A dissuasive from popery by Jeremy, Lord Bishop of Down.

Sect. VII.

AS the Church of Rome does great injury to Christendom, in taking from the people what Christ gave them in the matter of the Sacrament; so she also deprives them of very much

of the benefit which they might re∣ceive by their holy prayers, if they were suffered to pray in publick in a Language they understand. But that's denied to the common people, to their very great prejudice and injury.

Concerning which, although it is as possible to reconcile Adultery with the seventh Commandment, as Service in a Language not understood to the four∣teenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians; and that therefore if we can suppose that the Apostolical age did follow the Apostolical rule, it must be conclude, that the practise of the Church of Rome is contrary to the practise of the Primitive Church: Yet besides this, we have thought fit to declare the plain sense and practise of the succeeding Ages in a few testimo∣nies, but so pregnant, as not to be a∣voided.

Origen affirms, that the Grecians in their prayers use Greek, and the Romans the Roman language, and so every one according to his Tongue, prayeth unto God, and praiseth him as he is able.

S. Chrysostom urging the precept of the Apostle for prayers in a Language un∣derstood by the hearer, affirms that which is but reasonable, saying, If a man speaks in the Persian Tongue, and understands not what himself says, to himself he is a Barbarian, and therefore so he is to him that understands no more than he does. And what profit can he receive, who hears a sound, and di∣scerns it not? It were as good he were absent as present: For if he be the better to be there, because he sees what is done, and guesses at something in general, and consents to him that ministers: It is true, this may be, but this therefore is so, because he under∣stands something; but he is onely so far benefited as he understands, and therefore all that which is not under∣stood, does him no more benefit that is present, than to him that is absent, and consents to the prayers in general, and to what is done for all faithful peo∣ple. But [If indeed ye meet for the edi∣fication

of the Church, those things ought to be spoken which the hearers under∣stand,] said S. Ambrose: And so it was in the primitive Church; bles∣sings and all other things in the Church were done in the Vulgar tongue, saith a Lyra; Nay, not onely the publick Prayers, but the whole Bible was anciently by many Transla∣tions, made fit for the peoples use. S. Hierom b affirms, that himself tran∣slated the Bible into the Dalmatian Tongue; and c Ulphilas a Bishop a∣mong the Goths, translated it into the Gothick Tongue; and that it was translated into all Languages, we are told by d S. Chrysostome, e S. Austin, and f Theodoret.

But although what twenty Fathers say, can make a thing no more certain than if S. Paul had alone said it, yet both S. Paul and the Fathers are fre∣quent to tell us, That a Service or Prayers in an unknown Tongue do not edifie: So g S. Basil, h S. Chrysostom, i S. Ambrose, and k S. Austin,l and this is consented to by Aquinas, m Lyra,

and n Cassander: And besides that, these Doctors affirm, that in the pri∣mitive Church the Priest and People joyn'd in their Prayers, and understood each other, and prayed in their Mo∣ther-tongue: We find a story (how true it is, let them look to it, but it is) told by o AEneas Sylvius, who was af∣terwards Pope Pius the II. that when Cyrillus Bishop of the Moravians and Methodius had converted the Slavoni∣ans, Cyril being at Rome, desir'd leave to use the language of that Nation in their Divine Offices. Concerning which when they were disputing, a voice was heard, as if from Heaven, Let every spirit praise the Lord, and every tongue confess unto him: Upon which it was granted according to the Bishops desire. But now they are not so kind at Rome; and although the Fathers at Tre••t confess'd in their De∣cree, that the Mass contains in it great matter of erudition and edification of the people, yet they did not think it fit, that it should be said in the vulgar Tongue: So that it is very good food,

but it must be lock'd up; it is an ex∣cellent candle, but it must be put un∣der a bushel: And now the Question is, Whether it be fit that the people pray so as to be edified by it; or is it better that they be at the prayers when they shall not be edified? Whether it be not as good to have a dumb Priest to do Mass, as one that hath a tongue to say it? For he that hath no tongue, and he that hath none to be understood, is alike insignificant to me. Quid prodest locutionum integritas quam non sequitur intellectus audientis? cum loquendi nulla fit causa, si quod loquimur non intelli∣gunt propter quos ut intelligant loqui∣mur, said S. Austin: What does it avail that man speaks all, if the hearers under∣stand none? and there is no cause why •• man should speak at all, if they, for whose understanding you do speak, understand it not. God understands the Priests thoughts when he speaks not, as well as when he speaks; he hears the prayer of the heart, and sees the word of the mind, and a dumb Priest can do all the ceremonies, and make the signs; and

he that speaks aloud to them that un∣derstand him not, does no more. Now since there is no use of vocal prayer in publick, but that all together may sig∣nifie their desires, and stir up one ano∣ther, and joyn in the expression of them to God; by this device, a man who understands not what is said, can onely pray with his lips; for the heart cannot pray but by desiring, and it cannot desire what it understands not. So that in this case, prayer cannot be an act of the soul: There is neither af∣fection nor understanding, notice or desire: The heart says nothing, and asks for nothing, and therefore receives nothing. Solomon calls that the sa∣crifice of fools, when men consider not; and they who understand not what is said, cannot take it into consideration. But there needs no more to be said in so plain a case. We end this with the words of the Civil and Canon Law. Iustinian the Emperour made a Law in these words, [We will and command, that all Bishops and Priests celebrate the sacred Oblation, and the Prayers there∣unto

added in holy Baptism, not in a low voice, but with a loud and clear voice, which may be heard by the faithful peo∣ple; that is, be understood, for so it follows, that thereby the minds of the hearers may be raised up with greater de∣votion to set forth the praises of the Lord God; for so the Apostle teacheth in the first to the Corinthians. It is true, that this Law was rased out of the La∣tine versions of Iustinian. The fraud and design was too palpable, but it pre∣vail'd nothing; for it is acknowledged by Cassander and Bellarmine, and is in the Greek Copies of Holoander.

The Canon Law is also most express from an Authority of no less than a Pope and a General Council, as them∣selves esteem; Innocent III. in the great Council of Lateran, above MCC years after Christ, in these words, [Because in most parts within the same City and Diocess, the people of divers Tongues are mixt together, having under one and the same faith divers ceremonies and rites, we straitly charge and com∣mand, That the Bishops of such Cities

and Dioceses provide men fit, who may celebrate Divine Service according to the diversity of ceremonies and langua∣ges, and administer the Sacraments of the Church, instructing them both by word and by example.]

Now if the words of the Apostle, and the practise of the primitive Church, the Sayings of the Fathers, and the Confessions of wise men a∣mongst themselves; if the consent of Nations, and the piety of our fore-fa∣thers; if right reason, and the necessity of the thing; if the needs of the igno∣rant, and the very inseparable condi∣tions of holy prayers; if the Laws of Princes, and the Laws of the Church, which do require all our prayers to be said by them that understand what they say; if all these cannot prevail with the Church of Rome to do so much good to the peoples souls, as to consent they should understand what in parti∣cular they are to ask of God, cer∣tainly there is a great pertinacy of opi∣nion, and but a little charity to those precious souls, for whom Christ dy∣ed

and for whom they must give ac∣count.

Indeed the old Toscan Rites, and the Sooth-sayings of the Salian Priests, Vix Sacerdotibus suis intellecta, sed quae mutari vetat Religio: were scarce un∣derstood by their Priests themselves, but their Religion forbad to change them. Thus anciently did the Osseni Hereticks of whom Epiphanius tells, and the Heracleonitae of whom S. Austin gives account; they taught to pray with obscure words; and some others in Clemens Alexandrinus, suppos'd, that words spoken in a barbarous or un∣known tongue, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, are more powerful. The Jews also in their Syn∣agogues at this day, read Hebrew, which the people but rarely understand; and the Turks in their Mosques read Arabick, of which the people know no∣thing. But Christians never did so, till they of Rome resolved to refuse to do benefit to the souls of the people in this instance, or to bring them from intolerable ignorance.

Notes

• Lib. 8. contra Celsum.
• Affectus consequitur intelle∣ctum: ubi autem nullus earum rerum quae petuntur vel dicuntur habetur intellectus•• aut g••••erali∣ter tantum, ibi exiguus assurgit affectus. Azor. Inst. moral. to. 1. lib. 9. c. 34. q. ••.
• a

  In 1 Cor. 14
• b

  Epist ad Su••hron.
• c

  Sozom. l. 6. ••ist. cap. 37.
• d

  Hom. 1. in 8 ••̄••an.
• e

  De Doctr. Christ. cap 5.
• f

  Serm. 5. de Graecar. ••f∣fect. curat.
• g

  Li••. Q•• ex var. Script. lo••••q. 278.
• h

  In 1 Cor. h••m. 35.
• i

  Super 1 Cor. 14.
• k

  S••per Psal. 1••. con. 2.
• l

  In 1 Cor. 14.
• m

  Ibid.
• n

  Liturg. cap. 28.
• o

  Histor. Bo∣hem. ••
• De Doctr. Christ. lib. 4. cap. 10.
• Novel. 123.
• De Missa l. 2. ••. 13. sect. ad Novellā.
• Cap. 9.
• Quintil. l. 1.
• Verb. Osseni. Cap. 6. ad Quod vult De••m.