N00779:189
The order of the Gospel, professed and practised by the churches of Christ in…
The order of the Gospel, professed and practised by the churches of Christ in New England, justified, by the Scripture, and by the writings of many learned men, both ancient and modern divines; in answer to several questions, relating to church discipline / by Increase Mather, president of Harvard College in Cambridge, and teacher of a church at Boston in New England. ; [Five lines of Scripture texts]The order of the Gospel, professed and practised by the churches of Christ in New England, justified, by the Scripture, and by the writings of many learned men, both ancient and modern divines; in answer to several questions, relating to church discipline / by Increase Mather, president of Harvard Colledge in Cambridge, and teacher of a church at Boston in New England. ; [Five lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by B. Green for Benjamin Eliot, 1700
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.
They never repeated that prayer if any that were only Catechumens happened to be present. Nor might (h)such use it until they were baptized. They supposed it unlawful for Unregenerates to call God their Father. The Writings of Austin (i)and Chrysostom and others of the Ancients have made this indisputable. There is an expression in Tertullian (k)from whence some have gathered, that in those days Christians did not Conclude but Begin their prayers with the Lords Prayer. Nevertheless, they did not think it necessary. It ⟨p. 126⟩is evident that Origen did sometimes use this prayer; but without an opinion of its being necessary. For when he writes concerning a method of prayer, he adviseth to begin and end with Doxologies: but he does not advise to begin or to end with the Lords prayer. Clemens Alexandrinus concludes his last Book of Pedagogy with prayer, yet not with the Lords Prayer. This enervates what Mr. Richard Ward and other object, viz. That if the Lords prayer, was given only to be a rule, and not enjoined as a form, then Christians for 1500 years together did not understand the true meaning of Mat. 6 9. But suppose that an hundred years after the Apostles were all dead, this Formality had been generally practised, we could not from thence infer, that it was so in their days. For Innovations and Declensions from the Primitive Purity were soon brought in unawares amongst the Churches. In Tertullians Time, they Prayed towards the East. Origen also adviseth it; but the Apostles never gave that Advice▪ In those days they used Exorcisms, signing with the Cross and Chrism in Baptism. All which things were Corruptions in Religion, and are now rejected by most of the Reformed Churches In those Times also, they put especial respect upon Wednesdays and Fridays, which in Tertullian are called Stationum dies. Because Christ was Sold on a Wednesday, and Crucified on a Friday they would have more devotion on those […] on other days in the week. These were ⟨p. 127⟩