Order of the Communion. This appeared in 1548. It was not a full Communion Office, but an English form of Communion for the people, grafted on the Latin Office for the Mass1. Thus the Cup was formally restored to the laity, and "the Mass" turned into "the Communion." 4. The First Prayer-Book of Edward VI. This "Order of Communion" had been published with all possible speed, and was only intended to serve until a more complete Book could be prepared. The divines2, therefore, assembled at Windsor, continued their deliberations, and before the end of the year, with the sanction of Convocation, presented the Book of Common Prayer to the king, to be by him laid before Parliament.

5. Discussion in the Commons. Before the Book

1 In preparing those portions which did not exist in the Latin Office, the Book commonly known as Hermann's Consultation was followed. It had been drawn up in 1543, with the assistance of Bucer and Melancthon. To it may be traced the idea and the subject-matter of (1) the Exhortation, (2) the Confession, and (3) the Comfortable Words in the present Communion Office. See Hardwick's Reformation, p. 212, and notes.

2 The "notable learned men" associated with Cranmer in the work of revising the old Service-books, were George Day, bishop of Chichester, Thomas Goodryke, of Ely, John Skyp, of Hereford, Henry Holbeach, of Lincoln, Nicholas Ridley, of Rochester, Thomas Thirleby, of Westminster; Dr May, dean of St Paul's, John Taylor, dean (afterwards bishop) of Lincoln, Dr Haines, dean of Exeter, Dr Robertson (afterwards dean of Durham), Dr John Redman, Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, and Dr Richard Cox, almoner to the King (afterwards bishop of Ely). The Commission included more names than these and it is certain that all did not equally approve the work: Day refused to subscribe; and Thirleby and Skyp joined with him in a protest against the act of Uniformity; and probably Robertson and Redman liked it as little. The persons actually engaged in the work were probably Cranmer, Ridley, Goodrich, Holbeach, May, Taylor, Haines and Cox.

passed the Commons, a public disputation was held on the manner of Christ's presence in the Eucharist, with the design of laying open the arguments which had weighed with the bishops and divines in altering or retaining the old services1. After this, the Book was readily accepted by the Parliament, and the Act of Uniformity, Jan. 15, 1549, ordered the administration of the two Sacraments, and all other common and open prayer to be said and used in every parish of the king's dominions, "England, Wales, Calais and the marches of the same on Whitsunday, June 9, 1549."

6. Objects of the Compilers. The objects of the compilers of The First Prayer-Book of Edward VI. are stated in the Preface. They were (1) that the whole realm should now have but one Use in Divine Service; (2) that the rubrical directions should be simplified; (3) that the Psalms should all be repcated in their order, instead of a few being said daily and the rest entirely omitted; (4) that the Lessons should include the whole Bible, or the greatest part thereof, in a continuous course; (5) that the reading of the Chapters should not be interrupted by Anthems, Responds, and Invitatories; (6) that nothing should be read but "the very pure word of God, the Holy Scriptures, or that which is evidently grounded upon the same"; and (7) that all should be in the English tongue.

7. The Principles that guided them. It is clear, then, that it was the wish of the first Reformers, not so much to compose new materials as to preserve carefully, as far as was possible, the order of the several elements of the earlier services. "They did not unmannerly reject those Offices of the Church which, however cor

1 On this important disputation, see Treherne's Letter to Bullinger, dated London Dec. 31, 1548, quoted in Hardwick's Reformation, p. 213, n.; and see also Froude's History of England, v. 141, 142.

rupted, lost themselves in a fathomless abyss of years, and might even have partaken of something of the spirit of an Apostolic Age...These helps, which they did not disdain, they shewed themselves able to improve, correcting what was objectionable in doctrine, removing what was offensive in taste, and often communicating by some happy expression even an additional glow of devotion to passages in themselves (it might have been thought) too beautiful to touch1." Hence the Order of Morning and Evening Prayer, put forth in English in 1549, was the same Order of Prayer to which the people had been accustomed in their Primer, "the selfsame words in English, which were in Latin, saving a few things taken out?"

8. The Principal Differences between the first Prayer-Book of Edward VI. and that now in use are as follows:

(A) In the Order of Morning and Evening Prayer: (1) Matins and Evensong began with the Lord's Prayer and ended with the third Collect;

(2) The Litany was placed after the Communion Office3, and there was no rubric to direct its use as a part of the Morning Prayer;

(3) The Address to the Virgin Mary was omitted, which had been retained in Henry's Litany, as also the invocation of the angels and patriarchs.

Blunt, On the Reformation, pp. 208, 209.

2 See the message to the Devonshire rebels, "It seemeth to you a new Service, and indeed is none other but the old; the selfsame words in English, saving a few things taken out.' Foxe, Acts and Mon. v. p. 734.

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3 In some early editions it was added as a separate sheet at the end of the volume.

(B) In the Communion Office:

(1)

(2)

The service began with an Introit, or

Psalm sung as the Minister was proceeding to the altar;

The Commandments were not read; (3) The Prayers differed from our present form, but chiefly in their arrangement; (4) The name of the Virgin was specially mentioned in the praise offered for the saints; (5) The Consecration included a prayer for the Sanctification of the Bread and Wine with the Holy Spirit and the Word; (6) Water was mixed with the wine; (7) The words used in delivering the Bread and the Cup to the communicants were only the first clause of those now used; (8) The sign of the cross was retained twice in the consecration of the Elements';

(9) Prayer was offered for the dead.

(C) In the Baptismal Service :

(1) The sign of the Cross was made upon the child's forehead and breast;

(2) A form of Exorcism was used;

(3) Trine immersion was directed;

(4) The child after baptism was arrayed in a white vesture commonly called the Chrisom, and anointed on the head;

(5) The water in the font was ordered to be changed once a month at least.

(D) In the Burial Service:

(1) Prayer was offered for the deceased person;

1 As it was also in the office of Confirmation, Matrimony, and the Visitation of the Sick, if the sick person desired to be anointed.

(2) An Introit, Collect, Epistle, and Gospel 'were appointed for a Communion at a burial.

CHAPTER VII.

THE SECOND PRAYER-BOOK OF EDWARD VI.

A.D. 1549-1553.

1. Reception of the First Prayer-Book. The composition of the Book of Common Prayer from the old Offices caused it to be received with greater readiness than might have been expected. Learned men among the Romanizing party could conform to it, as containing the primitive elements of Christian worship, freed from the innovations of later times. Some, indeed, called it a Parliamentary religion', and some of the more extreme section of the Reformers found fault with it, on the ground that it was tinged with Lutheranism.

2. Destruction of the Old Church-Books. It might, however, naturally be expected that some would cling to the old form of service, and watch for some turn of affairs which would restore the missals to their place in the churches. The fall of the Duke of Somerset was thought to be such an event, and upon his being sent to the Tower in the autumn of 1549 it was rumoured that the Latin Service with its ceremonies would be restored. To prevent such a return a King's Letter was issued on Christmas-day to call in, and burn, deface, and destroy, all the old Church-Books, which Order of Council was afterwards confirmed and extended by Act of Parliament 2.

1 On the religious insurrections in Cornwall and Devonshire consequent on the new Liturgy, see Froude v. pp. 168— 216.

2 Stat. 3 and 4 Ed, VI. c. 12; see Froude v. 258.