"Grant that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies," as of too large an extent, if the King engage in an unjust war, shall be turned thus, "Prosper all his righteous undertakings against thy enemies;" or, after some such manner:

The words in the "Prayer for the Clergy," "who alone workest great marvels," as subject to be ill interpreted, shall be thus, "who art the author of all good gifts;" and the words, "the healthful spirit of thy grace," shall be "the holy spirit of thy grace," healthful being an obsolete word:

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.k

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 needless are to be retrenched.

If any desire to have " God-fathers" and "Godmothers" omitted, and their children presented in their own names to Baptism, it may be granted.

About the "Athanasian Creed," they came to

* It was introduced into the Liturgy in the review in the first year of King James I.

this conclusion; that lest the wholly rejecting it should be imputed to them as Socinianism, a rubric shall be made, setting forth, or declaring, the curses denounced therein not to be restrained to any particular article, but intended against those that deny the substance of the Christian Religion in general. '

On account of the divisions and dissensions which this Commission occasioned, they were obliged to suspend any further progress in it; and it came to nothing, as was supposed, through the intrigues of the Earls of Clarendon and Rochester, uncles of the Queen; who thus resented their being left out of office at the Revolution.

The following brief Notes, historical and devotional, are according to the order in which the Services are printed in the "Book of Common Prayer." Of the sense, force, and excellence of this Service, many, however regular in their attendance upon it, and conversant with its expressions, are yet, for the most part, extremely ignorant. To recal their attention to, and to animate their predilection for this Book, is the design of this publication; and to which, it is humbly hoped, may be found neither an useless nor uninstructive companion.

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1 Birch's Life of Archbishop Tillotson.

The Liturgy, entirely or in part, intended for daily service upon every day of the week, consists of short Prayers or Collects, each beginning with some attribute or perfection of God, introductory of our petitions, which furnish a copious supply of every kind of exhortation, supplication, thanksgiving, and praise. Such venerable dignity is spread around it; such an impressive tone of solemn truth accompanies it; it is distinguished by such sober, yet fervent piety, such pure, unaffected, and comprehensive charity; so delightful to the ear, and so engaging to the understanding, that no human composition can be compared with it.

With this Book we have been familiar from our earliest infancy; its contents we have lisped in our maternal arms, and, in our progress to manhood, we have been taught to regard it with unmingled veneration. There is in it so much beauty and pathos, such brevity and strength, so much indeed of elegance, that, it is difficult with an unbiassed judgment to appreciate its excellence.

Expositions upon the Lord's Prayer, the three Creeds, and the ten Commandments, and many learned and excellent discourses upon each, the laborious works of the ablest Divines, abound in our language, and may be always consulted with profit and advantage. Nor is there any deficiency

of useful works upon the Liturgy. Bishop Sparrow, Bisse, Nicholls, Dean Comber, Edwards, Wheatley, and Shepherd, are entitled to the approbation and gratitude of every member of the Church of England; and to each of them this little work is greatly indebted. On the subject of the Articles, the Reader need scarcely to be informed, that numerous authorities have been consulted; and that the writings of Nowel, Jewel, Hooker, Tillotson, Burnet, Pearson, Stillingfleet, Scott, Prideaux, Sherlock, Wheatley, Tomline, and others of inferior celebrity, have been copiously used.

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