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 thanksgiving and to show our
selves glad in Him with Psalms, because He
is (i) a great God and a great King above all
gods, and (2) because in His hand and subject
to His power are all things in the world, both
land and sea ;
(&) Secondly, we call upon one another to worship,
fall down, and kneel before Him, because He
is not only the Creator of all things, but the
Lord our God, and we are the people of His
pasture and the sheep of His hand, even as
the Jews were in the days of old ;
(c) Thirdly, we are warned that, if to-day we would
hear the Voice of God and hear so as to obey,
we must not harden our hearts, as the Jews
did during the forty years of wandering in the
wilderness, provoking the Lord by their mur-
murings ; or doubt Him, as they did, lest He
swear in His wrath that we too shall not
enter into His rest.
5. The Psalms follow this invitation to praise
according to the ancient custom. The change here
from the Mediaeval use is that the whole Psalter is taken
in order every month, instead of fixed Psalms for each
service throughout the week. In making such a new
arrangement there was nothing unusual. Every church,
and every fraternity of monks, had its own rules in this
respect.
6. The Custom of saying or singing the Psalms
has come down to us from the most ancient times.
The Jews used them largely in their Temple Service 1 ,
and the prayers of the modern Jews are chiefly gathered
from the same source. It was the Hallel, or the cxiii.
1 Compare 1 Chron. xvi., xxv.
74 THE PSALMS.
cxviii. Psalms, in which our blessed Lord in all proba
bility joined with His Apostles at the last Paschal
Supper (Mtt. xxvi. 30) ; it was portions of the Psalter
which Paul and Silas sang aloud in the night in the
prison of Philippi (Acts xvi. 25) ; and the practice thus
begun 1 was continued by the early Christians, till by
constant repetition the Psalms became so familiar, that
the poorest used to sing them at their labours, in their
houses, and in the fields. As early as the Fourth century,
if not earlier, the custom was introduced of chanting
them antiphonally 2 . This institution is traced to the
Eastern 3 Church ; but it rapidly was taken up by the
Western also. Hilary of Poictiers and Ambrose of
Milan 4 encouraged and patronised it, and then a new
reformer of church music arose in Gregory the Great.
He established the first singing school at Rome 5 , and
1 Compare the Apostolic precepts, (1) Ephes. v. 19 ;
(2) Col. iii. 16; (3) James v. 13. "They were sung by the
ploughmen of Palestine, in the time of Jerome; by the boat
men of Gaul, in the time of Sidonius Apollinaris." Stanley s
Jewish Church, II. 146.
2 That is, singing responsively (avTityuvto), to sound in
answer, to reply).
:1 According to Theodoret it was first introduced at An-
tioch, circ. A.D. 350, by the monks Diodorus and Flavianus :
Ourot Trp&Toi Sixy SieXovres TOI)S rCav ^a\\6vTi>}v %o/3oi)s, K
diadoxrjs $5eiv rrjv Aai/ert/cV eSida^av /AeAw5iai> * /cat TOVTO
lv Aj>r{oxa Trp&Tov ap^tipevov iravrore 5t^5pa/ie, /cat /carAa/Se
TTJS ot /couytiej Tjs ra r^pfjMTa. See Guericke s Antiq. p. 203,
sq.
4 Compare St Augustine, Confess. IX. 7, speaking of his
residence in Milan : "Turn hymni et psalmi ut canerentur
sccundum morem oricntalium partium, ne populus moaroris
ttedio contabesceret, institutum est, et ex illo in hodiernum
retentum."
5 " Scholam cantorum, quae hactenus eisdem institutiorii-
bus in saucta Roma ecclesia modulatur, constituit, eique
cum nonnullis praediis duo habit;tcula...fabricavit." Johannes
Diaconus, Vit. Grey. M. II. 6.
THE PSALMS. 75
reduced to system the various musical modes handed
down from antiquity. Hence the popular name of "Gre
gorian " chant as applied to the plain-song of the Church,
from the "Cantus collectamm" of the prayers to the
elaborate settings of the hymns and antiphons. Gre
gorian music, or plain-song, is distinguished by its severe
grandeur and massive effects from the lighter character
and more scientific and impassioned harmonies of modern
compositions.
7. The Prayer-Book Version of the Psalms. It
was, in all probability, one of these Gregorian chants
that Augustine and his little band of missionaries were
singing as they entered Canterbury in 597 1 . Certainly
the influence of his master Gregory s singing school soon
extended to England and other parts of the West 2 , and
antiphonal chanting became the custom of the early
English Church. The use of a modest and distinct
song the first Reformers had no intention of abolish
ing 3 , and the Version of the Psalter printed in the first
Prayer-Book of 1 549, according to " the Translation of
the great English Bible, set forth and used in the time
of King Henry the Eighth and Edward the Sixth 4 ," was
1 Bede, E. 0. I. 25 ; Stanley s Memorials of Canterbury,
p. 29.
2 Charlemagne zealously encouraged Church music. The
use of organs was adopted in the French Church in the 8th
century.
3 See Cranmer s Letter to Henry VIII., Oct. 7, 1544,
quoted in Procter, p. 18, and p. 174; see also the Injunctions
in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. CardweH, Doc. Ann. XLIII.
But cf. Confess. Helv, t. xxiii. (A.D. 1566). "Cantus, quern
Gregorianum noncupant, plurima habet absurda; unde re-
jectus est merito a nostris et pluribus ecclesiis...Non enim
canendi commoditatem omnes habent ecclesia?. Ac certum
est ex testhnoniis vetustatis, ut cantus usum fuisse vetua-
tissiinum in oriental ibna ecclesiis, ita sero tandem receptum
ease ab occidentalibus."
4 See the Notice at the beginning of the Prayer-Book.
76 THE LESSONS.
evidently intended for chanting. Hence at the last
Revision in 1661, when the other portions of Scripture
were taken from the last Translation of 1611, the older
Version of the Psalter was retained, because the choirs
were accustomed to it, and its language was considered
to be more smooth and fit for song.
8. The Repetition of the Doxology at the end
of every Psalm 1 throughout the year was enjoined in
1 549. In the Breviary it was appointed to be repeated
after some Psalms or a series of Psalms. The Psalms
being all Jewish Hymns, by adding this solemn Christian
Form of praise and faith, we signify that we use them
all in a Christian sense, and turn them as it were into
Christian Psalms and Christian Hymns, avowing our
belief that the same God in three Persons is worshipped
by us, who was worshipped by the Jews as the First and
tlie Last, beside whom there is no God (Isai. xliv. 6).
CHAPTER IV.
THE LESSONS.
i. The Lessons. After the Psalms follows the
third division of the Service, the Lessons (Lections), or
the Reading of Holy Scrifrture, two chapters of which
are road both in the Morning and the Evening Service,
one from the Old and one from the New Testament
By this it is intended to show the harmony between the
Law and the Gospel, and the unity of the Church under
its two Dispensations, and to contrast the obscurity of
the types and prophecies of the older Revelation with
It is the old translation of Tyiidale and Coverdale, A.D. 1535,
and Rogers, 1537, revised by Cranmer, A.D. 1539.
1 And likewise at the end of Benedicite, Bencdictus, Mag
nificat, and Nunc Dimittis, which also are Jewish Hymns.
THE LESSONS. 77
the clearer teaching of our blessed Lord and His
Apostles.
2. The Public Reading of portions of both Testa
ments is a custom of great antiquity. Justin Martyr 1
tells us that in his day the writings of the Prophets and
Apostles were read in the congregation on Sundays, just
as the Hebrew Scriptures had been read of old in the
Synagogues of the Jews. The Council of Laodicea, circ.
A.D. 367, directed that the Psalms, which formed a large
portion of the Service, should not be continuous, but
should be mingled with reading. At first a Lesson
appears to have been taken at will from any part of
Scripture 2 . Afterwards a selection was made of certain
books or passages for the yearly festivals and their at
tendant cycles. By the end of the second century fixed
tables of Lessons for the Festivals had been adopted
in many places, and in the fifth century four Lessons
wore read in an appointed order, from the books of
Moses, the Prophets, the Gospels, and the Epistles 3 ,
between which the Psalms were sung.
2- Mediaeval Lessons. After the sixth century
many of the Western Churches read three, five, seven,
or nine Lessons. In the English Church, during the
Mediaeval period, there were either three or nine Lec
tions 4 in the nocturns of Matins; but these were gene-
1 Kal ry rov r/\iov \eyonevg -fj^pcf. irdvTUV Kara Tro Xets
dypovs fjierovTdJV eirl rb avro ffvvtXevvis yiverai, Kal TO.
*r(av A.troffTO\(i)v TJ TO, &vyypd/jifJi.aTa T&V
KeTai ^XP 1 * GyX^P^. Just. Mart. I. c. G7.
Compare Constitut. Apost. n. 59.
2 "Coimus ad divinarurn literarum commemorationem, si
quid prajsentium temporum qualitas aut praemonere cogit
aut recognoscere." Tertullian, Apoloijet. c. 39, quoted in
Guericke, Antiq. p. 213.
3 Guericke, Antiq. p. 215 ; Procter, p. 217.
4 See the extract in Procter, p. 182 sqq. The smaller
and greater Festivals were distinguished ;is Ftsta ill. aut ix.
Icctionuvb.
78 THE LESSONS.
rally very short ; some consisting of only a few verses of
Scripture ; and some being short extracts from Exposi
tions or Homilies of the Fathers, or Lives of the Saints.
Hence, although the Lessons were numerous, but little
Scripture was read; and that small portion was so in
terrupted by a "multitude of Responses, Verses, vain
Repetitions, Commemorations 1 , and Synodals 2 , that
commonly when any Book of the Bible was begun, after
three or four chapters were read out, all the rest were
unread 3 ."
4. Change made in 1549. It was a most im
portant change, therefore, that was introduced in 1549
into this part of the Public Service. For it was enacted
that (i) the quantity of Scripture read should be in
creased ; (2) that it should be made intelligible by being
continuous ; (3) that it should consist of two Lessons
only in place of the former numerous but brief Lections,
one being taken from the Old and the other from the
New Testament.
5. The Old Testament is appointed to be read
for the First Lessons at Morning and Evening Prayer,
so that the most part thereof may be read every year
once 4 . The course is to begin at the beginning of the
year with Genesis, and to continue the reading of the
Books of the Old Testament in order at the Morning
and Evening Services, omitting most of the Books of
Chronicles, the Song of Solomon, and the Lamentations
of Jeremiah. Isaiah is not read in its order, but, except
1 Commemorations, memories (memorue) were additions
of the Service of a holy -day to that of a Sunday or great ei
festival. See Procter, p. 19, note 1.
2 Synodals were the publication or recital of the Pro
vincial Constitutions in the parish -churches.
a See the preface to the Prayer- Book, "Concerning the
Service of the Church."
4 See the Preface to the Prayer-Book, "The Order how
the rest of Holy Scripture is appointed to be read."
THE LESSONS. 79
part of one chapter read on the I4th of June, is reserved
for the season of Advent 1 , as he is tke "Gospel prophet,"
and contains some of the clearest prophecies of Christ.
These omissions leave about twenty-one days to be pro
vided for, from October 27th to November i8th at Even
song. For these days Lessons are appointed from the
Apocryphal 2 Books, which have been read in the Western
Church since the 4th century, "for example of life and
instruction of manners, but not applied to establish
any doctrine*"
6. First Lessons for Sundays. The first Lessons
appointed for Sundays form a distinct yearly course of
selected chapters from the Old Testament. These are
taken from Isaiah, from Advent Sunday to the third
Sunday after the Epiphany 4 ; Genesis is commenced on
1 The observation of Advent, as a season of preparation for
commemorating our Lord s first coming in great humility, and
for the whole cycle of the Christmas Festivals, cannot be cer
tainly traced to an earlier date than the 9th century, at least
in the West. Before this the Church year had usually com
menced with the high festival of Easter. The Nestorians
were the first to make the Christian year commence with the
first four Sundays in Advent.
2 Bt/3Xta A-rroKpyQa. ATrbKpv(j>QS = hidden or secret (comp.
Lk. viii. 17; Col. ii. 3), was applied to these Books (1) in a
good sense, as "containing secret knowledge only made known
to the initiated ;" (2) in a bad sense, as "spurious," "fabu
lous." See Smith s Dictionary of the Bible, Article Apo-
cnjpha.
3 Hieron. Prcef. in Libros Salamonis, quoted in the Sixth
Article; see Browne s Exposition of the Articles, pp. 157, 181
sqq. The Calendar provided for the Scottish Church in 1637
only appoirtted Chapters from the books of Wisdom and
Ecclesiasticus on six saints days. See above, p. 39.
4 From the Greek E-rri^av <ela = manifestation. The Feast
of the Epiphany, or Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles,
commemorates the revelation of Christ as the Redeemer of
the Gentile world, and is one of the earliest of the Christian i
Festivals. The first historical notice of it is found in Clement
80 THE LESSONS.
Septuagesima Sunday 1 , which is the first step in the
preparation for Lent 2 , and when the Sundays begin to
be reckoned with reference to the coming Easter 3 . This
book, relating the origin of our misery by the sin of
Adam, and the judgments of God upon the world, has
been read during Lent from very early times in the
Christian Church. The selections then proceed through
the Historical and Prophetical Books; and "a second
series of Lessons for Evensong on Sundays has been
also provided, to be used either as alternative Lessons
at a Second Service, or at a Third Service, if such
Service be thought desirable 4 ." Lessons are now ap
pointed for a twenty- seventh Sunday after Trinity,
which are always to be read on the Sunday next be
fore Advent. No Sunday Lessons are taken from the
Books of Leviticus, Ezra, Esther, Song of Solomon, La
mentations, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, and Zechariah.
7. Lessons for Holy-days. Another course is
provided for Holy-days. Proper chapters are appointed,
usually for the first and second Lessons, which are
suited to the Commemoration, either prophetical of it,
or, if possible, relating the history of it. The Ritual
of Alexandria, A.D. 200; and in the time of Chrysostom, A.D.
400, it is spoken of as an old and leading festival of the
Asiatic Church. Procter, p. 273.
1 The first Sunday in Lent, being about 40 days before
Easter, was called Quadragesima Sunday ; the Sunday before
Ash Wednesday, being 50 days before Easter, was called
Quinquagesima Sunday; the names of the two preceding Sun
days were given from the next decads, 60 and 70, and were
called Sexagesima and Septuagesima Sundays.
2 Lent, A.-S. lencten = the Latin ver, spring.
3 Easter is derived either (1) from the old A.-S. goddess
of spring Eostra, or Ostera, in whose honour special sacrifices
were offered at the opening of the spring, or (2) from the old
Teutonic urstan = to rise. See Guericke, Antiq. p. 132 n.
4 3rd Report of the Ritual Commission, Jan. 1870.
THE CANTICLES. 81
Commissioners 1 "provided Lessons for Ash Wednesday ;
and the series of Lessons for the Holy Week is now
complete."
8. The Second Lessons. The second Lessons at
Morning and Evening Prayer are always taken from
the New Testament, which is appointed "to be read
over orderly every year twice, once in the morning, and
once in the evening, except the Apocalypse, out of
which there are only certain Lessons appointed at the
end of the year, and certain Proper Lessons appointed
upon divers feasts," viz. St John the Evangelist s Day,
St Michael s Day, and All Saints Day; and Septua-
gesirna, Easter, and Trinity Sundays 2 .
CHAPTER V.
THE CANTICLES.
./>- Ca 77 (e f
i. The Canticles. From the earliest times it has
been usual to intermingle the reading of Scripture in
the Public Service with Psalms or Canticles. This is
specially enjoined by the Council of Laodicrea, circ. A.D.
360, and was the custom of the Gallican Church as
early as the Fifth century. Those which we now use
1 3rtZ Report of the Ritual Commission, 1870.
>J " If Evening Prayer is said at two different times in
the same place of worship on any Sunday (except a Sunday
for which alternative Second Lessons are specially appointed
in the Table) the Second Lesson at the second time may, at
the discretion of the Minister, be any chapter from the four
Gospels, or any Lesson appointed in the Table of Lessons
from the four Gospels. Upon occasions, to be approved by
the Ordinary, other Lessons may, with liis consent, be sub
stituted for those which are appointed in the Calendar."
(Rev. Prcf. to Prayer- Book.)
i*. u. 6
82 THE CANTICLES.
at Morning Prayer, are the Te Deum laudamus and
the Benedicite after the first, the Benedict and
the Jubilate after the Second Lesson, and they oc
cupy, as nearly as possible, the places where they have
been sung for centuries.
2. Te Deum Laudamus. The first of these Can
ticles, the Hymn Te Deum laudamus, is styled in the
Breviary " The Psalm Te J)eum," or " The Canticle of
Ambrose and Augustine," from the old legend that at
the baptism of Augustine by Ambrose, it was sung
alternately by the two saints, as it was composed by
inspiration. In Marshall s Primer of 1535 it is styled
the " Songe of Austyn and Ambrose" and in Henry
VI I]th s Primer of 1545, "The Praise of God the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost\" It seems
probable that it originated in the Gallican Church, but
it is extremely doubtful who was its author. Some
ascribe it to Hilary, Bishop of Poictiers, A.D. 355;
others to Nicetius 2 , Bishop of Treves, A.D. 535; while
others assign it to Hilary of Aries 3 , A.D. 440. In the
first Prayer-Book of Edward VI. , 1549, it was ordered
to be used daily throughout the year, except in Lent*,
which exception was omitted in the rubric of Edward s
Second Prayer-Book, 1552.
1 See the Three Primers of Henry VIII. , Oxford Edition,
pp. 85 and 464. In two Irish MSS., not later than the 10th
century (transcribed by Dr Todd in the Cambridge Journal of
Philology, No. II. pp. 271 sqq.) f it is entitled Ilcec est laus sanctte
Triniiatis, quam Augustinus sanctus et Ambrosius composuit.
2 See Guericke s Antiq. p. 209, n.
3 See Palmer s Orig. Liturg. I. i. 11; Bingham Antiq. xiv.
ii. 9. It may, however, represent a still more ancient Hymn, of
which traces are to be found in Cyprian A.D. 252, and thp Morn
ing Hymn of the Alexandrine MS. of the Scriptures, preserved
in the British Museum. See the A nnolatcd Prayer-Book, p. 11.
4 The rubric of the Sarum Breviary appointed it at
Matins on Sundays and Festivals, except in Advent, and
from Septuagesima to Easter, and some other days.
THE CANTICLES. 83
3. Its Divisions. This ancient Hymn may be said
to consist of three parts :
(a) An Act of praise offered to God 1 , the Father
everlasting, by us and by all creatures, as well
in heaven as in earth, Angels and Archangels,
Cherubin and Seraphin, the glorious company
of the Apostles, the goodly fellowship of the
Prophets, the noble 2 army of Martyrs;
(b) A Confession of Faith on the part of " The
Holy Church throughout all the world" (i) in
the three Persons of the blessed Trinity, the
Father of an infinite* Majesty, His honour
able*, true, and only 5 Son, and the Holy
Ghost, the Comforter, and (2) more largely in
1 Lord God of Sabaoth - Lord God of hosts. It is the
Greek form of the Hebrew word tsebadtb, "armies." Comp.
i Sam. xii. 9 ; i Kings i. 19. In the English Bible it occurs
only twice, Rom. ix. 29 ; James v. 4. See Smith s Dictionary
of the Bible sub voc.
2 In Latin this clause runs " Te Martyrum candidate
laudat exercitus." Candidatus = clothed in white, Comp.
E laut. Rud. i. 5, 12 ; Suet. Aug. 98. The Pre- Re format! on
versions rendered it " Thee preisith the ivhite oost of inartirs."
See Maskell s Pryiner, p. 13, and pp. 229, 231. In Mar
shall s Primer, 1535, it is translated The fair fellowship of
martyrs praise thee. The allusion appears to be to Rev.
vii. 9, 14. See Appendix III.
3 Lat. immensce majestatis; the same word immensus (fr.
in not and metior / measure) in the Athanasian Creed is
translated incomprehensible = "that which cannot be compre-
hendedor contained within limits," as immensus = "that which
cannot be measured, "or "circumscribed." Hence in Hilsey s
Primer (1539) the clause runs, " The Father is immeasurable,
the Son immeasurable, the Holy Ghost immeasurable." Bacon
uses comprehend in the sense of including; "That that is,
is between Superiour and Inferiour, whose Fortunes may
Comprehend the One the Other." Essay XLVIII.
4 Lat. vener&ndum deserving honour, worship, and ado
ration.
5 Lat. unicuin; in the Irish MS. unigenitum.
G 2
84 THE CANTICLES.
the Son, and particularly His divinity, His
incarnation 1 , His death 2 , His session at the
right hand of God, and His future return to
judgment ;
(c) A Prayer grounded upon it addressed to the
Son:
1 i ) For all His people, whom He has redeemed
with His precious blood that they may be
preserved here, and numbered 3 hereafter
with the Saints in glory everlasting ;
(2) For ourselves, who day by day magnify
Him, and ever worship His Name, that we
may be kept from future sin, and pardoned 4
1 Tu, ad liberandum, suscepturur hominera, non horru-
isti Virginis uterum = 27icm, being about to take manhood
upon Thee, didst not abhor the Virgin s womb. In the pre-
lieforination Versions this ran, "Thou wert not skoymus
(or skoymes) to take the maydenes wombe, to delivere man-
kynde. Skoymus squeamish; Dan. Sivalm choking va
pour; Germ, qualm, smoke. Halliwell identifies it with
Squaumish, citing "Thou art not skoymose thy fantasy for to
tell;" Bales, Kynye Johan. p. 11. See Appendix III.
2 "When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death"
is in the Latin Tu dcvicto mortis aculco (aculeus = a sting).
In Marshall s Primer it is rendered death s dart overcome.
For the sting or dart of death, compare 1 Cor. xv. 55,
death, where is thy sting? (Gr. K&rpov) ; 1 Cor. xv. 56, The sting
of death is sin; hence the frequent representation of Death
armed with a dart, as in Holbein s Dance of Death.
3 Previously to A.D. 1492, all the Lat. MSS. rendered this
verse "^Eterna fac cum sanctis tuis gloria munerari" = to be
rewarded. Similarly in the Prymer of the Xivth century
" Make hem to be rewardid with the seyntis in blisse, with
everlastinge glorie;" See Maskell s Mon. Rit. p. 15, 230, 232.
4 " Let Thy mercy lighten upon us " is in Latin Fiat
misericordia tua, Domine, super nos. Lighten is from the A.-S.
lihtan="io alight" or "descend upon," and has nothing tu
do with light or brightness. Compare the expression light
upon, Ruth ii. 3 ; 2 Sam. xvii. 12 ; "He lihts in to hello" = He
descended into hell, Old English Homilies, Pt. ii. p. 217.
THE CANTICLES. 85
for what is past, because we 1 trust in
Him.
4. Benedicite. Besides the Te Deum the First
Prayer-Book of 1549 ordered that during Lent should
be said or sung the Hymn or Psalm Benedicite Omnia
Opera. This is also called the Canticum Trium Pue-
rorum, or Song of the Three Children, that is, the
Jewish youths Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (also
called Ananias, Azarias, and Misael), while in the
burning fiery furnace, into which they were cast by Ne
buchadnezzar (Dan. iii. 19 25). It is not found in the
Hebrew Version of the Book of Daniel, but is part of
the Greek addition to it in the Septuagint Translation.
It is a paraphrastical exposition of the cxlviiith Psalm,
and was used as a Hymn in the later Jewish Church,
and was commonly sung in the Christian Church in the
4th century.
5. Its Division. The rubric of 1549 enjoining its
use during Lent was done away in 1552, and now there
is no express order of the Church as to the seasons when
it is to be used. It is, however, deemed more suitable
1 In te, Domine, speravi ; non confimdar in aeternum
This in the Prymer ran, "be I not schent withouten ende."
Schent from A.-S. scendan = to ruin, destroy. Compare
Morris Specimens of Early English, p. 25, line 210, and note.
For the meaning of confound, compare Jer. i. 17. "Be not
dismayed at their faces, lest T confound thee (rnarg. break in
pieces) before them." Coming from the Latin confundere it =
(1) to pour together, (2) to mix in disorder, (3) to throw into
confusion, (4) to destroy. For the third meaning compare
the Afchanasian Creed, "neither confounding the Persons, nor
dividing the substance." For the fourth meaning, which is
the meaning in the Te Dcum, compare Shakspeare, Merchant
of Venice, in. ii. 278,
" Never did [ know
A creature, that did bear the shape oi ma.i.,
So keen and greedy to confound a man. 1
Also Macbeth, IV. i. 53 ; King John, v. vii. 58.
N THE CANTICLES.
for Lent than the exalted and jubilant adoration of the
Te Deum, and certainly is better adapted to the first
Lessons of some particular days, as, e. g. Septuagesima
Sunday and the Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity. In
this Canticle
(1) We first call upon the angels and the heavens,
in which they dwell, to praise and bless the
Lord, and then on all that those heavens con
tain, the waters above the firmament, the sun,
the moon, and the stars ;
(2) Then we turn to the " works of the Lord" upon
the earth, showers and dew, wind and storm,
fire and heat, winter and summer, frost and
cold, ice and snow, nights and days, light and
darkness, lightnings and clouds, the earth and
all that is upon it, mountains and hills and all
green things, wells and seas and floods ;
(3) From these inanimate, we turn to the ani
mate " works of the Lord," and call upon the
whales and all that move in the waters, the
fowls of the air, the beasts and cattle to praise
Him ;
(4) And lastly we turn to our fellowmcn, and call
upon them generally as the children of men
and specially as a people dedicated to God, the
priests and servants of the Lord, on the spirits
of the just made perfect, and holy and humble
men of heart now living like Ananias, Azarias,
and Misael, to "praise Him and magnify Him
for ever 1 ."
1 As this is a Jewish Hymn and there is no mention
made in it of the Trinity it is followed by the Gloria Patri,
which is omitted after the full enunciation of Christian doc
trine in the Te Deum. These two canticles are the only
portions of the kind, appointed in the English Servioe-Book,
which are not taken out of Canonical Scripture.
THE CANTICLES.
87
6. The Benedictus. At the close of the Second
Lesson in the Morning Service, two Canticles are
appointed, the Benedictus or the Jubilate. The Psalm
Benedictus, or, as it was called in the Old Offices, the
"Song of the Prophet Zacharias," was directed in
Edward s First Prayer-Book to be used througliout the
whole year, and entitled in one edition of it, " A thanks
giving for the performance of God s promises." Nor
is the title inappropriate. For as by singing the Te
Deum after the first Lesson from the Old Testament we
acknowledge that the ancient promises were fulfilled in
the incarnation and atonement of the Saviour, and show
forth the glory of the Eternal Trinity, so after the
second Lesson from the histories of the New Testament,
we praise God for the fulfilment of His promises, in
the inspired words of the father of John the Baptist.
Filled with the Holy Ghost (Lk. i. 67) he declared that
the horn of salvation so long promised to mankind had
been at length raised up in the house of God s servant
David; that the words spoken by the mouth of His
holy Prophets since the world began were fulfilled ;
and that his son was born to be the forerunner of the
Highest, to go before the face of the Lord to prepare
His ways 1 (Lk. i. 6879).
7. Jubilate Deo. On the 25th of March, the
Festival of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, part of the chapter containing this Song of
Praise is read as the Second Lesson, and it is also read
as the Gospel of St John Baptist s Day. At the revision,
therefore, of the Prayer-Book in 1552, the Hundredth
1 " It ia the last prophecy of the Old Dispensation, and
the first of the New ; and furnishes a kind of key to the
Evangelical interpretation of all prophecies under the one by
which they are connected with the other." Blunt s Anno
tated Prayer-Book, p. 16 n.
88 THE ORE ED, OR PROFESSION OF FAITH.
Psalm was added in this place, to be used instead of
the Benedictus. It is a jubilant song of praise for
Creation and Providence. It is scarcely fitted for a
solemn penitential season, but, inviting, as it does,
all nations to praise God, harmonizes well with the
season of Epiphany, and is always ordered, together
with the Te Deuni, on the occasion of a solemn thanks
giving.
CHAPTER VI.
THE CREED, OR PROFESSION OF FAITH.
1. The Creeds. At this point, according to very
ancient usage, follows the Fourth part of the Service,
the Profession of Faith, or recitation of the Creed, so
called in the AVestern Church from the Latin word Credo,
just as the Lord s Prayer was called Pater-Nosier, and
the Psjilms were known by their opening Latin words.
2. Their Origin. From the earliest .times all,
who sought to be baptized, were required to learn * and
make known a public profession of their faith, when
admitted to this holy Sacrament. The earliest name of
such a profession of faith, or Creed, was Su/z/SoXo^ Sym -
bolum, a Symbol, denoting either (i) a summary of
Christian doctrine, or (2) a sign or watchword 1 , where
by Christians were distinguished from heathens and
unbelievers. At first these Creeds were very brief
and simple 3 , but, as the Church spread more widely, it
A Hence the Creed id called Ma^/xa, Tpa^rj; See Bing-
ham, Antiq. X. iii. 3, 4; Harvey, Hist, of the Creeds, pp.
26 sqq.
2 Hee Bp. Browne On the Articles, Art. vin.
3 The first traces of Creeds may he found in such passages
as (a) 1 Cor. xv. 38; (j8) 1 Tim. iii. 16. See Heurtley s
Creeds of the Western Church; Guericke s Antiq. p. 227.
THE GREED, OR PROFESSION OP FAITH. 89
became necessary, in consequence of false teaching, to
make them more precise and definite, and so they were
gradually enlarged, and assumed their present forms.
3. The Apostles Creed. Such Confessions of
Faith are given us in the first centuries by Irenseus (cir.
A.D. i So), by Tertullian (A. D. 203), afterwards by Cyprian
(A.D. 248), and Augustine (A.D. 393 421). What is
commonly called the Apostles Creed is the Roman or
Italian Creed, and is found in the exposition of Rufinus
of Aquileia. It is called the Apostles" Creed, not be
cause it was drawn up by the Apostles, but either (i)
because it contains the doctrines taught by them, and
is in substance the same as has been used in the Church
ever since their times; or (2) because the Church of
Rome being the only Church in the West certainly
deemed to have been founded by an Apostle, its see was
called the Apostolic /See, and its Creed the Apostolic or
Apostles? Creed 1 .
4. The Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed was
first drawn up at the Council of Nice in Bithynia, con
vened by the Emperor Constantino 2 , A.D. 325, and
afterwards enlarged at the Council of Constantinople,
convened by Theodosius A.D. 381, and is the Creed
adopted by the Greek Churches. It was especially de
signed to counteract the false teaching of those who,
like Arius and Macedonius, taught that our Lord Jesus
Christ was not the only-begotten Son of God, and there
fore not God, and that the Holy Ghost was a creature.
Hence it treats fully of the Godhead of these two Per
sons in the blessed Trinity, saying of the Son that He
was begotten of the Father before all worlds, God
1 See Bp. Browne on Article viu. ; Heurtley s Creeds of
the Western Church, p. 26; Bingh;im, Antiq. x. 3, 45.
2 See Stanley s Eastern Church, pp. 141, 142; as then
drawn up it concluded with the clause, / believe in the Holy
Ghost. See Appendix V.
90 THE GREED, OR PROFESSION OF FAITH.
of 1 God, Light of Light, very* God of very God; be
gotten not made ; being of one substance with the
Father ; by whom 3 all things were made : and of
the Holy Ghost that He is the Lord 4 (i. e. the Lord
God) and the Giver of life, Who proceedeth from the
Fattier and the Son 5 , Who with the Father and the
Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spake
by the Prophets.
5. The Athanasian Creed. What is commonly
termed the Greed of St Athanasius 6 , a great bishop
of Alexandria in the fourth century, is so called, not
because it was drawn up by him, for it was not com
posed till at least a hundred years after his death, but
because it prominently asserts and enlarges upon those
great truths which he spent his life in defending, the
doctrines of the Holy Trinity and of the union of the
Godhead and Manhood in our Lord Jesus Christ. It
was drawn up in Latin, probably in Gaul, either, as some
1 In Greek 9edz> e/c GeoG = God from God; <ws e/c 0wros =
Light from Light.
2 In Greek Qebv &\ydu>bv e/c Geou &\-r)du>ov=true God of
(from) true God. Very =" true" "real" from the Latin
verus, Fr. vrai; comp. Gen. xxvii. 21 ; Jn. vii. 26.
3 This article refers to the Son and not to the Father, of
whom it has been already said. It contains in fact the words
of St John i. 3, All things were made by Him (the Word);
and loithout Sim was not anything made that was made; with
which compare Heb. i. 2 ; Rev. iv. 11.
4 In Greek T6 Ktfptdc, /ecu TO haoirot6v.
5 The words Filioque, and from the Son, are not in the
Nicene Creed, but were gradually adopted in the West. They
first appear in the acts of an assembly of bishops at Braga,
A.D. 412. Their use gave rise to the great schism between
the East and the West, A. D. 1053. See Hardwick s Middle
Ages, pp. 195, 298, and the notes.
6 See the Rubric of 1552 before the Athanasian Creed.
In Bishop Hilsey s Prymer it is called the " Symbole or Orede
of the great Doctour Athanasius."
THE CREED, OR PROFESSION OF FAITH. 91
think, by Hilary of Aries, A.D. 429, or, as others, by ^
Victricius, Bishop of Rouen, A. D. 401.
6. The Athanasian Creed sung publicly. The
Creed that was sung publicly in the Matin Offices of
the Mediaeval Church was the Athanasian. In the
English Churches this had been the custom ever since
the year A.D. 800, arid probably long before that date 1 .
In the Sarum Breviary it was appointed to be sung daily
" at Prime," after the Psalms and before the Prayers.
In the Roman Breviary it is ordered to be used on Sun
days only 2 . In the First Prayer-Book of 1549 the
Apostles Creed was appointed to be said ordinarily in
this part of the Service, and the Athanasian Creed in
its stead upon the six Festivals of Christmas, Epiphany,
Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity. The Rubric
of Edward Vlth s Second Prayer-Book added seven
saints days to these Festivals 3 , so that the Creed
should be used at intervals of about a month through
out the year.
7. The Nicene Creed was first ordered to be re
cited in the Eucharistic Office in the Eastern Church /
by Peter, surnamcd the Fuller, Bishop of Antioch, A.D. v
471, and his example was followed A.D. 511 by Timo-
theus, Bishop of Constantinople. Somewhat more than
seventy years afterwards the custom was adopted in
Spain, to brin? the people back to the true faith after
the Arian Gothic invasion, and the third Council of
Toledo (A.D. 589) ordered it to be sung aloud by the
people before the Lord s Prayer was said 4 . A similar
reason induced the Gallican Church to order its public
1 It is found in MS. Psalters of the 7th and 8th centuries.
2 The reformed Breviary of Quignonez had appointed the
Athananian Creed on Sundays, and the Apostles Creed on
week-days.
3 See the Rubric before the Athanasian Creed.
4 See Procter, On the Book of Common Prayer, p. 229 n.
92 THE PRAYERS.
recitation in the time of Charlemagne 1 . Hitherto the
Church of Rome, being free of the taint of Arianism,
had retained only the Apostles Creed, and the constant
public use of the Nicene Creed in the Roman Liturgy
was not adopted till A.D. 1014.
8. The Apostles Creed was used in the Anglo-
Saxon Office of Prime, and was constantly repeated in
the Mediaeval Offices of Matins, Prime, and Compline.
But it was said, together with the Lord s Prayer, pri
vately by the choir at Matins, and inaudibly by the
Priest at the beginning of the Prayers at Prime and
Compline. Only at the words The resurrection of the
body did he raise his voice, to which the choir responded
in the concluding words And the life everlasting.
Amen 2 . In our present Prayer-Book the Rubric directs
that the Apostles Creed shall be sung or said by the
Minister and the people, and that it is to be repeated
standing, to express our resolution to hold fast the true
faith.
CHAPTER VII.
THE PRAYERS.
i. The Salutation. After the public recitation
of the Creed follow, according to the order of the
Mediaeval Services, the Prayers, during which the
rubric directs that all shall devoutly kneel. The tran
sition 3 from the former to the present portion of the
1 In this country the Nicene Creed was sung at Mass,
being probably received from the Galilean Church.
2 This custom originated in the concealment of these for
mularies from the heathen and from the catechumens who
were not prepared for baptism, a practice of early times,
but of later introduction than the use of these formularies
themselves in the Daily Offices ; See Bingham Antiq. X. 5;
Freeman s Principles of D-ivinc Service, pp. 97, 227.
3 Just as the Hallelujah marked the transition from Peni
tence, to Praise; see above p. 72.
THE PRAYERS. 93
Service is marked by the mutual salutation 1 of Minister
and people :
The Lord be with you.
Answer. And icith thy spirit,
and is to be said while they are still standing.
2. The Lesser Litany. And now that we are on
the point of asking of God " those things which are
requisite and necessary as well for the body as the soul,"
the words Let us pray exhort us to earnest and devout
attention. The Prayers commence with the Lesser
Litany, the Lord s Prayer, and the Ver sides, (i) The
Lesser Litany is the prelude to supplication, just as the
Doxology is to the Praise of the Service 2 , and being
addressed to each Person of the Holy Trinity, by its
three clauses it fixes the object of Christian worship 3 .
(2) The Lord s Prayer is directed in the rubric to be
said by the Minister, Clerks 4 , and people, with a loud
voice, as a corrective, doubtless, to the Mediaeval prac
tice of repeating it inaudibly 6 . (3) The Vcrsicles are a
small selection from the Preces said daily in the Me
diaeval Offices of Prime and Compline, and also at
1 The Greek Form is Eip-^vrj iravi. Answer, Kai /nerd
Tryeu/iaros crov ; com p. Ruth ii. 4; Jn. xx. 19, 26; 2 Thess.
iii. l(j. Hence the Latin Paxvobiscum.
2 See above p. 71.
3 In the old offices, each clause was usually thrice repeat
ed. The Greek Versicle Ku/ne t\t-r)ffov was retained untrans
lated in the Latin Church.
4 The Clerks here spoken of were au inferior class of
Ministers, sometimes, but not always in Holy Orders, of
whom every Incumbent, before and immediately after the
Reformation, had at least one to assist him in the per
formance of Divine Service. With the office of Clerk was
combined that of Aqucebajalus (who carried the Holy Water
before the Priests), and thence our Parish Clerks, who are
still in a few Churches Clerks in Orders, took their rise.
See Burn s tied. Law, ill. 82 ; Trollop On the Liturgy and
Riluiil, p. 118.
6 See above, p. 70.
94 THE PRATERS.
Lauds and Vespers on week-days. Though apparently
derived from this source, they were altered by the in
troduction of words from the Psalms 1 , whence they were
originally taken.
3. The Collects occupy the same position in our
Prayer-Book, in which they stood before the Reforma
tion, viz. after the Versicular Prayers. The etymology
of the word Collect is extremely doubtful, (i) Some
suppose them to be so called because they are collected
out of the portions of Scripture appointed for the
Epistle and Gospel of the day, or bear upon the par
ticular duty therein enforced or illustrated 2 . (2) Others
suppose they derive their name from the fact that they
are repeated by the Minister super collectam populi.,
over or in behalf of a collected assembly of worshippers.
(3) Others again find the origin of the name in the fact
that several petitions are therein collected or comprised
in a brief summary.
4. Their Characteristics. Collects ; may be re
garded as brief but impressive Prayers, severally ad
dressed to God through Christ, but sometimes to Christ
Himself, and comprising (i) a petition for some special
temporal or spiritual benefit, and (2) assigning the
motive for asking it. Those contained in the Prayer-
Book are of great antiquity ; forty-seven being taken
from the Sacramentary of Gregory A.D. 590, who him
self adopted them from formularies of still earlier date ;
1 (1) Ps. Ixxxv. 7; (2) Domine, salvumfac reyem, Sarum
Brev. and Ps. xx. 9 ; (3) Ps. cxxxii. 9 ; (4) Ps. xxviii. 9 ;
(6) Ps. li. 10, 11. The Fifth Versicle Give peace, &c. with
its Response was an Antipbon belonging to the Collect for
Peace. See Henry Vlllth s Primer, A.D. 1545. This Petition
evidently supposes a state of war, and war seldom ceased in
the rude times in whicb tbese Versicles were framed ; the
Response -implies that God alone can give the victory which
will secure peace as its result.
2 See Trench s Study of Words, p. 213, Seventh Edition.
THE PRAYERS. 95
nine being taken from ancient sources though altered
to the present form in 1662 ; while twenty-seven were
newly composed at the Reformation, though on a ground
work of primitive models, or added at later Revisions.
5. The Collects for Peace and Grace. Of these
Collects the Rubric directs that three shall follow the
Versicular Prayers ; " the first of the day, which shall
be the same that is appointed at the Communion ; the
second for Peace ; the third for Grace to live well ; and
the two last Collects shall never alter, but daily be said
at Morning Prayer throughout all the year." The Col
lect for Peace is thoroughly appropriate to the com
mencement of the day 1 and to entering upon the business
of the world, for in it we pray that we may be "defended
in all assaults of our enemies," and surely trusting in the
defence of the Most High " may not fear the power of
any adversaries." In the Collect, for Grace, we pray
that during the day, to the beginning of which we have
been safely brought, we may " fall into no sin, neither
run into any kind of danger," but that all our doings
may be ordered" by the governance :i of our heavenly
1 Jn this Collect occurs the expression "in knowledge of
whom staudetb. our eternal life ; " which in the Latin is
" quern nosse vivere, cui servire regnare est," = Jn. xvii. 3.
For the use of standeth here = consisteth, compare (1) 1 Cor.
ii. 5; "that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of
men, but in the power of God;" ("2) Lk. xii. 15, as quoted
by Latimer, " For no man s life standeth in the abund
ance of the things which he possesseth." Compare also
(1) Cranmer s Letter to the Devonshire rebels, " Siandeth
it with any reason to turn upside down the good order of
the whole world?" (2) Taverner s Postils, p. 1/6, "In thys
standeth the continual pardone of our dayly offences, in thys
resteth our justification ;" and (3) Latimer, Letter to Cromwell,
Dec. 24, 1538, " In this standeth much the stay of my
house." See also The Bible Word-Book, p. 454.
2 Ordered = " arranged," "guided," cornp. Judg. xiii. 12
1 Kings xx. 14, "who shall order the battle?" Pa. 1. 23,
96 THE PRA YERS CONTINUED.
Father, u to do always that 4 is righteous in His
right*
CHAPTER VIII.
THE PRAYERS CONTINUED.
i. The Five Prayers. At this point the Order of
Morning Prayer ended until the last Revision in 1661 .
In the Scotch Prayer-Book 2 , however, of 1637 the fol
lowing Rubric prepared the way for the present usage :
" After this Collect ended, followeth the Litany ; and if
the Litany be not appointed to be said or sung that
morning, then shall next be said the Prayer for the
King s Majesty, with the rest of the prayers following at
the end of the Litany, and the Benediction." The pre
sent Rubric directs : " In Quires and Places, where
they sing, here followeth the Anthem. Then these Jive
Prayers following are to be read here, except when t/ie
Litany is read; and then only the two last are to be
read, as they are there placed."
to him that orderetk his conversation aright will 1 shew
the salvation of God." "Let us, therefore, order ourselves so
that we may say it worthily as it ought to be," Larimer s
Sermons, p. 377 ; " I see the Queen s Majesty so much mis
liking of the Earl of Desmond, as surely I think it needful
for you to be very circumspect in ordering of the complaints
exhibited against him ;" Cecil to Sidney, Oct. 20, 15b 6.
3 For (Governance direction Lat. " inoderainiiie " Comp.
2 Esdr. xi. 32; 1 Mac. ix. 31.
"Eterne God, that thorugh thy purvear-ce
Ledest this world by certain governance"
Chaucer, Franklin s Tale; see The Bible Word-Book* p. 233.
4 Th^ that which; comp. Ruth ii. 17; Neh. v. U;
".For he wold have that is not in his might."
Chaucer, Wife of Bath s Tale.
"That you may do that God coinmandeth, and not that
seenieth good in your own sight without the word of God."
Latimer, Rem. p. 308; nible Word-Book, p. -180.
1 See above, p. 57. 3 See above, p. 39.
THE PRAYERS CONTINUED. 97
2. Prayer for the King s Majesty. These Five
Prayers are of the nature of the Mediaeval Memories
or Commemorations, and the first of them is a Prayer
for the Queen s Majesty 1 . The earliest form of this
Prayer occurs in two little volumes printed about the
year 1548. It was not inserted in the Prayer-Books
of Edward VL, but was placed in the Primer of 1553,
but in the reign of Elizabeth, having been altered and
shortened, it was placed with the Prayer for the Clergy
and People before the Prayer of St Chrysostom at the
end of the Litany, whence it was removed in 1661 and
placed as it now stands.
3. The Prayer for the Royal Family was added
among the Collects at the end of the Litany in 1604.
Approved, if not composed by Archbishop Whitgift, it
was placed in the Prayer- Book among the changes
" made by way of explanation," after the Hampton
Court Conference 2 , and was then entitled A Prayer
for the Queen and Prince, and other the King and
Queen s children. It then commenced with the words
^ Almighty God, which hast promised to be a Father of
thine elect and of their seed, but was altered to its
present form Almighty God, the fountain of all good
ness, about the year i633 3 .
4. The Prayer for the Clergy and People may
be traced back as far as the Fifth century. It was
translated from the Sacramentary of Gelasius in the
reign of Elizabeth, and introduced into the Prayer-Book
1 Prayer for kings and those in authority is enjoined by
St Paul (1 Tim. ii. 1, 2). The following was the Prayer used
in camp by the order of the Emperor Constantino : 2
IMOVOV ot 5a,uej/ Qeov ffou irdvres IKTO.I yevo/Jieda. rov Tjfit-
repov j3acri\a. l\<j}vffra.vrlvov, wafSas re O.VTQV 6eo<f>i\ets, firi
HrjKiffTOV 7fiJ.lv fiiov aucrov icai VLKIJT^V tyvKarreffdcu.
2 See above, p. 36.
3 See Cardwell s Conferences, pp. 234 sq. ; Procter, pp.
241, 242.
98 THE PRAYERS CONTINUED.
with the Collect, O God, whose nature and properly,
&c., at the end of the Litany. In accordance with pri
mitive practice, it is a Prayer for Clergy 1 and people that
He, who alone worketh great marvels, will send down
upon them the healthful Spirit of His grace, and that
they may truly please Him, will pour upon them the con
tinual dew of His blessing.
5. The Prayer of St Chrysostom is found in the
Liturgies of Basil and Chrysostom, but not in the earlier
MSS. of them. It is doubtful, therefore, whether its
composition can be distinctly traced to either of these
Fathers, but without dispute the Prayer has been very
1 The words "Send down npon our Bishops and Curates"
are liable to be misunderstood. The Latin super famulos tuos
pontifices is a guide to their true meaning. Curates " is here
used in its literal sense = " one who is entrusted with the care
(cura) or cure of souls," and includes all the parochial Clergy
as distinguished from the Bishops. Comp. the French cure ;
and the following passages :
"To bischopis and curatis jjat han kepinge,
It is her charge, and to lordis also."
Hymns to the Virgin and Christ, p. 37.
Wharef ore J?ou preste curatoure,
3ef JJGU plese thy sauyoure
3ef thou be not grete clerk,
Loke thou moste on thys werk. r
Myrc s Instructions for Parish Priests, p. 2.
" Wee will that our curate shal minister the Sacrament
of Baptism at al times, as well in the week day, as on the
holy day." Sixth Article of the Devonshire Kebels, A. D. 1549.
"The saide abbot of Hyde canne show you of a curat, and
well learned in my diocese, that exhorted his parisheners
to beleve contrary to the Catholic faith." Nykke, bishop of
Norwich, Letter to Archbishop Warham, A.D. 1530.
" He commeth therefore to the banket, and accordynge
to hys maner, breaketh and distributeth bread with hys own
handes vnto them and also fyshe, by this facte teachynge all
such as be hys disciples and followers, whom he hathe chosen
to be the curates and feders of his churche." Taverner s
Pottik, p. 223.
THE PRATERS CONTINUED. 99
anciently used in the middle of the Liturgies which bear
their names. When Cranmer revised the Litany in 1 544 \
he placed this prayer at the end of the Litany. In 1661
it was placed at the close of the daily Morning and Even
ing Prayer, where it is peculiarly appropriate ; for being
addressed immediately to Christ, who has promised
that when two or three are gathered together in His
Name, He will grant their requests (Mtt. xviii. 19;
comp. Exod. xx. 24), it prays for the fulfilment of the
desires and petitions of His servants as may be most
expedient for them, granting them in this world the
knowledge of His truth, and in the world to come, life
everlasting.
6. The Benediction. In the time of Moses and
Aaron an express command was given that the people
should be dismissed with a sacerdotal benediction. The
words of this benediction were dictated to the Hebrew
Lawgiver (Num. vi. 22, 23) : The Lord bless thee, and
keepjhee : the Lord make His face to shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up His
countenance upon thee, and give thee peace (Numb. vi.
2426). The triple repetition of the sacred name of
Jehovah, which is used in this Levitical Formula, is
replaced by one which distinctly recognises the Christian
doctrine of the Trinity, and the appropriate Prayer of
Benediction, with which St Paul closes many of his
Epistles (2 Cor. xiii. 14), forms the close of our Daily
Morning and Evening Prayer 2 .
1 See above, p. 17.
2 It was also used in the Liturgies of Antioch, Caesarea,
Constantinople, and Jerusalem.
72
100 THE EVENING PRAYER.
II.
THE EVENING PRAYER.
1. The Greater Portion of the Order for Evening
Prayer is the same as that for the Morning. It will be
only necessary, therefore, to examine those portions,
where there is any difference between them.
2. The Order for Evening Prayer was called
" Evensong" in the First Prayer-Book of Edward VI.,
and is formed upon the ancient Offices of Vespers and
Compline. The Sentences, Exhortation, Confession, and
Absolution were appointed to be said before the com
mencement of the Service in the Second Prayer-Book,
1552, but were not printed at the beginning of Evening
Prayer until the last Revision in I66I 1 .
3. Absence of the Venite. At the close of the
Salutation between the Minister and the People, the
rubric directs, " Then shall be sung or said the Psalms
in order as they are appointed." Here the Venite is
omitted, and the Psalms commence without that Invi
tation to Praise, which, as we have seen 2 , distinguishes
the Service of the Morning. In fact the Venite has
never been used before the Psalms of the Evening, and
the invitation which it offers, to join in setting forth
God s most worthy praise, is considered to extend
throughout the day.
4. The Magnificat. The reading of the first Les
son from the Old Testament is followed by the Magni
ficat, or The Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary*, which
has been sung at Vespers as long as the Service can be
1 See above, pp. 56, 57. 2 See above, p. 72.
3 In Marshall s Primer it is called The Song of our Lady ;
in Henry Vlllth s Primer The song of Mary, rejoicing and
praising the. goodness of God; Burton s Primers, p. 47-6.
THE EVENING PRAYER. 101
traced in the Western Church, while on the other hand
in the Eastern Church it is sung among the Canticles of
the Morning 1 . The position it occupies in our Service is
one of great significance. For after the reading of a Chap
ter from the Volume that contains the promises of Re
demption made by God to the fathers of the Old Dis
pensation, we celebrate in the words of her, who was
privileged to become the mother of her Lord, the fulfil
ment of the Divine Promises; we acknowledge that
remembering His mercy He hath holpen 2 His servant
Israel ; and for all these gracious acts of mercy, which
each person of the Godhead joins in bestowing, we end
by giving glory to the Holy Trinity.
5. Cantate Domino. The Magnificat only was ap
pointed to follow the Lesson from the Old Testament in
the First Prayer-Book of Edward VI. In that of 1552,
for variety and in accordance with the ancient rule 3 that
Psalms and reading of Scripture should be alternated,
the Rubric directed that the xcviiith Psalm might be
sung, except on the nineteenth day of the month, when
it is read in the ordinary course of the Psalms. It
had not been sung among the Psalms of Vespers or
Compline in the Mediaeval Services, but it is appro
priate, especially during the season of Epiphany, as
1 Procter, p. 244.
2 Holpen= helped; comp. Ps. Ixxxiii. 8, "Assur also ia
joined with them ; they have holpen the children of Lot ;" Dan.
xi. 34, "Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with
a little help ;" see also Isai. xxxi. 3. The word is tbe old form
of the past participle of the verb help; A.-S. helpan, pp. holpen,
See The Bible Word- Book, pp. 2o5, 256, and compare
And specially, from every schires ende
Of Engelond, to Canterbury they wende,
The holy blisful rnartir for to seeke,
That hem hath holpen when that they were seeke.
Chaucer, The Prologue, 15 18
8 See above, p. 80.
102 THE EVENING PRAYER.
song of praise 1 for the announcement of salvation, and
an acknowledgment that by the incarnation of His
blessed Son God hath done marvellous things, hath
with His own right hand, and with His holy arm gotten
Himself the victory, and openly shewed His righteous
ness in the sight of the heathen.
6. Nunc Dimittis. After the Second Lesson from
the Apostolical Epistles follows the Nunc Dimittis, or
The Song of Simeon (Lk. ii. 29), which has been sung at
Evening Prayer from very early times. Its position is
no less significant than that of the Magnificat. The
Epistles to the various Churches are a standing monu
ment that the Gospel proved itself a Light to lighten the
Gentiles. In the words of the aged saint, therefore, who
was privileged to take the infant Saviour in his arms,
(i) we acknowledge that our eyes, like his, have seen the
long-promised Salvation of God, which He prepared
before the face of all people ; and (2) we express our
readiness to receive this Salvation to ourselves, and our
faith that by so doing we may hope to have peace in our
death, of which every night brings a type in sleep. The
words of the Nunc Dimittis occur in the second Lesson
at Evensong on Sept. 26, but no special direction has
been hitherto given as to the course to be pursued on
this occasion.
7. Deus Misereatur. In place of the Nunc Di
mittis the Rubric of King Edward s Second Prayer- Book
directs that the Deus Misereatur, or the Sixty-seventh
1 In the Prayer- Book Version of this Psalm occurs the
word shawms, for which the Authorized Version has with
sound of cornet. The shaum, also used in the forms shalm,
shalmie, Fr. chalmie, chalemelle (fr. calamellus dim. of calamus}
is a musical instrument resembling a clarionet. Compare :
" The shreyffes and the althermen toke barge at the iij
Cranes with trompets and shalmes, and the whetes play-
hyng. " Machyn s Diary, p. 96.
" With shaumes, and trompets, and with clarions sweet."
Spenser, F. Q. I. 12, 13,
See The Bible Word-Book, p. 433.
THE EVENING PRAYER. 103
Psalm may be used, except on the Twelfth Day of the
Month. This Psalm of mingled prayer, prophecy, and
praise is as suitable for the use of the Christian as of the
ancient Jewish Church, where it was first sung. For
in it (i) we pray that God will be merciful unto us
and Ness us, that His way may be known upon earth,
His saving health among all nations ; (2) we call upon
the peoples and the nations to rejoice, be glad, and
praise Him ; and (3) we avow our belief that He will
judge the folk righteously, and govern the nations
upon earth, that God, even our own God, will give us
His blessing, and that all the ends of the world shall
.fear Him.
8. The Collect for Peace. At this point, in ac
cordance with the Mediaeval Order, the First Prayer-
Book of Edward VI. inserted Prayers and Collects.
The Second Prayer-Book of the same king introduced
the Apostles Creed here, as in the corresponding part
of the Morning Service. The repetition of the Creed is
followed by (i) the Lesser Litany, (2) the Lord s Prayer,
and (3) the Versicles, and to these succeed (i) the Collect
for the Day, (2) the Collect for Peace, and (3) that for
Aid against all perils. Both of these latter Collects are
taken from the Sacramentary of Gelasius, A.D. 494, the
first being used in the Sarum Breviary 1 as the fourth
Collect after the Litany, the second as an Evening
Collect.
9. The Fixed Collects. There is a close resem
blance between these ancient daily Collects of Morning
and Evening Prayer. In the first of each pair the sub
ject is the same, the peace which the world cannot
give (Jn. xiv. 27), but the words are different and
adapted to the respective periods of the day. In the
1 Where it runs, "Deus a quo sancta desideria, recta con-
silia, et justa sunt opera, da servis tuis illarn quam mundus
dare non potest pacem ; ut et corda nostra mandatis tuis de-
dita, et hostium sublata formidine tempora sint tua pro-
tectione tranquilla." Brev. Sar. Psalt. fol. lx. Letania.
104 ORIGIN OF THE LITANY.
morning we pray for outward peace, to secure us against
the troubles of the world; in the evening we pray for
inward peace, to comfort and quiet our minds when we
are to take our rest. In the second Collect of the
Morning we pray that He, " who has brought us to the
beginning of the day, will defend us in the same with
His mighty power." In the second Collect 1 of the Even
ing we pray that, while the shades of night are fast
tailing, God will be pleased to defend us from all its
perils and dangers, that He who keepeth Israel and
neither slumbereth nor sleepeth (Ps. cxxi. 4, 5) will be
our Keeper, and make us to dwell in safety (Ps. iv. 8).
III.
THE LITANY.
CHAPTER I.
ORIGIN OF THE LITANY. .
1. The Litany brings us to a portion of the Ser
vice, which is complete in itself, which is often used as
a separate Office, and which was not for some years
universally read at the same time as the Morning Prayer.
2. Its Derivation. The word Litany itself is de
rived from the Greek Airavem, which in its turn conies
from AITT), a prayer, and primarily denoted supplication
or prayer generally 2 , and that public as well as private,
1 It is to be noticed that this Collect has no preface or
introduction ; see above, p. 93.
2 "Litany, which is a Greek word, and as much in
English to say, a suplication or prayer, whereof it hath taken
his name." See Hilsey s Primer, ed. Burton, p. 38"J. Corap
Homer, II. IX. 581 :
IloXXct 5^ /cuv Xirayeue "y^pwy iinnjXdTa OiWi s.
II. xxiii. 196:
IloXXa 6 KCU. (rrrtt>8t>)v xpvvtw Se Trcu \iTavevev.
Comp. also Horn. //. xxiv. 357 ; Od. x. 481.
OR I Or N OF THE LIT ANT. 105
in which general sense it appears also to have been used
in the early Church.
3. Processions. About the Fourth Century, how
ever, it began to be more specially applied to solemn
Offices of Prayer performed with processions of the
Clergy and people. Such processions took place at
Constantinople in the time of Chrysostom, A.D. 398. but
the service at these processions consisted chiefly of sing
ing hymns.
4. Joined with Prayers. During the fifth and
.sixth Centuries, when the Roman Empire was tottering
to its fall, and the general disorders of the times were
heightened by unusual calamities, by the invasions of
barbarians, and successions of droughts, pestilences, and
earthquakes, these processions assumed a more solemn
form. Joined with fasting and prayer they were cele
brated on occasions of any peculiar emergency, of actual
or impending calamity.
5. Mamertus and the Rogation-days. Thus on
the occasion of a terrible earthquake at Constantinople
in the year A.D. 430, a solemn procession of clergy and
people was ordered to pass through the streets chanting
Psalms and Anthems and crying, Lord, have mercy upon
us. Again about the year A.D. 460, one Easter Eve, a
terrible earthquake shook the church at Vienne on the
Rhone. The people rushed out, leaving the bishop,
Mamertus, alone before the altar ! . While kneeling there
he formed the resolution of instituting a new form of
supplication, and enacted that on the three days before
Ascension Day, there should be solemn processions 2 to
1 Gregor. Turon. Hist. Francormn, II. 34.
2 As things invented to one purpose are by use easily
converted to more, it grew that supplications with this so
lemnity for the appeasing of God s wrath, and the averting of
publique evils, were of the Greeke Church termed Litanies;
Ror/afions of the Latine. Hooker, Ecd. Pol. v. 41, 2.
106 ORIGIN OF THE LITANY.
the nearest churches round with earnest prayers for
the Divine mercy. The custom was quickly taken up.
The days were called the "Rogation-Days," as they
were the only days yearly set apart for such a service,
and their observance spread rapidly throughout France,
and thence found their way into the Anglo-Saxon Church.
6. The Great Litany of St Mark s Day. In the
year A.D. 590, Gregory the Great on the occasion of a
fatal pestilence at Rome instituted a solemn Litany.
On St Mark s day, April 25, seven processions set out
from different churches, and met in one principal church
for a solemn service 1 . This Litany was called The Great
Litany of St Mark s day, and was introduced into
England by a decree of the Council of Cloveshoo, A.D.
747. The service used during these processions and
on Rogation-days appears to have consisted chiefly of
Psalmody, Collects, and the repetition of Kyrie Eleison,
"Lord, have mercy upon us 2 ." In the English Church
Litanies were said not only on the solemn Rogation-
days but on the week-days during Lent, and the invoca
tions 3 were varied each day during the week.
7. The English Litany was originally intended to
be used as a distinct Office. It was put forth, we have
1 Seven years afterwards, A. D. 597, Augustine, whom
Gregory had sent to England, entered Canterbury "cum cruce
sancta et imagine regis Domini nostri Jesu Christi, hanc
Icelaniam consona voce modulante, Deprecamur te, Domine, in
omni misericordia tua, ut auferatur furor tuus et ira tua a
ciritate ista, et dedomo sancta tua, quoniam peccamus. Amen."
Bede, H. E. i. 25.
2 This was called the Litany as well as the procession it
self; see Bishop Hilsey s Primer, p. 381. Compare also
Fifth Article of the Devonshire Rebels, A.D. 1549. "We
will have our old service of Matins, Mass, Evensong, and
Procession, as it was before."
3 These in the 8th century included the invocation of
saints, which had before been unknown.
ORIGIN OF THE LITANY. 107
seen above 1 , as a separate Book by Henry VIII. in
1 544, and in his Primer of 1 545, is called " The Common
Prayer of Procession" In Edward s first Prayer-
Book it was ordered to be said on Wednesdays and
Fridays and to be succeeded by the first part of the
Communion Office. In this Book it was printed after
that Office, but in the Prayer-Book of 1552 it was placed
where it now stands, with a rubric 2 directing that " it
should be sung or said after Morning Prayer on Sun
days, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and at other times
when it shall be commanded by the ordinary 3 ."
8. The Injunctions of Elizabeth, A.D. 1 559, renewed
the direction that it should be said " immediately before
the time of Communion of the Sacrament;" and in 1571
Grindal, Archbishop of York, directed the Minister "not
to pause or stay between the Morning Prayer, Litany,
and Communion, but to continue and say the Morning
1 See above, p. 17. That a pressure of calamities had
much to do with, our lirst Litany is clear from a letter of
Henry VIII. to Cranmer, which he sent him with his transla
tion of the Litany in 1544 ; "Calling to our remembrance the
miserable state of all Christendom, being at this present time
plagued, besides all other troubles, with most cruel wars, hatreds,
and disunions, the help and remedy hereof being far exceed
ing the power of any man, must be called for of Him who alone
is able to grant our petitions Being therefore resolved to
have continually from henceforth general PROCESSIONS in
all cities, toivns, and churches or parishes of this our realm,
forasmuch as heretofore the people partly from lack of good in
struction, partly that they understood no part of such pvayeve
and suffrages as were vsed to be said or sung, have used to come
very slackly, we have set forth certain goodly prayers and
suffrages in our native English tongue, which we send you here
with." See Froude, Vol. iv. p. 482.
2 See the Rubric in the Prayer-Book, and notice that it is
also called a " General Supplication" For the meaning of
the word General, see above, p. 68, n.
3 Hence its use at Confirmations, Dedications of Churches,
Coronations, and ail services of an occasional character.
108 DIVISION OF THE LITANY.
Prayer, Litany, and Communion, together, without
any intermission ; to the intent that people might con
tinue together in prayer, and hearing the Word of
God, and not depart out of the church during all the
time of the whole Divine Service 1 ."
CHAPTER II.
DIVISION OF THE LITANY
1. Division of the Litany. Our English Litany
may be divided into five parts :-
( i ) The Invocations ;
(2) The Deprecations ;
(3) The Obsecrations ;
(4) The Intercessions ;
(5) The, Ver sides and Prayers.
2. The Invocations, in which are included the first
four clauses of the Litany, are solemn and earnest appeals
for mercy and pardon addressed to each Person in the
Godhead, first separately 2 and then collectively, where
by each is made the object of devout worship. The
ancient Litanies commenced with the form Kyrie
eleison, each part of it being once or thrice repeated.
This was done away in the English Litany of 1 544, which
commenced with the invocation of the several Persons
of the Trinity, with the addition of the words, peculiar
to it among all other Litanies, miserable sinners, in all
1 Cardwell, Doc. Ann. ixxvi.
2 In Latin the Invocations run, " Pater de ccelis (=6
6 e ovpavov=which art in heaven in the Lord s Prayer), Deus,
miserere nobis ; Fill, Redemptor mundi, Deus, miserere nobis ;
Spiritus Sancte, Deus, miserere nobis." The position of Deus
emphatically marks the Divinity of each Person of the
Trinity.
DIVISION OF THE LITANY. 109
the clauses, and proceeding from the Father and the
Son in that relating to the Holy Ghost l .
3. The Deprecations, in which are included the
eight next clauses, are preceded by the Prayer Remem
ber not, Lord, our offences, &c. This was inserted in
the Litany of 1544 in the place of the old and short
clause :
Propitius esto: parce nobis, Domlne.
It is the translation of an Anthem at the end of the
Penitential Psalms and stood in the Breviary imme
diately before the Litany 2 . The Deprecations them
selves are fervent prayers for deliverance from evil in
all its forms, and are more immediately addressed to
the Second Person of the Trinity, who upon His Cross
"made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation,
and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world 3 ."
4. The Evil around us, from which we pray to be
delivered, is of many kinds 4 , (i) There is the original
Author (Jn. viii. 44), and the constant Promoter of evil
(i Pet.v.8), the Devil, our ghostly Enemy 5 , and therefore
we pray to be delivered from his crafts and assaults.
1 Next in the Old Litanies came the Invocation of Saints,
beginning with St Mary and ending Omnes sancti: orate pro
nobis. Only three such clauses were retained by the Re
formers in the first Litany of 1544; they appeared also in
Henry Vlllth s Primer of 1545, but were entirely omitted
in the Litany of Edward VI.
2 See Marshall s Primer, p. 124.
3 See the Prayer of Consecration in the Communion Office.
4 Evil ... mischief ... sin. Mischief (from the old French
meschef, from mis, ill, and chef=Lat. caput, the head) = (I)
that which comes to a head or ends ill; (2) an ill consequence;
(3) injury, damage.
5 Compare the explanation of the petition deliver us from
evil in the Church Catechism. For the use of ghostly = spiri
tual, compare Marshall s Primer, "Grant us ghostly eyes to
see the beauty of virtue and ghostly lust and pleasure to
muse and think of him," Burton s Primers, p. 225.
110 DIVISION OP THE LITANY.
(ii) There are the wages (Rom. vi. 23), or consequences
of evil and of yielding to his seductions, and therefore
we pray to be delivered from God s wrath and from
everlasting damnation, (iii) There is evil in our own
hearts (Mtt. xv. 19*), and therefore we pray to be deli
vered from all blindness of heart, from pride, rain-
glory, and hypocrisy ; from envy, hatred^ and malice^
and all uncharitableness ; from fornication, and all
other deadly 2 sin. (iv) There is physical evil, and
therefore we pray to be delivered from lightning and
tempest, from plague, pestilence, and famine, (v)
There is evil arising from the wild passions of men,
from misgovernment and anarchy, and therefore we pray
to be delivered from battle 3 and murder and sudden
death 4 , from all sedition, privy conspiracy 5 , and rebel
lion 6 , (vi) There is intellectual evil, and therefore we
pray to be delivered from all false doctrine, heresy,
and schism, and the too common root of each of these,
Jiardness of heart 7 , and contempt of God s word and
commandments.
1 And comp. Ps. xix. 12 ; Jer. xvii. 9; Gal. v. 1921.
2 Deadly = deliberate and presumptuous sin; comp. Ps.
xix. 13; on the Presbyterian objection to the expression see
above, p. 47.
3 Battle, to which the Use of York adds, "from persecution
by Pagans and all our enemies."
4 This in the Sarum Use is "a subitanea et improvisa
morte;" from sudden and unprovided death, Marshall s Primer,
1535. Its close collocation with battle and murder is noticeable,
and seems to refer it chiefly to a violent death. On the
Puritan objections to this petition, see above, p. 47.
5 Here in the Litany of 1544 was added, "-from the tyranny
of the bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities" The
clause was retained in Edward s Prayer- Books, and appeared
in the Litany printed in the first month of Elizabeth s reign,
but was omitted in the Litany published by authority in 1559
See above, p. 32.
6 The words rebellion and schism were inserted after the
last revision in 1661 ; see above, p. 57.
7 Comp. the third Collect for Good Friday.
DIVISION OF THE LITANY. \\\
5. The Obsecrations, in which are included the
three next clauses, are pleas for mercy, not only ad
dressed to the Second Person of the Trinity, but specially
mentioning all that He has done for us men and for
our salvation ; His holy Incarnation, Nativity, and Cir
cumcision ; His Baptism, Fasting, and Temptation ;
His Agony and bloody Sweat; His Cross and Passion ;
His precious Death and Burial ; His glorious Resurrec
tion and Ascension ; and the bestowal of His promised
gift in the coming of the Holy Ghost. By the remem
brance of each and all of these events in His life incar
nate we beseech Him to deliver us in all time of our
tribulation; in all time of our wealth 1 ; in the hour of
death ; and in the day of judgment.
6. The Intercessions, in which are included the
next twenty-one clauses, are in form common to all the
Litanies, and consist of Prayers in behalf of "all sorts
and conditions of men." Hence
(1) We pray for the holy Church universal, that
God will be pleased to rule and govern it in
the right way ;
(2) We pray for the Sovereign, that He will be
pleased to keep and strengthen her in the true
worshipping of Him, and in righteousness and
1 Wealth (from A.-S. and old Germ. Kela= abundance;
A.-S. wela, welig = rich) = weal, well-being, happiness, prospe
rity. In the Primer of 1535, this ran, "in time of our tribula
tions, in the time of our felicity. " Compare (1) common
wealth, common weal = bonum publicum ; (2) 2 Chron. i. 12,
" I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour ;" Ps. cxii. 3,
" Wealth and riches shall be in his house ;" Ps. Ixix. 22, "Let
the things which should have been for their wealth be unto them
an occasion of falling;" (3) "Nothing eyther great or small
was euer done for hym, but it serued and perteyned to our
profite, weale, and commoditie ;" Taverner s Postils, p. 134;
(4) " Commend me to the lords, and tell them it were meet
they were with me, for that I do is all for their wealths;" Lan
caster Herald s Repwt, Oct. 21, 1536 ; Froude, Vol. in. p. 150.
112 DIVISION OF THE LITANY.
holiness of life ; to rule her heart in His faith,
fear, and love ; to enable her evermore to
have affiance 1 in Him, and ever seek His honour
and glory ; and to be her defender and keeper,
giving her the victory over all her enemies ;
(3) We pray for all the Royal Family, that He will
be pleased to bless and preserve them ;
(4) We pray for all Bishops, Priests, and Deacons,
that He will be pleased to illuminate them with
true knowledge and understanding of His Word,
so that both by their preaching and living they
may set it forth 2 and show it accordingly ;
(5) We pray for the Lords of the Council and all
the nobility, that He will endue them with
grace, wisdom, and understanding ;
1 Affiance = trust, reliance, Lat. fides, faith; low Lat. affidare
(w hence affidavit); Fr. o^tT^totrustin; O.E. affieorajfy, Comp.
* Myn affiaunce and my feith
Is ferme in his bileve."
P. Ploughman s Vision, 11290 ;
" pat philosophir all j?e folke fasfce he defende
That they suld noghte in thy faythe, John, )?ame affy?"
Religious Pieces, cir. A.D. 1440, p. 93 ;
"And yet did this woman continue still in prayer, she
cast not away her confidence. . . . she abode still in her peti
tion, and said with good fiance, It is truhe, Lord, that thou
sayest, but I ask no bread .... I am but a little whelp, and
desire the crumbs which fall from thy children s table."
Marshall s Primer, ed. Burton, p. 149 ;
"If it be so presumptuous a matter to put affiance in the
merits of Christe,what is it then to put affiance in our own
merits? Jewell, Def. of Apol. p. 76.
2 To set forth =(1) to promote, further ; so Hall, Hen. IV.
fol. 11 a, "Se how the deuyll is as redy to set furth mischief,
as the good angel is to auace vertue." (2) to publish, declare;
comp. " Wherefore, my beloued in Christ, let vs not despise
this right holy state which our Sauior Christ dyd here with
so high a myracle set forth and commend vnto us." Taverner s
Postils, p. 76, Oxfd. Edn., "These be the blanchers, that
hitherto have stopped the word of God, and hindered the true
setting forth of the same." Latimer s Sermon on the Plough.
DIVISION OF THE LITANY. ll;j
(6) We pray for the Magistrates, that He will bless
and keep them, and give them grace to execute
justice and to maintain truth ;
(7) AVe pray that He will be pleased to bless and
keep all His people; to giv r e to all nations
unity, peace, and concord ; to give us an heart
to love and dread * Him and diligently to live
after His commandments ; to give to all His
people increase of grace to hear meekly His
Word, to receive it with pure affection, and to
bring forth the fruits of the Spirit ;
(8) We pray that He will be pleased to bring into
the way of truth all such as have erred 3 and
are deceived ; to strengthen such as do stand ;
to comfort 3 and help the weak-hearted ; to raise
up them that fall, and finally to beat down Sa
tan under our feet 4 ;
(9) We pray that He will be pleased to succour,
help, and comfort all that are in danger, ne
cessity, and tribulation ; to preserve all that
travel by land or by water ; all women labour-
1 Dread = to fear with reverence. The American Prayer-
Book has "to love and fear Thee :" compare "So the Aungel
of the Lord apperid in slep to him and seide Joseph the son
of David nyle thou drede to take Marie thy wyf, for that
thing that is born in hir is of the Hooly Goost." Wiclif,
Math. i. 20.
2 A similar clause in Marshall s Primer runs, "That
Thou vouchsafe that all which do err and be deceived may
be reduced into the way of verity." Burton s Primers, p. 127.
3 Comfort here = to strengthen, according to its etymology
(fr. the late Latin comfortare, French conforter from con and
fortls strong) ; Comp. Phil. iv. 13 ( Wiclif s version), " I may
alle thingis in him that comfort ith ( = strengthened) me."
Again Bacon (Adv. II. 322) speaks of "water by union com-
forting and sustaining itself;" and Hooker, Eccl. Pol. II. 1,
"The evidence of God s own testimony., doth not a little
comfort and confirm the same."
4 "Vouchsafe that we may the devil with all his pomps
crush and tread under foot ; Marshall s Primer, p. 127.
P. . 8
114 DIVISION OF THE LITANY.
ing of child, all sick persons, and young children,
and to shew pity upon all prisoners and cap
tives ;
(10) We pray Him to defend and provide for the
fatherless children and widows and all that are
desolate and oppressed ; to have mercy upon
all men ; to forgive our enemies, persecutors,
and slanderers, and to turn their hearts ;
(i i) We pray Him to give and preserve to our use
the kindly 1 fruits of the earth, so as in due
time we may enjoy them ;
( 1 2) We pray Him, finally, to give us true repent
ance ; to forgive us all our sins, negligences,
and ignorances 2 ; and to endue us with the
grace of His Holy Spirit to amend our lives
according to His Holy Word 3 .
1 Kindly natural (from kind A.-S. cynd nature).
"The kindly fruits are the natural fruits, those which the
earth according to its kind should naturally bring forth,
which it is appointed to produce;" Trench, English Past and
Present, p. 244, 6th ed. Sir Thomas More says that Richard
III. thought by murdering his two nephews in the Tower to
make himself accounted "a kindly king" = a king by kind or
natural descent. Thus also Hooker (Ecc. Pol. in. 2) says,
"those things are termed most properly natural agents,
which keep the law of their kind ( = nature, race) unwittingly."
Comp. also "the moral law of Jcinde," Pecock s ficpressor circ.
1450 ; Chaucer, The Nonne Prest his Tale, 371, Ed. Morris:
" He knew by kynde, and by noon other lore,
That it was prime, and crew with blisful steven."
Also Spenser, Faery Queene, II. ii. 36 :
"But young Perissa was of other mind,
Full of disport, still laughing, loosely light,
And quite contrary to her sisters kind."
a Negligence = acts or sins of ignorance. Sir T. More
translates Ps. xxv. 7, " The offences of rny youth, and
myne ignorances (ignorantias) remembre not good lorde."
a " This last suffrage has nothing corresponding to it in an}
other Litany ; it is a beautiful summary, expressing what w
DIVISION OP THE LITANY. 115
7. The Versicles and Prayers, which occupy the
rest of the Litany, commence with the Lesser Litany ;
then follows the Lord s Prayer, a Versicle, and a Prayer
that He, who despises not the sighing of a contrite
heart, nor the desire of such as be sorrowful, will mer
cifully assist our prayers that we make before Him in
all our troubles and adversities, whensoever they oppress
us ; that He will graciously hear us, that those evils,
which the craft and subtilty of the devil or man work-
eth against us may be brought to nought, and by the
providence of God s goodness dispersed, so that we His
servants may evermore give thanks unto Him in His
Holy Church 1 .
8. The following portion to the end of the Gloria
Patri was taken by Cranmer from the Introduction to
the Mediaeval Litany sung on Rogation Monday before
leaving the choir to form the procession. The Versicles,
O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thy Name s
sake, and for thine honour, are well adapted to a pro
cessional Prayer, while the words of Ps. xliv. I supply
the clause, in which we seek to remind the most High of
the noble works which we have heard with our ears and
our fathers have declared unto us as having been wrought
by Him in their days and in the old time before them,
and on the strength of which we implore His aid now.
9. The Conclusion. The Versicles, which follow the
Gloria Patri, were taken by Cranmer from an occasional
portion, which was added to the Litany in time of war.
The last couplet was used in the Preccs of Morning
ought to feel at the conclusion of such petitions as have pre
ceded : it is in general expressions, to supply any omission
of a request, or of a confession, which ought to have been
made ; a prayer for repentance, forgiveness, and the grace of
amendment of life." Procter, pp. 256, 257.
1 This Prayer had formed a Collect in the Mass "pro
tribulatione cordis." Procter, p. 258.
82
116 THE OCCASIONAL PRAYERS, &c.
and Evening Prayer. These are followed by a beautiful
Prayer, altered by Cranmer from an old Collect, in which
we pray that He, who has mercifully revealed Himself
to us as our Father, will look upon our infirmities, will
for the glory of His Name turn from us all those evils
that we most righteously have deserved, and grant that
in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confi
dence in His mercy, and evermore serve Him in holiness
and pureness of living, to His honour and glory. This
Prayer is followed by the Prayer of St Chrysostom and
the Benediction 1 , which bring our English Litany to a
conclusion.
PART IV.
THE OCCASIONAL PRAYERS AND THANKS
GIVINGS.
1. Occasional Prayers and Thanksgivings. After
the Litany there are placed in the Prayer-Book certain
Prayers and Thanksgivings to be used upon several
occasions before the two final Prayers of the Litany,
or of Morning and Evening Prayer. These are en
tirely English compositions. It is true that in Mediaeval
times there were special Masses for Rain, for Fair
Weather, and in Time of War, but the Collects used in
them can hardly be said to have furnished a hint to
wards their expressions.
2. The Occasions for these Prayers and Thanks
givings may be thus arranged :
PRAYERS. THANKSGIVINGS.
i. A General Thanks
giving.
i. For Rain. 2. For Rain.
t. For Fair Wealher. 3. For Fair Weather.
1 Added to the Litany of Elizabeth, 1559.
AND THANKSGIVINGS.
117
THANKSGIVINGS.
6.
Plenty.
For Peace and Deli
verance from our ene
mies.
For restoring Publick
Peace at Home.
For Deliverance from
the Plague or othe?
common Sickness.
PRAYERS.
In the time of Dearth
and Famine.
Tn the time of War
and Tumults.
5. In the time of any
common Plague or
Sickness.
6. In the Ember Weeks,
to be said every day
for those that are to
be admitted into Holy
Orders.
7. A Prayer that may be
said after any of the
former.
8. A Pray erf or the High
Court of Parliament.
9. A Collect or Pray erf or
all Conditions of men.
3. The First Five Prayers. All these occasional
Prayers and Thanksgivings in the First Prayer- Books
formed part of the Litany itself, but were disjoined from
it at the last revision in 1661. The first two Prayers
for Rain and Fair Weather were among those at the
end of the Communion Office in Edward s First Prayer-
Book, but were placed at the end of the Litany in the
Second Book. The Prayers, In the time of Dearth and
Famine*, those In the time of War and Tumults, and
of Any common Plague or Sickness, were all added in
the year 1552, and it is probable that they all had their
origin in the necessities 2 of the times.
1 The second form of these two Prayers was left out in
1559, and only restored, with alterations, in 1661.
2 We find an, account of the Sweating Sickness and a
118 THE OCCASIONAL PRAYERS
4. The Ember Weeks. The Prayers to be said
every day in the Ember Weeks, for those that are to
be admitted into Holy Orders were added at the last
revision and are peculiar to the English Ritual. In
Mediaeval times four days were specially set apart to be
observed with fasting and prayer as an act of consecra
tion of the four seasons of the year. The Council of
Placentia, A.D. 1095, fixed for their celebration the
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after
(1) The first Sunday in Lent,
(2) Whitsunday.
(3) The i ^th of September,
(4) The i $th of December.
These Days were called Jejunia quatuor temporum,
the Fasts of the Four Seasons 1 . The Dutch called
these seasons Quatertemper, the Germans Quatember,
whence according to some is derived our term Ember*.
$. The Prayer that may be said after any of
the former is as old as the Sacramentary of Gregory,
and in an English form has had a place in the Prymer,
Dearth in 1551 ; also there was a general European war,
besides the more pressing troubles in Ireland ; Strype s
Cranmer, sub ann. A.D. 1551. Compare also Strype, Mem.
Eccl. Edw. VI. n. iv., "The Sweating sickness breaking out
this year in great violence, whereby the two sons of the
duke of Suffolk were taken off, letters from the Council,
dated July 18, were sent to all the bishops, to persuade the
l>eople to prayer, and to see God better served;" also
"The Sophy and the Turke, the Emperor and the French
Kynge (not moch better in religion than they) rollynga
the stone, or turnynge the whele of fortune up and downe,
I pray God send us peace, and quyetnes with al realmes, as
wel as among our selfes; and to preserve the kyngs majestie
with al his council!. From my howse of Forde the xx day
of November, anno 1552 ;" Cranmer to Cecil.
1 In our Calendar they are called The Ember-Days at the
Four Seasons. See Notes and Queries, Vol. vi. 145, Second
Series.
2 The rubric, however, directs one of the Prayers to be
AND THANKSGIVINGS. 119
as long as that Book can be traced. In its oldest
English form it ran l :
" God, to whom it is propre 2 to be mer-
" ciful and to spare evermore, undirfonge*
" owe preieris : and the mercifulnesse of
"thi pitie asoile* /iem, that the chain of
" trespat bindith. Bi crist our lord. So
" be it. n
In the early Primers it stood with the Collects at the
end of the Litany ; it was omitted during the reign of
Edward VI., but was restored in the Litanies of Eliza
beth, A.D. 1558 and 1559.
6. The Prayer for the High Court of Parlia
ment was most probably composed by Archbishop
Laud. It first appeared in an "Order of Fasting" in
1625, the year of King Charles accession, and again in
1628, the famous year of "the Petition of Right" and
" the Remonstrance," as a special form of Prayer " ne
cessary to be used in these dangerous times of war." In
these early forms it agrees almost word for word with
iihe present Prayer, but is somewhat longer. In 1661 it
was ordered by Convocation to be placed in the Book of
Common Prayer 5 , and on the first day of the year 1801
the word Dominions was substituted for Kingdoms.
7. The Prayer for all Conditions of Men has
been ascribed to Sanderson, Bishop of Lincoln, 1660.
said not only on the Ember days, but upon every day of the
Ember weeks.
1 See Maskell, Mon. Rit. n. 107.
2 "To whom it is appropried ;" Hilsey s Primer, p. 386.
3 Undirfonge= receive, take, from A.-S. underfangan = to
receive. "Take our prayer." Hilsey s Primer.
4 To asoil or assoyl; Fr. absouldre; Lat. absolvere = (1 ) to
free, clear of difficulty ; (2) to pardon, forgive.
6 The early Forms contain the words "most religious
and gracious king," which have generally been supposed to
have been introduced as a compliment to Charles II.
120 THE OCCASIONAL PRAYERS
It was, however, most probably composed by Gunning 1 ,
Master of St John s College, Cambridge, afterwards
Bishop of Ely. In its original shape it is supposed to
have been longer, and to have included in one Prayer the
petitions for the Sovereign, the Royal Family, the
Clergy, which are now scattered through several Col
lects 2 . The Convocation of A.D. 1662, however, retained
those Collects, and struck out the petitions in this
Prayer already expressed in them, without altering the
word Finally, which seems needlessly introduced in so
short a Form. Besides this, no general 3 intercessory
prayer occurred in the Service, except on those morn
ings when the Litany was said.
8. Thanksgivings. Praise is an essential part of
Divine worship. Hence throughout the Morning and
Evening Service we retain Doxologies, Psalms, and Can
ticles. But these do not include that particular Thanks
giving for extraordinary deliverances, or indeed for
daily mercies, which is due to the Author and Giver of
all good things. Hence at the revision of the Prayer-
Book after the Hampton Court Conference, some par-
1 He was one of the coadjutors to the Episcopal Divines
at the Savoy Conference.
2 The Puritans, as we have seen above, p. 4(J, objected to
short Collects at the Savoy Conference.
1 In this prayer occur the expressions, "the good
estate of the Catholic Church," and "in mind, body,
or estate." Estate in the Bible and Prayer-Book is not re
stricted to its present meaning only, but is equivalent to state
or condition. Comp. (1) Ps. cxxxvi. 23, "Who remembered
us in our low estate" Ezek. xxxvi. 11, "And I will settle you
after your old estates." (2) "In the holy estate of matrimony,"
Marriage Service ; (3) "to examine yourself and your estate,"
.Visitation of the Sick. Latimer defines as part of the duty
of a king, "To see to all estates; to provide for the poor; to
Bee victuals good cheap," Sermons, p. 215; Hooker speaks of
"being both now and also in regard of a future estate here
after;" and, Serm. iii. 605, says, "As long as the manner of
men retain the estate they are in."
AND THANKSGIVINGS. 121
ticular thanksgivings were annexed to the Litany by
order of James I. under the title of An enlargement of
thanksgiving for divers benefits by way of explanation.
These were thanksgivings for Rain, for Fair Weather,
for Plenty, for Peace and Deliverance from our
enemies, and for Deliverance from the Plague or other
common Sickness in two forms.
9. The General Thanksgiving. At the last revi
sion after the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660,
another special form of thanksgiving was added for
restoring Pullick Peace at Home, and for blessing
God s holy name for the appeasing of the late seditious
tumults. At the same time the Convocation authorised
the acceptance of A Form of General Thanksgiving
which was prepared and presented by Reynolds 1 , Bishop
of Norwich, Dec. 14, 1661, which rendered the Book
more perfect by making the Thanksgivings correspond
with the Prayers.
1 He had been a Presbyterian, but afterwards conformed,
;ind was advanced to the See of Norwich in 1661.
PAET III.
I.
THE ORDER FOR THE ADMINISTRATION
OF THE LORD S SUPPER, OR HOLY
COMMUNION.
CHAPTER I.
THE PRIMITIVE LITURGIES.
1. Apostolic custom. We have already seen 1 that
the traces of Christian worship, which we find in the
New Testament, refer to the Holy Eucharist, as being
emphatically the Christian Service. Hence naturally
arose the ecclesiastical use of the word Liturgy"*, to
designate the form employed by the Church in cele
brating the office which was called the Mass by the
Mediaeval and the Latin Church, but which we now
call the Lord s Supper and the Holy Communion*.
2. Early Liturgies. From the scanty remains of
very early Christian times we may infer that the various
1 See above, p. 2, and notes.
2 See above, p. 2. note.
3 j) r Waterland adduces the following successive appella
tions of the Service: (i) Breaking of Bread, A.D. 33; (ii)
Communion, A.D. 57 (1 Cor. x. 16); (iii) The, Lord s Supper,
A.D. 57 (1 Cor. xi. 20); (iv) Oblation, A.D. 96; (v) Sacrament,
A.D. 104; (vi) Eucharist, A.D. 107; (vii) Sacrifice, A.D. 150;
(viii) Commemoration, Memorial, A.D. 150; (ix) Passover, A.D.
249; (x) Mass, A.D. 385. See Doctrine of the Eucharist,
chap. i. ; and comp. Maskell, Ancient Liturgy, p. 146.
TEE PRIMITIVE LITURGIES.
Churches, which were founded by the Apostles, had
each a service for the Eucharist, and these Liturgies,
while differing in some particulars, all agreed in their
main features.
3. Testimony of Justin Martyr. The earliest
extant account of the Sunday Service of the primitive
Christians is that given by Justin Martyr, A. D. I4O 1 ,
and we have already seen how after (i) the reading of
the Gospels or the Prophets, (2) a sermon, and (3) the
offering up of Prayer, the Eucharist was celebrated, the
consecrated elements distributed, and a portion sent to
those who were absent, while almsgiving always accom
panied the Service.
4. The Gallican Liturgy. It is the general
opinion that Liturgies were not committed to writing
before the end of the second or even of the third
century, and though we cannot point to a perfect
example of so high antiquity, yet certain portions and
expressions, which we still use, can certainly be traced
to primitive times. The ancient Gallican Liturgy 2 was,
in all probability, the original form according to which
the British Church celebrated the Holy Eucharist. It
was apparently based upon the Liturgy of Ephesus,
which was at a very early date introduced into France
by missionaries from Asia Minor 3 , and thence found
its way into Britain.
5. St Augustine found this Liturgy in use in A. D.
596 and slightly altered it, partly from the Roman and
partly from another Gallican Liturgy 4 , which he had
found in use in the South of France. Again revised by
Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury, A. p. 1085, it remained
substantially the Eucharistic Office used by the Medi-
1 See above, p. 3. 2 See above, pp. 4, 5.
:1 According to some, soon after the death of St John.
4 See Gregory s advice to Augustine, Bede, ff. E. I. 27,
aud above, p. 6.
124 THE PRIMITIVE LITURGIES.
seval 1 English Church down to the era of the Reforma
tion.
6. Reign of Edward VI. This Liturgy was not
at once set aside at the commencement of the reign of
Edward VI., but an English Order of Communion for
the people was first directed to be added to it in 1 548 2 ,
to it succeeded the Liturgy of I549 3 and that of IS52 4 ,
but both were based to a great extent on the old
Sarum Liturgy.
7. First Rubric. Our present Communion Office
is preceded by four Rubrics. Of these the first requires
that persons intending to communicate should signify
their names to the Curate 6 " at least sometime the day
before 6 ."
8. The Second Rubric repels from the Lord s
Table "open and notorious evil livers," and all who have
done any wrong to their neighbours by word or deed,
so that the congregation has thereby been offended.
It directs the Curate having knowledge of any such
offender, to call him and advertise 7 him not to presume
to come to the Lord s Table, "until he hath openly
1 See Mask ell s Ancient Liturgy of the Church of England,
where the Sarum Liturgy is compared with those of the Use
of Bangor, York, and Hereford.
2 See above, p. 19, and note. 3 See above, p. 22.
4 See above, pp. 26, 27.
5 For the meaning of the word Curate, see above, p. 98,
note.
6 This practice has fallen into disuse, and the Rubric is
omitted in the American Prayer-Book.
7 To "advertise" (from advertere) now means to inform
in some public manner. But the word in the Bible and other
writings of the time simply means to inform in whatever
manner. Thus Balaam says to the king of Moab, "I will
advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the
latter days" (Num. xxiv. 14). In Ruth iv. 4, " I thought to
advertise thee" is, in the margin, " I said, I will reveal m thine.
THE PRIMITIVE LITURGIES. 125
declared himself to have truly repented and amended
his former naughty 1 life."
9. The Third Rubric repels those betwixt whom
the Curate "perceiveth malice and hatred to reign,"
not suffering them " to be partakers of the Lord s Table,
until he know them to be reconciled;" or if one is
content to forgive and ready to make amends, to admit
him, but not one, who remains "still in his frowardness 2
and malice. "
10. The Fourth. Rubric directs that at the Com
munion-time the Lord s Table shall stand, having a
fair white linen cloth upon it in the body of the Church
or in the Chancel, "where Morning and Evening Prayer
are appointed to be said." Custom, however, has long
retained the Holy Table in the Chancel, and so inter
preted the Rubric, that it is to stand Altar-wise at the
East end of the Church.
CHAPTER II.
THE INTRODUCTION.
i. Division of the Office. We now pass on to
the actual Office for the Administration of the Lord s
Supper, which may be most conveniently divided into
four parts :
1 Naughty wicked. We now only employ the word in
reference to children. Formerly it designated serious offences
without reference to age. "I know thy pride and the
naughtiness of thine heart" (1 Sam. xvii. 28); "Lay aside
all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness" (James i. 21). The
strict meaning of the word is "worthless," that which is "no
whit," "nothing at all." Thus Jeremiah (xxiv. 2) speaks of
" \vrynaughty" figs ; and Latimer says, " The naughtiness of
the silver was the occasion of dearth."
2 That is, "perversity," "obstinacy." Fromward comes
from the old English framweard, the opposite of to-weard-
" turned away from/ "perverse."
126 THE INTRODUCTION.
(1) The Introduction;
(2) The Preparation;
(3) The Consecration and Administration of
the Elements ;
(4) The Thanksgiving.
2. The Introduction commences according to
very ancient usage with the Lord s Prayer, for He, Who
instituted the Holy Eucharist, was also the Author of
this Divine Prayer. The most suitable mode, therefore,
of beginning the Service must be with the words in
which He, Who "made us to live, also taught us to
pray to His Father and our Father in Heaven l . "
3. The CoUect for Purity. Then follows the Collect
for Purity. This is a prayer of the early Church, in
which the Priest beseeches Him, " unto Whom all hearts
are open, and all desires known," that the thoughts of
his heart, and of those of all present, may be cleansed
by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that they may be
duly prepared for the solemn Service in which they are
about to join, and worthily magnify God s Holy Name.
4. The Ten Commandments. The Collect being
ended, the recitation of the Ten Commandments 2 follows,
and the people are directed after every Commandment
to ask 3 God s mercy for their transgressions in time
1 Hooker, Eccl. Pol. v. xxxv. 3. "This was the ancient
principle, the whole Celebration being regarded as a solemn
pleading of the Sacrifice of Christ before His God and our
God. " Scudamore s Notitia Eucharistica, p. 177.
2 The Translation of the Commandments in the Com
munion Service is not that of our present Version (A.D. 1611),
but that of Cranmer or the " Great Bible" (A.D. 1540), whence
also the Version of the Psalms in the Prayer-Book is taken.
3 The Response to each commandment is called the Kyrie
Eleison = Lord, have mercy upon us. The last Response natu
rally follows the reading of the Law in a Christian Service,
being a prayer for the fulfilment of the prophetic promise in
Jer. xxxi. 33, and alluded to in Heb. viii. 10 ; comp. also
Ps. cxix. 34, 36.
THE INTRODUCTION. 127
past, and His grace to incline their hearts to keep them
for the time to come.
5. Prayer for the Sovereign. The Command
ments and their Responses together form a Eucharistic
Litany, and are succeeded by one of two Collects for the
Sovereign, both of which are probably derived from
ancient sources. The blessings of a well-ordered govern
ment are very great, and in accordance with the express
exhortation of St Paul 1 we pray to God, Whose
"kingdom is everlasting and His power infinite," and
in Whose rule and governance are the hearts of kings 2
and princes, that they, knowing Whose ministers they
are, may study to preserve God s people committed to
their charge, in wealth 3 , peace, and godliness, and that
we, duly considering Whose authority they have, may
faithfully serve, honour, and humbly obey them, accord
ing to God s Word 4 and ordinance.
6. The Collect for the Day. Next follows the
Collect of the Day. This is one of the eighty-three
Collects contained in the Prayer-Book. They are
nearly all of great antiquity, and generally gather
together in one short prayer the leading ideas of the
Epistle and Gospel 5 .
1 See 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2 ; "I exhort, therefore, that first of all
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be
made for all men, for Icings, and all that are in authority. "
2 Comp. Prov. viii. 15, 16 ; xxi. 1.
3 Wealth, see above p. Ill, note.
4 Comp. (1) our Lord s words Mtt. xxii. 21 ; Jn. xix. 11 ;
(2) the words of St Paul, Rom. xiii. 16, and (3) of St Peter,
1 Ep. ii. 13, 14.
6 See above, p. 94. The Epistles and Gospels form two
series, illustrating the two great divisions of the Christian
Year, (1) from Advent to Trinity, and (2) from Trinity till
Advent comes round again. In the first half of the year we
commemorate the Life of our Blessed Lord on earth from His
Incarnation to His Ascension, and His mission of the Holy
Ghost. This course of teaching fitly ends with the com-
128 THE INTRODUCTION.
7. The Gospel. The reading of the Gospel iu the
Communion Service has always been treated with
special reverence. The Rubric directs that the people
shall all " stand up " to hear it, and before it is read, it
is usual to sing the Versicle, Glory be to Thee, God 1 .
The reading of the Gospel is followed by the Nicene
Creed, just as the Second Lesson is followed by the
Apostles or Athanasian Creed.
8. The Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed is so
called, because it was in great part drawn up at the
Council of Niceea, A.D. 325, but the clauses after I believe
in the Holy Ghost were added at the Council of
Constantinople, A.D. 381. It contains the Confession of
our Faith in the doctrine of the Trinity, and especially
in that of the Incarnation of our blessed Lord. It
expresses very fully our belief that He, Who instituted
the Holy Communion, while He remained the Son of
God from all eternity, became the Son of Man in time,
and offered up His Holy Body on the Cross, as a
Sacrifice for us men and for our salvation. It contains
also a full confession of our belief that the Holy Ghost
is God, that He is the Lord 3 and Giver of Life, that He
proceedeth from the Father and the Son, and with the
Father and the Son together is and ought to be
worshipped, and that He spake by the Prophets.
memoration of the Blessed Trinity. In the second half of the
year, from Trinity to Advent, the Epistles and Gospels are
selected with a view of instructing us to lead our lives after
the example of our Blessed Lord, the great events in Whose
life we have already had brought before us.
1 In many Churches it is also usual to sing, Thanks be to
T/iee, Lord, at the end of the Gospel. Thesi short hymns
are similar in their application to the Canticles of Morning
and Evening Prayer. Blunt s Key to the Prayer-Boole, p. 57.
2 T6 Kiupiov, KO.I TO ZWOTTOI OV, i.e. the Lord Jehovah, and
the Life-Giver. Comp. Gen. i. 2; Rom. viii. 2; Jn. vi. 63;
aec Class- Boole of the Catechism: Creed, Art. viii.
TTTE INTRODUCTION. 129
9. The Sermon. From the very earliest times it
has been the custom 1 at the celebration of the Holy
Eucharist, after the reading of Holy Scripture, to make
an address to the people, generally on some topic
suggested by the portions of Holy Scripture that have
been read. At this point, therefore, the Rubric directs
that the Sermon shall follow, and that when the Sermon
is ended, the Offertory shall be begun.
. 10. The Offertory. The Offertory 2 consists of
certain prescribed Sentences, taken from Holy Scrip
ture 3 , which dwell on the duty of giving of our
substance to the poor, or making an offering for some
sacred object connected with the work of Christ and of
His Church.
IT. Its Object. Such an offering at such a time is a
very significant action. In God we live and move and
have our being*. All things come to us from Him 6 , and
His ever-blessed Son for our sakes became poor G , and
shed His Blood for us upon His Cross, and thereby
enriched us with means of grace and hopes of glory.
When, therefore, we draw near at such a Service as this
to our Heavenly Father, Who gave His Only Son for our
redemption, we are boun.d to bring unto Him the free
will offering of our goods. True, we do but give Him
of His own. But in His infinite mercy He condescends
to " make Himself a debtor to us for what we give to
1 See Justin Martyr s ApoL I. c. 67 ; Guericke s Antiq.
p. 216.
2 The Anthem, called Offertory (offertorium, fr. offerre =
to present, (jive), has without doubt been received in the
English Church since the end of the sixth century, but it may
have been in use long before by the British Church. See
Scudamore s Notitia Eucharistica, p. 305.
3 Two of them are taken from the Apocryphal Boole of
ToUt.
4 Acts xvii. 28. 5 1 Chron. xxix. 14.
" 2 Cor. viii. ,).
130 THE INTRODUCTION.
His poor 1 ;" and when we try to do good and to dis
tribute, with such sacrifices He is well pleased-.
12. The Oblation of the Elements. When the
alms and the devotions of the people have been collected,
they will be reverently brought to the Priest, who will
humbly present and place them upon the Holy Table 3 .
When he has thus offered them to God, he will also
place upon the Holy Table so much Bread and Wine as
he shall think sufficient, and having made this Oblation
of the Elements, he offers up prayer for " the whole
state of Christ s Church militant here in earth."
13. The Prayer for the Church Militant. The
object of this comprehensive Prayer is threefold. First,
we beseech the Almighty and Ever-living God that He
will most mercifully accept the gifts now lying on His
Altar, both alms and oblations. Secondly, we make
intercession for the whole Body of the Church, for the
Sovereign and her Council, for all Bishops and Curates,
for all God s people, and especially the congregation
that are present ; and for all who are in trouble, sorrow,
need, sickness, or any other adversity. Thirdly, we
bless God s Holy Name for all His servants departed 4
this life in His faith and fear, and we beseech Him to
give us His grace so to follow their good examples, that
with them we may be partakers of His heavenly King
dom.
1 Bishop Wilson, Sacra Privata. 3 Heb. xiii. 16.
3 See the Rubric.
4 This single clause was added in 1661 as a thanksgiving,
the prayer remaining according to its introduction, for the.
Church militant here in earth. " When the doctrine of Pur
gatory had been extirpated, the English Church restored the
commemoration of saints departed." Palmer, Orig. Lit. iv.
10; Blunt, Parish Priest, p. 106.
THE PREPARATION.
CHAPTER III.
THE PREPARATION.
1. The First Exhortation. At the close of the
Prayer for the Church Militant follow the Exhortations
to Holy Communion. They are peculiar to the English
Church. The first sets forth the peril of unworthy re
ception, and may be thus divided :
(1) Notice of day of Celebration ;
(2) Duty of coming to the Holy Eucharist ;
(3) The blessing of worthy, and danger of un
worthy, reception ;
(4) Method of preparation for a worthy reception ;
by
(a) Self- Examination ;
(6) Repentance and confession to God ;
(c) Reparation of injuries done to another ;
(d) Forgiveness of injuries.
(5) Invitation to any, who cannot by these means
quiet their conscience, to open their grief to
" some discreet and learned minister of God s
Word," that "he may receive the benefit of
absolution, together with ghostly 1 counsel and
advice."
2. The Second Exhortation is to be used when
the people are negligent to come to the Holy Commu
nion. It
(1) Gives notice of Holy Communion ;
(2) Invites all present to it " in God s behalf;"
(3) Points out the danger of shallow and feigned
excuses ;
(4) Warns those who would stand aloof by the
1 For "ghostly" see above, p. 109 n.
132 THE PREPARATION.
punishment of those who " refused the Feast in
the Gospel 1 ;"
(5) Bids to Holy Communion (i) in the name of
God, (ii) in Christ s behalf, (iii) as we love our
own salvation ;
(6) Enforces the duty of commemorating the
death of Christ, and the danger of neglecting
to receive the Communion.
3. The Third Exhortation is to be used at the
time of the Celebration of the Holy Communion. It
(1) Sets forth the great benefit of worthily and
the great danger of unworthily receiving this
Holy Sacrament ;
(2) Exhorts to self-examination, repentance, and
faith ;
(3) Urges the duty of thanksgiving for the re
demption of the world by the death and passion
of our Saviour ;
(4) Describes the purpose of the institution of this
Holy Mystery ;
(5) Concludes with a Doxology.
4. The Primitive Agape. In the course of this
Exhortation occur certain expressions which are apt to
cause alarm and perplexity to some minds and which
require explanation. The celebration of the Eucharist
when St Paul wrote to the Corinthians was connected
with a social meal called an Agape or " love-feast." To
it the rich contributed of their wealth, and the poor of
their poverty, and at its close it was usual for all, amidst
these tokens of mutual love, to celebrate what was pecu
liarly the Sacramental Rite.
5. Disorders in the Corinthian Church. But in
the course of time out of this custom very unseemly
disorders arose. The richer Christians at Corinth made
1 Matt. xxii. 114; Lk. xiv. Hi 24.
THE PREPARATION. 133
this Feast minister to their own sclf-indulgeiice, and
invidious distinctions were introduced, so much so that
they who were unable to contribute to the common meal
remained hungry, while others ate and drank to ex
cess 1 . Such scenes were intolerable. The celebration
of the Holy Feast was in danger of being degraded
to the level of a heathen orgy, and when St Paul
heard of them, he rebuked these disorders with great
severity.
6. The rebuke of St Paul. He declared that they
who partook of the Holy Eucharist in this unworthy,
irreverent way, profaning it with levity and riot, were
guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord 2 ; that they
were virtually sharers in the sin of those, who crucified
Him and put Him to an open shame, and counted the
Blood of the Covenant an unholy thing 3 . He declared
also that they who, not discerning the Lord s Body,
joined with such indifference in this Holy Feast, ate and
drank j adgment unto themselves^. By which he meant
not eternal punishment 5 , but temporal chastisements, as
shewn by the "divers diseases and sundry kinds of
death" which had occurred amongst the Corinthians ;
and he exhorted them to examine 6 themselves diligently
before they presumed to eat of that Bread and drink of
that Cup 7 .
1 1 Cor. xi. 21. 2 1 Cor. xi. 27.
3 Heb. x. 29. 4 1 Cor. xi. 29.
5 The word /cpiVts, rendered in our version damnation,
denotes rather judgment or punishment.
6 AoKtyLia^Tw a.vr6v = let him put himself to the test, which
" notes a diligent and exact enquiry such as lapidaries and
goldsmiths use, to find out true metal from counterfeit, good
from bad. " Nicholson On the Catechism, p. 232.
7 Moreover he adds, If we had judged ourselves (el iavTofo
5ifKpli>ofJiei>), we should not have been judged; but now that ice
are judged, it is by the Lord that we are chastened (7rcu5ev6/*e0a^ ,
that we may not be condemned with the world. 1 Cor. xi. 31,
32.
134 THE PREPARATION.
7. Exhortation. We see then what St Paul was
rebuking wheii he used these words. The unworthiness
which he blamed was nothing less than a total and pro
fane disregard of the sacred character of the Holy
Eucharist. Such open irreverence and disorder can
hardly occur now, and though there may be too little
reverence of heart in all of us, and too great dulness in
discerning the presence of Christ in this Holy Feast,
yet we can only in a degree repeat the fault of the
Corinthians, and we must not over hastily apply St Paul s
censure to ourselves.
8. The Invitation, which now follows, is first found
in the "Order of Communion" of 1548. In it we arc
invited to draw near 1 , and the qualifications for so
doing are stated to be (i) repentance, (2) love, (3) full
purpose of obedience, (4) faith.
9. The Greneral Confession. At this point in the
Service, in the Primitive Church, the priest confessed
his sins in silence, as also the people. In the Mediaeval
English Church the priest and people confessed aloud 2 .
The General Confession now used, like that used at
Morning and Evening Prayer, does not mention by name
any particular sins, but it is intended that each commu
nicant should make it special for himself.
10. The Absolution. After the Confession the
Rubric directs the Priest, or the Bishop if he be present,
1 Comp. the invitation in the Liturgies of S. Jarnes and
S. Chrysostom, Mero, 0o/3oi> 6eoO, KCU Trt orews, Kal
2 The Rubric in the Order of Communion in 1549 required
that a General Confession should be made " in the name of all
those that are minded to receive the Holy Communion,"
cither by one of them, or else by one of the Ministers, or by the
Priest himself. This was altered in 1661, and it was enacted
that the General Confession should be pronounced by one of
the Ministers, both he and all the people kneeling humbly on
their knees. See above, p. 52.
THE CONSECRATION AND COMMUNION. 135
to stand up, and turning himself to the people to
pronounce the Absolution. Like the Confession, the
Absolution also is general in its form, and conveys the
assurance of God s forgiveness to those whose acknow
ledgment of sin has been sincere and true, while at the
same time it declares the need of repentance in order to
forgiveness.
ii. The Comfortable Words that follow are the
Scriptural statements upon which the Absolution is
grounded. They are peculiar to the English Liturgy
and are "dear to the English ear." Two of them 1 are
the words of our blessed Lord Himself, our "Great
Absolver." One is taken from St Paul 2 and one from
the writings of him who leaned on his Lord s breast at
the Holy Supper, the blessed Apostle and Evangelist
St John 3 .
CHAPTER IV.
THE CONSECRATION AND COMMUNION.
i. The Sursum Corda. We now come to the more
solemn part of the Office, called in the Eastern Church
the Anaphora, or "lifting up," and in the Western
Church the Canon. It commences with four versicles,
which are found word for word in all the ancient
Liturgies. In the first of these the Celebrant bids us
withdraw our thoughts from earth and earthly things,
saying, Lift up your hearts*, to which the response is,
We lift them up unto tfie Lord 5 . He then proceeds,
Let us give thanks unto our Lord God 6 , and the re
sponse is, It is meet and right so to do 7 .
1 Mtt. xi. 28 ; Jn. iii. 16.
2 1 Tim. i. 15. 3 i j, K jj i
4 Hence this part of the Service is called the Sunsvm
Corda, from the Latin for up with, or uplift your hearts.
a Ps. xxv. 1. <5 1 Cor. xi. 24; xiv. 16.
7 2 Tkess. i. 3.
136 THE CONSECRA TION AND CO MM UNI ON
2. The Preface. Turning to the Lord s Table, he
next completes the Act of Praise, saying, It is very meet,
right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all
times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee,
Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God. But
on five special 1 Festivals, Christmas, Easter, Whitsun
day, and their octaves, and on Trinity Sunday, there are
"proper" or special Prefaces appointed to be used.
3. The Ter-Sanctus. After the Preface immedi
ately commences the jubilant Hymn of Thanksgiving
called the Sanctus or Ter-Sanctus. This glorious Hymn,
which has been in use almost from Apostolic times, is
taken from the sixth Chapter of the Book of the Pro
phet Isaiah. There we read that the Prophet saw the
Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, while
above stood the Seraphim, and one cried unto another,
and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts : the
whole earth is full of His glory. The same outburst of
praise was also heard in mystic vision by St John. One
day, he tells us 2 , while a prisoner in lonely Patmos, he
was in the Spirit, and beheld a throne set in heaven,
and out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thun-
derings and voices, and One sat on the throne, to Whom
the song went up day and night, Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord God Almighty, Which was, and Is, and is to
come.
4. This triumphant Hymn, which is the song of
Angels, and is addressed to the Three Persons in the
Blessed Trinity, expresses the union of our worship
1 Retained out of ten which occurred in the Roman
and English Missals. That for Christmas was composed in
1549: that for Easter is as old as the Sacramentary of
Gelasius: that for Ascension Day was probably composed by
Gregory the Great : that for Whitsunday in 1549 : that for
Trinity Sunday is as old as the time of Gelasius.
2 Rev. iv. 1 8.
THE CONSECRA TJON A ND COMMUNION. 137
on earth with that of "the hosts of the world above 1 ,"
and concludes with the words Glory be to Thee, O Lord
most High 2 . In all the ancient Liturgies, both of the
East and West, the saying of the Sanctus is given to
the choir and people. The Celebrant recites the Preface
and introductory part of this great act of Eucharistic
Thanksgiving. In the "Triumphal Hymn" itself, as
some of the ancient Liturgies call it, the whole body of
the worshippers join in the character of "kings and
priests unto God/ and unite in this solemn act of adora
tion of the Ever-blessed Trinity 3 .
5. The Prayer of Humble Access follows the
Sanctus, and is said by the Priest kneeling, in the name
of all them that shall receive the Holy Communion 4 .
In the prayer
(1) We acknowledge that we do not presume to
draw near to this Holy Feast " trusting in our
own righteousness"; that "we are not worthy
so much as to gather up the crumbs under
God s Table 6 ."
(2) We pray the Almighty God, " Whose property
is always to have mercy," will grant us so to
. eat the flesh of His dear Son Jesus Christ and
to drink His Blood, that our sinful bodies may
be made clean by His Body, and our souls
washed through His most precious Blood, and
1 Cyril, Catech. Lect. xxiiL 4.
2 In the Primitive and Mediaeval Liturgies the Sanctus
ended with the words Hosannah in the highest, Blessed is He
that cometh in the Name of the Lord, Hosannah in the
highest. See Mtt. xxi. 9.
3 Blunt s Ann. Prayer-Book, p. 183 n.
4 It appears first in the Liturgy of 1548.
5 These words recall the language of the Syro- Phoenician
woman (Mtt. xv. 27), whose faith and hui lility were so
greatly rewarded by our blessed Lord.
1 38 THE GONSEORA T10N AND COMM UNION.
that we may evermore dwell in Him and He
in us.
6. The Prayer of Consecration. When the lowly
Prayer is ended, there follows the most solemn part of
the whole Service, the Prayer of Consecration. It
consists of three Parts ;
(1) An Introduction,
(2) A Petition,
(3) The Consecration of the Elements.
7. The Introduction commemorates the inestimable
benefits, which God of His tender mercy has bestowed
upon mankind; how He gave His only Son to suffer
death upon the Cross for our Redemption; how His
ever-blessed Son made there by His One Oblation of
Himself a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation,
and satisfaction 1 for the sins of the whole world, and
instituted, and in His holy Gospel commanded us to
continue, a perpetual Memory of that His precious
Death until His coming again.
8. The Petition, which forms the second part, is a
prayer, that we receiving God s creatures 2 of Bread and
Wine, according to His Son our Saviour Jesus Christ s
holy Institution, in remembrance of His Death and
Passion, may be partakers of His Body and Blood.
Then follows
9. The Consecration of the Elements. During
this most solemn portion of the Service, the Priest
recites the actual words used by our blessed Lord, when
He instituted the Holy Eucharist. But he not only
recites the words, he also uses the actions, which were
used on that occasion by our Lord. He takes the Paten
1 Satisfaction, comp. the Collect for the Fourth Sunday in
Advent, "Through the satisfaction of Thy Son our Lord."
2 From the Latin creatura in its original sense of " any
thing created," not limited to living things. Comp. Rom. i.
25 ; viii. 19 ; 1 Tim. iv. 4 ; Jas. i. 18.
THE THANKSGIVING. 139
in his hand, breaks the bread, and in token of blessing
lays his hand upon it. He takes the Cup, and lays his
hand upon it also.
10. By these words and by these actions, the
words and actions of our Great High Priest Himself,
Who ever liveth to make intercession for us 1 , he con
secrates, or sets apart to a Sacramental purpose, the
elements of Bread and Wine. They have already been
dedicated to God in the Offertory 2 . They now cease to
bo common ; they become Sacramental, even the Sacra
ment and Mystery of the Body and Blood of Christ 3 .
1 1. The Reception. At the close of the Prayer of
Consecration the Priest receives the Communion in both
kinds himself, and afterwards, according to the primitive
order, proceeds to administer the Elements, first to the
clergy and then to the people. The first part only of the
" Words of Administration" were used in the first Prayer-
Book of 1 549 ; the second in that of 15 52, while both were
combined in the reign of Elizabeth in 1 559. Our present
form contains the most ancient and simple words of
delivery, and yet at the same time implies that "each
individual is to take, and eat, and drink, with an appli
cation of the merits of Christ s death to his soul."
CHAPTER V.
THE THANKSGIVING.
i. The Post-Communion Service. And now we
reach the concluding portion of the Office, which is
1 Heb. vii. 25. 2 See above, p. 130.
3 See Bp. Browne on Art. xxviu. p. 713. " What these
elements are in themselves it skilleth not. It is enough that
unto me which take them they are the Body and Blood of
Christ. His promise in witness hereof sufficeth. His word
He knoweth which way to accomplish. Why should any
cogitation possess the mind of a faithful communicant but thin,
O my God, Thou art true; O my soul, thou art happy?"
Hooker, E. P. v. Ixvii. 12.
140 THE THANKSGIVING.
called the Post-Communion Service, or the " Thanks
giving." It consists of
(1) The Lord s Prayer,
(2) A solemn Thanksgiving,
(3) The Hymn Gloria in Excelsis,
(4) The Benediction.
2. The Lord s Prayer forms the appropriate com
mencement of this portion of the Service. In no better
words could we express our thankfulness for the
Banquet of -this Heavenly Food than in those, which our
Lord Himself has taught us, and wherein we at the
same time pray that this spiritual sustenance may be
daily continued to us 1 . As forming part of a Service of
Thanksgiving, the Doxology 2 is added to it 3 , and the
people are directed by the Rubric to repeat every
petition after the Priest, in accordance with the practice
of the Primitive Church.
5. The First Thanksgiving. The Lord s Prayer
is followed by two Forms of Thanksgiving, The First,
which formed in 1549 the conclusion of the Prayer of
Consecration 4 ,
(i) Humbly prays that God will, of His fatherly
goodness, accept this our sacrifice of praise and
thanksgiving, and that by the merits and death
of His dear Son, we and all the whole Church
may obtain remission of our sins, and all other
benefits of His Passion ;
1 Compare the explanation in the Church Catechism of
the petition "Give us this day our daily bread," "I pray
unto God that He will send us all things that be needful both
for our souls and bodies."
2 It was brought into its present position in 1552, instead
of being the conclusion of the Canon.
8 Contrast the Lord s Prayer in the Office for Confirma
tion, below, p. 171.
4 In this position it was a part of what was called in the
Office of 1637, the Memorial or Prayer of Oblation.
THE THANKSGIVING. HI
(2) Makes in the name of all who have communi
cated a dedication of each soul and body 1 , as a
reasonable 2 , holy, and lively sacrifice unto God ;
(3) Concludes with the prayer that though we be
unworthy, through our manifold sins, to offer
unto Him any sacrifice, He will yet accept this
our bounden 3 duty and service, not weighing
our merits, but pardoning our offences through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
4, The Second Form of Thanksgiving was com
posed for the First Prayer-Book of Edward VI. in 1549,
and was the only Post-Communion Collect provided in
that Book. In it
(i) We thank God (a) for having vouchsafed to feed
us 4 with the spiritual Food of the most precious
Body and Blood of our Lord and Saviour, and
(>) for assuring us thereby (i) of His favour
and goodness towards us, (2) that we are very 5
members incorporate in the mystical 6 Body of
1 Corap. 1 Cor. vi. 20, "Glorify God in your body, and in
your spirit, which are God s," the petition in the Prayer of
Humble Access for the cleansing of our souls and bodies,
and the Prayer for the preservation of our souls and bodies in
the words of Administration.
2 Comp. Rom. xii. 1, Qvcrtav gtSo-av ay lav fvdpeffTov ru
Gey, T r f)v\oyi.K r)v \arpelav v[j.<2v, where \oyiKTjv denotes rational,
reasonable, in contrast to the offering of irrational animals,
flowers, and fruits in heathen sacrifices. Comp. also 1 Pet.
ii. 5.
3 The old form of the participle of the verb to bind.
Comp. Shakspeare, King John, iii. 3, "I am much bounden
to your majesty."
4 " Who have duly (i.e. with faith and repentance) received
these Holy Mysteries."
6 Very = " true," "real," see above, p. 90.
6 Mystical spiritual. Comp. the Collect for All Saints
Day, "O Almighty God, Who hast Tcnit together Thine elect
in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of Thy
Son Christ our Lord ; " and the Marriage Service, " the mystical
142 THE THANKSGIVING.
His Son, which is the blessed company of all
faithful people, and so (3) heirs through hope
of His everlasting kingdom.
(ii) We pray that He will assist us with His grace
that we may continue in this holy fellowship,
and do all such good works as He has prepared 1
for us to walk in.
5. The Gloria in Excelsis. When our Lord insti
tuted the Holy Eucharist, we are told 2 that He and His
Apostles joined in singing a Hymn 3 before they left the
upper-chamber, and went out unto the mount of Olives.
It is probably in reminiscence of this that Hymns of
Thanksgiving at the Holy Communion are so frequent
in the ancient Liturgies. The Hymn entitled Gloria in
Excelsis from the opening words in Latin, is one of the
oldest 4 Hymns of the Church, and was used from very
early times as a daily morning Hymn. In the Eastern
Church it is called the "Great Doxology" or the
"Angelical Hymn," because the first words were sung
by the Angels at the Nativity of our blessed Lord 5 .
6. The ordinary position of the Gloria in Excels
union that is betwixt Christ and His Church." See below
on the Baptismal Office, p. 149, n.
1 Comp. Eph. ii. 10, "For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them." See also Eph.
iii. 20, 21.
2 Mtt. xxvi. 30, "And when they had sung an hymn (or
psalm, margin) they went out into the mount of Olives."
:i Probably the Hallel, or Psalms cxiii. to cxviii.
4 Its author is unknown. In the time of Atbanasius it
was appointed to be said with certain Psalms at dawn. See
Daniel, Thes. Hymnolog. ii. 267; iii. p. 4. Its introduction
into the Liturgy seems to have been gradual, and Symnobus,
Bishop of Rome A.D. 500, is thought to have directed it to be
sung on every Sunday and Holy-day at the beginning of the
Roman Liturgy.
5 Lk. ii. 14.
THE THANKSGIVING. 143
in ancient Liturgies was at the beginning, not at the
end of the Office. It so stood in our own Liturgy down
to 1552, when it was placed at the end of the Service.
Its present position is so striking that we may rejoice at
the change, bold as it was ; and it may be truly said
that there is no Liturgy in the world which has so
solemn and yet so magnificent a conclusion as our own 1 .
7. In this glorious Hymn of praise
(i) We bless, worship, glorify and give thanks to
our heavenly King, God the Father Almighty,
for all His mercies in the redemption of the
world;
(ii) We pray to His only-begotten Son-, the Lord
God and the Lamb of God 3 , that He will have
mercy upon us and receive our prayer ;
(iii) We conclude by declaring that we then praise
and magnify Him, because " He only is holy,
He only is the Lord, He only with the Holy
Ghost is most high in the glory of God the
Father. 1
8. The Benediction. When the Eucharistic Hymn
is ended, the Rubric directs the Priest, or Bishop, if he
be present, to pronounce a blessing on the people before
they depart. The Benediction here directed to be used
is peculiar to the English Liturgy, but is founded on two
very ancient Forms, the second of which is analogous to
one used even in Anglo-Saxon times. The first clause
is founded on the words of the Apostle Paul, when,
1 Blunt s Annot. Prayer-Boole, p. 194 n.
a This is deserving of note. All the previous prayers
have been addressed to the Father. The Church now " turns
in reverent love to that only-begotten Son," through Whose
Flesh has been opened the " new and living way into the
innermost sanctuary of Divine worship.
3 "That takest away the sin of the world." The tense is
deserving of notice. Comp. Jn. i. 29, " Behold the Lamb of
(ioti, Which taketh away the sin of the world."
144 TJTE THANKSGIVING.
writing to the Philippians 1 lie says, The peace of God,
whichpasseth all under standing, shall keep* your hearts
and minds through Jesus Christ. It alone was used
in the "Order of Communion" of 1548. The second
clause was added in 1 549, and is also founded on the
words of St Paul 3 .
9. Pax Vobiscum. These words of Benediction
form a .worthy sequel to the Eucharistic Hymn just sung,
and send forth those, who have been brought so near to
their Lord with the assurance of that Peace which He
left as His parting legacy to Ilis Church 4 . This Peace,
"which the world cannot give 8 ," jmsseth 6 all under
standing, and with the prayer that it may keep our
hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and
of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, and that the Blessing
of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost may be amongst us, and remain with us always,
the Office comes to a close.
1 Phil. iv. 7.
2 Literally " shall stand sentry, shall keep guard over your
hearts."
3 2 Cor. xiii. 14. 4 Jn. xiv. 27.
3 See the Collect at Evensong.
6 Passeth = sttrp<m^7i. Comp. Eph. iii. 19, " To know
fr.he love of Christ which passcth knowledge."
IT.
THE BAPTISMAL OFFICE.
CHAPTER I.
GENERAL STRUCTURE AND RUBRICS.
1. The Office of the Church of England for the
Public Baptism of Infants corresponds to three offices in
the Sarum Manual, the Admission of Catechumens, the
Benediction of the Font, and the Rite of Baptism
itself.
2. In the Preparation of a Reformed Service of
Baptism, much use was made of the previous labours
of Bucer and Melancthon in the Consultation of Arch
bishop Hermann, and though some changes were made,
and some ceremonies were discarded 1 , the essential Form
of Baptism remained exactly the same as it had come
down from the Primitive Church.
3. Division of the Office. The Office may be
divided into the following sections :
(1) The Introduction ;
(2) The Baptismal Vows ;
(3) The Baptism and Signing with the Cross ;
(4) The Thanksgiving.
4. Rubrics. Three Rubrics are prefixed to the
Service, of which the first was originally longer, and in
the form of an Introduction to the Office.
5. The First Rubric directs that the people be
admonished that it is most convenient that Baptism
should not be administered but upon Sundays, and other
1 Such as placing salt in the mouth, exorcism, and signings
with the Cross.
P. B. 10
146 GENERAL STRUCTURE AND RUBRICS.
Holy-days, when the most number of people come to
gether, in order that
(a) The congregation may testify to the reception
of the newly baptized in to the number of Christ s
Church ;
(6) Every one present may be reminded of his own
profession made to God in his Baptism.
6. The Second Rubric relates to the Sponsors, and
directs that "for every male child to be baptized tlwre
shall be two godfathers and one godmother; and for
every female, one godfather and two godmothers."
The institution of sponsors : was probably adopted from
the Jewish custom of requiring three witnesses at the
baptism of heathen infants. In the Eastern and Latin
Churches only one sponsor is required, though two are
permitted. In the Mediaeval English Church the num
ber required was three, as in this Rubric.
7. Sponsors. Sponsors 2 are so called because they
respond or make answer for the child about to be bap
tized. They are also called Sureties, and Godfathers
and Godmothers; (i) /Sureties 3 , because they give
security to the Church that the child shall be "virtuously
brought up to lead a godly and a Christian life;" (2)
Godfathers and Godmothers, because of the spiritual
1 Tertullian, A. D. 192, makes allusion to the promises
made by the sponsors in Baptism. DC Uapiismo, c. 18.
2 From the Latin spondeo, to promise. They are also
called Fide-jussores, and in Greek dvddoxoi from dvadtxe<r6ai
= to promise.
3 Comp. the answer in the Church Catechism to the
question, "Why then are infants baptized, when by reason of
their tender age they cannot perform [either repentance or
faith]?" " Because they promise them both by their sureties. "
Compare also the rubric in the Marriage Service, "be bound,
and sufficient surety with him." The Latin term is susceptores,
and susceptriccs, because they make engagements (suscipere =
to engage, undertake) in the name of the child.
THE INTRODUCTION. 147
relationship into which they are thus brought to one
another and to the child 1 .
8. The Third Rubric requires (i) that notice of
Baptisms be given to the Clergyman ^ over-night, or in
the morning before the beginning of Morning Prayer ;
and (ii) that the children to be baptized be ready at
the Font, either immediately after the last lesson at
Morning Prayer, or the last lesson at Evening Prayer.
At the last Revision in 1661, it was directed that
the font should be filled with water at every time of
Baptism. In ancient times the water was changed on
the Saturday before Easter and on the Saturday before
Whitsunday, and only at other times when it was
absolutely necessary to change it. .
CHAPTER II.
THE INTRODUCTION.
i. The Preliminary Question. The Office com
mences with the Preliminary Question, "Hath this Child
been already baptized, or no ] " This question is of great
importance, and is in accordance with the old Rubric.
For it has ever been the unvarying doctrine of the
Church, that Baptism is a Sacrament which does not
admit of being repeated 3 .
1 Formerly they were called Gossips = God-sibs, or God-
rolations, the A.-S. s\\> = akin. It is still so used in Lincoln
shire, e.g. "our Marrnaduke is sib to all the gentles in the
country."
2 Here called Curate, on which word, see above, p. 98,
note.
3 Coinp. Eph. iv. 5, "One Lord, one faith, one Baptism"
"Not only one, " says Hooker, "inasmuch as it hath every
where the same substance, and offereth unto all men the
same j, race, but one also for that it ought not to be received by
any one man above once." EccL Pol. v. Ixii. 4.
10-2
148 THE INTRODUCTION.
2. The Exhortation. If the answer be "No 1 ," the
Priest then proceeds with the Exhortation. In it he
reminds those present that all men are conceived and
born in sin, and that, according to the words of Christ
Himself, none can enter into the kingdom of heaven
except he be regenerate and born anew 2 of water and
the Holy Ghost. He then exhorts them to prayer to
God the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, in
behalf of the child, "that of His bounteous mercy He
will grant to it what by nature 3 it cannot have," that it
may be baptized with water and the Holy Ghost, and
be received into Christ s holy Church, and be made a
lively 4 member of the same.
1 If the answer be "Yes," the Priest is directed to put
further questions, (1) by whom the child was baptized ? (2)
who was present at the baptism? (3) with what "matter" or
material it was baptized ? and (4) with what words ? See the
Rubric in Office for Private Baptism.
2 The exhortation combines two passages; (1) Jn. iii. 5,
" Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot
enter the kingdom of God;" and (ii) Jn. iii. 3, "Except a
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. " The
word translated "again" (Jn. iii. 3) may be rendered "from
above. "
3 For all men, who are naturally engendered of the off
spring of Adam, are born in sin, and by reason of the original
fault and corruption of their nature are " very far gone from
original righteousness," Art. IX. Comp. (a) Ps. li. 5; Isai.
liii. 6; (b) Mtt. xix. 17; Jn. ii. 24, 25; (c) Eom. iii. 19 23;
v. 12 ; viii. 5 8.
4 Lively = living. Comp. (1) Ps. xxxviii. 19, "Mineenemies
are lively;" (2) Acts vii. 38, Who received the lively oracles to
give unto us ;" (3) 1 Pet. i. 3, "a lively hope;" 1 Pet. ii. 5,
"lively stones." Comp. also the Exhortation in the Commu
nion Service, "a true penitent heart and lively faith;" the
Catechism, "have a lively faith in God s mercy."
That his dear father might interment have,
See, the young man entered a lively grave.
Massenger s Fatal Dowry, Act ii. Sc. i.
See Trench s Select Glossary, pp. 120, 121 ; the Bible Word-
Book, p. 299.
THE INTRODUCTION. 14-9
3. The First Collect is taken from a German Bap
tismal Office of great antiquity 1 and first translated in
1523-
(1) It commemorates
(a) The types of Baptism in (i) the salvation of
Noah and his family in the ark, (ii) the passage
of the children of Israel through the Red Sea 2 .
(&) The sanctification of water 3 by the baptism of
our Lord to "the mystical 4 washing away of
sin."
(2) It prays that the child about to be baptized may
(a) Be washed and sanctified with the Holy Ghost ;
(&) Be received into the ark of Christ s Church ;
(c) Be finally brought through the waves of this
troublesome world to the land of everlasting
life 5 .
4. The Second Collect is taken from the old Office
in the Sarum Manual, hi which it is addressed to the Son 6 .
1 It was translated by Luther in this year, and appeared
again in his revised Baptismal Book of 1524. See Blunt s
Annotated Prayer- Boole, p. 218.
2 The first type is pointed out by St Peter (1 Pet. iii. 20, 21),
the second by St Paul (1 Cor. x. 2). In Hermann s Con
sultation there was a prayer for the child "that whatever
filth he had taken from Adam, it may be drowned and put
away by this holy flood."
3 In the same Consultation the prayer ran, "Further
more, which didst consecrate Jordan with the Baptism of Thy
Son Christ Jesu, and other waters to holy dipping and wash
ing of sins. " To sanctify means to set apart for a holy pur
pose, to consecrate. Comp. the Office for Adults, "Who didst
sanctify the element of water."
4 Mystical = symbolical, sacramental. Comp. the address
in the Marriage Service, "the mystical union that is betwixt
Christ and His Church." For mystery = a symbolic repre
sentation or emblem, comp. Rev. xvii. 5, 7.
5 In 1549 the prayer was followed by the ceremony of
making a cross upon the child s forehead and breast.
6 The conclusion being " Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre
in unitate Spiritus Sancti,Deus, per omnia ssecula sseculorum."
150 THE INTRODUCTION.
(1) It addresses the Almighty and Immortal God
as our Aid, Helper, Life 1 , and Resurrection
from the dead 2 ;
(2) It prays that the child coming to H oly Baptism
may receive remission of his sins 3 by spiritual
regeneration ;
(3) It pleads the promises of Christ to hear the
prayers of His people;
(4) And on the strength of these promises prays
that the child may enjoy the everlasting bene
diction of God s heavenly washing, and may
come to His eternal kingdom 4 .
5. The Gospel in the old Office was taken from
St Matthew 6 , but St Mark s narrative was substituted in
1 549, probably on account of its greater fulness and gra
phic details 6 . It carries us back to the ever memorable
1 Comp. Jn. xiv. 6, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the
Life;" xi. 26, "Whosoever liveth and believeth.in Me shall
never die."
2 Comp. Jn. xi. 25, "I am the Resurrection and the Life."
The words in the original Prayer as addressed to Christ are
very striking, " Deus, immortale presidium omnium postu-
lantium, liberatio supplicum, pax rogantium, resurrectio
mortuorum."
3 Compare the Nicene Creed, il I believe in one Baptism
for the remission of sins, " and see Acts ii. 38 ; xxii. 16. By
this washing of regeneration (Tit. iii. 5) we are adopted into
the Church and Family of God, Who signs and seals to us
His promises of (1) the forgiveness of sins, (2) the assistance of
the lloly Spirit, (3) in the end, if not forfeited, everlasting
life.
4 This Prayer was followed in 1549 by a form of Exorcism.
Comp. Manual. Sar. Ordo ad Faciend. Catech. ; Maskell,
p. 7.
5 The custom of reading this portion of St Matthew s
Gospel dates back to A.D. 1100 at least.
6 St Mtt. xix. 1315; the parallel in St Mk. is chap,
x. 1316, in St Luke xviii. 1517. It is St Mark who
tells us (1) that the Lord was much displeased, (2) that He
took the children up in Hi* arms, (3) that He blessed them.
THE INTRODUCTION. l- r >l
occasion, when certain mothers brought their young chil
dren to Christ that He should touch them ; and when Flis
disciples rebuked those that brought them, He not only
was much displeased, and gave utterance to words of wel
come to all little children, but
(1) Took them up in His arms,
(2) Put His hands upon them, and
(3) Blessed 1 them.
6. The Exhortation which follows is a brief Homily
on the Gospel 2 , the idea and matter of which was fur
nished in Hermann s Consultation. It calls attention
to the following points :
(1) How Christ commanded the children to be
brought unto Him ;
(2) How He blamed those who would have kept
them from Him ;
(3) How he exhorts all men to follow their inno-
cency ;
(4) How by His outward gesture and deed He
declared His goodwill toward them.
It then proceeds to encourage all present not to
doubt but earnestly believe that He will (i) likewise
He also alone of the Evangelists adds the important words,
" Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little
child, he shall not enter therein." The direction to the people
to stand up at the reading of the Gospel was inserted in
1662.
1 The best MSS. have " He blesses them. " The present
tense gives life to the picture, and is in St Mark s graphic
style.
a The form of 1549 differed from that of 1552 only in the
conclusion, " Let us faithfully and devoutly give thanks unto
Him, and say the Prayer which the Lord Himself hath
taught us. And in declaration of our faith, let us also recite
the articles contained in our Creed." The saying at this
point of the Lord s Prayer and the Creed by all present was
enjoined in the Sarum Office.
152 THE BAPTISMAL VOWS.
favourably receive 1 this present infant, (2) embrace him
with the arms of His mercy, (3) give him the blessing of
eternal life and make him partaker of His everlasting
kingdom.
7. The Prayer or Thanksgiving, which follows
this Exhortation, once formed the conclusion of the
Catechism and Exorcism on the day preceding the
Baptism. It consists of two parts :
(1) A thanksgiving in the name of the congrega
tion for having been called to a knowledge of
God s grace, and to faith in Him;
(2) A prayer that the child may be born again and
made an heir of everlasting salvation 2 .
CHAPTER III.
THE BAPTISMAL VOWS.
1. The Address to the Sponsors marks the com
mencement of the second part of the Office. It reminds
them of the object for which the child has been brought
to the Church, of the prayers which have been offered
for it, and of the promise of Christ in His Gospel to grant
all things that have been prayed for.
2. The Interrogatories. The priest then proceeds
to call upon the sponsors, as sureties for the child, to
undertake for him the Baptismal Vows. This is in
1 Or, as it says a little below, that " He favourably alloweth
this charitable work of ours. " A How, from the Latin allau-
dare through the French allouer, had once the sense of
praise or approval. Comp. " Ye allow the deeds of your
fathers," Lk. xi. 48; "A stirring dwarf we do allowance give
before a sleeping giant, " Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida,
ii. 3; "The less he is worthy, the more art thou allowed of
God, and the more art thou commended of Christ," Homily
against Contention.
2 "Which, "it is added in Hermann s Consultation, "of
Thy grace and mercy Thou hast promised to Thy hoty Church,
to old men, and to children."
THE BAPTISMAL VOWS. 153
accordance with the custom of the Primitive Church.
From the earliest times we find that some form of
Interrogation and Confession of Faith preceded Bap
tism.
3. Early Sanction. Thus we read in the Acts of
the Apostles that when the Ethiopian eunuch desired
Baptism from Philip the Deacon, the latter said, " If thou
believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." And he
answered and said, " I believe that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God." Again, St Paul is supposed by many to
allude to this custom, when he writes to Timothy,
" Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life,
whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a
good profession before many witnesses \"
4. The Baptismal Vows. The interrogatories in
our Office relate to
(1) The vow of Renunciation ;
(2) The vow of Faith ;
(3) The vow of Obedience.
5. The Vow of Renunciation is of great antiquity.
One of the earliest, that of St Cyril of Jerusalem, A.D.
3 i 5 3 8 6, was made in the form, "I renounce thee,
Satan, and all thy works and all thy pomp, and all thy
service 2 ."
6. Renunciation. The Latin word 3 from which
" renounce " comes, means (i) to break off, (2) declare, or
enlist oneself against. A soldier enlists himself on the
side of his sovereign, and engages to fight against all his
enemies. So the Christian soldier engages to "continue
Christ s faithful soldier and servant unto his life s end."
1 1 Tim. vi. 12; comp. 1 Pet. iii. 21; Heb. vi. 1; Hooker,
Eccl. Pol. v. Ixiii; Bingham s Antiquities, XI. chap. vii.
2 Bingham, Antiq. xi. vii. 2, 3. Blunt, AnnoL P. B. p.
222, n.
3 Abrenuntiare. The Greek word direnreiv, 2 Cor. iv. 2,
is translated " renounce" in the Rheraisli and Auth. Versions;
" cast from us" by Tyndale and Cranmer.
154 THE BAPTISMAL VOWS.
7. The Foes which the Christian promises to con
tend are
(i) The Devil and all his works, such as pride
(i Tim. iii. 6), lying (Gen. iii. 4, Jn. viii. 44),
deceit and hypocrisy (Acts v. i 4), murder
(Jn. viii. 44), hatred (i Jn. iii. 8, 10, 15), tempt
ing others to sin (Matt, xviii. 6).
(ii) "The vain pomp and glory of the world 1 , with
all covetous desires of the same." The world
here meant is the world lying in wickedness
(i Jn. v. 19) -, with its seen and temporal attrac
tions, as opposed to the things that are unseen
and eternal (2 Cor. iv. 18).
(iii) " The carnal desires of the flesh," * . e. of the
lower part of our nature, our natural appetites
and passions, which we have in common with
the animals, and which, when indulged to
excess, leads to gluttony, drunkenness, sensu
ality and impurity (Gal. v. 19, Eph..v. 3 5).
8. The Vow of Faith. The second vow is a Vow
of Faith, and is made in the words of the Apostle s
Creed, which is so called because it contains the doc
trines taught by the Apostles, and is in substance the
same as has been used in the Church ever since their
1 Or as the words run in the Catechism, "The pomps and
vanity of this wicked world." Pomp, from the Greek TTO/ULTT^,
Latin pompa, " a procession." The word carries us back to
the earliest days of Christianity, when all public games and
shows were connected with heathenish ceremonies, the long
line of idols, the troops of images, the chariots, the car con
veying the deities. Then it passed to its wider application to
display, or vainglorious ostentation generally. Comp. Shak.
Henry VIII. in. 2,
" Vain pomp and glory of this world, I hate ye";
also Timon of Athens, I. ii. 249; "What need these feasts,
pomps and vain-glories ? "
- Or, as it is expressed in the Catechism, " The sinful
lusts of the flesh."
THE BAPTISM. 155
time. In the Eastern Church the professions follow
immediately after the renunciations, the Nicene Greed
being the one recited.
9. I believe. Though the questions of the Priest
are addressed to the godfathers and godmothers, they
are in the singular number, and the declaration made is
also in the singular number, "All this 7 steadfastly
believe," for the promise is made in the name of the
child, and in his stead.
10. The Vow of Obedience. The question and
promise of obedience were added in 1662. This promise
is of great antiquity 1 . The Christian promises to keep
God s holy will and commandments. They are contained
in the Decalogue, and by them God has borne a fixed and
unalterable testimony against sin, and shews us the
path of duty towards Himself and one another, in
which He would have us walk. Hence Christ Himself
came not to destroy t/ie Law, but to fulfil it, and He
has taught us how its precepts reach not only to the
outward acts, but to the thoughts and intents of the
heart 2 .
CHAPTER IV.
THE BAPTISM.
1 . The Portion of the Office, which we have now
reached, may be thus divided :
(A) The Benediction of the Water ;
(J5) The Baptism ;
() The Signing with the Cross.
(A) The Benediction of the Water.
2. The Element of Water, as we have seen above,
was sanctified to a sacramental purpose by our Lord
Himself at His own Baptism in the Jordan. But it has
1 It is mentioned by Justin Martyr, A.D. 150.
2 Mtt. v. 17- 28.
156 THE BAPTISM.
from the earliest times 1 been the custom of the Church
to use a form of consecration upon the portion of water,
which was to be set apart for the administration of this
Sacrament.
3. Originally the ceremony was separate from, and
not of necessity performed at the same time as, the
Baptism, and in 1549 the office for the Benediction of the
Font was placed at the end of the two offices for Bap
tism, as a Service to be used when the water in the
font was changed, which was " every month once at the
least." In 1552 this was abolished as a separate Service,
but parts of it were brought into their present position.
4. The Four Petitions, with which this part of the
Office begins, are substantially taken from the ancient
Ritual of the Gallican Church 2 . They may be regarded
as Prayers for grace, to enable the child about to.be
baptized to live up to the Baptismal Vow, which he has
just taken upon himself by his sureties.
5. Their purport. Using them, the Priest prays
(1) That the old Adam 3 in the child may be so
buried 4 , that the new man 5 may be raised up
in him ;
(2) That the carnal affections may die in him,
and all things belonging to the Spirit may
live and grow in him 6 ;
1 See Tertullian De Baptismo iv. ; Cyprian s letter to
Januarius, Ep. LXX.
2 See Blunt s Annotated Prayer-Book, p. 225. They pro
bably belong to the ancient Ephesine rite of St John, which
formed the original basis of the Salisbury Use.
3 The tendency to sin, which he inherits from the first
Adam. See Rom. vi. 46.
4 St Paul regards the convert s immersion in the water of
some stream, and his rising again therefrom, as a lively
figure of the Christian s burial with Christ by Baptism into
death, and his rising again to newness of life (Rom. vi. 3, 4;
Col. ii. 12).
5 Comp. Col. iii. 9, 10.
6 Comp. Rom. viii. 6, 7; Gal. v. 24; 2 Pet. iii. 18.
THE BAPTISM. 157
(3) That he may have power to triumph against
the devil, the world, and the flesh ;
(4) That he may be endued 1 with heavenly virtues
and everlastingly rewarded.
6. The Sanctification of the Water. In the form
now used for the consecration of the water, the Priest
(1) Commemorates the fact that our Lord
(a) Shed out of His most precious side both
water and blood 2 ;
(&) Commanded 3 His disciples to baptize, and
gave them the formula they were to use ;
(2) Prays that
(a) The water in the Font may be sanctified 4
to the m ystical washing away of sin ;
(&) The child may ever remain in the number
of God s faithful and elect 6 children.
(B] The Baptism.
7. The Naming. All that has gone before is but
the preparation for what now succeeds. The Priest
takes the child into his arms and asks the sponsors to
name it. This is founded on the practice of the Jews,
who, as we see in the case of John the Baptist, and of
our Lord Himself, named their children on the occasion
of their circumcision 6 .
8. The Christian Name, which does not belong to
1 Endue from induere = to put on. This phrase may have
been suggested by the chrisom or white robe, in which the
newly baptized used to be arrayed.
2 Jn. xix. 34. 3 Mtt. xxviii. 18, 19.
4 That is, made holy in its use, set apart from common to
sacred purposes.
6 That is, chosen, called to a state of grace. The prayer
thus clearly teaches that the child, though "elect "and "called,"
may fall from this state of grace. Comp. the Order of Con
firmation, "Defend, O Lord, this Thy child with Thy heavenly
grace, that he may continue Thine for ever."
6 Lk. i. 5963; ii. 21.
158 THE BAPTISM.
the child at his birth, is thus given l to him at his Bap
tism, when he is admitted into the Christian covenant,
and as he carries it with him to his grave, always
reminds him of that Covenant.
9. The Baptism. The Rubric directs that, when
the child has been named, the Priest shall, if it be able to
endure it, dip it in the water ; if not, it shall suffice to
pour water upon it. Immersion 2 has long since ceased
to be the ordinary method of baptizing, at least in
the Churches of Northern Europe.
10. The Baptismal Formula. Not less necessary
to a valid Baptism than the use of water, is the pro
nouncing of the words prescribed by implication by our
Lord, "/ baptize thee in 3 the Name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" The Churches ol
the East and of the West have been in universal accord
as to the use of these "Evangelical Words," as they are
called by St Augustine 4 .
(G) The Signing with the Cross.
11. The Reception. The child has now been
1 Compare the words of the Church Catechism, " Who
yave you this name?" Among the Greeks the father gave the
child its name at a solemn feast on the seventh, or tenth, day
after birth. Amongst the Romans the name was bestowed
on boys on the ninth, on girls on the eighth day.
2 Triple immersion, that is, thrice dipping the head while
.standing in the water, was the all but universal rule of the
Church in early times. It had a symbolical allusion to the
Trinity (Tertull. adv. Prax. c. 26), and also to the three days
of Christ s lying in the grave. The ancient Church, how
ever, administered the Sacrament to the sick by arTusion ; and
in the 13th and 14th centuries this had become the universal
custom in the Western Church.
3 Rather into the Name" eJs ovo/j.a. Mtt. xxviii. 19.
4 See Smith s Dictionary of Christian Antiquities, Article
" Baptism." The ceremonies subsequent upon the actual
Baptism in early times were the unction of the head, the
putting on of the chrysom or white vesture, the tasting of milk
and honey. The two first were retained in 1549.
THE THANKSGIVING. 159
baptized and so received into the Church. But as if to
give greater emphasis to the fact, the Priest now pro
nounces the reception of the child "into the congrega
tion of Christ s flock."
12. The Signing with the Cross. And not only
does he pronounce it, but he also proceeds, in accord
ance with the custom of the Primitive Church, to sign
the Sign of the Cross upon the forehead of the child, "in
token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confess
the faith of Christ crucified, and manfully to fight under
His banner against sin, the world, and the devil ; and to
continue Christ s faithful soldier and servant unto his
life s end."
CHAPTER Y.
THE THANKSGIVING.
1. The Short Address to the congregation, with
the Lord s Prayer, and the Thanksgiving that follows,
were placed here in 1552. It (i) affirms that the child
just christened is now regenerate and grafted into the
body of Christ s Church, and (ii) incites those assembled
to thanksgiving, and prayer that he may "lead the rest
of his life according to this beginning."
2. The Lord s Prayer begins the action of Thanks
giving. It thus occupies the same position here as in
the Post-Communion Service 1 , and the Thanksgiving,
which follows it, takes the place of the Doxology.
3. This use of the Prayer of the Faithful in this
place is in accordance with the ancient custom, which
permitted and enjoined the newly baptized to repeat it
for the first time after they had been incorporated into
Christ s Church. Its use is peculiarly suitable. It com
mences the new life of the infant with the expression
of what are to be henceforth his privileges, in calling
upon God as Our FatJier.
1 See above, p. 140.
160 THE THANKSGIVING.
4. In the Thanksgiving, which follows, the Priest
(1) Offers hearty thanks to God for the regenera
tion, adoption, and incorporation into Christ s
Church of the baptized child.
(2) Humbly prays that as he is buried with Christ
in His death, he may be partaker 1 of His re
surrection, and finally inherit His everlasting
Kingdom.
5. The New Birth unto righteousness is thus clearly
regarded as only begun at Baptism. As in the Collect
for Christinas Day, we pray that the infant, "being
regenerate and made God s child by adoption and
grace, may daily be renewed by His Holy Spirit." God
for " His part will most surely keep and perform His
promises." But there must be a corresponding fidelity
to the Baptismal covenant on the part of the recipient,
if he is to retain the grace of that covenant, and remain
in that state of salvation, wherein he has been placed.
6. The Exhortation to the Sponsors was com
posed in 1549, and sets forth their duties. They are to
see
(1) That the child is taught as soon as possible the
nature of the solemn vow, promise, and pro
fession he has made by them ;
(2) That he receives proper instruction in the Creed,
the Lord s Prayer, and the Ten Command
ments, and all other things which a Christian
ought to know and believe ;
(3) That he be virtuously brought up to lead a
godly and a Christian life ;
(4) That he is confirmed as soon as he is suffi
ciently instructed and prepared.
1 "Crucifying the old man (Rom. vi. G), and utterly
abolishing the whole body of sin." Comp. Col. ii. 11, "putting
off the body of the sins of the flesh."
III.
THE ORDER OF CONFIRMATION.
CHAPTER I.
THE TITLE.
1. The Address to the sponsors which concludes
the Office for the Baptism of Infants directs, as we have
seen 1 , that the child shall be "brought to the Bishop
to be Confirmed by him," as soon as it has received
sufficient Christian instruction. For this purpose the
Church Catechism is set forth as a concise system of
Christian doctrine, in reference to (i) the Christian s
Covenant, (2) the Christian s Creed, (3) the Christian s
Duty, (4) the Christian s Prayer, and (5) the Christian s
Sacraments 2 .
2. Laying on of hands. The Title of the Order
of Confirmation is Confirmation, or the Laying on of
Hands upon those that are baptized and come to years
of discretion. The word Confirmation indeed, as the
name of a separate ordinance, does not occur in the Bible,
but we often read there of Laying on of Hands.
3. In the Old Testament. Thus in the Old Testa
ment we read that
(i) The patriarch Jacob, just before his death,
when the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and
Manasseh, were brought to him for his blessing,
STRETCHED OUT HIS RIGHT HAND and laid it
upon Ephraim s head, and his left hand
upon Manasseh s head 3 .
1 See above, p. 160.
2 For this division, see Class-Book of the Church Cate
chism, p. 2.
3 Gen. xlviii. 814.
P. ii. 1 1
162 THE TITLE.
(2) During the sojourn of the Israelites in the
desert, when Aaron had offered sin-offerings and
burnt-offerings for the people, he LIFTED UP HIS
HAND toward the people and blessed them 1 .
(3) When Moses was drawing near the close of Ms
life, he was directed by the Lord to take
Joshua, and LAY HIS HANDS upon him before
all the congregation, and to put some of his
honour upon him, tJiat the children of Israel
might be obedient 2 .
4- By our Lord. In like manner, if we turn to the
New Testament, we find Laying on of Hands used by
our Blessed Lord. Thus
(1) When certain mothers brought unto Him little
children, that He should lay His hands upon
them and offer up prayer, and the disciples
rebuked them, He was much displeased, and
not only said, Suffer the little children to come
unto Me, but also took them up in His arms,
PUT His HANDS UPON THEM, and blessed them 3 .
(2) When He was on one occasion at Capernaum,
and the sun was setting, all they that had any
sick with divers diseases brought them unto
Him; and He LAID His HANDS ON every one
of them, and Jiealed them*;
(3) When on another occasion a blind man was
brought to Him, He took him by the hand,
and led him out of the town, and when He
had spit on his eyes, He PUT HIS HANDS UPON
HIM, and gradually he was restored, and saw
every man clearly 6 .
1 Lev. ix. 22. Comp. also Lev. xvi. 21.
- Num. xxvii. 1820 ; Deut. xxxiv. 9.
a Mark x. 1316. 4 Luke iv. 40.
6 Mark viii. 2225.
THE TITLE. 163
5. By the Apostles. Moreover, what our Lord did,
we find that His Apostles did also. Thus we read
that
(1) When the seven deacons were selected and had
been presented to the Apostles, they offered
up prayer, and then LAID THEIR HANDS upon
them 1 ;
(2) When the Apostles at Jerusalem had heard
that Samaria had received the word of God,
they sent thither Peter and John, who, on
their arrival, offered up prayer for them, that
they might receive the Holy Ghost, and then
they LAID THEIE HANDS ON THEM, and they re
ceived the Holy Ghost 2 ;
(3) When Saul of Tarsus was at Damascus blinded
by the supernatural light that had appeared to
him on the way, Ananias was sent to him, and
PUTTING HIS HANDS ON HIM, said, Brother
Saul, the Lord hath sent me that thou might-
cst receive thy sight... and he received sight
forthwith^ and arose, and was baptized 3 ;
(4) When on one occasion St Paul visited Ephesus,
and found twelve disciples who had been bap
tized unto John s baptism, he caused them to
be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and
then LAID HIS HANDS UPON them, and the Holy
Ghost came on them* ;
1 Acts vi. 6 ; comp. also Acts xiii. 3, "And when they had
fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them (Barnabas
and Saul), they sent them away;" 1 Tim. iv. 14, "Neglect
not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by pro
phecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery;"
2 Tim. i. t>, "I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up
the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my
hands"
2 Acts viii. 14-17. 3 Acts ix. 17, 18.
4 Acts xix. 17.
112
164 THE PREFACE.
(5) When the father of Publius, the governor of the
island of Malta, lay sick of a fever, Paul en
tered in, and prayed, and LAID HIS HANDS ON
HIM, and healed him 1 .
6. Thus we have seen that Laying on of Hands was
used, (i) among the Jews for Blessing and Ordination;
(2) by our Lord for Blessing and Healing; (3) by the
Apostles occasionally for Healing, more generally for
Ordination, and after Baptism as preparatory to, and
a sign of, the bestowal of the Holy Ghost.
CHAPTER II.
THE PREFACE.
i. Extraordinary Gifts. When St Paul, as we read
in the passage quoted above, laid his hands on the
twelve disciples at Ephesus, and the Holy Ghost came
on them, we are told that they spake with tongues and
prophesied 2 . This was one of the extraordinary gifts,
which God was pleased to bestow in great abundance
on the early Church at its first planting 3 . These gifts
were of different kinds. St Paul mentions in the first
Epistle to the Corinthians, the gifts of healing, of work
ing miracles, of prophecy, of discerning of spirits,
of divers kinds of tongues, of the interpretation of
tongues*.
1 Acts xxviii. 8. In Old Testament times cures seem to
have been wrought by the prophets by imposition of hands.
Thus Naaman says of Elisha, "I thought, he will surely
come out to me, and stand... and strike (move up and down,
marg.) his hand over the place, and recover the leper,"
2 Kings v. 11. See Hooker, Eccl. Pol. v. Ixvi. 1.
2 Acts xix. 6.
3 In accordance with the predictions of the prophet Joel,
U. 28, 29; comp. St Peter s words, Acts ii. 1421.
4 1 Cor. xii. 9, 10.
THE PREFACE. 1C5
2. Their Cessation. But even in those days they
were not bestowed on all alike. All were not workers of
miracles; all had not the gift of healing ; all did not
speak with tongues; all did not interpret 1 ; and when
the occasion for their bestowal passed away, they were
gradually withdrawn 2 .
3. Ordinary Gifts. But as the wind, to which the
operations of the Blessed Spirit are compared 3 , some
times blows with a rushing mighty* force, and sometimes
breathes with the softness of the zephyr, even so the
Holy Ghost did not always manifest His Presence by
these marvellous, startling, gifts. Besides these there
were always more excellent^, though less striking, gifts.
Such were love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance*. In these ordi
nary gifts the Apostles continually exhorted their con
verts to increase and abound 7 , and as they are ev^er
needed, so the Holy Ghost was and is ever ready to
bestow them.
1 1 Cor. xii. 29.
2 On the gradual cessation of these Miracles of Power,
see Trench On the Miracles, pp. 5356, ed. 3.
3 Jn. iii. 8, The wind (Tri/fO/ua) Uoweth tuhere it listeth, and
thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it
cometh and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the
Spirit (TOV II^ei;/zaros).
4 Acts ii. 2. 5 1 Cor. xii. 31.
6 Gal. v. 22, 23. Temperance = self-restraint, self-control.
Greek ^y/cpdreta.
7 Comp. 1 Thess. iii. 12, "The Lord make you to in
crease and abound in love one toward another, and towards
all men;" Col. i. 9, "We do not cease to pray for you, and
to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His
will, in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding... being fruitful
in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;"
2 Pet. i. 5 7, "Add to jour faith virtue; and to virtue
knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance
patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly
kindness: and to brotherly kindness charity."
THE PREFACE.
4. In the Apostolic Age, therefore, the use of
Laying on of Hands was always retained ; and at the
time when the Epistle to the Hebrews was written, i. e.
about A.D. 68 or 70, we find it specified as one of the
first principles of the doctrine of Christ, and mentioned
in connection with the doctrine of Repentance, of Faith,
of Baptism, of the Resurrection of the dead, and of
Eternal Judgment l .
5. Custom of the Early Church. From this time
forward the observance of the Rite became universal in
the Church, and is alluded to by many of the early
Fathers 2 , and most of the chief writers of the fourth
and fifth centuries 3 . At first Imposition of Hands fol
lowed immediately after Baptism, so as almost to appear
a part of it, or a seal 4 of the grace conferred therein.
This practice continued for some time in the Church ;
and after the second and third centuries, it became
usual to administer the Bite, whether in the case of an
infant or an adult, with four distinct ceremonies, (i)
Imposition of Hands, (2) Prayer, (3) Unction with holy
Oil 5 , and (4) Signing with the sign of the Cross 6 .
1 Heb. vi. 1, 2.
2 Thus it is mentioned by Tevtullian, A.D. 200 ; by Clement
of Alexandria, A.D. 200; by Origen, A.D. 210; by Cyprian,
A.D. 250. Bingham s Antiq. iv. p. 220. Guericke s Antiq.
p. 233, n.
3 "The Fathers held Confirmation as an ordinance apo
stolic, always profitable in God s Church, although not always
accompanied with equal largeness of those external effects,
which gave it countenance at the first." Hooker, Eccl. Pol.
v. Ixvi. 4.
4 Hence in Greek, Confirmation was called <r<f>payls, a
seal, and in Latin, sigillum, consignatio. See the Greek of
Eph. i. 13.
6 Hence the ordinary Greek name for Confirmation is
xpitr pa = Anointing ; in Latin, Unctio. Comp. the Greek of
2 Cor. i. 21; 1 Jn. ii. 20.
6 Bingham s Antiq. iv. p. 220; Guericke s Antiq. p. 233.
THE ACT OF CONFIRMATION. 167
6. At first it was usual to baptize only in the
cathedrals of the various dioceses, and only on the greater
Festivals, such as Epiphany, Easter, or Pentecost, when
the Bishop was himself present. In the course of time,
however, as the Christian Faith spread more and more,
priests and deacons began to baptize in other places
than the cathedrals, and at other times than the great
Festivals.
7. Eastern and Western Customs. It became
necessary, therefore, to adopt one of two courses, either
(i) to give every priest the power of confirming, in
which case Baptism and Confirmation would still remain
associated, or (2) to defer Confirmation till such time as
the Bishop could be present. The former is the course
adopted by the Eastern Churches, while the Western
Churches have adopted the latter.
8. The Church of England, as one of the churches
of the West, and possessing "power to decree rites or
ceremonies 1 ," defers Confirmation till such time as it can
be administered by a Bishop and the candidates have
"come to years of discretion;" and of the four cere
monies, which once accompanied it, has retained
1 . Imposition of Hands 2 .
2. Prayer.
CHAPTER III.
THE ACT OF CONFIRMATION.
i. From the Preface we pass on to the Confir
mation Office itself, which may be divided into three
parts :
1 See Art. xx.
2 Xeipodeala, "the most noted ceremony in the whole
affair, and that which most universally prevailed ;" Bingham s
Antiq. iv. 224. Hence the whole Office is called by St
Augustine and most of the Latin Fathers, Manuum Tm-
positio, the Imposition of Hands.
168 THE ACT OF CONFIRMATION.
(1) The Confirmation by the Candidates of their
Baptismal Vows ;
(2) The Confirmation of the Candidates by the
Imposition of the Hands of the Bishop.
3) The Prayer and Benediction.
2. The Solemn Question. On the day appointed,
all that are then to be confirmed, are placed and stand
in order before the Bishop, and he then addresses to
them the Solemn Question :
Do ye here, in the presence of God, and of this con
gregation 1 , renew the solemn promise and vow that
was made in your f name at your Baptism ; ratify
ing and confirming 2 the same in your own persons,
and acknowledging yourselves bound to believe and
to do all those things*, which your Godfathers and
Godmothers then undertook for you?
3. The Answer. To this question every candidate
is required to answer audibly, / do, and thus publicly
"ratify and confirm" in his own person his Baptismal
Vow.
1 Compare the words of the Preface, "openly before the
Church." It was the custom of the Jews, when children
were twelve years of age, and had learnt the Law and their
prayers, to bring them before the congregation, upon which
they were declared "Sons of the Law" or of "the Precept."
Hence, when "He was twelve years of age, " we read that our
Lord went up with His parents to Jerusalem at the Passover.
See Lightfoot and Wetstein on Lk. ii. 42.
2 The clause ran, "ratify and confess the same," in the
Prayer-Book of 1549; comp. Mtt. x. 32, "Whosoever there
fore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before
My Father Which is in heaven."
3 Comp. the Preface, "...Promise that by the graceof God
they will evermore endeavour themselves faithfully to observe
such things..." For this use of the word endeavour, comp. the
Collect for the 2nd Sunday after Easter, " daily endeavour our
selves to follow the blessed steps of His most holy life;" and
the answer in the Ordination Service, "I will endeavour my
self, the Lord being my helper." Class Book of the Catechism,
3rd ed., p. 176.
THE ACT OF CONFIRMATION. 169
4. The Versicles. Immediately after these solemn
words have been uttered, the Bishop reminds those who
have uttered them that their strength and help to keep
this holy resolution is in the Name of the Lord 1 ; to
which the answer is, Who hath made heaven and earth 2 ,
and therefore can do all things, and prove Himself a
strong Tower to all that trust in Him. Having re
minded all present of the only Source, whence true
strength comes, the Bishop proceeds, Blessed be the
Name of the Lord; to which the response is, Henceforth,
world without end 3 . He then puts up a petition very
appropriate to what is about to follow, Lord, hear our
prayer; to which the answer is, And let our cry come
unto Thee 4 .
5. The Prayer of Invocation. After the alter
nate supplications contained in these versicles and
responses, he proceeds to offer up a solemn Prayer of
Invocation, saying, Let us pray. The Collect, in which
this Invocation is contained, is of great antiquity. It
has been used in the Church of England for nearly
1200 years, and can be traced back to a still more
distant period 5 . In it the Bishop prays that the
Almighty and Everliving God, Who has vouchsafed to
regenerate each candidate at his Baptism will hence
forth strengthen them with the Holy Ghost the Com-
1 Ps. cxxiv. 8. With this versicle the Office of Confirma
tion commenced in ancient times.
2 t 6.; Ps. cxxi. 1, 2. 3 Ps. cxiii. 2.
4 Ps. cii. 1. The last of these versicles and its response
were added in 1552, but are very often found in ancient Offices.
6 It is of primitive antiquity, being in the Sacramentaries
of St Gregory and Gelasius, and also in St Ambrose s Treatise
on the Sacraments ii. 3 ; Hi. 7 ; while its position and use
indicate a still higher antiquity. It is also to be found in the
Confirmation Office of the Eastern Church. It is extant in a
Pontifical of Egbert, Abp. of York, circa A.D. 700, so that
we know it has been used in the Church of England for at
least 1150 years. Blunt s Annot. Prayer Book, p. 257, notes.
170 THE ACT OF CONFIRMATION.
forter 1 , and daily increase in them His manifold gifts
of grace.
6. The Sevenfold Gifts. The gifts which he prays
the Anointing Spirit to bestow upon them are seven
fold 2 ; the spirit of (i) Wisdom, and (2) Understanding;
the spirit of (3) Counsel, and (4) Ghostly 3 Strength ; the
spirit of (5) Knowledge, and (6) True Godliness ; and (7)
the spirit of Holy Fear and Reverence toward God.
These blessed gifts are enumerated in the xith chapter
of Isaiah, who foretells that these graces would in all
their fulness rest on Him, Who should come for thoftke
stem of Jesse, and grow out of his roots as a Branch.
This Branch was our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
Who at His Baptism was anointed 4 to be our Prophet,
Priest, and King.
7. Their Import. As therefore they rested on
Him, so the Bishop prays they may rest on all the candi
dates for Confirmation, and impart to them the spirit of
Wisdom to choose what is good; the spirit of Under
standing to know their duty ; the spirit of Counsel to
guide them in all their doubts; the spirit of Ghostly
Strength to enable them to resist all temptations to sin ;
the spirit of Knowledge or discerning between good
and evil ; the spirit of Piety in all their actions ; the
spirit of the Fear of the Lord, and of Reverence toward
Him in all their life and conversation 5 .
1 That is, the Strengthener and Supporter, from the late
Latin comfortare (Fr. conforter, from con and forth = to streng
then). Comp. Wiclif s version of Phil. iv. 13 : "I may all
things in Him that comfortith me," i.e. strengthened me.
The Greek word TrapaK\r}Tos has the twofold sense, (1) of the
Advocate, (2) of Supporter or Strengthener.
2 Comp. Rev. i. 4; iv. 5.
3 That is, Spiritual. Ghostly is from the A.-S. gdstlic
spiritual, from A.-S. gdst, S. geist= spirit, breath.
4 Mtt. Hi. 16; Mk. i. 10; Lk. iii. 22.
5 Comp. Comber s Companion to the Temple, p. 223. Bp.
Wilson s Sacra Privata, p. 113.
THE ACT OF CONFIRMATION. 171
8. The Laying on of Hands. After this solemn
Prayer of Invocation, each candidate kneels before the
Bishop, who lays his hand upon his head, and says,
Defend, O Lord, this Thy child with Thy heavenly
grace, that he may continue Thine for ever ; and daily
increase in Thy Holy Spirit more and more, until lie
come unto Thy everlasting Kingdom.
9. The Lord s Prayer. After the Imposition of
Hands, the Bishop turns to those assembled, saying, The
Lord be with you 1 , to which the response is, And with
thy spirit. Then he proceeds, Let us pray, and offers
up the Lord s Prayer 2 , to which, as this part of the
Office partakes of the nature of prayer rather than of
praise, the Doxology is not added 3 .
10. The First Collect. After the Lord s Prayer
follow two Collects. The first, composed in 1549*, is a
prayer for all who have been confirmed. In it the
Bishop offers a humble supplication to Almighty God,
Who alone makes us both to will and to do those things
that are good and acceptable to His Divine Majesty.
He implores for them a threefold blessing :
(1) That God s Fatherly Hand 8 may ever be over
them ;
(2) That His Spirit may ever 8 be with them ;
(3) That He will so lead them in the knowledge
and obedience of His Word 7 that in the end
they may obtain everlasting life.
1 1. The Second Collect is a Prayer for the general
1 Comp. 2 Thess. iii. 16; 2 Tim. iv. 22.
2 Added in 1661.
3 Contrast with this the use of the Lord s Prayer in the
Post- Communion Service, above, p. 140.
4 Taken from the Collect which preceded the Laying on
of Hands in Hermann s Consultation, fol. 191.
5 Comp. Ezra viii. 22, and Ps. ciii. 13.
c Comp. Jn. xiv. 16.
7 Comp. 2 Tim. iii. 16.
172 THE ACT OF CONFIRMATION.
congregation. It is one of the dismissal Collects ap
pointed to be said after the Offertory, when there is no
Communion, and was added in 1662. It is a Prayer
that God will " vouchsafe to direct 1 , sanctify, and govern
their hearts and bodies in the ways of His laws, and in
the works of His commandments, that through His
most mighty protection both here and ever, they may
be preserved in body and soul 2 , through our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ."
12. The Benediction. The Rubric now directs
the Bishop to pronounce the Apostolic Benediction 3 .
The ancient Benedictions in this place were sometimes
very long. The one here given is that of the ancient
Sarum Office, but it was formerly preceded by the 5th
and 6th verses of the cxxviiith Psalm 4 . With it the
Service of Confirmation comes to a close 5 .
1 Comp. Prov. iii. 6.
2 Comp. 1 Thess. v. 23.
3 Comp. 2 Cor. xiii. 14.
4 Blunt s Ann. Prayer-Boole, p. 260, n.
5 The final Eubric is from the Office of 1,549, with the
addition of the words, "o? be ready and desirous to be con
firmed"
APPENDIX.
I.
TABLE OF DATES
OF EVENTS CONNECTED WITH THE HISTORY OF THE
BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER.
A.D.
398 Litanies at Constantinople.
451 LEO, Pope, arranged the Eucharistic Office of
the Roman Church, called the Leonine Sacra -
mentary.
460 MAMERTUS, Bishop of Vienne, appoints Litanies on
the three Rogation-days.
492 GELASIUS, Pope : Gelasian Sacramentary.
590 GREGORY the Great, Pope, appoints the sevenfold
Litany : Gregorian Sacramentary.
597 AUGUSTINE, the Missionary from Home, arrives in
England.
747 Council of Cloveshoo receives the Eoman martyro-
logy and Litany-days. ^ .
800 Invocation of Saints added to the Litany.
1080 Breviary first mentioned.
1085 OSMUND, Bishop of Sarum : his arrangement of the
Offices received, and called the Use of Sarum.
1400 The Prymer in English.
1414 The r;.s-c of St Paul s discontinued.
1516 Amended edition of the Sarum Portifory.
1530 MARSHALL S Primer in English.
The Augsburg Confession drawn up by MELANC-
THON.
174 APPENDIX,
A.D.
1531 LUTHER S Nuremberg form of Service.
1534 Convocation request an English Bible to De au
thorized.
The Papal Supremacy rejected by the English
Church.
1535 Second edition of MARSHALL S Primer (the first of
Dr Burton s Three Primers).
COVERDALE S Bible.
1536 The X. Articles about Eeligion, set forth by Convo
cation with the King s authority.
1537 The publication of MATTHEWES Bible (translated
by Tyndall, Eogers, and Coverdale).
The Institution of a Christian Man, or the
Bishops Book, put forth by Cranmer s influ
ence, with the sanction of Convocation and the
King.
[This seems the culminating point of the Reforma
tion under Henry VIII.]
1539 Bishop Hilsey s Primer (the second of Dr Bui-ton s
Three Primers).
The Great Bible, or Cranmer s.
1540 The English Bible set up in Churches.
1541 The Bible of the largest and greatest volume
printed.
1542 The reading of the New Testament forbidden to all
below a certain rank.
Revised Sarum Portiforry.
The Use of Sarum ordered to be observed through
out the province of Canterbury.
1543 A necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Chris
tian Man, or the King^s Book, put forth by the
influence of Gardiner, sanctioned by the King
and Convocation.
1544 May. Litany in English.
1545 King Henry s Primer (the third of Dr Burton s
Three Primers).
1547 Jan. 28. Accession of EDWARD VI.
July. Publication of the First Book of Homilies.
October. A reformation of the Public Service, pre
pared by Melancthon for HERMANN, Archbishop
of Cologne, which had been first put forth in
German, in 1543> and afterwards in Latin, in
1545) was now translated into English, entitled,
A simple and religious Consultation, &c.
APPENDIX. 175
A.D.
November. The Primer of 1545 > reprinted.
December. Communion in both kinds approved by
Convocation, and sanctioned by Parliament.
1548 March 8. The Order of the Communion.
July. Publication of Cranmer s Catechism (origi
nally written in German, translated into Latin
by Justus Jonas, and from Latin into English by
Cranmer, or one of his chaplains).
November. The First English Prayer-Book dis
cussed by Convocation.
1549 January. The first Act of Uniformity.
June 9 (Whitsun-Day). The English Prayer-Book
used.
November. The old Service-Books ordered to be
destroyed.
1550 February. The English Ordinal published.
July. JOHN LASKI (or a LASCO) appointed su
perintendent of the foreign congregations in
London.
VALEKANDTTS POLLANUS, with a congregation of
French and Walloon refugees, settled at Glas-
tonbury.
1551 Revision of the Prayer-Book.
January. Bucer and Martyr, the King s Professors
of Divinity at Cambridge and Oxford, write con
cerning alterations in the Prayer-Book.
Commission to prepare Ecclesiastical Laws.
October. Decree of the Council of Trent on the
Lord s Supper.
1552 April 6. The Second Act of Uniformity.
The XLII. Articles.
September 27. Order to Graf ton, the King s Printer,
not to issue the new Prayer-Books.
October 27. Order of Council to add the Declara
tion about kneeling at Communion.
November. The Second Prayer-Book of EDWARD VI.
issued.
1553 March. Publication of a reformed Primer (printed
in Liturgies and Documents of Edward VI. ed.
Parker Society).
Bishop POYNET S Catechism.
July 6. Accession of MARY.
1555 Troubles at Frankfort.
1558 November 17. Accession of ELIZABETH.
176 APPENDIX.
A.D.
December. Two editions of the English Litany
published.
A. Committee of Divines meet at Sir T. Smith s
house.
1559 A Primer published of the form of that of 1545.
June 24. The revised Prayer-Book to be used.
1560 The Irish Act of Uniformity authorizes the Prayer-
Book in Latin.
1561 Revised Calendar.
1562 JEWEL S Apology.
NOWELL S Catechism.
The XXXIX. Articles.
1564 The Second Book of Homilies (prepared principally,
it is said, by .Jewel).
1565 The Advertisements of Elizabeth.
1568 The Bishops Bible published under the superin
tendence of Archbishop Parker.
1570 Bull of Excommunication issued by Pope Pius V.
against Queen ELIZABETH.
1571 Proposal to reform some things in the Prayer-Book.
The XXXIX. Articles revised, brought into their
present form, and required to be subscribed by
the clergy.
1578 Puritan edition of the Prayer-Book.
1603 March 24. Accession of JAMES I.
The Millenary Petition.
1604 January 14, 16, 18. The Conference at Hampton
Court.
Changes in the Prayer-Book, or Explanations,
ordered by King JAMES I.
The Canons (being 141 in number) were collected
by Bishop Bancroft out of the Articles, Injunc
tions, and Synodical Acts published in the reigns
of EDWARD VI. and ELIZABETH, particularly those
put forth in 1571 and 1597-
1607 The Translation of the Bible (which occupied three
years) commenced.
1625 March 27. Accession of CHAELES I.
1637 The Prayer-Book for Scotland.
1641 Committee of the Lords on Church Eeform.
1643 The Westminster Assembly of Divines.
September 25. The Solemn League and Covenant,
founded on an oath taken by the Scots five years
before, now received by the Parliament at West
minster, and imposed upon all ministers.
APPENDIX. 177
A.D.
1645 The Directonj for Public Worship.
1660 May 29. Restoration of King CHARLES II.
Oc to ber. Royal Declaration on Ecclesiastical Af
fairs.
1661 April 15. The Conference opened at the Savoy.
The Book of Common Prayer revised ; and Decem
ber 20, subscribed by Convocation.
1662 May. Act of Uniformity.
August November. The Irish Convocation re
ceives the revised Prayer -Book.
1666 Irish Act of Uniformity.
1689 Commission of King WILLIAM III. to revise the
Prayer-Book.
1691 The Non-jurors.
1789 The Book of Common Prayer revised for the Epi
scopal Church in the United States.
1859 January 17. The Services for the State Holydays
(Nov. 5, Jan. 30, May 29) removed from the
Prayer-Book by Royal Warrant.
II.
The Lord s Prayer.
FROM THE PRYMER CIRC. A.D. 1400 J .
Oure fadir, that art in heuenes, haleuid be thi name :
thy rewme come to thee : be thi wille do as in heuene and
in erthe: oure eche daies breed ^yue us to day: and for^yue
us oure dettis, as and we for jeuen to oure dettouris : and
ne lede us into temptacioun : but delyuere us fro yuel. So
be it.
1 Maskell s Man. Hit. II. 175
P. B 12
173
APPENDIX.
III.
Canticum S. Ambrosii et
Augustini.
Te Deum laudamus : te Do-
minum confitemur.
Te eternum Patrem : omnis
terra veneratur.
Tibi omnes Angeli : tibi coeli
et universe potestates,
Tibi Cherubin et Seraphin :
incessabili voce procla-
mant,
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus :
Dominus Deus Sabaoth ;
Pleni sunt coeli et terra :
majestatis gloriae tuge.
Te gloriosus Apostolorum
chorus,
Te Prophetarum laudabilis
rmmerus,
Te Martyrum candidatus :
laudat exercitus.
Te per orbem terrarum :
sancta confitetur ecclesia ;
Patrem immensae majestatis;
Venerandum tuum veruin et
unicum F ilium ;
Sanctum quoque Paracletum
Spiritum.
Tu Eex gloriae Cbriste.
Tu Patris sempiternus es Fi-
lius.
Ps. Te Deum Laudamus.
FROM THE PRIMER CIRC. A.n.
1400.
We berien 1 thee god : we
kn.owlecb.yn thee lord
Thee, euerlastynge fadir : al
the erthe worchipith.
To thee alle aungelis : to
thee heuenes and alle
maner poweris.
To thee cherubyn and sera-
phym : crien with uncec-
ynge vois.
Hooli, Hooli, Hooli : Lord
God of vertues 2 .
Heuenes and erthe ben ful :
of the mageste of thi glorie.
Thee, the glorious cumpany
of apostlis.
Thee, the preisable noumbre
of profetis.
Thee, preisith the white oost
of martirs 3 .
Thee,hoolichirche knowlech-
ith throuj al the world.
Fadir of ri^t greet mageste.
Thi worshipful, verrei 4 , and
oonli sone.
And the hooli goost cure
counfortour.
Thou, crist, kyng of glorie.
Thou art the endeles sone
of the fadir.
1 HerienJ A.-S. hrian, O. E. hery = to praise, worship. Comp.
" Forsothe, Hieu dydde this aspyingly, that he distruye alle the
heryeris of Baal." Wiclif, 2 Kings x. 19.
2 Lord God of vertues] "of oostis," Douce MS. 275, fol. 6 b, in the
Bodleian Library, Oxford. See above, p. 82, n.
9 The white oost of martirs] see above, p. 82, n.
4 Verrei] See above, p. S3, n. "Thy sothefast worrshippfulle
oneliohe Sone ;" Douce MS. Sothefast from so$ = truth. Hence a
soothsayer i literally a " trutb-sayer."
APPENDIX.
179
Tu ad liberandum susceptu-
rus hominem : non hor-
ruisti Virginis uterum.
Tu devicto mortis aculeo :
aperuisti credentibus reg-
na coelorum.
Tu ad dexteram Dei
in gloria Patris.
sedes
Thou wert not skoymus 1 of
the maidens wombe to de-
lyuer mankynde.
For thou ouercamest the
sharpnesse of deeth : thou
openedist to men that bi-
leeueden in thee the kyng-
doms of heuenes.
Thou sittist on goddis rijt
syde, in the ioie of the
fadir.
Thou art bileeued to be juge
to come.
Therf or we preien thee, helpe
thou thy seruauntis : that
thou hast boujt with thi
precious blood.
Make hem to be rewardid
with thi seyntis : in blisse,
with euerlastinge glorie.
Lord, make thi peple saaf,
and blesse to thin eritage.
And gouerne hem : and make
hem hi} withouten ende.
We blessen thee bi alle daies.
And we herien thi name into
the world : and into the
world of world.
Lord, fouche saaf to kepe us
to day : with oute synne.
Lord, haue merci on us ;
haue merci on us.
Lord, be thi merci maad 2
upon us : as we han hopide
in thee.
Lord, I haue hopide in thee :
be I not schent 3 withouten
ende.
1 Skoymus] See above, p. 83, n. ; and compare
" Nif he nere scoymiis and skyg and non scajje louied,
Hit were a meruayl to much, hit mojt not falle."
" So is he scoymusof scaj?e J?at scylful is euer."
Early English Alliterative Poems in the West Midland dialect of
Uth century. Ed. Morris. E. E. T. S. 1864.
* Maadl See above, p. 83. n. 3 Shent | See above, p. 84, n.
Judex crederis esse ventnrus.
Te ergo queesumus, famulis
tuis subveni : quos pre-
tioso sanguine redemisti.
Sterna fac citm sanctis tuis:
in gloria numerari.
Salvum fac populum tuum
Domine : et benedic has-
reditati tuas.
Et rege eos : et extolle illos
usque in aBtenium.
Per singulos dies benedici-
mus te.
Et laudamus nomen tuum
in sseculum : et in ssecu-
lum sfficuli.
Dignare Domine die isto sine
peccato nos custodire.
Miserere nostri Domine :
miserere nostri.
Fiat misericordia tua Do
mine super nos : quemad-
modum speravimus in te.
In te Domine speravi : non
confundar in aeternum.
180
APPENDIX.
IV.
Symbolum Apostolorum.
1 Credo in Deum Patrern
Omnipotentem, Creato-
rem coeli et terras :
2 Et in Jesum Christum,
Filium Ejns unicum,
Domizmm nostrum:
3 Qui conceptus est de
Spiritu Sancto, natus ex
Maria Virgine :
4 Passus est sub Pontio
Pilato, crucifixus, mor-
tuus, et sepultus :
5 Descendit ad inferna, ter-
tia die resuiTexit a mqr-
tnis :
6 Ascendit ad ccelos ; sedet
ad dexteram Dei Patris
omnipotentis :
7 Inde venturus est judi-
care vivos et mortuos :
8 Credo in Spiritum Sanc
tum :
9 Sanctam Ecclesiam Ca-
tholicam : Sanctorum
Communioiiem :
ro Bemissionem peccator-
um:
n Carnis Eesurrectionem :
1 2 Vitam aBternam.
The Apostles Greed.
THE PRYMEB CIBC. A.D. 1400 a
i I bileue in god, fadir al-
my?ti, rnakere of heuene
and of erthe :
i And in Jesus Crist the
sone of him, oure lord,
oon aloone :
3 Which is conceyued of
the hcoli gost, born of
Marie maiden :
4 Suffride passioun undir
pounce pilat : crucified,
deed, and biried :
5 He wente doun to hellis :
the thirdde day He roos
a^en fro deede :
6 He stei? 2 to heuenes : he
sittith on the rijt side
of god the fadir almy^ti
7 Thenus he is to come f or
to deme the quyke and
deede :
8 I bileue in the hooli
goost.
9 Feith of hooli chirche :
communynge of seyntis :
10 Forjyuenesse of synnes :
1 1 A^enrisyng of fleish :
12 And euerlastynge lyf. so
be it.
Maskell s Man. Rit. Vol. n. p. 177.
Stei?] A.-S. stigan = to ascend, rise. Compare
"Pat cryst hym self on holy Pursday
Stegh in to heuene in flesch and blod."
Myrc s Instructions for Parish Priests, p. Ifi.
Early English Text Society.
APPENDIX.
181
V.
The Nicene Creed.
A.D. 325.
Hi<rTfvo/Jiev els eva Qeov II ct-
rtpa, iravTOKpaTOpa, irdvTUV
6paT(2v re Kal dopaTuv iroir]-
TTIV. Kal eis fra Kvpiov !??-
ffovv XptffTbv, Tbv Ylbv TOV
Qeov, yevvrjdtvTa eK TOV Ha-
rpos, ftovoyevr], TOVTGGTLV K
TT/S ovcrias TOV IIarp6s - Qeov
eK Qeov, <f>us K 0wr6s, Qeov
v K Qeov
yei>vr)Ta ov iroi.rievTa., /xo-
ovffiov ry Ilarpi 5i ov TO,
iravTO. tyeveTO, rd re ev T^>
ovpavy Kal TCI. iv TTJ yy" rbv
(5t rifj.as TOVS
8ia TT/V
Ka.Te\86vTa,
KalevavdpfjjTT-rjffavTa iradovTa,
/vat dvacTTavTa Trj TpiTrj ri/mtpa
dve\66vTa ets TOVS ovpavovs
Kal ira\iv tyxb/J-evov Kplvai
favTas Kal veKpovs. Kal els
TO Tlvcv/j.a TO ayiov.
The Nicene or Constanti-
nopoHtan 1 Creed.
A.D. 381.
Hio~Tevo/J.ev eis e"va Qeov Ha
Tpa TravroKpaTopa, TroirjTTjs
ovpavov Kal 7175, opaTuv re.
TrdvTuv Kal dopaTow. "Kal els
eva Kvpiov lycrovv Xpicrro^,
TOV Tlov TOV Qeov TOV fj.ovoye-
VTJ, TOV K TOV ITarpos yevvy-
6evTa Trpb TTO.VTWV TWV aldvuv
0ws K 0WTOS, Qeov dXydivov
eKQeov d\r)6ivov yevvrjde vTa,
ov iroir/6evTa, 6fj.oovo~iov T<$
Harpt dC ov rd TrdvTa tye-
veTO, TOV 3i TIIJ.S.S TOVS dvdf> -
TTOVS, Kal 8ia Trjv rj^Tepav
ovpavuv, Kal aapKwdevTa. K
Hvev/. .aTOS dyiov, Kal Mapt as
TT,S irapdevov, Kal evavd pu-jrri-
<ravTa GTavpudevTa re virep
TIJJ.WV tiri HOVTIOV HiXaTOV,
Kal iradbvTa, Kal Ta<pVTa, Kal
dvaffTavTa Ty Tp iTrj i]fJ.epa
Kara TO,? ypq<f)ds Kal dve\-
66vTa els TOVS ovpavovs, Kal
Kade6fj.evov CK oej^LW TOV Ila-
rpos* Kal Trd\iv px6(j.vov /j.e-
ra 66^77? Kpivai fevTas Kal
veKpovs ov Trjs /SacrtXetas OVK
effTai re\os Kat e^s ro n^eO-
/j.a TO dytov, TO Kvpiov, Kal
TO faoiroiov, TO eK TOV Ilarpos
^KTTOpevo/aevov, TO avv Ilarpi
Kal Tfy ffv/jiirpoa Kvvovfji.evov,
Kal ffvvoo^a^o/^evov, TO \a\rj-
<rav did TWV Trpo^ffrSv. E/j
/j.lav dyiav Ka6o\iKi]v Kal diro-
1 See above, p. 86.
182 APPENDIX.
6/j.o\<yyov-
dvd-
ffTa<riv veKpcov, /ecu ^wrjv TOV
VI.
Symbolum Athanasii.
Quicunque vult salvus esse : ante omnia opus est ut
teneat catholicam fidem.
Quam nisi quisque integram, inviolatamque servaverit :
absque dubio in seternum peribit.
Fides autem catholica haec est, ut mium Deum in Trini-
tate : et Trinitatem in Unitate veneremur.
Neque confundentes persoiias : neque substantiam se-
parantes.
Alia est enim persona Patris, alia Filii, alia Spiritus
Sancti.
Sed Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti una est Divinitas :
cequalis gloria, coaeterna majestas.
Qualis Pater, talis Filius : talis Spiritus Sanctus.
Increatus Pater, increatus Filius : increatus Spiritus
Sanctus.
Immensus Pater, immensus Filius : immensus Spiritus
Sanctus.
^Eternus Pater, asternus Filius : seternus Spiritus Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres ceterni : sed unus eeternus.
Sicut non tres increati, nee tres immensi : sed unus in
creatus, et unus immensus.
Similiter omnipotens Pater, omnipotens Filius : omni-
potens Spiritus Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres omnipotentes : sed unus omnipotens.
Ita Deus Pater, Deus Filius : Deus Spiritus Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres Dii : sed unus est Deus.
Ita Dominus Pater, Dominus Filius : Dominus Spiritus
Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres Domini : sed unus est Dominus.
Quia sicut singillatim unamquamque Personam, Deum
et Dominum confiteri Christiana veritate compellimur.
Ita tres Decs aut Dominos dicere, catholica religione
prohibemur.
Pater a nullo est factus : nee creatus, nee genitus.
APPENDIX. 183
Filius a Patre solo est : non factus, nee creatus, Bed
genitus.
Spiritus Sanctus a Patre et Filio : non factus, nee crea
tus, nee genitus, sed procedens.
Unus ergo Pater, non tres Patres ; unus Filius, non tres
Filii : unus Spiritus Sanctus, non tres Spiritus Sancti.
Et in hac Trinitate nihil prius aut posterius : nihil
majus aut minus.
Sed totae tres personae coaeternae sibi sunt et co-
aequales.
Ita ut per omnia (sicut jam supra dictum est) et Unitas
in Trinitate : et Trinitas in Unitate veneranda sit.
Qui vult ergo salvus esse : ita de Trinitate sentiat.
Sed necessarium est ad aeternam salutem : ut incarna-
tionem quoque Domini nostri Jesu Christi fideliter credat.
Est ergo fides recta, ut credamus et confiteamur : quia
Dominus noster Jesus Cbristus, Dei Filius, Deus et homo
est.
Deus est ex substantia Patris ante saecula genitus : et
homo est ex substantia matris in sseculo natus.
Perfectus Deus, perfectus homo : ex anima rational! et
humana carne subsistens.
^Equalis Patri secundum Divinitatem : minor Patre se-
cundum humanitatem.
Qui licet Deus sit et homo : non duo tamen, sed unus
est Christus.
Unus autem, non conversione Divinitatis in carnem :
sed assumptione humanitatis in Deum.
Unus omnino, non confusione substantiae : sed unitate
personae.
Nam sicut anima rationalis et caro unus est homo : ita
Deus et homo unus est Christus.
Qui passus est pro salute nostra, descendit ad inferoa :
tertia die resurrexit a mortuis.
Ascendit ad ccelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris Omni-
potentis : inde venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos.
Ad cujus adventum omnes homines resurgere habent
cum corporibus suis : et reddituri sunt de factis propriis
rationem.
Et qui bona egerunt ibunt in vitam aeternam, qui vero
mala in ignem aeternam.
Haec est fides catholica, quam nisi quisque fideliter fir-
miterque crediderit : salvus essa non potent.
Gloria Patri, <fec.
EXAMINATION PAPERS
SET AT
THE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE LOCAL
EXAMINATIONS.
I.
1. Explain the usage of the following words in the
Prayer Book : the Ordinary, Minister, Rogation, Wealth,
Hell, Ember.
2. When may not the Benedictus be said? What portion
of Scripture does the Benedidte most resemble? What names
do the three persons mentioned in the last verse bear in
Scripture history?
3. Give the titles of the Prayers and Thanksgivings for
special occasions, and write out the Prayer that may be
said after any of the former.
4. Distinguish between "heresy" and "schism. " To beat
down Satan under our feet. On what passage of Scripture is
this petition founded ?
5. Upon what principle have the compilers of the Prayer
Book inserted or omitted the Doxology in the Lord s Prayer?
6. Why is the first Creed designated The Apostles
Creed ? Give Scripture proofs of the Articles : He descended
into hell, and The Resurrection of the Dead. What is the
origin of the word Church? Why is the Church charac
terised as Holy and Catholic ?
7. What is the Scriptural authority for Confirmation ?
8. Are the present gifts of Confirmation the same as
those which originally accompanied the laying on of hands ?
II.
1. Explain the following phrases, and state where they
occur :
(1) The Holy Catholic Church.
(2) The fellowship of the Holy Ghost.
(3) Heresy and schism.
EXAMINATION PAPERS. 185
2. How many purposes of Public Worship are enumerated
in the opening Exhortation ?
3. How are they severally provided for in our Morning
Service?
4. The Te Deum is at once Prayer, Praise, and Con
fession of Faith. Illustrate this statement by citations.
5. Write out the Prayer of St Chrysostom, and com
pare it with the words of Holy Scripture. Is there any
peculiarity in the form of this prayer ?
III.
1. What are the chief differences between the first and
second Prayer Books of Edward VI., and what reasons did
the compilers give for making them ?
2. Whence is the Benedicite obtained ? On what other
composition is it probably founded ? Who were Ananias, Aza-
rias and Misael ?
3. Are there any traces of Creeds in the New Testament ?
Explain their necessity and growth in the early ages of the
Church. Explain Hell Holy Catholic Church Com
munion of Saints .
4. Into what parts may the Litany be divided? quote
one petition from each. To whom is the greater part of it
addressed ? Support your answer by a quotation.
/>. Explain the following words and phrases: Use;
Litany; wealth; Amen; sins, negligences and ignorances;
endeavour themselves ; in knowledge of Whom standethour eter
nal Ufa ; and state where they respectively occur.
6. What Scriptural authority is there for the rite of
Confirmation ? What is the explanation of Confirmation
given in the Title of the Order for Confirmation in the Prayer
Book?
7. What is required of them that come to be Confirmed,
and what are the benefits to be obtained?
IV.
1. Give the exact sense of the following titles addressed
to our blessed Lord in our Liturgy: Saviour, Christ, Re
deemer, Mediator, Advocate, Lamb of God, Son of David.
2. Quote passages of Scripture in illustration of their
meaning.
186 EXAMINATION PAPERS.
3. What was the object with which the Savoy Con
ference was held, and what were its practical results? Do
you know of any earlier meeting with a similar purpose?
4. Refer the following passages to the part of the
Service in which they are found, with a short explanation :
(1) God of Sabaotb/; (2) By thy Cross and Passion ; (3)
Bless thine heritage ; (4) Restore thou them that are
penitent ; (5) the healthful spirit of thy grace ; (6) our
sins, negligences, and ignorances.
5. Explain the meaning, and, where you can, add the
derivation, of the following words : Baptism, Curate, Deacon,
affiance, tribulation, function.
V.
1. Explain, by derivation or otherwise, the terms Liturgy,
Collect.
2. What were the earliest uses of Litanies ? In what
petitions of our Litany would they seem specially traceable ?
Mention any alterations by addition or omission made in the
Litany since Cranmer s time.
3. Give the meaning of the following words as used in
the Prayer Book, and quote any passages in which they occur :
affiance, endue, vouchsafe, ghostly, heritage, sanctify, kindly,
elect, estate, unfeignedly.
4. Enumerate the constituent parts of the Order for
Morning Prayer : (1) in the order in which they stand, as
signing very brief reasons for that order; (2) as nearly as
you can according to the dates of their composition, be
ginning with the earliest.
5. What are the conditions, as set forth in our Public
Service, upon which we may hope for the remission of our
sins?
6. Paraphrase the three promises made on behalf of
infants at their baptism, and explain their full meaning.
7. What prayers in the Liturgy are more particularly
addressed to our Saviour ?
EXAMINATION PAPERS. 187
VI.
1. At what place in the Order for Morning Prayer was
the old Latin Service transferred to the Prayer Book?
Explain the reason of the Rubric preceding the Lord s
Prayer where it first occurs. Why was this Prayer called
the Prayer of the Faithful ?
2. Give a brief analysis of the Te Deum. What is the
legend as to its composition ? To whom may it with most
probability be ascribed ?
3. What is the origin of the word Creed ? Give, with
explanation, any other names which have been given to the
Creeds. What is the probable origin of Creeds? What do
you understand by the Descent of Christ into Hell ? Upon
what passages of Scripture is this article of the Faith
founded ? Explain those you quote.
4. Give the explanation and derivation of the terms.
Lesson ; Collect ; Litany ; Father, of Heaven ; tribulation ;
wealth ; kindly fruits of the earth ; Bishop ; Priest ; Deacon ;
Lesser Litany ; Curate.
5. Quote the Prayer of St Chrysostom. What is our
Saviour s promise on which it is founded ?
6. Whence is the benediction taken with which the Order
for Morning Prayer concludes ?
7. What is Confirmation ? With what rite was it anciently
associated ?
8. In what sense may it be called a Sacrament?
9. Give Scriptural authority for it, and write a short
outline of the Order for Confirmation.
VII.
1. Give the dates of the first and second edition of the
Book of Common Prayer, and of its last revision. On what
earlier forms was the Order for Morning Prayer based ? How
did the Morning Prayer in the first reformed Prayer Book
differ from the present ?
188 EXAMINATION PAPERS.
2. What is known as to the date and place of writing of
the Te Dewm ? What views have been held as to its author ?
Are there any clauses in it where you would alter the transla
tion ? What does the word Sabaoth mean ?
3. What was the primary object of Creeds ? To what
Church does the present form of the Apostles Creed seem to
be due ?
4. Explain, and where necessary derive, the following :
Collect, Anthem, Chancel, Lesaon, Amen.
5. What references are there in the New Testament to
the practice of reading Scripture in Divine Service among the
Jews?
6. What is meant in the Prayer Book by the word Curate ?
7. What does the word Litany mean ? What was the
original idea of Litanies ?
8. How would you divide the present Litany ? Comment
on the words, "heresy," "schism," affiance," "kindly
fruits." Who was St Chrysostom ?
9. What is the object and what are the benefits of Con
firmation ?
10. What Scriptural authority can you adduce for it ?
VIII.
1. What parts of the Morning Service are (1) derived
from early Christian; sources ? (2) taken direct from the
Bible ?
2. Explain the meaning of these expressions in the
Litany : (1) God the Father, of heaven. (2) The kindly fruits
of the earth. (3) In all time of our wealth.
3. What people in the congregation does the Absolution
declare to be pardoned by God ?
4. Why are the Venite, Senedictus, and Benedicitc
called by those names ? Write down the first verse of each.
5. What references to Jewish and to Christian Baptism
are found in the Gospels and Acts ?
6. Explain the words Lesson, Doxology, Collect, Cate
chism, Canticle.
EXAMINATION PAPERS. 189
IX.
1. What was the general character and tendency (omit
ting details) of the three Revisions of the Prayer Book known
as (1) King Edward s Second Prayer Book; (2) Queen
Elizabeth s Book of 1559 ; (3) The Edition of 1662?
2. When were (1) The General Thanksgiving, (2) The
Office of Adult Baptism, (3) The words now used in adminis
tering the Bread and Wine to Communicants, inserted in the
Prayer Book, and for what reason ?
3. Explain the words: Lent, Rogation Days, Maundy
Thursday, Catechism, Curate.
4. Account for the Prayer-Book Version of the Psalms
differing from that in the Bible.
5. Explain the passages: (1) Lord and Giver of Life.
(2) He descended into hell. (3) All other deadly sin.
(4) The leaven of malice and wickedness.
X.
1. In what year was the first Prayer Book of Edward VI.
published, and in what points did the Morning Prayer there
in differ from that in our present book ? What do you know
of the earlier book on which the daily services in Edward s
book were based ? Give the date of the Hampton Court
Conference.
2. What do you consider to be the special purport of the
hymn Te Deum? Are there any points in the translation
which require amendment ? To what Church do we owe it ?
Whence do we derive the hymn JBenedicite ?
3. For what end were Creeds first employed ? What
Creeds are received by the Church of England?
4. What version of the Psalms is that employed in the
Prayer Book ? Briefly describe the plan according to which
Holy Scripture is read in our Church throughout the year.
5. Derive Church, Chancel, Bishop, Priest, Anthem.
What is a Collect, and whence are most of our Collects
derived ?
190 EXAMINATION PAPERS.
6. Under what circumstances were Litanies originally
used ? On what days were they specially said in ancient
times, and on what days do we use our Litany now ? Give a
brief analysis of the present Litany. Mention any changes it
has undergone.
7. State clearly what you consider to be the object of
Confirmation. Quote and discuss Scriptural allusions to such
a rite.
XI.
1. What do you know of the first Book of Common
Prayer published in English?
2. Which have been the chief revisions of the English
Prayer Book since its first appearance?
3. In what chief particulars does the Order of Morning
Prayer differ from the Order of Evening Prayer !
4. From whence are taken the Benedicite, the Magni
ficat, the Cantate Domino, the Jubilate, the enedictus?
5. What Creeds are appointed to be recited at Morning
Prayer, and what directions are given with respect to their
use ? Give the exact title by which each is designated.
6. Give a short account of the Litany.
7. Explain the following words and phrases, and say
where each occurs in the Prayer Book : Contrite ; incarnate ;
fellowship; unity; sedition; pomps and vanity; quick and
dead ; Catholic church ; state of salvation ; kindly fruits ;
elect people of God.
8. Explain the words Litany, Canticle, Lent, Ordinary,
Epiphany, Catholic, Curate, Rubric, Rogation days, Minister.
9. What portions of the Order for Morning and Evening
Prayer are taken out of the Scriptures ?
10. Give a short analysis of the Litany.
I
GENERAL INDEX.
mitive, 132
Absolution, the, introduced into
Daily Prayer, 27; in Visitation
for the Sick, 51 ; only pronounc
ed by a Priest, 69 ; its divisions,
69; in Communion Office, 134
Act of Uniformity, the (1559), 31
Administration of the Lord s Sup
per, 122 144; division of Office,
125, 126
Administration, words of, 139
Adults, Office of Baptism for
(1661), 58
Advent, Lessons for, 78, 79; de
rivation of, 79, .
Agape, the Pri
Alleluia, 72
Alterations in the Communion Of
fice (1552), 26 ; in the Prayer-
Book (1552), 27 ; (i559)> 2 9 :
(1604), 36 ; proposed (1661), 45 ;
summary of those determined
on, 56 ; again attempted (1689),
62
Ambrosian rite, 4
Anointing, discontinued in Bap
tism and in Visitation of the Sick
(1552), 28
Antiphonal chanting, 74
Apocryphal Books, the, 79; objec
tions of Puritans to the (1604), 35
Apostles Creed, 89 ; directed to
be said, 27 ; formerly repeated
in audibly by the priest, 92
Apostolical Hours, n
Athanasian Creed, 90 ; directed to
be used (1552), 27
AUGUSTINE (the missionary), his
Ritual, 5
B.
BACON, the Lord Keeper, his
speech, 30
Baptism, the Office for, explained,
145 160; division of, 145; in
troductory rubrics in, 145 ; pre- j
liminary question in, 147 ; sea.* I
sons of, 167
Baptism. Office for Adult, added
(1662), 58
Baptism, the Office of Infant j
(1549), 22; alterations in (1552), ;
28 ; Puritan objections to the j
cross in, 35 ; private, allowed if I
necessary, 35 ; alterations in the
Office (1604), 37 ; Office as in
Scottish Prayer- Book, 39, n. ;
proposals of Presbyterians, 48 ;
amendments made (1662), 58
Baptismal Vows, 152 ; Act. 157 ;
Formula, 158
BASIL, St, Liturgy of, 4
BAXTER at Savoy Conference, 45,
47 ; his Reformation of the Li
turgy, 54 ^
Benedictions, the, 99, 116, 143, 172
Benediction of the Water in Bap
tism, 155
Benedictus, 87
Bible, Coverdale s, 15 ; Matthew s,
15 ; The Great, 16 ; to be read
in English, 16
Book of Common Order, Knox s,
Book of Common Prayer, early
origin of, i ; so first called by
Cranmer, 17 ; the First of Edward
VI. (1549), 19; its differencesfrom
that now in use, 21; its reception,
23; the Second of Edward VI.
(1552), 25 ; chief alterations in
it, 27 ; the revision under Queen
Elizabeth (1559), 29 ; the Second
of Edward VI. restored, 30; dis
like of Marian Exiles to, 33 ; the
Hampton Court revision (1604),
34 ; changes proposed during
Charles I. s reign, 40; proposals
of Presbyterians (1661), 45 ; al
terations at Savoy Conference,
56 ; attempted revision in the
reign of William III., 61
Books, varieties of Service, 7
Breaking of the Bread, 2
Breda, Declaration from, 42
Breviary, the, 10
British Church, Liturgy of, 5 ; dif
ferences with, 6
BUCER, Martin, 24; appointed Pro
fessor of Theology at Cam
bridge, 25
Burial Service, in the first Prayer-
Book of Edward VI., 22; altera
tions made in (1552), 28; altera
tions proposed by Puritans in
1661, 51 ; amendments made, f><\
192
GENERAL INDEX.
Canonical Hours, the, n
Cant ate Domino, 101
Canticles, the, 81 88
Catechism, the, concluding portion
added (1604), 38 ; alterations de
sired by the Presbyterians, 49 ;
those agreed to by the Bishops,
53 ; divisions of the, 161
CECIL, his influence on Queen
Elizabeth s Prayer-Book, 30
Ceremonies, ancient, at Confirma
tion, 166
Chanting, 74, 75
CHARLES I. wishes to introduce
the Prayer-Book into Scotland,
38
CHARLES II., his declaration from
Breda, 42 ; deputation to at the
Hague, 42 ; his warrant for the
Savoy Conference, 44
Chrisom, the, used in Baptism, 22 ;
ordered to be omitted, 28
Christian Name, the, 157
CHRYSCSTOM, St, Prayer of, 98
Church militant, the prayer for
the, 130; first used (1552), 28;
the last clause added (1661), 57
Clergy and People, prayer for, 97
Clerks, 93
Cloveshoo, Council of (747), 7. i6
Collects, their characteristics, 94,
127; for the day, 95; for peace
and grace, 95; for the King s
Majesty, 97 ; for the Royal Fa
mily, 97; for the Clergy and
People, 97; for Peace and Aid,
103 ; the fixed collects, 103 ; the
occasional collects, 116; in Bap
tismal Office, 149 ; in Confirma
tion Office, iji
Comfortable Words, the, 135
Commandments, the Ten, found
in Anglo-Saxon Prymers, 13 ;
first read in the Communion
office (1552), 27; allowed to be
read in English (1559), 30; the
whole preface prefixed to (1661),
Commendations, the, 14, .
Common Prayer, Apostolic cus
toms as to, 2 (see Book of Com
mon Prayer)
Communion, the Holy, first Eng
lish Order of (1548), 18; order of
the Office in ist Prayer-Book of
Edward VI., 22 ; at a Burial, 23,
28 ; alterations made (1552), 27;
objections made to portions of
by the Puritans in the Savoy
Conference, 47 ; at a Marriage,
51, 59; of the Sick, 51, 60 ; con
cessions of the Bishops as to, 52 ;
final alterations made in Office,
57 ; various names for, 122
Compilers of the English Prayer-
Book, 19, n.
Compline, the office of, 12
Confession, the general in Com
munion Office, 48, 53, 134
Comprehension of Dissenters pro-
^ posed (1668), 6 1
Conference at Hampton Court
(1604), 34; at the Savoy(i66i), 44
Confession, the, first used in the
Order of Daily Prayer (1552),
27 ; private, discontinued in the
Visitation of the Sick (1552), 28;
the general in Daily Prayer, 68 ;
the general in Communion Office
(z66i), 134
Confirmation, Office for, 161; ob
jections of Puritans to (1604),
35 ; alterations in, desired by
Presbyterians (1661), 49; amend
ments conceded, 59; time of,
167 ; act of, 167
Confirmation, Apostolic origin of,
1 66 ; customs regarding, 166, 167
Consecration prayer of, changed,
28 ; of the water in the font, 28 ;
manner of, made more explicit
(1661), 53; of the Elements,
58, 138
"Consecration and Communion"
division of Communion Office,
135 139
Constantinopolitan Creed, 89
Corinthian Church, disorders in,
132 ; rebuked by St Paul, 133 ;
meaning of the rebuke, 134
COVERDALK S Bible, 15
CRANMER, his Bible, 16; he re
vises the Litany, 17 ; revises Ed
ward VI. s first Prayer- Book, 26
Creeds, contained in Anglo-Saxon
Prymere, 13 ; the Apostles Creed
first said at Daily Prayer (1552),
27 ; the origin of Creeds, 88 ; the
Apostles , 89, 92 ; the Nicene, 89,
91, 128 ; the Athanasian, 90
Cross, signing with the, 158
D.
Daily Prayer, the Order of, 64
Dead, prayers for the, offered in
first Prayer-Book of Edw. VI.,
22; omitted (1552), 28
Decalogue, added Jo Communion
Office (1552), 27
GENERAL INDEX.
193
Declaration of Charles II. from
Breda, 42; "concerning Eccle
siastical affairs," 44
Deprecations of the Litany. 109
De-its Misereatur, 102
Directory, the, established by
ordinance of Parliament, 41
Divine Office, the, 12
Doxology, added to the Lord s
Prayer in Daily Office (1661);
70; the Great, 142
E.
Easter, the first Anthem added
for (1661), 57; derivation of,
80, .
EDWARD VI., First Prayer-Book
of, 19; Second Prayer- Book of,
25 ; alteration in Communion
Office under, 26
Elements, the. oblation of, 130
ELIZABETH (Queen) uses an Eng
lish Liturgy, 29; restores the
Prayer- Book of 1552, 31
Ember Weeks, prayers for the, 118
English versions of the Hours, 13 ;
of the Bible, 15 ; the Epistles
and Gospels in English, 15, 18 ;
the Litany in, 16; Order of
Communion, 18
Evening Prayer, 100 ; formed from
the offices of Vespers and Com
pline, 64, 100
Exhortation in Communion Office,
the first, 58, 131 ; in the Daily
Service, 66 ; in Communion Of
fice, the second, 131, 132 ; third,
132; in Baptismal Service, 148,
151; to Sponsors, 152, 160
Exorcism before Baptism, 22
F.
Faith, Vow of, 154
Font, the, water to be renewed
in, 28
Foreign Protestants in England,
24
G.
Gallican Liturgy, the, 4, 123
Gifts, extraordinary, in the early
Church, 164 ; their cessation,
165; ordinary, 165; sevenfold,
170; their import, 170
Gloria in Excelsis, 142 ; ordinary
position of, 142 ; analysis of, 143
Gloria Patri, 71 ; added to the
Psalms, 76
Gospel, the, reading of, 128
P. B.
Gospel, the, in Baptismal Office,
150
Graile, the, or Graduale, 9
GREGORY THE GREAT, his advice
to St Augustine, 5 ; arranges the
Gregorian Church-music, 74
GRINDAL (Archbishop of York)
orders the Morning Service to
be said continuously, 107
GUEST appointed to revise the
Liturgy (1559), 30
H.
! Hallel, the, 73
i Hampton Court, Conference at,
HENRY VIII., Prymerof, 14; Eng
lish Versions of the Bible under,
15 ; English Litany under, 17
Homilies, first Book of, 18
HOOPER (Bishop of Gloucester),
24
| Hours, the Apostolical, 1 1 ; the
Canonical, n ; Office of the, 12
Humble Access, the Prayer of,
Hympnal, the, 9
I.
Immersion in Baptism, 22
Immersion, triple, 158
Intercessions of the Litany, in
Interrogatories, the, in Baptism,
152, 153
Introduction to Daily Prayer, 65
"Introduction" division of Com
munion Office, 125 130
Invitation in Communion Office,
134
Invitatory Psalm, 72
Invocation, Prayer of, at Confirma
tion, 169
Invocations of angels and patri
archs omitted (1549), 21 ; of the
Litany, 108
J-
JAMES I., his revision of the
Prayer- Book, 34
JAMES, St, the Liturgy of, 4
Jubilate Deo, 87
JUSTIN MARTYR, his account of
the Christian service, 3, 123
Kneeling at Communion, 35, 47,
58
1 KNOX, John, his Book of Common
Order, 33
I Kyrie Eleison, in the Litany, 106
194
GENERAL INDEX.
L.
LASKI, John, 24, 65
LAUD (Archbishop), assists in pre
paring the Prayer-Book for
Scotland, 38
Lauds, the office of, 1 1
Laying-on of Hands, in the Old
Testament, 160, 161 ; by our
Lord, 162 ; by the Apostles, 163
Lent, Benedicite used during, 85 ;
Litany daily said in, 106
Lessons, the, 76, 81 ; used in the
Canonical Hours, n ; appointed
to be read in English, 16 ; Apo
cryphal Books objected to as, 35,
46 ; mediaeval, 77 ; the First, on
week days. 78 ; on Sundays, 79 ;
on Holy-Days, So ; the Second,
81
Litany, the English (1544), 16 ;
placed after the Communion
Office (1549, , 21 ; appointed to be
used on Sundays, Wednesdays,
and Fridays (1552), 27 ; altera
tions made (1559), 32 ; additions
made (1604), 37 ; changes de
sired by Presbyterians (1661),
46, 47 ; origin of the, 105 ; ap
pointed by Mamertus on Roga
tion Days, 105 ; the Great Litany
of St Mark s Day, 106 ; times
of saying, 106 ; divisions of the
present, 108
Litany, the lesser, 93, 115
Little Office, the, 13
Liturgies, rise of various, 4; the
Gallican and ancient British, 4,
5 ; the Scottish, 39 ; the primi
tive, 122 125; at first not com
mitted to writing, 123
Lord s Prayer at beginning of
Daily Office, the, 70 ; directed
to be said audibly, 93 ; in Com
munion Office, 126, 140
M.
Magnificat, 100
MAMERTUS (Bishop of Vienne)
appoints the Rogation Days,
105
Manual, the, 9
Marian Exiles, the, 33
MARK (St), Litany on day of,
1 06 ; the Liturgy of, 4
Marriage Service, the, objections
of Presbyterians to, 50; altera
tions made (1661), 59
MARSHALL S Primer, 82
MARTYR, Peter, 24
MARY (St, the Virgin), invoked in
Henry VIII. s Litany, 17; invo
cation discontinued in Edward s
first Prayer-Book, 21
Masse- Booke, the, 9
Matins, the office of, n
Mediaeval Service-books, 7
MELANCTHON, 17
" Millenary Petition," the, 34
Morning Prayer, Puritan propo-
sals as to, 47 ; final amendments
in. 56 : the Order of, 64 ; division
of, 65
Mozarabic Liturgy, 4
N.
Name, the Christian, in Baptism,
157
New Birth, the, 160
Nicene Creed (see Creed), 89, 128
Nocturns, office of, n
Nones, office of, 12
Nonjurors, the, 63, n,
Norman ritual customs, 8
NUKC Dintittis, 102
Obedience, Vow of, 155
Oblation of the Elements, 130
Obsecrations of the Litany, in
Occasional > Offices supplied, 60;
Prayers and Thanksgivings, 116
Offertory, meaning of, 129, , ; de
sign of, 120
Order of the Communion (1548),
18
OSMUND (Bishop of Salisbury), ar
ranged the Use of Sarum, 8
P.
Parliament, prayer for the, 119
Pax Vobiscum, 144
Petition for Peace, Baxter s, 54
Plain-Song, 75
POLLANUS, Valerandus, 65
Porteau, or Portiforium, the, 12
Post-Communion Service, the, 139
Prayers in Daily Office, the, 92
99 ; the Five, following the An
them in Daily Service, 96 ; the
Occasional, 116
Preface to Edward s first Prayer-
Book, 20 ; the present (1661), 56
Preface, the, in the Communion
Service, 136; proper prefaces,
136
Preface, the, in the Confirmation
Office, 104
"Preparation Division of Com
munion Office. 131 135
Presbyterians, they petition for a
GENERAL INDEX.
195
Conference, 43 ; their proposals
as to the Prayer-Book, 45
Prime, the office of, 12
Processions, 105 ; the Litany so
called, 107
Processyonall, the, 9
Protestants, foreign, in England,
2 4
Prymer, the, 13
Psalms, the, 71 76 ; Prayer-Book
version of, 75
Public reading of Scripture, 77
Puritans, or Precisians, 33; their
objections to the Prayer-Book,
35; proposals at the Savoy con
ference, 45 ; concessions to, 52
Purity, Collect for, 126
Queen, Prayer for the, 97, 127
Question, solemn, at Confirmation,
168
Reception of the Elements, 139
Reformation of the Liturgy, 15 ;
Baxter s, 54
Renunciation, Vow of, 153
Revision of church books, 16; of
the Prayer-Book (1552), 25;
(*S59), 3 I ( l6 4)i 35; for Scot
land (1637), 38; (1661), 55; at
tempted (1689), 61
Rogation Days, 105
Roman Liturgy, the old, 4
Royal Family, Prayer for, 97
Rubric, first and second in the
Communion Service, 124; third
and fourth, 125 ; first in Baptis
mal office, 145; second, 146;
third, 147
Saints Days, Lessons for, 80
Salutation of Minister and People,
92
SANCROFT (Archbishop), 63
Savictus, the, 136
SANDERSON (Bishop of Lincoln)
draws up a new Preface to the
Prayer-Book, 56
Sarum, the Use of, 8
Savoy Conference, 44, 45 ; sum
mary of alterations at, 56
Scotland, the Prayer-Book for, 38
Sealed Books, the, 55
Second Prayer-Book of Edward
I Sentences in Daily Prayer, 66
| Sermon, the, 129
I Service- Books, mediaeval, 4; va
rieties of, 7, 9 ; revision of {1542),
16 ; revisers of, 19, n ; destroyed
(i549) 23
Sext, the office of, 12
Sick, the Order for the Visitation of
(1552), 28 ; (1661), 59
Signing with the Cross, 158
Solemn Question in Confirmation,
168
j Sponsors, objected to by the
Presbyterians, 48 ; meaning of
word, 146 ; their office, 146, 147 ;
address to, 152 ; exhortation to,
1 60
STILLINGFLEET (Bishop of Wor
cester), 6 1
Sursutn Corda, 135
T.
Te Deum Laudamus, 82
Ten Commandmeius,the,recitation
of, 126
Ter-Sanctus, the, 136
"Thanksgiving" division of Com
munion Office, 139 144
Thanksgivings, the first and second
in the Communion Service, 140,
141
Thanksgivings on several occa
sions, 116, 120 ; in Baptismal
Office, 159
Tierce, office of, 12
TILLOTSON, Abp. of Canterbury,
61
Trine immersion in Baptism, 22,158
Types of Holy Baptism, 149
U.
Uniformity, Act of (1559), 3 1 ;
(1662), 55
Uses, variety of, 8 ; of Sarum, 8
V.
Venite, 72
Versicles, the, 71, 115
Vespers, or Evening Service, 12
Virgin Mary, the (see Mary), 17,
21
Visitation of the Sick, 28 ; Puri
tan proposals as to, 51 ; amend
ments made in office for, 59
Vows, the Baptismal, 153 155
VV.
Water, the Benediction of, 155
II.
INDEX OF WORDS EXPLAINED IN
THE NOTES.
Abhor, 84
Abrenuntiare, 153
Advent, 79
Advertise, 124
Affiance, 112
Allow, 152 . <*//
Aauphonally, 74
Antiphoncr, 9
Apocrypha, 79
Aquaebajalus, 93
Asoil, 119
"At this present," 70
Bounden, 141
Candidatus, 83
Chancel, 32
Clerk, 93
Cloke, 67
Comfort, 113
Comforter, the, 170
Commemorations, 78
Common, i
Compline, 12
Confirm, 166
Confounded, 85
Creature, 138
Curate, 98
Damnation, 133
Deadly, 47, no
Depart, 50
Dread, 113
Easter, 80
Elect, 157
Ember, 118
Endeavour, 168
Endue, 157
Epiphany, 79
Estate, 120
Fide-jussores, 146
Filioque, 90
Froward, Framweard, 125
General, 68
Ghostly, 109, 170
Gossips, 147 <v-^-ilr.
Governance, 96
Graile or Gradual, c,
Health, 68
Herien, 178
Holpen, 101
Honourable, 83
Hympnal, 9
Infinite, 83
In the Name of, 158
Keep, 144
Kindly, 114 ^. <?..* ^
I Kyrie Eleison, uz6
i Lent, 80
i Lighten, 84
Litany, 104
Liturgy, 2 X --if)-c^
Lively, 148
"Make them to be numbered," 84
Manual, the, 9
Mischief, 109
Mosarabic, 4
Moveth, 66
Mystery, 149
Mystical, 141, 149
Naughty, 125
Negligences and Ignorances. 114
Nones, 12
Offertory, 129 o-ffs^^ /- yurv /W>v
Only, 83
Ordered, 95
Ordinary, 53 t
Passeth, 144
Plantations, 59
Pomp, 154
Portifory, 10
Quinquagesima, &c.,
Reasonable, 141
Renunciation, 153
Sabaoth, 83
Sanctify, 149, 157
Satisfaction, 138
Schent, 85
Septuagesima, 80
Set forth, to, 112
Sexagesima, 80
"Sharpness of Death," 84
Shawms, 102
Sib, 147
Skoymus, 84, 179
Sober, 69
Sponsor, 146
Standeth, 95
Stei}, i So
Sudden death, no
Sureties, 146
Sursum Corda, 135
Susceptores, 146
Synodals, 78 !</#/*
That = that which, 96
Tierce, 12
To-weard, 125
Undirfonge, to, 119
Very, 90, 141 _
Wealth, in c^it^i. t*U(*+
Worship, 50
CAMBRIDGE: I-KINTED BY y. & c. F. CLAY, AT THE UNIVERSITY
