public worship. In lieu of this the "Directory for the
Publike Worship of God" was established: this contained no stated forms of
prayer, but general instructions only for extemporaneous praying and
preaching, and for the administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the
Lord's Supper; the former of which was to be administered in the place of
public worship and in the face of the congregation, but "not," as the
Directory expresses, "in the places where fonts in the time of popery were
unfitly and superstitiously placed." And at the administration of the
Lord's Supper the table was to be so placed that the communicants might
sit orderly about it or at it; but all liturgical form was abolished, and
the prayers even at this sacrament were such as the minister might
spontaneously offer.

At Brill Church, in Buckinghamshire, the communion table, on an elevation
of one step, is inclosed with rails, within an area of eight feet by six
feet and a half, and a bench is fixed to the wall on each side; an
innovation made at this period, in order that the communicants might
receive the sacrament sitting. The communion table in Wooten Wawen Church,
Warwickshire, though perfectly plain in construction, is unusually long
and large, and appears to have been set up by the Puritans at this period,
so that they might sit round or at it.

To the removal of the communion table from the east end of the chancel may
be attributed the usage which, in the middle of the seventeenth century,
began to prevail of constructing close and high seats or pews, without
regard to that uniformity of arrangement which had hitherto been
observed; and many seats were now so constructed that those who occupied
them necessarily turned their backs on the east during the ministration of
prayer and public service. The erection of unseemly galleries, which have
greatly tended to disfigure our churches, was another consequence of the
innovation on the ancient arrangement of pewing.

After the Restoration the communion tables were again restored to their
former position at the east end of the chancel; and in Evelyn's Diary for
1661-2, we find the change of position in his parish church thus noticed:
"6 April. Being of the vestry in the afternoone, we order'd that the
communion table should be set as usual altarwise, with a decent raile in
front, as before the rebellion."

The altar rails were now generally restored, and in most instances we find
those in our chur