BX 9185 .B36 1884 
 
 Bannerman, David Douglas. 
 
 The worship of the 
 
 Presbyterian church 
 
TIE WOESIIP tmu%.Ai 
 
 OF 
 
 THE PEESBYTEEIAN CHUECH, 
 
 WITH SPECIAL KEFEEENCE TO 
 
 THE QUESTION OF LITURGIES. 
 
 BY 
 
 KEY. D. D. BANNERMAN, M.A., 
 
 AUTHOR OF " GROUNDS AND METHODS OF ADMISSION TO 
 SEALING ORDINANCES." 
 
 ANDREW ELLIOT, 17 PEINCES STREET. 
 1884. 
 
EDINBURGH : 
 
 PRINTED BY LORIMER AND GII.LIKS, 
 
 31 ST. ANDREW SQUARE. 
 
PKEFATORY NOTE. 
 
 In the Spring of last year I had occasion to write a 
 Paper for the Perth Theological Society, on " The 
 Place and Use of a Liturgy or Book of Common Order 
 in a Presbyterian Church." This was read at a 
 meeting of the Society on 18th June, 1883. Shortly 
 afterwards I was asked to give an Address at a 
 Provincial Church Congress, to be held in Glasgow in 
 November, under the auspices of the Free Church 
 Synod of Glasgow and Ayr ; the topic prescribed by 
 the Programme Committee being " The Ideal of 
 Presbyterian Worship." 
 
 What is now printed is, with some additions, what 
 was given in those two Papers. It is published as a 
 contribution to the discussion of an important subject, 
 which has been awakening considerable interest of 
 late in several branches of the Presbyterian Church on 
 both sides of the Atlantic. 
 
 D. D. B. 
 
 St. Leonard's, Perth, 
 February, 1884. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Ideal of Presbttekian Wokship. 
 
 (1.) Spiritual — Conscious and intelligent participation by 
 worshippers — " What is prayer ? " ..... 1-3 
 
 (2.) Scriptural — Scripture rule of worship from stand- 
 point of Reformed or Calvinistic Church, as compared with 
 Lutheran and Anglican — No new element — New Testament 
 canons for worship as to its circumstances and arrangements 
 — Westminster Confession — Illustration in case of instru- 
 mental music, ......... 4-6 
 
 (3.) The Word of God central in worship — "Lecturing" 
 — Dignity and seemliness of service — First Book of Discip- 
 line, . 6-8 
 
 (4.) Congregational — All to join — Individuality to be 
 developed in congregation as a whole, as well as in members 
 separately — " Uniformity and purity of worship " — Different 
 "environment,". ....... .9-12 
 
 (5.) Simple and elastic — Capacity of adaptation to cir- 
 cumstances and emergencies, 12f. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Duty op the Church as such in Reference to the Order 
 
 and eorms of worship — liturgies. 
 
 A "liturgy" maybe opposed or approved according to 
 
 definition — Use of term in Scripture; in Primitive Church. 
 
 Dr. Bannerman's definition — Such liturgies to be always 
 
 opposed, 14-16 
 
 V 
 
vi CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Heads of argument against liturgies of Anglican type — 
 Scripture principles and example — Nature and constitution 
 of Church of Christ — Spirit of Gospel dispensation, . 17-19 
 
 Early Christian worship — Justin Martyr's account — Free 
 prayer and " Amen " said by people, .... 19-21 
 
 Psahns and hymns in early Church — Growth of litur- 
 gies, 21-24 
 
 Practical evils arising from fixed liturgies — Illustrations 
 — Dr. Phillips Brooks — Prof. Lorimer of Edinburgh— Siege 
 y ' of Paris — Funeral service of Church of England, . . 24-9 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Theory and Practice of Scottish Church as to Public 
 Worship ; the Scottish Metrical Psalms ; West- 
 minster Directory for Worship. 
 
 Ought the Reformed Church to leave everything free as 
 regards order and forms of worship ? — Answer given by 
 Scottish Church and others — Advantages of such a system — 
 Spiritual life and spiritual sympathy, ..... 30-3 
 
 Psalmody at the Reformation — The Scottish Metrical 
 Psalter : its authors and history — Characteristics and associa- 
 tions — Forms a national liturgy of praise and prayer — The 
 
 "Paraphrases," 34-40 
 
 •V Westminster Directory : its merits ; much of it practic- 
 ally in abeyance ; revision called for — Unwritten tradition 
 of Scottish worship, 40-43 
 
 This state of things greatly preferable to a fixed and 
 invariable liturgy ; but is there a middle ground ? , . 43f. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Liturgies or Books of Common Order as usEa by the 
 Majority of the Reformed Churches ; Dangers 
 and Advantages. 
 An optional liturgy, a lawful arrangement for the 
 
 "seemly form and order" of public worship in Presby- 
 
CONTENTS. vii 
 
 PAGE 
 
 terian Church — In use in Scottish Church till Westmin- 
 ster Assembly — Why given up then, . . . . 45-7 
 
 Edwards on Lawfulness of set forms of prayers — Dr. John 
 Duncan — Dr, Chalmers, 48f. 
 
 Assuming the lawfulness of an optional liturgy, what is 
 to be said of it on grounds of expediency, . . . .49 
 
 Objection first : *' Un-Presbyterian ; Covenanters against ^ 
 liturgies " — Answer : Historically incorrect — Jenny Geddes 
 — Facts of the case — Absence of read prayers, one of the 
 grievances of the Covenanters — Dickson of Irvine on the 
 old liturgy and the new — Prelates condemned for " inter- 
 dicting morning and evening prayers" — Alexander Hender- 
 son at Glasgow Assembly, 49-55 
 
 Objection second : " Wrong tendency — Externalism — 
 Practically playing into hands of Prelatists," . . .56 
 
 Answer : Dangers admitted ; but hold chiefly in case of 
 fixed and enforced liturgy — Historic position of Reformed 
 Church in Scotland and elsewhere in this matter — Alexander 
 Henderson as representative and exponent of it — His 
 criticism of Laud's liturgy — His opposition to views and 
 practices of English sectaries in worship — Controversy on 
 subject — "Discountenancing read prayers" — Conference on 
 innovations in Lord Loudon's chambers — Kobert Baillie's 
 troubles at Kilwinning — Henderson's statement for West- 
 minster Assembly, ....... 56-63 
 
 Scottish Collects of 1595 — Alexander Henderson's opinion 
 of the prayers of old Scottish liturgy — Mr. Gladstone on 
 Scottish worship, ........ 64-6 
 
 Objection third : " Practically hurtful — Liturgy and free 
 prayer cannot live together — Staff will be made a crutch " 67f. 
 
 Answer : Risks admitted — Argument conclusive against 
 liturgy of Anglican type, but not against historic position 
 of Reformed Church — Individual "offices" — Evidence 
 of experience — Nature of Knox's liturgy — Its rubrics — 
 Practical results in Church — Robert Bruce in Edinburgh 
 and Inverness — Alexander Henderson in Glasgow Assembly 
 — Moravian Brethren — Dutch Reformed Church, . 69-75 
 
viii CONTENTS. 
 
 Advantages of such an optional liturgy in way of help, 
 stimulus, and guidance — People's share in worship — The 
 Lord's Prayer and the "Amen" — Use of Apostle's Creed in 
 old Scottish Church — Service-book for special occasions — 
 " Rights of Christian people " in baptism and marriage, . 76-9 
 
 Early Christian liturgies and those of Reformation period 
 —The Reformation "Confession of Sins" of 1525— The 
 Communion of Saints, ....... 79-82 
 
 APPENDICES. 
 
 Appendix A. — John Knox's use op Apostles' Creed and 
 Prayers of Book of Cojoion Order in his last 
 
 illness, 83-8 
 
 The "prayer for the sick " and " evening prayer," , 88-90 
 Appendes B. — Scottish Collects of 1595 — History and 
 Characteristics — Thomas Bassandyne before Assembly 
 
 of 1568— Scottish Words 91-4 
 
 I. Prayers relating to individual Christian life and 
 
 experience, 94-101 
 
 II. Prayers for blessing in use of means of grace, . 101-104 
 
 III. Prayers for the Church, 105-109 
 
 IV. Prayers for the nation and its rulers, . . . .109 
 V. Prayers bearing on a Christian's relations to other 
 
 men, 109-112 
 
 VI. Thanksgiving and Praise to God, . . . 112f. 
 
 Appendix C. — The Reformation Confession of Sins, 
 1525 — History — Confession of Sin in Anglican Prayer- 
 Book — German Text — French Versions, . . 113-118 
 
THE WORSHIP 
 
 OF 
 
 THE PEESBYTEEIAN CHUKCH. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE IDEAL OF PRESBYTERIAN WORSHIP. 
 
 WHAT is the ideal of Presbyterian worship ? 
 Without pretending to give a complete 
 answer, or to divide it in a perfectly logical way, 
 I think that the following points enter into the 
 ideal of worship, as regarded from the standpoint 
 of the Presbyterian or Eeformed Church ^: — 
 
 I. The worship must be Spiritual; and 
 
 II. It must be Scriptural. 
 
 The whole ideal might be described under 
 these two heads. But where those two great 
 
 1 I use the word '* Reformed" here in the sense in which it is 
 universally employed on the Continent, — namely, to denote the 
 Churches whose Confessions of Faith are of the Calvinistic, a 
 distinguished from the Lutheran type. 
 
 B 
 
THE IDEAL OF WORSHIP. 
 
 conditioDS are observed, certain other features 
 become practically so outstanding as to deserve 
 separate notice. 
 
 III. The Word of God, by which the worship 
 is moulded, has the central place in it. 
 
 lY. The worship is Congregational ; and 
 
 V. It is simple and elastic. 
 
 I. The Worship must be Spiritual. 
 
 The whole question of worship is ruled by that 
 saying of our Lord's, which often meets one in 
 such a striking way amid the corruptions of 
 Romanism in Italy, written in clear letters over 
 the door of some Waldensian mission Church : 
 " God is a Spirit ; and they that worship Him 
 must worship Him in spirit and in truth." ^ 
 
 We worship God when we hold such fellow- 
 ship with Him as " the Father of our spirits," 
 " the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ;" 
 He speaking to us, and we to Him. The first 
 essential condition of private or public worship, 
 from the standpoint of the Church of the Refor- 
 mation, is that it be not a form merely, but a 
 reality, — that there be a conscious intelligent 
 forthgoing of the spirit of the worshipper to God 
 in all the parts of the service. " Pray^," as the 
 first clause of that familiar answer in the Cate- 
 
 ^ John iv. 24 ; comp. Phil, iii. 3. 
 
SPIRITUAL AND SCRIPTURAL. 3 
 
 chism puts it, "is an offering up of our desires 
 unto God."^ If the things said are not our 
 desires, it is not prayer at all so far as we are 
 concerned. 
 
 This principle has many applications ; but 
 these are so obvious that I omit them, and pass 
 on to the second condition of worship, from the 
 standpoint of the Reformed Church : — 
 
 II. It must be Scriptural, 
 
 By this I mean, with respect to the substance 
 of the worship, that it must be offered to God as 
 revealed in His Word ; and, with respect to the 
 form of it — with which we have more especially 
 to do here — that the worship, as to its elements, 
 must be authorised by Scripture ; and, as to the 
 adjustment of those elements, must be in accord- 
 ance with the two great Scriptural canons for 
 New Testament worship, "Let all things be 
 done unto edification"; and "Let all things be 
 done in good (or seemly) form, and according to 
 order." ^ 
 
 ^ " Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things 
 agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of 
 our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies." — 
 Shorter Oatechism, ques. 98. 
 
 ^ UdvTa irpbs olKodofMTjv yeviado}. Uavra evaxvi^^^^^ '^^'^ fi<^Ta 
 rd^LU yeveadu. — 1 COE. xiv. 26, 40. 'EvaxV/J-o^'^s in classic Greek 
 is commonly used in reference to personal demeanour and bearing. 
 It may often be translated, " with dignity," " like a gentleman." 
 
4 SCRIPTURE RULE OF WORSHIP. 
 
 Scripture, as it is read in the Reformed or 
 Calvinistic Church, " forbids the worshipping of 
 God by images, or in any other way not appointed 
 in His Word."^ We are bound to produce 
 distinct Scriptural authority "for every substan- 
 tial element or feature of our religious services." 
 
 Now, I believe this Calvinistic principle of 
 Church worship, as distinguished from the 
 Lutheran or Anglican one, — which claims power 
 for the Church to introduce rites and ceremonies 
 in the worship of God, if only they are not 
 expressly forbidden in Scripture, — to be 
 thoroughly sound and of much practical import- 
 ance, provided always that it be taken with the 
 necessary limitation so clearly stated in the 
 Westminster Confession, that " there are some 
 circumstances concerning the worship of God 
 and government of the Church common to human 
 actions and societies, which are to be ordered by 
 the light of nature and Christian prudence " 
 (i.e., Christian common-sense), ''according to the 
 general rules of the Word, which are always to 
 be observed." ^ It is good that each proposal 
 
 1 Shorter Catechism, ques. 51. 
 
 2 Conf. i. 6. — Thus, for instance, instrumental music, as an 
 accompaniment to the voice, is a " circumstance common to the 
 human action " of singing among all nations. It occurs as such 
 in connection with singing to the praise of God in Bible history, 
 altogether apart from the Tabernacle or Temple service — as, for 
 example, in the case of Miriam and the Israelites at the Ked 
 
NO NEW ELEMENT. 
 
 for change in worship should be challenged by 
 this warder at the door of the Church, and 
 should have to give a strict account of itself, 
 and even of its parentage and connections. If 
 what is proposed prove to be really a new element 
 in worship, a new way of worshipping God by 
 man's device, let it be kept out by all means. 
 If, on the other hand, it prove to be simply a 
 circumstantial variation, a new arrangement for 
 
 Sea (Exod. xv.). Therefore, instrumental music, if kept strictly 
 in a subordinate place, as a mere aid and accompaniment to the 
 voice, may be fairly held to be in accordance with the Calvinistic 
 rule for worship. 
 
 In point of fact, this has been the conclusion of almost every 
 Presbyterian Church which has had to face the question of instru- 
 mental aid to praise, separately and on its own merits. Previous 
 to the Reformation, instrumental music had been grossly abused 
 in the Church of Rome. It had been one of the chief means of 
 silencing the voice of the people in the House of God altogether. 
 No one can wonder, therefore, that the Reformers in some 
 countries were disposed to sweep it away en masse with other 
 flagrant abuses in worship with which it was associated. They 
 did so, undoubtedly, in some cases, by bringing it somewhat 
 hastily under the Calvinistic principle of Church worship above 
 stated. But it is worth noting how, with hardly a single excep- 
 tion, every Reformed Church in Britain, America, or the Conti- 
 nent of Europe, which in calmer times has had to consider the 
 subject of instrumental music in worship, has come deliberately 
 -to the same conclusion — namely, that while all due regard should 
 be paid in such matters to the peace of congregations and the 
 associations of devout worshippers, there is nothing either in the 
 Word of God or in the principles and constitution of the Presby- 
 rterian Church, to preclude the use of instrumental music in 
 public worship as an aid to vocal praise. 
 
6 GOUS WORD TO BE CENTRAL. 
 
 the seemly and profitable use of an old ordinance, 
 let it be admitted, where that is for edification ; 
 but let it be kept carefully in the subordinate 
 place to which alone it has a right by its own 
 account of itself in asking admission. ^ 
 
 Here again one is tempted to enlarge and 
 illustrate ; but I pass to the third characteristic 
 of Presbyterian worship, which emerges wherever 
 the two great conditions already named are at 
 all realised in practice. 
 
 III. The Word of God, by which the Worship 
 IS Moulded, has the Central Place in it. 
 
 God, speaking to men in the Scriptures, has 
 called them into fellowship with Himself in 
 Jesus Christ and with each other in His Church. 
 We meet together in God's house, not only for 
 common praise and prayer, but very specially 
 that we may hear Him speaking further to us, 
 opening to us the Scriptures by His Spirit 
 through His ordinance of the ministry. He has 
 many things to say, and we are dull of hearing. 
 
 1 This point is well put in a report on instrumental music 
 submitted to last General Assembly of the Free Church of Scot- 
 land (see "Blue Book, 1883," Append, xxxvii. p. 26). For a 
 thorough discussion of the whole subject of the ^extent and 
 limits of Church power in reference to public worship, see the 
 chapter on *• Rites and Ceremonies " in Dr. Bannerman's work, 
 The Church of Christ, i. 335-75. 
 
''lecturing:' 
 
 And we need ever afresh to be " stirred up by 
 being put in remembrance." 
 
 The strength of the Presbyterian service, as 
 almost all admit, has lain here : in its practical 
 carrying out of the great Reformation principle 
 of the supremacy of Scripture ; in its direct 
 appeal at once to the intellect, the heart, and 
 the conscience, through the reading and preach- 
 ing of the Word of God as such. I do not 
 dwell on this characteristic just because it is so 
 unmistakable. Two things only I wish to say 
 before passing on: 
 
 \8t. The method of " lecturing " or expository 
 preaching, which has always been in special 
 favour with the Scottish Church in her best 
 days, is of the highest value in this connection, 
 inasmuch as, if conscientiously and intelligently 
 used, it secures, as nothing else can, variety and 
 freshness. It makes both the preacher and his 
 hearers feel that the Book of Revelation, like 
 the Book of Nature, is Divine, because it is 
 inexhaustible. 
 
 2'7icZ. The belief in the supremacy and divinity 
 of Scripture, wherever that belief has been 
 a living thing in the Reformed Church, has 
 done much to secure the essential dignity and 
 seemliness of the whole service. It has done so 
 in Scotland, wherever the spirit of our first 
 Reformers has prevailed. There are several 
 
8 " THE MAJESTY OF GODS WORDP 
 
 striking passages in the "First Book of Dis- 
 cipline " which bring this out. The book was 
 drawn up in 1560, by Knox, Willock, Row, and 
 other leading men. In speaking, for instance, 
 of the due repair of the parish Churches, they 
 say : " Lest that the Word of God and minis- 
 tration of the Sacraments hy unseemliness of the 
 place come in contempt, of necessity it is that 
 the Kirk and place where the people ought 
 publicly to convene be with expedition repaired, 
 . . . and have such preparation within as apper- 
 ^ taineth as well to the majesty of the Word of God, 
 as unto the ease and commodity of the people." 
 ''We desire," they say again, ''that burial (i.e., 
 the actual interment of the dead) be so honour- 
 ably handled that the hope of our resurrection 
 may be nourished. . . . Burial should be without 
 the Kirk in a fine air, and the place walled and 
 keepit honourably."^ 
 
 It is not on John Knox nor on the Fathers of 
 the Scottish Church that the blame should be 
 laid for barn-like Churches, irreverent funerals, 
 or ill -kept churchyards in Scotland. The 
 Moderatism of the eighteenth century and the 
 meanness of heritors trained and influenced by 
 Moderatism, have had much more to do with the 
 matter. * 
 
 ^ Dunlop, Collection of Confessions, vol. ii. 598, 623. 
 
CONGREGATIONAL WORSHIP. 9 
 
 IV. The Worship must be Congregational. 
 
 By this I mean two things. First, that all 
 the congregation must join in all the parts of 
 the service, o<jy] ^vvaixL<5 outol's — to use a phrase 
 of Justin Martyr's — '' according to their ability." 
 This is certainly a point on which, as I may 
 show presently, Presbyterian worship in the con- 
 crete is open to just criticism. But a,*"; certainly 
 it belongs to the ideal of worship from the 
 standpoint of the Presbyterian Church. 
 
 But, secondly, I mean that the worship of 
 each particular congregation ought to be worthy 
 of that congregation as a whole in view of its 
 special history, character, and gifts. The true 
 genius of Presbyterianism aims at the natural 
 and wholesome development of individuality 
 within due limits in the congregation, as well as 
 in each Christian man and woman who is a 
 member therein. 
 
 Our elders in Scotland promise, in accordance 
 with Act 11 of Assembly 1700, to "observe 
 uniformity of worship and of the administration 
 of all public ordinances within this Church, as 
 the same are at present performed and allowed." 
 The formula for ministers, which dates from 
 1711, is in this respect more general in its terms, 
 as if a somewhat wider discretion, as to details of 
 worship, were left with them. They " own the 
 
lo PURITY OF WORSHIP. 
 
 purity of worship presently authorised and prac- 
 tised in this Church ... as founded on the Word 
 of God and agreeable thereto ;" and they " pro- 
 mise that in their practice they will conform 
 themselves to the said worship, . . . and follow 
 no divisive courses therefrom."^ Neither minis- 
 ters nor elders promise to observe identity in the 
 details of worship. And a very interesting 
 variety in " the administration of public ordin- 
 ances/' within certain limits, has always prevailed 
 and been " allowed in this Church." What our 
 ministers are bound to is, that they conform 
 themselves as regards the public services of God's 
 house to the well-known type of Presbyterian 
 worship founded on the great Scriptural principle 
 concerning purity of worship, as held by the 
 Reformed Church, with its equally Scriptural 
 canon of interpretation as to the " circumstances 
 of worship,"^ 
 
 The individuality of a congregation in a purely 
 mining district is quite distinct from that of a 
 congregation in a pastoral one ; and both of 
 these, again, are very different in history and 
 character from a congregation in a fishing village, 
 
 ^ See ''Report of Scottish Sub-Committee on Creeds and 
 Formulas of Subscription to General Presbyterian Council at 
 Philadelphia in 1880," in " Proceedings of Council,^* 973 f., 987 f. 
 Comp. "Act anent Questions and Formula, 1846, xii," in "Free 
 Church Standards." 
 
 2 Comp. " Report on Instrumental Music," ut supra, p. 6. 
 
CONGREGATIONAL INDIVIDUALITY, ii 
 
 or from a West-end city charge. Given an 
 equally high spiritual condition in all the four 
 cases, the congregational individuality will and 
 should develop itself differently in worship in 
 each of them respectively. 
 
 It will be objected, perhaps : " This is making 
 class distinctions where none ought to be admit- 
 ted." But the answer is very plain. It is not 
 making distinctions. It is simply recognising 
 facts in Providence, which are there, whether you 
 recognise them or not, and seeking to act accord- 
 ingly. In what is highest and deepest in their 
 worship, in the great essentials of it, all Christian 
 congregations, worshipping in a spiritual and 
 Scriptural way, are one, and rejoice to know and 
 feel that they are so. But, in the circumstantials 
 of their worship, there may be, and there ought 
 to be, a good deal of difference. 
 
 The whole '' environment " of the members of 
 a West-end congregation in Edinburgh or Glas- 
 gow is, by necessity of nature, very different 
 from that of a congregation amid the mining 
 " rows " of Ayrshire or the Lothians, or in the 
 Highlands of the north or of the south of Scot- 
 land. No slight to the one nor exaltation of 
 the other, in a moral or spiritual point of view, 
 is at all implied in our recognising that fact. 
 The members of the city congregation and of the 
 country one live in different sorts of houses ; they 
 
12 SIMPLICITY OF WORSHIP. 
 
 hear and join in a different kind of music during 
 the week. If they are to be themselves on the 
 Lord's Day, it follows that the house which they 
 rear for the worship of God, and the form in 
 which they praise Him there will, in some res- 
 pects, be different also. What would be most 
 creditable to the one congregation, and would 
 justly command the respect and touch the heart 
 of the most intelligent and cultured stranger 
 worshipping with them, would be most unworthy 
 of the other. It would have quite a different 
 aspect and meaning there. 
 
 V. The Woeship must be Simple and 
 Elastic. 
 
 This follows necessarily from what has already 
 been said. If the worship is to be congregational, 
 it must, speaking generally, be strictly simple. 
 The spirit of Presbyterianism demands that, 
 above all, the common man^ shall have his full 
 place in the worship of the congregation — not as 
 a concession, but as of right. With all due care, 
 therefore, for the dignity and good taste of the 
 service — which are perfectly compatible with its 
 simplicity, — it must not, in prayer or praise, go 
 
 1 I borrow a phrase from a fine passage on what is meant by 
 Presbyterianism, in Principal Kainy's " Three Lectures on the 
 Church of Scotland," ed. 1883, p. 36. 
 
ADAPTABILITY, 13 
 
 beyond what may be fairly asked of an ordinary, 
 earnest, and intelligent member of the Church. 
 
 And the service must be elastic enousfh to 
 meet all the emergencies of life for the indivi- 
 dual, the congregation, and the Church at large. 
 It must be able to adapt itself to the need of the 
 humblest, and to command the respect and interest 
 of the most cultured. It must suit the case of 
 every company of worshippers by sea and land, 
 in the city and the wilderness, in time of war 
 and time of peace. 
 
 So much for the ideal roughly sketched. In 
 the following chapters I propose to say something 
 as to the practical steps which the Church as 
 such may and should take to secure these ends. 
 
14 DUTY OF CHURCH AS SUCH. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 DUTY OF THE CHURCH AS SUCH IN REFERENCE 
 TO THE ORDER AND FORMS OF WORSHIP : 
 LITURGIES. 
 
 TN considering this subject, it is of special 
 -■- importance to define our terms. From the 
 standpoint of the Presbyterian or Reformed 
 Church, a "liturgy" may be either opposed or 
 approved, according to what you understand by 
 it. The word " liturgy " (XeiTovpyla) is a Scrip- 
 tural one, occurring six times as a substantive in 
 the New Testament. It is always used there to 
 denote the worship or service of God, and is 
 rendered in our English Version " ministration," 
 " ministry," or more often " service."^ By an 
 easy transition, it came afterwards to mean the 
 order of Divine service, or the form of words used 
 in worship. 
 
 There were two parts of the worship of the 
 primitive Church which naturally tended to 
 assume a more or less fixed shape before the 
 
 1 Luke i. 23 5 2 Cor. ix. 12 ; Phil. ii. 17, 30 ; Heb. viii. 
 6, 9, 21. 
 
LITURGIES. 15 
 
 rest. These were the two Sacraments of Christ's 
 appointmeiit. On the one hand, what is usually 
 known as the "Apostles' Creed " grew by degrees 
 out of Baptism in the name of the Trinity, with 
 the corresponding confession of faith made by 
 converts from heathenism; and on the other, the 
 Communion Service in the different Churches 
 crystallised naturally into a regular form round 
 our Lord's words of institution. " The liturgy," 
 in the early centuries, meant the order of Com- 
 munion. It is in this sense that the word is 
 used when we speak of "the liturgy of Jerusalem" 
 (or " of St. James "), "the liturgy of Alexandria" 
 (or " of St. Mark "), &c. It is of these in their 
 original forms that President Hitchcock says 
 truly : " At first the liturgies were oral, flexible, 
 and varied. Not till after the Nicene epoch 
 were they reduced to writing. Later still was 
 the Roman usurpation with intolerance and 
 exclusion of other forms." ^ 
 
 Popularly, the word " liturgy " has now come 
 to mean a prescribed form of words for all the 
 parts of public worship, a fixed ritual like that 
 of the Church of England or the Church of 
 Eome. That is probably what is conveyed to 
 the minds of most people in Scotland when any 
 one speaks of a liturgy. Some writers, again — ■ 
 as, for instance, Dr. K. M. Patterson, in an able 
 
 ^ Proceedings of Council at Philadelphia, p. 74. 
 
1 6 LITURGIES OF ANGLICAN TYPE. 
 
 article on '^ Presbjrterian Worship " lately pub- 
 lished ^ — use the term liturgy in a somewhat 
 arbitrary and restricted sense, to denote a ser- 
 vice in which responsive prayers and readings of 
 Scripture form the main feature. That, of course, 
 is not what is meant by such authors as the late 
 Mr. Baird, or Dr. Charles Hodge in writing on 
 the subject of " Presbyterian Liturgies " ; nor by 
 President Hitchcock when he says that '' the 
 Directory of Worship set forth by the West- 
 minster Assembly concedes the liturgical idea." ^ 
 Dr. Bannerman, in his comprehensive treatise 
 on the Church, lays down three marks of the 
 kind of liturgy which he opposes. First, it 
 involves a scheme of fixed forms for the ordinary 
 worship of the Church at all times. Secondly, 
 these are used alone, to the absolute exclusion 
 of the possibility of free prayer. Thirdly, the 
 use of these forms is made co'inpulsory by ecclesi- 
 astical authority.^ It was a liturgy of that kind, 
 with equally objectionable accompaniments, which 
 Charles I. and Archbishop Laud tried to force 
 upon the Church of Scotland in 1687, with what 
 results all the world knows. Practically, it is a 
 liturgy of that type which we see at present 
 established in the Episcopal Church of England, 
 
 ^ Presbyterian Pevieiv, Oct. 1883, p. 745. 
 
 ' Proceedings of Council at Philadelphia, p. 74. 
 
 3 Church of Christ, i. 383. 
 
ARGUMENT AGAINST. 17 
 
 and in the Scottish Episcopal Church. Such a 
 liturgy must always meet with unanimous opposi- 
 tion from all true Presbyterians. No plea of 
 beauty and impressiveness as to the words 
 employed, nor venerable associations as to their 
 origin and ancient use, can ever justify a form of 
 service involving the three elements above stated. 
 
 It is hardly needful to bring forward in detail 
 the arguments which prove the unlaw^fulness of 
 such a liturgy. They are to be drawn from the 
 general principles of God's Word bearing upon 
 the subject of worship, from the example of our 
 Lord and his Apostles, from the nature and con- 
 stitution of the Church of Christ, and the rights 
 and liberties of her members, — from the whole 
 spirit and character of the Gospel dispensa- 
 tion. ^ 
 
 The essentially free and spiritual character of 
 the true worship of God plainly forbids any such 
 use of prescribed formulae in prayer as would 
 exclude or even discourage the natural utterance 
 of the heart according to the varying circum- 
 stances of the believing man, the believing 
 family, and the believing congregation. If they 
 are to pray to God '' e corde " and " ex animo," 
 they must often pray in the fullest sense "ex 
 tempore," according to the time and the situation 
 
 ^ Bannerman, Church of Christ, i. 385-91; with the full 
 references given there to the literature of this subject. 
 
 C 
 
1 8 EVILS OF FIXED LITURGIES. 
 
 in which they now find themselves under His 
 providence. No prayer-book, however excellent 
 and comprehensive, can possibly make provision 
 for this. No Christian minister and cono^reo'ation 
 who have felt in their own experience how the 
 free Sj)irit of God, '' the Spirit of grace and sup- 
 plications," " the Lord and Giver of life," meets 
 the necessities of such an hour by His inspiring 
 and suggesting influences, will ever consent to 
 forego a privilege so great and precious. 
 
 No one, again, who candidly studies the teach- 
 ing of Scripture on this subject can fail to recog- 
 nise the place and honour which it gives to free 
 prayer ; nor can they, in the light of that teach- 
 ing, approve of any liturgical arrangement which 
 would tend to shut it out from the public services 
 of God's house. For the Church, by any such 
 arrangement, to hinder or discourage her ministers 
 from acquiring and improving the gift and grace 
 of free prayer, is to undertake a very grave 
 responsibility. To bind the consciences of her 
 ministers and members in all the public services 
 to certain set forms of prayer, is a serious inter- 
 ference with the liberty wherewith Christ has 
 made His people free. 
 
 We find no Scripture evidence whatever that 
 fixed and invariable forms of prayer were used 
 3ither in the Old Testament Church or in the 
 New There is, on the other hand, very clear 
 
EARLY CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 19 
 
 Scripture evidence that free prayer was used in 
 the public worship of the Church under both 
 dispensations.^ The same thing holds, both nega- 
 tively and positively, of the worship of the post- 
 Apostolic Church in the first three or four centuries. 
 In Justin Martyr's interesting account of the 
 simple worship of the Christians of the first half 
 of the second century nothing is more obvious 
 than that with them prayer was free. " There 
 is then brought to the president of the brethren," 
 he says, in describing the administration of the 
 Lord's Supper, "bread and a cup of wine mixed 
 with water. And he, taking them, gives praise 
 and glory to the Father of the universe through 
 the name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and 
 offers thanks at considerable length for our being 
 counted worthy to receive these things at His 
 hands. And when he has concluded the prayers 
 and thanksgivings, all the people express their 
 assent by saying ' Amen.' This word * Amen ' 
 answers in the Hebrew language to ' So be it.' 
 And when the president has given thanks, and 
 all the people have expressed their assent, those 
 who are called by us deacons give to each of those 
 present to partake of the bread and wine mixed 
 with water, over which the thanksgiving was pro- 
 
 1 Comp. Bannerman, ut supra, 386-88 ; M'Crie, Revieio of 
 Simeon on the English Liturgy in Miscellaneous WorTcs, 210-14 ; 
 Robinson, Case of Liturgies, 49-76. 
 
20 EARLY CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 
 
 noimced." In a subsequent chapter Justin says : 
 " On the day called Sunday, all who live in cities 
 or in the country gather together to one place, 
 and the memoirs of the apostles, or the writings 
 ^of the prophets, are read as long as time permits. 
 Then we all rise together and pray ; and as we 
 before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and 
 wine and water are brought, and the president in 
 like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, 
 according to his ability (oV?; SvvaiJii<s avTw), and 
 the people assent, saying ' Amen.' " ^ It might 
 
 ^ Justin Martyr, Apol. i. 65, 67. I quote from Dr. Marcus 
 Dods' translation in the "Ante-Nicene Library," edited by Dr. 
 Roberts and Professor Donaldson, ii. 63-65. The undeniable pre- 
 sence of free prayer — and that at the Communion service — in this 
 first picture of Christian worship drawn by a Christian hand in 
 the sub-Apostolic Church, has given a good deal of trouble to 
 some advocates of fixed liturgies. " The words, * as well as he is 
 able'" Principal Daniel reluctantly admits, "would seem to 
 imply that some portions of the service at least were extemporised ; 
 but, even if such were the case, this liberty was unquestionably 
 very soon taken away." The Prayer-Bool:, 8th ed. p. 7. One 
 would be glad to know when and by what authority *' this liberty 
 was taken away" from the Church. Certainly Tertullian, at the 
 end of the second century, or the beginning of the third, knew 
 nothing of such a change when he said, speaking of the public 
 worship of Christians : " We pray without a monitor, because we 
 pray from the heart," Apol. 30. " Whatever part of the Christ- 
 ian service this may refer to," says Dr. Jacob, "Sine monitore 
 quia de pectore oramus, must mean extemporaneous prayer," 
 Eccles. Polity of Neto Testament, p. 222. For a very able 
 and fair discussion by an Episcopalian writer of the question of 
 the practice of the early Church in this matter, see the whole 
 section, pp. 215-29. 
 
PSALMS IN EARLY CHURCH. ii 
 
 be well if all the members of our congregations 
 did their part in that respect stil], as the presi- 
 dents seek to do theirs, oav] Svi/ajULig avroig, " to 
 the best of their ability." 
 
 As has been already pointed out, forms of 
 prayer and orders of service naturally grew up by 
 degrees in various Christian communities for such 
 parts of worship as Baptism and the Lord's Supper. 
 The materials both for praise and prayer multi- 
 plied as the spiritual life and gifts of the office- 
 bearers and members of the Church were 
 developed and bore fruit. 
 
 Throughout the Roman Empire, Christian 
 congregations sprang, as a rule, out of the 
 Jewish synagogues. The Psalms were, therefore, 
 naturally the first, and for a time almost the 
 only materials of praise. Besides what follow^ed 
 from their place in inspired Scripture, they 
 embodied for the Hebrew Christian the hallowed 
 memories of more than a thousand years. For 
 Christians both of Jewish and Gentile origin 
 they represented and embodied in a living and 
 practical way the great truth that God's believ- 
 ing people, under all changes of dispensation, are 
 essentially one in all that is deepest and highest 
 in their spiritual experience. The Psalms, to the 
 early Christians, formed an unbroken link between 
 '' the Church in the wilderness," the Church 
 militant under the Gospel, and the Church of 
 
PSALMS AND HYMNS. 
 
 the redeemed above. In them, as in the praises 
 of heaven heard by the Apostle in his vision in 
 Patmos, " the song of Moses, the servant of God," 
 was joined with " the song of the Lamb."-^ It is 
 true, indeed, that the first mention of praise in 
 Christian worship, beyond the pages of the New 
 Testament, is of *'a hymn to Christ as God."^ 
 The " Gloria in Excelsis" and the '' Ter Sanctus" 
 occur in some of the oldest known liturgies ; and 
 the '' Te Deum" in its earliest forms follows not 
 long after. ^ But such noble Christian hymns as 
 these had to be made before they could be sung ; 
 and it was not in every generation that Christian 
 singers capable of making them were raised up. 
 Such hymns had to approve themselves to the 
 judgment and heart of the Church, as worthy of 
 a place in public worship, before they could be 
 generally received and used. This did not take 
 
 ^ Rev. XV. 3. 
 
 ^ In the well-known letter of Pliny to Trajan, written in the 
 first decade of the second century. Justin Martyr also in 
 speaking of Christian worship (circa 140 A.D.) says, "We offer 
 thanks to the Maker of the universe by solemn invocations and 
 hymns " (5ta \6'^qv iro/xwas Kal Vf^vovs iriinroixev) Apol. i. 13. But 
 these "hymns to the Maker of the universe," may have been 
 like that which our Lord and His disciples sang together before 
 going out to Gethsemane (Matt. xxvi. 30), which was in all like- 
 lihood one of the Paschal Psalms, or Hallel, Ps. cxiii.-cxviii. The 
 word "hymn" in the early Christian Church was ofren used of 
 the Hebrew Psalms as well as of what would now be called hymns. 
 
 3 Parts of the ** Te Deum" are probably of still earlier date. 
 Cyprian (a.d. 252) makes an unmistakable quotation from it. 
 
GROWTH OF LITURGIES, 23 
 
 place to any great extent until the grand outburst 
 of sacred song in the Western Church in the 
 days of Ambrose and Augustine. 
 
 In like manner the materials for Christian 
 devotion gathered and took form by degrees. 
 The gifts of " the Spirit of grace and supplica- 
 tions" must have been long used and improved 
 in the Churches ere those noble utterances took 
 shape which we now find — mingled, indeed, with 
 elements of error and superstition — in the litur- 
 gies of Jerusalem and Alexandria.-^ Such 
 petitions and intercessions carried their own 
 witness as given by the Spirit of prayer. They 
 were felt to be fitting channels for the warmest 
 and highest devotion. Some of them may have 
 come from the prayers of the synagogue service, 
 with Christian additions; others bear the stamp 
 of the times of Roman persecution, such as the 
 touching requests '' for our fathers and brethren 
 who are in captivity and exile, who are in mines, 
 and under torture, and in bitter slavery." Such 
 prayers won their way, first into the heart and 
 memory of the Church, and then found their 
 place in its earliest written forms of service. 
 
 Certain petitions, confessions and thanksgivings 
 came into common use, and gathered round them 
 hallowed associations in certain Churches, from 
 
 1 These liturgies are conveniently accessible in the *'Ante- 
 Nicene Christian Library," vol. xxiv. (Clark's Series, Edin.). 
 
24 EVILS OF FIXED LITURGIES. 
 
 their suitableness and beauty, and from their 
 having been used by martyrs and confessors, or 
 venerable and beloved ministers of Christ. One 
 or two of the oldest liturgies now extant may 
 thus, as regards some of their elements, go back 
 to the fourth, or even to the third century. But 
 they were then "oral, flexible, and varied." We 
 must travel onwards from the days of our Lord 
 over at least five hundred years, to a period of 
 growing declension and decay, before we find any- 
 thing like a system of prescribed and invariable 
 prayers, making its appearance in the ordinary 
 worship of the Christian Church. 
 
 The practical disadvantages of an enforced 
 liturgy of this fixed and invariable stamp are 
 very great. They are of a twofold kind, arising 
 both from the inherent defects of the system 
 itself, and from the general helplessness, and 
 inability to go beyond the prayer-book on an 
 emergency, which are seen in the ministers 
 trained under the system. One or two concrete 
 instances of this may perhaps bring out what I 
 mean better than any general remarks. 
 
 Few names connected with the Episcopal 
 Church of the United States are better known in 
 this country than that of Dr. Phillips Brooks, 
 rector of Trinity Church, Boston. At £i recent 
 congress of the American Episcopal Church, Dr. 
 Brooks pled strongly for greater freedom in 
 
DR. PHILLIPS BROOKS. 25 
 
 prayer, and gave this illustration of the evils of 
 their present system : — A large Episcopal con- 
 vention was assembled, when news came that a 
 great city (Chicago ?) was on fire, and that thou- 
 sands of people were houseless and exposed to 
 extreme danger. With a natural and praise- 
 worthy impulse, all agreed to adjourn the meeting, 
 and to join in prayer for their fellow-countrymen 
 suffering under such a calamity. The business 
 in hand was adjourned accordingly, when, behold, 
 a fatal difficulty emerged. There was no form 
 of prayer in the Liturgy for such a case, and it 
 was, of course, impossible to depart from it. 
 The assembled bishops and clergy had to con- 
 tent themselves with going devoutly over the 
 Litany, " laying before God almost every woe but 
 the woe of a burning city." '' Surely," the elo- 
 quent preacher went on, " bishops, clergy, and 
 laity should have liberty to pour out their souls 
 to God, wherever they be, for the very things 
 they need, instead of compelling them to go in a 
 roundabout way praying for other things, and 
 trusting Omniscience to give them the things 
 which are in their hearts ? " ^ 
 
 * Catholic Presbyterian, vii. 54. I noticed a similar case 
 lately, reported in an American paper published in San Fran- 
 cisco. It had been arranged, it appears, in the English 
 Episcopal Church of Yokohama, Japan, to have a day of special 
 prayer for missions. Considerable pains had been taken to have 
 a full meeting. The day arrived ; the people assembled early, 
 but only to be told that it would be impossible to pray for 
 
26 PROFESSOR LORIMER. 
 
 I give another illustration in the words of 
 Professor Lorimer, of Edinburgh University, in 
 his little treatise, '' A National Church demands 
 a National Liturgy " -^ : — 
 
 " There are few Episcopalians, I should think, who 
 do not feel the entire exclusion of extempore prayer 
 from the Liturgy of the Church of England to be a 
 grave defect. "We had a striking and very painful 
 instance of its inconveniences quite recently. The 
 Princess Alice died on a Saturday, in circumstances 
 which called forth an outburst of universal grief and 
 sympathy. On Sunday morning every heart was fidl, 
 and every mouth would gladly have spoken. Yet in 
 the metropolis of Scotland, where feelings of warm 
 personal affection for the Koyal Eamily, and for the 
 Queen and Princess more especially, were exception- 
 ally strong, even in the Church where the Bishop pre- 
 sided and preached, not the slightest reference was 
 made to the sad event. As the Princess' name did not 
 occur in the Liturgy, her death was not marked even 
 by its omission, which was the only notice that was 
 taken of her father's death (Prince Albert's) in similar 
 circumstances. Surely even the pedantry of Eitualism 
 need not exclude expressions of grief for the departed, 
 or words of supplication for the bereaved. There was 
 not a Presbyterian Church in Scotland, of any denomi- 
 nation, in which the Queen was not fervently prayed 
 _ ^fc 
 
 missions that day, because the prayers had not arrived by the 
 steamer ! It was all the fault of the Bishop of London. 
 
 1 Edinburgh, 1879, p. 33. 
 
IRELAND AND FRANCE. 27 
 
 for on both occasions; and there was not a Presby- 
 terian who, had not his lips been sealed by prejudice 
 would not have said a fervent 'Amen.' " 
 
 Statements from Episcopalians to the same 
 effect could be cited to almost any extent. 
 '' Could the prayer-book of the Irish Episcopal 
 Church," asks an eloquent Irish writer, " express 
 the agonised desires of the God-fearing people of 
 that misguided land, when ferocious crimes were 
 following one another too fast to be counted, 
 through whole provinces, with anything ap- 
 proaching to the effect of sentences springing 
 straight from the heart, and shaped by the very 
 chisel of the events themselves ?"^ 
 
 All our readers will remember the painful 
 interest awakened throughout Britain by the siege 
 of Paris and the horrors of the Commune. No 
 one can doubt that the members of the Church 
 of England shared deeply in that interest, and 
 would fain have expressed it in prayers such as 
 the hearts of all Christians prompted, and in 
 which men of all political views could have freely 
 joined. But there was, of course, no provision 
 for this in the Liturgy. Many suggested that a 
 special prayer sbould be issued by authority. 
 After some delay, there appeared in the papers 
 an instructive correspondence between the Bishop 
 of London and the Archbishop of Canterbury, 
 
 ^ Catholic Presbyterian, x. 267. 
 
28 ENGLISH FUNERAL SERVICE. 
 
 as to whether it would be possible to have some 
 public prayer in reference to what was engaging 
 so much thought and feeling in the country. It 
 was decided that there was no precedent for it ; 
 and that it was impossible for the Church of 
 England to pray about any war unless Eng- 
 land herself was actually engaged in it. A form 
 of prayer had been drawn up with the view of 
 its being used in public. All that the two 
 prelates could do in the circumstances, was to 
 suggest that this prayer — a somewhat bald and 
 meagre composition, as many thought — might be 
 used by the people of the Church to help them 
 in their private devotions.^ 
 
 Fine as the funeral service of the Church of 
 England is in many ways, you can hardly fail to 
 see its defects, if you suppose yourself bound to 
 use this formula at every grave, and to use 
 nothing else. It contains, for example, no 
 expression whatever of sympathy for the bereaved 
 family or friends of the dead. It does not supply 
 a single w^ord of prayer for them in their 
 affliction. A respected minister of our Church 
 told me lately of an instance which occurred 
 some years ago, in which he had been painfully 
 struck with this. A young mother had died, 
 leavinof two infant children. She \^s much and 
 justly beloved. Her husband was lying dan- 
 
 1 See Daily Eevieiv, 9th Aug., 1870. 
 
ENGLISH FUNERAL SERVICE. 29 
 
 gerously ill at the time in a foreign land. The 
 large company of near relatives and friends who 
 gathered to the funeral, as well as the officiating 
 clergyman himself, were under the full influence of 
 the feelings naturally awakened by the touching 
 circumstances. But there could not be one 
 petition offered for blessing on the motherless 
 children, nor for support and comfort to the 
 bereaved husband and father under the sad 
 tidings which were at that moment on their way 
 to him. There had to be silence before God as 
 to the very things which were most in the hearts 
 of the mourners, because " it was not in the 
 bond" by which prayer is straitened in the 
 Church of England. 
 
 But do considerations such as these end the 
 discussion which we have in hand regarding the 
 duty of the Church as such in reference to the 
 order and forms of public worship ? Has the 
 Reformed Church done her whole duty in this 
 direction, when she protests, as she has good 
 reason to do, against all enforced liturgies, and 
 against all liturgies of the fixed and stereotyped 
 kind with which we have now been dealing ? 
 Ought she to leave everything free in the matter 
 of public worship ? To that question we propose 
 to address ourselves in the next chapter. 
 
30 WORSHIP IN SCOTTISH CHURCH. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THEOEY AND PEACTICE OF SCOTTISH CHUECH AS 
 TO PUBLIC WOESHIP : THE SCOTTISH METEI- 
 CAL PSALMS : WESTMINSTEE DIEECTOEY FOE 
 WOESHIP. 
 
 HAS the Reformed Church done her whole 
 duty in reference to the order and forms 
 of public worship, when she protests, as she has 
 such good reason to do, against all enforced 
 liturgies, and against all liturgies of the fixed 
 and stereotyped kind with which we are familiar 
 in the Church of England and in the Church of 
 Rome? Ought she to leave everything free as 
 regards the order and form of the stated services 
 of God's House ? 
 
 " No," would seem to be the answer given by 
 the theory and practice of some Presbyterian 
 Churches, the Scottish among the rest ; " there 
 are certain limits within which alone the freedom 
 is to be exercised. The duty of the Church in 
 this matter is threefold. First, let tier state the 
 New Testament elements of worship, — praise, 
 prayer, the reading and exposition of the Scrip- 
 
THE OR Y AND PR A CTICE. 3 1 
 
 tures, the preaching of the Gospel, the adminis- 
 tration of the Sacraments. Secondly, let her 
 provide her people with a psalm-book and a 
 hymn-book, and some instruction in the use of 
 them. Let them even have an organ, if they 
 keep it in its right place, and do not quarrel 
 over it. Thirdly, as to the presiding minister ; 
 let the Church give him full freedom within the 
 limits now indicated, and exhort and encourasre 
 him to make the best use of it. Let him, with 
 consent of the eldership of the congregation, 
 combine and arrange the given elements of 
 worship as he judges to be most for edification. 
 In the matter of public prayer, in particular, let 
 him meditate well beforehand, using what help 
 of the pen he will to guide his thoughts. Let 
 him consider the present circumstances and needs 
 of his people, preparing his heart before God, 
 stirring up himself to take hold of Him for them 
 and with them, and then let him cast himself in 
 faith on the promised help of the Spirit, and 
 pray as God enables him to frame his words." 
 
 Such a system has many advantages. It pro- 
 ceeds upon the principle, — a true and noble one, 
 — that if you appeal to Christian men by high 
 motives to do great things, and expect them to 
 do so, you will not generally be disappointed. 
 Our Scottish Church, for example, by her plan of 
 worship, calls upon each of her ministers to stir 
 
32 ADVANTAGES OF THE SYSTEM. 
 
 up the gift of God which is in him for all the 
 work of the ministry to which he was solemnly 
 set apart by prayer '' with the laying on of the 
 hands of the Presbytery. "^ She shows that she 
 expects him not only to preach the Gospel, but 
 to cultivate the power of leading the public 
 worship of God in prayer in such a way as to 
 edify the earnest and living members of the 
 Church. He is thereby shut up, in a measure, 
 by the very necessities of the case, to take heed 
 to himself and to his own spiritual life, and to 
 seek the spirit of true prayer. He thus learns 
 to know, and to be thankful when he has in some 
 degree attained to that spirit, to know, and to 
 be humbled within himself, when he has come 
 short of it. 
 
 The result has been that both now and in all 
 periods in our history when there has been any 
 amount of evangelical life in the Church, in other 
 words, whenever there have been in existence the 
 spiritual motives on which such an appeal counts, 
 the response has never failed. There has been, 
 with all our defects, a decidedly high average of 
 attainment among the ministers of the Scottish 
 Church, both in preaching and in the gift of 
 edifying and acceptable public prayer. ^ And 
 
 1 1 Tim. iv. 14. * 
 
 2 I agree in this with what was said by Professor Bruce of 
 Glasgow, at the Presbyterian Council in Philadelphia. — Pro- 
 ceedings, 131. 
 
SPIRITUAL SYMPATHY. -^-^^ 
 
 this, as regards prayer, has been reached in a 
 way which, although difficult and sometimes 
 depressing to the feelings of a young minister, 
 has often been the means to him of no little 
 blessing. He has found himself brought con- 
 sciously '' en ra'pport'' in a very high sense, with 
 the best of his people. There has been a true 
 spiritual sympathy established between him and 
 them, wonderfully elevating and supporting, as 
 every minister can tell who has felt it, — not the 
 less real and helpful because not expressed among 
 us in the loud ejaculations and responses of our 
 Methodist brethren. 
 
 As regards the Churches of the Westminster 
 Confession we have, in theory at least, something 
 more than this in the way of help and guidance 
 for the minister; and, in practice, as regards 
 the congregation, we have in the Scottish, Irish, 
 and some of the American Churches, an ancient 
 and admirable book of praise, which has done 
 much to maintain the historic continuity and the 
 sacred associations of Scottish worship. We have 
 the Westminster Directory for the public worship 
 of God ; and we have the Scottish Metrical 
 Psalms. Let us look first at the latter. 
 
 When, after the long spiritual darkness of the 
 Middle Ages, light dawned again upon Europe in 
 the sixteenth century, morning, as ever, brought 
 gladness, and was hailed with song. Everywhere 
 
 D 
 
34 PSALMS AT THE REFORMATION. 
 
 men broke loose from the trammels of a strange 
 tongue, and of enforced silence in the Churches ; 
 and everywhere by a strong and true spiritual 
 instinct recourse was had to the treasures of the 
 Hebrew Psalter. The words of Chrysostom 
 regarding the Church of his time were fulfilled 
 again: " David in his Psalms is first, middle, and 
 last in the assemblies of Christians." In Germany 
 and Scotland, France and England, Holland, 
 Switzerland, and Spain there appeared almost 
 simultaneously during the early days of the 
 Eeformation, metrical versions of the Psalter, 
 more or less complete, in the language of the 
 common people. 
 
 From the standpoint of the Church of Home 
 in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, psalmody 
 and heresy were convertible terms. The Lollards 
 in England and Scotland took their very name 
 from their psalm-singing. The French Psalms 
 of Beza and Marot — first suggested by Calvin — 
 spread like wildfire over France, and became one 
 of the main badges and supports of the Huguenots 
 during all the wars of the League. Strada, the 
 Spanish Roman Catholic historian of the Low 
 Countries, tells us that '' the raising of a Geneva 
 Psalm among the misbelievers was as if the 
 trumpet had sounded a charge." ^ 
 
 But, among all the metrical renderings of the 
 Psalter which became current in the Reformed 
 
THE SCOTTISH VERSION. 35 
 
 Churches, the foremost place must undoubtedly 
 be given to the Scottish version. It was pub- 
 lished in its present form about two years after 
 the close of the Westminster Assembly, after 
 long and careful adjustment and revision by a 
 well-chosen committee of ministers and elders 
 appointed by the General Assembly of the Church 
 of Scotland. The main body of the Psalms in 
 common metre are taken in substance from the 
 version which had been adopted by the West- 
 minster Assembly as part of the proposed unifor- 
 mity of worship in the three kingdoms, and 
 which was written by Francis Rous, Provost of 
 Eton, and Member of the Long Parliament. But 
 it is by no means correct to ascribe to him, as is 
 sometimes done, the sole authorship of the ver- 
 sion published in 1650 by appointment of 
 the General Assembly, and used thenceforth 
 in Scotland. Not a few of the Psalms 
 which it contains belong almost entirely to the 
 version of Sir William Mure of Rowallan, and 
 others to that of Alexander of Menstrie, after- 
 wards Earl of Stirling, both of whom, were well- 
 known Scottish poets in the first half of the 
 seventeenth century. But in many of its best 
 features the Scottish Psalter goes back to the 
 Reformation period. The Psalms which have 
 the strongest hold on Scottish hearts, and which 
 are linked with the most stirring scenes in our 
 
36 THE SCOTTISH PSALTER. 
 
 history, belong for the most part to the days of 
 Knox. Thus, for example, the 100th Psalm, 
 " All people that on earth do dwell," was written 
 by William Keith, a Scottish exile in the reign 
 of Queen Mary, and one of the translators of the 
 Geneva Bible. The Old 124th, ''Now Israel 
 may say, and that truly," was composed by 
 Whittingham, the brother-in-law of Calvin, who 
 succeeded John Knox in the English pulpit at 
 Geneva, and was afterwards Dean of Durham. 
 The author of the " Second Versions" of Psalms 
 102, 136, 143 and 145 was John Craig, 
 once a Dominican monk at Bologna, afterwards 
 one of Knox's most trusted friends, who died 
 minister of Holyrood and of the king's household.-^ 
 No version of the Psalms in any country has 
 ever obtained a greater hold of the national mind 
 and heart than the Scottish ; none, probably, has 
 so powerful an influence in the present day, and 
 none better deserves it. Its faults lie on the 
 surface. It is not unfrequently rough and 
 
 ^ See Dr. David Laing's valuable dissertation on this subject 
 in Appendix to his edition of " Baillie's Letters and Journals," 
 iii. 525-56 ; Livingston, Scottish Metrical Psalter of 1635, 27, 
 33. The same thing is true of many of the best and most 
 popular of our Psalm tunes. They go back to the Reformation 
 Church Psalters. Thus, for example, the three melodies named by 
 E/obert Burns in the " Cottar's Saturday Night " are * Martyrs," 
 "Elgin," and "Dundee." They were the Psalm tunes commonly 
 used by his father in family worship. And they belong, all 
 three, to the days of Knox and Melville. 
 
THE SCOTTISH PSALTER. 37 
 
 uncouth to modern ears. Some of its phrases 
 and rhymes quoted in an isolated way may easily 
 raise a smile. But, as a whole, it has surpassing 
 merits, which are seen and felt the more care- 
 fully it is studied. In respect of faithfulness to 
 the inspired original, in a certain high and grave 
 simplicity, in strength and dignity, the Scottish 
 Metrical Psalter is not unworthy of the name, 
 given it by competent judges, of " the prince of 
 versions." Rugged as its verses sometimes are, 
 they are never weak. Along with its simple 
 ballad metres, it has the noble directness, the 
 unsought felicities of expression which mark the 
 best of our Scottish ballads.-^ Passages meet 
 you on almost every page which are fully equal 
 in this respect to the one fine passage in the 
 version of Sternhold and Hopkins, ''The Lord 
 descended from above, and bowed the heavens 
 high." And it has been often remarked how, 
 when the theme of the Psalm is the loftiest and 
 most fitted for worship, the Scottish version seems 
 to rise in power and beauty along with it. 
 
 This Psalter has gathered round it for Scottish 
 
 ^ It is on such grounds that Wordsworth, with the instinct of 
 a true poet, brings in two lines from the Scottish version of the 
 88th Psalm as the dirge sung by the funeral procession among 
 the mountains, which is described in a fine passage in the 
 *' Excursion " :— 
 
 " Wilt Thou show wonders to the dead ? Shall they rise and Thee bless ? 
 Shall in the grave Thy love be known, in death Thy faithfulness? " 
 
THE SCOTTISH PSALTER. 
 
 hearts the associations of all that is best and 
 highest in our history for more than three hun- 
 dred years. Every student of that history knows 
 how these Psalms meet us in it again and again 
 as the stay and solace of Christian men in hours 
 of darkness and peril, as the natural utterance of 
 joy and triumph. Our Scottish martyrs went to 
 their doom with these Psalms upon their lips, 
 echoed back by the sorrowing and awe-stricken 
 crowds which gathered round the scaffold. It 
 was with these Psalms to nerve them that Scot- 
 tish peasants stood up fearlessly before the cara- 
 bines of a savage soldiery at their own doors. 
 And then, when the work was done, and the last 
 file of troopers had disappeared over the muir- 
 land, women stole out in the darkening to dress 
 the bodies, and that most touching of all melodies 
 — " plaintive ' Martyrs,' worthy of the name," — 
 rose over them from trembling voices : — 
 
 " Tlieir blood about Jerusalem like water they have shed ; 
 And there was none to bury them when they were slain 
 and dead. 
 * * * -x- * 
 
 Against us mind not former sins ; Thy tender mercies 
 
 show ; 
 Let tliem prevent us speedily, for we're brought very 
 
 low. k 
 
 For Thy name's glory help us, Lord, who hast our 
 
 Saviour been : 
 Deliver us ; for Thy name's sake, oh, purge away our sin. 
 
THE PSALMS AND PARAPHRASES. 39 
 
 Oh, let the prisoner's sighs ascend before Thy sight on 
 
 high ; 
 Preserve those, in Thy mighty power, that are designed 
 
 to die." 
 
 These were the Psalms that ascended from 
 great Communion gatherings on the moors and 
 hillsides in the days of the " Armed Conventicles." 
 
 " Then rose the song, the loud 
 Acclaim of praise ; the wheeling plover ceased ' 
 Her plaint ; the solitary place was glad ; 
 And on the distant cairns the watcher's ear 
 Caught doubtfully at times the breeze-borne note." ^ 
 
 This Scottish Psalter forms a wonderful bond 
 of union and sympathy among Scotsmen all the 
 world over. It is in fact a national liturgy of 
 praise and prayer in the best sense of the word.^ 
 
 ^ Graham, Tlie Sabbath. 
 
 2 Inseparably Unked in this respect with the Psalter, are those 
 fifteen or twenty noble hymns which, rising by their native virtue 
 above the mass of the " Paraphrases," have for nearly a hundred 
 and fifty years held a place in Scotland — except in the Highlands 
 — second only to that of the Psalms. I refer to such hymns as 
 " God of Bethel," " Where high the heavenly temple stands/' 
 " 'Twas on that night," "Hark, how the adoring hosts above," 
 "How bright these glorious spirits shine." These were first 
 printed by permission of the General Assembly in 1745, and had 
 won their place in Scottish worship, along with the Psalms, for 
 generations before a separate hymn-book was adopted by any 
 Presbyterian Church in Scotland. — See Laing, ubi supra, p. 555. 
 Acts of Assembly, 1745, vi. 9 ; 1747, 15th May; 1748, 21st May ; 
 1750, 11; 1751, 10, &c. 
 
40 THE SCOTTISH PSALTER. 
 
 Those who have had the privilege of ministeriDg 
 to their fellow-countrymen and country-women in 
 the Colonies, or at sea, can testify to its power. 
 They have seen and shared in the thrill that ran 
 through the little gathering on shipboard, in the 
 woods, or in the wilderness, and have seen tears 
 come to eyes not prone to weeping, when 
 the old Psalms were given out : " I to the hills," 
 " thou, my soul, bless God the Lord," " The 
 Lord 's my Shepherd," *' Pray that Jerusalem may 
 have ; " and when there rose up from the little 
 congregation the grave, sweet, familiar melody of 
 "French," or " Coleshill," "Dunfermline," or 
 " St. Paul's." 
 
 But let us turn now to the " Directory for the 
 Public Worship of God, agreed upon by the 
 Assembly of Divines at Westminster, with the 
 assistance of Commissioners from the Church of 
 Scotland, as a part of the Covenanted Uniformity 
 in Religion betwixt the Churches of Christ in the 
 kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland." 
 This is a document which deserves to be much 
 more carefully studied than it usually is. It 
 contains a great deal that is of very high and 
 permanent value, both in the way of direct guid- 
 ance, and of suggestion in matters of worship.^ 
 
 * Nothing, for example, could be more admirable than the 
 three general rules which it gives to a minister in the section 
 ** Of the Preaching of the Word," as to how he should handle 
 
THE WESTMINSTER DIRECTORY. 41 
 
 It cannot, however, be said to be of full authority 
 even in the Churches which hold the Westminster 
 Standards. Much of it has practically fallen into 
 abeyance. Some of its rules are generally, or 
 often, disregarded to our loss ; as, for instance, 
 its injunction that marriages should be celebrated 
 in the Church, and its recommendation that the 
 Lord's Prayer should be regularly used in public 
 worship. One or two of its decisions, on the 
 other hand, are now disregarded with advantage. 
 Thus, for example, the Directory expressly en- 
 joins that no service shall be held at funerals, 
 either in the house or at the grave, referring as 
 the reason for this to various abuses which had 
 
 his text. " His care ought to be : Fint, That the matter be the 
 truth of God. Secondly, That it be a truth contained in that 
 text. Thirdly, That he chiefly insist upon those doctrines which 
 are principally intended, and make most for the edification of 
 the hearers." 
 
 Hall, an Episcopalian writer, in a useful work, "Reliquiae 
 Liturgicas" (5 vols., Bath, 1847), gives an account of the West- 
 minster Assembly. It is a little coloured by denominational 
 prepossessions, and exhibits some inaccuracies as to facts ; but it 
 is marked throughout by a sort of surprised candour. Of the 
 "Directory for Public Worship," he says: "With all these 
 deductions from its usefulness " (viz., " the rejection of the 
 Apocrypha, the discontinuance of private baptism ; of god-fathers 
 and god-mothers ; of the sign of the cross ; of the wedding-ring," 
 and other like things, which Mr. Hall feels to be serious defects), 
 " the Directory is a fine composition, very simple, and often very 
 solemn, and doubtless — by whomsoever composed — the result of 
 no little thoughtfulness and care." — Introd. xxxviii. 
 
42 THE DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP. 
 
 arisen in connection with such observances. The 
 former part of this prohibition has been almost 
 from the first, in Scotland and elsewhere, 
 universally disobeyed, and the latter part, especi- 
 ally of late years, very generally.-^ 
 
 In these circumstances, a careful revision 
 and re-publication of the Directory by Church 
 authority would be a very seasonable thing, and 
 might in many ways lead to much good. It is 
 obviously desirable that what is theoretically, to 
 some extent, supposed to be the law of the 
 Church as to public worship, and her actual 
 practice in that department, should be brought 
 into harmony with each other. 
 
 Practically, the main result of the Westminster 
 Directory has been the general unwritten tradi- 
 tion of Scottish worship, which is based mainly 
 upon it, although with distinct traces of the 
 earlier system of the " Book of Common Order," 
 where that was not followed at Westminster, and 
 with evidence also of some later influences, to 
 which I need not advert here. I refer to that 
 '' order of service," substantially the same over 
 all Scotland to a wonderful extent, with which 
 most of us in this country are so familiar. 
 There are a few local variations, such as be^^in- 
 
 ^ See the excellent edition of the ** Book of Common Order, 
 and the Directory, with Historical Introductions and Notes," by 
 Drs. Sprott and Leishman, Edin. 1868, 313, 318, 
 
UNWRITTEN TRADITION. 43 
 
 ning with a short prayer ; which, by the way, 
 ought to be the rule and not the exception, 
 according both to the Book of Common Order 
 and the Directory ; but, speaking generally, the 
 order is: Singing; prayer; reading of Scripture ; 
 singing (prayer) ; sermon (singing ; Baptisms, if 
 any) ; prayer ; singing ; benediction. 
 
 Beyond this unwritten *' ordinance of the 
 fathers," — from which few young ministers would 
 venture to vary, and still fewer would not 
 speedily repent it if they did, — the pastor in a 
 British or an American Presbyterian Church is 
 practically left to himself as to what he reads 
 from Scripture, as to the material, style, and length 
 of his prayers, his order of Baptism and of the 
 Communion, his marriage and funeral services. 
 
 Now, if our choice lay simply between this 
 state of things, and our being bound hand and 
 foot to a prayer-book after the fashion of the 
 Church of England, I have no hesitation what- 
 ever in saying that we should remain as we are, 
 and that for the reasons indicated in the second 
 chapter of this little work. But the question at 
 once suggests itself : Is there no middle ground ? 
 Does the Church do all her duty both to her 
 ministers — especially her younger ministers — and 
 to her people, which does no more in this 
 department than is done at present by the 
 Scottish and some other Presbyterian Churches ? 
 
44 AN OPTIONAL LITURGY. 
 
 Suppose you have an optional or discre- 
 tionary liturgy, in connection with which free 
 prayer shall not only be permitted, but positively 
 enjoined and set in the place of honour ; such a 
 service-book, with improvements, as Knox and 
 Calvin framed at Geneva, and the Church of 
 Scotland used for a hundred years after ; such a 
 liturgy as the Waldensian Church possesses,^ and 
 as the Dutch Eeformed Church uses to this day, 
 both in its Dutch and in its English-speaking 
 branches in Europe, Africa, and America, — what 
 are the advantages and disadvantages of such a 
 plan as compared with that which prevails in 
 those British and American Churches with which 
 we are more familiar ? 
 
 ^ " La Liturgie Vaudoise, ou la Manifere de Cdl^brer le Service 
 Divin, comme elle est dtablie dans r;^glise Evange'lique des 
 Valines du Pidmont. Par ordre du Synode." The copy of this 
 liturgy which lies before me was presented, as the inscription 
 upon it bears, " to the Library of the Free Church of Scotland 
 at Edinburgh, by the Moderator of the Waldensian Church, 
 M. Bonjour, pastor of the parish of St. Germain, 15th July, 
 1844." The Synod, or Supreme Court of the Waldensian 
 Church, appointed a committee in 1878 to revise this liturgy, 
 and bring it more into accordance with the present needs of all 
 their congregations both in the Valleys and in Italy. The revised 
 Service-book is to be submitted for approval to the Synod which 
 meets in September, 1884. 
 
DANGERS AND ADVANTAGES. 4S 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 LITURGIES OK BOOKS OF COMMON ORDER AS 
 USED BY THE MAJORITY OF THE REFORMED 
 CHURCHES : DANGERS AND ADVANTAGES. 
 
 THE point raised at the close of last chapter was 
 this : Suppose you have an optional or dis- 
 cretionary liturgy, in connection with which free 
 prayer is not only permitted, but expressly enjoined 
 and set in the place of honour, — what are the 
 advantages and disadvantages of such a plan, 
 as compared with that which now prevails in 
 most of the British and American Presbyterian 
 Churches ? 
 
 There can be no question at all events, — except 
 among the ignorant, — as to its being a lawful 
 arrangement for the '' seemly form and order " ^ of 
 the public worship of God in a Presbyterian 
 Church.^ In fact, the weight of precedent is all 
 
 1 The eiKTxVf^oaijvr] /cat ivra^ia referred to in 1 Cor. xiv. 40. 
 
 2 Compare Dr. Charles Hodge's strong statements to this effect, 
 in his chapter on " Presbyterian Liturgies " in The Church and 
 its Polity, Lond. 1879, 156. So also Ebrard, in the Appendix to 
 his valuable " Collection of Prayers and Liturgical Formularies 
 used in the Reformed Church," expresses his surprise at finding 
 
46 OPTIONAL LITURGIES. 
 
 on that side. We in Scotland, since the middle 
 of the seventeenth century, have placed ourselves 
 in quite an exceptional position among the 
 Churches of the Keformation in not having- such 
 an optional liturgy. It was only at the West- 
 minster Assembly that the Church of Scotland 
 gave up the one she had hitherto employed, 
 embodying the prayers and forms of service for 
 Baptism and the Lord's Supper, for marriage, &c., 
 which had been used by John Knox and Andrew 
 Melville, by Alexander Henderson and Samuel 
 Kutherford. She did this not from any doubt as 
 to the law^fulness and value of her own liturgy or 
 Book of Common Order ; but, to a large extent, 
 in a spirit of catholicity for which she has not 
 received enough of credit, to meet the preferences 
 of the English Puritan divines who formed the 
 majority of the Westminster Assembly. They 
 had suffered for years under the heavy j^oke of the 
 English prayer-book and canons, sternly enforced 
 with Star-Chamber penalties by men like Ban- 
 croft, Wren, and Laud. It was no wonder that 
 
 in the course of his researches that " the Scottish Church has no 
 liturgical formularies at all, not even a formulary for Baptism 
 and the Lord's Supper, but leaves everything free to the clergy- 
 man. The Church festivals also have been wholly given up by 
 her ; she has only tbe Sunday. The Reformed Chilrch of Hungary, 
 too,has no definite litnrgy:'—Eefor7nirtcsKircJi€7ihuch; voUstdndige, 
 Sammlung der in der reformirten Kirche cingcfiihrten Kirchengcbete 
 und Formulare, Zurich, 1847, 290. 
 
LA WFULNESS. 47 
 
 there was something of a reaction in their minds 
 against liturgies of any kind whatever. And the 
 Scottish Commissioners, having before them the 
 grand ideal of a united Reformed Church for all 
 the three kingdoms, yielded in this, as on some 
 other points, to the prevailing feeling of their 
 English brethren.^ But no one in the West- 
 minster Assembly, except the little group of 
 Independents, — " the five Dissenting Brethren," 
 as they were called, — ever dreamed of denying 
 the lawfulness, and, in some circumstances, the 
 expediency of an optional liturgy. 
 
 Listen to a Presbyterian divine, who was in 
 high esteem among those who sat in the Jeru- 
 salem Chamber at Westminster, — Edwards, the 
 author of the '' Antapologia " and the " Gan- 
 
 1 See, e.g., " The General Assembly's answer to the Right 
 Reverend the Assembly of Divines in the Kirk of England," in 
 reference to their acceptance of the Westminster Directory inl645. 
 " In other particulars," they say, after some reservations about 
 the mode of receiving the Lord's Supper ; " we have resolved 
 and do agree to do as ye have desired us in your letter ; that is, 
 not to be tenacious of old customs though lawful in themselves, 
 and not condemned in this Directory, but to lay them aside for 
 the nearer uniformity v/ith the Kirk of England, now nearer 
 and dearer to us than ever before ; a blessing so much esteemed 
 and so earnestly longed for among us, that, rather than it fail 
 on our part, we do most willingly part with such customs and 
 practices of our own as may be parted with safely, and without 
 the violation of any of Christ's ordinances or trespassing against 
 Scriptural rules or our solemn Covenants."— ^cfe of Assembly 
 (Church Law Soc. ed.) 131. 
 
48 DR. JOHN D UNCAN. 
 
 grsena." He is replying to an Independent 
 writer : " Whereas you say, ' There is this great 
 controversy upon the ordinance of public worship 
 about the lawfulness of set forms prescribed,' I 
 must tell you * this great controversy' upon it is 
 raised only by yourselves (the five dissenting 
 brethren), and the Brownists; there being no 
 divines, and no Reformed Churches that I know 
 of, but do allow the lawful use of set forms of 
 prayer, composed and framed by others — as by 
 Synods and Assemblies — and do make use of 
 such sometimes, as the Churches of France and 
 Holland in the administration of Sacraments 
 usually do ; and those who practise them not so 
 much, yet at least hold them lawful. And I 
 challenge you in all your reading to name one 
 divine of note and orthodox that ever held set forms 
 of prayer unlawful, excepting only Independents."^ 
 Beside this, we may place the view of a more 
 modern theologian, the late Dr. John Duncan of 
 the New College, Edinburgh : *' I do not w^onder 
 that the desire for forms of prayer is returning. 
 I could say nothing against the use of a liturgy 
 as a catholic question for all the Churches. But 
 I am definite against confinement to it ; and as 
 for us in Scotland, I am opposed to it in any 
 form at present." (This was said ab^ut twenty- 
 five years ago.) " But a good liturgy forms a 
 
 ^ Edwards, Antapologia, Lond. 1644, 98f. 
 
DR. CHALMERS ON PRA VERS AND HYMNS. 49 
 
 fine common bond for the Churches. I remem- 
 ber when in Leghorn hearing a very painful 
 
 sermon from the Bishop of ; and on leaving 
 
 the church, a friend remarked, ' I'm thankful he 
 can't spoil the prayers.' . . . The cultus of the 
 Ritualist and of the old Scotch Seceder are at 
 opposite extremes. In the one we have the external 
 form, often without the internal spirit. In the 
 other we have the internal element, without the 
 smallest reo^ard to its outward form. But it is the 
 ghost and the body together that make the man."-"^ 
 Assuming, then, what really cannot be denied 
 with any show of reason, that on grounds of 
 Scripture, and from the standpoint of the 
 
 1 Colloquia Peripatetica, Edin. ed. 1870, 32, 114. It is in- 
 teresting to observe that the mind of Dr. Chalmers seems to 
 have been turning in the same direction. It is well known that 
 he often wrote and read his own prayers on public occasions. 
 In a preface written by him to a collection of prayers, largely 
 taken from John Knox's liturgy, Baxter, Leighton, Scougal, 
 and other old writers, Dr. Chalmers says : *' The attempt has 
 been long made to improve the psalmody of our Church by 
 means of a new collection for it. There are two distinct methods 
 of accomplishing this object, either by means of original sacred 
 poetry, or by a compilation from the existent sacred poetry. 
 Without superseding the former, we confess our preference for 
 the latter method ; and it is a preference we are disposed to 
 extend from a Book of Psalms or Hymns to a Book of Prayers, 
 which, while interspersed with new compositions, might be 
 mainly formed from the pious effusions of many different minds 
 that were the lights of the Church in different ages." — Cochrane, 
 Manual of Family and Private Devotion, loith Preface by Dr. 
 Chalmers, 3rd ed. p. 4. 
 
 E 
 
50 OBJECTION FIRST: UN-PRESBYTERIAN. 
 
 Reformed Church Catholic, an optional or dis- 
 cretionary liturgy is a perfectly lawful thing for 
 any Church to adopt, let us consider what is to 
 be said of it on grounds of expediency. What 
 are its advantages and disadvantages ? 
 
 I. One objection is sure to be raised in 
 some quarters : '' It is un-Presbyterian. Our 
 forefathers were all against liturgies. Jenny 
 Geddes threw a stool at a Dean because he began 
 to read a liturgy in St. Giles." 
 
 In answer to that, I have simply to say that 
 the objection rests upon an utter ignorance of 
 history in this matter, and upon an inability to 
 distinguish things that differ. The Presbyterian 
 Churches of the Reformation — in other words, 
 all the Churches of the Reformation, except the 
 Church of England — were unanimous in favour 
 of an optional liturgy. At this moment the 
 Presbyterian Churches which have a liturgy are 
 far more in number than those which have not. 
 
 What the Covenanters of 1637-88 were 
 against was a Popish liturgy, forced upon them 
 in an Erastian way. That was why Jenny 
 Geddes was so emphatic about *' the mass " 
 being said " at her lug." But the Covenanters 
 of 1637 were not against all liturgies, for the 
 very good reason that they had a liturgy of 
 their own, which they had no intention at that 
 time of giving up. The morning prayers of 
 
JENNY GEDDES. 51 
 
 that liturgy had been read in St. Giles as usual, 
 on the morniug of the eventful 23rd of July, by 
 Mr. Patrick Henderson. He was a respected 
 member of the party afterwards known as that 
 of the Covenanters, and was so much opposed to 
 the new liturgy that he had deliberately incurred 
 the loss of the position and emoluments of 
 Reader in St. Giles, which he had enjoyed for 
 many years, rather than countenance the innova- 
 tions.-^ Many good women — Jenny Geddes 
 herself in all likelihood among them — had been 
 joining devoutly in the prayers which had been 
 read that morning, as had been the case in that 
 Church ever since John Knox was minister in it.^ 
 
 ^ " Mr. Patrick Henderson, Reader in the Great Kirk of Edin- 
 burgh, refused to read it (an edict regarding the introduction of 
 Laud's Service-book) ; and for this both the Bishop and Council 
 of Edinburgh assured him he behoved to quit his place, whilk 
 he condescended unto. Yet he continued all that week in 
 saying of the prayers (of Knox's Service-book), and the next 
 Sabbath, still shedding many tears, considering the deplorable 
 condition of God's Kirk ; so that many of the people were much 
 commoved with his demeanour, considering also that he who 
 had been so long in that place and had acquitted himself so 
 faithfully and diligently in it, and who was known to be a lover 
 of the truth, now behoved to be put from his place for the dis- 
 countenancing of corruption entering into the Kirk of God. 
 
 "When the next Sabbath, 23rd July, came, the Bishop of 
 Edinburgh, after that the ordinar prayers had heen read in the 
 morning, about ten o'clock brought in the Service-book to the 
 pulpit." — Row, History of the Kirh of Scotland, Wodrow ed. 408. 
 
 ^ It is interesting to remember that he used these prayers in 
 his family also when shut out by infirmity from public worship. 
 
52 THE NEW AND THE OLD LITURGY. 
 
 That was no reason at all, of course, why they 
 and their fellow-countrymen and women should 
 consent for a moment to have Laud's Service- 
 book and Canons thrust upon the Church and 
 people of Scotland against their will. But so 
 far as history and Presbyterian ism are concerned, 
 if we went back to an optional liturgy like John 
 Knox's Book of Common Order, we would only 
 be going back to the oldest Presbyterian ways, 
 to the practice of the first and second Reforma- 
 tion in Scotland. And it was English influence, 
 not Scottish, at the Westminster Assembly that 
 led to the change. 
 
 In point of fact, it was one of the " grievances" 
 of the Covenanters in 1637 that the bishops had 
 issued a prohibition of the old Service-book. If 
 the Scottish people would not accept the new 
 one from England, they should have none at all. 
 Hear John Row of Carnock, a contemporary 
 witness, and a Presbyterian of the Presbyterians. 
 " All this week," he complains, " there was no 
 public worship in Edinburgh, neither sermon nor 
 prayers read morning and evening, as the custom 
 was. Yea, for five or six months after this, Mr. 
 Patrick Henderson read not the prayers." . . . 
 
 The last prayer in which John Knox joined on ^rth was the 
 "Evening Prayer," given at the end of the Book of Common 
 Order. It was read at family worship in his chamber about an 
 hour before he died. See Appendix A. 
 
DA VID DICKSON ON THE TWO LITURGIES. 53 
 
 " 2^th July. — The Bishops ordain that neither 
 old nor new Service be in public, except sermon, 
 till the King's Majesty's mind be known on this 
 late tumult." ^ 
 
 The petitions which came to the Privy Council 
 in Edinburgh from ministers in Ayrshire and 
 elsewhere, " upon a motion first made by Mr. 
 David Dickson, minister at Irvine, to his Presby- 
 tery," request that the Church and her ministers 
 should not have the new Service-book and Canons 
 intruded upon them, " declaring, at the same 
 time, that they were ready to alter everything 
 
 1 Row, History, 410, 483. The report of the Archbishop of 
 St. Andrews to the Privy Council, " anent the Service-book," 
 "for himself and in name of the remanent Bishops," may be 
 Been in the Appendix to Baillie's Letters. It is to the effect 
 stated above, i. 448 ; Records of the Kirh of Scotland, 
 (Peterkin), 52. In the Register House, Edinburgh, there are 
 preserved forty-six of the petitions sent in from burghs, parishes, 
 and i)resbyteries against Laud's Service-book. Several extracts 
 from these are given by Drs. Sprott and Leishman, in the Intro- 
 duction to their edition of the Book of Common Order and 
 Directory: — **We having, for the form of worship according to 
 God's own Word, established among us, Acts of Parliaments and 
 General Assemblies yet standing, and have found the sensible 
 blessing of God in the exercise thereof so long enjoyed, to our 
 great comfort and edification." "Far different from that Book 
 of Common Prayer which we have enjoyed many years," &c. 
 " In none of them," the editors state, " have we observed any 
 reference to the question of a liturgy as such, whether discre- 
 tionary or prescribed, though they all complain of the imposition 
 of Laud's book as the only form of public worship in the 
 kingdom."— P. 28. 
 
54 INDICTMENT AGAINST THE PRELATES. 
 
 that could be made appear by any man to be 
 unsound in the form of discipline and liturgy 
 which they had received from their ancestors. 
 They pointed out the principal heads of error 
 contained in these books (i.e., Laud's), and offered 
 to dispute, or rather converse, in a friendly way 
 about them. . . . They observed also those 
 unhappy controversies whereby the Church was 
 oppressed in the reign of Charles the Great, 
 while some adhered to the Ambrosian liturgy, 
 others, in place thereof, promoting the Gregorian 
 or Roman ; and with what calamities the kingdom 
 of Spain was in former times shaken under the 
 reign of Alphonso YI., who, by the advice of 
 the Pope's legate, proposed to suppress the 
 ancient Mozarabic liturgy, that he might in 
 place thereof introduce the Gregorian, while all 
 ranks of the kingdom were reclaiming against 
 it."i 
 
 The prohibition by the prelates of the use of 
 the old Scottish liturgy, or Book of Common 
 Order, formed part of the indictment against 
 them at their trial before the Glasgow Assembly 
 in 1638. At the close of that trial, Alexander 
 Henderson, as Moderator, was called upon to 
 pronounce the solemn sentence of deposition and 
 excommunication in presence of the Assembly, 
 
 1 Stevenson, History of the Church and State of Scotland 
 from 1625 to 1649 : Edin. 1840, 172. 
 
THEIR INTERDICTING OLD LITURGY. 55 
 
 and of an immense audience, in the old Cathedral 
 of Glasgow. Before doing so, he instructed the 
 clerk, Johnstone of Warriston, to read aloud, for 
 the information of all men, an abstract of what, 
 after long and careful trial, had been found 
 proven against the bishops. After this had been 
 done, the Moderator singled out some of the 
 main points, and impressed these upon the 
 general audience. Apart from charges of immor- 
 ality, the prelates had been tried and found 
 guilty for three main offences : " For the super- 
 stition and idolatry they brought into the worship 
 of God ; for the tyranny they brought into the 
 government of the Church ; and for the heresy 
 they brought in upon doctrine." Under the head 
 of offences connected with the public worship of 
 the Church, Henderson lays special stress on ''their 
 interdicting Morning and Evening Prayers," 
 as well as on "■ their bringing in innovations in 
 the worship of God, such as the superstitious 
 Service-book, tyrannous Book of Canons, and 
 Book of Ordination." "For these and many 
 other gross transgressions and slanders, at length 
 expressed and clearly proven in their process, 
 which are not seemly to be named in this place ; 
 and instead of their repentance, adding to all 
 these evils extreme contempt of this Church, 
 declining and protesting against this honourable, 
 reverend, and duly constitute Assembly, they 
 
56 OBJECTION SECOND: WRONG TENDENCY, 
 
 have incurred and justly deserve this fearful 
 sentence of excommunication." ^ 
 
 II. But it may be said : '' Granting that 
 the historical facts are as you have stated them, 
 still for more than two centuries the British and 
 most of the American Presbyterian Churches 
 have had no liturgy. They have flourished 
 without one, at least as well as other branches 
 of the Reformed Church, on the Continent of 
 Europe and elsewhere, whose worship has always 
 been more or less liturgical. Why should we in 
 this country change our ground now in this 
 matter, and borrow forms and prayers that belong 
 to the Church of England ? Is it not a move- 
 ment in the wrong direction ? Does it not 
 savour of a tendency towards the external and 
 ceremonial rather than the spiritual ? Besides, 
 practically, if you bring in anything of this kind, 
 will you not play into the hands of the Episco- 
 palians ? If people want a liturgy, they will go to 
 the Church of England or to the Church of Rome." 
 
 In reply to such objections, I admit at once 
 that a liturgy of any kind may be a snare to an 
 individual or to a Church. It may cover 
 spiritual sloth and deadness. The desire for it 
 may spring, in some instances, from a tendency 
 to externalism in religion. But thesi dangers 
 and disadvantages exist to a far greater extent 
 ^ Records of the Kirh of Scotland, 179f. 
 
ALEX. HENDERSON'S POSITION. 57 
 
 in tlie case of a fixed and enforced liturgy than 
 in the case of an optional one, especially if in 
 connection with it free prayer is not only 
 theoretically allowed, but positively enjoined 
 and set in the place of honour. Now this 
 latter plan is the old historic position of the 
 Reformed Church in Scotland and all the world 
 over. I believe that it is, on the whole, the 
 safest and strongest position, as between risks 
 and extremes on either side. 
 
 No wiser and more competent exponent of the 
 position in question could be found than Alex- 
 ander Henderson, the great leader of the Church 
 of Scotland in the days of the Covenant. He 
 was fully aware of the dangers which lie in 
 opposite directions in this matter. It was he who 
 led the opposition to Laud's Service-book in the 
 Synod of Fife and in the east of Scotland gener- 
 ally, as Dickson of Irvine did in the west. It 
 was Henderson's petition to the Privy Council 
 on the subject, in August, 1637, which first 
 drew the eyes of all men to him at Court as well 
 as throughout the country, and which marked 
 out with masterly skill and clearness the position 
 taken and held by the Church in all the subse- 
 quent struggles. In his petition, a document of 
 characteristic weight and brevity, he rests his 
 cause on the broad grounds of the spirituality 
 and freedom of the Church, and the Popish char- 
 
58 ''DISCOUNTENANCING READ PRAYERS:' 
 
 acter of the new liturgy, which it was proposed 
 to thrust upon her without authority either from 
 the General Assembly or from Parliament, and 
 against the will of her ministers and people. 
 But in an accompanying paper, intended for the 
 consideration of individual members of Council, 
 Henderson goes somewhat more into detail. He 
 brings forward seven brief objections to the 
 Service-book ; the sixth of these refers to its 
 compulsory character, and its not only discourag- 
 ing but excluding free prayer in public worship : 
 " It establisheth a reading ministry, — whosoever 
 can read the Book can be a minister; and he who 
 is best-gifted must say no more than he readeth, 
 whether in prayer, Baptism, Communion, &c." ^ 
 
 But, on the other hand, none were more 
 decided than Alexander Henderson in opposition 
 to that tendency towards the views and prac- 
 tices in worship of the English Independents 
 or Brownists, which began to show itself in the 
 Scottish Church some two years after the Glas- 
 gow Assembly, and to which such frequent and 
 disapproving references are made by Principal 
 Baillie in his letters. In connection with that 
 tendency some *' discountenanced read prayers," 
 and '' scunnered at the Lord's Prayer and the 
 Belief." They also encouraged private con- 
 venticles, at which various irregularities took 
 
 1 Baillie, i. 449-51. 
 
CONTROVERSIES ON SUBJECT. 59 
 
 place, and objected to the custom of the minister 
 kneeling for private devotion in the pulpit before 
 beginning the public service, to the use of the 
 doxology at the close of the Psalms, and to some 
 other usages of the Reformed Church in Scot- 
 land. ^ " Divers of our chief ministers," Baillie 
 writes in 1640, ''tendering very much the 
 credit of these very pious people, were loath 
 that anything concerning them should come in 
 public. We had sundry private meetings with 
 the chief that were thought to incline that way. 
 Mr. Henderson vented himself, at many occa- 
 sions, passionately, opposed to all these conceits." 
 Henderson, indeed, by his consistent opposi- 
 tion to these " novations," drew upon himself 
 considerable displeasure from many who were 
 attracted by the spiritual warmth and earnest- 
 ness of some who practised them. *' Some 
 citizens of Edinburgh declared themselves not 
 well satisfied with Mr. Henderson's zeal against 
 their practice. One Livingstone, a trafficker 
 with the English who were affected to our 
 
 1 Baillie, i. 249-55, 362f. ; Records of the KirJc, 286f. 304. 
 The "Gloria Patri" or doxology at the end of each of the 
 Metrical Psalms was a feature in various editions of the old 
 Scottish Psalter which was bound up with the Book of Common 
 Order. These " Conclusions," as they were called, were given 
 in every variety of metre in which the Psalms themselves were 
 rendered — thirty-two in all. — See Livingston, Scottish Metrical 
 Psalter of 1635. Glasgow, 1864, 35f. 
 
6o DICKSON OF IRVINE ON READ PRA VERS. 
 
 Reformation, but withal to the discipline of 
 New England, in his letter to his friends abroad, 
 did write very despitefully of Mr. Henderson ; 
 this being intercepted did grieve not only the 
 man himself, but us all, of all ranks, who had 
 found him the powerful instrument of God, fitted 
 expressly, much above all others, to be a blessing 
 to our Church in this most dangerous season." ^ 
 
 The matter came up, in one form or other, 
 at several Assemblies. In one of them a resolu- 
 tion was proposed, " That read prayer was not 
 unlawful." This was amended by David Dickson 
 of Irvine, to the stronger statement, *' That it 
 should be lawful to read prayers both in private 
 and public."^ At the Assembly of 1641, a 
 conference on the subject was held in the Earl 
 of Loudon's chambers in Edinburgh, by invita- 
 tion of two other leading elders of the Church, 
 the Marquis of Argyll and the Earl of Cassilis. 
 Alexander Henderson, George Gillespie, Samuel 
 Rutherford, David Dickson, Robert Blair, David 
 Calderwood, Andrew Cant, and other distin- 
 guished men were present. Baillie, who was 
 there, gives a full account. Some of the 
 brethren, '' who were suspected of innovating, 
 did purge themselves fully of all such inten- 
 tions." The innovations complained ^'of were 
 enumerated by Mr. Andrew Ramsay, one of the 
 
 1 Baillie i. 250. . 2 j. 253. 
 
LIST OF THE INNOVATIONS. 6i 
 
 ministers of Edinburgh : '' Omitting ' Glory to 
 the Father' and kneeling in the pulpit, discoun- 
 tenancing read prayers, and the rest. They gave 
 answer to satisfaction, that betwixt us and them 
 there was no discrepancy at all. At last, Mr. 
 Henderson fell on that model, which thereafter 
 was voiced and printed. This happy concord, 
 whereof Argyll and Mr. Henderson were the 
 happy instruments, will, we trust, have a great 
 blessing to this whole land, which everywhere 
 began to be fashed with idle toys and scruples."^ 
 
 ^ i. 362. As minister of Kilwinning, Baillie had had his own 
 share of the "fasherie" to which he refers, "Three or four 
 yeomen of my flock refused to sing the Conclusion " — i.e., the 
 doxology. Baillie has left in writing " the sum of his confer- 
 ence " or private interview and reasoning with them about their 
 difficulty. He ascribes it without hesitation, it will be observed, 
 to alien influences. *' If you have so readily embraced the 
 scruples which private men and strangers have cast in your 
 mind about this one point, beware that this dispose not your 
 hearts to embrace more of their evil seed. I forewarn you, the 
 rejecting of the Conclusion is one of the first links of the whole 
 chain of Brownism. We have oft seen from this beginning 
 seducers in this land have drawn on their followers to scunner 
 at and reject our whole Psalms in metre; and then to refuse 
 our Prayers, then our Sacraments, then our preaching, then at 
 last our Church, our Covenant, and all. . . . Wherefor, as you 
 would be loath to cast away your whole Psalms ; as you would 
 be loath to give up your Prayers, Sacraments, preaching ; as 
 you would not forsake wholly our Church and your sworn Cove- 
 nant, and drink down all the errors of Brownism, take heed to 
 your spirit, whilk you find so ready to learn the first lessons of 
 these seducers. . . . 'It is (you say) a human Popish invention.' 
 We deny it to be so ; for we have given good Scriptural grounds 
 
62 HENDERSON ON ORDER IN WORSHIP, 
 
 A very interesting little treatise, on the 
 " Government and Order of the Church of Scot- 
 land," was written by Alexander Henderson in 
 1641. It was a sort of manifesto on the part 
 of the Scottish Commissioners to the Westminster 
 Assembly, designed to correct mistakes which 
 they found to be not uncommon in England 
 regarding the polity and worship of the Scottish 
 Church. One of the statements current was 
 that the Scots '' had no certain rule or direction 
 for their public worship, but that every man, 
 following his extemporary fancy, did preach or pray 
 what seemed good in his own eyes." A similar 
 charge had been made before by Dr. Balcanquhal, 
 in a document known as the "Large Declaration," 
 and had been stigmatised by the Assembly in 
 1689, along with a number of other statements 
 in the same production, as false and calumnious.^ 
 It is refuted also by Henderson in the treatise to 
 which I now refer. "Against this accusation," he 
 says, ''the form of Prayers, administration of the 
 Sacraments, admission of ministers, excommunica- 
 
 for it. We grant it is part of the (English) Liturgy and Mass- 
 book too. But this proves it not be any worse than the Lord's 
 Prayer and the Belief, which are both in these evil books. 
 True, the Brownists will teach you to scunner at both ; yet 
 they will grant that many things in the Liturgy and Mass-book 
 also are no more the worse for standing in those evil places 
 than the sunbeams for shining on a dunghill." — Livingston, 
 uhi swpra, 36. 
 
 1 Hecords of the KirTc of Scotland, 265f. 
 
REFORMED CHURCH POSITION. (i2> 
 
 tion, solemnising of marriage, visitation of the 
 sick, &c., which are set down before their Psalm- 
 book, and to which the ministers are to conform 
 themselves, is a sufficient witness : for although 
 they be not tied to set forms and words, yet are 
 they not left at random; but for testifying their 
 consent and keeping unity, they have their Direc- 
 tory and prescribed Order." Again, in repl3'ing 
 to a charge of enmity to monarchical government, 
 Henderson appeals to the authorised liturgy of 
 the Church of Scotland, as well as to her other 
 standards : '' Their Confession of Faith, the 
 Doctrine and Prayers of their Church, their late 
 Declarations and Remonstrances, express as much 
 respect and reverence to magistracy as any 
 Christian Prince will require." ^ 
 
 Additional evidence could be easily given to 
 show that the historical position of the Scottish 
 Church in this matter, deliberately taken up by 
 her best representatives both at the first and 
 second Reformation, was that of a discretionary 
 liturgy, regarded and used as at once a basis, 
 guide, and stimulus for the exercise of free 
 prayer on the part of her ministers, elders, and 
 people. Certainly we should not borrow the 
 dress or the ornaments of other Churches of an 
 alien stock. There are few things more objec- 
 
 ^ Government and Order of Church of Scotland, 1641. To the 
 Header, 3f. 
 
64 THE SCOTTISH COLLECTS OF 1595. 
 
 tionable than to find scraps from the English 
 Prayer-book forming a sort of mosaic with the 
 feeble prose of a young minister's prayer. But 
 why should we not wear, in our own fashion, the 
 common garb of that great family of the Churches 
 of the Reformation to which we belong ? Why 
 should we not develop the native Church order 
 of our own Church in the matter of worship, 
 wisely and cautiously, on its own historic lines V- 
 Few people are aware, for instance, that in 
 the last decade of the sixteenth century, when 
 the Church of Scotland was in the very flower of 
 its Presbyterianism, and the star of Andrew Mel- 
 ville rode highest, there were in use here by 
 Church authority no fewer than one hundred " 
 and forty-nine collects. They are printed in the 
 edition of the Book of Common Order, pub- 
 lished in 1595,^ the same in which the full set 
 
 1 Comp. Ebrard, ReformirUs Kirchenhuch, iv. 
 
 ^ The general title of the book is, "The CL. Psalms of' 
 David in Metre, with Prayers and Catechism according to the 
 Form used in the Kirk of Scotland : Edinburgh, Henry Char- 
 teris, 1595." It has a double date, the prose part of the volume 
 being dated 1596. The two parts might be sold separately ; 
 the object being, as stated in the Preface, " the ease of men in 
 travel, and being from their home, who gladly would carry a 
 thin book, as this of the Prayers is, that cannot easily carry 
 the whole Psalms." The General Assembly kept a vigilant e.ye 
 upon all alterations of the prayers in their authorised formu- 
 laries. Twice over, in 1638 and 1640, Kaban, an Aberdeen 
 printer, was called to account by the Assembly for some verbal 
 changes made by him in one of the prayers in his edition of 
 
THE SCOTTISH COLLECTS OF 1595. 65 
 
 of the doxologies first appeared, under the name 
 of *' Prayers on the Psalms." But they are 
 regular collects, and many of them of a very 
 high order, marked by great power and chaste- 
 ness of expression, and framed upon the most 
 approved model for a collect, each having an 
 '' Invocation," a " Petition," and a " Conclusion." 
 They are, I have little doubt, among the prayers 
 specially referred to by Alexander Henderson, 
 half-a-century after their publication. He had 
 been asked by the General Assembly to draft a 
 new form of service in which the Churches of 
 England and Scotland might agree, but, with his 
 usual wisdom, declined the task, for two main 
 reasons : First, because such a movement, to be 
 successful, must be initiated by the two Churches 
 together, and the Scottish Church, in particular, 
 ought carefully to avoid even the appearance of 
 dictating to the English ; but, secondly, " I 
 
 the Book of Common Order. — Sprott and Leishman, xviii.f. 
 Comp. Acts of Assembly, 1601, 16th May, in Book of the Uni- 
 versal Kirk of Scotland, 497. It was of the year after that in 
 which these collects appeared that Calderwood writes : " This 
 year (1596) is a remarkable year to the Church of Scotland, 
 both for the beginning and for the end of it. The Church of 
 Scotland was now come to her perfection, and the greatest 
 purity that ever she attained unto, both in doctrine and disci- 
 pline, so that her beauty was admirable to foreign Churches. 
 The assemblies of the saints v/ere never more glorious nor profit- 
 able to every one of the true members thereof than in the 
 beginning of this year. — Eist. (Wodrow ed.), v. 387. 
 
 F 
 
66 MR. GLADSTONE ON SCOTTISH WORSHIP. 
 
 could not," he said, " take upon me to set down 
 other forms of prayer than we have in our Psalm- 
 book, penned by our great and divine Reformers."^ 
 
 It is true that the strength of our Presbyterian 
 Church as regards its worship, apart from preach- 
 ing, has lain in its spirituality, its Scriptural 
 freedom and power of adaptation to circumstances, 
 and in a certain grave and dignified simplicity. 
 This has always been recognised by all who were 
 competent to discern and appreciate such features 
 in worship. " I hope," Mr. Gladstone said, 
 writing in January, 1883, to a minister of the 
 United Presbyterian Church, ''that the tendency 
 in Scotland to an increase of ritual will not be 
 indulged without reserve ; for there was a solemn 
 and stern simplicity in the old form of Presby- 
 terian worship, which was entitled to great 
 respect, and which was a thing totally different 
 from the mean nakedness and the cold worldli- 
 ness and indifference so widely dominant in 
 English services fifty years ago."^ 
 
 This is a needful warning. But what is 
 implied in the suggestion of an optional liturgy 
 of the type of the Book of Common Order would 
 not, if rightly and deliberately gone about, 
 impair the simplicity and elasticity of our 
 
 ^ Baillie, ii, 2. For some specimens of these Scott^ Collects 
 of 1595, see Appendix B. 
 
 2 Letter to the Kev. Andrew Duncan, Author of The Scottish 
 Sanctuary, as it ivasand as it is: Hawarden, 3rd January, 18S3. 
 
OBJECTION III: PRACTICALLY HURTFUL. 67 
 
 service, and would very specially guard its 
 dignity. Think, for example, how marriage 
 services and Baptisms are often conducted by 
 Presbyterian ministers, who do not even guide 
 themselves by the Directory for Worship. Can 
 anything more undignified be easily conceived ? 
 Think how not uufrequently the solemnity of 
 the Lord's Table is marred, and the edification of 
 the communicants hindered, by rambling, diffuse- 
 ness, and irrelevancy in prayer and address. In 
 most of the cases to which I refer, these evils 
 would have been averted, or very greatly 
 lessened, had the Church set some high and 
 simple model of such services before the young 
 minister, which he might use, or upon which 
 he might mould himself, before his ministerial 
 habits were formed, and before a fatal facility of 
 alovenly utterance was acquired. 
 
 III. But an objector may say : " Argue as 
 plausibly as you will from a theoretical point of 
 view ; practically, the two systems of liturgy and 
 free prayer cannot live together. You must 
 make your choice between the one and the other, 
 with the benefits and the drawbacks attaching to 
 each respectively. It is like the relation between 
 the system of endowments for a Church, and 
 the system of support by voluntary Christian 
 liberality. Theoretically, one would suppose that 
 an endowed Church, being saved the burden of 
 
68 -I^/SA'S ADMITTED. 
 
 upholding her own ministry and Church fabrics, 
 would do so much the more for other objects. 
 But, practically, the reverse seems to be true. 
 The unendowed Churches both support them- 
 selves, and do much more for missions at home 
 and abroad than their wealthier neighbours who 
 are established by the State. So, practically, a 
 Prayer-book established in the Church would 
 kill free prayer. It has done so in the Church 
 of England and in the Scotch Episcopal Com- 
 munion. Young ministers would turn what was 
 meant to be a staff into a crutch, and would 
 never learn to walk alone. They would lean 
 wdiolly upon a liturgy, if you gave them one, even 
 of a nominally optional kind, and would fail to 
 cultivate the gift and grace of free prayer." 
 
 Now, I have always felt this to be a weighty 
 argument. It is perfectly conclusive, even if 
 it stood alone, against a liturgy of the Anglican 
 type ; and it ought to be very carefully weighed 
 as bearing against even an optional liturgy. 
 Considerations of this kind are urged by Hog of 
 Carnock in a temperate but powerful way, and 
 in a very warm and evangelical spirit, in a little 
 treatise written in 1710.-^ They do not seem 
 
 1 Letter on the Unlau'fiilncss of Imposing Forms of Prayer, 
 Edin. 1710, 10-13, 25ff., 42-67. Prof. Henry Drumijiond gives 
 an impressive warning against dangers of a spiritual kind arising 
 for members as well as ministers of the Church, both in cases 
 where all other parts of worship are subordinated to the sermon 
 
THE EVIDENCE OF EXPERIENCE. 69 
 
 to me to be conclusive agaiast the old position 
 of the Reformed Church in this matter ; but 
 they certainly indicate dangers and abuses which 
 may arise in connection with it, and which should 
 be carefully guarded against by suitable means. 
 
 On the other hand, it is to be remembered : 
 First, that many a slothful, unspiritual minister 
 gets by degrees into a stereotyped form of prayer 
 under the present system. By a combination 
 of tradition and haphazard, his individual 
 "offices" take shape, — "if shape it may be 
 called, that shape hath none," — and are soon 
 only too well known to his unfortunate flock. 
 You have there, on a small scale, all the evils of 
 a fixed liturgy, with none of its advantages.-*- 
 
 Secondly, the evidence of experience proves 
 that an optional liturgy, if framed on sound 
 priociples, and used by the Church in a right 
 
 and ill cases where the service is largely or wholly liturgical. 
 — Natural Law in the Spiritual World, 2nd ed, 352f. 
 
 ^ I have been credibly informed of one " Moderate" minister 
 in the far North, who had literally only one prayer in public 
 worship. It was repeated Sabbath after Sabbath without the 
 slightest variation. Once a-year, on the occasion of the yearly 
 Communion, there was one additional sentence ; that was the 
 sole change of which it was capable. Naturally, the spiritual 
 life of the parish passed over to "The Secession." Some little 
 urchins at the parish school, who were sometimes stigmatised in 
 the playground as " Blue Seceders," used to avenge themselves 
 upon their comrades of "the Auld Kirk" by repeating, with 
 
 perfect accuracy and amazing volubility, "Daddy 's 
 
 prayer." 
 
70 RUBRICS OF KNOX'S LITURGY. 
 
 way, can exist side by side with, and indeed 
 contribute to a very remarkable development of 
 the gift of free prayer. John Knox's liturgy, 
 for example, did not hinder, but helped and 
 guided such a development in the Scottish 
 Church during the first century after the Refor- 
 mation. The prayers of the Book of Common 
 Order were regularly read in the Church 
 of St. Giles, Sabbath and week-day, under 
 Knox's own ministry and that of his successors 
 there. By the General Assembly which met 
 in December, 1564, "It was ordained that 
 every minister, exhorter, and reader shall have 
 one of the Psalm-books lately printed in 
 Edinburgh, and use the order contained therein 
 in Prayers, Marriage, and ministration of the 
 Sacraments.''^ But the Book of Common 
 Order, which they were thus instructed to use, 
 not only allowed but enjoined the minister to 
 go beyond the forms which it supplied. The 
 prayer before the sermon was to be always free, 
 no form for it being given. As regards the 
 
 1 Boole of the Universal Kirlc, i. 54; "Knox's Works" (Laiiig's 
 eel.) vi. 279, Comp. First Boole of Discipline, chap. xi. 1, 2, as 
 to the importance attached to " the Common Prayers," and the 
 expediency of there being "in great towns every day, either 
 sermon or common prayers, with some exercise of fading of 
 Scriptures." It is worth noting, however, that in the same 
 paragraph the place and honour due to free prayer are specially 
 guarded. 
 
PRACTICAL RESULTS IN CHURCH. yi 
 
 special offices for the Communion, Baptism, and 
 Marriage, the rubrics were stricter. Certain 
 parts of these services were fixed, while liberty 
 was left as to varying others. But as regards 
 the ordinary worship of the Lord's Day, the 
 discretionary and stimulating character of the 
 Liturgy was emphasised throughout. The follow- 
 ing are some of its rubrics : '' The minister 
 useth one of these two Confessions, or like in 
 effect, exhorting the people diligently to examine 
 themselves, following in their hearts the tenor of 
 his words." " The people sing a Psalm all 
 together, to a plain tune ; which ended, the 
 minister prayeth for the assistance of God's Holy 
 Spirit, as the same shall move his heart, and so 
 proceedeth to the sermon," . . . '' which ended, 
 he either useth the ' Prayer for all Estates * 
 before mentioned, or else prayeth as the Spirit 
 of God shall move his heart, framing the same 
 according to the time and matter which he hath 
 entreated of." ^ The old Scottish Liturgy, in 
 short, was framed upon wise and Scriptural 
 principles ; and the natural fruits followed. It 
 was not a hindrance, but a help and guide to 
 the exercise and cultivation of the gift of free 
 prayer throughout the Church. 
 
 Take the case of one of the most eminent and 
 
 1 Dunlop, Collection of Confessions, ii. 417, 421, 426 ; Booh of 
 Common Order (Sprott and Leishraan) xxii. 79, 86, 90. 
 
72 ROBERT BRUCE OF EDINBURGH. 
 
 gifted of Knox's successors in St. Giles, Robert 
 Bruce of Kinnaird. The prayers of the old 
 Liturgy were read statedly under his ministry in the 
 ordinary services of the Church. When banished 
 to Inverness early in the seventeenth century, 
 for faithfulness to conscience and for opposing 
 the innovations of the Court and the prelatic 
 party, " he remained there four years," Calder- 
 wood writes, " teaching every Sabbath before 
 noon, and every Wednesday, and read the 
 prayers every other night at even." "He ex- 
 horted at the prayers," another account says, 
 " every evening while there." The result of his 
 work and iafluence at Inverness was a general 
 revival of spiritual religion in the whole town 
 and neighbourhood. " That poor dark country 
 was marvellously enlightened. Many were 
 brought to Christ by his ministry ; and a seed 
 was sown in these places which to this day is 
 not worn out.^ Yet it is the universal testimony of 
 his contemporaries, that Robert Bruce's own free- 
 dom and power in prayer w^ere most striking and 
 unusual. "He had a very majestic countenance," 
 says one very competent witness who saw and 
 heard him often ; " and whatever he spake in 
 public or private, yea, when he read tli^ Word, 
 I thought it had such force as I never dis- 
 
 ^ Calderwood, Histoid, vi. 291f. ; Bruce, Sermons and Life 
 (Wod. Soc), 125, 144. 
 
ALEXANDER HENDERSON. 73 
 
 cerned in any other man. ... No man in his 
 time spake with such evidence and power of the 
 Spirit ; no man had so many seals of conversion. 
 He had a notable faculty in searching deep in 
 the Scriptures, and of making dark mysteries 
 plain, but especially in dealing with everyone's 
 conscience. . . . He was both in public and pri- 
 vate very short in prayer with others ; but every 
 sentence was like a strong bolt shot up to heaven. 
 I have heard him say, he hath w^earied when 
 others were longsome in prayer ; but being alone, 
 he spent much time in prayer and wrestling." ^ 
 Or take the case of one who always regarded 
 Robert Bruce as in a special sense his spiritual 
 father, one whose name stands deservedly beside 
 those of John Knox and Andrew Melville in the 
 love and reverence of the Scottish people, — 
 I mean Alexander Henderson. We have seen 
 already how strongly opposed he was to the 
 innovators who, under English influences, 
 '* discountenanced read prayers," and would have 
 needlessly given up other usages of the old 
 Scottish Liturgy or Book of Common Order. 
 But none of his contemporaries, aftdr Robert 
 Bruce had passed away, was more eminent than 
 he himself was in the gift and grace of prayer. 
 All must have been struck with the evidence of 
 this, who have studied the history of that 
 
 ^ Livingstone in Select Biogra'phies (Wod. Soc), i. 306f. 
 
74 PRA YER A T GLA SGOIV A SSEMBL V. 
 
 memorable Glasgow Assembly of 1638, whose 
 proceedings Henderson guided with such singular 
 wisdom, dignity, and success. " We ended that 
 day," Baillie says, after telling how some difficult 
 business had been disposed of at one of the 
 earlier sessions of the Assembly, " with the 
 Moderator's prayer. Among that man's other 
 good parts, that was one, — a faculty of grave, 
 good, and zealous prayer, according to the matter 
 in hand; which he exercised without flagging to 
 the last day of our meeting." ^ 
 
 Among the many striking incidents in the 
 scene of the deposition of the prelates in the 
 High Church of Glasgow, one of the most imj^res- 
 sive is connected with the prayer in which 
 Henderson, as Moderator, led the Assembly 
 before pronouncing sentence. " It rests now," 
 he said, " before pronouncing the sentence of 
 this reverend and honourable Assembly, that we 
 should call upon God, that He may be pleased to 
 join His Divine approbation to that which we 
 are to pronounce ; that it may be seen by the 
 world to be ratified in heaven : — 
 
 " Great Lord of the heavens and of the earth, 
 who doest in them both what seemeth good in 
 Thy sight : Great King and Lawgiver in Thine 
 own Church ; God eternal and glorious in Thyself, 
 but merciful and compassionate to Thy people ; 
 
 1 Baillie, i. 128. 
 
WALDENSIANS AND MORA VIANS. 75 
 
 we, Thy servants and children, do again present 
 ourselves before Thy majesty." (" Tlie concern of 
 the congregation increasing," the old chronicler 
 says, ''as the awful part drew near, the amanuensis 
 — evidently sharing in it — could not distinctly 
 transcribe more of this very fervent prayer.")^ 
 
 So much regarding the practical fruits in 
 Scotland of the old Scottish Liturgy after it had 
 been in regular use in the Church for nearly a 
 century. 
 
 Again, some of the Churches on the Continent 
 and elsewhere, which from the first have been 
 most noted for evangelical warmth and mission- 
 ary zeal, use now, and always have used, to a 
 greater or less extent, an optional liturgy. I 
 may refer, for example, to the Waldensian Church 
 and to the '' Unitas Fratrum " or Church of the 
 Moravia,n Brethren. The same thing is true of 
 other members of the family of Reformed Churches, 
 well known alike for their success in missions 
 and their soundness in the faith, such as the 
 Dutch Keformed Church in America.^ 
 
 I have spoken hitherto of risks and objections, 
 and of how these may be met. In conclusion, 
 I may point out, in a few words, several positive 
 advantages which can hardly be gained, I think, 
 
 ^ Records of the Kirh of Scotland, 180. 
 
 ^ Compare the Author's Grounds and Metliods of Admission to 
 Sealing Ordinances : Edin, 1882, p. 83. 
 
76 ADVANTAGES OF OPTIONAL LITURGY. 
 
 except by the plan of an optional liturgy or Book 
 of Common Order, prepared and recommended by 
 the authority of the Church as such. 
 
 1st. It would raise the general standard of 
 devotional taste, if one may so speak, in public 
 prayer. 
 
 To have some high and chaste model service, 
 framed on the principles and in the spirit, and to 
 a large extent in the words, of the Reformed 
 Church in her best days, and set before ministers, 
 elders, and people with the approval of the Church 
 of the present, would tell gradually but steadily in 
 this direction. It would at once aid, stimulate, 
 and guide those entrusted with the conduct of 
 public worship, or called upon to lead in meet- 
 ings for prayer. Surely the Church owes some 
 help of this kind to her younger ministers when 
 first launched upon the full charge of a congre- 
 gation. I have a strong persuasion that if you 
 asked somewhat less from them, in such circum- 
 stances, in the way of extempore prayer, what 
 you did get would be better in point of quality. 
 It is surely the duty of our Church, while 
 jealously guarding the freedom and elasticity of 
 her present system, to do all that she can to 
 remove whatever might reasonably offend the 
 more refined and cultured among her worshippers, 
 and hinder their edification in the common 
 service. 
 
PEOPLE'S SHARE IN WORSHIP. 77 
 
 2nd. An optional liturgy, rightly framed, 
 would give the people a more direct and manifest 
 share in the devotional part of the worship, as 
 distinguished from the service of praise, — the 
 congregational character of which has, as a rule, 
 been such an admirable feature in the worship of 
 the Presbyterian Church. 
 
 This would add perceptibly to the warmth and 
 interest of the whole service. I do not enter 
 here upon the question of " responses," about 
 which a good deal may be said on both sides.^ 
 What I mean is that the members of the congre- 
 gation should be encouraged to repeat the Lord's 
 Prayer with the minister, and to say " Amen " at 
 the end of all the prayers. The latter is beyond 
 question both a Scriptural and a primitive usage. ^ 
 It prevails to this day in several of the Reformed 
 Churches, as, for example, in the congregations of 
 the Waldensian Church in Italy, with great advan- 
 tage to the heartiness and life of the service, as 
 all who, like the writer, have had the privilege 
 
 1 See, for instance, on the one side, Professor Lorimer, A 
 National Church demands a National Liturgy, 34-8 ; and on the 
 other, Dr. K,. M. Patterson, Presbyterian Worship in Presby- 
 terian Revieiv, iv. 756f., 769-71 ; and as holding a middle position. 
 Dr. Shields, Liturgia Expurgata, or the Prayer-booh as amended 
 by the Westminster Divines, New York, 4th ed. 39f. 
 
 2 See above, p. 19f. ; Deut. xxvii. 15-26 ; 1 Chron. xvi. 36 ; 
 Ps. cvi. 48 ; Neh. viii. 6 ; 1 Cor. xiv. 16. See also Ebrard's 
 extracts from the Preface to the Liturgy of the Church of Neuf- 
 chatel, Reformirtes Kirchenhuch, xxvii.f. 
 
78 Si:RVlCE-l]OnK FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS. 
 
 of vv()r.shi|)|»iM^^ i'(!L;ula,ily witli llioiii, even for a 
 few weeks, must 1im,V(! fell-. 
 
 'IMk^ recitation of tin; " l^aief" or "Apostles' 
 Crce(l " on eert;iin oceasions by tin; wliole con- 
 jjcref^'atioii was a commendable uya^^e of the old 
 Scottish (ylmrcli, wliicli miL,dit well be revived 
 when; Sessions regard it as for (m1 ideation. It 
 forirHul a, part, ibr instance, of tlie "Order of the 
 Election of KId(;rs and Deacons in the Church of 
 l^]dinbnr;^di," drawn up by John Knox, which was 
 approvcil ol' by tlici^'iieral Assembly of 1582, 
 a,nd ordered to l)o of nst; in tlie whole Church at 
 tlie ordination and admission of Elders.^ 
 
 3rd. Sn(;h a l)Ook of Common Order would 
 supply wha,t is often greatly needed — a service- 
 book foi- rresbyteria,n worship on special occasions, 
 at sea,, in India, in the (U)lonies, &c., where no 
 minister is available, but where there is a strong 
 desire for some kind of religious service, and 
 espc^cially for one which will remind the 
 worshi[)pers of home and of tlio Church of their 
 fathers. 
 
 •I'di. Such an o|)tional liturgy would be 
 a practical defence of " the rights of the Christian 
 ])(M)pK» " in connection with the administration 
 of l»a,j)tism and at marriage. 
 
 'I'he nature and variety of the vowsMaid upon 
 
 ' l)unlo|), Collection of Confessions, ii. OoO ; Knox's Works, ii. 
 li;5, 101-5-4. 
 
BAPTISM AND MARRIAGE. 79 
 
 parents from the pulpit at the Baptism of their 
 children sometimes constitute a serious practical 
 abuse. A man has really a right to know dis- 
 tinctly beforehand what he is to be asked to 
 assent to in such circumstances, where he has no 
 chance of objection or reply. Then, on the 
 other hand, the Church has to guard her own 
 responsibility in the administration of this Sacra- 
 ment as well as in that of the Lord's Supper. 
 She has a right to see that the main points in 
 the Scriptural and Confessional doctrine of 
 Baptism, in its practical bearing both on the 
 children and on the parents, shall be plainly 
 and briefly brought before the minds of the wit- 
 nessing congregation, young and old, as well 
 as of the parents who take the vows upon them- 
 selves. 
 
 oth. Such a service-book would open to us 
 the stores of devotional feeling and expression 
 which lie hid in the early Christian liturgies and 
 in those of the Reformation period. 
 
 We lose much by not studying these more than 
 is commonly done, and seeking to catch some- 
 thing of their warmth, simplicity, and reverence. 
 Why should not our ministers and people know, 
 for instance, as well as our forefathers did in 
 the days of Knox and Melville, that noble 
 ''' Confession of Sins," which is ascribed to 
 CEcolampadius, the friend of Zwingli, and the 
 
8o THE ''OFFNE SCHULD'' OF 1525. 
 
 Reformer of Basel ? It appears in the Liturgy of 
 the Protestant Church of Ziirich, in 1525.-^ It 
 is the second " Confession of Sins " in Calvin's 
 " Book of Geneva " ; the first in the Scottish 
 Book of Common Order. It is used in the 
 Waldensian Valleys, and in all the various 
 branches of the Church of Holland, and of the 
 Church of the Huguenots in the Old World and 
 in the New. It stands in all the Swiss, all the 
 French, all the Rhineland Liturgies to this day. 
 For well-nigh four hundred years that Confession 
 has been on the lips and in the heart of the 
 Reformed Church all over the world. Yet we 
 have forgotten it in Scotland since the West- 
 minster Assembly. We have equally forgotten 
 those Scottish Collects and other prayers of the 
 sixteenth century of which Alexander Henderson 
 thought so highly. 
 
 6th. Such a service-book, embodying some of 
 these historic prayers and other ancient materials 
 of devotion, would make our people realise, more 
 practically than they do, the true unity of the 
 
 1 See Appendix C. 
 
 The fine " General Confession " in the morning and evening 
 service of the Church of England is taken, like much else in the 
 Prayer-book, from Presbyterian sources. It comes from Calvin's 
 Strassburg Service-Book of 1545, through the liturgies of Pol- 
 lanus and A Lasco. See Shield's Lit. Expurg.^4th. ed. 77f., 
 87-90 ; Daniel, The Prayer- BopJc, 8th ed. 83 ; Baird, Chapter on 
 Liturgies, Lend. 1856, 22, 34f. 
 
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS. 8i 
 
 Church of Christ in what is best and highest in 
 all ages of her history. 
 
 The voice of prayer, as well as of praise, is 
 really one throughout all time in the Church 
 Catholic. Prayers like that of Chrysostom, like 
 that great Reformation Confession of Sins, never 
 lose their power by repetition. They keep the 
 dew of their youth through all the centuries. 
 
 We " believe in the Holy Catholic Church, 
 the Communion of Saints." I know no better 
 commentary on that phrase in the Apostles' 
 Creed than the 26 th chapter of the Westminster 
 Confession of Faith, '^ of the Communion of 
 Saints." But there has come to be an excess of 
 individualism in our Church life. There is among 
 us a great deal of — so to speak — doTmant 
 brotherly feeling of a really genuine kind towards 
 each other and towards all the Churches of Christ. 
 But it fails to find sufficient embodiment in prac- 
 tical ways. There is often a want of visible and 
 practical expression of that sense of common 
 Christian fellowship in the one Church of Christ 
 which is in itself such a power for good. " Those 
 long unbroken melodies of praise and prayer " -^ 
 help us to realise and, to some extent, to express it. 
 
 The Church of England has no more exclusive 
 
 right to the " Te Deum," to the " Prayer of St. 
 
 Chrysostom," or to the Litany, than she has to 
 
 ^ Hitchcock, Proceedings of Council at Philadelphia, 74. 
 
 G 
 
82 THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS. 
 
 the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer. Such 
 hymns and prayers form part of the common 
 heritage of Christendom. They hand down to 
 us the best thoughts and words of some of the 
 holiest of Christ's servants, and the nearest to 
 God in prayer and praise. Why should not our 
 people get the good and feel the power of them, 
 if it can be done without losing the spiritual 
 freshness and freedom, the elasticity and sim- 
 plicity which characterise our present system in 
 good hands ? 
 
 ^* 
 
DEATH-BED OF JOHN KNOX. 83 
 
 APPENDICES. 
 
 APPENDIX A.— CoMP. p. 5lF. 
 
 Last Prayer in which John Knox joined on 
 HIS Death-bed. 
 
 rPHERE are few more striking and touching 
 -*- scenes in tlie records of Church history, than 
 those connected with the last days of John Knox. 
 Happily a full account of them has been pre- 
 served for us in the words of two eye-witnesses, 
 — Richard Bannatyne, the faithful servant of the 
 Reformer ; and " a pious and learned man who 
 sat with him in his sickness until his latest 
 breath," and who, as Dr. Laing shows, was in all 
 likelihood Mr. James Lawson, Knox's colleague 
 and successor in St. Giles. I give the following 
 extracts from their narratives, as illustrating 
 Knox's use of the Apostles' Creed and of the 
 prayers of the Book of Common Order : — 
 
 " He earnestly desired," Bannatyne says, " the 
 Kirk — I mean the elders and deacons — that he might 
 bid them his last good-night, as he had done before in 
 the pulpit at the inauguration of Mr James Lawson^ 
 
84 " THE PRA YER FOR THE SICK:' 
 
 saying, that lie would never enter that place again. 
 Upon Monday the 17th day (of November, 1572), the 
 Kirk came according to his desire. . . . And so with 
 exhortation unto them all, he commendeth them to 
 God: who, after the prayer read 'for the Sick,' as it is 
 in the Psalm-Book, departed with tears. . . . Sunday 
 the 23rd day — which was the first Sunday of the Fast 
 — at afternoon^ all being at the Kirk except them 
 that waited upon him, after that he had lain a good 
 space very quiet, as we thought, he says : * Gif any be 
 present, let them come and see the work of God,' for 
 then he thought to have departed, as we judged. At 
 what time I sent for John Johnston he bursts forth 
 in these words : ' I have been in meditation thir two 
 last nights of the troubled Kirk of God, the spouse of 
 Jesus Christ, despised of the world, but precious in 
 His sight. I have called to God for her, and have 
 committed her to her Head, Jesus Christ. I have 
 been fightand against Satan, who is ever ready to 
 assault ; yea, I have f ochten against spiritual wicked- 
 ness in heavenly things, and have prevailed. I have 
 been in heaven and have possession; and I have tasted 
 of these heavenly joys, where presently I am ! ' And 
 thereafter said the Lord's Prayer and the Belief, with 
 some paraphrase upon every petition and article of 
 them ; and in saying, ' Our Pather which art in 
 heaven,' he says: 'Who can pronounce so holy words?' 
 "After the sermon many come in to see him ; and 
 some seeing him draw his breath so shoi^ly, asked, 
 ' Gif he had any pain % ' Whilk when he understood, 
 he answered and said : ' I have no more pain than he 
 
LAST WORDS OF JOHN KNOX. 85 
 
 that is now in heaven, and I am content, gif God so 
 please, to lie here for seven years ! ' Thereafter he 
 said oft and sundry times : ' Live in Christ, and let 
 never flesh fear death.' His meaning was, that gif 
 we live in Christ, no man shall fear death. 
 
 "When he would be lying, as we supposed on a 
 sleep, then was he at his meditation, as his manifold 
 sentences may well declare ; as this, that I have before 
 said, wherein he would often burst forth : * Live in 
 Christ,' and, ' Lord, grant us the right and perfect 
 hatred of sin, as well by the document of Thy mercies 
 as of Thy judgments.' ' Lord, grant true pastors to 
 Thy Kirk, that purity of doctrine may be retained ; 
 and restore peace again to this commonwealth, with 
 godly rulers and magistrates.' ' Ance, Lord, make an 
 end of trouble ! ' ' Lord, I commend my spirit, soul, 
 and body, and all, into Thine hands.' With innumer- 
 able sic like sentences. 
 
 "Monday, which was the 24th of November, he 
 departed this life to his eternal rest. . . . Being 
 asked by the guidman of Kinzeancleuch. ' Gif he had 
 any pain % ' said : ' It is no painful pain; but sic a pain 
 as, I trust, shall put end to this battle.' He said also 
 to the said Robert: 'I maun leave the care of my 
 wife and bairns to you ; to whom ye maun be a 
 husband in my room.' 
 
 " A little after noon, he caused his wife read the 
 15th chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, of 
 the resurrection ; to whom he said : * Is not that a 
 comfortable chapter % ' A little after he says : '■ Now, 
 for the last, I commend my soul, spirit, and body ' — 
 
86 " THE EVENING PR A YERP 
 
 pointing upon his three fingers — ' into Thine hands, O 
 Lord.' Thereafter, about five hours, he says to his 
 wife : ' Go, read where I cast m^^ first anchor.' And 
 so she read the 17th of John's Evangel; quhilk 
 being ended, was read some of Calvin's Sermons upon 
 the Ephesians. We, thinking that he was asleep, 
 demanded gif he heard ^ Answered: 'I hear; and 
 understand far better, I praise God.' 
 
 "About seven hours at even, we left reading, 
 thinking he had been asleep, so he lay still till after 
 ten hours, except that sometimes he would bid wet his 
 mouth with a little weak ale. And half-an-hour after 
 ten or thereby we went to our ordinar prayers, quhilk 
 was the longer or we went to them, because we 
 thought he had been sleepand ; quhilk being ended. 
 Dr. Preston says to him, 'Sir, heard ye the prayers?' 
 Answered : ' I would to God that ye and all men 
 heard them as I have heard them ; and I praise God 
 for that heavenly sound.' After the said doctor was 
 risen up, Robert Campbell sits down before him on a 
 stool ; and suddenly thereafter he says : ' Now it is 
 come ! ' for he had given a long sigh and sob. Then 
 Richard, sitting down before him, said: 'Now, sir, the 
 time that ye have long called to God for, to wit, an 
 end of your battle, is come. And seeing al] natural 
 power now fails, remember upon those comfortable 
 promises which oftentimes ye have shown to us of 
 our Saviour Jesus Christ. And that we may under- 
 stand and know that ye hear us, make us soiijie sign.' 
 And so he lifted up his one hand, and incontinent 
 thereafter rendered the spirit, and slept away without 
 
" THE EVENING PRA YERP 87 
 
 any pain, the day aforesaid about eleven hours at 
 even." ^ 
 
 The Latin narrative of Knox's last illness and 
 death published by Smeton in 1579, and 
 written, as there is every reason to believe, by 
 Lawson, gives a similar account of the incident 
 above mentioned in connection with the evening: 
 prayer. It says : — 
 
 " In the meantime evening prayers were read. 
 Being asked if he heard them, he answered : ^ I wish 
 that you may have heard them with the same ears, 
 and understood them with the same mind with which 
 I heard and understood. Lord Jesus receive my 
 spirit ! ' 
 
 "As there now appeared certain indications of 
 immediate death, those who stood by requested him 
 that he would give some certain sign that he closed 
 his life in that eternal truth of God which he had 
 taught, and in the steady assurance of a blessed im- 
 mortality through Jesus Christ, which he had so often 
 thirsted for. Wherefore, acquiring as it were new 
 strength when he was just dying, he raised his hand 
 towards heaven, and giving two sighs, his soul de- 
 parted from the mortal body at eleven o'clock of the 
 night of the 24tli of November — without any motion 
 of the feet or of any other part of his body, so that he 
 rather seemed to fall asleep than die. Surely, what- 
 ever opprobrious things profane persons may say, in 
 
 1 Knox's Works, vi. 637-44. 
 
88 " THE PRA YER FOR THE SICK:' 
 
 him God hath set us an example both of living and 
 dying well."-'^ 
 
 I subjoin part of the '' Prayer for the Sick," 
 which was evidently intended to be used in 
 different parts, according to the circumstances of 
 the sick person, and the concluding petitions of 
 the " Evening Prayer " in the Book of Common 
 Order, ed. 15 64. 
 
 " A Prayer to be said in Visiting the Sick. 
 ****** 
 
 "Receive him, Lord, into Thy protection, for he 
 hath his recourse and access to Thee alone. Make 
 him constant and firm in Thy commandments and 
 promises. And also pardon all his sins, both secret 
 and those which are manifest ; by the which he 
 hath most grievously provoked Thy wrath and judg- 
 ments against him ; so as, in place of death, — the 
 which both he and all we have justly merited, — Thou 
 wilt grant unto him that blessed life, which we also 
 attend and look for by Thy grace and mercy. 
 
 "If the time by Thee appointed be come, that he 
 shall depart from us unto Thee, make him to feel in his 
 conscience, O Lord, the strength and fruit of Thy 
 grace, that thereby he may have a new taste of Thy 
 fatherly care over him from the beginning of his life 
 unto the very end of the same, for the love of Thy 
 dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Give ''him Thy 
 
 1 Knox's Works, vi. 660. Comp. M'Crie, Life of Knox, 5th 
 ed. ii. 221f., 227-32. 
 
" THE PRA YER FOR THE SICK:' 89 
 
 grace, that with a good heart, and full assurance of 
 faith, he may receive to his consolation so great and 
 excellent a treasure, to wit, the remission of his sins 
 in Christ Jesus Thy Son, who now presenteth Himself 
 to this poor person in distress, by virtue of Thy 
 promises revealed unto him by Thy Word, which he 
 hath exercised with us in Thy Church and congrega- 
 tion. 
 
 " Also, Heavenly Father, vouchsafe to have pity 
 on all other sick persons, and such as be by any other 
 means ajOaicted; and also on those who as yet are 
 ignorant of Thy truth, and appertain, nevertheless, 
 unto Thy kingdom. Have mercy in like manner on 
 those that suffer persecution, tormented in prisons, or 
 otherwise troubled by the enemies of the verity for 
 bearing testimony to the same; finally, on all the 
 necessities of Thy people, and upon all the ruins or 
 decays which Satan hath brought upon Thy Church. 
 
 " Grant these our requests, our dear Father, for 
 the love of Thy dear Son our Saviour Jesus Christ \ 
 who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the 
 Holy Ghost, true God for evermore. So be it." ^ 
 
 A Form op Prayees to be used in Private Houses 
 EVERY Morning and Evening. 
 
 Evening Prayer. 
 
 * * -^ * * ^ 
 
 "And because Thou hast commanded us to pray 
 
 one for another, we do not only make request, O Lord, 
 
 for ourselves, and them that Thou hast already called 
 
 1 Knox's Works, vi. 330f. 
 
90 THE EVENING PRAYER. 
 
 to the true understanding of Tliy heavenly will, but 
 for all i^eople and nations of the world. As they 
 know by Thy wonderful works that Thou art God over 
 all • so may they be instructed by Thy Holy Spirit to 
 believe in Thee their only Saviour and Redeemer. 
 But, forasmuch as they cannot believe except they 
 hear, nor can they hear but by preaching, and none 
 can preach except they be sent; therefore, O Lord, 
 raise up faithful distributors of Thy mysteries, who, 
 setting apart all worldly respects, may both in their 
 life and doctrine only seek Thy glory. 
 
 "Finally, forasmuch as it hath pleased Thee to 
 make the night for man to rest in, as Thou hast 
 ordained him the day to travel ; grant, dear Father, 
 that we may so take our bodily rest that our souls 
 may continually watch for the time that our Lord 
 Jesus Christ shall appear for our deliverance out of 
 this mortal life. And in the mean season, grant that 
 we may fully set our minds upon Thee, love Thee, 
 fear Thee, and rest in Thee. 
 
 " Furthermore, may our sleep be not excessive or 
 overmuch after the desires of our flesh, but only 
 sufficient to content our weak nature, that we may be 
 better disposed to live in all godly conversation, to 
 the glory of Thy holy name and profit of our brethren. 
 So be it." ^ 
 
 1 Knox's Works, vi. 352. Comp. Liturgical Services of the 
 Eeign of Queen Elizabeth (Parker Soc), 259-63. 
 
APPENDIX B.—SCO TTISH COLLECTS. 9 1 
 
 APPENDIX B.— See pp. 64-6. 
 
 Scottish Collects of 1595. 
 
 These Collects, or '' Prayers on the Psalms," 
 are, as stated above, one hundred and forty-nine 
 in number, the prayers on Psalm cvii. and Psalm 
 cviii. being the same. They are all framed 
 according to the approved liturgical rules for the 
 construction of a Collect, with an " Invocation," 
 " Petition," and " Conclusion," except the last 
 ten, which are short prayers of a simpler form. 
 Two of these are given below : '' Deliver us, O 
 Lord, from the wicked," and '' Most worthy art 
 Thou of all praises." The original text may be 
 seen in Dr. Livingston's "Scottish Metrical Psalter 
 of 1635," Appendix, ix-xviii. I give at the foot 
 of the page, verbatiTn et literati'm, the text of the 
 first Collect of those selected.-^ 
 
 In the English Psalter, usually known as that 
 of Archbishop Parker (who died in 1575), there 
 
 1 * ' A prayer upon the fortieth Psalme : — ' Lord, that be 
 Thy Providence gydis and governis all thingis, and that hes send 
 to us Thy weil belovit Sonne, for to delyver us from sinne and 
 deith be the oblatioun of His bodie on the Croce. Graunt that 
 wee continuallie may acknawledge this Thy great and inestima- 
 bill benefite, and that wee ever haif our heartis and mouthes 
 open to pronounce Thy praises amang all men be Thy selfsame 
 Sonne, Jesus Christ our Saviour. So be it.' " 
 
92 SCOTTISH COLLECTS OF 1595. 
 
 is a ''Collecte" added after each Psalm. This 
 
 which, as Dr. Livingston observes, is " the only 
 known precedent " — may have suggested the 
 Scottish Prayers on the Psalms. But the prayers 
 themselves are altogether different ; the Scottish 
 ones being, so far as I have compared the two, 
 decidedly superior in simplicity, fervour and 
 power of expression. 
 
 In the last will or inventory (1578) of Thomas 
 Bassandyne, a famous Edinburgh printer, there 
 occurs the entry: ''1280 Prayers upon the 
 Psalms, the piece lOd." These may be the 
 Collects which we are now considering. If so, 
 they must have been printed separately, previous 
 to their admission into the authorised " Psalm- 
 book." The case of Bassandyne, by the way, 
 furnishes another illustration of the close super- 
 vision exercised by the General Assembly over 
 everything printed in, or in connection with, their 
 " Psalm-book " or Book of Common Order. It 
 was reported and proved to the Assembly of 1568 
 that Thomas Bassandyne had published an edition 
 of the Psalm-book with a song called *' Welcome, 
 Fortune," printed at the end, and that he had 
 also published another book with a title which 
 seemed to imply the king's supremacy in spiritual 
 things ; '' whilk books he had printed without 
 licence of the magistrate or revising of the Kirk. 
 Therefore, the hail Assembly ordained the said 
 
THOMAS BASSANDYNE. 93 
 
 Thomas to call in again all the foresaid books 
 that he has sold, and keep the rest unsold 
 until he alter the foresaid title ; and also that 
 he delete the said song out of the end of the 
 Psalm-book ; and further, that he abstain in all 
 time coming from printing anything without 
 licence of the supreme magistrate and revising 
 of sic things as pertain to religion by some of 
 the Kirk appointed for that purpose. Attour, 
 the Assembly appointed Mr. Alex. Arbuthnot to 
 revise the rest of the foresaid tractate, and report 
 to the Kirk what doctrine he finds therein."^ 
 
 In editing this little selection of Scottish Collects, 
 I have followed the rule on which I have acted in 
 quoting from old writers in the preceding chapters ; 
 that is to say, I have generally modernised the 
 spelling and punctuation, but retained the words 
 of the original. The language of these Collects 
 of 1595 is more distinctively Scottish than that 
 of the prayers in the Book of Common Order. 
 In the latter, John Knox's style may be more 
 seen, and he Avas accused by his contemporaries 
 of " knapping Southron."^ But in these Collects 
 there are a number of purely Scottish words, most of 
 which I have reluctantly translated, although the 
 nearest English equivalent is often a very inade- 
 
 1 Livingston, Scottish Met. Psalter of 1635, p. 37 ; Booh of 
 Univ. KirTc, lOOf. 
 
 2 M'Crie, Life of Knox, 5th ed. ii. 277f. 
 
94 SCOTTISH COLLECTS OF 1595. 
 
 V 
 
 quate substitute. Thus I have put ''looking 
 for," or " awaiting " in place of the fine Scots 
 word '' abidand ; " '' frailty " for " bruckilness," 
 " overthrow" for '' dounthring," &c. I have 
 also occasionally made such trifling changes as to 
 substitute " who " for " that," " heavenly " for 
 "celestial/' and "Church" for its Scottish 
 equivalent "Kirk;" and have sometimes omitted 
 half of a double phrase, as in the " Prayer for 
 defence of Christ's kingdom," " destroy [and 
 dissipate]," " devised [and addressed] against 
 Him." Short headings have been added to 
 indicate the nature of the prayers, and they 
 have been grouped according to their subject- 
 matter. 
 
 I. Prayers relating to Individual Christian 
 Life and Experience. 
 
 1. A prayer that we may glory in Christ's 
 
 Cross : — 
 
 " Lord, who by Thy Providence dost guide and 
 govern all things, and hast sent unto us Thy well- 
 beloved Son to deliver us from sin and death by the 
 oblation of His body on the Cross : Grant that we 
 may continually acknowledge this Thine unspeakable 
 gift, and that we may ever have our hearts and 
 mouths open to proclaim Thy praises among all men, 
 by the selfsame Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen." 
 
PRA VERS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 95 
 
 2. A prayer for the forgiveness of sins : — 
 
 " O pitiful Father, who art full of mercy and dost 
 never reject the prayers of them who call upon Thee 
 in truth : Have mercy upon us, and take away the 
 multitude of our sins, according to the truth of Thy 
 promises which Thou hast given us, and wherein we 
 put our whole trust, even as we are taught by the 
 Word of Thy Son our only Saviour. Amen." 
 
 3. Confession of sins and prayer for grace : — 
 
 *' Father, most pitiful and gracious, albeit through 
 our unthankfulness and wickedness we cease not to 
 provoke Thee to anger against us by loosing the bridle 
 to all our evil affections, yet notwithstanding, since it 
 hath pleased Thee to take us into the holy covenant 
 which Thou hast made with our fathers, we beseech 
 Thee punish us not according to the rigour of Thy 
 justice, but deliver us from sin and trouble, that we 
 may give praise and thanks unto Thy holy name, 
 through Jesus Christ our only Saviour. Amen." 
 
 4. For forgiveness and consecration to God's 
 service : — 
 
 " Father of all mercies, who delightest not in the 
 death of a sinner, have compassion upon us, and wash 
 us from all our sins that we have committed against 
 Thee since the time we first came into this world. 
 Create in us a clean heart, and strengthen us continu- 
 ally with the power of Thy Holy Spirit, that we, being 
 truly consecrated to Thy service, may set forth Thy 
 praises, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen." 
 
96 SCOTTISH COLLECTS OF 1595. 
 
 5. That we may do God's will : — 
 
 " Almighty God, of whom cometh all our sufficiency, 
 assist us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we neither think, 
 nor say, nor do anything that is against Thy holy will. 
 Hear our prayers. Defeat our enemies. And comfort 
 us by the selfsame Spirit, that we may continually 
 feel Thy fatherly favour and goodwill, which Thou 
 showest unto Thine own children, through Jesus 
 Christ Thy Son. Amen." 
 
 6. For the right ordering of our lives : — 
 
 " Good Lord and God Almighty, who according to 
 Thy promises has sent unto us Thy dear Son, our 
 King and Redeemer : Grant that we so order our lives 
 under the obedience of Thy holy Word that we may 
 renounce ourselves and all our carnal affections, and 
 that we may be an occasion to all people to glorify Thy 
 holy name throughout all the earth, and that through 
 the self-same Jesus Christ our only Saviour. Amen." 
 
 7. For a steadfast faith and an upright life. 
 
 " Most potent King of kings and Lord of lords, 
 whose glory is unsearchable, whose majesty is sove- 
 reign, and whose power is infinite : maintain Thy 
 servants in quietness. And grant that we may be so 
 settled on the certainty of Thy promises, that whatso- 
 ever thing may come upon us, we may abide firm in 
 Thy faith, and may live uprightly and without 
 reproach in the midst of Thy Church, ftvhich Jesus 
 Christ Thy Son hath bought with His precious blood. 
 Amen." 
 
PRA VERS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 97 
 
 8. For quietness and thankfulness of heart. 
 
 " eternal God and most merciful Father, who 
 quickenest things that be dead : Of Thine infinite 
 goodness give unto us quietness of heart, to the intent 
 that we, not being overthrown with the heavy 
 burdens of affliction that lie upon us, may in our 
 consciences rejoice in Thy salvation. And grant, we 
 beseech Thee, that we may continually addict our- 
 selves to praise and magnify Thy most holy name, 
 through Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, our Redeemer. 
 Amen." 
 
 9. For the right use of affliction. 
 
 " Good Lord, who art a just Judge and chastenest 
 Thy children as a Father to drive them to unfeigned 
 repentance : Grant unto us of Thine infinite goodness 
 that the afflictions, which we justly sufier for our 
 ofiences, may serve us unto the amendment of our 
 lives ; and that in the midst of them we may have a 
 perfect feeling of Thy fatherly mercy, to the intent 
 that, our enemies being put to shame, we may praise 
 Thee with thanksgiving all the days of our life, 
 through Jesus Christ, Thy Son. Amen." 
 
 10. For deliverance out of trouble. 
 
 "True and ever-living God, the only Help of all 
 Thy poor afflicted people : Disappoint, we pray Thee, 
 the devices of our enemies ; and let all who trust in 
 Thy promises feel Thy fatherly goodness. Despise 
 not our prayers, but be helpful to us in the time of 
 
 H 
 
98 SCOTTISH COLLECTS OF 1595. 
 
 our troubles ; that we may give Thee continual praises 
 for delivering us out of all dangers, through Jesus 
 Christ, Thy dear Son. Amen." 
 
 11. That we may walk uprightly in this 
 present evil world. 
 
 *' Heavenly Father, who hast adopted us to be Thy 
 children : Grant that we, passing through this corrupt 
 world in such integrity and cleanness that none have 
 any just occasion to plaint of us, may in the end be 
 participant of that blessed heritage which is prepared 
 for Thy people in the heavens, through Jesus Christ, 
 our only Saviour. Amen." 
 
 12. That we may follow Christ in taking up 
 the Cross. 
 
 " Eternal God, who hast appointed Thine only Son 
 our King and Priest, that we might be sanctified by 
 His sacrifice of Himself upon the Cross : Grant that 
 we may in such sort be participant of His benefits 
 that we may renounce our own selves, and serve 
 Him in all holiness and purity of life, and may offer 
 up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable unto Thee, through 
 the self -same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen." 
 
 13. That we may keep God's commandments. 
 
 " Most merciful God, Author of all good things, who 
 hast given unto us Thy holy commandments, whereby 
 we should direct our life : Imprint them iniour hearts 
 by Thy Holy Spirit. And grant that we may so 
 renounce all our fleshly desires, and all the vanities of 
 
PRA VERS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 99 
 
 this world, that our whole delight may be in Thy law ; 
 that we, being always governed by Thy holy Word, 
 may in the end attain unto that eternal salvation 
 which Thou hast promised through Jesus Christ Thy 
 Son, Amen." 
 
 14. For humility. 
 
 *' Almighty Lord, who resistest the proud, but givest 
 grace to the humble : Suffer not that we be lifted up 
 in any proud opinion or conceit of ourselves in any 
 good thing. But may we think humbly of ourselves 
 before Thy Divine Majesty, without feigning. And 
 may we mortify daily the deeds of the body, in such 
 sort that in all our doings we may continually feel 
 Thy fatherly favour, mercy, and assistance, through 
 Jesus Christ Thy Son. Amen." 
 
 15. Against worldliness and unthankfulness 
 of spirit. 
 
 " O God, the Creator of heaven and earth : Thou 
 seest how the cares and business of this world do 
 oftentimes greatly trouble and turn us from rendering 
 to Thee that honour and obedience which are most 
 due. Yet we beseech Thee that, forgetting all other 
 things, we may learn aright to praise and glorify 
 Thee all the days of our life, for the great benefits 
 which we continually receive at Thy hands, through 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 
 
 16. For holiness of life. 
 
 " Almighty God, the only Deliverer of the poor 
 and wretched, who hast delivered us from the servi- 
 
loo SCOTTISH COLLECTS OF 1595. 
 
 tude of sin and the tyranny of Satan through Thy 
 Son Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world : Grant 
 that we, rightly acknowledging this Thy so great 
 redemption, may walk safely under Thy government 
 in all holiness of life, until we attain to the full pos- 
 session of the true land of the living, where we may 
 continually praise Thee, through the self-same Jesus 
 Christ our Lord. Amen." 
 
 17. That we may be steadfast in God's ser- 
 vice, and find mercy in the Day of Judgment. 
 
 " O God, the Author of all goodness, who governest 
 the whole world by Thy marvellous wisdom : Suffer us 
 not to be in anywise moved by the prosperous success 
 of the ungodly ; but may we the rather give ourselves 
 wholly to Thy service, and to meditation on Thy 
 Word ; that in the end we may effectually find Thee 
 to be our Saviour and Redeemer, when Thou shalt 
 come to judge the world through thy well-beloved Son, 
 Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen." 
 
 18. That we may rightly acknowledge God in 
 His works of Creation and Providence. 
 
 " dear Father, whose Providence reacheth over 
 all Thy creatures in such sort that Thy marvellous 
 wisdom is uttered through them all : Grant that we 
 may exalt Thy glory, and sing praises and psalms to 
 the forthsetting of the same ; to the intend that, the 
 wicked being banished from off the earth, we may 
 rejoice in Thee, and in the end may be participant of 
 
PRA VERS RELA TING TO MEANS OF GRA CE. loi 
 
 that eternal life and felicity which are promised unto 
 us through Jesus Christ Thy Son. Amen." 
 
 19. For light and strength in the Lord. 
 
 " Father of lights and Fountain of all goodness : Be 
 helpful unto us in time of our affliction ; and when 
 we are in greatest danger hide not Thy face from us ; 
 yea, whatsoever thing fall unto us, strengthen our 
 hearts, that we may have a continual esperance of 
 al] the good things which Thou hast promised to us 
 through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 
 
 IL Prayers for Blessing in the Use of the 
 Means of Grace. 
 
 1. For the right use of God's Word. 
 
 " Mighty God, to whom all glory and honour do 
 justly appertain : Since it hath pleased Thee to make 
 us understand Thy will by Thy holy Word, grant 
 likewise that we may receive the same with all 
 reverence, and that we may have a feeling of the 
 force and strength thereof ; that thereby we may be 
 reformed in all holiness of life ; that in the end we 
 may enjoy the heritage promised to all them that 
 are adopted in Thy well-beloved Son, Christ Jesus. 
 Amen." 
 
 2. For blessing in God's House. 
 
 " O loving God, who hast promised to be nigh unto 
 all them that call upon Thee in truth : Grant unto us 
 now that we may so call upon Thee, in open assembly, 
 
I02 SCOTTISH COLLECTS OF 1595. 
 
 that we may find Thy grace and fatherly favour more 
 and more ; so that, being kept in the kingdom of Thy 
 Son Jesus Christ, we may obtain full victory over all 
 things that are against us. Amen." 
 
 3. A prayer for the public assemblies of the 
 Church. 
 
 " Most merciful Father, without the knowledge of 
 Whom we can in no wise attain unto life everlasting, 
 seeing it hath pleased Thee of Thy mercy to grant us 
 freedom to convene ourselves together, to call upon 
 Thy most holy name, and to hear healthsome and 
 sound doctrine as out of Thine own mouth : Continue, 
 we beseech Thee, this Thy goodness toward us and 
 our posterity ; and defend the cause of all who walk 
 before Thee in innocency and cleanness of life ; that 
 we may be encouraged more and more to put our 
 whole trust and confidence in Thee, and that through 
 the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy dear and only Son 
 our Saviour. Amen." 
 
 __ 4. For blessing in Christ's kingdom on earth. 
 
 *' Eternal God, the only Author of all good things, 
 since it hath pleased Thee to receive us into the 
 fellowship of Thy well-beloved Son our Lord Jesus 
 Christ : Sufier us not in any wise to be overcome of 
 our enemies ; but grant that, His king(^m being 
 established in the midst of us, we may triumphantly 
 sing and magnify His praises both now and evermore. 
 Amen." 
 
PRA YERSRELA TING TO MEANS OFGRACE.io^ 
 
 5. For the defence of Christ's kingdom, and 
 for growth in grace. 
 
 " Almighty God and heavenly Father, who hast 
 given unto us Thy dear Son to be our Lord and 
 King : We beseech Thee that Thou wouldst destroy 
 by Thy marvellous wisdom all enterprises devised 
 against Him throughout the whole world. And make 
 us so to profit and grow in His holy law and doctrine, 
 that in all fear and reverence we may serve Thee ; 
 that in the end we may attain to that endless joy 
 which we hope to receive through the same Jesus 
 Christ Thy Son. Amen." 
 
 6. For the spirit of prayer and the fruit 
 thereof. 
 
 " Eternal God, who makest all things to turn to 
 the best for them that love Thee, and who preservest 
 all those who give themselves into Thy keeping : Grant 
 us, of Thy bountiful grace, that we may continually 
 call upon Thee with our whole hearts ; that we, being 
 delivered from all dangers, may in the end enjoy that 
 salvation which is purchased for us by Jesus Christ, 
 Thine only Son, our Saviour. Amen." 
 
 7. For blessing in the Church through the 
 Word and Sacraments. 
 
 " Eternal God, the only Founder and Keeper of 
 Thy Church : Grant that we, being placed under the 
 government of Jesus Christ, the only Chief and Head 
 thereof, may be comforted by Thy most holy Word, 
 and strengthened and confirmed by Thy Sacraments ; 
 
I04 SCOTTISH COLLECTS OF 1595. 
 
 to the intent that we all, with one heart and mouth, 
 may glorify Thee, and edify one another in holiness 
 of life and godly conversation through the selfsame 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 
 
 8. A prayer after the Communion. 
 
 " loving Father, who by Thine oath hast pro- 
 mised unto us a Saviour, Jesus Christ Thy Son : 
 Thou hast not deceived us, but hast indeed given 
 Him unto us, as Thy Word hath declared; and by 
 Thy Sacraments Thou hast confirmed it unto us this 
 day; yea. He hath further promised that He will 
 abide with us even unto the end of the world. There- 
 fore, dear Father, we beseech Thee that Thou wilt bless 
 us in all our ways, govern us, and replenish us with 
 joy. Let thy Crown and Kingdom abide above us ; 
 and preserve us in peace through the same Jesus 
 Christ Thy Son. Amen." 
 
 9. For peace and good- will among Christ's 
 people. 
 
 " Gracious Lord, who art not a God of confusion, 
 but the God of concord and of peace : Join our hearts 
 and affections in such sort together that we may walk 
 as brethren in Thy House, in brotherly kindness and 
 love, and as members of the Body of Christ. Let the 
 grace of Thy Holy Spirit enkindle us, and the dew of 
 Thy blessing continually fall upon us, that we may 
 together in the end obtain life eternal through the 
 same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 
 
PRA VERS FOR THE CHURCH. 105 
 
 III. Prayers for the Church. 
 
 1. That Christ's kingdom may prosper and 
 we therein. 
 
 *' Almighty God, the Help and Defence of all them 
 that fear Thee : Grant that we may ever live under 
 the safeguard of Thy well-heloved Son Jesus Christ. 
 Grant also that His kingdom may prosper, and be 
 advanced daily more and more j and that we, being 
 settled upon Thy promises, may render unto Thee the 
 sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, both now and 
 evermore. Amen." 
 
 2. That the Church and truth of God may be 
 upheld in purity. 
 
 " Most puissant God of hosts, who upholdest and 
 keepest all them that trust in Thee : Bend forth Thine 
 invincible force against the enemies of Thy truth. 
 Make feeble the strength of the proud. Turn our 
 troubles into prosperity. And grant that in the 
 midst of our assemblies the praise of Thy holy name 
 may so be celebrate as shall be most in accordance 
 with Thy Word, declared unto us by Thy Son Jesus 
 Christ our Lord. Amen." 
 
 3. For the defence and purity of the Church. 
 
 " O mighty King and Lord, the Rock and Fortress 
 of all them who put their trust in Thee : Undo the 
 force and break down the pride of those who afflict 
 Thy Church. Suffer not the simple to be overthrown ; 
 but stablish them as Mount Zion, that they may abide 
 
io6 SCOTTISH COLLECTS OF 1595. 
 
 in the New Jerusalem, which is Christ's Church. 
 Suffer us not to shake hands with unrighteousness ; 
 but let peace be upon Israel, even upon all them who 
 walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit, through 
 the selfsame Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 
 
 4. That the Church of God may be gathered 
 into one and fed from His Word. 
 
 " O Lord, marvellous are Thy might and power, 
 whereby Thou castest down the proud, and liftest up 
 such as be humble and meek : We beseech Thee of 
 Thy great mercy to restore and rebuild Thy Church, 
 which was founded by Thee only. Gather together 
 Thy scattered sheep. As Thou feedest all creatures 
 with temporal food and pasturage, make us to feel 
 inwardly the effect of Thy holy Word : and grant 
 that we, following Thy will declared therein, may in 
 the end enjoy the heritage prepared for Thy people in 
 Christ Jesus. Amen." 
 
 5. For the Church under the Cross. 
 
 " Eternal Father and God of all comfort, who, for 
 satisfaction of our sins, didst cast down Thine only 
 Son to extreme anguish and dolour, and hast ordained 
 Thy Church to pass by the same way of afiliction : 
 We beseech Thee most fervently that, forasmuch as 
 we are destitute of all help of men, we the more be 
 assured of Thy mercy and goodness, that we may 
 praise the same before all creatures both now and 
 evermore. Amen." 
 
PRAYERS FOR THE CHURCH. 107 
 
 6. For succour to Christ's flock in perplexities. 
 
 " Lord God, who canst put in order things confused 
 and out of order : Arise and stretch forth Thine arm 
 to cast down the proudness of such as lift up them- 
 selves against Thee and persecute Thy little flock ; to 
 the intent that, all resistance trodden down. Thou 
 mayest be acknowledged as the Saviour and Protector 
 of all them that trust in Thee through Jesus Christ 
 our Lord. Amen." 
 
 7. That the Church may be freed from enemies 
 and follow Christ only. 
 
 ** Almighty God, who of Thy goodness hast placed 
 us in the sheepfold of Thy Son Jesus Christ, that we 
 should be governed by Him as the only Shepherd and 
 Bishop of our souls : Turn not away thy face from us ; 
 but look down from heaven and behold how these our 
 enemies seek our destruction. Frustrate their fury, 
 we beseech Thee ; and defend us from all evils, that 
 we may render Thee perpetual praises through the 
 selfsame Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 
 
 8. For deliverance to the Church in time of 
 peril. 
 
 " O Lord, the Kuler and Governor of the whole 
 world, teach us to praise Thy holy name perpetually. 
 Preserve Thy poor Church from destruction. Repress 
 the pride and boldness of her adversaries. Bring down 
 the despisers of Thy blessed Word ; to the intent that, 
 when the ungodly are casten down and the godly 
 exalted, all men may give unto Thee due honour, 
 
io8 SCOTTISH COLLECTS OF 1595. 
 
 praise, and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 Amen." 
 
 9. That we may remember all the way by which 
 God hath led His Church. 
 
 "Eternal God, the only Refuge of comfortless 
 creatures : Hear now our prayers and petitions, and 
 turn not away Thy mercy from us. Give us grace so 
 to acknowledge Thy marvellous works, which Thou 
 hast shown to Thy people in times past, that we may 
 be daily more and more confirmed in the assurance of 
 Thy goodness, by the which Thou hast freely elected 
 and adopted us in Thy well-beloved Son Jesus Christ. 
 Amen." 
 
 10. For the spread of the Gospel, and the 
 good of the Catholic Church. 
 
 " Lord God, the only Founder of Thy Church : 
 Increase daily the number of the faithful by the preach- 
 ing of Thy holy Evangel. May the darkness of ignor- 
 ance be chased out of the world, and Thy name be 
 known over all. May all men resort out of all places 
 to render themselves under the obedience of Thy 
 Word \ and may they reverence Thee with their whole 
 hearts, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 
 
 11. For the spread of the Gospel among all 
 nations. 
 
 " Almighty and everlasting God, who, after a mar- 
 vellous manner, hast wrought the redemption of man 
 in sending Thine only Son to fulfil the promises made 
 
PRAYERS FOR NATIONS AND RULERS. 109 
 
 unto our fathers : Open up more and more the know- 
 ledge of that salvation ; that in all parts of the earth 
 Thy truth and puissance may be made known ; to the 
 intent that all nations may praise, honour, and glorify 
 Thee through Thy selfsame Son, Jesus Christ our 
 Saviour. Amen." 
 
 lY. Prayers for the Nation and its Kulers. 
 
 1. For deliverance in time of national danger. 
 
 " O Lord God, King of kings, who holdest all nations 
 under Thy subjection : Deliver us out of the danger of 
 them who seek our wrack and destruction ; to the 
 intent that all men may know the care and love which 
 Thou hast of Thy heritage ; that we may sing psalms 
 unto Thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 
 
 2. For our rulers and judges. 
 
 " Eternal God, by whom kings rule, and princes 
 ordain justice : May it please Thee so to enlighten the 
 hearts of all judges and magistrates whom Thou hast 
 given us, that, without exception of persons, they may 
 uphold the righteous, and punish the wicked ; to the 
 intent that, under their protection, we may lead a 
 quiet and peaceable life, according to the precepts 
 given us by Jesus Christ Thy Son, our only Saviour. 
 Amen." 
 
 Y. Prayers bearing on a Christian's Eelations 
 TO others. 
 
 1. That we may confess Christ before men. 
 " O loving and merciful Father, who never lea vest 
 them that put their trust in Thee, and who sendest 
 
no SCOTTISH COLLECTS OF 1595. 
 
 fatherly chastening on Thy children for their own 
 health : Grant that we may be built as lively stones 
 upon Jesus Christ, the true and only Foundation of Thy 
 Church ; that, forasmuch as He was rejected and 
 dispraised of men, we may acknowledge Him always 
 for our King and Saviour ; that we may enjoy the 
 fruit of Thy mercy and goodness for evermore, through 
 the same Jesus Christ our Lord." 
 
 2. That we may remember the poor. 
 
 " Most loving Father, without whose blessing we are 
 altogether poor and miserable : Imprint Thy holy 
 "Word on all our hearts, in such sort that our whole 
 delight may be to serve Thee in all fear and reverence. 
 Grant that we may be so merciful towards our poor 
 neighbours, that we also may have a sure feeling of Thy 
 mercy and goodness when Thou shalt come to judge 
 the world in Him whom Thou hast ordained to be our 
 Lord and Sovereign, Jesus Christ. Amen." 
 
 8. For help in the troubles of this world. 
 
 " Eternal Father, who art the only true God and the 
 Deliverer of poor captives and prisoners : We beseech 
 Thee of Thy plentiful bounty to relieve us from the 
 bondage of our adversaries ; that we, passing through 
 the miseries and calamities of this troublesome world, 
 may in the end enjoy the fruit of our faith, which is 
 the salvation of our souls, bought by the blood of Thy 
 dear Son Christ Jesus. Amen." , 
 
 4. That we may be kept from evil company. 
 " O loving Father, unto whom all the inward secrets 
 
PRA VERS ON O UR RE LA TIONS TO O THERS. 1 1 1 
 
 of our hearts are known : Grant that we may so walk 
 before Thee in uprightness of conscience, that we keep 
 no company with mockers and contemners of Thy holy 
 Word. But may we be so circumcised in heart and 
 mind that, renouncing all worldly friendship, we may 
 never wander from the right way which Thou hast 
 shown us in the Evangel of Jesus Christ Thy Son, our 
 Saviour. Amen." 
 
 5. For deliverance from the wicked. 
 
 "Deliver us, O Lord, from the wicked and the un- 
 godly, who in their hearts devise mischief, and delight 
 in strife and contention. Let us not fall into their 
 snares, nor suffer them to handle us at their will. Hear 
 the voice of our complaint ; for Thou art our God. 
 Take the defence of our cause in Thy hand, that we 
 may with all our hearts render unto Thee praises and 
 thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." 
 
 6. That God's will may be done by us and ours. 
 " Almighty and eternal God, who by Thy providence 
 
 dost conduct and govern all creatures in this world : 
 Suffer us not to enterprise anything but that which is 
 according to Thy will ; that we, altogether discontented 
 with ourselves, may wholly depend upon Thy blessing ; 
 and that our only care may be that Thou mayest be 
 glorified in us and our posterity through Jesus Christ 
 Thy Son. Amen." 
 
 7. That God would prosper us in our affairs. 
 "O heavenly Father, the Creator of heaven and 
 
 earth, in whom our help is : Suffer not our afflictions 
 
112 SCOTTISH COLLECTS OF 1595. 
 
 so to overcome us that we cast off our confidence in 
 Thee. But do Thou guide and prosper all our enter- 
 prises, and give a happy end and issue to all our 
 businesses, so that we may be the more assured that we 
 are of the number of them whom Thou hast chosen 
 unto salvation through Jesus Christ Thy Son. Amen." 
 
 8. For family blessings. 
 
 "Gracious Lord, who art the Well-spring of all 
 felicity, grant that we may always fear Thee, and 
 walk in Thy ways. Bless us, and all ours, that it may 
 be well with us and all who appertain to us. May we 
 see many generations and children of faith. May we 
 see peace upon Israel. And so may we glorify Thee 
 all the days of our lives, through Jesus Christ Thy 
 Son. Amen." 
 
 9. A prayer for all men that they may be 
 saved. 
 
 " good Lord, who wiliest all people to be saved 
 and to come to the knowledge of Thy truth : Show forth 
 Thy power and excellent Majesty unto the wh cle 
 world, that every one may sing Thy praises and show 
 forth Thy salvation, which Thou hast promised to all 
 them that give themselves to Thee and to Thy service ; 
 that Thou mayest be praised in all Thy creatures, 
 through Jesus Christ Thy Son. Amen." 
 
 YI. Thanksgiving and Praise to God. 
 
 "Most worthy art Thou, good and gracious God, 
 of all praises, even for Thine own sake. Thou art the 
 
THE RE FORM A TION CONFESSION OF SINS. 1 1 3 
 
 Most High and Holy One, and by Thee only are we 
 made holy. We praise Thee for our glorious redemp- 
 tion, purchased for us in Thy dearly beloved Son, 
 Christ Jesus. Give us, we pray Thee, Thy Holy 
 Spirit to govern us. And grant that all things which 
 have breath may praise Thee, who art the true life of 
 all creatures, through the same Jesus Christ, our 
 Lord, who reigneth with Thee and with the Holy 
 Ghost, One God, for ever and ever. Amen." 
 
 APPENDIX C— See pp. 79 f. 
 The Refokmatton Confession of Sins, 1525. 
 
 *' Heavenly Father, merciful and everlasting God, we 
 acknowledge and confess before Thy Divine Majesty 
 that we are poor miserable sinners, conceived and 
 born in sin and corruption. We are prone to all evil. 
 We are unable, without Thee, to do any good. And we 
 daily, and in many ways, transgress Thy holy com- 
 mandments. Thereby we provoke Thine anger against 
 us, and purchase to ourselves, by Thy just judgment, 
 death and ruin. 
 
 " But, O Lord, it repenteth and grieveth us that 
 we have so displeased Thee. We condemn ourselves 
 and our misdoings, and pray that Thy grace may 
 bring help to our distress and misery. 
 
 " Be pleased, therefore, to have mercy upon us, 
 most gracious God and Father. Forgive us all our 
 sins, through the holy sufferings of Thy dear Son, 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. Take away our sins ; and 
 
 I 
 
114 THE REFORMATION CONFESSION OF SINS. 
 
 grant us the daily increase of the gifts of Thy Holy 
 Spirit, that we, acknowledging from the bottom of 
 our hearts our own unrighteousness, may truly repent 
 us of the same ; that sin may be destroyed in us ; 
 and that we may bring forth the fruits of righteous- 
 ness and a pure life, well -pleasing unto Thee, through 
 Jesus Christ. Amen." 
 
 I translate from Ebrard's German text of 
 1525, but follow in one or two cases the read- 
 ings of Knox and Calvin's Book of Geneva 
 (15 54-56), and lean to its phrases so far as 
 consistent with faithfulness to the original. I 
 give the German below, and give also one speci- 
 men from the many liturgies of Churches of the 
 French tongue in which this ancient confession 
 is still in constant use. 
 
 After " bring forth such fruits as may be 
 agreeable to Thy blessed will," the Book of 
 Geneva, and the Scottish Book of Common 
 Order (1564) add :— 
 
 " Not for the worthiness thereof, but for the merits 
 of Thy dearly beloved Son, Jesus Christ our only 
 Saviour, whom Thou hast already given an oblation 
 and offering for our sins, and for whose sake we are 
 certainly persuaded that Thou wilt deny us nothing 
 that we shall ask in His name according to Thy will. 
 For Thy Spirit doth assure our consciences that Thou 
 art our merciful Father, and so lovest us Thy 
 children through Him, that nothing is able to 
 
ITS HISTORY. 115 
 
 remove Thy heavenly grace and favour from us. 
 To Thee, therefore, Father, with the Son and the 
 Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without 
 end. So be it." ^ 
 
 This Confession of Sins — " Die offne Schuld," 
 as it is called in German-speaking Keformed 
 Churches — occurs in the French Liturgy which 
 was published by Calvin at Geneva, in 1541, 
 but which had been drawn up by him previously, 
 and had been used by the Protestant pastors of 
 Geneva for several years before it was printed. 
 Calvin's Service-Book, republished in Latin in 
 1545, was the chief source from which this Con- 
 fession passed rapidly into use in the Reformed 
 Church Catholic, and even in several of the 
 Lutheran Churches.^ It appears in English, among 
 other prayers, at the end of an edition of Stern- 
 hold and Hopkins' Psalms, in 1566, under the 
 title of " A Confession for all Estates and Times." 
 It has been sometimes erroneously ascribed to 
 Beza, who used it in a striking scene at the 
 Colloquy of Poissy, in 1561.^ 
 
 ^ Knox's Works, iy. 181f. ; Book of Common Order (Sprott 
 and Leishman), 80. 
 
 2 It is used, for example, in the Liturgy of the National 
 Church of Wiirttemberg as the first Confession of Sins for Days 
 of Fasting, being taken from the Servdce-Book of the Church of 
 the Palatinate. — " Kirchenbuch fiir die Evang. Kirche in VViirt- 
 temberg," Stuttgart, 1843, 256f. 
 
 ^ Ebrard, Reformirtes Kirchenbuch, xxvi. Baird, Chap, on 
 
ii6 GERMAN TEXT. 
 
 The '' General Confession " in the Anglican 
 Communion Service, which aj^pears in the first 
 Prayer-Book of Edward YI. (1549), is closely 
 akin to the Reformation Confession of Sins, 
 especially in the form in which it appears in the 
 document known as '' Hermann's Consultation," 
 which was compiled by Bucer and Melanchthon, 
 at the request of Hermann, the Protestant Elector 
 and Archbishop of Cologne/ The "General Con- 
 fession " of the morning and evening services in 
 the English Prayer-Book is taken, as stated above, 
 more directly from the Liturgy drawn up by 
 Calvin in 1543 for the Church at Strassburg, 
 whose minister he had been during his temporary 
 banishment from Geneva, 1588-41. 
 
 Die offne Schuld, 1525. 
 
 "Himmlischer Vater, ewiger und barmherziger Gott, 
 wir erkennen und bekennen, vor deiner gottlichen 
 
 Liturgies, 34f. 77-79. Sprott and Leishman, Book of Common 
 Order, 240. Liturgical Services of reign of Queen Elizabeth 
 (Parker Soc), p. 265. 
 
 ^ This "Consultation of us, Hermann," was to devise "by what 
 means a Christian Reformation, and founded on God's Word, of 
 doctrine, administration of the Divine Sacraments, of ceremonies, 
 and the whole cure of souls, and other ecclesiastical ministries, 
 may be begun among men committed to our pastoral charge." 
 It first appeared in German in 1543, and in Latin ^ 1545. An 
 English edition was published in 1547, and a second in the 
 following year. — Shields, Lit. Expurg, 4th ed., 79f. ; Daniel, 
 The PrayerbooJc, 8th ed., 318. 
 
FRENCH VERSION. n? 
 
 Majestat, dass wir arme, elende Sunder sind, emp- 
 fangen und geboren in der Yerderbniss, geneigt zu 
 allem Bosen, untuchtig olme Dich zum Guten, und 
 dass wir deine heiligen Gebote taglich und mannig- 
 faltig iibertreten ; dadurch wir deinen Zorn wider 
 uns reizen und nach deinem gerechten Urtheil auf 
 uns laden den Tod und das Yerderben. 
 
 " Aber, O Herr, wir tragen Reu' und Leid dass wir 
 Dich erziirnet haben, und verklagen uns und unsre 
 Sunden, und begebren dass deine Gnade zu Hiilfe 
 komme unserm Elend und Jammer. 
 
 " Wollest Dich derhalben Uber uns erbarmen, O 
 allergiitigster Gott und Yater, und uns verzeihen alle 
 unsere Sunden, durch das heilige Leiden deines lieben 
 Sohnes, unseres Herrn Jesu Christi. Yergieb uns 
 unsere Sunden, und verleihe und mehre in uns taglich 
 die Gaben deines Heiligen Geistes, dass wir unsere 
 TJngerechtigkeit von ganzem Herzen erkennen, und 
 einen aufrichtigen Schmerz in uns empfinden, der die 
 Siinde in uns zerstore, und Friichte bringe der Unschuld 
 und Gerechtigkeit, die Dir angenehm seien um Jesus 
 Christi willen. Amen." * 
 
 La Confession des Pj^chi^s. 
 
 According to the present Liturgy of the French 
 Reformed Church, at morning service, after an 
 introductory sentence of prayer, a psalm or hymn 
 is sung. Then the Ten Commandments are read. 
 Thereafter the minister proceeds as follows : — 
 
 ^ Ebrard, Reformirtes Kirchenbuch, 2f. 
 
ii8 LA CONFESSION DES PECHES, 
 
 *' Maintenant que nous avons lu la loi qui condamne 
 nos iniquites, mes fr^res, que chacuD de nous se 
 presente devant le Seigneur, pour Lui faire une 
 humble confession de ses peches en suivant du coeur 
 ces paroles : 
 
 "Seigneur Dieu, P^re Eternal et Tout-puissant, nous 
 reconnaissons et nous confessons, devant Ta sainte 
 Majeste, que nous sommes de pauvres pecheurs, nes 
 dans la corruption,^ enclins au mal, incapables par 
 nous-memes de faire le bien,^ et qui transgressons 
 tous les jours et en plusieurs manieres Tes saintes 
 commandements ; ce qui fait que nous attirons sur 
 nous, par Ton juste jugement, la condamnation et la 
 mort. 
 
 *' Mais, Seigneur, nous avons une vive douleur ' de 
 T'avoir offens6. Nous nous condamnons, nous et nos 
 vices, avec une serieuse repentance, recourant humble- 
 ment a Ta grace et Te suppliant de subvenir a notre 
 mis^re.^ 
 
 " Yeuille done avoir pitie de nous, Dieu tr^s-bon, 
 P^re de misericorde, et nous pardonner nos peches, 
 a cause de Ton Fils J^sus Christ notre Sauveur. 
 Accorde-nous aussi et nous augmente continuellement 
 les graces de Ton Saint Esprit, afin que, reconnais- 
 sant de plus en plus nos fautes, et en etant vivement 
 touches, nous y renoncions de tout notre coeur, et que 
 
 ^ The Waldensian Liturgy keeps the original readings : " con- 
 cus et nds dans le p^cM et dans la corruption " ; 'Hncapables . . . 
 d'aucun bien." 
 
 ^ Wald. : "un grand ddplaisir, . . . une vraie repentance, 
 d^sirant que Ta grace subvienne k notre misfere." 
 
LA CONFESSION DES PECHES. 119 
 
 nous portions des fruits de saintet§ et de justice, qui 
 Te soient agreables par Jesus Christ notre Seigneur. 
 Amen." -^ 
 
 ^ La Liturgie ou I'Ordre du Service Divine selon I'nsage des 
 ]feglises R^formdes de France : Paris, 1859, 7f. (ed. Frossard). 
 Compare the very beautiful liturgy drawn up by M. Bersier, and 
 used in his church in Paris, which is largely taken from the 
 most ancient service-books of the French Reformed Church, — 
 " Liturgie k I'llsage des !l6glises Eeformdes," Paris, ed. 1881, 
 39, 238, 251. 
 
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