Abrahams Faith, Part 1 · Chapter 3 · Article 13
The thirtenth article, of the order of religious exerciſes, and ſeruice of God.
13. All religious exerciſes, as prayer and Sacramentes &c. ought to be done, in the toonge or language, which the people best vnderſtande, and as is most to edification.
HOw the pride & preſumption of man brought this great plague of many languages into the worlde, and thereby great ſeperation of people and nations, and diuerſities of religion, ascGen. 11. Moſes doth declare the originall; ſo the ſtory and experience of all times doo witnes. And as it cauſed great toile and contention among men: ſo it came to paſſe in tract of time, that the true religion was found but in one people and language, and that of Abraham and his ſeede the children of Iſrael. Howbeit when the fulnes of time was come, that the moſt glorious ſonne of God our bleſſed Sauiour, ſanctified all nations vntounto God by his death, then were all languages madedPhil. 2.11. Eſai 45.23. holie vntounto the Lord, that Euerie toonge ſhould confeſſe, that Ieſus Christ is the Lord, vntounto the glorie of God the father. Therefore what people ſo euer it pleaſeth God, to call to be of his church, and teacheth them his holie religion, the language of that very people, is made holie to the Lord, to talke of his woord, to confeſſe his name, to pray to his goodnes, & to celebrate his heauenly worſhip. This appeareth by the ſtorie of Abraham, being anaGen. 14.13. & 11.16. Hebrew, comming of Heber, that God reuealed his worde vntounto him and his ſeede in the Hebrew tongue. In that tongue which was to them naturall and knowne, he and they vſed all their prayers and holy exerciſes: and in that tongue did Moſes & the prophets write all the oracles of God. Saue onelyonly when Iudah was in captiuitie, Daniell wrote ſome Chapters which concerned the Chaldeans & all nations in that language of Calde, which they beſt vnderſtoode, and fitteſt at that time for all nations, the Emperor of the world being of that language: and by mixture with other people the Hebrew writings of the prophetes, do ſomewhat ſauour of the language of the people, among whom they dwelt. Therfore it doth appeare that God was carefull, as a matter beſt for the Churches edification, to hauehave his will reuealed vntounto his people, in that tong they beſt vnderſtood. So when all the world in all nations was called by the goſpel, to know and worſhip the true and liuing God, then were the ſcriptures written in Greeke, (namely ſo much as then was written by the Apoſtles and Euangeliſtes) which language was at that time the moſtbAct. 21 37. common language of the worlde, in ſo much as allcGal. 3.28. nations are called Grecians in oppoſition to the Iewes and their language. Alſo GoddAct. 2. endued his Apoſtles with the gift of diuers tongues, that euen in that gift it might bee made manifeſt, that all languages are ſanctified in Chriſt, and that hee thought it need, that eueryevery country & people ſhould worſhip him in their owne language. And therefore the Prophet Daniel propheſying of theſe daies, directly ſaith:eDan. 7.14. All people, nations and languages ſhall ſerue him. Hereupon Saint Paul, leaſt the vſe of gift of many languages, ſhould be abuſed, ſpendeth onefCor. 14. whole chapter about this matter: and therein teacheth, that it was moſt to edification, that the prayers and exerciſes of Gods worſhip, ſhould bee in a language knowen to the vulgar and meaner ſort of people, a thing ſo familiarly knowen, that I need not repeate it. Therefore without any amplification in this point, I may conclude, that ſeeing the Church of England (both by practiſe as is ſeene in our dayly ſeruice of God) by the booke of common prayer, and alſo by our confeſſion in the ApologiegApolog. cap. 18. diuiſ. 1. Artic. 24. of the common prayers. and Articles of our religion, publiſhed for that purpoſe) doth allow no other but the vſuall language, beſt knowen to the people, as beſt to edification: it followeth that herein wee agree with the auncient and catholike riligion and order of Almightie God, and of his ſeruants Moſes, the prophets and Apoſtles.