to promote or discountenance their caufe. Hence it happened, that almost at the fame time when he was issuing injunctions to his clergy to purify the belief of the people, and correct their fuperftitious notions, he was burning the Sacramentaries, or those who denied the corporal prefence of Chrift in the Eucharift; and whilft he granted permiflion to all his fubjects to read the new translation of the Bible without controul, and ordained that a copy of it should be fet up publickly in every church in England for the perufal of the laity, he almost at the fame moment paffed that dreadful act against the Reformation, which from its feverity has been well denominated the Bloody Statute, or the Whip with fix thongs. This act denounced the punishment of burning, without abjuration, with forfeiture of all real and perfonal eftate to the king, against any who should fpeak, preach, or write adverfely to the first of the fix articles afferted in the act; and death without benefit of clergy to any who should preach or obstinately difpute againft the other five. The articles were thefe:

1. "That in the facrament of the altar, after the confecration, there remains no fubftance of bread and wine, but under these forms the natural body and blood of Chrift is prefent.

2. " That communion in both kinds is not neceffary to falvation to all perfons by the law of God, but that both the flesh and blood of Chrift are together in each of the kinds.

3. "That priefts may not marry by the law of God.

4.

"That vows of chaftity ought to be observed by the law of God. 5. "That private masses ought to be continued, which as it is agreeable

to God's law, fo men receive great benefit by them.

6. "That auricular confession is expedient and necessary, and ought to be retained in the church."

By an act, also, which he passed in the thirty-fifth year of his reign, he almost led the people back again into the darkest ages and wildeft fuperftitions of Popery. It enacts that " recourse muft be had to the Catholick and Apoftolick Church for the decifion of controverfies; and therefore all books of the Old and New Testament in English, being of Tyndal's falfe tranflation, or comprifing any matter of Chriftian religion, articles of faith, or holy fcripture, contrary to the doctrine fet forth by the King [in the fix articles) 1540, or to be fet forth by the King, shall be abolished. No perfon shall fing or rhyme contrary to the faid doctrine. No perfon shall retain any English books or writings against the holy and bleffed facrament of the altar, or other books abolished by the King's proclamation. There thall be no annotations or preambles in Bibles or New Testaments in English. The Bible shall not be read in English in any church. No women, or artificers, apprentices, journeymen, fervingmen, busbandmen, or labourors, shall read the New Testament in English. Nothing shall be taught or maintained contrary to the King's inftructions. If any fpiritual perfon be convicted of preaching or maintaining any thing contrary to the King's inftructions already made, or hereafter to be made, he shall for the firit offence recant, for the fecond bear a fagot, and for the third be burnt."* But notwithstanding these unexpected checks to the progrefs of the Reformation, which thus arose from the fickleness and impetuosity of the king, and the bigotry and malice of the Popish party; yet it must be allowed, that great advances towards its eftablishment were made during this reign, and that much of the good which had been effected in the early part remained at its close; the word of God was in the hands of the people; and

the King's Primers;* the Forms of Procession; and the Neceffary Doctrine and Erudition &c. contained comparatively reasonable and purified forms of religious fervices, in the vulgar tongue of the country, and confequently calculated for the use of all ranks and degrees of the community.

The providence of God having raifed Edward VIth to the throne, (a prince who, though only nine years and four months old, was the wonder of his age for piety and learning, for fagacity and application to business) and spared the venerable Cranmer from the capricious fury y of Henry VIII., the work of religious reformation went happily forward. The perfecution upon the fix articles was stopped; the prisoners for the cause of religion were liberated; the exiles for confcience-fake were recalled; foul-masses and obits were decried; and images were preached againft and pulled down. For the use and information of the clergy, (few of whom were capable of compofing a fermon) the archbishop, affifted by other divines, drew up a book of homilies, a copy of which was left with every parifh prieft, together with a printed string of Injunctions from the king, confifting of the following articles:

The first enjoins the abolition and extirpation of the Bishop of Rome's ufurped power in this kingdom; and the doing away the idea that images, relics, &c. can profit towards falvation.

2. That all deans, archdeacons, parfons, vicars, &c. fhall preach a fermon at least every quarter of a year, wherein they shall "purely and fincerely declare the word of God;" and reprobate all the practices of Romish fuperftiti. n.

3. That they shall pull down all images in their parishes.

4. That every holiday they shall recite in the pulpit the Pater nofter, Creed, and the Ten Commandments.

5. That they shall charge mafters and parents to inftruct their children. 6. That they shall take care the facraments be duly adminiftered. 7. That they shall provide a great English Bible within three months, and the Paraphrafe of Erasmus in English, to be set up in their churches. 8. That they shall not haunt or refort to taverns, &c. nor play at dice, cards, &c.

9. That they shall in confessions every Lent examine every person that comes to them, in the Pater nofter, &c.

10. That they shall admit no man to preach, unlefs he be licensed.

11. That they fhall openly recant all they had fpoken in praife of pilgrimages, relics, &c.

12. That they shall present every man who is a letter of the word of God, or a fupporter of the bishop of Rome.

13. That they shall keep a register for weddings, christenings, & burials. 14. That they fhall (those who are not residents upon their benefices, and have 20l. per annum, or more) distribute a fortieth part of their annual income to their poor parishioners.

diness God's word was read, and what refort there was to the places appointed for reading it. Every one that could bought the book, and busily read it, or heard it read; and many elderly learnt to read on purpole." We are forry to add, however, that the clergy in generat did not fecond or encourage the pious ardour of the people They were very cold in the matter, and read the word of God fo contusedly as not to be understood; exhorting their parish oners at the fame time, notwithstanding the injunctions, " to do as they did in times paft, and to live as their fathers; the old fashion being best. "-Johnson's Hift. Eng. Tranfl. &c.

* Primers continued to be printed and circulated both in English and Latin to the clofe of Henry's reign. In the last year was one with this title: "The Primer, fet forth by the King's Majesty and his Clergy, to be taught, learned, and read; and none other to be ufed throughout.. his dominions. Imprinted at London, &c. by Richard Grafton, the 17th day of Auguft 1546 Reprinted without any alteration." The "Bill affigned," at the end of the volume, gives the exclufive privilege and licence of printing the fame to Richard Grafton and Edward Whitchurch,

15. That they shall (provided they have preferment to the amount of Iool. per annum) give an exhibition to one fcholar at the university, and anothes exhibition for every additional tool. per annum.

16. That they shall bestow a fifth part of their income to repair their decayed mai fions and chancels.

17. That they shall every quarter of a year read these injunctions to their parishioners.

18. That all perfons shall duly pay their tithes.

19. That no person shall change the fafting-days, nor alter divine fervice, till it be otherwife ordered by the king's authority.

20. That every parfon, &c. fhall have and study, within three months, the New Teftament in Latin and English, with the Paraphrafe of Erafmus. 21. That in the time of high mats, the epiftle and gofpel shall be read in English, and not in Latin; and that on every Sunday and holiday the minister shali read a chapter of the New Teftanient in English, at matins, "immediately after the leflons;" and at evenfong after Magnificat, one chapter of the Old Testament.

tences

22. That in order to counteract despair in fick penitents, the parish priefts shall "have always in readiness tuch comfortable places and fenof fcripture as do let forth the mercy &c. of Almighty God." 23. That to prevent all further difpute about precedence in proceffion, and for more quietly hearing the prayers, &c. they thall not henceforth ufe any proceffion "about the church or church-yard, or other place, but immediately before high mass the priests with others of the choir thall kneel in the midft of the church, and fing or fay plainly, and diftinctly, the litany, which is fet forth in English, with all the fuffrages following." And in the time of the litany, of the high mafs, &c. no perfon, without an urgent cause, shall depart out of the church; and that there shall be no knolling of bells during the time, except one bell before the fermon.

N. B. To understand this injunction, it is neceflary to recollect that the litany ufed formerly tobe recited by the priest and people in proceffion; that is, during a folemn and orderly walk round the church, altars, or church-yard; and hence, in Henry's Primers, the litany is called "the Common Prayer of Proceffion."

24. That the fabbath should be kept holy by all people; yet notwithftanding that all partons, &c. fhall teach their parishioners, that during the time of harvest they might labour upon "the holy and feftival days, and fave that thing which God hath fent."

25. That minifters shall prevent coming to the facrament all fuch perfons as were out of charity with their neighbours.

26. That every dean, archdeacon, &c. should preach twice a year at leaft within his jurifdiction.

27. That all minifters shall fee the ceremonies of the church are not violated, nor fuperftitious practices carried on in their parishes.

28. That they shall destroy troy all thrines, &c. and provide a pulpit.

We

35. That all chantry priests teach youth to read, write, &c. 36. That "when any fermon or homily shall be had, the prime and bours shall be omitted." -N. B. These were parts of the morning liturgy. In addition to these services in the cause of the Reformation, Cranmer compofed and published a catechifm alfo for the instruction of children and young people; and wrote a difcourse on the facrament of the Lord's Supper. The Paraphrafe of Erafmus on the Gospels and Acts of the Apoftles was likewife tranflated into English;* and parliament enacted, that the holy communion should be received by the laity in both ty in both kinds, and that "a new office" should be prepared, accommodated to this rational ordinance. This was forthwith drawn up by a committee of prelates, (nominated for the purpose) and copies of it were tranfmitted to the bishops on the 13th of March 1547, to be circulated through their refpective diocefes, in order that they might be publickly adopted in all the congregations of reformed chriftians at the following Easter. A greater work however remained to be executed; that of preparing a national liturgy, or form of public prayer for the general use of the English church. have teen above, that fome steps had already been taken for providing the people with intelligible religious services, by the publication of the King's Primer, the Form of Proceifion, and the Neceffary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian Man; but these did not amount to the establishment of a general and uniform liturgy, nor were they attended with any compalfory injunction to enfure their exclusive use. Much had hitherto been left to the difcretion of the officiating clergy, who, in the performance of public worship, feem either to have continued the use of the Popish fervices, without making any alteration in them, or to have adopted only partially new ones prepared by the reformers.† A committee therefore was appointed to draw up in English a book of fervices for the general ufe of the church; which confifted of Archbishop Cranmer; Thomas Goodrich, bishop of Ely; Henry Holbeach, alias Randes, bishop of Lincoln; George Day, bishop of Chichester; John Skip, bishop of Hereford; Thomas Thirlby, bishop of Westminster; Nicholas Ridley, bishop of Rochefter; Dr. William May, dean of St. Paul's, London; Dr. John Taylor, dean (afterwards bifhop) of Lincoln; Dr. Simon Heynes, dean of Exeter; Dr. John Redmayne, mafter of Trinity college in Cambridge; Dr. Richard Cox, dean of Christchurch in Oxford; and Mr. Thomas Robertson, archdeacon of Leicester. Thefe divines entered with fuch ardour upon this bufincis, and continued it with fuch perseverance, that in a few months

the

they had prepared for public use all the offices for morning and evening praver, for Sundays and holidays; as well as the forms for baptifm, confirmation, matrimony, burial of the dead, &c. &c. The book being com pleated, it was by Cranmer presented to the young king, who received it with every mark of delight. Parliament immediately (viz. at the close of the year 1548) confirmed its authority, and enjoined its general use, under the title of the Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church; after the Use of the Church of England. It is obvious, that the commiflioners appointed for the above-mentioned purpose, had been entrusted with a business of much dificulty and much delicacy. They had to reconcile the prejudices, and to fatisfy the withes of parties whose sentiments were the most difcordant, and whofe views were the most contradictory. They had to gratify the Proteftants, and to foothe, and by these means gain over, the Catholics; and to accommodate the forms and fervices of the new liturgy to these wife, charitable, and praife-worthy ends. It is not therefore to be wondered at, that their liturgy, compiled under these circumftances, should have been deemed liable to exceptions by fome of the more rigid friends of reformation, as favouring too much of the old fuperftitions. This we find to have been the cafe; objections were made, and Cranmer, in order to remove them, propofed a review of the work, and a correction of its errors, deficiencies, or fuperfluities.* Two learned divines were accordingly appointed to this business; Martin Bucer, and Peter Martyr, both natives of Germany, who by the archbishop's interest had been invited to England, and placed in fituations of dignity and truft; Bucer in the divi nity chair at Cambridge, and Martyr in the fimilar profefforship at Oxford. In the early part of the year 1551, thefe divines entered upon their work, and performed it much to the fatisfaction of the archbishop; under whose fanction the alterations they had made were for the most part adopted in the new edition of the liturgy, which was published in the month of April 1552, under the name of the New Service, and appointed by parliament to be every where made ufe of, from the enfuing feftival of All Saints. The alterations of most importance adopted in this new edition were as follow. The appointment of the fentences, exhortation, confeffion, and abfolution, to be read at the beginning of the morning and evening fervices, which in the 'first Common Prayer Book began with the Lord's Prayer; the rejection of prayers for foul's departed, both in the communion office, and in that for

what was already done to their hand, merely through love of change; but only endeavour to restore the public ritual to the fimplicity of the service of the primitive church, by abolishing the fuperftitious errors and ceremonies with which Popery had encumbered the worship of God. See the difcourse "Of Ceremonies, why fome be abolithed, and fome retained;" prefixed to the Book of Common Prayer. The commifiioners, theretore, entered upon an examination of the Breviaries, Miffals, and Rituals, in general ufe, as well as the book of offices; and fcrupuloufly comparing them with ancient liturgies, and the ritual compofitions of the early fathers, they adopted whatever had the authority of feripture, and the fanction of pure ecclefiastical anriquity on its fide, and rejected whatever was contrary thereto; or which was in itself trifling, idle, or fuperftitious. Dr. Bennet has made a curious calculation of that proportion of our present offices which has been borrowed from Popish liturgies, and states it as not exceeding one fourteenth part.

It will be worth remembering, that Gilbertus, a German, many years fince, in a book of his, propounds our book of prayer for a sample of the forms of the ancient church; and for the purity of it, and thorough reformation, Cranmer procured King Edward's Common Prayer Book to be translated into Latin, and fent it to Bucer, and required his judgment of it; who answered, that there was nothing in it but what was taken out of the Word of God, or which was not against it, commode acceptum, (being taken in a good fenfe.) Some things, indeed, (faith he) quæ nifi quis &c. (unless they be interpreted with candour, may feem not fo agreeable to the word of God, and which unquiet men may wreit unto matter of contention) as may be seen at large in Bucer's Scripta Anglicana, Upon this occafion that Book of Edward's was again furveyed, &c."-A View of the New Directory, &c. 3d edit. Oxford, 1646, p. 16.