1st. That the best method for all churches and christians to follow, is to lay aside all modern hypotheses, customs, and private opinions, and submit to all the doctrines, practices, worship, and discipline, not of any Particular, but of the Ancient and Universal church of Chrift, from the beginning to the end of the Fourth century; which doctrines, practices, worship, and discipline, thus Universally and Constantly received, could not possibly be derived from any other than Apoftolical authority. 2dly. That the Liturgy in the Apoftolical Constitutions is the most Ancient Christian : A 2 Liturgy Liturgy extant; that it is perfectly pure and free from interpolation; and that the book itself, called the Apoftolical Constitutions, contains at large the doctrines, laws, and settlements, which the three first and pureft ages of the gospel did with one consent believe, obey, and submit to, and That as derived to them from Apoftolical men : That therefore the said book, where it does not disagree with the Tradition of the Primitive Catholick Church, (as I believe upon examination it will hardly ever be found to do) but on the contrary may be corroborated thereby, and by the consentient teftimony of the Holy Fathers of the three first centuries, ought to be received, fubmitted to, and allowed it's due authority. If these two principles were once put in practice, all the Ecclefiaftical distractions which subsist at present, would cease; and a truly Catholick union would be restored among all chriftian churches. That I may contribute my mite towards so defirable an end, I have here ventured to present the world with what in my humble opinion will be the only means to attain it, which is what some will call a New, but which I prefume to recommend to Every pious Christian as the Oldest, and therefore the Best, collection of devotions extant in the whole Christian world. This I dare venture to say, because I have omitted no practice or ceremony that appears to be supported by Antiquity, Universality, and Confent; and because I have taken in all the Devotional part of the Apoftolical Constitutions, (except a few particulars foreign to the present purpose,) at the same time that I have herein included such Parts of the Common Prayer Book of the Church of England, as were necessary to compleat the design. As I am more disposed to Peace than Controversy, I wave engaging in the proof of the two principles above mentioned: But left they should be thought to be not well grounded, and lest any thing that I might say in behalf of them, should be misconstrued or received with prejudice, I have chosen to lay before all devout and impartialChristians in an Appendix (to which I refer them) some Extracts and Observations, taken from the writings of very eminent and learned Divines of different communions. By the Extracts the First, and by the Obfervations the Second, principle will, I hope, be fufficiently confirmed. A 3 |