Chapter VIII: Introduction

TEXT and SERMON on Confession.
The act of CONFESSION.
GOD'S ANSWER to Confession.

PRAISE.

_Praise-terminations_
THE LORD'S PRAYER . . . . . . Thine is the kingdom.

( 1. Interjected Verses )
PSALMS ( 2. xcv. (at Mattins) ) Gloria Patri.
( 3. Special, i.--cl. (as )
( appointed) )

LESSONS ( 1. Old Testament . . . Canticle 1 or 2,
( 2. New Testament . . . Canticle 3 or 4.

THE APOSTLES' CREED . . . . . . Amen.

PRAYER.

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

PRECES or Interjected Verses anticipating the Collects.

( 1. for spiritual needs,
COLLECTS ( ANTHEM or Choral Prayer uniting the
( two kinds of Collect,
( 2. for physical needs and earthly relations.

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In 1552 the Introductory portion was prefixed. _Confession_, which formerly occurred in the Prayers, had been omitted in 1549. It now forms the Introduction.

The reason for this beginning is set forth in a short sermon which is usually known as the _Exhortation_, and has, like other sermons, a Text, commonly known as a _Sentence_ (see Rubric at the head of the Sentences). This is in accordance with very ancient custom[1], and with the very natural sense that man must receive permission before he approaches God.

God's answer to Confession is The _Absolution_ or _Remission_ of Sins.

As an illustration of this we may think of Esther, when she went to make her petition of the King (Esther iv. 2, v. 1-3). The King extending his sceptre gave her permission to speak.

The Sentences

are 11 verses, chosen, 5 from the Psalms, 4 from the Prophets, 2 from the Gospels, 1 from the Epistles. They represent either man's cry to God (Nos. 2, 3, 7, 9, 10) or God's call to man (Nos. 1, 4, 5, 8, 11) or both (No. 6).

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The Exhortation.

_The Scripture moveth us_] The Sentences supply 11 such places, but there are many more to be found in the Bible. The word "moveth" has the same meaning as when a resolution is moved at a meeting.

_When we assemble and meet together_ in Church] Four reasons are given, viz. the four great occupations of Worship, without regard to their order in the Service. We have already pointed out that _Thanksgiving_ and _Prayer_ spring from the sense of man's wants and his dependence on God; and that the _Reading of God's Word_ in these Services is not for study but for _Praise_. We shall therefore find the Thanksgiving after the Prayers, and the Lessons (or Lections) of Holy Scripture amongst the Praises.

The Confession.

The capital letters indicate that this was to be, as it were, dictated to the people, sentence by sentence: and the Rubric implies the same. It will be remembered that books were scarce when this Rubric was prepared. Literal obedience to it is often very impressive, and a real addition to the solemnity of the act. On ordinary occasions in some Churches, the Minister leads the Confession without the formal separation of each clause from the next.

The expressions, used here to acknowledge the wickedness of sin and the defects of human life, will seem to be excessive whenever we are making light of {31} our faults. But in proportion as we realise the perfection of God's holiness, we shall find them suitable to every shade of defect and sin.

The comprehensive humility of this Confession is designed to include both modified faults and grave offences--whether by commission, omission or indolence. The full acknowledgment of the different forms of sin is followed by prayer for mercy and recovery, relying upon the promises declared in Jesus Christ.

The Absolution.

As God's answer to Confession, this is pronounced by God's own messenger. The messenger must have full credentials; i.e. a Deacon must not say the Absolution.

Both here and in the Confession, the _Titles and Attributes_ of God should be noticed. His power and mercy were made the grounds of our appeal to Him. His mercy and authority are now made the grounds of His answer. The fulness of the declaration of them gives emphasis to the declaration of pardon which follows.

We find four parts in the Confession and the same parts in the Absolution, viz.

1. The Title and Attributes of God.

2. The substantial part, i.e. Confession or Absolution.

3. The prayer which is founded thereon.

4. The appeal through our Lord.

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Rubrics.

Before the invention of printing (15th century), the directions in Law Manuscripts had been written in red, in order to distinguish them from the Statutes. This distinction had been made also in Service Books and it has been continued to our own time. But every sheet which contains both black and red letters requires to be twice passed over a printing press. Hence, for cheap books, italics are used instead of red letters to distinguish the directions from the prayers, &c. The directions are called Rubrics (from Lat. _ruber_=red) whether the distinction is made by the colour or the type.

The rubrics about the Confession and the Absolution were in 1662 made more clear. The habit had grown up in some churches for the Priest to say the Absolution kneeling. The word _all_ was therefore inserted in the rubric about Confession, and the words _standing, the people still kneeling_ were added to the rubric about Absolution. Thus _all kneeling_ includes the minister.

This Introductory Part of the Service was composed for the Revision of 1552, and was then printed only in the Morning Service, with a rubric ordering it to be used _at the beginning of Morning Prayer, and likewise of Evening Prayer_. In 1662 it was first printed out in full in the Evening Service, and the rubric was altered to agree therewith.

_Simplification of rubrics_. One aim of the Revisers was simplicity of rules. As they sought Variety of worship without excess, so they desired Order of {33} worship without complexity of regulations. Anyone, looking casually over the Prayer Books of the Sarum and other Uses before 1549, will be struck at once by the redness of many of the pages. This redness indicates rubrics, and helps us to realise what is meant in the Prayer Book Preface (Concerning the Service of the Church,