Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-02-24
Rev. Thos. Bsecher ON the Church.


Rev. Thos. Beecher ON the Church.
The Rev. Thos. Beecher, of Elmira,
N. Y, brother of Henry Ward Bee
cher and pastor of Congregational
Church in Elmira, lately delivered lec-
ture in that city, upon the Protestant
Episcopal Church. After giving brief
outline of the history Of the Church Of
England, and of the succession derived
from that Church by our own, he said,
as we fnd the lecture reported in the FL
mira Gazette:
"After the mere outline of her histo-
ry it remains that | note some of her
excellent uses and beauties
/. The Episcopal Church offers for
our use the most venerable liturgy in the
English tongue, The devotional treas.
ures of the Roman Catholic Church are
embalmed aud buried in Latin. But in
English, there are two lessons, gospels,
psalms, collects, confessions, thanksgiv-
ings, prayers-in one word, no rel igious
FORM BOOK that stands moment in COM
parison with the prayerbook Of the Epis.
copal Church in the twofold quality of
richness and age.
The proper name, because trul des.
criptive. for this church, would be CHURCH
of THE PRAYER BOOK. As is the way
with all other churches, go here the
church champions and leaders have many
wise things to say about the church and
her prerogative. But the pious multi
tude that frequent her courts are drawn
thither mostly by love of the prayers
and praises, the itauies and lessons of the
prayer book. + t..
And, brethren of every name, cer-
tify you that you rarely hear in any
church prayer spoke in English, that
is not Indebted to the prayer-book for
| some of its choicest periods.
Aud further, doubt whether life has
in store for any of you an uplift SO high
or downfall SO deep, but that you can
find company for your soul and fitting
words for your lips among the treasures
of this book of common prayer.
In all time of our tribulation; in all
time of our prosperity; an the hour Of
death. and an the day Of Judgment
Good Lord deliuer as.
As consequence of the prayerbook
and its use note:
2. The Episcopal church preserves
very high grade of dignity, decency, pro
priety, and permanence, in all her pub
lie offices.
In nearly every newspaper you may
read some funny story based upon the
ignorance or eccentricity or blasphemous
familiarity of some extemporizirg prayer
maker. All of you here present have
been at some time shocked or bored by
public devotional performances Moth
ing of this sort ever occurs in the Epis.
copal church. All things are done and
spoken decently and in order.
And so, too, Of permanence and its
accumulating worth of holy association
no transient observer can adequately
value this treasure ofa birth-right church
man.
To be using to day the self-same words
that have through the centuries declared
the faith or made known the prayer of
that mighty multitude, who being now
delivered from the burden of the flesh,
are in JOY and felicity
To be baptised in early infancy, and
never to know a time when we were not
recognized and welcome among the mil
lions who have entered by the same
door,
To be confirmed in due time, in n faith
that has sustained noble army Of con-
fessors, approving its worth through per-
secutIons and properties, q strength to
the tried and Christening to the worldly
minded - !.
To be married by an authority before
which kings and peasants bow alike, ask
ing benediction upon the covenant that
without respect of persons bind by the
same words of duty the highest and the
| lowest -
To bring our newborn children as we
were brought, to begin where we began
and to grow up to FIJI our places:-
To die in the faith, and almost hear
the gospel words soon to be spoken over
ones own grave as over the thousand
times ten thousand of them who have
| slept in Jesus:- eaa8.e.H ..
In short; to be devout and consis-
tent churchlnan, brings man through
aisles fragrant with holy association, and
accompanied by long procession of the
good. chanting rs they march a unison
| Of piety and hope until they come to the
holy place where shining saints sing the
new song of the redeemed. Aud they
| sing with them. 80 ST. saafs II
Another excellence I notel 4
8. The Episcopal church furnishes to
all who need such comfort, the assurance
of an organic and unbroken unity and
| succession, from jesus Christ through
the apostles, by line of authentic bish-
ops down to Bishop Huntington of this
/ diocese 81 s8 4s
/ King Henry XIII and Queen Eliza
beth with their proclamations and parlia-
ments, are so conspicuohs and fiji 50 much
space in the merely political history Of