XXV. A great part of the cause, wherefore religious minds are so inflamed with the love of public devotion, is that virtue, force, and efficacy, which by experience they find that the very form and reverend solemnity of common prayer duly ordered hath, to help that imbecility and weakness in us, by means whereof we are otherwise of ourselves the less apt to perform unto God so heavenly a service, with such affection of heart, and disposition in the powers of our souls as is requisite. To this end therefore all things hereunto appertaining have been ever thought convenient to be done with the most solemnity and majesty that the wisest could devise. It is not with public as with private prayer. In this rather secresy is commended than outward show1, whereas that being the public act of a whole society, requireth accordingly more care to be had of external appearance. The very assembling of men therefore unto this service hath been ever solemn.
And concerning the place of assembly, although it serve for other uses as well as this, yet seeing that our Lord himself hath to this as to the chiefest of all other plainly sanctified his own temple, by entitling it “the House of “Prayer2,” what preeminence of dignity soever hath been either by the ordinance or through the special favour and providence of God annexed unto his Sanctuary, the principal cause thereof must needs be in regard of Common Prayer. For the honour and furtherance whereof, if it be as the gravest of the ancient Fathers seriously were persuaded, and do oftentimes plainly teach, affirming that the house of prayer is a Court beautified with the presence of celestial powers; that there we stand, we pray, we sound forth hymns unto God, having his Angels intermingled as our associates3; and that with reference hereunto the Apostle doth require so great care to be had of decency for the Angels’ sake4; how can we come to the house of prayer, and not be moved with the very glory5 of the place itself, so to frame our affections praying, as doth best beseem them, whose suits the Almighty doth there sit to hear, and his Angels attend to further? When this was ingrafted in the minds of men, there needed no penal statutes to draw them unto public prayer. The warning sound was no sooner heard, but the churches were presently filled6, the pavements covered with bodies prostrate, and washed with their tears of devout joy.
And as the place of public prayer is a circumstance in the outward form thereof, which hath moment to help devotion; so the person much more with whom the people of God do join themselves in this action, as with him that standeth and speaketh in the presence of God for them. The authority of his place, the fervour of his zeal, the piety and gravity of his whole behaviour must needs exceedingly both grace and set forward the service he doth.
The authority of his calling is a furtherance, because if God have so far received him into favour, as to impose upon him by the hands of men that office of blessing the people in his name, and making intercession to him in theirs; which office he hath sanctified with his own most gracious promise7, and ratified that promise by manifest actual performance thereof, when8 others before in like place have done the same; is not his very ordination a seal as it were to us, that the selfsame divine love, which hath chosen the instrument to work with, will by that instrument effect the thing whereto he ordained it, in blessing his people and accepting the prayers which his servant offereth up unto God for them? It was in this respect a comfortable title which the ancient used to give unto God’s ministers, terming them usually God’s most beloved9, which were ordained to procure by their prayers his love and favour towards all.
Again, if there be not zeal and fervency in him which proposeth for the rest those suits and supplications which they by their joyful acclamations must ratify; if he praise not God with all his might; if he pour not out his soul in prayer; if he take not their causes to heart, or speak not as Moses, Daniel, and Ezra did for their people: how should there be but in them frozen coldness, when his affections seem benumbed from whom theirs should take fire?
Virtue and godliness of life are required at the hands of the minister of God, not only in that he is to teach and instruct the people, who for the most part are rather led away by the ill example, than directed aright by the wholesome instruction of them, whose life swerveth from the rule of their own doctrine; but also much more in regard of this other part of his function; whether we respect the weakness of the people, apt to loathe and abhor the sanctuary when they which perform the service thereof are such as the sons of Heli were; or else consider the inclination of God himself, who requireth the lifting up of pure hands in prayer10, and hath given the world plainly to understand that the wicked although they cry shall not be heard11. They are no fit supplicants to seek his mercy in behalf of others, whose own unrepented sins provoke his just indignation. Let thy Priests therefore, O Lord, be evermore clothed with righteousness, that thy saints may thereby with more devotion rejoice and sing12.
But of all helps for due performance of this service the greatest is that very set and standing order itself, which framed with common advice, hath both for matter and form prescribed whatsoever is herein publicly done. No doubt from God it hath proceeded, and by us it must be acknowledged a work of his singular care and providence, that the Church hath evermore held a prescript form of common prayer, although not in all things every where the same, yet for the most part retaining still the same analogy. So that if the liturgies of all ancient churches throughout the world be compared amongst themselves, it may be easily perceived they had all one original mould, and that the public prayers of the people of God in churches throughly settled did never use to be voluntary dictates proceeding from any man’s extemporal wit13.
To him which considereth the grievous and scandalous inconveniences whereunto they make themselves daily subject, with whom any blind and secret corner is judged a fit house of common prayer; the manifold confusions which they fall into where every man’s private spirit and gift (as they term it) is the only Bishop that ordaineth him to this ministry; the irksome deformities whereby through endless and senseless effusions of indigested prayers they oftentimes disgrace in most unsufferable manner the worthiest part of Christian duty towards God, who herein are subject to no certain order, but pray both what and how they list: to him I say which weigheth duly all these things the reasons cannot be obscure, why God doth in public prayer so much respect the solemnity of places where14, the authority and calling of persons by whom15, and the precise appointment even with what words or sentences his name should be called on amongst his people16.
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Footnotes
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Matt. vi. 5, 6. ↩
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Matt. xxi. 13. ↩
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Chrysost. Hom. xv. ad Hebr. et xxiv. in Act. [t. iv. 516. ἄκουε δὲ ὅτι ἄγγελοι πάρεισι πανταχου̑, καὶ μαλιστα ἐν τῳ̑ οἴκῳ του̑ Θεου̑ παρειστήκασι τῳ̑ βασιλει̑, καὶ πάντα ἐμπέπλησται τω̑ν ἀσωμάτων ἐκείνων δυναμέων. And p. 753. l. 40. ἕστηκας ἀτάκτως· οὐκ οἰ̑δας ὅτι μετὰ ἀγγέλων ἕστηκας; μετ’ ἐκείνων ᾄδεις, μετ’ ἐκείνων ὑμνει̑ς, καὶ ἕστηκας γελω̑ν;] ↩
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1 Cor. xi. 10. [S. Chrys. in loc. εἰ γὰρ του̑ ἀνδρὸς καταϕρονει̑ς, ϕησι, τοὺς ἀγγέλους αἰδέσθητι.] ↩
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“Power and beauty are in his sanctuary.” Psal. xcvi. 6. ↩
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“Ad domos statim Dominicas currimus, corpora humi sternimus, mixtis cum fletu gaudiis supplicamus.” Salvian. († 485.) de Prov. lib. vi. [ad fin. in Bibl. Patr. Colon. t. v. 351. H.] ↩
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Numb. vi. 23. ↩
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2 Chron. xxx. 27. ↩
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[θεοϕιλεστάτους. Justin.] Cod. lib. i. tit. 3. de Episc. et Cler. 43 et 44, sæpe. ↩
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1 Tim. ii. 8. ↩
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John ix. 31; Jer. xi. 11; Ezech. viii. 18. ↩
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Psal. cxxxii. 9. ↩
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[See Palmer’s Orig. Lit.] ↩
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2 Chron. vi. 20. ↩
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Joel ii. 17. ↩
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2 Chron. xxix. 30. ↩