A discourse concerning liturgies, and their imposition

Of the Worship of God by the Apostles. No Liturgies used by them, nor in the Churches of their plantation. Argument from their practice. Reasons pleaded for the use of Liturgies. Disabilities of Church Officers for Gospel Administration to the edification of the Church. Uniformity in the Worship of God. The practice of the Apostles as to these pretences considered. Of other Impositions. The Rule given by the Apostles. Of the Liturgies falsely ascribed unto some of them.

Of the Worship of God by the Apostles. No Liturgies used by them, nor in the Churches of their plantation. Argument from their practice. Reasons pleaded for the use of Liturgies. Disabilities of Church Officers for Gospel Administration to the edification of the Church. Uniformity in the Worship of God. The practice of the Apostles as to these pretences considered. Of other Impositions. The Rule given by the Apostles. Of the Liturgies fulsly ascribed unto some of them.

Our next enquiry is after the practise of the Apostles, the best interpretation of the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ, as to the Agenda of the Church, or what he would have done ⟨p. 19⟩therein in the Worship of God, and how. That one end of their being furnished with the Spirit of Christ, was the right and due administration of his Ordinances in his Church, to the edification of his Disciples, I suppose will not be denied. By virtue of his assistance, and the gifts from him received, they discharged this part of their duty accordingly. That they used any Liturgies in the Church Worship wherein they went at any time before the Disciples, cannot with any colour of proof be pretended. The Scripture gives us an account of many of their Prayers, of none that were a Repetition of a Form. If any such were used by them, how came the memory of them utterly to perish off the Earth? Some indeed of the Ancients say that they used the Lords Prayer in the Consecration of the Eucharist, which by others is denied, being in its self improbable, and the Testimonies weak that are produced in behalf of its Assertion. But as hath been showed, the use of that Prayer no way concerns the present Question. There are no more Christs but one; to us there is one Lord Jesus Christ. For him who hath affirmed, that it is likely they used Forms of Prayer and Homilies composed for them by Saint Peter, I suppose he must fetch his Evidence out of the same Authors that he used, who affirmed that Jesus Christ himself went up and down singing Mass.