LESSON THE THIRD.

History of the Changes made in our American Prayer-Book.

HE POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES con

THE

nected with the establishment of AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE. So long as AMERICA remained in connection with England as the Mother Country, the Liturgy of the ParentChurch was equally adapted to the use of its Colonial Children, but the establishment of Independence of course rendered necessary the alteration of all those parts, which had a special reference to monarchical institutions. In the progress of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, as Bishop Brownell observes, the EPISCOPAL CHURCH in this country was reduced to a melancholy state of depression and desolation. Her places of PUBLIC WORSHIP were in ruins, her clergy greatly diminished in num

bers, and her scattered congregations without any regular organization or bond of union. 2. FIRST measures adopted by our Church in America. The first measures towards the reëstablishment of the CHURCH originated in CONNECTICUT. In March, 1783, a meeting of the EPISCOPAL CLERGY was held, which resulted in a recommendation of the Rev. Dr. Samuel Seabury to the ENGLISH BISHOps, for consecration to the EPISCOPATE, as a necessary first step towards the regular organization of the CHURCH in that State. OUR CHURCH therefore derives its regular authority from that of the Parent CHURCH of ENGLAND.

On

3. MEASURES adopted in Maryland. the 13th of August, 1783, a CONVENTION of the friends of Our CHURCH was held in Maryland. The chief measure adopted by this CONVENTION was the issuing of "A Declaration of certain fundamental rights and liberties of the Protestant Episcopal Church of Maryland." In one of the Articles of this DECLARATION it is stated that "it will be the duty of the said CHURCH, when duly organized and represented in Convention, to

revise her LITURGY, FORMS of PRAYER and PUBLIC WORSHIP, in order to adapt the same to the late REVOLUTION and to other local circumstances of AMERICA, which, it is humbly conceived, will and may be done, without any other or further departure from the venerable order and beautiful Forms of

THE CHURCH from which we sprung, than may be found expedient in the change of our situation from a daughter to a sister Church." At a subsequent Convention, held in June 1784, the Articles of this DECLARATION were again approved, and certain fundamental principles of ecclesiastical government were framed and agreed to.

4. CONVENTION at Philadelphia Meeting at Boston. Another Convention of THE CHURCH was held in PHILADELPHIA in May, 1784. Among the principles and rules agreed upon by this body, it was determined "That the doctrines of the GOSPEL be maintained, as now professed by the CHURCH of ENGLAND, and uniformity of worship continued, as near as may be, to the LITURGY of the said CHURCH." In September of the same year a meeting of the Clergy of MAS

SACHUSETTS was held in Boston, at which measures of a similar nature to those of Philadelphia were adopted; and, among others, a resolution in the same words as in that cited above.

5. FIRST STEPS towards a general reorganization. The first step of a general nature towards the organization of our CHURCH in the UNITED STATES, was taken at a meeting of the Clergy at New Brunswick, New Jersey, on the 13th of May, 1784 a meeting more especially convened on the business of "the SOCIETY for the Support of Widows and Children of deceased Clergymen." Here it was determined to organize a general meeting from the several STATES of THE UNION, to be held at NEW YORK on the 5th of the following October, not only in relation to the special objects of the SOCIETY, but "to confer and agree upon some general principles of a UNION of the EPISCOPAL CHURCH throughout the STATES." This meeting was held, and its members very unanimously agreed upon the adoption of certain general principles, to be recommended to the several STATES, as the basis

for a future ECCLESIASTICAL GOVERNMENT. These Principles embodied an approbation of EPISCOPACY and of the Book of COMMON PRAYER, and provided for a RepresentaTIVE BODY of the CHURCH, consisting of Clergy and Laity, and corresponding in a great measure to the ENGLISH CONVOCATION. The Fourth Article provided "that the said CHURCH shall maintain the Doctrines of the GOSPEL, as now held by the CHURCH of ENGLAND; and shall adhere to the LITURGY of the said CHURCH, as far as shall be consistent with the AMERICAN REVOLUTION, and the CONSTITUTIONS of the respective STATES.”

6. GENERAL CONVENTION of 1785. In accordance with the recommendations of this meeting at New Brunswick, a CONVENTION assembled at PHILADELPHIA on the 27th of September, 1785, consisting of Clerical and Lay Deputies, from seven of the thirteen UNITED STATES; namely, from NEW YORK to VIRGINIA inclusive, with the addition of SOUTH Carolina. The CONVENTION applied itself in the first place to the making of such alterations in the Book of COMMON PRAYER,