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their degrees; which no minifter fhall wear, being no graduate, under pain of fufpenfion: notwithstanding, it hall be lawful for fuch minifters as are not graduates, to wear upon their furplices, inftead of hoods fome decent tippet of black, fo it be not filk."

But this canon (which is fomewhat obfervable) is in part destroyed by the ftatute law, and by the rubrick, be fore the prefent common prayer.

For by the El. c. 2. it is provided, that fuch ornaments. of the church, and of the minifters thereof, fhall be retained and used, as was in this church of England by authority of parliament in the fecond year of the reign of king Edward the fixth; until other order fall be therein taken by the authority of the queen's majefly, with the advice of her commiffioners ap pointed and autho ifed under the great fea! for caufes ecclefiafti cal, or of the metropolitan of this realm. f. 25. Which other order as to this matter, was never taken...

And by the rubrick before the common prayer of the 13 & 14 C. 2. It is to be noted, that fuch ornaments of the church, and of the minifters thereof at all times of their miniAration, fhall be retained and be in ufe, as were in this church of England by the authority of parliament in the fecond year of the reign of king Edward the fixth.

Toerefore, it is neceffary to recur in this matter to the common prayer book established by act of parliament in the fecond year of king Edward the fixth. In which there is this rubrick: In the faying or finging of matens and "evenfonge baptizyng and burying, the minifter in paryfhe "churches and chapels annexed to the fame, fhall ufe "a furples. And in all cathedral churches and colledσε ges the archdeacons, deanes, proveftes, maifters, pre

bendaryes, and fellowes, beinge graduates, may use in "the quiere, befide theyr furpleffes, fuch hoodes as per"taineth to their feveral degrees whiche they have taken "in any universitie within this realme. But in all other "places, every minifter fhall be at libertie to use any fur

ples or no. It is alfo feemly that graduates, when they "dooe preache, fhoulde ufe fuche hoodes as pertayneth to "theyr feveral degrees."

So that in marrying, churching of women, and other offices not here specified, and even in the administration of the holy communion, it feemeth that a furplice is not neceffary. And the refon why it is not injoined for the holy communion in particular, is, because other vestments are appointed for that miniftracion, which are as followeth: Upon the day, and at the time appointed for the

"miniftra

Morning and evening prayer.

Pfalmi.

Litany.

miniftracion of the holy communion, the prieft that "fhall execute the holye miniftery, fhall put upon hym

the vefture appointed for that miniftracion, that is to fay, a white albe plain, with a vestment or cope. And "where there be many prieftes or deacons, there fo many thall be ready to helpe the prieft in the miniftracion, as fhall be requifite; and fhall have upon them likewyfe "the vestures appointed for their miniftery, that is to fay, "albes with tunacles."

Note, the alb differs from the furplice in being clofe fleeved.

"And whenfoever the bufhop fhall celebrate the holye " communion in the churche, or execute any other pub"lique minyftracion; he fhall have upon hym, befyde "his rochette, a furples or albe, and a cope or vestment,

and alfo hys paftoral staffe in hys hand, or elles borne "or holden by hys chapelyne."

5. In the 2d of Ed. 6. The order for morning and every prayer began (as was faid before) with the Lord's prayer, and ended with the third collect for grace; the other five prayers that now follow having been added fince. Gibf. 300.

From which, and from other obfervations which fol low, it will appear, that befides the feveral offices being now generally put into one, which at firft were distină and separate, they are now become much longer than originally they were, by the additions from time to time which have thereunto been made.

6. Rubr. The pfalter followeth the divifion of the hebrews, and the tranflation of the great english bible, fet forth and used in the time of king Henry the eighth and Edward the fixth.

7. Can. 15. The litany fhall be faid or fung, when and as is fet down in the book of common prayer, by the parfons vicars minifters or curates, in all cathedral collegiate and parish churches and chapels, in fome convenient place, according to the difcretion of the bishop of the diocefe, or ecclefiaftical ordinary of the place; moré particularly, upon the wednesdays and fridays weekly, tho' they be not holidays, the minifter at the accustomed hours of service shall refort to the church and chapel, and warning being given to the people by tolling of a bell, fhall fay the litany prefcribed in the book of common prayer: whereunto we with every householder, dwelling within half a mile of the church, to come or send one at

the leaft of his houshould fit to join with the minister at prayers.

8. Of the prayers and thanksgivings which now ftand at the end of the litany fervice, the first two prayers (for rain and fair weather) were at the end of the communion fervice in the book of the 2 Ed. 6. To which were added in the 5 Ed. 6. thefe prayers. In the time of dearth and famine; In the time of war; and, in the time of plague and fickness. The prayer to be used after any other, and the thanksgivings for rain, fair weather, plenty and deliverance from enemies, were brought in by king James the firft. The prayers, In the ember weeks, For the parliament, and for all conditions of men, were added in 1661; as were all the general thanksgiving, and the thanksgiving for publick peace, and for deliverance from the plague. Gib. 301.

9. By the feveral acts of uniformity, the form of worship directed in the book of common prayer fhall be used in the church, and no other; but with this provifo, that it fhall be lawful for all men, as well in churches chapels oratories or other places, to ufe openly any pfalms or prayer taken out of the bible, at any due time, not letting or omitting thereby the fervice, or any part thereof, mea¬ tioned in the said book. 2 & 3 Ed. 6. c. 1. f. 7.

And whereas heretofore there hath been great diverfity in Jaying and finging in churches within this realm, fome following Salisbury ufe, fime Hereford ufe, and fome the ufe of Bangor, fome of York, fome of Lincoln; now from henceforth all the whole realm fhall have but one use. Pref. to the com. pr.

Salisbury ufe] Lindwood speaking of the ufe of Sarum, fays, that almost the whole province of Canterbury fol. loweth this ufe; and adds as one reason of it, that the bifhop of Sarum is precentor in the college of bishops, and at those times when the archbishop of Canterbury folemnly performeth divine fervice in the prefence of the college of bishops, he ought to govern the quire, by ufage and ancient cuftom. Gibf. 259.

Some Hereford uje] In the northern parts was generally obferved the ufe of the archiepifcopal church of York; in South Wales, the ufe of Hereford; in North Wales, the use of Bangor; and in other places, the use of other of the principal fees, as particularly that of Lincoln. Ayl, Par. 356.

The rule laid down for church mufick in England almost 1000 years ago, was, that they should observe a plain and devout melody, according to the custom of the

church.

Prayers and thanksgiving after the litany.

Publication of ecclefiaftical maiters in the church.

Preaching,

church. And the rule prefcribed by queen Elizabeth in her injunctions was, that there should be a modeft and diftinct fong, fo ufed in all parts of the common prayers in the church, that the fame may be as plainly understood, as if it were read without finging. Of the want of which grave ferious and intelligible way, the reformatio legum had complained before. And whether fome regulations may not now be neceffary, to render church musick truly ufeful to the ends of devotion, and to guard against indecent levities, feemeth to require fome confideration. Gib. 298, 299.

ro. By the ftatute of 26 G. 2. c. 33. After the fecond lefon fhall the banns of matrimony be published.

And by the rubrick: After the Nicene creed is ended, the curate fhall declare unto the people what holidays or fafting days are in the week following to be obferved; and then alfo, if occafion be, fhall notice be given of the communion; and briefs, citations, and excommunications read and nothing fhall be proclaimed or published in the church, during the time of divine fervice, but by the minitter'; nor by him any thing, but what is prefcribed in the rules of this book, or injoined by the king, or by the ordinary of the place.

11. The clergy in queen Elizabeth's time being very ignorant (and no wonder, their ftipends in moft places being exceeding fmall); and moreover the ftate having a jealous eye upon them, as if they were not very well affected to the reformation; none were permitted to preach without licence, but they were to ftudy and read the homilies gravely and aptly; and they that were instituted, fubfcribed a promise to the fame effect. And this continued in fome meafure in the next reign: for minifters not licensed to preach, were by the canons prohibited to expound any text of fcripture, and were only to read the homilies, even in their own cures. But the occafion of thole canons being now taken away, the bishops do generally and justly forbear to put the canons as to this matter in execution; and every prieft is permitted to preach, at least in his own cure, as he may and ought to do by the old canon law, and by the charge given him at his ordination, and by the very nature of his office. Johns. 48.

The reftraints in this kind were (and are) as follows: Arundel. No prieft not being licensed thall exercife the office of preaching, until he fhall be examined and fent by the bishop, and fhall produce the authority by which he preacheth. Lind. 288.

Form

Form of ordaining deacons: Take thou authority to read the Gospel in the church of God, and to preach the fame, if thou be thereto licensed by the bishop himself.

Form of ordoining priests: Take thou authority to preach the word of God, and to minifter the holy facraments, in the congregation where thou shall be lawfully appointed thereunto.

Art. 23. It is not lawful for any man, to take upon him the office of publick preaching, or miniftring the facraments in the congregation, before he be lawfully called and fent to execute the fame. And thofe we ought to judge lawfully called and fent, which be chofen and called to this work by men who have publick authority given unto them in the congregation, to call and fend minifters into the Lord's vineyard.

Can. 36. No perfon fhall be received into the ministry, nor admitted to any ecclefiaftical living, nor fuffered to preach, to catechize, or to be a lecturer or reader of divinity in either univerfity, or in any cathedral or collegiate church, city, or market town, parish church, chapel, or any other place within this realm; except he be licensed either by the archbishop or by the bishop of the diocefe where he is to be placed, under their hands and feals, or by one of the two univerfities under their feal likewife; and except he fhall firft fubfcribe to the three articles concerning the king's fupremacy, the book of common prayer, and the thirty-nine articles: and if any bishop fhall licenfe any perfon without fuch fubfcription, he fhall be fufpended from giving licences to preach for the space of twelve months,

And by the 31 El. c. 6. If any perfon fhall receive or take any money, fee, reward, or any other profit, directly or indirectly, or any promife thereof, either to himfelf or to any of his friends (all ordinary and lawful fees. only excepted), to procure any licence to preach; he fhail forfeit 401. f. 10.

After the preacher fhall be licensed, then it is ordained, as followeth :

Can. 45, Every beneficed man, allowed to be a preacher, and refiding on his benefice, having no, lawful, impediment, fhali in his own cure, or in fome other church or chapel (where he may conveniently) near adjoining, where no preacher is, preach one fermon every funday of the year; wherein he shall foberly and fincerely divide the word of truth, to the glory of God, and to the best edification of the people

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