Here, then, is a good and short help to self-examination, in these last words of our catechism: if any man cannot comply with their requirement, how is he living in the sight of God? Is there any thing in them beyond what every christian ought to come up to? can any thing be taken from them without denying some fundamental truth of our redemption, and the doctrine it teaches to ourselves?

I trust the reader, if hitherto he has been an absenter from the Saviour's table, will ask himself, what is my true position in the church of Christ? am I prepared safely to live and happily to die? Is it a good thing to rest contented with any state which (as we believe) uniformly disqualifies us for obeying our Saviour's last and express command?

HISTORY OF THE PRAYER BOOK.

To the Editors of the Christian Reader.

I now send you the first of the papers offered to you, on the subject of the English Prayer Book, and trust that it may be instructive to some of your attentive readers. It will be found to be a brief and rapid sketch of the changes undergone by our book of common prayer, before it was finally ratified and adopted both by church and state. In future numbers I may enter more largely on particular portions of the prayer book, such as the communion service and the litany, and trace their alterations more slowly and minutely; all I aim at now is a general historical outline of the whole, and this from necessity is short and incomplete. With one remark I finish this my note and hasten to my task. Let all members of our church remember that our reformers no more thought of making a church prayer book than they did of copying the Koran. They began their work, and they completed it, on the avowed principle and determination to put together such portions of antient liturgies and services, as bore the stamp of genuine truth in their antiquity and agreement with God's word. Let us remember that when before the gospel' we exclaim 'glory be to thee, O

Lord,' we are using a doxology that has existed in the church in that very place for about 1600 years, and in fact that our church service generally was no more made by Cranmer and his associates, than the Roman service by the pope of Rome, or the bible itself by the fifty four translators. The prayer book is an assemblage of prayers and offices, collected from all quarters of the early christian church.

I remain, Sirs,

Yours, &c.

A FRIEND.

A.D. 1545. King Henry's Primer, containing in English, the creed, Lord's prayer, ten commandments, together with prayers, suffrages, hymns, and select passages of scripture for morning and evening devotion. Also, many prayers for particular occasions, intended more for private than public use.

1547. December 6th. Act of parliament declaring the Lord's supper to be a 'communion' not a 'mass,' enjoining it to be received in both kinds by the people. Commission issued to Cranmer and other divines requiring them to prepare an office for the holy communion.

1548. March 8th. The 'office,' (or service) completed, a considerable portion of it however being still in Latin.

1548. A new commission issued to the same divines directing them to prepare a complete collection of divine office for public worship. The commissioners meet at Windsor in May, and draw up a book of common prayer, which being approved by convocation is ratified by act of parliament in January, 1549.

1549. May 4th. Edward 6th. The book of common prayer published by Whitechurch, to be used for all divine offices, from the Whitsunday following. This book is substantially the same as the one now used in the English church, and is known by the name of the first Prayer Book of Edward 6th.

1550. March. An office for consecrating and ordaining bishops, priests, and deacons, drawn by the commissioners, confirmed by parliament, and published. King Edward's prayer book at first contained no such offices.

1551. The same commissioners ordered to revise the last book of common prayer; they finish their revision before the end of this year, and produce what is called the second prayer book of King Edward 6th.

1552. Parliament ratifies this second prayer book, and orders it to be used from the feast of all saints' next following.

1553. October. Queen Mary coming to the throne, an act is passed rescinding the prayer books of Edward, restoring the church services as they existed in the last year of Henry 8th, and abolishing the communion in both kinds. This act to take effect from December 20th, next following.

1558. Elizabeth, on her, accession, forbids all rash alteration of church services and sacraments, and enjoins all parish churches to follow the example shewn them in her own chapel royal; at the same time enjoining that the litany, the Lord's prayer, the creed, the ten commandments should be said in the English tongue, and that the epistle and gospel at the time of high mass should be read in English. The order to take effect from new year's day, next following.

1558. Elizabeth commits to Parker, Grindall, Bill, Cox, Pilkington, May, Whitehead, and Smith, the task of reviewing King Edward's second prayer book, with a view to settling the English liturgy.

1559. April 29th. Act of supremacy passed, entpowering the Queen (among other clauses) to erect a high commission court for all ecclesiastical business, similar to that of which Cromwell was vicar general in the reign of Henry 8th.

1559. April 28th.

The prayer book as revised by

the last commission, ratified by parliament, by the act of uniformity, to take effect on the day of John the Baptist, (June 24th) then ensuing. N. B. So full was this prayer book of genuine catholic truth, that for ten years the Romanists came to church and joined in the English liturgy.

1560. By power of the high court of commission erected in this reign, Archbishop Parker procures license for himself and others to improve the calendar of daily lessons. At the end of the prayer book were now placed some prayers for the use of families, entitled 'certain godly prayers, to be used for Sunday purposes.'

In order to check the numerous irregularities in the performance of divine worship, Whitgift propounds three articles, to be subscribed by the clergy, the very same (in the 36th canon) as are now subscribed.

1603. January. Hampton Court conference between the episcopal and puritan divines, with a view to learn the objections of the latter to the church services and economy. The results as concerns the prayer book were as follows: In the rubric before the general absolution, the words or remission of sins' are introduced. In the rubric for private baptism the words 'let them that be present,' &c. In the rubric to the same office instead of 'that they baptize not children,' is put that they cause not children to be baptized;' the words 'curate or lawful minister present shall do it in this fashion' are also inserted. A slight alteration was made in the rubric before the confirmation: Jesus said to them' in one of the gospels' is put for Jesus said to his disciples,' the inaccuracy being remarked by the puritans. The thanksgivings for rain, fair weather, plenty, peace, victory, and deliverance from the plague are added after the litany. Also, the second part of the catechism concerning the holy sacraments.

1603-4.

Canons framed under which the clergy are to this day governed. [It has been judicially decided that the canons do not, of themselves,' bind the laity, see Lord Hardwicke's Judgment, in the preface to Burn's Ecclesiastical Law.] These, being in number 141, were selected by Bancroft, out of the acts injunctions, &c. passed during the reigns of Edward 6th and Elizabeth. They are after passing the convocation ratified by both houses and the royal assent.

1637. Charles 1st. A liturgy prepared for Scotland, the attempt to introduce it causes great tumults.

1643. The 'general assembly of divines,' as it is called, appointed and begins to act. Finally, in conjunction with the anti-royalist portion of Lords and Commons, (who termed themselves the 'parliament,' and held the assembly' in complete subjection) they abolish the book of common prayer,' and put forth a 'directory.' But as this is a season in which the prayer book could not be lawfully altered, we pass on to the restoration of order and peace, only noticing that the long parliament, in punishing by imprisonment, &c. members of the church for worshipping God with their own church liturgy, rather violated the rights of conscience, of which they stood forth as champions. Let us all remember that in the days of the 'long parliament' the clergy of our church read their services often with a pike or pistol pointed to their breasts. Methinks Laud himself surpassed not this.

1661. March 25th. Commission issued by the crown to empower twelve bishops and twelve presbyterian divines to confer on the objections to the liturgy, the conference termed the 'Savoy conference.'

1661. Some concessions are agreed on by the bishops, but as a step to union the conference ends in nothing.

1662. Act of uniformity. The following are the