Morning And Evening Prayer

It must not be supposed that these Services were composed suddenly in

their present shape. They are indeed formed on the pattern given by

the Lord's Prayer; and they make use of the methods which we have

described--Intention, Setting, Key-note, Worship-forms--which have

always been the methods used by the Church as far back as we have any

evidence. But from time to time alterations have been made in the

details. The Lord's Prayer has, for example, been used as a key-note

for Praise without its Doxology; or Confession has been placed amongst

the Prayers; or Psalms have been more used, and Lessons less used. In

spite of such variations, the general principles may be traced in all

Church Services; and much interesting study may be spent on the

comparison of our Services with those which preceded them.



We have already said something about this, and when we

study these two Services in detail, it is very important to remember

that they grew out of the older Services. The daily Psalms and Lessons

might be rearranged, the number of versicles increased or

diminished, the rule about varying the saying of a Creed, or an

Alleluia, might be altered: but it is the same pattern with the same

methods of worship now, as it was when the Services were all said in

Latin and when each Diocese in this country had some differences from

all the other Dioceses.



We will now proceed to consider these two Services in their details.





THE ORDER FOR

MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER,

DAILY TO BE SAID AND USED THROUGHOUT

THE YEAR.



The Morning and Evening Prayer shall be used in the accustomed Place

of the Church, Chapel, or Chancel: except it shall be otherwise

determined by the Ordinary of the Place. And the Chancels shall remain

as they have done in times past.



And here is to be noted, that such ornaments of the Church, and of the

Ministers thereof, at all times of their Ministration, shall be

retained, and be in use, as were in this Church of England, by the

authority of Parliament, in the second year of the reign of King Edward

the Sixth.





The importance of the above heading has been lost sight of, through the

manner of its printing. In most Prayer Books it will be found on a

page by itself or at the foot of a Table of the Golden Numbers. It is

really the heading of a chapter which contains both {26} Morning and

Evening Service. Until the last Revision of the Book in 1662, the

chapter containing Morning and Evening Prayer was closed after the

Athanasian Creed with a Rubric Thus endeth the Order of Morning and

Evening Prayer throughout the whole Year. Although that Rubric has

been omitted, this heading includes both Services in one Chapter.



EVENING PRAYER] This part of the chapter, prior to 1662, was not

printed out in full; only the variations from Morning Prayer were set

forth.



DAILY TO BE SAID AND USED] And all Priests and Deacons

are to say daily the Morning and Evening Prayer, either privately or

openly . . . the Curate . . . shall say the same in the Parish Church

or Chapel where he ministereth.



ornaments of the Church] The Canons of 1604 order a number of things

to be provided at the charges of the parish, which may be included

under this head, such as Communion Table, Pulpit, Reading-desk, Font,

Alms-chest, Alms-basin, Vessels for Holy Communion, Bible, Common

Prayer Book, Book of Homilies, Parchment Register Book and Coffer. It

would not be easy to make a complete list of things authorised by this

Rubric and elsewhere.



and of the Ministers thereof] The discussion of the meaning of the

Ornaments of the Ministers belongs chiefly to the Communion Service.

There has been no question that for Morning and Evening Service a

Surplice and Hood are ordered to be worn.



the second year of the reign of King Edward the Sixth] The reference

is to the {27} statute of the year 1548-9, whereby the first (English)

Revision was enabled to be enforced by law. Edward VI.'s reign began

on Jan. 29, 1547. This statute passed the House of Lords on Jan. 15th,

1548-9, and is referred to in the statute of 1552 as belonging to the

second year of King Edward VI., although the session lasted into his

third year.