The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-02-16
ISAAC TAYLOR AND THE PRAYER
BOOK.

BOOK.
Whoever may examine the Prayer Book will
find the ApOeypha recognized as a part of ''hOly
Scripture" for the rubrc which stands before the
Calendar of lessons for the year reads thus: 1.-The
order how the rest Of holy Scripture is appoint
ed to be read. Under this designation Of
''holy Scripture, we find eighteen lessons from
the Apocrypha labelled under the solemn
sanction Of the Church, as part of the Word
Of God For more than a hundred years
the attention of the English Church had been
pOintedly and repeatedly called to this strange,
astonishing fact for it was the subject Of an
was ths sTaesing
It Of
scandal upon
the n.ns ot tsstantism. The Episcopal
Church in the United States, upon its formal Or
ganization after the war Of the Revolution, made
a revision of the Prayer Book, and had an excel
lent opportunity for wiping away this reproach,
this staadiag libel upon the Bibe-for fidelity re,
ouires that it should be so regarded. Why was 1t
not done? Can the pure consistent Professionalism
of any Church pass current and unsupported, while
in any part of its fOrmuaries it counts that which
the whole Protestant world besides Indignantly re-
pudiates, but which Rome adopts as a part OF
''the true sayings Of God?" Not while the world
stands, and faithful witnesses for the truth re
main in it.
But another point concerning this Calendar
must be noticed No careful student Of Church
history can have failed to observe that wherever
the worshipping of saints has prevailed, the wOr
ship of the Saviour has been displaced; and the
multiplication of Saints days has been to ruin the
observance Of the Sabbath.day. The Calendar Of
the Church of Rome is burdened with one thou
sand seven hundred names Of saints. Is it any
i, wonder that such Church should be covered with
superstition Is it any wonder to see, as a histor
zeal fact saint-worship growing out Of this endless
marking in the Calendar and observance Of saint 5
days? The Church of England, it is true, did cut
down the list, and the Episcopal Church in this
country has further reduced it to only &c. that is
about one to every tenth day in the year But it
is not the number of names which establishes the
principle If the Church can by authority estab-
lsh one, it can establish one thousand
We are not sure that the following statement is
perfectly correct, for we get bewildered among the
abundant saints days, fast days. and feast days
movable and immovabe," in the Prayer Book !;
but as well as we can count they are as follows ::
Fast days, one hundred year; Feast days, sew
enty nine Saints days, thirty SIX; in all t0O hua-
bred and ten
The Rev. Edwin Hall, D. D., in his interesting
and able work on 1.-The Puritans and their Prin-
eiples, presents this subject in light so just and
Scriptural that our readers will be grati6ed to
have the following extract pass under their eye.
lie remarks:
"SuppOse a company of the primitive disciples
could come back, and by some means stumble upon
the Liturgy of the Episcopal Church turning over
It's pages they read such titles as these; The
Circumcision, Fifth Sunday after Epiphany,
Fourth Sunday in Advent Septuagesima Sun
day., Fifth Sunday in Lent, Monday before
Easter Good Friday, Easter Even, Tuesday
in Easter week Whitsunday, Trinity Sunday
st. Stephens day, The Innoeents' day. An
nunciatiOn Of the Blessed Virgin Mary, ST. Pc
ter's daY, st Michael and all Angels, St
Simon and St. Jude, All Saints, and so on, and
so on.
What a strange spectacle would all this be to
these old disciples Well might they inquire,
What does this mean? Where in the name of
wonder did you get all these? Lent Saints days,
Angels dayY Why this is what Paul meant
when he said to some of our neighbOrs of old,
| am afraid of you you observe days. and sea-
sons, and months, and years Who could won
der, if these ancient disciples, reading here about
S. Michael dag, and all angels, should call for
the old episte which they used to hear read at Co
lOSSe; and laying their finger on the 10th verse
should read thus Let no man. therefore, Judge
you in meat or drink, or in respect of holy dag,
Let no man 6egulle you OF your reward IN a Uot
au9tGry humidity and lCOrSbipplRg Of angels p
Wherefore, II We be dead with Christ from the
rudiments Of the world, why, living in the world,
are ye SUBJECT TO ORDINANCES, after the
COMMANDMENTS OF MEN, touch not, taste not,
handle nOt) Which things have indeed a show of
wisdom, In lCill-lgOrShjp, and humility. and neg
Letting Of the body not in any honor TO the salts
tying Of the flesh How strange, too it would
appear to these ancient Christians, to turn to the
table in the front of the Prayer Book, and see the
Church grayely giving out Lessons from the
ApOcyPh0, to be read as portions of the Word of
God.
But we promised last week to give further ex-
tracts from Isaac Taylor, from which the reader
may judge whether he regards the Prayer Book as
being free from remains of Romanism and thus
ascertain also whether the Central Presbyterian
has misrepresented him, as the Southern Church
man asserts. The following are the remarks with
which he closes his criticisms on the English
Church Calendar.
SIS then the Calendar, with its inauSpicious
cOmmemOratiOnS, a matter of no moment? Are
the many objections to which, PROFESSIONALLY, it
is liable, frivolous? l have already declared my
5ehef that the subject unimportant as it may have
been wears ago, assumes, at this time serious as
pect and that il viii connect itself with the great
course OF events now IN progress. ChrlstendOm,
as every one feels and Sees is Fastening on towards
a disruption more signal, and more extensive in
its consequences than any that has heretofore had
place.
On the one side are the adherents of biblical
Christianity and on the other those Of whatever is
human in religion the first adVantaged by no Wis
ible organization, and having no centre Of union,
and guided by no cOnclaye OF concerted movement,
is vet every day drawing nearer, part to part and
is teaching a clearer and deeper conviction at
once Of that substantial unity which might lead
them to a state Of VISIBLE combination; and Is also
discerning more distinctly the common danger
which is likely to cement abby the bond of suf
ferings.
ION the other side, there IS a visible conference,
and intelligent and well directed concert, and polit-
ica as well as spiritual influence, and economical
resources, and a scheme of religion well adapted
20 the tastes Of perverted human nature, and more
over a manifest tendency, throughout Europe, to-
wards the restoration OF gorgeous and mystic
spiritual despOtism.
In this present equipOise OF spiritual forces,
the position of the Protestant Episcopal Church
of England is-We must not say neutral. but am
bi0UOUS Ii is not as if the church, strong in a
calm unanimity of feeling, had taken up position
between the two parties, prepared to mediate
and to rescue truth from the expected collision Of
the two This is not the fact for the church, in.
testnely sundered in opinion reels to and fro, be-
tween the two apparently inclining toward the side
of anti-bibical despOtism, and yet in the feeling
which peryades very many Of its individual and
private members, connected by vital sympathies