Jewish Liturgie yet extant containing severall formes of Prayers composed according to the opinion of the learned Jews not contradicted by the said learned noble man by Esdras and used by the Iews ever since their returne from the Babylonish captivity yea and of other forms of prayers long before that used by the Iews ever since Moses and them also yet extant And as for the Prayers that Saint Peter and Saint Iohn used when they went up together to the Temple at the houre of Prayer Act. 3.1 he might have read of set forms of prayers appointed for that hour and commonly used by the Iews of those days yea directly by the said Saint Peter and Saint Iohn in a late Protestant Writer of as considerable authority for his learning generally but especially in those kinde of studies as any whom he can alleage for the contrary opinion However I speak not this to interpose mine owne opinion in that point which I suspend but onely to shew that a little more reading would have done well in one that had undertaken such a worke as the refutation of that learned Author Now wee come to the examination of his objections against ours and proofs for his own assertion His words are But that there were not such stinted Liturgies as this Remonstrant disputes for appears by Tertullian in his Apol. cap. 30. where hee saith the Christians of those times did in their publike Assemblies pray sine Monitore quia depectore without any Prompter but their own hearts And that so it should be the same Authour proves in his Treatise de Oratione Sunt quae petantur c. There are some things to bee asked according to the occasions of every man the lawfull and ordinary Prayer that is the Lords Prayer being layd as a foundation it is lawfull to build upon that foundation other Prayers according to every ones occasions And to the same purpose Saint Augustine in his 121 Ep. Liberum est The passages out of Tertullian de Oratione and out of Saint Augustine in his 121 Ep. are nothing at all to the purpose and make as much for publike set Prayers as for private for publike set Prayers also are grounded upon this That it is lawfull to adde to the Lords Prayer What any Father ads of any mans particular occasions may be understood of private Prayers whether at home or in the Church For it is out of all question and we have store of examples to that purpose that the Christians of those times did frequently repaire to the Churches in private devotion and for particular occasions But now to the passage of Tertullian out of his Apol. c. 30 where hee makes Tertullian to say that the Christians of those times did in their publike Assemblies pray sine monitore quia de pectore I say first that it doth not appeare by Tertullian that he speaks it of publike Assemblies and more probable it is that he doth not Secondly I would know of this Authour what it is that he would have or doth inferre upon this passage of Tertullian What that Christians when they assembled together did betake themselves every one to his own private devotions and used such prayers every man by himselfe as his owne heart and particular occasions did suggest unto him This if hee say besides that it is very absurd in it selfe and never practised anywhere that I know amongst Orthodox Christians will easily be refuted by expresse passages of ancient Fathers as Ignatius Saint Cyprian and others who teach the necessity of joynt and unanimous common Prayers at such times But it is apparent that that which our Authour drives at by his whole Discourse is not that the people but the Minister is to be left to his owne liberty to use in publike Assemblies what forme of prayer himselfe thinks fit And are not then Tertullians words if understood as hee would have them of publike Prayers as much against this kind of praying with and after the Minister his conceived prayer as he cals it as against prescribed Book-prayers Nay if there be any difference they may more truly be said to pray cum monitore who follow the conceptions of a private man then they that follow a publike prescribed usual form which having often heard it is likely that in time they learn and can say without book so far at least as to follow it readily and with a quicke and cleere apprehension of what is said whereas they that depend of private conceptions which are not always the same must needs have their understandings suspended till the end of the sentence and when at the end have much adoe sometimes to make sence of it I have heard more then once some men who thought themselves as good at it as the best make this objection against set or stinted Prayers as they call them because by them the spirit is streightned Which though it be but a frivolous objection and easily answered yet because it is the nature of those men for the most part not to be satisfied with any reason that proceeds from men whom they affect not I was glad to see it in a book which lately came to my hands fully answered by one whose name I intend it not as a reproach to his memory whom I have heard men of singular worth to speak of with great respect is great amongst them It comes very neere to the point that wee are now upon and therefore I shall not thinke much to set downe here the whole passage Object That in stinted Prayer the spirit is straitned when a man is tied to a forme then he shall have his spirit as it were bounded and limited that he cannot goe beyond that which is prescribed and therefore say they it is reason a man should be left to more liberty as hee is in conceived prayers and not tied to a strict form To this I answer even those men that are against this and that use this reason they doe the same thing daily in the congregation for when another prays that is a set forme to him that heares it I say it is a forme to him for put the case that hee which is an hearer and doth attend another praying suppose that his spirit be more enlarged it is a straitning to him he hath no liberty to go out he is bound to keep his mind intent upon that which the other prayeth And therefore if that were a sufficient reason that a man might not use a set form because the spirit is straitned a man should not heare another pray though it be a conceived prayer because in that case his spirit is limited it may be the hearer hath a larger heart a great deale then he that speaks and prays so that there is a bounding and straitning and a limiting of the spirit to him And therefore that reason cannot be good Again I answer c. I have no more to say concerning this passage of Tertullian but
THE USE OF DAILY PVBLICK PRAYERS in three Positions LONDON Printed for Iohn Maynard 1641. ⧠The use of daily publike Prayers in three Positions I. That daily publick Prayers have been in use among Christians from the beginning so farre as persecutions gave leave and were accounted a principall part of Gods worship II. That those Prayers were at set houres in a prescript form not arbitrarie in either III. That the peace and prosperity of the publike Weal in the long life and happy preservation of pious Princes and other particulars and the good successe of Armies in times of warre have been thought by ancient Christians of purest times the fruit and effect in part of these publike Prayers and daily Service of the Church I. IT is most certain and acknowledged by all That in the Primitive times the holy Communion was publikely administred every day The word Liturgia is for the most part by ancient Writers appropriated to the Communion because that was the most solemn service though somtimes it is also taken more generally The form of administration which Saint Augustine saith in divers places was the same in all or almost all Christian Churches in his time I was instituted and prescribed by Saint Paul himselfe as is directly affirmed by Saint Augustine in his Epistle to Januarius Apostolus de hoc sacramento loquens statim subtexuit Caetera cum venero ordinabo unde intelligi datur quia multum erat ut in Epistola totum illum Agendi ordinem insinuare◠quem universa per Orbem servat Ecclesia ab ipso ordinatum esse quod nulla morum variatur diversitate Besides the Prayers at the Communion there were publike Morning and Evening Prayers and those daily also Mention of those Prayers is made in the Councill of Laodicea in the eighteenth Canon {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is That the forme or Liturgie of Prayers both at the Nones and at the Vespers ought always to be the same Saint Chrysostome upon the Psalmes occasionally speaking of divers Psalms and Hymnes which made part of the publike Prayers derives the first institution from the Fathers by which words it is likely hee understood men Apostolicall or at least of next antiquity to Apostolicall By him also it appeares that Christian people in his days were wont so studiously to frequent the publike Prayers of the Church that they knew by heart divers of the Psalmes that were ordinarily used What Saint Paul writes I exhort that first of all supplications prayers intercessions c. is by St. Augustine understood of the daily solemne Prayers and Supplications at the celebration of the Sacrament but by Saint Chrysostome upon the place is also expounded of the solemne Morning and Evening Prayers of the Church His words are these Every Priest is as it were a common Father of the whole earth and therefore ought to take care of all men as God doth to whom hee is consecrated Therefore saith the Apostle I exhort c. But what meaneth hee First of all that is in the daily service and this all the faithfull know how it is daily performed both in the Evening and in the Morning How wee make intercession for the whole World for Kings and all Magistrates or Governours c. Origen whose antiquity I hope is sufficiently known by al men doth often exhort the people to come to Church not onely upon Sundays and other Holidays but upon ordinary days also to heare the Word of God read and to be present at the Prayers of the Church yea and sharply reproves them that did it not as carelesse of their spirituall welfare and salvation See him for example in his tenth Homily upon Genesis throughout the whole Homily as where he saith Sine intermissione orandum Apostolus praecipit Vos qui ad orationes non convenitis quomodo impletis sine intermissione quod semper omit titis Sed Dominus praecipit vigilate orate ne intretis in tentationem Quod si illi vigilantes orantes semper verbo Dei adhaerentes tentationem tamen nequaquam effugerunt quid faciunt hi qui diebus tantum solennibus ad Ecclesiam conveniunt c. II. OF set houres because I doe not finde it much opposed I will not spend many words in vain If there be that make any question I shall refer him to Clemens Romanus a man of very authentike authority because Apostolicall and mentioned in the New Testament who presseth it very close in that unquestioned and so much commended Epistle of his to the Corinthians lately set out and made common by Learned Master Patrick Young out of the rich Treasures of his Majesties Royall Library It seemes by him that no small part of that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or good order required by Saint Paul whose mind he might best know as one of his Disciples 1 Cor. 14.40 doth consist in the due observing of those times and houres limited and prescribed by authority for our Prayers and Devotions But I desire his own words may be looked upon pag. 52.53 As for set forms of Prayers I should not have thought that I should have needed to have said much of that neither but that I have lately seen a Book which came to my hands under the recommendation of a Master-piece wherein I finde this strange assertion That liberty in prayer it is spoken of publike Church-prayers was not taken away and set and imposed formes introduced untill the time that the Arrian and Pelagian Heresies did invade the Church c. The Authour cals himself Smectymnuus both name and man being altogether unknown unto mee Which if they were not yet should I be worse than a Heathen if I should prefer any wordly love or friendship before the truth of God In some small things mistakes may happen without any great harme and may be passed over with as little danger Let us therefore consider whither that be not most true which hee peremptorily denies and then examine the validity of his objections For the first wee will begin with a great man both for his piety and his learning Saint Basil the Great who indeed was some yeers later then Arius but many yeers before Pelagius However that which he speaks of his times he so speaks it as that his testimony may stand for times long before A friend of his that was gone to travell had written to him that he would be mindfull of him in his Prayers to whom his answer is this {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is To forget thee in my prayers is impossible except I shall first forget our work to which the Lord hath ordained us For thou canst not but remember being by the grace of God one of the faithfull the solemne Biddings or Praeconizatiōs of the Church how that in the holy Church wee make prayers for all our brethren that travell for all that are enrolled
Souldiers for all that take liberty for the Name of the Lord or for all that confesse freely the Name of the Lord for all that bring forth spirituall fruits c. I think no man will think it probable that if these solemne set Prayers of the Church had been of late institution and therefore easily alterable hee would have spoken of them so peremptorily That it was impossible c. But here I must needs give a reason why I translate the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a Bidding or Praeconization and not with the Latine Interpreter concionem and this the rather because I see Bellarmine as great a Clerke as hee was grosly to mistake in the like and upon the mistake of the word to ground a false opinion that Deacons in ancient times were wont to preach In ancient times it was the Deacons office in the time of publike Prayers and Liturgie by lowd speech and proclamation of the matter to let the people know what was done or to be done Which was to this end that both they whom it particularly concerned might take the better notice and also to quicken and stirre up their intention and attention generally that they might all remember themselves where they were and what they were about and carefully hoc agere Sometimes their cry was Hearken to the Word of God to the Gospel the Epistle and then they were said {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Praedicare lectionem or Euangeliū c. Somtimes they said O yee Cathecumeni yee are to pray O yee believers let us pray for the Cathecumeni c. and then they were said {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} praedicare orationem that is to bid the prayer It belonged also to the Deacons to direct the people when they should kneele or stand as also when and who should draw neere when and who should retire or depart for which part of their office Saint Chrysostome in Heb. c. 9. hom. 17. as some read the place out of what Edition I know not for my Edition of Saint Chrysostome hath it there not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} shews how they may properly be styled {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} But this is not to our purpose here I would gladly know whether when Saint Cyprian said Pro arcendis hostibus imbribus impetrandis vel auferendis vel temperandis adversis rogamus semper preces fundimus pro pace ac salute vestra c. or when Tertullian Oramus pro Imperatoribus pro ministris eorum ac Potestatibus pro statu saeculi pro rerum quiete pro morâ finis either of them by any reasonable man can be understood otherwise then of solemne set Prayers Both these were many yeeres the latest of them a full hundred or thereabouts before Arius was talked of Origen of as great antiquity very nigh as the most ancient of those two in his sixt book against Celsus gives this description of a true Christian {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is They that serve the God of all through Christ and live according to his Gospel who also frequently and duly both night and day use those Prayers that are prescribed Where if any object that the words night and day which also are in Saint Cyprians passage must needs inferre private prayers I answer that there would be no absurdity perchance in it if by night and day Morning and Evening were understood But if this please not I can make it good that the ancient Christians were wont to use the publike set prayers of the Church in their private houses and families and there might use them at what time of the day or night they thought good whereof we shall by and by give an example in Constantine And yet I professe I doe not alleage this passage as an infallible proofe because I know the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} may be also otherwise interpreted The same Origen in his fourth book against Celsus quotes three or four severall passages of the Scriptures out of their {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or Prayers by Prayers meaning that which now the Graecians call their Euchologium or prayer-Prayer-booke And I hope it will be granted that if the Prayers gave the denomination to the whole Book or Rituall it is more then probable that it contained many forms of set composed Prayers But if all this will not serve to perswade men that are not wont easily to believe any thing that crosseth their fancies though of it selfe never so probable or plausible why yet I hope if wee can produce some Formulae of those very Prayers then used that they will at last yield to the truth This because it is done to my hand by men whom I thinke they will not suspect to be partiall in this point I will spare my selfe further labour and onely here set down what I find in the Centurists of Magdeburgh Denique hunc ritum in Orationibus publicis c. That is Moreover that this rite also was then used in their publike Prayers Cyprian in his Sermo de Oratione Dominicâ doth witnesse to wit That when they were to begin Prayers the Priest was wont to stir up and prepare the minds of his Brethren to a more fervent calling upon God by saying Lift up your hearts to which all the Congregation together did answer We lift thē up unto the Lord Moreover it is out of all question their very words Formulas denique quasdam precationum sine dubio habuerunt That they had in those dayes certain Formulae that is set and prescribed formes of Prayers For Origen in his eleventh Homily upon Jeremy seems to allude to those Prayers now commonly called Collects in these words Vbi frequenter in Oratione dicimus Da Omnipotens da nobis partem cum Prophetis da cum Apostolis Christi tui tribue ut inveniamur ad vestigia unigeniti tui c. So they Besides these Centurists I finde it to be the judgment of famous Du Mornay who thinks it probable that some Ritualists of the middle age as Walafridus and others who describe the simplicity of the first age in matters of Rites and Ceremonies might have seen some of those first Ritual-books or Formularies as he cals thē As for Jewish Liturgies I leave that to the learned Authour of the Remonstrance as best able to answer for himself if hee see occasion Onely this I shall here say by the way that if this gain-sayer were at least in late Writers as well read as we find he is not in the ancient he would not have made such a wonder at the matter Hee might have read◠at least in the same Mornay an Authour much canvased by men that meddle with Controversies of a