particularly by St. James Unto which though some Additions perhaps had been then made as there have been more since yet it is hard to think that a great number of Bishops would have owned a Liturgy as composed by St. James if there had not been a constant tradition among them that the Apostles left some stated Form of Prayer and Praise in the Churches which they governed But what need I trouble my self with a long proof of this matter when we have the Confession of the most Learned and Best Men among those whom they that dissent from us have been wont to reverence that there hath been no time wherein there was not a prescribed Form of Divine Service Let Dr. Preston speak for all in a Book of his much prized in former times * Saints dayly Exercise p. 80. where after he had owned that Christ prescribed a Form c. he adds And in the Church at all times both in the Primitive times and all along to the beginning of the Reformed times to Luther and Calvin 's time still in all times the Church had set Forms they used and I know no Objection of weight against it And in Answer to that common Objection which he calls the main one that in stinted Prayer the Spirit is straitned and limited c. He answers as we do now That even those Men that use this reason do the same dayly in the Congregation for when another prayes that is a set Form to him that hears it And therefore if that were a sufficient reason that a Man might not use a set Form because the Spirit is straitned he should not hear another pray at all though it be a conceived Prayer because in that case his Spirit is limited to what that Man saith And very judiciously adds That it is not a bond or restraint of the Spirit because there is a tye of Words For the largeness of the heart standeth not so much in the multitude and variety of Expressions as in the extent of Affection And at last concludes That a set Form of Prayer must be used Would to God they that scruple it would weigh such things as these it would not be long then before they liked nay loved that Form of Prayer which is used in this Church For it is so exactly conformable to the Rule of the Holy Apostle which I have often mentioned 1 Tim. ii 1. consisting of unexceptionable Prayers Supplications Intercessions and Thanksgivings that one cannot but think the Composers of it laid that Rule before them when they framed it It would be too long to give an Account of the whole Book which it is easie to show is made up of those four parts of Divine Service Look only into the Letany which is a word signifying properly a Supplication for the turning away of evil things with which it begins and then proceeds to Prayers and to Intercessions having in the end a general Form of Thanksgiving And observe the admirable Method of it It directs our Prayers to the ever Blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost the only Object of Worship and Fountain of Mercy Of whom we first deprecate evil things and that in the right order first desiring to be delivered from the evil of Sin both of the Spirit and of the flesh and then from the evil of punishment whether in outward or in inward judgments All this we pray to be delivered from by what Christ hath done and suffered for us and by that alone which is the most prevalent way of suing for Mercy And by the way observe that what some through misunderstanding I hope have been pleased to make the Subject of their Mirth and Sport is really and ought to be esteemed the most serious and effectual Supplication that can be made to our Lord. By whose Holy Nativity and Circumcision by his Baptism Fasting and Temptation by his Agony and bloody Sweat by his Cross and Passion by his Pretious Death and Burial by his Glorious Resurrection and Ascension and by the Coming of the Holy Ghost we pray to be delivered For thus it is Our Lord having humbled himself to be a Man for our sakes nay to take on him the form of a Servant and after all his other Sufferings at last to dye the Death of the Cross for us is gone with that Blood which was there shed into the Heavens and is exalted at God's Right Hand in the High and Holy Place where he represents all that he did and suffered from his coming into the World till his going out of it before God and in the vertue of his bloody Sacrifice which he made of himself pleads to have every thing from God which he hath promised and cannot be denied Now for us to beseech him that through the force of his Sufferings of all sorts especially of his cruel Death and the Glory that followed we may be delivered and saved from all evil is the most pathetical the most powerful way of intreaty and the most prevailing importunity that can be used It is as if we should say Lord show unto the Father what thou hast indured for us represent unto him thy obedience unto Death which he promised to reward with all power in Heaven and in Earth Exercise thy Royal Power which thou hast obtained by that humble Obedience for our Deliverance and Salvation As thou hast received the Gift of the Holy Ghost and imparted it to thy Apostles so pour it down more and more upon us also who believe the Gospel which they preached and testified to be the truth Then follow Petitions for all good things First For the Universal Church then for our own in particular For the King and Royal Family For all in Authority under him For all sorts of Persons and for all sorts of Blessings both for Soul and Body Be at the pains I beseech you to read and consider it with such Observations as these and it alone will be sufficient to make you in love with the rest of the Book of Common Prayer A Book so fully perfected according to the Rules of our Christian Religion Dr. Taylor Rector of Hadley in every behalf that no Christian Conscience in the opinion of a famous Martyr in Queen Maries Dayes whose words these are could be offended with any thing therein contained And therefore I conclude that as it would have been a great Sin in the Church of Ephesus if they had dislikeâ— and rejected that way of Supplications Prayers Intercessions and Thanksgivingâ— wherein Timothy led them to serve God so it will be still in us if we refuse those Directions which are given us in the Divine Service by our Spiritual Governours when it is manifest they guide us by the Word of God and the Apostolical practice according to it If they had composed a Divine Service wherein they required us to prâ—â— to Angels or to Saints departed tâ—â— Life or to supplicate God by theâ—â— Merits and their Intercession we should
the Psalmist nay with our Saviour Christ as I have before observed I will declare thy Name unto my Brethren in the midst of the Congregation will I praise thee Ye that fear the Lord praise him all ye Seed of Jacob glorifie him and fear him all ye Seed of Israel My praise shall be of thee in the great Congregation I will pay my Vows before them that fear him Psal xxii 22 23 25. I will praise thee O God among the People I will sing unto thee among the Nations For thy Merey is great unto the Heavens and thy Truth unto the Clouds Psal lvii 9 10. Blessed are they that dwell in thy House they will be still praising thee Psal lxxxiv 4. The Dead praise not the Lord neither any that go down into silence But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore Praise the Lord. Psal cxv 17 18. Which last words teach us that this is a piece of publick Service we do to God in this World which we are uncapable to perform when we are gone from hence Then the time is past of honouring God among Men by decâ—â—ring the sense we have of his Greatness and speaking good of his Name Foâ— though the dead are not quite silent yet what they say or do signifies nothiâ—â— to us in this World where we muâ—â— serve God while we live or else noâ— at all Which is a new consideration to quicken us to this Duty and to silence all those Objections which are apt to rise in our hearts against it Yes may some say We like the thing you press but are against the way of doing it in this Church In which some are distasted at all Forms of Prayer and others at that Form wherein we Worship God and him alone Unto the first of these I have this to say That when there were no Forms of Prayer left in this Church they that destroyed them did not dayly hold publick Assemblies Nor do they now make it their constant practice Which gives us too much cause to think they have not such a sense as is to be wished of their necessity But to let that pass supposing some have and that they only dislike a Form of Prayer it is something strange that the same Arguments which make them think dayly publick Assemblies to be needful should not also reconcile them to a Form of Prayer Which was constantly used by the Ancient Jews in their Assemblies as hath been undeniably proved by many of our Writers and was prescribed by our Blessed Lord and Master who made his Prayer I have shown for the publick Service in which he joyned with the Jews when he was at the Temple in Jerusalem and when he was in the Country went to the Synagogues which the Chaldee Paraphrast calls Houses of Praise in Isa vii 19. And so did his Apostles who themselves used a constant Form of Praise For they rested not Day and Night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Rev. iv 8. This as I showed before was their continual Hymn which they offered to God and it appears by St. Paul's usual way of recommending the Churches to whom he wrote unto the Grace of God that they had their Forms of Prayer also For he himself constantly used these words The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all 2 Thess iii. 17 18. The same Power every Bishop had in his Church to compose Prayers for the necessities of it as we may gather from 1 Tim. ii 1 2. Which Exhortation is directed not to the people but to Timothy who was to take care to have all Men recommended unto God in the publick Offices by Prayers and Supplications with Intercessions and Thanksgivings for Kings especially and for all in Authority c. This could not be done orderly as all things were to be in the Christian Church without a set Form of Words which Timothy we may well think composed For those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Prayers be made signifie as literally the Apostle would have Prayers and Supplications composed as that he would have them put up to God And I doubt not they signifie both First That they should be composed and then put up to God by the Church For you may observe further that the Apostles speak of this as their work Act. vi 4. where having bidden the Church look out some Men to be appointed to attend the business of providing for the poor they add but we will give our selves continually to Prayer and to the Ministry of the Word They made the Prayers where they were present as much as they ministred the Word Which is further manifest from hence that the Prayers of the Church of Jerusalem are called the Apostles Prayers Act. ii 42. And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers Observe here how all the faithful stedfastly continued in Prayers as well as hearing the Word And that they are First called Prayers in the Plural number not one but many Prayers and then that they are called the Apostles Prayers Prayers made by them For the word Apostles in the beginning belongs to all the three things that follow as well as to the first To the Apostles Fellowship and their breaking of Bread and their Prayers as well as to their Doctrine To be brief as John Baptist being a publick Minister sent of God taught his Disciples how to pray and our Blessed Lord taught his Apostles So his Apostles in like manner taught those whom they Converted according to the pattern Christ had left them and no question delivered the same power to those that should have the Supreme Guidance Direction and Government of the Church to compose Prayers suteable to Mens necessities in the several Nations where they lived and over whom they presided It may be thought indeed that the Extraordinary Gift they had in those dayes supplyed all But it is manifest both that every one had not that Extraordinary Gift of Prayer and that they also who had were to be so ordered and regulated in the exercise of it by the Governours of the Church that it might serve its Edification And nothing tended more to the Edification of the Church than that it should have a standing known Form of Prayers and Praises without which it could not be known how they Worshipped God and not depend merely upon that extraordinary Gift which was not constant but vouchsafed only on some special occasion according as God pleased to impart it Which is not said arbitrarily by me but it appears by a convincing Argument that this extraordinary Gift was not intended to serve the constant necessities of the Church but only some particular purposes for they who had it could not make others understand it and are therefore directed by the Apostle to pray they might be able to interpret that others might reap some benefit
so Separate or Holy as the Temple was and will be alwayes to the end of the World unless we suppose that men will lose all Reverence to God and let him have nothing among us which may be peculiarly called his own Now this thing alone is an Argument for Publick Worship that there hath alwaies been a place appointed for Divine Service which would have been needless if Men were not bound to assemble together to Worship God for then it might have been left to every ones liberty where they would please to do it themselves And this also shows the advantage which Publick Worship hath of all other For being performed in a place set a part for it where nothing else is done at our very entrance into it we are naturally put in mind of God and of our business there which is only with him and so shall be more apt to be composed there than in any other place which we are wont to imploy about other things besides the Worship of God Especially since all Wise Men have ever endeavoured that the Service of God should be there performed with the most Solemnity and Majesty that could be contrived nay that the place it self should not be mean but rather stately and gravely adorned For it is not with Publick Prayer as it is with Private In Private as Mr. Hooker judiciously observes secrecy is commended rather than outward show whereas Publick Prayer being the act of the whole Society requires accordingly more care to be had of external Appearance And therefore the very assembling of Men unto this Service hath ever been very solemn and the very outward Form of the place of Publick Prayer hath been ever thought a Circumstance of great moment to help Devotion VI To this may be further added from one of the Texts now mentioned that the Apostle directs how they should exercise their Spiritual Gifts in the Holy place where they met together and particularly the Gift of Prayer 1 Corinth xiv 23. There were a great many extraordinary Gifts then bestowed upon the Corinthian Church every one of which the Apostle informs them was bestowed by one and the same Spirit and bestowed by him to profit withal xii 7. that is for the publick benefit of the Church And among the rest there was a Giâ—â— of Prayer which was upon some occasions afforded by a particular inspiration of the Holy Ghost and designed as every one beside were for the common good of all the faithful For if any Man wanted the faculty of expressing those pious thoughts which the Spirit suggested to him iâ— the common Language which every Body understood the Apostle showâ— his Gift was of small value and directs such a Man to pray that he mighâ— be able to interpret xiv 13. into a Language that is which was commonly understood The reason oâ— which was because then his Gift oâ— Prayer would be of general use iâ— the Publick Assemblies The advantage of which was to be preferred before any Man's private benefit Sâ— he tells them in the verse foregoing ver 12. that they who were zealous of Spiritual Gifts should seek thaâ— they might excel to the edifying of the Church And in the verses following ver 14 15. he saith that if he himself should pray in an unknown Tongue â—his Spirit indeed prayed that is the Spiritual Gift which he had was thereâ—n exercised but his understanding was â—nfruitful that is others received no â—enefit by it because they understood â—ot what he said And therefore he â—uts this question What is it then That is what is it that we should deâ—â—re in this business of Prayer Which â—e resolves thus I will pray with the â—pirit and I will pray with the Vnderâ—â—anding also That is this is most 〈◊〉 be desired when I or any other â—ath a Prayer suggested to him by the â—pirit that we may be able not only 〈◊〉 utter what it inspires but to underâ—â—and it also our selves so far as to â—ake others understand it by putting 〈◊〉 into known and intelligible words â—his is certainly best not merely to â—â—ve conceptions formed in us by the â—irit but to utter those conceptiâ—s in such familiar and common exâ—essions that others may be profited 〈◊〉 them Else saith he When thou shalt â—â—ss with the Spirit how shall he that is unlearned say Amen ver 18. That is how shall he that understands not what thou sayest because it is uttered in a strange Language give his consent and joyn with thee in those Petitions and Thanksgivings though iâ— themselves never so Holy and Good Which the people did at the end 〈◊〉 the Prayers by saying Amen So be it Which words are a demonstration he speaks of Prayer in Publick oâ— Common Prayer Which from henâ—â— it is evident was then in greateâ— esteem because in comparison witâ— this the Apostle undervalues even aâ— extraordinary Gift of Prayer which private Person had whereby he aloâ—â— was profited He prayed well bâ— others not being edified thereby because they understood not what 〈◊〉 said it was a great diminution of iâ— worth and made it of less price in thâ— Apostles account And we all agreâ— he had the Spirit of God and coâ—â— as well judge what was best as whâ— was good Now this was best in 〈◊〉 judgment to have the Prayer maâ—â— publick that all might joyn in it aâ—â— not remain merely a private good And indeed that Spirit it may be noted under this head which inlivens the whole Body of the Church moves every Member of it unto this to joyn in its common Offices for the Service of the whole Which it is the very scope of the Apostle to demonstrate in those three Chapters xii xiii xiv of the First Epistle to the Corinthians that they ought in every thing to act as Members of a Body seeking the improvement one of another by the exercise of all their Gifts not separately but conjunctly so that all might partake of the benefit And whosoever he is that hath any sense of such a thing as the Body of Christ whereof he is one Member he will never think that what he doth alone is as good as what he performs in Fellowship with the rest of the Members No if he say the same Prayers and offer the same Praises in private which the Church offers in publick he cannot reasonably think there is no difference nor imagine that both alike are God's Service because what he doth in conjunction with the rest of the Body is most agreeable to God's Holy Spirit by which this Body is linkt together and every part of it moved to act for the good of the whole I conclude this with the words of Mr. Thorndike to imagine that Prayers at home will be as acceptable to God Relig. Assembl p. 173. as those made in the Church with our Brethren is as if one should have fancied that the incense of the Temple spoken of Psal cxli. 1. which was a compound of
and the Worship of God and a little after that he also appointed stated hours for these Sacrifices to teach us that the Church cannot be without a certain Discipline he then concludes Ac hodie nisi obstaret nimius torpor utile esset quotidiè haberi tales conventus and at this day if too much sluggishness did not hinder it would be useful every day to hold such Assemblies And in his Discourse upon the fourth Commandment L. 2. Institutionum Cap. viii Sect. 32. he not only asserts that Ecclesiastical Assemblies are enjoyned by God's words and that experience sufficiently shows their necessity and that the dayes and times must be stated and set or else they cannot be at all c. but in answer to those who objected Why do we not rather meet every day that distinction of dayes may be taken away He thus replies Vtinam illud quidem daretur c. Would to God we were able so to do For certainly it was a worthy Spiritual Wisdom which spared a little portion of time every day from other business for God's Service But if we cannot obtain from the infirmity of many that dayly Assemblies may be held and respect to Charity doth not permit us to exact more of them Why do we not yield Obedience to that which we see by the Will of God is imposed upon us And he thus concludes his Explication of that Commandment This general Doctrine is especially to be held That Holy Meetings be diligently and Religiously observed and such external helps constantly used as may serve to support and cherish the Worship of God lest Religion either fall to the Ground or languish among us To which I think fit to add what his opinion was concerning set times of Prayer for his Words are very instructive Upon Psal lv 17. his note is That from the mention there of Morning Evening and Noon we may gather that pious Men had stat as hâ—ras set hours for Prayer in those times Which good Men observed in their private Devotions because then the publick Service of the Temple was performed by God's appointment For the daily Sacrifice was offered every Morning and Evening And the mid-Day saith he was appointed for other Sacrifices The reason of which he gives upon the 18th ver Because we are backward to this Duty therefore God in fixing certain hours of Prayer intended to cure this infirmity Which same reason ought to be extended to private Prayer as appears by this place with which the Example of Daniel agrees And upon that practice of Daniel he thus writes in his notes on Dan. vi 10. This Example is worth the noting of praying three times a day because nisi quisque nostrum praefigat sibi certas horas ad precandum facile nobis excidet memoria We easily forget this Duty unless every one of us prescribe to our selves certain hours for Prayer From all which it is apparent that he lookt upon set hours for publick Divine Service as appointed by God and that he also thought the reason of it to be perpetual Because if we be left to our liberty we shall easily forget our Duty and perform that at no time which we imagine may be done at any time as well as at that which is appointed The benefit of which is this among others that where there are no publick Assemblies or Men cannot by reason of sickness or other urgent cause attend them they may at those set times offer some short Prayer to God in private and desire the publick Prayers of the Church where they are continually made may be accepted with him By which means they are in some sort present there and the Prayers they make in private become a part of the publick they praying as Members of that Body which is then met together in the House of God Thus St. Peter prayed privately as I observed above at the sixth hour when they were praying at the Temple and in Christian Assemblies and though alone at that time yet he chose the same hours with theirs that his Prayers might be joyned with the rest and not be single but united desires Thus St. Chrysostome directs his people in answer to those who objected unto his pressing Arguments for attending the publick Prayers how is it possible for a Secular Man ingaged in business 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. to pray at the three hours every day Hom. iv de Anna. Tom. 2. and run to Church To which he replies in this manner though it be not easie for every Man to run to the Church so oft yet it is easie for him even when he is in publick business to pray to God unto which not so much the voice is requisite as the mind And therefore let no Man excuse himself by saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the House of Prayer is not near to mine for if we be watchful the Grace of the Holy Spirit will make every one of us a Temple of God She that sits at the Spindle may look up to Heaven in her thoughts and call upon God with fervent desires and so may he that is in the Market or in a Journey or in his Shop making Shoes in like manner a Servant he that buyes Meat he that dresses it and all the rest when it is not possible for them to come to Church they may notwithstanding make fervent and lively Prayers to God who doth not despise the place where they are made but desires alone warm Affections and a serious composed Mind And he concludes thus My meaning in all that I have said is this That we should go to Church as oft as is possible and when we cannot pray at home in great quietness and tranquillity Which counsel if we would all follow that is if as many as can would come to the House of God every day and if they that cannot would let their hearts be there what Blessings might we not expect from God What a flourishing Church and happy Kingdom might we hope to see And there are a great many people I am sure have leisure enough in all Cities and Towns to fill the Churches where there are publick Prayers Nothing but that sluggish dulness Mr. Calviâ— speaks of is the hinderance Which if men would shake off and awakeâ— themselves to serious thoughts of God and the need they have of him and 〈◊〉 constant Prayer to him and such like things as I have represented theâ—â— would be publick Prayers where noâ— there are none and Men would crowâ— every day into the House of Goâ— where there are to Worship him and give him Thanks and beseech hiâ— to be gracious to them As for thâ—â— whose condition and business is such that they cannot possibly attend them nothing can hinder them but their own Wills from going thither in their Wills from going thither in their minds with serious Thoughts and hearty Affections intreating the Father of Mercies to hear the Prayers of those who are there
thereby and be able to say Amen thereunto 1 Corinth xiv 13 14 15 16. Upon which words St. Chrysostome supposes they ended then their Blessing in the Spirit with the very same Form of words wherewith we now conclude our Doxologies or giving Glory to God viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever and ever or throughout all Ages World without end as we translate the Apostles words Ephes iii. 21. And Peter Martyr thought he had reason to acknowledge as much For upon the forenamed place 1 Cor. xiv 16. he hath this observation From hence we learn that even in those first times the publick Prayers were wont to be concluded with these words secula seculorum World without end And this place of the Apostle puts me in mind of another undeniable Argument for prescribed Forms of Worship in the Christian Church which is that singing Psalms and Hymns made up a great part of that Worship and could not possibly be performed by the whole Congregation unless they had before them that which was to be sung Therefore singing by the Spirit that is by a Spiritual Gift the Apostle makes small account of unless what was sung were put into such words that all the people might understand it and sing God's Praises together with him that was inspired This is the Apostles meaning when he bids them speak among themselves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing and making melody in their heart to the Lord. Ephes v. 19. Where by Psalms I think all agree are meant the Psalms of David which were a constant set Form of Praise Hymns and Spiritual Songs were the compositions its like of inspired persons then in the Church which could not be sung by all unless they were communicated to the whole Company And then they were a Form also and we may well think were sung more than once it being very reasonable to conceive that they had not every time they met a new Hymn no more than a new Psalm For St. Paul blames it as a confused unedifying thing that when they came together met that is in the publick Assemblies every one had his particular Psalm c. 1 Cor. xiv 26. and commands all things should be done to edifying by making the Psalm common that is so that all might be the better for it Such I perswade my self were the Prayers and Hymns which St. Paul and Silas sung in Prison not each of them their own Private Prayer and Hymn but some Common Prayer and Form of Praise which they were wont to use Act. xvi 25. Such Hymns it is certain there were in the Church which were sung every Morning in praise of our Blessed Saviour as Pliny himself testifies And Eusebius produces an Ancient Writer asserting the Divinity of our Saviour out of the Hymns that had been of old used in the Church acknowledging his Divinity L. v. Eccles Hist chap. 28. And that Writer calls them Psalms and Hymns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 written by the faithful from the beginning which celebrated Christ the Word of God as God indeed The most Ancient of all which was the Doxology we still use Glory be to the Father and to the Son together with the Holy Ghost as St. Basil * ad Amphilochium cap. 27 29. or whosoever was the Author of the Book concerning the Holy Spirit reports Where he saith that thus it run before the Arian times After which to show that the Church meant in those words to ascribe equal Glory unto the Holy Ghost with the Father and the Son it was altered into that Form wherein it now continues not with the Holy Ghost but to the Holy Ghost Which is the very same as to the sense there being no real difference whether we say Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost or Glory be to them with the Holy Ghost But to avoid all suspition of any distinction which the Church made between them the Form as it is now was thought better And so Ancient and Universal was this Form of Doxology that the Arians themselves used one very like to it giving Honour and Glory to the Father by his only begotten Son in the Holy Ghost as the same Writer informs us * Cap. 25. Which Originally had the same meaning with the other till they perverted it signifying as much as we say now in our Communion Service when we pray for the pardon of our Offences through Jesus Christ our Lord by whom and with whom in the Vnity of the Holy Ghost all Honour and Glory be unto thee O Father Almighty World without end I will not trouble the Reader with any more of the Ancient Hymns but only note that even in the Book of the Revelation we read not only of the Song of Moses but of the Song of the Lamb the latter of which was as much a set Form as the former and is there recorded Revel xv 3 4. Great and marvellous are thy Works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who would not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name For thou only art Holy c. And what hath been said of Hymns may be as truly said of Prayers that the Church had from the beginning a Form of Divine Service which Justin Martyr calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Common Prayers and in Ignatius nearer to the Apostles time is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the common Supplication which we cannot well think was any other than such as he or some other Apostolical Man prescribed In Origen they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the prescribed or ordained Prayers regular Petitions which they who used were safe he saith from all the power of the Devil And as the Hymn they sung to Christ was so celebrated that the Pagans took notice of it as I observed before so these Forms of Prayer were now so well known to them that they got some scraps of them For we find these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord have mercy upon us in Epictetum in Arrianus a Pagan Philosopher who lived about the same time with Justin Martyr the next Age to the Apostles It is superfluous to add that the Emperour Constantine was wont to say with his whole Court 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Eusebius * L. iv de vita Constant c. 17. calls them the appointed Prayers And delivered a Form of Prayer to his Army to be constantly used by the Souldiers which Eusebius also hath set down in his Life * Ib. cap. 20. Let me only note by the way to quicken the Reader to this Holy Duty that as this Religious Prince had dayly Prayers in his Palace which he frequented with his Courtiers making it an House of God So he had likewise certain * Ib. cap. 22. hours wherein he constantly retired to pray by himself As for following Ages we find frequent mention of Liturgies formed by the Apostles themselves