thus rubrically once in every month. The sacrament of the Lord's Supper is also celebrated once in every month. And thus the two only Sacraments are practically shown to be viewed by the Church on an equality.

It seems much to be wished, that at the consecration of new churches, the Sacrament of Baptism might, sometimes at least, (as possibly indeed may in some instances be the case,) be the sacrament selected to be performed on the occasion. If this was done-of course with the sanction of the bishop, beside the interesting and instructive nature of the rite as administered in our Church, which has so much in it to recommend its publicity to those who may be present-the example, so sanctioned and supported, could scarce fail to have a decided influence throughout the diocese in which it may take place.

I am, Sir, yours faithfully,

D. I. E.

ON THE ROMAN BREVIARY.

SECTION I.

have

MR. EDITOR,-As the wishes of "A Country Clergyman not yet been complied with, it is my intention to address you in a series of letters, explanatory of the history, nature, and contents of the principal Roman-catholic Service Books. The importance of the subject will never be denied by any well-informed member of our Church. These offices not only practically vindicate our Reformers from the charge of causeless innovation, but they also explain many obscure Rubrics in the Book of Common Prayer. As the framework of our Liturgy, they will always command the attention of the antiquary; and they so clearly illustrate the erroneous doctrines of the Romish Church, that they will never lose their value in the eye of the controversialist.

I shall begin with the BREVIARY, which, as your correspondent observes, is totally distinct from the Missal; the latter being exclusively appropriated to the services of the altar, and the sacrifice of the Mass; whereas the former is a collection of Psalms, Prayers, and Lessons, arranged with a view to the devotions of the Clergy, who are obliged, on pain of mortal sin, to recite a determinate portion of it every day in the year: this is generally done in private.

The practice of worshipping God seven times a day, is unquestionably of very ancient origin in the Christian Church, and seems to have been founded upon the words of David, (Psalm cxix. 164.) It has been commonly asserted by Ritualists, that the Psalms, Gospels, and Epistles were distributed into the form of a Breviary by Jerome, about the year 368; but however this may be, it is certain that there was no uniformity in this respect before the Council of Trent. In the middle ages, almost every province had a Breviary peculiar to itself;-the Cistertians, and many other religious orders, used forms of their own; and so great a diversity prevailed throughout the church diffusive, that before the Reformation there were in England at least five Breviaries-viz. those of Salisbury, Hereford, Bangor, York, and Lincoln. The bull of Pope

In your January Number, p. 39.

Pius V., prefixed to the Reformed Breviary, also clearly points out the extent of the evil, for he says-" Quin etiam in provincias paulatim irrepserat prava illa consuetudo, ut Episcopi, in ecclesiis quæ ab initio communiter cum ceteris veteri Romano more horas canonicas dicere ac psallere consuevissent, privatum sibi quisque Breviarium conficerent;" nor was it till the year 1568 that a remedy was applied. The title of the Reformed Breviary is as follows: "Breviarium Romanum, ex decreto SS. Concilii Tridentini Restitutum, Pii V. Pontificis Maximi jussu editum."

The seven canonical hours were

1. MATINS, (called also Uht Song); this began about daybreak. 2. PRIME SONG, about seven in the morning.

3. TIERS (or Undern Song) began at nine A. M. (i. e. the third hour.)

4. MID-DAY SONG began at twelve o'clock.

5. NOON SONG began at three o'clock P. M.; i. e. the nones or ninth hour, for our word noon is improperly applied.

6. EVEN SONG, at six o'clock P. M.

7. COMPLINS (Completorium), at nine o'clock P. M.

Every professed monk, even although he should be a lay brother,—and all those who are in holy orders, (i. e. Bishops, Priests, Deacons, and Subdeacons,) are obliged, on pain of mortal sin, daily to recite the various Psalms, Hymns, Prayers, and Lessons appropriated to each of these canonical hours :-"Licet sint excommunicati, suspensi, interdicti, degradati, ad triremes damnati; ne ex suo delicto commodum reportent." In the Ninth Session of the Fifth Council of Lateran, it was decreed that beneficed clerks neglecting to recite the canonical hours, should forfeit the proceeds of their livings during the time of such omission; and a bull of Pope Pius V. decrees, that for every canonical hour so neglected, the clerk shall forfeit one-sixth of the daily income of his benefice.-Scram. Theol. § 1184.

It is, however, considered sufficient if the Psalms, &c. belonging to the day have been recited at any time in the course of the twenty-four hours, although the prescribed hours have not been attended to; and the matins and lauds of any day may be anticipated at the vespers of the day preceding. Ibid. § 1185.

When we examine the Breviary itself, we find much that is really excellent and scriptural, sadly mingled with the dross of man's invention. The Psalms of David, Lessons out of the Holy Scriptures, Homilies of the Fathers, and the most beautiful prayers, are "unequally yoked" to trifling legends and idolatrous hymns. The amount of the daily task is, besides, too much for the attention; and the wretched evasions which are avowedly resorted to, teach us to abhor a system which would substitute the mere "form" for the "power of godliness," and in which the vilest casuistry is frequently employed to stifle the voice of conscience. The law which so strictly enforces the recitation of the "Hours," tells the priest that there is no occasion for him to observe the external forms of devotion; that if he has commenced with an "intention," he need give himself no uneasiness respecting the subsequent wanderings of his mind; and that if he pronounces every syllable, the most rapid utterance will suffice :-rules which would be admirable

if we were "heard for our much speaking," but ill according with that "reverence and godly fear" with which we ought to address the great Lord of heaven and earth. "Nullus locus (says Scram) pro privata recitatione est præscriptus, unde etiam in loco immundo satisfieri potest nec cæremoniæ uti genuflexiones cadunt sub præcepto. ... Nimia celeritas, ita ut socius verba non satis possit percipere, ordinarie est veniale nec ad repetitionem obligat. Satisfacit huic præcepto qui cum bona intentione incipit et sufficienti attentione superficiali interna et externa pergit orare, licetmultas distractiones patiatur."-Theol. tom. 3. pp. 624, 627. The following is exquisitely ludicrous: "Qui caret Breviario vel illud amisit, &c. non tenetur ad illud recitandum; qui vero illud studiose abjecit, illo die quo abjecit peccat, non vero reliquis diebus si priorem voluntatem retractaverit."—Ibid. p. 628.

It is well known that at the Reformation the clerical duty of reciting the Breviary was commuted by the following Rubric, which is still in our Book of Common Prayer, though it has fallen into general disuse :— "And all Priests and Deacons are to say daily the Morning and Evening Prayer, either privately or openly, not being let by sickness or some other urgent cause."

I have the honour to be, your obedient servant,

RICHARD HART.

MR. EDITOR,

THE ROMISH SERVICE BOOKS.

A CORRESPONDENT in your Number for January (p. 39) wishes to be furnished with a short account of the various Books of Ritual in use in the Romish Church. I would refer him at once to Bingham and Palmer's "Origines Liturgica," where a very full and accurate account will be found; and extracts from them are given in the latter in the original Latin, which, with only few and slight modifications, actually make up the Book of Common Prayer. Our admirable Liturgy is little more than the old Services of the Anglican Church translated into English, purified from superstitions, and arranged in a more judicious and lucid order. To copy out all, or the chief parts, which have been thus adopted by our Reformers, would be little else than to turn the Prayer Book into Latin. I, however, subjoin a very brief account of the different Service Books whence our own was taken.

Before the Reformation, as at this day on the continent, there was a variety of different rites and usages prevailing; as we read of the "uses," or customs, of York, Sarum, Hereford, Bangor, Lincoln, Aberdeen, &c. in this country; but these, in reality, differed very little from each other, having been all originally derived from the ancient Liturgy of the Roman Church, the origin of which may be traced up to the earliest and purest ages, though in time it has been much corrupted, and its scriptural simplicity destroyed.

The Use of Sarum is that which most extensively prevailed in England, and which has been chiefly followed by the compilers of our

Liturgy. Osmund, Bishop of that see, A. D. 1078, and Chancellor of England, seems to have been the introducer of the few peculiarities of this Service; and from its general adoption, probably, when the archbishop of Canterbury celebrated the Liturgy in the presence of the bishops of his province, the Bishop of Salisbury acted as Precentor of the College of Bishops, a title which he still retains.

The Missal is the Book of Masses, or Communion-Services; the title of that in general use is "Missale-Romanum ex decreto sacrosancti Concilii Tridentini restitutum." This of course is of a date some time subsequent to the Reformation; but those churches, which had been for two hundred years in the possession of more ancient missals, were in certain cases allowed to retain them. From the greater number of festivals with appropriate Collects, Epistles, Gospels, and other peculiar forms of devotion in the Romish Church, besides the very minute and numerous directions, rubrics, and decisions, on all possible sorts of matters connected with the service, (extending to three very long and most curious chapters,) the missal is probably ten times as large as our own Communion Office would be, if printed in a separate book.

The "hours of prayer" were seven-viz. Matins (divided into Nocturns, or vigils, a service to be used before day-break; and Lauds, beginning with day-break); Prime, or the first hour, (i.e. six o'clock), followed by the Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours, Vespers, and Compline, or Completorium, because it ended the day's service. The Breviary, consisting of four volumes, one for each quarter of the year, contains the several services for each of the above hours of every day. It seems to have been compiled from the various books in which the services had been before scattered, about the eleventh century; and as they were then abridged, it obtained the name it now bears. The Romish ecclesiastics are bound to repeat the proper portions every day: but, for convenience, they usually say all the morning services together, any time before one o'clock; and by nicely adjusting the time, occasionally commence the evening services at the conclusion, so as to get over the whole day's devotion at a single task, which thus may be said in somewhat less than an hour.'

The Ritual, or Manual, comprises all those occasional offices which correspond to that part of the Book of Common Prayer beginning with the Administration of Baptism, and which are usually administered by a priest.

The Pontifical contains those offices only, the administration of which is exclusively confined to bishops.

The Euchologium, or ritual of the Greeks, like our own "Book of Common Prayer," combines all the Offices of the Church in one volume.

With respect to the absurd ignorance of the assertion, complained of by your correspondent, that the church of Rome had nothing so intolerant as the Athanasian Creed; that Creed was ordered to be sung at Prime, every Sunday, by the Use of Sarum, and other English Churches, whence it is derived into our Service. It still is a part of the Romish Office; and will be found in the most common of all the Romish books of devotion in this country, viz. Bishop Challoner's "Garden of the Soul."

G. C.

THE SERVICES OF THE CHURCH.

[THE following address has been extensively circulated in a large parish in the neighbourhood of London with great success; and, with the subjoined letter of the Bishop of Norwich, deserves the serious consideration of the Clergy.]

"The attention of the inhabitants of this parish is earnestly directed to the necessity of a more strict compliance with the salutary injunctions of our Church, which, amongst other things, expressly forbid any parent to be a godfather or godmother for his or her own child; and which, it is much to be regretted, is too frequently overlooked; thereby defeating the original and excellent intention of the framers of the Liturgy, which contemplated a provision for the spiritual welfare of the infant in case of the neglect or removal of either parent by death. The sponsors also are particularly requested to give distinct responses to those questions specially addressed to them, and are reminded that an attendance on the previous services of the Church is highly commendable.

"Further, on the subject of Baptism, a misapprehension seems extensively to prevail in this, as well as in many other parishes; namely, that the mere act of Lay Registration admits the infant to the privileges of the christian covenant; it cannot therefore be too generally made known, that the Clergy are forbidden by law to read the Service for the Burial of the Dead over any person who shall happen to die unbaptized, and consequently that every Clergyman is bound, by his canonical oath, to refuse christian burial in all those cases where he is not satisfied that the persons have been duly baptized with water, and in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

"With respect to the Churching of Women, it is strongly recommended that more attention be paid to the very appropriate injunction respecting the reception of the holy communion in the courts of the Lord's house, and in the presence of all his people.' And in order to secure regularity in the performances of all the services, due previous notice should invariably be given to the Clergyman; especially with respect to funerals, since in a large parish the visitation of the sick, and other official duties, fully occupy the time and attention of the ministers, and make a regularly organized plan absolutely necessary for a satisfactory discharge of the pastoral office."

BISHOP OF NORWICH'S ADDRESS TO THE OFFICIATING CLERGY.

66

Palace, Norwich. "MY REV. FRIENDS, Representations have been so frequently made to me by the Clergy, respecting a custom which I am given to understand prevails very generally, not only in the city, but in several other parts of the diocese, namely, the substitution of the office of Private Baptism for that which by our Liturgy we are expressly ordered to use in churches; and also the frequent omission of a considerable portion of the Funeral Service; that on both these points I feel myself called upon to express my opinion.