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DEVOTIONAL OFFICES

FOR

PUBLIC WORSHIP.

COLLECTED FROM VARIOUS SERVICES,

IN USE AMONG

PROTESTANT DISSENTERS.

TO WHICH ARE ADDED,

TWO SERVICE S,

CHIEFLY SELECTED FROM

THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER.

SALISBURY:

PRINTED BY B. C. COLLINS, 1794.

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THE right of Chriftians to judge for themselves in religious matters, and to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences, must be allowed by all enlightened Proteftants. Some Societies among Proteftant Diffenters, in the exercise of this invaluable right of private judgment, have deviated from their usual mode of worship, and introduced fome printed Devotional Services, in which they themselves may take a vocal part with the Minister.

THIS has given rife to the publication of many judicious Liturgies for the use of such congregations.

THE Compilation contained in this Volume was occafioned by the wish of a refpectable Society, to make a trial of this mode of public worship.

THEIR principal reafons for it are briefly thefe. By the congregation taking a part in the devotional services, the attention of the worshippers is more easily kept up, and proper devotional affections are more likely to be excited, by a whole congregation uniting their voices, in fome parts of the various folemn addreffes to the Divine Being.

IN

In this mode, their devotion is not made to depend on the Minister's frame of mind, which, like that of others, muft be different at different times.

By the admiffion of pre-compofed printed forms, the people have an opportunity of perufing them in private, and by this means of being better prepared for ufing them in public.

To this it may be added, that though Liturgies are not exprefsly enjoined in Scripture, yet this mode of worship was countenanced by the practice of Chrift and his apoftles, who ftatedly joined in the fervices of the fynagogue. The form of prayer alfo which our bleffed Lord prefcribed to his difciples, was chiefly extracted from the public liturgies then in ufe among the Jews.

WHERE fuch a provifion is made, public worfhip may, with more ease and propriety, be conducted by a congregation, in cafe of a Minister's illnefs, or neceflary abfence.

THOUGH for thefe, and other reasons, they have thought proper to introduce fome printed devotional forms, it is not intended that Free Prayer should be entirely excluded: The latter is ftill to be continued as part of the Service, whereby they hope to enjoy the advantages of both.

SOME have objected to the introduction of printed offices of devotion among Proteftant Diffenters,

that

that it is a deviation from the principles of their predeceffors. To this it may be answered, have not Christians of the present day as much a right to judge and act for themselves as their ancestors? The objection, however, is founded in mistake. The original non-conformists in these kingdoms not only allowed the lawfulness of praying by form, but even the expediency of it, in some cases.

THE main body of the Diffenters in England, at the restoration of Charles II. would have complied with the use of the Liturgy of the established Church (as to the main and general purport of it) if some points,which appeared to them unfcriptural, might have been difpenfed with.

IT has also been objected, that Liturgies confine the congregations in which they are used, to a certain fet of religious fentiments, and confequently have a tendency to impede the progress of free enquiry.

BUT this inconvenience may be prevented, by forming the Devotional Services on the general principles of Christianity; and especially, if there be an occafional review of them, as feems very proper, and a new edition printed, whenever any confiderable number of a Society express a wifh for it.

In order to avoid the too frequent return of the fame forms, this Volume contains TEN DIFFE

RENT

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