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Un dos symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dornidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — ^ signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, ate, may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film^s 6 des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film6 d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 WORSHIP IN CONNECTION WITH THE Presbyterian Church IN CANADA. / DIVINE WORSHIP IN CONNECTION WITH THE PRESBYTERIAN 0HUR0H IN CANADA. A LETTER TO PROFESSOR JAMES ROSS, D. D., CONVENER OF THE COMMITTEE ON WORSHIP OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. BY SIR SANDFORD FLEMING, C. E., LL.D., K. C. M. G. OTTAWA, With other Papers bearing on the same subject by varioas authors, including REV. T. F. FOTHERINGHAM. M. A.. St. John, N. B. REV. ALLAN POLLOK, D. D., Halifax, N. S. REV. GEO. DANA BOARDMAN, D. D., Ll.D.. Phiia REV. THOS. S. HASTINGS, D. I)., Ll.D., New York MR. WILLIAM MORTIMER CLARK. Q. C, Toronto. Publishers : The William Dkysdale Co., Montreal. . t PUBLISHER'S NOTICE. The following open letter was in the first place intended simply for the General Assembly's Com- mittee on Worship, in view however of the import- ance of the subject, together with the fact that some of the papers appended to the letter are not easy of access to the general reader, the Convener of the Committee has assented to the printing of the whole In pamphlet form for the information of the Church at large. With the view of extending the circulation as much as possible, we have as publishers been directed to send free of charge a copy to each minister on the roll for his own use and for the information of his Kirk Session. Should extra copies be required by Congregations or individuals we are authorized to supply them, making a small charge which will go towards defraying the cost of printing. Wm. Drysdale Co., Publishers. MONTRfcAL. OONTKNTa Letter to Professor Ross, D. D., Convener of the Committee of the*"*"' General Assembly, by Sir Sandford Fleming , Lecture on "The Improvement of the Services of the Church," delivered at the Summer School of Theology of the Presby- terian College, Halifax, .898, by Rev. T. F. l-otheringham, M. A., of St. John, New Brunswick ^^ Lecture on " The Book of Common Order and the Directory of Worship," by the Rev. Allan Pollok, D. D., Principal of the Presbyterian College, Halifax Lecture on «' Worship in Non-Liturgical Churd 3s," by the Rev. George Dana Boardman, D. D., LL. D., Honorary Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Philadelphia gj Lecture on " The Ideal of Christian Worship," by the Rev. Thomas S. Hastings, D. D., LL. D., President of the Faculty of Union Theological Seminary, N. Y c. Paper on '« Public Worship." Prepared at the request of the Toronto Presbyterian Council, by Mr. William Mortimer Clark, Q. C, Chairman of the Board of Management of Knox College .' 72 Reference to " A New Directory for the Public Worship of God," in connection with the Free Church of Scotland, 1898 .'. 82 Reference to the Directory of the Presbyterian Church of England, adopted by the Synod, 1898 gg Paper on " Congregational Prayer," with four Letters on Public Worship, by Sir Sandford Fleming, addressed to Rev. Dr. Laing, lately Convener of the Committee of the Assembly on Worship 90 (T .5'/- Siiiilord Hemiiig. ' ■ Ottawa, August jat/,, iH<)H. Professor James Ross, D. D. IH:ar Sir, | ask your permission to address vou on a .suh,ect of profound importance to ti.e Cl.urcl^ to w ich you and 1 l,elonK. I a.sl< your leave for the reascl t",a" you Convener of the Committee, in the place of Dr. Lain^ w ose servtces have been of so much vah.e, and wh^te rutrement, owm,. to impaired health, we all so much 1 claim no special ri^ht to address you. I am not and never have been a commissioner to the Orner^ Assembly ; , have never taken a prominent pa' ne™ astical business nor held any office in the Church • 1 have however been a regular attendant at the servL of th^ Church smce my infancy, about three score and ten yelrs rr.;c'o "th:" "r t ' "^^^ "^^ oppo-nitre:^ judgmg of the needs of my fellow worshippers under all orcumstances, and of the merits and defects o the ordinary services of our congregation.. It is simply as a pew-holder and humble member of the Presbyterian Church in Canada that I take unon myself to address you on a subject which I hi to'b rfrrcWh! ^''™""~'' permanent well-bein^ *^f0 6trt> _J 2 Last year I took means to place In the hands of the MoJerator of the General Assembly at Winnipe^s the follovvin)^' Memorial : "Ottawa, Jink 4TH, 1897. ** To the W'Kfrahle the Motirrnfnr of the Cencml Assrmhly : "SiK, I \h'^( U-avf Jo ask your |H'rmissioM to brin>f uiuK'r your "nolitf a subji'tt whiili must bo hold (o bi- »»f dt'ep intori'st lo tlu- IVfs- " bytorian Church in Canada. •' In 1895, on an oviTturo from thf Synod of Hamilton and London, '•a Committt'f was appointed to consider the subject of I'ublic Worship " with the view of securinff its reverent and edifyinjf observance. "At the last General Assembly the Committee asked for further " instructions. " I bejf leave respectfully to submit the opinion that it would ^'reatly " tend to the advanta>fe of the Church to enlarj^e the scope of the duties "of the Committee, In my judgment it would be advisable to recom- " mend to that body as follows : " RecoK-nizinx- that Divine Worship is essential to Godliness, and its " rejfular and proper observance under all conditions of society throujfh- " out the Dominion, is much to be desired,— Therefore :— " I. We should seek to encoura^-e worship in the family amonjf " members and adherents of the Church. "2. We should, as far as practicable, provide the means of conduct- ♦• ins: social worship amonjf settlers and others who are deprived of the "ordinary services of a stated ministry. "5. We should avail ourselves of every proper means to improve " the ordinary services of public worship in our con^rcjjations. " Be it therefore remitted to the Committee on Worship, earnestly to " consider the needs of all classes of our people in the matter of Divine "Worship, and, if the Committee see cause, to prepare such aids for "family, social, and conj^res-ational worship as may appear to them "advisable, in order that the opinion of the Church may be maturely "formed respecting: the suitability of such aids. And for the better "ascertaining: such opinion, the Committee may take means to publish "such aids to worship as may be prepared, it being: understood that " such publication shall carry no hig:her sanction than that of the Com- " mittee until the deliverance of the Assembly on their merits be made "known. And provided also that such publication sh-ll involve no "charge on the general funds of the Assembly. " Permit me to add as my apology for venturing to address you, " Ihat I have long and earnestly considered the subject, that early in 8 " '894. H* a hiiinbltr nu'inher of «h.. iMm-^.K it. •• T> i..«"..i A ,i „f y,:.. - 1' .: i ;:':;.:"r.">- -"": - •■ '■«•■«,•. a„,!.,,M„ Lx."U„ Lrz""' "■■"."»"•■"•■" •• Kami,,, Sona,„,d |.„b,ic ttChip p " „ 7' fcl ,r"' "'"' "''"' '" " authorised. ' ^ ' ''"'' '^*-"* "■**« eventually " I am venerable sir, ** Vour obedient servant, "Sanokoro Flkmino." The foregoing memorial was duly submitted to the General Assembly at Winnipeg on Ju«e .7th, ,Hgr.lTd the following placed on record. y7.ana ••u;i::„,^':;""'';hL„"':/*"'"" "'■"■,' ^"""'"""- - •-- ..r- vvur.>,nip, Which was presented bv Dr la;^., tu "Convener. Alony with tu:^ tu ^ ^'^*^y the •• Dr. La,„K moved a» follow,,, ,e.„„cled by Mr. R. Murray :_ 1 riat the memorial of Mr SanHf,-.-^ t-i • . " .ha. be be i„„™e,ed .o ,ake paHl'Ltllllionf "'""''""" """ Extract from the Records. (Sig-ned) Robert Campbell, C/erk of the Assembly. whe?tL'^r"""-^"""'"^ "" "^■'^ year in Montreal, when the Committee reported as follows :_ " mi'eL"a°aZ^ll''" " "'"^' ""' '^"' '" -->" --""er of ,ha Com- mittee, a^kmg for „„ expression of opinion regarding the memorial of " Si«- Sandford Fleming', which was --eferred to this Committee by the last " General Assembly. A copy of that circular is appended to this report. " Out of the whole Committee, thirty-three in number, twelve have '• sent answers. These have been carefully collated, and it is found : that " one thinks no recommendation on the subject should be made to the " Assembly, as there seems to be no demand for such helps ; and if these " were provided it is more than doubtful whether they would be used ; ' ' also, inasmuch as there is already an abundance of such helps available, " which are or may be used by any who desire to use them. The other "eleven, of whom six are not ministers, approve either wholly or in part " of the suggestions contained in th» memorial of Sir Sandford Fleming. " The following more particular statement may be of use : — " I. All of these eleven approve of the appointment of a Committee " to prepare aids as proposed in the memorial. " 2. All disapprove of publishing anything until it has been approved " by the Church and can be issued with its imprimatur; but they think " that in order to due c isideration, the Committee should be empowered " to print what they recommend to the General Assembly, so that it mpy " be considered by the low*er courts wivh fulness and car-^. " 3. Two think that the expense of this printing should be in the first " instance borne by the Church. But it seems to be the general opinion " ♦hat arrangements can be made, by which ultimately such publications " would pay for themselves. Three suggest that the means may be '* obtained by an Association and voluntary contributions from individuals. "4. No answer suggests the use of a Liturgy ; but two refer to a " revision of the Westmnister Directory as desirable ; and one who takes "strong groimd against the preparation of services for the Charch " generally is desirous of providing approved forms for Baptismal, "Catechumen or Confirmation, Licensure and Ordination services, also " for Marriage and Burial and a consecration Prayer for the Lord's " Supper. " Respectfully submitted "John Laing, Convener." After discussion, the following was entered in the Records of the Assembly at the Montreal meetin^^ June 17th, 1898 : — " It was moved by Dr. Laing, seconded by Mr. D. McCrae : — " That a Special Committee be appointed to consult with .Sir "Sandford Fleming regarding a Manual entitled 'Short Sunday Services " for Travellers,' and to aid in revising it, if that be deemed desirable, " also to send a copy to all the ministers of the Church for their informa- "tion, and to report to next Assembly. Anything done by this Com- " mittee is not to be held as in any way committing the Assembly 'thereto." At the subsequent sederunt this motion was carried and a sub-committee nominated. " It was thereupon moved by Dr. Cochrane, seconded by Dr. " Mac Vicar : — •' That the Report be received and the diligence of the Commit- " tee during the past year commended: The General Assembly re- " appoint the Committee, with the Rev. Prof. James Ross, D. D., as " Convener: and direct them to prosecute their labors in the preparation " of a Directory for Public Worship, and report to the next General "Assembly. " The Assembly greatly regret that the Rev. Dr. Laing, who for so " many years acted as Convener of the Committee, is unable longer to " continue in that position ; and tenders him its sincere thanks for the "signal service he has rendered the Church in this important depart- " ment." Some doubts having been raised as to the duties of the Committee and the extent to which they are called upon to deal with the subject of the Memorial, I have felt constrained respectfully to submit these explanations, and I a.=»k that you will kindly overlook any informality on my part in taking this course. The memorial refers to the need for aids for Divine Worship, and it divides the whole subject into three parts, viz.: Aids for (i) Family, (2) Social, and (3) Public Worship. I propose to submit explanations in the order given. (l) AIDS FOR FAMILY WORSHIP. I have long held the extreme importance of having suitable provision made for the regular observance of family worship under al! circumstances in the homes of our people. I have felt that it is a duty incumbent on every minister, and every man, in and out of authority, in our nhnrr'h ac far qc in IiJc t^nwri^r- <■/> t^^r^f^r^*-^ '^^^A — — ., .».. ..», s^,-> ,s, iifj j.'v7rvi 5.\_" LTujiin^is; aiiii enable the head of every Presbyterian family to observe daily household wrrship. The experience of a lon^r life, suggests the following reasons for action by the church in a matter of so much general importance. 1. Prepared forms of prayer are indispensable to those of our people who have not the gift of utterance, or who feel a disabilty of expression to such an extent as IS too frequently the case, that family worship becomes neglected. 2. The forms of prayer to be had at the booksellers however excellent in some respects, are unsuitable tor the regular use of many of our people, owing to their length and other reasons. "The conditions of " modern life make it difficult, in many instances, to " unite the members of families in lengthy Readings " and Prayer. In busy households it is not easv to find "a common time of leisure for all the members to •'assemble around the family altar. In the morning " some may be hurried to leave for work or school. In " the evening they may be fatigued with the occupations " of the day, and a feeling of restlessness or weariness " too often accompanies attempts at the solemn offering "of Prayer and Praise. The consequence is that " Family Worship, even it earnestly attempted, not " seldom becomes intermittent and irregular, and the "daily united recognition of God's presence and good- " ness and grace by and in the household, as such, is "often overlooked, and is apt to be systematically " neglected " The words quoted I read in the introduction to an unpretending little manual before me, "Daily Prayers for Busy Households," issued privately to try and meet the needs of our time. In this little work the forms are designedly much abridged and in this respect resemble the models found in Hnlv ^^orlnn.-^ C o brief arc the prayers that even in the busiest households a few quiet moments may be found for th-ir use in united family worship, as a primary duty before the bustle of the day begins. There cah be no objections to longer prayers by those who desire them and have time to use them. We are warranted however in the belief that acceptance with our Heavenly F'ather is not determined by much speak- ing but by the attitude of one's mind and spirit towards Him. We feel nevertheless that it is of vital interest to the individual, the" Church and the State, that domestic religion should be maintained. We feel that "we should acknowledge God in all our ways " and that devotion in the family should be fostered by every means. Experience has proved the utility of these short prayers in many instances, and the question may fairly be asked, would not the highest interests be served, if the Church supplied our people with similar brief forms for daily devotion clothed in direct and simple language? Would not a little book containing such prayers, one for each day of the month, with directions or sug- gestions for their use, be an appropriate and graceful gift from the church, by the hands of the minister, to each young couple on the occasion of their marriage ? That there is nothing more important to our church than this subject, is fully established by the report on Church Life and Work presented t6 the Assembly in June last. The replies to questions sent to all Presby- teries and Sessions throughout the Dominion caused the Committee to be " deeply disappointed and perplexed." The report states " To a large extent the family altar is in ruins. In thousands of professedly Christian homes this light of the dwelling is entirely quenched, and in thousands more it burns with a fitful and feeble ray." 8 After discussion the Assembly adopted the follovvi.u. recommendation:— ^iivuvin^ (2) AIDS KOU SOilAI. WOKSIIII'. In all the oullyins parLs of ,l,e .crritorics of the on ,„,on, and n, .son,c of ,l.e .sparsely seUled portions o tie older provmces, ..roups of individuals and families are .0 be foimd con.ple.ely isolated from re>rular church ^x;"^f ,r ""'1 - '!"'""" "' ^"^■- '•'--■'■^ - i receive tor some weeks the services of students or other mtsstonanes. hut even these few sections are left desti u e of the means of worship for much of the vea It ! ^s ron,.|v lel, to be a duty of the church to pro • de such isolated circumstances may be enabled to maintain social worship amon^ thetnselves. The need of'.kh " steps to accomplish this object is verv ..eat, a d Tts advan a^-es to the church will be maniftst, for apa from inda.dual benelit to a lar.^e numbe o p op 1 do .R , .oneer duty, centres of worship will be conTi U ed ,„ many remote portions of the Dominion, to be developed eventually i„ many cases, into self-supporting congresations with a settled minister. PP"'-'ing worJh'rn "ha!T "' r^'"'"^' "'^ '"''"' °f »«--' orship has frequently come within my personal knowledge in all parts of Canada, and in my hTmble .."dgment. nothing would more contribute to the advat eage of pioneer settlers themselves, and eventual yto'he : KO m t ,o subdue- the u.klerncss, hav. claims upon the cl.uroh. and ,1 those daiu.s arc ignored, if we foil o provide .he n.eans hy ^vhich they ca„ he held together as resl,yter,a„s, we cannot he surprised if they allach thetnselves to other denominations who with Kreater forethou.^ht and greater enterprise, supply a want felt hy many. From my own l by ,Iu. Rev. Allan l'o||,.k, D. D., pHncipal "f the I'resl.yterian College, Halifax, N. S. (2) On " Worship in Non-Litmxiral Churches/' by the Rev t.'orKe Dana Hoardman, I). I)., |.,.. d., lUuumuy lastorofthc First Baptist Church, I'hilad.-Iphia. (3) On "the Ideal of Christian Worship," by the Rev rhonias S. llastinKs, i). !>.. L,,. „., j.^esident of the faculty of the Union Theological Seminary, N. Y 4. •• I^lhlic Worship." Extracts trom a paper prepared at the request of the Toronto J>resbyterian Council by Mr. William Mortimer Clark. O. C. Chair- man of the Hoard of Mana^rement of k'I^ox Colle^re. 5.^ "A New Directory for the Public Worship of <^od. I'.xtracts from the preface of this work issued in connection with the Fee Church of Scotland. 1898. 6. The Directory, a^rreed upon. 1898. for Public Worship in the Presbyterian Church of Kn^rland • Preface, etc. ' ;. "Con^rre^rational Prayer." A paper read at the annual Conference of the Theological Alumni of Queen's University, ,894. Likewise four letters on the same subject by Sandford Fleming, addressed t o Rev. Dr. Laing. lately C onvener of the Committee. *Up to the timo of jfoiiiK to press the writer regrets thaf h« hITuI. ZT to arra,«o for ,h„ p„W,«,„„ ,„ .k., K»ay ,„ th. lp!.:,mT:::IZ,'ZZ"^. 12 Rach of these several papers bears on a subject of the hi^^hest interest and importance to Presbyterians, and it will be manifest to you that ^rpcat care and deliberation will require to be exercised by the Committee in dealing with it. A ^rrave problem is presented to the Church ; I cannot but think, however, that our people are quite equal to its solution. I will only say that while there is no need for haste in solving it, there is need for unani- mity, and to obtain unanimity the subject should be calmly viewed from all sides, and the fullest opportunity given to reach a reasonable and wise conclusion. The movement for an improvement in the service of Public Worship appears to be an outcome of revival forces now quickening the Church and tendin^r towards the devotional spirit of the age of the Reformation. The movement is of recent development in Canada, but it is Ijy no means new in Scotland. So long ago as 1862, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Established Church acknowledged the rising desire to remove defects and generally to improve the public worship of God. He explained that there are many who "are disatisfied, not with our doctrine, but with our external forms of worship." He stated. "The complaint is, that our " services are bald and cold ; that they are ill fitted to " evoke and sustain the feelings and emotions which " become worshippers ; that we come together rather as "an audience to hear a lecturer or teacher, than to pour "forth our confessions, and desires, and prayers for " mercy and forgiveness through the blood of Christ ; " that when prayer is made, it is rather that of presiding " ministers than of the assembled people ; that they are " wholly at the discretion of one man, however mediocre " may be his gifts ; that this is in no reasonable sense " common prayer, for that they often toil after him in 18 . , " in vain ; that throii^rh our present system they are "made passive and silent rather than living vvor- " shippers." The Moderator continued. " We cannot conceal from "ourselves that reli^nous opinion (or if you will, taste, " sentiment, or feelin^r) is in a state of rapid transition,' " transition ultimately traceable, perhaps to the convic- " tion that men owe to the Lord, in every respect, the "best of all they possess; that a large proportion of " our people sigh for, at least, a practical resumption of " what was in use a hundred years amongst us after the " Reformed faith was introduced, and what, in perfect "harmony with free prayer, long operated most "beneficially." This utterance from the highest functionary of the Church of Scotland, proclaimed thirty-six years ago, that the subject demanded and was even then receiving the earnest consideration of our brethern in Scothind. Since that date the movement has extended to the Free Church, and the United Presbyterian Church, and many publications bearing on the improvement of the public service have been issued by influential associations con- nected with these three great divisions of Presbyterian ism in the United Kingdom. It is only within the last few years that the matter has been seriously considered in Canada. The Com- mittee of which you are now convener, was first appointed in 1895 to examine and report on the cognate subject of uniformity of worship. The Committee has been continued from year to year, and its duties have been enlarged as I have explained, so that it has the question of improving the public services of the congre- gations fully before it. 14 We aUreco^rn.v. Divine Worship to be one of the primary clesi^r„s c>f Uie piihMe orjinanee of the Sahhath The people assemble for the express purpose of uniii.ur in the l)>vmely appointed duty. They eome (o^aMher at stated hours, not simply to listen to the exhortations of the minister, but ehielly to unite in pavin^^ homatre to the Most Ih\rh c'.od. The preaehinj; of the word is one part of the publie serviee. and worship as distin- ^uished from the sermon, is distinetiv another part Veaehin^v ,s neeessarily a funetion of the minister U orship should be an aet of the whole conK^re^^•ltion Lot us ask ourselves the question do the people take ^'''^'' ^'*^' ^'^^T permitted to take part, to a sulVieient extent, in any of our ordinary services of publie worship? The fathers of the Reformed Churches sou^'-ht to make the people actual participants in the public worship, instead of mere spectators and listeners. It was a ^reneral Protesta-it principle that public worship should be common to the whole body of the con^^re^.ation. but we must acknowledi-e that our Church has drifted or lapsed into usa^^es not in complete accord with that principle, and the question now arises, how shall the people have restored to them what they have lost? How shall they be .i^iven a fuller opportunity of taking part collectively in the common devotions? Mr. Fotherin^vham. in his lecture, a copy of which he has kindly placed at my disposal, sets forth the particular defects of our present services, and points out that those societies which I have mentioned, connected with the various churches in Scotland have grappled with the pro- blem and have issued service books for public worship and that the service books designed for the United Pres- byterian Church, the Free Church of Scotland and the Established Church, are more or less liturgical. A <\\^. ri'W'iwminiia) 16 perusal of Mr. FotlaMinKl.anr.s loeture. which accom- panies this. ,s stron^riy recommended. I le ^ives ample I'isloncal details hearin^r on the present question and M.KRests means by which the services of the Canadian Uiurch m.^ht he ^^reatly heautif.ed and improved. Me clearly presents the case so that each person may form Ins own jiK^nnent ; and he furnishes the latest informa- Hon respeclin^r ti,e movement in Scotland. To the same ^^entleman we are likewise indebted for a lecture on " The John Knox I.itur^.y or Scottish Hook o( Common Order." This lecture published a few months a^ro in pamphlet form, evinces a careful exami- nation of the best authorities. It should be read by all who desire to become acquainted with the minute and mtei-estm^r details. brou^H.t into this comprehensive form by the author. Other papers appended, to which I ask your attention, speak for themselves. They present views on the subject under discussion, from different sides and «-ive testimony from various authorities, the weiirht of which supports the claim made in favour of Aids for I ubiic Worship in our Presbyterian con^rre^rations. In New York, less than two years ago there was a remarkable exposition of the methods of worship in use in the chief religious bodies in Christendom. Ten carefully prepared lectures were delivered by chosen repres^entatives of different religious denominations, five of whom were Presbyterian. These lectures were delivered ,n the Union Theological Seminary, in the autumn of 1896. and attracted great attention. Thev have since been published by Charles Scribner & Sons, and I avail myself of this publication to append copious extracts from three of the lectures, in order to interest a wider circle. As stated in the preface to the volume, the general result of these lectures - is a remark- ta «hlooon«.„,„„ of opinio,, o„ ,l,o „„,., s„hi..cl .„,J ,, i;;!;^^^^^^^^^ ^ ^-"^•••-"-,i.,.ofror,n Thm- can ho no ,lo„l„ il,ai all ,l,o Kero,-,n..J CI,„rol,ei wo,x- or,K,„allv lilnr^ncal. The cviJcco of l,is,o,v .^ocs o show .l,a, ,1,0 ohuroh of o„r falhors UiJ „o, Ji,,o^ i,', th,,s ivspoo, Iron, ,l,o o,ho,- Koforn.oJ thnrohos. an.l i, mus, iK- aoknowloJ«:ocl ,l,ai ,l,o „.sc of a li.nr.rv is in no way o„, of l,a,n,o„v „,„, ,ho spiri, anj prinoiplos of I roshy,o„a„,sn,. „,„ .,„, „,,„,,, ,„. „,^. ^,,;^.^,.,_^_ Church, has iK-on so lon^ „on-li,„r^Moal in prao,ioo, ,ha, , canno. ho supposoJ, ,ha, any proposal ,o ..Jop, a (ixo.l and ,nllox,hlo l„.,r»;y, «o„M hn.l favour with n.anv. or "UcocI w„h any of us. I, i. „o, proposo.l in Sootland lie proposal ,s ,o havo a oarofullv proparo.l Dirocorv.' w.th frvodon, to ,n,roduco ON.o,npo,arv pravor. a, ,he d.soro.,on of ,|,o ,„„,is,o,.. Ohviously, a„ opiional iKur^ry, suol, as (ha, con.ompla.od. would sin,plv l,o .ho rov,val ol a„ old usa^o in.ioduood hv ,ho loundors of ourChuroh, and prao.isod hy our fa.hors for ^.ono,a,ions. I l.e annals ol Prosbyiorianisn, aro porfoollv oloaron ,his po„,, : ,1,0 SoonisI, Sorvico-Hook adap.od hv Knox fro.n he h.urKV ol ,ho Lroncl, l>ro.os,a,„s a, Cionova, was usod hy tho,ScoH,sh poopio in puhlic worship for „oa,ly a ceiuury a.tor ,ho Rofornia.ion. John Knox's li.ur^rv had hooo,no doar to tho hearts of co„Krc«,.tions. and iis d,suso was ow,nK, not to any disliko to i, on tho part of m.n.stors or poopio. It was duo to tho aotion of the- kin.. at the hos,nn,nK of ,ho covonantin^ a^o. The kin^ enacted that the u.so of tho .Scottish .Sorvice-Hook was lleKal the .Scottish people wot,ld use no other, and. fro,n that sto.-my period to the present day i, has never been reintroduced into our worship. •• The feehnsr now is, with many well-inform...! people, that the time has arrived when the primitive \ S'^S?" '^:Ai " 1 ■Service |,ook or ,m e<,„iv..loM.. mukI,,, will, ..rci. «Uv„ *".uKI,o.l,c decor,,,,,, ,1,,, ,,,,„, 0,c si,„p|,ci,y, «-u Ik- ,.nprc.ss,v..„e».s of, he .services of ll.c sa,,',,,. v ;::', :;:;;.::r "-^ --kos or ... a,,.::;. •:: -r: S-Kl, is ihe opinio,, of m,„iy in.ercslcU in ,l,e ,„ove. "-.,,,, a„U i, wil, IH. for ,l,c c o„„ni„ee ,o con idor how v.in.ui.i. NoiuithstaiK.inir the fact !hu 14,.. k i U.urch «„ch nseda ,i,„r,.y ,„ ,,e.,era.io„s, a„ 1 ha so many well ahle.o.j„cl,.e ,hink ,ha, aUva,na,.. w , u r^^..l. rro„, a ,e„,r„ .o ,he early prac.ice. wo 1 1^1' b^^.,. .„acc„,s,on,ed u, .ha> prae.ice, and , do„h, if^J'^ btu> rcaU,ed In- so.ne ol o„r l.rchren in Scoiland Mv own v,ew.s have l,een expressed elsewhere. (See papers aPI-uk-d.) la,ninell„ed.o,heopinion,,,a,,w Id bes. s.„. our needs and circn.s.anccs ,o follow .,,1^ e u„.r.se „ .he leuers I addres.., u, yo„r predec:.!^, "r. -a,, K, I n.ade a„ appeal on hehalf of (he neonle simply ,ha. ,hey shonld he allowed a fuller p 'r cip .i ,,' m con,.reKa,ional worship. Our service eons ssof P-ac,,,,, p,.ayer and praise. l,„por,an. and e I^^^.ia ouKh „ he, preaching in i.selfi.s no. worship, altho.S n con,empla„on of ,he AhniKlUy. i. is an ele.nen, of »or. h,p. I he puhhc worship of the conKre^fa.ion is nelly ,n p,.ayer and praise, and .he la..er is prov ded or by .he recen. in.roduc.ion of our excellen. Book of ra,.sc I here ,s, however, no adequa.e provision for the v,.ally ,n,por.an. service of prayer. Our people are pass.ve, while .he .ninis.er has thrown upon '1 a «rave and d.llicuU task, an ever recurrin.r weighty respons,b,l,ty. It can b. no easy duty for'any ,ta ' 18 however gifted, however devout, however accomplished, to plead before God the cause of hundreds of his fellow- beings ; to give expression extemporaneously in appro- priate words to the wants of his flock. Moreover, the difficulty is immensely increased by a custom which involves the necessity of attempting to give utterance, on each occasion of devotion, to fresh thoughts in new and fitting words. Let us examine this practice, as it obtains throughout the Dominion. No minister is supposed to repeat himself ; each of the half dozen prayers he offers up on any one Sabbath must be fresh from the heart. The same throughout the year. Moreover, no two min- isters are expected to use the same prayer, so that we have from our looo pulpits, in theory at least, no less than 200,000 or 300,000 different prayers in a year, not one of which is known before it is spoken. No wonder that members of congregations do not, and cannot always, follow their minister in prayer. No wonder that their mmds often wander, or are thrown into an attitude of criticism rather than devotion. It cannot be sup- posed that these two or three hundred thousand prayers are all equally good, all equally appropriate. I ask, would it not be an advantage to many congrega- tions if the best of them were collected, say the very best of each thousand, and made available to the Church generally? To my mind the devotional service of the congrega- tion is of supremo importance and calls for the most careful preparation and calm premeditation. It has long seemed to me that in the interest of true congregational worship, the prayer of the people, should be made known in advance to the people themselves. Naturally the voice of the minister would continue to be the voice of the congregation, but every one present should have .\V ^mplished, his fellow- in appro- eover, the om which erance, on 1 new and ; it obtains ipposed to ; he offers the heart. ) two min- it we have less than ', not one )nder that )t always, :hat their I attitude be sup- thousand 3ropriate. ongrega- the very e Church ongrega- the most has long igational be made 'v'aturally -he voice Lild have 19 the printed forms in his hand so that his eye as well as his ear could easily follow, without any of the difficulties which more or less are always experienced in listening, or in trying to listen, to the extemporary devotional utterances ordinarily spoken from our pulpits. Does John Knox say anything bearing on this point? - In the congregation should be made common prayer, such as all men hearing might understand ; that the hearts of all subscribing to the voice of one, might with unfeigned and fervent sound, say Amen." In considering this subject it is proper not to ignore objections, and I freely admit that some of the staunchest friends of the church express a decided preference for extempore prayers ; they speak of the free devotional exercises of such men as Spurgeon as being everything that couM be desired, and they entertain fears that the reading of prayers might tend to formalism and ritualism I have dealt with this objection in my letters to your pre- decessor Dr. Laing. To my mind such fears are ground- less and are far outweighed by other considerations. I shall only now remark that while some of our ministers have been given in a high degree the grace of extempor- aneous prayer, there are others to whom the rare gift has been denied. Whether the proportion of the latter be large or small does, not touch the rightful claims of every one of our people that they should be allowed a fuller share in public worship. Readily I grant that there would be less need for written prayers if we were sure of having a Spurgeon in every pulpit, but I ask in all seriousness should many congregations be obliged con- tinually to suffer becausp some few pastors are so divinely favored as not to require the aid of prepared forms? General prayers have always been in use in some of the Reform'.d Churches ; these give expression to the 20 petllions aiul thanUs^rivin^rs of all classes and coiulitions of men ; their purpose is that throuK^b the.n the con,T,e- Katio.i may Uircctly and eolleetively address the Almi^rhty lioing ; they are not prayers of the onieiatin^^ minister for the conirreiration. but praversofthe eon^n-e- KMtion itself. •• They are the common pravers of the whole people expressin^r ,„ si.nple well known words, and tree, as (ar as possible, from such individual pecu- har.ties as by invokin.iT criticism, would interfere with tiie intelli.i;en( adoption ofali the petitions bv every man woman and child." Moreover as thev invite no criticism,' they do not interfere with a devout attitude of mind. Ilav,n,i,r roi^ard to what is due equallv to the people and the minister, would it not be desirable to have a collec- tion of general prayers for con^nv.i.ational use ? One or two such prayers in each ordinarv service would add .^neatly to the beauty and solemnitv o( our worship. We have a model and the verv hi^rl^vsi authoritv for .i^eneral prayers in that .i^iven bv our Saviour. "In this manner pray ve." 1 cannot but think that a service embracin.^- .jreneral or people's prayers, with occasional pravers of the min- ister, such as varyin.t; circumstances mav call for. would have a most benellcial tcndencv. It would unite the con.i^re^ation in the solemn act of common worship far more than our present practice. The people in their devotions would be less dependent on the varvin.r moods ot the minister's mind, and the minister himself would be relieved of an enormous responsibilitv, and be • n a better position to throw all his powers into his dis- course. The view I take is. that we have much need of •• Aids for Public Worship" in some form, possiblv in a Service-book or Directory, or by wliatever name it may oiulilioiis c con^re- ivss the ^iViciatin^r rs of the n words, lal pccu- "erv with ery man, :riticism, >f mind. 11 pie and a collec- Onc or 'iild add worship. >rity for In this jLTcncral lie min- •, would II lie (he ship far in (heir /aryin^ himself and he his dis- leed of )Iy in a it may 21 he known ; that wc should have at least a collection of people's prayers sanctioned by the (ieneral Assembly in each pew ; tha( these prayers should ^\vc expression to Ihe confessions, the supplications, the adora(ions, the thanks^rivin^rs. the intercessions of the peoplecollectively; that they should be clothed in the best words which we' can offer to our lleaveuly l'a(her, and that the ministers of our church should be authorised and instructed by the Assembly to use such prayers at their discretion. United prayer must by universal consent be reco^rnized as one of the hi^rhest acts of Christian worship. In the way pointed out, united prayer of the con^n-e.tration and of the whole church is possible. The f()re^n>in^r explanations will, I trust, make it clear that the subject of the memorial presented to the Assem- bly last year, vitally concerns, in each of its three branches, the hi«-hest and best interests of the church. As a humble layman I have endeavored to point out that indisputable fact. The Assembly has asked vour Com- mittee to deal with the memorial and has nominated a Sub-Committee specially to assist in one branch of the subject referred to therein. The Assemblv has com- mended the Committee for dili^-ence and directed definite action to be taken. It now rests with your Committee to consider the whole matter with wise deliberation and so far as deemed expedient to prepare and recommend such aids for l^amily, Social, and Public Worship as may appear to them needful and likely to be useful. The Cieneral Assembly has done well to take this action. It cannot, I think, fail to result in equippin^r our church more fully than ever before, with the means of accom- plishin^r effectively the ^^reat mission set before her in the Dominion. Yours very faithfully, Sandford Fleming. APPENDIX I. "THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE SERVICES OF THE CHURCH." A Lecture delivered at the Summer School of Theology of thePresfytertan College. Halifax. iS<)S. by Rev T F Fothertngham, M. A., of St. John, New Brunswick. ' ' chuJcVr^tn" "V" ™P'-'>^«™="t 0/ the services of the n^/nts rt!]d cXltV',r e7 t:rL';.L«!'wit^^^ .mpo^ta^t docnnal questions ir,volved in ^h,t' """ '"^ denS by some" AhI°7,k''"''' '"^""^ improvement is a^"^":'-'°'°'^'-''T-'^s hokl, ,h,- ■°"' ^'^'"'•ba"ce of use and wont. One who • I could nrl'™ '"'^ '"■°"^'y' ^"'^ "^ -»« as foHowS _ 1 could not suggest or approve anv chan<.e in .k. f ' ofpublic worship in the church I? i. f,, f the form nTt''wtt:d';';t":'^'eop;^''\r'? '° '° f'^ '^='"' *' about i„. His ^eneXT havrrUi'^rn 1:ly'Z^Z! do not affect any principle. The fact that Krnv . , sU7^:i"f-er;red t thi,rtt ^' " -^ '^— ■ of reformation, -Vb^tedt Uttt;:^t:min"t''.S now adopting one we would be copying liturgTcTl churcher Presbv.erian"ch°" ^°\''''"S'"S a form unfer whi" the t^rs:rch^urctsts^nrm:i-rt^^°-4 ICES OF Theology of Rev. T. F. 'swick. ices of the ir Sabbath the Sacra- with the vement is inge must rship and One who 3II0WS : — the form pose that and loved national !d. For made by this, and hat it is ve come mall and assisted he early process t, that in hurches, lich the o one of 2." My 23 : correspondent then goes on to emphasize the necessity of simplicity in worship and the danger of laying emphasis upon the beauty of the form to the withdrawal of the atten- tion from the spirit of prayer and praise. Also the proba- bility that the sermon would be depreciated in proportion as a so-called "hearty" service was insisted upon. He appeals to the fruits of our present mode to shew that it has not been found wanting and concludes by saying, " Attempt to chartge this in any of its fundamental features' and you will have for peace and progress, dissention and strife." Coming, as this does, from a prominent layman in one of our city churches, it probably expresses the views of the majority of pious and intelligent members of our churches. Bnt we eannot ignore the fact that the movement, to which he refers is not a cause, but an effect. It is the response to a demand for greater reverence, decorum and good' taste in church services. It is not confined to one section of the church but is found in all, and embraces amongst its sup- porters some of the most eminent for piety, learning and judgment. Its influence has not been insignificant. It has modified the worship of the church in almost as remarkable a manner as did Puritanism in an opposite direction two centuries and a half ago It is a matter of history, that in many parts of Scotland and in this country, the reading of Scripture had been almost abandoned as 'a part of religious worship; psalmody was little cultivated; during prayer a variety of attitudes were assumed, and few thought it necessary to close their eyes ; the "preliminaries " were despatched as speedily as possible, and the whole stress of the service was placed upon the sermon. In many cases the prayers were a string of Scripture sentences without logical connection and often misquoted, or grotes- quely applied according to the id'osyncracy of the individual —not a few ministers repeated the same prayer from Sabbath to Sabbath from one end of the year to the other. \ery few pastoral charges would tolerate 'such practices at the present time. The movement in favor of a more edifying service, has pervaded the whole church and the various societies which have for their object the advance- ment of this end. are only the organized expression of the spirit of the time. Unless this movement is o-nirlnri Kw a 2i services hnscl „|,„„ .,„„,|,, '",,,, '""""' ".'"' '""'e exhjliitin.ris,. li,, ■ """) . "■•^"I'l' consi.lorations and Ttf^Q T io.«L. i- r^ '-"■'''> '^^''''^"f^st the former he emimor. bindinj;, but the Psaim, PrL. i ^ ,~ , '"™* '^'""' "^e o.>ly portions of ,1,!? Old T , ' '""' h<^'^'«si'«es arc the as when the v"h „ e 1,^1 "■" f"'°'\ "' '■•'<=••"■ =""1 clean years aRo, If " !'verv S .ri,^M *•■ ^"'"' "'1 P'''"-^-' "^"^^ "''"y profitable for tead, ^'^^ " ro Jfo' "Z ^'"t'' ='l-^° instruction which i« in ?i„i,Vl '^'=Pr<'<". lor correction, for may be comn^VV ^ !°""'^'' ■ 'h^t the man of God should.n,.,ec:rt br^UTbJfrt'ber 1-'hJ;Ur 'ebe t rt^dlTef t'^,'"" '''"1' ^'PP-iated while C people a?e not .d fi ^ '''"'^'' " '"'»"'" beforehand. The atte^ on of 'sote t ^v'enT"'^ f L"^ """'^'^^ '•'■ '"e impulse to guess from thTJIl r""'' .^^ "^" irresistible be about. I reVarTtorhf °"' u''"' 'h* sermon will con.re-tt , ^-:S^ ^itf tl^f p-^^!"- Va.'- ,\ ng church ^iiiMch our and frame itions nnd es so often tendency ur present to receive cercises of shields, in 'terial and e enumer- 'eral parts propriety, iraise. are he text of to a very of larg^e Ipit Bible out with from the :s are the si.i^ns of md clean ver sixty ^ is also ^tion, for n of God ?ry good :h in the ts parts conp^ru- ile these d. The :r is, the esistible non wil! 1 ' long ;)ermost and the lad to m despatch their devotions and come to the sermon where they can have something more orderly and inteiligible " We have heard many pulpit prayers in which the spirit of humble reverence was conspicuous by its absence the language colloquial and commonplace, and the terms used in addressing the Deity such as would be considered un- warrantable lamiliarity as between man and man. A sober- minded, devout worshipi)er must experience more pain than cdihcation when he hears the Supreme Heing addressed vociferously m stentorian tones, as if He were deaf or asleep while the so-called prayer displays its lack of premeditation by frequent reiteration of the same thoughts abundantly interspersed with interjections and ejaculations I do not think that Presbyterians are the chief offenders against good taste in this matter, but we are frequently called to assist at religious meetings where this style of devotional oratory is deemed characteristic of unction and fervor, and we need to be on our guard against unconscious imitation. To the custom of making the whole service a mere foil for the sermon. Dr. Shields traces, I believe correctly the craving for " sen.sational " preaching. " Mere intellectual entertainment is substituted for devout communion with with God." " The discourse is elaborated at the expense of the service." A man is pushed info prominence instead of the Uivine Keing in whose holy presence all worshippers stand The remedies for these two ministerial defects are the adoption of a definite lectionary by which the ancient custom of our church and the instructions of the Directory shall be carried out, and " the canonical books read over in order, that the people may be better acquainted with the whole body of the Scriptures ;" and a careful study of the admirable summaries of prayers in the same too-mnch- neglected symbol, so that adoration, confession, supplication thanksgiving, &c., may receive their due place and proper expression in the common prayers of the church. On the part of the congregation there is a tendency to assume the place of spectators and critics rather than active participants in the worship. When the function of prayer is relegated to the preacher, and that of praise to the choir, the words " Let us pray." or " Let us sing," are too apt to become, as Dr. Shields expresses it, " dead formulas— hints of a duty, echoes of a reality." The devo- 28 passive nuditor, tn^becon e ''a Z^^'^^I; '^rrhe'th^ l'' perfo™n„ce, nnd craves only what :hall eal "y Iff^a his ear or his imaRi nation, or readily fall i„ witS 1 i^ ,lT," and prej„n M,?' T""" ";'= "'"^''••^' •="''='" of the con„Ca. ^^Zpr::. c^^slr 'of^t'ti- ^:l fn^ at-' "o^^rn^^thiteenrat^ot;;;.::^":^ ;rt -"^^ rolntrafafn-"'- ^^ '^^'' -"^^1 'st^ T^t^e' a.;:?ntt^ ^jS^^^rht^-dSrrhifh-^- church. Some, acting through the church courts aim "^ M ch a moderate measure of liberty as will satis y the vL"s :o:•th™e::^rS::^f"o^;;e^^"l':.^ir"^^ .hat uniformity may ,1 "p^e^J" ''T,:VX^:^:t \ a depraved the simple •m beinjr a the whole mtly affect iiis tastes r part well tional feel- s at other ^h\\ of the ajesty and ponsibility le express- dibly and )tion." It ayer for a 1 do much It with all s as tend former, it the true id to one ere {j;iven :ongrega- s done in rovinces ; ed forms, J, almost J audible prayers, give the personal of these :hurches =h beset p of the I, aim at he views a strain s hoped byterian 27 Church of England, for example, has issued a revision of the Directory, by which those who " despi.se the ' Amen ' " would be still more utterly filled with contempt, for it recommends an audible *' Amen " at the close of every prayer, chanting of the prose psalms, consecutive Scripture lessons, recitation of the Apostles' Creed, that the Lord's Prayer "should be reverently said by all." and calls the " Collection " an " Offertory ! " The Scripture quotations and sentences are taken from the Revised Version, definite liturgical formuhc are provided in connection with sj ecial services, and prayers in full are given in the chapters relating to ' The Dedication of a Church," •• Solemnization of Matrimony " and ' Hurial of the Dead " A Lectionary covering the whole Jiible in three years is appended. This has now obtained the sanction of the Synod and has become the law of the church. We venture to predict that It will not be long before a complete service book, on the lines laid down in this Directory will be in use in some of the churches in England. Those who wish more than is here granted will base their warrant for additional liberty upon the concessions made to the liturgical movement. I do not know of any other Presbyterian Church that has gone further than to recommend a uniform order of service, but the various churches in Scotland have volun- tary societies connected with them which jiave issued service-books more or less fully liturgical, and all of them conceding everything that moderate liturgists would desire. Of these. " Presbyterian Forms of Service." is issued by the Devotional Service Association in connection with the United Presbyterian Church. It contains a Lectionary and full forms of service for all occasions, including Christmas, Good Friday, and Iiaster It recommends the audible " Amen " at the close of prayers, either " said or sung;' singing of the prose psalms; the chanting or repeating by the congregation of the Lord's Prayer ; and the Apostle's Creed is to be used at the Dedication of a church. ••A New Directory for the Public Worship of God founded on the Book of Common Order (1560 64) and the Westminster Directory (1643-45), and prepared by the Public Worship Association in connection with the Free Church of Scotland," contains only materials for services ii m 'h™^^^ '^"'"»''^>^ ""t the true haracte. „f e.-.rh puri,,,,, (,l ,ho oxorriscs [„ the ordor A|,os Ics Creed ,s recmmen.le.l to he use.l at the- Ha„l sm .the ,„. „, I-resbvlorians i, ,|.„ „„l,ii,|,,,|' {,^,1,1 tnc title o( the oM liinrRy of ihe rel,>rm;iti„n. ■• The H„,.k -r ,,n,n,o„ Or.ler" I, is l„.th a Dire.-torv ,,,1 a it r v "flee," "„;;,:;" ''"""".'r" ,'"^"' ""■ '"' «-"■' S ce-ff. M. r' '^? "'"-■ "•'"••f."i""-Ki<-«l instinct an.l ihe Rreat.st Ireedom from inuMilishtcned preiu.lioe It i, "val throuRho,,, ,o the ,ra,li,ions of ou ,1 rch whi Ic at trtasiires of the church catholic. Only those who SnvJ K.ven some attention to such subiects can f , y a cci , e havea I ^ 7* 'i'""',"^ ' "' ''■•'^»l>^'>-''-i'"> Church would us whle if ''^ "''''■'' ,'''''•''''' ^^"i^fy 'I'-- '"ost fas.idi. ous_whilc It weaned none l.y monoton,.us repetiiions l>ravers"'-f„'!l'' """ '"■"'""'' '", ''''""' " """■«^ »i"' Pt-^crihed I ranis and conRrcsntional resp..uses will aiipear a com picte departure Iron, genuine •' I'resbyteriani m • bu, h t CI Z^';",( "'Z r '"-'^''""'"- ^'"''"^"^' ''ispel cd - he U re h of our fathers was. like all ,he Reformed churches a iMurs.cal church. That the conduct of Divhc service should be left ,o haphazard, or place.! at the me y f e "Prueor n,competency of the mini.ster woul.l have been c.>ns,dered most improper by the men who ca u, ^he burdensome and heartless mediaeval ceremoni,! r i P-pare._l a litur.v lor ,he Church a 0",";"."^,,,^; ^Il others drew up one which was modified, eu'lar-^e ' ad a .Ptedby the Church of Scotland and used ,r nearly a iiie (leres.es of Rome ever counted it a heresy to worshio God according a prescribed form. The Church of Scot- >««t the tnir the (Hiler r th«" prose "ry • The Iw' H;i|>li.sm Its and the s prepared ed l)v the rch. iindor I'ho Hook a I.ituruy t'ice which Kef or mod and docs 'inch com- 't and the e. It is I. while at levotional kvho have pprcciate adopted 'h would t fastidi- )ns. ■escribed r a com- l>iit this il. The hnrches, " service y of the ve been out the Calvin lox and :ed and learly a oil need vorship r Scot- 21) land n\M\ her daughters are the only ones of the great non- national chnrthes of the ir)th century which are liturgical to-day. This chatjgc has taken place wholly by the operation of foreign influences and in spite of the earnest remonstrances of her saintJiest m Rutherford, Henderson, Haillie and missioners to the Westminster A; en. sue I as >thets The com- d)ly strove hard to secure a revised liturgy rather than a Directory and succeeded in securing that the instructi(»us regarding prayer were so worded that "by changing the phrase here and there" they could be turned into a suitable form for use An edition of the Directory was even published in which this change was made. The Presbyterians in England were (pnte willing to accept the Prayer-liook at the Restoration if certain changes were made in it, some of them in a decidedly " High Church " direction. That our liturgy fell into disuse is due to several causes, (i ) The inherent defects of the book itself. It breathed too much the spirit of the Old Testament. This was in accordance with the fierce enthusiasm of men who were battling with spiritual enemies as unscrupulous and relentless as the ancient Canaanites. (2 ) The narrow, fanatical spirit of Puritanism which developed a type of religious life, lofty indeed in its spiritual aspirations, but self-assertive and pretentious. This rapidly spread rhoughout Scotland and was much strengthened by the nine years occupation of Cromwell's army, during which his preaching troopers often usurped the pulpits of parish churches and did not hesitate to treat with scant courtesy any person who ventured to contradict theii narrow theology or reprove their irreverent conduct. (3.) The mad attempts of the Stuart kings to force upon the country a " cast-iron liturgy " modelled after the English fashion and containing expressions which the popular mind could not distinguish from rank Romanism. This produced a revulsion against all prescribed forms and drew the nation into closer affinity with English Independents. (4,) The prescription of the Directory, in consequence of the English alliance, effectu- ally barred any revision of the old liturgy, and it fell into gradual disuse. (5.) The dreary period of Moderatism, which soon followed, reduced public worship to a cold formality, worse than a liturgy ever produced. The read- The ii.ft.icucs whid. „„ ^rT •',"•""'•'' ''"'''''>'"• lc(!mm,,.c«,m.„n,c t he revv^ '^ T ""=''''>' ""^ •I., .hurch an.l whi • I, e >,1 , ll r.'^^r: "';"'' '1"'''<---""' "1.1 l..r„„ ami ,l,c devo I ^i ' V ,*; P r"''"" "' "" ^cr.-:--::r,::;;;:;:;"v by K„„xa,„i Eo ,v.. L ,1^:;.;:;: "-'<-••••, ' •■""' ■■"■"" "' '"« ''""> .^fc^,:[.d"tr;!■^"•■ *""" "" -'''e" -n e;"p';;.y'e : lire usca. 1 () the cor)<'rt'!r'ifiMn of i... j"'«ycrs be the composition ,?!it;,''' "';"''■■ ■"'y.P'«y.-'" must matter uothiV' whetht ttv\' h '" ''"""'''•' '' <=■••" a.ees of the minister iLi*^^ •'"-■ preu.e.htate.l utter- printd in a book Vl ch'; er'l,' """'l""^ '•""'''''<^'' •"'<< "< l.ei„, known beforji:'^, ' ^ U e'"';;"':;, :'""^";'--'r who e church in -ill if« , utterances of the who pray extemnoro -.r,. ....7; n *<>*"\V that those Spirit wo' 1.1 be a' larinras e ; ^' N "7' , "^ ,"" ^''''^ mind, accustomed to ife exerc s ' ., 'V ""•' '''-'™"' arrange its thou.^hts n,ll ' ""' '," " ''"'"' minutes frame? but the aLlli ; '^ tav eZ rh'^'^'' '"If •'' ■^'"'=""'= depends upon the richness wirh ^ , ^■" """" ^'I'^-cation with appropriate la ;' a, ::,^;';^i''''-- "-"' '-^ f"">i»hed study of published Vafer^'^Iittric^l rroTa'^s'^b^ lie order of raycr.H lost nal cH.saya. '"errly the cjiiickcned tioti of the Dation a^'e. fial lilurj^y 'y .s«» much the hymn "Hook of drawn up Irec prayer isidc if at l)o{)k wa8 minister rs is that the loss Itoj^cther. •s in the ' prayers 'ors must 'e it can ^c'd utter- )ilc(l and dvantaj;e :s of the i former ssent to, rs threm, on with ttic (lis- at those le Moly ■ devout minutes suitable Hcation rnished by the a sub- Mi , stnntlHl chnrattt-r must he at the hack or all acreptnble pubhi- prayer aicepfable, that is. to those who are to join mentally wirh the leader. Mere fluency of speech re(|UireM neither intellectual endowment nor spiritual Kracen, and th.)se most " Kilted in prayer ' are not always those of most exemplary piety. keadiness in public prayer is best cultivated by communion with Cud in the closet The use ol forms, \n some extent, in the regular services of the church would not hinder, but rather help, the minister in leaihuK the devotions of the prayer-meeting and the sick room, To the minister, a partial liturgy would be an immense relief I think I am not astray when I assert th.it " lead- inu in prayer " is one of the duties which we perform with a most ptolound sense of our incompetency and in which we ^lailly j;ive way to one another. •• Kor,'\is I Jr. Robert Lee .says, " to pray extempore in a con^rcfration demands c|ualificati()ns which few men po.ssess. It requires an intimate familiarity with Scripture, a perfect command of auKua^e suitable for such exercises, i. i:, of the simplest Ianj;ua«re. which yet must never dcKenerate into vulgarity, famdianty, or even commonplace; the most solemn and sublime lan-juage, which yet must not swell into turgidity, or bombast, or savor of rhetorical exaggeration, or wear any appearance of labor, or artifice. And this reaches deeper than a mere literary accom[)lishment. It implies a highly accomplished mind, a refinement of character, and a i)itch of s|)iriluality which never have been found, and cannot be expected, in any body of clergy whatever I do not say that this attainment is impossible, but experience demonstrates that it is difficult and uncommon." How often the minister is compelled to enter the pulpit in a depressed state of mind, or pre-occupied with the sermon he IS about to preach, lie cannot lift up his heart with that joy and freedom which are necessary if he would be the mouthpiece of the people to God. The " personal equation " cannot be eliminated and the whole congrega- tion suffer in consequence. But if he could turn to suit- able and comforting words prepared beforehand, his own disturbed spirit would be calmed and the hearts of all would be opened to the Divine influences shed forth upon them. la No one, I presume, would contend for a fixed and inflexible liturgy, like the Ancrlican. One incident related by the late Bishop Philips Brooks sufficiently illustrates its grave want of adaptability to a sudden emergency. An episcopal convention or synod was in session when the news reached it that the City of Chicago was in flames. It was at once unanimously agreed that business should be suspended and prayer offered up for the unhappy city. But right here a grave difficulty arose. There was no collect in the Prayer Book exactly suited to the circum- stances, and of course no other prayers were lawful. The matter was finally settled by all solemnly reciting the Litany and thus deprecating almost every woe under heaven except those suffered by the inhabitants of the burning city. It is needless to say that Presbyterians will never submit to such bondage. But a book which shall give the "common order" of Divine service and be used either as a directory or liturgy as the minister may judge best, or the harmony of the congregation requiie, would conserve ministerial liberty, promote substantial uniformity, and afford to those desiring it the solemn and stately forms which are so consonant with the dignity of Public Worship. In order to ascertain the order generally followed in our churches. I addressed a circular to all our ministers in this Synod. The following is a summary of the facts elicited. Of the 38 who replied to my circular five did not give their order of service, but said that it was " the usual order," that there was " nothing peculiar about it," or that it was " the simple order generally practiced in the Presby- terian Church." What this " common order " is we find it difficult to determine from the remaining thirty-three. With regard to the opening of Divine service :— 14 begin with an invocatory prayer. II " "a doxology. 5 " •• singing a psalm or hymn. I begins with an anthem by the choir. i " " chanting the Lord's Prayer. I " " recitation of scripture sentence by the minister. fixed and ent related illustrates ^ency. An when the i in flames. 3 should be lappy city, re was no he circum- wful. The jciting the ivoe under ints of the erians will /hich shall id be used may judge liie, would uniformity, nd stately • of Public ollowed in ministers f the facts d not give the usual it," or that le Presby- we find it hree. r I I I e by the 33 : With regard to the use of the Lord's Prayer :- 22 state that it is used, but we cannot say that it is omitted m all the remaining n, for they ship y do not mention it. ^ ^^ In l^of'X' '^^°'^^^''^,"^ediately before the sermon. In 4 of these .t concludes the preceding prayer. inn °'^' ""f '"^; ^"^ '" ^ '^^ °ff^'-^°'-y ^nd intima- tions immediately precede. In 3 It concludes the first prayer. " 2 '• immediately follows the opening doxolo-v closes tne second prayer after lessons, follows the New Testament lesson and immedi- ately precedes prayer, is chanted at the opening of the service IS cnanted at the close of the prayer between ll ':ITT^ r^''^"' ^"^ ^^''^ ^he people retain the attitude of prayer. ^JV^r^'^u "^^f^^'-y.a^d intimations precede the sermon and in lo they follow, m three their place is not mentioned In 20 the order following th.^ sermon is prayer praise benediction. In but four does praise come before prayer' Twenty-seven of my correspondents favor me with suggestions regarding the improvement of our services but the majority indicate that there is no desire amoni • inno'vltf ns'?^ h"^h ^^^^k^" '^'^^ following arTthrchLI innovations which have been mentioned. orrlilr^'^'Q tl^T^ °^ ^" optional. Of partial, liturgy for ordinary Sabbath services as well as for special occa^s^ons Uleven desire the recitation of the Lord's Prayer and p'a^er " ''' ''' ^'^^^"^^ °^ " ^"^<^" " '' ^ve^y Nine mention responsive reading, or chanting of the prose psalms. Three recommend the frequent singing of the fe Dcum and ancient canticles. t. S "* Three are in favor of the recitation of the Apostle's Creed, and one adds the Ten Commandments. ^ I recommends kneeling during prayer. I *' standing during the anthem, r ' more frequent observance of the Holv Communion. ^ Hi 2 recommend tho observance of the five chief Chris- tian festivals. 3 " prayer in connection with the oftertory. 3 •' the more jjenernl use of ^own and bands and the i)romotion of a more ecclesiastical style of archi- tecture than the " music hall " Three think that the con- duct of public worship should be tau<;ht in college, along with the study of ancient liturgies. The suggestions were all spontaneous, and many of the writers did not know what line of thought would be pursued by the lecturer. Had it been known that he was going to advocate such " advanced " views, no doubt some of them would have been much fuller. Let us next consider what order a service should follow which would be self-consistent and at the same time loyal to the Directory and the Book of Common Order. According to the Directory, when public worship is held "all are to enter the assembly, not irreverently, but in a grave and seemly manner, taking their seats or places without adoration, or bowing themselves towaulsone place or another." This has reference to the custom ar that time in some parts of England of bowing towards the communion table, but the practice of private prayer is taken for granted, for it is said further on, " If any through necessity, be hindered from being present at the beginning, they ought not, when they come into the congregation, to betake themselves to their private devotions, but reverently to compose themselves to join with the assembly in that ordinance of God which is then in hand." This evidently concedes that private devotions were common and seemly before the service began. Gillespie in his notes tells us that this paragraph was added at the request of the English, because with them, many ignorant and superstiti- ous people would not join in the worship until they had said over the Lord's Prayer. In Scotland it was the universal custom to kneel for private |)rayer on entering the church, and thereafter to occupy the mind with read- ing the Bible or Psalm book. It is only within a short period that the former practice has been resumed in some of our churches and very many have yet to learn how to employ profitably the interval between arrival at church and the cumtnencement of the service. chief Chris- he ottertory. n and bands de of archi- hat I he con- :)llcge, along many of the t would be vn that he vs. no doubt vice should 2 same time n Order. : worship is ently, but in its or places ds one place at that time communion I for granted, lecessity, be , they ought I, to betake iverently to nbly in that lis evidently I and seemly otes tells us uest of the d superstiti- itil they had it was the on entering d with read- thin a short ned in some earn how to \\ at church Nothing is said in the Directory of the minister's deportment on entering the pulpit, but in Scotland it had been customary for him to kneel for a few moments in private prayer before addressing the people. A keen dis- cussion aro.se in the Westminster Assembly upon this matter resulting in a victory for the Independents. Haillie explains the reason of this by saying that "besides the vehemency of the Independents against it, there is no such custom used here (i. e , in England) by any." The omission was not unnoticed when the Directory came before the General Assembly for ratification, but it was recommended that "although a lawful custom in this Kirk, it be hereafter laid aside ior satisfaction of the desire of the reverend divines in the Synod of England, and for uniformity with that Kirk so much endeared to us." There was already a divided opinion on the subject in Scotland. A numerous party, affected with the narrow scruples of the English Puritan sects, were much opposed to what they termed "the three nocent ceremonies." These were, the minister bowing when he entered the pulpit, the singing of the Doxology at the close of the Psalms, and the reciting of the Lord's Prayer. Considerations of internal peace doubtless influenced the Assembly as much as love to English allies and regard for their prejudices. When the minister ceased to bow in the pulpit, the people ceased to bow in the pew. It is only in recent limes that the " lawful cu&tom " has been revived. I can remember the remarks that were made in the congregation to which I belonged when a youth, when its minister, now the honored head of one of our colleges, followed this practice. It was regarded as a piece of pharasaic ostentation. But when he went further, after a visit to the motherland, and requested the congregation to bow for a few moments in silent prayer af":er the benediction had been pronounced, some of those who "seemed to be pillars in the church," bolted from their pews as soon as the " Amen " was uttered, and by their noisy exit rudely |>rotested against the innovation. Dr. Sprott tells us that so startling was the novelty in some parts of Scotland, that a beadle, seeing the minister bow his head, th-ought that he had been taken suddenly ill, and rushed to the pulpit with a glass of water. It is now so common amongst all denominations that our ministers may 96 reintroduce this seemly and helpful custom without exciting any adverse comment whatever. Divine worship, according to the order of the Directory begins with the minister calling on the people "to the worshipping of the great name of God." This '• Preface " is common to all the liturgies In the Anglican it is very full and couched in chaste and appropriate language. In the John Knox liturgy the precise words are left to the minister who is " to exhort the people diligently to examine themselves," and follow *' in their hearts the tenor of his words" in the general confession following. In all the reformed liturgies passages of Scripture were recited, and the call to worship was founded upon them. The restora- tion of this most protestant custom is much to be desired. In most of our churches the " prefacing" is reduced to the abrupt words 'Let us pray." or the minister silently raises his hands as a signal for the people to assume the attitude of prayer. There was a simplicity and dignity in the old formula ' Let us begin, (or resume) the public worship of God by singing to his prnise &c." but it is no longer used. In some churches the "Preface" is sung by the choir in the form of a doxology or invitatory psalm. It does not, however, come so appropriately from them as from the one who is to conduct the service. The opening act of worship is prayer, and the themes suggested in the Directory, are invocation, confession of sin, and prayer for a blessing upon the reading of the Word. The absence of invocation formed one of the Puritan objections to the Book of Common Prayer, but neither is it found in the other reformed liturgies. In " the Office for Morning Prayer' of the " Holy Catholic Apostolic Church" (Irvingite) which is thoroughly Protestant, and is framed upon the best ancient models, the " Invocation " is in the words * In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,"(Response) "Amen,"and follows the recitation of the Scripture invitation to worship, " O come let us worship and bow down ; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker ; for he is our ^rod ; and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep oi his hand." This is also the form used by the German Reformed Church, but the Scripture sentence is not used. The deepest impression of the worshipper when approaching into the Divine pre- A bout exciting he Directory pie "to the is '• Preface " :an it is very inguage. In e left to the y to examine tenor of his In all the recited, and Fhe restora- ) be desired. duced to the ilently raises the attitude y in the old worship of longer used. the choir in It does not, Tom the one the themes onfession of ding of the one of the Prayer, but es. In " the ic Apostolic stant, and is vocation " is I of the Son, d follows the p, " O come )re the Lord le people of s is also the ch, but the impression Divine pre- 37 • ; sence being consciousness of sin, confession of it should take precedence of all other acts. Only when we have washed our hands in innocency may we approach God's altar. To Calvin belongs the credit of having first suggested the Gent'ral Confession at the opening of divine worship and the form given in the Anglican liturgy is copied from his service book of 1545, through intermediate sources. The first form given in the John Knox liturgy is. in sub- stance, the one common to all the continental reformed churches, including the Waldensian. It is in use amongst them to the present day, and is also found in the Anglican communion office. For nearly 400 years this has been uttered Sabbath by Sabbath by millions of our brethren of the General Alliance, would it not be a new bond of more than mere sympathy if we should rejoin them in this venerable "form of sound words." But whether a form be audibly repeated or not, the opening prayer should begin with a full confession of sins in general. Immediately after confession, Calvin suggests that "some striking promise of Scrioture should follow, whereby sinners might be raised to the hopes of pardon and recon- ciliation," and this hint is adopted in "the comfortable words "of the ^lUglican Communion office and in some other liturgies. The " New Directory of the Free Church Society " gives a number of sentences suitable for this purpose. Prof Lorimer tells us that in " the practice of the Lord's Supper, as used in Berwick by John Knox," after the confession we have the following rubric : " Some notable place of the Evangel, wherein God's mercy is most evidently declared, should be read, plainly to assure the penitent of full remission of all offences ; and thereafter ought the minister openly to pronounce such as unfeignedly repent and believe in Jesus Christ, to be absolved from all damnation, and to stand in the favor of God." This "Absolution" is found in some place in all the reformed liturgies. In none is the authority of the Minister of Christ to speak in his Master's name and declare His pardon more definitely asserted than in the Scottish " Book of Common Order," the ancient liturgy of our Church. That " God hath given power and commandment to his ministers to declare and pronounce to His people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of th eir .sin.s. i« nnt a a " raj )f 38 Popery " but the sound church doctrine of Calvin and Knox. I need not point out that this differs toto avlo from the Rorrish sacrament of absolution as defined by the Council of Trent. The canon of that council says, " If any one saith that the sacrament of absolution of the priest is not a judicial act, but a bare ministry of pronouncing and declaring sins to be forgiven to him who confesses let him be anathema." The view thus banned by Rome is that of the Reformers without exception. Most generally we find the Absolution in its simpler and more ancient precative form, as in the Anglican con)munion service. Upon the declaration of ":vivenci.s and acceptance most naturally follows the se!'-"' ' tion of the worshipper. He responds to the divine mere;, by presenting himself a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is his reasonable worship. (R. V. margin.) In the daily services of the Church of England the Lord's Prayer is introduced immediately after the absolution, and this would seem to be the most fitting place for its insertion, the divinely appointed and model prayer being the first offering of the lips presented by the pardoned and accepted worshipper. In the Dutch Reformed church the Lord's Prayer concludes the opening invocatory prayer. In the Liturgy of the German Reformed Church, it is con- nected with the prayer after sermon as in the '' Book of Common Order." It was universally recited at some part of the service in all the churches of Christendom, until about the year 1640, when some who arrogated to them- selves the title of the " godly party" began to 'scunder it ' and called it a " threedbare prayer." Their influence so prevailed that the leading lights of the church preached against it as unsuitable for Christian worship, and it was wholly cast out of the public services of the Scottish churches. Whether we regard the use of it as obligatory or not. certainly no one but will now welcome its restoration to a place in divine worship. As we might expect, the Westminster Directory has little to say regarding it. The sole reference is contained in the following short paragraph, "And because the prayer which Christ taught his disciples is not only a pattern of prayer, but itself a most compre- hensive prayer, we recommend it also to be used in the prayers of the church." In the majority of our churches it xV- .'^ f Calvin and to to ca'/o from fined by the says, " If any f the priest is louncing and ifesses ;1 by Rome is [ost jjenerallv more ancient 1 service. \ acceptance e worshipper, infj himself a which is his En 0^1 and the ie absolution, place for its prayer bein^j oardoned and ;d church the atory prayer, rch, it is con- he '• Book of at some part endom, until :ed to them- ' scunder it "' influence so rch preached ), and it was the Scottish as obligatory ts restoration expect, the ding it. The irt paragraph, : his disciples rjost compre- used in the r churches it is said immediately before the sermon. In two, it is repeated audibly by the people, and in two it is chanted by the choir. The subdued voices of the people are much more impressive, to my mind, than the most artistic music. There is no reference in the Directory to the responding of " Amen " at the close of prayer. The frequent use of " So be it," instead of "Amen," in the John Knox Liturgy, rather indicates that this was said by the minister as well as the prayer. The absence of distinguishing type— capitals or Italics — confirms this suspicion. I have read somewhere, but cannot recall my authority, that the ancient Scottish custom was to follow all the prayers in a scarcely audible undertone, or with a mere motion of the lips, and if this be true the " Amen " would not be treated otherwise than the prayer to which it was appended. Some of us will remem- ber to have seen this muttering of the prayer on the part of aged people of a past generation. About the time of the Westminister Assembly there seems to have been a great dislike to responses of any kind Dr. Leishman tell us that in a Scottish pamphlet of 1690 it is stated that, even under the Episcopal system, "Amen" gave great offence, though neither the clerk nor people used it, buc only the minister "shut up" his prayer with it. That it is n»cant for a higher use than merely to '' shut up" a prayer with, needs no proof. Until it is passed down from the pulpit to the pew we cannot give it its effective place in worship All the recently published guides to Presby- terian worship, direct that it be uttered by the people. It is surely inconsistent to sing it with our hymns and refuse to say it with our prayers. The next feature of the service is the reading of the Scripture lessons. This the Westminster divines dis- tinctly held to be a ministerial act, and to be performed only by a minister or licentiate. This is decidedly a "higher" view than had obtained in Scotland, but it was one which was readily assented to by the Scottish com- missioners. It was quite in accordance with the high estimate which the church had always put upon the read- ing of the word of God. Henceforth this portion of the service was to he regarded as God speaking to his people by the voice of his accredited ambassador. The text was to depend upon the portion of Scripture appointed Id for the day. and that was not to be regulated by any artificial arrangement of sacred seasons, but bv the order o the canonical books themselves. It was 'enjoined that • aU the canonical books of the Old and New testaments shal be pnbhcly read m the vulgar tongue out of the bes alovved translation, distinctly, that all may hear and under stand, and also "that ordinarily one chapter of each Testament be read at every meeting, and sometimes more where the chapters be short, or the coherence of matter requireth if -All the canonical books were to be read over ,n order, that the people may be better acquainte w.th the whole body of the Scriptures, and ord ni riv where the reading in either Testament ende^o "o .^e Lord s day, ,t is to begin the next." To this rule we wou d respectfully call the attention of our minis e^ Te almost universal custom is to select a brief passage n some way connected with the text. Of the evils of thi. metho I have already spoken. Were we to fol ^'c fully prepared lectionary framed on the principles of our Directory and find our texts ,n the lesson read we wou d veV^hh r' "^-^^ Divine Word and furnish or- selves with a perennial source of varied and interesting topics of discourse. The perplexity which i so of en experienced in selecting a text wLld be reduced to a minimum, if not overcome altogether. In addition to the two chanters, the Directorv recom SureL^'p'r^"^"^."^^'"^^ "^ -^h p7rti ns of the CitnnV /'''"'' Chanting was not in favor with fnrm f ''"'' ""^^ Unknown in Scotland. It is not a lation nf^^h'^r '"''"' '''? congregation. The rapid artku! i r^^ass of unt^''' T' '^ '^' ^'^"^^ ^^"""^ ^e followed by a mass of untrained singers, and the result is that the ner- formance is left to the choir and organ. A much better ^^et VistlTbv tf "^-^'^ '""'^^""^ responsive HebT; To do th Ltfi- ^. I ""T'^' ^"^ '^^ P^^P'e alternately. be followed not t?^ '^l parallelism of structure should u?, '. ^ ^"^ mechanical divis on into verses In II th e responsive parts printed in Italics, which may be obtained at a very small cost. After the rcadiii^r of tht; Scripture lessons most litur^Mcs intnxhice the reeitation of the Apostles' Creed. In the .iohii Ki >x liturjjy it was placed near the close of the service, mU^r the Lord's Prayer and I.efore tlie last jtsalin, prefaced by the words "Almi^dity and everlivin^' (Jod,' yonchsafo we beseech Tluu-, to^n-ant us i)erfect continu in tl y nv( dy faitl ance L'J'ow to the full I, au^Mru^ntin^' the sanu! in uh daily, till we •fecti< Ch <> uw run measure oi our periectioi. whereof we niaki; confession sayin^j : / hrllcvc, &c." The use of the creeo suw^. This is the first exorcise of praise mentioned, l)ut a psalm ot* adoration, or pure prais<', nii^dit well follow the Lord's Prayer and precede the lessons, and another conu; between the Old and New Testament selections where tlie psalms ani not chanted. The sin(rin<,^ of the ancient canticles should he encoura^-ed. As a Itianch of the church catholic we ouf^ht not to cast away our herita<,'e of sacred son^. The nohlo Tc Drum; the Son^ of the Vir<^in Mary, or the Mof/nifirdf.; The Son^ of Simeon, or tW' Nunc f)iii)lltiH\ and the Soul;- of Zacharias, or the JienriHrfii.s ouijht to Mnd some place in our services ms well as in those; of churches which are less pure and scriptural in their worship. They wen; api)ended to the I'salter which was used before tlie Westminstei' Assembly, and were discontinue(l indifference to I'uritan scruj)les. The Sonij of the Three; H(>brew Children, the apocryphal utterance of Azarias in the Fiery Fui-nance, called the Bciwdicite, which has been sui._i>' fi-om a very early period, and is as much inspired as any of our inod(;rn hymns, and is as historical as " Scott's wha hae," has also a claim \\\un\ oui- attention. One of these niioht be suufjf either before* or after the New Testament lesson instead of a Hymn or metrical psalm The Anthem, bein^- in .some senses the most |)erfect form of praise, would appropriately close the service before the collection of the otierini^s of the people. While the old ' Psalm Book" was in u.se it was customaiy to sinar to the ves so hound hy ) resume the u.se of the Scottish I reat and divitie reforn lers o the Father, and to the S was in tin; hcLdnninL'". i >ratich of the Catholic Church. " (ih.rv he t( without en( d ai, juid to the Holy(ihost; As it s no'v, and ever shall he, world Amen," miijht amun he said or su "ff wherever tlu; psalms are read responsively or chanted Ihe tollown.^r noble passa^M. r,-,,,,! Hooke-r's' hW/rsias/inU Polit Hy H is worth (|Uotinxr in this (;onnecti on. " 'I'oucliinir the inn of (dory, our usual conclusion to psalms, the^rlory of all thmiTs ,s that wherein their hi^'hest perfection doth con- sist ; and thc^lory of (iod, that divine excellency wlx-rehy he IS eminent, above all thin^rs, his omnipotent, intinit.-. and eternal Heind.r('d which dutitui acknowledgement of Cod's excelleney by occasion of special effects, bein^r the very proper subject and almo.st the ordy matter purposely treated of in all l^salms, if that joyful hymn of ^dory have any place in the Chuich ot Cod, whose name we herewith extol and nia^rnify, can we place it more fitly than where it now serveth as a close or conclusion to the P.salms." The p.salms or hymns which are sung in c-nnection with the Scripture lessons should express joy and gratitude for mercies received, especially for the Gospel and Salvation. 1 he prayer before the sermon, as given in the Directory IS too long for mo(^ei-n patience. We would prefer to con- hne Its topics to Thanksgiving, Supplication and prayer for 1 lumination, assigning to the general Intercession its old place in the John Knox liturgy, after the sermon It might be followed by the Anthem and the Offertory Thi.s 44 liittrr should .ilwji^'s l»o rorjanlod as a!i art of worship. ati congrega- tiese forms, ice, I must le peculiar n for vari- eighth cen- e guidance ,ments. It mes discre- The term 53 ! ' Common ' might suggest a comparison, perhaps a contrast, with the Book of Common Prayer, previously in use. It was ' common ' because it was not only a service hy the people and not by priests alone, but because it was for the people in every church throughout the nation. The word expresses the meaning which, in the following century, was conveyed by the word ' uniform.' The churches throughout the land were to have a service common to all. The whole form is in close conformity with the Genevan liturgy of 1643, which became the model for all the Reformed liturgies except that of the English Church. The Book of Common Prayer borrowed much from them, but they borrowed nothing from it. Calvin was preceded in Geneva by Farel, who had swept away every vestige of the ancient worship, so that his successor was able to go directly back to the Holy Scriptures for guidance and authority. The Genevan morning service for the Lord's day began with the reading of the appointed chapters of Holy Scripture and the Ten Commandments ; then, after a very brief formula of invocation and a single sentence of exhortation, with the confession. After a psalm had been sung, a prayer for illumination followed. For this the minister might take a form provided or one composed by himself. The sermon was followed by the prayer for all conditions, the Lord's Prayer, the recitation of the Apostle's Creed, and the benediction. The service was long neither as a whole nor in any of its parts. The minister was rigorously tied down to this service once a week, — that is, on Sunday mornings ; but ample provision for free prayer was made by the rubric that * On week days the minister useth such words in prayer as may seem to him good, suit- ing his prayer to the occasion and the matter whereof he treats in preaching.' Such is substantially the service now maintained in all the Reformed churches of the European continent. All this was reproduced in the Book of Com- mon Order ; except that the prayer after sermon might be varied, according to a rubrical permission, — a liberty of which Knox often availed himself in his conflicts with the Court. In the service for baptism, the communion, and marriage, everything is prescribed, and no latitude is given to the minister. The communion was to be ministered once a month, or as oft as expedient, and baptism and i n 64 marriage were to be in church on the Sabbath day in presence of the congregation. The fundamental principle of all the Reformed litur- gies, the Anglican excepted, is the conjunction of free with prescribed prayer. The advantages and disadvantages in each were balanced by using both. But there was a com- mon Order; so that in the substance and succession the worshipper always knew what was coming, and confusion and surprise were prevented. At the same time, as it was not accordant with primitive Christianity to restrain all expression of the free spirit, free prayer was allowed in one part of the daily service and encouraged in all other meetirgs of the Church. The rubrical directions for bap- tism, the communion, and marriage, allowed no deviaticm ; because these were of the nature of vows or engagements. A very special feature was the extensive use made of the psalms. Calvin clearly perceived that the psalms were the Church's response to the Divine message. This response burst from human hearts in a warm tide of emotion diver- sified by all kinds of experience. The psalmist might speak in the first person, but he spoke as a representative believer and an organ of inspiration. The psalms are the \oice of the Church. They everywhere breathe achurchly s|)irit, and they were written not to be read or recited but to be sung, and if possible sung responsively. It may be confidently affirmed that this collection of sacred song can nerer with propriety be omitted from the services of the Church of that God whom its devout aspirations bring so near to the human soul, or that anything can be found on earth to take its place. When we hear it merely read by the minister, the psalm strikes the ear with a kind of inverted majesty. It must in some way be uttered by the Church which has been divinely furnished with this voice in which to call upon and cry out to the living God. The minister's part in the service was confession, intercession, and preaching, to which the people replied in the psalms by adoration, praise, and exhortation. The minister's prayers contain only confession and intercession, and with- out the psalms would have furnished an incomplete service. Calvin wholly rejected audible responses without musical expression as fitted not to awaken but to disturb devotion. The psalms were translated into metre by Clement Marot ms were 66 and Theodore Beza and set to plain tunes which could easily be followed by the whole people. Krox adopted the same method, using for this purpose the version of btern- hold and Hopkins. This psalm sin^mg was so marked a feature that the whole Book of Common Order was usually called 'The PsB,lm Book ' not only in common speech but in Acts of Assembly. The liturgy and the psalms in Geneva and Scotland were invariably bound together. All the prayers in the Book of Common Order and in the Geneva liturgy are models of simplicity and comprelien- siveness, but the daily offices are especially beautiful. The morning prayer was being heard by Coligny when the assassins burst into his chamber; and the evening prayer was read to John Knox two hours before he expired. When asked if he had heard it, he replied, ' Would that you and all men had heard as I have heard it. I praise God for that heavenly sound.' The last edition of the Book of Common Order was issued in 1644, and the Directory was adopted by the General Assembly in 1645. In a work, known to be by Alexander Henderson, published in 1641, and intended to correct an impression prevalent in England that the Scots had no settled forms of worship, he describes the worship in his day. The churches were open every day for the reading of prayers, and on one day of each week there was a regular service with sermon. On Sundays at 7 o'clock a bell was rung to warn the people to prepare tor public worship. Another bell at 8 o'clock served to assem- ble the congregation. Each person on entering the church bowed in silent prayer. As there were no pews the nien stood while the women sat on chairs or stools. The reader read from the lectern the common prayers and gave out psalms to be sur g. The singing was always concluded with the ' Gloria Patri.' He then read chapters from the Old and New Testaments. After another hour another bell announced the entrance of the minister, who bowed as the people had done. Many have v/ondered at the ringing ot three bells in Scotch churches on Sunday mornings and inquired what it is done for. It is simply a survival ot the old worship. We have lost the prayers, and for our com- fort or vexation we have the bells. The minister began with a conceived prayer, which was understood to be tor II 56 illuiiiinHtion. Then followed tlie sermon, the prayer for all estates, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the benediction — all forming a service, scriptural in character, lo^jical in structure, and in harmony with the order of all Reformed churches on the European continent. It was not tedious, as the ajje of lon^ sermons and long prayers had not arrived. The Scots church would have retained it sul>- stantially till now but for the violent interference of the au*-horities of another church and anocher people. At the accession of James I, a Presbyterian Kin^, the Puritan members rf the Church of England hoped for some relief from obnoxious ceremonies ; but their most reasonable recjuests were contemptuously rejected. He told them that they must conform, or he would harry them out of the land. Under Charles I., persecution more and more increased till the meeting of the Long Parliament, when the situation was reversed, and Laud was sent to the prison to which he had consigned so many conscientious men. The Scots, in defence of their despised and insulted w^or- ship, hud invaded England, and when their Commissioners were treating with the king at Ripon, Connnissioners from the Long Parliament arrived for a similar purpose. It was at this point that the Scots and English began toco-operate. In 1643— -a year after the civil war had begun — Encrlish Commissioners appeared at the General Assembly in Edin- burgh and proposed a league between the two kingdoms. As the Scots desirtd a religious covenant also, the Solemn League and Covenant was subscribed by both nations. It was in consequence of this conjunction that Scottish Com- missioners went to the Westminster As.sembly — an English Council called by the Long Parliament to reform the Eng- lish Church. We do not know what reforms the English divines might have made in the Church of England, nor what kind of polity or worship or discipline they would have established without the aid of the Scots, but we do know that it was in consequence of this treaty that the Scots gave up their ancient Book of Common Order and adopted the Westminster Directory. *♦♦*♦**#» The Preface of the Directory, which sets forth the views and aims of the Divines, should be carefully studied by all who would understand ^his formulary. It refers ^ lyer for all benediction lofficul in I Reformed <)t tedious, r.s had not ed it sul)- ?nce of the e. 1 Kin^, the hoped for their most d. He told i them out 3 and more leut, when the prison tious men. ulted wor- missioners yners from se. It was co-operate. — Enp-lish y in Edin- kin^doms. he Solemn ations. It ttish Com- m English 1 the En^- 16 English gland, nor ley would Jut we do that the )rder and forth the ly studied It refers 67 almost solely to England and the English Church. They say, • We have resolved to lay aside the formvjr liti'rgy with the many rites and ceremonies formerly used in the wor- ship of God, and have agreed upon this following Directory for all the parts of public worship at ordinary and extra- ordinary times," etc. It is called a ' Directory ' to distin- guish it from a liturgy, wherein all is set down to be followed without change and no discretion is allowed. Here the general heads, the sense and scope of the prayers, are given ' that there may be a consent of all the churche'j in those things that contain the substance of the service and worship of God.' Tlio meaning of this is that, though the majority desired a fixed order in all the churches, the Independents did not wish even a Directory, but entire and unrestricted liberty — which some may think to be the beau icUal of public worship jind of which we now have enough and to spare. The name ' Directory ' implies that the rubrics and forms were to be strictly followed, except in parts where latitude is allowed. Betwixt 1645 and the Restoration, all was confusion, and the book was only imperfectly brought into use. From the Restoration to the Revolution, matters were worse, and neither prelatists nor Presbyterians had any fixed form. They were in that happy state which many think the best. Both prayed entirely without book as long or as short and in whatever order they pleased. The Directory was not legally sanctioned at the Revolution, which was a compro- mise in all respects. Only the c'^'^fession was adopted, and the Church was left without even a catechism or a form of worship. By repeated Acts, however, down to 1856 the General Assembly has endeavored to strengthen the author- ity of the Directory ; so that it is at this time the only proper standard of public worship. As all this took place before the divisions in the Church of Scotland, the Direc- tory occupies the .same position in the non-established Churches in Scotland and England, two of which have marked their desire for improvement by authorizing forms for special services. The book issued by the United Pres- byterian Church is of such a character that it must be a great help to ministers and people of tliat large and respectable body of Christians. The Euchologion, or Book I 68 of Common Order, first published by the Church Service Society in 18fj5, and now in its sixth eflition, has wrought a reformation in tiie worsliip of the (Jhurch of Scotland, as well aa other Presbyterian churches. The profe'ssed object of this Society has been not innovation upon the present, but reMoration of the past. It has been denomi- nated by a spirit of reverence for old Presbyterian forms. The existence of associations in all the three Presbyterian churches in Scotland and the Presbyterian Church in Eng- land, having similar ends in view, and discussinjjf such subjects as not only an amended Directory but also an optional litur^jy with some responses, the rehearsal of the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles' or Nicene Creed, and the reading of the Ten Command ments, shows plainly how the current of opinion is flowing. In the United States the Direc- tory was adopted in 1729, and recommended to b« used ' as near as circumstances will allow.' The Rev. Charles W. Baird, in his most instructive little book on liturgies, men- tions that when the Synod of Philadelphia revised its Con- stitution in 1788 it renewed the adoption of the Directory, with the instruction that it was to be followed as each min- ister ' shall think meet,' and threw out a number of forms of prayer — for the invocation before sermon, before and after baptism, at the Lord's table, upon exercising^ discipline, at the solemnization of marriaj^e, in the sick room, at ordina- tions, and nine prayers for the family, which had been drafted by its own committee. He gives specimens of these rejected forms, which are fine liturgical compositions and show that the Synod's committee were men of taste as well as devotion, and were well acquainted with that kind of literature. We may speculate upon what effect the adop- tion of their draft might have had upon the public worship of the Presbyterian Church of the United States. In Canada the Directory is part of the basis on union in 1875, and it is similarly part of the constitution of the Irish Presbyterian Church. The acceptance is universal, and so also are the deviations from its explicit directions. Thus the Reformers in all countries declared for fixed forms combined with free prayer. These forms both in Knox's book and the Directory were supplemented by the Psalms, which are an essential part of Presbyterian wor- ship. As the Assembly of 1645, in their zeal for the i^.^■^\ 80 ancient worship, resolved to retain whatever was not otherwise onlererl in the Directory, it would only he right and lawful in our present circunistanceH to restore the use of the Apostles' Creed, the Ten ComnmndmentH, and the Lord's Prayer as the most concise expression of the ele- ments of "the Christian Relif(ion,— doctrine, duty, and devotion. For the daily service the Directory provided regularity of order, and for special services a prescrihed form. By this method the divines, though they have sig- nally failed, honestly endeavored to control the love of novelty and to check the presiunption of ignorant and thoughtless men. They sought to keep a middle place between the rigorous monotony of the Book of Common Prayer and that unbridled license in worship which was the delight of the sectaries. Indeed, experience proves that without sacramental forms the true doctrine of the sacraments will be perpetually mis.stf.ted or misapprehended, and their benefits may be lessened or lost to the partakers. To adopt any Directory with the proviso that it is to be followed as far as circumstances allow, is to defeat its pur- pose. When any latitude is given, more will be taken than was given. For proof of this, we have merely to point to the a^'spect of all Presbyterian Churches at the present time. A Directory compiled by the most representative divines of their age, assisted by lay-assessors, revised by both Houses, and accepted by the Scots civil and ecclesiastical authorities, might well claim some attention ; but all its provisions are systematically violated. Infinite diversity prevails, and confusion extraordinary. The Directory does indeed require enlargement ; but as far as it goes, its order is simple, scriptural, and free from all ambiguous and unauthorized symbolism; but all this diversity means not only that we differ from the formulary, but that we have a most depraved delight in differing from one another. It would be too tedious to enumerate these profuse and unprofitable variations. Any one who pleases may do this for himself to some extent — but only to some extent, for such knowledge is too wonderful for any one individual. This diversity ranges through all degrees, from sheets dis- tributed among the pews for each service, to the curtailed worship of the last generation. A partial remedy is com- monly sought by a written order being kept in each pulpit 60 for the use of the occasional supply,--an arrangement very tryincr to the preacher for the day, who has to learn a new ritual; and who, when he has enough to think about is haunted with the fear that he may be breaking through an order which he does not know. This irregulari y may be expected to increase by ministers using different manuals of their own selection; and all the while the Church does nothing but gather hymns and hymn-tunes of a" kinds and bind them for our use in volumes larger than our Bibles ; and when any atter^r^ i« "^^de to reform matters some of our most devoted ministers and laymen are met with all sorts of dark suspicions calculated to excite pre- judice and prevent people from arriving at a correct opinion .'on a most important subject, and with the well-known cry for what is called the good old way. It may be well to ask. What is that way [since there are «« "^"^ J^y^JJ The Book of Common Order is one way, and the Directory is another. A way might be good without being old, and it might be old without being good. Probably such com- plainers, by ' the good old way mean their own way. They think ths^t it^s old. and, because it ,s theirs, it mus be o^ood. not only for themselves but for all others. But it is'not always good for people to have their own way ,- especially when It is not very old and may not be very good, and when so many love it. not so much for its own sake as for the delightful sensation of forcing it upon other neople But Church-rulers should always remember that the people have an option; and that they can take their own way too. When persecuted in one city they can flee to another. When they do not find, and cannot get. what they want in one church, they can seek it elsewhere Under ordinary circumstances, the Presbyterian Church must appeal very strongly to the sympathies of religious people who are reasonable and don't delight in extremes. It looks for its polity where it finds its doctrine and dis- cipiine -nowhere but in Scripture. In polity it stands between Prelacy and Independency, and in worship it ou^htto stand, Where it stood long ago— both m the six- tee^nth and seventeenth centuries,-between Ritualism and Radicalism. It ought to allow some freedom but it ought to be a regulated freedom, lest it may fail m sceiirmg such respect for its ordinances as may produce respect tor I 61 itself and for religion. Extempore pvayer being allowed, ifmicrht be well to interpose such questions as the tollow- ine: Can it ever be a prayer not offered to hni by &n ordinary congregation ? Can the people supplicate before they know or feel the want ? Can such an exercise rise higher than a meditation ? Can the people ever be more than hearers ? Are they not often critics? and. since the exercise stimulates curiosity, can they well help this unde- vout attitude of mind ? Is not the pleasure experienced in such an exercise rather the delight of being witness to a succession of pious reflections and emotions m another without any participation of these in themselves, or any thought of this ? Does not the leader in this exercise suc- ceed best when he forgets the presence of others, and, becoming wrapt in himself, pours forth his own rapturous experience or desires to God ?-that is, forgets or ignores the true nature of an exercise in which he is supposed to be representative and to express the average wants and feelings of human beings and of Christians? Does not all this g?ve too much a mediatorial character to the Christian ministry? Can such prayer ever be the voice ot the Church ? Is there, or can there be, in this world any exercise so difficult for any mortal man ? Prayer is not a strii • of Scripture passages, but the highest result ot faith— the rich flower and fruit of pious thought and experienee.-a holy secretion of digested thought and life. The^e are questions of immense moment. I hope American Presbyterians, with their predominating good sense, are destined to answer them and practically solve them for us all as they have done in many other cases ; and 1 cannot but think that a lecture course on this subject, in this, one of the greatest and most progressive ot the American theological school., is a bright augury ot some change which may be an improvement in our worship, by which Presbyterians all over the world will be gainers. 02 (2.) Worship in Non-Liturgical Churches. By the Rev. George Dana Boardman, D. D., LL. D., Honorary Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Philadelphia. " How then shall we as a congregation of worshippers express our worship ? Unitedly, as one congregation ; or isolatedly, as a congregation of one ? Before undertaking to answer this question, permit me to say that I have the painful ccmviction that the worshippers in our non-liturgi- cal churches are allowed too small a part in the public worship of Almighty Ggd. With the exception of the responsive Bible readings now prevailing in some of our cK iiches, and also of the singing (alas, even this privilege is in many instances artistically denied us), everything is done by a vicarious worshipper. No voice but the preach- er's is heard in adoration, thanksgiving, confession, suppli- cation, intercession, aspiration, communion. So far as the vocal act of homage goes, the preacher alone worships. Should some angelic visitor enter one of our sanctuaries and observe the silence of the congregation, I am not sure but that he would imagine that some calamity like that which befell ancient Zacharias in the temple had befallen Christ's churchly priesthood to-day, and he would wonder- ingl}' ask what sin this people had committed that they should thus be struck dumb. Enter any Roman Catholic sanctuary while the service is going on. The priest is everything ; the laity is nothing. From beginning to end- ing, excepting the organist and choir, it is the priest who carries on the entire worship ; the congregation remaihing as voiceless as an a.sylum of mutes or a graveyard of the dead. Enter one of our non-liturgical churches, and the same scone in its essential features is re-enacted. From beginning to ending, with the exception of the singing, and it may be of the responsive reading, it is the minister who is everything ; the congregation is nothing. It is the min- ister who does the preaching ; and this of course is right. But nrfiflphiiur is not- strietlv sneakinrr. a narfc of worsliin- s^orshiD^ 68 Preaching means exposition, instruction, warning, entreaty, comforting, building up of the body of Chiist. As such, and in its own place, preaching is of supreme importance, and indeed indispenwable. But preaching in itself is not a part of worship. The addressing men on the subject ot their duties and privileges is not worship. But prayer, not less than praise, is a part of worship. Indeed, to praise without praying is to worship as wor- shipped Cain and the Pharisee. And now our question is, —How shall we as a congregation of worshippers express our prayers, our service of confessions, supplications, inter- cessions, aspirations ? Shall each worHhipper pray silently, following the minister as he prays for the congregation ? Or shall the minisier and the congregation pray together, joining their voices in familiar and appropriate fornnilas ? In brief shall the congregation pray directly ; or shall it pray by' proxy ? Both directly and by proxy is my answer. On the one hand, we need extemporaneous prayers. Observe, however, that when I say 'extemporaneous, I do not njeari unpremeditated. For no minister has a right to undertake to lead his people in their devotions, and at the same time to allow himself to drift before God in his pray- ing If ever a pastor should carefully arrange his thoughts beforehand, asking the Spirit's guidance in his preparation, it is when he undertakes to present his flock before the Chief Pastor, voicing tor them their manifold desires and needs No; by extemporaneous prayers I mean prayers that are unwritten, or at least unread, And such prayers, when duly premeditated, are apt to be fresh, specihc, appro- priate, syn>pathetic, fervent, unctional. Just here, as I venture to think (may my dear brethren of the hturgical churches forgive me for saying it '.), is one A the serious defects in their noble form of worship. Profoundly con- vinced as I am of the need and the beauty ot liturgical forms of worship, I would never surrender the precious privileges and spiritual worth of extemporaneous prayers, in the house of God. But as this is already one of our established usages, I need not descant on it further. On the other hand, we need forms of devotion as well as the spirit of devotion. Young brethren, the older 1 „.^«r fl.P mnre imcomoetent I feel for attempting to lead 64 the people's devotion extemporaneously. As the flying years brinfj with them more of experience and observation, the more I shrink from the possible disasters incident to extemporaneous prayers, — for instance, grammatical blunders ; tortuous movements; forced retreats ; explanatory parentheses ; ill-timed allusions ; unfortunate reminiscences, and oblivions as unfortunate ; unintentional exaggerations ; personal idiosyncr8>sies ; capricious moods ; theological pro- cesses ; conscious mentalities ; in one word, egoism. And therefore I thank the Master of Assemblies that He has at sundry times and divers manners moved saintly men of all communions to provide prayers for the use of His Church, — prayers which are choice in thought ; brief in statement ; comprehensive in range ; manifold in variety ; specific in details ; reverent in expression ; hallowed in associations ; reverend in antiquity. For prayers, like hymns, are the common heritage of all Christ's people in all lands and all times and all communions. Our brethren of the Greek Church have no more right to monopolize the Prayer of St. Chrysostom than our brethren of the Methodist Church have the right to monopolize Charles Wesley's " Jesus, Lover of my Soul." If it is right to praise God by singing together the same hymns, why is it not right to pray to God by joining together in the same prayers ? Is prayer less solemn than praise ? Oh, brothers, why take such pains to elaborate our written sermons before finite and sinful men, and yet presume to extemporize our prayers before infinite and sinless God ? Of whom shall we be the more afraid, — them who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do ; or Him who has power to destroy both body and soul in Gehenna ? Yea, I say unto you, Fear Him. But while all this is true, we must take care lest in our use of collects and liturgical prayers we allow ourselves to become slaves to ritual. Laws which alter not may have become heathen Medes and Persians : they hardly become the followers of Christ ; for where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Appropriate, beautiful, devout, uplift- ing as many of the collects are, they must not be allowed to supplant liberty of conscience or freedom of emotion and expression. Minister and people must stand fast here in the liberty wherewith Christ set us free, lest we be d6 entangled again in some yokf^ of bondage which our liturgical fathers or our non-liturgical contemporaries may- have imposed. Having thus insisted on the right of Chris- tian liberty here, I feel free to say that while extempor- aneous prayers and liturgical prayers are both allowable, they are hardly equally allowable, my judgment leaning, in the majority of cases, to the use of appropriate and hallowed formulas. Doubtless the wisest course here is to have a liturgy which is flexible, judiciously blending the stateliness of ancient formulas and the tenderness of modern adjustments. Glancing back at the territory through which we have sped, let me re-indicate some of the points where we halted for special inspections. We have seen that worship is a divine instinct; that the God of Revelation made provision for this instinct in His liturgy for ancient Israel ; that Israel's liturgy was abolished under and in Christ ; that, notwithstanding this abolition, forms of worship are still indispensable ; that liturgy is a question of degree rather than of substance ; that devotions are the chief parts of worship ; that vorship in non-liturgical churches tends to be vicarious ; that we must guard against vain repetitions ; that the " Lord's Prayer " is our model for worship ; that the two chief elements of worship are praise and prayer ; that music is the natural outlet of praise ; that the Psalter is the Church's chief praise-book ; that chanting is the noblest form of church music ; that extemporaneous prayers have certain immense advantages of freshness, adaptedness, personality, sympathy, fervor, unction; that liturgical prayers have also certain immense advantages of variety, brevity, speciality, reverence, preciousness, and above all, concord. To sum up as compactly as possible : Worship in non- liturgical churches should have a liturgy that is flexible ; thus joining the stability of the golden altar with the mobility of its soaring incense. es (3.) The Ideal of Christian Worship. By the Rev. Thomas S. Hastings, D. D., LL. D, President of the Faculty of Union Theological Seminary, N. Y. Two types of worship have characterizefl Protestantism lit,ir°ieal and non-litufgical services. All who desire the 7ntyo? the Church should ..eek to blend these two t^s in one. That i,s the ideal. Some one nas .^ Ihe OosDcl edition of Leviticu.s is comprised in a single verse, •God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship ffim n spirit and in truth." All will agree with that. Worship U a matter of spirit rather than o form. But form Tnd spirit are no. antag'onistic. They be -g toge.W and form mav ser-e and help spirit, and spiut may subsiuue bea^tX^and glorify form, transfiguring it as on the moun of vision. My limits forbid a full review of the history of whi the Preslyterian Church has done «'* re erenc t this subject. Only some necessary points shall be touched. In 1787 a committee, appointed the year before to revise the "Book of Discipline and Directory (or Worship, e;orted° to the Syno'd of New York and Pelade pna a collection of dovotional forms, specimens of what the pub c prayers should be. A majority of the Synod, how- ever decided that only rfiroctions, and not forms, should be gWen Against this action some of the ablest and wisest Sin in the Church at that time - Doctors Rogers, McWhorter, Ashbel Green, and others-protested, desiring "t leas some forms should be given to the chm^.es. I should be noted that forms of prayer were not forbidden hut thev could not be i-mfomA or t'n}0%wd I quote the \1ZIZ the Directory: "But we think it nece,ssary to observe that, although we do not approve, as ,s wel known of confining ministers to set or fixed forms ot p"ayer for public worship; yet it is the indispensable duty S every minister, previously to his entering on his office to prepire and qualify himself for this part of his duty, as weU asfor preaching' He ought by a thorough acquaint- Tnce wi h the Holy Scriptures, by reading the best writers I' if ^^1 67 on the subject, by meditation, and by a life of communion with Ood in secret, to endeavor to acquire both the spirit and the gift of prayer." Going back still further, I would emphasize the fact that in 1543, Melancthon and Bucer prepared the Cologne Liturgy, a translation of which was published in London four years later. From this Cologne Liturgy, says Archbishop Laurence, in his work on the Thirty-nine Articles, pp. 377, 378, " Our offices bear evident marks of having been freely borrowed, liberally imitating, but not servilely copying it." This is the Anglican state- ment of the case. The Presbyterian statement is more definite and comprehensive. It is claimed that the whole Lord's day service, as usually celebrated, " contains but a single prayer (and even this exception is doubtful), that can be traced to a distinctively Episcopalian origin. In the occasional offices of baptism, matrimony, visitation of the sick, and burial of the dead, the question of authorship lies between the Calvinist and the Lutheran, or between the French and the < '.erman Protestant, rather than between the Presbyterian and the Episcopalian." The Book of Com- mon Order, prepared by John Knox (1564), had much in common with the Anglican Liturgy, and was formally adopted by the General Assembly. The Scotch Prayer Book, substantially agreeing with the Anglican Liturgy, was authorized by the General Assembly in 1637. This would doubtless have been generally acceptable, but for the attempt of Charles I. to force the Liturgy upon the church. This attempt led to the Solemn League and Covenant, which was the bold and decisive assertion of such liberty as Presbyterians have always loved and maintained. After the^Restoration, the Book of Common Prayer would have been adopted by the Presbyterians if it had been changed in some particulars, as Charles II. promised that it should be. The Savoy Conference failed to bring about an agreement, and then followed the famous Act of Uniformity in 16G2. Two thousand Presbyterian clergymen thereupon at once surrendered their livings, went forth penniless and homeless, because they would not be compelled to use a liturgy. ' The lessons are obvious. The Book of Common Prayer cannot be considered as the exclusive property of any" one branch of the Church ; it really belongs to the Church Catholic. It is a legacy, not from Cranmer alone, 68 but also from Calvin and Melancthon and Bucer and John Knox. Presbyterians have a historic ri^ht to use a iiturj^y, but its use must be discretionary, and not required. Whether prayer be free or prescribed, its quality and character will correspond with the quality and character of the Church and of her ministry. So Van Oosterzee says, speaking of Germany : " As regards the contents, we see reflected also in the Church prayer, whether free or pre- scribed, the different periods which were passed throufifh in the sphere of Church and theolofjy. Orthodoxism petrified it ; Formalism lengthened it ; Rationalism diluted and watered it ; Crypto-Catholicism restored it in a form harmonizing with its own aspirations ; but happily also, sincere devotion animated and raised it, in accordance with the wants of the time, to be the worthy expression of the highest life of the soul." In recent years there has been a growing uneasiness wit', reference to this subject, both in the liturgical and in the non-liturgical churches. The former want more liberty, — at least some room for free prayer ; the latter want less liberty and more uniformity. In 1880, in his brilliant paper read before the Presbyterian alliance in Philadelphia, the late President Roswell D. Hitchcock, D. D. L. L. D., said : — " Now in all liturgical churches, or nearly all, the liturgy is no longer servant, but master. There is too much of it for constant repetition. Liberty of omitting portions not always apposite, is unwisely denied. The absolute exclusion of extemporaneous peti- tions is equally unwise. And the overshadowed, dwarfed discourse would be a great misfortune were go )d discourse otherwise more likely to be had, . . . One of these days, though probably not till we are all gone, there will be a form of public service, which shall suit the matured and cultured none the less for suitirjg the immature and uncultured. . . . No existing Prayer Book satisfies any good Presbyterian. Still less would any good, wise Presbyterian ask to have a new P'-'-vyer Book made out of materials that are new. The materials mostly are old ; some of them very old, such as the ' Gloria in Excelsis,' the ' Tersanctus,' and the ' Te Deum.' Christendom could better spare any treatise of Athanasius than the prayer ascribed to Chrysostom : ' Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants as may be expedient for them, frranting us in" this world knowledge of th> truth, and in the world to come life everlasting." The farther we get down the centuries, the lore precious will be to us the long unbroken melodies of praise and prayer." . I have quoted these words of my honored predecessor, because with his main positions I heartily agree ; but I cannot quite agree with what he said about existing Prayer Books, and this may be because, in Dr. Hitchcock's view, I am not a good Presbyterian. I certainly do not want all that is found in any existing Prayer Book, or Ordinal, but as certainly I could find in the Book of Com- mon Prayer all the forms which I would crave for the use of our rion-liturgical churches. And I would far rather have the selections made from that venerable and beautiful liturgy, than to have new forms made by any ecclesiastical body, or by any association. I am not unmindful of the excellent work which has been done by the " Church Service Society " in Scotland. That Society was formed in Glasgow in 1865. The first edition of its Book of Com- mon Older was published in 1867, and the sixth edition in 1890, at which time it was reported that there were five hundred and six ministers and one hundred and thirty lay- men in the membership of the Society, representing more than sixty different Presbyteries. The Editorial Committee of this Society has searched the libraries of the great Universities to draw from all the liturgical literature of the centuries contributions for their work. Their methods have been scholarly, their labors abundant, and the results are of exceeding value. A similar society bearing the same name, has been organized in this country. But is it wise to multiply forms of prayer? In his Introduction to his Systematic Theology, Dr. Charles .Hodge says • " So legitimate and powerful is this inward teaching of the Spirit, that it is no uncommon thing to find men having two theologies, — one of the intellect, and another of the heart. The one may find expression in creeds and systems of divinity, the other in their prayers and hymns. It would be safe for a man to resolve to admit into his theology nothing which is not sustained by the devotional writings of true Christians of every denomination.^ It would be easy to construct from such writings, received 1 70 and sanctioned by Komnnists, Lutherans, Reformed, and Remonstrants, a system of Pauline or Auirustinian theology, such as would satisfy any intellicjent and devout Christ ian in the world.' 'This statement may be assumed to be orthodox. Accordinjrly, Chiistians of 'every denomination " may be asked and expected to unite with a (jfood degree of iiniformity in their " prayers and hymns." 80 the liistorical spirit, the tradition of the churches, the common longing for church unity, the sacredness and the beauty of the affluent liturgical literature which we inherit from the centuries, and the confessed deftciency and inadequacy of the av rage extemporaneous prayu, all nese things unite in a com- mon demand for sumo ptcijcribed forms of worship. The Lord's Prayer, all will agree, should have place and pro- minence, and it should be repeated in unison by the wliole congregation. In Rhenish Prussia, and elsewhere, the beautiful custom has prevailed of tolling the bell when the Lord's Prayer is repeated in the public worship, so that those who are detained ♦Vom the house of God by .sickness or other causes may join in the common service. The Commandments should be read, combining duty with devotion, and, as I said before, the Apostle's Creed should be repeated in unison. To these should be added the " Te Deum," the " Tersanctus," and the " Sursum Corda," the latter in connection with the Communion service. So far as this most are willing to go. The ideal, however, demands something more. The opponents of all form^ of prayer assume that on'^ man can be large enough to com- prehend and to represent five hundred men. This seems a monstrous assumption. No one man can reasonably be expected to be large enough or elastic enough to compre- hend so much. The priesthood of the people must not be overshadowed and suppressed by the excessive and false assumption of priesthood by the minister who is only a yniTiister. So the ideal of prayer calls us further. Nothing Lould be more beautiful and appropriate for the V)eginning of the Sabbath worship than such Scriptures as introduce the " Order for Daily Morning Prayer " : — " The Lord is in His holy temple ; let all the earth keep silence before Him. I was glad when they said unto me We will go into the house of the Lord. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be always acceptable in \\\y sight, The 71 Lord, mv strenKth and my rodeemer Grace he unto you. and peace from God our B'ather. and f ron, he Lonl Jesus Christ." Then a form of confession another of j^enera thanksnivin.r a prayer for the Prcsuient of the United Stat and fi;; alWn authority, and another for " all classes and conditions of njen." mi|rht be used in comn.on by al the churches of all denominations, and such umson and uniformity seem to me ideal It "f Y "^>V „ Pn . non these forms should be taken from the Book of Co.nmon Prayer, thou.rh this would be o.y preference ; it maybe better that thev should be compiled from that and also from other existing litu.gies. The important thing is not to add to divisiveness and c<>r^fuslon by making 7ie«; forms. Added to these forms there should be free prayer, in whrh the pastor's heart may intercede for his people under the pressing consciousness of their immediate and characteristic ^ants. " It would be the ideal of worship if all Christiaris of all denominations could be outwardly one at least in lorn and in prayer. Thus on the ..le hand might be avoidtTthe danger which freedom in public worship t,Iv;iveH,-the danger of lawlessness, disorder, and narrow ina.lequacy ; and on the other hand might be avoided the danger which fixedness in pubi c worship involves.-- naiuelv.the danger of formality, monotony, md restraint The ideal must b. the combination or the interblending o the two methods N^hich have obtained so long, thel.turgical and the non-liturgical. The best things m each method should be adopted and unified. Fhen and bus the real oneness ( i' all believers would be proclaimed and empha- sized "hen and thus the churches which differ in polity or in doctrine would be visibly one before the throne oi arace. APPENDIX IV. ,r\ PUBLIC WORSHIP. A Paper prepared at the request of the Toronto Presbyterian Council, by Wm. Mortimer Clark, Q. C, Chairman of the Board of Management of Knox College, Toronto. The obligfttioii of Christians to assenihlo together for worship and instruction in divine truth is expi-essly im- posed on them by the divine command. " Forged not the assembiint» of yourselves,'' is the injunction of tie Spirit, speaking through the apostle Paul; and we all know from personal experience and observation, how beneficial is the faithful observance of the injunction on spiritual life, and how disastrous to the maintenance of religion the failure to obey the divine precept. From the New Testament, and such records as remain to us of the practice of the early Church, we learn that in apostolic times, on the first day of the week, at least, Chris- tians met together for prayer, the singing of hymns, the reading of the apostolic epistles, the breaking of bread, and to listen to the preaching of the VV'ord and the voices of the prophets. The service was of a very simple character, and anything like ritual was absolutely unknown, for the circumstances of the church prevented anything else at the time. Such a worship will always afford enjoyment to a spiritual man, and nothing more is needed by him. He asks no more. The psychical or natural man, however, derives no delight from such a service. He may experience enjoyable sensations in the incidents of worship, and an intellectual gratification in listening to an eloquent and interesting preacher ; but spiritual satisfaction is entirely absent. There may be the gratification of the bodily sen- sations, and pleasurable effects on the soul, while at the same time, the true spiritual delight is wholly wanting. It is as true now as of old, that the natural man, or as might be said the " soulish " man, understands not. the things of 78 the Spirit. Such persons, are ready enough to discuss questions repardinj? forms of worwhip or lay not be inappropriate at this point to suggest that during the collection of the offering passages of Scrip- ture be read by the minister appropriate to the subject of Christian liberality. The effects of a few chords of music from the organ between each text, greatly intensities the f jice of the respective passages. This practice seenis more becoming and suitable than to ask the congregation to listen to the performance of a piece of music on the organ during this part of the service. Anything, in fact, which tendsl:o impress the people with the truth that the offering of our means to God is an act of worship is desirable, as this part of our service is too often regarded as a secular interruption. It may be not out of place to refer here to the manner of reading the Scripture during our service. It is deeply to be regretted that so frequently we find but little atten- tion paid to this very important matter. Of late years there has been an inip; ovement in this direction, but much yet requires to be accomplished. The spread of education has rendered the occupants of our pews more generally alive to the defects of the Scripture reader. Poor reading, added to failure to attend to punctuation in such verses for example as Heb. x. 12, and the mispronunciation of words and proper names are flies which spoil the apothecary's ointment and lessen to a very considerable extent the con- fidence of educated persons in the knowledge and accuracy of preparation of the pastor. When one hears a minister floundering about among the names of those saluted by Paul, or tripping over the foundation stones of the heavenly city, we may know what to expect from the sermon. How often have we seen, for example, the quantity of the pen- ultimate of the word which was applied as a test to the Ephraimites of old prove as hard a problem to the modern preacher as the first syllable did to the fugitives from Gilead. Grave doubts too are sometimes raised in the mind of the hearer if the reader knew whether the Urbane of Rom. xvi. 9, was a man or woman, or what was the sex of Junia (v. 7.) The wrestlings of some readers with the Scripture names are positively painful. They have not always the same ingenuity as had the Highland minister wao alter one crave uuo iauiiicruiis> asifccuj^-- wjuii r-i^cs-^jc-^i^, ,ll 78 Meshac and Abednego, evaded any further difficulty by referring to them as " the same three boys, or a pastor to the south of the Border who grappling with the same worthies took refuge more elegantly in the speaking ot them as " the said three gentlemen." Such foxes spoil the grapes, and when a minister on a Monday morning receives on his table something like the following : " Last niKht 'ou aaid your words did pain us, You know the household of Stephanus. Stephanas is the man we know And may we hope you U call him so. he will know that to some of his hearers his sermon was as as water spilt on the ground. The responsive reading of passages of Scripture would form a -Treatimprovement in our worship and would increase the int^'erest of the people in onr service, as well as tend to impress the truth on their minds. As before mentioned one of the great defects in our order of worship is the smallness of the part taken by our people in it. Anything which would serve to secure the congregations taking a share in the proceedings, would enure greatly to enliven the service as well as awaken a closer attention to the contents of the Scripture itself. The parallelisms of many of the Psalms evidently show that they were intended to be said or sung by way of response. Such responsive read- ino- is common enough in our Sabbath schools, and there ap^pears to be no reason for not introducing it into our churches. Opinions may greatly differ ps to the manner of con- ductimr the musical part of the service, but there seems to be littfe doubt thc.i an increased use of music would be reo-arded as a much needed improvement. 1 he general increase of musical knowledge and the attention paid to culture in this branch of education, imperatively calls tor a radical change in our ecclesiastical music. Our young people call for it, and when we consider how powerful is the effect for good on body, soui and spirit is music of a sacred character, it is desirable that their wish be gratified. It is in fact, necessary, if we intend to keep our young people with us. Nothing could be farther from the niind of the writer than to advocate an elaborate musical service or anvthinc approaching to a musical performance. Every- " • I this direction ought to be rigorously thii tendmaf 79 excluded. The introduction of solos and anthems, sung only bv an individual or a choir must be very carefully regulated by onr sessions for unless this be done there is usually but one result, and that sacred (?) concert, the organ recital, and the advertised musical programmes tollow in due course. In face of the fact patent to all observers that the singing of some beautiful hymn by the single voice of some Chiistian man or woman has of ten most powerfully effected individuals and audiences, it ^ould be idle to con- demn solo singing in toto. If. however^ it is to be employed in our services care must be taken that the smger be one of pronounced Christian character. In fact no leader ot our church music or chorister ought to occupy that position unless they are members of some Christian church. In view of the importance of the service of praise, it is extraordinary that congregations are found employing precentors and singers who are confessedly without Chris- tian profession. The revival of the chant would afford a pleasing and delightful variation in our worship, ^his has been a^min brought into use in the Free Church of Scotland and the English Presbyterian Church and some of our own concrregations with advantage. Something ot this kind appears to have been the method in use among tiie Hebrews in their musical service in the Temple, when anything akin to our tunes could certainly not have been practised. It is very strange that in the face of the knowledge of this tact, and that the very structure of some of the Psalms shows that they must have been composed for this style ot music, such an unreasoning opposition should exist in some quarters to the use of this very ancient and impressive form of praise. , r n j » " The breaching of the cross " being " the power ot Ixod is necf>3sarily the chief part of the proceedings in a Chris- tian assembly. No reader of the New Testament can fail to observe the great prominence given to preaching by the apostles. Although in a paper like the present, which only attempts to suggest topics for discussion, it is impossible to enter into a careful consideration of such an important subject, it may be permissable to refer to it particularly, as all lectur- 5^.nd discourses on preaching have, so tar as the writer la-, observed, been delivered by preachers them- selves while me occupants of the pews have kept silence. 80 ,mtf In the early church the preaching was of a very different character from that of a modern sermon, or theological or moral essay. The rreaaher did not take a single verse as a text'and descant on that, surrounding it with much that has but a nominal connection with it. The ancient preacher was rather a teacher than a preacher, in the modern acceptation of the term. It appears to the writer that a return to the former practice, to some extent at least, would be desirable. Were our elders, who labour in word and doctrine, to devote more attention to expository teaching it would enure greatly to the increase in spiritual knowledge of the hearers. The compaiison of Scripture with Scripture in the face of the congregation tends to awaken interest, and increase attention in divine things. This public breaking of the word of life invariably leads to a desire to studv the Scripture in private as well as in public. Such congregational study of the word of God has always had the effect of quicken- ng spiritual life, and bears much fruit in Christian activity. Men feel more in this way that the Word is indeed spirit and life, than they do when listening to a modern sermon constructed on the mechanical regulation methods of a threefold division. They feel more thit Christ is speaking in His Word to them, and that they are listening to the Word of God rather than to the expres- sion of human opinion. Consecutive expositions of books of Scripture are eminently instructive and beneficial. They are advantageous also, inasmuch as in the course of such, they permit ministers to address their congregations incidentally on matters regarding which any special sermon might give offence without accomplishing any benefit. It may be said in reference to this that denunciations from the' pulpit of certain social practices are worse than useless. They awaken hostility among those aimed at, and are not needed by spiritually minded persons. Such diatribes are too frequently based on very inaccurate information on the part of the preacher who might more profitably devote his attention to awakening an intelligent interest in the Word of God. Any social usages not in keeping with Christian life would gradually be abandoned. The " world gets larger as spiritual life increases. The introduction into pulpit discourses of vulgar expressions and words savouring of slang is deeply to be regretted. If any preacher imagines that this takes the comu>on people he is 81 profoundly mistaken. The common folk among Presby- terians have no taste for this sort of thing. They are too intelligent, and a pastor's influence among them speedily croes when he so far forgets himself and brings the pulpit into contempt. - -» These few suo-gestions are ottered as to the direction in which reforms may be eff'ected which might tend to render our services more attractive without afl*ecting their spirit- uality, and which might aid in retaining among us many persons who drift away to other connection where the Gospel of Christ and the Doctrines of Grace are not so faithfully proclaimed as in that Church which is so dear to us, and for which we may in the words of the old Presby- terian liturgy unite in praying — " Let thy mighty hand and outstretched arm, O Lord, be still our defence. Thy mercy and loving-kindness in Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, our salvation. Thy true and holy Word our instruction. Thy Grace and Holy Spirit our comfort and consolation unto the end and in the end." ■Y 6 APPENDIX V. A NEW DIRECTORY FOR THE PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD. Founded on the Book of Common Order (1560-64) and the Westmimier Directory (1643-45) and prepared by the Public Worship Association in connection ivith the Free Church of Scotland. This volume published during the -ast suniiner. is of great interest, and for several reasons 01 much value. Its origin, aim and object may best be described in the words of the preface by the Rov. Dr. Bannerman, Presyient of the Free Church Public Worship Association, as tollows:— " The Association by which this Directory for Public Worship has been prepared, was formed at a Oonterence of Ministers and Elders of the Free Church of Scotland, held at Edinburgh in May 1891. The object of the Association, as stated in its Constitution, is ' to promote the ends of edification, order and reverence in the public services of the Church, in accordance with bcripture prin- ciples, and in the light especially of the experience and practice of the Reformed Churches holding the Presbyterian system ' The suggestion that such an Association should be formed, and the invitation to the Conference, were con- tained in a Circular signed by eighteen ministers, namely : -Drs. Banne.man, Blaikie, Bruce, A. O. Johnston Laidlaw, MacmiUan, Reith. Ross Taylor, Salmond^ Walter 0. Smith ; Messrs T. Crerar, Lewis Davidson, J. T Ferguson W . A. Gray, T. B. Kilpatrick, D. M. Ross, David Somerville, and George Steven. In this Circular, those who signed it said they felt that the subject of the Public Worship of the Church called for special consideration at the present time, and that in con- nection with it there was room and need for improvement in various directions Their desire was that all efforts for such improvement " should proceed upon lines in harmony 83 with the past history, and best traditions of the Scottish Church in the matter of worship, and should be — to use the language of the Solemn League and Covenant — ' in accordance with the Word of God, and the example of the best Reformed Churches,' as represented, for instance, in the General Presbyterian Alliance. In particular, all of us hold strongly that the duty and privilege of free prayer in the public Worship of God should be jealously guarded and maintained, and that nothing in the least approaching to a compulsory Liturgy, as in the Anglican and Roman Com- munions, should be even proposed. On these lines, the work of the Association has gone forward in a very harmonious and encouraging way for the past seven years. It has sought to call attention, — and has done so, it is believed, with good results — on the one hand, to the danger of hasty and ill-considered action, and of merely imitative movements in the direction of Anglican forms and usages ; and on the other hand, to the need of improvements in various respects in the ordinary Public Worship and in the Special Services of the Church, and to the lines on which such improvements may best be carried out, in accordance with Spiritual and confessional principles, and in the light of the practice and experience of sister Reformed Churches both in Great Britain, America, and the Continent of Europe. Papers have been issued yearly for private circulation among the members of the Associa- tion ; but this " Directory for Worship " is its first publica- tion for general use. The two well-known Service-books of the Scottish Church, on which this little work is based, may be described respectively as an optional Liturgy and a Directory for Worship. The Book of Common Order arose out of the form of service drawn up by John Knox, Whittingham, and others for the use of the English exiles at Frankfort in 1554f. It was first published at Geneva in 1556, and used in the Church there, in which both Knox and Wittingham were ministers. After Knox's return to Scotland in 1559, " if not earlier, the Book of Geneva began to be used by some of the Reformed Congregations in this country. In the First Book of Discipline, adopted by the Church in 1560, it is said to be ' already used in. some of our Churches,' and 84 is sDoken of as ' the Book of Our Common Order, called he O-Ter of Geneva.' In 1562 the General Assembly enjoined its uniform use in ' .ninistraticm of theSacramen . and solemnisation of maniages and bunal of the ^ead; it was reprinted in Edinburgh in that year wuh some additions Between 1562 and 1564 it was n.odihed and enlarged ; nevv praVers were added from ContinentaUource- others, which had been used in Scotland previously, were incorporated with it. and the Psalter was completed in this torm it was printed in Edinburgh in 1504 ; and the Assembly ot that year ' ordained that every Minister Exhorter and Beader shall have one of the Psalm books, lately printed in Edinburcrh, and use the Order contained therein in Prayers, Marriairr, and Ministration of the Sacraments. "The Book of Geneva, thus remodelled, is known as Knox's Liturgy or Book of Common Order; and it Embodied thetaw of the Church as to worship from lo()4 to 1645." . 1 i.i. J The " Book of Common Order," however, is a better and more accurately descriptive name for the hrst Ser vice-book o he Scottish Refornted Church than "Liturgy." which is apt to suggest a fixed and compulsory form ot rituah In ^ The Book of Our Common Order," the place and rights ot free prayer are carefully vindicated and guarded, an outline of the order of worship is given, with specimen forms of prayer, confession of sins, thanksgiving, and intercession, wl%h "or such like," the minister is to use We have an ^Order of Baptism," " The Manner of the Administration of tt Lol-cfs Supper," ' The Form of Marriage." etc. with examnlesof suitable exhortations, and pia}ers: and the offi ati 4 niinister is enjoined to use " either the words ?ollowing, or like in effect." " The minister exhorting the people to pray, saith in this manner, or ^"^^^l^.^;-^ . ..^^/^ Minister praveth for the assistance ot God s Holy ^P'nt, as he same shZll move His heart, and so proceedeth to the sermon " After sermon he either useth the ' Prayer tor all i2Z: or else prayeth as the Spirit of God shall m. ve his heart." , ., , . x It is unnecessary to refer here in detail to the contents of the Westminster Directory, which may be assumed to be in the hands of our ministers generally We may venture to say. in passing, that it deserves, and will repay, 8u much more careful study on their part than it often receives. It is not indeed of full authority in the Church, and has no direct place in the Ordination vows of her ottice-bearers but it cot lins a great deal that is of very high and pernian- ent valu. oth i. the way ^f guidance and suggestion in Mmtter-^^ < orshi^j. he Westminister Dire tory traverses so far the same i/round as the Book of "ominon Order, but dops lot give the same amount of help as regard s^^cial se ices. It says nothing whatever, for example, > . Ordi- natu.n Services,-a lack which is somewhat inadequatoly supplied in the refers nee to the subject in the oth. r West- minster document kuown as "The iorin of ( urch iovernment." As ' .^gard the ordinary public worship of the Lord's day. h .he Directory furnishes a con siderable amount 01 .aluable material and suggestion for Confession. Adoration, Thanksgiving, Petition, and Inter- cpssi-ui SI repared and arranged that they can, with very little difficulty, be turned into direct forms of prayer, In the Directory for Public Worship now issued, we follow the Book of Common Order in giving specimen torms for certain parts of the ordinary service, e. g., Prayers ot Invocation, of Tl.anl (iving. and " for all Estates, giving also somewhat full forms for such special services as Baptism, the Lord's Supper, Ordination of Ministei^, Elders and Deacons, Church Dedicatior Marriage, and Burial o£ the Dead. In accordance with the example ot the West- minster Directorj, a large amount of space has been devoted to materials and suggestions for Confession, Thanksgiving, Petition, and Intercession. It would, of course, have been comparativelv easy to provide set forms of prayer under these various heads. To provide and arrange suitable material, which, while not repre.ssing or hampering tree prayer, should serve to guide and stimulate it, was a much more difficult ta.sk. The Committee wish to draw special attention to the Confe.ssion of Sins, the Prayer of Thank-sgiving, the Litany, and the Marriage Service, taken from " Hermann s Consul- tation." These have been specially translated trom the original Latin of this volume. * * "in the Westminister Directory, which, under English Puritan influences as to worship, went further in the direction of freedom than the earlier Service-book ot the I IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. /^. ,^' w^/ \^/^' & ^ i/u 1.0 I.I 1.25 |^|2.8 2A 2.2 ^ lis IIIIIM MUI- m M. 1116 Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 m 1 L1>' '^ <^ Cn^ 6^ ~L, % V '% €/. %o 8fl Scottish Church, the importance of general uniformity of order, and of meeting the stated spiritual necessities of the congregation in the prayers of the ordinary Lord's Day Service, were distinctly recognised and provided for. "Our meaning is/' the Westminster Divines sav in their Direc- tory, " that, the general heads, the sense and scope of the prayers, and other parts of public worship being known to all, there may be a consent of all the Churches in those things that contain the substance of the Service and Worship of God: and the ministers may be hereby directed in their administrations, to keep like soundness in doctrine and prayer, and may, if n^ed be, have some help and furniture; and yet so as they become not hereby slothful or negligent in stirring up the gifts of Christ in them ; but that each one, by meditation, by taking heed to himself and the flock of God committed to him, and by wise observing the ways of Divine Providence, may be careful to furnish his heart and tongue with further or other materials of prayer and exhortation, as shall be needful upon all occasions." The new Directory is in three parts. The first refers to Public Worship on the Lord's Day and embraces the Order of Service at an ordinary Diet of Worship; directions respecting the services with fprms of prayer of invocation and confession ; forms of petitions and of thanksgiving; prayers of intercession and illumination, with mor'e than one litany. Part II refers to the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, with forms of prayer to God and model addresses to the congregation. Part III refers to services on special occasions such as Marriages, Burial of the Dead, Ordination of Ministers, Admission of Elders and Deacons, Licensing of Probationers,' and Dedications of Churches with various forms of prayer for such occasions. The publication within the past few months of this book denotes a marked advance in the movement for improving public worship in Scotland. The Free Church has njt hitherto identified itself with this moven.ont, at least not in the same way or to the same extent as the United Presbyterian Church, and the Established Church of Scotland. Now it may be said that all the Churches 87 are in line, that they each and all practically assume the . same attitude in this great question. Our brethren on the other side of the Atlantic have opposing views on some subjects but obviously after long consideration unanimity has been reached as to the necessity of a new Directory and improved Service-book for Public Worship on the Lord's Day. We have now placed before us three model Service-books prepared in connection with the three great branches of Presbyterianism in Scotland. (1.) The last issued from the Press is the first edition of the Free Church Directory, it contains 238 pages, replete with useful forms and directions. (2.) In connection with the United Presbyterian Church the second edition of "Presbyterian Forms of Service," appeared in 1894. This is an excellent work of the kind, consisting of 218 pages. (3.) In 1890 the sixth edition of the Service-book pre- pared for the Established Church of Scotland was issued under the title " A Book of Common Order." The work contains 412 pages and in most respects is admirabla. These three fine model service-books worthily represent the Scottish Churches in connection with which they have been prepared. In Canada the three Churches are happily united, and as we require aids for the proper conduct of public worship it may be found possible to combiae in one book the b«st features of the three. When the proper time comes the General Assembly's Committee on Worship will do well to examine the three books thus provided ; they will tind much excellent material in the Scottish models which may be considered as entirely at the service of the Canadian Church. APPENDIX VI. THE DIRECTORY FOR THE PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD. Adopted 1898, and recommended for use in the Presbyterian Church of England. The Directory now formally authorized by the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of England is based upon that agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, A. D. 1644. The origin and character of this new Service- book are explained in the preface dated March 23rd 1898, in the following words : " The Synod of the Presbyterian Church of England which met in London in 188H appointed a Committee " with instructions to proceed with due care and deliberation in the direction of revising the West- minster Directory for the Public Worship of God, and pre- parinpr forms or specimens of Service adapted to special occasions." Since chat date, with slight intermission, the Committee has been prosecuting its labours, reporting from year to year its diligence therein to the Synod. The result of those labours is now presented to the Church. / s the closing words of the original preface to the West linster Directory fitly express the aim which has been kept in view and the spirit in which the work has been carried on, ihey are here reproduced : *|Our care hath been to hold forth such things as are of divine institution in every ordinance; and other thin^^s we have endeavoured to set forth according to the rules of Christian prudence, agreeable to the general rules of the Word of God ; our meaning therein being onlv, that the general heads, the sense and scope of the prayers, and other parts of public worship, being known to fill, there may be a consent of all the Churches in those things that contain the substance of the service and worship of God ; m m and the Ministers may be hereby directed, in their admini- strations, to keep like soundness in doctrine and prayer, and may, if need be, have some help and furniture, and yet so as they become not hereby slothful and negligent in stirring up the gifts of Christ in them ; but that each one, by meditation, by taking heed to himself and the flock of God committed to him, and by wise observing the ways of Divine Providence, may be careful to furnish his heart and tongue with further or other materials of prayer and exhortation, as shall be needful upon all occasions." The Synod met at Liverpool on April 27th of this year, when the report of the Committee submitting the Directory which they had prepared was received. After discussion the report of the Committee was approved. The publication of the Directory was authorized and its use in the services of the Church recoraended, leaving it to Ministers and Sessions to adopt it so far as they may judge it to be desirable and expedient. The book is limited to 117 pages and embraces the following contents : 1. Of the AsseT.bling of the Congregation. 2. Of the Ordb. of Worship on the Lord's Day. 3. Of the Preaching of the Word. 4. Of the Administration of Baptism. (1.) Of the Baptism of Adults. (2.) Of the Baptism of Infants. 5. Of the Celebration of the Lord's Supper. 6. Of Admission to full Communion. 7. Of the Ordination of a Minister. 8. Of the Induction of an Ordained Minister. 9. Of the Ordination and Induction of Elders. 10. Of the Ordination and Induction of Deacons. 11. Of the Dedication of a Church. 12. Of the Solemnization of Marriage. 13. Of the Burial of the Dead. Appendix : (1.) Table of Order of Service in Public Worship, (2.) The Twenty-four Articles of the Faith. (3.) Appendix to the Articles of the Faith. (4.) Preparatory Note on the Lectionaries. (5.) Lectionaries. APPENDIX VII. CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER. A paper read at the Annual Conference of the Theological Alumni of Queens University; together with four letters on Public Worship, by Sir Sandford Fleming, addressed to Rev. Dr. Laing, (lately) Convener of the Committee of the General Assembly on Worship. As a layman and life-long Presbyterian, I ask per- mission to submit some thoughts on the subject of congre- gational prayer. I venture to do so for the reason that it appears to me a subject which ministers and laymen alike should consider. It is a subject which cannot but be of profound interest to those whose privilege it is to conduct public worship, and obviously it concerns every man and woman in every congregation within the bounds of the Dominion. In the Presbyterian Church we are in the habit of hear- ing from the pulpit only ; the pew seldom finds utterance. I make bold to break through the rule established by usage and give vent to thoughts long pondered on and long unspoken. In this voice from the pew to the pulpit, not a word will be heard or thought discernible in any way wanting in the highest respect for the mi '-terial office. I shall first state a proposition to whic.i all will assent: Public worship is a divinely appointed duty, and congrega- tional prayer is an essential part of public worship. Joint prayer is one of the principal objects designed by Christian people in coming together for the worship of God. We are all familiar with the ordinary services, in which extemporaneous prayer by the minister on behalf of the congregation is the universal practice. It is not necessary to enter at any length into the origin and history of this usage. It is well known that Calvin, Knox, and other reformers, held the opinion that there should be pre- arranged forms of prayer, with provision during some part of the service for extemporaneous prayer on special occa- sions ; that there should in fact be what may be termed a discretionary liturgy, and that while restrained by no undue strictness the minister should use the written forms. These were the views held by the fathers of the Presby- terian Church, and their ideas were carried into practice for many years after the Reformation. It is only neces- sary to refer to "The Book of Common Order of the Church of Scotland," a liturgy prepared by Knox himself after the Geneva model, and commonly known as John Knox's liturgy. This prayer book was used in the Presby- terian congregfations of Scotland for generations. The first General Assembly was held in 1560. At that date Knox's liturg}'^ was in use, and four years later, in 1564, this liturgy was formally accepted by the Church. For a period of at least 82 years — being from 1564 to 1645 — the law of the Church enjoined the use of this liturgical work at the principal services each Sabbath. Indeed it does not appear that it was ever formally abolished. In the 16th and 17th centuries twenty editions of the old Presbyterian liturgy were issued from the press, of which sixteen editions were printed in Edinburgh and four in Aberdeen. Some of the records of the Kirk sessions in the first half of the I7th century refer td the regular " reading of prayers in the morning and the evening services in the public audience of the people." At this period there was generally in each congregation a Reader, often the Parish Schoolmaster. He read regularly the prayers, the Scrip- tures and the psalms, the minister preaching the sermon. After the Westminster Assembly the office of the Reader gradually disappeared and the whole service was conducted by the minister. There is abundant evidence therefore to establish that in the early days of the Church, prayers were read in the assemblies of the people, and that the people were familiar with them and assented to them as their own, is obvious from the fact that for convenience they were frequently bound up with their Bibles. Ic is equally true that considerable latitude was allowed, and that during some portion of the service the minister was not tied to set forms and words ; yet generally he was enjoined to use the forms prescribed. w Such was the law of the Church and the practice of Presbyterian congreofalions before the micklle of the* I7th century. At that period in the history of Scotland politi- cal exigencies arose which caused the liturgical service to fall into disuse. We all know that the aversion to forms of prayer which set in was a reaction against the efforts of Charles I. and Laud, to force upon the Scottish people, a hated episcopacy witha liturgy repugnant to them, described by Macaulay as being a step taken in mere wantonness of tyranny and in criminal ignorance and more criminal con- tempt of public feeling" a step, which, if in its effects it produced a change in the Presbyterian service, was also one of the events which led to a change of dynasty. What- ever the cause of the change, the fact that pre-arranged forms were used to a greater or less degree for the greater part of a century establishes, that sat forms of prayer are in no way inconsistent with, or antagonistic to, the funda- mental principles of Presbyterianism. The change from a liturgical to a non-liturgical service simply proves that Presbyterianism is characterized by great freedom and flexibility, and as the same freedom obtains to-day, I think I am warranted in saying that there is nothing in our principles to prevent us modifying or amending our present usages, should it be deemed expedient. In the first Scotch Confession (1.5G0), it is pi,ointed out in Article XX. that freedom and flexibility are desirable, and men's judgments are not infallible, and as human ideas may change, matters of human action may and ought to change likewise — that while " in the Church or in the house of God it becometh all things to be done decently and in order" ; it is useless to pre-determine what every practice shnll be in the future, or attempt to make appointments for all ages, times and places. Presbyterians do not recognize. any cast iron forms and rules incompatible with reason and common sense, and they have from the first felt at liberty to institute change when circuinstances so demanded. The political forces which operated in the Mother county nearly two and a half centuries ago, are non-existent in this western conti- nent in this age. The political conditions in Canada to-day are altogether different from those which prevailed in the United Kingdom, when extemporaneous prayer was sub- stituted for written forms, and we are free to consider, indeed it is our duty to consider, the extent to which we 08 should adhere to present usages, or how far it may be expedient to return the views and practices of the founders and fathers of our Church. The historical evidence goes to show that there is noth- ing to require a ri^id adherence to one practice or another. In the " Scotch Confession " of 1560 no particular mode of worship is laid down as binding. With the exception of the Lord's Prayer, given us an example, there is little we find in Scripture to prescribe whether written or unwritten prayers should be used. We are left, therefore, to consider the merits of each system and ascertain on which side the weight of advantage preponderates. Extempore prayer pure and simple, unless by a rarely gifted person inspired by the Holy Spirit, is apt to abound in crude unpremeditated thoughts and imperfect utter- ances. True, it can be said, that the minister in the quietness of his study may well consider the subject of the prayer to be offered, that he may revise his thoughts and give the intended prayer more earnest and deeper reflec- tion, that he may even carefully arrange the solemn words with which he is to approach the Throne of Grace, If the minister so prepares himself, as he undoubtedly should, his prayer practically ceases to be extemporaneous, and from his place in the pulpit he recites the thoughts and words already rehearsed in private. But, the words remain unwritten ; and would it not be far better that they should be reduced to writing and placed in the hands of every person in the congregation, in order that all might join the officiating minister in the common petition addressed to the Great Author of our being ? If we feel called upon to petition Parliament are we not extremely careful to have our wants expressed in well chosen words ? If a Royal Prince, a Governor-General, or other high personage, comes amongst us, whom we wish to address, what course do we follow ? Is it not customary, in anticipation of his presence, to induce a capable person, or a committee of persons, to draw up with care and deliber- ation the address in fitting terms ? Is it not frequently the case that the text is amended, revised and re-amended so that it may accurately and properly express the views of those on whose behalf it is to be read ? If we are so care- ful in thus arranging our words so that they shall not be wanting in order, propriety, respect, and even elegance, how w much more needful is it when a body of Christian people approach the intinitu Deity — the King of Kings — that they should present their deepest thoughts in words fitly chosen, anil not leave all to the impulse of the moment as if speak- ing to frail and imperfect creatures like ourselves ? Is it not above all things seemly that in addressing our Heavenly Father our speech be well ordered and give expression to our most reverential adoration, and penitential emotions. There is another point of great importance. According to the usage of our Church the officiating minister addresses the Deity in words which up to the moment they are uttered are unknown to any single occupant of the pews. The sentiments spoken may be unexceptionable, they may be devout, they may be appropriate and edifying, or they may be the very opposite ; whatever their character, the the people present are simply listeners, the words spoken from the pulpit cannot be called in any correct sense the prayer of the congregation. The congregation at best can only follow the minister in prayer as they attend to him when preaching, and it would be as correct to designate the sermon, the sermon of the congregation, as to consider the ordinary prayer from the pulpit, the prayer of the congre- gation. In some city Churches, anthems by the choir and sacred solos are attempted ; these performances may be the most renowned musical compositions, they may be most pleasing to the musical ear, they may be edifying to all present, but they cannot be considered the praises of the congregation, especialh' if the words of the sacred song are withheld from the congregation until they are sung. So good an authority as Paley, in his treatise on " Duties towards God," discusses the subject of public prayer. He says " it (a written form of prayer) prevents the confusion of extempore 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 minister and to their own devotion. The devotion of the hearer is neces- sarily suspended until a petition be concluded ; and before he can assent to it, or properly adopt it, that is before he can address the same request to God for himself, and from himself, his attention is called off to keep pace with what 96 .succeeds. Add to this, that tlie mind of the hearer is held in continual expectation, and detained from its proper husinefiH, hy the very novelty with which it is gratified. A congregation may be pleased and affected with the prayers and devotion of their minister without joining in them, in like manner as an audience often times are with the repre-; sentations of devotion upon the stage, who, nevertheless come away without heing consciousof having exercised any act of devotion themselves. Joint prayer, which amongst all denominations of Christians is the declared design 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 seems fundamental, and holds even where the minister's office is discharged with every possible advantage and accomplishment. The laboring recollection and embar- rassed or tumultuous delivery, of many extempore speakers, form an additional objection to this mode of public worship ; for these imperfections are very general and give great pain to the serious part of a congregation." Dr. Isaac Watts who lived half a century after the old Presbyterian liturgy fell into disuse and who disapproved of a liturgical service, strongly recommended, whenever possible, extemporaneous prayer. In his " Guide to Prayer" he advised all " to cultivate the holy skill of speaking to God." The Gift of prayer he said " is one of the noblest and most useful in the Christian life and therefore to bo sought with earnest desire and diligence." But this vener- able theologian concedes that forms of prayer may be useful and in some cases necessary when ministers are unable to attain in a high degree the Divine Gift. It is claimed by some that the principal end of extem- pore prayer is to move the hearts of the congregation and that this is a purpose which no written forma however admirably composed can successfully accomplish. Granting all that can be said in this regard when some rarely gifted man gives expression in prayer to his devotional thoughts, it will readily be conceded that many of our most worthy ministers are not so gifted and it would be more desirable for them to use good written forms than to speak extem- poraneously in an imperfect manner. If we turn to another branch of public worship-— the service of praise — we find a recognition of set-forms of w 99 wordrt. Joint pmyer is prayer in which all join — and so it is with praise, and from the earliest days, means have been taken to adndt of all joinin;j in the common service of praise. The psalms and paraphrases were put in verse, and in the time of nur forefathers the minister " read the line," as it was termed, in order that every individual in the con- gregation, learned or unlearned, with or without the printed verses, might join in the sacred song. The advance of education and of printing has simpiitied the service of praise and rendered " reading the line " unnecessary. The verses to be sung aie in the hanris of all, and so the whole assembled people may thus " with understanding" join in congregational praise. The Apostle Paul places the two acts of worship — prayer and praise — on the same plane " I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the underst nding also; I will sing with the spirit, and J will sing with the understa-idin'r also." If we have set forms of sacred verse in psalms', paraphrases and hymns, why should we not have set forms' of prayer ? It would seem to be a calm common sense conclusion that as a book of praise is found necessary a book of prayers is likewise required for the public worship of God in the Presbyterian Church in Canada. During a long residence, almost half a century, in my adopted country, with opportunities of attending public worship under all conditions, in all parts of Dominion, the opinion has been forced upon me that we should have a book of prayers, and that each prayer should be known by some distinctive name or number so that the minister could readily intimate to the congregation the prayer to be used. In arranging the service for the day the minister would select such prayers as appear to him appropriate for the occasion, and he would make known his selections to the congregation precisely as he now indicates the psalms and hymns to be sung, and the chapter and verses of the Scrip- ture to be read. By no means do I advocate that a written liturgy should be used to the exclusion of extem- pore prayer. There should be no such restriction. The written forms should be used at the discretion of the minister and he should be at liberty to substitute or introduce during the service, whenever it seemed to him desirable, special prayers for special occasions. 07 I am unable to see any well founded objection to the modr of distinguishing the prayers hv numbers The meii.od would undoubtedly ba"« the advantage of simplic- ity, and it would enable each person present without doubt or confu-^ion to know the prayer to be followed. In some churches the hymns to be sung are made known to the congregation by a tablet placed on the wall, on which the nmnbers of the hymns are set forth. This is a plan which might with advantage become general, and the information given on the tablet could be extended so as to comprise the whole service which the minister has arranged for the dav If for example, a tablet containing such information as follows, were placed in full view of the congregation each individual would be enabled to follow with ease either audibly or inaudibly. every portion of the service in which he IS expected to take part; the minister introducing a.s circumstances may require, extempore prayer, notice.s to the congregation and other matters. MORNING SERVICE. Openinjf Prayer Nq. Hymn No. SCRIPTURE READING. Psa'm No. Prayer before Sermon No . SERMON. Prayer after Sermon No. Hymn j^Tq BENEDICTION. Our hymns of praise are culled from every source and from every age. We have striven to collect in our books ot praise the best hymns which can be found. Should we not follow a similar course with respect to prayers ? In mv mind, the Book of Prayers for our Church should be a collection of solemn appeals to our Heavenly Father expressive of our every want and pure desire. In it should be gathered the most suitable pravers of all liturgies the prayers of devout men of all ages adapted to our worship, to which would be added the most appropriate prayers of 7 -86 modern Presbyterian, divines, to make the collection complete. .The prececling observations have had reference to public worship in organized congregations with a minister. 1 may point out that a book of prayers is perhaps even more required \r\ places where there are no settled ministers. There are many Presbyterians scattered throughout the vast regions in the North West and other outlying parts of the Dominion, remote from the services to which they have been t^ccustomed, and who are apt for want of such aid to devotion to become estranged from the church of their fathers. Ther ^ are fields unoccupied by missionaries, and there are mission stations which at t'mes are vacant. In &uch places well disposed men are frequently found who, however willing the heart, are not gifted with ready utter- ance to lead others in Divine service. To sncb men in such plaices written prayers would be a needful help; to the sm- 11 groups, of people it would be an acceptable boon, and would enable them to carry out what otherwise would be neglected. It will be obvious that in all such circumstances a book of prayers, placed in the hands of a lay-reader, with instructions for its proper use, would greatly aid in main- taining social worship until the appointment of a mission- ary, or until the settlement increased sufficiently to admit of the regular services of a minister being obtained. In concluding these remarks on a subject of so much importance, I appeal to the reverend and learned men whom I address, earnestly to consider the expediency of introduc- ing some change in the service of prayer in public worship. In Canada we Presbyterians are happily placed in circum- cumstances the very opposite of what prevailed in the 17th century in the fatherland of many of us. There is nothing to becloud our views or to influence our passions one way or tlie other. The prejiidices which aflected our forefathers, and indeed at an earlier day some of ourselves, have mostly pass'ed away ; in Canada they have no proper place, and we are free to take the course which appears to us in this new jjfeneration most expedient. While there are men in our Church Who can address God with a flow of divine eloquence to move the hearts of all who hear them, it is not to be denied that some of our most worthy ministers unable to exercise the gift of prayer impressively. In nrn 09 latter case it is felt that a book of prayers would be helpful and profitable. - . As a layman I invite the ministers of our Church to give their consideration to some means by which we may obtain in our congregations a nearer approach to congrega- tional, pray or than we now possess. I ask that the men and wom«Q wno gather together for Divine service in Presbyterian public assemblies be permitted to take part in the public worship ol^ God, to a greater extent than at present. On behalf of the pew, I uxake bold to rai^e my humble voice to the pulpit, in the earnest hope that I have not in vain called its attention to the subject. FOUR LETTERS ON PUBLIC WORSHIP. ' i. ' ' ■ ' / •* ■ ■ No. L ' : ^ Rev. Dr. Laing, Convener of Committee on Public Wor- ship : Sir,— With your leave I desire to submit the following remarks on the important subject now under the considera- tion of the Committee appointed by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. A distinctive feature of public worship in our Church is the absence of participation by the congregation in the service. Exclusive of the musical portion, the whole ser- vice devolves upon, or is performed by, the minister alone. There are many persons, both laymen and ministers, who entertain the opinion that whatever may have been the causes which determined the present usages, the time has arrived when, in the interests of the Church in Canada, it is desirable to consider the extent to which these usages may be modified, so that a larger participation may be accorded to ttie congregation in the service of divine worship. As worship is now ordered, the people enter their pews, and, throughout the whole service, until the 'benediction is pronounced, no opportunity is vouchsafed to them^ except to a very limitpd extent, tp take part in the service. All present are at liberty to juin in the psalms arid hymns when s they are sun^, but if the, music selected be unfamiliar, i 100 or if any present feel their own incapacity, or for any rea- son soever take no part in this portion of the service, such persons, from the moment they enter the buildinjr to the time they leave it, continue to be silent listeners to what- ever may be said or stjng. Except by their presence they take no active part in the service other than by assuminin^an erect or sitting posture as custom prescribes. The minister offers the prnyers and delivers the dis- course. The thoughts to which he gives expression, both in the prayers and in the sermon, are his own. They are fornjulated in his own words and until so expressed are unknown to any individual. Members of the congregation, outwardly at least, take no part in the fulfilment of the purpose for which they have come together. It is difficult to recognize this service, partaking of the character of a monologue, as the highest development of united congre- tional worship under Presljyterian polity. I submitted some thoughts on this subject at a meeting of the Theological Alumni of Queen's University last year. My remarks had special reference to congregational prayers — they appeared in Queen's Quarterly for July, 1894. On that occasion I pointed out that public worship, as a divinely appointed duty, was incomplete without united supplications or joint-praye/s ; that such form of prajer, although essential to congregational worship, is practically unknown in the Presbyterian system, that the congregation merely listen to the minister praying, as of necessity they listen to him preaching. On that occasion I ventured to submit facts and arguments which to my mind lead to the irresistible conclusion thf^t change is desirable, that prayers ought to be joined in by the con- gregation to the fullest extent possible, and consequently they should be congregational prayers de facto ; that they should be prayers familiar to the congregation and assented to by the Church Courts on behalf of congregations; that precisely as we have for public use a book of praise with selections of sacred verse from many sources, we should likewise have a book of prayers for congregational use, and that it should be in the hands of every member ; that this book of prayers should not be a liturgy as commonly understood, but a collection of appropriate appeals of every kind to our Heavenly Father ; not a mere manual of for- mal devotions to be constantly used without variation, but 101 an ample repository of solemn and earnest supplications in the name of Chris«/, to the Great Author of our being, to be drawn upon by the minister as he may consider expedi- ent. To preach, to expostulate, and to exhort are the func- tions and high privileges of the minister. It is recognized to be his duty likewise to offer up special prayers when circumstances call for them. These functions should remain unchanged, but in ordinary circumstances it must be obvi- ous that every member of the congregation ought to have a foreknowledge of the prayer offered ; that they should have the words before them, in order that all present, even those who hear imperfectly, may readily follow the minis- ter. They may do so inaudibly, the minister lending his voice to the congregation's prayer. In vsuggesting the use of a book of prayers, there is no wish to diminish the simplicity of our worship. The object is to enable the whole congregation to unite 'in praying with the understanding ;" to promote reverence and to rivet attention ; to lessen the tendency of any wan- dej'ing of mind arising from imperfect hearing or other causes. The desire is to maintain sincerity of worship wliile increasing its propriety and solemnity. It is ray opinion that these results will not be diminished by collect- ing for the use of the ministers the most splemn, earnest and fervent examples of devotion expressed in words. These prayers being familiar to congregations, each person would hear them from the pulpit as their own acknow- ledgment of the blessings they enjoy and the petitions they offer to heaven. In another part of the service congregations might with propriety be allowed to take a fuller part. I refer to read- ing the Scriptures. I cannot but think that there should be placed in the hands of every member of the congrega- tion a collection of passages both from the Old and the New Testaments, selected for the purpose of responsive reading. The Psalms are, generally speaking, peculiarly appropriate, and fitting passages will be found throughout the Sacred Volume. The collection should be full and com- plete and it would rest with the minister to select for each service the passages to he read. I can see no reason why the alternate verses should not be read in a clear voice by 102 one 6fjh,e elders, the dorigi'egfetion following, audibly 6r inuudibiy, ^s hiiy be most agreeable to each individual I respectfully submit that responsive readinjr in our Church could thus be madp a Mmpls, effective and profitable part of cotrinion Worship. , These several suggestions put in force, the. books required for divine worship intjhe congregations would embrace the lollowing : .,, . ,1., The Holy Scriptures. .2. Selections for Responsive Reading. 3., The Book of Prayers. , . , ,4. The Book of Praise. It may be found convenient to bind Nos. 2, 3 and 4 together so as to form, one volume In hiy address at Queen's University, I took upon myself to explain that a Book of Prayers for divine wor- ship would be of special' benefit in the outskirts of the JJominion I now desire to add that, until the larger book be i-eady for use, some means should be provided of aidino- devotions iii the new settlements and elsewhere. I wouM respectfully snbmit to the consideration of the committee the expediency of at once publishing a small manual con- taming several forms of service, with a collection of praysrs and instructions for their proper use by lay readers A work of this kind would be a boon to each of the many widely separated small groups of Presbvterians in the North West Territories and other remote districts, who for the time are without a minister. It would be of great utility m maintaining worship and in building up young congre- gations. Such a manual issued under the sanction of the general Assembly would contribute to the advantacres of pioneer settlements. It would equally tend to the advance- ment and extension of the Church. Ottawa, Nov. '26th, 1895. Sandford Fleming. 103 No. II. ■ : f • / 'tl Rev. t)R. Laino, Convener of Committee on Public Wor-) ship: ',1) '.i ■ Sir, — [ must express the deeply felt sati.«4factioh I entertain that the General AssSembly has appointed a Com-' mittee to deal with the subject of Public Worship. It, cannot be unknown to the Committee that the movement for eflectinor an improvement in Presbyterian Worship is engaging the attention of many earnest friends of the: Church in other lands. In Scotland three Associatidris of Ministers and laymen have been organized in connection, with the three great branches of the Church to improv6^ Public Worship. They have already made substantial' progress, 1. ' The Church Service Society " was formed in 1'865' in connection with the Established Church of Scotland. The objects as defined being " the studies of the litlurgijB^,' ancient and modern, of the Christian Church with a view to the preparation and ultimate publication of certain forms of prayer and service for the administration 6f the Sacraments, the celebration of marriage, the burial of the dead, etc." This Society has brought out the " Eucologion " which has passed through six editions — the last, published in 1890, consists of 412 pages and bears the title of " A Book of Common Order, being forms of Prayer and Administra- tion of the Sacraments and other Ordinances of the Church." \s ' ' 2. " The United Presbyterian Devotional Service Asso^ ciation " was formed in 1882, the object being to promote' the edifying conduct of the devotional services of the Church, to foster an interest in the history and literature of Public Worship, to consider the practices of other denominations, indicate defects ifi existing usages, discuss proposals in the direction of improvement, and by such' means to piomote the devout and orderly expression of the Worship o'' the Church. This Association issued last year, its second editiort' ol "Presbyterian Forms of Service," containing 217 pjages and comprising tjxcellent forms for the Services of Pablid 104 Worship on the Lord's Day with selected prayers. The AsMoc.a, on trusts that this publication " ,nav lead to such reverent and earnest d seussion as shall prepar^ the Supreme subject ••'' ""''^^ """^ effectually dealing'with the whole within ib?F ^"nl' y^''^^'^^ Association" originated within the Free Church in 18:)1. Jts general obiect is . to pron.ote the ends of edification, order, and reverence m the publ.c services of the Church, in accordanc' with Scripture principles and in the light especially of tie experience and practice of the Reformed Churches hold! mg the Presbyterian system." is now' !l '^"l ^- ""^'f "^ ^'^" ^'^'""" ^^^«^^'«h Societies. It IS now completing the task of gatherinir and nrinrina material fitted to be ot u.se in the conduct'of pibKl Wor? Tnn. ]««? f^ r^''"'^ presented at the ann.iai meeting m June last, the hope was expre.ssed " that by another ^ear the Commi tee may be in a position to publish the esult of their labours in the form of a Revised and Enlarged Directory, both for .special services and for the ordinary Worship on the Lord's Day." orainaiy The Presbyterian (Jhurch of England has entered upon the work of adapting the Service Book of the 17th cen- tury to the requirements of our time.s. I„ 188.5, the Synod referred the subject to a Committee which rep or ed he'DryT'p "• '^^f,-'^->^^-^ to the Supreme 'court the Draft of a Revi.sed Directory which was regarded with general approval ; judgment respecting it w'as however re.served and as yet no final decision has been declared. In the Australian Colonies an endeavour has been made to improve the Presbyterian forms of worship, and p."! ^ress has been made in bringing the Westminster Directory into harmony with the requirements of the pre.sent " v^'^^-'^r'if i'^" '^^ ^ T.ifnrnr\7 wnnlr-l in n»v viftW be unwise and ill-advised. The eft'ect would be to postpone indefinitely the adoption of improvements in our services KM tornm; Litur^ry. Appivwchinj,- the 20tli CMitui-y it ]■. n„k Htmn^e tlmt w«l,.v„ .,„t.jr,„;„ tl,« .......litmnir^F t|, . I h tliei.i foa„,J Litui-Bios expelicatio„ tlm„l.y the dn-ectory of the Cl,u,-ch it woul.l be the n,i„ s or', fm,ct,„„ to an-ange the service for the ,lay, X ins p.iate ami ertect.ve in connection with the ser,non to he dehvere,!, ad,l,n« such special praye,-s an,l exhor.atio, s a b' r'Tl'""""*. "r^. '"" *'"•■ ^' ""• »<""•<>" l"is always been the central teatu,e of our service, disringuishin^ Presbyter,an worshin f,-om the ritualistic type of "chn'st^ «n>ty, the m.n.ster would continue to give his best powe , to hese,;,„on. Each Sabbath day would bring such new con,b,„at,ons,n the devotion as the ,ninister may lee," ^es„-able, and ,.11 would be characterized by solemnity aSd H,„ "", '"^"7'''''« l't'"-Si<=»l ™rvice would be avoded. the people would have their allotted part, not in Uevwl,'5ll"'T """J" '■-'""ff-'' in supplication ; they wou d no longer be auditors merely ; they would be m a pos,t,on to follow the minister's voic^ in the dov oth.ns heard a "^ ■"■•""""« "'"'!■ ""'* '^'" "'"" ^'''o ^vould be he ford' "''.'" "" ''''""'"^ ^•"'^"' '" "'" '•^P''"'"'" of ine Lord s [•'raycr, or as may be arranged. m I will only luld to thcwe roinarkH that 1 uppreciate to tho tuliost extcfiit tho iinportunt work to \m performed by the Cominittee. I cannot but think tliat the time htm arrive*! for j?ivinf( full consideration to the queHtion of chanj(e and nuMlitication in our mode of worship. I am profoundly convinced that it would be in the interestH of the Church, on tho one hand, to IcsHen the extent to which miniHters are called upon to offer extempore prayerH, as the prayers of the congregation, and, on the other hand, to admit congregatiouH to a fuller participation in the act of public worship than they now enjoy. It is with diffidence that I submit these suggestions for consideration. It is a Benso of duty that impels me to bring them to tho attention of the Committee. I am Hrndy of opinion that Presbyterian polity is in harmony with tho spirit of tho age, and that we owe it to ourselves and to the community to divest public worship of its defects, to maintain its simplicity and increase its solemnity, while satisfying tho rf-asonable desires of those who are now members and adherents of the Church or who may here- after join its services. Sandford Fleming. Note. — The reader who desires more fully to en(iuire into the historical facts and dates alluded to in the fore- going, is referred to the following works ; 1. " Public Worship of Presbyterian Scotland." — (McCrie.) 2. * Scottish Liturgies of the Reign of James VI." — (Sproat.) 3. " The Presbyterian Church : its Worship, etc. — (Wright.) 4. " Eutaxia, or the Presbyterian Liturgies." — (Baird.) 5. " Presbyterian Book of Common Prayer." — (Shield.) 6. " Liturgia Expurgata." — (Shield.) 7. " Life of John Knox."— (McCrie.) 110 ^"o. IV. Ottawa, March 7th, 1896. 10 Kev. John Laing D O p Public Worship • ' ^""^^"«r of Committee on whifrrv^eX^^^^^^^ fat the three letters «u .jec of Public Worsh p haveTe^ November on the I teel It a duty to troubleVou with a fW '^^^^^. ''^''''^'< ■ ^r^^^l^t^:i^''^t!t'J'^'^y' % third letter deals with thi7"poInT' Tis' tt %"''"''^^- ^y third ^ facts 1 subSiHed. I ,lo nof /' ,"■"""=«»»'/ to «p'to!;:.;i?;t!.;r:r:,i in^Hi^ir.-^' « -.ed Hdvocate its introduction I ^iL'^^^L'^ ""■•»>■ »■• I -lo not l'turs,ca service mainly for anotht '" "'^ '<"ters to a was f. give prominence to he JlTh.r'PT' ""^ ^y*''* related historically to our owh h™ that such a service is fHm.ly, that it is, id a?;Z"haslt„°'*^'"/'-^*' '''"»■' ?hip in other Reformed Churche?.,^ ?.' '^f f"-""' of wor- •n our principles, tradition, 1 It ,4 '?"''"'■'' ''^ ""'hing readmg of prepared prayers ''"""^"'•d^ '« prevent thf te^Xt'r tee' rt"^'^';^^ "'" - ^-^y- worship, as at present n7ev,l?H'„„», l"'^ f°™ o'' our we should find; remedy for hete d^t^ t"""' ^'i'''"' ">at .onary ehanse, not even by revertitt' T' ''^ ■'«^'""- the fathers of our Church Tn th« « V"* P^^t'^e" of existence, but rather by a' nL^ss .f ' ?"'.""'y °'' "■'» considered adaptation to present nln '™'"""" °'' «-«" mony w,th the spirit and pE^f P 11 ? «"'»?'«'« h"'- My appeal has been th„f If 1 " "'^'^^'terianism. people be allowed as7el ow wor h^"""' ^ ■"'« 'hat 'he ent|taa:al::'!L\r/s:rt '° -"-- "-« ^lews pav* TJr-VrfK,. "»ve an opportunitv of foU,- /. !, "' P"^*="' ^y«'«™ only a limSdllVe'h HI ViHichsAfefl to tlio congrepition ; too much is alotted to one perwon — the (Jfficiating minister, and too little to the peo- ple. We recognize that it is the proper function of the minister to preach, to exhort and to lead in the exercise of devotion ; but, we ask, is it necessary or desirable that the people ; hould be excluded from participation in the service so much as they now are ? Those who think with me, are of the opinion that some of the prayers offered by the minister should be, what for want of a better name, may be termed, congregational prayers or prayers of the people , that is to say they should not be extempore prayer* pre- viously unknown to any individual present; on the con- trary that they should be familiar compositions expressing the conmion wants and supplications of the worshippers ; and whatever our views on other points, all must acknow- ledge that these wants and supplications of our common humanity do not vary from week to week or from year to year. We hold it to be desirable that every member of the congregation should be as well acquainted with the prayers as the minister himself ; such prayers should there- fore be in printed form, after having received the approval of the Church as a whole, and they should be in the pos- session of every individual. Some persons object, I think most unreasonably, to forms of any kind. One minister thus expresses himself: " By reading prayers, worship would become mechanical and those taking part become untrue to self and to God." I remind those who hold these opinions that many of the Psalms and hymns are forms of prayer, and I ask what objections can there be to the use in a Christian congrega- tion of such precom posed forms of prayer as Psalms 8, 16, 25, 34, 67, 72, 86, 103, and many others? or take the common paraphrases and hymns, those beginning with the following lines for example : (1) " Spirit Divine attend our prayera, And make this house Thy home." 1 • ,' ■ .':'■■ ' ■ (2) *' O God of Bethel by whose hand Thy people still are fed." "3 ' (3) ** Safely through another week , , ■ . God has brought us on our way." ' ■ (4) *' O Lord of Heaven and earth and sea, ; : ._ - , To Tbee all prais^ and glorj be." . 112 (5) m this Thy hcuNc, on this Thy day. ^^ ' ^ w'tfi^-'l^r;?/ n^ttions hear our prayers While at Thy feet we fall." t'"^^^^^' L these mP<-Hp..r 71 extemporaneous substitutes thrJe" *or'"n'!n,-r^ 'I'" "' "°''''^'P ''"' ">""»'«' offers two SThT' "'P'''?" ""'>' ''''' '"'"■■^'-■'^ thou^htrand feel! fho l„tt„ I »o uoing, dnci thus it is not always possible for the latter to join m the devotions in a proper spirit in tV hanfl'T''' T" ""•;"'" °'" -^"'^ printed and placed d^m^^itat-^rrez: ■rd^;el';=er':t^£-<='' gregafon would be aided in his devofio" rby ear eve aTd" memory, and thus enabled to follow the voice of thfminU the printed prayers before them, ittentiv'Sy take Zi w th dtotfot"' '"^™'^" "' "^^ ->g-gation^in1b?:olmon pS-Tl^? te ™; :s rt t-= £ 113 be a boon to many present in the congregation. Even if for one of the extempore prayers a congregational prayer, from a prescribed collection, were substituted it would be an improvement on the present system. Those laymen who think as I do, are satisfied that it is in the interests of the Church that a concession should be made to congregations in the direction indicated ; we are decidedly of the opinion that its effect would be to make public worship more real, more reverent and more edifying, without lessening its simplicity. We retain full sympathy with the wish to maintain primitive Presbyterian simplicity. We desire neither elaborate ceremonial nor prescribed chant ; no inflexible service, no rigid liturgy. We desire, it is true, uniformity, but it is a voluntary uniformity in general order, a uniform- ity in excellence, in reverence, in purity as well as sim- plicity. To these we aspire, and while we earnestly aim at some modification in our mode of worsliip, in order better to attain these ends we deem it inexpedient to introduce any change which would not commend itself to the Church as a whole. In response to an overture from the Synod of Hamilton and London the General Assembly has appointed a com- mittee to consider how best to afford direction to the Church, to secure the reverent and edifying observance of public worship, with due regard to Christian liberty and general uniformity. Such being the case it seems desirable that ministers and elders should take steps to ascertain the mind of the Church on points which may thus be formu- lated. 1. — Is the present mode of observance of Public Worship in our congregations entirely satisfactory ? 2. — Have the people a sufficient opportunity to partici- pate in Public Worship under our present system ? 3. — What means can be best taken to give the congre- gations a fuller share in the service of Public Worship ? 4— Would it be desirable to substitute printed congre- gational prayers, for extemporar}'' prayers, during some portion of the service ? li i 114 5. --What proportion of congregational prayer would it be advisable to introduce in any one diet of worship ? C.—Should forms of service be prepared for administer- ing the sacraments, solemnizing marriage, and the burial of the dead ? 7.—Sliould a manual of suitable services be provided which may be used as aids to devotion in new settlements and in localities where there is no settled minister or missionary. Respectfully submitting these suggestions for wise con- sideration, I leave the matter with conHdence in the hands ot our Christian people and church courts. ' Sandford Fleming. ould it )? inister- irial <3f ovided jments jter or ie con- hands