rse. This would make
the portion reserved for Advent begin with the reference to John
the Baptist, as undoubtedly it ought to do: "And thou, child, shalt
be called the Prophet of the Highest."

(o) _De Profundis_.--There will probably be general consent to the
omission of this alternate, as being what the Maryland Committee
_naively_ call it, "too mournful a psalm" for this purpose.[68]

RESOLUTION IV.

_Daily Evening Prayer_.

(c) The proposed words, "Let us humbly confess our sins unto
Almighty God," are justly thought by many to be inferior both
in rhythm and in dignity to "Let us make humble confession to
Almighty God."

(i)-(l) There seems to be absolute unanimity in the judgment that
_Magnificat_ and _Nunc Dimittis_ ought, as Gospel Hymns, to have
the prior places after the Lessons which they follow. In the
interest of simplicity of arrangement a like general consent to
omit altogether _Bonum est confiteri_ and _Benedic anima mea_ would
be most fortunate, but this point has been already enlarged upon
in a previous paper.[69]

The "Notes," permitting the use of Psalms xlii. and xliii. after
the Lessons during Lent, seem to have found no favor in any quarter,
and ought undoubtedly to be dropped.

(n) If the lost versicles are to be restored after the Creed, as
all who have learned to love them in the service of the Church of
England must earnestly desire, some better substitute for "God save
the queen," than "O Lord, save our rulers," ought surely to be
found.[70] Moreover, the order of the versicles, as Prof. Gold
has clearly pointed out,[71] is open to improvement.

RESOLUTION V.

_The Beatitudes of the Gospel_.

This is the one feature of _The Book Annexed_ against which the
fire of hostile criticism has been the most persistently directed.
Whether the strictures passed upon the Office have been in all
cases as intelligent as they have been severe, may be open to
question, but there can be no doubt whatever that, in its present
form, Resolution V. would, if put to the vote, be rejected.

Passing by the more violent utterances of those whose language
almost suggests that they find something objectionable in the
very BEATITUDES themselves,[72] it will suffice to consider
and weigh what has been said in various quarters, first, about
the unprecedented character of the Office, and secondly, concerning
the infelicity of the appointed response, "Lord, have mercy upon
us, and be it unto