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OF PROPER LESSONS AND PSALMS.

THERE is no table of Proper Lessons and Psalms in Edward's First Prayerbook (1549), but the Proper Lessons and Psalms are attached to the respective Sundays and Holy-days, to which they are appropriated, under the head of "The Introits, Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, &c.-with Proper Psalms and Lessons for divers Feasts and Days." The only Sundays, for which Proper Lessons were appointed, were Easter-day, Whitsunday, and Trinity Sunday. Some of the Holydays had Proper First Lessons and some Proper Second Lessons assigned to them. The only Proper Lesson from the Apocrypha was that for All Saints' day.

In 1559 the first regular table of Sunday Lessons was put forth. It is almost identical with that put forth in 1662. The Apocryphal Proper Lessons for Holydays were added in 1559.

The custom of reading Holy Scripture in the service of the Church prevailed from the very first. "Justin Martyr says that the writings of the Prophets and Apostles were read in the Congregation on Sunday. In the 4th century the Psalmody, which formed a large portion of the service, was ordered not to be continuous but to be mingled with reading. In the Gallican Church, in the fifth century, the Psalms were sung between the reading of the Lessons: and four lessons were read in an appointed order from the books of Moses, the Prophets, the Gospels, and the Epistles. After the sixth century many of the Western Churches read three, five, seven, or nine lessons. In the English Church there were either three or nine lections in the nocturns and matins: but these were generally very short, some consisting only of a few verses of Scripture, and some being short extracts from Expositions or Homilies of the Fathers, or Lives of the Saints. Hence although the Lessons were numerous, but little Scripture was read; and that small portion was interrupted by anthems." PROCTER.

"Cassian (A.D. 424) says, in Egypt, after the singing of the Psalms, they had two Lessons read, one out of the Old Testament, and the other out of the New. Only on Saturdays and Sundays and the fifty days of Pentecost they were both out of the New Testament, one out of the Acts of the Apostles or the Epistles, and the other out of the Gospels. The author of the Constitutions (before A.D. 325) speaks of four Lessons, two out of Moses and the Prophets, besides the Psalms, and then two out of the Epistles or Acts of the Apostles and the Gospels. Again he mentions the reading of the Prophets

on Sundays. And in another place, the Law and the Prophets, the Psalms and the Gospels. And again, the Law and the Prophets, and the Epistles, and the Acts, and the Gospels...In like manner Chrysostom (A.D. 398) reproving some, who were very negligent at Church, says, Tell me what Prophet was read to-day, what Apostle? implying that the one was read as well as the other. Particularly he tells us that the Book of Genesis was always read in Lent... St Basil (A.D. 370), in one of his Homilies upon baptism in Lent, takes notice of the several Lessons that were read that day, besides the Psalms, whereof one was out of the 1st of Isaiah, the second out of Acts ii, and the third out of Matthew xi....Maximus Taurinensis (A.D. 422), in one of his Homilies upon the Epiphany, says the Lessons were out of Isaiah lx. Matthew ii. and John i. for that Festival....... In the French Churches there is still more evidence for the practice: for Cæsarius Arelatensis (A.D. 500), in one of his Homilies cited by Mabillon, uses this argument to the people, why they should stay the whole time of Divine Service, because the Lessons were not so properly called Missa or Divine Service, as was the oblation or consecration of the body and blood of Christ: for they might read at home, or hear others read the Lessons, whether out of the Prophets, or Apostles, or Evangelists; but they could not hear or see the consecration any where else but only in the house of God.... And in the old Lectionarium Gallicanum, published by Mabillon, there is always a Lesson out of the Old Testament before the Epistle and Gospel; and on the Sabbatum Sanctum, or Saturday before Easter, there are no less than twelve Lessons appointed out of Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and Jonah, beside the Epistle and Gospel which follow after. It farther appears from the Canons of the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 361), and the third Council of Carthage (A.D. 397), that all the books of the Old Testament were then read in the Church, as well as the New." BINGHAM.

"The next observation to be made is upon their method of reading the Scriptures, which seems always to be done by some rule, though this might vary in different churches. St Austin (A.D. 398) tells us there were some Lessons so fixed and appropriated to certain times and seasons, that no others might be read in their stead....All the time between Easter and Pentecost, he says, they read the Acts of the Apostles. This last particular is frequently mentioned by St Chryso

PROPER LESSONS

TO BE READ AT MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER, ON THE SUNDAYS AND OTHER HOLY-DAYS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

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stom (A.D. 398)... Cassian (A.D. 424) says the same order was observed among the Egyptians, and it appears from the ancient Lectionarium Gallicanum, that it was so in the French Churches...(Chrysostom) preached two whole Lents upon the book of Genesis, because it was then read of course in the Church.... It appears farther from St Ambrose (A.D. 374), that the books of Job and Jonah were both read in the Passion Week... And that this was an ancient rule of the Church appears from Origen's (A.D. 230) comment upon Job... St Chrysostom in one of his Homilies upon the Gospel of St John, which he was then expounding, advises his auditors to read at home, in the week-days before, such portions of the Gospel as they knew were to be read and expounded on the Lord's day following in the Church: which implies some certain rule and order. So that though we have not any complete Lectionarium, or Calendar of Lessons now remaining, yet we are sure their reading of Scripture was some way methodised and brought under rule, especially for the greater solemnities and festivals of the Church. The first Calendar of this kind is thought by some to be Hippolytus' Canon Paschalis" (A.D. 220). (The Paschal Canon of Hippolytus is now admitted to have been an Easter cycle). "There goes also under the name of St Jerome a book called his Comes or Lectionarium; but critics of the best rank reckon this a counterfeit, and the work of a much later writer because it mentions Lessons out of the Prophets and Old Testament, whereas in St Jerome's time, as we have noted before, there were no Lessons read besides Epistles and Gospels in the Church of Rome. However, some time after there were several books of this kind composed for the use of the French churches. Sidonius Apollinaris says, Claudianus Mamercus made one for the Church of Vienne A.D. 450. And Gennadius says, Musæus made another for the Church of Marseilles about the year 458. But both these are now lost, and the oldest of this kind is the Lectionarium Gallicanum, which Mabillon lately (A.D. 1685) published from a manuscript, which he judges by the hand to be above a thousand years old...... But though we have no more ancient calendar now remaining, yet the authorities alleged before do indisputably evince the thing itself, that the Lessons of Scripture were generally appropriated to times and seasons, according as the festival required." BINGHAM.

In the Lectionarium Gallicanum there are Lessons appointed for Matins as well as for Mass.

"The first Lessons appointed for Sundays form a distinct yearly course of

selected chapters from the Old Testament. These are taken from Isaiah during Advent and Epiphany: Genesis is commenced on Septuagesima Sunday, which is the first step in the preparation for Lent, and when the Sundays begin to be reckoned with reference to the coming Easter.... The selections then proceed through the historical and prophetical books, the Book of Proverbs being reserved for the concluding Sundays after Trinity. Another course is provided for Holy-days: proper chapters are appointed, usually for the first and second Lessons, which are suited to the Commemoration, either prophetical of it, or if possible relating to the history of it: the Lessons appointed for Saints' days are mostly taken from the Books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, or from the apocryphal Books of Ecclesiasticus and Wisdom." PROCTER.

A new Table of Lessons was put forth in 1871; but the use of the old Table of 1662 was permitted till the 1st of January, 1879.

The Calendar with the new Table of Lessons is placed in this book immediately after the Calendar with the Table of Lessons of 1662.

The remarks on the appointment of the Proper Lessons for Holy-Days, refer to the Table of Lessons of 1662. in the following notes on the Calendar,

The Proper Psalms for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday were added in 1652. The rest come down from 1549, except that then the morning psalms for Whitsunday were Pss. 48, 67, 145.

"The Church had not only proper Lessons, but proper Psalms read upon greater festivals, suited to the occasion.

. For St Austin (A.D. 398) plainly informs us, that the 22nd Psalm was always read upon the day of our Saviour's Passion in the African Church." BINGHAM.

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LESSONS for the Feast of the Circumcision are appointed in a Gallican Lectionary, to which Mabillon assigns a date not later than A.D. 685. See note on the Collect for the day. The present Proper Lessons were appointed in 1549.

The Feast of the Epiphany is mentioned by Augustine. See note on Collect. The present Proper Lessons were appointed in 1549.

Lucian, Priest and Martyr, is said to have been a noble Roman, who was sent by Fabian, Bishop of Rome, as a missionary to Gaul A.D. 250. He fixed his abode at Beauvais. He was martyred A.D. 290. In the Parisian Breviary he is called the "Apostle of Beauvais.'

Hilary, Bishop and Confessor, born at Poitiers in Gaul, of heathen parents, was consecrated Bishop of Poitiers about A.D. 350. He stoutly upheld the Catholic faith against the Arians, through whose influence he was banished to Phrygia A.D. 356. After A.D. 360 he was permitted to return to his diocese, where he died A.D. 368. The Te Deum is by some attributed to him. See notes on Te Deum, p. 63. Prisca, Virgin and Martyr, is said to have been a Roman lady who suffered under the Emperor Claudius. The general opinion is that this Claudius was the second of the name, and that the date of the martyrdom was about A.D. 270.

Fabian, Bishop and Martyr, was Bishop of Rome from A.D. 236 to A.D. 250. He suffered under the Emperor Decius.

Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, was a young Roman lady of noble family. She suffered under Diocletian about A.D. 305. Augustine mentions her festival. She is commemorated by name in the Canon of the Roman Mass.

Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, a Spanish Deacon, was born in Arragon. He suffered in the Diocletian persecution A.D. 304. His Acts, which are considered authentic, were publicly read in the Church of Hippo in the time of Augustine.

The observance of a Festival in honour of the Conversion of St Paul is not of great antiquity. See note upon the Collect. The second Lessons were appointed in the first in 1559.

1549

King Charles, Martyr, was beheaded in 1649. Six churches in England are named in his honour. These are, one at Falmouth, two at Plymouth, one at Tonbridge Wells, the Church of Peak Forest, Derbyshire, and of Newtown in Wem, Salop. The names of Lucian, Hilary, Prisca, Fabian, Agnes, Vincent were first placed in the reformed Calendar at the revision of 1561. The designations of the persons commemorated were added in 1662.

The observance of the Feast of the Purification dates, according to some, from the time of the Emperor Justin; according to others, from the time of his successor Justinian, A.D. 542. See note on the Collect. The Proper Lessons were appointed

in 1559.

Blasius, Bishop and Martyr, was Bishop of Sebaste, a city of Cappadocia. He suffered, according to some, in the Diocletian persecution, at the beginning of the fourth century; according to others, under Licinius, A.D. 316.

Agatha, Virgin and Martyr, was a young Sicilian lady of noble family. She suffered at Catania, in the Decian persecution, A.D. 251. Her name occurs in the Canon of the Roman Mass.

Valentine, Bishop and Martyr, was a priest of the Roman Church. He was put in chains by Claudius II., and after a year's imprisonment at Rome, suffered A.D. 270. His festival was observed before the time of Gregory the Great.

The Festival of St Matthias, Apostle, occurs in a Martyrology of the German Church, supposed to be nearly coeval with Gregory the Great. See note on the Collect. Before the Reformation St Matthias' day was kept in Leap-year, on Feb. 25th. In the Prayer-book of 1549 we read: "This is also to be noted, concerning the Leap-years, that the 25th day of February, which in Leap-years is counted for two days, shall in those two days alter neither Psalm nor Lesson; but the same Psalms and Lessons which be said the first day, shall also serve for the second day." Wheatly thinks that this alteration was made in order that the Holy-day might always be kept on the 24th. In the Calendar put forth in 1561 the old practice was resumed, and the following rule, which was inserted in the Prayer-book of 1604, was promulgated: "When the year of our Lord may be divided into four even parts, which is every fourth year, then the Sunday letter leapeth, and that year the Psalms and Lessons which serve for the 23rd day of February_shall be read again the day following, except it be Sunday, which hath Proper Lessons of the Old Testament, appointed in the Table serving to that purpose. In 1662 the intercalary day was made the 29th of February, so that St Matthias now must always be kept on the 24th. The present Proper Lessons were appointed in 1559.

The names of Blasius, Agatha, and Valentine were first placed in the reformed Calendar at the revision of 1561. The designations of the persons commemorated were added in 1662.

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