This Prayer Book was adopted by the Church in Convocation on December 20, 1661; and the use of it was enforced by an Act of Uniformity which received the royal assent on May 19, 1662.

6

It should be noticed that Elizabeth's Act of Uniformity (1559) was included in the Contents' of the Prayer Book revised and signed by Convocation. Even if it cannot be argued from this fact that the Church gave synodical sanction to the Act, it can be argued that Convocation was ready to accept it. The Act was in no way adverse to any Catholic doctrine or the

fit use of Catholic ornaments.

An attempted revision of the Prayer Book was made in 1689, in the reign of William III. The King, being a Dutch Calvinist, desired that an agreement should be made between the Church of England and Protestant Dissenters." A Commission was issued to ten bishops and twenty divines to prepare alterations in the Liturgy and Canons. The proposed alterations were extremely numerous. A few are prudent, such as a petition in the Litany by Thy continual intercession at the right hand of God, and a proposed note to the clause in the Nicene Creed Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son-It is humbly submitted to the Convocation whether a note ought not here to be added with relation to the Greek Church, in order to our maintaining Catholic communion.' The Collects are stupidly expanded so as to resemble extempore prayers, the word 'priest' is altered to minister," and even the surplice is rendered optional. The doctrine of baptismal regeneration is apparently retained, and a 'conditional' re-ordination of Presbyterian ministers is made necessary. They are to be ordained by a bishop without being compelled to deny the validity of their former ordinations. But most of the proposed changes are strangely inconsistent with the idea of 'Catholic communion.'

1. In the Communion Service a second form of consecration is provided, in which the mention of the partaking of Christ's most blessed Body and Blood is omitted. Kneeling at Holy Communion is rendered optional.

2. The mention of private absolution is omitted in the first exhortation in the Communion Service.

3. The Confirmation Service is so modified as to suggest that Confirmation does not mean a bestowal of the gifts of the Holy Ghost, but a confirmation by the candidates of what was promised in their name at Baptism, and a prayer for their continuous strengthening by the Holy Ghost.

4. The rule for the daily recitation of Morning and Evening Prayer is relaxed; Holy Communion is ordered to be once a month in large parishes, and at least four times in the year in smaller parishes. It is only fair to add that this proposal with regard to Holy Communion was in harmony with the practice of many devout Anglicans.

The Commission did not venture to lay these alterations before Convocation, and the revision was a fiasco. But it has left behind it a valuable lesson. It proves that the latitudinarian Commission which made the proposals, and the Convocation which was prepared to reject them, were agreed that the Prayer Book is steeped in doctrine which Protestant Dissenters' could not conscientiously accept.

CHAPTER VI

MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER

We two will stand beside that shrine
Occult, withheld, untrod,

Whose lamps are stirred continually
With prayer sent up to God;

And see our old prayers, granted, melt
Each like a little cloud.

ROSSETTI, The Blessed Damozel.

Introductory.

THE whole history of Morning Prayer, otherwise called Mattins, and of Evening Prayer, otherwise called Vespers or Evensong, is one of great difficulty and interest. In no country have these services passed through such a complicated history as in England, and in no country have they kept so strong a hold upon the affections of the people. Not that we can permit ourselves to suppose that the modern English treatment of Mattins is satisfactory. Some devout people never attend the service at all, while a large number attend it every Sunday, and only attend the Eucharist occasionally. This strange perversion of the laws of Christian worship has chiefly been caused by the ignorance and slackness of the parochial clergy, who first postponed Sunday Mattins, which used to be said before the congregation had their breakfast, until after breakfast, and then late in the eighteenth century began the practice of saying Mattins on Sunday at

eleven o'clock. A well-authenticated tradition ascribes the origin of eleven o'clock Sunday Mattins1 in the parish churches of London to the Rev. James Townley (1714-1778). He held various 'city' preferments; he also wrote farces and was a friend of Garrick. He

' rendered' the service in the style of that eminent tragedian, and postponed Mattins until eleven, in order that his fashionable admirers might have time to drive from what was then the west end' of London. The result of choosing this late hour for Mattins has made a subsequent attendance at the Holy Eucharist a great difficulty to many Christian people, and it is a cause of congratulation that an earlier hour has been kept in some parochial and cathedral churches, as well as in the colleges of our universities.

Throughout the Middle Ages, even in the darkest periods, our ancestors generally endeavoured to hallow Sunday by attending Morning and Evening Prayer as well as Holy Mass. The Anglo-Saxons were familiar with 'Uhtsang' and 'Evensang,' and of William the Conqueror it is said by Robert of Gloucester (A.D. 1270)

'for him none day abide That he heard not Mass and Mattins and Evensong, and each tide.'

In the fourteenth century Langland represents' Sloth' as failing to hear 'matynes and masse,' and in 1532 Sir Thomas More complained that many laymen will not rise in time to hear out their Mattins' before breakfast. But the practice of attending Mattins was still quite common. The hour of Mattins varied. some monastic churches Mattins were sung before retiring to bed; in other places they were sung before daybreak, according to the primitive custom. It is

In

1 Week-day Mattins were occasionally said in London at eleven as early as 1714, but they were preceded by earlier Mattins at six.

In

probable that 6 or 7 A.M. were general hours.1 1547, before the introduction of the reformed services, Holgate, Archbishop of York, directed that Mattins should be sung in York minster at 6 A.M. or 7 A.M. according to the time of year, High Mass throughout the year being at 9 A.M. In the cathedral church of Aberdeen Mattins were sung at 6 A.M. both summer and winter. After the restoration of Charles II. six and seven were the hours kept for Mattins both at Canterbury and Worcester; the Litany, followed by the Communion Service, beginning at 10 A.M.

The earliest hour at which Morning Prayer has been said in England since the Reformation is probably 5 A.M., which was the usual week-day hour for Morning Prayer in London churches during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Until a few years ago the bells of some of the city churches' were still rung at this early hour.

The form of Mattins and Evensong now used in the Church of England is a lengthened form of the services which appeared in 1549 in the First Prayer Book of Edward VI. The origin of these beautiful services which Cranmer edited cannot be understood without a careful consideration of the history of the forms of daily Christian worship which were not included in the Eucharist. For the sake of convenience we may divide the history of this worship as follows:

§ 1. Before the Coming of S. Augustine.

From the earliest times it appears that the Christians consecrated to prayer, either public or private, (1) the last moments of the night, the time between cock-crow

1 In the house of King Edward IV. Mass was said in the hall at six, at seven Mattins were said in chapel, and a Mass was sung by children at nine.