The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments

ewith Christ hair made us free, that in his worship, different forms and usages may without offence be allowed, provided the substance of the faith be kept entire; and that, in every Church, what cannot be clearly determined to belong to Doctrine must be referred to Discipline; and therefore, by common consent and authority, may be altered, abridged, enlarged, amended, or otherwise disposed of, as may seem most convenient for the edification of the people, "according to she various exigencies of times and occasions."

The Church of England, to which the Protestant Episcopal Church in these States is indebted, under GOD, for her first foundation and a long continuance of nursing care and protection, hath, in the Preface of her Book of Common Prayer, laic! it down as a Rule, that “The Particular Forms of Divine Worship, and ide Riles and Ceremonies appointed to be used therein, being things in their own nature indifferent and alterable, and so acknow. ledged, it is but reasonable that, upon weighty and important considerations, according to the various exigencies of times and occasions, such changes and alterations should be made therein, as to those who are in places of authority should, from time to time, seem either necesary or expedient."

The same Church hath not only in her Preface, but likewise in her Articles and Homilies, declared the necessity and expediency of occasiona! alterations and amendments in her Forms of Public Worship ; and we find! accordingly, that, seeking to keep the happy inean between too much stiffness in refusing, and too much ensiness in admitting variations in things once advisedly estaolished, she bath, in the reign of several Princes, since the first compiling of her Liturgy in the time of Edward the Sixth, upon just and weighty considerations her thereunto moving, yielded to make suca alterations in some particulars, as in their respective times were :hough! convenient : yet so as that the main body and essential parts of je same (as well in the chiefest materials, as in the frame and order thereof) have still been continued firm and unshaken."

Her general aim in these different Reviews and Alterations hath been, as she further declares in her saic Preface, "to do that which, according to her best understanding might most tend to the preservation of peace and unity 10 the Church; the procuring of reverence, and the exciting of piety and devotion in the worship of God; and, finally, the cutting off occasion, from them that seek occasion, of cavil or quarrel against her Liturgy." Ana akhough, according to her judgment, there be not." any thing in it contrary to the Word of God, or to sound doctrine, or which a godly man may not with a good conscience use and submit unto, or which is not fairly defensible, If allowed such just and favourable construction, as, in common equity, ought to be allowed to all human writings;" yet upon the principles already

add down, it cannot but be supposed, tl.al further alteration would in tinie be found expedient. Accordingly, a commission for a review was issued in the year 1689 : But this great and good work miscarried at that time ; and the Civil Authority has not since thought proper to revive it by any new Commission.

But when in the course of Divine Providence, these American Stales be came independent with respect to Civil Government, their Ecclesiastical 11dependence was necessarily included ; and the different religious denoininations of Chretians in these States were left at full and equal liberty lo model and organize their respective Churches, and forms of worship and disaphine, in such manner as they might judge most convenient for their future prosperity ; consistently with the Constitution and Lawe of bein Country.

The attention of this Church was, in the first place, drawn o those alte rations in the Liturgy which became necessary in the Prayers for our Civil Rulers, in consequence of the Revolution. And the principal care herein was to make them conformable to what ought to be the proper end of all such prayers, namely, that " Rulers may have grace, wisdom, and understand. ing to execute justice, and to maintain truth ;” and that the People “ may lead quiet and peaceable lives, in all godliness and honesty."

Pui while these alterations were in review before the Conrention, they could not but, with gratitude to God, embrace the happy occasion which was offered to them, (uninfluenced and unrestrained by any worldly authority whatsoever,) to take a further review of the Public Service, and to esta. blish such other alterations and amendments therein as might be deemed expe fient.

It seems unnecessary to enumerate all the different alterations and amend. ments. They will appear, and it is to be hoped, the reasons of them also, upon a comparison of this with the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England. In which it will also appear, that this Church is far from intending to depart from the Church of England in any essential point of doctrine, discipline, or worship; or further than local circunstances ro quire.

And now, this important work being brought to a conclusion, it is hoped the whole will be received and examined by every true Member of our Church, and every sincere Christian, with a meek, candid, and charitable frame of mind; without prejudice or prepossessions ; seriously considering what Christianity is, and what the truths of the Gospel are ; and earnestly beseeching Almighty God to accompany with his blessing every endeavour for promulgating them io mankind in the clearest, plainest, most affecting and majertic manner, fər the sake of Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord a Buriour.

(7) The ORDER how the PSALTER is appointed to be read. THE Psalter shall be read through once every Month, as it is there

appointed, both for Morning and Evening Prayer. But in February shall be read only to the twenty-eighth or twenty-ninth Day of the Month.

And whereas January, March, May, July, August, October, and Decem. ber, have one-and-thirty days a-piece: it is ordered, that the same Psalms shall be read the last Day of the said Months which were read the Day be. fore ; 80 that the Psalter may begin again the first Day of the next Month ensuing,

And whereas 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.

The Minister, instead of reading from the Psalter, as divided for Daily Morning and Evening Prayer, may read one of the Selections set out by this Church.

Aud on Days of Fasting and Thanksgiving, appointed either by the Civil or by the Ecclesiastical Authority, the Minister may appoint such Psalms an he shall think fit in his discretion, unless any shall have been appointed by the Ecclesiastical Authority, in a Service set out for the Occasion; which, in that case, shall be used, and no other,

PROPER PSALMS ON CERTAIN DAYS,
Morning. Evening.

Morning. Evening. Christmas Day, Ps. 19 Ps. 89 Easter-Day, Ps. 2 Ps. 113

45
110

57
85
132

111

118 Ask-Wednesday,

6
102 Ascension Day, 8

24
32
130

17 33 143

303 (tood-Friday, 22

64 Whitsunday,

103 88

145 54 The Minister may use one of the Selections, instead of any one of the bove Portions,

114

131

: The ORDER how the rest of the HOLY SCRIPTURE is appointed

to be read. THE Old Testament is appointed for the First Lessons at Morning and

Evening Prayer; so that the most Part thereof will be read every Year vince, as in the Calendar is appointed.

The New Testament is appointed for the Second Lessons at.Morning and Evening Prayer.

And to know what Lessons shall be read every Day, look for the Day of Ine Month in the Calendar following, and there ye shall find the Chapiere that sha'l be read for the Lessons, both at Morning and Evening Prayer ; except only the Moveable Feasts, which are not in the Cadendar; and the Immoveable, where there is a blank left in the Column of Lessons; the proper Lessons for all which Days are to be found in the table of Proper Lessons.

And, on Days of Fasting and Thanksgiving, the same rule is to obtain ar In reading the Paalms.

And the same discretion of choice is allowed on occasions of Ecclesiastica) Conventions, and those of Charitable Collections. And Note, 'Thae whensoever Proper Psalms or Lessons are appointed, then

the Psalms anu Lessons of ordinary course appointed in the Psalter and

Calendar, if they be different, shall be omitted for that Time. Vole, also, That the Collect, Epistle, and Guspel, appointed for the wunday, shall serve all the Week after, where it is not in this book otherwise ordered.

"TABLES of LESSONS of Holy Scripture, to be read at Morning and

Evening Prayer throughout the Year.

A TABLE OF LESSONS FOR SUNDAYS.
SUNDAYS.
MORNING.

EVENING. let Lesson. 2d Lesson. 1st Lesson. 2d Lesson. 1 S. in Ad. isa. 1 Luke I to v.39 Isa.

Rom, 10 2

1 v. 39

12 3

3 to y.19
28 to v. 23

14 4 4 Matt. 3 to v.13

1 Cor. 1 1 S. af. Ch. Luke 2 v. 25

2 2 Mark 1 to v.16

Heb. 2 1 S.af. Eph. Matt. 2 v. 13

1 Cor. 3 3

John I v. 29 52 to v. 13 13 3 54 Matt. 4 v. 12

2 Cor. 4 4 57 Luke4v. 14to33

5 5 61 Matt. 5

Gal. 2 6

6 Sep. Sund. Jer.

7 7 Jer.

Eph. Sex. Sund.

35 Luke 7 v. 19 Quin. Sund. Lam.

Mark 6 tov. 30 Lam. 3 to v. 37 i S.in Lent. Jer.

Matt. 10 Jer.
Ezek. 14 Luke 10 tov.25 Ezek. 18

20 to v. 27 Mark 9 to v.30 20 v. 27
Mic.
Luke 19 v. 28 Hab.

Phil.
Hng. 2 to v. 10 21 Zec.

3 Daniel 9 Mat. 26 Mal. 3 and 4 Heb. 5 to v.11 Easter-Day. Exod. 12 to v. 37 Rom. 6 Exod. 12 v. 37 Acts 2v. 22 IS.af. Eas. Isaiah 43 Acts 1

Isa.

I Cor. 15 Hog. 13 3 Ilos.

Coloss. 1 Joel 3 v. 9 5 Mic.

3 Mic. 5 6 Nah.

1 Thes. 3 Zech. 8 8 v. 5 Zec.

4 S.af. Asc. Joel 2 John 17

Zeph. 3 2 Thes. 3tov. 17 Whitsund. Deut. 16 tov. 18 Acts 4 to v.36 Isa.

Acts 19 tov.21 Trin. Sund. Gen. 1 Matt. 3 Gen.

1 John 5 I S.af. Trin. 3 Acts 9 to v. 32

11 Tim. 6 2 9 to v. 20 10

15 to v. 192 Tim. 2 37 11

42 3 & 4 to v. 9 4

43
14

Tit. 2&3tov.10
49
15

50 eo. 10 6 Exod. 3 17 Exod. 5

11 9 20

12 8

14
21

13 9 Num. 16

Num. 22 James 1 10

2 11 Deut. 4 to v. 41 Mat.18 Deut. 5

3 12

6
20

4 13

8
23

5
33
25

34 1 Peter 1 15 Jos. 23 Mark 4

2 16 Judges 4

13
Judges 5

3 17

1 Sam.12 Luke 13 1 Sam. 17 118 2 Sam.12

15 2 Sam. 19 19

1 Kings Stov.22 20 1 Kin.8v.22.62 2 Peter 1 17 John 3

2 21 12 Kings 5 7 2Kings 19

3 8 Daniel 7 1 John !

1 Prov. 1

9 Prov.
3
0

3 Il

12
13
16

Jude.
12 John.

సంతసేలా కలలా లో రెలా 8 REUర్- కజినల్లటెలుకవల. నితాలు అని 8523

Jos.

Daniel 6

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