esis, S. Matthew, and Acts on January 2, and going straight on, with
two exceptions. First exception: Isaiah's clear prophecies of Messiah
are deferred to Nov. 18 &c., so as to be read in Advent. Second
exception: Revelation is read in the latter half of December.

The effect of beginning the New Testament in two places on Jan. 2 is
that it is read twice through in the year--once at Morning Prayer and
once at Evening Prayer.

For Sundays a different arrangement is made with regard to the Old
Testament. The Sunday year begins with Advent, which is the season
occupying twenty-eight days before Christmas. Selections from Isaiah
are read on these four Sundays, on Christmas Day, and on the four or
five Sundays which usually follow Christmas before Septuagesima. At
Septuagesima we are anticipating Lent and the Passion: Genesis
therefore supplies the Lessons, followed by Exodus at Passion-tide, and
the other books in regular course.

To this brief description we may add that Proper Lessons, specially
chosen from Old and New Testament, are appointed for special Sundays
and special {56} Holy Days. These take the place of those which appear
in the regular list for the same days. If two special days coincide,
the minister may read the Lessons of either, except that, on Advent
Sunday, Easter Day, Whitsunday and Trinity Sunday, the Lessons for
those days are to be read.

The principles of this arrangement have been in use since 1549;
alterations in its details were made in 1559, 1604, and 1871.

In 1559 the Apocrypha was appointed for many of the Saints' Days, which
nevertheless were left with their Old Testament Lessons in the
Calendar. Thus these latter were invariably unread.

In 1604 this defect of the Calendar was corrected by moving the Lessons
forward to make room for the Proper Lessons, and omitting some few of
those which "might best be spared."

Until 1871 the New Testament was read through _thrice_ in the year, the
Lessons being usually whole chapters. And the Gospels were always
Morning Lessons, and the Epistles and Acts always Evening Lessons.
Revelation was almost altogether omitted.

From 1604 till 1871 the First Lessons from Sept. 28 until Nov. 23 were
from the Apocrypha--eight weeks. The Apocrypha Lessons continue now
only from Oct. 27 to Nov. 18.

The principle of selection has in all these changes been recognised;
but always subordinate to a larger principle of reading in Church the
whole Bibl