THE PRAYER SERVICE.
I. Preces and Collects. Morning and Evening Rubrics.
The directions concerning the Services are to be found in the Rubrics: which are placed either (1) in the Prefaces and Tables at the beginning of the Prayer Book; or (2) at the beginning or end of a Service; or (3) at some break or pause in the Service. By the correction of mistakes, the later Revisions have left very little ambiguity; but some instances remain, which may usually be interpreted by the analogy of other parts of the Book. A plain instance is the omission of a direction that the Sermon is to be preached from the pulpit: but it is directed that after it the Priest shall return to the Lord's Table.
Bishop Cosin who took a leading part in the Revision of 1661-2, and had been preparing notes for it for about 40 years, made the remark: "the book does not everywhere enjoin and prescribe every little order, what should be said or done, but take it for granted that people are acquainted with such common, and things always used already."
The two Services, which are here considered together, are still printed together as parts of the same Chapter (see p. 25): and the Morning Service has always had rubrics which applied to both Morning and Evening: (see Rubrics, about the use of Gloria Patri after Canticles, cf. p. 4: and about the First Lessons).
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Before 1662 a rubric, after the Canticles at Evensong, referred back to Mattins for directions &c. about the rest of the Service. The Second and Third Collects, being different from the Morning Collects, were, of course, printed in full: everything else was read from the Morning Service.
In 1662 the Evening Service was for the first time printed out in full.
The words of the Evening rubric about the Collects were retained, and not made like the Morning rubric: also the words all kneeling, which were, at that time, added to the Morning rubric, were, through forgetfulness, not added to the slightly different Evening Rubric. The word all includes the Minister; for the people are already kneeling.
The Rubrics after the Collects.