Fac-simile of the title page of the Prayer Book of the Apostolic Catholic, or Universal Church of Christ. Published by Ticknor & Fields, of Boston, in 1861.

Exact size.

PRAYER BOOK OF THE APOSTOLIC

CATHOLIC, OR UNIVERSAL
CHURCH OF CHRIST.

ON the outskirts of Longwood, a portion of the city of Boston, may be noticed a stone structure that was erected a few years ago through the gift of Mr. David Sears. The effort was made to form in this building an organization including all Christians. Mr. Sears prepared a Prayer Book for this union enterprise. The volume contains features of the Roman Catholic faith, the Prayer Book of the Church of England, and the teachings of the Unitarians. The title page reads,

"The CHRISTIAN LITURGY and BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER; containing the Administration of the Sacraments and other RITES AND CEREMONIES of the Apostolic Catholic, or UNIVERSAL CHURCH OF CHRIST. With collects and prayers, and extracts from The Psalter, or Psalms of David. For the

use of the Church of America.

Also A Collection

of Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship.

Ticknor and Fields, MDCCCLXI."

Boston.

The reverse of the title page has at the foot, University Press, Cambridge. Printed by Welch, Bigelow and Company." The next page begins

with

ADVERTISEMENT.

THE CHRISTIAN LITURGY

and

THE GOSPEL CHURCH.

The leading object of the Proprietors of Christ's Church, Longwood, -a Gospel Church, and the first of the Union of Churches in the Spirit of Charity is to adopt the broad platform of religious opinion alluded to in the Introduction to the Christian Liturgy, and to accept that Liturgy, and the trust of the Church, as providing a Ritual which comprehends those doctrines which are especially essential to guide the mind in a right worship of God. It is obvious that men who differ as to the origin of sin, or as to the precise nature of the atonement, may nevertheless equally love God, and may be alike grateful to him for his mercy, and desire his approval, and seek his will, and adore his infinite perfections. They may differ on many theological questions, and yet may have the same sentiments of devout trust and reverential gratitude, and may equally feel the need of Divine help. If they may thus agree in what is essential to devotion, why may they not unite in religious worship? If they will abstain from obtruding into the act of worship those theological speculations which have no necessary connection with it, why may they not bow together before that God which they all adore.

The Liturgy of this Gospel Church professes to give expression to those feelings which should be in man's heart

when he looks up to God. It would leave the theological questions on which sects divide, to be settled by each individual in his own way, while it would draw all Christian people together in the sentiment and offices of devotion.

It is earnestly hoped that in conformity to the Ritual here presented all honest Christians may be able cheerfully to join in the morning and evening worship of the one living, true, and Almighty God, the Great Spirit of the Universe, and give to the various manifestations of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost-under the name of the Gospel Trinity for the salvation of man-all the reverence and homage due to their respective attributes and powers as set forth in Holy Scriptures.

T. This Book of Common Prayer is now read in Christ's Church, Longwood, and is in strict conformity with the original Book of Common Prayer-the Christian Liturgy of 1847, established by the trust, and may be used as the same, in all Gospel Churches.

One page is given to Contents, arranged into twenty-five different subjects. The objects of the Compiler are given at length in the

INTRODUCTION.

The Liturgy of the Church of America is drawn from various religious writings, and based on the spirit of the Bible. Its forms of Adoration and Petition, and its summary of Christian faith, and Christian doctrine, may be tested by the Holy Scriptures, and they demand the close examination of new congregations of faithful men, uniting and forming themselves into a visible Church of Christ.

The Book of Common Prayer of this Church is issued with no design, nor with any wish to interfere with the traditions, change the ceremonies, or touch the orders of the Roman or the English, or any other Church of Christ; but it claims the

privilege of adopting and using, whatever has been selected from either of them, as the common property of the Holy Catholic, or Universal Church.

It will be perceived that while the plan of the Papist Dr. Murphy is in part introduced, and the Principles of the Unitarian Dr. Channing used for the teaching of young children, yet that the ritual of the Church of England is throughout closely followed, and its forms so adjusted as to embrace the largest circle of Christianity.

A leading object of the Church is to erect a broad platform of religious opinion, on which Christians may stand in amity, and join in a common worship of Almighty God without being called upon to give up or deny the peculiarities of individual belief. And all congregations of Christians, and all Disciples of this Church, now worshipping under various denominations, are invited to adopt, in the spirit of brotherly love, and for the purposes of public prayer, the ritual and rubrics here presented.

The necessity of allowing to man a liberal range in matters of doctrine, in order to fix him on matters essential, is becoming yearly more apparent; and although error, bigotry, and superstition are still abounding, and primitive Christians perhaps hardly recognize their pure and simple religion in many of the dogmas of the present day, yet surely an observant eye may discover signs, which indicate that the hour is not far off when some of them will be rejected.

The Bible is now open to every man, and circulates through the world, for good or for evil, without note or comment. Millions of minds are at work upon it, and the laity are thus becoming the judges, and sometimes the irreverent critics of our Holy Writ, analyzing, and discussing the ordinances of the Old Testament, and the declarations of the New, and gradually establishing for themselves separate theories of religious belief. It cannot therefore be doubtful, that intelligent minds will finally purge their faith of all that is inconsistent with the attributes of a benevolent and wise, a forgiving and almighty Being.