Sermon Things remained on them, Could they perI. mit their Followers to feaft, and rejoice, and

revel at fuch a Time as this, when both they and the Saviour of the World, lay under fuch extraordinary Sorrow and Sufferings? This were abfurd indeed; full as prepofterous, as putting an old Piece of Cloth on a new Garment, or new Wine into old Bottles, which, inftead of any wife End, would mar and bring all to nothing..

Neither is this bare Reafoning or Conjecture, but the current Doctrine of Antiquity: Seldom is this Faft mentioned in the earliest Writers, but this is affigned the End, and the Reafon of it. It is true, indeed, in latter Ages, when the Fast began to be extended to Forty Days, there are Expreffions which imply it inftituted in Memory of our Saviour's Fafting in the Wil dernefs; but even, according to thefe Authors, the Church's Pitching upon this particular Time for it, was owing to the Cru cifixion of our Saviour.

Upon this Foot and Authority is grounded the Practice of our own Church: She leaveth not uncommemorated the Fafting of our Saviour, but more particularly folem nizes his Paffion and Crucifixion: In which, Who can but admire her Wisdom and Moderation? but of this more hereafter.

I.

I come to the Fourth and Laft Thing, to Sermon fhew how it was celebrated and obferved in the ancient Church. I have hinted already, that in different Countries and Churches, both as to the Time and Manner, it was performed with fome Variety: They fafted not all at the fame Time, exactly, nor in the fame Manner, but fome were shorter, and others longer; to reconcile which, the Endeavours of learned Men have been employed, how fuccefsfully I cannot fay, but the Beft of it is, it is no great Matter whether they have been able to folve this Difficulty, or not: For what great Hurt is here? What great Difparagement, that, in Countries fo different and remote, a Faft, aiming at the fame End, inftituted to the same Purpofe, fhould be observed with fome little Variation in Point of Time? How eafily might Miftakes creep in, as to fuch Circumftances, and especially when we confider the Inaccuracy of former Ages, as to the Bufinefs of Calculation? Thefe Things are meer Trifles.

But, if ye will accept of Authority lower than that of the Nicene Council, ye have all ye can with ; ye have the utmoft Uniformity after this; the Faft obferved at the fame Time, continued to the fame Length; ye have your Quadragefima, full Forty Days,

as

I.

Sermon as it ftandeth now in our Church: Ye hear of no Oppofition but from Jews and Montanifts, about this Matter: Ye have many holy, and excellent, and godly Purpofes intended and promoted by it: Ye fee the whole Church of God in Mourning at this Time, confeffing their Sins, deprecating divine Judgments, remembring, with utmost Sorrow, the Ablation of the Bridegroom, the Crucifixion of their Lord, and Participating with him in his Difgrace, in his Sufferings, and Death; and with great Reason and Propriety For fhould the Spouse of CHRIST rejoice, or remain unconcerned, when the was left defolate; when the Bridegroom was apprehended, was tried, was condemned, was fpit on, was buffeted, nailed to the Crofs, was crucified, laid dead in the Grave? No; a more ardent Love and Faithfulness poffeffed the Church Then; and that it is otherwife Now, is owing to abfurd and Phanatical Notions, to a Lukewarmness, or rather downright Coldness that the Spouse hath contracted.

The Defcription of the Devotion of thofe Days is great, and extraordinary; the Attendance of the Bishops, their Exhortations to the People, the Preparation and Inftrution of the Converted for Baptifm, the Confeffions and Humiliations of the Penitents, and Candidates for Abfolution; in a

Word,

I.

Word, the Sorrow, and the Repentance of Sermon all the Faithful, the Examination of their Lives, and the Mortification of their Corruptions, in order to purge and cleanse their Souls of all unfit Difpofitions to receive the Holy Ghoft, which they expected afterwards; these seem, in general, to have been the Employment of Chriftians, in early Days; and, doubtless, muft give the Chriftian Church a moft folemn Appearance, ftrike others with a great Awe and Veneration, and draw down upon it the divine Affiftance and Bleffing.

I fhall now make fome Reflections upon the Whole, and conclude. And,

I. This Difcourfe affords us a fair Occa fion to reflect on the fingular Wisdom, Learning, and Vertue of our first Reformers. Reformation is a Thing that moft Men are fond, but few capable of: For it is no eafy Work, especially to reform a Church of fo many hundred Years ftanding as the Chriftian Church is. What Compass of Learning, what exact Knowledge in Antiquity, what Profoundness of Judgment, what an impartial, unbyafs'd Mind doth this require? Any of thefe Things wanting (and how feldom are they all found in the fame Men?) muft produce moft miferable Work in a Church.

The

Sermon

I.

The Prejudices and Weakneffes of Men, in this World, are Matter of great Concernment and Lamentation. Ask any Man, bred up in never fo abfurd Principles and Worfhip, as to the Goodnefs and Excellency of his Church and Religion, he will ftraight commend and extol it highly, will appear under no Pain as to that Matter, but will ftile it the very beft in the World. Such a fatal Influence hath Education upon the, Minds of Men, and fo little of true Examination is there going, and fo feldom are Men determined by it. But, in the midst of this ftrong implicit Faith of Men about the Goodnefs and Excellency of their Church, fuppofe a Member of any Christian Society, endowed with fufficient Capacity, Learning, Leifure, Vertue, and all other Things requifite to form an upright Judgment, looking back into the primitive Records of Chriftianity, perufing diligently and faithfully the beft and the earliest Books on this Subject and if the Refult fhould be, that he Thould find nothing in thofe ancient Monuments correfponding to the Model of his own Church, no Authorities for it, but all againft it; and the farther, and more narrowly the Man examined, ftill the Worfe and the Darker it groweth upon him, the more Unlikeness is ftill found; notwithstanding fuch a Man being bred up in all

the