An answer, to a little book call'd Protestancy to be embrac'd or, A new and infallible method to reduce Romanists from popery to Protestancy

SECT. VII. The Reason why the Mass is not said in the Vulgar Tongue.

OUr Adveriary advancing in his Reflexions upon our Religion sayes that our Prayers in an Unknown Tongue is not a small hinderance to Piety and Devotion. What Comfort, sayes he, can the Ignorant sort reap at Mass.

Answer. Either he means our Private Prayers or our Publick: If our Private Prayers, I attest his own Conscience, all English and Scots Protestants, who converse Familiarly with us if they do not know that we have our Manuals of Devotion in Eng∣lish.

If he means our Publick Prayers: Then he sup∣poses two things which are false. The first that, that publick Action which is done in the Sacrifice of the Mass, is, or ought simply to be called a verbal Prayer; The second that, that less considerable part of it which consists in Words, is in an unknown Tongue.

The Sacrifice of the Mass being of its Nature, and by the Intention of Christ the Instituter of it, and

chief Officer in it, an Action ordain'd to acknow∣ledge his Fathers Supream Dominion over us; to give him thanks for his Favours bestowed upon us, for a continuation of them, and a Satisfaction for our Sins, it is a prayer, but a real one and is more the object of the Eye then of the Ear: Moreover is it not enough that the Mass is Printed in Vulgar Tongues? And that the Council of Trent. Sess. 22. cap 8. Commands the Pastors to explain it to the People altho it be not said but in the Tongues of the Church: In the Greek Church in Greek, in the Latin in Latin, to keep an uniformity among the Faithful of each Church and that the expression of the Churches Li∣turgy keep its Majestie not subject to the changes of Vulgar Tongues, to which those are, who speak them, under pain of passing sometimes for Ridi∣culous.

Neither is that to be call'd an Unknown Tongue which little Boyes are ordinarily taught in the Schools, and which they come often to speak Regularly before they can express themselves handsomly in their Mothers Tongue. Neither do our Country Clowns speak unknown Tongues because they don't easily understand one another.

But Grant the Latin Tongue is an unknown Tongue, is it not enough that all those prayers are found explained in Books?

Neither does the Devotion of the Ignorant con∣sist in their hearing or knowing what the Priest says but in knowing what he does. And in offering up with him the same Sacrifice which is also theirs, sure, if they be well disposed, to receive great good by it. I pray, did the People in the entry of the Temple hear what Zacharie said when he was Offi∣ciating far from being so much as seen by them, Luke 1. cap. v. 10. and the People wondred that he stayed there so long. v. 21.

But what shall we say of those Extemporary prayers made by some Protestants, who being weak in Spirit, yet resolved to follow the strain of their Bre∣thren speak a great deal of none-sence? Is that a known or an unknown Tongue when the Hearers can't make sence of his words, but only knows his meaning is to pray? To this he adds a bare Lecture of Scriptures sometimes of a Prophet obscure in his Expression, they know not whither its to be under∣stood in the Literal or Figurative sense, yet what a sighing and sobing! What a mournful Looks in their Eyes! And murgions in their Faces! If this Prayer and lecture of Scripture neither of them being under∣stood, can move these People to so much Devotion because they know this is said and read to Honour God; why may not the Sacrifice of the Mass which Catholicks believe to be the highest Honour that can be given to God upon ••arth, move those who are present to Devotion, although they don't under∣stand in particular what is said by the Priest to God? 'Tis enough that the Priest understand it who in his own, and in all their Names makes the Sacrifice.

I end this Section with some Reflections,

1. That S. Paul 1 Cor. 14. does not speak of a publick Prayer approved by the Church, and conse∣quently not subject to Error, But only of a new Prayer of a private Person made to others which might be subject to Error, and therefore he would not have it made in a Vulgar Tongue, but in a Tongue that others might judge of it, as appears by his saying in the 29, v. Let the Prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

2. St. Paul saies, v. 29. forbid not to speak with Tongues, i. e. in an unknown tongue, I say then what Christian dares forbid what the Apostle allows?

3. St. Paul saies there v. 15. I will pray with the

Spirit, i. e. (in an unknown Tongue) and I will pray with the understanding also. i. e. in a known Tongue. If he prayed in an unknown Tongue as well as in a known Tongue, why may we not also?

4. As, altho' an Inchanter understands not the words of his Charm the Devil understands them, and obeys them, so, altho the Ignorant understand not the words of his Prayer, the Devil understands them and fears them; and God understands them, and helps him, as the King does a Favour to an Idiot who understood not the Petition presented by him, but only in General that it was for what he desired, or made in favour of him.

5. If any be contentious for our not using a vul∣gar Tongue in our Lyturgy, our Answer is with St. Paul 1 Cor. 11. v. 16. we have no such Custome nor has had the Church of God for 1600. Years, and more.

6. By unknown Tongues the Apostle means not of Hebrew among the Iews, Greek among the Grecians, or Latin among us of the Western Church, which is understood of the learned and civil Peo∣ple in every great City, but of Miraculous Ton∣gues which Men spoke in the Primitive Church, as a Mark that they had received the Holy Ghost. Think you that the Lyturgy is said in the Greek Church in an unknown Tongue, because its said in prop•••• Greek not now understood by the vul∣gar?