Reims Against Rome, Propositions · Proposition 21
XXI. Propoſition. That the Publike ſeruice of the Church ought not to be in a vulgar and knowne Tongue:
Confuted by their owne Bible.
1. Cor. 14. 9. So thou alſo by a tongue, vnleſſe thou vtter a manifeſt Speech, how ſhall that be knowne which is ſaid, for thou ſhalt but ſpeake in the Aire? This is a plaine condemning of ſpeaking in a tongue not manifeſt, not vnderſtood of the Hearers.
2. Cor. 1. 13. We write no other things to you, then that you hauehave read, and know. They then knew what they read, whether priuate, or publike, Epheſ. 3. 4. According as thou reading, maiſt vnderſtand.Reading the Scriptures is a part of the publique Liturgie or ſeruice.
1. Theſ. 5. 27. I adiure you by the Lord, that this Epiſtle bee read to all the holy Brethren. If it had beene in an vnknowne Tongue, it had beene in vaine to hauehave beene read vntounto all the brethren; and it had been to no purpoſe thus to adiure them.
Act. 1. 14. All theſe were perſeuering in one minde, in Prayer, and with one accord, Act. 4. 24. This was Publike Prayer. But if they vnderſtood not what was prayed: how could they bee of one minde and accord?
S. Paul willeth vsus to pray and ſing with vnderſtanding, 1. Cor. 14. 15. and ſaith plainely, that if men bleſſe, that is, pray in an vnknowne tongue, the vulgar cannot ſay, Amen. And hee giueth this Reaſon, becauſe hee knoweth not what thou ſayeſt, neither is edified, verſe 16, 17.
In their Bible, mention is made: Firſt, of Prayer in the Congregation, Act. 12. 12. & 4. 24. & 13. 3. & 16. 13, 16. & 20. 36. and 21. 5. Secondly, of reading the Scriptures, Coloſſ. 4. 16.The parts of the publike Seruice of the Church in the Apoſtles daies. 1. Theſſ. 5. 27. Thirdly, of preaching, Act. 9. 20. & 20. 7. Fourthly, of ſinging, Math. 26. 30. 1. Cor. 14. Fiftly, of adminiſtring the holy Sacraments; of Baptiſme, Act. 10. and of the Lords Supper, 1. Cor. 10. & 11. Let our Aduerſaries ſhew, if they be able, that theſe parts of the publike ſeruice were done in an vnknowne tongue.
Contraried by Antiquitie.
Origen. cont. Celſ. l. 8. Let eueryevery man make his prayer to God in his natiue Mother tongue.
Auſtin. Tract in Iohan. 21. Why are theſe things ſpoken in the See more in l. 4. …. 10. de doct. Chriſt & lib. …4. c. 16. de Trunt … 18. … 4….Church, but to be knowne? Why are they pronounced, but to bee heard? And why are they heard, but to be vnderſtood? And on Gen. l. 12. cap. 8. Noman (ſaith hee) is edified by hearing that which he vnderſtands not.
Ambr. in cap. 14. 1. Epiſt. ad Cor. If we come together (ſaith he) to edifie the Church, thoſe things ought to be ſpoken, which the hearers vnderſtand.
Chryſoſtom. hom. 35. in 1. Cor. Hee that ſpeakes in an vnknowne tongue, is not onelyonly vnprofitable, and a Barbarian to others, but euen to himſelfe, if he vnderſtand not.
In Hom. 18. on 2. Cor. Hee telleth vsus, that the Prieſts and the people ſay the ſame common prayers, and all doe ſay one thing.
S. Baſil. Epiſt. 63. telleth, how, that in his time, when they met together, they vſed a knowne language.
In the pureſt Churches, for the ſpace of eight hundred yeeres, Diuine Seruice was neuer performed in an vnknowne tongue. And if it were at any time, in a tongue not the Mother tongue, yet was not that tongue a ſtrange language, but ſuch as the hearers vnderſtood. See for this point Maſter Perkins Probleme.
If any deſire any more of this, let him reade Doctor Fulk on Rhem. Teſtament, 1. Cor. 14. Doctor White his laſt Book of this point, pag. 369. who eiteth Origen, Iuſtin Martyr, Tertul. Clemens Alexand. Cyprian, Baſil, Chryſoſtome, Ambroſe, and Auguſtine; with their owne words againſt this abſurd practice of Papiſts. See alſo, pag. 375. in the Margin: & 380.
Gaineſaid by themſelues.
Aeneas Syluius, who after was Pope, in hiſt Bohem. cap. 13. faith, that when ſute was made, that the Slauonians newly conuerted to the faith, might hauehave their Church-ſeruice in their Mother Tongue, and there being ſome ſtay about it at Rome, a voice was heard from Heauen, ſaying, That eueryevery ſpirit ſhould praiſe the Lord, and eueryevery tongue ſhould confeſſe vntounto him: So the controuerſie is determined by an immediate voice from heauen.
The Lateran Councell, vnderunder Innocent the third, chap. 9. decreed, by reaſon of mingled Nations of diuers tongues, in one Citie, that meet men ſhould bee prouided to celebrate Diuine ſeruice, and to adminiſter the Sacraments, according to the diuerſitie of their Rites, and languages.
Lyra, on 1. Cor. 14. ſaith, that if the people vnderſtood the prayers of the Prieſt, they were better brought vntounto God, and ſo anſwere Amen more deuoutly.
And Caietan on the ſame, ſaith, it were better for the Churches edification, that prayers ſhould bee ſaid in the Mother tongue.
Many learned Papiſts, as Lyra, Thomas Aquinas, this Caietan on this 1. Cor. 14. and Eraſmus in Declarat, ad Cenſ. pag. 153. confeſſe, that in the Primitiue Church, and long after, the Prayers and Seruice were done in the Mother Tongue.See D. Whites laſt booke, pag. 356. mentioning Armenians, Abiſſines, Indians, Ruſſians, Egyptians, proued by Papiſts themſelues.
And Caſſander, Liturg. cap. 28. ſheweth, that diuers Nations, to this day, retaine the ancient cuſtome ſtill. Thus we ſee their owne Bible, the ancient Fathers, their owne Councels and learned men, are againſt this abſurd, and vnreaſonable cuſtome, of hauing Seruice in an vnknowne tongue. God gaue diuerſitie of tongues to his Apoſtles, and they ſpake in them all, Act. 2. and the hearers heard them ſpeake to them therein. What letteth, but that in praying, reading ſinging, and adminiſtring of the Sacraments, we ſhould vſe eueryevery tongue, according to eueryevery Nation; ſeeing eueryevery Language was giuen by the Holy Ghoſt, to publiſh the Goſpell therein?
Scriptures obiected, anſwered.
Luke 1. 8. Zachary burnt incenſe within, and the whole multitude was praying without, at the time of the incenſe.
Anſw. 1. Here is not a word of the Prieſts ſpeaking in any language at all, to the People: neither was he heere, to ſay any ſeruice, but to burne incenſe.
Secondly, if he had ſaid Seruice, the People could not heare him: For he was in the Temple, they a great way off, in the out-Court.Leu. 16. 17. What is this to Latine Seruice? Or ſaying it in any language? except they hence will conclude, that becauſe the Prieſt ſaid nothing, and the People could not heare him; that now the Prieſt may ſpeake in what language either he will, or can ſpeake, when none is neere him, but all farre inough from hearing what hee ſaith. And then who ſhall helpe the poore man to ſay his Maſſe? Is this their authoritie for their Latine Seruice? Shame light on ſuch, as ſo abuſe Scripture, to keepe poore people in ignorance.
Nehem. 8. 8. Here would they proue that the Scriptures were read in an vnknowne Tongue to the People, that is, in the Hebrew Tongue, which the People now, after ſeuenty yeeres captiuitie, vnderſtood not.
Anſw. 1. It is vntrue, that the people aſſembled, were ignorant of the Hebrew tongue. For moſt of the Congregation were ſuch as were before carried captiue, and were now returned from thence, Eſd. 2. 1, 42, 65. and 3. 12. who had not loſt their language, Nehem. 13. 24. As for that, where it is ſaid, they made the People vnderſtand the reading, it is not meant of the language and words, but of the ſenſe and meaning thereof.
Secondly, grant that now they had forgotten the language, and had now the Scriptures in no other tongue: will it follow, that what they had of neceſſitie, the Church now needs muſt bee inforced to, when there is no cauſe?
Thirdly, this Language was the holy Tongue, in which the Scriptures were written, and once their owne Mother tongue: muſt therefore a ſtrange tongue, and wherein the Pen-men of Scripture neuer wrote, be thruſt vponupon all Nations, as the only tongue to ſay Seruice in?
Fourthly, as yet the Holy Ghoſt had not ſanctified all languages, as hee did in comming downe vponupon the Apoſtles, after Chriſts Aſcenſion, Act. 2. but now hee hath. And therefore in eueryevery tongue, hee is to bee preached, prayed vntounto, and praifed. See before, how to anſwere this place, in the end of the fift Propoſition.