hanksgivings of various forms;
and, as regards both contents and hours, are the continuation of a
system of worship observed by the Apostles and their converts. As to
_contents_, the Breviary service consists of the Psalms; of Hymns
and Canticles; of Lessons and Texts from inspired and Ecclesiastical
authors; of Antiphons, Verses and Responses, and Sentences; and of
Collects. And analogous to this seems to have been the usage of the
Corinthian Christians, whom St. Paul blames for refusing to agree in
some common order of worship, when they came together, _every one
of them_ having a Psalm, or a doctrine, a tongue, a revelation, an
interpretation (1 Cor. XIV, 26). On the other hand, the catholic
_seasons_ of devotion are certainly derived from apostolic usage. The
Jewish observance of the third, sixth and ninth hours for prayer,
was continued by the inspired founders of the Christian church. What
Daniel had practised, even when the decree was signed forbidding it,
"_kneeling on his knees three times a day, and praying and giving
thanks unto his God_", S. Peter and the other Apostles were solicitous
in preserving. It was when "_they were all with one accord in one
place_", at "the _third_ hour of the day", that the Holy Ghost
came down upon them at Pentecost. It was at the _sixth_ hour, that
St. Peter "went up upon the house-top to pray" and saw the vision
revealing to him the admission of the gentiles into church. And it
was at the _ninth_ hour that "Peter and John went up together into the
temple", being "the hour of prayer". But though these were the more
remarkable seasons of devotion, there certainly were others besides
them in the first age of the church. After our Saviour's departure,
the Apostles, we are informed, "all _continued_ with one accord in
prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus,
and with His brethren": and with this accords the repealed exhortation
to pray together without ceasing, which occurs in St. Paul's epistles.
It will be observed that he insists in one passage on prayer to the
abridgment of sleep (Eph. VI, 18); and one recorded passage of his
life exemplifies his precept: "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed,
and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them".

In subsequent times the Hours of prayer were gradually developed from
the three, or (with midnight) the four seasons above enumerated, to
seven, viz. by the addition of Prime (the first hour), Vespers