Worship

It sounds very fine and spiritual, no doubt, to say that every day should
be a Sabbath to a Christian, and that one day should not be kept more
holy than another. But facts are stronger than theories. Experience proves
that human nature requires such helps as fixed days and hours and
seasons, for carrying on spiritual business, and that public worship
never prospers unless we observe God's order. "The Sabbath was made
for man" by Him who made man at the beginning, and knew what flesh
and blood is. As a general rule, it will always be found that where there
is no Sabbath, there is no public worship.
(b) In true public worship there should be a ministry. I do not for a
moment say that it is of absolute necessity that it must mean Episcopal
ministry. I am not so narrow-minded and uncharitable as to deny the
validity of Presbyterian or Congregational orders. I only maintain that
it is the mind of God, that ministers of some kind should conduct the
worship of Christian congregations, and be responsible for its decent
and orderly conduct in approaching God. I am at a loss to understand
how anyone can read the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles to the
Corinthians, Ephesians, Timothy and Titus — and deny that the
ministry is an appointment of God. I say this with every feeling of
respect for the Quakers and Plymouth Brethren, who have no ordained
ministers. I simply say that I cannot understand their views on this
subject. Reason itself appears to me to tell us that business which is left
to nobody in particular to attend to — is a business which is soon
entirely neglected. Order is said to be heaven's first law. Once let a people
begin with no Sabbath and no ministry — and it would never surprise
me if they ended with no public worship, no religion, and no God!
(c) In true public worship, there should be the preaching of God's
Word. I can find no record of Church assemblies in the New Testament,
in which preaching and teaching orally does not occupy a most
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