The Prayer Book Explained | Page 9

an adverb,
verily, or, as the Catechism explains it, so be it. "Its proper place is
where one person confirms the words of another, and adds his wish for
success to the other's vows and predictions" (Gesenius). Each of the
first four Books of the Psalms ends with it--see Psalms xli., lxxii.,
lxxxix., cvi.
For some time the first Christians were able to resort to the Temple and
Synagogues, and both worship and teach there (Acts ii. 46, iii. 1, 3, 8,
11, v. 12, 21, 25, 42: xiii. 5, 14, xiv. 1, xvii. 1, 2, xix. 8). They were
joined by a number of the Priests (Acts vi. 7) whose help in arranging
the services would bring a considerable influence in the same direction.
At Ephesus (Acts xix. 9) a division arose in the Synagogue, causing S.
Paul and the Christian disciples to remove into a school. At Corinth, for
a similar {19} reason, they set up the Christian worship in the next
house to the Synagogue, and the Ruler of the Synagogue went with
them (Acts xviii. 7, 8). It is not very surprising that under these
circumstances they derived some of their forms of Worship from the
Synagogue.
Forms assist the mind to take its due part in the worship which we offer
to the Almighty. Worship is offered with body, mind and spirit. If one
of these encroaches on the others, their share is in danger. If the tongue
and the knees and the hands are too much engaged in it, the mind
grows weary or idle. If the mind is too busily employed, the spirit has a
diminished share, or the body is indolent. It is necessary to provide
occupation for the mind, but not to occupy it in following great mental
efforts for which it is unprepared. If the mind is unprepared, it no
sooner reaches one point than it has to follow the speaker to another;
and thereby the spirit loses its power of speeding the utterance to the
throne of God.
f. Worship-Forms.

(See Table, p. 21. Cf. Chap. I, p. 3.)
We find that, in the Services, shares are distributed to the worshippers
in five different ways, which may be called Worship-forms. The Table
on p. 21 should be carefully studied. Hooker's description of them (E. P.
v. xxxix. 1) is a little difficult to make out; but it will be found to verify
our table. (See Appendix A, pp. 22, 23.)
{20}
Walter Travers was Reader at the Temple Church in London, when
(1585) Richard Hooker was appointed to be Master of the Temple.
Travers had been a friend and favourite of Thomas Cartwright, a severe
critic of the Order and Discipline of the Church of England. Travers
took up the criticisms, and so attacked Hooker that the latter in
self-defence wrote his Books on The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity
(1592), wherein he replies to Cartwright's and Travers' criticisms.
The Worship-forms have been in use for so long that it is scarcely
possible to discuss their origin. The traces of them in the Bible are
interesting:
1. Amen. 1 Cor. xiv. 16; Rev. xxii. 20.
2. Responsorial or Interjectional. S. Luke ii. 13, 14.
3. Anthem. Exodus xv. 21; Isaiah vi. 3.
4. Litany.
5. Preceded. Exodus xxiv. 7, xix. 7, 8, xx. 18-21.
The Prayer Book furnishes examples of Praise and Prayer in each Form,
excepting the Litany Form, which is used only for Prayer. But there is
no reason why that also should not be used for Praise: the 136th Psalm
will show how this might be done.
{21}

THE FIVE KINDS OF WORSHIP FORMS
(See Hooker, Eccl. Pol. v. xxxix. 1.)
Examples-- Examples-- Prayer Praise
1. The Minister AMEN form The Collects Prayer of offers and the
Consecration People endorse in Holy it Communion (see 1 Cor. xiv.
16)
2. Minister and Responsorial, Hymn at Sursum Corda People pursue or
Ordination of in Holy different lines INTERJECTIONAL Priests
Communion interrupting form Preces before Versicles one another
Collects before Psalms
3. The Congregation Antiphonal, "From our The Psalms form two or
ANTHEM enemies, &c." in Mattins companies which form --8 verses
in and reply to one the Litany Evensong another
4. The Minister LITANY The main body names the subject form of the
Litany and the People offer the prayer (or praise)
5. A portion of PRECEDED The Lesson and Holy Scripture prayer or
Commandments Canticle is read and the praise in Holy prayer or praise
Communion completes it as an Act of Worship
{22}
APPENDIX A.
Cartwright, attacking the Prayer Book, 1572 or later, wrote--
"For the singing of Psalms by course and side after side, although it be
very ancient yet it is not commendable, and so much the more to be
suspected for that the Devil hath