An harmony of the confessions of the faith of the Christian and Reformed Churches which purelie professe the holy doctrine of the Gospell in all the chiefe kingdomes, nations, and prouinces of Europe: the catologue and order whereof the pages following will declare. There are added in the ende verie shorte notes: in which both the obscure thinges are made plaine, & those thinges which maie in shew seeme to be contrarie each to other, are plainelie and verie modestlie reconciled, and if anie points doe as yet hang in doubt, they are sincerelie pointed at. All which things, in the name of the Churches of Fraunce and Belgia, are submitted to the free and discrete iudgement of all other Churches. Newlie translated out of Latine into English. Also in the end is added the confession of the Church of Scotland. Alowed by publique authoritie.

Of Canonicall howres. CHAP. 27.

AVgustine writeth in a certaine place, that Ambrose the Bishop of Millane▪ did ordaine, that the assemblies of the Church should sing Psalmes, whereby they might mutuallie com∣fort themselues, whilest they looked for aduersitie, and stirre vp them selues to beare the crosse: lest the people, saith he, should pine awaie with the yrckesomnes of mourning. This singing, because it was vsed in a tongue commonly known, it had both a godlie vse, & deserued great praise. And by the Canonical decree it ap∣peereth, that those houres, which they call Canonicall, were an appointment of certeine times, wherin the wholl holie Scripture should be publikelie ouerrunne euerie yere, as in the schooles there be certain houres appointed for interpre∣ting of authors. Such a distribution of houres was peraduen∣ture not vnprofitable for that time, & in it self it is not a thing to be condemned. But to appoint a special kinde of priests, to chaunt out those Canonicall hours, & to sing them in a strange

tongue, which commonlie is not known to the Church, or is not our countrie tongue, & that in some place in the night, & in the day time without any intermission, new singers very often taking one an others course, & to make hereof a wor∣ship, not to this ende, that by patience, and the comforte of the scripture we might haue hope, as Paul saith, but that by the merit of this worke a man might mitigate the wrath of God, and purge the sins of men before God; this is it that is contrary to the meaning of that Church, which is in deede Catholike. 1. Cor. 14. When ye come together, according as euery one of you hath a psalm, or hath doctrine, or hath a tongue, or hath re∣uelation, or hath interpretation, let all things be done vnto edifying. Hierom vpon the Epist. to the Eph. Cap. 5. saith, Singing and making melody to the Lord in your heartes. Let yong men heare these things, let them heare, whose office it is to sing in the Church, that we must sing to God, not with the voice, but with the heart, and that the throate and the iawes are not to be greased with some sweete li∣quore, as they vse to doe, that play in Tragedies, &c.

Now that which was spoken, touching the vse of a tongue that is commonlie knowne, it must be vnderstoode, nor on∣lie of the singing of Psalmes, but also of all the partes of Ec∣clesiasticall ministerie. For as Sermons and praiers are to be made, in a well knowne tongue to the Church, so al∣so must the Sacramentes be dispensed in a speach that is knowne. For, although it be lawfull at some time to vse a strange tongue, by reason of the learned, yet the consent of the Catholique Church doth require this, that the necessa∣rie ministeries of the Church be executed in our countrie speache. 1. Cor. 14. I had rather in the Church to speake fiue words with my vnderstanding, that I mayalso instruct others, then ten thou∣sand wordes in a strange tongue. Innocentius the third, De offi. Iud. Ord. C. Quoniam, saith: Because that in many partes within one Citie and Diocesse, there be people of diuers languages mingled together, hauing vnder one faith diuers rites and customes, we doe ••••reictlie commaund, that the Bishops of such Cities, or Diocesses, doe prouide fit men, who, according to the diuersitie of ceremonies, and language, may execute among them the diuine dueties, and minister the Ecclesiasticall Sacraments, instructing them both by the worde, and by their example. Therefore they are to be said to doe godly and Catholiquelie, who doe so appoint the dispen∣sation

of the Sacraments, the singing of Psalmes, and the reading of holy Scripture, that the Church may vnderstand that which is said, read, or sung, and the spirit may receiue fruit, therby to comfort the minde, & to confirme the faith, and to stirre vp loue.