CHAPTER XV.

THE PRAYER BOOK.

THERE is a book, deriving all its value from its accordance in letter and in spirit with the Bible, to which only it is secondary in importance-a book which it behoves us likewise to cherish as the brightest ornament and most valued treasure of our pure and reformed church-the Book of Common Prayer. This book it behoves us, I repeat, to guard with all the care that the possession of a treasure of such inestimable worth is entitled to.

The Church of Christ has been by himself emphatically described as a Church militant. It has been so from the beginning, and it will be so to the end, when "God shall have subdued all things unto Himself." Let us not wonder then that there are Antichrists in the age in which we live-and in our own countrymuch less quail before them. But, whilst we take courage from the recollection of past dangers, let us not underrate those which now beset us. We have still to do with the legions of the powers of darkness—with Papists, who, to conceal their gross superstitions and

idolatrous worship, would keep the light of the Bible from the world-with Atheists, who, "gazing at the glorious Sun in heaven can yet exclaim,-where is it?" and with Demagogues who, regardless alike of civil and religious obligations, would neither "render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's," nor "to God the things that are God's." "Clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit; twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." "Murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.' "These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the spirit." ―Jude, 12, & seq.

With respect to Dissenters from the Church of England, they vary so much, in the degrees of dissent, in the motives of dissent, and in the greater or less hostility to the Church from which they have gone out, that I will merely address them in the words of the Venerable Dean Comber, calculated as they are to

* See a clear and sensible exposition of "The Church and Dissent," in a late very valuable and learned publication by Mr. Edward Osler,-written under the auspices of the Bath Conservative Association, to whom it is dedicated, and entitled "Church and King," ch. iii.--headed "God's care of the Church of England, shewn in her History," is particularly interesting.

shew that the dangers which now beset us, are far from being peculiar to the present day. "We live," he says, "in such an age (A.D. 1675,) as makes it necessary for our very prayers to become petitioners to all of eminence and authority, to use their power and interest for the protection of these sacred remains of our forefathers' piety. If the Liturgy had no enemies but such as were ingenuous, and if its opponents had no ends to serve but those of conscience and virtue, we might hope to win them by shewing, that the words of these prayers are extracted out of Scripture and primitive forms, the matter pious and comprehensive, the method curious and exact, the composers such as reformed religion, and some of whom sealed that and these holy offices with their blood. They that only desire to worship God with acceptance, would not wish for better forms; but when pride and love of novelty cause men to disgrace or complain of such prayers as these, we may justly call in the aids of authority, and hope it will be thought neither possible nor necessary, prudent nor safe, for the government to satisfy such persons by any change; I am sure it is a sign of an evil generation, that our admirable Liturgy, which is the glory of our own, and the wonder and envy of all other Churches, should be so unworthily neglected by some, despised and opposed by others amongst ourselves; but it is no sign that those prayers are faulty which have not the multitude for their admirers; it is sufficient honour that the most learned and loyal persons, the best and most solid

Christians do reverence and esteem them. And would to God that the judgment and example of such men might persuade the negligent to attend more frequently upon them; the profane to speak more reverently of them; and the dissenting to inquire more impartially into them, that we might all with one heart pray by these forms, and live agreeably to the same; for then we should be acceptable to God, easy to our governors, and as universally happy as piety and peace can make us." -Comber's Companion to the Temple,-Epistle Dedicatory, part 2.

"The Liturgy of the Church of England," saith Bishop Jeremy Taylor, "hath advantages so many and so considerable, as not only to raise itself above the

"They that in private, by themselves alone,
Do pray, may take

What liberty they please,

In chusing of the ways
Wherein to make

Their soul's most intimate affections known
To Him that sees in secret, when

They're most concealed from other men.

"But he that unto others leads the way,

In public prayer,

Should do it so,

As all, that hear, may know,

They need not fear

To tune their hearts unto His tongue and say
Amen not doubt they were betray'd

To blaspheme when they meant to have pray'd.

devotions of other Churches, but to endear the affections of good people to be in love with Liturgies in general.

"Devotion will add life unto the letter:

And why should not,

That which authority

Prescribes, esteemed be

Advantage got?

If th' prayer be good, the commoner the better,
Prayer in the Church's words as well

As sense, of all prayers bears the bell."

CH. HARVIE.

The above eulogy on the "Common Prayer" is extracted from Walton's Complete Angler, Bagster's 2d edition, p. 198, to which are appended the following notes:

"1. The above Ch. Harvie is supposed to be the author of a collection of poems, entitled 'The Synagogue,' supplementary to Mr. George Herbert's collection, 'The Temple.'

"2. These verses were written at or near the time when the Liturgy was abolished by an ordinance of Parliament; and while it was agitating as a theological question, whether of the two, preconceived or extemporary prayer, be most agreeable to the sense of Scripture. In favour of the former, it was asserted by a very eloquent writer, both in prose and verse, that he never, without premeditation, could address his Maker in terms suited to his conceptions; and that of all written compositions he had found that of prayer to be the most difficult. It was, likewise, the opinion of a very eminent prelate of that period, that, excepting the prayers in the Liturgy, he looked on those of Bishop Jeremy Taylor, occurring in the course of his works, as by far the most eloquent and energetic of any in our language."

It is somewhat remarkable that the best arguments that have lately been published in favour of written prayer, are to be met with in a sermon by the Rev. H. Harvey, curate of Falmouth; whether a descendant of the above Ch. Harvie (or Christopher Harvey, as the name was sometimes written), or no, I am unable to say :

66

Extemporaneous prayer is so to him only who utters it, not to those who hear it, and join in the several petitions of which it may