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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	bishop_n	church_n	rome_n	17,242	5	7.2290	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33360	A discourse concerning liturgies by ... David Clarkson.	Clarkson, David, 1622-1686.	1689 (1689)	Wing C4572; ESTC R12536	141,203	202

sua vitiaverat vel addens vel minuens omnes Franciae cantores didicerunt formam Ro●anam Chron. Engolismense in Morn de miss l. 1. c. 8. p. 224. they had Books for publick Service in the Eighth Century yet were they used at the discretion of those that officiated who added or left out what they thought fit till Charlemaine in the beginning of the Ninth Age would have them reformed after the Roman guise unusquisque pro arbitrio suo vitiaverat vel addens vel minuens And in Germany long after Boniface had been stickling to reduce it to the Roman uniformity the whole Country was so far from submitting to any one prescribed order of Service that in one k Decret Greg. 3. q. tit 31. de offic jud ord cap. 14. Quoniam in plerisque partibus intra eandem Civitatem atque Dioecesim permixti sunt populi diversarum linguarum habentes sub una fide varios ritus mores districte praecipimus ut Pontifices hujusmodi civitatum five Dioecesium provideant viros idoneos qui secundum diversitatem rituum linguarum divina illis officia ce●ebrent ecclesiastica sacramenta ministrent Diocess there were various modes of administring particularly in that of Colen And l Rotger vit Brunonis apud Surium Oct. 11. obiit an 965. Bruno Bishop there in the middle of the Tenth Age was indeavouring to reform this as Church-matters in those days were wont to be reformed diversitatem sacra peragendi in sua provincia corrigens ac ut eadem ubique esset ratio constituens And in Ireland with which the Britans and Scots symbolized we shewed before out of the great Vsher That till the Twelfth Century no one general Form of Service was retained but divers rites and manners of Celebration were observed till the Roman use was brought in by the Popes Legates So that all along it is manifest the uniformity aimed at in the common prescribed Liturgies was only the issue and darling of late dark and degenerate times an innovation upon the Churches usages in better times and an invading of her Antient Liberty for which the Bishops of Rome were the greatest Zealots designing therein the subjection of all other Churches to that of Rome and gaining thereby both an acknowledgment of the Papal Authority from those who submitted to this Yoke and an advantage of diffusing the Poyson of her Superstitions through the body of the Western Empire where uniformity in Liturgy and Rituals became a chief part of the uniform Apostasie of the latter times Thus we have gone through the disadvantages of proving a m Parker of Cr. l. 2. p. 125. Cum per rerum naturam factuna negantis probatio nulla sit d●cret p. 2. caus 6. q. 5. c. 2. Doth your discretion serve you to put us to prove the Negative you cannot prove they had and that is cause sufficient for us to avouch they had not Bils apud c. 4. p. 351. Negative Let us now see how they acquit themselves upon whom the proof lies affirming That the Liturgies they contend for have been ever from the beginning And here if any where it would be an easie matter to give the World abundant satisfaction that what they assert is true if indeed it were so He that takes notice what clear and full evidence may be easily had from the Writers of some one Country in a part of the last Age for prescribed Liturgies or what convincing and unanswerable proof may be brought for them from the few Writers which were in part of the Eighth or Ninth Centuries when they had got place in the World may justly expect that from that multitude of writings in those many Ages which this question concerns such ample and evident testimony for imposed Forms would be found by those who have laboured for it as would have no place for the least doubt but there were such in use all along if they had been really as is pretended the usage of the Churches from the Apostles times And if no such thing be produced by those whose interest led them to ransack all antiquity for it even this if there were no more will be a convincing argument that the antient Church had no such Custom Let us then view what the learned Advocates for these Liturgies have collected out of the Antients and published for the satisfaction of the World in this point and impartially examin whether it amount to such proof as may be reasonably looked for in those circumstances or whether it came not short of any just and competent proof at all Clemens Alexandrinus is one of the antientest Authors produced for this purpose and he in these words Strom. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus rendred The Congregation addicted to their Prayers having as it were one mind and one voice common to all Now says my Author a Congregation cannot have one voice in their Prayers without a set Form for them to joyn in But this is very strange and mysterious I had thought as others do that the Congregation had one voice in respect of the Minister speaking in their stead one for all and therefore accounted the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mouth of the People in Praying as when he Preaches in the name of Christ he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Clemens's stile Strom. or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Basil calls Nazianzen Ep. 141. Now who can imagin why he should not be their mouth in uttering a conceived Prayer as well as in reading a Prayer out of a Book He had told us immediately L'Estr allianc of Lit. cap. 1. p. 19. before and it is generally by those of his perswasion acknowledged that while the gift of Prayer lasted viz. in the Apostolical Age there was no Form setled and therefore if the People cannot have one voice in their Prayers without a set Form an Apostle or other primitive Minister Praying with a Congregation since he used no set Form was not their mouth nor did any Church Pray with one voice all that Age. As insufficient for this purpose is that of Tertullian Apol. c. 39. Oramus pro Imperatoribus pro Ministris eorum ac potestatibus pro statu seculi pro rerum quiete pro mora finis And that of Cyprian Epist ad Demetr Pro arcendis hostibus imbribus impetrandis vel auferendis vel temperandis adversis rogamus semper pr●ces fundimus pro pace ac salute vestra c. And that of Basil Epist 141. which tho' in the Age following we joyn with these because of the same import A friend of his gone to Travel had written to him that he would be mindful of him in his Prayers to whom his Answer is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. To forget thee in my Prayers is impossible for thou rememberest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that in the Church we make Prayers for all our Brethren that travel for all that are

ipse quoque Reversum vero ad lectum ciboque parumper ac somno refectum melius statim habuisse c. Orat. in funere patris cent 4. p. 421. and there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 f Naz. orat in laudem Patris Gregor p. 305. Afterwards uttering the words of Thanksgiving as was usual and Blessing the People lifting up his feeble hands in Prayer he chearfully celebrates the mysteries with and for the people with very few words such as his weakness would admit but as seems to me with a most vigorous soul and afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And this he had from the Holy Ghost perceived by him but not discerned by those that were present Where if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 refer to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which seems most congruous he tells us those few words wherewith he celebrated were suggested to him by the Holy Ghost and so neither by a Book nor by his Memory But I need not insist on that By the former expression it is evident that he was briefer and used fewer words in his Prayers at this time before the administration then he was wont to do when in Health Now they that in celebrating this Ordinance and Blessing the Elements do pray sometimes longer sometimes shorter as their strength will serve them are far from confinement to a certain number of words which is the thraldom of prescribed Forms For further evidence that these and other parts of the Eucharistical administration were not under the restraint of prescribed orders in the beginning of the fifth Age let that be observed which we meet with in the Epistle of Innocent the 1. to Decentius written an 416. to satisfie him who was Bishop of Eugubium concerning many severals which were then it seems not determined but under consultation and inquiry so c. 8. San● quia de hoc sicuti de caeteris consulere voluit dilectio tua Particularly it was inquired what place in the Eucharistical office should be assigned to the osculum pacis whether ante or post confecta mysteria before or after the Consecration of the Elements Which Innocent satisfies not by wondering that he took no notice of the prescribed order though since he was a Bishop in his Precinct and calls Decentius Clergy Clericos nostros c. 8. he might justly have wondered at it if there had been any such prescript But by reason cap. 1. Pacis osculum dandum est post confecta mysteria ut constat populum ad omnia quae in mysteriis aguntur atque in ecclesia celebrantur praebuisse consensum ac finita esse pacis concludentis signaculo demonstrantur It was also matter of consultation and inquiry whether the names of the Offerers should be recited before or after Prayer made over the oblation cap. 2. Whereby it appears there was not then so much as any common authorized direction for the order and method of their Eucharistical administration much less any prescribed Forms or Modes for if they had not so much as a directory how far were they from such a Liturgy as is now contended for If Decentius had known any such established order his enquiry had been needless and so had Innocents determination been He might have referred him to the prescribed order as our Prelates would have done in the like case and said to him as he does to two other Bishops ep 5. in Crab. 410. concerning the Canons of the Church Ecclesiasticorum Canonum norma nulli debet esse incognita Sacerdoti quia nesciri haec a Pontifice satis est indecorum maxime quia a Laicis religiosis viris sciatur custodienda esse ducatur Yea and judged him unworthy to be a Prelate in his Province who would make a question of that which the Wisdom and Authority of the Church had already determined But there is neither mention of nor reference to any such order nor any resentment of his calling it in question He tells him indeed it was superfluous not because it was already determined but because his own prudence might discern what was most convenient to be done in the case quod superfluum sit ipse per tuam prudentiam recognoscis In the conclusion he hopes that in these and other such like particulars which if determined amount to no more then the directive part or Rubrick of a Liturgy Decentius may instruct and give some order to others which they may imitate not strictly conform to Erit autem Domini potentia id procurare ut tuam ecclesiam Clericos nostros qui sub tuo Pontisicio divinis famulantur officiis bene instituas aliis formam tribuas quam debeant imitari Where it is observable 1. At this time there was no setled Form or Order in that Church 2. The Order he hopes for if it comprize all the particulars in the Epistle comes to no more then a Direction or Rubrick And 3. This designed for imitation not for strict Conformity And what liberty there was in those times and how far they were from uniformity appears by the beginning of that Epistle Si instituta Ecclesiastica ●t sunt a beatis Apostolis tradita integra vellent servare Domini Sacerdotes nulla diversitas nulla varietas in ipsis ordinibus consecrationibus haberetur Sed dum unusquisque non quod traditum est sed quod sibi visum fuerit hoc aestimat esse tenendum inde diversa in diversis locis vel ecclesiis aut teneri aut celebrari videntur in Crab tom 1. p. 452. While every one judges that is to be kept not which is delivered but which seems good to him here are seen various tenets and modes of Celebrating in the several places or Churches He speaks as if there were as many ways of Celebrating An. 416 when this Epistle was writ as there were places or Churches and this variety in Ordinibus Consecrationibus which are his words immediately before and is if I understand him both in Ordering their Worship and Consecrating the Mysteries It seems this pleased not Innocent the character given him by Erasmus makes that no wonder Saevus potius quam eruditus ad damnandum potius quam docendum instructior in Epist 96. in 2 tom August Those of least worth when they get power are usually most narrow spirited and imperious As for the traditum est which he opposes if he mean by it any Apostolical Tradition he alleadges it with the same fidelity as he mentions Antient Tradition for the Roman Supremacy Epist 91. to the African Fathers and as his next Successors Zosimus Boniface Caelestine alleadged a Canon of Nice to a Council at Carthage for the same purpose Object You take notice of traditum est which was something that ought to have been observed and would have left no such liberty Answer Whatever be meant by his traditum est it was no authoritative general order injoyning all to use the same words