An outline of the principles of public worship

CONTENTS.

LECTURE I.-The ground cleared.

Principles of Christian Public Worship.

Christ the true source of

St. Matthew xv. 9. (1) Our sorrows: especially the danger of schism,

through questions of Ritual. (3) The remedy lies in an appeal to first

principles useful by reason of general ignorance, (4) but especially

when ignorance is danger. (5) How to use this Lent. (6) Preliminary

sketch of plan. Our first principle is to go to God for principles.

(7) Danger of Pharisaism in all ages. (8) Inability of human precepts

to create or preserve Worship. Disguises of 1-zeal, (9) 2-the glory of
God, (10) 3-the assistance of the Holy Spirit, 4-the Bible. (11) The
truths of God the same in the Old as the New Testament, but working
out differently. (12) Hence caution. The "Shakers" or "Millenial
Church." (14) The Disciples to be followed in regarding Christ as the
source of instruction in Prayer. (15) Principles thus gained; their
bearing. Deductions: 1-No authority in heathen systems; 2-or in
our own tastes and feelings. (16) Yet human nature not to be disre-
garded. The last great danger; human gloss on Christ's words. No
fear of results. (17) Note: Peculiar Ritual of the Shakers.

LECTURE II. The seed sown. Agreement in Prayer the For-

mative Principle of Christian Public Worship.

St. Matt. xviii. 19. (21) Recapitulation: Christ's voice must be heard.

(22) His two voices. Objection that His meaning has been perverted.

(33) The first voice: Agreement in Prayer. Other Bible testimonies:

(24) I.-A distinctive principle is what we want: principles non-distinctive.

(25) That of agreement, distinctive, implying not mere spiritual_agree-

ment, but "assembling;" (26) does not extinguish Private Prayer.

(27) II.-Objection that it does not apply to Praise. Connection of

Prayer and Praise : (29) the leading idea of the two. (30) Answer to

objection. Other particulars of Service conducive to agreement; the

Sermon. III.-Rival distinctive principles considered: 1-the glory of

God before men (32) 2-the awakening of our spiritual desires :

(33) danger of excitement in religion. (31) IV.-The formative principle,

thus described, precedes, in discussion, the ultimate principle, or final

cause, of worship. V.-Summary. Why do we pray in Public ?

(35) What spiritual value in agreement? Agreement not impossible;

(36) and sufficient for its purpose in the world. (37) Its immediate

application; (38) in preparing for Church. (39) Note. Private Prayers
for the beginning and end of the Service.

LECTURE III.—The tree after its kind. The Christian Principle

distinguished from the Mosaic Principle of Public Worship.

St. John iv. 24. (41) Reasonableness of this distinction. Centralising

principle of Jewish worship illustrated; (43) its purpose. The Samaritan

imitation. (44) Our Lord decides against the Samaritan, but (45) promises

a new worship. What was it? (46) False ideas of spiritual worship.

True mode of investigation here. (47) Application to this case. In the

new worship principle of diffusion, combined with principle of agreement.

(48) The same object in both old and new, but in the new worked out more

spiritually. (49) Inference illustrated by metaphor. (50) Exceptions:

1-Some idea of "agreement" in Jewish worship: (52) 2-and of "con-

centration" in Christian worship: the Parochial system: (53) Family
Prayer. Yet the ruling idea is as stated. The Temple must be in the
heart of Christian worshippers; their priesthood. (54) Review (in con-
firmation) of the actual growth of the Church. (55) What the principle
of agreement has done: the Church building: (56) the Church day.
What has been the ruin of Churches. (57) The responsibility of Priest-
hood.

LECTURE IV.-The Root and the Fruit. The Fundamental and

Ultimate Principles of Christian Public Worship.

St. Matt. xviii. 20. (58) Christ the Head in all things. Two enquiries.

First: In what does Christian agreement originate? (59) Christ addressed

Disciples. (60) Public Worship looks back to a condition of Belief and

to an Institution. Our Lord's provision of Holy Baptism; its relation

to Public Worship. (61) Infant Baptism; Confirmation. (62) Christian

perseverance essential to right worship. (63) Secondly: To what object

does Christian agreement tend? Object of all Prayer, and of Public

Prayer in particular, "Christ's presence.' (65) Nature and value of

His presence. (66) Two kinds of presence, with and in us, corresponding

to two kinds of Prayer. (67) God's answer to the Prayer that Christ

may dwell in us : our Lord's second voice, the Holy Communion.

(68) The words of its Institution, and (69) inferences therefrom.

(70) Warning against going beyond the words. Conclusion and sum-

mary. The two great divisions of Divine Service. (71) The presence of
Christ with and in, the key of worship and (72) of our calling.

LECTURE V.-Training and Pruning. Auxiliary or Attendant

Principles of Public Worship.

1 Cor. xiv. 40. (73) Two classes of subordinate Principles; the auxili-

ary kind. (74) They result from the necessity of the case; as in the
instance of the text. (75) I.-The argument of St. Paul regarding the
Corinthian Church: may be applied, a fortiori, to present emergencies.

(76) 1.-Its appeal to Charity, of which Public Worship is "the Feast;"

(77) 2.-to the words of Christ when instituting "the Lord's Supper;

(78) 3.-to our Baptism into one Body, (79) 4.-to the Auxiliary principle

that the Service should be such as the worshippers can understand:

5.-to the restraining and peaceful character of the Spirit; (80) and

6.-to the custom and law of the Church in cases of Ritual. (81) ÌI.—Ap-

plication of this review in the explanation of the Auxiliary principle

of decency and order; " (82) this principle a chief foundation of the

Ministry; the relation of the Ministry to Public Worship. (83) Other

"helps and governments." Churchwardens. (84) Doctrines are out of

reach of the principle. III.-The forms of the Church are the chief

sphere of auxiliary principles. Forms; (85) their necessity; the danger

of striving to do without them; they do not imply the absence of

spirituality; (86) their use limited only by the principles of worship:

(87) Rites and Ceremonies. The Holy Sacraments not subject to our

theory of Forms. (88) IV.-"Fitness and beauty," or the Esthetic
principle; applied to the case of Hymns: (90) Church Building. Offer-
tory; Pew Rents. (91) V.-In short, the principle of "decency and
order," is, 1.-permissive; and, 2.-repressive; pride, pomp, and private
judgment forbidden in the Sanctuary. (92) Mistaken application of the
argument from "Gifts," "the Bible," and "what the Angels do."

LECTURE VI.-The Foliage. Application of the Principles of

Public Worship to the Book of Common Prayer.

2 Tim. i. 13. (95) Recapitulation of principles; their division into

those of substance and those of manner. Plan of application to the
worship of the Church. (96) Preliminary objection to the Prayer Book
removed by the text: the Prayer Book represents Church Worship.

(97) Notice of Works on the Prayer Book. (98) First: Substance of the

Prayer Book; its faithfulness; (99) Creeds, Lessons, and Collects.

(100) Saints' Days; Prayer and Praise; the Litany: (101) Division of

the Services into Daily and Communion Service; Confessions; Com-

mandments; (102) Absolution; Baptism. (103) Secondly: Method of

the Prayer Book; tends to agreement in the Faith; (104) gives oppor-

tunity of previous study with reference to agreement; (105) thus con-

trasting, alike, with "extempore" and (106) "centralising" systems;

(107) implies the voices of the People, as (108) in the Amen.

forms of the Service similarly tested. (109) Our Services regarded
historically with reference to agreement. (110) What only is wanting
in the use of them. (111) Their possible and necessary defects, how to
be viewed and dealt with.

Other

LECTURE VII.-The Branches. Application of the Principles of

Public Worship to Individual Worshippers.

III.-

St. Matt. xviii. 7. (113) Application of principles to Individuals: do

we make it to ourselves? (114) I.-The Prayer Book exists to help us ;

not, however, decisive in all cases: Doctrine invariable, but (115) ques-

tions of Form will arise: (116) tendency to elevate forms into objects of

Faith innocent varieties of form; (117) legalised varieties; (118) dis-

turbing varieties; their danger; failure of rules for meeting them;

(119) some varieties left to our discretion. Cases where wholesome

practices have fallen into desuetude. (120) II.-Principles not laws in
view here. (121) Value of custom variously stated: 1, 2-custom versus
written law; (122) 3-interpreting power of custom; (123) 4-No

license justified; 5-innovations subject to "consent;" the analogy of

language; (124) 6-discretion in the use of Esthetic motives.

Objection: That we ought to give of our best: but what is best?

(125) Doubt whether, even leaving out our principle of agreement,

splendour is best. 1-The alabaster box, etc. (126) 2-Jewish Priestly

attire. (127) 3-The Book of Revelation; (128) spiritual and worldly

use of riches. (129) 4-Parable of the lilies. (130) 5-The sobriety which

the Church has to teach. 6-Danger of sensuous teaching. (131) 7-

A lesson of the Holy Communion is "simplicity." (132) 8-Argument

from "symbolism and effect," "zeal and success." (133) In short,

moderation the best gift. Final appeal to principles of worship.

(134) IV.-Objection: the actual progress that has been made against