them that are to officiate in any part of Divine Service; which is chiefly done And having thus endeavoured to discharge our duties in this weighty affair, as in the sight of God, and to approve our sincerity therein (so far as lay in us) to the consciences of all men; although we know it impossible (in such variety of apprehensions, humours, and interests, as are in the world) to please all; nor can expect that men of factious, peevish, and perverse spirits should be satisfied with any thing that can be done in this kind by any other than themselves: Yet we have good hope, that what is here presented, and hath been by the Convocations of both Provinces with great diligence examined and approved, will be also well accepted and approved by all sober, peaceable, and truly conscientious sons of the Church of England. the growth of Anabaptism] The effect of this upon the generation in which this Preface was written must have been very awful: and the necessity for the Service spoken of was strongly felt by the Convocation. In a work on the Bills of Mortality, written in 1665, there are some incidental remarks which strikingly corroborate those of this Preface: "The keeping of Parish Registers having been taken out of the hands of every Parish Minister, and committed to some inferior fellow elected by the people, and confirmed by the Justices of Peace, had been much neglected, and was again reduced into better order. And till this year the account of Christenings had been neglected more than that of Burials; one and the chief cause whereof was a religious opinion against the baptizing of Infants, either as unlawful or unnecessary. If this were the only reason, we might, by our defects of this kind, conclude the growth of this opinion, and pronounce that not half the people of England between the years 1650 and 1660 were convinced of the need of baptizing..... Upon the whole matter it is most certain that the number of heterodox believers was very great between the said year 1650 and 1660, and so peevish were they as not to have the births of their children registered... 199 It may well .... Grant's Observations on the Bills of Mortality. 8vo. 1665. be believed that it was this privation of the grace of Baptism which led to such fearful profligacy and infidelity in the time of Charles II. and his immediate successors. Convocations of both Provinces] For greater expedition in the work of revision certain Commissioners were appointed by the Convocation of York to sit in the Convocation of Canterbury as their representatives; and thus was accomplished a selection of representatives from the whole body of the Church of England clergy. The last words of this Preface contain an appeal to other times than those in and for which they were written. The safe path which was marked out so wisely by the Reformers has proved to be one which has approved itself to all subsequent generations, and it was the effort of the 1661 Revisers to walk in it faithfully, by returning, wherever they could, to the original English Prayer Book of 1549. Had they attempted to do this to a greater extent, there might have been danger of their whole work being set aside. Sobriety in wild and fanatical times, peace in a controversial age, and conscientiousness when so many were unscrupulous, were wise watchwords. [A.D. 1549.] CONCERNING THE SERVICE OF THE CHURCH. * nal Quignonez' Reformed Roman Breviary, 1535-7. * * * * HERE was never any thing by IHIL enim humano elaboratum Preface of Cardithe wit of man so well devised, ingenio, tam exactum initio unquam fuit, quin postea, multorum accedente judicio, perfectius reddi possit, ut in ipsis etiam ecclesiasticis institutis circa primitivam præsertim ecclesiam contigisse videmus. or so sure established, which, in coutinuance of time hath not been corrupted: As, among other things, it may plainly appear by the Common Prayers in the Church, commonly called Divine Service. The first original and ground whereof if a man would search out by the ancient Fathers, he shall find, that the same was not ordained but of a good purpose, and for a great advancement of godliness. For they so ordered the matter, that all the whole Bible (or the greatest part thereof), should be read over once every year; intending thereby, that the Clergy, and especially such as were Ministers in the congregation, should (by often reading, and meditation in God's word) be stirred up to godliness themselves, and be more able to exhort others by wholesome doctrine, and to confute them that were Adversaries to the Truth; and further, that the people (by daily hearing of holy Scripture read in the Church) might continually profit more and more in the knowledge of God, and be the more inflamed with the love of his true Religion. But these many years passed, this godly and decent Order of the ancient Fathers hath been so altered, broken, This explanatory introduction is the original Preface of the Prayer Book, and is supposed to have been written by Cranmer. It was moved to this place when the present Preface was inserted in 1661. Two short sentences were also erased. By whomsoever it was written, there can be no doubt that it was composed with the Reformed Roman Breviary of Quignonez lying open before the writer. The passages in the right-hand column are, with two exceptions, taken from an edition of 1537, belonging to Queen's College, Oxford, and the preface to this edition agrees with all the later copies. But the Paris edition of 1536 (probably following the Roman one of 1535) differs considerably. Our English Preface is most like the later edition of Quignonez; but the paragraph enclosed in brackets appears to show that the earlier one was also known to the Reformers of our Services. There are six copies of this Breviary in the Bodleian Library, one at the British Museum, one at the Routh 1 The writer has not been able to meet with this, but copies from Gueranger's Institutions Liturgiques, p. 398. Library of Durham University, one in the Public Library at Cambridge, and one in Queen's College, Oxford; but none of these are earlier than 1537. Others are in private hands. It has already been mentioned, in the Historical Introduction (p. xx), that this Reformed Roman Breviary exercised some influence upon the reformed English offices. It set us the example of compression in the services, and also of method. Quignonez removed the ancient Confession and Absolution to the beginning of the daily services, and in this too he was followed by our Reformers. His Breviary, again, established a system of two lessons on ordinary, or ferial days; the first of which was taken from the Old Testament, and the second from the New Testament. On festivals, a third lesson was added, which was generally a short passage from a homily of St. Gregory or some other natristic author. The two former were seldom entire chapters, but were taken in a regular succession, like our own daily lessons. In some respects the changes made by Cardinal Quignonez, and sanctioned by Paul III. in a Papal bull, were more sweeping in their character than those of our own reform. It is evident rom and neglected, by planting in uncertain stitutis discederetur. Nam libri his preface that others, beside himself, were engaged on the work of revision; and this, as well as the long time occupied over it, offers another point of comparison between the two reformed service-books, those of Rome and England. more majorum] Later on occur also the following words: "Ac illud ante omnia visum nobis est in consuetudinem revocare, ut Scriptura Sacra maxime omnium toto anno, et omnes psalmi singulis septimanis perlegerentur." Ut exemplo] This passage is in the earlier edition of 1536, but not in that from which the rest is quoted. The writer has been obliged to quote it from Gueranger, not being able to meet with this edition in England. Responds] These were short anthems, similar to that which is ten times sung during the reading of the passage of Scripture which contains the Ten Commandments. Theoretically they gave the key-note of the Lection; but this principle was often deviated from, and the sense was frequently broken up rather than illustrated. The practice, in moderation, is a very excellent one 1. Verses] Versicles, a short form of respond. vain Repetitions] See Historical Introduction, p. xxvii. Commemorations] Anthems commemorative of festivals. Synodals] The provincial constitutions or canons which were read in parish churches after the conclusion of synods. The reading of them after the lessons was probably the origin of the corresponding custom of giving out notices after the Second Lesson. note. See p. 11, where the 9th Respond for Festivals in Advent is given in a * ..... * * * * . . . . et psalmorum plerisque omissis, pauci singulis fere diebus repeterentur. * * * Accedit tam perplexus ordo, tamque the Pie] The following is exactly one-third of the Pica or Pie for a single Sunday, the first of Advent. Maskell observes that it was not possible for the same service to occur on the same Sunday of the year twice running; and it will be seen that Quignonez and our Reformers did not overstate the case in respect to the complexity of this ancient rule. In York Minster Library there is a volume containing the Pie only. "Pica de Dominica Prima Adventus. "LITERA DOMINICALIS A.-Tertia Decembris tota cantetur Historia Aspiciens. Secundæ Vesperæ erunt de Sancto Osmundo, cum pleno servitio in crastino; et solennis memoria de octava, et de Dominica, et de Sancta Maria cum antiphona Ave Maria. Feria 2 de S. Osmundo: ix. lectiones: omnia de Communi unius Confessoris et Pontificis. Sec. vesp. erunt de commemoratione, et mem. de Sancto, de octava, de Adventu, et de S. Maria, cum ant. Ave Maria.-Feria 3, 5, et sabbato, de commemorationibus, et Responsoria ferialia prætermittantur; et Missa de oct. S. Andreæ dicitur in capitulo. "LIT. DOM. B.-Quinto Cal. Dec. tota cantetur hist. Aspiciens, et mem. de S. Maria.-Fer. 2, 6, et sabb. de commem.-Fer. 3 de feria, et nihil de martyribus nisi mem. ad vesp. et ad matutinas de S. Maria. Missa de vigilia.-Fer. 4. de Apostolo, et solen. mem. de Adv. et de S. Maria.-Fer. 5 de fer. cum Resp. ferialibus, et mem. de oct. et Missa de 4 fer." And so on, through the seven Sunday Letters. It was, perhaps, from the confused appearance which a page of Pica presents that printers came to call any portion of type * * * * ings of the Service was the cause, that | paulo minor opera in requirendo pona- These inconveniences therefore considered, here is set forth such an Order, whereby the same shall be redressed. And for a readiness in this matter, here is drawn out a Kalendar for that purpose, which is plain and easy to be understood; wherein (so much as may be) the reading of holy Scripture is so set forth, that all things shall be done in order, without breaking one piece from another. For this cause be cut off Anthems, Responds, Invitatories, and such like things as did break the continual course of the reading of the Scripture. Yet, because there is no remedy, but that of necessity there must be some Rules; therefore certain Rules are here set forth; which, as they are few in number, so they are plain and easy to be understood. So that here you have an Order for Prayer, and for the reading of the holy Scripture, much agreeable to the mind and purpose of the old Fathers, and a great deal more profitable and commodious, than that which of late was used. It is more profitable, because here are left out many things, whereof some are untrue, some uncertain, some vain and superstitious; and nothing is ordained to be read, but the very pure Word of God, the holy Scriptures, or that which is agreeable to the same; and that in such a language and order as is most easy and plain for the understanding both of the readers and hearers. It is also more commodious, both for the shortness thereof, and for the plainness of the Order, and for that the Rules be few and easy. which is in utter disorder through accident or otherwise by the name of "pie." The ecclesiastical use of the word is thought to have been derived from Tivaş, an index, or table, from the wooden boards on which the directions for service were written out in primitive days. It is identical with "ordinale" and with "Directorium sacerdotum." The "Pica" type of later days took its name from the large letters in which the pica of the Anglican Portiforia was printed. few and easy] The following passage was omitted from the Preface at the last revision:-"Furthermore, by this order the Curates shall need none other books for their public service, but this book and the Bible. By the means whereof, the people shall not be at so great charges for books as in times past they have been." It was crossed out by Bishop Cosin; not, probably, from any idea that the passage was an unworthy one, but because it was so entirely out of date when the press had made the advance it had in 1661. Although, moreover, the passage was applicable to the case of poor parish churches, it was not so in that of richer C And whereas heretofore there hath been great diversity in saying and singing in Churches within this Realm; some following Salisbury Use, some Hereford Use, and some the Use of Bangor, some of York, some of Lincoln; now from henceforth all the whole Realm shall have but one Use. And forasmuch, as nothing can be so plainly set forth, but doubts may arise in the use and practice of the same; to appease all such diversity (if any arise) and for the resolution of all doubts, concerning the manner how to understand, do, and execute, the things contained in this Book; the parties that so doubt, or diversely take any thing, shall alway resort to the Bishop of the Diocess, who by his discretion shall take order for the quieting and appeasing of the same; so that the same order be not contrary to any thing contained in this Book. And if the Bishop of the Diocess be in doubt, then he may send for the resolution thereof to the Archbishop. THOUGH HOUGH it be appointed, That all things shall be read and sung in the Church in the English Tongue, to the end, that the congregation may be thereby edified; yet it is not meant, but that when men say Morning and Evening Prayer privately, they may say the same in any language that they themselves do understand. ones and cathedrals, where as many books as formerly are required for the use of the choirs. There are practically in use by most of the clergy and choirs in one or other class of Churches, separate Breviaries, Missals, Manuals, Antiphonaries, "Service"-books, Psalters, and Lectionaries; the whole volume of the Holy Bible being now used for the latter, instead of those parts only which are needed for the daily and proper Lessons. but one Use] Another part of the Preface erased by Cosin was this; and it seems to have been suggested by a passage in that of Quignonez : the Bishop of the Diocese to deviate from the rules laid down in the Book of Common Prayer. He is the administrator, not the maker, of the ritual law of the Church. THE LATIN PRAYER BOOK'. In the first Act of Uniformity (2 & 3 Edward VI. c. 1), the fifth clause was as follows: "Provided always that it shall be lawful to any man that understandeth the Greek, Latin, and Hebrew tongue, or other strange tongue, to say and have the said prayers heretofore specified of Matins and Evensong in Latin or any such other tongue, saying the same privately as they do understand. And for the further encouraging of learning in the tongues in the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford, to use and exercise in their common and open prayer in their Chapels, being no Churches or other places of Prayer, the Matins, Evensong, Litany, and all other prayers, the Holy Communion, commonly called the Mass, excepted, in the said book prescribed in Greek, Latin, or Hebrew; any thing in this present Act to the contrary notwithstanding." In the Act of Uniformity at present in force (14 Car. II.), this clause is also enacted: "Provided always, That it shall and may be lawful to use the Morning and Evening Prayer, and all other Prayers and Service prescribed in and by the said book, in the Chapels or other Publick Places of the respective Colleges and A Greek version was printed in 1573. |