Exposition of the Principal Scriptures Used in our English Liturgy, Part 39
Amen.
Amen is vsed in holy Scripture three waies (asyLexicon th…oleg. verb. Amen. Gabriel and Gerson speake)
Nominaliter.
Aduerbialiter.
Verbaliter.
As a nowne, for truth: Apoc. 3. 14. These things saith Amen, the faithfull and true witnesse: and so it is added in the conclusion of eueryevery Gospell, and of the whole Bible, as a seale to confirme that which is written.
In the beginning, is the first, Amen the last word of holy writ: a stately beginning, a strange ending. For what is more stately then antiquitie? what more strange then truth? Hereby teaching vsus that the Scriptures hauehave vetera and vera, which are not together in any other writing. For in humane learning many things are vncertainly true, and more certainly vntrue: onelyonly the word of God is sealed with Amen.
Secondly, as an Aduerbe, for verily: so Christ often ii. the Gospell, Amen, Amen, dico vobis:
Thirdly, as a Verbe, signifying, so be it: Deut 27. 15. Dicet omnis populus, Amen: and so it is vsed in Pauls praier expounded before, and in all our Collects: insinuating our earnest desire, that those things which we hauehave faithfully asked, may be effectually obtained. And this custome of answering the Minister in the Church Amen, is ancient, as it appeareth in the 1. Cor. 14. 16. Iustin Martyr Apolog. 2. Hieron. prolog. lib. 2. in epist. ad Galat. Augustin. epist. 107. Vsum respondendi Amen antiquissimum esse patet, saith Bellarmine, lib. 2. de Missa, cap. 16. Here is open confession, I would the Church of Rome would make open restitution also. For if the people must answere the Priest Amen, then the Priest must pray to the peoples vnderstanding: and how shall they vnderstand, except common praier be said in a common tongue? A conclusion agreeable not onelyonly to the Scriptures, as Bellarmine acknowledgeth, and to the practise of the Primitiue Church, (aszApolog. 2. Iustin Martyr andaIn 1. Cor. 14. & Aquin. in cundem loc. Lyra report) and to the paternes of other Liturgies inbEckius loc. com. tit. 37. South India,cCassander liturgic. cap. 15. Mosco…ia, dPetrus Bellon. de moribus Armen. lib. 3. cap. 12.Armenia, but euen to their owne constitutions, and Masse booke: for their owneeApost. constit. lib. 8. cap. 12. ex emendat. Francisci Turriani. Oremus. Gratias agamus. Quaesumus. Offerimus. Laudamus. Benedicamus. Adoremus. Clement, and their owne Missale giuegive order that the people should answere the Priest in many things: and how this can be done well, if the vulgar Liturgie be not in a language vulgar, I cannot tell, Paul cannot tell.
All may see (sauing such as the prince of darknesse hath blinded) that their owne pens hauehave condemned their owne praiers: euen the phrases extant yet in their seruice booke: Let vsus pray, let vsus giuegive thanks, we bese…ch, we offer, we praise, we blesse, we adore, specially the peoples answering Amen, …uidently demonstrate that their publike deuotions at the first institution were common to Pastor and people: not mumbled in a corner alone by the Priest, or chaunted onelyonly by Clerke and Priest.
Thus I hauehave briefly surueied all our English Communion booke, the which (asfEpist. Paulin. tom. 3. fol. 9. Hierom said of Iohns Ap…calyps) … habet sacramenta, quot verb…: eueryeverygMaster Deering answere of Hardings epist. to Iewel; fol. 5. tittle is grounded vponupon scripture, eueryevery scripture well applied, eueryevery good application agreeable to the most ancient and best reformed Liturgies in all ages.
I beseech thee therefore (good reader) hRom. 16. 17.marke them diligently which cause diuision and offences, contrary to the doctrine which you hauehave learned, and auoid them. For they that are such, serue not the Lord Iesus Christ, but their owne bell…es; and with faire speech and flattering, deceu…e the hearts of the simple. So the God of peace shall shortly tread downe Satan vnderunder our feet, and in fine translate vsus from this iarring on earth, vntounto the well agreeing Quier of Heauen, where all sing in vnitie and vniformitie; Blessing, and glorie, and wisdome, and thanks, and honour, and power, and might, be vntounto our God for euermore. Amen.
FINIS. Lege & age: viue & vale.
End of the text · John Boys, Exposition of the Principal Scriptures Used in our English Liturgy (1610)