XXXVI. With our Lord’s Prayer they would find no fault, so that they might persuade us to use it before or after sermons only (because so their manner is) and not (as all Christian people have been of old accustomed) insert it so often into the liturgy. But the people’s custom to repeat any thing after the minister, they utterly mislike1. Twice we appoint that the words2 which the minister first pronounceth, the whole congregation shall repeat after him. As first in the public confession of sins, and again in rehearsal of our Lord’s Prayer presently after the blessed Sacrament of his Body and Blood received. A thing no way offensive, no way unfit or unseemly to be done, although it had been so appointed oftener than with us it is. But surely with so good reason it standeth in those two places, that otherwise to order it were not in all respects so well.
Could there be any thing devised better than that we all at our first access unto God by prayer should acknowledge meekly our sins, and that not only in heart but with tongue, all which are present being made ear-witnesses even of every man’s distinct and deliberate assent unto each particular branch of a common indictment drawn against ourselves? How were it possible that the Church should any way else with such ease and certainty provide, that none of her children may as Adam3 dissemble that wretchedness, the penitent confession whereof is so necessary a preamble, especially to common prayer?
In like manner if the Church did ever devise a thing fit and convenient, what more than this, that when together we have all received those heavenly mysteries wherein Christ imparteth himself unto us, and giveth visible testification of our blessed communion with him, we should in hatred of all heresies, factions, and schisms, the pastor as a leader, the people as willing followers of him step by step declare openly ourselves united as brethren in one4, by offering up with all our hearts and tongues that most effectual supplication, wherein he unto whom we offer it hath himself not only comprehended all our necessities, but in such sort also framed every petition, as might most naturally serve for many, and doth though not always require yet always import a multitude of speakers together? For which cause communicants have ever used it, and we at that time by the form of our very utterance do shew we use it, yea every word and syllable of it, as communicants.
In the rest we observe that custom whereunto St. Paul alludeth5, and whereof the Fathers of the Church in their writings make often mention, to shew indefinitely what was done, but not universally to bind for ever all prayers unto one only fashion of utterance.
The reasons which we have alleged induce us to think it still “a good work,” which they in their pensive care for the well bestowing of time account “waste.” As for unpleasantness of sound if it happen, the good of men’s souls doth either deceive our ears that we note it not, or arm them with patience to endure it. We are not so nice as to cast away a sharp knife, because the edge of it may sometimes grate. And such subtle opinions as few but Utopians are likely to fall into, we in this climate do not greatly fear.
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Footnotes
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“Another fault is that all the people are appointed in divers places to say after the minister, whereby not only the time is unprofitably wasted, and a confused noise of the people one speaking after another caused, but an opinion bred in their heads that those only be their prayers which they pronounce with their own mouths after the minister, otherwise than the order which is left to the Church doth bear, 1 Cor. xiv. 16, and otherwise than Justin Martyr sheweth the custom of the churches to have been in his time.” T. C. lib. i. p. 139. [al. 109.] and lib. iii. p. 211, 212, 213. [The passage in St. Justin Martyr is not specified, but if he mean p. 97. D. Paris. 1636, (συντελεσαντος τὰς εὐχὰς καὶ τὴν εὐχαριστίαν, πα̑ς ὁ παρὼν λαὸς ἐπευϕημει̑ λέγων, ἀμήν·) this relates to the consecration of the Eucharist. In p. 98. E. the form of common prayer on Sundays is described; first the Lessons, then the Sermon, ἔπειτα ἀνιστάμεθα ΚΟΙΝΗΙ ΠΑΝΤΕΣ, καὶ εὐχὰς πέμπομεν· καὶ, ὡς προέϕημεν, παυσαμένων ἡμω̑ν τη̑ς εὐχη̑ς, ἄρτος προσϕέρεται καὶ οἰ̑νος καὶ ὕδωρ· καὶ ὁ προεστὼς εὐχὰς ὁμοίως καὶ εὐχαριστίας ὅση δύναμις αὐτῳ̑ ἀναπέμπει, καὶ ὁ λαὸς ἐπευϕημει̑ λέγων τὸ, ἀμήν. The “κοινῃ̑ πάντες,” as Whitgift observes, Def. 502, seems to favour the received practice.] ↩
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[The same rule at the review after the Restoration was extended to the Lord’s Prayer, wheresoever it is used in divine service.] ↩
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[Job xxxi. 33.] ↩
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Τίς γὰρ ἔτι ἐχθρὸν ἡγει̑σθαι δύναται, μεθ’ οὑ̑ μίαν ἀϕη̑κε πρὸς Θεὸν τὴν ϕωνήν. Basil. Præf. in Psal. i. [p. 126. ed. Par. 1618.] ↩
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1 Cor. xiv. 16. ↩