Puritan Substitutes for the Prayer Book. The Middle burgh Book of Prayer. have had the same accordingly established, they offered to the Parliament a book of their own, for the Form of Common Prayers, &c.; and thought it (as it seemeth) altogether inconvenient to leave every minister to his own choice to use what form he list, other than such as were allowed in some church which had received the Discipline: for any such they liked of indefinitely. Whereby to me it seemeth manifest, that they never meant to have required the enacting of that chapter, De reliquis Liturgia Officiis; but only to set down what course their brethren should follow for the interim, until they might take further order for a book of their own.' An edition (probably the first) of this Puritan Book of Common Prayer was printed in London by Waldegrave, without date; yet doubtless either in 1584, or the early part of 1585; for it was prohibited by an order of the Star Chamber in June 1585: and a second edition, somewhat altered in arrangement, appeared at Middleburgh (where a company of English merchants resided under the ministry of Cartwright) in 1586; a third, an exact reprint, but much neater in appearance, in 1587; and a fourth, with additions, in 1602. In 1587 this book was introduced into the Low Countries, its use having been hitherto confined almost exclusively to Northamptonshire, where Edmund Snape resided. As regards the authorship of the volume,—whether or no Cartwright himself, or his friend Travers, or Dudley Fenner, then at Middleburgh, or even Snape, had any hand in the writing,— it is certain that nothing more was attempted than a brief and desultory compilation from the Genevan form of Calvin, and that perhaps not directly, but through one or other of the abbreviations of Knox's Book of Common Order. The first, or London, edition of this book is reprinted in the first volume of the Rev. P. Hall's Fragmenta Liturgica; and a collation of the Middleburgh editions in the first volume cl his Reliquia Liturgica. CHAPTER IV. THE PRAYER BOOK FROM THE ACCESSION OF JAMES I. [A.D. 1603—1649.] UPON the accession of King James I. (March 24th, 1603), the earliest measure adopted by the general body of the Puritans was to present to him (in April) the famous Millenary petition, so called from the great number of signatures attached to it. Upon the subject of the Prayer Book they urged that of these 'offences following, some may be removed, some amended, some qualified : 'In the Church Service: that the cross in baptism, interrogatories ministered to infants, confirmations, as superfluous, may be taken away: baptism not to be ministered by women, and so explained: the cap and surplice not urged: that examination may go before the Communion that it be ministered with a sermon: that divers terms of priests and absolution and some other used, with the ring in marriage, and other such like in the book, may be corrected: the longsomeness of service abridged church-songs and music moderated to better edification that the Lord's Day be not profaned: the rest upon holidays not so strictly urged: that there may be an uniformity of doctrine prescribed: no popish opinion to be any more taught or defended: no ministers Puritan Objections. A Conference pro posed, charged to teach their people to bow at the name of Jesus that the canonical Scriptures only be read in the church.' 'These, with such other abuses yet remaining and practised in the Church of England,' they declared themselves able to show not to be agreeable to the Scriptures,' if it should please the King further to hear them, or more at large by writing to be informed, or by conference among the learned to be resolved.'1 6 The King acceded to the request for a Conference, as suited to his own fondness for such a debate, though contrary to the wishes of the universities and of the and ordered clergy generally. A proclamation was issued (Oct. 24), by procla mation. 'Touching a meeting for the hearing and for the determining things pretended to be amiss in the Church,' to be had before himself and his council of divers of the bishops and other learned men. The meeting was at first intended to be held on the 1st of November, but was deferred till after Christmas. Meanwhile, Archbishop Whitgift sent to Hutton, archbishop of York, certain queries of matters that might be debated at the Conference; among which these points were noted: 'Concerning the Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments: whether to overthrow the said book, or to make alteration of things disliked in it: concerning the sign of the cross in the child's forehead made at its baptism: concerning praying in the Litany to be delivered from sudden death, since we ought so to live, that death should never find us unprepared.'2 The Conference was held at Hampton Court, on the 14th, 16th, and 18th of January, 1604. The persons summoned to take part in the discussion, on the side of 1 Cardwell, Conferences, pp. 131 sq. Appendix, xliv. Cardwell, Confer Strype, Whitgift, p. 570; and ences, pp. 151 sqq. LIBRARY Court. UNIRSITY OF NIA the Puritans, were Dr. Rainolds, Dr. Sparkes, Mr. Knewstubbs, and Mr. Chaderton, who had the reputation of being the most grave, learned, and modest of the party The Conference, however, was not a discussion between the Episcopal and Puritan divines in the presence of the royal council, but a Conference first between the King and the bishops, and secondly between the King and the invited Puritan divines, concluded by the royal determination upon the points debated. On the first day the King assembled the lords of his council and the bishops with the dean of the chapel royal, and after an hour's speech propounded six points; three of them in the Common Prayer Book, viz. the general absolution, the confirmation of children, and the private baptism by women the two former were allowed, but some things in them were to be cleared. After a long discussion on private baptism, it was agreed that it should only be administered by ministers, yet in private houses if occasion required. Some other matters were debated, concerning the jurisdiction of bishops, and the civilization of Ireland. On the second day, the Puritan representatives were called before the King and the council, in the presence of certain of the bishops and the deans, who had been summoned to take part in the Conference. The Puritans propounded four points :-purity of doctrine: means to maintain it the bishops' courts: the Common Prayer Book. Concerning the book itself and subscription to it, there was much stir about all the ceremonies and every point in it; chiefly Confirmation, the cross in baptism, the surplice, private baptism, kneeling at the Communion, the reading of the Apocrypha, and subscriptions to the Book of Common Prayer and Articles. 'All that day was spent in ceremonies,' writes Dean Montague in a Hampton Court. Conference at letter giving an account of what passed in his presence, and 'all wondered that they had no more to say against them.' The conclusion was 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 Scripture; and that any doubtful point of the Articles should be cleared. Alterations agreed to by the King and the bishops, on Wednesday, Jan. 18. On the third day, the bishops and deans, with certain civilians, attended at the court, and the Archbishop presented to the King a note of those points which had been referred to their consideration on the first day. These were: 1. Absolution, or remission of sins, in the rubric of absolution. 2. In private baptism, the lawful minister present. 3. Examination, with confirmation of children. 4. Jesus said to them, twice to be put in the Dominical Gospels, instead of Jesus said to his disciples.' The King also directed an alteration in the rubric of private baptism: instead of, 'They baptize not children,' it should be, 'They cause not children to be baptized;' and instead of, 'Then they minister it,' it should be,' The curate, or lawful minister present, shall do it on this fashion.' Then, after some discussion about the High Commission, the oath ex officio, and excommunication, and referring some points to special committees, Dr. Rainolds and his associates were called in, and the alterations agreed to were read to them. There was a little disputing about the words in the marriage ceremony, 'With my body I thee worship,' and it was agreed that they should be, 'worship and honour,' if it were thought fit. And so, after a discourse upon unity and peace from the King, and a vain complaint urged in behalf of some ministers in Lancashire and Suffolk, who would lose their credit if they were now forced to use the surplice and cross in baptism, which 1 Cardwell, Conferences, p. 140. |