A More Ample Declaration of the Sense of 1 Corinthians 14

This then being the scope and direct drift of¹ the Apostle, as is most clear by his whole discourse, and by the record of all antiquity: let the godly, grave, and discreet Reader take a taste in this one point, of the Protestants' deceitful dealing, abusing the simplicity of the popular, by perverse application of God's holy word, upon some small similitude and equivocation of certain terms, against the approved godly use and truth of the universal Church, for the service in the Latin or Greek tongue: which they ignorantly, or rather wilfully, pretend to be against this discourse of S. Paul touching strange tongues. Know therefore, first, that here is no word written or meant of any other tongues but such as men spake in the Primitive Church by miracle. and that nothing is meant of those tongues which were the² common languages of the world or of the Faithful, understood of the learned and civil people in every great city, and in which the Scriptures of the Old or new Testament were written, as, the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. for though these also, might be given by miracle & without study, yet being known to the Jews, Romans, or Greeks in every place, they be not counted among the differences of barbarous and strange tongues here spoken of, which could not be interpreted commonly, but by the miraculous gift also of interpretation. And therefore this Apostle (as the Evangelists also and others did their books) wrote his Epistles in Greek to the Romans and to all other Churches. Which when he wrote, though he penned them not in the vulgar language peculiar to every people, yet he wrote them not in Tongue, that is, in any strange tongue not intelligible without the gift of interpretation, whereof he speaketh here: but in a notable known and learned speech interpretable of thousands in every country. No more did S. Augustine our Apostle, speaking³ in Latin, & bringing in the Scriptures and Service in Latin, preach and pray in Tongues according to the Apostle's meaning here. for the Latin was not, nor is not, in any part of the West, either miraculous or strange, though it be not the National tongue of any one country this day. And therefore S. Bede saith, (li. 1 hist. Angl. c. 1.) that being then four divers vulgar languages in our country, the Latin was made common to them all. And indeed of the two (though in truth neither sort be forbidden by this passage of S. Paul) the barbarous languages of every several province in respect of the whole Church of Christ, are rather the strange Tongues here spoken of, then the common Latin tongue, which is universally⁴ of all the West Church more or less learned, and pertaineth much more to unity and orderly conjunction of all Nations in one faith, Service, and worship of God, then if it were in the sundry barbarous speeches of every Province. Wherein all Christians that travel about this part of the world or the Indes either, where so ever they come, shall find the self same Mass, Mattins, and Service, as they had at home. Where now, if we go to Germany, or the Germans or Genevians come to us, each other's Service shall be thought strange⁵ and barbarous. Yea and the Service of our own language within a few hundred years (or rather every age) shall wholly become barbarous and unknown to our selves, our tongue (as all vulgar) doth so often change.

And for edification, that is, for increase of⁶ faith, true knowledge, and good life, the experience of a few years hath given all the world a full demonstration 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. Much vanity, curiosity contempt of Superiors, disputes, emulations, contentions, Schisms, horrible errors, profanation and divulgation of the secret Mysteries of the dreadful Sacraments, * which of purpose were hidden from the vulgar⁷ (as S. Denys Eccl. Hier. c. 1. and S. Basil de Sp. Sanct. c. 27. testify) are fallen by the same, but virtue or sound knowledge none at all.

Wherein this also is a gross illusion and untruth, that the force and efficacy of the Sacraments, Sacrifice, and common prayer, dependeth upon the people's understanding, hearing⁸, 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 be appointed in Christ's behalf to dispose these Mysteries to our most good: the infant, innocent, idiot and unlearned, taking no less fruit of Baptism and all other divine offices, meet for every one's condition, then the learnedst Clerk in the Realm: and more, if they be more humble, charitable, devout, and obedient, then the other, having less of these qualities and more learning.

Which we say not, as though it were inconvenient for the people to be well instructed in the meaning⁹ of the Sacraments and holy ceremonies and Service of the Church (for, that to their comfort and necessary knowledge, both by preaching, Catechizing, and reading of good Catholic books, Christian people do learn in all Nations much more in those countries where the Service is in Latin, then in our Nation, God knoweth:) But we say that there be other ways to instruct them, and the same less subject to danger and disorder, then to turn it into vulgar tongues. We say, the simple people and many one that think them selves some body, understand as little of the sense of divers Psalms, Lessons, and Orisons in the vulgar tongue, as if they were in Latin: yea and often take them in a wrong, perverse, and pernicious sense, which lightly they could not have done in Latin. We say, that such as would learn in devotion and humility, may and must rather with diligence learn the tongue that such Divine things be written in, or use other diligence in hearing sermons and instructions: then for a few men's not necessary knowledge, the holy universal order of God's Church should be altered. For if in the kingdom of England only, it be not convenient, necessary, nor almost possible, to accommodate their Service book to every province and people of divers tongues: how much less should the whole Church so do, consisting of so many differences? Neither doth the Apostle in all this Chapter appoint any such thing to be done, but admonisheth them to pray and labour for the grace of understanding and interpretation, or to get others to interpret or expound unto them. And that much more may we do concerning the Service in Latin, which is no strange nor miraculously gotten or understood tongue, but common to the most and chief churches of the world, and hath been, since the Apostles' time, daily with all diligence through out all these parts of Christendom, expounded in every house, school, church, and pulpit: and is so well known for every necessary part of the divine Service, that by the diligence of parents, Masters, and Curates, every Catholic of age almost, can tell the sense¹⁰ of every ceremony of the Mass, what to answer, when to say Amen at the Priest's benediction, when to confess, when to adore, when to stand, when to kneel, when to receive, what to receive, when to come, when to depart, and all other duties of praying and serving, sufficient to salvation. And thus is it evident that S. Paul speaketh not of the common tongues of the Church's Service.

Secondly, it is as certain, that he meaneth not nor writeth any word in this place of the Church's public Service, prayer, or ministration of the holy Sacrament, wherein the Office of the Church specially consisteth: but only of a certain exercise of mutual conference, wherein one did open to another and to the assembly, miraculous gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, and such Canticles, Psalms, secret Mysteries, sorts of Languages, and other Revelations, as it pleased God to give unto certain both men and women in that first beginning of his Church. In doing of this, the Corinthians committed many disorders, turning God's gifts to pride and vanity, and namely that gift of tongues: which being indeed the least of all gifts, yet most puffed up the havers, and now also doth commonly puff up the professors of such knowledge, according as S. Augustine writeth thereof.¹¹ This exercise and the disorder thereof was not¹² in the Church (for any thing we can read in antiquity) these fourteen hundred years: and therefore neither the use nor abuse, nor S. Paul's reprehension or redressing thereof, can concern any whit the Service of the Church. Furthermore this is evident, that the Corinthians had their Service in Greek at this same time, and it was not done in these miraculous tongues. Nothing is meant then of the Church Service. Again the public Service had but one language: in this exercise they spake in many tongues. In the public Service every man had not his own special tongue, his special Interpretation, special Revelation, proper Psalms: but in this they had. Again, the public Service had in it the ministration of the holy Sacrament principally: which was not done in this time of conference. For into this exercise were admitted Catechumens and Infidels and whosoever would: in this women, before S. Paul's order, did speak and prophesy: so did they never in the Ministration of the Sacrament. with many other plain differences, that by no means the Apostle's words can be rightly and truly applied to the Corinthians' Service then, or ours now. Therefore it is either great ignorance of the Protestants, or great guilefulness, so untruly and perversely to apply them.

Neither is here any thing meant of the private¹³ prayers which devout persons of all sorts and sexes have ever used, specially in Latin, as well upon their Primers as Beads. For, the private prayers here spoken of, were psalms or hymns and sonnets newly inspired to them by God, and in this conference or prophesying, uttered to one another's comfort, or to them selves and God only. But the prayers, psalms, and holy words of the Christian people used privately, are not composed by them, nor diversely inspired to them selves, nor now to be approved or examined in the assemblies: but they are such as were given and written by the Holy Ghost, and prescribed by Christ and his Church for the faithful to use, namely the Pater noster, the Ave Marie, and the Creed, our Lady's Mattins, the Litanies, and the like. Therefore the Apostle prescribeth nothing here thereof, condemneth nothing therein, toucheth the same nothing at all. But the devout people in their ancient right may and ought still use their Latin primers, beads, and prayers, as ever before. Which the wisdom of the Church for great causes hath better liked and allowed of, then that they should be in vulgar tongues, though she wholly forbiddeth not, but sometimes granteth to have them translated¹⁴, and would gladly have all faithful people in order and humility learn, as they may, the contents of their prayers: and hath commanded also in some Councils, that such as can not learn distinctly in Latin (specially the Pater noster & the Creed) should be taught them in the vulgar tongue. And therefore as we doubt not but it is acceptable to God, & available in all necessities, & more agreeable to the use of all Christian people ever since their conversion, to pray in Latin, then in the vulgar, though every one in particular understand not what he saith: so it is plain that such pray with as great consolation¹⁵ of spirit, with as little tediousness, with as great devotion and affection, and oftentimes more, then the other: and always more then any Schismatic or Heretic in his known language. Such holy Orisons be in manner consecrated and sanctified in and by the Holy Ghost that first inspired them. and there is a reverence and Majesty in the Church's tongue dedicated in our Saviour's Cross, and giveth more force and valure to them said in the Church's obedience, then to others. The children cried * Hosanna to our Saviour,¹⁶ and were allowed, though they knew not what they said. It is well near a thousand years that¹⁷ * our people which could nothing else but ¹⁸barbarum frendere, did sing Alleluia, and not, Praise ye the Lord. and longer ago since the poor husband men sang the same at the plough in other Countries. Hiero. to. 1 ep. 38. And Sursum corda, and Kyrie eleison, and the Psalms of David sung in Latin in the Service of the Primitive Church, have the ancient and flat testimonies of S. Cyprian, S. Augustine, S. Hierom and other Fathers. Grego. li. 7 ep. 63. Cypr. exp. orat. Do.nu 13. August. c. 13 de dono perseuer. & de bono vid. c. 16. and ep. 178. Hiero. praefat. in Psal. ad Sophron. Aug. de Catechiz. rud. c. 9. de Doct. Chr. li. 2 c. 13. See ep. 10. August. of S. Hierom's latin translation read in the Churches of Africa. Prayers are not made to teach, make learned, or increase knowledge, though by occasion they sometimes instruct us. but their special use is, to offer our hearts, desires, and wants to God, and to show that we hang of him in all things: and this every Catholic doth for his condition, whether he understand the words of his prayer or not. The simple sort can not understand all Psalms¹⁹, nor scarce the learned, no though they be translated or read in known tongues: men must not cease to use them for all that, when they are known to contain God's holy praises. The simple people when they desire any thing specially at God's hand, are not bound to know, neither can they tell, to what petition or part of the Pater noster their demand pertaineth, though it be in English never so much. they can not tell no more what is, Thy kingdom come, then Adueniat regnum tuum. nor whether their petition for their sick children or any other necessity, pertain to this part, or to Fiat voluntas tua, or Ne nos inducas, or to what other part else. It is enough that they can tell, this holy Orison²⁰ to be appointed to us, to call upon God in all our desires. more then this, is not necessary. And the translation of such holy things often breedeth manifold danger and irreverence in the vulgar (as to think God is author of sin, when they read, Lead us not into tentation) and seldom any edification at all. For, though when the prayers be turned and read in English, the people knoweth the words, yet they are not edified to the instruction of their mind and understanding, except they knew the sense of the words also and meaning of the holy Ghost. For if any man think that S. Paul speaking of²¹ edification of man's mind or understanding, meaneth the understanding of the words only, he is foully deceived. for, what is a child of five or six years old edified or increased in knowledge by his Pater noster in English? It is the sense therefore, which every man can not have, neither in English nor Latin, the knowledge whereof properly and rightly edifieth to instruction. and the knowledge of the words only, often edifieth never a whit, and sometimes buildeth to error and destruction: as it is plain in all Heretics and many curious persons besides. finally both the one and the other without charity and humility maketh the Heretics and Schismatics with all their English and what other tongues and intelligence so ever, to be ²²as sonans & cymbalum tinniens, sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.

To conclude, for praying either publicly or privately in Latin which is the common sacred tongue of the greatest part of the Christian world, this is thought by the wisest & godliest to be most expedient, and is certainly seen to be nothing repugnant to S. Paul. If any yet will be contentious in the matter, we must answer them with this same Apostle, The Church of God hath no such custom. and²³ with this notable saying of S. Augustine,²⁴ ep. 118. c. 5. Any thing that the whole Church doth practise and observe through out the world, to dispute thereof as though it were not to be done, is most insolent madness