A discourse concerning liturgies, and their imposition

CHAP. III.

The first plea used to give countenance unto the composing and imposing of Liturgies, is taken from that act of our Saviour himself, who upon the request of his Disciples composed for them a Form of Prayer, which being recorded in the Gospel, is said to have the force of an Institution, rendering the observation or use of that Form a necessary duty unto all believers to the end of the world. And this Plea is strengthened by a discovery which some learned men say they have made, namely that our blessed Saviour composed this Form which he delivered to his Disciples, out of such other Forms as were then in ordinary use among the Jews; whereby (they say) he confirmed that practice of prescribing Forms of Prayer among them; and recommended the same course of proceeding, by his so doing unto his Disciples. Now though it be very hard to discover how upon a supposition that all which is thus suggested is the very truth, any thing can be hence concluded to the justification of the practice of imposing Liturgies, now enquired into; yet that there may be no pretence left unto a plea, though never so weak and infirm, of such an extract as this lays claim unto, it will be necessary to consider the severals of it. It is generally apprehended that our Saviour in his prescription of that Form of Prayer unto his Disciples did aim at two things. 1. That they might have a summary Symbol of all the most excellent things they were to ask of God in his Name, and so a Rule of squaring all their desires and supplications by. This end all universally concur in: and therefore Matthew considering the Doctrinal nature of it, gives it a place in the first recorded Sermon of our Saviour, by way of anticipation,