A discourse concerning liturgies

And if he had celebrated it in a set form, could he have been to seek for the words he used so often? since if either his Memory, or the Prayer-Book ⟨p. 65⟩would have helped him; and one of them would have helped him to the precise words, if they had then confined themselves to any, and had had their Prayers either by heart or in a book; he would never have writ so doubtfully of them, when his business was to satisfy a captious Adversary.

And if he had celebrated it in a set form, could he have been to seek for the words he used so often? since if either his Memory, or the Prayer-Book ⟨p. 65⟩would have helped him; and one of them would have helpt him to the precise words, if they had then confined themselves to any, and had had their Prayers either by heart or in a book; he would never have writ so doubtfully of them, when his business was to satisfie a captious Adversary.

Would there be any need, for one who has the prayer for all states by heart, or has the Service-Book before him, to express by a distinction, what is there desired for Bishops, Pastors and Curates? No more would Epiphanius, if the same mode of praying had been then in use.

To this prayer we may refer what we find of Jerome, who complains that in his time, the oblations ^awere publicly mentioned by the Deacon, and the names of the offerers recited, yea and the quantity of what they offered, and also of what they promised to offer, in Ezek l. 6. c. 18. Publice in ecclesia Diaconus recitat Offerentium nomina, tantum offert ille, tantum ille pollicitus est. Which he sharply censures, Placent sibi ad plausum Populi torquente eos Conscientia; they delight in the applause of the people, whiles their Conscience torments them. The like complaint he makes in