The Prayer Book Explained Part 4

THE ORDER FOR MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER, DAILY TO BE SAID AND USED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

_The Morning and Evening Prayer shall be used in the accustomed Place of the Church, Chapel, or Chancel: except it shall be otherwise determined by the Ordinary of the Place. And the Chancels shall remain as they have done in times past._

_And here is to be noted, that such ornaments of the Church, and of the Ministers thereof, at all times of their Ministration, shall be retained, and be in use, as were in this Church of England, by the authority of Parliament, in the second year of the reign of King Edward the Sixth._

The importance of the above heading has been lost sight of, through the manner of its printing. In most Prayer Books it will be found on a page by itself or at the foot of a Table of the Golden Numbers. It is really the heading of a chapter which contains both {26} Morning and Evening Service. Until the last Revision of the Book in 1662, the chapter containing Morning and Evening Prayer was closed after the Athanasian Creed with a Rubric _Thus endeth the Order of Morning and Evening Prayer throughout the whole Year_. Although that Rubric has been omitted, this heading includes both Services in one Chapter.

EVENING PRAYER] This part of the chapter, prior to 1662, was not printed out in full; only the variations from Morning Prayer were set forth.

DAILY TO BE SAID AND USED] See Preface--_And all Priests and Deacons are to say daily the Morning and Evening Prayer, either privately or openly ... the Curate ... shall say the same in the Parish Church or Chapel where he ministereth_.

ornaments of the Church] The Canons of 1604 order a number of things to be provided at the charges of the parish, which may be included under this head, such as Communion Table, Pulpit, Reading-desk, Font, Alms-chest, Alms-basin, Vessels for Holy Communion, Bible, Common Prayer Book, Book of Homilies, Parchment Register Book and Coffer. It would not be easy to make a complete list of things authorised by this Rubric and elsewhere.

and of the Ministers thereof] The discussion of the meaning of the Ornaments of the Ministers belongs chiefly to the Communion Service.

There has been no question that for Morning and Evening Service a Surplice and Hood are ordered to be worn.

the second year of the reign of King Edward the Sixth] The reference is to the {27} statute of the year 1548-9, whereby the first (English) Revision was enabled to be enforced by law. Edward VI.'s reign began on Jan. 29, 1547. This statute pa.s.sed the House of Lords on Jan. 15th, 1548-9, and is referred to in the statute of 1552 as belonging to the second year of King Edward VI., although the session lasted into his third year.

THE ORDER FOR MORNING PRAYER, DAILY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

This fresh heading is necessary because the former included the Order for Evening Service. Morning and Evening Prayer (called also Mattins and Evensong: see Table of Proper Lessons) are two divisions of the same chapter.

These two Services are very much alike. The map on the next page shows their construction.

An examination of this map will show that the plan of the Lord's Prayer is closely followed. There are two parts and an introduction. Of the two parts Praise comes first, as in the Lord's Prayer.

Each of the two parts begins with the Lord's Prayer, which is arranged with a setting so as to mark the character of what follows.

Every piece of the Praise portion is set with a Praise-Termination, or Doxology: and this portion includes both kinds of Praise, viz.

Outspoken Praise, and Reverent Hearing of G.o.d's Word. In like manner the Prayer portion includes the two kinds of Prayer, viz. Pet.i.tion for the wants of men, and Thanksgiving for what they have received.

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Thus these two Services are formed in obedience to the rule that we are to take the Lord's Prayer as our model (S. Matth. vi. 9).

INTRODUCTION.

TEXT and SERMON on Confession.

The act of CONFESSION.

G.o.d'S ANSWER to Confession.

PRAISE.

_Praise-terminations_ THE LORD'S PRAYER ... ... Thine is the kingdom.

( 1. Interjected Verses ) PSALMS ( 2. xcv. (at Mattins) ) Gloria Patri.

( 3. Special, i.--cl. (as ) ( appointed) )

LESSONS ( 1. Old Testament ... Canticle 1 or 2, ( 2. New Testament ... Canticle 3 or 4.

THE APOSTLES' CREED ... ... Amen.

PRAYER.

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

PRECES or Interjected Verses antic.i.p.ating the Collects.

( 1. for spiritual needs, COLLECTS ( ANTHEM or Choral Prayer uniting the ( two kinds of Collect, ( 2. for physical needs and earthly relations.

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In 1552 the Introductory portion was prefixed. _Confession_, which formerly occurred in the Prayers, had been omitted in 1549. It now forms the Introduction.

The reason for this beginning is set forth in a short sermon which is usually known as the _Exhortation_, and has, like other sermons, a Text, commonly known as a _Sentence_ (see Rubric at the head of the Sentences). This is in accordance with very ancient custom[1], and with the very natural sense that man must receive permission before he approaches G.o.d.

G.o.d's answer to Confession is The _Absolution_ or _Remission_ of Sins.

As an ill.u.s.tration of this we may think of Esther, when she went to make her pet.i.tion of the King (Esther iv. 2, v. 1-3). The King extending his sceptre gave her permission to speak.

The Sentences

are 11 verses, chosen, 5 from the Psalms, 4 from the Prophets, 2 from the Gospels, 1 from the Epistles. They represent either man's cry to G.o.d (Nos. 2, 3, 7, 9, 10) or G.o.d's call to man (Nos. 1, 4, 5, 8, 11) or both (No. 6).

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The Exhortation.

_The Scripture moveth us_] The Sentences supply 11 such places, but there are many more to be found in the Bible. The word "moveth" has the same meaning as when a resolution is moved at a meeting.

_When we a.s.semble and meet together_ in Church] Four reasons are given, viz. the four great occupations of Wors.h.i.+p, without regard to their order in the Service. We have already pointed out that _Thanksgiving_ and _Prayer_ spring from the sense of man's wants and his dependence on G.o.d; and that the _Reading of G.o.d's Word_ in these Services is not for study but for _Praise_. We shall therefore find the Thanksgiving after the Prayers, and the Lessons (or Lections) of Holy Scripture amongst the Praises.

The Confession.

The capital letters indicate that this was to be, as it were, dictated to the people, sentence by sentence: and the Rubric implies the same.

It will be remembered that books were scarce when this Rubric was prepared. Literal obedience to it is often very impressive, and a real addition to the solemnity of the act. On ordinary occasions in some Churches, the Minister leads the Confession without the formal separation of each clause from the next.

The expressions, used here to acknowledge the wickedness of sin and the defects of human life, will seem to be excessive whenever we are making light of {31} our faults. But in proportion as we realise the perfection of G.o.d's holiness, we shall find them suitable to every shade of defect and sin.

The comprehensive humility of this Confession is designed to include both modified faults and grave offences--whether by commission, omission or indolence. The full acknowledgment of the different forms of sin is followed by prayer for mercy and recovery, relying upon the promises declared in Jesus Christ.