Читать книгу The Prayer Book Explained - Percival Jackson - Страница 25

We will not enter into the minute differences of structure which are found in one or other of the Day Hours. The following list will show the order of a Service which is nearly identical with each of them.:

Our Father, &c.

Versicles.

Hymn.

Several Psalms divided into portions by

Glorias and Antiphons. {9} Several Lessons divided by Responses. Canticles. Lesser Litany. Our Father, &c. Versicles. Creed. Versicles. Confession. Collects.

Thus they followed the general division of worship into Praise and Prayer. By enlarging one portion and diminishing another a special character was given to certain Services. Thus Lauds was made joyful by having many psalms.

The chief Lessons from the Bible were read in the Mattins Service when it was said before Lauds. The union of those two Services resulted in the omission of many of the Psalms. (See Preface "Concerning the Service of the Church" in our Prayer Book.)

The Day Hour Services were not precisely alike even in their outline: but they had a certain similarity which suggested the plan which has been adopted in the Morning and Evening Services of the Book of Common Prayer.

There were always two parts—Praise: and Prayer.

[3]Each of these parts began with the Lord's Prayer. The Praise part always had something of the nature of Psalms and Lessons: the Prayers always had Collects. The Praises had Praise-versicles and the Prayers had Prayer-versicles. Also as time went on Litanies became usual for special days of the week.

{10}

It was easy therefore to recast the seven Services in the shape which they now have.

Praise. The Lord's Prayer. Versicles. Psalms. Lessons. Creed. Prayers. The Lord's Prayer. Versicles. Collects. Thanksgivings.