And if there was not fo plain an Injunction for Minifters giving the other Sacrament, yet it being first confecrated by Chrift himself, and given to the Receivers by his Sacred Hands (who never baptized any); this might conciliate more Reverence to that, than to Baptifm. And therefore in our Church, care is taken that none less than Priests fhall ballow the Elements of it, God's proper Stewards being fittest to prepare and difpenfe them to his Family.

Į. Her Liturgy, II. Her Catechifm, III. Her Order for Confirmation, confidered.

Liturgy.

ER LITURGY is most

pious: Judiciously com

H

posed, and made up of folemn Offices, Collects, and Petitions, fuited to

all ordinary Wants, or most common Occafions. And these are so appofitly and excellently worded, as to be fit to raise in us such a Spirit of Devotion, as it becomes us to carry to the Throne of Grace,

And that this Way of Praying publickly by Form, is primitive and authentic, appears from Zonaras's Commentary on the eighteenth Canon of the Laodicean Council, where (a) it was decreed by more Synods than one,

(α) Διατάσεται ἐν ταῖς ἱκεσίαις, τᾶς κεκυρωμένας παρὰ τῆς συνίδης ευχὰς παρὰ πάντων λέγεθα, ε μη νέας άλλας,

That

That in Supplications, only thofe Prayers Should be used, that were approved; and that other new ones fhould be rejected of all: Left any one, to please himself, fhould compofe other Forms, and rehearse them in publick Affemblies, when it was determined, that all should retain thofe already delivered in every Congregation.

And as our Liturgy is firmly establish'd, fo it is framed according to that RULE for one, given by S. Paul to Timothy, 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2. For befides a general Confeffion of Sins (as full and comprehenfive as a publick one can well be) it confifts of Supplications, Prayers, Interceffions, and Thanksgivings; and those made for all Men, and particularly for Kings, and for all in Authority,

And tho' buman Forms are all imperfect and mutable, and ours has been improved, and may farther be fo; yet 'tis now the com pleteft in the whole World.

And as in the Ancient Church, according to S. Chryfoftom, (a) the daily Service was to be used (b) in the Evening, and in the Morning; fo ours is to be read in like Manner, and in Cathedrals oftner : And who can do bet ter than join in the conftant Ufe of it?

Nor do we pray more frequently now in our Mother Churches, than Chriftians did of old; for as Clemens of Alexandria observes, (a) They appointed fet Hours for Prayer, as the third, that is, the fixth, and the ninth. Tho' whether their Praying thrice a Day had any Relation to the bleffed TRINITY of the holy Manfions, as one might think from a Word which follows (b), is uncertain; his Expreffion being obfcure.

But elsewhere, we find the Hours of Prayer more fully accounted for, as (c) in the Morning, at the third, fixth, and ninth Hour, in the Evening, and at the Cock-crowing, The Reafons alfo, why we should then pray to God, are there fuggefted. In the Morning, Becaufe, the Night being past, he enlightens us with the returning Day: At the third Hour, namely, because Pilate then denounced Judgment. against the Lord: At the fixth, because he was then fuffering on the Cross: At the ninth, because all Things were disturbed and frighted with bis Crucifixion. In the Evening, because Night is given us for Reft after our daily Labours.

But here it may be proper, if not neceffary, to infert this ferious Caution. Let none truft

(α) Ὥρας τακτάς ἀπονέμεσιν ευχῇ, ως τρίτην φέρε, και ἔκτην, καὶ ἐννάτην. (6) Strom. Lib. 7. (f) Conft. Apoftol. Lib. 8. Cap.

34,

to

to the Excellency of our LITURGY for the Success of their Devotions. Be our Forms never fo good, and regularly put up, we must have Perfonal Qualifications alfo, to recommend our Prayers, and make them acceptable. For tho' God be a God, that hears Prayers, efpecially them that are fo wifely made as to be worthy of his Audience; yet he attends not to all Supplicants alike. The Perfons he hears, must be of an high Character and Quality, of noble Principles and anfwerable Practices : Such as the HOLY SPIRIT defcribes by admirable Properties, which denote them Good, and make them to be fo.

Thus fometimes he describes them by religious Fear, Pfal. cxlv. 19. He will fulfil the defire of them that fear him, he also will bear their cry, and will fave them. Sometimes by Righteousness, Pfal. xxxiv. 17. The righteous cry, and the Lord beareth them. Sometimes by Humility, Pfal. x. 17. The Lord hath beard the defire of the humble. Sometimes by Obedience, 1 S. John iii. 22. Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do thofe things, that are pleafing in his fight. Even the Heathen Poet had fo good an Opinion of his Deities, as to think they would hearken to the Obfequious. (a) Him