Public Worship is the service of the different religious bodies open to all worshippers, and is so desig- nated in distinction from minor services intended simply as auxiliaries to the devoted in their religious life. It is usually supposed to be a service under charge of clergy, though it need not be thus limited. It is at any rate supposed to embrace a public address in behalf of the truth espoused by the congregation convened. In the Christian Church the outward forms of religion tended in her very infancy to the imposing. From the ancient temples the incense and many customs of hea- thenism were transferred to the churches. By the use
of tapers and perpetual lamps, the solemnity of noctur- nal festivals was combined with the light of day. The people were called together by a piece of metal struck by a hammer, until this method led to the adoption of bells in the 7th century. Soon after the organ came into use, and added to the spectacular action of Chris- tian worship. But notwithstanding this unwarranted tendency towards the dramatic, the expounding of Holy Scripture and prayer formed a principal part in early worship. In the Greek Church the principal part of public worship consisted in the sermon, though it was often only a rhetorical amusement rewarded by the clapping of hands. As the Church had been formed under the Roman empire, it retained many Roman usages. The first to protest against the peculiarities of the Romish clergy were the Christians of Britain, who worshipped in the simplicity of apostolic times. But no effectual check was put upon ecclesiastical usages [see Image -worship] until the great Reformatory movement which resulted in restoring the beautiful and impressive order of the Saviour and his disciples. See Worship. Nearly all Protestant churches have regulations regarding the form and order of public wor- ship. In the Anglican service-book the rubrics (q. v.) present it. According to article xx, the Church has power to decree rites or ceremonies that are not con- trary to God's Word; and according to article xxxiv "it is not necessary that traditions and ceremonies be in all places one, or utterly like ; for all times they have been divers, and may be changed according to the di- versity of countries, times, and men's manners; so that nothing be ordained against God's Word." But in this same article provision is also made against unscriptural (popish) innovations, as well as against the abandon- ment of those regulations instituted by the proper au- thority.
"Whosoever, through his pr'vate judgment, willingly and purposely doth opeuly break the tradition* aud cere- monies of the Church, which be not repugnant to the Word of God, and be ordained and approved by common authority, ought to be rebuked openly (that others may fear to do the like), as he that offends against the com- mon order of the Church, aud hurts the authority of the magistrate, and wounds the consciences of weak breth- ren. Every particular or national Church hath authority to ordain, change, and abolish the ceremonies or rites of the Church, ordained only by man's authority, so that all things be done to edifying."
Canon 6 provides : "Whoever shall affirm that the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England by law estab- lished are wicked, anti- Christian, or superstitious: or such as, being commanded by lawful authority, men who are zealously and godly affected may not with any good conscience approve them, use them, or, as occasion re- quirelh, subscribe unto them; let him be excommuni- cated ipso facto, and not restored until he repent, and pub- licly revoke such his wicked errors."
Canon SO. "The churchwardens or questmen of every church and chapel shall, at the charge of the parish, pro- vide the Book of Common Prayer, lately explained in some few points by his majesty's authority, according to the laws and his highness's prerogative in that behalf; and that with all convenient speed, but at the furthest within two months after the publishing of these our con- stitutions. Every dean, canon, or prebendary of every cathedral or collegiate chinch, aud all masters and other heads, fellows, chaplains, and tutors of or in any college, hall, house of learning, or hospital, and every public pro- fessor and reader in either of the universities, or in every college elsewhere, and every parson, vicar, curate, lect- urer, and every other person in holy orders, and every schoolmaster keeping any public or private school, aud every person instructing or teaching any youth iu any house or private family as tutor or schoolmaster, who shall be incumbent, or 'have possession of any deanery, canonry, prebend, mastership, headship, fellowship, pro- fessor's place or reader's place, parsonage, vicarage, or any other ecclesiastical dignity or promotion, or of any curate's place, lecture, or school, or shall instruct or teach any youth as tutor or schoolmaster, shall at or before his admission to be incumbent, or having possession afore- said, subscribe the declaration following: 'I, A. B., do declare that I will conform to the liturgy of the Church or England, as it is now bv law established' (13 aud 14 Charles II, c. 4, s. S, and 1 William, sess. 1, c. S, s. 11). And no form or order of common prayers, administration of sacraments, rites, or ceremonies, shall be openly used iu any church, chapel, or other place than that which is pre- scribed in the said book (§ 17)."