LITURGY (ante). I. In the modern church of Rome several books are in use, some of them by the members generally, others restricted to particular ranks and orders, 1. The Breviary contains the daily service of the church of Rome, consisting of the matins and lauds, with variations for different days and canonical hours. It may be employed in all places, but on the model of it other books have been formed for the special use of the Benedictine, Carthusian, Dominican, Franciscan, Jesuit, and other orders. At first it contained only the Lord's prayer and portions of the Psalms, to which Scripture lessons were afterwards added. In ages called, according to the point of view from which judgment is formed, ages of superstition or ages of faith, legendary lives of the saints were inserted, which led to a frequent revision and correction of the breviary, particularly by the councils of Trent and Cologne, by-popes Gregory IX., Nicolas III., Pius V., Clement VIII., and Urban V111., and cardinal Quignon, by whom it was brought nearer to the simplicity of primitive times. At present it consists of services for seven hours, to correspond with David's declaration, " Seven times a day do I praise thee." The obligation to read this book every day, at first imposed on all, was gradually restriCted to the beneficiary clergy, who, if they neglect the duty, incur the guilt of mortal sin, and forfeit a part of their revenues proportioned to their delinquencies. It is recited in Latin in Roman Catholic churches everywhere, except among the Syrian Maronites, the Armenians, and other oriental churches who, submitting to the pope's jurisdiction in other respects, are allowed to use the service in their own language (see EASTERN. on ORIENTAL RITE). 2, The Missal, used in celebrating the mass and ascribed by Roman Catholic tradition to the apostle Peter. The canon of the mass, first reduced to writing in the iith c., was afterwards enlarg-ed, especially by Gregory the great. It is in general use throughout the Roman Catholic church. 3. The Ceremoniale, having special reference to the pope, is divided into three books, the first of which treats of the election, consecration, benediction, and coronation of the pope; the canonization of saints, creation of cardinals, the form and mode of holding a council; various public ceremonies to be performed by the pope as a sovereign prince; and funeral solemnities for cardinals and popes: the second book contains the divine offices which the pope celebrates, and the days devoted to them: the third prescribes the reverence due to popes, cardinals, bishops, and other persons intrusted with sacred duties; the order in which they are to be seated in the papal chapel; the sacred vestments and ornaments of popes and cardinals; and the offering of incense at the altar. 4. The Brntifeale describes the functions of Roman Catholic bishops: the conferring, of ecclesiastical orders; bene dictions on abbots, abbesses, and nuns; coronation of sovereigns; consecration of churches, cemeteries, and sacred vessels; the expulsion and reconcilement of penitents; the holding of synods; suspending, reconciling, dispensing, deposing, and degrading priests, and restoring them to orders; excommunication and absolution. ff. The Rituale, named also the Pastorale, treats of the functions of priests or inferior clergy- in their public services and private pastoral duties.
II. At the reformation the existing liturgies were modified in doctrine and translated into the common languages of the people for use in the reformed churches. 1. Among these reformed liturgies those of Luther led the way. Different offices were prepared by him between the years 1523 and 1534. These were afterwards collected into a volume.
In his " Order of Service" provision was made for morning and evening service; con sisting of reading the Scriptures, preaching or expounding, with psalms and responses, and mass or communion for Sundays. Other leaders, also, in Lutheran churches, drew up liturgies for themselves. These were afterwards changed as circumstances required. .No one form has been made obligatory in all Lutheran churches, yet there is substantial unitiz of life and spirit in them all. The rationalists of the last century neglected and mutilated the old liturgies, and strove to introduce others in place of them. But with the return to orthodoxy a salutary reaction followed, which has been shown in the study and use of the old forms and in the construction of the union liturgy, first published in 1822 under the auspices of the king of Prussia, and twice revised since then. The object of this last book is to unite the worship of the Lutheran and reformed churches in the Prussian dominions. 2. The liturgy of the renewed Moravian church is chiefly the work of count Zinzendorf, who compiled it from the services of the Greek, Latin, and refonned churches. It consists of a church litany for the usual Sunday morning service; a litany for the morning of Easter-Sunday, containing a brief confession of faith; offices for the baptism of adults and of children; litanies for funerals; offices for confirmation, the communion, and ordination; the Te Deum and various doxologies. There is also a choral with musical responses, a prayer of betrothal, a form used in the church-yards on Easter for expressing the hope of the resurrection concerning the brethren departed during the preceding year. The daily service, held in the evening, is a simple prayer meeting in which, as in the Sunday service, the prayers and exhorta tions are extemporaneous. 3. In the liturgy of Calvin the service began with a general confession, followed with a psalm, a second prayer, the sermon, prayer, the apostle's creed, and the benediction. There was also a long prayer for times of war and of other troubles. In the administration of the Lord's supper there was an introductory prayer, followed with a practical exhortation, the distribution of the elements, psalms, appro priate passages of Scripture, and the closing prayer. There were also simple, but long offices for baptism and marriage. The present liturzy of Geneva has been taken from Calvin's, with some modifications. It contains no responses, but has several additional prayers. It provides a service for each day of the week, for the principal festivals, aud several special occasions. The Calvinistic churches of Holland, Neufchatel, and France have liturgies similar to that of Geneva. That of the church of Scotland MILS drawn up at Frankfort by John Knox and others on Calvin's model, and was first used by Knox in the congregation of English exiles at Geneva. Introduced by him into Scotland, its use was enjoined in 1564, and was continued after his death. Having a general order like Calvin's, it also gave a clearer discretion to the minister to use prayers of his own composition, either extemporaneous or written. It contained various offices and alter nate fonns. A new book, somewhat modified, was provided in 1644. In the directory of the Westminster assembly, the discretionary power allowed to the minister is greatly enlarged. The Lord's prayer is recommended as the most perfect form of devotion. Private and lay baptisms are forbidden. The communicants are to sit, instead of kneel ing, at the Lord's table.