Year: 1871

i


AS rlready stated, new prayer-book,
bearing the title of the "Union PRAYER
Book" was used for the first time in this
city on Sunday, in Emmanuel Church.
The book has been compiled by various
divines, both in America and England.
and its principal aim is to present to the
public form of prayer in which there is
nothing that needs explanation" The
main portion of the Liturgy, which has
been used for centuries, both in England
and America, has been retained, and it is
said that the various changes and addi-
tionS which have been made are solely for
the purpose of more clearly setting forth
the Christian doctrine, and foruniting the
various branches of The Church. The or
der of the service mas been simplified.
The Psalter has been taken from the YER
sion of the Bible now in common use,
and classified according to the different
Sundays of the ecclesiastical year. The
tables of Lessons have been very much al
tered; the Apoclyphal is entirely left out,
and the chapters so arranged that the
whole of the important parts of the Bi-
bic will be read through in two years.


The book of the Prophet Job and the
Revelation of ST. John, which were both
excluded from the old table arc insertedin
this. The thirty nine articles have been
reduced to thirty -one, while in those that
remain IN every case the language has been
simplified, and some of them have been
materially altered The Absolution after
the General Confession has been dispens-
ed with, and in its stead are several texts
of Scripture setting forth Gods willing
ness to forgive those who repent. Sever
al new canticles have been introduced,
which will be sung in turn. In the
Apostles Creed the sentence 'he des-
cended into hell'' is left out, and the SEN
tence "one baptism for the remission of
sins" has been omitted from the Nicene
Greed. In the prayer for the President Of
the United States "and all judicial and ex-
ecutive authority" is added There are
several additional prayers, among them
being prayer for youths at the various
institutions of learning and prayer for
missionaries. Several prayers and psalms
have been added to the Litany. which is
to be used, as under the old ritual, as a
the pastor, to be used instead of the usual
morning or evening prayer.


In the communion service besides the
ten commandments given by Moses in the
Old Testament eight commands from
Christ in the New are also given, and af-
ter the invitation to his congregation to
communicate, the minister may also ex-
tend the invitation to all other members
of whatever denomination, that may be
present The old form of absolution IS
also omitte in this service, and instead of
the usual benediction, short prayer may
be used i'll its stead. The baptism of in
fants is termed "the consecration of chill
dren to the Lord, and instead of the min
lister saying, Il baptize thee in the name
of the Father, etc, he says, I'VE conse-
crate thee to the Lord" but should the
parents or sponsors wish it, the pastor
will say, Il baptise thee" in which case
water will be applied, but it is the aim of
the compilers that children shall not be
baptized till such time as they can answer
for themselves, although consecratcd
when infants. The order of confirmation
is performed by the minister laying his
hands upon the heads of every one of the
candidates separately, not the bishop, as
of old.


The bishops OF this new denomination
will be installed, not consecrated, while
presbyter of any denomination, provid-
ing he is duly certified, will, after cxami-
nation, and on expressing his desire to
join this branch of the Church, be admit
ted to the ministry. The book contains
several occasional services, besides col
lection of family prayers. The advocates
of this new system of universal prayer are
scattered throughout the length and
breadth of the United States 1t was the
work ofseveral years study, and congre-
cations will, it is thought, soon discover
its usefulness. 1t is so very general in its
doctrines that dissenters in almost every
grade will be able to use it, and it will
doubtless be the means of forming a
branch of the Church, composed of those
who have hitherto disliked the old pray
er book because ofits stringent formali;ics
and rubric, and others who have had no
forms of prayer because there were none
applicable to their particular opinion. 1t
is not issued for the purpose ofdeveloping
new Christian sects, but as a centre
ground Upon which one common faith
may find harmonious utterance