CHAP. chapters, not only less, but not at all edifying to a popular I. auditory, such are some chapters in Genesis, in Leviticus very

many, some in the Chronicles, &c., which are required to be read in their order; then will they have just cause to wish either those apocryphals postliminiated again, or others of the canon to succeed them, whereby the congregation might receive better instruction.

Nothing can almost be so plainly set forth but doubts may Q arise.] It is a rule in the law, Lex positiva non omnia cogitat ; plura enim sunt negotia, quam vocabula; "Positive law cannot forecast and prevent all questions, there being more matters than words to declare them :" upon which consideration, fit it is there should be a power in reserve for the stating of emergent doubts. In whom can this power more prudently be lodged than in bishops, the spiritual governors of our Church, whose experience and discretion must be valued above the rate of ordinary pastors? Ecclesiæ salus in summi sacerdotis dignitate pendet, cui si non exors quædam et ab om. nibus eminens detur potestas, tot in Ecclesiis efficientur schismata quot sacerdotes". "The safety of the Church depends upon the dignity of the chief priest, to whom unless a power be given, matchless, and supereminent above all others, there will be soon as many schisms as priests." But though the power decretory and deciding be reposed in the bishop, yet it is not indefinite, but limited to a non-repugnancy to any thing contained in this book.

In the English tongue.] The work of reformation was not R more glorious than difficult, being to enterprise upon such 26 habits as many hundred of years' continuance seemed to render insuperable; so that if it went slowly on at first and got ground but by inches, the grand opposition it found is sufficient to excuse it. A work it was not for artificers to undertake, not for a giddy multitude to order, not for any beneath the very supreme magistrate to meddle with; a work it was fit only for a king, and therefore could not be begun until it found a king fit for the work. Such a king at length appeared Henry VIII., a king of great courage, and withal of prudence. The first onset he gave in order to this work, was the bringing God Almighty and His people acquainted,

• Hieron. adv. Luciferianos,

I.

by causing them to understand each other; for whilst the CHAP. people spake to God and He to them they knew not what, they did not understand each other; not He them, because He only understands the language of the heart, not the babbling of the lips; for ὅπερ ἡμῖν ἡ φωνὴ σημαίνει, τοῦτο τῷ Θεῷ ἡ ἔννοια ἡμῶν λαλεὶ”, “what vocal words are to us, the same is the cogitation of our hearts to God:" not they Him, because they understood the Romish religion, better than the Romish tongue: therefore to redress this very great mischief to their souls, this king's first care is to render divine offices in a tongue, their native English, familiar to them. But this he effected not all at once, but by degrees : and first he begins with great essentials of religion, the Pater Noster, Creed, and Decalogue; these were imparted to them in the English tongue by his injunctions, anno 1536; then he proceeded to the communication of the sacred Scriptures to them by a translation of his own authorizing, anno 1540. But as yet the public service was kept locked up from them: to indulge them therefore his royal favour in this particular also, he caused an extract to be drawn out of the Latin service, containing many of the best and most edifying prayers, which (with the Litany, all translated into the vulgar tongue, under the title of his Primer) by injunction bearing date the sixth of May, thirty-seventh of his reign, he published for the good of his subjects: but King Henry dying not long after, he left what he had begun to be completed by his son Edward. This prince, zealously devoted to the service of God's Church, plied him as fast as the perplexity of the work and little time he lived would well permit. The Bible which I told you before King Henry had commended to the use of his people, not long after, upon reason of state he was enforced to withdraw from them again, and the restoration of it was King Edward's first endeavour, by injunctions dated July the last, 1547; confirming also the use of the other things, as Pater Noster, Creed, Decalogue, Primer, and Litany. But nothing was done yet in reference to the Sacrament of the Altar, as they called it then, whereof the clergy had extended and extorted the moiety, the cup, from the people; therefore full restitution was made in the next

P Clem, Alex.

1542.

CHAP. and first parliament, to such as did in both kinds desire it. I. And because slender benefit this act of grace was like to prove, as long as in the service proper to it they understood not a syllable, (for the reformation formerly made had not proceeded to the Communion Office,) this consideration drew on another piece of reformation, viz. the forming and collecting of an office in the vulgar tongue suitable to that great ordinance; and this was done by the bishops and others convened by the king's command at Windsor', passing under the title of "The Order of the Communion," which was a breviate and summary of near resemblance to that we now have, and was published March the 8th, 1548. But this was only an interim order, made to stay the stomachs of earnest longers for the present, that very proclamation which enjoined it promising somewhat of a higher import, which was effected accordingly in the first liturgy of that king, being compiled by the most judicious bishops and others of that time, ratified by act of parliament, and set forth March 17, 1549. But this liturgy being, as some conceived, not thoroughly racked from the lees of superstition, the king and parliament, desirous to give all reasonable satisfaction to 27 malcontents, gave order (probably to the same persons, or so many of them as were then living) that the book should be 'faithfully and godly perused, explained, and made fully perfect;" and being so reviewed and explained, they confirmed it again, anno 5 and 6 of Edward VI., as in the statute appeareth. Thus I have drawn a line of our Reformation, so far as concerneth public worship in a known tongue, that the reader may observe all its motions, stages, and processions, from its first rise unto the second book of Edward VI., wherein our Church (some few particulars excepted) doth acquiesce.

[The compilers of this office were Cranmer, abp. of Canterbury; Goodrick, bishop of Ely; Holbeck, of Lincoln; Day, of Chichester; Skip, of Hereford; Thirlby, of Westminster; Ridley, of Rochester; Cox, Dean of Christ Church; May, of St. Paul's; Taylor, of Lincoln; Heyns, of Exeter; Robertson, afterwards dean of Durham; Redman, Master of Trinity College, Cambridge.

To this list, which Heylin gives, are added the following by Burnet, from a MS. of Stillingfleet:-Holgate, abp. of York; Bonner, bishop of London; Tunstal, of Durham; Heath, of Worcester; Reps, of Norwich; Parfew, of St. Asaph; Salcot, of Salisbury; Sampson, of Coventry and Lichfield; Aldrich, of Carlisle; Bush, of Bristol; Barlow, of St. David's. See Collier, part II. b. iv. p. 243.]

I.

S Either privately or openly.] The act preceding telling us CHAP. so expressly that open prayer is such as is made in a cathedral, church, chapel, or oratory, in a consecrated place, we need no Edipus to unriddle the import of private, or to doubt that it signifieth any thing other than such as is performed at home. But why is the minister bound to say it daily, either in public or at home? Some think our Church had under consideration, how ignorant and illiterate many vicars were, and ordered thus, that they might con in private, the better to enable them for the public. But I am of another persuasion; for first, the Church, I conceive, would not, as she doth, enjoin them to officiate in public, did she not suppose them already in some tolerable degree fitted for the service. Again, the words are general, not definitively such and such of those mean abilities, but all ministers, without exception. Now though very many were, yet it is no charitable judgment to believe them all dunces. And it is apparent, that where such ignorance fell under the consideration of authority, the phrase doth vary, with a particular application to them alone who were guilty of it; so it is in the queen's injunctions "such?" such only, not all "as are but mean readers shall peruse over before, once or twice, the chapters and homilies, to the intent they may read to the better understanding of the people, and the more encouragement to godliness." So that I rather think the Church's policy was the better to inure and habituate the clergy to religious duties. But be this so or not so, sure of this we are, that the Church doth hereby warrant the use of her liturgy sometimes in places not consecrated. This daily service especially, which in its original designation was not only indulged to private places, but private persons in those places, I mean for masters of families, and others in the private exercises of religion. This is evident by the ancient primers, which containing the daily service, "were set forth to be frequented and used, as well of the elder people as also of the youth for their common and ordinary prayers," as is in the injunction of Henry VIII., prefixed to that of his in the year 1546.

T

Of such ceremonies as have had their beginning by the
Eliz. Injunc. 53.

CHAP. institution of man.]

I.

Amongst the many exceptions to which this very venerable piece of piety and antiquity hath been exposed, the first in order gives a countercheck to ceremonies of human institution; for told we are, that "the common protestant tenet was always, that it is reprovable to add unto Christ's intention, new-found rites and fantasies of ment," which being so positively delivered by such a man of abilities as Dr. Amesius, were enough to stagger any one whose curiosity leads him not to further search; but when the stream of those tenets, and practice elicited from them, shall appear upon strict examination to be carried with a tide clean contrary, certainly nothing but shame can justly attend so bold, so confident, and withal so groundless and false an assertion. Nothing assuredly can be more demonstrative of the protestant tenets, than the Confession of their several Churches. That of Helvetia" first, "Churches have always used their liberty in rites, as being things indifferent, which we also do at this day." That of Bohemia, "Human traditions and ceremonies, brought in by a good custom, are with an uniform consent to be retained in the ecclesiastical assemblies of Christian people, at the common service of God." The Gallican, "Every place may have their peculiar constitutions, as it shall seem convenient for them." The Belgic', "We receive those laws as are fit either to cherish or 28 maintain concord, or to keep us in the obedience of God." That of Ausburga, "Ecclesiastical rites which are ordained by man's authority, and tend to quietness and good order in the Church, are to be observed." That of Saxony", "For order sake, there must be some decent and seemly ceremonies." That of Sweveland", "Such traditions of men as agree with

t Manuduction to the fresh suit against Ceremonies, p. 12.

Cap. 27. [Semper vero Ecclesiæ in hujusmodi ritibus sicut mediis usæ sunt libertate.]

Cap. 15. [De traditionibus humanis, constitutionibus, consuetudineque bona introductis ritibus-in cœtibus Ecclesiasticis populi Christiani, apud communem divinum cultum, concordi consensu retinenda sunt.]

y Act. 32. [Quædam singulis locis peculiaria sint instituta prout commodum visum fuerit.]

Act. 32. [Illud solum suscipimus quod ad conservandam et alendam concordiam atque unitatem, omnesque in Dei obedientia retinendos, idoneum est.]

Act. 15. [Ritus ecclesiasticos qui sunt humana auctoritate instituti servandos esse docent, qui sine peccato servari possunt, et ad tranquillitatem et bonum ordinem in Ecclesia conducunt.]

b Act. 20. [Esse ritus aliquos honestos ordinis causa oportet.]

e Act. 14. [Traditiones quæ cum