of Christ as the perishable tabernacle, that must precede the permanent temple. To judge aright of these services they must be tried in public assembly, anything short of this will not display their simple and beauteous power for devotional help. It is recommended that the pastor or some leading influential member, should propose to a church the trial, for two or three months, of the work in the public celebration of God's worship, and after such trial had, to decide whether it shall be discontinued or constantly used. It will be advisable to appoint some youths of fifteen to eighteen years of age amongst the congregation and the school, to take the lead in rendering the children's responses. And the author would add this caveat, let no church quarrel about its introduction; it is far better to be without responsive services and have peace, than to possess them and strife and division therewith. But where experiment can be made kindly, wisely, and lovingly, by all means let it be made. The work will be found suitable on the consecrated ground of worship, rather than of dogmatic inculcations, for all who are Christ's, Episcopalians, Independents, Baptists, Wesleyans, New-connectionists, Primitives, etc., etc., etc. Devotion, not theology, has been aimed at. The objectors to liturgies in any form or manner, the author would answer by these statements:-The responsive element is so well marked in some of the Psalms, that it is almost beyond doubt that the most ancient church of God used in that respect liturgical poems, accompanied by sacred music. The Jews in their synagogue worship seem to have had a liturgical service, and if so, Jesus and his apostles not unfrequently witnessed its celebration, if they did not take part therein. Be these things as they may, the early church had its responsive services, enlarged forms of which have come down to us. In the days of Hippolytus, Justin Martyn, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen, liturgical services were publicly performed, more especially in connection with the celebration of the Eucharist. The Alexandrian, Antiochian, Roman, and Constantinopolitan Churches had services, which are extant in amplified form to this day. Luther composed his German Mass, or Responsive Liturgy; Calvin his Genevan one: Knox produced another. The Continental churches to this day use Liturgies, the bequest of the Great Reformers. Liturgies are the heritage of the church. Liturgic practices have obtained in the church in all ages. I shall conclude in the words of a scholar, noted for his talent and his candour-Dr. Davidson-"A due attention to the distinction between the system and its accidents will serve to moderate the excessive zeal of indiscreet friends on the one hand, and of opponents on the other. Thus some lay great stress on extemporaneous prayer, as though it were a part of congregationalism, declaiming against liturgies, and all prescribed forms as unscriptural or prelatic. But should a particular church think it right to adopt occasionally written forms of prayer, judging them most conducive to devotional feeling, nothing in the system is opposed to that arrangement. The worshippers may agree to do so, or they may not, according to their ideas or experience of subserviency to edification, since the Sacred Scriptures determine nothing absolutely on the point. They may use precomposed forms, believing them to be lawful and expedient, though not to be enforced on the conscience, or to be absolutely binding, to the utter exclusion of extemporaneous prayer." HANLEY, March 4th, 1858. J. W. C. D. Ecclesiastical Polity of the New Testament, p. 314. |