A93091:213
A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible…A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible…
A treatise of liturgies, power of the keys, and of matter of the visible church. In answer to the reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Ball. By Thomas Shepherd, sometimes fellow of Emanuel-College in Cambridge, and late pastor of Cambridge in New-England.A treatise of liturgies, power of the keyes, and of matter of the visible church. In answer to the reverend servant of Christ, Mr. John Ball. By Thomas Shephard, sometimes fellow of Emanuel-Colledge in Cambridge, and late pastour of Cambridge in New-England.
London: printed by E. Cotes for Andrew Crooke, 1652
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
5 From commemoration of Saints, (being so near the brink) they soon came on to invocation of them, first in private prayers, then in public, and that by degrees. For first, they called upon Christ to hear their intercessions for them. Intercessionibus Sanctorum t•orum, Salvator, salva nos: and thence they fell to direct and immediate invocation of them. Maria Deo supplica, ut animas nostras salvet.
5 From commemoration of Saints, (being so near the brink) they soon came on to invocation of them, first in private prayers, then in publick, and that by degrees. For first, they called upon Christ to hear their intercessions for them. Intercessionibus Sanctorum t•orum, Salvator, salva nos: and thence they fell to direct and immediate invocation of them. Maria Deo supplica, ut animas nostras salvet.
6 At last they became so superstitious in their Litanies or Liturgies, that praying was magnified above all preaching, and almost all preaching was changed into formal, corrupt, and blind praying; and thus it was generally in the Churches, till about the sixth Century, as (if need were) might be showed at large.
6 At last they became so superstitious in their Letanies or Liturgies, that praying was magnified above all preaching, and almost all preaching was changed into formall, corrupt, and blind praying; and thus it was generally in the Churches, till about the sixt Century, as (if need were) might be shewed at large.
7 Though other Churches were thus over-grown with Forms of Worship, yet the Roman Bishops especially, did multiply Forms and superstitious Rites excessively. Rome being (in Gods secret Providence) left to become the very seat and throne of Antichrist. The Bishops themselves also finding it exceeding hard to bring in the Religion of Christ, without conforming to the Pagan rites, as Casaubon observes. For it appears even in the time of Theodosius, wherein Christianity was risen to a great head, the