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
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-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
that as is well obsâ—rved by those that comment upon him his chiefe aime in these words and that which gave occasion unto them was to deride the custome of the Heathens of his time who truly and really in their whether private or publike Temple devotions did use such Monitors or Prompters to suggest unto them the true titles and manifold appellations of that supposed Deity what ever it was which they intended to worship Now their Gods being very many in number and every one having severall titles and appellations no wonder if their worshippers most of them for some did not and were accounted very religious for it needed these Monitores or Nomenclatores at their elbows The next proofe or objection which you wil is out of Justin Martyr in these words And before this in that famous place of Iust. Mart. Apo. 2. Hee who instructed the people prayed according to his ability Nor was this liberty c. in the margin Iust. Mart. Apol. 2. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} No man can otherwise imagine but that his intention in this allegation is to infer out of these words according to his ability conceived prayer in opposition to set or prescribed prayer I think I shall cleerly enough shew that Iust. Mart. had no such meaning at all and consequently that our Authour to make the best of it is much mistaken But I must needs say though unwilling to make the worst of it I can not but suspect somthing when I consider that neither in his Text nor in his Margin hee doth set downe the words of the Father fully and faithfully as hee ought The words are these {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} That is The Bishop or President doth in like manner is before present or offer unto him prayers and thanks to the utmost of his power or as far as his ability doth reach It is a coÌ„plement of civility even amongst men ordinary in all languages I think but in the Greeke and Latine Languages I am sure when wee thank a man to qualifie our thanks with this restriction pro virili oâ— quas possum As when we say Ago gratias non quas debeo sed quaspossum or quantas possum maximas what more ordinary in Latine Writers whether old or late How much more doth it become us when we say that we thank God and which is more when that wee doe {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the weight of which word is well observed by learned Graecians and by the use tâ—at it hath sometimes in ancient Authours it doth little lesse import then retaliation or a return of good offices We know who said my goodnesse beneficentia mea extendeth not unto thee and Saint Augustine in a prayer of his somewhere even of thoughts de quo semper cogitare debemus de quo dignè cogitare non possumus useth this civility of language and shall we wonder if any use it of thanks This being so obvious I should wonder this Authour could not think of it here but that I know some there be in the world who are never more bold or lesse heedfull of their speeches then when they speake to God by way of Prayer or prayses though it be in the publike And this their boldnesse and impertinency be it never so great some there be so blind as to deeme it zeal Others excuse as harmlesse Solaecismes or â—autologies what a right and sober judgement guided by the light of Gods Word will finde little better then blasphemies I say therefore {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is no more then gratias agere quantum humana potest infirmitas aut vilitas â—nd this I hope is as proper and ordinary in prescribed set Prâ—yers as in conceived and arbitrary Yet I will not deny that I finde the words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} otherwise understood by some learne men who render the passâ—ge thus Dâ—th give God thanks with as lowd voiâ—â— as he is able and considering there be other Fathers that testifie the accustomed lowdneâ—s oâ— their solemne Prâ—yers I will not say that this interpretâ—tion is altogether impertineÌ„t but this that our Author doth bring and his inference upon it I dare confidently say to be most groundlesse and impertinent His third and last objection is out of Eusebius concerning Constant in these words And blessed Constantine was herein as unhappy as we who needed not have composed forms of prayer for his Guard to use upon the Lords day but might and would have taken out of former Liturgies if there had been any c. I answer that I do not nor perchance any other understand what is the strength of this inference A peculiar certain prayer was made by Constantine a most devout and religious Prince to be used by his guard therefore there was no common liturgy-Liturgie-book extant in Constantines days for the use of the publike I have read three Prayers made they are printed under her name I am sure as made by her by Queen Elizabeth of ever blessed and glorious memory for the successe of her Navy c. Would the inference be good upon this either that there was no Book of common Prayers then extant and used or that the Queene had no Bishops or Chaplains at that time that might have saved her that labour This I think might suffice there having been enough said before concerning formes of publike prayers extant and used long before the times of Constantine And indeed the Truth is all that I ayme at and not any bodies shame But why should I spare him that hath not spared his Mother and who doth so lightly esteeme of those things which I do and ever shall I hope as long as I breath however the times goe most honour and reverence Let us therefore looke into Eusebius a little more exactly that it may the better appear how this man hath dealt with his Reader First then whereas hee tels us of Prayers composed by Constantine himselfe I say it is more then doth appeare by Eusebius Where the Latine hath it cap. 18. Preces ab Imperatore descriptas it is in the originall Greek {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is Such as the Emperour did most affect and therefore descriptas here must be not written or composed but selected Again where the Latine hath it cap. 19. Formulam vero precandi ipse militibus praescripsit c. it is in the Greek {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is he taught it to all his souldiers And I hope if a man be said or reported to teach children or ignorant people the Pater Noster or Creed he must not therefore of necessity be conceived to be the Authour of either Secondly whereas hee saith it was for his Guard that Constantine composed these forms of Prayers to use upon the Lords day I say it was not for his Guard but for all his Souldiers in generall and especially
for them that were not Christians that Constantine either made himselfe or caused to be made that Prayer which Eusebius speaks of and setteth downe in his twentieth Chapter that being the only Prayer that Constantine can in any probability so farre as appears by Eusebius be conceived to have composed if he composed any For as for the Guard that lived within his Palace to them were appointed saith Eusebius those Prayers which he cals {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} And as concerning the Souldiers whereof Eusebius says some were Christians and some were not those that were Christians hee commanded them dispensing with them for their ordinary service or attendance upon that day to repair to publike Churches and there to celebrate the day those that were not even them hee compelled to meet together in the fields upon that day and there to prayse God in that form of Prayer which is recited by Eusebius The Prayer was this Te solum Deum agnoscimus te Regem profitemur te adjutorem invocamus per te victorias consequuti sumus per te hostes superavimus abs te praesentem foelicitatem consequutos fatemur futuram future that is for the time to come as is more plainly expressed by the Greek adepturos speramus tui omnes supplices sumus abs te petimus ut Constantinum Imperatorem nostrum una cumpiis ejus liberis quam diuâ—issimè nobis salvum victorem conserves Here you see is no mention of Christ at all nothing but might very well be said by a Heathen of those times as may appeare by divers of their Prayers yet extant the first words Ye solum Deum agnoscimus excepted which neverthelesse might bear a very coÌ„modious interpretation according to the tenets of divers of their own Philosophers and Wise men If any shall presse the words Omnibus militibus praescripsit to shew that it was common to all whether Christian or Heathen Souldiers I shall not stand upon that it being likely enough that the same Prayer upon other dayes was to be used by them all when they were mixed together and therefore of purpose so composed that it might be used by any whether Christians or Heathens of those times But in the mean time if it be granted as I doe not see how it can be denied that it was principally intended for the use of the Heathen Souldiers how can it be conceived that such a forme should be sound in a Book of common Prayers appointed for the use of Christians how much lesse inferred from hence as this man would gladly that the Christians of those days had no Book of common Prayers But I have not done with him yet I think it wil easily be granted unto me by what hath been said hitherto that it is very probable that this man in these his allegations out of Eusebius tooke more notice of the Latine then of the Greek Now if you look upon the Latine in the Chapter just before to wit the 17 you shall finde that plainly contradicted which this man would have inferred out of the eighteenth The words because it is but a short Chapter are these Cap. 17. Sed his quidem multa magnificentiora contemplari potes si animadvertas quemadmodum in ipsis Regiis Ecclesiae Dei formam instituerit populo in Ecclesia congregato ipse studiose exordiens Sumptis enim in manus libris vel sacrarum literarum contemplationi diligenter animum adhibebat vel constitutas cum universo Ecclesiae coetu preces reddebat What sence can any man in the World make of these words but that it was Constantine his custome taking the books themselves into his owne hands somtimes to turne the Holy Scriptures somtimes the Book of common {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is the word in Eusebius Prayers according as the Order of the Liturgy by him there and then used required Now if any man shall aske mee for his owne satisfaction how it is in the originall Greeke I will ingenuously confesse that the Greek doth not so fully and distinctly expresse it as the Latine doth though it be as true that the Latine saith no more then what the Greek will very well beare And now I have done with this Author with whom I should not have had to do at all but that he came so crosse in my way in this point of set forms of Prayers Whether he or I be in the right I shall willingly submit to the judgement of any that are truly indifferent that is that seek the truth for it selfe and imbrace it where ever they find it not blindly zealous to maintaine their own side whether it be in a just cause or not If it shal appear to others as hitherto it doth unto me that this man as confident a man in his way of writing as ever I met with is much mistaken in this point then I shall yet before I leave him advise others whosoever shall happen to read this to pause awhile consider with themselves Much talke there is of a Reformation and for my part how hee can be accounted a true Christian that would not be heartily glad to see that amended what ever it be which to the prejudice of Gods Glory is amisse though perchance not to be amended without his particular losse and prejudice in worldly respects I know not Now then if that Reformation so much talked of every where and by many so much desired shall go on how farre such men as he so confident and so apt to mistake may either to direct or to informe bee trusted with it to the glory of that God which is the God of Truth to the content of men truly zealous that is zealous according to knowledge this is the thing and God is my witnesse I have no end in it but his glory that I would desire all men seriously to consider of But this by the way only and so I come to my third Position III. FIrst of all I would have it here remembred that what S. Paul writes 1 Tim. 2.1 2. I exhort therefore that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and Giving of thanks be made for all men For Kings and all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life c. is by S. Chrysostom S. Augustine expounded of the daily publike Prayers of the Church as hath already been declared Upon which I inferre that when the ancients speak of the power and efficaâ—ie of prayers and Supplications to the procuring of publike blessings as peace plenty c. they are which I think no reasonable man wil deny especially to be understood of daily publike Church-prayers So is Origen to be understood in those words of his in his eighth book contra Celsum thus rendred by Sigismundus Gelenius Postremò hortatur nos Celsus ut opem feramus Imperatori totis viribus geramus ejus auspâ—ciis justa piaque bella neve