The Prayer- Declaration added concerning kneeling at the issue was suspended in September, until certain faults were corrected;1 and almost at the last moment before the book was to be used according to the Act of Parliament, a declaration was ordered to be added to the Communion Office, in explanation of the rubric which requires Communion. communicants to kneel at receiving the consecrated elements,' that it is not meant thereby that any adoration is done, or ought to be done, either unto the sacramental bread or wine there bodily received, or to any real and essential presence there being of Christ's natural flesh and blood.' 2 The Prayer Ireland. 3 The Church of Ireland, although having its own Convocation, followed in ecclesiastical reforms the orders which were sent across from England. Edward's first Act of Parliament, which commanded the Communion. to be given 'under both the kinds,' applied to 'the people within the Church of England and Ireland;' and the Proclamation prefixed to 'The Order of the Communion' (1548), made no distinction between the two countries: yet it was not until February 6th, 1551, 1 Sept. 27th an order came to Grafton the printer in any wise to stay from uttering any of the books of the new service. And if he had distributed any of them among his company (of stationers), that then he give strait commandment not to put any of them abroad until certain faults therein were corrected.' Strype, Memorials Ed. VI. II. 15. Oct. 7th, Cranmer writes to the Council: 'Has received their directions that the Book of Common Prayer should be diligently pursued, and the printer's errors therein amended. Arguments defending the practice of kneeling at the Sacrament.' Calendar of State Papers, Ed. VI. p. 45. And Oct. 27th, the Council-book mentions a letter written to the Lord Chancellor, to add in the edition of the new Common Prayer Book a declaration touching kneeling at the receiving the Communion.' Burnet, Hist. Ref. Pt. III. bk. iv. Vol. III. p. 316, ed. Nares. 2 Clay, Prayer Book Illustrated, p. 126; Hardwick, Reformation, p. 209. 3 Stat. 1 Ed. VI. c. 1, § 7 (December 1547). 4 The Act of Uniformity (2 and 3 Ed. VI. c. 1) ordered the Book of Common Prayer (1549) to be used by all ministers in any cathedral or parishe churche, or other place within this Realme of England, Wales, Calyce, and Marches of the same or other the Kinges dominions.' Clay, P. B. Illustr. p. 190. Book for Used in Dublin in 1551 Not trans that an Injunction was sent to the Lord-Deputy to have The Prayerthe English Book of Common Prayer read in the Irish churches. Sir Anthony St. Leger immediately summoned the whole clergy, but not as a Convocation,1 for the 1st of March, to acquaint them with his Majesty's commands; and after some opposition from the Archbishop of Armagh, and several bishops, a proclamation was issued for carrying the order into effect: and thus the English Prayer-Book began to be publicly used on Easter Sunday (March 29), in the cathedral of Christ church, Dublin.2 The Second Book of Common Prayer (1552) does not appear to have been ordered for observance in the Irish Church: nor was any attempt made to translate the whole or parts of it into the Irish language. It may be doubted whether it was used beyond the circle of the Lord-Deputy's Court: for the native priests did not understand English; and if adopted by those English clergy who occupied the larger benefices, it would be as unintelligible to the people as the Latin service which it supplanted. The language, indeed, presented such obstacles, that the proposal was entertained to allow a Latin translation of the Book of Common Prayer to be used in the Irish churches—a proposal which was actually sanctioned by the Irish Parliament at the commencement of the reign of Elizabeth. The 3 lated into the Irish language. 1 Mant, Hist. of the Church of Irelana, 11. 158. 2 Stephens, MS. Book of Common Prayer for Ireland (Eccl. Hist. Soc.), Introd. pp. iii. sq. The title of the Book, which was printed at Dublin, 1551, is, The Boke of the common praier and administracion of the Sacramentes, and other rites and ceremonies of the Churche: after the use of the Churche of England.' Ibid. p.v. The Irish Act of Uniformity (2 Eliz. c. 2) authorized a Latin service The Prayer- Transiated into French. Irish and the Welsh were left in their ignorance, from the unwillingness of the learned to master their languages. We must conclude that this alone hindered the translation of the reformed Service Book for the use of those countries; since we find that the First Prayer Book (1549) was translated into French for the use of the King's subjects in Calais and the Channel Islands; and care was taken to amend the translation in 1552, so that the French version should still represent the English Book of Common Prayer in its altered state.1 1 The first Prayer Book was translated into French by command of Sir Hugh Paulet, governor of Calais. This was corrected by the English revised Book, 'in all the alterations, additions and omissions thereof,' at the instance of Goodrich, the Bp. of Ely and Lord Chancellor. Strype, Cranmer, II. 33. On the subject of this chapter see Mr. Medd's Introduction to the First Book of Common Prayer of Edward VI. (1869): this useful volume con tains also The Order of the Communion, 1548, and The Ordinal of 1549. The student of these Revisions may have all before his eyes in Mr. Parker's volume, The First PrayerBook of Edward VI. compared with the successive Revisions: also a Concordance to the Rubrics in the several editions: with its companion volume, An Introduction to the History of the successive Revisions. APPENDIX. NOTICES OF CERTAIN FOREIGNERS WHO HAVE BEEN I. CONTINUAL Controversies within the English Church have turned upon the comparative merits and authority of the First and Second Prayer Books of Edward VI. As to their merits, some regard the first Book as still leavened with Popish doctrines and practices to others the second Book appears the work of foreign influence, and of pertinacious opposition to catholic antiquity. The question of authority, however it may be historically decided, can be of little moment to those who now use our Prayer Book, as successively amended, and as fully authorized by Parliament and Convocation in 1662. It may be quite certain that the Convocation 'was not permitted to pass its judgment on the Second Service Book put forth by authority of Parliament in the reign of Edward VI., and for this plain reason, that it would have thrown all possible difficulties in the way of its publication;'1 yet this second Book must be regarded as an English book revised by a selected number of English bishops and divines. It may be said that foreigners were consulted about the revisal; and it is true that the opinions of some strangers were asked: but even in the case of such men as Bucer and Martyr, who from their position would naturally be consulted, and on points where alterations agreed with their expressed opinions, it is not certain that those alterations were made in consequence of their influence. Of all the foreigners who were engaged in the work of reformation, Melancthon and Luther had the greatest influence both in the general reformation of the 1 Cardwell, Synodalia, vol. I., Pref. p. x. Influence of JA Foreigners. MELANC- Influence of English Church, and in the composition of the English Book of Common Prayer, where it differed from the Medieval Service Books. 2. Melancthon was repeatedly invited into England; and it seems probable that his opinion, supported by his character and learning, had great influence on Cranmer's mind. As early as March 1534, he had been invited more than once;1 so that the attention of Henry VIII. and Cranmer had been turned towards him, before they proceeded to any doctrinal reformation. The formularies of faith which were put forth in the reign of Henry, are supposed to have originated in his advice. On the death of Bucer (Feb. 28, 1551), the professorship of Divinity at Cambridge was offered to Melancthon, and after many letters he was at last formally appointed3 (May 1553). It is perhaps needless to add that he never came into England; and although his presence had been so much desired, it does not appear that he had any influence with regard to the alterations introduced into Edward's Second Prayer Book. Appointed Professor of Luther. His Nuremberg Service. 4 3. The first Book was largely indebted to Luther, who had composed a form of Service in 1533, for the use of Brandenburg and Nuremberg. This was taken by Melancthon and Bucer as their model, when they were invited (1543) by Hermann, Prince Archbishop of Cologne, to draw up a Scriptural form of doctrine and worship for his subjects." This book contained 'directions lexi episcopum dedisse mandatum, tempus hactenus, et legi de cære- |