Examination of Common Prayer, Section 1
SECT. I.
Of the frequent Repetition of Glory be to the Father, &c. at the end of every Psalm, and in the midst or end of some Prayers, Canticles, Songs, Scriptures, to which God never annexed it; and at the close of Athanasius his Creed.
THe first thing I shall here examine, is the reasonablenesse and Grounds of this Rubrick in the beginning of the Book of Common-Prayer, At the end of every Psalme throughout the year; and likewise at the end of Benedictus, Benedicite, Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis, (and after O Lord make haste to help us, Quicunque vult, O Lord arise help us, and deliver us for thy name sake, the Psalm for the Churching of Women &c.) Glory be to the Father, and to the Sonne, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen. Which is repeated (especially where the Psalmes are short) six or seven times one after another every Morning, and as oft at Evening Prayer; and that by way of Antiphony and Responsals both by the Minister, Clerk and People, though the Rubrick prescribe it not, but only orders the Priest to say it, without the People or Clerk.
This Rubrick and practise seems very needlesse, superfluous, unreasonable, offensive, unlawfull, and fit to be redressed, to many judicious, conscientious, sober Christians who resort to Common-Prayers, as well as to Seperatists from them, upon these ensuing considerations.
1. God himself never prescribed nor annexed this form of Doxalogie, nor annexed it to the end of any one Psalm, much less of every parcel of Scripture, Song or Ganticle, to which the Rubrick, and Common-Prayer-book inseperably annex it, when read in Churches Morning or Evening all the year long without omission or intermission; which seems to many to be an Addition to Gods sacred Word (of which the ignorant Vulgar, and ignorant Priests repute it a Part, as they do the postscripts to Pauls Epistles) expresly prohibited by God himself, Deut. 4. 4. 2. c. 12. 32. Josh. 1. 7. Prov. 30. 6. Rev. 2. 18. Ye shall not add to the Word which I command you, nor diminish from it, that you may keep the commandment of the Lord your God. Adde thou not unto his Words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a lyer. If any man shall adde unto these things, God shall adde unto him the Plagues which are written in this Book. Yea, a making of our selves wiser than the*1 Tim. 1. 17. only wise God, who would have added Glory be to the Father, &c. to the end of every Psalm, Song, Scripture, had he reputed it necessary or expedient for us to use and repeat it, when they are publickly read in the time of his solemne worship.
2. It seems to be a mere humane-invented will-worship and tradition, never particularly prescribed nor required in any part or text of Scripture, in regard of manner, form, or frequent usage; and so condemned by Matth. 15. 9. In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandements of men. Isay 1. 12, 13. Who hath required this at your hands? Bring no more vain Oblations, I am weary of them. Col. 2. 20, 22, 23. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why as though living in the world are ye subject to Ordinances, after the rudiments and doctrines of men; which things have indeed a shew of wisedom in will-worship, and humility.
3. It was never thus used by Gods people in any parts of his publick worship in the Old, or New Testament, nor by any of the Apostles, Primitive Churches, Bishops, or Christians for above 300. years after Christ; Therefore not just to be so peremptorily enjoyned or practised now.eDe Divinis Officiis, c. 39. 40. Deinde imponitur Gloria Patri, & Filio, & Spiritoi sancto. Quae verba ad divisionem Psalmorum, qui prius indifferenter canebantur. B. Hieronymus, Damaso Papa Petente, composuit. Sed cum nequaqu…m id sufficeret, praedicto Apostolico suggerente, addidit adhuc, sicut erat in principio, &c. et hoc ad nutum Diaconi dicit Cantor. Alcuinus, fFlores Histor. An. 376. p. 139.Mat. Westminster, Mr. gActs and Monuments, vol. 3. p 11.Fox, hBellarmin de Messa. l. 2. c. 16.others relate, and Mr.iEcclesiastical Poli…y, l. 5. sect. 42. Hooker, Dr.kExposition of the Liturgy in his Works, p. 7. Boyes confess Pope Damasus in the year of our Lord 376. (or St. Ierom at his request, as some fable) was the first who introduced Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, appointing it to be repeated in the Church at the end of the Psalmes. AndlDecreta Eccles. Gall. l. 1. Tit. 7. cap. 7, 8. Laurentius Bochellus informs us, That as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, &c. was added to Gloria Patri long after, by the 2. Provincial Council of Vasio in France, in the year of Christ 450. not before; Seeing then God himself commands us,mIer. 6. 16. 1 Iohn 2. 7. Matthew 19. 8. Lu. 5. 39. To stand in the wayes, and ask for the old Pathes, where is the good way and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your Souls; And to keep the old Commandement, even the Word which we have heard from the beginning; AndnDe Praescriptionibus, advers. haereticos. Tertullian assures us, Illud verius quod antiquius; We ought not to follow this Innovation so long after the Apostles time, introduced by a Popes authority.
4. It was first inserted into, and prescribed to be used in and by Popish Missals, and Mass-books after every Psalme, Hymne, Prayer, in the self-same manner as it is in the Common-Prayer-book, into which it was originally transplanted out of these*See Ordo Romanus Antiqu. de Divinis Officiis, Bibl. Patr. Tom. 8. p. 392, &c. Romish Missals; as is evident by Officium, & Processionale secundum usum Sarum, Missale Romanum, ex Decreto sancti Concilii Tridentini restitutum, Pii 5. Pontificis Max. jussu editum. Salmanticae 1588. Rubricae Generales Missalis. Missale Romanum, Clementis 8. aucthoritate recognitum. Antuerpiae 1630, &*De Divinis Officiis, c. 39, …0. Alcuinus; Pontificale & Caeremoniale Romanum,
5. The frequent use and repetition of it after every Psalm, Hymn, some Prayers, Creeds, at least 8. or 9. times every Morning prayer, seems to be a vain babling and repetition, prohibited by Eccles. 5. 1, 2. Prov. 10. 19. and Matth. 6. 6, 7, 8. And an imitation, if not justification of the Papists use of the Ave Mary after every Pater noster, which they have annexed to the Lords Prayer, as well as Gloria Patri to the end of every Psalme and sacred Hymne, with an addition to the Ave Maria it self; which makes it a oSee my pleasant purge for a Roman CatholickPrayer to her; when as in it self it is but a bare salutation, and prayer for her.
6. This daily use and frequent repetition of Gloria Patri, &c. is a mere unnecessary super…luity & exuberancy which may well be spared: for if it were originally introduced and still continued in the Church only as a paraphrastical exposition of Ro. 11. 36. to*See Basil. Epist. 78. Theodoret Eccles. Hist. l. 2. c. 24. Sozomen, l. 4 c. 19. manifest our sound judgment concerning the sacred Trinity against the Arrians; aspEcclesiastical Polity, l 5. sect. 42. Mr. Hooker, qIn his works, London 1622. p 7.Dr. Boyes, and other Patrons of it affirm. And if, As it was in the beginning, &c. was superadded thereunto by the 2. Provincial Council of Vasio, and yet continued, by reason of the incredulity and craft of Hereticks, who blasphemo…sly affirmed, Dei filium non semper cum Patre fuisse, sed à tempore caepisse; That the Son of God was not alwayes with the Father, but to have his beginning from Time, as this Council andrDecreta Ecclesiae, Gal. l. 1. Tit. 7. c. 7, 8. Bochellus assure us; It is then humbly submitted to the judgement of all impartial Christians who acknowledge, glorifie, and worship the Trinity in unity. and believe the eternity of our Saviours generation: Whether the single rehearsal of one or more of these sacred Texts of Scripture at the beginning, middle, or end of Morning or Evening Prayer, viz. 1 Iohn 5. 7. There are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. Mat. 28. 19. All power is given unto me both in Heaven and Earth; Go therefore and teach all Nations, baptising them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Rev. 4. 8. Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Iohn 1. 1, 2. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; the same was in the beginning with God. Heb. 13. 8. Jesus Christ, yesterday, and to day, and the same for ever. Rev. 1. 8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending saith the Lord, which is, which was, and which is to come. Rom. 9. 5. Christ, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. Prov. 8. 22, 23. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old: I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was: When there were no depths, I was brought forth; before the Hills was I brought forth, &c. When he appointed the Foundations of the earth, then I was by him, as one brought up with him, I was daily his delight, rejoycing alwayes before him. Whether these Texts rehearsal would not far more clearly, satisfactorily manifest, testifie our judgement concerning the right worship, eternal being, generation, and Deity of Christ, than this invention and frequent repetition of Glory be to the Father, &c. being no Canonical Scripture as these Texts are, and a mere humane invention? (wherein the*Leo…ius Anti…chiae Episcopus cum Cle…um et etiam L…icorum multitudl…nem in du…s partes divisam cerneret, et alteram quo laudes Filii magis celebrarent hanc conjunctionem, et, exhibere: alteram autem hanc praepositionem, Per in …odem ponere, et cum ad Spiritum Sanctum ventum esset, praepositionem In adjicere, (viz. Gloria Patri per filium, in Spiritu sancto) ipse totam glorificationē tacitus secum recitavit, ade… ut qui propè eum erant, solum hanc particulam, In saecula saeculorum, audirent. Theodoret Eccles. Hist. l. 2. c. 24. Sozomen l. 4. c. 19. first inventors were much divided among themselves.) Besides, the soundnesse of our Faith in the blessed Trinity, and our Saviours eternal Generation, is more fully, clearly expressed every Morrning and Evening Prayer, by the rehearsal of the Apostles, the Nicene, Athanasius Creeds, inserted into the Common-Prayer-book, by the very beginning of the Letany read every Lordsday, Friday and Wednesday; by the form of Baptism constantly used every day in great Parishes, and by the Psalms, Lessons, Collect, Epistle and Gospel on Trinity Sunday, than by Gloria Patri; &c. Therefore it may very well be spared as a needlesse superfluity in our Church.
7. This Addition to Gloria Patri by the Council of V…sio, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. on purpose to expresse the eternal being and generation of Christ, and refute those Heretiques who denyed it, if judiciously examined, is very defective in it self, and incongruously annexed to Glory be to the Father. For 1. there is no mention at all of Christ, not one syllable in it concerning his eternal generation, as there is in Prov. 8. Iohn 1. and other fore-cited Texts. 2ly. It seems clearly to exclude Christ, and to relate to somthing else; As IT (not Christ) was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, imports. 3ly. Christs eternal generation in the beginning, cannot properly be said, is now, and ever shall be world without end, without some incongruity and contradiction. 4ly. As it is coupled with the precedent clause, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, it must*See Basilii Epist. 78. Theodoret Eccles. Hist. l. 2. c. 24. Sozomen l. 4 c. 19. Hookers Ecclesiastical Poli…y l. 5. Sect. 42. necessarily relate to the three Persons alike, & not to Christ alone, much lesse to his eternal Generation, of which there is no mention in the first clause. For since the Father and the Holy Ghost are not begotten, but only the Son; and this Clause refers to the Father and Holy Ghost as much as to the Son; it cannot peculiarly express or declare the eternal Generation of the Son, but rather the eternal being and immutability of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in a true Gramatical and Logical construction. 5ly. Any Heretique may easily evade this Clause by applying it only to the Father who is first, or to the Holy, last mentioned in Gloria Patri, and not to the So…. 6ly. The illiterate Vulgar, yea Ignorant reading Priests, Vicars, Atheists, do no wayes understand it of the Sons eternal being and Generation, but rather in a litteral and quite other sence, than the Original Contrivers of it intended, even according the sence and language of those Atheistical S…ffers prophecyed of by St. Peter in these last dayes, (who hold the World to be eternal, and to have no end, contrary to Psal. 102. 25, 26, 27. Hebr. 1. 10, 11, 12. Isay 34. 4. Mar. 13. 19, 40, 49. c. 34. 3, &c. 1 Pet. 4. 7. 2 Pet: 3. 6, to 14. Rev. 6. 12, 13.) saying, Where is the promise of Christs coming (to judgement) for since the Fathers fell asleep ALL THINGS CONTINUE AS THEY WERE FROM THE BEGINNING; and do so now, and ever shall do world without end; whose Atheistical Scoff and Opinion these words do more serve to justifie and corroborate, than the eternal Generation of our Saviour; Therefore not fit to be still continued in our Church now there are so many Atheists prophane Scoffers and Deriders of Christ's second comming, and the worlds approaching Dissolution, whom Peter largely refutes, 2 Pet. 3. 6, to 14.
8. If the use of Gloria Patri, &c. was first instituted and inserted into publick Liturgies (as some conceive) to render Glory and Praise to God, and the Trinity in Unity; no doubt this may be far better, and more effectually performed without the least exception, by the recital of the Song of the Angels and Heavenly ho…t, at our Saviours Nativity, Luke 2. 14. and that of Luke 19. 38. Glory to God in the highest, &c. (inserted into the Common-Prayer, and repeated at every Celebration of the Lords Supper, with some additions of like nature) prescribed to be used in Churches and Liturgies by *Surius Conciliorum, Tom. 1 p. 185. Honorius Augustodunensis. Gemma Animae, l. 1. c. 93. Gratian. De Consecrat. distinct. 2. & distinct. 4. cap. Statuimus. Th…. Waldersis. Tom. …. Tit. …. c. 31. sect 7. Gulielmus Durantus Rationale Divinorum l. 3. Fox Acts and Monuments, vol. 3 p. 7 & Missale Romanum.Pope Telesphoru…, in the year 139. long before the invention or prescription of Gloria Patri, by Pope Damasus. Of Rom. 11 36. Of him, and through him, and for him are all things, to him be glory for ever Amen, of which Doctor Boyes and others make Glory be to the Father, &c. a mere Paraphrastical Exposition, Gal. 1. 4, 5. According to the will of God, and our Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen. 1 Tim. 1. 17. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen. 2 Tim. 4. 18. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his Heavenly Kingdom, to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen. Heb. 13. 20, 21. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Iesus, &c. make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Iesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen. Rom. 16. 27. To God only wise, be glory through I…sus Christ for ever, Amen. 1 Pet. 5. 10, 11. But the God of all grace, who hath called us into his eternal glory through I…sus Christ, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you; To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen. Rev. 4. 9, 10, 11. c. 5. 12, 13, 14. And when those Beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the Throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the 24. Elders fall down (not stand up) before him that sat on the Throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their Crowns before the Throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. And I heard the voyce of many Angels round about the Throne, and the Beastes and the Elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying, with a loud voyce, Worthy is the Lambe that was slain to receive power, and wisedome, and riches, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every Creature which is in heaven, and under the earth, and such as are in the Sea, and all that are in them, heard I, saying, Blessing, honour, glory and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever; And the four Beasts said, Amen. Rev. 7. 9, 10, 11, 12. After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all Nations, and kinreds of people and tongues stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb cloathed with white robes, and palmes in their hands; and cryed with a loud voyce, saying, Salvation to our God which …itteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb; And all the Angels stood round about the Throne, &c. and fell before the Throne on their faces, (not stood up) and worshipped God, saying, Amen. Blessing, and glory, and wisedom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. The reading or reciting of one or more of these Canonical Doxalogies at the beginning, middle, or end of Morning of Evening Prayers, would certainly be more Canonical, expedient, usefull in and to our Churches, and lesse subject to exceptions, than this frequent Repetition of Gloria Patri, &c. a mere superfluous humane invention and tradition, which ought to give place to these forecited sacred Texts.
9ly. The annexing of Gloria Patri to, and repetition of it at the end of every Psalm, is either incongruous, impertinent, or superfluous at the best. The greatest part of the Psalms are either Supplications, Intercessions, Prayers, Exhortations, Imprecations, Lamentations, Instructions, admonitions, or penitential Confessions of Sin, and Gods judgments inflicted for the same; and to repeat Glory be to the Father, &c. at such Psalms cloze, seems to considerate Christians a great Incongruity, impertinency, and absurdity; especially when*Caeremoniale Episcopor…n, Parisi…s 1633. l. 1. c. 28. p. 140. sung with Organs and the Quire in Cathedrals, as Caeremoniale Romanum requires it. Compare this Doxalogy with the last Verses of Psal. 1. 6. 9, 10. 12. 14. 15. 19. 20. 22. 25. 31. 33. 36. 38. 39. 40. 46. 47. 49. 51. 55. 70. 76. 78. 80. 81, &c. and you shall at first discern how little coherenoe, harmony there is between them. The residue of the Psalms are for the most part gratulatory, consisting of Prayses, Thanksgivings, and Gratifications to God for his Spiritual, Temporal, and eternal Mercies & Deliverances; concluding with‖Psal. 7. 17. Ps. 9. 1. Ps. 30. 1 1. Psal. 33. 1. & 34, 1. & 42. 11. & 43. 5. & 45. 17. Ps 4…. 1 & 59. 17. Psal 75. 1. & 66. 1, 2, 20 Ps 68. 35. & 72. 18, 19, & 75. 1. & 89, 52. & 97. 12. & 100 1. 103. 1, 2. 21, 22. Ps. 104. 1, 25. Ps 105. 145. Ps 106. 1. 48. Ps 107. 1. Ps 111. 1. & 112. 1, 9 Ps. 115. 18. Ps. 116. 19 Ps 117. 1, 2. Ps. 118. 1. 29. Ps. 135. 1. 19, 20, 21. Ps. 145, 10 Psal. 150. Praise ye the Lord, or beginning with it: and to annex Gloria Patri to them, is either a mere unnecessary superfluity or Tautoligy, an adding of Water to the Ocean, and of human inventions to Divine Thanksgivings.
aSee Bibliotheca Patrum, col. Agrip. 1618. Tom. 12. p. 1034. G. 1050, 1051.Honorius Augustodunensis, flourishing about the year of Christ, 1120. in his Gemma Animae, sive de Divinis Officiis & antiquo ritu Missarum) out of which Gulielmus Durantus hath borrowed most part of his Rationale Divinorum) lib. 1. c. 121. YeabRitus Celebrandi Missam & Missa pro Defunctis. Missale Romanum, set forth by Pope Pius Quintus, and revised by Pope Clement the 8th. with others inform us, That at the Mass of the Dead, Gloria Patri, and Allelujah, which signifie gladness, are not sung or used, because this Masse imitates sorrow: and we are thereby admonished that we came into the world with sadness, and shall depart thence with sorrow. If then Papists, Popes, and Missals themselves repute Gloria Patri incongruous and absurd to be sung or said in Masses for the Dead, upon this account; it must by the self-same reason be as incongruous and absurd for any to chant or repeat it at the end of penitential, supplicatory, lamenting complaining Psalmes, or Palmes that are read at Funerals. The same Honorius, l. 2. c. 2, & 10. informs us,cHi Psalmi sub … Gloria Patri canuntur, quia susti illis temporibus Trinitatem coluisse creduntur. Singuli Psulmi cum Gloria Patri canuntur, qui… singuli supradicti ordines Trinitatem adorasse scribuntur. Ideo etiam et tres Psalmi canuntur, Antiphonae tern…. That the 1, 2, 3, and 6. Psalms (which he applies to the generation from Adam to Noah in general, & to Abel, Enos, Enoch & Lamech in special) are all said under one Gloria Patri, because the just men of that Age are believed to have worshipped the Trinity. And that all Psalmes are sung with Gloria Patri, because al the foresaid orders, (of Priests, Judges, Kings, in the several Ages from Adam to Christ) are written to have worshipped the Trinity; and therefore three Psalms and three Anthems are likewise sung. This is the only reason I meet with for the chanting and repeating Gloria Patri after every Psalm, which how Monkish, weak, and ridiculous it is (since upon the same account it ought to be sung or read after every Chapter in the Old and New Testament, or else it implyes, that the Pen-men of those Canonical Texts and Chapters after which it is neither sung nor read, did not adore the Trinity) let the impartial Readers judge: since the Apostles and Christians in the Primitive times next after Christ would have used it after every Psalme and Canticle upon this Account, which they never did; and we ought not to be*Prov. 26. 5. 12. 1 Cor. 3. 18, 19, 20. wiser in our own concrets than they, in matters which concern Gods immediate worship.
10. Gloria Patri, &c. coupled with As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, &c. intimates, that the Doxalogy was used from all eternity in honour of the blessed Trinity by Saints and Angels, before either of them were created, or at least from the Creation till this present time, without variation or intermission, which is both false and absurd to assert: Yea litterally taken Archbps, Bishops, Deans, Chapters, Prebends, Cathedralists who are most zealous for its continuance, have least reason of any other Christians to practise, chaunt, repeat it, since they have so much degenerated, swarved from the Bishops, Ministers in the Apostles age, and Primitive Church in their daily Preaching, Manners, Habits, Vestments, Ornaments, Church-musick, Piety, Humility, Jurisdidictions, Temporal possessions, Ceremonies, Government, (by dSee Davidis Blondelli Apologia pro sententia Hieronymi De Episcopis & Presbyteris. And my Vnbishopin… of Timothy and Titus.a joynt Council of Presbyters) Ecclesiastical centsure; Of neither whereof they can truly say, As it was in the beginning is now, nor yet and ever shall be world without end, Amen; which they should henceforth discontinue, unlesse they will really conform themselves in all things to the primitive Bishops and Ministers, in point of worship, doctrine, disciplne, administration of Sacraments, Cereremonies, Vestments, Church-service, and contempt of Worldly Pomp, Riches, Honours, Heavenly conversation; and comply with his Majesties most gracious Declarations touching Ecclesiastical affairs, and the endowment of poor Vicaridges with competent maintenance for the benefit of the Peoples souls and bodyes, to which they are very a verse.
11. The usual custome of repeating Gloria Patri, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. interchangably by the Ministers and People; the Minister sometimes reciting the first clause, and the Clerk and People the latter; sometimes the Clerk and People rehearsing the fi…st part, and the Minister the last, by way of Dialogue, Antiphony and Responsals; as it is contrary to the Rubrick, which prescribes the Priest alone to rehearse it, not the People, who are but to say Amen thereto; So is it contrary to the practise of Gods Church in the first and purest times. And the recital thereof with a loud obstreperous voyce as well by Women as Men, repugnant to the Apostles express precepts, 1 Cor. 14. 34, 35. Let your Women keep silence in the Churches, for it is not permitted unto them t… speak; for it is a shame for them to speak in the Church; Therefore most fit to be reformed for the future, and laid quite aside.
12. The repetition of Glory be to the Father, &c. after every Psalme, Hymne and Versicle, according to the Rubrick in times of Divine service, hath introduced a New disorderly, confused Custome and Ceremony in Cathedral and some other Churches, (though prescribed by no Rubrick, Law, Sanction, or Canon of our Church) of starting and standing up at every rehearsal of it, and quatting down again as soon as it is repeated; which gives a great offence to many, therefore I shall next discusse it.