An Exposition Of The Several Offices

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Excerpt from An Exposition of the Several Offices Good books, like good wine, increase in value as they increase in years. The Bible is at once the oldest and the best of books; and the Prayer Book, which, in its present form, has stood the test of several centuries, commands the admiration of christendom. As the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth, so the Prayer Book, being the mouth and voice of the Church, is the means of manifesting the truth, and of fostering pure devotion. Its offices are appropriate, simple, and sublime. Its platform is an open Bible, an apostolic ministry, and a form of public worship, which is at once scriptural, catholic, and uniform. Scriptural in its language and teachings; catholic in its objects, embracing all possible subjects of prayer and praise; and uniform in regulating the devotions of the Church the world over, protecting the people from the caprice of the eccentric and the neglect of the slothful, which might introduce folly, or omit matters of importance, in conducting public worship. The influence of our Liturgy is becoming so considerable upon the popular mind, that our accessions from the ranks of the clergy and laity of other denominations professing Christianity around us are daily increasing, and render extremely useful and valuable all publications tending to illustrate the doctrines and discipline of the Church. The work, from which the following expositions arc compiled, is possessed of sufficient merit to render recommendations unnecessary. In its teachings concerning the sinner's justification, it is clear and explicit; in its exhibition of the value and authority of the ministry and means of grace it occupies high ground, and maintains it with "the two edged sword;" in its exposition of the ridiculous ceremonies and heretical dogmas of Papal Rome, it is boil and decided. In order to retain something of that inexpressible worth which is lost by changing the dress of these old authors, we shall give the preface and a few other passages without alteration. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.