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A43790 Dissertation concerning the antiquity of churches wherein is shewn, that the Christians in the two first centuries, had no such publick separate places for worship, as the papists generally, and some Protestants also presume, and plead for. Hill, Joseph, 1625-1707. 1698 (1698) Wing H1999; ESTC R19760 56,800 78

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thereof But that they do so still as Gregory also saith I think is a mistake I never observed it in any of their Synagogues tho I have seen several and their Worship yet I never saw any People so regardless therein as the present Generation of the Jews But why may we not pray in the same posture with the Jews of old which were Gods People and had his direction as well as in the posture of those Gentile Idolaters that worshipped the Sun Ezek. 8.16 as the Persians and many other Nations Truly if you will believe the Cardinal because this posture signifies so much more excellent things than the Jewish which he there mentions even the difference between the Gospel and Christianity from the present Religion of the accursed Jews the Enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ Here recommend me to the man that hath so strong Faith as to believe a bare posture can denote such great things to which it hath no tendency or likeness at all But if any one hath list and leisure to see a deal of dry Learning thrown away on this subject of praying towards the East they may peruse the 18th Chap. of Gregory's Notes on Zachary 6. v. 12. Who had written also a Treatise he intituled Alkibla i. e. the place toward which men worship as the Publisher of his posthumous Works acquaints us the loss whereof he laments tho for my part I think it not great Before I pass to another Argument let me set down the Opinion of Strabo in the place fore-mentioned an Author near 800 Years old when Ceremonies and Superstition were in Vogue and near their Altitude concerning the site of Churches Eastward Et quia diversitas Idololatriae diversis modis Templa extruxerat non magnopere curabant illius temporis justi quam in partem orationis loca converterent dum tantum videretur ubi eliminatae sunt Daemonum sordes ibi Deum creatorem omnium qui ubique est coli adorari And because Temples were built after divers manners according to the different ways of Idolatry The righteous men of those days did not much care which way the places of Prayer stood their consideration being only this that look where the filth and abomination of Devils were cast out of Doors there God the Creator of all who is every where might be worshipped and adored Now that by the righteous men of those times which cared not which way they converted their places or selves in Prayer to God were the times of the Conversion of the Empire from Idolatry to Christianity is plain by what preceds c. 3. where he saith After the time was come wherein the true Worshippers in Spirit and Truth not in Jerusalem only or in the Hill of Samaria that is not locally but spiritually began to worship the Father and the Doctrine of Salvation went forth into all Nations according to the commandment of the Lord the Faithful began to seek loca munda clean places which he interprets by that which follows and removed from tumults and affairs of men of carnal conversation therein to celebrate pure Prayers and the holy Mysteries and the comforts of mutual edification For tho we read in the Gospel the Disciples were with the Believers always in the Temple or in some upper room praising God and giving themselves to Fasting and Prayer yet after the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon them we read Act 1. 2d chap. that they Celebrated Prayers and the Eucharist circa domos from house to house and they met together not only within the City in some house or other but without also in secret places as at Philippi Acts 16.13 But when the number of Believers was multiplied they began to make their Houses Churches as we often read in the Legends of the Saints Oftentimes also declining the rage of Persecutors they had their meetings in Vaults under ground and in places of Burial and in Caves and desert Mountains and Valleys Then as the Miracle of Christian Religion profited more and more and the Devil loosing ground as Christ gained New Oratories were built nor so only but also the Temples of their Gods and Idols with the abominable Worship thereof being thrown away and banished were changed into the Churches of God It 's true that he dislikes not praying towards the East but gives reasons for the congruity of it yet upon consideration of the Temple at Jerusalem that the Holy of Holies was Westward and that Solomon in 's Prayer at the Dedication thereof turned his Face that way he concludes His aliis exemplis edocti cognoscimus non errasse illos vel errare qui Templis vel noviter Deo constructis vel ab Idolorum squalore mundatis propter aliquam locorum opportunitatem in diversas plagas altaria statuerunt quia non est locus ubi non sit Deus By these and other Examples we learn that they who either in Temples nowly built for God or purged from the filthiness of Idols did according to the opportunity of places set Altars towards different Coasts did nothing erre seeing there is no place where God is not present And accordingly proceeds to shew that in the Temple built by Helena at Jerusalem upon Christ's Sepulcher and in the Pantheon at Rome converted to Christian use as also in St. Peter's Church there Altars were Erected not only towards the East but also other Quarters of the Heavens And adds Haec cum secundum voluntatem vel necessitatem fuerint ita disposita improbare non audemus So that tho he approves rather of praying towards the East yet professeth he dares not blame those who otherwise ordered the matter and that not only in case of necessity but of meer will and pleasure Concluding thus Vnusquisque in suo sensu abundet propè est Dominus omnibus invocantibus eum in veritate Let every one abound in his own sense the Lord is near to all that call upon him in Truth I must add to all these the Example of the Church of England in reading the Liturgy Ministers Prayers and Peoples practice and further shew that tho Mede joins the position of Churches and Prayers yet neither of these necessarily infer the other but I have run out too far on this Argument already The second is drawn from the Discipline of the Church which required distinct and regular places in their Assemblies for Penitents Auditors Catechumens and the Faithful which argues they had places accommodated for that purpose We had this Argument before in the middle of the Third Century where we answered the same and therefore shall be briefer here Where I shall not insist upon it That distinctions might be made in private Houses or Places tho not so well or great as in publick Churches Nor deny the authority of that obscure Epistle however called Canonical of Gregorius Neocaesariensis which was a little before alledged for this Discipline and also considered But roundly answer that no such