PUBLIC WORSHIP.

The following article is a translation of the first and second chapters of the Introduction to Prof. Ebrard's recently published "Reformirter Kirchenbuch." In connection with the third chapter-a translation of which may be given hereafter, it is an able argument in favor of the use of Liturgical prayers, as it obtains in the Reformed Church. The work itself exhibits the authors usual research and industry, combined with a sound discriminating judgment, and at this time of general dissent, and almost endless diversity of opinion in regard to the best mode of conducting public worship, must be regarded as a valuable contribution to the store of materials, for a thorough investigation of the general subject. In this point of view, it will be seen to be of historical as well as scientific impor

tance.

What great evils result from the loose and informal manner, in which, in many congregations, the services of the sanctuary are conducted, is beginning to be very generally felt. With some the sermon is regarded as the only important part of public worship. The prayers are of little account, except as appropriate solemnities-the shorter, the better-to compose the mind, and prepare it for the performances of the pulpit; and at best as suitable forms of invocation for the divine blessing upon the exercises of the occasion. Farther than this, they have no special interest for them. As for the choral performances, they are estimated according to their musical merits, and have place, as agreeable interludes, for the entertainment of the hearers in which they are scarcely expected to take part.

To correct these growing evils, arising as they do from the want of a proper conception of the nature and design of worship, this collection of prayers, by Prof. Ebrard, is admirably calculated. It presents in clear light, the differences in the character and use of Liturgies as they obtain in the Christian church. In some communions, the Liturgical service is a separate and distinct part in the worship of the Sanctuary, and is regarded, perhaps, as the only essential part: In the Reformed it is intended to have its full right; but the sermon, or homiletical service, is still held to be the most important part, with which every other according to its just proportion and value, must be so connected and arranged, as to form a consistent and harmonious whole.

Toa Liturgy, so constructed, expressing the pure doctrine of the Church, and intended, not as a help merely to ignorant and heartless worshippers; but to give range and expression to the loftiest aspirations of the believing soul in its approaches to the mercy seat, one would think no one would object. And yet, admitting the existence and magnitude of the evils adverted to, it may, in the pres

ent state of feeling-I may as well say, the present state of knowledge-in the churches, be difficult to introduce any proper remedy, in many congregations. The subject has received little or no attention. The public mind to a large extent, is filled with prejudices, and would have to be disabused before any favorable impression could be made. This, however, should not prevent the attempt, and as an effort in that directions the views of Prof. Ebrard are submitted to the readers of the Review.

DESIGN OF THE COLLECTION.

The want of a collection of the prayers, introduced into the Reformed Church, is so generally felt, and has been expressed in such a variety of ways in the Church itself, that I may consider it superfluous to refer to it particularly, as to attempt to justify my present undertaking, on the ground of its necessity and design. The mere glance at the numerous analogous collections in the Lutheran Church, prepared in modern, and quite recent times, excites the desire that the Reformed Church should not be behind in an effort, which appears to be so entirely grounded in the character and wants of the age. On the one hand, there is certainly a general tendency in the present scientific ac tivity to forsake the path of a rude empiricism, which is always content with that which is nearest at hand, as that exists for the time, and to investigate thoroughly every sphere of theoretical and practical knowledge, in its original depths and universal range; and hence the necessity with a view to the preparation of a Liturgy, that this activity in collecting and arranging materials should be directed to the whole Liturgical stock. On the other hand, this newly awakened church life, urges us to this, that we should turn back from the dry lifeless productions of a time, when the barren understanding held sway, and when they were introduced per fas aut nefas, to the living powerful prayers of a period of conscious faith, when the spirit of prayer was poured out in richer measure, and that we should no longer allow the Liturgical part of divine worship generally, in a stepmotherly way, to fall in the rear of the homiletical.

This general consideration, one would think, would be itself sufficient to sustain my present undertaking, against the objection of being without purpose. It may be well however to consider the object to be accomplished a little more closely, as it is only in this way, that we can obtain the proper criteria for determining how far the present collection really answers the end for which it is intended. The end, I have in view, is a two fold: one, a practical and a scientific.

To begin with the practical: Not only since my coming to Switzerland, but before and elsewhere also, I have found it necessary often to add to the church services in established use. Many of the provincial Liturgies contain only a few prayers for the current Sabbath and Week-day services, in connexion with the most necessary forms for conducting church transactions, and the want is felt that special prayers for the Feasts of the christian-church-year should also be introduced. Others, do contain prayers for the Feasts, but only one or two for each Feast; while the case calls for more. In these circumstances we have the choice, either to prepare new prayers, or to take prayers from the Liturgies of foreign Confessions, or finally, to fill up the Agenda of the Reformed Church, by borrowing, the one from the other. This last method is altogether easier and more natural than the second, and has many advantages over the first. Not that I would deny to the present age the qualifications for producing a Liturgy (I have myself introduced into this collection much that is new) but amid the present prevailing subjectivity, and the endless diversity of tendencies and tastes, it is certainly no easy thing to produce prayers, simple and plain enough to meet with acceptance in the whole Church, and to be regarded as common property. This is by no means an easy matter, even where the Holy Scriptures are made beforehand the standard of the contents and form of the Church prayers, and every thing is excluded that does not fully correspond with them, or that ingeniously evades what they substantially teach. Experience has taught us this. The most natural way will accordingly be, in the first place, at least to examine the Liturgies of sister churches of the same confession, to see whether they do not contain treasures which would relieve us of the trouble of producing them ourselves. To make such an examination easy is the first object of their collection.

Its practical object, however, must be considered more generally. It is not only that local wants require to be satisfied, or that here and there, something is wanting, in this or that particular prayer; but in the whole Reformed Church there appears to me, and to many others with me, a pressing necessity for an organic enlargement, and more complete development of divine worship. It need not be feared that I will fall in with the trite cant about the "lukewarmness and insipidity" of the Reformed worship. No one, perhaps, has set himself more in opposition to this sort of talk than myself, and for the plain reason, that what is simple is not necessarily poor. There is a majestic simplicity; the Dome of Lausanne, for instance, with its unadorn

ed architectural beauty, produces a far more elevating impression, than would a Church of the same style, every column of which was hung round with flags, and figures and lamps, and every kind of splendid ornament for sensual gratification. The development and improvement of the Reformed worship which I wish to see, consists not in imitating strange and heterogeneous forms of worship, but in a regular consecutive unfolding of the elements originally and properly belonging to the Reformed Church. Thus, by way of illustration, the Reformed Church has adopted the church-year with its cycle of Feasts, and this too, not in just blindly holding on to an old custom, but after a severe conflict, and with the fullest conviction. And yet it is just here that its worship has remained poor inasmuch as it is limited to the Feasts, and no provision has been made for the intermediate periods from one feast to another. Now, it would certainly be an improvement if the Church year were carried forward, not as heretofore in an unbroken series of ordinary Sundays, between which the Feasts appear as isolated and unconnected points; but instead of this, were divided into Feast-periods, such as Advent, Epiphany, &c., each of which would constitute the transition from one feast to the other; and if this relation of the Church year to the annual period of term were expressed in its worship. How this can be done will appear in another place; it is sufficient here to say, that as regards this and many similar points, improvements of the Reformed worship are both possible and desirable, and most likely to be reached besides by means of a general collection of the Reformed Liturgies; in which view of course this collection may claim also a general church

use.

To this now, must be added the Theoretic and Scientific signification of such a Liturgical collection. The time, when a Church will be judged solely by its dogmas, or confessional writings, and not much more by its inward life, is rapidly passing away; but where has this church life expressed itself in more significant memorials than in Liturgies? Canonically considered, the Church symbols are certainly the most authentic expressions of the Church faith; but in respect of its concrete reality, the Liturgy is equally important. The doctrines, which the real congregation acknowledges every Sunday in their prayers, are still much more expressive of its substance, than those which they have only standing upon paper. The Liturgy, accordingly, furnishes the surest standard, by which to determine which of the doctrines set forth in the confessional writings, are really of ecclesiastical importance, and which are only theologically sig

nificant; and surely it cannot be considered out of place, exactly at this time, when so many eyes are fixed upon Church confessions, to direct attention to the consideration of a Liturgy, as a criterion, by which the church confession should be judged and estimated according to the Church life. But as the Liturgy is the expression of eclesiastical confessions as they appear in reality, and thus claims to be of symbolical importance, so is it also the index, by which the different phases of church development and declension may be known, and this is its historical importance. It is one thing for a church faithfullly to preserve and adhere to the use of her old prayers; another thing, owing to theological pressure, to have suffered her.old prayers to fall into disuse; though only through private self-will, without any official abrogation of an old, in the introduction of a new Liturgy; and quite another again for a Church, formally and officially to refuse the Liturgy itself. The Reformed Church, pretty gener ally has kept to the first too positions.

In all these respects, is a complete collection of the Agenda of the Reformed Church of indispensable necessity; and inasmuch as I was drawn to this work by inclination and desire, as well as by many outward inducements, and was also placed in such circumstances as greatly facilitated a collection of Reformed Church books. I did not hesitate in God's name to address myself to the work, and must say that it has afforded me, not only the purest satisfaction, but also true edification. May it be a blessing to many whole congregrations, as well as individuals.

I have yet a word to say respecting this collection, so far as it is intended for the scientific use of individuals, and at the same time for the church use of Congregations. Two ways were before me. One was to print the whole of the church prayers, I had registered, together with all the variations occuring in the several editions of one and the same Liturgy, word for word, with diplomatic faithfulness. In that case, the Collection would fully meet the scientific end intended, but not the practical. Another would first have to come, and make use of the material thus collected for the draft of a particular and scientific liturgy. But could I expect (merely to mention such an external consideration) that in such a one sided procedure, I would find persons to take it off my hands? How many are there who have any interest in the preparation of new Liturgies? How many, who are so engrossed with scientific Liturgical studies, that they would provide themselves with such a collection solely for this purpose? And what, with all my diplomatic faithfulness and acute verbal accuracy, would be gained by documents, which so far as they