ye must neidis beleive that the breid and wyne be transubstantiated into Chrystis bodie and blude, we acknawledge that it is no artikill of our faith whilk can saif us, nor whilk we are bound to beleive upon pane of eternall dampnatioun. For if we suld beleive that his verie naturall bodie, both flesche and blude, wer naturallie in the bread and wyne, that suld not save us, seeing many beleive that, and yit receave it to thair dampnatioun. For it is not his presence in the bread that can save us, but his presence in our hartis thrugh faith in his blude, whilk hath waschit out our synnis, and pacifeit his Fatheris wraith towardis us. And again, if we do not beleive his bodilie presence in the bread and wyne, that sall not dampn us, but the absence out of our hart, throw unbeleif.

"Now, if they wold heir object, that though it be trewth, that the absence out of the bread culd not dampn us, yit are we bound to beleive it because of Godis word, saying 'This is my bodie,' whilk who beleiveth not as muche as in him lyith, maketh God a lier; and thairfoir, of ane obstinat mynd not to beleive his Word, may be our dampnation ;-to this we answer, that we beleive Godis word, and confess that it is trew, but not so to be understand as the Papistis grosslie affirme. For in the Sacrament we receave Jesus Chryst spirituallie as did the Fathers of the Old Testament, according to St. Paulis saying (1 Cor. xi.). And if men wold weill wey how that Chryst ordeyning this holie Sacrament of his bodie and blude, spak theis words sacramentallie, doutless thos wold never so grosslie and foolishlie understand thame, contrary to all the Scriptures, and to the expositioun of St. Augustine, St. Hierome, Fulgentius, Vigilius, Origines, and many other godlie wrytteris."

"The Practice of the Lord's Supper used in Berwick-uponTweed by John Knox," is extremely interesting as the very earliest sketch or outline of a "Communion office" framed according to the principles and preferences of the English Puritans. Nothing of this kind has hitherto been known to us of an earlier date than "The Forme of Prayer and Ministration of the Sacraments used in the Englische Congregation at Geneva," "imprinted at Geneva, by John Crispin, MDLVI., the tenth of February,"-A careful comparison of the earlier and later Sacramental "Formes" brings out the result, that the resemblances and differences between them are neither less nor more than what might have been expected in the different conditions under which they were

drawn up the one by Knox, in Berwick, where he had only his own ideas to carry out; the other by a group of Puritan divines in Frankfort, among whom Knox was only one, though the chief, and who had all their share of influence in moulding the Formulary which was agreed upon by common consent.

It was in the Geneva "Forme of Prayer" that the Puritan Practice in the sacramental "Action"-i.e., in the act of giving and receiving the Sacramental elements-was first published in print. As this, however, was undoubtedly the same, in every important respect, as that previously used by Knox at Berwick, and even earlier at St. Andrew's, it may here be inserted with advantage, so as to complete the reader's impression of the "Practice" which might have been seen in the North of England in those early years, when as yet it was an Order to be seen nowhere else in the kingdom.

"The exhortation ended, the minister cummeth downe from the pulpit, and sitteth at the table, every man and woman in like wise takinge their place as occasion best serveth; then he taketh bread and geveth thankes, either in these woordes following, or like in effect:-O Father of mercye and God of all consolation,' &c., &c.

"This done, the minister breaketh the breade and delyvereth it to the people, who distribute and divide the same amongst themselves, accordinge to our Saviour Christes commandement, and in likewise geveth the cuppe. Duringe the which tyme some place of the Scriptures is read which doth best set forth the death of Christ, to the intente that our eyes and senses may not only be occupied in these outward signes of bread and wyne, which are called the visible woorde; but that our hartes and myndes also may be fully fixed in the contemplation of the Lord's death, which is by this holy Sacrament represented; and after the action is done, he giveth thanks, saying 'Moste mercifull Father, we render to thee all praise,' &c.

"The action thus ended, the people sing the 103 Psalm, 'My soule give laude,' &c., or some other of thanksgivinge; which ended, one of the blessings beforementioned is recitcde, and so they rise from the table and departe."

The action here described corresponds in all points with the form of administration afterwards introduced by Knox into the

Church of Scotland, as described in "The Book of Common Order," published in 1564; and it is to this order that he alludes in his notice of his first Dispensation of the Lord's Supper in St. Andrew's in 1547, when, "not only all those of the castle, but also a great number of the town openly professed, by participation of the Lord's table in the same purity that now it is ministrat in the churches of Scotland, with the same doctrine that he had taught unto them." It cannot be doubted, then, that that part of the service which is omitted from the "Form of the Lord's Supper, used in Berwick by John Knox," bore the closest resemblance to the usage of the English congregation of Geneva and of the Church of Scotland; and the curious fact which emerges from the whole evidence, now for the first time brought together, is that the Lord's Supper, and no doubt the Sacrament of Baptism, were first administered in England in the Puritan and Presbyterian form by the hand of John Knox, the Scottish Reformer, as early as the year 1549 or 1550; and that this form of service was established in Berwick, by a recognized minister of the national Church of England, acting under the implied authority or allowance at least-of the Government, ten years before it could be introduced, with a similar official recognition, into the national Church of Knox's own native country.

IV.

"A Letter written to Mr. Knoxe."

GRACE and peace, with all spiritual and heavenly feeling be with you for

ever.

Dearly beloved in the Lord, after most humble wise, with most harty thanks for your great kindness and heavenly comfort; the Lord reward you for it. It is no small grief to my heart to hear the news that is with you, how that the Queen is broken forth of prison and hath 4,000 men with her. The Lord our God, for Christ's sake, turne it to the best, and to the comfort of his poor flock, and give grace to the rulers with all wisdom to consider well with all speed.

Our brethren do give harty thanks for your gentle letter written unto them; but, to be plain with you, it is not in all points liked; and for my part, if I had known the tenor of it, when I was with you, I would have said many words that I never spake. We all agree well with your judg ment that they shall not escape the judgments of God, without harty repentance, for molesting and troubling the hearts and consciences of the godly, and for mainteyning things in the Church for which, by the Word of God, they have no ground. But when you say that you cannot allow those that obstinately do refuse to hear the message of salvation at such men's mouths as please not us in all things; so say we. I know no man in our Congregation that doth obstinately refuse the Word of life. But when you say at such men's mouths, no doubt there be many men that be authorized to preach that are both hereticks and wicked Papists, which the Church of England doth allow; and if you mean them, then we say we utterly refuse to hear them, and also all those that do maintain this minglemangle ministry, Popish order and Popish apparel, which is to the great grief of the godly, and can take no comfort of such doctrine.

Whereas you bring that Paul was offended with Peter and sharply rebuked him, and in that he did very well, you say that for all that he dissuaded none of his auditors from his preaching. Most true it is, and we confess no less with you-but this example toucheth nothing our matter. But if Peter would willingly have maintained, as our men do after a hun

dred warnings, and brought Christians back from sincerity [purity], sure I am that Paul would not have suffered him, neither would the Apostolic Church have let him remain among them. But Peter yielded and held the true doctrine. And also the contention of Paul and Barnabas; that contention was about Marcus John; but yet they both held the truth, and might both be very well heard, for neither of them preached false doctrine, neither maintained anything against the ordinances of Christ. Although godly men have many infirmities, as I know no man hath not, yet God forbid that any should forsake hearing the Word truly and sincerely taught. But how doth this example touch our time, or doing which is maintained in England ?

And also concerning Paul his purifying at Jerusalem. Purifying had his first ground out of the Word of God, and had his end, as all other ceremonies had, in Christ; but it was for confirming the Jews, and therefore Paul, for their infirmities' sake, that he might preach Christ, did it. Sure I am Paul did it not to maintain or allow it to be kept among them, and to persecute for it, and that no man shall preach Christ unless he do it; for many things that are maintained here had never any law of God for them, at any time or in any age, but the law of God ever standing against them. If it were true, as you say, that the Gospel were truly preached, and Sacraments truly administered, and true discipline maintained, it were no matter, neither for the man, neither for the coate. The hearing cannot hurt one, neither his ministry nor any man else.

Whereas you wish that our consciences had a better ground, truly we cannot see by these Scriptures that should alter our consciences from a Reformed Church that hath those marks, to go back to mixtures. Although it be but a poor Church and under perils and persecutions, and have many enemies both open and familiar friends against it, and have no authority to defend it, and since our departure from you more enemies we have a great many, which seem somewhat to take hold of you for the defence of them, that they may the more cruelly handle us, as some of our brethren feeleth it, and is grown by the party that went away from us, which now is in great favour of the Bishop, which never was before, and hath told him and all others that you are flat against us and condemn all our doings. But this is our comfort, the Lord Jesus is with us. At his coming home he did openly stand against the whole Church with many reviling words, and no gentle nor honest means could persuade him, whereupon the Church hath excommunicated him.

Also where you say, "God forbid that we should damn all for false prophets and heretics that agree not with us in our apparel and other opinions, that teacheth the substance of doctrine and salvation in Christ Jesus;" we heartily thank you for your good desire, but we never were of that mind to condemn any man's person; and I trust in the Lord that he will never let us fall in such a gulf. What art thou, saith Paul, that judgest