The Prayer Book Explained Part 7

The Authorised Version (A.V.) of the Bible is a translation made at the beginning of James I.'s reign, after the Hampton Court Conference (Jan.

1604). It was published in 1611 with a t.i.tle-page stating that it was "appointed to be read in churches." There is, however, no evidence of any formal adoption of it until the statement made in the Preface of the {41} Prayer Book (1662) that "such portions of Holy Scripture as are inserted into the Liturgy," "in the Epistles and Gospels especially, and in sundry other places ... are now ordered to be read according to the last Translation." It is evident that this "last Translation" is the Version of 1611: for the Epistles and Gospels are quoted from it in the Prayer Book of 1662. The Translation of 1611, then, is that from which are to be taken "such portions of Holy Scripture as are inserted into the Liturgy." This appears to be the _general_ rule of the Prayer Book of 1662. But that Prayer Book gives authority to various exceptions. The most notable of these is the provision, in a footnote to _The order how the Psalter is appointed to be read_, "that the Psalter followeth the division of the Hebrews and the translation of the great English Bible, set forth and used in the time of King Henry the Eighth and Edward the Sixth."

If it be asked why the words of the Psalms should be sung as in the Great Bible when other translations have superseded it for Lessons, there is an easy answer. Books were not cheap or common in the 16th and 17th centuries. Many people had sung them so often as to know them by heart. A comparison of the Bible and Prayer Book translations will show that there was no large gain to be set against the loss of congregational worship which must have resulted from changes. The Bishops' Bible supplanted the Great Bible in 1568, and the Authorised Version was made in 1611. Both in 1604 and in 1662 the Revisers decided to retain the Version of 1539-40 (the Great Bible) so far as the Psalms and Canticles {42} were sung in the Churches. This is plainly not an oversight in 1662, for the Revisers altered the words of the note in the Preface, without changing the sense.

Psalms in Daily Services.

The Preface, "Concerning the Service of the Church," states that "the ancient Fathers have divided the Psalms into seven portions, whereof every one was called a Nocturn," and that "the same was ... ordained ... of a good purpose and for a great advancement of G.o.dliness"; but "of late time a few of them have been daily said and the rest utterly omitted." A writer of the ninth century says that S. Jerome, at the bidding of the Pope on the request of Theodosius, arranged the Psalms for the Services of day and night in order to avoid the confusion arising from variety of uses[2]. S. Ambrose was a contemporary of S.

Jerome but died more than 20 years before him. There are considerable differences between the plan which S. Ambrose gave to his diocese of Milan, and the plan which we may believe was generally given at the same time to the Churches of the rest of Western Europe. But they are similar in many respects. In both, a division was made between the first 109 psalms,--which were mainly allotted to the night services, i.e. to those which were afterwards called Mattins,--and the rest which were mainly allotted to the Evening Service (Vespers). We suppose that the division, mentioned in the {43} Preface, "into seven portions"

refers to those 109 Psalms.

Of these 109, 18 were used at other Services, leaving 91 for Mattins, viz. 19 on Sunday and 12 each for the week days. The Ambrosian arrangement of them was for a fortnight.

The Greek Church divides the whole Book into 20 portions and takes them, two portions at Mattins and one at Vespers, beginning on Sat.u.r.day night, omitting Sunday Vespers, and taking, on Friday, the 19th, 20th and 18th portions.

Thus we see that a weekly singing of the Book of Psalms is derived from a very ancient time, when the division of the Eastern and Western Churches of Europe had not occurred.

The Sarum order, which we suppose was that which is referred to in the Preface as having been "corrupted" by omissions, had the 109 Psalms allotted to Mattins, as above described. For Vespers, there were five each day from cx.-cxlvii., omitting the 118th and 119th, 134th, 143rd and, as explained below[3], reckoning the 147th as two. All these were taken in order as they stand in the Bible. Those which were left out were allotted to other Services, as, for instance, iv. to Compline, lxiii. to Lauds, &c., &c. Psalm cxix. was to be said through every day, 32 verses at Prime, and 48 verses each, at Terce, s.e.xt and None.

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Lauds was the great Praise Service of the day, and had a very beautiful arrangement of its Psalms which always ended with one of the O.T. hymns followed by Psalms cxlviii.-cl. The O.T. hymns on the seven days of the week were _Benedicite_: Isaiah xii.: Isaiah x.x.xviii. 10-20: 1 Sam.

ii. 1-10: Exodus xv. 1-19: Hab. iii.: Deut. x.x.xii. 1-43.

The beauty of many of these arrangements is undeniable: but they were rather intricate; and in practice they broke down.

Our revisers retained the underlying principles. By spreading the course over 30 days they made it possible to use it all. They retained the 95th Psalm as the first Psalm of every day; and also the principle of having two daily Services at which Psalms occupied an important place.

There are Special Psalms for six days in the year--the four great Festivals, Christmas, Easter, Ascension, and Whitsun Day, and the two great prayer-days, Ash-Wednesday and Good Friday. The Preface explains that these Special Psalms are to be sung instead of the ordinary Psalms on those days; and authorises the use of Special Psalms approved by the Ordinary on other days.

In using the Book of Psalms as a book of worship we must remember what was said of the _Intention_ of our minds in respect to parts of the Services. There are many Psalms which supply us with the best Prayers in trouble, penitence or any anxiety. But when using them in these Services our Intention is not Prayer but Praise, and the thought of G.o.d must inspire our devotions.

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It will often help us if we remember that G.o.d's Righteousness is infinite, as well as His Mercy. It is impossible for man in his present state to reconcile perfect Righteousness and perfect Mercy: for Righteousness will have nothing to do with sin, while Mercy forgives it. These two characteristics of G.o.d are revealed to us through Christ in Whom Righteousness and Peace are united; cf. Ps. lx.x.xv.

The Psalms, composed by various people at different times, very frequently are the utterances of men in trouble: and they often sketch the thoughts or actions of the Ideal Man, in one or other of the four characters which answer to G.o.d's Righteousness and G.o.d's Mercy. For, in response to G.o.d's Righteousness, man must be (1) perfectly _penitent_, and (2) in imitation of G.o.d, must _detest sin_: in imitation of G.o.d, (3) he must be perfectly _forgiving_, and in response to G.o.d's mercy, (4) he must have _trust and peace_. The Psalmists exhibit human nature at its best, but it is human nature all the time--human nature finding G.o.d and a.s.sociating itself with the Ideal Man.

Thus the Psalms often rise to the conception of the Messiah; and, even when that is not their thought, they proceed from other thoughts to Rest in G.o.d and Praise of His Holy Name.

The most difficult Psalms for worship are those which regard sin with horror, but express the horror without mercy. Man is unable to hold the two qualities of Righteousness and Mercy simultaneously. We find it difficult in these days to detest sin because we are learning the quality of mercy.

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Much of the poetic force of these songs depends on the local incidents of Israel's history and the scenery of Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

While we use the words, we must also use our imaginations to transfer the great thoughts to our own experience: for those local colours are the clothing of thoughts which belong to all men in their relation to G.o.d.

Over all these endeavours to use the Psalms properly in the Praise part of our Services, the ruling idea is that which we have already stated, viz. that G.o.d in these things is to be glorified.

[1] A practice is found, in some churches, of singing this Psalm on Sundays but not when it is read in the ordinary course of the Psalms.

We believe that this is due to a misinterpretation of the Rubric.

There is just as much reason for singing it on the 19th as on any other day.

[2] _Dict. of Chr. Antiq_. "Psalmody." H. J. Hotham.

[3] The "division of the Hebrews" (see Note in Preface on the Order of the Psalter) is followed in our Prayer Book and Bible. The Septuagint and Vulgate unite Psalms ix. and x. and divide cxlvii. into two psalms, viz. _vv._ 1-11, _vv._ 12-20.

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CHAPTER VI.

PRAISE.

II. The Lessons.

A. The Study of the Bible a help to worship.

The Bible is read in Church as an incentive to the praise of G.o.d. It supplies thoughts of G.o.d which are then offered up to Him, as Praise, in the words of the Canticles. It is therefore necessary that we should _understand_ the Bible Lessons as well as our abilities will allow, and that we should _endeavour_ to find in those Lessons everything which will inspire us to honour and love G.o.d.

There are two distinct requirements. A book may help us to _understand_, but the _endeavour_ to find G.o.d in the Bible depends on ourselves: our Lord has described it in the words _He that hath ears to hear let him hear_.

In order to understand the Bible when we hear it read, we should study it at home. Some elementary aids to the study of it may be useful here; for further help we shall want books specially prepared for that {48} purpose, such as the Cambridge Companion to the Bible and The Cambridge Bible for Schools, &c.

1. The Old Testament and the New Testament agree together: they have the same principles of morality, worship and doctrine. G.o.d's guidance of the writers is seen in this--the Old Testament, written at different times in the centuries before our Lord was Born, was such that the Gospel of the Revelation in Jesus was able to fit into it. As S.

Augustine says,

"Novum Testamentum in Vetere latet, Vetus Testamentum in Novo patet."

See also Article VII.

2. The failure of man to live well is shown in the Old Testament.

Though he had favourable conditions and a holy law of life, a pure system of worship, and the discipline of warning and correction, the Israelite failed. Hence the Old Testament continually teaches (_a_) that G.o.d governs, (_b_) that man needs a Saviour.

3. The Old Testament consists of 3 parts (_a_) the Law and History, (_b_) the Psalms and Proverbs, (_c_) the Prophets.

(_a_) The Law and History part includes the books from Genesis to Esther, and relates the progress of the people of G.o.d from its separation as a family and its growth to be an important nation, to the downfall of its independence, and its partial recovery. The writers were a succession of prophets, who continually point to the hand of G.o.d in the events which they record.

(_b_) The Psalms and Proverbs part includes the books from Job to the Song of Solomon, and contains {49} many Hymns of prayer and praise; also discussions of deep problems of human nature and our relation to G.o.d (Job and Ecclesiastes); together with other things which stir us to a life of goodness and worship.

(_c_) The Prophets are not arranged in order of time at which they lived. The four Books which come first are called the Four Greater Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel: and are followed by the Twelve Lesser Prophets. To find the place in the Lesser Prophets it is sufficient to remember Hosea, Joel, Amos as the three which are placed first; and Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi as the three prophets after the Captivity, and therefore placed last. Isaiah should be read with parts of Kings and Chronicles, and Haggai and Zechariah with the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah; and others in like manner according to their period.

4. The New Testament consists of 3 parts--(_a_) The History, (_b_) The Epistles, (_c_) The Revelation of St John.

(_a_) _S. Luke's_ History is in two volumes--the Gospel, which recounts our Lord's Life from His Birth to His Ascension (note here the number of His Parables): and the Acts of the Apostles, which continues the history from His Ascension to the (first) imprisonment of S. Paul at Rome. _S. Matthew's_ Gospel corresponds to S. Luke's Gospel, recounting our Lord's Life from His Birth, with many of His sayings about the Kingdom of Heaven, and especially the Sermon on the Mount.