that which fully clears this matter is that even the converted Jews were extreamly shy of letting go any of their Rituals though they had been better informed of the Designe and Nature of Christianity then others were we find Act. 21. 20 21. that there were many Myriads of Jews which believed and they were all zealous of the Law and when they had but an incling that S. Paul taught the Proselites abroad to forsake Moses and not to walk after the Rites and customes of their Fathers they were so moved Vid. Bezam in loc at it that the Bretheren at Jerusalem were fain to advise him to purifie himself and to satisfie them that he walked orderly And since they did so pertinaciously insist upon Punctilio's can we conceive that they would not insist rather upon weighty matters would they suffer the whole frame of their Religion to be altered when they would not endure any part of it to be changed or omitted Certainly had the Apostles gone about to take away their Sacrifices and their Service-book too and to destroy their Legal and Moral observances both it would have been concluded that their design was to make havock of all Religion and to turn the World upside down and such a Rupture would have been made hereby that Men would have crowded out of the Church with greater zeal than ever they went into it And therefore it is unquestionably clear that the Apostles and their Disciples did at their publick and common Assemblies carefully keep to that way of worship which was then establisht which as hath been proved was Prescript and according to Form 2. The great Question is what their way of worship was in their peculiar and more private Assemblies when they met together to perform such proper Exercises of Christianity as they were not permitted to perform either in the Temple or at the Synagogue That these Services were transacted without premeditation and Form is strongly believed and confidently asserted by some And it must be acknowledged that their occasional Prayers were uttered after that manner such as that Prayer mentioned Act. 4. And should it be granted that their whole Devotion was of sudden conception then it would be no prejudice to the use of Set Forms now because the Apostles were immediately inspired whereas those miraculous afflations of the Holy Ghost are ceased long ago and the Question is not whether unpremeditated Prayers are simply unlawful but whether they are so fit and convenient for the publick since our wants and weaknesses are so great and the best of us can pretend but to the ordinary assistance of Gods Spirit upon our humane Endeavours But I must confess that I am not at all satisfied of the Truth of that conceit that in the Christian Assemblies in the Apostles dayes there were no manner of Forms or that their ordinary or standing Services were performed wholly by extemporaneous suggestion Indeed the Scripture gives us but little account of this matter and therefore what is determin'd about it must be concluded by the help of Reason and some Collateral evidence To the point then The service of God consisteth of Praises and Prayers Now that the Christians in the Apostles time had composed and set Forms of praising and glorifying God seemeth highly probable from 1 Cor. 14. 26. where St. Paul saith that when they came together every one of them had a Psalm This is a general word comprehending both Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs to the use whereof St. Paul adviseth Christians twice elsewhere once in Ephes 5. 19. and again Col. 3. 16. Now 't is hard to believe that these several wayes of extolling Gods name were conceived in the Church on a sudden by the whole Congregation Rather it is credible that they came ready furnished with suitable Forms either with those which had been formerly compos'd by David or with some that had been lately framed by Men inspired or with both which is most likely For the same Spirit which moved the Prophets of old did breath upon the Church now and 't is probable that as David and others did by the dictates of the Holy Ghost compose Forms of praising God for the use of the whole Congregation so in the Apostles time many were moved by the same Spirit to compose the like Christian Hymns for the use of the whole Church So St. Chrysostome tells us positively that in those ancient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Chrys in 1 Cor. 14. 26. times they did frame Psalms by the Gift of the Holy Ghost And since the Apostle doth distinguish between these Psalms and those Revelations which were given in an instant at the Church it seemeth to be clear that such Formes were conceived at home by such as had the Gift of Tongues and then being rendered into a Language which they understood were communicated to the People to be used by them at their solemn Meetings and so they had or came provided of Psalms when they came together For the scope of the Apostle there is to shew that every thing should be done in the Church that others might receive benefit by it And whereas some had the gift of speaking in strange Languages and were apt to boast of their abilities St. Paul in that Chapter proveth that the Service of God should be performed in a known Tongue that every Christian might bear a part in it and so he concludeth that even the Psalms which were composed by Persons inspired should be first made intelligible before they were used in their publick Assemblies because all things were to be done to edisying And truely that there were such divine Songs frequently used in the Apostles dayes seemeth to be clear from a testimony in Eusebius For speaking of several eminent Catholick Writers under Euseb Hist Eccl. lib. 5. cap. 28. the Emperour Severus he saith that in confuting the Heresie of Artâ—â—â—on who denied the Godhead of our Saviour they appealed to those Psalms and Hymns which had been written in the beginning of Christianity by the Faithful in which Hymns they confessed Christ to be the Word of God and worshipped him as God To which I shall add that account given by Pliny the Heathen who lived about St. John's time For writing to Trajan the Emperour he informed him of the Christians That they were Plinius Trajano a sort of People that on a certain day were wont to meet together early in the morning and did sing a Hymn unto Christ as unto God and did bind themselves in a Sacrament not to steal not to commit adultery c. Questionless this Hymn was some set Form of Praise which was used by the whole Congregation at the Communion Office And if I may be allowed my conjecture I conceive it might be that Hymn which we find still in Clements Constitutions the Clem. Const lib. 7. in fine Tenor whereof is this Glory be to God in the Highest Peace on Earth good will among men We
praise thee we sing unto thee we bless thee we glorifie thee we worship thee through our Great High-Priest thee the very true God the unbegotten inaccessible Being for thy great glory O Lord heavenly King God the Father Almighty O Lord God the Father of Christ that spotless Lamb that taketh away the sin of the World receive our prayer thou that sittest upon the Cherubims For thou only art holy thou only O Jesus art the Lord the anointed of God our King to whom be Glory Honor and Worship ascribed This was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 morning Prayer or Hymn so called in the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constitutions and 't was usual at the close of the holy Sacrament And if it was not this Hymn which Pliny mean't some other of the like nature it was which he pointed to And so from all these Testimonies put together I do conclude that in the Apostles days there were certain set Forms of praise which was one main part of the ordinary Service then in their peculiar and select Assemblies 2 As touching Prayers which made up the other part of Gods Worship S. Paul saith to Timothy 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. I exhort that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority c. 1. Here it is clear that the Apostle doth enumerate several sorts kinds and parts of devotion making a plain distinction and difference between supplications against all evil things and Prayers for all good things and Intercessions for others as well for themselves and Tanksgivings for mercies already received There is no doubt but he meaneth several distinct offices unless we be so impudent as to affirm that S. Paul heaped up many words to no purpose 2. It is clear that he required that these several offices should be observed these distinct Acts of Devotion should be performed in the Christian Church and to shew the necessity of it the Apostle exhorteth Timothy to take care of it first of all 3. It is as clear that the whole Church of Christ hath conceived and taken for granted in all Ages that the Apostle in this place did intend to fix a certain Rule of Devotion and did order a Platform and Model to be observed in all publick Services and especially at the Celebration of the holy Communion Indeed the words of S. Paul do not force us to believe that he required Prayers to be composed and digested into a certain Form although that expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may bear that sense but yet the Judgement of the Church was that the Apostle did design and intend to have a standing Rule and Model of Devotion set up S. Chrysostome puts the Question what doth the Apostle mean when he saith I exhort that first of all supplications prayers c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith that excellent and Ancient Father S. Paul meaneth that this must be done in our daily services and this saith he we do daily both at Morning and S Chrysost in 1 Tim. 2. 1. Evening Service such Supplications Prayers Intercessions and Thanksgivings they had prescribed and fixt and in using them they did conceive that they answered the Apostles design and did according to his Order Directions and Appointment To the same purpose S. Ambrose upon Haec Regula Ecclesiastica est tradita a Magistro Gintilium qua utuntur sacerdotes nostri ut pro omnibus supplicent c. Ambros Comment the place saith This is an Ecclesiastical Law delivered by the Doctor of the Gentiles and observed by our Priests to pray for all men and particuarly for Kings c. Questionless the good man conceived that the Church was obliged by virtue of this Apostolical precept to use some constant Forms of Prayer for all men in general and especially for such as were in Authority And though this was done frequently in the time of Publick Service for fear they should fall short of their duty yet S. Austin was of opinion that S. Paul In hujus Sacramenti Sanctificatione distributionis preparatione existimo Apostolum jussisse proprie fieri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Orationes S. Aug. ep 59. ad Paulin. Sol. q. 5. had an eye chiefly to the time when the Blessed Sacrament was celebrated and that then these charitable Prayers were commanded to be made as in their proper and fit place And to confirm S. Austins opinion I observe of the Church of England that though Prayers for all men and for Kings be directed by her to be made in several places of her Liturgy yet in the prayer for the whole Church before the Communion particular mention is made of this command of the Apostles as if in her judgement S. Paul required such Prayers to be used at that time chiefly In a word the manifest agreement of all Liturgies in this particular and the constant uniform and universal practise of all Christians from the beginning all along using certain Forms of Supplication Prayer Intercession and Thanksgiving for all men and for Kings especially and that too in the Communion-office is a loud and clear argument to me that they conceived this their practice to have been according to the Apostles order and those their Forms to have been according to the Apostles mind And hence I conclude that either the whole Catholick Church hath not yet understood St. Pauls sense but has been clearly mistaken in his meaning which I hope will never be granted or else that that carries much truth in it which Durantus Cites out of Haymo viz. that the Blessed Apostle Durant de Rit Eccl. lib. 2. c. 33. directing his words to Timothy did in and by him deliver unto all Bishops and Presbyters and to every Church a Form how they should celebrate the Sacrament and pray for all men which Form or Model the whole Church doth observe From all which the least that we can gather is that certain Forms of Divine service were allowed and approved of even in the Apostles time But to speak freely it seems very probable that the holy Apostles did in their ordinary Ministrations observe Forms of Prayer themselves notwithstanding those extroardinary assistances of the Spirit which they were blest with I do not say that they Prayed by Book as they did in following Ages Nor do I mean that they tied themselves to words as they did when the miraculous Gifts of the holy Ghost ceased but this I do affirm as highly probable that the Apostles used a certain Form or Method and that the matter and substance of their ordinary services was for the most part the same My reasons are these three chiefly 1. Because St. Paul advised Timothy who was gifted as well as others 1 Tim. 4. 14. to a fixt Rule Model and Form of Publick Devotion which advice it is not likely that he would have given unto him had not he himself and his
Sabaoth Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory Blessed be thou unto all Ages world without End Amen In like manner the Prayer of Consecration which comes next is very agreeablee to that Form which was of most ancient usage The Prayer of Consecration only it is shorter than that old affectionate and devout Prayer wherein they commemorated the wonderful love of God and Christ to an undone world and made mention of his Humility Incarnation Birth Life Miracles Passion Death and Burial then thanked God for the Redemption of the World by these methods of Love and Wisdome then proceeded to the History of this Sacraments Institution using the same words as we do who in the same night that he was betray'd took Bread c. and likewise the Cup saying c. and at last prayed unto the Father of Lights that he would look favourably upon the Elements and send his holy Spirit to Const lib. 8. sanctifie them so that whosoever did partake thereof might be confirmed in Religion and receive remission of sins and be filled with the holy Ghost These things done and all having received they proceeded Post Communion even as we do to a Prayer of Thanksgiving which as we find it in the Book of Constitutions did so resemble for the most part of it that second Prayer after the Communion prescribed in our Liturgy as if it were none other than a Copy and Translation of it After that they used that Angelical Hymn Glory to God on High c. concerning which I cannot but observe the Conjecture of the Learned Dr. Hammond that it is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hymn View of the Direct in Philopat which Lucian the Heathen Scoffer pointed to when speaking in the person of Triephon who represents the Christian he saith let those words alone beginning your prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Father and adding in the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that famous Ode or Hymn full of Synonymous and repeated words The Doctor concieves that by the former is intended the Pater Noster with which both now and anciently the Communion-Service was begun and that by the latter is meant that Hymn of ours Glory be to God on high we praise thee we bless thee with which that Service ends having nothing but the Benediction after it which being so powerful and importunate repetition of O Lord God Heavenly King and O Lord God Lamb of God c. is most properly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the notion that it was used in among the Heathen Writers Now if this opinion of Dr. Hammonds be right we have a most pregnant account of the Antiquity of this Hymn because Lucian lived about S. John the Evangelists time but however we find it in Clements Constitutions I have insisted the longer and the more particularly upon the Antiquity of our Service-book to satisfie the World that it was not taken out of the Roman mint neither is a late invention without good Authority and Precedent but that it hath the practice of the Old Apostolical Churches and times to warrant and patronize it however it is new slighted and hated by a sort of people among us who either cannot or will not distinguish between an invaluable Jewel and the dry harsh husk of a sorry Barley-corn I shall conclude this whole matter with that known story of Arch-Bishop Cranmer in the reign of Queen Mary how he offered the Queen if he might be permitted to take unto him Peter Martyr and four or five more to prove that the Communion-office set Foxes's Martyrol Anno 1554 in his purgation out by King Edward the sixth was conformable to that which Christ commanded and which the Apostles and Primitive Church used many years And that the whole Order of Divine Service then used by the Church of England was the same meaning in effect and substance that had been used in the Catholick Church for fifteen hundred years past By what has been said hitherto it doth appear that the Zealous Prelate spake not without good Reason But the Challenge would not be accepted because the Learned sorts of Papists knew that the thing could be made out And though some ignorant and some malicious men among our selves have been pleased to say that our Liturgy was taken out of the Mass-Book yet the most judicious and most unprejudiced Protestants have looked upon it to be as in Truth it is a most strong Bullwark and Fence against Popery And indeed the Papists themselves know it to be so and therefore upon the restoring of Popery in Queen Maries time they did with all haste and fury throw our Excellent Liturgy and the wise Compilers of it into the Fire and surely none but Mad men and Fools would have served their friends so The Antiquity of our Rites Customes and Vsages comes to be confidered in the next place And truely there are some Ecclesiastical Observations which we meet with in the most Ancient Writers of the Greek and Latine Churches of whose Birth and Original I believe the Learnedst men in Christendom cannot shew us the particular time by the help of their best readings nor can they who dislike them shew us when they came first into the Church 1. The first is the use of the Cross especially at the time of Baptism Of the Cross Mercerus Vticensis in his additions to the Hieroglyphicks of Orus Apollo tells us that the Cross among the old Aegyptians was an Emblem of the Life to come What their reason was I Eccl. Hist lib. 11. c. 29. am not to enquire But Ruffinus relates the same thing and moreover tells us that the Aegyptians and especially their Priests who understood their Mysteries best the more willingly embraced the Christian Religion for the Cross sake calling to mind its ancient signification The Ancient Christians though they Min. Fel. never worshipped the Cross yet they used the sign of it as an outward badge of their Profession and all that were received into the Church received this sign upon their foreheads in token that they were not ashamed of a Crucified Saviour 'T is recorded of the Gnosticks those first Hereticks who denied the reality of Christs Incarnation and Passion that they branded their Proselytes with an hot Iron in the upper part of their right ear Iren. lib. 1. and some conjecture that S. Paul restected upon that custome of theirs where he saith that they had Consciences seared with an hot Iron meaning as well as their ears But in all probability this custome was taken up in opposition to the true Christians 1 Tim. 4. 2. who were marked with the sign of the Cross upon their foreheads S. Basil I am sure reckons it in the first place among S. Basil de Spiritu Sanctu c. 27. the Ecclesiastical Constitutions which were derived by Tradition from the holy Apostles and indeed the use of the Cross was so ancient and so
Provincia abundet in sensu suo praecepta majorum leges Apostolicas arbitretur Hieron ad Lucian Rites were of Apostolical Appointment and they did generally call the Customs of the Church and the Injunctions of their Ancestors by the name of Apostolical Traditions But yet 't is reasonable to believe that Christians of the second and third Century who gave diligence to search into and had means to find out the Original of many Ecclesiastical Observations were able to give a very fair and satisfactory account what had been transmitted to them from the Apostles and what not For some of them conversed with the Apostles themselves or with some of them as Polycarp Ignatius and S. Clement of Rome Others again as Irenaeus and Justin Martyr were acquainted with Apostolical men And others were so near to these as Clemens of Alexandria Origen Tertullian Cyril c. that it was not very hard for them to know whether the Ordinances and Customs then used in the Church did owe their birth to the first Preachers of Religion or whether they were postnate to the Age of the Apostles Do not we know by the Acts and Monuments of former times what the Governours of our Church did and appointed in the beginning of the Reformation under King Henry the Eighth Why it is very probable then that what the Apostles did and instituted at the Planting of Religion under Nero Vespasian and Domitian might be easily known to those Fathers of the Church who lived and flourished some ten some thirty years after them and others onward to an hundred or say two hundred years successively So that if it shall hereafter appear that the outward Frame of Religion which is establish'd in the present Church of England was the very same Model for the most part which was used anciently in other Churches in the days of those primitive Writers and the very Model which they professed to have received from Christ's immediate Successors then I cannot imagine what just reason any man can have against the asking for and the walking in a way so ancient so laudable and so safe If he will not grant that our Establishments were instituted by the holy Apostles which yet in probability is true that they were appointed by them as things useful decent and convenient though not as necessary in every particular he must needs grant that they were appointed by due Authority that is by Apostolical Persons and so may claim veneration and observance at our hands Besides it is to be consider'd that not to the Apostles onely but to their lawful Successors also was that Promise of our blessed Saviour made that he would be with them always even unto the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. and that other Promise that he would send his Spirit to guide them into all truth John 16. 13. Now though that Promise requireth certain conditions of us and extends it self chiefly to the necessaria fidei matters of faith and necessary matters too yet 't is altogether improbable that Christ and his Spirit should take so little care of his Church in reference to its Polity and Discipline as to forsake her in the very next age or to leave her to be abused by the Fancies of Dreamers and to be imposed upon by men of foolish and degenerous Spirits and to be defaced and spoiled of her pristine Beauty by the frothy Conceptions of men of corrupt minds I pray whither went the Spirit of Christ from the old Christians to speak unto us after the space of Fifteen hundred years How came he to suspend his Influences from those who lived Saints and died Martyrs and at last came to breathe afresh into dry bones and to restore Religion which had been lost in a long interval of Time and succession of Ages Can any but Franticks conceive that the Church was never pure till an hundred years ago Or that for so many Centuries she needed to be swept and yet a Besom could never be found till the DIsciplinarian started up and made one and swept at such a rate that with us Order Decency and Religion were quite flung out of doors and Hypocrisie and Oppression were set up in its room 2. Zanchius profest that he had rather drink old Wine than Vorst ad Theolog Heidelb in Epist Ecclesiasticis new meaning that he preferred the Sense of the Ancients above that of Modern Divines in all Points not determined in Scripture He said like a wise man and 't would be much for the Peace of Christendom if all Christians would resolve in matters of Opinion to follow the Judgment and in matters of Discipline to observe the Practice of the ancient Church But some Palats are for new Wine onely not because it is so good for the old is better but because it is new And I am not likely to persuade such to conform to the Establishments of our Church by this Argument because they are ancient Establishments Yet I would beseech them to consider in the second place that the way we plead for is not onely an old but a good way also We must not think that the Contrivers of our Constitutions and Usages were so many Fools how low soever they may lie in the esteem of men who have less Wisdom and worse Manners and value a little Serpentine Craft above the Dove's Innocence A Church being gather'd it was impossible that without Laws that Society should hold together or answer the ends of its Foundation and therefore Government was necessary and of all sorts of Government that by Bishops was thought most convenient and fitting because presumed to be the best Defensative against Faction Schism and Disorder and the Experience of all Ages hath found it to be so Again since the Church is a Collection of men learned and unlearned who are set apart to worship God and do hold their Title unto Christ by their Faith in him it was judg'd very expedient that Set Forms of Publick Prayer should be prescrib'd both as a Repository of wholsom and sound Doctrines and likewise as a Provision for the necessities of the ignorant and moreover as a Preservative of Order Unity and Peace among Christians Lastly considering that the Worship of God is to be celebrated with solemn Decency and Comliness suitable in some degree to the Greatness of that Majesty which is to be adored certain outward Rites and Ceremonies were appointed as good means to conduct 1 Cor. 14. 40. men to a sense of Religion and to the exercise of Godliness and to create and stir up the Devotion of the Mind and the Reverence of the Heart For by the Judgment and Practice of the whole World it doth appear that an external Solemnity and Observance of Circumstances such as Habits Ornaments Gestures c. do bring a mighty respect to all secular Transactions and the Grandeur of Princes Courts of Courts of Judicature and of Civil Corporations is much upheld and Government becomes venerable
the Christian Churches were universally deceived in the Primitive Times and that in two Instances 1. They all believed that after the World was 6000 years old there would be a general Resurrection of the Dead and then that Christ would Reign on Earth a thousand Years Secondly It was an universal custom to give the Sacrament of the Lords Supper even to Infants after they were Baptized And if all the Anolent Churches were actually cheated in two things 't is probable that they were in more also at least nothing can be brought from the General Practice of those Churches to make their Customs venerable In Answer to the former Instance I have three things to offer briefly 1. That it was not matter of Fact or Discipline but matter of Opinion only in which the World might be more easily abused because points of Doctrin are not obvious to the Senses and are more hard to be retained in the Memories of men than things of Custom and Discipline And therefore Tradition is not allowed to be a safe Record of things concerning the Faith but the Scriptures only 2. That this Persuasion was not derived from the Apostles but came Originally from some Jews converted to Christianity who were mixed up and down in the Churches of Christ For such an old Tradition we read of called the Tradition of the House of Rabbi Elias that the World should continue 6000 Years and then that the Everlasting Sabbath should begin Which Fancy continuing in the Minds of most Christian Jews Papias and other Christians came by degrees to imbibe it by conversing with those of the Circumcision who were dispersed all Christendom over 3. And yet thirdly this was no universal Doctrine by your favour For Eusebius saith that Many Euseb Hist Eccl. lib. 3. in fine Ecclesiastical persons were abused with this Error And Justin Martyr tells us that though he himself and many others were of that Opinion yet there were many others men of pure and pious Judgments who did not think so And shew me if you can any such in those days that were against the received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Dial. cum Tryph. Government and Discipline of the Church In Answer to the latter Instance we have reason to affirm that the giving of the Communion to Baptized Infants was not an universal custom in the Primitive Times whatever some Learned men have suggested to the contrary Such indeed was the exuberant Piety of those Ages that they would not fail in any thing which seemed to be a Duty and a security of their hopes and some did run away with a misconstruction of those words of our Saviour in Joh. 6. 53. But suppose that this was an usual Custom in some particular Churches it is not fair that one single Exception if yet it be an Exception should void a whole Rule and all that we can gather from it is that all their Customs were not of Apostolical Institution nor do we say they were onely Iurge that where their Customs were universal in the first Ages there is a fair probability that they came from good hands and a sufficient Argument for us to walk in a way which was so universally old But lastly in answer to both these Objections it is clear that as well the former Opinion as this Custom met in time with publick contradiction for the one was disown'd and the other was laid aside in following Ages and so the Instances do not reach us whose Establishments have passed all along without condemnation or censure nay with accessions and advantage till of late some indiscreet men resolved to run far enough from the Church of Rome ran themselves out of their wits and five senses and forgetting the Golden Mean took too quick a step out of Superstition into Confusion and now are in a fair way to run round again out of Confusion into Superstition 2. I hope that our Plea of Antiquity in defence of our Constitutions standeth yet fair notwithstanding this first Pretence The next is that even in the Apostles days the mystery of iniquity was working as S. Paul witnesseth 2 Thess 2. 7. For they who are not Friends to the way of the Church of England do generally but wrongfully understand by that Mystery of Iniquity a Spirit of Tyranny and Superstition even in the bowels of Christ's Spouse that was then setting up for Antichrist and laying the Foundations of Prelacy and a ceremonious pompous way of Worship and whatsoever else men will please to say For the voiding of this Pretence 1. We do aknowledge that there was a sort of men in S. Paul's days and the less wonder if there are such now that were like Moles blind and busie Creatures working under ground restless and mischievous notwithstanding their soft delicate and smooth Skin But then secondly we do utterly deny and 't is a marvel that any man of Learning should have the confidence to affirm that these were true Christians living in the communion of the Church and under the guidance and government of the Holy Apostles No they were the Sectaries of those times whom S. Paul meaneth by the Mystery of Iniquity a company of close Villains whose lewd designs were hid in the dark and whose abominable Practices were kept private under a Curtain and within the Walls of their Conventicles for it is a shame even to speak of those things which were done of them in secret Ephes 5. 12. The Apostles do point plainly unto these Miscreants throughout all their Epistles S. Paul gives them the Character of false Prophets deceitful Workers transforming themselves into the 2 Cor. 11. 13. Phil. 3. 2. Col. 2. 18. 1 Tim. 6. 20. 2 Tim. 3. 2 3 4 5. Apostles of Christ dogs evil workers the Concision that all good people should beware of men vainly puffed up by their fleshly minds and not holding the head pretending knowledge falsly so called lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers or Make-bates incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traitors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof S. Peter calls 2 Pet. 2. 3 10. them false teachers that through covetousness with feigned words made merchandize of people despisers of government presumptuous self-willed that were not afraid to speak evil of dignities c. S. Jude Jude 4 8 9 16 describes them as men crept in unawares ungodly men turning the grace of God into lasciviousness filthy dreamers that despised dominion and spake evil of dignities and of those things which they knew not murmurers complainers c. Any man may perceive that those were the followers of Simon Magus the Gnosticks whom the Holy Writers did thus lash and expose to the World men who called themselves Christians and went under the Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart.
to pray by delivering to them a most perfect Form of his own conception And then that the Apostles themselves who were acted by the same Spirit should likewise conceive and give unto Christians Forms also I think no wise man will wonder and that they used not the Lords prayer themselves in all their Services I think none but a mad man will have the confidence to assert All which things being duely considered I will take upon me to affirm that as Set Forms of Divine Service were used by the Jews before and in the life-time of our Saviour and by all Christians after the Age of the Apostles so in that intermediate juncture of time between the Ascention of our Saviour and the setling of Christianity set Forms of divine service were for certain allowed and in all probability practised used and transmitted unto the Church by the Apostles themselves and their Fellow-labourers whose names were written in the Book of life And so the first thing is dispatched which I undertook to make out touching the Ancient use of Set Forms of Divine Service in General Thus far to be sure we tread in the old ways in that we worship the God of our Father as our old Fathers did by a set and prescript Form 2. Next I proceed to speak of this form in particular I mean our English Liturgy about which there have been longer contentions then were once between the Angel and the Divel disputing about the Body of Moses I shall not insist either upon Jude 9. the Order or the Expressions contained in our Service-book because all Churches of old have taken the liberty of varying somewhat in these respects though the main Body of their Liturgies was in a manner the same But my intent is to take notice of the substance of our Service-book and to observe what an Eye our Learned and pious Reformers had to the Ancient Model when they compiled this and to shew how agreeable our standing and ordinary offices are to those of Old in their general Frame and Contexture The incomparably Learned and Moderate Grotius though he was a Foreigner Grot. Ep. ad Gedeon a â—oet yet did us the right to affirm as a thing that was clear and certain that the Liturgy of the Church of England was sufficiently correspondent to the usages of the Ancient-Church And if knowing men would but take the pains to consider and compare the particulars they would find that our Liturgy is not onely agreeable to the oldest and Best but moreover that it is the most pure and most perfect Liturgy that is now known to be in the whole world We begin as it becometh sinners and Penitents with an The Confession De Missa lib. 1. c. 3. humble and hearty confession of our offences And if the Noble Du Plessis may be credited so did the Jews begin their service to which the Apostles and their Disciples did all conform The same was the custome of Christians in following times So the Authour de Autoritate ordine Officii Muzarabici tells us of the Christians in Spain who were mingled with the Arabs that they began their Service with a General Confession And so we find in the Rubrick at the beginning of the service on the Feast of St. De Aut. Et Ord. Off. Muzar c. 37. James faciâ prius confessione uti fit in Missis Latinis juxta usum Toletanum antiquum dicitur Introitus Confession being first made as in the Latine services it is usually done according to the Ancient use of Toledo the Introit is said In like manner Cassander tells Cassand Liturgic Cap. 1. 2. us of the Armenians that their Priest having put on his habits said the Confession before the Altar with bended knees and his head bowed down according to the custome of the Latines In both these Testimonis mention is made of the custome of the Latine Churches that the Confession of the Spanish course was according to the way of the Latines and that the Confession in the Armenian course was according to the custome of the Latines so that in the Latine Churches as well as in these Service was begun as with us with a general confession Now as for the Greek Church St. Basil tells us that Basil ep 63. ad Cler. Neocaesar in his time they did rise betimes a good while before day and went to the house of prayer and there with pain and affliction and incessant tears made Confession unto God and that with one mouth and with one heart every one professing his Repentance with his own tongue Indeed St. Basil saith that when this first course was over at break of day they made Confession again using a Penitential Psalm and so doth our Church order the one and fiftieth Psalm to be used after Morning Prayer and Litany on the first day of Lent and on other special days of See the Commination Fasting but 't is clear from his words that the first thing the Greeks did was to joyn in a solemn and devout Confession of their sins at their publick meeting together In like manner the Lords Prayer is constantly used in the The Lords Prayer â—nirance to our Morning and Evening Service And this is agreeable to the Ancient practice of the Church We meet together saith Tertullian that we may offer holy violence unto Tertul. Apol. c. 39. God besieging him by prayer there Prayer is intimated to have been their first business But then he saith elsewhere that the Lords Prayer was premised and used first as the foundation of their Devotion to which they Premissâ Iegitimae ordinaria oratione quasi fundamento accidentium jus est desideriornm jus est superstruendi c. Tert. de Oratione might add and on which they might build other occasional prayers having used that before And as touching our frequent use of the Lords prayer any man that consults the Ancient Liturgies may see how agreeable it is to the old way That short Address O Lord open thou our lips together with the Response And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise are part of Psal 51. 15. And it has been noted before that The Versicles the Jews used that Form before their Prayers and that Christians continued the use of it and is still to be seen in the Liturgy ascribed to S. James and in S. Chrysostomes The Doxology is a short Confession of our Faith in the The Gloria Patri Blessed Trinity and an Act of Adoration and Worship and moreover an Argument of the holiness of our purposes and therefore is fit to be used often as a signification that all our confessions praises prayers c. are intended and directed all of them to the Glory of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost That it was of Ancient and Vniversal use both in the Eastern and Western Churches is most certain and that it was used at the ends of Psalms before the fourth Council
people still crying with a loud voice that God would deliver them from such and such evils And then they were called Litanies and Rogations Hence it is that Mamertus and others are said to have framed Litanies because they enlarged them and used them in manner aforesaid And hence it is that S. Basil told the Clergy of Neocaesaria that there were no Litanies in Gregory's days because that name and that use of them was not then known But yet it is as true that such Forms of supplication and earnest Prayer were very anciently in use and before the times either of Basil or Gregory and S. Chrysostome in his Homily upon Rom. 8. deriveth the Original of them from the Apostles times And truely the general use of them doth argue that this way of praying cannot well be derived from any other Fountain for it was an Vniversal as well as Ancient way Look into that old Liturgy used by the Christians in India and you shall find large Litanies that is Prayers Litany-wise call them what you will Look into the Aethiopian Liturgy called the Vniversal Canon and you shall find Litanies Look into the Mosarabe or Spanish Course and you shall find Litanies Look into the Ambrosian office and you shall find Litanies Look into the Jerusalem Liturgy and you shall find Litanies Look into S. Chrysostomes and S. Basils Liturgies and those other offices collected by Goar and you shall still find Litanies And look into that most Ancient Service-book Eucholog called the Constitutions of the Apostles and you shall find Litanies frequently used at ordinations and in their daily Service and Prayers for the Catechumeni for penitents for persons vexed with evil Spirits for such as were Baptized and afterwards at the Lords Table too for the whole Catholick Church and its Members before the Holy Communion Can any thing speak louder for the Ancient and Vniversal use of Litanies And whence should this come but from Apostolical practice For the Primitive Christians were not easie to be imposed upon or to be perswaded out of their old beaten way Witness for all the Condemnation of Petrus Gnapheus and his V. Can. 81. Concil sixti in Trullo una cum Balsam Blast followers for adding only a little Formula to that received and usual Hymn holy God holy and strong holy and immortal have mercy upon us To this they subjoyned another clause thou that wast Crucified for us have mercy on us and the sixth Council in Trullo condemned the Author of it for a wicked and vile Heretick and Anathematiz'd all that should use that Form for the future for their fear was lest by that Additament it should be intimated that our Saviour was a fourth person distinct from the three persons in the holy Trinity The Fathers of Old were wise and wary and fearful of Innovations in the publick Service And then how the general use of Litanies could be brought into the Church but by such practice as they took to be a safe and authentick Precedent I cannot well understand or imagine 3. The Antiquity of our Litany being thus cleared as to its Form and Contexture next I am to shew its Antiquity as to its matter and substance likewise Now this will easily appear by observing the strain of the Ancient Litanies which though I have already represented in part yet for the further information of the Vulgar sort I shall add that they began and ended as our Litany doth with Lord have mercy They prayed and that many times by the Mercies and Compassions as Lit. S. Basil Lit. S. Chrys we do by the Sufferings Cross Passion c. of our Saviour that God would deliver them from the snares of the Devil from the assaults of enemies from the unclean Spirit of Fornication Can. Vnivers from famine pestilence earthquakes inundations fire sword invasion and civil Wars from all affliction wrath danger and Lit. Basil distress from all sin and wickedness from an untimely end Orat. Lucern and sudden death They prayed that God would keep them Lit. S. Chrys every day in peace and without sin that he would grant them remission of their sins and pardon their transgressions that he Off. Muzar Eucholog Lit. S. Chrys would give them things that were good and beneficial to their souls that they might lead the residue of their lives in peace and repentance that they might persevere in the Faith to the end and that the end of their lives might be Christian and peaceable Lit. S. Jac. without torment and without shame They prayed for the peace Lit. S. Chrys and tranquility of the World and of all Churches for the holy Catholick Church from one end of the earth to the other for Lit. omnes Kings for Bishops Presbyters and Deacons for Virgins Orphans Off. Ambros Missa Christ apud Indos Clem. Consâ— and Widows for such as were in bonds and imprisonment for such as were in want necessity and affliction for married persons and women labouring of child for such as were sick and weak and in their last Agony for banished people and slaves for their enemies and persecuters for persons at Sea and travellers by Land for them that were without and such as erred from the Right way for Infants and young Children and for every Christian soul And to every of these particular supplications the Congregation did answer sometimes Lord Const lib. 8. Lit. S. Chrys have mercy sometimes Grant it us O Lord and sometimes we beseech thee O Lord hear us This was the constant general and most charitable way of praying in the first and purest Ages of Christianity and the way which the Church of England had a careful eye unto at the digestion of our Litany into its Form and Model and whosoever will but compare the most Ancient Litanies with ours will find that this of ours is not only answerable to the best and of the same strain and Spirit with the best but moreover that it contains the very marrow and quintessence of them all And so much touching the Antiquity of our Litany Proceed we now to the Office at the holy Communion which anciently was never Celebrated without premising the Lords Prayer for which reason it is used with us at the beginning of that Service After all the people were dismissed save onely those who intended to Communicate the Primitive Christians presented Offertory their Offerings which by the Minister were reverently laid upon the Lords Table These offerings were so large and liberal that they served to maintain the whole Body of the Clergy and were a good provision for Orphans and Widows for sick persons and such as were in bonds for strangers and for all that were in want This custome of making Offerings before the Sacrament is so Ancient that nothing can be more We find it in all Liturgies Justin M. Apolog. 2. and other Ancient Records as in Origen Tertullian Irenaeus
fellow Apostles observed the same course 2. It is observable that there is such a marvellous Harmony and Correspondence between all ancient Liturgies in the materia substrata matter body and substance of them that it is not imaginable by men that will give their impartial Judgement how there could be that harmony without a general consent or how there could be that general consent without the Apostles directions Some indeed have been forward to expose the Errors of the ancient Fathers and as forward to expose the Corruptions of the Ancient Service-books and we aswell as they do acknowledge those Service-books to have been tainted since they were first compiled but yet I never saw any one sufficient Argument to prove that the main frame of those Liturgies was not founded upon the practice of the Apostles nay it is very probable that the old Compilers of those Liturgies took their measures from the Practice of the Apostles 3. For Thirdly S. Chrysostome speaking of the Constitution of S. Chrysost in Rom. 8. 26. Hom. 14. the Apostles times tells us that among other extroardinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost then there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gift of Prayer that this Gift was not bestowed upon all but upon some one a few in comparison that the persons thus inspired did pray for all the rest and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with much compunction and with many groans and moreover that they taught others to pray also Now a man that would be nice might make it a question what S. Chrysostome means when he saith that these gifted men taught others to pray and whether his sense be not this that they dictated prayers to the Congregation by calling upon them to join their suffrages for such and such Mercies If so then here is an account of the Original reason and use of those Allocutory Forms of Prayer which were so anciently and so universally received And that de facto it Was so seemeth to be probable from a following passage in St. Chrysostome where he tells us that the manner of Deacons praying in his time did which resemble and was correspondent to the way after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those inspired persons prayed in the Apostolick Age now that was Litany-wise and it was a very ancient and very usual way of teaching people to pray as was noted before out of Justine Martyr and others and that it is not unlike to the style and strain of Gods Spirit shall be shewed hereafter In the mean time if there be any truth in S. Chrysostomes account of this matter we must couclude that the men who were thus enabled to Pray did teach others either by propounding prayers to them that they might give their consent to them saying Lord have mercy or some such Form or by using the same prayers frequently so that by the often repetition of them they might the better be fixed in peoples memories or by committing those Prayers which they had conceived to writing that they might be of constant use unto the whole Church in their ordinary services Which way soever we pitch upon it is very unlikely that the Apostles who ordered all things unto edification would not order the Worship of God so that all people might go along with them in it with their hearts and with their tongues too It is unlikely that they who did insist so much upon order and decency would not be careful rather of that which is most material It is unlikely that they who would not indure any Confusion any Irreverence any Vncomliness not so much as a mans Head to be covered in the Service of God would not settle the service it self and cast it into such a Model that all Christians might bear a part in it The Learned and Judicious Dr. Hammond was clearly of opinion View of the New Directory that such as had the Gift of prayer in the Apostles days did first conceive and then did frequently use some special Forms of Prayer for daily and constant wants and that these Forms were received and kept by Apostolical men who had so benefited under them And it seemeth reasonable to believe that this was the Original of those Ancient Liturgies which go under the names of S. James S. Peter S. Mark c. should it not be allowed that they were the Pen-men and Compilers of any Service-books yet there are fair Arguments to perswade that these and other inspired persons did conceive indite and utter many admirable Forms of Prayer which are still in being as to the matter and substance of them and that these Forms were methodized and cast together into several Bodies by some Apostolical men to be the standing Church-service For the extroardinary Gift of Prayer beginning to fail there was a necessity for certain fixt and prescript Forms and what better Forms could they use then what had been used by the Apostles themselves and which they remembred and knew and kept upon Record And so I conceive the Ancient Liturgies came to be compiled and perfected by the pious diligence of holy and good men who made what Collections they could of this and that Apostles prayers and added others where it was needful For it was some considerable time before these Liturgies were perfectly compleated because some Doctors of the Church were ever and anon desirous of prescribing new Forms of their own and of adding them to the old stock And this was a thing so usual in those early times that some Councels were fain to V. Concil Milevit Can. 12. Carthag Can. 23. Zonar in Can. 18. Concilii Laodiceni interpose and restrain men from adding Prayers of their own at their pleasure The Reason of this was founded on the Practice of the Apostles and Apostolical persons their Co-temporaries and Followers 't was in imitation and by example of them that Bishops in succeeding Ages did prescribe certain special prayers of their composing because they had observed that many Forms had been conceived heretofore by S. James for the use of the Churches of Jerusalem and that the like had been done not onely by other Apostles for the use of other Churches but also by the Apostles immediate successors who had collected many Prayers composed by their Predecessors and added more of their own Conception which gave encouragemant to others to do so too till Liturgies did swell so that S. Basil and S. Chrysostome thought it convenient to abridge them All this framing composing and prescribing of Forms of Prayer was originally occasioned by Apostolical practice And for what the Holy Apostles did in this matter there are such precedents as are beyond all manner of exception For so did David and other inspired persons of old conceive prescribe and deliver Forms of Service unto the Church under the Law So did S. John the Baptist in Christs time teach his Disciples to pray by giving them a Form Nay so did Christ himself teach the very Apostles