The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-10-22
Revision of the Prayer Book.
For the pemocrahc AdvocateL |

For the Democratic Advocated
The Book of Common Prayer, which has
been in use in the Anglican and Protestant
Episcopal Churches since the days of Queen
Elizabeth, is remarkable book, Men
have gone into raptures over the exquis-
itely turned sentences of the English Bible
1t is veritable thesaurus Of simple, per-
feet and idiomatic English. But the Prayer
Book is no less so, and the one was trans
lation while the other was an original
literary production. King james transla-
tors were remarkable men, but what shall
we say of the churchmen of Elizabeth 5
reign, who gave to the world the sonorous
Book of Common Prayer? 1t would be
difficult to find in the worlds literature any
book which will stand closer scrutiny or
a more exhausting criticism. As a study
of elegant diction, smoothly rounded phrase
and of words used with delicate shades of
meaning it is an ever-increasing delight.
In this respect, possibly, the Prayer Book
stands above the good old English Bible.
But in the passage of the years both have
become in measure obsolete. Expressions
pregnant with meaning 400 years ago have
lost their point and force The Bible
needed to be retranslated in the light Of
recent knowledge as well as in that of mod
ern speech. Likewise the Prayer Book
and, in the case of the latter, some impor-
tant changes in the statement of doctrines
and forms of worship have become desir-
able. Hence the matter has been brought
fairly before the p. +. Convention now in
session, with the expectation that material
revision will be made in the liturgy Of the
church. 1t is not needful nor is it intend
ed that new liturgy shall be constructed.
An effort is being made rather to simplify
forms, to eliminate meaningless phrases,
and, in word, to bring the Prayer Book
which has done service so long down to
date and to the requirements of the mod
ern church, duty as appropriate as the
occasional rewriting of history or the re-
casting of Euclid.-BdLtimOre Herdih.
''What shall we say of the churchmen of
Elizabeth's reign, who gave to the world
the sonorous Book of Common Prayer p
ask the Herald.
1t may indeed be said of them that they
were remarkable men, men of the highest
culture and vast attainments, far in advance
of the age in which they lived, an age,
which, compared with this, would be classed
as little removed from semibarbairsm, and
therefore their work is the more remarkable
The writings of that day, even of the most
popular authors, will not compare with the
writings of the present time. Shakespeare,
as written, is not fit for the eye of modest
maidenhood, or, if spoken, is not fit for ears
polite. The same may be said of nearly all
the writings of the 18th and 18th centuries
to 90 no farther back. But, what shall we
say of the churchmen of the present day,
who, although meeting triennially in gen
cral convention for supervision Of the
affairs of the church, with all the light of
perfect day, or of the present day around
them, have nevertheless, from one conven-
tion to another, permitted certain crudities
to stand uncorrected in the Book of Com
mon Prayer, which, to the unsophisticated
mind of the ordinary layman, requires
very little erudition to discover. For in
stance-the Lords Prayer, in passing
through so many translations, has evidently
been perverted from its original meaning
The suppliant is made to charge his Maker
with leading him into temptation. "Oh,
it does not mean that, says the defender
of the Prayer Book OF course not
Then why not change its phraseology so as
to express its true meaning? Take, also
the Litany-the invocation "that it may
please thee to rule and govern thy holy
Church universal in the right way Does
not this phraseology presuppose the posi-
bility of aerong way thought " hicf
does violence to all orthodoxy Why, then
has it been permitted to stand so long a
blemish upon the beautiful Litany of the
Church
Another part of the Litany, also, We
think, might be amended without offending
the ear of delicacy, which it now does, ant
which IS altogether improper and offensive
to good taste and propriety. 1t is thai
which reads thus-"That it may please thee
to preserve all who travel by land or by
water, all soonse'' an tie pe,izs cfchihl-Jinh
all sick persons and young children, and tt
show thy pity upon all prisoners and cap
tives. We think it would be quite an
improvement if that part of tie above quo
tation which we have italicised, were made
to read-"all persons in peril'-instead Of
as it reads now. Other amendments NIGH
be suggested, but these will suffice to turr
the attention of churcbmen to the subject
now that the Prayer Book and Hymna
are under consideration and revision by tn
Convention now in session in Baltimore
Since this was written both books We be
lieve have been finished