CHAP. V.

OF FORMS OF PRAYER IN PUBLIC WORSHIP.

LITURGIES, ITURGIES, or preconcerted forms of public devotion, being neither enjoined in fcripture, nor forbidden, there can be no good reafon either for receiving or rejecting them, but that of expediency; which expediency is to be gathered from

comparison of the advantages and difadvantages attending upon this mode of worship, with those which ufually accoinpany extemporary prayer.

The advantages of a liturgy are these :

1. That it prevents abfurd, extravagant, or impious addreffes to God, which in an order of men fo numerous as the facerdotal, the folly and enthufiafm of many must always be in danger of producing, where the conduct of the public worship is entrufted, without reftraint or affiftance, to the difcretion and abilities of the officiating minifter.

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2. That it prevents the confufion of extemporary prayer, in which the congregation being ignorant of each petition before they hear it, and having little or no time to join in it after they have heard it, are confounded between their attention to the minifter, and to their own devotion. The devotion of the hearer is neceffarily fufpended, until a petition be concluded; and before he can affent to it, or properly adopt it, that is, before he can addrefs the fame request to God for himself, and from himself, his attention is called off to keep pace with what fucceeds. Add to this, that the mind of the hearer

is held in continual expectation, and detained from its proper business by the very novelty with which it is gratified. A congregation may be pleased and affected with the prayers aud devotion of their minifter without joining in them, in like manner as an audience oftentimes are with the reprefentation of devotion upon the stage, who, nevertheless, come away without being confcious of having exercised any act of devotion themfelves. Joint prayer, which amongst all denominations of Chriftians is the declared defign of "coming together," is prayer in which all join and not that which one alone in the congregation conceives and delivers, and of which the rest are merely hearers. This objection feems fundamental, and holds even where the minister's office is difcharged with every poffible advantage and accomplishment. The labouring recollection, and embarraffed or tumultuous delivery, of many extempore fpeakers, form an additional objection to this mode of public worship: for thefe imperfections are very general, and give great pain to the ferious part of a congregation, as well as afford a profane diverfion to the levity of the other part.

These advantages of a liturgy are connected with two principal inconveniencies; firft, that forms of prayer compofed in one age become unfit for another by the unavoidable change of language, circumftances, and opinions; fecondly, that the perpetual repetition of the fame form of words produces wearinefs and inattentiveness in the congregation. However, both these inconvenicncies are in their nature vincible. Occafional revifions of a liturgy may ob. viate the firft, and devotion will fupply a remedy for the fecond; or they may Both fubfift in a confiderable degree, and yet be outweighed by the objections which are infeparable from extemporary

prayer.

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The Lord's prayer is a precedent, as well as a pattern for forms of prayer. Our Lord appears, if

not

not to have prefcribed, at least to have authorized the use of fixed forms, when he complied with the requeft of the difciple who faid unto him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John alfo taught his difciples." Luke xi. 1.

The properties required in a public liturgy are, that it be compendious; that it exprefs juft conceptions of the divine attributes; that it recite fuch wants as a congregation are likely to feel, and no other; and that it contain as few controverted propofitions as poffible.

1. That it be compendious.

It were no difficult task to contract the liturgies of most churches into half their prefent compafs, and yet retain every diftinct petition, as well as the fubftance of every fentiment, which can be found in them. But brevity may be ftudied too much. The compofer of a liturgy muft not fit down to his work with the hope, that the devotion of the congregation will be uniformly fuftained throughout, or that every part will be attended to by every hearer. If this could be depended upon, a very short service would be fufficient for every purpofe that can be anfwered or defigned by focial worfhip but feeing the attention of moft men is apt to wander and return at intervals, and by ftarts, he will admit a certain degree of amplification and repetition, of diverfity of expreflion upon the fame fubject, and variety of phrafe and form with little addition to the fenfe, to the end that the attention, which has been flumbering or abfent during one part of the fervice, may be excited and recalled by another; and the affembly kept together until it may reafonably be prefumed, that the most heedlefs and inadvertent have performed fome act of devotion, and the most defultory attention been caught by fome part or other of the public fervice. On the other hand, the too great length of church fervices is more unfavourable to piety, than almost any fault of compofition can be.

It

It begets in many an early and unconquerable diflike to the public worship of their country or communion. They come to church feldom; and enter the doors when they do come under the apprehenfion of a te-` dious attendance, which they prepare for at firft, or foon after relieve, by compofing themselves to a drowfy forgetfulness 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 difpofition not to be wearied with religious exercises, yet, where a ritual is prolix, and the celebration of divine fervice long, no effect is in general to be looked for, but that indolence will find in it an excufe, and piety be difconcerted by impatience.

The length and repetitions complained of in our liturgy are not fo much the fault of the compilers as the effect of uniting into one fervice, what was originally, but with very little regard to the conveniency of the people, diftributed into three. Notwithftanding that dread of innovations in religion, which feems to have become the panic of the age, few, I fhould fuppofe, would be displeased with fuch omif fions, abridgments, or change in the arrangement, as the combination of feparate fervices muft neceffarily require, even fuppofing each to have been faultlefs in itself. If together with thefe alterations, the Epiftles and Gofpels, and Collects which precede them, were compofed and felected with more regard to unity of fubject and defign; and the Pfalms and Leffons, either left to the choice of the minister, or better accommodated to the capacity of the audience, and the 'edification of modern life; the church of England would be in poffeffion of a liturgy, in which those who affent to her doctrines would have little to blame, and the moft diffatisfied muft acknowledge many beauties. The ftyle throughout is excellent.; calm, without coldnefs; and, though

every where fedate,. oftentimes affecting. The paufes in the fervice are difpofed at proper intervals. The tranfitions from one office of devotion to another, from confeffion to prayer, from prayer to thanksgiving, from thankfgiving to hearing of "the word," are contrived, like fcenes in the drama, to fupply the mind with a fucceffion of diverfified engagements. As much variety is introduced alfo into the form of praying as this kind of compofition feems capable of admitting. The prayer at one time is continued; at another, broken by refponfes, or eaft into fhort alternate ejaculations; and fometimes the congregation are called upon to take their fhare in the fervice, by being left to complete a fentence which the minifter had begun. The enumeration of human'wants and fufferings in the litany is almoft complete. A Chriftian petitioner can have few things to afk of God, or to deprecate, which he will not find there expreffed, and for the moft part with inimitable tenderness and fimpli

city.

II. That it expreffes juft conceptions of the divine

attributes.

This is an article in which no care can be too great. The popular notions of God are formed, in a great measure, 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 fubject in which almost every opinion leads the way to fome practical confequence, the purity or depravation of public manners will be affected, amongst other caufes, by the truth or corruption of the public forms of worship.

III. That it recite fuch wants as the congregation are likely to feel, and no other.

Of forms of prayer, which offend not egregioufly againft truth and decency, that has the moft merit, which is beft calculated to keep alive the devotion of the affembly. It were to be wifhed there

fore,