rally
his--a thing the Golden-mouthed himself, when in the flesh, would
not have dreamed of doing. "Once," he would have said, "is enough."

[25] The Priest's Prayer Book has 688 (!!) mostly juiceless.

[26] In connection with this clause there sprang up an animated
and interesting debate in the House of Deputies as to the wisdom
of thus seeming to cut off every opportunity for extemporary prayer
in our public services. Up to this time, it was alleged, a liberty
had existed of using _after_ sermon, if the preacher were disposed to
do so, the "free prayer" which _before_ sermon it was confessedly
not permitted him to have--why thus cut off peremptorily an
ancient privilege? why thus sharply annul a traditional if not a
chartered right?

At first sight this distinction between before and after sermon
looks both arbitrary and artificial, but when examined there is
found to be a reason in it. The sermon, especially in the case of
emotional preachers, is a sort of bridge of transition from what
we may call the liturgical to the spontaneous mood of mind, and if
the speaker has carried his listeners with him they are across
the bridge at the same moment with himself. The thing that would
have been incongruous before, becomes natural after the minister
has been for some time speaking less in his priestly than in his
personal character.

The notion that the points at issue between the advocates of
liturgical and the advocates of extemporaneous worship can be
settled by a promiscuous jumbling together of the two modes, is
a fond conceit, as the Reformed Episcopalians will doubtless confess
when they shall have had time enough to make full trial of the
following rubrics in their Prayer-book:

_Then shall the Minister say the Collects and Prayers following in
whole or in part, or others at his discretion_.

_Here may be used any of the occasional Prayers, or extemporaneous
Prayer_.

This is bad philosophy. It need not be said that such directions
are undevotional--for doubtless they were piously meant; but it
must be said that they are inartistic (if the word may be allowed),
at variance with the fitness of things and counter to the instinct
of purity. Formality and informality are two things that cannot
be mingled to advantage. There is place and time for each. The
secret of the power of liturgical worship is wrapped up with the
principle of order. A certain majesty lies in the movement which
is without break. On the