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expected, I shall only mind them of some few things there deter- mined by the apostle ; which, if it do but occasion him to consider the text itself, I shall obtain my purpose. The gift of speaking with strange tongues being bestowed on the church of Corinth, that they might be a sign, unto them that did not believe, of the power and presence of God amongst them, verse 22, divers of them, finding, it seems, that the use of these tongues gave them esteem and reputation in the church, did usually exercise that gift in the assembly, and that with contempt and undervaluation of prophesying in a known tongue to the edification of the whole church. To prevent this abuse, the apostle lays down this for a standing rule, that " all things are to be done in the church unto edifying;" and that this all men, as to gifts, were to seek for, that they might excel to the edifying of the church, — that is, the instructing of others in knowledge, and the exciting of the gi'ace of God in them. And thereupon he shows them that whatever is spoken in an unknown tongue, whether it be in a way of prayer or prophesying, in the assemblies, indeed tends nothing at all to this purpose, unless it be so, that after a man hath spoken in a tongue unknown, he doth interpret what he hath so spoken in that language which they do understand. For saith he, " Distribute the churcii into two parts, he that speaks with a tongue (whether he pray or preach), and those that hear. He that so prays and preaches edifies and benefits himself; but he cloth not benefit them that hear him : and that because they understand not what he says, nor know what he means ; for," saith he, " such words as are not understood are of no more use than the indistinct noise of hai-ps, or the confused noise of trumpets. The words, it is true, have a signification in themselves; but what is that," saith he, " to them that hear them and understand them not? They can never join with him in what he speaks, nor say Amen, or give an intelligent assent to what he hath spoken." And therefore he tells them that for his part he had rather speak five words that, being understood, might be for their profit, than a thou- sand in an unknown tongue, which, though they would manifest the excellency of his gift, yet would not at all profit the church whether he prayed or prophesied ; with much more to the same purpose. It is hence evident to any impartial reader, that the whole strength of the apostle's discourse and reasoning in this case lies in this,— that praying or prophesying in the church in a tongue unknown, not understood by the whole church, though known and understood by him that useth it, is of no use, nor any way tends to the benefit of the church, but is a mere confusion, to be cast out from among them. The case is no other that lies before us. The priest says his prayers in a tongue that, it may be, is known to himself, — which is no great gift; the people understand nothing of what he says. This, if
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tlie apostle may be believed, is a thing of no use, practised to no purpose, wherewith the people that understand not cannot join, whereby they are not at all profited, nor can they say Amen, or give a rational assent to what he speaks. Now, saith our author, "What is all this to the service of the church?" I say. So much to that service which he pleads for, as that it is condemned by it as altogether use- less, luiprofitable, and not to be longer insisted on: yea, and this is so much worse than the case proposed by the apostle, inasmuch as those who prayed and prophesied with tongues received the gift and ability of so doing, in a miraculous manner, from the Holy Ghost, and therefore might with much colour of reason plead for the free liberty of the exercise of those gifts which they had so received ; but our readers of the service do with much labour and pains get to read it in Latin, doing it by choice, without any intimation for such a practice from any gift that above others they have received.
If all this will not do, there is that which brings up the rear that shall make all plain, — namely, " That whatever is pretended, yet indeed Latin is no unknown tongue, being the proper language of Christians, united to the Christian faith as a garment to a body : " which he proves by many fine illustrations and similitudes, telling us withal that " this one language is not spoken in a corner, but runs quite through the earth, and is common to all, as they be ranked in the series of Christianity; wherein they are trained up by the father of the family; and which, in reference to religion, he only speaks himself" But, — because I hope there is none of my countrymen so stupid as not to have the wit of the cynic, who, when a crafty com- panion would prove by syllogisms that there is no such thing as motion, returned him no other answer but by rising up and walk- ing; and will be able at least to say, notwithstanding all these fine words, " I know that Latin to the most of Christians is an unknown tongue," — I shall not much trouble myself to return any answer unto this discourse. That there is an abstraction of Christian religion^ from the persons professing it, which hath a language peculiar unto it; that the Latin tongue hath a special relation to religion above any other ; that it is any other way the trade-language of religion amongst learned men, but as religion comes under the notion of the things about which some men communicate their minds one to another; that it is any way understood by the thousandth part of Christians in the world that constantly attend the worship of God ; and so that it is not absolutely as unknown a tongue to them, when it is used in the service of the church, as any other in the world whatever, — are sucli monstrous presumptions, as I wonder a rational man would make himself guilty of by giving countenance unto them. For him whom he calls " the father of the family" of Christians, if it be God