A discourse concerning liturgies

Such particular and voluntary Forms, such an order in Administering, such an uniformity in Praying, is not in question; nor am I concerned in common Forms if arbitrary, though settled by custom. But this is it which is denied, that in the ancient Church, for many Ages after Christ, such Liturgies, or Forms of Prayer, were commonly imposed on those who administered the Sacraments, as are before described.

Such particular and voluntary Forms, such an order in Administring, such an uniformity in Praying, is not in question; nor am I concerned in common Forms if arbitrary, though setled by custom. But this is it which is denyed, that in the antient Church, for many Ages after Christ, such Liturgies, or Forms of Prayer, were commonly imposed on those who administred the Sacraments, as are before described.

Or that in the ancient Church, while its condition was tolerable, or its practice imitable, the common and ordinary way of administering the Sacraments, was by such prescribed Liturgies and Forms of Prayer, as are before described; wherein the Administrators had no liberty left to change words or order, to abridge or enlarge, or otherwise vary from the imposed Models.

Or that in the antient Church, while its condition was tolerable, or its practice imitable, the common and ordinary way of administring the Sacraments, was by such prescribed Liturgies and Forms of Prayer, as are before described; wherein the Administrators had no liberty left to change words or order, to abridge or inlarge, or otherwise vary from the imposed Models.

If there had been such Liturgies anciently, as are contended for, and are now in use; Prayers would have been read then, as they are now. But [Greek or Hebrew], or preces legere, or de scripto recitare, or any Forms of Speech equivalent, are Phrases unknown, and not to be found, so far as I can yet discover in any Writers of the four or five first Ages at least; and therefore the thing was in all probability not known, nor practised in those times.