Lutheran movement in england during the reigns of henry VIII. And edward VI

CHAPTER XXIII. THE SECOND PRAYER BOOK OF EDWARD VI.

The Calvinistic Reaction. The “Censures” of Bucer and Martyr. Orders of Pollanus and A Lasco. The “Confession” introduced. Its derivation. Mistake of English Liturgiolists. Traced to Bucer’s Strassburg Order of 1524. Revisions of Bucer’s Formula by Calvin and Zwingli. Source of the “Absolution.” Other changes. The Ten Commandments in the Communion Service. The General Prayer. The original in its unabbrevated form in Cassel, Cologne, and Calvin’s condensation, given in full. Results of the Revision of 1552. Hardwick’s Testimony.

The Book of 1549 was found in some of its features to be unsatisfactory. As shown in the preceding pages, a number of causes combined to increase the influence of Calvinism in England. Cranmer himself first wavered and then succumbed. The first book was too Lutheran, and besides, like in all such movements, much was suggested by the experience of its use. The history of the revision does not concern us; we have to do only with the results attained. The general facts are well known. Cranmer was again at the head of the commission. Bucer and Martyr, then Professors at Cambridge and Oxford, prepared “Censures” of the First Book, (published about January 1552) while the French Order of Pollanus, and the German of A Lasco had also been published and afforded suggestions. Coverdale had translated it into Latin for Calvin’s examination. The new book thus prepared was issued in September 1552. The Preface disclaims any very important changes from the First Book.

The first difference appears in the introduction of a confessional service before the regular morning service. The ancient Orders provided such service for the priest who was to minister, [[@Page:276]]in order that, before coming to the holy mysteries, he might himself privately confess and be absolved. The public service of the Mass, however, began with the Introit, and in this the Lutheran Orders had made no change, although subsequently be coming general, especially when private confession lost its position, or a corresponding Saturday evening service was disused. The English authorities are much perplexed as to the origin of the Confessional Service introduced in 1552, and still retained. The usual explanation is that it was suggested by the Orders of Pollanus and A Lasco. “The hint was taken from two books of Service, used by congregations of refugees in England.”³⁰² The formula of Pollanus has been traced by Archbishop Laurence³⁰³ to Calvin. Pollanus had succeeded Calvin as pastor at Strassburg, and had thence emigrated with his congregation to Glastonbury in Somersetshire. The formula is the same as that prescribed by Calvin for the church of Geneva in 1545.³⁰⁴ It resembles that prepared by Zwingli for Zürich and Berne in 1536.³⁰⁵ But its sources are still more remote. In June 1524, Bucer, whose influence on the Book of Common Prayer enters at so many points, had prepared a Reformation of the Mass, which he published, as his biographer Baum says, without the knowledge or consent of the clergy of Strassburg, who, in a radical reaction against Rome, were opposed to any fixed form.³⁰⁶ This Order was, at the close of the same year, reported in abstract to Luther by the council of the city, as in use in their churches. It is here given with the others above mentioned.

STRASSBURG ORDER (1524).

“In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Confess unto God the Lord; for he is good, and his mercy is [[@Page:277]]unto everlasting. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.

I, a poor sinful man, confess unto God Almighty, that I have grievously sinned by the transgression of his commandments, that I have done much that I should have left undone, and that I have left undone much that I should have done, by unbelief and distrust of God, and weakness of love towards my fellow-servants and neighbors; for which, as I acknowledge myself guilty before God, I grieve. Be gracious unto me; be merciful unto me, a poor sinner. Amen.

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief This I believe. Lord, help my unbelief and, save me. Amen.

The priest then says to the people: God be gracious and merciful unto us all. Amen.”

Then come the Introit and the Mass proper.

CALVIN’S ORDER (1545).

“Our help is in the Name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Amen.

Brethren, let us each place himself before the Lord, and confess his sins, following me in these words:

O Lord God, Eternal and almighty Father, we acknowledge and frankly confess before Thy Holy Majesty that we have been conceived as miserable sinners, and have been born in iniquity and depravity, prone to wickedness, useless unto every good work, and that, being vicious, we do not cease to transgress Thy holy commandments. Wherefore we would receive destruction from Thy just judgment. But, Lord, we sincerely lament that we have offended Thee; we condemn ourselves and our offences, seeking in true penitence for Thy grace to relieve our misery. Deem us, therefore, O Most kind and merciful Father, worthy of Thy mercy, for the sake of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Blotting cut all our offences and washing away all our filth, [[@Page:278]]increase in us daily the gifts of Thy Holy Spirit, so that, from our hearts, acknowledging our iniquity, we may be more and more dissatisfied with ourselves, and thus be aroused to true repentance; and mortifying ourselves, with all our sins, may bring forth fruits of righteousness and innocency grateful unto Thee, Through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Then follows a Psalm. There is no absolution.

The form of Pollanus (1551) varies only in a few words, but adds: “Absolution. Here the Pastor recites to the people in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, a passage of Holy Scripture concerning the remission of sins.”

Upon the basis, then, chiefly of the Strassburg form, together with that of Calvin and of the Reformation of Cologne, used in the Preparatory Service, the English Confessional Prayer was constructed. “We have erred and strayed like lost sheep” was probably suggested by the shorter Prayer, before Communion, of the Cassel and Cologne Orders.³⁰⁷ The Absolution was taken from that in the Preparatory Service of the Reformation of Cologne, Bucer’s earlier and later work being thus combined.

The other important changes in the Matin Service, were in making the Jubilate alternate with the Benedictus, and in changing the Apostles Creed from directly after, to directly before the Kyrie. By those who refer to the American “Book of Common Prayer,” this cannot be traced, since the American revisers have still further mutilated the old Matin Service by omitting the Kyrie and the Lord’s Prayer; the latter, doubtless, because it had already been used, out of its place, after the Absolution.

In the Communion Service, the Kyrie disappears, and the Gloria in Excelsis is transferred to the Post Communion Service. The Ten Commandments, we have seen above, are inserted, not simply as Blunt suggests after “the jejune liturgy of Pullain” (Pollanus), since they are found in the Roman Mass, and the Liturgy of Frankfort-on-the-Maine of 1530.³⁰⁸ “Glory [[@Page:279]]be to thee, O Lord,” after the reading of the Gospel; is omitted. The Nicene Creed reappears, as the proper Creed for the Communion Service. The direction that the sermon shall follow the Creed, disappears. The Admonition of I. Edward, is transferred to a later place; so also the Salutation, Sursum Corda, and the words: “It is meet, right and our bounden duty.” What in I. Edward VI. is in another place as the “Consecratory Prayer,” is now changed into a prayer for the Church and rulers the Cassel-Cologne Order being more closely followed, and the Romanizing taint of the First Book being excluded. This Cassel-Cologne prayer was already outlined by Bucer in his Strassburg Mass of 1524. We translate it, unabridged, from Cassel (1539) as the form, in which Cranmer and his associates used it.

“Almighty, Everlasting and Gracious God and Father, Thou hast commanded us through Thy dear Son and Lord Jesus Christ, and his holy apostles, to assemble ourselves before Thee in His Name, and hast promised that whatsoever we thus unitedly pray Thee in His Name, Thou wouldst graciously give. We pray Thee, therefore, through the same Thy dear Son, our only Saviour; first, that Thou wouldst graciously forgive us all our sins and offences, which we here all confess and acknowledge before Thee, and that Thy just wrath, which, by our grievous transgressions, we have merited, Thou wouldst graciously turn away from us, for the sake of the Blood and precious Satisfaction of Thy Son, our Mediator. Strengthen also Thy Holy Spirit within us, that we may wholly surrender ourselves to Thy good pleasure, that, now and ever, we may pray Thee in all true faith for ourselves and others, and may richly obtain Thy help and grace.

We pray Thee also especially for Thy Church and congregation. Deliver it from all wolves and hirelings, who desolate it, and, by their corruptions, array themselves against Thee. Grant and sustain godly and faithful pastors, through whom all Thy scattered sheep may be brought back unto Thy dear Son, the Chief Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, and into his true communion, that there may be one Shepherd and one fold.

We pray Thee for all rulers, Emperors, Kings, princes and lords, and especially for those of our land, and the counsellors and magistrates of this city. Grant and increase unto them all grace to rule, that they may acknowledge and embrace Christ Thy Son our Lord, as One to whom Thou hast given all power in Heaven and Earth, and that they may so govern their subjects, as Thy creatures and children; that we, here and everywhere, may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty. [[@Page:280]]

We pray Thee further, Holy Father, for all men, even for those estranged from Thy Kingdom. Draw unto Thy Son our Saviour, all those who flee from Him, and those whom Thou hast drawn to Him and enlightened, grant that they now may know to find in Him alone the forgiveness of sins and all good. Strengthen them, in this knowledge, and make it ever more active within them, unto all good works.

We pray Thee also, Gracious God and Father, for all upon whom Thou hast imposed any special chastisement. Whether it be by poverty, exile, sickness, or any other distress ard trial, give them to recognize Thy gracious fatherly hand, comfort and deliver them from all evil, and grant that they may acknowledge and consider in every chastisement, that they have deserved what is far more grievous, and thus may be turned the sooner and the more completely from all evil unto Thine alone good will.

Finally, we pray Thee, Everlasting and Faithful God and Father, that, as we are here assembled in Thy Divine Presence, for Thy Holy Word, Prayer and the Holy Sacraments, enlighten the eyes of our understanding, and grant we may acknowledge and remember, that we, alas! of ourselves and from our parents, are of such perverse and condemned nature, that in our flesh and blood, we cannot inherit Thy Kingdom of righteousness and blessedness; that we can deserve nothing but eternal wrath and all misery; but that Thou, Gracious God, out of thy boundless mercy, didst regard our misery and corruption, and didst will that Thy Eternal Word, Thy dear Son, shouldst become flesh and our brother, whereby flesh and blood again might become holy, and we, poor condemned men, might be renewed and sanctified again through Him, unto Thine image and unto all Thy divine will and good pleasure. Therefore he giveth us to eat and to drink, in his Holy Sacrament, that very holy flesh and blood which he hath offered upon the cross unto the Father for our sins, and whereby he hath paid the ransom for all our sins, and reconciled us unto Thee, in order that he might live in us, and we, in him, might live a holy and godly life. Grant, Heavenly Father, that we may acknowledge all this, in true living faith, and, now and at all times, meditate thereon, that, renouncing reason and all wicked lusts, we may devote ourselves entirely unto Thy dear Son, our Lord and Saviour, seek and obtain all help and consolation in Him alone, and in His death and resurrection; and may now receive his holy Body and Blood with all thankfulness, and worship and praise Thee, because of His bitter suffering and death, His Heavenly governance, and the gift of Himself which he makes unto us, for food and drink, unto life everlasting.”

The prayer ends with a brief paraphrase of the Lord’s Prayer. Both in Cassel and Cologne, there is a shorter form of this prayer. [[@Page:281]]

“Merciful God, Heavenly Father, Thou hast promised that if we come together in the Name of Thy dear Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ,” etc.

Calvin has appropriated the thoughts, but rewrought the language in the form, prepared for Geneva (1545), which begins:

“Almighty God, Heavenly Father, Thou hast promised us that Thou wilt hear the prayers which we offer Thee in the Name of Thy dear Son and Lord Jesus Christ; and we have learned both of Him and of His Apostles, that we should come together in one place and in his Name, the promise being given that He will be present with us to intercede with Thee for us, and obtain all things which, with one consent, we ask of Thee on Earth.

First, Thou hast commanded us to pray for those whom Thou hast appointed over us as rulers and governors; then to approach Thee as suppliants for all things necessary unto Thy people and all mortals. Since, then we have come into Thy presence, relying upon Thy holy commands and promises, assembled in the Name of Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, we as suppliants, sincerely beseech Thee, O God and Father, in the Name of the same, our only Saviour and Mediator, so deign to forgive our sins and to turn our hearts unto Thee, that we may call upon thee,,” etc.

Calvin presents, at length, the topics, in the same order, as in Cassel, except that he prays for rulers before praying for the Church. His prayer ends also with the Confession of sin, original and actual, and the paraphrase of the Lord’s Prayer. From these sources, therefore, the prayer was condensed:

“Almighty and Everliving God, which by thy holy apostle hast taught us to make prayers and supplications, and to give thanks for all men; we humbly beseech Thee most mercifully to receive our prayers which we offer unto Thy divine Majesty,” etc.

The latter part of the prayer in I. Edward, containing the Words of Institution, is transferred to another part of the service. The modification here of the formula of distribution has been noticed in a preceding chapter.

The only change in the Vesper Service, was in the insertion of “O Lord open thou my lips,” etc., from the Matin Service, the omission of the Hallelujah, and the provision that the Psalm Cantate Domino (XCVIII.) may alternate with the Magnificat [[@Page:282]]and the Deus Misereatur (Ps. XVII.) with the Nunc Dimittis. The Athanasian Creed was retained as in I. Edward VI.

In the Baptismal Service, the Exorcism was omitted, the sign of the cross changed to after the baptism, Luther’s Collect abbreviated, the thanksgiving Collect rewrought, the Lord’s Prayer and Creed after the Exhortation omitted, several Collects from the former Order for Consecration of the Font introduced, etc. In the Burial Service, prayers for the dead were suppressed, etc., details interesting in the history of the Book, but whose examination lies outside of the scope of our undertaking. The result of the revision was, on the one hand, to remove a number of Romanizing elements, but, on the other, to sacrifice much of its Lutheran to a Calvinistic Spirit, and to make changes which seriously impaired the service as an organism.

Archdeacon Hardwick has well said: “His” (Cranmer’s) “Lutheran predilections are also manifested in the formation of the First Service Book of Edward VI., put forth in the month of June, 1549; for, like the corresponding work of the Saxon Reformers, our own is derived almost entirely from the ancient or mediaeval Liturgies, and, in no inconsiderable degree, through the medium of a Lutheran compilation, itself based upon the older Offices of Nuremberg.”³⁰⁹ [[@Page:283]]