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of London, and who took energetic measures for
their removal. An order of council was obtained
directing them to be taken dowTi and replaced
by wooden tables, with the view of rooting out
the idea of a propitiatory sacrifice in the Holy
Eucharist.
As a concession to the reforming party, of whom
Hooper was the most prominent partisan, a revision
of the Prayer-book was determined upon. It had
been persistently urged upon Somerset and Cranmer
by Calvin, " who thought himself wiser than the
antient church, and fit to dictate religion to all
countries in Christendom.'"i It was urged forward
also with much pertinacity by the foreign refugees,
and a committee was appointed for the purpose, who
prosecuted their labours during 1550 and 1551.
Peter Martyr and Bucer were consulted during its
progress. The latter, however, died early in 1551,
before the work was completed. It was submitted
to Parliament and sanctioned in 1552, and was
ordered
to be brought into use on All Saints' day in
that year.
The office for the Holy Communion as given in
the first Prayer-book was considerably modified, in
the direction, certainl)-, of tlie anti-Roman views of
the more advanced section of the reforming party,
who were especially anxious that there should be as
little ground as possible for the service being supposed
to favour the doctrine of the real presence in
the Holy Eucharist.
This was especially marked in
'
These are Collier's caustic words.— " Eccl. Hist.," ii.,
P- 309-