Ellis on Article XXIV: Of speaking in the Congregation in such a tongue as the people understandeth

Obj. 1. Ye are told, Lev. 16. 17. that the People, according ro the Commandment, were to stay without, and the Priest was to enter imto the Sanduary : Of which likewise we have ‘an Example, Luke i. 20. And therefore it is not necessary, that the People shou!d understand the Priest.

Answ. The Priests entring into the Sanctu- ary was a Type of Christ, who alone by his own Verrue is entered into Heaven, there to pray for us: Besides, when rhe Priest {poke to the People, hc spoke {o’as ro be understood by All.

. Obj. 2. If the People ought to pray for these things only which they understand, then they must never repeat the Psalms and other Scriptures, in which they cannot be supposed to understand every thing,

Answ, Tho? all things our of the Psalms and other Books cannot be perfectly under- stood, yer very many may : Bur there is na- thing art all understood by the unlcarned in the Latin Versions. Prayer is our Conference with God, and this oughr to {pring from our own Senie: And therefore, as far as we are able, we ought to Kknowthote things we (peak, whilst we are praying. |

Ob. 3. It is si ved, that Piety is much diminished, ever since tie Motrer Tongue began to be in Tse in the Church,

Ansv. True Picry is nor diministed ; in- stead of a lenscless Supersticion, which &id formerly prevail, there 1s now in many, fin- cere Piery, alto? rhe Church was never with=- our many profane Perions : And if Piety was diminithed in many, this would be only acci-

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F6 A Defence of the

dentally so, by the default of some wicked Men ; As the Gospel, when it 1s preached, 1s ro very many a fayour of Death unto Death: Bur Prayers in a known Torgue cannot be rhe caule of this Impicty.

Obj. 4. The Cimches of the Leffer Afia made use cf the Greek Torpue in their Were ship: But all te People did not understand it ; becnfsz when the Lame Man was healed, they | spoke in the Tycaonian Language, Acis 14.11. And fo avain, Adts 2. there are reckoned up various Tongues, that were t’rm in Asia, and which the Apostles mad: use cf.

Answ. The Lycaonian Tongue was a Dia» let of the Greek, as well as many others were, and the Apostles preached in Greek to these People ; so thar without doubr they un- derstood them.

Obj. 5. If there was one Tongue used in all Churches, it would much tend to the Unity of the Church. »

Answ. The Unity of tþe Church does nor depend upon che Uniry of Tongues, but up- on the Unity of Doctrine,

Obj. 8. The end of Divine Service is not the Tijlruttion of 11:2 People, but the WWorsriip of God. Now Cod nnd» [Lindgour Prayers, when they are uttered in an ungown Tongue ; and jt 1s enrm2b, that re People have devone Minds,

Answ, The principal End ot Divine Ser- vice is the Wor |.ip of Gud ; bur in Subordi- na:icn to this, the Edificaticn of the People is to be considered Frewile, Now the People cannot be ed tied, unless rhey understand , 1 Cor, 14. And then the End of a Pubtiick Mecring is nor, that Ged, way understand, bur

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Thirty Nine Articles, FF that he may approve of the whole Assembly : Neither is it enough for the People ro under- stand, thar something is done to the Praise of God, and tro have a devout Mind in general’; bur they ought likewite distinctly ro under- stand what it is that is done to the Praise of

God.

ART. XXV. ,Of the Sacraments.