We read not of any such Liturgy in the Church of Christ in the days of the aApostles, and therefore no such Liturgy is any part of Gods worship or substantial means thereof, to be used without addition or alteration of all or any Church, with opinion of necessity, holiness, or merit. But a set Liturgy might be in use in their times, though we read not of it, for the Apostles set not down a Catalogue of all and every particular order that was in the Church, but give us a perfect rule or canon of faith and manners in all things necessary to salvation, and all things unchangeably concerning the government of the Church unto the end of the world. And if there was no stinted Liturgy in their days, yet for order a set form of prayer to be used in public meeting is not unlawful, because it is of the number of things which God hath not determined in his Word, and bwhere God hath not prescribed any form, there no form must be esteemed any part of worship, or condemned as simply unlawful. For as to call that holy which God hath not sanctified is superstition; so it is erroneous to condemn that as unholy or profane, which God alloweth or is consonant to his Word, though it be not precisely commanded. But that there was no such cLiturgy in many ages following, till blindness, ignorance and laziness occasioned a prescript form to be made for idle and dumb Priests, is your addition to the Nonconformists reasons, and not their saying; and more then can be proved by good Authority. Of the precise antiquity of stinted Liturgies, it is hard to determine, but that they have been in use in ⟨p. 18⟩the Christian Church for the space of this fourteen hundred years, if not above, no man can deny. It is more than probable that stinted forms were in use in the Greek Churches, before they came to the dLatin, at least many things were translated out of the Greek Liturgies into the Latin. But in the Latin Church we find a stinted form was in use in Cyprian's time, in the administration of the Supper; not to insist upon that which some mention of the Lords prayer used in the celebration, from the very times of the Apostles. And some the chief promoters of a stinted Liturgy are renowned for their constant and unwearied pains, in preaching every day in the week, and sometimes twice. So that there is no probability;
We reade not of any such Liturgie in the Church of Christ in the dayes of the aApostles, and therefore no such Liturgie is any part of Gods worship or substantiall meanes thereof, to be used without addition or alteratiō of all or any Church, with opinion of necessitie, holinesse, or merit. But a set Liturgie might be in use in their times, though we reade not of it, for the Apostles set not downe a Catalogue of all and every particular order that was in the Church, but give us a perfect rule or canon of faith and manners in all things necessary to salvation, and all things unchangeably concerning the government of the Church unto the end of the world. And if there was no stinted Liturgie in their dayes, yet for order a set forme of prayer to be used in publique meeting is not unlawfull, because it is of the number of things which God hath not determined in his Word, and bwhere God hath not prescribed any forme, there no forme must be esteemed any part of worship, or condemned as simply unlawfull. For as to call that holy which God hath not sanctified is superstition; so it is erroneous to condemne that as unholy or prophane, which God alloweth or is consonant to his Word, though it be not precisely commanded. But that there was no such cLiturgie in many ages following, till blindnesse, ignorance and lazinesse occasioned a prescript forme to be made for idle and dumbe Priests, is your addition to the Nonconformists reasons, and not their saying; and more then can be proved by good Authoritie. Of the precise antiquitie of stinted Liturgies, it is hard to determine, but that they have beene in use in ⟨p. 18⟩the Christian Church for the space of this fourteene hundred yeares, if not above, no man can denie. It is more than probable that stinted formes were in use in the Greeke Churches, before they came to the dLatine, at least many things were translated out of the Greeke Liturgies into the Latine. But in the Latine Church we finde a stinted forme was in use in Cyprians time, in the administration of the Supper; not to insist upon that which some mention of the Lords prayer used in the celebration, from the very times of the Apostles. And some the chiefe promoters of a stinted Liturgie are renowned for their constant and unwearied paines, in preaching every day in the weeke, and sometimes twice. So that there is no probabilitie;
- aBilson Christ. subsect. part. 4. p. 407, 408. You may well perceive by the Apostles words, that they had neither Sermons nor Service prefixed, nor limited in his time: but when the chh. came together, the Elders and Ministers instructed the people and made their prayers by miraculous instinct or inspiration. This was all the church-service they had: to which they added the celebration of the Lords Supper, but without any settled or prefixed order of prayer, except it were the LORDS prayer, which they observed in all places, &c.Bilson Christ. subsect. part. 4. p. 407, 408. You may well perceive by the Apostles words, that they had neither Sermons nor Service prefixed, nor limited in his time: but when the chh. came together, the Elders and Ministers instructed the people and made their prayers by miraculous instinct or inspiratiō. This was all the church-service they had: to which they added the celebration of the Lords Supper, but without any setled or prefixed order of prayer, except it were the LORDS prayer, which they observed in all places, &c.
- bIn the additions to the Admonition it is read thus; Remove Homilies, Articles, Injunctions, and that prescript order: wherein they declare that their meaning is not to disallow of prescript service of prayer, but of this form that we have, T. C. repl. 1. pag. 105. Dr. Whiteg. answer to the Admonition, pag. 143.In the additions to the Admonitiō it is read thus; Remove Homilies, Articles, Injunctions, and that prescript order: wherein they declare that their meaning is not to disallow of prescript service of prayer, but of this forme that we have, T. C. repl. 1. pag. 105. Dr. Whiteg. answer to the Admonition, pag. 143.
- cBilson ibid. pag. 409. Had they set an order for the service of the church, durst any man after have broken it? or any church refused it?
- dThe Bishops of Rome were 600. years and upward, patching & peicing the Mass, before they brought it to any settled forme. Polydor. De Invent. rer. l. 5. c. 10.The Bishops of Rome were 600. yeares and upward, patching & peicing the Masse, before they brought it to any setled forme. Polydor. De Invent. rer. l. 5. c. 10.
