I.

NOTE ON THE LECTIONARY.

THE 'Third Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Rubrics, Orders, and Directions for regulating the Course and Conduct of Public Worship, &c.' (1870), contains the revised Lectionary.

For the First Lessons on Sunday the old order is retained, commencing Isaiah in Advent, and Genesis on Septuagesima. Isaiah is read to the third Sunday after the Epiphany; chapters of Job are appointed for the fourth Sunday, and from the Book of Proverbs only for the more rarely occurring fifth, and for the very rarely occurring sixth Sunday. After Trinity Sunday the Lessons are taken, as before, from the historical Books; and the seventeenth and following Sundays have Lessons from the Prophets, beginning with Jeremiah. Lessons are appointed for a twentyseventh Sunday, which are always to be read on the Sunday next before Advent. A praiseworthy novelty in the scheme provides more of these selected portions of the Old Testament: a second series of Lessons is given for Evensong on Sunday, to be read at a third Service, and which may be read with advantage at the ordinary Afternoon Service, in alternate years, in churches where there is not a third Service. The Second Lesson for such third Service may be any chapter from the Gospels, except on four Sundays for which alternative Second Lessons are appointed.

The order of First Lessons in the Daily Calendar is retained; but by introducing portions of the Books of Chronicles, and additional chapters of other Books, the reading of Canonical Scripture is continued to October 27; and as Isaiah is begun on

November 19, the intervening days only have Lessons from the Apocryphal Books of Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, and Baruch.

The Table of Lessons Proper for Holy Days has had a careful revision; and Canonical Scripture is appointed for the Saints' days in place of the Apocrypha, from which four Lessons only are taken. Also special Lessons are appointed for Ash Wednesday, and for Monday and Tuesday before Easter.1

Another leading feature of the new arrangement is the Table of Second Lessons. The New Testament (except the Revelation) is read through, once in the Morning and once in the Evening; the Gospels being read in the Morning during the first half of the year, and at Evening Prayer during the latter half of the year; while the Acts and the Epistles are read at Evening Prayer from January to June, and in the Morning from July to December. This Course ends at December 16; the remaining days are supplied by the Book of the Revelation.

Thus, whatever may be the success of the effort, a work has been attempted, the want of which has been felt since the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and which was, during a portion of the time, supplied irregularly by the permission and encouragement given to individual Ministers to select chapters more suited than those in the Calendar for the edification of their Parishioners. And now, besides a shortened Service for week-days, which may be varied almost at discretion, liberty is given, with the sanction of the Ordinary, to read other selected Psalms and Lessons on any special occasion.

1 Useful and suggestive notes upon the selected First Lessons for Sundays and Holy Days will be

found in A Companion to the Lectionary, by Rev. W. Benham, London, 1873.

II.

NOTE ON THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT OF THE RUBRICS (1879).

THE Convocation of Canterbury has issued a schedule of proposals, under the name of Amendment of the Rubrics. The work may be called a revision of the Prayer Book. It is an attempt to bring the Rubrics into exact agreement with the general practice, and to make them (as some legal decisions seem to require them to be) a complete guide to every particular thing which the minister is to say or do: and so pages of these proposals simply give the form of legal sanction to usages which are already established customs in one or another Cathedral or Parish Church.1 Although this schedule of amendments may never become law, it is an interesting document, containing much that is good, with much that is questionable; and it may be compared with the proposed revision of 1689. The following are points where it goes beyond the sanction of existing usages, or which are open to debate.

Proper Psalms are selected for ten Holy Days, besides the four Feasts, and the two days for which Psalms were appointed at the last revision. And the Psalms for Christmas Day (when not falling on a Sunday), Easter Day, and Ascension Day, may be used on the Sunday following.

1 E.g., an anthem or hymn may be sung after the Third Collect, and a sermon may be preached; or this may come after the Morning or Evening Prayer. A sermon may be preached as a separate service, preceded by a Collect with or without the Lord's Prayer, or by the Bidding Prayer, or by any duly authorised special service. After

a sermon the service may be conIcluded with a Blessing, or a hymn may be sung, and a Collect said before the Blessing. A person desiring the prayers of the congregation may be mentioned in the usual way in the Litany. The shortened Form of Service, as now often used, is sanctioned.

A Table is given to regulate the Service when two Feasts or Holy Days fall upon the same day.

The Ornaments Rubric remains, with the additional words, until further Order be taken by lawful authority:' but a paragraph is subjoined in conformity with the idea that runs through so much of these amendments:

'In saying Public Prayers, and ministering the Sacraments and other rites of the Church, every Priest and Deacon shall wear a surplice with a stole or scarf and the hood of his degree, and in preaching he shall wear a surplice with a stole or scarf and the hood of his degree, or if he think fit a gown with hood and scarf; and no other ornament shall at any time of his ministrations be used by him contrary to the monition of the Bishop of the Diocese.

'Provided always that this Rubric shall not be understood to repeal the 24th, 25th, and 58th of the Canons of 1604.'

The Confession of our Faith, commonly called the Creed of St. Athanasius, or Quicunque vult, has an explanation added:

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'For the removal of doubts and to prevent disquietude. .... it is hereby solemnly declared

'I. That the Confession of our Christian Faith, commonly called the Creed of St. Athanasius, doth not make any addition to the faith as contained in Holy Scripture, but warneth against errors which from time to time have arisen in the Church of Christ.

2. That as Holy Scripture in divers places doth promise life to them that believe, and declare the condemnation of them that believe not, so doth the Church in this Confession declare the necessity for all who would be in a state of salvation of holding fast the Catholic Faith, and the great peril of rejecting the same. Wherefore the warnings in this Confession of Faith are to be understood no otherwise than the like warnings of Holy Scripture; for we must receive God's threatenings, even as His promises, in such wise as they are generally set forth in Holy Writ. Moreover, the Church doth not herein pronounce judgment on any particular person or persons, God alone being the Judge of all.'

The Litany may be omitted on Christmas Day, Easter Day, and Whitsun Day.

If there be twenty-six Sundays after Trinity, the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for the sixth Sunday after Epiphany shall be used on the twenty-fifth Sunday. If there be twenty-seven Sundays after Trinity, the Collect, &c., for the fifth Sunday after Epiphany shall be used on the twenty-fifth Sunday; and the Collect, &c., for the sixth Sunday after Epiphany shall be used on the twenty-sixth Sunday. This has been the general rule, but it is given at length in this summary to prevent mistakes which have been made.

The observance of certain Octaves is proposed. The Easter Anthems are to be said upon Easter Day and the seven days following. The Collect for St. Michael's Day, and for All Saints' Day, is to be repeated on the seven days following, after the Collect for the Day.

The Sanctus, concluding the Preface in the Communion Office, should be printed as a separate paragraph.1

For Public Baptism of Infants, if three Sponsors cannot be found, one Godfather and one Godmother may suffice, and the parents may be Sponsors.

An adult person, candidate for Baptism, in danger of death, may be privately baptized.

When persons are presented for Confirmation who have had no Baptismal Sponsors, the Bishop may ask them these questions (taken from the Office of Baptism of Adults) viz.

'Dost thou renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the carnal desires of the flesh, so that thou wilt not follow nor be led by them?

'Dost thou believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith? 'Wilt thou then obediently keep God's Holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the same all the days of thy life?'

The Publication of Banns of Marriage to be-after the Nicene Creed; or else immediately after the Second Lesson of Morning or Evening Service, as the Ordinary shall appoint, so that they be published when the most number of the people are usually present.2

1 Above, p. 354 note.

"Above, p. 406, note.