Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A39819
|
An historical account of the manners and behaviour of the Christians and the practices of Christianity throughout the several ages of the church written originally in French by Msr. Cl. Fleury ...; Moeurs des Chrétiens. English
|
Fleury, Claude, 1640-1723.
|
1698
(1698)
|
Wing F1363; ESTC R15813
|
173,937
|
370
|
Vows of Celibacy and Poverty have been inconvenient and but ill kept this might have been prevented by the Omission of of them for as this Author observes We see no Solemn Vows in these first times St. Chrysostom speaks of a Monks returning to the World as of a thing altogether free Again He tells us that the Monks in imitation of the Primitive Christians spent much of their time in Reading the Holy Scriptures The Rule of St. Benedict prescribes the same to his Monks and more particularly that all the time of Lent and on Sundays they should apply themselves only to this Exercise He Judiciously remarks how Forged Books and pretended Miracles gained Credit For want of critical Learning and the knowledg of Antiquity they were ready to receive such Suppositious Writings as were Imposed upon the World under the specious Names of Ecclesiastical Authors and also became too Credulous in believing Miracles So certain it was that the Apostles and their Disciples had wrought Miracles and that many true one 's were Daily performed at the Tombs of the Martyrs that they were not now over-curious in examining so as to distinguish the true from the false The most surprising Relations of this kind in History were the best received Ignorance in Philosophy and the little knowledg they had of Nature made them take all strange Appearances for Prodigies and interpret them as the Supernatural signs of God's wrath They believed there was something extraordinary in Astrology and dreaded Ecclipses and Comets as dismal Presages To give but one Example more Religion says Mr. Fleury can't subsist without Study and Preaching to preserve the Soundness of its Doctrine and the Purity of its morals It must necessarily fall into Decay unless the Holy Scripture be diligently Read taught and expounded to the People unless the Apostolical Traditions be preserved in their Purity and Purged from time to time of those Spurious Additions which the Inventions of Men without any just Authority have made to them Would but the Church of Rome take away these and all other Additions that are contrary to and Inconsistent with the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Christ in the first and purest Ages of Christianity and forbid all Disputation c. as Innocent XI by his Decree of the 19. of Feb. 1678. entirely abolished the Office of the Immaculate Conception c. Approved by Paul V. They might happily put an end to the great Division that has so long made the Enemies of Christianity to rejoyce or be able to maintain the charge of Schism against those that should then refuse their Communion What Passages or Expressions occur in this Treatise which may be judg'd contrary to and Inconsistent with the Doctrine Worship and Government of the Church of England as by Law Establish'd the Author and Editor of this Book are not answerable for nor pretend to justify considering that 't is only a Translation of an Historical Tract written in French and often Printed by a Learned Author of the Roman Communion whose Name is mention'd in the Title-Page of this Book What he hath said in favour of several of the Doctrines of the Reformation and the admirable Moral Reflections which frequently occur throughout his History and especially the former part together with other pious Relations of it are enough to shew that excellent use may be made of this Treatise and hence to justify the Publication of it in our own Language And the more exceptionable passages that are in it I must Entreat the Reader to consiâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the meer effects of our Author 's 〈…〉 the Communion wherein he 〈◊〉 and to admire rather that he 〈◊〉 said so much on our side than that 〈◊〉 has said no more ERRATA PAge 8. Lines 16. read to establish p. 13. l. 13. r. in mind of p. 27. l. 22. dele and. p. 35. l. 22. r. Orchard p. 37. Ibid. l. 22. r. disease p. 41. l. 11. r. furnish Ibid. 18. r. Christians p. 42. l. 24. r. Paedagogus p. 45. l. 8. r. Sanctify p. 47. l. 29. r. giveing p. 54. l. 32. r. itself p. 56. l. 27. r. used p. 77. l. 18. for where r. were Ibid. l. 24. r. Zealous p. 86. l. 26. r. occasion p. 87. l. 13. r. Gnosticks p. 99. l. 15. r. Tutelar p. 103. l. 18. r. Equueus p. 104. l. 28. r. lewd way p. 105. l. 5. for of r. off Ibid. l. 6. r. Spit it p. 106. l. 17. r. Martyrs p. 107. l. 23. dele the. p. 110. l. 25. r. reduced p. 119. l. 25. r. Slaves Ibid. r. State p. 124. l. 22. r. such cases p. 129. l. 9. for Bells r. Belles p. 136. l. 7. for thy r. they Ibid. r. delivered p. 148. l. 12. r. Wife p. 149. l. 25 r. Fifty p. 156. l. 1. r. to each other p. 157. l. 2. r. Priests p. 158. l. 17. for them r. him p. 165. l. 20. for this r his p. 182. l. 24. r. Martyrium p. 204. l. 30 dele or the least sign p. 205. l. 15. r. hath retem'd p. 240 l. 22. r. Sylvester p. 241. l. 5. r. ornamented Ibid. l. 30. r. Candlesticks p. 242. l. 15. dele with p. 251. l. 8. r. Pestilence p. 259. l. 15 r. soever p. 266. l. 17. r. many p. 272. l. 1. for for r. the p. 289. l. 24. r. thereupon p. 305. l. 30. r. Conversions Ibid. l. 32. for was r. were p. 306. l. 1. r. Religion Ibid. l. 17. r. Hungarian p. 307. l. 13. r. could p. 310. l. 2. r. Canons Ibid. l. 31. r. how miserably p. 313. l. 30. r. Barbarous p. 314. l. 2. r. do that Ibid. l. 6. r. Modesty p. 318. l. 10. r. Chaplains p. 322. l. 6. r. our way of Liveing p. 326. l. 20. r. Journeys Ibid. l. 26. r. Travells p. 327. l. 32. r. upon them p. 328. l. 15. r. beare p. 330. l. 28. r. assistance p. 332. l. 31. r. multitude THE BEHAVIOUR AND MANNERS OF THE Christians Part the First I Shall divide my Work into four Parts The first will represent the Manners I. of the Christians of Jerusalem to the The division of the whole Destruction of that City under Vespasian This first state of Christianity though but of a short continuance was so supereminent in its Perfection that it will deserves a separate Consideration The second will take in all the Time of the Persecution that is the entire space of three Centuries In the third I shall describe the State of the Church in its Liberty which Commenced in the fourth Age. And In the last consider the Changes it afterwards underwent and endeavour to discover the Causes of them The Christian Religion as it was not the Invention of Man but the Work of II. God so like the Universe it had its full The first part the Church of Jerulem Perfection in its first Birth and was most Glorious in its earliest Productions It is not to be imagined saith Tertullian that the
press and intrude upon the Bishop himself both out of respect to his Person and for fear of being troublesom So that the Deacons led a very busy Active Life It was necessary for them to walk much about the Town and sometimes they were obliged to take longer Journies and Travail abroad and for that reason they had neither Cloaks nor any Const. Apost ii c. lvii of the larger sort of Garments worn by the Priests but only Tuniques and Dalmaticks to be always more at liberty for Action and Motion HOSPITALITY was commonly XXIII Their Hospitality used even amongst the Heathens themselves Among the Greeks and Romans their Inns and Publick-Houses of Entertainments were rarely frequented by Persons of any Fashion or Quality In every Town where their Concerns might lead Vide Thomassin de Tesser Hospital them they took care to make themselves some particular Friend in whose Family they might be entertained during their Abode in that Place repaying their Friend who entertained them the like Kindness at their own Houses if his occasions ever brought him that way This usage grew to Prescription in Families It was the principal cement of Friendship and Correspondence between the Cities of Greece and Italy and afterward spread over the whole Roman Empire Nay so sacred was this Priviledge of Entertainment that they made it a part of their Religion Jupiter said they Presided over the Affair both the Persons entertained and the Table at which they Eate were counted Sacred 'T is no wonder then that the Christians should be so forward in Exercising Hospitality who lookd upon themselves as Friends and Brothers to one another and who knew that Jesus Christ had recommended Hospitality as one of the Mat. xxv 35. most Meritorious Performances If a Sranger discovered to them that he made Profession of the Orthodox Faith and lived in the Communion of the Church they received him with open Arms. He that should have shut his Doors against such an One would have been thought to have shut out Jesus Christ himself But first they Expected that he should make himself fully known To that purpose those that Travailed took with them Letters from their Bishop And V. Baron An. 142. n. 7. V. Prior. de Lit. Canon these Letters had certain Marks known only to Christians among themselves These Letters gave an account of the Quality and Condition of the Bearer whether he was a Catholick whether after having been an Heretick or Excommunicate he was again Reconciled whether a Catechumen or a Penitent whether in Holy Orders and in what Degree of Orders For the Clergy never Travailed without Dimissory Letters from their Bishops They had also their Recommendatory Letters to Distinguish Persons of Merit as Confessors or Doctors or those who stood in need of any particular Assistance The first Act of Hospitality was to wash the Feet of their Guests Instances of which we meet with often in Scripture And this was but a necessary Manners of the Israelites in English Pag. 77. 1 Tim. v. 10. Refreshment considering what sort of Shoes they anciently Wore And therefore St. Paul joyns the Lodging of Strangers and the washing of their Feet together If the Guest was in full Communion with the Church they joyned in Prayer and gave him all the respect of the House As to Pray before them to sit uppermost at Table to Instruct the Family They counted themselves Happy in having his Company and looked upon their Meat as in some sort Sanctifyed by his taking part with them The Clergy were every where Honoured proportionably to the Station they held in the Church If a Bishop Traveled he was in all places where he passed invited to perform the Office and to Preach among Const Ap. ii c. 58. them shewing thereby the Unity of the Priest-hood and of the Church There have been some Saints to whom their Hospitality in entertaining the Clergy or such others as came to preach the Gospel proved the occasion of their Martyrdom as Martyr xxii Jun. id 11. Decem. the Famous St. Alban in England and St. Gentian at Amiens The Christians were Hospitable even toward the Infidels themselves Thus they Executed with a great Forwardness of Affection the orders of their Prince obliging them to Lodge his Soldiers Officers or others Travailing upon the Service of the State and to furnish them Vie de St. Pacomre c. iv with Provisions St. Pacomus having Listed himself very Young into the Roman Army he and the Party to which he belonged were Embarqued on Ship board and Landed at a certain little City were he was amazed to see with what Civilities the Inhabitants received them Treating them not like Soldiers but as if they had been their Old Friends and Acquaintance And upon inquiry who they were he was told they were a People of a particular Religion called Christians From that time he informed himself of their Doctrine and this was the Occasion of his Conversion THE Christians took great care to visit XXIV Their Care of the Sick and Burial of the Dead Mat. xxv 36. Dionys. Alex ap Euseb 7. Hist c. 22. the Sick an Office of Charity so much Recommended in the Gospel The City of Alexandria being afflicted with a great Mortality under the Emperor Valerian The Christians readily took that opportunity of shewing their Charity even towards their Persecutors They so freely offered themselves to assist the Sick under their Extremities that many both of the Clergy and Laicks Dyed themselves of the common Distemper and were honoured as Martyrs The Priests visited such Christians as were Sick to Comfort them to Pray by them and Administer to them the Sacraments In such Cases the Viaticum was given only under the Species of Bread and in case of Necessity might be carryed to them by a Laick as appears by the History of Old Serapion Besides the unction of the Consecrated Euseb vi Hist. xliv Jam. 5. 14. Oil administred by the authority of St. James Sick Persons were often recovered by the Application of another Oil called the Oleum Benedictum or Blessed Oil which was Indifferently applyed either to the Faithful or Infidels either by V. Baron an lxiii n. 16. Priests or Laicks according as they had received the gift of Miracles some times they made use of the Oil of the Lamps for this purpose which were kept Burning before the Tombs of the Martyrs The Heathen having no hopes after this Life ended looked upon Death either purely as an Evil which deprived them of the Enjoyments of this World or as Adeone me delirare censes ut ista credam Cic. Tus. Quest. l. i. n. vi Nec Pueri credunt Juven an Aunihilation that Delivere them from all the Sufferings of it There were scarce any among them that gave any Credit to the Fabulous Tales of the Poets concerning the Punishments and Rewards of another Life So that as for Dying Persons their Business