The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-25
THE BOOK or COMMON PRAYER.

recent number OF the Nashville Christian li,i-
cocdte has n learned critiquo OF tho English
Liturgy, i'll which NO haYo no difficulty to rccug-
nlze tue ripe scholarship of our friend, Rev r. D.
SUMMERS, ID. D., one Of tho foremost iheologiauA
III America. Although ho breaches from Motho-
dist pulpit, and writes for biotholist readers, his
carly Epihcopaan training and his innate good
| tasto throws n patrisic air aud halo around his
labors, baro, bald and unattractiyo in other hands,
DIR. SUMMERS many friends in this city will bo
pleased to road oven fow extracts, as tho entiro
article is too long for liz to reproduce.
Tho Liturgy Of tho Church of England liz I'M
luestionnblY tho most sublime in tho world Toro
Is nothing equal to it, in ancent or n,Dlorn timos
tbat M eiFGr t or TesRee,nG R it Is worry proyaont namely
80 so wide an aceoptauon. Wo belioyo there in
hundred Collects bo oIGoptedNof Romsl, or monS mo.
ultoFal Origin The millennium OF dark agos, from
tn4 sixth to tho sixteenth century, contributed
Tho sources Of tho book arc as follows:
l. The Bible. We wero onco much amused at n
r rS.nafk OF preabyteran mnstor in Toxas to tho
Gucct 6nnt Gpscopalinns mood not brng 40 much of
their Prayer Book as it was noarly ali takon from
ne p biDi9i That is truc. Tako out the Sentences,
fDlnims. Decaloguo (not to count tho Iencdicue
from from the Apochrypha, and numerous quotations
and the Prayer hook will be greatly red,ced IN IL
proportions. That tho foregoing are, for tho moai
part suitable selections for public ctfus will moi
be questioned, whatever objections might bo maiio
70 tho order of their arrangement tho frequency
o. tner fopetitton Tho great praise of tho Prayor
acte.. " f'A' 'ial-
2 The second source of the Liturgy is Patrfstic
as also the Sunday Collects-hardly any OF tncm
being later than the sixth century; most of them
arc found i'll tho Sacramontaries OF leo, Gelasins
mil Gregory.
The Tf Deum is ascrJod by S.illingiIcet to |
Nicetus, BiHhop OF Triora In Gaui, who s said 10 |
have cnnposel it for tho Qnllic Church. abnut a. |
ID. 535, but IL soon became in general use Some
have nscribed il to- Ambrose anil Augustip In ii,e
preceding century.
Tho Gloria ht ExcelSis il attributed to Telc,-
phnrus, Bishop Of Rome, who ia said to have en- |
Ioned lis use 4. d. 12G This NAV be toubted
but Symniachus, ut the beginning OF tho sixth CEN
tury, ordered 1t to be sung on nli Sundavs and |
holidays, except Advent, Innoccnts' Day and Lent
u is found, in nearly our FORM in tho ApostolicaI
Constitutions. Tho ilrst part of II is the Aneels
Song ut the Nativity Of Christ. Luke ii, H.
Tho language of the Liiurgy-batiny few oh.
soiete and obaoosccnt expressionB-1s rich and |
In this respect it nearly takes rank with our 1
authorized version Of tho Holy Scriptures, bcing
!ec9nd alonc to that great ''woll OF Englial ude-
led. Wc have compared the trnnslationy OF the
Collects, .for example, ~ found in this Liturgy, |
With the translnti9ns OF the same prayors In |
other rituals. and the petitions hardly secn to be
The Same Tho simplicity, purity dignity, maj
esty ana fervour OF the language. 30 admirably |
adapted to the sentiment, and TO tho ends OF dcYo-
ton. assign il the foremost place among The |
ouchologies of the Church.