Читать книгу The Prayer Book Explained - Percival Jackson - Страница 26

The Services of our Church were translated into English in 1549. Many alterations were made at that time.

The seven Day Hours were combined into two Services—Mattins and Evensong: the Holy Communion Service was assimilated in some respects to Eastern Liturgies: the rules of variation for days and seasons were simplified: interruptions were avoided by the omission of many Verses and Responds, Antiphons, &c.: better provision was made for continuous reading of Holy Scripture.

The change from Latin, which had once been a commonly-spoken language, to the language spoken in England is the alteration which produced the greatest effect upon congregational worship, and the smallest amount of difference in the worship itself: for if you understood both languages it would not matter to you which of them you used.

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The Latin prayers had been known by their first words. Just as we now know a prayer as Our Father, or a doxology as Glory be to the Father, so formerly they were known as Pater Noster, and Gloria Patri. Some of these titles have survived. Credo (I believe) has been shortened into Creed. We use as a Creed the Hymn Quicunque vult (Whosoever will). The Canticles still are known by their first words in Latin, Te Deum, Benedicite, &c., and so is the 95th Psalm, Venite, exultemus Domino.

The Lesser Litany is a name given to the three petitions,

Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.

They are used before the Lord's Prayer as an Invocation of the Holy

Trinity.

We proceed to examine the foundation of this order in worship.

The model bequeathed to us by Our Lord is known to us as The Lord's Prayer, often called "Our Father" from the first words.

[1] Haec sunt septenis propter quae psallimus horis:

Matutina legat Christum qui crimina purgat.

Prima replet sputis. Causam dat Tertia mortis.

Sexta cruci nectit. Latus ejus Nona bipertit.

Vespera deponit. Tumulo Completa reponit;

which may be translated:

Seven are the hours at which we sing and pray;

Mattins for Christ who takes our sins away,

Prime shows Him mocked, and Terce says why He died.

Sext shows His Cross, and None His pierced side.

Vespers His taking down commemorates,

And Compline how they buried Him relates.

Thus day by day we sing and pray Christ and Him crucified.

[2] The Ordinary, i.e. the Ordinary judge in such matters, viz. the Bishop.

[3] See p. 16.

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