OF THE ORDER FOR MORNING PRAYER. THE Introduction, consisting of the Sentences, Exhortation, Confession, and Absolution, was prefixed in 1552. To commence with Scripture was in accordance with the mind of the Reformers, who were wont to base the whole of their worship and doctrine on Holy Writ. It had been customary in Compline and, according to the Sarum Use, also in week-day Lauds, to begin with a versicle and response. At Compline this verse was 'Converte nos Deus salutaris noster.' Res. 'Et averte iram tuam a nobis.' In Lauds, 'Fiat misericordia tua Domine super nos.' Res. Quemadmodum speravimus in te.' The verses from the Old Testament here selected are taken from the old Lenten Capitula and from the penitential Psalms daily read during Lent. The verse from Daniel is an exception. This and the New Testament verses were additional selections made by the Reformers. The first sentence originally ran, At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sin from the bottom of his heart, I will put all his wickedness out of my remembrance, saith the Lord.' Ver. 27 was substituted for this in 1662. The principle of thus exhorting worshippers is recognized in the address prescribed by the Liturgies of Gaul and Spain to Communicants after the dismissal of Catechumens. In the Spanish or Mosarabic office for Matin Lauds an address from the priest to the people, exhorting them to seek from God those things which are necessary to salvation, is prescribed. The Service Book of the French Reformed congregation was translated into Latin by its superintendent Pollanus and published in Feb. 1552. It contained at the beginning a short exhortation, a form of confession, and a direction that the Pastor should recite some sentence declaratory of forgiveness. The choir sang the rst table of the decalogue before, the 2nd table after this commencement. There is in foreign Service Books nothing which can fairly be regarded as the model of our Confession. The Confession and Absolution in the old service-books differed much from our form. The priest confessed to God, the Virgin, the Saints, and the people; and asked the prayers of the Virgin, the Saints, and the people. The people answered, 'Misereatur;' then made a similar confession to the priest. He replied, 'Misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus: et dimittat vobis omnia peccata vestra: liberet vos ab omni malo; conservet et confirmet in bono: et ad vitam perducat æternam. Amen. Absolutionem et remissionem omnium peccatorum vestrorum, spatium veræ pœnitentiæ, emendationem vitæ, gratiam et consolationem Sancti Spiritus tribuat vobis omnipotens et misericors Dominus. Amen.' Before the concluding Litany of the Greek Nocturns occurs the following prayer by the priest; 'Release, remit, forgive, O God, our offences, voluntary and involuntary, in deed or word, of wilfulness or ignorance, by night or by day, sins of thought and purpose; forgive them all of thy goodness and lovingkindness.' In the Services of a monastery, before the concluding Litany at the late evening service, the priest speaks to the choir on his right and on his left, 'O, holy Fathers, forgive me, a sinner.' They reply, May God forgive thee, O holy Father.' Then an interchange of asking and receiving pardon takes place among the choristers. At the end of the Litany the priest pronounces pardon to the monks; and the service concludes with a continuation of the Litany, said privately. In 1552 the Confession is directed to be said of the whole congregation, after the minister, kneeling. The Absolution is to be pronounced by the minister alone. In 1604 the phrase 'Remission of Sins,' explanatory of absolution, was introduced. In the Scotch Prayer-book, 1637, this General Confession is to be 'said by all that are present after or with the deacon or presbyter, all humbly kneeling.' The Absolution, or Remission of Sins, is to 'be pronounced by the presbyter alone, he standing up and turning himself to the people, but they still remaining humbly upon their knees.' Hence our present Rubric appears to have a twofold object: 1st, to make a distinction between the Confession and the Absolution; 2ndly, to withhold the pronunciation of the Absolution from deacons. Basil thus describes the commencement of worship in his day, A.D. 370: 'Very early in the morning, even while it is still night, our people resort to the house of prayer, where they confess unto God their sins with groans and sorrow and tears of anguish; and, lastly, rise from their prayers and betake themselves to psalmody." MORNING PRAYER, DAILY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 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. THEN the wicked man turneth away committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Ezek. xviii. 27. I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Psalm li. 3. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Psalm li. 9. gether to render thanks for the great hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart, and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me; The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm li. 17. Rend your heart, and not your gar-A general Confession to be said of the whole ments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Joel ii. 13. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him: neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws which he set before us. Daniel ix. 9, 10. O Lord, correct me, but with judgement; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. Jer. x. 24. Psalm vi. 1. Repent ye; for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. St. Matth. iii. 2. I will arise, and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. St. Luke xv. 18, 19. Enter not into judgement with thy servant, O Lord; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Psalm cxliii. 2. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us: but, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 St. John i. 8, 9. EARLY beloved brethren, the ScripDtare moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet to Congregation after the Minister, all kneeling. ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind, in Christ Jesu our Lord. And grant, O'most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen. The Absolution, or Remission of sins, to be pronounced by the Priest alone, standing; the people still kneeling. AL Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness, and live; and hath given power, and commandment, to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce lution and Remission of their sins: He to his people, being penitent, the Absopardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his him to grant us true repentance, and his holy Gospel. Wherefore let us beseech Holy Spirit, that those things may please him, which we do at this present; and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure, and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. LMIGHTY God, the Father of our The people shall answer here, and at the end of all other Prayers, Amen. In the earliest forms of Christian worship the Lord's Prayer, as being the Prayer of the Faithful, was not used until after the dismissal of Catechumens. It first appears at the beginning of the Hours in the Cistercian Consuetudinary, 13th century. It was considered preliminary to the service, and was repeated in an undertone by the Priest alone, who raised his voice at the clause, 'Ne nos inducas, &c.,' to which the people responded 'Sed libera nos a malo.'' In 1549 the Priest alone said the Lord's Prayer at the beginning of Morning and Evening Service, and of the Communion Service; in other parts the people answered with the last clause; in 1552 the people said the whole with him in place of this response except at the commencement of the several services: in 1662 the people were directed always to repeat it with the minister. This joint repetition is the custom with the Greeks, who also use the Doxology; this was added here in 1662. The Lord's Prayer, as here given, is taken from the rendering in the King's Book, 1543. The petition, 'Lead us not, &c.,' was there, 'Let us not be led, &c.' The latter form is the more correct; it had already been used in the Bishops' Book, 1537. The Lord's Prayer at the commencement of the Primer of 1545 agrees with the form in the King's Book. These Versicles and the Doxology have been used from the 6th century at least as a commencement of Nocturns in the West. They are taken from Pss. li. 15 and lxx. 1. Ps. li. 15 occurs in the early part of the Greek Morning Office. 'O God, make speed, &c.' and the answer occur at the commencement of all the Hours. The use of the Doxology is also common at the commencement of the Greek offices. Our Service follows the Sarum Brev. here, and in the next versicle. The Response to this versicle was added in 1662; it had been appointed in the Scotch Prayer-book, 1637. In 1549, Praise ye the Lord' was followed by Hallelujah' from Easter to Trinity Sunday. The 95th Psalm has been used from the very earliest period at the commencement of daily service. Thus Athanasius writes of the Constantinopolitan office, "Before the beginning of their Prayers, the Christians invite and exhort one another in the words of this (95th) Psalm." In the West the whole Psalm has usually been repeated, in the East an Invitatory to public worship based on the 1st, 3rd, and 6th verses of it. Before 1549 short Invitatories, texts or versicles inciting to praise, were commonly inserted between the various verses; in 1549 the Psalm was directed to be said or sung without any Invitatory. Psalmody formed an important part of the Jewish temple worship; the singing was alternate or by way of response. The Christians naturally adopted this element: with them too the recitation was antiphonal or responsory. The appointment of the Psalter was extremely various. In Egypt the number of Psalms recited was, after much diversity, fixed to 12. In Spain three Psalms were sung in the nocturnal office. In our mediæval services 12 Psalms were sung at Nocturns. The Psalms were fixed for each service through the week. Special Psalms were appointed for special occasions. The monthly course, which we observe, is peculiar to ourselves; it was adopted in 1549; the rubric is of the same date. The iteration of the first, last or other characteristic verse of the Psalms, under the title antiphon, was discontinued. The Council of Laodicea, c. 360, prescribed that Psalms and Lessons should be alternate. The same Council also required that Scripture alone should be read. The earliest trace of the observance of these directions is in the ritual of the church of Lyons derived from Ephesus, where we find, A.D. 499, Psalms, then a Lesson from Moses, then Psalms again, then a Lesson from the Prophets, then Psalms once more, then a Gospel, and later in the Service an Epistle. The appointment of Scripture Lessons does not seem, however, to have been general in the East; they do not appear in the Oriental Morning Service. Canticles, succeeded by Odes, three or nine, divided into three groups, supply a correspondence with the Lection system of the West. Festivals were classed as Feasts of three or nine Lections. From the Odes of the East the short Lections of the West were, according to Freeman, derived. The Lections were followed by responses: the Te Deum was the ordinary response to the 9th Lection, or to the 3rd, if there were only three, on Festivals. The Lections appointed in the Breviaries were extremely short, and were moreover broken into fragments by antiphons and responsories. A prayer for forgiveness, a request from the people to the priest to bless, and a consequent blessing, usually preceded the Lection. A fixed capitulum, or short chapter, followed the fixed Psalms of Lauds. In 1549 and till 1662 the direction for the Lessons was, "Then shall be read two lessons distinctly with a loud voice, that the people may hear, &c. And, 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 Gospel.' 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. OR Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen. Then likewise he shall say, O Lord, open thou our lips. Answer. And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise. Priest. O God, make speed to save us. Answer. O Lord, make haste to help us. Here all standing up, the Priest shall say Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; Answer. As it was in the beginning, is Then shall follow the Psalms in order as they are 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, Son: and to the Holy Ghost; now, and ever shall be: world without Answer. As it was in the beginning, is end. Amen. 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. And after that, shall be said or sung, in English, the Hymn called Te Deum Laudamus, daily throughout the Year. 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. Te Deum Laudamus. now, and ever shall be: world without WE praise thee, O God; we acknow end. Amen. Priest. Praise ye the Lord. Answer. The Lord's Name be praised. 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. Venite, exultemus Domino. Psalm xcv. COME, let us sing unto the Lord : let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving: and shew ourselves glad in him with Psalms. For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods. In his hand are all the corners of the earth and the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it and his hands prepared the dry land. and we O come, let us worship, and fall down: and kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is the Lord our God are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness; When your fathers tempted me : proved me, and saw my works. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said: It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways. Unto whom I sware in my wrath: that they should not enter into my rest. 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. ledge thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship thee the Father everlasting. To thee all Angels cry aloud Heavens, and all the Powers therein. To thee Cherubin, and Seraphin tinually do cry, Holy, Holy, Holy baoth; the con Lord God of Sa Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory. The glorious company of the Apostles : praise thee. The goodly fellowship of the Prophets : praise thee. The noble army of Martyrs thee. praise The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee; The Father: of an infinite Majesty: Thine honourable, true: and only Son; Also the Holy Ghost the Comforter. Thou art the King of Glory: O Christ. Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. When thou tookest upon thee to deliver inan: thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb. When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers. Thou sittest at the right hand of God: in the Glory of the Father. We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge. We therefore pray thee, help thy servants: whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood. Make them to be numbered with thy Saints: in glory everlasting. O Lord, save thy people and bless thine heritage. Govern them: and lift them up for ever. Day by day we magnify thee; And we worship thy Name : ever world without end. The appointment of our First and Second Lesson bears so close a resemblance to the First Lesson from the Law and the Second from the Prophets in the Synagogue Service, that we cannot avoid supposing the idea of our system derived from the Jews. See p. 69. The Psalm, 'Te Deum,' as it was called in the old English Offices, received the name, 'the Song of Ambrose and Augustine,' from the tradition that it was composed and sung by the two alternately at the baptism of Augustine by Ambrose. The actual author is uncertain. It has been ascribed to Ambrose and Augustine, to Ambrose alone, to Hilary of Poitiers, c. 350. The first extant allusion to its existence is found in the Rule of Cæsarius, Bishop of Arles, who lived in the 5th century, and in that of his successor Aurelian. In the opinion of Palmer it is a composition of the Gallican Church, perhaps by a monk of Lerins, or possibly by Hilary of Arles, A.D. 440. In the Rule of Cæsarius it is ordered to be sung every Sunday at Matins. In the Sarum Breviary it was appointed ordinarily at Matins on Sundays and Festivals, except in Advent and from Septuagesima to Easter, and also in the week of Pentecost. In 1549 it was to be used throughout the year, except in Lent, when Benedicite was substituted. In 1552 this exception was removed, and 'Te Deum,' or 'Benedicite,' might be used, at the discretion of the minister, throughout the year. The Canticle, Benedicite,' is taken from the Greek addition to the 3rd chapter of Daniel, vers. 34-67. It was formerly sung on Sundays and Festivals at Lauds, with the Psalms, at the commencement of the Office. At this point the parallelism with the old office of Lauds commences. In the Scotch Prayer-book the 23rd Psalm is substituted for 'Benedicite.' According to the rule of the Egyptian Church in the eth century, two Lessons, one from the Öld, the other from the New Testament, were read in their nocturnal or matutinal assembly: on Sundays both Lessons were taken from the New Testament. 'Benedictus' has followed the Lesson at Lauds at least since A. D. 820, when it is mentioned by Amalarius In 1549 'Benedictus' alone was appointed. In isse the alternative of Jubilate' was given, to avoid the repetition which might be caused by the occurrence of 'Benedictus in the Lesson or Gospel of the day. In the Greek Morning Office Mag nificat and Benedictus' constitute theoth Ode, Jubilate was formerly one of the Psalms used at lauds on Sundays and Festivals, but preceded the Lesson. ་ In the Ambrosian Lauds 'Benedictus' was said at the commencement, immediately after the introductory versicles. It was customary for the Priest, in commencing the Prayers of Prime and Compline, to recite the Apostles' Creed inaudibly until he came to the clause 'Carnis resurrectionem,' which he pronounced aloud. The choir responded, 'Et vitam æternam.' The Creed publicly recited in the Matin offices was the Athanasian. This was sung in the English Office daily at Prime; in the Roman Office it was used on Sundays only. See the Athanasian Creed (p. 73). The Apostles' Creed is first found in Ruffinus of Aquileia, A.D. 399. The tradition that it was composed by the Apostles cannot be maintained. Its author is uncertain; but it is probably of very primitive date. It was the Creed of the Roman and other Italian Churches. It has followed the Lord's Prayer among the Prayers of Prime, at least since A.D. 820. The Jews were wont to turn their faces in the direction of Jerusalem, looking towards the mercy seat in the temple. Cf. 2 Chron. vi. 39. Hence Christians received the custom of adopting one particular aspect in prayer. Several reasons have been alleged for the choice of the East. I. A comparison was instituted between the rising of the material sun and Christ the Sun of Righteousness. It is striking to observe the number of times in which light is used as the figure to express the Gospel revelation. 2. The East was the place of Paradise, whence Adam and Eve fell, and whereunto we hope to be restored in Christ. 3. The East, as the source of light, is the more honourable part of creation. 4. Christ appeared in the East, thence ascended to heaven, and thence will appear again at the last day. We may probably assign the continuance of a custom, already found in exist ence among the Jews, to a combination of the 1st and 4th reasons. In Baptism the Catechumen turned his face towards the West, as he renounced the devil and his works; towards the East, as he made his profession of faith. In 1549 the Salutation of Minister and People occurred, as in the Old Service Books, at the end of the Versicles and before the Collects; to it was subjoined 'Let us pray.' In 1552 the present position was adopted. The Greek form of salutation, primitive, if not apostolic, was, 'Peace be to all.' Ans. And with thy spirit.' 1st. It was used by the Bishop on entering the church. So writes Chrysostom, who calls the practice apostolical. endly. The Reader began the Lessons with it. By the 3rd Council of Carthage |