PREFACE.

SINCE Sir William Palmer led the way in his "Origines Liturgicæ," several works, and among them "The Prayer Book Interleaved," a most valuable compendium of Liturgical information, have exhibited the original Latin of those of our Collects which are derived from ancient sources. But I am not aware that any one has entered upon a criticism of the translations which our Reformers have given us of the old Latin Prayers, or has noted where each prayer has suffered, and where it has gained, in the process of translation; what a loss of point, or breaking up of the unity of the sentiment, there has been in some instances, and what masterly and happy touches, in the way of developement and expansion, the idea has received in others. This criticism has much engaged and interested me for several years; and in that portion of this work which deals with the translated Collects of the Communion Office, I have entered freely into a comparison between the original and the translation, in the hope that such a comparison might prove, both indirectly and directly, useful to my readers; indirectly, as keeping before their minds the

venerable antiquity of a large number of the prayers, in which they habitually address the God of their fathers (a practical recognition of the fact that the God of their fathers is their God also); and directly, as exhibiting and bringing into full light many a fine shade of edifying significance which inheres in the original, but which no translation can convey. I wrote for the pulpit in the first instance (for these Chapters have, for upwards of four or five years past, formed the Saturday afternoon Lectures at Norwich Cathedral), and I seized therefore every opportunity which the language furnished, of inculcating good and edifying sentiments. Indeed, I should hardly have done otherwise, had I been writing merely for the press; for in vain will any one seek to understand and explain the prayers of the old masters of devotion, except in a devotional frame of mind.

More and more the thought has grown upon me, as I have prosecuted this work, that the pastors of Christ's flock should systematically recognise it, much more than they do, as a part of their function to teach the people to pray. In the Church of England we have the most complete text-book for such instruction which the wisdom and devotion of man can compile,—a text-book comprising such a wealth of materials in a very brief compass as is probably unrivalled among uninspired works. But it has been too much the fashion to suppose that, while, indeed, the Bible is a fit subject for explanation and illustration,

the Liturgy needs none,-that all we have to do as regards the Prayer Book is to use it in our devotional exercises, and to make it the vehicle of our devotional sentiments, as if any one could do this intelligently without some preliminary study of, and insight into, its meaning. Indeed, in this respect the prayers of the Church have only come in for a fuller share of that misuse, or unintelligent use, which is made (though in a less degree, in proportion to its greater sanctity and authority) of the Lord's Prayer itself. To how few of the thousands of persons who are taught and enjoined to recite the Lord's Prayer, is a single petition of it ever unfolded or explained! How many repeat it glibly morning and night, without ever having the surface of their minds stirred or interested by its meaning! Expositions, both ancient and modern, have been written upon it, so numerous and so profound, as in themselves to constitute a theological literature; but, while these treatises lie on our shelves, and are consulted by the learned, how comparatively rare is the attempt even to inoculate the minds of the masses with the most cursory understanding of the formulary. Doubtless, clergymen often make it the subject of a series of sermons; but is any methodical attempt made to imbue the minds of congregations with its meaning, as if the intelligent use of it were a matter of prime importance? This being the case with the Divine Prayer itself (than which what can be sweeter, what more elevating, what more consolatory, what more

absolutely exhaustless in its treasures of instruction and edification ?), it is no wonder that the prayers of the Church, which are but feeble transcripts and stammering reproductions of the Divine model, should have but little study accorded to them, even when they are familiar to the ear as household words, and lodged in the memory by frequent and periodical recital. I trust, then, that this work may be accepted as a humble contribution on my part to the great ministerial duty of teaching Christ's people to pray, and that it may be instrumental, under God's blessing, in opening the eyes of some to a wonderful depth and beauty and instructiveness in those old devotional forms, which they have been acquainted with from their earliest childhood, but which hitherto have stirred in them little thought, and awakened no emotion.

I trust that the reader will excuse the recurrence every now and then of the same thought in the Expositions, where the phraseology of two or more Collects happens to be the same (as, for instance, where the Latin " propitius or "placatus" is rendered, and not quite adequately rendered, " merciful," and in one and all cases of its occurrence it becomes desirable to warn the reader that the original conveys the notion of propitiation, or mercy shown through atonement). It was not possible to avoid this; and, as the Chapters are intended for study separately during the week, or on the day for which the Collect is appointed, it is hoped that no disadvantage will accrue from it.