Ratio disciplinae fratrum Nov-Anglorum. A faithful account of the discipline professed and practised; in…

Indeed, We are not ignorant, That the Pagans of old prayed by a Form. In their public Prayers, they had a Monitor, who did praeire Preces de scripto. Apuleius informs, us that among the Graecians, the Monitor, who was called Grammateus, did from a Pulpit, De Libro fausta precari, pray out of a Book. Pausanias informs us. That the Monitor who was also called ΑΝΗΡ ΜΑΓΟΣ, being a Priest, first put on his sacred Habit, and then said a Prayer ΕΚ ΒΙΒΑΟΥ out of a Book. Livy informs us, That among the Romans, their extraordinary Ritual was in the Books of the Sibyls, and at other times they had prescribed Prayers, and read their Prayers, e public•s Tabulis out of their Common Prayer Book; and that there was Solemn Precationis Carmen, a Common Prayer Book among them, to preserve their Conformity in Religion. But we have we been told that the Primitive Christians did not pray so. For this they will not insist on Tertullian's famous Passage of their praying sine Monitore, quia de Pectore; tho' even from thence, Bp. Bilson concludes, That free Prayer was then used; and Bp. Hall concludes, That the Mode of Praying was not then under any superior Injunction: They can give up this Tertullianic Passage, and find Apology ⟨p. 51⟩enough to plead for them in others of the Ancients: Particularly, in Origen, who relates, That both in the Grecian and Latin Churches, which divided the whole Evangelized World between them, they prayed every one ΩΣ ΑΥΝΑΤΑΙ, as he was able. Arch Bishop Usher has given us Assurance, That the Irish Churches for Eleven Hundred Years, and the British and Scottish, if not so long, yet long after Austin, the Monk, retained such a Liberty herein, as was of old enjoyed in all Quarters of the World. Nor did the old Hebrews know any such Thing as a stated Form of Prayer; In these Churches 'tis thought so, because of certain Words which those among them who have consulted R. Bechai, do from him quote unto them, Thou mayest do well to know (saith the Rabbi) that from the Times of Moses our Master, to the Times of the Great Sanhedrin, there was no usual and equal form of Prayer in Israel; because every one made his Prayer for himself, according to his own Knowledge, and Wisdom, and Utterance. Indeed at this Day, they have a Liturgy: but they have a Tradition that the Christians have theirs from Armillus: that is to say, — Every one knows, Who?

Indeed, We are not ignorant, That the Pagans of old prayed by a Form. In their publick Prayers, they had a Monitor, who did praeire Preces de scripto. Apuleius informs, us that among the Graecians, the Monitor, who was called Grammateus, did from a Pulpit, De Libro fausta precari, pray out of a Book. Pausanias informs us. That the Monitor who was also called ΑΝΗΡ ΜΑΓΟΣ, being a Priest, first put on his sacred Habit, and then said a Prayer ΕΚ ΒΙΒΑΟΥ out of a Book. Livy informs us, That among the Romans, their extraordinary Ritual was in the Books of the Sibyls, and at other times they had praescribed Prayers, and read their Prayers, e publics Tabulis out of their Common Prayer Book; and that there was Solenne Precationis Carmen, a Common Prayer Book among them, to preserve their Conformity in Religion. But we have we been told that the Primitive Christians did not pray so. For this they will not insist on Tertullian's famous Passage of their praying sine Monitore, quia de Pectore; tho' even from thence, Bp. Bilson concludes, That free Prayer was then used; and Bp. Hall concludes, That the Mode of Praying was not then under any superiour Injunction: They can give up this Tertullianic Passage, and find Apology