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for it, unless by admitting, that he did not think proper to disturb or innovate upon the, established Jewish Liturgy. The only other items of a proper Liturgical service which he gave, in addition to the Lord's Prayer, were for the observance and administration of the Sacramental ordinances-the Supper and Baptism. These, as is obvious, were essentially necessary, inasmuch as they are the only seals and symbols in Christ's visible kingdom, appointed for use to the end of the world. The publication of them was reserved-of the one, till he was about to suffer, and of the other, till the time of his Ascension.

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"When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; he will show you things to come. According to directions given, the Apostles waited at Jerusalem for "the promise of the Father"for the Spirit. It was left with them, under such a guide, to open the Christian dispensation, and to establish its ordinances. And now let us see what course they pursued in relation to the Jewish ritual, and in establishing new forms of worship.

First, they did not immediately and thoroughly abandon the temple worship, but were found habitually in attendance upon it: "Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour"—or evening prayer. Acts iii. 1. At Antioch in Pisidia "Paul and his company went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets"—after the customary Liturgical service was over-"the rulers of the Synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.” Acts xiii. 14-15. I cannot see, that the use, which Paul made of this occasion, is any detriment to my argument. The narrative shows, first, that the Apostles were accustomed to attend on the Jewish service; next, that their appearance in this instance impressed the rulers of the Synagogue, not only, that they were regular worshippers, but so exemplary in their conformity, as to inspire the confidence, though strangers,

that they might deliver an acceptable exhortation. At Thessalonica, "where was a Synagogue of the Jews, Paul, as his manner (custom) was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures." It is morally certain, that he could not have purchased these repeated protracted hearings, unless he had conformed strictly to their ritual. "To the Jews I became a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law," &c. 1 Cor. ix. 20. For a long time the Apostles practised circumcision, and generally conformed to Jewish rites and ceremonies, over and above the public Liturgical servicesas in the case of Paul's "shaving his head at Cenchrea, because he had a vow." Acts xviii. 18. Peter held out so long in conformity to Jewish customs, that, on one occasion, Paul had to rebuke him for "dissimulation;""for he was to be blamed." It is evident, therefore, that the Apostles did not immediately, nor for a long time, abandon the temple worship at Jerusalem, nor that of the Synagogue in other places.

But did they set up a Christian ritual? Yes, as soon and as fast as was convenient. It was not possible to do much in that way immediately. It had taken ages and centuries to form the Jewish ritual, and to bring it into use; nor is it easy to see, that there were any facilities much more advantageous for establishing a full and complete ritual for the Christian Church, in any brief period, if we consider the state of the world, and the materials, out of which the church was to be formedhaving Judaism on the one hand to subdue and transform, and paganism on the other, to reclaim from its idolatry and multitudinous vices.

The first form of prayer given us in Acts iv. 24-30, is partly composed from the Jewish Liturgy, as will be seen; and what is more, "they lifted up their voice to God with one accord." Even though it be claimed as an extemporaneous prayer, it was evidently supported in a proper Liturgical manner, according to custom. It is fairly to be inferred from the Epistles of the Apostles,

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that they began to introduce Liturgical services. rebuke of Paul to the Corinthians, 66 every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine," &c. has its force only in this assumption, that they did not observe the forms and rules, that had been prescribed by him, harmoniously. The "Amen" prescribed to "the unlearned" proves the custom of responses. Even "the prophets," or persons favoured with revelations, the Apostle required to be subject to prescribed rules, in the use of their gifts, that "all things might be done to edification." He enjoined silence, except on this condition. The joint worship" in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs" enjoined on the Ephesians and Colossians is to this point. They were to "teach and admonish" by these, evidently implying some other conjunct services, not indicated clearly and alone by these terms.

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Liturgies have been ascribed to the Apostles, Peter and James, and to the Evangelist Mark. St. James's Liturgy was composed for the Church at Jerusalem, of which he had the charge; and the existence of which, as genuine, seems to be demonstrated by the fact, that Cyril, one of his successors over the Church of Jerusalem, wrote a commentary upon it. Certain it is, that there were Liturgies in existence from the earliest times of the Church, denominated “Common prayers" by Justin Martyr, of the former part of the 2d Century; constituted prayers," by Origen, of the first part of the 3d Century; and "solemn prayers," "preces solennes," a round of prayers, or prayers perennial, by Cyprian, middle of the 3d Century. The Emperor Constantine had prayers composed for his army, and used in his Court "authorized prayers," according to Eusebius. Basil and Chrysostom, of the 4th Century, composed Liturgies. The Council of Laodicea in the year 367 ordered, "that the same Liturgy, or form of prayer, should be always used, both at the ninth hour, and in the evening." The same rule was adopted by the fourth general Council of Chalcedon in the year 451. The Council of Mela, in the former part of the 5th Century, enjoined, “that such prayers should be used by all, as

were approved of in the Council, and that none should be said in the Church, but such as had been approved of by the more prudent sort of persons in a Synod.",

From the fourth and fifth Centuries onward, down to the Reformation of the sixteenth Century, it is universally admitted, that Liturgies, full and complete, were in common use all over the Christian world, prescribed by the Ecclesiastical authorities of the different times, undergoing occasional alterations and additions.

It is evident, therefore, that the Christian Church came into the use of an established and complete ritual of worship, as soon as was convenient; that the Jews have always had a public ritual, and still continue to have it; and that remote branches of the Christian Church, such as the Syrian, discovered by Dr. Buchanan, and the Abyssinian, as travellers affirm, have kept their rituals from the earliest ages.

The Liturgy of the Church of England was finally compiled and authorized under Edward VI. in 1548, since which there has been but little alteration. The Commission appointed for that purpose was composed of 7 Bishops, Cranmer and Ridley, Martyrs of Queen Mary's reign, having been two of them; and of six other high dignitaries of the Church—in all 13. Some slight expurgations and amendments have since been made in the times of Elizabeth, James I., and Charles II.; but none of material importance since 1661.

It is well known, that the Roman Church went into great excess in multiplying occasions and objects of worship, public and private, and in devising and adapting forms to each and all. They ran into idolatry, and burdened the public conscience with innumerable superstitions. It is equally well known, that the Reformed Protestant Churches rejected, each for itself, what of the occasions and objects of worship they considered idolatrous, and what of the forms specifically appertained to them. They rejected also more or less of form, that was in itself indifferent to conscience—that is, forms that might or might not be used, without offence to conscience

according to the discretion and taste of those, who took the lead in these new organizations, and as they judged might minister most to edification and to the advancement of the interests of pure religion. Some went to an extreme, and laid aside nearly all form; others retained a little more; others still more; but the Church of England, after expunging those parts obnoxious to Protestant principles, availed herself of all those helps, which she considered were properly and well provided for public devotion and private worship, and which recognised, professed, and guarded the fundamental, and comprehensively, the essential doctrines of Christianity.

The Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States is the daughter of the Church of England, and has retained her Liturgy and forms substantially, having rejected and expunged a few parts, and adapted others to the peculiarities of our country and its institutions. It may be remarked, that some of the things rejected and expunged by the American branch, have been disapproved by numerous intelligent and serious minds in the Church of England, who have wished and who still hope to see the time, when these defects and blemishes shall be blotted from their own public and authorized ritual.

That there are features and parts in the ritual of the American Episcopal Church, liable to objection and to criticism with those, who reject nearly all forms and prescripts of the kind, is very easy to suppose. That some criticisms may be plausibly sustained, on the simple merits of the subjects, I do not deny. I have felt and made them myself, and still feel their force. But, if I am satisfied with them, as a whole; if my conscience and taste are not offended; if I can see reasons for believing, that they are good and suitable for their purpose; that they comprehend a correct statement of the doctrines of Christianity; that they are so admirably constructed, as to bring before the religious public of every Congregation in the course of each year the substance of Bible history, precept, piety, doctrine, and prophecy, together with profitable allusions to the most eminent saints of all ages, challenging a sympathy with all those, who have

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