A discourse concerning liturgies

Now if the exercise of the Christian Worship, which lay, as is supposed, in the pretended Liturgy, were as odious to the Heathen, as their Tenets concerning God and his Worship, which lay in the Bible; if there had been any such Liturgies, why would not the Gentiles have been as zealous, to destroy them as the Scriptures?

However it may well be supposed, that the delivery of the Christians Liturgies, if there had been any, would have been required, if not as much as that of their Bibles, yet more then that of their other Church Utensils. Torti Prodosis, Euseb. l. 8. p. 242. Since 'tis observable, that the Romans, who forced the Christians upon that crime, for which they were denominated Traditores, were more zealous against new Liturgies, though Heathenish, then against new Gods. These they did more then tolerate, those they would not endure. An instance hereof we have in Livy, Dec. 3. lib. 5. p. 111. Some at Rome made bold to Sacrifice and Pray in a way not conformable to the Roman Mode. Mulierum turba erat, nec sacrificantium nec precantium Deos patrio more. This was heinously resented by all sorts; primo secretae bonorum indignationes ⟨p. 21⟩exaudiebantur, deinde ad Patres etiam, & ad publicam querimoniam excessit res. The inferior Magistrates are sharply taken up by the Senate, because they did not hinder it; accusati graviter ab Senatu aediles, triumvirique capitales, quod non prohiberent. And when their endeavours were not effectual to suppress it; the Praetor is employed therein by the Senate; who, by their order, commands all the new Liturgies to be delivered in to him by such a day,—Edixit ut quicunque libros vaticinos, precationesve, aut artem sacrisicandi conscriptam haberet, eos libros omnes literasque ad se ante C•lend. Aprils deferret.

However it may well be supposed, that the delivery of the Christians Liturgies, if there had been any, would have been required, if not as much as that of their Bibles, yet more then that of their other Church Utensils. Torti Prodosis, Euseb. l. 8. p. 242. Since 'tis observable, that the Romans, who forced the Christians upon that crime, for which they were denominated Traditores, were more zealous against new Liturgies, though Heathenish, then against new Gods. These they did more then tolerate, those they would not endure. An instance hereof we have in Livy, Dec. 3. lib. 5. p. 111. Some at Rome made bold to Sacrifice and Pray in a way not conformable to the Roman Mode. Mulierum turba erat, nec sacrificantium nec precantium Deos patrio more. This was hainously resented by all sorts; primo secretae bonorum indignationes