The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments by Thomas Church Brownell (NYC: Stanford & Swords, 1846), pp.1-15. Chapter 1: Of the Advantage of Forms of Prayer For Public Worship. Brownell defends the ancient and primitive practice of liturgical worship, as does Hooker, for "order, care, and solemnity." Those who object that it is stifling and restrictive will be forced, by parity of reason, to throw out--toss out--get rid of-- their Confessions, hymnbooks, and even the Bible, itself a form.
The Prayer Book is for public worship. It consists of corporate prayers for pardon and whatsover is necessary for body and soul. It consists of excellent and superior prayers, not just individual compositions, but as drawn from the wisest and best in the history of the Church. It abounds with lessons, Creeds, commandments, Psalms, Epistles and Gospel lection. The whole prayer book abounds with Scripture. This instructs and governs blind, extravagant, indecent and unbiblical enthusiasims and imperfections.
The old Prayer Book is, as Senior Presbyter, Bp. Jeremy Taylor, has noted is a Reformed liturgy, having pruned Romanism out, root and branch. It is a "Reformed Prayer Book" rather than a "Roman" liturgy. Against all "extempory effusions," it brings a congregation to biblical, reasonable and enlightened worship.
As a retired military man, nothing is more conducive to such a temperment. Good order, decency, intelligence, and compliance with governing instructions (God's Word).
http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA5&dq=the%20english%20prayer%20book&lr=&ei=jb1dS-PUMJj0NO_jsecB&cd=17&id=OcSUvAv3hWcC&as_brr=1&output=text
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I.—OF THE ADVANTAGES OF FORMS OF PRAYER FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP.
The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, following ancient, primitive, and, until within these few centuries, universal usage, has prescribed a Form Of Prayer, or Liturgy, for public worship. This form she has received, and with few and unessential alterations adopted, from the Church of England, "to whom she is indebted under God, for her first foundation, and for a long continuance of nursing care and protection."
She conceives that forms of prayer are justified by many particular and important advantages, as well as by Scripture, and ancient and primitive usage.
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 Cliurch. The public service of the Jews was conducted according to prescribed forms. The Levites who were appointed by David, " 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.
The pious Author of the Ecclesiastical polity, termed by way of eminence " The learned and judicious" Hooker, thus delivers his judgment concerning forms of prayer : (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 subject, with whom any blind and secret corner is judged a fit house of common prayer ; the manifold confusion which they fall into, whera 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, 1 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 idiom, 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 Dean Comber may be considered a conclusive 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 nre 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 (lie sense. For the meaning doubtless is, to be so assisted by the Holy Ghost, that (our thoughts being composed, and onr souls calmed, and our hearts deeply affected with our wants, and the divine all-sufficiency) we can 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 passionate and zealous wishes that God 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 Spiril, 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 as 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 replied, 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, 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 onr 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 form 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 chiingeth 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 chases, 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. Jn 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 wanton fancies, nor gratify the lust of 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 raspects 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 understanding 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 and ardent; the all sufficient merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, are uniformly urged as the only effectual plea, tl.e only certain pledge of divine mercy and grace ; and with the most instructive lessons 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 congregation. The mind, continually passing from one exercise of worship to another, and, instead of one continued and uniform prayer, sending up its wishes and aspirations in short an-1 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 liis 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 iu 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 hisdevotion. That continual change of language in prayer which some persons appear to consider as essential to spiritual devotion, it would he impossible to attain, even were every minister left to his own discretion in public worship. The same expressions would necessa1 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 offer no prayer more acceptable to God than 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 permanently 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 stnte of health, and various external circumstances.
' It is the true and sincere devotion of the heart only that can make our prayers acceptable 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 war, 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."
The length of the service has been at times 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 diversity of opinion, and the Church would therefore probably lose much more than she would gain by any alteration of the service. Tn 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—unnecessary, 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 prepared 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 simplicity— prayers 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 bft 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.
Against an event thus to be dreaded, let every friend of vital piety, of primitive order, of evangelical worship, most solicitously guard. Let him repress in himself and in others all tendency to innovation, all disposition to find fault with a service, which has been deemed, through a long course of time, in the judgment of some of the wisest and best of men, to be the most perfect of human compositions. Above all, since wo enjoy "such an excellent form of prayer, let us reverence it accordingly; resort to it frequently; attend to it devoutly ; accompany it not only with our lips, but with our hearts ; repeat what we are to repeat; and answer what we are to answer ; join in every prayer of the minister with our mind, and in every response and Amen with our voice : and in nil respects behave like those who are in the more immediate presence of God. Then will " the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer."
Let every one who has received authority to minister in the sanctuary, and to present the prayers of the people at the throne of God, let him consider it as his most sacred duty to perform the service with that dignity and correctness of manner, and above all, with that solemn and fervent spirit of piety, which proceeding unaffectedly from his own heart, will always find its way to the hearts of the people, and engage them with him in the sublime exercises of devotion.
" Let thy priests, O Lord, be clothed with salvation, that the people may rejoice."—Bp. Hobart's Companion to the book of Common Prayer.
To the above remarks, we add the following commendations of the Liturgy, which are not less distinguished for their justness, than for their eloquence. They are from the pens of Bishop Newton, Bishop Jeremy Taylor, and Dean Comber.
" Our Liturgy," says Bishop Newton," was not the production of this or that man —the compilers of it were, not only the best and wisest men of that age in this nation, but they consulted likewise the most eminent of the divines abroad, and had their approbation of it, and approved it yet farther themselves, by dying in its defence.
It was composed principally out of Scripture, or out of ancient liturgies and fathers. Even where entire parts and passages, are not borrowed, and the very words of Scripture or of the fathers are not taken orapplied, yet their spirit and manner, their style and character are still preserved ; and perhaps there is scarce any collect in our liturgy, scarce any sentiment or expression that may not be justified by the authority of one or other of them. What a comfort and satisfaction should it be to us, that we are such a sound part of the Holy Catholic Church, that we thus maintain the communion of saints; that we worship God in the same manner as the Martyrs and the Confessors and best of Christians did in the purest ages; and the spirit of their Liturgies, like the spirit of Elijah upon Elisha, hath descended in " a double portion " upon ours.
Our prayers are addressed to the proper object through the proper mediator ; to the one God, through the " one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus/' Each collect begins with a solemn invocation of the one, and concludes with the prevailing merits and intercession of the other.
It is besides a great excellence of our service to have so many short distinct petitions. They are thus rendered more fit and easy to be remembered and repeated. Our Liturgy in this respect may be compared to a string of pearls, every one valuable, but altogether almost inestimable. If the whole was disposed in one continued prayer, though if might not be tedious, yet it would keep our minds upon the stretch too long together; whereas, these breaks and pauses give relief, our souls recover breath as it were, and we return to worship again with new spirit and vigour.
The variety of our service is another excellence in the composition of it, and contributes much to the keeping up of our attention and devotion. A sameness in any thing soon satiates and wearies us ; and it is as difficult to keep the mind as it is the body long in one posture: But by the beautiful intermixture of prayer and praise, of supplication and thanksgiving, of confession and absolution, of hymns and creeds, of psalms and lessons, our weariness is relieved, our attention is renewed, and we are led on agreeably from one subject to another. The frame of our Liturgy is somewhat like the frame of the world ; it is order in variety, and "though all the parts are different, yet the whole is consistent and regular.
What renders it more excellent is its comprehensiveness. There is nothing that relates either to ourselves or others, nothing that concerns us either as men or members of society, nothing that conduces to our happiness in this world or in the world to come, but is comprehended in some or other of the petitions. It is easy while the minister is reading it, to appropriate and apply any passages to ourselves and our own case. A great deal is expressed but more is implied; and our devotions in our closets and in our families, we cannot better perhaps express than in the words of our Liturgy ; it is so suited to all ranks and conditions, and adapted to all wants and occasions.
The congregation have particular reason to be pleased, as they have a larger share in our service than in any other whatever: and the minister and people mutually raise and inflame each others' devotions. It is a singular privilege, therefore, that our people enjoy of bearing so large a part in our service; and it is this that properly denominates ours, what really none else is, a book of Common prayer.
In a word, our Liturgy is in every respect excellently contrived, and fitted to promote true devotion. The language is so plain as to be level to the capacities of the meanest, and yet the sense is so noble as to raise the conceptions of the greatest. The manner too in which our service is performed is worthy of the matter; out vestments are suitable and becoming and the very emblem of holiness, for as St, John saith " the fine linen clean and whits is the righteousness of the saints;" our ceremonies neither too many nor too few, such as may excite and chemh, and not such as may distract and dissipate our devotions. All things are done as the Apostle would have them done, "decently and in order," and if our piety is not eminent and conspicuous in proportion to our advantages, it is because we are wanting to ourselves, not because our church has been wanting in making proper provision for us." Bishop Newton.
" The Liturgy of the Church of England," says Bishop Jeremy Taylor, " hath advantages so many considerable, as not only to raise itself above the devotions of other Churches, but endear the affections of good people to be in love with Liturgies in general. To the Churches of the Roman Communion we can say that ours is Reformed : to the Reformed Churches we can say, that it is orderly and decent. For we were freed from the impositions and lasting errors of a tyrannical spirit, and yet from the extravagances of a popular spirit too. Our Reformation was done without tumult, and yet we saw it necessary to reform: we were zealous to cast away the old errors; but our zeal was balanced with consideration, and the results of authority. We were not like women and children when they are affrighted with fire on their clothes ; we shook off the coal indeed, but not our garments ; lest we should have exposed our Church to that nakedness, which the excellent men of our sister Churches complained to be among themselves. And indeed it is no small advantage to our Liturgy, that it was the offspring of all that authority, which was to prescribe in matters of religion. So that it was not only reasonable and sacred, but free both from the indiscretion, and, which is very considerable, even from the scandal of popularity. That only, in which the Church of Rome had prevaricated against the word of God, or innovated against apostolic tradition, was pared away. Great part of it consisted of the very words of Scripture, as the Psalms, Lessons, Hymns, Epistles, and Gospels: and the rest was in every particular made agreeable to it, and drawn from the Liturgies of the ancient Church. The Rubrics of it were written in the blood of some of the compilers, men famous in their generations; whose reputation and glory of martyrdom hath made it immodest for the best of men now to compare themselves with them. And its composure is so admirable, that the most industrious wits of its enemies can scarce find out an objection, of value enough to make a doubt, or scarce a scruple, in a serious spirit. There is no part of religion, but is in the offices of the Church of England. For, if the soul desires to be humbled, she hath forms provided of confession to God before his Church : if she will rejoice and give God thanks for particular blessings, there are forms of thanksgiving for all the solemn occasions, which could be foreseen, and for which provision could by public order be made: if she will commend to God the public and private necessities of the Church and single persons, the whole body of collects and devotions supplies them abundantly: and if her devotions be high and pregnant, and prepared to fervency and importunity of congress with God, the Litany is an admirable pattern of devotion, full of circumstances proportionable to a quick and earnest spirit.—When the revolution of the anniversary calls on us, to perform our duty of special meditation on, and thankfulness to God for the glorious benefits of Christ's incarnation, nativity, passion, resurrection, and ascension, &c. then we have the offices of Christmas, the Annunciation, Good-Friday Easter, and Ascension, &c.; and the offices are so ordered, that, if they be summed up, they will make an excellent creed, and the very design of the day teaches the meaning of an Article. The lile and death of the saints, which are very precious in the sight of God, are so remembered, that, by giving thanks and praise, God may be honoured ; the Church instructed by the proposition of their examples ; and we give testimony of the honour and love we pay to religion, by our pious veneration and esteem of those holy and beatified persons. To which if we add the advantages of the whole Psalter, which is an entire body of devotion by itself, and hath in it forms to exercise all graces, by way of internal actand spiritual intention; there is not any ghostly advantage, which the most religious can either need or fancy, but what the English Liturgy, in its entire constitution, will furnish us withal."
Though all the Churches in the world have, and ever had, forms of prayer; yet none was ever blessed with so comprehensive, so exact, and so inoffensive a composure as ours: which is so judiciously contrived, that the wisest may exercise at once their knowledge and devotion : and yet so plain, that the most ignorant may pray with understanding ; so full that nothing is omitted which is fit to be asked in public ; and so particular, that it compriseth most things which we would ask in private ; and yet so short, as not to tire any that hath true devotion : its doctrine is pure and primitive ; its ceremonies so few and innocent, that most of the Christian world agree in them : its method is exact and natural; its language significant and perspicuous ; most of the words and phrases being taken out of the holy Scriptures, and the rest are the expressions of the first and purest ages ; so that whoever takes exception at these must quarrel with the language of the Holy Ghost, and fall out with the Church in her greatest innocence : and in the opinion of the most impartial and excellent Grotious, (who was no member of, nor had any obligation to, this Church,) the English Liturgy comes so near to the primitive pattern, that none of the reformed Churches can compare with it.
And if any thing external be needful to recommend that which is so glorious within ; we may add that the Compilers were [most of them] men of great piety and learning [and several of them] either martyrs of confessors upon the restitution of Popery; which as it declares their piety, so doth the judicious digesti ngof these prayers evidence their learning. For therein the scholar may discern close logic, pleasing rhetoric, pure divinity, and the very marrow of the ancient doctrine and discipline ; and yet all made so familiar, that the unlearned may safely say Amen. 1 Cor. xiv. 16.
Lastly, all these excellencies have obtained that universal reputation which these prayers enjoy in all the world : so that they are most deservedly admired by the eastern Churches, and had in great esteem by the most eminent Protestants beyond the sea, who are the most impartial judges that can be desired. In short, this Liturgy is honoured by all but the Romanist, whose interest it opposeth, and the Dissenters, whose prejudices will not let them see its lustre. Whence it is that they call that, which the Papists hate because it is Protestant, superstitious and popish. But when we consider that the best things in a bad world have the most enemies, as it doth not lessen its worth, so it must not abate our esteem, because it hath malicious and misguided adversaries.
How endless it is to dispute with these, the little success of the best arguments, managed by the wisest men, do too sadly testify: wherefore we shall endeavour to convince the enemies, by assisting the friends of our Church devotions: and by drawing the veil which the ignorance and indevotion of some, and the passion and prejudice of others, have cast over them, represent the Liturgy in its true and native lustre: which is jso lovely and ravishing, that like the purest beauties, it needs no supplement of art and dressing, but conquers by its own attractions, and wins the affections of all but those who do not see it clearly. This will be sufficient to shew, that whoever desires no more than to worship God with zeal and knowledge, spirit and truth, purity and sincerity, may do it by these devout forms. And to this end may the God of peace give us all meek hearts, quiet spirits, and devout affections; and free us from all sloth and prejudice, that we may have full churches, frequent prayers, and fervent charity ; that, uniting in our prayers here, we may all join in his praises hereafter, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Forms of prayer possess many important advantages. When public worship is conducted according to a prescribed form, the people are previously acquainted with the prayers in which they are to join, and are thus enabled to render unto God a reasonable and enlightened service. In forms of prayer, that dignity and propriety of language, so necessary in supplications addressed to the infinite Majesty of Heaven, may be preserved. They prevent the particular opinions and dispositions of the minister from influencing the devotions of the congregation. They serve as a standard of faith and practice, impressing on both minister and people, at every performance of public worship, the important doctrines and duties of the Gospel. And they render the service more animating, by uniting the people with the minister in the performance of public worship.
The peculiar advantages of forms of prayer are thus forcibly displayed by an eminent prelate of the Church of England. Preface to the Book of Common Prayer of the Prot. Epis. Church. Bishop Newton, the learned author of the prescribed form of worship is not subject to the same inconveniences with extemporary effusions. If there should be nothing absurd and unbecoming in them, yet the audience must first endeavour to understand the words ; and then they must weigh and consider the sense and meaning; and then they must deliberate whether such requests are proper for persons in their condition, before they can lawfully join in them ; and by that time the minister is passed on to some other subject, which requires the like attention and consideration ; and so their curiosity may be raised, and they may exercise their judgment, but there can scarce be any room left for devotion."
"A precomposed form of prayer—is so far from obstructing or quenching our devotion, as is pretended, that it assists and inflames it; the matter and the words are both prepared to our hands ; we know before what is to follow, that we may lawfully join in it; and no other attention is required but to raise our affections. And let me ask, is not the spirit of the congregation equally stinted, whether the minister pray in an extemporary or in a composed regular form ? And which is the more fit and proper for the people to receive, a form of prayer from the wisdom and authority of the whole Church, or to depend upon the discretion of every single minister 1"
" But a precomposed form of prayer is not only liable to no just objection ; but hath besides several advantages to recommend it. It is more for the honor of Almighty God, expresses more reverence and devotion, preserves greater propriety and decency of language.
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