shall be done by all persons present as it has been accustomed, testifying, that the Lord Jesus Christ, the true eternal Son of God, is the only Saviour of the World.

There is no sufficient authority for supposing, this Creed to have been really drawn up by the Apostles; though it is evident, from the best testimonies, that the greater part of it was derived from the very days of the Apostles; but the latter part, concerning 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 had sprung up in the Church.

OF THE ATHANASIAN CREED.

This is said, in the Rubric, to be commonly called the Creed of St. Athanasius; whoever was the author, it has been received in the Greek and Latin Church for more than a thousand years.

If any person should scruple at the denying of Salvation to those, who do not believe these Articles, they should consider, whether such as hold any of the fundamental errors, that are incompatible with the Articles of this Creed, are not condemned in Scripture. From a persuasion that such unbelievers were so condemned, it was a Primitive custom, after a confession of the Orthodox faith, to pass an Anathema against all who denied it. It should also be considered, that, however agreeable to reason every verse of this Creed may be, yet we are not required, by the words of the Creed, to believe the whole on pain of damnation. For all that is required of us, as necessary to Salvation, is, that before all things we hold the Catholic faith; and the Catholic faith is, by the third and fourth verses, explained to be this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance. This is all that is required to be believed; what is brought in proof, or illustration of this, which makes the greater part of this famous composition, requires no more our assent than a Sermon does, which is made to prove, or illustrate a text. Such is

the character of this Creed, as far as the 26th verse; what is from the 27th verse to the end, relates to the Incarnation of our Lord, which is expressed in such plain terms, that no one need scruple about it.

This Creed is appointed to be read on such Holy-days, and

Saints' days, as makes the repetition to come round once in every Month.

OF THE VERSICLES BEFORE THE LORD'S PRAYER.

After our consciences are absolved from Sin, our affections warmed with Thanksgiving, our understandings enlightened by the Word, and our Faith strengthened by a public profession of our Creed, we may now enter solemnly upon the remaining part of Divine Worship; that is, Supplication and Prayer, to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Not being able to do this without God's assistance, the Minister begins by blessing the Congregation, the Lord be with you; and because he is their representative and mouth, the Congregation return the salutation, and with thy Spirit; both which sentences are taken out of Scripture, Ruth, ii. 4. 2 Thess. iii. 16. 2 Tim. iv. 22. Gal. vi. 18. They were, very early, used in the Church Service; and they always denoted, as here, a transition from one part of the Service to another.

The Minister then calls upon us in these words: let us pray, a form that was often repeated in all the old Liturgies,f warning us to lay aside all wanderings, to accompany the Minister with our thoughts and affections, and to sign them all at last with an hearty Amen. But before we address ourselves to God, we cry out, like the unclean lepers, Luke xvii. 13. Lord have mercy upon us, an expression originally taken from the Psalms, Psalm, vi. 2, to which is now added, by the Christian Church, Christ have mercy upon us. The Minister repeats Lord have mercy upon us; and thus closes this short Litany, and Supplication, without any response from the People.

OF THE LORD'S PRAYER.

It may here be observed, that the Church has such reverence for the Lord's Prayer, that it usually has some prefatory sentences to introduce it, and some others to follow it, as in this place. The Lord's Prayer is here to be repeated by the Minister and the People.

§ Εκλενῶς δεηθῶμεν, and ἐκλενέστερον δεηθῶμεν, were the phrases in the Greek Liturgies.

Before the Minister begins to pray alone, for the People, they are to join with him in some short Versicles and Responses, which are taken chiefly out of the Psalms; and which contain the sum of all the Collects and Prayers, that he is afterwards to repeat alone.

Thus, O Lord shew thy mercy, &c. Psalm lxxxv. 7, answers to the Sunday Collect, which generally contains petitions for Mercy and Salvation. The second, O Lord save the King, Psalm xx. 9, answers to the Prayers for the King and Royal Family. The third, Endue thy Ministers with, &c. Psalm cxxxii. 9, and the fourth, O Lord save thy people, &c. Psalm xxviii. 10, answer to the Collect for the Clergy and People. The fifth, Give peace in, &c. 1 Chron. xxii. 9, answers to the daily Collect for Peace. And the last, O God, make clean, &c. Psalm, li. 10, 11. answers to the daily Collect for Grace.

The Minister is to repeat his portion of this part of the Service, standing up. Even in the Romish Service, the Priest repeated short Versicles, like these, standing, and turned towards the People, although it was the practice for him to repeat long Prayers, kneeling before the Altar, and speaking softly by himself.

OF THE COLLECTS AND PRAYERS IN GENERAL.

It may be observed of the Collects, and Prayers which follow, that they are, in effect, only one continued Prayer, but broken into short ones, because it has been seen how difficult it is, to keep our minds long intent upon any thing. That so important a matter, as the object and subject of these Prayers, should have their due attention, it was thought better, to divide so long an address into short Forms, in imitation of the brief but comprehensive address, given to us by our Lord. Another reason assigned for breaking such a long address into short Prayers is, that every one of these short Prayers, beginning with some of the attributes, or perfections of God, our minds, by this repetition, are more strongly impressed, and more constantly fixed on that, which should properly possess them at such a time. The like may be said of the conclusion of each prayer, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

which thus becomes more frequently repeated; and we thereby more frequently bring ourselves within the benefit of that promise made us by Christ, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you, John xvi. 23.

These Prayers are called Collects, as some think, because here the Minister collects into short Forms, the petitions of the People, which were before, as we have just seen, divided between him and them, by Versicles and Responses. The same reason may be given, in regard to the Collect for the day, which always contains such matters as may be collected from the Epistle and Gospel, for the day.

OF THE THREE COLLECTS AT MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER.

The first is the Collect of the Day, the same that is used at the Communion, on which part of the Service, more will be said, when we come to the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, appointed throughout the year.

The second is the Collect FOR PEACE; O God who art the author of peace, &c. this Collect, as well the one in the Morning, as in the Evening Service, is word for word, translated out of the Sacramentary of St. Gregory. In that for the Morning Service, we pray for outward Peace, and desire to be preserved from the injuries, affronts, and wicked designs of men, to which we are exposed during the day. In that for the Evening, we ask for inward Tranquillity, requesting that peace which the world cannot give, as springing only from the testimony of a good conscience.

The third Collect, as well that for the Morning as the Evening, is framed from the Greek Euchologion; that in the Morning, FOR GRACE, O Lord our heavenly Father, &c. 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. The other, in the Evening, FOR AID AGAINST ALL PERILS, Lighten our darkness, &c. is full as seasonable before the approach of night. We commend ourselves to the hand of God, who neither slumbers nor sleeps, with whom darkness and light are both alike.

OF THE ANTHEM.

After these three Collects, both at Morning and Evening Prayer, the Rubric orders, that in Choirs, and places where they sing, here followeth the Anthem.

The Anthem is ordered, in this particular place, partly perhaps for the relief of the Congregation, who, if they have joined with due fervour in the foregoing parts of the office, may need such interval; partly, to make a division in the Service; for, the former part of it having been performed in behalf of ourselves, that which now follows, is mostly intercessional, in behalf of the King, the Church, and all conditions of men.

In Parish Churches, it would be more conformable with the Rubric, to sing a Psalm in this place, than after the second Lesson, as they now usually do, where there is a proper Hymn already provided, in the Common Prayer Book. It may be remarked in this place, that Psalms in metre are no part of the Common Prayer Book, and therefore they are not inserted in this edition. The Old Version, by Sternhold and Hopkins, and the New one, by Tate and Brady, are preferred, according to the tastes of different Congregations; the former stands, I believe, upon no authority at all; the latter, upon none other than an order of Council, of Dec. 3, 1696, whereby his Majesty permitted them to be used in "all such Churches, Chapels, and Congregations, as shall "think fit to receive the same?'

OF THE PRAYER FOR THE KING. O Lord, our heavenly Father, &c.

We have hitherto been praying for ourselves; but, since it is enjoined by St. Paul, That supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for Kings, and for all that are in authority, 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2. we proceed now, in compliance with that exhortation, to pray for the whole Church; and, in the first place, for the King, whom under Christ, we acknowledge to be the Supreme Head of that part of it, to which we belong.

8 Hymns sung in parts, or in course, were called by the Greeks Alipava, Antiphons, or Anthems.