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truth_n	according_a	church_n	doctrine_n	2,019	5	6.0761	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33979	A supplement to a little book entituled, A reasonable account why some pious nonconforming ministers cannot judg it lawful for them to perform their ministerial acts in publick solemn prayer, ordinarily, by the prescribed forms of others : wherein is examined whatsoever Mr. Falconer in his book called, Libertas ecclesiastica, and Mr. Pelling in a book called, The good old way, have said to prove the ancient use of forms of prayers by ministers : and it is proved, that neither of the two aforementioned authors have said anything that proveth the general use, or imposition of such forms of prayer in any considerable part of the church, till Pope Gregories time, which was six hundred years after Christ, nor in any church since the reformation, except that of England, and (which is uncertain) some in Saxony.	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.; Falkner, William, d. 1682. Libertas ecclesiastica.; Pelling, Edward, d. 1718. Good old way.	1680 (1680)	Wing C5343; ESTC R18940	53,644	120

as now who would ill understand it Can. 8. It also pleased them c. That if any should say That the words of the Lords Prayer Forgive us our debts are only used by the Saints to signifie their humility not to express a truth Let him be Anathema For how can one be induced in prayer to lye and that not to men but to God with his lips desiring that his sins might be forgiven him when in heart he thought he had no sins to be forgiven I have been a little more large in this story because I am pretty confident and dare challenge all our adversaries to give us but one proof that any part of the Church before this time assembled in any Council took upon them to impose Forms of Prayer to be used by all Ministers within their Jurisdiction If some men made themselves Forms and used them they yet served God in their Ministry in the use of their own gifts this signifieth just nothing to our case who have known divers worthy men do the like We have now the case here was a Council of worthy men all relating to the Province of Numidia who met at Mela. The occasion of their meeting was the woful spreading of the Doctrine of Pelagius who denied Original Sin Assisting Grace or that justified persons could sin or need beg the pardon of sin Many if not the greatest part of their Ministers were tainted with these Opinions In this distress to stop the diffusing this venom and that the people through the error ignorance or carelesness of their Ministry might not be without any to go before them in publick prayers who could or would put up due confessions or necessary petitions for them having first in eight Canons condemned the Doctrines of Pelagius they make their twelfth Canon in these terms It also pleased them c. That those prayers or Masses or Prefaces or Commendations or Impositions of hands which shall be approved in the Council be used of all and that no other be used in the Church but what shall be treated on and approved in a Synod lest perhaps something should be composed contrary to the true faith either through ignorance or carelesness I observe 1. That this Canon extends to all Ministerial services not to prayers only as to all they were limited to forms 2. That it was not to any forms that before this time had been enjoined or used in this or in any other Church but such as should first be treated of and approved in a Synod or Council 3. That it was done in a case of woful distress when the Ministers were known to be so corrupted in their judgments that they could neither put up such confessions or supplications as they ought they could not confess original sin nor pray for assisting grace nor for pardon of sins renewing after Justification 4. I observe this was in the fifth Century and if we will believe Vossius it must be after 505 for he saith Histor Pelag. l. 1. c. 3. that in that year Chrysostome being in banishment and near his death he first spread his Doctrines Others make it 402. It must be in the Popedom of Innocent 1. who was not Pope 18 months for Aurelius was President there in the notion of his Legate Take this story in its circumstances it 's far from a justifiable authority to maintain that it was the judgment of the Church in the purer ages That forms of prayer might be lawfully enjoined all Ministers whether under such circumstances or no. Their ends were that the poor people might have due prayers put up for them and be taught the Doctrine of Original sin the impotency of mans will to what was spiritually good the need of assisting grace that they sin seven times a day and had need beg pardon That original sin might in prayer be confessed and the impotency of human nature to that which is truly good with their daily renewing sins that so pardon might be beg'd for them and assistance of Divine grace against them and unto spiritual duty How should this end have been obtained in that corrupted state but by set-forms of Prayers and Sermons too Should they on the sudden have turned out all these Ministers it is not probable they on the sudden could have found enough fitted for the work Because in this exigent this Council judged it lawful shall it therefore be concluded to b● the judgment even of those few Bishops in that Council That it is lawful for any in any state of a Church to do the like Besides what hindred but that according to this Canon every Minister might compose his own prayers and bring them to be approved in a Council § 11. The truth is this proved a sad president all know how long Peldgius his Doctrine spread a very great part of the Church how many Councils assembled against it 'T is very probable other Churches followed this Canon not in force of it for it could oblige none but the Province of Numidia but as thinking it lawful till at length as the Grandieur of the Romish Bishops required a pack of ignorant and sottish Ministers of which there was a remarkable plenty in the sixth and seventh age it crept into a custom and a piece of Ecclesiastical Common Law But we shall hereafter shew that the practice of the visible Church after 400 years in Rituals is not very imitable by those that will make the word of God a light to their feet but we must go back a little to consider what our Author insinuates p. 105. of the Liturgies which the Papists have invented in all probability and intituled St. Peter St. James and St. Mark and St. John too as also those which they have intituled St. Chrysostome St. Basil and St. Ambrose to● § 12. For the former our Reverend Brother speaketh thus pag. 105. And I yield it most probable though even Protestant writers herein differ that the ancient Roman Jerusalem and Alexandrian Offices were called the Liturgies of St. Peter St. James and St. Mark because of their certain early use in the Churches where they presided though it is not certain they were composed by them this being mentioned by no ancient writer of the first Centuries Nor do I doubt but the Liturgy or Anaphoca of St. John and that of the twelve Apostles are supposititious From which I observe 1. That if during the time that the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost lasted the Ministerial Services were by the Apostles performed by them it is very absurd to say Peter James Mark and John who all were possessed of them prayed by prescribed forms 2. I observe our Reverend Brother I hope unadvisedly hath granted here the Papists a great point That Peter was the first Bishop of Rome for he calls Rome the Church where he resided for we know James resided at Hierusalem Mark at Alexandria this is both a liberal and groundless grant Magni hoc mercentur Achivi 3. Did Saint

the most orthodox people and it would be enquired in England at this day whether there be more Socinians Pelagians and Papists amongst those that adore the Liturgy or amongst those who have no kindness for that or any other Let but the understanding Reader judg of all the rest he saith by the truth of this In the next place he saith it cannot be denied but Liturgies were in use in St. Basils and St. Chrysostomes time generally who were about 380 years after Christ and why cannot this be denied because he saith Liturgies are extant under their names This learned argument will prove that there were also Liturgies in St. Marks St. Peters St. James and St. Andrews time for there are Liturgies out also under their names yet this is all this Author hath to say why no body should deny what he saith as if there were not 100 books extant under the names of the Ancients which not only Rivet and Cocus amongst the Protestants but Possevine Sixtus Senensis Erasmus and Bellarmine amongst the Papists have denied to be theirs men all as learned as our Author I have before shewed that the Liturgies going under their names could not be theirs The noble and learned Lord of Mornay whom our Author sometimes speaks highly of l. 1. de missa cap. 6. saith Liturgies has omnes falsi postulo I charge all these Liturgies as false In both of them as was said before is the hymn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which came 200 years after into the Church in both Confessors are mentioned whose names were not known of many years after in both the Virgin Mary is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a term not admitted in common use till after the Council at Ephesus 436. In both of them there is Incensing Many other reasons the Reader may find in Morney in the Chapter before quoted c. But faith our Author Though we do not think that these are the very same which they used because later ages have defaced them and foisted many heterogeneous things into them yet 't is Ridiculous to imagine that St. Basil and St. Chrysostome did not compile any or that nothing of these was of their composing And what if they did compile some doth it therefore follow that they required all Ministers in their Diocesses to use them But the truth is this is a ridiculous argument to prove they compiled any because some go under their names and a ridiculous answer to men proving the forgery of those pretended Liturgies from the use of terms not known in their Ages of rites mentioned in them which confessedly came not in of hundreds of years after they were dead and of Prayers found in them for a Pope and an Emperor that lived 500 years after they were dead I say it will appear to answer all this a most silly and ridiculous trifling to tell us It is true some things are foisted in since but 't is manifest they made Liturgies and some parts of those Liturgies How is it manifest Good Reader observe what possibility of proof there is that these men made no such Liturgies if this will not it lyes upon them to prove they did make some They produce Copies divers Copies we peruse them and find 1. That no two of them agree each with other 2. That the Doctrine in the Copies is contrary to the Doctrine of those times 3. That there is in them Prayers for men that lived 500 years after they were dead 4. That there are in them many rites and modes of worship not known of hundreds of years after they were both dead But yet saith our Author ' t is Ridiculous to think these Fathers did not make Liturgies or that nothing of these was of their composing yea 't is ridiculous to assert any thing in them was of their composing for what is there to prove it Those parts which the Papists and some Protestants say are foisted in come to us upon the same Tradition that the other parts do What one thing is there in any of these Liturgies which none but Basil or Chrysostome could be the Author of If others might be the Authors and that 500 years after how doth it appear that Basil or Chrysostome must we are sure they were no Authors of a great part what but a foolish fancy can make us believe they were the Authors of any part of them But the truth is this is the Papists answer My Lord of Morney quotes Espenceus de missa privata p. 220. It was saith the Jesuit Leo Thuscus that wrote the Scholion of the Priests communicating alone he lived in the year 1170 and was Secretary to Emanuel the Great Emperour and Interpreter to Trithemius Did not he make the whole Liturgy and had respect rather to his own times than Chrysostomes Which saith he I mind you of not that I think that Missal unworthy of Chrysostome or the Greek Church or do otherwise suspect it but think it began and composed by a most holy man and enlarged by putting in many things according to the variety of times As much might be said for the Antiquity of the Alcoran in which are many things of Primitive truth though Mahomet hath put in a world of fooleries and wickedness and doubtless the whole is of no Primitive authority though there be much Primitive truth in it From hence our Author rises higher to tell us of St. James and St. Marks Liturgies and Clements Constitutions for the two first I have said enough before For Clement chuse Reader whether thou wilt believe the D. of Somersets Chaplain or Eusebius and Hierome who lived above 400 years after Christ and knew of no such book as Clements Constitutions see Eusebius l. 3. cap. 32. See also what Morney saith of this l. 1. de missa p. 46. cap. 2. He that will believe all in Bibliotheca patrum hath more faith than I have or any Protestant can have But he will at last come to authentick Testimonies that will satisfie any indifferent man p. 56. if compared with the Liturgies that is with the forgeries aforementioned that such and such forms were used by Christians in the first ages and so that in all probability they were directed by the Apostles or Apostolical men Vsed is not enough if he could prove it they must be universally used or required to be universally used But let us hear what proof he hath Cyprian speaks of solemn Offices solemnibus adimpletis that must be understood of customary forms of Prayer and why because he elsewhere hath sursum corda Lift up your hearts We lift them to the Lord. In another place he saith they prayed for several things continually and earnestly and these he saith no doubt were charitable forms used in Morning and Evening-Service Origen saith they used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appointed Prayers Origen quotes a form of three lines Questionless this was in the Alexandirian Liturgy Tertullian mentions Dominica solemnia and tells us of four parts of it

is granted but whereas our Author saith That we may as well conclude from our Act of Vniformity as from these Councils that they gave the first original to forms of Prayer because they are thereby established We answer If in England we had not had the use of forms of Prayer established by the Canon-law in times of Popery and by Acts of Parliament in the time of Edw. 6. and Q. Elizabeth under favour we think we might have concluded that the Act of Vniformity 1662 had given the first original to such an imposition or use And till our Author which he hath not yet done can bring us any Canon of ancient date that commands such an universal use of forms of Prayer in any considerable part of the Church we hope we may conclude that this was the original of such commands or usage and this was in the fifth Century when the truths in matter of Doctrine as well as Rites were in a great measure corrupred as I may possibly shew hereafter But for this Council too It is true there was a Council held at Mela 402 years after Christ in the time of Pope Innocent the first if we may believe Caranza Chytraeus and others it was held when Arcadius and Honorius were Emperours That Province was as to the Ministry unmeasurably tainted with Pelagianism their eight first Canons are against his Doctrine it will not be amiss to give the Reader the sum of those Canons from whence he may judg That it was reasonable that until the Church could be purged of that leaven considering the great corruption of the Ministers such a restriction should be put upon the Ministers of that Province as to their publick prayers Can. 1. It pleased all the Bishops met together in this Synod to ordain what things were defined in this Synod That whosoever shall say that the first man Adam was made mortal so as whether he sinned or no he should die not because of the merit of sin but from a necessity of nature Let him be Anathema Can. 2. It also pleased them That if any shall deny that young Infants are to be baptized or shall say that they are baptized for the remission of sins but they draw no such original sin from Adam which should be washed away in the laver of Baptism from whence it followeth that in them the form of Baptism for the remission of sin is not tru ' but false Let him be Anathema Because what the Apostle saith can be no otherwise understood than as the Church hath always understood it Rom. 5. By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed over all men because all had sinned For by reason of this rule of faith little ones who have actually committed no sin are therefore truly baptized for the remission of sins that the filth contracted by Generation may be cleansed away by Regeneration Can. 3. It also pleased them c. That if any one say that the Grace of God by which we are justified by Jesus Christ our Lord was only of force for remission of sins which are committed and not also for our assistance against future commissions he should be Anathema Can. 4. If any one shall say That the grace of God through Jesus Christ doth no further help us against sinning than as it revealeth to us and openeth our understanding to understand the commandments of God that we may know what to desire and to avoid and that it is no effect of grace to enable us to love and to do what we know we ought to do let him be Anathema For whereas the Apostle saith Knowledg puffeth up Charity edifieth It is impious to believe that there is a word of the grace of God for that which puffeth up and none for that which edifieth both being the gift of God both to know what we ought to do and to love to do it that through the edifying of love our knowledg may ●…t puff us up As it is written concerning God That he teacheth man knowledg so it is also written Love is from God Can. 5. It also pleased them to Decree That if any shall say that we are therefore justified by Grace that we may more easily by Grace fulfil what we are commanded to do by the power of our own will although if grace were not given though it would not be easie yet it would be possible to fulfil the commands of God let him be Anathema For our Lord speaketh concerning obedience to Gods commandments when he saith Without me you can do nothing He doth not say Without me you cannot without difficulty do any thing Can. 6. It also pleased them c. That whereas St. John saith If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us whosoever shall say this is the sense That out of humility we ought to say we have no sin Let him be Anathema For it followeth and is added by the Apostle But if we confess our sins he is just and righteous to forgive them and to purge us from all iniquity From whence it is plain that the Apostle speaks not of speaking in humility but speaking in truth For the Apostle might have said If we say we have no sin we extol our selves and there is no humility in us But he saying We deceive our selves and there is no truth in us he plaine●● sheweth that he who saith he hath no sin did not speak truth but what was false Can. 7. It also pleased them c. That whosoever should say that the Saints in the Lords-Prayer praying Forgive us our sins do not speak it for them for it is not for them necessary but for other sinners in the congregation and therefore the several Saints do not say Forgive me my sins but forgive us our sins that the righteous man might be understood not to put up that petition so much for himself as for others Let him be Anathema For St. James was holy and righteous when he said In many things we offend all Why doth he say all but that his sentence might agree with that in the Psalm Enter not into judgment with thy servant O Lord because in thy sight shall no flesh be justified And that in Solomon's Prayer There is none that liveth and sinneth not And that in Job He sealeth up the head of all men that every man might know his infirmity Vpon which holy and righteous Daniel speaking in his Prayer in the Plural Number saith We have sinned we have done wickedly c. What he speaketh there he speaketh both truly and humbly and that none might think as some now do that he did not speak of his own but of his peoples sins he afterwards saith When I pray'd and confessed my sins and the sins of my people unto the Lord our God He would not say our sins but my sins and the sins of my people as a Prophet foreseeing there would be some arise