administration of the Sacraments, be not understood of them that be prefent, they cannot thereby be edified. For, as, when the trumpet that is blown in the field giveth an uncertain found, no man is thereby ftirred up to prepare himself to the fight; and as, when an inftrument of mufic maketh no diftinct found, no man can tell what is piped: even fo, when Prayers or adminiftration of Sacraments fhall be in a tongue unknown to the hearers, which of them shall be thereby ftirred up to lift up his mind to God, and to beg with the minifter at God's hand, those things which in the words of his Prayers the minifter afketh? or who fhall in the miniftration of the Sacraments underftand what invifible grace is to be craved of the hearer, to be wrought in the inward man? Truly no man at all. For, faith St. Paul, He that speaketh in a tongue unknown, fhall be to the bearer an alien, which in a Chriftian congregation is a great abfurdity.

and xii.

For we are not ftrangers one to another, but we are the Ephef. ii. citizens of the faints, and of the boufchold of God, yea, and 1 Cor. x. members of one body. And therefore whilft our minifter is in rehearfing the prayer that is made in the name of us all, we must give diligent ears to the words fpoken by him, and in heart beg at God's hand those things that he beggeth in words. And to fignify that we do fo, we fay Amen at the end of the prayer that he maketh in the name of us all. And this thing can we not do for edification, unless we understand what is fpoken. Therefore it is required of neceffity, that the common Prayer be had in a tongue that the hearers do understand. If ever it had been tolerable to use ftrange tongues in the congregations, the fame might have been in the time of Paul and the other Apoftles, when they were miraculously endued with gifts of tongues. For it might then have perfuaded fome to embrace the Gofpel, when they had heard men that were Hebrews born, and unlearned, speak the Greek, the Latin, and other languages. But Paul thought it not tolerable then: and fhall we ufe it now, when no man cometh by that knowledge of tongues, otherwise than by diligent and earnest study? God forbid. For we fhould by that means bring all our church exercises to frivolous fuperftition, and make them altogether unfruitful. Luke writeth, that when Peter and John were Afts iv. discharged by the princes and high-priefts of Jerufalem, they came to their fellows, and told them all that the princes of the priefts and elders had fpoken to them. Which when they heard, they lifted up their voice together to God with

one

Juftinus
Apol. 2.

one affent, and faid, Lord, thou art be that haft made heaven and earth, the jea, and all things that are in them, &c. Thus could they not have done, if they had prayed in a strange tongue, that they had not understood. And no doubt of it, they did not all fpeak with feveral voices, but fome one of them fpake in the name of them all, and the reft, giving diligent ear to his words, confented thereunto, and therefore it is faid, that they lifted up their voice together. St. Luke faith not, their voices, as many; but their voice, as one. That one voice therefore was in fuch language as they all understood, otherwise they could not have lifted it up with the confent of their hearts: for no man can give confent of the thing that he knoweth not. As touching the times before the coming of Chrift, there was never man yet that would affirm, that either the people of God, or other, had their Prayers or adminiftrations of the Sacraments, or Sacrifices, in a tongue that they themselves understood not. As for the time fince Chrift, till that ufurped power of Rome began to fpread itself, and to inforce all the nations of Europe to have the Romish language in admiration, it appeareth, by the confent of the moft ancient and learned writers, that there was no ftrange or unknown tongue used in the congregation of Chriftians.

Juftinus Martyr, who lived about one hundred and fixty years after Chrift, faith thus of the adminiftration of the Lord's Supper in his time: "Upon the Sunday af femblies are made, both of them that dwell in cities, and of them that dwell in the country alfo. Amongst whom, as much as may be, the writings of the Apoftles and Prophets are read. Afterwards, when the reader doth cease, the chief minifter maketh an exhortation, exhorting them to follow honeft things. After this, we rife all together, and offer prayers; which being ended, as we have faid, bread and wine, and water, are brought forth: then the head minifter offereth prayers and thankfgiving with all his power, and the people anfwer, Amen." Thele words, with their circumftances, being duly confidered, do declare plainly, that not only the Scriptures were read in a known tongue, but also that Prayer was made in the fame, in the congregations of Juftin's time. Bafilius Magnus and Johannes Chryfoftomus did in their time prefcribe public orders of public adminiftration, which they call Liturgies; and in them they appointed the people to answer to the prayers of the minifter fometime, Amen, fometime, Lord bave mercy upon us, fometime, And

vi. de Orat.

with thy fpirit, and, We have our hearts lifted up unto the Lord, &c. Which anfwers the people could not have made in due time, if the prayers had not been in a tongue that they understood. The fame Bafil, writing to the Epift. Ixiii. clergy of Neocæfarea, faith thus of his ufage in common Prayer, appointing one to begin the fong, the reft follow: and fo with divers fongs and prayers paffing over the night, at the dawning of the day all together (even as it were with one mouth and one heart) they fing unto the Lord a fong of confeffion, every man framing unto himfelf meet words of repentance. In another place he faith, "If the fea be fair, how is not the affembly of the congregation much more fair, in which a joined found of men, women, and children, (as it were of the waves beating on the fhore) is fent forth in our prayers unto our God?" Mark his words: "A joined found (faith he) of Bafil. men, women, and children:" which cannot be, unlefs Rom. iv. they all underftand the tongue wherein the prayer is faid. And Chryfoftom upon the words of Paul faith, So foon as the people hear thefe words, World without end, they all 1 Cor. xiv. do forthwith anfwer, Amen. This could they not do, unlefs they understood the word fpoken by the prieft. Dio- Dionyf. Cy nyfius faith, that hymns were faid of the whole multitude prian. Ser. of people in the adminiftration of the Communion. Cyprian Dominica, faith, the priest doth prepare the minds of the brethren with a preface before the prayer, faying, Lift up your bearts; that whilft the people doth anfwer, We have our bearts lifted up to the Lord, they be admonished that they ought to think on none other thing than the Lord. St. Ambrofe writing upon the words of St. Paul faith, This 1 Cor. xiv. is it that he faith, becaufe he, which speaketh in an unknown tongue, fpeaketh to God, for he knoweth all things: but men know not, and therefore there is no profit of this thing. And again upon thefe words: "If thou blefs, or give thanks with the fpirit, how fhall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned fay, Amen, at thy giving of thanks, feeing he understandeth not what thou fayeft?" This is, faith Ambrofe, if thou speak the praise of God in a tongue unknown to the hearers. For the unlearned hearing that which he understandeth not, knoweth not the end of the prayer, and anfwereth not Amen which word is as much to fay, as truth, that the bleffing or thankfgiving may be confirmed. For the confirmation of the prayer is fulfilled by them that do anfwer, Amen, that all things fpoken might be confirmed in the minds of the hearers, through the teftimony of the

truth.

truth. And after many weighty words, to the fame end he faith, The conclufion is this, that nothing fhould be done in the church in vain; and that this thing ought chiefly to be laboured for, that the unlearned alfo might take profit, left any part of the body fhould be dark through ignorance. And left any man fhould think all this to be meant of preaching, and not of prayer, he taketh occafion of thefe words of St. Paul, If there be not an interpreter, let him keep filence in the church, to fay as followeth : Let him pray fecretly, or fpeak to God, who heareth all things that be dumb for in the church muft he fpeak that may profit all perfons. St. Hierom, writing upon thefe words 1 Cor. xiv. of St. Paul, How fhall be that fupplieth the place of the unlearned, &c. faith, It is the layman, whom Paul underftandeth here to be in the place of the ignorant man, which hath no ecclefiaftical office: How shall be answer Amen to the prayer that be underftandeth not? And a little after, upon the words of St. Paul, For if I should pray in a tongue, &c. he faith thus; This is Paul's meaning: If any man fpeak in ftrange and unknown tongues, his mind is made unfruitful, not to himfelf, but to the hearer: for whatfoever is fpoken, he knoweth it not. St. Pfal. xviii. Auguftine, writing upon the eighteenth Pfalm, faith, What this fhould be, we ought to underftand, that we may fing with reafon of man, and not with chattering of birds. For owls, popinjays, ravens, pies, and other fuch like birds, are taught by men to prate they know not what: but to fing with understanding is given by God's holy will to the nature of man. Again, the fame Auguftine De Magift. faith, There needeth no fpeech when we pray, faving perhaps, as the priests do, for to declare their meaning, not that God, but that men may hear them. And fo being put in remembrance by confenting with the priest, they may hang upon God. Thus are we taught, both by the Scripture and ancient doctors, that, in the adminiftration of common Prayer and Sacraments, no tongue unknown to the hearers ought to be ufed. So that for the fatisfying of a Chriftian man's confcience we need to spend no more time in this matter. But yet to stop the mouths of the adversaries, which stay themselves much upon general decrees, it fhall be good to add to thefe teftimonies of Scriptures and doctors, one Conftitution, made by Juftinian the emperor, who lived five hundred twenty and feven years after Chrift, and was emperor of Rome. The ConfiituNovel. Con- tion is this: "We command that all bifhops and pries do celebrate the holy oblation, and the prayers ufed in

ftit. 23.

holy

holy baptifm; not fpeaking low, but with a clear or loud voice, which may be heard of the people, that thereby the mind of the hearers may be ftirred up with great devotion, in uttering the prayers of the Lord God; for fo the holy Apoftle teacheth, in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, faying, Truly, if thou only bless or give thanks in Spirit, how doth be, that occupieth the place of the unlearned, Say Amen at that thy giving thanks unto God? for be underHandeth not what thou faveft. Thou verily give thanks well; but the other is not edified. And again, in the Epiftle to the Romans, he faith, With the heart a man believeth unto righteoufnels, and with the mouth confeffion is made unto falvation. Therefore for thefe caufes it is convenient, that, among other prayers, thofe things alfo, which are fpoken in the holy oblation, be uttered and fpoken of the most religious bithops and priefts, unto our Lord Jefus Chrift our God, with the Father and the Holy Ghoft, with a loud voice. And let the most religious priefts know this, that if they neglect any of these things, that they shall give an account for them in the dreadful judgment of the great God, and our Saviour Jefus Chrift. Neither will we, when we know it, reft and leave it unrevenged."

This emperor, as Sabellicus writeth, favoured the Bifhop of Rome; and yet we fee how plain a decree he maketh, for praying and adminiftering of Sacraments in a known tongue, that the devotion of the hearers might be ftirred up by knowledge, contrary to the judgment of them that would have ignorance to make devotion. He maketh it also a matter of damnation to do these things in a tongue that the hearers understand not. Let us

therefore conclude with God, and all good men's affent, that no common Prayer, or Sacraments, ought to be miniftered in a tongue that is not underflood of the hearers. Now a word or two of private Prayer in an unknown tongue. We took in hand where we began to speak of this matter, not only to prove that no common Prayer, or adminiftration of Sacraments, ought to be in a tongue unknown to the hearers, but alfo that no perfon ought to pray privately in that tongue that he himfelf understandeth not. Which thing fhall not be hard to prove, if we forget not what Prayer is. For if Prayer be that devotion of the mind, which enforceth the heart to lift up itfelf to God, how fhould it be faid, that that perfon prayeth, that understandeth not the words that his tongue fpeaketh in Prayer? Yea, how can it be faid that he fpeaketh? For to speak is, by voice to utter the thought