variety of liturgies; in England, those of York, Sarum and Bangor, were particularly distinguished. The liturgies of the middle ages consisted generally of the missal and breviary. The former contained the service of the mass; the latter, those forms of prayer, consisting of psalms, hymns and lessons, which the clergy were used to recite daily; and parts of which were solemnly sung in the churches every Sunday, and principal holiday, for the edification of the laity.

The liturgy soon attracted the notice of the reformers. In 1537 a book was published, called, "the Godly and Pious Instruction of a Christian Man;" it contained, in the English language, the Lord's prayer, the Ave Maria, the creed, the ten commandments, and the seven sacraments. With some variations it was re-published in 1540 and 1543, under the title of," a necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian Man." In 1545, the king's primer was published, containing, among other things, the Lord's prayer, the creed, the ten commandments, Venite exultemus, Te Deum, and several hymns and collects.

Soon after the accession of Edward the sixth a committee of divines was appointed to reform the liturgy. They drew up offices for Sundays and holidays, baptism, confirmation and matrimony, burial of the dead, and other special occasions; forming all these into one book. It was published by the common agreement and full assent of the parliament and convocations. In 1548, it was confirmed by act of Parliameat, and declared to have been

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composed by the aid of the Holy Ghost."

Ex

ceptions however, were soon made to some passages; these were altered by Archbishop Cranmer, with the assistance of Martyn Bucer and Peter Martyr, whom he had invited into England from Germany. Thus revised and altered, the book was confirmed by Parliament in 1551. Both acts, however, were repealed in the first year of the reign of queen Mary.

XIII. 6.

The suppression of Colleges, Hospitals and Chauntries: general destruction of their Libraries, and of the sacred or secular articles of use, or ornament belonging to them.

MENTION has been made of the suppression of the smaller monasteries by the act of the 27th of Hen. VIII. Several colleges, hospitals, chauntries and other religious institutions, within the operation of that act, had been permitted to remain in the hands of their lawful possessors. "The great "ones of the court," says Heylin *, not being 'willing to lose so rich a booty, their suppression "was set on foot again. The consequence was, that

90 colleges, and 2,374 free chapels and chauntries, "with their possessions, were vested in the king, "and consumed during his minority."

The suppression of these houses was the occasion of much individual wretchedness. When the monasteries were dissolved, some provision was made for the subsistence of the ejected religious. "But

* History of the Reformation, p. 50, 51.

"as for the chauntry priests," says Mr. Dodd *, "the greater part were reduced to the extremities "of want; as also many of the laity who depended on them."

"On the pretence," continues the same author, "of rooting out superstition, visitors were sent "about; and made a spoil of all things that might "conduce to support either learning or piety. Upon "this occasion was destroyed the famous Anger"vilian library, first composed by Angerville,

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bishop of Durham. The two noble libraries of "Cobham bishop of Winchester, and Duke Hum

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phry of Gloucester, underwent the same fate. "Merton college had almost a cart load of manu"scripts carried off." Every article in these buildings, which served either for use or ornament, was seized. What could not be removed was destroyed or defaced.-Finally, the council gave an order for burning and destroying all the books used in the service of the church. "Sacrilegious avarice," says Camden †, "ravenously invaded church-livings, colleges, chauntries, hospitals, and places dedi"cated to the poor, as things superfluous. Ambition "and emulation among the nobility, presumption "and disobedience among the common people, grew so extravagant, that England seemed to be "in a downright frenzy."

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To raise the palace, which the protector Somerset was building in the Strand, the parish church of

* Church History, Vol. I. p. 348.

+ Introduction to the Annals of Queen Elizabeth, p. 5.

St. Mary, three episcopal houses, a chapel, a cloister, and a charnel-house in St. Paul's Church-yard, with a church of the order of St. John of Jerusa lem, were pulled down, and the materials used in the construction of the palace. Somerset attempted to demolish the church of St. Margaret, Westminster, but the parishioners rose, and drove off the artificers of destruction. From this example alone, some idea may be formed of the general plunder and devastation.

"This gross and insatiable scramble," says Bp. Burnet*, "after the goods and wealth that had "been dedicated to good designs, without the applying any part of it to promote the good of the

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gospel, the instruction of youth, and the relieving "the poor, made all people conclude that it was "for robbery, and not for reformation, that their "zeal made them so active. The irregular and "immoral lives of many of the professors of the

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6.6

gospel gave their enemies great advantage to say, "that they ran away from confession, penance, fasting and prayer, only to be under no restraint, "but to indulge themselves in a licentious and dis❝solute course of life. By these things, that were "but too visible in some of the most eminent

among them, the people were much alienated "from them; and, as much as they were formerly against popery, they grew to have kinder thoughts "of it, and to look on all the changes that had been "made, as designs to enrich some vicious charac

*

History of the Reformation, vol. iii. p. 210.

"ters, and to let in an inundation of vice and wick"edness upon the nation."

XIII. 7.

Religious Persecution during the Reign of Edward VI.

"THE hardships, which the reformers underwent "in the preceding reign, should," according to Mr. Neale's just observation, "have made them "tender of the lives of those who differed from the present standard." But their conduct showed a very different feeling.

Complaint being made to the council against the anabaptists, a commission was ordered to six of the bishops, and to some other divines, to search after all anabaptists, heretics, and all contemners of the common prayers, with injunctions, that the commissioners should endeavour to reclaim them; and, after due penance, to give them absolution; but that if they should continue obstinate, the commissioners should excommunicate, imprison, and deliver them over to the secular arm. Many were brought before them some abjured the errors imputed to them, and were dismissed; others persisted in their opinions and were burned. Among these, Joan Bocken particularly attracted the commiseration of the public; she maintained that Christ was not incarnate of the virgin, not having taken any of her flesh. For this opinion she was sentenced to the flames. The humane prince was so struck with the cruelty of the sentence, that he refused, for a long