The Prayer Book Explained Part 26

[3] In some Churches this day was the Festival of Augustine, Bp of Hippo. The Calendar of Le Bec, however, sets it down to our Augustine, as our own Calendar does. I do not know whether this agreement between them was after, or before, that famous Abbey sent us Lanfranc and Anselm to be successors of Augustine at Canterbury.

[4] Fald-stool. Faudestola (whence French, fauteuil) is said by Martene to be adopted into Latin; and by Brachet is traced to a German origin, Falt-stuol. The idea of these derivations is, that the Prie-dieu, or kneeling-desk, was able to fold up and be made, perhaps, a chair. But the connection with Rogations suggests (A.S.) Feald-stol, or Feld-stol (German Feld-stuhl), i.e. a moveable seat (cf. camp-stool).

[5] See George Herbert's poem, "A wreath."

[6] The settlement of words of general meaning, into t.i.tles of office, is frequent enough to supply ample ill.u.s.tration of the process briefly indicated above. Pastor, General, Major, Mayor, and many other words, including Rector, Vicar, Curate, may be traced through changes which are often singularly similar to those of Bishop, Priest, and Deacon.

It is a natural process--so natural as to be almost invariable.

[7] The Greek Translation of our Prayer Book has _oraious_, timely or seasonable: the German has "lieben," dear, beloved, or kindly in the other sense, which, though as old as Chaucer's time, is not the meaning here.

APPENDIX C.

ON THE LESSONS IN THE DAY HOURS, (p. 55.)

The Preface to the Prayer Book _Concerning the Service of the Church_ states that, prior to 1549, the old order, for reading the greatest part of the Bible through every year, had been "so altered, broken, and neglected, that commonly when any book of the Bible was begun, after three or four chapters were read out, all the rest were unread."

There was a First Lesson from the Old Testament, a Second Lesson from a Commentary, and a Third Lesson from the New Testament.

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On certain days, each Lesson consisted of three parts; and the second and third parts of the Third Lesson were from a Commentary.

The occurrence of Saints' Days was so frequent as to disturb many of these: for the special Lessons of a Saint's Day were read, instead of those of the regular course.

The theory of reading the whole books had been maintained; but it broke down in practice.

It is worthy of notice that these various Lessons, from the Bible, from Commentaries, and from the acts and martyrdoms of Saints, were all "set" with Verses, Responds etc. so as to be Acts of Worship, as well as a means of Instruction.

APPENDIX D.

ON PLINY'S LETTER TO THE EMPEROR TRAJAN. (p. 107.)

[Pliny the younger was Governor of Pontus and Bithynia during some of the early years of the 2nd century. Trajan was Emperor from A.D. 98 to 117. The letter, from which we give some extracts, has been dated (Bp Lightfoot) A.D. 112. It shows that the marvellous spreading of the Faith took place in the face of laws which made it a crime to be a Christian: and that the closest enquiry on Pliny's part made him aware of their high moral standard, and of the stedfastness of their devotion.]

"* * * The method I have observed towards those who have been brought before me as Christians is this; I interrogated them whether they were Christians; {175} if they confessed, I repeated the question twice, adding threats at the same time; and if they still persevered, I ordered them to be immediately punished. For, I was persuaded, whatever the nature of their opinions might be, a contumacious and inflexible obstinacy certainly deserves correction. * * * An information was presented to me without any name subscribed, containing a charge against several persons; these, upon examination, denied they were, or ever had been, Christians. They repeated after me an invocation to the G.o.ds, and offered religious rites with wine and frankincense before your statue * * * and even reviled the name of Christ; whereas there is no forcing, it is said, those who are really Christians, into any of these compliances. * * * The rest owned indeed they had been of that number formerly, but had now (some above three, others more, and a few above twenty years ago) renounced that error. *

* * They affirmed the whole of their guilt, or their error, was, that they met on a certain stated day before it was light, and addressed themselves in a form of prayer to Christ, as to some G.o.d, binding themselves by a solemn oath, not for the purposes of any wicked design, but never to commit any fraud, theft, or adultery; never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up: after which, it was their custom to separate, and then rea.s.semble to eat in common a harmless meal. * * * Great numbers must be involved in the danger of these prosecutions which have already extended and are still likely to extend, to persons of all ranks and ages, and even of both s.e.xes. In fact, this contagious superst.i.tion is not confined to the cities only, but has spread its infection among the neighbouring villages and country. * * *"

_Melmoth's Translation_ (1747).

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APPENDIX E.

ON THE ADDITION OF "FILIOQUE" TO THE CREED. (p. 124.)

The Nicene Creed (325) had the words "_Proceeding from the Father_": the Council of Ephesus (431[1]) decreed that no addition was to be made to the Creed, as there settled. When, however, the question was raised whether we ought not to say "proceeding from the Father, _and the Son_ (Filioque)," various Scripture phrases were adduced in support of it: such as, _the Spirit of Christ_ (Rom. viii. 9), _the Spirit of His Son_ (Gal. iv. 6), _the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ_ (Phil. i. 19), _the Spirit of Christ_ (1 Pet. i. 11). Also S. John xv. 26, xvi. 7, xx. 32, and the general similarity of expressions which, speaking of the Holy Spirit, refer to the Father, and to the Son.

The Eastern Churches were opposed to the addition of the words, "and from the Son." The Western Churches were, mainly, in favour of it.

The controversy lasted from the 5th to the 11th century, and resulted in the schism which still separates the Eastern and Western Churches.

It is usually agreed that the difference is not one of doctrine. The Easterns prefer the phrase "receiving from the Son": the Westerns prefer to a.s.sert afresh the equality of the Father and the Son, by using the phrase, "proceeding from the Father and the Son." It may be {177} doubted whether the words should have been added without the a.s.sent of a General Council. But there is no denial of the equality of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, in the Eastern, nor in the Western, Churches.

[1] On p. 124, we have accidentally written 'Chalcedon' for 'Ephesus': and _vice versa_. The dates are correctly given on pp. 122, 123.

APPENDIX F.

ON THE GREEK ORIGIN OF LITANIES (p. 153).

_Litany_ comes from the Greek _litaneia_.

_lite_ means a prayer; whence (_litanos_) one who prays; _litaneuo_ to be a person who prays; _litaneia_ a continued prayer. Thus _Litany_ has the meaning of "prolonged prayers."

In _the (Greek) Liturgy of S. James_, there are three Bidding Prayers (besides the "Diptychs"), which have something of the Litany Form. The following suffrages are selected from the one to which we have referred:

"_The Deacon_. Let us beseech the Lord in peace.

_The Laity_. Lord, have mercy.

_The Deacon_. O G.o.d, by thy love grant us safety, mercy, compa.s.sion, and protection. _The Laity_. Lord, have mercy.

_The Deacon_. For the peace that is from above, for the love of G.o.d towards man, and for the safety of our souls, let us beseech the Lord.

_The Laity_ (after each suffrage). Lord, have mercy.

_The Deacon_. For the peace of the whole world, and the unity of all the holy churches of G.o.d, let us &c.

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For those who bear fruit and do good in the holy churches of G.o.d, those who remember the poor, the widows, and fatherless, strangers and needy persons, and for those who have bidden us to remember them in our prayers, let us &c.

For those who are in old age and weakness, by disease or illness, for those who are oppressed by unclean spirits, for their speedy recovery and safety through G.o.d's help, let us &c.

For those who pa.s.s their lives in singleness, devotion, or meditation, for those in holy matrimony, those engaged in life's battle in mountains, and caves, and pits of the earth, our holy fathers and brothers, let us &c.