A discourse concerning liturgies

The middle Clause of this Canon evidently concerns the Eucharistical Prayers; the first and last respect both these, and the Prayers also in other parts of the administrations; each of them make it plain, that in those times, they were not under any restraint by imposed Forms.

For the first. Those, who in their Prayers named the Father for the Son, or the Son for the Father, used not prescribed Forms; for sure the Church would not prescribe what the Council forbids. And as they used none before, so these Fathers leave them at liberty, for the future, to use what they thought fit, only imposing this on them, not to name the Father for the Son, &c.

For the next Clause. If no prayers were used, in the administration of this Sacrament, but what were prescribed by the Church (and consequently allowed by the Synod, as duly directed already) it was vain and ridiculous, to make such an Order, ut semper ad Patrem, that the prayers be always directed to the Father. This is clearly a restraint upon those, who before had liberty, in celebrating this Ordinance, to address their prayers to any Person of the Sacred Trinity; ordering that from henceforth they should direct such prayers only to the Father. And as it clearly supposes, they were neither limited nor directed, by any prescribed Forms before; so it leaves them free, to use what prayers they judged meet, cum ad altare assistitur, ⟨p. 46⟩provided that they were addressed only to the Father.

For the next Clause. If no prayers were used, in the administration of this Sacrament, but what were prescribed by the Church (and consequently allowed by the Synod, as duely directed already) it was vain and ridiculous, to make such an Order, ut semper ad Patrem, that the prayers be alwayes directed to the Father. This is clearly a restraint upon those, who before had liberty, in celebrating this Ordinance, to address their prayers to any Person of the Sacred Trinity; ordering that from henceforth they should direct such prayers only to the Father. And as it clearly supposes, they were neither limited nor directed, by any prescribed Forms before; so it leaves them free, to use what prayers they judged meet, cum ad altare assistitur,