CHAPTER X. Documents connected with the attempted revision of I. Commission of William and Mary for the Review of the Liturgy, 1689. From Kennet's Complete History, vol. iii. p. 590. II. Letter from Lord Nottingham to Bishop Burnet, requiring him to attend as one of the King's Commissioners. From the original among the Burnet papers in the Bodleian. III. Proceedings of the Commission of 1689. From Dr. Calamy's Life of Baxter, p. 452. IV. Proceedings of the Commission of 1689. From Dr. Nicholls' Apparatus ad Defens. Eccles. Angl. p. 95. V. The particular acts and adjournments of the Convocation of 1689. From Mr. Long's Vox Cleri, printed anno 1690, p. 59. (Comp. Wilk. Conc. vol. iv. p. 619.) VI. Letter to Dr. Tillotson, bearing date Oct. 5, 1689. From the MS. Library at Lambeth. Gibs. 930, No. 183. a VII. An Act for uniting his Majesty's Protestant subjects. From MS. among the Burnet papers in the Bodleian. CHAPTER X. I. 5 Commission of William and Mary for the review of the Liturgy, 1689. HEREAS the particular forms of Divine worship, and the rites and ceremonies appointed to be used therein, are 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 exigencies of times and occasions, such changes and alter10 ations should be made therein, as to those that are in place and authority should from time to time seem either necessary or expedient : And whereas the Book of Canons is fit to be reviewed, and made more suitable to the state of the Church and 15 whereas there are defects and abuses in the ecclesiastical courts and jurisdictions; and particularly there is not sufficient provision made for the removing of scandalous ministers, and for the reforming of manners either in ministers or people: and whereas it is most fit that there should be a 20 strict method prescribed for the examination of such persons as desire to be admitted into holy orders, both as to their learning and manners: We therefore out of our pious and princely care for the good order and edification and unity of the Church of 25 England, committed to our charge and care; and for the reconciling as much as is possible, of all differences among our good subjects; and to take away all occasions of the like for the future, have thought fit to authorize and empower you, &c. &c. and any nine of you, whereof three to be 30 bishops, to meet from time to time, as often as shall be needful, and to prepare such alterations of the Liturgy and Canons, and such proposals for the reformation of ecclesiastical courts, and to consider of such other matters, as in your judgments may most conduce to the ends abovementioned. 5 II. Letter from Lord Nottingham to Bishop Burnet, requiring him to attend as one of the King's commissioners. (From the original among the Burnet papers in the Bodleian.) My Lord, Whitehall, Sep. 19, 1689. 10 The King commands me to acquaint your Lop. that he has thought fitt to issue a commission under the great seal of England to certaine bishops, deans, and others of the clergy, to prepare such alterations and amendments of the Liturgy 15 and Canons, and such proposalls for the reformation of ecclesiasticall courts, and to consider such other matters as may most conduce to the good order, edification, and unity of the Church of England, soe that their resolutions may be in a readiness to be offered to the convocation at their 20 next meeting, and when approved by them may be presented to his Majesty and the two Houses of Parliament, that if it shall be judged fitt, they may be establisht in due form of law. I am further commanded to acquaint your Lop. that you 25 are appointed one of the commissioners, and that the bishops and clergy in and about the citty doe think Thursday the third of October next will be the most convenient day for the first meeting in or near London; at which you are desired to be present. I am, my Lord, 30 Lord Bishop of Salisbury. III. a An account of the proceedings of the commissioners to prepare matters for the approaching Convocation in 1689. Communicated to Dr. Calamy by a friend. (Calamy's Life of Baxter, P. 452.) 5 THE Committee being met in the Jerusalem Chamber, a dispute arose about the authority and legality of the court. (The Bishop of Rochester, though he had so lately acted in an illegal one, being one of those that questioned it.) The grounds of this scruple were the obligations the clergy 10 lay under by Act of Parliament of King Henry VIII. not to enter into any debates, about making any alterations in Church affairs without the King's special and immediate privacy, and direction first given concerning such alterations. It was answered that that must be done either by an act of the 15 King's own judgment, or by a private cabal, (both which ways would be very exceptionable,) or else by his Majesty's commission to a certain number of ecclesiastics, to consult about and prepare what was necessary to be altered, as it was in the present case. For moreover, the commissioners pre20 tended not to make these alterations obligatory by virtue of a law, but only to get them ready to lay before the Convocation: the very reports being not so much as to be referred to the privy council, lest they might be subject to be canvassed and cooked by lay hands. However, the Bishops 25 of Winchester and Rochester, Dr. Jane and Dr. Aldrich, withdrew dissatisfied; and the rest, after a list of all that seemed fit to be changed was read over, proceeded very unanimously and without any heats in determining as follows, aA MS. copy of this account is in the Tanner Collection, (vol. cclxxxii. No. 30 222.) in a volume containing many papers in the handwriting of abp. Sancroft. Whether this MS. were preserved by the archbishop, or only by bishop Tanner, it clearly may be considered as of high authority, in the absence of the original document confided to Dr. Tenison. It is remarkable that no notice is taken in it of the important point of reordination, which the commissioners certainly 35 debated, and according to the statement of Dr. Nicholls, were willing to concede. (each article as soon as agreed upon, being signed by the Bishop of London,) viz. That the chanting of Divine service in cathedral churches shall be laid aside, that the whole may be rendered intelligible to the common people. That besides the Psalms, being read in their course as before, some proper and devout ones be selected for Sundays. 5 That the Apocryphal lessons and those of the Old Testament which are too natural, be thrown out, and others 10 appointed in their stead by a new calendar, which is already fully settled, and out of which are omitted all the legendary Saints' days, and others not directly referred to in the service book. That not to send the vulgar to search the Canons, which 15 few of them ever saw, a rubric be made, setting forth the usefulness of the cross in baptism, not as an essential part of that sacrament, but only a fit and decent ceremony. However, if any do, after all, in conscience scruple it, it shall be omitted by the priest. That likewise if any refuse to receive the sacrament of the Lord's supper kneeling, it may be administered to them in their pews. 20 That a rubric be made declaring the intention of the Lent fasts to consist only in extraordinary acts of devotion, not 25 in distinction of meats. And another to state the meaning of Rogation Sundays and Ember weeks; and appoint that those ordained within the "quatuor tempora" do exercise strict devotion. That the rubric which obliges ministers to read or hear 30 common prayer publicly or privately every day, be changed to an exhortation to the people to frequent those prayers. That the Absolution in morning and evening prayer may be read by a deacon, the word "priest" in the rubric being changed into "minister;" and those words " and remission" 35 be put out as not very intelligible. That the Gloria Patri shall not be repeated at the end of every Psalm, but of all, appointed for morning and evening prayer. |