The Scottish Reformation: Its Epochs, Episodes, Leaders, and Distinctive CharacteristicsMitchell, Alexander F. (Alexander Ferrier)
History
The Scottish Reformation: Its Epochs, Episodes, Leaders, and Distinctive Characteristics
Mitchell, Alexander F. (Alexander Ferrier)
Reformation -- Scotland
This, though in point of time the first composed of the symbolical books
of the Scottish Reformation, was the last to be formally assigned its
honoured place. The title it commonly bore in that age was the Book of
Common Order. In the First Book of Discipline it is called "the Order of
Geneva" and "the Book of our Common Order."[146] In recent times it has
been more generally designated as Knox's Liturgy. It has usually been
deemed sufficient to say that it was drawn up and first privately and
then publicly printed at Geneva, and was directly taken from the liturgy
then used there, as well as approved by Calvin. But this is only
partially true. The first English congregation on the Continent which
invited Knox to be one of its pastors was that formed at Frankfort in
1554, and admitted to hold its services in the same church as the
congregation of French-speaking exiles on condition of using the same
ceremonies and Confession of Faith as the French.[147] The minister and
other office-bearers accordingly signed the Confession of Faith along
with those of the French congregation, and it was ultimately
incorporated into the Book of Common Order as the exposition of the
Apostles' Creed in the baptismal service. The first draft of the Book of
Common Order was drawn up before the end of 1554, and privately
printed,[148] to implement the stipulation for conformity with the
French in ceremonies as well as in Confession of Faith, and it seems to
have been mainly owing to Knox that it was not adopted at once, but that
time was given for circulating and examining it. Unfortunately the
ambitious plan was taken of inviting the English exiles at Strassburg
and Zurich to join with them in their proposed action, which led to
those unfortunate disputes, chronicled at length in the 'Troubles at
Frankfort,' and to the departure of a large number of the English exiles
to Geneva, where through the kindness of Calvin a hospitable reception
was promised them, and the Church of Marie la Neuve was assigned for
their services and those of the Italian exiles, but without any
hampering clause about identity of ceremonies or Confession of Faith.
The congregation which shared with the English exiles the church of "the
white ladies," or Cistercian nuns, at Frankfort, consisted chiefly of
the company of French-speaking exiles which had been originally gathered
at Strassburg by Farel, tended for several years by Calvin, and then by
Poullain, or Pollanus, under whom, when the Interim was imposed on the
city, they had to seek a new home. This they ultimately found in
England, to which Bucer and Martyr from the same city had already been
invited and had gone. Glastonbury Abbey was assigned for their residence
by the king and council, and there they lived in peace and quiet till
the close of the reign of Edward VI. In 1551 Pollanus published the
first edition of his 'Liturgia Sacra seu Ritus ministerii in ecclesia
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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