then to add lawful authority to have them publicly sung before and after sermons, and sometimes instead of the hymns of Morning and Evening Prayer.1 The deliberations upon these changes and concessions continued until the middle of May (1641), when motions were entertained in the House of Commons2 which evidently showed that no changes in ritual or discipline would pacify opponents who sought the ruin of the Church, and who were rapidly increasing in power. The idea of making these concessions was laid aside as useless: but it was not forgotten by Nonconformists that such alterations had once been approved by persons of high name and station in the Church. The Directory. Proposed changes in the Prayer Book. minster As moned. In 1643 (June 12) an Ordinance of Parliament sum- The Westmoned the Westminster Assembly,-a body designed assembly suna substitute for Convocation, consisting of 30 lay members and 121 divines, 'to be consulted with by the Parliament, for the settlement of the government and Liturgy of the Church of England, and clearing of the doctrine of the said Church from false aspersions and interpretations.'3 In the same year (Sept. 25) the Scottish oath, called 'The Solemn League and Covenant,' a deliberate pledge to overturn the Church-was subscribed by the remnant of the Parliament, and then was imposed upon all civil and military officers, and upon all those of the clergy who had hitherto been allowed to retain their benefices. In 1645 (Jan. 3) an Ordinance of Parliament took away the Book of Common Prayer, and established in its stead the Directory for the Public Worship of God in the Three Kingdoms.' This was followed Eccles. Hist. VIII. 199. 1 Cardwell, Conferences, p. 270. 2 The bill against deans and 3 Rushworth, Part III. Vol. II. chapters occasioned a misunder- p. 337. See Collier, Eccles. Hist. standing amongst the divines, and VIII. 248. broke up the meeting. Collier, 4 Hallam, Constit. Hist. 11 224. The Distituted for rectory sub the Prayer Book. (Aug. 23) by another Ordinance for the more effectual putting in execution the Directory.' Henceforth to use the Book of Common Prayer in any 'public place of worship, or in any private place or family within the kingdom,' was punishable by a fine of five pounds for the first offence, ten pounds for the second, and for the third by 'one whole year's imprisonment without bail or mainprize:' not to observe the Directory subjected the minister to a fine of forty shillings; while to do or say anything in 'opposition, derogation, or depraving of the said book,' might be punished by a fine of five pounds, or fifty pounds, at the discretion of the magistrate.1 This history does not require any account of those years of hypocrisy and violence, during which the voice of the Church of England was silenced, and Presbyterianism, after trying to bring a spiritual despotism into every parish and household, was in its turn obliged to yield to Independency,2 a 'hydra of many heads.' 'Old sects revived, new sects were created, and there ensued a state of distraction and impiety, the natural tendency of which was to break up all minor distinctions, and to divide men into two large classes, one of them anxious to find terms of agreement, in order that religion might not be easily extinguished, and the other indifferent whether any form of religion remained.' 3 1 'The Presbyterian State Church proved to be quite as intolerant, and to the majority of the people less pleasant, than the Episcopalian had been. Assemblies of divines have never been celebrated for practical wisdom, moderation, or charity, and, of all assemblies, that of West minster, which sat for six years, and held 1163 sittings, showed the least of these qualities.' Skeats, Hist. of Free Churches of England, p. 51. 2 Hallam, Constitutional Hist. 11. 270. 3 Cardwell, Conferences, p. 244. APPENDIX. THE DIRECTORY. AN abridgment of Calvin's Form of Service, or rather of Knox's Book of Common Order, was presented to Parliament, and printed in 1641, and again in 1643;1 and another adaptation of the same original, somewhat larger than the Middleburgh, but much shorter than either that of Calvin or Knox, was presented to the Westminster Assembly, and printed in 1644.3 The parliamentary divines, however, preferred to issue a work of their own composition. They had denounced the Book of Common Prayer as unfit to lead the devotions of the people; but they then suffered a year to pass by before they attempted to substitute anything in its place. Then came the ordination of Elders and Deacons by an Association of Ministers in London and other chief towns; and then the preparation of a Book of Service. A committee was appointed to agree upon certain general heads for the direction of the minister in the discharge of his office before the congregation: these, being arranged in London, were sent to Scotland for approbation, and summarily established by Ordinance of Parliament (and denounced by a counter-proclamation from the King) as the Directory for : 1The Service, Discipline, and Popery, Heresie, and Schisme, acForme of the Common Prayers, and cording to the Forme published by Administration of the Sacraments, the Assembly of the Kirk of Scotused in the English Church of land, and parallel'd to the best Geneva...1641.' The 2d Edition Reformed Protestant Churches in was called, "The Reformation of Christendome and most humbly the Discipline and Service of the presented to the learned assembly Church, according to the best Re- of Divines, now congregated at formed Churches...1643.' P. Hall's Westminster, by the authority of Reliquia Liturgica, Vol. III. p. 89. both Houses of Parliament, for the 2 See above, p. 86. Reformation of abuses in the government of the Church...1644.' Hall's Reliq. Liturg. Vol. 1. p. 111. 'The Setled Order of ChurchGovernment, Liturgie, and Discipline, for the rooting out of all P. The Directory. Reading of Baftism. Public Worship. This was not so much a Form of Devotion, as a Manual of Directions: the minister being allowed a discretion, either to make the most of what was provided for him in the book, or to use his own abilities to supply what he considered needful. A few of the variations, more especially directed against preceding usages, were,—the rejection of the Apocrypha: the discontinuance of Private Baptism; of godfathers and godmothers; of the sign of the cross; of the wedding ring; and of the administration of the Lord's Supper to the Sick at home: the removal of the communion-table into the body of the church; with the preference of a sitting or standing to a kneeling posture. All saints' days were discarded, and all vestments. No Service was appointed for the Burial of the Dead: no Creed was recited, nor the Ten Commandments; though these with the Apostles' Creed were added to the Confession of Faith a year or two afterwards.1 This parliamentarian form of Public Devotion is entitled, A Directory for the Public Worship of God, throughout the Three Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Together with an Ordinance of Parliament for the taking away of the Book of Common Prayer, and the Establishing and Observing of this present Directory throughout the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales. It commences with a note ‘Of the assembling of the congregation, and their behaviour in the Public Worship of God.' The minister is to begin with prayer, in a short form, for a blessing on the portion of the Word then to be read. All the Canonical Books are to be read over in order: ordinarily one chapter of each Testament at every meeting. After reading and singing, the ininister who is to preach is to endeavour to get his own and his hearers' hearts to be rightly affected with their sins. A long prayer before the sermon. Then follows a long note of the manner and matter of preaching. After sermon follows a prayer of thanksgiving. The Lord's Prayer, as being not only a pattern of prayer, but itself a most comprehensive prayer, is recommended to be used in the prayers of the Church. The Administration of the Sacraments; and first of Baptism. It is to be dispensed only by a minister, in the place of Public Worship, and in the face of the congregation, where the people may most conveniently see and hear; and not in the places where 1 See Hall, Reliq. Liturg. Introd. p. xl. Several editions of the Directory appeared during the years 1644, 1645, and 1646. It is reprinted with the Ordinances of Par liament (Jan. 3, 1644-5, and Aug 23, 1645) in Reliq. Liturg. Vol. III., and in Clay, Book of Common Prayer Illustrated, Append. IX. X. XI. fonts in the time of Popery were unfitly and superstitiously placed. The child, after notice given to the minister the day before, is to be presented by the father, or (in case of his necessary absence) by some Christian friend in his place. Before Baptism, the minister is to use some words of instruction: that the seed of the faithful have right to Baptism: that they are Christians, and federally holy, before Baptism, and therefore are they baptized: that the inward grace of Baptism is not tied to the moment of its administration: and that it is not so necessary that through the want of it the infant is in danger of damnation, or the parents guilty. Prayer is to be joined with the word of institution, for sanctifying the water to this spiritual use. The Communion, or Supper of the Lord, is frequently to be celebrated; but how often may be considered and determined by the ministers and other church-governors of each congregation. It is requisite that public warning be given on the Sabbath-day before the administration; and we judge it convenient to be done after the morning sermon. Therefore, after the sermon and prayers, follows a short exhortation: then, the table being before decently covered, and so conveniently placed that the communicants may orderly sit about it or at it, the minister is to begin the action with sanctifying and blessing the elements of bread and wine set before him. The words of institution are next to be read out of the Evangelists, or 1 Cor. xi. 23—27: then the prayer, thanksgiving, or blessing, offered up to God 'to vouchsafe his gracious presence, and the effectual working of his Spirit in us; and so to sanctify these elements, both of bread and wine, and to bless his own ordinance, that we may receive by faith the body and blood of Jesus Christ crucified for us, and so feed upon him that he may be one with us, and we with him, that he may live in us, and we in him and to him, who hath loved us, and given himself for us.' 'The elements being now sanctified by the word and prayer, the minister, being at the table, is to take the bread in his hand, and say in these expressions (or other the like used by Christ, or his Apostle, upon this occasion):— According to the holy institution, command, and example of our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, I take this bread; and having given thanks, I break it, and give it unto you. (There the minister, who is also himself to communicate, is to break the bread, and give it to the communicants.) Take ye, eat ye.. This is the body of Christ, which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of him. In like manner the minister is to take the cup, and say. According to the institution, command, and example of our Lord Jesus Christ, ... The Directory The Lord's |