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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34085	A scholastical history of the primitive and general use of liturgies in the Christian church together with an answer to Mr. Dav. Clarkson's late discourse concerning liturgies / by Tho. Comber ...	Comber, Thomas, 1645-1699.	1690 (1690)	Wing C5492; ESTC R18748	285,343	650

this Extraordinary occason All which can be gathered from hence is that they had no Form of Prayer in Africa then for casting the Devil out of an House But that is no Argument to shew they had no Forms for public Worship on ordinary occasions since we have no Form for this extraordinary contigency but none must Argue from thence That we have no Common Prayer Yet Thirdly I see no Reason to grant that Quantum potuit signifies any more than that this Presbyter Prayed with as Vigorous a Devotion as he was able or with all the powers of his Soul because it is not a long-winded Prayer nor variety of new invented Phrases that the Devil fears but an earnest and fervent Prayer And we could give many Instances where this Phrase is used only to denote doing a thing earnestly and devoutly one Example shall suffice at present where the Jews who always in that Age praised God by Forms are commanded when they praise God to exalt him as much as they can (z) Benedicentes Dominum exaltate illum quantum potestis Ecclesiastic 43. in sine by which the Son of Syrach did not intend to oblige every ordinary Man to make an Extempore Form of Praise in the highest strains of Rhetoric but only enjoyned them when they used the Forms of Blessing to say them with all the joy gratitude and devotion imaginable And if we explain the Phrase thus then this Passage will not suffice to prove so much as that they had not a Form for dispossessing Houses or Persons infested with Evil Spirits Lastly He saith Augustin did not take any offence at the Varieties used in the Sacrament though they were more than could be known (a) Discourse of Liturg. pag 82. and for this he cites the Retractations which mention his Epistles to Januarius and a Passage out of his Epistle to Jubaianus intimating that every Bishop in these Cases might do as he pleased But all this is manifest Sophistry For whereas he applies this to the Eucharistical Prayers S. Augustin is not treating of any Variety in them Yea he himself cites S. Augustin in one of these Epistles affirming That there were many things in the Sacrament universally observed without any variation and these were Instituted by the Apostles (b) Dis●ourse of ●●turg p. 173 Marg ex Aug. ad ●anuar Ep. 118. that is the Prefaces Prayer of Consecration c. as we noted before these were Forms and not to be varied from But the Variety which S. Augustin speaks of is a Variety in Rites and Ceremonies in the Churches of divers Provinces and Countries these he Instances in and affirms there was great Variety in these and that every Bishop in these Matters had power to appoint such Rites as he thought to edification S. Augustin being only a Bishop no Primate or Metropolitan would not impose the Rites used in his own Church upon any But as to the main parts of this Service he often observes all Churches did and ought to agree in them Wherefore it shews a want of better Arguments when he is forced to urge the Variety of Rites in divers Provinces to prove that they varied the Prayers themselves every day which false Notion neither he nor any of his Friends have or can make out And this may suffice for S. Augustin's Judgment and Practice both which are clearly on our side § 23. The Third Council of Carthage An. Dom. 398. We should here have concluded this Century but only our Adversary produces some African Canons and pretends they shew there was no prescribed Form at this Time in that Church First He cites the 23d Canon of the Third Council at Carthage (c) Discourse of Liturg. pag. 44. in these Words That no Man in Prayers shall name either the Father for the Son or the Son for the Father And when they are at the Altar the Prayer shall always be directed to the Father And what Prayers-soever any shall Copy out for himself he shall not use them unless he first debate them with his Discreeter Brethren (d) Concil Carthag 3. Can 23. Bin. Tom. 1. par 1 pag. 575. This Canon evidently consists of Three parts The first to correct the irregularity of naming the Father for the Son or the Son for the Father and hence my Adversary infers That those who were guilty of this Fault did not use prescribed Forms and supposes the Church left them at liberty for the future to use what they thought sit only imposing this on them Not to name the Father for the Son (e) Discourse of Liturg. pag. 45. I Answer This first Clause for any thing appears in the Canon is meant of private Prayers and so is nothing to our Question it was a Fault committed by private Christians who had the misfortune to Copy out Heretical Forms But suppose the Council refers to those Ignorant Bishops lately mentioned in S. Augustin who for the use of their own Diocesses writ out Heretical Forms not knowing them to be such wherein those who held Heterodox Opinions about the Trinity had altered these Names in favour of Sabellianism or Arianism These were Forms and no doubt prescribed by these Bishops to their own Clergy but the Council rejects all these new Forms and reduceth them to the old Liturgy which they were sure was Orthodox and wherein we see the Prayers began with an Address to the Father and concluded through the Son so that they order None shall begin with the Sons Name or end with the Fathers However it cannot well be understood how this Council could prevent such Ignorant persons from making this Mistake but by obliging them to use the Churches Forms where they take it for granted these Names were always right placed So that in effect this prohibits all new Forms of Prayer and binds them to the Old ones wherein such Instances could not be made And our Adversary supposes this Council to be extreme Silly in saying they left such Men as he grants (f) Discourse of Liturg. pag. 46. were fit to be confined to prescribed Forms because they could neither make nor judge of Prayers to their liberty to do as they thought fit this makes the Canon Non-sense for how should these Men know when they ought to name the Father and when the Son and exposes the whole Council who could no way prevent this Mistake but by casting away all such new Forms and confining all Men to the Old ones and without supposing such we cannot make Sense of the Canon which Supposition is not made at random because we have abundantly proved out of Tertullian S. Cyprian Optatus and S. Augustin who was one of this Council that there were Forms used of Ancient time in the African Church The second Clause of the Canon refers to the public Prayers all which and not only those peculiar to the Eucharist were then made at the Altar And these Prayers were then in the public Forms as

224. And not he alone but all the Calvinists do generally allow and use prescribed Forms of Prayer as Mons Durell hath very largely made out to whose Observations I will add two very Learned Men of the French Church who freely own that Liturgies and stated Forms are of very ancient use in the Christian Church and these are the Lord Du-plessis and Mons Daillè both which my Adversary often cites as if they were of his Opinion concerning the late Original of Prescribed Forms But first Mornay Lord Du-Plessis in his Book of the Mass having shewed That the Jews had Forms of public Service adds the First Christians then framed themselves after this manner of Service (d) Mornay of the Mass Book 1. pag. 19. and so runs the parallel between the Jewish and the Primitive Liturgy And a little after he tells us That those Authors who lived about the Year 800 declare That some Forms were used from the beginning and that they had industriously searched out the ancient Service of the Church and they might also in their days possibly find the Books of Rites or Prescribed Forms used in the Church before the Pope assisted by the Power of Great Princes had abolished the use and memory thereof (e) Id. ib. pag 22. Again he owns a very ancient Form of Prayer used at the Offertory (f) Ib chap 5. pag. 36. and saith there was a General Prayer for the whole World and the Estate of the Church which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Form whereof continued as we have seen it since the time of the Primitive Church and is to be found and read in the Writers of that time (g) Ib. pag 37. He also confesseth in the same place that there was anciently One Form of Salutation and Prefaces Yea in this whole Book he every where owns there were Primitive Forms long before the Roman Church had corrupted their Service and speaking of the Liturgies of the Greek and Latin Churches he doth not so much as pretend they had no prescribed Forms only he notes That though in substance the Service of these Churches do agree together yet we must not imagine there was one and the same prescript Form observed and kept in them all (h) Mornay ut supr chap. 6. pag. 43. We see he grants Forms in all Churches but so as there was some Variety between the Forms of several Churches And now how is it possible that this Great and Learned Man had he not been misinterpreted should be Evidence for my Adversaries Opinion of Liturgies coming in after the Year 500 The like may be said of M. Dailé who understood Antiquity as well as any Writer that ever was of the French Reformed Church Now he frequently cites the Book which goes under the Title of the Apostolical Constitutions ascribed to S. Clement wherein there is a very ancient Form of Liturgy used as we have shewed in the Church of Antioch wherein there are prescribed Forms for all the Parts of Divine Service at large Now this Learned Man thus speaks of that Writer He seems to have compiled his Work a little before the Nicene Council (i) Dailé de Confirm lib. 2. cap. 11. p. 120. And in another place he saith In this Book of the Apostolical Constitutions I think no man who understands any thing of Antiquity can deny but that the Author hath painted out the Form of Ecclesiastical Worship such as it really was in those Times when he Writ (k) Idem de Relig. cultus objecto lib. 3. cap. 12. By which we see that he believed The Ecclesiastical Worship was performed by a prescribed Liturgy even before the First Council of Nice Which appears also to have been his Opinion by his citing this Liturgy of the Constitutions with divers other ancient Liturgies and then concluding thus We our selves truly do not deny but that very many of these Liturgies which we have produced are ancient and written about the very beginning of the Fourth Century though we think that they were corrupted by Additions and Alterations at several times after their first Original (l) Dailé de cult Latin relig lib. 3. cap. 13. p. 359. Wherefore this studious Searcher into Antiquity can be no Witness for my Adversary since he very expresly affirms That these Liturgies were written out for Public use in the very beginning of the Fourth Century that is as soon as the Church became setled by the Conversion of Constantine the Great To these we may add the Testimony of the Helvetian Divines and others who did not Reform after Luther's Pattern Bullenger saith The Church hath Supplications she also hath Holy days and Fasts the Church celebrates the Sacraments according to certain Laws at certain times in a certain place and by a prescribed Form which is according to the received Rules and Vsage of the Church (m) Bulleng Decad. 2. Serm. 1. pag. 38. In which Words he evidently justifies a prescribed Form and owns That the Church hath power to make such a Form and that all her Members are obliged to use it The eminent Lud. Lavater himself published the Common-Prayer-Book of the Tigurine Church which I have seen and read The Title of which is this A Little Book of the Rites and Institutions of the Trigurine Church Wherein is contained The whole Order of their Divine Service with the several Forms by which they Administer the Sacraments and all other Offices which belong to the Ministerial Function (n) De ritib. institutis Eccles Tigurinae Opusculum Edit à Ludovic Lavatero An. 1559. so that they also have stated and prescribed Forms And Zanchius one of the most Learned of the Divines of that Age tells us That Concord and Decency or Order cannot be observed in the Church nor can all things be done decently and in order as S. Paul commands without Rules and Traditions by which as by certain Bonds Order and Decorum is preserved because there is such diversity in Mens Manners such variety in their Minds and such opposition in their Judgments that no Polity is firm unless it be constituted by certain Laws and without a Stated Form no Rites can be preserved (o) Hieron Lanch Tom 7. In Com. praecip cap. Doctrin Christ Loc. 16. So that he pleads for the necessity of such a Form and accordingly all setled Protestant Churches have composed a Liturgy and made Forms of Divine Service for their Clergy to Officiate by So have the Churches of Holland whose Common-Prayer-Book I have seen Translated into the Greek Tongue with this Title (p) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Impres Ludg. Bat. An. 1648. The Christian and Orthodox Doctrin and Order of the Belgick Churches viz. Their Confession of Faith their Catechism their Liturgy and their Ecclesiastical Canons And in that Part which is their Liturgy there are the Forms of Prayer prescribed for Baptism for the Lords Supper