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A35569
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The use of daily pvblick prayers in three positions
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Casaubon, Meric, 1599-1671.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing C816; ESTC R22950
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14,570
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31
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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 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
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