Prayer Book (Tables of Lessons) Act 1871

1871 CHAPTER 37 34 and 35 Vict

An Act to amend the law relating to the Tables of Lessons and Psalter contained in the Prayer Book.

[13th July 1871]

Whereas Commissioners were appointed by Her Majesty to inquire and consider (amongst other matters) the Proper Lessons appointed to be read in Morning and Evening Prayer on the Sundays and Holy-days throughout the year, and the Table of First and Second Lessons contained in the Calendar in the Book of Common Prayer according to the use of the United Church of England and Ireland, with a view of suggesting and reporting whether any and what alterations and amendments might be advantageously made in the selection of Lessons to be read at the time of divine service:

And whereas the said Commissioners have made a Report recommending that the revised Tables of Lessons proper to be read on Sundays and Holy-days, and the revised Table of daily First and Second Lessons set out in the Schedule to that Report and in the Schedule to this Act, should be adopted in lieu of the Table of Proper Lessons to be read at Morning and Evening Prayer on the Sundays and other Holy-days throughout the year, and the Table of daily First and Second Lessons in the Calendar prefixed to the said Book of Common Prayer:

And whereas it is expedient to authorize the use of the said revised Tables of Lessons, and to make such consequential alterations as may be necessary in the directions contained in the said Book of Common Prayer respecting “the order how the rest of Holy Scripture is appointed to be read”:

1

This Act may be cited as “The Prayer Book (Tables of Lessons) Act 1871.”

2 Substitution of Tables of Lessons in Schedule for old tables. U.K.

The directions respecting “the order how the rest of Holy Scripture is appointed to be read,” the Table of Proper Lessons, and the Table of daily First and Second Lessons contained in the Second Part of the Schedule to this Act shall be substituted for the following parts of the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England respectively; that is to say,

(1)The said directions for the directions respecting “ the order how the rest of Holy Scripture is appointed to be read,” set out in the First Part of the said Schedule;

(2)The said Table of Proper Lessons for the Table of Proper Lessons to be read at Morning and Evening Prayer on the Sundays and other Holy-days throughout the year ” ;

(3)The said Table of daily First and Second Lessons for the corresponding portion of the Table of daily First and Second Lessons contained in the “Calendar with the Table of Lessons”:

and all Acts relating to the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England shall be construed to refer to such Book as altered by this Act, and the directions and Tables of Lessons contained in the Second Part of the Schedule to this Act shall be printed and published in all editions of the said Book of Common Prayer and (so far as necessary) of the said Acts in lieu of the[Proviso respecting power to alter appointed Psalms and Lessons.] directions and Tables of Lessons for which they are by this Act substituted : . . . F1 provided that the occasions whereon power to alter the appointed Psalms and Lessons is, by the Schedule to this Act, committed to the Ordinary, shall be all occasions whereon the Ordinary shall judge that such alterations will conduce to edification.

Textual Amendments

F1Words repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1883 (c. 39)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1Alternative Table of Proper Lessons authorized by Revised Tables of Lessons Measure 1922 (No. 3), s. 2

Sect. 2

SCHEDULEU.K.

First PartU.K. Existing Directions prefixed to the Prayer Book to be omitted in future

The Order how the rest of Holy Scripture is appointed to be readU.K.

The Old Testament is appointed for the First Lessons at Morning and Evening Prayer, so as the most part thereof will be read every year once, as in the Calendar is appointed.

The New Testament is appointed for the Second Lessons at Morning and Evening Prayer, and shall be read over orderly every year thrice, besides the Epistles and Gospels, except the Apocalypse, out of which there are only certain Proper Lessons appointed upon divers feasts.

And to know what Lessons shall be read every day, look for the day of the month in the Calendar following, and there ye shall find the chapters that shall be read for the Lessons, both at Morning and Evening Prayer, except only the moveable feasts, which are not in the Calendar, and the immoveable, where there is a blank left in the column of Lessons, the Proper Lessons for all which days are to be found in the Table of Proper Lessons.

And note that whensoever Proper Psalms or Lessons are appointed, then the Psalms and Lessons of ordinary course appointed in the Psalter and Calendar (if they be different) shall be omitted for that time.

Note also that the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel appointed for the Sunday shall serve all the week after, where it is not in this book otherwise ordered.

Second Part [Sect. 2] U.K. Directions to be prefixed to the Prayer Book in lieu of the Directions in the First Part of this Schedule

The Order how the rest of Holy Scripture is appointed to be readU.K.

The Old Testament is appointed for the First Lessons at Morning and Evening Prayer, so as the most part thereof will be read every year once, as in the Calendar is appointed.

The New Testament is appointed for the Second Lessons at Morning and Evening Prayer, and shall be read over orderly every year twice, once in the morning and once in the evening, besides the Epistles and Gospels, except the Apocalypse, out of which there are only certain Lessons appointed at the end of the year, and certain Proper Lessons appointed upon divers feasts.

And to know what Lessons shall be read every day, look for the day of the month in the Calendar following, and there ye shall find the chapters and portions of chapters that shall be read for the Lessons, both at Morning and Evening Prayer, except only the moveable feasts, which are not in the Calendar, and the immoveable, where there is a blank left in the column of Lessons, the Proper Lessons for all which days are to be found in the Table of Proper Lessons.

If Evening Prayer is said at two different times in the same place of worship on any Sunday (except a Sunday for which alternative Second Lessons are specially appointed in the table), the Second Lesson at the second time may, at the discretion of the minister, be any chapter from the four Gospels, or any Lesson appointed in the Table of Lessons from the four Gospels.

Upon occasions, to be approved by the Ordinary, other Lessons may, with his consent, be substituted for those which are appointed in the Calendar.

Note also that upon occasions to be appointed by the Ordinary, other Psalms may, with his consent, be substituted for those appointed in the Psalter.

If any of the Holy-days for which Proper Lessons are appointed in the table fall upon a Sunday, which is the first Sunday in Advent, Easter Day, Whitsunday, or Trinity Sunday, the Lessons appointed for such Sunday shall be read, but if it fall upon any other Sunday, the Lessons appointed either for the Sunday or for the Holy-day may be read at the discretion of the minister.

Note also that the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel appointed for the Sunday shall serve all the week after, where it is not in this Book otherwise ordered.

Table of Proper Lessons to be inserted in lieu of existing Table of Proper LessonsLESSONS PROPER LESSONS FOR SUNDAYS

Table of Proper Lessons to be inserted in lieu of existing Table or proper Lessons

Table of Daily First and Second Lessons to be inserted in the Calendar prefixed to the Prayer Book in lieu of existing TableLESSONS PROPER FOR HOLY-DAYS