Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	canon_n	church_n	read_v	2,503	5	6.6327	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63653	An apology for authorized and set forms of litvrgie against the pretence of the spirit 1. for ex tempore prayer : 2. formes of private composition.	Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667.	1649 (1649)	Wing T289; ESTC R7631	60,949	100

canendis haberi Domini Apostolorum documenta utilia praecepta And the Church obeyed them for as an Ancient Author under the name of Dionysius Areopagita relates the chief of the Clericall and Ministring Order offer bread upon the Altar Cum Ecclesiastici omnes laudem hymnumque generalem Deo tribuerint cum quibus Pontifex sacras preces ritè perficit c. They all sing one Hymne to God and then the Bishop prayes ritè according to the rituall or constitution which in no sense of the Church or of Grammar can be understood without a solemne and determin'd forme {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} sayes Casaubon is cantare idem saepiùs dicere apud Graecos {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} they were formes of praising God used constantly periodically and in the daily Offices And the Fathers of the Councell of Antioch complaine against Paulus Samosatenus Quod Psalmos cantus qui ad Domini nostri Jesu Christi honorem decantari solent tanquam recentiores à viris recentioris memoriae editos exploserit The quarrell was that he said the Church had used to say Hymnes which were made by new men and not deriv'd from the Ancients which if we consider that the Councell of Antioch was in the 12 year of Gallienus the Emperour 133 years after Christs Ascension will fairly prove that the use of prescrib'd Formes of Prayer Hymnes and formes of Worshipping were very early in the Church and it is unimaginable it should be otherwise when we remember the Apostolicall precept before mentioned And if we fancy a higher precedent than what was manifested upon earth we may please to see one observ'd to have been made in Heaven for a set forme of Worship and addresse to God was recorded by Saint John and sung in Heaven and it was composed out of the Songs of Moses Exod. 15. of David Psal. 145. and of Jeremy Chapt. 10. 6 7. which certainly is a very good precedent for us to imitate although but revealed to Saint John by way of vision and extasie that we may see if we would speak with the tongue of Men and Angels we could not praise God in better Formes then what are recorded in holy Scripture But besides the metricall part the Apostle hath described sect. 90 other parts of Lyturgie in Scripture whose composition though it be in determined forme of words yet not so bound up with numbers as Hymnes and these Saint Paul calls supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks which are severall manners of addresse distinguish'd by their subject matter by their forme and manner of addresse As appears plainly by intercessions and giving of thanks the other are also by all men distinguish'd though in the particular assignment they differ but the distinction of the Words implies the distinction of Offices which together with the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the Lectionarium of the Church the Books of the Apostles and Prophets spoken of by Justin Martyr and said to be used in the Christian Congregations are the constituent parts of Liturgy and the exposition of the words we best learn from the practise of the Church who in all Ages of whose publike offices any record is left to us tooke their pattern from these places of Scripture the one for Prose the other for Verse and if we take Liturgy into its severall parts or members we cannot want something to apply to every one of the words of Saint Paul in these present allegations For the offices of prose we find but small mention of sect. 91 them in the very first time save onely in generall termes and that such there were and that S. James S. Marke Saint Peter and others of the Apostles and Apostolicall men made Liturgies and if these which we have at this day were not theirs yet they make probation that these Apostles left others or else they were impudent people that prefixed their names so early and the Churches were very incurious to swallow such a bole if no pretension could have been reasonably made for their justification But concerning Church Hymnes we have clearer testimony in particular both because they were many of them and because they were dispersed more soone got by heart passed also among the people and were pious arts of the Spirit whereby holy things were instilled into their Soules by the help of phansie and a more easie memory The first civilizing of people used to be by Poetry and their Divinity was conveyed by Songs and Verses and the Apostle exhorted the Christians to exhort one another in Psalmes and Hymnes for he knew the excellent advantages were likely to accrue to Religion by such an insinuation of the mysteries Thus Saint Hilary and Saint Ambrose composed Hymnes for the use of the Church and Saint Austin made a Hymne against the Schisme of Donatus which Hymnes when they were publikely allowed of were used in publike Offices not till then For Paulus Samosatenus had brought Women into the Church to sing vaine and trifling Songs and some Bishops took to themselves too great and incurious a license and brought Hymnes into the Church whose gravity and piety was not very remarkeable upon occasion of which the Fathers of the Councell of Laodicea ordained {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} No Psalmes of private composition must be brought into the Church so Gentian Hervet renders it Isidore Translates it Psalmos ab Idiotis compositos Psalmes made by common persons Psalms usually sung abroad so Dionysius Exiguus calls them Psalmos Plebeios but I suppose by the following words is meant That none but Scripture Psalmes shall be read there for so the Canon adds {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} nothing to be read in the Church but Books of the Old and New Testament And this Interpretation agrees well enough with the occasion of the Canon which I now mentioned This onely by the way the reddition of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} sect. 92 by Isidore to be Psalmes made by common persons whom the Scripture calls {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ignorant or unlearned is agreeable enough with that of Saint Paul who intimates that Prayers and formes of Lyturgies are to be composed for them not by them they were never thought of to be persons competent to make Formes of Prayers themselves For Saint Paul speakes of such a one as of a person comming into the Church to hear the Prophets pray and sing and interpret and prophecy and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} he is reproved of all and judged of all and therefore the most unfit person in the world to bring any thing that requires great ability and great authority to obtrude it upon the Church his Rulers and his Judges And this was not unhandsomely intimated by the word sometimes used by the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of

the Greek Church calling the publike Lyturgie {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifies prayers made for the use of the Idiotae or private persons as the word is contradistinguished from the Rulers of the Church For {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} signifies contum and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is as much as {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to live in the condition of a private person and in the vulgar Greek sayes Arcadius {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} signifie a little man of a low stature from which two significations {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} may well enough design a short form of Prayer made for the use of private persons And this was reasonable and part of the Religion even of the Heathen as well as Christians the presidents of their Religion were to finde prayers for the people and teach them formes of addresse to their Gods Castis cum pueris ignara puella mariti Disceret unde preces vatem ni Musa dedisset Poscit opem chorus praesentia numina sentit Caelestes implorat aquas doctâ prece blandus Carmine dii superi placantur carmine Manes But this was by the way But because I am casually fallen upon mention of sect. 93 the Laodicean Councel and that it was very ancient before the Nicene and of very great reputation both in the East and in the West it will not be a contemptible addition to the reputation of set formes of Lyturgie that we finde them so early in the Church reduced to a very regular and composed manner The XV Canon suffers none to sing in the Church but the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} they that sing by book and goe up into the Pulpit they were the same persons and the manner of doing their office was their appellative which shews plainly that the known custome of the Church was for them who were in the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the Pulpit to read their offices and devotions They read them {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that 's the word in the Canon Those things which signifie the greatest or first Antiquity are said to be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} was spoken proverbially to signifie ancient things And {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} So that if these Fathers chose these words as Grammarians the singers {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} were such as sung ancient Hymnes of Primitive antiquity which also is the more credible because the persons were noted and distinguished by their imployment as a thing knowne by so long an use till it came to be their appellative The 17. and 18. Canons command that Lessons and Psalmes should be said interchangeably {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and the same Liturgie that 's the word or office of prayers to be said alwayes at Nones and Vespers This shews the manner of executing their office of Psalmists and Readers they did not sing or say ex tempore but they read Prayers and Psalmes and sung them out of a Booke neither were they brought in fresh and new at every meeting but it was {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} still the same forme of prayers without variation But then if we remember how ancient this office was sect. 94 in the Church and that the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the Readers and Singers were Clericall offices deputed for publike ministry about prayers and devotions in the Church for so we are told by Simeon Thessalonicensis in particular concerning the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} he does dictate the hymnes to the singers and then of the singers there is no question and that these two offices was so ancient in the Church that they were mentioned by S. Ignatius who was contemporary with the latter times of the Apostles We may well beleeve that set and described formes of Liturgie were as early as the dayes of the Apostles and continued in the continuation of those and the like offices in all descending ages Of the same designe and intimation were those knowne offices in the Greek Church of the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which Socrates speaks of as of an office in the Church of Alexandria {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c. Their office was the same with the Reader they did ex praescripto praeire ad verbum referre the same which ab Alexandro notes to have beene done in the religious rites of Heathen Greece They first read out of a Book the appointed prayers and the others rehearsed them after Now it is unimaginable that constant officers should be appointed to say an office and no publike office be described I shall adde but this one thing more and passe on sect. 95 ad alia And that is that I never yet saw any instance example or pretence of precedent of any Bishop Priest or Lay person that ever prayed ex tempore in the Church and although in some places single Bishops or peradventure other persons of lesse Authority did oftentimes bring prayers of their * owne into the Church yet ever they were compositions and premeditations and were brought thither there to be repeated often and added to the Lyturgie and although the Lyturgies while they were lesse full then since they have been were apt to receive the additions of pious and excellent Persons yet the inconvenience grew so great by permitting any forms but what were approved by a publike Spirit that the Church as She alwaies had forms of publike Prescription so She resolved to permit no mixture of any thing but what was warranted by an equall power that the Spirits of the Prophets might be subject to the Prophets and such Spirits when they are once tryed whether they be of God or no tryed by a lawfull Superiour and a competent Judge may then venture into the open aire And it were a strange imprudence choosingly to entertaine those inconveniences which our wiser Fore-fathers felt and declar'd and remedied For why should we be in love with that evill against which they so carefully arm'd their Churches by the provision and defence of Lawes For this produc'd that Canon of the Councell of Mileuis in Africa Placuit ut preces quae probatae fuerint in Conoilio ab omnibus celebrentur nec aliae omninò dicantur in Ecclesiâ nisi quae a prudentioribus factae fuerint in Synodo That 's the restraint and prohibition publike Prayers must be such as are publikely appointed and prescribed by our Superiors and no private formes of our conceiving must be used in the Church The reason followes Ne fortè aliquid contra fidem