In the 2nd year of Edward the Sixth a Prayer Book was established by Stat. 2 and 3 Edw. VI. c. 1. This act was not printed with the Prayer Book. The second Prayer Book of Edw. VI. was established by Stat. 5 and 6 Edw. VI. c. I, s. 5, in which the revision of the former book is announced, and ascribed rather to the curiosity of ministers and mistakers than to any other worthy cause; the Form of Making and Consecrating of Archbishops, Bishops, Priests and Deacons is added, and declared to be of the same force as the Book of Common Prayer. This act was printed with the edition of the Prayer Book in 1552. A Prayer Book was likewise established by Stat. 1 Eliz. C. 2. But the regulations made in the several acts of uniformity for the establishing of the several respective Books are enforced by Stat. 13 and 14 Car. II. c. 4, S. 24, by which it was enacted "that the several good laws and statutes of the realm, which have been formerly made and are now in force for the uniformity of prayer and administration of the sacraments, shall stand in full force and strength to all intents and purposes whatsoever, for the establishing and confirming of the said book hereintofore mentioned to be joined and annexed to this act, and shall be applied, practised, and put in use for the punishing of all offences contrary to the said laws with relation to the book aforesaid and no other." By the same statute a true printed copy of this Book of Common Prayer is to be procured for every parish church, chapelry, cathedral church, college and hall, at the cost of the parishioners, and a fine of £3 a month levied for neglect.

In Kemp v. Wilkes, Sir John Nichol gave this useful summary. The Book of

Common Prayer, and therefore the rubric contained in the Book of Common Prayer, has been confirmed by parliament. Anciently and before the Reformation, various liturgies were used in this country, and it should seem as if each bishop might in his own particular diocese direct the form in which the public service was to be performed; but after the Reformation, in the reigns of Edward the Sixth and Queen Elizabeth, acts of uniformity passed, and those acts of uniformity established a particular liturgy to be used throughout the kingdom. King James the First made some alteration in the Liturgy, particularly, as it will be necessary to notice, in this matter of baptism. Immediately upon the Restoration, the Book of Common Prayer was revised. An attempt was then made to render it satisfactory both to the Church itself and to those who dissented from the Church, particularly to the Presbyterians; and for that purpose conferences were held in the Savoy: but the other party requiring an entire new liturgy on an entire new plan, the conference broke up without success. The Liturgy was then revised by the two houses of convocation: it was approved by the king; it was presented to the parliament, and an act was passed confirming it in the 13 and 14 Car. II., being the last act which was passed upon the subject; and so it stands confirmed to this day, except so far as any alteration may have been produced by the Toleration Act or by any subsequent statutes. The rubric then or the directions of the Book of Common Prayer form a part of the statute law of the land. STEPHENS' Laws relating to the Clergy, Vol. 11. 1079–80.

Of the Revision Elizabeth ascended the throne on the 17th Nov. 1558. In the December following a committee was privately appointed to review the Edwardine Service Books and to prepare a new Book for the Queen's approval. The committee consisted of Bill, afterwards dn of Westminster, Parker, afterwards archbp of Canterbury, May, afterwards archbp elect of York. Cox, afterwards bp of Ely, Whitehead, who is said by Anthony

under Elizabeth.

Wood to have refused the archbishopric of Canterbury when it was offered to him by Queen Elizabeth, Grindal, afterwards bp of London, and Pilkington, afterwards bp of Durham, with Sir Thos. Smith as President. In consequence of the illness of Parker, Guest, afterwards bp of Rochester, was called in. From a paper submitted by him to Sir Wm. Cecil, the Queen's Secretary, we gather that the committee not only gave the preference

to Edward's second book, but even advanced still farther in the new path, leaving it optional with the communicants to receive the elements either standing or kneeling. The sympathies of the Queen, however, were with Edward's First Book; and under her influence, as it is thought, the advance was stayed and even some steps were retraced. These alterations of Edward's Second Book, which will be found noted in their proper places, were probably made before the Book was submitted to Parliament; for the bill enforcing it passed rapidly through the two houses, having been read a first time in the Commons on the 18th April

Of the Revision

James succeeded Elizabeth on the 26th March 1603; and in the month of April received a petition from the Puritans, praying for further reforms in the Church. This petition, from the number of names attached to it, was called the Millenary petition. The king was willing to consider the prayer of the petitioners, and seems indeed to have welcomed such an opportunity for the display of his polemical powers. He published a proclamation on the 24th Oct., in which he announced that he had intended to hold a consultation respecting the state of the Church on the 1st of Nov., but was compelled by the prevalence of the plague to defer it till after Christmas. Accordingly he summoned representatives of the Church and of the Puritans to meet him at Hampton Court on the 14th Jan. 1604. The Church was represented by the archbp of Canterbury, the bps of Lon

Of the Revision

A few weeks after the restoration of Charles II. certain Presbyterian ministers presented an address to him, praying for a new form of Common Prayer,. or at least a revision and effectual reform of the old form. The Church party, while contending for the preservation of the Prayer-book in its integrity, were willing to have it reviewed. Accordingly, on March 25th, 1661, a royal warrant was issued, appointing twelve bishops and twelve presbyterian divines, with nine other divines on each side as assistants, a Commission to advise upon and review the Book of Common Prayer. The Commission met for the first time on April 15th, at the Savoy, whence the title Savoy Conference, when the Presbyterians were called on to deliver in their exceptions to the book and to specify the additions which they desired. They did so at some length. They objected to the

1559, a second time on the 19th, and a third time on the 20th. On the 25th April it was sent to the Lords, where it was read a first time on the 26th, a second time on the 27th. On the 28th it was read a third time and passed, all the bps in the house voting against it. The act enjoined that the revised Book should come into use on the 24th June 1559. The 26th section of the Act authorized the Queen, under certain circumstances, to make additions to the Prayer-book. In the exercise of this power she put forth a new calendar in 1561 and made a few verbal alterations.

under James I.

don. Durham, Winchester, Worcester, St David's, Chichester, Carlisle, and Peterborough; the dn of the chapel royal and six other deans, with Drs Field and King. For the Puritans there appeared Drs Reinolds and Sparkes, and Messrs Knewstubs and Chaderton. The chief points objected to were confirmation, the cross in baptism, the surplice, private baptism, kneeling at the communion, reading of the Apocrypha, and subscription to the Prayer-book and Articles. The king took a very active part in the conference, and ruled, on the whole, against the Puritans. It was agreed, however, that a few alterations, or rather enlargements and explanations, should be made: and they were authorized by letters patent published the 9th Feb. 1604, as explanations, so bringing them, as it was supposed, within the scope of the 1st Eliz. c. 2, s. 26.

baptismal office, to the use of the surplice, and to kneeling at the receiving of the holy communion. One of their proposals was that the Litany should be changed into one long solemn prayer, another that the minister should be allowed to omit part of the public prayer at his discretion, another that the repetitions and responsals of the clerk and people and the alternate reading of the psalms and hymns should be laid aside. They further proposed that the minister should have full power to admit or repel communicants. The self-sufficiency, not to say arrogance, which these objections and requirements manifest, marked the whole of their conduct. The consequence was just such as might have been expected. The fierce and captious spirit of the Presbyterians made the Church divines still more unyielding, so that the conference between them ended July 25th, 1661, without

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TT hath been the wisdom of the Church of England, ever since the first compiling of her publick Liturgy, to keep the mean between the two extremes, of too much stiffness in refusing, and of too much easiness in admitting any variation from it. For, as on the one side common experience sheweth, that where a change hath been made of things advisedly established (no evident necessity so requiring) sundry inconveniences have thereupon ensued: and those many times more and greater than the evils, that were intended to be remedied by such change: So on the other side, the particular forms of Divine worship, and the Rites and Ceremonies appointed to be used therein, being things in their own nature indifferent, and alterable, and so acknowledged; it is but reasonable, that upon weighty and important considerations, according to the various exigency of times and occasions, such changes and alterations should be made therein, as to those that are in place of Authority should from time to time seem either necessary or expedient. Accordingly we find, that in the reigns of several Princes of blessed memory since the Reformation, the Church, upon just and weighty considerations her thereunto moving, hath yielded to make such alterations in some particulars, as in their respective times were thought convenient: yet so, as that the main body and essentials of it (as well in the chiefest materials, as in the frame and order thereof) have still continued the same unto this day, and do yet stand firm and unshaken, notwithstanding all the vain attempts and impetuous assaults made against it, by such men as are given to change, and have always discovered a greater regard to their own private fancies and interests, than to that duty they owe to the publick

By what undue means, and for what mischievous purposes the use of the Liturgy (though enjoined by the laws of the land, and those laws never yet repealed) came, during the late unhappy confusions, to be discontinued, is too well known to the world, and we are not willing here to remember. But when, upon His Majesty's happy restoration, it seemed probable, that, amongst other things, the use of the Liturgy would also return of course (the same having never been legally abolished) unless some timely means were used to prevent it; those men who under the late usurped powers had made it a great part of their business to render the people disaffected thereunto,saw themselves in point of reputation and interest concerned (unless they would freely acknowledge themselves to have erred, which such men are very hardly brought to do) with their utmost endeavours to hinder the restitution thereof. In order whereunto divers pamphlets were published against the Book of Common Prayer, the old objections mustered up, with the addition of some new ones, more than formerly had been made, to make the number swell. 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.

In which review we have endeavoured to observe the like moderation, as we find to have been used in the like case in former times. And therefore of the sundry alterations proposed unto us, we have rejected all such as were either of dangerous consequence (as secretly striking at some established doctrine, or laudable practice of the Church of England, or indeed of the whole Catholick Church of Christ) or else of no consequence at all, but utterly frivolous and vain. But such alterations as were tendered to us, (by what persons, under what pretences, or to what purpose soever so tendered) as seemed to us in any degree requisite or expedient, we have willingly, and of our own accord assented unto: not enforced so to do by any strength of argument, convincing us of the necessity of making the said alterations: for we are fully persuaded in our judgements (and we here profess it to the world) that the Book, as it stood before established by law, doth not contain in it any thing contrary to the Word of God, or to sound doctrine, or which a godly man may not with a good conscience use and submit unto, or which is not fairly defen. sible against any that shall oppose the same; if it shall be allowed such just and favourable construction as in common equity ought to be allowed to all human writings, especially such as are set forth by authority, and even to the very best translations of the holy Scripture itself.

Our general aim therefore in this undertaking was, not to gratify this or that party in any their unreasonable demands; but to do that, which to our best understandings we conceived might most tend to the preservation of peace and unity in the Church; the procuring of reverence, and exciting of piety and devotion in the publick worship of God; and the cutting off occasion from them that seek occasion of cavil or quarrel against the Liturgy of the Church. And as to the several variations from the former Book, whether by alteration, addition, or otherwise, it shall suffice to give this general account, That most of the alterations were made, either first, for the better direction of them that are to officiate in any part of Divine Service; which is chiefly done in the Calendars and Rubricks: Or secondly, for the more proper expressing of some words or phrases of ancient usage in terms more suitable to the language of the present times, and the clearer explanation of some other words and phrases, that were either of doubtful signification, or otherwise liable to misconstruction: Or thirdly, for a more perfect rendering of such portions of