whole, nothing could be more judicious than the conduct of those entrusted with this delicate commission; for although the first service-book contained some concessions to Romish prejudices, afterwards properly denied, yet these were sanctioned by early usage among Christians, and it justly seemed expedient to deal cautiously with popular prepossessions. The candour and discretion of the liturgical committee were fully equalled by the literary execution of its task. The translations produced are among the happiest extant.

The morning service was still denominated matins, and began with the Lord's prayer. After this came the responses, which yet follow it in the Liturgy". Allelujah was then to be sung from Easter to Whit-Sunday. Then came, as it does still, the ninety-fifth Psalm", then the

and Roman differed, our Church hath not followed the Roman, but the other." Ibid. 237.

"Taken from Ps. li. 15; xl. 13; together with the Doxology, which is founded on 1 St. John, v. 7, and which appears to have been used by Christians in the year 190. (Comber. 71.) This responsive mode of devotion is of such antiquity, that Eusebius infers the Christianity of the Essenes, from the fact of their singing alternately. (Ibid. 69.)

• "The fifty days between Easter and Whitsunday 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 allelujah on these days." L'Estrange, 77.

This Psalm, which appears to have been composed for the public service of ancient Judaism, and which is expressly re

q

Psalms as now used, and this identity continued to the end of the collects, which concluded the service. It should, however, be noticed, that after the second lesson, the hymn of Zachary alone was appointed. For the great festivals of Easter and Christmas there are two collects, epistles, and gospels. A holiday is appointed to be kept in commemoration of St. Mary Magdalen, and there are some variations from the present order in several of the epistles and gospels. The Communion-service is begun by an Introite, or Psalm, to be sung by the choir while the priest is proceeding to the Lord's table. A different Psalm for this purpose is appropriated to every Sunday and festival. The collect for the day is appointed to be read before that for the King, and this is to be followed by the epistle and gospel. Before the latter is begun, the sentence usually repeated still at that time, though now without authority, is assigned to the people'. The gospel being concluded, the priest is directed to repeat the first five words of the Nicene creed; the clerks are to sing the rest. The sermon, or homily, is

ferred to the Christian Church, in the New Testament, (Heb. iii. 7.) is introduced into some of the earliest liturgies extant. The sixth verse of it is called the Invitatory, among Romanists, and is used several times in their service. Shepherd, I. 111.

a St. Luke i. 67.

"The custom of saying, Glory be to thee, O Lord, when the minister was about to read the holy Gospel, and of singing Hallelujah, or saying, Thanks be to God for his Holy Gospel, when he had concluded it, is as old as St. Chrysostom: but we have no authority for it in our present Liturgy." Wheatley, 271.

to follow; then the exhortations, sentences, versicles, and prefaces, nearly in the words which stand at present. These are succeeded by a long prayer, answering to the canon of the mass, and chiefly composed of the prayer for "the whole state of Christ's Church," combined with the consecration-prayer, and that after communion, of our service-books. This portion of the service was to be said or sung, "plainly and distinctly," according to ancient usage, but contrary to the practice of modern Romanists. The priest, however, was to turn to the altar. The whole piece is little more than a paraphrase of the ancient canon, in which the obscurities and other defects of the original are judiciously avoided. In it, prayers are offered for the King alone by name, and of the worthies of the Christian Church who are commemorated, the blessed Virgin alone is particularly specified. Nothing, however, is said respecting the merits, or even the prayers of these happy spirits. Nor, although the departed spirits of the faithful are commended to God's mercy, is any trace allowed to remain of the rhetorical language found in the Romish prayer, after this general commendation. Upon the whole, this devotional piece differs from its prototype, in being free from ambiguous, superfluous, and figurative language, from pompous lists of names, and from any mention of the illustrious dead, except as examples to the living. It also differs, in asserting plainly, what those who framed the canon most probably

never imagined would be doubted in the Christian world, namely, that Christ's sacrifice was once offered, and was sufficient to atone for all the iniquities of men; as well as in designating the Eucharistic sacrifice as a commemorative one of praise and thanksgiving; and in declaring that Christ is man's only mediator and advocate. The English prayer, therefore, exceeds its original in being worded with more chasteness and accuracy; and it varies from it in omitting some things, perhaps interpolated, certainly inconsistent with Scripture, and in expressing plainly some doctrines which had become ordinarily misunderstood. It was also disencumbered of the nu

The following is this prayer. "Almighty and everliving God, which, by thy holy Apostle, hast taught us to make prayers and supplications, and to give thanks for all men, we humbly beseech thee to receive these our prayers, which we offer unto thy divine Majesty, beseeching thee to inspire continually the Universal Church, with the spirit of truth, unity, and concord; and grant, that all they that do confess thy holy name, may agree in the truth of thy holy Word, and live in unity and godly love. Specially we beseech thee to save and defend thy servant Edward, our King, that under him we may be godly and quietly governed. And grant unto his whole council, and to all that be put in authority under him, that they may truly and indifferently minister justice, to the punishment of wickedness and vice, and to the maintenance of God's true religion and virtue. Give grace, O heavenly Father, to all bishops, pastors, and curates, that they may, both by their life and doctrine, set forth thy true and lively Word, and duly administer thy holy Sacraments. And to all thy people give thy heavenly grace, that with meek heart and due reverence, they may hear and receive thy holy Word, truly serving thee in holiness and righteousness all the

merous silly rubrics which disgrace the Latin canon the only acts prescribed, being a plain

days of their life. And we most humbly beseech thee of thy goodness, O Lord, to comfort and succour all them, which, in this transitory life, be in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity: And especially we commend unto thy merciful goodness this congregation, which is here assembled in thy name to celebrate the commemoration of the most glorious death of thy Son. And here we do give thee most high praise and hearty thanks, for the wonderful grace and virtue declared in all thy saints from the beginning of the world, and chiefly in the glorious and most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of thy Son Jesu Christ, our Lord and God, and in thy holy Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs, whose examples, O Lord, and steadfastness in thy faith, and keeping thy holy commandments, grant us to follow. We commend unto thy mercy, O Lord, all other thy servants, which are departed hence from us with the sign of faith, and now do rest in the sleep of peace. Grant unto them, peace, and that at

we beseech thee, thy mercy and everlasting the day of the general resurrection, we and all they which be of the mystical body of thy Son, may altogether be set on his right hand, and hear that his most joyful voice, Come unto me, O ye that be blessed of my Father, and possess the kingdom which is prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Grant this, O Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our only mediator and advocate. O God, heavenly Father, which of thy tender mercy didst give thine only Son Jesu Christ to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption, who made there, by his one oblation, once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world, and did institute, and in his holy Gospel, command us to celebrate a perpetual memory of that his precious death until his coming again; hear us, O merciful Father, we beseech thee, and with thy Holy Spirit and Word, vouchsafe to bless and sanctify these thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine, that they may be unto us the body and blood of thy most dearly beloved Son Jesu Christ, who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had