HOMILY ON COMMON PRAYER AND SACRAMENTS

Short-Title Catalogue 13675. Renaissance Electronic Texts 1.1.
copyright 1994 Ian Lancashire (ed.) University of Toronto

 Edited to 2003 American English* by Curtis I. Caldwell on 08 November 2003

 

A HOMILY WHEREIN
is declared that Common Prayer and Sacraments
ought to be ministered in a tongue
that is understood by the
hearers.

That Common Prayers and Sacraments
ought to be ministered in a known tongue.
[Title from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, Episcopal Church USA,
Articles of Religion Article XXXV, Of the Homilies]


Among the manifold exercises of God's people (dear Christians) there is none more necessary for all estates, and at all times, than is public prayer, and the due use of sacraments. For in the first, we beg at God's hands all such things, as otherwise we can not obtain. And in the other, he embraces us, and offers himself to be embraced of us. Knowing therefore that these two exercises are so necessary for us, let us not think it improper to consider, first what prayer is, and what a sacrament is, and then how many sorts of prayers there be, and how many sacraments, so shall we the better understand how to use them properly. To know what they are, Saint Augustine, teaches us in his book entitled, "Of the spirit and the soul" (Augustine, `De Spiritu et anima'). He said thus of prayer: "Prayer is (said he) the devotion of the mind, that is to say, the returning to God, through a godly and humble affection, which affection is certain willing and sweet inclining of the mind it self towards God." And in the second book against the adversary of the Law and the Prophets, he calls sacraments, holy signs (Augustinem `Contra Adversarios et Proph.', bk. 2). And writing to Bonifacius on the baptism of infants, he said, "If sacraments had not a certain similarity of those things whereof they are sacraments, they should be no sacraments at all. And of this similarity they do for the most part receive the names of the things they signify." By these words of Saint Augustine it appears, that he allows the common description of a Sacrament, which is, that it is a visible sign of an invisible grace, that is to say, that sets out to the eyes and other outward senses, the inward working of God's free mercy, and does (as it were) seal in our hearts the promises of God (Augustine, `Ad Boniface'). And so was circumcision a sacrament, which preached unto the outward senses the inward cutting away of the foreskin of the heart, and sealed and made sure in the hearts of the circumcised the promise of God touching the promised seed that they looked for. Now let us see how many sorts of prayer, and how many sacraments there are.

In the scriptures we read of three sorts of prayer, whereof two are private, and the third is common. The first is that which Saint Paul speaks of in his Epistle to Timothy, saying, "I will that men pray in every place, lifting up pure hands, without wrath or striving" (1 Timothy 2:8). And it is the devout lifting up of the mind to God without the uttering of the heart's grief or desire by open voice. Of this prayer we have example in the first book of the Kings in Anna the mother of Samuel, when in the heaviness of her heart she prayed in the temple, desiring to be made fruitful. She prayed in her heart (said the text) but there was no voice heard (1 Samuel 1:13). After this sort must all Christians pray, not once in a week, or once in a day only: but as Saint Paul writes to the Thessalonians, without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). And as Saint James writes, "The continual prayer of a just man is of much force" (James 5:16). The second sort of prayer is spoken of in the Gospel of Matthew, where it is said, "when you pray, enter into your secret closet, and when you have shut the door to you, pray unto your Father in secret, and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you" (Matthew 6:6). Of this sort of prayer there be sundry examples in the Scriptures, but it shall suffice to rehearse one, which is written in the Acts of the Apostles.

Cornelius, a devout man, a captain of the Italian army, said to Peter: that being in his house in prayer at the ninth hour, there appeared unto him one in a white garment etc (Acts 10:1, 3, 30-31). This man prayed to God in secret, and was rewarded openly. These are the two private sorts of prayer. The one mental, that is to say, the devout lifting up of the mind to God, and the other vocal, that is to say, the secret uttering of the grief and desires of the heart with words, but yet in a secret closet, or some solitary place. The third sort of prayer is public or common. Of this prayer speaks our Savior Christ, when he said, "If two of you shall agree upon earth upon any thing, whatever you shall ask, my Father which is in heaven shall do it for you, for wherever two or three be gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:19-20). Although God haa promised to hear us when we pray privately, so it be done faithfully and devoutly (for he said, "Call upon me in the day of your trouble, and I will hear you" (Psalms 50:15). And Elijah being but a mortal man, said Saint James, prayed, and heaven was shut three years and six months, and again he prayed, and the heaven gave rain. (James 5:17-18) ) Yet by the histories of the Bible it appears, that public and common prayer is most available before God, and therefore is much to be lamented that it is no better esteemed among us which profess to be but one body in Christ. When the city of Nineveh was threatened to be destroyed within forty days, the prince and the people joined themselves together in public prayer and fasting, and were preserved (Jonah 3:4-10). In the Prophet Joel, God commanded a fasting to be proclaimed, and the people to be gathered together, young and old, man and woman, and are taught to say with one voice: "Spare us, O Lord, spare your people, and let not your inheritance be brought to confusion" (Joel 2:15-17). When the Jews should have been destroyed all in one day through the malice of Haman, at the commandment of Esther they fasted and prayed, and were preserved (Esther 4:16). When Holofernes besieged Bethulia by the advice of Judith they fasted and prayed, and were delivered (Apocrypha. Judith 8:17). When Peter was in prison, the congregation joined themselves together in prayer, and Peter was wonderfully delivered (Acts 12:5). By these histories it appears, that common or public prayer is of great force to obtain mercy, and deliverance at our Heavenly Father's hand.

Therefore brethren, I beseech you, even for the tender mercies of God, let us no longer be negligent in this behalf: but as the people willing to receive at God's hand such good things as in the common prayer of the Church are craved, let us join ourselves together in the place of common prayer, and with one voice and one heart, beg at our heavenly father all those things, which he knows to be necessary for us. I forbid you not private prayer, but I exhort you to esteem common prayer as it is worthy. And before all things, be sure, that in all these three sorts of prayer, your minds be devoutly lifted up to God, else are your prayers to no purpose, and this saying shall be verified in you: "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me" (Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 15:8). Thus much for the three sorts of prayer, whereof we read in the Scriptures. Now with like, or rather more brevity, you shall hear how many sacraments there are, that were instituted by our Savior Christ, and are to be continued, and received of every Christian in due time and order, and for such purpose as our Savior Christ willed them to be received. And as for the number of them, if they should be considered according to the exact meaning of a sacrament, namely, for the visible signs, expressly commanded in the New Testament, whereunto is annexed the promise of free forgiveness of our sin, and of our holiness and joining in Christ, there are but two: namely Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord. For although absolution has the promise of forgiveness of sin, yet by the express word of the New Testament it has not this promise annexed and tied to the visible sign, which is imposition of hands. For this visible sign (I mean laying-on of hands) is not expressly commanded in the new Testament to be used in absolution, as the visible signs in baptism and the Lord's Supper are: and therefore absolution is no such Sacrament as baptism and the communion are. And though the ordering of ministers has his visible sign and promise: yet it lacks the promise of remission of sin, as all other sacraments besides the two above named do. Therefore neither it, nor any other sacrament else, be such Sacraments as baptism and the communion are. But in a general reception, the meaning of a sacrament may be attributed to anything whereby a holy thing is signified. In which understanding of the word, the ancient writers have given this name, not only to the other five, commonly of late years taken and used for supplying the number of the seven sacraments: but also to various and sundry other ceremonies, as to oil, washing of feet, and such like, not meaning thereby to repute them as sacraments, in the same sense that the two forenamed sacraments are (Dionysius, Bernard, `De Coena Domini, Dionysius, et Abluti pedum'). And therefore Saint Augustine, weighing the true significance and exact meaning of the word, writing to Januarius, and also in the third book of Christian doctrine, affirms that the sacraments of the Christians, as they are most excellent in signification, so are they most few in number, and in both places makes mention expressly of two, the sacrament of baptism, and the Supper of the Lord. And although there are retained by the order of the Church of England, besides these two, certain other Rites and Ceremonies about the institution of ministers in the church, matrimony, confirmation of the children, by examining them of their knowledge in the articles of the faith, and joining thereto the prayers of the church for them, and likewise for the visitation of the sick. Yet no man ought to take these for sacraments, in such significance and meaning, as the sacrament of baptism. and the Lord's Supper are, but either for godly states of life, necessary in Christ's church, and therefore worthy to be set forth by public action and solemnity by the ministry of the church, or else judged to be such ordinances, as may make for the instruction, comfort, and edification of Christ's church.

Now understanding sufficiently what prayer is, and what a sacrament is also, and how many sorts of prayers there be, and how many sacraments of our Savior Christ's institution: let us see whether the Scriptures and examples of the primitive church will allow any vocal prayer, that is, when the mouth utters the petitions with voice, or any manner of sacrament, or other public or common rite or action, pertaining to the profit and edifying of the unlearned, to be ministered in a tongue unknown, or not understood of the minister or people: yea, and whether any person may privately use any vocal prayer, in a language that he himself understands not. To this question we must answer, no. And first of common prayer and administration of sacraments. Although reason, if it might rule, would soon persuade us to have our common prayer and administration of the sacraments in a known tongue, both for that to pray commonly, is for a multitude to ask one and the self thing with one voice, and one consent of mind, and to administer a sacrament, is by the outward word and element, to preach to the receiver the inward and invisible grace of God, and also for that both these exercises were first instituted, and are still continued to the end that the congregation of Christ might from time to time be put in remembrance of their unity in Christ, and that as members all of one body, they ought both in prayers and otherwise to seek and desire one another's commodity, and not their own without others. Yet shall we not need to flee to reasons and proofs in this matter, since we have both the plain and manifest words of the Scripture, and also the consent of the most learned and ancient writers, to commend the prayers of the congregation in a known tongue. First, Paul to the Corinthians said: "Let all things be done to edifying" (1 Corinthians 14:26). Which cannot be, unless common prayers and administration of sacraments be in a tongue known to the people. For where the prayers spoken by the minister, and the words in the administration of the sacraments, be not understood by them that are present, they cannot thereby be edified. For as when the trumpet that is blown in the field gives an uncertain sound, no man is thereby stirred up to prepare himself to the fight. And as when an instrument of music makes no distinct sound, no man can tell what is piped. Even so when prayers or administration of sacraments shall be in a tongue unknown to the hearers, which of them shall be thereby stirred up to lift up his mind to God, and to beg with the minister at God's hand, those things which in the words of his prayers the minister asks? Or who shall in the ministration of the Sacraments understand what invisible grace, is to be craved of the hearer, to be wrought in the inward man? Truly no man at all. For (said Saint Paul) he that speaks in a tongue unknown, shall be to the hearer an ***** alliant, which in a Christian Congregation is a great absurdity.

For we are not strangers one to another, but we are the citizens of the Saints, and of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19), yes, and members of one body (1 Corinthians 10:17, 12:12). And therefore whiles our minister is in rehearsing the prayer that is made in the name of us all, we must give diligent ears to the words spoken by him, and in heart beg at God's hand those things that he begs in words. And to signify that we do so, we say Amen, at the end of the prayer that he makes in the name of us all. And this thing can we not do for edification, unless we understand what is spoken. Therefore it is required of necessity, that the Common prayer be had in a tongue that the hearers do understand. If ever it had been tolerable to use strange tongues in the congregations, the same might have been in the time of Paul and the other Apostles, when they were miraculously endued with gifts of tongues. For it might then have persuaded some to embrace the Gospel, when they had heard men that were Hebrews born and unlearned, speak the Greek, the Latin, and other languages. But Paul thought it not tolerable then. And shall we use it now, when no man comes by that knowledge of tongues, otherwise than by diligent and earnest study? God forbid. For we should by that means bring all our Church exercises to frivolous superstition, and make them altogether unfruitful. Luke writes that when Peter and John were discharged by the princes and high priests of Jerusalem, they came to their fellows, and told them all that the princes of the priests and elders had spoken to them. Which when they heard, they lifted up their voice together to God with one assent, and said, Lord, you are he that have made heaven and earth, the sea, and all things that are in them. etc (Acts 4:23-24). Thus they could not have done, if they had prayed in a strange tongue, that they had not understood. And no doubt of it, they did not all speak with several voice, but some one of them spoke in the name of them all, and the rest giving diligent ear to his words consented, and therefore it is said, that they lifted up their voice together. Saint Luke said not, "Their voices, as many: but, their voice, as one."  That one voice therefore was in such language as they all understood, otherwise they could not have lifted it up with the consent of their hearts. For no man can give consent of the thing that he knows not. As touching the times before the coming of Christ there was never man yet that would affirm, that either the people of God or other, had their prayers or administrations of the sacraments, or sacrifices, in a tongue that they themselves understood not. As for the time since Christ, till that usurped power of Rome began to spread it self, and to enforce all the nations of Europe to have the Roman language in admiration, it appears by the consent of the most ancient and learned writers, that there was no strange or unknown tongue used in the congregation of Christians. Justin Martyr, who lived about 160 years after Christ, said thus of the administration of the Lord's Supper in his time (Justinus, `Apol.,' 2), "Upon the Sunday assemblies are made both of them that dwell in cities, and of them that dwell in the country also. Among whom, as much as may be, the writings of the apostles and prophets are read. Afterwards when the reader ceases, the chief minister makes an exhortation, exhorting them to follow honest things. After this, we rise altogether and offer prayers, which being ended (as we have said) bread and wine and water are brought forth. Then the head minister offers prayers and thanksgiving with all his power, and the people answer, Amen."  These words, with their circumstances being duly considered, do declare plainly, that not only the Scriptures were read in a known tongue: but also that prayer was made in the same in the congregations of Justin's time. Basilius Magnus, and Johan Chrysostom did in their time prescribe public orders of public administration, which they call liturgies, and in them they appointed the people to answer to the prayers of the minister, sometimes "Amen", sometimes "Lord have mercy upon us", sometimes "and with your spirit", and we have our hearts lifted up unto the Lord, etc. Which answers the people could not have made in due time, if the prayers had not been in a tongue that they understood. The same Basil writing to the clergy of Neoceasarea, said thus of his usage in common prayer (Basil, epistle 63), appointing one to begin the song, the rest follow. And so with various songs and prayers, passing over the night, at the dawning of the day, altogether (even as it were with one mouth and one heart) they sing unto the Lord a song of confession, every man framing unto himself appropriate words of repentance. In another place he said, "If the Sea be fair, how is not the assembly of the congregation much more fair, in which a joined sound of men, women, and children (as it were of the waves beating on the shore) is sent forth in our prayers unto our God?"  Mark his words (Basil, Homily 4?): "A joined sound (said he) of men, women, and children. Which cannot be, unless they all understand the tongue wherein the prayer is said."  And Chrysostom upon the words of Paul said, "So soon as the people hear these words, world without end, they all do forthwith answer, Amen."  This could they not do, unless they understood the word spoken by the priest (1 Corinthians 14:16). Dionysius said that hymns were said of the whole multitude of people in the administration of the Communion. Cyprian said (Cyprian, `Ser. 6 de Ora. dominica'), "The Priest prepares the minds of the brethren, with a preface before the prayer, saying, 'Lift up your hearts'. That while the people answer, 'We have our hearts lifted up to the Lord', they be admonished that they ought to think on none other thing than the Lord."  Saint Ambrose writing upon the words of Saint Paul said, "This is it that he said, 'because he who speaks in an unknown tongue, speaks to God, for he knows all things, but men know not, and therefore there is no profit of this thing' " (1 Corinthians 14:2). And again upon these words: "If you bless, or give thanks with the spirit, how shall he that occupies the room of the unlearned, say 'Amen', at your giving of thanks, seeing he understands not what you say?"  This is (said Ambrose) if you speak the praise of God in a tongue unknown to the hearers. For the unlearned hearing that which he understands not, knows not the end of the prayer, and answers not Amen, which word is as much to say, as truth, that the blessing or thanksgiving may be confirmed. For the confirmation of the prayer is fulfilled by them that answer "Amen", that all things spoken might be confirmed in the minds of the hearers, through the testimony of the truth. And after many weighty words, to the same end he said: "The conclusion is this, that nothing should be done in the church in vain, and that this thing ought chiefly to be labored for, that the unlearned also might take profit, lest any part of the body should be dark through ignorance." And lest any man should think all this to be meant of preaching, and not of prayer, he takes occasion of these words of Saint Paul ("If there be not an interpreter, let him keep silence in the Church") to say, as follows: "Let him pray secretly, or speak to God, who hears all things that be dumb, for in the church must he speak that may profit all persons."  Saint Jerome, writing upon these words of Saint Paul, "How shall he that supplies the place of the unlearned, etc." (1 Corinthians 14:16), said, "It is the layman whom Paul understands here to be in the place of the ignorant man, which has no ecclesiastical office. How shall he answer 'Amen' to the prayer of that he understands not?" And a little after, upon the words of Saint Paul, "For if I should pray in a tongue etc.", he said thus: "Thus is Paul's meaning: 'If any man speak in strange and unknown tongues, his mind is made unfruitful, not to himself, but to the hearer. For whatever is spoken, he knows it not.' "  Saint Augustine writing upon the 18th. Psalm, said: "What this should be we ought to understand, that we may sing with reason of man, and not with chattering of birds. For owls, popingays, ravens, pies, and other such like birds, are taught by men to prate they know not what, but to sing with understanding, is given by God's holy will to the nature of man."  Again, the same Augustine said (Augustine, `De Magist.'), "There needs no speech when we pray, saving perhaps as the priests do, for to declare their meaning, not that God, but that men may hear them. And so being put in remembrance by consenting with the priest, they may hang upon God."

Thus are we taught by the Scripture and ancient doctors, that in the administration of common prayer and sacraments, no tongue unknown to the hearers ought to be used. So that for the satisfying of a Christian man's conscience we need to spend no more time in this matter. But yet to stop the mouths of the adversaries, which stay themselves much upon general decrees, it shall be good to add to these testimonies of Scriptures and doctors, one constitution made by Justinian the Emperor (`Novel. Consti.,' 23), who lived five hundred twenty and seven years after Christ, and was Emperor of Rome. The constitution is this: "We command that all bishops and priests do celebrate the holy oblation and the prayers used in holy baptism, not speaking low, but with a clear or loud voice, which may be heard of the people, that thereby the mind of the hearers may be stirred up with great devotion, in uttering the prayers of the Lord God, for so the holy apostle teaches in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, saying, 'Truly, if you only bless or give thanks in spirit, how does he that occupy the place of the unlearned, say Amen at that your giving thanks unto God, for he understands not what you say? You verily give thanks well, but the other is not edified.'  And again in the Epistle to the Romans, he said: 'With the heart a man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.' "  Therefore for these causes it is convenient that among other prayers, those things also which are spoken in the holy oblation, be uttered and spoken of the most religious bishops and priests, unto our Lord  Jesus Christ our God, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, with a loud voice. And let the most religious priests know this, that if they neglect any of these things, that they shall give an account for them in the dreadful judgment of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Neither will we, when we know it, rest and leave it unrevenged.

This Emperor (as Sabellius1 writes) favored the Bishop of Rome, and yet we see how plain a decree he makes, for praying and administering of sacraments in a known tongue, that the devotion of the hearers might be stirred up by knowledge, contrary to the judgment of them that would have ignorance to make devotion. He makes it also a matter of damnation, to do these things in a tongue that the hearers understand not. Let us therefore conclude with God and all good men's assent, that no common prayer or sacraments ought to be ministered in a tongue that is not understood by the hearers. Now a word or two of private prayer in an unknown tongue. We took in hand where we began to speak of this matter, not only to prove that no common prayer or administration of sacraments, ought to be in a tongue unknown to the hearers, but also that no person ought to pray privately in that tongue that he himself understands not. Which thing shall not be heard to prove, if we forget not what prayer is. For if prayer be that devotion of the mind which enforces the heart to lift up it self to God, how should it be said, that that person prays, that understands not the words that his tongue speaks in prayer? Yes, how can it be said that he speaks? For to speak is by voice to utter the thought of the mind. And the voice that a man utters in speaking, is nothing else but the messenger of the mind, to bring abroad the knowledge of that which otherwise lies secret in the heart, and cannot be known according to that which Saint Paul writes: "What man (said he) knows the things that appertain to man, saving only the spirit of man, which is in man" (1 Corinthians 2:11)? He therefore that does not understand the voices that his tongue does utter, cannot properly be said to speak, but rather to counterfeit, as parrots, and such other birds use to counterfeit men's voices. No man therefore that fears to provoke the wrath of God against himself, will be so bold to speak of God unadvisedly, without regard of reverent understanding, in his presence, but he will prepare his heart before he presumes to speak unto God. And therefore in our common prayer the minister often times says, "Let us pray", meaning thereby to admonish the people that they should prepare their ears to hear, what he should crave at God's hand, and their hearts to consent to the same, and their tongues to say, Amen, at the end thereof. On this sort did the Prophet David prepare his heart, when he said, My heart is ready (O God) my heart is ready, I will sing and declare a Psalm (Psalms 57:7, 108:1). The Jews also, when in the time of Judith they did with all their heart pray God to visit his people of Israel had so prepared their hearts before they began to pray. After this sort had Manassas prepared his heart before he prayed, and said, "And now (O Lord) do I bow the knees of my heart, asking of you part of your merciful kindness" (2 Chronicles 33:12?). When the heart is thus prepared, the voice uttered from the heart, is harmonious in the ears of God, otherwise he regards it not, to accept it. But forasmuch as the person that so babbles his words without sense in the presence of God shows himself not to regard the majesty of him that he speaks to, he takes him as a despiser of his Almighty majesty, and gives him his reward among hypocrites, which make an outward show of holiness, but their hearts are full of abominable thoughts, even in the time of their prayers. For it is the heart that the Lord looks upon, as it is written in the history of Kings (1 Samuel 16:7). If we therefore will that our prayers be not abominable before God, let us so prepare our hearts before we pray, and so understand the things that we ask when we pray, that both our hearts and voices may together sound in the ears of God's majesty, and then we shall not fail to receive at his hand the things that we ask, as good men which have been before us did, and so have from time to time received that which for their soul's health they did at any time desire. St. Augustine seems to bear in this matter (Augustine, `De Catechizandis rudibus'): For he said thus of them, which being brought up in grammar and rhetoric, are converted to Christ, and so must be instructed in Christian religion: "Let them know also (said he) that it is not the voice, but the affection of the mind that comes to the ears of God. And so shall it come to pass, that if happily they shall observe that some bishops or ministers in the church do call upon God, either with barbarous words, or with words disordered, or that they understand not, or do disorderly divide the words that they pronounce, they shall not laugh them to scorn." Hitherto he seems to hear with praying in an unknown tongue. But in the next sentence he opens his mind thus: "Not for that these things ought not to be amended, that the people may say Amen, to that which they do plainly understand."  But yet these godly things must be borne nevertheless of these catechists or instructors of the faith, that they may learn, that as in the common place where matters are pleaded, the goodness of an oration consists in sound, so in the church it consists in devotion. So that he allows not the praying in a tongue not understood of him that prays, but he instructs the skilful orator, to bear with the rude tongue of the devout simple minister. To conclude, if the lack of understanding the words that are spoken in the congregation, do make them unfruitful to the hearers: how should not the same make the words read , unfruitful to the reader? The merciful goodness of God, grant us his grace to call upon him as we ought to do, to his glory and our endless felicity, which we shall do, if we humble our selves in his sight, and in all our prayers both common and private, have our minds fully fixed upon him. For the prayer of them that humble themselves, shall pierce through the clouds, and till it draw nigh unto God, it will not be answered, and till the Most High do regard it, it will not depart. And the Lord will not be slack, but he will deliver the just, and execute judgment (Apoc. Ecclesiasticus 35.17-18). To him therefore be all honor and glory, for ever and ever, Amen.


*Editing goals: Clear the text from obsolete words and phrases and from references local to England, its constitution, and laws.

Sabellius1 The original text said "Sabellicus".

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1