not well otherwise to be understood but some of its chief Institutions are known to be derived thence For as before many of the Mosaick Rites were unquestionably design'd to presignifie our Saviour so some of them were afterwards taken into his Service always to minister unto him not admitted only for the present out of condescension to the Native or Proselyte Jews of whom then the greatest Number of Converts consisted but some formally adopted and others laudably continued for Perpetuity This has in part been already copiously demonstrated by many very Learned Writers and if any thing shall chance to be added by me I offer it with all submission And indeed it would not be pertinent to my Business to pretend in this Matter to any new Discoveries who am rather now by such Observations as are well Agreed and Received to try to favour another Guess I am by and by to advance But besides to be honest to the Reader and withal to put him out of any fear I am here to profess That I pretend not to the Depths of the Talmudical Learning nor intend to engage him in it having never dug in the dark Mine my self but only seen something of that which has been brought above ground by others and exposed to common Use either in the Translations of the Misnah or of Maimonides for of him I have not read much more than is in Latin or in the Works of modern Authors The Reader therefore will be pleased to go on and see how much of the Christian Appointments appears to have been copied from the Jewish And here he will presently find it agreed by all That the Two Sacraments were taken thence That the Weekly Observation of the Lord's Day was in Imitation of their Sabbath That the Discipline of the Christian Church came from the Jewish And that the Apostles Presbyters and Deacons were Officers after their Model But besides these Principal Ordinances which are expressed in the New Testament he will find too That many Circumstances which in the second Age attended those Ordinances were likewise Jewish as well as many other Vnscriptural Customs which are known to have been in use in those Days I shall first consider the Scriptural Vsages and afterwards those which are remembred in the next Age And the Scriptural I take by themselves both because of the Authority for their Practice and of the Consent for their Derivation though in the expounding of the Jewish Customs for the first I may happen to join what belongs to the later sort to avoid hereafter unnecessary Repetition § II. AND to begin with Baptism This was with the Jews a Sacramental Rite whereby those who were converted from Heathenism were initiated into their Religion A Rite little practised among them now for they have had a long while but very few Converts and such People as they tell us (a) Mâ—iâ—â— Issure Biaâ— c. 13. §. 14 18. ex Ed. Dom. Prideaux Oxon 1679. were always suspected by them as apt to Apostatize and draw away others as it happened in their Opinion in the Matter of the Golden Calf and at Kibroth Hattaavah For these Reasons it may be the Jewish Traditionaries have not been very particular on this Subject neither hath Maimonides treated of it by it self and expresly but occasionally only in a Treatise of Prohibited Marriages There he tells us (b) Issure Biah c. 13. §. 1. That the Admission of a Convert was made by these Three Steps First If he was a Male by Circumcision Then By Baptism And Last of all By Sacrifice First He that offered to become a Jew was examined by them concerning the Cause of his Conversion whether it was Religious and had some Part of the Law especially propos'd to him that of the Vnity of God and of the Crime of Idolatry and if he professed himself willing to adhere to it they circumcised him (c) Ibid. 14 15. Then after some convenient time they proceeded to baptize him This was to be done in the Presence and by the Authority of Three at least as Commissioners for the Action They stood over him when he was in the Water and again interrogated him proposing some of the harder and some of the easier Precepts of the Law and if he persisted in his former Resolution of taking upon him its Obedience they baptized him (d) c. 14. §. 6. Thus were Grown Persons baptized upon their own Engagements and Children too were admitted to the same Favour by the permission of the Consistory their Fathers or three others instead of a Father undertaking for them (e) c. 13. § 7. Lightfoot vol. 2. p. 118. And now by Virtue of this his Baptism he is taken out of the number of the Gentiles (f) Iss Bi. c. 13. §. 17. and ceases to have any Kindred upon the account of his natural Birth so much that as they say if his Mother should turn Jew also he may marry her by the Letter of Moses his Law though by the Decretals of the Canon Law he was bound to observe the prohibited Degrees on the Mother's side (g) Ibid. 14.12 13. So was the Proselyre held to be as an Infant then new born (h) 14.11 and to have become an Israelire to be in a state of Sanctity (i) 14.14 and under the Wings of the Divine Majesty (k) 13.4 So absolutely are they understood to be render'd Israelites now by this Baptism only but heretofore when their Temple was up the Proselytes were not reckon'd to be fully Holy nor to have lodg'd themselves perfectly under the Wings of God's Majesty until they were further admitted to his Worship by Sacrifice This Sacrifice is said to have been a Burnt-Offering either out of the Fold or else of two Turtles or two young Pigeons for an Atonement (l) 13.5 For he was it seems in the condition of those Israelites who when they were free from their Uncleanness and had wash'd wanted still an Atonement for their complete Purification that they might be able to partake of the Sacrifices (m) Maimon ex Interpr Lud. deVeil Lib. de Sacr. Tract 5. c. 1. §. 1 2. Only in this he differ'd that he wanted no Sin-Offering as they did because the Sins of his former State were already entirely remitted by his Baptismal Regeneration And to this I suppose I may add under the favour of the instance which follows and upon which they ground the Proselyting method that the Proselyte was like a Leper wash'd and wanting the Atonement himself Sprinkled and Purify'd by the Blood of his Offering And lastly according to the same Pattern I am just going to mention there was commonly after the Burnt-Offering (n) Mai. ibid. item Interprete eodem de Cultu Divino Ir. 5. c. 1. §. 6. a Peace-Offering presented that when he was in the Morning by the one made capable of partaking of the Sacrifices he might exercise that capacity in the Afternoon and by the
à Communicatione Orationis Conventus omnis Sancti Commercii relegetur Praesident probati quique Seniores Honorem istum non Pretio sed Testimonio adepti neque enim pretio ulla res Dei constar § II. l Morinus his Translation agrees with the Printed Text and makes the Forty Days to be discontinued But it should seem that they were intended to be continued by the Prohibition that follows of not washing the while above Twice or Thrice and that for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 However there is no need of this place for an instance of such a Fast of Forty Days together such a Penance being afterwards thrice injoin'd in the same short Paragraph m Herm. Part. lib. 3. Sim. 7. Numquid ergo ait protinus putas aboleri delicta illorumÌ„ qui agunt Poenitentiam Nou proinde continuò Sed oporter eum qui agit Poenitentiam Affligere animam suam Humilem animo se proestare in omni negotio Vexationes multas variasque perferre Cumque perpessus fuerit omnia quae illi instituta sunt tunc forsitan qui eum creavÃt qui formavit Vniversa commovebitur erga eum clementiâ suâ CHAP. X. § I. A. Parallel of Christian Rites mention'd by Tertullian and § II. Of those Vsages mention'd by Origen particularly about Prayer 1. Disposition of Mind 2. Posture of Body 3. Direction of the Face § III. 4. Times of Daily Prayer § IV. 5. Matter and Method § V. The Antient Order of Christian Prayer § VI. And the Order of the Jewish § VII Compar'd § VIII A. Parallel of some few other Vsages THE many Christian Ordinances which have already appear'd to be deriv'd from the Jews may be more than were necessary to prepare the Reader for a like account of Lent I shall therefore take leave to add only so much as may be compâ—ehended in this one Chapter more § I. It is known from Terâ—ullian that the Antient Christians made frequent use of the sign of the Cross His words a are these When ever we Move and set forward on any action when we Come in and when we Go out when we put on our Shoes or Wash or are at Table when Candles are lighted when we lye down when we sit whatsoever it be that we are doing we still as it were wear away our Forehead by signing it with the Cross And we have already seen (b) Ch. 6. §. 5. that when this sign of the Cross was first made on the Forehead of a Christian Confirm'd it might be well taken from a like Practice us'd in all Probability at the Confirmation of a Proselyte Jew when the Priest mark'd him on the Forehead to God and first put on that Frontlet or Tephillim between his Eyes a Sacred dress memorial to himself and distinctive to others which he was after to wear when free from Impurity before God and Men he being suppos'd by it to own God and his Law and to be Arm'd and Warned against all Sin (c) Buxt Syn. 9. Now the Christians tho' they did not dress themselves with their badge of the Cross yet upon all proper occasions they repeated the Sign of it for a Profession of their Faith and Remembrance of their Duty a Sign which they continued perpetually to make and write on themselves when they sat in the house and when they walk'd by the way when they lay down and when they rose up (d) Deut. 6 7 8 9. This too they might use more particularly at those Actions Tertullian mentions they being such as are always begun by the Jews with their Proper Benedictions (e) Buxt S. Jud. Cap. 10. and were not I suppose undertook by those Primitive Christians without their peculiar Blessings in a literal and explicite conformity to that reinforcement of the Jewish Usage by St. Paul (f) 1 Cor. 10.31 whether ye Eat or Drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God And when such Acts of Devotion attended those ordinary actions they did not only in common form of the Jews require a Sign to accompany them but they wanted the Christian Sign more especially to shew in whose name they were offer'd that another Direction (g) Col. 3.17 of the same Apostle might also be formally observ'd whatever ye do in Word or in Deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus giving Thanks to God and the Father by Him as has been long ago remark'd on another occasion 2. The same Tertullian reckous up g 2 another celebrated Christian Rite for a Practice immemorial in his time that they thought it a Fault to Fast or to pray Kneeling on any Sunday or on the Fifty days between Easter and Whitsuntide all of them formerly Festival as sacred to the Resurrection of our Lord and the Promise of the Holy Ghost Now as the Sabbath of the Jews is chang'd into our Lord's Day so was this Observation of it transfer'd too for they think it by no means lawful to Fast on their Seventh Day as it is absurd to Fast upon any Festival For the same reason they kneel not neither at their Prayers on Sabbaths and Holydays (h) Maim Libello de Prec Cap. 5. §. 15. standing with Them being the proper Posture of ordinary Prayers and Kneeling or Falling down of Afflictive Humiliation 3. Whereas too the same Author mentions there i an Observation then Antient concerning the Bread and Wine of their Ordinary Food that they were very careful that none of it should fall upon the Ground this has also been formerly suggested to be Jewish for the Bread at least For though the Jews when they conclude the Sabbath and separate it from the following Week pour some of their Wine upon the Ground yet to their Bread they preserve always a particular Respect supposing an Angel deputed to watch the Negligence of those that let it fall to the ground and foreboding Poverty to themselves from such an unhappy Accident (k) Buxt S. Jud. 〈◊〉 16. 4. Our Author in another place in his Treatise of Prayer (l) Cap. 11. makes mention of some Customs then observ'd at that Duty which were apparently from the Jews It was the usage of some he tells us though he disapproves it 〈◊〉 to wash their hands before Prayer and so it is known the Jews are requir'd to do (m) Maim Ibid. Cap. 4. §. 2 3. 5. Others were us'd when they had done Prayers to sit down for a while n and for this they cited Hermes his Pastor where he is said (o) Hermae Past Lib. 2. in Proem when he Prayed to have sat down on the Bed The Argument Tertullian derides and the Practice he takes to be Ethnick but it seems rather to come from the Jews For they are directed to sit a while after Prayers in Meditation and Devotion and the Godly Men of old are rememberd to have pass'd one hour before Prayers and
Passover Sect. II. The Notification of Easter by Paschal Letters agrees with the Practice of the Jews Sect. III. The Ante-Paschal Preparation of Christians answers to a like Preparation of the Jews before their Day of Expiation p. 389 Chap. II. Sect. I. The Sacrificial Performance on the Jewish Expiation Day Sect. II. Compar'd with that of our Saviour on his Passion-Day p. 396 Chap. III. Sect. I. The Devotional Duty of the Jews on their Expiation Day Sect. II. Practis'd by Christians on the Passion Day Sect. III. Some Circumstances of the Eves of those Days Compar'd p. 406 Chap. IV. Sect. I. A Penitential Season with the Jews Preparatory to their Expiation Day some certain Days next before it kept Vniformly by All More also generally though in various numbers and Forty by many but the First of the Forty Vniversally observ'd Sect. II. Forty Days a solemn space of Penitence in the Jewish Discipline Sect. III. The Christian Lent compar'd with the Jewish p. 418 Chap. V. Sect. I. This Origination of Lent very Probable and its Observation a Testimony to our Lord 's Expiatory Sacrifice However Sect. II. The Consideration of that Expiatory Sacrifice is a good reason for our observing the Passion Day and likewise Sect. III. Some Preparatory time before it p. 431 Corrigenda Addenda PAge 7. line 21. dele that he may if c. p. 19. l. 15. dele in p. 30. l. 12. read Oris de Jej. p. 67. l. 23. r. Paschatis p. 68. l. 5. r. choose p. 69. after the 18. line add However I will venture to offer that the following Sabbatum continuatis may be understood of Saturday alone and without any Connexion with a Friday preceding and mean no more than the Passing it without food the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Dionys Alex See the next Ch. § 2. and Note e p. 75. l. 7. put § II. l. ult for Trusty Faithful p. 79. l. 12. put § III. p. 87. for n put p p. 122. l. 16. for Fast r. Fact p. 153. l. 6. c. Ch. I. to be reckon'd Ch. II. p. 224. l. 8. put in the Margin See Fig. I. l. 14. for impurer r. certain p. 229. l. 21. dele from him p. 231. l. 24. dele so p. 232. l. 6. after anon add n and in the Margin n. ch 9. p. 252. l. last save 3. for little r. tittle p. 267. l. 24. r. Ingenuous p. 317. l. 11. r. High Priests and are in some l. 12. for now r. also p. 323. l. 27. r. Pattern p. 326. l. 3. dele the second that p. 328. l. 26. r. Laps'd p. 336. l. 15. dele l l. 19 20. dele of some l. 20. r. l p. 381. l. last save 2 for from r. for p. 385. l. 5. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 392. to p. 401. the Running Title to be as afterwards it is A Conjecture c. p. 403. l. 16. r. Depellendus ab Hominum consortio under a Niddui See pag. 232. lit b whose c. PART I. AN Historical Account OF THE Observation of LENT CHAP. I. Concerning the Festival of the Resurrection § I. The Weekly Festival or Sunday § II. The Yearly the many Differences about it § III. The Difference between the Asiatick Churches and the Others and the Proof thence in general for the Apostolical Antiquity of Easter § IV. In Particular from the Letters of Polycrates and Irenaeus LENT in the old Saxon is known to signifie the Spring and thence has been taken in common Language for the Spring-Fast or the Time of Humiliation generally observ'd by Christians before Easter And as it is a Season of Recollection and Repentance ending at that Festival of our Saviour's Resurrection and annually regulated by the Time of it so the Historical Knowledge of the one depends upon the other and the Fast cannot well be understood without the Feast be first settled and some Account of it premised § I. NOW the Feast of the Resurrection is of two Sorts either the Weekly the Lord's Day or the Yearly called Easter And as to the Weekly It is on all hands acknowledged to have been perpetually and universally observed ever since the beginning of Christianity It is particularly remembred in the New Testament as a Day for Christian Assemblies under the name of the (a) Acts 20.7.1 Cor. 16.2 First Day of the Week and in the Book of Revelation it is called (b) Rev. 1.10 the Lord's Day Pliny in his Relation he made to Trajan concerning the Christians of Bithynia about the Year of our Saviour 104 is supposed to have intended it when he says c They were us'd to meet together before Light on a Certain day And Justin Martyr d in his Apology about the Year 138 giving an account of the Day of their ordinary Assemblies expresses it to be Sunday So has the weekly Day of the Resurrection been all along kept Holy nor has any Christian Church ever censured or thought fit to set aside the Practice § II. AND if there has been constantly such a Weekly Memorial of the Resurrection we shall little doubt but it had too an Yearly Solemnity It is true there is not so early a mention of that Annual Festival neither is it likely that there should have been as much occasion for the Remembrance of what happened but once a Year as of that which was done every Week but neither has there been wanting very good Evidence for its great Antiquity a Dispute that arose about the Year 190 concerning the Time of keeping it giving us accidentally to know That such a Day had been always kept down from the Apostles time About the Time of the Weekly Feast the First Day there could be no Disagreement but about the Annual there might be very much For if all Nations of Christendom had then reckoned by the same kind of Year suppose by the Jewish which was Lunar and consisted of so many Revolutions of the Moon and besides if all had agreed That our Saviour arose on the 16th day of the first Month yet after all this there was a very obvious Question and which would frequently return Whether they should keep the Yearly Feast on that 16th day precisely whatever day of the Week it happened to be if on a Friday the Weekly Day of the Passion or whether they should not rather make the Yearly Remembrance to fall in with the Weekly and so keep it on some First day of the Week which should be near to that 16th day of the Month. This was the Variety which was actually the Occasion of that Debate I am now to mention Other Differences there might have been rais'd from the difference of Years and some were insisted on in after times which I shall here remark not for present use but to help the understanding of what may be hereafter incidentally mentioned For if all had agreed to celebrate the Annual Festival on the Sunday near to the Annual Day yet this Yearly Day must have been different
De Coron cap. 3. Aquam adituri ibidem sed aliquanto prius in Ecclesia sub Antistitis manu contestamur nos Renuntiare Diabolo Pompae Angelis ejus Debinc ter Mergitamur amplius aliquid Respondentes quam Dominus in Evangelis determinavit Inde suscepti Lactis Mellis concordiam praegustamus ex eaque die Lavacro quotidiano per totam hebdomadem abstinemus i Tertull. de Baptismo cap. 7. Exinde egressi de Lavacro perungimur benedicta Vnctione de pristina Disciplina quâ Vngi Oleo de cornu in Sacerdotium solebant This Vnction is express'd antecedently to the Milk and Honey in the Enumeration the same Author makes lib. 1. advers Marc. cap. 14. Nec aquam reprobavit Creatoris qua suos abluit nec Olenm quo suos ungit nec Mellis Lactis societatem qua suos Infamat nec Panem qno ipsum Corpus suum repraesentat k Tertull. de Resurr Carnis cap. 8. Scilicet Caro eluitur ut Anima emaculetur Caro ungitur ut Anima consecretur Caro Signatur ut Anima muniatur Caro manus impositione adumbratur ut Anima Spiritu illuminetur Caro corpore sanguine Christi vescitur ut Anima de Deo saginetur And that this Sign was made on the Forehead he elsewhere tells in the comparison he makes De Praeser Haer. cap. 40. Mithra signat illic in Fronte Milites suos l When the Priest in our Office of Baptism signing the Child with the Sign of the Cross on the Forehead receives it into the Congregation of Christ's Church for that Sign might also have been made in the Ancient Church with Water only according ording to that of the 22d Chapter of the 7th Book of the Apost Constit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 m De Baptism cap. 8. Dehinc manus imponitur per Benedictionem advocans invitans Spiritum Sanctum § III. b Constit Apost lib. 2. cap. 57. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 m This place in the Wall and as it were beyond the Floor of the Synagogue seems to be at least as the Gate p entering into the Court of the Priests from whence the Law is suppos'd to be fetch'd if it be not as a Desk or Ducan of that Court of which see Lightf Temple-S cap. 23. by which name if I mistake not the Jews now call the space rail'd in before their Ark or Heical m 2 This last Particular is imply'd by Maimonidess in the place last cited and affirm'd by Buxtorf in his Syn. Jud. cap. 10. an Author very exact and so esteem'd by the ablest Judges however the Jews may have given themselves the liberty to vary from it as they do also in other disposals of the Synagogue which Maimonides gives us and the Author of Ceseph Misna would reconcile § IV. b Lampridius de Alex. Severo Vbi aliquos voluisset vel Rectores Provinciis dare vel Praepositos facere vel Procuratores ordinare Nomina eorum proponebat hortans populum ut siquis quid haberet criminis probaret dicebatque grave esse cum id Christiani Judaei facerent in Praedicandis Sacerdotibus qui ordinandi sunt non fieri in Provinciarum Rectoribue quibue Fortunâ— hominum committerentur Capita CHAP. VII § I. Several Particulars practis'd in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper by the Primitive Christians which vary'd from those of the Paschal Supper § II. These speak Our Lord's Supper to have succeeded the Paschal in its general nature as a Memorial of Thanks § III. The Description of a Jewish Offering of Praise and Thanks with the Feasting upon it § IV. The Christian Eucharist answer'd to it and in what manner § V. A Tradition of the Jews That in the days of the Messiah only the Eucharistical Sacrifice should remain § I. THE Sacrament of the Lord's Supper has plainly appear'd (a) Ch. 3. to be rais'd by our Saviour from a Paschal Supper and from that Original it might have been expected that it should have been afterwards celebrated at that time of the year only and in a Night-meal and with Vnleaven'd Bread and if the First Christians shall be found to have vary'd in these particulars it may perhaps seem a harder task to reconcile such a different practice with the Usage of the Jews Now such a Difference there was in the Practice of the succeeding Christians In the Scripture it self (b) Act. 2.42 the Breaking of Bread in the Apostle's Fellowship and with Prayers daily repeated is suppos'd to be done as an Office of that Sacramental Communion Neither is it necessary that I should bring any Proofs from the next 〈◊〉 for such a frequent celebration of it And that it was not administer'd with Vnleaven'd Bread would 〈◊〉 from its continual administration ou◠〈◊〉 the Paschal Season and through â—â—â—rest of the year But it is besideâ— known that the Greek Church has always us'd Leaven'd Bread on that occasion and the Latins too are confess'd by the ingenious Jesuite Sirmondus (c) 〈…〉 Azâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Opâ—â—â—â— to have so done in the beginning tho' their Variation since to the contrary Usage has much contributed to the widening of the Schism between those two Churches This Sacrament of our Lord's Supper was known too in a little time by another Name and was stil'd the Eucharist That is the common Name of it in Tertullian d so it is call'd by Irenaeus e and before him about the year 140 Justin Martyr speaking of the Sacramental Bread and Wine says f And this Food is call'd by us the Eucharist and in the same fence is the Word frequently us'd by Ignatius g in the very beginning of this Age. And as it had this Name very early so it also chang'd the Hour of its Celebration very early as I presume Tertullian remarks the Change in these words The Sacrament says he d of the Eucharist which our Lord order'd at the time of Meals and to all Persons indifferently we receive even in our Assemblies before Day and from the hands of none but the Presidents Likewise in Justin Martyr's Description in the place above-cited this Sacrament appears to have been then celebrated at Morning Prayer And then when the Sacramental part of the Lord's Supper was taken in the Morning it was divided from the other Refectory part for the same Disorders I suppose which the Apostle St. Paul had blam'd in the Corinthians (h) 1 Cor. 11.20 and this remain'd in its place and continued to be a Supper at which the Assembly met again and feasted together with great sobriety as before God These Suppers where all Christians the Poor as well as the Rich were admitted and entertain'd were call'd Love-Feasts They are expresly own'd in Tertullian's Apology i are distinctly mention'd in Ignatius k and probably so to be understood in St. Jude (l) Jude 12. vers And these for some time continued in the Church but were afterwards not so frequent and at last for the
and Ceremonies borrowed thence For why should not their Expiation Day be imitated by our Passion Day when our Sundays and Wednesdays and Fridays and the old Stationary Days our Easter and our Pentecost are all after the like Example And if we have followed the Jews in their Methods of Humiliation and ways of Abstinence and Penance why not in the Solemnity of a Season for such Duties And now if this Derivation I have propos'd might be taken for granted I might then observe against the Followers of Socinus that an Anniversary and very Remarkable Testimony has been all along given by the whole Church of God to the Expiatory Sacrifice of our Blessed Lord as possibly the Discontinuance of that antient and laudable Practice may have given too much way to the late Revival and Modern Increase of that Great Error in Belief But I will not offer to found a Truth so Sacred and which is otherwise so well grounded upon any Conjecture however Probable it may appear § II. But though I do not after all affirm positively that the first Christians had this Correspondence in their View at the Institution of that Holy Time for I shall leave it as Probable only and to the Judgment of the Readerâ— yet this I think I may securely assert that such a Respect if they had it was very Just and Proper and that the same Consideration is a very good reason for the Continuance of the Observation by all True and Orthodox Christians For our Saviour's Passion the Expiatory Sacrifice for the Sins of the whole World and of all Ages was indeed once offer'd in the fullness of time and by Him never to be Repeated but eternally therefore to be Commemorated by the Believing Redeem'd part of Mankind in all their Generations to come And if the Resurrection of our Lord was always thought fit to be recognis'd with a Weekly and therefore certainly with an Annual Solemnity his Death also as surely as it was fixt in Time and known to have come to pass the Friday before so as necessarily did it demand its Anniversary also if not Weekly Memorial For though his Resurrection indeed was exceedingly Glorious and Triumphant yet his Passion was no doubt much the more Mighty and more Remarkable Work in as much as the Death of the Eternal Son of God was far more Wondrous than his Rising from it and it was yet more Wonderful that he should submit to the Ineffable Condescension for our sakes For the cause of his Passion it was our Saviour tells us that he came into the World (a) John 18.37 as if all the Discourses remember'd in the Gospel were but as Prefaces to it and all the Miracles of his Life serv'd only to signalise it In was â—he Basiâ— and Ground work of the Church on which our Salvation stands a mighty Foundation and deeply laid Had we therefore no constant Need of this Expiation of our Lord for our repeated continual Transgressions and had we been absolutely Innocent ever since our first Regeneration by Baptism yet the Death in which we were Baptis'd and by which we had been once Redeem'd could not have fail'd of a pious and grateful Commemoration once at least in the Year and this Day if any other would have had its place in the Christian Calendar In that Case indeed the Day would have been kept Eâ—charistically and as the Sacrament of our Lord's Death is now to be Celebrated in a sad and astonishing Remembrance of his bitter Passion intermixt tho' and temper'd with Joy and thanks for the Propitiation it made But though our Intervening Offences have necessarily chang'd the manner of the Celebration and turn'd our Joy into Mourning yet the Commemoration it self is far from being superseded by them and is rather inforc'd by greater reason for we are now to be call'd to the Remembrance of our Sins as well as of our Lord's Passion And if we now countercharge the Supposition and as before we regarded only the Death of our Lord abstractly from our Sins after Baptism so here we regard those only and take no notice of any Anniversary of the Passion yet even the separate consideration of those Sins might well have challeng'd to them some One Day in the Year wherein after an extraordinary manner we should confess and lament their guilt humbly beseech their Pardon and intreat the Benefit of that Expiation for them For though the Sacrifices for Sin have ceas'd by that one Propitiation of Our Saviour yet by deplorable Experience we know that our Sins cease not they are generally as numerous and frequent as they were before the Covenant and much more heinous having now become exceeding Sinful as committed against greater Light and higher Obligations If therefore we will understand our selves aright Confession of Sins and Supplication for Forgiveness continue to be the daily Duty of Christians as well as of Jews make a no less Proper and Necessary Part of our ordinary Publick Devotions and are still as fit to be the express Business and peculiar Office of some Extraordinary Time And if such an Appointment should be made by the Governours of the Church that we should meet together for this Purpose annually on a solemn Day to take the more publick Shame to our selves and to give the greater Glory to God no Good Christian sure would refuse to concur in so common and necessary a Work but as he is ready to meet and celebrate any other Fast indicted on the occasion of Temporary Calamities so he would never decline to join in a Humiliation assign'd for much more weighty spiritual reasons for the saving of Immortal Souls and averting of Eternal Vengeance He only that is without Sin might seem unconcern'd in such an Order but he then would not not be without Charity and would be in this also like our Saviour that he would condescend to humble himself for the Sins of his Brethren And were there now such a General and Solemn Christian Fast to be appointed and were we to find it a proper Season it could not undoubtedly be more congruously plac'd in the whole Circle of the Year than on the Day of our Lord's Passion were there any such day already observ'd For as all the Refuge of our Supplications must be in that Expiation and by it only God can be intreated so a lively Remembrance of that Death would best give us the due sence of the Guilt and Demerit of all Sins but most bitterly reproach us with our own those Bold and Ungrateful Transgressions of a most Gracious Covenant that was seal'd in such Precious Blood So fitly and naturally do both those Duties of Celebrating the Memory of our Lord's Death and Mourning for our own Sins concur on the same Day the Recognition of that our Expiation and the Affliction of our Souls being as closely join'd together by Eternal Reason as ever they were by the Law of Moses the Duties also heightning each other our Humiliation increas'd by
the consideration of our Saviour's and the Mercy of his Expiation more sensibly Ador'd in the consideration of those Sins whose Pardon we implore For that Double Reason and with this Double Duty has Good Friday been always observ'd Nor will the Devout Practice be blam'd by any Regular Church or Christian Regular I say not speaking of those who will not keep the Day because the Papists do for by the same reason they may refuse to keep Sunday or because it is injoin'd to the Prejudice they say of their Christian Liberty for so they may refuse to yield to an Argument because it convinces them § III. NOW these two Great Duties when they are once fix'd upon their proper Day which they will fully imploy will also require that we should come in some measure Fit for so weighty an Office and should be Prepar'd in a more than Ordinary manner for the Extraordinary Performance For according to the Supposition I now us'd were we to celebrate the Anniversary of our Lord's Passion only and with no respect to our Sins since our Baptism yet we should come upon the solemn Day too Rashly and Unworthily if we did not appoint some others to go before it and usher it in and should seem to have too low thoughts of the sacred Mystery if we did not take care to rise up to the high Consideration by the steps and ascents of some previous Meditations To the keeping of the Great Memorial rightly such Preparatory Remembrances would be wanting that we may bring to it a fuller and livelier Perception of the Mercies of God in Christ may the better comprehend with all Saints the Dimensions of that surpassing inestimable Love may more profoundly Adore more gratefully Thank and more zealously Devote our selves and our Service having before-hand endeavour'd to Confirm and Actuate our Faith to Raise and Quicken our Hope and to Oblige and Inflame our Charity But such a Preparatory Season is still more needful for the other the Penitential part that we should afore begin to Recollect our past Transgressions to Reflect upon their Guilt and to dispose our Minds to an Abhorrence of them that we should beseech God humbly for his Grace to promote this Holy Work should review our Baptismal Covenant bewail its Breaches and Repair them by Confession to God and Restitution to Men Renewing our Vows and Mortifying our Lusts and recovering and improving our virtuous Habits against that Friday when we are solemnly to appear in the Divine Presence Contrite and truly sorrowful for our Sins stedfastly resolv'd to Forsake them and as much as in us lies Qualified for their Pardon Thus would a Preparation have been Necessary to either of those Two Offices Apart but much more justly will they expect it when join'd together when we are to be Provided both fitly to Contemplate the Mystery and effectually to be Benefited by its Expiation For these Holy and Important purposes Lent is instituted a solemn and large space of time to be Religiously imploy'd by each private Christian at his Discretion as the condition of his Soul shall require and the circumstances of his Worldly Affairs permit Accordingly the First Day of it gives Warning of the then distant Propitiation Day and calls us early to our Duty actually entring us on the Godly Work by Reflection on our Sins and Acknowledgment of Divine Justice by Fasting and Prayer and engaging us to go on and to make use of the following Intermediate Season for the perfecting our Repentance and for our Increase in the Knowledge of the Cross of Christ that Wisdom and Power of God A notice very necessary to those who want a solemn Monitor and which by the Grace of God may some time or other serve to Awaken and Reclaim them but always Acceptable and Welcome to the Good Christian who the more sensible he is of his own Offences and of the Mercy of God in Christ the more ready he will be to comply with the Advice and the more glad of the occasion Some days therefore of those many that follow are presum'd to be set apart for such Preparatory Thoughts and Actions Wednesdays we may suppose and Fridays those Weekly Passion Days when also Opportunities of Publick Devotion are every where presented and in our Great City Exhortations likewise and Instructions are administer'd by the Wife and Pious Order of the present Diocesan But the last Week is more particularly Dedicated to this Office and then the Church expects its devout Members daily to appear before God together to meditate on the Passion of their Lord and with Penitent Hearts and earnest Resolutions of Dying likewise unto Sin to Attend thenceforth upon him to his Cross and wait till his Resurrection and also Directs us to pass the time not in such Rigorous Austerities as unprofitably afflict the Body but in such an Abstinence from divertive Pleasures and even from common Liberties of Food and Pursuits of Business as may speak our Thoughts and Affections to be otherwise imploy'd and freeing them from Avocation and Distraction may Cherish and Improve them By this Orderly and Natural Method we are design'd to be brought at last to the Memorial of our Expiation with such a sence of our Sins and of the Mercy of our Suffering Saviour as may procure from God the Pardon of what is Past and his Grace and Assistance for the Future that the following Years may have reason to bless those Forty Days and still successively advancing may every Lent find Fewer and Lighter Sins to Confess and be still more ready to Lament them This is the Innocent and Godly Intention of that Time which those of us who Understand will certainly Commend and those who Commend should take care to Pursue FINIS Books Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's-Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1. INstitutiones Grammaticae Anglo-Saxonica Meso-Gothicae Aâ—ctore Georgio Hicksio Ecclesiae Anglicanae Presbytero 4 to 2. Christ Wasit Senarius five de Legibus Litentia veterum Poetarum 4 to 3. Misna Pars Ordims primi Jeraim titul Septem Latine vertit Commentario illustravit Gulielmus Guistâ—â—s Accedit Mosis Maimonidis Praesatio Edvardo Pocockio Interprete 4 to 4. Joannis Antiocheni Cognomento Mallalae Hist Chronica è M.S. Bibliothecae Bodleianae Praemittitur Dissertatio de Authore Per Humph. Hodium D. D. 8 vo 5. Bishop Overal's Convocation-Book 1606. concerning the Government of God's Catholick Church and the Kingdoms of the whole World 4 to 6. True Conduct of Persons of Quality Translated out of French 8 vo 7. A Treatise relating to the Worship of God divided into Six Sections Concerning First The Nature of Divine Worship Secondly The peculiar Object of Worship Thirdly The true Worshippers of God Fourthly Assistance requisite to Worship Fifthly The Place of Worship Sixthly The solemn Time of Worship By John Templer D. D. 8 vo 8. A Defence of revealed Religion in six Sermons upon Romans 1.16 wherein it is clearly and plainly
several Kinds of Fasts Sect. II. Several Occasions of Fasting particularly Penitence and Baptism p. 20 Chap. III. Concerning the Fast before the Festival of the Resurrection Sect. I. The General Presumption for its Apostolical Antiquity Sect. II. A Particular Proof of it from Irenaeus Sect. III. The different Length of that Fast down to Irenaeus his time with some probably of 40 days p. 31 Chap. IV. The Practice of Fasting mentioned about the Year 200 by Clemens Alexandrinus and Tertullian Sect. I. The Weekly Fasts of Wednesday and Friday mentioned by Clemens Alexandrinus Sect. II. Testimonies out of Tertullian concerning both the Weekly and Ante-Paschal Fasts Sect. III. Observations upon those Testimonies Some part of the Ante-Paschal Fast thought Necessary by the Catholicks of his time the rest Discretionary p. 46 Chap. V. Sect. I. A Testimony from Origen for the Devotion of Fridays and of the Paschal Season and thence to Whitsuntide Another from him but of Ruffinus his Transtation concerning the Fast of the Quadragesima or the Forty Season Sect. II. A distinct Account of the Passion-Week from Dionysius of Alexandria about the middle of the Third Century Sect. III. What were the first Paschal Solemnities mentioned by St. Cyprian and concerning the Passion-Week p. 70 Chap. VI. Sect. I. A mention of a Forty Days Fast by Peter of Alexandria before the Council of Nice Sect. II. Very probably they were the Days before Easter p. 88 Chap. VII Sect. I. Good-Friday and Days of solemn Fasting mentioned by Constantine Sect. II. The Forty Season expresly mentioned by the Council of Nice Sect. III. And that Forty Days are to be understood proved from St. Chrysostome p. 98 Chap. VIII Sect. I. This Forty Season particularly observed by the Candidates for Baptism Sect. II. And by Penitents p. 112 Chap. IX Sect. I. A Lent always and every where observed though not of Forty Days Sect. II. Mr. Daille 's Objections against it from Cassian Sect. III. From St. Jerome Sect. IV. From St. Chrysostome p. 122 Chap. X. Sect. I. Sozomen 's Account of the keeping of Lent in his Time about Ann. Chr. 440. Sect. II. What Additions have been made since Sect. III. Socrates his Account of the Practice of the same Age I suppose by the Novatians Sect. IV. His Wonder That Lents of differing Lengths should all of them be called the Forty Season Sect. V. The Conclusion p. 133 PART II. The Essay concerning its Original Preface p. 149 REPART I. That most of the Ancient Christian Ordinances were derived from the Jews Chap. I. or II. for so it is to be reckon'd hereafter by the error of the Press Sect. I. Not dishonourable for Christian Ordinances to be borrowed from the Jews and they generally were First such considered as are mentioned in Scripture as Sect. II. Baptism It was a Rite by which as well as by others Proselytes were admitted into Judaism Sect. III. Christian Baptism as expressed in the New Testament an Imitation of it p. 153 Chap. III. Sect. I. The Nature of the Paschal Sacrifice and the Description the Jewish Traditions give of that Supper Sect. II. Agreeable to the History in the Gospels of our Lord's Supper and to the Nature of it p. 167 Chap. IV. Sect. I. The Church of Christ succeeds to the Church of the Jews Sect. II. The Officers of the One rais'd from the Officers of the Other The Apostles of each Sect. III. And the Bishops Sect. IV. The Presbyters or Elders of the Jews Sect. V. The Christian Presbyters and their Power Sect. VI. The Ministerial Officers of the Jews Sect. VII Answered by our Deacons p. 175 Chap. V. Sect. I. The Excommunicates of the Jews and their Condition Sect. II. The Condition of Mourners among the Jews compared with that of the Excommunicate Sect. III. Their Excommunicates restrained from the Liberty not only of Civil Conversation but of Religious Communion Sect. IV. Excommunication mentioned in the New Testament as practis'd by the Jews and by Christians p. 209 Chap. VI. Sect. I. Circumstances relating to Baptism under Five Heads practis'd in the Church of Christ in the Second Century Sect. II. These all agreeable to Jewish Custom and First in General as to the Persons baptiz'd and Baptizing and the Solemn Time of Baptism Sect. III. In Particular Secondly as to the Distinction and Instruction of its Candidates Sect. IV. Thirdly As to the Action of Baptism Sect. V. Fourthly Its Confirmation Sect. VI. And Lastly the Sequel and Close of the whole Ceremony p. 236 Chap. VII Sect. I. Several Particulars practis'd in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper by the Primitive Christians which vary'd from those of the Paschal Supper Sect. II. These speak Our Lord's Supper to have succeeded the Paschal in its general nature as a Memorial of Thanks Sect. III. The Description of a Jewish Offering of Praise and Thanks with the Feasting upon it Sect. IV. The Christian Eucharist answer'd to it and in what manner Sect. V. A Tradition of the Jews That in the days of the Messiah only the Eucharistical Sacrifice should remain p. 266 Chap. VIII Sect. I. The Distinction of Clergy and Laiety specified by Tertullian That of Bishops Priests and Deacons by Him Irenaeus also being his Leader for the Apostolical Authority of Bishops Sect. II. And by Ignatius as the other at least of the Laiety and Clergy by St. Clemens of Rome Sect. III. The First Distinction deriv'd from the Language of the Old Testament The Offices of the Second from those of the Jewish Sanhedrim and likewise of the Temple the Upper parts of our Churches being also suppos'd to answer the Temple Courts of the Priests and the Altar p. 291 Chap. IX Sect. I. The Sentence and Effects of Excommunication with Christians as with Jews and the Relaxation of it alike Sect. II. Their Agreement in the estimate of the Guilt of Sins and the appointments of Penance p. 318 Chap. X. Sect. I. A Parallel of Christian Rites mention'd by Tertullian and Sect. II. Of those Vsages mention'd by Origen particularly about Prayer 1. Disposition of Mind 2. Posture of Body 3. Direction of the Face Sect. III. 4. Times of Daily Prayer Sect. IV. 5. Matter and Method Sect. V. The Antient Order of Christian Prayer Sect. VI. And the Order of the Jewish Sect. VII Compar'd Sect. VIII A Parallel of some few other Usages p. 332 Chap. XI Sect. I. The Second Prejudice against a Jewish Origination of Lent from want of Authority in the Talmudical Writings Sect. II. Answer'd by shewing 1. That those Traditional Accounts were not without some Antient Foundation of their own Sect. III. Secondly That they are Confirm'd in many points by Collateral Evidence Sect. IV. And Thirdly That they were not borrow'd by the Jews from Foreign Authors Sect. V. The Third Prejudice against such an Origination from the Novelty of it Answer'd p. 364 REPART II. A Conjecture concerning the Original of Lent Chap. I. Our Easter kept for some time with the Jewish
another after in that Posture (p) Maim ut supra Cap. 4. §. 16. 6. So the custom he taxes q of publishing their Fasting by their declining the fraternal Kiss seems to speak them to have thought the time of Fasting to be a time of Mourning and in which they were not to salute nor be saluted 7. But where he finds fault with those that pray'd too loud and advises to use a low Voice r he agrees with the Masters of the Jews who order the Prayers to be said by each but with a Voice audible only to his own Ears (ſ) Maim Ibid. Cap. 5. §. 9. 8. And when speaking of the Christian manner of Lifting up their Hands at Prayer he reproaches the Jews with the contrary Posture as not daring to lift them up imbrewed as they were with the blood of our Lord t he truly reports the present Jewish Custom us'd I suppose since the Desolation of their Holy City of holding their Hands down as well as their Eyes and crossing them over their Breast (u) Maim Cap. codem §. 3. but it still remains undeny'd that their Gesture was different before and the same which the first Christians continued 9. Lastly What Tertullian in another place informs concerning the Devotion of Wednesdays and Fridays we have already seen (x) Part. I. Ch. 4. §. 3. that it succeeded that of Mundays and Thursdays 10. But what he intimates of Praying towards the East y we are now going to consider as it is with other Rites more expresly deliver'd in Origen § II. This most Learned Christian Writer Origen as he was very knowing in the Affairs of the Jews to which others were great Strangers so he seems to have some Respect to their Practice though he would not vouch it for Authority when he discourses in his Treatise of Prayer concerning that Christian Office There he proposes (a) Orig. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oxon. pag. 127. to speak of the Requisites to it the due Disposition of Mind and Posture of Body the Place the Direction of the Face and the Time to which he afterwards adds the Method and Parts of it such things as are us'd all of them to be consider'd on the same subject by the Masters of the Jews And first for their solemn Prayer they strictly require a right Preparation and Disposition of Mind that their Heart be free from the Thoughts and Cares of the World and wholly Directed towards God to which end they are order'd to sit some time before as has been now remark'd And Buxtorf adds (b) Syn. Jud. Cap. 10. that they are to enter into the Synagogue with Fear and Reverence which they express in some words of the Psalms and when they rise from their Seats they Bowing towards the Ark reinforce their Attention with a preparatory Prayer and then begin Secondly As to the ordinary Figure and Posture of the Body the Jews now also prescribe standing (c) Maim de Prec 5.2 and heretofore us'd what Origen commends the Erection of their Hands and Eyes as we have now observ'd upon Tertullian Thirdly As Origen advises d that even in a Private House the Room chose for that Duty should be none of those that serve for the less Honourable uses of the Family such a Caution do the Jews likewise observe (e) Maim Ibid. ◠9 Fourthly When He directs (e 2) Orig. ut supra p. 133. the Face of the Person that Prays towards the East even though there should be no Window in the Room on that side according to the antient Custom mention'd before him by his Master Clemens Alexandrinus (f) Clem. Strom. 7. Edit Paris p. 724. and by Tertullian and which had obtain'd I presume from the Beginning of Christianity being in their judgment countenanc'd by those Expressions of Scripture that our Saviour was the East for so they understood what we render the Branch g that He was the Day-spring from on high that visited us (h) Luke 1.78 and that hereafter he shall come as the Lightning from the East (i) Matth. 24.27 in this also the Christians will be found to correspond with their Predecessors the Jews For that they turn'd themselves to some one certain Point was according to the Custom of the Jews who are suppos'd (k) Maim de Prec 1.12 ever since the Erection of the Sanctuary by Moses to have turn'd themselves towards it at their Prayers and ever since the Building of the Temple at Jerusalem have been oblig'd both to look towards that place and if they are within Walls to open a Window on that side (l) Maim Ibid. Cap. 5. §. 3 6. The Line too in which the Christians placed themselves that between the East and the West though it continued not to be the standing line of Direction to the Jews in their Devotion yet however it has been always esteem'd Sacred with them and in that Position some things therefore are not to be done by them (m) Maim de Cult Div. Tract 1. Cap. 7. §. 9. Buxt S. Jud. Cap. 8. a Respect they give as they say by reason of the like situation of the Temple if it was not rather for a much more antient reason Now in that Line it is not to be wonder'd if we consider not the worship of the Sun that the place of his Rising was always held the chiefest Point and should in the Primitive Languages be styl'd the Part of the World before us as most regarded and that the Northern should thence be call'd the Left and the Southward the Right n But besides this Natural consideration there seems also to have been some antient Religious Respect had to that Point and that afterward the Face of the Temple was therefore turned that way For the Jews themselves suppose by Tradition that Adam was formed by his Creator in that situation and that his Eyes were first open'd towards the East o And as to the Temple although the Worshippers who stood before it look'd towards the West as those who yet were to see the Dayspring from on High by Reflection only from that Building yet the Temple it self fac'd the East as directly looking for Him who was to come thence and that way therefore might the Christians turn as being themselves Temples of God (p) 1 Cor. 3.16 17. and professing immediately to expect his Second Coming § III. Fifthly The Times of Daily Prayer our Author had determin'd in the former part of his Treatise (a) Page 36. to be the Morning and Evening and between them Midday and Midnight In the Morning also the so call'd Apostolical Constitutions direct to assemble in the Church before they go about any Business and likewise to return in the Evening (b) Lib. 2. Cap. 36 59 62. Now the Jews also have their Daily Prayers in the Place of their Daily Sacrifices (c) Maim de Pr. 1 5 6 7. Their Morning Prayers take place from the time when the