Of Ceremonies.
more studious of unity and concord, mean, and to what use they do serve. than of innovations and new- fangle- So that it is not like that they in ness, which( as much as may be with time to come should be abused as true setting forth of Christ's religion) other have been. And in these our is always to be eschewed. Further doings we condemn no other namore, such shall have no just cause tions, nor prescribe any thing but to with the ceremonies reserved to be our own people only for we think it offended. For as those be taken a- convenient that every country should way which were most abused, and use such ceremonies as they shall did burden men's consciences with think best to the setting forth of out any cause; so the other that re- God's honour and glory, and to the main, are retained for a discipline reducing of the people to a most and order, which( upon just causes) perfect and godly living, without may be altered and changed, and error or superstition; and that they therefore are not to be esteemed equal should put away other things, which with God's law. And moreover, they from time to time they perceive to be neither dark nor dumb ceremo- be most abused, as in men's ordinies, but are so set forth, that every nances it often chanceth diversly in man may understand what they do divers countries.
The Order how the Psalter is appointed to be read.
HE Psalter shall be read through appointed, both for Morning and Evening Prayer. But in February it shall be read only to the twentyeighth, or twenty- ninth day of the
month.
And, whereas January, March, May, July, August, October, and December have one- and- thirty days apiece; It is ordered, that the same Psalms shall be read the last day of the said months, which were read the day before: so that the Psalter may begin again the first day of the next month ensuing.
And, whereas the 119th Psalm is divided into twenty- two portions,
THE Old Testament is appointed for
and is over- long to be read at one time shall not be read above four or five of the said portions.
And at the end of every Psalm, and of every such part of the 119th Psalm, shall be repeated this Hymn,
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
The Order how the rest of holy Scripture is appointed to be
read.
and Evening Prayer; so as the most part thereof will be read every year once, as in the Calendar is appointed.
The New Testament is appointed for the second Lessons at Morning and Evening Prayer, and shall be read over orderly every year thrice, besides the Epistles and Gospels; except the Apocalypse, cut of which there are only certain Proper Lessons appointed upon divers Feasts.
And to know what Lessons shall be read every day, look for the day of the month in the Calendar following, and there ye shall find the chapters that shall be read for the Lessons both
Note, 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.
at Morning and Evening Prayer;
which are not in the Calendar, and the Immoveable, where there is a blank left in the column of Lessons, the Proper Lessons for all which days are to be found in the Table of Proper Lessons.
And note, that whensoever Proper Psalms or Lessons are appointed; then the Psalms and Lessons of ordinary course appointed in the Psalter and Calendar( if they be different) shall be omitted for that time.
Note also, that the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, appointed for the Sunday shall serve all the week after, where it is not in this Book otherwise ordered. A 5