Stephen's primitive liturgies, &c

PREFACE.

WHEN or by whom the following LITANY and PRAYERS were originally composed, the present Editor knoweth not: but certain he is they have, for fifty years past, made a part of the Devotions of a pure EPISCOPAL Church in England, which has reformed all the errors, corruptions, and defects, that have been introduced into the modern Churches of Christendom.

This branch of the Church is in perfect communion with the ancient and universal Church of CHRIST, by adhering uniformly to ANTIQUITY, UNIVERSALITY, and CONSENT; that golden, glorious, and infallible principle, which, if strictly and impartially pursued, would, and which alone can, remove all the distractions, and unite all the divided branches, of the Christian Church.

This truly Catholick principle is agreed to by all established Churches, Eastern and Western, Popish and Protestant;* and

* See "An Essay to procure Catholick Communion upon Catholick Principles," printed in a Supplement to the Prayer-Book mentioned in the next page.

yet is unhappily practised by none but that obscure remnant of the ancient British Church, which hath adopted this LITANY and PRAYERS, and the Offices contained in a book, entitled, "A Complete Collection of Devotions, both Public and Private, taken from the Apostolical Constitutions, the Ancient Liturgies, and the Common Prayer-Book of the (Established) Church of England. Printed in London, 1734."

A smaller and abridged edition was printed at Liverpool in 1747, under the title of "DEVOTIONS to be used by Primitive Catholicks at Church and at Home, in two Parts."

A Rationale of these Offices was published in 1747, and a Second Edition in 1748, entitled, "A Full, True, and Comprehensive View of Christianity; containing a short historical Account of Religion, from the Creation of the World to the Fourth Century after our LORD JESUS CHRIST, &c."

In the manifold divisions and distractions which abound throughout Christendom; in the midst of those jarring and contradictory principles and practices-those new-lights and monstrous heresies which are daily springing up; what better method can a serious, well-disposed Christian take to guard himself from the prevailing delusions, than by adhering to the excellent rule before mentioned?

Certain it is, that from the beginning of the Gospel of CHRIST to the time of the Council of Nice, the Catholic Church all over the world was united in one holy Doctrine, Discipline, and manner of Worship.

The Bishops who met at that celebrated Council came from all the known parts of the Christian world, and were all entirely of the same Communion, two or three Arians only excepted. The practice of the Church, therefore, at the time of the Council of Nice, is certainly best fitted to be the standard for every Reformation of the Church.

It appears that our English Reformers, when compiling the First Liturgy of King Edward the Sixth, intended to make the three or four first centuries the only pattern for themselves; and purposed to reform all the corrupt Doctrines and Practices of the Roman Church, to make them agreeable to the practice of those first Ages.

But, alas! how soon were their pious and orthodox labours marred by the interference of Calvin, Bucer, and other Foreign Presbyterians! (See Wheatley's Illustration of the Common Prayer, and Brett's Independency of the Church upon the State as to its pure Spiritual Powers.)

The sum is this, viz. that the genuine Doctrine, Government, Worship, and Discipline of the uncorrupt, unadulterated English Church is to be found in this hitherto obscure remnant of her, in which the Episcopal Succession has been and still is preserved, as certain as it is in the Establishment.

And now, seeing that the judgments of GoD are manifestly pouring out on the neighbouring nations, which have grossly perverted and corrupted the Doctrines and Institutes of our holy Religion, and at last have apostatized from the Faith

itself; and seeing that Britain herself is daily experiencing very awful, alarming, and tremendous warnings; it is thought fit to publish this LITANY and PRAYERS, which may probably meet with a favourable reception, and find a use either in the private or social devotions of serious Christians of various Denominations.

To promote a revival of Primitive Piety and Devotion, is the only view and design with which they are published; and that the Sovereign Judge and Arbiter of the world may bless them to that end, is the fervent prayer of

THE EDITOR.

St. Bartholomew's Day.

1797.

A LITANY,

To be said immediately after the Prayer in the Penitential Office, which begins thus: O God, whose nature and property, &c.

O ALMIGHTY God the Father, who hast created and dost preserve and govern all things,