ning this directed that:

"This done, the people sing a Psalm all together in a plain tune; which
ended, the Minister prayeth for the assistance of God's Holy Spirit _as
the same shall move his heart_, and so proceedeth to the sermon, using
after the sermon this prayer following, _or such like_."

And finally, as governing the whole order of worship, it is added:

"It shall not be necessary for the Minister daily to repeat all these
things before mentioned, but, beginning with some manner of confession,
to proceed to the sermon, which ended _he either useth the prayer for
all estates before mentioned or else prayeth as the Spirit of God shall
move his heart_, framing the same according to the time and matter
which he hath entreated of. And if there shall be at any time any
present plague, famine, pestilence, war, or such like, which be evident
tokens of God's wrath, as it is our part to acknowledge our sins to be
the occasion thereof, so are we appointed by the Scriptures to give
ourselves to mourning, fasting and prayer as the means to turn away
God's heavy displeasure. Therefore it shall be convenient that the
Minister at such time do not only admonish the people thereof, but also
use some Form of Prayer, according as the present necessity requireth,
to the which he may appoint, by a common consent, some several day
after the sermon, weekly to be observed."

The liberty allowed to the minister in this so important part of public
worship is evident, and although many prayers are added as suitable for
particular times and occasions, and some, which are described as of
common use under certain circumstances and by particular churches, yet
none of them are prescribed as the _only_ prayers proper for any
particular season or occasion.

Even in the administration of the Lord's Supper, the directions which
accompany the prayer which precedes the distribution of the bread and
wine allows a similar latitude to the Minister.

"Then he taketh bread and giveth thanks, either in these words
following _or like in effect_."

The student of the life of the great Scottish Reformer does not need to
be told that the framer of the Book of Common Order was not himself
bound by any particular form of prayer in public worship. On the
occasion of his memorable sermon after the death of the Regent Moray,
his prayer at its close was the passionate outburst of a burdened soul,
impossible to one restricted by prescribed for