Second Prayer-Book Prayer, which had been framed upon the ancient model of Edward VI. of the Canon in the Roman Liturgy, was changed into l'octrinal change respecting Christ's pre sence in the Eucharist. the Prayer for the Church Militant, the Prayer of Consecration, and the first form of the Prayer after Communion at the delivery of the bread and wine to the communicants the second clauses of our present forms were substituted for the first clauses; whereby direct mention was avoided of taking the Body and Blood of Christ. In Baptism, the exorcism, the anointing, the putting on the chrisom, and the triple repetition of the immersion, were omitted; the font was to be filled, and the water to be consecrated, whenever the Service was used. In the Visitation of the Sick, the allusion to Tobias and Sarah, the anointing, and the direction for private confessions and reserving portions of the bread and wine consecrated at the Public Service, were omitted. In the Burial Service, the prayers for the dead, and the office for the Eucharist at funerals, were omitted. The rubric concerning Vestments ordered that neither alb, vestment, nor cope should be used; a bishop should wear a rochet, a priest or deacon only a surplice.1 The great doctrinal alteration referred to the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. In the book of 1549 the Communion Service had been so constructed as to be consistent with the belief of a real, and perhaps of a substantial and corporal presence. But the alterations in 1552 were such as to authorize and foster the belief that the consecrated elements had no new virtues imparted to them, and that Christ was present in the Eucharist in no other manner than as He is ever present to the prayers of the faithful. The pale of Church communion was thus enlarged for the more ultra reformers, 1 Soames, Hist. Ref. Ed. VI. p. 603; Clay, Historical Sketch, p. 27. while all sanction was withdrawn from statements of Second Prayer-Book doctrine which might be understood in the sense of the of Edward VL unreformed Church.1 This revisal was a long time in hand. The archbishop and his coadjutors were engaged upon it in the autumn of 1550. The 'censures' of Bucer and Martyr were delivered to the primate early in January 1551, when the principal alterations were already determined. The French Order of Service was published by Pullain (Pollanus), about the end of February; and that of the German congregation, by John Laski, probably about the same time. In November 1551, a private discussion was held concerning the manner of Christ's presence in the Sacrament. Parliament met January 23d, 1552; and Convocation, as usual, on the following day. The Act of Uniformity passed both Houses April 6th, and a long interval was allowed before the revised book was to come into use, which was not until the Feast of All Saints. This delay seems to have arisen from a contest of opinion. Many considered that there was no real necessity to supersede the First Prayer Book: and the more zealous Protestant party were not satisfied even with the second, as now printed. Their opinions, too, were gaining ground with those in authority in the royal Council; and they succeeded so far as to introduce a clause involving further condemnation of the views opposed by them, before the books were published. Indeed, 1 See Cardwell, Hist. of Conferences, Introd. p. 5; Hardwick, Reformation, pp. 224 sqq.; and an "Historical Account of Transubstantiation' in Soames, Hist. Ref. Ed. VI. chap. II.; Freeman, Principles of Divine Service, Introduction to Part II. pp. 42 sqq. 2 Nov. 25. Sir John Cheke, Horne dean of Durham, Whitehead, and Grindal, with Freckenham and Young on the popish side, met at the house Publication Prayer of the revised Book delayed. The Prayer- Declaration the issue was suspended in September, until certain faults were corrected;1 and almost at the last moment before the book was to be used according to the Act of Parliament, a declaration was ordered to be added to the Comadded concerning munion Office, in explanation of the rubric which requires kneeling at Communion. communicants to kneel at receiving the consecrated elements,—that it is not meant thereby that any adoration is done, or ought to be done, either unto the sacramental bread or wine there bodily received, or to any real and essential presence there being of Christ's natural flesh and blood.' 2 The Prayer Book for Ireland. The Church of Ireland, although having its own Convocation, followed in ecclesiastical reforms the orders which were sent across from England. Edward's first Act of Parliament, which commanded the Communion to be given 'under both the kinds,' applied to 'the people within the Church of England and Ireland;' and the Proclamation prefixed to 'The Order of the Communion' (1548), made no distinction between the two countries: yet it was not until February 6th, 1551, 1 'Sept. 27th an order came to Grafton the printer in any wise to stay from uttering any of the books of the new service. And if he had distributed any of them among his company (of stationers), that then he give strait commandment not to put any of them abroad until certain faults therein were corrected.' Strype, Memorials Ed. VI. II. 15. Oct 7th, Cranmer writes to the Council: 'Has received their directions that the Book of Common Prayer should be diligently pursued, and the printer's errors therein amended. Arguments defending the practice of kneeling at the Sacrament.' Calendar of State Papers, Ed. VI. p. 45. And Oct. 27th, the Council-book mentions a letter written to the Lord Chancellor, to add in the edition of the new Common Prayer Book a declaration touching kneeling at the receiving the Communion.' Burnet, Hist. Ref. Pt. III. bk. iv. Vol. III. p. 316, ed. Nares. 2 Clay, Prayer Book Illustrated, p. 126; Hardwick, Reformation, p. 226. 3 Stat. I Ed. VI. c. 1, § (December 1547). 4 The Act of Uniformity (2 and 3 Ed. VI. c. 1) ordered the Book of Common Prayer (1549) to be used by all ministers in any cathedral or parishe churche, or other place within this Realme of England, Wales, Calyce, and Marches of the same or other the Kinges dominions.' Clay, P. B. Illustr. p. 190. Book for Used in Dublin in 1551. Not trans that an Injunction was sent to the Lord-Deputy to have The Prayerthe English Book of Common Prayer read in the Irish churches. Sir Anthony St. Leger immediately summoned the whole clergy, but not as a Convocation,1 for the 1st of March, to acquaint them with his Majesty's commands; and after some opposition from the Archbishop of Armagh, and several bishops, a proclamation was issued for carrying the order into effect: and thus the English Prayer-Book began to be publicly used on Easter Sunday (March 29), in the cathedral of Christ church, Dublin.2 The Second Book of Common Prayer (1552) does not appear to have been ordered for observance in the Irish Church: nor was any attempt made to translate the whole or parts of it into the Irish language. It may be doubted whether it was used beyond the circle of the Lord-Deputy's Court: for the native priests did not understand English; and if adopted by those English clergy who occupied the larger benefices, it would be as unintelligible to the people as the Latin service which it supplanted. The language, indeed, presented such obstacles, that the proposal was entertained to allow a Latin translation of the Book of Common Prayer to be used in the Irish churches—a proposal which was actually sanctioned by the Irish Parliament at the commencement of the reign of Elizabeth. The 1 Mant, Hist. of the Church of Ireland, II. 158. 2 Stephens, MS. Book of Common Prayer for Ireland (Eccl. Hist. Soc.), Introd. pp. iii. sq. The title of the Book, which was printed at Dublin, 1551, is, The Boke of the common praier and administracion of the Sacramentes, and other rites and ceremonies of the Churche: after the use of the Churche of England.' Ibid. p. v. • The Irish Act of Uniformity (2 Eliz. c. 2) authorized a Latin service lated into the Irish language. The Prayer- Translated into French. Irish and the Welsh were left in their ignorance, from the unwillingness of the learned to master their languages. We must conclude that this alone hindered the translation of the reformed Service Book for the use of those countries; since we find that the First Prayer Book (1549) was translated into French for the use of the King's subjects in Calais and the Channel Islands; and care was taken to amend the translation in 1552, so that the French version should still represent the English Book of Common Prayer in its altered state.1 1 The First Prayer Book was translated into French by command of Sir Hugh Paulet, governor of Calais. This was corrected by the English revised Book, 'in all the alterations, additions, and omissions thereof,' at the instance of Goodrich, the Bp. of Ely and Lord Chancellor. Strype, Cranmer, II. 33. On the subject of this chapter see Mr. Medd's Introduction to the First Book of Common Prayer of Edward VI. (1869): this useful volume contains also The Order of the Communion, 1548, and The Ordinal of 1549. |