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CONCORDANCE

-TO THE-

BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER,

ACCORDING TO THE USE OF THE

PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH,

IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

TOGETHER WITH A TABLE OF THE PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE FOUND OR

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THE PREFACE.

The first thing to be desired in a concordance is completeness, the second is accuracy, and the third is the adoption of an easy system of reference. As to the first two requisites, I would not be bold enough to say that there is not an omission or a typographical error in my book. I can only say that my plan of work was such as almost precluded the possibility of any important omissions, and that, for the purpose of securing accuracy, I have carefully verified every one of about 27,000 references. Those who discover omissions and errors of any description will confer a great favour upon me if they will kindly inform me of them. As to my adoption of the easiest system of reference, there will doubtless be difference of opinion. Some have suggested a system like that adopted by Dr. Green in his excellent concordance of the "English Liturgy," namely that of abbreviating the names of the various parts of the Prayer Book. I carefully considered this plan, but found two serious objections to it. 1. The difficulty (not in all cases successfully met even by Dr. Green) of combining brevity with clearness in such abbreviations, 2. The necessity under such a plan of making the references very short if the page was to be given. It has seemed to me that those who are familiar enough with the Prayer Book to understand such abbreviations are the very ones who could tell at a glance the part of the Prayer Book in which any given reference is to be found. By giving the page, I have made it possible for all who use this concordance to find the references without trouble. Those who use this book frequently will doubtless find that they will soon become familiar with the numbers designating the various Services, etc. I am sure that they will soon recognize 14, for instance, as standing for the Communion Service and 33 as standing for the Thirty-nine Articles. But in any case it will be very easy to refer to the explanatory table given on page v.

An important question arises as to the uniformity of pagination in the different editions of the Prayer Book. Without such uniformity my whole system of reference would be useless, except to those who have the same editions that I used in preparing my book. I have written to Rev. Samuel Hart, D. D., the Custodian of the Standard Book of Common Prayer, and the following letter from him will explain the whole matter :

February 17, 1898.

MY DEAR MR. JONES: Title I., Canon 22, § ii, of the Digest contains the requirements as to uniform pagination in the editions of the Prayer Book. These requirements-which you may care to print in your preface*-have been most loyally and willingly carried out by all the publishers. All books of the size of 24 mo, or larger, except one of part of the Prayer Book with a musical notation have been printed in absolute line for line and page for page reproduction of the Standard. In the 48 mo. books and those of smaller size there has been no attempt at uniformity; in fact, most if not all of these small books have been printed in double columns. Uniformity is not required in the 32 mo. books; but in the large number printed from sets of plates made from type set up in this country at an early day and very extensively used, there is practical uniformity, the divergence between the pages in these books and in the Standard rarely, if ever, differing by a line; every paragraph or verse in the books begins on the same page as in the Standard. In most of the 32 mo. books printed in England, there is as exact uniformity as in the larger books; one English firm and one American firm, however, have not attempted it; and it must be remembered that it is not required, as was just said.

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The above statements are in exact accordance with that which I have discovered as to the pagination of a 16 mo. edition printed by the Oxford University Press and published by Thos. Nelson & Sons, and that of a 32 mo. edition published by American Prayer Book Fund (15 cts. edition.)

I would suggest that if a reference is not found on the page given in my concordance it may be

found on the last line of the preceding or the first line of the following page.

*All copies of the book of Common Prayer to be hereafter made and published shall conform to this Standard, and shall agree therewith in paging, and so far as it is possible, in all other matters of typographical arrangement, except that the rubrics may be printed either in red or in black. The requirement of uniformity in paging shall apply only to that portion of the Book which begins with the Order for Daily Morning Prayer, and ends with the Psalter, and shall not extend to editions smaller than those known as 24 mo., or to editions noted for music." Tit. I., Canon 22, § ii.

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