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sung, sermons are pronounced, requests are despatched."

That very early writer Origen, in his comments on the book of Job,* incidentally mentions, that it was read in the assemblies of the Church in Passion week, as suitable to the season: which implies habitual practice, as to the Scriptures generally. And in his treatise against Celsus, he calls sermons-explanations of the

lessons.

It appears from some of the epistles of St. Cyprian,t that in his day, it was customary to appoint an official reader. The general supposition is, that the office of reading the Scriptures was especially within the province of the deacons: but the reading could not have been scanty, when an officer was exclusively assigned to it. It is needless to descend to later ages; because the evidences so multiply, as to leave no doubt. It is an insufficient plea sometimes made, for not following primitive practice in this particular, or for the following of it slightly, that since the discovery of the art of printing, the Bible is more generally possessed, and there is a more general ability to read it. Still, there are a very considerable proportion of society, who have not this benefit within their reach. Yet it was designed, that to the poor the gospel should be preached: and if there be any weight in the saying of St. Paul"We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves; " which was to induce the bearing with some measure of errour and caprice; much more does the principle apply, as a motive to condescension to, wants, which are the re'sult of the insurmountable necessities of condition. But this is not all, When a minister of the gospel delivers its truths, as they are found in holy writ, he does this authoritatively: which may be expected to have the more weight, as well from respect to his commission, as from the reasonable expectation of the grace of God accompanying it. Besides it has been

* Lib. í.

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shown, that in the language of scripture, this is emphatically to preach the gospel. And above all, it should be remembered, that if as is here believed

the authorities produced are proofs, that the reading of the Scriptures is of divine appointment, as a branch of the publick service of the Church; it would seem, that the same is not to be dispensed with, from our own ideas of a lessening of the demand for it, in the state of society at any time or in any place.

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OF THE JOINING OF THE PEOPLE, IN CERTAIN

PARTS OF THE SCIENCE.

This practice the Episcopal Church receives, with the veneration due to what she supposes to have descended to her from the Church of God, in all ages.

The first document which we meet with to the purpose and which was noticed before on another account-is the passage of the Red Sea; when the sublime song of Moses was sung, not by him' only, but by the united voices of the children of Israel; and when Miriam and her choir of females were responsive to the song; in the very species of musick, which has always been considered as one of the most pleasing of its exhibitions. It would be a meager criticism to say, that in the instance referred to, the magnificent exercise was with a modulation of the voice: which has no effect on the ques. tion, as to principle.

When the children of Israel were in distress, because of their vow rashly made in Mizpah; it is said*-They came to the house of God, and wept sore: and then follows this prayer, sent up with one voice-" O Lord God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be this day one tribe lacking in Israel?"

⚫ Judges, xxi. 3.

It is not certainly known, to what extent the people bore a part in the service of the temple. But in some of the psalms composed for it, there are occasional intimations, which indicate their interest in the performance. For instance, in the last verse of the hundred and sixth psalm, after the doxology"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting," it is added-" And let all the people say, Amen." So, at the end of the hundred and fifth psalm, as recorded in the first book of Chronicles, it is added-"and all the people said Amen, and praised the Lord."* The psalm is prefaced with noticing" David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord, into the hand of Asaph and his brethren:" that is, to the choir of the temple. So that the part of the people in it, must have been provided for. In like manner, at the conclusion of the dedication of the temple, all the people joined in an act of devotion, and "praised the Lord, say. ing, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever."+

But there is less information on this subject, than in relation to the worship of the synagogue, which was graced by the presence of the Saviour. The principal prayers of it, were the eighteen, which are still to be seen in the Mishna. There were other prayers; but in those referred to, the people are said to have joined; being required, with a view to this, to commit them to memory.

When St. Paul says "That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God;" it is a form of speech unintelligible, except with reference to a known practice of a vocal joining of the people, in the publick services of the Church.

The same apostle says, in regard to prayer in an unknown tongue-"How shall he which occupieth the room of the unlearned, say Amen, at the giving of thanks?" Short as is the vocal expression of assent, it shows, that this at least is exacted as a

* xvi. 36. †2 Chron. vii, 3. Rom. xv. 6. §1 Cor. xiv. 16.

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circumstance of the social prayers of Christians. But in truth, little as we find recorded of the customs of publiek worship in the time of the apostles; when we have respect to the customs of Christians, who became such after having been members of the Jewish Church, and when we go below their times, to what is known of those succeeding; there is as much evidence as the nature of the subject admits, that the matter in question was all along considered as an appendage of the assembling of the saints. We may perceive an instance of the habit of thinking on this subject, in that passage of the book of Revelation, wherein, after a voice from the throne saying "Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great;"* there is heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying Alleluiah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." It is universally held, that the information conveyed to St. John in vision, was through the medium of figures made familiar to his mind, by his country and by his religion: and especially the figurative language of the prophet Daniel, is thought to have been the groundwork of much of the same description in this book. What then could have been more natural, than that the scene displayed to him as in heaven, should be made to answer to the people's joining in the praises of God on earth?

It is only from incidental expressions in the early fathers, that we learn in what instances the people bore a part in the worship of their day. Justin expressly affirms the universal consent in the pronouncing of Amen. From several, we learn the custom of the minister's saluting of the people with

"Peace be with you;" as also their answer"And with thy spirit:" and from some, the people's saying with one voice-"Glory be to thee, O Lord." Now although these and the like are a

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very small proportion of a religious service; yet it should be considered, that this was very much occupied in the singing of psalms; and these, at least for the most part, not put into metre, and thus mixed with the fruit of human invention, but in the words of the Holy Spirit: which composed prayers, differing from other prayers in the manner of repeating them, only by a gentle inflexion of the voice. And such precisely would be a considerable proportion of the prayers of this church; if, as they are directed to be said or sung, they were sung only, and not said; agreeably to the pointing in the books. This is not remarked in unqualified disparagement of psalms in metre, when used in moderation; and not so as to exclude the same compositions, as they proceeded from the Holy Spirit: because this is the form, in which alone sacred psalmody is handed down, under the express sanction of Almighty God. These remarks are made merely to show, to what great extent the primitive Church joined in the publick service; although principally by the mean of prayers, which are apt to appear not such, in consequence of the manner in which they were presented.

SECTION III.

OF BODILY WORSHIP.

There is no one property of worship, which can more positively plead the precedent of the Church of God, under both economies.

Even the command in Exodus-"Not to bow down to other gods and to serve them,"* implies that however mistaken the Israelites might be as to the object of their adoration, there could have been no doubt among them as to the propriety of a carriage of the body, answerable to the intended homage of the mind.

XX. V.

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