Chap. III. resies are condemned in Scripture 69: from whence it was a primitive custom, after a confession of the orthodox faith, to pass an anathema against all that denied it. But however, for the ease and satisfaction of some people who have a notion that this Creed requires every person to assent to, or believe, every verse in it on pain of damnation; and who therefore (because there are several things in it which they cannot comprehend) scruple to repeat it for fear they should anathematize or condemn themselves; I desire to offer what follows to their consideration, viz. That howsoever plain and agreeable to reason every verse in this Creed may be; yet we are not required, by the words of the Creed, to believe the whole on pain of damnation. For all that is required of us as necessary to salvation, is, that before all things we hold the Catholic Faith: and the Catholic Faith is by the third and fourth verses explained to be this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity: neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance. This therefore is declared necessary to be believed: but all that follows from hence to the twenty-sixth verse, is only brought as a proof and illustration of it; and therefore requires our assent no more than a sermon does, which is made to prove or illustrate a text. The text, we know, is the word of God, and therefore necessary to be believed: but no person is, for that reason, bound to believe every particular of the sermon deduced from it, upon pain of damnation, though every tittle of it may be true. The same I take it to be in this Creed: the belief of the Catholic Faith before mentioned, the Scripture makes necessary to salvation, and therefore we must believe it: but there is no such necessity laid upon us to believe the illustration that is there given of it, nor does the Creed itself require it: for it goes on in the twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh verses in these words, So that in all things as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped: he therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity. Where it plainly passes off from that illustration, and returns back to the fourth and fifth verses, requiring only our belief of the Catholic Faith, as there expressed, as necessary to salvation, viz. that One God, or Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. All the rest of the Creed, from the twenty-seventh verse to the end, relates to our Saviour's Incarnation; which indeed is another essential 69 1 John ii, 22, 23. v. 10. 2 Pet. ii. 1. part of our faith, and as necessary to be believed as the Sect. XV. former: but that being expressed in such plain terms as none, I suppose, scruple, I need not enlarge any farther. §. 3. The reasons why this Creed is appointed to be Why said said upon those days specified in the rubric, are, because on those days mensome of them are more proper for this Confession of Faith, tioned in which, being of all others the most express concerning the rubric, the Trinity, is for that reason appointed on Christmas-day, Epiphany, Easter-day, Ascension-day, Whit-Sunday, and Trinity-Sunday; which were all the days that were appointed for it by the first book of King Edward: but in his second book it was also enjoined on Saint Matthias, and some other Saints-days, that so it might be repeated once in every month. SECT. XVI. Of the Versicles before the Lord's Prayer. THE congregation having now their consciences ab- The good method of solved from sin, their affections warmed with thanks- order and giving, their understandings enlightened by the word, our service. and their faith strengthened by a public profession; enter solemnly in the next place upon the remaining part of divine worship, viz. Supplication and Prayer, that is, to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. with you. §. 2. But because they are not able to do this without Pr. The God's help; therefore the minister first blesses them with Lord be The Lord be with you; which, it must be observed too, is a very proper salutation in this place, viz. after a public and solemn profession of their faith. For St. John forbids us to say to any heretic, God speed7°; and the primitive Christians were never allowed to salute any that were excommunicated7'. But when the minister hath heard the whole congregation rehearse the Creed, and seen, by their standing up at it, a testimony of their assent to it; he can now salute them as brethren and members of the church. But because he is their representative and mouth to God, they return his salutation, immediately replying, And with Answ. And thy spirit: both which sentences are taken out of holy with thy Scripture72, and together with that salutation, Peace be with you, (which was generally used by the Bishop, instead of The Lord be with you73,) have been of very early use in 70 2 John 10, 11. 71 Capital. Carol. Mag. 1. 5. c. 47. 72 Ruth ii. 4. 2 Thessal. iii. 16. 2 Tim. iv. 22. Gal. vi. 18. 73 Durand. Rational. lib. 4. c. 14. §. 7. fol. 111. Chap. III. the Church", especially in the Eastern part of it, to which, as an ancient council says75, they were delivered down by the Apostles themselves: and it is observable that they always denoted (as here) a transition from one part of the divine service to another. Pr. Let us pray. Pr. Lord upon us. §. 3. In the heathen sacrifices there was always one to cry, Hoc agite, or to bid them mind what they were about. And in all the old Christian Liturgies the deacon was wont to call often upon the people, ἐκτενῶς δεηθῶμεν, Let us pray earnestly; and then again, extevé5epov, more earnestly. And the same vehemence and earnest devotion does our Church call for in these words, Let us pray; warning us thereby to lay aside all wandering thoughts, and to attend to the great work we are about: for though the minister only speaks most of the words, yet our affections must go along with every petition, and sign them all at last with an hearty Amen. §. 4. But being unclean like the lepers recorded by have mercy Saint Luke76, before we come to address ourselves to God, we begin to cry, Lord have mercy on us; lest, if we should unworthily call him Our Father, he upbraid us as he did the Jews, If I be a Father, where is mine honour77? And it is to be observed, that the Church hath such an awful reverence for the Lord's Prayer, that she seldom suffers it to be used without some preceding preparation. In the beginning of the Morning and Evening Service, we are prepared by the Confession of our Sins, and the Absolution of the Priest; and very commonly in other places by this short Litany: whereby we are taught first to bewail our unworthiness, and pray for mercy; and then with an humble boldness to look up to heaven, and call God Our Father, and beg farther blessings of him. As to the original of this form, it is taken out of the Psalms 78, where it is sometimes repeated twice together; to which the Christian Church hath added a third, viz. Christ have mercy upon us, that so it might be a short Litany or Supplication to every person in the blessed Trinity: we have offended each person, and are to pray to each, and therefore we beg help from them all. It is of great antiquity both in the Eastern and Western churches; and an old council orders it to be used three 74 Chrys. in Coloss. Hom. 3. tom. 4. p. 107. lin. 3, &c. Isid. Peleus. 1. 1. Ep. 122. p. 44. A. 75 Concil. Bracar. 2. cap. 3. tom. v. col. 740. B. 76 Luke xvii. 12, 13. 77 Mal. i. 6. 78 Psalm vi. 2. li. 1. cxxiii. 3. Sect. times a day in the public service79. And we are informed that Constantinople was delivered from an earthquake, by XVII. the people's going barefoot in procession, and using this short Litany 80. not to re peat Lord after the N. B. The Clerk and People are here to take notice not The Clerk to repeat the last of these versicles, viz. Lord have mercy and People upon us, after the minister. In the end of the Litany indeed they ought to do it, because there they are directed have mercy to say all the three versicles distinctly after him; each of upon us them being repeated in the Common Prayer Book, viz. Minister. first in a Roman Letter for the priest, and then in an Italic, which denotes the people's response. But in the daily Morning and Evening Service, in the office for Solemnization of Matrimony, in those for the Visitation of the Sick, for the Burial of the Dead, for the Churching of Women, and in the Commination, where these versicles are single, and only the second printed in an Italic character, there they are to be repeated alternately, and not by way of repetition: so that none but the second versicle, viz. Christ have mercy upon us, comes to the people's turn, the first and last belonging to the minister. SECT. XVII. Of the Lord's Prayer. THE Minister, Clerk, and People, being prepared in the The Lord's manner that we have described above, are now again Prayer, why to say the Lord's Prayer, with a loud voice. For this con- repeated. secrates and makes way for all the rest, and is therefore now again repeated. By which repetition we have this farther advantage, that if we did not put up any petition of it with fervency enough before, we may make amends for it now, by asking that with a doubled earnestness. who in tended §. 2. By the Clerks in this rubric (which was first in- Clerks, serted in the second book of King Edward) I suppose who were meant such persons as were appointed at the begin- by them. ning of the Reformation, to attend the Incumbent in his performance of the offices; and such as are still in some cathedral and collegiate churches, which have Lay-Clerks (as they are called, being not always ordained) to look out the Lessons, name the Anthem, set the Psalms, and the likes of which sort I take our Parish Clerks to be, though we have now seldom more than one to a church. 79 Concil. Vasens. 2. Can. 3. tom. iv. col. 1680. C. 80 Paul. Diacon. 1. 16. c. 24. 81 See the Clergyman's Vade Mecum, page 202, 203. Chap. III. cles. SECT. XVIII. Of the Versicles after the Lord's Prayer. The Versi- BEFORE the minister begins to pray alone for the people, they are to join with him (according to the primitive way of praying) in some short Versicles and Responsals taken chiefly out of the Psalms, and containing the sum of all the following Collects. An objec tion answered. Why the minister is ge To the first, O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us,-and grant us thy salvation, answers the Sunday Collect, which nerally contains petitions for mercy and salvation. To the second, O Lord, save the King,—and mercifully hear us when we call upon thee83, answer the prayers for the King and Royal Family. To the third, Endue thy Ministers with righteousness,—and make thy chosen people joyful 84 ; and the fourth, O Lord, save thy people,-and bless thine inheritances; answers the collect for the Clergy and People. To the fifth, Give peace in our time, O Lord,—because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God 86, answer the daily collects for Peace: and to the last, Ó God, make clean our hearts within us,-and take not thy holy Spirit from us87, answer the daily collects for Grace. §. 2. Against two of these versicles it is objected, that the Church enjoins us to pray to God to give peace in our time, for this odd reason, viz, because there is none other that fighteth for us but only God. But to this we answer, that the Church by these words does by no means imply, that the only reason of our desiring peace, is because we have none other to fight for us, save God alone; as if we could be well enough content to be engaged in war, had we any other to fight for us, besides God: but they are a more full declaration and acknowledgment of that forlorn condition we are in, who are not able to help ourselves, and who cannot depend upon man for help; which we confess and lay before Almighty God, to excite the greater compassion in his divine Majesty. And thus the Psalmist cries out to God, Be not far from me, for trouble is near ; for there is none to help say 88 §. 3. The rubric which orders the priest to stand up to these versicles, (which was first added in 1552,) I imaat these vergine to have been founded upon the practice of the priests in the Romish Church. For it is a custom there for the to stand sicles. 82 Psalm 1xxxv. 7. 83 Psalm xx. verse the last, ac- 85 Psalm xxviii. 9. |
