The only instance in the Church Service in which it is directed that the Lord's Prayer be said standing: the people are kneeling, but are not desired to repeat it after the Priest. May not the Priest be considered, in imitation of our blessed Saviour's example, as instructing the people how to pray? He is then to turn to the people, and to rehearse the Ten Commandments (6). Here, he is certainly executing the office which the Almighty imposed on his servant Moses,—namely, instructing the people in the Divine Law: telling them their duties, what they shall do, and what they shall not do; and, now the people are directed to pray for mercy, and to solicit grace that they may be enabled to observe and keep the law. Then follows a Collect for the Sovereign, (7), and although the Priest says, "Let us pray," he is directed to remain standing, but the people are not directed to repeat the Collect with him, or after him. Then succeed the Collect for the day, (8), together with the portions of Scripture selected for the Epistle and the Gospel.

All this is for the instruction and edification

of the people.

And then the people are required (8) to join the Priest in repeating the Creed, and so declaring their assent to the Articles of the Christian faith.

This is the end of the Service.

In this office the Minister appears to be principally engaged in repeating to the people the Divine Law, and in calling their serious attention to the directions and instructions which it conveys for their guidance and conduct,-teaching them how to pray, how to act: and he afterwards calls upon them to join him in a declaration of their belief in the Christian faith.

The table, in obedience to, the Rubric (5), ought to be at this time prepared for the holy Communion; and it would almost appear that the Priest, though directed to stand at the North side of it, is not authorized to make any use of the table during this service.

It may be here observed, that in many parish churches it has been a custom to read the Decalogue from the reading-desk; this custom probably took its rise when the Lord's Supper ceased to be administered every time the people were assembled in the church for prayer, and when, the communion table not being prepared, it might not be thought correct to approach it.

Again, the Priest is directed to read the service for the Decalogue; but the Curate is called upon to give the notices, read briefs, &c.; and as these were read from the reading-desk, it is possible, if there were two clergymen, the Curate remained in the reading-desk during

the office for the Decalogue; if not, the clergyman returned to the desk for that purpose. The propriety of these notices, briefs, &c., being read from the part of the Church appropriated to the Communion Services may be very questionable*.

However some may at this time attempt to set forth that the office for the Decalogue and the office for the Holy Communion are but one service, and that the latter is but the conclusion of the former, there cannot be any difficulty in arriving at the opinion and intention of the compilers and revisers of the Liturgy upon the subject. It is not possible that men of their character, judgment, abilities, and sound religious feelings could have contemplated or sanctioned the announcement of the several notices, &c., at this time directed to be made, (some of which do not even relate to the services of the Church,) unless they had considered the office for the Decalogue as being ended, and the Morning Prayers concluded. The practice of all subsequent periods, and even of the present day, justifies this decision; otherwise, why is the Decalogue so often read

* The time when these notices, &c., are to be read, is at the conclusion of the Morning Prayers, at which all who possibly can are supposed to be present; thus publicity is secured. But may not the reading-desk be the more appropriate place for reading them?

without the least intention being entertained of celebrating the Holy Communion? If it were one office no one would presume to commence so solemn a service without intending to go through the whole office; and such intention can only be legally frustrated by the insufficiency of communicants.

In the office for the Decalogue there is not anything approaching to communion: it must be considered an additional and independent service, formed and introduced for the express purpose of rehearsing the Ten Commandments, terminating with the Creed, and concluding the Morning Prayer so far as the general congregation is concerned: and that being ended, the most appropriate time for the several announcements is arrived, and the Church has availed herself of that moment to make them; but she directs them to be made by another Minister, and hitherto they have usually been made from a different part of the Church.

The three Rubrics (9, 10, and 11,) which follow the Creed are merely directive as to the time when the notices, &c., are to be given; and the order in which the Sermon or Homily and the Holy Communion are to succeed; if it is intended that a Sermon should be preached, or a Homily read, or the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper celebrated.

Viewed as a separate service, the Priest should, when rehearsing the Decalogue, officiate in the surplice, in compliance with the orders in the first book of Edward the Sixth, 1549.

When the notices have been given, and the briefs, &c., read, the Preacher should retire to prepare for the pulpit, as he cannot legally preach in the dress he has worn in the readingdesk, or at the service for the Decalogue; and, even if he does not preach, it would seem that it was intended the Priest should leave the place where he had repeated the office for the Decalogue as the first Rubric after the Sermon (11), contemplating the celebration of the Holy Communion, requires him to return to the LORD'S Table, and commence the Offertory: but if it is not intended to celebrate the Lord's Supper, the table will not be prepared, and then there will not be a LORD's table to return to. The Morning Service will therefore conclude with the Sermon; and the clergyman should dismiss the congregation before he leaves the pulpit.

This was the opinion at the last revision of the Book of Common Prayer, when the custom of administering the Sacrament every time the people assembled in the Church for prayer, had fallen into disuse.

If further evidence were necessary in support