IN

ADVERTISEMENT

ΤΟ

THE FIFTH EDITION.

EN this edition, the few variations which have been made in the Liturgy, and which are chiefly verbal, have been sanctioned with the full approbation and concurrence of the revered Editor of the former impressions of this work, and of many other very respectable and judicious persons to whom they have been shown.

Considerable alterations have been made in the version of the Psalms: and the present Editor has very freely availed himself of the labours of his learned predecessors: but he has admitted no alteration which did not appear to him to be fully authorized by the original text, with which he has carefully compared the present version throughout.

The Hymns and Psalms remain as in the last edition, with the addition of about fifty new ones from the most approved authors. T.B.

September 30, 1805.

ADVERTISEMENT

ΤΟ

THE SIXTH EDITION.

IN this edition, besides a few verbal correcΝ

tions, the Lessons in the Burial Service are introduced at length. Also a few of the Hymns are omitted which were least suitable for public worship; but for the convenience of reference the numbers have not been changed.

Essex House, April 18, 1813.

T.B.

THE

ADVERTISEMENT

ΤΟ

THE SEVENTH EDITION.

HE variations in this new edition of the Reformed Liturgy for the use of the congregation at Essex Street Chapel, are adopted from a Liturgy which was drawn up two years ago, in part by the present Editor, for the use of a congregation, and was publish

ed

ed with the design of inducing other congregations assembled for the worship of the One True God to adopt the use of the same Liturgy; which purpose has succeeded so far beyond the then expectations of the Editors, as to cause a demand for a further edition.

That Liturgy was an exact transcript,.or nearly such, of Mr. Lindsey's last edition of the Liturgy now used in Essex Street Chapel, with the addition of some valuable Collects from the public Liturgy, which had been hitherto excluded. And when a new edition was wanted for the use of the Chapel, the Trustees, at a meeting convened expressly for the purpose, unanimously resolved to adopt the Liturgy with the additional Collects.

In the Collection of Hymns a few have. been substituted in the place of some that have been withdrawn, and a small number have been added.

That the reader may know what additions have been made to Mr. Lindsey's reformed Liturgy, the Advertisement to the enlarged Liturgy of 1820 is subjoined.

1

Essex-House, Dec. 25, 1822.

T.B.

ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE EDITION OF 1820.

THE Liturgy now offered to the Public is framed upon the model of that Form of Prayer which was selected by the late Rev. THEOPHILUS LINDSEY, from the Public Liturgy, for the use of the congregation in Essex-Street; the chief excellence of which consists in avoiding all disputed doctrines and party phrases in addressing the Supreme Being, and in admitting no sentiments but those in which all Christians may unite, expressed in the simple, solemn, and universally admired language of the Common Prayer.

It has been thought that Mr. LINDSEY's Liturgy omits many excellent portions of the Common Prayer, which might with great propriety and advantage be introduced into public worship: and the Editors of the present work have endeavoured to the best of their power to supply this deficiency.

With this view they have retained in the Morning Service a considerable portion of the beautiful Hymn which is appointed to be read after the first Lesson, and which is usually called the Te Deum.

They have also selected a number of Collects, which they have introduced into the Morning Service, and which they have distributed into portions to be read in succession, one for each Sunday in the month. By this arrangement all these excellent Collects will be read in their turns, variety will be introduced

introduced into the Service, and the Prayers will not be protracted to an inconvenient length. They have also added two Collects to the Evening Service, and have prefixed part of the usual Morning Service to the Service of the days when the Communion is to be administered.

Many have regretted that in Mr. LINDSEY'S Liturgy provision should have been made for reading that beautiful and interesting form of worship, entitled the Litany, only once a month. In the present work, the Litany is introduced into the Morning Service to be read every Sunday, or as often as it may be judged to be expedient.

It may be proper to notice that the Decalogue in. troduced into this Liturgy is taken from the copy in Deuteronomy, and not from that in Exodus. The various reading in the fourth commandment between these two copies is very material. Both cannot be right and the Editors have adhered to that in Deu teronomy, as in their estimation the most probable; especially as it is said, Deut. v. 22, "These words the Lord spake, and he ADDED NO MORE*."

The Editors have followed the example of Mr. LINDSEY in leaving out the Apostles' Creed, which, as he justly remarks, "was not written by the Apostles, although it goes under their name; and therefore is of no authority:" and, as professions of faith

* It may perhaps be admitted as an additional evidence in favour of the text in Deuteronomy, that our Lord introduces his summary of the commandments, Mark xii. 29, 30, with a quotation from Deut. vi. 4, 5.