Liturgy revised if his Majesty thought fit. Accordingly, on the 25th of October, 1660, a "Royal Declaration" was issued concerning Ecclesiastical affairs, which, while it allowed a great number of the demands of the Presbyterians, reserved the whole question for discussion at a Conference, and for the decision of a lawful Parliament and Convocation. The Presbyterians expressed themselves as satisfied, and an attempt was made to gain some of them over to conformity by the offer of Church preferments1.

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 consideration 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. VIII. 400. Dr Reynolds accepted the see of Norwich, and was consecrated, Jan. 6, 1661.

quainted, and had been so long received in the Church

of England1"

CHAPTER XII.

THE SAVOY CONFERENCE.

A.D. 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 15th of April. The Bishop of London2 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 sentiments of others.

2. General Proposals. Generally, then, the Presbyterians proposed:

(1) That all the prayers, and other materials of

the Liturgy, should consist of nothing doubtful 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. 298-302.

2 Gilbert Sheldon, Master of the Savoy.

3 Cardwell's Conferences, p. 260.

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 Scriptures1 of the Old and New
Testaments;

(5) To use the new translation of the Bible2
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 Dedication to King James.

(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 deadly1
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," Lecause the wages of sin is death, (Rom. vi. 23).

enjoined, and that ministers should not be bound to "Homilies hereafter to be set forth;"

(5) They objected to two of the Offertory sentences 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 restored to its place1.

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 of profanation than of idolatry.