to thirty divines, ten of whom were bishops, which was in the following words ':

"Whereas the particular forms of divine worship, and the rites and ceremonies appointed to be used therein, being things in their own nature indifferent and alterable, and so acknowledged; it is, but reasonable that upon weighty and important considerations, according to the various exigencies of times and occasions, such changes and alterations should be made therein, as to those that are in place and authority, should, from time to time, seem either necessary or expedient.

"And whereas the book of canons is fit to be reviewed, and made more suitable to the state of the church; and whereas there are defects and abuses in the ecclesiastical courts and jurisdictions, and particularly there is not sufficient provision made for the removing of scandalous ministers, and for the reforming of manners, either in ministers or people: and whereas it is most fit that there should be a strict method prescribed for the examination of such persons as desire to be admitted into holy orders, both as to their learning and manners.

We, therefore out of our pious and princely care

Ten of the commissioners were then bishops; viz. Dr. Lamplugh, archbishop of York, Dr. Compton, Dr. Mew, Dr. Lloyd, Dr. Sprat, Dr. Smith, Sir Jonathan Trelawny, Dr. Burnet, Dr. Humfreys, and Dr. Stratford, who were the bishops of London, Winchester, St. Asaph, Rochester, Carlisle, Exeter, Salisbury, Bangor, and Chester.-Twenty other dignitaries were added to them as Dr. Stillingfleet, Dr. Patrick, Dr. Tillotson, Dr. Meggot, Dr. Sharp, Dr. Kidder, Dr. Aldridge, Dr. Jane, Dr. Hall, Dr. Beaumont, Dr. Montague, Dr. Goodman, Dr. Beveridge, Dr. Battely, Dr. Alston, Dr. Tennison, Dr. Scott, Dr. Fowler, Dr. Grove, and Dr. Williams.

book was written soon after the time, when most of the members of the commission were still alive, had he introduced into his account any thing contrary to

the eighth, not to enter into any debates about making any alterations in church affairs without the king's special and immediate privacy and direction first given concerning such alterations. It was answered that that must be done either by an act of the king's own judgment, or by a private cabal (both which ways would be very exceptionable), or else by his majesty's commission, to a certain number of ecclesiastics to consult about and prepare what was necessary to be altered, as it was in the present case; moreover, the commissioners pretended not to make these alterations obligatory by virtue of a law, but only to get them ready to lay before the convocation. The very reports being not so much as to be referred to the privy council, least they might be subject to be canvassed and cooked by lay hands. However, the bishops of Winchester and Rochester, Dr. Jane, and Aldridge withdrew dissatisfied; and the rest after a list of all that seemed fit to be changed, was read over, proceeded very unanimously, and without any heats, in determining, as follows, (each article, as soon as agreed upon, being signed by the bishop of London.) viz.

"That the chaunting of divine service in cathedral churches shall be laid aside, that the whole may be rendered intelligible to the commou people.

"That besides the psalms being read in their course as before, some proper and devout ones may be selected for Sundays.

"That the apocryphal lessons, and those of the Old Testament, which are too natural, be thrown out; and others appointed in their stead by a new calendar, which is already fully settled, and out of which are omitted all the legendary saints' days, and others not directly referred to in the service book.

"That not to send the vulgar to search the canons, which few of them ever saw, a rubric be made, setting forth the usefulness of the cross in baptism, not as an essential part of that sacrament, but only a fit and decent ceremony; however if any do, after all in conscience scruple it, it may be omitted by the priest.

"That likewise if any refuse to receive the sacrament of the Lord's supper kneeling, it may be administered to them in their pews. "That a rubric be made, declaring the intention of the Lent fasts, to consist only in extraordinary acts of devotion, not in distinc

truth, or dishonourable to the church, there is not a doubt, considering the temper of the age, but it would have met with deserved contradiction and exposure.

The alterations which were deemed expedient, having been agreed on, it was designed to lay them before the convocation, which was assembled in the

tion of meats and another to state the meaning of Rogation Sundays and Ember weeks; and appoint that those, ordained within "the quatuor tempora," do exercise the strict devotion.

"That the rubric, which obliges ministers to read or hear common prayer publicly or privately every day, be changed into an exhortation to the people to frequent those prayers.

"That the absolution, in morning and evening prayer, may be read by a deacon; the word priest, in the rubric, being changed into minister, and those words "and remission" be put out as not very intelligible.

"That the gloria patri shall not be repeated at the end of every psalm, but of all, appointed for morning and evening prayer.

"That those words in the te deum, "thine honourable, true, and only Son," be thus turned, "thine only begotten Son." Honourable being only a civil term, and no where used in sacris.

"The "benedicite" shall be changed into the hundred and twenty-eighth psalm; and other psalms likewise appointed for the "benedictus and nunc dimitiis."

"The versical after the Lord's prayer, &c. &c. shall be read kneeling, to avoid the trouble and inconveniences of so often varying postures in the worship. And after these words " give peace in our time, O Lord," shall follow an answer, promissory of somewhat on the people's part, of keeping God's laws, or the like: the old response being grounded on the predestinating doctrine taken in too strict an acceptation.

"All high titles, or appellations of the king, queen, &c. shall be left out of the prayers, such as "most illustrious, religious, mighty," &c. &c. only the word sovereign retained for the king and queen.

"Those words in the prayer for the king, "grant that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies," as of too large an extent, if the king engage in an unjust war, and shall be turned thus ; prosper all his righteous undertakings against thy enemies, or after some such manner.

month of December for this purpose. But in the choice of a prolocutor by the lower house, the preference of Dr. Jane to Dr. Tillotson, blasted every expectation of success; and they would not so much as take the subject into consideration.

"Those words in the prayer for the clergy," who alone workest great marvels;" a subject ill interpreted by persons vainly disposed, shall be thus, "who alone art the author of all good gifts:" and those words," the healthful spirit of thy grace," shall be the Holy Spirit of thy grace, healthful being an obsolete word.

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"The prayer, which begins, " O God whose nature and property" shall be thrown out as full of strange and impertinent expressions, and besides not in the original, but foisted in since by another hand.

"The collects, for the most part, are to be changed for those which the bishop of Chichester has prepared; being a review of the old ones with enlargements, to render them more sensible and affecting, and what expressions are needful, so to be retrenched.

"If any minister refuse the surplice, the bishop, if the people desire it, and the living will bear it, may substitute one in his place that will officiate in it; but the whole thing is left to the direction of the bishops.

"If any desire to have godfathers and godmothers omitted, and their children presented in their own names to baptism, it may be granted.

"About the athanasian creed, they came at last to this conclusion. That least the wholly rejecting it should, by unreasonable persons, be imputed to them as socinianism, a rubric shall be made, setting forth, or declaring the curses denounced therein not to be restrained to every particular article, but intended against those that deny the substance of the Christian religion in general.

"Whether the amendment of the translation of the reading psalms, (as they are called) made by the bishop of St. Asaph, and Dr. Kidder, or that in the bible, shall be inserted in the prayerbook, is wholly left to the convocation to consider of, and determine.

"In the litany, communion service, &c. are some alterations made, as also in the canons, which I cannot yet learn so particular account of, as to give them you with the rest, as perhaps I may hereafter be able to do." Thus far my friend's narrative. Calamy p. 452-455,

Nor had the general bill better success in the house of commons. There was a considerable party adverse to the new government. Many were so strongly attached to the church as it was, that the idea of alterations filled them with disgust and horror. Others thought, that to yield to the desires of the nonconformists, was degrading to the establishment. But what most astonished the warm advocates of the bill, was that many members, who had always acted as friends of the dissenters, were hostile to the measure. This was particularly the case with those who, without particularly concerning themselves about religious disputes, acted upon the broad principles of general liberty. They are said to have reasoned thus.

"If this bill pass into a law, two thirds of the dissenting ministers will enter the establishment. They will, in consequence of this, acquire the esprit de corps of the clerical order: at any rate their successors will. Our clergy were never the friends of liberty, but have always clung to the throne; and if they have themselves been caressed and secure, we have found them to be the advocates of prerogative, and unconcerned about the rights of the people. The puritans, the non-conformists, and the dissenters have, on the other hand, been the stedfast asserters of the liberties of Englishmen. If all the present ministers remain without the pale of the church, they and the people will form a considerable body to balance along with the state whigs, the opinions of the clergy, and

So absolute was the authority of the crown (in the reign of the Tudors) that the precious spark of liberty had been kindled, and was preserved by the puritans alone. And to this sect the English owe the whole freedom of their constitution. Hume's History of England.