B1BL. MAT. COLLEGE AN ELEMENTARY INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER AN ELEMENTARY INTRODUCTION Book of Common mi t^f 6X _ BY THE REV. FRANCIS PROCTER, M.A VICAR OF WITTON, NORFOLK; AUTHOR OF " A HISTORY OF THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER, AND THE REV. G. F. MACLEAR, D.D. CANON OF CANTERBURY. WARDEN OF ST AUGUSTINE S, CANTERBURY. AND LATE HEAD MASTER OF KING S COLLEGE SCHOOL, LONDON B1BL.MAI. COLLEGE UonOou : MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1901 [All Rights reserved."* KA I Aerei AYTOIC, reppAnTAi, OIKOC OIKOC nPOCEYXHC KAHOHceTAi. S. MATT. xxi. 13 " Concerning the place of assembly although it serve for other uses as well as this, yet seeing that our Lord Himself hath to this as to the chiefest of all other plainly sanctified His own temple, by entitling it " the House of Prayer," what preeminence of dignity soever hath been either by the ordinance or through the special favour and providence of God annexed unto His Sanctuary, the principal cause thereof must needs be in regard of COMMON PRAYEB." HOOKEK. Eccl. Pol. v. xxv. 2. The first and second editions of this book in its original form were published respectively in 1862 and 1866. First Edition in this form 1868. Reprinted 1870, 1871, 1873, January and December 1875, 1876, May and November 1877, 1878, 1880, 1881, 1883, 1886, 1889, 1892, 1894, 1896, 1898. 1901. PREFACE, A fifth edition of the Elementary History of l/ie Book of Common Prayer having been called for, the opportunity has been taken at the sug gestion of many engaged in Education of intro ducing several important additions. Besides the re-arrangement, therefore, of the work generally, which was carried out in the third Edition, the Historical portion is now supple mented not only by an Explanation of the Morning and Evening Prayer, and of the Litany, but also of the Service for the Holy Communion, and the Bap tismal and Confirmation Offices. As in the other Class-Books of the Series, Notes have been subjoined and references given to larger works, and it is hoped that the volume will be found adapted for use in Schools, and a suitable manual for the Oxford and Cambridge Local Examinations V1 PREFACE. Some of the papers set in these Examinations have been printed in the Appendix. As in the Class-Book of the Catechism, I have to acknowledge my great obligations to W. A. Brunton, Esq., for the trouble he has taken in revising the sheets and enlarging the Index. KING S COLLEGE SCHOOL, Easter Term, 1877. CONTENTS PART I. GENERAL HISTORY OF THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER PAGES CHAPTER I. Service-Books of the Early Church 1 4 CHAPTER II. Service- Books of the Early English Church 4 7 CHAPTER III. Service - Books of the Medieval English Church 710 CHAPTER IV. The Breviary, the Hours, and the Prymer 10 14 CHAPTER V. Revision of Church-Books in the reign of Henry VIII 1517 CHAPTER VI. The First Prayer-Book of Edward VI 1723 CHAPTER VII. The Second Prayer-Book of Ed- wardVI 2328 CHAPTER VIII. The Prayer-Book of Queen Eliza- l^th 2934 CHAPTER IX. The Prayer-Book during the reign of James 1 34 3tt vni CONTENTS. PAGES CHAPTER X. The Prayer-Book during the reign of Charles 1 3841 CHAPTER XI. The Prayer-Book during the reign of Charles II 4145 CHAPTER XII. The Savoy Conference; Parti. ... 45 51 CHAPTER XIII. The Savoy Conference; Part II. ... 5256 CHAPTER XIV. The Savoy Conference; Part III.... 5661 APPENDIX. Attempted Revision in the reign of William III... 6163 PART II. THE OBDEB FOE DAILY MOBNING AND EVENING PEAYEB AND THE LITANY EXPLAINED. I. THE ORDER FOR MORNING PRAYER. CHAPTER I. General Scheme of the Service 6465 CHAPTER II. The Introduction 65 71 CHAPTER III. The Psalms 7176 CHAPTER IV. The Lessons 7681 CHAPTER V. The Canticles ., 8188 CONTENTS. i* PAGES CHAPTER VI. The Creed or Profession of Faith... 8892 CHAPTER VII. The Prayers 9296 CHAPTER VIII. The Prayers continued 96 W II. THE ORDER FOR EVENING PRAYER 100104 III. THE LITANY. CHAPTER I. Origin of the Litany lOi 108 CHAPTER IE. Division of the Litany 108116 IV. THE OCCASIONAL PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS... 116 121 PART III. THE ORDER FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE LORD S SUPPER OR HOLY COMMUNION. CHAPTER I. The Primitive Liturgies 122125 CHAPTER II. The Introduction 125130 CHAPTER III. The Preparation 131135 CHAPTER IV. TJie Consecration and Communion 135 139 CHAPTER V. The Thanksgiving 139 144 II. THE BAPTISMAL OFFICE. CHAPTER I. General Structure and Rubrics ... 145 147 CHAPTER H. The Introduction .. . 147 152 X CONTENTS. PAGES CHAPTER III. The Baptismal Vows 152 155 CHAPTER IV. The Baptism 155159 CHAPTER V. The Thanksgiving 159160 III. THE ORDER OF CONFIRMATION. CHAPTER I. The Title 161164 CHAPTER II. The Preface 164167 CHAPTER III. The Act of Confirmation 167 172 APPENDICES. I. Table of events connected with the History of the Book of Common Prayer 173177 II. The Lord s Prayer from the Prymer, circ. A.D. 1400 177 III. Canticum S. Ambrosii at Augustini from the Sarum Breviary, and the Te Deum Lauda- mus from the Prymer, circ. A.D. 1400 176 179 IV. SymbolumApostolorum and the Apostles Creed from the Prymer, circ. A.D. 1400 180 V . The Nicene Creed, A. D. 325, and the Constanti- nopolitan Creed, A.D. 381 181 182 VI. Symbolum Athanasii 182 183 EXAMINATION PAPERS 184 190 INDICES. I. General Index 191195 II. Index of Words explained in the Notes 190 PART I. GENERAL HISTORY OP THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER. CHAPTER I. SERVICE-BOOKS OF THE EARLY CHURCH. K. D. 1590. i . Early Origin of the Book of Common Prayer. The construction of our English Book of Common 1 Prayer can only be understood by reference to the earlier forms from which it is derived. It is an inherit ance that has come down to us from the remote ages of Christianity, and originated in the Form of Worship that was used by the Apostles. 1 Common = used by all, sermng for all. Common Prayer is distinguished from private or family prayer by Latimer in his first sermon on the Lord s Prayer, where he says, "I told you of the diversity of prayer, namely, of the common prayer, anA the private;" also in Stat. 2 and 3, Edw. VI. c. 1, where " common and open prayer" is distinguished from "pri vate prayer." Similarly in the Prayer of St Chrysostom we have "common supplications;" and in Acts ii. 44, we read that "the believers had all things common;" in Tit. i. 4, of "the common faith," in Jude 3, of "the common salvation;" Bacon also speaks of "Princes that ought to be common pa rents ;" Essays, XV. 55. Compare " Oure ffadire J>e byschoppe hase ordeyned for ]>e comone profett ;" Religious Pieces in Prose and Verse, p. 2; Early English Text Society ; and sen the Bible Word-lM; pp. 118, 119. P.B 1 SERVICE-BOOKS OF THE [A.D, 1 2. Apostolic Custom. Respecting this earliest Form of Worship, we gather from the New Testament that the first believers 1 (i) continued stedfaslly in the Apostles doctrine; (2) persevered in fellowship and communion* with one another; (3) attended con stantly on the breaking of the Bread* ; and (4) were stedfast in public and private prayers*. 3. The Breaking of the Bread, or celebration of the Eucharist, was at first, and for some time, till abuses 5 put an end to the practice, inseparably con nected with the chief actual meal of each day. Though from the scarcity of documents of that age we have no actual proof of the fact, still it is in the highest degree probable that in this solemn act the Apostles used some form of sound words, that at least they did what they saw their Lord do, recited the words of institution, and used the Lord s Prayer. 4. Earliest Forms not written. From the age, however, of the Apostles downwards some Form, some Liturgy", was always used in every branch of the Ca- irpoaKapTepovvTes T-Q 8i8axrj r<2v Acts ii. 42. " TTJ KOLvwvlq.. Acts ii. 42, explained by the fix " ciiravra KOIVO. in verse 44. 3 Trj K\daei TOV aprov, Acts ii. 42, where the force of the article is to be observed. 4 Tcus Trpoaev^ols, Acts ii. 42, which would include (i) attendance at the public prayers in the Temple at the stated hours, (ii) private prayer among themselves. 5 See Guericke s Antiquities of the Christian Church, p. 6 Liturgy comes from the Greek \eirovpyia, which word has passed through the following meanings: (1) A civil service, or state burden, especially in the technical language of Athenian law : (2) A function or office of any bind: (3) Sacer dotal ministration especially, whether among heathen nations, or among the Jews (Heb. viii. 6, ix. 21); (4) The Eucharistic services: and thence (5) more generally, Set forms of dimnc worship. See Prof. Lightfoot on Philippians, ii. 17. 590-1 EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 3 tliolic Church. It does not appear indeed that during the ages of persecution these Forms were written down. For there is no record of any seizure of the ritual books of the Christians by the heathen, and the more sacred portions of the public service were con cealed from all but communicants 1 . 5. Testimony of Justin Martyr. The earliest account of the Service used in the Christian Church is that given by Justin Martyr (A. D. 140), in his Apology for the Christians, addressed to the Emperor Antoninus Pius 2 . From it we gather (i) that on a stated day, called Sunday, the early Christians, wli ether dwelling in towns or in the country, were wont to assemble in one place; (2) that the memoirs of the Apostles or the writings of the Prophets were then read as long as time permitted; (3) that, when the reader had ceased, one of the brethren who presided delivered a discourse, ex horting those assembled to the imitation of the good things read; (4) that then all stood up together and offered prayers; (5) that, prayer 3 being ended, Bread was brought in, and Wine mixed with water, and placed before the President, who offered up prayers and praises, at the close of which the people said Amen; (6) that the consecrated elements were then distributed and received by every one, and a portion was sent to those who were absent. 6. Some Form probable. While in this account there are no signs of a written, or indeed of a settled ritual, it may be reasonably argued that in the conse cration of the elements some well-known and well- re membered form of prayer jind thanksgiving was used, to which additions were made as time went on. 1 See Ouericke s Antiquities, p. 260. 2 S. Justini Apologia, Chaps. LXVT, LXVII. 3 Kcu Tra.vaa^vtj}v Tj/uDi/ TT?S e^XT/s, Apros irpoff^perai aal <ui>os KO.I OSup, Kal 6 TrpoecrTtos evx&s 6/j.olws xai eir%apt(TTla.s, oa-rj SiW/m cuVrcp, avatreijurei. Just. Apol. cap. LXVII. 12 4: SERVICE-BOOKS OF THE [A.D. 590- 7. Else of various Liturgies. Now in early times? the Bishop of each diocese had authority to arrange such services of prayer and thanksgiving 1 . Hence there arose different Liturgies, marked by peculiar features, though all were based on a common original. Thus we have five Greek Liturgies, of acknowledged antiquity, of which the earliest bears the name of St Clement. while the others are called St James , St Mark s, St Chrysostom s and St Basil s 2 . We have also the old Roman Liturgy, such as it was used by Popes Leo in A.D. 440, Gelasius in A.D. 492, and Gregory the Great in A.D. 590. There is also the Ainbrosian rite (A.D. 374), which was maintained for several centuries in the Church of Milan, and which is still used ; and again there is the Mozarabic 3 , or the ancient national Liturgy of Spain, which has a groundwork coeval with the introduction of Christianity into that country. CHAPTER II. SERVICE-BOOKS OF THE EARLY ENGLISH CHURCH. A.D. 590747- i. The Gallican Liturgy. Besides the Liturgies already enumerated, special mention ought to be made of the Gallican 4 Liturgy, or that of the Church of France. This ancient Liturgy may be traced with much 1 See MaskelTs Ancient Liturgy of ike Church of Enyland, Preface, p. xxiii. 2 See Guericke s Antiquities, p. 261. 3 The Mostarabcs were tribes dwelling in the midst of the Arabians without belonging to them, and consequently the Officinal Mostarabicum or Mozarab, would be the Liturgy of the Christians dwelling in the Arabian territory. Guericke, p. 263. 4 "Cum una sit fides, diversae sunt Ecclesiarum con- suetudines, ?t altera consuetude missarum est in Romana 74:70 EARLY ENGLISH CHURCH. 5 probability to very early times, and is supposed to have been compiled from Eastern sources by Cassian 1 . 2. Used in England. In early times there was a close and intimate connection between the Churches of France and England, and it was probably the Gallican Liturgy, which was used by the early British Church till the end of the sixth century. At that period, how ever, Christianity in this island had retired before the heathen Saxon invaders, and had found refuge in the wild districts of Wales and Cornwall, in the Scottish Hebrides and in Ireland 2 . 3. Landing of Augustine. In the year A. D. 597 Augustine landed in the Isle of Thanet, having been sent from Rome as a missionary to the Saxons by Gregory the Great. There is no doubt that he brought with him the ritual which was at that time used at Rome, and that, on his journey through France, where he had stayed some months, he had become acquainted with the Gallican Liturgy. 4. His doubts. Accordingly, when king Ethelbert had been baptized in the old Church of St Martin, in the outskirts of Canterbury, and his example had been followed by many of his subjects, Augustine had much doubt what form of service ought to be adopted by the new converts. 5. Advice of Gregory- In his perplexity, there fore, he resolved to appeal to Gregory and seek from him advice as to the course he ought to pursue. Gregory replied in a wise and catholic spirit : " You, my bro ther, are acquainted with the customs of the Roman Church, in which you have been brought up. But it is ccclesia, altera in Galliarum Ecclesiis tenetur." Greg. Ep. *i. 64. 1 See Palmer s Oriy. Liturg. I. 153; Freeman s Principles of Divine Service, u. 399. 2 See Stillingfleet s Antiquities of the British Churches. 6 SERVICE-BOOKS OF THE [A.D. 590 my pleasure that if you have found anything either in the Roman or the Galilean or any other Church, which may be more acceptable to Almighty God, you carefully make choice of the same; and sedulously teach the Church of the Angles, which is at present new in the Faith, whatsoever you can gather from the several Churches. For things are not to be loved for the sake of places, but places for the sake of good things. Select, therefore, from each Church those things that are pious, religious and correct, and when you have made these up into one body, instil this into the minds of the English for their use 1 ." 6. Course adopted by Augustine. Thus advised Augustine followed the principle upon which the Rituals of the Western Churches had been remodelled. He took for his groundwork the Form of Service then used in the South of France, but introduced certain details, which are traced to the Roman Ritual, as ar ranged by the Popes Gelasius and Gregory. 7. Opposition of the British Church. This Ri tual differed from that of the ancient British Churches, which, though much depressed, were far from being extinguished 2 , and were at issue with the Roman mis sionaries on several points of discipline and ceremonial observance 3 . Augustine was strongly prepossessed in favour of the Roman system ; the chief of the British Churches held as strongly to their ancient customs; and 1 Bede, H.E. I. 27. "Non enim pro locis res, sed pro bonjs rebus loca amanda sunt." 2 Bede mentions " septem Brittonum episcopi et pi u res viridoctissimi." H.E. n. 2. 3 Especially the observation of Easter, which the early British Christians, in common with the Irish and Scottish, kept on the same day as the Jewish Passover, the 14th day of the moon, whatever day of the week that might be, while the Rom au Church kept it on the Sunday following the full moon happening upon or next after the 21st of March. 747-] MEDIEVAL ENGLISH CHURCH. 7 thus all hope of communion between the two parties was destroyed 1 . In the course of time, however, many causes 2 tended to promote the spread and ascendancy of Roman influences, and at length the Council of Cloveshoo (A.D. 747) formally sanctioned the observance of the Roman Ritual 3 CHAPTER III. SERVICE-BOOKS OF THE MEDIEVAL ENGLISH CHURCH. A.D. 747-1030- i Conformity not general. The conformity, how ever, thus attained had chiefly respect to the time of the observance of festivals, and the use of the Roman or Gregorian chant. Uniformity of Service, as we un derstand it, did not exist. The reception of the order of the Roman Church was not uniform in all the churches of the country. The bishops did not cease to exercise their power within their several dioceses to order rites and ceremonies ; nor did all the churches, still less the monasteries, follow the custom of a cathedral. 2. Varieties of Service-books. These causes tended to promote the introduction of a great variety of Service-books, for there was no printing-press, from which a number of copies could be issued, exactly alike. Kach book was written, mostly upon vellum, by the hand of a scribe. He prepared it for the especial use of some particular Church, carefully retained the dis- 1 See Bede, H.E. n. 2. 3 See Hardwick s Church History, Middle Aye, p. 14. 3 "Tertio decimo definitur decreto, ut uno eodemque modo dominicse dispensationis in carne sacrosanctse festivitates, in omnibus ad eas rite competentibas rebus, id est, in baptismi officio, in missarum celebratione, in cantilenas modo, cele- brentnr juxta exemplar quod scriptum de Romana habemus ecclesia." Condi. Clovcshovice, Maiisi, xn. 399. 8 SERVICE-BOOKS OF THE [A.D. 747 - tinctive peculiarities of the diocese, and introduced any varieties of ceremonial which had become the custom of the Church, as for instance, in the parochial festival of the saint to whom the Church was dedicated. 3. Origin of Uses. Hence arose the various USES. mentioned in the original Preface 1 to the Book of Com mon Prayer, such as the Salisbury Use, the Hereford Use, the Use of Bangor, of York, of Lincoln". More over while these were the principal varieties of Use followed in the parish churches, the several orders of monks, as also the various collegiate institutions 3 , had their own ritual. 4. The Norman Conquest. After the Norman Conquest, A.D. 1066, Norman ecclesiastics filled the best of the English bishoprics and abbacies. They brought into the country a new style of chanting invented by William of Fescamp, which they endeavoured to force upon the Saxon monks. Amongst others Abbot Thur- stan (A.D. 1083) attempted to thrust it upon the monks of Glastonbury. This they strenuously resisted. There upon tumult and bloodshed ensued. Armed soldiers drove the monks from the chapter, and slew many of them in the church 4 . 5. The Use of Sarum. This outrage is supposed 5 to have drawn the attention of Osmund bishop of Salis- J That is the Second Preface, drawn up in 1549 ; the first Preface did not appear till the last revision in 1662. 2 Besides these there were other diocesan Uses, such as the Use of Exeter. 3 Thus Grandisson, Bishop of Exeter (A.D. 1339), orders the divine office in his newly founded Church of St Mary at Ottery, to be performed by the canons according to the order which he had extracted for them from the Uses of Exeter and Sarum. There was also the Use of St Paul s. See Dngdale s History of St Paul s, p. 24. 4 See Symeon of Durham, Scriptores x. col. 212; also the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 5 See Palmer s Oi iy. Litury. pp. 186 so. 1080-] MEDIEVAL ENGLISH CHURCH. 9 bury and Chancellor of England (A.D. 1085) to the varie ties of ritual used in the different churches. On the occasion, therefore, of the opening of his new cathedral , he resolved to revise all the Service-books. Collecting together a body of clergy learned and skilled in chant ing, he carefully remodelled the existing Offices 1 , and the USE OF SA.RUM was wholly or partially adopted in various parts of England, especially the south 2 . 6. Various Ritual Books. We are so accustomed to our Prayer- Book, as containing, together with a Bible, every part of our Public Worship, and indeed all the authorised Services, that the mention of ritual books may excite surprise. But these were many and various, and were known by different names, such as "the Masse-Booke, the Graile 3 , the Hympnal 4 , the Antiphoner 5 , the Processyonall, the Manuel 6 , the Por- 1 " Hie composuit librum ordinalem Ecclesiastic! officii quern consuetndinarium vocant, quo fere tota mine circ. A. D. 1200, Anglia, Wallia, et Hibernia utitur." Brompton s Chron. col. 977. 2 The other Uses, however, controlled till the sixteenth century, and those of York and of Hereford were of sufficient importance to be printed. 3 The Graile (or Graduate, or Gradale) and tke Proces sional contained the chants to be sung by the Choir at the service of High Mass, and was so called from certain short phrases sung after the Epistle in gradibus. on the steps of the altar. 4 The Hympnal contained the ecclesiastical and other Hymns, which were sung in the Church service. To these Litanies and Prayers were sometimes added. Maskell s Liturgy, p. ix. and n. 5 The Antiphoner contained (1) the Introits and other Antiphons, with their music, which were sung during the celebration of the Communion ; and (2) at the end of the xvth century, the Antiphons which were to be sung at Matins, Lauds, and at the other Canonical Hours. 6 The Manual was the Book of Occasional Offices contain ing the Services for Baptism, Matrimony, the Visitation of the Sick, the Churching of Women, Extreme Unction, Burial, and others of less frequent use. 10 THE KREVIARY, THE HOURS, [A.D. 1085 teaus, and the Prymer, both in Latine and also in English." CHAPTER IV, THE BREVIARY, THE HOURS, AND THE PRYMER. A.D. 1085-1509. 1. Three Books call for special remark in any ac count of the devotional books of the Middle Ages, par ticularly in connection with the history of our present Book of Common Prayer. These are (i) The Breviary; (2) 77*0 Hours; and (3) 77*0 Prymer. 2. The Breviary. Towards the end of the eleventh century the ancient offices of the Church were collected, arranged, improved, and shortened 1 by the authority of Pope Gregory VII. (A.D. 10731086). The Book containing these Offices was called The Breviary, and in its full and settled state included the whole offices of the Canonical Hours throughout the year, arranged in or den* under their respective days 2 . 1 "Certe vetustis sseoulis Praefationes complures in usu fuere. Hasce Sanctus Gregorius M. ad paucas iiunc usitatas redegit Cur autem a sancto Cregorio Pontm ce brcviata fu- erit Liturgia, id factum suspioari licet ad majus Fideliumcom- tnodum, atque ut ornnes divinis Mysteriis interesse possent." Muratori, de rebiis Liturg. xiv. 2 In England this Book was called the Portifory or Brevictrry according to the Use of the most famous Church of Sarum, or of York, as the case might be. Its common English names, which were variously spelled, as Portfory, Porleau, Portuary, Portuis, Portuane, Porthoos, Portas, come from the Latin Portiforium, through the French Portehors, and denoted the portability of the Book, "quod foras facile portari possit." Comp. Ascham s Schole- Master, p. 164, Ed. Mayor. " Therefore did some of them at Cambridge cause hedge priestes fette out of the contrie to be made fellowes in the universitie: saying in their talk privilie and declaring by their deeds opcnlie, that he was felow good enough for their tyme, if lie could were a goune and a tipet cumlie, and 1509.] AND THE PRYMER. 11 3. The Apostolical Hours. It is not known at what early period the Canonical Hours of Prayer were settled in the Christian Church. The earliest daily Offices were Matins and Vespers, but services for other hours probably existed from an early period as private or household devotions. The first Christian converts would naturally follow the Jewish hours of prayer, and Tertullian (A.D. 200) calls the 3rd, 6th, and 9th the Apostolical Hours 1 . In time of persecution, Christian assemblies were held at night; and when the cause ceased, the practice was continued in remembrance of their sufferings, and in commemoration of the martyrs, until experience showed the danger of such meetings. Hence the service of "Nocturns" became joined with that of " Lauds," the nightly service of psalmody, read ing and prayer, with the service of thanksgiving for the opening day, and the whole service was called Matins. Thus seven hours were appointed for the Church s prayer, at dawn, and at the first, third, sixth, ninth, eleventh, and twelfth hours of the day. 4. The Canonical Hours. About the period of Benedict (circ. A.D. 530) we find the Churches of Rome and Milan, of France and Spain, completing their ritual, and while differing from each other in many particulars, all adopting the following scheme : (1) Nocturns, or Matins; properly a night- service, used before daylight, mostly with twelve Psalms, read in course, and lessons more or fewer; (2) Lauds: an early morning service, generally have hys crowne shorne faire and rouridlie, and could turn bis Parterre and pie readilie." Comp. also Becon, (Works, p. 417), "Antichrist repelleth and putteth back none from taking care of souls, if he can read his Portasse and his Missal, and bee well sene in the pye." 1 Horas insigniores, Apostolicas ; " Tertull. Dejejimiis, cap. X. 12 THE BREVIARY, THE HOUJtS, [A.D. 1085- joiued on to the former at daybreak, with fixed Psalms and Canticles ; (3) Prime, a later warning service, with fixed Psalms ; (4) Tierce 1 or Terce, at 9 A. M. ; (5) Sexti at noon ; (6) None 2 , at 3 p. M. ; all with fixed Psalms ; (7) Vespers, or evening service, with four or five Psalms read in course, and Canticle ; (8) Compline*, a service at bed-time, with fixed Psalms. The services of these 4 Hours were generally called " the Divine Office," or the " Canonical Hours," and were formed with Prayers, Psalms, Hymns and Canti cles, with Lessons out of Scripture, and writings of the Fathers. The Book containing this course, as was said before, was, towards the end of the eleventh cen tury, called the Breviary, and in England the Porte- fory or Porteau. 5. The Hours. Besides the greater services of the Breviary appointed for the Canonical Hours smaller Offices were prepared, to be used at the same time for greater devotion. Such were the Hours of the Holy 1 Tierce = " the third hour, " from the Latin tertius, through the French. 2 None = the ninth hour, from the Latin nonce, novem, nine. 3 Compline = completorium. "What is meant by this word Complene f This word Complene, is no more to say but an accomplishment for complere = to fill up or fulfilling. And for so much as of all the services that are daily done in the Church, this is the last, therefore it is called Complene, as who should say, that in the same all the holy service of the day is fully complete and ended." Bishop Hilsey s Primer, A.D. 1539 ; Burton s Primers, p. 363. 4 These Services were called by our Anglo-Saxon fore fathers (circ. A.D. 1000) Uhtsang, Primesang, Undernang, Noon- sang, Evensang, and Nightsang. See The Canons of jElfric, xix. Wilkins, i. 252. 1509.] AND THE PRYMER. 13 it, of the Blessed Trinity, of the Cross, and, the most complete of all, the Hours of the Blessed Virgin, commonly called the Little Office. Before the middle of the sixth century this Office received the Papal authority to be said by certain orders of monks in addition to the Divine Office. 6. Its Contents. This Office of the Hours was revised by Peter Damian (A. D. 1056), and was very much used by the laity. As prepared for them it va ried very much in its contents. Sometimes it was a small volume, or a roll of vellum, containing only the Hours of the Virgin ; sometimes the Litany, and occa sional prayers were added. Sometimes it was a con siderable volume 1 , and contained also the Office of the Dead, the Penitential Psalms, and various Offices, hymns and prayers, while sometimes English prayers were mingled with the Latin, or English devotional forms were attached to the Psalms. 7. The Prymer. Thus we see that at a very early period the craving for a Service, which the people could understand 2 , was sensibly expressed, and English Ver sions of the Hours and occasional devotions were in circulation. Such small Manuals, containing the first lessons of religious belief and practice, were called Prytners, and in their earliest form may have been known among the Anglo-Saxons, as containing the Creed, the Lord s Prayer, and the Ten Command- 1 Many copies of this favourite book exist in manuscript and in printed editions : some of the manuscript volumes are most beautifully illuminated, with scroll-work, and initial letters, and with miniatures and armorial bearings of the owners, pictures of the life and sufferings of our Blessed Lord, of the saints and martyrs, or pictures descriptive of the offices, such as of Psalmody, or of the Vigils, or Burial. " This was no new thing, but a gradual return to the custom of primitive times. The worship of the early Churches was in the people s language, whether Greek or Latin. 14 THE BREVIARY, <kc. [A.D. 1085- ments, to which were added, as time went on, the Seven Works of Mercy, the Seven Sacraments of Grace, the Two Precepts of the Gospel, and such like 1 . 8. Its Contents. Springing from such early manu als, the Prymer is commonly mentioned in the fifteenth century as a well-known book of private devotion, con taining certain set prayers and offices. Sometimes it was in English, or in English and Latin, and sometimes in Latin with occasional portions in English. The ear liest known copy belongs most probably to the latter part of the fourteenth century, and was revised and re- published in the reign of Henry VIII., A.D. I545 2 . 1 See Hardwick a Church History, Middle Aye, pp. 448, 449. 2 The following Table exhibits at one view the contents of these two Primers. (i) Contents of the Prymer, (circ. A. D. 1 400.) Matins and Hours of our Lady. / Evensong and Compline. : The vii. penitential psalms, [Ps. vi. xxii. xxxviii. li. cii. cxxx. and cxliii. ] The xv. psalms, [Ps. cxx cxxxiv.] The Litany. Placebo and Diriye, or the Office of the Dead. Dirge. The Psalrns of Commendation, [Pa. cxix.] Pater noster. A_ve Maria. Creed. The Ten Commandments. The seven deadly sins. ii. Contents of the Primer, (A.D. 1545.) The Contents of this book. The Kalendar. The King s Highness In junction. The Prayer of our Lord. The Salutation of the Angel. The Creed or Articles of the Faith. The Ten Commandments. Certain graces. The Matins. The Evensong. The Compline. The seven Psalms. The Litany. The Dirge. The Commendations. The Psalms of the Passion, [Ps. xxii. Ixix. Ixxxviii. li. and lix.] The Passion of our Lord. Certain godly prayers for sundry purposes. 1509-] REVISION OF CHURCH-BOOKS. 15 CHAPTER V. REVISION OF CHURCH-BOOKS IN THE REIGN OF KING HENRY VIII. A.D. 1509-154:7- 1. Commencement of the Reformation. From what has been already said it is clear that for many years preceding the sixteenth century there had been an ever- increasing craving for a Service which the people could understand, and that a corresponding number of forms of worship and of private devotions had been put forth in the mother tongue. During the latter years, however, of the reign of Henry VIII. the change that was com ing over men s minds was still further perceptible. As early as A.D. 1516 the Sarum Breviary was revised, and in 1 533 a carefully edited Missal of the Use of Sarum was printed, with increased clearness of reference to all passages taken from Holy Scripture. In the year 1525 appeared the first edition of Tyndale s New Testament 1 , and in 1534, the second year of Cranmer s archbishopric, the Convocation petitioned the king to authorise an English Version of the whole Bible for general distri bution 2 . 2. Coverdale s Bible. In the following year, 1535, appeared Miles Coverdale s translation of the Bible, dedicated to the king, and two years afterwards the Bible, called Matthew s Bible, translated by Tyndale, Rogers, and perhaps Coverdale, was put, forth 3 . In 1538, appeared, either separately, or attached to the Prymers, the Epistles and Gospels in English, and in the April of 15 39 the whole Bible was issued, with an 1 See Hard wick s Middle Age, p. 196, n. 2 See Anderson s Annals of the English Bible; Hardwick e Middle Age, p. 19fi, n. 3 See Blunt on the Reformation, p. 187. 16 REVISION OF CHURCH -BOOKS [A. D. 1509- able preface by Cranmer himself, and is therefore called "Cranmer s" or the "Great .Bible." Moreover, on the 6th of May, 1541, a proclamation ordered that every parish, which had not yet provided a Bible, should not fail, before the Feast of All Saints, to "buy and provide Bibles of the largest and greatest volume, and cause the same to be set and fixed in the parish church 1 ." 3. Revision of Church-books. While provision was thus made for the distribution of the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue, the revision of the Service-books was not neglected. In 1542 it was proposed in Convocation that the Church-booKs, Tortfories, Missals, and others, should be corrected and reformed, and that the names of Popes and Thomas a Becket should be carefully erased 2 . At the same time a new edition of the Sarum Bre viary was issued, and the House of Bishops decided that its use should be observed throughout the province of Canterbury. 4. The Bible to be read in English. The House of Bishops, however, took a still more important step by ordering that " every Sunday and holiday throughout the year, the Curate of every parish church, after the Te Deum and Magnificat, should openly read to the people one chapter of the New Testament in English, without exposition, and when the New Testament was read over, then to begin the Old." Thus the reading of Scripture in English in the Public Service of the Church was formally authorised, and the way was pre pared for the further substitution of English for Latin in the prayers. 5. The English Litany. The first change in this respect was made in the Litany. This peculiar and ancient form of supplication had been in the hands of 1 The price of the Bible was also fixed at 10s. unbound, or 12s. " well and sufficiently bound, trimmed and clasped." 2 Wilkins Condi, in. 861. 1547-] IN THE REIGN OP KING tiENRY VIII. 17 the people in their own tongue in the Primer, certainly for a hundred and fifty years. In the year 1544, how ever, it was carefully revised by Cranmer, who, besides the old Litanies of the English Church, had also before him the Litaiiy, formed from the same ancient model which had been prepared by Melancthon and Bucer, in 1543, for Hermann, the Archbishop of Cologne 1 . 6. Common Prayer. The chief alterations he intro duced consisted in the omission of a long list of names of saints, which had gradually been inserted in the Western Litanies, though he still retained three clauses, in which the prayers of the Virgin Mary, the angels, and the patriarchs, prophets, and Apostles, were de sired. With this exception our English Litany 2 was set forth for public use by command of Henry VIII., on the nth of June, 1544, in its present form, and very nearly in its present words. In the preface to this Litany occurs the well-known phrase, which distin guishes our Prayer-Book. Cranmer writes: "It is thought convenient in this Common Prayer of pro cession to have it set forth and used in the vulgar tongue, for stirring the people to more devotion," and thus shows his desire to make the Public Service of the Church congregational, and so conformable to the cus tom of primitive times. CHAPTER VI. TUB FIRST PRAYER-BOOK OF EDWARD VI. A.D. 1547-1549. i. Accession of Edward VI. On the accession of 1 See Hardwick s Reformation, p. 206, note 2; and the Three Primers, Ed. Burton. 2 It has been reprinted by the Parker Society in the Appendix to the volume of Private Prayers of t/ie reiyn of y. Elizabeth. 18 THE FIRST PRAYER- ROOK OF [A.D. 1547 Kd ward VI. (Jan. 28,1547), the first progressive mea sure towards Reformation was to provide Scriptural in struction for the people. Accordingly the First Book of Homilies 1 was published to be read in the Churches on Sunday, and a translation of the Paraphrase of Erasmus on the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles was directed to be studied by the clergy, and to be set up in the Churches, together with the Great Bible 2 . 2. The Epistle and Gospel in English. Injunctions and Articles of Enquiry were also issued with a royal Visitation in September, which renewed the orders of Henry VIII. against superstition and the Pope. Besides this it was directed that on every Sunday or holiday one chapter of the New Testament should be read at Matins, and at Evensong, one chapter of the Old Testa ment, and that the Epistle and Gospel at high mass should be in English 3 . 3. The Order of the Communion. In issuing these injunctions the royal Council acted under the authority of the late king s will, but further changes ; were now aimed at. And, first, the Lower House of Convocation turned their attention to reforms in the Church Service, which had been for some time in contemplation, and approved a proposition introduced by the archbishop for administering the Communion in both kinds. The change was accepted by the Parliament, who empowered certain bishops and divines associated with Cranmer to assemble at Windsor, and draw up an English 1 Of these Homilies (twelve in number) three at least, including that Of tJte Salvation of Mankind, or Justification, appear to have been written by Cranmer himself, while those Of the Misery of ail Mankind, and Of Christian Love and Charity, were the work of Bp. Bonner and his chaplain. See Hard wick s Reformation, p. 211, n. 2 See Blunt on the Reformation, pp. 200, 201. 3 CardwelPs Documentary Annals, V r ol. I. p. 54. 1549-] EDWARD VI. 19 Order of the Communion. This appeared in 1548. It was not a full Communion Office, but an English form of Communion for the people, grafted on the Latin Office for the Mass 1 . Thus the Cup was formally restored to the laity, and " the Mass" turned into " the Communion." 4. The First Prayer-Book of Edward VI. This "Order of Communion" had been published with all possible speed, and was only intended to serve until a more complete Book could be prepared. The divines 2 , therefore, assembled at Windsor, continued their deli berations, and before the end of the year, with the sanc tion of Convocation, presented the Book of Common Prayer to the king, to be by him laid before Parlia ment. 5. Discussion in the Commons. Before the Book 1 In preparing those portions which did not exist in the Latin Office, the Book commonly known as Hermanns Con- \ sultation was followed. It had been drawn up in 1543, with the assistance of Bucer and Melancthon. To it may be traced the idea and the subject-matter of (]) the Exhortation, ("1} the Confession, and (3) the Comfortable Words in the present Communion Office. See Hardwick s Reformation, p. 212, and notes. 2 The "notable learned men" associated with Cra.nmer in the work of revising the old Service-books, were George Day, bishop of Cbichester, Thomas Goodryke, of Ely, John Skyp, of Hereford, H?nry Holbeach, of Lincoln, Nicholas Ridley, of Rochester, Thomas Thirleby, of Westminster ; Dr May, dean of St Paul s, John Taylor, dean (afterwards bishop) of Lincoln, Dr Haines, dean of Exeter, Dr Robert son (afterwards dean of Durham), Dr John Redman, Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, and Dr Richard Cox, almoner to the King (afterwards bishop of Ely). The Commission included more names than these and it is certain that all did not equally approve the work: Day refused to subscribe; and Thirleby and Skyp joined with him in a protest against the act of Uniformity; and probably Robertson and Redman liked it as little. The persons actually engaged in the work were probably Crarimer, Ridley, Goodrich, Holbeach, May, Taylor, Haiiu s and Cox. 20 THE FIRST PRAYER-BOOK OF [A.D. 1547- passed the Commons, a public disputation was held on the manner of Christ s presence in the Eucharist, with the design of laying open the arguments which had weighed with the bishops and divines in altering or re taining the old services 1 . After this, the Book was readily accepted by the Parliament, and the Act of Uniformity, Jan. 15, 1549, ordered the administration of the two Sacraments, and all other common and open prayer to be said and used in every parish of the king s dominions, " England, Wales, Calais and the marches of the same on Whitsunday, June 9, 1549." 6. Objects of the Compilers. The objects of the compilers of The First Prayer-Book of Edward VI. are stated in the Preface. They were (i) that the whole realm should now have but one Use in Divine Service ; (2) that the rubrical directions should be sim plified ; (3) that the Psalms should all be repeated in their order, instead of a few being said daily and the rest entirely omitted ; (4) that the Lessons should in clude the whole Bible, or the greatest part thereof, in a continuous course ; (5) that the reading of the Chap ters should not be interrupted by Anthems, Responds, and Invitatories ; (6) that nothing should be read but " the very pure word of God, the Holy Scriptures, or that which is evidently grounded upon the same" ; and (7) that all should be in the English tongue. 7. The Principles that guided them. It is clear, then, that it was the wish of the first Reformers, not so much to compose new materials as to preserve carefully, as far as was possible, the order of the several elements of the earlier services. "They did not unmannerly reject those Offices of the Church which, however cor- 1 On this important disputation, see Treherne s Letter to Bullinger, dated London Dec. 31, 1548, quoted in Hardwick s Reformation, p. 213, n. : and see also Froude s History of England, v. HI, 142. 1549-] EDWARD VI. 21 rupted, lost themselves in a fathomless abyss of years, and might even have partaken of something of the spirit of an Apostolic Age... These helps, which they did not disdain, they shewed themselves able to improve, correcting what was objectionable in doctrine, removing what was offensive in taste, and often communicating by some happy expression even an additional glow of devo tion to passages in themselves (it might have been thought) too beautiful to touch 1 ." Hence the Order of Morning and Evening Prayer, put forth in English in 1549, was the same Order of Prayer to which the people had been accustomed in their Primer, "the selfsame words in English, which were in Latin, saving a few things taken out 2 ." 8. The Principal Differences between the first Prayer-Book of Edward VI. and that now in use are as follows : (A) In the Order of Morning and Evening Prayer ; (1) Matins and Evensong began with the Lord s Prayer and ended with the third Collect ; (2) The Litany was placed after the Commu nion Office 3 , and there was no rubric to direct its use as a part of the Morning Prayer ; (3) The Address to the Virgin Mary was omitted, which had been retained in Henry s Litany, as also the invocation of the angels and patriarchs. 1 Blunt, On the Reformation, pp. 208, 209. 2 See the message to the Devonshire rebels, " It seemeth to you a new Service, and indeed is none other but the old ; the selfsame words in English, saving a few things taken out." Foxe, Acts and Mon. v. p. 734. 3 In some early editions it was added as a separate sheet, at the end of the volume. 22 THE FIRST PRAYER-BOOK OF [A.D. 1547 (B; In tJie Communion Office : (1) The service began with an Introit, or Psalm sung as the Minister was proceed ing to the altar ; (2) The Commandments were not read ; ($) The Prayers differed from our present I form, but chiefly in their arrangement ; (4) The name of the Virgin was specially men tioned in the praise offered for the saints ; (5) The Consecration included a prayer for the Sanctification of the Bread and Wine \ with the Holy Spirit and the Word ; (6) Water was mixed with the wine ; (7) The words used in delivering the Bread and the Cup to the communicants were only the first clause of those now used ; (8) The sign of the cross was retained twice in the consecration of the Elements 1 ; (9) Prayer was offered for the dead. (C) In the Baptismal Service : (1) The sign of the Cross was made upon the child s forehead and breast ; (2) A form of Exorcism was used ; (3) Trine immersion was directed ; (4) The child after baptism was arrayed in a white vesture commonly called the Chrisom, and anointed on the head ; (5) The water in the font was ordered to be changed once a month at least. (D) In the Burial Service : ( i ) Prayer was offered for the deceased person ; 1 As it was also in the office of Confirmation, Matrimony, and the Visitation of the Sick, if the sick person desired to be anointed. 1549-] EDWARD VI. 23 (2) An Introit, Collect, Epistle, and Gospel were appointed for a Communion at a burial. CHAPTER VII. THE SECOND PRAYER-BOOK OF EDWARD VI. A.D. 15491553. 1. Reception of the First Prayer-Book. The com position of the Book of Common Prayer from the old Offices caused it to be received with greater readi ness than might have been expected. Learned men among the Romanizing party could conform to it, as containing the primitive elements of Christian worship, freed from the innovations of later times. Some, indeed, called it a Parliamentary religion 1 , and some of the more extreme section of the Reformers found fault with it, on the ground that it was tinged with Lutheranism. 2. Destruction of the Old Church-Books. It might, however, naturally be expected th.it some would cling to the old form of service, and watch for some turn of affairs which would restore the missals to their place in the churches. The fall of the Duke of Somerset was thought to be such an event, and upon his being sent to the Tower in the autumn of 1549 it was rumoured that the Latin Service with its ceremonies would be restored. To prevent such a return a King s Letter was issued on Christmas-day to call in, and burn, deface, and de stroy, all the old Church-Books, which Order of Council was afterwards confirmed and extended by Act of Par liament 2 . 1 On the religious insurrections in Cornwall and Devon shire consequent on the new Liturgy, see Froude v. pp. 168 216. 2 Stat. 3 and 4 Ed. VI. c. 12 ; see Froude v. 258. 24 THE SECOND PRA YER-BOOK OF [A.D. 1549- 3. John Hooper. During the remaining portion of the short reign of Edward, the influence of the more extreme party of Reformers was on the increase. Of these none was more prominent than John Hooper, who as early as 1539 had distinguished himself by his bold denunciation of superstition and idolatry, and had been obliged to retire to Zurich. There he became ac quainted with Bullinger, and on his return to England in 1548 acquired no little influence, and began to press upon the court the absolute necessity of further and more sweeping changes 1 . Like other of the more ardent Reformers, he regarded with the utmost aver sion the use of ecclesiastical vestments, and when nomi nated to the bishopric of Gloucester pertinaciously refused to wear the scarlet portion of the episcopal robes 2 . Eventually he was committed to the Fleet by order of the Privy Council, Jan. 27, 1551, and under this pressure yielded so far as to allow himself to be conse crated (March 8), and then to preach in his pontificals before the king, on the understanding, however, that he would not be required to use the full dress of a bishop on all occasions in the retirement of his diocese. 4. Arrival of Foreign Protestants. These dis putes were strengthened by the presence of a multitude of foreign refugees, whom the Interim of 1548 and other causes had driven from their homes, and who hastened to avail themselves of Cramner s hospitality in England. Of these refugees three of the more eminent were John Laski, Bucer, and Peter Martyr. Laski was permitted to officiate as the superintendent of the "French, Bel gian, Italian, and German Protestants in the metropolis ; 1 Hardwick s Reformation, p. 216. 2 By an Act of Parliament, Jan. 31. 1550, a Service for the consecration of bishops and priests had been added to the formularies, and gave offence to the ultra parties on both sides. Fronde, v. 320; Hardwick s Reformation, p. 217, n. 1553-] EDWARD VI. 25 Bucer was appointed Professor of Theology at Cambridge in 1549, and Peter Martyr to the same post at Oxford in the same year 1 . These three scholars now dissemi nated the peculiar modes of thought and feeling which they had imported from the continent, agreeing in their estimate of many subjects then contested, and in others manifesting all their characteristic varieties. 5. Revision of the English Prayer-Book. Owing, then, to various causes, partly to the spirit which had been diffused by Hooper and his followers, partly to the religious scruples ventilated in the writings and disputations of continental refugees, the first Prayer- Book of Edward VI. had scarcely been put in circula tion before further alterations were mooted. Towards the close of the year 1550, when the Convocation met as usual with the Parliament, the matter was brought forward. Mention was made of doubts which had arisen respecting certain portions of the Book ; especially the propriety of retaining so many holydays, the dress and posture of the minister in the Public Service, the entire office of the Holy Communion, and particularly the form of words used at the delivery of the consecrated Elements 2 . 6. The Second Prayer-Book of Edward VI. The Lower House of Convocation shrunk from a revision of the Prayer-Book ; the court and especially the king himself urgently demanded it 3 . Accordingly a com- J See Hard wick s Reformation, p. 2] 9. At the same time Valerandus Pollanus, or Pullain, superintended the French and Walloon congregations at Glastonbury. See Strype s Cranmer, I. 349. 2 Heyliii, Hist. Rcf. 5 Edw. VI. 15; Hardwick s Re formation, p. 221. 3 "Si noluerint ipsi efficere ut quse mutanda sint muten- tur, Rex per seipsum id faclet."" Martyr s Letter to .Bucer ; Strype, Cranmer, Append. LXI. See Hardwick s Reformation, p. 222, n. 26 THE SECOND PRA YER-BOOK OF [A.D. 1549- iiiittco of divines was nominated, with Cranmer at their head, to undertake the work, and thu opinions of Bucer and Martyr were asked. It was not intended to con demn the Doctrines of the First Prayer-Book, whicli was declared to contain nothing but " what was agree able to the Word of God and the primitive Church but simply " to render it fully perfect in all such places in which it was necessary to be made more earnest and fit for the stirring- up of all Christian people to the true honouring of Almighty God. The revisal was a long time in hand, and did not finally come into use until the Feast of All Saints, Nov. i, 1552, when Ridley officiated at St Paul s cathedral. 7. Alteration in the Communion Office. The chief alterations introduced into Edward Vlth s Second Prayer-Book will be found stated at length below, but the only office in which any change of doctrine was discernible was that for the Holy Communion. In the First Prayer-Book of 1 549 the Communion Service had been so constructed as to be consistent with the belief of a real, and perhaps of a substantial and corporal Pre sence. But the alterations in 1552 were such as to authorise and foster the belief that the consecrated elements had no new virtues imparted to them, and that Christ was present in the Eucharist in no other manner than He is ever present to the prayers of the faithful. Instead, therefore, of the ancient words made use of at the delivery of the elements, The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life, the clause was substituted Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for thee, and feed on Him in thy heart by faith with thanksgiving. Thus the pale of Church Communion was enlarged for the more earnest reformers, but closed against the slightest leaning to mediaeval doctrine. 8. Death of Edward VI. Still the Second Prayer- 1553-] EDWARD VI. 27 Book in all its leading features remained what it was before, u an accumulation of ancient wisdom, a bequest of ancient piety, the form of words and bond of faith uniting English worshippers with saints and martyrs of antiquity 1 ." It can hardly, however, be said to have been used, for on the evening of Thursday, the 6th of July, 1553, Edward VI. passed away, before he had completed his sixteenth year. The accession of Mary put an end to the Reformed Service. Many of the Reformers fled, some to Basle, Zurich, and Geneva, others to Emden, Strasburg, and Frankfort, while of those that remained in England as many as 288 persons 2 of all ranks and orders perished during the next four years at the stake. 9. The chief alterations introduced into the Prayer-Book of 1552 were as follows : ( A ) In the Order of Morning and Even ing Prayer : (1) The Introductory Sentences, the Exhorta tion, Confession, and Absolution were placed at the beginning of the Service. (2) The Apostles Creed was directed to be said, as we now have it. (3) The Athanasian Creed was directed to be used on thirteen Festivals and Saints days, as in our present rubric. (4) The Litany was appointed to be used on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. (B) In the Communion Office: (i) The Decalogue and Responses were added. 1 Hardwick s Reformation, p. 229. 2 The number is variously computed at 270, 280, and 290, Froude, vi. 533, n.; 288 is the aggregate obtained by Cecil (Lord Burghley). Hardwick s Reformation, 239, n. 28 THE SECOND PRA YER-BOOK, dfec. [A.D. 1549- (2) The Introit, the name of the Virgiu Mary, and the thanksgiving for the patriarchs and prophets were omitted ; (3) The sign of the Cross and the invocation of the Word and the Holy Ghost at the consecration of the Elements were discon tinued ; (4) The water was not directed to be mixed with the wine ; (5) At the delivery of the Bread and the Cup the second clause of our present form was ordered instead of the first ; (6) The long prayer of Consecration was changed into the Prayer for the Church Militant, the Prayer of Consecration, and the first form of Prayer after Communion. (C) In the Baptismal Service : 1 i ) The Exorcism, the Anointing, the putting on the Chrisom, the trine Immersion were omitted ; (2) The water in the font was to be renewed and consecrated whenever the service was used. (])) In the Visitation of the Sick: (1) The allusion to Tobias and Sarah was omitted ; (2) The anointing, the direction for private confession, and the reserving a portion of the elements from the open Communion in the Church for the sick person were dis continued. (E) In the Burial Service : (1) The prayers for the deceased, and (2) The office for the Holy Communion were omitted. A.D. 1558 1603-] THE PRAYER-BOOK, etc. 29 CHAPTER VI11. THE PRAYER-BOOK OF QUEEN ELIZABETH. A.D. 15581603. 1. Accession of Elizabeth. Upon the death ol Queen Mary, Thursday, Nov. 17, 1558, Elizabeth, to the great joy of the mass of the people, succeeded to the throne, and on the 24th of November released all per sons confined on account of religion. The Protestant clergy who remained alive came forth from their hiding places, and with others who soon returned from abroad began to occupy the pulpits. 2. Need of Caution. The conduct of the queen was marked by extreme caution. On the one hand it was feared that the Reformers would outstrip the royal prerogative ; on the other it was a matter of extreme difficulty to restore the Prayer- Book while the statutes of the late reign were unrepealed, and the benefices were mostly held by Romanists 1 . The Mass, therefore, still continued, and the Queen was crowned on Sunday, Jan. 15, 1559, according to the ceremonies of the Roman pontifical 2 . 3. Gradual Changes. In the first month, how ever, of the new reign, an English Litany was printed, and used in the royal chapel, and as early as the begin ning of December, certain learned men 3 were named as fit persons to examine the two Prayer-Books of King Edward VI., and a paper of questions and advices was prepared, suggesting the way in which the Reformed religion could be most safely re-established. In the 1 See Froude, VII. p. 10, 11. - See Froude, vn. 39, 40. Hard wick s Reformation, p. 242. a Including Dr Bill, Dr Parker, Dr May, Dr Cox, Mr Whitehead, Mr Grindal, and Mr Pilkington. 30 THE PRAYER-BOOK OF [A.D. 1558- same month a proclamation was issued which, while it forbade preaching, allowed the Epistle and Gospel and the Ten Commandments to be read in English, but without any exposition. 4. Meeting of Parliament. Parliament met on the 25th of January, 15 59, and was opened with a speech of Lord- Keeper Bacon to the effect " that laws should be made for the according and uniting of the people into an uniform order of religion," and that while on the one hand all idolatry and superstition should be avoided, on the other " heed should be taken, that by no licen tious or loose handling any manner of occasion be given whereby any contempt or irreverent behaviour towards God and godly things, or any spice of irreligion, might creep in or be conceived 1 ." 5. Influence of Cecil and Guest. These were the views which guided the alterations now made in the Prayer-Book. The parties openly engaged in making them were the committee of divines mentioned above, and the royal council. Secretary Cecil, however, had the general supervision, and in the absence through sickness of Archbishop Parker. Guest, a man of great learning 2 , was appointed with special instructions "to compare both King Edward s Communion Books toge ther, and from them both to frame a Book for the use of the Church of England, by correcting and amending, altering, and adding, or taking away, according to his judgment and the ancient Liturgies." 6. Restoration of the Prayer-Book of 1552. The commission set themselves busily to work, and on the 1 8th of April a proposal for the restoration of the Prayer-Book was brought forward in the House of Corn- 1 Strype s Annals, n. 54. ~ Afterwards Archdeacon of Canterbury, the Queen s almoner, and bishop of Rochester. Strype, Annals, Ch. ii. p. 82. 1603- 1 QUEEN ELIZABETH. 31 mons. In the Lower House there was no opposition In the Lords nine bishops and nine temporal peers voted against any alteration of the services l . But the great majority favoured the restoration of Cranmer s Liturgy of 1552 with some alterations. The Act of Uniformity passed its three readings in three successive days, and June 24, or the Feast of St John Baptist, was fixed as the day on which the revised Frayer-Book was to be used. Parliament itself was dissolved May 8, and on the Sunday following, May 12, the Queen caused it to be read in her chapel, and on the following Wed nesday it was read before " a very august assembly of the court at St Paul s -." 7. General acceptance of the Prayer-Book. The Liturgy thus put forth was gradually accepted with more or less pleasure 3 . Out of 9400 clergy it appears that not more than 1 89 refused to the last to comply with the statute, and resigned their benefices 4 . Indeed for the first ten years of Elizabeth s reign men of all minds generally went to their parish churches without doubt or scruple. Two changes introduced into the New Prayer-Book evinced a tendency to comprehend as many as possible within the pale of the Church. On the one hand the rubrics of King Edward s Second Book were modified, allowing a larger latitude in the use of orna ments and vestments 5 . On the other the sentences 1 See Fronde, VII. p. 81. 2 Strype s Grindal, p. 24. 3 "The service in the Churches is well received and done, for the most part of the shire (Devonshire). There wanteth nothing but preachers." Sir John Ch/chester to the Earl oj Bedford. Domestic MSS. Roll s House, quoted in Fronde VH. 88 n. 4 Strype s Annals, ch. xii. p. 172. 5 See the First Rubric for Morning and Evening Prayer, by Stat. 1 Eliz. I. c. 2. sect. xxv. "the ornaments of the Church aud of the ministers thereof" were restored as in 32 THE PRAYER-BOOK OF [A.D. 1558 - employed at the distribution of the Elements in the Holy Communion by the two Prayer-Books of Edward VI. 1 were combined, "lest, under the colour of rejecting a carnal, they might be thought also to deny such a real Presence as was defended in the writings of the ancient Fathers 2 ." 8. The other Variations of the Elizabethan Prayer-Book from Edward s Second Book were these : (A) The first rubric now directed the Morning and Evening Prayer to be used in the accustomed place of the church, chapel, or chancel 3 , instead of " in such place as the people may best hear" (B) In the Litany : (1) The words From the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome, and all his debatable enormities were omitted ; (2) To the suffrage for the Queen were added the words strengthen in the true worship ping of thee, in righteousness and holiness of life; (3) The prayers for the Queen s Majesty, and for the Clergy and People, with the Col- the 2nd year of Edw. VI. Still the use of the earlier orna ments was not generally introduced ; and the notion was plainly expressed among the bishops, that the rubric was not intended to be compulsory, but was mainly introduced to legalize the usages of the royal Chapel. Strype, Annals, Ch. iv. p. 83. 1 See above, p. 26. 2 Heylin i. 287, quoted in Hard wick s Reformation, p. 245, n. 3 Chancel (Cancettus) is so called a cancellis, from the bars or lattices separating it from the body of the Church. Chancels date from the 13th Century, See Guericke s Manual of Antiq. p. 104. 1603-] QUEEN ELIZABETH. 33 lect, " God, whose nature and pro perty" &c., were placed at the end of the Litany (4) The note to the Prayer of St Chrysostom was omitted, and the Litany shall ever end with the Collect following. (C) Elizabeth was styled Our Gracious Queen. 9. Return of the Marian Exiles. Meanwhile the numerous Reformers who, as we have seen above 1 , had retired to the Continent on the accession of Mary, hear ing that the storm of persecution was exhausted by the death of their persecutor hastened home, and speedily began to reproduce their peculiar tenets in this country. 10. Their dislike of the Prayer-Book. Unaccus tomed for some years to services, which in any degree recalled the ritual of the Middle Ages, and recognising in Knox s Book of Common Order a fitting Christian service, they no sooner returned to England than they speedily began to find fault with the Book of Common Prayer and with Episcopacy. Their earliest censures more especially concerned the use of the Cross in bap tism, " all curious singing and playing at the organs," surplices, saints days, and most of all, perhaps, the practice of kneeling at the administration of the Lord s Supper 2 . 11. Styled Puritans or Precisians. As early as 1 567 the more violent of this party, now called Puritans or Precisians, began to separate themselves from the service of the Church, to meet in private houses where they had ministers of their own 3 , and to use the Geneva 1 See above, p. 27. 2 See Hardwick s Reformation, p. 251, and the notes. Gualt er writing to Beza, July 23, 1566, speaks of the English clergy in general as "wolves, papists, Lutherans, Sadducees, and Herodians." 3 See Strype s Life of Gnndal, p. 169 ; Life of Parker, II. P. B. 3 34 THE PRA YER-BOOK DURING [ A.D. 1603 Form, or somewhat altered editions of the Book of Common Prayer 1 . In 1572 they went so far as to put forward a sarcastic Admonition to the Parliament, de nouncing the Prayer-Book and the Bishops, and recom mending the institution of a new church, where " holy discipline" should copy the presbytcrian models then exhibited in Scotland and Geneva. CHAPTER IX. THE PRAYER-BOOK DURING THE REIGN OF JAMES I. A.D. 1603-1625. 1. Accession of James I. Many of the perplexi ties of Elizabeth and her advisers were due to these "disciplinarian" troubles, and no sooner had James 1. succeeded to the throne in 1603, than the general body of the Puritans presented to him the famous " Millenary petition," so called from the large number of signatures attached to it. In this they urged the . removal or amending of many offences in the Book of Common Prayer 2 , and requested that a Conference might be summoned, whereat their difficulties might be explained and removed. 2. The Hampton Court Conference. Fond of such debates, though against the wishes of the Univer sities and of the clergy generally, James acceded to their request, and a proclamation was issued, Oct. 24, 1603, summoning a council of divers of the bishops and other learned men, and was held at Hampton Court on 65 ; Haweis Sketches of the Reformation, p. 189 ; Marsden s History of the Early Puritans, pp. 54, 55. 1 A series of such Prayer-Books appeared between 1578 and 1640 ; see Procter s History of the Prayer- Book, pp. 8385. 2 See Cardweli s Conferences, pp. 131, sq. 1625-] THE REIGN OP JAMES 1. 35 the 1 4th, 1 6th, and i8th of January, 1604. The Con ference, however, was not a discussion between the Episcopal and Puritan divines, but a conference first between the king and the bishops, and secondly between the king and the invited Puritan divines *, and was con cluded by the royal determination upon the points debated. 3. The First Day. On the first day the King as sembled the lords of his council and the bishops with the dean of the chapel royal, and addressed them, among other subjects, upon the General Abso lution, the Confirmation o/ children, and private Bap tism by women. The two former were allowed, but some things in them were to be cleared. Then en sued a long discussion on private Baptism, and it was agreed that, if occasion required, it should be admi nistered in private houses, but only by ministers. 4. The Second Day. On the second day the Puritan representatives were called before the king and the Council, in the presence of certain of the bishops. The Puritans propounded their objections concerning Confirmation, the cross in baptism, the surplice, pri vate baptism, kneeling at the Communion, the reading of The Apocrypha, and subscription to the Book of Common Prayer and Articles. After a long discussion it was agreed that there should be a uniform translation of the Bible, and one catechising over all the realm ; that the Apocrypha should be read, but not as Scrip ture ; and that any doubtful point of the Articles should be cleared 2 . 5. The Third Day. On the third day, the bishops with certain civilians attended at the court, and the 1 These were Dr Kainolds, Dr Sparkes, Mr Knewstubbs. and Mr Chaderton, who had the reputation of being the most grave, learned, and modest of the party. 2 See Card well s Conferences, p. 140. 32 36 THE PjRA YER-BOOK DURING [A.D. 1603- archbishop presented to the king a note of those points which had been referred to their consideration on the first day, and concerned the rubric of absolution, private baptism, and the Order of Confirmation. After some discussion the Puritan representatives were called in, and the alterations agreed to were read to them. There was a little disputing about the use of the word " wor ship" in the marriage ceremony, and it was agreed that it might be worship and honour if it were thought fit And so, after a discourse about unity and peace from the king-, the Conference ended with a joint promise of the Puritan divines to be quiet and obedient, now that they knew it to be the king s mind to have it so 1 . 6. The Following were the chief changes made at this Conference ; (A} In the Order of Morning and Evening Prayer : (1) Into the title of the Absolution were in serted the words "or Remission of Sins ;" (2) A prayer for the Queen, the Prince, and other the King s and Queen s children, was placed after the Prayer for the King; (3) A corresponding petition was inserted in the Litany ; 1 "Dr Reynolds took exception at those words in the Common Prayer-Book, of matrimony, with my body I thee worship. His Majesty looked upon the place; I was made believe (saith he) that the phrase did import no lesse than divine worship and adoration, but by the examination I find that it is an usual English tearm, as a gentleman of worship, &c. and the sense agreeable unto Scriptures, giving honour to the wife, cfcc. But turning to Doctor Reyn. (with smiling said his Majesty), Many a man speaks of Robin Hood who never shot in his bow: if you had a good wife yourself you would think ail the honour and worship yoti could do to her well-bestowed. " Barlow s Account of the Conference in Curdwell s History of the Conferences, p. 200. 1625-] THE REIGN OF JAMES I. 37 (4) Thanksgivings for particular occasions, for Rain, for Fair Weather, for Plenty, for Peace and Victory, and for Deliverance from the Plague, in two forms, were added to the occasional Prayers in the end of the Litany, and were styled An enlargement of thanksgiving for divers benefits, by way of explanation. (B) In the Office for Private Baptism : (1) The administration was restricted to the minister of the parish, or some other law ful minister ; (2) In the title of the Office the words " Of them that be baptized in private houses in time of necessity," were altered to " Of them that are to be baptized in private houses in time of necessity, by the minister of the parish, or any other lawful minis ter that can be procured ;" (3) In the second rubric the words that they procure not their children to be baptized were added ; (4) In the third rubric the words lawful minister were inserted, and a correspond ing alteration was made in the fourth rubric ; (5) The enquiry, whether they called upon God for grace and succour in that neces sity, was omitted, and in its place was inserted the reason of caution, And because some things times of extremity. (C) In the Order of Confirmation : The Rite itself was explained by adding or laying on of hands upon children baptized, and able to render an account 38 THE PRA YER-BOOK DURING [A.D. 1625 of their faith, according to the Catechism following. (I)) In the Catechism : The concluding portion was added on the Sacraments, and is generally ascribed to Overal, the prolocutor of the Convocation. CHAPTER X. THE PRAYER-BOOK DURING THE REIGN OF CHARLES I. A.D. 1625-1649- 1. Accession of Charles I. Charles I. succeeded to the throne on the death of his lather, March 27, 1625, and though the Book of Common Prayer had ever been a matter of controversy in Scotland, and the Scotch nobility and clergy alike were deeply prejudiced against the Church and episcopal authority, he resolved to in troduce the English Prayer-Book into that country. 2. The Scottish Prayer-Book. Already, however, during the reign of James L, a Book of Service had been prepared, and submitted to the judgment of the, king and some Scottish bishops at the English court, but nothing more was effected. Charles ordered the English Prayer-Book to be used daily in the royal chapel at Ilolyrood, and urged it upon the Scottish bishops in 1629, and again when he was crowned at Edinburgh in 1633. They, however, would only agree to an independent Book for Scotland, and a Book of Service was then prepared in that country and trans mitted to Archbishop Laud 1 , who with Wrenn, bishop 1 Laud s opinion was that, if a Prayer-Book was adopted by the Northern Church, " it were best to take the English Liturgy without any variation, that so the same Service- Book 1649-] THE REIGN OF CHARLES 1. 39 of Norwich, was appointed by the king to assist the Scottish prelates in reviewing it. 3. Vain attempts to introduce it. The Scottish Liturgy, thus ordered to be prepared^ was copied, with a few alterations 1 , from that of England, and notice was given of the intention to commence the use of it on Sun day, July 23, 1637. On that day, therefore, the Dean of Edinburgh, arrayed in his surplice, began the service in the cathedral church of St Giles, in the presence of many of the privy council. But no sooner had he opened the book than the people raised such a riot that it was impossible to proceed with the service. The riot rapidly became a revolution. The " solemn League and Cove nant" was signed by multitudes of all ranks, who pledged themselves stedfastly to resist all religious innovations, might be established in all his Majesty s dominions." but finding it would not be accepted, he gave his assistance in reviewing the Scottish Book. Laud, Hist, of Trials, p. 168. 1 Of these the following were the chief : (I) In the Calendar, (1) The first six Chapters of Wisdom, and the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 8tb, 35th, and 49th Chapters of Eccle- siasticus were placed among the Lessons to be read in the Daily Service. (2) Besides the names of the Catholic saints, which were in the English Calendar, some of the Scottish nation were inserted. (II) Throughout the Book the words Presbyter, or Presbyter or Minister, or Presbyter or Curate, were used instead of Priest or Minister. (III) In the Communion Office, the order of the prayers was changed, so as to bring it more nearly into ac cordance with the first Book of Edward VI. (IV) In the Baptismal Office, (1) The water in the Font was ordered to be changed twice in a month at least. (2) On the occasion of the first baptism after the water had been changed, the Presbyter or Mi nister was directed to add these words in the first prayer of the Service, Sanctify this fountain of baptism, Thou which art the Sanctifier of all things. 40 THE PRAYER-BOOK DURING [A.D. 1625- and the whole fabric, which James and Charles had been raising, fell to the ground. 4. Changes proposed in the Prayer-Book. The movement thus begun in Scotland rapidly extended itself. Parliament was convoked in the spring of 1640, and the break between the king and his subjects became wider. In 1641, it was clear that a time of trouble was coming on the Church of England, and attempts were made to lessen the hostility of the Puritans by intro ducing some important changes into the Prayer-Book and the mode of celebrating the Church Service. A com mittee of ten earls, ten bishops, and ten barons, with power to increase their number by calling in as many learned divines as they pleased, was appointed to con sider what changes might be introduced, and their deliberations were continued till the middle of May, 1641 \ 5. Outbreak of the Civil War. But the course of events soon made it plain that the time for these con cessions was gone by. On the same day that this com mittee was appointed, March 10, Archbishop Laud was sent to the Tower. On the I2th of May, the Earl of Strafford was executed. On the 22nd of August, 1642, Charles erected his royal standard at Nottingham, and the signal for discord and civil war was unfurled. Amidst the din of arms and the clamours of exasperated opponents the idea of making concessions in ritual or discipline was laid aside. The torrent could not thus be stemmed. 1 See CardwelPs Conferences, pp. 270277; Laud s Diary, p. 24. The concessions, which this Committee was willing to have made, were afterwards often quoted as autho rity by the Nonconformists, e. g. at the Savoy Conference, where the bishops were reproached "for not yielding to that which several bishops voluntarily offered twenty years before." Cardwell, p. 241. 1649-] THE REIGN OF CHARLES I. 41 6. Establishment of the Directory. On the 3rd of January, 1645, an Ordinance of Parliament took away the Book of Common Prayer, and established in its stead the Directory for the Public Worship of God in the three kingdoms 1 . This was followed (Aug. 23) by another Ordinance " for the more effectual putting in execution the Directory." The use of the Book of Com mon Prayer was interdicted, not only in churches but even in private houses. A fine of five pounds was in flicted for the first offence, of ten pounds for the second, and for the third " one whole year s imprisonment with out bail or mainprize 2 ." " It was a crime in a child to read by the bedside of a sick-parent one of those beau tiful Collects which had soothed the griefs of forty generations of Christians 3 ," while "to do or say anything in opposition, derogation, or depraving" of the Directory was punishable by a fine of five pounds or fifty pounds at the discretion of the magistrate. CHAPTER XI. THE PRAYER-BOOK DURING THE REIGN OF CHARLES II. A.D. 1660, 166L i. The Restoration. It is not necessary to give an account here of those years, during which the voice of the Church of England was silenced, her ministers ejected, and her temples, sepulchres, and venerable 3 It was not so much a Form of Devotion, as a Manual ot Directions, the Minister being allowed a discretion, either to make the most of what was provided for him in the Book, or to use his own abilities to supply what he considered needful. Card well s Conferences, p. 244. 3 Macaulay s History of England, Vol. I. p. 160 ; Library Edition. 42 THE PRAYER-BOOK DURING [A.D. 1660, remains of antiquity defaced or destroyed. We pass on with the history of the Prayer-Book to A.D. 1660, on the 29th of May, in which year the restored Charles II. entered London, and reposed safely in the palace of his ancestors. 2. The Declaration of Breda. Already on the ist of May, letters, dated from Breda, had come from him addressed to the Houses of Lords and Commons, in which he declared that " no man should be disquieted, or called in question, for differences of opinion in matters of religion, which did not disturb the peace of the king dom, and that he should be ready to consent to such an Act of Parliament as upon mature deliberation should be offered to him for granting that indulgence 1 ." Seven days. after the receipt of these letters he was solemnly proclaimed, and on the loth of May, on the occasion of a day of thanksgiving, the Book of Common Prayer was read before the Lords, 3. Deputation to the King at the Hague. About a week before this, a deputation from both Houses was sent to meet the King at the Hague. With them went also Reynolds, Calamy, Cave, Manton, and some other eminent Presbyterian divines. Besides presenting an Address in various private audiences, they suggested that the Book of Common Prayer had long been discontinued in England 2 ; that many of the people had never once heard it; that the revival of the use of it at his first landing would give offence ; and that it would be better if the King ordered the reading of some part of it only with the intermixture of other good prayers, and if the use of the surplice were dis continued by the royal chaplains. The King replied that Parliament must determine what degree of tole- 1 Collier, Ecdcs. Hist. vm. 382. 2 See Clarendon, Hist. Reb. Vol. ill. p. 989. 1661-] THE REIGN OF CHARLES II. 43 ration was needed for the repose of the kingdom ; that the surplice had always been reckoned a decent habit, and constantly worn in the Church of England ; that he had all along retained the use of it in foreign parts ; and that though he might for the present tolerate a failure of solemnity in religious worship, yet he would never abet such irregularity by his own practice 1 . 4- Petition for a Conference. Though thus un successful, the Presbyterians did not suffer the matter to rest, and a few weeks after his restoration they pre sented to the King a long address, in which they laid down their ideas as to what a Liturgy ought to be, requested that certain ceremonies might be abolished 2 , and "humbly offered to his Majesty s wisdom" that for settling the Church in unity and peace some godly, learned, and moderate divines of both persuasions should be indifferently chosen to revise and effectually reform the Book of Common Prayer 3 . 5. The Conference promised. The Bishops, on being consulted as to these proposals of the Pres byterians, replied that they were willing to have the 1 Clarendon, Hist. Reb. p. 990. 2 These were (1) kneeling at the Sacrament of the Lord s Supper, (2) the use of the surplice, (3) the cross in baptism, (4) bowing at the Name of Jesus "rather than the Name of Christ, or Immanuel, or other names whereby that divine Person, or either of the other divine Persons, is nominated." See The first Address and Proposals of the Ministers, Cardwell, pp. 277285. 3 See Cardwell, Conferences, pp. 252, 277, sqq. ; and compare the First Preface to the Prayer- Book, " In fine great importunities were used to his Sacred Majesty, that the said Book might be revised, and such alterations therein, and additions thereunto made, as should be thought requisite for the ease of tender consciences : whereunto His Majesty, out of his pious inclination to give satisfaction (so far as could be reasonably expected) to all his subjects of what persuasion soever, did graciously condescend." 44 THE PRAYER-BOOK DURING [A. D. 1660- Liturgy revised if his Majesty thought fit. Accord ingly, on the 25th of October, 1660, a "Royal Declara tion " was issued concerning Ecclesiastical affairs, which, while it allowed a great number of the demands of the Presbyterians, reserved the whole question for discus sion at a Conference, and for the decision of a lawful Parliament and Convocation. The Presbyterians ex pressed themselves as satisfied, and an attempt was made to gain some of them over to conformity by the offer of Church preferments 1 . 6. The Savoy fixed as the place of Meeting. The warrant for the promised Conference was issued on the 25th of March, 1661, and appointed twelve bishops, and the same number of Presbyterians with nine other divines on each side as assistants, to supply the places of any that were unavoidably absent. The place of meeting was fixed at the Bishop of London s lodgings in the Savoy Hospital, and the Commission was to continue in force during the ensuing four months. The Commissioners were empowered " to advise upon and review the Book of Common Prayer ; to compare it with the most ancient Liturgies which have been used in the Church in the primitive and present times ; to take into serious and grave consider ation the several directions, and rules, and forms of prayer in the said Book, and several objections and exceptions raised against it ; to make such reasonable and necessary alterations, corrections, and amendments therein as should be agreed upon to be needful or expedient for the satisfaction of tender consciences, but avoiding all unnecessary alterations of the Forms and Liturgy, wherewith the people were already ac- 1 See Cardwell s Conferences, p. 286 ; Collier, Eccl. Hist. vin. 400. Dr Reynolds accepted the see of Norwich, and was consecrated, Jan. 6, 1661. 1661-] THE REIGN OF CHARLES II. 45 quainted, and had been so long received in the Church of England 1 ." CHAPTER XII. THE SAVOY CONFERENCE. AD. 1661. PART I. The Presbyterian Proposals as to the Prayer-Book. 1. Meeting of the Conference. Though the period of the Commission was limited to four months, yet the first meeting did not take place till the 1 5th of April. The Bishop of London 2 then stated to the Presbyterian divines, that since they had requested the Conference for the purpose of making alterations in the Prayer Book, nothing could be done until they had delivered their exceptions in writing, and had stated what alterations they desired. Accordingly they met from day to day, and prepared a long series of exceptions and alterations, Baxter persuading his colleagues that they were bound to ask for everything they thought desirable, without regard to the senti ments of others 3 . 2. General Proposals. Generally, then, the Pres byterians proposed: (1) That all the prayers, and other materials of the Liturgy, should consist of nothing doubt ful or questioned among pious, learned, and orthodox persons. (2) That "as the first Reformers out of their great wisdom did so compose the Liturgy as to win upon the Papists, and to draw them 1 See The King s Warrant for the Conference of the Savoy, Cardwell s Conferences, pp. 298302. 2 Gilbert Sheldon, Master of the Savoy. 3 Cardwell s Conferences, p. 260. 46 THE SAVOY CONFERENCE. [A.D. 1661. into their Church Communion, by varying as little as they well could from the Romish forms before in use," " so now we should have our Liturgy so composed as to gain upon the judgments and affections of all those who in the substantive of the Protestant religion are of the same persuasion as ourselves." 3. In respect to the general Scheme of Divine Service they proposed : (1) To omit "the repetitions and responsals" of the clerk and people, and the alternate read ing of the Psalms and Hymns, " which caused a confused murmur in the congregation ;" (2) To change the Litany into one solemn prayer ; (3) To allow the exercise of the gift of prayer during Public Worship ; (4) To read nothing as Lessons in Church but the Holy Scriptures 1 of the Old and New Testaments ; (5) To use the new translation of the Bible 2 only in the portions selected in the Prayer Book; (6) Instead of "Priest" or "Curate," to use the word " Minister ;" instead of " Sunday," the " Lord s Day ;" (7) Instead of the short Collects, to have one methodical and entire Prayer composed out of many of them ; 1 They also desired that no portion of the Old Testament, or of the Acts of the Apostles, should be called Epistles, and read as such. 2 This new Translation was ordered, and committed to the care of forty- seven learned divines, who completed their labours in four years. The result was the publication in 1611 of the Authorized Version, with a Preface and Dedica tion to King James. A.D. 1661-] THE SAVOY CONFERENCE. 47 ^8) To do away with the use of the Surplice ; (9) To omit the religious observances of saints days, and the observation of Lent as a religious fast. 4. In the Order for Morning and Evening Prayer they proposed : (1) That the Lord s Prayer should not be so often used, but always with the addition of the Doxology ; (2) That the Gloria Patri should be used only once in the Morning and once in the Evening ; (3) That some Psalm or Scripture Hymn should be used instead of the Apocryphal Benedi- cite ; (4) That in the Litany the expressions deadly 1 sin, sudden death, and all that travel, should be altered ; (5) That the words this day should be omitted in the Collect for Christmas Day, and in the Proper Preface in the Communion Service for Whitsunday. 5. As to the Communion Office : (1) They objected that the first rubric respecting intending communicants was not sufficient ; (2) They desired that the Minister should have a full power to admit or refuse communicants ; (3) They objected to kneeling during the reading of the Commandments, and also to the peti tion after each Commandment, preferring that the Minister should conclude with a suitable prayer ; (4) They desired preaching to be more strictly 1 For this Baxter wished to substitute " heinous " or "grievous" sin. The bishops in reply said they preferred "deadly," because the wages of sin is death, (Rom. vi. 23). 4-8 THE SAVOY CONFERENCE. [A.D. 1661. enjoined, and that ministers should not be bound to "Homilies hereafter to be set forth;" (5) They objected to two of the Offertory sen tences as Apocryphal, and suggested that in place of the Offertory a collection for the poor would better be made at or a little before the departing of the Communicants ; (6) They desired that the General Confession in the name of the communicants should be made by the Minister only ; (7) In the distribution of the Elements and the Words used, they desired that the expressions of our Saviour should be adhered to as near as could be, and that the Minister shall not be required to deliver the Bread and the Wine into each communicant s hand, or to repeat the words to each one ; (8) That the kneeling should be left free, and that the Declaration explanatory of kneeling, which was added to the Communion Office by Order of Council in 1552, should be again re stored to its place *. 6. As to the Baptismal Office. (1) They objected to the use of the Cross ; (2) They desired that it should be left free to parents, whether they would have sponsors for their children or not ; (3) They doubted the right of Sponsors to pro mise and answer in the name of the infant ; (4) They desired that Baptism should not be ad- 1 To this the Bishops replied, This rubric is not in the Liturgy of Queen Elizabeth, nor confirmed by law; nor is there any great need of restoring it, the world being now in more danger ofprofanation than of idolatry. A..D. 1661.] THE SAVOY CONFERENCE. 49 ministered in a private place at any time, unless by a lawful Minister, and in the pre sence of a competent number, and that no part of the administration should be reite rated in public. 7. As to the Catechism, and the Confirmation Service : (1) They desired the opening questions in the former to be altered, but only for a temporary reason, because the greater number of persons baptized within the last twenty years had no godfathers or godmothers at their baptism ; (2) The third answer they conceived might be more safely expressed thus, Wherein I was visibly admitted into the number of the mem bers of Christ, the children of God, and the heirs (rather than inheritors) of the kingdom of heaven ; (3) In the answer declaring our duty towards God they would add at the end, " particularly on the Lord s Day ;" (4) Of the latter portion upon the Sacraments they generally approved as being more fully and particularly delivered than the other parts 1 , but they expressed a wish that the first answer should be Two only, Baptism and the Lord s Supper, and that the entering of infants into God s covenant should be more warily ex pressed, that the promise of repentance and faith should not be taken for a performance of such faith and repentance, and especially 1 Therefore they proposed a more distinct and full appli cation of the Creed, the Commandments, and the Lord s Prayer; and to add somewhat particularly concerning the nature of Faith, Repentance, the two Covenants, Justifica tion, Sanctification, Adoption, and Regeneration. P. B. 4 50 THE SAVOY CONFERENCE. [A.D. 1661. that it be not asserted that infants perform these by the promise of their sureties l ; (5) For Confirmation they conceived that some thing more was required than that children " should repeat the Creed, the Lord s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, and to answer some questions of this short Catechism," and desired that the words of the " Prayer before the Imposition of Hands" should be altered, that the practice of the Apostles should not be alleged as a ground of Confirmation, and that it should not be made so necessary to the Holy Communion, as that none should be admitted to it unless they had been confirmed. 8. As to the Marriage Service they desired That the ring might be left indifferent ; That some other words should be used instead ofworship 2 and depart 3 ; (3) That the declaration in the name of the Trinity should be omitted, lest it should seem to favour them who counted Matrimony a Sacrament ; 1 The answer here referred to had been expressed in 1604, Yes; they do perform them by their sureties, who promise them both in their names: which, when they come to age, them selves are bound to perform. 2 Worship = to honour, without reference to the object. The original form of the word was " worthship " (A. 8. iueor%- scipe) from weor% = "worth," "honour." See Trench s English Past and Present, p. 245. Compare Wiclif s version of Matt. xix. 19, " Worschippe thi fadir and thi rriodir." And cf. Jn. xii. 26, "If ony man serue me, my Fadir schal worschipe him." Also " If ony man biddib be worschip, and wolde wedde ]>ee Loke bat Jxm scorue him not, what-so-euere he be." The Babies Book, p. 37 : published by the Early English Text Society. 3 " Till death us depart. "Compare "Till that, the deth departen us tweine. Chaucer, Knight s Tale, 1136 A..D. 1661.] THE SA 707 CONFERENCE. 51 (4) That the change of place and posture directed in the middle of the Service should be omitted; (5) That the words consecrated the state of Matri mony to such an excellent mystery should be altered or omitted, for (i) marriage was in stituted before the fall, and so before the pro mise of Christ, and (2) the words savoured of making Matrimony a Sacrament ; (6) That the direction for Communion on the day of marriage should be omitted. 9. As to the Order for the Visitation of the Sick: (1) They desired a greater liberty in the Prayer as well as in the Exhortation ; (2) They wished the form of the Absolution to be declarative, as I pronounce thee absolved, in stead of 7 absolve thee, and conditional by the addition of the words Ifthou dost truly repent and believe ; (3) They proposed that the minister should not be enjoined to administer the Lord s Supper to every sick person that should desire it, but only as he should judge expedient ; 10. As to the Order for the Burial of the Dead : (1) They desired the insertion of a rubric declaring that the prayers and exhortations were not for the benefit of the dead, but only for the in struction and comfort of the living ; (2) They proposed that ministers might be allowed to perform the whole service in the Church ; (3) They objected to the words in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life, be cause they could not be said of persons living and dying in open and notorious sin. 42 52 THE SA VO T CONFERENCE. [A.D. 1661. CHAPTER XIII. THE SAVOT CONFERENCE. A.D. 1661. PART II. Concessions of the Bishops. 1. Reply of the Bishops. Such were the pro posals made on this memorable occasion by the Presby terian divines. The Bishops replied to them at length, and ended by stating the following concessions, which they were willing to make in the way of alterations in the Prayer-Book. 2. As to the Service generally they were willing (1) That all the Epistles and Gospels should be used according to the last translation ; (2) That when anything was read for an Epistle, which was not in the Epistles, the superscrip tion should be For the Epistle; (3) That the Psalms should be collated with the former translation mentioned in the rubric, and printed according to it ; (4) That the words, this day, both in the Collects and Prefaces, should be read only upon the day itself, and for the following days it be said, as about this time. 3. As to the Communion Office they were willing (i) That a longer time should be required for the signification of the names of the communicants, and that the words of the rubric should be changed into these, at least some time the day before ; A.D. 1661.] THE SAVOY CONFERENCE. 53 (2) That the power of keeping scandalous sinners from the Communion should be expressed in the rubric, according to the 26th and 27th Canons, but that the minister should be obliged to give an account of the same immediately after to the Ordinary 1 ; (3) That the whole Preface should be prefixed to the Commandments ; (4) That the second Exhortation should be read some Sunday or Holy day before the celebration of the Communion, at the discretion of the minister ; (5) That the General Confession at the Commu nion should be pronounced by one of the minis ters, the people saying after him, all kneeling humbly upon their knees ; (6) That the manner of consecrating the elements should be made more explicit and express, and that to this purpose these words should be put into the rubric, Then shall he put his hand upon the Bread, and break it. Then shall he put his hand unto the Cap. 4. As to the Baptismal Service, they were willing that if the font was so placed that the congregation could not hear, it might be referred to the Ordinary to place it more conveniently. 5. As to the Catechism and Confirmation Ser vice they were willing (i) That the words Yes, they do perform those, &c., should be altered thus, Because they pro mise them both by their sureties ; 1 That is the Bishop or Archbishop, who has the ordering of all disputed or doubtful points. Compare Cov. Mys. p. 87. Lord, sefne petycions I beseche |ow of here The fyfte to obey the ordenaryes of the temple echeon. 54 THE SA VOY CONFERENCE. [A.TX 1661. (2) That the last rubric before the Catechism should be thus altered, That children being baptized have all things necessary for their salvation, avid dying before they commit any actual sins, be undoubtedly saved, though they be not confirmed ; (3) That to the rubric after Confirmation should be added these words, or be ready and desirous to be confirmed. 6. As to the Marriage and Burial Services they were willing (1) That the words with my body I thee worship, should be altered to with my body I thee honour ; (2) That the words till death us depart should be altered to till death us do part ; (3) That the words sure and certain should be left out. 7. Baxter s Reformation of the Liturgy. Be sides making such alterations in the Prayer-Book as should be thought necessary, the King s warrant autho rized the Commissioners to insert "Some additional Forms, in the Scripture phrase as near as might be, suited to the several parts of worship." Thereupon Baxter composed an entirely new Directory of Service, under the title of The Reformation of the Liturgy, which he presented to the Bishops with a Petition for Peace, well calculated to frustrate every thought of union 1 . Upon this various disputes ensued till only ten days remained of the time limited by the Royal Com mission for the Conference. A personal discussion was then unwillingly granted by the Bishops, during which the Presbyterian disputants alleged eight particulars in 1 See Short s History of the Church, n. 238; Card well s Conferences, p. 261. A.D. 1661,] THE SA VOT CONFERENCE. 55 the Prayer-Book as positively sinful, and the last Con- terence came to an end on the 24th of July, 1661. 8. Meeting of Convocation. Meanwhile Convo cation had assembled on the 8th of May, 1661. A Form of Prayer was drawn up for the 29th of May, the anni versary of the king s birth and restoration ; and at Office for the Baptism of Adults was prepared, which was found necessary from the great neglect of religious ordinances during the rebellion. In the House of Com mons also a committee was appointed to make search for the original of King Edward s Second Service-Book, and " to provide for an effectual conformity to the Liturgy of the Church for the time to come." 9. The Sealed Books. This royalist Parliament met for its second session on the 2oth of November. Convocation reassembled on the following day, and the King s Letters were read directing a revision of the Prayer-Book. A Committee of Bishops 1 was then ap pointed for the purpose. Preparations, however, had been already made with this object, and on the 2oth of December, 1661, the revised Book of Common Prayer was adopted and subscribed by the clergy of both Houses of Convocation, and of both Provinces. A copy of the Book confirmed under the Great Seal was delivered with a royal message to Parliament Feb. 25, 1662. The Act of Uniformity passed the House of Lords on the gtl\ of April, and received the royal assent on the i gth of May. Certain printed 2 copies of the revised Book of Common Prayer were then carefully examined and cor- 1 Cosin, Bishop of Durham, Wren of Ely, Skinner of Oxford, Warner of llochester, Henchman of Salisbury, Morley of Worcester, Sanderson of Lincoln, and Nicholson of Gloucester. 2 Bancroft (afterwards Archbishop) had been appointed by Convocation to superintend the printing of the Book with Mr Scattergood and Mr Dillingharn to correct the press. 56 TEE SA VOY CONFERENCE. [A.D. 1661 rected by Commissioners appointed for the purpose, and having been certified by them, were sealed with the Great Seal. One of these /Sealed Books, with a copy of the Act of Uniformity attached, was ordered to be obtained by the deans and chapters of every Cathedral Church, before the 25th of December, and a similar copy was delivered to the Courts at Westminster, and the Tower of London, to be preserved for ever among the records. CHAPTER XIV. THE SAVOY CONFERENCE. A.D. 1661. PART III. Summary of the Alterations. i. Alterations. The following are the most im portant alterations introduced into the Prayer- Book at this revision : (1) A new Preface was prefixed, having been drawn up, it is said, by Sanderson, Bishop of Lincoln ; (2) The original Preface of 1549 followed as a Chapter Concerning the /Service of the Church; (3) The Story of Bel and the Dragon, omitted since 1604, was again inserted in the Calendar of Daily Lessons ; (4) The Extracts from the Bible, except the Psalter, the Ten Commandments, and some portions in the Communion Service, were taken generally from the version of 1611. In the Order for Morning and Evening Prayer: (i) The Sentences, Exhortation, Confession, and A.D. 1661.] THE SA VOY CONFERENCE. 57 Absolution 1 , were now printed at the begin ning of the Evening Service ; (2) The Prayer for the King, and the following Prayers, were printed in the Order of both Morning and Evening Service ; (3) The words rebellion and schism were added to the petition against sedition in the Litany, and Bishops, Priests, and Deacons were sub stituted for BisJiops, Pastors, and Ministers of the Church. (4) Among the Occasional Prayers were intro duced A second Prayer for Fair Weather, The two Prayers for the Ember Weeks, The Prayer for the Parliament, The Prayer for all Conditions of Men. The General Thanksgiving, A Thanksgiving for the Restoration of Public Peace at Home ; (5) New Collects were appointed for the third Sunday in Advent, and for St Stephen s Day ; a Collect, Epistle, and Gospel were provided for a sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, a!if? a distinct Collect for Easter Even 8 ; (6) An Epistle was provided for the day of the Purification, and the first of the Anthems on Easter-day was added. 3. In the Communion Office :- (i) The last clause respecting "saints departed" was added to the Prayer for the Church Mili tant : 1 The Absolution was ordered to be pronounced by the Priest, instead of the Minister. 2 The Gospel for the Sunday after Christmas was short ened by the omission of the genealogy, as also those for the Sunday next before Easter, and for Good Friday, which had contained the Second Lesson for the day. 58 THE SAVOY CONFERENCE. [A. D. 1661. (2) The rubrics preceding this Prayer were now added, directing (i) the presentation of the alms, and (2) the placing of the Bread and Wine upon the Table ; (3) The first Exhortation was inserted where it stands, giving warning of the Communion, in stead of being read sometimes at the Com munion ; (4) The rubrics were added directing the priest (a) so to order the Bread and Wine that he may with decency break the Bread and take the Cup ; (b) to use the form of consecrating additional Bread and Wine, if needed ; (c) to cover the remainder of the consecrated Ele ments with a fair linen cloth : (5) The Order in Council (1552), respecting kneel ing at Communion, which had been removed by Queen Elizabeth, was now again placed at the end of the Office 1 . r . In the Baptismal Offices : (1) Some careful amendments were made ; (2) The Enquiry of Obedience was added to the examination of the sponsors ; (3) The declaration respecting the undoubted salvation of infants dying before they commit actual sin, and a reference to the xxxth Canon for the meaning of the sign of the Cross, were placed at the end of the Office of Public Baptism ; (4) An Office for the Ministration of Baptism to such as are of Riper Years* was added. 1 In it the words Corporal Presence were substituted for real and substantial presence. z "Which, although not so necessary when the former Book was compiled, yet by the growth of Anabaptism, through the licentiousness of the late times crept in among us, is now A. I). 1661.] THE SAVOY CONFERENCE. 59 5. In the Confirmation Service : (1) The Catechism was separated from the Order of Confirmation : (2) The first rubric explaining the End of Con firmation was now appointed to be read as a Preface to the Service : (3) This was followed, in place of the Catechism, by the enquiry of renewal and ratification of the Baptismal Yow. 6. In the Marriage Service : (1) A form was appointed for the publication of Banns of Marriage. (2) The Order following the last Blessing, Then shall begin the Communion, was omitted. (3) The final rubric that the new married per sons, the same day of their marriage, must receive the Holy Communion, was altered to a declaration that it is convenient so to do, or at the first opportunity after marriage. 7. In the Order for the Visitation of the Sick : (1) The beautiful petition for the Sanctification of Sickness was inserted in the Prayer before the Exhortation : (2) The words, If he humbly and heartily desire it, were added to the rubric respecting Abso lution : become necessary, and may be always useful for the bap tizing of natives in our plantations, and others converted to the faith." First Preface to the Prayer-Book. Plantation denotes a colony ; literally a planting, from the Lat. plantatio. Bacon s thirty-third Essay is Of Plantations, and among other advice he says, p. 141; "Let not the government of the plantation depend upon too many counsellourp, and under taken, in the countiie that plantclh, but upon a temperate number." 60 THE SAVOY CONFERENCE. [A.D. 1661. (3) The Final Benediction, and the Occasional Prayers were inserted : (4) The Form of Service for the Communion o/ the Sick was more clearly directed to begin with the Proper Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, and then to pass to the part of the Public Office beginning, Ye that do truly, &c. 8. In the Order for the Burial of the Dead : (1) The first rubric was added respecting persont, unbaptized or excommunicate, or who had laid violent hands upon themselves : (2) The Psalms and Lesson were appointed to be read in the Church according to the rubric of 1549: (3) In the Prayer at the grave the name of the deceased was omitted. 9. Occasional Offices : (1) Forms of Prayer were supplied to be used at Sea 1 : (2) Forms of Prayer were also inserted for the 3oth of January and the 29th of May, while that for the 5th of November 2 was altered. ic. Review of the Alterations. Thus as to all its distinctive features, the Book remained the same Book of Common Prayer. Some particulars of small consequence were amended ; such as the language, which was made more smooth by verbal changes and slight transpositions ; some rubrics were expounded for the direction of ministers, to whom the customary manner " of former years was unknown 3 ; and the se- 1 See the First Preface to the Prayer- Book. - These three special services were removed from the Prayer-Book by a Royal Warrant, of the 17th of January, 1859. The only State Holyday now retained is the Day of the Sovereign s accession. 3 Compare the First Preface to the Prayer-Book : "Most A.D. 1661.J THE SAVOY CONFERENCE. 61 lected portions of Scripture were taken from the last translation. Some new Services were also added which had become necessary from the circumstances of the time ; such as that for Adult Baptism, to meet the case of converts from Anabaptism at home, and from heathenism in the " Plantations ;" and that for use at Sea, to meet the requirements of the rapidly increasing trade and navy of the country. APPENDIX. Attempted Revision in the Reign of William III. A.D. 1689. 1. Since the Year 1662 the Book of Common Prayer has remained in the state to which it was then brought, the Sealed Books being preserved, and pre senting the exact form of words in which it was signed by the Members of Convocation, and ratified by Par liament. 2. Efforts of Tillotson and Stillingfleet. In the year 1668, however, Tillotson, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, and Stillingfleet, afterwards Bishop of Worcester, joined with Bates, Manton, and Baxter in an endeavour to prepare the terms in which a Bill for the of the alterations were made, either first, for the better direc tion of them that are to officiate in any part of Divine Ser vice ; which is chiefly done in the Calendars and Kubricks ; Or secondly, for the more proper expressing of some words or phrases, that were either of doubtful signification, or other wise liable to misconstruction : Or thirdly, for a more perfect rendering of such portions of holy Scripture, as are inserted into the Liturgy ; which, in the Epistles and Gospels especi ally, and in sundry other places, are now ordered to be read according to the last Translation. 62 ATTEMPTED REVISION IN THE [A.D. 1689. Comprehension of Dissenters might be proposed to Parliament, but the Commons utterly refused the pro ject 1 . Again, in 1681, Stillingfleet proposed to allow an alteration, or freedom of choice, in such particulars as the use of the surplice, the sign of the cross and sponsors in baptism, kneeling at the Holy Communion, and the reading of Apocryphal Lessons. But the tem per of the times would not allow of the acceptance of these concessions. 3. Accession of William III. A fter the acces sion of William III. arrangements were made for the meeting of Convocation, and a Commission was issued, Sept. 17, 1689, to ten bishops and twenty divines 2 , to "prepare such alterations of the Liturgy and Canons as might most conduce to the good order, edification, and unity of the Church of England, and to the recon ciling as much as possible of all differences." 4. Appointment of Commissioners. The Com missioners commenced their labours on the 3rd of Oc tober, having before them all the objections and demands which had been offered at various times by opponents of the Prayer-Book, and especially at the Savoy Conference, and prepared an elaborate series of alterations 3 , intended fully to meet those demands. But though carefully prepared, they were not even offered to Convocation. It was quite certain that they would be rejected by the Lower House, and the 1 See Gardwell s Conferences, p. 394. 2 The Commission included some well-known names: Stillingfleet, Patrick, Tillotson, Sharp, Hall, Beveridge, Tenison, Fowler, Grove, and Williams were subsequently raised to the Episcopal bench. Cardwell s Conferences, p. 412. 3 They are now accessible in the form of a blue book, being a " Return to an Address of the House of Commons March 14, 1854," and ordered by the House to be printed, June 2, 1854. A.D. 1689.] REIGN OF WILLIAM 111. 63 Upper House, lacking nine of its ablest members 1 , was powerless to control the clergy, who were disposed to sympathise with Bancroft and his nonjurmg brethren, Hence Convocation was prorogued without any actual revision of the Prayer-Book or the Canons 2 . 1 Archbishop Bancroft, with 8 bishops and 400 clergy men, were ejected from their benefices for their conscientious objection to take the oath of allegiance to King William during the lifetime of James II. On this account they were called Non-jurors. They denied the Episcopal com mission of those who occupied the place of the deprived Bishops during their lifetime, and not only ministered privately among those who held their opinions, but ordained presbyters and consecrated bishops. Dr Gordon, who died in November 1779, is supposed to have been the last non- juring bishop. See D Oyly s Bancroft, n. p. 34, note. 2 For the temper of both parties of the Clergy at this time, see Macaulay, in. pp. 450495. PART II. THE ORDER FOR DAILY MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER AND THE LITANY EXPLAINED. I. THE MORNING PRAYER. CHAPTER I. GENERAL SCHEME OF THE SERVICE. 1. The Order of Daily Prayer is, as we have seen ] , chiefly formed from the corresponding Offices of the Sarum Breviary ; the Morning Prayer, from those of Matins, Lauds, and Prime; and the Evening Prayer from those of Vespers and Compline. Before the Re formation, these Offices had been so arranged that the actual Public Worship consisted of the two services for Morning and Afternoon 2 , which are retained in the present Service-Book, while the High Mass formed a third or principal Service towards mid- day. 2. The First Prayer-Book of King Edward VI. commenced, as has been already stated 3 , with the Lord s 1 See above, p. 11. 2 This was the custom of the earliest age, and down to about the fourth century. Freeman s Principles of Divine Service, i. p. 149. 3 See above, p. 21. THE INTRODUCTION. 65 Prayer and closed with the third Collect. The Sen tences, Exhortation, Confession, and Absolution, were not added till the year 1552, when the Second Prayer- Book was published. 3. The Immediate Original of these additions were the forms of worship used by the French and German congregations in England, and severally drawn up by Valerandus Pollanus and John a-Lasco 1 . But in composing them, the Reformers acted as they had done throughout the preparation of the English Prayer-Book, restoring a primitive feature of Daily Service 2 to its ancient usual place, and following the old Forms to which the people were accustomed, as far as consisted with purity of doctrine and a congregational use of Divine Service. 4. Division of the Order of Morning Prayer. As now arranged, the Order of Morning Prayer may he divided into five parts : 1 i ) Tlie In trodiiction ; (2) The Psalms; (3) The Lessons ; (4) The Creed or Profession of Faith ; (5) The Prayers. CHAPTER IT. THE INTRODUCTION. \. The Introduction consists of (i) The Sentences; (2) The Exhortation; (3) The Confession; (4) The Absolution; and (5) The Lord s Prayer. 2. Its Object is to prepare the minds of the con gregation for the service which is to follow ; for the 1 See above, p. 24. Freeman s Principles, I. p. 57, and p. 72. P. B. 66 THE INTRODUCTION. Psalms, in which we "set forth God s most worthy praise : " for the Lessons, wherein " we hear His most Holy Word ;" for the Creed, in which we solemnly avow and profess our faith ; for the Prayers, Collects, and Thanksgivings, wherein we render thanks to God "for the great benefits we have received at His hands," and ask of Him " those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul." 3. The Sentences which form the first part are eleven in number. They are taken from various parts of Holy Scripture, and are intended to remind us of the preparation of heart necessary before we draw near to the King of kings and Lord of lords (i Tim. vi. 15), in whom we live and move and have our being (Acts xvii. 28). 4. Their Object. Of these Sentences, () The ist and iith seem designed to inform the iff nor ant, who think either that they have no sin, or that a slight repentance will procure pardon ; (6) The 2nd and 8th are intended to rouse the negligent to the duty of immediate repentance; (c) The 5th is intended to reprove formality ; (d) The 3rd, yth, and loth to prevent that exces sive dread of God s wrath, which hinders the exercise of devotion ; (e) The 4th, 6th, and Qth are designed to strengthen faith in God s mercy, and thus to comfort the despairing. 5. The Exhortation connects the Sentences with the Confession, and (a) First, it derives the necessity for this duty from the Word of God, which " in sundry places moveth 1 us to confess our manifold sins and J Moveth, i.e. stirs, prompts. Corap. Job ii. 3, "And still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou inovedst me THE INTRODUCTION. 67 wickedness" (Ps. xxxii. 5; i Jn. i. 8, 9), and warns us "that we should not dissemble nor cloke ] them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father ; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart, to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by His infinite goodness and mercy ;" (?>) Secondly, it reminds us that, "though we ought at all times to acknowledge our sins be fore God," the present time is the most suitable, when we "assemble and meet together" for pub lic worship 2 in God s House (Matt, xviii. 19, 20); (c) Thirdly, it invites as many as are present to the performance of the duty of confession, and for this purpose to accompany the Minister 3 against him, to destroy him without cause." "The fifte maner of contricioun, that moveth a man therto, is the remem brance of the passioun that cure Lord Jhesu Crist suffred for us and for our synnes;" Chaucer, Parson s Tale. "Your Lordship s experience of negotiation in such affairs with her majesty can move you to bear patiently some storms in the expedition ;" Letter of Cecil to Sidney, 1566. " The evil ende of Lucilla should moue thee to begin, a new lyfe ;" Lyly s Euphucs, p. 186, Arber s ed. 1 Cloke, (from cloak, Flem. klocke, a cloak or covering), to hide or conceal. Compare Taverner s Postils, p. 182, Oxfd. ed.: "We are sure that all those that go aboute to breake peace betvvene reames, and to brynge them to warre, are the chyldren of the deuyl, what holy names soever they pretende to cloke theyr pestilerite malice wyth." " And this worship, it reminds us, consists of four parts : (a) Thanksgiving, to "render thanks to God for all the great benefits we have received at His hands." (b) Praise, " to set forth (or otter publicly) His most worthy praise." (c) Haaring the Word, "to hear His most holy Word." (d) Prayer, "to ask those things which are requisite and necessary as well for the body as the soul." a "That is he, who at the time ministereth or celebrateth Divine Service," Bp. Cosin. 52 08 THE INTRODUCTION. u with a pure heart and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace" (lleb. iv. 16). 6. The Confession. The Form provided for this confession of sin is called a general^ confession, (i) be cause all are required to make it, and (2) because it is expressed in general terms, referring to the failings of human life, which are common to all men, and which need to bo confessed by all, without special mention of particular sins. In perfect keeping, therefore, with its character, the Rubric requires that it he said of the whole congregation, after the Minister, all kneeling. 7. Its Divisions. It consists of three parts :- (a) The Introduction or Address to God as our " Almighty and most merciful Father " (2 Cor. i. 3) ; (?>) A Confession " that we have erred and strayed from His ways like lost sheep," that we have been guilty of sins of omission and commis sion, "leaving undone those things which we ought to have done, and doing those things which we ought not to have done," so that "there is no health 2 in us" (Ps. xxxviii. 3; Job xl. 4) ; 1 For the meaning of the word general = for all, universal compare Hooker s Eccl. Pol. i. viii. 4, " The sentences which reason giveth are some more some less general, before it come to define in particular actions what is good: " i. viii. 10, "Even those offences which are by their special qualities breaches of supernatural laws, do also, for that they are generally evil, violate in general that principle of reason, which willeth universally to fly from evil:" v. Iv. 1, "God in Christ is generally the medicine which doth cure the world. " 2 Health saving health (Ps.lxvii. 2), salus, cruT rjpta. A.-S. hcd%, connected with Eng. heal, whole. Comp. Ps. xlii. 11 ; Ps. cxix. 123. Pr. Bk. There is no help in us = we are unable to help or save ourselves, and hence in the next clause we appeal to the mercy of God. THE INTRODUCTION. 69 (e) A /Supplication that we may be pardoned for the past, and a petition for grace for the future "that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober 1 life, to the glory of God s holy Name 3 " (Tit. ii. ii, 12). 8. The Absolution was entitled, as we have seen, until the Hampton Court Conference in 1604, The Ab solution to be pronounced by the Minister alone. The explanatory words, or Remission of /Sins, were added at the revision after that Conference, and thus it remained till the Savoy Conference in 1661, when the word Priest was substituted for Minister. By this altera tion it is shown to be the intention of the Church that Deacons may read the Prayers, but that one in Priest s orders only may pronounce the Absolution, and the Rubric directs that it shall be pronounced by him alone, standing, the people still kneeling. 9. Its Division. The Absolution consists of three parts : (a] A general Declaration of the mercy of God to returning sinners, that " He desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live ; and hath given power and commandment to His ministers to declare and pronounce to His people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins (Ezek. xxxiii. 1 1 ; 2 Pet. iii. 9) ; ((>) An Assurance of His pardon and absolution to all them "that truly repent and unfeignedly believe His holy Gospel (Jn. xx. 22, 23) ;" 1 Sober, from Fr. sobre, Lat. sobrius = (l) not drunk, ( 2) temperate, regular: (3} discreet, grave. Compare 2 Cor. v, 13; Rom. xii. 3; Titus ii. 12. Bacon, Ess. XXIX. "Let any Prince, or State, thinke soberly of his Forces, except his Militia of Natives, be of good and Valiant Soldiers." 2 The Atncn, as is indicated by the type, is part of the Confession, and is to be said by both Minister and people. 70 THE INTRODUCTION. (c) An Admonition to seek the grace of true re pentance and the help of His Holy Spirit, " that those things may please Him which we do at this present 1 , and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy, so that at the last we may come to His eternal joy." 10. The Lord s Prayer brings us to that part oi the Service, at which the old Latin Use was transferred to the English Prayer-Book, and with which the first Prayer-Book of Edward VI., 1549, commenced 2 . In ancient times the priest was in the habit of repeating the Lord s Prayer inaudibly to himself 3 . By the Rubric of 1 549 he was directed to say the Lord s Prayer " with a loud or audible voice," instead of repeating it in audibly. and in 1661 the people were enjoined to repeat it with him, whereas before it had been said by the Mi nister alone on its first occurrence in the Morning and Evening Prayer, and in the Communion Service. This injunction was contrary to the Roman use, but had the authority of the old Greek 4 and Gallican churches. 1 1. The Doxology. After the Savoy Conference a 1 At this present now, at this instant. Compare Bacon s Essays, XLIV. "Kings in Ancient Times, (And at this pre sent in some Countries,) were wont to put Great Trust in Eunuchs ; " Shakspeare, Macbeth, I. 5 : " Thy letters have transported me beyond This ignorant present." See the Bible Word- Boole, p. 381. 2 See above, p. 21. 3 The custom of the early Church was to keep this prayer from the knowledge of all who were not prepared for baptism. Hence, as being "The Prayer of the Faithful," it was only used publicly in the Communion Service, after the catechu mens and others had been dismissed. See Bingham, Antiq. X. 5, 9 ; Guericke s Antiq. p. 267. 4 " Dominica oratio apud Graecos ab omni populo dicitur, apud nos vero a solo sacerdote." Greg. Epp. Lib. ix. Ep. 12. See Freeman s Principles, I. pp. 97 sq. : Guericke s Antiq. p. 268, n. THE PSALMS. 71 further change was made, following the Greek rather 1 than the Roman use. Hitherto the Lord s Prayer had been said without the Doxology. In 1661 this was directed 2 to be used here and in some other parts of the Service, and in this place there is special reason for its insertion, where the Lord s Prayer follows after the Absolution, and immediately precedes the second part of tile-Service, that of Praise. CHAPTER III. THE PSALMS. 1. The Versicles. The second part of the Service is ushered in by the Versicles. Of these the first is taken from Ps. li. 15, Thou shall open my lips, Lord: and my month shall sheio Thy praise. The second, which with its response appears in the Anglo-Saxon Offices, is taken from Ps. Ixx. i, Haste thee, O Lord, to deliver me : make haste to Jielp me, O Lord. 2. The Gloria Patri. These short petitions are said alternately by the Minister and people, he saying one, and they answering, or responding to him, whence they are sometimes called Responses. When they are ended, the rubric directs all to stand up, the fitting posture for praise, and the Priest says, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost, to which the people answer, As it icas in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. This is called the Doxology, or Gloria Patri. There were several different Doxologies in the early Church. One very general one was Glory to the Father, by the 1 See Chrysostom, Horn, in Matt. xix. Opp. Tom. vii. 253 D ; Freeman s Principles of Divine Sei"vice, pp. 108 sq. a It was inserted in a quarto edition of the Prayer-Book in 1630, and in the Prayer- Book for Scotland, 1637 ; see above, p. 39. 72 THE PSALMS. Son, and through the Holy Ghost. But when this Form was misused by the Arians, it was altered to Glory be to the Father, and to the /Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and for ever, world without end 1 . This is the Doxology still used by the Eastern Church. The West ern Church added the words, As it was in the beginning, to express more clearly their belief that Jesus Christ was from the beginning before all things, and that by Him all things were made. 3. Praise ye the Lord. At the close of the Doxology the Minister exhorts those assembled, saying, Praise ye the Lord; to which the response is, The Lord s name be praised. In the Prayer- Book of 1549 he was simply directed to say, Praise ye the Lord; and from Easter to Trinity Sunday, Alleluia. The response, The Lord s Name be praised, was first inserted in the Prayer-Book for Scotland, 1637, and was placed in the English Book at the last revision in 1661. 4. The Invitatory Psalm. At this point the ser vice of Praise proper may be said to begin, and is preluded by the Venite, or the 95 th Psalm, which has been from very ancient times sung before the regular Psalms of the day, and hence is termed the Invitatory Psalm 2 . It may be said to consist of three parts : (a) First, we call upon one another to come and sing unto the Lord and lieartily rejoice in the God of our salvation, to come before His 1 A6a Harpl, KO.L Tl<, KOI Ay tip IT^e^ari, vvv, Ka.1 del, /cat eis roiis attD^as. Liturg. Jacob, ap. Assemani Cod. Lit. V. 63. After the rise of the Arian heresy the exact form of words used in Baptism was henceforth taken as the orthodox form of the Doxology : coinp. Basil, Epist. cxxv., 5e? yap 17/uas f3a.7rT[(;e<r6a.i /j.fr, cbs 7rap\d(3o/j.eV TrurTeijeiv 5, a>s /3ct7TTi$~6,u,e#a do^d^eiv d, ws TreTTKTTetf/ca/x.ep, Tlar^pa KCU Tiof /cai "Ayiov Hvev/na. y In Henry Vlllth s Primer it is called " A Song Stirring to the Praise of God." THE PSALMS. 73 presence with