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agape to be held in churches, and we now hold there our music meetings. I think, therefore, that the Birmingham clergy (acting, of course, under the sanction of their diocesan, for without his sanction, Xwρię ETTɩσKOTOV, nothing ought to be done) have not acted contrary to the spirit and practice of the church.

The Consistent Churchman contends, however, that if it is lawful to hold in churches meetings of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and Society for Propagating the Gospel, it must be equally lawful to hold meetings of the Bible Society. But between the two cases he forgets that there is a material difference. The speakers at a meeting of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and Society for Propagating the Gospel, must be churchmen, must be Catholic-Christians. Not so the speakers at a meeting of the Bible Society. At a Bible Society meeting, a socinian heretic, and an independent schismatic, have as much right to be present as the consistent churchman; and an unbaptized quaker would probably glory in the opportunity afforded him of refusing to doff his hat in the steeple house. The Consistent Churchman will find no precedent among the ancients for thus admitting heretics and schismatics, known to be such, within the sacred precincts.

It may be, that the zealous and pious writer to whom I have alluded, will not be persuaded by what I have written; and it may be, that he will have many on his side. But he ought certainly to have abstained, until he had heard both sides of the question, from bringing against others that charge of inconsistency which his nom du guerre implies. Now, if at any time, should every consistent churchman take as his motto-Necessariis unitas; non necessariis libertas: utrisque charitas.

I must state, in conclusion, that I perfectly agree with this writer on the impropriety of holding the meeting in the chancel instead of the body of the church. As St. Ambrose said to Theodosius: rà ἔνδον, ὦ βασιλεῦ, μόνοις ἐστὶν ἱερεῦσι βατά· τοῖς δὲ ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ἄδυτά τε καὶ ἄψαυστα. Yours very truly,

W. F. H.

THE COMMON PRAYER.

SIR,-I am induced to notice a few of the liberties which have been taken with the liturgy in recent editions. These may be comprised under the heads of omissions and verbal alterations. To begin with the former. By what authority is it that the two invitations to the sacrament and the second prayer for the king in the communion service are frequently omitted? This prayer is used by myself, and by many clergymen, quite as often as the first: yet it is wanting in many of the smaller editions of the Common Prayer, which, on account of their cheapness, are most in use among the lower classes. Why is it that the commination service is not to be found in many editions

both large and small, and that in all except the largest, several of the sentences of scripture which precede the morning and evening service are omitted? Why is it that in most recent editions the word "and" is omitted (and the power, &c.) in the Lord's Prayer after the absolution, and the word "may" (may shew forth, &c.) in the general thanksgiving-an omission which the genius of our language will barely tolerate?

Under the head of "verbal alterations," how comes it that, in onehalf of the editions, the word "who" has been substituted for "which" throughout the epistles and gospels: an alteration which is attended with this inconvenience, if with no other, that it leads our people to imagine that we are careless and inaccurate in our way of reading the service.

With regard to the rubrics, I am justified in saying, without adducing particular instances, that they have been abridged, altered, or omitted, in a most unwarrantable manner, to suit the taste of our syndics,† or printers.

Such are some of the liberties which have been taken with the Book of Common Prayer. I by no means pretend to have enumerated all the variations which occur in different editions;-perhaps some of the most glaring have been overlooked;—but enough has been said to attract the attention of those who are qualified (which I do not pretend to be) to enter fully into the subject, and to suggest a remedy for the evil. It is only necessary to observe, farther, that all the defects which I have mentioned are to be found in the authorized editions of the Common Prayer.

While on this subject, allow me to notice what may be called a typographical error which runs through all editions. It is the rule, I believe, to print the responses in the italic character, but to this there are a few exceptions which are not to be accounted for on any general principles. Take, as example, two responses in the litany-"Neither reward us, &c.-As we do put, &c. How did this inaccuracy originate? KENTISH CURATE.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR ORDERS.

SIR, I have often thought it would be an useful part of clerical education, if young men intended for holy orders would acquire a moderate skill in singing. In the Roman catholic church, where much of the service is performed in chant, a certain knowledge of music is indispensably necessary to the clergy; and at Winchester College, which was founded as a nursery for young divines, the lads who present themselves for admission as scholars are still required (at least by the statutes) to be competently skilled in plano cantu. My reason

Certainly not in all.-ED.

+ Omissions of the rubrics have obviously been made to lessen the bulk and price.To charge the syndics with this is quite unreasonable.-ED.

for thinking that it really would be useful to the clergy, even of the present day, to possess some little knowledge of music is this-We all of us acknowledge the importance of congregational singing; we know what attention is paid to this point in dissenting places of worship; but few of us, I fear, have not to lament the difficulty of persuading our people to join their voices in singing the Psalms, which are generally left, with a very poor effect, to the feeble and unsupported trebles of a few charity children. The plea of many, who can sing, but will not sing, is, that they do not like to be "particular." But, if the clergyman were able "to take his tuneful part," others would be less startled at the sound of their own voices, and his example might tend to produce that most affecting of all strains-the voice of a great multitude, as the voice of many waters, combined in singing some of the beautiful Psalms used in our church. I can only say that I much regret my own want of skill in this point; and that, where I have had the opportunity of hearing the clergyman thus leading the voices of his congregation, it has always had a most excellent effect. And, although it is perfectly true that the singing, among other reasons, is intended to give a rest to the clergyman in the performance of the service, few, I believe, of my brethren would refuse, in consideration of its great utility, to undertake this additional labour,-even if the interchange of reading and singing should not in itself be a sufficient relief and ease.

While I have my pen in my hand, I will offer a remark on two mistakes very commonly made by the clergy in publishing the banns of marriage. I believe four out of five say, "If any of you know just cause or impediment why these persons should not be joined together in holy matrimony, ye are now to declare it." Now, first, by referring to the Prayer Book, it will be seen that the words are cause, or just impediment. This point, indeed, barely deserves to be noticed, except as it is a departure from strict accuracy. But there is something more serious in the second mistake, which is interpolating the word now: an interpolation which has given rise to the erroneous notion that any person desirous to forbid the banns, must rise up and disturb the congregation, by declaring his dissent in the midst of the service,—whereas, it is in his power to interpose at any other more convenient time; indeed, up to the very moment when, in the marriage service, the clergyman says, "If any man can shew any just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him Now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace." C.

BRICKED-GRAVES IN CHURCHES.

MR. EDITOR,-In an early number of your valuable Magazine you will oblige me by answering the underwritten query.

Has a clergyman any right to allow of a burial within his churc without a brick-grave or vault? Many instances, I am sorry to say, have occurred within my own observation, where both the pavemen

and foundation of the church has been seriously injured by interments being permitted without any protection to keep the earth from sinking and falling in. If there is any power to prevent a custom fraught with so much damage to our consecrated buildings, it would be well if it was more frequently exercised.

Your notice of this may meet the attention of our archdeacons, who, doubtless, will take the hint and put a stop to the practice, if their authority extends as far. I am, your obedient servant, H. R. W.

SERMON AND PRAYERS.

DEAR SIR,-In a late number of the British Magazine, W. F. H., in a letter headed "On the Pulpit and Reading Desk," and others besides, have alluded to the high rank in which the services of our liturgy, and especially the daily prayers, ought to be placed among the offices of a clergyman. The majority of dissenters attach the chief importance to the sermons of their teachers, and little or none to the prayers, which is perhaps attributable to this-that the sermon is addressed to them, whereas the prayer is a sort of solitary address of one man, in which the congregation can only enjoy the part of listeners. There is, therefore, some show of reason for sermons having the preference to prayers with these. But with us the case is different. Our morning and evening services are and ever have been acknowledged to be the principal features of our sabbath worship at church. Indeed, they distinguish and characterize episcopalians all over the world. There are too good grounds, however, for suspecting that they are falling from the eminence on which they once stood-on which they ought to stand-and on which it is the duty of the clergy more particularly to preserve them. Nothing is meant to be said to the disparagement of sermons; the utility of good ones can hardly be overrated. But they may, however, and sometimes do become injurious to the very end they are intended to promote; as, for example-When they engross the whole of the clergyman's attention and time out of the pulpit, and of his care and study in it; when they tend, in the least, to give the people who hear them a distaste for the prayers. The primary object of preaching is to instruct mankind, from the word of God, what they are to believe and what they are to practise, and how they are to worship God publicly and privately. If, by contributing to dispose them more and more to the daily as well as sabbatical discharge of the highest duties Christians have to perform-their devotional exercises, at home or at church, then are we certain it occupies its proper place, but not otherwise. As instruments to effect this important object, sermons have received the highest stamp of approbation, and are warranted by the longest experience. But to make them the end, and our congregational offerings of prayer and praise to God merely a means, is to reverse the order of things-that order, surely, which our church intended. I am even afraid, however, that some clergy are uninten

tionally, in some cases, guilty of administering countenance to the practice complained of; and of exalting the office of preaching at the expense of the prayers. I shall just allude to two circumstances of common occurrence, well-worthy of notice and remedy, evidently calculated to create, not only indifference, but a low opinion, in the minds of others, respecting them.

The first is, the careless and hurried manner in which some read the prayers, while they take all due pains, even make great efforts, in the delivery of the sermon. The second is, the custom which almost universally prevails, where more than one clergyman are engaged in the church service of the day, if there be any distinction between them perceptible to the people, in point of rank, circumstances, or any thing else, of making a pointed, and, for the prayers, an unfavourable difference between the reader of them and the sermon. There are many churches where the curate never preaches but when the rector or vicar of the parish is absent; and where, again, the rector hardly ever reads prayers at all. The tendency of this cannot be mistaken. It must aid, if it do not generate, an undervaluation of what is, confessedly, the most solemn and essential duty of the two. One of the natural

and evil consequences of it, moreover, invariably is, that people cease to make a point of being at church when the service begins, but continue to come in, throughout the whole sacred performance, to the great annoyance of all; and where the preacher is not popular, desert it altogether. I am, dear Sir, yours very faithfully,

R. B.

ON THE ACT, 3 & 4 WILLIAM IV., ENTITLED, “ AN ACT TO ALTER AND AMEND THE LAWS RELATING TO THE TEMPORALITIES OF THE CHURCH OF IRELAND." •

A VARIETY of causes, which I shall not here attempt either to enumerate or to analyze, appear to have led to a remarkable inattention, if not apathy, with respect to the provisions of this portentous Act of the legislature. But whether this apathy be or be not desirable, I cannot see that ignorance of the provisions of this Act can be justifiable among even the laity, much less among the clergy of the established church. It deserves to be studied by them with peculiar attention; for it should be remembered, that a Bill, emanating from the very same parties, and probably on similar principles, is in preparation for the church of England. This Bill is concealed with a mysterious jealousy which augurs no good. Why should it shrink from

The Editor has great pleasure in submitting this and the following paper to his readers. Without pledging himself to concur in all that is said in them, he must say that they appear to him highly valuable, and worthy of the reader's best conside

ration.

VOL. IV.-Dec. 1833.

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