proportionable Care and Solemnity. And fince the New Testament has given no Form for this Principal Part of the Christian Worship, the safeft way is to be govern'd by the Practice of the Ancient Church: Those early Times were best Judges of Apoftolical Precedent and Tradition, most exemplary in their Lives, and most remarkably bless'd with the A. Effufions of the Holy Spirit. こ By this Direction, as to Substance and Order, the following. Communion-Office is drawn. Thus at the placing the Elements on the Altar, there is a Prayer for Acceptance, abridg'd out of S. Basil's Liturgy. The most fignal Instances of the Divine Providence and Bounty are likewife briefly recounted, as introductive to the Words of Institution. This Recital is Paraphraftically taken from S. James's Liturgy. After the Words of Institution, the Prayer of Oblation and Invocation is fubjoin'd from the Apoftolical Constitutions : These Prayers are address'd for compleating the Sacrifice, and giving it the highest degree of Confecration. The Prayer for the whole State of Christ's Church is much the fame with that in the First Reform'd English Liturgy. But the Order is changed, by putting it after the Prayer for Confecration: For when the Sacrifice, commemorative of that upon the Cross, is finifh'd, and God the Fafther ther propitiated by this Memorial; tis then the most proper Time to declare the Ends of the Oblation, and recommend the Church to the Divine Protection. ち The Introits or Pfalms, which begin the Office, stand as they did in our First Re form'd Liturgy. The Priest's pronouncing the Ten Commandments, with the Peoples Answer to each, are omitted for the Reasons following: First, The putting the Ten Commandments in the Communion-Office was not done by our First English Reformers, and is altogether Modern and Unprecedented. Secondly, Our Duty to God and our Neighbour, comprized in the Ten Commandments, is comprehensively explain'd in the Church-Catechism: The People therefore need only apply to this Instruction; thus they will have a fuller Notion for Practice, i than than can be gain'd by a bare Repetition of the Decaloguebeluмая Thirdly, The keeping the Sabbath-Day boly is Part of the Mosaick Institution, points upon Saturday, and is peculiar to the Jewish Difpenfation: Since therefore the Fourth Commandment looks formewhat foreign to the Chriftian Religion, fince it could not well have been fingly omitted, 'tis thought fit to wave repeating the rest: And, inftead of this particular Rehearsal, to give the Sum and Substance of the whole in our Bleffed Saviour's Words, together with the Peoples Answer at the end of the Tenth A The rest of the Office is the fame with the English Liturgies, excepting that the Rubricks, for more Direction and Solemnity, are fomewhat alter'd. bel 300 gyert on agami lo qiano W The Crofs and the Chrism are restored in the Confirmation Office. The Sign of the Cross |