The Savoy Conference Revisited

The records of the Savoy Conference come from seventeenth century sources, and they were edited and reproduced in two nineteenth century volumes: E.Cardwell, A History of Conferences and Other Proceedings connected with the Revision of The Book of Common Prayer; from the year 1558 to the year 1690 (1841, and 2nd ed. 1849) and G.Gould, Documents relating to the Settlement of the Church of England by the Act of Uniformity of 1662 (London, 1862). Both these present the Presbyterians' 'Exceptions' tabled at the Savoy Conference in 1661; and both also print the Bishops' (somewhat unyielding) Answers to the Exceptions - but neither editor brings the texts together. This Joint Study presents the General Exceptions in parallel column with their respective Answers; and for the Particular Exceptions there are four parallel columns - 1.The Text in the 1604 Prayer Book to which 'Exception' is taken; 2. The actual Exception; 3. The Bishops' Answer; 4. COB's notes explaining both the background, and the outcome in its effect on the 1662 text. There is an Historical Introduction, Notes and Appendixes - and the volume runs to 80 pages rather than the usual 48.