Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	let_v	lord_n	vouchsafe_v	2,838	5	10.6553	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53956	The good old way, or, A discourse offer'd to all true-hearted Protestants concerning the ancient way of the Church and the conformity of the Church of England thereunto, as to its government, manner of worship, rites, and customs / by Edward Pelling.	Pelling, Edward, d. 1718.	1680 (1680)	Wing P1082; ESTC R24452	117,268	146

deliver this City from evil days from famine from pestilence and from invasion Compare this Prayer with S. Cyprians words and then judge if he did not point to this or to some other Form to the same purpose and of the same strain Again whereas Celsus the Pagan slandered the Christians as men given to Magical Arts and Sorceries Origen who was but one remove from the times of the Apostles affirmes positively and upon certain experience that they who worship Orig. adv Cess lib. 6. the Lord of the Vniverse by Jesus Christ and live according to the Gospel using night and day constantly and rightly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prayers which were Appointed cannot come under the power of Devils There is little Reason to doubt but that by these Prayers he means the Nocturnal and Diurnal Offices which we then prescribed and ordered by the Church and less Reason there is to fancy that such were not used in his time and for confirmation of this it is observeable that Origen himself else where quotes a customary Form then in use We frequently Orig. H●om 11. in Jerem. say in our Prayers Grant us O Almighty God grant us a Portion with the Prophets grant us a place among the Apostles of thy Christ grant that we may be found followers of thine onely begotten Questonless this was an usual Form in the Alexandrian Liturgy and though we do not now find it in so many express words in the Liturgy ascribed to S. Mark yet we find in it a form to the same purpose grant us O Lord to have our Portion and inheritance with all thy Saints And in the Aethiopick Liturgy it is twice Lit. S. Marci in Anaphorâ Be propitious unto us O Lord and vouchsafe to make us joint-Possessors and partakers of the inheritance of the Apostles and cause us to follow their steps And again Lord write our names in the Kingdom of Heaven and joyn us with all thy Saints and Martyrs Furthermore Tertullian another African writer and somewhat Elder then Origen speaking of the Jam vero prout Scripturae leguntur aut Psalmi canuntur aut Adlocutiones proferuntur aut Petitiones delegantur c. Tert de Anima c. 3. Divine-service in his time which he calls Dominica Solennia reckons up four parts of it the Reading of Scripture the Singing of Psalms Allocutions and Petitions This place being throughly understood is very pregnant and full to our purpose 1. Here we have the reading of the Scriptures which in those early and pious times was perform'd not with that conciseness and brevity which was usual in after-ages but 't was Lectio fusissima and Lit. S. Jacob. large potions were read both out of the old and the new Testament 2. They Sung whole Psalms not only those composed by David and other Prophets among the Jews but as we shall see hereafter several Hymns and Songs of Praise which had been framed in the beginning by Faithful Christians and more immediately relating to the Christian Religion 3. But then a doubt may be moved what Tertullian means by those Allocutions which were made to the people and uttered at large for that I conceive to be his sence And the difficulty may be easily assoiled if we call to mind that in the Primitive times it was a general custome for the Deacon that read the service to direct the people in their devotion to tell them what they should pray for and to stir them up to beg such and such things of God calling upon them after this manner Let us pray let us pray earnestly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let us pray on yet further and with an intense Zeal and other such Forms there were which he frequently used and then dictated to them the matter of their devotion to which all the people gave their Suffrages readily and with much fervency of Spirit Litany-wise Now these Forms of exhortation were called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latines rendred Allocutions We call it Bidding of Prayers And though the custome be for certain Reasons grown much out of use among us yet there are many plain footsteps of it to Clem. Const be seen in our Liturgy especially in our Litany and Communion-service in which offices it was most used of old for the Minister is often ordered to say Let us pray let us pray And as to the custome it self it is so Ancient that I cannot find the beginning of it and 't was so universal that 't was observed in all the Primitive Churches for in all the Liturgies which I have yet seen either of the Eastern or Western or African Churches such Allocutory Expressions are still extant more or less Sometimes the Minister used short and concise Forms saying Let us Pray let us behave our selves reverently Lift up your hearts let us give thanks unto the Lord and to these the Congregation gave their customary Answers Sometimes these Allocutions were more large as for instance in that Prayer for Persons who intended to be Baptized to which several others did correspond the Minister said on this wise as we find in an African Liturgy Let us that are Believers pray for our brethren who prepare themselves for holy Illumination or Baptism and for their salvation let us beseech the Lord And the People answered Lord have mercy That our Lord God may please to confirm and strengthen them let us beseech the Lord Ans Lord have mercy That he may please to illuminate them with the light of knowledge and godliness let us beseech the Lord Ans Lord have mercy That he may please in due time to vouchsafe them the Laver of Regeneration and forgiveness of their sins let us beseech the Lord Ans Lord have mercy That he may please to regenerate them with water and the Holy Ghost let us beseech the Lord Ans Lord have mercy That he may please to give them a perfection of Faith let us beseech the Lord Ans Lord have mercy That he may please to gather them into the holy Fold of his Elect let us beseech the Lord Ans Lord have mercy O Lord save pity help and keep them by thy good Grace Ans Lord have mercy These and such Forms as these were undoubtedly used by the Churches of Christ in the first Ages of Christianity And these were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Allocutions which Tertullian speaks of as used in his time and anon I shall make it probably appear that they were used before his time too 4. In the mean time it is observable that in the place before-cited he makes mention of Petitions also used in the Publick Assemblies of Christians By which I understand certain entire Prayers called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Collects when the requests of the Church were cast into one Body of Prayer offered up by the Minister to which the People answered Amen In the use of these he was the Apol. c. 30. mouth of

voice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pray ye Catechumeni Such Forms we find in all the old Liturgies generally One I have transcribed already and I shall produce another out of Clements Constitutions because that Book though it hath undergone many alterations yet certainly contains the sense and substance of the Churches service in the first Ages There then the lib. 8. Deacon is directed to say Pray ye Catechumeni And let us all pray to God for them that the good God would hear their prayers That he may grant them the desires of their hearts as may be most expedient for them That he may reveal his Gospel to them and enlighten them and make them wise unto salvation that he may instruct them in the knowledge of his will and teach them his Commandments and Judgements That he may plant in them his holy and saving Fear That he may open their hearts tomeditate on his Law day and night That he may confirm them in godliness and number them among the sheep of his Fold That he may vouchsafe them the Laver of Regeneration and the Robe of Immortality which is life indeed That he may deliver them from all wickedness and from the wicked one that he may not approach to hurt them That he may cleanse them from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit and may dwell in their hearts That he may bless their goings out and their comings in and direct them in the wayes of peace Furthermore let us earnestly pray on their behalf that having obtained forgiveness of their sins by Baptism they may be partakers of the holy Mysteries and be endued with the perseverance of Saints To all and every of which particulars the people were directed to give their suffrage and consent saying Lord have mercy Now this is that which Justine means by the Praying of Believers for and with the Catechumeni and by the teaching of them to pray viz. the propounding of things to them to pray for and to joyn with the rest in as Constantine Euseb de vit Constant lib. 4. c. 19. the Emperour was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Teacher of supplicatory words when he gave his Souldiers Forms of Prayer to use 2. The next thing we are to note from this Holy Martyrs account is that these Catechumeni did make Profession of their Faith and of their resolutions to live Clem. Const lib 7. c. 42. Et in Tertull Aquam adituri contestamur nos renunciare diabolo pompae Angelis ejus de Cor. Mil. according to their Profession Now this was done in a certain Form too First the party was to say I renounce the Devil together with all the Works Pomps Services Angels and inventions of Satan Then being * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Catech. 2. Clem. Const lib. 7. c. 42. demanded whether he did believe on the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost he answered I believe and am baptized into one Eternal and True God Almighty the Father of Christ the Creator and Maker of all things and into one Lord Jesus c. repeating the rest of the Articles of the Christian Creed So that all this was according to Form 3. A third thing observable out of this most Primitive Author is that the Baptized persons being brought from the water to the Congregation and Sermon ended all went jointly to prayers for themselves for their new Members and for all men every where Now questionless this account hath a reference to certain prescriptions then because it doth so admirably and exactly agree with that course of Offices which we find in the old Liturgies and particularly in the book of Constitutions where we have after Sermon one particular Form of Prayer for the Baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another for those who were possessed with evil Spirits another for such as did Penance at the Church doors And then they proceeded to a more general and comprehensive Prayer for the peace of the World for the holy Catholick and Apostolick Church for that particular Diaecess for all Bishops under Heaven for their Bishops N. N. for their Presbyters and Deacons for the Readers Singers Virgins Widows and Orphans for married persons and women labouring of child for all holy chaste and continent persons for their most pious and bountiful Benefactors for their new Baptized brethren for such as were sick and weak for Travellers by Sea and Land for all that were in Mines in Banishment in Imprisonment and Bonds for all that groan'd through slavery for their Enemies and Persecuters for unbelievers and deceived people for christian Infants for one another and for every christian Soul I cannot but admire the exuberant and unlimited Charity of these excellent Christians and by this we may easily see what Justine means by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Common-Prayers viz. Such as were made for all estates and conditions of men and offered up by the whole Congregation For to every of these particulars pronounced by the Deacon the people did subjoyn their usual suffrage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a peircing zeal and shrill accents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Const Ap. lib. 8. of devotion saying Lord have mercy 4. These things being thus dispatcht the holy kiss followed according to Justine and so it did according to S. Cyril and the Author of the Constitutions which several accounts jumping together so fairly we may reasonably conclude that the holy Martyr doth refer to that Form which the Deacon used at this time crying out embrace one another and salute one another with an holy kiss meaning that men should salute men and women women in token of perfect Love amity and friendship 5. After this the Offertory succeeded agreeable also to what we find in other the most Ancient Records Bread and Wine c. being presented by the people to the Deacons and by them to the Bishop or him that did officiate in chief and by him laid upon the Lords Table part of which offerings was sequestred to be the Elements of the Sacrament and the residue was reserved for the use of the Minister and the poor 6. Then the President of the Congregation proceeded to the prayer of Consecration Wherein it is very observable out of Justine Martyr that the Minister gave praise and glory to God that he gave thanks that he fell to the like prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayers like in substance to those which had been offered before and that all this he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a large manner Now throughout this particular account he doth manifestly point to a certain Form then in use and thence we confidently conclude that Forms of prayers were prescribed in Justine Martyrs days For we meet with this large Form in the book of Constitutions lib. 8. and in other Ancient Liturgies and on this wise it runs by the consent of Antiquity First the Minister mentioneth the infinite perfections and Majesty of God It is very

still retained and defended in the Church of England is undoubtedly the old and the good way The truth is Aerius was the first man that ever durst affirm that a Bishop is not above a Presbyter in Power Order and Authority but he was counted a mad man for his pains and was ranked by the Church in the black Catalogue of Hereticks not onely for his Separation from the Catholick Bishops nor onely for his condemning of Catholick Customs nor onely for embracing the Heretical Sentiments of Arius but also for affirming that Presbyters were of equal power and authority with Bishops And yet I much question whether he spake his free opinion or onely said so out of envy and spight to Eustathius For Aerius would fain have been a Bishop himself but Eustathius stood in his way and for that reason he grew sullen dogged and envious and such men commonly vend some new opinion to be revenged for their disappointments and so did he this because he had not Merits enough to advance himself from a Presbyter to a Bishop he had it seems impudence enough to degrade a Bishop into a Presbyter I will not make any untoward Reflections upon those Disciples of Aerius who in these our days have greatly wounded Christianity by the same groundless and singular but confident Assertion Yet I think 't is no uncharitableness to wish for the Peace and Interest of Christendom that their tallons were well pared who are not content to scratch and deface the Walls of the Church unless they undermine the very pillars of it too those ancient and strong Pillars upon which the Church hath rested and by which Religion has been upheld even from the beginning 2. Having said thus much touching the Antiquity of our form of Government I proceed now to that which is another most material part of our Establishments that is the form of our Service-book or Liturgy Concerning which I will be bold to affirm and be bound to maintain against all parties whatsoever that whosoever doth either deprave or dis-esteem it must of necessity be either a very Ignorant or a very naughty person Very Ignorant if he doth not see that our Service is so correspondent to that of the Ancient Churches that no Church in Christendom this day can shew a more lively Monument of Antiquity than our Common-Prayer Book But a very naughty person if seeing and knowing this he doth presume yet to condemn it because he cannot in this respect condemn the Church of England but he must likewise condem all the Old Churches in the World which whether it be not an Argument of an Vnchristian and naughty Spirit I leave to all moderate men to Judge I am apt to hope that those calumnies and reproaches which our Liturgy hath been laden with have been occasioned by mens Ignorance of its excellencies And therefore to prevent those aspersions for the future if it be possible I shall endeavour to shew First the Antiquity of set forms of publick Prayer in general Secondly then the Antiquity of our English Liturgy in particular And when these two things be made to appear I hope the Church of England will be acquitted in this respect as following the Old way of serving God 1. Touching the Ancient use of set Forms of publick Prayer in general three things are proveable for the satisfaction of all Modest and Ingenuous People 1. That set Forms of Divine Service were used among the Ancient Jews 2. That set Forms of Divine Service were used also among the Primitive Christians 3. That after our blessed Lords Ascention in that interval between the Burial of the Synagogue and the setling of the Christian Church set Forms of Divine Service were allowed also even by the Holy Apostles These three Heads I shall insist on the more largely and particularly because they may serve to inform and satisfie many even prejudiced persons who have not searched into the bottom of things but have contented themselves with many superficial not to say groundless and impertinent Notions 1. First then it is manifest that the whole Body of Divine Service among the Jews did consist of several Prescript and set Forms At their Temple though a great part of their Service was Ceremonial and Typical consisting of divers kinds of Sacrifices and offerings which in the fulness of time were to be done away yet this was attended with Moral and Spiritual Services consisting of Praises and Prayers which were to continue for ever For the Levites whose office it was to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord and likewise at the Evening were wont to perform their parts as with a world of 1 Chron. 23. 30. solemnity so also with Hymns and Songs that were composed and set to their hands Most of these were Psalms endicted by David some were framed by Asaph and other Prophets and all were put together into a Book out of which the Levites were appointed in the Name of the Congregation to worship and praise God in one of the outward Courts of the Temple while the Sacrifices were offering by the Priest within Hence it is that we find many Psalms directed to the chief Musitian for Tunes to be set unto them that the Sons of Jeduthun Korah and other Levites in their courses might sing them in Consort with wind Instruments and stringed Instruments of which there were divers kinds as Flutes Cornets Trumpets Cymbals Harps Psalteries c. according to the commandment of the Lord by his Prophets 2 Chron. 29. 25. And hence it is too that we find some Psalms framed on purpose to be used on some special occasion as particularly the 92 Psalm entituled a Song for the Sabbath day which was intended questionless to be sung solemnly on the Sabbath in memory of Gods rest upon that day and to give him thanks for his wonderful works of Creation and Providence And Lastly hence it is that the fifteen Psalms immediately following the Hundred and Ninetenth are called Psalms of Degrees or steps because the Levites were wont to sing them upon the fifteen Stairs upon each Stair one which were between the womens and the mens Court. Briefly we find it said expresly of King Hezikiah that he commanded the Levites to sing praises unto the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the Seer 2 Chron. 29. 30. So that it seemeth to be without question that all Acts of Divine Worship done by the Levites were performed in Prescript and set forms And let me add touching the People of Israel that when they presented their first fruits at the Sanctuary the offerer was to make an humble acknowledgement of Gods mercy to him and to the whole Nation in a set Form of words Deut. 26. 5. Thou shalt speak and say these words a Syrian ready to perish was my Father and so on to the Tenth Verse inclusively And at the end of their Tithing every man of them was to say these words before the Lord I have