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Breviary, Missal, and Ritual, similar to those now used in Roman Catholic services, were the formularies of our English Church. In 1547, a Commission met at Windsor, and drew up a Book of Common Prayer, in English, which was approved by the Convocation of Canterbury and York, and ratified by act of parliament, in January, 1549. This Liturgy, substantially the same with that now in use, is, for the most part, simply a translation of ancient formularies, with the omission of all doctrinal or superstitious errors, the growth of later and corrupt ages. In 1650-1, owing to the remonstrances of the more enlightened reformers against the retention of some passages savouring of the old Romish superstitions-passages which had not been expunged from a respect to popular prejudice-a Commission was appointed to revise the Book of Common Prayer. Martin Bucer, and Peter Martyr, two distinguished German reformers, whom Cranmer had invited to England and appointed to the office of Regius Professor of Theology, in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge respectively, exerted a leading influence in this revision. This edition was distinguished from the former by the following additions: the sentences, exhortation, confession, and absolution, at the commencement of morning and evening service, some of the occasional prayers, forms for the consecration and ordination of bishops, priests, and deacons; and a rubric, at the end of the Communion Service, explaining the reason of kneeling. From it were expunged some rites and ceremonies, as the use of oil in baptism, unction for the sick, and prayers for the dead.

On the accession of Mary, 1553, an act was passed prohibiting the use of King Edward's Liturgy, and ordering a return to that of Henry VIII. This act of repeal was reversed as soon as Elizabeth came to the throne, and a Commission, with Parker, afterwards

archbishop of Canterbury, at its head, appointed to make another revision of the liturgies of King Edward. This Commission adopted as its groundwork the second book of Edward VI., with which it incorporated the lessons for every Sunday in the year. Some slight alterations were made in the Litany; and the sentences addressed to communicants were added, with the prayers for the queen, the prayer for the clergy, and some minor modifications. No further alterations were made till the first year of James I., when the form of thanksgiving at the end of the Litany, and the part of the Catechism relating to the Sacraments, were added. In this state the Liturgy continued to the Restoration, when an attempt was made by the Savoy Conference to remove the scruples of the Presbyterians. But their demands were found to be so unreasonable that none of their propositions were adopted. The episcopal divines, however, changed some of the lessons in the Calender for others more appropriate to the days, added the prayers for parliament and for all conditions of men, altered several of the collects, and added the office for the baptism of such as are of riper years, and the form of prayer to be used at sea. This final revision was completed in 1661.

189

SCRIPTURE HISTORY.

SECTION I.

1. Write a short history of Moses.

2. State the circumstances which led to the separation of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, and the chief events of their subsequent history.

3. Describe the tabernacle of Moses, and the sacred things which it contained.

4. By whom were Damascus, Nineveh, and Babylon taken, and by which of the prophets was the destruction of each foretold?

SECTION II.

1. Give a short account of the several appearances on earth of our Lord Jesus Christ after his resurrection.

2. What were the chief subjects of our Lord's predictions? Quote, as nearly as you can, the words of one of them.

3. Name the different members of the family of Herod, mentioned in Holy Scripture.

4. Explain the parable of the labourers in the vineyard.

SECTION III.

1. Draw a map of Jerusalem and its vicinity, illustrative of the gospel history.

2. Mention, in the order of time, the chief epochs of Scripture History, and give their dates.

3. Describe, accurately, the ceremonies of the great day of atonement.

4. To what kind of government were the Israelites successively subject?

SECTION IV.

1. What offices are intimated under the name of 66 Christ," and how have those offices been ful

filled?

2. What is a type, and what an antitype?

Illustrate

your meaning by a reference to the passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea-the brazen serpent-and the prophet Jonah.

3. In what passage of the New Testament are the following duties most strongly inculcated :-selfdenial, consistency, discretion, courteousnes, loyalty, and diligence in temporal employ

ments.

4. Show from the Holy Scriptures that the Holy Spirit is a person, and ought to be worshipped.

SECTION I.

1. "Write a short history of Moses."

The workings of Providence towards his peculiar people, after they had long resided in bondage, required that they should now be led towards the land which had been promised to their progenitor as the possession of his descendants. But the condition to which they had so long been degraded also required that their leader should be a man of no ordinary talents, of no

common capabilities; yet that he should be one of that despised people. At the worst crisis of the oppression of their race, Amram and Jochebed were gladdened with the birth of a son, the circumstances of whose early life excited hopes in his parents that he was destined to higher aims and purposes than those to which any of his oppressed brethren could aspire. Previously to his birth (1571 B.C.) an edict had gone forth from the Egyptian Palace requiring that every male child born to the Israelites should be destroyed. To evade the edict (Exod. i. 22) his mother, Jochebed, concealed the child three months; but finding it impossible longer to secrete her son, she determined to entrust him to the disposal of that God of whom their slavery in Egypt had all but erased the knowledge. She determined upon making an ark of bulrushes, placing the goodly child therein, and committing it to the banks of that river which already should have received his body. At the same time the sister of the child was commanded to watch the ark at a distance. Pharaoh's daughter was seen to pass near the ark; her curiosity was awakened, she ordered her maids to lift the bullrush covering, and there beheld Israel's future leader. The child called forth her sympathy, and she determined to save his life, and adopt him as her son. The name that was found for him was expressive of the condition from which he had sprung. “ Mo, water "Oudsche," saved, which, combined, afforded the appropriate appellative, Moses.

Jochebed, for her dependence upon Providence, was rewarded by the return of her child till he was of sufficient age to be admitted into the palace of Pharaoh. During this time, doubtless, his real parentage, the incidents of his birth, and his providential deliverance, formed grateful subjects for his mother to instil into the mind of her child. At length arrived the period

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