1716 Bible
1716 Bible
CONTENTS
This volume is clearly a re-binding of at least two books.
Main Part
The main part is a copy of the Book of Common Prayer, probably printed around 1716. This bears the imprint of Thomas Newcombe (1625 -1671) and Ino. (John) Baskett (1664– 1742) who, with his sons, were the King’s printers for many years. It was he who was the printer of the Vinegar Bible, so called because in Luke 22, he referred to the Parable of the Vinegar, rather than the Vineyard!!
The date on the frontispiece is 1714.
It has the usual content of most versions of the Book of Common Prayer:
- Introductory information and rules
- Morning and Evening Payer
- The (English) Communion Service
- Services for baptism, marriage, funerals and others
- The Psalms (which might have been in a separate book) are dated 1716.
However, it also contains:
- Details of the Acts of Conformity of 1558 and 1662
- A Form of Prayer for the restoration of the King (Charles II),
- A thanksgiving for the outcome of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605
- Full details of the Thirty-Nine Articles (of faith, agreed by the English Church in 1562), and subscribed to by the Scottish Church at the Convocation of Laurencekirk in 1814
- A copy of the 1603 Constitution and Canons Ecclesiastical (of the Church of England)
Curiously, whilst most of the printing is plain black and white, there is some colour on the Kalendar Tables, the significance of which cannot be ascertained.
Centre section
However, in the centre are clearly pages of a later date, on better paper, beautifully decorated and with colour printing for the side notes. It contains only the Scottish Office for the Holy Communion for the Church of Scotland. This section is dated 1853 and was published by R. Lendrum in Edinburgh.
PROVENANCE
Examination of this volume shows that the Book of Common Prayer part looks very unused, apart from the Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer which, in sharp contrast, are very well thumbed and annotated. Its large size and print size suggests it is an altar or lectern book, not moved about a great deal.
The annotations seem to jump from the original King George I to Queen Victoria. So, it possible that the original Book of Common Prayer lay almost unused from about 1715 to about 1850.
Both the handwriting of the annotations, the style of the binding and the typeface of the Scottish Office pages are very similar to that of Revd George Garden’s Prayer Book (also on display here), suggesting the rebinding was both volumes was done by the same person at the same time.
In this binding, just after the Morning and Evening Prayer, and before the Collects, Epistles and Gospels is a single page from the Scottish Office Book. It shows that the publisher was R. Ledrum of Edinburgh.
The reverse of that page is a copy of Canon 21, which declared that the Scottish Office “hath been justly considered… as the Authorised Service of the Episcopal Church. This Canon was valid from only 1838 to 1863, so this limits the date of the re-binding.
That would imply it was done by either Revd Charles Erskine (1847-55) or Revd James Wanklyn (1855-57) or, just possibly, Revd John Comper (1857-61). It seems most likely that it was organised by Revd Erskine.
There is no reason to doubt that the volumes were not kept anywhere but in one of the Stonehaven Episcopal church buildings.
OTHER COMMENTS
Rules about Communion
One of cultures of the Reformation was the move away from saying Mass (i.e. the Communion) very frequently and by priests on their own. This version of the Book of Common Prayer sets out a List of rules about how the communion shall be celebrated.
The Thirty-Nine Articles
These Articles are the historically defining statements of doctrines and practices of the Church of England with respect to the controversies of the English Reformation.
They were finalised in 1571. However, it wasn’t until 1804 that the Scottish Episcopal church accepted them at the Synod of Laurencekirk. This move, led by Bishop Skinner of Aberdeen, was one of the many changes that allowed full communion with the Church of England.
It became a statutory requirement that all priests declared, in writing, their adherence to these statements of belief. This has always been a source of discussion. Certain of the Articles had for long been an offence to many.
Eventually, in 1977, this statutory requirement was lifted, and the Canon were altered to remove this requirement.
Kneeling for Communion
The need for discipline in the Church at this time is reinforced in the book by quoting the rules for the proper celebration of the Communion including that one should kneel to receive the bread and wine.
“ Whereas it is ordained on this Office for the Administration 0f the Lord’s Supper, that the Communicants should receive the same kneeling; (which Order is well meant, for a signification of our humble and grateful acknowledgement of the benefits of Christ therein given to all worthy Receivers, and for the avoiding of such profanation, and disorder in the holy Communion, as might otherwise ensue) Yet, lest the same kneeling should be any persons, either out of ignorance and infirmity, or out of malice and obstinacy, be misconstrued and depraved; It is here declared, That thereby no Adoration is intended, or ought to be done, either unto the Sacramental Bread or Wine there bodily received, or unto any Corporal Presence of Christs Natural Flesh and Blood. For the Sacramental Bread and Wine remain still in their very Natural Substance, and therefore may not be adored; (for that were Idolatry, to be abhorred of all faithful Christians) And the Natural Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ are in heaven, and not here; it being against the trust of Christs Natural Body, to be at one time in more places than one. “
KALENDAR
All the pages from the Kalendar, which sets out the Festivals and Saints’ Days that are celebrated in the church. It also gives the readings set for Morning and Evening Prayer. Note the absence of readings (the Epistle and Gospel) for Communion, which are printed out in full in the body of the Prayer Book.
NewKalendarMORNING and EVENING PRAYER
Those pages from the Morning and Evening Prayer where alterations have been made.
New MandE PrayerThe SCOTTISH LITURGY for the HOLY COMMUNION
Pages from the Scottish Liturgy (printed in 1853) that have been bound into the 1662 Prayer Book. This was done at the height of the controversy about which Litrugy to use (Scottish or English), which resulted in Bishop Forbes being arraigned, and eventually admonished.
New Scottish EucharistTHE ENGLISH LITURGY
New English EucharistSPECIAL SERVICES
This prayer book contains a large number of services which one would not hold today, and it is doubtful that they were ever held in Scotland. However, they present an interesting light of the prevailing sentiments.
They include Private Baptism, Baptism for those of Riper Years, the Churching of Women (after childbirth), For those at Sea, the Consecration of Bishops, a Form of Thanksgiving after the Gunpowder Plot, a Form of Prayer with Fasting, Celebrating King Charles the Martyr, and a Form of Thanksgiving for the restoration of the Monarchy, and, finally, a Commination – the denouncing of God’s Anger and Judgment against Sinners!
New Special ServicesA CATECHISM
Memorising this statement of the church’s teaching used to be part of the preparation for Confirmation. The Bishop would test the candidate before the service.
New CatechismThe THIRTY NINE ARTICLES
The statement of faith, agreed by the English Church in 1562, and subscribed to by the Scottish Church at the Convocation of Laurencekirk in 1814. This allowed full communion with the Church of England.
New 39 ArticlesTHE PSALMS
This version of the Psalms is unusual in that it is in English Metre (i.e. not in plain text, as in the King James Bible) translated by Thomas Sternbold, John Hopkins and others, and printed by Susanna Collins of the Company of Stationers in 1716. The front page declares that they “Set forth and Allowed to be sung in all Churches, for all the People together, before and after Morning Prayer, and also before and after Sermons, and moreover in Private Houses, for their godly solace and comfort, laying apart all ungodly Songs and Ballads, which tend only to the nourishing of Vice, and the corruption of Youth”
Note: The Psalter has been divided in 4 portions (just to make the computer loading easier)
First Portion Psalm 1 to part of Psalm 42
Second Portion Rest of Psalm 42 to part of Psalm 83
Third Portion Rest of Psalm 83 to part of Psalm 119
Last Portion Rest of Psalm 119 to Psalm 150., and various other metrical version of prayers, such Quicunque vult, 12 Articles of faith, Lamentations and an Index
Portion 1
New Paslms 1Portion 2
New Paslms 2Portion 3
New Paslms 3Portion 4
New Paslms 4
End