While the very memory of many contending parties that threatened its destruction have passed away, it remains uninjured, and unaltered: giving us to conjecture that it is reserved for still nobler, more extended, and more enduring triumphs, and amongst these there is one triumph in which we are, every one of us, deeply interested; its triumph, namely, over all the evils of our own hearts, and all the serious unhappiness of our lives*.

There have been many and various proposals to make alterations in the liturgy since its last revisal in 1661, both with respect to its language and its rubrics; in most instances, however, from persons who hold erroneous notions on the doctrine of the Trinity and other important truths, and God grant that no vain delusion may ever so far prevail, as to have our liturgy new-modelled to please such, and thereby induce them to join the Church! +

* I regret that my limits will not permit me to transcribe further from this gifted and spiritually-minded bishop, now numbered amongst the blessed.

"This plant, of the growth of more than a thousand years, which has thriven and grown into strong maturity under the culture of many holy martyrs, many sound divines, and accomplished scholars, and over which, we may add, has shone the blessings of Providence, and have been largely shed the secret influences of the Spirit-this plant is not to be rivalled by the vain conceits of captious objectors and the upstart shoots of a presumptuous age. It is a precious and hallowed treasure. Let it be guarded as the apple of our eye.

"It is a manual of devotion, of which the consolation and the benefits enter the hearts of them who use it, as light enters the eye-as the air is breathed into the body, or as the seasons cherish the fruits of the earth.

"The bulk of mankind reap the blessings, but neither know, nor reflect on the means by which they are effected. Those whose knowledge and research enable them more clearly to trace and understand those means, most reverently admire the wisdom which produced them, and their wonderful fitness for the end for which they are destined. But others, instead of searching into the wisdom of the means, or being satisfied with the good effect they produce, are perpetually sounding their complaints, and seem

It is objected that the liturgy is too long, and full of vain repetitions*; and repetitions there are in it, but that they are vain repetitions we deny. A vain repetition

to see no other point in the operation of nature, but some real, or seeming inconvenience, which may arise to individuals, from the general benefit. Thus, one man, instead of blessing and adoring God for his goodness and wisdom in contriving all things so wonderfully for our life and comfort, does nothing but complain of the too great heat of the sun which oppresses him, and wishes it was not so hot, or so glaring; another frets at the moisture, or the heaviness of the air; a third grumbles at the changeableness of the seasons; in short, they regard only what, from ignorance or peevishness, they think are spots, instead of being grateful for, or understanding the excellence of, the whole system. Thus it is with our Book of Common Prayer. A very large portion of the religious light which many enjoy, has been received through itfaith has been cherished, the fruits of piety and holiness have been nurtured and brought to perfection under it-the warmth of devotion has been conveyed, and suitably expressed by it-the most learned have admired it. Nevertheless, we sometimes hear nothing but complaint against this or that real or fancied defect; as if these spots were the whole system, or the whole system itself were so diseased, that any kill-or-cure quackery which may be suggested, may be tried upon it. Such is not our opinion, nor was it the opinion of the most learned and pious divines of either our, or foreign churches. We give our Amen to the following affectionate testimony of Bishop Blackall, I know no prayer, necessary, that is not in the liturgy, but one; which is this-that God would vouchsafe to continue the liturgy itself in use, honour, and veneration in the Church, for ever; and I doubt not but that all wise, sober, and good Christians will give it their amen.' BLUNT'S History of the Reformation in England.

* "The length of our Church service, of which we now hear so much, and the repetitions it contains are evils, if evils they be, which a Hammond, a Sanderson, and a Taylor, could tolerate without a complaint, but too happy (as were their congregations also, for these were not fastidious days,) if they were permitted in their secret assemblies to give utterance to these burning words with which the Reformers furnished them; nor scrupulously counting how often they were taught to cry out, in the self-same phrase, for the Lord to have mercy upon them; as David counted not how often he exclaimed My son, my son;' or as these critics themselves, it is presumed, would not count their own iterations, when they were sueing earnestly for their lives. Such are not vain repetitions; and it is to be hoped, that an age so little fitted for the task as this by any theological attainments, will pause before it attempts to improve upon the labours of a Cranmer, who, according to the testimony of one of the ripest scholars of his

is the unmeaning reiteration of the same name, or the same expression recurring with causeless frequency. Such as the heathen used, "O Baal, hear us,"

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or

times, Peter Martyr, nor he by any means a creature of the archbishop, had diligently noted with his own hand every one of the Fathers; had digested into chapters, with a view to the controversies of his day, councils, canons, and Popes' decrees pertaining thereto, with a toil, and diligence, and exactness, which would seem incredible to any but an eye-witness; who, both publicly and privately, and by a marvellous strength of learning, quickness of wit, and dexterity of management, had asserted what he held to be true from the thorny and intricate cavils of sophisters.STRYPE'S Cranmer. And who pronounced, concerning this very Book of Common Prayer, that no man could dislike that godly book that had any godliness in him joined with knowledge.' STRYPE'S Annals. Moreover, that an age, which for a long time, unchastened by any national calamity, has suffered much of that spirit of devotion to escape which animated the holy men of old, who were ever compelled to walk with their lives in their hand, and who were, in fact, called upon at length to lay them down, will not be allowed to communicate its narcotic influence to our liturgy, and quench in any degree the ashes of the martyrs."— BLUNT'S History of the Reformation in England.

"Declaration to his late Majesty King William the Fourth, 1834. "We the undersigned Archbishops, Bishops, and Clergy of the Irish Branch of the United Church of England and Ireland, dutifully crave permission to approach your Majesty with a declaration of our deliberate, unshaken, and cordial attachment to the polity, the doctrine, and the worship of the Church, as by law established.

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Admitted, as we have been, to the ministry of that Church, on the faith of our avowed adherence to its principles and institutions, such a declaration on our part might be deemed superfluous in ordinary seasons.

"But the times in which our lot is cast, are not of an ordinary character. We trust, therefore, that it will not be thought unbecoming in us if, actuated solely by a sense of duty, we openly make profession of our sentiments, hoping that we may thereby contribute, under the divine blessing, to check the prevailing fondness for innovation-to give mutual encouragement and support to each other-and to remove that disquietude and distrust which have been produced by the apprehension of ill advised changes in the minds of those who are committed to our spiritual care.

"We conscientiously believe that the polity of our Church is modelled, as closely as diversity of circumstances will permit, on the ecclesiastical institution founded by our Lord's apostles, and transmitted to us by their successors-that the system of our

such as the titles of saints, or the name of the Saviour,

put endlessly by the Romish mass book into the mouths of the people. None such are to be found in our liturgy. But there may be a repetition in prayer, a recurrence of the same supplication, arising from the vehement fervency of the heart. Such are in our

doctrine embodies the faith once delivered unto the saints'—and that our liturgy is framed after the pattern of the best remains of primitive Christianity, conveying at all times the fundamental truths of boly Scripture, and not seldom, in its express words.

"In a Church thus pure in doctrine, and apostolical in formation-whose religious services are endeared by long usage to the devotional feelings of its members, and whose polity harmonizes with the institutions of the State, to which it has ever proved itself a faithful and judicious ally, we deprecate the introduction of undefined changes and experiments; and we humbly trust that no alterations will be made in the discipline and services of our Church, but by the sanction and recommendation of its spiritual guardians.

"Should, however, abuses be found to exist in our ecclesiastical establishment, we profess our readiness to co-operate for their removal.

"But we humbly submit to your Majesty, in the language of the preface to our Book of Common Prayer, that 'Experience sheweth, that where a change hath been made of things advisedly established, no evident necessity so requiring, sundry inconveniences have thereupon ensued, and those more and greater than the evils that were intended to be remedied by such change.'

"That, accordingly, it is wiser to submit to small and questionable inconvenience, than, by impatiently attempting its removal, to expose ourselves to the risk of great and undoubted evil.

"That if it be reasonable,' as in the language of the same preface we admit it to be, 'that upon weighty and important considerations, according to the various exigency of times and occasions, such changes and alterations should be made in our forms of divine worship, and the rites and ceremonies appointed to be used therein, as to those that are in place of authority should, from time to time, seem either necessary or expedient,' it is no less reasonable that such alterations, as are at any time made, should be shown to be either necessary or expedient; and that we do not apprehend this to have been done in respect of the changes which various persons, widely differing among themselves, are understood to have in contemplation.

"That a general agreement as to the things requiring correction, the nature and extent of such correction, and the mode of applying it, may reasonably be demanded from the person desirous

liturgy, and if this subject it to condemnation, it does the Scriptures likewise; see Psalms xxiv. XLii. xlvii. LXXX. ciii. cvii. cxiii. cxv. cxvi. cxviii. cxxiii. cxxxvi. (the construction of which closely resembles our litany) CXLViii. CL., and the awful petitions of our suffering

of change, as an indispensable preliminary to the concurrence of others with their views.

“That an opening once made for innovation gives occasion to alterations, not limited to the particulars which were supposed to stand in need of redress, but indefinitely extended to others, which were previously esteemed to be free from all objection.

"And that thus, incalculable danger, arising from comparatively small beginnings, may accrue to our apostolical form of polity, and to the purity of the Christian doctrine incorporated in our public services.

"All which is dutifully submitted, &c."

"With respect to the multitude of superfluous ceremonies, we have pruned away a great number of them, as we knew they were an affliction to the consciences of men, and an oppression to the Church. Yet we retain as parts of religious worship not only those ceremonies which we know to have been handed down to us from the apostles, but some others also which are thought might be observed without injury to the Church, because we were desirous that all things should be done in the holy congregation according to St. Paul's injunction, 'decently and in order.' 1 Cor. xiv. 40. But we have entirely rejected those which we saw to be grossly superstitious, or cold, offensive, and absurd, repugnant to the scriptures, or unbecoming the character of men of sober judgment."-JEWEL'S Apology, Sect. 3.

"A man that were unacquainted with the true state of our case, that should hear the bitter invectives that have been made against ceremonies, would be ready to imagine that sure our Church was nothing else but ceremonies. But he would be mightily surprised; when, upon inquiry, he should find that these ceremonies which had occasioned all this noise should be no more than three-the surplice, the cross after baptism, and kneeling at the Lord's supper. He would be amazed to think that these should be the things about which so many massy books were written, so great discords and animosities raised; such a flourishing church once quite destroyed, and now most miserably divided, after it had been so happily restored; and his wonder must be increased, when he should perceive that of these three there was but one, and no more, in which the people were any way concerned. The cross and surplice are to be used only by the minister, and if his conscience be satisfied no man else need be disturbed about them."-Bishop GROVE.