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away other things which they perceived to be most abused, as in 'men's ordinances it often chanceth diversely in divers countries." But this principle has been lost sight of by the persons to whom I allude; and they have presumed, following their own private judgment, and not the rules nor intention of the Church, to introduce, one by one, those very forms and observances, which 'the Reformers of our Liturgy had purposely discontinued and laid aside, but which it is now sought to revive, some of them for the first time since the Reformation. These innovations have, in some instances, been carried to such a length as to render the 'Church Service almost histrionic. I really cannot characterize by any gentler term the continual changes of posture, the frequent genuflexions, the crossings, the peculiarities of Dress, and some of the decorations of Churches, to which I allude. They are after 'all, a poor imitation of the Roman ceremonial, and furnish, I have no doubt, to the observant members of that Church, a subject, on the one hand, of ridicule, as being a faint and meagre copy of their own gaudy Ritual, and, on the other hand, of exultation, as "preparing those who take delight in them to seek a further "gratification of their taste in the Roman Communion. I am by no 'means insensible to the value of the aesthetic principle in the 'externals of religion; but great caution is requisite, not to lay 'such stress upon that which is material and emblematical, as to 'detract from the importance of that which is purely spiritual; to 'substitute, in fact, the mere machinery of religion for the effects 'which it is intended to produce. I have always contended, and 'still contend, that we are bound to carry out all the Church's 'directions for the celebration of Divine Service; but I contend, 'also, that we offend against her order, not less by the admission of 'what it forbids, or does not enjoin, than by the omission of anything 'which it prescribes.......(The Bishop, after referring to what he had said in previous 'CHARGES,' proceeds :-) ...... 'I have been told 'that I had no authority to forbid anything which was not in express terms forbidden by law; and that practices, which, though purposely laid aside by the Church, and so by implication con'demned, have not been actually prohibited, are therefore lawful; 'and that canonical obedienee to a Bishop is only that which 'he can enforce in a Court of law: and so the innovations, which I 'objected to, have been persisted in, with additional changes 'introduced from time to time, with the manifest purpose of 'assimilating the Services of our Reformed Church as nearly as 'possible to those of the Roman. Once more I declare my entire 'disapproval of such practices, and my earnest wish that, while every direction of the Rubric and Canons is observed where it is 'possible, no form should be introduced into the celebration of Public Worship which is not expressly prescribed by them, or sanctioned by long-established usage.' (p. 50—54.)—Charge. 1850.

·

After these observations of the BISHOP of LONDON, it need hardly be said that this state of things can scarcely be approved, nor indeed defended, and calls therefore for the most candid inquiry an inquiry devoid of personal predilections, and free from party bias. It is in this spirit that we now proceed to the discussion of the questions before

us.

We will begin by introducing to the Reader the authorities in our possession on the general question of 'Ornaments,' as well of the Church, as of the Minister; and the first and most important is the following RUBRIC of the present Book of Common Prayer, since upon one expression in it, viz. 'by the authority of Parliament'-hangs apparently all the difficulty, inasmuch as our modern and stricter Rubricians have been charged with proceeding in this matter, as if these words had no place in the Rubric at all; or were mere expletives of no force or power. The RUBRIC thus reads

¶ 'And here is to be noted that such Ornaments of the 'Church, and of the Ministers thereof at all times of their Ministration, shall be retained and be in use, as were in this Church of England, by the Authority of Par'liament, in the second year of the reign of King Edward 'the Sixth.'-(1662.).

In the two preceding Liturgies, the Rubrics on this point are of a similar character, as we may perceive from the annexed Rubric, taken from the Liturgy of James I. (1604), and from the Liturgy of Elizabeth (1559); in both of which the reading is alike, word for word

And here is to be noted that the Minister at the time of the 'Communion, and at all other times in his Ministration, shall use such Ornaments in the Church as were in use by Authority of Parliament in the Second year of the reign of King Edward the Sixth, according to the Act of Parliament set in the beginning of this Book.' (1559. 1604.)—KEELING, 2, 3.

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With this last Rubric we have now nothing to do; except that it supplies an explanation of what is meant by the Authority of Parliament,' from reference being made therein to the Act of Uniformity (1 Eliz. c. 2.) placed at the head of each of those Liturgies; from which Act (1 Eliz. c. 2.),

*

*The Rubric in the SCOTCH LITURGY (1637) deviates but little from the above; thus

And here is to be noted that the Presbyter or Minister at the time of the Communion, and at other times in his Ministration, 'shall use such Ornaments in the Church, as are prescribed,

as we shall presently see, the wording of the Rubric in our existing Liturgy is evidently derived.

The Rubrical direction, then, first quoted, is the one by which we are now bound, and it refers us in like words to the Authority of Parliament in the Second year of the reign of King Edward VI.,' which Authority of Parliament' thus enacts :

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All and singular Ministers in any Cathedral or Parish 'Church, or other place within....the King's dominions, shall 'from and after the Feast of Pentecost next coming (Whitsunday, June 9th. 1549) be bounden to say and use the Mattens, Evensong, and celebration of the Lord's Supper commonly 'called the Mass, and Administration of each of the Sacraments, 'and all their common and open Prayer in such order and 'form as is mentioned in the same Book, and none other or otherwise....And....that if any manner of Parson, Vicar, or 'other whatsoever Minister....refuse to use the said Common Prayers, or to minister the Sacraments in such Cathedral, or 'Parish Church, or other places as he should use or minister the same, in such order and form as they be mentioned and set 'forth in the said Book, or shall use, wilfully and obstinately in the same, any other Rite, Ceremony, Order, Form, or Manner 'of Mass, openly or privily, or Mattens, Evensong, Administra'tion of the Sacraments, or other open Prayers (commonly called the Service of the Church) than is mentioned and set 'forth in the said Book;....and shall be thereof lawfully con'victed:....by verdict of twelve men, or by his own confession, or by the notorious evidence of the fact, shall lose and forfeit 'for his first offence one year's income of one of his Benefices or promotions, and suffer six months' imprisonment; for the second offence, twelve months' imprisonment, and be deprived of 'all his spiritual promotions; and for the third offence, im'prisonment for life.'-2 & 3 Édw. VI. c. 1. s. 1. (A. D. 1548-9).

By this Act we are clearly thrown upon the First LITURGY of Edward VI. (of 1549) for our guidance as to the Ornaments of the Church and of the Ministers thereof' :

BENNET confirms this view, when he thus observes (in his Paraphrase on the Book of Com. Pr. A. D. 1708.)— "Tis notorious that by those Ornaments of the Church, and of the Ministers thereof, at all times of their Ministration, which were in this Church by the 'Authority of Parliament, in the second year of King Edward VI., 'we are to understand such as were prescribed by the first 'Common Prayer Book of that Prince.'-(p. 2.)

or shall be by his Majesty or his Successors, according to the Act of Parliament provided in that behalf.'-KEELING, 2.

The AMERICAN LITURGY omits the Rubric on 'ORNAMENTS' altogether.

Now in this first Liturgy (of 1549) we find two RUBRICS, one at the end of the COMMINATION SERVICE,' defining what Habits are to be worn generally; and another at the beginning of the COMMUNION OFFICE' prescribing the Vestments to be used by the Minister during the performance of that Service. But the Ornaments of the Church' are left untouched; and therefore, it is contended, that we are to adopt all those that were in use in the Church of England in the Second year of the reign of King Edward VI., which the Authority of Parliament' has left us to gather where we can.

*** We ought to observe here, that the above enactment of 2 & 3 Edw. VI. c. 1. s. 1. was confirmed by 1 Eliz. c. 2. ss. 4, 5, 6.; while in this latter Act there was also an especial clause on the Ornaments of the Church and of the Minister, which, as we have just said, is the undoubted original of our present Rubric; and runs thus

'Be it enacted that such Ornaments of the Church, and of • the Ministers thereof, shall be retained and be in use, as was in this Church of England by authority of Parliament, in the 'second year of the reign of King EDWARD VI., until other order shall be therein taken by the authority of the Queen's Majesty, with the advice of her Commissioners appointed and authorized under the Great Seal of England for causes Ecclesiastical, or of the Metropolitan of this Realm*.'-1 Eliz. c. 2. s. 25.

Both of these Acts (2 & 3 Edw. VI. c. 1 ; and 1 Eliz. c. 2.) have been confirmed by the last Act of Uniformity (13 & 14 Car. II. c. 4.), by which we are now bound, in the following words

The several good Laws and Statutes of this Realm, which 'have been formerly made, and are now in force, for the UNIFORMITY of Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments, within this Realm...., shall stand in full force and strength, to all intents and purposes whatsoever for the establishing and 'confirming of the said Book, intituled The Book of Common 'Prayer,' &c., hereinbefore mentioned to be joined and annexed

*Whether the 'further order,' here spoken of, was ever taken, is a very disputed point, as has been already shown in page 280., when discussing the authority of the "Book of Advertisements;" and we may add to what is there stated, the following charge from "The Proceedings of the Committee appointed by the House of Lords in 1641, touching innovations in the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England'-' By pretending for their Innovations, 'the Injunctions and Advertisements of Queen ELIZABETH, which are not in force, but by way of commentary and imposition.'CARDWELL'S Conf. 273.

to this Act; and shall be applied, practised, and put in use for 'the punishing of all offences contrary to the said Laws, with ' relation to the Book aforesaid, and no other.'-13 & 14 Car. II. c. 4. s. 24. (See BURN's Eccl. Law, Phil. III. 411.)

In addition to this, the Act, 5 Anne c. 5, which was incorporated into the Act of Union (5 & 6 Anne, c. 5.), provides that all the laws for the establishment and preservation of the Church of England, and the Doctrine, Worship, Discipline, and Government thereof, shall remain and be in full force for ever. (CRIPP's Laws of Ch. and Cl. 419.)

But the Ornaments of the Church in the Rubrics and Enactments above quoted, and referred to, do not appear to have been thought of sufficient moment to demand any express mention or description; or perhaps their consideration may have been lost sight of in the more important question of the Ornaments of the Minister : we are consequently left to other authorities, such as the CANONS &c., to ascertain with any approach to precision what Ornaments of the Church are prescribed and permitted; as well as to distinguish those which have received the sanction of long established custom, from those which, derived from Royal Injunctions, and Episcopal Visitation Articles, depend solely on the modern spirit of innovation for their revived existence amongst us at the present day.

The subject of ORNAMENTS, therefore, naturally divides itself into two distinct branches, and will demand two separate considerations. Following the order of the RUBRIC, we shall have to treat first of the Ornaments of the Church, and then to discuss the Ornaments of the Minister. To give as full and lucid an exposition as possible of the Laws and Usages connected with this subject it will be requisite to introduce into the consideration the 'GOODS' or 'INSTRUMENTS' (Instrumenta Ecclesiastica) of the Church; as the distinction between Goods and Ornaments is neither clearly defined, nor, indeed, is it attempted to be maintained. At the same time it will not be out of place to speak of the Officials that