INTRODUCTION. THIS volume concludes the Irish Manuscript Book of Common Prayer. It is an extraordinary fact, that all the Books of Common Prayer annexed to our English and Irish Statutes of Uniformity have been either lost or stolen, with the exception of the Manuscript under consideration ;* and the knowledge of the existence of that Manuscript may in a great measure be ascribed to the present Bishop of Meath. In consequence of representations made to the Lord Chancellor of Ireland by the late Dr. Elrington,+ the Bishop of Meath, the Archdeacon of Meath, and the Editor, the Manuscript Book has been re-annexed to stat. 17 & 18 Car. II. c. 6. (Ir.), with the following declarations and order attached to it : * Vide 1 Book of Common Prayer, according to the Sealed Books, by Stephens. Introd. clxxiv. + Vide 1 Book of Common Prayer, according to the Irish Manuscript Book, by Stephens. Introd. cxxiv. α "Rolls' Office, Chancery, Ireland, "5th April, 1850. "I FRANCIS JOHN NASH, of the Rolls' Office in the Court of Chancery, in Ireland, do hereby declare that I am and have been a clerk, in the Rolls' Office, since the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and four, and during that period I have had access to the Records. Previously to one thousand eight hundred and thirteen I have frequently seen a bundle of Statutes, upon the outside of which the following endorsement has been made : “17.” Cha3. 24 "n. (11) 4 Acts in this. "Grt of Subsidies "A. for Advancemt of Liunen Manuf? "Act for Orders Sell Wines &c. & "Act for Uniformity Public Pray"" "To this bundle there was attached, by a piece of tape, a manuscript book, bound in vellum, which purported to be the Book of Common Prayer. In or about one thousand eight hundred and fifteen I saw the bundle of Statutes which I have alluded to, and the MS. Book of Common Prayer was not then attached to the bundle, but at the bottom of these Statutes, where the Manuscript was attached, two ends of a piece of strong tape appeared. The folio volume now produced, containing about 283 leaves, and bound in rough calf, the leaves measuring 12 inches in height, and rather less than 7% inches in width, is the Manuscript which I saw attached, previously to one thousand eight hundred and thirteen, to the said bundle of Statutes. "Witness present, "FRANCIS JOHN NASH. "FRANCIS WILLIAM BRADY, "Secretary to the Lord Chancellor. "It is now about thirty years since I first saw the Manuscript of the Irish Book of Common Prayer in the Rolls' Office. Since that time I have carefully examined it, and have collated therewith an edition of the Prayer Book, printed by the Queen's Printers, in Dublin. I am convinced that said Manuscript is the original Manuscript of the Book of Common Prayer, which was approved by the Convocation in Ireland, and annexed to the Irish Act of Uniformity, of the 17th and 18th Charles II. "EDWARD MEATH. "Dublin, April 5th, 1850. "Witness present, "THOMAS ADDERLEY STOPFORD, "Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of Meath. "Having been engaged in collating the book, entitled The Book of Common Prayer, the text taken from the Manuscript Book originally annexed to Stat. 17 & 18 Car. II. c. 6. (Ir.) with an Historical Introduction and Notes, by Archibald John Stephens, Barrister at Law, London, for the Ecclesiastical History Society, 1849 and 1850,' with the Manuscript Book referred to in Mr. Nash's declaration, we are convinced that that Manuscript is the Book originally annexed to Stat. 17 & 18 Car. II. c. 6. (Ir.) "EDWARD A. STOPFORD, "Archdeacon of Meath. "A. J. STEPHENS. "Witness present, "W. EAMES, "Witness present, "E. B. ROCHE, M.P., Cork County. "Let this document be annexed by the Deputy Keeper of "the Rolls to the Book mentioned in the foregoing Certificates, and let said Book be reattached by him to the "bundle of Statutes above referred to. 66 "MAZIERE BRADY, C. The Editor has never had a more painful task imposed upon him than the recording of the death of Dr. Elrington, the Regius Professor of Divinity in the University of Dublin, a man richly endowed with every quality which could excite friendship and command respect; and it has been justly said, that by his death the Church in Ireland has been deprived of the erudite theologian, the far-seeing counsellor, the truly earnest and evangelical preacher,— the trusty and sagacious guide. The Editor was always received by the late Dr. Elrington with that genuine flow of good nature and hospitality which distinguishes the sincere friend; he had recourse to him upon many occasions, as an adviser; and in editing the Irish MS. Book of Common Prayer,* and the first and second volumes of the English Book of Common Prayer, he is under the deepest obligations to him, for which he will ever retain the most grateful remembrance. Dr. Elrington was born on the 25th March, 1787, in Molesworth Street, Dublin. He was the eldest son of the Rev. Thomas Elrington, D.D., Senior Fellow of Trinity College, and Professor of Mathematics in the University of Dublin, who was afterwards successively Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, Bishop of Limerick, and finally Bishop of Leighlin and Ferns; his mother was Charlotte, daughter of the Rev. Plunket Preston, rector of the parish of Duntreleague, in the county of Limerick. He was educated at home by a private tutor, under the superintendence of his father, who considered him so far advanced in his studies as to enter Trinity College in the * Dr. Elrington collated the text of this publication with the Irish MS. Book down to the end of the 493rd page of that book; and also collated the text of the Editor's edition of the Book of Common Prayer, according to the Sealed Books, with the same Manuscript down to the end of the Collects, Epistles and Gospels. year 1800, when but little more than thirteen years old. He was admitted a student of the College on the 3rd November, 1800, under the tuition of the Rev. Dr. Davenport, afterwards Professor of Natural Philosophy in the University, Senior Fellow of Trinity College, and ultimately Rector of Clonfeacle, which benefice he held together with the Professorship of Astronomy, at the Observatory, Armagh. During his college course Dr. Elrington obtained all the under-graduate honours of his class, together with the gold medal on taking his A.B. degree, at the spring commencement in 1805. In the same year he obtained Bishop Law's mathematical premium, and the Primate's Hebrew Prize (on the foundation of Primate Newcome) in the Hilary Term of 1806. In 1807 he sat for a Fellowship, but was unsuccessful, the votes of the examiners being equally divided between him and Mr. Sandes (afterwards Bishop of Cashel) who was elected by the Provost's casting vote; he obtained, of course, the premium which is awarded to the candidate next in merit to the successful candidate. In 1808 and 1809 he was also a candidate, and in both examinations obtained the highest premium. Disheartened by these failures, he was anxious to give up the attempt, but, in deference to the wishes of his father, he was again a candidate in 1810, and was then successful; he continued to hold his fellowship until 1829, having been Junior Dean in 1811, and Donnellan Lecturer in 1819. In 1829. he was elected Regius Professor of Divinity, the duties of which he had performed for some years previously, during the incapacity of the learned Dean Graves. This Professorship he held until his death. |