" in "the administration of the Sacraments and
solemnization of marriages and burials of the dead." In 1564 a new and
enlarged edition was printed in Edinburgh, and the Assembly ordered that
"every Minister, exhorter and reader" should have a copy and use the
Order contained therein not only for marriage and the sacraments but
also "in Prayer," thus ousting the hitherto permissible use of the
Second Book of Edward VI. at ordinary service. "The rubrics as retained
from the Book of Geneva made provision for an extempore prayer before
the sermon, and allowed the minister some latitude in the other two
prayers. The forms for the special services were more strictly imposed,
but liberty was also given to vary some of the prayers in them. The
rubrics of the Scottish portion of the book are somewhat stricter, and,
indeed, one or two of the Geneva rubrics were made more absolute in the
Scottish emendations; but no doubt the 'Book of Common Order' is best
described as a discretionary liturgy."

It will be convenient here to give the contents of the edition printed
by Andrew Hart at Edinburgh in 1611, and described (as was usually the
case) as _The Psalmes of David in Meeter, with the Prose, whereunto is
added Prayers commonly used in the Kirke, and private houses; with a
perpetuall Kalendar and all the Changes of the Moone that shall happen
for the space of Six Yeeres to come_. They are as follows:--

(i.) The Calendar; (ii.) The names of the Faires of Scotland; (iii.) The
Confession of Faith used at Geneva and received by the Church of
Scotland; (iv.-vii.) Concerning the election and duties of Ministers,
Elders and Deacons, and Superintendent; (viii.) An order of
Ecclesiastical Discipline; (ix.) The Order of Excommunication and of
Public Repentance; (x.) The Visitation of the Sick; (xi.) The Manner of
Burial; (xii.) The Order of Public Worship--Forms of Confession and
Prayer after Sermon; (xiii.) Other Public Prayers; (xiv.) The
Administration of the Lord's Supper; (xv.) The Form of Marriage; (xvi.)
The Order of Baptism; (xvii.) A Treatise on Fasting with the order
thereof; (xviii.) The Psalms of David; (xix.) Conclusions or Doxologies;
(xx.) Hymns--metrical versions of the Decalogue, Magnificat, Apostles'
Creed, &c.; (xxi.) Calvin's Catechism; (xxii. and xxiii.) Prayers for
Private Houses and Miscellaneous Prayers, e.g. for a man before he
begins his work.

The Psalms and Catechism together occupy more than half the book. The