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The third of the
documents which mark the Reformation period is the Book of Common
Order. It was really the first in time, though the last authorised
by the General Assembly. Its use was sanctioned in 1564, and it
remained in authority in the Church until 1637. The history of the
book is interesting. It took its form at the hands of Knox in 1554,
when he was minister of the English Church at Frankfort. His
congregation worshipped in the same building as the French exiles.
The latter had sought refuge in England during the reign of Edward
vi. They had their origin as a Protestant congregation in Strasburg,
where Calvin himself was for a short time their minister. He was
succeeded by Farel, and their pastor during their stay in England
was Pollanus. He drew up a liturgy for their use, and Knox for
conformity's sake compiled a Prayer Book on similar lines. Owing to
the failure of the attempt at a larger union with the English exiles
in other parts of the Continent, the scheme fell through, but Knox
adopted his book when he went to Geneva, as minister of the English
congregation there, and for this reason it is called in the First
Book of Discipline the "Order of Geneva."
It was in use in the
Scottish Church before it was authorised by the Assembly of 1564, as
the. references to it in the First Book of Discipline, already
mentioned, clearly show. It was not the first liturgy which found
its way into the hands of Scottish Protestants. This honour belongs
to the Second Prayer Book of Edward vi. It was used some years
before the Reformation in private houses, and in those gatherings at
which the believers in the new faith met for common worship. But
Knox's book gradually superseded it. The Reformer himself, we know,
by no means approved of King Edward's Prayer Book. There were
certain features of it to which he strongly objected, and even when
in England, as minister at Berwick and Newcastle, he did not feel
himself bound down to the slavish use of it ; considerable freedom
was allowed, and Knox in dispensing the Lord's Supper employed a
service of his own. Indeed, the book was not intended to be
altogether binding on the ministers of the Church of England, and
Scottish Protestants would no doubt, use it with considerable
freedom.
The Book of Common
Order fell into disuse through the action of Archbishop Laud and
those who supported him in trying to foist an alien and Anglican
liturgy on the Scottish people. Everybody has read of the violent
scene in St. Giles', when Jenny Geddes threw her stool at the head
of the officiating clergyman, who dared to say "a Mass in her lug."
This set fire to the opposition that sprung up all over the country,
and the Bishops, finding that it was impossible to have the book
accepted of the people, yielded; but they, at the same time, ceased
to use the Book of Common Order which had been in force in the
Church for nearly a century. Thus it was owing to the action of the
Episcopalians, and not of the Presbyterians, that the Church of
Scotland lost its liturgy. This should not be forgotton when
Anglican wit makes merry over the alleged baldness, irreverence, and
unattractiveness of the Presbyterian service. If there is anything
in that service which does not reach the high standard of our
Anglican neighbours, they ought to remember that it is their
ecclesiastical forebears who are to blame. But the Church has to a
large extent redeemed its past, and the Euchologion, prepared by the
Church Service Society, is now used as a directory for public
worship, with the result that the services of the Church of
Scotland, in simplicity, orderliness, and reverence, compare
favourably with those of any Church in Christendom.
While the Book of
Common Order is remarkably complete, and not only has services for
the conduct of public worship, but forms and prayers for almost
every occasion, it was never meant to be absolutely binding on the
officiating minister. It was intended very largely to be a
directory, and was used as such. Its rubrics make this perfectly
clear. For example, in the prayer of thanksgiving consecration in
the Communion the rubric runs: "The minister giveth thanks either in
these words following, or like in effect." This last clause
indicates that free or extemporary prayer was allowed and
encouraged; and from the testimony of Calderwood, Row, and others,
we know that this was the common practice. It may be interesting to
note the order of service for public worship on the Lord's Day.
"When the congregation is assembled," so runs the rubric, "the
minister useth one of these two confessions or like in effect."
"This done the people sing a psalm altogether, in a plain tune,
which ended, the minister prayeth for the assistance of God's Holy
Spirit as the same shall move his heart, and so proceedeth the
sermon. The minister after the sermon useth this prayer following or
such like." "Then the people sing a psalm, which ended, the minister
pronounceth one of these blessings, and so the congregation
departeth."
This Book of Common
Order would be of invaluable service to the Reformed Church in its
earlier years. It was absolutely necessary that guidance should be
given for the services of the Church. The ministers themselves
required it, and the happy combination of set forms and liberty to
extemporise would at once prevent irregularities, and free the
ministers from that strict adherence to printed matter which in the
Romish Church had become almost idolatrous. It would be of great
help also to the readers, for in the numerous country parishes where
there was no minister they had to conduct the service, and it would
be impossible for them to do so without the aid which it gave. The
people as a whole would benefit by its use. It would be in their
hands, and read by them and their families; and seeing that it
contained a Confession of Faith, selections from the Psalms, Hymns,
a Catechism, and Prayers for Family Worship, it would build them up
in the faith and give them that instruction in the truths of the
Christian religion which, as young converts to Protestantism, they
so much required. There can be no doubt that the Church suffered
greatly during the, two centuries that elapsed from the abolition of
the Book of Common Order to the comparatively recent revival in
liturgies, the full benefits of which we are now experiencing. The
time perhaps has not come for the General Assembly to impose on the
Church any Prayer Book, either in existence or that might be framed,
but there can be no doubt that some such book in general use and in
the hands of the people, even as a directory, would be of
inestimable value in developing the religious life and devotional
feeling of the Church as a whole. |
