ART.
XXIV.

John iv.

23, 24.

ARTICLE XXIV.

Of speaking in the Congregation in fuch a Tongue as the People understandeth..

It is a thing plainly repugnant to the Wozd of God,
and the Custom of the Primitive Church, to have
Publick Prayer in the Church, oz to minifter the
Sacraments in a Tongue not understanded of the
People.

This Article, though upon the matter very near the fame, yet
was worded much less positively in those at first set forth by
King Edward.

It is most fit, and moft agzecable to the Wozd of God, that nothing be read of rehearsed in the Congregation in a Tongue not known unto the People; which St. Paul hath forbidden to be done, unless fome be piclent to interpret.

In King Edward's Articles they took in preaching with prayer, but in the prefent Article this is restrained to prayer. The former only affirms the ufe of a known tongue, to be moft fit and agreeable to the word of God; the latter denies the worship in an unknown tongue to be lawful, and affirms it to be repugnant to the Word of God; to which it adds, and the cuftom of the Primitive Church.

TH

HIS Article feems to be founded on the law of nature. The worship of God is a chain of acts by which we acknowledge God's attributes, rejoice in his goodness, and lay claim to his mercies. In all which the more we raise our thoughts, the more ferioufnefs, earneftnefs, and affection that animates our mind, fo much the more acceptably do we serve God, who is a fpirit, and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth. All the words used in devotion are intended to raise in us the thoughts that naturally belong to fuch words. And the various acts, which are as it were the breaks in the service, are intended as refts to our minds, to keep us the longer without weariness and wandering in thofe exercifes. One great end of continuance in worship is, that, by the frequent repeating and often going over of the fame things, they may come to be

deeply

XXIV.

deeply rooted in our thoughts. The chief effect that the wor- ART.
fhip of God has by its own efficiency, is the infixing those things,
about which the branches of it are employed, the deeper on our
minds; upon which God gives his bleffing as we grow to be pre-
pared for it, or capable of it. Now all this is loft, if the wor-
fhip of God is a thread of fuch founds, as makes the perfon
who officiates, a barbarian to the reft. They have nothing but
noife and fhew to amuse them, which how much foever they
may ftrike upon and entertain the fenfes, yet they cannot affect
the heart, nor excite the mind: fo that the natural effect of
fuch a way of worship is to make religion a pageantry, and
the public fervice of God an opera.

If from plain fenfe, and the natural confequences of things,
we carry on this argument to the Scriptures, we find the whole
practice of the Old Teftament, was to worship God, not only
in a tongue that was understood, for it may be faid there was no
occafion then to use any other; but that the expreffions used in
the prayers and pfalms that we find in the Old Teftament, fhew
they were intended to affect those who were to use them; and if
that is acknowledged, then it will clearly follow, that all ought
to understand them; for who can be affected with that which he
does not understand? So this fhews that the end of publick de→
yotion, is the exciting and inflaming those who bear a share in
it. When Ezra and Nehemiah were inftructing the people out Neh. viii
of the Law, they took care to have it read diftinctly, one giving Neh. ix. 5.
the fenfe of it. After they were long in captivity, though it
had not worn out quite the knowledge of the Hebrew, yet the
Chaldee was more familiar to them, fo a paraphrase was made of
the Hebrew into that language, though it was rather a different
dialect than another language; and by the forms of their
prayers, we fee that one cried with a loud voice, Stand up, and
blefs the Lord your God for ever and ever; which shews, that all
did understand the fervice. When the Syriac tongue became
more familiar to them, the Jews had their prayers in Syriac; and
they did read the Law in their fynagogues in Greek, when that
language was more familiar to them; when they read the Law
in Greek, we have reafon to believe that they prayed likewise in
it. In the New Teftament, we fee the gift of tongues was
granted to enable the Apoftles, and others, to go every where
preaching the Gofpel, and performing holy functions in fuch a
language as might be understood: the world was amazed
when every man heard them speak in his own language,

One of the general rules given by St. Paul with relation to the worship of God, is, Let every thing be done to edification. Since then the speaking either to God in the name of the people, or to the people in the name of God, in an unknown tongue, can edify no perfon; then by this rule, it is to be un

deritood

14.

XXIV.

ART. derstood to be forbidden. When fome who had the gift of tongues did indifcreetly fhew it in the Church of Corinth, St. Paul was fo offended at that, and thought it would appear to the world fo undecent, as well as unfruitful, that he bestows a whole chapter upon it; and though a great part of the discourse is against the pretending to teach the people in an unknown tongue, which yet is not near fo bad as the reading the word of God to them in a tongue not understood by them, it being much more important that the people fhould understand the words of the living God than the expofitions of men; yet there are many paflages in that chapter that belong to prayer: the reason of the thing is common to both, fince, unless the words were understood, they who uttered them spoke only to the air; and how fhould it be known, what was spoken? For if the meaning of the voice was not known, they would be bar1 Cor. xiv. barians to one another. As to prayer, he fays, If I pray in an unknown tongue, my fpirit (that is, the infpiration or gift that is in me) prayeth; but my understanding (that is, my rational Verfe 15. powers) is unfruitful; and therefore he concludes that he will both pray and give thanks with the spirit, and with the underStanding alfo; he will do it in fuch a manner that the inspiration with which he was acted and his rational powers fhould join together. The reason given for this feems evident enough to Verse 16. determine the whole matter: Elfe when thou shalt blefs with the Spirit, how fhall be that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou fayeft? For thou verily giveft thanks well, but the other is not edified. In which words it is plain that the people, even the most unlearned among them, were to join in the prayers and praises, and to testify that by saying Amen at the conclufion of them and in order to their doing this as became reasonable creatures, it was neceffary that they should understand what that was which they were to confirm by their Amen. It is also evident that St. Paul judged, that the people ought to be edified by all that was faid in the Church; and fo he fays a little after this, Let all things be done to edifying. After fuch plain authorities from Scripture, fupporting that which seems to be founded on the light of nature, we need go no further to prove that which is mainly defigned by this Article.

Verse 26.

The cuftom of the primitive Church is no lefs clear in this point. As the Chriftian religion was spread to different nations, fo they all worshipped God in their own tongue. The Syriac, the Greek, and the Latin, were indeed of that extent, that we have no particular hiftory of any Churches that lay beyond the compafs of thofe languages; but there was the fame reafon for putting the worship of God in other languages, that there was for thefe: that which is drawn from the three

languages,

XXIV.

p. 402.

Concil.

languages, in which the title on our Saviour's crofs was writ- ART. ten, is too trifling a thing to deserve an answer: as if a humour of Pilate's were to be confidered as a prophetical warrant; what he did being only defigned to make that title to be understood by all who were then at Jerufalem. There are Cont. Celvery large paffages both in Origen and St. Bafil, which men- fum 1. 8. tion every tongue's praifing of God; and that the Gospel being Ep. 63. ad fpread to many nations, he was in every nation praised in the Neocel. language of that nation. This continued fo long to be the practice even of the Latin Church, that in the ninth century, when the Slavons were converted, it was confidered at Rome Johan. 8. by Pope John VIII. in what language they should be allowed Ep. 247. to worship God. And as is pretended, a voice was heard, Let tom. 9. every tongue confefs to God; upon which that Pope wrote both to the Prince, and to the Bishop of the Slavons, allowing them to have their public fervice in their own tongue. But in the other parts of the Western Church, the Latin tongue continued to be so universally understood by almost all forts of people, till the tenth or eleventh century, that there was no occafion for changing it; and by that time the Clergy were affecting to keep the people in ignorance, and in a blind dependance upon themselves; and fo were willing to make them think that the whole bufinefs of reconciling the people to God lay upon them, and that they were to do it for them. A great part of the service of the mass was faid fo low, that even they who understood fome Latin could not be the better for it, in an age in which there was no printing, and fo few copies were to be had of the public offices. The Scriptures were likewise kept from the people, and the fervice of God was filled with many rites, in all which the Clergy feemed to defign to make the people believe that these were facred charms, of which they only had the fecret. So that all the edification which was to be had in the public worship was turned to pomp and shew, for the diverfion and entertainment of the fpectators.

In defence of this worship in an unknown tongue, the main argument that is brought, is the authority and infallibility of the Church which has appointed it; and fince fhe ought to be fuppofed not to have erred, therefore this must be believed to Con. Trid. be lawful. We are not much moved with this, especially with Chap. 8. Seff. 22the authority of the later ages; fo the other arguments must be confidered, which indeed can scarce be called arguments. The modern tongues change fo fast, that they say, if the worship were in them, it muft either be often changed, or the phrafes would grow old and found harfhly. A few alterations once in an age will fet this matter right; befides, that the use of fuch forms does fix a language, at leaft as to thofe phrases that are used in it, which grow to be fo familiar to our ears by

conftant

XXIV.

ART. constant ufe, that they do not fo easily wear out. It is above eighty years fince the prefent tranflation of the Bible was made, and above one hundred and forty fince our Liturgy was compiled, and yet we perceive no uncouthnefs in the phrases. The fimplicity in which fuch forms must be drawn, makes them not fo fubject to alteration as other compofures of rhetoric or poetry; but can it be thought any inconveniency now and then to alter a little the words or phrases of our service? Much lefs, can that be thought of weight enough to balance the vaster prejudice of keeping whole nations in ignorance, and of extinguishing devotion by entertaining it with a form of worship that is not understood?

Nor can this be avoided by faying that the people are furnished with forms in their own language, into which the greatest part of the public offices are tranflated: for as this is not done but fince the Reformation began, and in those nations only where the fcandal that is given by an unknown language, might have, as they apprehend, ill effects; fo it is only an artifice to keep thofe ftill in their communion, whom fuch a grofs practice, if not thus difguifed, might otherwife drive from them. But ftill the publick worship has no edification in it; nor can those who do not understand it fay Amen, according to St. Paul. Finally, they urge the communion of Saints, in order to which they think it is neceflary that Priefts, wherefoever they go, may be able to officiate, which they cannot do if every nation worthips God in its own language. And this was indeed very neceflary in thofe ages in which the See of Rome did by provifions, and the other inventions of the Canonifts, difpofe of the best benefices to their own creatures and fervants. That trade would have been spoiled, if strangers might not have been admitted till they had learned the language of the country; and thus, inftead of taking care of the people that ought to be edified by the public worship, provifion was made at their coft for fuch vagrant Priests as have been in all ages the fcandals of the Church, and the reproaches of Religion.

ARTICLE