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T H E
MOV EABLE FEASTS ,
s
ANNUA L OBSERV AN C ES
O F T H E
C ATHO L IC CHURCH .
[ A P O S T H UMO U‘S W O R K. 1
By thc Rev. D r. AL BAN BUTL ER,
AUTHOR 0? THE LIVES or r u n FATHERS, MARTY RS, 8 m .
D U B L I N
a
s! Jen s Moun ts , Borrow.
(o r r un Mnn xr u
‘
xous .
iW ren s .) MD C C L XXV. [Fiflxam blc-th-
J
From the D UB L IN En tr e e .
HE Book ’vrehere prelent to thePublicis a pd llm mWork of the late Rev. Mr. AL BAN Bur nett
of the Englilh C ollege of St. 0m m ) . Hamin the univerls lApprobation ofhis greater Walk offlbeL I V ES of theMART Y RG, and 84 1 8 7 8 ; ventilated. by theC hurch throughout the Y ear, the learned and Authorfound it proper to coin plete his D efign in thisappla ud s !V olum e on the FA ST S , FBAfl T I , and other Ann lu tlatvyO hfervanees of the C atholic C hurch. from the earlieltAgeto the prelentn -All along he forecloles D oubts from m thfl m cFea t , and arengthen s each, from the Authority
'
ol and “Fathers and Oecum eiiicnl Councils.
Hrs Manulcript on this Subjea has been laid before theR. R. D r. Challon er, and that Brelate’s Approbation aloneis luflicient to lhow the Right of the Public, to fit valuabha Mgacy. It has been prin ted lately in Englan d, and theReception it found there, induoed the Irilh Editor, underthe Patronageoffom eGentlem en ul llylearned andw orthy,tip render the like Service to his ative C ountry. Henot on ly given it P by Page from the London C opy, .
bn t
hat corrzfi ed care lly the Typbgraphical Errors of theEnglilh Prim e .
Tin Petul'
al of this V olum e on the Falls and l eakm ull undoubtedly create a D efire of pofi
'
efling the Author’s
‘
greaterWork on the Lives of the Martyrs, dzc .
‘
By ElieC onfent of the bell judges on the C ouinent. as w ell3. in
zgow n Illes, it has been pronounced the m oll
'
profitable
m pil n of EpcleliallicalBiggraphy hitherto publilhedin any ntry. Without dirca C ontrbvcrfy, w hich but09often Sak
ai
:EE63 , in com m ons Evafion, rather than
um ilizting viaion ; our pious Author leads his Reader
gen tly t Truth, Without w oun dii) his Pride. In the Livesof the brillian Martyrs and Con elIors , Mr. BUTLER hasdhey u his araid Bretlu
'
en , as in‘
a Mirrour, wham he Faithand Prafiicesof the C hrillian C hurch have invariahl beenthrough allAgat e
- In the prelen t divided State ofC hriianity‘better Schem e than this could not be calculated for reacting
“FF
s o v e s r t s r m s u r .
the Harm ony ofReligion , and the Petul'
al ofitby EngIlfi h
m en , w e m ay prefurrie, has contributed to the T'
w ilights ofC hrilliarr Forbearance, w hich began in his prefentMajclly
’s
Reign to daw n over the Neighbouring Illancl.
Thefirll Im pre'
fiioriofthe Lives oftheMart
y,“ havinghad
ta rapid Sale in England,-a few C opies only ave reached
‘
Ireland, w herein a Work lo prom otive'
of Fiery, and lbcfeaual to retain C atholics in the Faith of the primitive
Fathers is m uch w anted ; itis ho
Publication w ill m eet w ith due
of Prof eri'
cc Am iP ty,
Fo rt further Satisfaaion it rem ains onl to oblerve,that
. this intended Edition of the L I V ES of A INTS w ill beenriched w ith m any valuable Additions and Em endations ,w hich the Author has left in Manufcript, for renderin
-his Work fiill m ore Ufeful to Chrillian Readers of afiP erfual
'
ions ; but et as oon lillently as poflible w ith thelan , as w ell as Abilities of theMajority
An
gular, printed Propofal for printi
'
the L iveso the
-MARTY” , 8m . by Sub criptio(peed tly be put in the Hands of the Public:
This Book of the Falls and Fenlls is to be had ofthe Editor John Morris, at No. 9. F
'
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F I R S T T R E A T I S E.
O N T H E
L O R D’s D A Y .
C H A P . I.
On tbe J e w r s u S A B B A'I‘H .
Y a
a
gueneral recept o firfl: and greatefl
f m or virtues ingrafted in the
out
of nothing the heavens an d
ed in them , He relied on the feven th day from all thew ork w hich he had don e . An d heblefl
'
ed the (even th day:an d fanaified it, becam e in it he had relied from all hisw orks w hich God created and m ade He could have
eq ually finifhed the univerfe at once ; but w as pleafed to
p roduce it by a progreflive creation , that each part m ightm ake a difitnaz appearan ce, an d the w orld gradually receive
its perfefiion . He alfo fhew ed h this circum fiance, that heafi cd n ot by neceflity, or by anyblind im petuous m ovem ent;of his w ill, but as he pleafed, w ith perfect liberty and w ith(overeign w ifdom , underfianding, and goodnefs ; m ailer ofhis aaion and of his w ork, having in it no other rule that!
(3) Gen . ii. a , 3. Hebr . iv. 4.
B
2 T H E L O R D’s D A Y . Tr. 1 .
his ow n w ill,ell
'
entially the fovereign fan&ity, goodnefs a n dw i
‘
fdom » Som ein terpreters fo underflan d this creation as to
thtn k that each da a particular part w as produced out ofn othing. O thers uppofe the w hole chaos of m atter to have
been created at on ce on the firfl, an d nothing but the developem ent to have been fucceflive, each part fublidin by itfelf, an d feparately opening an d difengaging itfel Thew ork ofeach day w as tingle and in flan tan eous , being effectcd by the bare com m and, by a tingle a& of God
’s om nipo
tent w ill. For in God to w ill w ith an efi'
eétive w ill, isto do, or produce w hat he w ills or com m ands (a).
(a) C ertain m odern criticks , chiefly am ong the C alvinifis , have at
tem pted to prove that the origin al or Patriarchal Sabbath w as not thefeven th, but the firfl day of the w eek con fequen tly
°the fam e day w ith
the C hrifiian w eekly feltival, w hich w e call Sunday . D r. N. Holm es ,in 1 673, publilhed an efl
'
a for this purpofe, endeavourin to ibew thatSunday, or the firliday 0 the w eek, w as the w eekly fefgival kept bothby God
’
s pm ple and by the Gen tiles , before the Ifraelites cam e out ofEgypt, and after that tim e by m an y Gen tile n ation s . B Patrick inhis com m en tary, refers to a difcourfe of Mr. Mede, in w hich the fam e
is “ fu n d . The tim e is attem ted w ith fom e pain s by the author of abook, tin ted b Richard C hiw ell in 1 683, under this title The
rine of t C hurch of En land concernin g the Lord‘
s D ay vin
dicated from vulgar Errors , an fettled upon the Patriarchal P raaice .
A lfo by the author of A Tract of the Sabbath, prin ted for Park
burli, in 1 692 , 42 . See allb W right the learn ed P relbyterian D i
vine, on the Re'
gions Obfervation of the Lord’
s D ay, ch. 2 . p . 29.
Thefe authors grounded their con jecture on the difi'
eren t in fiitution ofthe Patriarchal and Jew ilh Sabba th. The lira w hich w as appoin ted at
the'
creation (Gen . n . celebrated by the Patriarchs dow n to the
w ritten law ofMol’
es , an d rein forced by the m outh of that legillator inthe firlt publication of the decalo ue (Ex od . x vi.) w a s ellablilhed hyGa d in m em ory of, an d in thank giving for the creation of the w orld .
The Jew ilh Sabbath w as appoin ted by God in rem em brance o the de
liveran ce of that poo le out of the lan d of Egypt, and from c perk
cution of Pharoah, eut. v. This reafon how ever appears not to be
conclufive ; for the latter m ay be ealily underflood to have been on ly a
fecond ary m otive for fanélifying the fam e day, and enforcing the law ofred thereon w ith greater fevcn ty, an d certain addition al obli
gation s r
Greater w eiht is added to this Opinion by the argum en ts w ich the
Rev. Mr . Jo n K en nedy has draw n from the facred chron ology in his
C om plete Syltem of A llronom ical C hronology for unfolding the
Scriptures ,"in Lon don 1 76a .
The Ifraelites, fays this author, p. 636, cam e out of Egypt a m
M Mofes being 8o years old ; for he died 49 years after, a t
the a of n o years . God in that year chan ged the begin ning of the
eccl flical year, from the autum nal to the vern al eq uinox , appoin ti
aits com m encem en t from the m on th Abib (called after the Babyloni
captivity Nifan ), Ex od . x ii. a . God fpoke to Mofes to give his corn
m an d s for the Pal'
chal L am b, and the Ex odus or Pall'
age out,of E ypt,
on the firlt day of this m on th, (w hich w as the [m a th m on th 0 the
year)s
Ch. 1 . TH E L O RD ’
i
s D AY . 3
God , having finifhed his w ork, en tered into his refl on
the feven th day. This w e are not to un derflan d as if the
fuprem e w orkm an could be w earied or fpen t ; w hichit w ould
year). This firll day ofNilan that year com m enced , faysMr. K en nedy,at the evening of the fit “ day of the patriarchal w eek , w hich w e call
Monday ; for from that epoch w e are to d ate the com m en cem en t of thefirtl Jew ilh ecclelialiical year, as this author attem to thew by feveralaliron om ical calculation s , (
p. The Pafcha lam b w as to be taken
upon the ten th of the m on t w hich w as a Tuefday, and to be (lain on
the fourteen th, viz . on Saturday evening, at w hich tim e began the fesitof un leavened bread , w hich w as con tin ued feven days . O n the fifteen th
the lfraelites m arched ou t of Egypt. By this m arch on the Sun day, the
patriarchal Sabbath of the Sun day w as defecra ted , fays Mr. K en nedy ;an d this fifteen th day w hich com m enced the foregoing evening at fun
fet, w as the fu ll day of the fes liof un leavened bread : the precedingd ay, the fourteen th of the m on th (on w hich the lam b w as eat in thed enin w hich clofed it, w as called the Pall
'
over, or the day itfelf of thePafcha folem nity : the feven th day of the un leaven ed bread , w as ac
cording to Ken n edy, the firlt lfraelitic Sabbath. For the Ifraelites havin g pafl
'
ed the Red -fea on the evening w hich began (according to the
ecclefiaflical ilile of m eafn ring and coun ting the day from the precedingto the follow ing evening), or according to the patriarchal (and perhapsalfo the Jew ith civil) com putation of the day from fun -rife to fun -fet,
ed the tw en ty-firll day of Nifan , the vern al equinoétial m on th
w as kept the firlt Ifraelitic Sabbath, w ith praife and thankfgiving . Forthis purpofe Mofes feem s to have com m fed the hym n , (Ex od . x v.)w hich w as fung in chorus , and altern ately by m ore perhaps than tw o
m illion s of people. (See L ev . x x iii. 5. 6. Ex od . x ii. 1 4. 1 6. 1 8 . 4 1 .
a nd x iii. 1 o . D en t. v. 1 6. an d x vi. 1 . It appears that God appoin ted the n ew Sabbath foon after the Jew s had pa ll
'
ed the Red -fea , perha
atMarah w here they m ade a halt, Ex od . x v. a s . Then w as the Sag:bath in flituted for a perpetual m em orial of the deliveran ce of the peoplefrom the arm y of Pharoah. D eut. v. 1 5. God enforced obedience to
the law of the new Sabbath, im m ediately after this by a double m iraclein the m an n a , (Ex od . x vi. 5. a a . w hich ha pened in the defert ofSin , before the people, in the third m on th after t eir palliage, arrived at
Moun t Sin ai! n ay before the end of the firll m on th. Y et, fays K en
hed y, God w a s pleafed to appoin t again certain rem em brancers of theorigin a l Sabbath of the creation ; for w hich He in llituted a religiouscon vocation and folem nity on the firlt day of the feafi of un leaven edbread , w hich in the firft year, or the year of Ex odus, fell on the origin a l Sabbath ; but every year on a differen t day of the w eek , accordinto the changeable con rfe
~
of the m oon , 1 6. D eut. x vi. 8 .
God even republifhed the origin al Sabbath from Moun t Sin aiin the deca loguc, (Ex od . x x . though he com m anded alfo the lfraelitic Sabb a th in m em ory of the tem poral redem ption of the Jew s to be obfervedw ith m uch greater feverity, than the o ld Sabbath. D en t. v. 1 5.Mr. K en n edy in this w ork, in order to eftablilh his n ew fyftem of
a llron om ical fcrtptura l chronology, preten ded by blotting m an y fheets of
paper w ith knotty calculation s , to thew our afim n om ica l tables to be
g'
rols ly erron eous , efpecially thofe of the anom alies of the m oon a byfibich attem pt he declared w ar a in lt the w hole body of philofOpheraa an
4 T a x L O R D ’s -D AY . Tr. 1 .
he blafphem y to im agine : neither that he then coaled from
all aaion , but only from that of the creation of the w orld .
Heflill continually creates fouls, perform s w on derful m ylle
an d allronom ers . The ingenious Mr. Fergufon , w ell know n to the
learn ed w orld , by his allronom ical lefl ures , Sec. vin dica ted thefe tables ,the com m on cauli: of his rofellion , conviétcd Mr. K en n edy of m anyn otation s m iltakes , and alfe hypothefcs , and overthrew the firuéture
w hich he had raifed u n futh a foun dation . It is how ever, to be w ith
cd the con troverfy ha been carried on w ith lefs acrim on on both (ides .
See Fergufon‘
s Rem arks on K en nedy'
s A ltron om ica C hronolo y ,in the C ritical Review for Jun e, 1 763. A n d his fevere letter w it h.K en nedy in defen ce of the allron om ical tables of the an om alies of the
m oon“
, ibid . for Novem ber the fam e year, the. This author, notw ith
fiandin the feverity w ith w hich he cen fures the relt of Mr. K en n edy’
s
h’
ly approves his new rem arks con cerning the patriarchal Sab
ba th, ad ing that he has dem on llrated this to have been the firfl, not
the la&da of the w eek, and con feq uen tly the fam e w ith our Sund ay,n ot the 3a bath of the Jew s . How ever the com m on opinion (till has its
advocates , that the patriarcha l Sabbath coin cided w ith the Jew ifh. For
in Gen etic the patriarchal Sabbath feem s fix ed on the lalt d ay of the
w eek , im m ediately after the fix th day'
s w ork. Again , the Jew ith Sabbath is certain ly m en tioned before the decalogue w as given on Moun t
Sin ai; and after it w e find the Sabbath of the creation (till in force, as
appears from the ex polition of Mr. K en n edy'
s fyfiem : n or is the leali
accoun t given of the change of the day of the w eekly feltival. Neither
is it ealily to be conceived , that Mofes lhou ld ufe the w ord Sabbath in
the fam e book for differen t days w ithout the lea lt n in tim ation of an yfuch chan ge, w hichin future ages w ould foon be orgot. The change
of the com m encem en t of the ecclefiaftical year from the m on th Tifri,or the autum n al eq uinox , to the vern al in the m on th Nifan , for fom e
think that the Jew s con tin ued alw ays to date their civil year rom ao
tum n )is recorded byMott's . Much m ore ought foch a change of the
Sabbath, a fefiival tw ice com m ended in the decalogue, an d according to
Mr. K en n edy in a difl’eren t fenfe in the tw o publication s of that la w inEx odus and D euteronom The proofs draw n by this author from
ahronom y or chronologies ca lculation s can not am oun t to dem onftration
un lefs it could be firlt clearly fettled in w hat m an ner the Jew s at tha t
tim e regulated their years w ith refpeét to em bolim ean or in tercalary days
to bring them to an equation . Alfo, how they fettled their lun ar m on ths ,w hether by fom e cycle or artificial m ethod , or by the obfervation of the
firll appearance ofevery n ew m oon , and in w hat m an n er, or w ith w hat
degree of nicety and ex afl n efs . The roofs therefore that the pattiar
chal or origin al Sabbath w as the fam e ay, not w ith the Jew ifh Sabbath,
but w ith t at of the C hriftian law , feem too precarious to w eaken the
tradition in favour of the gen eral opinion of ancien t and m odern Jew sand chrifiian s . The ingenious and learn ed Mr. C haife, in his com m en ts
on Ex odu s , x vi. v . 5. and 2 6. p. 6. 7. 1 se . 1 53 . 1 61 . thew s clearlythat Mede founded this argum en t upon a m iltake. O n the fifteen th
'
dayof the fecond m on th after the pall
'
age of the Red -(ea, on e m on th after
it the m urm ur w as raifed for food . The Thalm udilts fay this fifteen thday w as the Sabbath. (SeeMaim onides . More. Nev. part iii. c . s o .)If this w as true, the Jew s w ho travelled on that day, did not yet knph
w
e
6 T u e L O R D’s D A Y .
be to m an a day of m il , to be l'
pen t in facrifices an d the
D ivine prail'
e an d w orlhip. O n it free from ex terior bulin efs and labour w hich difiipate the m in d , w e are com m and
ed to em ploy our thoughts on God,to m editate on his law ,
a nd on the m yfleries of his love and m ercy, to thank him
for his ben efits, and to contem plate that eternal rell to w hichw e are called , an d to w hich all our thoughts and defires
ought to be direa ed Thus the obligation of l'
anEtifyiugthe feven th day w as a precept of the prim eval patriarchallaw
,
given at the creation of the w orld (b), afterw ards con
firm e in a particular m an n er to the Jew s in theMofaic dif
penfation (8) The Hebrew w ord fabbatb fignifieth rgfl,
(7)“ d b iv. 4» 1 0 (8)Ex od . x vi. 1 3. 30 . an d x 1tiii. t a . D eut. v. 1 3.
(b) From Gen . 1 1 . the Sabbath (com e to have been in llituted in thebegin ning of the w orld. This is politively affirm ed by the ancien t Jew s(Pbilo4: a d oM i, and l. d: Vit. Mofir. fi fepbur l. a . con tra Appitm . Tert. adv). 7nd. and l. adro . Ma rriott . 8 . Aug . ep. ad Cafula n .
S . Theoph. An tioch. ad Autobcum . L aélan t . l. 7. c . 1 4. S . C hryf.Hour. 1 0 . in Ge». i. Nyll
'
en . Sen a . dc Refer . Cg‘
c.) Som e Fathers tn
d eed and certain m odern critics think the prece t of the Sabbath w as
only pafl'
ed by God into a law by the Jew s w hen they cam e in to the de
fert of Sin , tn the fecond m on th after their com ing out ofEgypt, on thefifteen th of the m on th Abib or Ntian , in ourMarch, in the
dyear of the
w orld 251 3, before the vulgar era , 1 491 . (Ex od . x vi. 5. an 25 Butat that tun e w hen m an n a w as athered the com m and of the Relt of the‘
Sabbath is pre- l
'
uppofed , not t en fir en'
oin ed . A n d that'
it w as ohferved from the creation by all the Patriarc s is roved by C orn elius aL a ide
'
,
i
Torn ellio, &c . A lia am ong-ffthe P rotefian t criticks by Uther,
in is D iicourfe on the Sabbath.
"Gale in his C ourt of the Gen tiles,
p . 1 so . A m efius 1 . dc Origin: Sabba ti, 89“
de die Dom inica, again “ Go
m ar Archbilhop Sharp, in his Serm on s , T. iv. p . 2 1 1 . Zan chius if:
w a r-m m D eca logiPra ceplum . Our A n tiq uarian the Rev . Mr. W illiam
S tukely, in his Abury , a Tem ple of tbe D ruidr, defcrihed ch. t a . p . 68.John Chrilt. Heberltreit, DUI . dc Sa bba lo an te leg a l:Mojaicam ex ifien te,Lipfie , 1 748 . John A ug . Ern elti, Vindicie Arbilm Divim
'
in Religioneconfiitum da
'
, part ii. p. 44 . The proofs of this all'
ertion are (er in theirfull light by C herubin , a S . Jofepho, Afl m r . Biblici, T . u. p.
That the plan etary n am es of the (even days of the w eek, are an cien t
am ong theGreeks and Egyptian s , is m anifeli from an old oracle ofApollo of D elphos , q uoted by Eufebius , (dz Pn epa r . l. from C le
m en s ofA lex andria , (l. 7. Strom . &c.) A m on glt the Rom an s the lan etar n am es of the (even d ays of the w eek are certain ly older t an
C hriliianity, though their origin al is uncertain . The Rom an calendar
ca lled Julius C eel'
ar‘
s , certain y is n ot his , but the w o rk of fam e C hrilltian , as Petavius (D ofl . Tem p . 1 . and Sca lier (D e Ex tend . Tem p .
1 . thew from feveral m odern barbarou s term s t ere u l'
ed . The an cient
Rom an s chiefly com puted tim e by the calen d s ,idcs an d nones ofthe m onths .
C icero u l'
es the w ord w eek in a letter to his freed - m an Tim . (I. 1 6.ep . Ne in qua r ra m Hehdom ada m in riderer, but he there (peaks ofa critic term in a dillem per, (See Melm oth
‘
s Tran llation and Note, I. 6.
ep .
C h. 1 . T H E L O R D ’s
'
D A Y : 7
a nd m ull not be con foun ded w iththe w ord Sabaoth or rather
Zabaoth, hofis or arm ies ; from w hichGod is called, TheL ord of Sabaoth, the God of Arm ies, i. e . of all the leg
’
r
ons of heaven ly lpirits, a nd of all n ation s of m en . This
felliva l of the Sabbath rs, firtl , an em blem of the interior
ep . 24. T. 1 1 . p . A m ong the Greeks and O rien tals, the dit'
tribu
tion of tim e by feven da s is m ore freq uen tly m en tioned . Porphyry, inhis book con cernin g the lew s , q uoted by Eufebius , (Pr repar . Ew ang .
l . l . c . tells u s , that the Phenician s , con fecrated on e d ay in (evenas holy, in hon our of their prin cipal deity Saturn . We learn from the
a n cien t Scholiait on Pin dar, (Probg . ad tbeia ) that at D elphos an
hym n , called Poean , w as fung to Apollo every feven th d ay . The‘
A the
nian s did the like every feven th day of the m oon w hen ce Hefiod fays,‘
“Tb: fevm tbfocred day . help iipta g. Hom er an d other heathenw riters , often m en tion a veneration for the third an d feventh d ays . Mr.
S trrkely find s proofs that the ancien t D ruid s in Britain looked upon the
feven th d ay as holy, doubtlel'
s, as he think s, from the Patriarchal cut“
.
tom and law , (lac . cit. yet fom e w ill have no reat lircfs laid on w hat
w e fin d in Hom er, He rod , and other poets on t is head , and thin k theSabbath received in deed the D ivin e b lefling at the end of the creation ofthe w orld , and w as then deltined to be declared Holy in the
'
Jewilh lawbut that the particular precept of fanélifyin g it w as on ly
°
ven in the
Mol'
aic law , Ex od . x x iri. t s . Becaul'
e it is called a lign y_
w hich theJew s w ere difiinguilhed from other n ation s . Ezech. x x . 2 0 . But this,m ay be un derflood of the m an ner and cere monies of the Jew ith obierv.
a nce, and of the degenerate tim e of idolatry, in w hich am ong feveral
barbarous Pagan n ation s, this w ith other precepts m ay have been alm oit
forgot. The very w ord s of the law given to the Jew s, feem to,infinuate
that it w as the confirm ation of an an cien t precept , Rem em ber”
thoukeep Holy. Ex od . x x . 8 . See alfo D eut. v. 1 2 . Theic rem arks icemfufhcien tly to an fw er the argum en ts roduced by thofe criticks w ho den ythe precept of obferving the particu ar day of the Sabbath Holy to hat e
been prior to the Jew iflr law ; w ho neverthelefs a llow the P atriarchs tohave been bound by the law of Nature to keepH
oly one indeterm in ated ay in the w eek . See Gom ar, In vqfliga tioorigioir Sa bba ti6 t mjr
'
o
[m m /liga tion :fin e con tra Riv/cra m . Selden , dc j a r s Na tura: cl Gem ium kl.
'
3. c. to . Spen cer dc l . ion s Ritua l. Hebra or . l. 1 . c . 4. Pererius in
Gemini, 1 . 1 . p. 1 79. C a m et, Com m en t. on Gen . ir. an d D iet. Bibi,T . ii. Sa bba th. lfaac C afaubon in Sut ton"fi ber . c . x x x rr. Joha W al
lis‘I'
r . d: Sabbaro. T. iii. 0p. p . 343 . 38 1 . 42 3. an d fam e m odern Jew san d critics quoted in PoliSyn ops . C ritic. in Gen . rt. 3. See alfo Heylin
‘
s
Hillary of the Sabbath, part 1 . ch. 1 . an d A rchbiihop Bram hall’
s
w orks , p. 91 1 . L ater Jew s im proved to m uch upon the falle delicacy of
their forefathers in C hriti’
a tim e, w ho fcrupled n ot to take an or out of
a pit in to w hich he w as fallen , on a Sabbath, Mat . x rr. that they w ould
on ly allow food to be given the bealt in the w ater till the feltival w a s
over, w hen they took him out. Nay, a Jew w ho w as fallen in to a ditch
on the Sabbath, is (aid by Six tus Sen eniis , w ho had been him felf a ew
before his con verfion) and others , to have refuted to fuiier a C h an
w ho ofi'
ered his help, to lift him out of the m ire ; faying , Sa bba tgr trojk a
£010 ; dc fiercore jargo n nolo. When he im plored the fam e C hriib an'
s
atlillance on the Sun day, the latter to turn his l'
upcrltitious (crupulofityagainfl
‘.
T ir e L o R D ’s D A Y . Tr. 1 .
tell an d infinite felicity w hich God enjoys w ithin him felf
and fecondly, of that glorious reft and everlaiiing blifs w hichw e {hall en ter into after the conflicts and labours of this m or
tal life. Thirdly, it is a coll'
ation from w orldly em ploys andlabour, in order to confecrate the pow ers of our fouls to the
holy ex ercifes of that happy (late, heavenly con tem plation ,love, and praife . It w as fo firiétly obferved by the J
ew s ,
that they w ere forbid on it to drefs m eat (1 t), to trave farther than about a m ile to buy or fell any thing (1fire. but n ot to repulfe an en em in felf- defence or to
perform in the‘
tem ple the necefiiirry aaiot
’
is for ofi'
ering facrifices or in necefl
'
ity to take an 01: out of the w ater
L ater Jew s have in m any places carried their fcrupu
lolity in obferving the Sabbath to a m ore ridiculous fuperfii-u
tion than even that oftheir pharifaical anceliors w hen C hrifi
preached am ong them ; their raihn efs in cenfuring his difci
pics for plucking a few ears of corn on a Sabbath to fatisfytheir hunger, and in condem ning him , and efctibing to the
devil the divine m iracles he w rought, becaufe he refiored
the tick to health on that feiiival, he m eekly reproved ;fhew ing their delicacy to have been tina ured With fuperfiiti
on , an d refined pride, and their condufi inconfifien t. In the
jew ilh difpenfation theReiicom m anded on the Sabbath w as
m uch m ore fevere, an d of greater ex tent than in the C hriftian law , and {till m ore fevere than the
flaw of n ature n ecci
farily requires, fuch a difciplin e being uitable to a difpenfa
tion w hich confid ed m ore in outw ard rites than the neWi
(1 1 ) Ex od . x vi. 3 3. 1 9. (is ) C alm et cu m , 1 . 1 2 ,
it s) a Eidt . x iii. 15. (1 4) 1 Mace. x i. 4 1 .
U )Milt. x ii. 5. (1 6)-Matt. x ii. 1 1 .
again ll him felf anfw ered, he lhould keep the C hriftian Sabbath in the
fam e place. Sabba ta ooflra uidcm , Solom on , rab bi-obit ibidem . Som e
Rabbin s have w arm ly con ten ed that a taylor w ould be guilty of break
ing the Sabbath, w ho thoold carry a need le (tuck oh hrs lleeveon .
that
d ay, w ith m any other fuch trifles . See L am y, Ay m ara : Bib/m u ;
Cerem onies do route: I n Rdig . Am llerdam , T. i. Bux torf. Syria n
gog a j udaira . c . 1 5. Codex ‘Tbalm udieur do Sabba to L atine V erin e,
a Seb. Schm idio. T. ii. Mofes Maim onides, Tr. Schabbat. in j ailCoajam , l. 3. c . 1 . B rulin s , do tribe: seas j a n itor, p . 94. and 1 09.W ill. Wotton , Obj
'
rr'v . in Trail . Ta lm ud . do Sabba to, Hebr. an d Angl.
L ondon , 1 71 8 . D ouxier, D iff. deCura tione Cbn jfliSa bba tica , and V itusH en ri. Hafenin uller, D ill
'
. d: Operibar Sabba tum dopellenribur ex m aize
Hebre orum , Jen z 1 708 . Kirchm eier, Dim ”. do Sabba th yadz ar . Vl’it
tem . 1 731 . Adam C hrilt. Matthew , D e Sa bba th j ad airir, Norim bergte,.1 70 1 L eo ofModern , HMa ‘ia Rita lin Hebrc oriiav pro/2am im ports ,a t .
T u e L O R D .
’s D A Y .
“
Tr. I,
agreed am ong theologians (t)that by the L aw of Nature
itfelf, a (ct day w hich frequen tly occurs , that is , on e d ayin feven or thereabouts , is n ecefl
'
arily to be confecrated to
the D ivin e Worfhip, w ith an in terruption of w orldly em .
ploym en ts an d corporal labour Thus the L aw of the
Sabba th, in afm uch as by it one day a w eek w as com m an d.
ed to be kept holy, w as a precept of the L aw ofNature a)yet as prefcribed in the Mofaic L aw , it w as cerem onial
both as to the particular day of the w eek to w hich it w as
affix ed am ongthe Jew s , an d as to fom e circum fl an ces te
lating to the particular m an n er ofobferving it. After C hrifi’s
refurrcfiion , and the defcen t of the Holy Ghofi at Pen te
(1 ) S . Thom as a . Secondae, A rt . 4 . Ste . ibid .
(a) S . Thom as A q uin as a . S eeuudae, Qt;
1 2 2 . A rt. 4. And
am ong the Proteflan ts Am elius , D iff. de Sabbato in P rref. D r. C larkin his Serm on s , vol. x . p. 59. an d in his Ex polition of the C atechit
'
m ,
p. 1 73, 1 74. Jephfon on the Sabbath, p . t a .
(a) TheMahom etan s m ake Frid ay their w eekly feflival, partly fromthe an cien t cullom of the P agan Saracen s before the birth of Mahom et,
a s Selden proves (D e Diir Sy rir, l. a . c . 4. p . A nd partly inhon our of the
,flight of their falfe prophet. (See Thom as Sm ith de Ma
‘
rib w Turca rum , p . 2 8 . Relan d , Vit. Ma bom etir. Pococlt , Specim en
Hr'
flor r'
t Arabum , p . 31 7. Pearfon , of the A pottles , p . 471 . Plottin
g er, Prim a tm Hedelberg en er, p. 331 , Ste .) Plasm a a rm rafter. a Ma ,
r a ce. Pa ta 'u . 1 698 . C on t an tin e the Great com m an ded Friday to be
kept a vacan t fin al day in all cou rts of judicature, in honour of thed eath of C hrifl . (See Euleh. dc ViuiC
'
ovtfia n tini, l. 4. c . 1 8 .
m en , p. 4 1 a . Tillem on t, Hill. des Em p. p. 593, T . iv .) Fridayfeeurs to have been obferved in fum e m an n er ho ly from the A flolic
tim es . See Jam es Godofred , in Cad .
‘Tbeadof. T . i. p . 1 38 . A em a ni,Bibi. Orien t. Vatican T . i. p . 1 1 7. 2 37. Marten n e Thefa ur. A n ec
dot. T . v . p . 66. Friday is alfo kept holy by the C zerem ifes , an ido
latrou s people fubjeé'
t to the Mpfcovites , upon the banks of the , V 0l a ,
on the bord ers ofSiberia, a s w e are in form ed by de Strahlenberg inirisA ccou n t of Northern Europe an d AM, or Siberia, (p. The
prim itive C hrifiian s kept a Ration on W ednefd ay, w ith faltrug and pub
lic afibm blies in prayer. See John Martin C aladen , D r]. de Sta tiovibaucvtterum , Cbn
'
fiia n . Lit/ire , 1 744. 1 8 . Bingham , Cbr . An tiquil .
l. 2 1 . ch. 3. p. 2 66. Bon a, dc Liturg . &c .
The id o laters abou t O rm az an d Goa folem nize Monday ; thofi: ofGuin ea, Tuefday ; m any tribe s in the territories of the Mogul, Thurfd ay . The ja
rn efe keep no day holy, but the 1 5th and a 8 th of every
m on th. See‘
ranc. de la Mothe le V ayer. T . x ii. ep . 1 1 . p. 32 . The
principal Proteftsn t theologian s teach w ith C a tholics , that by the law of
nature all m en are boun d to con fecrate to the divin e ferviee, on e d ay outof feven or thereahouts t See Junius , Prat/1 3 . in Ge». C u rcella us ,
Iqfitt. l. 7. c . 31 . Bp. Babington , on the fourth
C om m a n d . Hooker, Beck]. Politic, b . v . p. 69, 70 , Gee. they alfo
agree that the determ in ation of thepa rticula r day is a cerem onia l pee
cept, Som e have carried this fg far at. to leave the determ inationi
t
:8
C h an“T r-I r: L O R D ’
s D A Y .
coll, the fefiival of the Sabbath w as changed from S aturday to Sun day, that is, from the lafl: to the firfl day of the
w eek. This w e on ly learn from the confiant praaice andtradition of the chunch. We find indeed in fom e part ofthe ca nonical w ritings ofthe Apoflles , m en tion m ade of theL ord
’
s D ay. St. john w as in the Me of Pa tm os on the
L ord’
s D ay , w hen the D ivine Revelation s w hich he has tecorded concerning the {late of the churches of Alia in parti
cu lar , and ofthe univerfal church in tim es to com e, w ere
difcovered to him And St . L uke in the A&s of the
Apoflles fpeaks of the fir/l day of the w eek, o n w hichthe D ifciples m et together to break bread or celebrate the
Holy Eucharifl, and on w hich St. P aul preached till m id~
night. Alfo St. Paul ord ered charitable colleaion s to bem ade am ong the Faithful in their religious afl
'
em blies on theB rit da
yof the w eek But thefe pa lfages w hich m en ti
o n , on y in direfi ly the L ord’
s D ay, and the full day of the
w eek, as confec rated to the divine fervice in the tim e of the
Apollles, no w ay lhew that the obligation of the Jew ifbS abba th w as transferred to that day, nor in w hat m an n
w e are obliged to obferve it, nor even that it is a w eek
.
holy- day. All thefe poin ts w e learn from Apoflolical tra
dition , in w hich even Proteftauts of a ll denom in ation s ac
q uiefCe. A learn ed Archbifhop'
of the church of Englan dw rites on this poin t as follow s That the Apollles w ere
not on ly as judges a nd m agillrates in a civil (late,en
trulted w ith the ex ecution of the law s an d inflitution s of
our Bleffed Saviour, but had alfo hereby fuch conflan t,certain , and eve n in fallible allil
‘
ta nce from the Holy Ghol}
.
(tw ba guided them in to a ll truth, John x vi. I 3. taught
tbew a ll tbingr, a nd brougbt a ll tbingr to tbeir rem em bra n ce,w ba tfoe'ver Cbri/l bad [aid un to tbem , ch. x iv . as
put them beyond all poflibility of error, to w hich even
the bell m agilirates , an d m olt learn ed judges in w orldly
com m unities‘
are fubjeél Bilhop White faith, It
(3) Rev. i. to . (4) A515x x . 7. (5) C or. x vi. z .
(6) Archbilhop‘
s Syn ge‘
s D ivin e A uthorrty of C hurch Govern
m en un
p . 2 6.
the day to particular churches , an d even to private perfon s . Tind altrea ted this day w ith fuch indifferen ce, as to lay , in his an fw er to Sir
Thom as More, that w e are lord s of the Sabbath, a n d m ay change it to
M ond ay , or any other day or appoin t every ten th d ay, or tw o days a
w eek . An d Barclay fays ofC alvin , that in hon our of C lrrilt’
s afeen
.fion , he once Adefrgn ed to trauflate it to Tlrurfday, as an in flan ce oi
'
C hrifiian liberty.
t - l
ta T n : L O R D ’s
‘
D A Y . Tr. r’
.
is not necell'
ary to dem onfirat'
e out of Scripture that theApoflles ordain ed the Sun day as a w eekly holy
-day. Fo r
it could n ot poflibly have com e to pals , that all and everyApollolical church throughout the univerfal w orld (hould
(0 early and in the begin ning of their plan tation , have
confented together to m ake the Sunday a w eekly feflival,un lefs they had been directed thus by their founders the
holy Apoftles them felves Archbifhop Bram ha ll
m akes the fam e obfervation , an d adds He that profef
feth C hrifiianity, and w ill n ot be fatisfied w iththe petpetual an d un doubted tradition of the univerfal church of
C hrifi , i. e . of the w hole w orld of believers , including“ F the Apoftles them felves , is utterly in capable of any real
fatisfaétion , and buildeth his religion m ore upon his ow n
w ilful hum our and private phan tafy than upon true judgm en t The learned Bit p Taylor w ho refolves the
authority of the L ord’
s D ay into m ere ecclefiaflical inili
tution , affirm s ,“that the keeping of this day, belides all the
other realon s derived from the nature of the thing, yet
even for this alone, becaufe it is derived from the
Apoflles , ts to rem ain (0 for ever, the reafon being at
firfi com peten t, and the fam e reafon rem ainin for ever,a nd another can not com e in place of it, ansa greaterthere can not be .
”He farther rem arks , that the Apoflles
w ere n ot on ly dire&ed by the Holy Spirit in m atters relatingto divine w orlhip and religion , but alfo had his im m ediate
authority in their determ in ation s upon fuch poin ts , as is ve
ry eviden t from Aas x v. 2 8 . w here the Apollles {peakingof their decifion in the affair of the circum cilion , ex
ptefs them felves thus Itfeem etb good to tbe Holy Gbgfl a nd
to us .
The m olt an cien t of the Fathers , an d the im m ediate fuc-v
ceilors of the Apoflles, m en tion the L ord’s D ay as fublti
tuted in the w hole C hriflia n church to the ew ifh Sabbath.
S . Ign atius , the difciple of 8 . Peter, clear alludes to it
w hen ex horting the C hritlian s ofMagn etia not to be feduced
into error as to the obfervance of the Jew ifh legal corem o
nies , he bids them not to keep the Sabbath of the Jew s, binto lead a life agreeable to the L ord’s D ay, on w hich our life
(7) Bp. W hite, on the Sabbath.
”
p . 1 9a . Bran ln ll’
a
W orks , p . 91 6. He died A rchbilhop ofA rm agh, in 1 663.
D ufl or D obita ntim , B . x i. ch. 3 . Rule 6. 51 . 8: B . iii. c. 4.
Ru le 1 3. s. r . Bp . Pearfon on the C reed ,"p. L ew is C ape]!
Tr. de Sabbato. Menard . in ep . S . Barnabas, p. aoa .
T n : L O R D ’s D A Y . 1 3
w as raifed from the dead by him , and thro’ his death (to).
C lem en s of Alex andria throw s a light upon this pafl'
age,w hen e x plaining w hat it is to lead a life conform able to the
L ord’
s D ay ; he fays , he that obferves the precept of the
gofpel m akes his life the L ord’s D ay, w hilll he ca lls aw ay
every evil thou ht, and takes to him felf the true Gnollic,that is , fp
'
bitua and chrillian thoughts of w ifdom a nd fanc
tity, thereby glorifying the refurre&ion of the L ord
H ence w e learn , that the C hrillians gave the w eekly fellivalthe nam e of the L ord
’s D ay (b), and that to lead a life con
form able to the L ord’s D ay (c), in m em ory ofour Saviour
’s
refurreaion , w as luitably to that m yflery by w hich w e are
freed from the flavery of tin an d the lulls ofthe flcjb , or the
o ld m an,to w alkin the new life according to the fpirit of
C hrill , as S . Paul fo often ex horts us Though theyave this C hrillian w eekly felliva l the .n am e of the L ord’
s
Day, yet they fcrupled not, efpecially w hen they {poke to
the Heathens , to ca 1 it Sun day for though that appellation
took its rife from an idolatrous fuperllition and the w orfhipo f the planets , yet it w as becom e the ul
'
ual n am e by w hichthis day w as know n , (0 that it m ight be em ployed as a bare
d enom inative term w ithout refpe& to any fuperllition . S .
juflin , Martyr, in his Greater Apology, w hich he delivered to the heathen s , calls it Sund ay (1 Tertullian (peaks
of it to the idolaters under the fam e appellation (t but
w hen he w rites to C hriflians on ly, he prefers that of the .
L ord’s D ay (I The Em perours C onflan tin e the Great
V alen tinian the firfl (r and fecond and
Theodolius the elder and the younger in“
the law s w hich
th ena&ed, called it Sunday ; though they fom etim es
ad the n am e of the Lord’s D ay. The latter appellation
is em ployed by S. D ion yfius of C orinth (t S . Irenz us
(m ) S . Ign at. ep. ad Magner. p . 9. See Cotelier’
s Note, ih.1 1 ) C lem . Alex . Strom . l. 7. p . 877. ed . Ox on .
ih) Know -d
(c) Kvgta t‘
n {it or “ grow ls 45m m r u i’
r
C ol. iii. 1 . Rom . vi. 4.. 1 C or. x v. a s . 8x . Apol.
a . (n unc 1 . ed . Ben .) p. 99. ( 1 4) Apologettci c . x v. 8: l. 1 . ad
Nation . c . x iii. (15) D e C oro na c. iii. D e Jeyun . c. 1 5. (1 6) Cod .
Theodol'
. l. a . c . viii. D e Fern s L eg . 1 . (1 7) ih. Leg. 2 . (1 8) C od .
’
Theodof. l. 8 . dc Ex ecutor-lbw , Leg . 1 . 8: 3. 8: alibira pe. (1 9)
Apud Euf. hif. l. 4. c.
S. Melito,
1 4 T u x L O R D ’s D A Y Tr. r;
S. Melito of Sardis O rigen S. C yprian ,an d others
V arious m otives are aflign ed for changing the Jew ifh Sabbath in to Sunda y The firfl an d prin cipal w a s in honour of
the great m yfleries of the refurreaion of C hrifl, and the
defce n t of the Holy Ghofl, w hich happen ed on Sun day. Bythe latter, the n ew law of grace w a s prom ulg‘ ; and byC hrill
’
s refurreélion , his viélory over fin an d hell w as corn -a
pleted , a nd the great w ork of m a n’s . rede m ption finifited.
To praife God for the creation of the w orld w as the prim a
ry m otive for the determ in ation of the w eekly feflival on
Saturday ; w hich law w as m ore particularly confirm ed byGod to the Jew s , on accoun t of the prom ulgation w hich he
m ade to them of the Mofaic law . an d difpen tation , an d their
deliveran ce out of Egypt. Now the redem ption of m an
kin d and the reparation of the w orld by the incarn ation ,death, an d refurreélion of the Son of God , w as a far great
er m yllery, and a m ercy infinitely brighter : it claim s our
hom ages upon a far firiéler title than the creation ; nor can
the deliveran ce from the Egyptian bondage bear the leafl:
proportion to this im m enfe ben efit, the highell efliort, and
utm oll ex ertion of divine om nipoten ce and goodn efs in fad
vour of a m oft fin ful race of creatures . S. Ign atius Mar
t yr C lem en s of Alex an dria and other prim itive
Fathers are vouchers that Sunday is an univerfal w eekly fefa
tival am ong C hrillia n s in hon our of the glorious m yllery oi'
C hrill’
s refurreaj on .
The firli day of the w eek w as confecrated b the
greatefl gifts ofdivine grace , w hich on it w ere con lyerred
upon us ,” fays S . L eo : for the principal m ylleries
w hichGod , in the difpen fation s ofhis m ercy, has w rought
in our favour, give a lullre to the dignity ofthis day. O n
it the w orld received a begin ning ; on it death w as vanquilh
ed , an d life began to reign through the refurreaion of
C hrifl : on it the HolyGholidefcen ded upon the Apoftles ,
lb ; l c . 24 (M y ih. l . 4. c . 2 6. (2 1 ) Horn . 7. in E x od .
1 3. T. 1 . p. 8 2 . (3 3) See Thom aflin Tr. des fetes l. a . c . 1 . 1 a .
1 64.
(24) S . Ign . Ep. ad Magner. n . 9. (1 5) C l. A lex . Strom . l. 7.
p . 877. Ed . O x on . S . Am brof. Serm . 61 . See C oteler . in Ep . S . Bar
n abas T. 1 . Patr. Apofl . p . 47. Men doza in C on cil. I lliber. T . 1 .
p . 1 1 6. 4. ed . L abbei. V aleftus ad En feh. p . C on rin giiProgra:
m ata Sacra p. 1 1 3. Joan .
~Gul. Jan us , p . 1 6. ad EufebiiA lex an d rini
Serm on em m lign etn de D ie D om inica celebrando, quem e C odice Bod
telano e'
t V aticanoy edidit Liplia Anno 1 7ao.
C h 2 . T H }: L O R D’s D A Y . 1 5
delivering to us an heaven ly rule A fecon d m otivefor this cha nge of the Jew ifh Sabbath w as to fhew
,that u n
d e r the light of the ofpel, the figures a nd fhado w s of theO ld L aw are paffega w ay by giving w ay to the n ew ; a n dthat its typical cerem onia l precepts ceafed to oblige upon the
prom ulgation of the gofpel (d).
S . Leo Ep. 1 1 . ai. 8 1 . ad D iofcorum , Alex dr. Epifc.
(d) The Jew ith L aw w as to be buried w ith hon our, as S . An llino bferves . W hen its typical rites and figures w hich reprefen ted C lm tlto com e, w ere com pleted in his dea th an d refurreélion , a n d in the ella
b lilhm en t of his church they ce l led on ly by being fulfilled , an d bythe perfeélin g of all that w a s
'
in them defeélive an d im perfefll , M at .
1 7. 1 7. From this tim e the Jew ilh facrifices loll their eflicacy , an d the
cerem onial rites w ere n o lon ger o c ree they even becam e im m ediate
ly fuperllitious and finful in thore w ho havin g received the gofpel, m ain
tain ed them to be llill obligatory b virtue of the old la w n everthelefs
w ithout this fuperllitious error 0 their n eceflity and ob ligation , fa m e
of thofe rites w ere llilloccafton ally obferved by the A poflles an d their
difciples , not to offen d the Jew ifh -con verts , an d n ot to give occalion to
im agin e tha t they con dem ned the Mofaic difpen fation as evil in itfelf,a s certain heretics did w ho blafphem oufly preten ded , tha t it w as derived
from an evil prin ciple, and w as in its origin , evil. 8 . P aul him felf,though the Apollle of the Gen tiles , firen uoully flood up for the libertyof the gofpel again fl thofe w ho en deavoured to in frin ge upon it, bym ain taining the herefy, that there w as an obliga tion of fom e fubjeélionto the Jew ilh rites , Gal. 1 1 . 5. Y et he often com plied w ith the Jew sin m an y lega l obfervances , 1 C or. ix . ao . AEls x vi. 3. x x i.
H ence the O rien tal C hriflian s , am on g w hom the jew s w ere the firfi
con verts , llill kept the Saturday or Sabbath a kind of w eekly felliva l,o n w hich all the people afl
’
em bled at public prayer, &e’
. (See Goo/lit.Apofiol. l . a . c. 59. I. 5. c. 1 5. 86 s o . I. c. 2 3. l. 8 . c. 33. Socra
ta 1 . 5. bill. c . a s . I. 6. c . 8 . Gajian Iii/git. 1 . 3. c . a . l. 5. c. 2 6. S .
Bafil Ep. 2 89. Gon e. La odic. c. 1 6. 8c 53 . Ste . Y et the preferen ce
w as alw ays given in m an y refpeéls to the Sun day,98 the chief w eeklyfellival . (See Bingham , Origin s: Ere/cf. V ol. ix . l. 2 0 . ch. 3. Seél . 3.
p . 60 . Thom aflin Tr. des Fetes l. a . c . z . p. To oppofe the
Ebionites and fam e other Judaizing heretics w ho preten ded that the
obligation of the cerem onial precepts of the old law had, n ot ceafed ,the chiefpallors of the church abated m ore and m ore of the jew ilh feftival ofthe Sabbath. The Apotlolic C on flitution s com m and rell from
m an ual labour on both Saturdays and Sun days but the faithfu l prayed[lan din g on ly on Sundays , betides feveral other m arks of dil
'
hnélion
and of a preference to the latter . A nd again ll the Ebionites an d Naza
rean s about the year 363, the council of L aodicea ex prefs ly defin es ,
Toa t Cbr'
yfiam m gfl not judaize, and refrain from m anua l labour on
Sa turdq , but w ork on {ba t day a nd tha tpreferring (be Lord’
s D ay ,
tbey 16m m fl raj), if tl n'
r ca n be don e or becom e: Cbriflia nr (C an .
A rem n an t of this difciplin e fiill fubfills am ong the Greeks in their n e
ver falling on a Saturday even in Len t, ex cept on Eafler eve, the dayon w hich C hrill lay in the grave. A n d on all other Saturdays the
faithful affetnble to m afs . (Sn Gea r in Eucbologium , Hubert, D e
T H E L O R D’s D A Y . Tr. 1 .
C H A P . III.
M ti'verfl r keeping the L O R D’s D A Y .
T is the full and m ofl indifpenfable duty of every creao
ture that is en dow ed w ith reafon and free - w ifl , and con
q UC n Ily capable ofknow ing an d loving God , an d confcious
that he ow es to him all that he is , or polleffes , to pay to him
a ration al hom age as to the God of infinite Majefiy, hisC reator, fovereign Lord , m olt gracious Benefafi or , a nd
laft En d . Though this hom age is a daily, yea a con tinual
debt, m a n is boun d to fet apart certain days , as on e in (even ,in w hich he lays aftde all diftrafi ing tem poral em ploym en ts ,
a nd dii'
engages him felf as m uch as this m ortal (late w illper-f
fi ript . Eccl. Gra ce Pa rt. 3. p . 1 52 , Ste.) I t is n ot clear w hether
a lfo the W efiern church did no t at firlt keep the Sab ba th in tim e de
g ree a feflival. A lbal'
pin asus m akes n o doubt but it w as fo , (Obj'
erfu .
£11 8 . Opta r. l. 1 . c . Tertullian , at Ieatt is our voucher, that in
his tim e n either C atholics norMon tan tlls in the W ell ever failed on
Saturdays , ex cept on B atter-eve, (Terr. dc 7ejw s . c . 1 4. 8: Som e
churches in the Well , a s that of Milan , alw ays ex cepted Saturd ays
from the fa ll , as S . A ultia . (By . 86. a d Cafulan um , Es? Ep. 1 1 8 . ad
7m m ), and others m en tion . The fall of fiation s on W ed n efdays an d
Fridays w as eflablilhed in hon our of C hrilt'
s pallion , w hich he began
o n the form er, an d ended on the latter of thefe d ays . A t Rom e, Sa
torday w as added becaufe C hrilt on that day lay in the grave an d veryfoon the fall ofWed nefday w as rem oved to the Saturday, though in
certain churches , for fa m e tim e, a ll three days w ere kept a s w eekl
falls of the fiations, as appea rs from Bed e, as to England . The churchofA lex and ria and all Egypt conform ed to the Rom an cufiom in n ot
keeping the Saturday a fel’uval, a s Socrates s trefts , (Hf/I. I. 5. c . n ).
A n d 8 . Epiphanius fays , that the repofe of the Sabbath is no longer
kept tim e the death of C hrtlt, w ho is our relt and Sabbath, (Ha-r .
This father obferves , (Epitom . T 1 . p. that w here it w as kept
a feltival (in the O rien ta l C hurches), this w as done not out of Jud aifm ,
but to w orlhip the Lord of the Sabbath, an d in honour of the creation ,as Sunday is fanétified particularly in honour of C hrilt
‘
s refurreé'
tion .
The fam e rem ark had been m ade m ore at large by S . A thauafius . Mar.
cion eltablilhed an obli tion of falling on the Sabbath, upon an in spi
ous heretical prin ciple 0 oppolition to the God of the Jew s , w hom he
pretended to be an evil principle, as S . Epiphanios m en tion s , (Ha rx lil. n . In abhorrence of this blsfphem y, the church then torbad
an y on e to fall on a Saturday (ex cept on Batter-eve) or on a Sun day,Can . Aptzfl. 64. alias It is n ot, how ever, forbid to fall on a
onday, provided it be not don e out of flu ularity or fum e fuperflitious
m otive : nor- even if aperlbn w ho thoo ld all every day upon pruden t
m otives of virtue, thou d in clude alfo the Sunday, though the con traryis in gen eral advifeable in honour of the feat}. (See Logo, 301 1 11aare. de j cjm io.)
T H E"
L O R D ’3
'
D A Y Ta r.
m ighty and infinitely good, to m anifefi his 0011 ow er an d
liberality, and to im part to creatures m eafures o happinefs
and perfeftion , He out of nothing produced all things that
are by the fingle a& of his om nipoten t w ill. He created
m atter in a chaos or confufed fluidity : then by his fpirit
m oved over it, He brought it into order and beauty, pro
ducing on the fit “ : day light, w hich during (0 m any thoufand
years has never failed in its feafon : on the fecon d day, the
firm am ent or the region of the air, and the (pace w hich di
vides the celellial and terreflrial w orld : on the third, the
vafl ocean , w hich though its billow s rage, and beat the
m ores w ith fuch violence, has ever fince know n its appoin t
ed bounds , and obferved God’s om nipoten t m an date : at
the fam e tim e, He gave birth to the earth,w ith grafs and
trees yielding fruit and feed till tim e (hall be no m ore : on
the fourth day, the am azingly glorious orbs of the fuul andm oon , w ith the beauteous canopy of the fiars , fpread inthe firm am en t : on the fifth day, fow l that fly, and filhes
that fw im in the w aters : .ou the fix th, bealls and reptiles on
the earth : and laflly, m an to his ow n im age an d after hisow n likenels. Thus he created heaven and earth, all thiflgs
fpiritual and corporeal, vifible and invifible. God com m ando:
ed, and at his w ord, all flying ; cam e firtb out of notbingbe w illed, a nd thy w ere created and each obje& flood
forth, an d w as ranged in its proper place ; the m yriads ofbright a els, light, and all other beings that em it, w ith
m an , 1025of this inferior w orld and the num berlefs tribes of
its inhabitants . All the creation out of nothing, w ere it of
the leafl atom , is an ex ertion ofinfinite pow er, tranfcendinginfinitely the faculties ofall ex alted beings , w hich can never
ex ert their action but on fom e pre- ex ilten t fubje& .
It is on l in the pow er or w ill of om nipotence, that no
thingitfel is fruitful. And in how w onderful a m an n er are
the reator’s infinite w ifdom , goodn efs, and pow er, w ith all
his other attributes , difplayed in the vafi '
orbs placed in theheaven s , in the regularity of their m otion s,
'
in the beauty,fym m etry, and adm inillration of the w hole univerfe, and
every the leafi part ? After each’
portion of his w ork, andafter the w hole -w as com pleted, he took a furvey, and
faw it w as5 or fuitable in all refpe&s to the cat endshe propofe to him felf, and by his divine com p acen cy inhis w ork, he approved it as fuch. The rifi liars,
”
that is, all the legions of bright heavenly fpirits, y their
(1 9) Pt. cx lviii. 5.adoration
T u
“
: L o a n s D A Y . 2 :
adoration and praifes in flan tly celebrated his glory, both inhis ow n adorable greatnefs , and lhining forth in his w orks ,
(30)a tribute w hich they n ever in terrupt to enternity.
‘ Man
w as called upon to m ake the like tender of his hom age, and
our firfl paren ts paid it in ra turon s [train s of thankfgiving,love an d adoration (e). God
)
w as pleafed in m em ory of this
difplay of his infinite m ercy and m agnificent glory in the
creation,to fanaify and confecrate to refl from corporal la
bour and to his fervice the feven th day, on w hich he ceafed
from this w ork, and re-entered as it w ere in to the contem ~
plation of him felf. Therefore on this w eekly feflival it is
our duty (f)in our devotion s to ofl’er him a tribute of ado
ration , praife, oblation , thankfgiving and love, in acknow
ledgm ent of his fovereign m ajefty and goodnefs, an d of his
m unificen ce and bounty tow ards us and all his creatures
in the produ&ion of all things, and in all the efl’e&s of
his hol providence through every age, and in every m o
m ent 0 our exiflence. This acknow ledgm en t w e daily
(30) job, x x x viii. 7.
Qe) Som e Jew ilhRabbins im agined the93d (Hebr. 93d) pfalm , to
have been com pofed by Adam , to praife God upon the creation . Thisis affirm ed in an ancient C haldaic para hrafe under the n am e of‘ Jonathan on the firfl chapter of the book 0 C an ticles . And this title w asa ncien tly prefix ed to this gad Pfalm A fong w hich Adam recited
on the feven th day, or as Lightfoot faith : Which Adam m ade
for the Sabbath.
"It is a fong of prail
'
e on that accoun t ; but w as
m ore probably com piled by B an d , or as Bede thinks , by the Jew s teturnin g from the captivity of Babylon .
(f) All zealous ferran ts of God have m ade it a particular part oftheir devotion often to adore an d praife his in finite w er, goodnefs and
w ifdom , m anifefled in all the w orks of his Holy rovidence. Theheaven s thew forth the glory of God , and the firm am en t declareththe w ork of his han ds .
” Pf. x viii. (Hebr. x ix . v . x .) &c . See Pf.cx liv. (Hebr. cx lv.) 1 5. 1 6. cx lvi. (Hebr. cx lvu .) 8 . 9. Pf.
”cx lvii.
Pf. viii. 3. Sec. It is im poflible for any religious fouls to cohlider theleafl tingle part of God
’
s w onderful w orks , w ithout beingflirred up to
adore him in raptures of am azem en t, love and gratitude.
‘
A devout
perfon fitting one day upon a hill above a gen tle flream , w as (0 ravilhedand tran fported in con tetn plating the beauty, glory, fw eetn efs and love
difplayed by God , before his eyes in the heaven s , flow ery field s , beafls,birds , and purling flream s of w ater w hich he beheld , that he often de
clared , he had never been (0 m uch m oved by any ferm on or'
ous m e
ditation in his w hole life. We m ay read on the w on derf w orks ofGod in the creation , the ferm on s of S . Bafll, and S . A m brofe on the
Ha rm an or w ork of fix d ays s D u Guet'
s Otm ragr dcfix j aw-r,
Ra’
s Wifdom of God in the creation : D erham'
s Ph fico~
eologzcan d
'
Aflro-Theology : The religious philofOphc-r, by ieu.
w enttt,
m 3. T a r; L O R D ’s D A Y . ay
rity, w hat treatm ent m ull w e ex pea if his ex am ple, andm uch greater lights and experience do n ot deter us from a
like, or perhaps a m ore im pious profan ation of the L ord’s
d ay ? When w e confider the rigorous fenten ce affed byGodit n the firfi fabbath-breaker, w e can not be Errprized tha
chem ins fhew ed fo m uch z ealin reform ing abufes again!this precept, a nd that he caufed the gates of Jerufalem to
be {but on the fabbath to hinder the Jew s and efpecia lly pagan Tyrian s from bringing in w ine , figs , or other burthen s.a n d from fellin
ghib or any w ares on the fabbath Say
ing to the peo e ; Whatis this evil thing w hich you are
doing, pro aning the fabbath-day D id not our fathers do
thefe things , and our God brought all this evil u n u s,
and upon this city? And you bring m ore w ra t uponIfrael by violating the fabbath.
”Am ongfl chrilirans
m any have been overtaken by vitible judgm ents for this
crim e ; of w hich m any ex am ples are related by fevcraicouncils and authen tic hiftod an s The fathers of the
firth council of Paris , in the year 829, after ex poundingthat all coun try bufinefs , bargains and the like are forbid onSundays , by doing w hich the light of chriftianity is darken
ed , and an occafion offcandal given to thofe w ho blafphem e
the n am e of C hril’t, fay ; Many of us have ourfelvet
feen , others have heard of perforts killed w ith thunder
w hilfi they follow ed their hulbandry on thefe days ; fom e
have been pu nilhed w ith a fudden con traaion of their
nerves , and fom e have been {truck dead by vifrble fire,‘4 a nd their bodies , and very bon es confum ed in a m om ent
,
and reduced to aibes ; and m any other terrible chattife
m ents have been , and ilili are infiia ed for this crim e
But the m olt ordin ary judgm ents w ith w hichGod uniflses it, are invifrble, and of all others the m olt
sa ri by w hich he abandon s fuch tim ers to a fpiritud
blin dn tfs an d hardnefs of heart, and delivers them over to'
a
reprobate fen'fe .
Som e churches form erly dated the begin ning of the pre
cept of keeping Sundays and holydays from the
evening, and fom e from the firfi ve d forne ended on
Sunday evening , others nor: till m ornin The
coun cil of C om piegn e held under Gregory IV . in533, dc.
$46) a Efilr. a m .
0
1
65. a s .
46 8 . Gregory Tours, l. 3 . Hill . Franc . c . 30. and L. i. atGlor. art . e . 1 6. l. u . ib. c. at . A council of Scotland, an}. RogerHoveden on the year, n or.
T - tt t: L O R D ’a D A Y . 3s
A le ll'
on to all m afiers of fervants even if any have not been
baptiz ed, they are flill bound by ex ercifes of devotion , to
adore the C reator of all things w hom they know b the light
of nature, particularly on fom e w eekly fefiiva Servile
w ork is ex cufed on fcflivals in the follow ing circum fla nces.
of the Lord’
s D ay. Tit . A . p. 1 33 to The fam e are given killm ore at length in feveral Other authors .
W orldly bnftnefs or labour on the Sabbath w as in the Jew ith law puw ith death by God
’
s ex refs com m and . Ex od . x x xi. 1 4, 1 5.I n this rchibition Harvell o w o w as ex prefsly in cluded , notw ithlh ndin g its seq uen t m ceflity. Ex od. x x x iv. a t . The m an ner of ex ecution
w as determ in ed to be by honing the offen der. Num b . x v. 35. A n d this
a lw ays con tin ued the praétice of the Jew ilh court. (See Mit’
na Tit.S a nbcd u
'
m . c. vii. An d Selden de { yacdrfir I. it. c . x iii. n . 5. p. 33a).B y the law s of the heathen Rom an s , the Rex Sa crorum and Fla m in es
o r priells w ere obliged to fee n o w ork thooid be don e on religious felti
vals, w hich order they publithed by a crier. An offender w as punilhed
h
as fine laid upon him : if he had profan ed the d ay ignoran ti not
in fully, he w as to offer a hog in facrifice (Macrobius Sa tw ‘
s a l. i. c.1 6. 6a . Servius r
'
n Virgil. Gea'
g x'
c. l. i. p. This author thew sthat irgil on ly allow s w ater to be let out, or a dam to be m adeby n e
celfity in fadden flood s w hich w ould otherw ife dellroy the harvell . For
ex cept the cafe of foch a necetlity, this and all han dicrafts and other
w ork w ers forbid , an d (hops thut'
that m en m ight not be draw n from
attendin g the religion s facrifices an d w orthip of the day . The priefta(in t ofi cers before them to fee this obferved , for w hich he q uotes V arro,an d the con ll'an t practice. This rule w as derived from a Patriarchal gen eral tradition in obferving feltivals of true religion . Mutius Scz vola,th learn ed law yer, cafuitt and orator, and diltin guilhed high
-
pried and
conful, being confulted w hat m ight be done upon fuch days , m ade
an fw er ; that w hich could not w ithout dam s be let alone .
“
Quad
fra tern al “ : unceret (Mesa-ob. c. for an in an ceMacrobius m ett
sibn s the cafe of relieving an ox fal en in to a pit ; the tissue w hich is
m en tioned b our Saviour. Luke x vi. Thu s the heathen Rom an s
allow ed on ivals onl w orks of nece try and charity : but w ere large
enough in their con on s of there,
as appears from C olum ella, (De” Rafiica , l. n . c . a s .) an d Virgil. Georg
. l. i. v. 2 68 , 369, n o,
an , eye . C onfian tine the Great com m an ed every heathen to (hut
up their pa, and interru t all bufinefs , arts , trades and iudicial afi aon Sundays, but did not pro ibit hulband ry, alledging leafi the fruits of
the earth lhould periih by the lot} of the feafon . (Cod . 1 . iii. Tit. rs . is
M r. ow ner ices .) This law w ith the ex em ption of w orks of huf
bandry w as fo d in the Beg/55cm (or code of law s in ufein the low er
Greek em pire,) com piled by the eruperor Bafil, theMacedonian , and
blithed in 886, b his (bn an d fuccell'
or, L eo the philofopber (Bqfib'
c,
vii. Tit. 1 7. de dim ; Fen'
a h'
r. l. x ix .) But this L eo added a new
law to forbid all hulban dry ; for the divine law does not allow it on felt
rivals, as he fays . (l ea rm ) . Con/lit. 54. a d Cak em in j un ) Cifu.
And this tem fi ned ever after in force, as appears from Har
m enopulas. (l. i. Tit. 4. n . Agriculture w as never looked upon
as allow ed ex cept in cafes of neceflity ; but this induced C onfiantine notto
T ir e L O R D ’s D A Y . Tr. t .
l'
irfi, If it be as if a perfon w alking in a
garden pluck up a w eed, or if one m ake a (lim b or tw o of a
n eedle to m end a fm all hole in his coat of {locking Se6
condly, If it be required in the divine fervtce,”
as in
carrying a crcfs or relicks . The priells ln eak the Saba
bath in the tem ple, and are w ithout fault And the
(6) See Gon zales in tit . l e Fer-fir, T. ii. p. 1 58 . 9. An tonin . part“
I t Tit . 9. c . 7. 3.
(7}Mat. x ii. t o . Tert. l. u . ad v. Marcion .
w brin g fuch w ork un der the pen alties inflifted by the civil law , w hichho w ever, w a s don e by his fucceli
'
ors .
In the ancien t law s of the Burgundians (from the con flitution ofking Gon tram , A n no 58 3) in thofe of the Bavarian s, Alem an s, or
Germ an s , C hrilliau Goths , Hungarian s, 8m . Hulbandry and all otherw ork, ex cept that w hich is necell
'
ary for the d reilin g of viéhtals , is for
bid un der tirvere pen a lties . Am ong the Fren ch, king C hildebert II.in 5, ordered every on e w ho w as con vifi ed of bavi don e any w ork
on S’unda y to be am erced fifteen thillings (or folidi) ; ifa flare, three
on to be fcourged , (34 1142 . T . i. col. t 347. Gold
T. iii. p . King Pepin in a fynod . A . D . 755. forbad w orkon Sundays , but to lh un the Jew ilb fuperllition , fays , travelling in carl iages is allow ed, (Syn od . of V ern euil-fur-Oife . c. r4. con t . T . vi.
yr 1 664. C oin te, Anna ]. T, v. C apitulas'
. l. vn . c . a76. Haluz . T.
a. col. 1 73 an d 3086 ) Pepin’
s (on C harlem a e en larged this law ,allow in g on ly three occalion s for carriages on fel
'
vala , viz . for the ufd
of the arm y, for vié'
tuals , an d for con veyin g dead bodies to the grave.
(C apitular. l. i. c . 7g
. B aloz . T. i. p . 2 39, 240 an d
Am ong lt the Eng ilh S ax on s , Withred , king of écot, ordain ed in ,the council of Bergha m llede, that if a fervan t does an y w ork from
fitn -fet on Saturday to Sun day, the m ailer be fined 80 (billings , as Sir
Hen ry Spelm an ex hibits it. A ccording toWilkin s 's reading an d con
firuéiion of this law if a fervan t w orked Without orders , he w as to,
y fix lhillings , or be fcour ed if a freem an , be w as to lofe his free
zm or pay 60 lltillin gs (Wislkin s p . By the law s of Alfred and
Guthtun the D an e, a freem an w orking upon holidays w as to be m ade
a llave, or pay his w ire (or arbitra ry am erciam en t) an d his lalhite (orD aniih fettled fin e). L aw s of the like n ature had been before m ade byking In a, in a fyn od held at Bergham ftede under Bertuald archbilhop ofC an terbury. By
'
S . S tephen’
s law s in Hungary, a m an that w orked on
a Sund ay, w as to forfeit his belt ox or horfe, or all his in llrum en ts andtools , or redeem them by being fcourged . (Deer . Steflm m
’
. R. C . ii.
c . 7. a d Ca lcem Banfim'
x'
and Werbeuzrt ,
As to Law Proceedings .
With the Jew s it w as a (landing m ax im , that on Sabbaths and other{B enin days of religion , no judicial 38 s could be allow ed : To thewtheir abhorrence of w hich, they w ould n ot on thofe days, fo m uchasw afh or fit in con verfation in the courts w here their m agillrates w ere
u fed to determ in e caufes fee Mifua tit. Ritza fec. Tom . 706. c . 5. 86Maim onides Sabbath. c. 3 3. Selden . c is edriir l. ii. e. t o. n . a . Unt
‘
l
h
er
s
34 T H E L QR D ’s D A Y . Tr. 1 .
If“
n ereflizry The Sabbath is for m an (8) and any grievous neceflity for the fake of his life , health or reputation ,
or to w ard off any confiderable loss in his fortunes , is a fuf
ficien’
t real'
o n for difpenfing in the obligation of the tell:
com m and‘
gd’ ‘
on the fefiival. Hence no C hrillian ever doubt
(8)Mat. rat. L .W kiii. ay, . 8 n i. 1 , Luke vi. 7.
an y cincu m
ted a little from this
Jofephus coun ts it five Stadia or 69.5paces, perhaps to the foot of the
m oun tain . (An t . h im . c . S . Ep’
iphanius fays (Herr . that it
is not allow ed the Jew s -
to w alk on the Sabbath day above lix Sta dia or
750 paces . Origen , quoted by J Eram enius (in A6I . i.) fays , their
journéy of a Sabbath. d ay is one m ile or cubits . For the Jew snudo
’a m ile aooo w hite)
,as Rela n d ibew a. (Pale/lim e l. n . c . 1 . p .
And the Rabbin s q uoted by him , agree w ith Maim onides (inHr
'
lcotb Sabba tb, c . a7. 11 . w here he fays a perfon m ay w alk aooo
cubiteon n a -Babbath. The'
curn ey of the Sabbath (stem s to have been
determ ined .at ~lealiDn ear Jeru alem , by public authority 3 but w e find it
in fam e diltan t places a little m ore, in O thers lcfs . The Jew ilh cubit
w as tw o Rom an feet and a half,‘ a m ile being 1 000 paces or 5000 R0m an feet . (See Reland , ih. p. 397. L evm
‘
s Hebrew iqm'
tier, 1 .
iv. c. 1 6. p. 58s .) How ever the travellin g prohibit w as on ly{ w ho as w a s in order to fam e tem poral bulinefs , or am ufem en t, n ot of
devotion as to the Synagogue. (See Selden d: j ut e Na t . Q Gait. l. iii.c . 9. p. If an y Jew w en t on the Sabbath beyond aooo cubits ,but not 12» far as 1 3 m iles , he w as (courged , as for. tranfgrefling the
rules of the Scribes or dofl ors : Bu t if one tingle cubit beyond 1 :
railed, he w as beaten w ith cudgels , as offending ex prefsly again “ the
law of God itfelf. Scld . ih. p. 31 6.
In C hrifiian hates , the an cien t law s of the Bavarians , publilhed byH erold (in his 0px : Legum Antiquar um Germ a nic . 1 A nd again
by Lindenbrog (in Cod . Leg rm r An tiqua r um . A re m ofi fevere
on this head 5in thefe it is forbid for an y one w ho is travellin g by lan d
or w a ter, to proceed on the Lord’
s day, (on w hich he ought to red) on
penalty
C h.
‘
4. T h is L'
O RD ’s
'
D A Y .
“
39they m ade no fcruplc to (pend it in idlenel
'
s aird ufifawiul
pleafures, as dan cing and revelling Fur which thet ophets them felves had frequen tly threatened them w ithdi
vin e vengeance Theodofius the Elder . in 386, forbad even Pagan s to be gratified on the burd
’s day w ith ally
gym n aflic ex ercife of gladiators in the theatre, any c
tports, any Rage play, any horl'
eracein the circus, orhunting or 6 hting of w ild beafls His grandfon Theodohus the g’on ager ex ten ds the rohibitiou of thefe divotfions
to the other great fefiivals o the year, as C hm-trust
'
s , E
piphany, L ent, and Eafler ; enjoining both Jeers aridGentiles over all the w orld fo far to thew refpe& to thefed ays n or w ould he allow any ex ception to be m ade in
honour of the Em peror’s birth
- day, or the an niverfary of his
m edium to the thronehit
‘
it fhoul'd fall on a Sunday or ather feflival, addin that ho reater honour can be paid tothe Im perialMaje y on eartht an by thaw ing a jail ven e
ration to the Majefiy ofAlm ighty God in heaven (d). L eo
a nd Anthem ius publifhed a like prohibition of all llage- entet
tainm ents and them on thefe days , com m anding, that if theEruperor
’s birth- day happened to fall on any of them , it
tboulabe deferred . And they ordered that w hoever treat
grefl'
ed this law either by ex hibiting thefe attics or m ew s,or by being prefent at them as a fpefl ator, Ould forfeit hisoflice, ifhe en
'
oyed any, and be punilbed w ith confifeation
.ofhis w hole efiate . Theic law s w ere m ade at the follieita
tion of the patlol‘
s of the church, w ho w ere no lea careful
on their fide to guard the fervice of this day from the en
(1 7)9. Aug. En . in Pf. 91 . P ruden tius , Apotheofts rerf. ccccx xi.Rufln in Ofc . x i. t r . 3. C hryfofi. born . 1 . de L azaro . Theodoret . qu .
32 . in Levit. 8: in Phil. 3. 39. 8:in Am os . vi. 3. C yril. A lex . in Am “ .
Vi 3.
(38;Its . v. u . Am os . vi. 3.
(19 C o d. Theod . l. av. tit. 5. dc Spefl aculir Leg . a . The fam ew as again forbid by a joint law of V alen tin ian Il . Theodolius and
Arcadius in 89. cod . 1 . iii. tit . is . de Perm . 1 . vii. m es D in .
(d) Dom tic. 6 Na ta l. a tque p ipbm . Chi/ii, Pajcbav d ia m ,
U a quagefim : Dirbas om ni fl ea troram a tqrie tit a n/furl: v olupfate per im i'verfiu Ul'btr sam m dem M a li: da ug ata tam
‘Cbi‘iflia
from »: m ater D titit/tibia orca enter .
Theodotius junior (C od . heodos . ib . de Spe£laca 1ir leg . 5. p. 3‘
He adds of the Jew s and Pagans Let them know that tim es of’d
vution are not to be confounded w ith or converted in to feafons of
plea lb
'
re . Nor let any m an thin lt him felf obliged in honour of ourm perialMajefly, to negleél the fi cred bulin efs and religion of theday, and apply hin
’tfelf to thoft public direrlions ; for let
‘
hi
an i
ii):
ou t,
42 T u e L O R D ’s D A Y .
Y oun ger, that the law m ade by Gratian againfi public
{ hea rs m ight be e tforced . Accordingly that prin ce renew ed
forbid tu be tolerated in cha rm -yards , or on the eves of fellivals before
churches an d feveral councils fo rbad clergym en to be fpeétatoes a t
their d an ces , &c . as the coun cil of Worcefier, in that ofEn d sin 1 1 79, thore of C ologne , in "to , of Nifm es , in of Bayon ne,in 1 300 , ofParis, in 1 51 5, are . Such am ul
’
em en ts w ere particularlyforbid on feltiva ls . See the ctm ncils of C ologn e, in 1 536, of C hartres ,in 1 538 , of C am bray, in 1550 . When ever plays w ere fet on foo t, thechurch alw ays feverely forbad them , efpecially on Sundays an d feltivals ; in France w e fee this in the Statutes of the Gen eral AflEm bly ofthe C lergy at Melon , in 1 579, in the councils of Bout-get , in 1 534,of Avignon , in 1 594, of Rheim s , in 1 58 3, ofTour s , m 1585, &C .
S ee a lfo C ardin al C am us’
s Ordm arx er S era/er, w here he lhevvs themso be con d em ned b the church, tieu ar ly on feltivals , and in Adve n t an d L en t. T e coun cils 0 Spain , quoted for this purpufe byC ardin a l d
‘
Aguire, and the lea rned C an onilt Gon zales . 8 . C harles
Bom m a d ehred that the m agillra tes lhould abolilh entirely all flageeutertain m en ts ; an d he ex erted his s eal w ith ex traordin ary vigou r, that
a s lead fo cryin a profan ation of holy d ays , an d of the lacred feafohsof Adven t an Lent m ight be u tterly ex tirpa tetl. See his Life, his
firfi Provin cial C ouncil, p. i. tit . u , &c . Am on glt Pm tefiant s , it isw ell know n hove fom e feem ed to red uce the w hole reli
'
on to a Pbari
farce ] oblervan ce ofo the Sabbath, coolilting in outw form s and a
jew ilh fuperfi'itious tell ; w hich m an y abufed by the m olt fcand alous
hypocrify, afl'
eélation , and prid e, to the dellrué'
tion of all lincere hum ili
ty, devotion an d religion , as is proved by rem arkab le in flances in D r.Barn ard
’
s Life of D r. Peter Heylin , See. This afieaed fcrupulotity ink eepin g a m ore than Jew ilh Sabbath m ade up a m ain poin t of that purltanie fa naticil
'
m , w hich raifed to great broils and kind led the gran d tebellion
’
in Eng land . C harles I . in the firfi year of his reign , in 1 625,paired A n Aft for punilhing Abufes com m itted on the Lord
’
s D ay,"m
w hich it IS forbid to ho ld or be prel'
en t at bear-baiting or any fuch paf
tim es upon the L ord‘
s D ay or an y m eetin gs out of the perfon’
s ow n
parifh, for any fports or paftim es w hatever, on pain of forfeiting threelhillin gs an d four
-
pen ce, or of being fet in the thocks for three hours .
A n d ano ther A8 , in his 3d an d 1 7th year, in w hich it is forbid for
a ny carrier, w aggoner, bu tcher, or d rover, to travel on the L ord’
s D ay,upon the forfeiture of tw en ty fltillings : law s (till in force . Y et it)
1 633, he by a dec laration renew ed the law of his father Jam es I . en act
ed in 1 61 8 , allow ing la w fulf recreation s on the L ord
’
s D ay, w ithout
im pedim en t of the d ivine fervice, and w hen people had firlt done their
duty to God . In the fam e year, 1 633, A rchbilhop L aud declared
w akes and ehttrcha ales m ight be tolerated on the fealls of the D edication
of C hurches on Sun days . The declaration of Jam es I . had been w ell
received , an d w as judged feafon able and popular : but this of C harles
I . w as looked upon as irreligious and profan e . The Archbilhup and
Kin g w ere both cen l'
ured by the Puritan s . Man y others thought a legal
d ecla ra tion of that n ature m ight be m ade’
an occalion and encourage
m en t ofabul'
es . To enum erate the dilferent opinion s of Protetla nt w ri
ters on the Sa bbath or L ord’
s D ay, w ould be a ta lk both tedious andOf no u tility or im portan ce. It is fufiicien t to obferve, that they all
difagree in their fen tim n ts in m any sfi'
en tial poin ts, and m any fall into
oppulite
T n : L O R D ’s D A Y . Tr. t .
C H A P . V.
O N T H E O B L I G A T I O N o r
S A N C T I F Y I N G m y. S U N D Y,
X E R C I S E S o r D E V O’
I‘
I O N,
A L L Wo n x s o r P I E T Y .
O im agine that'
the bare refl com m anded by the law
fanfi ified the Sabbath, and fatisfied the obligation ofthis precept, w as a pernicious error of m any carn alj ew s .The very term s in w hich it is ex preffed, clearly confute thisex travagan ce . For to keep the Sabbath holy is to em ploy it.in the w orlhip of God , pious m editation , and good w orks ,by w hich God is hon oured , and our fouls fanaified, as all
Fathers an d theolo ian s , and the very critics an d gram m a
rian s ex pound thelee w ords (t). It is laid both in the 2 d
C hapter of Gen efis, and in the 2 0th ofEx odus,that God
blelTed and fana ified the feven th day” from the begin ning
of the w orld . The im port of there w ords m ull be, that
God, by en tering in to his holy refl in the con tem plation of
his ow n adorable ellen ce a n d perfeélion s , and ofhis w ork,in w hich he has dilplayed his goodnefs, im parted a blefiing,
(a) Lyran . in Ex od . x x . 8 . Bon frerius ih. C riticiapud Polutn in
Syn opli C litic . ibtd . Suicerus, v . Am igo , Theodoretus, 8 x . Pa“ 68 .
C h g. T a t: L O R D’s D A Y : 45
a n d an outw ard fané’tification to this day, derived on it from
his fanaity, and his m olt holy reli: a lfo from the ex tern al
d eputation , by w hich he appoin ted tha t it fhould be dedi
c a ted by his creatures to his fervice alon e . All the glorious
in habitan ts of the hea ven s joined in their Jubilee at the com
fiction of this great w ork,
°
and at the holy reliof God .
en ce w e are told in the 38th C hapter of Job, that w henthe foundation s of the earth w ere laid , a ll the [c m ofGod
m ade a joyful m elody m en join their hom ages w ith
t he m, particularly o n this fellival, inflituted for this pur
p ofe . “ 7hcn God repeats to m en this law in Ex odus,
Rem em ber that thou keep holy the Sabbath D ay. And
in D euteronom y O bferve the day of the Sabbath, to
fan fiify it he com m ands us to feparate this d ay from the
co m m on em ploym ents of life, to let it apart, and to devote,a n d confecra te it w holly to his holy fervice . For all this is
n a turally im plied in the w ord, fa rtfl rfy, as Theodoret and
O ther Fathers an d in terpreters un anim oufly e x plain it, and as
Suicerus , and other critics an d gram m arians , prove from all
the pafl'
ages w here this w ord is uled in Holy Scriptures or in
o ther authors . It is therefore clear that the w ord Sabbatb
d oes not here fignify reliofin a&lou, (w hich is the im porto f the Hebrew w ord Noa rb) but on ly a ceafing from w hat:
a perfon w as doing before C orporal labour is in our
prefcn tGate both the punilhm ent an d the rem edy offin byour fatigues w e acoom plilh ou pen ance, repair the loll
'
es w e
have fullained by fin , and ar ourl'
elves againft future d an
ger ; by the fam e w e recover Pa radife, an d C hrill havingby his pain s and fw eat open ed it again to us , fufl
'
ering and
la bour are becom e the fruitful fource of all bleflings for our
fatisfaaion a n d etern al glory. But this labour has its fearon ,a nd can not be a defeafan ce of our m ail elfen tial obligation ,upon a m illion of in defeafible titles of paying to God the
hom ages of our hearts . Therefore, on this fefiival w e lay
im portunities , aoife a nd tum ults ,vanities , not to indulge floth, w hich
that w e m ay in filence fix our w hole
give up our hearts e ntirely to him .
the L ord’s D ay, becaul
'
e it ts entirely devoted t
(a) See L eigh, Critics facra, in Voce 1'
l Sba ba tb, w hen ce Sab
bathis derived .
Ch g. . T tr r: L O R D’s D A Y . 47
w hen they w ere abandoned to lo ex travagan t a corruptionof heart as to reduce their w hole religion to thele ex tern al
rites . So evid ently efl'
ential is public w orlhip to all religion ,that the w ifefl la w -
givers and founders of flutes have ever
m ade it an eflen tial part of their civil conflitution . God ,w ho by his holy Providen ce alw ays provided for the honour
of his divine nam e a true church of faithful believers and
adorers that he m ight be glorified on earth through all ages,
prcfcribed to them public lacrifices from the begin ning of the
w orld , and directed them by ex prefs revelation s and com
m ands alw ays to honour him by a public w orlhip. By his
divine appoin tm ent the ordin ary facrifices com m an ded to
he ofi'
ered every day in the tem ple, w ere doubled on the
Sabbath and the Jew s m et in their fynag es on this
w eekly fellival to attend public prayer, and ifien to the
readin a nd ex plication of the laered oracle s of the Prophe ts,as w e learn from the gofpels the tellim onies of the J ewifh w riters , and the C haldaic paraphrafes m ade ufe of bythem after their return from the captivity . C hril
'
lian s from
the ellablilhm ent of the church fan&ified the Sunday bym eeting to attend together the celebration of the holy eu
charill and public inftruaion s , as appears from the A613 of
the Apollles and the m ofl early am ongll the prim itive
Fathers (a). S. jufiin Martyr, in the fecond age, in his
grea ter apology (to), fays ; Upon the Sunday, all that
live either in the city or country m eet together at the fam e
place, w here the w ritings of the Apollles an d Prophets
are read, as m uch as tim e w ill allow ; w hen this is done
the Biflw p m akes a lerm on , w herein he in llruéls the peo
ple, and anim ates them to the praaice of the good pre
cepts . At the conclulio n of this difcourfe, w e all rife uptogether and pray ; an d prayers being over, bread an dw in e an d w ater is offered , an d the Billm p puts up pra
ers and thankfgivings , w ith all the fervency he is able,(7) Num b . x x viii. 8 .
(8) Luke iv. 1 6. Aa s x iii. 14. (9) A61 : xiii. u , x x . 7.
(to) S . jnfiin . Apol. n . 87. p. ed . C an tabr.
(a) It feetn s a con tradiaion to ap oin t public and (01m m tim es ‘fim
priva te w orlhip. If m en are boon to w orlhip God on ly i‘6 there is no n eed ofpublic days of tell dedicated to God
'
s fervice. Foreve ry m an m ay take his ow n tim e for it, as he fin d s m olt convenien tan d u l
'
cful. Bu t fix ed and Rated tim es of w orlhip eviden tly proveO4 that
‘lo l m o and public days of w orlhip are not fauélified by private.
an . of devotion only.“ Sherlock on ReligiouaAflem blies , part. i.
P . "3and
48 T H E L O R D ’s D K Y . Tr. t .
and the people con clude all by the acclam ation , 1 1m m .
The n the con fecrated elem en ts are d illributed to, an d
partaken of, by all that are prefent, an d fep t to the abfen t
by the han ds of the deacons Tertullian defcribes
the e efl’
en tial public duties of religion as follow s We
m eet all together in one alfem bly, that as it w ere form ed
in an arm y praying w e befeech God by our join t lopplication s to him . This violen ce w hich w e feem to offer, is
agreeeble to him . W e pray for the em perors , their
m iniflers, the m agillrates , the w elfare of the w orld,
peace, an d retarding the fin al doom . W e m eet to hear
the Holy Scriptures ex poun ded, as refcn t circum fl an ces
require that w e be adm onifhed an inflruéted . By this
our faith is nourilhed , our hope is firengthehed, an d our
confiden ce fix ed an d firm ly fettled upon God . W e alfo'
prcfs the duties of the gofpel w ith all the pow er and ar
gum en t w e are able : ex hortation s are there m ade, te
proofs are given , the divine cen fure ofpenan ce is paffed ,an d the judgm en ts are here pron oun ced w ith the greatelt
authority and circum fpeaion , as before God , an d as the
bighell an ticipation ofthe judgm en t to com e. Ifany onehas grievoufly offended , he is banilhed from com m unies
tion in prayer in the alTem bly, and in holy com m union .
The prefiden ts (Priells or Bifhops), are m en of the m olt
ven erable age and piety. Every one puts a little in to the
public flock. All here is a free-w ill oEcring. All thcfe
collection s are depolited in a com m on bank for feedingthe poor, burying the dead, providing for orphans, thofe
w ho had {offered by { hip- w reck, or are con dem n ed to
the m in es or illands or prifons , for the faith ofC hrifl (IThat this pow er of abfolvin g or pronoun cing fpiritual cen
lures w as lodged on ly in the priells , w e are aflm ed by con
(b)Mr. Reeves in his n otes on this pal'
fage, T . i. p. s r7. and n o .
an d D r. Potter, in his t courfe of C hurch-Govern m en t, p. 1 49. fe
vercly con dem n thole am on gfl the laity w ho ign oran tly repeat w ith the
pn eft the w ord s of the confecnation , and thole of the abfolution , w hich
a re peculiarly appropriated to the prielil olfice. Potter takes notice,that the Scripture itfclf poin ts out this d
'
inclion w here w e read that
C lirill alon e hletl'
ed and dillributed the holy elem en ts . Whereas Aél siv . in the other prayers all lifted up their voices w ith on e accord ,AEls iv. 2 4. He refers us for the fam e to Couflit. Apoflol. 1 . viii. c . 6.
all the an cien t liturgies , and to S . Jo llin , w ho tells us , that the peo
ple repeated the other prayers Konir‘
m im e a ll togetbrr . The w ord s of“
con fecration he om its ou t of rcfpea , but com prized them under the
prayers w hich he m en tions to-be feud by the pried .
(t r) Tert. Apol. c . 39.
C h. s . TH : L O R D ’s
'
D A Y .
‘
33heaven and on earth, vifible, an d invilible . lo preife theL ord in on e chorus w ith him .
The like m atives eng us to return to God in com m on
public hom ages of tha‘
ving, together w ith thofe ofralfe. His hleflings w e enjoy in com m on t ether. Thefirm : fun gives us light and w arm th : the atnefs of theearthis for all : and w e are all partakers of God’s grace,an d w onderful redem ption , and of the com forts ofhis holyproviden ce . For all thefe ben efits he has heaped u n us,
w e m ull join together to oonfefs his goodnefs, de thew onders he hath, done in our favour, an d ofi
'
er him a com
m on facrifice of thanks . l w ill declare thy nam e to m ybrethren : in the m idll of the church w ill 1 . praife thee
With thee (hall be m y praife in the eat co e
gation : I w ill pay m y vow s before them fear‘
m
D avid celebrating his ow n deliverance, invitesall the faithful to join him in a tribute of praife and thanks.[ w ill blefa the L ord at all tim es ; his praife fhail be aiw ays in m y m outh.
—O m agnify the L ord w ith m e : andlet us ex alt his n am e together L etthe people, 0God, confefs to thee : let all the ple give praife tothee (3x). 0 praife the Lord, a l ye nations : preifeHim , all ye people He defires, that God he
praifed in the congregation ofthe faints and cries out
L et Ifrael rejoice in him that m ade him ; and let the
children of Sion be joyfulin their kin L et them praifehis nam e in choir To perfgrm this duty the
church has alw ays had fet hours of public prayer, at w hich,form erly, even the laity, as m uch as circum flances per
m itred them , every day attended both in the night and dayoflice, as is clear from St. C hrn llom , and other early Fa
thera ; and from St. Peter D am ian , and other later paflrn
and w riters . Origen tells us, that m any C hriflians doubted
not but that the angelica l hofl obferved thefe hours w ith thechurch on earth, to join their prayers and praifes
The llrongell m otives of zeal for the divinehonour and glory, ought to engage all C hrillians to aflift devoutly at ever
part of the folem n office, at lealion Sundays and other feztivals . If our public hom age is m ore glortous and accept
Pf. m iii. (a8) Pf. x xii. Hebd tx iii. a3. Hehr. ii. 1 3 .(a9) R) . v. a3, (3c) Pf. x x x . 3 -
4 .
(31 ) Pf. lvi. 4
-6. (3a) Pf. cx vi. t33) Pf. calm . r, a , 3, 8a . (34) 0113. deOra . P. 33-45.
bla 0
34 T a r. L O R D ’s D A Y . Tr.
'
t .
able to God, in like m an ner petitions w hieh are pnt up bythe w hole church, are far m ore pow erfu l than private prayer
in obtaining the divine bleflin gs . Maim ohides m ention s it
as a m axim in the an cient Jew ith fynagogue, That the
prayers of the conp egation are alw ays heard : but not fo
afl'
tn'
edl the prayers of particu lar perfons in rivate .
”
la the old . w God com m anded the people , even rom the
rem otefi parts , to m eet in the tem ple on the great fetlivals .
O n every Sabbath an d Other fellival, they failed not to af
lhm ble fist public prayer in their neighbouring fyn agogues,n oratories . The v
egetlablilhm ent Of the church by
C ivil, his doatt'ine a pm &ice, and that ofthe Apofiles,
Blew us the indifpeafable obligation and great im portance of
this da ty. St. Paul prefcribes, That in the churc h, firll4“ of all, fi pplication s, prayers , interesflions, and thank]:
giving: be m ade h a ll m en : for kings, and for all thatf‘ are in high fiction , that w e m ay lead a q uiet and peace
able life , in all piety and challity. For this is good and4“ acceptable in the fight of God our Saviour O ur
L ord by bidding us in prayer to fay, Our Father,"puts
una i m ind, that w e join in com pany in putting up our pe.titim s tn God, an d that w hen w e pray even in our d olets ,w e rerh esfl er that w e are m em bers ofthe church of C hrill ,
pm y a s pal't cf thal bcdy, hope to beheard , becaufe w e are
in union w ith it, and com m unicate w ith our fellow m em
bers in prayer : alfo, that w e ought to join the m often in
public prayer. God ofte n gran ts to one m an’s prayers that
w hich he ath ; but to m any w ho un anim oufly join in thefam e petition , he gives m ore w illingly, m ore largely, an d
m a c fpeedily, fays S . Thornas Aquinas, w ith the an cient
la tin in ter, author of'
the ordinary Glofs on theGof
pels . I w hen W o'
of us on‘
e arth agm e together-to
5‘ aflo any thing , it is granted by the Fa ther of the jolt,f‘ (for God delights in the agreem ent of his creatures , and
is difpleafed w ith their difcord) w hat m ight w e n ot ex
pea ,if not only a
‘
fm all num ber, btlt ulye ‘whole Ro
m an Em pire agreed together to tire for the divin e n
vn ur ? They m ight’
pray to Him , w ho (aid heretofore tot“ the Hebrew s , w hen the Egyptians pott ed them -
z‘
Ww
L ord, [ba llfightfor you and yrjballfiold y sur peaceé3
6)gm ! praying m ofi unani
'
m oully, obtain greater vt cries
(as) t Tim t ai. x . a; 3 (g la red. air. at
C h. 5. T H : L o R D ’s D A Y . 55
than Mofes did by his prayers to God for help t
The requefts ofgreat cities, or n ations , are a kind 0 fupa
plian t com ulfion : they are not ordinarily to be rejea ed ;And the eigcacy of the prayers of the w hole church is all
pow erful w ithGod . All prayer offered by the m inillers of
the church, as her public reprefen tatives , draw s a particular
virtue from their public funaion and charafi er, and from
Q the faith and devotion of the w hole church in w hofe n am e
it is offered. This is ex ceedingly {trengthened by the sa u
al preten ce and union of all the congregation w ith their paf-t
tor. In it the defe&s an d w eakn efs of the difpofttions of
fom e are fupplied by the fervour of others , and w hilll all
pray w ith the fam e fpirit, they form but one voice , and one
prziyer, w hich C hrill , our m ediator an d head , prefen ts , and
fo rongl recom m ends b the price of his adorable blood)that it o ers to God an ho y an d agreeable violence.
C hrilt,the A oflles , C ouncils and Fathers, ptefs upon “
this great duty of ublic pra
yer, as a m olt pow erful and m a
ceffary m ean s ofo taining a l graces . O ur bleffed Redeem -a
er declares Where tw o or three are gathered together
in m y n am e, there am I in the m idfl of them
He is in the m idfl of us in fuch affem blies anim ating our
prayers him felf, in quality of our high priefl, prefentingthem to his Father, an d pleading for us, by lhegw ing the
m arks of the w ounds he received for us , and by w hich he
purchafed us a title to m ercy an d all
graces To thefe
privileges of public prayer, St. Pan has an eye, w hen he
tenderly ex horts us n ever to fail joining in it, not forfeit
ing our alTem bly Would w e learn how pow erful
p ublic prayer is w ith God By it S. Peter w as m iraculouflydelivered from his dun eon , and his chain s broken
The Prince of the Apo les , w ho by his w ord, and by his
very lhadow as he paffed, cured the m olt inveterate diftem
pers , flood in debted for his ow n prefervation to the jointta ers of the co egation of the faithful. St. P aul w hoa been adm itté
r
dgir
n to the third heaven, and fo often com
m anded n ature , placed his confiden ce of the divine fuccour
againfl dangers , in the fu
pplications of his flock to God for
him , as St. C hryfoflom o ferves I befeecliyou,”
(37) Orig . 1 . viii. con tra C elfum , p. St. Thom a-
aq
u a . n . inas Tim . (38) Matth. x viii. s o. 1 John tt. 1 . Héhr.iv. 1 4 . v. a s . vic ao. vii. 1 3, k c . Hebr. a . a
(at ) an . sit. a. (41 ) St. Chryf.item . ii. dcPsrophet. 6h
M tb To 'io “
P. 1 870 d o h e
T h e
.
L O R'
D ’s D A Y : 59
throng of the m arket, or in the m olt prefli
afiairs , ought you not m ore
e
ifga
e
grl; m ore refolutely, afi
m ore courageoufly tha n a lion , break all chain s an d hin
de'rances , a nd ~repair to the com m on fupplication .
—Noton ly m en , but eve n the angels adore and pray in that awfulplace, at that trem en dous hour ; for the angels then
lhew ing the Lord’s body, pray to God for m en
, as if
they (and : We intreat your m ercy for thol'
e w hom you
have preven ted by loving them firfi,for thole for w hom
you l'
acrificed this body, are .
” The eviden ce and im por
tance ofthis d uty, ex torted from an em inen t Proteflant yvri
tor, the follow ing com plaint He that w ithout a ne
cefliry caul'
e abfen ts him felf from ublic prayers , cuts
him l'
elf 03 from the church, w hic hath alw ays been
thought (0 unhappy a thing, that it is the greatefi punilh
m en t the governors of the chu rch can lay upon the w ort!
ofofienders ; an d therefore it is a firange m adnefs for m en5‘ to inai& it upon them l
'
elves .
”
In this fpirit ofz eal for the divine w od hip, a nd pen etrated
th thefe holy m ax im s , the rim itive C hriltian s could not
he d eterred ft'om aflifiing at t e celebration of ' the divine
m y'l'
teries by any hardfhips , lofs of goods , im prifonm e nt, Or
the m olt cruel torm ents and death. Am ong“ others , YEm i
lian , Governor of Egypt, in the reign of Valerian , a bar
barous perfecutor, m ade ufe o f every m eans in his pow er to
even t the C hrillian s from m eetin g at religious alfem blies .
any he put to m olt cruel deaths , others he tortured w ith
all the arts ofe x quifite cruelty, or'
kept in loathl'
om e dun
geons loaded w ithheavy chains . Y et no artifice or violence
could deter the C hrilbians from keeping their affem blies ,and perform ing their duty to God , to w hatever da ngers , or
torm ents this ex pofed them Hold no religious al
fem blies ,” laid he, to the holy P atriarch St. D ionyfius ,
and the firfi m artyrs , w hm n he put to death (b): again ,m any gave illufirious proofs of a like confiancy underMax
im ilian Galeriu s in 304. A‘
m on gll others , Sain ts Saturni
nus , D ativus and m any‘
others , at Abifinia in Africa,
being apprehended at their religious all'
em bly on Sun day,
Whole D uty ofMan , S and . v .
(60) Euf. Hill. 1 . vii. c . to .
(61 ) See their Aa s , Feb r. xi. and in Ruin art.
This m en ace he afterw ard s chan ed fayin cf ccinll to e
glergy, Renounce the C hril'
lian rites .g
_g’ p y d?
60 T n z L O R D ’s D A Y .
under the fharpeft torm en ts anfw ered the judge : The chligation of the Sunday is indifpenfable. It is not law ful
for us to om it the duty of that day. We never palfed
a Sunday w ithout m eeting to prayer, &c.
” In the A&s
of St. D ionyfia, Virgin an d Mart yr, at Theffalonica , read
on the tw entieth ofD ecem ber, w e fee the fam e in trepid z ealin allifling at the divin e m yfleries , in the heat of the m olt
cruel perfecutions . The very Pagan w riters , w ho m en tion
the C hriftians of the prim itive es , take particular notice oftheir fervour and afliduity in im bling on Sunday to prayer before fun - rife , at the im m inen t haz ard of their lives ,efiates
, and fam ilies If the dom ellic ex am ples of ourow n im m ediate an ceflors fcem m ore m oving, w e ought to
have before our eyes that in our coun try, during the greateft part of the reigns of (Lueen Eliz abeth, King arm s I .
C harles I . the Protector C rom w ell, and C harles greatn um bers ofC atholics, w ith the haz ard of t heir l’ves and
fortun es , travelled very far the w hole ni
ght, and alfem bled
in the m olt private corners before break 0 day w hilfi others
w ere a - lleep, to have the happin efs of hearing m alls , an d
perform ing their devotion s on a Sunday. For this , m anyw ho w ere detea ed , w ere im peached ; the ricas for hightreafon , thofe w ho had harboured them for l
Pelony, and fuf
fered the confifcation of their efiates , im prifon m ent, and
dea th; being either draw n , hanged and quartered as trai-v
tors to their country, or hanged as felon s The con ti
n ual dangers and hardlhips w hich the prielis un derw en t, both
in the lurking holes, in w hich they lay concealed w here theyw ere ha rboured, an d in their journies, efpecially by night,an d w hich the laity often
‘
(hared in , and not eaftly to be i
m agin ed , lin ce w e have no idea of the m an n ers of thofe
tim es ; of thefe w e have in authen tic m anufcripts, num ber
lefs [hiking infian ces , too long to be here m en tion ed : in
hances not to be related, or called to m ind w khout m eltingin to tears .
Am ongfl the apophthegm s of the fam ousMarquis ofWor
cefter,in the reign ofKing C harles I . it is related , that in
the great civil w ar, the Marquis m arching on ce in C ardi
(62 ) P lin . junior, l. x . ep. 7. Lucian . vel alias Dial. PhiIOpatrie
A m ian . Marcell. l. x x viii. in n e .
(63) See C on certatio C atholicorum in A n glia and B tlhop C haloner’
s
Lives of Miflion ary- Pricfts , and m an y MS . Accoun ts preferved in
m an
yprivate fam ilies at hom e, and colleges, and religious houha a
broa
. Tu e L O RD ’s
'
D A Y f.
Tr. r.
e x plaint the duties of the day in the follow ing term s (79)The holy day is to be fpent
~ in the fpiritual w orks of
prayer, hol m editation , hearing holy things , .pious readm g, al and the like.
—As alfo in oom punaionand confellion of fins , in w hich m en are to call to a n s e
ooum w hat they did on other days in w hich
taken up in w orldly em ploys : It is the Sabbathw hich you (hall afili& your fouls by a perpetu
viz . by contrition , as Origen ex pounds itin hearing m afs, the divin e office and ferm on s ; and in
infiru&ing and correfiing our brethren , efpecially of our
ow n fam ily. O f this holy Job a rds us an ex arn ple
.
w hen the days w ere gone round, Job fon t an d fanctified them , i. e . on the firlt day of the w eek, he ex hort ‘
ed an d corre&ed his children , as St.Thom as ex plains it ;an d he offered prayers and facrifices for them . Aim s alfo
are to be given m ore liberally on this day. In L eviticus,tw o lam bs w ere to be offered on the Sabbath, on other
days on ly one in an holocaull . Tobit having prepared a
dinner on the fellival, fen t his fon to call the poor to eat
it w ith them —But alas ! Men now are taken up on fef
tivahin the m reof their bodies . The w om en fpend m ud !
tim e in drefs to lay fnares for the defiruaion of fools .
Servan ts are bufy in drelli m eat m ore daintily than on
other days . Men of an in erior condition run about to
am ufe them felves w ith hearin new s or feeing vain m ew s .
All foem abandoned to do evi an d w hat they have gain
ed by their labour or indullry in the w eek they tlr ow
aw ay on holy days in the ale‘houfe , in diverlion s, or a t
flay, rather than in alg a. 0 the perverfe abofe of things
am ong m en , and the irreparable lofs of holy tim e ! 0
em ploy m olt leafm g to the devill O f foch profanation s
Jerem y faid ( Her enem ies (i. e. the devils, the m olt
cruel e nem ies of the foul and of the ritu als) have feen
(7d) 5. 4. St.Thom as alfo u p'lfi
at erg: a Chfiltian in bound tofanaifyin Sabbath. Opul
'
c. 7.
(80) m ate “ is 339 So 03) low . is 70
‘
T n x L O R D’s D A Y . 65
new m oons, and Sabbaths , and your feliivals myfoulhat
ethl
Upon w hich w ords O rigen gives t is ex cel
lent com m ent The L ord calls there a s an, fifiifl alr,(0 long as the w ere kept pure and holy ; but w hen theyw ere profane and defiled by fin, he no longer fays m int.but yw rfifiifiaftThe {harp com plain t w hich God m ade of the jew s for
the profanatron of their fefiivals falls (0 m uch m ore heavilyOn our C hrillians , as our folem nities are m ore holy, in pro.
portion as the m yfteries w hich w e com m em orate are m ore
facred ; and as our ex celles out-do theirs in our age of m orerefin ed an d m ore ex travagant vice ; This faerilegiousof the very m eans of grace, is the fin w hich God declareshe can no lo er bear. My foul hateth your new m oon;
and yt m r fo em nities, they are becom e troublefom e to m e:
I am w eary ofbearing them (8 S.Thom as Aquinas laysdow n the rules to be obferved in the fanaification of theL ord’s day, and other feltivals in the follow ing w ordsThe corm ptible body is
“
a load upon the foul, and theearthly Habitation preffeth dow n the m ind that m alechupon m any things Therefore is m an in this cor
tu ttble (late alw ays w eighed dow n to w hat is beneath him ,n u efs he firive to raile him felf above perilhable things.For this certain tim es m ull be allotted . Som e m ake this theirem ploy at all tim es . I w ill blel
'
s the L ord at all tim es :
his praile {hall be alw ays in m y m outh Pra w ith.
out ceafing Theic keep an unin terrupted abbath
on ea rth. O thers do this at certain in tervals in the dayfeven tim es a da I have given praife to thee (
fgo). An d
have all'
o a fet (lily appoin ted, that the love 0 God m anot ow cold in their brealt. If thou call the Sabbaththy elight, and
‘
m ake it thy glory to glorify him by leeking his holy w ays , then {halt thou be delighted in theL ord, and I w ill lift thee up above the high placesearth, and w ill feed thee w ith the inheritance ofJacobth
yfather then {halt thou abound in delights in the
A m ighty, and {halt lift up thy face to God ; thou {halt
pray to him , and he w ill hear thee ; and thou {halt aythy Vow s For this day is appcinted and fan&ied
8 Ifa .
’
Ori.
'
. t ."ac. Sflghzm “01?am deg
“
ix . as. (88) f. m iii. ebr. x x x iv. a . (89 x T
(90) Pl; “ vin o m e l'iiis 1 3; $ 4! 10b w e ‘6’Q7.
70 T u e L O R D ’s D A Y .
.
the m eans w hich they are to be quickened, entertained,and conflant y fupported.
God inftituted this fellival to be the confian t m ark of the
grace an d honour w e have of being his by his holy faithand vocation , and the tell of our devotion an d zeal in ferv
ing him , as he gave the law of the Sabbath to the Jew s , thatit m ight be a public continual teftim on of his allian ce an d of
the fpiritual privileges and favours w ich they enjoy by hisdil’ti ilhing and fingular predileaion As the
Jew
1 11912539w as know n by his Sabbath, fois the true C hriian
his m anner of keeping the Sunday. This is the proof
0 his piety and religion . And as the C hriftian law 1 3 farm ore holy and m ore perfefi than the Jew ith , fo ought his
zeal an d devotion in fanfi ifying the great feflival of the
law of grace to be far m ore ardent, and m ore rem arkablyedi ing to others. Thofe firive to folem nize the king
's
b'
-day or triuxrmh w ith the greateil adie&ion and pom p,
w ho have received of hitn the highefi: favours, or are m ore
nearly attached to his perfon . Sunda being the L ord’
s
day, and a fefiival inflituted by him fel in his ow n honour,
w ith w hat ardour and devotion ought every on e to celebrate
it, the C hrifiian efpecially, w ho 1 3 a m an of God,his fete
vant, his fon , the heir of his etern al kingdom , an d fo
m any w ays infinite] indebted to him , an d devoted to hishonour, an d enroll in his fervice i‘9 As if a perfon could
be a C hriftian w ithout givin proofs of his zeal in keeping the L ord
’s day,
” fays a earn ed prelate of the fourth
century Th1 s zeal a C hriftian m ull thew on it byhis earn etinefs in infiruaing
'
him felf his children and fa
m ily, in the reat m yfieries of our aith, in its holy m ax
im s, and in a pra&ical duties . So careful w ere the Jew s inthis particular, that though the ordin ances of the law w ere
(0 num erous and fo burthenfom e, yet the people, and even
their children , w ere fo w ellfltilled in them , that if any oneam ong
-ll them w as alked con cerning thefe law s , he w ould
m ore eafil tell them all than his otvn n am e, as ofephus
al'
fures us'
Our zeal in fanfiifying the Sun ay m ull
appear ; adly, in our devotion in a pre aching often the holyfacram entS, and in our diligen t endeavours b feif-e x am ina
tion , com punaion , and good refolution to c ennfe our COR-7
fciences, ex tirpatevicious habits , reform our afl’efiions, and
(1 98) Ex od . u x i. 3. (1 09) Eufeb. s ar. (1 1 0) Jof. adv.
Appton . l. u . n . 9. p. 390.am end
[ 77 ]
TH E S E C O N D T R E A T I S E.
O N T H !
H O L Y T IME 0 3 A D V ENT.
C H A P . I.
On tbs Irgflitution of AD v E N T.
D V E N T (a)is a tim e of penance a nd devotion before C hriflm as
, appoin ted by the church, to ferve as
a preparation to that great folem nity of the birth of C hrill .
Fefiivals w ere com m anded by God him felf in the old law ,
to com m em orate his principal benefits and m ercies, tha t m en
m ight b e m ore perfe&ly infiruéted in them , hear them
a lw ays in m ind , be alw ays thankful for them , and llirredup to difpofe them felves to receive the fruits of thefe w on
derfn l m yfleries . The fefiivals of the n ew law of grace,ought to be celebrated w ith fo m uch the greater preparationan d devotion , as the m yfteries w hich w e com m em orate
tranfcend thofe of the old law , w hich, how Won derful foever , w ere n o m ore than w eak types and fi es , and em ptyflsadow s of them . We m ull prefen t ourfe ves before Godin the fpotlefs robes of purity and fa nfi ity, and
(a) This Latin w ord fignifies the com ing, becan fe it others in an d
fir
épares us to celebrate w orthily the fetiival of the com ing of God, our
‘
cem er, in the fleth.
O n the irifiitution of Adven t, fee du C ange in Glofl'
ario L atino . 1 .
A dventos , es in Glofi'
ario Grazeo, v. Herm es .Men ard , not . in Sacra
m en tarium 8 . Greg . M . P . vel. in ter O
‘pera S . Greg. M . T. iii.
p . Ed m . Mateca n e de an t . Ecclefiz D icipliniin D ivinis O fiicfis,
p . 65. Theoph. Rayn aud 0 T . u . p . Thom allin Tr. des Fetes , c . iv. p. ao3. Sec. et r . do Jen ne, l. i. c. 3 3. p . 1 74. or p.
a . c . s o . p . ct Hill . dc l’
Aven t Joan . Feeder. Meyer. Ecloga'
de
D om inicis Adventus , at Gripfw ald in Pom erania, An . r7o r . Alfo,Ec logz Evangelicas Meycro
-Nen m eillerian z , Ham burgi,”
T. i. fnb
initin m . Abbot dc l’
Ifle Hill. D ogm . de jen n e Moral. D eJejunio C ard.L am bertin
'
i poll . Ben ed . X IV . in Infiitntionihus , T. t.“
In . X I . de
A dven tu . Gavan t. C om m en t. ct Breviar. deAdven tu. Merle. ibid.
Ghat Lw Allatius.
78 A D V E N T.
and difpofitions of the m olt ardent devotion, efpeciall on
thefe days w hich are em blem s of the eternal Sabbath o the
heaven ly Jerufalem , w hich w e {hall celebrate i all the'
ele& in uninterrupted hym n s of adoration and praife .
O n thefe folem nities the w hole people ofGod on earth unitetheir tears, prayers and facrifices of adoration and thankfé
giving to glorify God, for his unfpeakable m ercies . Withw hat fervour ou
g'ht w e, their fellow m em bers , w ho have
the happinefs to are fo plentifully in thefe bleflings , to jointhem in this folem n duty and tribute : the im m enfe treafure
ofdivine graces, purchafed for us , and ofi'
ered to us by thefe
facred m yfieries, w illbe im parted to us in fo m uch larger
m eafures , as w e fhall prefen t on rfelves on them m ore fer-s
ven tly purified and prepared ; and (ball m ore earneftly im
piore the divine m ercy, and ofi'
er purer hom ages of thankf
giving, adoration , an d praife, in acknow ledgm ent of thefe
incom prehenfible heavenly favours . For this end vigils, or
eves are appoin ted as a preparation for great fellivals . L ent,as a m ore fe lem u and longer vigil, or preparation before
Eafler ; and Advent before C hriflm as , or the com ing of
C hrifl in the fiefh, the fon rce ofall the other great m yfleries
and graces of our redem ption .
Adven t confifls of four w eeks , or at leall four Sundays ,w hich com m ence from the Sunday nearefl St. Andrew
’s-day,
w hether before or afterit, from the a7th of Novem ber to
the 3d of D ecem ber inclufive . Its inflitution feem s as old
as that ofC hrifim as-day, thoughthe difciline of the church,in the m ann er of celebrating it, has not en the fam e in all
places and tim es . It w as for feveral ages of forty days, or
fix w eeks, in the fam e m an ner as L en t, and for fam e tim e
kept w ith a rigorous univerfal fall, in fom e places ofprecept,in others of devotion . The church ofMilan , ten acious ofits an cien t rites of difcipline, obferves to this day fix w eeksof Adven t, w hich w as the ancient cufiom of the great
church of Toledo, and of all Spain (w hich follow ed the
Moz arabic rite in the litur alfo ofthe churches in France
before C harlem agne, as arten ac and Mabillon thew fromauthen tic m onum ents (t). Hence in the Am brolian rite at
Milan , fix Sundays ofAdven t {land in the an d there
the fir-ft Sunday of Advent is alw ays the after the
(r)Marten s de an t. Monachorum ritibus, ,l. iii. c. I . Item anci
Difciplin s dc l’
Eglife fur les Ofices, ch. 1 03.
ca r. a n v n n'
r. 79feat! of St. Martin , as Rudolphus Tungrenfis obferves (a),w hich w e alfo find in the Moz arabic liturgy. Though in
the Gelafian , ufed a t Rom e before St. Gre the Great,
o n ly five Sundays occur in Adven t, w hich latins can
The council ofMacon in France in 58 1 ( affirm s
Adven t to be kept from St. Martin's- day to alum nu s,
w hich, w ithout coun ting the Sundays , com priz es the tim e
of forty days , the fam e as of L en t. From the capiqgars ofthe em peror C harlem agne fra m ed in feveral councils , or from
their decrees, Adven t is laid to confilt of forty days ,ing to the cuflom of the faithful, aufl ie prafi ice of our an
cettors long after this St. Peter D am ian in Italym en tion s Advent to have been a Y et be
fore, an d about that tim e,‘
fom e
in the m iddle but about the‘
end
as w e now do, on ly of about
Ratherius, biflsop of Veron a, iNicholas 1 .o ns Advent an abfiinenoe an d fa ll
alfi) is confirm ed by Am alarius (8) a nddn England and Ire
land, Adven t a ncie ntly confided of forty days , on w hich
the Monks eat only once a d ay, in the eyening, as in the
fall of L ent It w as reduced to foua w eeks in this kingdom about the ten th century, w hen the latter Rom an rite
w as intro duced here : thus w e find it hr the old m iffal ufedin England before the Norm an
‘conquefi, taken from the
Ra d ian of that age, w hich it m uch refem bles (b). Alm oll
the w hole L atin church, in conform ity to the Rom an , has
longfin ce reduced Adven t so the uniform rule of four w eeks ,or at led ! four Sundays, beginni about the end ofNovem o
Sunday neared the a ll:of
is ) Radulph. Tuagren s. Propolitione x vi. Vide Mill'
sm Am hnoliam . spud Pan eli (3) C an . 9. fub Rege Gun tt
'
am no. (4)C apita l. c. ed . Balua . T .
-i. p. 994. (53S. Petr. D am ia n ,
I. ssi. s o. (6) Ratherius in S odien , apu D'
Acherium iu Spi.
cileg. u . p . a66. (7) Ap D’
Acher. Spicil. T. ii. p. 364. et
apud l’
Abbe'
, 8m . C oncil. refp . iv. et Mabillon in L iturg . Gallic. l.in . p. s . (8) Am alar. de Oflic . Ecclef. 1 . iv. c. 37. et 1 . i. c . 3at 1. i. t . 40 . Reboot.Maurits , c. a . (9) See Bede
‘
s Hifi. c. 3.
0. Q7. Johni'
an'
s C anons , 8a .
(b) This is obfen ed in an ex cellen t copy ofthis Mifl'
al, of the ten thcen tral
-
yr. fi ll kq tin the library of the fam ous m onanery of um ieges.
‘
m fi om d y. It behfi
so the Ax hbilhop an d church 0 C an terbury, and w as given to t m on afiery by Robert Abbot of this houfe,
a?w as m ade Archbilhop of C aM bw y
'
n s oso, iu the
A D V E N T. Tr. 2 .
It w as form erly obferved, even by the latty, w ith abili
nen ce from fielh , and w ith a rigorous fail, in fom e places,by prec t
”
.
n others ofdevotion , and w ithout any pofitive
obligatixfihough univerfal. The firfi council of Macon ,
in 58 1 , orders in Advent, from St. Martin’s to C hriftm afs
day three falling days a w eek, Mondays, W ednefdays , and
Fridays ; but the w hole term of forty days , w as obferved
w ith a firifi abliinen ce from Beth m eat. S . Pe'
ter D am ian
m ention s in 1 070, ~Adven t toh aveb een a fall offorty days .
Aiflulphus , King of the L om bards , in 753, w hen he lets
tled the w aters of an tula on that m on a llery, referves to
him felf for the ufe ofhis
table in -
'
Adven t, the fam e as in
L en t (t hat in L om bardy, in the
eighth c though at
w eeks ;
e tenth
uly of
four w eeks, as fafi (I t),or at leafit, as at. ln
the Adven t ival in ter
efh m eat,
of the
Epiflle to Bibianus,w hich has been infefted am ong the L et
-A
ters of St. Aufiiil, fpeaking of S . Martin’s- day, fays : A
m ong us , from the féflival of this fain t, abltin en ce from
flelh, and from cohabitation in the m arried (late, is en a
joined all the children of the church,. by an in difpenftble
precept, that they m ay m ore fecurely approach the holycom m union at C hriltm asfl Pope Nicholas 1 . in 867,
in his Anfw ers to the Bulgarians (ti), reckon s the four
w eeks of Advent am dng the falls, w hich the Rom an church
had received, and at. that tim e obferve d (t Pope In no
cen t III. in an Anfw er to the Archbiihop of Braga , fays ,Adven t w ith us is a fall ; w hich decretal is inferted in the
body of the canon law . Thefe w ords rather feem to ex Prefsa fall: of devotion and general cul
'
lom , than of firifi uni
verl'
al precept, and infinuate that the difcipline w as not everyw here uniform (c). Beleth, the Paris theologian , in 1 080,
(so) Apud Marten ne de An tiqua Beclel'
. Difcipl. c. so . n . 3.
(it;In Synedico in Spicilegio, T. ii. p . a s6. (t s ) C one. T
‘
. viii.
(a ; C ap. C oncilium de Obl'
erv. Jeiun n .
(C) Jeiuuium spud nos etiam in Advento Dom iniagi'
tur. l. in . de( “ h is P0 3390
m en
82 A D V E N T. Tr. z .
fall ofAdven t on the 15th of Novem ber, others on the 8th,end others on the 20th of D ecem ber. But he (peaks on lyof the fat ofthat peniten tial tith e, in w hich the raaice of
fom e O riental churches varied . This diverfity o difcipline
m any rivate ons w ere allow ed to follow at Con flan tino
ple. utin e oflice of the church, their office w as then
as it now is , of fit w eeks , like L ent, as L eo Allatius lhew s
S. Ana llalius , the Sinaite, in the Eaft, m entions a
altof forty days before C hrill’
m as , ho lefs than that before
Ealler (25) and the O riental churches w ith very few ex
ception s, at this daye the fall, or abllin ence ofAdven t,from the fes liof8 . Philip, w hich they celebrate on the 1 4th
ofNovem ber to Ghrifl m as, w hich they call S. Philip’s L ent.
In fign ofcom Mon and pen an ce the church ufes pur
ple or m ourning am elltsfin her facred offices , the dea
cons w ear no dalfl aticks in their m inillry, the an e
lical hym n , or Gan }: in Ex cel/is is om itted in m ais . n
the Sunda ’s m l s ‘Alleluiab is repeated to ex prefs the fpiritu
a ljo of hrifi’s com ing, or its ex pefi ation , but om itted in
th erial m iles, to infpire us w ith a fpirit of com puné’tion
an put us in m ind that all the w eek days w ere once an uni
veifal fall as Rabanus Maurus calls them Hence the
fetialofi ce in Advent is equalled to that ofL en t, by the ad
dition al prayers of com punfiion and penitential folem nitr (27)
C H A P . 1 1 .
fl : Motives /hr [aafl rfiing An ven'
r .
E are called upon to fanaify the tim e ofAdvent b
the m olt prefling m otives , firll: ofour fpiritual m oiim portant intereil ; 2 dly, ofduty and gratitude to our m olt
gracious God and Redeem er ; 3diy, ofobedien ce to the prefum m ons of the church. To a egle& the tim e ofargues a fupine infenftbility of our m ofl im portant
fpiritual advantage. The m yltery of the incarn ation and
birth of the Son ofGod is the (onu s and caufe of all the
heavenly blellings and graces w e can receive or hope for.
By it w e are to be raifed from fin , to receive firength to fub
th e our paflions , and trium ph over all our en em ies_
by it
(u . Leo Allatius de Hebdom adis Grz oorum . (a s) 8 . Asian.
Sin . r. de (k erb-aged? T. iii. Mon Ecclel'
. Gm . p. 430 .
(s6)Rab. Meat . de h fiitutione C lencic. ii. dre. (s7)Gavant6:Mea n deAdven tu.
C h. a . A D V E N T. 83w e are enriched w ith all divine graces , and ex alted to thedignity of fons ofGod . To be freed from the flavery ofthedevil
, and the inex prefiible m iferies and guilt of fin , under
w hich w e lay groveling in the m afs of corruption and etern al perdition , to be cleanfed from all filth, adorned w ith all
graces, an d by God’s m olt m erciful ado ion m ade his chil
dren and heirs of his kingdom , are in nite advantages, inw hich w e can not confider or reprefent to onrfelves the lealicircum llance w ithout being out of onrfelves, in raptures ofa llonilhm ent, adoration and praife. Much lefa can w e
w eigh the im m enfe price of our redem ption , or contem platethe w onderful m ann er in w hich it w as w rought, w ithoutbeing penetrated and quite overw helm ed w ith thefe m olt lncom prehenfible m yfteries of the divine m ercy. Though w eare n ot able to m ake a jull eflim ation of the boundlefs trea-S
fure ofthefe fublim e graces obtained and ofl'
ered us through
this m yllery, w e can not be fo void offeeling as not to burnw ith the m olt ardent defire of attaining thofe num berlefs andunfpeakable advan tages
(purchafed for us , ofm any of w hich
w e m ay be now poll'
eil'
e and others {tillgreater, w e are ih
titled to, and already enjoyin reverfion . God w hois richin m ercy, for his great love w herew ithhe loved us w henw e w ere dead in our fin s, hath quickened us togetherw ith C hrill: and hath raifed us up t ether, and m ade usfit togetherin heavenly places in C hri JefusThe fountains of thele graces are open to us at all tim es
but eat fellivals, on w hich w e com m em orate the prin cipal
m y cries ofour redem ption , are in a particular m an ner hap
py days of falvation to us , on w hich thefe divine treafures
are m ore abundantly poured forth. O n thefe days the w hole
church, w ith one heart and one foul, prefents to God the
m olt ferven t hom ages and facrifices of adoration and praife,and join t fufliages , fighs and tears to m ove him to renew in
his fervants the w onders of his m ercies . O n thele fellivals
he is rendered m ore propitious an d favourable in receivingour petitions, and producing in our fouls the m ull abundant
fruits of his eatell m ylleries ; C hrifl cam e in his birth to
bellow him felfr
upon us w ith all the treafures of his divinity.
But w e can never hape that“
he w illim part them to us unlefs
w e prefen t on rfelves to him w ith hearts difpofed and pre ared
to receive them . He is born for us, and he ofi'
ers to us a l the
boundlefs graces w hich he cam e to enrich us w ith ; w e ought
(t) Ephefi tt. 5.
G a
84 A D'
V E’
N T. Tin a.
then to reptefent him to onrfelves as born vifibly for us inBethlehem , and as now oom i in an invifible m anner, or infpirit to com m unicate; to us at the glorious ed
'
ea s and fruitsof his in carn ation an d birth : the dtfpofitions w hich he fin dsin our fouls w ill be the m eafure of the grace w hich in his
m ercy he w ill com m unicate to us through the m erits ofthisIn
.
cry. The treafure is infinite, and ourLord burn s w ithin nite love, and a defire w hich is infinite as he him felf is ,of im parting to us w ith a bound lefs liberality, the abundantriches ofhis graces . We cannot fear
'
any danger of ex haufling his bounty, dr draining the fountain , both being infi
nits the m ore w e receive the better w e {hall be difpofed toreceive again greater fupplies ; and the m ore pleafing {hallw e becom e to our m oll m erciful and gracious Redeem er.
20W firong an incentive is this to fervour in preparing and
‘
fpofing oisrfelves for fuch incom prehenfible advan tages 1‘
flow m uch foever w e open our hearts to receive, w e (hall
filled to the utm oll ex tent an d ardour of our defires .
6 aces are nothing leis than all the incom prehenfible‘
fis o the divine m et redem ption , grace and glory.
di mgrace w hich heals al the deep w ounds, and is the fave;
reign cure of all the diforders of our fouls, w hich w ipes
aw theitalas of allour fin s, reverfes the fen tence of eter
n al'
am nation, under w hich w e lay, and refcues us from
the flavory of the devil and the torm ents ofhell ; that grace
which gives us vifi ory over all our pallions and enem ies,
form s in our fouls the holy and glorious im age of C hrifl, and
replenifhes us w ithhis divine fpirlt ; that grace by w hich w e
are called and really m ade the form ofGod, fellow s of the
lelfed angels, heirs of the etern al glory, coheirs w ith C hrill'.
w e ralfe our defires to any thing beyond thefe inefiim a
ble privileges ? C an w e fram e an idea of the leafi part or
circum llance of them ?What ought then to be the trauf~
orts ofour joy at the fight or thought ; w hat the fervour
Sf our devotion in alkin them , and the ardour of our de
fires to obtain them ? $ ut alas ! as w hen C hrift w as born
am the Jew s his ow n people, He cam e un to his ow n
23 his ow n received him not So w e lam ent the
ncon ceivable blin dnefi and infenfibility am ong
Bernard obferves (33;that w e are to dillin ifh three
com ings ofC hrill : the ll, by w hich he m aniciled
(0 Join ed . (3) Sem ; . and5.
Ch e . A D V E R T. s,felf tn the flefh : the fecond, by w hich he invifibly emcn owfouls , to dw ell m us by his grace and holy fpip rit
anandand is thu;
fpiritually born in us . The third is w hen he ll com e in
pow er and m ajefly to judge the w orld . The
advant es w hich w e hope for, an d reap from
ing , aaridour fecurity and happinefs m
ewhis lafl com ing to
judge us, depend upon our receiving him in his fecond con;m g, by w hich-he takes
puffeflion of, and dw ells in fpirit in
our hearts . It ts then 0 the atoll effential imun-
sauce and
necellity that w einvite Jelna into our fouls, mm.
ica all our nfie&ions and pow ers to the em pire of his
m awho;
ove. O Ihappyis he, cries out S. Bernard in w hotn
thou efiablifh thy dw elling . O La d Jefus, happin w hom the divine w ifdom has prepared bim felf acle. In fuch fouls he dd lroys
pthe em pire of (in, m akes
hitfl'
elf m atter of their afi'
eaiont, and reigns lovereignly inthem ; to that every deftre, and pow er, and W e 1 8 m oved
we
.
holy fpirit, andand obedien t to his m ail adorable andw ill. If w e take a view of our ow n hearts, w e
felt onrfelves at an im m enfe dillanpe from this ha fiche,.and du ll have reafon to fear that Chi
-ill is not yet psrituallyborn or form ed in us, or at lealithat his fpiritual birth to pa
is very w eak and im perfcét.‘Ah! Cbrill com es to vifit na,
fair St Bernard, but if w e do not receive him into our
feeds, he com es againll us , and to our condem n ation . Ifheis not fpirituall born in us , it is in rain that he w as bornfor m , w e the defsgn s of his love and m ercy in hisfirfi birth
w ‘
nbortive, and he w ill com e at the hit day, not to
crow n but to coodem n us ; let us tretnble at the fight of our
pail (la b and lag-atitude . How m yAdvent: have
ready loll ? So m any calls ofthe divine m ercy dem and rm
geance agaagainfl us . Let our fervour in this Advent m ake
am ends it: all negleas , and retrieve aur (lath after fo
m uch tim e all , after fo m any calls rejefi ed and gracesabufcd, after fo m any repeated infidelitics, w e m ull redun
ble our pace that w eO
m ay {till he ofthat fm allthrice happynum ber, of w hom itis written , To as m y as have te
ceived him he hath given pow er to be m ade the fpn s of
God We m ull be entirely callous and infenfibleif w e do not afpire m olt earnef after this ex alted and m olt
grace, our efl'
cntial haw inefs, and dread
yeignly every danger of forfeiting it. The fervour of
54) 8,M .W e !3 . (5) 101159
86 A D V E N T. Tr. 2 .
difpofition in us w ill appear in our eam efinefs in every m ean
of preparing on rfelves foritin this holy tim e ofAdvent.
ur fpiritual, on ly, and infinitel im portantinteo
reliand eternalhappinefs w ere not fo high y concerned in,a nd did not fo efferitially depend upon our fervour in m ak
ing , this Advent a tim e of our fanfiification ; duty, loveand gratitude to God, ought m olt pow erfully to ex cite us
to it : m otives w hich w eigh above all others w ith nero ns
m inds . The eternal om nipotent God,_
w hofe e ence the
w hole creation w ould not be able to bear, fboul he appearin the im m enfe and incom prehenfrble glory of his Majefiy, s
before w hom , according to the ex preflions of the Prophets,the m ountains w ould trem ble, the fun w ithdraw its light,the earth vanifh out of fi
ght, and nature lhrink into no
thing this im m ortal God eaves the throne of his glory,clothes him felf w ith our w eaknefs
,and fiooping do
w n in
finitely below his m ajefly, hum bles , n ay an nihilates him felffo as to
Ippear the very outcafl: ofhis ow n vilefi linful crea
tures, o y to enlighten our darknefs , deliver us out of the
jaw s of everlafiing death, raife us from the abyfs of m iferies,ex alt us upon the throne of his glory, and enrich us w ith thetreafures of his divinity . And can w e rem ain fo deeply im
m erfed in the filth of this earth, fo infenfible and fo ungrate
ful as to ive no attention to (0 bri
ght a m ercy and to the
prefen ce oFfo adorable a m ajefiy 0 not our hearts burfi
ivith love, gratitude and aftonifhm'
ent at fo w onderful a m yf
tery, at thisinfinite condefcenfion and goodnefs of our God
Are not ourfouls all on fire w ith glow ing defires to go forth
and m eet him , to m ake him a tender of our bell hom ages ,offer on rfelves in return to him , an d prepare him the befirc
ception w e are able in our hearts , w hich alone he com es to
feék If an earthly King w ould honour us w ith a vifit, 11OW
w ould every hand and every con trivance of art be em ployedin re m oving all filth out of the road and out of the -houfe,
corre&in every deform ity and deficiency, and fetting off
the dw el ing w ith every orn am en t that could em bellifh it ;how carefulfhould w e be that nothing fhould be found in ourapartm en ts that could give him the leaftoffence or difgn fl, and
n othing be w an ting that could give him delight a n d pleafure,and tefiify our fenfe of the favour .
an d honour done us How
n npardonable w ould be the offen ce if w e n eglca ed fuch a
pre
paration ?We fhould jufily forfeit all the favours w e
con d prom ife on rfelves from his prefen ce a nd fhould in cur
by our con tem pt his feverelt indign ation . Sin , w orldly s
h
t
tac
‘ Ch. a . A D V E N T. 87achm ents of the heart, and the flavery ofour crim inal paf~
lion s, are an abom in ation to ourGod, and incom patible w ith
his divine prefen ce : the orn am en ts of all virtues are the
charm s and attraaives w hich invite him into our fouls , and
m ake them an abode for him : if w e negle& to rem ove the
im pedim en ts , and m ake him this preparation for his reception , w e fhut our hearts againfl him , fuch an infenfrbilityand indifference m ull q uite freez e his divine heart glow ingw ith love of us , fw
’
elling w ith tender com paflion for our m i
feries , and burning w ith a bou ndlefs defire of giving him felfw hole and entire to us , and to crow n us w ith his infinite m er
cies and glory. For this he fent ohn the Baptill: before to
an noun ce to us the n eceflity and o ligation w hich w e lie un
der offuch a preparation .
The
great fum m ons delivered by the Baptifi to the jew s,
is equal y addrefl'
ed to m en ofevery age, and belongs no lefsfl
to us than it did to the Jew s then living» C hrilt w as born
for all m en : it is then an indifpenfrble duty in us to difpofe
onrfelves to receive him , and his grace im prove in our
felves the fruits ofhis com ing. ell w e thoold deceive our
felve r in this point, and n eglefi fo elfential a duty, our holym other the church, ever tenderly folicitous for the fpiritus lw elfare of her children , and the faithful depolitary an d ia
terpreter of the divine Grad es , proclaim s the fum m ons of
the Baptifl to us during all the tim e ofAdven t in the m oll:
pu lling and folem n m an ner. The fam e pathetic invitation ,the fam e facred voice , w hich form erly echoed on the banks
of the Jordan , and in the deferts of Jericho, is now founded in bur ears from the altars,
‘
and by the fam e divine autho
rity an d com m illion . The m inillers ofGod now cry out to
us in the w ords of the Prophets ; Sound your trum pets ,an nounce to all n ation s ; behold God the Saviour w ill
com e : the L ord is near the day is jufl at hand, prepareft the w ay z
” The church at this tim e ceafes not dail to
proclaim aloud and repeat to us the ex hortations ofthe ptifl, the great h
erald of heaven fent for this purpofe ; of
w hom it is w ritten : Behold l (end m y angel before thyt face w ho thall pri
s m thy w ay before thee are
ye the w ay“
of the ord, m ake {trait his paths , an allit new man fee the falvation of God This divine
precurfor alfo poin ts out to us in w hat this preparation of
our foul chiefly confifts , and w hat’ are the conditions w hich
(6)Marn i. m . (7) Luke in . 414 .
A D V E N T . g r
the ex preflion ofSt. john C lim acus , are m ore incom patiblew ith them tha n fire w ith w ater the filth and dung of w hat
is earthly and fenfual, is abfolutely inconfillen t w ith a hea
ven ly fpirit, an habitual abllem ioufnefs , and indifferen ce in
the choice of w holefom e food, is an indifpenfible duty, a ndis a ttended w ith the greatefl fpiritual and corporal a dvan
ges . This holy peniten tial tim e ought to be fanfiified bya leverer curb on our appetite, as it is the begin ning of a
fpiritual and truly C hrilhan life, in w hich the firft { lep is a
perfe& viaory over fenfuality and gluttony, a s St. Bafil (t,and St. John C lim acus (1 3) obferve ; w ithout
”
this condi
our an ce is fruitlefs, or ellentially d efeaive fays St.
Bali and an pofition is raifed by a fenfual andcarn al dill
pofition ofour earts, to the fpiritual birth ofC hrill in our
fouls and to the reign ofhis grace in us .But the penan ce here req uired , is m olt elfentially that
p f the heart, by the ex ercifes and tears of fin cere com pun c
tion , a nd the in terior facrifice ofour affeaion s ; tha t is w hat
the Precurfor and Prophets m ofl: em phatically ex hort us to,
as the m oft effen tial part of the divine precept of penance,
and the very foul of that indifpenfible virtue,and the con
dition of ou r juflification and falvation . The crooked and
m ifplaced afl
'
eétion s of the w ill m ull be reform ed an d m ade
flrart, its diforders m ull be atoned for by luitable fruits of
repentance, w hich w ill efi'
eétually root out a nd corre& the
evil inclin ations, redrefs all that has been don e am ifs, a nd
be the beginning ofa n ew life, a feed of a ll perfec} virtue.
For a fou tp be fincerely con verted from the love of the
w orld to the love of God,to divell herfelf of the ca rnal
ons of the old m an, to put on the new m an , and to
0 her hea rt C hrill , and his fpirit, is n ot fo ealy a talk,nor m the p rdinary courfe of the difpenfation ofdivin e grace ,to be m ade perfecl in lo lhort a tim e as m any feem to im a
gin e. C an any on e be (0 foolifh as to perfuade him felf that
this total changeis efi
'
e&ed by on ce firiking the brenil, fu
perficially reading certain form s of aél s ofcon trition , or cry
m g out, L ord have m ercy on m e ? Barring an ex traordin arytrac le ofgrace, luch as w e adm ire in the converfion of St.
an ],and fom e others ; this is not the w ork of a day, but
requires repeated pray er, m any lighs a n d groans , continued
a long tim e, accom panied w ith falling and other m ortifica
(1 2 ) St. Bafil. Serm . r. D e. C ap. jejun . and in
tn ) 3. C harm s, P: Mn
A D V E N T.
tions of the fenfes , and w ith abundan t alm s and w orks of
m ercy, charity, m eekn efs, hum ility and all virtues . D eepforce are n ot {con healed un left cleanfed to the bottom ; ifby palliative cures they are only fkin ned over, the w ound:"by breaking out again becom e often defperate,
‘
and refill allfuture rem edies . If w e are fenfible of our fpiritual m iferiesan d difordets , and feel our in terior w eaknefs, an d co licated infirm ities , w e fhail dedicate, w ith the great r
vour an d joy, this holy tim e ofAdven t to the ex ereifes ofoom pn nm on and pen ance, ing out to God from the bot
tom ofour hearts : Wafh m e L ord m orean d m ore from allfla w ofiniquity ; O d ea nfe m e from all fin , and fprinkle
'
m e 0 L ord w ith hyfl'
Op, &c. Such fighs ought to be our
fam iliar afpirations to God at this tim e, and w e m nfi dailyfet apart fom e tim e to recite devoutly fom e pfalm s or other
prayers ofcom punfi ion . Nothin but our fin s t aife a w allofdivifion betw ix t our fouls an d cd . The m ore earnefllyw e defire to invite him into our hearts , and to {hate in the
graces of his com ing, the m ore folicitous ought w e to be to
purify our fouls from all fin in the facre‘
d laver of his blood,and to difengage and fcour our alfe&ion s from w hatever is
earthly an d carnal. To ex cite us pow erfully to this favingcom punaion , the C hurch, in the gofpel w hich (he ordain sto be read on the firfi Sunday of Adven t, fets before us the
terrors of the lall com ing of C hrill, and the feverity w ith
w hich he w ill then jud g e u s . To prevent the efl'
eBa of his
vengeance again “ fin in that dre adful day of the divin e juftice, w e ought alw ays to have it before our e es , and ftc
q uen tly to m editate o n it, efpecially at this ho y tim e, that
w e m ay be efi'
ea ually flirted up to fincere com punaion andpen an ce , proportioned to
'
the enorm ity of our ofi'
enoet , an d
the de th of our diforders ; an d be difpofed to lay hold of
the inlfinite m ercy w hich is offered us in his firfl com ing .
C om punfl ion is to be the firfi, but not the on ly fpiritual en
tertain m e n t ofour fouls at this holy tim e ; the m ain part of
our devotion s ought to be taken up in con tem plating and h'
o
mouting thein carn ation of the Son‘
ofGod, in order toex cite
onrfelves to con tinual ferven t ex ercifes of thankfgiving ,
preife an d love , w ith m ofi arden t defires ofthe perfe& union
of our fouls w ith God through his m ercy, held forth to us
in this incom prehenfible m yfiery . He nce the C hurch con
fiders Adven t as a tim e partly of com punaion and penan ce,and partly of fpiritual joy an d than kfgiving for the approach
of the redem ption of our fouls , w ith the highefl:Emmyal t.
94 A D'
V E N Tf Tr. a .
or afpirations ofcom punélion and hum ility, oflove, praife,thankfgiving, fupplication and facrifice, or the offering of
our hearts to Him : habit w ill foon m ake . this praaice eafyand fam iliar, if w e avoid the dangerous indifcretion of -
at
tem pting it by a confirained application of the brain , w hich
is the bane oftrue devotion , by (training the afi'
efiions , and
w eakening the head an d faculties of the m ind . L ove is on
ly kindled by foch reflefition s an d afpiration s as are its fpiri
tual nourilhm ent, thofe w hich the heart produces w ith cafe,w ithout fiudy or in tenfenefs of thought by thefe the foul
w ill feel how fw eet it is to con tem plate .God in holy love,and that nothing brings fuch unfpeakable joy. to the heart as
the rem em brance of Jefus ; and that nothing can be fo ad
vantageous to us as to return him love for his etern al love of
its . We m ull be void of all feeling, and harder than the
flin t and adam an t, if the con tem plation of this m yflery does
n ot con tinually fill our; fouls , and flir up in us the m‘
ofi ar
den t defire of paying our God an d Redeem er the incel'
fant
hom ages of‘
love, gratitude an d praife : w e can never offer
him the leafl tender of our love, but he in return com m u
nicates him felf to us w ith allthe m arks ofinfinite love For
everyhom age of taife, he w ith a liberality w orthy a God ,w hofe treafures o beneficen ce are w ithout
,bounds, w ill glo
rify thofe w ho lorify him . As often as w e ofl’er him our
felves in facrigce for all that he has bellow ed on us ; or fay.to him from our hearts and w ithout referve, l am thin e, he
a nfw ers us , a nd I am yours , in finite as I am , and w ith all
m y treafures . Whilll: w e n ever ceafe to blefs him , he w illn ever ceafe ito enrich us w ithhis divin e blefiings, w hich ia
fure to us all his aces , love, an
Afpiration s ofr
thankfgiving and praife m ull be m ingledw ith the m olt ardent continual defires , that by vifiting us he
be fpiritually born in our fouls . All other con dition s and d
pofitions prepare us to this , and are com pleated and perfe&~
ed by it. All the graces w e can hope to receive are its fruit.
God bellow s them according to the ardour of our defires
thefe both invite him in to our hearts w ith the m olt tender
effufion of his infinite love, an d produce in our fouls the
n ecelfary tem per and difpofitions to receive him w orthily.
He vifits on l thofe w ho by their m olt earnefl: fighs call him
in to their fou s, and for us not to fi h m oll: ardently after
this happin efs, is the m oll ungratefu con tem pt of him and
the m ofi {hangs infenfibility to our ow n highell advan tages .
Boer the abyfs of m iferies, in w hich w e are ingulphed, our
A D v F. N T.. 95
im rn enfe interell and the love, w hich w e ow e to our infi
nite God and Redeem er for his boundlefs good nefs , and in
return for the ex cefs of his eternal love for us , ought to kin
dle thefe burning alfeaions in our fouls as according to the
m eafure of our fervour an d afiiduity in in viting him , w e.
{hall be in riched w ith the abundance of his graces . The
Holy Fathers frequen tly obferve that the prin cipalreafon w hyC hrifl: did not com e im m ediately after the prom ife of a Re
d eem er w as given to our firll paren ts a fter their fin , w as , that
m an m ight for a long tim e feel and groan under the w eiht
of his fpiritua l m iferies , be m ade fenfible of his w an t ofaSaviour, an d his aton em en t
.
for him and his grace, an d byu ninterru pted fighs , invite him dow n from heaven . God
it Ad am’s la fe deferred not to reve al to him this unfpeak
iii; m yflery ofhis m ercy, to faife his faith and his hope in
a Redeem er to com e, a nd in vite him by con tinual te ars and
prayers to haflen his com ing, a nd difpofe him felf to receive
tbis m ercy. He had no foon er finned , but God , touched
w ith com patlion at his unhappy condition revealed to
him this divin e m edia tor, and affured him that from the feed
of the w om an w ho had been feduced b the devil, one lhould
com e w ho w ould crnlh the head the in fer nal ferpent ;w ithout this com fortable prom ife he m ull have funk a n d pe
rifhed in defpair. If after this divine prom ife he w ept and
laboured in the fw ea t of his brow during 900 years, it w asin a lively faith and hope in C hriflz, w ho w as to reconcile
him w ith his'
God. This w as his com fort, this fupported
him under the w eight of his m iferies ; this Redeem er w as
the con tin ual obje& of his prayer, praife a nd love ; this he
infiru8 ed his pofierity in . Happy w ere they w ho w ere
faithful in this tradition 1 Abraham faw in fpirit the glorious
d ay of this divine Saviour 2000 years before he cam e, and
he ex ulted w ith holy joy To this Patriarch God faid,that all nations lhould be bleffed in him w ho rofe from his
feed The fam e prom ife w as repeated to Ifaac, and
a gain to Jacob, w ho in bletlin his children faid to Juda (tThe fcepter (hall not be t en aw ay from juda till he
com e w ho is to be fen t,”that is this fam e Saviour. Mo
fes knew this Redeem er, a nd judged that the ignom iny of
Jefus C hrill w as a greater treafure than all the riches of
E gypt And C hrill affures us thatMofes had w ritten
1 oh iii. 1 6 i.
as.a .
“ 9tan tra i.)G“ n
98 A D V E N T4
ofhim . The Prophets fucceeded the Patriarchal, and fpolteof him in flill clearer term s . A virgin {hall con ceive,faid Ifaias and {hall bring forth a Son , w ho {hall becalled God w ith us .
” All the ufl w ho lived either before
or under the law , lived in the aith in him : all the an cient
faints from the begin ning died in this livel firm hope, not
having received the good things w hich od had prom ifed
them , but feein them , an d as it w ere, fain ting them at,
a diflan ce No m an could be jufiified or raifed’
from fin , no m an could ever com e to God but by faith inthisMan-God , an d by his m iniflry (a t). It is on ly in his
n am e, that m an in every difpenfation of the divine law
could be faved (an). Jefus C hrill ,t
f
izys the Apoflle,
the end of the law for the falvation all w ho w ere to bee
lieve in him The ancient law w as entirel re
red to him ; every type, every figure, every fa cc and
every cerem on pointed him out ; and it w as on ly in the
faith, hope an ex pea ation of this alm ighty deliverer w ho
w as to be fent them , that the jew s put up their prayers , or
could be heard b God . All true Jew s under the law , all
the holy patriarc before the law , w ere C hrifiian s by anti
cipation an d how earneflly did all the ancient faints w eep,figh and folicit heaven , that the com ing ofC hrifl m ight behaflened ; they prayed night and day that the heaven s
w ould drop dow n their dew ,and the clouds rain the jufl:
m an , and that the earth w ould be open ed and bud forth
a Saviour (24 They cried out, fend forth, O L ord,the L am b, the ruler of the earth 0 that thou
4“ w ouldlt break through the heaven s an d com e dow n
Stir up thy m ight and com e to fave us (a Who w ill
give thee to m e that I m ay fin d thee w ithout an d kifs
thee, an'd now no one m ay defpife m e We ought
to die offham e and confufion w hen w e confider that the a n
cien t aim s prayed w ith fo m uch ardour that C hi-ill w ouldcom e fpeedily ; yet w e w ho have the happinefs of
him alreadyborn for us, and of enjo ing the bri ell
of this glorious m ercy, are (0 floth l and in nt in in
viting him to vifit our fouls and enrich us w ith his divine
prefence and graces . The m ore ferven tly and m ore ar
dently w e repeat our figln and afpirations, the m ore vehe
19 Hit. v u. 1 4. xi. 33. (a t) John x iv. 6.
in A& (a ; ) Rom . xix . 4. (ea) Ifa. x lv. 8 .
(2 ; Hit. x vi. a. (a6) lfa. lx iv. t . lx xix t 3.
(2 3 cu ts 'ilis I Q
m o Tr. a .
not oftrrer. He repeats the fam e charge to the laity, in feveralpafloralinfirufiion s w hich he addreffed to them . Thefacram en tal union of the loving foul w ith her Spoufe and Saviour, though infinitely fublim e and w on derful, being underveils, does not perfealy fatiate her love. It is , indeed, herchief com fort, fpiritual firength and fupport, her viaticumin her m ortal pilgrim e ; but w ith the increafe of her loveit kindles in her m orcfionging defires of the perfe& union
and reign of herGod, an d his love in her, by beholding him
face to face, and pofi'
elling him in his glory. From the ve
hem en t defires of being perfe&ly delivered from all our fpi
ritua l evils and m iferies, and being united to, an d poffeflinghim in his grace and love, and in the holy facram ent of his
precious body and blood, our hearts are raifed by firong defires after our etern al and perfe& transform ation into him in
his blifs . S . Auguftine fhew s from that petition ofour L ord
’s prayer, Thy kingdom com e,
”that this defire
is the con tinual tigh and rayer of every faithful pilgrimfoul on earth this carn ell ove an d defire of C hrifi’a com into us , an d uniting him felfto us in his glory, the HolyGholiinfpires into the heart of his fpoufe w ith continual fighs and
groanings . The fpirit and the bride,"(or faithful foul
a nim ated by the holy fpirit), fay com e (36) S . Johnadds , and let him w ho hears this , fay com e.
” What canbe m ore n atural, or m ore .reafon able in religion , than for a
loving fpoufe to defire earnelil to be w ith her beloved, or
a creature m ade for God, to ligh con tinually to enjoy himher cen tre and her lafi end, her fovereign , eternal, and on ly
good ; for one w ho is held captive w ith im patient longings,to w ait for liberty, for a foul enflaved an d befieged by vanitya nd dangers , to long for a glorious im m ortality, w here (in
a nd the devil w ill have no pow er over her, and God w ill beto her all in all. This is toregular an effe& of divine cha
rity in us, that 8 . Paul calls thefe fighs after our perfea re
dem ption and deliveran ce, the fruit of our adaption
It w ould be an intolerable prefum ption for an one to think
him felf fit to die ; as no C hrifiian can thinzof appearingbefore his ju w ho is infinite fanfiity, w ithout being feiz
ed w ith jull read and trem bling . But w ith com punfiion
he has racourfe to the divin e m ercy living to en
creafe his debts, confiders life as an infinite m ercy, by af
fording m ean s to do m ore perfea: penance, and after all s e
C ts
(33) 8 . Aug . in Pl'
. x cvn . in Pl‘
. ca lva . et ep. s99. ed . Benne
tt .APOC x xii. 37. (37)Rom . viii.
fw ect on the fcfiival, and an nounce their joy on their verycx teriqur.
The eve of C hrillm as w as of all others the m olt folem n .
All w ere invited to fpiritual'
oy, b readin the little chap
ter atV efpers , Rejoice (4 be vehicles of the foregoing V efpers contain the m olt languilhing fighs of the an
cient faints . That C om e to redeem w as fung bytw o children . That D rop dow n in dew , Bit .
” by one
child . The lan ds of the eve w ere fung w ith the greatcfl:
folem nity, by the provofi of the collegiate, or abbot of the
m onallery, accom panied w ith the m ufic of all the inflru
m en ts
(48) C apitulum Gandete. (49) Veniad liberandutn ;(so)
'Mertenne d e Ant.Moul d s. Ritibus, l. ii.
T u e
1 06 H O L Y N AM E o r J E S U S. Tr . 3.
tim e w hen a perlon is e nrolled am ong the children of
God , honoured w ith his allian ce, an d m elt precious gr aces,and m ade heir of his etern al prom iles, he thould then take
a n am e, w hich m ay be a title, or badge of his honour,a nd alw ays put him in m ind of the fublim e charafi er w hichhe bears , from w hich he dates a new heaven ly life . C hrifi
w ould take his auguft Nam e at his C ircum crfion , to con
form him lelf in all things, not on ly to the ordinances ,but even to the pious cullom s of the people of God, and of
the law , to teach us to con ceive the greatelilove and elleem
of, and the m olt lcrupulous fidelity in all the religious praetices an d rites of the church. This cerem ony w as allo m olt
{uitable for taking this lacred n am e w hich fignifies Saviour,becaufe he lhew ed him felf our Saviour, by offering the firltfruits of his precious blood, the price of our redem ptio n .
W e m ull not im agin e that an angel, or S . eleph or theVirgin Mary herfelf, ave this n am e to the w in e Infan t ;S . L uke allure: us that the arch- angelGabriel brought it from
heaven before the C hrill w as con ceived (a). It w as then
revealed to Mary it w as again dilcovered by an angel ina nother vilion to S . joleph Thcfe vilion s and revela
tion s ferve to raile our ex pea atio n and ven eration of this
m yllery left w e lhould look it on it w ith indifi'
erence
They w ere on ly preparato t e m fiery w as relerved to
God him felf it w as n ecela'
ry that od him felflhould givethe n am e to his ow n Son . Non e but the eternalFather hadfuch a right am ongll m en ; even it is the father
’s prerogative
to n am e his children , and thole n am es are m oll luttablew hich agree to, or ex prels the n ature and m oll ell
'
ential excellen ce of the things w hich they fignify. Adam , w ho kn ewthe n atural properties of all living creatures upon earth, gave
to each a n am e es prellivc of its n ature . 0 Am otg the an cien t
patriarchs a n d our ow n rem ote an ccllors , paren ts w ho knew
n ot the charaa ers or future dilpolition s or action s of their
children , often borrow ed their n am es from trifling circum
f’rances w hich attended their birth, or from im aginary ali
ties w ith w hich they hoped they w ould be endow ed“
; in
w hich how often did the even t dilappoint their ex pea ations ?fre uen tly lee the m oll illn llrious names born e by the
m olt in
f
lam cu s of m en ; C hrilt ought to bear the n am e
w hich bell c x prefled his .m oll adorable charafi er The Fa~
ther alon e kn ew pcrfefi ly the un m calurable ex cellen cies of
(2 ) L uke i 3s . (3)Mat. i. a s .
T” . H O L Y N AM E o r J E S U S . 1 07
his dignity, nature and funaions : He alone fully com pre
hended his con -fubfiantial ahd co-eternalWord ; the boundlofs perfeaions ofhis divine n ature and perfon the u nfearch~
able m yfiery of his incarn ation , or his quality ofRedeem er
of the w orld. No angel, no creature, in heaven or earth,is capable of com prehending thefe his perfe&ions a nd m yfteries , each of w hich is an abyfs w hich no finite under
fianding can fathom . The Father alone to w hom the right
belonged, and w ho kn ew him from eternity, could give him
a nam e agreeable to his fa cred charaa er an d dignity. Som e
tophets have received nam es from heaven , but not as Jefus,Po w hom God him felf afligned a title, w hich he bears to
eternity. For this m yfiery God chofe the m olt (uitable tim e ;beholding his Son the obje& of his infinite com placency and
love,cloathed w ith the veil of a created n ature , in the like
n efs of finn ers , fub'
ea ed to the hum bling knife of circumcifion , in order to honour him before a ll creatures, declaredthat he w as no finn er , but that he w as innocence and fana ityttfelf w ho cam e to jullify finn ers . This he did by bellow
ing on him a n am e of glory ; a n am e above all other n am es ,at the found w hereof all creatures are bound to bend their
knees and adore him . The w ord jefus ftgnifies Saviour(a)Thejew s could not be furprifed to hear the divine infan t
,calle by this n am e w hich had been taken of m an y others .
We m eet w ith efus or Jehofuah the fan of Nun , of c us
the fon of Sira and Jofephus m ention s a certain Jew cal
led Jefus , w ho foretold the tm pending ruin of their city and
nation ; but in thele, the nam e w as on ly an a pellative, a
Ihadow , not ex prefling any reality, or at m it denoted
only a deliverer of a particular n ation from fiavery or other
tem poralcalam ities It w as not fo in our divine Redeem er,This m y, Jefus, fays 8 , Bern ard (b), does not hear an
em pty nam e w hich im ports nothing ; it is not in him a
(hadow of a great nam e, but the truth.
”He is truly and
em hatically our great, our only Saviour, w ho has refcued
us tom fin , and that deluge of infinite evils and cnd lefs
m iferies into w hich it had plunged us , m oreover purchafed
for us allgood, all the advan tages of grace, and an im m enfe
(a)m s in Hebrew Jefuah or Jehofuah, i. e . Saviour . See 8 .
Thom as 3 p. 03; 37. a, a . Suarez a . tn 3. S . Thom a . Tom . tt. D ifp .
1 5. Secl. a .
(b) Non ad infiar priorum m eu s ifte jefus Nom en vacuum 8: in a n e
per m s non ell in so m sgninom inis Um bra fed veritas . 8 . Beta . Sa m .
3. deC trcuntcifi
etern al
H O L Y N A M E o r J E S U S. Tr. 3.
etern al blifs an d glory ; laflly, has fubdued an d trium phed
over death an d hell, an d delivered m an from their jaw s byhis redem ption . This w onderful falvation he has w rought
at the infinite price of his incarn ation , fufl'
erings and death ;from w hich m yfiery the God- head itfelf receives an infinite
glory, fuperior beyond all com arifon to that w hich accrues
to him from the hom ages and delity of all m ere creatures ;a glory com m enfurate to his ow n im m enfity, and w orthy of
him . In recom pen ce of this viaory is C hrifi’s hum anity
ex alted above all pure creatures ; as m an, he is declared by
the Father in an order far above them all, and ap oin ted byhim fuprem e judge of all m en , the living and the ead . The
m efiilluftrious Rom an conquerors often took nam es or titles
of honour from countries w hich they had fubdued , or' from
fom e great vifi ory or earploit ; as the African , the Aftatic,the Parthian , the Germ anic, D acic, are . This w as foolifhflattery an d idle vanit But n othin in God him felf challenges our hom ages of
,
adoration an love in a firia er and
m ore”
feered m an n er than his goodnefs and m er w hich is
over all his w orks . Nor does this attribute fhin e orth in anythem w ith fuch a bright and over-pow ering blaze as in
the in carn ation . It w as therefore m olt fuitable that he fhould
take his n am e from this glorious w ork of our falvation , and
his vifi ory over the devil an d fin : Nor could any n am e be
m ore glorious in him , or m ore am iable to us . He hath fay ed
us , and that by hum bling him felf even to the death of the
crofs ; for w hich caufe God hath ex alted him , and hath
given him a n am e w hich is above all n am es ; that in the
n am e of Jefus every kn ee fhould bow of thofe that are in
heaven , on earth, an d under the earth, and that every tongue
thould confefs that the L ord Jefus C hriliis in the glory of
God the This n am e prefe n ts'
to us the God
Man , w ho is the true God , proceeding from the true God,infinitely holy, w ife, pow erful and m erciful, m ade m an to
becom e our faviour, thew ing pledges an d token s of m ercyand love, hearing the m arks of his fufferings for us , prints
of his w oun ds , and difplaying all the charm s of grace and
virtue ; him in w hofe faith and n am e alone w e can be faved
(5) in w hofe redem ption Adam believing w as raifed from
his fin ; him at the fight of w hofe day to com e Abraham
ex ulted w ith joy him w hom all the prophets foretold,
(4) Phil . u . 9, t o x x . Afl s iv. 1 2 . ohn iii. . 1 6. xiv. 6.
(6)John m i. 56.
(5) J
1 1 0 HO L Y N AM E o r J E S U S. Tr.
w hofe fpiritual kingdom is of all nations , and of all ages
(37) in particular king of.our fouls by his love, by w hich
he reig ns in us by the con tinual difplay and efi’ufion of his
graces , an d by the hom age and -obedience of our hearts and
allour pow ers and faculties our head in w hom w e are
fellow m em bers and one w ith him by the union of
charity, and the m olt facred incor oration in him , w ith the
abundan t efi'
ufion of his m erits a ndgraces ; our m oll lovingan d faithful fpoufe the w ay w hich leads us to God ;the life of our fouls, the eternal and unchangeable truth ;our doa or and legiflator ; our bread an d our firength, our
light, our com fort and joy ; our peace, our judge, our
pinefs , and our lall end . All thefe and the other titles and
q ualities w hich the holy fcriptures attribute to C hrifi, this
holy nam e com prizes , w ith the abilca& of all the other
n am es w hich are given him by the Holy Gholi, as the
firong God w ho dilarm s the w et of hell, the adm irable,w hofe life an d do&rine are ll of incom prehenfible m yfieries ; the father of w ife counfel (or foun tain of w ifdom )the father of the age to com e, or of the church of faints,the prin ce of peace w ho recon ciles all things in heaven
on earth ; the C hrill or anoin ted by his Father, w ith the pie
nitude of all grace, the Melliah, or w ho w as to be fen t
Em m anuel or God w ith us ; the prophet em pha tically fo
called, the. For all his other qualities flow from , or m ake
up his charaéler of Saviour. This glorious nam e calls to our
m ind his holy z eal, love an d ardent delire of our falvation,his m eekn efs , m ercifuln efs an d goodnefs, w ith all his other
divin e virtues, the torm ents and ignom inies w hich he fufgfered for us , the m ylheries w hich he perform ed, and all he
has don e for us, an d all the benefits he has conferred upon us .
This glorious nam e ex prefi'
es alfo in him the fource of all
ees .g“
The faith, hope ,’charity, hum ility, purity, devotion ,
and other virtues of all the faints , all the tfts , f iritual
beauty and glory, w ith w hich they are adorn e are t e rich
fruits of C hrifi’a falvation . There is no other n am e und er
heaven given to m en w hereby w e m ull be fat ed O f
his plenitude w e have all received From his falvation
(371)Eph. i. John x u . 1 John iii. (38) Apoc. xix . 6. Zach. ix .
1 9. uke iii. Pf. cx liv. 1 3. L uke x iii. 1 Cor. x 1 1 . 1144 8 .
(39) Ezhel
'
. iii. 1 7. John iv. 1 6. (40) p cf. 1 . John x v. 5. Mal.ix . 5.
‘
ol. i. Eph. v. 30 . Apoc . xix . 7. x xi. 1 . C or. x i. a .
x x ii. 1 7. (41 ) a n . iv. 1 1 . (41 ) John i. 1 6.dan
Ti. 3. H O L Y N AME o r J E S U S. u r
and vifi o'
ry w e derive alfo all our firet and all the vi&o
rious graces, by w hich w e over-com e our fpiritual enem iesa
This nam e m ufl:a lw ays ex cite our veneration and love, and
give glory to God , and be m ofl pleating to him . This
na m e of Jefus , pronounced or repeated by the heart in a
fpirit of love and prayer, is m o lt pow erful. By it the fer
van ts of God have often com m a nd ed all nature , reflored the
d ead to life, cured all diltem pers , a n d filled the w orld w ith
m iracles. S . Peter healed the lam e m an , by faying, In
the nam e of Jefus ofNaz areth, arife and w alk Byit the pow ers of d arkitefs have been difarm ed in every part of
their em pire ; of it w e m ay reapes t, the nam e of the Lord
is to be praifed 6o m the rifing ot the fun to the fetting there
of O ver all nation s and pro vinces is the found of
the nam e of Jefas heard . S . Bernard cries out (45) O
n a m e l w o rthy of all blefling a nd praife.
” Its fw eet per“
fum e w as {hed from heaven upon Judea, and then ce fpreadover the w hole earth. The church in all parts of the w orld
tings , thy nam e is oil poured out ; its perfum es have not on lyfilled the heaven a nd ea rth, but have alfo reached hell, tho
’
in a very did’
erent m an ner. All creatures are invited or com
pelled to pay their hom ages, and repeat in con cert, thyn am e is an Oil poured out .
It is a na m e of terror to the d evils , w ho trem ble at the
found w hen it is,devoutly pronoun ced ; not that the m aterial
fyllables con tain any virtues or charm , but they are drove
a w a
gby the pow er of him w ho is pleafed w ith the love,
con dence and devotion of thofe w ho in thefe fen tim en ts
honour and invoke his n am e. And the infern al fpirits are
difm ayed and difarm ed at the thunder of that holy n am e byw hich th w ere vanquilhed , and w hich they are com pelled
to adore . en ce it has often chafed them out of thofe w hom
they corporally pofl'
ell'
ed , and w hen devoutly invoked, it
w eakens the pow er of the ten te in his all'
aults . That
C hrillian s thus, by an ordinary rule, ex pelled devils out of
D em oniacs in the prim itive ages is attefied by the un ani~
m ous oonfent of the fathers, and other w riters of thofe Earlytim es . Any devil adjured by the nam e of C hrifi,
is van
q uifhed and fubdued, fays S. Juftin the m olt learned
a nd ancient prim itive father and m artyr. _And in his fecond
apology before the Rom an fen ate, w ithin fifty years after the
days of the s pot'
tles, he fays, he is called C hrift becaufe he
ts
pr. s . B . s
Can?)ad
’
s. Jufi tiffaiat. aghfyphoii
’
g. m .
“ m u m
H O L Y N AM E 0 r J E,SU S. Tr. 3.
is anointed ; w hich very n am e has in it a m yllical lignifica
tion . As alfo the appellation God , is not a n am e but a
fign of fom ething unutterable added to a hum an nature .
But
Jefus has both the n am e and frgnification of Saviour
For .e w as m ade m an , according to the decree of him w ho
is G od and the Father, for the falvation of m en w ho believe
in him , and to overthrow the d evils ; as
you m ay underltand
from the things w hich you now lee . or m any over the
w hole w orld, and even in your ow n city (Rom e)itfelf pcffeflid by devils , w ere cured and fet free . The devils them
felves have been vanq uifhed an d driven aw ay by fom e ofour
C htiflian s adjuring and ex orcifing them in the n am e of
Jefus , after all other ex orcill s an d e nchan ters had tried their
fltill in vain to help them The devils are vanquifhed’
by the n am e of Jefus C hrill S . Gregory Nazianz enfays Julian the apoflate paffed a law , com m anding C hrif
tia n s to be called Galliltean s , not from C hrill , becaufe helooked upon this latter as a nam e ofhonour, un lefs , perhaps
he did this becaufe like the devil, he dreaded the nam e of
1 6q And w riting to Nem efius a heathen , he fay s ,nor oughtit to feem furpriftng that C hrifl had fo great pow er,
for I m yfelf, w ho believe in him , m oltfreq uently have fcarce
renounced his n am e , w hen the devil fpeedily betakes him
Felf aw ay w ith noife and indign ation , proclaim ing the pow er
of the im m ortal God , w hich has alto freq uently happe ned
to m e w hen I form ed the figure of his crofs , not on ly on a
board, but even in the bare air : For the figure alone is his
flaiidard erected It is affirm ed alfo by Tertullian , the
m oft an cien t L atin C hriflian w riter, w ho bids the pagans;
fpill on the f ot the blood of that C hriflian w hofe pra er, in
the n am e 0 Jefus , fhould fail to call the devil out.
ofya D e
m oniac prefen ted to him (51 ). With fuch confidence did
the C hriflian s of thofe days challenge the heathen s to the
trial, that no ne of their oracles , an d no fien ds in perfon s
poffefl'
ed by them , could (land the found of the holy n am e of
Jefus , or the light of the crofs . This is m ore pow erfullex perien ced again lh the f iritual affaults of the devil. S
y
Terefa and others‘
fhew om daily ex perien ce, the like
pow erful fuccour in‘
tim e of tem ptations from the hum ble
an d earn eliin vocation of Jefus, through his facred crofs ‘ and
precious blood .
The ”
(47) S . Jollin Apol n . ad Sen . n . 5. p. rye . ed . C an tabrig . An no
1 768 . (, s) ih . No,l8 . p . 1 73. (49)3 . Greg . Naz . o f . i. in Julian .
p . 606. (50) 8 . Greg. N32 . 1 . ad Nem eftum Ethnicum , p. 879.(s t)Tert. Apolog . c . x x iii.
Tr. 3. H O L Y N AM E o r J E S U S. 1 15Redel m er, even w here it is lit erfluous, and fom etim es
w here it rather renders the fen liiem barralfed ; he w ould
n am e him w hom he loved, even needlefsly, an d out ofplace ,w hich the atten tive reader m ay obferve in all his epiflles
w ithout our rem arking it, fays he . S. Bonaven ture w rites
in his life of S. Francis that this feraphic lover recited
the falm s w ith great devotion of fpirit, and w hen the n am e
of 0d occurred in them he fhew ed in his accen t and fea
tures an inex preflible fw eetnefs w hich his heart felt in that
w ord out of tender love an d veneration : He once perfuadedhis brethren to ick up and lay in fom e decen t place all w rit
ten papers founson the ground, left the n am e ofGod fhould
occur in them and be tram pled upon . When he pronounced and heard the holy n am e ofJefus he w as filled in teriourlyw ith jubilee of heart, fo a s to appear altered ex teriourly in
his body, as if ravifhed w ith fom e fw eet found or talle . S .
Francis of Sales ex horting a fuperior of a nun n eryn ever to leave
{efus alon e in fpirit becaufe he m akes it his
deliht to be w it us and have us prefen t : To him , he adds ,the realia of the fw eet Jefus are full of delicious m ilk, and
are as it w ere, painful unlefs fom e fpiritual babe prefen t itfelf to receive the delicious
1Juice of his love. This w e do
by am oroully invoking his am e at leafit in fpirit, an d uniting ourfelves w ith him in heart and afl
'
efiion . The fam etender lover of Jefus w riting to a devout
‘
w idow , begin sthus his letter (59) I have no tim e to w rite only the greatn am e of falvation , Jefus ; 0 could
,0 could w e on ce pro
n oun ce this holy Nam e of falvatipn from our hearts, w hat
fw eetnefs w ould it diffufe to our fouls . How happy lhouldw e be had w e nothing in our underfianding or m ind but
Jefus ; nothing in our w ill but Jefus ; nothing in our m e
m ory but Jefus ; nothing in our im agination but Jefus . Inall thingsA
efua w ould be to us, an d w e lhould be in all thingsto him . ut alas l [ can not ex prels w hat I m ean by pron oun cing this holy n am e . To f cak of it, or to ex prefs it,w e ought to have a ton e of re. S. Paulinus in elegan t
vorfe, cries out 0 Go O C hrill, thou art, all fw eetn efs ,
all love, thou canfl rather fill than fatiate, thou com m uni
cats ll ihyfelf to us, yet art the m ore thirlled after thou art
received by our fouls, yet love is not fated S. Bern ard
w rites I take to m yfe
l
lf his ex am ple from his humaa m
(57) c. x . 8) Lin . B a7. ed . vel (59) lb. l. vin . ep. iii.1 095. 60) Paulin . rm . de eellb Puero p. 564, (61 ) S.cm . Sem
ix v. in C ant. See his Sem i. u . doCim im cif.
‘
n s H O L'
Y N AM E o r J e s'
u s . Tr. 3,
prell'
es his glorious viétory over {in and hell. A victory in
its objea ,m an n er, advantages , a nd all its circ
'
um ftan ces ,the m olt allonilhing m yftery, the m olt incom prehenfible initfelf, the m olt adorable to all creatures , and the m oft ho
n ourable to the deity, to w hich it rocures an hom age eq ual
to his im m enfity. This n am e of t e glory ofour Redeem er
ought to be m olt ven erable to all w ho love him , or have the
leafi: f ark ofzeal for his honour. We.
are obliged to ho
n our t is n am e,not only out of duty and gratitude, but al
fo by obedience to his father, w ho, to honour his fon w ithhim , has com m anded that every knee in heaven and on
earth, tn religious aw e and devotion , and in hell, by con
firain t and ~fear, thoold bend to adore him at the found ofhis religious n am e It is an ancien t law and cullom
ofthe church, that all the faithful tellify their ven eration forthe holy n am e of Jefus, by bow ing their head w henever theypronounce or hear it. This ecclefiafiical precept is con
firm ed by the general coun cil of L yon s recorded in
the body ofthe canon law . Many Proteflan ts ofthe church
ofEngland obferve this pious cuilom , both in publick w or
fhip and elfew here ; and m any of t heir m olt learn ed pre
lates and theologian s have proved againft the rigid C alviniil ,that it is a w holefom e a& of religion , conform able to thedivine precept ofhonouring this nam e .
The councils of Avignon for that provin ce, an d of Be
zieres for that diocefe, gran ted in the 14th cen tury an indul
gen ce of ten days to thofe, w ho in difpofttion s of fincerecontrition for their fins, devoutly how their head in pro
n ouncing the holy n am e of Jefus . Pope Six tus V . gave an
in dulgen ce of tw en ty days for the w hole church on the fam e
condition . Every grateful lover a nd faithful adorer of our
crucified Redeem er Jefus , is {truck w ith horror to hear his‘
holy n am e, at the found of w hich, angels adore w ith aw e
a nd love, and devils trem ble, im pioufly profan ed , filling upim pious ex clam ation s and idle unm eaning difcourfes, and the
m olt horrible oaths , ex ecration s and blafphem ies : foch horrible im piety kindles in our brealis an arden t z eal to repair
his
(64) Phil. u . go. See Suarez 3. part. de Adoratione, near theEnd ,V afq uez , 1 . it. Tie Adorat. D if. viti. c . t o .
(65) C . Deer-
ct, de lm m unit. Eccl. l. v. See Navar . I. de O ration e
e . 4. n . 5. See alfo the pious C ardin al Palm ota Archbithop of Balogn a , the Prela te w ho hold s the fecon d place after St. C harles Borro
m z us am on thofe w hofe em in en t zea l and learning w ere m olt con f
cuous in rs oring the prim itive fpirit and difcipline am ong the faith‘ul,
in fun A rchiepifcopaliBolonienft p. 78 80 8 1 .
‘Tr. 3. H O L Y N A M E o r j E S U S. 1 19his honour by m aking all am ends in our pow er by com unc
tion and the m olt fervent hom ages of adoration , pra'
e an d
love .
Again ll the im pious cullom of fw earing, a pious confraternity w a s erefi ed by Pius IV . and contin ued by St. PiusV . and Urban VIII. w ith the grant of a plen ary indulgence,on the feall ofthe C ircum cifion of our L ord, and of one
hundred days each tim e, for hinderinga ralh oath, or hlaf-f
phem y in another. Every m em ber ts obliged to correct or
p ray for‘
a perfon w ho {w ears ralhly in their hearing. Itistheir firll falutation , w hen they m eet any one on the road to
addrefs them in the dox ology : praifed be God, or praifed be.
Jefus l w hich praaiee is recom m ended by an indulgence
given to perfon s in the confraternity every tim e they devoutly ufe this falutation , or anfw er it b crying, Am en !This is ex tended by other con ceflions to al the faithful : forSix tus V . in 1587, gra nted to all C hriftian s an in dulgenceof50
‘
days'
,eve tim e a perfon falutcs another w ith thefe
w ords , either in atin or in any vulgar language : praifed be
Jefus C hrill l and as m an to him w ho lhall an l'
w er, Am en ,
or for ever, or through ai ages ! (e). An indulgence of 25days to thofe w ho (hall pronounce w ith reverence and devotion the n am e of
'
Jefus, or that ofMary, w ith a plen ary ihdulgen ce at the article of death ; ifhaving m ade this falutas
tion their habitual praaiee, they {hall then pioully in voke
Jefus in their hearts, if they are not able to do it w ith their
ips , a nd an indulgence of 300‘
days each tirn e, for-
piougyreciting the Litany of Jefus, an d 200 for that of the B .
Mar
yThefe indulgen ces w ere confirm ed by Benedifi
XII in
If w e are bound never to m ingle the adorable n am e of
jefus in prOphan e difcourl'
e, but to honour it w ith ex teriour
felpe&in our w ords and behaviour, w e.
ht to be folicitous
to accom pany this w ith great fen tim ents o in teriour venera
tion , aw e an d devotion , and n ever to pronounce it but w ith
hearts penetrated w ith holy dread and refpe&, and anim ated
w ith love and confidence b the Holy Gholl . No on e can
fay Lord Jefus but ,in the olyGholt Thus w el
lhall
a w ays
fie) Laudetur Jehts Chrifius, vel
'
p. Am en , (cu in Seeula . fet: (em per.Ira ice, Sia lodato Giefu C hrifio. Thore w ho call this an
.
tndul nce
of t oo days , join together the perfon s w ho m ake the falutatson an himw ho safivers tt.
(66) See Am oel. Rik. Ind-I. in Sepplem . ult. p. 74. item
Hifioire des Indulgences tam e. aw e, n os .
(67) 3 Cor. nu, 3.
x zo TI O L Y N A M E o r J E S U S. Tr. 3.
alw ays find it a nam e offw eetnefs , love , and heaven ly com
fort ; a nam e of fanaity, and all virtues ; truly a n am e of
falvation . Jefus is to us all our good , our Saviour, our King,the fpoufe of our fouls, our phyfician , our protea
'
or, our
advocate, our light, our firength, our com fort, our joy, ouronly God, our on ly fovereign and etern al happin efs . To‘
unite onrfelves to him in heart an d fpirit under all thefe cha
ra&ers , and lo confecrate onrfelves to his love, and im plore
this continual fuccour, w e ought often to repeat to him in our
carts , w ith the m oft feeling fen tim ents of devotion ; Jefus,fJefus , m Jefus, and m y all (f l
” Through himw e m u ofier aiour devotion s to the a crable Trinity. In
his n am e w e m ufi: perform all our a&ions : w hatever youdo in w ord or in w ork, do all things in the n am e of our
L ord .Jefus C hrill O ur greatell happinefs m ull be
ever to engage him to blefs the begin ning, the procefs , a ndthe end of all our undertakin and all our actions ; to be
a nim ated m ore and m ore per fi ly in all w e do w ith the holyfpirit, and alw ays to bear
,
m our hearts by his d ivine
love . But in fentim en ts ofprofound adoration , love, praife,com pun&ion , hum ility, confiden ce, and carn ell fupplication , w e ought to bear this facred n am e in our heart, and at
pra er to ha ve it often in our m outh, efpecially in all dif
es and the agonies of death ; and left w e fhould not then
be able to pronounce it, let us do this w ith all pollible dev07tion in our daily evening prayers for our lafl hour. He fays
to every on e ofus , put m e as a lignet upon thy heart, as a
fig net upon thy arm w e m ull prepare and open our
hearts to him that he m ay engrave on them his nam e in ia
delible chataa ers oflove, in order to inflam e all our affec
tions ; likew ife in our m inds , that w e m ay m ake him the
m oft noble and the darling objefl ofour thoughts . W e m uff
alfo engrave it on our arm ,m aking him the begin ning an d end
of every thing w e do, that he m ay heal our irregular delires,
lirengthen our w eakn efs, banilh floth, inconllancy , an d pufillam m ity, an d en able us to ex ecute the good refolutid n
w ith w hich he infpired us ; that thus all our fenfcs and actions m ay beinvariably direfi ed tohim and his love (g). The
fam e love and z ealought toengage us to do all that lies in u sis
(f) Jefus m eus 86om nia. St; Am b . i. deVii-or.
(63) C O}. iii. l 7a Ephs V' “
is
(69) C an t. viii. 6.
(g) e m pa tiblin fiuu lit , ferhperi'flinanu quo tuitintnes fenfus in z
Jefum dirigan tnr Afl us . S . M 3800 . is:in C ant.
1 2 2 H O L Y N AM E o r J E S U S. Tr. 3.
v alent, and'
w hich our Englifh m unicipal law retains in the
ordin ary form or flile of w ills ; In the n am e ofGod, Am en .
The prim itive C hriftians ex preffed it by the fign of thec rofs before every afiion An d w e m ay m ake this fignw ith our thum b on our breafl, or at leafi repeat this invoca»
tion by a fingle fervent hum ble thought, w ithout she dangerof any one perceiving or taking notice of it . This agreeseven w ith the ftile and pra&ice of the Heathen Greeks andRom ans , borrow ed from the people of God . In that city,w hich in begin ning and undertaking any m an ner of affairs ,has recourfe to the gods fays the great hillorian of
Rom e . The Greeks Opened all their coun cils by a faeri
fice Hence the cullom oftheir poets to begin everycom pofition by the invocation of fom e divinity, w hich even
L ucretius obferved . What the firfi principles ofneafou or
the law of nature ingrafted in‘
allhearts, taught the heathens
in the m idfl of the darkefl ignoran ce and fpiritual blindnefaand de en eracy of m an ners : w hat the divine precept, pro
m ulge by the Apollle, inculcates : fen tim ents of religion ,love and gratitude, and duty to our God an d Redeem er,
ought to m ake us find our.
principal com fort and happinefsin , as w ell as our conIl-an t obligation and great etern al iaterefi .
This perpetual union of our fouls w ith God,in Jefus
C hrill, w ill be the facrifice ofour w hole lives rohim , and
the m olt eafy an d perfefi m ean s of our fanfi ification in all
our afiion s and m om en ts . We Wan t no other prom pter and
in cen tive to it than a fihcere and ardent love . This w ill
ren der it not on ly eafy, but even the
greatell an d unin terv
rupted joy ofour lives . We ib alifoon nd by ex perience,a n d feel in the in n erm oll pow ers of our 'fouls , how fw eet
God is to thofe w ho love him , and w ho feck him w ith their
w hole hearts an d that his‘
con verfation has no bitter
n efs , nor his com pany any tedioufn efs, but joy and glad~
nefs (7Befrdes fuch afliduous afpiration s , w e ought to have regu
lar hours and devotion s, to honour Jefus at leifure , and w ith
greater recolleaion in our clofets, or at the foot of the altar,
in prefen ce ofthe adorable facram ent. W e m ay recite w ith
fingular
(7c) Tert . de C or. S . C yr . Hit-r . C at. 8 . Ephrem . Gee .
(7s) Livy p . 38 . c. Sce Cicero Or . pro Muta na initao. PIia .
Panegyr. initio 856.0
(7a) See A t tftOphan es Acharn . v. 8x . See D r. Taylor in his
Elem en ts of the C ivil L aw . L et . on Juflice.
(Ha) Pf. x x x iri. 9. x eix . 5. cx liv. 9. (73)Wifd . viii. 36.
H O L Y N AM E o r_J E S U S . 1 23
fi lar devotion , at certain tim es every day before m afs ,
or
n
fd‘
mften every w eek, the lita ny of the n am e ofJefus , re
com m ended by ahindulgen ce of300 days , each tim e a per
(on in the flare of grace devoutly recites it. W e m ay have,
at leali, fet day s for the ibort office of the incarn ation , com
piledby the devout Hen ry Sufo, or that by C ardin al Be
rulle ; the litany of the n am e of Jefus , or other devotion s in
honour of the m yfiery in Bloftus, are . Nothing w ill m ore
con tribute to flit up a nd en tertain in our fouls the m olt fer
vent love of efus , and the m olt ardent devotion to his holy‘
n am e, than requen t devout m editation on his holy life and
adorable m yf‘
teries , a t leaft a quarter of an hour a day m aybe fet apart for fuch an ex ercife ; or w e m ay read w ith ia
terruption s, fo as to d w ell on pious afpirations and refoluti
ons , fom e part of the golpel, or in the m editation s on the
life ofC hrifl: by L ew is de Puen te ; or thofe by F. L ew is of
G ran ada ; or at lea li a Ibort L ecture in the L ife of our
L ord J. C . by F. even , or in F . S . Jure’s Am our 8:
C onn oifl'
an ce de J . C . Every Friday ought to be confecrat
cd by fom e ex traordin ary m ortification and devotion in ho
n our of the fulferings of C hrifl, an d every day, at leafl,‘by fom e fhort prayer : and if at a ny tim e w e hear the holyn am e of God , or of efus , profaned by a blafphem y or
rafh oath, our heart uld be ready to burfl afunder w ith
bitter grief. If w e are n et able to preven t, or correfi fuch
horrible facrileges , in perfon s w ho are not under our jurifdié’tion , w e ought in tpirit to cover our heads w ith alhes,a nd m ake w hat am e nds w e are able by a n in teriour a& of
hum iliation , adoration , an d praife, faying, w ith the bleffed
in heaven , Hallow ed be thy n am e or w ith H abba
on e I w ill rejoice in the L ord , a nd ex ult in God m y1 “
Jelus or Saviour.
" By afpiration s and devotions, and
love , praife an d tha nkfgivlng, w e ought to return in ceffant
than ks to God, for this in com prehenfible m yflery of the in
carn ation , an d death ofthe Son ofGod . In this fpirit w e
c an not too often repeat the C anticles of Praife , w hich the
Holy Ghol’t has dictated in the divin e Scriptures , as the
C anticle of Z achary , or the Benediéius, that of the B .
Virgin , called , The Magnificat, dzc .
” In this fpirit, St.D om inic in flituted
,The Rofary, to teach the m olt igno
ran t, an eaf m ethod of devoutly en tertaining them felves onthe prin cipa poin ts of the in com prehen lible m yflery of the
incarnation , by w hich all our devotions are rendered accept
able
(74) Habacuc iii. t s .
m , HO L Y N AM E o r J E S U S. Tr. 3.
able to God , an d for w hich our w hole lives ought to be one
perpetual facrifice of gratitude an d praife. In a tranfport of
lively faith and thankfgiving, the d evout'
Jew efs in the gof
pel, pronounced the w om b blelfed w hich had borne him ,
and the breafls w hich had given him fuck. The Hail
Mary” is repeated ten tim es in the Rotary, that the m ind
by dw elling longer on the fam e great m yflery, m ay be en
lighten ed the better to underfland it, and the heart m ore en
flam ed w ith love in raifing God for it. If the‘
Nefied Vir
gin is pronounced B effed, it is through her divin e Son , andhe is praifed as infinitely bleffed, and w orthy all ham
as the heaven ly choirs ling in the Revelation s of St. 1
3513.
In honour of this m yflery w as the trile an gelical Salutation ,called, the Angela : (i), in flituted to e faid m ornin noon ,
a nd evening, by Pope John XXII. in 1 31 6, in trotFueed into Fran ce under L ew is XI. in 1 472 A plen ary in .
dulgen ce is gran ted to all,w ho having been at con feflion
a nd com m union on any day in the m on th, at their choice,
{hall fay on their knees the Ange/m at m orning, noon , an devening, w hen the bell rings , and 1 00 days indulgen ce everytim e a perfon recites it on his kn ees in other days, as Benea
difi XIII. declares in his Indult, dated 1 4th Septem ber,I 724. The fam e Pope b a brief, dated the sth D ecem ber1 727, ex tended thefe indulgences to thole religions perron s ,w ho being hindered at that hour, {hall recite it afterw ards
w hen at liberty. Benedict XIV . confirm ed thefe in dulg
gen ces on the 2 0th of April 1 742 , adding, that during the
w hole Pafchal tim e, the an them w ith its verfes and rayer,
Regina ca li, is to be laidRanding, in place of the fivgclur.Y et the in dulgences are equally gain ed by thole w ho not
know ing the Regin a ere /i, fil all fay the Angela }, butthis is to
be faid {l anding all the P alchal tim e, and on all Sundays
The C hurch ex prefl'
ed herdevotion to the holy n am e of
1Jem y
(i) Thofe w ho take ofi'
eucc at the HailMary,”
or its frequen t n
petition ,certain ly do not reflefl that it is a dox olo in honour of the
m carnation , the m olt adorable and incom prehen tble of a ll the divine
m (teries and benefits , for w hich w e can n ever return fufficien t hom age:
o thankfgiving an d preife, though w e d evote to it all our pow ers an d
faculties , and a ll our m om en ts . Thefe form s of w ord s ought to be
m o lt unex ception able, being diéla terl by the Holy Gholt, and recordedin Scripture by his fpocial in fpiration , for the com fort, edification and
in firuéhon of the Faithful, through all ages, (Q the end of the w orld,a nd to fi n e to nourilh their piety an d devotion .
(75) Merc n y’
s Hill . de Fran ce—Anton , dcc.
(76) See Bullarium Benedict: XIV . ct Am ort. Hill. Indulgen t.
H O L Y N A M E o r J E S U S . Tr. 3.
fortune. From this fa&,w e fee the reprefentation of this
6 re, together w ith that of the Saint, flill under the
‘gallery
ogihe good Jefits (lt). O n the inflitution of the 0 cc of
the feflival of the holy nam e of Jefus . See Benedi& X IV .
de C anoniz . Sana crum , 1. iv . ar. 2 . c . 30. p. 30 1—303
allo, 1. de Feflis , D . N . Jefu hrifli. part. i. p. 36—39.
(it) C hrill a s m an , in qua lity of ou r High Priefl, in tercedes, pre
fen ts the prin ts of his facred w oun d s , his (offerings and death, and the
adorable facrifice of his body an d blood for us, as w e are taught by the
Prophets , Gofpels , St. Paul, the Revela tion s of St. ohn , an d the con
flan t Tradition of the C atholic C hurch. Pope Ben ia X IV . obferves ,that the dignity of the divin e rfon requires , that w ith the church w e
thoold n ever addrefs him in a yle to in treat him to pray for us , but to
have m ercy on us for he him felf bellow s the races , w hich can on lyhe obtain ed through his m erits and prayer. be bleffed A ngels an d
Sain ts can not ive any grace, but they on ly pray to God to give us his
The gels , indeed , are our guardian s and protectors , by fue
ooun n
gus m any ether w ays w ithin the reach of their faculties and pow
er, an according to the difpen fation an d w ill of D ivin e Provid ence .
They forn etim es drive aw ay the d evil, preferve us from certain dangers ,and by the m anner in w hich fpirits com m unica te conception s , raire good
thoughts , w hich, n everthelefs , m u ll he produced by an im m ediate con
curren ce of theHoly Ghofi, w hen ever they are m ade pm perly conducive
to fupern atural virtue an d to etern al life . But it is by prefen ting our
prayers , and by praying for us, that they aflift in m ovin g God to be
fiow race upon us . Nor does facred authority an y w here infinuate
that t e fouls of blell'
ed Sain ts aflifi us ordin arily any other w ay than by
praying for n a'
, &c. I fay ordin arily, far w e can n ot den ex traordin aryw arnin gs to have been forn etim es received by that {pre order of Pro
vidence , in vifion s of jolt departed fools ; nor d oes it feem im poflible,but fonte holy fouls m ay, by a like ex tra ordin ary appoin tm en t of God ,com m unicate thoughts to living m ind s on earth, but foch efl
'
eéls fall
not under the ordin ary courl'
e of Providence, and depen d not on the
t here w ill of any fouls .
[ 1 27 ]
TH E F O U R T H
'
T R E A T I S E.
O N T H E
S UN D A Y S be een the E P IP H AN Yan d L E N T.
C H A P . I .
HE in com prehenfible m yllery of the Incarn ation of
the Son ofGod, the fource of all our hope and fpiri
tual joy, is the centre of all our devotion s , an d the obje&of our perpetual adoration , thankfgiving an d praife : through
it alone can our facrifices be acceptable to God , and our lup
plications propitia tory. In C hrill, and through him on ly,
w e ofi'
er all ourhom ages to the divine m ajelty in all feafon s .
From C hrillm as to the fellival of the purification of the
Blell'
ed Virgin , m other of God , the C hurch con tinues in
Tom e degree the feafi or com m em oration of his nativity (a).O n this account the w hite orn am ents of
‘
her altars and m ini
Ilers, ex prefs her holy jubilation , and canticles of praile,m ake up the chiefefi part of her
, public prayer. She com
m em orates his facred birth in the an them of the Blefl'
ed Vir
gin , at the con clufion of every part of her can onical hours ,tn
(a The num ber of Sundays reckoned after the Epiphm depends onEaltzr fallin high or low , that is late or early ; thefe lever can be
m ore than a t. If there is on ly one, w hich can very feldom happen ,the m afa of the fecond Sunday, w hich w ould otherunfl: be om itted, is
read on the Saturday before Septuagefim a . To have fut Sundays afterhan y is alfo a cal
'
e fo rare, that form erly no proper m afs w as al'
figned
”
or a fir th, but w hen it ha ed , that of the fifth w as repeated on
it, as m ay be fu n in the m i s before St. Pius Y . w ho ordered a pro
per m ars to be in fer-ted for the ha th Sun day . The In troit , Gradual,a nd C om m union are, on the 4th, sth and n th Sun days , the fam e a s on
the third, as w e find them in the An tiphonary of St . Gregorn the
Great ; for w hen they do not fin d place in this fearon , they are ne'
eell'
an
ry to com mere the Sun days w hich are then added after Pen tecolt, w henthe ln troit , Grad ual, an d C om m union are repeated from the 2 3d Sund ay after Pen teeofl . The Epillle, Gradual and C olleét are proper on
gel! Sunday. The C ollea s of the third an d fourth Sundays after
piphaay are foun d in the Sacram enta ry of St. Gregory the Great,
w 0 tool: them from that of S t. Am brofe, and others m ore an cien t.
Sec Pam elina and Menard . Not. in Sacram . S . Gregorn .
r2 8 S U N D A Y“
S s n'rw u n Tr. 4.
in the firft fufi'
rage at L audes and V efpers , and in the fecond
collect, on all days on w hich the office is not double. The
third is” for the church or its chiefpafior. w ith this fpiritual
kingdom or church, and its progrefs in grace an d fanfiity,being the prin cipal fruit of C hrill
’s incarn ation .
C H A P . II.
On tbs Sunday: qf'Sn r r u a c r-zs m a , Sz x a c z s rm a and
(lum q u a o e s m a .
N the lafl holy fefiivals ive w ere en tertained w ith the good
I things ofgreat jo proclaim ed to us by ‘
an angel, a ttended w ith the carols 0 the heavenly fpirits ; w e joined and ac
com pa nied them w ith repeated‘Hofa n n as and Alleluias , by
w hich w e'
w t'
lored the divin e m ercy accom plilhcd in our fa'
~
vour a n d w elcom ed our King and our God , our all-pow erful
a nd infinitely gracious Redeem er, born in the m idfl of us to
be our Saviour, Sanétifier, an d etern al Spoufe. C a n w e
be ever draw n from this m olt fw eet devotion ; from thefe
m ofl glorious, m olt am iable m yfleries, on w hich w e defireto e ntertain on rfelves in (w es t com punétion , thankfgiving,raife and love, w ithout interruption to an endlefs eternity)ut in the nex t feftivals w e are called by the church fromBethlehem to Mount C alvary, to contem plate the fam e ado
rable C aptain of our [alvati’
om un der the agonies of a cruel
death, to com plete the great w ork of our‘
redem ption , cit
piate by his precious blood and {offerings the debt of our ini
quities, and invite and en courage us to take up our
pen ance, hum ili patience, an d reli
gnation to
under all pains an fu erings , and joyfuly follow him in this
path, that w e m ay arrive at thehapptn efs ofpartaking in the
glory ofhis Refutrefi ion . Penan ceis thee m ploym ent ofthe
w hole life of a C hriltian : even w hilll w e celebrate the di
vine m ercies w ith praile and thankfgiving, our fpirit
is m ingled w ithfighs ofholy com Punction at the fight of our
dillance from heaven , our fpiritual m iferies a nd da ngers , an d
thole of others ; an d above all, at the confideration of the
infcrutable judgm en ts of God , our num berlefs fin s,and our .
con tinual infidelities an d lim b in the divine fervice.
In L en t w e abandon ourl'
elves en tirely to the tears of com
pun&ion , in a levere con tlo of penan ce, and in devout n'te
dita tions on the {offerings ofour dying Redeem er. This penitential courfe w e enter upon by an hum ble confeflion of
our
eh. z
’
E P'
I P H A N Y m u L E N T. 1 3.
In the Epillle for Sex agefim a'
a m odel of hum ilityand patien ceis fet before us in the account w hich the A file
gives us of his fufi'
erings for the faith : thefe virtues ingm olt eil
'
en tlal ihgredien ts of penan ce and of a C hrillian
life The gofpel teaches us the necelfary dif fitions for
hearing and m editating on the w ord ofGod, thegird of our
con verfion to God , and of all perfeaz virtue. But all de
pends upon our fo hearing the divin e w ord as to bring forth
Its abundan t fruit. In the Epillle for (b inquagefim a
the m olt ex cellen t gift of divin e and fratern al charity, the
end and perfeaion ofour pen an ce is recom m ended ; w ithout
w hich, n either m ortification nor any other virtues w ill avail
us to falvation . In the gofpel by the cure of the blindm an , w e are put in m ind to leek the rem oval of our fpiritual
blindnefs , the greateil obftacle to our converfion , and to all
fpiritual know ledge and love ; w e m utt pra&ife afiiduous
holy m editation , and beg the divine grace an d light to fee
God and his truth, the nothingn efs of earthly things, thebound l riches ofthe divine m ercy, and ‘
the im m enfity ofeternal glo This gofpel alfo fete before o ur eyes the fuf
-n
ferings of'
hrifi, the great objea of our devotion s, duringthe w hole L en t
(3) 2 C or. x i. t9. x u . to. (4) Luke viii. 4. 1 6.
4-5)1 C or. x iii. x . 1 3. (6) L uke x viii. 31 . 43.
(b) be earlielt term ofSeptuagelim a Sund ay is the 1 8th of January ,
w hen Ealter day falls on the a ad ofMarch5the, latell is the s ad of I?“
bruary, w hen Ballet happen s on the a sth of April. The n am es byw hich theli: three Sun days are difiinguilhed are certain ly derived from
their defiin ation to a pre ratory peniten tial term before Len t. In theRom an m ill
'
a l they are calia
ed the Sun days in Septuagefim a, in Sena
geftm a, in n n quagefim a ,
"and this is the proper m an n er of ex preflin g
them ; but in com m on difcourfe, they are called Septuagefim a Sun day,&c. for brevity
‘
s fake. The m eaning of theft: n am es is, that as the
Sun days in L en t are called in Qadrageftm a , or w ithin the forty daysfall, to thel
'
c are w ithin the peniten tial term s of the fifty, of the tin tan d of the feven ty days : for thefe term s
,w ere the lim its of the w ho e
peniten tial courfe, comprifmg alfo the preparatory days . It being alfo
the cullom of the church n ot to fall on Sundays “ on in L en t, w hich
feveral churches ex tended to the great fealt of the An nun ciation , that of
a patron or titular fain t a n d in the Greek church, alfo to the Saturdays ,and fom etim es to the Tburl
’
days in Len t. Hence m an y, to com pletethe n um ber of forty days in their fall, began it on the fiftieth, flatteth,or l
'
even tieth da before Ealter,w hich cullom because gen eral in cer
tain churches , w en ce thefe, ter s grew m ore fam ous in the church.
Som e alfo w ere ex cufed from fating I'
o m an y d ays in the w eek in L en t,on accoun t of form : corporal infirm ity, or other
- im pedim en t, w ho out
of their private devo tion defired to com plete x lte faft offorty days . And
therefore to m ake u deficiencies , they began it on the fiftieth, fix tietb.or feven tieth day be oreBallet . This accoun t ofthe reat
'
ou an d et m ologyof thtfe nam es of the three Sundays before Len t, is given by the C har
K a lem agne,
S U N D A Y S BETW EEN
C H‘
A P . III.
On S rin o v n‘
r t n a .
HE three days of Quin quagelim a, or Shrove- tide,are the im m ediatepreparation for Len t. When ce in
religious perfons ,redouble their fervour in their com
lem nghg fin a letter w hich he w rote on this fitbjeét to his m atter Alcu'in .
I t .m the refelt of his inq uiries in a team ed afl'
eetbly of Biflsops a nd
others w ho w ere w ell (killed in ecclefiaflica l u'
tes , w he n that great piece,ahd ‘d evout zealous adm irer of the difcipline and obt
'
ervan cee of the
had called togetherin his palace to con l'
ult them on this difli
ciky. W e m ay add that m y religious perfon s and orders began the
Lent (shat Septuageftm a, though they increat’
ed its feverity in Len t ;an d this practice w as im itated by fam e d evoutperfos s in the sverld .
Several churches, for a long tim e, in order to com plete the n um ber of
forty dayi fafi, began the faft of L en t on Opinquagelim a , or Shrove
M d: w hich is hence called ; in the Mozarabtc m ifl'
al, D om inica an te
“ Ha llieGam es ; and byBh tthesv of Paris , the M int hifiot'iafl , in
fevera l arc , C arois a ium , or the Day of Abiliw nce from fleas.
john eleth, the learned Paris divine, w ho w ro te on the fact-cd Rites
ahent “
the year tw o, lays , the'
fecon tl Sund ay -of Septua elim a (i. e.Sen a dim s ) w as ealled C arnis P riviu m , c . 65. Long be ore his tim e
the effi gy began tin fall of Lent from Septuagefim a , or at lead from
Shrew Sunday, w ith the W oks , w hich on this accoun t w as called ,Cw '
nir Pfi fuium Sa cerdotuas , i. e. the Beginnin of the Brielle L ent.See Gulielm . Neubrig . l. v. 5. t o . p. 52 3. ed . carn e . M a tt . P aris ,I. v. c. s o . Statute Synodalia NicolaiEpi. Andegaven lis . Ned ologium
m on aflicum‘
i.
‘
Viaoris Paris ep. du C ange in G‘
lofl’
ar. V , C ara ts pel
TheGec kocalled our Septea a the Sunday of the prodiga l Son ,from that parable w hich they M in the go for that d ay. Other
w ifi 3 c m , i. e. the Proclam ation from t e folem n Prom ul ation of
M t,‘
w h'
t h they m ake on that Sun day. Settsgelim a Sun ay theycall m om «tem ps and the w hole w eek am m o-Wot C arnil
‘
privium . be
ea k th’
s Sunday is the lat! day on w hich they eat flelh m eat before
m I n this w eek t are allow ed cheele, m ilk, and other w hite
M e, or L aetieinia ; th e they take leave of on Quinq uagefim a, or
Stev e Sun day, w hich they dininguith byrtltem am e ot C heeleS un day,
m a y!"or"W : it bein g the la d
lzyon w hich it is law ful to
eat eheefe or w hite tw eets . From Shrove onday they begin the fevese fat! of
.
L ent, to w hich the foregoing w eek w as only a preparationBatl
'
anron, to his C om m ents o n the C ouncil in Trollo, in C an . 3s ,m a tinee-she w eek of w hite m eats before L en t as then in tile. Am ongtbe
'Gvd s the.
Ca rley denom in ates the preceding w eek ; am ong theLenin tin t w hat follow s . See Sm ith de hodierno Statu Eccl. Gra cee . Gear in Each logium , p. 307. Morinus de pe nit. app. p . an .
Ath eis t, (h al ite!Qifini, in ofi c. Grier .
m e m e. abb ivasd rigoroufiy from he'ib and w hite m eats all L en t.
bu t'
tlid stot “ or eonfi te them felves to one m eal in the evening on
Sundays‘na
' 31: .w hich airs they kept as a leifer kind of w eeklyfefiin l, ht honour o and in than kfg
'iving for the creation . TfW M Thutfl ays, a a kind of third fettival. Hence c_
1 34 S U N D A Y S Bet w ee n
a confeliion of their fins , and fanfiified it by preparatory
pra&ices of holy pen an ce. All w ho by their fin s , or the
tranfgreliion of certain ecclefiallical obfervanccs , fell underthe law s ofcanonical pen an ce, received it at the hands of theBilbop on the head, as it .w as called, that is , on the firlt dayof the Lenten fall . Previous to this folem n public im polition of canonical penance, all w ho had any doubt or fcruple,w hether the (late oftheir foul did not require that levere butfalutary rem edy, w ere obliged, by a facram ental confellion ,to layopen theirfpiritual w ounds to the Bilhop, or his peni
ten tiary, duri the lhort tim e that funEiion w as referved,or at other per of tim e to any other approved , ex peri
en Ced, or learned prieli, w ho ordered fuch as flood in needof
'
it to addrefs ihem l'
elycs to the Bilhop, w ho prelcribed or
obnfirin ed the degree and m eafure of their pen an ce, and en
joined the lam e .
’
For'
though the im polition cf canonical
public pen an ce w as ul'
ually referved to the Bilhop or hisnitentia
'
ry, et leveral priell s w ere appointed to receive private confe ton s . Whence O rigen , on e of the earlielt andm olt learned m ailers of the
‘
m olt illultrious of theC hriltian
fchools , eltablilhed at Alex andria in the lecon d and thirdages , w rites ah follow s .
°
Look about very diligen tly to
w hom you ought to confefs your lins .
‘
Try firl'
t the phyfician to w hom you are to lay open the fource of your
difOrder w ho ought to know how to lym pathiz e and con
dole ; that if he'
w ho has lhew n him felf a fltilful an d ten ;
der phyfician ibaligive you any advice, you carefullyfollow it The fam e m ax tm
‘
is‘
in culcated by th
fim o
(1 ) Origen Hem . a . in Pfalm 37.
ing to the title, w as preached on Oain quagelim a Sunday, but is rankedam on his doubtful w orks , and l
'
eem s rather a d lfcourt'
e of one of his
lutee a re. The learn ed D oaor of P aris , john Grancola s , w ho diedin 1 733 , in the m olt celebrated and curious ofhis w orks , (C om m en taire
Hillorique liir le Bieviare Rom ain , 3 vols . t am o . at P aris in t7a7, an d
in L atin at Venice ato. s734, c . thinks the n am es,and particular
ofi ces‘
of S eptuagefim a an d Qinquagelim a can not befound earlier than
about a hund red years after St. Am brol'
e ; at lealifrom the fix th cen
tu thefe Sun'
days ar
'
e diliin guilhed in the liturgies , councils , and
ece efialiical w riters . O n the Sun day of Septuagelim a con fult C harle o
'
m agn e, A lcuin , loc . cit. D uran dus in ration aiiD iv. oflic . 1 . vi. c . a4.
et s6. Beleth ex plic . ollie. divin . c . 77. A m alarius I. i. de Ecclel’
.
O die . c. 3. Rupert l. 4. c . 9. A zor. l. x . c . 1 6. Gran colas in Brev.
c. 35. Marten ne dc An tiq uis Mbn achorum titihue 1 . iii. c . 8 . p.
Thom aflin Tr . des Jeunes p . ii. ch. s . p . “ 7. Ed. Tr. des Fetes I. it.
e . 1 3. p‘
. 307. D . l‘
llle Hill . dc jeun e . Baillet for Ice Fetes Mobiles .
Gavan t in Rubric“ Mill. et in Breviar . Item Merat. ibid . C ard . L am
bertinipoll . Bened. XIV . In ltit. 1 4. T. s . p. 1 37.
C h. 3. E P I P H A N Y AN D L EN T. 1 35m il z ealous pallors of the church through all fucceedingage
s. Shrovetide w as the m olt folem a and general tim e in
w hich all the faithful ancien tly a proached the laered tribun al of confellion w ith the greatelf
J
com punaion an d fervour.
This its very n am e in our language im plies : for our Englilh Sax on an celtors
, from this univerfal cullom , called itShrovetide that is the tim e of confellion . The preparationfor L en t by a careful facram ental con feflion of fin s is m ofl:falutary and ex pedient n ay often indifpenfably n eceli
'
ary, cl
pecially to perlon s engaged in a {late of m ortal fin : above
all, ifthis be habitual ; if the bands of this difm al flavery ben ot broken , the falls an d devotions of L en t lofe the greatell:
part of their advan tages ; for no good w orks can be fatisfactory or m eritorious, through the infinite price of our te
d em ption , and the m olt gracnous divine prom ife, unlefs perform ed in the {late ofgrace, or in holy charity, by w hichthey are grafted in C hrill, as bran ches in the trunk of thevine. They are fanaified , and fin d acceptance of God , bythis condition of holy charity in C hrili, an d by the difpofition s of fincere repen tan ce and com un&ion, and the fruitof the facram en t of pen an ce w ortht y received, before en
tering upon this holy peniten tialcourfe. Form erly this con
fellion w as alfo a trial, in w hich peniten ts w ere inllrufi edw hether their dilorders did not oblige them to dem and of the
Bilhop the rem edyof canonical penan ce, a couffe of w hich
w as prefcribed at call: for m oll: m ortal fins , and fom etim es
forflight trauf eflion s of rule. O ur penance is not on ly to
be a latisfagiiry chafiifem ent of ourl'
elvcs , in atonem en t,
through the m erits of C hrill, for pail: ofi‘
en ces ; but alfo to
be a’
rem edy for the effectual cure of all our fpiritual diforq
ders . This is a prin cipal and efi'
eétual office of holy pern ance . In order to this it ought to be particularly adapted to
our necellities, and poin ted chiefly again ll our diforders, bya (pecial in tention , proper feif- ex am in ation , peculiar holym editations and prayers, and other ex ercifes w hich m ull ac
com pany our falls . If w e difcover pride to be our rulingafiion , our hum iliations m ull: be m ore profound and m orehequent ; if avarice, our alm s m ull be m ore lentiful ; ifour fenl
'
es are rebellious , w e m ull curb them , an fubdue our
body w ith greater a plication and w atch over the m otions
of our heart and fen es , in our thoughts and 3&ions , w ith aarticular view to our m olt dangerous enem y. Sinners w ho
have the m isfortune to be engaged in a
as of profane fw earing, im purity, or any
1 36 5UN D A Y Si
n s r w n zu Tr. 4.
out the precaution ofbegin ning L en t by a fincere con feflion,
“ the e x ercifes, w hich w ill both erfeEt, and be the proof
of a true oonverfion , can not be a m itted to the holy table
ab EaRer. This rule is to be applied in a due proportion
to all w ho labour under grievous tem ptations , or d'
tforders
w hich call for fironger rem edies and to all C hrillians , as all
are bound to m ake the e x ercit’
es of L ent a preparation of
their fonts for the w olffolem n an d facred Pafchal com m u
nion . S .
’
ofiom pin s the faithful in m ind of this obligat
tion in the low ing w ords (a): The Fathers beingaw are of the dangers an d m ifchiefs of raflily approaching
the holy table, appointed thefe forty da 3 to be (pen t in fall
ing, prayer, caring the w ord 0 God,’
and m eetingtogether in publick pra er ; that in thefe days, by dev0n"t ion , alm s- deeds, faigng, w atching, ‘
tears, confefi on ,
and all other m eans , every one m ay carefully clean fe andit adorn his foul, in order to partake of it w ith a pure con
lineage.
"a And on .another occafion , preaching in the be
gin ning of-L ent he cried out w ith a loud voice, Now
from this tim e}! proclaim aloud, and conjure on for the
n falte of your fouls ; l forew arn you beforehand; left w hen‘fl the tim e of the
,heavenly banquet {hall com e
,any thould
9“ not have m ade the neceffary reparation .
” A coun cil
hold at' Faris in t4zo, com m ande that no one (bould be
adm itted to com m union at Eafler w ho had not been at con
fcfion about the be'
n ning of L en t. Alcuin (4)fays , allM iners are to co efs therr lins on the head of the fall,that'is to -day, (peaking of the firfl: day of L en t. Theq
i
d ulph, the m ofi pious and learn ed Bilhop ofO rlean s, in his
C apitulars w ill have the confeflion m ade before the firfi
d ay ofL ent, as a preparation to it, and all affron ts and in
juries fori
ven, differences recon ciled, 8m . Burchard ,Bifhop 0 Warm , in his C ollection of C anon s of the
C hurch repeats the fam e law . Upon the com punaion
and care w ith w hich this con feflion is m ade, depends m ainlythe fruit of the w hole L en t. By it the penitent fanfiifies
fire holy tim e of Shrovetide, according to the inflitution of
the church, and em ploys the m olt perfe& prefervative from
all'it's difordersr If any have the m isfortune to be in
“
the
ate1
(1 ) S . q is Qr. in do.)
uiPatcha'
nuan t contra udeos , n . iv.
m . ed . new .
q m J
(3%S . Chiff Rom . 5
6m Ifa. vi, 1 . T . vi. p. (44 . ed . Ben .
A lcuin l. d ! l . 556. q . gs , (5) w dulph, cw , u
(0)M aid .-'D cm t. lZ- x v.
1 38 S U N D A Y S B iz-t w in s Tr. 4.
for carrying 06 the m orbid hum our-
s , fo failing, that itm ay be m ade w holefom e to the foul
,m ull be preceded
by the prafi ice of tem peran ce .
” For, as the fam e Fa
ther repeats in another fem on ,“ Who can be fo ex trava
gan tly m ad as to preten d to prepare him felf to live challe
ly, by w allow ing in the filth of im purities Thisw as the prudent and necell
'
ary precaution w hich the Monks
an d Herm its alw ays took, in preparing them felves gradua llyto be able to bear their long and m olt auflere falls, often toa degree of feverity, w hichfeem s to have bordered upon the
m iraculous order. If w e adm ire the auflerity of the fafla
of the prim itive C hriflian s , and m uch m ore of the Monks
in. L en t, w e (hall find that the w hole year w as w ith them ,
at leafl in fum e degree, a continual fall , and their L ents
w ere ulhered in by a preparatory courfe of greater abfiem i
eufn efs . By this conflan t tem peran ce they enjoyed unin terrn pted health and vigour
‘
of m ind and body to the m ofl: ad
van ced old age , w hich a vicillitude, and a fudden tra nftt
from in tem perance to a long anilere habit of fall-in w ould
have entirel im paired . The rule of n ature, in a lits Ope
ration s , is tnplicity and uniform ity, and the bell m il’trel'
s
ofhe alth is tem perance and regularity , in the £1a tim es,
and m an ner of taking nouriihm ent a nd refl. lfhthing ism ore con trary to
‘
it than w hat deviates from this principle,efpecially by fudden great changes . Hence
, if w e have re
gard m erely to corporal health, a total change of diet and ofa courfe oflife can not be m ade fuddenly, from one ex trem e
to an other, w ithout great prejudice to the organ s and fram e
of the body. The hum an ilom ach, in its n atural fituation ,is a fm allveffel but by cram m ing is ex ceedingly difiendeda nd en larged , and the afi ion of its m ufcles M peded by the
w elfa re upon them . How m uch this veffel m ull fufler froman y violen t fn dden cha nge in the quan tity of food w hich it
receives , is cafy to be underflood , and m anifefi from ex pe
rience . The body therefore o ht to be fitted and prepared
by lefher retrenchm en ts , to bear ng an d an liefe fails. The
behaviour of the Mahom etans is , in this refpeét, m ore ra
tion al than that of C hriflian s . Ghiflin , Lord of Boefbec,
or Bufebech, n ear Menin in Flan ders , native of C om m in es
upon the Lis , in that neighbourhood , w ho w as a n oblem an
ofgreat learning and abilities , preceptor to the Em perors
Rod ulph H . an d his brother an d fuccefi'
or Matthias , and
w as fom e years Am baffador from Ferdinand I. at C onflan
tinople,
(9) Id . hem . 5. dc Poseit. n . v.T. a . p. 51 6.
1 40 S U N D A Y S a n'
r w z z tt Tr. 4;
prollituted them alfo to the m oi! infam ous gratification of
their m efifha m eful vices and inordin ate appetites (b). It is
m uch m ore affonifhing and aflliéting to fee the p urity of the
C hrifiian m orality fullied by fuch a m ix ture of heathenifh
(b)The p incipal heathenidt fsfiivals am on g theGreeks an d Rom an s ,
w hich w ere devoted to rioting, intem peran ce, and debauchery, w ere theB acchanalia , Stren z , 8: Saturnalia . The Bacchan alia, in honour of
B acchu s , w ere brought from E ypt in to Greece, an d afterw ard s to
Rom e, w here they w ere celebrate tw ice a year, via . tow ard the end ofW inter, on the lalt day of February, w hen they w ere called Brum alia
and on five 1 5th. of Auguft, near the end afl sum m er. O n theti: fefii
vals of Bacchus, m en and w om en ran in troo about thehighw ays andd eferts , d refl
’
ed in (kin s of faw n s , m ules , an tigers , adorn ed w ith ivyor vin e leaves ; w ith m itres or garlan d s of ivy or vine leaves on their
heads , “ touting , finging, an d dancin g . In their ba nds they carried
w hich w ere little latices covered w ith ivy or vin e leaves ; and
th them drum s , flutes , and rattles . The Greeks called thetefa lls D ion fia, from D ioayfius. their n am e for Bacchus . A lfo O rgia,from 897» ry ; for in them m an y w ere m ad
’
w ith linor, and feveral
M ounted m en dillraa ed in their fcn fes . A bove a other cities ofGreece. they w ere m od fam ous at A then s , w here the great Dion yliaw ith gam es w ere celebrated w ithin the city in Spring. The lsfl
'
er in thecoun try in Autum n or Win ter. Palm er ed . cit. Schol . inAn . ao t , 377. Scaltger de Em end . Tem l. i. p.
O n the Bacchan alia fee John . Nicolai, grofefl'orTuhingen , (not theD om inican Fryar, as the learned Jam es Echard, Bibl. Script. 0rd . Pm
dic . T. ii. p. 6go , m illaltes) I. do Becchanaliis A n tiquie ct M im ic,
(prin ted in 1 679) T . vii. A n tiquit. Grz c. Gra vii. A lfo C ir illo
pher Neander, Hill . Bacchan aliorum , rcptin ted in C lauflingius’
s Jusblicum Rom . T . iv. p . 192 . Jam es Herufchtned , of A n tinge invaria , D id
'
. d e Baechan aliis Non m ber a: Dim . D iff. de Bac
ehan alibus Lipf. 1 69r . Knan ew itter a iffirtatioaes de Bam ban alibus
Gentiltum t tem b . 1 71 0 . Hoffm an D iél . Univerf. Potter Grecian
A n tiquities , B . a . p. 382 . L am b . Bof. A n tiq . Grace. c . x v. p. rot .
H efyehius , v . Atevvtrta . Sapnheim in Arili0ph. Ran . v . 360 , et 1 242 .
Eu ripides Bacch v . 8 1 ct s od . Scholia in Euripidis t nifl'
. v . 789.
Bat ch. "a, 8 33. 695. L ucian Bacchus sr de um rem ere cred .
C a l. O vtd Metam orph. 1 . vi. v . 578 . et 533. lit. v . 393 .
C atul C arm . lx i. v . a6t . VirgilE n eid . I. ix . v . 737. Brouhhus in
Tiboli. 1 . iii. p. 6. Barthol. in Stat . Theb. 27. Matth. E gyptius
E isatic Sen atus C on fulti de Bacchan alibu s . Slve E rie: vetutlt tn
bu m ufz iC aefareiVind obienfis Neapoli. fol. Ficore n lMaf
chare Seniene degliA n tichiRom ani, 410 . Rom e , five L atin e de
L arvis Seenicis veterum Rom anorum , are . Rom e , 1 54. An d princi
pally the . learn ed A n tiquary Paul Ma ria Pactaud , ular C lerk , in
is C om m en tariis de lm hoM M Sive de Um belle fiatione . R‘
o
m o , 1 752 , 4x0. w here be accurately relates the Rites an d Supertlitiotts ,an d fettles the billory of the origin al of this im pious fekival . The dif
onders of the Bacchan alia w ere fo en orm ous , that they w ere at len gth
fuppretl'
ed by feveral fevere decrees of the fi n ate, before the fall of therepublic , 8m . yet thefe riotous feflivals fiublillzcd in force parts till the
Greet and Rom an idola try w as bu ilhed by the light of the golpel.m
1 42 S U N D A Y S s ea
-w eak Tr.
them felves in w hat they oondesn n , are inoonfiflent, an d a
contradifi ion w ith tha n felves ; ren oun ce their ow n divine
principles ; and w hat they profefs . They call them felves fol
year, the people carried fprigs of Vem in , w hich they cut and brought
from a grove near Rom e, (acted to Sc enic , and called by her nam e .
The Vervain bran ches w ere regarded as happy prefages , or aort as ofthe new year . O n the fam e d ay, the people m ade prefen ts to their
frien ds , efpecially vafl'
als to their Lbrds an d Princes , and afterw ard s
n oblem en to the Em perors . See Sym m achtss , l. 1 . ep . s o and ‘
Suetonius , Ste .
Though C hrifiian s abhorred the w orthip both of Jan us and Strenia,yet Tertullian com plain s (I. de ldolatria, c. that m any w ho had
abolilbed the obfervan ce of the Jew ilh n ew m oon s , w ith the hea tbcnifla
fupertlition s , fiill (bes t ed too m uch regard to thefe folem nitics by m u tual
prefents , gam es , and banquetin gs . Many an cien t coun cils condem ned
thefe abufes ; an d S . A m btofe, S . Aufim , and other zealous pa llors
laboured firen uoully to ex ti e them . Read the en tire ferm oos of 8 .
Peter C hryfologus , S . M su m s ofTurin , S . Fulgen tius , 8x . againil
the can d les of the ca lend s of Jan uary, or n ew year’
s day . Several an
cien t canon s againfi them , are inferted in the bod y of the canon law
(c. non obfervetis, ou . 7. 8: can . Sionis, ibid . This [a ll 0
nouures fen ten ce of ex com m unica tion agatn ll an y w ho lhall oh erve
them . More efi'
ea ually to ex tirpate them , n ew year’
s d ay w as obten 'ed
for m an y years w ith a rigorous fa ll, and in prayer. See the fecond
coun cil ofTours , A . D . 567. T. v . cooc .
Pp. 363 ;
'an d in the eleven th
cen tu ry in the Tl efl , it w as condem ned in ra nce, by the C ardin al Pe
ter of C apua , L e ate of the Pope ; an d in purfuance to his order, byEn do of Sully, fid w p of Paris in “ 99, by feveral councils dow n to
that of Bafil in 1 435, (Self. a s . C an . x i. T. x ii. p. O n thisfefiival of rofane m irth, one w as chofen in each fam ily, Pope, D ean ,or King ofthe Fools ; an d un der this private anarchy, great difordersw ere com m itted , and the efl
'
en tial rules of difcipline, fobriety and goodorder w ere often tranfgrell
'
ed , and a {ham eful libertinil'
m patronized .
See l’
Hifloire de la Fete dc Fon s , a L aufan e, in ato. 1 755, in w hichform of its cullom s are related .
This w as a nororious rem nan t of heathenilh difi'
oluten efs , tran flatedin part from Pagan fellivals by n om in al C hrifiians , to
~thofe w hich theykept near the fam e feafon , as D octor D eflion s, D ean of Sen lis , thew sin his Dill
'
erta tion againfl the Roiboit. This profane cufiom coulifl s in
the eleélson of a K ing on the eve of the E iphany, w ith a liberty of
prom oting m irth agam ll the law s of C hriian gravity, m odeily, andtern perance. The heathen s, how ca llou s foever their vicious habits , thetorrent ofs tational ex am le, and fa lfe m ax im s im bibed from their in fan .
cy, had rendered their cart, and how m uch foever fupertlition , vice,and the paflion s bad blinded their underllanding, liill law the in fam y offoch diforders , w hich their Philolb phers lam en ted , and their Legiflatorsin l
'
om e m es l'
ure reprtfl'
ed . But (hall C hrillian s , w hore religion i' per.tea fanfl ity, and w ho b their baptil
'
m al vow s , have folem nly engagedthem fclves to renounce
’
t e w orld , crucifytheir ow n firth, an d take up
the croi'
s to follow C hrift crucified ; {ha l thefe I fay, (0 far lofe fight oftheir obligation s as to defer
-t his (laudard, to s n lill thcm fclvts under that
of the devil ?
C it- 3. E P I P H A N Y AN D L E N T. 1 43
lo w ers ofthe t rots , yet plunge them fely es into the filth ofthe
m ofl infam ous fenfuality. Wha t is yet m ore m onfirous , this
they m ake their prepa ration for ekercifes of com punétio n
an d pen ance. To difpofe their hearts for them , the church
n ow in vites, and preflingly ex horts the m to c ontrition a nd
c onfeflion of fins . In direfi oppofition they ru n headlonginto (a t, a nd into every paflion w hich can taife the firongefi
o bllac les to every difpofition of repentan ce . L et them t e
p refe n t to them fe lves their traitors, w ith one m outh, in the
n a m e of the church, an d of C hriil him felf w ho com m ands
a ll to obey her, crying out in the w ords , w hich 8,Anflin
m ade d o ofin preaching againfl the like abufes on the ca
lend s of ja nuary Beho ld your bifhop forew arns you, I
ad m o nifh, I preach, I deno unce ; litte n to your biihop,w ho com m an ds , w ho in treats , w ho conjures you by C hn fl:him felf, let no one be guilty of thefe thin gs ; I difcharge
m yfelf before God (I C an you rebel againft C hrifl,w ho fays : He w ho hears you, hears m e, and he w ho de
fpifes you , defpifes m e And he w ho w ill n ot hear
the church, let him be to thee as a heathen and a publiv
c an C an C hr'
fl ians be found w ho are in infen fible,{o ungrateful, as to defpife their God an d Saviour, and bytheir aétion s tram ple upon that crofs, on w hich he redeem ed
them ? C an children be d eaf to the church, their m other, inw hom they a re re-born in C hrifl by baptifm , and der
from him their fpiritual life, a nd all
graces ? C an they fig}:
agaia lt her by open difobedience, a n the very contratt of
vices and fra ndal ? C on fulting reafon alone, can any one
look upon Lent as a tim e ofgraces and penance, and n e&
the necefl'
ary preparation of m ind and body, for that w ole
fom e peniten tia l fail. The very im pieties an d debaucherie s
of the heathenilh profane fefiivals , w hich gave birth to thefe
e aeefl'
es , {lam p on them an origin al in fam y ; w hich alon e
o ught'
to infpire every C hriftian w ith a jufi abhorrence, anda dread of being a ny w ay d efiled by the icail {hare in fuchabom in ations . Som e w ill fay, w hat harm is there in takingour diverfions ? Even the m olt auflere herm its in their deb t s,had tim es of fom e little relax ation on certain great fefiivals
this, health, of body, an d the reparation of the vigour ofm ind require in our w eak m ortal fiate : the bow ”
m utt be
forn etim es unbent, or its (w ing an d (trength w ill be irrecoverably im paired : but fuch relax ation , is rather to be foughtin fom e ex ercife of w alking, w ith im proving convert
'
ation ,or
(t a) 8 . Aug. Serm . cacvi. (1 3)Luke x . 1 6. (14)Mat . xviii. x7.
1 44 S U N D A Y S a n'
r w n x Tr. 4.
or other fuch rationa l am ufem en t, conducive to health and
virtue ; not in fuch eati and drinking, as m ay-lead us to
let a value on , or fee lt fiappin efs in , w hat is our grea t hum iliation by the paflion of fenfuality, w hich (0 eafily m inglein it, an d by the ex tre m e w atchfn lnefs and guard w hich iialw ays req uires . P articularly, that eating a
' drinking can
n ever be allow ed , w hich capotes t o im m ediate dangers ofinordin ategratification of fenfua lity, or the leafi ex cels or
in tem perance, w hich carries the law very far ; as 8 . Audio
(1 a nd all the Sain ts teach us by their doétrine , an d m uchm ore by their ex am ple . Fat m ore horrible and fcandalousare m aths , prom ifcuous public da n ces , gam ing , revellings ,tin ting in tavern s , an d other fuch crim in al difordersor any foch a s are im m
'
ediath cccafiorrs of {in an dfu ndal. The w hole fyfiem of C hrifiianity is overthrow n ,if fuch licentious pleafuros are called inn ocen t or ifthofe am ufem en ts c ould be jufiified , w hich are con dem n
ed by the voice of reafon , the gofpel, the canons of~
coun cils,and all ze alom paflors of the church from the
'
prim itive ages , dow n to this preterit tim e . It is highly cri
m inal and ica nda lo us eve n to offer to m ake a n apology foram ufem ents w hich in dulge id len efs an d floth,
‘
or tend on ly toinflam e inordin ate defires, . and to reduce a m an un der theignom inious flavery ot
‘
tlm fenh s and patfion s ; to refcu e him
from w hich, is the grea t defign of religion . Th e fpirit of
a chriftian life is no leis e ffem ially a confla nt fpirit of tern
pcran ce, w atchfiilnefs, an d pen an ce , tha n of hum ility and
charity. The reins are o n n o occafion to be let locl’
e in
(cation s of relax ation a nd m irth ; this law is n ever to be for
got. The fnbtle en em y, an d our paflions , w ould, by fuch -nu
indulgence, gain a m olt pernicious advart age over us , and
cou ld not fail giving us m a ny deep w ound s . God on his
fide w ithdraw s his fuccon rs from thofe w ho depart from the “
rules w hich he has prefcribed them forg overnin their appo
tites and (cafes , and keeping their pallions in (u &io n ; he
is lure to abandon fuch fouls to their ow n w eakn efs and w icku
ed inclination s , an d fuller them to perilh in their ow n foolifll
prefum ption , by w hich they are their aim unhappy tem pters .
Whatever diverfions take ofi'
the t '
aint, w hich w e am
bound to put upon our pafl'
io ns , or to re m ove that w atchful
nefs , w ith w hich it is every one’s duty to and a ll the m oti
on: of his heart , a nd all the aven ues of e -fanfes , precipi
tate the foul headlong. In the in tefiine w ar in w hich w e are
engaged
(cg) C onfel ion s, B. m
1 46 S UN D A Y S n a-rw u tt
an d his Nam e glorified by m ore hearts S . C yprian
declares (X9), that w hen any C hrillian fell into apoflacy, or
fin , his bow els loom ed torn aloudet , lo vehem en t w as his
grief and con fufion . S . C hryfollom tells hisfloc
k that
if any on e am ong them finn ed , he loom ed like on e dead , his
bow els w ere diflurbed, and his light lotl, fo as not to be able
to fee the light. D avid fainted aw ay at the fight of (in in
the ungodly (a t). C an w e perfuadc on rfelves that w e have
any fparlt of the divine love, if it does not kindle fom ethingof this z eal in us , if w e ca n fee w ith indifferen ce God of
fen ded, an d by his ow n chofen people , an d his n am e hlaf
phem ed through them am ong infidels ? Upon this double
m otive ofz eal, pious C hrillians m ore earne llly enter in to
the fpirit of the ch urch at this tim e, in their ex ercifts of
com punaion and prayer, to w hich the invites an d ex horts
them , not on ly for them felves an d for a preparation to L ent,but alfo for the fins of others .
When m a ny profaned New Y ear’s D ay w ith the like
heathem lh‘
revellings , feveral coun cils com m an ded that d
gt,
or the C alends of ann ary to be kept a rigorous fall .
this law , w hich fu tilled till that abufe foam ed fuflicien tlybanilhed, St. Ifidore of Seville, w rites as follow s (2 2)O ur holy Fathers , confidering how m any are carried into
ex s an d tin on this da have ordained on it through a ll
churches, over the w ho e w orld, a public fall , by w hich
carnal C hriflians m ay be brought to un derlland the enor
m ity of their crim e, for w hich it is n eccll'
ary that all
churches
(1 8) Rom . ix . 3. (19) S . C ypril. dc lapfis prope initium .
fan) 8 . C hryf. (a t?
Pf. cx viii.2 1 ) S . Ilidore dc Offic. Ecc cl
'
. 1 . ii. c.
of the charity of the fain ts ; and the Book of Life m ean s in other placesof Scripture the n um ber of the efiinate . I t w ould be erron eous inhith to un derllan d this of repro ation , as it includes a llate of tin , an dthe hatred ofGod . It m u ll be rellrain cd to the ex tern al (offerings ,w ith the lots of the in tuitive vilion of God or beatitude ; if this w ere
i
llible w ith the divine love. The fu pafitipn w as im pollible, but excd the vehem ence of his grief, ac and charity . He (poke this en
firely'
l'
ecute, fays S . Aufiin , (1. ii. in Ex od . 3a . 1 417. T . 3. ed . Ben .)
that The conclufion m ight be dra w n from w hat fol cuts , that as Godw ould not blot him out of the Book of Life, w hilll he perfevcres inhis love, he w ould ardon their fin ;
‘yet rem ark the en orm ous evil of
their fin , w hichMo es ex iated by the naughter oigreat m ultitudes ofthem , w hile he addrell
'
cd him felf to God in fuch w ord s in their favour.The fam
'
e Father obl'
erves , Moles fo vehem en tly loved them Godhim felf loved them , w ho fo m uch terrified them outw ardly by his voice
(qu . ih. C ol. See 8 . Tho. Aquinas, Left.i. in c. ix . Rom . m . row . ib.
d i g. n p ts n w v AW L EN T. 1 47
churches {heuld fall.” S. Arubrofe preaching on that o
’
cca
fion fays L et us then faft, that they m ay fee their
crim inal m irth is condem ned by our abftinenee and en
an te .
” And 8 . Auftin If w e have any true enfe
of the fpiritual fins and m iferies of the idolaters , let us
m ourn for them ; and that our rayers m ay be m ore pow
erful, and be heard, let us fall or them .
” 8.Aug. Serm .
in Pf. x cviii. n . 5. T . iv. p. 1 062 . See alfo S. C tefarius,Serm . vii. in App. Serm . S. Aug . ed . Ben . This fal
'
t on n ew
year’s day is m entioned by the fecond council of Tours,
can . x vii. the fourth of Toledo, can . x i.
The feeond council of Tours in 567, com m ands this fail,and it is recorded in the an cien t Rom an order, or the '
old
Liturgy and Ritual of that church a m .
Thefe ex hortations w e now m orejufily-apply to the ex cell'
ss
of this feafon ; S. C harles Borrom azo gave m any feverem andates and pafloral charges and infiruaions again ll theprofane diverfions of Shrovetide In ouc
'he cries out;Are theic the w oi
'ks of the children of the church ? Sikhfrom this tim e are unw orthy to bear that nam e : they are
indeed children , but un n atural and ungrateful againfl them ull ten der m other. God calls upon us to m ourn, hmdefpifing his voice, w e run to banquetting. The voice ofthe L ord of Bolts hath been revealed in m y ears ; if ibisiniuity ibalibe forgiven you till you die, faith the L ori!of oils , (Ila. x iii. by the m ou th ofhis pro bet
This holy paftor proceeds te nderly to ex hort the faithful not'
to be of the num ber of thole w ho are blin d and hardened iftheir couries , but to em ploy theic days in difpofing theirhearts to a perfe& fpirit of com n uflion
,in preparing therm
‘
felves for a {late of peniten tia ex ercifes, in pouring forth”
m olt ardent prayers, alfo for their brethren, and w eeping fa'
them w ith the w hole church . C ardin al Pale ota Archbilhopof Bologn a , w ho after S . C harles Borrom teo, w as a fechnd
‘
great light of z ealous pallors, an d an illullrious '
infim m ent
of the ivine m er in {lem m ing the decay of, ,piety, and”
repairing'
the breac es m ade by m any lukew arm C hrifils nsin the difcipllne ofthe church, inflituted at Bologna, petpe'
tual public prayers called oithirtyhours, in the- m ousflfl 'is s2
(14) 8 . Am brele. Set-m . ii. in ‘
C tllentlasS . Auilin , Serm . in Pf. 98 .
(a5) Vetus OrdoRom anus , c‘ap .
‘
39”
(2 6) St . C harle"Aafl Eccle 1 2 Mediolm "Ts fig
(37) St. C harles T. ii. p. 93a . Pon tificale Boncnisul'e p. 344.
1 48 S UN D A Y S s a r w s z x Tr . 4.
and parilh churches , during the three days of Shrovetide
w ith indulgence and ferm ons S. C harles , in his fifth
coun cil at Milan , had inflituted and firougl recom m en ded
the like devotions . S. Philip Neri, w ith lie z eal and the
m olt w onderful fuccefs , initituted at Rom e devout proceflion s
to the leven prin cipal churches of devotion , during thefe
three da 3. The devotion s offorty hours prayer, w ith ex po
fition o the holy facram en t, folem n falutation s an d ben edic
tion s , ferm ons , and other fuch praa lces, are now inflituted
in m olt places during this tim e, an d are (ho ly inculcated
inal C am us Bilhop of Gren oble , “ ifin num erable
other zealous and learn ed prelates . Religious perfons ofboth
fex es pafs great partof thefe days at the foot of the altars ,
and are jow ed by great num bers of pious feculars , to w hich
they are {irenuoufly ex horted by z ealous preachers . Father
Angel of Joyeufe w ho w as once D uke, Peer and Marlhal of
Fran ce, but renounced his honours and ellates to ferve God
in the auflere peniten tial {late ofa C apuchin friar, preached
on e year at Lyon s againfl the riotous diforders of Shrove
tide, w ith a z eal fparkling in his eyes , an d w ith fuch fruit
that the w hole city pall'
ed thofe da s in w orks of piety an d
d evotion , in llead of the accuflom e diforders . The learn ed
C ardinalL am bertini, afterw ard the catPope Benedi&X IV .
appoin ted at Bologn a the prayers ofgforty hours w ithferm ons,
peniten tial proceflions, the ex pofition and benediaion ofthe
lell'
ed Sacram ent ; and in his m andate, cries out, the w orld
invites you on one hand , God and his m inifters in his'
Nam e,
on the other hand. Now you w illthew w hich you choolb toi
follow ; under w hofe ftandard you fight, w hofe can fs you
efpoufe This Pope anted for the ecclefiaftical frate,a plenary indulgen ce to al w ho con fefs their fin s , com m uni
cate, a nd devoutly vilit any church, in w hich the blell'
ed Sa
cram ent is ex pofed on three days of each of the w eeks of
Septuagefim a , Sex agefim a and (l tlinqua efim a, againft the
profan ation s ofShrovetide. His fuccellor [gape C lem en t XIII .ex tended this an t to the w hole church, by a briefdated 23d
July. I 765. iiithe fam e he earneftly ex horts all ecclefiafti
cal perfon s, to fpend m uch of that tim e in prayers , w eepingbetw een the altar and the porch, as God an d the church ia
vite them to do, in order to avert his in dign ation , and pre
fetw e the people from being w ithdraw n in the day of tem ptation , from the path of the L ord. Felix ofWazvran s , late
BilhOp
£2 8) Infir. P 330” ,du C
l
ard s cm u's Tits VicA3 . x00
29)Ben . XIV. Infi t.
C h. 1 . L E N T. rs !
q uiry very hih ; and w e m ay all:him how it could be thento univerfal ifit w as not far m ore an cient ? Which indeedis clear by the pofitive eviden ce of the three foregoing ages.Whe n a difpute w as raifed in the churchin the fecund century ,about the tim e w hen the folem n yearly fall w as to be clofed,a s Eufebius ex preffes it from the Synods of that tim e (2) andthe feail of Ealler kept, w hich the Afiaties celebrated w iththe Jew s on the 1 4th day of the firfi lun ar m onth, m ull othersw ith the church of Ro m e on the Sunday follow ing, bothw hen S . Polycarp cam e to Rom e to confer w ithpope Anice
'
tm
about it, in t58 , and w hen S . Irenz us w rote to popeVia’
or
in favour of a toleration of this differen t cullom of the Alikticks ; about the year 200, all churches agreed in keepingthe folem n ante-
pafchal fall: of L en t Som e indeed havedoubted w hether L en t w as firltin flituted of forty days ; becaufe S. lren z us (4)m en tions that C hrillia ns follow ed differept rules of difcipljne an d raaice, both i the
.num ber of
‘d ays , and the m an ner of o ferving the before‘
Eailer.
For fom e thought they ought to fall one da'
others tw o,others m ore ; and fam e ex tended this fag
r to 40'
days.They m eafure their day by com prizing thehours
'
fboth'
ofthe night and of the day. And this variety am ong thofethat obferve the fall did not begin in our age, but longbefore us am ong our an ceftors , m any of w hom probablynot being very ex aa in their obfervauce, handed dow n to
pollerity the cullom as it had been, through fim pliciry or
private fancy introduced am ong them . Y et all thefe live
peaceably on e w ith another, and w e alfo keep peace to
ether. For the difi'
erence in obferving the fall does only0 m uch the m ore com m end the com m on unity Of faith,in w hich all are agreed (b Som e (5)have underlionda) Enfeh . l. v. Hill . c . 2 3. (3) See 8 . lrenq us Fragm .
Viftor. ap. Buf. l. v. Hill. c. 24. and in Edit. nov. oper. q ua(4) Loc . citat. (5) Beveridge, k c.
(b) Baillet (Stir I n Fm : m obiles . M fur la Ca re-r), w ith {ha sothers pretend. that S . Irenz us here f sis of the Whole Lent, w hichhe thinks fom e then confined to a few 73. and fel t even to on e. Thew riters by placing the p in t before the w ordM . n ot l fterit, in w hichboth m anufcripts and prin ted copies vary. read the fecond pesiod thus t
Som e fatl ao hours , com wiaing the night an d the da via . The
on hours that C hrifi rem ain ed dead . But she learned “ LP Beveridge,D em Mafliuet and others infily rejea this m fpofiuon , bees-E no nite
ever coun ted a ds ; of 40 hours ; and nothing could be m ore ridiculousthan the fenfe t give this tranfpofs d from
3 For in hours w ho
could doubt but t e night m ud be w ith the d l y, cfpeeially if w e
fpesk of the fpsce of tia e ths t .
layin ths gl'
sve. L et any one
gs: L E N 'T.‘Tl'. 5.
this as fpoken of the w hole fall of L ent ; but take n otice,
that thofe w ho keep it according to the ex act rule , m ake itof forty days (c). But D om Mafl
'
uet (6) dem on ftrat'
es thatS . Irenzeus (poke of this difi
'
eren ce in difcipline, not w ith“
regard to the w hole L en t, but the part of itin w hich the fall
w as m olt auflere, in w hich the paflion of C hrifl is particug
larly com m em orated : For this w as peculiarly called the an te;
p afchal fall , a nd this fom e obferved w ith a faft of luper
polition, (or of m ore days than on e w ithout takin any fulle
n ance)and all kept it at leafi a Xeropbagie, or fall, on w hich{in the m eal taken in the evening they lived only911 dried
_m eats, that is, on bread, falt and w ater, as S . Epiphaniusex pounds it to w hich (om e added raw herbs or pulfe..
This fevere fall w as kept accordizgto every on e
’s devotion
for m ore or few er da s in holy w e and by m any all L en t.
This is the variety o difcipline w hich this father appeals to,8 8
(6) Dit'
l'
ert. in S . Irenc um . l. i. n . 3 3. p. 87. (7) S . Epiph. de.Ex por. Fidei.
repeat the fen tence to him felf and con fider if an w riter could have beenf
capable bf fuch non fenfe and tautology. D om all'
uet the learn ed Be’
n edi&in , editor of S . Iren z u s 3 w orks, has dem on tlrated the abl’
urdi;“
ty and error of this pretended reading , an d reflored the n ew on e given
above. The fam e had been before poin ted out by billiOp Beveridgl:
(In Cod . can . vindie. 1. iii. de Jej. (Loadrag . c . vii. p. w ho proves
that S . Iren'
z us afi rm s n on e to have kept the true'
ex aét rule ofL en t w hodid not fall d ays : And he w ho w rote before the end of the feconpl
cen tury fays, this had been eftablilhed lon g before'
the tim e w hen he
w rote ; w hich m ull carry us back at lcail 1 00 years ; con fequen tly tb
the tim e of the apollles. Bilhop Pa trick (D ifc. of falling in Len t, ch .
x vu. p. and bifhop Hooper (l courfe of L en t, Pant . l ° ch.
m ake the'
lam e rem arks on this, pall
'
age of S . Iren aeus, w hich Rufin andriltopherl
'
on‘
had tm n flated accurately; referring to the d a s .
Hen Valois (land s felficondem ned tn referring it to hours ; for to m a’e
fen l'
e e is obliged to blot out the w ord $5435“ or day, an d fitbll'
m e
"d a y or fallin
g, foifling in this a lteration ag ainll the authority 0 all
m an ufcri
‘pt an ptin ted
'
cOpies . To m ake the Tenfe ; they m eafu'
ref ‘ the fa (not the d a w hich w ou ld be n on fen fe
l)of 40 hours .
”In
the tt‘u'
e reading, the len fe is clear ahd necefi'
ary o ex cl ude fum e fa ll sof the jew s , in w hich they
'
eat in the night, as the Turks now do.
T hus do thefe three learned Protetlan t hiflto Tolid ly refute the dillortedfall
'
s in tetp retation of the fam ous pallage o S .
‘Iren z us given by D aille
s ud fonie -others . See D r. William Beveridge (w ho died hilltop of S .
A faph’s , A n n e , D r:G eorge Hooper (m ad e bishop of Bath and
w ells ln'
D r. Sim on Patrick (w ho died hilltop ofEly, inD o m Mullner, the Maul
-ilk m onk (w ho pub lithed the w orks of S .
l ren z us nat P aris ,‘
in and D om ‘ de l‘
lfle, Maufill Monk ; Hif
toire D ogm atique an d Marnie do fleun e, 1 741 . l. ii. p. 1 04 .
(e)Tureen “ m iles t'
: rib WMuir ysfavvl'
a,am sa d w ow m ph
-apes lr l 78 7
0 96 W ,757 a n d 73 linguis t. its since, n rnfioflm
'
w in m y { a w -n u ?
“ inm a tes 01 1 1 139t 6: 713 (a n-sin ew a m ou r-57m .
156 L E N'
T.
As the difputation about the tim e of celebrating Rafter,as lis ted by Eufebius and S . Irenatus, w hich w as llarted in
the m idd le of the fecond cen tury , w hilft the im m ediate difc
ciples of the apotiles w ere yet living ; and the received n am e
of the forty days fafl cle arly {hew s L en t to have been olderthan that tim e ; the fam e is a lfo evident from the herefy ofMontan n s , w hich fprung up in Phrygia , in s yn, a nd foonWas carried to Rom e. This Herefiarch calling him felf the
Paraclet prom ifed by C hrifi, en dow ed w ith the fulnefs ofthe Holy Ghofl, pretended to raife the
‘
law of C hrifl to at:
higher
difciplin e, out of a fpirit of appofition to the church, as bithopHooper
im agin es them to have d on e in this poin t of L en t, (p. 84. 8:That fuch practices w ere abufive,
’
and deviated from the regular fall ofL en t, is clear flrom the repeated can on s , and the rules laid dow n by thefathers of that age. A zealous prelate, w ho fiourilhed about the fifthcen tury, in a ferm q n prin ted am on gfi thofe of S . Am brofe, (Serm .
x x iii. in Qad rs g . 7. l"3. non e in Append . T . ii. part a . p . de
claim s again lt thofe w ho im agining them felves too w eak to fall al Len ttogether, m ade it a fi ll of feven w eeks , an d failed the w eeks altern ately ; w ho, he fays, p t a cheat upon their ow n fouls by a fad w hichcan not avail them . rates plain ly im plies that L en t w as of forty daysw hen it fu ll obtain ed the nam e of the (m adn gefim al fall, by the fur
prize he ex preffes, that thole w ho m ade it of a (hotter duration fhouldfiill ive it that n am e. Sozom en , w ho ufually follow s Socrates , hereavois his double m ilis ke about the practice of Rom e. TheQuad ragefim al fall,
”
fays he, fom e obferve fix w eeks , as the Illyrian s
an d w efiern churches , and all Libya, Egypt, and Palettine O thersm ake it (even w eeks , as the people of C on ftan tinople, and the na
tion s as far as Phoenicia : O thers fall on ly three of thefe fix or feven w eeks by in tervals O thers the three w eeks im m ediately before
Batter : A n d others on ly tw o w eeks , a s the Mon tam lts .“
(Sos om .
1 . vii. c . 19. p. C afiian obferves , that fom e churches kept their
L en t fix w eeks, (as thofe of the w ell) ; others (even w eeks , (as theeafiern) yet n either failed above thirty
-fix days . For though fix w eeksm ake forty
- tw o d ays , yet the w efiern churches ex cepted out of thefall all the Sundays , w hich m ake fix d ays ; and the a lien churches ,both the Sun d ays an d Saturdays . (C aflian . C ollat. x x i. c . Henceit is clear that L en t confilted of thirty
- fix days of fall, and of fort or
m ore of ahfiin en ce . Thofe w ho m ade it lefs , or failed the w eeks a ter
n ately, w ere either Hereticks or lan fe livers , un lefs the w eakn efs oftheir health required finch a difpen fation . 8 . Gregory the great de
fin es the fall of L en t to have on l com prifed thirty-fix days, the fix
Sundays being ex ce ted as to the fa (Hose . 1 6. in S o n g . n . 5. T. i.
p . To m ake the fall of forty days , four w ere added foon af
ter, of w hichRatram nus (I. 4. con tra Gre cor . Opin . c . iv. T . 2 . A
l?“
n7eg . p . t e r .) and others are vouchers . From this tim e, not the r&Sunday, but the foregoing W ed nefday, is in the w ell the head of thefall . The Greeks , to m ake up for the Saturdays an d Sundays w hich
they do n ot fa ll , m ake their abllinen ee from fleih of eight w eeks ; thatfrom eggs and cheefe of (even w eeks . (Ram m n . ih. p. u s .) Forthe Greeks n ever fall on any Saturday in Len t ex cept on Eafler eve.
1 58 L E N T .
agreeing with as herein ,” rays S. 1 m m The fam e
fa ther, in an other‘
place reckons the fall of forty days
n o lefs am o apotlolic traditions than the obfervs tion of
Sun day, E er and Whitfun tide, as bilhop Beveridgefhc w s S. Leo frequently calls Lent an epollolieelin flitution S . Peter C hryfologus fays, it is not an hum an in ven tion
,but of divin e authority (a t). Theophilus of
Alex andria , in his three pafchal letters , declares L ent is to
be kept according to the tradition of the apoflles , and the".I
in tim ation of the
|gofpel. The fam e is inculcated by his
n ephew an d fucce or,S. C yril of Alex andria, in his paf
chal hom ilies . S . Ifidore of Seville fays, L en t is keptover the w hole w orld by an apolid ie inflitution
”
S . D orotheus lays, The holy apoflles confecrated the fad
of L en t as a tithing of the year, to penance and the
purging aw ay of This indeed w e ought to
con clude according to that pruden t rule of S. Anilin
that w hatever days w e keep not from any w ritten law ,
but from tradition , and w hich are obferved over the
w hole w orld, are underflood to be recom m ended and ef
tablifhed either by the apollles , or by plen ary councils ,fuch as the an nual folem nities of the paflion of C hrifl
of his refurreaion and afcenfion ; and of the com ing of
the Holy Gbofi. And w hatever elfe is found , w hich is
obferved by all perfon s throughou t the church, on a llfides
w here it has ex tended its pale (g The fam e rule he
lays dow n in another place in clearer term s, and again ex
prefsly applies it to L ent. What the w hole church m ain
tain s , and w hat w as not in llituted by councils, but alw ays
obferved, is jullly looked upon to be derived from the
authority of the apollles In the apoflolic canons
the precept of L ent is clearly ex prefl'
ed The Thera
pen ts,(1 7) S . Hier. ep. 27. ad Marcells m . (38) S . Bier l. a . in Ga late . 4. (1 9) l. 3. de Jejunio a dragetim ali. e . vlu . n . a . 40
(no) 8 . L eo m . Serm . 4, 5, et 9. de uad ragefim a. (n )pS . Pet
C hryf. Serm . H . cc 1 66. (a s ) S . Ifid . rig . l. vi. e . 1 9. (a ; S .
D oroth. D odlrin ah
a s . (24) 8 . Aug . ep. "8 . ad Januar. ii.a s) 8 . Aug . 1 . W de Baptifm o, c. x xiv. n . 31 . T . ix . p . 340 .
(2 6) C an . Apoll tx . See the an tiquity of this canon vindicated byBetteridge, P roem . tn C od . C an . et 1 . m . p. 338 .
(g) B aillé obieéls , that S . Aullin fay: that the church infiitn ted
L en t ; but his w ords are, that this law w as confirm ed by the-
cuftorh
a nd pu élice of the church,'
w liich is quite another thing ; and refup
pores the in fiitn tion . 5‘
c conflicted : reborn-nit. l. w . de pt. c .
4 4. In the fa m e place he proves its tn llitution to have been apofiolical,“
from the w ords quoted in the tex t.
Ch. I . L . E * N T. 1 59
peuts, (i.'
e . fervants‘
of God)and conternplatitres , accordingto Eufebius , S. Jerom and others , w ere C h
’
riflia n s , and dif
ciples of S. Mark in Egypt ; they certain ly w ere n um erous
in that coun try, im m ediately after the apoflles tim e, and
doubtlefs w hilll they w ere living. Now Philo, w ho calls
them a fefi of the ew s in Egypt, inform s us, that, before
the great fenil of a ller, (as Eufebius calls it) they failedfeven w eeks , during w hich tim e no food w as allow ed am ongthem but bread , felt an d hyfl
'
opProtefla nbs generally allow the fall of Len t to be of pri
m itive an tiquity, but deny that it w as of precept ; w hich is
n everthelefs clear from an cien t councils and fathers . It is
eviden t that the L ent w hich the C atholies kept, w hen the
herefy"of the Montanifls w as broached , w as a fall ofpre
cept ; as thofe Heretics m ade their three L ents WhenceS . jerom , w riti again ll them , fays , Not but it is law ful
to fail the w e year, ex cept in Batter-tim e : Butit is one
thing to m ake an ofi‘
ering by n eceflity, an other to do it byfi'
ee choice The council of L aodicea '
ufes a Greek
w ord , w hich ex preffes the firié’tefl abfolute obligation of
failing the forty days of L ent (h). S . Bali! declares , that
w hoever is able to keep this fail, yet breaks it, w ill be ar
raigned for this tra nfgreflion before him w ho is the legiflator
of the falls , m eaning God him felf S . C azfarius ‘of
Aries pronounces , To fall on other days is a rem edy of
fun , or entitles to a rew ard Not to fall in L en t is a fin .
He w ho fafls at another tim e (hall obtain pardon He
w ho is alfle, a nd does not fall: on thefe d ays , fhall q er
punilhm e nt (3! Theophilus and S. C yril, patriarchs
of Ale x andria, S . L eo and others , w ho inculcate that all
C hriflian s are to fall L ent by apollolical tradition , fironglyex prefs the obligation of com plying w ith this law (i).
Philo.
.
1 ‘ de Vita C on tem plat. See Beveridgp, 37o . (1 8) SeeTert . dc Jeiun to . (a S . Hieron . ep. x x vii. ad Nfr'oell. adv. Mon
ia n . (30) S . B ali]. in . ii. de Jejun . (3x)8 . C a r. Are]. horn . n .
(1 07A: w ayohhp'
n u r, m ics 01: “ M ad Sal -M ei“ sic lit-Aw e.
C oncil. Ga ren . can . x ix .
(i) 8 . A u'
n rays , ep. lx x x vi. ad Catalan . that he find s in the go!
gels or apollolic w ritings , that falling is com m anded , but not on w hat
jays w e are boun d to fall, by the precept of Chrifi or theis D aillé thinks a folid ohleélion to the precept of this fa But
does n ot take n otice that S. A nilin (peaks of the w eekly Fall of Saturd ay. Neither do any preten d the Tim e ofL en t to be determ in ed in holyScripture. See Bever
-idge, c . 8 1 . p. 407.
C l i'lt fifl d his difciples urge againfi the precept of L ent, the fad!Spm dion , in the tniddl
'
e of the fourth cen tury, w ho in Len t av
‘;e
1 62 L E N T. Tr. 5.w as determ in ed and fix ed by the difciples of the apollles ,their im m ediate fucceffors in the govern m ent of the church
If fom e think that it w as on ly brought to this perfea:
gum bet of forty days a. cen tury later even then it w ill
ill be true, that this fall is oriin a ly derived from the
apollles ,as not only the fathers of
5the fourth cen tury alfure
us , but as alfo S . Itenean s , Tertullian , and others of'
the fe
cond a nd third clearly tefiify. In deed this law could nothave
been u niverfal from the firll ages of C hriliianity,‘ had it not
been ellablilhed and every w here propaga ted by its firfl paf
tors a nd governors . UniVerfality recom m ends to us the obfer
van ce of this holy law , n o lefs than its ven erable an tiquity.
For fo m any ages all C hriftian s , of w hatever rank or D eno
m in ation , in every part of the Earth, have m oft religioufly
kept it. The Neftorian s, Eutychian s , Arm enians , and other
a n cien theretics in the Eaft, thoughfeparated from the C atho
lic church, ever fince the fifth C en tury, have alw ays agreed
w ith the C atholics in this point. Nay Proteftan t travellers
tell us , that the C hriftian s in the Eaft can not be in duced tobelieve any to be C hriftians w ho n egleét this venerable and
facred Law , w hich has been obferved through all ages , byall n ations in w hich the C hrillian religion has been plan ted
I'
ts profellbt s are in the Eaft every w here know n , a nd diftin
ifhed by this faft. In the fourth cen tury, on e Actin s , an
iiian pn eft, out of'
ealoufy, becaufe his frien d Euftathius,with
'
w hom he had om e tim e led an afcetic life, had been
preferred before him to the bifhoprick of Sebafte in L effer ,
Arm enia, in 35 m ade him felf the head of a party, and
broachcfia new erefy, in w hich he w as the precurfor or.
patriarc of the.m odern C alvinifts , and our Englilh Prelby
terians as D r. Heylin , an d D r. Sharpe take notice .
His errors are laid dow n as follow s : That there is no diffe
rence by divin e diftina ion , betw een a bifh0p an d a prieft.
2 . That it is ufelefs to pray for the dead . 3. That is n u
n'
epefl'
agy or not of obligation to obferve feafts an d fafts ,w hich he oontidered as Jew ith obfervan ces He pre
tended,
(39 Beveridge de Jeiun . ad . c. ix . p . BilltopHoopeir,
’
D ife . of Len t, part Lamb. Patrick, qff ing in Len t,
p. 1 43. Bingham An ti of the C hr. C hurch, x x i. ch. 1 .
T . ix . p . s 6 D r . Jer. Tay or, D ufl or D ubitan t b . 1 1 1 . ch. 4.
1 )SeeHeyfin s billory of Prefbyterian s, and Sharpe in his C hronolo
gical Hifiory of Heretics, P art. i. (4s ) S. Epiph. He r. 75. p . 908 .8 : Aug . Hm . 53. T. viii.p: 1 8.
C h. t . L E N ~T. 1 63tended , fays S. Auftin , tha t fet fafts are not to be folem n
ly celebrated, but that every one is to faft When he thinks
proper.
”
Actin s w as ftill living w hen S . Epiphanius Wrote in 3and his fe& fubfifted in 42 8, w hen S. Auftin ublithed his
book on Herefies . His error w as equally anathem atized byC atholicks and Arian s, and w as very foon eXtina . Th1s
Herefy therefore, far from m aking an ex ception , proves bythe zeal an d un anim ity w ith w hich all C hriftians ex ploded
a nd condem n ed it, the univerfality of the facred law ; to
w hich the m oft venerable fathers bear the ftrongeft teftim ohythrough every age. S. Bafil thus defcribes it (43)z There
is no iflan d, no con tinent, no city, no n ation , no corner
of the earth ever fo rem ote, in w hich this faft is not pro
claim ed . Arm ies, travellers, failors , m erchants, though
far from hom e, every w here hear the folem n prom ulga
tion , an d receive it w ith
fjoy . L et no one ex clude
felf from the num ber 0 thofe that faft, in w hich all
m en of every Age, ofw hatever rank and dignity are com
prifed. Angels draw up the lift of thofe w ho faft : take
care that your angel pu t dow n your n am e : defert not the
ftandard of your religion .
” 8 . Bern ard cries out in this
holy faft Now our Saviour and Head affaults the
devil in a general en gagem en t w ith the united forces of
his w hole arm y colle&ed together, Over the w hole w orld .
Blell'
ed are they w ho un der fuch a C aptain fhail fight
m anfully An d in another ferm on on L en t
Now kings and prin ces , clergy an d laity, the nobility, and
the com m on people, the rich and poor w ill all faft as onem an .
” When ce he m oftjuftly ex oftulates Is it not
m oft bafc that a faft w hich the w ole church bears w ith
us , {hould feem burdenfom e ?” For any on e w ho is able
h ot to obferve this univerfal faft of the C atholic church dife
per‘fed over the w hole
’
w orld, is to ex clude him felf from the
num ber of the children of God: It is to declare him felf a
rebel againft the church, by tram pling her precept under his
feet, and deferting its ftandard and the arm y of God ! O ur
obligation of doingi
penance, our advan cem en t in fanaityand fpiritual ftrength, and the other ex traordinary advanta
ges w hich w e reap from this holy faft, are a third m otiveto
engage us With joy to lay hold of this tim e of falvation : A
law fo necelfary, fo w holefom e ,‘
fo highly advan tageous té
M 2 every(43) 8 . Bali]. hom . Jejun . p . ed . Ben . (44) 8 . Bernard.
Serm . V". dc a drag. n o40 gem . ills lb, ihs
1 64 L E N T. Tr. 5.
every one in particular, ou
ght to be m oll precious an d m olt
dear as w e ten der our fa vation or have an y regard to the
honour of“
God , or any z eal to prom ote his glory and advan ce
his love in our ow n fouls . Thefe particular advantages ofL ent w ill be m ore fully difplayed in the follow ing chapter.
o C H A P . II.
On tbe Advan tage: of HO L Y FA ST IN G .
E learn from both the O ld and New T,eflam ent,
from the ex am ple of the fain ts , an d from the con
flan t doa rin e an d tradition of the church, that fa lling is a
great, and in general a n ecelTary an d in difpenfible part of
virtue . It is a part of pen an ce by w hich w e fatisfy forpail:fin s : it is a m ean s n eceffary for fubduing the flefh, and its
irregular appetites ahd paflions , an d an antidote again fl finit is an agreeable hom age and a facrifice by w hich w e confe
crate our bodies lining vifi im r to God, and a m ean s to dif
engage our fouls from {in and the w orld, to fit them for hea
ven ly prayer and fpiritual functions , and to advan ce in everyvirtue .
Fall, becaufe thou hall tin n ed ; fays S . Bafiland fafi, to prevent the danger of falling in to fin .
” Thism ortification is part ofour pe n an ce ; an aton em en t an d fa
'
tisfa&ion for fin s com m itted ; and alfo a rem edy againfl the
dangers of fin , an d a m ean s to fubdue our flefh, and m ake
us vifi orious over our fpiritual en em ies . It w as by in tem
peran co join ed w ith pride and difobedien cc, that our firll
paren ts in volved them felves and their pollerity in fin , and all
the“
m iferies and evils un der the w eight of w hich w e groan .
God w as leafed m ercifully to Oppofe the virtue of falling to
that difortiizr, and to order that it lhould be a volun tary chaf
tifem ent by w hich w e lhould m ake fom e degree of fatisfac
tion to his injured juflice. C hrifi alone, bein true God
a nd true m an,and appoin ted the Redeem er ofm ankin d,
could m ake atonem en t for the leafl fin : and by his m erits
an d fufferings, the leafl of w hich w as of infinite value, he
has m ade a fuperabundan t fatisfafiion for the tins of the
w hole w orld . But that the fruit of his fatisfafiion m ay be
applied to our fouls for the reparation of fin , he requires this
con dition on our arts , that w e m ake fom e penal chaflife
m ent ofon rfelves fiir our fins, a part of our penance, a
gd
Y
(47) St. Bali]. Ham . i. de Jejun .
1 66 L E N r .
to do penance for their fins . Be converted to m e w ith all
your heart, in failing, and in w eeping, and in m ourn
m g D avid,and other holy penitents, fain ts a nd
prophets , in the old law , had recourfe to God by faffing an d
prayer. St.
{ohn the Baptifl, the great m odel and Apolllc
f penan ce, et the w orld, w hich he w as fe t to prepare byrepen tance to receive its Redeem er, the m oli
l
adm irable ex :ilm le . Penan ce w ithout falling is idle and fruitlefs . B
f)
ing w e m ake fatisfa&ion to God fays S. Bafi,
We can not be fo blind or fo harden ed as to fay that w e havenot fin ned, or that w e have no ofiences to can cel. O urw hole lives rife up againfi us, and loudly convi& us of num
berlefs fins in every flags fins of m alice, of frailty, of
com m ifiion , of om ifiion , n eglect and ignorance : fin s inthought, in w ord, and aaion , b w hich w e have defiledEvery organ of our fenfes , every fisculty and pow er of our
fouls ,
fiq s'
by w hich w e fear w e have ofi'
ended God, againflalm olt
'
every com m andm en t, and every duty : fins againft
God , our n eighbour, and on rfelves : fins private an d ub
lic : fin s of (candal : fin s of others in w hich w e have beenarily given occafion :
great reafon to apprehendthe m olt dreadful dangers and evils throu h our fpiritualblindn efs and irregular pafiion s : fin s, in rt, m ultipliedevery d ay of our lives fin ce w e began to know God , beyondthe num ber of the hairs of our head. Hitherto w ha t pe
n ance have w e don e alas l ifw e m eafure our w eak endea
vours by the m ax im s of the guipel, by the fevere can ons ofthe prim itive church, by the infirufi ion s and pathetic CXllOf-gtarions of the Fathers on this poin t, by the lives of all true
peniten ts , how m uch {hall w e find on rfelves in arrears !
how {hall w e trem ble w hen w e confider our ex trem e rem ili
n et'
s, pufillanim ity an d fiothfuln efs in com plying w ith this
effential duty. Have w e hitherto even begun to do pen ance
in the m ann er w e ought ? w e {la nd upon the very brink of
eternity . Som e or other am ongfi our acq uain tance are eve
ry day fnatchcd aw ay, and fw allow ed up in its bottom lefs
gulph. It w ill very foon be our turn ; and w hen w e are
on ce called out of this life, there w ill be no pofiibility of te
turning . There w ill be no m ore room left for doing pen an ce.
L et us haflen to m ake up our accoun ts w ith our creditor
w hillt w e are in the w ay. It is a dreadful thing to fall
in to
(50) Joel. 1 1 . 1 1 . See D an . ix . 3: Bar. i. 5. Zach. vu. 5. Ste .
Sta Blfil. sem is is de Jeiun IO s
C h. 2 . L E N 'i‘.in to the hands of the living God beforew ehave
ferioufly endeavoured to appeafe his in ign ation , and fatisfyhis jufiice by bringing forth w orthy fruits ofpenance .
Though the precept of doing pen ance did not callUpous to fall for fin s com m itted , this holy m ortificalion w oul
‘
fiill be a n ecefl'
ary m ean s for firengthening us againfi tem p-ztation an d danger of falling into fin . Man w as created byGod upright, but by Adam
’s fin of difobedien ce, the delb
a nd its lufis , w hich before w ere perfea ly obedient to théfpirit, w ar againfi the foul, an d tend to en ervate its pow ers,im pairits liberty, an d brin it into bondage . Hence m anfeels a confli& w ithin him fe f; and by the rebellion of his
“
and of the l ow er or fenfual pow ers and appetites bfhis foul, w hich St. P aul calls the law of his m em bers, he is
becom e his ow n dom ellic an d m ofi dangerous enem y .
He nce St. Jam es tells us , that every m an is tem ed, hein g draw n aw ay by his ow n concupifcenc
'
e,an allured,
Then w hen con cupil'
cen ce hath conceived, it bringethforth fin This law , or rebellion of the deth
,is
eafily firengthened by an indulgen ce of the fenfital appetitesfo as to render the reform ation ofprevailin ill cufiom s an
habits lo diflicn lt, that this duty ts ex prefi'
ed in holy Scriture, by doing violence
”to onrfelves , and by
'
cruci
in g the flefh w ith its lufis an d affeélion s .” Now this dll:
order being ow ing to the in tem perance of the firll m an,God has appoin ted that tem peran ce fhould be a necefl
'
ary‘
part ofthe rem edy, a nd the m ean s to w hich he has an n ex edhis viétorious graces , by w hich w e are to bridle an d governthis enem y w hich w ould otherw il
'
e enflave us . W e m uffalw ays praaife a firifi tem peran ce, curbing our in clinations ,
perem ptorily refufing the leafi gratification to thofe that are
vicious or dangerous, and often checking our afl’eaion s inlaw ful things , that they m ay not gain firen gth, and be ex
orbitant an d ungoverhable . Hence the recept of fobrietyand tem perance is (0 firongly inculcate in theHoly Scriptures , as an indil
'
penfable part of our fpiritual arm our, w ith
out w hich w e are fure to perifh St. Paul en forces it.
by the ex am ple of the fiti& difcipline and regular abllin e'
n ce
obferved by the candidates for a crow n at the an cien tGre
cian gam es of racers and w refilers ; thewing this to be a m uchm ore indifpenfable q ualification for run ning fuccefsfn lly our
.
race:
(51 ;Hebr. x . 31 . (53) Jam es i.
(54. 1 C or . ii. 33. x Pet. tv. 1 7. t e x x i. 34. 1 Pet. 1 . 1 3: 8:
v. 8 . s M . v. 6.
L E'
N T. 1 71
than the viaim s of beafls offered in the jew ifh tem ple ; and,confeq uen tly how pure, holy and w ithout blem ifh 1t ought
to be . O ur bodies are now m ade the m em bers of C hrifl
(6a), and the living tem ples ofthe Holy Ghofl Withw hat urity, w ith w hat fan&ity ought w e not to adorn
them If w e have had the m isfortun e to have m ade them
inflrum en ts of iniquity to fin , w e are bound m ore earn efllyto prefent on rfelves to God as vifiim s of w hich w e hadrobbed him ,
and as raifed to life from the dead , now m ade
inflrum em s ofrighteoufnefs unto God and to holin efs . This
he teaches us to do by all cleanlin efs, by crucifying the old
m an , deflroying the boydy of fin an d m ortifying our
m em bers w hich are upon earth or fo long as they are
in d er ofbeing reduced under the flavery ofour prefentllama “
?corruption . By this are our fenfes and bodies cleanf
ed , fanfi ified , m ade infirum en ts of virtue, dedicated to
God , and fitted to be raifed m a glorified flata .
Even in the ilate of in nocence , our firfl parents , w hilfl:
by prayer they confecrated their fouls to their C reator, w ere
com m anded to m ake a
gn rppetual ofl
'
ering of their bodies bya certain abflin ence (6 ) The on ly pofitive precept w hichGod gave them 1 n Paradife, w as that of forbearing to eat
of the forbidden fruit. Whence St. Am brofe, St. Bafil,S t. Jerow , St. C hryfoflom , and other Fathers ex tol fronithis circum flan ce the dignity of the virtue of fafling ; that
it is the firfl and m ofl ancient of all the pofitive law s w hich
God gave to m en . Bu t this law is far m ore ex tenfive an d
m ore neceflary, fin ce the corruption ofour n ature by fin , it
being now becom e a rem edy of our diforders . God pro
m ifes to us by n not o nly his graces to heal all our diforders,a nd to flrengthen our w eakn efs , but declares this virtue to be
a m eans ofobtaining all his graces and favours 1 n this life,
a nd a rew ard of etern al‘glory. Hen ce C hrifl fays , that if
thou fa ll oft m fecret, and in chearfulnefi, Thy fathe r
w ho feeth in fecret, w ill rew ard thee open lySam pfon and Sam uel w ere the fruit of their m o ther
’s fafling .
Sarah w as delivered from the pow er ofthe devil by fallin gw hat w onders w ere the effeéls of the fafls of D aniel, Judith,a nd Eflher P By con tinual fafling and praver the w idow Ao
n a, m entioned by St . L uke , devoted herfelf to the divin e
fervice tn the tem ple. By the fam e , fo m any holy herm its
(6a) 1 C or. vi. 1 5. (63) lb . v . 1 9.
(64) Rom . v1 . 1 8 . 19. (65) Rom . 1 1 . C ol. iii.
(66) Gen . 1 1 . 1 7. (67) Mar. vi. 1 8 .
1 74 L E'
N T.
obferved a fafl , by Sam uel’s direaion , after tha t fin and
defeat by the Phililtin es King D avid , on all occaft
ons , as in his child’s ficknefs In his pen ance he fays,
I hum bled m y foul w ith failing an d again , under
perfecution , I covered m y' foul in failing, an d 1 m ade
hair cloth m y garm ent And tn another place :
My knees are w eakened through failing The
pious King Jofaphat had recourfe to fafiing an d prayer 1 1 1
tun e of danger Efdras in pen ance The w ick
ed Achab by fafting and peniten ce averted the divin e in dign ation Nehem ias by failing and pray er obtained of
God the m ore lpeedy re-efiablifhm en t of th e Jew s after their
c .1 ivity Judith and the
aJew s of Bethulia by
fat img an d prayer w ere prote&e b heaven again lt the ar
m y 01 Holoternes . By fafiing on a idays , ex cept the Sab
bath and feflivals , an d by afliduous prayer and retirem en t,
the holy heroin e confecrate d her w idow hood to God
Either, in her pen ance an d afl‘liétion for the people of God,hum bled her body w ith fafts (88) and to m ove God to
blefs her endeavours for their deliverance, {he failed w ith
her m aids an d Mardecai Tobie join ed fafiing an d
8 11 1 1 3 w ith prayer, by w hich he deferved a m iraculous relief
and com fort. Whence the Angel Raphael (aid to him ,
Prayer is good w ith fafiing an d alm s,m ore than to lay
up treafures of gold Alm ighty God , by his Pro- 1
ets ln the old law , and by his Apofiles 1 n the n ew , and
y the m outh of his divine Son , firongly recom m ends faft
ing to us as a great m ean s of virtue, an d itfelf an ex cellent
virtue , an d he prefcribes the conditions by w hich 1 1 is to be
fa nfi ified , and m ade the faft w hich he req uires The
lives ot the Apofiles , and m any am ong their difciples , a ndthe prim itive C hrifiian s, w ere 1 n fom e m eafure a perpetual
faft Nay, fo fevere w as the difcipline, tem peran ce
,
and fobriety, w hich all C hrifiian s obferved, that it m ight
alm ofi deferve that nam e Moreover, the Apofiles
kept
(77) 1 Kings, vu . 5. (782z Kings , x 1 1 . 1 6. C79) Pf. x x xiv. 1 3.
(80) Pf. lx vii. 1 1 , 19. 8 1 1) Ff. cviii. 24.
(83 ) 3
1
1
215 or C hron . x x . 3. 6.
£53d viii. 2 3.
8 1n , x x i. a z a. r 1
(82)Judithgiv. 8 , 1 1
7.
987) Judith, viii. 6.
4
(88) Either,x iv
6
z . (89) Efih. iv. 1 6. (90)Tobb . 11 1 1 . 8 . (91 ) Hit. lviii.3, Joel. 5. ii. 1 2 . 1 5. 2 am . vii. . Matt. vi. 1 6 . x ii.
(92 ) See the Lives of S . Peter, 8 . Paul, 8 . Jam es the tefs, 8 . Mark,81 C . (93) See C lem ens Alex . l. a . Pa dag. c. 1 . Fleury, Moeurs
des C hm . 8
L E N T. 1 75kept pa rticular fafis of devotion on ex traoi'dm ary occalion s ,and in liituted certain regular falls in the year, as L ent, and
W ednefdays an d Fridays every w eek. 8 . Paul fafted m uch,
a nd ex horted C hrifiian s to im itate him in his labours , in his
w atchings , and in his failings
C H A P . Ill.
Tb: particular Motive: fi r tbs Inflitution qf tbs FA S T ofL ENT .
R I V AT E fafiing has peculiar advan tages (t), if
P w ithout danger of luperfiition , afl’efi ation , fingularity,or pride ; and if accom panied w ith prudence, and all other
condition s n eceffary to m ake it agreeable to God . But ge
n eral fafis ufually are fiill of far greater efiicacy, an d m ore
prevailing pow er, in the fam e m an ner as has been faid of
publick prayer. Such w as that of the Ninivites , in w hich
a ll the people join ed as on e m an it w as even ex tended to
the brute beafis , that the fight of their afiliétion m ight in a
m ore {hiking m an n er ex cite m en to m ourn for their tin s, byw hich they had provoked the anger ofGod againfi the w hole
countryAn tong the Jew s , in the an cien t law , the fyn agogue or
Sanhedrim frequen tly com m an ded ex traordin ary days of fall:
in tim es of publick calam ities , or of fom e urgent neceflity.
In the fifth year of King oshim , in the ninth m on th, foch
a fall w as proclaim ed be ore the L ord to all the people in
Jernfalem And Jerem iah ordered Baruch to read the
threats and the w ords of the Lord to the people , on the fafi
ing day The Jew s , not conten t to obferve an nual fails,to avert public calam ities , on the 3d of Septem ber, the
1 0th ofD ecem ber, the 1 7th of June, the 9th of uly, and
the 1 3th of February, kept an ex traordinary fa and in
tim es of great drought, tw o or three days a w eek, w hen
proclaim ed by the Sanhedrim
In the C hrifiian church it has been alw ays the cuflom for
the Bithops tocom m and ex traordinary fails on particular oc
c ations . Tertullian , w hen a Montanift, early in the third
(94) A8 1 , x iii. a . x iv. aa . 3 C or. vi. 9. 81 x i. 11 7.
(1 ) Mat. vi. 1 6, 1 8 , die. (2 ) Jon . iii. 7 (3) Jer. x x x vi.9.
(4) lb. 6. (5) See Sigonius deRe blica Hebra orum , l. iv.
e . 1 8. 8: Nicolai’
s An notation s, 1 11 . p. c. D om Jof. de l‘
Ifle
Hill. da Jeune, l. iii. ch. 1 . p . Fleury, Moeurs des Ifraelitea,
ch. x vi. p. 1 2 8 . and the Council ofSelingeflad, in toaa. T. ix . p.
1 76 L E N T. Tr. 5.cen tury preten ded to jufiify the fuperfiitious
'
fafis of his fe&,
becaufe am ongtithe C atholics , The Bifhops are aecuftom
ed to com m an d general fafl s, on accoun t ofcircum fian ees
of difficulty or danger in w hich the church m ight be
The third coun cil of Tours in 8 1 3 the Em a-
i
peror C harlem agne and L ew is the D ebon n aire
com m and all perfon s to obferve w hatever fa lling days are
ordain ed by the Bifhops : the latter of thefe tw o prin ces,by the coun l
'
el of the Bithops , publifhed him felf an order forkeeping a folem n fafl
,to deprecate the in dign ation of hea
ven,m anifefled by a pefiilen ce and fam ine Pope
Nicholas 1 . in his Anfw er to the C on fultation of the Bulga
rian s , fays , the prin ce an d his council m ight com m an d'
a
fa lling day in tim es of great droughts, but that it w as better
to leave that to the Bifhops
The ancien t Jew s alfo obferved yearly general fafling days .
Such w as the folem n fall of ex piation for their fin s , on the
l oth day of the feven th m on th, com m an ded by God him
felf the on ly day in the year on w hich the high prieft
e ntered the tabern acle, (an d w hen the tem ple w as built, the
Holy of Holies , or in n erm ofi fana uary, in w hich the ark
w as placed) to fprinkle it w ith the blood ofvictim s . TheP rophet Z acharie m en tion s three other an nual fafis of the
fourth, fifth, and ten th m on ths The later fyn agegueadded tw o other general fafls every w eek, on Mondays a nd
Thurfdays , in rem em bran ce of the profanation and defl ruc
tion of Jerufalem by the Babylonians . O n this account w e
find in the Apoflolic conflitution s , that it w as a law a m ongthe prim itive C hriflian s for all to fa ll every Wednefday
'
and
Friday, in m em ory of the fufi'
erings and death of C hrifl .
It is there added, that all w ho had the devotion m igit fafl
five days every w eek ; but w ere forbid to keep fet fa lls on
Mondays or Thurfdays, left they fhould feem to do it in con
form ity w ith the Jew s If the Jew ifh fyn agogtze hadauthority to com m and both regular and ex traordinary fails ,
for
(6) Tert. de Jejun . c. x iii. p. 551 . (7) C one. Turon . iii. can .
47. T. vii. C one. 25. (8) C apitol . l. i. C apit. 47. T . i. p . 71 9.
(9) 1 1 1 . 1 . ii. c . 7, 1 1 , 738 . (1 0) Baron . ad ahn . 82 8 . n .
(1 1 ) Nicol. 1 . ad C onfulta Bu lgar. cap. 56. T. viii. C one.
p . 536. (1 1 ) L evit. x vi. 29, 30 . (1 3) Zachar. viii. 19.
(1 4) C onfiit. Apolt. l. m . c . z4. See Sir Georée Wharton
Pea/91 a n d Fafir of the 3m m , p. 1 2 . C alm er. D iEi. ih. T . i. p . 552 .
w ho gives an accoun t of tw en ty-four yearly fallin g days , regularly ob
ferved by the an cien t Jew s . See on the fam e, Leo of Moden a , on ti):
t a a nd Cafiam r of Me Jew s , chap. 8 . an d Mr. Lew is m 1 11:
Hebrew An tiquitiet , l. iv. e . 14. on the fal’ts of the Jew s.
1 78 L E N T. Tr. .5.b the com bination of the w hole church, and by the ex am
p e ofothers , anim ate every one to em brace this m ean s of
fanfiifieation w ith fervour an d com punétion . When this
precaution is n egle&ed, as am ongft Protettants , the praaice
of falling is fcarce fo m uch as know n (a). D uties of this
kin d are feldom com plied w ith as they ought, un lefs regular
tim es are allotted for that purpofe .
C hrifthim felf prefcribed to his church the regular obfer
van ce of falls , after he thould be taken from it by his death
a nd afcenfion . The Jew s objea ed to him, tha t his difci
ples , though devoted to a religious couffe of life, praaifed
n o regular ex traordin ary fatlings , as the difciples of the Baptift did, in im itation of their m atter, and as all others did
w ho m ade profefiion of firi& virtue, though doubtlefs both
he and his difciples kept the fails then obferved by the Jew sin gen eral. O ur D ivine Redeem er an fw ered, that the tim e
he rem ain ed w ith them w as[very thort, an d as it w ere the
tim e of his efpoufal ; an d the joy an d com fort he afforded
them by his prefen ce w as reprefen ted by his not co m m an ding them ex traordin ary fails , w hich their w eakn efs , in the
begin ning oftheir converfion from the w orld , rendered them
n ot yet dil'
ofed or very fit for. But,” fays he, the
days w il com e w hen the bridegroom thall bq taken from
them , and then (hall they faftin thofe days In
thefe w ords he com m anded, or at leatt foretold an d poin ted
out w hat they w ere to do after his departure from them . And
here he fpeaks ofregular fet fatis, and thefe frequent, fuch as
thofe w ere of the reliion s perfon s w hofe ex am ple w as a l
ledged to him . The .‘ipotiles could not fail to com ply w ith
his injunfiion , to conform to his fpirit, and follow his di
re&ion . The prim itive C hriftian s, probably from the
Apoftles them felves , underflood his w ords to im ply a cleara nd ex prefs com m and of falling yearly on the days of hisfufl’erings and death, on w hich he w as taken from the
church.
(1 7) Luke v. 35.
(a) The Heathen s, in m ot! parts of the World, aferibed a virtue to
felting, and placed it, on m any occafion s , am ong the w orks of religion ;w hich notion they m utt have derived , w ith m any others , from the Pa
triarchal religion . 8 . Jerom confound s the Heretic Jovinian , w ho de
nied the virtue of fatting, b the ex am ple of the ancien t Eg‘
ptian
priefis , w ho abfiained from eth, eggs, m ilk, and w ine, in o er to
retiraih the lufis of fenfual pleafures , and to preferve their d freefrom the fum es of in tern ranee. They feldom er eat bread , ‘
as m ore
apt in their coun try to l the ftom aeh, and create an heavin efs , than
m e or q e feafoned w ith oil and w hen they took any, they eat w ith1 t
C h, 3; L E N To1 79
church. This Tertullian m en tions as a
I_point unifi rfally
agreed on , am ongft both C atholics and eretics of every
it bitter hytl'
op, to accelerate digefiion (S . Hier. adv. Jovin . L 1 1 . T. 4.
p . 5, ao6.) S . Jerom alfo tells us , that the Magian s in Perlia, be
ing d 1vided in to three clal'
fes , thofe of the £1 8 elafs , w ho w ere the m ofi
learn ed and the m olt eloq uen t, n ever allow ed them felves an y other food
but m ea l and pulfe 1 That the Gym nofophills in India, both the Braeh
m a n s an d the Sam ucan s, or Serm anes, lived w holly on the fruit of trees,w hich grow on the banks of the Ganges , and on rice and m eal : That
the rophets of Ju iter in C rete abttained from fielh and w hatever is
the ed by fire ; an the prie of E leufin a, or C eres , in Greece, from
fo w ls, hib , and the fruits of certain trees (ih.) S . Leo all'
ures us , that
the idolaters had their falling days , w hich they rel'
i
rgiou
tly obferved ,
(Serm . 77. de j ejan . Pew ter . e. i1 . T . i. p. he prietta of the
idols , in any places , never ofl'
ered faerifice, but after a preparation byfalling and continen ce . (See Alex . ab Alex andro, l. iv. c. 1 7. Tertullian fays , the Hea then s dirpofed them felves b a fafi, before ey con
fe lted the Oracles . (Id le Anim a, e. A n they fom etim es im itated
the Xerophagie of the C hriflian s . (ih.) Before offering faerifice to C c
res, no on e ea t till after fun -fet, and then all abltain ed from w ine, and
lived con tinen t. (S . C yr. A lex . adv. Jul . l. 6. c. x ix . p. 1 50) Whoever w ereinitiated in the m yfleries of Itis, prepared them felves for that
cerem ony by abl'
tainin ten da 1 from fleflt and w ine (Julian . in Myfopog . in ter Opera C yrili, T. i. a go.) Julian the Apofta te fom etim es epntined his m eals to pulfi, upon m otives of religton ,
(ibid .) The A thenian and Egy tian w om en , on certain fettivals , faltcd an d lay on the bare groun (See Jofeph. L auren t. de Prand . 8:
Gen . V et . e. a s . apud Gronov. p. O n the fafis of the an cien t
idolaters See alfo Salm alius in Solanum 1 so . Julius Scaliger, Poetic. l . i. c. 32 . d e C enealibus L udis , gc. The Mahom etan s, both
Tutlts , Perfian s, an d the other 7o fea s , irito w hich Mahom etifm is
divided in the Eattem countries , tirié'
tly keep the faft of the nin th Ara
bian m onth, called Ram azan , w hich falls fom ctim es in Sum m er, rom e
tim es in Win ter, lhifting fuccetlively through all the feafon s of the
year ; becaufe their ear is lun ar, w ithout any intercalation , an d its
m on ths altern ately o and 3c days . No oneis ex eufed falling, nei
ther w om en , fbldiers, travellers, labourers, nor artifieers neither poor
nor rich ; the Sultan him felf fafts like others . The lick, w ho are un
able to keep the faft this m on th, are obliged to falitim e other m on th,or as m an y da ys of it as w ere w an ting, after their recovery. They fall,w ithout eating or d rinking any thing, an d are not allow ed even to w ath
their faces fro m fun -rife to fun -fet . Thofe tha t are m ore devout begin
it from m id night. (C hardin Voyage de Perfe. T . m . p. 347. T . ii.
p. 1 6a . Bufebech Legat. Turcic. ep. iii. p . 351 . The an cien t and m od ern Jew s have alw ays etteem ed fathng a pious prsaice of religion . See
Barn age Hitt. des Juifs, l. vii. e. 1 8 . A rt . iv. So deeply is the fenfeof this religious duty im prin ted in the m ind s of m en , throughall
Pand n ation s , that m olt fea t ofinfidels and heretics thought it fo e eu
tial a part of religion , as to pervert by (1 1 liition , w hat they acknow
ledged from a gen eral tradit1on derived m m the Patriarchs of the hum a n race, to be a m ean s of atonem en t for tin , and an hom age aid tothe D eity. Their fuperftitious practices , how ever, difl
'
ered w 1de y fromthe blafphenious doéirine of thofe w ho abttained from certain m eats as
evil in them felves , and the w ork 0
151 an evil principle, or dem on, alla
I
1 80 L E N T. Tr. 5.
denomin ation . Whence he calls thefe the days of the fa ll
prefcrtbed by C hritl: him felf in the gofpel, and fays thatthe others w ere left to the difcretion ofthe church.
creatures being good in their ow n nature, and the w ork of the trueGod . The dithnétion of a good and evilprinciple, or, God, w a s a fundam en tal error of a num erous (ea of Or1en tal ph1 lol
'
o hers , fo an cien t111 Perfia and the In dies , that Ilhac V ollie s, (I. de ido a trid , l. i. c . 1 .
hippofes this to have been the firli degree of idolatry, by w hich m en
ytban zed from the w orthip of the true God . SeeW olfius
’
s Ma ni'
m 1rr a n te Manicba mm , and the Authors q uoted by him , p 2 0 !
is in deed the m ore com m on opinion , that m en fitftfell in to 1dolatry
2}paying divine honours to the thn , m oon , and liars, called the he llheaven or firlito angels , as L e C lerc thinks ; then to the liars , andrw ard s to m en w ho had been fam ous or dear to them . It is , how
ever, certain , that the doé'
trine of a ood and bad prin ciple w as very
an cien t in fam e fyliem s of the O rien tahilofophy, very d 1tferen t from
all the feels of the Greek philofophers . com m on ly attributed to Zom atter, the author of the C haldaean and Perlian philofophy. (See StanleiiPhilofo hia Orien talis , l. ii. c . 6. Joan . C lerici. IndexHill. Pbr
'
lo Hence firlt proceeded thofe im pious and fuperltitious n otion s, that certain m eats are in their ow n nature evil thoughothers fell in to this error upon other fuperllitious principles ; and fa m eancient and m odern Indian an . of idolaters abflain from anim a l foodupon the prin ciple of the tranfm igration of hum an fouls in to bea tis ;Others becaufe they im agin e eertam beatis facned to their falfe deities .To foch ex trava m e is this fu rflition carried by fom e Indian feéis ,in Mogul an d cl ew here, that if uch or fuch an anim al has touched , or
been m alicioully throw n upon any am on g them , the relifly from him
a s profan ed , an d abandon him to be carried in to flavery, &c .
The heretics of the thtee firlt cen turies w ere often form ed by a m ix .
ture of (it erfiition s of the O rien tal philot'
oph'
The Gnollics , of va
rious cla es , began to dilturb the church.in the reign ofAdrian , as C le~
m en s of Alex andria m en tion s , (Strum . l. v1 1 . c. 1 7. p. 898 .Their errors had m ade their appeara nce m ore early, as is m anifeft r
1 John , ii. 1 8 . 1 Tim . vi. ao . C ol. 1 1 . 8 . but w ere kept under by the
au thority of the Apofiles fo lon as they lived . (See Tho . Ittiius, l.
de llc reliarchis E vi (tollciiprox im i. Tillem on t, &c.) everalam ong thefe taught the Etriac of devils , forbidding m en to m arry, andahflainin g fro m m eats as things evil in them felves . 1 Tim . iv . 3. In
fncceeding a s the like blatphem ies w ere fpread by the Marcionites,
Manichees , gulianifis, 8 m . This fuperltitious abltin ence, as if m eat
w as in itfelf unclean and from thence evil, the Apottle condem n s
1 Tim . iv. 3. hot an abttinen ee of m ortifieation and pen an ce, and o
obedience to the church, upon m otives of virtue . Again , w hen the
fam eApotl'le lit 1 , Whatfoever is fold in the lhs m bles, that eat , alk
ing no quegion s for con kience fake .
”1 C or. x . a s . he evrden tly
(beaks of m eats w hich m ight have been offered to idols, an d w hich 1 1
w as law fl tl to eat, w here 0 le had no fcruple, and did not do 1 1 out
of thperflition . When Chfilii
fays , Matt. x v. 1 1 . That w hteh go
eth.
in to the m outh doth n ot defile a m an , he m ean s that there 1 3
110°
unclean nefs in the m eat w hich dehles the foul an d C3""0 w ay be
underfloor! of falls com m anded byGod an d his church, a trauf ctlion
ofw hicb dehles not by any unclean nel'
s of the m eat, but by { clitobed tence.
t o ! ) a
L E N T. Tr. g .
m ents w hich our Lord fullained for us, it w ould be, Ido not fay very diflicult, but abfolutely im poflible that
w e ihould not be m oved to aflli& ourfelves on this day ,by a m ournful fall . How m uch m ore m ull this havebeen im poflible in thofe holy Apollles and difciples w ho
had enjoyed the happin efs of his ex am le and con verfa
tion , been w itneffes to his m iracles , an heard his d iv in ei
'
nflruaions ,”Gee. This learned Protellan t prelate an d
theolog ian obferves, that the very n am e ofthe forty days faft,the un an im ous cem en t of all churches , and the tefiim pn ies of an cien t ethers thew this An tepafcal fafito have beenex tended by the devotion of the fa ithful, and foon after byan eccleliaftical prece in general to about‘
fix w eeks . He
aflts , to w hat circum ance of this fall any objection can be
m ade ? Falling in itfelf, no one can deny to be a virtue an d
a religious dut To fall by precept, and at r ar fet
tim es , cannot liable to any ceniate, lince G him felf
enjoined a regular yearly fa ll in the Jew ith law (tg). The
feafon no one can callim proper For in w hat art of the
year is it m ore {uitable to ohferve our great tiift than inthat w hen w e com m em orate the fufl’erings of C hrift as
S . Auftin fays The num ber of forty days is confe
crated by the fafts of Mofes , Elias , and C hrift him felf. Is
it not a com m endable z eal to ftrive to im itate our D ivineMafter
’s faft in fom e degree, and according to our ftrength
Thu s D r. Beveridge .
This exam ple of our dear Redeem er fafting forty days inthe defert is another m otive for the inftitution of Le n t.Mofes , appointed by God the L egiflator of the ew s , his
chofen people , fafted forty days to prepare him fel to con
verfe w ith God, a nd to rece ive his d ivi ne law on Moun t
S i na i , w hich he repeated w hen he received the tables of the
law a fecond tim e (a t). Elias , before he w as favoured w iththe w on derful apparition of God on Moun t Horeb
,fafted
fony days an d forty nights As the law of n ature w as
confecrated by ot forty days in Mofes , before he hadreceived the w ritten law a nd
,the law of the Prophets , or the
w ritten law b Elias , fo w as the law ofgrace by C hrift, that
the three d'
ercut ftates of religion m ight each give a fanc
t ion to this m ean s offana ity and v irtue , an d receive a fanc
tion by it. In like m an ner asMofes a n d Elias reprefen ted theold law in its tw o differen t fiates, w hen they appeared w ith
C hi-ills(r9) L ev. x vi. 39. (to) S . A ug . ep. "9. n unc 55. ad Jan uar.
c . 1 5. Tu t . p. (55. ix . 9. 8: 1 8. (ea). 3Kings, xix . 9.
C h. 3. L E N T. 1 83,
C hrift at his transfiguration to bear teftim ony to the
n ew law , of w hich the form er had been types an d fi res ,
C hrift fafted for us , to teach us the v irtue an d‘
nec ty of‘
m ortification to fanfi ify our fafts and render them eafy, to
e n courage us to undertake them cheerfully, an d to thew us
in w hat m an ner w e m ight ufe our bod ies , by them to difarm
a nd overcom e the dev il, w ho otherw ife m akes ufe of them
to tem pt and en llave us . From his exam ple w e learn the
m ean s by w hich, throughO
his grace, w ei‘rm ft deftroy fin in
on rfelves and by reftraining our fenfes, and do ing n ecellaryv iolence to our rebellious flefh, com bat the devilby our very
'
bodies , an d m ake them ferve for arm s againfthim . Thechurch therefore, by a prudent and holy z eal, calls all
her children to u n ite all their forces , and under the aptain .
of our fpiritual w arfare, to im itate his faft according to out!w eak abilities .Such a courfe offafting and pen ance cannot but beof eat .
fervice for the reform ation ofvice, and im provem en t 0 vir
tue, am ong C hriftians . The Proteftan t author of Sober.
and ferion s C onfiderations, occafioned b the death o£K ing C harles II. and the tim e ofLen t allow ing it
fhew s how highly advan tageous the reli ious obfervatio‘n of
f Lent m utt prove to thofe w ho fin cerefiy endeavour to fetabout the duty of this holy faft, accom panied w ith reading,m ed itation , afliduous prayer, re en tance, cbnftderation ,and ferion s refle&ion upon them feives w hich great w ork,ifit w ere not im pofed upon them , they w ould perhaps pafsover very carelefs an d flightly, or poflibiy n ever find a
proper tim e to apply them felves to . W'
ere it only by laying afide the ir fin s for a feafon , they w ould be in to beem anc ipated from their habits, and difpofed tn difcern an d
relifh divin e truths , w hich they w ere incapable of, w hilli:
blinded an d infatuated by the (team s of their lulls and
v ices , fo long as the w allow ed in them . Thefe aids ,together w ith the ir e aordinary devotions for obta in ingd ivin e grace, and the fpiritual counfels and advrce of an .
ex perienced dire&or (efpeciall how to avo id the occafion s
of fin for the future, and to arm ed againfl; the afl'
aults
of the enem y), w illfirongly enable them to renew fin cerelytheir baptifm al vow s
, and faithfully perform them to God .
AndMat. am . 3.
(c) This then Treatife w as dedicated to Lord D artm outh, licen fed
by. Will. Needham , Chaplain to the Archbi
mof C an terbury, an d
prin ted in the beginning of the year 1 685, again in 1 686. TheAuthor
’
s nam e is only m en tioned by the initial letters . p . 4.
1 84 L E N T. Tr. 5.Ahd as to fuch erfons as are truly virtuous , how accepta
ble m utt n eeds gl eb a tim e be to them a feafon of extraord in ary ex ercife ofp iety, charity, and devotion , in w hichthey Rudy, by the m olt ferious exam in ation oftheir hearts ,to difco
'
ver and reform all that is a deviation from theirholyprofetlion , and m ake their accounts even w ith God : to
m ake their lives a perfect facrifice to God , im prove the irhearts in
'hisiove and all v irtues ; dev’
outly com m em orate
the fufi'
crin s of our Redeem er, an d prepare them felves to
a proach t e d ivine m
yfieries
,an d to celebrate the holy
fZafi of ‘Eziler in ange ical purity and heaven ly jubilee .
’
The fam e author adds, thatit is found by experien ce, thatthe religious obfervation of Lent is a m ighty reflrain t to
profanen efs and debauchery, even w here m en are m oft ex
quifitely w icked . It hath been a m atter of w onder to tra
vellers , to fee w hat an appearan ce; at leall ofdem urenefs,fobriety and ferioufnefs all
.
m en generally take upon them
at this tim e. I w ill give it‘
you'
in the w ords of a w orthy
gentlem a‘n of our ow n church and n ation , a great traveller
and obferver in foreign parts w hen fpeaking of Italy,he faith,
“ That, n'
otw ithflan ding the grow th of v ice,the people ofall forts
‘
ate‘
m uch reform ed during the tim e
ofL'
ent :'
nb'
blafphem ies or foul w ords as before ; the irvan i of all forts is la id reafon ably ,
afide,the ir pleafures
ab oned, their apparel; their d iet,’
and all things elfe
com peted t'
o autterity and a liate of peniten ce. Theyhave then daily, ferm ons, w ith colleaion ofaim s to w hich
all m en refort, and to judge by their outw ard ew , theyfeem g enerally to have
'
teat rem orfe of the ir fin s ; i nfom uch that, I m uft con els , I
‘
feem ed to m yfelf in Italy to
have bell learn ed the right ul'
e of L en t there firft to hayedifcern ed the great fru it of it, a n d the reafon for w hichthofe fages in
'
the church firtt‘
in flituted it. Nei ther ca nI ield to the fancies of thofe w ho, becaufe w e ought ataitim es to lead lives w orthy of
{
our profeflion , think it fu o
perfiitibus to have any tim e, in w hich w e are to ex afl or
ex pect it m ore than another : but con ce ive that it is a hardm atter to lhdld m en w i thi n the lifts ofpiety, an d that it
is therefore‘ fit that there {hould be: a tim e in the year, and
that ofa reafonable con tinuan ce, to confirain m en to re
call them felves to m ore ferion s thoughts an d courfes , left
fin , by having no bridle, thould becom e headfirong an d
uncon
(za) st: Edw in Sand s, in his Europe Specs /a m .
L E N T. Tr. 5.fo m a
“
on ly w ere form erly faftin days , before the four
days o the feven th w eek w ere adde to m ake the faft com
pletely offorty days . For if w e fubtra& the fix Sundays on
w hich the faithful only abftained, w e (hall find the fait teduced to thirty-fix days ,This feafon of the car w as chofen as m ol
'
t proper, not
only in honour ofthe fud'
erings of C hrift, but alfo that this
penitential tim e m ight be a preparation for the g eat feftival
ofEafter, an d to the d ivine m (teries, w hich w e are obligedthen to receive w ith the utm o purity and devotion . To fit
on rfelves for our heavenly nuptials , and to attend our hea
ven ly bridegroom in his glor ious trium ph, perfea ly rifenw ith him , and cloathed w ith his fpirit and grace, is a eat
w ork. Therefore is Len t inftituted as an eve of 0
days to this holy folem nity, as S. L eo, S . Gregorn ,
C harles Borrom z o, an d other z ealous paftors put us in‘
m ind .
Ne ither is it ben eath the confideration of the church, in
this holy inftitution , to have a regard to the m otive of ourcorporal health. As extrem e tem peran ce an d abftem iouf
n efs are its heft guard ian , (0 is fafting often its fafeft . and
m oft eafy reftorer (d). By it, fo m any an cient Fathers ofthe deferts , w hofe auftere and perpetual fafts aftonilh and ai
m oft afl'
right us , m a in ta i ned a conftan t vigorous health, and
prolonged their lives for a w hole century, in w arm clim ates,
w here the period of hum an fife being accelerated in all its
(d)The m olt freq uen t diforders w hich are incident to the hum an
fram e, are occalion ed by an over-repletion , w hich opprelfes the anim al
pow ers , and im pedes their function s or by the vicious q ualities of theb lood , and other hum ours or juices , n ot fufieien tly con cocted and fub
acted , origin ally riling from fom e ex cefs , or peccan t properties~of the
food ,‘
w hieh opprefs the organ s of digettion , an d prod uce fatal obttrucgtion s an d other m ifchiefs in the m olt delicate part of the body, and un
derm ine the (iron gett coufiitution beyond the pow er of rem edy. A nd
this is often true, even in dillem pers of decay, in w hich, above allothers , the cure is m olt difi cult, as a reparation of w hat is lofl or w orn ,
is fom etim es aim olia - kin to a n ew creation , at leaf! is alw ays infinitelyhard er, an d a w ork of longer tim e and gradual procefs , than a baredifchargin or purging aw ay of w hat is nox ious . The m ain ek m”
tive againgall ruch feed s of the m olt ordin ary and m ofl fata ditiem
pers , is certain ly abltem ioufnefs , an d a choice of m ore farinaceous , andan fim nd bodies w holcfom e vegetable, than anim al food . For though
the la tterin a m oderate quan tity gives m ore ttrength, its falta eafily formobltrufiion s , and create grofs juices , w hich lay the found ation of atiorbutic habit of the blood , juilly ca lled by Boerhaave a legion ofm oltfatal difeafes . Though un ripe and unfrrm en ted farin aceous vegeta
bles , falted or fm oaked ftfh or flelh, bad w ater to drin k, a m ciiifoil
near ttagn atiag w aters, and a ftdentary life, are frequen t caufeszf
'
the
m y,
L E N T. is,
(tages , is ufually t'
horter than in m ore tem perate, orin Colder
regions . 8 . Paul, the firft herm it, lived 1 1 3 years , S . An
thouy 1 05, S . Euthym ius 95, the tw o SS. Macariufes,
fcurvy, it m ull be allow ed that our e x trem e voracioufnefs of anim al
food , m uch m ore than any qualityin the air, m akes this diforder fo rife
an d prevalen t a m ongll us . Nor as there a m ore fovereign prefervative,or rem edy again ft it, than a w holel
'
om e vegetable diet, efpecially of the
an titcorbutic kinds , and in fprin g,w hen herbs are froth, an d their juices
pure. See B allet, V an Sw teten on Boerhaave, &c. We m ull exceptfallada of the colder kind , an d n ot allow vegetables to w eak con llitu q
tion s , the fibres of this food bein g too (trong to be broke and concocted,w ithout llron an d vigorou s action of the llom ach. D r. Arbuthnot
v judicioulfy obferves , that though regularity in the tim e of m eals,an great tem lserance in the quan tity, a nd in the choice of plain fim ple
food , are necelfary rules for health, it is m ore advil'
eable to ufe a reafon
able latitude and variety, than to be rellrained too rigoroully to one
kind , w hich m ay give a vicious prevalen cy to certain hum ours , or
create to flrong an habit in the conflitu tion as can never allow the leak
deviation , w ithout im m inen t d anger. In the Philofophical Tran faéli
one w e have an in llance of a clergym an of the church ofEngland ,w ho,
on accoun t of an allhm a, had for m any years drank nothing but w hat
w as w arm , but b once d rinking a cup of beer cold on a journ ey, diedin a few hours . oerhaave rem arks , that the heft food is m arily farina
ceaus , i. e . of m ealy feeds , as w heat, rice, m aize, dre. of the bed
kind s , and w ell ripened , alfo pan adoes m ade by boiling, or at leafl:
fopping bread in w ater, gruels , thin broths , dre . Milk w here it does
n ot curd le into cheefe upon the fiom ach, w hichoften happen s . In fom e
parts of Ireland m any w ho live in a m an n er en tirely upon potatoes , fo
as feldom to talle even bread , are very robufl and healthy ; but in the
In dies , am on g thofe n ation s w hich never touch any anim al food , thofe
w ho live folely on rice are very thin a nd w eak, but healthful, a n d have
their feeling andother fenfes m uch q uicker than others , asMr. Grofe
relates in his accoun t ofthem . A differen ce ofconhitution often poin ts
out to m en a particular choice of their m ore prevalen t food , w ithout
too fervile a contl ratn t ; but tem peran ce is the firll principle in all cir
cum llan ces of life. W ater is the firon gett digeller, and the bell vehicle
to our nourithm en t, being both the finell fluid , an d the m olt pow erful
dill'
olveut in n ature ; an d it is the.ordin a drink of the far greatell part
of the hum a n race . Y et the little in t s w ith w hich it aboun ds in
Sum m er m ay be l'
om etim es perniciou s , un lefs dellroyed by the w ater
having been boiled ; aud its ex trem e fluidity is m ortal to d roplica l per
fon s , w hofe fibres are relaxed ; w hich in con venim cies are hell rem oved
in our clim ate by w eak fiuall beer. C aefar foun d beer the beverage of
the Briton s eighteen hund red years ago . S tro ng beer byits vifcofity te
tards the circulation of the blood . die . Wine a ll agree, is the m a ll
genial natural cordial,w hen na ture (land s in need ofon e ; but n ot pro
per], a diggfier of our food . The robull and valian t heroes of an ti
q uity w ere w ater drinkers . It w ould be eafy to prove all thefe points
by the experien ce of all ages , an d by the concurring tell tm onies of the
m a ll jud icious an d m ail experien ced phyliciaus and philofophers , both
ancien t and m odern . D r. C OC C lll, la te fa m ous phylician at F loren ce in
I ta ly, in his book On lb: Regim en (if l bag ara c, orThe Pythagorean
c l of Vegetables, firm s that great phrlol'
oplter to have laid dow n fuch
p receptc
1 88 L E N T. Tr. 5.
S .
“ Paphn utius , S . Sabas, and S . John of Egt , near 1 00
each ; 8 . Arlenius 1 2 0, S. John the Silen t 1 04, S. Theodofins the Abbot 1 05, Ja m es the Perlian Herm it, m ention edby Theodoret, 1 04, a
r
e . Jofephus tells us , that the Effen csw ere re m arka ble for llV lflg long, m any to the age of 1 00
years, by the plain n efs an d m oderation of their diet, w hichw as on ly bread an d fom e kind of gruel or pap . Thew e m ay obferve of the an cien t philofOphers , D em ocritus ,H ippocrates , 8c c . Thefe indeed w ho are em ployed in hard
m anual labour, req uire and eaftly digeft m ore food than
foch as fpend the ir life in Cin dy an d m editation . Som ethingm ore allo m ull be allow ed in cold than in hot clim ates .
Y oung perfons , an d all w ho are of w eak conflitutions , oughtn ot to fail too long at a tim e, but m ull be fl inted to a fm all
q uan tit an d pla in proper food, a nd w ithout variety. Thism ethod
,
far from hurting the ir health, w ill m a intain themv igorous in m ind and body, prevent difeafe s , and often cute
thofe Which are alread con traéled, and w hich obflinatelydefy all the pow er 0 the {iron ell m edicin es (e). Thefpring is the m od: proper feafon o the year for repairing all
precepts as be judged m oll cond ucive to m ain tain tran quillity of m ind ,a nd perfeél health of body . Hen ce he eat on ly tw ice a tlay, as w as
then the gen eral cofiom ; in the m orning, w hen he on ly took a li
tle piece of bread, a n d at (upper, w hen he m ade a m oderatem eal : he allow ed n o beverage but w ater ; forbad in gen eral anim a l
food ; but he eat a nd advifed others to eat, provided it w a s n ot too of
ten , light m eats, a s pullets , kid , veal, pig, and frlh ; be banilhed
eggs ; alfo bean s , w hich are w indy, though tarm ac-eon s , and w hich the
priells of jupiter an d C eres , both am ong the Greeks an d Rom an s , w ere
fo rbid to touch, an d w hich A rillotle univerfally condem n s as very un
w holefom e probably m ore apt to give cholics , &c . in thofe clim atev,
than w ith u s . C occhiobferves , that old d ried bean s or other feed s arevery un w holefom e, un lefs in po w der in fufed in broth or fa m e other
liq uid . Moll other vegetables the Sam ia n philofopher recom m en ded ,a ll
'
o bon e an d m ilk . Such an ex aél regim en is allow ed by phylician s
to be prelyerablc to all rem edies , w hich it m akes generally ttfelefs by pre
ven ting m oll d tfiem pe rs . Tha t m uch anim al food is pernicious to
health is d em on llt ated by P lutarch d e Va letud m r . Macrobius , l. vii.Saturnal. c . 4. an d other ancien ts .
(e), 0f this w e have an in flan ce in L ew is C ornaro, a nob lem an OfV enice, a perlbn of great abilities and learning . A t thirty
- live years
of a e be found him felf red uced by in tem perance to futh a {late of
health, un der a co m plication of dil‘
ea (es , an d pain s in his fiom ach, and
often in his tides , w ith a contin ual fever and thirll , that he tried all
m un et of rem edies , and con fultecl a ll the ablell phyftcian s during the
l'
pace of five years , w i thout fin ding the lea li relief. A t forty, w hen
phylicizn s d e l'
pa tred of his life, he refolved to try w hat abflcm ion fn efsw ould
‘
efl’
eél . By experience he found the falfehood of that com m on
proverb of g lutton s That w hatever is favoury to the palate, is gm( C
190 L E N T. Tr. 5.
the m olt falutary juices . That the churchhas our corporalhealth in view as a fecondary m otive in the infiitutron of
L en t, appears from the colle& in w hich (he teaches us to0
ful fire an d w it an d at the fam e tim e w rote a treatifi on tem perance,in w hich he gives this accoun t of him felf He had then eleven gra nd
child ren a ll in perfect health, children of the fam e father and m other.
H e a lw ays flept w ell, retain ed his vigour, and in tellectual faculties to
the lall , pall'
etl his o ld age w ithout an y com plain t or fickn efs , till thatof w hich he died at P adua in 1 565. w hich w as lhort and feem ed w ith.
o ut pain . His death w as to eafy. a nd he received it With fuch cheer
fuln els, bein g upw ard s of an hundred years old , that it w as truly a
pleafan t pall'
age to im m ortality . [See L ew is C orn aro‘
s ow n hook on
Tem pera n ce, tran flatc d by L elliu s in to L atin : a lfo the Accoun t given
of hum by Thuan u s , Hill . I. 38 . Jufirniani8c Bem bi, H I“ . Ven et.(lic
eHis w ife w ho w as n o lefs aged than him felf, furvived him .
F . eon ard L eflius , the learn ed jefuit, had been in his youth aban doned by phyfician s in a decay, but by im itating in fom e degree the tem pe
ran ce ofC orn aro, and by the regularity of his con ven tua l life, re o elta
blilhed his health and enjoyed great vigour of m ind an d body to the 69th
year of his age, in w hich he died a t L ouvain in He w rote a
book, On the an d long L ife , in
w hich he atew a health, preven ts the
in con venien cies of a bad digeftion ,crudities and all
an d ou tw ard a
the body en tire , and m uch m ore the vigour of the underflan ding and
m em ory, and is the rou n d an d ba lis of virtue, as C allian obferves .
[C allian l. 5. de Galfrim argia , c. So that a ll the Sain ts
w ho have In about railin g the tow er of evan gelical perfefi iun s , began
by this virtue . [See L eflius I. de Valetudine tuen d a . A legam be de
Scriptor. Soc . in L d lio .) lts praElice is atten ded w ith difficu lty in the
begin ning , in overcom ing the habit of in tem perance ; but this beingm attered , it is productive ot m uchdelight an d in com parable advan tages .H ealth is n ot on ly preferred by it, (0 as feldom to (lan d in n eed of a
pbyfician , but m olt dilhem pers , efpecially thore w hich arife from reple
tion are cured by failin g, w hich is the m olt eafy an d n atural m ean s ofdilburden m g n ature, that (he m ay be en abled to ex ert her pow ers in her
ow n relief. For n ature alone is able to repair her decays , and reflore
her function s : phyfick can on ly rem ove obfiacles w hich im pede the
vigorous ex ertion of her pow ers in her cure . Ufually a fall of on e or
tw o days has the full effect of a courre of phyliclc, and does its w ork in
a m uch fafer an d m ore efiea ual m an ner. Man y perfon s w ithin the cir
cle of m y acquain tance, chiefly am ongfi thofe w ho led the m olt ex actlyregular lives in religious con ven ts , have attain ed to a ver advan ced old
age, w ithout havin g ever m ade ufe of any apothecary’
s rugs , or con
fulted any phyfician , havingm ade it their rule , w hen ever they found
them l'
elves in difpol'
ed , to all on e, tw o, or three da
ys , till they found
their health re eltablilhed . If aufierities have ever urt an y one’
s con
fiitution , it m u ll have been ow ing to an ex trem e ex ecra, or to fam e par
ticular circum fian ces , as un w holefom e food , too fudden a chan ge in the
m ann er of life, dam pnefs, (alw ays con trary to the good (late of an
hum an
C h. 4. .L E N T. 191
pray that That this folem n fafi w hich is w holel'
om ely in
flituted to cure our fouls and bodies , m ay be devoutly oh
ferved by us
c H A P. IV .
Orr {be Man ner qf sbfir tring L EN T.
A S T IN G days w ere proclaim ed am ongft the jew sin the fam e m an n er as great feflivals by the foun d of a
trum pet at the hour w hen they They obferve
them from the evening after fun - fet till the fam e hour the
n ex t day, that is till the rifing of the liars . All this tim e
they n either eat not drink they alfo refrain from bathin g,from perfum es , .odours , and anoin ting, and from the ufe of
m arriage, continence being a part of their fall. And this is
the idea w hich all the Eafiern nations , C hriflian s , and others
generally have offalling Som e Jew s think it law ful to
hum an body) ato cold , 8 m . It
m en th
vugorou
a n cien t
m ain fupport of long life is proved by the ex perien ce of all ages an d alln ation s , and confirm ed by all hylician s . See particularlyt hol
'
e w ho
have w rote on diet junker , A r uthnot, B ecquet, Lem ery an d L orry,T r. fur les Alim en ts. It is how ever, to be carefully obferved , that
changes in the m an ner of a perfon’
s living m utt be m ade grad ually, and
n ot on a fudden . For plen tiful m eals en large habitually the ven tricle,w hich lon g habits of tem perance con traa , in w hich an y great chan ge
m ade at once is very dangerous . Neither is it ruden t in thofe w ho have
lived plen tifully, and are ex pofed to deviate om etim es from their rule,by living in the w orld , to confine them felves totally to vegetables , or
any one kind ofdiet, as D r. Arbuthnot rem arks againfi the rigorous
prefcription s ofD r. C heyne.
(s g) Or. in Miffa 8s Om eio Sabhatian te s D om in . Og adragefim re .
(1 ) Joelii. 1 5. 1 6.
(a) See C alm et, Diet. Bibl. and Fleury Moeurs des Ifrael. ch. x vi.
L eo ofModena, C m . dos Juifs , Part iii. ch. 8. Bafnage, 8rc . Si
ge nius,
192 L E N T. Tr. 5.eat till the m orning of the day on w hich they are to fall . At
their m eal in the evening of a fall , they m ay eat eggs , an d
certain herbs , but not all forts,‘
an d no fleflt m eat, nor but
ter . Bux torf m en tion s,that it is an ax iom of the Jew s on
their great fafls , w hoever ea ts or drinks on this day, (hall
n ot be w orthy to fee the joy of Jerufalem and w hoever eats
fie(h or drinks w ine , his iniquities (hall be upon him . The(am e author tcflifies , that every on e w ho fafis abfiain s froma ll m eat and drink the w hole day till the (lars appe ar in the
e vening. It is on ly by an in dulgen ce that on lefl'
er
days , tom e,if apt to fain t for thirfi , put into their m on ths
a little liq uorice, or (om e other root or (pice, but (pit it out
again w ithout (w allow ing any, on ly it m oifiens the m outh,
and (or'
n e of the juice w ill defcend w ithout a (w allow ing .
Am ongft the Sam aritans , even in fan ts at the breafi, am ongthe Jew s children that are above (even years old , are obliged
to fafl as m uch as their firength w ill perm it TheySom etim es throw afltes upon their head s , and go bare
- foot,but this is not of obligation . O n fails, it w as forbid to
w ork, an d all the people m et in the tem ple at Jerufalem ;
in other tow ns an d villages , in (om e public place , w here
they heard the law read , an d ex hortations to penance m ade
to them by the Rabbin s an d Elders
The (all of the Muffelm an s or Turks confiils in n eithereating, nor drinking, nor (m as king the w hole day from
m orning to the tilin g of the (tars . They eat and drink as
m uch as they pleafe all night , but are v tem perate in that
m onth, as C oun t Auger Guiflin of Bog a or Bufebec te
lates They eat m eat if they pleal'
e at night, but w ine
is m ore tirifi ly forbidden at thefe tim es than at others . Som e
have been cond em ned to (w allow m elted lead , for havingviolated this law . Thirfi is particularly troublefom e to tra s
vellers and labourers ; but they m ull endure it. The ancien t idolaters alfo m eant by failing an en tire abfiinen ce both
from eating and drinki
Bu t the C hrifiian f is the fubjefi of our inquiry, and
confideration . This confiits of tw o parts . I ll, A forbear
an ce of certain kinds of food , or a reliraint in the choice
and q uality, or an abatem ent of food, w hich w e ufually erglgonius , 1 . dc Rep
. Hs bs'z or. l. iv. e. 1 8 . and 'blicolia’
s A nnot. ih.
p . Bux tor‘
s Syn agoga judaica, c . x x x . p. 571 . 8: 576.
(3) C alm et. «lic. ih (4) lb . lviii. 5. Jod ii. s6. 3 Kin gs x x i.
n . Fleury Moeurs den Ifm elites. ch. x vi.
(5) Ep . 3. de Moribus Turcarum , p. 1 54. 8: I. de Turcarum C re
rem oniis , p . a9t . C hardin Voyage, &c. T. ii. vii.
L E N ’
I‘. a”
cured ofPope Innocent VIII. in ”89, forhis diéed'
e
Butter though un w holefom e,is in fum e degree neceli
Iary in countries w here it fuppliés the w ant of oil. Thedifciline of every church is the rule w hich all in nit followin eterrn lning w ha t is allow ed by a jail: prefcri ion of ale al tm m em orial cullorn allow ed by the Bilhops : Kill:fu claim s are to be reduced to the Randard of thelaw of the church w ith regard to this holy fall .In the prim itive ages , C hriftian s ufed no other fOOd on
falling days than herbs , pulfe, roots or fruit, w ithfom e added a {m all quantity of little fifhes ; but had nothinof this drelTed nicely, or w ith nm ch preparation . A
w hat they eat w as alw ays (0 com m on and cheap as to occafiona great faving in the ex pences of the table, all w hich ivaslaid out in m ore abundant alm s , as the fathers frequently recom m end. Som e allow ed them ielves no other food thanw hat w as eat raw ,
w ithout ar
zdrefiing by fire ; and this
w as called by the Greek nam e ophagie (c): Thol'
e w hoobfen fed the m ofi fevere, and w hat w as called the true fall,confin ed their m eal to X is (d), that is , to dry food,fuch as nuts, alm onds, and ch like fruits w ith bread : fornetdolc on ly bread and w ater. This hill, or at leall the Xerophagie, all praaifed on the niore folem n failing days.The (trongeft faft is h ead and w ater,
” fl ys St. Jerom (tBut thefe ex traordinary auftel'ities, though com m on , w ere
left to thedifcretion of every on e according to their ftrength,ex cept on Good Friday an d Holy Saturday. St. Jerom in
Ve‘
ighs againfithofe w ho on fairing days brought to their ta
ble dainty fruits (r8). What advantage do you hope to
receive by refraining from the ufe of oil, w hilft at the
fam'
e‘
tim e you fecit fcarce and delicate fruits : C arian
dried figs, pepper, fruit of the palm- tree (that is nice
dates), bread m ade of fin e flour, Piftache nuts ? The
garden is racked and ra'nfacked , to furnith dainties to‘
the
palate , w hich cafil turn us out of the ftrait path of hea
ven . Plain ufua l ead ought to con tent him w ho fatta.”
All C laim ants then insured them felvea to this feverity in theirfalls by a conftant frugality and tem perance, alw ays eating
0 2 little,
(16) See on this Difpenfation Mem oires'
cle Trevoux , An .
so .PEp. 34 . ad Nc tia n . T. iv. p. 364. (1 8) Ibid.
set L L E N T.
the Fathers reprocehed the flothful and lukew arm C hriftian s ,that they feem ed to think the days w ere too long, and the
{um -fet too late in Lent (2 This difciplino w as obfervedn oton
?! in Lent, but elfo on Em ber days , viils and
other tilting days, ex cept the w eekly fafls o Wednefdays
and Fridays, on w hichthe m eal w as taken at none,or three
Q’clockin the afternoon . O n w hich account they w ere slittin
ifhed by the n am e of the fafls of the fiation s , and dem i
sails (f). It is clear from the w ritings of C ardinal Robert
Pulleyn , (an Englifh theologian w ho w rote his chiefw
Paris) and thofe of Peter Abelard, of St. Bern ard, and of
Peter of Blois , the learned Archdeacon of Bath, that this
w as the rule of failing in Lent, in the tw e lfth century, and
thatit w as obferved in the churchw ithout m itigation , duringthe {pace of tw elve hundred years . Hence St. Bernard laidto his m onks , in the beginning of Lent Hitherto w e have
iifsflefi
l alone tilliii? how35non e : now all “
ii“ fall w ith
us 0 event 3 m an noes, clergy an 0 e,no,
bility andl
ibeiansafrichP3nd poor in the
lam }:m an ,
ner gom e, how ever, had begun in the nin th cen
tury, to an ticipate the hour ofthe m ealon failing days, andto take it at none, or three o
’clock, w hich w as condem n ed
by Theodulph, BiIhOp of Orleans, and other zealous pat"
tors (2 2) as an alm fe s butin the follow ing century this m i?
tigation w as allow ed,
by Ratherius , Bifhop of Veron aand in the council ofRouen in 1 072 . The thirteen th cen
tury, the hour of none, or three o’clock, is determ ined by
all the patter-s of the church and dofiors of the fchools, for
the tim e on , w hichit w as law ful for thofe w ho faft to take
their m eal. This is the rule laid dow n by the celebrated
Alex ander of Hales and St. Thom as Aq uin as (30){hon after. The fiep feem ed to fom e of no, great im por
tance to raiih the hour of m eal flill higher, provided it w as
(as) S Gteco Nyfll fet; petius 3. AM?“ Ora . in Br
lin o. Jeiun .
ill5d>s 353M feq‘
tt (26) Rag lan, Pom . s o. ii. p. 99.
(f) SM $ Wa z Tcfi ‘ L My “ co “ to h e
(27) Theodulph. Aurel. C apittfl, ” and T. m . C on e . p.
See d fq C ap. de Contes tant. dific. 79 £1 3) Radian Su n n i. in
Qgrhagef. rt. l . T. u
n fi t“ . p. 1 83.
$ 9) “ 931 km pm . “ ts Que 2 3 flit Tho. a . fecundz e -m za ,
(a) m.
” V “ 44Noam 151W 5Ne w
jriuualm n t s m e ar/iiRab“ w .. km : s
r'
g w bikr, um few . 6 P437
" 3, Bean .
Pr 1 9 8t9 3 v n d di . m 051 1 Secdby eter o Blois, w ho died in 1 200.
C h. 4. L E N T. a. 199
m ade after noon , and no other refrelhm ent w as taken la thefour- an d- tw enty hours of that day and night. Richard Middleton , an Englifh Fran cifcan theologian , pronounces thatit is a breach of the fafito take the m ea l foon after noon or
m id- day, and he inveighs feveroly againft thofe w ho have
not coura e and refolution to keep up to the cullom of not
eating before three of the clock D urandus, Bilhop of
Meaux , in 1 330 and in the follow itg es tuary, St .
An toninus (33) tellify that in their tim e it w as allow ed bycullom , authorized by the chief pallors, to dine on fallingdays any tim e after the hourof noon (h), w hich foon becs rne
a ny hour about noon . D uran dus obfervess that w hen the
hour of the m eal on falling days in L ent w as anticipated ,
the clergy anticipated the rec1 tal of volpera, w hich they flill
faid before din ner, thinking thus to obferve the canon ,
Sain t, w hich is only ex traa ed from the 39th C apitular ofTheodulph, Bifhop
of O rlean s,w hich regulated the hour
of breaking the fall in the evening, or after vefpers . As'
a
m em orial of the ancient difcipline, this is flill obferved ln
L en t, and is ofprecept, as to the public recital of the divine
office
Richard dc Media Villa. in 4 die. 1 5. art. iii. qu. s . T . u .
p. 2 1 1 . (32 ) D urandus a S . Porciano, in 4. dill . 1 5. q ua d . 9. art. 7.
(33) S . An tonin us, a part. Tit. V . dc Jejun . s o .
(h) An an on m ous Monk of St. Gall, au of the life of C harlem agne, pn bli ed by D uchene, C anilius , oliaccu rately by Hannius , librarian at Hanover in 1 72 6 ; relates , that the Em eror w as
obliged to dine in Len t before the hour of vefpers , that his ers andatten dan ts m ight have tim e for their is voral din n ers after him , w hich
they could not have otherw ife done before m idnight. The Em perortherefore heard Mafa fung, w hich in L en t w as begun in his palace a t tw o
o’
clock , and im m ediately after it vefpers 5after w hich he w en t to dim
n er. A certain Bi w ho a m e to court, found fault w ith this anti
cipation of the hour 0 his m eal. C harlem agne alle ed the neeeflity,and finding the prelate not fatisfied , gave orders t at he lhould lit at
the tim e, w hen the lat? table w as ferved for his ofi cers . A n d faid to
him the nex t day Y ou fee that it is n ot out of in tem peran ce, but
necefl’
ary precaution , that I go to table, before funfet . (See C arol.Ma
‘gniVita , l. ii. c . 9. p. ed . B an .) This preceden t, how eve r,
is uppofed to have given the firfi occa lion to the an ticipation of the
m eal on falting days . Man y at firft, doubtlefs , tin ned by in troducingthis and other m itigation s , w ithout neeeflity or authority bu t w hen
the cufiom becam e legal, and w as au thorized by the politis e oon nivan ce,or toleration of all the chiefpallors of the church, it w as a deroga tion
from the prim itive law . Hence the theologian s w ho firfi allow ed it,a lledge the legal w hom , and authorized difcipline of foch churches ashad ad m itted it, not the preten ce of any gen eral necefiity. or any other
falfe plea. They do n ot therefore frcm to deferve the harlh cen fore.w hichThom afiin and Baillet pal) upon them , if the culiom w as then
fuch as they took it to be, legal and authorised .
200 L E N T. Tr. 5.ofi ce in the choir : but for thofe w ho recite vefpers in pri
vate, a rubric, or rule, rather direaing w hat is m oltperfe&,
and according to the fpirit of the church, than offirifi pre
cept. So firiétly is it the ell’
ence of falling to take no m ore
than one m eal on falling days , that Jew s , Muffulm ans , and
P an s , have alw ays looked upon the icail refrefhm en t, even
a 0p ofpure w ater taken at any other tim e ofthe day, as
contrary to the fall . And this w as the m ofi an cient C hrifiian
difcipline, as the fathers , an d every kin d ofecclefiaitical m o
n um en ts proclaim . W e learn from St. Jerom that the
ancien t Monks ofEgypt an d Palefiine never eat tw ice a day ;
but in the Pafchal tim e, till after Whitfun tide, w hen theyw ere allow ed to take their m eal at noon , w hich w as called
not to faft. S. Benedia in theWell, allow s the Monks to
dine after Pen tecoli, but m akes no m ention offupper at that
tim e, but only before W'
hitfuntide, during the P aichal
tim e Whence m any think he allow ed n o fupper, ex
cept a fm all refreihm en t during the Pafchal tim e . The au
thor of the Rule qf tbe .Mafier, foon after St. Ben net, er
m its them to drink tw ice in the evening, w hen they took t'
r
m eal at noon S . Fruétuofus of Braga in hisMon afiick
Rule, ex prefiy fays , that from Eafier to‘Whitfuntide, the
Monks {hall dine at noon , but be conten t w ith one m eal a
day TheMonks ofFulda in Germ any n ever fupped
during the w hole year, dow n (0 low as in the 1 2 th cen tury,as Mabillon thew s S . Iiidore ofSeville, w hom Flores
dem onfhates to have been the author of the Micr s logur, pronoun ces that no one keeps the fall of L ent, w ho takes a
refrefhm en t before eveningA relax ation of this fevertty w as firit introduced in the
m on aftic falls, w hich w ere not com m anded the church,an d w ere kept alm oft the w hole year. In t. Benedict
’
s
tim e, his m onks took their m eal at fex t or noon , w hen theydid not fail ; at none, or three in the afternoon , on fails of
the rule ; after funfet, on failing days of precept in the
church. The holy foun der allow ed each m onk an Hem im s
of w ine (i), each day to be drank w ith w ater ; part they
(34) S . Hier. e
s. 1 8 . ad Bull'och, T. is . fequ .
(35) See D om e L'
Ille, Hill . du Jeune,g. iv. eh. p. z85.
(36) Reg . Ma'giltric . x x vii. (37) S . Fructuqf. cg . c, g m .
(38 Mabill. r . in Sz c . 3. Ben . a .
(39)Micrologus , c. x lix . T . x viii. dihl. Petr. p .
(i) An bum’
na w as a liquid m eafure, w hich fom e an tiquaries takefor the fourthpartofa pin t , others m ore probably for a pin t and a half,
202 L E N T. Tr. 5.it w as read Hence the n am e ofC ol/ation w as given
to this little reflefiion The cullom w as at the fam e
tim e adopted by the laity on failing- days ofobligation , and
being tolerated an d authorized by the paftors of the church,becam e a legal m itigation of the precept of the faftThe collation , how ever, for fom e ages w as confined to a
draught of drink, and this at firft on ly upon fom e degree of
n eceflity, as after fom e ex traordin ary fatigue or labour. Itw as on ly in the 1 sth century that fom e be
gan to take a m orfei
ofbread w ith this draught for collation , ell drinking w ith
out eating any thing m ight be pernicious to health this
being a principle, w hich fom e phyfician s advan ced . Soonafter the canonifis and divin es abandoning this reafon pro
duced for the grounds of this allow ance, the general neceliityof taking fom e little refrelhm en t or nouriihm entin the evening, w hen the m eal w as an ticipated fo long before. Bailletblam es thofe theologians, w ho by this dectfion introduced arelax ation of the ancien t law of fafting but he ought firfito have fhew n thofe divin es to have been the firft authors ofthis in novation . O n the contrary, it appears that they foundit already eftablithed and authoriz ed by the general cuftom
of the m olt religious am ongft the faithful, and the conni
van ce of the chiefpallors , by w hom the law s of ecclefiallical difcipline are fram ed or in terpreted . And though no
particular bilhop can aboliih a law m ade by the fuperior authority of the univerfal, or even a n ational church, it belongs to Bifhops to determ ine for their ow n diocefes fuch
points ofdifciplin e as are undeterm ined by fuperior authorityalfo to give a fanaion to cuftom s legally prefcribed, andw hich it appears jult and ration al, and for the greater goodof the com m unity to authorize, an d no fuperiour authority
in ter
(43) Bern ard . C luniac . in ord . C lon .
part . i. c . 2 7. p . zog . and
c . 74. p. 369. Marten ne , de Ritrbus Ecc ef. c . x i. n . 1 1 . p . 1 09.
Udalric, l. i. C onfuetud . C luniac. c . 41 . Ufos C illercien s . O rdin .
c . 8 1 . p. 1 79. Regul. in C larior. c . 1 6. Abelard Reg . ad Eloifam ,
1 6P
(445) See D om Jofcph de l
‘
lile, Hilt. do jeune, 1 . iv. ch. 2 . p. 306
Thom aflin , Tr. do Jen ne . C laude de Vert, C erem . dc l’
Eglife, T. ii.
n o . C atech. dc Mon tpellier on the 51h precept of the church, ch. 6.
fur les Jen nes . The Statutes of the Norbertin s , Bibliotheca P t'
z m on ltr.
1 . iv . c . 1 2 . de C ollat. p . 793.
(45) S . A n toninus a pars Sum . Theol. Tit. vi. c. a . v. 9. Pon tas V .
jeun e C af. 1 7and 1 8 .
(46) A lphoni‘
us Toitsrus , Bifhop of Avila, (w ho s flifted at the
C oun cil ofBafilin 1 434. and died in 1 434) in c. vi. Matth. qu. 1 69,s yo . T. in
,Op . p. 1 69.
L E N’
I’
.
though fatigued w ith im prifon rn ent, and {landingin need offirength to fufiain the conflié]: of his left agony. It is a
fall ,” faid he I refufe to drink ; it is not yet the nin th
hou r ; death itfelf thall not oblige m e t0'
abridge m y fallIn the lives of the fathers of the defert, Rufin te
lates , that, on a fafl of the rule , the abbot Sylvanus w ith hisdifciple Zachary calling at another m on aflery, took fom erefrethm e n t w hich w as offered them , as w as allow ed am ongthe m onks by the law s of hofpitalit w hen abroad . As theyw ere afterw ards travelling, the dicipic [being fom e w ater
w as going to drink, but the Abbot hindered him , fayingIt is a faft to-day. Z achary replied But have w e
not already eat fom ething The Abbot anfw ered Thatw e did by the law of charity ; but let us flill keep the
rule of our fall Even the firfi allow ance of a
c ollation , w hich confit’ted on ly of a draug'ht of drink, fhew s
it w as n ot allow ed before to drink at all on fafiing- da s be
fore the h our of the m eal. This law w as univerfal y oh
ferved long after the collatio n w as in troduced ; a nd is flill inforce in form diocefes in France, &c . The Mahom etan s
,
thoughim m erfed in fenfirality and vice,keep up this effen tial
la w on their fails , w hich confift in neither eating, nor
drinking, n or fm okin g the w hole day,from m orning to
the rifing of the fiars in the evening. When their m on thlyfaft of Ram adan falls in fn m m er, this thirft is very trouble
forne , efpecially to travellers an d labourers But they m utt
endure it, no on e being ex cnfed failing, neither w om en ,
foldiers , travellers , labourers , nor artificers ; neither rich nor
poor : The fultan fails as w ell as othersThe lea that liquicb on ly m oifien , and do not nourifl‘
t, is
fouade in ignoran ce of n atural philofophy . No one can
certain ly pretend it true, at leafl'of com poun d liquors, nor
of all fuch as are fim ple . Wine, for ex am ple , is the ,ex
tra& of a veryiuicy fruit ; an d fam e forts, Galen fays , are
as nourifhing as hog’s -flefh, w hich is a kin d of food the ful
lefl of gravy Even w ater indire&ly contributes to
nourithm ent by helping digefiio n , as it is the firorrgefi difl'
ol
ver and digefler in nature ; an d it refrefhes an d ple afes . It
is not therefore, on this preten ce, that liquids can be com
patible w ith failing, though the perfuafion of fuch a plea
m ayA 8 . P den t. H vi. 1 88 . 50)~B L iii. c. 416.
p .iii)apPRofir.
m
(57)a lohwfi b}. O rifint. pm . Touraefort
V ge, 1 . ii. p. L ucas Voyage d’
Egypte, Tw i. 658) SeeC et k de L
'
ifle b e. cit.
L E N To T1 3 54ex em pts all perfons from the obligation of the ecclefiaftical
la w of falling, w ho have com pleted the fix tieth year. But
this is certainly a m iliake t No fuch decree w as ever m ade.
O n the con trary, S. Thom as Aquinas , and the m oll judicious and learn ed Theologian s , dow n to our tim e , declare
that on ly ficknefs and w eakn efs of con flitution in old age,can be a jufiplea for a difpenfation . D o&or Navarr, a verylearn ed an d em in e n t canonift, having confirm ed this decifzon ,fays Now in the eightie th year of m y age , I fall: as
cailly as I did in m y fix tieth or even fiftieth
D ifpenfation s , by w hich perfon s are difengaged an d fetfree from the obligation of this law , are fom etim es n eceffary .
For thele three gen eral reafon s are allign ed : t . In capacity,a s in children an d perfons very lick. 2 . Neceflity, as hard
labour. 3. Som e greater good, as afliduous atten dance on
the lick, m uch preaching, &c. 8 . Gre ory the great, beingin form ed thatMarinian , archbifhop of aven n a , w as feiz ed
w ith a vom iting of blood, w rote to him I not on lyex hort, but I ex prefsly forbid you to fafl ; phyfician s de
claring that falling is very con trary to your diforder. Ion ly allow you to fafl five days in the year, on the princital folem nities . In an other letter, he allow s him to
fall one or tw o days a w eek, his health being fom ethingbetter For the difpenfation , recourfe
,if it can be
done , efpecially w here the n eceflity is no t eviden t, is to be
had to the proper paftor of the church, w ho has jurifdiaionan d authority to gran t it ; and fom etim es
, the judgm en t of
a confcientious phyfician is n eceffary or advifeable . 1 veryflight diforder, or corporal un eafin els, or little pain , is not a
juft reafon . For fuch cafes , falting is often the heft cure .
At leaft, m ortilication being the very end of fafting, fom e
fuch inconvenien ce is often its n atural effefi ; little head
achs , pain s in the ftom ach, or fuch like com lain ts , often
arifing from too long a difufe of falting, an a change of
the m an ner of living ; or from vapours , or a prior habit , or
repletion Where there is a real n eceflity, often a
partial
(63) Nav. Manual. c . a t . n . 1 6. (64) S . Gr. M . I. x i. ep. 33.
ed . n ov. (65)ih . ep.
(m ) In the Greek church, no fickn efs is looked l
ilo"as a
. fuflicien treafon for a dif n fation to eat flelh in L en t . on perm rtitur cu t
quam , etiarn ex trem um aga t Spiritum , in m agnaOgad ragefim fi car
nibua vefci Vidirn u s enim hoe d w erfrs tem poribus ynodice petitum
effe, 8: n on eli'
e C onceffum ,
"fays Balfam on q uo ted by Thom allio,
D e «ver. Cs’
nova‘
Eccle/I dij . pars l . 1 . ii. c . 83. n . 1 5. In the W eltern
church, difpenfa tion s are a llow ed w hen judged n ecetl'
ary in lickn efs, as
praélice lhew s , an d is d eclared in the 8th council of Toledo. (cap.
and by Innocent III . in C ap. O rg/flier» dc Obj'
er-v. j efi niorum .
C h. 4. L E,
N T.
“
a n
ow n fam ilies, in the‘
m olt aufl ere m onalleries, are fenfible
ex am ples under our ow n eyes , how groundlefs and idle thefe
pre ten ces are .
In the Ballern countries, w hole nation s of C hriflian s havenot en tirely degenerated from the prim itive aufierit in theirfalls . C ardin al Hum bert accufed the Greeks a ter their
fchifm atical feparation from the Latins , that fom e am ongll
_
them drank an d eat fom e fruit and fallad after the m eal inLent (70) and that fom e am ong them did this at any hour.But this reproach regards on ly fom e loofe livers in that
’
degen orate age, not the tim orous and confcientious am ong theGreeks , or the little collation w hich fom e am ong them hadthen began to in troduce, w hiltt it w as flill unknow n in theLatin church. Balfam on , patriarch of Antioch, in the de
cline of the tw elfth cen tury, the m oft learn ed canonift, m en
tions that a very m oderate fecon d refe&ion or collation w asallow ed but on ly to thofe, w ho by the w eaknefs of theirconftitution found a particular neceflity of it. Tournefortin his accurate voyage in to the Levan t, gives an account ofthe Greek m onks of S. Bafil, w ho all m ake a vow of per
petual abl’
tinence, and live upon fom e forts of fifh, pulfe,olives a nd dried figs , and w hofe refeaory is not in
‘
the leaftb etter furnifhed than that of L a Trappe, ex cept as to the
allow an ce of w ine, but w ho lofe allother advan tages of theirftate, by w an ting fubm iflion and hum ility . After w hich hefays Even the laity am ong the Greeks keep fourLen ts : The firft of tw o m on ths and ends at Rafter, andis called the great Len t, or Rafter Lent. In thefirft w eek,w hichis rather preparatory, they are allow ed to eat cheefe,m ilk, fifh and eggs , all w hich they are forbidden duringthe follow ing w eeks . They feed w holly upon bread,
pulfe, honey an d {hell- fill) ; as the red naker, com m onoil’ters , m ufcles , periw in cles , an d another fort called
goat’s- eyes ; alfo fom e other fifh w hich are believed to be
“w ithout blood , n am ely the polypus and cuttle
-tilh .
” Theydrink w ine, w hich w as forbid them ,
and alfo oil, in the tim e
of S . C hryfoliom But they eat fifh on Palm Sundaya nd on the feaft of the An nunciation , provided it does not
fall in Holy Week. Theirfem ur! Len t is that ofAdvent,P 2 w hiCll
(70) C ard. Hum bert. con tra Nice'
tam . T.,iv. p. See alfo A lex a
ander of Halefon, for this abufe'
of tom e am on g theGreek s . (71 )M.
Tournefort, ep.
‘
3. T . r . p . u s . See alfo Bailet, B ifi. do
C arém e 4. ch. s u p. 55. (7a)8~C hryf. Hem . ii. in Gen . 8: B orn .
'ia ad POP. AlniOCho
a t a L E N T.
w hich - lafts forty days . In this they a t 5111 , ex cept o n ,
Wednefdays and Fridays ; fom e abftain from it alfo on Mon
days ; Their { bird Len ! bears the n am e of SS. Peter and
P aul, at,
w hofe feftival it ends, begun from Whitfun tide .
Duff this Len t, it is law ful to eat fifh, but nothing m ade
of m il I n their laft L ent, called of tbe Virgin Mary , be
d them, ex cept o n
the 6th of Auguft .
upon nothin but pulfe an d
The reli ofthe year, the
places w heredegeneracy and ignorance, their religion
m g account (7‘
They fare veryand Friday. The
m es of plenty and good cheer
the Arm enian s . Befides theex traordinary
°
L en t, they are not perm itted through the .
w hole to eat a ny thing but roots , nor fo m uch of them an
is req uired to fatisfy the apetite. The ufe of {hell-601,oh an d w ine is forbidden them , ex cept on Holy Saturdays
V ‘on w hich day they begin again to eat -butter, cheefe a nd
eggs . Befides the great L en t, they have four others in
the year, confilting each of eight days ; infiltu‘
red to pre
pare for the four great feafts of the Nativity, Afcenfion ,An nunciation and 8 . George. Thefe Len ts are as ri
goroully obferved as the great one. They m ull not Inm uch 36p of eggs , fifh, oil, or butter. Sa n e take a o
m an ner of nourilhm en t for three days together.” Ta ver
nier, a C alvinifi, w hofe ex aa n efs in his travels no on e calls
in quellion , fpeaks of the falls of the Arm enian s, as follow s
They have fix m on ths and three days in a year,w herein they keep Len t, or particular falls. During all
that tim e they feed only upon bread and fam e few herbs .
As for the poor labouring people, they on ly feed upon
pulfe
039Toaio '
°fl 50 I TC'CIPIGI.
P‘tfim Tfl 'elb, b oi0
ch. t o. p. 1 1 .
i
“ 4 L E N T. Tr. 5.S. C hryfollom taking notice that am ong his dock at C on
flan tinople, feveralon the nin th or ten th day of Lent, fin d-eing them felves too w eak to keep the w hole rigour of the
fall, took their din ner before the hour of the ferm on in the
afternoon , lays : If by reafon of the w eaknefs of th
hotly, thou canft not continue all the day falling, no w ie
m an w ill reprove thee for it : For w e ferve a gen tle and
m erciful Lord, w ho ex pea s nothin of us beyond our
firength He adds , that on the lazy and dill'
o
lute, not thole w ho cannot fafl, are lam eable ; and that
other w ider doors of confidence tow ard God m ay beopened, than by m ere abflinence from food. He there .
fore w ho takes fom e food ,” fays he, being un able to
fall, let him give larger alm s ; let him fond up.m ore fer,
ven t prayers, let him be m ore forw ard, and ew greater
alacrity, in hearing the'
w ord of God . In thefe things
his bodily infirm ity can be no hindrance to him . Lethim be reconciled to his enem ies, drive all rem em branceof injuries out of his heart and the like, an d he hath kept
the true fafl w hich the Lord req uires : For he com m ands
us to abllain from food for the fake.
of thefe things, and
that,w e lhould check the w anton nefs of the flefh, and
m ake it obedien t and trafi able to fulfil his com m and
m en ts . Wherefore l bek ech you w ho can fall , that you
increafe and m ake m ore fervent this your pious forw ard
nefs . For the m ore the outw ard m an decays, the m ore
our inw ard m an is renew ed and firengthened . Fallingings under the body, and bridles its diforderly m otion
It alfo m akes the foul m ore clear and bright : It likew ife
giyea it w ings , and m akes it light and ready to foar aloft.
As to thofe w ho are not able to fall, not he w ho eats and
drinks m oderately, but-he w ho is flothful, diffolute, and
“,fenfual, is un w orthy this auditory. According to the
oracle of the Apoll le : He that eateth, eateth to the Lord ;and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth n ot, and
giveth God thanks . In like m an ner, let him that falls
,eth give tha nks to God, w ho gives him liren
fgth able to
fupport the labour of falling : And he that afleth not,
let him give thanks that this hinders him not from purfu-
r
ing the m ean s of his falva tion , if he will give atten tion
to it.”LODS before 8 . Chryfoflom , S . C yril of Jerufa
lem , lays dow n the fam e m ax im s , and forbids, in the w ords
of S. Paul, thelp w ho fa ll to cenfure or defpifo thofe, w ho
(u ) s . Chryt‘
. Horn . a .
C h. 4. L E N T. 2 15by the w eaknefs of their confliuition , are not able to abftain
food In deed the law of nature fhew s difpenfations to be necell
'
ary in certain cafes w hich could n ever be
t to fall under the law , an d w ere ex ception s tacitl im
plied in it, as Pope Sym m achus julily reafons t as
the 8 th council of Toledo in 653 obferves, (80) for the va
lidity of thefe difpenfation s , tw o condition s are requiredI ll , That they be gran ted by legal authority : adly, Thatthere be an inevitable neceflity for gran ting them . Such dif
pen lhtions , w ere form erly never gran ted on accoun t of age
or ficknefs for eating flelb , but on ly for taking m ore than on e
m eal on a falling day ; for a n eceflity of breaking the fallis m ore frequen t than of the abllinence . In the reign of
juflinian , in an ex trem e fcarcity of pulfe, or le nte
lions, leave w as firll: given to eat flelh ; but w hatever theyhad to fuffer, fcarce any one w ould m ake ufe of it. An d
how feldom they w ere form erly granted in com parifon ofour tim es , appears by the rccourfe w hich the archbifhops
had to the popes , to obtain them in favour of the greatellkings, w hen judged necefl
’
ary for their health. See In nocent;III. (0) Boniface V III. w hen he granted this difpenfation to
78 S . C yr. Hieros . C at. iv . p. 65. (79) Sym m achus, an . ad
Asia zl‘ . iv. C one. Labh. p. x 3ra . (80) Cone. Tolet. SOPC an . 9.
T . vi. C on c . p .
(0) D ecretal. l . m . C ap. n . p. 1 3 7, w here
the Archbilhop of Prague addrell'
es him felf to In nocen t I II . or certain
lick perfon s w ho delired leave to eat flelh, w hich he durfi. n ot take upon him to gran t w ithout eon fulting the Pope.
—W encellas King ofBohem ia , alhed Boniface VIII . leave to eat fleth on falling
-days for
an habitual grievous indifpofition , under w hich he could not bear fith orany falling
-day diet. The Pape com m iflioncd the C ifiercian Abbot ofGefelt, an d anotherMonk of that order, to ex am ine in to the truth ofthe allegation s, and upon their in form ation , by a brief, gave him leave
on the follow ing condition s : t l’t, That he lhould never eat flelh-m eat
Fridays or Saturdays . ad , That he thou ld never eat it in public,but privately and alone in ferret. 3d , And this only in cafe he had notboun d him felf by vow to abllain . See Regina ld . ad An . “ 97. n . 52 .
in Ca sh'
s . Alm a]. Ba ron ". C lem en t V I . in 1 351 , by tw o briefs in1 351 , gran ted a difpcn fation to john , King of France, an d his een ,
to eat flelh on falling -days d uring his w ars , if they w ere in p aces
w here filh could not be procured , ex cepting all Len t, all Fridays , andthe Vi
“
is of C hritlm as , W hitfun tide, the Alfum ption , the feafi of S.
John aptifi, of the Apollles , and of All Sain ts , and re iring that hiscon fefi
'
or thoold be jug
s of the neoellitv, and this on ly uring the w ar.By another brief, dat the fam e year, he allow s them to be difpenfedw ith n ot on l from the abfiinence, but alfo from the fall, w hen their
confell'
or an phylician lhould iud it neeefl'
ary. See D acherius Spidleg. T. it . p. 276. Gregory x in 1 376, grant“ !leave to the
33;
L E N T.
KingWeneeflas, then lick, and other Popes in the firfi dif
ion s for eating fld h m eat on falling- days on accoun t of
aith, require, bolides the condition of n eoeflity, that the
it firfl:w ith great fobriety (i. e .) plain m eats , not
delicacies, only of on e or tw o‘
kin ds , and w ith great m o~
d eration . adly, That they eat it privately and alone, not at
a public or com m on table . This is often a dangerous occa
iion of fean da l, and contributes very m uch to induce others
to ant, and flatter them felves they w an t the like indulgence,to the total relax ation of the holy law of falling, and the
ruin of ecclefiallical difcipline . It is a farther curb, if theyw ho enjoy fuch a privilege or difpenfation , be flill laid under
Esm e refiraints, by being obliged to eat alone . Pupe Be
GHQ XIV . by a decree addrefl'
ed to the w hole church, in
1 741 Itrifi ly com m ands that all, w ho upon any jufin eceflity , are di cured w ith to eat fid h, or Other forbidden
food, on any f ing-day, be only allow ed to eat it in pri
vets , and by them felves . adly, That thofe w ho have leaveto eat flefh, abflain from all fifh, w hich he declares to be
forbidden food to them . 3dly, That on falling days, acth
an d fifh be‘
never both ferved up at the fam e table . 4thly,That all banqueting, an d all entertainm en ts be abfolutelyforbid on thefe da
‘ys ; Which feveral canon s through eve
age of the church ince the prim itive tim es , have continual yrepeated, and the very n ature of a faliz or abfiin enoe incul
cates . When the Archbilhop of C om m llella oonfulted Bo
nedifi XIV . w hat w as m eant by banquets and en tertain‘
m en ts
(8 x) See his Bullarium .
feifor of Charles Kin g of Fran ce, an d his Queen Joan , to eat butter,cheefe, m ilk an d eggs , on falling- days , if he judged it n ecell
'
ary.
Da cber . ib .) Six tus IV . in “ 83, gave leave to Jam es King of Scot
and, to eat flesh on falling-days , provided his confefl'
or thooid jud e itneoellilry . (Ra ina/d ad A n . 1 484. n . julius II . in ‘5°5s gave ave
to John King of D en m ark , an d his Queen C hrilliana, to eat butter,cheefe, m il eggs or flelh
-m eat in L en t, w hen their contell'
or and phylician judg it n ecell
'
ary . (Ra iaa ld ad An . 1 505. n . Thus w ere
thofe difpen fation s gran ted m ore an d m ore ealily . C lem en t VII . by a
am ous refcript to the Em peror C harles V. even forbad him to fall or
abllain on d ays com m anded by the church, alledging that b fo doinghe had isn paired his health, and foun d by ex perien ce , that ailing w a s
in com patible w ith his eat fa tigues , con fidering the w eaknefs ofhis cou
llitution . Whether t e reafon alledged w as true or n o ; the difpenfa
tion w a s grounded on a prefum ed n eceflity . See Rain/d d ad A n. t5n . 98 . an d D e L
’
Ille p. 365. Leo X . had gran ted foch a gen era l di
nfa tion to Cardin alXim en es in his old age, an d C lem ent V II . ave
e toHen ryKing ofNavarre, and his CLueen Margaret, to eat ichtn Len t, is” . See Raina /d adAnn . 1 533. n . 35.
L E N T.
can be no prefcription again ll the rights of God’s juflice ;
a nd if w e defire to be re-inflated in his favour, w e m ull e m
deavour to give our pen an ce every necelIary part or ingre
dient w hich is requir’d to engage the divine m ercy and s e
ceptance . A true fpirit of pen ance w ill put us upon ctr
guard againfl the feduélion of the flefh, in abating too eafilythe m ortification of our ex terior fall, by w hich w e are boundto aflli& and hum ble the flefh. It w ill m ake us in earnefl to
redeem w hat through our w eaknefs and in ability is w antingin the feverity of our fall, by thofe privations w hich m ake
part of the general fafi by w hich w e are bound con tinuall
to w atch over and curb our fenfes and w ill. Such as are dilpen fed w ith from the fafl on account of their youth, of
fickn efs , or hard labour, m ufl ferioufly confider that theyhave pallion s to curb, an d fin s to fatisfy for ; confequen tlyare bound to take part as m uch as they can in the general pen an ce of the church : For thofe w ho bring w hat lies in themw ill {bare in the blellings w hich Heaven is open at this tim e
to fhow er dow n upon all w ho difpofe their fouls to receivethem . But thofe w ho do nothing, w ho bring forth no w on
thy fruits of pen ance, deprive them felves of the im m enfe
f tritual advan tages of this holy tim e , and refill the calls of0d and his church, and neglo& a n effen tial duty on w hich
their falvation depends . Even perfon s of the w eakefl con
flim tion s ca n w ithout hurting their health, m ake a lefs an d
m ore frugal m eal, eat m eats m ore (im ply dreffed, ufe no
favoury fauces , m ake it a law never.to drink out of m eals ,
n or any thing flrong, deny them felves m any conveniencies
a n d niceties , refrain from fuperfluities , con tent them felves at
night w ith a couffe and fm ail collation , &c . The libertyw hich m any w ho are difpenfed w ith as to the fall, take ofliving w ithout any rule , and depriving them felves of no~
thing, is a form al o politien to the fpirit of the church andits holy law . Tho e w ho labour under fom e painful fick
nefs , or w hofe poverty and hard labour ren der their w hole
life'
a perpetual Lent, m ull endeavour to fanfiify their painsby perfea refign ation , and a ftncere penitential fpirit w ith
fuch little addition al volun tary facrifices as thefe w ill fuggell
according to their circum llan ces , and they cannot fail to
reap the m oll plen tiful harvefl of divine graces in proportion
to the fervour of their delires . A Protellan t learned bit p,after having llrongly ex horted all
\
w ho are able to keep the
fall of Len t, recom m ends to thofe w ho are ex cufed from
falling,
C h. 4. L E N T. a tg
fling, to repair this lofs by other m eans in the m anner fol
low i (82)“
n
iet every o ne of us layhalide all this Len t, all fin e
cloaths , a nd ourufual attire ; for that is (till the cuftom of
m ourn ers in all places . And let us retire on rfelves , as
4‘ m uch as is poflible (for fo m ourners alfo do), m aking no
vifits , n or w illingly receiving any, if n othing but civilityoblige us to it.
L et the tim ebe fpen t in this retirem ent, in reading and
prayer ; in ex am ining our confcien ces,and bew ailing our
offences in taking a view of our ow n m iferies , and thore1“ of a ll m ankin d, an d im plorin the divin e m ercy ; in laying to heart the w ants a nd fu erin of our C hrifiian bre
thren ; in m editating on C hrifl’s ufi
'
erings , a n d foch like
fpiritual ex ercifes ; w hich w e are too apt to n eglect in a
etoud of bufinefs and com pany.
L et the confideration o f thefe m iferies m ove us to af‘5fli& ourfelves w ith falling ; or, if that can not be, w ith a
fparc diet.
L et the rich efpecially, and thofe w ho live delicioully,deny their appetites , keep a {lender table, and punilh their
ex cell'
es w ith harder fare .
Drink no w ine , n or (iron liquors w ithout n eceflity ;m ake no feafis , nor accept ofinvitation s to a ny.
Give alm s liberally ; frequent public prayers and there5‘ let us hum ble on rfelves before God, and blufh to lift up5‘ our eyes un to Heaven .
f‘ Y ea , let us pray w itb all prayer a nd /applica tion in tbefpirit (83) i. e . addrefs on rfelves to God in all forts of
holy thoughts an d devout affections ; and that w ith great
fervour, and arden t defires w ith tears an d knocking our
breafls , and bended kn ees (as Theophylaéi: ex pounds the
w ords of the Apoflle), befeeching him by his crofs and
pallion to deliver us .
Trem ble to think that on have often prayed that God
w ould pitifully bebold tbe arrow : of your beurt, w hen‘
per
haps 00 felt n o forrow there and n ow , let it be tefiified
by al the forrow ful aEtion s here m en tion ed .
Forbear m ufic, dancing , and all foch like pleafures
,L et thofe that have been flothfulcon ten t them felves w ith
lefs fleep, that they m ay have m ore tim e for prayer and
heavenly thoughts.
They
(8a) D r. Sim on Patrick , BilhOp of Ely, Tr. of Repen tan ce an d
Falling ; efpecially of the Len t Fall,"Bart iii. ch. 2 0 . in the C on
L E N T. Tr. 5.
I
They w ho have been too voluptum s, w ill do w ell toie hard .
Fina lly , let there be a general ablP'
tnen oe from all m an
ner of recreation s, unlefs the prefervatiou of health m akethem necelfary, and then ufe them priva ely.
Leave the play-houfen quite em pty, and m ake the
churches full. Go to no public lhew s, n or m eetings ; butfpen d the tim e w hen you com e from church, in fetting allthings right at hom e. 8 . C hryfoflom frequently befeecheshis hearers , that w hen they com e hom e
, they w ould fpend
their tim e in rum in ating upon w hat they had been taught,and conferring one w ith another about it ; and lofree
them felves from all bad delires, and flee the futures of the
devil. For w hen the devil, faith he, fees our m inds fol
licitons about fpiritual m atters, an d perpetually converl'
ant
in them , he dares not approachus ; but flees aw aythe face of a m ore pow erful fpirit w orkingin us .
Now all this doth not com e up to the prim itive
n efs , but it is a m ortification of fenfual na ture, w hich de
lights in com pany, m erry-m eetings , fealls, jollity, l
'
portan d plays , laug
hter and'
all m an ner of pleafn re, w hich w e
ought to lay a ide at this feafon , that w e m ay fu lfil the
apollolical precept Be afl ia ed , and m ourn‘
andw eep : L et your la brer be turned into m ourni and
your joy to heavin e 3. Rum ble yourfelves in the tght ofthe Lord, an d he lhall lift you up .
C H , A P . V .
On the C O ND IT I O N S w br'
cb m ufl accom pany our FASTS .
A ST IN G ought never to go alone : It m ull alw aysF be joined , as m uch as pollible, w ith alm s-deeds and
pra y er, and all other good w orks . Nothing m ore pow erfullym oves God to bellow the treal
'
ures ofhis grace abun dan tly on
us , than if, for his fake , and to im itate his goodnels and
beneficence, w e liberally open our hands , and give gen e‘
roully a lharc of the tem poral goods w e have received from
his boun ty, to thole w ho llan d in need of them . Efpeciallyw hen w e fue to him for m ercy, w e m ull lhew m ercy our
{elves to our fellow creatures, an d oom paliion ately relievetheir corporal w an ts . This even is the law w hichAlm ighty
lays dow n for his ow n condu&, and the condition upon
(84) Jam es iv. 9, to.
2 2 2 L E N T. Tr. 5.declare, that falli avails little w ithout alm s, w here perfons
have abilities . f you fa ll‘
w ithout giving alm s, it is not
to be reputed a fall,”lays S. C hryfollom , S . C :
farius of Aries lays : Falling w ithout alm s is not avail
able , un lels a perlon be lo poor as to have nothing to
give, in w hom the good w illis fulhcien t And the
learn ed and pious Theodulphus, bilhop of O rleans , w rites,Falling is of little advan tage, if it is not com m en ded
and lupported by prayer, w atching, an d alm s- deeds
A little before, in his 36th C apitular, he delcribes the m an
n er of falling in Len t. After laying, that they w ho eat at
non e, or take any thing before evening , are by no m eans to
he thought to fall, he adds . L et all hear m als , and aflill
at velpers (at fun - let), after w hich hour let them give their
alm s an d then eat. If any one cannot go to velpers, let
him m ake his prayer at the evening hour, and then take
his refeaion .
” Thole w ho are able to do lefs in fallingare boun d to m ake up this deficien cy by doubling their alm s,according to S . L eo and other fathers ; w hich rule allC hrillian s are bound m ore particularly to obferve, fiuce the
great relax ation of difciplin e in this duty.
A fecond , and of all others the m olt el'
fential con com itan tvirtue of falling, is devout and hum ble prayer, the princi
pal and m ofi pow erful arm s of holy penance : In the firll
place, a coultan t attendan ce, if pollible, upon the public
office of the church, w hich is m uch longer than ulual at this
holy lealon , a nd pathetically adapted to the m ofl perfe& dif
pofitiona of the heart, n ece lfary for the fan8 ification of the
fall . C om punaion and penan ce ought to have the prin cipallhare in our devotions at this leafon . More tim e than ulual
ought allo to be relerved for ious reading, felf-ex am in ation ,
confideration on the duties 0 our llate, an d holy m editation ,of w hich the fufl
'
erings of C hrill ought to be a m ain objea'
,
w ith a particular atten tion to our ow n m oli prelling fpiritua l
n ecellities, our ruling and m olt dangerous palli'
ons , and the
virtues w e'
chiefly llan d in n eed of. It is an ex cellen t prae
tice to propole to on rfelves everyLen t the attainm e n t offom eparticular virtue, in the m oll -
perle& degree, an d the com
plete via ory over lom e vice. Falling an d prayer are m o
tually fupports to each other . Prayer entertains thE‘
fpirit of
com punfi ion , and anim ates and enables the foul to bear
. chear
(go) 8 . Chryl'
. born . 77. in Matt. n . 6. p. 749. T .
.
vn ; ed . Ben .
(91 ) S . Gu l'
ar. A relat. ham . 2 . Bibi. Patr . T . viii. p. 81 0 ; (92 )Theod ulph.
,Aurel. C apitul. T . vii. C one . L abh. (93) S .
’
L eo, Sum .
85. de Jejun . Septim iMen lis c . 3. p.
C h. 5. L E N T. 2 23
ohearfully the foverities of the fa ll ; it is a fpiritual nourifh
m en t, w hich gives vigour and firength to falling. O n the
other tide, falling fits the foul for the ex ercifes of prayer, bydifengaging her atten tion from earthly things, and the grat
e
tification of fenfe, and flavery of the body ; by giving her
w ings to [car up to Heaven ; by rendering the m ind free and
a&ive, and its light clear and’
lively ; an d by fubduing the
body : For the lighter this is m ade, the m ore is the vigour
of the foul en creafed . Moreover, the foul, w hen afllia ed
by the challifem en t of the flelh , pours forth herl'
elf m ore
ea rnellly in hu m ble com pun&ion a nd prayer, and m ore ar
den tly en treats God to look on her m iferies , w ith a len le of
w hich {he is m olt feelingly penetrated by the voluntary af
fliction of the Beth .
It is eal'
to infer from this condition , that a clot'
e recol
le&ion a nd,
retirem ent, as far as every one’s circum fiances
w ill allow , ought to be the care of eve good C hriliian
during the Len t fa ll . An d this the ex am p e of C hrifi, our
divine m odel, during his forty days fall in the w ild ernefs,a lfo the ex am ple of all the faints , and the fpiritof the church
fironglyinculcate. C hrifi hid him felf in the defert, to thew
w hat ought to be, in fom e degree, the life of every one w ho
calls him felf his difciple and im itator, by (equeflering him
felf in tom e m eafure from the w orld, as far as his obligation s
and circum ftan ces w ill perm it, at‘
certain feafon s of penance
a nd prayer. Every one m ay contrive to fin d fom e little m ere
ie lla te than ulual, to apply his w hole atten tion to prayer an dfpiritual things, efpecially on Sundays, and for fom e little
tim es of filence, during fom e part of his w ork, at leali, to
tu rn his heart to God by devout alpirations , 8m . Solitude is
the afylum of in nocen ce , w here virtue leeks to fltelter itfelffrom the con tagion of the w orld, and w here grace is m ofie alily recovered an d firengthened : It is the terrellrial para
w here fouls freely converl'
e w ith God, a nd breathe the
pure air , of Heaven : It is the region w hich all ought to
covet in tim es of pena nce and prayer, as m uch as is com pa
tible w ith their obligation s in the w orld . Thole holy m onk:
a nd herm its , w ho lived alw ays fequellered from com
m erce w ith the w orld, rather like angels than m en,in Lent
chofe lom e m ore rem ote wildern el'
s or cave, w hich w as flill
m ore inacceflible to the difirafiion of vifitan ts ; w itnefs S.
Sim eon Stylites , S . Euthym ius , S . C uthbert, and others,m en tion ed by Bede ; and innum erable others , both in the
Ball and the Well, dow n to our tim es : Witn efs all'
o t
ile
ru es
2 24 I} E N T.
rules of all religious orders m ore or,
lefs ; even the
preterit
reform ed congr tion s ofC luny, Monte C aflino, 8 . m e,
8 . Maur, &c. ence an ancient ious father, author of
ferm on afcribed to S . Am brofe (94 ex horts thofe w ho live
in cities, in Len t to inhabit deferts in m ind and delire , w hichadvice S . C harles Borrom oeo vehem ently repeats
Under the alm s are com prit'
ed all w orks of m ercy, and ofevery other virtue
, as the fathers often in culcate Andunder prayer all the ex ercifes of religion and piety ; and inthe firfi place freq uen t confeflion , a nd alfo com m union , ifthe peniten t be difpofed . O n e of the
“
en ds propofed by the
church in the inflitution of Lent, is the preparation of our
fouls to approach the holy com m union at Ealler, w ith the
greatefi purity an d the m olt folem n devotion But fre
q uen t com m union in Le n t w as part of this preparation . In
the Greek church indeed , it is the cullom in en t only to
fay m ats on Saturdays , Sundays , and the feafi of the An
nuncia tion O n other days they fay only fom e of the
pray ers of the m afa, Without the confecration , and receivethe Eucharill that w as confecrated on the Sund ay, and re
ferved for this purpofe . This is called Mzfi'
a Pr dfa n fiificater m (a), a nd is ufed by the Latin s on ly o n Good Friday(b). The om iflion of m afs , from the begin ning of their
Le n t, our Shrove Monday, till Holy Saturday, ex cept on
feflivals , is looked upon by the Greeks as the greatell: m ark
carapunétion and pe n ance ; a nd all the laity, ex
cept public peniten ts , have been accuflom ed to com m uni
cate on fefiivals , and every Saturday, an d Sun day Som e
am ong theG reeks , efpecially Nicetas, the Schifm atic Monk,
have preten ded , that to fay m afs in the m orning on a fallingda is contrary to the fall , w hich cardin a l Hu m bert juillyre (99) but repulfes the flanders of a foul
- m outhed adverfary w ith too great w arm th.
In
4) S . Am br. Serm . a3. (in Qad rag . 7. T . n . in A nd .
p igs . (95) AB . Rec . Medial. Ifar. 3. i. % on c . 5. T . i. p
‘ipin ,
fie . (96) S . Cht'yf. Or. av m 9m c cba fitm ent, contra M r.
1 1 . 4. T . r p . (973Con e. ini ex t. hve m Trullo . can .
a . T . 6. C on e . p . (_p O !) the Mk Prefanflif. See Go at .ga rb ]. Gr r rd '
. p . 1 87. Leo A llatius , D e Mifl'
a Prafa naff. p. 1 53a .
L e Brun Cou nt. 4: 1a WI }, T. a . p. 375. and above all, Thom aflin ,Tr . du Jeune, pu t 3 . ch. as , p. 479. 8: D e L
’
Ifle l. 6. ch. 1 . p.
(99) C ard . Hum bert, contra Nit-
eta». 9.
’
3t 8 . &c.
33) The Dry Mafr, w hich 8 . L ew is caufed to be faid on lbipboard,
an fom e others im itated , differed . by having n either confecratton nor
com m union . Urban VIII . w ould not allovvit to b e any w here revivede r practifed . See Mairi, Hierolex . V . Mil d /fem . p. 366.
(b)Taiiv O m a r-
p ita".
2 26 L E N T.
7“pray the Lord, and m olt earnellly ex hort you ;our heart be difengaged from fin , arc . Butitis only in
Le nt that w e ought to com m unicate every day ; though
w e thooid at all tim es attend the prayers an d facrifices of
the faithful.” By this anfw er it is clear that it w as then
the cullom atRom e at [call for all the faithful, to com m u‘
nicate every day in Len t. The learned, pious , and jufllyfam ousWilliam ,
Bifhop of Paris, in his fynodal con fellions,orders that all 0 to confefl
'
ion before Palm Sunday , on pain
of not being a m itted to the com m union till after L ow Sun
day, and being forbid to eat flelh till their com m union .
Stephen Pon cher, another bilhop of Paris , in 1500 , com
m ands the fam e un der ain of being forbid till their com
m union , the ufe alfo ofi
eg an d cheefe, and if they perfilt
obflin ate, likew ife interdi ed the en tran ce of the church
S . C harles Borrom oeo, that z ealous reviver of arz
cien t difciplin e , orders the curates to prefs all the people to
com m unicate in Len t, if the can not oftner, at lealieverySunday in Len t, and all the Sundays of Adven t. He a aiu
ex horts the lait to approach the holy facram en ts every un
dav in Len t, itythey can n ot every day & c.
It is a counfel repeated by the fathers , councils and Theo
logian s , that m arried perfon s pafs Lent, a ll Other fallingdays, holidays , and vi
gils, in contin ence provided it
be done, by m utual con en t, as is related of S. Lew is and his(b een
(1 09) S nodicon . Paris . An . 1 501 . p. 1 79. (1 1 0) SynodusMedial. it. deEuch. p. 1 1 0 . A&. Ecol. Media l. pars . 1 . 1 1 0 . col.
a . (1 1 1 ) Syn . 5.Mediol. ih. p. 1 74. col. 2 . 8 . Paul avours this ,1 C or. vii. 5. The fathers are caprera, O rigen hom . 1 0 . in L evit. T. 1 1 .
ed . Ben . p. 2 46. S . Bafil. hom . 1 . de Jeju'
n . n . 9. T . u . p. 8 . Greg .
N“ . or. +0 . T o i. p. S . C hryf. hon ). SB . alias $ 2 . in ftc “ 0 50T . vii. ed . Ben . p. 737. Balfam on , Juris Orien t. p . 386. Alfo theL atina, Am brofialter in c. 7. ep. 1 . ad C or. T. ii. p . t 3a . 8: A m br. infeveral ferm on s . S . jerom l
'l. i. adv. Jovin . p. 1 50, 1 61 1 . T . iv. 8 . Aug .
Serm . 3 06. (in Qadr. a .) n . 3. T . v. p . 93 a . Serm . (in 03 m .
n . a . p. 92 3. Serm . ao9. (in Qadr. n . 3. p. 927. &c . 3.
‘
s ar. Serm . to . in ter Op. 8 . Aug . 11 . 5. T. v. Append . 2 2 . S . Sli°
us, born . 1 6. T . x ii. Bibl.'
Patr. p. 33 1 . 8 . Greg . M . n . ep. 9ii. p. 1 1 60 . S . Tbrod . C an tuar. ep. C apitol. n. 33. T. ix . Spicfi.55. C oncilia Hibernia: ap. D achery T. ix . Spicil. p . Gr
uron . l. a . deMirac. 9. Martinic . a4.. p . 1 953. Theodulph. A ufs.
C apit. 43. T. vii. C one. Herard . Archep. Turon . C apit. 6a . Nicolaua1 . ad C onfulta Bulgar. C ap. 9. T . viii. C one. Ratherius ep. Veron .
Epilt. Synodal. T. ii. Sp uil. p . Grrfon C om pen d . Theol. deSept . Sacram . T . 1 a9s . See Fagn anus in 1 . iii. D ecretal. de Feriisc. m 1 0. p. 89. Alex ander, dc L
’
ille, Thom aflin ,
C h. 6.
‘ i. E N T.
04,
1 een (tiz). S. C harles Borrom tr o (1 1 32,and theR0
or Trent catechifm , order it to be fi'
rong y recom m ended .
But this at prefent can on ly be lboked upon as a counfel, not
as a rece‘
pt.
P ays, an d all flage eittei'
tain t'
n ents are m ofl “ ria l forbidin Lent by the fathers ahd coun cils The pom r
Jufiinian ena&ed a law to forbid aity theatrical ex hihttionsever to be tolerated in Lent, or on Sundays or Holydays
< 1 rs».
D lll ent attendance oh ferm ons, catechtfm , and all f intualin rufi ion s, has alw ays been loolted upon as one o the
great duties of C hriflian s at this holy tim e . S Baiil prefl'
ed
his flock never to defraud them felves of their fpiritual nourifhm ent, by an
.
one being abfen t,w ithout n ecefiity, from
the ferm on w hic w as m ade them tw ice every day, m orningan d afternoon (1 S . Aufiin and other fathers frequen tlym en tion that they preached every day in Lent, and often
tw ice a day, die.
C H A P. VI.
Or: {be luten’
ar diq fitr'
om nereflitry tojim t‘iijjt bur Fa s r s .
AST ING is fané’tified by the interior difpolition s of
the foul, w ith w hich it is un dertaken and perform ed
From thefe it receives its n am e,w hether of a virtue or a
vice ; from thefe it prin cially derives the degree of its
m erit or acceptan ce w ith cd, an d firft of all from the in
ten tion . The fafl ofMahom etan dervifes is fuperflitionThe fall of the lndian Brachm an s , and of the deluded Banians , is Idolatry : That of the Pharifee w as foolifh vanityan d hypocrify : That of the covetous m an , w ho grudgeshim felf his daily food, is bafe avarice : And the fall of him ,
w ho out of love to his belly, prepares him felf by falling for»
a banquet, is no than gluttony. A m otive of obes
dien ce, religion , n an ce, gives a fall the dignity andhappy advan tages thefe virtues . We m ull: fall in obe-s
dien ce to the law of God an d his church alfo to fit our fouls
Q 2 for
(1 1 2 ) Gaudefrid . de Bella -L oco ap. D uchefn e T. v . p.
(1 1 3) 8 . C ar. C one. Med . 5. C on flitut . 3. T.
‘
x v. C on . p. 574,75, 8 x . (1 14) S . C hryf. horn . 6. de Poenit . n . 1 . T . a . p. 31 7.
ha tios . Nom oean . Tit . vii. cap. 1 . T. a . p. 91 Nicolaus 1 ; ad
C on s . Bulgar. cap. p . 533. 3. C arol. Borr. A Bee]. Medial.“
Part. iii. Edict. dc n adrag . T . 1 . p. (1 15)Photius Nom oean.‘
il l . 7. cap. 1 . (1 1 6 S . Baf. hp tn dc jejun . u. Su T. ii. p.
2 28 L E N T. Tr. 5.for the duties ofprayer and heavenly contem plation ; to con :fécrate ourbodies pureviéiim s of love, adoration , and praife
toGod, in order to glorify him by them to fubdue our fieflt
and bring it into litbjefi ion , and puniih fin in it, w hich w e
have fo often m ade the infirum ent of ofi'
ending him by all its
fenfes. And in
pan rtion to our fervour in each of thefe
holy difpofttions , a l w e (lam p theic virtues u on our fall
Butit is a perfea fpirit of pen an ce w hich m u particularlycharaa'
erize our fall in this penitential feafon . O ur con
feflion s, prayers , facrifices , alm s , falls , and other w orks,w hich com pole the ex tern al part ofour pen ance, derive their
virtue from the interior fpirit of penance , w ith w hich theyare accom panied . The firfl de ee of this fpirit ofpenan ce,and the lid ! condition required or the fanatfication of our
fail is, that w e fart from, an d utterly renoun ce all tin , and
Body perfea l to die to the inordin ate love of on rfelves
the poifonous ource of all our irregular pallion s an d fpiritudiforders . The Pharifees fafted aufierely ; but their fails,infe&ed w ith the hypocrify, w ith the pride and corruption of
their hearts , on ly furnifhed n ew m atter for their m ore fevere
condem nation , as the threats denoun ced againfi them by the
m elt m erciful Redeem er of the w orld dem on llrate (1The Jew s had failed and afflifi ed them felves under the
w eight of their tem poral calam ities, w hen they com plained
that God had no regard to their fupplications . To w hom he
anfw ered by his prophet (t w ith this fevere but jun te
roach : Becaufe in the da of our fall is found our
ow n w ill.” Y ou fail ; and eirtg inded by pride and
yco
vetoufnelh, ou injure charity b'y your unjull law
-fuits ; ou
contend w i your neighbours or trifles ; you opprefs fe
Whole burdens you ought on rfelves to hear ; you harbourunjull fufpicions ; you {lander and backbite ; you en tertain
hatred, anger, and revenge ; you abandon our hearts to
the purfuit of your irregular appetites ; live aver to intem‘petattce, lull, enm ities , flrife, am bition , and pride. Is
this the fall w hich I have choferfi ” faith the Lord.Thou fafiell, and art angry,
” fays S. Jorem , w hat
kind of fafl can that be (1 19)i” In another place he calls
m elt faflS the m a rdom of vanit
y, n ot of virtue ; and cries
out L et the oolith philofop ers of Paga nifm boafi of
finch m artyrs . But God declares, My fpirit refit upon no
one
(1 1 7) 8 . Ch Or. 3. in eon iPafeha°
unan t, contra Jodees .To ‘0 Pt g (8 83) th e lv
q‘i
o
io 0 “ egAOg . Serm . 2060 “ Ib it) n o ,0 To 7. 0 eds ll . 8m . $ 070 (in Q 1 0P
6° n . N ? “ 3 (1 19)8, Ric . Cp néEufiochittnt p. afi.
230 L E N T.~’Tr. 5,
unbridled glances , and throw off that fubordin ation w hichought continually to hold them fieadily under the direaiona nd com m an d of the w ill
, and of resign . The gen eral
fenfe of the touch m ull not be flattered by foftnefs and deli.cacies , and (o of the reli. If they are taught during thefeforty days to bear the yoke of a oft reitrain t, they w ill be
inured to this happy fubje&ion , w ich w ill give us a vi&oryover ourfelves , and the m allery of our pallions, eafily to befirenghtened through the rem aining courfe of our lives . Inthis an eye m utt be had to our ruling paflions, and m oft clan
gerons inclin ations and failings , w hether an er, vanity, 00th,in tem perance, or any other vice. This 1 e fathers n ever
_
ceafe‘
tp inculcate at this tim e. By falling,” fays S. C hry
follom I m ean abfiinen ce from all fin , w hich isthe orid of abflinence from food. Therefore w e fail fromm eat and drink, that w e m ay curb the lufis of the heihand m ake
'
the horfe m ore eafily to obey his rider,He w ho falls, ought above all
'
thi to refrain from an ;
ger, to learn m eeknefs and gen tlen to have a contritecart ; to repel all irregular delires , tohav before himcon tinually the eye of his n eighbour. A afier ought tobe hum ble, m ild, low ly, a con tem ner of the lory ofthislife, et c.
” In anoiher ferm on he prefl'gs the fam e
obligation w ith great earn eftnefs ; that this m uft be done fpfirenuoully that a m an m ay acquire habits of thefe virtuesbefore the conclu
'
iion of Len t.‘
An d in the beginning of
L en t (1 2 he reprefen ts how this fonfon prepares the m ind
to be a t foil to receive the divine doEtrtne, juft as a fieldw hen the w eeds are killed, is difpofed for the feed . Faft;ing, (fays he) brings tranquillity of foul, 81 0 There is
n o tum ult to-da
y, n o n oife, no chopping of m eat, np
run ning about 0 cooks. All theic things being rem oved,this city is becom e like a grave, fohet a nd chafte m atron
or m iftrefs of a fam ily . Upon w hich w hen I calt m ine6‘ eyes , and obferve w hat a fudden change there is in it,from w hat it w as yeiterday, [ am am azed at the force offailing. For h
'
avm
gm ade an en tran ce in to every m an
’
s
foul, it. hath purifie the heart, and transform ed the m indand thoughts of m agilirates and rivare perfon s , rich andpoor, Greeks and Barbarian s . Even h e w ho w ears the
diadem , like all the roll hath bow ed his foul to this obedionee .
(1 1 3) S . Chryf. Rom . 8 . in G m . (1 1 4)Tdcm Ham . 15. in Gm .
(1 1 3)Hom e s . tn Gen .
C h 5. L E N T. 231
dience. And to—day there is n o difi'
erence betw een the
table of the rich and t
hcoor ; but every w here a fpare
diet, free from lux o
zvanity . Every one com es to
day w ith m ore plea re to a Ben der table, than yefierdayhe cam e to one furnilhed w ith all dain ties , and w here the
m olt gen erous w ines w e re n ot w an ting.
”
A fecond,part of interior pen ance is felf
- ex am in ation ,w hich ex ercifes a double fun&ion . fi t. The review of our
c o nfcien ces . 2 d . The confideration‘
of all our duties . B
the full w e call ourfelves to an accoun t, by taking a cloth,
view of allour aaions , an d of all the corrupt inclination s of
our hearts, in order to difcover our m olt hid den fins . Though
this is the duty of a C hriflian a t all tim es , in Lent w e ought
to give it m ore tim e an d care, n hug m ore than ordin ary di
ligence in our evening ex am in ation , and confecrating to it
fom e little tim e , on on e or tw o days a w eek, to inquire into
the {late of our fouls this prefen t year, chiefly on thofe com
m andm ents and obligation s w hich w e are m ofi in, danger of
tranfgretling ; taking thefe fingly, or on e at a tim e. Half.a n hour at a tim e m ay be ufually fufficien t, or lots ; for great
care m ulbbe taken not to fall in to fcrupulofity, an d to perplexour m inds and confcien ces : O f w hich if there appears anydanger, this ex am in ation ought to be m ade very fhort, or
en tirely forbid us . It ought never to be begun w ithout im
ploring the light of divine grace, and an earn eft defire to
dik over a nd layOpen im partially all the w ounds of our fouls,.not fparing onrfelves, that by our repen tance, God m ay be
m oved m ercifully to fpare us . We m uft ex am in e w hat w ere
the principal occafion s w hich betrayed us into fin , in ordert o fhun them : We m uft m ount up to the fources or ruling
paflion s , w hich are the fprings of the m elt fatal diforders in
our afl’efiions . Without this precaution ourhearts w ill ealilyrem ain enilaved to m any hidden vices, and our repen tan ceitfelf be very defefi ive . How grofs ly does feif- love blinda nd deceive the generality of m en in their favourite vicesa nd pafl
'
ions ? How grievoufly do they often delude them .
felves em u in their repentan ce.itfelf, in fparing, out of a
perverfe fondn efs, their m oft dangerous enem ies ? At leaft,how feldom do peniten ts probe their fpiritual w ounds to the
bottom , by ne
glefiing w hich their cure is on ly palliative,
and their evil shits of anger, jealoufy, vanity, pride, detraction , or other vices , con tinually break out again , and
on ly die w ith them . Alas ! how juftly does St. Bern ardcom plain : Often under the ex terior w eeds of pen a
‘
nce, a
m an
2 32 L E N T. Tr. 3.
m an ia a (lave of felfv w ill ; an d by covetoufnefs , vanity,or am bition , an idolater of the m am m on, faife glory or
honours of the w orld . Which danger, if w e w ould
thun , w e m uft lay the ax e to the root of the trees, and not
con tent onrfelves w ith lop ing the branche s
The fecond branch of fel - ex am ination is the C ogftdcratioa
of our refpefiive duties , and the m anner in w hich w e are
oblied to acquit onrfelves of them . To this w e m ay allot
half6an hour every Sunday and Holiday in Len t, reducing all
our refpefiive obligations to certain general heads : At.t . Publick prayer, an d the office of the church. 2 . Private
prayer, w hat w eekly, and w hat every day alfo the m an ner
of perform ing it. 3. Holy m editation or: reading, fcrm ons ,
catechifm . and keeping Sundays and Holyda s . 4. Eveningfeif- ex am ination , gen eral an d particular, e facram en t of
penance, and falling. 5. The holy com m union , and hear.»
m gMais. 6. The regulation of our ordinary aaions in ch
der to perform them w ell ; our rifing, m eals, converfition,recreations, ficknefs, 81 C . 7. Tl“ Potticular duties of our(late and calling reduced to certain principal heads , to beconfidered apart. 8. Our duties tow ards thofe of our few
m ily, paren ts, children, w ife, fervants, m ailers, dom eftia
com panions, fire. 9. Out general duties to all neighbours,ofjullice, charity, or civil focicty, fpiritual and corporal
w orks of m ercy ; w hat com pany w e ought to keep or lhun ;
yet fo as not to be w an ting in charity, or refpea for a ll, and
the like. We m ull confider how often each duty ought tobe perform ed, and in w hat m anner ; m ake foch refolution ,
a nd layoutour lives in fuch a m anna ,as to give all due peri
fe&ion to every a&ion , and confequently to our w hole lives ;recom m ending thefe purpofes to God, in order to beg his
grace, a nd during the year from tim e to tim e, as once a
w eek, calling them over, an d confidering w hether w e fquare
our a&ion s by thefe rules .C om punGtion of heart, or (arrow for ftn com m itted, w ith
a firm refolution of not (in ning for the tim e be com e, is another
‘part ofinterior pen ance ; or rather the foul and elfence
of a true pen ance, and the crow n of all its w orks, w hichw ithout this are a body w ithout life, a phantom , or ihadow ,
an d earance w ithout the reality or fubltam e. Failingw as pre ifed both by the Jew s an d Pagans , as a da non lh
'
a
tion of grief, an d an outw ard 08 : of m ouru'
lg ,
(1 1 6) 8 . Bern ard, Serm . a . inM um ps. 8 . Maria:V . n . 6.
2 34 L E N T. Tr. 5.
the Lord , an d He (hall e x alt you But w hat God
regards in the penite n t is the change of the heart, an d the
fin cerity of its forrow ; not the bare proteflation s or token s ,though thefe n aturally flow from it, a nd contribute to en ter
tain an d in creafe it. Hence God declares again by JoelRend your hearts , and n ot your garm ents ; and be y e
converted to the Lord your God .
” And bv Ezekiel a
Make to yourfelves a n ew heart, and a n ew fpiritIt is to this fincere converlion of the heart, that God in «
vites a ll huners, efpecially at the holy tim e of Len t. Now
the churchin m ourning herfelf for them , addrefl'
es to them ,
in his nam e, his tender invitation s and prom ifes , and thu n
d ers out his threats : Now the daily raifes her voice louder‘
and le nder to rouze them from their lethargy Now allher
devou t children , in falling, an d in peniten tial w eeds , prayand w eep for them , to en gage God to thew them m ercy,a n d by their tears and e x am ple to m ove
,
them to w eep and
m ourn for them felges . The tru m pet has now founded in
Sion , proclaim ing the tender . of the divin e m ercy. The
thun der of God’s vengeance rolls over
.
their guilty beads,ready, if they perlifi rebellious to his voice, to break uponthem , and dellroy them . They {land upon the very brink
of eternity ; an d death, w ith the m olt dreadful horrors of
hell, is even now at their gates . This fum m on s is, perhaps,the lafi that w ill be m ade them . Y et forty days , and
Niniveh {hallbe defiroyed This threat an nounced
by a prophet, converted at on ce a proud great city, reakingin the abom in ations and filth of voluptuoufn efs and pride .
The church, by her m inifiers , now repeats the fam e to no
in the n am e of God , and by his authority and com m ifliom
By forty da 3 w e m ay underftand the {hort precarious re
m ain der olyour lives ; or efpecially, this prefe n t L ent, or
even the beginning of it . For w hat right have w e to im a
gine, thati w e are deaf to this m erciful call, God, w ho has
already lpared us preferably to thoul'
and s , w hom he has cut
03 in the m ean tim e in theirfins , w ill not, in his jull judgvm en ts , fuddenly fn ap in tw o the thin thread of our life, to
punifh our prefum ption , and daring w ilful im penitence ; or
by a flill m ore terrible judgm en t, w ithdraw his m olt pow er
ful gra ces, be hlent to us , an d abandon us to a re robate
fenfe, to a flate of fpiritua l blind n efs and in len libi'
ty, in
w hich m iferable fouls live on ly to fin, a nd accum ulate in
fiead
03” (u n lock u- n (t sfi) Ezech. ” iii1 1 (1 37) Jon . in.
L E N T. 1 33
{lead ofo ne m any hells for a dreadful eternity ?We hope
w e have don e pen ance. But has it produced w orthy fruits if
Is it fuch as can give us a ny reafon able h0pes, that by it w e
{hall be’
fohappy as to fin d m ercy If w e focus to have lon
lince broke the bonds of fin , have w e faithfully ex ecuted agthe condition s of our pena nce ? O ur fervour fhould have
been as great as that of a David or Magdalen , .and if w e
had received the like allurances of
‘pardon , w e lhould llill be
bound by the law s of the love an
gratitude w e ow e toGod,
and the conditions of peniten ce itfe f, never to forget that
w e have finn ed, and never to put an end to our tears and
pen ance, but con tinually to increafe them , as this w ill provethe fervour of our progrefs in the divine love lo long as w e
live. Moreover our daily infidelities , our failings in ou r
prdinary a&io ns , w hich after a ll our refolutions a nd end ea
vours are flillfull of floth and im perfeaions , fly in our faces,and reproach us that w e are not yet perfea ly converted to
God : O ur felf- love, by w hich w e look on rfelves even in our
ax ercifes of religion ; our“
inordinate attachm en ts to a thou
{and objefi s of fenfe, on every fide of us ; the fpirit of the
.w orld,w hich difcovers itfelf in allour afl
'
e&ion s and afiions,
.cry out to us, that w e have not yet e ntered ferioully upon
the great w ork of our converlion ; are
get far from having
m ade to.
God an entire andya fefl facricc ofour hearts , a'
nd
from having ‘corre&ed all our fpiritual diforders . Now is
the tim e for us to en ter thoroughly into onrfelves ; to de
Ilroy, and do aw ay, by the divine grace now abunda n tly of
feted, the very la ll rem ain s an d traces of all the {ins and’
w orldly lu lls of our w hole lives pail : To hreak a loudet all
_the ban ds of inordin ate alfefi ion s, w hich captivate
hearts to creatures , and attach us to any thing w hich is not
God, or w hich is not loved, or feared in and for him alone
To purge our hearts of a ll feif- love, that ba ne of all true
,virtue , and to put the finifhing lirolte to the great w ork of
,our coriverlion , w hich out of lim b and fpiritual blindnefs,
.Jw e have hitherto left fo very im perfea . It is a great w ork'
w e have here upon our hands . W e are totally to divell
purfejves ofthe O ldMa n , a nd to pot o n the New to becom e
crucified to on rfelves, and the World, and to form C hrill ,
or his perfeQ, Spirit of Hum ility, Meeknefs , C harity, and
all other Virtues in ourHearts , by w hich w e m a hear his
divin e im age, and be m ade heaven ly,‘
that no O b acle m ayrem ain in us to the perfect Reign of his G race and Love,and to our being adm itted at the Hour of our D eath in to the
C hoirs
238 L E N T:
prayers to God night and day, to m ove him to be propitious
to them and to all fin ners . All devout C hriflians in the w orld
join them to the bell of their pow er in thefe penitential ex eré
cifes an d difpofitions are alliduous at church, hearing the
w ord ofGod , and attend the public fupplications an d dutiesoftcligion ; m acerate. their fiefh w ith lafling an d other (eve
s
tities ; em ploy m uch tim e at hom e, if their circum ll'
an ces
allow them ,in the ex ereifes of holy com pun 8 ion , prayer,
a nd devout m editation or reading ; and are careful in ofl'
cr
ing to God theirlabour an d ordin ary action s in a fpirit of pea
n ance, and w ith great fervour. God feeing now his church
in m ourning, both priefls a n d people w eeping‘before him ,
is eafily m oved to com paflion on thefe w ho hum ble them s
relies in his prefen ce , and deprecate his anger. L et us layhold on this acceptable tim e , an d conjure the fovereign Judgew hom w e have ofi
’
en ded, by the tender bow els ofhis m ercy,to fave a n d lift us up .
Som e think the term of this fall long ; But w ere it thorter,how could a eniten t reap the advan tages prepofed in it i
‘
How could fuclha change of heart as conflitutes the very el
l
fen ce of a converficn , be w rought in fun nels , accordin to
the ordin ary ccurfe of things , an d the general rules of ro~
viden ce in the difpenfation ofhis graces Again , how could
a folid proofoffuch a change be give n What~0pportunityw ould m any fin d of doing condign pen an ce ; or of ground
ing their fouls in the habits of their happy change, in the
praaice of any On e virtue , or in any‘
vi&ory over the leafi
pailion or vice ? A peniten tial courfe of this con tinuance , is
a n ex cellent an d w holefom e m ean s of he aling our fpiritual
diforders , an d prom oting the great w ork of our perfefifa n cfi
tification . O ur dom eflic en em y is fubdued by the m acera~t
tion of the flelh . How {irong foever a fortrefs is , it w ill be
eafily reduced, ifyou can find the m ean s of cutting off its
provifion s . How deeply loever vice has taken root in the
foul, its firength w ill be w eakened , and at length reducedby holy falling, com punaion , w atchfn ln efs and prayer. Thefoul w hich w as w orldly, is thus difengaged from its ties.
He that w as enflaved to his ow n w ill, an d to the gratificationofhis fenfes, by an habitual praaice of retrenchm e nts andfelf- denial, learns to die to him felf to becom e m eek, humble, fpiritual, and heavenly ; to relilh on ly fpiritual things ,a nd 1 0 find no true delight but in c onverting w ith heaven .
God alfo on his fide, is liberal in bellow ing his choiceft
graces, on thofl w ho w ith fervour m ake their application to
him
L E N’
I'. £39
him at this holy'
tim e . His treafures are im m enfe ; and his
m ercy and ben eficen ce can never be flinted in liberality.
For as his boun ty ca n never be drained , fo n either can w e
fet bounds to his gifts or m ercy. The m ore w e crave, and
Open our hearts to receive, the m ore w ill he be pleafed in
en riching our fouls. What encouragem en t to fervour in e x
erting our u tm ofl endeavours in all the m ean s of our fané’ti
fication , w hich this holy feafon afford s ? Am ongfl ferven t
pe niten ts , n o com plain ts are heard of the feverity of the
fafl. Nothing is perceived , but a n holy em ulation to outdo
eachother . The term appears to them thort. They fin d
n o feverity in any auflerities , becaufe they have before their
eyes the grace of pardon , by w hich they are refcued from
the torm en ts of hell, the viélory over their paflion s, byw hich they are reflored to the liberty of the fain ts , and the
crow n of im m ortal glory, w hich-is the recom pence of their
confliél .
To run this career w ith fervour it behoves us above all
things to begin w ell, to fet out anim ated w ith the m ofl per
feél difpofitions of penitence and holy z eal ; to ex tingnifh
in our hearts the reign of fin ; confecrate our fouls to God
w ithout re ferve, and eflablifh in them the m oll perfe& reign
ofhis grace and love . We m ull accom pany Jefus in fpiritin to the defert, and a s m uch as pollible in his difpofition s of
burning z eal and divin e love, an d of hatred of all fin : w e
m ull unite our falls and prayers w ith his , beggin to find ac
captance on ly through him : w e m ull be faith in everyduty of this tim e, in every m ean s of m aking our facrifice
e n tire, that no condition be w an ting for the perfea fanfl i
fication ofour fouls . This grace w e m ull s lit of God w ith
great earnellnefs in the begin nin g, and in our daily fuppli
cations durin g the Le n t for w hich w e m ay fay the profe
[Kerrifm fi e Spiritw , the Mrferere pfalm , w ith the Our Fa
tber an d HailMary ; invoking allo the in terceflion of our
guardian angel, patron s, an d all the blefl'
ed angels an d
faints .
If w e faithfully acq uit onrfelves of thefe duties , w e fhail
happily celebrate the great feall of Baffer w ith our divine
Saviour, raifed from the death of fin , vi&orious over our
pallions , pure in heart, clean in m ind and body, clothed
w ith the bright an d {hining robe of virtue, loaded w ith the
fruits of juflice, penan ce, hum ility, m eeknefs , charity an d
patience ; w e lhall lhare in the trium ph and joy of his te
furreaion ; (hall reap its glorious fruits in our foul
f
s,m
gorm e
240 L E N T. Tr. 5.
form ed upon its m odel in the new nefs of life, and the reno
vation ofour in terior m an , (hall advance daily in this path
after him till w e en ter w ith him , and through him , in to his
glorious im m ortality.
C H A P. V II.
On As ti-W a n n a s o a v .
H E firll day of Lent, called by the Fathers the
I head of the fall w as alw ays kept by the
church w ith great devotion and folem nity, w hether, accord
ing to the difcipline ofdifi’
eren t ages and places , Lent w as oflix , feven , or eiht w eeks .
It w as the or
'
nary tim e for fin ners en tering a couffe of
public canonical penan ce , into w hich they w ere initiated bythe prayers of the Bifhop w ith his clergy, and the im potition
of his -hands , w hen he laid albes on the heads of the pe ni
tents . This is the origin of the cerem ony of putting alhe‘
s
on our foreheads on this day , as an em blem and ex terior
m ark ofthe interior confecration of our hearts to the ex er
cifes ofpen an ce. It is not a fuperflitious praaice , but an
ho
m ‘
l
ycerem ony ufed by the church from its m oll early tim es,
recom m ended by the ex am ple of the patriarchs an d pro
phets recorded in the holy fcriptures (t). The ancien ts in
the Eaflern countries ex prelfed deep grief and m ourning in
ex traordinary calam ities by tending their garm en ts , puttingon fackcloth, lying on the ground , flrow ing afhes or dull on
their head , forbearing food an d the like . Thus the friends
of Job feeing his afi iélion , lifted up their voice and w ept,a nd ren t every m an his garm ent, and fprinkled dull upontheir heads, and fat dow n w ith him upon the , ground in
filence Nor are there w an ting num erous ex arn ples
of this cuflom am ong other n ation s, as w ell as am ong the
Jew s and Arabians .The fervan ts ofGod ufed thefe ligns chiefly as em blem
ofrepentance, or declarations of their forrow for fin , the
geatefi of all evils , and w hich calls for the deepefl aflliaion .
oly Job, w hen he hum bled him felfbefore God
perem ptory vindication of his ow n in n ocence, did it in theam e m an ner that he had bew ailed his afli&ion , fayi
l
ng :
reI
(1 ) See C atech. Montel'
pel. Bp. P atrick on Rgpentm c and tbs Lent
P‘fi’ Ch. 3. P’ ‘4" (2 ) Ji is 1"i’."e
(a) Cape ! 74m m .
242 L E - N T.
’
m olt trem endous m om ent. Hence the church particularlyrecom m en ds it to us at this folem n holy tim e, to engage us
to ex am ine ferioully the {late of our ow n fouls , an d as the
firft [top to m ake us en ter in earnell upon a n ew life. Thefour loft thi other general and particular m otives of virtue, (efpecla ly of thole virtues w hich our circum llan ces
principally oblige us to fiudy to im prove our. fouls in at this
tim e), and .the fufl'
erings of C hrill , ought to be the m ofl
fam iliar fubje&s ofour devout m editations during the courfe
ofLent.
C H A P . V IlI.
On {be an cien t D ifi'ipline qf {be C H U R C H , relating to the
Feaiten ticl C a n o n s .
L M IGHT Y God is pleafed . to prom ife pardon
even for fin s, in to w hich, by a perfidiOus and un
gratefulrelapfe, C hrifiians fall after baptil'
m , if they return
to him by fin cere penitence ., But he requires as an effen
tial ingredien t or con dition of this pen an ce, a refolution or fincere difpofition to . undertake or bear fom e fatia
fafl ory, painful atonem ent, as fom e fm ail volun tary chaftifem enL Offin , an d a
, prefervative againfi .the facility of re
lapfes, to .w hich too eafy conditions , m ight, by a dangerous
abufe, have proved an encour em en t or occafion . The
forrow of penitence is n eceffariy affliélive, and is everyw here [poke ofas fach. The Rings w hich the peniten t feelsfrom the confcioufnofs of his bale ingratitude an d perfidioufn efs, the fham o of his enorm ous guilt, and the {harp grief
w herew ith his heartis w oun ded for having finn ed againfi an
infinite and m olt gracious God, w ork in him fuch a detefi'a
tion'
of his crim inal difobedience, as inclin e him to alflifl :and puniih him felf, and revenge the canfoofhis injured God
upon his ow n body, in order to deprecate the anger and pre
ven t the dreadful efl'
e&s of the juflice of ,God. S. Pau l
m ention s this difpofition as the n atural eEea of a fincene
forrow for fin , and zeal to rem ove it. The forrow that:
is accordi to God w orketh penance {lodfafl un to falvation . For hold, this felf-fam e thing that ye w ere m adefurrow ful according to God, how great canefulnefs90thw ork in you ; yea, in dignation ; yea, fear ; yea , de ire ;
yea, zeal ; yea, revenge in inflifiing punifhm ents(uitable
(r) 3 Cor. vu. t r.
Ch . 8 . L E N T. 243fuitable to the ofi
'
ence. The m ourned and alllifi ed them
felves for the fin of the ince nous m an , an d engaged him to .
hum ble him felf w ith w eeping, falling, and other feverities, .
becaufe he had not before ex ercifed this holy revenge upon .
him felf. This is agreeable to w hat the Apollle (and in hisfirfi Epifile, that
'
if w e judged on rfelves, w e (hould not.be judged of the Lord Where, fpeakin g of the
judgm en ts offiokn efs, w ea efs, and death, w hich God had.inflifited on feveral am ong them , he m en tion s the w ay. to
preven t his judgm en ts bein
gex e them , by amia
rng and chaflifin them fe ves , m ourni an d
bew ailing their m s, and thus being the avengersI
f)?their.ow n crim es . Thefe volun tary challifem en ts of
nou
g w fin s ,w ith a change oflife, are called ohn Baptifl; the m eet,or w ortbyfruitr ofpen ,
hry'
foflom ex cellently.
ex pounds his w ords . S .
.
Gr ory ,the Great
w r'
bring ortbfruit ;Por
'
b e w ho hath.
n ot?com m itted un law ful things, m ayv,juflly ufé thofe, w hichare law ful but he w ho hath
,dgne ,
‘ un law fulh thiflgjs,ought to deny him felf even thofe; w hich; are agent, “
proportion to the unlaw ful w hiizh ;he hath iven him felfthe liber fruits oirepen tance'
,are not e ofi
'
en ded little, andofthofe w ho have oEended In the fam e fonfo
Tertullian laid dow n the a t law to be obferved in doing
penan ce. -If thy neig thee Why -
thou art fo
ami&ed, tell .him ,
'
I have finned,
alufi God ; l am in
danger ofpcrifhin etern ally : then-Zine I hold dow n m y
head in fham e andconfufion I m acerate an d ex cruciate
inyfelf, that G‘
odr w hom I haye injured by m y fins , m aybe recon ciled to m e, Likew ife S.
, CyprianL et the penance bear a jull proportion to,
the fin ,”
arc. And S. Am brofe, or w hoever .is the author of the fam ou s Treatife or Ex hortation of P enance, to { be Lap/idVirgin According to the w eight of the ilt ought to be
the m eafutec f the penan ce.,Thou m ufi
u
not repent . in
w ords only, butin deeds , w hich rpa be thus done . . If
thou fettefl before thinéeyes from t a fublim e dignitythou art fallen ; and believoll thyfelfto be upon the brin
of': utter darknefs, w here there is l endlefs w e
sping and
R 2,
w ailing,(a) 1 C or. xi. 3:
(3) 5L uke, iii 3. (4) 8 . Greg . in horn . s o . in Evang.
(3) Tert. I. de Poenit. o. r t . (6) S . Cypr. I. de Laplis .
246 L E N T.
infenfible abatem ent in their feverity. If the priefi w ho te
ceived the confeflion , found any cafe to req uire canonical
pen an ce, the peniten t w as rem itted to the BifhoP, or his
great nitentiary, w ho enjoined the term and conditions
accot ing to the prefcription oft he canons , took dow n theirnam es in w riting, and ordered them to prefe n t them felves
at church on the firfl day of Len t. They accordingly ap
peared at the church door, barefooted , in a m ean and torn
garm ent, foch w as then the dreis ufed for m ourning. Beingen tered the church, they prefen ted them felves to the Biihop,or his penitentiary in his place, w ith their heads ha ngingdow n , their eyes often {tream ing w ith tears , and w ith all the
p utw nrd eaprefl'
ions of guilt, and dem oniiration s of a for
row ful and dejefi ed m ind,and profirating u
_
ou the ground,begged to be adm itted to penance and ab olutiou, Theyreceived from the hands of the Biihop afhes to firew on
their heads , an d fackcloth tp cover their bodies, and te
m ained l
ying upon the groun d, w hile the BiihOp, clergy,
and peop e kn eeling, recited feyeral peniten tial ptalm s , and
long prayers over them , for the rem iflion oftheir fin s. The
Bifhop an dprielis laid hands upon them ,to ratify their de
dication of them felves topen an ce. Then the Biihop m ade
them a pa thetic enhon ation , and in the clofe gave them to
underliand, that as God drove Adam out ofP aradife for histranfgreflion , (0 w as he going to drive them out of thechurch, for a tim e, bidding them to be of good courage,
and labour firenuoully in doing due penan ce, in hope _
of thedivine m ercy. Then he afi ually pulhed them from him ,
a ndhad the inferior m initters ex pel them out of the church.
The clergy follow ing them to the _
door repeated this refpon
fory to them In the fw eat of thy face {halt thou eat thybread . For dufi thou art, an d un to dufi thou {halt
return Thofe w ho w ere guilty p f public {cauda
lous fins , w ere ordered to m ake the ex om ologcfis (b), or
public confefiion of them (1 7) but w t of all fecret fin s,as
Morinus eviden tly m ifiakes, this depending upon the dif
cretion
(x6)Gratian . D ill . so . cap. 64 . V etus Peniten tiale Rom an . Bur
chard . Petit. Not. in Poeniten t. S . Theod . C an tuar. p . a t . to p . 79.
BonaR erum iLiw rg . 1 . ii; 1 1 . 7. 1 6; Ste.
(b) This Greek w and , w hich fignities Coq flion , is often ufed both
b y the Greek and L atin“
Fathers fbt the w liole
'
laborious cou rfe of pe
n'
ance.
(1 7) See m any ex am ples in Morinus , i. ii. de Poenit, c . 9.'
1 o . 8c
“ h tafl'
e p. 590,
C h. 8 . L E N T. 247
cretion of the prieliaccording to circum liances. &1 Cl'l an
aaion w ould have been often fcand alous, and fom etim es
d angerous to the peniten t, an d again ll the law of n ature it
felf. That it w as n ot n ecelfarily or alw ays done, _ is clear,from w hatMorinus him felftakes notice of, and proves be
yond con tradifi ion wire. that m any innocent of anycrim e, ou t ofdevotion volun tarily fubjefi ed them felves to a
courfe of penance, fuch as the canons prefcribed for fin ners .
This alfo appears from the canon of S . Bafil’s can onical
epiflle to S. Am philochius in w hich he fays It is
forbid by the Fathers for an adultrefs to be difcovered byher pen ance, lell it fhould be an occafion ofher death
Nay, to avoid giving any fufpicion to a jealous .bulban d,though {he paffed the regular term of pen an ce , {he did not
go through the difl'
eren t Rages prefcribed for that crim e , but
rem ained alw ays am ong the Co in , as Balfam on ex
plains this canon (ao). S . Bafti ow n the fam e rule for
w ilful
1 8 ih. l. v. c. 7. n . 1 9 S . Baf. C an . ad A m h. C an .
34?T?ii. p. 771 . (ao) Ngt. 2b .
ep P
(c) Adultery by the Lax j ali'
a dc Adulter m , en acted by Auguftus .w as punilhed w ith Relega tion or banilhm en t, w ithout forfeiture of
vileges , n ot w ith death as (ca se m odem s have falfely un derfloor?w hom C ujas refutes in lib. j ugul . Pepin . dc Adulten
'
ir, ad 1 . ii.
Objer v . l. vi. c. r . 83 1 . x x . c . 1 8 .—Selden thinks adultery w as not
m ade capital before Jullinian , (Ux or . Hebr. l. 3. c. u .) but is m illaken . C onfian tin e the Great ordered both parties if con victed , to be
punilhed w ith death. (Cad . Tbm doj'
. l. ix . tit. 40 . J : Pa m'
s , l .
w hich is flill m ore eviden t in the law s of his fon s , C onfian s , (Cod .
‘Tbead . 1 . ii. Tit .
136. 25m m»: apella t . l. 4. 8: Gothofred . Not. ih.)
and C on llan tius . ay C on ftan s orders adulterers like parricides to be
(ow ed in a fack, w ith a dog, a cock, a ferpen t and an ape, and d row n .
ed in the fea , or in a river. But this w as foon brought back to behead
in g , as C onfian tine had enacted for under Valen tinian I . in 368, C cthegus , a fen ator, w as beheaded for adultery by the law , Qaa m 'w
'
r
$ 10
34. dc Adult.) as Am m ian u s Marcellin us m en tion s , (l. x x viii. c. x .)jorian in the Well, in m itigated this feverity by reftoring the
o ld law ,w hich inflicted on ly relegation . In the Eafi, jiiftinian leaves
the law of C on lian tine for beheading, in force ; as be declares (Now ell1 34. c . to . Aar/m u . C oll. 9. Tit. but refin in s this to the m an ,
and all w ho know ingly aid an d aflilt him to com m it the crim e. For
he com m an d s the w om an to be fcourged and (cut in to a m on altery.
Pollerior Em ors in the Ball, changed the piinilhm en t of death for
adultery in to afiin ading, and cutting off the n ofe, w hich w as con firm .
ed by L eo the philofopher, I. 1x . Tit. 37. leg . 73. Harm en opulua,
(l. 6. Tit. a . n . s o. and n . w hO‘
w rote his . arm u p on
years after the Balilicon . See the C onfiitution of Leo htl. C onfi. 32 .
ad Ca lm s Comm }3 yari'
ri
cifvilir.
ri
it,8:
348 L E N T. Tr. g .
w ilfulm urder (a t), w hen fom e indifcreetly obliged all fin o
stars to m ake a'
e confefi on offeu er fins . 8. L eo eon
d em IB thelr ption , w hich he calls unjutl , and con tra
ry to the Apoflolic rule, (ince it is en ough to difcover the
guilt of confciences in fecret con feflion to the priefls alone
(an). Y et, for the greater hum iliation of the penitent,w here no inconvenience or fcandal w as to be apprehended ,thepriefis fom etim es enjoined the public oonfeflion of certain
{cen t fin s otherw ife G
mcould not fay : Look care
fully about to w hom oughteli to confefs thy fin .
Know firfi the abilities of thy y'fician . Whatever he
{hall fay or advife, follow it. I he thould fee fuch to bethe n ature of thy difeafe , that it ought to be m anifefted in
the afiem bly of the w hole church for the cure and the
edificatioa of others , this is to be done w ith great delibe
ration , an d by the advice of a fltilful phyfician
This alfo is m anifefifrom S . Aufiin (24) an d others . Thefe
alw ays did their pen an ce privately, w ho by perform ing it pub
licltly in all its arts , w ould have given occafton to flrongfufpicions, efpecialiy w here crim es w ould have given fcandal,or ex pofed the peniten ts to danger of their lives . But, as
Fleury obferves (a to fee C hrifiians falling, praying, and
proflrating d iem fe w e on the earth purely out if devotion ,w as then fo com m on a light, that no one form ed any fuipici
on from it, nor thought of inq uiring into the particular oc
cafion s . All during the w hole term of their pe n ance, layon the bare floor, an d fad ed on bread and w ater often in the
w eek according to their firength an d the psiefl’s injunaion s,
refraining from all w o rldly diverfion s, and all entertainm ents
and feafling, abfl ained from bathing, 1 ived retired in painful
laborious ex ercifes , and afliduous hum ble
Prayer. O n Sam
days and at all religious affem blies they on y m ade their q )
pearan ce before the church door in their nitential w eeds,to throw them felves at the feet of the faith ul w ho w ere en
tering the church, to beg their prayers Som e w ere adm itted
w ithin the church before the holy m ylh ries or ca non of the
Mats , to m ake their pr'
ofim tion s , a nd receive the im pofition
ofhands of the‘
Bifl’top an d clergy, and attend to the prayers
w hich thefe recited over them . They w ere obliged, ifable,to
(a s) ih. C an . 96. p . 355. See alfo hi Reg-la baa . laten t. M9.S . Lea . ” 5 1 36. ful. a8 . c. a . p. 719.
(2 3) O rig . Horn . a . in Pf. x n viil n . 6. T . n a p(24) St . A ug . Serm . 351 . fol. Horn . so . inter. 50 . T . v. p. 1 359.(35) Ma urs des C hr. 36. p. r53.
250 L E N T.
"
Tr. 5.d ay of Lent w a s the ordin ary tim e for entering upon a
courfe of canonical penance : but it m ightbe im poted in a nyother feafon . S. Am brofe put the Em peror Theodofius under this difcipline at C hritlm afs . The tim es atiigned for thecoe of each peniten t w ere longer or fhorter, according tothe enorm ity of their fins , and the different ufages ofchurches . Thofe peniten tial canons w hich are flill ex tan t,differ confiderably from one another ; but the m ore ancien t
are generally the m ore fevere . S . Bafil allots tw o
years for theft, feven for fornication , ek ven for perjury,fifteen for adultery, tw en ty for m urder, an d the w hole life
for apoflacy.
The term of canonical penance w as ufually divided in to
four different (tages , a ccording to w hich there w ere in the
church four differen t orders of peniten ts , called tbe w eeperr,1 b: bearers , tbc pra/ira torr, an d tbe ra-flanderr, or thofe that
prayed in the churchfiandiug (d).As to the w eepers , S . Gregory Thaum aturgus fays (32)
f‘ The place of the m ourners is w ithout the gate of the
church, w here the {in ner m uff flan’
d, ~and beg the prayers
of the faithful as they en ter. An d S . Bafil (33) t“ The
firfiyear they are to w eep before the gate of the church.
”
They w ere to com e to the door ofthe church, at the hours
of prayer, to han d there clothed w ith fackcloth, to have
afhes on their heads , and not to cut their hair. In this pcf
ture they endeavoured to ex cite the divine com paflion , bytheir hum iliation s an d tears , and em ploying a lfo the in terccflion of the faithful, they befought all w ho en tered the
church to have pity on them , an d to pray for them . At
cordingly they did fo ; an d the w hole churchin her public
offices ; an d in theMafs alw ays prayed for peniten ts in par
ticular, ,as the flill doth in the tim e of Lent. P eniten ts in
this firft fiage are often m ention ed as flauding in the Open
air they w ere how ever allow ed to {land in the porch w hich
w as covered, though w ithout the door. But there w ere
fum e w ho for m ore enorm ous crim es w ere forbid to take
fheltcr in the porch, or even to en ter the courts or yatl
d be»
ong
(31 ) 8 . Bali! ep. 3. C anon ad 8 . A m phil. can . 56. 58 . 59. 61 .64. 73.
d C alled in Greek a m ax eiam c, W e! “
(32 ) C d “ . l l . (33) can . 32 . (Ce can . 56. $ 70 58 .
59. 60 . 64. 66. 75. p. 334. 1 Greg. Thaum m . x .
252 L E N T.
low ed to {lay to hear the infirua ion s and lerm on ; but w ereobliged to depart before any of the prayers w ere begun , w ith
the reli, (catechum ens , and others) w ho w en t by the gen e
ral n am e ofba rren . They flood n ear the door, or in the
low efi part of the church. S . Gregory Thaum atur affigns them their fiation (36) in the Nartbex (calle fom e
tim es in Latin Vefiibuh m ,i. e. an inner porch, or the low
eft part of the church (g). Here they flood w ith the cate
chum en s of the low ell rank, and w ere difm iffed w ith them
before any prayers begun . S. Bafil fays they w ere
hearers on ly, an d not perm itted to be prefen t at any part of
the public ofi ce. Hence in the Apofiolic C onfiitution s ,am ong the cerem onies of the public office it is m en tion ed,that the deacon alw ays reclaim ed as foon as the ferm on w as
ended Let non e of)
the hearers, let none of the unbe
lievers be prefen t
The third rank of enitents w as that of the (m ien , or
froflratorr, w ho flayed)
in the church w hilfl certain prayers
w ere faid for them , but rem ained all the tim e on their knees ,or profirate. They alfo received the im pofition of hands
from the Bifhop and priefis The form s of feveral of
thete prayers are recorded in the Apoftolic C onflitution s
The flation of thefe niten ts w as tow ards the upperend of
the It’artbrx an ti’
ihey w entout w ith the catechum ensofthe fecon d ran k.
The fourth clafs of peniten ts w ere the w affles”, or ra
fianden,w ho joined the faithful in prayer to the end, an d
flood up w ith the reft on Sundays , dl e. but w ere not allow edto m ake theiroffeting, or com m unicate
S . Bafil orders for w ilful m urder, four years am ong thew eepers , then live am ong the hearers , afterw ard feven
a m ong the rollrators , and laflly, four m ore am ong the
fianders . lgor adultery, four . in the firfl clals, five in the
fecond, four in the third, and five in the lait. For forni
cation ,(36) C an . u
(g) C hurches often had on ly tw o parts , the M uary or chan cel fqrthe prietta an d clergy, an d the court or Atrium for the laity, as Mors
n us obk rves (I. vi. c . a . dc Pa lm .) Then the low er part of this courto r nave w as called n arthex .
(h) New s} Audicn tium , Ncqer'
s Infid eh'
uat, C onfiit. 1. viii. cap. 3.
(31 ) 3 . Bar. ih. C an . 75. See 8 . Greg . Nyfl’
en . C an . 3.
(38) C on e . L aodic. C an 1 9. S . C hryf. hom . at . in 2 C or. 8: hour.
71 . in Matt . &c. (39) C on ll . Apoll . l. viii. c . 8 . 8:9.
8 . Greg . Thaum . C an . t r . C on . Ancyr. C an . 1 9.
C one. Nic . C an . a t . t a . C one. Aneyr. C an . 4. 5.
C h. 8 . L E N T. 255In danger of death, abfolution w as given to penitents ; but
if they recove red , they perform ed the entire couffe prefcrib
ed by the canons.
Idolatry, m urder, and fornication w ere chailifed w ith
particular feverity, a nd on that account are called the C ano
nical crim es. But under thefe general he ads w ere com w ifed
all other fins w hich belonged to each fpecies . As under the
firft, divin ation , and the various kind s of fuperfiition : u n
der the fecond, all grievous erfon al injuries again ft others ,a ccording to .
the judgm en t 0 the bifhop or priell : under the
lafl, every tin of im purity. Many are dillin&ly fpecified
in feveral peniten tial canon s . In churches , and in cafes
w here the canon s did not defcend to particulars, the determ i
n ation ofthe term and m an ner of the pen an ce depended upon
the difcretion of the Bifhop, w ho had an eye to the decifion
of the can on s w ith refpeSt to the capital fins of that fpecies.
St. john C lim acus inflfls on the ex traordina ry enorm ity of
fins of im purity from the feverity w ith w hich the canons
rank them w ithidolatry and m urder In prefcribi the
p enance, a regard w as had n ot on ly to the enorm ity (ifthefin , but alfo to the difficult of the cure, the pen an ce beingboth a rem edy an d a cha ifern ent.
Befrdes the three chiefefl canonical crim es , other line w ere
fubjefi ed to canonical pen ance, as a pears from the antient
n on s, efpecially thofe w hich are di five, an d defcen d to a do
tail Though all the tables of canon s left m an y things
to the decifio n of the Bifhops, giving only rules w hich m ight
ferve to dire& them .
Antony Arn aud the judicious and learn ed F. L e
Brun and fom e others are perfuaded, that all m ortal
fins w ere fubje&ed to a canonical courre ofpena nce, though
fom e on l of three days ; confequently that no one in a (late
of m orta fin w as ever allow ed to aflifl at Mafs . This theyinfer from a paffage of St. D ionyfius the Areopagite, or
w hoever w as author of the book on the C eleflial Hierar
chie,”
w ho fays That dem oniacs w ho by their cor
poral pofl'
eflion , are in fom e degree under the pow er of
the devil in their corporal organ s, are not fufl’
ered to aflill
at the divine m yfieries ; a nd m uch m ore all thofe, w ho
by being in a [late of fin , are fpiritually and m uch w orfe
enflaved
(34) S . joan . C lim . gr. 1 5. Bibl. Patr . T . vi. par. 3 . p. 8: 305.
1155) See the C olleaion s of an cient peniten tial C anon s m ade by 8 .
C h es Borrom eo, Sylvius, the Author of La t'
gue d: Verdun .
(56) L fitr la fi rqum c Cm m on . 57) Baplic. des Liturgies .
256 L.
E N T. Tr. 5.enllaved under his tyranny.
” But others'
thinlt thatQ
for forn e m ortal fins , abfolution w as ven w ithout anycanonical couffe of public pen an ce . fir St. Gregory ofNyah w onders how covetoufnefs had been pafl
’
ed
over by the Fathers , w ithout any legal regulation of canmnical pen ance. And St. Baftiw rites He w ho has
taken ninty, ifhe gives his unjuit gain to the poor, and is
cured of that vice, m ay be adm itted to the prieilhood .
”
He therefore did not undergo public canonical penances.
The councilof Nice adm itted the Novat‘ians (Gr), and the
council of Laodicea all heretics w ithout canonical public
penance (6a). In this cafe in deed , it w as prefum ed that
m any had been only material heretics , that their hearts had
a lready been in their difpofttions fincerely open to oonvifi ion ,and that their errors had not fprung from obllinacy, m alice,e nvy, pride , covetoufnefs , libertim fm , hum an refpe&, floth,or other pailions : in (hurt had not been w ilful and obfli
n ate,(0 as to have incurred an y m ortal guilt before God
As to the authors and ringleaders w hofe oonduét had been {0obn oxious as to carry guilt on their foreheads , it w as etteem
c d a great part of their fatis faétion , if, by their hum ility,labours and pen an ce, they brought back to the truth thofew hom they had (educed.Secret (in : w ere fubjeaed to this canonical penance, thd
’
not ordin arily, as has been faid , to any public oonfeflion.
For the canons m ake no diflinaion of public an d fecret fin s.
St. Baftifltew s ath ltery, though(caret, to have been liable tothe fam e peniten tial term , as if it had been public
An d ir'
appears en em a other fins from the fam e Father
from the councilofElvire St . Gregory ofNylfaSt . Gregory Thaum am rgus St . Am brote
St. Anguilla fire . And is proved bytheiearned Fren ch
M Aubepine , or Alhafpincus Morinm w a), Natalia antler Petavius , and the venerable fervants
of
(58) 60. fl at. Alex ander fin e. 3. M 6. T. iii. p . 6371.
(59) S . Gr. Nyf . Ca n . 6. T. i. p . 953. (6c ) S fl m . C an . N»
T. n . p. 765. (61 ) C on . Nic. I . C an .S67.) C an . 7.
63 8 . Au ep. ad Glor. Eleuf.(164) S .
65 8 . Olin . 6s . (66) C on . E
kg ) 8 . Greg . Thaw . C an . 1 8 . T. ii. «I. Beret .
(69) 8 . br. 1 . i. de Pa nit. c . 1 6. (70) 8 . Aug . Serm .
ol. 5a: in ter. so. (71 )A lbalp. Not. in C an . 3a. C on e. 3. C ar
(73) Morin . de Pe nis. L u. c. v. c . x . e. 1 7.
Nat. Alex . Diff. 6. qu. a . in Sa c. 3. Hill. Ecclef. See alfé
de Pe nit. p. 708. con tra Jae. Petit. Dill. s t ill 8. Theodor.Cantuar. T. ii.9. 6x . 8: Sirrn und. in fl ill Pu nit publica .
1358 L E N T. Tr. 5.And the contrary pra&ice of the D onatills w as feverely te
prehended by St. O ptatus (77) and the w hole C atholicchurch, as abfolutely con trary to her general and perpetualdifciplin e .
Public canonical penan ce could never be given m ore
tha n once,as all m onum en ts of ecclefialiical a ntiquity pro
claim The reafon w hich the Fathers alled
ge w as ,
left a facility m ight prove an encouragem ent to relap mg fin
n ers, an d left it lhould Open a door to falfe or im perfe& con
verfions, of w hich eafy relapfes are a fign .
But thofe w ho having once don e pen an ce , had the m isfortune to relapfe, w ere not abandoned to defpair. O n the
con trary they w ere lirenuoufly encouraged to place a firmhope in the divine m ercy, an d to con tinue in the m ofl ferven t practice ofpenan ce to their death. As for leaving themabandoned to defpair, St. Auguftin e fays Who
am ongll us ever fell in to fuch a phren Ly ? May God
preferve all from luch a barbarous an d facrilegious m ad
n efs .” Pape Siricius ex plains the difciplin e of the church
w ith regard to them in the follow ing decree As to thefe,becaufe they are no m ore allow ed the fuffr e of canoni
cal pen ance, w e decree, that they join thea
gaithful w ithinthe church in prayer only, and that they aflifl , though
undeferving, at the celebration of the m yfleries . But
that they live for ever banilhed from the Lord’s table, that
by this punilhm ent at lealithey m ay be flirted up to deepcom pun&ion , and punilh them felves for their fins, an d
give ex am ple to others . Y et w hen the begin to.
depart
going to the Lord, w e order that by a lq n ean s they be
rengthen ed w ith his viaticum by the grace of com m a
nion
From this decree it is clear, that by the m olt approved
difcipline of the church, it w as alw ays com m anded that no
perfon at the article ofdeath {hould be deprived of the bene
fit of abfolution , and even of the holy com m union , il'
he
allred
Bilbop (Enfeh. l. v. Hill . c. ult.) and tom e others on ly thew that tom evolun tarily fubjeaed tha nfelves to that law , or they are to be un derfloor!of private penance.
(77) S . Optat. l. i. n . 34. i. it. n . 36. S . Leo ep. a . (01 .
p . 8 . Aug . 1 . i. de Ba tirm o con tra D on atidas , c . r .
(78) See Tertullian l. e Pa nit. c. 5. S . Am brof. l. n . de Porn .
e. x . 8 . Aug . ep. r53. olo 54. 85C . (79) 8 . Aug. ep . 1 53. T. ii.
0P(80) Siricius, ep. r . ad Him crium , T. u. Cone. p . 3019.
250 In E N T. Tr. stand conditions of penan ce, are the fam e. For w e can not
tpli‘
ne, to proportion our rem edies to the depthofour w ounds : not to fpare on rfelves in the pra&ice ofhec
‘
efi'
ary m ortification and efpecially to ex cite in our heartsthe m ofl p erfefi fpirit of com punfi ion , and con fecrate this s
tim e to tears and atliduous praye’
r. To tlir up thefe difpofi“ Otis in our hearts, the church, by the afites w e receive, puts
ttsun m in d of death, w hich lies in w ait like a thief to fur
prtfe“
us w hen w e leafi eXpe& it. Alfo by this cerem ony w e
are folem nly dedicated to the praa ice of penan ce , an d bearits badge as ifw e w ere clad .w ith fack-cloth. With w hat fervour ought w e
‘to run its career, uniting in fpirit our w eakendeavours w ith the fufl
'
erings of our divin e Redeem er, andcarrying the enfigns ofhis crofs and preciou s w oun ds in them ortification of our liefit, that dying to the old m an , w e m aybe traw fd rm ed into his im age , an d renew ed by an d throughlii’m .
’
A'C hrifiia‘n m utt be all fire, and full of t ea] to found
a'
nd ‘
cl'
eanfe all the corruption‘
ofhis heart, to repair by w orksofp enan ce, allthe rem ain s of fin , and all the havock it hasm ode lin his foul, to detlroy its em pire there , to w eaken con
etfpi’rcence, fubdue the pafliotts, and form in his heart the
true fpirit of'
C hrifi, by all virtues of w hichhe is the perfefim odel, el
'
pecially hum ility, m eeknefs, charity, m ercy, thefpirit bfprayer and holy zeal. Not only the load of ourow n debts, and the n ecefiity w e lie under of fubduing cue
pafli'
ons , call upon us to do pen ance'
: but the fin s of thew hole w orld, and the chafiifem en ts w hich hang over it, in
cr'ea
’
fe our obligation . Fellow -m em bers m utt feel each
others ~m iferies and dan gers, a nd look ttpon them felves as
charged w ith“
each others burthens . For Achan ’s facrilege
the w hole people did penan ce . Every o ne m ull be
m ed w ith a feelin g cotn paflion for the diforders of the
w orld ; m utt "w eep, figh and hum ble him felf for them ,
m aking up w ith all‘
the faithful one body, of w hich JefusChrift -
is the head ; he m ull look upon every on e’s w ounds
as hiso w n , and take part in them , an d im plore the divin e
m ercyfor‘all. Thefe fighs and groans , this com panion are
a'
dttty‘foi‘nfeparable from Lent, as to m ake a part of all
the prayers ,a nd offices of the church. How m any fin n ers
have been referred from e ternal perdition , how m an
ypublic
ca am ines
L E N T.
feefo m any foulsperifh w ithout ufing our utm oll endeavours
to engage the divinem ercy to refcue and fave them , a nd to
avert'
thofe judgm en ts in w hich w e deferve to be involved
w ith themP
C H A P . IX.
On the FIRS T SUN D AY in LENT .
N this day the church fets before our eyes the holy retirem ent an d fall of Chrift in the w ildernefs , to put us
in m ind_of our obligation of firiving to form our in terior
difpofition s a nd fpirit u on this divine m odel, a nd though w e
can notfaftas he fafted or us , that w e m ay im itate him as w e
a re able, a nd according to our firength, to ufe the w ords of
St. GregoryINazianz en .
'
O ur divine Redeem er entered upon this ex traordinary faft
L‘
inuii‘
ed‘iately after his baptifm , to thew us w ith w hat
‘
care w e
are .bound to preferve an d fireugthen the treafure of grace
received it. He fafted an d prayed bem heto teach-
us how w e are to arm on rfelves again tt
the enem it w as before he produced him felfin his pix llC m inifiry, that he m ade this w onfetting us an ex am ple alfo in w hat m an ner w e
ly to fue for the divine blefling before w e n u
onfiderable enterprife, an d to proportion our
preparation and endeavours to the im portance of the w ork.
The ex ercifes he recom m en ds to us in the defert,are chiefly
hol retirem en t, m ortification , pen an ce, and prayer.
m m ediately after his baptifm , before he w as tem pted,an d before he m anifefled him felf to the w orld by his preaching an d m iracles, .hé w ithdrew into the w ildern efs . By Bying from the w orld w e fhun m any dangerous occafions offin ,ofvanity, an d lofs of tim e, to w hich its flavery un avoidably.
eXpofes us . En tire folitude is indeed a {late to w hich veryfew are called, and
‘
in w hich others,for w an t of n eceflary
fervour, w ould often fin d the m oft dangerous occafions of
floth, and becom e their ow n ,w orft tem pters . But everyC hriflian is bound w ith great w atchfn ln efs to fhun the dan gerous am ufem ents of the .w orld, its poifonous pleafures a nde n tertain m ents , its
'
floth and idlen efis , ,the ,
hurry of its con
fian t diflipation , its - vanities , and,the ,com m ny, or fam iliar
con verfe w ith thole .w ho ate in toxicated .w ith its fpirit andfaife m a x im s of am bition, pride, re ven ge; jealoufy, envy ,
cove
C h. 9. L E N T. 263covetoufnefs, in tem peran ce, an d fenfuality ; w ho w all? enem ies of the crofs of C hrifi, firangers to the fpirit of his ho
ly gofpel. Thefe are the rocks w hichevery one in theWorldm ull keep at a diftan ce from ,
being careful, w hilll he fails
in n o duty of charity an d civil fociety to any o‘
ne,'
not to
cultiva te an in tim acy but w ith the fm all num ber, and onlyw ithfuchw hofe con verfation and ex am ple breathe an arr of
piety, religion , and the gofpel, and w hich is m oflpu re'
and
free from the baneful con tagion of vice in allits thapes . He
m ull be em ployed in regular, ferion s , and rational’
occupa
tions , and referve to him felf hours for retirem en t, and
C hrifiian devotions and confiderations . Thus far C hrillianfolitude is the firll part ofpenance, an d belongs to our gene
ral an d m olt indifpenfable obligation of fhun ning the vani
ties and 'dangers of the w orld, w hich w e fplem nly renouncedin our baptifrn al engagem ents . From tim e to tim e
“
, efpecial
ly in the holyfeafon ofLent , w e on t to em brace a c‘
lofer
retirem en t, if our circum llances w il perm it, in order to en
ter ferioully in to on rfelves , and difengage our hearts . m ore
a nd m ore from the w orld .
This general retirem ent, and habitual fpi'
rit ofreqblleé’tt
on , as alfo fet 'hours or tim es ofclofcr folitude, are'
not on lya duty ofpen ance, for the fequetlration of our hearts from
fin an d the w orld, but they are alfo a necell'
ary preparationfor the elfential and great duty ofprayer. A C hrillian lifeis a life ofpray
er ; and in it certain'
tntervals ought to be dedicated entirely to this heaven ly ex ercife. Now folitude re.
m oves the im pedim ents , and d tfpofes the heart to purity, re
colle&ion , and fervour in devotion . In folitude fouls are
difengaged from the w orld, w hich is'
fure , m ore or lefs , toentangle and defile the afi
'
eaion s . The Jew s in Egypt w ereforbid by God to ofi
'
er him a facrifice am idft th'
e abom in a
tion s of a lan d overrun w ith idolatry and vice“
; and w ere
com m anded to go three days m arch in to the w ildernefs , andthere to offer him pure Holocaufls . It is in holy retii
'
em en t
that fouls pour forth their puteliatfefiions before their C reator ; an d are reciprocally difpofed to liften to his voice
,
w hilfi he {peaks m ore freely to tbeir beam b his interior ia
fpirations , vifits them w ith his m olt abun nt graces, and
feeds them w ithhis heavenly confolation s . The children ofIfrael w ere on ly favoured w ith m an na , the bread of heaven
(t), w him they w ere in the defert:'it failed them as foon as
they tailed the fruits of the country (a). And God him felfdeclares
0)M 0"is ,1 0 (2) jof. '0 hi,
26; L E N T .
ded u that her firfi drm a chol'
en t'
c ulim ita tive-sen , he
fil c he m ah s her bear his r oice, and relL-sh the ft eetnefi ot'
his (Evine w ord in her he art (31 , [ r ill lead lt l in o the
w ildcm cfi, a nd w ill (peak to her hea rt .
”
The very noife of the w orld deafen s her to his hd y ca& ;
and scridcr her incapable either of artendirg m tbcm,(I of
railing be! though : a nd add ition s en irelju‘
to hea ven , an d o:
copying them w ith due plication of a ll her povrers on God
Horn . He w ho w ould a nd ha r m n ch of w ordl things
can never prefen e his m in d ha s from a tum ult of aren a
m g thonghts If w e defire to obtain‘
ofheart by w hich m en are difpofed for the grace , by w hich
they w ill be raifed to fee God , and enjoy his com m u niez
tions in this life ; or ifw e defire to live united in fpiri
him , w e m ull retire w ith jefus in to folitud as far a m ayfuit the circum flances of our (late . W e fly too great
an 11t ofcom
gzay and vifits ; not be curious in inquirirg
after n rw s, and to reports ; nor defirous to ex ten d
fan idle acgttaintan ce. either m u ll w e feek to fill our ears
w ith hearing,'
nor
'
our eyes w ith beholding objcfi s of w orldlyvanity. Ah ! w ith w hat em pty follies a nd trifles do m eni
dillraa theirm inds , and dilturb the peace of their fouls !
It w as from the fcbool of the Holy Gbofi that the holy Fa
lhers learn ed their love for holy retirem ent, to teach us the
obligation of,flying fuperfluous dillraaioa, and buried them
fclves in deferts to be farther reruoved from the occafions .
The C brillian folitude is m ore that of the heart than that of
ihe body ; its end being to depart from the w orld in fpirit,and to be
‘
oined w ith God. He w ho is engaged in the
(w orld, m u fiudy . in it to cultivate this in terior folitude, bynot
'
ferting his heart on the vanities of the w orld , not beingin volved in its fupa flm us cares, or in the concerns of
others ; not into, n or'
ud their aaip ns ; in a
w ord , fltun niriryiiliatever can dia w
gl
fig foul from the d olledunion w ithGThe end , nay the very foul of C hriflian retirem en t, is
devout prayer. We m ay contem plate our Divin e Leaderand C aptain, fom etim es (lan ding, forn ctim es kneeling, [om etim es proflrate on the ground , pouring forth his fbul in profoundly adoring his heavenly Father, in praifin g him , in
thankin him .for, all his m ercies , a nd in deprecating w ith
floods o tears,his anger kin dled aga laliflutters and intreating him .
to lbw us m ercy,| ,andyeceiveus into, hm . Than e s
ill “ W.
‘l'g
266 L E'
N T;
Jefus w as nOt con tent to inflitute and give a fovereign virtuean d firength to the rem edy : but feeing our fouls {ick to
death, yet out of Both, cow ardice, and delicacy, un w illingto m ake ufe of the rem edy, He, in his infinite m ercy, pre
pared for us , w as pleafed to drink the cup him felf, w ith all
its bittern efs, to the very dregs , to en courage us chearfullyto take after him a dofe fo n eceffary for our cure . Are w e
n ot ready to die w ith fham e an d confufion at our bafe pufil
lanim ity, in refufin to do any thing for on rfelves , w hilfi
w e fee our God an dgin nocen t Redeem er fafl w ith fo m uch
i
rigour on ly for us , and to fet us an ex am ple? Ifw e look on
the Holy ofHolies , the Lord of all creatures , fubjeéted to
this voluntary chaftifem en t for our fake,w e {hall certain ly
be anim ated w ith great L ea l to undertake, an d chearfully
perform our duty, in the fafl com m anded by the church,after his ex am ple ; an d to w alk, though at foch a diflance ,in the Reps of a Man -God , our gracious Saviour and greatLeader and C aptain .
The Evangelifi tells us , that after his fafl be «w ar bungry .
V iolen thunger is fo raging a pain that it has often driven m en
to the greatefi ex trem ities in a fall but of a few days . Whatthen m ufl have been the torm en t of this long fall of our D i
vine Redeem er, in a body To perfea , fo fenfible as his w as ?
He w as pleafed m iraculoufly to fupport its life , vigour, and
firength, that it m ight be able to bear the full aufierity of
fuch an abflinen ce ; yet he w ould not by a m iracle abate
the lea ll part of its m ortification an d pain . Such, for our
fake , w as his love of the crofs . Every thing m ull be m ade
eafy, n ay am iable an d delightful in fuch com pany, and after
fuch an ex am ple.
C H A P . X .
On M i n - L E N T S U N
'
D A Y .
T is called the Sun day L e tare from that firft w ord of the
in troit of the Mafs , w hich fignifies Rejoice, being an in
v rtation addreffed to Sion or the church, an d to every faithful
foul. The church in term ingles , in her penitential cfiice of
this feafon , freq uen t ex preflion s of fpiritual joy, for the in~
com prehenfible m ercy of our redem ption , accorn plifhed bythe tufi
'
erings an d death of C hrifi . The fefiival on w hich
w e com m em orate them ,being now at han d , the bids us to
be com forted under fpiritual m iferies, and contem plate the
graces
on. n . L E N T. 257
g races w hich our Redeem er com es to bellow“
on us
C an w e confider the im m enfe love , goodnefs , m ercy , w if
dom , and junice of God, difplayed in this m olt adorable
m yliery, the d readful {late of evils from w hich w e are te
fcued by it, thehon our to w hich w e are raifed , and the infi
nite advantages of w hich w e are put in poffeflion by it,w ithout tranfports of love , gratitude, and holy joy ? D o w e
n ot w ith w e could fix our w hole atten tion on this great m yftery, to con tem plate and adore God in it w ithout in term ifli
on , for tim e and eternity The church ex horts us to ap
proach this great folem nity, penetrated w ith the m olt pro
found fentim en ts of tha nkfgiving, praife, adoration , love ,
,and the m ofl perfea hu m ilia tion , an nihilation , and facrific e
o f on rfelves , w ith w hich w e ought to accom pany our com
pun&ico, an d our m editation on thefe grea t m yfteries, eli
pepially .at this holy tim e .»
C H A PL
07: P a s s m tt SUND A Y .
HE'
w hole Lent is confecrated particularly to honour
and com m em orate the adorable fufi'
erings and death
.of our D ivin e .Redeem er, w hich, are indeed at all tim es , byhis ex prefs inflitu tion and com m a nd , the daily great objea inall ourd evotion s, w hich can on ly be m ade acceptable throughthis great m yllery ; an d the Holy Mafs an d C om m union are
nothing elfe but its u nbloocly ex hibition . But the tw o lafl:w eeks of Len t, and particularly the latter, being the annualcom m em oration of thefe m ofi adorable of all
’
m ylleries , the
s hureh m akes them the en tire 9bje& of her public cflice.
To conform to her pious view s , w e m ufiin them redouble
our fervour, efpecially in our fpirit of holy m ourning and
penan ce, adapted tothis feafon . Before the firll V efpers ofP aflion Sund ay, the Grofs , and all pictures and im ages in the
churches are covered w ith purple , or at leafl dark- colouredveils, on w hich n o im age ought to be reprefen ted (H ). Bythis n akednefs in her orn am en ts the church appears m ore fo
lem n ly m ournful. It is likew ife reprefen ted , that C hrifi be
fore his paflion did not w alk in public , but lay for fom e tim e
hid for fear ofhis enem ies , as w e read in the Gofpel on Paf~
{ion Sun day. The church alfo om its the Gloria P atri, and
the
(1 ) See Gavan t . C om m . in Rubricas Miffalis, part. iv. tit. 6.
(it) Gavan t. in Mill
'
al. part. iv. tit. 7.
a68 L B N T.
the like dox ologies, in m any parts of her public office, toex prefs the ex cefs ofher m ourniq , and ex cite her childrento attend on her folem n prayers in the m ofi ferion s fpirit ofcom punétion , that, bow ed dow n un der the . w eight of
forrow s and iniq uitie s (a), w e m ay ofier to God the facrifice /
or our tears , w hich are as it w ere the blood of the heart,im m olated by holy grief, and poured forth before God , ac
cording to the beautiful cx pfleflion of S . Authin .
‘
In propor
tion to the fervour of out peniten ce, w ill be the earnofinefs
of our defires and endeavours to rife from fin , in w hich w e
{ball fpare no pains or cat-e tc defiroy it in our hearts , and
ex ert our firength in our utm ofi efl'
orts , in w aging w ar
againfi, ,and in tubduing our irnegular appetites , an d in cry
ing to Ga l hr m ercy, in the w ords of the royal niten t
and prophet The foul w hich fees herfelf the a of
his a nger, and confiders, that though his w ery e,nee is
goodnefs an d m ercy, a nd his divin e heart nothing but love
an d charity itfelf, yet by Ga he'
. is froz en tow ard her, and
his om nipoten ce arm ed to take revenge on her rebellion s,by Which fhe h8 3 .PTQV0k04his indign ation, m utt be alarm ed
and terrified . Therefore {he m uft be folicitous , efpeciallya t this holytitm
'
,by every m eans w hich God in his infinite
m ercy has infiituted, to engage him to te-infiate her in hisfavour, and to enrich her w ith his m ofi .preciom graces ,throng the m ediatorthip of C brlfl', and through his holy{trainings and death, w hich the church
m em orates , and by w hich pardon and all graces
chafed for us , and oEered to us.
(a) Baruc u. (3) Pf. vi. Pf. x x xiv.
T n :
2 70 H O L Y W E E K . Tr. 6
that in the fourth cen tury, w hen he w rote, even thofe C hrif
tian s w ho had leafl fervour an d z eal, on ly eat bread w ith a
little falt, a n d d ra nk w ater on ce a day at evening, allHolyW eek. The Greeks w ho n ever fall on other Saturdays in
L en t, w hich they keep an inferiour kin d of feflival, obferve
a rigorou s inviolable fall on Eafier Eve . Great w atchings inthe night w ere alfo a duty of this w eek, efpecially on Ealler
Eve, an d are m en tion ed by St. C hryfoflom , and other Fa
thers .
More abun dan t alm s ought alw ays to accom pany the an tle
rcr falls of Holy Week, as the Fathers tellify . Many in
the Great Week,
” fays St. C hryfoflom“prolong
their fa lls (by fuperpofttion), increafe their w atchings ,and double their alm s, to honour fo hol a tim e .
” The
ne arer w e approach to the folem nity of hrifi’
s fufferings
a n d refurrecn on , by w hich m yfleries all the greateftblefiings
w ere poured forth upon m en , the m ore are w e obliged to
thew all m an ner of aa s of m ercy and kin dn efs tow ard our
brethren .
The C hriflian Em perors an cien tly ex ercifed this charityin gran ting a general releafe from prifon to all debtors a nd
crim inals , certain m ore grievous crim es on ly ex cepted . This
indulgence w as ex ten ded to the w hole Great Week before ,and to the w eek follow ing Batter
- day , as is clear from the
irn perial law s lllll ex tan t Whence St. Am brofe faid (6)The holy days ofthe lat! w eekin Len t, are the tim e w hen
the bon ds of debtors w ere to be loofed .
”And St. C hry
foliem fays That the Em perors fet prifoners at liber
ty on the Pafchal folem nity, that they m ight im itate, as
far as in them lay, the ex am ple of our Lord , w ho at
this tim e delivered us from the bond s of our fin s, and
m ade a s capable of enjoying n um berlefs bleflings . For
w e ought, as m uch as poflible, to im itate his m ercy and
kindne ls .
” And in another ferm on fpoken in the paflion
w eek he fays : The im perial letters are fen t forth,com m an ding all prifoners to be loofed from their bon ds,&C .
”
Mafiers likew ife, during thefe tw o w eeks of the paflion ,an d of the Pafche of the refurrefiion , often m ade free feve
(4) S . C hryf. Hom . x l. n . t . T . i. vet. ed . &c. (5) C od . Theod .
1 . ix , tit. 38 . de Indulg en t. C rim in am , leg . 3. and 4. (6) S . Am br.
ep. 33. vet. ed . (7) St. C hryf. hom . x x x . in Gen . T. ti.,p .
(8) Id . hom . in Pf. cx lv. T . iii. p 8 2 3. qua efi Horn . 78 , m Heb
dom adarn Magn atn , T . v. ed . Savil. p . 541 .
cu r . H O L Y W E E K . 2 7:
ral of their flaves or fervants boun d for a term of years
Hen ce theim perial law s of Theodofius w hich forbid all other
judicial a&s or lega l proceffes during thefe tw o w eeks, a llow
w hatever w as don e by w ay of charity for the m anum ifiion of
flaves , as m oll agreeable to this holy folem nity. L et all
aélions at law ,w hether publick or private, ceafe in the
fifteen Pafchal days . Y et allm en have liberty at this tim e to
grant freedom to their flaves , and w hatever aa s are n ecef
fary to be don e at law for this purpofe , are no t prohibit
ed .
” Thefe are the term s of the edi& of that religious
Em peror (to). This is the fam e ex ception w hich C onflan
tin e the Great had m ade w ith refpe& to the Lord’
s D ay,on w hich he forbad all other proceedings at law (1 t).By the abovem en tioned law , an d others enaéted by feveral
of the firfl C hriflian Em perors the firfi of w hich w as
ublifhed by C onfiantin e the Great (I during the tw ogafchal w eeks , of the C rofs , an d of the Refurre&ion ; in
honour of thole great m yfieries, all courts of law or the ad
m inifiration of juflice, are com m anded to be ibut, and all
judicial proceedings forbid and declared void, ex cept acts of
m ere
Boib thefe w eeks being fet apart for the m ail folem n ofhces
ofthe church, fe’
rm on s , and both rivate and public devo
tions , all fervan ts had a vacation lion : bodily labour all thistim e, that the m ight have leifure and opportunity to attend
the w orfhip 0 God, and the con cerns of their fouls . In the
Apoflolic C onflitutions , this law is m entioned in the follow
ing w ords In the Great W eek (before Eafler)and the w eek follow ing, let fervants reli from their la
bour ; becaufe the on e is the tim e of our Lord’s paflion ,an d the other of his refurreétion and fervants have need
to be inflrufi ed in the know ledge of thefe m yfleries .
”
The ex terior folem nity w ith w hich the church has ever
obferved this holy tim e, puts C hrifiian s in m ind of their ob
l'
ion of redoubling their fervour in all the holy ex ercifes
o Len t, and in all w orks of iety an d religion . No one
can deferve to bear the n am e 0 a C hriilian , w ho is fo floth
ful as to fail in this duty. By clofing w ell the holy tim e of
Lent,(9) S . Greg. Nyfl
'
. horn . iii. de Refurr. Chr. T . iii. p . 42 0 .
(to C od . Jufiin . 1 . iii. tit. 1 3 . de Fern s , leg . 8 . (n ) Cod .
Th 1 . ii. tit. 8 . de Fern s , leg . 1 . See Bin gham , l. x x . ch.
3.
Se&. 7. x x i. ch. 1 . feel . 29. (u ) C od . Theod . I. it. tit. 8 . e
Feriis , le a . 8 . Au Serm . 1 9. ex editis a Sirm ondo, &c.
(1 3) onfian t. hf apud Scalifer . de Em endar. Tem per. 1 . m .
p. 776. (14) Conflit. Apofl. viii. cap . 33.
2 72 H 0 L Y VI E E Ki Tr. 6.
Lent, w e fitall reap abundant fruits of our pen ance, and of
the fadred m yfleries w hich w e here com m em orate . All w ho
call them felves children of the d iurch, ilrive to outdo them
other on this great folem nity, as St. Bern a rd
obferves The fentenee w hich w as paired in the old
law againfl ohofe w ho fhould ~aegle& to faaaify the ye arly
great fall off the ex piation w ill be e x ecuted in a m uch
m ore dreadful m an ner upon thofe pretended C hrifiians , w ho
la pafs the com m em oration of thefe m ofl ten der and adorable m yfteries , w ithout being touched w ith a due fenfe ofc om pun fi ion , gratitude, love an d piety. S t. Bern ard , in a
titrm on m ade in the begin ning of this Holy Week, airs uphis religious to fervour tn the follow ing w o rd s Be
attentive w ith allpoflible w atchfn ln efs, and w ith the w ho le
application of your fou ls, that the eon m enw m tion of
thefe great m yfieries m ay net pafa you in vain . God is
going to pour forth his m od abund ant bleflihgs .
your hearts be penetrated w ith piety a nd devotion . Re
tirain your fenfes under a firifi difcipline, clean fe your
co nferences , purify and fanfi ify your afieaion s , a nd pre
pare your fouls to receive the ex cellen t gifts , w hich w ill
be m olt plen tifn lly conferred upon thofe w ho m all be dif
ed .
”
g the e x ercifes of Lent m ufi be new coutinued w ith re~
doubled fervour, to w hich w e m utt ex cite o n rfelves by the
m ail d evout m editation on the C rofs and Paffion of our d i~
vin e Redeem er . This m ifl be the great and only objefi of
our thoughts a nd devout en tertain m en ts‘
at this Itim e . The
divine jet'
us fufi'
ering, Jefes n ailed to a em fs , Jefus d ying forour fins m nfi alw ays be prefent to on m in ds ; our hearts
m ufi be com inually occupied on Him . In his pr'efenee, a nd
at the foot ofhis cnofs , w e m utt perform a llour religious and
peniten tial ex ercifes , by w hich w eM y to die to onrfelves,that dying w ith him w e m ay rife w ith him , conferrnedinour interior to his huly im age.
C H A P . II .
On PALM-St)N D A Y .
N this day the churCh honours the trium phant e ntry of
our divine Redeem er in‘
to Jerufalem , five days beforehi
(1 3) S . Bern . Serm . de Pall: D om ini. (1 6) Leviticus x xiii. az,a s, 29. (r7) 8 . Bern . Serm . dePatr. -Dom .
‘
fe‘
u aMfyor. Hebdoin .
274 . H O L Y w'
E E K. Th e.
a Sam aritan w om an to refreth him felf, w hich yet he is notread to have drank a and w ho often had not a cover to thel~
ter him from the w eather, nor a place w here to relihishead, on this occafion w ould m ake his en try m ounted on an
afs, on w hich no one had before fat. St.Mark and St. Lukem ention on ly the fole, becaufe that w as the beall: on w hich
left “ chiefly _ rode. This circum fiance w as foretold by therophet Za charie b w hich prediétion it w as a -know n
chara&eri&iek aaion‘
o the Mellias . Rejoice greatly,0 daughter of Sion : {hout forjoy, O daughter of erufa-u
lem : behold thy King w ill com e to thee, the juand the Saviour : He is our, and riding upon an aft,and upon a colt the fole 0 an ails,
”fays the Prophet.
It w as neither dithonourable nor unufual am ong the Jew s,for perfons even of the firfi difiin&ion , to ride on d ies
though m ules and horfcs w ere preferred for that purpofe .
Bttt a young afs not yet broke, and w ithout an com m on co
vering for riding, according to the cullom that age, w as
certainly m ean equipage for the Saviour of the w orld. But
fam e of his difciples fpread their ow n clothes on the afs onw hich he fat : others firew ed their garm ents , an d green
bought. w hich they lopped from the trees, in the w ay w here
he w as to pafa. And crouds, confifling chiefly of the poor
or the low er rank of the people, and of innocen t children ,
green boughs in their
ex peétedMelliah, or C hrifl the Saviourofhis people, repeating in joyful acclantation s ofpraife an d thankgiving : Ho
faun a to the Son ofDavid : bleffed is he that com eth in the
nam e ofthe Lord :Hofanna in theHighefi .
” TheHebrew:
w ord Fla/anna ls.m anifeflly applied to C hrill by the royal Prophet (a), as St. erom obferves w ho adds thatits im port is,L ard, [hee l w ere w e are to underfiand, Him or tby Cbn
’
Them eaningthcrefcre ofthis acclim a tion ofjoy and pr eis ,
Salvation and a profporous reign to the Mem ah” w ho
by ex cellen ce the Son of Da vid prom ifed by all
phars, a nd w ho can : in th m m of the Lords bein the Shi
lo, orHe w ho is four by him to fave his people, ring
(1 ) u p . ix . 9. (3) See Gm . Pole. Syn . C ritic. C alm et inC om m . 8: m Diéhon . to. ih.
gt)Bf. cx viii. (5) S . I-Iier . l. iii.
a; Matt. C . 1 1 9 p 69. To iv. ed o n .
C h e. H O L Y W E E K. 27;
w ith felf-fufi cien cy cannot difcern the divine truth, and fuffer the priz e to be born e aw ay by the little ones, w ho w alk
ing in fim plicity and hum ility open their e es to the divin e
light, and their hearts to all the m otion s o grace . O f the
n um ber of thefe blind proud on es , w ere thole Pharifees w ho
fw elled w ithx
indign ation and jealoufy upon feeing the trium
phan t reception of our bletl'
ed Saviour, and hearin the
praifes Wt h the m ultitude gave to God and his C rill,com plain ed to Jetus him felf, that he did not rebuke the peo
ple and fiop their m ouths . C hrifi m eekly thew ed them how
acceptable to God the z eal and devotion of this people w as,
and how indifpenfable the obligation is of rendering to God
the hom age of our raife and thankfgiving for his in com pre
henfible m ercies , e pecially for his having (cut his Son to be
the propitiation of our fin s, m aking them this anfw er : Ifthele thould hold their peace, the {tones w ould cry out
Itis eafy to God to taife children of Abraham out
of (tones ; and this he w ould do rather than due praife thould
not be given him . By the choice w hich C hrifl m ade of the
poor, and of children to ling his praifes, w e learn that the
fun plicity of hum ble hearts , teem ing w ith fen tim ents of
thankfgiving, love and praife, is the m olt effen tial of all
conditions to render our hom ages acceptable to him . C an
any C hrillian be found fo ungrateful, and fo infenfible as to
n eglefi this dut
yThe Prophets, the heralds ofheaven , an
noun ce to us w 0 he is w ho com es , w hat is the end of his
com ing , n am ely to redeem an d raife us to glory ; ho w
adorable, and how am iable he is in his appearance am ongus, and how infinite are the treafures of his m ercy and
graces . lfaiah cries out Say to the daughter of Sion :
Behold, thy Saviour com es And Zachary quoted
by St. Ma tthew Tell ye the daughter of SiOn : be
hold thy King com eth unto thee, m eek, and fittin upon
an sis, and a colt the fole of an afs under the yoke. Are
w e able to con tain on rfelves in raptures of aflonilhm en t
and holy joy, w hen w e hear thefe invitation s, an d contem
plate this great m ytlery ? D o w e not break forth in to the
m ofl inflam ed can ticles of fpiritual jubilee, praife, adora
tion , love, and thankfgiving , w ith the m olt perfea oblation
a n d con lecration of on rfelves to our m olt am iable Saviouran d God , defiring an d put ling to rem ain ever his irrevocable and univerfalholocau of thankfgiving, love an d praife,in tim e and eternity. Profirate in fpirit him , w e
T 2 ought
(6) St. Luke xix . (7) Ha. in t. n . (8)Matt. x xi. g.
276 H O L Y W E E K . Tr. 6.
ought to fum m on the w hole creation to join us‘
in praifm ghim , an d in m agnifying his m ercy for ever an d ever . For »
this w e m ay recite w ith the m oft arden t devotion the can ticle of the Three C hildren , or fa m e of the lait pfalm s of thePfalter or of Lauds ; or the
‘Te D am n , or fa m e of the dox ologies of the church for this da or the hym n Gloria ,Laus , et honor, tibifit Rex , hriile, Redem ptor,
”&c .
In im itation of thore devout Jew s w ho flrew ed greenolive and palm
- tree branches , on the road before C hriil ashe rode, w e bear palm s, or other green bou hs or fprigs,fuch as the clim ate afiords in the feafon . Thefe are bleil
'
ed ,becaufe the church m aketh ufe of nothing in her cerem oniesw hich is not fu ll bleffed : Which cufiom is confirm ed bythe m olt ancien t rituals , an d derived from apoflolic tradition . Thefe bra nches the faithful receive from the prieli,killing out of refpea
'
firfl the priefi’
s hand, then the palm ,
according to the generalrubrick, w hen w e receive any thingin church from the priefi ; as in prefen ting any thing to himthe thing prefented is firfl kiffed, then the hand ofthe prieli.We hold the palm s in our right hand at the proceflion , a ndw hilfl the paflion an d the lafi gofpel are faid, to im itate thezeal of thefe pious Jew s , in prailing and glorifying our divine Redeem er and adorable Viaim , (0 m uch m ore w orthyour bell hom ages the m ore he hum bles him felf for us . The
people fpread their garm en ts in his w ay : L et us profirate ourhearts before him by repeated a&s of adoration . L et us
adore him trium phing over the devil and tin , by his deathon the crofs, and m alte him trium ph in our hearts, by ful),
je&ing them en tirely to his divine reign and love .
The proceflion is infiituted that w e m ay be ex cited by thiscerem ony to attend in fpirit, an d honour C hrifl in his trium phal en
a
t
aly, w hen he m arched up to
{em falem to en ter
upon his on : Dox ologies are fung in onour of our highPriell: an Redeem er, w ith an hym n of preife. This laft isfung by tw o or four precen tors, w ho go before the proceflioninto the church, and {hut the door. Thefe reprefen t the
heavenly fpirits celebrating the trium ph of C hrifl on earth:
The choir, {lan ding w ithout the church door, and anfw er
in to the hym n , reprefents the church on earth joining theceieilial choirs in paying their hom ages to C hrill . After the
hym n the fub-deacon knocks at the door, by “ liking it w ith
the llafl'
of the crofs , w hich he carries at the head of the
choir in the proceflion ; and the door beirig‘opened , the choir
en ters, and the precentors m ingle in it. his cerem onygigat es
273 H ' O L Y W E E . K. Tr. 6.
lid, fuch as are only produced by a n heart trul dead to vice ,to the w orld, and to inordinate felf- love, an perfefi ly con
v erted to God . Pafling tender m otions of,piety do not
fufi ce, though they often im pofe upon the w orld, and upon
pretended converts them felves . But God is the Searcher ofrein: and bean }to the bottom , and is not to be deceived byflattering lips and appearances .It w as
,a m ofl:bitter and forrow ful refle&ion to our divine
Redeem er, in his triunm han t entry itfelf, to forefee , that
far the greatefl part of thofe w ho hailed him w ith their s e
clam ations and praifes , w ould, by the influence of their I'll-s
lhrs, in five da 3, change them in to curfes and blafphem ies ,and inflead of ofan nas, w ould cry out C rucify him l
crucify him 1” Who can court or rely upon fo fa lle and
treacherous a w orld ? L et all our confidence be placed inGod alone,our unfhalten and
,
eternal fupport. Who alfodoes not fear the infin cerity and the ficklenefs of his ow n
hea rt ? God alone is our flcen gth. By w atchfnln efs and
prayer fw e m ufipreferve, a nd alw ays im prove in our heartsthe treafure of his grace, by w hich alon e w e {hall be able to
m aintain ourjgroun d, grow daily in his faving know led andlove, and attain to the crow n of falvation an d eter life.The ch w e carry in the prooeflion this day, are not
only the art w e take in the trium phal rece tionC m ar protefiations , and ex prefiion s of
)
our
piritual'
oy, love, and praife ; but, as it appears from the
ra ers o the church in blefling them , they are alfo to be
60 ed upon by us as em blem s, both of the crow n s of ourvi&ories over our f iritual enem ies , an d adly , of the fruit
of good w orks . e flothful and cow ards can not be en titled
to thefe crow n s , the recom pence of viaories, to w hich theycan not pretend (to). Vie m u ll: flrenuoufly ex ercife our-v
felves in this w arfare , by pen an ce, m ortification , w atchful
n efs, an d hum ble an d ailiduous prayer ; and m ull anim até
ourfelves con tinually, un der the fhield of the divine Pro
teétion, to fight a good fight, an d refill even to blood .
D uring the proceflion of this day, w e m ult arm o urfelves
w ith this refolution , and earneflly beg thisigrace ofb eing
vi&orious over all vice and enem ies ; a lfo that w e m ay hear
the fruit of all virtues an d good w orks , fearing the ,
dreadful
curfe of the barren fi -tree, for having fo lung in vain
a rm ban d the g round (1S, w hich God proaby
(t o) Apoe. xi. 3. a t . (it ) Lute xiii.
Ch. 3. H O'
L Y W t E K. 279by the m outh of the Baptill Every tree that bl
'lngeth notforth good fruit, {hall be cut dow n , and call into the fire
Every grace in our heart is a feed faw n b the
hand of God in its proper foil ; m ull ever grow , an pn lh
out n ew branches , flow ers , and fruit of good w orks ; w hich
if it ceafes to do, it necell'
arily d ec ays and dies . Hence the
RoyalPm phet com pares the jull m an to a tree planted in a
frurtful foil, w ell w atered, and loaded continually w ith new
fruit (1The church reads this day the bill'ory of our L ord
‘s paf
fion , not on ly to ibew it m ull be the prin cipal objea of
devofion this w hole w eek, but alfo to teach us to accom panyeven our joy w ith a f irit of co unfiion , and the m edita
tion on the croft», as Bernard ta es notice
C l‘l A P. III.
On tbs Ofiu qf theTu rn s .
0 long as C hrifiians fpent the greatell: part of thenights during holy w eek, efpecially the four lait days ,
in gen eral w atchings in the churches, this cil'
ice w as faid at
m idnight : w hich praa lce w as flill con tinued w ithin the laitfix hundred years, or in the tw elfth cen tury, as is m anifefi"from the old Rom an order, and the com m en ts of Mabillon
and Martenne. It is the m atins of the office of Thurfdayanticipated the evening foregoing. It is called the cflice of‘Teuebn e , from that Latin w ord w hich lignifres darkm fr l fortow ard the end, all the lights are en inguilhed, both to ex
prefs the deepell m orning, and in m em ory of the darknefsWhich covered the w hole earth at our Lord’s crucifix ion .
The noifeWhich is m ade in the end, by beating a littlethe deflts or books , and the groun d, With the hands an d feet,reprefents the earth
-
quake, and the fplitting of the rocks , inthe convullive agonies, w hich even inanim ate n ature felt atthe death of the Son of God . Fer the offices during thefethree days are a kind of funeral obfequies , w hich the church
pays to her divine Spoufe and Redeem er.
n a triangular candleflick, placed on the left, or epifllefide of the altar, are fet fifteen candles , feven on each lide
,
and one on the top. The can dles on each lide are put out, \
one after every pfalm , beginning from the low ell tow ard thel
(t a Matt . m . re. (33) Pf. lo 30 (14)5. Bern . Scans o an cum m in g
2 80 H O L Y W'
E E K. Tr. 6.
gofpel tide, then on the o lite. After thefe fourteen , thew hite candle on the top cing left burning, w hilfl the ben e
die‘lur is fung , the fix can dles on the altar are put out, one
after each verfe. At the begin ning of the verfe, after thedenedifi ur, the w hite candle is taken dow n from the top ofthe triangular candleflick, and hid under the altar, w hilftthe Mrferere pfalm , and the prayer are recited ; after w hichit is brought out again . Thefe can dles are not to be w hite,or m ade of blanched w ax , b ut of com m on or yellow w ax ,
a s the ancien t Rom an C erem onia l qf brfi opr prefcribes ; becaufefoch are ufed by the church in tim es of pen ance or
m ourning, w hen ever {he m akes ufe of purple or black or
n am en ts . But the candle placed on the top of the triangu
lar candlefliclt is in m olt diocefes w hite, becaufe it reprefen ts
C hrifl him felf. This n um ber of candles, and this m an n er
of placing them , and gradually ex tinguithing them , is a veryan cient rite, and occurs in a m anufcript copy of the old Ro
m a Order (of the divine office)of the feven thcentury, publifhed by Mabillon (t). The folem n rites ufed by the church,
efpecially on great feflivals, are of prim itive antiq uityAm ongll the interpreters of facred rites , w ho w rote chiefly
in the 9th and I trh cen turies, fom e tell us , that all thefe
candles reprefent C hriil, an d their ex tin&ion the m ournfuldeath of him w ho is the life and the light of the w orld .
O thers fay, thefe yellow candles reprefent the eleven apoflles,the B . Virgin , and the other holy w om en , and all the difci
ples and the ex tinfiion of thefe lights , their flight or m ourn
ing : But the w hite candle on the top of the triangular candleflick, C hrifl him felf. O n w hich accoun t it is on ly hid un
der the altar, and again roduced, to thew that C hrifl w as
on ly hid in the fepulchre or a fhort tim e, an d rofo again ,fays Am ularius . This lafl allulion to his refurreélion is ad
m itted by all, even thofe w ho take all the candles to ex prefs
on ly the ex tinaion of the life of C hrifl, our light, and the
deep grief of his church in her m ourning and perhaps on lythis w as intended in the origina linflitution of this rite.
O n Wedn efday, the Jew s, in their great council, form edtheir con fpiracy to take aw ay the life of C hrill, by a crim i
n al profecution w hich they char ed them felves to carry on
againii him , before Pilate, theBom an governor. Hen ce
the com m en cem en t of the {tages of his aflion is dated from
this day ; andWedn efday is a w eekly an of the fiations
h
int e
Milk a,“ Ital. T' u . l" (2 ) Bocquin Tr .
383 H O L Y W E E K .
the HolyEucharifi in a tabern acle upon the altar, it w as ne ‘
cefl'
ary to rem ove it at this tim e, w hen , by the an cien t rite,the altar ia to be n aked, and w ithout a ny orn am ents
Thus n eceflity firll gave occalion to the cufiom of rem ov
ing the holy facram en t from the altar. But it w as alw ays
the cufiom that the place w here it is referved fhould be decen tly em belliihed . Though purity and devotion of heartis the m ofi ac ceptable orn am ent to God, w ho w an ts not our
gold, or jew els : Y et devotion itfelfteaches us to confecrate to
God fom e part of the ticheliorn am en ts w e are poffefied of,to teliify how m uch w e defire to honour him in his holy plaers and m yfieries . This God him felf com m anded in the
old law . C hrillians in the firfi ages , under the pre ll'
ure of
poverty and perfecutions , fou nd m eans to in w ith rich vofl'
els
an d orna m ents for the divine m yfieries ; w hich w ere m uch
increafed w hen the Em perors them felvee becam e ae alom vo~
taries and protefi ors . Incredible w ere the prefen ts of the
Popes to the churches for this purpofe, both before an d afterthe church enjoyed peace and liberty, as is m entioned in
the m ofi an cient Pontificals , or'
lhort account of their lives
and tranfa&ion s . At this holy tim e of devotion to the&
holy m yfieries , it is the cufiom to deck the repofrtories w ith
m ore than ordin ary m agnificence . Decency, at leafl , is a
nec part of the refpe& thatis due. Thefe repofitoriea
the people call (epulchres of our divin e Redeem er , and theyvifit them to honour him m ade by
'
death a facrifice of love
a nd of propm ion for our fins . Nor is there an y inconve~
nienoe to reprefen t his burial by an ticipation , w hich the parts
of the church-oflice w hich follow do not leave equal oppor~
tanities and leifure for.
With other confecrated hofis , one is referved on this dayfor the com m union of the priefi on the m orrow , w hich is
Good Friday. For no Mafs being allow ed to be faid on that
day, the priefi fays the latter part of the prayers of the Mafa
w ithout confecratin an y elem ents , and receives the Hofi
referred from the firegoing day . This is called the Mafs
of the pre-fana ified m yfieriee,Mt
ge prefi afi ifira torm r
”
Such as is faid in the cathedral at Mian , on every Friday inLent, an d in the Greek church, on every day in Lent, ex~cept Saturdays , Sundays and the of the Annunciation .
After the Mafs of Maundy Thurfday , the bells ceal'
e to
ring till the Gloria in Ex cel/Fr,”
at the M of m idnight
forEafier, an ticipated before noon on the eve. This is don e
(3) Gavanhe
c m. H O L Y W E E K . is,as a fign of m ourning, and in im itation of the filen ce and
grief of the Apofiles at the fufi'
erings and death of C hrifi .
The bleffed facram en t being taken aw ay, all the altars are
uncovered , and flript quite n aked of all ornam en ts, to ex
prefs the m olt profound grief and m ourning of the church,and to reprefent the n aked nefs and abandoned (late of C hrifi:
upon the crofs .
C hriflz, at his laft fupper, not only w alhed the feet of his
apofiles , but gave all his difciples a firi& com m an d to do the
fa m e, that is, readily to ferve each other in ex ercifing all
aaiogs of charitgand hitm ility, of w hich he had fet them
the e x am ple. uch offices perform ed in the true fpirit of
thofe virtues have an incredible efficacy in im proving the
heart in the ftrongefifentim ents of thofe virtues ; an d the
occafions of them have been arden tly em braced by all the
fain ts . In im itation of our blefl'
ed Redeem er, C hrifiians,kings , popes , bilhops , fuperiors in religious houfes , and
Others, w afh the feet of fom e poor perfon s , or of their col
legues and fellow s on this day ; w hich cerem ony is called
the Man date, from the firfl: w ord of the firft an them of it :
Mandatum frow n do oobir, dzc . Hen ce this day is ufuallycalled in Englifh, bla m ed} or Mandy
-Tburfday . The Gre eks
fliled it the Holy and grea tfiftb‘ day of rbe w eek
w hich nam e is given it by John Mofchus
foflom
O n this day the catechum en s or candidates of baptifm
w ere accuflom ed to bathe and w aih their bodies , tha t theym ight approach the facred Laver decen tly and clean , w hen
they w ere to be baptiz ed on Rafter-eve. It w as alfo cufio
m ary for m any others w ho out of a fpirit of m ortification
and penan ce had refrained from ufing the bath allLent, tobathe this d ay in order to clea nfe their bodies from all filthw hich they m ight have con tracted by the auflerities of Lent
(a). In like m an ner as it w as am ong the ancien ts a m ark of
m ourning
(0 PM Spirit c 79. (s) s . C bryf. born . de Proditione Judz ,
(a) Bathing w as an cien tly m uch in ul'
e and d et‘
erved ly, for keepingthe bodies clean , and the cutaneou s res Open for the takeof infen fible
perfpiration s fo effen tial to health. mulling w as m ore necefl'
ary beforethe ufe of lin en , efpecially in hot clim ates, w hen the ob tiruétuon of the
cutaneous
mu s by fcurf or filth, ex pofed m en to the m olid readful cu
taneous di ers , as leprofies , 8st . and to the m olt fata l in ternal difcafes . O n the ad van tages of ba thing, and on the recaution s an cillaryto preven t all inconveniencies and dangers in u ng it, fee Sir JohnFloyer, 8m .
2 84 .H o L Y w E E K. Trfs .
m ourning in tim es of afflifl ion never to clip or take anycare . of their beards, fo in Len t m a ny C hriftian s looked uponthis as a part of their penan ce . B ut they thought it a needfary duty to trim their beards , an d the priefls and m onks to{ have their crow n s or tonfures on Maundy
-Thurfday, that
they m ight appear decen t at the Eafter, an d in an habit becom ing the joy an d trium ph of that holy folem nity. ForGood-Friday and Holy
- Saturday w ere then kept as holya days
of obligation , and en tirely taken up in the church. And itw as then firia ly forbid, as a part of fervile w ork, for any'
on e'
to be fhaved on a Sunday or holyday. S . Richard , bithop of C hichefier, w he n he had been bufy on a Saturdaytill none, or three of the clock in the afternoon , w ould not
be fhaved or thorn after that hour, the Sunday’s ofi'ice then
begin ning w ith the firfi V efpers . Another em inen t perfon inEngla nd about that tim e, w en t halfofiiaved all Sund ay, he
caufe the hour of non e firuck w hen he w as {haved on ly on
on e fide . But {having w as net then fo frequent, nor lookedupon as fo n ecefi
'
ary a part of drefs , or of decen cy, and ofrefpea
'
. for others as .it now is . Thefe ex am ples are m en
tioned, the precept of not {having on holy- days flrongly en
forced, and the culiom of (having on Thurfda in Holyw eek defcribed and ex plained in an old Eng ifh ferm on
preached at Derby, about the year w hen the relicksWen efride w ere tranflated to Shrew lbury, as appears in the
ferm on preached by the fam e author on her fefiival. His
difcourfe on this day is entitled On Sbarc-‘Tbur day (b). This
being then the vulgar nam e given in Engla nd om the above
m entioned cuflom to the day w e now callMaundy-Thurfday.
The preacher dw ells m uch on this cuflom , and fays , the
(having of the body putsus in
‘
m in d of our m ain obligationof paring aw ay the vicious inclin ation s an d fuperfluitres ofthe foul, and ofbecom ing a new creature in C hrift, in w hich
confifls the effen tial preparation for the holy and joyful feall ofEafler .
O n this fam e day the Com peten ter, or thofe w ho w ere pre
to receive baptifm on Eafler- eve, rehearfed the creed
te'
the hilltop and priells , w hich cerem ony is fix ed bythe council of Laodicea to the fifth day of the great w eek
Theodorus L eaor (7) fays, Tim otheus bifhop of
C on fian ti
(6) C on . L aodic . C an . (7) Theodor . l. a . p . 563.
0
(b) The title of this ancien t Eng lilh MS . is, D rfm jet on tbefrfirwThat on Shere -Thurfday occurs fol, 73. The MS . is in the
on of Mr. Martin of Palgrave; near Eye, in Sufi’
olk, attorneyat la w .
11 86 H O L Y W E E K . Tr. 6.
but aifo becaufe on this day the greatefl m yfteries w ere ef
tabliihed by our divine Redeem er w hen he inflituted the per
petual facrifice and facram en t of the blefl'
ed Eucharifl, and
ordained his apofiles prielis to confecrate and offer the fam e.
The biihop is aflified in this cerem ony by tw elve priells ,feven deacons , feven fubdeacons , and m any other inferior
m iniflers, all habited in the proper orn am en ts of their ref
pefi ive orders . The facram en tary of S . Gre ory does not
determ ine the n um ber, but orders that all agili(c). Theconfecration pf the holy oils is perform ed by feveral prayers ,repea ted fign s of the crofs , breathing upon them , and iterat
ed bleflin gs . Thefe cerem onies are partly authoriz ed by the
ex am ple of C hrill, as w hen he breathed upon his apoflles ,laying Receive ye the Holy Ghofi ;
”
partly confirm ed
by the authority of the church from the very tim e of the
apofiles, as the lign of the crofs , w ithout w hich n o facred
rite is duly perform ed in the church, as S . Auflin and S.
C hryfofiom obferve If thefe cerem onies feem to Proteftants m ean a nd con tem ptible, they ought to call to m ind
that ax iom of S . Auf’tin ,“ If piety confiders them , it w ill
difcover in them nothing but w hat gives edification , and
raifes our atten tion to God and the w on derful effects of his
grace .
” The aaion s are in them felves nothing, but the
things w hich God operates by thefe feeble elem en ts w hen
outplayed in the facram ents , are m ofl: fublim e, and truly di
vine . Thefe bei altogether fpiritual, and m an corporeal
and» tied to the itilfrn m en ts of his fenfes , God is pleafed to
accom pany his Operations in the facra m ents w ith certain fen
fible fign s w hich he has chofen , and w hich raife our attention
to the fpiritual cEea s w hich th
ziboth fignify and produce
through his pow er. Ex perien ce ew s that w here religion is
left quite n aked , m en , efpecially thofe w ho form w ith greater
difliculty any con ceptionsof fpiritual things, foon lofe fight
of it, an d it is obliterated out of their m inds . Nor could
m en ever be united in any fociety, but by fom e ex terior
m arks or ban ds . Religion therefore, though its foul or ef
fen ce confill in the in terior, req uires alfo fom etim es the fue
cour of fom ething that falls under the fenfes . In the old law ,
the
(g) s . Ch r. BM . 55. h M3 “ Aug . Tr. 1 1 8 . ill 03 “
(c) An cien tly w hen the btlhOp faidMars , all the priells his ch urch
tallied , ofered it and tor-curred in a llits parts w ith him . Of this cuf
tom w e have a rem nan t in the ondin ation of priel’ts w ho on that occa
fion , all fay Mafs w ith the hilltop. This cerem ony in con fecrating the
holy oils feem s derived from the fam e difcipline. The church is m od
ten acious of ancien t rites .
C h. 4. H O L Y W E E K. as ,
the m ultitude of cerem onies w ere a prefervative in an ignot and fuperftitious people from the fuperflitions of idoiatry (d). In the n ew law they are few , but far m ore fub
lim e and pow erful, adapted to this m ore perfefi {late of re
li'
on .gl
rlhfter the confecration of the chrifm and oils, they arecalled holy. So w as even the {how - bread
,the tem ple, the
tabern acle, the veffels , and w hatever w as dedicated to the
divin e fervice, by any confecration or even fim ple deputa
tion in the old la w . The epithets of hon our w hich w ere
given , and the refpeét w hich w as ibou n thefe things, w ere
only tokens of religion to God , to w hofe fervice they be
longed, and for w hofe fake alon e they w ere bad in ven era
tion , a nd could not be profan ed w ithout the guilt of lacri~
lege. The m inifiers of God and holy things never fall ihroconte m pt am ong m en , but religion itfelf is foon eXtinguiihedin their hearts . For a true fe nfe of the honour due to the
Deity n aturally infpires refpea . for w hatever has a n ear rela
tion to him or his w orlhi This the Jew s ex tended to thew hole m ountain on w hi his tem ple flood .
The bithop and the ielis w ho attend him , falute w ithreveren ce the holy chril
plm and oils eachfeparately, w hen th
are con fecrated , faying : Hail boly Cbrifm . At this Prot
tants take great offen ce : but w ithout reatou, w hether the fa
lutation he m ean t to be addreffed to C hrifl or to the HolyGholi, the fan&ifter of fouls by this m aterial elem en t : 0 !
w hether it be underflood to be a bare proteftation of a rela
tive refpe& for the things dedicated to God . In both lenfcl
fiich a m a n n er of fpeech is eafy, and com m on in all lan gua
ges, and both in civil a nd facred m atters ; and being a bold
though plain and n atural m etaphor,it ex prefi'
e s in a m ore ve
bem e nt an d afl'
eaing m an ner a ll rong com m otion or pathos:
of the m in d than w ords w hich are no w ay figurative, could
convey . How firongly afie&ing are the beautiful apolh'
o
phea w hich C icero fo ofte n ad dreffes to the capitol, forum ,
roilrum , tem ples an d w alls of Rom e, w hich the re is n o o ne
w ho does not n aturally underfian d to be directed to the peo
ple , and in a m uch m ore pathetic language than if they had
en im m ediately addrefl'
ed . Who can underlland of thew alls , not of the dear flock he w as going to leave, the ten
der and m elting addrelfes w hich S. Gre cryNazianz en m adein his farew el ferm on , to the church ofthe Refurrefi ion inw hich he the n , and had fo often before, preached, and to
the
(d) See this proved by D r. Y oung, in 2 vols . Svo.
290 H O L Y - W E E K . Tr. 6.
for w hich {he prefents the n am es of all athis altar, as Alcuin
obferves . No genuflex ion is m ade before the prayer w hich is
ofl'
ered for the Jew s, as is prefcribed for the refl, becaufe the
Jew s m ocked C hrifl by bending their kn ees to him . Thefe
prayers for all orders and con ditions occur in the facram en
tary of 8 . Gregory the great, and are m en tioned by S . C tn
leftine I .After thefe prayers follow the ex pofition an d veneration
of the crofs , the im properia , the priefl’s com m union, w ith
the Mafs of the pre-ja nfi ified m y/ierier, and V efpers . This
w hole w eek being the trium ph of the crofs , it is the cuflom
at this tim e to ben d a knee in pafiing before it on the high
altar, though the bleffed facram en t be not there At this
cerem ony, an d at the ex pofition and ven eration of the crofa
on this day, the m odern C alvinifis take fo great ofl'
ence, as
to charge the C atholic chu rch, on this account, w ith fuper
fiition and dow n right idolatry ; a crim e of high tréafon
againfi God, and of all others in its ow n n ature the m o“ :
enorm ous, as the fathers often callit But is it the crofs ,orits im age itfelf, or the refpe& and veneration that is paid ,or the w ord by w hich this veneration is ex preffed, that gives
em fo m uch fcandal.
C H A P . V I.
On tbe D evotion to the Ge o53 .
H E crofi, fince C hrill , by the hum iliation of hisdeath thereon , has m ade it the infirum en t of his tri
um ph over fin and hell, and of our redem ption , is becom e
the C hrifiian’s glory : It is the fym bol ofhis faith, the pledge
of his hope, the pow erfulin cen tive of his love, and the em
blem and fchoolof all virtues . The m ore C hrifl w as hum
bled for us by the ignom iny of his crofs , the m ore ought he
to be honoured by us in it. As it w as the title of his m ail:
glorious vi&ory, in w hich he conquered hell, refiored m an
toHeaven , repaired the injuries don e to the Deity, and dif
played , in the m oft fublim e m an ner, his infiniteoodnefs , m ercy, love, juflice, .w ifdom , an d other attri
tes, fo does he now m ake it the fingular title of his ow n
glory. Great conquerors have often afl'
um ed furn am es andnew
mm 6 m m (3) See them quoted by Nat-Alex anderT.Ma ne.
08 0 t
C h. 6. H O L Y W E E K. 29:
n ew titles from their ex ploits, or from the countries w hichthey fubdued .
Thus, am ongll the Rom an s,on e is called the African,
a nother theGerm anic, another the Britilh, another the Par
thian . Thefe indeed w ere badges of a bafe vanity, andem pty honours, often im agin ary, generally fullied w ith -ih
fam ous crim es . But Jefus, in the ex cels ofhis good nefs, hasbeen pleafed to take a new title from his death on the crofs,becaufe it is his m oll glorious ex ploit and divine viaory, and
the firongefi dem on tlration of his m ercy and love. And
this furnam e he retain s w ith fingular com placen cy, after hisrefurreaion , and on the throne of his glory in Heaven , to
eternity. Y ou feck Jefus the crucified faid the an
gel to the devout w om en at the fepulchre . And 8 . Paulfays,W e preach C hrifi crucified And again, Jefusand him crucified By the crofs his facred hum anity
m erited its ex altation above all creatures to the fuprem e
throne of glory The crofs w as the fceptre, or the throneof his roya lty. Tell the n ations that God hath reignedfrom the w ood as S . Juflin (6)and other fathers readthat paffage. The adorable nam e Jefus, w ritten on the title
placed over the ct'ofs, ex prefl
'
es , that by it He is our Saviour, delivers us fi'
om fin and hell, and adorns our foukw ith all g races an d virtues . The fam e title, or fuperfcription , an nounces him w ho hangs on the crofs , to be the Kingof the Jew s, foretold by the prophets . U on the bed of the
crols, and w ith the price of his precious lood , he cleanfeda n d fanfiified a faithful people of true adorers , a num erous
fam ily of children to his heaven ly Father, and purchafed andform ed his church, or fpiritualtkingdom of all n ations . Byhis crofs w ere w e fpiritually born a n d adopted in to the num e
ber of his fon s, an d reflored to the in com parable rivilegesof his dignity. The crofs w as the altar on w hich e offeredthe great fa crifice of our redem ption , prefen ting him felfthe
great vlaim of infinite hom age to the glory of his father,an d a fu erabundant atonem ent for the tin s of the w holew orld . t is in the enfign of his quality of the Redeem er
of m an , w hich he delihts and glories above all his other
titles , as his m ercy a nd ove,of w hich this is the gre ats “ :
w ork, the m olt atlon lfhing efi'
ort and ex ertion , are over allhis other m ylteries . The crofs is the m em orial of the fuf
fryMatt. x x viii. 5.Mark, x vi. 6. (s ) 3 C or. i. s 3. (3) 3 C or.n . a .
g.)Phil. ii. 9. (5) Pf. x cv. s o , (6) S . Jufi
‘n . D ial. cumTrpph. ertull
'
. adv. Jude . c. n . et 1 3. L aftan t. A rnobius vel d iesin Pf. 8. Aug. 8: C afliodor. his 8 . Leo. M. Serm . 4. deEamon, etc.
292 . H o L Y W E E - K .
era s .
ferings ofour dearefl Redeem er, and the pl of his1finite love tow ards us . O n the crofs he efpoufe us to him
felf for ever, by his blood, and declared us his brethren a n d
t oheim . It is the outw ard badge and token o f our near
a nd fu nd relation to him , and of the glorious chara&c t
w e i'
n w ardl fibear, by being his difciples an d chofen people.
'
It is the diliinguifhing m ark of our C hriflianity, as Circum
cifion w as of the Jew ifh people . It is the buckler of our‘faith, an d the terror of devils , bein the enfign of C hrifi ’
s
viBory and .trium ph over them t is an a& of our faith,
‘
hope, and love ; and ,both ex cites an d ex preffes this triple
hom age of our fouls, by w hich .
w e glorify God .
C hriil places his glory in his crofs . His crucifix ion a nd
death w as the continual object of his thoughts and defires ,during his m ortal life on earth and the fubje& of his fye
quent entertain m en t even during his glorious transfigu
ration By his prom ife to draw all things to him felf,by bein ex alted on the crofs, he attributes to its pow er the
conved tson of all n ations , the ellablilhm en t and propagation
.of his church, and the efficacy and fruit of all his other m yf
teries (t o). After his refurre&ion , he derives from the crofs
his favourite title of honour, and the efpecial en dearing epi
thet of”hislove for m an : Nor can w e w onder that the angels
and his‘
di’fciples iiifiiriguiflt him by the fam e (I t). At the
Taft day, “ theirhe lhall com e in great glory and m ajelly to
judge the living and the dead, his banner w ill be borne before
‘
him in the clouds w hich is , as S. C hryfoflom , S .
lEphrem , and other fathers unanim oufly ex pound his
crofs , {hitting w ith fuch dazzling brightnefs, as w ould eclipfe‘
the brighte’
ll rays of the fun . The apoflle s , in im itation of
their divineMailer, placed both his and their ow n glory inthis great in llrum en t of falvation . With w hat glow ing fen
tim ents of devotion does S. Paul fpeak of his crucified Saviour, and of his crofs ? I jud ed not m yfelf to know
any thiggam ong you but Jefus hriii, an d him crucified
l(1 4). G forbid that I thouldglory, fave in the crofs of
m ‘
our Lord Jefus C hrill o glory in a thing is to
efieem it, to love it, and to look upon it as our greatnefs
a nd happihefs. Ev
‘
t
zym an glories in thofe things in
w hich he thinks hi elf great,”as S . Thom as
fa
(7) Luke, x n . so . x x n.a s . (8)Mat. x x . 1 9. (9) L uke,yi‘x.
e3s . ~(x c) John , x ii. 3s . (t r)Mat. x viii. 5. Markh x vi. 6. M .
is : s o, 8st . (rs ) Matt. x xiv. 30 . (1 3)Hilary, S . C hrylbl om , 8.
l emon . 8 0 m m ) 8 0 w e: ” 0 (I4) 3 Cor. he 2 0 (lb Gd . ‘isv.40
Q94‘
. H O L ‘ Y.
W E E K s Tr. do
relilh a true pleafure in fuffering, and to regard as nothingall labour, fatigues , and crolles , in the fervice of him w hohas done and fuffered fo m uch for us . What obedien ce fhailw e learn by con tem plating C hrifl m ade obedient un to death
(s o), anuearning obedience from thofe things w hich he
fufiered In a w ord , w hoever defires the glory ofhea
vealy fcience an d virtue, lethim devoutlyapproach the crofs.and read therein . Here he w ill m eet With the m olt fublim e
do&rine, and the m ofl m oving leffons that w ere ever deli
vered . For C hriil crucified is the m olt ex cellent pattern of
allvirtue, and the book of all fpiritual know ledge . 8 . Paul
lin died to for et every thing elfe, becaufe he foun d in the
crofs alone al true fcrence All true difciples of Jefusim itated this apollle, . and bear eviden ce to the fam e truth.
Where, fays a celebrated w riter, did 8 . Bern ard learn his
ardentfpirit of divin e love, and unaion of tender devotion ,
but from the fufferings of his Redeem er, of w hich he m ade
him felf a nofegay, alw ays tocarry about w ith him ? Wheredid the glorious S. Aufiin ure u his fpiritual fcien ce,but b feeding his foul, as lays, om the w ounds ofC hri iItw as from the book of the crofs that the adm irable
S . Francis conceived his feraphic ardours . S . Thom as w as
indebted toit for his wonderful lights , , an d on all occafions
had recourfe in the firll place to the foot of the crucifix . S.
Bon aventure feem s , fays S . Francis ofSales, w hen he w rote
the fpiritual efi’ufion s‘
of his:
foul, to have no other paper
than the crofs , no other pen than the lan ce, no other ink
than w hat is dipped in the recious blood of C hrill . Withw hat feeling fen tim ents did e cry out, It is good for us to
be w ith the crofs . L etus m ake here three tabernacles , one
in his feet, a nother in his hands , an d . a third in his facreclfide . Here I w ill rell , I w ill w atch, I w ill read, [ w ill
I cak, having alw ays before m y eyes this divine book, toud
yt‘in it the fcience of fa lvation during the w hole day, and
a s o n as I aw ake in the night. D w elling in fpirit under
the branches of the crofs. I w ill'
cry out w ith the fpoufe in
holy tranfports I have feated m yfelf under the {bade ofhim w hom I had defired ; and ,his fruit is -fw eet to m y,throat The prophet Jon as rejoiced ex ceedingly inthe lhade of the ivy
-bulb , or gourd, w hich the Lord had
prepared for him , and under w hich he rephfed w ith reat
delight But w hat'
ought to be the joy of C riftian s
,
”cries out S. Fran cis of Sales , is the holy crofs
'
“
csOf
Phil» "o 3 (a t )Hebr. v. 8 . (as ) r Chriu. s . (2 3)gas p.n . 3. (1 4) Jon . iv. 6.
C h'
6. H O L Y W E E K. 29;of our saviour, under
’
w hich they reli, and refrefh infpirit their w earied hearts, find a far m ore fw eet, com
fortable, and durable fhade, an d are defen ded and guardedby that facred w ood : W e w ill then fay : L et jonas tejoice in his ivy, let Abraham prepare a feall. for
gels und er the tree in Mam bre,let Ifm ael be heard by
God un der the tree in the dethrt’
, and let Elias befed tinder the juniper in the w ildern el
‘
s
'
: As’
for our part, itthallbe our com fort and our joy
'
to dw ell in fpirit tinder thefhade of the crofs . Here w e w ill fqafl our hearts : Its
fruits {hall be our continual m olt delicious food : Underit w e w ill ofi
'
erour cries and tears to the Father, ,throughthe Son , w ho .m ade him felf
’
dur facrifice on this tree.
Here w e w ill cry w ith S . Paul (25 God forbidfitould glory, fave in the crofs
‘
o our
L et the children of this w orld
an d feelt an im aginary greatnefs , pleafure,bafe, filthy, fleeting and crim inal obje&_
s
and fenfual gratification s , bydignity of their nature, an d
brutes w hich, inflead
w ith em ptinefs, trouble and bitt"a dream or {hadow I
ex alted, like the cedars of Li
an d behold, he w as n o m ore,
place w as not found Tell m e, w hat are a ll the
perifhable riches and kingdom s of the w orld ? e tinefs, va
nity, an d folly ; full of fn ares , evils, and fin . ut the ad.
van tagessand glory of the crofs of C hn ll , and its fpiritual
kingdom , are im m en fe and etern al. In it therefore w e
ought im m enfely to rejoice. It (hall be our glory, becaufe
in it w e have found redem ption and falvation fpiritualhealth,firength, and beauty ; and its fruits are
rgrace, a glorious
refurre&ion and im m ortality. Alfo becau e it is thei
dear
pledge of the infinite love w hich God bears us, and the enfign of his via ory over fin a nd the devil, and of our tri‘
um ph in him . Therefore w e m ofi jullly glory in the crofs ;an d this fign al pledge of the infinite charity and m ercy ofthe Son of God is placed w ith great honour in the w hole‘
Church. The fign of the crofs. has been the obje& of thed evotion and glory of Chrillian s through all ages yet in
thefe
(a s)Gal . vi. 34. (as S . Fr. Sales , Etendart de la C'roix .
(37;Pf. fiiio a t . (3 8) f. 1m . 6. Pf. m u. 70 1 1 0h“ , ii. 1 70
398 H O L Y W E E K .
their languages , m ax im s , m ann ers , and cuflom s differed .
L et S. C yril, firll catechift, afterw ard archbifhop of Jerufalem
,w ho fiourifhed unde r the tw o firfl:C hriflian em perors,
he voucher for the /
pra&ice of the Greek churches . In
fl ruéting the C atechum en s in the doa rine an d religious oh
fervances of the C hriflian faith, in order to prepare the m
fi r baptifm , he fays L et us not blufh at the crofs of
C hrifi. If another con ceals it, do you form an d bear it
open ly on your forehead , that the devils feeing the royal
fiand ard m ay fly far from you , and trem ble .
'Make ufe
of dis fign w hen you eat, drink, fit, lie dow n , rife up,(peak, or w alk ; in a w ord
,in every action , are .
” St.
t rem,the m efiancien t and illuflrious defl or of the Syriac
church, fpealts to the fam e purpofe ; an d w ith w ords offire ;is w arm is his -devotion , w hen ever he m en tion s the crofs of
e Redeem er He flytes it the arm our ofa C hrif
tian , and fays C over thyfelf w ith the fign of the crofs
,as w ith a fhield , fig
’
ning w ith it thy lim bs and thy .heart
But conten t not thyfelf to m ake this fign b arely w ith thyhand ; fign
-
thyfelf alfo w ith thy m ind , and on thy heart
{till m ore carefully. Arm thyfelf w ith this fign ; like
w ife at thy itudies , at com ing in and going out of doors ,an d at all tim es ; Sign w ithit alfo thy bed , and w hatever
thou pafi'
eft by,'
or ufefl, fign fi rfi therew ith in the n am e of
the Father, an d ofShe Son , an d of the Holy Gbofi. Forthis is an in vin cible arm our, and no one can hurt thee if
thou art covered w ithit.
”i
In‘
his ferm en t, On tbs precious
and kfc-giving craft he fays L et us pain t and carve
this life -
giving fign on our doors , on our foreheads , on
our eyes , m outh, and breafl , and on a ll’
our lim bs . L et
us be adorned and arm ed w ith this invincible arm our of
C hriflian s . For it is the conqueror of death, the hOpe
of the w orld ; the li t of the utm ofl boun daries of the
earth ; the open er o the gates of paradife ; the deflroyer
of herefies , the ram part of the true faith ; the great, and
prophetical guard of the church. Fail not, 0 C hriflian ,“
,to carry this arm our about w ith thee in every place, all
days an d nights , every hour, every m om ent . D o nothingw ithout it. Whether thou com pofefl thyfelf to fleep, or
w atchefl: aw ake ; w hether thou art at w ork, or eatefl , 0T
drih ltefl', or travellefl by land or w ater,”
or w hatever elfe
thou
(5) S . C yr. Hierof. C atech. 4. n . 1 0 . (6) S . Ephrem De Pano
fliéfruW a fpr’
ritu li, P.
’ 369. ed . Nov. Vatic. (7) S . Eel!!Serm . dc pr etrafa Cm “ , p. 537. ih. a
H O L Y W E E K . 299thou doefl, fign and arm all thy lim bs w ith this favingfign of the crois, and thou {halt n ever fear.
”
It has been the cullom of C hriftians to begin and en d all
prayer w ith the f n of the croft , and to repeat it very oftenin the holy Sacricc, in every C onfecration , Ex orcifm , and
Sacram en t. When ce St. Aullin w rites (8) Which Sign ,if it be not form ed on the Foreheads of thofe w ho are
baptiz ed, or on theWater in w hich they are regen erated ;or on the Oil w ith w hich they are anointed w ith C hrifm ;
or on the Sacrifice w ith w hich they are fed, nothing in
thefe Things is duly perform ed (a). To the fam e pur
pofe, S . C hryfoflom fays If a perfon is to be regen erated
by baptifm , the cro’
fsis there em ployed ; if to be fed w iththe m yflical food, if to be ordained, or w hatever elfe is
to be done, this enfign of vi&ory is there . We carefully
paintit on our houfe, w alls a n d w indow s , and on ourfore
heads, arm ing our fouls w ith it.” Here he adds a pom
pous enum eration of the virtues and m iraculous pow er of this
faving fign . From this pra&ice, w hich no Heretic in the
prim itive ages durfl:fo m uch as callin quefiion , S . Bafilproves
the ufe and necefl'
tty of tradition againfiHeretics . If,”
fays he w e reje& un w ritten cuflom S, w e fhall verym uch injure the gofpel, and reduce faith to a m ere n am e :
In w hich to m en tion the Brit and m oft com m on praélice,w ho taught by w ritings that w é m ull m ark thofe w ho
hope in C hrifi, w ith the fign of the crofs (t o) S . Atha
n ahur faY s of grace, or the blefiing of m eat before m eals
“ n thou artfat dow n at table, and beginn efl to break
thy bread , having fi ned it w ith
give thanks (t r). fiance in thelarly to m ake the fign of the crofs at a
the! end of the ‘Gofpel, C reed , Gloria in ex cel/fr, dec.
” fay:
D urandua, t bifl op rides ,The Greeks in a ll
their different liturgies , t Maronites in their C haldee litur
gy, and the other O riental C hriflians repeat thefign of the
crofs , .even m ore freq uen tly tha n the Latins . Thefe litur"
es are form ed upon the'm odels prcfcribed by thofe apoflles
gl
y w hom each church w as foun ded . That of Alex andria is
derived as to the balls from S . Mark, w hatever accidental
additions‘M
(8) 8 . Aug ; Tr. in Joan . n . 5. (9) S . C hryfoll . Horn .
ohm . in Matt. . i. ch. 55r, 55'
s . (t o) 8 . Bali]. 1 . de Spur.
ané'
to, c . (u ) S . A tban . l. d: e gn n t . n . 33. (u )D urand . NIim atens . in Ra liam liDi'w
'
m rum Ofi a on m .
(a) Nibil m m rite
‘
perfcitur. 8 . Aug . Tr. in Joan . n . 5°
goo H o L Y w . Tr. 6.
'
additions m ay have been m ade upon the ihcreafe"of the
'
church in the three, or four firfi cen turies ; that of Jerufalemfrom S . Jam es the L efs, an d agrees w ith that~ex plained by S .
C yril of Jerufalem , and fo of others . Y et they a ll agree ,as in the effentialp arts of the facrifice, fo in the praaice of
repeating often the fign of the crofs ; than w hich nothing can
be a m ore con vin cing proof of an apoflolic infiitution an d
precept.
The fi‘
gn of the crofs, has alw ays been ufed‘by the church’
a an ex cellen t prayer to afk the divine bleflings , throughC hrifi’a precious
'
death, and to confecrate our fouls through
it to God i an d in particular to arm ourfelves w ith divine
firength againll our fpiritual en em ies , vifible and invifible .
The m a rs arm ed them felves w ithit for theirtcom bats. In
the a&s S. Euplius , Martyr, in the year 204, it is record
ed that, Before he anfw ered the prefident, he boldly'
ftgned his forehead w ith his hand .
” In thofe of S. Theodotusiy in »
303 (r4), it is faid , that w hen he w as going w ith'
others -to carry off the bodies of (even m artyrs , upon hearinga fudden noife, afl’righted, he im prin ted on his forehead
'
the fign of the crofs .”An d w hen he w as apprehended ,
com ing in to the prefenee of the judge, he arm ed his w holebody w ith the fign of the crofs S . Rom anus w alked to
the fire, c arrying on his fhoulderS, and on his forehead the‘
royal fign of the crofs , fays the hiflorian Eufebius (4 and
fo of others . The faints have,
chee n accuftom ed to ufe it’
w ith particula r confidence againfl the'devil under all m p
4
tations the cratefilling w ith term s that infernal ho‘
ea or {land the fight of the glorious inflrum en t of, his overfi
th w,by w hich he w as {tripped of his dom inion ever om ‘
fouls . Allillufion s an d deceits of the devil are broken an ddriven aw ay by the fole fign of the crofe,
” fays S a fi than afius He add s L et hi 0
'
.m ake the
trial com e, and in the m idfi o inchantm ente o f. devils ,im poflui
'es of oracles, and illdfion s offorcery, let him but
m ake the fign of the cvofs w hich they deritloan nd he w ill
im m edia tely fee how by it devils are ohafed a w ay, oracles .
{truck dom b, and m agical charm s diffolrve d;
The
‘w onderful pow er of this fign in breaking the firatagem s o f
the
(1 3) Ruinai't; Alla Sit ter . ih. p . (1 571 36l de
Refurreét. p. 35'
s . (1 6) S . Athan . l. do w n tim e»Verbffi n . p.
8 3. T . i. eth -Ben . (1 7) lb. cop. feq u.
R(b)
‘Totm faw n Corpus figno cram m ien: in Stadium aren’t}. ap.um arta J
302 H O L Y W E E K.
fign of the crofs, and at lafl: fprinkled the book w ith holy~
w ater ; after w hich he returned no m ore.
The fain ts, w ho fin ce C hrilt have been endow ed w iththe m iraculous pow ers , m ofl: frequently em ployed the fign
of the crofs , in ex erting them , w hether in ex orcifin D e
m oniacs , and ex pelling devils, or in raifing the deaf, and
refioring the tick to health. S . Anilin relates in w hat m an
n er In nocentia, a w om an of C arthage, w as healed of an
incurable ulcer in her breafl , hy'
the fign of the crofs form ed
upon it. S . Gregory of Nyfl'
a, in his life of his filter, St.
Macrin a, tells us that She m ade the fign of the crofs on
her eyes , m outh, and heart. She hung about her n eck,an iron - ri in w hich w as en chafed a particle of the
true tree 0 life .
” And he relates , that w hen the w as
reduced to ex trem ity byficknefs , fhe
'w as m iraculoufly te
flored to health by the ign of the crofs form ed by her m o
ther at her requeil upon her breaft. The ancien t m offau
then tic lives of the faints of the prim itive ages , are full of
hiflories of m iracles w rought by the fign of the crofs .
See thofe of S . Paul, S . Hilarion , and others , by S. erom
Thofe com piled by Theodoret, the illuftrious bi op ofC yrus S. Martin em ployed this facred fign in per
form ing continual m iracles , and m ade it his buckler againilall dangers and phantom s of the devil, of w hich Sulpicius
Severus has recorded long hiflories Via or,the learned
of Vitis tells us, that S. Eugenius of‘by it reflored fight to a blind m an , n Felix .
m ore m anifefi than that this w as the p cc ofin all coun tries , how different foever in m an ners,nd even in m any poin ts ofecclefiafiical difcipline ;
and that it w as every w here confirm ed from the firll ages ofthe church by the doEtrine and ex e, its m ofl em in ent, m ofl learn ed holy bifhops , ers , and
'
faints . Thefam e w as fo frequen tly confirm ed by m iracles , that 8 . C h
foflom calls the fign of the crofs , A defence againft
evil, and a m edicine againfl all ficknefs ( And the
like epithets are frequentl
‘ygiven it by other arbers .
In the ft of the c m s is com prifed the ex cellen ey ofevery kin or form of prayer ; in the firfl lace. aas of
faith, hope and charity, the three theologi virtues byw hich
(37) “ M “ . m &. Eu la lo 7. C e .i. m a, Re“ 0 ‘o 39 39 a,
2,
)3I)8
g“ (33)gu
l
lp.
lSev. in Vita S . Martini, in D ial
!.
1 9 e cc. an a . o S . C fafl.
x i. p. 3870 d o S3V“ .
7 P. 94 (3 hr, l
I
eh. .7
'
H O L Y W E E K. 30;w hich w e glorifyGod by the rational hom age of our hearts.
It 1s both an in w ard and an outw ard a& and profetiion offaith. The fundam ental m ytteries w hich the C hrifiian reli
gion effen tially obliges us ex plicitly to believe and profeta,are the Trinity ofperfons m theUnity of the Godhead, and
the I nca rna tio n an d Death of the Son of God for the re
dem ption ofMan . By n ting the w ord Nam e 1 n the tingular,not Nam : 1 n the plural, w e ex prefs the Unity of God , and
by.
nam ing the three ditlinét perfons , w e ackno w led
ege the
Trinity. The very fign of the C rofs im plies the b iefof
the Incarn ation an d death of C hritt. Whitlithe devotion ofthe heart form s thefe a&s in w ardly by the atfen t and atten
tion of the m ind, the w ords acco anied w ith the ti of
the crots, are the m ott proper outw ard)
profetlion of the am e.
Hence has the tign of the crots alw ays been looked upon as
the m ott facred badge, and dittinguithing m ark ofC hrittians .
The m artyrs by it declared their faith before perfecutors ,and a C hritlian being atlted his religion , often anfw ered bythis tign rather than by w ords . When ce St. Auttin re,
m arks that ifa catechum en before he w as by baptiftil
initiated 1 n the m ytleries of our religion , or adm itted 1 nto
the num ber, and allow ed to partake tn the privileges of a
difeiple of C hritl, w as atlted w hat religion he profell'
ed,this he declared by m aking the tigu of the crofs . A
pud to this
day the C hrittian s ofall the ditfere ntfe&s and coun tries in the
Eatl, have to firongly im bibed this idea, that they can not be
perfu tha t any are C hritlians w ho do n ot devoutly ufe
this ti As by faith the foul 1s rait'
ed above goods w hich
are vitible and tem poral, fo hope the 1s raited to, and bylove 1 3 put tn potfetiion of Go s nd
phis fpiritual an d im m or
tal gifts. Faith therefore 1 s the foundation of the fpiritual
life ofGod tu the foul, and hope and divine love tait'
e the fu
pertlruaure . Now the C rofs being the m otive of our hope,nothing can m ore tlrongly ex cite and anim ate, or in a
m ore lively and proper m an ner ex prefs 1t. The C hritlianw an ts not the painful operation of circum cition ,
” fays St.
Am brofe, w ho carrying about the C rofs of our Lordw rites every m om ent the con tem pt of death upon his
forehead, know ing that he can not attain to falvation w ithout
the crofs . By thisfacredIf w e ex prefs our hope ofpar
don , grace, and everlatling h e, through the precious death
of C hritl, by w hich alone w e can be faved . The fam e 1 s
an a& .of love, adoration , praife and facritice. The m ore
am iable3.A0"T‘l it . h To iii. p ed . Ben .
H O L Y W E E K . .Tr. 6.
am iable and adorable C hritl:is to us in his a ctings, and to
how m uchgreaterindignities and torm en ts he fubjea ed him.felf for our fake , the m ore ought the em blem of his fufl
’
er
ings, of the greatet'
t efi'
ort of his love, and our redem pti
on , ace an d glory, be m olt dear, precious and adorable tous . y this lign w e thew that w e bluth not at his hum iliation , but look upon it. as his a n d our ow n highett glory, andthat w e pay him all honour, praife and .hom ages for thefam e ; and in the m otl: profound fenfe of gratitude and de
votion , confecrate on rfelves to him for ever, hear in m ind
his m ercy by w hich w e are redeem ed, and confefs his greatn efs a nd glory both in the infinite m ajetly of his divm ity ,and i
'
n the beautiful tlole of his hum anity. By the fam e w e
profcfs on rfelves his follow ers ; for the C rofs is the entigu and.
badge of our order, an d the . arm s of our heaven ly King,our God, and crucified Saviour. L et others boatiof garters , ribbon s a n d flats , w hich are w orn and gaz ed upon , becanfs the badges of w orldly honours conferred by princes ,w e w ill think it the highett honour, an d the greatetl advan
tage and happinefs to w ear the livery, and bear the holy en
fign of the King ofKings, ex preflive ofhis grea tett m ytieries . By it w e glorify him for the indignities he w as pleatedto fufl
'
er for us, and proclaim aloud the honour of his C rots ,w hich though before his death an obje& of infam y and dif
tgrace, is-now planted on the forehead of Kings tim e
by flee], trium hed over hell,his fpiritual lti m a By m alt
w e 'rem ind on rfelves of the great
patience , hum ility, ,and a “ virtue
deC lare ourfelves ton s of the C rots,e n rolled underits ban n er ; bound alw ays to carry it in our
hearts by our love ofhum iliation , and in our bodies by the
praEtice of m ortification an d pen an ce . To ufe con tin w llythe tign of the Grofs , yet to live enem ies to it, ,and ttrangersto the fpirit of C hrift crucified , is to be a fcandal a nd te
proach to our religion . C hritiians therefore dithonour the
C rofs , w hen they ufe this facred fign w ithout 'devotion a nd
infidels and heretics w ho deride and condem n it.
The latter w ho charge this a& of devotion w ith fuperfli
tion , teem to forget that they allow the piety and obligation
of the duty of religion in ofi'
ering to God the outw ard as
w ell as in w ard hom age of adoration , praife, invocation and
love. This they do by w ords ; “ (hit-1h are-Od y figm 2),
ten(42 ) 3. Aug.M a
‘ih930311 :i
i
303 H O L Y W E E K . Th e.
rite, it burns to the end of the Pal'
chal tim e or to Whitfuntide .
The triple can dle ariting from one flock, tignifies the Tri
nity of perfon s in one God , or the light of the Triun e God
fhining to the w orld through C hritl . This only burns duringthe office of holy Saturday m orning : after w hich it is taken
aw ay, and no m ore m ade ufe of, not even on Batter- day,or during the 0&ave
Tw elve prophecies from the O ld Tettam en t are read for
the infiruaion of the C atechum en s an d Faithful an d as
a n in troduaion to their end an d accom plithm en t in C hritt’s
Refurrefiion . In thefe is difplayed the m oft m ercifu l P ro
viden ce of God con tinually w atching over m an , con dufi inghim from his fall to his reparation in C hritt. The tighs ofthe fain ts ofthe old law for their great Deliverer are in ter
In all parith churches the baptifm al fon t is bletl'
ed, afterw hich baptifm is folem nly adm initlered , if any are prefe n ted to receive that facram en t according to the an cien t difci
pline on Eafler andWhitfun - eve. Where it can be conve
niently done, fom e perfon or perfon s ought to be ba tiz ed,as St. C harles Borrom eo puts patlors in m ind . At om e
,
fom e con verted Jew s or fuch other adults are prepared during Len t, and baptized w ith great folem nity in the Lateranchurch by the C ardinal Vicar on Eafler and W hitfun - eves .
Where no adult converts are to be baptiz ed , in populous ci-s
ties , infan ts born a day or tw o before, m ay be often prefented at the fon t on this occation .
The celebrant w ith the Deacon an d Subdeacon lies profirate a t the foot of the altar, w hiltithe Litany is fung to im
plore the divin e m ercy for the pardon of tin , a nd all divin eaces through the facred m ytleries of C hritl
’
s death and R e
Fur
rre&ion . The Prophecies an d Litany fupply the introit oftheMafs, w hich is therefore om itted.
The folem n Mafs of C hritl’s Refurrefiion is faid after the
Litan y tow ards noon , w hich w as {till fung at the m idnightfollow ing in the tim e of St. Thom as Aquinas . By repeatedAlleluias w e are invited to fpiritual joy an d raife . H allelu
j‘ab is a com pound Hebrew w ord w hich ignifies P rmfe yetbs Lord, an ufual pious
a acclam ation of fpiritual joy an d
taife.pThe deeper our forrow and com pun&ion for fin , and the
fenfe of our fpiritual m iferies are, a nd the m ore tender part
w e
(5) SeeGavan t C om m . in Rubric. Mitl'
alis, p. an .
[ 31 0 1
Tu SEV E N T H TR EAT I S E.
O N T H E
RE SUR 'R E C T I O N o r ow n L ORD .
C H A P . I.
On Ea e a - n Av.
ith’
Paffb v'
er, called by them Pajiba, w as kept
w s iii m em ory oftheir m iraculous deliveran ceof Egypt, by the tlaughter of all the firft
n am e w as derived from the Hetignifies to pafs, or leap over,w ho flew the firtl- born of the
houfes of the Hebrew s w ithoutbei m arked w ith the
as
n
itilled the eveningof Chrifl, w ho b his
he tyran ny of the devil.n the fourteen th day of theor facred LunarYear, call
by Efdras , and the later Jew s , Nil/arrto the ca tetipart of our m arch, and
s, w as t e m oon of the vern al equinox ,h of the civil year of the Jew s ,
w hich they follow ed in all com putation s , in fecular affairs ,and w hich they began from the m on th, Tifri, or the autum
n al equinox .
The Patchal Lam b, w hich the jew s killed, tore to pieces ,and eat, and w hofe blood preferved them from the hand of
the detlroying angel, w as a figure of the death of our Savi
our, an d of his blood fpilt for our Redem ption . C hritt,
our Pafch, is facrificed,” fays St. Paul by his Re
furreaion , he put the feal to this great w ork, w hich m ytleryw e com m em orate on the Sun day after the fourteenth of the
01909of March, or w hich begins in March. This fetlival
1 3
(1 ) Ex od . xii. 46. Num . ix . rs . John x ix . 36. (a) 1 C or. v. 7.
C hit . R E S U R R E C T I O N. 31 1
is the true C hriflian Patch, and is called in theEnglilh-Saxon
langu Ea/ier-D ay (a).
In t e begin nin of the church, the Jew ilh converts inform . laces , kept t is folem nity on the fourteenth (la , itfelf, t e fam e on w hich the jew s celebrated their Pa ver.
The Apofiles had the condelceniion to allow them this lieberty, to thew the
{ew s that the gofpel of C hrill did not
con dem n the Mofaic aw , w hich it had m ade void by ful.filling it. But the C hrillian Pafchal lealiw as in general apoin ted by the Apoltles to be kept on the Sunday that fol,lhw ed the I4th day of the m oon ofMarch. The Rom an ,and all other churches of converted Gentiles obferved thisrule. The contrary cufiom w as only tolerated for fom e tim e,that the fyn agogue m
'
ht be buried w ith honour as St.Aufiin lays , ofthe lega cerem onies in but thatreafon gradually lohng its force, the church abolifhed m ore
and m ore the prz&ice of typical obfervan ces, w hich fromthe tim e of
,C hrill
’s death, and the confirm ation of the new
alliance, or coven ant, had loll both their obligation , and alltheir virtue and m eaning. Thole lew iih converts to C hrifttianity w ho pretended that Chrilttans lie under an abligcktion of
’
obferving the jew ifh cerem onial precepts, w ere fromthe inning con dem n ed by the church, are one of thefirll:
heretics that arofe in the church, are called thz arean heretics, and are refuted by St. Paul in his Epiftle totheGalatian s, &c. (b). The church
’s condefcention in to
(3) St. Aug . ep. 1 9.
(a) This nam e fignifies the feat! of April for the Eoglilh-Sax on s
m l ed that m on th Eofier, from their Gadders of that nam e. as Bedsinform s us, 1 . dc Ra tim Tsw an a», c. 1 3. See Alford . Anna].
.
‘dan n . Though D r. Sparke and Vs (An t. s o) derivebothOflrr -Maua l , or the m onth of ril, the nam e Eafler from
or 094, tiling, or the Ball ; or m Ofia’
m , Relim‘
eaion .
S )John Tohnd, w hofe w an t ofintegrity in his and con
4 ought to have m ore difcreditod the caufe of l llfi than hisin ious w riting s could fupport it, w rote his ”m om , to give a talkhiorvof thefe ancien t heretics , pretending, that all the converted Jewsw ere fochin the begin nin g of the church, and that they believed C hn ft,to be no m ore than a m an , at m olt the great“ ! of the pro ts 3 Thatthe con verted Gen tiles rem ained flill attached to their ol fuperihtlousideas and pu m a s, 8m . And that C hrilianity originally w as a verydifc en t fytlem from w hat it is (ince becom e.Motheirl to fa the foundation of Tolan d
’
s im pious book, wrote a
hook, in titled , fw fia ’
c antique Cbn’
flianoruu 05/21 l In
pretend s that theNazarean heretics only (p u n ; up am ong the
s orted ew s in the fourthcen tury, w hen theEn peron
sn C His only argum en tis draw n from the menu it.MTG.)
Ql'
?
3m R E S U R R E C T I O N. Triy.
lers ting in converted jew s the ufe of feveral cerem onies oftheir law , continued till about the tim e of the dellru&ion
of the city and tem ple of Jerul’
alem , in the year feven ty,about forty years after the death of C hrifl . From that tim e
the praaice of the Jew ifh cerem onies has been ever con
dem ned as fuperliitious . Tw o ex ception s w ere, how ever,m ade for fom e ages . tit. In abllaining from eating blooda nd things firangled (4) w hich law w as given to Noah andhis children lo before the Jew ifh difpenfation and con
firm ed by the poftles in the great council at JerufalemThe other ex ception w as the tem porary toleration of thofeO riental churches w ho kept Ealter on the t4rh day w iththe low s (c). Pope Anicetus tolerated that cullom in St.
Polycarp, w hen he cam e to Rom e to confer w ith him on
that head in t58 P0 e Vi&or in 1 88, threatened Po ,
lycrates, Bilhop of Ephe us, an d the other Afiatics, w ith
ecclefiattical cenfures, if they did not conform to other
'churches ; but proceeded no farther. The greatefl part ofthe A fiatic churches w ere infenfibly fallen into the pra&ice
of the church of Rom e, w hen in 325, the gen eral councilof Nice ordained, that all churches lhould celebrate Ealler,
on
(4) Enforced by C an . Apofi. 63. Tertullian , O rigen , C lem ens ofAlex and ria, the letters of the churches of Vien ne an d L yon s , &c.(5) Gen . ix . 4. (6) A8 8 x v . 2 8 . (7) S . Iron . 1 . iii. c . 3.
Us . l. S . Hier. de Script. c . 1 7.
Tertullian , O rigen , and Eufebius , in w hofe w ritings n o m en tion is
m ade of the Nazarean heretics from w hence he rejeEts all that St”
hanius , and St. Jerom e relate con cerning the an tiquity of this
t is , how ever, eviden t from incon teflable m onum ents ; and 8 . Aufiin ,O rigen , Ste . m en tion their erroneous tenets w hen ce Beaufobre has te
futed this m ittalte of Molheim . See Beaufobre, Drfi rt.fur It ! Nazca -1
ream , a la fl it: da Supp/m ea t de la Gam e i n Hufi ts r. Molheim
him felf afterw ard s fix es the origin of the Nazarean heretics at the tim eof the defiruétion of Jerufalern . See his Inflita tiorm HM. Eccq .
prin ted in 1 755, St e. 1 . cap. 5. p. 67. See Toland’
s Na z a m m r re .
fa ted by Thom as Maugel, in his Rem ark: on the Nasa l-m ar ; and by
Paterfon , in his An tina z m'
ew r.
(e) I t continued in force out ofrefpefi to this decree of the Apofiles
in m any arts of the Well, till the n th cen tury, as appears from the
P eniten tia of S . Theodorus of C an terbury in Engla nd , the canon s of
Pope G regory I l l . . 8rc . In m oltO rien tal churches the precept of ah
tianning from blood and things ltrangled is ltill in force. (See Bevel'idge in Cod . C anon , l. ii
’
.
'
c . 7. 5. D r. D elany, the
learned Proteltant Author of the life at?D avid , Ste, m ain tain s that
C hriltian s are (till obliged to obferve it. See his book, 93: BMOf Abfiisom cfrm Bim id qfa dcd, London t7ga. See all
'
o Steph.
‘
C ur
cellc us , Dia tn'
ba J s'
efis Sa m a ria}, Op. Theol, p. 958 . and the Dif
fsrts tion s ofNatalis Alex an der, Gravel'
on , 8m . on this fubjcét.
314 R E S U R R E C T I- O N'
. Tr.'
7.
I w ill. be thy bite or according to the Hebrew , I
w ill tear thee w ith m y teeth Which St. Paul renders by an in terrogation 0 death, w here is thy vi&ory i
"
O r conq uering pow er . The fam e Pro het faid in ano
ther place He w ill revive us er tw o days : onthe third day he w ill taife us up, an d w e fhall live in hisfight,
”'
&c. The plural num ber is here put, becaufe C hriilraifed his elefi w ith him , or the fouls of all m en by his victory for them . Thofe w ho w ould un derlland this pafl
'
age of(on e deliverance can fin d none of the tim e here
m inutely et dow n on the third da And the m olt learned
Rabbins them felves , quoted by alatinus and Pocock have
alw ays underflood this paffage of the Melliah, deliveringor raifi up his people. Ifaiah tells us , that the,
Prince of
the w o
'
i'ld flattered hit
l
n
d
felf he fho
uld be able to hold it for
ever ca'
ve, an d fhou ex tingutfh'
tin its ver foilroe b
the deaihl
of C hrifl, and fw allow up
i
fib
ril w ho is)ihe Refug
refiion an d the Life : but un know ingly con tributed to his
ow n overthrow ; for Chrifl w ould deliver all nation s . He
fhail call death dow n headlong for ever : and the LordGod {hall w ipe aw ay tears from every face D a
vid clearly fpoke of C hrill’s Refurre&ion w hen in the perfect
of C hrill he faid I forefaw the Lord alw ays before m yface ; for he is on m y right hand that I fhould not be m ov
ed . Therefore did m y heart rejoice, and m y tongue w as
glad m oreover alfo m y flefh {hall ref! in hope, becaufe
thou w ilt not leave m y foulin hell, neither w ilt thou fufi'
er
thy holy O n e to fee corruption St. Peter preachingto the Jew s thew s that David fpoke this under his
ow n perfon of the Mefliah, w ho according to the flefh w as
to defcend from him , and fit on his throne, or rei over
the people ofGod . For David’s body rem ained a ngn
putri
hed in his fepulchre, w hich “ is w ith us even to this day,”
fays the Apollle . Therefore he fpoke this of C hrift w ho
tofe alive out of the grave, and few no corruption
w hereof adds he, w e are w itn efl'
es.” This reafoning of
St.
(to) Ofe. x iii. 1 4. 1 C or. x v. 53. See Potoclt , p . 669, 67s .
(1 1 ) Ofe. vi. 3 and 4. See on this paffage Tert. adverf. jude oc,s . 1 3. S . C ypr. adv. Judas. c . a s . S . C yr. fl ier. cap. 1 4. n . 1 4 .
8 . A u l. x viii. D e Civit. c. a t . S . fl ier . hie 9. 8 . Greg . M . Hon-1 .
an . in § zech. S . Bern . Serm . in die Pafehr , n . 8 . See our [a
mt
tation on this Palfage roved by D r. Ham m ond in c. 1 3 . Mat: byD r. Pocock C om . on ofea, ch. vi. v. a . p . 253, a s4, a ss . T . 1g.
(t a) lfa . x x iv. 8 . (1 3) Pf. av. (Hebr. x vi.) 8, 9, so.
(1 4) Aft. ii. 4s .
31 6 R E‘
S U R R E C T I O N. Tr. 7.
ferved to ren der the eviden ce and the glorious efi'
ea s of this
m yflery m ore illullrious . Y et even the Jew ifh P riefls hadheard that he had foretold he {hould rife again on the third
dayC H A P . II.
76: Hi/lary of Ga u'
r’s s u n a z c r to n .
UR divin e Lord ex pired on Good-Friday about three
of the clock in the afternoon , an d his body w as laidin the fepulchre before the liars appeared , w hen the Sabbath
begun , at the firliV efpers or evening : n ay, an hour before
funfet, the ew s being accullom ed, for greater caution , to
begin the Sn batical refl from all kind of w ork fo early. It
w as a n ew m onum en t hew ed or hollow ed into a rock in a
garden , not far from the place of our Lord’s crucifix ion ,
w hich Jofeph of Arim athea had m ade for his ow n n fe . His
fepulchre w as that of the rich, and m ail honourable, though
his death had been like that of the w icked, and both m olt
ignom inious an d cruel w hich circum llan ces had been
foretold by Ifaiah. His burial w as perform ed by the care
of jofeph of Arim athea , a rich m an , and an honourablecounfellor aflifled by Nicodem us
,a Pharifee of dif
tinétion , a ruler am ong the Jew s , a n d a m afier in Ifrael
his body w as w rapped in linen clothes , w ith a
m ix ture of m yrrh and aloes , about an hundred pound w eight.
Jofeph w ith his afliflan ts had lhut the m outh of the fe
pulchre w ith a great ftone
"in a MS . copy of St.
uke’s gofpel ufed by Bez a, it is faid, that
20 m en could
hardly roll it. St. Mark tells us , it w as very res t
The chief Priefis of the Jew s w itnefs that the y of C hrifl
w as fiillin the fepulchre, the evening after the Sabbath w as
over ; for they obtain ed of Pilate leave to place a guard to
w atch the fepulchre, pretending to apprehend that his difci
ples m ight com e by night, and Real aw ay the body, and
then give out that he w as rifen , according to w hat be him
feif had predié’ted w hile he w as yet alive . They according
ly fet a guard , m ade fure the fepulchre, an d put a feal upon
the done , w hich clofed up the entrance . They probablym ade their application to Pilate tow ards the clofe of
‘
the Sab
bath, after the religious duties of the day w ere over ; but
w ould
(a s ) L ake, m iii. 64. (2 3) IE. xix . 41 , 42 . (24)Mats
t u rn. 57. Mark x v. 43. (a s) John x ix . 39, 40. (2 6)Mattx v. 47. Mat. m m . 61 . (1 7) Mark x vi.
31 8 R E S U R R E C T I O N. Tr. 7.
pom pous eloquence. But in the contem plation of this m yrtery, the ftrongeft em otions and glow ing fentim ents of theheart ought con tinually to break forth in tranfports of adoration
,love, thankfgiving and praife . In this fpirit m uft w e
read the evangelic al n arration of this w onderful m yftery.
St.Matthew and St. Mark c learly d iftinguifh at leaft tw ocom panies of pious w om en , vifiting the fepulchre early onthe Sunday m orning, and tw o appearan ces of angels (a),w hich m any in terpreters have confounded together. MaryMagdalen , a n d the otherMary fet out firft very early to takea view of the fepulchre , and fee in w hat condition it w as
[0 reftlefs w as their love, that they had not pa tience
to w ait for the fpices w hich they left for the other com panyto bring after them . Magdalene w as on the road, w hen
,
behold, a great earthquake happened For the angel of
the Lord defoended from heaven , and com ing, rolledback the (tone, and fat upon it. His coun ten an ce w as
as lightning, an d his raim ent as fnow ; and for fear ofhim the guards w ere ftruck w ith terror, a nd becam e as
dead m en .
”At the tim e w he n the earthquake w as felt
round the m onum en t, the Saviour of the w orld arofe by his
ow n pow er and ftrength, and cam e forth living, gloriousan d trium phan t, piercing the ftone that clofed the m outh of
the m onum ent, as m any ancien t Fathers aver Then
an ange l defcended , rem oved the fton e and feared him felf
upon lt at w hich light the guards w ere feized w ith dread
and corftern ation , and fell "
in to a fw oon o r trance (b).Magdalene arriving at the fepulchre, and feeing the hone
taken aw ay, in'furpria e an d fear ran and told St. Peter and
St. John , They have taken aw ay the Lord, and w e know
not w here they have laid him She had then feen no
angel or other villon , or the w ould have m entioned it. Pe
ter and John ran ftraight to the fepn lchre the latter out
ran Peter, and lim ping and looking in, faw the linen clothes
lying, yet w e nt nor in , w aiting for Peter, w ho com ing upw en t in to the fepulchre, and faw the linen clothes lie, and
the n apkin that w as about his head , w rapped together in a
place by itfelf. Then St. John alfo w ent in, and faw the
(go) Mat. x x viii. 1 , a , 3, 4. See Snares, doMy m
Cbrfflt, C ON . 3 1-19. are. (32 ) Jo xx x x ,
(3) See this dem onhrated in Obfl'w a tion r on tbs Hillary and Ewi
da car qfMeyer
-
reg ion of 7. C . by Gilbert Weft, a s .
(b) Mr . all w ill have it that C hrtlt rate w ill the foldiers w ere
in this trance, and that they did not feehim .
C h. 2 . R E S U R R E C T iG N. 319fam e, and believed ; w hich m ull: be underflood of divine
faith that being the fcriptural fenfe of the w ord, be
lieving ; though, as yet they knew not the Scripture that
he m ufl rife again ,” fays St. John . But he believed that
C hrifl: w as rifen , before he un derflood the prediétions of the
P m phets concerning that m ytlery. After this they return ed
to the city, leaving Mary Magdalene w eeping at the m onu
m ent Whill’t Magdalen e w en t back to Jerufalem to
call St. Peter and St . John to the fepulchre, the other Maryand Salom e , according to St. Mark, arrived w ith fpices.
Whilfion the road they faid to on e another Who {hallroll us a w ay the {ton e from the door of the fepulchre
Upon their arrival they faw it w as taken aw ay, and enter
ing the fepulchre,“they faw a young m an fitting on the
right fide, cloathed w ith a w hite robe, and they w ere
allonifhed .
” The angel had left the (tone a t the m outh,and feated him felf w ithin the m on um ent. Having laidafide his terrors , he faith un to them Be not afi
'
righted
ye feck Jefus of Naz areth w ho w as crucified. He is
rifen ; he is nothere.Behold the place w here they laid him .
But go ; tell his difciples a nd Peter, that he goeth before
you in to Galilee : There (hall you fee him , as he told
you .—An d they going out, fled from the fepulchre, for a
trem bling and fear had feiz ed them ; and they faid no
thing to any m an , for they w ere afraid (St. Mark
x vi.) till on the road , C hrift him felf m et them . (St. Matt.
x x viii. St. Mark m entions , that thofe w om en brought
fpices to the m onum ent ; a circum flance w hich St. Mat
thew om its, becaufe it w as w ell kn ow n to the Jew s to w hom
he w rote (c).St. Luke m ention s an appearance of angels at the fepul
chre w hich m any have confounded Wlth that recorded by St. John But it feem s quite another, and m ade
to Joan n a and her com pany. For thefe w om en carried
fpices , found the {lon e rem oved from the fepulchre, and en
tering, found the body of Jefus w as no m ore there. Whilfl:they flood perplex ed , tw o m en flood by them in lhining gar
m en ts, and faid Why feel: ye the living am ong the deadHe
$33) SeeWell, P. 1 05. (34) John x x .
35) 8 . L uke x x iv. (36) ih.
(e) 8 . Matthew join s this fpeech of the angel to his account of the
arrival of St.Mary Magdalen at the fepulchre but it w as addrefl'
ed to
the kcond com pau that cam e up after the departure . The articleY Ptiought rather to be m oan ed 3 “ arm than And . See .Well, pa 330
330 R E S U R R E C T I O N . Tr. 7.
He is not here, but is rifen .
” Peter then arofey -and ran
un to the fepulchre, and {looping dow n he beheld the linen
clothes laid by them felves , &c. This w as a fecond tim
St. Peter w en t to the fepulchre, w hen he only {looped and
looked in , but did not enter in to the fepulchre , as before
And tw o difi'
erent reafons are afiign ed b St. Luke and St
John of each : of the firli, the report 0 Maryof the fecond, and her com pany
of thofe
to the
n ew s of the rem oval of the (tone, and ligns of the Refur
refiion , though then obfcure . She w as alfo the chief
am ongft the w om en w ho had follow ed Jefus from Galilee ,an d attended him w hence {he is
'
often n am ed in the‘
Hiftoryof C hrifi
’a Refurrefiion for her w hole com pany. C hrift
w as pleafed to difcover to the Apoflles this m yllery gradually, the better to cure their perplex ity, and to m ake its te
ality m ore eviden t. Had they ex pea ed his refurrefiion , or
been lefs difficult in believing the Brit inform ations of it,the other difciples, and the w orld m ight have fufpe&ed
im agination m ight have had fom e {hare in w hat w as feen
w hich their in credulity rem oves all fhadow of, as w ell as of
any confpiracy or defign . St. Peter and St. John feem to
have alfem bled the reliof the eleven Apoflles and D ifciples ,upon the report ofMagdalene, and upon w hat they had
feen at the fepulchre.
Angels w ere the firll m efi'
engers of this m yflery ; but.
their tellim ony w as foon confirm ed by C hrifl him felf. St.
Mark tells us that Early on the firft day of the
w eek, he appeared firft to Mary n e, out of
‘
w hom he had call feven devils . r elates the
m an n er in the follow ing w ords a St.John had left the fepulchre to return to their coll a , and
n lider w hat w as to be done, Mary rem ained be ind, and
Stood w ithout at the fepulchre w eeping ; and as the w ept,the {looped dow n , and looked in to the fepulchre, and faw
tw o angels in w hite fitting ; the one at the head , and the
other at the feet, w here the body of Jefus had been laidand they fay unto her, Wom an , w hy w eepeft thou ? She
faith unto them , Becaufe they have taken aw ay m yLord,and I know not w here they have laid him . And w i
g:CC
(37)Mark x vi. (38) John x x .
R E S U R R E C T I O N .
‘
Tr. 7.
death, and his Refurre&ion on the third day, being foretoldby the PrOphets . The tw o difciples rem em bered that their
m ailer had foretold thefe things , and had feen his fufi'
erings
an d death, and it w as now the third day ; but they did not
underflan d w hat w as m ean t b his rifing from the dead , or
how it had been foretold by t e Prophets , w het
He w as to be taken in to heaven , or to live agthem
,and in w hat m an ner, as the King of lfrael, or
otherw ife ? In their w ay to Em m aus they w ere debating the
argum en t of the ancien t prophecies , the circum fian ces of
their m afler’s death, and the reports of the w onders feen at
his fepulchre ; and their aflliaion w as vlftble in their coun
tenan ces , w hen Jefus joining them in the form of a travel»
ler, aflted w hat w as the fubje& of their difcourfe, and the
occafion of their fadnefs . O n e of them , w hofe n am e w as
C le
fiphas , (and w ho w as hufban d of Mary, filler of the
Ble ed Virgin , uncle to C hrifl, and Father of S. Sim eon ,
St. Jam es the Leffer, S . Jude, and Jofeph, or Jofes), iaform ed him ih fuch a m an ner as to declare a certain kn ow
ledge, that Jefus w as a great Prophet ; but ex prefling a doubt
fin ce his death, w hether he w as the Mefliah, as they had
form erly hoped : Jefus having upbraided them for their
w eaknefs and flow nefs in com prehending the an cien t pro
phecies , ex lain ed them , fo as clearly to thew , that Mofes
an d all the ruphets had foretold that it w as neceffary that
the C hrill fhould fufl'
er death. Their hearts glow ed w ithin
them all the w hile the heard him difcourfe
yet they
kn ew him not. When ey cam e to Em m aus , Js us m ade
a fhew as if he in tended to go farther, but C leop as and his
com panion detained him, faying it w as tow ards evening,
and they obliged him to fup w ith them . ofus, w hile theyw ere at table, took bread, bleffed it, an having ,
broke it,refented fom e of it to them . By his tw o aaions , firfiof
hankfgiving to God , (w ithout w hich the Jew s never brokebread, fuch thanks being an acknow ledgm ent and hom age
to the'
ver, and a petition ofhis bleffm g upon their food)and ad y, ofhis dividing
b
it am ongfl them , their eyes w ere
Open ed, and they kn ew im . But he dif peared and left
them . C hrifl: chofe to con vin ce them of is Refurre&ion ,firft by reafon , _
then by fenfe, that their m inds ,being firfl;
prepared, their all'
ent to the teftim ony oftheir fenfes thould be
given w ith the ~
'
con currence of their,reafon . The tw o dif
ciplet bei‘
th'
iis convin ced, return ed that fam e hour to Jerufalem , re they found the Apoflles afl
'
em bled together,debating
C 1” . R E S U R R E C T I O N. 323
debating upon the feveral reports that had been m ade them
that day, particularly upon w hat S . Peter had told them ,
that he had that day feen C hrifl. The reports of MaryMagdalene, an d afterw ard of the other Mary and Salom e,that C hrill had appeared to them ,
feem ed to them at firfl:to {lan d in need of farther inform ation . But, though neither the tim e nor the particulars of C hrifl’s appearan ce to
S . Peter are recorded by the Eva cliffs,“the Apoftles
fs cm to have laid a greater fire 3 upon that alon e than
upon all thofe related by the w om en ,” Mr.W eft.
For upon thefe tw o difcrples com ingin to cham ber,
they accoft them im m ediately, w it out w aiti
ngto hear
their flory, w ith fa
g'ing, The Lord is rifen in ccd, and
bath appeared to im on but m ake no m en tion of anyof his appearances to the w om en C leophas and his
com panion then related w hat had ha pened to them in the
w ay, and how Jefus had m anifelle him felf to them at
fup er. According to S. Luke, they now believed, u
S . Peter’s report, that C hrift w as rifen Y et S. arkthat the n either believed C leo has nor his com panionbecan though they acknow edged that C hrill w as
rifen from the dead, they did not believe that he had bodilyappeared tothofe w ho pretended to have feen him , and tohave had fuflicient eviden ce upon that poin t. This alfo ap
pears from St. Luke, w ho tells us , that w hen he appeared to
all the eleven , they did not believe even their ow n eyes, but
fuppofed they had feen a fpirit. That this w as their dif
tition is alfo clear, from the rem edy w hich C hrifl a pintsto cure their unbelief, bidding them behold and hand e hisfeet and han ds . For w hilfl the difciples w ere affem bled forfear of the Jew s , an d w ere en tertaining them felves upon
w hat S . Peter, and afterw ard C leophas and his com panionhad jufi reported to them
,on Sunday evening, the doors
being fhut, Jefus a peared in the m idfl of them , to give
them the com fort w ich they fo earn eflly '
lon ed for.a He
fain ted them according to his cuftom , an d aid, Pea c e 4:
un to you He rebuked them for their unbeliefand hardn efs ofheart, becaufe they doubted of the reality of his cor
poral a pearance, notw nthll anding the tellim ony‘
of thofew ho ha feen him , and w ho brought creden tials w ith them
that could not be refufed , . from the a ncien t Prophets . ToY a m ake
(40)Well, p. 1 1 8. x x iv. 34. (as).
Mark, x vi.
(43) John , x x . li L uke, x xiv. 36, Mark, x vi. ,1 4. 1 C or.
a s s u a n a c r t o n . Tr. y .
m ake the argum ent m ore convincing and fatisfafi ory, headded Behold m y han ds a nd m y feet tha t itis I m yfeif: han dle m e and fee ; for a fpirit hath not heflt an d
bones , as ye fee m e have. And w hen he had thus f o
ken , he lhew ed them his hands and his feet andgalslide Then w ere the difciples glad, w hen they faw
the Lord,”litys S . John , yet their m inds w ere fiu&uat
ti‘
ng aboutm any circum llan ces under the am az em ent, ter
ffor, an d joy w ith w hich they w ere feized, an d w hich didtint fulfe
'
r
'
them to rife at'
once out of thediftem peratures ofform erdoubts , perplex ity a n d prejudices of a lotion s tem
p o of a Medish. St. Luke adds , hillithey yetW
not for joy, .
and w ondered, Jefus faid un to them ,
Have ye here any thing to eat An d they ofi'
ered him a
piece of broiled fill'l, and a honeycom b.‘
And w hen he
had eaten before them,takin the rem ains he gave to
them . And he faid to them , hefe are the w ords w hich
f“ l
,
fpoke to you w hile I w as yet w ith you, that all thingsm ull needs be fulfilled, w hich are w ritten in the la w of
"f Mofes , and in the Prophets , and in the Plains , concerningm e,
”viz . Proving
l
from them the n eceflity ofhis death"
and Refun eaion . he n he opened their underllanding,that they m ight underfland the Scriptures . And he faidto them , I fend the prom ife of m y Father upon you ;
7‘ but flay you in the city of Jerufalem , till you be,
enduedn
w ith pow er from on high,” by the defcen t of the Hol
Gholl . This w as the fifth appearan ce w hich C hrifi m a
on the da of,
his Refurre&ion . By this laft all the doubts
of the diciples that w ere prefen t w ere banilhed. By that
w hich he m ade to S. Peter, its reali w as conflated to a
degi'
ee of conviaion though fom e dou ts as to the m ann er,or w hether it w as in a body, or in fom e fpiritualkind ofexiftence, either rem ained or w ere afterw ards raifed, from his
vanilhing out of fight, w hen he difcovered him felf to the
N o difciples at Em m aus , and from the furprife w hich his
firfi appearancein the m idi]: of the affem bly of the difciples
raifed in their m inds . But thefe fcruples w ere erfeEil te
i’
nov’
ed in the procefs of his lall: m am feftation o him fe f to
the w hole affem bly of ten Ap files, an d a eat n um ber of
difciples , to w hom he oEere his body toge touched, a nd
m ew ed his han ds , feet, and fide..
Every kind of eviden cehad been no
‘
w laid before them , and they w ere en abled, bythe gift of that Holy Spirit w lich infpired
‘
the Prophets, to
underlland(44) Luke, x am so. John, x x . 30.
R E S U R R E C T I O N. Th y.
therefore he difcovered'it ,w ith the m olt rational and incon
tellable evidence, and furnifhed them w ith the m olt anthe a
tic creden tials .
After the five appearances w hich Chrifi had m ade o n the
day ,of his Refurrefiion , he forebore vifiting his D ifciples
a n m ore for eight days, that they m ight ex am ine w ith a cool
de iberate attention the evidences he had afi'
orded them , that
theirfaith m ight be rational a nd w ell-grounded . S . Thom as
w as not w ith the relion the Sun day w hen C hrift m anifelled
him felfin themidfl ofthe afl'
em bly. eeply rooted
w ere hisprejudices, that he not only, refufed to believe the
Refurrefiion of C hritt upon the report of others , but even
not rely upon bis ; aw o eyes, fancying it m ight be Tom e
ap tion rather than C hrilt corporallyrifen . Ex cept “ hall
,
‘f in his hands,”faid he, the print ofthe n ails, an d
ut m y huge:into . the place of the nails, and put m y
an d in to tide,‘ I w ill not believe .
” Therefore,
‘o‘eight days after, w hen the D ifciples w ere again w ithin
,
andThom as w as w ith them , Jefus cam e, the doors beinglhut, an d flood in .the m idil, and faid c Peace be to you.
Then faith he to Thom as : Put in thy finger hither, -an d
fee m y hands, an d bring hither thy hand, and put it intom y tide, and be not incredulous , but believing.
” Tho
m as could not reject thevery evidence he had required, nor
doubti
of the veracity of him w ho kn ew all his thoughts
but confefl'
ed him his Lord and hisGod. Whereupon jefusfaid un to him : Thom as becaufe thou hall feen m e, thou
hall believed . Bleffed are they w ho have not feen , an d
yet have believed After this w e find no fcruple
left in the m inds of any of,
the Apollles : and hitherto the
appearances of C hrift,feem to have been in tended only for
their oonvi&ion and thofe that follnw rather . for their confirm ation and inftruaion in the faith, dofi rin e, and factam ents of the gofpel. For the rem aining thirty days he con
tinued on earth, allhis appearances are not recorded , but w eare all
'
ured that he continued his vilits to the D ifciples ,being feen byt ham during forty days after his pallion ,an d fpeaking of the things p ertaining to the kingdom of
God (5 fay; S. L uke-
g that is.infi ufi ing them in all
things that regarded the efiablilhm ent ofhis ehurch and their
m inifiry for he‘
fent them not only as'
uritnelfer of his’
m ira
c les, death an d Refurreélion , but alfo as teachers and preachC fS
(59) John x x . a}. (”Lilac
ci u. R E S U R RJE C T I O N .
’
327
ers ofhis faith, and as difpenfers and m inifiers of his fpiritual treafures and holy Sacram ents .
The angel, at the fepulchre, and C hrill.’ him felf, both
before and after his Refurreélion , had foretold that he w ould
0 before and w ould m anifefl him felfto his D ifciples in Ga~
ilee . There he had lived about 30 years, had w rought the
greatefl part ofhis m iracles, and had form ed the far greateft
part ofhis D ifciples , a nd w as m olt know n . And there he
could m anifefl: him felf to a m uch greater n um ber of follow
ers . Alfo the Apollles being all, or alm ofL all h'om Galilee,w ere obliged to return hom e to their afi
'
airs . All the m ales
am ong the jew s w ere com m anded by the law ofMoles (52 )to appear before the Lord (at the tabernacle firfl , and after
w ard in the tem ple) thrice every year ; nam e at the
three great fealls of the Pafl'
over, the Feaft of eeks or
Pentecoll, and the Feat! of Tabern acles . Each of thefe
folem nities lafied a w hole w eek. The Apoflles an d D ifci
plea from Galilee had com e up to jerufalem , both to attend
their Matter, and in obedience to‘the law to keep the Paffo
ver ; and having continued there as they w ere obliged to
do, till the end of that fellival, im m ediately after they hadfeen
‘
Jefus on the eighth day afterhis Refurreaion , w hen ‘St.Thom as w as w ith them returned to their ow n coun
try. In Galilee Jefus firft m anifelled"
him felf to them at the
fea ofTiberias , called alfo the feat ofGalilee. This is faidby S . John to be the third tim e that Jefus {hew edhim felf to his D ifciples
”
(in any num erous affem bly ofthem ) after that he w as rifen from the dead .
” This confequen tly preceded his appearance on a m oun tain in Galilee
by appoin tm ent, m en tioned by St. Matthew (5 It reem s
to have been on this m ountain that he fhew ed him felf toabove 500 brethren togetherin Galilee, w hich being fubje&toHerod , the D ifciples could affem ble m ore freely, and in
greater num bers , and m ore frequen tly than at erufalem ,
w here the hatred and apprehenfion s of the chief riells and
Elders w ere in creafed rather than ex tinguilhed’
by the death
ofC hrifl. O n the fam e account, jefus fom e tim e before his
death w alked in Galilee , for he w ould not w alk in Jewry , becaufe the Jew s fought to kill him Greater
num bers therefore w ere favoured w ith feeing jefus in Galilee .
But w hen he had fuflieiently inflrua ed them in all things ,he m ade his lait appearances in the neighbourhood of Jeru~
falem ,
sa
gEx od . x x iii. x7. D en t. x vi. 1 6. (51) John x x . a6.
SQ john “ is ,4-0 (55)Mate “ Vlilr IG. (56) 10h“ 'n o t o
y $ R E S U R R E C T I QMfi lm , and thence ascendedinto.
heavenD ifciples w ere othervn fe obliged again tothat tune for the celebration .q f the Pass ofPentecqfiduring w hichthey w ere covered from the danger of Wingum brase by their affem bliss, w him great m ultitudes s their
brethren from all rts, filled every q uarter ofthe city .
AChrifliag retga
not on the bare hiltory or n arrative ofChrifl
’
s Rd urrefiion , but by entertaining him felf upon it,P}?99918 m m 39d dew -ism {hrs up in his heart dickintegerfentim ents w hich dipofe him tp reap the fruit ofmites; taxatio We
.
lb therefore taste m un out inll“ the principal ofpiety w hichits con t a
ought to kindle in our fouls, and the ex ercifea of devoties with s hah w eare banned, ta selsbm s this great failivalv
c it s .r. In ,
tim e.
m sstbéfb m e steam is boast «a «Mr-tie tbs
8 1m m Selm a; cf Sha n e's Res um e s
-
n on .
w orld the birth of Chri“ ;in the perfons ef the holy
m om e nt the fspnlchtea them fs l. sw e’
s fhts glorious Reafurn am e Fm 1 4 m . [and the heavenly . mem es , as ifhs bad
'
fatd : let thofe trem ble.
at m y (right; w ho fishingunder the w eight of fins and m am a s . 4nd.
tracks the
yoke ofthe devil, w hichthey havenet sew age. to m ake eff.defpair of attaining car, com panies In the elm sf 11m m
but you Who { es w ur kb m m n m M n}! be fi lghted.Having calm ed the fears of theft: dey ent w om en. be an :
m a s sed to. them the g ear m yéleryWhteh ts the caufe ofNbun stableJoseand advantages t‘
_
v (ask b ut of Mawreth w ho w as. enm eshed : heals rifen : he is anthers
At this new s w hat unlaeskahk Joy. m fi bas s eart‘sbelm ed
their pure aed las ing feuhl $ m m effage bclongs elfo to us.a proclaim s to.
the w hole w orld no. the pqrsm at thetedevoutw om en. the g reat “ W ith:95our dam s Redeem er. sadthe accom plifhmfim Of OW m all MP1?! ahd m oth Glow ?“Redem ption, w ithall its«steal and m som prshtnfible ed :vantages .
ln vlu t review s m ight we to.llfiem e the veins
ofthe dry ing M aid ! With ethos s lim linm hltm dnit):m ay w e reprefen t to onrfelves the aw ul proclam ation of
this(521 1 695: xix 0) m ”is 6 a
,
330 R E S U R R E C T I O N. Tr. 7.
a n d w ill fpring on ly from holy and fpiritual m otives . To
this holy joy the church invites us on this folem nity, w hen
{he tings Let the angelical troops of the heavens ex ult
L et the earth rejoice , arc .
” What ligns are there am ongus of this fpiritual jubilee of heart ? Perhaps there never
w ere greater ofthat joy w hich our Lord foretold and con
dem ned , w hen he faid The w orld jball rejoice (3) of afooliflt j?
in w orldly pleafures , and vanities , in the gratifi
c ations o pride and the fe nfes ; in the abom in ations offilth
a nd tin : the m arks of w hich are dill'
olute m irth, w orldlydiverfions , banquettings , revellings , and in tem perance .
Thus to rejoice is to celebrate fellivals of the devil, not of
God or religion . Vl’e are to leave high tables , ex cels,
and care of the bel to the prophane folem nities of the
heathens .” Says Gregor Nazianb en (4) W e
w ho adore the Word of Go profefs thaiw e only feek
the delights of the foul.” Thole bate joys are un w orthy
of a ration al foul, m uch m ore a C hrittia n They render aheart carn al, and altogether incapable ofconceiving or relifli
ing fpiritual com forts . A foul m ull have renounced, and bedead to them , before {he can rejoice in God and his holym yfleries . But if all earth afi
’eaions and attachm en t to
fin be banilhed herheart, an allinordinate 'love of felf and
the w orld ex tinguilhed in her, then w ill the contem plation of
this divine m ytlery kindle a fire ofpure devotion in her
breall , and give that love and relilh offpiritualthings, w hich
w ill be to her a fource of heavenly joy. C ertain ly no C lu'ifg
tian can confider the m otives w hich it furnithes, and rem ain
infenfible . If w e have a ny true love for our ow n fouls , of
a ny delire ofour ow n happin efs and advantage, w e m utt be
over w helm ed w ith joy to fee on rfelves delivered from the
flavery of the devil, an d from everlallin m ifery. C hrifl ,as an Alm ighty conqueror, has
'
vanquifh that m ercilefs tyran t in w hole chain
'
s w e w ere held captive, and has laid him
un der our feet by his viaory over him . Who e ver heard
of a m iterable culprit, w ho after inflicting the'
greatefi m ifc
rics in a frightful dungeon , under fenten ce of an ign om inious
creel death, fhould the fenten ce be reverted, an d upon fee
ing him felfreflored to his liberty«and raifed to a ~fiate of opué
lence , dignity and honour, w ould not w ith joy an d pleafurecall to m ind the hardfhips an d dangers of his form er condi
tion , and blefs the day of his deliverance ? Y et they m ull
(3) John x vi. s o. (4) S . Gr. Nu . Or. in Natal. Chitin . p . 383.
332 n a s u n a a e'
r r o n . TL }.
all his bitter fufl'
erings by Which be redeem ed us , but byour dem on liration s ofjoy w hen w e behold him pading fromthe abyfs of abjea ion and torm en ts to the fum m it ofhonour, pow er, and felicity ? Hence the C hriliian church,fpread overthe globe ofthe earth, refounds w ith cries of fpiritualjoy, an d hym ns ofpraife ; and all its children exprefitheir tra nl
'
ports by repeated Alleluiahs, w hich they have continually in their m ouths . Let us love w ith our w holehearts , m y dear brethren , the glory of his divin e Kelorre&ion ,
”
lays S. Gtsgory the Great And let in
die for his love. if it be necell'
ary , now w e fee his tri
um ph accom plilhed .
”An em inent (w ant of God ex
relies the flrong em otion s of devotion w hich he felt in hiscart on this folem nity, in the follow ing pathetic Grain s0 great feliival l It is on this day that m y am iable Redeem er begins to thew him feif as God, and to be treatedas God. Q fellival of the glory ofjela s l O fefiival ofjoy to hisMother, and to all the Sain ts ! 34:11 w a
m iracle, w ould have died ofgriefand com panion onFriday , and to-day, w ithout a m iracle, w ould have
diedofjoy, How com es it that m y heart does not fw oonaw ay
-
th ough joy ? The intere of the C reator, beinginfinitely preferable to thofe of his creatures , l m oll julllyrejoice m ore athis glory than I can do in the hope of m yow n. 0 Jeln a, 1 fee eo then at lafiin the Gate ofgloryw hichis by infinite tit es your due . That fiate of con
tem pt , ignom iny and {inflictin
gto w hich your love for
m e lted reduced you, belonge not to you. It w as ind eed
an ous a nd necellary for us w ho w e re crim i
nals : but it nits not you w ho are in nocence itfelf, andthe King ofg lory. 0 w hat tran fports of joy does m yfoa l feeito fee q
'
us crow ned w ith glory l It is w hat no
pow er of w ords can ex prefs.” The m ore bitterly a de
voet (on ! is grieved in m editating on his fufi'
erings , and
death, and on the enorm ity a nd m ifeties offun , the m ore is
the tranfported w ith joy in the contem plation ofhis y,due to him on account ofhis divine dignity, u d fan ya nd alfo , by a n ew title, on accountofhis torm en ts and death
in redeem ing up. This trium ph and this crow n are a roce m
pence o fhis charity in lhedding his precious blood for tn ,
an d of his victory over fin and hell. We rejoice a nd ap
plaud w hen w e fee tom e glorious conq ueror rew arded w ith
triut'
n phs,
(7) S . Gre M . Horn . x xi. in Evang. (8)Monf. Bernicrel
icn l'ips.
R E S U R R E C T I O N .
a ll vanity, ofientation and im m odefiy m ull be hanithed .
O ur: joy m ull: be altogether holy an d fpiritual ; not barelye x terior, a m ere cerem ony or bafe hypocrify of the heart,but fin cere, and a joy of true devotion . Thus ought w e tohe tranfported at the glory of our bleffed Redeem er, andour ow n Redem ption , an d happin efs through him . His
trium ph m ull penetrate our hearts and fill all the pow ers of
our fouls w ith holy joy, in w hich w e m ull: offer him the
tribute ofour affefi ions , by pouring forth our hearts in the
m olt ferven t aa s of adoration , praife, thankfgivjug, loveand ablation or facrifice .
Adoration , honour an d praife are due to our great C on
q ueror from all his creatures , but in a fpecial m an ner, fro m
m en redeem ed by him , raifed w ith him , his acquired n ew
people, refcued from fin and thejaw s ofhell, enrolled am ongthe Sons ofGod, an d m ade citiz en s ofheaven . The w holeuniverfe, renew ed by him in the reftoration ofm an , clothedw ith gaiety, chan ts his vifi ory, and each part, according toits capacity, founds forth his praife . When the w orld, ar
'
the creation , cam e forth out of nothing, at the com m and
ofGod , and a peared in his fight arrayed w ith beauty andevery thing in t perfe&, all n ature feem ed to borrow a
voice to proclaim the glory, pow er” m agnificence, and
goodnefs of its author. The angels , the Son : ofGod, p raifcd him in jubilee (t r). The liars {hone forth to him
g ladaej} (t a), and rifing celebrated his raife . Every thingin the heaven s , on earth, an d in thed
D
eepeft abyffes , con
fpired to form one univerfal choir, in difplaying and cele
brating their Lord and C reator. The fun in its courfe (tthe liars in the firm am en t, the living creatures w hich people
the feveral parts of the w orld , the trees and verdure w hich
cover the furface of the earth, and the w hole creation continua in fom e degree their praife ofhim , by and in w hom
they ex it}. Seated on fom e em inence, and taking a furveyof all thin gs above, about and below us , w e m ay reprefen t
them as incelfantlyem ployed in fetting forth, and each, ao
cording to their a ilities , praifing the fw eetn efs of the love.the m agnificen ce, bounty, om nipoten ce and glory of God ,
from w hom , and in w hom they hold w hatever they are or
enjoy. God is m ore w onderful and adorable in the renova
tion ofthe w orld , by the Redem mion ofm an through C hriflz,than in its firfi creation . We m ay therefore reprtfent to
ourfelves the heaven s, the earth, and the w hole creation as
COD
(r t) Job x x x viii. 7. (re) Bar:iii. 34. x viii. 6. 1 .
C hig. R E S U R R E C T I O N 335confpiring in a joint chorus to m agnify in the highefi {trains
oflove and praife, the infinite pow er, m ercy, w ifdom , an d
goodnefs of God in the Refurreélion and glorious trium ph of
his Son . The Father by prefen tin his co-etern al Son again
to the w orld , now in his glorified gate, gives charge to all
the bleffed fpirits to adore him . This great fum m o ns foun da
cd through all the heaven ly courts : And m y tbs angel; qfGad adore Him Much» m ore ought m an , ranfo m ed byhim ; m an w ho has fo great a {hate in his vi&ory, an d fuch
fpecial infinite obligations to him , pay the m olt
es of a doration , thankfgiving and praife. In the m ot}.
pro cund adoration , and w ith the application ofall the pow ers
ofour foul to the m ajefly of our ow n divine Redeem er in his
{late of glory, w e ought to repeat, and toinvite all creatures
to repeat w ith us , w ith all poflible devotion The L am b
w hich is flain , is w orthy to receive pow er and divinity(that is , the hom ages due to his godhead) and w ifdom ,
and firen a nd honour, and glory, and ben ediaion
(t an every creature w hich is in heaven , and upon
earth, and under the earth, a nd in the fea, I heard them
all faying : To him w ho is feared on the thron e, an d to
the L am b, be benedifiion , and honour, and glory, and
pow er for ever and ever. And the four living creatura
faid , Am en Jefa s C hrill yellerday and to—day,and the fam e for ever In thefe w ords are ex
preffed his effential eternity, unchangeablenefs and indepen
dan ce, the charaaers ofhis divinity, in the fam e m ann er as
God gave a defcription of him felf to Mofes , in the Nam e
w hich is in com m unicable to all others : I am , w ho am . It
is not faid, He w as , and w ill be ; to ex prel'
s that the duration
that is pail, and that to com e it prefent to him w ho alw ays
is clIentia lly and w ithout viciflitude or change. In thefe
w ords, therefore, w e acknow ledge and adore as God Him
w ho in his hum an nature died and rofe again . We . adore
him not on ly in his divinity, but alfo his hum anity fubfifiingby, and united hypoflatically to the divine perfon . We
adore him in every circum ftance of his glorious and trium
phan t Refurreaion in the im m ortal life he has entered ; in
the glory of w hich he is poffeffed ; in the happy influence
ofhis grace a nd pow er in heaven , and on earth ; in the char
i'
aa ers w hich he hears of God, Redeem er, King, Judge,Spoufe, C o-heir and Brother. L et us felutehim in all thefe
(84) Hebr. i. 6. (as) Apoc . v. n .
06) lb. v. 1 3. (1 7) Hebr. x iii. 8.
338-R E S U R R E C T I O N . Ti. 7.
‘t'
o‘
the facred hum anity ofC hriil, a re no m ore than the glim[tars to the dazzlin light of the n oon -d aythey are totally ecliped and hid . This is the
‘éliatm in fun and liht of'
heaven . fl'
ts"
lam is ihe lam b‘
As the'
p iheir’
light om the 'fun ,fo w ill the
Ibodies of all n
‘
Heaven receive iheir“ lultte, by
‘
partiCipatiOn , from the adorable hum anity of their"Redeem “ . 0
,w hen {hall I behold the fovereign beauty
"of‘
m y’
]efus ?Which is the‘
ohje& of the d fefires of the an
gets‘
the joy, of‘
the fain ts , and the ' delight of -Heaven.
hen {hall I com e and appear before-thy face (a l l ?
B ehold thou art beautiful and com e]y,’
O m ybeloved"How
‘
g wat, how fublim e, and how Rupendop s foever thism yfta y
‘
of the glory of Jefus is , he.
is ,tiot byfro
‘
m‘
tis . O n‘
the contrary, it is w rought‘
for it“ heis allours . Y es : The m iracles
,the glory,
tagm of C hrifi’s refurreaion , are a ll for
fay trni that‘
C hritt w as born , and that
Nor‘
is t‘ lefs true, that he tofe again from the dead for us .
He‘
dellvet‘ed him felf (to death)for our fins, an d he rofe‘for our jdflificatlon ,
”fays the apo
‘
llle (2 He here ga tre
1 11m m ~‘
again‘
for us . For this‘
C hri'
fidied, an d fofe
again How are w e bound to love a
'
God w ho“m istress and trium phs for us"In
‘
his glorlfi‘
edttate he fliliretains his an cien t love for us ,as tender, as When it n ailed him to the crofs for
“
Our tedém tion .
‘
He now calls us nothis frien ds as form erly ,but his
‘
br ltren . Go tell m y brethren,” fays he (222
,"W3
. that “ atten d to‘
t'ny’
Father and to your'
Father. e” ibears
‘
to‘
eternity the print ofhis facred w ounds inhis glorified”Body,
'
not only as tokens of his vi&ories, but m uch m ore as
étetnal'
proofs of’
his love, and m em orials of his fufi'
eringafor us ; al'fo to rem ind him of us alw a s afreih, and to af
“
futeu s‘
that he‘
w ill’
never forget us in he kingdom.of his
glory.
‘
He fays‘
by them to every on e of us B ehold, IWritten thee in m y hands and in charafi en
‘
w hich‘
t‘ternity itfelf w ill n ever efface. In’
th'
el'
e w oun ds'
w e
Litre alw ays prerent to the very eyes of his hum anity
The‘
fpe‘
ak to him of us w ithout interm illion . If a m other
1 1100 d‘
forget her little on e, and aban don the child of her
w om b, Which {he has nourilhed in her ow n bofom y he cannever forget us,
‘
w hom he alw ays bears engravedin hishr
ands .hefe
x x}. 1 3.
"PF. x liii.
.(a t )C an t. i. 1 5. Rom .
iv. (1 4)Rom . x iv. (a s)Matt. x x viii. (36)Ha. x lix .
en g. a e s u a x z e'r a o m .
Thefe fam e w ounds he'
perpetuallyilhew s “ his father, toappeafe his jufiice, and render shite p ropitious .to m s. By.them he is our eternal and all-rpow erfula rlm qate .w itlm him
For C hrilt in his refurrefi ion , a nd ,ia Heaven , con
tinues to perform tfor us the ofi oe of .ouro nly trueMediator.
Abraham , Mob s, and other holy m en , .have been em ployedrhy God as m ediators of interoeflion , .to addrefs him in favour of his people. But C hritt is the on ly m ediator of re
dem ption , our only-true an ediator, through w hom a lon e .w e ,
and all w ho intercede for us, can -have accefs . By his divine nature he is 'God and by his hum anity he is our bro
.ther, to plead'
for us, fure by the dignity of hisd
divine per
fon , and the m erits of his crofs, to .obtain all he r
ations ;
a nd by the ex perience of our n ature he has learn
pafi on for our w eaknefs . Neither n eed in {peak to pleadour caufe. He has but to prefent his hands pierced for us,
,to difarm ahis father
’s anger, an d ,procure for us every abid
zling. Shall not thefe precious w ounds, {hitting w ith bright
glory, foch w onderfulfpledges of -his love, an d fo pow erful
tokens con firm allye x cuing him afieflm to the love d“
an ; al
w ays m ove us to love him ? is it pofiible that, tho .our
heart s are harder than Adam an t, thofe w ounds thou d n ot
kin dle in them a fire of his love, and ftir up in us a deepof gratitude, as often as .w e call them to m ind ?We
ought often to entertain our.thoughts and afl'
efi ions by pious
m editation s an d afpiration s on his love for us , his ben efits,m yfleries , holy aaions and fufl’erings , and repeat frequen t
of his divine love, by joy and com placency in his
,glory, ex cellen cies , graces , an d'
perfe& virtues ; by bene
velence an d z eal dohring to draw all m en -to his tkoow ledge,and to the obedien ce ofhis holy law ; and to propaga te m ore
an d m ore in onrfelves, and in thehearts of all m en , the ltingdom of his fw eet: love ; by the praifes of his holy n am e ; 1hythe perfefi oblation an d facrifice of our hearts ; by earnefi
petition s for his divine love and grace, through his fm eroy,a nd all his facred m cries in the litany in his honour, «See.
by fervent defires 0 being eternally united to him in glory;by thankin g him for all his gracious m ercies , and infinite
love, are. Thanks to God w ho hath given us vi&ory,thus the L ord Jefes C hriftAl .fupern atural divine love or charity
. m ufl ifpring from ,
and be founded in the other tw o theological virtues , faitb,or the know ledge-of his facred m yfleries and
'
truths, m ani
Z 2 felted
(27) I John , u . x . (1 8) 1 C or. x v. 57.
Tr. 7.
felted to us by his revelation ; and Imps , or a firm confiden ce
in his pow er, and of obtaining his graces and glory : Ofboth w hich great and effen tial virtues his refurrea ron is alfo
the foun dation and firengetl m otive. O ur faith is built upon it. 8 . Paul tells us, that C hrift w as predefiinated, and
declared the Son of God , by the refurreélion The
gofpel is fom etim es called the preaching of the refurreaion
of Jefus C hrifi, to give us to under-{land that this is the fun
dem ental and prin cipal article of our faith in C hrill
It is afligned by him as the great proof an d tign of his di
vinity. The w icked generation feelts a tign , and no tign
{hall be given to it but that of Jon as m eaning his
refurreaion on the third day, prefigured3in that prophet.
Again , being aflted by the Jew s a proof of his aaions , he
ve only this, that w hen the m aterial tem ple of his bodygould be dill'olved by them , he w ould raife it again in three
days He w ith great propriety calls his body this tem ple,upon account of the divinity refiding in it, and becaufe it
w as a {landing tradition am ong the Jew s , that the Su fi sm
Saafl nm m reprefen ted the Meflias . An d the Jew s in generalunderflood fuliicien tly, thathe appealed to fuch a refurrefiion
for the confirm ation of his divin e m illion . For in their ad
drefs to Pilate for a guard to w atch the fepulchre, they m en
tion his having foretold his refurre&ion as a thing notorious .
Indeed, am ong“ allhis m iracles , none is fo w onderful, none
m ore inconteflable . The m olt evident, and the greateft of
m iracles , is the railing of the dead to life. This is the m olt
indifputable m ark of thefinger of theMoll High, w ho alone
has the keys of death and hell. It is recorded tn the gofpels,that three perfons w ere raifed from death by our divine Re
deem er. Thefe w ere m efiw onderful m iracles ; yet, by his
w er,
’
and in his nam e, m any faints have done the like .
ut to him alone w as it referved , that w hen dead, he thoold ,by his ow n po
w er, raife him felf to life, becaufe this no other
but‘
a God could do. No other could fay w ith him I
have pow er to lay dow n m y life, and to take it up again
His en em ies , at his death, ranked him am ong“ :
the com m on dead. But he en tered the kingdom of death as
its Sovereign , not as enflaved to it as its conq ueror, not as
its fubje& ; as enjoying perfect liberty an d perfe& dom inionover it, not as under its law s This he {hew ed by
railing4. go) a s . u . 31 . iv. a . 33. m s. 1 8 , Ga .
(33 John , ii. 39. (33) John, at. 1 8 . (34)See
C h. 3. R E S U R R E C T I‘
O N .
.
m u ch confian cy, and w ith the lofs of their lives” had ita k now n cheat ?
It is yet m ore evident that the Apofiles co uldbee n them felves im pofed upon by any ii
"I: c , an
pearan ces of the cis could'
not be the w ork, of.im agi
tion . The w om en w 9w ere favoutied w jth them - w .ene Ul'
r
The,refurre confir
,ing on: faith, is
all'o the ground becan c by this , m yjl
efiy'
the
(great w ork w as
'
perfeaed, an bfi
it is the future r'
efurreaion , and
Ch!“ ’
s rd m efiion theption , by e incarnation, fut
fel'lflib and death of Chrilt, had been incom plete . By it
theMelfish accom plilhed all that the fcriptures had
343 R E S U R R E C T I O N. Tr. 7.
are no better than lhadow s , phantom s , and illulions, w hich
foon difappear. They are com pared to apparition s like thatof Sam uel to Saul, or
‘
like thofe w ho rofe at the fam e tim e
w ith C hrift, and appeared to m any in erufalem (6x), butfoon return ed again am ongfl the dead. uch pretended pe
niten ts , feem by hiding fom e fecret idol in theirhearts, never
to have trul rifen from fin . At leali, by a f eedy relapfe,they are fa len in to a w orfe {late than their orm er. The
prim itive difcipline did not adm it huners ordin arily to a lecon d reconciliation after a relapfe ; left they (hould feem
to have m ade a m ockery of the L ord’s C om m union , a nd
lcfi indulgen ce lhould m ake peniten ts lofs w atchfal. ”
3dly. A Chriliian w ho is truly rifen , being becom e a n ew
creature, has put on all heaven ly afi'
e&ion s, m ull be a ll
charity, z eal, goodn els , hum ilit m eekn efs , and devotion
Being dead to all that he w as be ore, to all inordin ate defircs
of the flelh and the w orld, henceforw ard he lives on ly to
God in all the in clination s of his heart : His thoughts and
affection s are altogether fpiritual and heavenly Hisaaion s m ull be thofe of fuch a new life The apolile
tells us, a C hrifiian foul is m ade a holy tern le to the Lord
All fin s and paflion s m uft therefore he deftroyed as
idols , a nd nothing but charity and divin e hom age, praife,a nd obedien ce found in it, as St. Auflin beautifully obferves .
4thly. Fervour in good w orks is borh the fruit, an d the
fl rongefl proof of the life of charity in a foul fin cerely con
verted to God. C hrifl {hew ed him felf living to the
apofiles in m any proofs during forty days So the.
true peniten t gives m anifeli eviden ces of the truth of his
con verfion by the uniform ity of his conduct, an d by his con
{ lan t fervour in good w orks . As w e know a body w hen
living by its m oving, fo w e know the life of faith and
grace by good w orks . If therefore you fee a m an z ealous
in the pra&ice of all good w orks , a nd chearfulin the fer
ven t difcharge of all duties , m ake no doubt but faith ts
living in one w ho gives fuch proofs of it (66) lays S.
Bern ard . O ur great bufinefs on this fellival, is to learn and
pra&ife all the condition s of a perfe& converfion of our
hearts to God If w e have been plan ted together66 in
(61 ) Rom . vi. t o, r t . 1 C or. x v. 47. r Petr. iv. 6. Rom . x iv.
7, 8 , 9—1 5. (62 ) a C or. v. 1 7. iii. x , a . (64) r C or.m . 1 7. vi. 1 9. 8 . Aug . Serm . 1 63. c . ii. T. v. p . 785. (65)A&.
i. 3. (66) S . Bern . Serm . ll . in Fifth. (67) Rom . Vie so
352 R E S U R R E C T I O N. Tn }.
ing, ought to be allow ed at this feflival tim e, yet privatefa lls on ex traordin ary oc
’
caliom , are not condem ned in it,
provided there he no afl'
ea ation herein . The reafon of this
rule of difciplin e is taken from thofe w ords of C hrill, w here
he fays his difciples did not praaife ex traordinary falls fo
long as'
he their divine Bridegroom re m aiise'
d w ith them .
For the church now com m em orates that tim e in w hichGhfifi:favoured his apollles w ith hie vifible preten ce, till his afcen
{ion an em blem of his prefen ce'
to his elefl in glory to eter
nity in HeaVen.
A fecon d privilege of the Pafchal tim e ellablilhed the
church in the prim itive ages , is the law and cullom of nd
ing, n ot kneeling at prayer during this term , and '
on the
Sundays , throughout the w hole year, w hich are all confe
crated to honour the refurreaion of C hrifl. The firfi ge
n eral council m entions this rule ; and m im yother coun cilsand fathers of the Brit ages . It is obferved in the public
ofiiceso f the church ; and it is com m endable to have a jut}regard to it, in fom e (1 cc, in private devotions in our
clofets. In thofe w e arm in the prefence of others , w e
ought not to fhock or canda lize them by any'
afl'
e&ed fm gu
larities ; and it is advifeable to conform ro‘
cuflom . The
frequen t repetition of Alleluia (a)in all prayers , this
is a third token of fpiritual joy and praife, to'
w hich this fef
rival is peculiarly confecrated . 0 happy Alleluia I w hich
w e {hall one day lingin Heaven , cries out 8 . Aufiin
w here the ange ls are the tem ples of God , w here all thole
w ho lhall'
pnblilh his praifes (hall be linked togetherin the
bands
(4) 8 . Aug . Serm x a sé. ed ; Ben .
(a) Alleluia, or Hallein -Jah, lignifies in H ebrew , P ralfe ye the
L ord ,"It occurs in the pfalm s of praife, an d w as ,
ly ufed on the
hihell folem nities of fpiritual ioy, w hich reprefen t the (late of the bid:fegin Heaven . 8 . John heard it often repeated by the angels in their
(late of lory, w ith profound adoration s , and flrations before the
throne 0 God . Apoc. x ix . t . The church 0 es it freq uen tly in herofi ce in the Eafter tim e, to repres
'
en t the icy of Heaven , a nd refrain:
from it in feafon s of tears an d pen an ce . la b here em irates, theineom m u
nicable n am e of God , He if ; w hich am ong the late jew s w as on lyal
lov ed to be pronounced by thehigh-
prieli, an d that in the oly '
ofholtes,or in narm ofifm fi nary .ia the Tem ple, before the m ercyfi feaq or ora
612 , w hen he en tered it once a year, on the fealtm f capiation . From
there pfalm s it up an , that before the u pfiviay, this nam e w as fam e
tim cs pron oun s in folem n prayer by the prie s and levites, at leall m
the Tem ple or as Philo fays, hi
m on ly allow ed to thofe of the m a ll:
refpefl able character an d m orals to pronounce thsl Fatred nam e. See
Sac in Ex od . vi. 3. p . 68 , 69. C orn . a L ap. C a lm et, Bo rius ih.
Bel arm . Ex erc. ‘ Grow n . x x xiv. ~(Lit. V ulfl tzi"u
’ )
[ 354 ]
TH E
'
E I GH T H TREAT I S E.
0 N T H B
FEAST o r our. L O RD’
s A SC ENSION.
C H A P . I .
The bi/iory of tbi: MY STERY w itb it: Ex n rc a r ro n .
H E apoflles and other difciples havi been favoured
I w ith m any appearan ces of C hrift, aiiginflrua ed byhim in the thin s w hich related to his kingdom , or the e.
tablifhm ent of. is church, during about tw enty- eight days
they had continued in Galilee ; by his appointm en t the
return ed to Jerufalem for the approaching feafi of Pen teco
Ten days before that fefiival, w hilfi they w ere all at table
together in Jerufalem , C hrifi m anifefted him felf to them inhis lafi appearance He gave them his lait char e to
preach baptifm and penance, and to confirm their d'
ne
by m iracles, w ith the pow er of w hich he invefied themw hich w ere the creden tials of their m illion from God to the
w orld, and the proofs of the truth of the tefiim ony w hich
they bore to the refurreaion of C hrift, and other divin e
m yfteries, of w hich the w ere apointed w itn efles to all
m ankind Though bria: ha m lirua ed his difciples in
his m yfteries , and opened their m inds to underfl and the an
cien t prOphcfies concerning him ; and though he had fooften rebuked the Jew s in eneral, and his difciples in particular, for their conceit of
8a tem poral kin dom ; yet they
could not flill im agine that the kingdom 0 his church, ofw hich the prophets had fpoke fo m any and fo great things,w as to be m erely fpiritual, fo thong w ere their preven tion s ,and their ex pea ations of a tem poral em pire, and of a tem
poral deliverance from the ruinous condition an d flavery'
to
w hich their nation w as then reduced ; (0 deep root do pre
judices take in the hearts even ofgood m en w hen they arifefrom favourite paflion s, efpecially that of an efieem and de
fire(l )Mark ‘Vi. l‘. (2 ) lb. Luke l XiV. “ p
r (3)Aat
C h. r. A S C E N'
S I O N. 35;fire of w orldly honours, preferm ents and riches , and w henthey are firengthened by the concurring authority and faifem ax im s of the reliof m ankind
,as w as here the cafe am ong .
the Jew s . Hence w e can not w onder that.
unbelievers [tumbled at the poverty and m eann efs of C hrilt
’s outw ard condi
tion w hen he w as here on earth, feein it w as fo hard forthe difciples them felves to be convince that hiv kingdomw as not, in part at leali, of this w orld . Seeing their divineMailer rifen w onderfully from the dead, and upon the pointto efl ablilh his kingdom on earth, they put the q
uellionto him w hen he w as going to be taken from them L ord
w ilt thou at this tim e reflore the k ingdom to Ifraelthat is , Wilt thou n ow free the Jew iih n ationreign tyran n under w hich it
groan s, and raife this (late to
that pitch ofypow er and fplen or w hich all the people firm ly
ex pect from the Mefliah. By their queltion they doubt notbut it w as to take place, and only enquire about the tim e,
They w ere not yet capable of conceiving and relifhing thetrue riches of evangelical poverty, and con tem pt ofthe w orld,and th of the crofs , in this refpea : This they w ere
the defcent of the Holy Ghoft upon them .
checking their curiofity, yetw hat w as to be the efiablifhhe had fpoke to them : It is
not for you,” fays he, to know the tim es or the feafons
w hich the Father hath put in his ow n pow er : But ye lhall
receive the pow er of the Holy Ghofl com ing dow n upon
you ; and ye {hall be w itnell'
es unto m e, both in Jerufalem , an d in all judea, and in Sam aria, and unto the ut
term oliparts of the earth.
” From w hich w ords w e learn
that God has tim es and feafons for ex ecuting his purpofes, to
know w hich, it is neither proper for us, b ecaufe n ot our
bufinefs, nor rofitable to us , becaufe no
cpart of our inte
retl , nor pofligle, becaufe out of our,rea and no w here
revealed by God to us . This his condua luits our prefent
fiate, in w hich w e w alk by faith and hope, and it affords us
the greatefl occafions of ex ercifing the m olt heroic virtues
by w hich w e are to
glorify God in our e
‘
arthlyall im age,
and q ualiljyon rfelves or the (late of gloty
for w git
w e are
here to dipofe onrfelves. We are there ore bound to adore
w ith aw eful filen ce, n ot to pry in to God’s hidden and unre
vealed fecrets . How ever it be not for us to know God’stim es and feafons, it is our duty to ex pe& them , and be
A a 2 prepared
358 A S C E N S I O N. Tr. 8 .
ter him w ith their eyes fix ed on the heavens , tw o angels
appeared like m en in w hite garm ents , (lan ding by them ,
w ho faid Y e m en ofGalilee, w hy (land ye looking u
to heaven ? This jelus w ho is taken up from you, lb 1
(0 com e in like m an ner as ye have feen him go in to hea
ven That is,he fitall defccnd in his hum an n ature, ar
tended by his m ighty angels , in a flam ing fire and w il]catch up his elefi in the clouds This cloud of fire and
glory is luch, in w hich God w as w on t to appear w ith theattendan ce
_
ofhis holy angels . The Apofiles after this gloi’ious ligh
t, returned full of joy to jerufalem (to), w here
they (but them felves up together in an upper room , an d t e
m ained in prayer in com pliance w ith the orders of their div
vine Mallet , w hen he com m anded them to abide in Jeru -g
l'
alem till they {hould be lirengthened by the com ing of the
Holy Gholl upon them (t t). We are in form ed by the an
cien t tradition of the church, confirm ed as to the day from
the laered authority of the holy Scriptures that cfus
afcended to heaven on the fortieth day after his Refurre ion,
on a Thurfday, about noon (1 Several Fathers of the
fourth fifth, eighth, and all fucceeding a es, and m odern
havel ers allure us , that the prints ofhis feet rem ain in the
hard rock in the place w here he laitflood on earth, and have
ever been devoutly vifited by pipus pilgrim s , at lealt ever
fince the fourth century . There rem ain the prints of hisfootlieps ,
” fays S. Aufiin ;“ they are now adored (d)
w here he flood lafi on earth, on
'
the fpot w hence he
afcended in to heaven .
” The fam e is affirm ed by St. Opta tus St. Paulinus St. Sulpicius Severus (1 6)the ancient and accurate Author of the book, 0u the He
brew Placer, am ong the w orks of St. Jerom , hihly comm ended by Erafm us , Scaliger, a nd other critics ; sedeand m odern travellers quoted by Rol
'
w eide Tillcm on t
(8) a Ther. i. 7. 8 . (9) t Thef. iv . 1 6. r7. (1 0) Luke x x iv.
Acts 1 . t a . Aéis i. 4. Luke x x iv. 49. (u )Aéls i. 3.
(1 3) C onfi .
.
Apoli. l. v . c. 19. (1 4) S . Optat. 1 . vi. p. 5.( 1 5) S . Pau ltn . ep. 3s . ad Sever . n . 4. 8: l. 5. C am . de5.it'lan in .
(1 6) S . Snipie . Sever. Hill . Sac . l. n . c . 48 . p.
‘
s sz . (r7) Bed a ,i. de Loera Sanétis , c . 7. T .
‘
iii. (s 8) Rofw . Nut . in S . Paulin .
p. 78 1 . Muratori, ib ..
a Prad o in Sulptt. Sever. loc. cit.
his (eat and tribunal at the lat! judgm en t w ill“
be there a For w hich herefers to Joel iii. a .
‘
S ee Mr.
'
J . Gregory‘
s Notes un der this title ;Orin : Nam e's rjer. But it -is not Clear that the
'
Ba) or tbc filing Sea‘
isn ot applied to C hrill in a m etaphorical lenfi .
(d)Mada adorm tur. 8 . Aug . Tr. 47. in Joan . n . 4.
A S C E N S I O N . 353heaven ly trium ph. D oubtlefs , m ultitudes ofangels defcen d
ed on that occafton , and covered Moun t O liver ; but theyattend ed to e x prefs their joy, a nd m ake a tender of theirhom ages , not to lend their aid . When Jefus w as dead, hisdivinity w hich rem ain ed alw avs united both to his body in
the grave, and to his foul in L im bo, refiored his hum anityto life w ithout any foreign fuccour. In like m an ner, a t his
Afcenfion, he m oun ted to heaven , not born e up in a fie
chariot and w hirlw ind as Elias , nor carried by any a ngry,as the Prophet Habacuc, but by his ow n pow er and firength.
The hum ble Princes of his church w hom he left on earth,the holy Apoflles , an d the Bleffed Virgin Mary, w ere pre
fent. Blefiing them w ith his hands lifted u he began
to be raifed .
” What fongs of ex ultation an trpraife thenfilled the air l What fw eet found ofheavenly m ufick l Whatn oifes of harm onious loud trum pets ! The L ord is
afcended w ith Jubilee ; and God in the found of trum petAs troops of angels fung praifes w ith corporeal
voices in affum ed bodies at his birth, fo m ay w e prefum e
that on this fellival day, they filled the air w ith their m elod ion s voices to honour the trium ph of a God m ade m an
though their hom a es chiefly w ere paid by their interiourfen tim en ts a nd pr ration s . Whilfl he is carried up in n u
utterable brihtnefs and glory, w hat invifible halts, w hatchariots of re grace his trium ph The P rinces of heavenattended him ; and w ho can e x prefs or con ceive in w hat
m ajefty and pom p ; w ith w hat token s ofhonour ; a nd w hat
teftim onies of adm iration , love and praife . Princes w en t
before joined w ith fingers , in the m id lt of young ones
playing on tim brels that is in the m idi! of the foulsofjuft m en . All cry out : Sing praifes toGod ; fing ye.
Sing praifes to‘
our King ; fing ye Sing ye to Godw ho m ounteth above the heaven s ofheavens to the Ball:
(7) In particular, the fouls ,of all the a ncien t holy Pa
triarchs Prophets and other Saints to w hich till then the
gates ofheaven had been fhut,but w hich are now carried
up by him thither in glory, as they trium phantly follow their
Redeem er, found forth his vifi ory in the highett ftrain s of
z eal, gratitude, love, adoration , praifes a nd thankfgiving.
O f their part in this trium ph, the Royal Prophet faid,fpeaking of C hrifi: He hath led captivity captive
They w ere form erly captives of the devil and fin : C hritt
having(4) Pf. x lvi.
'
6. (5) Pf. lx viii. 2 6. (6) Pf. x lvi. 7.
(7) Pf. lx viii. 34. (8) Ephef. iv. 8.
A S C E N S I O N. 357_
their pallet ?Qr children to fee their m olt loving and belt
parent, and Redeem er taken from them . What {harehave I in thofe folem nities cries out pathetically St.
Bern ard (a) Who w ill com fort m e, O L ord‘
Jefa s ,that l did not fee you w hen you fuffered for m e , and did
not bathe your w ounds w ith m y tears That you left
unfaluted w hen , 0 King ofGlory, beautifulin the {lole of
your hum anity, you took your flightin to the highefl hea
vens ? My foul w ould have q uite refufed all com fort, if
the angels had not preven ted m e by thofe w ords of joyThis jefus w ho is take n up from you, w ill com e in the
fam e m an ner that you have feen him going in to heaven .
He w ill com e, In they, in the fam e m an ner, in m ajeliyand glory, to feelus . Then I alfo lhall fee him , but not
yet : l fball behold him , but not at refcn t He is
gone aw ay from us on ly that w e m ay ollow him , m ay be
prepared to m eet him w ith confiden ce and joy at the laft
da and m ay be etern ally w ith him .
otw ithfianding therefore the great reafons w e have to
figh and m ourn in.
our banilhm en t from his prefence, w e
fin d m otives of fpiritual com fort and joy in his departure .
It is our greateft interelt and advan tage ; and it is for ourfakes that he is afcended to heaven . Itis ex pedient for
you that I go fays he He w ent, rfi . To fend hiscom forting fpirit, the. Holy Gholi: adly. To Open the gates
o fheaven for us 3dly. To be our advocate in heaven and
4thly. To draw us thither after him . He w ithdrew his fe rt
fible prefence, not to leave us orphan s, but to fend his holySpirit to rem ain alw ays w ith us, an d to difi
'
ufe his overflow
ing gifts in our hearts. L et us therefore figh and pray,"
fays St. Bernard“that this divine C om forter m ay
find us w orthy, and m ay fill our houfe : That he m ayteach us w ith his unaion, m ay enlighten our underfiand
ing, and purify our afl'
eaions . As the ferpent of Mofes
devoured all the ferpen ts of the m agician s , fo w ill thisdivine Spirit con fum e all our earthly afieaions and fenfualappetites .
” In another place he w rites : Elifasus goingto lofe his m ailer Elias , prayed that he m ight receive hisdouble fpirit, w hich deltroyed in his heart all earthly af
feaion s,
(1 7) John x vi. 7. (1 8) S . Bern . Serm . 3. dcAfcenf.
l’
n quid m’
bict folem m'
ta fibw ifli: P S . Bern . Serm . z .
een
b) Intu bar ct ego m m , In ! as» m ade fidrbo w as , fed am w e.
8 0 “ n oibid.
C h a . A S C E N S I O N . 371
D efiroying our en m ity w ithGod in him felf Blotting out the hand
- w riting w hich w as againfi us (32) m ak
ing peace through the blood ofhis crofs, both as to thethings on earth, and the things that are in heaven
Itis in his hum an nature that he perform ed the funétions ofMediator on earth, and continues the fam e office in heaven .
C hrifi Jefus is the Mediator ofGod and m en , not as
God , but as he is m an ,”
as S . Auflin obferves andas theologians clearly thew . In the fam e hum an n ature heis flill our advocate w ith his Father. We have an advo‘5 cate w ith the Father, jefus C hrilithe jufi:(35) Alw ayslivin to in tercede for us He is alfo our High
P riefl or ever in heaven He pleads for us, thewing the prin ts or fears ofhis w ounds to his Father, to appeafehis anger, an d obtain his graces in our behalf. And hecontinues in his church on earth the fam e facrifice ofhisbody a nd blood in an unbloody m an ner, w hich he ofl
'
eredon ce in a bloody m an ner, for our Redem ption , on the crofs ;on account of w hich, ofl’ered in the fym bols of bread andw ine , he is called a priefl: for ever, according to the orderofMelchifedec, w ho offered an an cient figure of the Mafsin bread an d w in e. He alfo continues in heaven to be our
head, from w hom w e derive the continual influx of his
graces and m erits He is likew ife our brother, Thefirfl - born am ongfi m any brethren and through the
ex cefs of his con defcenfion and love, w e are flyled, HeirsofGod , and co-heirs w ith C hrifi
By his Afcenfion he firongly calls us to this inheritancew ith him , bein gene to draw us after him . I go to pre
pare a lace oryou, and I w ill take on to m yfelf,w here lam there you m ay be alfo a ll.” This the
tle calls the an chor of our hope, both fure and fledfafithat Jefa s, the fore
- run ner, is en tered for us w ithin theveil.” A fore-run ner is a relative term , and m ull necef
faril have regard to fom e follow ing behind . We are here
im p ied ._ Ah ! Nothing fo pow erfully w ithdraw s our beam
from the love of the w orld, a nd raifes them to heaven as the
con tem plation of this m yfiery . C hrifi our God, our Re
deem er, our Love and our All, is gon e before : He calls,B b a he
31 ) lb. v. x6, (32) Col. n . (33) C ol. i. an .
534) S . Aug .T r. n . in
{0am u . 4" (35) 1 john , n . r .
(36) Hobr. vii. a s. (37 Hebr. iv . 1 4. v. 5. vi. ao . v n. 1‘
s . ix . u .
a . n . (38) Eph. i. a s . Ru n . van . 39. (39) Rom . vii. 39.
John, xiv. (4.x ) Hebr. vi. 1 9, ac .
sf.
374 A S C E N S I O N Tr.’
s .
folved , and to be w ith C hrill Having their converfation in heaven faying For in this w e groan , de
firing to be cloathed upon w ith our habitation that is fromheaven, that that w hich is m ortal
afcended to heaven , our hearts
ys S. Anilin (g)t our
hope and afl'
e ton are cad]
clayed is an afilifiion to the foulcries of
virtue is found, ifeven a little. Alldangerous, vicious, covered w ith
fn ares . Here is nothing under the fun but dangers , var
nity, and aflli&ion of fpirit. L et us therefore taife upour hearts w ith our han ds to heaven , and follow our Lordin his Afeenlion by the lleps of devotion . The tim e w ill
com e w hen even our bodies being m ade fpiritual, w ill be
taken upin to the air to m eet him in the clouds And (hall
our earthly fouls now loiter, or refufe to follow him i”
Thefe are the w ords of 8 . Bern ard We ca nnot w on
der that the Apoflles w ere filled w ith fadnefs w hen theyheard their D ivine Mailer tell them , that he w as about to
leave them ,and that w hither he w ent they could not go
They w ere ready to attend hirn w herever he {hon ld
go on earth. S. Peter even com m itted him felf to the w aves
to m eet him They had left all things to follow him ;
and now faw them felves orphan s, and abandoned in the m id&ofenem ies , like w olves ragi again“ them . Neither w ere
they ye t firengthened by the fcen t of the Holy Ghd l theC om forter, w ho had not then lhed his beam s upon them .
Jefus w as their dear Malia , their fupport, their light, theirfirength, their com fort and theirjsy
: in him they had all
things ; and in lofing him they 1 theirAll. They w ere
(48) 8 . Aug . Serm . a “ . (ge Albee}. n . a . (449
i
m
.
. derov. x iii. t a . 1 ) Mat. ix . 1
(53) S . Bern Serm . 5. inAfcenf. (53) Johilsviii.
5
A S C E N S I O N.
counten ance, left as I am , forlorn and deflitute, in this
abandon ed place of m y ex ile. It is related that a certain
devout perfon having vilited all the places w here our
Blefl'
ed Redeem er had perform ed the principal m yfleries
of his holy life on earth, a nd had in particular w alhcd
thofe w ith m any tears .w hich he had fan&ified by the
Rages of his facred paflion , cam e at length to Mount
O livet, and there ven erated the prin ts of his feet in the
place w here he lafl flood on earth. Here roflratein holyrayer he found fo vehem ent a defire of fo low ing his dear
fiedeem erinto his glory, that in the ardor of his prayer
his foul w as loofed from her prifon of the body, and w inged her w ay to the ob
gaa ofher ardent
'
fighs in the kingdom of his blifs . ut, alas l m y m iferable orphan fou l
has not the like grace of taking her flight to m tw eet
fpoufe, the true friend of m y heart. I w ill there ore im i
rate the Apoflles, and after m y m editation on m y Redeem er
’s Afcenfion, w illkeep m yfelf w ith joy w ithin m y
clofet, and w ill dw ell in the fpacious room of love, and
{butting the doors of.m y feules , for fear
'
of m y enem ies ,‘
f.
the
gew s of the
‘w orld , w ill w ait the com ing of m y Be
love to call m e tohim fe lf.” The pious L ew is of Gra
n ada relates the ex am ple of a devout young w om an at Lifbon in 1582 w ho languithing n ine m on ths in a con
”
furhption , never ceafed to figh and pray that, if it w as
pleafing to God, the m ight be united to her divine Spoufe
m heaven , repeating often L ord , w hen (hall I com e andappear before
, thee, behold thy beauty, and enjo 33prefence O ur Lord revealed to,her that he w ould I
her to him felfon the feafl ofhis Afcenfjon , to'
w hich m yflc
ry an d feflival {he had aliva 5had a lingular devotion . Thisthe foretold to her confelIor and other friends, took leave
of them in the m orning, an d in fw eet afpirations of divine
love and arden t defires , breathed forth herp ure foul aboutn oon on this feflival.
But in afpiring after this blifs our tonfcience gives us afevere check, from rem orfe for pafl fins, and continualflashin doing penan ce, and preparing onrfelves to m eet our Rg
d eem er and Judge. The w ords ofthe angels to the A om en,
after C hrifl’s Afcehfion , ought to be to us a fpur to ervour,
a rid a fubjeé'
t of con fufion , fear and trem bling. Y e m e n
ofGalilee ,'
w hy {land ye l ,at the heaven» ?
This Jefus w ho is taken com e inzlilte
m ann er
(59) LUdOV Gxanat, in Catechifm o, l. n . cfi y. t
Cin e. A S C E N S I O N . 379fenfe ofthe grace, ofthe opportunities w hich are (till afford
ed us , let it be our refolution not to lofe any part of it byrem ifl
'
nefs or delay. To begin by prayer ft: the necefl'
ary
graces, let us beg a (hare in the lafl blefiing, w hich our D i
vin e Redeem erim parted to his A
dpoflles at his Afcen lion . It
carries w ith it every grace, an every good gift. Jacobw ould not let go the angel till he had obtained his bleflirg .
With m uch greater ardour ought w e to fay to C hrill, that w e
w ill not depart from his facred feet till w e can hope to have
received his univerfal blefling : Strengthened by w hich w e
m ay tread in his (leps here, and after this (hort pilgrim age
afcend , and be eternally w ith him in his glory.
T a n
I 380 1
Tin a N I N T H T R E A T ! S E.
O N
W H I T S O N T I D E.
C H A P . I.
On the Prepara tion fi r W n rr s o u'
rm z .
H E ten days w hich in tervene betw een the Fea ll ofour L ord
’s Afcenfton an d Whitfontide ought, in im i
ration ofthe Apofiles , to be em ployed in fuch ex ercifes as
m ay invite the Holy Ghofl to vifit our fouls w ith the m oltabundant elfufton ofhis gifts on the enfuing folem nity . All
the tim e that the difciples had enjoyed the heaven ly converfe
ofour D ivine L ord,w as a rem ote preparation of their fouls
for the defcen t of the Holy Ghofl upon them , an d they had
been particularly difpofed , by the daily infirufiion s and con
tinual ex am ple of C hrifl , an d by his’
adorable m yfleries ,efpecially thofe of his Sufi
'
erings , D eath, Refurre&ion an d
Afcen lion , to receive this great gift of God . Y et all this
did not fuffice ; but C hrift left them orphan s ten days , that
thefe m ight be an im m ediate preparation of their m in ds for
the w orthy accom plifhm en t of this m yllery in them . For
this en d he com m anded them to abide retired in the city,till they Jhould be cloathed w ith firength from above
,by re
ceiving the Holy Ghofl (I). Som e degree of flight from
the w orld , by fhun ning its corruption , v anity . a nd fpirit ofdiflipation , is poin ted out to all C hriflian s , a s their Circum
fl ances w ill allow them an opportunity , as the firfi part of
their preparation . A fpirit of fequellration , retirem ent,
filence, and recollefi ion m ull be en tertained by all w ho de
fine to be in difpofttion s to litten to the voice of the HolyGbofiin their in terior, or to invite him in to their hearts .
This fpirit of recollection ought to be conflan t, and can not
be found bu t in thofe w ho en deavour as their circum flancec
w ill allow,to have certain tim es of retirem en t in their clo
fet, or in the church, to be fpen t in prayer and pious m edi
tatlon g3) Luke x xiv. 49.
382 W H I I S O N T I D E. Tr. g .
n ance, and guarded again lt w ith the utm oll w atchfnlnefs .
Who w ould w ait upon a perfon of dillinfiion in patched or
dirty clothes, or entertain his prince in a room full of (ten chan d filth ?
d It “ fe& d:diy. This ivine e requires a Ten a ent
ofiihe heart from thei
n
a ld, an d froni)
allinordin atgem m
m ent to creatures . C hrill, fpeaking of the prom ifed Paraclete,fays : Whom the w orld can not receive That is to fayItis in capable of receiving him ; its fpirit, m ax im s , and
life ; all its difpofitions and m an n ers are a dire& Oppofttionto him and his f irit ; the one effentially ex cludes the other.
Whoever w il be a friend of this w orld , becom eth an en e
m y ofGod (8)z” C o nfequen tly, he can never hope to be
favoured w ith the vilit of this great guefi, w ho can ad
m it no rival in our afl’e&ions . We m ull referve them
all for him to fubdue an d till ; w e m ull love no creature w ithGod , but w hat w e love in him and for him ; no objea infn ch a m an n er as can give us any trouble, or difq uiet, or be
a ny w ay contrary to the order eflablifhed by God . Everyirregular attachm en t is ban eful to our fouls , and injurious toour heavenly fpoufe . The leaft afi
'
e&ion , w hich is not re
ferred to him , is an obflacle to the . perfe& union of our
hearts w ith him , and obflru&s the boun teous effnfion of his
gifts . How ought w e to be terrified and aw aked to fervour
by the ex am ple of the purity of heart, w hich w as req uired
in the Apoflles before they could be difpofed to receive the
Holy Gholl. No attachm ent of the fenfes could be in itfelf
m ore holy or m ore jufl than that of the difciples , to the corporal, vifible prefence of Our divine Redeem er. Y et this
w as to be rem oved before the Holy Ghofl could defcent!upon them to replenifh their fouls . As yet the Spirit w as
not given , becaufe Jefus w as not yet glorified Hishum anity w as the facred fource of
graces and bletlings, and
his prefen ce w as the greatefi fpiritua advan tage to thofe w ho
had the happinefs of enjoying his bleffed converfation ; but
the hin drance to the D efcen t of the Ho! Ghoit upon them ,
according to St. An llin , and St. Bernar arofe from a too
fen lible com fort w hich they found in their attachm ent to his
corporal prefence . For this diverted their m inds from the
w e love ofhim , w ho w as to be the on ly com fort and dc
ight of their w hole hearts . What l” fays St. Bernard(to), Is it poflible that the prefence of Jefus C hrift,
fhould
(7) John x iv. r7. (8) Jam es iv. 4. (9) john v". 39. x vi. 7.
(to) S . Bern . Gem . 3. de Afcenf. n . u , 33. p. 936.
C h. r . W H I T S O N T I D E’. 383
lhould be contrary to the vifit of the C om forter ? C ould
not the Holy Gholl: dw ell t ether w ith that flelh of the
Saviour of m en , w hich hfiim felf form ed in the w om b
of the holy Virgin i” What is the m eaning of thofe
w ords If l go not aw ay, the C om forter Spirit w ill not
com e un to you.
” It is as if he had faid If the pre
fence of m y flelh is not taken from before your eyes , your
m ind w hichis w edded to it, w ill not be able to contain the
plenitude of fpiritual grace ; nor your heart to poffefs it.”
S t. Aullin gives the follow ing ex pofition of thofe w ords of
C hrill (t r)t“ Itis foryour advan tage that this form ofa (lave
is to be w ithdraw n ; becaufe you m ull not confin e your
hearts to a fenfible affeaion , and content yourfelves ai
w ays to feed on this m ilk, and rem ain in the (late of
fpiritual infan cy. If I take not from you this light food,
you w ill not feel that hunger and defire of folid nourifh
m ent : If you rem ain carn ally w edded to the flefh, you
w ill n ever be capable of fpiritual things.” St. Bern ard
tells us that “theApollles w hilfi they w ere earthly and
carn al, w ere not able to bear the brightnefs of the pure
light of God. Therefore the Word {hew ed him felf tothem in the helb , as the fun hid in a cloud, or as honey in
the com b of w ax . But this cloud w as of great advan tage
to them . For their m ind not being yet capable of beingraifed to fpiritual things , he drew their afi
'
efiions from the‘4 love of the w orld by his hum anity, and engaged them no
place them w ith their w hole firength on him . But his
aim w as to condu& them higher : for thus he defired to
raife them to his fpirit, that is , to the divinity itfelf.”
St. Bernard m akes upon this declaration of C hrifl, the fol
low ing refleétion w ith refpe& to on rfelves and our ow n dutyin this point. Ifthe Apoflles on accoun t of their attach
m en t to the m ofl:holy hum anity of C hrill , the Hol of
Holies , could not be replenilhed w ith the HolyGho till
that fenfible facred obje& w as rem oved, how can you,w edded as you are to an unclean body, a nd full of filthydelires and thoughts , pretend to receive the divine Spirit,the author of all purity, if you do not firll endeavour to
renounce yourfelves , and crucify your fenfua l appetites
(r3)P” And again It being certain that the too
llrong attachm ent of the Apoftles to the fenftble prefenct;( C0
(H ) 8 . Avg. Tr. 94. in Joan . l . 4. T. iii. part. a . p . 71 9.
hf") S . Bern . Serm . 5. de Afcenf. (1 3) 8. Barn . Sa m ; 3. de
m a 0. 8 0 P091 70
W H I T S O N T I D E.
of We b becaufe it w as celebrated [even w eek‘
he Pafi'
over, that is , on the fiftieth day after the fix
teen th of the m onth Nifan , w hich w as the fecond d; ofthe Feaft of Pafl
'
over (a). They offered at Pcnteco the
fi fruits of the w heat harvefl, w hich at that tim e w as com-z
p eted Thefe firfi- fruits confifled in tw o loaves of lea:Vened read pf tw o aflarons of
of an affaron, or three pin ts of
prefented at the tem ple feven l
a n d tw o ram s , to he ofl'
ered for
during tw o days, w t h theyPaflfover, refl from Ill lav
m anner as .on c Sabbath:
lifting ordinanc
83,
and generations,
The is
give thanks to God ,
or then-
land andpale“ e his abfolnte dom inion gvet
'
“ that; w orld. their M0 115and theftfat
offq red him the (writ fruits of theircalled the folem nity of the harvefi
w hich
(s ) Ex od . n aiv. a s . (a) L evit . x x iii. 1 5, 1 6. (3) D en t.x vi. s o . (4) L eg
'
x x i"
1 8 , s Num . x x viii. s 7.
jof.Xn tiq . 1 . iii. c . x . ,
vof Ninden a , P art. iii. c. 4. p . 1 34.
Bux torf Syn ag . Judaic . e . 2 0 . p . 44a . (7) L ev. x x iii. a s .
(a) m em o fignifies‘i'
aith. The Helitbw m e'
a ture Afl'
aron , calledalfoGam er, or O m er, w as the ten th part of an Bphior Epha, the fam e
in dr s the Bath w as h l'
fitl
'
m eagre» a! (m ay Rom an A hg‘
.
ta, illicit held about nin e ga long." “ 0 w
Som e think that each fam il ofl’ered tw o {itch lohves of the m eal‘
of
the n ew corn ; others that eng; tw o loaves w ere offered in thefill w hole nation ; w hieh
'
fsem s to n
ap“ : from N ephus An ti
c. 1 6. See on this fubiefl tw o D ica utions of Conrad IkeniI .
C lu e. W H I T S O N T I D E.
w hich began at that tim e . And the D ay ofFitti
fruits The feftival of Pen tecoft w as alfo appoin ted
according to the Jewith tradition. to netnrn God. thm ka forthe law w hich he gave on Mount. Sin aiom this day. For
this reafon the Jew s at Pen tecofi‘
drei'
s the fyn agogue and
laces appointed‘
for the reading of the lbw , an d even tl eioil's , w ith green boughs , rol
'
es, an d other: flow ers, l aittogether in crow n s and garlan ds , and that in great quan tities.Bux torf relates feveral cerem onies and
‘
praa'iceso fthe Jew s
at Pen tecofi, w hich are a com m em oration of the
giving of
the law at this tim e. From this tradition beth o an cient
an d m odern bu s, the Fathom and other Chaim w aiters
d ually this as aifecondim otive of the lew ith Fa ll
of Pen tee (b), and the leave at this day utirally call it the
Feaft ofthe L aw
CH AB.
(s)M n iii. ad . (9) Hum . x v ii?» as . D en t. m is s , so , s 3.
(is) Modem jew s eelebm the giving 06 the law in their w holeefl ce on Pen tecofi. See L sn eele t Addilbn
’
s M m State of the Jew s ,ch. 1 9. Ali»Lew is of M alen a, Part. 3. c . 4. And n ot! critics ‘
and
in m prew re g lee that the law w a s‘
ven to m fle m this day. Y et“ w id thae thea
gieing of the m ae part ofi the in tention ordevou t -of the ancien t Jewifl Th e in thie fell‘ival. This is ad .
n e ed by George Moch, D ry. 3 9. 9s t . s td Fran c . G om ar.
dez lm a ac Fine l efi Pen teoofiee."O p. p . s ad . But they prod uce
nothing of m m h pport theie eonieé'
lure. A nd the com m on tra
din'
on agrees w ell w ith the Scripture. The Jew s kept the Paflbver anthe rath et
‘
the m on th Hifan r arrived at Mouat Slni on the third dwof the fi in lr m on th afit their cot-in
geout of B o d . x ix . 1 .
Tw o (hp iter w hich-hick s received -
t law . s
'
m utt have hagpa rd on the fifiieth dey alter their com ing out of the in ter-m g .
cin e m a: liar, being on ly of tw en ty- am e thy
st . he Jew ithFam e.
outlaw s: calebn ted 'in the m on th Sivan , con-efpondi nearly to our
May, as Bun tw f m ention s, p. 438, on the ew ith en tecofl‘. SeeReinhardt Dim de M ou th J
‘
odeen sm , Chri’
an orum Gen tilium .
Jena , so” . Whis t ler, Or, de iia q ua circa M um Pen tecqflesm em orabilia fan s ; Lipfic ; 173
-4. reprinted in his D
'
t sifib'
ones
N ld ogiec ,
"p. a n . C laut‘w ita , Pang
-r. de fi na lb'
a Pen teoofiee, vet. b noviTeh n .
"Hale m t . The Jhw ith halm utl
M TM J‘
. ii. D an aius, rrogn m . de 1?e Judaico Septim m rum
abn ga to, 8s (arrogase h as M eofialiChfitl‘ianorum ,
“reprin ted
in Meufehenius ’s novurn Tefi m entuns ex Thahn ude ilfufim um ,
"
m . m . C n m er, in “ An tiquitatibus Mothieo-Typicit,"T. ii.
3 . 4h . john M et, D e Teusporibus s: Fefiis Hem .
"c. 1 3.
p . “ 7. Melchior Leydecker,"D o lls l. Hebrc or.
"I'. it . c .
i‘
p . 333. C hem bibus a 8 .
bgofegbo, ii. “ Apparafl is Biblici,
’
p. 35a . L ann y, An n . Bi ain et; D iet. Bibi. and '
the In ter-pre.
tells . O n sbe in s of the M i m k w ’ in rfl efiine, See Hex-m agi
Can ingii, C on -ten s. rq riessd. T. v. Patciculoram n o. C u nti."
Pa
W H I T S O N T I D E.
c H A p . m .
n Pan-r a c o s
'
r , or an l ccoetzt ofthe Hou r Gn o s
'
r .
HE Chriflian Pentecoll is celebrated leven w eeks or
fifty days after the feat! of our L ord’s Refurreaion .
It is one of the three principal feflivals of the year, and as
far tranfcends the Jew ith Pentecolt, as the law of grace exQ
cells theMofaic difpenfation , and as the accom plifhm ent of
p. or . All that concern s the Jew ith Pen teeoh is iudieioufiy dif
coded by Alphonfus Toflatus , contm on ly called Abulen fis, a Levit.
M . 4; w ho m ew s that the FM oa es, w as infiitut in nae
m ory of the deliverance of the Jew s from1e E tian fervitude ; and
P en tecoll in in ofthe law given to ofes om oun t Sin ai. Alto ,that on the Feat o Azym es, the firfl fruits of the year, being a loafofbarley, w ere ofl
'
ered tn the tem le, before w hich it w as not law fu l for
any jew so tafie ef the fruitis of that year. O n the Pen tecoh the w heatharvell being over, the lait begun , w ere ohercd the firfi fruits of breadm ade that year, in tw o loan s of tw o Afl
'
aron s, or about three n ts of
flour each, m ade of leavened dough, Levit. x xiii. 1 7. before w'
eh no
{cw could m ake or eat any bread of that crop. The 6rd lheaf of barey w as gathered 6n the 1 3th ofNit
'
an , in the m orningafter the day of
the Pafl'
over, and oEcred the nex t day, w ith great fo enm ity and m an ycerem onies r ef w hich form : accoun t is iven by Maim nides , in Tem edim , an dMofaphim , and others . fe tw o ofl
'
cri s of the meafof barley at thePafeh, and of the loaves of w heat at en tecofl, w ere
m ade in the nam e of the w hole Jew ith nation . Betides thefe, every
private perfon w as obliged to bring to the tem ple his Grit fruits ofw heat, barley, grapes, figs , apricocks, olives and dates . Th
brought them in bands preceded by an ox appointed for facrifice, w i
a crow n ofolives on his head , and his hom e gilded over ; and w ith at
leak, one m ufician playing upon the flute all the w ay to Jerufalem .
Every one, even the K ing, carried his ow n balket upon his (boulders,from the foot of the holy m oun tain in to the com belongin g to the
priefis in the tem ple, an d fet it dow n on the tide of the altar: The Levitee received them finging the 6rd s eries of the a9th Fralm , w hich inthe m od ern Hebrew tex t .is the 3oth. The
, perfen w ho brought theofl
'
erin g repeated the w ords preferibed , D eut . s avi. 4, 5, dx . See theMil
’
nab, in theTreatife Tbr tanotb and Bacon'
s , and the Com m en ta tors
on the Mifnab, and on Ex odui ii. a9. x x iii. 19. Every one is
obliged to give at the leat'
t the 60 th part of his fruits , but m a ll gave the
40th (Sec Mifnah, Tr. Th m tb, c. 4. n . The firtl fruitsand ten ths w ere the m olt certain part of the revenue of the pris tis sbut the Rabbins hold that no one is obliged to pay the fish fruits , excepting in the L and of Prom ife, Betider thefe, w hen the bread inevery fam ily w as kneaded , a -
portion w as fet a-‘
partfor the prieliorLevite of the place. Nam . av. 49, s o . S . Jenna {aye this portionw as betw een the acth and the 60th Part (in u p. Eaech.) Philotefiifies that this law w as obferved by the ew e in all parts of the w orldl. 4: Prq avii: Sh a rd .) It ie
'
tiill by them in 1'
n countries.e Leo of J
'
uda,’
part. it. c. 9.
394 w n t r s o n'
r t o r. Ta g .
w hich the Septuagint render his upper cham ber, w hither hew as w ont to retire to pray . Su ch. w as that w herein 8 . Paul
preached at Troas An d foch probably w as this w here
the apoflles w ere m et together. 8. L uke in his Game},w rites (t that the apofllc s w ere continually in the Tem
ple,”an d in the a&s (1 6) that they w ere daily abiding
tn the Tem ple .
” By w hich w e are to underb ud, not
that they had any habitation in the Tem ple, but that theyn ever failed to afi ll at the hours of public prayer, nam ely,at the m on th; and evening fi cvifioe, and at the third, fir thand ninth hours. It
t
i
}; li
r
he
£12k C
hem faid of him felf: I
“ t ht alw s in e (1 7 thou he certain l
had
n‘
t-l
gdw elligthere (d).Sb y
The houfe and cham ber w here the difciples
bled, repreiented the univerfal church, in w hich alon e the
Holy Gho“ ia receivs d, at leaf! by thofe on ly w ho are in itby fincere defire. The foa l w hich breaks the bond of unity,an d divides itfelfM the chr ch of C h ili, that is , fromw e com pan y of the apoltles , and their regular fitoeefl
'
ars, is
really lichen 06 from that body in w hich only the'
rit
m ore , fays a Protefiant interpreter on this paffage . airydraw s the fpirit of God to us . The difciples unitedin faith,in the w orihip of the fam e God, in the obfervanee of thefam e la w , and in the fam e fpirit of charity, befought tineternal Father, through his divine Son , to fend them his C omforter, the Holy Ghofl. Fifty being the term of the Jubilee, to fliew that he eam e to give a full pardon of afl debts
fies , through the paflion of C hrill ; he defu nded on
the fiftieth day after the refurre&ion of our blefs d Redeem er. This w as on Sunday, according to the cool ant tra
(ta) Afi s x x . 8 . (15) L uke x x iv. 53. (1 6)M s 3L “ .
(1 7) Mar. x x vi. 35.(d) Som e im agine th e upper room to have over the Tem ple.
That there w ere fuch cham bers above fom e part of the fseond Tem pleis certain . Jofephus tells us, that Efdras fat w ith the chief fathers of
the ls in an u room in the Tem fle z But this wof lohan an , the on of the hih-
prieli; him felf a prieit
in his book, De c did oTem pfi, m en tion s t6 cham bers ; but faith, theyw ere all appoin ted or facred things orperfon s . How could poor fib er
m en , Guila ans , odious on aceotm t of their m ailer, occupy ia fuch
n um bers one of thefe cham bers ? An d 8 . L uke clearly diilinguithes thelace of their retreat from the Tem ple, w hen he fays (a n. iii. r .) thatPeter a n d John w ent u in to the Tertiple at the hour of prayer 5
"
an d (A8 1 si. that the Triples broke bread from hook to hook ,w hen they w ere at leaf!
"
perfons , too m any to lodge together in an eUm
Ch. 3. W H I T S O N T I D E. 395dition of the church on the great feafi of the jew ifllPen teco li; tha t on the fam e day on w hich God had given
the old la w on Moun t Sinai, an and m ight be put to it bythe publication ofthe new law of grace (
‘ l But the m an
ner in w hich each w as publifhod , w as very difi'
eren t. Thefirfl being a law of fear, w as given w ith thunders. light
nings . and the loud found of trum pet and w ith drn dv
ful threats of death. It w as alfo w ritten in tables of (hone,being burdenfom e and heavy by the m ultitude of its pm
cepts, and the feeblenefs of its ,ohfervs nces and elem en ts
and being given to a (Em -necked people, upon w hon
apbeo
tenoe
s . l lidor. 1 . i. de Ofi e. Becicf. c . p . S . Lee, Serm . 73. a.Pen teco r . c. x . dx . (1 8) Brod . x ix . s6. n it . t s . Hebr. x . 1 6.
an to have con tinued daily w ith
See (laps-erm ine. 1 . iv.
rife to a perplex ing difliculty. For the lew ifith y from the {s tood clay of the Anym es, on
w hich QMM f cfi the w w crop of barloy w aa ofieeetl, w hea it w as
lfiw fitl flit the Jew s to eat the new fruits of that year, as Jofephus tells
us (l. ii. Aid“m
‘
t . c . t o .) B ut if Friday, on w hich Chrifi died, w as
theid! day a?Azym es or un learen ed bread , and Saturday the fecon d,ll! fiftieth day w ould not be Sunday , but Saturday . Som e therefore
m ean that the day of the m flhver, w as not theFriday on w hich C hri!died , but the Saturday ; and enn fe uen tlyathat either
-he did ” t u t the
Pakhal lainb at his lafl fupper on"Pburfday ereni as L am s C alm et.
and lim e o thers think ; or according to others that e eat it e day be
503 tha rfl of the jew s, w ho perhaps that year follow ed fom e erro
uequ s calculation . The latter fuppolition them e forced . And that
C hri}eat the Pafcltal lam b the eve ning before he fitfim d has been the
m ofi gen eral oginion . Therefore the con
'
aura of Baseline (ad . an.
n . ellarm in , Granafou (De ylleriis dnAnnis C hrifli, p .
a s .) juan in ds Sa crm ar. dia 4. qu . a . art. C ardinal Gotti,Benedia XXV . and «ha s. bea ts m olt probable, tha t w hen the (w an d
day ofAim to be the Sabbath. as in ilt year ol'
ous Lotxl‘
s
crucxfix lon, the lic e m ild not he in the corn to cut the fir“ fruitsthat day, but only after the elofe o the Sabbath. and the offering w as
m ade in the Tem ple on the third day of the A zym es . Itis true, w ork
ing fbt' facrifices
'
or reliious rites in the Temfi , w as never looked upon
ns a Yio ation of the Saghath, as our'
bk li'
ed d obk rves to the ew s ,
and . “ hm tlhew s m a n u. s .) Bus this eeuld'not be ea ten to
fl orist OiAgn cultuu . ai l-spins, d ying, an d carrying in corn for a
confiderablc part of the day.
395 W H I T S O N T I D E. Tr. g .
dience w as m ore enforced by m otives of fear than by thofe
of love . But the latter be ing the law of grace and love ,
is given by the Holy Ghofi, the author and infinite fource of
love, a n d is w ith great {w eetnefs im printed by him in the
fouls of m en , engraved in the tables of their hearts . For
this he had firft taken from them their heart s of (lone, and
converted them in to hearts of fielh, fitted to receive the
ten der im preflion s of his love, as he had prom ifed by the
pro hets h is our duty on this fefiival to beg that he
w il be pleafed to w rite his holy law likew ife in our hearts bythe finger of his right hand , w ith To great force that it m ayn ever m ore be blotted out, and in a fpirit of adoration ,
thankf°
ving and praife, to glorify God in the contem pla
tion'
o this great m yflery .
'
The apoliles having already
chofen S. Matthias, by the divine appointm ent in the
place of the apoftate Judas , and by adopting him into
their college , had again com pleted their num ber. And w ith
the reliof the difciples, efpecially the kinfm en of Jefus w hohad believed in him ,
w ith Mary his blefl'
ed m other, and
other devout w om en , at leali, a hun dred and tw en ty in
n um ber (a t), the continued w ith one accord in prayer, all
together in one p ace: And on the day of Pentecofi, aboutthe third hour of the day, that is , about nin e o
’clock
in the m orning, on Sunday, according to . tradition , on a
ludden they heard a great noife, as it w ere the rulhing of am ighty
w ind , w hich cam e from Heaven , an d w hich filledthe w ole houfe w here they w ere affem bled togetherThis fign of the com ing of the Holy Ghofi, w as to aw aketheir attention . He cam e on a fudden , to denote that heinfpireth us by his pure m ercy, and w hen it pleafeth himto vifit us . The w ind cam e dow n direfi ly from Heaven ,becaufe his infpirations com e not from the earth, nor is therein it any pow er to t aife or call them forth. This w ind re
prefen ts the breathing of the divine grace upon our fouls,to give and preferve in them the fpiritual life of grace. Foras w e live and breathe by the air, and cannot live withoutit(0 in the divine Spirit and by his grace, w e live , m ove , an
have our being in the life of grace ; and w ithout him w e
ither have nor preferve this being. If he breathe uponour fouls , though they w ere dead in (in, he w ill revive
them .
(1 9) Ezech. x x x vi. 36. (s o) Acts .i. (a t) a n . i. u .
§ cc Grotius an d Lightfoot in Act. 1 1 . x , a . S . C hryfoliom ,
"1 A3 . 5. A ug . Tr; ,9a in‘J o‘u a
‘_
8 0 1 m , h e (2 3)M . “ 0
a , 3.
398 W H I T S O N T I D E. Tr. g .
love of God and our neighbour, and raifeth the heart fromearthly to heavenl
éthings, fo that the fool’s delight and
converfation is in caven , w here {he repofes by contem plation as in her ow n fphere or proper place . He unites the foulto him felf, fo com m unicating to her his gifts and graces,that by the union of perfefi love, and the im itation and
participation of his fpirit, the becom eth one fpirit w ith him .
O f this fire our Lord faid I am com e to call fire on the
earth, and w hat w ill I but that it be kindled (24)i” This
fire w as particularly an em blem of the light, w hich the
apollles received and com m unicated to the w orld ; alfo ofthat z eal an d fearlefs courage w hich fpread itfelf into theirhearts , and from them into others. The fire appeared in
the {hape of tongues, rather than in that of hearts , to thew
that thefe gifts w ere bellow ed on the apollles, not only in era
der that they m ight love God them felves but alfo m ould
com m unicate by their tongues the fire of is love to others .
L ikew ife , faya 8 . Bernard, to fignify that w hen the HolyGhofi com m unicateth to a foul the fpirit of devotion , this isa tongue of fire w hich poureth forth all enfiam ed afiefi ionsof divine love, in an unlim ited diverfity of .a . of adora
tion , love, praife, thankfgiving, com punétion , and eve
kind of hom age . Thefe tongues efpecially fignified the giof tongues , by w hich the apoflles m ade them felves inselli~
gilde to m en of all nations, w ith w hom they had occafion to
treat (e). The diveriity of the languages , w as pointed out
(a s) Luke xii.
50)g, the gift of tongues , S . Augulline (Cone. a . in Pf. 1 7, ire.)a
'
m o other in terpreters fay, the Apodias , by a litpem atural infnfed
gift, n n derfiood and fpolte all differen t languages, at lea ll at certaintim es , and as creations required . 8 . Paul (1 C or. xiv.) thanks Godthat he (poke the languages of all his converts .
'
Sonse w ill have is
from ver les 8 , 9, t o . Aas ii. that, w hen th f e in the Hebrew
language, every on e of their hearers un d them in his ow n
tongue. Perhaps {em etim es the on e, and {om etinses the other of thefem iracles attended their preaching accordin to the ex igen t of circumstances , but neither (ca n : to have been co an t, for the polllea d iets
em ployed in terpreters in w riting their epifilea, Ste. That at leatl upon
ex igencies they fpoke or w ere n nderllood in a ll languages, firm not a
be doubted . See 8 . Thom as ada adz qu. 1 76. art. 1 . and the learned
Protellan t critics , Jean . Chritloph. B atem berg. D ill'
. D rW rea th Pa
rm fla li, T. i. Difi rta tim in loan quc dm Non iT'
eflan . Anfitl.An . s 73a . Gothefr. Thilus, Di] . 4: Ling-it Ignitir, T . ii. ih. p.
a . 1 7. w ho fhew thegift of tongues to have been very frequent an ;
the fu ll D ifciples of t eApo llles .
In the puniflrm ent of the
(pride of m en at theTow er of Babel, the
ecnfufion of tongues difperfe them . The gift of tongues in the pro
m ulgatxon
W H I T S O N T I D E. Tr. 9conferred by his defcent upon the apofiles , w hich w ere no
oefl'
ary in the begin ning of the church forits foundation , and
for the prom ulgation of the gofpel (f).The revela tion of the w hole body of the C hrifiian . faith
w as m ade to the apofiles by the defcent of the Holy Ghofl:
upon them . Som e parts indeed w ere m ore fu lly an d clearlym anifefied to them in fubfeq uent vifions , chiefly before their
difperlion to preach the Gofpel to the w hole w orld . Thusthe vocation of the gen tiles to the church could not but be
know n to the apofiles from the ancient prophecies a nd
the dillin& predi&ions of our divine Redeem er the
(a s) Gen . x u . r . x lix . ro . Pf. u . 8 . x liv. r7. Ifa . u . a , 3. x m . r ,
a , 3. x lix . r, a . liv . s . lx . 3. 8 x . (2 6) Mat. ii. t . x x iv. x x viit.
1 9. John , x . 1 6, &e.
(f) The n am e of es , in its roper and (hid! fen fe, is on l given totha t w hich 1 8 in w ar w hether
"
tua l, called otherw il'
e M iffi ng
g ra ce, or ca na l, w hichis , A gratuitou s , fuperna tural il um in ation ,or in w ard m otion , ex cited by the Holy Gholt in a rational creature,w ith refpefi to etern al life.
”
It elfen tially furpafi'
es the order. ex i
geney, an d pow er, or firength of n ature, w hether it en lighten s the underlh nding, flirs up or firen hen s the w ill, or calls to m ind , or (lu n gthem the m em ory to retain uperna tural truths , in order to prom ote the
attain m en t of etern al fupern a tural blifs .
Outw a rd gra ce, w hich is on ly hon oured w ith the n am e of grace inan im proper an d m etaphorical fenfe, is defin ed , A fuceour, w hich out
w ardly ex cites a ration al creature to a fupern atural good or end : As
the outw ard propotal of the divine law , preachin g , m iracles , the ex .
am ple of C hn lior his fain ts , &c . This ou tw ard grace tend s n atura llyto ex cite in terior pious m otion s in the foul w hich Pelagius (aphiltical
-r
ly called inw ard grace, to difguife his herel'
an d im pofe upon the
(pa
tors of the church. It is a benefit of God:and is ufually feconde bytrue inw ard races , . given , or at leafi offered w ith it. For the HolyGhotl never 0 far abandon s fin ners as not fom etim es to (lan d at their
door, ready at leaf! to knock by the ofl’
er of his in w ard call and grace,if they do not, by w ilful obflaeles , reject it.The outw a rd gra ces , or gratuitous , ex tern al, m iraculous gifts , (0
m uch fpolten of in the m yfiery of the D efcen t of the HolyGholt, are of
a difi'
eren t na ture, and are defined gratuitous fupern atural gifts ofGod , befiow ed for the benefit of others .
”O n ly the firft part of the
definition of grace agrees to thefe ; w hence they are ufually called from
it alone gra tuitous tr, to give to underfland that they do not com e
under the firict n am e 0 grace, becaufe not necell'
a rily given w ith any
particular regard to the falvation or fanaification of him w ho receives
them , any m ore than all gen era l appoin tm en ts of God w ith refbeét to
his fervan ts . And thoughGod does not ufually gran t there gifts but tohis faithful fervan ts , the do not necefl
'
arily prove or prefu fe fa nétityor the Rate of grace . inke, x . s o . There outw ard gits are en um e
rated by S . Pa ul, 1 C or. x ii. 6, Etc . 1 .
‘Ibe w rd af cm x'
does, or ex
traordinary m eafures of the m olt fublim e and m anifold v i on”
: of God ,a. e. the know ledge of the revealed m yfleries of the Gofpel, w ith abili
ties
«3 W H I T S Q N T I D E. Tr. 9.
Evangelill in the ifland of Patm os. con cerning the future
Rate of the church, the end of the w orld , and the etern al
kingdom of the glory of the ele&, unfold m any great n yi
teries of the Chrtliian faith. But in the apofiles w as clofed
a’
nd fealed all C atholic revelation of articles of faith, w hich
w as m ade to the w hole church. Private revelation s m ade to
other prophets fiuce their tim e, fuch as a re m eant by the
gift of prophecy, frequent in the prim itive church and
(3s) See D odw ell D ili'
. dc Vi/ionibur, 8 m .
thefe operation s , and alfo of the different adm iniftration s in his church.
Phr he appoin ts fom e Apofiler, im m ediately fen t by C hrili, to lay thefw m lflion , have the chicfell care of the churches . 3 . O thers pro
pbetr, perfon s w ho taught and reached by im m ediate infpiration . 3.
O thers My or deacons . a. O t ers rulers and f iritu al guides . Tholeare not on ly called and confiitutsd by the Holy oil, but alfo fitted for
their rticular function s by his f cis l graces . A nd the Apoltle ives
the orintbians to underltand, at the functions and graces the
low elt cflicers in the Hierarchy w ere m oreufefnl and better than the m otex traordin ary of outw ard gifts . A nd, am on gfl: the latter he places the
gift of tongues in the lait place. 1 C or. x iv. 3a . to.abate their high
conceit of them k lves in regard of this gift, w hich w as of leaf! ufe of
all'in the church. He bid s them m olt earnelhly to covet the bell: gifts ,thofe of in w ard grace, in w hich there is a far greater ex cellen cy an d
fpiritual advan tage, particularly in the love of (”
and and our n eighbour,w hich is far m ore noble than the w hole colleéliq n of outw ard
°
fts ,how ever ex traordinary, fupern atuta l, and m iraculous, and w hich abidesfor ever, accom panying us in Heaven , w here, from a lin all fparh , it
w ill be im proved in to a feraphic flam e, and w ill never fail. 1 C or. x il.
3s . x iii. r , a . &c . x iv. s o, &c .
Thefe gifts w ere not confined to the defcen t of the Holy Ghod at
Pen tecolt ; but w ere com m unicated to others , w ho afterw ard believed
in Chrift. By the m im j ratian , or [apply q‘
the fpirit, (Phil. i. 19,Sec .) are m ean t the m ean s by w hich the Holy Ghofl w as com m unicated
in the church, of cia lly the facram en ts of baptifm and confirm ation , or
the im politico 0“
han ds . And the gift tbe Holy Gbofi, fo often m en
tinn ed to be received by thefe facram en ts ,Acts ii. 383, 8ec. an d fom etim es
by prayer or other m ean s, (Acts iv. com prehends both the in w ard
habitual races, fign ed on all w ho received w orthily thofe facram en ts ;and alfo t c outw ard m iraculous graces , often bellow ed on forn e, not all
upon each, but lbrne on one, fom e on another ; as, the gift of tongueson on e of healing on another of prophecying on a third , &c .
“
Theinw ard are (till com m unicated by thofe facram en ts, to the end
of the w orld , according to thofe w ords of Chrifi : He that believ
ethin m e, out of his belly (hall flow rivers, of living w aters, John ,vii. 38 . Where the belly denoteth the heart or in w ard pu ts , in w hich
the in w ard graces are received . And , This he faid of the fpirit,w hich they w ho believe in him lhould receive, 8 m .
“
But the outw ard
gifts did not alw a s accom pany the facram en ts in every one w ho re
ceived them ; an con tinued to be freq uen t in the church on ly for a
{hurt tim e, till theGofpel w as fuflicien tly confirm ed. For this eviden cew as
W H I T S O N T - I D E. 403fuch as are m entioned by S. Ign atius ofAn tioch, S. C yprianand others, no w ay belong to C atholic revelation , w hich isentirely apoftolical : The other m ay rather be called hillorical ; and its truth and authen ticity are to be w eighed by the
gen eral rules of prudence, like other poin ts of biliary w hichdepend upon the grounds of hum an veracity, not any divineauthority. It m ull in the firftplace be ex am ined the fun
dam ental rule of our holy apotiolical faith, and t e autho
rity of the C atholic church. This is firfi to be confulted
in its ex plan ation s of the C atholic do&rin e, delivered in
holy fcritures, and ex plained in its general councils , anduniverfa ly received dogm atical tradition and in the fecond
place in the judgm en t of its chief aftors, w ho though theyare not by any divine
‘prom ife infalibly unerring in decifions
relating to particular aa s, w hich are no part of the C atholic
revelation , or apoltolical tradition , are neverthelefs the
guides an d judges in the church, w ith jurifdifiion to dire&a nd ordain , by w holefom e fpiritual law s, w hat ought to be
lhun ned as dangerous to the fouls of the faithful ; and w hat
m ay be em braced w ithout danger. This revelation , m ade
to the spottles , w e m ull necefl'
arily underfland of all thingsw hich con cern faith and obedien ce to God, or the pra&iceof virtue ; of w hich C hrifi fays He fltall teach you allthings w hen ce the Holy Ghofl is called, The Spiritan d Guide ofTruth A fecond rivilege w hich the
apoflles received on this day, w as a con an t in
fiiration , or
at leall fpecial and ex traordinary aflifiance ofthe clyGhofi,w hich direa ed them in all divine truth, and preferved them
D d a from
(31 ) John , x iv. 1 8 . (33) john , x vi. 1 3. x iv. 1 6.
w as fuflicient to flop the m ouths‘
of the incredulous of a ll fucceediages . So com m on w ere thefe m iraculous pow ers in the begin ning 0
the church, that S . Paul em ploys a con fiderable rt of his firlt epifile
to the C orin thian s to regulate the life of them . es 1 C o r. iv . 7. x ii.
s o, 1 8, 3c . x iv. a . He likew ife m entions them , Rom . m i. 3, 6, 7.
S . Igna tius, from S . P aul, (1 C or . x ii. an d other fathers, callthem Charifm a ta , or the gratuitous gifts , as by a nam e then com m on lyored a nd underfl oor! in that fenfe . They are m en tion ed by the fathers,during the three firfi cen turies , as then l
’
ubfilting and com m on in thechurch. See S . Iren z us l. n . c . 33 . 83 51 . l. v. e. 6. p. a an d quo
t
ted by Eufebius , Hill . Li
v . c . 7. S . Juhin (D ial. p . Apol. 3 .
vol. Tertullian, (Scorpiac .
p. 8 . Hilary, (in Pf. litir . s o,
a s .) the apofiolic connitutions , viii. c. even in the clofe of thethird cen tury by Eufebius (in P l
'
. 8 m . Tow ard the end of thefourth cen tury, S . C hrylbfiom Pays they had ceafed long befbrg, (ins Then
'
. iii. 6 w hich 8 . Auftin and others alfo toltify.
41 0 W H I T S O N T I D E:
pofitive precepts ; others belonged to the law of nature in
points , in w hich part of m ankind feem s, before that tim e,
to have m ade fom e kin d of gen eral defe&ion from the
church ofGod (b). The Noachick precepts are thus laid
alone firflicient to fave all thofe w ho w ere not of the pollerity of Abraham , an d did n ot belon to his particular coven an t, as it w as confirm ed
and en larged in the Jew i difpen fation . Thofé llrau s w ho kept the
of the fan s of Noah, the Jew s called Pro (lyre; qf tbegare .
m e w ho by receivingeircum fion , fubieéted them lilves to the w hole
Mol'
aic law , they 0e Profejyta q qflice. The Noachielt precept s
are reduced to abllln ence from blood and unclean m eats . A bltincnce
from blood w as feverely enjoined the jew s . Lev. x vii. t o, r 1 . D en t .
x ii. a3, 34. The realbn of w hich feem s to have been full, becaul’
e
God referved to him felf in token of his dom inion over life, the blood
of anim als w hich w as
{outed out in facrifices on the altar. Secon d ly,
God by this w ould cur violen ce, or all outrages and cruelty to w hich
m an is inclined . Grotius endeavours to ibew (in Aft. x v.) that nations w hich feed m uch on blood , con tra& a favage and fierce tem per .
This law of abltin ence from blood w as'
given by God to Noah, w henhe allow ed m an to eat the flelh of living creatures . Gen . ix . 4. Hence
n o jew could eat a creature that w as ll rangled or that died of itfelf, b!eaufe theblood had n ot been drain ed from the flelh. A n d (till the Jet'shave their ow n butchers , w ho b cutting the throat from ear to ear, or
laying w ide open the large ve els , d rain the w hole m alt of blood as
m uch as pollihlc ; for all can n ever be d raw n of . This Noachiek lawof abllin en ce from blood m ull have been required of the P rolhlytes Ofthe gate. How then did God allow the jew s to give an anim al tha t
dit d of itfelf, and w hich they could not eat, to an houlhold profelyte,or fell it to a Granger ? D eut . x iv. a t . The reafon of this difference hé
tw een the Jew and Profelite 3 cars from w hat follow s, that the Jew s
w ere to be an holy people to od , and therefore grea ter fanétity w hs
required in them , an d it w as forbid for them to eat blood either out of
the anim al, or in the flelh : But the firliunder pain of death, (Levit.m m . the latter under penalty of a tem porary pollution till evening,to be then ex piated by a w alhing of their bodies and clothes, (L et .
x vii. For blood in the flelh w as n ot facred , as n ot bein g tha t
blood w hich w as preferred for m akin g aton em en t for fin , and for a te
cogm tion of God being the fuprem e L ord of life. A nd fecond ly,w hen n ot eaten under the form of blood , but in an indifcrim in ate m ix
ture w ith the flelh in a dead carcafe, it w as not fo great an incentive to
cruelty ; (0 that the m ain reafon s of the prohibition ceafing, the law
either did not bind the profelyte or Granger, or only fubjefted him to a
cerem onial defilem en t w ithout the guilt of tran fgrellion , in cafe he ob
ferved the law of the ablution . (Levit. x vu . I }?This abftinence
from blood w a s enioined to Noah, w hen God firll a low ed m an anlulal
food . Gen . am . 4.
(b) The diltinétion of clean and unclean anim al s w ar prefcribed or
ra ther co n firm ed by God to Noah and his child ren , for it feem s to havebeen an terior to him , an d probably from Adam , for the n th of faerlfleds ;for it is m en tion ed before the flood . Gen . vii. a . It feem s m olt probe .
ble that m en on ly began to eat the lieth of anim als after the flood ;w hen
41 2 W H I T S O N T I D E. Tr. g .
terity, by his fon Ifaac, and his grandfon Jacob or Ifrael.
To Abraham God unfolded his prom ifes of a Medias , m ore
c learly than he had revealed him before, in form ing him tha t
he fhould be born of his feed .by Ilas e, and that in him all
n ation s {bould be bleffed . WithAbraham he m ade a n ew
coven an t in order to referve to him felf his pofterity by Ifaac,to be his peculiar people, and for the m ark or tign , he gave
them the law of circum cifion . To this people, then in creaf
ed to a num erous n ation , divided into tw elve, or rather
‘hirteen tribes , (if w e com prife the tribe of L evi, w hichhad
n ot a feparate portion or part of territory in the land of Prom ife, and if w e divide the children of Jofeph into the tw o
tribes of Ephraim and Man affes , as w as done in that parti
tion) four hundred years after the vocation of Abraham ,
he gave a w ritten law by the m iniftry ofMofes . This is
called the w ritten coven an t, theMofaic difpenfation , or the
old law . It w as a m uch fuller and m ore com plete fyflem of
religion , interw oven .w ith the law s of the {late or republic,an d confified I ll
, of a w ritten confirm ation ofthe precepts ofthe law of n ature, reduced under ten heads , engraved on tw o
tables of (lon e : Secondly, of various dillin& prophecies of
a Meflias to com e, and a m ore perfe& and happy law of
grace to fucceed it : Thirdly, o} a great num ber of cere
m onial precepts of facrifices , facram ents and ritual obfer
vances ,.
all typical, reprefen ting , and poin ting to, the ro
m iled Redeem er and his holy law to com e. The old aw ,
though fitted by the adm irable w ifdom of divine Providence,to the circum flan ces of the people and flate of thin forw hich it w as appoin ted, w as m any w ays im perfea . irfi,becaufe it w as on ly given as a pedagogue to infiro& m en in
the know ledge of their fpiritual m iferies , to condu& them
by longing fighs to, and prepare them for the graces of then ew law . Its m ofl facred rites and facrifices w ere on ly thadow s ; types and figures . The new , therefore , as far fur
paflées it as the reality of the m oft fublim e m ylleries ex cella
Its re .
Sg ndly, Faith in thofe w ho preceded C hrill, thoughclear and certain as to a redem ption to com e, w as very ob
fcure as to the m an ner an d illufirious circum flances of this
greatefl of all m ylleries . The very prophecies in w hichthey are m oll clearly pointed out
, receive their chief illuftration s from their accom plilhm en t. But how nobly are the
w onderful m yfteries of the divine goodnefs and m ercy in our
redem ption,
41 4. W'
H I T S O N T I D E. Tr. g .
Fourthly, The facrifioes and other m eans of grace w hich
the old law a rded , w ere w eak, and chiefly adapted to
point out others to com e. Helps indeed they w ere, and fuch
as fufiiced to lead m en to God ; but w ere feeble, and rather
{he-w in
gour w ounds than applying pow erful rem edies to
them In the new law w e have in the holy facrifice, them oll perfea hom age that can be paid to God : In the facra
m en ts the m oftpow erful rem edies , flrengtheners, and m ean s
of a ll grace In the other holy obfervances the flrongefl help:
of piety an d religion , adapted to all our necetlities and pur
poles . The apoflle and his faithful interpreter in the m yf
ret y of divine grace, the great D oa or S. Anilin , w hen in
m any places they fet forth the im perfea nefs of the old, are
not to be underflood as if it w as not good, and a m ean s of
true virtue, and through faith in a Redeem er to com e, a
path to falvation a nd divine love ; but fo w eak in itfelf as to
be rather a w itn els and r roacher of tranfgreflion s than
efficacious rem edy. But aith and love gave firength and
grace under it, tho h they belonged rather to the n ew law ,
even w hen given be c it.
Fifthly , The Jew ilh facram en ts and rites had no force or
virtue but w hat they derived from an aaual faithin a Re
deem er to com e, and w ere of them felves w eak and needyelem en ts (9 Thofe of the new law apply to our fouls
the price of Chrifl’
s adorable blood w hich they con tain , to
cleanfe and fanaily us . The form er com m andm en t is
verily fet afide for the w eaknefs and unprofitablenefs there
of. For the law brought nothing to perfieaion but a bringing in of a better hope, by w hich w e draw nigh to God
Six thly, The Mofaic difpenfation w as a law of fear andfervitude fuited to the carn al flare of the Jew s (I t). Forthough it fuggefled m otives , an d laid a com m and of divin elove, w hich w as alw ays the firll an d greatefl com m andm en t,and alw ays effentially necefl
'
ary for falvation ; yet that law
principally difplayed m otives of fear, and w as m uch taken
up in deterring m en from fin by the dread oftem poral pn nilh
m en ts . The Gofpel is called the law of grace and love ,becaufe it furnifhes the m oll pow erful m eans of the ti
an d m ofl plen tiful graces : becaufe it prefents and chiefl
d w el s
(8) Rom . vn . 8 . t a . (9) Gal. iv . 9. (t o) Hebr. vtl . 1 8 , 1 9.
viii. 9. 1 0 . Jet . vi. ao. Am o f. v. a s . Mich. ti. Galaiv. 9. (n )Ga l.iv . 2 4, 8c 31 . Ro m . vii. 4, 5, 6. Rom . viii. a 3
‘6. 8 . Aug“
:
d e Spititu & Littetfi. i. de Pecc . Origin . c.
C h. 4. W H I T S O N T I D E.
dw ells upon the m olico ent m otives of divine love in all
the great m ylleries w hi are the obje& of its faith and de
votion . And this love is the fruit of all its graces , the endto w hich allits ex ercifes are chiefly direfi ed . What an in
nity is it under this law of love to be un acquain ted w ith
its fpirit By the fam e conduct by w hich God m ade the law
of fear the in trodu&ion to that of love, does he proceed in
pla nting the kingdom of his grace in a foul, w hich he ufu
ally (bakes and dif
pofes by fear to condufi her afterw ard to
his pure and holy ove (t a). Y ou have not received the
fpirit of bond e again in fear : But you have received
the fpirit of a Option of (ons w hereby w e cry, Abba,Father.
”
Seventhly, According to the different chara&erillics of the
old and n ew law , (0 w as the m an n er of their prom ulgation
different. The firll w as given in thunder and lightening,w ith other fign s of terror, w ith w hich the jew s w ere (0
(lruck as to pray thatGod m ight not (peak to them lelithey(hould die, not being able to hear his voice , or (land his prefence. Neither w as the Jew ifh law given by God in perfon ,but by an angel w ho (poke in his nam e It w as alfo
delivered to Mofes , m ateriall engraved on tables of (lone .
But the n ew law w as w ritten fly the Holy Gholl in hearts offielh ; The in w ard fpirit and relilh of the law , in w hich
confifis the virtue and obedience of the heart, w as infufed bythe (w eet unaion of grace and love . Behold the days
com e,” faith the Lord, an d I w ill m ake a n ew cove
n an t w ith the houfe of Ifrael, and w ith the houfe of Juda .
Not according to the covenant w hich I m ade w ith their
fathers : But this (hall be the coven an t w hich I (hall m ake
w ith the hoofe of Ifrael after thefe days I w ill give
m y law in their bow els, and w ill w rite it in their hearts
And ill be their God, and they (hall be m y people
(1 4)Eighthly . The jew ilh law w as a tem porary difpen fation ,
a nd the forerun n er of the n ew , and. its abro ation, by its
accom plilhm en tin the latter, w as foretold by al the prophets
(1 S).
(t a) Rom . viii. r5. SeeGal. iv. 3, 4, 5, 6.
(r3) A61 . vrr. 35. Hebr. am . a t .
Jer. x x x i. 3x , 33. 3 C or. iii. 6.
41 6 W H I T S O N T I D E. Tr. g .
The new law w as to fucceed and to be etern al
(1 7)Ninthly, This law of grace is a fpiritual law , a law of
love, engraved in the hearts of m en by theHoly Ghoft (tA law propagated over all the n ation s of the earth. It w as
m iraculous, not only in the w onderful m yflery of the defcent
of the Holy Gbofifor its prom ulgation , but alfo in the (ln
pe ndons m an ner of its propagation . C hrilt foretold, w hen
all appearan ces w ere again ll him , that his law and fpiritual
kingdom (hould foon be propagated to the farthefl ex trem it
yof the earth. He com pared the preaching of the Gofpe
in Its w eakell begin ning, to a little leaven , w hich being hid
in the dough, (preads through the w hole m afs , .a nd’
changes
its n ature by im parting its ow n q ualities. Alfo to a grain of
m ullard feed , w hich, from the leali of all feeds , grow s to
fuch an height as to furpafs all other (hrubs This in
credible (uccefs depended upon , a nd arofe from his death
w hich feem ed of all things the m ofl oppofite to (0 great a de
fign . By the reprobation of the Jew s , and the vocation of
the Gen tiles , (o often an d (0 clearly predifi ed b
ythe pro
hets , and by C hrift him felf, w as this m yllery orw arded .
he infirum ents chofen by God,for this great delign of
con verting the w orld, w ere foch as render the w ork m ore
aflonifhing : Men , w ho by their low condition and n atural
puftllanim ity, w hom he com pares to (heep in the m idfl of
w olves , feem ed m oll unfit for laying the foundation of fucha (iruElure . Y et thefe he en dued With an intrepidity, w hich
n o torm en ts could fubdue , nor death in tim idate. To thefe
he prom ifed an in vin cible (trength, a celeflial pow er, and a
vifi ory over the w hole w orld . And he affured them that
they (hould con quer by their patien ce, by being put to death
an d torn to pieces by the w olves as (0 m any (heep (2 1 ) Men
w ho
(1 5) Ifa . i. 1 1 . 8: fequ . x liii. 1 8 , 1 9, s o . Jer . vn . 1 3. x x x i. 31 .
Ezech. x x x iv . t o . D an . x 1 1 . 1 1 . Mal.’
i. 1 0 , 1 1 . lb. n . 1 1 , 1 a . Mat .
x i. 1 3. L uke, x vi. 1 6. John , iv . 2 1 . Gal. iii. 25. Hebr. viii. 6. ix .
6, 7, 8 . t o . 1 1 , 1 2 , 1 3. D eut. x viii. 15, 1 6. Ifa . n . a , 3.
Mich. iv . 1 . Ifa . lx u . a , 3. Jer. x i. 1 9, s o . x viii. 31 . x x x i. 3x .
Ezeclr. x x x vi. 25, a6. Mat. iv . 5. Mat. x x vi. a 8 . John , iv. 2 3.
Hebr. viii. 6. x ii. 1 3. (1 7)Pf. n . 6, 7. x liv . 7. Ix x i. 1 . 8: feq u . lfa .
ix . 7. x i. 1 fequ . D an . u . 44 . D an . vii. Mich . iv . 7. L uke, 1 .
33. John , x iv . 1 6. 1 C or. x v . a s . Ma t. x vi. 1 8 . 3 C or. iii. 1 1 .
(1 8) Ifa . x x x v . 1 5. x liv . 3. lix . a t . Ezech. x x x vi. 2 6, z
Joel. ii. 2 8 , 29. Zach. x ii. t o . John , vn . 37. x iv. 1 6. i. 6. Rom .
v . 5. 1 C or . ii. 1 2 , 1 3. Ga l. iii. 5, 1 4. Eph. i. 1 3. 1 John , iv. 1 3.
Gal. iv . 6. 1 C or . iii. 1 6. (19) Nlat. x iii. 32 . (s o) John, x ii. 24,31 . (a t) AE1 . i. 8 , also.
it
is m ore than 1 00 ream after Chili’s -death, 3. Jul“ .
ryg tells Tryphq n the m olt. learned m m m m “ the
jew s, Thflre is no race of m en , “ ha lter Greeks Ot' Bitt
batizas, or al w hatever other dam m iaatien , Whether of
the-Ham m tobii(Scythian: m : the Palm Ma ntis) w ho .
f live in covened carts ; or Nom ads (cert ain Scythian bothin Afia and Bum ps)w ho ufe no boufcs ; or Scenites (inArabia and Africa). w ho dw ell, in ,
tents, follow ing their .
cattle, am ongfi w hom prayers and;ofiering; are not .put
up , through the!W S Pf “ 1 3 Cl"
1055 Ter
tullian fopu after tells the . Rom a n . We are hit. of.‘f yeflerday, and : w e have, ovetfntsad year. m oire : . Y our.
‘fcities, your. iflandt. you: lbrts, fflw m fi nd affcm lflia ;
um u; very atm im , Windsp. tribes” lace: 40
,
and forum », (w arm With C hn tlians. e have ld tng bu
t your , {pains to. yourfelyes And , in hi.ap t}the Item that Territories of the. Brig
tons , w hich w ere inacCeflible to the Rom an s , w ere. (uh.
y clear convifiion , us believeof this divine revelatibn w ere . dif»:
played
at” ) Bu. Jfi fl n m l ‘o “ 0 ” q ail s Od o
contr a ms. C yprian , L. dc Unit . Ecc
‘
l.’
t. c. 3. p. (30) S, A x x n ,
vn.if. 1565112?
Bout gone, Serm . in D ogs: 1. p03
n a,. tm fl l lly S, t §foflom , r.
Poem e for ]: Religion , ch; ilt. v. 437.
42? W H I T S O N T I D E.
founded by and on Chrift, is fubjefi to C hrifl , is ever go
vern ed b C hrifi. and directed, and aflified by the Holy
Ghoft (c It is the Mother of the Sain ts, alw ays bringingforth children to God, and trainin them up by the w ord of
God, con tinually preached in it, y the ex am ple of goodm en and
-the praa ice of all virtues, by the holy facram ents ,
facrifices , and ublic and private prayer. It is the fpoufe cf
Chrilt, fet fo w ith every ornam ent ofgrace an d virtue
cleanfed, fanfi ified, glorious , not having fpot or w rinkle,
gr,fuch thing ; but holy and w ithout blem ilh, nourilhed
ancigiierifbed by the Lord The church‘
is the m other
of us . all the filler of the heaven ly Jerufalem It is
the tem p e of the living God on earth, in w hich he is adore
,edy ferved, and glorified, by the uninterrupted
facrifice, obedience, praife, love, and all virtues , It is the
gternal (prin of the w aters ofhfc, w hich run in a firong
ftream from ibanus and w hich becom ein him w ho
drinketh thereof a l
fountain of w ater fprin ging up into eter
nal life
Chrit began to form his church, during his facred m iniftryhere on earth: w hen he affem lfled his difcm'a . and im
gruaed them w ith his ow n m on th. But the D efcent of the
.
oly S hul'
t w as the laft a& , by w hichhe both revealed and
prom ulged his w hole law : he infufed, asit w ere, a foulintothat his at ftieal body, an d endow ed it w ith a vigorous prin
ciple Ofiie and action . From this tim e its m it ts , m iniftersand officers, being com pletely com m illioned and qualifiedby the m iraculous efi
'
ufton ofthe Holy Ghoft, fet them felvesto
(43) C an t. vi. 3, 8 . vit. 6. i. rs, 36. it . 7. Epho
. v. a s; a6, 1 7,
$44) Pf. lx x x w . 7. x liv. 1 6. (Q5) Gant. !V.. 1 5.chn , iv. 1 4. vn . 39.
Se) God
'
s Spirit, an d God'
s Prom ifes . are undoubted] infalliblean w e are all
'
ured by C hrill that his Spirit afl’
tlts and dircéis his churel;in to all truth, to the end of the w orld . For though m en are fa llible,
yet the church, w hich is com pared of m en , infallibly teaches and deli
were the divin e truth, bes aufe the body of its paj ors are nllijl'ed anddirected by the Holy Gholi, in difcharging thisofice of teaching it alln ation s . This infallibility of the church is derived from the in fallibilit
of God'
s Spirit, not from m en ; and is groun ded on the all
'
uran ce oi'God
‘
s unem ng w ard and pm ifes . Matt . in tuiti. a c . John, x iv. a‘,
n . x vi. 1 3, 1 6. Mat. x iii. 1 8 . Eph. i. as . 3 Tim . iii. 15. l Goa.
gii. u . Hebr. x iii. 7. The Holy Gholiguides the body of the paflonof his church in to his truth
,thro
pgh all ages 5n ot by con tinual fue
cellis t infiira tion e, but. by Cir ing them by bit fill- w ife and all
row erful proleftion , prefa vu in tha n the lis ted de
'
pofit of bigApolloic m elatw n pure and un vexitd.
W H I T S O N T I D E. Tr.'
g.
firm ntion ofthe faithin its firft propagation , any longer con
ferred by this divine Spirit upon thofe to w hom he now com ,
m unicates him felf. Thele are m yfteries w hich are paft, to
w hich w e ftand indebted for the fpiritual advantages w hichw e enj in the church, and for w hich w e ow e the tribute of
our con tant thankfgiving an d praife . But though the HolyGhoft defcends no lon ger tug/ibly, as he did on the Apoftles a t
Pentecoft, w hen he m anifefted his prefence by fenfible em
blem s ; he frill defcends m oi/ibly upon our fouls . And tho’
he com m unicates not to us the outw ard graces of the m iracu'
lous pow ers w hich w ere given for the benefit ofothers , and
of the church, not of thore w ho received them , he .
,no lefs
arts him felfto us in his interior m oft ineftim able graces
an , invilible fpiritual gifts, tha n he did to his Apoftles , ilw e open our hearts to receive them . Being by his im m enfity every w here prefent to us w ith the Father -and Son , be
w ith them, pours upon us, his m oft precious in terior. gifts,
w hich are peculiarly afcribed to him , on account of the arm
logy w hich the bear to his perfon alproperty, by w hich he isthe foun tain o grass itfelf, the etern al fubfiftin love of the
father and the Son . This divine gueft is nogelsto us than tothe firft D ifciles . C hrift gave him to abid ew ith his church, and in al his true m em bers for eon
He w as folicitous anc rayed for all that ever w ere to believe
in him The Apoftles conferred the Holy Spirit on others
in the fam e m anner they had them felv es received him
He defccnded on the Sam aritan , and on the Gen tile converts,n o lefs tha n upon the Jew t They have received the
Holy ,Ghofl like us faid St. Peter. The facred foun
tain w as open ed at Pe n tecoft on the Apoftles ; but con tinues
ftill to flow . Though the outw ard prodigies w hich attended
this m yftery at the feafon of its firft eruption , w hen itifl'
ued
forth from the divine fource to replenifh the Apoftles , are
not now ex hibited to (trike our eyes y'
et w e know that the
divine Spirit frill defcends upon all the true difciples of
C hrift w ith the fam e bounteous efi‘lux of grace to the end of
the w orld, according to C hrift’s m pft folem n prom ifes . Be
fore he left his dear difciples to return to his Father, in the
tender bow els of com paflion , he allured them , and us w ith
them , that he w ould not leave us dcftitute as orphans , w ith
c ut a l father, but that ,he w ould fen d his'
holy Spirit to lup
ply his place as his vicar ; and to be alw ays w ith us . Iw ill
(1 ) 122; 23 ;
6
4
(a) J ohn m m . 39. (3) Aft. vu‘
i. an x .
Cit- S. W H I T S O N T I D E. 427
difcover that they are governed by the fpirit of the w orld,w hich is the declared enem y to that of God, and w hich
cannot con tprehend , m uch lefs receive it. The fen fiial
m an does not conceive the things w hich are ofGod
Were w e to put the quefiion to in num erable Chritlian s ;Have e received the Holy Ghotl i
‘” They w ould he
alm ofl obiged to anfw er w ith thofe'
at Ephefus , Who had
only received the of John the B ill : We have
not even hear er there is a oly GhofiForin the w orld, fcarce any one know s that there is anyO ther fpirit than that of the w orld . Scarce any one can
be found in that r'
on of fpiritual darknefs , w ho has either
know ledge or relifiiof the Spirit of God , or his in teriorgifts : O fa Spirit full of God , w hich loves , feehs, and de
fircs him alone, undertakes nothing but in the pure vie w of
his holy w ill ; w hich fee ls no joy butin the hope of his futurecoeds , or in the tafle of his fpiritual com forts, or in the ia
terefls of his love ; w hich define s to (on e every one for his
fake, ex cufes and pardons all, fo far as duty allow s , w ithout
giving countenance to evil; em braces all m en in its affefii
ons, upon the m otive offincere charity, friends and en em ies ,dom ellics and ftrs ngers : A fpirit ofperfea difengagem ent
from the w orld , and con tem pt of its falfe riches an d ho
nours , by w hich the foul is raifed above all earthly things :A fpirit of m ortification and pen ance , w hich fufl
'
ers no m
clination ofthe flefh to reign in the heart : A fpirit of hum i
liry, rejoicing in con tem pt A fpirit ofpatien ce, relignation ,courage, and fortitude : A fpirit of recolleaion and prayer
Afpirit ofa love of the C rofs and fufl'
ering : A fpirit of fer
vour and m eal, alw ays a&ive, alw ays ardent : In a w ord ,fuch a fpirit as anim ated the Apoflles , after the Holy Gho ll:
had (hed his beam s upon them . In the cha nge w hich he
w roughtin them , w e thall difcern the true characters of this
divine Spirit, by w hich w e m ay ex am ine our ow n hearts .
They received by his defcen t a fpirit of difengagem en t,
4 nd cleannefs ofheart, a fpirit of heaven ly know ledge and
light, a fpirit offanélity a n d charity, and a fpirit offlrength.
The Apotlles before the D efcent ofthe Holy Gholl u on
them , had lo enjoyed the ha pinefs of being infirugedin the fchool o virtue by C hritl liim felf a nd form ed by his
ex am ple, they had left all things to follow him ; w ere free
fro ll grofs paflion s and vices , and rem arkable for their
m om lobity, piety, an d ordinary virtue : but they w ere
flill
(is) s C or. u. u . (t7) Aa xix . s .
423 W H I T S‘
O N T I D E; T a g ,
flill fubjefi to m any little m otions of fecret fpiritual pallion s ,even envy and am bition . They difputed for pre
-em inen ce
w ere fom etim es too arden t, too bitter in their zeal : m en
fubjefi to a thoufand w eakn elfcs and habitual im perfeaion s ,w edded to earthly thin gs, and blinded by the prejudices ofm any fall
'
e m ax im a of the w orld and fecret paflion s . Hencethe am bition of the tw o fan s of Zebedee, to fit the on e at
his right hand , and the other at his left, to have the highelt{hare in his pow er and honour, w hen he fhould be placed in
the throne in the tem poral kin
gdom , w hich they e x pea ed
the Mellis h w ould eflablifh. ence the frequen t difputes
for preceden ce am ong the D ifciples , w hich the renew ed on
the very eve ofhis pallion . Hen ce the defpo ency of the
tw o D ifciples going to Em m aus, in their defpair after hiscrucifix ion of feeing the kingdom of lfrael reflored by '
him
in its an cient lory. Hence the queliion they put to him ,
e ven after hisil efurreaion , w hether the tim e w as then com e
for him to te-efiablifh the ruins ofthe Jew ith fiate. In vaindid the Son ofGod, in order to undeceive them
, and cure
their blind paflions , repeat to them , That his kingdom w as
n ot of this w orld ; that it w as very difi'
eren t from that of the
great ones of the earth, that to obtain the highefi rank in it,they m u ll here chool
'
e the low elt places ; that hum ility and
con tem pt is the on ly path to greatnefs in it. Their heartw as flill rebellious againft his divine inftruétions, and their
m ind blinded by the dark clouds of aflion s, they continued
liillinfatuated b
ythe fpirit of the w orld, an d the prepoll
'
effi
on s ofits prevaiing faife m ax im s , founded in the paflion s of
m en . Far from anfw ering their chim erical ex pea ations ,he alw ays ex pofed the vanity of their preten lions ; but for
the cure of their inveterate difeafe and blindnefs , prom ifed
to fend them a m ailer from heaven , w ho (hould w ithdraw
their hearts from earthly things , and give them a relilh oftrue fpiritual goods . He told them , that they (hould be baptifed in the Holy Ghofi after not m any days (t 8), w hich
baptifm of fire w as to confum e and dellroy their earthlyaffeétion s , and fill them w ith an efieem , love, and defire
ofon ly heaven ly goods . This difen em en t of the heart
is the firfl perfect grace of the Hol éiigofi, b w hich he ia
troduces a foul in to the poffeflion 0 his greate fpiritual trea
fures. So long as the pallions of fecret pride, am bition , va
nity, covetoutn efs , or pleafure , hold any degree of em pire
in the heart, the Holy Ghoft can never eftablifh his reignm
08) Aft. i. s .
43° W H I T S O N T I D E.
Theyloathed tem poral goods, becaufe they loved only the re
w hich are etern al, and found no com fort but in the hope of
enjoyin g God, in w hich they faid w ith the royal Prophet
L ord , What have I in heaven ? And befides thee w hat
do I defire upon earth 3” For thee,“m fieth and m y
heart have fainted aw ay . Thou art the G of m y heart,and the God w ho art m y portion for eyes (so)? They
dreaded the dillra&ion of w orld‘
l
iy cares, the danger of pride
w hich riches ealily breed an that w orm w hich gn aw s the
heart of covetous m en ; and above all, thofe earthly defires
in w hich fo m any fnares a nd evils are concealed . They tea
juiced to live free from luch a burden , that they m ight m ore.I
oalily go to God, and efieem it the greatell honour and de -t
light to im itate Jefes C hi-ill ; w ho though he w as rich,
yet becam e poor for our fakes , that through his povertyw e m ight be rich In this fpirit all earthl things
they coun ted as dung that the m ight gain C hri
They faw all the treafures ofthe aithful laid at their feet ,w ithout calling an eye upon them , and w ithout any other
concern than for the dillribution of them am ongll the
As infenfible to the pathos! of glory, as to that of interefl,they rejoiced, an d gloried in being found w orthy to fufl
'
e’r
reproach an d torm ents for C htill, and looked upon
felves an tbe m ofi cont ible, and the ofll feourlng of the
w orld . C onfining all t eir view s to eternity alone , theyeon verfetl altogether in heaven, w here theit hearts an d their
on l treafnre‘
w ere. The con‘upt m otives of covetoufnefs,
d uality, and pride, cleave intim ately toourfouls , and are
the fprings of all the defu‘
es an d salons of w orldly m en . It
in the roperty of the Holyabolifl
i)
all fuch fordid incli
lineheis faid to w aflt,view to this rs
Spirit, tO'
a net
tals by the force offire,o£petha pand earthly is rendered pure, all at
‘
a kind , con
centered in the end'
of her creation, by a-
purity of heart ,
(ao) Pfi la x n . a s, a6. (a t) a C or. viii. 9.(a a) Phil. iii. 8 . (M 'N fl a fiiflp
W H I T S O‘
N T I D EJ Tr. g .
ally perfnaded of them , or’penetrated w ith them , but by the
w erful im m ediate operation of the holy divin e Spirit.uch
‘
w ere thofe -delivered by C hrift in his ferm on on the
m oun tain That the poor in fpirit, the m eek, and thofew ho m ourn and w eep, are bleffed above all others ; that ourenem ies are alw ays deferving ofour love ; that the m ot! out
rageous injury ought not on ly to be forgiven , but return edw ithkindnefs and benevolen ce. O f thefe and m any other
fuch great and holy truths , no eviden ce of reafon , n o arts of
perfuafron can ever give us fo full, lalling and Operativeconviaion as w ill form a con llan t pra&ical all
'
en t, and give
us a true fehle and relifh of the fam e, (0 as that they m aybecom e a n habitual ruleofcondu&. The Holy Gholl alon e
'
can produce this efiefi ual conviEtion in our m inds. Thefam e pow er on ly that m ade them , can reform them . Thedivine Spirit w hich
-ar the firft creation , brooding over thew ide chaos , reduced this beat
'
ttiful and regularly difpofedw orld out o darknefs and confufion , m ull {bed the beam s
ofhis light upon our m inds , re p roduce in us a new kreation
of virtue, bring forth light-
outofour darknels, and diilipateerrors , and the
°
udices‘
ofour pallion s by the rays of truth.
To this St. Paumludes , w hen he fays God w ho earn
m anded light to fhin e out’ofd arltnel
'
s , hath lhin ed in ourhearts '
, to give the light of. the lindw ledge of the gloryofGod The Apollles therefore appeared fo long
incapable ofu nderllandin thofe fpii'itt
'
tal truths , at w hichcorrupt n ature is 'fl'tocke and the pafliéns recoil e heirtinderllatiding w as yet as w eak ‘
asif they had"never approach
éd that fouroe iof light, becaufe'
their full infim aion an d'
reform ation w as referved to f>that adorable S irit of.
truth.
’
Hence C hrifl rem itted them to him for .the per e& know ledgeof his holy
ilaw . and m yfieries . A
"When the Spirit of truth{hall com e, . he'
w ill teach you) “ tm th The HolyGhofi w hom the Father w ill fend in m y nam e, w ill teach
you all things ; and w ill bring-
'
a ll things to our m ind
This “
hq Spirit is trul our heaven y-teacher,
becaufe the L drd"of fouls . .Eart m ailers only found
in the cart ; but theHoly Ghofi reaches the inw ard m in d,rem oves all gnofl
'
ltefp, Rupidityf,a nd
'
other obellacles , and
gives the pow er -afrelilh'
an d com prehending his revealedtruths . By rhis n p the ifcilaw - w ho before ivere fo flow '
of apprehehfion in'fpiritual t
'
u ,p enetrated the feered ohfcurity of the Scriptures, faw .
into thsabyfs of the boundlefs
3 } J O} .
3and
(2 7) 3. C or. iv. 6. (a t) John x vi. 1 3. xiv. a6.
'
W H I T S O N T I D E.‘ Tr. g .
and over all his fenfes, in w hich he dail im oves (4t).Holinefs is not confined to an ex em ption rom n
, and irre
gular appetites and attachm en ts ; it m oreover carries alongw ithit univerfal jullice and righteoufnefs, or all perfefi vir
tue, founded in fin cere hum ility, and confum m ated by cha
rity or divin e love The Holy Trinity, or God i:
love. The Holy Gholl is in particular the etern al love of
the Father and the Son . Hence it is the infinite,defire of
the Holy Trini that the divin e Spirit defcend upon us to
convert our fou in to his pure love. What w as the end ofC hrifl
’s birth, fufi
'
erings, death, refurre&ion , afcenfion , and
other m ylleries , but [that he m ight fend the Holy Gholl,
that he m ight fill us w ith this precious gift ? I am com e,”
fays C hrill“to fend fire upon the earth, and w hat
w ill I but that it be kindled ?” The em blem under w hich
the Holy Gholiappeared, confilled in tongues offire, to
thew ,
” fays C harles Borrom eo thathe cam e to in
flam e the w hole w orld w ith the fire ofhis love. 0 afionilh
ing goodn efs ofGod l w hat return {hall w e m ake ?Withw hat love fhall w e receive this love ? The other fealls , or
m yfteries ofC hrill, are the efi‘
ea s ofhis love. But in this
m yllery love itfelf w as bellow ed u n us . The HolyGholl, the reciprocal, eternal love 0 the Father and the
‘
Son , is fen t, and difl'
ufes the gift or ace ofhis love in“ the hearts of m en . Who can be fo ardened as not to
burn w ith love of this eternal and infinite lover and love P
How truly did Ifaiah fay The L ord w ill com fort Sion ;he w illc om fort its ruin s He cries out : All you
that thirli, com e to the w aters : An d you that have no
m on ey, m ake hafie, buy, and eat If any one
thirll, let him com e to m e and drink It is given
gratis ,w ithout price or recom pen ce ofgold and filver. Y et
as faid to be bought, becaufe w e give our hearts to God toobtain it. So abun dant is this gift, that the Royal Prophet
fays ofit The fiream ofthe river m aketh the city ofGod
jo ful This facred w ater, etern ally flow i pours
itfel w ith the im petuous fiream of a torrent into a fouls
ofthofe w ho Open their hearts to receive it. In w hat abyfit
of m ifery do w e lie groveling ? With w hat dan rs, w ith
how m any threatening enem ies are w e encom p ed ? Shallw e
(41 ) Prov. x x iv. 36. (4s ) s John , iv. 1 6. (43) Luke, a n.
(44) S .
.
C ar. Borrow . T. 1 . Sea n . in Pen tecoll’en , An no 1583.P 0 96, 970 Med ia]. An . S74S . (4-5) lie 30
(46) It'
s . lv. 3 . (47) John, vit. 37. (48) Pf. x lv. 5.
44s W H I T S O N T I D E.
tote, that t cannot be acquired by hum an m ean s, an d are
necelfarily in ufed by a fpecial grace : But m oralvirtues m aybe acquired in a certain degree by hum an endeavours , upo n
m otives fuggefled by natural reafon . Y et in m en of prayer ,endow ed w ith em in ent charity, even m oral virtues becom e
infufed, being obtained again in a m uch m ore noble an d"
perfefi m an n er, than they w ere firfi acquired by repeated
endeavours and a&s . Thue hum iliryez
vhen infufed gives the
foul a m uch fuller view ,an d m ore ling con via ion of her
ow n nothingnefs an d bafenefs than {he could have acquired bynatural m eans , even aflilled by ordin ary a&ual graces , info
m uch that {he feem s to herfelf tran llated into a n ew region’
of light, in w hich the fees an d feels m any great and im por
tant truths in a far clearer m an ner tha n the did form erly, as
St. Thom as Aquinas obferves , and is carried to greaterhights and m ore heroic a nd arduous aa s . In like m an ner
are allthe beatitudes w hen infufed and fupern atural habits .
Therefore the Holy Ghol refiding in the foul, by fanfiilying grace , or habitual cha rity, t ether w ithit enriches her
w ith the infufed habits of the the
i
iSogical virtues, w ith his
{pecial gifts (by w hich he difpofes her to advance fw iftly ,and w ith cafe , in thofe habits an d all fanfi it'y); w ith his
frw'
rs (by w hich this kin gdom is efiablilhed, m aintained,and propagated in her heart by his and love); andw iththe beatitudes , w hich are habitua difpofition s of the
shaft ex alted m oral virtues , by w hich the is enabled an d in
clined to produce their heroic afi s . Thefe habitual graces
alw ays accom pany fanfiifying grace, and are infufed w ith it
in the feel, but often in a low or w eak degree. They are
continually im proved in proportion as obtlacles are m ore re
m oved, and as the Holy Ghofl m ore perfea ly M es the
foul. Rd ding in her as a bright fun , he di 3 thetT/e his
beam s over her faculties and afl'
eaion s or as the boun dlefsfoun tain ofgrace, he fends fir th thefe happy rivulets in fochabundance as becom es the infinite fource, w here
m uch of the divided heart does not contra& the chan neltoo m uch to receive the full fiream fpringing to eternal
life. Of thefe gifts, Jefus faid to the Sam aritan w om an
s If thou didfi know the gift ofGod, and w ho itis
that faith to thee, give m e to drink, thou perhaps w ouldt!
have anted of him , and he w ould have given thee livingw ater The w ater that I {hall give him ,
(hall be
com e
(q ) John iv. to. (is ) 1h. vJ'
i.
448 W'
H I T S O N T I D E.
fired nothing w ith fo great ardour, as to facrifice their livesfor the divin e honour. He fulfilled in them w hat he ha d
foretold by lfaiah I w ill fcour thee by fire of a ll
thy drofi, a nd w ill take aw ay all thy bafe m etal : For
God is a confum ing fire The Holy Ghofiburn tan d confum ed all' the flraw of earthly afi
'
eaion s that w as in
their hearts , and anoin ted them w ith the in terior unfiion of
his grace in all perfect virtue.
In nothing did the grace of the HolyGhoiiappear m ore
rem arkable in the Apoliles, than in the fpirit of fortitude,courage and fervour, w ith w hich he replenifhed them . Julibefore they w ere fearful and tepid . Infiead ofpraying w ith
their divine Mailer in the garden , they fufi'
ered them felvee
to be overcom e w ith fleep . In his paflion fam e fled , an d
the prin ce of their college denied him at the voice of a poor
m aid . After his afcenfion , fen lible of their ow n w eal
they dorfl not (hr out of doors . Nay, C hi-ill him felfgave
them this injunfl ion . Stay you in the city till you be en
dued w ith pow er (or tirength) from on high As
ifhe had faid : I (end you to bear teflim ony to m y refurrec
tion , and other m yfieries ; but you are yet too w eak to fup
port this com m ifiion : w ait therefore till you are‘
firengthen
ed again li the tyran ny of the w orld, by the ftrength of theM01! High. Y ou {ha ll receive the pow er of the HolyGbofi, com ing upon you, and you thall be w itnefl
'
cs to
m e, even to the utterm ofi part of the earth Y ou.
fltall be w itnefl'
es to the Jew s , and the m olt obliinate am ongthe Scribes and Pharifees : To the Gentiles
,to the Princes
and Em perors of the earth. Tw elve poor m en , till then
hidden , unknow n , an d afraid alm ofl of their ow n fhadow ,
on a fudden bad courage to begin the w ork ofGod . Theybegan to fpealt Peter, w ho before trem bled be
fm '
e a fervan t, then raifed his voice an d preachedboldly the D ivinity, an d the Refurreaion of Jefas beforethofe very Jew s, thofe Scribes and Pharifees , thofe Princes
of the n ation , w ho had put him to an ignom inious death, a
few days before (5 He fet before their eyes the enorm ityoftheir fin , and to d them w ith a confidence w hich no fear
of torm ents, or death could lhake : Y ou have flain the
Author of Life, w hom God hath raifed from the dead,of w hich w e are w itneli
'
es H e evinces him to be the
Medias,
Ifa . i. a 8 Hebr. x 1 1 . 2 Lulte x niv.
$50) A6}. i. g. AGi. ii.9(p ) A61 . ii. 1 4.
49
(53) A“ . “ a 33 0 Aa e w e 1 5\ r
—W R I- T S O N T I D E.
you : And Lw illcaufe you to w alk in m y ontm nandm ente,
and to keep m y judgm ents, and do them I w illhide m y face no m ore from them For ] have poured on I:
rit u on all the houfe oflfrael, faiththe Lord GodI w il pour out upon the houfe ofD avid , and up
on the inhabitan ts of Jerufalem , the Spirit ofgrace, and
ofprayers : And the {halllook upon m e w hom they have
ierced : And they all m ourn for him , ,as one m ourned!
or an only (on , and they {hall grieve over him , as the
m an ner is to grieve for the death of the firfi -born
This Spirit of prayer a nd com punclion for fin , to ex piate
w hich C hria died, is a gprincipal fruit of the Holy Ghofi,
and noble ex ercife of divine love. By Joel, God icu
larly alluded to the outw ard gifts fo w on derfully difp ayed in
the prim itive church, but prom ifed his holy S pirit to all his
children under the new covenan t. It {hall com e to pafa
after this, that l w ill pour out m y Spirit upon all flefh';and your fon s and your daughters {hall prOphefy : Your
old m en {hall dream dream s , and your young m en {hall
fee vifions . Moreover, upon m y fervants and han dm aids,in thole days I w illpour forth m y Spirit How often
did our blefi'
ed Redeem er repeathis m otl:folem a prom ifes of
fen ding his Holy Ghofi the C om forter And in how
w onderful a m an ner did he accom plifh this prom ife in his
Apofiles , and in all w ho open their hearts to receive this di
vine gift to the end ofthe w orld (75) Chrifi, at the infinite
price ofour Redem ption, purchafed for us the graces ofthe
rem iflion of fin , and ofour fanfiification, opened to us the
gates of heaven , and b our reconciliation re-eflablilhed us
tn the fellow lhip w ith cd, and w ith his holy angels ; he
in llituted and efiablilhed his church m ilitan t on earth. en
riched w ith the m olt fublim e and ex cellent p rid lhood. them olt adorable
,Tacrifice, the m ofi holy facram ents , and other
m all ow erful,
m eans of ace an d virtue . But leaving the
earth im felf, he {cm the.
oly C holl as his vicar, of eq ual
gpw er and dignity, to finilh this great w ork, not only by the
fl revelation and prom ulgation of. the w hole law of the
sofpd .
7a
;Beech. m vi. a s, a6, 37. (71 ) Beech. x x xix . 39.
i
ya Zach.
.
x ii. to, (73) Joel. n . Afi. ii. 1 7, 3 8 ;
(74)John y ri. 37. et feq . x iv. 1 6. et req . x v. a6. x vi. n et “ 3 ! x x .
3 3.Luke m v. A& . t. 4. et feq . ii. 38 . (75)A&. u. 1 . et feq .
vm . 1 3. et feq . x . ran . a , 3, 4. 9. 52 . t 'tJ ’ 8 . x ix . a . 6.
Rom e 7, o l.
C ora il 3 3 : 1 3. “ 2 C “ . V 0 50 q lui5. Epho i.t g.
‘
et r s ta tu s , na ,,et t John . iii. 34. iv. 33.
C h. 6. W H I T S~O N T I D E.
‘
455devotion by w hich w epay him the ration al hom age of ourhearts ; but every one feem ed particularly to afl
'
eét, and dclight in on e above the refl. Som e placed in
'
Spirit at thefoot ofhis thron e, em ployed them felves in the m oll
hprofo
aa s of adoration , aw e‘
and praife, contem plating is eternity, his im m enfity, om niotence, m ercy, an d other attributes , together, or one a er another, or fom etim es finglingone above the reli, as w ith the Seraphim s adoring his fanfiity , covering their faces out of aw e w ith their w in and
crying : Holy, Holy, Holy, L ord God of Sa acth l
O thers , having alw ays in view the ex cefs of the divinednefs and love, a nd the im m enfe and num berk pledges
e has given us in his benefits and m ercies , burned w ith them a ll arden t afl
'
e&ion s of pure love, repeating w ith theirw hole hearts , My God and m y All ! O thers, penetratedw ith a deep fenfe ofgratitude for his benefits, faid o ften :W hat return thall l m ake for all the good things he has donem e I w ill accept the cup of falvation , a nd bear che
'
arfullallthe croll
'
es he thall la on m e . And I w ill . love thee,5(308, m y firength an m y All l Som e bow ed under thew eight ofhis judgm ents, and penetrated w ithdeep
'
com punction for their fin s, ceafed not w ith unutterable fighs and
groan s to im plore the divine m ercy . O thers m adehum ility.or fom e other particular virtue, the (pecial obje& of theirm olt carnell petition s . Thefe a nd all other fupernaturalvirtues w ere the fpecial gifts of the fam e divine Spirit, w ho
w as the firength an d fw eet com fort of-all the m artyrs, thelight of the A ollles , a nd the fanéiifier of all the holy Vir
gin s , C onf rs , and other Saints . The reign of divine
grace and virtue in'
To m any chafle fouls, and all the beautand glory ofthe church is his w ork. He cleanfed thefe fangfrom fin , prefented them w ithout fpot or w rinkle, and adorned them w ith his choicetl and m oll precious gifts . In themhe is Author ofa n ew creation , ofa n ew fpiritual w orld, theluflre of w hich, thou h invlfible to carnaleyes, is m oll glo
rion s in the fight of heaven . The Royal Prophet, in the
1 03d Pfalm , after praifing God in the m ofl profound fentim en ts of adoration and thankfgiving, for the w onderful w orks
ofhis providen ce, in the creation and adm iniftration of the
univerfe , raifes his eyes above this m aterial w orld, and thew hole order of nature, to contem plate the new f iritual cre
ation , and in a tranfport of adm iration and t ankfgivi
cries out : Thou {halt fend forth thy Spirit, and they th
be created : And thou {halt renew the face‘?f the
45sand filled w ith w hat is quite contrary to his Spirit, and w hoily unfobm iflive to his guidan ce and direa ion .
The HolyGhofthim felf will rem ove the obflacles out ofo'
er hearts, if. “ are not‘
w an ting. How defperate foeverour w ounds m ay be , how gre at foever our w eaknefs an d
m iferies , he can at once refiere us to perfea health andfirength. The m ax im s of fpiritual w ifdom are very hard
to the prudence of the fielh. But w here a God is the
m ailer, how uickly is every thing learn ed that is
taught,”fays . L eo And S . Gregory the great
I lift up m y eyes, and adm ire the om nipotent
influence of the divine S irit. I contem plate D avid ,D aniel, Peter, Pan and Matthew
,and am tram :
ported beyond m yfelf w ith allonifhm ent. He fills a boy
w hofe ikil confifted in touching his harp, and he m akes
him'
a pfalm iii. He fills a fhepherd , and m akes him a
1“prophet. He fills a perfecutor, and m akes him the doc
tor of nations . He fills a publican , and m akes him an
evangelilt.fWhat a w onderful m atter is this Spirit
Elifz us, fays S . C hryfofiom inherited the double
f irit w hich God had com m m icated to his m ailer Elias .
ut C hrifi, afcending into Heaven , by fending the Ho ly3"Ghofi , has m ade a great nn t
’n ber of Elifm us
’s ; n ay, Eli
fseus’s m uch greater and m ore illufirious than w as that
prophet.”
Pen etrated w ith a deep fenfe of the depth ofour w ounds ,w ants, and m iferies
,let us difplay them before the eyes of
him w ho alone can com fort and relieve us : They are ex
trem e, and can not failto ex cite his tender pity an d m ercy.
Y ou are infinitely com pafiionate , 0 true com forter offools , w hichyou
‘
cre ated Behold now in m y foul an obje&fi t for the ex crcife of the w hole ex tent of your m ercy.
This heart you fram ed out of nothing , an d’
cam e from Heaven to feek, w retched , ungrateful, and infenfible as it is be
com e : Suffer m e to approa ch in fpirit, an d lay it at the
foot of your thron e , that the fight of its frightful diforders
and diflrefl'
es m ay “ if up the bow els of your tender corn paf
fion and m ercy. Your love w ants not m otives to engage youto ex ert your om nipoten ce and your goodnefs in healing a n drefloring your ow n choice and favourite w ork. Blinded inm y un derfianding, I have hitherto w andered in the m azes of
(96).S . Leo . Serm . 73. d c Pen t. cap. a . peg . 73. (97) S . G
X1
:Rpm . 3a . in Evang . in fenne l Pentec. (98) S. C hryt
’
. Stu ffscan
l 463
'
T
Ta n TE N T H‘
TR EAT I S E;
O N
T R I N I T Y S U N D A Y .
C H A’ '
P . I.
On the Mv s'
r e n v qf the br a s s a n Tn tNt‘
t‘Y .
H R I ST our L ord, before his afcen lion into Hea
ven, conn'
niflioned his apqfiles to go and preach to all
n ation s the adorable m yfiery of the Trinity,‘
and to baptize
thofe w ho lhould believe in him,
In the n am e of the Fa
ther, and of the Son , and of the Holy Ghofi.
” Ma t.
x x viii. 19. Thefe w ords alone fuflice to confound the e‘
am ,
S acinia nr, and all other an cient an d m odern enem ies of this
fundam en tal article of the C hrifiian faith.
"3 faying, In
(be Na m e, he ex preffes the unity ofGod in the e three dif
tinfi erfons. And, indeed , etiery page both of the old and
n ew eliam ent proclaim s that“
there is only one God , and
that there can be no m ore . This truth is evident to reafon
itfelf. Tw o Beings abfolutdly infinite, and tw o univerfal
fources of erfea ton im ply a contradifiion . Moreover,
tw o free, all-pow erful beings d eflro each other ; for the
pow er of one could be reflrained, an his counfe
‘
ls difcovered
c‘y the other. Alfo the
'
uniform defign of the univerfe pro
aim s on e on ly Au thor and Ruler. Whence Tertulliaufays , There can be no God un lefs he be one An d
8 . Athan alius affirm s Polytheifm to be in its confequences
atheifm That in this m olt tingle firifi u nity in God,there is a Trinity of really diftin& fubfifling perfon s, is w hat
_
the fam e w ords of C hrift clearly teach us . Reafon , indeed,can never attain this high m yfiery, as C hrift him felf fuf
ficien tly declares, Mat. x i. xvi. 1 7. And to aflirm it to
he
(s) D eus5non unus et , non em Tertul. l. i. contra Marriott .
c. tis. p. 367. (a) ob c n -W sh s . Adu lt. Or. com
Genus. n . 38.T.i. p. 37. ed . Ben .
464. T R I N QT Y S U N D A Y . Ta ro.
be dem onflrable by reafon , as Peter Abailard, Serjeant, and
the C hevalier‘
Ram fay have pretended, is n ot only an error,
but dow nright m adnefs . The patriarchs and prOphets in theold law , and the m ore learned Tew s knew
'
arid belicv'
éd theTrinity, w hichGod fom etim es difcovered to them by fpeaking of him felf in the plural num ber, as Gen . i. 26. iii. 2 2 .
x i. 7. diilinguifhing the L ord raining fire from the Lord ,that is, the fecond erfon from the firtl , Gen . x ix . 24. anddeclaring theetcrn generation of the Son , Pf. it. 1 t J l ebr.
i. 5. Pf. cix . t . &c. Liiew'
ife b'
various types and figuresunderflood by the prophets: S . yprian rem arks [L
'de O r.D om ] that w e find three children w ith D aniel, firong infaith, keeping in gr
ayer the .third, fix th and ninth hour,
by a type of the rinity w hich w as to be m anifefled inthe later tim es .
” C hrill tefiifies that Abraham and the
other prophets faw him to com e, and rejoiced thereat, Mat.
x iii. lohn viii. 56. From w hich pafi'
age S. Am brofeand others infer that they ltnew the Trinity ; w hich is the
cx prcfs doélrine of O rigen , S. Epiphanius , S. Aultia , Theodoret, Sec . But the entire, dillin&, ex plicit faith of the
Trinity w as not com m only know n to the vulgar Jew s on
t hey could not have accufed C hrill of blafphem y w hen hecalled him felf the Son of God
,ohn , v . 1 8 . and they w ould
have underflood how the M m s w as to be D avid’s Lord ,Mat. x
'
xii. 41 . The Socinian s obje& thatGod fpeaks in the
plural num ber, Gen . i. 26. for the fake of dignity, as kings
do. But w hat king ever ules the plural num ber to exprcfahis ow n perfon al a&ion , as sue eat or the like ? Nor w ere
there fuch ex prellions ufed even in edia s in that age in w hich
genuine fim plicity reigned : O thers anfw er that he fpealts tothe angels ; a ridiculous fhulhc, as Tertullian , S . Bafil andTheodoret {hew ed againfl the Jew s . For m an w as not
created to the likenefs of the angels , nor did God em ploythem in form i him , w hofe creation he ex prefly afcribeatotally to him fel Gen . i. 2 . v . 1 . Mal. ii. 1 9. Ste.
God w as pleafed to prepare the w orld gradually to receivehis m olt profound m ylleries . The incarn ation of his Sonca n not be underflood w ithout the belief of the Trini
z; and
Cbri/l has often cx prefsly delivered it in the new Te m ent,
in w hich w e read at cv turn of three difiin& fubfiflingperfons in theGodhead nd S. john teaches them to bethree in Heaven . 1 john v. 7. This m ull m ean , not am oral union in
°
ying the fam e tellim ony, as below , but a
Bria unity of t e divine'
n ature in them , as other tex ts
TR IN I T Y S U N D A Y: Tr. to .
Granada explains in his infiruflions for fech .m iflions , an d
a w e m ay obferve in the apologies o f the an cient fathers .
Holy things are not to be ex pofed to derilion . This fublim e
dofi rlae is n ot to be preached to thofe w ho are yet incapable
of it : Y a w ithout it non e are C hrifiians . The great m yl
series of theUnity an d Trinity ofGod, and ofthe incarn ation
and death of our Saviour are the fundam ental truths of our
holy religion : And m an learned divines teach an ex licit
difiinfi aith of each them to be indifpenfably n y,in that: no invincible ignoran ce can fupply the w ant of it,d ue on e in any fuch ignorance in any of thole articles can
be capable of falvation , or of the grace of jullifica tion .
This is life everlafiing that they know thee the on ly true
God , an d Jefus Chrtll w hom thou hall fent, John x vu .
3. Going, teach all m in us , baptiftng them in the n am e
of the Father, and of the Son , and of the Holy Ghofi .
He w ho fhail believe and be baptiz ed , (hall he faved
But he w ho {hall not believe fhall be condem ned , Mark
x vi.” Hence the utm otl care is necefl'
that all children
and others be infim fi ed in thofe holy artic es w ithout the
m know ledge of w hich they cannot be C hriilian s , or
receive the ce or efiea s of any facram ent, or the crow n
of im m orta glory. An d all C hrifiian s are bound to m ake fre
q tz nt dinina aas of faith in theic holy m ytleries , Which
aid s.in our w ea k, and honour in a ll the praa ices of our
y religion , efpecially by the holy fign of the crofs , byw itc h w e are taught to begm and end our prayers and allour
fi nn Ilt thefe n yfieries w e are baptifed and m ade C hrif
This m yllery of the Trinityis (0 revealed to us as to te
nn in flill obfcure an d im penetrable to us . God w ould be no
longerinfinite, if his nature could be fathom ed or defcribedby any lim ited creatures, how perfea loever ; m uch lets byut in our p efentitn perfafi fiate of trial, in w hich nothi is
m fu'
aalie to us thah an ex ercife of our faith and a fa'
ericcof our reafon captivated in fubm iflion to God
’s w ord , and
lid -ting m er e glorious to God than our filen t adoration of
Ha inoom prehenfihle n ature : Non petal aliq uid dign n mde D eo did ; {h is hoe infigm ell
fi Sed n eeetfa efi ut iquid dicas , ut tit unde itea qeod
Says a Auttin, What fluff; the Tri
C t “ . T R IN I T Y S UN D A Y . 457God is on e in an indivifible nature, w ithout any parts or
divifion of w hatfoever denom in ation , and incapable of anycom pofition even in the m ind, being even in thought the
m afl fim ple, and the m q/ljingle, and the m y?one, as S. Ba
n ard fays , (l. V . dc C onf. c . For any parts or com petitionin the con ception of God dellroys the very idea of him ,
bein repugn an t to his infinite and to his ell'
en tial unity and
fim piicity : Y et he is three in
aperfons really dillin& in the
fam e n ature, all fubftfiing re and perfe&ly equal in allthings , being by the unity of their nature, w ill and individualOperation one and the
'
fam e God , the Father, the Son, andthe Holy Ghofi . A Trinity of perlons, w ho enjoy frometernity to eterni the reciprocal con tem plation and infinite
love ofa ll perfe ion in'
them felves and their com m on un
divided n ature, and in the m utual relation of their perfons.
For though they are not three Gods, but one OnlyGod, yet
in the fam e num erical m olt fim ple efl'
ence or
are three really diflin& ons , equally infinite
co—etern al, and in allr pe&s cc-equal. Each perfon is cm
nipotent, eternal an d infinite in every perfefi ion , et are
they but one om nipotent, eternal and infinite, beca e theyfubftll in the fam e undivided n ature ; confequen tl
'
y have buton e and the fam e undivided n um erical w ill and m ind or nuderfianding, and one and the fam e operation in all thingsw hich they decree or produce w ith-out them felves , or as
Theologian s ex prefs it, a tex tra : Y et, they ex ert a necef
fary, eternal, perfon al, inw ard operation , called ed intre ;an d an im m anen t or in -dw elling operation , by w hich theyproduce a real term w ithin their ow n n ature, to w hich thethree rfon s m utually (land in a real 0 polite relation .
Nam e y, theFather produces the Son , and this neccfl arya&ion the Son eternally proceeds , and is derived from the
Father. ain , the Father and Son are on e principle, fromw hich the ly Ghofl roceeds . Every thing in
'God is num erically one
,
an d the m e, ex cepe w here the relative
fition of thefe three term s or perfons in tervenes , w hich yetare the fam e God in one num erical divine fubllance or na
ture.
The Son proceeds from the Father by the intellea ; the
Holy Ghell from the Father and the Son by the w ill : The'fe
being the tw o ating pow ers'
w hich w e in our m ind diftinguifh in the un plicity of the divine n ature ; and m ore
procellions in God than thefe,there can not be . The Father
by know ing and com prehending him felf and all his infiniteH h a
453 T R I N I T Y S U N D A Y. - Tr. to.
perfeaions, produces the etern al fubliilingWord ofthe divin em ind, the true im age ofhim felf, his divine and confubllan tial
Son . When a created un derfiandin apprehends or con :
ceives any obje&, it form s w ithin it elf an'
im a e of that
obje&, w hichim a
ge philofOphers call the w ord 0 the m in d
(or the idea)to diinguilh it from the outw ard w ord or ex
reflion , by w hich w e m anifefl our con ceptions to others .
This w ord of the m ind is in us a m ere m ode (a)or acciden t,not a real fub fillence '
, or entity w hich fubfifls of itfelf. Godbeing elfen tially unchangeable, can not be the fubje& of anym ode or accident : In him nothing can rife new
, nothing can
perilh or depart : He cannot undergo the leall: alteration , tow hich created f irits are continually fubje& by the acccfiion
and rem oval of?acciden tal qualities , and by pallion s of joy,
fad nefs , a nd by fin , or the like : And bodies m uch m ore ,
n ot on ly by qualities , but alfo by fom e change in the fituation
or difpofition of the parts . Therefore no a& of the divinem ind can be, or produce any kind of m ode. But the Father b his infinite ' know ledge of him felf, produces an in
w ard ord of the m ind, w hich is a true fublillence or per
fon (b), the ex prefs im e and m ofl perfefi refem blance of
him felf,“the brightne
a
lgof his glory, and the figure (orreprefentation) of his fubllance God the Fatherislooked upon as the ever-flow ing foures of light, or the great
fun ,'
w hofe light and benign influences are every w here dif
fufed, and can n ever fail. TheWord, or fecond perfon , is
the radiant fplendor, and allonifhing light, flow ing from that
Father of lights by an inefi'
able generation ; the em anation
of
(h ) Hebr. i. 3.t
(a) A m ode is that w hich cannot fublill in and of itfelf, but is aiw ays efieem ed as belonging to, and fublifiing the hel of
fiance, w hich is its fub|e&. Itis'
alw ays a r en tity, ut not alw a a
really diltinét from its fubje&. For ex am fle, the pofture of the bodya real en tit but not an en tity really dillinét item the body.
(1: Per on in logic and m etaphyfic, lignifies a- thinkin -in telligen t
fub cc, as in m en . Subtitle-nee is a m ore gen eral w w hich
grees alfo to brow s and inanim ate beings 5and is the lait aét or term of
individuatiou w hich renders a particular fubllan ce com plete, and nu
m erica lly ineom m unicable to any other . A fublillen ce, in this pro
per rnesaphyfieal fen fe, called in Greek HW afir, is difi
'
eren t from fub
j a ea , and rs the individuating actor term of each particular individual,or num erical fubllance, as of this particular m an . Subfillence is {om e
tim es taken in a very difieren t fenfe, for fubllan ceitfelf, ca lled in Greek
We , or for the properm odification of fubfiance, by w hich it fubliils by
470 T R I N I TY S U N D A Y .
‘
Tr. to .
Hence w e fee w hy God the Son is called theWord ofGod
(c), his Reafon a nd Speech ; alfo the Light and the incrcatedWifdom . Under this chara&er, the
'
ancient pro hets oftenm agnify his greatnefs and fet forth his eternity an other at
tributes . The Lord polfelfed m e in the be°
uning of
his w a 5, before he m ade any thingfrom thefegin ning,
[ w as_
et up from eternity, and 0 old before the earthl‘ w as m ade. The depths w ere not as yet, and I w as al
ready conceived When he prepared the heavens Iw as there : When w ith a certain law and com pafs he en
es clofed the depths , I w as w ith him form in all thin andl“ w as delighted every day, playing before
'
m at tim es .
Pla ing in the w orld : And m y delight is tobe w ith thechidren of m en To this increated Wifdom , on ac.
count of the peculiar°
propriet of his proceflion and perfon ,are attributed all created w or an d leffons of w ifdom , ofw hich the holy Trinity, orTriune God, is the author and“
prin ciple.
,That the Son of God, theinbreatedWifdom ,is trulyGod ,
of the fam e fubflance w ith the Father, is clearly roved from
his w orks and attributes ,’
Which are thofe of the ity. Thecreation and confervation of all things are the difiinguilhicharaa er of theD ivinity, and in the very idea of both th e
aaions, alm ighty pow er and fovereign in dependent right, arein cluded . For the dinan te betw een hothing and real being'
or exillence, is infinite, an d the high created pow er canonly ex ercife its action upon
’
g
a fubje pre-ex ifling . It is
pub! in the hands of O m nipotence that n othingn efs can be
m ade fruitful : O nly his w ill can call forth into ox iflence
w hat had no being . And creation carries w ith it the m olt
abfolute fovereign ty over, and an independent right to dif
pofe of at pleafure, even to annihilate w hat
_received from it
“ 5w hole being. The fam e is"
to be faid of the conten t!
tion of creatures, w hich, as they cq nhot give them felves abeing, fo do they require for their qon titm an ce tn being, each
m om en t, the fam e efficacious influenée of the divine Will,w hich is the efficien t
‘caufe of all things .
“
Now in producingm an , and other things , God sufes w ords in the plural num ‘
.
her w hich can not b ex preflion ofD ignity im penfon al actions , particularly in the Mofaic age of fim plicityin fpeech and m anners . L et us m ake m an to our im age
an d
(3) PP “ Vili” a 3 3: (4) “ if". 2 7. so . SeeWifd . vu . a g,36, 32 . art . 9. (5)Ecclus . l .
.
1 ' &c . (6) Gen; i, 35;(e)M m . See C orn . a L ap. m Joan . i. r .
T R I N I T Y SUN D AY .
and likenefs .” Neither could this be a ddrefi
'
ed to N
EON.
w ho could no w ay be fellow- w orkers , nor be puffeffe
infinite know ledge. Of them he could not fay L o
Adam is becom e like on e of us ,” lrc. This can on l be
un derliood to be the f eech of the Tu'
une God, or the
Father, addreffed to e tw o perform , w ho in the fam e nui
m erical nature are one God w ithhim . Indeed , w ithout allow
ing that the three are pofl'
ell'
ed of one and the fam e divinen ature, and of the fam e effen tial perfeflitm s , being lndivifiblyunited in the fam e num erical fubftt n ce or real efk n ce, it tsim pofiible to account for the w ork of the C reation being a
fcribed in m re fom etim es to one,a nd foshetim es to ano
ther of the'
vine perfons . It is m olt clearly attributedto God the Son , bothin the old and new Tefiam ent It
is ex refsly faid by S. ohn that the divineWord is'
ntl'
y w iththe ather, the one eator of all things , and at w ithout
the So n , (or inlepa'
rably from him ) nothi
the Father that w as m ade by him‘
lt
that the Father c e ased all thi in or ivy the Son (to): Butthis ex preflion is ufed , not to ote an infh‘
um ent5but bescaufe the Son, being the Word, or increated fubfilh ng Wildom in the Godhead , the m odel of eternal decree of the
creation in the divine m ind or intelle&, is faid tobe in orbythe Son , w ho proceeds by the intelle&. We are alfo faidto be redeem ed, or renew e d an d nelhsrs d In or by C hrili(u ),in his incarn ation and death. Nay, in n o n atural creation
can any created int rum en t be em ployed as the caufe,becaufe
n o creature can ex ert even an inftrum ental caufality or in
fluence,but upon a
‘
pre-ex ifien t fubjeEi, w hich cannot find
place in creation . The Son as C reator, fo is he alfo the Pre ‘
ferver of all thi upholding them by the w ord of his
pow er(ta). fi l things w ere created him and in him
And he is before all, and by him all t confifi
This fufiaining providen ce is an irr proof of the
D eity of the Son , to w hom , in like m an na ,all the opera
tions of the Father are afcribed We have n o lefs clear
in llan ces ofhis D ivinity in his headfhip over his church, and
the high funélions he ex ercifes in this q uality (1 Alfo in
the
(7)Gen . iii. a s . xi. 7. (8) Prov. viii. go . Pf. ci. lied to C hfilt
by 8 . Paul, Hebr. x . m . et C ol. i. 1 6. Rom . i. ao . ohn, i. 3, t o .
(9) JOIN , i. 3. (s o) Eph. iii. I-lehr . i. a . (I ! )Eph. ii. to .
iv M 0 (u)Hebs'. i. 3. Col. i. 1 6, 1 7. (1 ) John ,
V . 1 7. 1 9. PL 0 IO . (FS) a lo ii. ‘0‘H‘b‘s “ 0 1 0 0h“ , v0
330 “ fi e 1 40
47a T R I N I T Y S UN D A Y ; Tr. io.
the m ention frequently m ade in the holy fcriptures of the fu
prem e adoration of the D eity paid to C hrill
The m oll efl'
ential divine attributes belong to C hrili, in a
proper and unlim ited fenfe , eternity (t7), im m utabilityom nipotence (I9), om nifcience (no), im m enfity or 0m m
prefenee (a t), &c . In a w ord, the very efience, and the
gncom m unicable n am e of God , are clearly given him bothan the old and n ew Tellem en t (an). Ifaiah calls him Em m a»
fi n d , orGod w ith us , the m ighty God, the everlalling Env
ther, the Prince of peace Jehovah our 006(24).O fee alfo
'
ves him the incom m unicable n am e of God e
hovah (as? C hrifi him felf declares : l and m y Fat er
are one w here he m ean s not an unity of confen t,but95nature and silen ce. Hence he declares elfew here t
All'
thi w hich the Father hath are m ine An d
addrefi ng im felf to his Father : ‘f All m y things are thine,and thine are m ine 5. Paul in a tingle line has couch
ed the felf-exifience, effential independence, and unchange
able eternity of the Son of God , in w ords w hich run paral
lel w ith the em phatical definition w hich God gave of him
feif to Mpfes , In w hich he ex preffes the"peculiar charac
ter of his D fen n his effential nece.
ary ex illenee of
him felf, .w hen e faid : F.‘ [ am w ho am im portingthat he alone ex ifis unchangeably, by the neceflity of hts
ty ; npt like allother beings ,
i. 6. Mat. “ 0 l l . ” in ,50 Luh , m 0 “ 0 10h"x iv.
_
1 . lx . 35. L uke. x x iv. 2 2 . a Tim . i. y a . Rom . ix . a . hit .
x lv. 2 2 . Rom . x iv . u . Phil: u . I O . Ifa. x i. to. Rom . x . na,1 3. A618 ix . 34. 3 C or. n . 8 . A&. vn . 59. I Tim . i. 1 7. vi. t s, 24.
Eph. v . 2 7. Apoc . i. 5, 6. (1 7) Prov. viii. 2 2 . Micheas , v . 2 .
1 0h“ , i‘ x ‘ ‘ii' 41 0 M t. ll. 60 Hebro is 8 0 ‘0 0 ti“ . 8 . Pf. la t e ’ 0
(38) Hebr. i. 8 . to . x iii. 8 . (39) Hit. ix . 6. Pf. x liv. 3. John , i. 3.
v. 30. x vi. 1 5. C ol. i. 16. Phil. iii. 2 o, a t . Hebt . i‘
. 8 , 9 Apoc. i. 8 .
(2 0) John , x x i. 1 7. Jer. x vii. t o . com pared w ith Apoc. u . 2 3. John ,x vi. 30 . ii. 25.
‘
L uke, xi. 49.Mat. x x n t. 34. x C ot-.i. 34. (a t )Hebr.
i. Mat. x viit. ac . Mat. x x viii. 2 0 . John , iii. 1 3. See, on thefe and
other palrages of a like n ature, lluet. Drm firafioEsm g . W aterlsnd .in his
‘
q ueries and defen ce, Witall‘
e, Tonrn ely, (ea) Pf. cix . x .
com pared w ithMat. x x n . 24. w here the Jew s allow C hrilito he m u ng.Pf. x cvi. 7. com pared w ith Hebr. i. 6. Pf. x liv . 7, 8 . Helir . ih. Pf. ca.
2 6. Hebr. t. 1 0 . Num . x iv. 2 3. 1 C or. x . 9. Ha. x i. t o . Rom . x v .
1 2 . Jer. x x m . 6. Mai. iti. 1 . Mark , i. r, 2 . Rom . x iv. s o,‘
uuPhil.
ii. t o , n . A&. x x . 2 8 . Hebr. iii. 6. 1 Tim . iii. 1 6. 2. Cor. x i. 3 .
1 Tim . vi. 1 4, 1 6. Apoc. x vii. IQ. John , x x . 2 8 . ohn , v . 1 8 , 2 1
C OL “ . 9, t o . Phil. ii. 5, 6. John , x . 30 . (2 3) I 3 . vii. u . Met .
i. (24) Ha . ix . 6. (as) lfa . x lv. 2 2 . et quoted'Mat . iii.
3. Mark i. 3. L uke, iii. 4. John i. 2 3. Ofe .i,. 7. .com pared w ith
L uke u . x . (27) John x . 30 . (2 8) John x vi. rs . (29) John x vu. t o.
474 T R I N IT Y S UN D A Y .
great m yliery of the bleffed Trinity and God hat ingraved
a w onderful im age of it in m an him felf: for w e have in
on rfelves a foul, one fubflance , w hich poffefl'
es three difliné]:
fpiritual faculties, w ill, m em ory and underfianding, w hich
are as old as the is . I am , and l know , and l w ill,
”fays
St. Aufiin (C on f. l. x v . c . Y et I am this fam e thingw hich know s and w ills, and I know that ] am . All this
is found in one fubfiance, in one foul. L et him w ho is
able to underftand this, un derfland it : For it is w hat
every one perceives w ithin him felf. But let him not hen ce
im agine that he can com prehend that unchange able Be
ing, w hich is above all that exiils : In w hich unity does
not ex clude m ultiplicity, and m ultiplicity does not take
aw ay ting le unity, arc.
”
The fun alfo furnilhes an im perfect figure of the Trinity 3for in it are Light, rays and heat, all coeval to the fun it
felf. Hen ce St. Paul calls the Son the fplendor of the gloryof God , an d chara&er of his Subflance, regarding him as
a ray iffuing from the fun , or as an im age itn prin ted w ith a
feal on w ax : When ce he is called Light of Light. Therefore as w e fee the fun a parent as foon as it ex ifia fo w e are
to believe that the Son iffues from the Father, as the bright
Ray. from the eternal Light, as the fpotlefa Mirror of his
Majefiy, and the perfect Im age ofhis Goodnefe. Bu w here
as a ray fuffers dim in utions in its ‘
em an ation , the divine
W ord receives from the Father the perfefi com m unication ofhis effence, w ithout any dim in ution . O ther lim ilies are fom e
tim es m ade ufe of
bythe fathers to help the w eaker Under
fiandings But as l fenfxble com parifons are ex trem ely in
adeq uate, and difparate, atten tion is req uired, lefl an y heled by them into falfe notions of this great m yfiery. Thethree divine perfons have each certain interior aa ion s, w hich
are term in ated in them felves , an d produced nothing w ith
out ; and a re therefore called their in -dw elling or im a m !
J fl r
’
onr, becaufe they are proper to on e perfon , and in himalone . Such are the aétion s by w hich each perfon proceedsfrom ,
or gives origin to another alfo the hypofiatical union
of the hum anity in God the Son . Thefe three divine perfon s having all one individual effence or n ature , they haveall, by con feq uen ce , one and the fam e w ill, pow er, w ifdom ,
an d operation or aGtion w ith the other attributes and qualilie s of this effen ce . When ce all their ex terior w orks , or
w hich produce any eh'
e& out of the divine perfons, as crea
tier.
T R I N I T Y S UN D A Y. 475tion , prefervation , fan&ification of fouls , & c . are join tlyan d equally the aaion s of the w hole bleffed Trinity . Never
thelefs, as certain afiions a nd elfefis have an affinity w ith
the roperties of the perfons , thefe are ufually afcribed ,
peculiarly to that perfon w hofe Property they im itate, thoughtn reality they equally flow from all the Three . Thus asthe Father is the principle in the Godhead, the creation a nd
prefervation of all things, and all w orks and m arks of m a
]elly, w er and grandeur are attributed particularly to him,
becau}:0
he is the firfl origin and foun tain of all things, bybeing the origin of the D ivinit from w hichj
'
oin tly in three
perfons all other things are. l-l
'
e is on this accoun t called the
ather, an d by fom e ancients is em pha tically ll'
yled God,but in fuch ex reflions is regarded as including the Son a nd
the Holy Gholg. Hen ce the church m ore ordin arily ad,
drefi'
es her prayers to him rather than to all the three perfons,to ex prefs the unity of the D ivinity ; but regards him as irr
cluding the other tw o perfon s w hich proceed from him .
Though in prayers and addreffes, w hichfoever perfon they'
are directed to, t ey are m ade to the w hole bleffed
Trinity, as the en and efl‘
efi s o allour petition s are the com
m on efl'
ea of all the three perfons , or the w hole D eity, as
S t. Fulgen tius has w ritten ex prefs treatifes to thew again&.
the Arians . But w e raile our attention to that perfon prin ci
pally w hofe property our petition chiefly agrees w ith. As
the property ofthe Son is, that he is the Word of the Father,and his etern alin createdWifdom , the w orks of w ifdom are
peculiarly attributed to him . Likew ife all the m ylleries of
Redem ption , w rought by him , as he, not the Father,or
the Holy Gholl , w as m ade Man,afl
'
um ing in his ow n perfon
our hum an nature hypofiatically, or fo as to m ake it the true
a ppropriated n ature ofhis ow n divine perfon , intrinfically uni
ted to him felf. Likew ife becaufe a w orkm an is directed in
the com pofition'
of his w ork by his in tern al w ifdom or
thought, the Father is faid to have created all things by the
Son . By w hom a ll things'
w ere m ade,” John i. and the
church prays to the Father through the Son in the fam e fenfe ;for by or lbm ugb here ex pre lfes his origin from the Father
It alfo lignifies his q uality of Mediator, that w e s flt for
grace through his precious death, and that he is our (hep
.herd, an d the gate and the w ay throu h w hich w e go to the
Father. The prope of the Holygholiis , that he is theleve of the Father an the Son . Hence all effeas of love,.rnercy o
and goodnefs are generally afcribed to him , as the
incar
476 T R IN I T Y S UN D AY . Tr. to,
in carn ation of God the Son in the virgin’s w om b, &c . an d
God is faid to do and preferve all things in him .
This is an abllra& of w hat w e are allow ed here to know
concerning this incifable m yflery : though w hen w e lpeak
of it, w e are daz zled at the bn ghtnefs of fo great a light,a nd are feized w ith a religious dread and trem bling in the
prefen ce'
_
of"fo aw ful a m ajefly, w hich raptures of adoration
in fIlen ce better fuit than an w ords . For it is prefum ption
to define to penetrate the un athbm ed depth of the D ivinityfarther than it has pleafed him to difcover to us. He w ho
is a {catcher of m ajelly {hall be overw helm ed by lory .
”
Prov. x x v. 2 7.
‘
We ought only to out Beho d God
is great, and fur
pafling our fetence, ob x x x vi. 26. He has
placed darknefs is hiding place : Around him is his taber
n aeie a dark m ill in the clouds of the air, Pf. x vii. 1 2 .
0 the depth of the riches of the Wifdom , and of the
Know ledge of God ! how in com prehenfible are his Judgm en ts , and how unfearchable his W ays ? Rom . x i.
He is infinite and incom w ehenfible in his goodnefs, in his
m ercy, in his jullice, in his love , and every other attribute.
How m uch m ore m uft he furpafs our w eak underflanding inhis ow n efl
'
ence ? In other articles w e are able to form fom e
conception s of his perfeaion s , though very im perfefi an d
inadequate ; but here he is altogetherin com prehenlible to us .
This is the m yflery of m ylleries ; a m yllery not only D ivin e,but God him felf: That m yflery before w hich the highell:cherubim s perpetually annihilate them felves ; but neither
dare nor are able to unveil.'
The pro het Jerem ie, chap.
i. 6. faid to God L ord, [ am a chil and can not fpeak
as if he (hould fay, l know not how to ex prefs m y ow n
thoughts : How then can I an nounce your holy L aw s to
your people ? We have far m ore reafon to fay fo, w hen w e
are obliged to (peak of this great m yflery of the incom pre
henfible Trinitv.
c u s p . II.\
How w e are to Honour { beMY STER Y,
qf tbs Bkfli'dTR I N IT Y .
T is our duty to m ake our w hole lives an uninterru ted
fcflival of the holy Trinity , as the bleffed do in ca
y en to all eternity : for our great obligation is to praife and
honour God w ithout ceafing'
. We honour this m yflery byour
TR I N I T Y S U N D A Y. Tr. ro .
to d'
tfpute, but they knew how to die for God . Scieba n tn on airbrm t dfi utare, fays St. Pad an , (Pere z . a d
pa rt.) An St. C yprian (I. do pa tien t.) w e do not ta lk
great things , but w e honour God an d preach to our neigh
bour by our m an n ers ; for W }: L '
l vn Ta r. GO S P EL .
”
Non m agm a Iogm'
m ur , [ed vivim n r.
O n the con trary, in thefe our days w e know every thingabout our Religion but the pra&ice w ithout w hich our
faith w ill be our m ore ievous condem n ation ,a profan ation of
the holy m ylleries of cd w hich w e profefs , a n d an occafion
to his enem ies of blafphem ing his holy n am e, and in fultinghis divin e Religion ; w hich danger is the greater, a nd our
obligation the m ore prefling, the m ore the race of un
believers is in creafed In our prefen t age in n um bers and boldnefs . God created our firfl paren ts after his ow n im age,chiefly by enriching them w ith fanaifying grace a nd all w r
tues ; and w e hear his im age in us by in terior fan&ity : w e
deftroy it by fin , and draw in its (lead the im age of the devilin our hearts . Vl’hat a facrilege and blafphem y ?What an in
jury do w e thus offer to God ? Into w hat m onflers do w e
convert our Souls ? We can n ot too carefully refpe&,
daily adorn the m ofl p ure an d glorious im age of God in us ,
w hich the lea liflain fullies , an d w hich w e can alw ays render m ore perfeét and m ore beautiful, by correfponding w ithhis grace.
The m yllery of the holy Trinity is alfo articularly homoured in us , by the virtue of union an charity. TheGodhead is fruitful w ithin him felf, an d produces a m ultiplicity of perfon s in the fim plicity of his n ature, to enjoy theadvan tages of holy fociety w ithin him felf, from all eternity .
Hen ce to create m an he as it w ere held a council of histhree perfon s w ithin him felf, faying : L et us m ake m an to
our ow n im age and likenefs , Gen . i. as the fathers‘
obferve. What fw eet repofe, love, glory and joy do thethree perfon s poffefs in them felves , and in one another before all ages , and to all ages , an d w hat a fw eet etern al entertainm ent in their ow n boundlefs happinefs an d per
"
fe&ion s ? How does God in this m yflery recom m end tous erfeét uni
gt and fraternal chari O ne L ord, .one
PPaith, one aptifm , Eph. iv.
” hat a m onller is it ferm em bers of fuch a head to be difunited What a crim e
, ifw e break fuch a facred band ? There are three that beartcflim ony in heaven , theFather, theWord, and the HolyGholl ; and thefe three are one,
”1 John v. 7. And w e
03
TRI N I T Y S U N D A Y . 479on earth ought to bear tellim ony to him b our union to
gether in the firia efl bon d of con cord and'
charity, as the
bleffed are all united together in the kingdom of glor
Thus w e honour the holy Trinity by faith, by fangity oflife , and by union or con cord of our hearts. We m ull ho
nour him likew ife by our perpetual hom ages of praife, ado
ration an d love. The bleffed choirs above m ake this their
u nin terrupted folem nity and occupation to endlefs ages , to
adore and praife him , finging w ithout in term ifiion , w hat
lfaiah heard the feraphim s fw eetly repeating, Holy; holy,holy, the L ord God of Holl s , all the earth is full of his
glory,” Ifa . vi. .With them allfain t- like fouls , and all the
pure fpoufes of od on earth are em plo ed night and dayI n join tly founding forth his praifes . Sh l w e be flothful in
this ex ercife, and not unite daily our hearts and voices w ith
theirs , w ith the greatell a rdour w e are capable of, redoublingv our fervour on this great folem nity In this fpirit let us alfo
o lfer up all our aélions to the honour an d glory of the adora
ble Trinity, begging that w e m ay alw ays accom plilh his holyw ill. L et us freq uen tly in terrupt our daily sEtion s,ferven t dox ology, fuch as that contain ed in the ulual
the fign of the crofs , or that adopted by the church again ll:the Arian betef Glory be to the Father, an d to the Son ,
a nd to theHoly Ghofi : As it w as in the beginning, is
now , and ever fhail be ; w orld w ithout end . Am en .
”
That is, m ay a ll honour and glory be, w ith the m oll per
fe& facrifice a nd annihilation of us and of all creatures , to
the Father , and infinite L ord of all thin s ; to the coeternal
and confubfian tial Son , our m oll m ercifu Redeem er ; and to
the Holy Ghofi, the great'
C om forter and Sanélifier of our
fouls ; as w as from the divine perfon s , to each other from
all eternity, by their infinite love an d repofe in their ow n
perfeaions ; and from the beginning oftim e, and the m om ent
of their creation , by the good angels, an d all faithfu l fer
vants of God ; and as is now m ofl profoundly paid him byall the bleffed fpirits, and by the church m ilitan t on earth,a nd w ill be, by us a ll through his m et w ith all our
and pow ers to all Eternity . Am en , m en .
hay ing rendered our hom ages to the holy Trinity,w e m ull nex t confider that w e are bound to refer to this fam e
facred Trinity, a ll that w e are, our w hd e beirg , our life,our naione. To underfian d this ation , w e have
but to call to m in d, that w e w en
abrpti in the n am e of
the'
l‘
rinity, and born fpiritually in church: that w e then
480 T R I N I T Y S UN D AY . Tr. ro.
m ade a folem n profefliouof acknow ledging him for our God
of w hom alone w e depend ; our tirfibe inning and our
fall end ; and that w e ow e him love, thank givingdien ce. L et u s then now afrefh confecrate onrfelves to this
bleffed Trinity, and offer all our pow ers to him ; our m e
m ory, our underflan ding and our w ill begging the Father to
cfl‘
ace out of our m em ory a ll im ages of vani to engrave
in it the im age of his divine prefence on ly : t e Son to eu
lighten the darknefs of our underflan ding, and con du& us
in the path of falvation by the light of faith, and of know
ledge of his etern al truth : the Holy Ghofl to fanélify out
w ill by his ferven t and conflant love, that nothing m ay be
able to feparate us from him,in tim e or eternity . Am en .
C H A P . III.
Of the Adverfarie: of the FA ITH of tbe blbfifd TR IN IT Y .
TH E faith of the church in this fundam en tal m yfleryof religion , the devil has , from the begin ning, em
ploy ed all his artifices to pervert. In the very tim es of the
apoflles , C erinthus , an An tiochian Jew , retended that jefusw as a m ere m an , that the C hrifl defcen d upon him in his
baptifm , and left him before his pailie n ; for he dillin
gu lfited Jefus and C hrifl as tw o perfons (1 1. Ebion alfo
about the fam e tim e, taught that C hrifl w as a m ere m an
With a view in part to confute thefe tw o herefiarchs ,St. john w rote his gofpel w hich he begin s by alfertingthat theWord w as before all ages , true God , w ith and in the
Father confequently a diflinfi perfon , in the fam e n u
divided n ature . Then by faying that theWord w as m ade
fleib , he overthrew the im piety of C erin thus , and precon
dem ned the herefy of Neflorius , eflablilhing the w ho le C a
tholic doB rine of the incarn ation . In the tim e ofpo Victor,about the end ofthe fecon d cen tury, Theodotus of yzantiuma leather- dreffer or currier, having denied C hrifl before the
erfecutors, to Ex tenuate his guilt, renew ed the herefy of
bion , denying C hrifl to be God, or to have had anyb
l
gingore
(t) S . Iren . l. i. c. S . E iph. He r. 2 8 . Tert. de P rz fer. c. 48 .
de He r. e. 8 . Euf. Hi 1 . iii. (a) S . lren . l. i. c. 2 0 . S .
Euf. l. iii. c. 37. See Le . C lerc. Hill . Ecclef. ad A n”
.
ii. l llig . D iff. de Ha ref. Sz c. i. c . 6. LeOgieu. D iff.in op. 8 . Joan . D am afc . ( 3) S . Jerom C at. Vir. Ill. c. 9.
1 . iii. c. u . an . (4) John i. t .
4as T R I N I T Y S U N D AY . Tr. 1 0.
tim e of the coun cil of Nice for above tw enty years , in lon gas C onflan tine reigned, the open profeflion of Arianifm w as
utterly ex tinguifhed, the h the abettors of this herefyceafed not, under various
u
firbtleties and cloaks to difiurb thechurch, and advance the in terell:of their Sea . C onflan tius
fucceeded his father in 336, an d in 340, upon the death of
8 . Alex ander, bifhop of C onflantinople, the canonical elec
tion of 8 . Paul w as fet s lide by the tyran ny of the em peror,and Eufebius of Nicom edia tranflated to that fee, w here he
died in 342 . He had propagated Arianifm , and left its a
bettors, w ho from him w ere called Eufebians, ever w here
in pow er in the Eali. Thefe Eufebians w ere difliim blingArisns of (0 pliable a call as to accom m odate their term s
and confellions of faith to the circum flances of the tim es , and
to the hum our'
of thofe w hofe favour they courted. This
being the chara&er of their leader, a m an long praaifed in
the m ax im s and arts of an am bitious , w orldly courtier, Eu
febius’s fucceffor, Macedonius, w hom the Ariana in truded
to the prejudice of 8 . Paul, the law ful bilhop, fet up Se
m iarianifm . His herefy w as divided in to as m any bran ches
as it had heads. Som e denied the D ivinity of the HolyGholi, but acknow ledged the C onfubfian tiality of the Son .
O thers in m uch greater num bers called the Son like the Father, though not confubllan tial or equal, but of an inferiordiflinél n ature 5M , like in [vb/lance, not Mia-e r, con/ub
jiaatial. O f thefe m any called C hrill eternal, an d u
'
ncrea
ted, and like the Father in all things . See their definition s
in the coun cil of An cyra in 358, held by Bafil of Ancyra,Euliathius of Seballe, and other heads of that party. O thers
am ong them denied tlfe Eternity of the Son , and notw ith(landing the high prerogatives they ave him , ranked himin the clafs of creatures form ed out 0 nothing is air A tum .
The rank Arian s after the death of their. great m af
ter the difl'
em bler Eufebius of Nicom edia, had'
at their head
Theognis of Nice, Maris of C halcedon , and in the Well
Urfatius , and V alens in Pan nonia . Their blafphem ies w erecarried to greater heights by Aetius, a prieliof An tioch in
47, his difciple Eunom ius, a n ative of C appadocia , an d
udox ius, w ho from the fee of Germ anicia, in truded him
felf into that of An tioch, in 357, upon the death of theArian L eon tina, and Euzoius , one of his fuccelfors in ,361 .
Thefe taught the Son to be in every refpefi unlike the Father ; w hence they w ere called from the Greek w ord M
C h. 3. T R I N I T Y S UN D AY . 483Anom e am , and from their leaders Anetiam , and m ore ftc
quently Eunom is ns . Both Ariana and Sa niarians w ere eter.
nally m ending their creeds, and again an d again reform ingtheir ten ets every year and every m oon , as S. Hilary reproach.
cd them . So rapid .w as the pm g’
refs w hich the Arian herefym ade, and to w ide did it fpread its devatlation , that the protection of God
“
in fupporting his church, w as never"m ore
vifible than on that occafion . The eloquence and fubtle cun .
ning and artifices of their crafty w aiters , a nd the pow er ‘ offeveral em perors, and great kings of the Goths an d V andals,&c. gave it fuch firength as feem ed to threaten defim aion tothe church itfelf, had it not been learn ed by the prom ifes of
C hrifi. Y et this form idable herefy , .pafl'
ed like a’
thn nder(form , and after the en tire con verfion of the L om bards inthe 7th cen tury, not a thoot ofArianifm v as
'
left in the w holew orld.
The enem y of m an’s falvation attacked alfo the m
gflery
'ofthe Bleffed Trinity by another . oppofite herefy. rax eas,
a Phrygian , w ho had been a follow er of detefi ed the im pollute of that herefiae , a nd gave inform a
tion thereof to Pope Victor, afterw ard revolting from‘
thechurch, denied this funda m ental m yfiery, and : a tRom e
, about the year 250, that. the. .pu:fons in the . rinit‘yare in no refpefi really diliina , and that the Soarii
'
a reallythe Father ; confeq uently that
'the Father w as m ade m an ,
an d fufl'
ered in,
C hrifl . When ce his follow ers w zeee calfetlPatrjpaflian s . His blafphcm y w ise odnfuned by .Tel trrlliad zdtthat tim e a Mon tanifl. Noctus ; alfo, a. native of:Sm yrna,
‘taught the fam e herefy in L ellfer .Afra, a little beforexPrax feas,about the yea r 240 ; an d w as ex comm unicatedHe w as confined by S. Hippolitn s. (I.-s
‘
.onm Npet. Tsiii.Sabellius alfo p ropagated the likeheretical m otions it
Ptolem ais, and in the higher L bia, about the year-2553
againfi w hom S. D ionyfius of lertandria w rote a z ea lousletter, in w hich form accn fed him of teaching God the Sonto be a m ere creature ; but be cleared him felf by
’
his refatation and a 109 w hich he addreffed to S . D ionyfius, theholy pope 0 Rom e. Sabellius gained m ore Pq lytesNoctus and Prax
'
eas had done ; An d . thoughhe taught w iththem , that the Father, Son , and Holy
oGhofl, are no m ore
than different n am s ain God , derived from different afiionsor efi
'
efi s , and that the‘
Fatheris . called the Son in the aaionof our redem tion , and theHolyGholl in our fan&ification ,
yet he denie that the Father w as crucified : By w hich heI ia feem s
494 T R IN I T Y S U N D A Y . Tr. w .
feem a toh avte thought C brifi to have been m erely a m a n,sehu'
easNoetus an t Bru eat believed an im m tion of God ,
sailed in this M the Son, but flilithe fim e perfon w ith
th Fatller.
u se. only the m oun t-pre
occafion ,~ w e jufily infer
the church relating. to the
ah abh fl'
rinity. For had not the M an Faith alw ays
haughtw a diflitfiion of the three perfons, Aria s w ould net
.hm had. the leafi'colour forpre agating his blafphem y, nor
had m im m fi d it '
n
mhia fo were; Nor, on the other
fide, m ail the Sahel error have been broached , if the
m vinity o f- the Sen a nd the Holy Ghofi had not been alw ays
ackn ow ledged .
A ll th in anew -therein , after having been tr'im nphed over
and buried for (0 m any Ages , are a ain revived in our days in
e velylflm w hich ‘it fiem s pofi for them to w ear,but
.t hich We m ay reduce to} the g eneral heath of m odern Ari
a nifi fi and fiocinianifm t H ere w e {hallgive form accoun t of
d re n nln ppy reaivers of thefi condem ned errors ; an d (it'll ,uhM ab el Seen , Dru Gen etics, born in 1909, at V illa
N udm y j n Am igo» ; w hence he calls him felf in his books ,
Willa Nm n w . He w as feat. young to Touloufe, and there‘
(hndk ditln civil -law y but after-w and becam e an em inent phy
heinry and natum fiphilofiophen, and '
a: fubtle
tH eItm bibed his heretical notion s very young, bya readieg the
.bihk tarpon
"
the p
'
riaeiplet‘
ef rthe C alyinills at Touloufe , and
guavio fen d'
eithem so to refolve at any rate, to com m en ce
.refam ttr. With ehie view -he travelled to Lyon s , Geneva ,
and iflafil: In . this laflz tow n ha lted fm n e em ferenees w ith
.O eeolam padiue. Being , defim to difcourfe w ith Ba cet a nd
:C apitb~at Strafburg, he w ent thither ; and not findin g an
book he had w ritten againfi the Tri
he w en t to Haguenau , in Alfaee, tobeing then tw en ty
- on e years old It w as
in 08 m m,under this title : D e 7“
per Mm e-11 m Scream ,
8 w ork he pretends that the
Sm of God denote o nly a
opprobrious language blafphem es andw hill
'
l'he denies this m yfiery, becaufe
fubllit‘
utes a notion concerning the
w hich is fo obfcure as to be ahfolutelyu ni-relia ble. Ferl he m akes the perfon of C hrilt to be a
m ode
486 T R I N I T Y S U N D A Y . Tra ro .
Servetus, in this block, declares him felf no Photinian , or
Sam ofatenian ; for he all'
erts the re- exifience of t hrift,that he is true God, and to be w orlhipped as foch, (though heprobabl m eans only as a m ode of the Father) but ex prefi
'
ee
him l’
l'
o conhtfedly, that it is hard to have any notion of
his opinion , w hich he calls a m yllery unknow n to the w orld.
He pretends that Antichrifi had bega n his reign in the fourthtury, and continued (till to hold his em pire in the church.
He had firll confulted C alvin about (tim e pafl'
ages of l'
cripture ; then w arm ly refuted his ex plica tion s ofthem . Hereat
C alvin w as m uch incenfed, called him a profligate fellow ,
full of pride, a dog, &c. Servetus w as no lefs fiery and
obfiin ate on his fide, as ap ears by his letters . In his Cb n'
ftiamfm iReflr
'
tutio, he ains in a com parifon the circula
tion of the blood in the um an body, and feem s the fi ll
that m entions it, though D r. Harvey perfected that difcovery.
See the paffage in Wotton on ancien t and m odem learning ,
(p. Alfo in D r. D ouglas’s Bibliograpbic An ton iu s
Specim en (p. and in Servetus’s life, p . 66. Upon the
inform ation s of C alvin be w as ap rehended at Vien ne, but
treated w ell, and m ade his efcape tIr
J
'
om thence tw o days af
ter. Upon his letters toa C alvin w hich he ow n ed , and his
lait book, he w as condem ned by the m agifirates of Vien ne,on the 1 7th of June 1 553, to be burn t an d his elhgies w as
there fallened to a gibbet, and then burn t w ith five bales of
his books . refolved to retire to Naples , there to
praaife phy,
c, took the w ay of Gen eva , defigning on ly to
R
aythereone night, an d to go the nex t ,
da to Zurich. C alvin
in orm ed of his arrival, acq uain ted the rll Syndic w ith it,and caufed him to be apprehended , a nd direéted hts profe
cotore and accufers . Servetus w as brought firll to the bar
on the t4rh of Augull 1553. C alvin him felf appeared oftenat his trial, and m ade ex trafi s out of his Rq
‘h’
tutia CbrifHang/m i, upon w hich chiefly he w as condem ned . TheProtefiant m agillrates and Theologian s of the can ton s of
ch, Bern , and Shafi'
haufen , and of the '
city of Balil,w ere confulted and (op t long anfw ers to prove that Servetu sought to be put to de ath. Accordingl after m any hear
ings, he w as condem ned on the 2 7th O étober, to be burntalive. From that tim e he appeared like a m an dillra&cd ;fom etim e s fpeechlel
'
s an d w ithout m otion a t other tim es hefetched d eep fighs ; or m ade bitter lam entation s : At lengthbeing grow n w eak, he how led and cried out continuallyMercy, m ercy, m ercy !
” He w as -b urnt w ith his books ,having
T R I N I T Y SUN D AY .
having w ritten an Anti-trinitarian confeflion of faith for hisdying fpeech. To jollify his ex ecution , C alvin w rote a
book en titled , Fidelir Ex pofitio Errorum Micbaelir Sem etr'
,
obidocetur7m ? Gladiiroerrendor Heretic” And Bez aanother : D e Heretia
'
r a cior'
li r’
flra tu punim dir Both
prin ted by Robert Stephen s , An . 1554.—See Box horn ,
H rfiorr’
a Un w erjix, p. 70. ad An . 1552 . Mem oirs : dc Literature, V ol. m , and iv . Bibliotbeque Angloijir, T. ii. Art. 7.
at large. And the biliary of Servetus ; printed at Lon don ,An no 1 724, 0&avo.
Whilll; Servetus w as at Paris, his book D e Trinitatir Er sroribur, w as difperfed in Italy, as Bux horn tells us (ad An .
Melanfi on (l. i. ep. w rote to the fen ato ofV enice, in 1539, to inform them that this book in w hich theerror of Paul of Sam ofata w as revived, w as handed aboutintheir country, ex horting them to ex tirpate fuch an im piety.
Nor is it im probable that L aslius Socinus an d his coll ues
firll im bibed their notions from this book. Though er
vetus eflablilhed his fyflem v ill, he reafoned w ith fubtility againll: the fcriptural proo of the Trinity ; fom e ofw hich C alvin handled fo ill as to afl
'
ord him an occalion oftrium ph, as Maldonat takes n otice, w ho lays dow n this efé
fential m ax im , that w e m ull not put a w ron
gfenfe Upon
the w ords 05fcripture in order to confute cretics,L uc. l. Am ongll the fucceeding An titrinitarian s ,not one feem s to have adopted the fyllem of Servetus, fo
that he left no follow er of that boalled refiored church of
w hich he llyled him felf the founder, but w hich began and
ended in him .
V alentinus Gentilis, a n ative of C ofenz a, in the king.
dom of Naples , travelled through Naples , Sicily and Italy,and arrived at Geneva, w here feveral Italian s had beforetaken refuge, and w ere inven ters of new do&rines. Am ongthefe George Blandrata,
-a phyfician , Matthew Gribaldi, a
law yer from Pavia, and Paul Alciati, a law yer from Milan ,(of a fam il em in en t in that profeffion before and fince histim e), Sy veller Telli, Paruta and L eonhardi favouredArianifm , and held continual difputation S
/ together on that
article till they w ere all banifhed Geneva, in 1 559. Gri
baldiw ho w as poffeffed of an efiate, had before retired toTarges in the can ton of Bern . Gen tilis joined them intheir conferences, in w hich they w ere not able to agree inon e fyllem : But all thefe feem to have thou
ght that the Son
and the Holy Ghofl, w ere inferior to the ether, and had
TR I N I T Y S U N D A Y ; Tr . to.
ian m onk, abbot . of Flora in C alabria ,and to John Philoponus , a gram m ariafilAlex an dria , in 60 1 , w ho dillinguilhed
m any called the firfl author
anilhew s , (Bibl. Orien t. l.
m d l ,ex plicit recan tation : Upon w hich he w as condem n ed
by the m a°
llrates of Geneva, to m ake a public confefl'
ton
by w ay aton em ent, to w hich he fubm itted w ith all ap ,
.en t ligns an d flrong proteflation s of fincerity, in 1558 .
Slit no fooner w as he difcbarged, but he repaired toGribaldiat Targes, w here he found Alciati, a nd a fohoolm afier.
t to Gribaldi’s children , w ho then renew ed their con
reaces on Arianifm . Gentilis w rote there a com pilation
of pafl'
ages from the fathers , w retchedly m aim ed, and ill
chofen ; but this w as n ever printed . How ever, be printed ,
nd dedicated to the governor of C ox , to w hofe jurifdiaionar es w as fubjefi , an Arian confeflion oihis faith: For
w hiz] he w as obliged to fave him felf again by flight. At
Lyons he w as throw n into prifon for tvlo m onths , and te
leafed upon a confcflion of faith, w hich Gen ebrard judgedorthodox . C alvin in his narrative of Gentilr
'
r (am ongfl his
Opufrula , p. 764) fays , he had forfw orn‘
him felf thrice . Byram bling about at L yon s, C ham bery, Grenoble and in
D auphiny, he w as too w ell know n to be able to preach his
doélrin e in thofe parts, and therefore he w en t to Blandrata,and Alciati, w ho w ere then in Poland ; and there he {laid
above tw o years . Thefe blafphem crs again ll the Trinitydiffered am ongll them felves , and propagated m any m on llrous
Errors . Som e denied the incarnation , others the im m orta
lity of the foul ; others preached polygam y. Alciatiis faid
by fom e, from defendia polygam y, to have fallen into
Mahom etifm but this , ayle thinks to have“
been a flander,
(D ifi . V . l /ria ti.) The L utherans and C alvinll s in Poland
O ppofed them , w ith w hom they had attem pted .to affociate
them felves . But fo gre at w as the conlufion the new Amtitrinitarim sraifed by their dillenfions and ex travagant opir3 10115. lhatkit s Sigtfm und w as obliged, by an edifi , to com
;m an
49° T R I N I T Y S U N D A Y . Tr. to .
m agiflrates. And to con vi& him ofthe Arian im piety from
his w ords and w ritings , a book w as put out at Geneva, n u
der this title : Im pieta: Va len tim'
Gen tilir detefl a , An n a
1 561 w ith this m otto in
te, yudicer L ugdunm fer,do Cbrryh
"Regan pergite, a t
O n this hereliarch, fee the aforefaid book ; al
ofV alentinus Gen tilis, the Tritheifl, ~ w ritten
Aretin a, a divine ofBern : Bayle in his .D ia . V . Gen tilis.
Spon . Hrfi . de Gam e, T. ii.‘ L am y,
p . ii. c . 6. p. 251 . Sandius , Bibliotb.
Fueflin , Rqflarm ation r Beytrage, T. 5. p. 38 1 .
The other An ti-Trinitarian s, terrified by the fate of SerVetus, either concealed their fen tim en ts at Geneva, or fledinto others coun tries , chiefly Pola nd . George Blandrata , a
n ative ofSaluces , a phyficia n at Pavia, w ho had retired toGeneva, from thence in 1 558, fled in to Poland, w here Si
gifm und Auguflus, w ho fucceeded his father the Great Si
gifm und in 1548, allow ed liberty ofcoofcien ce w ithout excepting any fefi . Blandrata rem oved from then ceinto Tranfylvania in 1563, and in 1566 had a public conferen ce an ddifputation before the Prin ce and nobility, w ith Fran cis
t ,
D avides,w ho had infefi ed m any w ith m onfirous o inions .
B landrata brought over John Sigifm und , Prin ce 0 Tranfylvania , to the Anti
-Trinitarian herefy, and attended him
in the double quality .ofphyfician an d pafior at his death, in
1570 . He rem ained at court pILyfician to the tw o fueceed
ing prin ces , Stephen Batteri, an C hriflopher Battori; butu nder the latter, the Socinian s fay, to pleafe this Prince, and
out of a defire ofIucre, he forfook the Socinians and joinedthe C atholics . He w as m urdered by his n ephew for hism on ey, about the year 1590 . Paul Alciati alfo fled fromGeneva in to Poland ; he difl
iered m uch w ith his collegues ,
and is faid to have retired into Turkey but died at D antzic.
Fran cis D avides an Hungarian , w as fuperintendent and chief
teacher of the Unitarians in Tranfylvania, m aintained w ith
great heat that C hriftis neither to be invoked nor w orfhipped .
P rin ce Battori, to put an end to tum ults , call him in to pri
fon , w here he died in 1 539. His difciple C hriflian Frank
e n preached afterw ard againfi Socinus ; a difputation he
had w ith him is ex tan t am ong Socinus’s Works , T. ii.
p. 767. See Sandiar Bibliorb. Socin . p. 57. 58 . and 86.
L aelius Socinus w as born of a gen tlem an’s fam ily at Sien
n a , in 1525, an d brought it_
to the law y he retired into
Lom bardy in 1546, and at ljicenza had feveral conferen
T R I N I T Y S U N D AY . 491
w ith other An ti-Trinitarians , the founders of other fea s
Nam e ly, w ith O chin the s poliate C apuchin Fryar, Gentilis
a nd P aul Alciati. The fen ate of V enice, having been in
form ed of thefe m eetings , all the perfon s concerned in them'
,
faid to be above forty, w ere obliged to flee . L aelius Socin us
travelled through Fran ce, Flanders , Germ any, an d ca m e to
L ondon . But not finding it fafe any w here to preach his
errors , he con tented him felf w ith w riting fecretly to fupport
them ; an d returning into Sw itzerland, fettled a t Zurich,m akin g fom etim es e x curfton s in to Germ any. He died at
Z urich in 1562 . He fent leveral of his w ritings to his
friends in Tufcany, a nd m any a m ongfl them fell into his
opinions . Am ongfl thefe his n ephew Faufius Socinus, w ho
w as born at Sien na in 1530 , an d brought up in the fludy of
the law s, m olt w arm ly em braced them , and retired from
his coun try. Being at Lyon s w hen his uncle died , he w en t
from thence to Zurich, a nd pol'
fefl'
ed him felf of all his pa
gers
,in order to qualify him felf to propagate his doa rine.
e returned to Floren ce, and enjoyed there for fom etim e a
place in the D uke’s court, till refolved to com m ence
preacher in order to reform C alvinifis , are. he w en t over
to Bafil, a nd publilhed his Book, O n yefur Cbrr'
fl, tbe Saoiaur , in w hich he openly revived the Sam ofatenian andPhotinian herefy. Blandrata w hom C alvin a nd Bez a reptefent as one incapable of w riting to advantage, invited himinto Tra nfylvania ; w hen ce he paffed in to Poland , in 1579.
TheAntitrinitaria ns of that kingdom w ere divided in to about
fifty different feéls , but w ere all kn ow n by the general n am e
of Unitarian s . They had their con venticles in m any great
tow n s in Poland ; butRacovia in little Poland , w as their m e
tropolis , under the protefiion of the L ord of that city, w ho
had ren ounced C alvinifm . There they had a large collegein w hich John C rellius , born n ear Nurem berg, in 1 590,w as the m olt celebrated profeffor and m inifler from the year
1 61 2 . His n am e is the m ofl fa m ous n ex t to that of Socinus ,in the lifl of Socinian teachers : His books on the Unity ofGod , on the Satisfaaion of C hrifl again ftGrotius
’s Anfw er
to Socm us , are m uch eflcem ed in that fe& . This collegefublilied till the year 1638 , w hen it w as fuppreffed in punifhm en t of the riots of the lluden ts , w ho had pulled dow n
the public c roffes in the coun try, an d propha ned the Churches .
Faufius Socinus lived m any years in C racow ; but fpcn t hislafl years , and died in 1 604, at a gen tlem an
’
s houfe in the
country, nine m iles from that city. The Ariana and Socinians
492 T R I N I T Y S U N D A Y . Tn io.
nians of Poland fa voured Ragotzi, prin ce ofTranfylva nia'
in his w ars again ll Poland by w hich they fo ex afperated the
fiate,that they w ere banifhed the ki dom in 1 658, bein g
only allow ed tw o years to fell their e ates . Great n um bers'
retired in to Hollan d , though they w ere not allow ed there
the ex ercife oftheir p ublic w orlhip, as is proved by Baylefrom faa s . See
,Vita FazgfliSm
’
m’
deft-rip “ ab Equite
in 4to . 1 639 an d Socinus’s L ife, by Sam . Przycopius, pre
fix ed to Socinu s’s Works . Alfo CbriflapbariS ands?Biblio
theca An ti-Trinitariorum , in 8vc . Freifladii, 1 684, an im
pious, but enrious a nd learn ed piece : And w hat is often
prin ted as an Appendix to it, Stung/7d L ubiem
‘
cir’
, (i. e. Luienietfky) Hi aria q arm atiouir Polow
'
ce , in 8vo, Frefi n
d u, 1 685.
'
1 he fam e C hrifloPher Sandius, in his NucleusHr
'
flarix Eccle/id fear, feu Hi aria Aristocra t : ct Sed ition .x
rum , prin ted at logo in 1 76, in 4to, pretends to derive
a con tinued fucceflion of Arian s and Socinian s from the ear
lieft ages of C hrifliatiity. See likew ife Wiflow adiNa n-«m ic
de Sepa ration s Unita riorm n a And Paula : D c
brez eniur Hybrid Eccle/ice Reform a tx in Hungaria . And
Martin Schim eiz elu, D e Stem Effle
gil Lutheran ;
b loaaia.
‘
Arn ong the C atholics , pondan . in C ontin . An
n al. Baron . ad A1 1 . 1568 , 82 C . L am y, Hith du Socinianifm e,
410 . though this author is not alw ays ou tfit.The chief rin ciples of Socinianifm are, Firfl, That all
fcriptural dogrin es are fo to be underflood, as to contain
n othing above reafon , no m yflery ; and all the ex preflion s
w hich feem to im ply fuch things, are to be looked upon as
lofty ex aggerative phrafes of t e O rien tal languages : For
thev pretend that nothing is to be allow ed in faith or religionW t h our reafon does n ot fully com prehend . Hen ce it fol
low s, that articles offaith vary in proportion to m en s capt
cities . Secon dly, The Socinians teach, that C hrifl w as
form ed by God an ex traordin ary m an , born of the Virgin
Mary , taken up to heaven,a nd imbued w ith that portion
of divin e pow er and kn ow ledge w hich is called the HolyGhofl ,
a n d fen t again on earth God’s Am bafl
'
ador to m en ,
to teach them his w ill and law . They de ny his death to
have been a fatisfafl ion for our fins ; but fay that thofe that
obey his precepts , w hich all m en ca n do by the flrengtb of
their ow n n ature, w ill rife again in other bodies, . an d enjoya happy life in that bleffed lace in w hich God poffeffeo hiso w n beatitude : but the w icked {hall be condem n ed to tem
pora ry torm en ts , for a certain term , after w hich they w ill be
reduced
494 T R I N I T Y S UN D AY. Tr. 1 0 .
taube, 8m .) An Oppofite faa ion am ong the Unitarians ad
hered to Staniflas Fam ovius , or Farnefius, w ho died in
1 6 1 4. From him they w ere called Fornooionr. Thefe re
rain ed the Arian doa rine of Peter Gones , the firll An tiTrinitarian w ho retired in to Poland . Thefe the Socinian sn ever ex pelled their com m union but in Poland broughtthem over at length to their opinion s. The Socinian s generally reduce the Holy Gholt to a m ere operation ofD eit
S thce the Socinian s w ere ex pelled Poland, they feemw here to retain a form of public church governm en t, ex ceptin Tranfylvania, w here it flill fubfills , though in forn e degree
difcoun ten an ced . See the Billory of that Socinian church,
iven by Zeltner, (Hi/loria C rypto-Socioni/iuiAltarini).
hen th
pzyrattem pted it in Holland (under their z ealous
teachers , afm us joan nis , An drew V oidovius , an d C hrillopher O florodus), the C alvinill m agiflrates an d divin es
,by
their vigilan ce and feverity, defeated all their endeavours,
(Zeltn er ih). Sam uel C rellius , w ho died ve old at Am
fl'
erdam , is efleem ed the m ofl fubtle and m olt earn ed w riter
of this feét ; he chofe rather to be called from Artem on a n
Artem onite than a Socinian . Am ongfl the Arm inians inHolland and Holflein m any from Pelagianifm fell alfo in toSocinianifm , prin cipally Sim on Epifcopius , Arm inius
’s chief
difciple, Profcfl'
or at L eyden , w ho could not be heard at theC ouncil ofD ort, and died in 1 643. See C onrad Vorilius .m inifler at Frederickfburg, in Holflein , are. See Molle
1 1 18, Cim brict Litarohz , T. 2 . p. 931 , 82 C .
The m ain fpring, or great principle ofSocinianifm , that
no m yflery can be adm itted in religion , and that w hat is
above hum an reafon is againfl it, flatters the pride of thehum an heart, but is the m ofl ex travagan tinoonftften inm an , w ho feels the w eaknefs an d ibort-frghtednefs 0 his
reafon in every thing, w hether in or about him felf, and to
w hom the w hole univerfe is .in every part an enigm a
Much m ore in a C hriflian , to w hom the Scriptures prefen t
a religion fpppded in revelation and m yflery .‘
This incon
fiflency is m ore glaring w hen -w e take a n ear view of the
doa rine ofthe ablell Socinians , differing w idely in their 11 0
tion s from one another, and all fraught w ith m yl'
leries m ore
in com prehenfrhle than thofe at w hich they take offence , if
eviden t incon fiflen cy and no n fenfe could be allow ed the n am e
ofm yllery. Alfo the neceflity an d eviden ce of the divine
revela
C h. 3.. T R I N I T Y S U N D A Y . 49,
revelation , w hich by its brihtnefs dif ls the m ill s ofD eil'
m,
lays open the artful fubter es, an lindied evalion s of Se
cinianifm , w hich is but one rem ove from D eifm or bare na
tural religion . For m odern Socinians efleem revelation to
be an ufeful, but not necelfary m eans of attaining all relii
ous know ledge, and call both the .Jew ifh and C hriftian if
pen fation a bare republication of the law of n ature . The
follow ingEpitaph w as inferibed on Socinus’s grave .
Tota quidem Babylon deflrux it Te&a Lutherus,Muros C alvinus, fed Fundam enta Socinus .”
L uther uncovered Babylon ; C alvin dellroyed its w alls ;but Socinus rem oved its very foundation s .
” Where,inflead ofBabylon , w e m ay read C hrillianity.
The C alvinills, w ho rejea ed m ylleries in the Eucharift,a nd feveral other articles , upon the Socinian principle, and
w ho ellablifhed religion upon the grounds of m ere reafon ,.w ithout allow ing it to be founded by C hrill in authority, w ere
often at a lofs for an anfw er in defending the far m ore in
com prehen lible m ylleries of the Trinity an d Incarn ation ,againft the An ti-Trinitarians . Y et bei un w illing to fet
afide C hrillianity itfelf, by {tripping it 0 every advantage
of w hich it is poll'
efl'
ed , they reprefl'
ed thefe errors by the
fw ord . But w ithin a cen tury great num bers am ongfl them
have fo far lhook off the yoke of C hrillianity, as to have
ado ted the Socinian fyllem of republication . D iderot and
D’lem bert, in the Enyclopetiie, on the article Geneva , attri
bute it in general to the m olt learnedMiniilers and Profeflbrsin that (late. The Paflors at Geneva, in 1 760, printed a
jufl'ification , in w hich they denied the charge, but in fuch
a m ann er as rather perfuades the w orld of the truth of the
accufation , than ferves to clear their charaa ers . And
D’Alem bert, in his m iji
'
ella neour rinted at Paris andL ondon , repeats the fam e charge in the follow ing w ords, inhis ibortAccount of the Govern m ent ofGeneva : Perfe&Socinianifm is the religion of m oll: of their pa llors . Re
jeaing every thing that is called m yflery, they im agin ethe flrfl principle of a religion that is true, is to
nothing as an article of faith that is not reooncileable to
reafon . Thus, w hen they are urged w ith the neceflityof revelation , fo effential a do&rin e of C hrillianity, theyfubflitute the term of utility, w hich they like better. In
this
g s T R I N I T Y S U N D A Y . Tr. to ,
this , if they are not orthodox , they ate at leafl ooafiflen tw ith their ow n principles ,
”
In England, upon the ch uges introduced into religion ,Aris totle) w as alfo revived in various thapes but w as (peedi.
ly cm flied by the fam e m eans as at Geneva. In the -reignofEdw ard V I. John a L ake, a Poliflt gentlem an , cam e
over to .England; w ith m any Others w ho follow ed him fromW ellphaliz . and Holland . The D uke of Som erfet, the.regen t, granted him a licen ce to open a Diffen tih m eetinghoufe in . L ondon , in w hich he railed w ith incgoent rage
again ll the ufe offurplices , the cuflom ofkn eeling in receiv
faeram en t, and feveral other things retained in the
hen eflablifhed . Upon the acceflion ofQueen Ma ryto the throne, john a L afco, w ith his Germ an and ut terforeign collegues , let fail from Gravefend, on the 1 7th ofSeptem ber, 1553, for D enm ark, w here they landed on the
agth of 0&ober . The King, w hofe proteaion they im
plored , at the folicitation'
of his [An ka ra Mlnifim , gavethem very harfh lan guage, (operated their troop, and corll
rnandod tha n w ithout delay to leave his dom inions by dlfiencru st-lays. A La fco repaired tofl m burg, Lubec
'
, WW ,
and other places , but w as no (cones arrived thlan he w as or
dw ed to depart, till he hid him felf- ln Earl Frifeland . At
Ham burg, indeed , his collegoe, Martin'Mioronin s , w as
adm itted to tw o ennu
i-its w ith Joachim Wefiphalus , fu
perin ten da nt _of that inheran church, w ho w ith great
w arm th «m ain taim d the real Brefenee of the body of C hrift
in the -Encha nt, Its -long as .the elem ents , « their tails , te
m ain in the w orthy recei Microuius prlbliflted a rela tionof this coarser/
fl ,and o-5theM a rtian s .w hien he and his
com pa nion s every w here m et with am ong the L utheran s, dated a s Nordeu, in Fa ll Frifahlnd, 1557, underithe
title of Apologetieom Scriptum MartiniMicronu . in the
C onfeflion of Faith, w hich he prefen ted to the fonate ofHam burg, he acknow le es in very ex plicit»term s thr m yfteries of
‘
the Trinity an d'
enz Y et w e»hat e reafdnto profan e, that am ong the Germ ans , in thd
‘fom igrt d tbfi hof a L afco in London , m any introduced
?hm rodoa opiniohson thd
'
e a rtichs . It‘
is ceatam that fochl'én rom , ihough: notreduced to any regularnllem , prevailed s m o
gb lurs -of the
firfl An abaptifls , w hey foon ailer rL uoher li'
his repara tion from, the clim b, t aughti ax onytvWefipha
lia , . Holta nd , and Sunta n-
lam . that the cha t-ch ef 0 1 t
confills on ly of the jufl (w hich errorhad taken root in thofe
parts
T R I N I T Y S U N D A Y . Tr . 1 0 .
C ranm er, w ho had prom oted the ex ecution of fanguin a rylaw s in religious m atters under Henry V III . ufed on this c c
cafion the m ofi cogen t in treaties, and w hen w ith m ere im
portunity he had prevailed, the King in fubfcribing his
n am e, faid, that he w ould lay all the charge upon the
ArchbilhOp before God . In the reign of Og een Eliz abethm any w ere put to death in England, for Arianifm . To
m ention oni thofe w ho fuffered on this account atNorw ich,from Bro eld
’s Hiflory of that city , in 1579, Matthew
Ham ont Plow right, w as con dem n ed by the Bifhop and Co n
fifiory, for denying the Godhead and pow er of C hrifl, w as
delivered to the {herifl'
s ofNorw ich, an d burn t in the C aflle
ditch, May 20, after both his ears had been cut off for
blafphem y. In 1583, John L ew is w as burn t for the like
opinion s, in the fam e city. Likew ife on e C ole, an An abaptifi an d Arian , in 1587 and in 1588, Francis Ket, Mailer
ofArts , having been firfi con dem ned by the Biihop. Ma nyfufl
'
ered in the like m an n er at Lon don , and in other parts of
the kingdom ,as is related by Speed, Stow e, Burn et, & c .
Arianifm reprell'
ed w ith fuch feverity, did not open ly thew
its head fo long as thefe law s w ere ex ecuted,'
yet it feem s to
have lurked am on the Englifh An abaptills ; and in the
reign ofJam es I. artholom ew L egate w as burnt in Sm ithfield, for denying the Trinity : And Edw ard Wightm an at
Litchfield, having been convia ed of bein g an An abaptill:
a nd Arian , and condem ned tirfiby the Bifhop of C oventr
and Litchfield, as Fuller and C rotby relate at length.
feem s not to be doubted but that in the confulion caufed bythe grand rebellion , it alfo found advocates , fince the great
poet Milton feem s to rank the Son ofGod am ong-Rcreatures,
'
(Par. L ofi. B. iii. v. 383, 309, 409, a n .) though in m anyp laces he feem s to allow him to be truly God, (B . iii. v.
306, 1 39. B . 7. v . 1 04, are.) unlefs by Arian fubtilties , hedeviates from the com m on rules of fpeech, and the received
m eaning of w ords. We are indeed inform ed by the Authorofhis Life, that he often changed his religious principles,from a Prelbyterian turned to be an Independen t
baptift, and in the latter part ofhis life, refufed to be joinedin com m union w ith any religious
~fe&in the w orld.
Am ongft the D iffen ters in England feveral have open l
declared them felves Arian s, an d others Socinians ; and that);
herefies are now publicly profefl’
ed by w hole afl‘
etn blies inL ondon an d elfew here. The
‘
An abaptifls indeed , in theirC onfeflion of Faith at L ondon, in 1 646, acknow ledge
the
C h 3. TR I N I TY SUN D AY . 499
the Father, Word, and Holy irit, each having the
w hole divine ell'
en ce, yet the e en ce undivided .
" And
am ongft theQuakers , Wyeth, one of their firfi and m oficelebrated cham ion s, in his Sw itcb for tbe Snake, p. 34,and 52 7, confe es a difiinfiion in the Godhead and an
effential equality betw een the Father, ,
Son , andHoiy Ghofi,though he ex cepts againft the w ord perfon . It does not apear that George Fox , the An abaptifl fhoem aker, w ho firll:Eroached this (ea in 1 655, or his fan atic collegue, Jam es
Nailor, form erly w a ter- m ailer in L am bert’s regim en t, in
C rom w ell’s arm y, ex plicitlg
denied the Trinity. Neither
is this ex prefl'
ed in Robert arclay’s Apology for the Qua
kers . Y et they univerfally reject the w ords of Trinity or
perfons in God, and give no estplan ation of the Scriptureex preflion s , w hich alon e they em ploy. Many am ongll them
feem to den this m yfi and Hicks , the Anabaptifi, in
his fam ous halle nge to
eWilliam Pen n , and Geor eWhitehead, and the refl of the Quakers, and in his conference onthis head in Lon don , in 1 674, feem s clearly to prove that
George Fox him felf denied the D ivinity of C hrtll, or his
perfonal difiin&ion w ithout us . (See C rolby’s Billory of
the Baptifis , T . 1 1 . p . And the learn ed D ofi otHickes , in his L etter to Mr. Nelfon , con cerning BilhopBull, ranks the (Makers am ong theUnitarian s, that is, Socinians and Arian s . (Life ofBull, p.
When the Socinian and Arian con troverfies w ere raifed inHolland by the Polifh refugees , they foon reached England,and m any, efpecially am ong the Prefbyterian an d In de en
den t Miniflers , w arm l em braced thofe errors , aaMr.
‘
el
fon in form s us in his { ife ofBilbop Bull. At that tim e the
difputes about juflification had been carried on w ith the
greatell heat, both am ong the Diffen ters and the D ivin es ofthe eflablifhed church, m any leaning to An tinomianifmand Libertinifm , fom e to Pela ianifm and Socinianifm ,
andothers adhering to the C oun ciiofD ort, Manichm ifm , andand Fatalifm . The Solifidian s , in the firfl'
clafs w ere longthe m olt num erous , the greater part looking upon this doctrin e as the efl
'
en ce or foul ofProteflantifm . Mr. GeorgeBull ofO x ford, then
'
Re&or of Suddin ton , n ear C irencefter, in Gloucellerlhire, folidly confuted this error by hisHar m onia flpaflolx
’
m , printed in 1 669, in w hich he defendsthe doctrine of S. am es con cerning jufiification b w orks,and dem onfirates t at St. Paul teaches the fam e. r. Ri
chard Bax ter, though a fiery126
?tfor Prefbyterianifm ,
had
2
500 T R I N I T Y S UN D A Y. Tr. 1o .
ilfo publiflred againfi die doarine of Jufiification by Faithalone, his Apbvrg/m m y
r
s/ma m , in 1 649, the 6d ! ofalthis m ot! volum inous w ritings : For w hich he w as w arm lyfaflen upon by m any of his brethren , efpecially by
rrlohn
C randorr, in his Bax ter’s p orlfim ex orcij
'
ed W'
liam
E e, in his ViadiciVa
/{flcarionir Gratuitae : C hrillopher
rw ri t, john al 18, Law fon , D o&or C rifp, 8 m .
M 01"
ully alfo‘
w rote in defence of the fam e do&rine
ga
in “ both Mr. Bax ter
,and Mr. Bull. D o&o
‘
r C rifp’s
k being re ted in 1 690, fpread abroad the errors of
Phlagianifm , {def
inianifm and Arm inianifrn . But D r. D a
niel William s , an Independent Preacher, w ho fucceeded
Mr“
. Bax ter in the m anagem ent ofthis caufe, refuted C rifp’
s
Book on every article, in 1 6 a . Mr. john Tom bes, w ho
having had his education at aford, is efieem ed the m oi!
learned cham pion the Englifh‘
Anabaptifis boafi of, befides
m any books ainfi Mr. Bax ter, ubliflted in 1 676, I ni
m dvetfidnr in atin againll Mr. Bu l’s Harm onia Apgdr
’
m ,
in D efen ce of the An tinom inia n Syfiem . (See rofby,T. i. Y et D oa or
‘William'
s b‘
his indefatigable
pains ad fuch fuccefs‘
that before his deat the An tinom ians
w ere reduced am ong the Pretbyteri'ans to three or four
preachers , and thofe of no ell‘
eem in their fefl . Theirnum ber w as alfo m uch dim iniihed am ong the Independents
and Anabaptifls .
In thete debates concerning Iufiification , fom e fell into
“ Socinian error w ith relation to C hrill’s fatisfafiion , im
ported hither from Holland, and blafphem oully m ain tained
that C hrift drd not fufi'
er or die for m an’s Redem ption , or
the fatisfzd ion of(in, and that no fatisfa&ion or atonem ent
can be m ade for another by a com m utation of perfons .
This error w as indeed refuted by D oa or William s , andBllhop
‘
Stillingfleet But this Rep opened a door to the m ain
Socinian error, that Chritl w as a m ere m an , and had no
em etice before his tem poral birth of the B . Virgin , .
w hich
together WithArianifm in all its form s, in a lhort tim e m ade
eat
vgr‘ogr
'efs in England . The Socinian s w ere generally
ha the controverfy decided by fcripture and reafon ,w ithout n
‘
y regard to the tellim ony of the m ofls ancien t
C hrifiiatt w riters . But the'
Arians m ade a very high b0afithat the Fathers w ho lived before the firli. council of Nice,w ere oftheir fem inism . Several Arian and Socinian books
pulfliihed in Holland , began to be difperfed in England ;and even fum e of thofe w ho m aintained the Orthodox fafl
}o
502 T R I N I T Y S UN D A Y . Tr. ro
ufing this new term ,as his delign w as chiefly to ex clude the
heretical ex preflion s of C alvin , w ho fiyles the Son not God
of God, Light qf Light, but God of him felf sw am , n o
lers than the Father w hich is to deny his proce‘flion , an d the
Father’s prerogative of firft principle and origtn in the D i
vinity w hich takes aw ay the diftinaion of‘
the perfons or
hypofiafes , and either confounds them w ith the Sabellians,or difiinguifhes the n atures w ith theTritheilis . This feve
ralAuthors both am ong Protellants and C atholics call
vin ’s Herefy ofAutotheills . See C alvin Iufiit. Theo]. l. i.
e. r3. 5. 19. D anz us Ifagog .
’
C hrifi . l. i. F 2 3. w ho w ith
feveral other C alvinilts w arm ly vindicates that point : andthe C enfures of Bellarm in , Poffevin (1. de Atheif. 3. He r.e. 6. Petau, Arm initis , Epifcopius, and C urcellaeus
‘
: Bull,(Se& . iv .
'
c. t . &c. From the heads of the C atholicdo&rine concerning the
'Son , eliablilhed byMr. Bull, the
D ivinity of the Holy Gbofieafily is unfolded ; w hich this
Author, thoughbutinciden tly, dem p nfirates . Forhe lhew s,firfi,‘againft the Sabellians, that the B oly Ghoft is n ot a
m ere energy of the Father, but is a dillin& perfon . Se
condly, thatheis of the fam e n ature an d effence w ith the
Father an d the'
Son,'
and thirdly, cc - etern al. Fourthly,
yet is not felf- origin ated, but from eternity by the n ece
of the very ex ifien ce ofthe D eity, proceedeth from the
ther and the Son . This w ork, notw ithllandi fom e fewm iftakes in underflanding fom e pafl
'
ages of the athers , did
the Author great honour both am ong C atholics and Proteitan ts . Bofl
'
uet, Bifl wp of Meaux , (Prem ierAvertifem ent
fur les L ettres de Jurien contrc l’
Hifloire'
des V ariations,as .) and other C atholics highly applaud it. The univer
fity ofO x ford, in full convocation , m ade a public acknow
ledgm en t, of the fingular honour don e them by a form er
m em ber, and the lafiing fervice don e to the w hole church
an d in 1 686, adm itted him to the degree and title ofD oaorin D ivinity, though he had never taken any academ ical de
gree, n ot fo m uch as in arts .
Epifcopius (Inftit. l. iv . c . and C urcellteus (1. dcNecqflt
'
ta te C ognitianir Chri/ii), had w ritten againfi the An a
them a pronounced by the C ouncil of Nice again“ the Arian s , pretending there is n o n eceflity of believing in w hatfenfe or m anner C hriliis called the Son ofGod . This L atitudin arian notion found advocates ih Englan d . it w as e x
plained a nd flrongly en forced in a book prin ted at O x ford in1 690, under the title Of 75? n aked '
Gafi ul condem'
n ed and
ordered
C h g. T R I N I T Y S UN D AY. 503o rd ered to be publicly burn t by the C onvocation of the uni
v erlity of O x ford , on the 19th of Augufi, the fam e year.
N everthelefs , fhoals of w ritings in defen ce of that book, andof the w hole Socinian fyftem m ade their appearan ce
A m ong thefeL‘Tbe Hiflorica l Vindica tion of tbe naked Gof
pel, w as either origin ally w ritten by the fam ous John loC lerc ofAm fterdam , or by him tranflated in to his Li/it ofEujlvbiur of C eefa rea . Againft this prevailing error, D oa orB ull w rote an d prin ted at O x ford in 1 694, his ffudgrncnr oftbe Carbolic Cburcb, in w hich from Scriptures , the an cien t
C reeds, and the Fathers of the three firft cen turies , he dc,
m onfirates the neceflity an d obligation of believing the D ivinity ofGod the Son , and the adorable m yfiery of his In ,
c arn ation .
D aniel Sw iclter, a Prufiian phyfician , w ho w as born at
D antziclt in 1 61 2 , and died at Am fterdam in 1 678, had
publifhed m any very pernicious pieces in defence of Socini;a nifm before San dina en tered - the lifts, w ho often copies him .
This bold and fubtle I‘lerefiarch preten ded that the divine g e~
n eration of C hrifi w as the inven tion ofSim on Magus and his
difciples, w ho corrupted the fim plicity of the gof el: Thebegin ning of the gofpel ofSt, John , he called a orgery ofform : Sim onian heretic ; from w hich he w ould have it that
Jufiin Martyr, an d the fucceeding Fathers learned their doctrine of the pr
e -ex ifien ce of the divin e Word. Befrdes a
great num ber of Socinian books , . to w hich he open ly pre
fix ed his n am e, Sandina inform s us that he‘
w as author ofthe fam ous Irenicum Irenicorurn , orTriple Rule of the Re
conciler of C hriftian s , b reafon , fcripture, and found tra~
dition , printed at Am fterchm , in 1 658 , in w hich the Soc:
nian ven om is m olt fubtilly inflilled. Theic w orks of
Sw icker being difperfed in En land, D oa or Bull confuted
them by a third treatife, en title Prim itive and ApojiolicalTradition con cerning tbc D ivinity of faft“ Cbri/i, printed atL ondon in 1 703. D o&or Bull w as preferred by Q~tgeenAn n e, in 1 703, to the bilhopricl; of St. D avid, and diedin t709. His w orks w ere w arm ly attacked by Mr. GilbertC lerke, an An ti-Trinitarian , in three treatifes, the firft
prin ted in 1 695, under the title ofAn te-Nicenifinw , or tbe
gim m e: of tbe Fatberr w bo w rote before tbe Coun cil of
ice, touching tbe Trinity . The fecond in L atin , FourteenSbortArr/w ef t toD ofl or Bull
’s D efence qf tbc Nicene Council.
The third ,‘Tbc True and Ancien t Faith concerning the D isvio
This author only follow s Sw icker and San
04 T R IN I TY S UN D A Y . Tr. to.
ius, w hom he often copies ; w as of Sidney-College, in
C am bridge, but left his fellow ihip there in 1 655, becaufe hew ould not take the d e ofBatchelor, or conform a nylon or to the church of ugland. He w as w ellverfed in the
m em aticks , in the Greek langua e, and the criticalRudyof the Scriptures . By reading the ocinian w riters , he im
bibed their oifon ; yet w ould fay, he w as no Socinian , bei»
caufe he difggreed about the divin e attributes , and the fatis '
faaion of C hrill, on both w hich articles his notion s w ereen
titely fl lar.
l{ohn Lord Arundel of Trerife, by the d
putes of r. She och, D r. South, and others , began to be
m uch lex ed w hat to believe con cerning the Tr1 nity, andconflfltm ifitop Bull. That prelate w ho had already futh
eiently defeated the Arians , anfw ered his Lordihip by a confutation of Sabellianifm and Tritheifm , under this
Y be D ofl rine of the Cathoiich Church, for the three
Ages , eoneerning the Trinity ,M Y rithe
‘fim .
Trithei is an herefy little heard of in form er ages . It
w as firtt broached b one ohn the Syrians, as w e are in ca n by l. OrientT . ii. p. John Phil0pon us , a am m artan and hilof0pher at Alex andria, w here he die?about the year to
,being deeply verfed in the w ritings ofAriltotle and Plato,from the latter im agined a Trinity ofdiilina natures in the
Godhead. This error w as im m ediately condem ned by theO riental Patriarchs and Qouncils . (See Photius , C od. 24,
75an d 2 15, &c.) With the fpaw n ofherefies , w hich the
pretended Reform ation brought forth, Tritheifm alfo w as
revived, firlt, by V alentinus Gentilis, w ho m aintained in
the Trinity three dillinét eternal Spirits , difl'
ering in theirnum erical offences , for w hicherror joined w ith Arianifm .
he w as beheaded at Bern , on the 9th of S tem ber, 1566,and afterw ard b tw o em in en t divines ofthe roteflant churchof England . r. Ralph C udw orth, em inent for theology,
and particularly for his deep refearclies in the fyflem s of nu
cient philofophy, publifhed a ain ll the D eifls in 1 678, his
True In tellectua l Syflem of t e Unim rfe , in Folio, a w orkfraught w ith great erudition in w hich w ith i'egar
'
d to the
D eity, Spirits and Ideas he follow ed Plato, and even the lat
ter Platonifis. From his im aginary notion of the obfcure
Platonic Trinity, he m ain tain ed that the three perfons arethree diflin& fpirit fubl
‘lan ces , but that the Father alone
is truly and properlyGod, or properly Suprem e, and thatabfolute
505 T R I N I T Y S UN D AY . Tr. to.
lerm on preached before the univerlity ofO x ford, by on e ofUniverfity C ollege, the doétrin e w as condem ned by a gen e
ral m eeting of the Vice- chancellor an d Heads of C ollegesa nd B alls, 25Nov . 1 695, as falfe, im pious and heretica l ;con trary to the dofl rine of the C atholic church, and parti
cularly of the church of England. D r. Sherlock w rote
An Ex am ination of the Authority a nd Rea/hm of this D ecree,
and other virulen t pieces ; and w as anfw ered b D r. Edw ards , prin cipal cl Jefus C ollege, and others . flop w as
put to this debate, by direciion s of King William 1 1 1 . to
the Archbifhops and Bithops, ifl'
ued at their m otion , in
w hich it w as ordained , that tn the ex plication ofthe Trinita ll new term s lhduld be avoided . See the Hiflory of theth
7
m atters in the Life of V alen tinus Gentilis, the Tritheil'
l,
w ith an Appendix againtl D r. Sherlock, the n ew Tritheill,
prin ted in 1 696 ; alfo in Burnet
’s Billory of his ow n Tim es
’
oi. iii. p. 2 1 3. Biographie Britan nica in Sherlock an
South. In 1 698 , died Mr. Firm in , the chiefpropagator ofSocinianil
'
m in England : Y et Socinian books con tinued tobe prin ted and fpread in Englan d . D ofi or Sherlock in his
C oncio ad C lerw n , before the C on vocation in 70 1 , w arm lyex horted his brethren , to oppofe thofe hereticaland viperoustraa s , w hich threatened to m uch da nger to the church. He
publifhed again fi them , The prefen t State of the Socinian
C on trovetj}, in 1 698 . P roof: of Chri/9’s D ivinity , in 1 706,
an d other pieces till his death in 1 707. D ofi or South then
Prebendary of W eflm in tler (a very eloquent w riter, dillin
guithed above all other Englilh preachers for the brillian c
a nd poign an cy ofhis w it) as far as his con troverfies w it
D ean c herlock, and afterw ard w ith Bifhop Stillingfleet
w ould allow him , appeared all'
o a z ealons cham pion in defen ce
of the Trinity, till his death in 1 71 6, but w as branded w ith
the n am e of an in tolerant by Archbilhop Tillotfon . (Seehis Life by Birch, p. 195, 354,At this tim e, tw o n ew cham pion s had en tered the lills in
favour of Arianifm , Mr. Will. Whillon , ahd D r. Sam uel
C larke . The latter w as (on to an Alderm an of Norw ich ;gave proofs ofhis ex traordin ary abilities , w him a fcholar at
C am bridge , and w hen Mr. Whiflon , being collated to the
living of L ow elloft in Suffolk, religned his chaplainfltip toD octor john Moore , Bilhop ofNorw ich, fuccee
'
ded him inthe latter ofiice in 1 698 . Mr.
“
Whil'
lon tells us, that in the
year 1 705, he firft difcovered that D oa d r C larke an
to adapt the fe ntim en ts of the Arian s, w hom he calls Eulebians .
T R I N I T Y S U N D A Y . 507bians . D r. Sam uel C larke w as chofen chaplain to (b een
Anne, and in 1 709, w as prefen ted to the reétory of St.
Jam es’s , Wetlm in fter. Upon being fettled in the city, he
took the degreeofD ofi or in D ivinity at C am bridge, w hen
he m ain tained FreeWill in his ublic difputation w ithgreatapplaufe. D oaor Jam es
,Roy Profeffor ofDivinity, w ho
knew Mr. Whiflon to be a profelfed Arian , fufpeéted his
friend the defendan t, to be a laten t on e, m ade a digreflion
from the The r: toprofs him to condem n a propofition found
in a late E ay ofWhillon ’s , that O ur Saviour had n o
hum an foul, but that the divineWord fupplied its placew hich C larke eluded . In 1 71 2 , be prin ted his beautiful a ndcorrefi edition of (34am C om m en tarief, dedicated to the
D uke ofMarlborough, and foon after the fam e year hisScripture D ofi rin e of the Trinity , of w hich he gave a fecond edition w ith alterations in 1 719; and prepared a
third w ith a dditions, w hich a peared after his death . In
the firfl part he lays together t e tex ts relating to the Trini
fy ; in the fecon d he ex plains them in favour ofArianifm 3in the third he confiders the paffages of fc ripture relating to
,that
'
article. This publication w as a lign al given to other
w riters ofthat clafs, w ho poured upon the public an inundation of cil
'
aya and books on this fubjea. The O rthodoxProteflants took the alarm , and ex erted their z eal b cla
m ours and apologies . Am ongft thele D r. D a niel ater
land,head of Magdalen C ollege in C am bridge, afterw ard
chaplain to the King, chiefly diliinguithed him felf. His
p rin cipal w orks in this con troverfy, w ere, 1ji, Wa terland’:
Chri/Pr D ivinity , again/iD r . C la rhe, 2 vol.
8 170. 1 719. 17jccond Vindica tion of Chri/Pr D ivinity , inanfw er toD r . C la rke, 8v0. iVa terIa nd
‘
: d rier re
,Ia ting to the Trinity , 8vo. C am bridge, 1 71 4. Tw o D e
fen cer of the Qw ricr, ih. An e x cellent Com m entary on the
Athana/ian Creed , 410 . 1 724. In gen eral, though this con
trovertili difplays great erudition an d z eal,an d en forces
m any folid proofs w ith firength, he laid him felf open to his
adverfaries , by '
heapin up m a ny pa linges little to his pur
pofe . D r.
“
C larke pub ithed anfw ers to m olt of thefe books,
and to feveral others . In 1 71 4, the L ow er Houfe of C on
vocation , prefented a com plain t to the Upper Houfe again ll
r. C larke’s Scripture D ofi rin q, and leveraidefen ces of the
am e, w ith an ex trafl of feveral Arian afl'
ertions . The Up
per Houfe at firfl, {hew ed great
"zeal in profecuting him ,
ut afterw ard fought to com e'
to tem per. Herettpon D r.
C larke
$ 08 T R I N I T Y S U N D A Y . Ta te.
C larke drew an d laid before them a reply, in w hich hedeclares his be ief, that the Son of God w as eternall begorten by the eternalincom prehenfihle pow er and w ill
.
of theFather ; and likew ife the Holy Ghofi : Addin that hew rote nothin but w hat he fincerely in tended for t e honour
of God, an to avoid the herefies in bath ex trem es ; andw as forry it had
'
ven oB'
ence , and did not in tend to w ritea ny m ore on the
‘i‘l
rinity. TheUpper Houfe accepted thisdeclaration ; but the L ow er urged their com plain t that hehad m ade no recan tation ofhis heretics, nor fatisfaaion for
the fcandal. But the Upper Houfe chofe to let the afl'
aird rop. D r. C larke died in the fam e perfuafion in 1 729. Anaccidental in terview and dif n tation w ith D r. Sam . C larke
gave occalion to the concie, but m olt learned accurate
Anfw er to Clarke and W ill“ , publilhed by D r. Haw ardenm 1 72
Mr.
9William Whifion , m athem atic profefi
'
or in C arnbridge, having in a catechetical leéhire w hich he had duringa year in one ofthe parilh churches in the tow n , andin Otherdifcourfes, openly reached the Arian herefy, w hich on alloccafion s he had ng ublicl profefl
'
ed,w as heard, con
dem n ed and banilhed fiom t e univerf for
m eeting ofthe Vice- chan cellor an d the eads
0&ober 30th, 1 71 0, in w hich chair Mr. Niw as chofen his fucceffor. When D r. C larke had often te
courie to clokes to palliate his true fentim ents in order to
keep his re&orfhip, Mr. Whillon open ly delivered his te
acts : The form er alfo w hen accufed in 1 71 8 , ofhavi al
tered the dox ology in the hoging Pfalm s To God , t o?
C hrifi his Son , allglory be, the.
”an w ered that this had
been done on ly by the afternoon lefi urer, w ithout his order
or know ledge butWhilton alw ays m aintained that in novation , and w rote w ith w arm th again ll the BilhOp ofLondon
‘s
order,for n ot ufing any n ew form s of dox ology, dated
D ec. 26, 1 71 8 .
The m oll daring s trem tin favourofArianifm , w as m ade
by D r. Robert C layton , liilhop of C orke ‘
and Rod'
e, after
w ard of C logher. in his Ej by of Spirit in 1 750, havinglaid it dow n as a prin ciple, that orthodox y is local, and va
ries in every coun try, according to the efiablilhed religion of
e very place, he un dertakes to confute the doarine of the
Trinity, a n d pretends that C hrifl is the ArchangelMichaelin carn ate, w hom he allow s to have been the nom in al God of
the Jew , fo called and adored, becaufe com m ifiioned by
TH E E L E V E N T H TREAT I S E.
O N T H !
F E A ST o r C O R P U S C H R I S T I.
HE O ld L aw w as given to prepare m en for the great.
m yfteries of the New L aw , w hich as far furpafl'
es the
O ld as the truth does its {hadow , and the reality its type a nd
figure . Thechiefprerogatives of the law of the gofpel a ppear, Pirfi,
in the m ore diflinfi - revelation of the truths offa lvation , and of the Rupen dous m yfleries of the divin e
Mercy. Secondly, In the w onderful accom withm ent ofo ur
Redem ption , w hich the an tien t fain ts on ly believed to com e .
And thirdly, In the inflitution of the m olt holy facram en ts ,
a nd aw ful facrifice w hich C hrifl has left us. Sacram en ts
are the chan nels of divine grace for the fan&ification of our
fouls, and facrifice is the fUprem e hom age by w hich w e ho
nour God. In thefe then confill the rin cipal dignity an d
advantage of a religion . The bletfed uchatifl is both the
great facrifice, and the m oil holy and m oft w onderful of all
the facram ents of the law of Grace . Therefore a principal
ex cellency ofthe n ew L aw confifts in this adorable m ytlery,in the in llitution of w hich C hrifl difplayed his infinite w if
dom , pow er, and love. It is therefore juit that w e lhouldcelebrate the m em ory thereof w ith a fellival of thankfgiv
ing. The bleffed Eucharill is the m olt w onderful m iracle
of the O m nipotence of God, being a perpetuation of his
adorable Incarnation am ongl'
t us . That an etern al God
fhould be born in tim e, and die on a C rofs for finful m an ,
is a prodigy w hich m en and angels w ill adm ire in raptures
of aflonifhm en t to all eternity, w ithout being ever able to
fathom it. It is a m yfiery w hich creatures could never have
kn ow n to be
goflible to Alm ighty pow er itfelf, had they not
term it effe ed . But it is a m yftery the m ore w orthy an
infinite God , the m oreitis ex alted above the com prehenfion
of the m ofi fublim e created in telligences . But theAlm ightyd '
Q
Tr. 1 t . C O R P U S C H R I S T I. 5"did not {lOp here : He renew s an d con tin ues the fam e to the
end of the w orld in the holy facram en t of the altar,and this
in the m oliw onderful m ann er. We behold the outw ard ap
pearance ofbread after confecration the fam e as before. O ur
fenfes difcern the fam e phyftcal accidents, the colour, quan
tity, talle, and other q ualities of bread ; nor are they de
ceived in their im m ediate obje& ; for they receive thefe im
preflion s . Y et no bread is prefen t : Thefe acciden ts are
w ithout their fubjeét. The la w s of n ature are fubjea: tothe w ill of their C reator. He w ho ellablilhed them , an d
fram ed all things in the m olt adm irable harm ony a nd w if
dom , is m ailer to fufpend, change, an d difpofe them at
pleafure, for the grea ter m anifeflation of his pow er. Thus
w e read m any flupendous m iracles w rought by him . But
the holy Eucharifl is the m oll w onderful of all m iracles,being a m yfiery by w hich the C reator of all things chofe to
thew the ex ten t of his pow er, and the in ex haul’ted richnefi
of his greatn efs and ofhis love. The bread fublills no m ore,
thou h its appearances or acciden ts rem ain for the ex ercife ofour filth, and to concealthe adorable m yfiery from our corpo
raleyes : For ifw e faw , w e fhould no longerhave faith, andif C hrift had given him felf vifible to us , this w ould be no
longer a facram en t, a veil, or a m yflery. But the fubfian ce
ofthe bread is changed in to that of the precious body of
Chri/f, by that fam e pow er w hich m ade all things out of
n othing, an d w hich can as eafil rep roduce the fam e bodyin a differen t place, as it can efiroy any created body and
produce the fam e again . Thus the facred hum anit
yof
‘
Chrifl,w hich reign s at the right hand of the Father, p aced
above all creatures in heaven , is te-
produced on the altar,but in its glorified and im pallible fiate, a n d ex ifting trulya n d really but in a fpiritual m ann er, w ithout its ex ternal
q uan tity and ex tenfion , w hole and intire in every hoft, and
if a divifion be m ade, in every fenfible particle thereof, as
as long as the fpecies or appearances of the bread rem ain :
And thus is it m ultiplied, as often as the bread is confecrat
ed, over the w hole w orld, from the Afcen lion of Chri/i tothe end of tim e. As the body of Chri/9is here in its glorified (late, it is perfe& and entire under each f ecies confe
quently in that of bread is con tain ed the bl in the bodya nd in that ofthe w in e , the fa
‘
cred body is produced to ether
w ith the hired. With body and blood the foul of brifl:
m ull likew ife be there : an d by coneom itanee, the fecond pet‘
‘ififon ofthe adorableTrinity, hypoflatically united to this hu~
m
'
anity.
Tr. t t . C O R P U S C H R I S T I. 515w ould alw ays rem ain really w ith us, though
‘
con cealinghim felf to our fenfes, as the n ature of our prefect fiate re
uired .qO ur good and all our happin efs depended on his leaving
us . It w as n eceffary that he thould take polfeflion of his
glory, an d com plete his trium ph That he fhould open heaven for us , lhould fend his Paraclete, thould w ean our afl
'
ec
tions from every thing on earth, and draw our hearts and
all our defires up to heaven . He m ull then go aw ay for ourfakes , but his love w ould ilill flay w ith us under an invilible
difguife, and it m oved him to inven t and inflitute this w on
derful facram ent for that purpofe. He both w en t to prepare
places for us in his kingdom of glory, and rem ained alw a s
w ith us , though he cou d not do it in the rays ofhis Ma'
ellyin the w ife oeconom y of our falvation . (b een Ede/ferfw ooned aw ay at the m ajefiy ofMum “ , Hefib. x v. TheJew s being terrified , begged thatMo/e: m ight fpeak to them ,
an d not God , En d . x x xix . D aniel w as not able to bear the
glorious apparition of an angel, D an . x How then couldw e have borne to behold God am ong us in the brightn efs ofhis glory ? Nor could that have fuited our refcn t tim e of
faith and trial. Therefore as his love coul not fuller a fe
paratiou from us, he w ould abide hidden in this facram ent
w ith us , to the en d ofthe w orld . To be fenfible of the ex
ccfs ofhis infinite love in inflituting this holy facram en t, w e
m ull rem em ber, that he w ho gives us this great m yflery, is
the im m enfe L ord of Majelly an d Glory, w ho floops fo
low , as not on ly to think w ith love an d m ercy of us w eak
m iferable creatures , covered w ith fin , an d the dreadfulguilt
of repeated treafons againfl him , but to con fer on us the
greatefl good, and the richell gift he could bellow , even
him felf. The tim e w hen he m ade us this prefent, w as w hen
he w as going to pafs out of this w orld to his Father.”A
friend,in the lafl m om en ts of his parting, fum m on s up all
his ten dern efs , and perfeélly m elts aw ay, an d links underit.
O ur bleffed ffefur felt thefe em otions the m ofl vehem ent that
hum an heart w as able to do, as no foul w as ever endued w ith
a charity like his . He forefaw the fury of our enraged fpi
ritual enem ies , and perfefi ly kn ew our fram e, our w ealt
n efs , our m iferies, and dan gers he w as bidding us his lafl
farew ell in this w orld ; his bow els w ere m oved w ith pity and
love ; and in thefe m om en ts , he devifed his divine teflam ent
in our favour ; in w hich he bequeathed to us, not earthlyL
'
l 2 em pires,
5m c o n p u s C H R I S T I. Tr. u .
ea rpires , or any w orldly treafures , em my fhadow s, and dan
gerous fnares , but a legacy, a gift w orthy a God , foch as
he alone could beftow , or have thought on ; for it w as no
other than him felf. In his aflion , he w as him felf to be our
viaim , to fufl’er and die gr us ; he bellow s him felf on us
again in his heavenly kingdom to be ourjoy, our crow n , a nd
our infinite rew ard , and blifs to all eternity ; an d not content
w ith all this ,be w ould'
veus him felfin thefe facred m fieries ,to be our daily fpiritufi
l
food, our com fort and our ength,during the term of our exile on earth. He forefaw the m on
firon s ingratitude, infenfibiliy, outrages , facrileges , and
profanations , w hich he fhoul m eet w ith in the w orld, in
this adorable invention oflove how form w ould blafpbem e
it ; others w ould repeat the perfidioufn efs of finder, by receiving it unw orthily, and in a {late of m ortal {in others
w ould flight it, and out of floth feldom approach his divine
banquet, fuffering their fouls to perifh in the m ean tim e w ith
fpiritual fam ine an d that very m any w ould treat him in it
without refpe&, or even attention to his prefence. All this
he hn ew He forefaw diftina ly every particular abufe a nd
infult of m en ainft this facram ent, to the end of tim e .
Y et nothing cou d afiuage the flam e of his love . He defired
from alleternity to give this proof of it, to the aflonifhm en t
of all creatures ; but m ore efpecially from the firft m om ent
of his In carnation . When ce alfo he faid, L uke x x ii. 19.
With defire l have defired z” (tha t is to fay, With them olt vehem ent, la nguifhing defire) to eat this Pafl
'
over
w ith you before I D g/ideria'
aox’
, &c.
He had overturned the m ofl confian t law s 0 nature in be
com ing m an for us : He did the fam e again , 6 the m ofi
unheard ofm iracles, that he m ight give us him fel in this heaven ly banquet. This he did, that he m ight unite us to himfeif by the firongefl: and clofefl alliance . He that eateth
m y flefh, and drinketh m y blood, abideth in m e, and I inhim .
”John vi. 57. It is the pr erty of love to defire
the firia efiunion . Jefus, the etern al over of our fouls ,invented‘and inftituted this facram ent that he m ight m ake us
one w ith him felf, to cloath us w ith his riches . For here he
beftow s on us his greateft'
fts .
For the efi'
e&s of the fab Eucharili in our fouls are ;
firft, That by it w e are m ade canm rparm l w ith C hrift,in the com m union ofhis divin e flefh and blood, to ufe theex preflion ofSt . c w : of aim . [Cat 2 2 . p. 319. E1 .Em } St. Cbryfiflm , m . vi. in [debt ] and other
h
Fa»
t ers .
sn8 C O R P U S c u n r s'
r r. Tr. r r.
life to thofe in w hom it is . For as if w e hide a fpark of
fire in the s lim , to keep a feed offire, fo our L ord byhis fiefhhides life in us , and as it w ere plants a feed ofim
m ortality, w hich takes aw ay all corruptron .
” This via
l-
gin
flefh gives a particular grace by its touch againfl the pa on
ofim purity. And as it is the cem en t of the union'
of the
faithful together in the blood of C hrift fraternal charit is
its charafi eriflic : Whence it is called Com m union .
Six thly, Itplants in us a feed of incorruption and im m er
tality, as St. rene w and other Fathers rem ark. He w ho
eateth m e hath everlafling life, and 1 w ill taife him up in
the lafl day." yobs vi.55.
Seventhly, It is a hidden m anna, and a fource offpiritual
fw eetn efs and joy to devout loving fouls .
5‘ By w hich fpiri
tual fw eetnefs is tafled in its foun tain
devout
in the
thinks, bring all the Cd oing’
flr to the true faith. See Salm
ron in 1 Per. i. 9.
L afily: It is a pledge of future glory , that w e lhall one
day fee'
m in his glory , w hom w e now receive in this hid
d en flate, as St. Peter D am ian , and St. Tera/ix devoutly lingin their C anticles .We have another evidence ofthe ex cefs of C hrifl’s love
to us in the bleffed Eucharili, in the tim e w hen he left us
this holy m yflery. Nothing ought rather to have hindered
him from taking his abode am ongll us than this circum flance.
For w hat treatm en t did he m eet w ith from m en on earth l
He w as nofooner born but he w as erfecuted ; he m et w ith
poverty, contem pt, calum nies , blafphem iea and torm ents
from m en ; and at that very tim e they w ere bufy intriving his m ofl ignom inious and cruel .
_
death. What thencould m ove him to abide flill w ith us, onl the ex cefs ofhis love ? And w hat
'
return does he alk i" . 0 other than
tha t w e (hould love , honour a nd often devm itly receive him
in this holy facram ent , and this for no other end than that
w e m ay regeive the infinite a dvantages an d graces w hich he
defires to confer upon us and for w hich ' he in flituted this
divine banquet, m aking him felf in it our daily nourifhm ent ,firength, com fort, and fupport ; and the fon teo of all fpiritual graces and behedifi ions ; and im parting to our corruptible flefh a feed of im m ortality and etern al life : Becom ingm oreover for us in the facrifice of the altar ; our daily v
'
ic
a r. C O R P U S C H R I S T I. 519tim and our Advocate, pleading for us to the etern al Father ;
fupplying by his love w hat is w anting in ours tow ards God »
an d offering him felf to his Father in our n am e . We have
n othing to ofi'
er w orthy the Im m enfity of God but in the
faerifice of the Eucharifl, w e have a viaim in our han ds
w hich is infinite, and a hom age w orthy the greatn efs of his
Majefly A.thankf iving proportion ed to the im m enfity of
his ben efits : A per e& facrifice of fatisfaétion for all our
fins, and of im petration of all graces . Inflead of reapingall thefe inefiim able advan tages , and m aking a return of
gratitude, devotion and fidelity, m en , alas ! often re-
paythis m ercy w ith the m olt outrageous injuri
es again tl: the
adorable facram en t itfelf; in w hich our L or refiding now
o n our altars , com plains flill as he did on the C rofs : Theyhave given m e gall for m y food ; and in m y‘
thirft the
have given m e vin e at to drink.
” Pf: lx viir. lnfide s
and heretics infult him y obflin ately denying the truth of
this m yflery, and by their blafphem ies againfl it. And C a
tholics by facrilegious com m union s , in decent behaviour at
Mafs, or in the church, or by their Pagan lives m ultiplytheir outr es again litheir m ofl loving L ord in this great
m yflery ofiove . 0 w ho w ill give w ater to m y head, and
a fountain of tears to m y eyes, to bew ail thefe indignities ?
0 m ay the heaven s an d the earth, angels and m en , all crea
tures , fenfible and infenfible, join in praifing the goodn efs ofour God in this holy facram en t, and in lin dying by their
redoubled hom ages to repair the injuries be here receives .
Sun and rocks , w hich . w ere fenfible at the death of your
Lord and Maker, w hy are ye not alfo at the irreverences
ofi'
ered him in the bleffed facram en t ? 0 fun , cover thyfelf
again w ith darknefs l An d 0 ye rocks , rend yourfelves w ith
horror ! D efcend at leafl, O holy a ngels , z ealous defenders
of the glor of Cbri/f; com e an d w eep bitterly over
thele difor ers . And 0 chafle fpoufes of C hrill, a nd all ye
faithful lovers ofyour divine Redeem er, affem ble in
a nd by your devout inflam ed praifes , and hom a es of love
a nd adoration , honour your God in this w onderfil m yflery,and m ake w hat atonem entis in your pow er to his m oft am i
able injured charity. Offer Up your labours, and all your
afi ion s to,God for this end : Receive freq uen tly the holy
facram en t w ith the greatefl: devotion poflible : aflifl at the
hol facrifice w ith the greatefl fervour and afliduity : adore
a n vifit Cbrf/l on the altar, as on his thron e of m ercy an d
behave in ills fanétuary or holy place w ith the m olt aw ful
refpea:
520 . C O R P U S C H R I S T I. Tr . t i.
refpeét and reverence, faluting devoutly the holy facram e n t
w ith thefe afpirations of’
love and praife : May C hrift b eever adored and praifed in the m olt holy facram ent .
”
And n ever fail to em ploy this feflival and the 0&ave in particular praflices of devotion tow ards this m olt venerable
m yllery ofour religion .
The m ore infolently herefy began to infult this adorablefacram ent, the m ore felicitous did the church thew herfelfto prom ote in the fouls ofher children true devotion and refpeéito it. Its inflitution w as alw ays celebrated w ith folem nthan kfgiving to the divine Goodn efs on Maundy Thm
'fday inHolyWeek. But that tim e being m eilly. taken up in com .
m em orating the fufi'
erings of our blell'
ed Redeem er, a pro
per folem n feflival w as appointed to honour this great m yftory, by the mealofm any pious perfons favoured w ith heavenly revelations and m iracles , efpecially in the perfon ofbleffed
ffulr'
ana , ofMoun t C ornillon near Liege. This folem nityw as firfi ordered to be celebrated in a fynod held at Liege,in the year 1 246. Pope Urba n IV . in 1 264 fix ed
’
it on theThurfday after the0&ave ofWbitfim day , com m anding it tobe obferved in the w hole church w ith a folem nity equal to thefour great fefiivals of the year. In his bull, w hich begins ,Tran liturus de hoe m un do,
”after having ex tolled this
w onderful facram ent, he de livers him felf in thefe w ordsIn this m ofl holy com m em oration w e {hed tears, devoutlyrejoicing : For our heart all bathed w ith gladneli, caufosthe eyes to pour forth term . 0 the im m enfity of the disvine love ! 0 overflow ing divine piety ! 0 m olt profefsliberality of our God ! He had already given its allthings : he had con ferred upon us the dom inion of allcrea tures upon the earth and had fo ex alted us as to ap
poin t his angels to afiifl us , w hom he has fent to m inifierfor them w ho (hall receive the inheritance of falvation .
Though his bounty had been fo great, to thet (fillm ore, out ofthe im m enfe charity w hich he bears us, he
hathgiven him felf to us ; and furpafling all his other libe5‘ ralities , ex ceeding all m ann er of love, he gives lum felfto us to be our food . 0 lingular and adm irable bounty,in w hich he that gives is the gift him felf. Prodigions is
the liberality, w hen any one gives him felf. He bellow s
him felf for our n ourifhm en t, to the end that m an, w ho
w as fallen to death by one kind offood, fitould be raifedto life by another m eat : Man fell
‘
by the m ortal apple,andis again railed by the food of the tree ofllffiv O n
gut
oi er
522 C O R P U S C H R I S T I. Tr u .
m utant, An . (BuIIar . T. i. p. Pope EngIV . repeats the precept to all pallets of prom ulgi the m
yearly confirm s all the abovefaid bulls ; but dou b or then um ber of days in each of the Indulgen ce s m en tio n ed inthem all. Read bi! bull
,Ex cellm tiflfm um
g uiais D om ini n oflri C . Sacram gn tm . [Bil lion T . i.
pW'
e adore Cbrf/iprefe nt in the holy facram ent of the aitar. Even as m a n he is to be honoured w ith fuprem e ado ration
,becaufe he fublifls by the fecond divine perfon . H e n ce
the council ofTren t proves the Eucharill is to be a dored ,from Hebr . i. 6. L et all the angels of God adore him .
”
He is truly in this holy facram en t w hom the Magiadored inthe m anger and the Apollles and other devout perfon s during his m ortal life on ea rth w hom , on our altars the angelsadore w ith trem bling, and w hom the faithful have alw a y s
approached and received w ith fom e ex terior a&ion of a doration . For w hich, fee S. Art/fin , [in P]: cx viii.) S . C61)fofiom [Hom . 24. in 1 C or. 8: l. iii. de SaoerdJ S. Cy ril of
jerufalem [C a t. Myfiag . Origm [Horn 1 3. in Ex od . Es'
Ham . 5. do dim ] S. Gregory of Nazianz rm r, [Or . i. do S .
Gorgonia , p. 55aS . Aurora/2 proves that the Holy . Ghofl is to be adored,
becaufe the fleth ofCbrifi m ade ofthe earth,is adored in the
Eucharill . By the certhia underflood the llefh of C hrifl,w hich even on this day w e adore in the m yfleries , and w hichthe Apotlles adored in the L ord efus . (1. iii. dc Spir . So. c. 1 2 .
T . iii. p. 2 38 . ed . Ben d” S . C ryfo/fom lays dow n the rule
[Hom 7. in Mat. T v1 1 . p. 1 1 2 . ed . Ben .] that every one
approach the facram en t as the Magidid
borzour and adore He com pares tn
the un w orthy com m unicants w ith Herod, w ho adore in
treacberjy, a nd flab in adoring. An d‘Tbeodorer [D ia I. 1 1 .
Inconfufur, T . iv. p. 8 fays of the elem ents in the
bleffed Eucharifl : Tbey a re believed a nd adored, 8 c.
B aillé'
, the fam ous Gaining/f, ex cufes the Lutheran s in this
becaufe they in tend to adore the body of C br
g'
l,w hich is an objea: ofadoration , [1 Rep. a Cbam on t]. ut
Praia/fon t: obje& that if a hell, by fom e m illake (hould
not have been confecrated , that fuch an adoration w ould cer
tain ly be idolatry. But D ofl or yer . Taylor ,Tbom dyke, and
others of their ow n com m union w ill in form them that it
w ould be no m ore lo, than if a tiranger com ing to a m ]?on
(3) 719301 0 ital
”m at/tin t. (4) w yw atm i'
m
