(cultus Dei), amounts to the same with what we otherwife call religion. This worship consists in paying a due respect, veneration, and homage to the Deity, under a certain expectation of reward. And this internal respect, &c. is to be shown and testified by external acts; as prayers, sacrifices, thanksgivings, &c.

The Quietists, and some other mystic divines, set aside not only all use of external worship, but even the consideration of rewards and punishments. Yet even the heathens had a notion that God did not require us to serve him for nought: "Dii quamobrem colendi sint (says Cicero), non intelligo, nullo nec accepto ab illis nec sperato bono."

The school-divines divide worship into divers kinds, viz. latria, that rendered to God; and idolatria, that rendered to idols or images. To which the Romans add, dulia, that rendered to saints; and hyperdulia, that to the Virgin. Some theological writers have observed, that the Greek word, προσκύνειν, to worship, is not descriptive only of the honour which is appropriated to God, but is indifferently used to signify the honour and respect which are paid to superiors of all kinds in heaven or on earth. Accordingly, they have distinguished between civil and religious worship.

That it is the duty of man to worship his Maker, has been sufficiently proved under other articles (see PRAYER; and THEOLOGY, No 40—45.). It is not indeed easily to be conceived how any one who has tolerably just notions of the attributes and providence of God, can possibly neglect the duty of private worship; and though we have admitted in the last of the two articles referred to, that public worship does not seem to be enjoined in that system which is called the religion of nature, yet it is most expressly commanded by the religion of CHRIST, and will be regularly performed by every one who reflects on its great utility.

As the illiterate vulgar cannot form to themselves correct notions of the divine providence and attributes, it is obvious, that without the institution of public worship, they would never think of worshipping God at all, unless perhaps occasionally, when under the prelude of some severe calamity; but occasional worship, the offspring of compulsion, could have little of the refined spirit of true devotion. Ignorant, however, as the lowest of the vulgar are, and necessarily must be, it cannot be denied, that in most Christian countries, perhaps in all, they are more accurately acquainted with the first principles of religion, and the laws of morality, than even the leaders of barbarous nations. This superiority is doubtless owing in some measure to their access to the Sacred Scriptures, but much more, we are persuaded, to the instruction which they receive in the assemblies which they frequent for public worship. If this be admitted, public worship may be easily proved to be the duty of every individual of the community: For were those, who may be supposed to stand in no need either of the contagion of society to kindle their own devotion, or of the preaching of a clergyman to instruct them in the doctrines and precepts of the gospel, "to forsake, on these accounts, the assembling themselves together, as the manner of some is," religious assemblies and public worship would very quickly fall into universal disuse. Man is an animal prone to imitation; and every order in society is ambitious of treading in the footsteps of the order immediately above it. Were the wise and the good, therefore, permitted to absented themselves from the assemblies instituted for the public worship of the Creator and Redeemer of the world, others would quickly follow their example; impelled to it not only by this universal propensity, but by the additional motive of wishing to appear both to the world and to themselves as wise and as good as their privileged neighbours. The consequence is obvious: one man would stay from church with the serious intention perhaps of employing the Lord's day in private devotion and religious study; another, following his example, would absented himself upon the same pretence, but would in reality waste the day in dozing indolence or in secret sensuality. For these and other reasons which might be easily assigned, no sincere Christian will think himself at liberty to dispute a practice enjoined by the inspired preachers of his religion, coeval with the institution, and retained by every sect into which it has since been unhappily divided.

As Christian worship consists of prayers and praises, it has been a matter of some debate whether it is most properly performed by preconcerted forms or liturgies, or by extemporaneous addresses to the Almighty. Both these modes have their advantages and disadvantages; and by the sacred writers neither of them is prescribed in opposition to the other.

The advantages of a liturgy are, that it prevents absurd, extravagant, or impious addresses to God, which the folly or enthusiasm of individuals must always be in danger of producing; it gives the congregation an opportunity of joining in the prayers which are put up for them, which they cannot possibly do in a series of extemporaneous petitions, since before they can assent to any one of these and make it their own, their attention is necessarily called away to that which succeeds it; and it relieves the clergyman from the labour of composition, which seems incompatible with that fervour which constitutes the spirit of devotion.

The disadvantages of a fixed liturgy, which are the recommendations of extemporary prayer, are principally two. The forms composed in one age must, by the unavoidable change of language, circumstances, and opinions, become in some degree unfit for another; and the perpetual repetition of the same form of words is very apt to produce inattentive lafitude in the congregation. Would the clergy of the church of England take that liberty which is allowed them in the bidding prayer before sermon, perhaps the service of that church would unite in itself all the advantages both of liturgic and extemporary worship. We have only to add on this subject, that public prayers, whether precomposed or not, ought to be compendious; that they ought to express just conceptions of the Divine attributes; recite such wants as the congregation are likely to feel, and no other; that they ought to contain as few controverted propositions as possible; and that, if it can be done without offence, the pompous style of the state should be laid aside in our prayers for the king, and all that are in authority; because in every act which carries the mind to God, human greatness must be annihilated.