THE TITLE OF THE PRAYER BOOK. Common Prayer] This familiar term seems first to have been used authoritatively in a rubric to the English Litany of 1544: It is thought convenient in this Common Prayer of Procession to have it set forth and used in the Vulgar Tongue, for stirring the people to more devotion. It is again found in the Injunctions of Edward VI., issued in 1546-7. But it is a very ancient term, being found in use as far back as A.D. 252, in St. Cyprian's Treatise on the Lord's Prayer; of which he writes, "Publica est nobis et Communis Oratio.

Common Prayer and Public Prayer are not theologically identical, although the terms are used in the same legal sense in the respective titles of the two Acts of Uniformity. In an exact sense, Common Prayer is defined by the authoritative words of our Lord, "Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them. [Matt. xviii. 20.] The Name of God is an expression used with great frequency in Holy Scripture to denote the authority of God; in the same manner as we say, that the official agents of the Sovereign act in the Name of the Sovereign, when they engage in the duties of their office. To be met together in the Name of Christ is to be met together under His authority, not as an accidental or promiscuous assembly; and officially, that is, in the presence and with the aid of His authorized agents.

Thus, true Common Prayer is that which is offered in Divine Service in the Church, by a Bishop or Priest (or a Deacon as locum tenens in some cases), in the presence and with the aid of three, or at least two other Christian persons. Such prayer presupposes a reverent assent to our Lord's application of the words, "My House1 shall be called the house of prayer," and to those already quoted. To it also may be applied the words of St. Cyprian: "They continued with one accord in prayer, manifesting at the same time the instancy of their praying, and the agreement. Because God, who 'maketh men to be of one mind in an house,' admits into the house divine and eternal those only among whom is unanimous prayer."

This kind of prayer is therefore the highest kind of all. Other prayer is exalted in kind, and probably in efficacy, in proportion as it connects itself with that which is Common; as it is offered in that sense in which we are taught to say Our Father; as it is offered under the conviction that Christian individuals stand not alone, each one for himself before God, but are parts of one Body whereof all the members are in communion one with another through the One Intercessor of Whom the ministers of the Church are the earthly representatives.

and administration of the Sacraments] This does not exclude the Sacraments from Common Prayer. The corporate work of the Church is distinctly recognized in the administration of Baptism, and the Holy Communion is the root and apex of Common Prayer. But it puts forward prominently the idea of a never-ceasing round of Divine Service as distinguished from the occasional (however frequent) offering of the Holy Eucharist.

other rites and ceremonies of the Church] These words claim, as a matter of course, that the substance of the Prayer Book is in accordance with the theological and devotional system of the Catholic Church: and, in connection with those which immediately follow, they plainly enunciate the principle set forth more at large in the Thirty-fourth Article of Religion, that while that system is binding on the whole Church, yet particular Churches have a right to carry it out in their own way, according to their own use as to detail and ceremonial. 3

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1 Tò Kupianov, Kyrke, Church, the House of the Lord. 2 On the Lord's Prayer, iv.

3 The phrase "Rites and Ceremonies" is not at all equivalent to our modern words Ritual and Ceremonial; iu refers to the niinor services of the Church, such as the Commination, or the Churching of Women. Archbishop Cranmer's fourth article of 1536 is a good illustration of the meaning intended: "IV. Of Rites and Ceremonies. As vestments in God's service; sprinkling holy water: giving holy bread; bearing candles on Candlemas Day; giving of ashes on Ash Wednesday; bearing of palms on Palm Sunday; creeping to the Cross, and kissing it, and offering unto Christ before the same on Good Friday; setting up the sepulchre of Christ; hallowing the font, and other like exorcisms, and benedictions, and laudable customs: that these are not to be condemned and cast away, but continued,

according to the use of the Church of England] This right was acted upon so freely in ancient days that there was a considerable variation in the details and ceremonial of Divine Service as it was celebrated in different parts of England. Each Prayer Book took its name from the place of its origin, and was thus called the "York use," the "Bangor use," the "Hereford use," the "Salisbury use,' " and so forth but when uniformity of Common Prayer was established upon the basis of these old service-books, one "use" only retained its authority, that of the Church of England.

In modern Prayer Books the words "the United Church of England and Ireland" were, during about seventy years. substituted for the words "the Church of England,' under an Order of Council, dated January 1, 1801; but such an exercise of the Royal authority goes beyond that permitted by the Act of Uniformity; and the change was very misleading.4 The two Churches are, and always have been, in communion with each other, the interchange of friendly relations has always been very free, and they have been united in a common political bond since 1801. The formularies of the Church of England have also been adopted in the Church of Ireland, but a false gloss was put upon the real title of the Prayer Book when it was printed in the unjustifiable form referred to. The Church of England can alter its own "use," and so can the Church of Ireland, but neither can control the customs of the other: and, in fact, there are some important variations in the Prayer Books of the two countries which make the expression "the use of the United Church of England and Ireland" a misnomer. The Prayer Book as it now exists is an adaptation of ancient formularies made by the Church of England alone. Its adoption by other Churches cannot alter the fact, and therefore cannot justly influence the title. However much it may be adopted therefore in Ireland, Scotland, and other possessions of the English crown, America, the Book of Common Prayer is still "according to the use of the Church of England."5

But it is also to be observed that the Irish Act of Uniformity is entitled "An Act for the Uniformity of . . . in the Church of Ireland:" the declaration of assent and consent is to "The Book entitled, The Book of Common Prayer according to the Use of the Church of Ireland ;" and so the title is recited throughout the Act.

together with the Psalter] In the earlier Prayer Books the Psalter was printed with a separate Title-page, as distinct from the Services. The first of Bishop Cosin's "Directions to be given to the Printer," is also, "Set a fair Frontispiece at the beginning of the Book, and another before the Psalter; to be designed as the Archbishop shall direct, and after to be cut in brass." Such an engraved Title-page is affixed to the Sealed Books, and a proof copy is bound up with Cosin's own volume but that to the Psalter was not provided. The Ordinal was bound up with the Prayer Book for the first time in 1661.

The following Tables will illustrate some of the preceding remarks, and shew at a glance what changes have been authorized.

The Table of the Contents of the Prayer Book is not in itself of much interest, but it has been so freely handled by modern printers that a work like the present cannot go forth without an accurate copy of the authorized form. The successive changes made in it have a certain interest, and they are therefore arranged in parallel columns on the opposite page. There is thus given also a sort of bird's-eye view of the History of the Prayer Book.

to put us in remembrance of spiritual things. But that none of these cere monies have power to remit sin." [STRYPES Memorials of Cranmer, i. 89, Eccl. Hist. Soc. ed.]

A rubric at the end of the Elizabethan Prayer Books enjoins also that every parishioner shall communicate at the least three times in the year, of which Easter to be one, and shall also receive the Sacraments and other Rites according to the order in this book appointed."

4 The Act of Uniformity empowers the Sovereign to alter the names of the King, Queen, and Royal Family, as occasion shall require; but to alter the name of the Church itself was a very different thing. In Marriage Licences, and in Letters of Orders, the old form was used: but in many documents the alteration had been adopted. It is right to add that in the titlepage of Edward VI.'s Injunctions he is called "in earth under Christ, of the Church of England and of Ireland the supreme head," and that Henry VIII. had been named by the same title in the Bidding of the Bedes, used in Ireland about the year 1538. [State Pap. Dom. Hen. VIII. ii. 564.] 5 The distinctive title, "Church of England," is very ancient, being found in Magna Charta, where it appears to be used as a familiar phrase.

1662.

The Book of Common-Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, according to the use of the Church of England; together with the Psalter or Psalms of David, pointed as they are to be Sung or Said in Churches; and the Form or Manner of Making, Ordaining, and Consecrating of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.

1662.

The Contents of this Book.

1. An Act for the Uniformity of

3. The Order for Matins and Even- pointed to be read. song, throughout the year.

4. The Introits, Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, to be used at the celebration of the Lord's Supper and holy Communion through the year, with proper Psalms and Lessons, for divers feasts and days.

5. The Supper of the Lord and holy Communion, commonly called the Mass. 6. The Litany and Suffrages.

4. The Table for the order of the Psalms to be said at Morning and Evening Prayer.

5. The order how the rest of holy Scripture is appointed to be read. 6. Proper Psalms and Lessons at Morning and Evening Prayer, for certain feasts and days.

7. An Almanack.

8. The Table and Kalendar for Psalms

7. Of Baptism, both public and and Lessons, with necessary rules private.

8. Of Confirmation, where also is a Catechism for children.

9. Of Matrimony.

10. Of Visitation of the Sick, and Communion of the same.

11. Of Burial.

12. The purification of women. 13. A declaration of Scripture, with certain prayers to be used the first day of Lent, commonly called Ashwednesday.

14. Of Ceremonies omitted or retained.

15. Certain notes for the more plain explication and decent ministration of things contained in this book.

taining to the same.

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9. The order for Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, throughout the year.

10. The Litany.

11. The Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, to be used at the ministration of the holy Communion, throughout the

year.

2. The Preface.

3. Concerning the Service of the Church.

4. Concerning Ceremonies.

5. The Order how the Psalter is appointed to be read.

6. The Order how the rest of the holy Scripture is appointed to be read. 7. A Table of proper Lessons and Psalms.

S. Tables and Rules for the Feasts and Fasts through the whole year.

9. The Kalendar, with the Table of Lessons.

10. The Order for Morning Prayer.
11. The Order for Evening Prayer.
12. The Creed of S. Athanasius.
13. The Litany.

14. Prayers and Thanksgivings upon several occasions.

WHERE at the death of our late Soveraign Lord King Edward the Sixth, there remained one uniform order of Common Service, and Prayer, and of the administration of Sacraments, Rites and Ceremonies in the Church of England, which was set forth in one Book, intituled, The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies in the Church of England, Authorized by Act of Parliament holden in the fifth and sixth years of our said late Soveraign Lord King Edward the Sixth, intituled, An Act for the Uniformity of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments; The which was repealed, and taken away by Act of Parliament, in the first year of the Reign of our late Soveraign Lady Queen Mary, to the great decay of the due honour of GOD, and discomfort to the professors of the truth of Christs Religion :

1 This is the third Act of Uniformity which was passed by Parliament. The first was that which passed the House of Lords on January 15, and the House of Commons on January 21, 1549, and to which the "First Prayer Book of Edward VI." was annexed. The original statute is called of the second and third year of that king, Edward's second year ending on January 27, 1549, and the royal assent not being given until the third year. It was repealed, among other Acts, by 1 Mar. sess. 2, c. 2, in which it is called a statute of Edward's second year, and it is also said to have been "inade in the second year of the King's Majesty's reign" in the fifth clause of Edward's second Act of Uniformity. The following is a summary of this Act:

§ 2 and 3 Edw. VI. c. 1. [A.D. 1549.]

I. For a long time there have been "divers forms of Common Prayer" used in England, that is to say, "the use of Sarum, of York, of Bangor, and of Lincoln; and besides the same, now of late much more divers and sundry forms and fashions have been used in the Cathedral and parish churches of England and Wales, as well concerning the Mattins or Morning Prayer and the Evensong, as also concerning the Holy Communion, commonly called the Mass, with divers and sundry rites and ceremonies concerning the same, and in the administration of other Sacraments of the Church." Some have been pleased with the use of "rites and ceremonies in other form than of late years they have been used," and others greatly offended. The King, Protector, and Council have tried to stay such innovations, but without success; wherefore to the intent that a uniform, quiet, and godly order should be adopted, his Highness has appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury, with other bishops and learned divines, to arrange such an order, "having as well eye and respect to the most sincere and pure Christian religion taught by the Scripture, as to the usages in the Primitive Church." This "rite and fashion of Common and open Prayer and administration of the Sacraments, has been, BY THE AID OF THE HOLY GHOST, WITH ONE UNIFORM AGREEMENT, Concluded by them, and is set forth in the Book of Common Prayer." This form of "Mattins, Evensong, celebration of the Lord's Supper, commonly called the Mass, and adminis tration of each of the Sacraments, and all their common and open prayer,' is therefore to be said and used from and after the Feast of Pentecost next ensuing, "and none other or otherwise."

II. Any clergyman refusing to use the Book of Common Prayer, or using any other forms than those set forth therein, shall, on conviction by verdict of a jury, forfeit one of his benefices, and suffer six months' imprisonment for the first offence; for the second offence be imprisoned for twelve months, and forfeit all "his spiritual promotions;' and for the third offence suffer imprisonment for life. Unbeneficed clergy to be imprisoned six months for the first offence, and perpetually for the second.

III. No "interludes, plays, songs, rhymes," or any other open words, are to be allowed to be spoken "in the derogation, depraving, or despising of the same Book, or of any thing therein contained, or any part thereof." No one shall forcibly compel a clergyman to use other forms than those of the Prayer Book, under penalties similar in character to those enacted in the second clause.

IV. Gives power to the Judges to inquire, hear, and determine all offences committed contrary to this Act.

:

Be it therefore enacted by the Authority of this present Parliament, That the said Statute of Repeal, and every thing therein contained, only concerning the said Book, and the Service, Administration of Sacraments, Rites, and Ceremonies contained or appointed in, or by the said Book, shall be void and of none effect, from and after the Feast of the Nativity of Saint John Baptist next coming and That the said Book, with the order of Service, and of the Administration of Sacraments, Rites and Ceremonies, with the alteration and additions therein added and appointed by this Statute, shall stand, and be, from, and after the said Feast of the Nativity of Saint John Baptist, in full force and effect, according to the tenour and effect of this Statute: Any thing in the foresaid Statute of Repeal to the contrary notwithstanding.

V. Provides that any Archbishop or Bishop may associate himself with the Judge in the trial of such offences as have been committed within his own diocese.

VI. The Prayer Book may be used in Greek, Latin, or Hebrew, by such as understand those languages, with the exception of the Holy Communion. VII. In "Churches, Chapels, Oratories, or other places," any Psalm or Prayer taken out of the Bible may be used, provided the proper Service has been previously said.

VIII. That the books shall be bought at the charges of the parishioners, and where they have been obtained before Pentecost shall be put in use within three weeks afterwards.

The five following clauses are of a technical kind, and need not be noticed.

The following is also a summary of the second Act of Uniformity, to which the "Second Prayer Book of Edward VI." was annexed:

§ 5 and 6 Edw. VI. c. 1. [A.D. 1552.]

I. The Book of Common Prayer, "a very godly order, agreeable to the Word of God and the primitive Church, very comfortable to all Christian people desiring to live in Christian conversation, and most profitable to the state of this realm," having been set forth by authority of Parliament, yet a great number of persons "following their own sensuality, and living either without knowledge or due fear of God," neglect to come to church on Sundays and Holy-days.

II. For reformation thereof, it is enacted that every person shall duly attend church, unless they have some reasonable hindrance. The two following clauses give authority to punish those who disobey the Act.

V. Doubts about the manner of using the Prayer Book having arisen, "rather by the curiosity of the minister and mistakers, than of any other worthy cause," the said book has, by command of the King, and with the authority of Parliament, been " faithfully and godly perused, explained, and made fully perfect," and a form for the consecration of bishops, and ordination of priests and deacons, has been annexed to it. The revised book is to be in force under the provisions of the former Act; and shall be put in use by all persons after the Feast of All Saints, under penalties such as those previously enacted: every Curate reading this Act on one Sunday in every quarter of a year; and enforcing the duty of Common Prayer in an exhortation to his people.

Both these Acts of Uniformity were repealed in 1553, and the authority of Parliament consequently withdrawn from both the Prayer Books, by the third Act of Parliament passed after Queen Mary's accession [1 Mar. sess. 2, c. 2]. But this "Statute of Repeal, and every thing therein contained, only concerning the said Book," was made "void and of none effect" by the Elizabethan Act of Uniformity: the second book (subject to the alterations made in it by Elizabeth's Commissioners) being thus revived, but not either of the statutes themselves. The Act of Mary's reign was, however, entirely repealed by 1 James I. c. 25, and thus the two Acts of Edward were revived. They are also said to be made perpetual by 5 Anne, c. 5, and in the authoritative list of the statutes published in the year 1870 they are set down as still in force.