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ALL Presbyters and Deacons shall be bound to say Daily the Morning and Evening Prayer, either privately or openly, except they be let or hindered by some urgent cause. Of which cause, if it be frequently pretended, they are to make the Bishop of the Diocese, or the Archbishop of the Province, the judge and allower.

And the Curate that ministereth in every Parish Church or Chapel, being at home, and not being otherwise reasonably letted, shall say the same in the Parish Church, or Chapel, where he ministereth; and shall toll a bell thereto, a convenient time before he begin, that such as be disposed 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 indiscreet 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 of a ceremony, in itself considered, is but a small thing; yet the wilful and contemptuous transgression and breaking of a common order and discipline, is no small offence before God.

Let all things be done among you (saith S. Paul) in a seemly and due order. The appointment of the which order pertaineth not to private men: therefore no man ought to take in hand, nor presume to appoint or alter any public or common order in Christ's Church, except he be lawfully called and authorized thereunto.

And whereas in this our time, the minds of men are so diverse that some think it a great matter of conscience to depart from

a piece of the least of their ceremonies, they be so addicted to their old customs; and again, on the other side, some be so new-fangled, that they would innovate all things, and so despise the old, that nothing can like them but that is new: it was thought expedient, 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. Wherefore S. 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 S. 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 the 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 others 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 diversely in divers countries.

The Table and Calendar, expressing the Order of Psalms to be said at Morning and Evening Prayer throughout the Year; except certain Proper Feasts, as the Rules following more plainly declare.

THE Psalter shall be read through once every month, save February; and in that month so far as the Psalms are appointed for twenty-eight, or twenty-nine days in the Leap-Year.

And whereas many months have thirty-one days apiece, it is ordered that the 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 where 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, as you shall perceive to be noted in this Table following.

And here is also to be noted, that in this Table, and in all other parts of the Service where any Psalms are appointed, the number is expressed after the great English Bible, which from the 9th Psalm unto the 148th Psalm (following the division of the Hebrews) doth vary in numbers from the common Latin translation.

The Order how the rest of Holy Scripture (beside the Psalter) is appointed to be read.

THE Old Testament is appointed for the First Lessons at Morning and Evening Prayer, and shall be read through every year once; except certain Books and Chapters which be least edifying, and might best be spared, and therefore are left unread.

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 the which there be only certain Lessons appointed upon divers Proper Feasts.

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