CHAPTER III.

PUBLIC SERVICES.

The Lessons-Hymns preceding and following the Lessons-The Creeds -Interlocutory Sentences-Collects-StatePrayers-Prayer for the Clergy-Concluding Prayers and Thanksgivings-The Litany-Communion Service-Weekday Services.

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"THE Bible, and the Bible alone,” it has been triumphantly asserted, " is the religion of Protestants." Though this apothegm was first uttered long after the time of the earliest Reformers, its spirit certainly glowed in their breasts, and conspicuously appeared in all their proceedings. The Bible they regarded as the divinely appointed instrument for pulling down the strong holds of error, and for erecting the sacred fabric of genuine Christianity;

and the success which attended their labours fully vindicates the abundant use they made of this sacred weapon. Their various versions and extensive circulation of the Scriptures more effectually promoted the cause of religion, than all their other united labours; while the public reading of large continuous portions of Holy Writ, enabled their congregations to distinguish for themselves between the essential doctrines of our common Christianity, and the fatal errors or useless appendages of popery.

THE LESSONS.

It may indeed, at first sight, be questioned whether, at the present day, when the doctrines of the Reformation are happily established, and the invention of printing, and the spread of education, have placed the Bible within the reach of every individual, it be still necessary to devote so large a portion of public worship to the reading of the Scriptures. But when the sceptical indifference of numbers, and the incessant worldly engagements of still more, are

taken into consideration, it may fairly be presumed that were it not for the public reading of the word of God, the great bulk of our congregations would possess little acquaintance with the sacred writings. As far as the devout reader of the Bible is concerned, there is no danger to be apprehended of his considering the large citations from its inspired pages as tedious or unedifying. "He who hath once tasted their excellencies, will desire to taste them yet again and he who tastes them oftenest, will relish them best."+

* The late venerable Mr. Hey of Leeds used frequently to refer to the benefit he derived in the early part of his religious course, from the Evening Prayers, and especially from the Lessons of the Established Church; "I often," he said, "look at the place where I was accustomed to sit, with great pleasure, and can never forget the happy moments I then enjoyed. The winter season was peculiarly pleasant to me, as the solemn gloom which seemed rather increased by the few candles then lighted, tended to sober the mind, and excited a peculiar feeling not unfriendly to devotion. I was sure of hearing two good sermons, one from a Prophet, and another from an Evangelist; consequently I never came empty away."

+ Bishop Horne.

F

But although all parts of the Bible are given by inspiration of God, and are profitable for various purposes; every part is not equally edifying, and still less equally suitable for public worship. Our Reformers evidently recognized this distinction. Hence, when they made such arrangements that in the daily Services, the greater part of the Old Testament should be read once, and the New Testament thrice in the year; they purposely omitted several chapters which contain little more than lists of genealogies, or subjects which are repeated in other parts of the sacred volume, or matters of so mystical and abstruse a nature, as to require the aid of a learned commentator, or at least a careful and laborious collation with other portions of holy writ. Had they been aware that the daily services would fall into disuse, they would probably have appointed appropriate second, as well as first lessons for the different Sundays in the year; and had they not, as in their application of the Psalms, been led to consider certain chapters of the Old Testament as peculiarly

appropriate to the temporary circumstances of the Church, they would, no doubt, in several instances, have exchanged the appointed chapters for others better accommodated to the capacity of a general audience and the edification of modern times.

It is therefore proposed, that in the appointment of the second Lessons for Sundays, such a selection and arrangement should be made from the New Testament, as would enable the minister to read the most interesting parts in a connected order during the course of the year. This could easily be accomplished, if the fullest statement of any subject which was recorded in more than one Gospel was appointed to be read to the exclusion of the rest; and if two, and occasionally three of the shortest chapters in the Epistles, were to be united into one Lesson.

With respect to the chapters now appointed for the first Lessons, it is evident that some of them might be advantageously exchanged for others which might be better calculated to promote the edification of a