them repeated Again he cites this Father to prove that those who were Baptized were taught the Words of the Lords Prayer (u) Isid lib 4. ep 24. Disc of Lit. pag. 2. Which shews that Forms were not held unlawful in that Age. But if my Adversary had not been obliged to keep back all that makes for Liturgies it is not easy to be imagined why he should never mention that Famous Epistle which Isidore Writ on purpose to expound that old piece of Liturgy Pronounced by the Bishop in the public Forms as we saw in the Constitutions S. Chrysostom and others that is Peace be with you unto which as Isidore tells us the people answered and with thy Spirit (w) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid lib. 1. ep 122. This Form so well explained by this Father gives us reason to believe that the rest of those Liturgies wherein this known Form is found were used in his time and that when he advises a Clergy-Man not to abuse the Holy Liturgy (x) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. lib. 1. ep 313. he means that he ought not to profane and desecrate the sacred Forms by a most unholy Life and Conversation especially since he was not only a Scholar of S. Chrysostoms who made a Liturgy but also tells us (y) Id. lib. 1. ep 90. that the Women in his time Sung their part of the Church Service and when they were deservedly Excommunicate they were not all wed this great Priviledge which sufficiently shews there were Forms prescribed in his days wherein all the People had their share § 4. His Contemporary was the Learned Synesius Synesius An. Dom. 412. who lived also in the same Country he was bred among the Gentile Philosophers and not Converted till he was come to be of a good Age So that he had learned before he became a Christian what silence and secrecy was due to Mysteries and therefore he furnishes my Adversary with divers Passages concerning the Heathens care to conceal them (z) Disc of Lit. pag. 34. but since he hath owned the Pagans writ their Mysteries down He must not conclude that the Christians had no written Prayers in this Age wherein they called them Mysteries for though they were concealed from the Infidels and Uninitiated they were daily used among the Faithful And that they were Forms prescribed hath been fully proved However though we cannot expect that Synesius should write down the Sacred Words in his Books or Epistles which might fall into common or profane Hands yet there are intimations in him that there were Forms of Prayer in his time and long before For when he speaks of the Worship of God he saith The Sacred Prayers of our Fore-fathers in the holy Mysteries do cry unto that God who is above all not so much setting forth his Power as reverencing his Providence (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Synes de Regno pag. 9. Now these Sacred Prayers could not be Extempore since they were delivered down to them by their Fore-fathers therefore they must be ancient Forms Extempore Devotions are properly our own Prayers but the Prayers of our Fathers are Forms received from the Ages before us Besides we may note that he describes the Service in which these Prayers were used by this Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and elsewhere he styles it The hidden Mysteries (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synes Ep. 57. pag. 194. And Nicephorus his Scholiast explains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be such things as are mystically delivered both as to the words and actions (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nâ—ceph Scholia id Synes p. 401. That is in a Form of Words and an order of Ceremonies which are the two essential parts of a Liturgy Which Name also we have in Synesius where he is reciting the Injuries done to him by Andronicus for he saith The Devil endeavoured by this Mans means to make him fly from the Liturgy of the Altar (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ep. 67. p. 193. that is as he explains himself afterwards to make him omit the celebration of the Sacrament and give over reciting the public Offices which were then performed by a Liturgy in all regular Churches And though he be very nice of writing down any of the Forms in his common Writings yet he gives us either the Substance or the Words of one of his Prayers which he used not only in private but in the public Offices viz. That Justice might overcome Injustice and that the City might he purged from all Wickedness (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. Ep. 121. p. 258. Which Passage probably was a part of the Liturgy then used in his Country there being something very like it in other ancient Liturgies which were used elsewhere in that Age. However our Adversary who cites Synesius so often and to no purpose about Mysteries could not or would not see any of these places which shew there were ancient and prescribed Forms in his days Celestinus Ep. Rom. A.D. 423. § 5. Pope Celestine as is affirmed by many Authors ordered the Psalms to be sung in the Communion Office by the whole Congregation in the way of Antiphone (f) Vita Celest ap Bin. Tom. 1. par 1. pag 732. Bena. rerum Liturg. lib. 2. cap. 3. p 502. That is as Isidore expounds it with reciprocal Voices each side of the Choir alternately answering the other (g) Isâ—â—â—r Orig. lib. 6. cap. 19. And Platina adds That he put some particulars into the Offices then in use (h) Platin vita Celest pag. 61. Which shews That the Roman Church was accustomed to Forms in his days Yet my contentious Adversary twice produces this Popes Testimony to shew that in his Time at Rome there was no more than an Order and Uniformity as to the persons and things prayed for but that they did not pray for them in the same Words (i) Disc of Lit. pag 6. p 29. and he cites the same place again to prove that Forms cannot be justified from that Passage (k) Ibid. p. 138. But to manifest his Mistake I will first transcribe and then explain these Words of Celestine from whence he makes this false Conclusion The Words are these Let us look upon the Mysteries of the Priests Prayers which being delivered by the Apostles are uniformly celebrated in all the World and in every Orthodox Church That so the Rule for Praying may fix the Rule of Believing For when the Bishops of the Faithful perform their enjoyned Embassy they plead with the Divine Mercy for all Mankind the whole Church Praying with them They intreat and pray That Faith may be granted to Vnbelievers that Idolaters may be delivered from their impious Errors that the light of Truth may appear to the Jews by the removing of the Veil from their Hearts that Hereticks may repent and receive the Catholic Faith that Schismatics may be revived by the Spirit
were used Morning and Evening for he tells us That the day began with Prayer and was closed up with Hymns (g) Idem in Psal 64. and blames those whose Lips murmured they knew not what and while their Thoughts roved and their Mind was busied about other things did not attend to the Office which they were reciting These and many other passages in him make it plain that the Gallican Church had Forms and a Liturgy in this Age. Yea it will appear That all Christian Churches had so if we consider the Method that Julian the Apostate Julian the Apostate An. Dom. 361. took to establish Paganism which was to accommodate it as much as possible to Christianity the Rites of which he saw were then very popular and taking And therefore he devised to make a Form of Prayers in parts for the Heathen Worship to set up Schools and Lectures of Philosophy and to enjoyn Penances to Offenders Which things saith Nazianzen are clearly agreeable to our good Order (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazian in Jul. Orat. 3 p. 102. And Sozomen relating the same thing saith That Julian designed to adorn his Gentile Temples with the Order of Christian-Worship and therefore among other things He appointed prescribed Prayers upon Set-days and Hours (i) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zoz hist lib. 5. cap. 15. From whence it is as clear as the Sun That in Julian's Time the Christians generally used a Form of Prayer in parts so that the People could make their Responses and that they had proper Forms appointed for certain Days yea for the several Hours of Prayer in every Day and this was so grateful to the People of that Age that this ingenious Apostate in one of his Epistles yet extant advises his Pagan Priests to Pray thrice a day if possible or however Morning and Evening both in private and public and to learn the Hymns of the Gods which were made in older and in later Times adding that there was a Liturgy for these Priests and a Law directing them what to do in their Temples from which they might not vary (k) Julian Fragment Epistol in oper pag 552. So that he had actually brought the Christian Orders into the Service of the Heathen Gods and because Christians had Responses in their Prayers and sung their Hymns alternately so did he appoint the Pagans to pray and sing by such like Forms § 9. The next place must be assigned to the Council of Laodicea The Council of Laodicea An. Dom. 365. which is one of the earliest Synods after the setling of Christianity and its Canons have always been received by the Catholic Church And here we have many convincing proofs that the Christians then had written and prescribed Forms of Prayer and Praise and used a Liturgy in the Service of God First we find an order that the Hereticks who returned to the Church should learn the Creeds (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Laod. Can. 7. Bever Tom. 1. pag. 455. probably the Apostles and the Nicene Creed However they must be Set Forms or otherwise how could Men learn them Secondly In this Council we meet with Canonical Singers who sang out of written Books and none but they are allowed to Sing in the Church (m) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. Can. 15. p. 459. that is as Balsamon well Notes to begin the Hymns for the People were always allowed to follow them and Sing with and after them Now if they had Forms of Praise written in a Book why might they not have their Prayers written also in a Book T is certain they had no great esteem for Extempore composures nor for variety of Forms neither because they forbid the Reading of Psalms composed by private Men in the Church (n) Ibid. Can. â—â— p 480. And enjoyn the use of the same Office for the Evening Prayer at whatever hour of the Afternoon it was said which is the true meaning of that famous Canon about which our Adversary raiseth so much dust The Words of it are these That the very same Liturgy of Prayers ought to be used always both at three in the Afternoon and in the Evening (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can. 18. Bev. Tom. 1. p. 461. that is saith Balsamon they forbid Men to reject the Prayers which the Fathers had appointed for three in the Afternoon and to make new Prayers of their own on pretence they used them at the time of the Evening Hymns And Zonaras saith The Council rejects new Prayers and allows none but such as had been approved in a Synod nor would they permit Men to use Prayers of their own making in public but the same Prayers which had been delivered down to them were to be said in every Assembly (p) Balsam Zonar apud Beveâ—eg ibid. To which I will only add this That the whole day being divided by the hours of Prayer as it had formerly been among the Jews the Morning hour took in the time from Six till Nine The Noon-hour of Prayer was said any time between Nine and Three and The Evening-hour Prayer might be said between Three in the Afternoon and Six at Night soon after which was the time for Singing those Hymns at the first lighting of Candles and it seems some put these two last Offices together and having said the usual Forms for Evening Prayer at Three of the Clock when they were to Sing the Evening Hymns at Candles lighting Composed new Forms of Evening Prayer and used them in the Church which the Synod forbids and enjoyns the same Liturgy or Forms of Prayer which had been used in the Afternoon to be repeated over again with the Hymns in the Evening Now this Canon made in the Eastern Church where Liturgies were then commonly used must be expounded of a Set and prescribed Form and therefore divers of the Presbyterian persuasion have confessed that Liturgies have been used for at least 1300 years (q) See Falkner's Vindic. of Liturg. pag. 140. And Smectymnuus derives the use of them from this Canon and believes the sense of it to be that none should vary but always use the same Form (r) Smectym Answer to remonstr p. 7. But our Adversary resolves right or wrong that Liturgies shall not be grounded upon this Canon Wherefore first he Assigns a date to the Council later than he ought for he saith it was in the latter end of the fourth Century (s) Disc of Lituâ—g p. 61. whereas it was held soon after the middle of it Secondly He reserves this Canon to the latter end of his Book not daring to produce it till he had prepossessed his Reader with a false Notion That there were no Liturgies in this Age (t) Ibid. p. 155. Then he recites the Words of it wrong putting the Evening before the Ninth hour (u) Ibid p. 156. And in another place he brings in Caranzas false Translation of this Canon who leaves
when we consider the exact agreement betwixt this and the ancient Litanies this eminent Instance out of the genuine Works of so great a Bishop in these early Times wherein we see he refers his Friend to known and public Offices both proves those parts of the ancient Litanies to have been Primitive and shews that there was a Litany in S. Basil's time Thirdly There are many Evidences that he approved of Forms of Prayer for he commends the way of praying by conjoyned Voices in Responses where he saith That a Prayer wherein there are not conjoyned Voices is not half so strong as otherwise it would be (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil Ep. 68. pag. 856. So that he thought Forms of Prayer in which the People joyned their Responses to the Priests Words were the most effectual way of praying and he saith Their bearing a part or share in any Prayer made it far more profitable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas Ep. 392. pag. 1174. Therefore he esteemed this way of praying which can only be performed in prescribed Forms would be soonest heard by Almighty God And for this Reason he made a Canon or Form of Prayer for his Monks charging them whensoever they prayed to use their Voices and also to continue until the last Prayer of the Canon (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas asciet Tom. 2. p. 243 244. and he orders them to reject those thoughts whith took off their Minds from the Canon of Prayer that is the prescribed Form which was to be the Canon or Rule by which he appointed they should always pray And so great a lover he was of Forms that he ordered those Monks should be rejected who would not learn the Psalms by Heart (e) Basil regul brev pag. 549. which no question were to be some of their Forms of Prayer and Praises We will conclude with one Observation viz. That our Adversary grants there was an Hymn for Candle-lighting in S. Basil's time (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Disc of Liturg p. 361. but he omits that the Father there saith It was a certain Form of Words used by the People so long before his time that he knew not which of the Ancients composed it but yet none blamed the People for using this old Form which was Let us praise the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit of God (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil de Sp. Sancto cap. 29. pag. 220. All which Passages do abundantly prove the Use of Forms in S. Basil's Time but this Author concealing most of these and misrepresenting the rest hath sought out some other places of S. Basil by which he would confute this our Assertion § 14. Which Objections we will first fairly produce and then plainly answer Objection first S. Basil saith he was against writing down Mysteries and so could not be for written Forms and this he proves by his Epistle to Meletius wherein S. Basil saith he will not fully write his Message having a trusty Messenger who might relate it (h) Disc of Liturg. p. 37. I reply This was only private business to a friend and no way concerns Divine Offices wherefore the Allegation is impertinent Secondly He cites his Book de Spiritu Sancto where he saith The words of Consecration upon the taking up of the Eucharistical Bread and the Cup of Blessing which of the Saints hath left in writing We are not content with that which is Recorded in the Apostle and Gospels but we say other things before and after as having great efficacy in the Mystery taking these things from unwritten Tradition (i) Basil de Sp. Sancto cap. 27. Tom. 2. p. 210. 211. And hence he infers that there were no written Forms in S. Basil's time yea he calls this direct Evidence that there could be no such Forms in writing and repeats this fraudulent Argument four several times according to his custom when he thinks he hath gotten a considerable testimony (k) Dâ—sâ— of Lituâ—g p. 38. pag. 73. pag. 7â— pag. 109. wherefore I shall answer it fully And First it doth not well become our Adversary who gives such Odious names to those who cite any spurious Writings to lay such mighty stress upon a Tract which he himself suspects to be none of S. Basils works (l) Ibid p. 110. and which all those Authors whom he cites to prove his Liturgy to be Forged do generally reject as a Forged piece (m) Eraâ—m praes ad suam veâ—s istius libri loci censura p. 121. Riveâ—i censur p. 305. Scultet medul pag. 1054. Ush e Dailè in isto Authore pag. 110. it is no great proof of his own sincerity to fetch his topping Argument and urge it over and over till the repetition become Nauseous out of a Tract that he believed to be suspicious at least But Secondly I will take no advantage from hence for after all I see no Reason to deny the piece to be Genuin but let it be as he pleases it maks nothing for his purpose For S. Basil doth not affirm that these Eucharistical Prayers were not written in his time but that they were derived from an unwritten Tradition Now this sufficiently proves that anciently they were Forms because it is impossible for an Extempore Prayer that is to be daily or often varied to be conveied down from our Fore-Fathers by Tradition whatever is so delivered must be a Form of words either written or learned by heart and so taught by the Elder to the younger Priests Wherefore even in this Sense these additional Prayers in the Sacramental Administrations were Forms made by the most Primitive Fathers and taught to their Successors and so conveyed down by oral Tradition But Thirdly this is his Fallacious perverting of S. Basils Words and not the true Sense of them For the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unwritten Traditions here spoken of by S. Basil are not things which never were written down by the Fathers as he falsly pretends Because both he and divers of the Ancients had written about many of the Rites and Usages which he there calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unwrirten Traditions an Hundred times As for instance about the hours of Prayer turning to the East when they prayed and about the Prefaces before the Eucharist c. But S. Basil only saith these things were not written in Scripture they were not enjoyned there those Saints or holy Men viz. the Apostles and Evangelists had not left Orders in Scripture for these Rites and Forms which must be his meaning because he goes on and saith We are not content with that which is Recorded in the Apostles and the Gospels That is besides the words of institution there were Forms of Prayer and Praise before and after in the Sacraments delivered down from the Primitive Fathers which he doth not say were never writ down by them but were not writ in Scripture For S. Basil calls the Scripture by
against this evident Truth And the first is a manifest Falshood viz. That no ancient Author mentions it (d) Disâ—ourse of Litu g. p. 162 c. For we have seen many of the Ancients do attest it Secondly He saith Many Words Rites and Persons are spoken of in it which cannot belong to S. Basil 's time To which I Answer That the Modern Copies now extant have many late Corruptions in them and we do not defend any one of these but if these be cast out there remains many primitive pious and excellent Forms of Prayer and Praise which are very agreeable to the genuine Works and to the uncorrupted Age of S. Basil and these are all the Passages in it that we defend and account to have been the Composure of S. Basil And if there were but Five Pages of this kind that suffices to make out my Position viz. That S. Basil made a Liturgy and that these Forms of Prayer were generally used in public in his time but the Reader who will peruse this Liturgy will find the far greatest part of it to be holy pure and primitive Forms and the Prayers Responses Hymns and Doxologies most of them both for Matter and Style agreeable to this Age and attested by the Writings of the Fathers both of this and former Centuries As to the Persons mentioned in this Liturgy who lived after S. Basil their Names were taken out of Modern Manuscripts Copied from some Liturgy which was in use in those later Ages wherein such Persons lived But though these Names were not in S. Basil's Original yet they do no more prove He never made the Original Liturgy ascribed to him or that he made no Liturgy than our praying for the present King and Queen or our having Offices for the Fifth of November and the 30th of January prove That the Main substance of the Common-Prayer-Book was not Composed in the Time of King Edward the Sixth and Queen Elizabeth So that I cannot but blush at such Learned Men as for want of better urge such trifling Sophistry for Arguments Thirdly My Adversary objects That divers Learned Protestants count this Liturgy spurious To which I Answer That Many also count the main of it to be genuine but all Learned Protestants except my Adversary do grant enough for my purpose viz. That S. Basil did make a Liturgy which sufficiently proves the Use of Liturgies in This Age. Du Plessis himself out of whom my Adversary steals most of his Arguments confesseth There is some appearance and likelyhood that Basil and Chrysostom did ordain a prescript Form of the Administration in their Diocesses (e) Mornay of the Mass Book I. Chap. 6. pag. 50. The Learned Rivet will not affirm that it is wholly spurious though he think as we do that many things were added to it and some things altered afterward (f) Riveti censur pag. 310. And Causabon as we noted before accounts these Liturgies partly false and partly true (g) Causab exercit in Baron xvi p. 384. with these also the Famous Salmasius though no great Friend to ancient Forms doth agree (h) Salmas contra Grot. op posthum pag. 254. Bishop Bilson cites many Passages out of them and justifies them to be authentic so far as they agree to the genuine Works of S. Basil and other Fathers of that Age (i) Bilson Christian Subject part 4. pag. 437. And to name no more Chemnitius saith He will not deny but Basil and Chrysostom did make some such form of Prayer but he saith That what we read now under their Names is not all genuine sincere nor certain (k) Chemnit exam Concil Trident. part 2. pag. 191. Which we freely grant because it follows that some of that which now goes under their Names is genuine sincere and certain Fourthly He urges the many Corruptions which are in the Modern Copies such as praying to Saints and the Blessed Virgin Prayers for the Dead c. to which we have given an Answer before and shall now only say That these are added to the old Form and a judicious Antiquary may easily distinguish these Novel Additions from the old Primitive Forms which are not to be cast away because some have added Corruptions to them We do not justifie but reject these Additions and there is enough besides to prove our Position therefore I will only add that in these Liturgies there are many Passages which condemn the present Doctrins of the Roman Church and it would be pity to cast away these because of some Dross mixed with them which when we have separated the pure Primitive Silver will remain I conclude therefore That S. Basil made a Liturgy and that the Christians in his Days used to pray by prescribed Forms § 16. The Books which pass under the name of Dionysius Areopagita Dionysius Areopag or rather Apollinaris Laod. An. Dom. 370. and especially that of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy have in them many Indications of a Liturgy but were writ in this Age as is supposed by Apollinaris Bishop of Laodicea who was a great Friend of S. Basil's and hath been noted not only for his High-flown Style but also for putting out Books under the names of the most Ancient Fathers (l) Dr. Caves Apostol life of Dionys Areop num 13. c. But whether he were the Author of them or no doubtless they must be ancienter than the sixth Century because many of the Rites here expounded were disused before that time and because there is express mention of them as cited by S. Cyril of Alexandria who lived in the beginning of the fifth Century (m) Liberati Brev. cap. 10. apud Bin. Tom. 2. par 2. pag. 182. Script An. 553. However Liberatus who Records this and allows Dionysius his Works to be good Evidence lived in the middle of the sixth Century and if these Books had been writ but little before it had been Ridiculous to have urged them for Evidence in dispute S. Gregory also the Great who lived in the same Century wherein Dailé pretends these Books were writ cites the celestial Hierarchy under the name of Dionysius Areopagita and calls him an Ancient and Venerable Writer (n) Greg. Mag. hom 34. in Evang. p. 138. yea in the very beginning of the sixth Century this Book is cited under the name of Dionysius by two Writers of the Greek Church (o) An. 527. Leont Byzant contr Nest lib. 2. Anastas Sinaita Anagog contempl in Hexam lib. 7. and Maximus writ Scholias upon these Books Anno Dom. 640. Wherefore this Author having such Credit and being mistaken for the true Dionysius in the fifth and sixth Ages could not live in later times than these wherein we now place him and we desire no more than our Adversary allows viz. that he may have Credit in reporting the usages of his own time p (m) Disc of Liturg. p. 39. Now though this Author is so very fearful of discovering Mysteries an evident
when the New-fashion Directory ha◠got possession of a Mans fancy he may dream that an Order or an Ordinal mus◠needs signifie some such thing Voconius Episc Musaeus Presb. Marscil An. Dom. 458. § 12. It was in the same Country and much about the Time of this Council that Voconius a Bishop and Musaeus a Priest of Marseilles did Compose very famous Volumes of Sacraments and Offices as Gennadius who lived also at Marseilles and flourished not above 30 years after this doth testifie (x) Gennad lib. de Script Eccl. in Musaeo Which still confirms my Observation That upon this Second Conversion of France after the Northern Pagans had overspread it the most Learned and Eminent of the Clergy began to reduce the several Provinces to one Form of Divine Service For it was not long after that the eloquent Bishop of Auvergne Sidonius Apollin Ep. Avern An. Dom. 472. Sidonius Composed a Book of Masses that is as the Phrase then signified a Book of Forms of Prayer c. (y) Vid. vit Sidonii praefix oper and Gregory of Tours who writ his History in the next Century tells us That he had written a Preface to this Liturgy and published it as Sidonius had reform'd it (z) Greg. Turon lib. 2. cap. 22. And not long before this viz. about the Year 458 Mamercus Bishop of Viennè had set up the use of Litanies after the manner of the Eastern Church ordering all the People with Fasting and great Devotion to use them in a public Procession when they were pressed with heavy Calamities (a) Greg. Turon lib. 2. cap. 34. Sidon Epist lib. 7. ep 1. And Sidonius tells us That there were Litanies used in the Gallican Church before but they were not said with that fervency vigour and frequency no nor with such strict Fasting as Mamercus had appointed (b) Sidon lib. 5. ep 14. And therefore as the Diocess of Viennè had been delivered by this devout use of the Litany so he thought fit to appoint it should be repeated in the same manner in his City when the Goths broke into that Province From which Relation we learn That Litanies were used in France before this Age though not with so much devotion and success and therefore we must by no means think Mamercus was the first Author of these Prescribed Forms of public Supplication There is another memorable Passage in the Life of Sidonius which confirms the general use of Written Forms in his Time which is That being to celebrate a Festival in his Church some wicke◠persons had stollen away the Book by which he was wont to Officiate but h◠was so ready a Man that even without Book he went through the whole Office for the Feast to the wonder of all the Congregation who thought he spake rather like an Angel than a Man (c) Vit. Sidonii Praef. oper Greg. Turon lib. 2. cap. 22. Now here we have express Testimony of a Common-Prayer which this excellent Bishop was wont to use and it seems it was a Wonder in this Age to see any Clergy-man perform the public Office without a Book which could not have been strange if my Adversaries way of Extempore Prayer had been usual For if every Bishop and Priest as he pretends had daily prayed without Book it had been ridiculous to have written this as a singular Excellency in Sidonius to be able to repeat the Office by the strength of his Memory without that Book which used to guide him therein And if it be Objected That this Relation seems rather to suppose he made a new Office Extempore I Reply That still makes out my Assertion Since it could not be the common way to pray on the sudden because it was thought almost a Miracle in Sidonius to do so therefore other Clergy-men generally used written Forms and made use of Common-Prayer-Books as we do now The same Sidonius tells us in one of his Epistles That the Monks and the Clergy celebrated the Vigils together with the Chanters of Psalms in Tunes which they sang alternately (d) Sidon lib. 5. ep 17. And it was in his Time as that Historian remarks they used to sing the Antiphons in the Church of S. Martin at Tours (e) Greg. Turon histor pag. 83. Now these were Forms of public Worship and as we have often noted must be either written or however certainly known before to those who make use of them and therefore prescribed Forms were the way by which God was worshiped in this Age Not only in France but also in Africa where Victor relates That it was the Custom at Carthage to bring up Boys in the skill of Music for the public Service of the Church Twelve of which Boys fell into the hands of Hunnericus the Vandal King (f) Victor histor persec Vandal lib. 5. Ad. Dom. 478. Now these Singing-Boys were not capable of bearing a part in the public Service if it had not been in Prescribed Forms Petrus Cnapheus Eplsc An ioc◠An. Dom. 483. § 13. And the same way was continued in the East for Petrus Cnapheus about this Time ordered the Creed to be daily repeated in the public Office at Antioch as my Adversary doth confess (g) Disc of Lit. pag. 102. and other Authors testifie (h) Theod. Lect. lib 2. pag. 189. Bona de rebus Liturg. p 537. And no opposition was made to this it being a known Form as well as the rest of the Service But when the same Bishop being infected with Heresie did attempt to make an addition to the ancient Hymn called the Trisagion and would have put in these Words Which was Crucified for us the People who had been long accustomed to that Orthodox Form delivered down to them from their Fore fathers would not endure it (i) Baron Annal. An 483. p. 381. and when others at Constantinople added this Sentence to the Response as the Chanter was singing the Hymn in the accustomed way there was a very great Tumult made upon that occasion (k) Theodor. Lect. Synops pag 187. Disc of Lit. pag. 2◠compar'd with pag. 25. And here I cannot but wonder at my Adversaries rare dexterity who when he had undertaken to prove that there could be no Liturgies in these Ages because we never read of any change or alterations made in them pag. 25. within two Pages relates The great tumult at Constantinople and the wise which was made through the World by attempting to alter this ancient Hymn Which was an eminent part of the Communion-Service to which the People had been so long used that they soon perceived and highly resented this Alteration of their Sacred Forms Which strongly proves not only that they used prescribed Forms now but had done so long before And as to this very Trisagian he mistakes in saying it was first used in the Time of Theodosius the Younger (l) Disc of Lit. pag. 177. For we have proved by divers Testimonies that
Prefaces to be received into the Sacred Catalogue which for many Ages past the Roman Churches Truth hath hitherto observed (o) Sacrum Ordinem Romanum sacraque constituta nostrorum Antecessorum solertèr relegentes invenimus has novem Praesationes in sacro Catalogo tantuminodo recipiendas quas longa retro veritas in Romanâ Ecclesià hactenus servavit Pelag. Ep. 11. Bin. Tom. 2. par 2. pag. 259. And then he proceeds to reckon up the particulars viz The first at Easter The second at Ascension-day The third at Pentecost The fourth at Christmass The fifth at the Epiphany The sixth on the Festival of the Apostles The seventh on Trinity Sunday The eighth on the Feast of the Cross The ninth in Lent and time of Fasting From which Answer it appears the holy Roman Order was a Written Book a Liturgy containing not only the Method in which the several parts of the Offices were disposed but the very Forms themselves at large and particularly the several proper Prefaces for the great Festivals As also it is affirmed That these proper Prefaces of which he hath here occasion to treat had been prescribed in this Roman Liturgy long before this Time and for divers Ages had been preserved therein Which shews there were Written Forms at Rome in very early Times and that they were no invention of this or the last Age. And we may give the more credit to this Assertion because even to this very Time the Church of Rome was wholly free from the corrupt and superstitious Worship which since they have given to the Blessed Virgin Mary there being not to be found at this Time one Festival dedicated to her Honour which had a special Preface appropriate to it in the Offices then used at Rome to the shame of the later Popes who have made the Worship of the Virgin the main part of all their Offices Leander Episc H â—pal An. Dom. 588. § 11. After the Steps made toward one uniform Liturgy among the Suevians in the Province of Gallicia by the Consultation of Vigilius and the Council of Braga Leander the famous Bishop of Sevil Converted Reccaredus King of the Goths from Arianism within a few years after these Goths had Conquered the Suevians and were become Lords of all Spain And the first Care he took was to purge out the Errors from the Gothic Office and to take away the various Forms used in the several Provinces of Spain which had been Peopled with several Nations governed by different Kings and had held divers Opinions in Religion but he now composes one Office for the whole Kingdom which his next Successor Isidore perfected and fully setled there For which Reason the Writers of this History generally ascribe it to them both Roderic of Toledo calls it The Office of the Mass instituted by the Bishops Leander and Isidore (p) Roderic Tolet. de reb Hispan lib. 6. cap. 25. And Jo. Vasaeus in his Chronicle saith The Christians who lived among the Arabians were called Mozarabes that is Mixt with the Arabians and therefore they used that Ecclesiastical Office then which S. Leander and Isidore composed and all Spain used it until the days of Alfonso the Sixth (q) Jo. Vasaei Chron. Hispanâ— pag. 579. But that Leander first put this Office into order is plain from the Testimony of Isidore himself who faith Leander took no small pains in the Ecclesiastical Offices and in the Hymns at the Communion and Psalms he Composed many sweet things (r) Isidor de script Eccles in Leandr vict Bona de reb Liturg. lib. 1. cap. 11. p. 364. Another Historian saith Leander writ one Book of Prayers and another of the Communion (s) Fran. Taraph de reg Hisp pag. 704. Wherefore we conclude that this Leander having before him the Liturgy used by the Arian Goths the Order made for the Suevians in Gallicia And probably the Gallican Roman and African Forms made up one Office out of them all which afterwards when the Moers who spake Arabick came into Spain and were some of them Converted to the Faith was called the Mozarabic Liturgy which is extant to this day in the Bibliotheca Patrum and elsewhere (t) Bib. Patr. edit Colon. Tom. 15 p. 777. vid. Ben. de reb Liturg. lib. 1. cap. 11 12. in Appendice For that this was not the first time that prescribed Forms were used in these Parts of the World is evident from what hath been shewed before concerning the Goths and Suevians both in France and Spain and may further appear by these few Observations viz. That the old Gothic Office yet retains a Collect on S. Martins-day wherein he is called A Man whom our Age hath produced Now S. Martin died An. Dom. 402. and therefore the Missal from whence Leander or Isidore took this Form must have been composed in the Fifth century that is as soon as the Goths in France became Christians And Gregory of Tours mentions an Embassador coming from Leonigild the Father of Reccaredus who was an Arian and so was this Embassador for he would not Communicate with them in France because they did not say Glory be to the Father by the Son as they did in their Offices in Spain (u) Greg. Turon lib. 6. cap. 48. pag. 289. And in the Third Council of Toledo under Reccaredus the First Orthodox Gothish King when Leader had begun to correct the Arian Forms they pronounce an Anathema against all that say Glory be to the Father by the Son and will not say To the Father and the Son (w) Concil Tolet. 3. An. 589. ap Bin. Tom. 2. par 2. pag. 276. So that we see the Goths had Forms suited to their Heresie while they were Arians but made Orthodox as soon as they embraced the Catholic Faith Moreover this same Council which was before Isidore's Time in order to discover those who yet secretly favoured Arianism Ordain That the Creed shall be repeated by all the People with an audible Voice before the Lords Prayer in the Communion (x) Concil Tol. t. 3. Can. 2. ibid. Which Usage still is kept in the Mozarabic Liturgy and is peculiar to that Office From all which we may infer That Leander compiled this Office but did not first invent the Forms only he collected them out of more ancient Liturgies especially the old Gallican Missal which the Arian Goths had corrupted but he now restored it to its ancient Purity and therefore there is a very great Agreement between the old Gallican and Mozarabic Missals and they are nearer to each other than either of them are to the ancient Roman Forms Which confirms our Observation That this Age did not first Worship God by Liturgies but continued the ancient Way only by the New Conversion of divers Countries from Paganism or Heresie one pure Liturgy was collected and published for the use of that Country or Province from which none of their Ecclesiastics were allowed to vary The
one Order without the least Variation and that one Order was as we see plainly the Old Spanish Liturgy the very Words of which are yet extant (p) Vid Biâ— Pati Tom. xv ut supr Item Bona de reb Liturg. lib. 1. cap. 11. p. 365. which was that Office whereby all the little Varieties occasioned by diversity of Religion mixture of People and division of Kingdoms were happily taken away for many Ages and this is the true state of this Matter But my Adversary generously undertakes from this very Council and these Canons to prove First That the Spanish Churches at this time were not subject to Imposed Orders for one Form of Worship no not in the Sacraments which were celebrated there not only variously but unduly (q) Disc of Lit. pag. 133. And this he proves by the Preface to this Council which in a detached Sentence saith The Divine Sacraments in the Churches of Spain are celebrated in a different and unlawful manner (r) In Sâ—cramentis â— vâ—nis quâ—â—â—â— verso 〈…〉 medo in Hispaniaâ—um â—â—â—â—sas celebrantur Baâ— Tom. 2. par 2. pag. 345. And this he pretends shews some remaining Ruins of the ancient Liberty even after the Imposing Spirit was rouzed and active But alas the History and Occasion of this diversity shews it was a modern Corruption no ancient Liberty and this very place which he cites calls this diversity Vnlawful as being contrary to the ancient Canons For one Liturgy in one Country was the Old Rule and Original Practice the Variety which yet was no liberty of Praying without Forms was the Innovation yea the same Preface there calls it An Vsurpation assuming licence to it self from Mens negligence contrary to the Ecclesiastical Vsage (s) Quae dum per negligentiam in usum venerunt contra Ecclesiasticos meres â—â—â—â—tiam libi de usur atione 〈…〉 Praelat ibid. 'T is plain they had divers Kings different Creeds and all had been confused for some time past but now they had broke through those unhappy Circumstances they resolve to cast out this seemingly Schismatical and really Scandalous Diversity and reduce all to the ancient Uniformity Secondly he saith One of the first Books for public Service that he meets with is the Libellus Officialis in the 25th Canon of this Council which seems rather a short Directory than a compleat Liturgy given to every Presbyter at his Ordination to instruct him how to Administer the Sacraments lest through ignorance of his Duty herein he should offend (t) Disc of Lit. pag. 15. And to make this out he quotes as usually only half that 25th Canon But the whole Canon is this When Priests are Ordained for Parishes let them receive a Book of Offices from their Bishop that they may succeed in their Cures duly instructed lest by Ignorance in the Divine Mysteries they offend Christ (u) Quando Presbyteri in Parochiis ordinantur libellum Officialem à Sacerdete suo accipiant ut ad Ecclesias sibi deputatas instructi succedant ne per ignorantiam etiam in ipsis divinis Sacramentis Christum offendant ita ut quod Quando ad Litanias vel ad Concilium venâ—rint rationem Episcopo suo reddant qualitâ—r susceptum Officium celebrant vel baptizant Bin. ibid. Can. 25. pag. 351. Here he breaks off but the Canon goes on So that when they come to Litanies or to a Council they may give an account to their Bishop how they have performed the Offices they have undertaken and how they have Baptized This is the Canon entire And to his Objections I Reply First That he did meet with the Codex Gelasianus almost 150 years before this and with Gregory's Ordo Romanus which was made made Thirty year before (w) Disc of Lit. pag. 83. yea he had met with Written Prayers in the Third Council of Carthage An. 398. (x) Ibid pag. 44. And he might have met with a common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book in Sidonius Apollinaris with Sacerdotalem librum in Vincentius Lirinensis cited before with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Sozomen with a whole Liturgy in the Apostical Constitutions with the Books of enjoyned Prayers in Constantine's Time These and many more Books for public Service he might have met with but that none is so blind as he that will not see He affirms Secondly That the Book of Offices mentioned in this Council was rather a short Directory than a compleat Liturgy But this is to outface the Sun when it is certainly meant of the Mozarabic Office wherein all the Hymns and Prayers are writ out at large And it argues a Mind strangely possessed with the Notion of a Directory to tell us That all those Canons which we cited before viz. Can. 2 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16th and 17th had been needless if those Churches had been furnished with such a Liturgy as provided sufficiently for the Severals there mentioned (y) Disc of laÌ„t pag. 16. For those Canons do all suppose there had been divers Liturgies appointing a various use of those Forms but since now one Liturgy was established as the Second Canon shews they add the Authority of a National Council to that One Order agreed on and forbid all former ways which did in the least vary from it and considering how apt Men are to be tenacious of their own Way which they have long used all these Canons were little enough to secure and restore the ancient Uniformity yea the very Reason given in this 25th Canon why the Bishop delivered this Book of Offices to every Parish-Minister at his Ordination is that they might Officiate by none of the Old Liturgies but by this alone and when these Country-Ministers came to their Bishop either upon occasion of the Grand Procession used when the Litany was publickly said by the whole Clergy of the Diocess or at those Synods which were then held at least once a year Then he might bring this Book along with him to certifie the Bishop that he had used no other Forms but these established in any Offices of his Ministration Now had this been only a Directory according to my Adversaries extravagant Fancy some might offend Christ out of Ignorance by not choosing or making proper Forms and it had been impossible they should all have agreed so exactly in every Office as the Second Canon requires that the People could not observe the least difference To conclude The Fathers of this Council tell us in the 13th Canon That divers Hymns used in the Church were composed by the Ecclesiastical Doctors and if any for that Reason would not use them they must also reject the Forms of Prayer For say they these Hymns are composed as Masses or Supplications or Prayers or Commendations that is Intercessions for all Estates of Men or Impositions of Hands are Composed Which if they might not be said in the Church all Ecclesiastical Offices must cease And therefore they conclude That as none of them did refuse
and for all the Occasional Offices which Book so translated was Printed at Leiden An. 1648. To this I may add another Book put out by Jo. Alasco a Noble Polonian Protestant in the days of King Edward the Sixth the Title whereof runs thus The Form and Manner of the whole Ecclesiastical Ministration in the Church for Strangers and especially Germans appointed at London by the most Religious King Edward the Sixth An. 1550 (q) Forma ratio tota Ecclesiastici ministerii c. Lond. An. 1550. Wherein there are also divers Set Forms of Prayer and Thanksgiving to be used in the several Offices of their Church And to name no more I have in my possession a Scotch-Common-Prayer-Book said to be Composed by Mr. Knox containing A Kalendar with Holy-days The Psalms of David in Meeter Forms of Prayer in the Visitation of the Sick Forms of Confession of Sin A Form of Intercession for all Estates of Men A Form of Prayer for the King Forms for Administring the Lords Supper and Baptism The Form of Matrimony and other occasional Offices c. for the use of the Kirk of Scotland Imprinted at Middleburgh An. 1594. I do not cite these Books as if there were no other or no more Protestant Liturgies but because I have seen all these lately and have most of them by me and because these are sufficient to convince any man That all established Protestant Churches do approve of and use Prescribed Forms so that if we should cast off ours to oblige that sort of Dissenters whom Mr. Clarkson Patronizes we must act contrary to the judgment and practice of the most famous Protestant Churches abroad and the most eminent Reformed Divines of all Nations and therefore I refer it to any Man to consider if this be a probable way to unite us with all Forein Protestants as some vainly discourse § 4. I know nothing can remain to be objected now unless it be That there are some great and just Exceptions lye against our Liturgy in particular To which I shall not now Reply by Repeating what I have said in my Larger Discourses upon the Common-Prayer where every one of the Objections that I have ever met with are considered and answered already But I shall now shew what esteem our common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book hath been in among the most learned and judicious Protestant Writers ever since it was first Compos'd And I begin with Alexander Alesius an eminent Scotch Divine who Translated King Edward's Common-Prayer Book into Latin and in his Preface to it he saith He did this that it might be seen and read by many for the honour of the English Church whose care and diligence herein he doubted not would be for the example and comfort of some and for the shame of others and he hoped it might provoke the rest of the Reformed to imitate this most noble and divine Work in setling the Church believing that God put it into his hands to publish it at that time for the General Good (r) Praef. ad Libr. precum per Alex. Aâ—es inter Buceri script Anglicaâ— pag. 373 3â—5 c. with much more to the same purpose And here I must note that probably this was that Interpretation of our English Service Book which the judicious and modest Mr. Bucer looked over so diligently to satisfie himself whether he ought to conform to it And upon this he saith When I throughly understood it I gave Thanks to God who had granted to this Church to Reform her Rites to that degree of Purity For I found nothing in them which was not taken out of the Word of God or at least which was contrary thereunto if it were candidly expounded (s) Buceri censura super Libr. Sâ—croâ— praef pag. 456. And when by Archbishop Cranmer's special Command he had perused the whole Book in order to his censuring what he thought was to be amended He declares his Judgment thus In the prescript Form for the Communion and the daily Prayers I see nothing writ in this Book which is not taken out of the Word of God if not in express Words as the Psalms and Lessons yet in Sense as the Collects and also the Order of these Lessons and Prayers and the Times when they are to be used are very agreeable to the Word of God and to the Constitution observed in the Ancient Church (t) Buceri censura c. cap. 1. p. 457. And afterwards he is for writing down all holy Rites and the Words of the sacred Administrations and he owns that the Church of England hath done this very purely and conformable to Christ's Institution As for the things which he modestly supposed might be altered for the better it is evident That most of them were regulated afterwards and many of them were rectified according to his Advice there so that we not only see he was clearly for the use of prescribed Forms but liked the Book of King Edward with some few Amendments and had he seen our present Common-Prayer no doubt he would have wholly approved it The next Evidence shall be the most learned Archbishop of Spalato who affirms against Suarez That the English Liturgy containeth nothing in it which is not holy which is not pious and truly Christian as well as Catholic (u) Ant. de Dom. Spalat osteus error Fran. Suarez cap. 6. §. 82. pag. 340. And a little after The Form of Divine Offices that is of Public Prayers for all England which as I have said is taken out of the most ancient and most laudable Liturgies approved even by the Roman Church collected with great Judgment so as to leave out those things which the Romanists themselves are not very ready to defend (w) Ibid §. 37. pag. 342. Thus this Great Man stops the Mouth of a Malicious Enemy to our Liturgy And Causabon at the same time had as great an esteem for it For in his Epistle to King James the First he saith Your Majesty hath such a Church in your Kingdoms partly so instituted of Old and partly so regulated by your Endeavours that none at this day comes nearer to the Form of the most Flourishing Ages of the Ancient Church following a middle way between those who have offended both in the Excess and the Defect (x) Causaâ— Ep. ad Reg. jac praeâ—ix ad exerc Baron And in an Epistle to Salmasius he saith If his Conjecture do not fail the soundest part of the whole Reformation is in England (y) Id. Ep. ad Salmas qu. 709. Moreover Salmasius himself though in some Points he differed from our Church yet relates it as a Reason of King Charles the Martyrs constancy to our Liturgy That the Form of it was long since approved by most of the Reformed Pastors and those Men of the first Rank both in France and elsewhere and as being a Book which seemed to contain nothing but what agreed to Piety and to the Evangelical Doctrin (z)
illiciti sunt omnes sunt actus bellici sive in personas sive in res Grot. de jur Bell. Pac. lib. 3. cap. 21. §. 6. I shalâ— not question the Character oâ— Learned and Judicious which the Title Page bestows upon the Deceased Author because he whâ—â— was so Learned to make these Collections was so Judicious to suppress them so long as he lived But though I know not the Publisher I am sure he can make claim to neither of those Characters His want of Learning appears in leaving divers Quotations in a wrong place where they have no reference to the Text and several References in the Text to Passages in the Fathers which because the Author did not the Editor could not cite as also in such gross Mistakes both of the Names and Tracts of the Ancients as made it very difficult to guess at the intended Quotations And his want of Judgment appears in his being so hasty to publish these indigested Collections at this unseasonable Juncture that he took no Time nor Care to fill up the imperfect Periods nor cut off the nauseous Repetitions nor to clear the blundered Sentences of this Discourse which ought rather to be styled a Discourse against than concerning Liturgies Had this been a time when their Way of Worship was not Tolerated or when Ours was imposed on them by Penalties there had been some Excuse for this Attempt to prove Forms of Prayer Novel and Vnlawful Had we begun to provoke them by exposing their Extempore Prayers as we could easily do that had been a fair Apology for this daring Vndertaking but when all our Pens for some years past have been employed against the late bold and dangerous Emissaries of the Roman Church who were rather encouraged than opposed by some of these Gentlemen at This Season to become the Aggressors is ungrateful and inexcusable Though their Way be not established but barely permitted as Divorce was to the Jews and for the same Reason too (c) Matt. xix 8. Possum dicere quod permittitur bonum non est Tert. ad uxor lib. 1. pag. 163. yet we have not been willing to bend our Force against it while there seemed any hopes of a successful Treaty But they without any sense of Honour in requital to our Civility have not been content to vindicate their barely permitted Novelties but have attacked our Legal Way of Worship while it is guarded by Laws and is the Public Religion of our National Church 'T is true if this great Searcher of Antiquity had made any New Discoveries to clear the practice of Extempore Praying to have been the constant Vsage of the Primitive Church the Editor had been pardonable for obliging this Age with so rare and as yet so unheard of a Notion But since this Author who to use his own Words seems to have been the best acquainted with the Fathers of any of his Stamp makes no discovery by that Diligence which hath ransacked all the Corners of Antiquity for it (d) Disc concerning Liturgies pag. 180 181. but a few forced Phrases and Irregular as well as Extraordinary Facts to justifie their Prayers but uses the meanest of Artifices to disparage Ours jealous yea judicious Men will be apt to conclude That Conscience is not the only motive to this party for Dissenting nor Indulgence theiâ— only Expectation because they cannot take satisfaction in the Enjoyment of their own Worship unless they may disturb and expose Ours In this Case the sober Dissenters will certainly excuse us for thiâ— necessary Self-defence And ouâ— Friends would justly censure us as the Betrayers of our Establishment if the vain hopes of gaining Men of such a Temper should make us silent under so heavy a Charge For this Discourse pretends to shew That Liturgies are a late and Corrupt Way of Worship and that Prescribed Forms were invented in the Ages of Ignorance and Superstition and have been supported â—y the Laziness of the Clergy and â—he Decay of true Devotion but both Liturgies and all Forms hinder the Pastors from exercising their Gifts and the People from being edified by the Divine Service But all this is not proved by Arguments a pompous shew of Antiquity and a Margen filled with Quotations is the Medium to make out this severe Indictment And possibly those of the Authors Principles who are generally Strangers in the Fathers may think he hath mighty Evidence of his side while those who are skilled in the Primitive Writers may easily discern at first Reading that his Instances are generally false or impertinent and his Inferences forced and fallacious This I have shewed in the following Papers particularly and shall only now make a few general Observations to take off the Advantages which he seems to have by these numerous Allegations First His Testimonies are not so many as they may appear to an hasty and careless Reader because He often repeats the same thing twice yea thrice over in several parts of his Book Thus the same places of S. Augustin are transcribed often as about correcting Prayers (e) Disc of Lit. pag. 48 113. about Barbarisms and Solecisms (f) Ibid. p. 5. pag. 142. about Praying in an House infested with Evil Spirits (g) Ib. p. 66. pag. 121. And He quotes one Passage in Celestine's Epistles thrice (h) Ibid. p. 6. p. 29 138 in like manner he hath dealt with the same places of Justin Martyr S. Basil Innocentius and almost all other Fathers who he thinks have any thing which sounds to the discredit of Liturgy Secondly His Testimonies are not so weighty as might be imagined at first sight because wherever his Margen is very full it is always to prove something which no Body will deny and which is nothing to the purpose As about the Ancients delight to conceal their Mysteries (i) Disc of Lit. pag. 28 29 34 35 36 42. about the Laying on of Hands in divers Offices (k) Ib. p. 51 52. about the Variety of Expressions in the Fathers who only occasionally speak of Baptism (l) Ib. p. 95 c. or of the Renunciation of the Devil (m) Ib. p. 106 107. Now this arguaes a great scarcity of Testimonies concerning the Public and Solemn manner of making Prayers in Christian Assemblies which is the only Point in question Thirdly His Evidence is by no means clear and intelligible and He seems to design it should not serve to inform but amuse because he hath jumbled all Antiquity together and thrown it into confused Heaps placing the later Fathers often before the former and mixing the first last and middle Ages together without any order or coherence yea and citing the same Father in little parcels in sundry and distant places of his Book So that it is almost impossible from him to learn the true Sense either of any Age or any Ancient Writer because those Matters which should help us to judge of this are so designedly
one thing in this Canon which makes it more than probable that the Prayers for the Faithful were Forms and that is the Reason why as this Canon speaks they dismissed the Catechumens which seems to be for fear by daily hearing these Forms they should remember the Phrases of these Mysteries and discover them to profane and common Ears For if these Prayers had been Extempore and the Phrases varied every day as my Adversary pretends the Catechumens might safely have stayed there it being impossible they should so learn or remember those various Expressions as to relate them to any body after they were gone home Finally Why should we not believe this Order was the Method of the public Forms of Prayer there being the same Order exactly observed in all those Ancient Forms which are extant at this day and not one word that intimates any such thing as an Extempore Prayer or frequent variation of the Forms either in this Council or in any Father or Council about this time And this may suffice for these Canons which after all his shuffling Objections are good Evidence for a stated Liturgy in this Age. Optatus Milev An. Dom. 368. § 10. Optatus Milevitanus though he writ on a different Subject yet he hath divers Expressions which suppose and imply that there was in his time a Liturgy used in Africa For he mentions the Peoples joyning with the Priest in the Divine Service and blames the Donatists for shutting the mouths of all Christian Nations and forcing all the People to be silent (u) Optat. Milev lib. 2. pag. 47. which shews they used alternate Singing and Responses among the Orthodox and that Method cannot be but by Form Yea he declares there were some certain Words so established and enjoyned by Law in the celebration of the Sacrament that the Donatists themselves could not pass them by (w) Illud legitimum in Sacramentorum mysterio praeterire non posse Id. ibid. pag. 53. and from their using these Words he draws an Argument against their Schism which he could not have done if they had not been fixed and a Set Form My Adversary mistakes this passage and fancies that Optatus refers to the Prayer of Consecration which could never be omitted (x) Discourse of Liturgy p. 61. but the holy Father explains himself in the same Page and shews us that he means the Prayer For the Holy Catholic Church You say saith Optatus that you offer for that One Church which is diffused over the whole World (y) Offerre vos dicitis pro una Ecclesia quae sit in toto terrarum orbe diffusa Optat. ibid. Thus he saith the Orthodox prayed and this was so established that the Donatists in this exceeding our Dissenters that they had not thrown off the Churches Forms could not omit it And thus the Learned Fr. Baldwin expounds it He means saith he that Solemn Form of the Canonical Prayer in which it is said We offer unto thee this Sacrifice for that One Church which is diffused over all the World (z) Fr. Bald. notis in Optat. pag. 185. Which Words also are in the Mystical Prayer set down by the Author of the Apostostolical Constitutions (a) Constit Apostol lib. 8. cap. 13. cap 18. and are found with little variation in that very Prayer in all the ancient Liturgies Now by Legitimum Optatus cannot mean that these Words were enjoyned by the Law of Christ because this Form being not enjoyned by any Scripture therefore it must signifie a Form enjoyned by the Laws of the Church which in that Age did so strictly enjoyn this very Prayer that it seems None might omit or pass it by And there is another Form of Ecclesiastical Appointment in the same Author brought in with the same Preface You cannot omit saith he again to the Donatists that which is established by Law for certainly you say Peace be with you (b) Et non potuistis praetermittere quod legittimum est utique dixistis Pax vabiscum ic lib. 3. pag. 73. Now this was the Form of Episcopal Benediction we have it in all old Liturgies and it is plain by Optatus his raising an Argument from these Words That the African Church had them in their Liturgy which was so firmly established that none could omit any part of it No not so much as alter the order For Optatus again saith After you have absolved the Penitents presently you turn to the Altar and cannot omit the Lords Prayer (c) Mox ad altare conversi Dominicam Orationem praetermittere non potestis Idem lib. 2. pag. 57. So that the very order of repeating the Lord's Prayer at the Altar in the beginning of the Prayers for the Faithful which was but of Ecclesiastical Institution could not be changed Moreover we find in Optatus That there was a Rumor spread upon the coming of some from the Emperour that Alterations would be made in the Communion Service which startled the People but they were quieted again when they saw The Solemn Custom and wonted Rite observed and discerned that nothing was changed added or diminished in the Divine Sacrifice (d) Cum viderent in divinis Sacrificiis nec mutatum quicquam nec additum nec ablasum Id. lib. 3. pag. 75. From whence it appears there was a known Form for the Communion an Office so well understood by the People that they could perceive when it was altered in any particular So that doubtless those Christians were not used to variety of Phrases nor accustomed to the Extempore Man's Fancy to celebrate in a longer or shorter Form as he pleased Again he repeats the very Form of Exorcising those who came to be Baptized (e) Maledicte exi foras Optat. lib. 4. pag. 79. and the Form of the Responses when they renounced the Devil and repeated their Creed at Baptism (f) Id. lib. 5. pag 86 89. And when we put all this together concerning known Forms of Words which could not be altered nor omitted and were enjoyned by Law we may conclude they had a written Liturgy in Africa in his time And it is very probable that this Book of Prayers was one of those Books in the Plural Number which the Donatists as he complains took away from the Holy Altar from whence the Peoples Prayers were wont to be sent up to God (g) Idem lib. 7. pag. 98. And since they had a written Form as the Fore-cited passages shew it is probable that the Liturgy as well as the Bible was then lying upon the Altar Epiphanius An. Dom 369. § 11. We can expect no great account of the Sacred Forms in Epiphanius since he is so very nice in speaking of Mysteries that he will not repeat the Words of our Saviour's Institution but thus expresses them He took these things and giving Thanks said This is that of mine c. (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eâ—â—phan in Anâ—orat p. 432. And he reckons it
they also are now directed to the Father which Method none but Hereticks can be supposed to alter and lest any should bring in any Heretical Forms into these Offices the Council supposing still the Public Forms were thus made orders all Prayers at the Altar should be directed to the Father which is as much as to bind them to the old Forms I need only here observe the Reason why the public Prayers at the Altar were all to be directed to the Father which is because Jesus Christ is there set forth as the Propitiation for our Sins and our only Advocate it is by him and his Redemption there represented that we hope to engage the Father to hear us By Him therefore and not To Him these Prayers must be made Here we declare we only rely on his Interest and Intercession and by reason of His Death here represented the Sacrament hath been ever esteemed the most effectual way of prevailing with God the Father to whom therefore here our Prayers are most properly addressed And so they were then as I could prove if it were needful by many Passages of the Orthodox Fathers So that this Clause also supposes the public Forms were rightly drawn up and forbids any alteration to be made in them in this Point wherein some had been culpable by writing out Heretical Forms and prescribing them ignorantly to their own Diocesses As for the last Clause our Adversary reads it falsly the Words are (g) Quicunque sibi preces aliunde describit Vera Lectio Canonis At ille legit Quascunque sibi preces aliquis describit Confer Bin. ut supr cum libro isto pag. 44. Whoever writes out any Prayers from any other place for himself But he perverts it thus What-Prayers-soever any shall Copy out for himself where note he leaves out the main Word Aliunde From any other place which plainly refers to a public and prescribed Liturgy he that writ out any Prayers from thence need not shew them to any but whoever he were Bishop or private Man that writ out Prayers from any other Form he was not to use them in public or private till they had been viewed and judged of by the most able Bishops Whence we may justly infer First That there was a Written Liturgy throughly Orthodox out of which if any Man writ out any Forms he was sure they were right and need not shew them to any but boldly use them either in public or private Secondly That some itched after other Forms then as now also many do to restrain which dangerous humor this Council first obliges those who did this whatever they were to shew these Forms taken from other places to the more Judicious and within a few years another Council allowed no Prayers to be brought in but such as had been allowed by a Synod Thirdly That all this Clause may very well be referred to private Prayers because it is very probable that some for their private Devotions collected Forms out of the Liturgy Others transcribed them from some New Compositions but the Hereticks had been so busie that the liberty of using these was not to be allowed till some Judicious Men had viewed and approved them Lastly We may observe That this Clause wholly relates to Written Forms it supposes the Persons here spoken of did never pray otherwise than by Written Forms whether it be explained of public or private Prayers this is certain they writ them out of Forms and after they had Copied them out used them as such So that this utterly confutes my Adversary and shews That the general use of Africa was to pray by Forms This very plainly proves the Gift of Prayer was now ceased there and manifests their Folly who pretend in our days that it is a general Gift This shews that none did pretend to Extempore Prayer but all either writ out Forms from the public Liturgy or from some other place wherefore our Adversary had a singular assurance when he produced this Passage against Written Forms These were certainly Written Forms And he had best ask how these African Christians could look up to Heaven or mind God alone in Prayer when they were bound to look on their Books into which these Forms were transcribed or enquire how their Mysteries could be concealed being written down This Matter of Fact baffles all his far fetch'd Objections and let him interpret the whole Canon as he please it will shew the use of Written Forms and manifest the mischief of leaving Men at liberty to choose Forms for themselves even in his own way of expounding this shews so many ill Consequences of varying from the stated and established Forms that following Councils were forced to enjoyn them more strictly than ever And his Friends Smectymnuus were so honest to confess That as the Laodicean Canon Ordained None should vary but always use the same Form so the Carthaginian Canon further limited the Form (h) Smectymn Answer to Remonstr pag. 7. So that in their Opinion this Canon is an Evidence of the use of limited and prescribed Forms and a Restraint upon such as would vary from them § 24. Council of Africa Can 70. coâ— temp The same also is the Sense of that 70th Canon in the African Collection the true Reading of which in all the eminent Editors of it is This Concerning the Prayers which ought to be said at the Altar it seemeth good that those Prayers which have been heretofore Confirmed in the Council whether Prefaces Commendations or Impositions of Hands shall be used by all and by no means at no time shall any Prayers against the Faith be brought in but let those Prayers be said which have been Collected by the more Discreet (i) Can. Aâ—ric apud Bin. 103. Tom. 1. par 1. pag. 780. ita in Justel Cod. Tom. 1. p 385. in Beveridge dicitur Can. 106. Concil Carthag Tom. 1. pag 640. My Adversary could raise no Arguments from this Canon till he had falsified the Reading of it (k) Discourse of Liturg. p. 48 c. And therefore First He leaves out the first Words Concerning the Prayers which ought to be said at the Altar which though some Copies make the Title of the Canon yet none but my Adversary wholly omit them and Dr. Beveridge proves they are really a part of the Canon it self as even the next Words which depend on these do shew Concerning the Prayers c. It also seems good c. Secondly My Adversary translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latin Preces quae probatae fuerint The Prayers which shall be allowed in a Council nay He argues from his own false Translation that these could not be a Liturgy established because they were not yet approved (l) Discourse of Liturg. pag. 53. Whereas every Man may see that both the Greek and Latin Words are of the Preterperfect-Tense and not the Future wherefore they refer to the time perfectly past And so S. Paul uses this very