speaking, the announcement should be made by the Officiating Minister; and not by the Lay-Reader, if such is employed. And similarly, at the termination of the LESSONS, the conclusion is to be announced only by the Officiating Minister, and in these brief words, Here endeth the First Lesson,' or 'Second Lesson,' as the case may be. (See pars. 145–147. supra.) Where a Lectern is used, the Reader at the close of each Lesson retires to his place: in some Churches he turns round and faces the Altar during the chanting of the Canticle following the First Lesson.

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309.-The Rubrics on the Lessons in the previous Liturgies were a little fuller than the one in our present Prayer Book; but the matter omitted will be found to be embodied in The Order how the rest of Holy Scripture is appointed to be read,' in the prefatory portion preceding the Calendar. The old Rubric was as follows:

'Then a Lesson of the Old Testament as (it 1549) is appointed 'likewise in the Kalendar, except there be proper Lessons appointed for that day.' (1549, 1552, 1559, 1604.)

THE MAGNIFICAT. Luke i. 46.

And after that, Magnificat, (or the Song of the Blessed Virgin 'Mary) in English, as followeth.'-(1662)

(The Minister and People standing.)

310. This hymn, the Magnificat, so called from its first word in the Latin version, occupies the same place in our Liturgy as it did in the ancient Service Books: it followed the 'Little Chapter' at Vespers in the Salisbury, York, and Hereford Uses, and was thus known to Amalarius (A. D. 820), and some think, to Benedict (A. D. 530) also. Bingham, in his Christian Antiquities, tells us that the Magnificat was sung in the Morning Service of the French Church so early as A. D. 506. This Canticle is well adapted to follow the Lesson from the Old Testament in our Services,

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from providing us with an inspired expression of joy at the fulfilment of God's gracious promises-a joy equal to the interest the holy Virgin had in the mysterious birth and blessing she anticipated. This Hymn is prescribed in the Liturgy of 1549, and in the subsequent Revisions; and we find it to have been employed, likewise, in all the Offices of the reformed Churches abroad. The Royal Commissioners of 1689, in their Alterations and Amendments,' proposed substituting Psalm viii. for the Magnificat; but their suggestions were not approved.* The Magnificat, and Nunc Dimittis, are usually preferred to the Psalms set down as their alternatives.

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DEAN COMBER beautifully justifies the use of this admirable Hymn in these words:-' As soon as the blessed Virgin was filled 'with the Holy Ghost she uttered this divine Canticle, which is the very first Hymn recorded in the New Testament, and may be ' reckoned the first fruits of the Spirit; and therefore it hath been 'anciently used among the Christians, and is received at this day 'into the Service of all the reformed Churches of Holland and Germany, as well as retained in ours, where it is placed very fitly after the first Lesson at EVENING PRAYER, in which are 'usually set forth those acts of God's gracious providence over the 'pious, and those prophecies and promises of a Saviour to come, 'for which this Hymn doth praise the Lord: the blessed Virgin then experienced God's goodness to his servants, and saw the accomplishment of all His promises, and in this form she expressed 'her joy and gratitude; and when we hear in the Lesson like 'examples of His mercy, and are told of those prophecies and promises which are now fulfilled in Christ's birth, we may be 'expected to rejoice with her in the same words.'-(quoted in MANT'S Book of Com. Prayer, in loco).

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DR. BENNETT remarks:-' By the use of this Hymn, though 'composed by the Blessed Virgin upon so particular an occasion, we do extol and magnify God for those great mercies which she 'had at that time so deep a sense of. And we use this Hymu immediately after the First Lesson, wherein those mercies are so 'frequently and fully promised and declared; and immediately 'before the Second Lesson, wherein we find that they were so 'exactly and plentifully fulfilled and enjoyed.' (p.77).—Paraphrase on Book of Com. Prayer, in loco. A. D. 1708.

311.-The Magnificat in those Churches which can boast of a Choir of the least efficiency is usually

* In the American Liturgy, this Hymn is omitted from the EVENING PRAYER.

chanted: where, however, such practice does not prevail, Minister and People read it alternatim. The posture to be assumed by all is that of standing.

CANTATE DOMINO.

¶. Or else this Psalm; except it be on the Nineteenth Day of the Month, when it is read in the ordinary course of the Psalms.' (1662).

Cantate Domino. Psalm xcviii.

312. This Psalm was introduced into Edward's Second Liturgy, the Revision of 1552; by way of variety, as well as to meet the scruples of those who questioned the propriety of the Magnificat. The 98th Psalm is well adapted to express the thanksgivings of God's adopted children for deliverance from their spiritual enemies, or for any great and temporal blessing. David designed it to celebrate the gratitude of Israel for the victories God's mercy had vouchsafed them; and we can with greater reason sing forth our praises, and rejoice in our hearts, that "The Lord hath declared His salvation."*

313.-On the Nineteenth Day of the Month this Psalm, the 98th, occurs in the ordinary course of Psalms, and therefore should not here be used in the place of the Magnificat.' When employed it may be either chanted, or said alternatively by Minister and People, according to the usage of the Church. The posture adopted is that of standing.

WHEATLY says:-'When the First Lesson treats of some great ' and temporal deliverance granted to the peculiar people of God, 'we have the 98th Psalm for variety; which, though made on 'occasion of some of David's victories, may yet be very properly applied to ourselves, who, being God's adopted children, are a 'spritual Israel; and therefore have all imaginable reason to bless 'God for the same, and to call upon the whole creation to join with us in thanksgiving.' (p. 139)—Rat. Ill. of Book of Common Prayer. Corrie's Ed.

*In the AMERICAN LITURGY, another Psalm follows the Cantate to be used as a substitute headed with the Rubric-' Or this. Bonum est confiteri. Psalm xcii.'

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The REV. J. JEBB remarks:- The Cantate, and Deus misereatur, might perhaps be reserved for occasions of great national rejoicing, and for the evening of EASTER DAY; when the 98th Psalm comes in with magnificent effect, as a triumphal song, after the 14th chapter of Exodus, commemorating the overthrow of Pharaoh and 'his host, the whole being typical of Christ's benefits; who, by His Resurrection has at the same time made the waters of Baptism ' available to us, and has overcome for us our strongest enemies.' (p. 410).-Choral Service.

The REV. W. PALMER observes:-'The Psalm, Cantate Domino, 'when used here, is to be considered as a responsory Psalm since it 'immediately follows a Lesson; and this is in accordance with the 'seventeenth Canon of the Council of Laodicea, which appointed 'Lessons and Psalms to be read alternately.' (p. 285).-Lit. Orig. Vol. I.

THE SECOND LESSON.

¶. Then a Lesson of the New Testament, as it is appointed.'—(1662)

(The Reader standing, and turning to the People-the
People sitting.)

314. At the conclusion of the Magnificat, or Cantate Domino, the SECOND LESSON is to be read precisely after the same manner as the First Lesson. The use of two Lessons in the EVENING SERVICE is of very great antiquity, and appears to be derived from the practice of the Egyptian Church at the beginning of the 5th century: we find, likewise, that the Second Lesson was always taken from the New Testament. (Cassian. 1. ii. Inst. Cœnob. c. 4.)

315.-The LESSONS are appointed in the Calendar, and in the Table of Proper Lessons preceding it, at the beginning of the Book of Common Prayer: and it should be remembered that when there is a concurrence of Saint's-Days with Holy-Days, the choice of Lessons and of Collect should coincide. Many Clergymen, however, set aside the Lessons from the Apocrypha when they have the choice of Canonical Scripture. (See par. 123-5, supra, and First Collect, postea.)

316.-The Reader of the Second Lesson in Churches where two or more Clergymen officiate, is

usually the Incumbent, or superior Minister, on account of the pre-eminence attached to the New Testament over the Old Testament Scriptures. The manner of announcing, reading, and concluding, these Lessons, and the posture of the Reader, while thus officiating, are similar to those employed in the First Lesson.

317. At the termination of the Second Lesson the order of EVENING PRAYER is liable to interruption by the demands of the Statute Law, and of certain Rubrics of the Prayer Book, with regard to the three points following, and which we place in the order usually assigned to their performance

(a.) Publication of Banns of Marriage.
(b.) Catechizing the Children.
(c.) Baptisms.

(a) PUBLICATION OF BANNS OF MARRIAGE.

318.-When the EVENING PRAYER should happen to be the first Service of the Sunday, as it may be in certain remote Village Churches; or when the Publication of Banns may have been omitted in the previous Service of the Sunday, the Marriage Act, 4 Geo. IV. c. 76. s. 2. requires that Banns of Matrimony shall be published in the EVENING SERVICE"immediately after the Second Lesson : "

thus

All Banns of Matrimony shall be published in an audible manner in the Parish Church or in some public Chapel in which 'Banns of Matrimony may now or hereafter be lawfully published, of or belonging to the Parish or Chapelry wherein the persons to be married dwell according to the form of words prescribed by the Rubric prefixed to the Office of Matrimony in the BOOK of COMMON PRAYER, upon three Sundays preceding the solemnization of the Marriage during the time of MORNING SERVICE, or of EVENING SERVICE (if there be no Morning Service in such Church or Chapel upon the Sunday upon which such Banns shall be so 'published) immediately after the Second Lesson;' &c.-4 Geo. IV.

c. 76. 8. 2.

319.-Although there is some difference of opinion, as we have already fully shown (in pars. 170-173,