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It was by the abrogation of this supremacy, by stat. 28 Hen. VIII. c. 5. (Ir.), and the assertion of the sovereign's right to the undivided dominion over all his subjects, as well ecclesiastical as civil, that the first advance was made towards the reformation of religion, the providence of God converting the counsels of the monarch for the maintenance of his own royal prerogative into the means of purifying and renovating his Church.

The Church of Ireland, from the earliest days of the Reformation under Edward the Sixth, and especially during the reign of Elizabeth, had depended in a principal degree, if not altogether, on the Church of England, and had been in agreement with that Church in all essentials. Her bishops had been in a great measure either Englishmen sent over from England, or the descendants of English parents, though of Irish birth. Her liturgy, her

forms of ordination, and her sacred rites and ceremonies were the same. Her clergy practised an entire and regular conformity to the Articles and Constitutions of the English Church, so far as the different circumstances of the two countries would allow and whether on their admission to holy orders, or on their appointment to the cure of souls, or on their promotion to any ecclesiastical dignity, they, from the fourth year of Queen Elizabeth, subscribed to

an undoubted right unto the sovereignty of this country; partly by conquest, prosecuted at first upon occasion of a social war, partly by the several submissions of the chieftains of the land made afterwards." In fact, there appears to have been at no time any parliamentary recognition of the hypothesis, which represented the King as the feoffee of the Pope in derogation of the royal supremacy.

the English articles of faith.* But, notwithstanding stat. 1 Edw. VI., c. 1. s. 7, which commanded the communion to be given "under both the kinds" to "the people within the Church of England and Ireland," as well as the proclamation of March, 1548, prefixed to the Order of the Communion, which enjoined equally upon the clergy of both countries the observance of that Order, it was not until February 6th, A.D. 1551, that an injunction was sent by Edward VI. to the Lord-Deputy to have the English Book of Common Prayer read in the Irish churches. Immediately upon the receipt of this injunction, Sir Anthony St. Leger summoned the whole clergy, but not as a Convocation, for the 1st of March, to acquaint them with his Majesty's commands; and after some opposition from the Archbishop of Armagh and several bishops, a proclamation was issued for carrying the order into effect: and thus the English Prayer Book began to be publicly used on Easter Sunday (March 29th), in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.§

The library of Trinity College, Dublin, and that of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, each contain a copy of the Prayer Book put forth, in 1551, at the "commandment of Sir Anthony Sentleger, late Lord-Deputy of Ireland, and Council of the same."

1 Mant, Hist. Church of Ireland, 382.

The following entry appears in the Journal of Convocation,

1 Edw. VI: "Item, determined (no man speaking against it), that the Communion should be administered in both kinds."

Codex, 397. 1 Stephens, Ecclesiastical Statutes, 293.

§ Original Letters, Parker Soc. 413. 433. Phenix, i. 130.

Gibson's

The title of the book is printed in red and black, and

is as follows:

THE BOKE

of the common praier and admi-
nistracion of the Sacramen=

tes, and other rites and
ceremonies of the

Churche: af

ter the

vse

of the Churche of

England.

DVBLINIAE IN OFFI
CINA HVMFREDI

POVVELI.

Cum priuilegio ad impri

mendum folum.

ANNO DOMINI

M.D.LI.

On the back of the title-page is :

THE CONTEN

On folio A iii is found:

THE TABLE AND

Kalender expressyng the order of the Psalmes
and Lessons, to be laied at Mattins and
Euensong, throughout the pere,
except certaine propre fea-
ftes, as the Rûles
followyng

mare

plainely declare

Printed at the commaundement of the right woorshipfull,
Sir Anthonie Sentleger (knyght of the order) late
Lordé deputie of Erelande, and counsaile of
(•••)(•.•) the same. (•.•)(°•°)

On folio cxl., facie, is the colophon:

Imprinted by Humfrey Powell, Printer to the
Kynges Maiestie in his hyghnesse realme of Ere-
land, dwellynge in the citee of Bublin in the
great toure by the Crane.

Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum folum.

ANNO DOMINI.

M.D.LI.

A doubt has been entertained whether this book was really printed at Dublin; it being considered that in 1551 there was no printer in Dublin who could produce such a specimen of typography, and that Powell only put his name to what others had printed in London: but the facts are, that Powell was originally a London printer-he "dwelt in 1548 and 1549 above Holborn-Conduit; but he appears soon after to have gone over to Ireland." 2 Ames, Typ. Ant. 794.; and see Letter from Dr. Rutty of Dublin to Dr. William Clarke of London, dated 28th June, 1744. 3 Ames, Typ. Ant. 1522.

On the reverse of the same leaf follows:

¶ A praier for the Lord deputie, (to be saied)
betwene the two last Collectes of the Latenie.

This prayer differs entirely from that now in use.*

*The following is a copy of this "Praier", for which the Editor is indebted to the Rev. Dr. Todd.

"A praier for the Lord deputie, (to be saied) betwene the
two last Collectes of the Latenie.

"Most mercifull and everlastyng God, whiche amongest other thy sundrie and manifold giftes, (by geuyng of good and rightuous ministers in earth) dooest declare thy fauourable mercie and excedyng goodnesse: We most humblie beseche thee, that thou wilt so lighten the herte of thy seruaunt (Sir James Croft) now gouernour ouer this realme, under our most dread and soueraigne Lord, Edwarde the sixt: that he maie by the might of thy power, gouerne and guide the same in thy most holy lawes: grauntyng hym grace (by purenesse of life and feruent zeale to thy trueth) to be an example to all other, to leaue of their olde abhominable errours: And that he maie (hauyng stedfast confidence in thy helpe) not onely bring the people to liue in thy feare, and due obedience to their Kyng: but also by ministring of Justice, may kepe them from their accustomed, most frowarde and diuelishe seditions, in rest, peace and quietnesse. And graunt Lord we beseche thee, for thy sonne Jesus Christes sake, that through thee he be defended from the priuie craftes of those, whiche shall go about maliciously to let or hyndre his good and godly procedynges: and that his dooynges alwaies and in all thynges, maie tende to thy glorie, the Kynges honour, and the common wealth of this lande. That thou wilte helpe hym, mainteyne him, strenghten him, in thy waies direct hym, and appoinct iust and faithfull dealyng officers and seruauntes about hym, we most humblie praie the good lord: who with thy sonne and the holy ghost, liuest and reignest, worlde without

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