A chronological discourse touching, 1 The Church. 2 Christ. 3 Anti-Christ. 4 Gog & Magog. &c. The substaunce whereof, was collected about some 10. or 11. yeares since (as may be gathered by an epistle prefixed before a tractate, called, The visible Christian) but now digested into better order; and first published, by the author himselfe, H. Cl.

CHAP. xj. (Book 11)

Touching Church-leitourgie. (Book 11)

THE Greeke word Leîtourgia (signifying general∣ly, any publique ministerie or seruice; and so the Angels are called Leitourgizing spirits) it in Ecclesiastique vse,* 1.1 is taken for some Forme of diuine Seruice, prescribed for the Churches publique vse. And this forme contayneth Prayers, Lections of Scripture and Psalme-singing, framed vnto seuerall occasions. The Auncient mother Zion, ouer and besides the Priestes preaching, and the Prophets prophecying, had a set forme for all their Seruice (as appeareth through Leuiti∣cus & a peculiar forme of blessing the people, Nomb. 6. 23. &••. Euen as Moses had his prescribed forme of Pray∣er, when the sacramentall Arke remooued or rested, Nomb. 10. 3••. 36. And in after times, their Leitourgie was much enlarged by King Da••id, framing thereto right many Psalmes; some Psalmes of Prayer, some of Dedica∣tion, some of Instruction some of Remembrance, some of De∣grees, some of Halleluja••, &c. And all that was done in the time of their non-age. To the Church of Christ, there is giuen a larger Body of Scripture; out of the which, and sutable to which, the Church is to draw her forme of Leitourgie; collecting such Scriptures for common Lections, as may be held most fitting such a purpose. And for the sanctification of all, intermixing such kinds of Prayers, as also may be fitted to ordinarie and extraordinarie occasions. If any one man thinke he can doe this well of him selfe, I thinke it can be better done of many, conuening and concluding vpon such a forme of Prayer.

And as for our publique Forme of Seruice (reiected of some in part, for that some part of it hath before been in vse among Papistes; as if God or the Ghospell, or good wordes were therefore to be reiected) it was of the holy Martyr, Martin Bucer, of loue he bore vnto it, after due ouersight, turned into Latine, for vse of all that should vnderstand Latine.

Against this Leitourgie, two sortes of Aduersaries in∣surge. One of them (as the Brownist, and the like) doth condemne all set forme of Prayer, saying; that nothing is to be brought into the Church, sauing the Canonicall Scriptures, and the Liuely voyce of Gods graces. Now, by Liuely voyce, they meane Conceiued preaching, and present Conceiued prayer. And herevpon it is, that they hold the Lordes Prayer in Math. 6. Not to be Prayer, but Doctrine of Prayer. I answere, it is both Prayer, and Doctrine of Prayer. Doctrine it is, for that thereby we are Taught how to pray: For Doctrine is Teaching. And Prayer it is, when a faythfull soule, breathes it vp vnto God, Mentally or Vocally also. That Repetition of wordes vsed before (euen the selfe same wordes) conti∣nueth still Prayer, consider it not onely, in the Apostles Prayer inculcate in seuerall Epistles (namely,* 1.2 Grace be with you and peace from God our father, &c.) but also, in our Sauiours practise; who in the time of his agonie, when most effectuall Prayer was to be vsed, is sayd of S. Ma∣thew (in chap. 26. 44.) to haue Praied the third time, saying the same wordes; euen the selfe-same wordes which he had vsed twise before. And the reason lieth in this, that Prayer receaueth not his Forme from wordes, old or new (for one may Pray without any wordes at all,) but from the Spirit of Christ, aduancing our Spirit to God in Fayth, whether with words, or without. Which cau∣sed the Apostle to say in Rom. 8. We know not what to pray

as we ought, but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs, with sighes vnexpressable. And yet I could round some Separist in the eare, and tell him true of Teacher, and Teached, that haue ordinarily vsed a set forme of Prayer: that I speake nothing of him, who in his Prayer concluded (till by mee he was better informed) thus; To whom, to∣geather with thee and the sanctified Spirit, be all glory, &c. But let that frantique Ieronymo goe by.

The other Aduersarie is at home: who graunting the lawfull & necessarie vse of a Leitourgie, doth insurge against some what in Ours, as not well fitting his fancie. His obiection ariseth, first, against Methode: secondly, against Matter. For Methode, take this his maine Ob∣iection. In the beginning of our Seruice, a Confession of sinne is vsed by the Minister, in the name of the Con∣gregation, and that before the Congregatiō be present. I answere; first, it may be a ranke lye that the Obiector propoundeth: for, some Congregation may be present Before, though not euery member of the Congregation; no more then some-times at their Conuenticles. Where∣at, though their Tom and Sib be present, yet happily lynkin and Sicily may be absent. Secondly, our Minister taking his fittest time, doth desire such as be present, (not absent) to ioyne in that Confession with him. Thirdly, if any be absent, that should and might be pre∣sent, it is their sinne, not the Ministers; much lesse the Bookes: seeing Confession of sinne, is exceeding ne∣cessarie in the Exordium of our deuotions. And that Ne∣hemiah and Daniel had well learned,* 1.3 when they begun their Deuotions, with the Confession of their sinnes and the sinnes of the people.

For exception against Matter, it is fourefold. First, for Omission: Secondly, for Addition: Thirdly, for Trans∣lation: Fourthly, for certaine Capital-letters.

1. For Omission; as in passing by the Psalmes Titles. I answere; first, it is not repugnant vnto Gods word, that some Scripture be read, and othersome omitted in the Common seruice; seeing neither all Scripture is Then to be read (witnesse the seuerall Leitourgies of their owne drawing) nor is our Minister debarred to handle any Scripture. Secondly, the Lections in a Leitourgie, require the playnest scriptures; because (generally) for the vse of the common people. But that the Psalmes-titles be not a plaine Scripture, will appeare thus: The Hebrew word Lame natséach, is turned, To him that excelleth. Yet accor∣ding to the Septuagint, who should best vnderstand it, it is turned by that, which (as in auncient Latine translati∣ons) valueth Vnto, or, Vpon the end. By Targum, and some other Latines otherwise.* 1.4 Hereupon Frier Faelix vnto Pope Leo the tenth, is bold to say; Anullo Aucthore hacte∣nus recte expositam inuenj; nam haec dictio manasséach, partici∣pium est verbj nizeach (I change not his forme of spelling) quod quidem verbum, cum a nomine nessach descendat, velè con∣uerso, diuersas habet significationes. The Rabbines of the Iewes, who should best vnderstand it, being at no vnitie in this poynt amongst themselues (nor Greeke Church, nor La∣tine Church, nor others, daring to determine of it per∣emptorily, as beseemeth in cases of Fayth) what sauci∣nesse is it not, in this poynt to taxe our Church, when the Taxers themselues can (at best) but guesse how the Title may be translated? Againe, we haue in some Translation, to him that excelleth on Negínóth, or on Nechílóth. Who can assuredly determine, whether these were Instruments, or Tunes, or what? If the Minister will preach vpon it, he may: But to be ioyned with or∣dinarie Lections, I see no necessitie, howsoeuer it may be lawfull.

2. For Addition, there be in the 14. Psalme, three Ver∣ses moe in our Common-seruice Booke, then be in the Hebrew; namely, the 5. 6. and 7. verses, the whole so, be∣ing deuided into eleauen verses. I ingeniously confesse, that once I conceiued, how that Exception of Addition, had risen against the three last Verses, as it lieth in our ordinarie Bibles, where the whole (besides the Title) be but seauen. But now it is cleare, that they meane the three Verses inserted into the Psalme, immediatly vpon the fourth, beginning thus: Their throate is an open sepul∣chre. &c. Hereto I answere: It is not repugnant to Gods word, that these Verses be there read in our Common seruice; once, for that the same Verses are Scripture, & so alleadged by S. Paul in Rom. 3. Secondly, for that they be inserted, where for the argument, they be as fitting, as they were in the other place for the Apostles purpose.

3. As for Traslation,* 1.5 they excerpe sundry places. Two principall be fetcht from the 105. & 106. Psalmes. From the 105. 18. this, Vèlô marû aeth debárau, word for word thus; And they bittered not his word; or They bittered not at his word. Now, as it is questionable, who be They there spoken of (whether the Commissioners or the People;) so the phrase, bittering not his word (as not prouoking the word) or, bittering not at his word (as be∣ing not prouoked by his word) is so doubtfull a phrase, as no temporate spirit (specially, of no greater guiftes then the Obiectors) will easily dare to oppose in this poynt (or the like) to the body of an whole Church. In Psal. 106. 30. we read, Phyneas stood vp & prayed. They say, it should be turned, Hee executed judgement. I an∣swere, the originall word is, Palal, which the Iewes Tar∣gum (as Pagn•••• noteth) doth turne, Hee prayed. And, Hith∣pallel, in 2. Chro. 30. 18. is properly turned, Hezekiah prayed. In Psal. 5. 2. Vnto thee (aeth-pallal) I will pray.

So Psal. 32. 6. and Substantiuely, it is very often vsed in the Psalmes, for* 1.6 Prayer. The Septuagin••, whom the common Latine (in Austens times) did follow, is Exilasato, whereof commeth Hilasterion, turned Propitiatory. Now, seeing Placation and Propitiation is properly by Oblation and Prayer, the Septuagin•• must needes also, so well as the old Latine, intend with vs Prayer; rather then, Execution of Iudgement. Nor could his execu∣ting, iudgement, haue found rest with the Lord, other∣wise then the same were sanctified with Prayer; speci∣ally, he being a Priest vnto God, and deuoted to Prayer. By this little taste, iudge of our Aduersaries learning and discretion, though I (of many) be most vnfitted to propound it.

4. Touching their exception at Capitall letters (an exception now very vulgare) the case standes thus: There be in the Common-seruice Booke, certaine great Letters, within whose Circumference, the Grauer of these Letters, hath sometimes put certaine Pictures, re∣sembling Triton, Hercules, &c. For which, diuers doe charge the Booke, for an vpholder of Idolatrie. I an∣swere, it is nothing to the Matter; because not of the Bookes matter: Nor is the Matter a pinne the worse, though the Manner of conuaying it, be not so sutable as may be. If there be a fault in the Fashion, blame the Taylor, not the Wearer. These Spirites by like pro∣portion, may rayle vpon euery Bible, as an vpholder of Corruption: Why? for that euery Printer wilbe found to haue fayled in something; as in mistaking a Letter, displacing a Poynt &c.

Secondly, if they so stumble at the Pictures of per∣sons that haue been idolatrized, why not also at the Picture of a Rose,* 1.7 which some Mahumetistes venerate, as sproung of the blood of the most lasciuious Goddesse

that the Gentles ouer had) namely, Venus: others of them, for that it had (as they say) the originall from the sweat (sweete sweat) of their Prophet Mahomet (a sweete sweatie Prophet) vpon which superstitious conceites, the Rose may not (forsooth) fall to the ground. And why with as good reason doe they not reiect the two Capitall letters T and X: the first, hauing been idola∣trized as the Crosse of Christ: & the other, as the Crosse of S. Andrew? Or, why contend they not about the Capi∣tall I, which being the fashion of a Piller; vnder which forme,* 1.8 it is sayd (of Clemens Alexandrine) the Gentiles did worship God? they might also entitle it, a Monument of Idolatrie. The Apostle forbids men to contend a∣bout Wordes; and these hold it a vertue, to make warre about Letters: yea, about the very Ornament of Let∣ters▪ I perceiue that they will play small play, ere they sit out for wranglers.

Though it be not alwayes of Absolute necessitie, that there be a Leitourgie, yet respectiuely, times may bring with them a deepe necessitie thereof. And if any times, then these times: for if no forme be concluded of, but euery one left to his owne discretion herein (as the Apostles iustly were, they being filled with spirit of Discretion) not one Congregation wil be like another. But as among the Romanistes, the multiplicitie of Monc∣kerie begot multiplicitie of Differences; euery one af∣fecting so his owne Order, as therewithall grew a con∣tempt of the other: so, this Church would so affect this Forme, and that Church that Forme; and a third, a third forme, &c. as therewithall would arise such praysinges, dispray singes, likinges, dislikinges, as no one Parioch would be at quiet with another; nor any possible vni∣tie among the Teachers. Let it remaine then for Ortho∣doxall, not onely, that such a Leitourgie is lawfull, but

also for begetting and continuing vnitie, that such an vniforme Leitourgie is very expedient and needfull. With the Apostle to the Corinths (he there handling also matters of Order in the Church) I thus conclude:* 1.9 If any man lust to be contentious, we haue no such custome, nor the Churches of God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Heb. 1. vlt.
• * 1.2

  Rom. 1. 7. 1. Cor. 1. 3. 2. Cor. 1. 2.
• * 1.3

  Nehe. 1. 5. &c. Dan. 9.
• * 1.4

  Frater Faelix in sua trans. Psa. ex haebreo in Psal. 4.
• * 1.5

  Vbi autem addita est Ne∣gatiua parti∣cula, vix duos codices potu∣imus reperire. Aug. in huuc locum.
• * 1.6

  Tephillah. tephilloth.
• * 1.7

  Gerard•• hetb. in cap. Ros.
• * 1.8

  Clem. in l. 1. strom.
• * 1.9

  1. Cor. 11. 16.