APPENDIX. Of pubtic reading if tbe boly flriptures. R E A D I N G of the word in the congregati<:m-, being part of the public worlhip o( God, (wherein we acknowledge our de– pendance upon him, and fu'bjettion to him), and one means fanCl:ified by him for the edifying of his people, is to be performed by the paf– tfors, and t~ach<lrs. Howbeit, fuch as intend the mi-aill-ry, may occaiionally both read the word, and: exercife their gift in preaching in the congregation, if allowed by the pretbytery thereunto. All the canonical books of.- the old and new teftament, (but none of thofe which ate common-ly called apocrypha), iliaH be pu-blicly ·read in the vulgat tongue, out of the beft -allo'wed tranOation; ' diftir;cHy, that all may hear. a.nd undetft·and. ' _ How large a portion !hall be read at once, is left to the wifdom of the minifter; but ir is convenient, that ordinarily one chapter of each tella– ment be n:ad at every. meeting; and-fometimes. more, where the chapters be (bort, or the coherence o'f ma(q:er requireth it. , It )s requil-ite that all ~be callonieal books be read ovet< in ~rder, that the people may be bet(er ,acquainted with the-- whole body of the fcrip– tures; and•ordinarily, where the reading in either teftament endeth on one Lord?s day, it_ is to begin the next.- We commend alf? the more frequent reaaing of fuch fcriptures; as he t~1at readeth !hall thi!ilk be.ft for ediflcar,ion of his hearers, as the book of P.falms, and fuch like•. When the minifter, who readeth, £hall judge it neceff-ary to ex– pound any part of what 'is re:ad, let it not 'be done until the whole chap– ter or pfulm be ended ; and regard ·is always.to be had unto the time, that neither preacl:!ing, nor other ordinance; b~ ftraitned, Ol' render– ed tedious. Which mle is to be obferved · in· al-l other public perfor~-ances. Befide public reading of the holy [criptures, every perfon that can read, is to be exborted to read 'the fcriptur.es privately, (and .all others that can– not read, if not difabled by age, or etherwife,_are' likewife to be exhorted to leam to read), and to have a bible. ' Of public praj.er before tbe fermon;. I ' ' A'F T ER reading of the ·word (and· finging of the pfalm), the miniO:er who is to l?reaeh, is to- ende~v6ur to get lilis q\yn, and his hearers hea.ns to be rightly a-ffected 'with their fin~; 'that they -may all ' mourn 8.23
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