Christendom at large has so judged, and has acted upon the judgment from the very first Whit-Sunday; using these things with the Jews as long as it was allowed to do so, and providing them for itself as soon as it had liberty and means of providing them. I need not occupy your time in proving this statement. All of you probably are aware that at least as soon as the Roman Emperors gave their protection and encouragement to the Christian Church, and ever since then, in east or west, in north or south (till some 300 years ago, when the rule began to be departed from _in practice_ by the Anglican branch), the Scriptural rule and pattern have been followed. Everywhere, when possible, men have erected stately and costly Houses of Prayer; they have adorned them with all the skill which art could exercise; they have furnished them with all the magnificence that the worshippers could afford; they have observed in them a grand and elaborate ritual, whose outline, whose main features are to be found in the Pentateuch and the Apocalypse. They have employed the same symbols and furniture; the lamps or lights representing the Divine presence; the altar of memorial sacrifice; the holy incense, originally compounded after God’s own proscription and significant of that meritorious intercession of our Great High Priest which alone makes acceptable and carries up into heaven our poor and unworthy service on earth; the white albs or surplices of the officiating ministers—the outward sign of the purity and righteousness which the worshippers, whose leaders these ministers are, should possess; the splendid robe of the Celebrant, who is the representative, in all his acts of intercession, absolution, consecration, oblation, benediction, of our great and glorified High Priest. Read Church history from the beginning, and where do you find (save among insignificant sects) anything different from this? Go into any place of worship (out of England) belonging to the body Catholic, whether of the east or west, and though it will possibly be among many additions, many perversions from their original purpose, many corruptions, and, alas! that it must be owned, often among many abominations, you will still be able to discern all the leading features of the same _one_ rule and pattern of Divine worship. I have said “out of England.” You know that this would not be the case in England or in English dependencies. Many of you rejoice in the difference; you think you can give a good account of it; you are able to justify its origin; you are disposed to maintain, if you can, its continuance. “The Reformation did away with all that.”