denotes all the ceremonies in general belonging to divine service.

The word comes from the Greek λιτουργία, "service, public ministry;" formed of λύτος, "public," and γέννημα, "work."

In a more restrained signification, liturgy is used among the Romanists to signify the mass; and among us the common prayer.

All who have written on liturgies agree, that in the primitive days divine service was exceedingly simple, only clogged with a very few ceremonies, and consisting of but a small number of prayers; but, by degrees, they increased the number of external ceremonies, and added new prayers, to make the office look more awful and venerable to the people. At length things were carried to such a pitch, that a regulation became necessary; and it was found proper to put the service, and the manner of performing it, into writing; and this was what they called a liturgy.

Liturgies have been different at different times, and in different countries. We have the liturgy of St Chrysostom, that of St Peter, of St James, the liturgy of St Basil, the Armenian liturgy, the liturgy of the Maronites, of the Coptes, the Roman liturgy, the Gallican liturgy, the English liturgy, the Ambrosian liturgy, the Spanish and African liturgies, &c.

In the more early ages of the church, every bishop had a power to form a liturgy for his own diocese; and if he kept to the analogy of faith and doctrine, all circumstances were left to his own discretion. Afterwards the practice was for the whole province to follow the metropolitan church, which also became the general rule of the church: and this Lindwood acknowledges to be the common law of the church; intimating, that the use of several services in the same province, which was the case in England, was not to be warranted but by long custom. The liturgy of the church of England was composed in the year 1547, and established in the second year of King Edward VI. flat. 2. and 3. Ed. VI. cap. 1.

In the fifth year of this king it was reviewed; because some things were contained in that liturgy which showed a compliance with the superstition of those times, and some exceptions were taken against it by some learned men at home, and by Calvin abroad. Some alterations were made in it, which consisted in adding the general confession and absolution, and the communion to begin with the ten commandments. The use of oil in confirmation and extreme unction was left out, and also prayers for souls departed, and what tended to a belief of Christ's real presence in the eucharist. This liturgy, so reformed, was established by the act of 5 and 6 Ed. VI. cap. 1. However, it was abolished by Queen Mary, who enacted that the service should stand as it was most commonly used in the last year of the reign of King Henry VIII. The liturgy of 5 and 6 Ed. VI. was re-established with some few alterations and additions, by 1 Eliz. cap. 2. Some farther alterations were introduced, in consequence of the review of the common-prayer book, by order of King James, in the first year of his reign; particularly in the office of private baptism, in several rubrics and other passages, with the addition of five or six new prayers and thanksgivings, and all that part of the catechism which contains the doctrine of the sacraments. The book of common-prayer, so altered, remained in force from the first year of King James to the fourteenth of Charles II. But the last review of the liturgy was in the year 1661, and the last act of uniformity enjoining the observance of it is 13 and 14 Car. II. cap. 4. See COMMON-Prayer. Many applications have been since made for a review, but hitherto without success.

IITUUS, among the Romans, was the staff made use of by the augurs in quartering the heavens. It bore a great resemblance to the crozier of a bishop, but was shorter. It was crooked at one end, and thickest in in the curved part, according to A. Gellius. We frequently meet with a representation of it upon medals, amongst other pontifical instruments. It was called Litus Quirinalis, from Quirinus, a name of Romulus, who was skilled in all the mysteries of augury.