Nonjurors. Sick. This publication caused a division in the Nonjuring Communion, several of the bishops and a good many of the clergy adhering from different motives to the Prayer Book of the Established Church. These at length succeeded in persuading the greater part of the Usagers to give up their revivals of old customs, and again conform to the English Book. The few who still held out were headed by Bishop Deacon. Whether he had been concerned or not in the compilation of these Offices is uncertain; but he now introduced much greater changes into the Congregational worship of the Nonjurors. In 1734 he published a large 8vo volume, comprising A Complete Collection of Devotions both public Deacon's Collection of and private. These Public Devotions became the form of SerDevotions. vice among his followers; whereupon, in 1746, Deacon published an 8vo pamphlet of fifty pages, containing: (1) The Form of Admitting a Convert into the Communion of the Church: (2) A Litany, together with Prayers in behalf of the Catholic Church: (3) Prayers on the Death of Members of the Church, and an Office for those who are deprived of the advantage of receiving the Sacrament, &c. The Litany has been occasionally published for the use of the successors of the Nonjurors assembling in one or two of the larger towns northward: and an edition was printed at Shrewsbury so lately as 1797.3 Connected with the deviations of the Nonjurors from the forms of the Book of Common Prayer is the use of the Scottish Communion Office. It has been noticed that a Prayer Book for Scotland was sanctioned by King Charles I. in 1637, the introduction of which was the signal for the outbreak of the Great Rebellion. Its use was not revived at the Restoration; and during the reigns of Charles II. and James II. the Church of Scotland, although Episcopal in constitution, used no prescribed forms of prayer. But, soon after the disestablishment in 1688, a desire for such forms sprang up among those who adhered to that communion, and they were gradually introduced. The difficulty of procuring copies of the Scotch Prayer Book (1637) led to the use 1 Hall, ibid. vol. I. Introd. p. xxxviii. Lathbury, pp. 492 sqq. 2 Hall, ibid. pp. xli. sq. The first part of this production is reprinted in Frag. Liturg. vol. VI. entitled, A Complete Collection of Devotions: taken from the Apostolical Constitutions, the Ancient Liturgies, and the Common Prayer Book of the Church of England. Part I. Comprehend- sqq. Hall, II. p. 115. M The Scottish Communion Nonjurors. American Prayer Book. of the English Book, considerable supplies of which were sent by English churchmen who sympathised with the sufferings of their friends in Scotland. The Communion Service, however, was often used according to the form of 1637; and at last it was adopted by all as the Communion Office of the Church. It was printed repeatedly in a separate form, and between 1735 and 1764 slight changes were made, all tending to bring it into closer agreement with the primitive Liturgies, especially with that of S. James of Jerusalem. A few additional changes made in 17921 were only used locally; and at present the text of 1764 is the nearly universal standard. An edition was published by the Rev. John Skinner (son of the late Bishop of Aberdeen) in 1800, and again in 1807, with a Preliminary Dissertation on the Doctrine of the Eucharistical Sacrifice, a copious local Illustration, and an Appendix containing a Collation of the several Communion Offices in the Prayer Books of Edward VI., the Scotch Prayer Book of 1637, the present English Prayer Book, and that used in the present Scotch Episcopal Church, made by Horsley, bishop of St. Asaph, in 1792. It is, however, used now only in a few of the Scotch Episcopal congregations; and in 1863 it was deprived of all authority by the General Synod, which declared nevertheless that it had beer adopted under the guidance of divers learned and orthodox bishops.2 SECT. III.—The Prayer Book in Independent Churches and Congregations. 1.-The American Prayer Book. After the Declaration of the Independence of the United States the Episcopal Church of America was also, though not without difficulty, settled in a condition of independence. Bishops were consecrated, in the first instance in Scotland, and afterwards in Fragmenta Liturgica, vol. v. 2 Much information on the subject of this Section is given by Rev. G. H. Forbes, of Burntisland, in the Panoply, vol. III. No. 4. 1 'Every single bishop,' writes Bp. Drummond in 1792, 'has made editions, and even some changes and additions, according to their liking.' The editions, however, were published without any name of the editor, until Skinner's edition in 1800. The actual names of the bishops assigned to them are traditional conjectures. 4 Dr. Seabury was consecrated by See Hall, Introd. p. lxii. Many of the Bishops of Aberdeen, Ross, and these varying forms are printed in Moray, November 14th, 1784. Ibid. 3 See Caswall's Hist. of the American Church (2d ed. 1851), pp. 135 sqq. England, according to the request of the first General Convention (September 1785). This could not be immediately accomplished, not only on account of the oath of allegiance required by the English law, but because certain important alterations were at the same time proposed in the Prayer Book. Some of them were meant to conciliate the new Government, some perhaps were admissible as improvements; but there were others decidedly objectionable and suspicious, such as the omission of the Athanasian and Nicene Creeds, and the clause in the Apostles' Creed affirming the Descent into Hell.' The reply of the English Archbishops pointed out some of these changes, and some matters of discipline, stating also that, if the Convention would give them satisfaction in these particulars, other hindrances could be removed. Accordingly, the Convention (Oct. 1786) replaced the Nicene Creed, and the clause of the Apostles' Creed; and on the 4th of February, 1787, two Bishops were consecrated at Lambeth for the American Church.2 The American edition of the Book of Common Prayer was arranged substantially as it remains at present, by the next General Convention, in 1789. In the Calendar, proper Second Lessons are appointed for Sundays and Holydays. The Second Lessons at daily Morning Prayer are shortened so as to read the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles twice in the year. The Athanasian Creed and the Absolution in the Visitation of the Sick are expunged. The term 'Absolution' in the rubric is altered to 'Declaration of Absolution. It is provided that any churches may omit the words in the Creed 'He descended into Hell,' or may substitute for them 'He went into the place of departed spirits.' Selections of Psalms are given, one of which may be used instead of the Psalms in the daily Order; and Invitatories, formed of verses of Psalms, are appointed instead of Venite for Christmas-day, Ash-Wednesday, Good Friday, Ascension-day, and Whitsun-day. The omission of the sign of the Cross in Baptism is permitted, if desired by the sponsors. The words 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost,' in the Ordinal, may be exchanged for another form at the discretion of the Bishop. Important changes are made in the language of the Burial Service. p. 139. See also a History of the Protestant Episcopal Church in America, by the Rp. of Oxford, pp. 198 sqq. 1 Caswall, p. 141; Bp. of Oxford, Hist. p. 220. 2 Dr. William White and the Rev. Samuel Provoost, who had been American Prayer Book. Variations from the English Book. American Prayer Book. Dr. Clarke's scheme. Boston In the Communion Office the words 'verily and indeed taken' are altered to 'spiritually taken ;' but, on the other hand, the influence of Bishop Seabury prevailed sufficiently to restore the prayers of Invocation and Oblation, which had been omitted in the Second Prayer Book of Edward VI.; and thus the American Communion Service is almost identical with that of the old Scottish Prayer Book. The rubrics generally are rendered consistent with the actual practice of the Church. 2.-The Socinian Prayer Book. The Book of Common Prayer must contain many excellences, or it would not have been taken as the model after which congregations, avowedly differing from it most widely in points of doctrine, shaped their Services. These Offices of heretical worship took the form of the Prayer Book, from a scheme prepared by Dr. Samuel Clarke, the Rector of St. James's, and at one time chaplain to Queen Anne. His plan was to reform the Book, so that it should not exclude the author's opinions respecting the Holy Trinity. The result was a series of perverted editions of the Prayer Book. Thus there is A Liturgy collected principally from the Book of Common Prayer, for the use of the first Episcopal Chapel in Boston; together with the Psalter or Psalms of David, 1785. This is the Prayer Book, Arianized by Clarke, and Socinianized by Lindsey; and in the Psalter the objectionable passages are printed in italics, to be omitted in public reading.3 Among the British residents at Prayer Book. Dunkirk many attempts were made to establish a Church entirely conformable to the Church of England; but as that could not be agreed to, a Prayer Book was compiled on Dr. Clarke's plan, 'omitting everything that might offend, and bringing together such sentiments as all might with satisfaction unite in.' The work, a favourable sample of this description of book, not avowedly Arian Dunkirk In 2 'It appears that he was in the habit of omitting portions of the Liturgy. On Trinity Sunday, 1713, in order to avoid reading the proper preface in the Communion Service, he omitted the administration of the Lord's Supper altogether. The Queen was offended at his conduct, and removed him from his post of royal chaplain.' Lathbury, Hist. of Convoc. p. 425. 1 Cf. Caswall, Hist. p. 144. 3 Hall, Frag. Lit. Introd. P. lxix. or Socinian,1 has been reprinted by Mr. Hall, in vol. VII. of the Fragmenta Liturgica. The title is, 'The Book of Common Prayer, compiled for the use of the English Church at Dunkirk, together with a Collection of [metrical] Psalms. Dunkirk 1791.' The Prayer Book, perverted upon this plan, is still printed in England: a copy is before me, entitled, 'The Book of Common Prayer reformed, according to the plan of Dr. Samuel Clarke. Bristol, 1830.'2 Socinian Prayer Book. Modern Socinian Variations from the Book of Common The variations introduced are subtle, and of different degrees of importance. The Absolution, the Creeds, and the Psalms, with the exception of a few selected portions, are omitted. The words, 'through Jesus Christ our Lord,' are sometimes omitted, but are more frequently retained, sometimes with the alteration, ‘according to the gospel of thy Son, &c.' The words, 'prosper all his righteous undertakings against his enemies,' are used in the Prayer for the King, and in the Litany, on the authority of the Commissioners in 1689. The invocation at the opening of the Litany is in one clause only, addressed to God the Father: every word is omitted which refers to the Incarnation of God the Son, the blood of Christ, &c.: mention of Satan, hell, everlasting damnation, false doctrine, heresy and schism, the Holy Church universal, the Holy Spirit, &c., is avoided the Litany ends at the last suffrage. The forms of the Doxology are, (1) 'Glory be to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God: Ans. As it was in the beginning, &c.; or (2) Glory be to the Father, the everlasting God: Ans. As it was, &c.' Four forms of 'valedictory blessing' are provided: (1) The and of Blessing. grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all evermore. I Cor. xvi. 23; Philipp. iv. 23:' (2) 'May the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, make us perfect, strengthen, settle us. To him be glory and dominion for ever and I Pet. v. 10, 11:' (3) The LORD bless us and keep us: may he be gracious unto us; and give us peace now and for evermore. Numb. vi. 24, 25, 26:' (4) ' May the blessing of Almighty God be with us all evermore. Amen! ever. The Communion Service causes some change in the order of Lit. vol. VII. p. 67: Book of Com. 1 Yet in the service for the baptism of adults the Exhortation says, 'By being baptized, you do not de- 2 This indisputably Socinian book clare yourself of any religious sect or is formed from the Prayer Book upon party: but a Christian. For you are exactly the same plan as the Dunbaptized into the name of Jesus only: kirk book; but it goes much farther not of Paul, or of Peter...not of in avoiding phrases expressive of Luther, Calvin, or Socinus, in later Catholic, as opposed to Arian, doctimes...' Dunkirk Prayer Book. (Frag. trine. Forms of Doxology, |