Also 6–7 leitourgie, leiturgie, -y, liturgie. [ad. med.L. lītūrgia, a. Gr. λειτουργία public service, service of the gods, public worship, f. λειτουργός (also ληιτ-, Hesych.) public servant, minister, f. *λεῖτο-ς (believed to be a var. of *λήιτος, public, recorded in the subst. uses λήιτον public hall, λήιτη, λᾐτη priestess; app. a derivative of λεώς, λαός people) + -εργος that works. Cf. F. liturgie (16th c.).]
1. The service of the Holy Eucharist: properly applied to the rite of the Eastern Church. In liturgics, used spec. (with qualification) of the different types of Eucharistic service.
1560. Becon, Catech., v. Wks. 1564, I. 462 b. In the Liturgie of the Ethiopes we reade thus. So sone as the Gospel is ended, the Deacon sayth [etc.].
1564. Harding, Answ. to Jewel’s Challenge, 105. Basile in his liturgie, that is to saye, seruice of his Masse, sayeth thus in a prayer.
1565. Jewel, Repl. Harding, 10. St. James Liturgie hath a special prayer for them that liue in Monasteries.
1635. Pagitt, Christianogr., 73. They use the Liturgie of Saint Chrysostome.
1843. Pusey, Serm. Holy Euch., 25. The Liturgies join together, manifoldly, remission of sins and life eternal, as the two great fruits of the Sacrament.
1890. Ch. Q. Rev., Jan., 288. The revision of the Scottish ‘Liturgy’ or Communion Office.
2. A form of public worship, esp. in the Christian Church; a collection of formularies for the conduct of Divine service. † Also, public worship conducted in accordance with a prescribed form.
c. 1593. Exam. H. Barowe, etc. B j b. Wither he thinketh that any Leitourgies, or prescript formes of prayer, may be imposed vpon the church.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., IV. xi. § 9. The Church in her liturgies hath intermingled with readings out of the New Testament lessons taken out of the Law and the Prophets.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. xxv. § 20. Four main branches of divinity; faith, manners, liturgy, and government.
1640. Bp. Hall, Humb. Remonstr., 9. The prime subjects of their quarrell, and contradiction, Leitourgie and Episcopacy.
1657–61. Heylin, Hist. Ref., II. Pref. 47. The Smectymnian … rather chose to fell down Liturgie it self as having no authority from the Word of God.
1704. Swift, Mech. Operation Spirit, Misc. (1711), 290. Their Discretion in limiting their Devotions and their Deities to their several Districts, nor ever suffering the Liturgy of the white God to cross or interfere with that of the black.
1854. Emerson, Lett. & Soc. Aims, Quot. & Orig., Wks. (Bohn), III. 214. The psalms and liturgies of churches, are … of this slow growth.
1885. A. M. Fairbairn, Catholicism, II. iv. 73. Organs and liturgies have found a home in the land and church of Knox.
fig. 1630. B. Jonson, New Inn, III. ii. The Liturgie of Loue, Ouid de arte amandi.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. xii. 54. Charming, and Conjuring (the Leiturgy of Witches).
1784. Cowper, Task, VI. 679. For Garrick was a worshipper himself; He drew the liturgy, and framed the rites And solemn ceremonial of the day.
b. Chiefly with the: The Book of Common Prayer.
1629. Prynne, Ch. Eng., 128. That worthy Arch-Bishop Cranmer caused our Leiturgy to be translated into Latine.
c. 1646. Milton, Sonnet, On new forcers of Conscience. Because you have thrown of your Prelate Lord, And with stiff Vowes renounc’d his Liturgie.
1688. Penton, Guardian’s Instruct. (1897), 35. The simple, full and significant style of the Liturgy.
1704. Nelson, Fest. & Fasts (1739), Prelim. Instruction 2. K. Charles 2. issued out a Commission for the reviewing of the Liturgy.
1828. Macaulay, Hallam, Ess. (1887), 64. To this circumstance she [the Church of England] owes … her noble and pathetic liturgy.
1843. Borrow, Bible in Spain (ed. 2), III. xii. 222. It was Sunday … and I happened to be reading the Liturgy.
3. Gr. Antiq. At Athens, a public office or duty that the richer citizens discharged at their own expense.
1836. Lytton, Athens (1837), II. 461. The State received the aid of … what were termed liturgies from individuals.
1847. Grote, Greece, II. xi. III. 159. The Liturgies of the State, as they were called, unpaid functions such as the trierarchy, choregy, gymnasiarchy, which entailed expence and trouble upon the holder of them.
1880. Sat. Rev., 25 Dec., 790. It was a species of liturgy—a voluntary contribution to a great public object.
4. attrib. and Comb.
1641. Milton, Animadv., 25. The principall scope of those Liturgie-founders was to prevent either the malice or the weaknesse of the Ministers.
1711. Countrey-Man’s Lett. to Curat, 48. Make him a Church of England or Liturgie-Man, the best way you ever can.
1901. Westm. Gaz., 22 Aug., 10/1. The liturgy-melodies … can now again be given in their original purity.
Hence † Liturgy v. rare–1, trans., to conduct by means of the Liturgy.
1716. M. Davies, Athen. Brit., III. 10. All the Presbyterians unanimously agree to go to the Church-Service, to be Liturgy’d into Wedlock and into the Grave.
