APPENDIX. THE DIRECTORY. 2 AN abridgment of Calvin's Form of Service, or rather of Knox's Book of Common Order, was presented to Parliament, and printed in 1641, and again in 1643;1 and another adaptation of the same original, somewhat larger than the Middleburgh, but much shorter than either that of Calvin or Knox, was presented to the Westminster Assembly, and printed in 1644.3 The parliamentary divines, however, preferred to issue a work of their own composition. They had denounced the Book of Common Prayer as unfit to lead the devotions of the people; but they then suffered a year to pass by before they attempted to substitute anything in its place. Then came the ordination of Elders and Deacons by an Association of Ministers in London and other chief towns; and then the preparation of a Book of Service. A committee was appointed to agree upon certain general heads for the direction of the minister in the discharge of his office before the congregation: these, being arranged in London, were sent to Scotland for approbation, and summarily established by Ordinance of Parliament (and denounced by a counter-proclamation from the King) as the Directory for 1 The Service, Discipline, and Popery, Heresie, and Schisme, acForme of the Common Prayers, and cording to the Forme published by Administration of the Sacraments, the Assembly of the Kirk of Scotused in the English Church of land, and parallel'd to the best Geneva... 1641.' The 2d Edition Reformed Protestant Churches in was called, 'The Reformation of Christendome and most humbly the Discipline and Service of the Church, according to the best Reformed Churches...1643.' P. Hall's Reliquia Liturgica, Vol. III. p. 89. 2 See above, p. 86. 3 The Setled Order of ChurchGovernment, Liturgie, and Discipline, for the rooting out of all presented to the learned assembly * The Directory. The Service and Disci pline. The Settled Order. The Directory. Reading of Baptism. Public Worship. This was not so much a Form of Devotion, as a Manual of Directions: the minister being allowed a discretion, either to make the most of what was provided for him in the book, or to use his own abilities to supply what he considered needful. A few of the variations, more especially directed against preceding usages, were, the rejection of the Apocrypha: the discontinuance of Private Baptism; of godfathers and godmothers; of the sign of the cross; of the wedding ring; and of the administration of the Lord's Supper to the Sick at home: the removal of the communion-table into the body of the church; with the preference of a sitting or standing to a kneeling posture. All saints' days were discarded, and all vestments. No Service was appointed for the Burial of the Dead: no Creed was recited, nor the Ten Commandments; though these with the Apostles' Creed were added to the Confession of Faith a year or two afterwards.1 This parliamentarian form of Public Devotion is entitled, A Directory for the Public Worship of God, throughout the Three Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Together with an Ordinance of Parliament for the taking away of the Book of Common Prayer, and the Establishing and Observing of this present Directory throughout the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales. It commences with a note 'Of the assembling of the congregation, and their behaviour in the Public Worship of God! The minister is to begin with prayer, in a short form, for a blessing on the portion of the Word then to be read. All the Canonical Books are to be read over in order: ordinarily one chapter of each Testament at every meeting. After reading and singing, the ininister who is to preach is to endeavour to get his own and his hearers' hearts to be rightly affected with their sins. A long prayer before the sermon. Then follows a long note of the manner and matter of preaching. After sermon follows a prayer of thanksgiving. The Lord's Prayer, as being not only a pattern of prayer, but itself a most comprehensive prayer, is recommended to be used in the prayers of the Church. The Administration of the Sacraments; and first of Baptism. It is to be dispensed only by a minister, in the place of Public Worship, and in the face of the congregation, where the people may most conveniently see and hear; and not in the places where 1 See Hall, Reliq. Liturg. Introd. liament (Jan. 3, 1644-5, and Aug. p. xl. Several editions of the Di- 23, 1645) in Reliq. Liturg. Vol. 111., rectory appeared during the years and in Clay, Book of Common Prayer 1644, 1645, and 1646. It is re- Illustrated, Append. IX. X. XI. printed with the Ordinances of Par fonts in the time of Popery were unfitly and superstitiously placed. The child, after notice given to the minister the day before, is to be presented by the father, or (in case of his necessary absence) by some Christian friend in his place. Before Baptism, the minister is to use some words of instruction: that the seed of the faithful have right to Baptism: that they are Christians, and federally holy, before Baptism, and therefore are they baptized: that the inward grace of Baptism is not tied to the moment of its administration: and that it is not so necessary that through the want of it the infant is in danger of damnation, or the parents guilty. Prayer is to be joined with the word of institution, for sanctifying the water to this spiritual use. The Communion, or Supper of the Lord, is frequently to be celebrated; but how often may be considered and determined by the ministers and other church-governors of each congregation. It is requisite that public warning be given on the Sabbath-day before the administration; and we judge it convenient to be done after the morning sermon. Therefore, after the sermon and prayers, follows a short exhortation: then, the table being before decently covered, and so conveniently placed that the communicants may orderly sit about it or at it, the minister is to begin the action with sanctifying and blessing the elements of bread and wine set before him. The words of institution are next to be read out of the Evangelists, or 1 Cor. xi. 23—27: then the prayer, thanksgiving, or blessing, offered up to God 'to vouchsafe his gracious presence, and the effectual working of his Spirit in us; and so to sanctify these elements, both of bread and wine, and to bless his own ordinance, that we may receive by faith the body and blood of Jesus Christ crucified for us, and so feed upon him that he may be one with us, and we with him, that he may live in us, and we in him and to him, who hath loved us, and given himself for us.' 'The elements being now sanctified by the word and prayer, the minister, being at the table, is to take the bread in his hand, and say in these expressions (or other the like used by Christ, or his Apostle, upon this occasion):— According to the holy institution, command, and example of our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, I take this bread; and having given thanks, I break it, and give it unto you. (There the minister, who is also himself to communicate, is to break the bread, and give it to the communicants.) Take ye, eat ye. This is the body of Christ, which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of him. In like manner the minister is to take the cup, and say. According to the institution, command, and example of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Directory. The Lord's The Directory. Matrimony. Visitation of the Sick. Burial. Holydays. I take this cup and give it unto you. (Here he giveth it to the communicants.) This cup is the New Testament, in the blood of Christ, which is shed for the remission of the sins of many; drink ye all of it. After all have communicated, the minister may, in a few words, put them in mind of the grace of God in Jesus Christ: and he is to give solemn thanks to God. The collection for the poor is so to be ordered, that no part of the Public Worship be thereby hindered. Then follows a note 'Of the Sanctification of the Lord's-day.' The purpose of marriage between any persons shall be published by the minister three several Sabbath-days in the congregation. And the marriage shall be publicly solemnized in the place appointed by authority for Public Worship, before a competent number of credible witnesses, at some convenient hour of the day, at any time of the year, except on a day of public humiliation. And we advise that it be not on the Lord's-day. The manner of marriage is first a prayer, a declaration of the institution, use, and ends thereof, a solemn charge, if they know any cause why they may not lawfully proceed to marriage, to discover it: then the minister shall cause, first, the man to take the woman by the right hand, saying these words: I N. do take thee N. to be my married wife, and do, in the presence of God, and before this congregation, promise and covenant to be a loving and | faithful husband unto thee, until God shall separate us by death. Then the woman shall take the man by his right hand, and say a like form, adding the word obedient. Then, without any further ceremony, the minister shall pronounce them to be husband and wife according to God's ordinance; and so conclude the action with prayer. A note is given of instructions 'Concerning Visitation of the Sick, and suitable topics of exhortation and prayer.' 'Concerning Burial of the Dead,' all customs of praying, reading, and singing, both in going to and at the grave, are said to have been grossly abused. The simple direction is therefore given, 'When any person departeth this life, let the dead body, upon the day of burial, be decently attended from the house to the place appointed for public burial, and there immediately interred, without any ceremony.' 6 Then follow directions Concerning Public Solemn Fasting,' Concerning the Observation of Days of Public Thanksgiving,' and Of Singing of Psalms;' concluding with 'An Appendix touching Days and Places for Public Worship;' in which it is ordered that only the Lord's-day, and days separated for Public Fasting or Thanksgiving, shall be kept holy; and the old churches are allowed to be used for the following reason: 'As no place is capable of any holiness under pretence of whatsoever Dedication or Consecration, so neither is it subject to such pollution by any superstition, formerly used and now laid aside, as may render it unlawful or inconvenient for Christians to meet together therein for the Public Worship of God. And therefore we hold it requisite that the places of public assembling for worship among us should be continued and employed to that use.' The Directory. Holy Places. Form of Sailors. The Parliament, it seems, was not entirely satisfied with its own Directory, and soon found it necessary to publish a supplement prayer for for the use of the sailors. This is one of the most singular productions of that extraordinary period. It is called A Supply of Prayer for the Ships that want Ministers to pray with them. ‘A reason of this work' is prefixed to the book; and it states: 'Whereas there are thousands of ships which have not ministers with them to guide them in prayer, and therefore either use the old form of Common Prayer, or no prayer at all; the former whereof for many weighty reasons hath been abolished, and the latter is likely to make them rather heathens than Christians: Therefore, to avoid these inconveniences, it has been thought fit to frame some prayers agreeing with the Directory established by Parliament.' There are certain directions for the use of the form; 'The company being assembled, they may thus begin with prayer:' a short prayer follows, after which the Lord's Prayer is to be used, and we have this direction, 'After this, some psalms and chapters being read out of both Testaments (but none out of those books called Apocrypha), and a psalm being sung, a prayer may follow in this manner.' Two prayers follow, one being 'for the Church universal, and our united Churches and Kingdoms.'-The latter contains a petition for the King, though at the very time they were making war upon him: 'We pray thee for all in authority, especially for the King's Majesty, that God would make him rich in blessings, both in his person and government, establish his throne in religion, save him from evil counsel, and make him a blessed and glorious instrument for the conservation and propagation of the gospel.' Next comes a direction, 'After this prayer a psalm may be sung, and the conclusion may be with a thanksgiving and blessing.' Then follows 'a prayer particularly fitted for those that travell upon the seas,' and 'a prayer in a storm.'1 1 Lathbury, Hist. of Convoc. pp. 497 sqq. |