A discourse concerning liturgies

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.

If there had been such Liturgies antiently, as are contended for, and are now in use; Prayers would have been read then, as they are now. But 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, 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.

We meet not only with the Reading of Psalms, Theod. l. 2. c. 13. p. 63. Reading of Lessons; but Reading of the Narratives of the Martyrs Sufferings. ^hPassions Martyrum, Con. 3. Carth. Can. 47. Carranz. p. 116. liceat it aque legi passiones Martyrum, cum anniversarii dies eorum celebrantur, ut in Cod. Can. 46. Reading of Epistles from some Eminent Persons or Churches; as Dionysius Corinth. says Clemens Epistle had been Read, as it was wont to be in their Lords days Assemblies, Euseb. l. And Athanasius wills those of Antioch to read the Epistle sent from the Synod at Alexandria, [Greek or Hebrew], ad Antioch. p. 451. to 1. ⟨p. 8⟩And Cornelius was wont to read Cyprian's Epistles to the Church at Rome, Cyp. p. 12. Reading of the Diptyches, [Greek or Hebrew], Dionys. eccl. Hist. c. 7. [Greek or Hebrew]. Heyl. antid. 342.

We meet not only with the Reading of Psalms, Theod. l. 2. c. 13. p. 63. Reading of Lessons; but Reading of the Narratives of the Martyrs Sufferings.