Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1894-04-19
The Church service.

The wonderfully beautiful liturgy OF
the Episcopal Church is a form of wor'
ship that no other branch of the church
can boast, save that original and Apos-
tolic stock from which she is derived.
There are, of course, other denomlna-
tions possessing liturgic forms, some OF
them moulded upon very similar lines,
because derived from parallel sources.
That is, they are largely translations OF
the church Catholic. Thus Luther
prepared his form Of hturgic establish
ment at the reformation IN Germany
by translating from the Latin the usual
Roman forms into the German common
tongue, adapted to and compared with
the other and earlier liturgles 1t was,
however, as 1t still is mainly built upon
the general western form of ritual alter
ing the expressions, pnrglng out 'he
medieval corrupllons and restoring
more primitive phraseology. Ina par
a)lel manner the eastern branch OF the
church Catholic, the HISTORIAN and
Coptc branches have moulded their
ritual upon the Greek forms and fol
low the outline Of the primitive liturgy
of ST. James.
In all these, where they are II the
vernacular, they stand as TRANSACTIONS
and notifications Of other standards ;
the Roman branch alone stnbbornIy
holding to the old dead language Of
Rome and insisting upon celebrating
her worshlps in all lands. III the un-
known tongues Of the departed La'lns.
Very different and most happily con.
trasting with this is the liturgy OF the
Eplscvpal Church in America This
otlshoot OF the Anglican branch of the
church Catholic, derives her form OF
worship from her parent stem, the Eng
lsn Church, which IN turn, hands down
to her native and independent liturgy
based upon her own earliest and prlln-
ltive pattern, translated by her own
bishops and priests from the earlier
language with the common tongue of
the English speaking people. 1t was
her great work Of the XVI century to
give the world an English Blble-the
only translated Word of God then
known-and with a book OF prayer, a
lturgic form which was also translated
from her own standards after the prim-
tive llturgies of St. John and St. Chrys,
ostom. The prayer book and the Bible
almost together brought into the world
as blessed teachers of pure spiritual
truth. the Word of God, and a pure,
beautiful worship of His name. No
primitive method or Apostolic ritual
was dropped out, no beautiful symbol
Of devout reverence was cut Oft; but all
the gross corruptlons and extravagant
idolatrles Of the medieval era purged
away, her worship was restored to the
pure, true, spiritual condition of the
early church and fulfilling the declara.
ton of our Lord respecting the coming
time, when men should "worship God
in spirit and IN truth for the Father
seeketh such to worship Him.
1t is into this rich inheritance that
the Episcopal Church Of America en-
tered, a beautiful, pure and spiritual
form of Divine worship and sacred rit-
ual. Her service is an "holy worship
built upon the one foundation, the re-
deeming Christ as advocate with the
Father. All her prayer, praise, worship
and alteration, cluster around the one
Apostolic thought, "the breaking OF
bread and the form Of prayers as the
book of Acts tells us the primitive
church celebrated their worship. 10
this her children come, for this they
assemble. That infinitely lower idea
which obtains currency In the language
among the numerous denominations
lacking liturgy, when they say, do
you haye preaching next Sunday?' Or
there will be preaching tomorrow -
to whom the 'ororShip Of God is appar-
emily a lost knowledge, and the wor-
ship of man as popular preacher
binding their spiritual sight to wor-
chip Of God in the beauty Of holiness.
r WHITTlNGHAM.