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tion of men as well as for the honor of God. For who can question, which is likely to be most instructive and edifying, hasty conceptions, or studied compositions; the productions of an individual, or the wisdom of the Church, prepared and digested into form and order? It is better not only for the people, but for the Ministers too; for as it prevents any vain ostentation of their talents in the more learned, so it supplies the more ignorant with what, perhaps, they could ill compose of themselves. Moreover it better establishes and secures the unity of faith and worship; hinders the heterodox from infusing their particular notions in their prayers, which is, perhaps, the most artful and plausible way of infusing them; reduces all the Churches to an uniformity, prevents any disagreement or contradiction in their petitions, and instructs them, as they worship the same God, to worship him with the same mind and voice."

The use of precomposed forms of prayer for public worship is also justified by Scripture and the practice of the primitive Church. The public service of the Jews was conducted according to prescribed forms. The Levites who were appointed by David (3.) "to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and also at even," must have performed this duty according to some set form, in which they could all join. The book of Psalms was indited by the Holy Ghost, with the view of supplying forms of prayer and praise for the joint use of the congregation. (4.) Our Saviour, by joining in communion with the Jewish Church, and particularly by giving to his disciples the form of prayer called the Lord's Prayer, testified, in the strongest manner, his approbation of set forms. The Apostles and disciples no doubt joined, until our Lord's ascension, in the Jewish worship, which was conducted according to a prescribed form. In the writings of the earliest Fathers, we find the expressions, common prayers, constituted prayers; from which it is evident that the primitive Christians had forms of prayers.

(3.) 1 Chron. 23-30.

(4.) See Prideaux's Conn B. 6. Part 1. Sec. 2.

The pious Author of the Ecclesiastical polity, termed by way of eminence "The learned and judicious" HOOKER, thus deliv ers his judgment concerning forms of pray er: (5.) "No doubt from God it hath proceeded, and by us it must be acknowledged, as a work of singular care and providence, that the Church hath evermore held a prescript form of prayer; although not in all things every where the same, yet for the most part retaining still the same analogy. So that if the Liturgies of all ancient Churches throughout the world be compared among themselves, it may be easily perceived they had all one original mould, and that the public prayer of the people of God in Churches throughly settled, did never use to be voluntary dictates proceeding from any men's extemporal wit. To him who considers. the grievous and scandalous inconveniences whereunto they make themselves daily sub ject, with whom any blind and secret corner is judged a fit house of common prayer, the manifold confusion which they fall into where every man's private spirit and gift. as they term it, is the only Bishop that or daineth him to this ministry; the irksome deformities by which, through endless and senseless effusions of indigested prayers, they, who are subject to no certain order, but pray both what and how they list, oftentimes disgrace, in most insufferable manner, the worthiest part of Christian duty towards God; to him, I say, who weigheth duly all these things, the reasons cannot be obscure, why God doth in public prayer so much respect the solemnity of places where, the authority and calling of persons by whom, and the precise appointment even with what words and sentences, his name should be called on amongst his people." Bp. Hobart's Companion for the Book of Common Prayer.

It has been objected to forms of prayer, that they are "a hindrance to a zealous praying by the Spirit." To this objection the following reply of the learned and pious

(5.) See his Ecclesiastical Polity, Book V. Sec

tion 25.

Dean Comber may be considered a conclu- | passionate and zealous wishes that God

sive answer.

"Whoever makes this objection, and affirms we can not pray by the Spirit in the words of a form, must beware his ignorance betray him not into a dangerous uncharitableness, and perhaps blasphemy. For the saints of the Old Testament prayed by forms, and so did Christ himself in the New, and he taught his Apostles a form to pray by, and dare any say they prayed not by the Spirit? Have not all Churches since the Apostles' times to our days, had their forms of prayer? And did not the devoutest men of all ages compose and use such? Was ever extempore prayer heard of in public (till of late) unless on special occasions; and do we think no Church nor persons prayed by the Spirit till now? To come nearer still Have not France and Geneva their forms? And did not learned Calvin (and the best reformed divines) use a form before their sermons? And is not an unstudied prayer a form to the people, who are confined to pray in the speaker's words? And will you say these all pray without the Spirit of God? But sure we hug the phrase of praying by the spirit, not attending the sense. For the meaning doubtless is, to be so assisted by the Holy Ghost, that (our thoughts being composed, and our souls calmed, and our hearts deeply affected with our wants, and the divine all-sufficiency) we car. pray with a strong faith, and a fervent love. When we are so intent upon our requests that we duly weigh them, and pursue every petition with pressing importunity, ardent desires, and vigorous affections, this is the spirit of prayer. And thus we can better pray by the Spirit in the words of a form, than we can do when our mind is employed in inventing new expressions. For having a form (which custom hath made familiar) we have all things set down. to our hands, which we or others want; and we are at leisure to improve the good motions of the Spirit; having no more to do but to join our souls and affections to every petition, and follow them up to heaven in most

would grant them. Whereas in extempore prayer, the petitions expire into air in a moment for neither minister nor people knew them before, nor can remember them afterwards; the one being busy in inventing, the other in expecting a pleasing novelty. And methinks it argues more of the Spirit of God, when we can attend the old prayers with zeal and love, than when we need variety and novel expression, to screw us up into a devotion too much like artifice, and seeming rather to be moved by the pleasure of fancy, than the actings of desire. We may judge of the effects of God's Spirit rather by disposing our hearts to join in a wellcomposed form, than by filling our heads. with new prayers, or opening our mouths in fluent expressions; both which may be done without the help of the Spirit, but to be devout without it is most impossible. To which we shall only add, that many truly good men, and sound members of on Church, do daily use these prayers with ast much spirit and life, with as serious and sincere devotion, as any in the world can do. And this they account a demonstration that the Spirit doth assist them in this form. And so it may assist these mistaken persons if they will lay down their groundless prejudice, and strive to serve God thus as well as they can. So would the good Spirit assist their prayers, and make up our differences, giving us one mind and one spirit, that with one heart and one mouth we might glorify one God.”

But it has been further urged, says Dean Comber, that "though these prayers may be good in themselves, they will grow flat and tiresome by daily use, and consequently become an impediment to devotion.”

In answer to this objection it may be re plied, he says, that " we come not to the house of God for recreation, but for a supply of our wants; and therefore this might be a better reason for an empty theatre than a thin congregation. We come to God in public, to petition for the relief of our general necessities, and those of the whole Church;

viz. for pardon of sin, peace of conscience, | wanton fancies, nor gratify the lust of our

and succours of divine grace, and a deliverance from sin and satan, death and hell: as also for food and raiment, health and strength, protection and success, in all our concerns; and more generally for the peace of the kingdom, the prosperity of the Church, the propagation of the gospel, and the success of its ministers. Now these things are always needful, and always the same, to be prayed for every day alike.-Wherefore (unless we be so vain as to fancy God is delighted with variety and change as well as we) what need is there to alter the phrase every day, or what efficacy can a new model give to our old requests? Particular wants and single cases may be supplied by the closet devotions, for the public, whether by form or extempore, can never reach all those which are so numerous and variable. Wherefore one forin may fit all that ought to be asked in the Church; and why then should we desire a needless and infinite variety and alteration? If we do, it is out of curiosity, not necessity. The poor man is most healthful whose labour procures him both appetite and digestion: who seldom changeth his dish, yet finds a relish in it, and a new strength from it every day. And so it is with the sober and industrious Chistian, who, busying himself in serving God, gets daily a new sense of his wants, and consequently a fresh appetite to these holy forms, which are never flat or dull to him that brings new affections to them every day. It is the Epicure and luxurious, or the diseased man that needs quelques choses, or sauces, to make his daily bread desirable. And if this be our temper, it is a sign of a diseased soul, and an effect of our surfeiting on holy things. In this we resemble those murmurers who despised the bread of Heaven because they had it daily, and loathed manna itself, calling it in scorn dry meat. This was sufficient to sustain their bodies, and satisfy their hunger, but they required meat for their soul; that is, to feed their fancies and their lusts; even as we do, for whom the Church hath provided prayers sufficient to express our needs, but not to satiate our

curiosity; and we complain they are insipid; so perhaps they are such, for the manna had no taste to the wicked; but it suited itself to the appetite and taste of every good man, as the Jews tell us in their traditions. Sure I am, it is true here: For if we be curious and proud, or carnal and profane, there is no gust in the Common Prayers; but a truly pious man can every day here exercise repentance and faith, love and desire, and so use them as to obtain fresh hopes of mercy, peace of conscience increase of grace, and expectations of glory, and whoever finds not this, the fault is not in the prayers, but in the indisposition of his own heart." Dean Comber.

Thus, then, we see how excellent and superior in all respects is the liturgy of our Church; and how admirably she has provided for the two important objects of the public service, instruction and devotion. The lessons, the creeds, the commandments, the epistles and gospels, contain the most. important and impressive instruction on the doctrines and duties of religion: While the confession, the collects and prayers, the litany and thanksgivings, lead the under standing and the heart through all the sublime and affecting exercises of devotion. In this truly evangelical and excellent liturgy, the supreme Lord of the universe is invoked by the most appropriate, affecting, and sublime epithets all the wants to which man, as a dependant and sinful being, is subject, are expressed in language at once simple, concise, and comprehensive; these wants are urged by confessions the most humble, and supplications the most reverential ana ardent; the all sufficient merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, are uniformly urged as the only effectual plea, tle only certain pledge of divine mercy and grace; and with the most instructive les sons from the sacred oracles, and the most profound confessions and supplications, is mingled the sublime chorus of praise begun by the Minister, and responded with one heart and voice from the assembled congre gation. The mind, continually passing from

:

ɔne exercise of worship to another, and, in- | offer no prayer more acceptable to God than stead of one continued and uniform prayer, sending up its wishes and aspirations in short and varied collects of supplications, is never suffered to grow languid and weary. The affections of the worshipper ever kept alive by the tender and animating fervor which breathes through the service; he worships his God and Redeemer in spirit and in truth, with reverence and awe, with lively gratitude and love; the exalted joys of devotion are poured upon his soul; he feels that it is good for him to draw near unto God, and that a day spent in his courts, is better than a thousand passed in the tents of the ungodly.

Thus delightful and edifying will every person find the service who joins in it with sincerity; who unites his heart with his voice, in the parts of the service assigned to the people; and who accompanies the minister in thought and affection through the supplications and prayers, lifting up his heart in secret ejaculations corresponding to the public addresses of the minister to the throne of God. A person who thus sincerely offers his devotions according to the liturgy of the Church may be satisfied that he is worshipping God" with the spirit and with the understanding also." The more frequently and seriously he joins in the service, the more will he be impressed with its exquisite beauties, which tend at once to gratify his taste and to quicken his devotion. That continual change of language in prayer which some persons appear to consider as essential to spiritual devotion, it would be impossible to attain, even were every minister left to his own discretion in public worship. The same expressions would necessa ily recur frequently in his prayers. They would soon sink into a form, destitute of that propriety and dignity of sentiment and language, of that variety, that simplicity, and affecting fervor which characterize the liturgy of the Church.

If the charge of dull uniformity may with propriety be urged against the prayers of the Church, it may with equal justice be urged against that exalted and inspired composition the Lord's prayer. And yet we can surely

the one prescribed by his blessed Son. A lively glow of the fancy and animal spirits may be excited where there is little of the spirit of true devotion, where the understanding and the feelings are not deeply and per manently interested. The novelty that is sought for in extempore effusions tends to occupy the imagination with the words that are employed, and thus diverts the mind from the proper business of devotion. He who with sincerity and humility makes it his regular business to worship God according to the solemn forms of the liturgy, may be assured that he renders unto God an acceptable service, even if he should not always feel those lively and ardent emotions which depend in no inconsiderable degree upon constitutional temperament, upon the state of health, and various external circumstances.

"It is the true and sincere devotion of the heart only that can make our prayers accep table unto God. It is this only which gives life and vigor and true acceptance, to all our religious addresses unto him. Without this, how elegantly and moving soever the prayer may be composed, and with how much seeming fervor and zeal soever it may be poured out, all is as dead matter, and of no validity in the presence of our God. It is true, a new jingle of words, and a fervent delivery of them by the minister in prayer, may have some effect upon the auditors, and often raise in such of them as are affected this way, a devotion which otherwise they would not

have.

But this being wholly artificial, which all drops again, as soon as the engine is removed that raised it, it is none of that true habitual devotion, which alone can render our prayers acceptable unto God." (6.)

The length of the service has been sometimes a subject of complaint. Yet so excellent and appropriate is every part of it, that it would be difficult to determine where with propriety it could be curtailed. On this subject there would certainly be a great

(6.) Dean Prideaux, Con. of Old and New Tes tament, Book 6. Part 1.

diversity of opinion, and the Church would therefore probably lose much more than she would gain by any alteration of the service. In its present state it has become venerable from time, and has always served as an animating guide to the devotions of the pious. Let every person who objects to the length of the service seriously consider, whether this objection does not arise in a considerable degree from an indisposition to discharge the duties of public worship, and from laying too much stress on preaching, which, though an appointed mean of grace, ought certainly ever to be subordinate to the more important duty of worshipping God. It is worthy of remark also, that the service is not entirely occupied with prayer. The reading of portions of the Holy Scriptures and the reciting of the psalms constitute no inconsiderable part of it. The blending of instruction and devotion ; the transition from prayer to praise, and from one short supplication to another; the mingling of the responses of the people with the addresses of the minister, afford an interesting variety in the service, which is one of its most excellent and valuable characteristics.

Long then may the Church preserve inviolate a form of service, which is calculated to cherish in her members a spirit of devotion equally remote from dull and unprofitable lukewarmness on the one hand, and from blind, extravagant, and indecent enthusiasm on the other—a form of service which has ever served to brighten the pious graces of her members; and in the season of declension and error, to preserve the pure flame of truth and the genuine spirit of evangelical piety. With such sacred and commendable caution, does the Episcopal Church in America guard this service, that she exacts from all her ministers, at their ordination, a solemn promise of conformity to it; and, in one of her canons, forbids the use of any other prayers than those contained in the liturgy.

Where indeed a form of prayer is provided, the introduction of extempore prayers, would appear liable to the charges of being unnecessary and presumptuous-unneces

sary, because it is to be supposed that the Church has fully provided in her service for every subject of prayer; and presumptuous, because it carries the idea, that it is in the power of an individual to compose prayers for the congregation superior to those pre pared by the united wisdom and piety of the Church. Equally presumptuous would be any attempt in an individual minister to alter the language of prayers universally admired for their correctness, and their simplicityprayers in the language of which, the most eminent divines, and the first scholars in every age have esteemed it a privilege to express their devotions.

Were these wholsome restraints which confine the clergy to the prescribed form re moved; were every minister allowed at pleasure to alter the service, to depart from the rubrics, and to introduce prayers not approved by the Church; that uniformity of worship which constitutes one peculiar excellence of the Episcopal Church would be destroyed. No limits could be set to a liberty peculiarly liable to abuse. There would be reason to apprehend, that the spirit of irregular enthusiasm, which experience proves is seldom satisfied with its encroachments, or soothed by indulgence, would fundamentally change, and perhaps finally subvert that liturgy, which is now at once the glory and safeguard of the Church, the nurse of evangelical truth, and of spiritual and sober devotion. (7.)

(7.) A distinguished Bishop of our Church, in his late sermon at a consecration, thus bears his forcible testimony against all unlicensed alterations of the service. "We cannot, however, but have observed with the most poignant sorrow, that even our desire of extending the Kingdom of the Redeemer has been a door of admission to the ministry of persons who disdain whatever restraints may be imposed by public reason on private fancy. And, indeed, it gives us one of the most melancholy views, which can be taken of human nature, to find evils of this magnitude arising out of a combination of extraordinary apparent piety, with a disregard of the most explicit promises which can be made, in one of the most solemn acts to which religion can give her sanction." Bishop White in this last sentence alludes to the vows of

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