In does not, however, follow from hence that we are not to understand that for which we pray, and by praying in an unknown language render our petitions nothing more than a jargon of unmeaning sounds. Nothing can, in my opinion, be less satisfactory than the arguments, by which the members of the Roman Catholic Church attempt to defend their practice, of praying in a language which ninetenths of the people do not understand. regard to private prayer, we presume that expression of the Apostle is no less applicable than to public prayer, though generally supposed to allude to the latter: "I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also.* "No," say the Romanists, "it is not necessary for every one that they should understand their prayers. Prayers are not made to teach, or increase knowledge, though, by occasion, they may sometimes instruct us: but their special use is to offer or present our hearts, desires, and wants to God; and this every Catholic doth, for his condition, whether he understand the words of his prayer or not. To pray in Latin rather than in the Vulgar tongue is, we doubt not, acceptable to God, available to all necessities, and more agreeable to the use or custom * 1 Cor. xiv. 15. of all Christian people." Absurd as is this mode of reasoning in respect to private prayer, it is, perhaps, still more so in respect to the form of public worship in the Church. "I thank my God," (says Saint Paul in the chapter above cited,) "I speak with tongues more than you all: yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let one interpret: but if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the Church." Though the meaning of these words seems clear and obvious, yet the Romanists will not allow that they can have any reference to the public Service of the Church, and assert that "it is either great ignorance, or great wilfulness in the Protestants so to apply them." They say that "it is a gross illusion and untruth, that the force and efficacy of the Sacraments and Common Prayer dependeth upon the people's understanding, hearing, or knowledge; the principal efficacy of such things, and of the whole ministry of the Church, consisting specially of the very virtue of the work, and the public office of the Priests, who are appointed in Christ's behalf, to dispose these mysteries to our most good;" that a language "so long known and used in the Church as the Latin, can neither be called barbarous, nor require an interpreter: that for edification, i. e. increase of faith, true knowledge, and good life, experience had shewn whether our forefathers were not as wise, as faithful, as devout, as fearful to break God's laws, and as likely to be saved, as we are in all our tongues, translations, and English prayers:"-in short, that the authority of Saint Augustine, (whom they regard as the original compiler of their Church Service,) is not to be gainsaid; and he has asserted that "Anything which the Church doth practice and observe throughout the world, to dispute thereof, as though it were not to be done, is most insolent madness."* Weak, however, and unsatisfactory as these arguments are, such is the force of habit, and so slowly do men get rid of opinions and prejudices, though introduced in dark and superstitious times, that, except in this Country, and a few Protestant Nations on the Continent, the Public Service of their Churches is almost everywhere performed, even to this day, in a language which the common people do not understand.† But not to dwell longer on this subject, (on which * See Rhemish N. T. p. 463. + See Mosheim's Eccl. Hist. by Maclaire, vol. 2, p. 575, Lond. 1782; Milner, End of Controv. p. 222; and Hey's Div. Lectures, vol. 4, p. 178, 191. 2nd Ed. E perhaps I have already somewhat trespassed on your patience,) let me now add a few words on the Conditions which are necessary to render our Prayers, whether public or private, efficacious; to make them acceptable to God and beneficial to ourselves. 1. The first and most essential requisite is Purity of Heart. "I will wash my hands in innocency, O Lord," says the Psalmist; "and so will I go to* thine altar." Shall we approach the altar of a Being of infinite purity, of infinite wisdom, who "understandeth our thoughts afar off," to whom "every word in our tongue is altogether known," with polluted hands, and a heart pregnant with wicked devices? "We know that God heareth not Sinners; but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth."† These are no less the doctrines of Natural than of Revealed Religion; such as Reason alone will suggest to our minds. It has been justly observed, that the same purity of intention which is necessary to the perfection of all other Christian duties, is much more necessary, and in fact indispensable, in this duty of Prayer for though that alone may not render * Literally go round, or encompass.-Psalm xxvi. 6. our Prayers acceptable to God, yet without it we are assured they must be utterly unavailable. It is to "the pure in heart" that our Saviour has promised "that they shall see God!"* 2. The next thing required to render our Prayers effectual is seriousness and attention of mind. We are told when we pray not to "use vain repetitions † as the Heathens do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." We cannot suppose that a multiplicity of ejaculations, or even of prayers, if carelessly uttered, without due attention to the solemn duty in which we are engaged, can be acceptable to the Almighty, or beneficial to ourselves. An example of this absurd mode of worship is given in the 19th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, where the Heathen Citizens of Ephesus are represented as "crying out with one voice for about two hours, Great is Diana of the Ephesians;" and perhaps it is not uncandid to infer, that some of the Services of the Regular Clergy in the Roman Catholic Church‡ are derived from a similar erroneous notion respecting the frequent *Matth. v. 8. + Matth. v. 7. G. Wakefield renders it "babbling repetitions." See Unitar. Version. The expression in the Original un BaTToλOYNONTE is singular; but the sense is obvious. Such as the Canonical Hours, the Rosary, &c. |