A discourse concerning liturgies, and their imposition

Our first Enquiry shall be into the three first Centuries, wherein confessedly the streams of Gospel Institutions did run most clear and pure from humane mixtures, then in those following, although few of the Teachers that were of Note do escape from Animadversions from those, that have come after them. It cannot be denied but that for the most part the Churches and their Guides within the space of the time limited, walked in the paths marked out for them by the Apostles, and made conspicuous by the Footsteps of the first Churches planted by them. It doth not then appear, for ought as I can yet discover, that there was any attempt to Invent, Frame and Compose any Liturgies or prescribed Forms of administering the Ordinances of the Gospel, exclusive to the discharge of that duty by virtue of spiritual Gifts received from Jesus Christ, much less for an Imposition of any such Forms on the Consciences and Practice of all the Ministers of the Churches within the time mentioned, If any be contrary minded, it is incumbent on them to evince their Assertion by some instances of unquestionable Truth. As yet, that I know of, this is not performed by any. Buronius ad An, Christi 58. num. 102, 103, 104, &c. treating expressly of the public Prayers of the Ancient Christians, is wholly silent as to the use of any Forms amongst them; though he contends for their Worshipping towards the East, which custom when it was introduced, is most uncertain: but most certain that by many it was immoderately abused, who expressly worshipped the Rising Sun; of which abominable Idolatry among Christians, Leo complains Serm. 7. De Nativitate. Indeed the Cardinal ad An. 63. 12, 17. faintly contends, ⟨p. 26⟩that some things in the Liturgy of James were composed by him, because some passages and expressions of it are used by Cyril of Jerusalem in his Mistagog. 5. But whereas Cyril lived not within the time limited unto our Enquiry, and those Treatises are justly suspected to be suppositions, nor is the Testimony of that Liturgy, once cited or mentioned by him, the weakness of this insinuation is evident. Yea, it is most probable that whosoever was the Composer of that forged Liturgy, he took those Passages out of those reputed Writings of Cyril, which were known in the Church long before the name of the other was heard of.

Our first Enquiry shall be into the three first Centuries, wherein confessedly the streams of Gospel Institutions did run most clear and pure from humane mixtures, then in those following, although few of the Teachers that were of Note do escape from Animadversions from those, that have come after them. It cannot be denied but that for the most part the Churches and their Guides within the space of the time limitted, walked in the paths marked out for them by the Apostles, and made conspicuous by the Footsteps of the first Churches planted by them. It doth not then appear, for ought as I can yet discover, that there was any attempt to Invent, Frame and Compose any Liturgies or prescribed Forms of administring the Ordinances of the Gospel, exclusive to the discharge of that duty by vertue of spiritual Gifts received from Jesus Christ, much less for an Imposition of any such Forms on the Consciences and Practice of all the Ministers of the Churches within the time mentioned, If any be contrary minded, it is incumbent on them to evince their Assertion by some instances of unquestionable Truth. As yet, that I know of, this is not performed by any. Buronius ad An, Christi 58. num. 102, 103, 104, &c. treating expresly of the publick Prayers of the Ancient Christians, is wholly silent as to the use of any Forms amongst them; though he contends for their Worshipping towards the East, which custome when it was introduced, is most uncertain: but most certain that by many it was immoderately abused, who expresly worshipped the Rising Sun; of which abominable Idolatry among Christians, Leo complains Serm. 7. De Nativitate. Indeed the Cardinal ad An. 63. 12, 17. faintly contends,