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Present Liturgy --------------------
of Rome | |
Liturgy of Liturgy of
Scottish Church American
Church

{174} parts are common to them all and are found without substantial
variation, thus pointing to one common source. All Liturgies existing
at the present time trace their origin back to Apostolic times
through four main sources, as follows:

I. The Liturgy of St. James, composed in the first instance for the
Churches of Palestine.

II. The Liturgy of St. Mark, for the Church in Alexandria.

III. The Liturgy of St. Peter, for the Church in Rome, from which
the existing Roman Liturgy is derived.

IV. The Liturgy of St. John, for the Church in Ephesus.

It is from this last that our own Liturgy is derived. This
Ephesine Liturgy was introduced into France at a very early age
by missionaries who came to Lyons. From France missionaries went
over to England and there preached Christ and introduced the Liturgy
which they were accustomed to use, so that when St. Augustine went
from Rome to England, A.D. 596, expecting to find it a heathen
land, he found Christians already there and using a Liturgy somewhat
different from that of Rome. These differences in the English
Liturgy showed an eastern origin, thus confirming its Apostolic
origin and thus demonstrate that our Liturgy did not come from the
Church of Rome. Rome's power and influence being introduced into
England did, indeed, made its impress on the national religious
life, but the English Liturgy never lost its distinctive Eastern
characteristics which remain to this day. At the time of the
Reformation the {175} Liturgy after many revisions was first set
forth in the English language on Whitsun Day, 1549. It was again
revised in 1552, and again other changes were made in 1604 and
finally in 1662. Since which time very slight changes have been
made in it. The American Liturgy was formally set forth on September
29, 1789, being adopted from the English Prayer Book, modified
according to the agreement made with the Scottish Bishops who
consecrated our first Bishop, the Rt