himself, nor suffered others to hear it: and such must expect not only to give account of their own, but other men's destruction at the day of judgment. Origen,' and some others tell these men, their own practice, in another case would rise up in judgment against them: for they themselves shewed a great reverence to the body of Christ in the eucharist; and yet it was no less a piacular crime, to shew contempt to the word of God, than to his body; and they would be held guilty for a disrespect in the one case, as well as the other. Thus they shewed men, what reverence was due to the preaching of the word of God, by setting before them the sin and danger of those abuses, some were apt to run into, by an error in defect and want of a just reverence to it.

SECT. 31.-And, secondly, the intemperate Zealots, who placed all

Religion in a Sermon.

On the other hand, they were no less careful to guard men against superstition in the other extreme. For there was an error in excess, as well as in defect of reverence for preaching. Some were so over-run with an indiscreet bigotry and intemperate zeal for preaching, as to reckon all other parts of divine service useless and insignificant, if they were not accompanied with a sermon. These men had their arguments to plead in their own behalf, which are thus proposed and answered by St. Chrysostom:2 Why should I go to Church said they, if I cannot hear a preacher? This one thing," says St. Chrysostom, "has ruined and destroyed all religion. For what necessity is there of a preacher? That necessity arises only from our sloth and negligence. For why otherwise should there be any need of an Homily? All things are clear and open in the holy Scriptures; all things necessary are plainly revealed. But because ye are hearers that study only to delight your ears and fancy, therefore ye desire these things. Tell me, I

'Orig. Hom xiii. in Exod. tom. i. p. 102. Quomodo putatis minoris esse piaculi, verbum Dei neglexisse, quàm corpus ejus? Vid. Aug. Hom. xxvI. ex 50. * Chrys, Hom iii. in 2 Thes. p. 1502.

pray, with what pomp of words did St. Paul preach? And yet he converted the world. What pomp did the illiterate Peter use? But, say they, we cannot understand the things that are written in Scripture. Why so? Are they spoken in Hebrew, or Latin, or any other strange tongue? Are they not spoken in Greek, to you that understand the Greek tongue? Yea, but then they are spoken darkly. How darkly? What difficulties do the histories contain? You understand the plain places, that you may take pains and inquire about the rest. There are a thousand histories in the Bible: tell me one of them. But you cannot tell one of these. Therefore all this is mere pretence and words. Oh! but, say they, we have the same things read to us every day out of Scripture. And do you not hear the same things every day in the theatre? Have you not the same sight at the horse race? Are not all things the same? Does not the same sun rise every morning? Do you not eat the same meat every day? I would ask you, seeing you say you hear the same things every day, what portion of the Prophets, what Apostle, what Epistle was read? But you cannot tell they are perfectly new and strange to you. When therefore you are disposed to be idle, you pretend the same things are read: but when asked concerning them, you are as men that never heard them. are the same, you should have known them: but you know nothing of them. This is a thing to be lamented, that the workman labours in vain. For this reason you ought to attend, because they are the same, because we bring nothing strange or new to your ears. What then, because ye say the Scriptures are always the same, but what we preach are not so, but always contain something new, do ye attend to them? In no wise. And if we ask you, why do you not remember them? Ye answer, how should we, seeing we hear them but once? If we say, why do you not remember the Scriptures? Ye answer, they are always the same. These are nothing but pretences for idleness, and mere indications of a sceptical temper." Thus that holy Father rebukes that intemperate zeal, which set up preaching in opposition to reading of the Scriptures, under various pretences of their being obscure, or tedious repetitions of

you are

If they

the same things, when in truth a fanatical affectation of novelty, and a fantastical scepticism, and a vicious desire of being freed from all the burden of attending upon religious assemblies, was really at the bottom of all their objections. SECT. 32.-How Men were treated, who thought their Sermons too long.

There is but one thing more to be observed upon this head which is, that as there were some who complained, that their sermons were not frequent enough, or too short; so there were others that complained, they were too long, and were disposed to leave the assembly before sermon was ended. Some canons are pretty severe upon such auditors. The fourth Council of Carthage, orders them to be proceeded against with excommunication. But others used a more gentle way, contenting themselves to admonish their auditors of their duty, and sometimes using ingenious stratagems, and feigned apologies to detain them; and sometimes ordering the doors of the church to be kept shut, till all was ended. Which is particularly remarked of Cæsarius Arelatensis by the author of his Life. St. Chrysostom considers the matter with some distinction. He makes some allowance for the weakness of such as were unable to hold out the whole time at a long sermon: and for as much as many were more desirous of long sermons than short ones, he thinks the matter was so to be ordered, as to accommodate both. Seeing there are some," says he," "in so great a multitude, who cannot bear a long discourse, my advice to such is, that when they have heard as much as they can contain,and as much as suffices them, they should depart, (for no one hinders them, or compels them to stay longer than their strength is able to bear,) that they may not impose a necessity on us of making an end before the proper time. For thou art satisfied, but thy brother is yet an hungry: thou hast drunk thy

Con. Carth. iv. can. xxiv. Sacerdote verbum faciente in ecclesiâ, qui egressus de auditorio fuerit, excommunicetur.

2 Cyprian. Vit. Cæsar. cap. xii. Sæpissimè ostia, lectis evangeliis, occludi jussit; donec propitio Deo ipsi gratularentur, eâ coercitione se profecisse, qui solebant esse fugitivi. Vid. Cæsar. Hom. xii.

3 Chrys. Ix. Dæmones non gubernare mundum. tom. v. p. 784.

fill of what is spoken, but thy brother is yet athirst. Therefore neither let him burden thy weakness, by compelling thee to receive more than thy strength will bear; neither be thou injurious to his desire of hearing, by hindering him from taking as much as he is able to receive. For so it is at a common table, some are filled sooner, some later, and neither do these accuse those, nor they condemn the other. But there is a commendation to depart quickly; but here to depart quickly is not commendable, but only pardonable, To stay long at a carnal feast, is a matter worthy of reproof because it proceeds from an intemperate appetite: but to stay long at a spiritual feast, deserves the highest praise and commendation, because it proceeds from a spiritual desire and holy appetite, and argues patience and constancy in giving attention." Thus that holy Father decides the controversy about long and short sermons, and prudently divides the matter between strong and weak hearers; commending the one, without condemning the other; and making some apology for the length of his sermons, without offence to either party. I shall make the same apology to my readers for the length of this chapter: If there be any, whose curiosity leads them to know all that relates to the preaching of the Ancients, they may read the whole, and perhaps will not think it too long; but they, whose appetite is not so sharp, may shorten it as they please, and accommodate it to their own use, by selecting such parts as are most agreeable to their own taste, and proper for their own instruction. And so I end the discourse about preaching in the ancient Church.

CHAP. V.

Of the Prayers for the Catechumens, Energumens, Competentes or Candidates of Baptism, and the Penitents.

SECT. 1.-That Prayers in the ancient Church were not before, but after the Sermon.

As soon as the sermon was ended, the public prayers of the Church began, and not before. For anciently the order of divine service was a little different in its method from what it is usually now in the Church. For anciently the greatest part of the public prayers came after sermon. This is expressly said by Justin Martyr in his Apology, where he is giving an account of the Christian worship on the Lord's day. He says, "They first read the Scriptures, then the president or bishop made a discourse or exhortation, after which they rose up all together and made their common prayers: and then when these were ended, the bishop prayed again, and gave thanks for the consecration of the bread and wine in the eucharist, the people answering, Amen!" And so St. Chrysostom affirms also, saying in one place," the exhortation comes first, and then immediately prayer." And in another place, "you need both advice and prayer: therefore we advise you first, meaning in the sermon, and then we make prayers for you. They that are initiated know what I say." So that when Chrysostom, or any others say, prayer went before sermon, they are to be understood either of that short salutation, which the minister used at the entrance upon every office,

1 Justin. Apol. ii. p. 98. Ὁ προετὼς τὴν νεθεσίαν ποιεῖται· ἔπειτα ἀνιτάμεθα κοινῇ πάντες, και εὐχὰς πέμπομεν. &c.

* Chrys. Hom. xxviii. quæ est iii. de Incomprehensibili. tom. i. 365. p. Μετὰ τὴν Παραίνεσιν εὐθέως εὐχή. 8 Id. Hom. xi. in 1 Thes.

p. 1480. Πρότερον συμβελέυοντες, τότε τὰς ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν εὐχας ποιέμεθα, κ, τότο ἔσασιν οἱ μεμνημενοι.