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Occasional
Prayers.

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The Prayer for the High Court of Parliament was composed most probably by Laud, when bishop of St. David's. It first appeared in an Order of Fasting,' in 1625, and again in 1628 in a special form of Prayer 'necessary to be used in these dangerous times of war.' In these early forms it is almost verbally like the present Prayer, only somewhat longer: it also contains the words 'most religious and gracious king,' which have been commonly supposed to have been introduced as a compliment to Charles II. In 1661 the Prayer was inserted in a special form for a Fast-day on the 12th of June, and again in the following January; and at the same time it was placed by the Convocation in the Book of Common Prayer.2

The composition of the Prayer for all Conditions of Men has been ascribed to Bishop Sanderson. It was, however, most probably composed by Dr. Peter Gunning, Master of St. John's College, Cambridge, and successively bishop of Chichester and Ely. In its original shape it is supposed to have been longer, and to have brought into one prayer the petitions for the King, Royal Family, Clergy, &c., which are scattered through several Collects. The Convocation, however, retained the Collects; and therefore threw out the corresponding clauses in this general Prayer, without altering the word finally, which seems to be needlessly introduced in so short a form. Before this, no general intercessory prayer

1 Sovereigns are mentioned as εὐσεβέστατοι καὶ πιστότατοι in the Anaphora of St. Basil's Liturgy: Neale, Eastern Church, p. 595.

2 Cardwell, Conferences, p. 233, note; Lathbury, Hist. of Convoc. pp. 301 sq.; Clay, Prayer Book Illustrated, Pref. p. xxv. The word

Dominions was substituted for Kingdoms by an Order of Council of January 1, 1801.

3 See the objections to short Collects raised by the Dissenters at the Savoy Conference, Cardwell, Conf. pp. 308 sq.; above, p. 117.

occurred in the Service, except on those mornings when

the Litany was said.

Occasional
Prayers.

givings.

Praise is an essential part of Divine worship. Hence Thankswe retain, throughout the Services, Doxologies, Psalms, and Canticles. But these do not include that particular thanksgiving for extraordinary deliverances, or indeed for daily mercies, which is due to the Author and Giver of all good things. Hence some particular thanksgivings1 were annexed to the Litany, at the revision of the Prayer Book after the Hampton Court Conference, by order of James I., under the title of 'An enlargement of thanksgiving for diverse benefits, by way of explanation.' 2 These were thanksgivings for Rain, for Fair Weather, for Plenty, for Peace and Victory, and for Deliverance from the Plague in two forms. At the last revision, after the restoration of the Monarchy, another special form of thanksgiving was added, for Restoring Publick Peace at Home. Its language must have been felt to be strikingly appropriate, when read with the restored Common Prayer, after such a period of outrage and sedition. At the same time the Convocation accepted a form of General Thanksgiving, composed by Bishop Reynolds, which rendered the book more perfect

1 The English ritual, I believe, is the only one which contains special thanksgivings for the mercies of God, others having confined themselves to general expressions of gratitude on all such occasions. It has therefore, in the present case, improved on the ancient customs of the Christian Church, instead of being in any way inconsistent with them.'- Palmer, Orig. Lit. I. p. 307. See Hooker, Eccl. Pol. V. 43.

2 See above, pp. 91 sq.
• Cardwell, Conf. pp. 222 sq.

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Occasional
Prayers.

by making the Thanksgivings correspond with the Prayers.1

1 In the American Prayer Book the Prayer for all conditions of Men and the General Thanksgiving are inserted in their place in the Morning and Evening Prayer. The Occasional Prayers and Thanksgivings include additional forms, For a Sick Person, For a Sick Child, For a Person or Persons going to Sea, For a Person under Affliction, For Malefactors after Condemnation, and A Prayer to

be used at the Meetings of Convocation; also A Thanksgiving of Women after Childbirth, For Recovery from Sickness, and For a Safe Return from Sea. The Prayer for the Parliament becomes, with a slight alteration, A Prayer for Congress. In the Prayers For Fair Weather and In time of Sickness the references to the Old Testament are omitted.

CHAPTER II.

THE COLLECTS, EPISTLES, AND GOSPELS; AND PROPER LESSONS FOR SUNDAYS AND HOLY DAYS.

THIS part of the First Prayer Book of Edward VI. was entitled The Introits, Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, to be used at the celebration of the Lord's Supper and Holy Communion through the year: with proper Psalms and Lessons for divers Feasts and days. An Introit, or Psalm to be sung at or before the commencement of the Communion Office, was prefixed to each Collect. These were removed1 at the revision in 1552; and the Proper Lessons were placed in the Calendar of Lessons.

The Epistles and Gospels are, with few exceptions, the same that had been appointed in the ancient Use of the English Church.2 They form two series, which may be distinguished as doctrinal and practical. The

1 As a substitute for the Introit, in cathedrals, the hymn Tersanctus is generally sung by the choir: the practice shows that the appropriate Psalm might have been advantageously retained.

It is said that Jerome was requested by Damasus, bishop of Rome (366-384)) to make a selection of Scriptures to be read in the public Service. There is such a compilation, published by Pamelius in Vol.

It

II. of Liturgicon Ecclesiæ Latina, under the title, Divi Hieronymi presbyteri Comes sive Lectionarius. contains Epistles and Gospels for Sundays and Festivals, and for Wednesdays and Fridays in the Epiphany, Easter, and Trinity seasons, agreeing very closely with the Sarum Use, but differing from the Roman. See Blunt, Annotated Prayer Book, p. 70.

Antiquity

of the

• Collects.

The two

parts of the
Ecclesias-
tical Year.

Advent to
Trinity.

Trinity to
Advent.

ecclesiastical year is divided into two parts. The first, from Advent to Trinity, is designed to commemorate the life of Christ on earth; and the several particulars of His life are celebrated in their order,-His incarnation, nativity, circumcision, manifestation to the Gentiles; His doctrine and miracles, His baptism, fasting, and temptation; His agony, His cross, His death, His burial, His resurrection, His ascension; and the mission of the Holy Ghost: the object of the Epistles and Gospels during this time is to remind us of the benefit which we receive from God the Father, through the mediation and atonement of God the Son, and through the ministration of God the Holy Ghost. Hence this part of the Church's course of teaching is fitly ended with the Commemoration of the Blessed Trinity. In the second part of the year, from Trinity to Advent, the portions of Scripture are selected with the view of instructing us to lead our lives after our Lord's example.

The Collect1 may be defined as a prayer for some

1 The Collect, or prayer, into which sæcula sæculorum. Si vero de Spiritu the priest collects the supplications Sancto fiat mentio, dicetur: In uniof the people (Micrologus, iii.), or in tate ejusdem Spiritus Sancti Deus. which the people pray in the person Si vero de Filio fiat mentio ante of holy chirche' (Mirrour of our finalem partem, dicetur: Per eundem Ladye, fol. lxxiii.), is (1) a liturgical Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum prayer; (2) short; (3) containing Filium. Si vero in fine fit mentio one main petition; (4) consisting of de Filio, dicetur: Qui tecum vivit one sentence; (5) asking through et regnat. Si autem ad Filium the merits of our Lord, or (6) ending dirigitur oratio sine mentione Spiritus with an ascription of praise to the Sancti, dicetur: Qui vivis et regnas Blessed Trinity. Neale, Essays on cum Deo Patre in unitate Spiritus Liturgiology, p. 49; Blunt, Anno- Sancti Deus. Si fiat mentio de Spiritu tated Prayer Book, p. 69. The York Sancto, dicetur: Qui cum Patre et Missal has a note upon the con- eodem Spiritu Sancto vivis et regnas. cluding phrases of the Collects :-'Si Item orationes ad Patrem in quibus dirigitur sermo ad Patrem absque mentionem de_Trinitate facimus, sic mentione Filii et Spiritus Sancti, sic concludimus: In qua vivis et regnas. finietur Per Dominum nostrum Illas autem quas ad ipsam Trinitatem Jesum Christum Filium tuum: Qui dirigimus, sic finimus: Qui vivis et tecum vivit et regnat in unitate regnas Deus.' Maskell, Ancient Spiritus Sancti Deus: Per omnia Liturgy, p. 30, note.

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