act here following; and might still be used in lieu of the new table till January 1, 1879.

Psalter.

In the year 1871 was passed the act 34 & 35 Vict. c. 37, 34 & 35 Vict. the Prayer Book (Tables of Lessons) Act, 1871, which recites c. 37. as follows:-"Whereas Commissioners were appointed by her Statute amending Majesty to inquire and consider (amongst other matters) the Tables of Proper Lessons appointed to be read in Morning and Evening Lessons and Prayer on the Sundays and Holy-days throughout the year, and the Table of First and Second Lessons contained in the Preamble. calendar in the Book of Common Prayer according to the use of the United Church of England and Ireland, with a view of suggesting and reporting whether any and what alterations and amendments might be advantageously made in the selection of Lessons to be read at the time of divine service :

"And whereas the said Commissioners have made a report recommending that the revised Tables of Lessons proper to be read on Sundays and Holy-days, and the revised Table of daily First and Second Lessons set out in the schedule to that report and in the schedule to this act, should be adopted in lieu of the Table of Proper Lessons to be read at Morning and Evening Prayer on the Sundays and other Holy-days throughout the year, and the Table of daily First and Second Lessons in the Calendar prefixed to the said Book of Common Prayer:

"And whereas it is expedient to authorize the use of the said revised Tables of Lessons, and to make such consequential alterations as may be necessary in the directions contained in the said Book of Common Prayer respecting 'the order how the rest of Holy Scripture is appointed to be read:"" and proceeded to enact as follows:

Lessons in

Sect. 2. "After the first day of January, one thousand eight Substitution hundred and seventy-two, the directions respecting the order of Tables of how the rest of Holy Scripture is appointed to be read,' the schedule for Table of Proper Lessons, and the Table of daily first and second old tables. lessons contained in the Second Part of the Schedule to this act shall be substituted for the following parts of the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England respectively; that is to say, (1.)

The said directions for the directions respecting the
order how the rest of Holy Scripture is appointed
to be read,' set out in the First Part of the said
Schedule;

6

(2.) "The said Table of Proper Lessons for the Table of Proper Lessons to be read at Morning and Evening Prayer on the Sundays and other Holy-days through'out the Year;'

(3.) "The said Table of daily First and Second lessons for the corresponding portion of the Table of daily First and Second Lessons contained in the Calendar with the Table of Lessons:'

And all acts relating to the Book of Common Prayer of the

Church of England shall be construed to refer to such book as altered by this act, and after the first day of October, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, the directions and Tables of Lessons contained in the Second Part of the Schedule to this act shall be printed and published in all editions of the said Book of Common Prayer and (so far as necessary) of the said acts in lieu of the directions and Tables of Lessons for which they are by this act substituted: provided that the Table of Lessons hitherto in legal use may at any time prior to the first of January, one thousand eight hundred and seventynine, be followed in lieu of the table hereby substituted therefor; and provided that the occasions whereon power to alter power to alter the appointed Psalms and Lessons is, by the Schedule to this act, committed to the Ordinary, shall be all occasions whereon the Ordinary shall judge that such alteration will conduce to edification.'

Old tables may be used until 1st Jan.

1879.

Proviso

respecting

appointed psalms and lessons.

"SCHEDULE.

"FIRST PART.

"Existing Directions prefixed to the Prayer Book to be omitted in future.

THE ORDER HOW THE REST OF HOLY SCRIPTURE IS APPOINTED

TO BE READ.

"The Old Testament is appointed for the first lessons at morning and evening prayer, so as the most part thereof will be read every year once, as in the calendar is appointed.

"The New Testament is appointed for the second lessons at morning and evening prayer, and shall be read over orderly every year thrice, besides the epistles and gospels, except the Apocalypse, out of which there are only certain proper lessons appointed upon divers feasts.

"And to know what lessons shall be read every day, look for the day of the month in the calendar following, and there ye shall find the chapters that shall be read for the lessons, both at morning and evening prayer, except only the moveable feasts, which are not in the calendar, and the immoveable, where there is a blank left in the column of lessons, the proper lessons for all which days are to be found in the table of proper lessons.

"And note that whensoever proper psalms or lessons are appointed, then the psalms and lessons of ordinary course appointed in the psalter and calendar (if they be different) shall be omitted for that time.

"Note also that the collect, epistle, and gospel appointed for the Sunday shall serve all the week after where it is not in this book otherwise ordered.

66

"SECOND PART.

"Directions to be prefixed to the Prayer Book in lieu of the Directions in the First Part of this Schedule.

THE ORDER HOW THE REST OF HOLY SCRIPTURE IS APPOINTED TO BE READ.

"The Old Testament is appointed for the first lessons at morning and evening prayer, so as the most part thereof will be read every year once, as in the calendar is appointed.

"The New Testament is appointed for the second lessons at morning and evening prayer, and shall be read over orderly every year twice, once in the morning and once in the evening, besides the epistles and gospels, except the Apocalypse, out of which there are only certain lessons appointed at the end of the year, and certain proper lessons appointed upon divers feasts.

"And to know what lessons shall be read every day, look for the day of the month in the calendar following, and there ye shall find the chapters and portions of chapters that shall be read for the lessons, both at morning and evening prayer, except only the moveable feasts, which are not in the calendar, and the immoveable, where there is a blank left in the column of lessons, the proper lessons for all which days are to be found in the table of proper lessons.

"If evening prayer is said at two different times in the same place of worship on any Sunday (except a Sunday for which alternative second lessons are specially appointed in the table), the second lesson at the second time may, at the discretion of the minister, be any chapter from the four gospels, or any lesson appointed in the table of lessons from the four gospels.

66

Upon occasions, to be approved by the ordinary, other lessons may, with his consent, be substituted for those which are appointed in the calendar.

"And note that whensoever proper psalms or lessons are appointed, then the psalms and lessons of ordinary course appointed in the psalter and calendar (if they be different) shall be omitted for that time.

"Note also that upon occasions to be appointed by the ordinary, other psalms may, with his consent, be substituted for those appointed in the psalter.

"If any of the holy-days for which proper lessons are appointed in the table fall upon a Sunday which is the first Sunday in Advent, Easter Day, Whit-Sunday, or Trinity Sunday, the lessons appointed for such Sunday shall be read, but if it fall upon any other Sunday, the lessons appointed either for the Sunday or for the holy-day may be read at the discretion of the minister.

"Note also that the collect, epistle, and gospel appointed for the Sunday shall serve all the week after, where it is not in this book otherwise ordered."

P.

VOL. I.

3 E

Then follow the Tables of Lessons now printed in all Prayer Books.

Restraints in the times

of Elizabeth

SECT. 9.-Public Preaching.

The clergy in Queen Elizabeth's time being very ignorant (and no wonder, their stipends in most places being exceedingly and James I. small), and moreover the state having a jealous eye upon them, as if they were not very well affected to the Reformation, none were permitted to preach without licence, but they were to study and read the homilies gravely and aptly; and they that were instituted subscribed a promise to the same effect. And this continued in some measure in the next reign; for ministers not licensed to preach were by the canons prohibited to expound any text of Scripture, and were only to read the homilies even in their own cures. But the occasion of those canons being now taken away, the bishops do generally and justly forbear to put the canons as to this matter in execution; and every priest is permitted to preach, at least in his own cure, as he may and ought to do by the old canon law, and by the charge given him at his ordination, and by the very nature of his office (o).

General restraints on preaching.

Rubrics.

Article 23.

Canon 36.

Canon 49.

The restraints on preaching by unbeneficed and unlicensed clergy are as follows:

Arundel. "No priest not being licensed shall exercise the office of preaching, until he shall be examined and sent by the bishop, and shall produce the authority by which he preacheth" (p).

Form of ordaining Deacons.]"Take thou authority to read the gospel in the church of God, and to preach the same, if thou be thereto licensed by the bishop himself."

Form of ordaining Priests.]—" Take thou authority to preach the word of God, and to minister the holy sacraments, in the congregation, where thou shalt be lawfully appointed thereunto.

By Art. 23 of the Thirty-nine Articles, "It is not lawful for any man to take upon him the office of public preaching, or ministering the sacraments in the congregation, before he be lawfully called and sent to execute the same. And those we ought to judge lawfully called and sent, which be chosen and called to this work by men who have public authority given unto them in the congregation, to call and send ministers into the Lord's vineyard."

The restrictions on licences to preach, formerly contained in Canon 36 of 1603, and now in the new Canon of 1865, have been already mentioned (9).

Can. 49. "No person whatever not examined and approved by the bishop of the diocese or not licensed as is aforesaid for a

(6) Johns. pp. 53, 54. It has been for a long time considered that possession of a benefice renders a

licence to preach unnecessary.
(p) Lind. p. 288.
(1) Vide supra, pp. 249, 352.

sufficient or convenient preacher, shall take upon him to expound in his own cure or elsewhere any scripture or matter of doctrine; but shall only study to read plainly and aptly (without glossing or adding) the homilies set forth or hereafter to be published by lawful authority for the confirmation of the true faith and for the good instruction and edification of the people."

Can. 50. "Neither the minister, church-wardens, nor any other Canon 50. officers of the church, shall suffer any man to preach within their churches or chapels, but such as, by showing their licence to preach, shall appear unto them to be sufficiently authorized thereunto, as is aforesaid."

Can. 51, as to preaching in any cathedral or collegiate church, Canon 51. has been already set forth (r).

Can. 52. "That the bishop may understand (if occasion so Canon 52. require) what sermons are made in every church of his diocese, and who presume to preach without licence, the church-wardens and side-men shall see that the names of all preachers which come to their church from any other place, be noted in a book, which they shall have ready for that purpose; wherein every preacher shall subscribe his name, the day when he preached, and the name of the bishop of whom he had licence to preach.'

In the case of The Bishop of Down and Connor v. Miller (s), Bishop's it was holden by Dr. Radcliff, Vicar-General of the Archbishop power to of Armagh, that the bishop has the power to inhibit at his inhibit. pleasure a beneficed and licensed clergyman of another diocese from officiating or preaching in his diocese without his licence, though such clergyman have the permission of the incumbent. It would seem that there would be an appeal from such inhibition to the archbishop.

Can. 53. "If any preacher shall in the pulpit particularly or Canon 53. namely of purpose impugn or confute any doctrine delivered by any other preacher in the same church, or in any church near adjoining, before he hath acquainted the bishop of the diocese therewith, and received order from him what to do in that case, because upon such public dissenting and contradicting there may grow much offence and disquietness unto the people, the church-wardens or party grieved shall forthwith signify the same to the said bishop, and not suffer the said preacher any more to occupy that place which he hath once abused, except he faithfully promise to forbear all such matter of contention in the church, until the bishop hath taken further order therein: who shall with all convenient speed so proceed therein, that public satisfaction may be made in the congregation where the offence was given. Provided that if either of the parties offending do appeal, he shall not be suffered to preach pendente lite.”

Can. 54. "If any man licensed heretofore to preach by any Canon 54. archbishop, bishop, or by either of the universities shall at any time from henceforth refuse to conform himself to the laws,

(r) Vide supra, p. 136.

(8) 11 Ir. Ch., Appendix, p. 1; 5 L. T. p. 30.