the Gospels and Epistles; the other for non-Communion Services, taking in the Old Testament as well as the New.

The Communion Lectionary consists of short passages; the other often of entire chapters.

Before 1549 the Communion Lectionary was the principal, and the only one confined to Scripture, the non-Communion lections being short miscellaneous passages, drawn from the Fathers and the lives of the saints more than from Scripture, interrupted, too, perpetually by responds and short anthems called

verses.

The first approach to our modern plan of chapters from the Old and New Testaments in the daily nonCommunion Service came from the reformed Roman Breviary of Cardinal Quignonez, in 1536, his object being to bring Holy Scripture more distinctly forward in the Church services.

In 1539, Cranmer's or the Great Bible came out in England; and on May 6th, 1541, a proclamation appeared for every parish church to provide itself with a copy before the feast of All Saints; not, however, with a view to its being publicly read in Divine service, but that the parishioners might resort to it for private reading. On Feb. 21st, 1543, in compliance with the royal pleasure Convocation ordered that one chapter of the New Testament should be read after the Te Deum and the Magnificat, and that when the New Testament was finished the Old Testament should be begun. (Wilk. iii. 863; Full. iii. 198).

In 1549 every day in the Calendar was assigned its chapters from Old and New Testaments, morning and

evening. Lessons were also provided for holydays,— notified, however, not in a table as now, but under the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for the days. There were no special lessons for Sundays, Sundays taking their turn with other days.

In 1552 the Lessons for holydays were placed in a separate table. In 1559 Proper Lessons for Sundays first appeared. The Lectionary then consisted of three tables, exhibiting (1) Lessons in the Calendar for each day in the year; (2) Lessons proper for Sundays; (3) Lessons proper for holydays.

Our present New Lectionary was drawn up by the Ritual Commission appointed in 1867. Its third Report, dated January 12th, 1870, contains a revised Table of Lessons, which was afterwards accepted by the Convocations of Canterbury and York, and authorised by the Prayer Book (Table of Lessons) Act, July 13th, 1871, 34 & 35 Vict. c. 37 (Cripps, 570). It was optional from Jan. 1st, 1872, and compulsory from Jan. 1st, 1879. The New Lectionary does not differ substantially from the old. It provides alternative Old Testament Lessons for Evening Service, to prevent the necessity of reading the same chapter both afternoon and evening, and it somewhat shortens the Lessons by reading parts of chapters instead of complete ones.

§ 38. The Lessons Proper for Sundays are selected chapters from selected books of the Old Testament. There are no special selections from the New Testament, which is read in regular course according to the day of the month, Sundays and other days alike. The book which furnishes the most numerous Sunday

Lessons is Isaiah, which is read from Advent Sunday to where Epiphany Sundays often end. At Septuagesima commences Genesis, from which the next largest number is taken; and this book is read nearly to the end of Lent. The Pentateuch goes on to Whit Sunday. Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Chronicles, and Kings occupy the first half of the Sundays after Trinity, the Prophets the second half, the Minor Prophets coming last.

§ 39. Lessons Proper for Holydays.-The holy days which have proper Lessons have Collects, Epistles, and Gospels. They commemorate (1) seasons and events in our Lord's history, and (2) the following saints, viz., St. Mary; the thirteen apostles, includ ing Matthias and Paul; the evangelists Mark and Luke; St. John the Baptist; the deacon and martyr Stephen; Barnabas the companion of the apostles. Reckoned under the second head there are also, without individual names, the Holy Innocents or Infants, and All Saints; and the heavenly beings Michael and All Angels.

These persons, events, and seasons are biblical, except All Saints, who include the people of God of every age.

The Lessons are, as a rule, from the canonical books; but the Apocrypha is read four times, viz., Baruch once, on Innocents' Day; Ecclesiasticus once, on St. Luke's; Wisdom twice, on All Saints'.

§ 40. Proper Psalms.-These, in 1549, were appointed for the following four days: Christmas,

Easter, Ascension, Whit Sunday; not, however, in a separate table, but, like the Proper Lessons, among the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels for the days.

In 1552 the four days remained the same, but a separate table of "PROPER PSALMS AND LESSONS was formed.

In 1559 the Proper Psalms had their own table appended to one of Proper Lessons, as at present.

In 1662 two more days were added,-Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, making six as now. Trinity Sunday has no Proper Psalms.

§ 41. The Calendar Lessons.-These exhibit a tabular arrangement for reading nearly the whole Bible in the course of a year in the daily service. The omitted portions are chiefly the bulk of Leviticus, 1 Chron. (except a part of one chapter), Canticles, and Lamentations, the Psalms being not read as Lessons, but recited with the people. The year commences with Genesis, and the books are read in their order, except that Isaiah is reserved to the end of the year. Malachi is finished on October 27th, and on October 29th, the day following SS. Simon and Jude, the Apocrypha is read during three weeks, ending on November 18th.

The older Lectionaries of 1549, 1552, 1559 read more of the Apocrypha, commencing with Tobit on October 5th, and then going on to Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, ended on November 27th, fifty-four days. The Lectionary of 1662 commenced the Apocrypha still earlier, viz., September 27th, and, adding the History of Susanna and Bel and the

Dragon, ended on November 23rd, after an Apocryphal course of fifty-eight days.

The Apocryphal Lessons of the present Lectionary are confined to Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, and two chapters of Baruch.

On November 18th, the day that the Apocryphal Lessons end, Isaiah begins, and this book continues to the close of the year, embracing, therefore, all Advent and Christmastide.

The New Testament is read through twice in the year, once in the morning and once in the evening, and it is so managed that the Gospels are never read twice on the same day; yet always once, except during twenty days (reduced to eighteen by the occurrence of two saints' days) in June and July; and when the Gospel Lessons have ended in the morning, they begin (after that interval) in the evening. Another exception is that the Apocalypse is read both morning and evening from the 17th to the close of December, which was a provision of the New Lectionary, the old one having excluded the Apocalypse. In the second half of December, therefore, comprising the last week in Advent and all Christmas time, the Calendar Lessons are from Isaiah and the Apocalypse.

§ 42. The Saints' Days and Calendar Holydays.— These are the immoveable ones only. Some are in red or Italic letters, others in black and Roman. The red-letter days are those which are kept holy by a special service, with Communion, and the names commemorated are (except All Saints') biblical. These will be treated of in another part of this work,