CONCERNING THE SERVICE OF THE CHURCH. 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. And whereas heretofore there hath been great diversity in saying and singing in Churches within this Realm; some following Salisbury Use, some Hereford Use, and some the Use of Bangor, some of York, some of Lincoln; now from henceforth all the whole Realm shall have but one Use. And forasmuch as nothing can be so plainly set forth, but doubts may arise in the use and practice of the same; to appease THOUGH it be appointed, That all things shall be read and sung in the Church in the English Tongue, to the end that the congregation may be thereby edified; yet it is not meant, but that when men say Morning and Evening Prayer privately, they may say the same in any language that they themselves do understand. And all Priests and Deacons are to say daily the Morning and Evening Prayer either privately or openly, not being let by sickness, or some other urgent cause. And the Curate that ministereth in every Parish-Church or Chapel, being at home, and not being otherwise reasonably hindered, shall say the same in the Parish-Church or Chapel where he ministereth, and shall cause a Bell to be tolled thereunto a convenient time before he begin, that the people may come to hear God's Word, and to pray with him. OF CEREMONIES, WHY SOME BE ABOLISHED, AND SOME RETAINED. OF such Ceremonies as be used in the Church, and have had their beginning by the institution of man, some at the first were of godly intent and purpose devised, and yet at length turned to vanity and superstition: some entered into the Church by undiscreet devotion, and such a zeal as was without knowledge; and for because they were winked at in the beginning, they grew daily to more and more abuses, which not only for their unprofitableness, but also because they have much blinded, the people, and obscured the glory of God, are worthy to be cut away, and clean rejected: other there be, which although they have been devised by man, yet it is thought good to reserve them still, as well for a decent order in the Church, (for the which they were first devised) as because they pertain to edification, whereunto all things done in the Church (as the Apostle teacheth) ought❘ to be referred. And although the keeping or omitting And whereas in this our time, the minds not so much to have respect how to please and satisfy either of these parties, as how to please God, and profit them both. And yet lest any man should be offended, whom good reason might satisfy, here be certain causes rendered, why some of the accustomed Ceremonies be put away, and some retained and kept still. Some are put away, because the great excess and multitude of them hath so increased in these latter days, that the burden of them was intolerable; whereof Saint Augustine in his time complained, that they were grown to such a number, that the estate of Christian people was in worse case concerning that matter, than were the Jews. And he counselled that such yoke and burden should be taken away, as time would serve quietly to do it. But what would Saint Augustine have said, if he had seen the Ceremonies of late days used among us; whereunto the multitude used in his time was not to be compared? This our excessive multitude of Ceremonies was so great, and many of them so dark, that they did more confound and darken, than declare and set forth Christ's benefits unto us. And besides this, Christ's Gospel is not a Ceremonial Law, (as much of Moses' Law was) but it is a Religion to serve God, not in bondage of the figure or shadow, but in the freedom of the Spirit; being content only with those Ceremonies which do serve to a decent Order and godly Discipline, and such as be apt to stir up the dull mind of man to the remembrance of his duty to God, by some notable and special signification, whereby he might be edified. Furthermore, the most weighty cause of the abolishment of certain Ceremonies was, That they were so far abused, partly by the superstitious blindness of the rude and unlearned, and partly by the unsatiable avarice of such as sought more their own lucre, than the glory of God, that the abuses could not well be taken away, the thing remaining still. But now as concerning those persons, which peradventure will be offended, for that some of the old Ceremonies are retained still: If they consider that without some Ceremonies it is not possible to keep any Order, or quiet Discipline in the Church, they shall easily perceive just cause to reform their judgments. And if they think much, that any of the old do remain, and would rather have all devised anew: then such men granting some Ceremonies convenient to be had, surely where the old may be well used, there they cannot reasonably reprove the old only for their age, without bewraying of their own folly. For in such a case they ought rather to have reverence unto them for their antiquity, if they will declare themselves to be more studious of unity and concord, than of innovations and new-fangleness, which (as much as may be with true setting forth of Christ's Religion) is always to be eschewed. Furthermore, such shall have no just cause with the Ceremonies reserved to be offended. For as those be, taken away which were most abused, and did burden men's consciences without any cause; so the other that remain, are retained for a discipline and order, which (upon just causes) may be altered and changed, and therefore are not to be esteemed equal with God's Law. And moreover, they be neither dark nor dumb Ceremonies, but are so set forth, that every man may understand what they do mean, and to what use they do serve. So that it is not like that they in time to come should be abused as other have been. And in these our doings we condemn no other Nations, nor prescribe any thing but to our own people only: For we think it convenient, that every Country should use such Ceremonies as they shall think best to the setting forth of God's honour and glory, and to the reducing of the people to a most perfect and godly living, without error or superstition; and that they should put away other things, which from time to time they perceive to be most abused, as in men's ordinances it often chanceth diversly in divers countries. 1. The Stian Church has always appointed the Poultets be read oftener than, any other part of the Bible. Som Chrysostom Stom: 6th __ Fur Church notes them obe Fry recited standing because some parts being directed to God, it wo be improper to sit, and some being pions reflections w? or historical, it w. be improper be improper to knee. In the Greek Church where twelve Psalms were recited the people stood up only at the last. We can trace the origin of alternate repetition to the clon y the 1th cent: (Lee Pling's letter to Teajan) and cor: responds with what is related of Moses & Miriam : also with the custom of the Jewish Church : Wh was probably followed byour Lord at the last supper. The Pralind are pointed as they not read? are to be sung or Chaunter The Eastern Church always selected for for the con: :cluding Isalon me wh had the title allelujah prefixed: and was called Autifitiona. 2. The custom of readin portions of Scripture is not only com : : firmed by the practice of the primitive Church, but by that of the Jews also. The Jews for anciently read the Pentateuch only, but when that was forbidden by butiochus the Great, thy introduced thone portions of the Prophets whe most re: : Sembled the portions wh&d have been read, and have since continued both . _ The portions of the Pentateuch were on account of the intercalar year) distinguished by the letter mital of er: Whence probably our old mark of a paragraph or black & reversed.. 54 TTT When the services of a saint's day & Sunday clark, the "That is, when no Holiday tits vifil interfere, when the weekly. Event to the THE ORDER HOW THE PSALTER IS APPOINTED THE Psalter shall be read through once every Month, as it is there appointed, both for Morning and Evening Prayer. But in February it shall be read only to the twentyeighth or twenty-ninth day of the Month. And, whereas January, March, May, July, August, October, and December have one-and-thirty days apiece; It is ordered, that the same Psalms shall 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. And, whereas the 119th Psalm is divided into twenty-two portions, and is over long to be read at one time; It is so ordered, that at one time shall not be read above four or five of the said portions. At the end of every Psalm, and of every such part of the 119th Psalm, shall be repeated this Hymn, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen. Note, 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 Edward the Sixth. THE ORDER HOW THE REST OF HOLY SCRIPTURE THE Old Testament is appointed for the First Lessons at Morning and Evening Prayer; so as the most part thereof will be read every year once, as in the Calendar is appointed. The New Testament is appointed for the Second Lessons at Morning and Evening Prayer, and shall be read over orderly every year thrice, besides the Epistles and Gospels; except the Apocalypse, out of which there are only certain Proper Lessons appointed upon divers Feasts. And to know what Lessons shall be read every day, look for the day of the Month in the Calendar following, and there ye shall find the Chapters that shall be read for the Lessons both at Morning and Evening Prayer; except only the Moveable Feasts, which are not in the Calendar, and the Immoveable, where there is a blank left in the Column of Lessons, the Proper Lessons for all which days are to be found in the Table of Proper Lessons. And Note, That whensoever Proper Psalms or Lessons are appointed; then the Psalms and Lessons of ordinary course appointed in the Psalter and Calendar (if they be different) shall be omitted for that time. Note also, That the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, appointed for the Sunday shall serve all the week after, where it is not in this Book otherwise ordered. 2. 3. b |