Hidden Works of Darkness Brought to Public Light, Letter 115
Aprill. 20. 1636. the Archbishop writ this Letter to the Bishop of Dunblane, concerning the Communion in the Chappell royall, the Booke of Ord…nation, and the Lit…rgy, the Copy whereof is indorsed with his owne hand.
I Have received other Letters from you, by which I finde you have written to his Majesty about the Communion in the Chappell Royall, concerning which the King holds his former resolution; That he would be very glad there should be a full Communion at all solemne times as is appointed. But because men doe not alwayes fitte themselves as they ought for that great a…d holy worke, therefore his Majesty will be satisfied if every one that is required to Communicate there, doe solemnly, and conformably performe that action once a yeare at least, And in con…ormity to this, you are to signifie once a yeare,NOTE. unto his sacred Majesty, who have communicated within the compasse of that yeare, and who not: And of this you must not saile.
By these last Letters of yours, I find that you are consecrated; God give you joy. And whereas you desire a Coppy of our Booke of Ordination, I have heere s…nt you one. And I have acquainted his Majesty with the two great reasons that you give, why the Booke which you had in K. Iames his time is short and insufficient. As first, that the order of Deacons is made but as a Lay Office▪ at least, as that Booke may be understood. And secondly, that in the admission to Priesthood, the very essentiall words of conferring Orders are left out. At which, his Majesty was much troubled, as he had great cause, and concerning which, he hath commanded me to write, that either you doe admit of out booke of Ordination, or else that you amend your owne in these two grosse over sights, or any thing else, if in more it be to be corrected, and then see the Booke reprinted. I pray faile not to acquaint my Lord of Saint Andrewes, and my Lord Rosse with this expresse Command of his Majesty.
I received likewise from you at the same time certaine notes to be considered of, that all, or at least so many of them, as his Majesty should approve, might be made use of in your Liturgie, which is now in printing. And though my businesse hath of late laine very heavy upon me, yet I presently acquainted his Majesty with what you had written. After this, I and Bishop Wren (my Lord Treasurer being now otherwise busied) by his Majesties appointment sate downe seriously, and considered of them all, and then I tendred them againe to the King without out animadversio… upon them, and his Majesty had the patience to weigh and consider them all againe▪ This done, so many of them, as his Majesty approved, I have written into a service booke of ours, & sent you the book with his Majesties-hand to it, to warrant all your alterations made therein. So in the printing of your Liturgie, you are to follow the Booke which my Lord Rosse brought & the additions which are made to the Book I now sent. But if you finde the Book of my Lord Rosses, and this to differ in any thing that is materiall, there you are to follow this later Booke, I now send, as expressing somethings more fully.
And now that your Lordship sees all of your animadversions, which the Kings approved written into this booke, I shall not need to write largely to you, what the reasons were, why all of yours were not admitted, for your judgement, and modesty is such, that you will easily conceive some reason was apprehended for it. Yet because it is necessary, that you know some what more distinctly, I shall here give you a particular accompt of some things which are of most moment, and which otherwise perhaps might breed a doubtfullnesse in you.
And first, I thought you could not have doubted but that the Magnificat, &c. was to be printed according to the Translation of King Iames, for that was named once for all. And that translation is to be followed in the Epistles and Gospells, as well as in the Psalmes. Where I pray observe in the Title-page of the Psalmes in the booke I now send an alteration which I thinke my Lord Rosses booke had not. And if you have not printed those Psalmes, with a Colon in the middle of every verse,NOTE. as it is with ours ordinarily in the English, it is impossible those Psalmes should ever be well sung to the Organ. And if this error be run into, it must be mended by a painfull way, by a pen for all such Bookes as the Chappell Royall useth, and then by one of them the next impression of your Liturgie may be mended wholly.
Secondly in the Creed of Saint Athanasius. We can agree to no more emendations, no not according to our best Greeke Copies, then you shall finde amended in this Booke.
Thirdly though the Bishops there were willed to consider of the Holy Dayes, yet it was never intended but that the Office appointed for every of them, should be kept in the Liturgie, and the consideration, was on…y to be of the observation of them.
Fourthly for the sentences at the Offettorie. We admit of all yours, but Wee thinke with all that diverse which are in our Booke would be retained together with yours. As namely the 2d. 4th. 6th. 7, 8. 9. 10. 13. 14. 15.
Fifthly, I would have every Prayer or other Action through the whole Communion named in the Rubrick before it,NOTE. that it may be knowne to the people what it is, as I have begun to doe in the Prayer of Consecration, and in the memoriall or Prayer of oblation. Fac similiter.
Sixtly, We doe fully approve the Collect of Consecration and Oblation should preceed, and the Lords Prayer follow next, and be said before the Communion, in that order which you have exprest, but for the Invitation, Cons…ssion, Absolution, Sentences, Preface, and Doxologie, We thinke they stand best as they are now placed in our Liturgie, and as for the Prayer of humble accesse to the holy Communion, that will stand very well, next before the Participation.
Seaventhly, I have ordered a Rubrick in the Margin of this Booke according as you desire, to direct him that celebrates when to take the Sacrament into his hand. Namely to take, and breake, and lay hands on the Chalice▪ as he speakes the words. For certai…ly the practise of the Church of England therein is very right. And for the objection, that we should not doe it till we expresse our Warrant so to doe, which you conceive is in these words, Do this, &c. I Answer, 1. That those words, Do this, &c: are rather our Warrant for the Participation, or Communication, then the Consecration, 2. That our repeating what Christ did, is our Warrant to doe the same, being there to commanded, 3. That the whole Action is Astus continuus, and therefore though in our saying (Do this) followes after, yet it doth, and must be intended to that which We did before; and comes last to seale and confi…me our Warrant for doing so. And so tis in the other Sacrament of Baptisme, where we take the Child first, and Baptise it, and then afterwards Wee say, We receive this Child, &c. Which in Actu continu… must needs relate to the preceeding act, for the Child was actually received into the Church by the very act of Baptisme it selfe. And this is but our Declaration of that Reception.
And Whereas you write, that much more might have beene done, if the times would have borne it; I make noe doubt but there might have beene a fuller Addition. But God be thanked this will doe very well, and I hope breed up a great deale of devout, and religious pietie in that Kingdome. Yet I pray for my Farther satisfaction, at your best leisure …aw up all those particulers, which you thinke might make the Liturgy perf…ct, whether the times will beare them or not, And send them safe to me, & I will not faile to give you my judgment o… them,Note. and perhaps, put some of them to further use, at least in my owne particular.
One thing more, and then I have done. In his Majesties authourising of the notes in this book pre…ixed at the begining of it▪ though he leave a liberty to my Lords the Archbishops of St. Andrewes & Brethre… the Bishops who are upon the pl…ce, upon apparent reason to vary some things; Yet you must know, and in…orme them, that his Majestie having viewed all these additions hopes there will be no need of change of any thing, and wilbe best pleased, with little or rather no alteration. So wishing all prosperity to that Church, and a happy finishing of your Liturgie, and health to my Brethren the Bishops, I leave you to the Grace of God, and rest.
Lambeth Aprill 20. 1636. Your Lordships very loving Freind and Brother. W. Cant.
This Letter gives us very much light concerning the proceedings of the Archbishop in the Scottish Liturgie, the Scottish Bishops sending all their Notes and alteratio…s of it & doubts concerning it to him from time to time, as to their only O…icle, (all which I have at large, but pre…ermit in silence) and receiving his directions which were punctually observed. By which it appeares how vaine and false this excuse of his concerning this businesse is, which hee drew up with his owne hand since his imprisonment in the Tower, where I founde it thus indorsed and superscribed by him.