prayer compofed in one age, become unfit for another, by the unavoidable change of language, circum ftances, and opinions; fecondly, that the perpetual repetition of the fame form of words produce wearinefs and inattentivenefs in the congregation. However, both these inconveniencies are, in their nature, vincible. Occafional revisions of a liturgy may obviate 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.

The Lord's prayer is a precedent, as well as a pattern for forms of prayer. Our Lord appears, if not to have prescribed, at least to have authorized the ufe of fixed forms, when he complied with the request 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.

I. That it be compendious.

It were no difficult task to contract the liturgies of moft 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 studied too much. The compofer of a liturgy muft not fit down to his work with a 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 fhort fervice wouldbe fufficient for every purpose that can be answered or defigned by focial worship: but seeing the attention of moft men is apt to wander and return at intervals, and by starts, he will admit a certain degree of amplification and repetition, of diversity of expreffion 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 service, may be excited and recalled by another; and the affembly kept together until it may reasonably be prefumed, that the moft 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 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 tedious 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. Notwithstanding 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 omiffions, abridgments, or change in the arrangement, as the combination of feparate fervices muft neceffarily require, even fuppofing each to have been faultless in itself. If, together with these alterations, the Epiftles and Gofpels, and Collects which precede them, were compofed and selected 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 audi

ence, 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 most diffatisfied must acknowledge many beauties. The ftyle throughout is excellent; calm, without coldnefs; and though every where fedate, oftentimes affecting. The paufes in the service are difpofed at proper intervals. The tranfitions from one office of devotion to another, from confeffion to prayer, from prayer to thanksgiv ing, from thanksgiving to "hearing of the word," are contrived, like scenes in the drama, to fupply the mind with a fucceffion of diverfified engagements. As much variety is introduced alfo in 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 caft into short alternate ejaculations; and fometimes the congregation are called upon to take their share 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 Christian petitioner can have few things to afk of God, or to deprecate, which he will not find there expreffed, and for the most part with inimitable tenderness and fimplicity.

II. That it exprefs 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.

M M

Of forms of prayer, which offend not egregioufly, against truth and decency, that has the moft merit, which is beft calculated to keep alive the devotion of the affembly. It were to be wished, therefore, that every part of a liturgy were perfonally applicable to every individual in the congregation; and that nothing were introduced to interrupt the pasfion, or damp a flame which it is not easy to rekindle. Upon this principle, the ftate prayers in our liturgy fhould be fewer and fhorter. Whatever may be pretended, the congregation do not feel that concern in the fubject of thefe prayers, which must be felt, or ever prayer be made to God with earneftnefs. The ftate ftyle likewife feems unfeasonably introduced into these prayers, as ill according with that annihilation of human greatnefs, of which every act that carries the mind to God presents the idea.

IV. That it contain as few controverted propofitions as poffible.

We allow to each church the truth of its peculiar tenets, and all the importance which zeal can ascribe to them. We difpute not here the right or the expediency of framing creeds or of impofing fubfcriptions. But why should every position which a church maintains be woven with fo much induftry into her forms of public worship? Some are offended, and some are excluded: this is an evil in itself, at least to them: and what advantage or fatisfaction can be derived to the reft, from the feparation of their brethren, it is difficult to imagine; unless it were a duty, to pub. lifh our fyftem of polemic divinity, under the name of making confeffion of our faith every time we worship God; or a fin, to agree in religious exercifes with thofe, from whom we differ in fome relig ious opinions. Indeed, where one man thinks it his duty conftantly to worship a being, whom another cannot with the affent of his confcience, permit himfelf to worship at all, there feems to be no place for comprehenfion, or any expedient left, but a quiet feceflion. All other differences may be compromised

by filence. If fects and fchifms be an evil, they are as much to be avoided by one fide as the other. If fectaries are blamed for taking unneceflary offence, established churches are no lefs culpable for unneceffarily giving it: they are bound at leaft to produce a command, or a reafon of equivalent utility, for fhutting out any from their communion, by mixing with divine worship doctrines, which, whether true or falfe, are unconnected, in their nature, with devotion,

Chapter VI.

OF THE USE OF SABBATICAL INSTITUTIONS.

AN affembly cannot be collected, unless the time of affembling be fixed and known before-hand; and if the defign of the affembly require that it be held frequently, it is eafieft that it fhould return at ftated intervals. This produces a neceffity of ap propriating set seasons to the focial offices of religion. It is alfo highly convenient, that the fame seasons be obferved throughout the country, that all may be employed, or all at leifure together: for, if the recefs from worldly occupation be not general, one man's business will perpetually interfere with another man's devotion; the buyer will be calling at the shop when the feller is gone to church. This part, therefore, of the religious diftinction of feafons, namely, a general intermiffion of labour and business during times previously fet apart for the exercise of public worship, is founded in the reasons which make public worthip itself a duty. But the celebration of divine fervice never occupies the whole day. What remains, therefore, of Sunday, beside the part of it employed at church, must be confidered as a mere reft from the ordinary occupations of civil life; and he who would defend the inftitution, as it is required by law to be obferved in Chriftian countries, unless he can produce a command for a Chriftian fabbath, must point out the ufes of it in that view.