LITURGY. 



Kvery of irany extempore fpeakers, evinces the neceflity of 

 talents for tlie difcharge of this part of public duty, and of 

 previous preparation, but does not prove that the adopl^.ni 

 of a liturgy is either moll expedient or moft ufetul when 

 extempore prayer is properly performed ; and it is prefunied, 

 that perfons v^'ho are accullomed to cxereiles of devotion 

 will acquire a facility in tlie performance of tlieni, which 

 will, in a great degree, obviate the objeiftion now dated, 

 and prevent the pain that would be n;iven to the ferious part 

 of a coiii;re'^ation, or the profane diveriion which might he 

 occal'ioned by the levity of the other part. 



The advantages of a liturc;y, our author candidly allows, 

 are connected with two principal inconveniences ; Jirjh that 

 forms of pravcr compofed in one age become unlit tor 

 another by the unavoidable change of language, circum- 

 ftances and opinions : fecondly, that the perpetual repetition 

 of the fame form of words produces wearinefs and mattcn- 

 tiveuefs ia the congregati<jn. Both thefe inconveniences, 

 ho'.vever, arc in their nature vincible. Occafional revilions 

 of a liturgy may obviate the firll, and devotion will fupply 

 a remedy for the fecond ; or, as our author thinks, they may 

 both fubfitl in a con fidcrable degree, and yet be outweighed 

 by the objcflions which are'iufeparable from extemporary 

 prayer. Nevertheltfs, this is a conceflion, which will not 

 be admitted by the advocates of the latter mode of worthip ; 

 nor adverting to pad experience, finee tlie year 1661, will 

 they lay much ftrcfs on occalional reviews of the liturgy. 



Hovsr far the Lord's prayer is a precedent, as well as a 

 pattern, for forms of prayer, is a queilion, concerning which 

 writers, who have directed their attention to this lubjedl, 

 are not agreed. 



Archdeacon Paley fpeclfies the following properties as re- 

 quifite in a public liturgy ; vin. that it be compendious ; 

 that it exprefs juft conceptions of the divine attributes ; 

 that it recite fuch wants as a congregation are likely to 

 fee!, and no other ; and that it contain as few controverted 

 propofitions as poflible. As to the firll property, he ob- 

 ferves, that it would be no difficult talk to eontracl the 

 liturgies of moil churches into half their prefent compafs ; 

 and yet retain every diftinct petition, as well as the fubllance 

 CI every fentiment, which can be found in them. Although 

 cur author does not admit the propriety of (ludving brevity 

 too much, he is of opinion, that the too great length of 

 church fervices is unfavourable to piety. It begets in many 

 an early and unconquerable diilikc to the public worlhip 4f 

 their country or communion. They come to church feldom ; 

 and enter the doors when they do com.e under the appreheii- 

 fion of a tedious attendance, v.'hich they prepare for at firfl, 

 cr foon after relieve, by conipofing theinfelves to a drowfy 

 forgetfulnefs of the place and duty, or by fending abroad 

 their thoughts in ■ fearch of more amufing occupation. 

 Although there may be fome few of a difpofuion not to be 

 wearied with religious exercifes, yet, where a ritual is pro- 

 lix, and the celebration of divine fervice long, no effetl is in 

 general to be looked for, but that indolence will find in it 

 an excufe, and piety be difconcerted by impa.nence. It 

 might further be obferved, that the extent of our eltablifhcd 

 liturgy does not leave time fufhcient for pubhc inilruction ; 

 that the attention is fatigued before this part of our 

 p'lbiic fervice commences ; and that excefs in our public 

 difcourfes, which admit of variety, is more exculable than 

 the iame fault in our devotional exercifes, during which the 

 attention ought to be kept alive, and the underftanding 

 and heart properly engaged. Our author remarks, that the 

 length and repetitions complained of in our hturgy are not 

 fo much the fault of the compilers,, as tlie effeft of uniting 



into ont fervice, what was originally, but with very littlf 

 regard to the convcniency of the people, dillrlbutcd into three. 

 Accordingly we obferve, with the autiiors of the " Free and 

 candid Dilquilitions," that the Lin-d's prayer in particular 

 is ei;joined to be pulilicly tiled every I^ord's day in our ordi- 

 nary lervicc, when there is no communion, no lefs than feven 

 times, ^i;». five times in the morning a:.d twice in the after- 

 noon : and when there is a communion, and alio atteriiooii 

 icrmon or lecture, then nine times : and if the office of infant 

 baptifm (to fay nothing of that of adults), and the other of 

 churching of women, happen to come iiv, as they may and 

 do fometinies, botii morning and afterncon, then thirteen 

 times. The " Gloria Patri" is introduced commonly, and 

 moil ufually, feven or eight times ; not unfrcquently nine 

 or ten ; and may alfo occur eleven times, in the courfe of 

 our morning fervice only, Notwithllandiiig that dread of inno- 

 vation, in religion, which, lays archdeacon I'alcy, feems to have 

 become ihc panic of the age, few, as he fuppofes, would be 

 difpleafed nith fuch omiflions, abridgments, or change in 

 the arrangement^ as the combination of ieparate fervices 

 iniift necelTiirily require, even luppoiing each to have been 

 faultltfs in itfelf. If, together with theie alterations, the 

 epilUes and gofpelf, and coUefts which precede them, were 

 compofed and lelefted v.ith more regard to unity of fubjeft 

 and dellgn ; and the pfalms and lelfons either left to the 

 choice of the miiiiller, or better accommodated to the ca- 

 pacity of the audience, and the edification of modern life ; 

 the church of England would be in pofTciTion of a liturgy, 

 in which thofe who alTent to her doftrines would have little 

 to blame, and the difl'atisfied mull acknowledge many beau- 

 ties. The ftylc throughout is excellent ; calm, without 

 coldnefs ; and, though every where fedate, oftentimes affeft- 

 ing. Tiie paufes in the fcrvic~e are dilpofed at proper inter- 

 vals ; the traniitions from one office of devotion to another, 

 from confeffion to prayer, from prayer to thanklgiving, 

 from thankfgiving to " hearing of the word," arc contrived, 

 like fcenes in the drama, to fupply the mind with a fuccef- 

 fion of diverfihed engagements. As much variety is intro- 

 duced alio in the form of praying as this kind of compoiitiau 

 icems capable of admitting. 



TheyiVoHi/ property of a liturgy, itiz. that it fhould ex- 

 prefs jull conceptions ef the divine attributes, is an article 

 deferving particular care. The popular notions of God arc 

 formed, in a great meafure, from the accounts which the 

 people receive of his nature and character in their religious 

 affemblies. An error here becomes the error of multitudes : 

 and as it is a fubjt A in which almoft every opinion leads the 

 way to lome practical confeqtience, the purity or deprava- 

 tion of public manners will be afFeclcd, among other caufes,. 

 by the truth or corruption of the public forms of worfhip. 

 The i'/>/V^ requilite of a liturgy is that it recite fuch wants 

 as the congregation are hkely to feel, and no other. It were 

 therefore to be wiilied that every part of a liturgy were per- 

 fonally applicable to every individual in the congregation ; 

 and that nothing were introduced to interrupt the paffion, 

 or damp a flame which it is not eafy to rekindle. Upon 

 this principle, \.\iejlatr-prajiers incur liturgy ihould be fewer 

 and lliorter. The Jliite-/lyle hkevvife leems unfealonablv in- 

 troduced if.to thefe prayers, as ill according with the anni- 

 hilation of human greatnefs, of which every act that carries 

 tlie mind to God prefents'the idea. It is required, fourthly, 

 that a liturgy contain as few controverted propohtio;iS as 

 poffible. Why, fays our author, iliould every pofition 

 which a church maintains be woven with fo much induftry into 

 her forms of public worfliip ? Some are offended, and fnme 

 are excluded ; this is an evil in itfelf, at lead to them : and 



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