A discourse concerning liturgies

In the two next Ages, [Greek or Hebrew], things grew worse and worse, Chrys. in 1 Cor. Hom. p. 277. as he tells us, who resolutely set himself against the Stream of the then prevailing corruptions, but found it too violent for him, and warned others by what befell him, that to strive against it, was the way to be sunk. Those, who have no great affection for these Liturgies, will not envy them the honour of having their rise in such degeneracy, as the best Writers of those days saw so much cause to lament. The chief, if not the only ornament of those times, were those great persons, who had such reason to complain thereof. And many there were excellently accomplished, in the Fourth Age, and some till about the middle of the Fifth. It may seem something for the credit of these Liturgies, if they can be found in the Church, while there was any thing of such eminency in it; let us therefore view what is produced, as a discovery thereof.

In the two next Ages, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, things grew worse and worse, Chrys. in 1 Cor. Hom. p. 277. as he tells us, who resolutely set himself against the Stream of the then prevailing corruptions, but found it too violent for him, and warned others by what besel him, that to strive against it, was the way to be sunk. Those, who have no great affection for these Liturgies, will not envy them the honour of having their rise in such degeneracy, as the best Writers of those days saw so much cause to lament. The chief, if not the only ornament of those times, were those great persons, who had such reason to complain thereof. And many there were excellently accomplished, in the Fourth Age, and some till about the middle of the Fifth. It may seem something for the credit of these Liturgies, if they can be found in the Church, while there was any thing of such eminency in it; let us therefore view what is produced, as a discovery thereof.

The Eighteenth Canon of the Council of Laodicea is alleged for prescribed Liturgies, p. 374. Titulus in Crab. de Orationibus quotidianis, [Greek or Hebrew] ⟨p. 156⟩