CHAP. I. Of the Soul-Bell, its Antiquity, the Reaſon of its Inſtitution, the Benefit and Ad⯑vantage of it, an Exhortation to the Uſe of it according to its firſt Inſtitution.

THE Ceremony of Tolling the Bell at the Time of Death, ſeems to be as ancient as the having of Bells themſelves; we are told, ^* it was about the ſeventh Century when Bells were firſt in the Church, and that venerable Bede is the firſt [2] that mentions them. If this be true, then it is as true, that the Tolling of the Bell was inſti⯑tuted about that Time; for where our Coun⯑try-man mentions the Word Campana, or Bell, there it alſo is, that we find a Bell made uſe of for the Dead: ^* For at the Death of the Abbeſs St. Hilda, he tells us that one of the Si⯑ſters of a diſtant Monaſtery, as ſhe was ſleeping, thought ſhe heard the well known Sound of that Bell, which called them to Prayers, when any of them had departed this Life. But be that as it will, it is evident, that the Bell was tolled up⯑on this Occaſion about Bede's Time, and conſe⯑quently that the Ceremony is as ancient, as his Days.

THE Reaſon why this Cuſtom was inſtituted, was not, as ſome ſeem to imagine, for no other End than to acquaint the Neighbourhood, that ſuch a Perſon was dead; but chiefly, that who⯑ever heard the Noiſe of the Bell, ſhould put up their Prayers for the Soul: Thus the Fa⯑ther [3] above-mentioned tells us again, ^† That ſhe who preſided in this Monaſtery, had no ſooner heard this, than ſhe raiſed all the Siſters, and called them into the Church, where ſhe exhorted them to pray fervently, and ſing a Re⯑quiem for the Soul of their Mother. Caſſalion alſo upon this Place of Bede, ſays, That ^* the ſame Cuſtom is ſtill obſerved in England, that as ſoon as any hath departed this Life, the Bell be⯑longing to the Pariſh he liv'd in, was immedi⯑ately tolled, and for ſome Time.—And tho' (ſays he) the Engliſh now deny, that Prayers are of any Service to the Dead; yet I could meet with no other Account of this Ceremony, than that it was a Cuſtom of the old Church of England.

[4]AND for this Reaſon it is, that this Cuſtom was firſt obſerved, and ſhould be ſtill retain'd among us, viz. That the Prayers of the Faith⯑ful may be aſſiſting to the Soul; and certainly it might be more profitably retain'd, were it ſo order'd, that the Bell ſhould be tolled before the Perſon's Departure, as was undoubtedly de⯑ſigned when this Ceremony was continued, that good Men might give him their Prayers. Was this always ſo obſerved, there might be ſome Moſes amongſt the Number of the Faithful, whoſe Prayers could prevail upon GOD, to beat back the Amalekites of Darkneſs; ſome whoſe Faith might remove a Mountain of Sins, and ſome whoſe Tears procure a Multitude of Mer⯑cies. O the Comfort of the Forgivenneſs of Sins! Of being guided ſafely through the Sha⯑dow of Death! Of arriving ſecurely at the Hea⯑venly Country! What is it that Prayer can't obtain?

BUT tho' the Wickedneſs and Impenitency of the dying Perſon be ſuch, as that the Pray⯑ers of the Faithful will not be ſufficient to avert the Wrath and Puniſhment of a juſtly incenſed [5] GOD; yet as this can be only known to GOD, it will not diſcharge Men from recommending him to the Divine Mercy, in the moſt paſſionate and affectionate Manner. They thereby ex⯑preſs the moſt laudable Zeal, the moſt diſinte⯑reſted Charity; and whilſt they are ſo ſollici⯑tous for the Happineſs and Welfare of other Mens Souls, they cannot but be thereby influ⯑enced to have the greateſt Concern for their own, and be both encouraged and directed to proceed with an holy Emulation from Strength to Strength, and endeavour as the ^* Apoſtle ad⯑viſes, to go on to Perfection.

BUT, alas! we are fallen into Times of ſuch Irreligion and Prejudice, ſuch Contempt of An⯑tiquity, and ſuch too great Reformation, that what with Indolence on one Hand, and Igno⯑rance on the other; what with no Zeal on this Side, and too ^† falſe a one on that; we either neglect the moſt decent Ceremonies of Religion, [6] or we think it is Religion to have no Ceremo⯑nies at all. No Wonder then, that, in the Midſt of ſuch a crooked and perverſe Generation, when the moſt of Men are negligent of themſelves, they are alſo negligent of others: No Wonder, that when there is ſuch a general Contempt of Religion, and Men are careleſs of their own Souls, they are not careful for the Souls of their Friends.

BUT it is called ^* Popiſh and Superſtitious; [7] for what true Reaſon, I know not. Did we in⯑deed imagine with the Papiſts, that there is any ^† Virtue or extraordinary Power in a Bell, that it is ^* hallowed by Baptiſm, and drives away the Spirits of Darkneſs, then it might juſtly be called Superſtition, and therefore juſt⯑ly aboliſhed. But when we retain the Cuſtom, only to procure the Prayers of the Faithful for a departing Soul, it would ſurely be of Advan⯑tage to obſerve it, if the Prayers of a righteous Man avail any Thing at all; which, if we may believe an inſpir'd Apoſtle, are of very great Efficacy and Validity.

ART thou then attending a Friend in his laſt Moments? Art thou careful for his Soul, and ſollicitous for his Salvation? Doſt thou wiſh him ſafe through the Valley of Death to the ever⯑laſting Hills? Wouldſt thou have the good An⯑gels [8] protect him, and be his Shield againſt the Powers of Darkneſs? In ſhort, wouldſt thou have him crown'd with the Joys of Paradiſe? Be aſſured then, that the Prayers of good Men will very much contribute to the gaining of theſe Things. But how ſhall they then pray for him, if they know not of his Departure? And how can they know that, without the Tol⯑ling of the Bell? Do thou therefore put in Practice this decent and profitable Cuſtom, not as our Age generally does, after the Death of thy Friend, but before it; before he leave the World, when the Prayers of good Men can aſſiſt him, and facilitate his Journey into the other Life.

OR art thou working in the Field, or grind⯑ing at the Mill? Remember then, when thou heareſt the Sound of the Bell for one departing, that thou put up thy Prayers for him. Be thy Buſineſs what it will, it will always permit thee to ſay at leaſt, LORD, now letteſt thou thy Servant depart in Peace: Or to uſe the Words of St. Oſwald, when he and his Sol⯑diers were ready to be ſlain, LORD, have [9] Mercy on the Soul of thy ^† Servant. It will not be long, till thou thy ſelf ſhalt have Occaſion for ſuch Prayers, till thou come to die, and en⯑ter on thy Journey to the other State: If then thou haſt been merciful, thou ſhalt obtain Mercy; if by thy Prayers thou haſt aſſiſted the Souls of thy Brethren, thou ſhalt either be remembred in the Prayers of good Men, or ſurely theſe thy Prayers for others will be of Service to thy ſelf alſo, at that dreadful Hour.

BUT now it may be objected, That as the Bell is ſeldom tolled till after the Perſon's De⯑parture, it is to no Purpoſe to pray for the Soul; nay to pray for it, would be praying for the Dead: And ſince that is repugnant to the Do⯑ctrine [10] of our Church, our Prayers at that Time had much better be omitted.

INDEED it is too true, this Cuſtom is not ſo common as it ſhould be; but however, it is ſo much obſerved, as will be able to vindicate the putting up of conſtant Prayers. I know ſe⯑veral Religious Families in this Place, and I hope it is ſo in other Places too, who always obſerve it, whenever the melancholly Seaſon offers; and therefore it will at leaſt ſometimes happen, when we put up our Prayers conſtantly at the Tolling of the Bell, that we ſhall pray for a Soul departing. And tho' it be granted, that it will oftner happen otherwiſe, as the re⯑gular Cuſtom is ſo little followed; yet that can be no harmful praying for the Dead. We be⯑lieve that the Soul is but departing, and it is charitably done to offer up our Prayers: And therefore when it proves otherwiſe, our ^* Pray⯑er ſhall turn into our own Boſom; and like as that Peace, which the Diſciples wiſhed to an unworthy Houſe, returned to the Diſciples a⯑gain; [11] ſo, tho' our Prayers at that Time may be of no Service to the Soul, yet they will be of no Diſſervice to us. They will return to us a⯑gain, but it will be no Fault to have miſplaced them.

CHAP. II. Of Watching with the Dead.

WATCHING with the Corps was an ancient Cuſtom of the Church, and every where pra⯑ctiſed. They were wont to ſit by it, from the Time of its Death till its Exportation to the Grave, either in the Houſe it died in, or in the Church it ſelf. Agreeable to this, we read in St. Auſtin, That as they watched his Mother Monica, ^* Euodius took the Pſalter, and began to ſing a Pſalm, which the whole Family anſwered with that of the Pſalmiſt David, I will ſing of Mercy and [16] Judgment, unto thee, O LORD, will I ſing. And we are told, ^* That at the Death of St. Ambroſe, his Body was carried into the Church before Day, the ſame Hour he died. It was the Night before Eaſter, and they watched with him there.

HOW unlike to this ancient Cuſtom of Watch⯑ing is the modern one, of locking up the Corps in a Room, and leaving it there alone? How un⯑like to this decent Manner of Watching, is that Watching of the Vulgar, which is a Scene of Sport and Drinking and Lewdneſs? Watching at that Time with a dear Friend, is the laſt Kindneſs and Reſpect we can ſhew him; and how unfriendly is it, to change it into Negli⯑gence and too great Reſignation? How unchri⯑ſtian, inſtead of a becoming Sorrow and decent Gravity, to put on an unbecoming Joy and un⯑decent Paſtime.

CHAP. III. Of following the Corps to the Grave, what it is an Emblem of: Of carry⯑ing Greens in our Hand, what it ſig⯑nifies, what Uſe it may be of: Of Pſalmody, its Antiquity, the Advan⯑tage and Uſe of it.

IT hath been obſerved among all Nations, both in the Heathen and the Chriſtian World, as a becoming and profitable Cere⯑mony, to follow the Corps to the Grave. The Heathens obſerved it, ^* be⯑cauſe it preſented to them, what would ſhortly follow, how they themſelves ſhould be ſo car⯑ried [18] out, and laid down in the Grave. The going of the Corps before, ſhewed that their Friend was gone before them to the State of Death; and their following after, was as much as to ſay, that they muſt alſo in a ſhort Time fol⯑low him thither. For this Reaſon the Chriſtian alſo obſerves the Cuſtom, and may, if he plea⯑ſes, as he follows the Body to the Grave, en⯑tertain himſelf with a pious Meditation upon it, in ſuch like Thoughts as theſe of the Pſalmiſt. ^* Thou art GOD from Everlaſting, and World without End; Thou turneſt Man to Deſtruction; again, Thou ſayeſt, Come again ye Children of Men. For a thouſand Years in thy Sight are but as Yeſterday, ſeeing that is paſt as a Watch in the Night. As ſoon as thou ſcattereſt them, they are even as a Sleep, and fade away ſuddenly like the Graſs. In the Morning it is green and grow⯑eth up, but in the Evening it is cut down, dried up and withered. Do thou therefore, O LORD, ^† let me know my End, and the Number of my Days, that I may be certified how long I have to live. Behold thou haſt made my Days, as it [19] were a Span long, and mine Age is nothing in re⯑ſpect of Thee; and verily every Man living is al⯑together Vanity. And now, LORD, what is my Hope? Truly my Hope is even in Thee. Deliver me from all mine Offences, and O ſpare me a little that I may recover my Strength, before I go hence and be no more ſeen. Such Thoughts as theſe of our Friend's, and of our own Mortality, would excite us to prepare for our own Change.

AND as this Form of Proceſſion is an Em⯑blem of our dying ſhortly after our Friend, ſo the carrying of Ivy, or Laurel, or Roſemary, or ſome of thoſe Ever-Greens, is an Emblem of the Soul's Immortality. It is as much as to ſay, That tho' the Body be dead, yet the Soul is Ever-Green and always in Life: It is not like the Body, and thoſe other Greens which die and revive again at their proper Seaſons, no Autumn nor Winter can make a Change in it, but it is unalterably the ſame, perpetually in Life, and never dying.

THE Romans, and other Heathens upon this Occaſion, made Uſe of Cypreſs, which being [20] once cut, will never flouriſh nor grow any more, as an Emblem of their dying for ever, and be⯑ing no more in Life. But inſtead of that, the ancient Chriſtians uſed the Things before men⯑tioned; they ^* laid them under the Corps in the Grave, to ſignifie, that they who die in CHRIST, do not ceaſe to live. For tho', as to the Body they die to the World; yet, as to their Souls, they live to GOD.

AND as the carrying of theſe Ever-Greens is an Emblem of the Soul's Immortality, ſo it is alſo of the Reſurrection of the Body: For as theſe Herbs are not entirely pluck'd up, but only cut down, and will, at the returning Seaſon, revive and ſpring up again; ſo the Bo⯑dy, like them, is but cut down for a while, and will riſe and ſhoot up again at the Reſurrection. For, as the Prophet Iſaiah ſays, ^† Our Bones ſhall flouriſh like an Herb.

[21]IT was cuſtomary ^* among the ancient Jews, as they returned from the Grave, to pluck up the Graſs two or three Times, and then throw it behind them, ſaying theſe Words of the Pſal⯑miſt, They ſhall flouriſh out of the City like Graſs upon the Earth: Which they did, to ſhew, that the Body, tho' dead, ſhould ſpring up again as the Graſs. Thus by theſe two ancient Cere⯑monies, we have placed before our Eyes, our Mortality and Immortality; the one ſpeaks the Death of the Body, the other the Life of the Soul, nay, and the Life of the Body too; for like that Herb we carry, it is not quite pluck'd up, but ſhall one Day be alive again. When it hath laid in the Earth the Winter Seaſon, the Continuance of this World, and the Warmth and Influence of the Spring is come, the joyful Spring of the Reſurrection, it ſhall be enliven'd, and ſhoot up, and eternally flouriſh. ^* For this Corruptible muſt put on Incorruption, and this Mortal muſt put on Immortality. O Death, where is thy Sting! O Grave, where is thy Victo⯑ry! Thanks be to GOD, who giveth us the Victo⯑ry through our LORD JESUS CHRIST. ^†

[22]THERE is another Cuſtom uſed in ſome Places, at the Proceſſion of Funerals, which pays a due Honour to the Dead, and gives Com⯑fort and Conſolation to the Living; and that is, the carrying out the Dead with Pſalmody. This was an ancient Cuſtom of the Church. For in ſome of the earlieſt Ages, they carried out their Dead to the Grave with ſinging of Pſalms and Hymns. Thus Socrates tells us, That when the Body of Babylas the Martyr was removed by the Order of Julian the Apoſtate, the Chri⯑ſtians ^* with their Women and Children, rejoy⯑ced and ſung Pſalms all the Way, as they bore the Corps from Dauphne to Antioch: Thus was ^† Paula buried at Bethlehem; thus did St. An⯑thony bury Paul the Hermite; and thus were the Generality of Men buried after the three firſt Centuries, when Perſecution ceaſed. In Imitation of this, it is ſtill cuſtomary in ſeve⯑ral Parts of this Nation, to carry out the Dead with ſinging of Pſalms and Hymns of Triumph; to ſhew that they have ended their ſpiritual War⯑fare, that they have finiſhed their Courſe with^‖ [23] Joy, and are become Conquerors; which ſure⯑ly is a Matter of no little Conſolation for the looſing of our Friend. And how becoming is it to pay ſuch Honour to the Body! How is it imitating the bleſſed Angels, who rejoyced at Meeting of the Soul, and carrying it to Hea⯑ven. For as they rejoyce at her Converſion on Earth, ſo moſt certainly they rejoyce at her go⯑ing to Heaven. And as they rejoyce at the car⯑rying of the Soul thither, ſo we, in Imitation of them, at the carrying out the Body to the Grave. They rejoyce that the Soul hath got out of a World of Sin, we that the Body out of a World of Trouble; they that the Soul can ſin no more, we that the Body can no more ſuf⯑fer; they that the Soul enjoys Glory and Hap⯑pineſs, we that the Body reſts from its Labours.

WHEN therefore we attend the Corps of a Neighbour or Relation, and this decent Cere⯑mony is perform'd, let it alſo have a Share of our Thoughts, and excite in us Joy and Com⯑fort, and Thankſgiving and Praiſe. And when theſe Cuſtoms are ſo obſerved, they will be of great Advantage to us, making us ſtill fitter [24] for the Heavenly Life. And ſurely a Thing of this Good and Profit, is much to be preferr'd to what hath in it nothing but Undecency and Irreverence; ſuch is our laughing and jeſting, and telling of News, when we accompany a Neighbour to the Grave. There is indeed a Mean to be obſerved, as in all other Things, ſo in this; we muſt neither be too ſad, nor too merry; we muſt not be ſo merry as to throw off all the Signs of Affection and Love, all the Tokens of Eſteem and Humanity; nor muſt we ^* ſorrow even as others, which have no Hope. But we muſt ^† be ſo merry as to be able to ſing Pſalms, and ſo afflicted as to be excited to pray.

CHAP. IV. Of Garlands in Country Churches: Of ſtrawing Flowers on the Grave; the Antiquity of theſe Cuſtoms, the Inno⯑cency of them.

IN ſome Country Churches 'tis cu⯑ſtomary, to hang a Garland of Flowers over the Seats of deceaſed Virgins, as a Token of Eſteem and Love, and an Emblem of their Reward in the Heavenly Church.

THIS Cuſtom perhaps may be look'd upon, as ſprung from that ancient Cuſtom of the Hea⯑thens, of crowning their Corps with Garlands in Token of Victory. But Mr. Bingham tells us, That we find not this Cuſtom uſed by the Ancients in their Funeral-Rites. For as he ob⯑ſerves, [26] the Heathen in Minutius, makes it one Topick of Accuſation againſt them, ^* That they did not crown their Sepulchres.

BUT if they did not crown them after the Manner of the Heathens, they had a Cuſtom of uſing Crowns of Flowers, if we may believe Caſſalion, who tells us, ^† It was a Cuſtom of the ancient Chriſtians to place Crowns of Flow⯑ers, at the Heads of deceaſed Virgins; for which he quotes Damaſcen, Gregory Nyſſen, St. Jerom and St. Auſtin. And this hath probably been the Original of this Cuſtom among the Vulgar.

THAT other Cuſtom of ſtrawing Flowers upon the Graves of their departed Friends, is alſo derived from a Cuſtom of the ancient Church. For it was uſual in thoſe Times for the common Sort of People, to ſtraw the Graves of their Friends, with various Flowers. Of this there are two notable Inſtances taken No⯑tice of by Caſſalion, and ſeveral other Ritualiſts. [27] The one is that of St. Ambroſe, in his Funeral Oration on the Death of Valentinian, ^* I will not ſprinkle his Grave with Flowers, but pour on his Spirit the Odour of CHRIST. Let others ſcatter Baskets of Flowers: CHRIST is our Lilly, and with this will I conſecrate his Relicks.

THE other is that of St. Jerom, in his E⯑piſtle to Pammachius upon the Death of his Wife. ^† Whilſt other Husbands ſtrawed Vio⯑lets, and Roſes, and Lillies, and purple Flow⯑ers, upon the Graves of their Wives, and com⯑forted themſelves with ſuch like Offices, Pam⯑machius bedew'd her Aſhes and venerable Bones, with the Balſom of Alms.

NOW theſe Inſtances, tho' they juſtly com⯑mend theſe other Actions, and wiſely prefer them to the Ceremonies of adorning Graves with [28] Flowers: Yet they no Way decry theſe ancient Cuſtoms. Theſe lower Marks of Eſteem and Honour, which the Vulgar paid to the Remains of their Friends, were in themſelves harmleſs and innocent, and had no Cenſure; and as they were ſo, ſo ſhould the preſent Cuſtoms be with⯑out any, being full as harmleſs and innocent as the other.

CHAP. V. Of Bowing towards the Altar at the firſt coming into the Church; a Cuſtom ge⯑nerally obſerved by ignorant People; its Meaning and Antiquity.

WE may obſerve the Generality of old People among the Com⯑monalty, as they enter into the Church, to turn their Fa⯑ces towards the Altar, and bow or kneel that Way. This, no Doubt, is the Remains of that ancient Cuſtom of the Church, of worſhipping toward the Eaſt. For in the an⯑cient Church they worſhipped that Way upon ſeveral Accounts. Firſt, That by ſo worſhip⯑ping, they might lift up their Minds to GOD, who is called the Light and the Creator of [30] Light. And therefore St. Auſtin ſays, ^* When we pray ſtanding, we turn our Faces to the Eaſt, from whence the Day ſprings, that we might be reminded of turning to a more excellent Nature, namely, The LORD. Secondly, That foraſ⯑much as Man was driven out of Paradiſe, which is towards the Eaſt, he ought to look that Way, which is an Emblem of his Deſire to return thither. St. Damaſcen therefore tells us, That ^† becauſe the Scripture ſays, That GOD plan⯑ted Paradiſe in Eden towards the Eaſt, where he placed the Man which he had formed, whom he puniſh'd with Baniſhment upon his Tranſgreſ⯑ſion, and made him dwell over againſt Paradiſe, in the Weſtern Part; we therefore pray, (ſays he) being in Queſt of our ancient Country; and as it were panting after it, do worſhip GOD that Way. Thirdly, It was uſed when any were baptized. They firſt turn'd their Faces to the Weſt, and ſo renounc'd the Devil; and then to the Eaſt, and made their Covenant with CHRIST. Laſt⯑ly, [31] They prayed that Way, believing that our SAVIOUR would come to Judgment from that Quarter of the Heavens. For as the Lightning cometh out of the Eaſt, and ſhineth unto the Weſt, ſo ſhall the Coming of the Son of Man be; and he is to come in like Manner as he aſcended. And that he aſcended up Eaſtward from Mount Oli⯑vet, St. ^* Damaſcen aſſures us. For (ſays he) when he aſcended into Heaven, he was taken up Eaſtward, and his Diſciples worſhipped him that Way. And therefore chiefly it was, that in the ancient Church they prayed with their Faces to the Eaſt; and that many of our own Church at this Day, turn their Faces to that Quarter of the World, at the Repetition of the Creed.

WHAT may more confirm this, and ſpeak it to have been the univerſal Opinion of the Church, is the ancient Cuſtom of burying the Corps, with the Feet to the Eaſt, and the Head to the Weſt; which Cuſtom is continued to this Day in the whole Church of England: This was obſerved for the ſame Reaſon, That, at the Coming of CHRIST to Judgment from [32] the oriental Part of Heaven, our Bodies might be found in a praying Poſture, with their Faces towards the Eaſt.

OUR learned Countryman Gregory tells us, ‘That the holy Men of Jeruſalem hold a Tra⯑dition generally received from their Ancients, that our SAVIOUR himſelf was buried, with his Face and Feet towards the Eaſt. It is affirmed by the Geographers of the holy Land.’ And Bede ſays, ^* That as the Holy Women enter'd at the Eaſtern Part into the Round-Houſe, which is hewn out in the Rock, they ſaw the Angel ſitting at the South Part of the Place, where the Body of JESUS had lain, that is, at his Right Hand; for undoubtedly his Body having its Face up⯑wards and its Head to the Weſt, muſt have its Right Hand to the South. Caſſalion ſays, [33] ^* The Faithful of old were ſo obſerving of this Ceremony of looking towards the Eaſt, that they not only ſtrictly obſerved it in their Pray⯑ers when living; but even when they were dead, their Bodies were placed with their Fa⯑ces upwards in the Sepulchre, looking towards the Eaſt.

THE learned Dr. Comber in his Diſcourſe of the ſolemn Interment, hath theſe Words upon "this Subject, ‘We may note the Poſiture and Poſition of the Corps, which among the Chri⯑ſtians hath always been to turn the Feet to the Eaſt, with the Head to the Weſt; that ſo they may be ready to meet the LORD, whom the Ancients did believe ſhould appear in the oriental Part of Heaven. Durand. Rat. Lib. 7. Cap. 33. Or as our ingenious Mr. Gre⯑gory believes, That they might be in the Po⯑ſture of Prayer, with their Faces to the Eaſt, as ſoon as they were raiſed. There are ſome [34] ancient Authors tell us, That the old Inha⯑bitants of Attica buried thus before the Days of Solon, who, as they report, convinced the Athenians, that the Iſland of Salamis did of Right belong to them, by ſhewing them dead Bodies looking that Way, and Sepulchres tur⯑ned towards the Eaſt, as they uſe to bury. Diog. Laert. Vit. Solon, &c. And the Scho⯑liaſt upon Thucidides ſays, It was the Man⯑ner of all the Greeks to bury their Dead thus: Tho' a learned modern Writer ſuppoſes theſe Authors miſtaken, and cites Plutarch and Elian to prove, that the Athenians turned their Dead towards the Weſt. However it is certain, that all Nations had one certain Way of placing the Corps, from which they would not vary; and we Chriſtians have ſo great Antiquity for our Cuſtom, that we ought not out of Singularity to alter it.’

NO Doubt but this learned Man had great Reaſon for this Concluſion, as well knowing that this ancient Rite, was ſtruck at by the whole Herd of Sectaries, as a ſilly Fancy and an idle Dream: Who never would obſerve it, [35] were it not that they are ſometimes obliged; but would with thoſe who are not obliged, act the very Reverſe, and bury North and South. I wiſh there were no powerfuller Enemies to it, than them now a Days; but, as a Man's Ene⯑mies are too often thoſe of his own Houſhold; ſo, 'tis to be lamented, that ſome who pretend to be of our own Church, are upon all Occaſions ſecret Advocates againſt this Ceremony. When therefore there is ſuch Oppoſition without, and ſuch Treachery within, 'tis high Time to be on the Guard againſt our Enemies; leaſt a Cere⯑mony ſo venerable for its Antiquity, and ſo uſe⯑ful in its Obſervation, be laid aſide: Was it but for this one Thing, that it ſpeaks the Hope of the whole Chriſtian Church, ſince the ear⯑lieſt Times of Chriſtianity, about the Reſur⯑rection of the ſame Body. It is too true, that there are ſome at this Time of the Day, as well as were in the Days of the Apoſtle, who think it a Thing incredible that GOD ſhould raiſe the Dead; ſome really diſbelieving the Reſurrection of any Body, and others that of the ſame Body. But as long as this Ceremony is in Being, it will always be a ready Proof, that the whole [36] Chriſtian Church, did not only believe the Re⯑ſurrection of the Body, but of that very Body, which was laid down in the Grave. For they obſerved it, that they might be ready with their Faces to meet their SAVIOUR at his coming to Judgment, which certainly implies that they believed that very Body ſhould riſe again.

CHAP. VI. Of the Time of Cock-crow: Whether evil Spirits wander about in the Time of Night; and whether they fly away at the Time of Cock-crow. Reflections upon this, encouraging us to have Faith and Truſt in GOD.

IT is a received Tradition among the Vulgar, That at the Time of Cock-crowing, the Midnight Spirits forſake theſe lower Re⯑gions, and go to their proper Places. They wander, ſay they, about the World, from the dead Hour of Night, when all Things are buried in Sleep and Darkneſs, till the Time of Cock-crowing, and then they [38] depart. Hence it is, that in Country-Places, where the Way of Life requires more early La⯑bour, they always go chearfully to Work at that Time; whereas if they are called abroad ſooner, they are apt to imagine every Thing they ſee or hear, to be a wandring Ghoſt. Shakeſpear hath given us an excellent Account of this vulgar Notion, in his Tragedy of Hamlet.

It was about to ſpeak, when the Cock crew.

[39]NOW to ſhew what Truth there is in this vulgar Opinion, I ſhall conſider, Firſt, What Truth there is in the Roaming of Spirits in the Night. And, Secondly, Whether they are obli⯑ged to go away at Cock-crow.

I believe none who aſſent to the Truth of Divine Revelation, deny that there are good and evil Angels attending upon Men; the one to guard and protect them, and the other to harm and work their Ruin; that the one are thoſe ^* miniſtring Spirits, which are ſent out to miniſter to the Heirs of Salvation; the other the roaring Lion, and his Inſtruments, ^† who wander to and fro in the Earth; theſe ^‖ unclean Spirits who wander through dry Places, ſeeking Reſt and finding none.

NOR, I believe, will it be queſtion'd, that there have been Apparitions of good and evil Spirits, and that many, with our SAVIOUR'S Diſciples, have been affrighted and cried out, not only with ſuppoſing they had ſeen, but really with ſeeing a Spirit. Of this the Teſti⯑mony [40] of all Ages, and Scripture it ſelf are a ſufficient Demonſtration.

WHAT then could theſe have ordinarily been, but the Appearances of ſome of thoſe Angels of Light, or Darkneſs? For I am far from thinking that either the Ghoſts of the Damn'd or the Happy, either the Soul of a Di⯑ves or a Lazarus, returns here any more. For as St. Athanaſius obſerves, ^* Theſe Viſions and Shades of the Saints, which appear in the Tem⯑ples and at the Tombs, are not the Souls of the Saints themſelves, but the good Angels appearing in their Shapes. Not that GOD could not re⯑mand the Ghoſt of Samuel, and order it again to viſit the Earth, as he made Moſes and Elias to appear at our SAVIOUR'S Transfiguration; but that a Thing of this Nature was very un⯑common, and ſeldom happen'd.

TAKING it therefore for granted, that there have been Apparitions of Angels, I believe it will alſo be owned, that theſe Apparitions have frequently happen'd in the Night. And truly, [41] was there no direct Proof of this, yet the No⯑tion of their appearing in the Night, being as it were link'd and chained to our Idea of an Ap⯑parition, would almoſt perſwade us, that the Night is the moſt proper Time for ſuch Appea⯑rances. Whether it is, that the Fables of Nur⯑ſes, ^* as an ingenious Author imagines, ‘have ſo aſſociated the Idea of Spirit to the Night, that the one never appears without the other;’ or whether there is ſomething in the Preſence of Night, ſome Awfulneſs and Horrour, which naturally diſpoſe the Mind of Man to theſe Reflections. I am indeed very inclinable to be⯑lieve, that theſe Legendary Stories of Nurſes and old Women, are the Occaſion of much greater Fears, than People without them, would generally have of theſe Things; but I cannot help thinking, that the Preſence of Night, would naturally lead a Man to ſome Reflection of Spirits, without any ſuch Cauſe as that learned Author mentions. There are ſome particular Times, which will naturally raiſe ſome parti⯑cular Thoughts: Thus on a bright ſunny Day [42] we are naturally diſpoſed to Mirth and Gaiety; when the Day over-caſts, or the Weather is hazy, we then turn indolent and dull, and ſooth our ſelves in Melancholly; if it Thunder and Lighten, we think of the Day of Judg⯑ment and ſudden Death: And thus alſo the Night, as it inclines us to grave and ſerious Thoughts, raiſes in us Horrour and Diſmay, and makes us afraid, even when our Judgment tells us there is no Fear; ſo it may of it ſelf be look'd upon as a natural Cauſe of ſuch Reflections.

BUT however this be, we muſt neceſſarily own, that Spirits have frequently appeared in the Night, or we muſt give the Lye to the Traditions of all Ages, to Hiſtorians prophane and ſacred, and the wiſeſt and beſt in the Ge⯑nerations of Men.

IN the Heathen World there are many In⯑ſtances, of which I ſhall only mention this one out of Plutarch: ‘^*One Night, before Brutus paſſed out of Aſia, he was very late all alone in his Tent, with a dim Light burning by [43] him, all the Reſt of the Army being huſht and ſilent; and muſing with himſelf, and very thoughtful, as he turn'd his Eye to the Door, he ſaw a ſtrange and terrible Appearance, of a prodigious and frightful Body coming towards him without ſpeaking. Brutus boldly asked him, What art thou? Man, or God? Or upon what Buſineſs do'ſt thou come to us? The Spi⯑rit anſwer'd, I am thy Evil Genius, thou ſhalt ſee me at Philippi; to which Brutus not at all diſturbed, reply'd, Then I will ſee thee there.’

IN the ſacred Writings we have Job ^* terri⯑fied with Viſions of the Night, when deep Sleep falleth upon Men, Fear came upon him and Trembling, which made all his Bones to ſhake; then a Spirit paſſed by before his Face, and the Hair of his Fleſh ſtood up. In the Night ^† Jacob wreſtled with the Angel; in the Night an Angel delivered ^‖ Peter out of Priſon, &c.

BUT tho' it be true from Scripture, that there have been nightly Apparitions, yet theſe [44] are chiefly of good Angels; whereas this Opi⯑nion principally means, the Appearances of evil Spirits. It muſt be owned indeed, that the Appearances of evil Spirits, if litterally, are yet but very ſeldom mention'd in the Night in Scripture; but however, that they wander and appear at Night, is very deducible from, if not litterally mentioned in it. Their's is the Land of Darkneſs, and the Shadow of Death: They are reſerved under Chains of Dark⯑neſs to the Judgment of the great Day; and we know that every one that doth Evil natu⯑rally hateth the Light: They therefore love Darkneſs rather than Light, becauſe their Deeds are Evil. The Night therefore, in a more e⯑ſpecial Manner, ſeems to be their Hour, and the Power of Darkneſs.

THIS was the Opinion of the Jews, as may be learned from the Fear of the Apoſtles, when they ſaw our Saviour about the fourth Watch of the Night, coming to them upon the Waters: ^* They were affrighted and cryed out, ſuppoſing [45] they had ſeen a Spirit. Doctor Whitby upon this Place, ſays, ‘That the Jews had then an Opinion of hurtful Spirits walking in the Night, is evident from the ſeventy, who ren⯑der'd,’ from the Peſtilence walking in Dark⯑neſs; ^* From the Fear of the Devils that walk in the Night.

AND that this was alſo the Opinion of the ancient Chriſtians, is evident, not only from their dividing the Night into four Watches, the Evening, Midnight, Cock-crowing, and the Morning; which were the Military Diviſions of the Night, and which ^† they obſerved to guard their Souls from the ſilent Incurſions of evil Spirits, as the others did thoſe of the Enemy; but alſo from their many Relations of ſuch Ap⯑pearances. Caſſian in giving an Account of the Watching of the Ancient Monks, and their be⯑ing aſſaulted with Midnight Spirits, tells us, That at the Beginning of the Monkiſh Life, [46] ^* the Rage of the Midnight Spirits was ſo great, that but few, and theſe too Men of Age and unſhaken Reſolution, were able to endure the Life in the Deſart. For ſuch was their Fierceneſs, that where Eight or Ten had been together in a Monaſtery, they would have made frequent and viſible Incurſions: Inſomuch, that they never all ſlept at the ſame Time, but took it by turns; ſome watching the Reſt, and ex⯑erciſing themſelves in ſinging Pſalms, in Pray⯑ing and Reading. And St. Athanaſius in his Life of Anthony the Hermit, tells, Of many Conflicts that good Man had in the Night with the Powers of Darkneſs, whilſt they endeavour⯑ed to batter him from the ſtrong Holds of his Faith. And what can our Church chiefly mean in the Collect for Aid againſt Perils; but that GOD would ſend us Protection from all the Spirits of Darkneſs, theſe Midnight Wanderers [47] of the World: And for this Reaſon, every good Man, when he lies down to ſleep at Night, deſires the great Keeper of Iſrael, who never ſlumbereth nor ſleepeth, to ſend his Holy Angels to pitch their Tents round about him, and baniſh from him the Spirits of the Night.

SO far then this Tradition is juſt and good, that there are Midnight Spirits who wander a⯑bout the World, going too and fro in the Earth, ſeeking whom they may devour. Let us now in the next Place enquire, what Truth there is in the other Part of it; namely, That they always fly away at Cock-crow.

THIS Opinion, whatever Truth there may be in it, is certainly very Ancient. We have it mentioned by the Chriſtian Poet Prudentius, who flouriſhed in the Beginning of the fourth Century, as a Tradition of Common Belief: His Words are theſe,

CASSIAN alſo, who lived in the ſame Cen⯑tury, giving an Account of a Multitude of De⯑vils [49] who had been Abroad in the Night, ſays, ^* That as ſoon as the Morn approached, they all vaniſhed and fled away. By this we ſee, that this was a current Opinion at this Time of Day; but what Reaſon they had for it, except ſome Relations of the diſappearing of Evil Spirits at that Hour, I never yet have met with: But there have been produc'd at that Time of Night, Things of very memora⯑ble Worth, which might perhaps raiſe the pious Credulity of ſome Men to imagine, that there was ſomething more in it, than in other Times. It was about the Time of Cock-crow⯑ing when our Saviour was born, and the An⯑gels ſung the firſt Chriſtmas-Carol to the poor Shepherds, in the Fields of Bethlehem. Now it may be preſum'd, that as the Saviour of the World was then born, and the Heavenly Host had then deſcended to proclaim▪ the News, that the Angels of Darkneſs would be terrified and confounded, and immediately fly away: And perhaps this Conſideration has partly been the Foundation of this Opinion; for as this [50] may eaſily be ſuppoſed, ſo perhaps it has been imagin'd, that the Spirits of Darkneſs, having always in Memory that fatal Hour, are ſtart⯑led and frighted away as the Cock proclaims it.

IT was alſo about this Time when he roſe from the Dead. And when the great Sun of Righ⯑teouſneſs was riſen upon the World, no wonder that all the Clouds of Darkneſs and Wickedneſs were diſpell'd; no wonder that the conquer'd Powers of Hell were not able to ſhew their Heads: And this perhaps hath been another Reaſon of their imagining that Spirits go away at that time.

A third Reaſon is, that Paſſage in the Book of Geneſis, where Jacob wreſtled with the Angel for a Bleſſing; where the Angel ſays unto him, ^* Let me go, for the Day breaketh.

BUT indeed this Tradition ſeems more, e⯑ſpecially to have riſen from ſome particular Circumſtances attending the Time of Cock-crowing; and which, as Prudentius ſeems to ſay above, are an Emblem of the Approach of [51] the Day of the Reſurrection. For when we leave the World, we lie down in our Graves, and Reſt from our Labours; Sleep and Dark⯑neſs lay hold upon us, and there we abide till the laſt Day appear, when the Voice of the Arch-Angel ſhall awake us, that we may meet the LORD of Light and Day. And when we leave the common Buſineſs and Care of Life, we lie down in our Beds, as in a Grave, buried as it were in Sleep and Darkneſs, till the Cock crow, the welcome Meſſenger of the News of Day.

THE Circumſtances therefore of the Time of Cock-crowing, being ſo natural a Figure and Repreſentation of the Morning of the Reſurre⯑ction; the Night ſo ſhadowing out the Night of the Grave; the third Watch, being as ſome ſuppoſe, the Time our Saviour will come to Judgment at; the Noiſe of the Cock awaken⯑ing ſleepy Man, and telling him as it were, the Night is far ſpent, the Day is at Hand; re⯑preſenting ſo naturally the Voice of the Arch-Angel awakening the Dead, and calling up the Righteous to everlaſting Day; ſo natural⯑ly does the Time of Cock-crowing ſhadow out [52] theſe Things, that probably ſome good well-meaning Men, have been brought to believe, that the very Devils themſelves, when the Cock Crew, and reminded them of them, did fear and tremble, and ſhun the Light.

NOW in Anſwer to the firſt of theſe Con⯑jectures: 'Tis very likely the Evil Spirits did fly away in the Morning of the Nativity, and becauſe of our Saviour's Birth and that Com⯑pany of the Heavenly Host, might be afraid and retire into thick Darkneſs; yet it will not hence follow, that it always happens ſo at the Time of Cock-crowing: For if they did fly away that Morning, the Circumſtances of our Saviour's Birth, the heavenly Glory of the Angelick Quire, their Muſick and their Preſence were the Occaſion of it: And why only the bare Remembrance of what happened at that Time, ſhould always at the Time of Cock-crowing drive them away, rather than when they remem⯑ber it at another, no Reaſon ſeems to be given.

AS to the ſecond Conjecture, namely, That it was the Time of our Saviour's Riſing from [53] the Dead, I anſwer in the ſame Manner, That tho' it be allowed, that the Evil Spirits might have returned to the Land of Darkneſs, upon our Saviour's Riſing from the Dead; yet why it ſhould Occaſion them always to do ſo at that Time, no Reaſon can be given.

AS to the third Conjecture, it is eaſy to obſerve, That this was a good Angel, where⯑as they that ſhun the Light, are bad ones: This was the Angel of the Covenant, the Cre⯑ator of Light, and the Lord of the Day: We may therefore as well imagine, that it was not in his Power, to get out of the Arms of Jacob, without ſaying, Let me go; as to ſuppoſe he was obliged to go, becauſe he ſaid the Day breaketh. The meaning of which Words, ‘According to Willet, is not that the Angel was gone to the bleſſed Company of the Angels, to ſing their Morning Hymn to GOD, as the Hebrews imagine: For the Angels, not only in the Morning, but at other Times, are exerciſed in praiſing GOD. But the Angel thus ſpeaketh according to the Cuſtom of Men, having now taken the [54] Form and Shape of a Man, as tho' he had haſt to other Buſineſs, and leaving Jacob al⯑ſo to his Affairs.’

THE laſt Conjecture of the Riſe of this Tra⯑dition, ſeems to carry greater probability than the Others: For as theſe Things are a Repre⯑ſentation of the Circumſtances of the Morning of the Reſurrection, ſo they muſt ſure enough bring that laſt Day into Remembrance; and they never can do ſo, but as ſurely they muſt create Terrour and Confuſion in all the Devils and Ghoſts of the Night: Whilſt they aſſure them they ſhall never any more enjoy the Realms of Bliſs, but be hurried into that ^* e⯑verlaſting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. But that theſe Things are the Occa⯑ſion of their Flying away at the Approach of Day, is not to be ſuppoſed. On the contrary, the Devil and his Angels ramble o'er the World in Day-light, and are mid-day Devils, as well as mid-night ones: For the Devil is inceſſant in his Temptations, and therefore he is abroad in the Day as well as the Night, tho' [55] perhaps has ſeldom appear'd but in Darkneſs. Thus St. Auſtin, in one of his Meditations, ^* We implore thee, O GOD! that thou woul⯑deſt deliver us from our daily Enemy, who by his Wiles and Cunning is always watching us, Day and Night, Sleeping and Waking; and both openly and in ſecret, ſhooting at us his poiſoned Arrows, that he may deſtroy our Souls.

AND now, what, tho' this be true, as it moſt certainly ſeems to be ſo, that at the chearful Hour of Cock-crowing, the wander⯑ing Ghoſts are not driven away, but ſtill continue going too and fro? What, tho' then their Power be ſtill the ſame, and their In⯑tentions as fully bent to do Evil? Conſider but that GOD'S Care and Providence govern the World, and there will be found as much Safety for us, in the midſt of Evil Spirits, as if they abſented at that Time. The Al⯑mighty Power of GOD, is the ſame then, as [56] at other Times; nothing but that, preſerved us continually, and that, will always be able to preſerve us. However great may be the Malice of Devils; however deſirous of work⯑ing our Ruin; tho' they watch all Opportu⯑nities, and are unwearied in tempting us; yet the loving Kindneſs of the LORD endureth for Ever, and his Mercy is over all his Works: He will not ſuffer our Foot to be moved; he that keepeth us will not ſleep: We ſhall not be afraid of the Sun by Day, nor the Moon by Night: For the Peſtilence that walketh in Darkneſs, nor for the Sickneſs that deſtroyeth in the Noon-day.

ARE we then afraid of Darkneſs and the preſence of Night? Let us remember the Cre⯑ator of them, and have but Faith in him, and we ſhall find our Night turned into Day. In his Light ſhall we ſee Light: We ſhall be as ſecure as if there was no Darkneſs about us, as well knowing, that that GOD which pro⯑tects us, ſees through the thickeſt Mediums, and the darkeſt Night: For with him the Dark⯑neſs is no Darkneſs, but the Night is as clear as the Day; the Darkneſs and Light to him are [57] both alike. Or are we afraid of that old Ser⯑pent the Devil, that nightly Rambler of the World, who is a Lover of Night and Dark⯑neſs? Let us truſt in GOD, and no harm ſhall happen to us. If we will but fear no Evil, his Rod and his Staff ſhall Comfort us, tho' we walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death: For GOD hath reſerved the Devil and his Angels in everlaſting Chains, under Darkneſs, unto the Judgment of the great Day. Tho' therefore he is permitted to wan⯑der the World, yet he is ſo chain'd up, that without GOD'S particular Order or Permiſ⯑ſion, he is not allowed to touch the Sons of Men; and he is ſo reſerved and kept in Dark⯑neſs, that it is not in his Power even barely to appear and be viſible to them, without the Permiſſion of GOD: So little Reaſon hath e⯑very good Man to fear the Spight and Malice of all the Devils in Hell.

WHEN then the Night pours out her Ter⯑rours, covers all Things with Darkneſs, and ſtrikes thee with Horrour; Lift but up thy Eyes to the Hills, from whence cometh thy Help, [58] and thou ſhalt clearly ſee, that our Lord GOD is a Light and Defence to thee. ^* For to thoſe who are the Children of the Light, the Day ſhineth in the Night: They are never without Light, whoſe Hearts are illuminated; never without Sun-ſhine, whoſe Sun is CHRIST. In ſhort then, if thou fear Darkneſs, look up to CHRIST, and thou haſt eternal Day; if the Angels of Darkneſs, look but up with the Eye of Faith, and thou ſhalt ſee the Moun⯑tains full of Chariots and Horſes of Fire: Thou ſhalt ſee, as did the Servant of the Prophet Eliſha, That they who be with us, are more than they who are againſt us. No Matter then whe⯑ther the Spirits of the Night go away, or only tremble at the Time of Cock-crowing: For ſure we are, that the Angel of the LORD tarrieth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them; nay, That GOD himſelf will ariſe and ſcatter his Enemies, and make them that hate him to flie before him. And if GOD be for us, who can be againſt us?

CHAP. VII. Of Church-Yards; why the Vulgar are generally afraid of paſſing through them at Night: The Original of this Fear: That there is nothing in them now, more than in other Places to be afraid of.

THE moſt of ignorant People are afraid of going through a Church-Yard at Night-time. If they are obliged upon ſome haſty and urgent Affair, they fear and tremble, till they are beyond its Bounds, but they generally avoid it, and go further about. It would, no Queſtion, be better if there were fewer Path-ways through Church-Yards than there are, both as it would prevent ſeveral Abuſes committed in them, and alſo cauſe the Aſhes of the Dead to be in [60] greater quiet, and more undiſturbed Peace: We ſhould not then ſee Church-Yards changed into common Dunghils, nor ſhould we tread ſo frequently upon the Bones of our Friends: But when for the Conveniency of Neighbour⯑hood, or other Reaſons, there are allowed pub⯑lick Ways, it is a very great Weakneſs to be afraid of paſſing through them.

THE Reaſon of this Fear is, a Notion they have imbib'd, that in Church-Yards there is a frequent walking of Spirits at the Dead-time of Night. Indeed there is at that Time ſome⯑thing awful and horrible every where, and it muſt be confeſs'd ſomething more ſolemn in a Church-Yard, than in the Generality of other Places; but that it is then more frequented with Apparitions and Ghoſts than other Places are, is at this Time of Day intirely ground⯑leſs, and without any Reaſon.

THE Original of this Timorouſneſs may be deduc'd from the Heathens: For they believ⯑ed that the departed Ghoſts came out of their Tombs and Sepulchres, and wander'd about the [61] Place where the Body lay buried. Thus ^* Virgil tells us, That Maeris could call the Ghoſts out of their Sepulchres: And ^† Ovid, that Ghoſts came out of the Sepulchres, and wandered about: And Clemens Alexandrinus, in his Admonitions to the Gentiles, upbraids them with the Gods they worſhipped; which, ^‖ ſays he, are wont to appear at Tombs and Sepulchres, and which are nothing but fa⯑ding Spectres and airy Forms. And the learn⯑ed Mr. Mede obſerves, from a Paſſage of this ſame ancient Father, ^* ‘That the Heathens ſuppoſed the Preſence and Power of Daemons (for ſo the Greeks called the Souls of Men departed) at their Coffins and Sepulchres; as tho' there always remain'd ſome natural Tye between the Deceaſed and their Relicts.’ Agreeable to this, Dr. Scot, ^† in his Diſcourſe of the Chriſtian Life, ſpeaks of ‘groſs and ſenſual Souls, who appeared often, after [62] their Separation, in Church-Yards or Char⯑nel-Houſes, where their Bodies were laid. The ^* Soul that is infected with a great Luſt to the Body, continues ſo, for a great while after Death, and ſuffering many Reluctances, ho⯑vers about this viſible Place, and is hardly drawn from thence by Force; by the Daemon that hath the Guard and Care of it. By the viſible Place, he means ^† their Monuments and Sepulchres, where the ſhadowy Fantaſms, of ſuch Souls, have ſometimes appeared.’

IT having therefore been a current Opinion of the Heathens, that Places of Burial and Church-Yards were frequently haunted with Spectres and Apparitions, it is eaſy to imagine, that the Opinion has been handed from them, among the ignorant and unlearned, through⯑out all the Ages of Chriſtianity to the preſent Day. And indeed, tho' now there may be no ſuch Things, yet that there have been, need not be diſputed; not that they were the real Souls of Men departed: For I cannot ſee for [63] what Reaſon it ſhould be ſuppoſed, ‘(^* how⯑ever unacquainted ſuch Souls might be with the Pleaſures of Spirits) that they are per⯑mitted to wander, to hover about, and linger after their Bodies.’ It ſeems rather to be true, what is mentioned of ſuch Apparitions in St. Athanaſius's Queſtions to Antiochius, that ^† theſe Apparitions of the Saints which ap⯑pear at Tombs and Temples, are not the Souls of the Saints themſelves, but the good Angels appearing in their Likeneſs. And I imagine it muſt be ſo too, with the Souls of bad Men, they appear not themſelves, but they are re⯑preſented by the Evil Angels. For the Soul upon the Departure, returns to GOD that gave it, who alots it its Station in the World of Spirits, where it is kept till the Day of Judg⯑ment in Happineſs or Miſery, when it ſhall receive its Compleation of the one, or the other. However, whatever theſe Apparitions were, they are a certain Proof, that ſuch Appearan⯑ces have been in ſuch Places; and indeed, to add no more, it is the whole Voice of Antiquity.

[64]BUT now with us, GOD be thanked, the Scene is changed, we live not in the Darkneſs of Errour, but in the Light of Truth; we worſhip not Daemons, but the GOD of the whole Earth; and our Temples are not the Temples of Idols, but the Temples of the Ho⯑ly GOD. If among the Heathens ſuch Delu⯑ſions were permitted, it was becauſe GOD had forſaken them: But when he vouchſafes to have his Reſidence in his Holy Temple, we are the further from Harm, the nearer we ap⯑proach it; ^* There the Sparrow hath found her an Houſe, and the Swallow a Neſt, where ſhe may lay her Young; and there ſhall no Harm happen to good Men, but they ſhall be rather protected, becauſe they are ſo near their Fa⯑ther's Houſe, the Houſe of Prayer.

CHAP. VIII. Of viſiting Wells and Fountains: The Original of this Cuſtom: The naming of them of great Antiquity: The Wor⯑ſhip paid them by the Papiſts, was groſs Idolatry.

IN the dark Ages of Popery, it was a Cuſtom, if any Well had an awful Situation, and was ſeated in ſome lonely melan⯑cholly Vale; if its Water was clear and limpid, and beautifully ^* margin'd with the tender Graſs; or if it was look'd upon, as having a Medicinal Quality; to gift it to ſome Saint, and honour it with his Name. Hence it is, that we have at [66] this Day Wells and Fountains called, ſome St. John's, St. Mary Magdalen's, St. Mary's Well, &c.

TO theſe kind of Wells, the common People are accuſtomed to go, on a Summer's Evening, to refreſh themſelves with a Walk after the Toil of the Day, to drink the Water of the Fountain, and enjoy the pleaſing Proſpect of Shade and Stream.

NOW this Cuſtom (tho' at this Time of Day, very commendable, and harmleſs, and innocent) ſeems to be the Remains of that ſuperſtitious Practice of the Papiſts, of paying Adoration to Wells and Fountains: For they imagin'd there was ſome Holineſs and Sancti⯑ty in them, and ſo worſhipped them. In the Canons of St. Anſelm, made in the Year 1102, we find this Superſtitious Practice in ſome Meaſure forbid. ^* ‘Let no one attribute Reverence or Sanctity to a dead Body, or a Fountain, or other Things, (as ſometimes [67] is to our Knowledge) without the Biſhop's Authority,’ And in the 16th of the Canons made in the Reign of King Edgar, in the Year 963, it is order'd, ^* ‘That every Prieſt in⯑duſtriouſly advance Chriſtianity, and ex⯑tinguiſh Heatheniſm, and forbid the Wor⯑ſhipping of Fountains, &c. Mr. Johnſon ſays upon this Canon, that the Worſhipping of Wells and Fountains, was a Superſtiti⯑on, which prevailed in this Nation, till the Age before the Reformation: Nay, I cannot ſay, it is extinguiſh'd yet among the Papiſts. In the Ages of dark Popery it was thought ſufficient to forbid the Honouring of Wells and Fountains, without the Biſhop's Appro⯑bation.’

THE giving of Names to Wells, is of great Antiquity: We find it a Cuſtom in the Days of the old Patriarchs. Abraham obſerved this Cuſtom; and therefore the Well, which he recover'd from the Servants of Abimeleck, He ^† called Beer-ſheba, or the Well of the Oath, [68] becauſe there they ſware both of them. Thus alſo Iſaac, when his Herdſmen had found a Well, and the Herdſmen of Gerar had a Con⯑teſt with them about the Right of it, ^* called the Name of the Well Eſeck, that is, Strife: becauſe they ſtrove with him. And he digged another Well, and ſtrove for that alſo, and he called the Name of it Sitnah, that is, Hatred. And he removed from thence, and digged ano⯑ther Well, and for that they ſtrove not; and he called the Name of it, Rehoboth, that is, Room. And he ſaid for now the LORD hath made Room for us, and we ſhall be fruitful in the Land. And we read it was at Jacob's Well where JESUS talked with the Woman of Sa⯑maria. To give Names therefore to Wells, is of an ancient Standing; but to pay Homage and Worſhip to them, was never heard of a⯑mong the People of GOD, till they ſunk in⯑to groſs Idolatry, and became Worſhippers of Stocks and Stones: When the Creature became worſhipped inſtead of the Creator, then was this Cuſtom firſt introduced, in the Ages of Popiſh Ignorance and Idolatry.

[69]THERE need be no Queſtion, but as this Cuſtom is practically Heatheniſh, ſo it is alſo originally: For the Heathens were wont to worſhip Streams and Fountains, and to ſup⯑poſe that the Nymphs, whom they imagin'd the Goddeſſes of the Waters, preſided over them. As the Papiſts have borrowed many of their ſilly and ſuperſtitious Ceremonies from the Religion of the Heathens, ſo this in par⯑ticular, a ſottiſh, ſtupid, and abominable Cu⯑ſtom, they could borrow no where elſe. For we had no ſuch Cuſtom, neither at any Time the Churches of GOD.

CHAP. IX. Of Omens: Their Original: The Obſer⯑vation of them ſinfull.

OMENS and Prognoſtications of Things are ſtill in the Mouths of all, tho' only obſerved by the Vulgar. In Country Pla⯑ces, eſpecially they are in great Repute, and are the Directors of ſeveral Acti⯑ons of Life; being looked on by them as Preſages of Things future, or the Determi⯑ners of preſent Good or Evil: If ^* a Hare croſs their Way it is an Omen of ill Luck: If ^† a Crow cry, it portends ſomething Evil: [71] If ^* an Owl, which they reckon a moſt abo⯑minable and unlucky Bird, ſends forth its hoarſe and diſmal Voice, it is an Omen of the Approach of ſome terrible Thing; that ſome dire Calamity, and ſome great Misfor⯑tune is near at Hand. If Salt fall towards them, to be ſure ſomething has happened to one in the Family, or is ſhortly to happen to themſelves: Such alſo is the Chattering of a Mag-pye, the Cry of Ravens, the Dead-watch, Crickets, &c.

THIS is a Copy of the Omens of the Hea⯑thens, ^† who never went upon any Enter⯑prize, nor undertook any Buſineſs of Moment, without conſulting the Augurs and Wiſe-Men, and being guided by Omens and Preſages of Things. Hence it was that they conſulted the Intrails of Beaſts, the Flights of Birds, and ſeveral other Things: And that the very [72] Things above-mentioned, as the Authori⯑ties there declare, have been obſerved by them; yea, they have obſerv'd them, even in the remoteſt Ages, beyond the Days of the oldeſt Records. The Heathen World there⯑fore was full of them, and without all doubt they have been handed down to us, from theſe Times.

AND as it is not to be queſtion'd, but we had them from the Heathens, ſo in all proba⯑bility the Heathens have taken them from the People of GOD, and built many of their Folies and ominous Superſtitions on a Cuſtom which they alone were indulged in. For in the ear⯑lieſt Ages of the World, when a Matter of a⯑ny great Conſequence was depending, and the Servants of GOD would know what the E⯑vent would be, they asked a Sign of GOD, by deſiring that ſuch a Thing might happen, if they were to ſucceed, and GOD was ſome⯑times ſo condeſcending as to grant them their deſire. Thus we read, That ^* Jonathan ac⯑company'd only by his Armour-Bearer, not fear⯑ing [73] the Steepneſs of the Rocks, nor Multi⯑tudes of Enemies, attempted the Garriſon of the Philiſtines and conquered, through a To⯑ken of this Nature. If they ſay, ſays he to his Armour-Bearer, Tarry untill we come up, then we will ſtand ſtill in our Place, and will not go up unto them; but if they ſay come up unto us, then we will go up; for the LORD hath delivered them into our Hands, and this ſhall be a Sign unto us. And ſo indeed it came to paſs, GOD who had inſpired Jonathan with this Thought, directing the Tongues of the others according to his Wiſhes. In like Manner, when the good old Servant of Abraham had arrived at the City of Nahor, to find a Wife for his Maſter's Son; we have him deſiring of GOD, that the Sign of the Woman he ſhould pitch upon, might be her ſaying, Drink, and I will give thy Camels drink alſo. ^* And he ſaid, O Lord GOD of my Maſter Abraham, I pray thee ſend me good ſpeed this Day, and ſhew Kindneſs unto my Maſter Abraham: Behold, I ſtand here by the Well of Water, and the Daughters of the Men of the City come out to draw Water. And [74] let it come to paſs, that the Damſel to whom I ſhall ſay, let down thy Pitcher, I pray thee, that I may Drink; And ſhe ſhall ſay, Drink, and I will give thy Camels drink alſo: Let the ſame be ſhe that thou haſt appointed for thy Servant Iſaac; and thereby ſhall I know that thou haſt ſhewed Kindneſs unto my Maſter. This happened ac⯑cording to his Prayer, by which he knew that the LORD had proſpered his Journey. Now this Cuſtom we know the Philiſtines imitated, when they would know whether they had been afflicted by the GOD of Iſrael for keep⯑ing the Ark. ^* They took the Ark of the LORD, and laid it on a Cart, and ſent it away. And they ſaid, If it goeth by the Way of his own Coaſt to Beth-ſhemoth, then he hath done us this great Evil.

IN theſe early Ages of the World, GOD permitted ſuch Things upon extraordinary Oc⯑caſions, to be asked by his own People. But they were only peculiar to thoſe Times. We have no Warrant for doing the like: It be⯑comes not us to preſcribe Means to GOD, by [75] which we may judge of our future Succeſs, but to depend on his Power and Wiſdom, his Care and Providence. The Obſervation of Omens, ſuch as the falling of Salt, a Hare croſſing the Way, of the Dead-Watch, of Cric⯑kets, &c. are ſinful and diabolical: They are the Inventions of the Devil, to draw Men from a due Truſt in GOD, and make them his own Vaſſals. For by ſuch Obſervations as theſe, they are the Slaves of Superſtition and Sin, and have all the While no true Dependance upon GOD, no Truſt in his Providence.

CHAP. X. Of the Country Converſation in a Winter's Evening: Their Opinions of Spirits and Apparitions; of the Devil's ap⯑pearing with a cloven Foot; of Fai⯑ries and Hobgoblins; of the walk⯑ing Places of Spirits; and of haun⯑ted Houſes.

NOTHING is commoner in County Places, than for a whole Family in a Winter's Evening, to ſit round the Fire, and tell Stories of Appariti⯑ons and Ghoſts. And no Queſtion of it, but this adds to the natural Fearfulneſs of Men, and makes them many Times imagine they ſee Things, which really are nothing but their [77] own Fancy. From this, and ſeldom any o⯑ther Cauſe, it is, that Herds and Shepherds have all of them ſeen frequent Apparitions, and are generally ſo well ſtock'd with Stories of their own Knowledge. Some of them have ſeen Fairies, ſome Spirits in the Shapes of Cows and Dogs and Horſes; and ſome have ſeen even the Devil himſelf, with a cloven Foot. All which, is either Hearſay or a ſtrong Imagina⯑tion. Not that there have not been, or may not be Apparitions; we know that there have undoubtedly been ſuch Things, and that there ſtill are, upon particular Occaſions; but that almoſt all the Stories of Ghoſts and Spirits, are grounded on no other Bottom, than the Fears and Fancies, and weak Brains of Men.

IN their Account of the Apparition of the Devil, they always deſcribe him with a cloven Foot: That is always his diſtinguiſhing Badge, whatever Shape he appears in; whether it be in Beauty or Deformity, he never appears with⯑out it. Such is the old Tradition they have received of his appearing, and ſuch is their Belief of it.

[78]INDEED it muſt be confeſs'd, that this is not ſo improbable and ridiculous as many Things they hold. For tho' perhaps few of them have ought elſe for this Opinion, but old Wives Fables, or the Picture of the Devil, which they have always obſerved drawn with a cloven Foot, yet there ſeems to be ſome Truth in it. For in the Times of frequent Apparitions, the Devil was wont to appear ſo, if we may believe Antiquity; and there is alſo ſome Reaſon for it, conſidering the Cir⯑cumſtances of the fallen Angels.

THE ^* Author of the Vulgar Errors upon this ſame Subject, hath theſe Words. ‘The Ground of this Opinion at firſt, might be his frequent appearing in the Shape of a Goat, which anſwers this Deſcription. This was the Opinion of the ancient Chriſtians, concerning the Apparitions of Panites, Fauns and Satyrs; and of this Form we read of one, that appeared to Anthony in the Wil⯑derneſs. The ſame is alſo confirmed from Expoſitions of Holy Scripture. For where⯑as [79] it is ſaid, Thou ſhalt not offer unto Devils: The original Word is Seghnirim; that is, rough and hairy Goats, becauſe in that Shape the Devil moſt often appeared, as is expoun⯑ded by the Rabbins, as Tremellius hath alſo explain'd, and as the Word Aſcimah, the God of Emath is by ſome conceived. He obſerves alſo, That the Goat was the Em⯑blem of the Sin Offering, and is the Emblem of ſinful Men at the Day of Judgment.’

AND of this Opinion was alſo the learned Mr. ^* Mede. He ſays, ‘That when Spirits converſe with Men, it is under ſome viſible Shape, and that there is a Law given them that that Shape they aſſum'd, ſhould be of ſomething which more or leſs reſembled their Condition. For as in Nature we ſee every Thing hath a ſeveral and ſuitable Phy⯑ſiognomy or Figure, as a Badge of their in⯑ward Nature, whereby it is known, as by a Habit of Diſtinction, ſo it ſeems to be in the Shapes and Apparitions of Spirits. And as in a well governed Common-Wealth, eve⯑ry [80] Sort and Condition is known by a diffe⯑ring Habit, agreeable to his Quality; ſo it ſeems it ſhould be in GOD'S great Common-Wealth, concerning the Shapes which Spi⯑rits take upon them. And he that gave the Law, that a Man ſhould not wear the Ha⯑bit of a Woman, nor a Woman the Habit of a Man, becauſe that as he had made them diverſe, ſo would he have them ſo known by their Habits; ſo it ſeems he will not ſuf⯑fer a good and a bad Spirit, a noble and ig⯑noble one, to appear unto Man after the ſame Faſhion.’

‘NOW from this it will follow, that good Angels can take upon them no other Shape, but the Shape of Man, becauſe their glori⯑ous Excellency is reſembled only in the moſt excellent of all viſible Creatures. The Shape of an inferior Creature would be un⯑ſuitable, no other Shape becoming thoſe who are called the Sons of GOD, but his only, who was created after GOD's own Image. And yet, not his neither as he now is, but according as he was before his Fall [81] in his glorious Beauty of his Integrity. Age and Deformity are the Fruits of Sin; and the Angel in the Goſpel appears like a young Man, His ^* Countenance like Lightning, and his Raiment white as Snow, as it were reſem⯑bling the Beauty of glorified Bodies, in Im⯑mutability, Sublimity and Purity.’

‘HENCE alſo it follows on the contrary, that the Devil could not appear in humane Shape whilſt Man was in his Integrity; be⯑cauſe he was a Spirit fallen from his firſt glorious Perfection, and therefore muſt ap⯑pear in ſuch Shape, which might argue his Imperfection and Abaſement, which was the Shape of a Beaſt: Otherwiſe no Reaſon can be given, why he ſhould not rather have appeared to Eve in the Shape of a Woman, than of a Serpent; for ſo he might have gain'd an Opinion with her, both of more Excellency and Knowledge. But ſince the Fall of Man, the Caſe is alter'd; now we know he can take upon him the Shape of Man; and no Wonder, ſince one falling Star [82] may reſemble another. And therefore he appears it ſeems in the Shape of Man's Im⯑perfection, either for Age or Deformity, as like an old Man (for ſo the Witches ſay:) And perhaps it is not altogether falſe, which is vulgarly affirmed, that the Devil appear⯑ing in humane Shape, hath always a Defor⯑mity of ſome uncouth Member or other; as tho' he could not yet take upon him hu⯑mane Shape intirely, for that Man himſelf is not intirely and utterly fallen as he is.’

THUS far hath this great and learned Man given his Opinion of this Matter, and that with ſuch Strength of Reaſon and Argument, as leaves at leaſt a Probability behind it, of the Truth of this Opinion.

ANOTHER Part of this Converſation gene⯑rally turns upon Fairies. Theſe, they tell you, have frequently been heard and ſeen, nay that there are ſome ſtill living who were ſtollen away by them, and confined ſeven Years. According to the Deſcription they give of them, who pretend to have ſeen them, they [83] are in the Shape of Men, exceeding little: They are always clad in Green, and frequent the Woods and Fields; when they make Cakes (which is a Work they have been often heard at) they are very noiſy; and when they have done, they are full of Mirth and Paſtime. But generally they dance in Moon-Light, when Mortals are aſleep, and not capable of ſeeing them, as may be obſerved on the following Morn; their dancing Places being very diſtin⯑guiſhable. For as they dance Hand in Hand, and ſo make a Circle in their Dance, ſo next Day there will be ſeen Rings and Circles on the Graſs.

NOW in all this there is really nothing, but an old fabulous Story, which has been handed down even to our Days from the Times of Heatheniſm, of a certain Sort of Beings called Lamiae, which were eſteem'd ſo miſ⯑chievous and cruel, as to take away young Children and ſlay them. Theſe, together with the Fauns, the Gods of the Woods, ſeem to have form'd the Notion of Fairies.

[84]THIS Opinion, in the benighted Ages of Popery, when Hobgoblins and Sprights were in every City and Town and Village, by every Wa⯑ter and in every Wood, was very common. But when that Cloud was diſpell'd, and the Day ſprung up, thoſe Spirits which wander'd in the Night of Ignorance and Error, did real⯑ly vaniſh at the Dawn of Truth and the Light of Knowledge.

ANOTHER Tradition they hold, and which is often talk'd of, is, that there are particular Places alotted to Spirits to walk in. Thence it was that formerly, ſuch frequent Reports were abroad of this and that particular Place being haunted by a Spirit, and that the com⯑mon People ſay now and then, ſuch a Place is dangerous to be paſs'd through at Night, be⯑cauſe a Spirit walks there. Nay, they'll fur⯑ther tell you, that ſome Spirits have lamented the Hardneſs of their Condition, in being obli⯑ged to walk in cold and uncomfortable Places, and have therefore deſir'd the Perſon who was ſo hardy as to ſpeak to them, to gift them with a warmer Walk, by ſome well grown Hedge, [85] or in ſome ſhady Vale, where they might be ſhelter'd from the Rain and Wind.

THE Stories, that Apparitions, have been ſeen oftner than once in the ſame Place, have no Doubt been the Riſe and Spring of the wal⯑king Places of Spirits; but why they are ſaid ſometimes to cry out for Places that are more comfortable, is not ſo certainly known. It is however highly probable, that when the Ig⯑norance and Superſtition of the Romiſh Church, had filled the World with Apparitions and Ghoſts, that this alſo was invented among them. For they ſeem to have the moſt Right to an In⯑vention of this Nature, whoſe Brains were ſo fruitful of Folly, as to invent that ⁷⁹ Dunſtan took the Devil by the Noſe, with a Pair of hot Tongs till he roar'd again. For if the De⯑vil may be burnt, he may alſo be ſtarv'd; if he took ſuch Pains to get his Noſe out of the Pincers, without Doubt in a froſty Night, he would wiſh to be as warm as poſſible. He that believes the one, muſt neceſſarily believe the other. And therefore it very near amounts [86] to a Demonſtration, who were the Authors of this Opinion, viz. The Monks. We are ſure they invented the one, and need little que⯑ſtion but they invented the other.

THERE is a Story in the Book of Tobit, (which they may believe that will) of the evil Spirits flying into the utmoſt Parts of Egypt. ^* For as Tobias went in unto his Wife, he re⯑membred the Words of Raphael, and took the Aſhes of the Perfumes, and put the Heart and Liver of the Fiſh thereupon, and made a Smoke therewith. The which Smell, when the evil Spirit had ſmelled, he fled into the utmoſt Parts of Egypt, and the Angel bound him. Now from this it is evident, that the Spirit was o⯑bliged to forſake his good old Quarters and warm Lodgings, for inhoſpitable Deſarts and open Air: And from this, perhaps, ſome of thoſe doting Monks, have perſuaded themſelves into a Belief of theſe Things.

WHEN it is proved to us, that this Book of Tobit is the Word of GOD, we may enter⯑tain [87] more Veneration for this Vulgar Opini⯑on; but till then, we muſt be iudulg'd in wondering, how a Spirit, that is an immateri⯑al Subſtance, can be affected with our Heat or Cold, or any Power or Quality of material Beings.

THE laſt Topick of this Converſation I ſhall take Notice of, ſhall be the Tales of haunted Houſes. And indeed it is not to be wonder'd at, that this is never omitted. For formerly almoſt every Place had a Houſe of this Kind. If a Houſe was ſeated on ſome melancholly Place, or built in ſome old Romantick Man⯑ner; or if any particular Accident had hap⯑pen'd in it, ſuch as Murder, ſudden Death, or the like, to be ſure that Houſe had a Mark ſet on it, and was afterwards eſteemed the Habita⯑tion of a Ghoſt. In talking upon this Point, they generally ſhow the Occaſion of the Houſe's being haunted, the merry Pranks of the Spi⯑rit, and how it was laid. Stories of this Kind are infinite, and there are few Villages, which have not either had ſuch an Houſe in it, or near it.

[88]AND indeed there are Men of good Learn⯑ing and Knowledge, who are as far as others from Superſtition, who are inclinable to be⯑lieve, that ſuch Things have been upon par⯑ticular Emergencies; tho', among the Stories that are told, they believe not one in a thou⯑ſand. They know that Spirits have frequent⯑ly appeared to Men out of Houſes, and they can ſee no Reaſon why they may not have ap⯑peared in them: They know nothing in an Houſe more than in another Place, to prevent an Apparition, but an equal Help to its Viſi⯑bility. The Air, which a Ghoſt is ſuppoſed to be wrapped in, when it becomes viſible to Men, is there to be found, and they know of nothing elſe that may be an Argument againſt it. An Author of good Credit tells us, ^* That when he was at Rome, he was taken with Ill⯑neſs, and obliged to keep his Bed: As he lay in this Condition, he obſerved, as he was once [89] awake, a Woman of a very beautiful Perſon coming towards him. Upon this he was ſilent for ſome Time, and very thoughtful, weigh⯑ing all the while with himſelf, whether it was not rather a deceptio viſus than a real Being. But when he perceived his Senſes ſound and intire, and that the Object ſtill continued; he asked, What ſhe was? In Anſwer to which, ſhe repeated the very Words he had ſpoke to her, in a ſneering and diſdainful Manner. After ſhe had taken a good View of him, ſhe departed.

THE Commentator upon this Place, ſays, ^* He looks upon this Story, and the reſt which are mention'd along with it, to be nothing but Dreams and Fancies. And for ought that I know to the contrary, they may be ſo; but however it muſt be confeſs'd, this Story in particular is well atteſted, being told by the Man himſelf, who was a great and a learned Man, and who, if we may believe himſelf, ſeems to be as ſure that he had his Eyes open, as the Commentator can be of the contrary.

[90]BUT whatever Truth there may be in it, it is certain that in the Church of Rome they are perſwaded of the Truth of it, to a Fault. For they are ſo ſure of it, that they have par⯑ticular Forms of exorciſing ſuch Houſes; which becauſe they have often been heard of, but ſeldom ſeen; and are thoſe very Things, which raiſed, in the Vulgar formerly, ſuch an Opinion of their ignorant Prieſts, as to make them be eſteemed Men of the greateſt Faith and Learning; and becauſe alſo the Opinion has reached even our Days, and 'tis common for the preſent Vulgar to ſay, none can lay a Spirit but a Popiſh Prieſt; it ſhall be the Buſi⯑neſs of the next Chapter, to give one of thoſe Forms of exorciſing an Houſe; not that they are envied for their Art of conjuring, but that it may be ſeen, how well they deſerve the Character they go under.

CHAP. XI. POSTEXER CITATIO SEPTIMA, F. VALERII POLIDORI PATAVINI. Quae ordo dicitur Domum a Daemone per⯑turbatam liberandi. The FORM of exorciſing an haunted HOUSE.

THE ^* Houſe which is reported to be vexed with Spirits, ſhall be viſited by the Prieſt once every Day, for a whole Week together: And Day after Day he ſhall proceed as follows.

CHAP. XII. Of Saturday Afternoon; how obſerved of old, by the ancient Chriſtians, the Church of Scotland, and the old Church of England: What End we ſhould obſerve it for: An Exhorta⯑tion to the Obſervation of it.

IT is uſual, in Country Places and Villages, where the Po⯑liteneſs of the Age hath made no great Conqueſt, to obſerve ſome particular Times with ſome Ceremonies, which were cuſtomary in the Days of our Fore-fathers: Such are the great Feſtivals of Chriſtmas, Eaſter, and ſeveral o⯑thers, [116] which they obſerve with Rites and Cu⯑ſtoms appropriated to them.

AMONG theſe we find a great Deference paid to Saturday Afternoon, above the other worky Days of the Week: Then the Labours of the Plough ceaſt, and Refreſhment and Eaſe are over all the Village.

THIS ſeems to be the Remains of a lau⯑dable Cuſtom once in this Land (but now al⯑moſt buried in that general Contempt of Re⯑ligion and love of the World, which prevail ſo much every where) of attending the Even⯑ing Prayers on Saturday, and laying aſide the Concerns of this Life, to be fitter for the Duties of the Day following. For ^* ‘it was an holy Cuſtom among our Fore-fathers, when at the Ringing to Prayer the Eve be⯑fore the Sabbath, the Husbandman would give over his Labour in the Field, and the Tradeſman his Work in the Shop, and go to Evening Prayer in the Church, to prepare their Souls, that their Minds might more [117] chearfully attend GOD's Worſhip on the Sab⯑bath-Day.’

AND indeed it was the Cuſtom both of the Jewiſh and the Chriſtian Church. They nei⯑ther of them entred upon the Sabbath, without ſome Preparation for it. Moſes ^* taught the Jews to remember the Sabbath over Night; from whence in all Probability it comes to paſs, that the Eve of the Jewiſh Sabbath is called the Preparation. The Preparation mentioned by the Evangeliſts, begun at Three a Clock on Friday Afternoon; it was proclaimed with the Noiſe of Trumpets and Horns, that they might be better put in Mind of the Sabbath's draw⯑ing on, and of that Preparation which was re⯑quiſite for it.

AMONG the primitive Chriſtians the LORD'S Day was always uſher'd in, with a Pernoctation or Vigil. They aſſembled in the Houſe of GOD, and ſung Pſalms and Praiſes to him a great Part of the Night, that they might be better prepa⯑red to ſerve him on his own Day following.^†

[118]IN the Year of our LORD 1203, William, King of Scotland, called a Council of the chief Men of his Kingdom, at which alſo was preſent the Pope's Legate; and it was then determin'd, that Saturday after the twelfth Hour ſhould be kept holy; that no one ſhould follow their Buſineſs nor Callings, but deſiſt as on other Holy Days: That they ſhould be put in Mind of it by the Tolling of the Bell, and then mind the Buſineſs of Religion as on Holy Days, be preſent at the Sermon, and hear Veſpers; that this ſhould be the Practice till Munday Morn⯑ing, and whoever acted otherwiſe ſhould be ſe⯑verely puniſhed.

AND this, as is ſaid before, was alſo the Cuſtom of our own Country, long before this order'd in Scotland. For in the Year 958, when^* [119] King Edgar made his Eccleſiaſtical Laws, we find one made to this very Purpoſe: In which it is order'd, That ^* the Sabbath or Sun⯑day ſhall be obſerved from Saturday at ^† Noon, till the Light appear on Munday Mor⯑ning.

NOW hence hath come the preſent Cuſtom, of ſpending a Part of Saturday Afternoon with⯑out ſervile Labour. And that our Fore-fathers, [120] when the Bell was heard, attended the Evening Prayer, not fearing the Loſs of Time, nor the Neceſſities of Poverty; happy would it be for us, would we ſo baniſh the Care of the Body for the Care of the Soul! Would we leave to converſe about ſecular Buſineſs, and mind then the Buſineſs of Religion; would we remember that it is ^* the Preparation, and that the Sab⯑bath draws on.

WHEN Jacob was going to worſhip GOD at Bethel, he order'd his Family to ^† put away the ſtrange Gods that were among them, and be clean, and change their Garments, and ariſe and go to Bethel. He knew that the GOD of Pu⯑rity and Holineſs was to be approached with the utmoſt Purity they could poſſibly cloth them⯑ſelves with. And would we, before we enter into the Preſence of GOD on his own Day, endeavour to purifie our ſelves from the Filth of the World we have contracted in the Days before; would we diſperſe theſe buſy Swarms of Things, which ſo attract our Minds, and prepare our ſelves for the following Day; we [121] ſhould appear before GOD, leſs earthly and more heavenly, leſs ſinful and more holy; Our ^* Prayers would be ſet forth in his Sight as the Incenſe, and the lifting up of our Hands be an Evening Sacrifice: And like the Smell of Ja⯑cob's Garment in the Noſtrils of his Father, the Smell of our Prayers would ^† be like the Smell of a Field which the LORD hath bleſ⯑ſed.

AND now what is this Preparation, but the Trimming of our Lamps againſt we meet the LORD on the next Day? Our Bodies ſhould be refreſhed by ceaſing early from their Labour, that they may be active and vigorous; and our Souls waſhed with Sobriety and Tem⯑perance, and the private or publick Prayer of the Evening. Thus ſhould we meet the LORD at Bethel, and obtain thoſe Mercies we ſought of him there.

ART thou then bleſſed with an Affluence of Things, and hath Providence placed Thee above the careful Stations of Life? What Rea⯑ſon [122] then can be ſufficient for thy Neglect of this Cuſtom? For neither canſt thou plead the want of Time, neither doſt thou dread the ſtraits of Poverty.

OR art thou involv'd in the Cares of Buſi⯑neſs? Doſt thou earn thy Bread by the Sweat of thy Face, and the Labours of thy Hands? O well is Thee! And happy mayſt thou be. Wouldſt thou dedicate this ſmall Time to the Service of GOD, it would be like the Wi⯑dow's Mite, which was more than all that was thrown into the Treaſury: But perhaps, thou wilt ſay thou art under the Yoke, ſubject to Servitude, and obliged to work even to the latter End of the Day. It may be ſo, but yet, as GOD is every where preſent, ſo wouldſt thou Remember that it is the Preparation, and put up an Ejaculation at thy Work, GOD would accept it, and it would prove to thee, an equal Good with the other Preparation. Caſſian ^* tells us, That the ancient Monks, [123] whilſt they were working in the private Cells, repeated their Religious Offices: And St. Je⯑rom, when he is commending the pleaſing Re⯑tirement of the Village of Bethlehem, ^* ſays, That in the Village of CHRIST, there is a ſecure Ruſticity: No Noiſe is heard there, but the Singing of Pſalms. Whereſoever you go, you have either the Plough-Man ſinging Halle⯑lujahs as he's holding the Plough, or the ſweat⯑ing Mower pleaſing himſelf with Hymns; or the Vine-dreſſer ſinging David's Pſalms. Theſe without doubt were acceptable to GOD, and thine undoubtedly will be acceptable alſo.

BUT if thou art not ty'd down by Neceſ⯑ſity, do not ſay that the common Neceſſa⯑ries of Life require then thy Labour: For this is not loſing, but Redeeming the Time; what thou ſpendeſt in the Care of thy Soul, is not loſt in the Care of thy Body. Never was Man poorer, for obſerving the Duties of Religion. If thou loſe any Thing of the Wages [124] of the Day, to do the Service of GOD, he will take care to ſupply it, thou ſhalt be no loſer.

WHY then art thou fearful, O! Thou of little Faith! Why doſt thou take ſo much Thought for thy Life? Behold the Fowls of the Air, for they ſow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into Barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them: Art thou not much better than they? And why takeſt thou thought for Rayment? Con⯑ſider the Lilies of the Field, they toil not, nei⯑ther do they Spin; and yet I ſay unto thee, that Solomon, in all his Glory, was not arrayed like one of theſe. And ſhall he not much more Cloath thee, O Thou of little Faith! Therefore take no Thought for what thou ſhalt Eat, or what thou ſhalt Drink, or where withal thou ſhalt be Cloa⯑thed; but ſeek thou firſt the Kingdom of GOD and his Righteouſneſs; prefer the Care of theſe, to the Care of all other Things, and all theſe Things ſhall be added unto Thee.

LET not then the buſy Cares of this Life, be any hinderance to thy Care of the other; ſet apart this ſmall Time, for the Time of [125] Preparation, and look on it, as an Emblem of the whole Time of Life: Which is our Day of Preparation, for the eternal Sabbath, the e⯑verlaſting Reſt, the undeſturbed Quiet of the other Life.

CHAP. XIII. Of the Yule-Clog and Chriſtmas-Candle; what they may ſignifie; their Antiqui⯑ty; the like Cuſtoms in other Places.

IN the Primitive Church, Chriſt⯑mas-Day was always obſerv'd as the Lord's-Day was, and was in like Manner preceeded by an Eve or Vigil. Hence it is that our Church hath ordered an Eve before it, which is obſerved by the Religious, as a Day of Preparation for that great Feſtival.

OUR Fore-Fathers, when the common De⯑votions of the Eve were over, and Night was come on, were wont to light up Candles of an uncommon Size, which were called Chriſtmas-Candles, [127] and to lay a Log of Wood upon the Fire, which they termed a Yule-Clog, or Chriſt⯑mas-Block. Theſe were to Illuminate the Houſe, and turn the Night into Day; which Cuſtom, in ſome Meaſure, is ſtill kept up in the Nor⯑thren Parts.

IT hath, in all probability, been derived from the Saxons. For Bede tells us, That this very Night was obſerved in this Land before, by the Heathen Saxons. They ^* began, ſays he, their Year on the Eight of the Calends of January, which is now our Chriſtmas-Day: And the very Night before, which is now Holy to us, was by them called Maedrenack, or the Night of Mothers; becauſe, as we imagine, of thoſe Ceremonies which were perform'd that Night. The Yule-Clog therefore hath probably been a Part of that Night's Ceremonies. The very Name ſeems to ſpeak it, and tells its Ori⯑ginal to every Age.

[128]IT ſeems to have been uſed, as an Emblem of the return of the Sun, and the lengthening of the Days. For as ^* both December and Jan⯑uary were called Guili or ^† Yule, upon Ac⯑count [129] of the Sun's Returning, and the Increaſe of the Days; ſo, I am apt to believe, the Log has had the Name of the Yule-Log, from its being burnt as an Emblem of the returning Sun, and the Increaſe of its Light and Heat.

THIS was probably the Reaſon of the Cu⯑ſtom among the Heathen Saxons; but I cannot think the Obſervation of it was continued for the ſame Reaſon, after Chriſtianity was em⯑braced. For Biſhop Stillingfleet obſerves in his Origines Britanicae, ‘That tho' the ancient Saxons obſerved Twelve Days at that Time, and ſacri⯑ficed to the Sun, in hopes of his Returning; yet when Chriſtianity prevail'd, all theſe Ido⯑latrous Sacrifices were laid aſide, and that Time of Feaſting was joined with the religious So⯑lemnity of that Seaſon, which in other Parts of the World were obſerved by Chriſtians.’ And in like Manner as theſe Days of Feaſting were joined with the religious Solemnities of that Seaſon, ſo the keeping up of this Cuſtom, ſeems to have been done with another View, than it was originally. If a Conjecture may be allowed, it might have been done on Account [130] of our Saviour's Birth, which happened that Night. For as the Burning of it before Chri⯑ſtianity, was an Emblem of the Coming of the Sun, which they worſhipped as their God; ſo the continuing it after, might have been for a Symbol of that Light, which was that Night born into the World: The Light that ſhineth in Darkneſs; the Light that lightned the Gen⯑tiles, that turn'd them from Darkneſs to Light, and from the Power of Satan unto GOD.

AND indeed it will be ſome ſtrengthening of the Conjecture, that Light has been the Em⯑blem of ſeveral Things, both in Scripture, and in the ancient Church: For the Scripture makes uſe of it, and the Church in Imitation of the Scripture, as a lively Repreſentation of ſeveral Things. Thus Light is the Emblem of GOD: For GOD is Light, ſays the Apoſtle St. John. John the Baptiſt was a Burning and a Shining Light. And therefore in ſome Places it ^* is [131] cuſtomary to carry Torches on St. John the Baptiſt's Eve, to repreſent St. John Baptiſt him⯑ſelf, who was a Burning and a Shining Light, and a Preparer of the Way for the True Light, that lighteneth every Man that cometh into the World. The Apoſtles were the Light of the World; and as our Saviour was frequently called Light, ſo was this his Coming into the World ſignified, and pointed out by the Em⯑blems of Light: ‘It was then (ſays our Coun⯑try-man Gregory) the longeſt Night in all the Year; and it was the midſt of that, and yet there was Day where he was: For a glo⯑rious and betokening Light ſhined round a⯑bout this Holy Child. So ſays Tradition, and ſo the Maſters deſcribe the Night Piece of the Nativity.’ If this be called in Queſti⯑on, as being only Tradition, it is out of Diſ⯑pute, that the Light which illuminated the Fields of Bethlehem, and ſhone round about the Shepherds as they were watching their Flocks, was an Emblem of that Light, which was then come into Word. What ^* can be the meaning, [132] ſays venerable Bede, that this Apparition of An⯑gels was ſurrounded with that heavenly Light, which is a Thing we never meet with in all the old Teſtament? For tho' Angels have ap⯑peared to Prophets and holy Men, yet we ne⯑ver read of their Appearing in ſuch Glory and Splendor before. It muſt ſurely be, becauſe this Privilege was reſerved for the Dignity of this Time. For when the true Light of the World, was born in the World, it was very proper that the Proclaimer of his Nativity, ſhould appear in the Eyes of Men, in ſuch an heavenly Light, as was before unſeen in the World. And that ſupernatural Star, which was the Guide of the Eaſtern Magi, was a Fi⯑gure of that Star, which was riſen out of Ja⯑cob; of that Light which ſhould lighten the Gentiles. ‘GOD, ſays Biſhop Taylor, ſent a miraculous Star, to invite and lead them to a new and more glorious Light, the Light of Grace and Glory.’

[133]IN Imitation of this, as Gregory tells us, the Church went on with the Ceremony: And hence it was, that for the three or four Firſt Centuries, the whole Eaſtern Church, called the Day, which they obſerved for our Saviour's Nativity, the Epiphany or Manifeſtation of the Light. And Caſſian tells us, ^* That it was a Cuſtom in Egypt, handed down by Tradition, as ſoon as the Epiphany, or Day of Light was over, &c. Hence alſo came that ancient Cuſtom of the ſame Church, taken Notice of by St. Jerome, of ^† lighting up Candles at the Read⯑ing of the Goſpel, even at Noon-Day; and that, not to drive away the Darkneſs, but to ſpeak their Joy for the good Tydings of the Goſpel, and be an Emblem of that Light, which the Pſalmiſt ſays, was a Lamp unto his Feet, and a Light unto his Paths.

[134]LIGHT therefore having been an Emblem of ſo many Things, and particularly of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, both in the ſacred Hiſtory, and in the Practice of the Church; it is no way improbable, that after their Conver⯑ſion, the Saxons uſed it as an Emblem of him, who that Night came into the World, and was the Light thereof. In the City of Conſtantino⯑ple, on the Eve of Eaſter, there was a Cuſtom practiſed, much like this of ours on Chriſtmas-Eve. For then the whole City was illumina⯑ted with Tapers and Torches, which continued all the Night, turning the Night into Day, till almoſt the Day appeared. The Reaſon of this Cuſtom, was to repreſent that Light which the next Day aroſe upon the World. The Diffe⯑rence between theſe two Cuſtoms, is that of the Time, the Reaſon of their Obſervation is much the ſame. The one illuminated the Eve of Eaſter, that there might be an Emblem of the Sun of Righteouſneſs, who the next Day aroſe upon the World; the other, the Eve of Yule, to give an Emblem of that Light which^* [135] was the Day ſpring from on High. Nay, this Eve of Yule, as Gregory tells us, ‘was illumi⯑nated with ſo many Tapors among the An⯑cients, as to give to the Vigil the Name of Vigilia Luminum; and the Ancients, ſays he, did well to ſend Lights one to another, whatever ſome think of the Chriſtmas-Candle.’

CHAP. XIV. Of adorning the Windows at Chriſtmas with Laurel: What the Laurel is an Emblem of: An Objection againſt this Cuſtom taken off.

ANOTHER Cuſtom obſerved at this Seaſon, is the adorning of Windows with Bay and Laurel. It is but ſeldom obſerved in North, but in the Southern-Parts, it is very Common, particularly at our Univerſities; where it is Cuſtomary to adorn, not only the Common Windows of the Town, and of the Colleges, but alſo to bedeck the Cha⯑pels of the Colleges, with Branches of Laurel.

THE Laurel was uſed among the ancient Romans, as an Emblem of ſeveral Things, and [137] in particular, of ^* Peace, and Joy, and Victory. And I imagine, it has been uſed at this Seaſon by Chriſtians, as an Emblem of the ſame Things; as an Emblem of Joy for the Victory gain'd o⯑ver the Powers of Darkneſs, and of that Peace on Earth, that Good-will towards Men, which the Angels ſung over the Fields of Bethlehem.

IT ^† has been made uſe of by the Non-Con⯑formiſts, as an Argument againſt Ceremonies, that the ſecond Council of Bracara, ^‖ Can. 73. forbad Chriſtians ‘to deck their Houſes, with Bay Leaves and Green Boughes.’ But the Council does not mean, that it was wrong in Chriſtians, to make uſe of theſe Things, but only ‘at the ſame Time with the Pagans, when they obſerved and ſolemnized their Paganiſh Paſtime and Worſhip. And of this Prohibiti⯑on, [138] they give this Reaſon in the ſame Canon; Omnis haec obſervatio paganiſmi eſt. All this kind of Cuſtom doth hold of Paganiſm: Be⯑cauſe the outward Practice of Heatheniſh Rites, perform'd jointly with the Pagans themſelves, could not but imply a Conſent in Paganiſm.’

BUT at preſent, there is no hazard of any ſuch Thing. It may be an Emblem of Joy to us, without confirming any, in the Practice of Heatheniſm. The Time, the Place, and the Reaſons of the Ceremony, are ſo widely diffe⯑rent; that, tho' formerly, to have obſerved it, would unqueſtionably have been a Sin, it is now become harmleſs, comely, and decent.

CHAP. XV. Of the Chriſtmas Carol, an ancient Cu⯑ſtom: The common Obſervation of it very unbecoming.

AS ſoon as the Morning of the Nativity appears, it is cuſtom⯑ary among the common People to ſing a Chriſtmas-Carol, which is a Song upon the Birth of our Saviour, and generally ſung with ſome ^* o⯑thers, from the Nativity to the Twelveth-Day, the Continuance of Chriſtmas. It comes, they ſay, from Cantare, to ſing, and Rola, which is [140] an Interjection of Joy: For in ancient Times, the Burden of the Song, when Men were Mer⯑ry, was Rola, Rola.

THIS kind of Songs is of an Ancient ſtand⯑ing: They were ſung early in the Church it ſelf, in memory of the Nativity, as the many HYMNS for that Seaſon manifeſtly declare: Tertullian ſays, ^* it was cuſtomary among the Chriſtians, at their Feaſts, to bring thoſe, who were able to ſing, into the Midſt, and make them ſing a Song unto GOD; either out of the Holy Scripture, or of their own Compoſing and Invention. And as this was done at their Feaſts, ſo no doubt it was obſerved at the great Feaſt of the Nativity; which Song, no Queſtion of it, was to them, what the Chriſtmas-Carol ſhould be to us. In after Ages we have it alſo taken Notice of: For Durand tells us, ^† That on the Day of the Nativity, it was uſual for the Bi⯑ſhops [141] of ſome Churches to ſing among their Clergy, in the Epiſcopal Houſe, which Song was undoubtedly a Chriſtmas-Carol.

THE Reaſon of this Cuſtom ſeems to be an Imitation of the Gloria in Excelſis, or Glory be to GOD on High, &c. which was ſung by the Angels, as they hovered o'er the Fields of Beth⯑lehem, in the Morning of the Nativity. For e⯑ven that Song, as the learned Biſhop Taylor ob⯑ſerves, was a Chriſtmas-Carol. As ſoon, ſays he, as theſe bleſſed Choriſters had ſung their Chriſtmas-Carol, and taught the Church a Hymn, to put into her Offices for Ever, in the Anniver⯑ſary of this Feſtivity; the Angels, &c.

WAS this performed with that Reverence and Decency, which are due to a Song of this Nature, in Honour of the Nativity, and Glo⯑ry to our LORD, it would be very commend⯑able; but to ſing it, as is generally done, in the midſt of Rioting and Chambering, and Wan⯑toneſs, is no Honour, but Diſgrace; no Glory, but an Affront to that Holy Seaſon, a Scandal to Religion, and a Sin againſt CHRIST.

CHAP. XVI. Of New-Year's-Day's Ceremonies: The New-Year's-Gift an harmleſs Cuſtom: wiſhing a good New-Year, no Way ſin⯑ful. Mumming, a Cuſtom which ought to be laid aſide.

AS the Vulgar are always very careful to End the old Year well, ſo they are alſo careful of Beginning well the new one: As they End the For⯑mer with a hearty Compotation, ſo they begin the Latter with the Sending of Preſents, which are termed New-Year's-Gifts, to their Friends and Acquaintances: The Original of both which Cuſtoms, is ^* ſuperſtitious and ſinful; [143] and was obſerved that the ſucceeding Year, might be proſperous and ſucceſsful.

‘BISHOP ^* Stilling fleet tells us, That a⯑mong the Saxons of the Northren Nations, the Feaſt of the New-Year was obſerved with more than ordinary Jollity: Thence as Ollaus Wormius and Scheffer obſerve, they recko⯑ned their Age by ſo many ^† Jola's; and Snorro Sturleſon deſcribeth this New-Year's Feaſt, juſt as Buchannan ſets out the Britiſh Saturalia, by Feaſting and ſending Preſents, or New-Year's Gifts, one to another.’

THE Poet Naogeorgus ſays, ^‖ That it was uſual at that Time, for Friends to preſent each other with a New-Year's Gift; for the Hus⯑band the Wife; the Parents, their Children; and Maſter's their Servants; which, as ^* Hoſ⯑pinian [144] tells us, was an ancient Cuſtom of the Heathens, and afterwards practis'd by the Chri⯑ſtians.

AND no doubt, thoſe Chriſtians were high⯑ly worthy of Cenſure, who imagined, as the Heathens did, that the ſending of a Preſent then, was any way Lucky, and an Omen of the Succeſs of the following Year. For this was the very Thing that made both ſeveral Holy Men, and ſome general Councils, take notice of, and forbid any ſuch Cuſtom: becauſe the Obſervance of it, out of any ſuch Deſign and View, was Superſtitious and Sinful. We are told, in a Place of St. Auſtin, ^* the Obſervati⯑on of the Calends of January is forbid, the Songs which were wont to be ſung on that Day, the Feaſtings, and the Preſents which were then ſent as a Token and Omen of a good Year. But to ſend a Preſent at that Time, out of E⯑ſteem, or Gratitude, or Charity, is no where [145] forbid: On the Contrary, it is Praiſe worthy. For tho' the ^* ancient Fathers did vehemently invey againſt the Obſervation of the Calends of January; yet it was not becauſe of thoſe Pre⯑ſents, and Tokens of mutual Affection and Love that paſſed; but becauſe the Day it ſelf was dedicated to Idols, and becauſe of ſome pro⯑phane Rites and Ceremonies they obſerved in ſolemnizing it. If then I ſend a New-Year's Gift to my Friend, it ſhall be a Token of my Friendſhip; if to my Benefactor, a Token of my Gratitude; if to the Poor, (which at this Time muſt never be forgot) it ſhall be to make their Hearts ſing for Joy, and give Praiſe and Adoration to the Giver of all good Gifts.

ANOTHER old Cuſtom at this Time, is the wiſhing of a good New-Year, either when a New-Year's Gift is preſented, or when Friends meet, or when a New-Year's Song is ſung at [146] the Door; the Burden of which is, we wiſh you a happy New-Year.

THIS is alſo a Cuſtom among the Modern Jews, who on the firſt Day of the Month ^* Tiſri, have a ſplended ^† Entertainment, and wiſh each other a happy New-Year.

NOW the Original of this Cuſtom is Hea⯑theniſh, as appears by the Feaſting and Preſents before mentioned, which were a Wiſh for a good Year. And it was cuſtomary among the Hea⯑thens on the Calends of January, to go about and ſing a New-Year's Song. Hoſpinian there⯑fore tells us, That ^‖ when Night comes on, not only the Young, but alſo the Old of both [147] Sexes, run about here and there, and ſing a Song at the Doors of the wealthier People, in which they wiſh them a happy New-Year. This he ſpeaks indeed of the Chriſtians, but he calls it an exact Copy of the Heathens Cuſtom.

BUT however I cannot ſee the Harm of re⯑taining this ancient Ceremony, ſo it be not uſed ſuperſtitiouſly, nor attended with Obſce⯑nity and Lewdneſs. For then there will be no more in it, than an hearty Wiſh for each o⯑thers Welfare and Proſperity; no more Harm, than wiſhing a good Day, or good Night; than in bidding one GOD ſpeed; or than in wiſhing to our Friend, what Abraham's Servant did to himſelf, O ^* LORD GOD of my Maſter A⯑braham, I pray thee ſend me good ſpeed this Day.

THERE is another Cuſtom obſerved at this Time, which is called among us Mumming; which is a changing of Clothes between Men and Women; who when dreſs'd in each others Habits, go from one Neighbour's Houſe to ano⯑ther, [148] and partake of their Chriſtmas-Cheer, and make merry with them in Diſguiſe, by dancing and ſinging, and ſuch like Merriments.

THIS ^* is an Imitation of the Cuſtoms of the Sigillaria, or Feſtival Days which were added to the ancient ^† Saturnalia, and obſerved by the Heathens in January; which was a going in Diſguiſe, not publickly, or to any indiffe⯑rent [149] Place; but privately, and to ſome well known Families.

THIS kind of Cuſtom received a deſerved Blow from the Church, and was taken Notice of in the Synod ^* of Trullus; where it was de⯑creed, that the Days called the Calends, ſhould be intirely ſtrip'd of their Ceremonies, and the Faithful ſhould no longer obſerve them: That the publick Dancings of Women ſhould ceaſe, as being the Occaſion of much Harm and Ruin, and as being invented and obſerved in honour of their Gods, and therefore quite averſe to the Chriſtian Life. They there⯑fore decreed, that no Man ſhould be Cloathed with a Woman's Garment, no Woman with a Man's.

IT were to be wiſh'd, this Cuſtom, which is ſtill ſo Common among us at this Seaſon of the Year, was laid aſide; as it is the Occaſion of much ^† Uncleanneſs and Debauchery, and [150] directly oppoſite to the Word of GOD. The ^* Woman ſhall not wear that which partaineth unto a Man, neither ſhall a Man put on a Woman's Garment; for all that do ſo, are Abomination unto the LORD thy GOD.

CHAP. XVII. Of the Twelfth Day; how obſerved: The Wickedneſs of obſerving the Twelve Days after the common Way.

ON the Epiphany, or Manifeſtati⯑on of CHRIST to the Gen⯑tiles, commonly called the Twelfth-Day, the Eaſtern Magi were guided by the Star, to pay their Homage to their Saviour; and becauſe they came that Day, which is the Twelfth after the Day of the Nativity, it is therefore called the Twelfth-Day.

The Twelfth-Day it ſelf is one of the great⯑eſt of the Twelve, and of more jovial Obſer⯑vation than the Others, for the viſiting of [152] Friends and Chriſtmas-Gambols. The Rites of this Day are different in divers Places, tho' the End of them is much the ſame in all; namely, to do honour to the Memory of the Eaſtern Magi, whom they ſuppoſe to have been Kings. In ^* France, one of the Courtiers is choſen King, whom the King him⯑ſelf, and the other Nobles attend at an En⯑tertainment. In Germany, they obſerve the ſame Thing on this Day in Academies and Cities, where the Students and Citizens create one of themſelves King, and provide a Magni⯑ficent Banquet for him, and give him the At⯑tendance of a King, or a ſtranger Gueſt. Now this is anſwerable to that Cuſtom of the Sa⯑turnalia, of Maſters making Banquets for their Servants, and waiting on them; and no Doubt this Cuſtom has in Part ſprung from that.

NOT many Years ago, this was a common Chriſtmas-Gambol in both our Univerſities; and it is ſtill uſual in other Places of our [153] Land, to give the Name of King or Queen to that Perſon, whoſe extraordinary Luck hits upon that Part of the divided Cake, which is honour'd above the others, with a Bean in it.

BUT tho' this be generally the greateſt of the Twelve, yet the others preceeding are obſerved with Mirth and Jollity, generally to Exceſs. Was this Feaſting confined within the Bounds of Decency and Moderation, and gave more way than it does to the Exerciſes and the Re⯑ligious Duties of the Seaſon, it would have nothing in it immoral or ſinful. The keeping up of Friendſhip, and Love, and old Acquain⯑tance, has nothing in it harmful; but the Misfortune is, Men upon that Bottom, act ra⯑ther like Brutes than Men, and like Heathens than Chriſtians; and the Preſervation of Friendſhip and Love, is nothing elſe but a Pretence for Drunkenneſs, and Rioting, and Wantonneſs And ſuch I am afraid hath been the Obſervation of the Chriſtmas-Holy-days, ſince the holieſt Times of the Chriſtian Church; and the generality of Men have rather look'd [154] upon them, as a ^* Time of Eating and Drink⯑ing, and Playing, than of returning Praiſes and Thankſgivings to GOD, for the greateſt Benefit he ever beſtow'd upon the Sons of Men.

Gregory Nazianzen, in that excellent Orati⯑on of his upon Chriſtmas-Day, ſays, Let us not celebrate the Feaſt after an Earthly, but an Heavenly Manner; let not our Doors be crown'd; let not Dancing be encourag'd; let not the Croſs-paths be adorned, the Eyes fed, nor the Ears delighted, &c. Let us not Feaſt to exceſs, nor be Drunk with Wine, &c. From this we may clearly ſee, what has been the Cuſtom in theſe Days. And in all Probability it has been much the ſame among us, from the Beginning of Chriſtianity: However fabulous that Story may be, taken Notice of by ^† Biſhop Stilling fleet, from Hector Boethius, ‘That King Arthur kept with his Nobles at York, a very [155] prophane Chriſtmas for ^† Thirteen Days toge⯑ther, and that ſuch Jollity and Feaſting then, had its Original from him.’ But however theſe Words, if true, may be a Teſtimony of the too great Antiquity of the Abuſe of this Feſtival; yet they will by no Means juſtifie Buchannan's Comment upon them. For as the learned Biſhop goes on, ‘Buchannan is ſo well pleaſed with this notable Obſervation, that he ſets it down for good Hiſtory, ſaying upon it, that the old Saturnalia were re⯑new'd, only the Days increaſed, and Sa⯑turn's Name chang'd to Caeſar's: For ſays he, we call the Feaſt Julia. But why ſhould the Name of Saturn be changed into Caeſar's? Was he worſhipped for a GOD among the [156] Britiſh Chriſtians, as Saturn was among the old Pagans? But the Name Julia imports it; by no Means. For Buchannon does not prove, that this Name was ever uſed for that Feſtival among the Britains; and the Saxons, who brought in both the Name and the Feaſt, give another ^* Reaſon for it.’

BUCHANNAN ſeems therefore to have a great deal more Malice than Truth on his Side. But however ſuch Revellings, and Fro⯑licks, and Extravagances, whether or not de⯑rived from the old Saturnalia, as are cuſtomary at this Seaſon, do come very near to, if not ex⯑ceed its Liberties. In particular, what commo⯑ner at this Seaſon, than for Men to riſe early in the Morning, that they may follow ſtrong Drink, and continue untill Night, till Wine inflame them? As if CHRIST who came into the World to ſave us, and was manifeſted to deſtroy the Works of the Devil; was to be honour'd with the very Works he came to deſtroy.

[157]WITH ſome, Chriſtmaſs ends with the Twelve Days, but with the Generality of the Vulgar, not till Candlemaſs. Till then they continue Feaſting, and are ambitious of keeping ſome of their Chriſtmaſs-Chear, and then are as fond of getting quit of it. Durand tells us, ^* They ce⯑lebrated this Time with Joy, becauſe the Incar⯑nation of CHRIST was the Occaſion of Joy to Angels and Men. But the lengthening of the Time from Twelve to Forty Days, ſeems to have been done out of Honour to the Virgin Mary's Lying-in: Under the old Law, the Time of Purification was Forty Days, which was to Women then, what the Month is to Women now. And as during that Time, the Friends and Relations of the Women, pay them Viſits, and do them abundance of Honour; ſo this Time ſeems to have been calculated, to do Honour to the Virgin's Lying-in.

THERE is a Canon in the Council of Trul⯑lus, ^† againſt thoſe who bak'd a Cake in ho⯑nour [158] of the Virgin's Lying-in, in which it is decreed, that no ſuch Ceremony ſhould be obſerved; becauſe it was otherwiſe with her, at the Birth of our Saviour, than with all other Women. She ſuffer'd no Pollution, and therefore needed no Purification, but only in Obedience to the Law: If then the Baking of a ſingle Cake was faulty, how much more ſo many Feaſts in her Honour?

CHAP. XVIII. Of St. Paul's Day; The Obſervation of the Weather, a Cuſtom of the Heathens, and handed down by the Monks: The Apoſtle St. Paul himſelf is againſt ſuch Obſervations; The Opinion of St. Au⯑ſtin upon them.

THE Obſervation of the Wea⯑ther which is made on this Day is altogether ridiculous and ſuperſtitious. If it hap⯑pen to be unclouded and without Rain, it is look'd upon as an Omen of the following Year's Succeſs, if otherwiſe that the Year will be unfortunate. Thus the old Verſe,

THE Interpretation of which is very well known to be this,

SUCH alſo is the Obſervation of St. Swi⯑thin's Day, which if rainy is a Token that it will rain for forty Days ſucceſſively; ſuch is the Obſervation of ^* Candlemas-Day, ſuch is Chil⯑dermas-Day, ſuch Valentine's-Day, and ſome o⯑thers.

HOW St. Paul's Day came to have this par⯑ticular Knack of foretelling the good or evil [161] Fortune of the following Year, is no eaſy Matter to find out. The Monks who were undoubtedly the firſt who made this wonder⯑ful Obſervation, have taken Care it ſhould be handed down to Poſterity, but why and for what Reaſon this Obſervation was to ſtand good, they have taken Care to conceal. In Church Affairs indeed they make free with handing down Traditions from Generation to Generation, which being approved by an in⯑fallible Judgment, are to be taken for granted; but as far as I hear, they never pretended to an infallible Spirit, in the Study of the Pla⯑nets. One may therefore, without the Suſ⯑picion of Hereſy, or fear of the Inquiſition, make a little Inquiry into this Affair, and ſee whether it be true or falſe, whether it is built upon any Reaſon or no Reaſon, whether ſtill to be obſerved, or only laugh'd at as a Mon⯑kiſh Dream.

NOW as it is the Day of that Saint, the great Apoſtle St. Paul, I cannot ſee there is any Thing to be built upon. He did indeed labour more abundantly than all the Apoſtles; but ne⯑ver, [162] that I heard, in the Science of Aſtrology. And why his Day ſhould therefore be a ſtand⯑ing Almanack to the World, rather than the Day of any other Saint, will be pretty hard to find out. I am ſure there is a good Num⯑ber of them, have as much Right to Rain or fair Weather as St. Paul, and if St. Andrew, St. Thomas, &c. have not as much Right to Wind or Snow, let the Reader judge.

AS it is the Twenty fifth Day of January, one would think that could be no Reaſon. For what is that Day more than another? In⯑deed they do give ſome Shew of Reaſon, why Rain ſhould happen about the Time of St. Swithin, which is this. About the Time of his Feaſt, which is on the Fourteenth of July, there are two rainy Conſtellations, which are called Praecepe and Aſellus, which ariſe coſmi⯑cally, and generally produce Rain. And to be ſure in the Courſe of the Sign Aquarius, there may be both Rain and Wind and fair Weather, but how theſe can foretell the Deſtiny of the Year, is the Queſtion.

[163]AS then there is nothing in the Saint or his Day to prognoſticate any ſuch Thing, I mean, as it is the Day of St. Paul, or the Twenty fifth of January, ſo I muſt confeſs I cannot find out what may be the Ground of this particular Obſervation. But however thus much is very obvious, that this Obſervation is an exact Copy of that ſuperſtitious Cuſtom a⯑mong the Heathens, of obſerving one Day as good, and another as bad. For among them, were lucky and unlucky Days; ſome were dies atri, and ſome dies albi; the atri were pointed out in their Calendar, with a black Character, the albi with a white; the former to denote it a Day of bad Succeſs, the latter a Day of good. Thus have the Monks in the dark and unlear⯑ned Ages of Popery copy'd after the Heathens, and dream'd themſelves into the like Superſti⯑tions, eſteeming one Day more ſucceſsful than another; and ſo according to them, it is very unlucky to begin any Work upon Childermaſs-Day; and what Day ſoever that falls on, whe⯑ther on a Munday, Tueſday, or any other, no⯑thing muſt be begun on that Day through the Year; St. Paul's Day is the Year's Fortune-Teller, [164] St. Mark's Day is the Prognoſticator of your Life and Death, &c. and ſo inſtead of perſwading the People to lay aſide the Whims and Fancies of the Heathen World, they brought them ſo effectually in, that they are ſtill reigning in many Places to this Day.

BUT of all the Days of the Year, they could not have choſen one ſo little to the Pur⯑poſe. For the very Saint, whoſe Day is ſo obſerved, has himſelf cautioned them againſt any ſuch Obſervation: For in the Fourth Chapter of his Epiſtle to the Galations, he tells them, how dangerous it was to obſerve Days and Months, and Times, and Years; which is not, as ſome would perſwade us, to Caution us againſt the Obſervation of any Day but the Lord's-Day; but only that we ſhould not ob⯑ſerve the aboliſhed Feaſts of the Jews, nor the abominable Feaſts of the Gentiles, nor their ſuperſtitious Obſervation of fortunate and un⯑fortunate Days. St. Auſtin, upon this Place, hath theſe Words, ^* Let us not obſerve Years, [165] and Months, and Times, leaſt we hear the A⯑poſtle telling us, I am afraid of you, leaſt I have ſhewn on you labour in Vain. For the Perſons he blames, are thoſe who ſay, I will not ſet forward on my Journey, becauſe it is the next Day after ſuch a Time, or becauſe the Moon is ſo; or I'll ſet forward that I may have Luck, becauſe ſuch is juſt now the Po⯑ſition of the Stars. I will not Traffick this Month, becauſe ſuch a Star preſides, or I will, becauſe it does. I ſhall plant no Vines this Year, becauſe it is Leap-Year, &c.

THE learned Mr. Bingham, has among ſe⯑veral others, a Quotation from the ſame St. Auſtin on theſe ſuperſtitious Obſervations, with which I ſhall conclude this Chap⯑ter. ‘To this kind, ſays he, belong all Li⯑gatures and Remedies, which the School of Phyſicians reject and condemn; whether in Inchantments, or in certain Marks, whichBingham, 16 L. C. 5. Antiq. Eccl. P. 300. Auſt. de Doct. Chriſt. L. 2. C. 10. [166] they call Characters, or in ſome other Things which are to be hanged and bound about the Body, and kept in a dancing Poſture; not for any Temperament of the Body, but for certain Significations, either Ocult, or Manifeſt: Which by a gentler Name, they call Phyſical, that they may not ſeem to affright Men with the Appearance of Super⯑ſtition, but do good in a natural Way: Such are Ear-rings hanged upon the Tip of each Ear, and Rings made of an Oſtriches Bones for the Finger; or when you are told in a Fit of Convulſions, or Shortneſs of Breath, to hold your left Thumb with your right Hand. To which may be added a thouſand vain Obſervations, as, if any of our Members beat; if when two Friends are talking together, a Stone, or a Dog, or a Child, happens to come between them, they tread the Stone to Pieces, as the Divi⯑der of their Friendſhip, and this is toller⯑able in Compariſon of beating an innocent Child that comes between them. But it is more pleaſant, that ſometimes the Childrens Quarrel is revenged by the Dogs; for ma⯑ny [167] Times they are ſo ſuperſtitious, as to dare to beat the Dog that comes between them, who turning again upon him that ſmites him, ſends him from ſeeking a vain Remedy, to ſeek a real Phyſician indeed. Hence proceed likewiſe theſe other Super⯑ſtitions: For a Man to tread upon his Thre⯑ſhold when he paſſes by his own Houſe, to return back to Bed again, if he chance to ſneeze as he is putting on his Shoes; to return into his Houſe, if he ſtumble at his Going out; if the Rats knaw his Clothes, to be more terrified with the Suſpicion of ſome future Evil, than concerned for the preſent Loſs. He ſays, Cato gave a wiſe and ſmart Anſwer to ſuch an one, who came in ſome Conſternation to conſult him, about the Rats having knawed his Stock⯑ings; that, ſaid he, is no great Wonder, but it would have been a Wonder indeed, if the Stockings had knawed the Rats. St. Auſtin mentions this witty Anſwer of a wiſe Heathen, to convince Chriſtians the better of the Unreaſonableneſs and Vanity of all ſuch ſuperſtitious Obſervations. And [168] he concludes, that all ſuch Arts, whether of triffling or more noxious Superſtition, are to be rejected and avoided by Chriſtians, as proceeding originally from ſome pernici⯑ous Society between Men and Devils, and being the Compacts and Agreements of ſuch treacherous and deceitful Friendſhip. The Apoſtle forbids us to have Fellowſhip with Devils; and that, he ſays, reſpects not only Idols, and Things offered to Idols, but all imaginary Signs pertaining to the Worſhip of Idols, and alſo all Remedies, and other Obſervations, which are not appointed pub⯑lickly by GOD to promote the Love of GOD and our Neighbour, but proceed from the private Fancies of Men, and tend to delude the Hearts of poor deluded Mortals. For theſe Things have no natural Virtue in them, but owe all their Efficacy to a pre⯑ſumptuous Confederacy with Devils: And they are full of peſtiferous Curioſity, tor⯑menting Anxiety, and deadly Slavery. They were firſt taken up, not for any real Power to be diſcerned in them, but gained their Power by Mens obſerving them. And there⯑fore [169] by the Devil's Art they happen dif⯑ferently to different Men, according to their own Apprehenſions and Preſumptions. For the great Deceiver knows, how to procure Things agreeable to every Man's Temper, and enſnare him by his own Suſpicions and Conſent.’

CHAP. XIX. Of Candlemaſs-Day; why ſo called; the Blaſphemy of the Church of Rome in conſecrating Wax Candles.

THIS Day goes under ſeveral De⯑nominations: It is called the Day of CHRIST's Preſenta⯑tion; becauſe on it CHRIST was preſented in the Temple; it is called the Holy-Day of St. Simeon; be⯑cauſe it was on it, that he took our SAVI⯑OUR up in his Arms: And it is called the Purification, becauſe then the Holy Virgin was purified. It is generally a Day of Feſtivity, and more than ordinary Obſervation among Women, and is therefore called the Wives-Feaſt-Day. The Feaſting ſeems to be obſerved [171] in Honour of the Virgin Mary; for as on the Day of a Woman's being church'd, there is no common Entertainment, ſo it ſeems, that this Feaſting was begun in the Times of Popery, by Way of Compliment to the Churching-Day of the Virgin Mary.

IT has the Name of ^* Candlemaſs-Day, be⯑cauſe Lights were diſtributed and carried about in Proceſſion, or becauſe alſo the Uſe of lighted Tapers, which was obſerved all Winter at Veſpers and Litanies, were then wont to ceaſe, till the next All-Hallowmaſs.

THESE Lights ſo carried about, were bleſ⯑ſed of the Prieſt, as Hoſpinian tells us, who made Uſe of the following Prayers at their Conſecration. ^† We implore thee by the In⯑vocation [172] of thy Holy Name, and by the In⯑terceſſion of the bleſſed Virgin Mary, the Mo⯑ther of thy Son, whoſe Feaſt we this Day ce⯑lebrate with the higheſt Devotion; and by the Interceſſion of all thy Saints, that thou wouldſt ſanctifie theſe Candles to the Good and Profit of Men, and the Health of his Soul and Body, whether in Earth or Sea. And again, O LORD JESU, I beſeech thee, that thou wouldſt bleſs this thy Creature of Wax, and grant it thy Heavenly Benediction, by the Power of thy Holy Croſs; that as it was a Gift to Man by which the Darkneſs might be driven away, ſo now it may be en⯑dow'd with ſuch Virtue by the Sign of the Holy Croſs, that whereſoever it is lighted and placed, the evil Spirit may tremble, and, with his Servants, be in ſuch Terror and Confuſion as to fly away from that Habitation, and no more vex and diſturb thy Servants.

AFTER this, he adjures the Wax Candles, in Words like theſe. ^* I adjure thee, O thou [173] waxen Creature, in the Name of our LORD and the Holy Trinity, that thou repel and ex⯑tirpate the Devil and his Sprights, &c. And therefore all Chriſtians (ſays Eccius. Tom. 3. Hom. de Purificat.) ought to uſe theſe Lights, with an holy Love, having a ſincere Depen⯑dance, that thus they ſhall be freed by the Power of the Word and this Prayer, from all the Snares and Frauds of the Devil.

OUR Author upon this, ſays, That this is manifeſt Blaſphemy and Idolatry. For as on the one Hand, they take the Name of GOD and the Holy Trinity in vain, ſo on the other they attribute to a Wax Candle, what ſhould be aſcribed to CHRIST alone, and the quick⯑ning Power of the Holy Ghoſt.

CHAP. XX. Of Valentine-Day; its Ceremonies; what the Council of Trullus thought of ſuch Cuſtoms; that they had bet⯑ter be omitted.

IT is a Ceremony, never omitted among the Vulgar, to draw Lots, which they Term Valen⯑tines, on the Eve before ^* Va⯑lentine-day. The Names of a ſelect Number of one Sex, are by an equal Number of the other put into ſome Veſſel; and after that, every one draws a Name, which for the preſent is called their Valentine, and is alſo look'd upon as a good Omen of their be⯑ing Man and Wife afterwards.

[175]THERE is a rural Tradition, that on this Day every ^* Bird chuſes its Mate. From this perhaps the youthful Part of the World hath firſt practiſed this Cuſtom, ſo common at this Seaſon.

In the Trullan Council we have Lots and Divinations forbid, as being ſome of thoſe Things which provoked the LORD to anger againſt King ^† Manaſſes, who uſed Lots and Divinations, &c. upon which the Scholiaſt hath theſe Words. ^‖ The Cuſtom of drawing Lots was after this Manner; on the 23rd Day of [176] June, which is the Eve of St. John Baptiſt, Men and Woman were accuſtomed to gather together in the Evening by the Sea-ſide, or in ſome certain Houſes, and there adorn a Girl, who was her Parents firſt-begotten Child, af⯑ter the Manner of a Bride. Then they feaſt⯑ed and leaped after the Manner of Bacchanals, and danced and ſhouted as they were wont to do on their Holy-days: After this they poured into a narrow neck'd Veſſel ſome of the Sea-Water, and put alſo into it certain Things be⯑longing to each of them. Then as if the Devil gifted the Girl, with the Faculty of telling future Things; they would enquire with a loud Voice, about the good or evil Fortune that ſhould attend them: Upon this the Girl would take out of the Veſſel, the firſt Thing that came to Hand, and ſhew it, and give it to the Owner; who upon receiv⯑ing it, was ſo fooliſh as to imagine himſelf wiſer, as to the good or evil Fortune that ſhould attend him.

THIS Cuſtom, as he tells us a little after, is altogether diabolical: And ſurely it was ſo, [177] being uſed as a Preſage of what was future. Was the Cuſtom of the Lots now mention'd, uſed as among the Heathens, they would no Doubt be as worthy of Condemnation; but as far as I know, there is but little Credit given to them; tho' that little is too much, and ought to be laid aſide. But if the Cu⯑ſtom was uſed without any Mixture or Allay of Superſtition, as I believe it is in ſome Pla⯑ces, yet it is often attended with great Incon⯑veniences and Misfortunes, with Uneaſineſſes to Families, with Scandal, and ſometimes with Ruin.

CHAP. XXI. Of Shrove-tide; what it ſignifies; the Cuſtom of the Papiſts at this Seaſon; that our preſent Cuſtoms are very un⯑becoming.

SHROVE-TIDE ſignifieth the Time of confeſſing Sins, as the Word Tide, which ſignifies Time; and the Saxon Word Shrive or Shrift; which ſigni⯑fies Confeſſion, plainly ſhew. The Reaſon why this Time is ſo denominated is, becauſe it was ſet apart by the Church of Rome for a Time of Shriving or confeſſing Sins. For then Peo⯑ple were wont to confeſs their Sins, and re⯑ceive [179] the Sacrament, that they might be bet⯑ter prepar'd for the Religious Obſervation of the following Seaſon of Lent. Thus in the Conſtitutions of ^* Simon Sudbury, it is orde⯑red, ‘That Lay-Men ſhould be admoniſhed to confeſs in the very Beginning of Lent.’ And in Theodolphus's Capitula, it is order'd, ‘That on the Week next before Lent, every Man ſhould go to his Shrift, and his Shrift ſhould ſhrive him in ſuch a Manner, as his Deeds which he had done requir'd: And that he ſhould charge all that belong to his Diſtrict, that if any of them have Diſcord with any, he make Peace with him; if any one will not be brought to this, then he ſhall not ſhrive him; but then he ſhall inform the Biſhop, that he may convert [180] him to what is right, if he be willing to belong to GOD: Then all Contentions and Diſputes ſhall ceaſe; and if there be any one of them, that hath taken Offence at another, then ſhall they be reconcil'd, that they may more freely ſay in the LORD'S Prayer, LORD, forgive us our Treſpaſſes, &c. And having thus purified their Minds, let them enter upon the Holy Faſt Tide, and cleanſe themſelves by Satisfaction againſt Holy Eaſter, &c. Johnſon 994.36. Conſti⯑tut.’

THIS Cuſtom of confeſſing to the Prieſt at this Time, was laid aſide by our Church at the Reformation: For Sins are to be confeſs'd to GOD alone, and not to the Prieſt, except when the Conſcience cannot otherwiſe be quieted: Then indeed the Grief is to be open⯑ed to the Spiritual Guide in private, ^* That by the Miniſtry of GOD's Word, he may give the Benefit of Abſolution, together with ghoſtly Council and Advice, to the quieting of the Con⯑ſcience, [181] and the avoiding of all Scruple and Doubtfulneſs. But how this other worſe Cu⯑ſtom came to be retain'd, of indulging all Manner of Luxury and Intemperance, I know nothing but that the Fleſh was too powerful for the Spirit: The Duties of Religion, how juſtly ſoever enjoyn'd us, are tamely diſpenſed with, but what won't we rather do, than give up the Pleaſures of Life? Surely the Church never deſign'd, when ſhe ſo juſtly took away the publick Confeſſions of this Sea⯑ſon, that Rioting, and Gaming, and Drunken⯑neſs, ſhould continue amongſt us. Are theſe a fit Preparation for ſo ſolemn a Seaſon? Will they qualifie us for the Hearing of the Hiſto⯑ry of our LORD'S Paſſion? Will they pre⯑pare us for the Reception of his Body and Blood? And fit us to meet him in the Mor⯑ning of the Reſurrection? Will they not ra⯑ther ſpeak us Heathens than Chriſtians? And lead us to Hell, than on the Way to Hea⯑ven? Such Cuſtoms as theſe may, in ſome Meaſure, be excuſable among them whoſe ^* Church has too much led them into thoſe [182] Things; but it is ſcandalous and ſinful and abominable in thoſe, who pretend to be the Enemies of Error and Superſtition, to con⯑tinue the Obſervation of ſuch ſinful Cu⯑ſtoms.

CHAP. XXII. Of Palm-Sunday: Why ſo called; how obſerved in the Popiſh Times: What it is truely to carry Palms in our Hands on this Day.

THE Sunday before Eaſter, which is denominated Palm-Sunday, is ſo called, ^* becauſe, as the Ri⯑tualiſts ſay, on that Day, the Boughs of Palm-Trees were wont to be carried in Proceſſion, in Imitation of thoſe which the Children of Iſrael ſtrawed in the Way of CHRIST. For they cut down Branches from the Trees, and ſtrawed them in the Way; which according to the Conſent of Antiquity, were [184] the Branches of the Palm-Tree; it being very Common in that Country, and uſed as an Emblem of Victory. And a Doctor of our own Church, in his Diſcourſe upon this Fe⯑ſtival, ſays, ‘^* From the Story, as deſcribed by St. Luke and St. Matthew, ſome of the an⯑cient Church took Occaſion, as on this Day, to go in Proceſſion with Palms in their Hands, and to denominate it Palm-Sunday.’

BUT however harmleſs this Cuſtom might have been, in the Times of its firſt Inſtitution, it is certain, that in after Ages it ſunk into Super⯑ſtition and groſs Idolatry. Thus the Rhemiſts, in their Tranſlation of the New Teſtament, de⯑ſcribe the Ceremony themſelves: ‘Theſe Of⯑fices of Honour, done to our Saviour extra⯑ordinarily, were very acceptable. And for a Memory hereof, the Holy Church maketh a ſolemn Proceſſion every Year upon this Day; ſpecially in our Country, when it was Catholick, with the Bleſſed Sacrament reverently carryed, as it were CHRIST up⯑on the Aſs, and ſtrawing of Buſhes and [185] Flowers, bearing of Palms, ſetting up Boughs, ſpreading and hanging up the richeſt Clothes, the Quire and Queriſters ſinging, as here the Children and the People; all done in a very godly Ceremony, to the Honour of CHRIST, and the Memory of his Triumph upon this Day. The like Service, and the like Duties done to him in all other ſolemn Proceſſions of the Bleſſed Sacrament, and otherwiſe, be undoubtedly no leſs grateful.’ Dr. ^* Fulke upon this, gives this Anſwer: ‘Your Palm-Sunday Proceſſion was horrible Idolatry, and abuſing of the LORDS Inſti⯑tution, who ordained his Supper to be eaten and drunken, not to be carryed about in Proceſſion like a Heatheniſh Idol: But it is pretty Sport, that you make the Prieſts that carryeth this Idol, to ſupply the Room of the Aſs, on which CHRIST did ride: Thus you turn the Holy Miſtery of CHRIST'S riding to Jeruſalem, to a May-game and pa⯑gent Play. And yet you ſay, ſuch Service done to CHRIST is undoubtedly exceed⯑ing grateful; yea, no leſs grateful, than [186] that was done by his Diſciples, at the Time mentioned in the Text: Your Argument and Proof is none, but your bare Aſſevera⯑tions. That which the Diſciples did, had the Warrant of the Holy Scripture; but who hath regarded theſe Theatrical Pomps at their Hands? Or what Word of GOD have you to aſſure you that he accepteth ſuch Will-worſhip? Who deteſteth all Wor⯑ſhip, which is according to the Doctrines and Traditions of Men, and not after his own Commandment.’

FROM this ſuperſtitious and idolatrous Cuſtom, without all doubt it comes to paſs, that we now and then, on a Palm-Sunday, ſee the young People carrying Branches of Palms in their Hands; which they ſeem fond of ha⯑ving that Day, and which they as little regard at other Times. It is true indeed, it is a Re⯑lick of the ancient Superſtition of the Papiſts, but as it is now intirely ſtript of any Super⯑ſtiton, and is an Emblem of the Seaſon, and the Tranſactions of that Day; ſo I ſee no harm in ſo innocent an Obſervation.

[187]BUT how much better would it be to car⯑ry in our Hands this Day, ^* the Palm of good Works, the Graces of Humility, and Kindneſs, and Charity, to feed the Hungry, to give drink to the Thirſty, to clothe the Naked, to entertain the Strangers, to viſit the Sick and in Priſon, &c. By ſuch Actions as theſe, ſhould we truly carry Palms in our Hands; by theſe we ſhould truly ſtraw the Way for our LORD, and ſo follow his Steps to the Hea⯑venly Jeruſalem.

CHAP. XXIII Of riſing early on Eaſter Day: What is meant by the Sun dancing that Morn: The Antiquity of riſing early on this Day; the End and Deſign of it: The great Advantage of it.

IT is a common Cuſtom among the Vulgar and uneducated Part of the World, to riſe be⯑fore the Sun on Easter-day, and walk into the Fields: The Reaſon of which, is to ſee the Sun Dance; which they have been told, from an old Tra⯑dition, always Dances as upon that Day. We read indeed that the Sun once ^* ſtood ſtill, but whether the Sun danced upon the very Day [189] our Saviour roſe on, we cannot tell: It's very probable it did not, becauſe the Scriptures are ſilent; and that it never did ſo ſince, I think we may be well aſſur'd; foraſmuch as never any, that we have heard of, have ſeen any ſuch Thing ſince that Time. If therefore this Tradition hath any Meaning, it muſt be a Metaphorical one; that when the Morning proves clear, there is a ſeeming Smile over the Face of Nature, and Earth and Heaven ſhew Tokens of Joy. For as the Earth and her Valleys, by ſtanding thick with Corn, are ſaid, to laugh and ſing; ſo, on Account of the Reſurrection, the Heavens and the Sun may be ſaid to Dance for Joy; or as the Pſalmiſt Words it, ^* The Heavens may rejoyce, and the Earth may be glad.

THERE is then, really ſpeaking, nothing in the Dancing of the Sun upon Easter-Day; but yet it is a very ancient and commendable Cuſtom to be up early at this Holy Time: And therefore Damaſcen, in his Paſchal Hymn, [190] ſings, ^* Let us watch very early in the Morn⯑ing; and inſtead of Ointment, let us bring an Hymn to our LORD; and let us ſee our CHRIST, the Sun of Righteouſneſs, who is the Life that riſeth to all Men. And indeed it is the moſt ſeaſonable Time for meditating on our LORD'S Reſurrection, and it's pleaſing Circumſtances. For as the Place where any notable Thing has been tranſacted, ſeldom or never fails to raiſe the Idea of the Tranſacti⯑on; ſo the particular Time, when it was done, does generally produce the ſame Effect. And as the Truth of the Former, was the Occaſion of many holy and religious Men go⯑ing ^† to viſit the Place of the Sepulchre, and hear it, as it were, ſay, what the Angel did to the Women, Come, ſee the Place where the LORD lay; ſo the Truth of the Latter was the Reaſon, why devout and holy Men, did in the beſt Ages of the Church, riſe early in the Morning of the Reſurrection. The Pri⯑mitive Chriſtians ſpent the Night preceeding [191] it, in Prayers and Praiſes, till the Time of Cock-crow, the ſuppoſed Hour of our Saviour's riſing. For as ^* Durant tells us, it is univer⯑ſally aſſented to by the Latin Church, that after our Saviour had conquer'd Death, and broken the Gates of Hell, he aroſe from the Dead, not at Mid-night, but in the Morning, at the Time of Cock-crow; which not the Cocks, but the Angels themſelves proclaimed. And when theſe Pernoctations were laid aſide, it was the Cuſtom to riſe early, and ſpend the Morning in ſuch a Manner as was ſuita⯑ble to the Nature of the Time. The Saluta⯑tion of the Eaſtern Church Aneſteſe; or, The LORD is riſen, and the uſual Anſwer, The LORD is riſen indeed; were no doubt the common Salutation of that Morning: And if this preſent Cuſtom of the Vulgar, has had at any Time any laudable Cuſtom for its O⯑riginal, it was, no doubt, this of riſing early to contemplate the more ſeaſonably on the Reſurrection of CHRIST.

[192]AND now, was this the End of Riſing ear⯑ly at that Holy Time, it would be very ad⯑vantageous; but to riſe with the View of the Vulgar, is fooliſh and ridiculous. Would we riſe before the Sun, and prevent the Dawn of Day, our Meditations would be ſtrong and vigorous, and almoſt perſuade us that the real Actions of that Morn, were preſented to our View. For when at that Time, all Things are huſht in Silence, and warp'd in Darkneſs, or but illuminated with the friendly Moon, the ^* Guide of Mary Magdalene, and the other Women to the Sepulcher; 'tis eaſy and natural to meditate on theſe Things; to ſee our Savi⯑our's Tomb; to ſee the Angels ſit as Guardians on it; and the trembling Watch fled into the City. And now the LORD is riſen indeed, and they that ſeek him early ſhall find him. ^† Be⯑hold then Mary Magdalene, on the firſt Day of [193] the Week, coming from her own Houſe at Bethany, before the other Women, very early in the Morning, when it was as yet Dark, ^* to find Eaſe and Conſolation at the Sepulchre: Behold ſhe and the other Women bringing the prepared Spices to Embalm their LORD; Behold Peter and John running to the Sepul⯑chre and returning, whilſt Mary continues in Sorrow and Tears: And as ſhe weeps, ye may ſee her look into the Sepulchre; but he is not there, he is riſen. Behold then the Guar⯑dians of the Tomb, ſaying, ^† Woman, why weepeſt thou? Nay behold the Lamb of GOD himſelf, with the very ſame Words, wiping away the Tears from her Eyes. And JESUS ſaid unto her, Woman, why weepeſt thou? Whom ſeekeſt thou? She ſuppoſing him to be the Gar⯑diner, ſaith unto him, Sir, If thou have born him hence, tell me where thou haſt laid him, and I will take him away. JESUS ſaid unto her, Mary. With what Joy, now does ſhe run to his Feet, willing and deſirous, and eager [194] to Embrace them. But he bids her not to touch him, but go to his Brethren, and ſay un⯑to them, I aſcend unto my Father and your Fa⯑ther, to my GOD and your GOD, Behold a little after this, his Apparition to her and the other Women, and how he ſuffers them to kiſs his Feet. ^* He appeared alſo about the ſame Time to Peter.

THESE and the other Accidents at our LORD'S Reſurrection, would afford us a ſa⯑tisfactory and comfortable Meditation; would inflame our Hearts with a burning Love, and melt us into Tears of Joy. In our eager Wiſhes and warm Deſires, we ſhould, with the Holy Women, kiſs the Feet of our Savi⯑our, and be almoſt Partakers of equal Hap⯑pineſs with them; or, ſure we are, that we ſhould have our Saviour in our Hearts, and not fail of ſeeing him in his Kingdom. He whom we have ſo carefully ſought for, will vouchſafe to be found of us; in his Grace, at the Sepulchre, and in his Glory, in Hea⯑ven. Happy they, who ſo early ſeek their [195] Saviour; who long after him, as the Hart doth after the Water-Brooks; who ſeek him among the ^*Lilies, until the Day break, and the Shadows flee away. Happy they, their Converſation is now in Heaven, and their Happineſs hereafter, will be the Joys of Eternity: Where they ſhall no more be abſent, but ever Preſent with the LORD.

CHAP. XXIV. Of Eaſter Holy-Days: A Time of Re⯑laxation from Labour: How obſerved in the dark Ages of Popery: That our Cuſtoms at this Time, are ſprung from theirs.

ON the Holy-Days of Eaſter, it is cuſtomary for Work to ceaſe, and Servants to be at Liberty: Which is a Reſem⯑blance of the Practice of the primitive Church, which ſet apart the whole Week after Eaſter, for to praiſe and glorifie GOD, for our SAVIOUR'S Reſurrection: In which ^* Time all ſervile Labour ceas'd, that [197] Servants as well as others might be preſent at the Devotions of the Seaſon. But other Cuſtoms ſo frequently obſerved at this Time, ſuch as publick Shows, Gamings, Horſe-Races, &c. were forbidden, as being foreign to the Holineſs of this Seaſon.

IN after Ages, when the Church fell into Corruption, and the Subſtance of Religion de⯑cay'd into the Shadow of Ceremonies, the uſual Prayers and Praiſes of the Seaſon, were either much neglected, or but ſuperficially obſerved. For Belithus, a Ritualiſt of thoſe Times tells us, ^* That it was cuſtomary in ſome Churches, for the Biſhops and Arch-Biſhops themſelves to play with the inferior Clergy, even at Hand-Ball; and this alſo, as Durandus witneſſeth, ^† even on Eaſter-Day it ſelf. This was cal⯑led ^‖ the Liberty of December, becauſe that [198] formerly, it was cuſtomary among the Hea⯑thens in that Month to indulge their Servants with a certain Time of Liberty; when they were on the Level with their Maſters, and feaſted and banqueted with them.

WHY they ſhould play at Hand-Ball at this Time rather than any other Game, I have not been able to find out; but I ſuppoſe it will be readily granted, that this Cuſtom of ſo playing, was the Original of our preſent Recreations and Diverſions on Eaſter Holy Days, and in particular of playing at Hand-Ball for a ^* Tanzy-Cake, which at this Seaſon, is gene⯑rally practiſed; and I would hope practiſed with Harmleſſneſs and Innocence. For when the common Devotions of the Day are over, there is nothing ſinful in lawful Recreation. But for the Governors of Churches to deſcend to ſuch Childiſh Exerciſes, and that even on the Great Sunday of the Year, was not only unbecoming their Gravity and Reſervedneſs, but was alſo a down-right Breach of the fourth [199] Commandment. But theſe were Ages of Ig⯑norance and Darkneſs, when the World was taught for the Doctrines of GOD, the Command⯑ments of Men.

CHAP. XXV. Of May-Day; the Cuſtom of going to the Woods the Night before; this the Practice of other Nations: The Origi⯑nal of it; the Unlawfulneſs.

ON the Calends, or the firſt Day of May, commonly called May-Day, the juvenile Part of both Sexes, are wont to riſe a little after Mid-night, and walk to ſome neighbour⯑ing Wood, accompany'd with Muſick and the blowing of Horns; where they break down Branches from the Trees, and adorn them with Noſe-gays and Crowns of Flowers. When this is done, they return with their Booty home-wards, about the riſing of the Sun, and make their Doors and Windows to Triumph in the Flowery Spoil. The after-part of the [201] Day, is chiefly ſpent in dancing round a Tall-Poll, which is called a May-Poll; which being placed in a convenient Part of the Village, ſtands there, as it were conſecrated to the God⯑deſs of Flowers, without the leaſt Violation offer'd it, in the whole Circle of the Year. And this is not the Cuſtom of the Britiſh Common People only, but it is the Cuſtom of the Generality of other Nations; particularly of the Italians, where Polydore Virgil tells us, The ^* Youth of both Sexes were accuſtomed to go into the Fields, on the Calends of May, and bring thence the Branches of Trees, ſing⯑ing all the way as they came, and ſo place them on the Doors of their Houſes.

^† THIS is the Relick of an ancient Cuſtom among the Heathen, who obſerved the four [202] laſt Days of April, and the firſt of May, in Honour of the Goddeſs Flora, who was ima⯑gin'd the Deity preſiding over the Fruit and Flowers. It was obſerved with all Manner of Obſcenity and Lewdneſs, and the undecent Sports and Poſtures of naked Women, who were called together with the Noiſe of Trum⯑pets, and danced before the Spectators.

FROM this Cuſtom of the Heathens hath ours undoubtedly come; and tho' for that Reaſon barely, it need not be laid aſide; yet foraſmuch as many Country People are of O⯑pinion, ^* That the Obſervation of this Cere⯑mony is a good Omen, and a Procurer of the Succeſs of the Fruits of the Earth, which is intirely a Piece of Superſtition; and becauſe alſo much Wickedneſs and Debauchery are committed that Night, to the Scandle of whole Families, and the Dishonour of Religion, there is all the Reaſon in the World, for laying it aſide.

CHAP. XXVI. Of Parochial Perambulations: Their An⯑tiquity, the Benefit and Advantage of them.

IT was a general Cuſtom for⯑merly, and is ſtill obſerved in ſome Country Pariſhes, to go round the Bounds and Limits of the Pariſh, on one of the three Days before Holy Thurſday, or the Feaſt of our LORD's Aſcenſion; when the Miniſter, accompany'd with his Church-Wardens and Pa⯑riſhoners, were wont to deprecate the Venge⯑ance of GOD, beg a Bleſſing on the Fruits of the Earth, and preſerve the Rights and Pro⯑perties of their Pariſh.

[204]THE Original of this Cuſtom is dated from the Times of the Heathens. For ^* from the Days of Numa Popilius, they worſhipped the God Terminus, whom they looked upon to be the Guardian of Fields and Landmarks, and the Keeper up of Friendſhip and Peace among Men: Upon this Account the Feaſt called Ter⯑minalia, was dedicated to him; inſtead of which it is a very ancient Cuſtom to ſurround the Bounds of Pariſhes every Year: And in⯑ſtead of Heatheniſh Rites and Sacrifices to an imaginary God, to offer Praiſes and Prayers to the true GOD, the GOD of the whole Earth. The Cuſtom was, the People accom⯑pany'd the Biſhop, or ſome of the Clergy into the Fields, where Litanies were made, and the Mercy of GOD implor'd, that he would avert the Evils of Plague and Peſtilence, that he would ſend them good and ſeaſonable Wea⯑ther, and give them the Fruits of the Earth in due Seaſon.

[205]THE Litanies or Rogations, which were ^* then made Uſe of, and gave Name to the Time of Rogation-Week, were firſt obſerved by Ma⯑mertus, Biſhop of Vienna, in the Year 550, ^† on Account of the frequent Earthquakes that happened, and the Incurſions of wild Beaſts, which laid in Ruins, and depopulated the City. Not that Litanies and Rogations were not uſed before, but that before this Time they were not affixed to theſe Days. And ſince that, they have been obſerved of the whole Church at this Seaſon, except the Church of ^‖ Spain, who chus'd rather to have them after Pentecoſt than before it; becauſe [206] from Eaſter-day to the Feaſt of Pentecoſt, it was the Cuſtom of the Church not to Faſt: For as they themſelves reaſon'd, the Children of the Bride-Chamber cannot Faſt ſo long as the Bridegroom is with them; and therefore they held their Rogations after Pentecoſt.

WHAT now remains among us, is the Re⯑lick of this antient and laudable Cuſtom, which was always obſerved in the old Church of England, and has been alſo in ſome Mea⯑ſure ſince the Reformation too.

In ^* the Canons of Cuthbert, Arch-biſhop of Canterbury, which were made at Cloves-hoo, in the Year 747, it was order'd that Litanies, that is, Rogations, ſhould be obſerved of the Clergy, and all the People with great Reve⯑rence on theſe Days, viz. the ſeventh of the Kalends of May, according to the Rites of [207] the Church of Rome, who termeth this the greater Litany; and alſo according to the Cu⯑ſtom of our Fore-fathers, on the three Days before the Aſcention of our LORD into the Heavens, with Faſting, &c. And in the In⯑junctions made in the Reign of Queen Eliza⯑beth, it is ordered, ‘^* That the Curate, at certain and convenient Places, ſhall admo⯑niſh the People to give Thanks to GOD, in the beholding of GOD'S Benefits; for the Increaſe and Abundance of his Fruits upon the Face of the Earth, with the ſay⯑ing of the 103 Pſalm, &c. at which Time the Miniſter ſhall inculcate theſe or ſuch Sentences. Curſed be he which tranſlateth the Bounds and Doles of his Neighbour: Or ſuch Orders of Prayers as ſhall be here⯑after.’

AGREEABLE to this we read, in the Life of the pious Hooker, ‘^† That he would by no Means omit the Cuſtomary Time of Pro⯑ceſſion, perſuading all, both Rich and Poor, [208] if they deſired the Preſervation of Love, and their Pariſh Rites and Liberties, to ac⯑company him in his Perambulation, and moſt did ſo; in which Perambulation, he would uſually Expreſs more pleaſant Diſ⯑courſe, than at other Times, and would then always Drop ſome loving and facetious Obſervations, to be remembred againſt the next Year, eſpecially by the Boys and young People: Still inclining them, and all his preſent Pariſhioners, to meekneſs and mutu⯑al Kindneſſes and Love; becauſe Love thinks not Evil, but covers a Multitude of Infirmi⯑ties.’

WE may alſo obſerve, That the particular Office order'd by our Church for Rogation-Sunday, is exactly ſuited to the Nature of the Seaſon; that the three Days following are ap⯑pointed Faſts by our Church, and that one of our Church Homilies is compoſed particular⯑ly, for the Parochial Perambulation. All which ſhews the Cuſtom and Intention of the Church, and that the practiſing of it would be ſervice⯑able to the Sons of Men; Would ſave their [209] Lives from Deſtruction, and crown them with Mercy and loving Kindneſs; would ſend them Springs into their Rivers, and make them run among the Hills: Would bring forth Graſs for the Cattle, and green Herb for the Service of Men.

CHAP. XXVII. Of Midſummer-Eve: Of kindling Fires, their Original: That this Cuſtom for⯑merly was ſuperſtitious, but now may be uſed with Innocence.

ON the Eve of St. John Baptiſt, commonly called Midſumner-Eve, it is uſual in the moſt of Country Places, and alſo here and there in Towns and Cities, for both Old and Young to meet together, and be Merry over a large Fire, which is made in the open Street. Over this they frequently leap and play at various Games, ſuch as Run⯑ning, Wreſtling, Dancing, &c. But this is generally the Exerciſe of the younger Sort; for the old Ones, for the moſt Part, ſit by as [211] Spectators, and enjoy themſelves and their Bottle. And thus they ſpend the Time till Mid-night, and ſome-times till Cock-crow.

BELITHUS tells us, ^* That it was a Cuſtom to carry lighted Torches on Midſum⯑mer-Eve, as an Emblem of St. John Baptiſt, who was a burning and a ſhining Light, and the Preparer of the Way of CHRIST. But if this was the Reaſon of this Cuſtom formerly, as it's probable it was, (it having been a com⯑mon Thing, to ſhadow out Times and Seaſons by Emblems;) yet the Cuſtom ſtill continu'd among us, was originally inſtituted upon an⯑other Bottom.

AND indeed the ^† Original of this Cuſtom is Heatheniſh. For in ancient Times the Dra⯑gons, [212] being incited to Luſt through the Heat of the Seaſon, did frequently, as they flew through the Air, Spermatize in the Wells and Fountains. By this Means the Water became infected, and the Air polluted; ſo that who⯑ever drank the Waters, was either tormented with a grievious Diſtemper, or loſt his Life. As ſoon as the Phyſicians perceived this, they ordered Fires to be made every where about the Wells and Fountains, and thoſe Things which occaſioned the noiſomeſt Smell, to be burnt, knowing that thereby the Dragons would be driven away. And foraſmuch as this Cuſtom was obſerved about the Time we now celebrate St. John Baptiſt's Feaſt, it is therefore ſtill obſerved among ſome People. And agreeable to this it is, that Mr. Cambden tells us, that Barnwell, a Village near Cam⯑bridge, got its Name from the Children play⯑ing about a Well on St. John Baptiſt's Eve.

THE Cuſtom of kindling ſuch Fires, was ſeverely cenſur'd by the Church: And there⯑fore in the Council of Trulius, this Canon was [213] made againſt it, ^* That if any Clergy-man or Lay-man obſerved the Rite of making on Fires on the New-Moon, (which ſome were wont to obſerve, and according to an old Cuſtom, to leap over them in a mad and fooliſh Man⯑ner,) he ſhould be depoſed, if the Former, if the Latter, he ſhould be excommunicated.

THE Scholiaſt upon this Canon hath theſe Words: The New-Moon was always the firſt Day of the Month, and it was Cuſtomary a⯑mong the Jews and Greeks, to hold then a Feaſt, and pray that they might be lucky du⯑ring the Continuance of the Month. Of theſe it was, that GOD ſpake by the Prophet: My Soul hateth your New-Moons and your Sab⯑baths. And not only this, but they alſo kindled Fires before their Shops and Houſes, and leaped over them; imagining that all the Evils which had befallen them formerly, would be burnt away, and that they ſhould be more ſucceſsful and lucky afterwards. Now about the Sitting of this Synod, there were ſome of the Chriſtians, who obſerved this Cu⯑ſtom [214] upon the ſame Accounts that the Hea⯑thens did, which occaſioned it's being forbid by the Council; and that if a Clergy-man was Guilty of it, he ſhould be depoſed; if a Lay-man, excommunicated. He alſo tells us, that on St. John Baptiſt's-Eve, the Vulgar were wont to make on Fires for the whole Night, and leap over them, and draw Lots, and Divine about their good or evil Fortune.

BUT whatever Reaſon the Heathens had for kindling theſe Fires; whether as Duran⯑dus thinks, that the luſtful Dragons might be driven away, or as the Canon, that their evil Fortune might be burnt, it is certain that the Cuſtom was invented and practiſed by them; and becauſe of the Superſtion attending the Obſervation of it, was very juſtly forbidden by the Council. And undoubtedly was the Making of ſuch Fires now, attended with any ſuch Superſtition, it would be equally crimi⯑nal to obſerve them. But ^* when they are [215] only kindled as Tokens of Joy, to excite in⯑nocent Mirth and Diverſion, and promote Peace and good Neighbourhood, they are law⯑ful and innocent, and deſerve no Cenſure. And therefore when on Midſummer-Eve, St. Peter's-Eve, and at ſome other Times, we make ^* Bonefires before Shops and Houſes, there would be no harm in doing ſo; was it not, that ſome continue their Diverſion to too late Hours, and others are guilty of exceſſive Drinking.

CHAP. XXVIII. Of the Feaſt of Sheep-ſhearing, an anci⯑ent Cuſtom.

THE Feaſt of Sheep-ſheering, is generally a Time of Mirth and Joy, and more than or⯑dinary Hoſpitality; indeed it is but little obſerved in theſe Northern Parts, but in the Southern it is pretty common. For on the Day they be⯑gin to ſheer their Sheep, they provide a plen⯑tiful Dinner for the Sheerers, and for their Friends who come to viſit them on that Occa⯑ſion; a Table alſo, if the Weather permit, is ſpread in the open Village, for the young People and Children.

[217]AFTER what Manner ſoever this Cuſtom reach'd us, it is certain it may boaſt of great Antiquity. It is mention'd in the Second Book of Samuel, as a Feaſt of great Magnifi⯑cence, both for Grandeur of Entertainment and Greatneſs of Company. No leſs a Perſon than Abſalom the King's Son was the Maſter of this Feaſt, and no leſs Perſons were the Gueſts than the King's Sons, the Brethren of Abſalom; nay it was a Feaſt that might enter⯑tain the King himſelf, or ſurely the King would never have been ſo importun'd, never would have receiv'd the Compliment ſo kindly. For 'tis ſaid, It came to paſs after two full Years, that Abſalom had Sheep-ſheerers in Baal⯑hazor, which is beſide Ephraim, and Abſalom invited all the King's Sons. And Abſalom came to the King, and ſaid, Behold, now thy Servant hath Sheep-ſheerers, let the King, I beſeech thee, and his Servants, go with thy Servant. And the King ſaid, Nay, my Son, let us not all go, leſt we be chargeable unto thee. Of this kind alſo was the Feaſt which Nabal made for his Sheerers, when David was driven to ſtraits in the Wilderneſs, and ſent his Servants to ask [218] a Preſent of him. He calls the Day it was held on, a good Day; that is, a Day of plenti⯑ful Eating and Drinking. And therefore Na⯑bal anſwer'd the Servants of David, ſhall I then take my Bread and my Water, and my Fleſh that I have killed for my Sheerers, and give it unto Men, whom I know not whence they be? And further, it is ſaid in the ſame Chapter, that ſo grand and magnificent was this Feaſt, that he had a Feaſt in his Houſe, like the Feaſt of a King. We find alſo in the Book of Geneſis, that Laban went to ſheer his Sheep, in which Time Jacob made his Eſcape, which Laban heard not of till the third Day. Of ſuch great Antiquity then is this Cuſtom, and tho' its Antiquity is not of ſuch force as to pal⯑liate Luxury and Profuſneſs in theſe Enter⯑tainments; yet no doubt it will vindicate the Harmleſneſs of a moderate Feaſt upon this Occaſion.

CHAP. XXIX. Of Michaelmaſs: Guardian Angels the Diſcourſe of Country People at this Time: that it ſeems rather true, that we are protected by a Number of An⯑gels, than by one particular Genius.

THE Feaſt of this Seaſon is ce⯑lebrated in Commemoration of St. Michael, and all the Orders of Angels. It is cal⯑led, The Dedication of St. Michael, becauſe of a Church being dedicated to him on this Day in Mount Garganus.

AT this Seaſon of the Year, it is a general Cuſtom to elect the Governors of Towns and Cities, to promote Peace among Men, and [220] guard them againſt Harm from their malici⯑ous Fellow Creatures. Whether this particu⯑lar Time of the Year has been choſen for e⯑lecting them, becauſe then is the Feaſt of An⯑gels, the Guardians and Protectors of Men, and of their Communities and ^* Provinces, is not ſo certain. It is certainer, that when ever it comes, it brings into the Minds of the Peo⯑ple, that old Opinion of Tutelar Angels, that every Man has his Guardian Angel; that is, one particular Angel who attends him from his Coming in, till his Going out of Life, who guides him through the Troubles of the World, and ſtrives as much as he can, to bring him to Heaven.

NOW that good Angels attend good Men is without Diſpute. They guide them in the Mazes of the Wilderneſs of Life, and bring them to their deſir'd Homes; they ſurround them in the Seas of Afflictions, and lead them to the Shores of Peace; and as when the Iſ⯑raelites paſſed through the Red-Sea, the Cloud became Light to them, but Darkneſs to their Ene⯑mies, [221] ſo in the troubleſome Seas of this Life, the Angels are both the Guides of good Men, and their Protectors from Evil, from the De⯑vil and his Angels. And therefore the Pſal⯑miſt ſays, The Angel of the LORD tarrieth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them; and that he will give his Angels Charge over good Men. They are alſo ſuppoſed to be that Hedge, which GOD placed about Job, which the Devil ſo much complains of; and ſure we are, that when the Eyes of Eliſha's Servant were open'd, he ſaw the Mountain full of Chariots and Horſes of Fire round about Eli⯑ſha. That therefore good Men are guarded and protected by Angels the Scripture ſhews very clearly. But that every Man has his particular Genius, ſeems to be founded more upon Tradition, than any Certainty from Scripture. Thus the Egyptians believed that every Man had three Angels attending him; the Pythagoreans, that every Man had two; the Romans, that there was a good and an evil Genius. And hence it is that the Roman Poet ſays, Quiſque ſuos patitur manes, every Man hath his evil Genius. And if we may believe [222] the Authority of Plutarch, the evil Genius of Brutus appeared to him the Night before the Battle of Philippi, and told him he was his evil Genius, and that he would meet him there.

BUT there are greater Authorities then theſe in Vindication of this Opinion: Caſalion ob⯑ſerves, it may be proved from Scripture, and not only from the Tradition of the ^* Hea⯑thens. And of this Opinion was Juſtin Mar⯑tyr, Theodoret, St. Baſil, St. Jerome, and St. Auſtin.

THERE are indeed two Places in the new Teſtament, which have a View to this Opini⯑on. The firſt is in the 18th of St. Matthew, the 10th Verſe, Take heed that ye deſpiſe not one of theſe little Ones: For I ſay unto you, that their Angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven. Now becauſe this Place takes notice of the Angels of theſe little Ones, ſome have therefore concluded that [223] every Man has his good Angel; at leaſt that good Men have. But now this Concluſion does not certainly follow from theſe Words: For when it is ſaid their Angels, it does indeed certainly infer, that the Angels do protect good Men, but not that every Man has his particular Angel. And hence therefore, as one obſerves, St. Chriſoſtom makes uſe of theſe Words, Enteuthen delon, &c. it is manifeſt that the Saints at leaſt, if not all Men, have their Angels: But he does not hence conclude, that every Man has one. The other Place is in the Acts of the Apoſtles, where it is ſaid, that when Peter was delivered out of Priſon, they would not believe the Maid it was he, but ſaid, It was his Angel. It muſt be own'd in⯑deed from this, that it ſeems the Opinion of thoſe in the Houſe, that every Man had his Guardian Angel; but this is no Proof of the Things being ſo: It only proves, that it was their Opinion, but not that this Opinion is true. The Jews had ſuch a Tradition among them, and what was here ſpoken, was perhaps only according to that Tradition. Beſides we read on the contrary, that ſometimes one and [224] the ſame Angel has been ſent to different Per⯑ſons; thus Gabriel was ſent to Daniel, Zacha⯑rias, and the bleſſed Virgin: Sometimes the Scripture tells us of many Angels protecting one Man; for ſo was Eliſha protected; and as we wreſtle not only againſt Fleſh and Blood, but againſt all the Powers of Darkneſs, ſo we have many Angels to aſſiſt and defend us. I ſhall not dare to determine poſitively againſt this Opinion, which has travelled down through ſo many Ages, which has been held by ſo many wiſe and learned Men, and which has ſuch Scriptures brought to its Defence; this I ſhall only ſay, that of the two Opinions, the Latter ſeems to be the more probable; that it ſeems more conſonant to Scripture, that we are attended by a Number of Angels, than by a particular Tutelar Angel. But this I menti⯑on, not as neceſſary to be believed. For I am perſwaded there is no fault in believing either the one or the other, as it appears more pro⯑bable: For whether ſoever we believe, we be⯑lieve in the Protection of Angels, and that ſeems to be all which the Scripture requires.

CHAP. XXX. Of the Country Wake: How obſerved formerly: A Cuſtom of the Heathens, and regulated by Gregory the Great.

IN the Southern Parts of this Nati⯑on, the moſt of Country Villages are wont to obſerve ſome Sunday in a more particular Manner, than the other common Sundays of the Year, viz. the Sunday after the Day of Dedication, i. e. the Sunday after the Day of the Saint, to whom their Church was dedicated. Then the Inhabitants deck themſelves in their gaudieſt Clothes, and have open Doors and ſplendid Entertainments, for the Reception and Treating of their Relations and Friends, who viſit them on that Occaſion, from each neighbouring Town. The Morn⯑ing is ſpent for the moſt Part at Church, tho' not as that Morning was wont to be ſpent, not [226] with the Commemoration of the Saint or Mar⯑tyr, nor the grateful Remembrance of the Buil⯑der and Endower. The remaining Part of the Day, is ſpent in Eating and Drinking; and ſo is alſo a Day or two afterwards, together with all Sorts of Rural Paſtimes and Exerciſes, ſuch as Dancing on the Green, Wreſtling, Cudgelling, &c.

AGREEABLE to this we are told, that formerly ^* on the Sunday after the Encaenia, or Feaſt of the Dedication of the Church, it was uſual for a great Number of the Inhabitants of the Village, both Grown and Young, to meet together about break of Day, and cry, Holy-wakes, Holy-wakes, and after Mattens to go to Feaſting and Sporting, which they continu'd for two or three Days.

IN the Northren Parts, the Sunday's Feaſt⯑ing is almoſt loſt, and they obſerve only one other Day for the whole, which among them is called the Hopping; I ſuppoſe from the dan⯑cing [227] and other Exerciſes then uſed. The an⯑cient Name, and which is ſtill common in the Southern Parts, is the Wake; which according to Sir H. Spelman, are ^* Bacchanal Feaſts, ob⯑ſerved about Fruit Time, and which were in Villages by Turns, among the Northern and Weſtern Engliſh. He calls them Bacchanals, becauſe, as he obſerves, the Saxon Word Wak, ſignifies Drunkenneſs. This Cuſtom our Fore⯑fathers did in all Probability borrow from their Fellow Heathens, ^† whoſe Paganalia, or Coun⯑try Feaſts, were of the ſame Stamp, with this of the Wake.

AT the Converſion of the Saxons by Auſtin the Monk, it was continu'd among the Con⯑verts, with ſome Regulations, by an Order of Pope Gregory the Great, to Mellitus the Abbot, who accompany'd Auſtin in his Voyage. His Words are theſe, ^‖ On the Day of Dedication, [228] or the Birth-Day of the Holy Martyrs, whoſe Relicks are there placed, let the People make to themſelves Booths of the Boughs of Trees, round about thoſe very Churches, which had been the Temples of Idols, and in a Religious way to obſerve a Feaſt; that Beaſts may no longer be ſlaughtered by way of Sacrifice to the Devil, but for their own Eating, and the Glory of GOD; and that when they are full and ſatisfied, they may return him Thanks, who is the Giver of all good Things.

THIS then is the Beginning of our Country Wakes, but they continu'd not in their original Purity: For the Feaſting and Sporting got the aſcendant of Religion, and ſo this Feaſt of De⯑dication, degenerated into Drunkenneſs and Lux⯑ury. At preſent there is nothing left but the very Refuſe and Dregs of it; Religion having not the leaſt Share in it, which till theſe latter Ages always had ſome. Rioting and Feaſting are now all that remain, a Scandal to the Feaſt in particular, and to Chriſtianity in general.

CHAP. XXXI. Of the Harveſt Supper: A Cuſtom of the Heathens, taken from the Jewiſh Feaſt of Tabernacles.

WHEN the Fruits of the Earth are gather'd in, and laid in their proper Receptacles, it is common, in the moſt of Country Places, to provide a plentiful Supper for the Harveſt-Men, and the Servants of the Family; which is called a Har⯑veſt-Supper, and in ſome Places a Mell-Supper, a Churn Supper, &c. At this the Servant and his Maſter are alike, and every Thing is done with an equal Freedom. They ſit at the ſame Table, converſe freely together, and ſpend the remaining Part of the Night in dancing, ſing⯑ing, &c. without any Difference or Diſtinction.

[230]THERE ^* was a Cuſtom among the Hea⯑thens, much like this, at the gathering in of their Harveſt, when Servants were indulg'd with Liberty and being on the Equality with their Maſters for a certain Time.

NOW the Original of both theſe Cuſtoms, is Jewiſh: And therefore Hoſpinian tells us, ^† That the Heathens copy'd after this Cuſtom of the Jews, and at the End of their Harveſt, offer'd up their firſt Fruits to the Gods. For the Jews rejoyced and feaſted at the getting in of the Harveſt.

THEOPHYLACT in talking of this Feaſt, is undoubtedly miſtaken, when he ſays, ^‖ That the Feaſt of Tabernacles was celebrated, that [231] Thanks might be returned for the getting in of the Fruits of the Earth. For GOD himſelf tells his own People, it was inſtituted, ^* that their Generations might know, that he had made the Children of Iſrael to dwell in Booths. But however, it is certainly true, that it was a Time of returning Thanks to GOD, for the Succeſs of the Harveſt, a Time of Feſtivity, and Joy and Gladneſs, Thus the Scripture, ^† Thou ſhalt obſerve the Feaſt of Tabernacles ſeven Days, after thou haſt gather'd in thy Corn and thy Wine. And thou ſhalt rejoyce in thy Feaſt, thou and thy Son and thy Daughter, and thy Man-Servant, and thy Maid-Servant; and the Levite, the Stranger, and the Fatherleſs and the Widow, that are within thy Gates.

NOW as the Heathens have imitated the Jews in this Cuſtom, ſo it is not improbable that we have had it from the Heathens; there being a very great Likeneſs between the Cu⯑ſtom now, and that of the Heathens formerly. [232] For Macrobius tells us, That ^* the Maſters of Families, when they had got in their Harveſt, were wont to Feaſt with their Servants, who had labour'd with them in Tilling the Ground: Which is exactly anſwerable to the Cuſtom now amongſt us. But whatever Truth there is in this, it is certain this Cuſtom was practi⯑ſed by the Saxons, and is at leaſt as Ancient amongſt us, as their Days. For among their Holy-days, we find a ^† Week ſet apart at Har⯑veſt; of which our Harveſt-Home, and Mell-Supper, in the North, are the only Remains.