THE FOLLOWING WORK, DESIGNED TO UNFOLD THE INTERNAL, AS WELL AS THE EXTERNAL, HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LITURGY, AND TO MAKE KNOWN THE STRONG CLAIM WHICH IT HAS UPON OUR FEELINGS OF SINCERE REGARD, IS DEDICATED, BY PERMISSION, TQ THE RIGHT REVEREND JOSEPH, LORD BISHOP OF ELY, BY HIS LORDSHIP'S MOST RESPECTFUL AND OBEDIENT SERVANT, W. K. CLAY. "The greatest danger, that ever the Common Prayer-book had, was the indifferency and indevotion of them that used it but as a common blessing." JEREMY TAYLOR, Vol. VII. p. 312. "If any man, who shall desire a more particular account of the several alterations in any part of the Liturgy, shall take the pains to compare the present Book with the former; we doubt not but the reason of the change may easily appear." Preface to the Book of Common Prayer. 1. A FEW words will suffice to detail the causes, which originated this publication. As every circumstance connected with our Liturgy is daily becoming an object of deeper interest, it seemed desirable to point out by what degrees, slow indeed, though easy of discovery, the church services we now use attained their acknowledged perfection; and also to fix, on the undoubted evidence of the different impressions themselves, the precise year to which each part, but particularly each amendment or alteration, should be assigned. Yet, besides these motives, influential as they were, there existed another of no small weight and importance. For the present work is intended equally to indicate the nature of the authority, which first gave to the English Ritual its being, and from which the changes observable in it directly emanated. The great advantage, however, of instituting even such an investigation cannot foil of being perceived by all persons, who reflect, that that Book must commend itself the more powerfully to our devotional feelings, in proportion as it is proved, on accurate examination, to have been originally compiled by our own learned divines, and to owe to the pious diligence of the same body, almost without exception, the many improvements in after times effected therein. 2. Of the subjects above mentioned the two former may very well be left to explain themselves. The last alone requires a brief notice; wherefore, we will at once begin with it, and confidently affirm, that the case really was, as just stated. Because, though alterations and additions, especially to the "Thanksgivings," in the service for the "Private Baptism of Children in Houses," and to the "Catechism," took place in the edition of 1604, on the mere command of James 1., (the point under discussion scarcely relating to any one else,) he certainly was not at all personally engaged, unless in the composition of some trifling matters. Doubtless, the king, when authorising their insertion, distinctly says, "wee, having maturely considered of them, do hold them to be very agreable to our own severall directions, upon conference with you ["our metropolitane, and you the Bishops of London and Chichester "-Whitgift, Bancroft and Watson-] and others;" nevertheless the same document states with similar clearness, that, in the character of ecclesiastical com "The greatest danger, that ever the Common Prayer-book had, was the indifferency and indevotion of them that used it but as a common blessing." JEREMY TAYLOR, Vol. VII. p. 312. "If any man, who shall desire a more particular account of the several alterations in any part of the Liturgy, shall take the pains to compare the present Book with the former; we doubt not but the reason of the change may easily appear." Preface to the Book of Common Prayer. 1. A FEW words will suffice to detail the causes, which originated this publication. As every circumstance connected with our Liturgy is daily becoming an object of deeper interest, it seemed desirable to point out by what degrees, slow indeed, though easy of discovery, the church services we now use attained their acknowledged perfection; and also to fix, on the undoubted evidence of the different impressions themselves, the precise year to which each part, but particularly each amendment or alteration, should be assigned. Yet, besides these motives, influential as they were, there existed another of no small weight and importance. For the present work is intended equally to indicate the nature of the authority, which first gave to the English Ritual its being, and from which the changes observable in it directly emanated. The great advantage, however, of instituting even such an investigation cannot foil of being perceived by all persons, who reflect, that that Book must commend itself the more powerfully to our devotional feelings, in proportion as it is proved, on accurate examination, to have been originally compiled by our own learned divines, and to owe to the pious diligence of the same body, almost without exception, the many improvements in after times effected therein. 2. Of the subjects above mentioned the two former may very well be left to explain themselves. The last alone requires a brief notice; wherefore, we will at once begin with it, and confidently affirm, that the case really was, as just stated. Because, though alterations and additions, especially to the "Thanksgivings," in the service for the "Private Baptism of Children in Houses," and to the "Catechism," took place in the edition of 1604, on the mere command of James I., (the point under discussion scarcely relating to any one else,) he certainly was not at all personally engaged, unless in the composition of some trifling matters. Doubtless, the king, when authorising their insertion, distinctly says, 66 wee, having maturely considered of them, do hold them to be very agreable to our own severall directions, upon conference with you ["our metropolitane, and you the Bishops of London and Chichester "-Whitgift, Bancroft and Watson-] and others;" nevertheless the same document states with similar clearness, that, in the character of ecclesiastical com |