FAMILY PARUOK, AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS, AND OTHER RITES AND CEREMONIES OF The Church, ACCORDING TO THE USE OF THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; Boeke ofcomum en frayna prayer ACCOMPANIED BY A GENERAL COMMENTARY, HISTORICAL, EXPLANATORY, DOCTRINAL, AND PRACTICAL: COMPILED FROM THE MOST APPROVED LITURGICAL WORKS, WITH ALTERATIONS AND EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. By THOMAS CHURCH BROWNELL, D. D. L. L. D. BISHOP OF THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT. Mía dénois, sīs vēs ësw.-ST. IGNATIUS. SIDNEY'S PRESS: AND BY S. BABCOCK AND CO., CHARLESTON. DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT, ss. BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the fifth day of February, in the forty-seventh year of the Independence of the United States of America, Thomas Church Brownell, of the said District, hath deposited in this Office the title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as Author, in the words following—to wit: “ The Family Prayer Book, or the Book of Common Prayer, and administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, according to the use of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America ; accompanied by a General Commentary, historical, explanatory, doctrinal, and practical : compiled from the most approved liturgical works, with alterations and additions, and accommodated to the liturgy of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. By Thomas Church Brownell, D. D. L. L. D. Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the State of Connecticut. Mía dénois, ais všs ēsw.-Sr. IGNATIUS.” In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the UNITED STATES, entitled, “ An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned." CHARLES A. INGERSOLL, Clerk of the District of Connecticut. Clerk of the District of Connecticut. 473007 PREFACE. THE considerations which have led to the publication of the following work, were stated at large in the Prospectus of the Editor. Some of the leading ones may properly be recapitulated in this place. It is well known that the Scholars and Divines of the Church of England have expended much labour in the elucidation of her Book of Common Prayer. The history of its several Offices has been investigated, and their import fully explained ; the system of doctrines it inculcates has been successfully defended and established ; and the whole has been commended to the judgment, and enforced upon the conscience and the heart, by the most earnest practical appeals. But the works of these writers on the Liturgy are diffused through a great number of volumes. Some of them have become, in a measure, obsolete in their style, and some of the most valuable of them are hardly to be obtained, even in England; while no complete work on the Liturgy has yet been issued from any American Press. The result is, that those among us who wish to profit by such works, can only gratify their inclinations at great expense, and with much difficulty ; while a very large portion of the members of our Church remain but imperfectly instructed in the full import of those services which constitute the for:nulary of her worship, and the ritual for the administration of her sacraments. A judicious compilation from the works of the best English writers on the. Liturgy ; so comprehensive as to contain all that is most interesting and useful, and yet at so moderate a price that it may be brought into general use, seems greatly to be needed by our Church ; and it has been the object and endeavour of the Editor to supply this desideratum. In the prosecution of his work, he has thought it expedient to present the Commentary on the Morning and Evening Prayers of the Church, mostly in his own language, and somewhat at large ; condensing what has been said by many writers into single articles, attached to each particular part of the service. As this portion of the work will probably be most frequently read in a devotional way, such an arrangement was thought convenient, to preserve the connexion, and to prevent those interruptions which must otherwise occur in passing from the observations of one writer to those of another. 2 But in most other parts of the work, the Comments selected from various authors have been inserted in their own words, with the name of the author subjoined to his remarks. And on all controveried doctrines, those writers have been resorted to, who have been most distinguished for their judgment, learning, and piety, and whose opinions have received the most unanimous sanction of the Church. The remarks for which the Editor may feel himself responsible, either as their author, or as having collected them from various sources with alterations, will be designated by having the initials of his name annexed to them. Great use has been made of the excellent Compilation of Dr. Mant, the present Bishop of Killaloe, which was printed at the Oxford press in the year 1820. 1820. Where the notes have been taken from this work, the names of the authors will be found printed in Italics. It has been a leading object, in the following work, to notice all the principal alterations of the English Liturgy, which have been made by the compilers of our American Book; and to state, as far as practicable, the considerations on which they were founded. In this part of his labour, the Editor has been kindly assisted by the correspondence of the venerable Presiding Bishop, as well as by the valuable information contained in his “ Memoirs of the Church." In the use of the English Commentators, omissions, alterations, and additions have been made, for the purpose of accommodating their remarks to the state of the American branch of the Church ; and on some subjects, illustrations have been sought in the writings of the American Bishops, and other Clergy. The several parts of the Liturgy have afforded a wide range for comments a and reflections. The history of each particular part, the ideas intended to be conveyed or excited, and the doctrines of faith and practice inculcated or recognised, have severally occupied the attention of the Compiler. But it has been his main design to give to the whole work a practical character, for the purpose of recommending it to the use of Families, and making it a help to their domestic devotions. He is persuaded that many who habitually use the Book of Common Prayer, have a very imperfect apprehension of the full import of its several Offices, and catch but a faint inspiration from that spirit of piety which animates them. If, by collecting together the lights which have been shed upon the Liturgy, be can afford a guide to its clearer comprehension, and a more pious he use of it, his labours will not have been in vain. New-Haven, January, 1823. a INTRODUCTION. 1.-OF THE ADVANTAGES OF FORMS OF PRAYER FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP. THE Protestant Episcopal Church in the scribed form of worship is not subject to the United States of America, following ancient, same inconveniences with extemporary effusprimitive, and, until within these few centu- ions. If there should be nothing absurd and ries, universal usage, has prescribed a FORM OF unbecoming in them, yet the audience must PRAYER, OG LITURGY, for public worship. This first endeavour to understand the words; and form she has received, and with few and unes- then they must weigh and consider the sense sential alterations adopted, from the Church of and meaning ; and then they must deliberate England,“ to whom she is indebted under God, whether such requests are proper for persons for her first foundation, and for a long contin- in their condition, before they can lawfully uance of nursing care and protection.” (1.) join in them ; and by that time the minister is She conceives that forms of prayer are justi- passed on to some other subject, which requires fied by many particular and important advan- the like attention and consideration ; and so tages, as well as by Scripture, and ancient and their curiosity may be raised, and they may primitive usage. exercise their judgment, but there can scarce Forms of prayer possess many important ad- be any room left for devotion.” vantages. When public worship is conducted “ A precomposed form of prayer-is so far • Α according to a prescribed form, the people are from obstructing or quenching our devotion, previously acquainted with the prayers in which as is pretended, that it assists and in flames it ; they are to join, and are thus enabled to render the matter and the words are both prepared to unto God a reasonable and enlightened service. our hands; we know before what is to follow, In forms of prayer, that dignity and propriety that we may lawfully join in it; and no other of language, so necessary in supplications ad- attention is required but to raise our affections. dressed to the infinite Majesty of Heaven, may And let me ask, is not the spirit of the congrebe preserved. They prevent the particular gation equally stinted, whether the minister opinions and dispositions of the minister from pray in an extemporary or in a composed reginfluencing the devotions of the congregation. ular form? And which is the more fit and They serve as a standard of faith and practice, proper for the people to receive, a form of prayimpressing on both minister and people, at every er from the wisdom and authority of the whole performance of public worship, the important Church, or to depend upon the discretion of doctrines and duties of the Gospel. And they every single minister ?” render the service more animating, by uniting “But a precomposed form of prayer is not the people with the minister in the performance only liable to no just objection ; but hath beof public worship. sides several advantages to recommend it. It The peculiar advantages of forms of prayer is more for the honor of Almighty God, exare thus forcibly displayed by an eminent pre- presses more reverence and devotion, preserves late of the Church of England. (2.) “ A pre- greater propriety and decency of language.-It (1.) Preface to the Book of Common Prayer of the sertations on the prophecies. See his sermon on forms Prot. Epis. Church. of prayer in the 3d rol, of his works. (2.) Bishop Newton, the learned author of the Dis |