of: For, in no Age of the Church fhall we Sermon find its Beginning, or Original: It spring- I eth up from no Council, either general or particular; but look where ye will, in what Age foever, ye find it established among Chriftians. Quotations are dry, unaffecting Things; and I fhall be as little vain, or troublesome with them as poffible; but yet, they cannot be totally omitted, as the dif cerning Hearer will perceive, on such a Subject.

The Age of Irenaus is well known: He converfed with fome who had converfed with the Apoftles of our Saviour; and we have from him, in that famous and early Controverfy about Eafter, the fulleft Teftimony of the Authority of this Faft, that can be. It appeareth then, although the Bishops of the Catholick Church differed as to the Time, and Manner of celebrating it; yet, that they alledged apoftolical Tradition, apoftolical Authority, both for the Faft it felf, and their different Customs; and this made them fo difficult and ftiff in receding from them. And of what great and holy Men was the Council, which difcufs'd this, compofed? Narciffus, Victor, Irenaus, Polycrates, &c. all Men of celebrated Characters and Names, even among the Moderns themselves, and living near the Time of the Apoftles; and they tell us exprefsly, B 3

this

I.

Sermon this Faft was in being in their Time, was derived to them from their Predeceffors. In the Book of the Conftitutions, own'd by all very ancient, but by fome Apoftolical, the Apoftles are introduced, as charging this Faft upon all Chriftians. It is ufually, and with a great deal of Reafon, faid, That the Teftimony of an Enemy is good. Tertullian was of this Sort; who, after he was turned Montanift or Heretick, and followed new Lights and Revelations, notwithstanding his bitter Enmity against the Catholicks, and in a Difcourfe wrote with the utmoft Virulence against them, yet fubfcribes to the Authority and Antiquity of this Faft, and cannot blame his Enemies for obferving it. Thus it stood before the Nicene Council: It was not only in Being, but acknowledged as Divine and Apoftolical.

The utmoft Evidence of this Matter appeareth in the Council it felf: An Affembly, doubtlefs, of the greatest, most learned, most holy, of the best Men, next to the Apoftles, that ever lived. As to the Time of celebrating Eafter, and confequently of this Faft, different Countries had, for many Years, divided, and indulged one another in different Practices; and no great Scandal, enfued from it, but rather great Advantage and Reputation to the Church it self, as it implied the utmoft Forbearance and Cha

rity. But, in the Time of Conftantine the Sermon Great, very unchriftian Heats and Difturbances arose about it, exceedingly fit to be fuppreffed. This admirably good, therefore, and glorious Emperor and Chriftian, next to the Suppreffion of the Arian Herefy, laboured to reduce the Chriftian World to an Uniformity of Practice in this Particular; and it became a peculiar Concern and Decree of this famous Council: And what is fit to be remarked from thence is this, That among fo many Bishops, of fo remote and different Countries, the Faft it self is received and acknowledged by them all; held abfolutely neceffary to be kept fome Time or other; and the Bufinefs of the Council was only to determin When. To mention other Authorities after this, is needlefs. This brings me to

4

The Second Thing, the Univerfality of this Faft. It was not obfery'd by One, or a few Churches, or Countries only, but by All: Now, how a particular Cuftom fhould creep, or be forced into a fingle Church, or Country, without any divine Warrant or Authority, may be accountable enough; but to fuppofe the whole Chriftian World coming in, and zealously contending for a Practice, without fome general and univerfal Caufe, is ftrange. Thus we argue in B 4

other

I.

Sermon other Cafes: For Example, The Generality of Men believe a God; there muft, therefore, be fome general, and univerfal Caufe, or Principle, common to all Men, that fuggefts and encourages this Belief in them: So in the earliest Ages, all Chriftian Churches, without Exception, receive this Faft, exprefs a great deal of Zeal about it; and, Can this be only a Whim, or Fancy? We may call it what we pleafe, but we must not call it Particular, where the Effect is fo General, fo Univerfal; where it found it felf in fo many diftant Countries and Churches, it must have one and the fame Original and Authority: And, Where fhall we find a better or more likely than the Inftitution of the Apoftles?

And thus it was in the moft early Ages of Chriftianity. It undeniably appeareth, the Faft was then among all Chriftians in Being: Eastern and Western Bishops, with great Zeal, profefs and maintain it: And in the Council of Nice, the Decree fuppofeth, or rather afferteth evidently, That it was observed by the whole Chriftian World, although with fome Variation of Time. To what muft fuch an univerfal Practice be imputed, but to fome Caufe, or fome Perfons, that had Influence at firft on the whole Chriftian World?

Thirdly,

Thirdly, I am to fhew you with what View, Sermon and to what Ends it was at the First enjoined: I. And this is very probably suggested in the Words of the Text, But the Days will come when the Bridegroom fhall be taken away from them, and then fhall they faft, in thofe Days. This was, doubtless, obeyed by the Apostles, and a very particular Regard and Veneration was paid to this Time: For seeing it is clear from hence, that Fafting, in geneneral, was agreeable to the Christian Inftitution, and it lay in the Breafts and Judgments of the Apostles to appoint fit Times and Seafons of it, What could present it felf more proper to be chofen by them for fuch a Purpose, for Mourning and Humiliation, than their Master's Arreft, Trial, and Crucifixion? Muft they not reflect on this laft, and difmal Scene of their Mafter? The exceeding Sorrow that then oppressed him? Muft they not remember his Agony, his Sweating great Drops of Blood, his painful and difhonourable Death on the Cross? and, Muft all This go uncelebrated by the Church? Could they forget their Master's Sufferings at this Time? yea, Could they forget their own? Into what Dejection and Heavinefs, Confufion and Affrightment had the Seizing and Executing of him, thrown them? And if any Impreffions of these