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and twenty-six Bishops of the Church of England! Setting aside, however, the question of mere trumpery pounds, shillings, and pence,—yet, "patronage" of societies is an expensive luxury, --and speaking seriously, we must say that we deeply regret to see such names as those of the Bishops of London, Salisbury, Bath and Wells, or Lincoln, among the rest. These are not days when men in high station ought to give their names and sanction to schemes and societies of any kind, just, simply, because they happen to have been asked: and we are quite certain that if, for example, either of those Bishops knew the real value of this Ecclesiastical History Society, they would withdraw their names at once, from its list of patrons.*

But, let us stop a moment: what is meant by this "patronage ?" are we to understand that our Archbishops and Bishops take an active part in the management of the Society's affairs? are we to understand that they take any part at all? do they, we ask, see that proper books are fixed upon to be put forth by the Society, and that qualified editors are selected for their work? are they responsible, in any way, for the funds, deficiencies, and the like? do they subscribe largely? do they all subscribe? have they ever met, as patrons, to discuss the business of the society? have they ever spoken twice, any two of them together, upon any one thing or circumstance connected with it? have one half of them ever cut open the pages of its books? And if not-if No is the answer to all these questions, what is meant by their "patronage?" The prospectus on which their names are blazoned chiefly deceives those for whom they should especially be careful, namely, the ignorant and unwary. We speak now, sadly and solemnly-would that our Bishops did but think sometimes and remember how high and awful is the trust they hold, how full of weight and influence, which they cannot estimate, are the places which they fill!

We now turn to the books which are particularly named at the head of this article. Two volumes about the Book of Common Prayer, edited and annotated by a Barrister-at-Law. These are, moreover, only parts of books; the first volumes of a series. There are to be, when completed, six volumes, as we learn from the prospectus of the society; three of the English sealed book, and three of the Dublin MS. The publication of the first volume of each of

* Somewhat, in a lower degree, of the same remark is justly due to editors, as well as patrons. And we must add, that we regret to see the name of Dr. Bliss, as employed by the Society, to publish a new edition of his "Wood's Athenæ Oxonienses." Surely that book, on which he has founded a most just and high reputation, deserves at his hands something better and more worthy of himself than this. We cannot doubt that there are publishers in London, who would have gladly undertaken the republication of a work so much and so deservedly sought after : and it is not a very dignified mode of proceeding, to reprint it, subject to rules, by which none will be able to procure it, except chained on to Strype or Heylyn.

these works enables us to form a tolerably accurate judgment of what both will be, when completed.

The reprint of the English Common Prayer Book of 1662, with its notes, legal and historical, will be a bulky book indeed: this first volume arrives only at the end of the occasional thanksgivings, and has five hundred and ninety-seven pages, a great portion of which is printed in small type and double columns, besides two hundred and thirty pages of preliminary matter. Here then we have, on the very face of it, by whomsoever recommended or put forth, a somewhat ambitious work. Say that the succeeding volumes will average about the same quantity of notes: and we shall have nearly eighteen hundred pages of closely printed annotations upon the text of the Book of Common Prayer: out of which, less than two hundred (we suppose) would fairly print the text itself.

Now, after all the many books which have been written upon our Book of Public Prayer, to be told of a new one of some sixteen hundred pages of notes, is in itself a marvel: and we can at once see that, if we are to be thankful for it when we have got it, it must be either tolerably full of fresh and important matter, whether explanatory, or critical, or antiquarian, or legal, or theological, or all of them together;-or else, it must exhibit distinct evidence that the editor is amply qualified for his task, by sound judgment, and learning, and orthodoxy. Mere paste and scissors will not be enough: any schoolboy almost could use them; and without doubt many young men reading for Orders have made, at no large expense of labour or difficulty, very sufficient and useful commonplace books of extracts for themselves.

Again; if there is any one book in the English language, next to the translation of the Holy Scriptures, which ought not to be subjected to individual fancies and tastes, and much less to an indiscriminate selection of annotations of all sorts,—it is the Book of Common Prayer. For, not to speak of the very deep and holy forms of devotion which it contains, or of the importance of the doctrines and solemn rites which are involved in every page and prayer of it, it is the chief token and link by which we are bound to the Church Catholic throughout the world, the most glorious heritage which has come down to us from our fathers, and the proof of our identity in faith and in all essential practice with S. Bede and S. Augustine. That any one, therefore, should attempt to comment on it, and to explain the meaning of its various parts, is, in itself, an undertaking which ought to be the result of many years of careful study, and of a mind richly stored with knowledge from the best sources of the Church's teaching. And there is no worse sign, to ourselves, of the poverty and false estimation of necessary theological attainment among the Clergy of the Church of England, than the hasty and silly way in which many of them, not

knowing what to write about, and wishing to see themselves in print, have put forth ignorant and trashy publications, sermons and the like, about the Book of Common Prayer. Can anything be much more meagre, and positively incorrect in much of the information which they pretend to give, or in the facts which they state, than such books as those of Shepherd, or Archdeacon Berens, or Mant, and others whom we could name? We speak with pain, but as a bounden duty: goodness of intention is not sufficient; no one, we repeat, ought to venture to write upon the Book of Common Prayer, unless he has reason to believe-reason grounded on long habits of labour and study-that he really knows something of the history, as well as the doctrines, of a volume so very solemn, so very abundant in treasures of the holiest mysteries, so mixed up with and descended from all that is good and Catholic for nearly two thousand years.

If, then, any single, private, person should hesitate before he ventures to tread on ground so hallowed, very far more careful does it behove a society to be, in its choice of an editor of such volumes as these now before us, more especially when that society claims, in some sense-no matter what, no matter how unworthily or falsely to be under the "patronage" of the Archbishops and Bishops of our Church. Either, with the sanction of names so high in dignity and office, this book must be of great weight and authority in the decision of disputed points, or of no authority at all. Where so much is aimed at, where claims so unusual are made upon our regard and deference, there can be no middle result: it must establish itself, perforce, as the commentary, or it must be condemned and laid aside.

We could write on, but we forbear, upon all this: we trust also that it is scarcely necessary, and we have not space at present. What we have said, will serve as hints sufficient to enable our readers to pursue these observations into further detail.

And we shall now state at once, and without any qualification whatsoever, that this publication, by the Ecclesiastical History Society, of the Book of Common Prayer, with notes, is to be condemned: and, as an authority, is worthless and despicable. We say this, mainly and above all other reasons, because it is the publication of a Society, whose members bear names of influence, and whose patrons are the bishops of our Church-we say it, because, as a Society, under such patronage, it has not hesitated, to set its seal upon, and to publish the crude, hasty, labours of a hired editor; and it has done this, without having had the diligence or care to overlook, to revise, or to correct any of his statements :we say it because, as a Society, its Committee seem to have gone into the market, and seized upon the first person whom they could find, who would be patient enough of drudgery to collate some thousands of pages with the most tedious accuracy, and to collect

a certain immense quantity of printed stuff, no matter what or how, at so much per sheet, by way of notes.

And, let us ask-not so much the Society, (for few are ignorant who its movers are,) but the bishops who are its "patrons ;"-who is Mr. Stephens, that they should have committed to him this high and responsible charge, their Book of Common Prayer, annotated? What are his claims upon the deference and respect of members of the Church of England? If the duty of the Societypatrons and council-is simply to select first, a book for reprinting, and, secondly, with all their care, an editor; if, when they have done this, they are no more to be called to account, why, we ask, was Mr. Stephens selected for the task? The obvious answer is, that he is a barrister, and the Society's book was to be furnished only with notes, "legal and historical." We reply, that the book which they have published, is not confined to notes of that character. And, even if it were, still the Book of Common Prayer is not to be put into the hands of any mere lawyer, however eminent in his profession, who has not shown in some way that, besides his law, he is fully conversant with the history of the Christian Church, with her ancient rituals, and her collections of conciliar decrees. In fact, such knowledge is absolutely necessary, because the matter of it is of the essence of any "notes legal and historical." Again we ask, where have we learnt that Mr. Stephens has qualifications of this kind? and, more than this: where is the evidence shown and tested in previous works of similar character, of that most indispensable requisite in so great an undertaking, namely, judgment and a sound discretion in the choice of his authorities, and the sources to which he would go for them?

Here, let us say, we are anxious-so far as we may—to apologize to Mr. Stephens himself. Had his book been put out, as his previous compilations have, with his own name only, and on his sole responsibility, we should have complained of some things in it, but in a different tone: and we should have praised whatever is valuable and useful, with pleasure and readiness. But he has put himself into a position, which he has no right to occupy: and he must not blame us, if we condemn his labours, because of that position. It is true that the managers of the Society employ him, and pay him for his care and trouble: and it is no less true, that his book bears undeniable witness to the honesty with which, to the best of his ability, he has endeavoured to discharge his task. But it would have been more seemly, to say the least, to have declined so weighty a charge; if the Society has no conscience, he, as an individual, still has one: and no amount of remuneration, no amount of care, will quite salve over the painful thought that he is playing with edged tools, which he knows not how to use, upon a work for which he must have felt over and over again, that he is not fitted, either by education, or learning, or judgment. We have

already said, that for such a work as the Common Prayer Book with sixteen hundred pages of notes, mere paste and scissors will not do. And this book of Mr. Stephens is nothing more than that. We are speaking now of the notes: and we repeat, that throughout this whole volume, there is so little except paste and scissors, used without the most shadowy attempt at judgment in selection of his extracts, that we may truly say, that there is nothing more. Mr. Stephens seems to have gone into the shops of the booksellers, and bought every book which he could find at the moment, old and modern, good, bad, and indifferent, bearing on the Prayer Book: then, with these arranged upon his table, paste and scissors all in readiness, to work he goes: cuts here, and cuts there, and most probably in a kind of ruled rotation, so as to give every one of his materials a fair chance of being used in its turn. The merely legal notes, which are not in an excessive proportion, we pass by: they are chiefly made up of records of various cases, which have been tried in the different courts. As to the historical, we find such books as Palmer's Origines, and Maskell's Ancient Liturgies and Monumenta, and Wheatley, and Cosins, mixed up and quoted as of equal authority with, neither more nor less than, the publications of Mr. Shepherd, Bishop Mant, and Archdeacon Berens, and Mr. Hart.

We have said that there is very little in the notes which Mr. Stephens can claim as his own. If we are wrong in this, he must blame himself only; because his extracts have been so printed, that there are no means of discovering where he is giving us the result of his own labour and inquiry, or of others: there is not, in short, an exact line drawn to show us how far the scissors have been cutting, and the paste-pot been at work. Thus, for example: we find several councils cited, and then, perhaps, some of the scarcer ritualists; and then an early father or two: all going in due order, sentence after sentence; and we begin to wonder at the prodigious amount of learning which the editor has accumulated when, presently, a sentence strikes us, or the way in which a quotation is given, as having been well known to us before ;-never mind ;— we go on another column or so, and then we discover that all this is taken with one ruthless snap of the scissors, and one huge thumbful of paste, from Cosins's notes, or Bingham's Antiquities, or Maskell's Monumenta Ritualia, or Palmer's Origines Liturgicæ, or Wheatley's Elucidation. We really must say, that if succeeding volumes are persisted in, it will be only just and fair, that something of the following kind should be printed; in black letter or rubric, to look pretty ;- "Now I am going to cut out of ""Now for

" and

a little bit of -" "Here we will have a good big slice of so on. This would furnish a little variety, as well as clearness. But it will be said, and very truly said, "After all, this is really not of much consequence: what we want is information: and it

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