rather than the later because the cited words of the Canons do ordain what forms of prayer they should use whose office it was to perform acts of Religion when they stood at the altar So Conc. Carthag where they that were to Treat stood not the Bishops seat who did interpret the Scripture was in the midst of the Church as we have formerly shown This therefore was ordained by the Fathers lest as Hereticks increased and spread their Heterodox opinions the Christian people who did not well enough attend their practise should be imposed upon by Hereticks Canons were established because in that age especially every faction did spread abroad certain forms of Prayers and Psalms by which when they were met together they might allure unto them men that were not well enough exercised in the faith but unwarily embraced their dreams as Historians report it fell out in Chrysostoms age not long after the aforesaid Councils were held That I say these mens endeavours should be prevented lest Hereticks should spread abroad Forms of Liturgies not agreeing with the Doctrine received from the Apostles it was ordained that in publick Liturgies which were not to be prescribed by any one man none should have liberty to use any forms of Prayers but what were either formerly in use namely before the mists of Heterodoxisme had obscured the shining face of truth or had been approved by the most judicious brethren or lastly confirmed by the authority of some Synod The very words of the cited Canon do declare that the Mileritan Fathers do speak of such Prayers Let the place be seen it is extant in the first Tome of the Councils pag. 600. Moreover it appears that this was the cause of those Canons by the condition of the times in which they were ordained For at that time the Church was grievously sick of the wounds both of Arrianism and Pelagianism And reason it self perswades not to restrain the cited Canons to the Prayers which were conceived by him that Treated to the people For those were to be conceived alwayes as the necessity of the Church did require as formerly Tertullian taught us for which cause they could not alwayes be the same but were to be varied pro re nata and as the necessity of the people for whom the Treater was to offer the sacrifice of the lips to God required On the contrary if the Canons speak of the Treaters prayers then this is worthy observing that the Grave Fathers in those sanctions did not intend to prescribe lawes for all and every Treater in the Prayers he was to conceive but onely for those who were not well instructed in Religion for they speak of some who name the Father for the son or the son for the Father and who had written out Prayers to themselves from some other So Conc. Carth. where above they ordain lest the less exercised in Religion should be imposed upon through the fraud and deceit of others that they conferr with their wiser brethren about the Prayers they had written out before they uttered them to the people The same is also to be said to the Mileritan Canon wherein it is provided that nothing be composed against the Faith either through ignorance or less care And yet by those sanctions the more instructed of the brethren are not restrained to Forms of Prayer unless they be approved by others We read that certain prayers were prescribed by Constantine the Great to his Guard which they used on the Lords day yet none will thence conclude that other Christians were to put up no Prayers to God but what were commanded The cited Canons are therefore to be understood either of Liturgy Prayers or of the Prayers of the Treater unfit through ignorance to conceive Prayers and of no others Fifthly in their Prayers conceived after this manner they prayed to God for things just honest and meet to be heard Arnob. cont Gent. lib. 1. And these they asked for all mens sakes not only for familiars but enemies for Emperours and Subjects and in their prayers they seriously pleaded with God for all others so Arnobius lib. 4. For themselves and all every where as Justin Martyr Ap. sec For the Emperours health as Tertull. apol cap. 30. For their offices for their worldly state and peace Tertull. ibid. And especially for the Church because the whole people of Christ are one Cypr. de Orat. Dom. Sixthly these Prayers were conceived in a known tongue Origen instead of all will teach us this who writeth against Celsus a froward adversary of the Christian name Contr. Celsum l. 8. where he lets all know that the right Christians did not in their prayers make use of the usual names of God in Holy Writ but the Greeks prayed in the Greek and the Romans in the Roman and every one in his own Language and praised God according to their might and the Lord of all Languages heard them pray in all Languages understanding them as well when they spake in divers as if they all agreed in one Language that I may say so and as men of one voice Where he teaches us that Christians in what place soever they lived did in their Prayers use no other than their vulgar idiom Seventhly it will not be far from our purpose to add something of the posture of the body in conceiving of prayer Where in the first place it will be worth our noting what Austin excellently observed there is no prescript posture how the body should be ordered in Prayer only that the Soul being present before God that it perform its devotion And he addeth that some prayed standing some kneeling and some lying prostrate Justin Martyr relates that they prayed standing Apol. 2. When we stand saith Cyprian we ought with watchfulness and with all our hearts to apply our selves to prayer But we read that Prayer was used to be made to God upon the knees more frequently and it appears that this posture or rite in Prayer was most ancient and common in all ages Clem. Alexand. Strom. 7. saith that they fell down upon the earth when they paryed The Christian souldiers are said kneeling on the ground as it is usual with Christians when they pray to compose themselves to offer up Prayers to God in Euseb Hist. 5. c. 5. Arnobius also affirms that Christians when with joynt Prayers they worshipped God they were prostrate or as afterwards when they prayed they fell upon their bended knee The Church saith Epiphanius in fine Panarii commandeth Prayers to be made with all diligence and with kneeling on set dayes But on the Lords day in memorial of the Lords Resurrection they worshipped not on their knees and anciently they rejoyced in that immunity from the Passover till Pentecost So Tertullian Just Mart. q. 115. Which custome being in some places decayed the 20th Canon of the first Council of Nice hath ordained to be kept every where although St. Paul prayed kneeling
have been made for us unworthy creatures for afflictions for recreations for Hell for punishment for the Kingdom of Heaven We pray thee preserve our soul holy having a pure conscience and to make our end worthy thy clemency Thou that hast so loved us as to give us thy onely begotten son vouchsafe us to be worthy thy love Give us wisdom in thy word and in thy fear O onely begotten Christ inspire us with thy fortitude Then that hast given for us thy onely begotten and sent forth thy Holy Spirit for the remission of our sins if we have willingly or against our will sinned pardon it and impute it not to us Remember all them that call upon thy name in truth Remember all that wish us well and ill For we are all of us men And then having added a Prayer of the faithful as it were for a certain conclusion and winding up for all persons he having made this Prayer here he ended And thus he The aforesaid Prayer was rehearsed in Chrisostom's presence but where or when it is not evident out of the fore-cited place It seems to me without prejudicing others to have been recited by one that was entring upon a Treating out of the Word of God especially since he calls him by whom it was used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a holy man And secondly he used this Prayer when he begun to speak for before it he said nothing Thirdly Chrysostom speaks of his frequent using it when he himself was also present but Laicks had never liberty to pray frequently when any of the Clergy were by much less when St. Chrysostom was present who yet confesses that he heard him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. so to pray Fourthly the whole form of the Prayer shews plain enough that it was used publickly for whetherfoever he give thanks or petition God in it he pleads not only his own cause but others and alwayes speaks in the plural number Fifthly he seems to speak it with respect had to the Word for he begs for wisdom in the word Lastly he said nothing before he used it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But it is not credible that the men of that age did in their ordinary discourses burn with such an ardency of zeal towards God as that they would not begin them without premising Prayer to God These things perswade me to believe that the aforesaid Prayer was used publickly at the Treating upon the Word but let the wise judge Basilius M. shews that Prayers were wont to be said by the whole assembly after that the President went up into the Pulpit to teach or expound any thing out of the Scriptures for he makes this the beginning of his Sermon I need the Prayers of them that love the Lord that by the grace of the good God and his Christ the holy and good Spirit may admonish and teach us those things it hath heard from the Lord and may direct our mind into the way of peace and into found words to the edifying of faith Basil de Baptism Austin useth the same preface when he begins his fifteenth Sermon De verbis Apostoli Cyprian spoke not only the words which came from the fountains of the Scripture but with the words he joyned Prayers and requests to God that both for himself and his auditors he might both open the treasures of his Sacraments and also that he would give strength to supply them with what they should know These things shew that the Blessed Martyr at his Treating out of the Scripture did pour out Prayers to God that what he said might be useful both to himself and his hearers for without Gods mercy all the watchfulness of a Pastor is in vain Therefore did Cyprian adjoyn Prayer to his Treatises to implore the mercy of God that what was heard might turn into deeds Yea Austin judges that Prayer is so necessary to him that is to treat upon the Scripture before he begin that work that none in his opinion ought to teach them before he pray and that at the same time before he let loose his tongue to preach he lift up his thirsty soul to God that he may cast up that which he hath drunk in And afterwards cap. 30. Let him that is to speak to the people pray that God would give good words into his mouth c. And what Augustine required of other Doctors with great devotion he performed himself in that he earnestly begged of God when he spoke to the people that he might utter what was true and suitable in his Sermon and what the hearers might understand and what they might believe 2. When the Prayer was ended they entred upon the Treatise and they were usually wont to preach to the hearers out of the Lessons of Scripture which were then read Tertullian saith that the Lessons of Scripture were rehearsed in the assembly as the quality of the times required either to forewarn or to call to remembrance that is they applied the Scriptures that were read to the quality of the times So sayes Justin Martyr the President instructed the People with his oration to imitate those things which were read in the Records of the prophets and Apostles ap 2. Ambrose applied the History of Job and prophecy of Jonas as he read them to the use of his hearers August Tract in Joh. c. 12. 13. and the same appeareth every where from those Treatises Origen saith that he intended briefly to admonish his hearers of those things that had been read Hom. 8. in Levit. Athanasius saith in the beginning of his Oration De Semente We have heard now how Jesus went through the corn fields and how he healed the withered hand wherefore ◠think it convenient if we discourse a little upon the Lesson in the Gospel Sometimes they also did interpret that place of Scripture which the people were greatly desirous should be explained unto them which the words of Basil M. who was about to make a Sermon to the People on Christs Baptisme do testifie For he saith that he entertained with a ready mind their pious admonition in Christ about the most glorious baptism of Christ and acknowledgeth that he will be very ready to speak of it according to his ability Thirdly in their Treatises they lookt to this that what was read should be applied to the peoples use So Tertull. ap c. 39. Justin Martyr Apol. 2. saith that the President did exhort the hearers to the imitation of what was read and not without reason for to preach is according to Isychius in Levit. lib. 2. c. 9. to exhort the people Origen contra Celsum lib. 3. affirms that the Christians expounded the Scriptures as they read them that they might exhort the people to piety towards God and unto other virtues Ambrose also accommodated the Scriptures as they were read to the present use and edification of the people partly by teaching and partly by reproving
suffering men to worship the immortal Gods per transitum but perswading them to undertake that with a prepared mind And therefore when the Emperour was conversant about sooth-saying and sacrifices some cryed aloud Hoc age i. e. be attentive or set thy mind on this thing only which saying did prepare as many as were present at sacrifices to attend them with a devout mind for in sacred things we must not labour in transcursu quasi lightly as it were and passing by But those whose minds are illuminated with the happy light of Scripture have more perspicuously observed the truth in this point therefore the people of Christ are perswaded to attend Prayer with the whole heart having cast aside all carnal and worldly cogitations and that the mind should think of nothing at that time but what it prayed for only and for this end the Priest having premised a Preface to the Prayer did prepare the minds of the Brethren by saying SURSUM CORDA i. up with your hearts and when the people answered HABEMUS AD DOMINUM i. have up or we have them for the Lord they were put in mind that they ought to think of nothing else but the Lord. And this was the general preparation wherewith the minds of the people were excited to all the duties of Religion and by hearing thereof they were prepared to more ardent Prayer In the third place the peoples minds being thus excited to pray this is worth our consideration that of all those who were present together there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. one common Prayer which they uttered with one mind and sincere faith in Jesus So Ignatius in his Epistle ad Magnesianos Clemens Alexandrinus also saith the multitude of them that prayed had as it were one common voice and one mind Athanasius wished for this Apol. ad Imperatorem Constantium that all might make one and the same voice without a discord Cyprian de Oratione Dominica acknowledges that in the Church there was a common and publick prayer He adds that the Apostles Acts 1. 14. continued with one accord in Prayer when they declared the instancy and concord of their prayer For Prayer being conceived of more the more easie entrance is made unto God according to that of Matth. 18. 19. Nor need any to wonder that there was one and the same Prayer of the whole Church being assembled since there ought to be but one voice in the Church he that readeth speaketh alone and he that is the Bishop sitteth silent in the mean time and he that singeth singeth alone and when all sing together the voice is uttered as by one mouth and he that preaches to the people preacheth alone saith Chrysostom Also HomiÌ„l 18. in 2 Cor. he saith Common Prayers were made by the Priest and others and all made one Prayer Fourthly they prayed as the Holy Ghost suggested to them sive mâ—â—itore quia de pectore orabant i. they prayed without a monitor because out of their heart that is to say the Holy Ghost shewed them the way to conceive Prayers in a pious manner and by his instinct they prayed without any other monitor After the offering of bread and wine allayed with water the Praefectus put up prayers and giving of thanks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. as well as he could If he prayed as well as he could for his might then it seems he did not read prescribed forms of Prayer to the bare reading whereof there was no need of such a labour Justin Martyr ap 2. Neither could it be otherwise because upon a new occasion offered forth with new Prayers were required answering to that occasion and for this cause they could not be alwayes the same Tertullian as his manner is teacheth this elegantly There are saith he some things which may be prayed for according to the circumstance of every one first premising the lawful and ordinary Prayer he speaks of the Lords Prayer as a foundation A liberty of accidents a liberty for desires to be put out into occasional prayers Christians have liberty in Tertullians opinion to put up Prayers to God pro re nata which are formed according to the form of Prayer prescribed by Christ So St. Austin Ep. 121. ad Probam saith that we may beg for the same things in these or other words but we are not to pray for other things that is to say Men may use other words in Prayer than what Christ used in the Prayer which he prescribed the Church but the mind ought not to be intent in praying for other things than what Christ hath declared to us in that Prayer Moreover the Bishops were sometimes to commend to God in Prayer those things which the people desired them and for this cause they could not alwayes use the same Prayers because new occasions as I aid required new Prayers Especially since t was for them Chrysostom being witness to pray unto God that he might divert the evils that hung over every one And therefore since the same evils did not alwayes occurr the Bishops alwayes prayed as the state of the people commended to their cure did require In the first place therefore Prayers were used according to the quality of the time men having their minds disposed by the Holy Ghost to pray devoutly But afterwards when through the Devils subtilty divers errours in Religion crept in in process of time it sell out that prayers were by some brought in contrary to the Faith or as St. Austin speaketh some spake in their Prayers contrary to the rule of Faith the Church providing for this errour used a threefold remedy and in the first place they provided that it should be lawful for none to compose Forms of Prayer at their pleasure which they used in the publick assemblies but the same as Zonaras interprets it those that were daily used should be retained in every meeting So Conc. Laodic Can. 18. Secondly it was ordained that they should conferr with the more able Brethren about the Prayers which they used in their Assemblies It was so provided in the third Council of Carthage Can 23. ◠〈…〉 it was defined that no requests or prayers should be used in the Church but those which were approved by a Synod Conc. Milevit 2. Can. 12. lest any thing should be composed against the Faith either through ignorance or less care We meet with mention of both remedies namely the second and third in Concilio Africano Can. 70. T. 1. But it is a question whether in the aforesaid African Canons the Reverend Fathers do speak of set Forms of Prayers in publick Liturgies or of the Prayers which he that was to treat out of Scripture which was a common thing with Treaters as Can. 40. we have heard out of the Fathers did conceive at that time he came forth to speak at Some men of great account think that they meant the former
Apost l. 2. c. 39. and the doctrines that were raised out of the Scriptures yet were they judged unworthy to be present at the Prayers of the Church Baron ubi prius So Zonaras in Can. 11. Conc. Nic. The third degree of these was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Prostrate when they that had repented stood within the compass of the Church behind the Pulpit separate from the place of the Faithful yet within their â—ight where they were present at none of the holy offices save the reading of the Holy Scripture expounding of the Gospel and prayer that was rehearsed for them and the perfect Catechumeni that is the Competentes and a little while after the going out of the Catechumeni having made Prayers for them they went out Can. 19. Conc. Laodic Baron ibid. Zonar in Can. 4. 5. Conc. Anoyrani Here the Penitents stood sorrowful and being not yet made partakers of the Eucharist since the commission of their sin for which they were bound of the Church with spiritual bonds they threw themselves down on the earth with weeping and lamentation and for this prostration the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was assigned to this degree Then on the other side the Bishop running to him lamenting falls likewise upon the ground with pitiful lamentation and last of all the whole multitude of the Church falls a weeping too After this the Bishop rises â—â— first and raises them that were fallen down and having for a convenient time prayed for sinners that repented he dismisses them Thus Sozomen de Ecclesiae Romanae consuetudine lib. 7. cap. 16. where it's manifest he speaks of the Penitents called â—ubstrati The form of prayer used for them after the Deacon had admonished the Church to pray for them by the Bishop is extant Constit Apost l. 8. c. 8 9. which being ended they went out of the Church-assembly The fourth degree was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they that had repented were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they stood with the Faithful and went not out with the Catechumeni or the Penitents called Substrati Baron ibid. These were with the Faithful present at Prayers but were not admitted to the Holy Eucharist Conc. 1. Nic. Can. 11. they are said to partake of Prayers with the people but without oblation So Can. 12. ibid. Zonaras in Can. 4. 5. Concil Ancyr for which cause St. Ambrose said he could not offer if Theodosius would stand by Ambr. Ep. 28. The last degree of Penitents was of them who having fulfilled the time of repentance prescribed them by the Church were by her perfectly received and after the aforesaid offices of the Liturgy at which the Subsistentes were present they were admitted also to participate of the Lords Body and Bloud with the body of the Faithful Of which Zonaras Can. 4. 8. Concil Ancyran There are some that distinguish not the fourth degree of Penitents from the fifth But the Subsistentes are distinguished from these Can. 11. 1. Conc. Nic. where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— they were partakers of Prayer with the people without offering And so those that were placed in the last degree were superiour to those Penitents of the fourth degree because they were admitted together with the Faithful to partake of the mysteries Yet that I may ingeniously confess the truth the finishing of the repentance rather than the degree of Penitents is in this to be attended Now he that will apply his mind to weigh the aforesaid records of antiquity more narrowly shall easily observe who were to be present at all the exercises of Religion and who were excluded from the same or some of them by the custom of the Church while in the mean time the assembly of the Faithful after they were gathered into one performed all the aforesaid offices piously and with great devotion of mind But to speak of these a little in transitu is enough CHAP. XV. Of places in which the Churches publick assemblies were held WE have observed that meetings were gathered by the Church to perform the duties of Religion and we have seen what was done in them In the third place something remains to be added of the places in which these meetings were kept For a place is required where the people of God being gathered together may exercise themselves in the things that pertain to his publick worship And that some places designed to Divine Worship are necessary I trust no body will doubt for without them the publick assemblies of the Faithful the use of which is formerly shewn to worship God could not without inconvenience be held Therefore this place requireth that something be added of their names situation and use and other circumstances that declare these places But I will spare the labour of putting these things in writing lest I gaggling like a Goose amongst the Swans seem to stammer upon a subject which hath been happily treated on by other judicious men Others have managed the charge of describing this argument with great commendation Especially the Learned Hospinian a man of profound Learning and various Reading in his learned Treatise De Templis In which is described what is necessary to be known of places that are destined to the publick meetings of the Church which to me at this time is enough to point at And thus much for the publick exercises of Religion that were observed by the Church on the Lords Day CHAP. XVI Private Duties of Religion to be performed on the Lords Day Where first is considered the examination of what was heard Conferring upon the same Meditation of the life to come and gathering of Almes for the use of the poor THus far of the Sacred Exercises of Religion wherein the observation of this day was solemnized which were performed in the publick assemblies of the Church now follow the private Those were observed of sundry members of the Church being assembled together but these were devoutly performed by them when they were dismissed from the publick assembly For although they met publickly lest the disorderly meeting of the people should diminish their faith in Christ and to procure the greater gladness amongst them by a mutual seeing one another yet their publick Church meetings did not determine the sanctification of the Lords Day because publick conventions were held at certain hours and the Lords Day iâ— to be celebrated in memorial of that happy Resurrection of our Saviour on a perfect and entire day as we have shown in the first Book and fifth Chapter Some things then remain to be done by Christians after the Church meetings are ended and these are various Some whereof I will mention for the godlies sake who make conscience of sanctifying the Lords Day First of all they that preached the Word of God in the publick assemblies when those were ended they did sometimes examine the people of what they had heard Which we read the Ancients did perform with