, that the Church hath such an awful reverence for the Lord's Prayer, that she seldom suffers it to be used without some preceding preparation. In the beginning of the morning and evening service we are prepared by the confession of our sins, and the absolution of the priest; and very commonly in other places by this short litany: whereby we are taught first to bewail our un worthiness, and pray for mercy; and then with an humble boldness to look up to heaven, and call God Our Father, and beg further blessings of him.
As to the original of this form, it is taken out of the Psalms, where it is sometimes repeated twice together; to which the Christian Church hath added a third, viz. Christ have mercy upon us, that so it might be a short litany or supplication to every person in the blessed Trinity: we have offended each person, and are to pray to each, and therefore we beg help from them all.
It is of great antiquity both in the Eastern and Western Churches; and an old Council orders it to be used there times a day in the public service. And we are informed that Constantinople was delivered from an earthquake by the people going barefoot in procession and using this short litany.
The clek and people not to repeat "Lord have mercy upon us" after the minister. N.B. The clerk and people are here to take notice not to repeat the last of these versicles, viz. Lord have mercy upon us, after the minister. In the end of the Litany indeed they ought to do it, because there they are directed to say all the three versicles distinctly after him; each of them being repeated in the Common Prayer Book, viz. first in a Roman letter for the priest, and then in an Italic, which denotes the people's response. But in the daily morning and evening service, in the office for solemnization of matrimony, in those for the visitation of the sick, for the burial of the dead, for the churching of women, and in the commination, where these versicles are single, and only the second printed in an Italic character, there they are to be repeated alternately, and not by way of repetition: so that none but the second versicle, viz. Christ have mercy upon us, comes to the people's turn, the first and last belonging to the minister.
Then the Minister, Clerks, and people shall say the Lord's Prayer with a loud voice.
The Lord's Prayer, why repeated. THE minister, clerk, and people, being prepared in the manner that we have described above, are now again to say the Lord's Prayer with a loud voice. For this consecrates and makes way for all the rest, and is therefore now again repeated. By which repetition we have this further advantage, that if we did not put up any petition of it with fervency enough before, we may make amends for it now, by asking that with a doubled earnestness.
§.2. Clerks, who intended by them. By the clerks in this rubric (which was first inserted in the second book of king Edward) I suppose were meant such persons as were appointed at the beginning of the Reformation, to attend the incumbent in his performance of the offices; and such as are still in some cathedral and collegiate churches, which have lay-clerks (as they are called, being not always ordained) to look out the Lessons, name the anthem, set the Psalms, and the like: of which sort I take our parish clerks to be, though we have now seldom more than one to a church.
AFTER the Lords Prayer follow short Versicles and Answers taken out of Holy Scripture, Psal. 85. 7. Psalm 20. 10. Psal. 132. 9. Psal. 28. 10. 2 Kings 20. 19. Psalm 51. 10, 11.
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 S. Augustine commends as the most piercing kind of prayer, Ep. 121. Such as these were, that of the Leper, S. Matth. 8. 1. Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean: and that of the Disciples, S. Matth. 8. 24. Master save us, we perish. Short, but powerful, as you may see by our Saviours 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 publick prayers; not to stand by and censure how well the Priest playes the mouth of the Congregation. Lastly, it unites the affections of them altogether, and helps to keep them in a league of perpetual amity. For if the Prophet David did think that the very meeting of men together in the house of God, should make the bond of their love indissoluble, Psalm 55. 15. 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, deviding 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 proclaims the Law of God to them as in the Ten Commandments: they adjoyning an humble acknowledgement of their common imbecillity 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 the end of each Commandment. All these Interlocutory 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 by the Rubrick 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 enquire.
The Priest or Minister being a man of like infirmities 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 penitential 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 signifie 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 Gods Embassador. 2 Cor. 5. 20. to whom is committed the Ministery 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 in their stead, for them appointed by God to offer up gifts and sacrifices to God, particularly the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, together with their prayers; so we read, Heb. 5. 1. Every high priest or priest (so the words are promiscuously used, Heb. 8. 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 S. Paul from this definition proves that our Lord Christ, who was after the order of Melchisedeck, not of Aaron, a Priest of the Gospel, not of the Law, ought not call himself, v. 5. but was appointed by God, and moreover, that he ought to have gifts and sacrifices to offer, Heb. 8. 3. because every high Priest, or Priest, is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices. These arguments of S: 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. S. Pauls 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 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 Abimelech to Abraham to pray for him, for he was a Prophet, Gen. 20. 7.
AA. O Lord shew Thy mercy upon us.] These versicles, with their answers, are of divine derivation. “Shew us Thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us Thy salvation,’ Psalm lxxxv. 7. “God save the king,” 1 Sam. x. 24. “ Hear me, O Lord, when 1 call,” Psalm iv. 1. “ Let Thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Thy saints sing with joyfulness,” Psalm exxxii. 9. “O Lord, save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance,” Psalm xxviii. 9. “ Shall it not be good if peace be in my days,” 2 Kings xx. 19. “There is no strength in us, but our eyes are towards Thee,’ 2 Chron. xx. 12. “Create in me a clean heart, and take not Thy holy Spirit from me,” Psalm li. 10,11. And in regard they are for the major part taken out of the Psalms of David, the priest is ordered to stand up.
The versicles. Before the minister begins to pray alone for the people, they are to join with him (according to the primitive way of praying) in some short versicles and responsals taken chiefly out of the Psalms, and containing the sum of all the following collects.
§.3. Why the minister is to stand up at these versicles. The rubric which orders the priest to stand up to say these versicles, (which was first added in 1552) I imagine to have been founded upon the practice of the priests in the Romish Church. For it is a custom there for the priest, at all the long prayers, to kneel before the altar, and mutter them over softly by himself: but whenever he comes to any versicles where the people are to make their responses, he rises up and turns himself to them, in order to be heard: which custom the compilers of our Liturgy might probably have in their eye, when they ordered the minister to stand up in this place.
Then the Priest standing up shall say,
To the first, O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us, — and grant us thy salvation, answers the Sunday collect, which generally contains petitions for mercy and salvation.
To the second, Lord, save the king, — and mercifully hear us when we call upon thee, answer the prayers for the king and royal family.
To the third, Endue thy ministers with righteousness, — and make thy chosen people joyful; and the fourth, O Lord, save thy people, — and bless thine inheritance; answers the collect for the clergy and people.
To the fifth, Give peace in our time, O Lord, — because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God, answer the daily collects for peace[.]
§.2. An objection answered. Against two of these versicles it is objected, that the Church enjoins us to pray to God to give peace in our time, for this odd reason, viz. because there is none other that fighteth for us but only God. But to this we answer, that the Church by these words does by no means imply, that the only reason of our desiring peace, is because we have none other to fight for us, save God alone; as if we could be well enough content to be engaged in war, had we any other to fight for us, besides God: but they are a more full declaration and acknowledgment of that forlorn condition we are in, who are not able to help ourselves, and who cannot depend upon man for help; which we confess and lay before Almighty God, to excite the greater compassion in his divine Majesty. And thus the Psalmist cries out to God, Be not far from me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
[A]nd to the last, O God, make clean our hearts within us, and take not thy Holy Spirit from us, answer the daily collects for grace.
The Collects follow, which are thought by divers to be so called, either because they were made by the Priest, super collectam 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 publick service of God (which for that very reason was by the Ancients called Common Prayer, as may be gathered out of Iustin Martyr. Apol. 2. S. Aug. Epist. 118. and others:) yet for the more renewing and strengthning 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 joyning 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 Missae, 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 Sacramenta, either for that their chief use was at the Communion, or because they were uttered Per Sacerdotem, by one consecrated to holy Offices.
But it will not be amiss to enquire more particularly what may be said for these very Collects which we use, they being of so frequent use and so considerable 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 were composed or ordered, either by S. 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 affections 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 they may be acceptable; Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you, S. Iohn 16. 23. And so it was the custome of old: Itaque Orationes nostras vitam & Sacrificia, & omnia nostra offerimus tibi Pater assiduè per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum, &c. Bernard. de Amore Dei cap. 8. But yet we may observe that a few Collects are directed to Christ, and in the Litany some supplications to the holy Ghost, beside that precatory Hymn of Veni Creator in the Book of Ordination, and that some Collects, especially for great Festivals conclude with this acknowledgement, that Christ with the Father and the holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth one God world without end. And this seems to be done to testifie 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 glorifie all Three together. Quia dum ad solius Patris personam honoris sermo dirigitur, bene credentis fide tota Trinitas honoratur, saith Fulgentius, lib. 2. ad Monimum.
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 judgement and practice of the Ancient Christians in their Liturgies, and S. Chrysostome among others commends highly short and frequent Prayers with little distances between, Hom. 2. of Hanna, so doth Cassian also, and from the judgment of others that were much exercised therein. 2. Lib. cap. 10. de Institut. Coenob. And lastly, as they are most convenient for keeping away coldness, distraction 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 respect of the Minister, but the people also, whose minds and affections become hereby more erect, close and earnest by the oftner 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 acknowledgement of the Adorable Perfection 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 acknowledgements? That God is Almighty, everlasting, Full of Goodness and Pity, the Strength, Refuge and Protector 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 our selves to help our selves, 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 alwayes 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 mans understanding.
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 Hereticks and Enemies of it: And the Petitions which follow these humble and pious acknowledgements 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 protection from God Almighty, in the practice and pursuance, of what is set before us. But concerning the matter of the Collects for the day, is spoken afterward in the particular account that is given of each Epistle, Gospel and Collect.
ΒΒ. Collects.] Collects are so called, either because many petitions are contracted and collected into one body, or because they are gathered from several portions of Scripture, especially from those appointed for the epistles and gospels of the days. As well those here next following, as others appropriated to days of solemn celebration, or dispersed abroad in the several offices of our Church, are for the greater part borrowed from the Sacramentary of Gregory the Great ; and where others are omitted, it is upon this account, because they contained something edifying towards the invocation of saints.
The prayers, why divided into so many short collects. BEFORE we come to speak of each of the following prayers in particular, it may not be amiss to observe one thing concerning them in general, viz. the reason why they are not carried on in one continued discourse, but divided into many short collects, such as is that which our Lord himself composed. And that might be one reason why our Church so ordered it, viz. that so she might follow the example of our Lord, who best knew what kind of prayers were fittest for us to use. And indeed We cannot but find, by our own experience, how difficult it is to keep our minds long intent upon any thing, much more upon so great things as the object and subject of our prayers; and that, do what we can, we are still liable to wanderings and distractions: so that there is a kind of necessity to break off sometimes, that our thoughts, being respited for a while, may with more ease be fixed again, as it is necessary they should, so long as we are actually praying to the Supreme Being of the world.
But besides, in order to the performing our devotions aright to the most high God, it is necessary that our souls should be possessed all along with due apprehensions of his greatness and glory. To which purpose our short prayers contribute very much. For every one of them beginning with some of the attributes or perfections of God, and so suggesting to us right apprehensions of him at first, it is easy to preserve them in our minds during the space of a short prayer, which in a long one would be too apt to scatter and vanish away.
But one of the principal reasons why our public devotions are and should be divided into short collects, is this: our blessed Saviour, we know, hath often told us, that whatsoever we ask the Father in his name he will give it us; and so hath directed us in all our prayers to make use of his name, and to ask nothing but upon the account of his merit and mediation for us: upon which all our hopes and expectations from God do wholly depend. For this reason therefore (as it always was, so also now) it cannot but be judged necessary, that the name of Christ be frequently inserted in our prayers, that so we may lift up our hearts unto him, and rest our faith upon him, for the obtaining those good things we pray for. And therefore whatsoever it be which we ask of God, we presently add, through Jesus Christ our Lord, or something to that effect; and so ask nothing but according to our Lord's direction, i.e. in his name. And this is the reason that makes our prayers so short: for take away the conclusion of every collect or prayer, and they may be joined all together, and be made but as one continued prayer. But would not this tend to make us forgetful that we are to offer up our prayers in the name of Christ, by taking away that which refresheth our memory?
§.2. Why called collects. The reason why these prayers are so often called collects is differently represented. Some ritualists think, because the word collect is sometimes used both in the vulgar Latin Bible, and by the ancient Fathers, to denote the gathering together of the people into religious assemblies; that therefore the prayers are called collects, as being repeated when the people are collected together. Others think they are so named upon account of their comprehensive brevity; the minister collecting into short forms the petitions of the people, which had before been divided between him and them by versicles and responses: and for this reason God is desired in some of them to hear the prayers and supplications of the people. Though I think it is very probable that the collects for the Sundays and Holy-days bear that name, upon account that a great many of them are very evidently collected out of the Epistles and Gospels.
I. Of the collect for the day. There is much the same rubric in the evening service; only whereas the third collect for the morning is entitled, for grace to live well; the title of that for the evening is, for aid against all perils.
The first of these collects, viz. that of the day, to be the same that is appointed at the communion, will fall under my particular consideration, when I come to treat of the several Sundays and Holy-days, which will naturally lead me to take notice of the several collects that belong to them.
Then shall follow three Collects; the first of the day, which shall be the same that is appointed at the Communion; The second for Peace; The third for Grace to live well. And the two last Collects shall never alter, but daily be said at Morning Prayer throughout all the year, as followeth, all kneeling.
The second Collect is for Peace, according to S. Pauls direction, 1 Tim. 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 Lords Legacy, My peace I leave with you, his New-years gift, Pax in terris, Xenium Christi, He prayed for peace, paid for peace, wept for it, bled for it: Peace should therefore 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, 1 Tim. 2. This Collect then is fit to be said daily, being a prayer for peace, and so is that which follows.
II. Of the collect for peace. The second collect, for peace, both for the morning and evening service, are, word for word, translated out of the Sacramentary of St. Gregory; each of them being suited to the office it is assigned to. In that which we use in the beginning of the day, when we are going to engage ourselves in various affairs, and to converse with the world, we pray for outward peace, and desire to be preserved from the injuries, affronts, and wicked designs of men. But in that for the evening we ask for inward tranquillity, requesting for that peace which the world cannot give, as springing only from the testimony of a good conscience: that so each of us may with David be enabled to say, I will lay me down in peace, and take my rest; having our hearts as easy as our heads, and our sleep sweet and quiet.
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 Gods protection for the day or night following.
The third collects, both at morning and evening, are framed out of the Greek euchologion. That in the morning service, for grace, is very proper to be used in the beginning of the day, when we are probably going to be exposed to various dangers and temptations.
Anthem. AFTER the aforesaid collects, as well at morning prayer as at evening, the rubric orders, that in choirs and places where they sing, here followeth the anthem; the original of which is probably derived from the very first Christians. For Pliny has recorded that it was the custom in his time to meet upon a fixed day before light, and to sing a hymn, in parts or by turns, to Christ, as God: which expression can hardly have any other sense put upon it, than that they sung in an antiphonical way. Socrates indeed attributes the rise of them to St. Ignatius, who, when he had heard the angels in heaven singing and answering one another in hymns to God, ordered that, in the church of Antioch, psalms of praise should be composed and set to music, and sung in parts by the choir in the time of divine service; which, from the manner of singing them, were called ἀντίφωνα, antiphons, or anthems, i.e. hymns sung in parts, or by course. This practice was soon imitated by the whole Church, and has universally obtained ever since.
§.2. Why to be sung here. The reason of its being ordered in this place is partly perhaps for the relief of the congregation, who, if they have joined with due fervour in the foregoing parts of the office, may now he thought to be something weary; and partly, I suppose, to make a division in the service, the former part of it being performed in behalf of ourselves, and that which follows being mostly intercessional.
§.3. This is the proper place for singing psalms. And therefore since it is now crown a custom, in a great many churches, to sing a psalm in metre in the middle of the service; I cannot see why it would not be more proper here, than just after the second Lesson, where a hymn is purposely provided by the Church to follow it. I have already showed the irregularity of singing the hymn itself in metre: and to sing a different psalm between the Lesson and the psalm appointed, is no less irregular. And therefore certainly this must be the most proper place for singing, (if there must be singing before the service is ended,) since it seems much more timely and conformable to the rubric, and moreover does honour to the singing-psalms themselves, by making them supply the place of anthems.
In Quires and Places where they sing here followeth the Anthem.
Then these five Prayers following are to be read here: Except when the Litany is read; and then only the two last are to be read, as they are there placed.
The prayer for the king. WE have been hitherto only praying for ourselves; but since we are commanded to pray for all men, we now proceed, in obedience to that command, to pray for the whole Church; and in the first place for the king, whom, under Christ, we acknowledge to be the supreme governor of this part of it to which we belong. And since the supreme king of all the world is God, by whom all mortal kings reign; and since his authority sets them up, and his power only can defend them; therefore all mankind, as it were by common consent, have agreed to pray to God for their rulers. The heathens offered sacrifices, prayers, and vows for their welfare: and the Jews (as we may see by the Psalms) always made their prayers for the king a part of their public devotion. And all the ancient Fathers, Liturgies, and Councils fully evidence, that the same was done daily by Christians: and this not only for those that encouraged them, but even for such as opposed them, and were enemies to the faith. Afterwards indeed, when the emperors became Christian, they particularly named them in their offices, with titles expressing the dearest affection, and most honourable respect; and prayed for them in as loyal and as hearty terms as are in eluded in the prayer we are now speaking of: which is taken almost verbatim out of the Sacramentary of St. Gregory, but was not inserted in our Liturgy till the reign of queen Elizabeth; when our reformers observing that, by the Liturgies of king Edward, the queen could not be prayed for, but upon those days when either the Litany or Communion-office was to be used, they found it necessary to add a form, to supply the defect of the daily service.
The prayer for the royal family. THERE is as near an alliance between this and the former prayer, as between the persons for whom they are made. And we may observe that the Persian emperor Darius desired the Jewish priests to pray not only for the king, but his sons too; and the Romans prayed for the heirs of the empire, as well as the emperor himself. The primitive Christians prayed also for the imperial family; and the canons of old Councils both at home and abroad enjoin the same. In our own Church indeed there was no mention made of the royal family till the reign of king James I, because after the Reformation no protestant prince had children till he came to the throne. But at his accession, this prayer was immediately added; except that the beginning of it, when it was first inserted, was, Almighty God, which hast promised to be a father of thine elect, and of their seed: but this, I suppose, being thought to savour a little of Calvinism, was altered about the year 1632 or 33, when (Frederic the prince elector palatine, the lady Elizabeth his wife, with their princely issue, being left out) these words were changed into, Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness.
After this follows a prayer for the Church, excellently described by Bishops, Curats, and the people committed to their Charge. By Curates here are not meant Stipendaries, as now it is used to signifie, 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 Bishops Curates. The Bishop with these Curates, a flock or Congregation committed to their charge, make up a Church. For according to our Saviours definition, a Church is a Shepherd, and his Sheep that will hear his voice; to which S. Cyprians description agrees, Ep. 69. Illi sunt Ecclesia plebs Sacerdoti adunata, & pastori suo grex adhaerens.
The Church is a Congregation of Believers united to their Bishop, and a Flock adhering to their Shepherd; whence you ought to know, sayes 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 saies, therefore the Custome of the Church alwayes 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 subtil 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 all thy works, yet thou art believed to be most wonderful in thy works of piety and mercy, Saies S. Augustine, and therefore the Preface is suitable, Almighty God which only workest great marvails, send down upon thy Church, Bishops, Curats, and the Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful spirit of thy grace.
The prayer for the clergy and people. HAVING thus made our supplications for our temporal governors, that under them we may have all those outward blessings which will make our lives comfortable here; we proceed, in the next place, to pray for our spiritual guides, that with them we may receive all those graces and inward blessings which will make our souls happy hereafter. We are members of the Church as well as of the State, and therefore we must pray for the prosperity of both, since they mutually defend and support each other. That we might not want a form therefore suitable and good, this prayer was added in queen Elizabeth's Common Prayer Book, out of the Sacramentary of St. Gregory, in conformity to the practice of the ancient Church, which always had prayers for the clergy and people.
§.2. The meaning of, who alone workest great marvels. And because to gather a Church at first out of infidels, and then to protect it continually from its enemies, is an act of as great power, and a greater miracle of love than to create the world; therefore in the preface of this prayer we may properly address ourselves to God, as to him who alone worketh great marvels: though it is not improbable that those words might be added with a view to the miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost upon the twelve Apostles on the day of Pentecost.
§.3.Curates; who they be. By the word curates in this prayer, are meant all that are intrusted with the cure or care of souls, whether they be the incumbents themselves, who from that cure were anciently called curates; or those whom we now more generally call so, from assisting incumbents in their said cure.
The prayer of St. Chrysostom. WHERE ancient Liturgies afforded proper prayers, the compilers of ours rather chose to retain them than make new ones: and therefore as some are taken from the Western offices, so is this from the Eastern; where it is daily used, with very little difference, in the Liturgies both of St. Basil and St. Chrysostom; the last of which was the undoubted author of it. It is inserted indeed in the middle of their Liturgies; but in ours, I think more properly, at the conclusion. For it is fit, that, in the close of our prayers, we should first reflect on all those great and necessary requests we have made, and then not only renew our desires that God may grant them, but also stir up our hearts to hope he will. To which end we address ourselves in this prayer to the second Person in the glorious Trinity, our blessed Saviour, and remind him of the gracious promise he made to us when on earth, that where two or three are gathered together in his name, he would be there in the midst of them; and therefore if we can but prevail with him to hear our desires and petitions, we know that the power of his intercession with God is so great, that we need not doubt but we shall obtain them. But however, since it may happen that we may have asked some things which he may not think convenient for us; we do not peremptorily desire that he would give us all we have prayed for, but submit our prayers to his heavenly will; and only request that he would fulfil our desires and petitions as may be most expedient for us: begging nothing positively, but what we are sure we cannot be too importunate for, viz. in this world knowledge of his truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. This we may ask peremptorily, without fear of arrogance or presumption; and yet this is all we really stand in need of.
§.2. When first added. Neither this nor the following benedictory prayer is at the end of either the morning or evening service, in any of the old Common Prayer Books; which all of them conclude with the third collect. But the prayer of St. Chrysostom is at the end of the Litany, from the very first book of king Edward; and the benedictory prayer from that of queen Elizabeth; and there also stood the prayers for the king, the royal family, for the clergy and people, till the last review. And I suppose, though not printed, they were always used, as now, at the conclusion of the daily service. For after the third collect, the Scotch Liturgy directs, that they shall follow the prayer for the king's Majesty, with the rest of the prayers at the end of the Litany to the benediction.
We end our Service with a BLESSING, which is to be pronounced by the Bishop, if he be present. See the Rubrick before the Blessing in the Communion-Service. Then the Priest or Bishop, if present, shall let them depart with this Blessing. This is order'd for the honour of the Bishops authority, Heb. 7. 7. Without contradiction the less is blessed of the greater.
Therefore blessing being an act of Authority, the Bishop ought not to be blest by the Priest, but the Priest by the Bishop.
This blessing of the Bishop or Priest was so highly esteem'd in the Primitive times, that none durst go out of the Church till they had received it, according to the Councils of Agatha Can. 31. in the year 472. and Orleans the third, Can. 22.
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 immediately before the time of the Blessing in such words as these, Bow down your selves to the Blessing, Chrys. Liturg. The Jews received it after the same manner, Eccles. c. 50. v. 23. 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 themselves to worship the Lord, that they might receive the Blessing from the Lord the most high. And doubtless did we consider the efficacy and vertue 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 Numb. 6. 22. And the Lord spoke to 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 them. And the same promise of Gods assistance, and ratifying the Priests Blessing, we have in the Gospel, S. Matth. 10. 13. S. Luke 10. 5. 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, and (not if your prayers be fervent, or if they in the house joyn in prayer with you, but) if the Son of peace be there; 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 vertue 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 applyed to that.
2 Cor 13:14. THE whole service being thus finished, the minister closes it with that benedictory prayer of St. Paul, with which he concludes most of his Epistles: a form of blessing which the Holy Spirit seems, by the repeated use of it, to have delivered to the Church to be used instead of that old Jewish form, with which the priest under the law dismissed the congregation. The reason of its being changed was undoubtedly owing to the new revelation made of the three Persons in the Godhead. For otherwise the Jews both worshipped and blessed in the name of the same God as the Christians; only their devotions had respect chiefly to the Unity of the Godhead, whereas ours comprehend also the Trinity of Persons.
§.2. Not a blessing. I must not forget to observe, that the form here used in our daily service is rather a prayer than a blessing; since there is no alteration either of person or posture prescribed to the minister, but he is directed to pronounce it kneeling, and to include himself as well as the people.
Here endeth the Order of Morning Prayer throughout the Year.