Touchstone to Determine the True Catholic Faith, Part 11
Of prayers in a strange tongue.
ANd here first concerning praier in a strange tongue the scriptures teache plainely, that in all ages, al the saints of God hauehave made their praiers in their vulgar tongue. We reade in Genesis thus of the first common praiers: Gen. 4.25Also to the same Seth was borne a sonne called Enoch: And then began men to call vponupon the name of the Lord. But then they were all of one language, as appeareth in Genesis chap. 11. ver. 1. when as their tounges were deuided: Therefore their first common prayers were in their vulgar tongue. The like forme of priuat praier, vsed no doubt, Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, when they talked with God: as appeareth by all their praiers and communications they had vntounto the maiestie of God;Gen. 18.23 Gen. 24.63 as Abrahās often praiers for the Sodomites proue: And Isaac going out to pray in the euening no doubt, followed his fathers steps: And Iacobs vowed forme of praier testifieth Moses also praied in a tongue vnderstoode. Exod. 32.31.Ios. 7. v 7 And Iosuah for the finding out of Achan. Dauids whole booke of Psalmes were written in the tongue he vnderstood; Psal. 106.48.wherein are both priuate praiers for himself, and publique praiers of the whole church, as that Psalme teacheth: O come let vsus sing vntounto the Lord, and let all the people say Amen. And as S. Paul saith, How should the people say Amen, if they knewe not what was praied? In the new testament, the praiers and hymnes of Simeon, Zacharie, the blessed virgine, of the Apostles, of our Sauiour himselfe; were all made in a tongue knowne vntounto them: as is more euident th… néedes any proofe. And shall not we follow their examples? Augustine saieth, Enchirid, ad Laur. cap. 19. faith is quite taken away without the assent of the heart. And Philippus de Dies expoundes these wordes thus. Thou wilt defende; that is, I knowe thou wilt defend: We must be surely grounded in our praiers. But to let examples passe, 1 Cor. 14 15S. Paul out of the Psalmes seemeth to confirme this doctrine: I will sing (saith hee) with my spirit, and I will sing with my vnderstanding, alleadging this, as shoulde seeme, out of the psalmes, Psal. 47.7where Dauid saieth: God is king ouer all the earth, sing ye praises with vnderstanding. All the churches of the heathen, amongst whom God now raignes, must sing praises to him, and that with their vnderstanding. Actes. 2.6And therefore the holie ghost came downe in al tongues: signifying, that it should teach men to praise God in all languages. And therefore to pray in the holie ghost (which S. Iude in this Epistle commandeth; & S. Paul also repeateth) may seeme to be nothing else, but to pray with heart and vnderstanding. And this is that which is written in an other place: At the name of Iesus all knees shall bowe, and all tongues shall confesse, that Iesus Christ is the Lorde,2. Phil. 10.11 to the praise and glory of God. This is not meant so much of the tongues of flesh & bloud; as of the maner of languages: al languages shal confesse Iesus Christ. And more plainly to see the grossenes of praying in a strange language: S. Paul saith, 1. Cor. 14.11He is a Barbarian to him that heareth, which speaketh in a strange language. Such Barbarians were all the priestes in poperie to their flocks. Nay it taketh away ye very force of cōmon praier: how shal the people say Amen, or giuegive their consent, (which is the verie strength of praier) if they vnderstand not what is praied? Our sauiour founde fault with the mother of Zebedes children, because she asked she knew not what.Matth. 20.22 He likes not such prayers. And were not almost all praiers in poperie such? They saide (de profundis) for them which were dead. In which praier the deade is not so much as named.
Neither doth ye place of S. Paul make any thing for prayers in a strange tongue, where he saith. If I pray in a strange tongue,1. Cor. 14.14 my spirit praieth, but my vnderstanding is without fruit: where as heere he speaketh of his vnderstanding to others. For of his owne vnderstanding, when he praieth in a strange tongue, he had said before: he that speaketh in a strange tongue edifieth himselfe.1 Cor. 14.4
That the praiers in the primitiue church were all in a knowne tongue, thus it may appeare; Arnobius writes thus, Arnob. in. Psal. 135.Let vsus come to Alleluiah, which is twise repeated: wherein I marke, that neither the flesh without the soule, nor the soule without the flesh can praise the Lord. These two things therefore that are knit in one, must sing their Alleluiah. That while they are in the passage of this life; they keepe this order of praising God, that the flesh say her Alleluiah, and the soule her Alleluiah. Iustine the martyr also of the church seruice in his time writes thus: Apol. 2.They which hauehave this worldes goods releeue all others that neede, and we are daily one with another: and in all the oblations which we offer, wee praise (in giuing of thankes) the maker of all thinges by his sonne Iesus Christ, and by the holie ghost. And on that day which is called Sunday, wee come together into one place, which dwell either in the Countrey or in townes; and the bookes of the Apostles and the writings of the Prophets (as the time wil serue) are read. Then after when the reader hath made an ende: he that beareth rule or the pastor makes a sermon, wherein he instructs the people, and exhortes them, to the following of such excellent vertues as they hauehave heard. After these things we do rise altogether, and powre out our praiers; and as wee hauehave saide before, when praiers are done, breade and wine, and water is offered or brought forth, and the aforeign.president, as much as in him lyeth, powres out his praiers and thanksgiuing, and the people cry together with him, Amen. And distribution and communication is made of all those things, vponupon which thanksgiuing was made, to eueryevery one that was present; & to those which were absent, it was sent by ye Deacōs. And they which are richer and willing, as eueryevery one thinkes good, doe contribute to the poore: and that which is so collected, remaineth with the President, and hee thereof helpeth the fatherlesse and widdowes: and (that I may speake simply) he is thebforeign. ouerseer of al them that stand in neede. Thus we may see plainlie, the whole seruice of the church in Iustine martyrs daies. Reading the scriptures in a known tongue, and after the reading, a sermon to the people, common praiers and common participation of the sacraments: yea that they euen sent them to them that were absent. To declare their vnitie (as should seeme) they woulde all eate of one bread: as the pastors also declared their vnitie to strangers, by communicating with them, and their misliking by not communicating: as we may read in ecclesiasticall histories. Tertullian also of churth seruice in his time writes thus: Apol. cap. 39.Wee meete together in one assembly or congregation, that, as it were making an army against God by praiers, we may compasse him about: this force is acceptable to God. We pray for Emperors, for their officers and powers, for the state of the worlde, for quietnesse, for the stay of the ende; we meet together, to heare the rehearsall of the holy scriptures. If the state of the present time do constraine vsus, either to forewarne any thing, or to call any thing to remembrance: Verely wee feede our faith with these holy wordes, we confirme our hope, wee assure our trust. Renanus vponupon this place of Tertullian writes thus: O holie assemblie! I would to God this custome might returne againe to vsus, of beating the commandements of Christ, into the mindes of men. Our church at this day followes the primitiue church, as appeareth by Gregory in his Epistle, Epist. 63.where he saieth: The Lorde hauehave mercy vpō vsus, & Christ hauehave mercy vponupon vsus, was said first of the Priest, and after answered of the people: (as we now vse.) And that the Apostles did consecrate the sacrament, onelyonly with the Lordes prayer. And that after one Scholasticus added but an other prayer. Here i… Gregories daies, 590. yeares after Christ was but a poore ma…e.
Iustinian the Emperor commandes thus concerning the seruice of God. In Nouellis de eccl. diuersis capit.We command all Bishops and Priestes, that they celebrate the holy oblation, and the prayer vsed in baptisme, not with a lowe, but with a lowde and cleere voice, which may be heard of the people, that thereby with more deuotion the mindes of the hearers may bee lift vp, in shewing forth the praises of God. For so the holy Apostle teacheth: Truly if thou onelyonly blesse in the spirit, how shall he that is a priuate man at thy giuing of thankes say that Amen to God, seeing he knoweth not what thou saiest? Thou giuest thankes wel: but the other is not edified. And againe, with the heart it is beleeued to righteousnesse; but with the mouth is confession made to saluation. For these causes it is meete that amongst other praiers, they which are sayd in the holy oblation, shoulde bee pronounced with a lowde voice of the holie Bishops and priestes, to our Lord Iesus Christ, with the father and the holie Ghost. And let all the holie priestes know, that if they shal neglect any of these things, they shal giuegive an account, in ye horrible iudgement of that great God, and our sauiour Iesus Christ. Neither, we knowing this, will be quiet, or suffer it vnpunished. Here is the order of praiers in Iustinians time: praiers in a known …, pronounced with a lowde voice, that the people might vnderstand and heare them, not any masse; but the holie oblation then named. And if this order were omitted; not onelie Gods punishment, but his also threatned. And how will the Pope which breakes this order, escape this? or why doth not the Emperour now, who succéedes Iustinian in authoritie, De incomp. Dei nat. Hom. 5.execute this lawe euen against the Pope? Chrysostom also speaketh thus of the common praiers in his time: Thou doest not so soon obtaine thy desire, when thou praiest alone to the Lord, as when thou praiest with thy brethren. For herein there is somewhat more, the concord, the consent, the ioining of louelove and charitie, the cry of the priestes. For to that end, the priestes are made ouerseers, that they being the stronger feet, maie take vntounto them, the weaker praiers of the people, and carry them vp to heauen. And in another place: In. 2. ad Thes. Ho. 4.The thing that a man cannot obtaine praying by himselfe alone, praying together with the multitude, he shall obtaine. And why so? For although not his owne worthines, yet the concord and vnitie preuaileth much. S. Basil also writes thus: Let thy toung singe,In. Psal. 28. and let thy minde search out the meaning of that thou speakest;Ad clericos Neocesar. that thou maiest singe with thy spirit, and sing also with thy mind. And againe: as it were from one mouth, and from one heart, they offer vp vntounto the Lorde the Psalme of confession. And the word of repentance, eueryevery one of them applieth particularly vntounto himselfe. They made as shoulde séeme, in his daies, such a publique confession of their sinnes, Lira. in. 1. ad Cor. cap 14.as we vse in our church at the beginning of our seruice. And Lira himself confesseth th…s much: If the people vnderstand the praier of the priest, they are better reduced vntounto God, Cyp. de orat. Domin.and with more deuotion they answeare Amen. Cyprian also saith, we hauehave one publique & common praier: when we praie, we praie not for one; but for the whole people: because the whole people are one. Augustine,Epist. 50. speaking of the Donatists, comming to the vnitie of the church, by force of the Emperours lawes, writes thus. Of whom (saieth he) if thou sawest the ioy, in the peace of Christ, their meetings and assemblies, their great mirth, their solemne and ioyfull assemblies, both to heare and sing hymnes, and to heare the word of God, and many of them with great sorrow of the remembrance of their former error, and with ioy of the consideration of the present truth, &c. Thou wouldest saie, it had been great cruelty, to hauehave left these in euerlasting fire. Here we may see, what they did in the church in Augustines daies.
Praefat. in Com. Aug super Psal.And in the preface of the commentaries of Augustine on the Psalmes, it is thus written. That God therefore made man, that there should be some, that should vnderstand his workes, which should in his vnderstanding wonder at, with his voice shew forth and praise, the prouidence of his disposing all thinges, the reason of his doing, the force of his finishing, and bringing thinges to passe, the power of his preseruing, ye wisdom of his gouerning, & the great merciemercy of his doing good to all: And this is, to worship God our maker. As the world was made for man to serue him: so was man made for God, to serue him. (And after) He hath deliuered vsus out of the handes of our enimies, that we might serue him, without feare all the daies of our life. This seruice of God enioined mā, though it may manie waies be expounded, and yeelded to God the creator: yet it is nothing else, but the worship due vntounto God. And this is nothing else, then his deuout praise. The chiefe custome of worshipping God, (Lactantius being witnesse) is praise, out of the mouth of a iust man, directed to God. The which it selfe (he saieth) that it maie be acceptable to God, we hauehave need of great humilitie, feare, and deuotion, least any perchance hauing the trust of integritie and innocencie, incurre the fault of pride and arrogancie, and by that meanes lose the grace of his vertue. Therefore Moses after he had put downe the former commandement, he addeth, thou shalt cleaue to him; he is thy praise, that is, whom alone thou must praise. This is true religion, this is right godlinesse, this is the right seruice of God. This is that acceptable and continuall sacrifice, with which God will be worshipped, pacified, honored, and glorified: as he witnesseth by his prophet, Offer to God the sacrifice of praise,Prolog. Aug. in lib. Psal. &c. And in the prologue Augustine writes thus. All scripture inspired from aboue, is apt to teach: And for this cause is written of the holie Ghost, that as it were out of a common fountaine of health, we should all out of this, take remedies for our proper griefes. (And after) The prophets teach some things, and the lawe other things, and the histories other things, and the doctrine of the Prouerbs other things; but the booke of the Psalmes, out of them all, conteines what soeuer things are profitable. (And after) The verses of the Psalmes are made fit for vsus by tunes, that either in our childhood, or they which are young men in manners, as it were singing psalmes, might be delighted. For manie of them which come to the church, neither can easilie learne either the precepts of the prophets, or Apostles; or when they hauehave learned them, can keepe them in memorie: but the answeres of the Psalmes, they sing at home sometime, and commonlie abroad, among the people. And if any be taken with any furious or cruel rage, if he shal be (as I may so say) inchaunted with the verses of the Psalme, by and by, all the rage of his fury departeth. (And after): Who will any more call him his enemy, with whom he hath lift vp one voice to God in the psalme? Whereby appeareth that the psalme restoreth charitie, which is the best thing in the worlde, making an vnitie, by the consent of the voice, and consorting diuers people of one companie, by concorde, through their common singing. A psalme driueth away deuilles, calleth Angels to helpe vsus. It is the first letter to beginners in Christ schoole; the profiting of them, that go forwardes; the sure foundation of the perfect; and the one voice of the whole church. Psalmes beautifie our holy daies, psalmes mitigate Godlie sorrowe, psalmes will moue yea euen a hearte of stone, to teares. A psalme is the worke of Angels, the exercise of heauenly soldiers, and spirituall frankinsence. O wise ordenance of our wonderfull master, that we may both sing, and may bee taught also, what things are good for our soule. If any thing be put in our minde hardly and by force, they straight way slip out againe: but those things we receiue with louelove and delight, I cannot tell, how they more settle in our minds and sticke better in our memories. And what is it, that is not learned in the psalmes? Doth not ye greatnes of al vertues, the square of iustice, the beautie of chastitie, the perfection of wisedome, the rule of patience: doth not eueryevery thing, which may be called good, proceed of them? And againe in the preface thus wee reade: This booke of Psalmes is as it were the register of all the holy scripture, and the perfection of all diuinitie. And when as wee must sing to God with our vnderstanding, howe can hee sing to God duly, which knoweth not what he singeth? For our holie Psalmist commaundes vsus to sing to God, with our vnderstanding. And that we must sing Psalmes with our vnderstanding, and not deskant vponupon them without knowledge, (as they hauehave done heretofore in the aboundance of their popish musick) this place plainly proueth.
Here we may plainlie sée why man was made, to knowe the workes of God, and to praise him for them; and that the chiefe part of Gods seruice is, his praise; and that we ought to praise him alone, in psalmes and hymnes, and that this is true religion: that singing of Psalmes, driues away deuils, not ringing of holie bels, as was vsed in time of poperie; and that they song psalmes together in the Church, and also at home in their houses. To conclude, that the psalmes, are as an Apothecaries shoppe, containing medicines for all diseases of afflicted soules. And in S. Augustines daies the people with the pastor song psalmes altother, as appeareth in his exposition vponupon the psalmes in diuers places, which prooueth manifestlie that their common praiers were in a tongue knowne to the people. For thus he writeth: Hauing beseeched the Lord,In psal. 18. that he would clense vsus from our secret sinnes, and that he would spare vsus as concerning other mens sins, we must vnderstand what this meaneth, that we may sing with reason like men, and not chatter like birdes. For blackbirdes, and p…rrats, and crowes, and pies, and such like birdes, are often taught of men, to pronounce that, which they know not: but to sing by knowledge, by Gods will, is granted to man, not to birdes. And we know and lament, howe many wicked and riotous men sing so, thinges meete for their own eares and hearts: and they are so much the more wicked, because they cannot be ignorant of those thinges they sing. For they know, they sing that which is nought, and yet they sing (the more filthy the song is) the more willingly: because they thinke they are so much the more merry, as they are dishonest and filthie. But we which hauehave learned to sing Gods word in the Church, wee must also be instant, that we may be that which is written: Blessed is that people that singeth with vnderstanding. Therefore (beloued) that which we hauehave song with agreeing voices, we ought to knowe and perceiue with a pure heart. EueryEvery one of vsus in this psalme hath beseeched God and hath said, O Lord clense me from my secret sins, and spare thy seruant from other mens offences: if mine shall not preuaile ouer me, then I shall be cleane, and shall be clensed, from the great offence. The which, that we may vnderstand what and what kinde this is, let vsus runne ouer briefely, as God shall giuegive vsus leaue, the text of the psalme. Here S. Augustine teacheth plainlie, that man must not sing like parrats or birdes, they must knowe and vnderstand what they sing. The verie wicked knowe and vnderstand their songs: and shall not Gods children? And this doctrine he confirmeth in other places: For in another place thus he speaketh to his hearers: This psalme, as we hauehave song with you with ioyfulnes: so I beseech you consider it with vsus with attentiuenesse. And after, This is written, and we hauehave declared where it is written:In psal. 44. they which remember it, let them acknowledge it, they which doe not remember it, let them read it: they which hauehave not read it, let them beleeue it. And in another place, In Psal. 147.you remember (beloued) the psalme which we hauehave song, where we hauehave deserted the exposition thereof to this. And againe: Blessed are the people that knoweth how to reioice in thee: let vsus all runne to this blessing,In Psal. 99. let vsus vnderstand our praise and reioycing: let vsus not power it out, without vnderstanding. And speaking of the excellencie of singing psalmes against the Donatists, and of the maner of praying & singing in the Church of Aphrica, he writes thus: When (saieth he) is not the time to sing,Epist. 119. ad Ianuar. when the brethren are assembled in the Church: but either when there is reading, or preaching, or the chiefe pastor praieth himselfe with a lowd voice, or else common praiers are proclaimed, or denounced, by the Deacons: at other times, what can be better done of Christians assembled together, then singing of Psalmes? What thing more holy, I knowe not. So that here may seeme to be set downe the chiefe partes of diuine seruice, in S. Augustines daies, reading the scriptures, preaching, praier of the pastor with a cleare voice, that all might heare and vnderstand, common praier of the people, and singing of psalmes. Here was vnderstanding in all these: and in all these the people was edified: and all these are the chiefe partes of diuine seruice in the Church at this daie. I would to God, our recusants would marke this.
And S. Ierome of Bethlehem in Iurie, writes thus: Ieron. epist. ad Marcellam vt commigret Bethlehem.Whosoeuer is chiefe in France, makes haste hither. The inhabitant of Britan…, deuided from the world, if he profit in religion, leauing his Westerne sunne, seekes a place, knowne to him onelyonly by fame, and report of the scriptures. What shall we speake of the Armenians? what of the Persians, of the people of India, and Ethiopia, and Pontus, and Cappadocia neare Egypt, being very fruitfull of Monkes; Siria-Celen, Mesopotamia, and all the swarmes of the East? which according to the word of our Sauiour, saying: Wheresoeuer the body is, thither the Eagles will be gathered: They hauehave runne to these places, and hauehave shewed vsus the spectacles of many vertues. The language is diuers, but one religion: so many companies of singers, as diuersities of nations. Amongst these (which is the chiefe vertue amongst Christians) they take no pride of their continency: Humilitie is of most force amongst them all: whosoeuer is the last, hee is accompted the first: No difference of apparell, no account, howsoeuer you be apparelled, it is neither praise nor dispraise: fastings extoll no man, nor pouerty is slandered, no moderate fulnesse is condemned. EueryEvery man stands or falles to his master. Such were the first Monkes, not differing in apparell, hauing not certaine daies of fasting appointed, they song psalmes with vnderstanding. And as it is certaine, that euerie nation as they song psalmes in their own languages there, so they song also at home in their owne countries. And after he writes thus of the verie plowmen: Wheresoeuer thou shalt turne thy selfe, he that holdes the plow singeth Alleluiah. And the sweating reaper delightes himselfe with Psalmes, and the vine dresser, pruning his vine with his crooked sickle, singeth something of Dauids Psalmes. These are the verses in this countrie, these are (as we commonlie call them) the louelove songs. This is the shéepeheards whistle, these are the plowmans instruments. That citie of Colchis called Dioscorias, whereof Plinie makes mention lib. 6. cap. 5. into which out of Asia had comed together 300. nations vsing al diuers tongues: so that the Romans in dealing with them were forced to vse 130. interpretors, maie verie fitly resemble the Church of Christ: as did also no doubt that congregation, on whome the holie ghost fell Actes 2.1. with the gifts of all languages. Ambros. hexam. lib. 3 ca. 5.And S. Ambrose declaring the order of singing in the church in his time, saieth thus: with the answering of Psalmes, and with the singing together, of men, women, maides, and little children; the Church soundeth as if it were the dashing and beatinges of the Sea.
The Latine praiers in the Church (as a learned man noteth) séemeth first to come hereof; that the Bishops of Rome herein, followed the steps of the olde Romane Emperours, which séemed by their Latine iurisdiction and gouernment, to bridle the prouinces, which they had subdued; and by the vse of the Latine tongue, they barred all strangers, from bearing office. So the Pope (who is the image of the beast) in his kingdome, hath done the like. For thus we reade of the Bohemians: when as they had embraced the Christian saith vnderunder Boriuarius their Prince, they request of Methodius their Bishop, that their sacraments and praiers might be celebrated, not in the Latine tongue they vnderstood not: but in the Bohemian tongue which was familiar to them. He certifieth this matter to Cyrill his fellowe Bishop, then being at Rome, and he to Nicholas then Bishop of Rome. Both these for their labour, were laughed to scorne of the Bishop, and of a great councell of fathers; when as sodainlie this voice was heard, in such a great assemblie. Let eueryevery soule praise the Lord, and let eueryevery tongue or language confesse him. With the which thing, the Bishop of Rome being amased, yéelded to Cyrill according to the request of the Bohemians.Dubra…ius li. 4. But that manner of celebrating their praiers continued but a fewe yeares after, the Bishop of Rome altering it, when as he had appointed them a Bishop, and gaue him in charge: that he should not dissent in any respect from the Romane rite and custome in the celebration of their diuine seruice. Here we maie sée, whose statutes these Latine praiers are: not the Lords; but the Bishoppes of Rome, to maintaine his kingdome.