TBE

RATIFICATION

OF THE

BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER.

By the Bishops, the Clergy, and the Laity of the Protestant Episcopal Churck in the United States of America, in Convention, this 16th Day of October, in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hun

dred and eighty-nine. THIS Convention, having in their present Session, set forth A

Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, do hereby establish the said Book: And they declare it to be the Liturgy of this Church ; and require, that it be received as such by all the Members of the same: And this Book shall be in Use from and after the first day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety.

Ir is a most invaluable part of that blessed liberty wheretcilk

Christ hath made us free, that in his worship, different forms and usages may without offence be allowed, provided the substance of the Faith he kept entire; and ihat, in every Church, what can. not be clearly deiermined to belong to Doctrine must be referred to Discipline; and therefore, by common consent and authority, may be altered, abridged, enlarged, amended, or otherwise disposed of, as may seem most convenient for the edification of the people, 'according to the various exigencies of times and occasions.'

The Church of England, to which the Protestant Episcopal Church in these States is indebted, under GOD, for her tirst foundation and a long continuance of nursing carc and protectiou, bath, in the Preface of her Book of Common Prayer laid it down as 8 Rule, that • The particular Forms of Divine Vorship, and the Rites and Ceremonies appointed to be used therein, being things in their own nature indifferent and alterable, and so acknowledged, it is but reasonable that, upor weighty and important consideracions, according to the various exigencies of times and occasions, such changes and alterations should be made therein, us to those who are in places of authority should, from time to time, seem either necessary or expedient.'

The same Church hath not only in her Preface, but likewise in her Articles and Homilies, declared the necessity and expediency of occasional alterations and attendments in ber Forms of Public Worship ; and we find accordingly, that, seeking 'to keep the happy mean between too much stiffness in refusing: aud too much easiness in admitting variations in things once advisedly established, she hath, in the reign of several Princes, since the first compiling of ber Liturgy in thr time of Edward the Sixth, upon just and weighty considerations her thereunto moving, yielded io make such alterations in some particulars, as in their respective times were thought convenient ; yet so as that the main body and essential parts of the same (as well in the chiefest malerials, as in the frame and order thereof) lrave sti:1 been continueu firm and unshaken'

Her general aim in these different Reviews and Alterations hath been, as she further declares in her said Preface, to do that which, according to her best understanding, might most tend to the preservation of peace and unity in the Church; the procuring of reverence, and the exciting of piety and devotion in the wor ship of God; and, finally, the cutting off occasion, from them that seek occasion, of cavil or quarrel against her Liturgy'. And although, according to her judgment, there be not any thing in it contrary to the Word of God, or to sound doctrine, or which a

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godly man may not with a good conscience use and submit unto, or which is not fairly defensible, if allowed such just and favourable construction, as, in common equity, ought to be allowed to all human writings; yet upon the principles already laid down, it cannot but be supposed, that further alteration would in time le found expedient. Accordingly, a commission for a review was issued in the year 1688: But this great and good work miscarried at that time, and the Civil Authority has not since thought proper to revive it by any new commission.

But when in the course of Divine Providence, these American States became independent with respect to Civil Government, their Ecclesiastical Independence was necessarily included ; and the different religious denominations of Christians in these States were left at full and equal liberty to model and organize their respective. Churches, and forms of worship, and discipline, in such manner as they might judge most convenient for their future prosperity; consistency with the Constitution and laws of their Country.

The attentics of this Church was, in the first place, drawn to those alterations in the Liturgy which became necessary in the Prayers for our Civil Rulers, in consequence of the Revolution. And the principai care herein was to make them conformable to what ought to be the proper end of all such prayers, namely, that' Rulers may have grace, wisdom, and understanding to exe. cute justice, and to maintain truth;' and that the People may lead quiet and peaceable lives, in ali godliness and honesty.'

But while these alterations were in review before the Convention, they could not but, with gratitude to God, embrace the happy occasion which was offered to them (uninfluenced and unrestrained by any worldly authority whatsoever) to take a further review of the Public Service, and to establish such other alterations and amendments therein as might be deemed expedient.

It seems unnecessary to enumerate all the different alterations and amendments. They will appear, and it is to be hoped, the reasons of them also, upon a comparison of this with the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England. In which it will also appear, that this Church is far from intending to depart from the Church of England in aty essential poirt of doctrine, discipline, or worship; or further than local circumstances require.

And now, this important work being brought to a conclusion, it is hoped the whole will be received and examined by every true Member of our Church, and every sincere Christian, with a meek, candid, and charitable frame of mind; without prejudice or prepos. sessions ; seriously considering what Christianity is, and what the truths of the Gospel are; and earnestly beseeching Almighty God to accompany with his olessing every endeavour for promulgating them to mankind in the clearest, plainest

, most affecting, and me jestic manner, for the sake of Jesus Christ, cur blessed Lord and Saviour..

HOW THE PSALTER IS APPOINTED TO BE READ.

THE Psalter should be read through once every month, as it is

there appointed, both for Morning and Evening Prayer. But in February it shall be read only to the twenty-eighth or twenty-ninth Day of the Month.

And whereas January, March, May, July, August, October, and December, have one-and-thirty Days a-piece; it is ordered, that the same Psalms shall be read the last Day of the said Months which were read the Day before; so that the Psalter may begin again the first day of the next Montb ensuing.

And whereas the 119th Psalm is divided into twenty-two Portions, and is over-long to be read at one time; it is so ordered, that at one Lime shall not be read above four or five of the said Portions.

The Minister, instead of reading from the Psalter as divided for Daily Morniag and Evening Prayer, may read one of the Selections set out by this Church.

And, on Days of Fasting and Thanksgiving, appointed either by the Civil or by the Ecclesiastical Authority, the Minister may appoint such Psalms as he shall think fit in his discretion, unless any shall have been appointed by the Ecclesiastical Authority, in a Ser. vice set out for the Occasion ; which, in that case, shall be used, and Qo other

The Minis!er may use one of the Selections, inslead of any one of the above Portions.

THE ORDER

HOW THE REST OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE IS

APPOINTED TO BE READ.

THE Old Testament is appointed for the First Lessons at Morn

ing and Evening Prayer; so that the most Part thereof will be read every Year once, as in the Calendar is appointed.

The New Testament is appointed for the Second Lessons al Morning and Evening Prayer.

And to know what Lessons shall be read every Day, look for tho Day of the Month in the Calendar following, and there ye shall find the Chapters that shall be read for the Lessons, both at Morning and Evening Prayer; except only the Moveable Feasts, which are not in the Calendar; and the immoveable, where there is a Blank left in the Column of lessons; the proper Lessons for all wbich Days are to be found in the Table of Proper Lessons.

Aud, on Days of Fasting and Thanksgiving, the same Rule is to obtain as in reading the Psalms.

And the same discretion of choice is allowed on occasions of Ecclesiastical Corventions, and those of Charitable Collections. And Note, That whensoever Proper Psalıns or Lessons are ap

pointed, then the Psalms and Lessons of ordinary course appointed in the Psalter and Calendar, if they be different, shall be omitted

for that time. Note alsc, That tlie Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, appointed for the

Sunday, shall serve all the Week after, where it is not in this Book otherwise ordered.