A discourse concerning liturgies

When the Arians so far prevailed, as they had possessed themselves of all the public Churches, in a great part of the Christian World, the East especially (so as the Orthodox, reduced to Conventicles, were glad to keep them in private Houses, Fields, Woods, or where else they could or durst) they had power and opportunity to make what changes they would; and no less will and forwardness, showing sufficiently how much they were given to change, and that no respect would restrain from altering any thing, which crossed their tenet, by the alterations they made in the Doxology, in the words of Christ for administering Baptism, yea in the Scriptures themselves, as Ambrose tells us, de Spiritu Sancto. 3. 11. And remarkably in the universally received Confession of Faith, since they made a new Creed almost every other year. Socrates gives a particular account of three in little more then twenty years, Hist. lib. 4. c. 32. p. 604.

When the Arrians so far prevailed, as they had possessed themselves of all the publick Churches, in a great part of the Christian World, the East especially (so as the Orthodox, reduced to Conventicles, were glad to keep them in private Houses, Fields, Woods, or where else they could or durst) they had power and opportunity to make what changes they would; and no less will and forwardness, shewing sufficiently how much they were given to change, and that no respect would restrain from altering any thing, which crost their tenet, by the alterations they made in the Doxology, in the words of Christ for administring Baptism, yea in the Scriptures themselves, as Ambrose tells us, de Spiritu Sancto. 3. 11. And remarkably in the universally received Confession of Faith, since they made a new Creed almost every other year. Socrates gives a particular account of three in little more then twenty years, Hist. lib. 4. c. 32. p. 604.

And what could restrain this innovating humour (when they had power enough) from abolishing or altering the supposed Liturgies, if they were but tempted to it, by what they would count a just ⟨p. 27⟩occasion? And such occasion they had, if those Liturgies contained any thing in favour of the Eternal Godhead of Christ, or his equality with the Father, or the Divinity of the Holy Ghost (which the Semi-Arians opposed). And some things (if not many) of this tendency they contained, if they were Christian Liturgies. Why is it then, that we hear not a word of their changing any old Liturgy, or composing any new; when we hear of their making bold both with that of greater moment and less? And how is it that their Antagonists, who thought themselves and their cause concerned, to give a full account of their innovations, (conceiving their Novelties to be one of the great advantages they had against them, and improving it, by publishing them to the World) make no mention of any such thing? In all reason this must be, because there was no such thing, no occasion for it, no such Liturgies then in fashion.