2
I know the Primitive Christians performed their private devotions at other times as well as these; but at these set times every day, especially at the third and ninth hour, they always performed them publicly, if they could get an opportunity. And if we would be such Christians as they were, we must follow their pious example in this, as well as in other things.
*****
As the Jewish Church had by God's own appointment the Morning and Evening Sacrifice every day in the year; so all Christian Churches have been used to have their Morning and Evening Prayers publicly performed every day. As might easily be shewn out of the Records of the Church, from the beginning of Christianity.
Not to insist upon other Churches, I shall instance at present only in our own; which, as in all things else, so particularly in this, is exactly conformable to the Catholic and Apostolic Church. In the First Book of Common-Prayer, made by our Church at the beginning of the Reformation, there was a Form composed both for Morning and Evening Prayer: the title of that for the Morning ran thus; An Order for Mattins daily through the Year; and of that for the Evening, An Order for Even Song throughout the Year: and accordingly there were Psalms and Chapters appointed both for the Morning and Evening of every day. About three or four years after, the same book was revised and put forth again. And then the Church taking notice that Daily Prayers had been in some places neglected, at the end of the Preface she added two new Rules, or, as we call them. Rubrics; which are still in force, as ye may see in the Common-Prayer Books which we now use.
The first is this:
And all Priests and Deacons are to say daily the Morning and Evening Prayer, either privately or openly, not being let by sickness, or other urgent cause.
By this, every one that is admitted into Holy Orders, although he be neither Parson, Vicar, nor Curate of any particular place, yet he is bound to say both Morning and Evening Prayer every day, either in some Church or Chapel where he can get leave to do it, or else in the House where he dwells, except he be hindered by some such cause which the Ordinary of the place judges to be reasonable and urgent.
