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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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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
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