THE MONTHLY PAPER OF SUNDAY TEACHING. UNDER THE SAME EDITORSHIP AS "THE MONTHLY PACKET." VOLUME IX. CONTAINING HISTORY OF THE PRAYER BOOK. LESSONS ON THE PARABLES. THE SUNDAYS OF THE YEAR. QUESTIONS ON THE HARMONY OF THE QUESTIONS ON THE GOSPELS FOR SAINTS' LESSONS UPON HOLY SEASONS AND ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED IN WRITING. LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET. LONDON: J. AND C. MOZLEY, 6, PATERNOSTER ROW: 1869. THE MONTHLY PAPER OF SUNDAY TEACHING. UNDER THE SAME EDITORSHIP AS 'THE MONTHLY PACKET.' No. 97.] LONDON: J. AND C. MOZLEY, 6, PATERNOSTER ROW. [Price 1d. HISTORY OF THE PRAYER BOOK. CHAPTER 1. PART II. "Thy pilgrim bands, old Rome, are on their way, Thy silver Cross shall span the barrier sea; From out the ruin of thy fast decay The light of nations shall be struck by thee. Forget not, O my country, her who led A falt'ring nation to the one great goal, The wise Frank Princess of the Christian soul." NEARLY seventeen hundred years ago, so ers plunted their holy temples on the very sites where had stood idol altars, and gave a new and sacred meaning to names which once spoke only of the false gods-names such as Holy Head, Holy Island, and Holy Well; or Duisol, or Sun's Hill, now St. Michael's Mount. The Catholic Church in Great Britain and Ireland added glorious members to the martyr host during the Roman persecutions: the town of Lichfield -field of the dead-is so called from a company of Christians who were slain there in the reign of Diocletian. When the Roman empire became Christian, Britain sent at least two Bishops to the Council of Nicæa, A.D. 325. Indeed, the British Church must have felt a peculiar interest in watching the proceedings of the great Constantine; for his mother, Helena, by whose zeal the cause of Christianity was much advanced, is believed to have been of British origin. In Britain his father died and was buried; Constantine himself was proclaimed Emperor at York, and his appearance resembled his mother's reputed countrymen. These reasons alone would be sufficient to make the Church in these islands especially desirous to send repre But the strongest evidence that either the first missionaries came from the neigh-sentatives to Constantine's great council, bouring country of Gaul, or that at all events the first British Bishops received their consecration there, rests on the fact that the oldest Liturgy, or form of administering the Holy Communion, which can be traced back in Britain, is the same that was formerly used in the Gallican Church. It will be remembered that the four great primitive Liturgies were the Oriental, the Alexandrian, the Gallican or Ephesine, and the Roman. Missionaries who went forth from the Apostolic Churches to teach, of course taught the people they converted to use the Service of the Church to which they were accustomed; and thus, by the little differences in these forms of Service, it is generally possible to make out from what quarter the teaching came. although the journey by sea and landthey would travel across Gaul-was long and wearisome. Two Bishops went, and returned armed with the newly drawn up Creed which was to guard the Church against the grievous heresy of Arius. Doubtless over this treasure there were great rejoicings, and, it may be supposed, no little wonder at the account brought by the mission of the gorgeous churches they had seen, and the eastern magnificence which delighted in all manner of outward show and splendour, in strange contrast to the habits of our hardy islanders. Constantine's good dispositions would cause them much thankful joy, and a hope that now the dark tempestuous days of persecution were at an end, and the Church might be free peacefully to steer her course across the waves which once had threatened to engulf her. Church-buildings, rude as they were, sprang up, and the faith Gradually, before the light of the Gospel, the gloomy idol-worship, the stern priesthood of the Druids, the horrible human sacrifices, the fierce forest rites, passed away. In many instances the new preach-became more deeply rooted. |