been, at intervals since, changed and modified as circumstances appeared to render this desirable. Calvin entertained similar opinions, though his liturgical forms afforded no opportunity of response being made by the congregation, the prayers, as is still the case in the Church of Geneva, being read from the pulpit by the minister, probably very much in the form of an aid, while a considerable portion of the service was left to be conducted according to his discretion. The service of Calvin commences with a general confession, nearly the same as that introduced by Knox, the confession being followed by a psalm, after which the "minister is again to engage in prayer, begging God to grant the gift of the Holy Spirit, that His Word may be faithfully explained." The sermon succeeds, and is followed by an exhortation to the people to pray, preceding a somewhat lengthened form. Next comes the Apostles' Creed, the whole being concluded by the Benediction. The Geneva Liturgy as now used, contains a variety of additional forms, besides a distinct service for each day of the week, and for various festivals, such as New Year's Day, the Anniversary of the restoration of the Republic, &c.

A natural and logical sequence seems to pervade the form of public worship which Calvin left behind him. The several acts of devotion follow each other, commencing with those which are more primary and preparative.

In the morning service, the reading of a portion of Scripture, and the enunciation of the Commandments form a preface to the prayers. Only after this has been finished, does the minister enter the desk and begin his proper work by repeating a sentence of invocation, afterwards calling on the people to join him in prayer and then repeating a confession of sins, followed by supplication for grace. This was to be followed by the singing of a psalm on the part of the congregation, the minister anew offering up prayer, and next proceeding with his sermon. The sermon again, was to be followed (and naturally as an act of instruction) by the intercessory prayer, which exceeded in length the other form, the whole being terminated,—unless the Communion was to be administered,—with the Lord's Prayer, the recital of the Apostles' Creed and the Blessing.

We here quote, from the work of Mr Baird, already referred to, the following additional particulars regarding Calvin's Liturgy :

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Respecting the degree of strictness with which these forms of worship should be observed, Calvin's design evidently was, that no deviation be allowed from those parts which are prescribed. As to what concerns a form of prayer and ecclesiastical rites,' says he in a letter to the Protector Somerset, 'I highly approve of it that there be a certain form, from which the ministers be not allowed to vary: That first, some provision be made to help the simplicity and unskilfulness of some; se. condly, that the consent and harmony of the Churches one with another may appear; and lastly, that the capricious giddiness and levity of such as affect innovations may be prevented. To which end I have showed that a Catechism will be very useful. Therefore there ought to be a stated Catechism, a stated form of prayer, and administration of the sacraments.'

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"For voluntary and extemporaneous prayer, Calvin made special provision. The prayer before sermon in the service for the LORD's Day, is left to the minister's choice; and all other services of public prayer, whether on week days or on the afternoon of the Sabbath, are uurestricted and free. At such times, the preacher is to use such words in prayer as may seem to him good, suiting his prayer to the occasion, and the matter whereof he treats.' Only in those general supplications, which from their nature must be uniform, as they express common wants and desires, the reformer required a close adherence to the public formularies of the Church. This union of free prayer with the rigid use of a Liturgy, was the marked and pe. culiar excellence of the Geneva worship. The simplicity upon which this ritual was framed, pervaded also the manner of its celebration. The churches of Geneva had been stripped of all their ancient garniture; no symbol of worship remained except the Cross, which for some years was suffered to stand on the towers of the churches. The altar was replaced by a Communion-table; the baptismal fonts were at first removed, though afterwards restored; the prayers were said, and the Bible read from the pulpit.* Instead of variegated vestments, the garb of the ministers was the plain black robe with embroidered lappets, the bands, and the black velvet cap, which were afterwards commonly worn for many years by the Calvinistic clergy of France, Holland, and Scotland.

"The posture of the people during prayer seems, in the early days of the Refor mation, to have been that of kneeling. We infer as much from the remark of Calvin quoted on a preceding page, respecting the introduction of a form of absolution. The fact is indicated also by a canon of the Book of Discipline of the French churches, adopted in 1559.

"While thus providing for the office of prayer, our Reformer introduced also the regular practice of congregational singing. To him we are all indebted for this feature of Divine worship, which was directly copied from the Church of Geneva into the Scottish and Anglican services. At his suggestion it was that Clement Marot

* If the minister is to be understood to lead the prayer of the congregation, why should this be? Would it not be an improvement to adopt an approximation to the practice of the Church of England, should the movement for a reformation of our public worship go on? The preacher stands in the most advantageous place for arguing and remonstrating with his audience. The leader of public prayer acts as one of the congregation; does not require to make use of rhetorical exertion, and is supposed to join in unison with them.

and Theodore Beza translated the Psalms of David into French verse, and set them to simple and appropriate airs. A volume containing some portion of these psalms made its appearance at Geneva, with a preface by Calvin, in 1543; but the collection was not completed before the year 1561.

"In a survey of the Calvinistic worship, this interesting feature of Psalmody must not be omitted. It belongs peculiarly and characteristically to that worship. The Reformers of Switzerland and Scotland did not, as we often hear, deprive their ritual of a responsive and popular character. They did no more than separate the functions of minister and people into the distinct duties of reading and singing. The Psalms are the responsive part of Calvin's Liturgy. These choral services embodied the acts of adoration, praise, and thanksgiving, which are scarcely noticed in the forms of prayer; while in the latter, the offices of intercession, supplication, and teaching were assigned to the minister alone. The prayers by constant use made familiar to the people, were to be followed silently or in subdued tones; the psalms and hymns constituted their audible utterance in the sacred ministrations.

"This portion of Divine service was taken from the Roman Catholic Church, where it had been preserved from the Jewish and early Christian worship. Nor did our Reformers reject those other ancient Hymns which for ages had been closely united with the Psalms in public devotion. The Te Deum, the Song of Simeon, the Magnificat, were likewise transferred in a metrical shape to the Protestant ritual. None of these, perhaps, has been more frequently and heartily used, in the solemnities of the Church and in private acts of praise, than the sublime hymn of Ambrose and Augustine.

"For the frequency of public services of worship, Calvin made abundant provision in the Churches of Geneva. Prayers with sermon were said on every day of the week. On the Sabbath there were three services, one of which was for catechetical instruction. On Monday, Tuesday, and Friday there was a service at the cathedral, to be attended by all the magistrates of the city. On Thursday took place the weekly expository exercise, called the Congregation,' the object of which was 'to uphold the purity of the clergy, whether of the city or of the country. At this meeting, every minister was to discourse in his turn on the portion of Scripture appointed for the day. After the sermon, the ministers were to withdraw and make their remarks especially on the preacher. If any controversy arose on matters of doctrine, they were to employ their best endeavours to preserve union; and if they failed in this, the elders of the church were to give their opinion on the subject, and strive to restore peace.' This expository service was imitated in Scotland, and thence transferred to the Church of England. Magistrates, soldiers, and people were alike required to attend these week-day services. The students of the academy or university founded by Calvin were to be present at Divine worship every Wednesday in the cathedral, as well as three times on the Sabbath. The city garrison, by a later regulation, were directed to attend prayers twice every day. And here let us observe, in passing, one of those beautiful customs that belong peculiarly to the religious times of which we speak. At every gate of the city, a soldier knelt down and repeated aloud a prayer, before the portal was closed at night, and before it was opened in the morning. Truly, with such habits of devotion, and such facilities for the spiritual culture of its people, Geneva deserved the eulogy of Knox, when he called it The most perfect school of CHRIST that ever was on earth.' 'God hath made of Geneva,' says an old writer, 'His Bethlehem; that is to say, His house of

bead.'"

C

Be glossed then to have compassion upon us. O mest gracicus Goa! Futber of af mercies; for the sake of thy Son Jaece CHRIST our Lord. And in removing our guilt and our polation, grant us the daily increase of the grace of thine Holy Apit; that sexnovisiging from our inmost hearts our own unrighteousness, we may be washed with sorrow that shall work true repentance; and that thy Spirit, mortifying all sin within us may produce the fruits of Locïiness and of righteousness well-pleasing in thy sight: Through Jasts CHRIST our Lord. Amen.

This done, shall be sung in the congregation a Poilm; then the minister shall begin afresh to pray, asking of GOD the grace of his Holy Spirit, to the end that his word may be faithfully expounded, to the honour of his name, and to the edification of the church; and that it be received in such humility and obedience as are becoming,

The form thereof is at the discretion of the minister.

Prayer which the ministers are accustomed to make.]

VOR ILLUMINATION.

Most gracions Gion, our heavenly Father! in whom alone dwelleth all fulness of light and wisdom: Illuminate our minds, we beseech thee, by thine Holy Spirit, in the true understanding of thy word. Give us grace that we may receive it with reverence and bumility unfeigned. May it lead us to put our whole trust in thee alone, and so to serve and honour thee, that we may glorify thy holy name, and edify our neighbours by a good example. And since it hath pleased thee to number as among thy people; O help us to pay thee the love and homage that we owe, as

children to our Father, and as servants to our Lord. We ask this for the sake of our Master and Saviour, who hath taught us to pray, saying, OUR FATHER, &c.

At the end of the sermon, the minister having made exhortation to prayer, beginneth thus:

INTERCESSION.

Almighty GOD, our heavenly Father! who hast promised to grant our requests in the name of thy well-beloved SON: Thou hast taught us in his name also to assem ble ourselves together, assured that he shall be present in our midst, to intercede for us with thee, and obtain for us all things that we may agree on earth to ask thee. Wherefore, having met in thy presence, dependant on thy promise, we earnestly beseech thee, O gracious GOD and Father! for his sake who is our only Saviour and Mediator, that of thy boundless mercy thou wilt freely pardon our offences; and so lift up our thoughts and draw forth our desires toward thyself, that we may seek thee according to thy holy and reasonable will.

FOR RULERS.

* *

Heavenly Father! who hast bidden us pray for those in authority over us : We entreat thee to bless all princes and governors, thy servants, to whom thou hast committed the administration of justice; and especially * May it please thee to grant them the daily increase of thy good Spirit, that with true faith acknowledging JESUS CHRIST, thy Son our Saviour, to be King of kings, and Lord of lords, unto whom thou hast given all power in heaven and on earth; they may seek to serve thee and exalt thy rule in their dominions. May they govern their subjects, the creatures of thy hand and the sheep of thy pasture, in a manner well pleasing in thy sight; so that as well here as throughout all the earth, thy people, being kept in peace and quiet, may serve thee in all godliness and honesty; and we, being delivered from the fear of our enemies, may pass the time of our life in thy praise.

FOR PASTORS.

Almighty Saviour! we pray for all whom thou hast appointed pastors of thy believing people, who are intrusted with the care of souls and the dispensing of thy holy gospel. Guide them by thy Spirit, and make them faithful and loyal ministers of thy glory. May they ever hold this end before them: that by them all poor wandering sheep may be gathered in and made subject to the LORD JESUS CHRIST, the Shepherd and Bishop of their souls, and in him daily grow up and increase in all righteousness and truth. Deliver thy churches from the mouth of ravenous wolves and hirelings, who seek only their own ambition or profit, and not the exaltation of thy holy name, and the safety of thy flock.

FOR ALL CONDITIONS OF MEN.

Most gracious GOD, Father of all mercies! We beseech thee for every class and condition of our fellow-men. Thou who wouldst be acknowledged as the Saviour of all mankind, in the redemption made by thy Son JESUS CHRIST: Grant that such as are yet strangers to thy knowledge, in darkness and captivity to ignorance and error, may, by the enlightening of thy Spirit and the preaching to thy word, be led into the right way of salvation; which is to know thee, the only true GOD, and JESUS CHRIST, whom thou hast sent. May those whom thou hast already visited with thy grace, and enlightened with the knowledge of thy word, grow daily in all