attefted to by an exprefs Law in the Conftitutions; confirm'd by the LXIX Apofto lical Canon; and was conftantly obferv'd by the Primitive Chriftians. The Paffages hereto relating are these.

Ὑμῶν φυλακτέα ἡ νησεία ἳ παρακρτῆς, Conftitus. μνήμων έχασα το κυρίς πολιτείας τε, νομοθεσίας. Επιτελείπω ἢ ἡ νητεία αύτη πρὸ τηςείας το πάχα, αρχομυρνη μαζί από δευτέρας, πληρωμών ή εις ασκή

τῆς

Can.

Εἴ τις λίσκοπος, ἢ πρεσβύτερος, ἢ δάκον, com 69 ἢ ἀναγνώσης, ἢ ψάλτης, * ἁγίδω τεπαρακ την της ούλο κατηρεί πο· ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ δὲ ἀσθένειαν di ζωματικὴν ἐμποδίζοιτο, ἐὰν 5 λαϊκός ᾖ, αφορο Sears.

Ecce enim convenio vos & præter Pafcha Tertul. Ad jejunantes, citra [before] illos dies quibus verf. ply. ablatus eft fponfus.

Habemus enim quadragefima dies jejuniis confecratos.

Now that this noseangs or quadragefima, fo ftrictly enjoin'd, and fo conftantly obferv'd by the firft Chriftians, was not a Faft of Forty Days, but of Five Days on account of thefe Forty Days when the Conftitutions were deliver'd, is not only clear in the original command for its obfervance in these Constitutions themselves, but is farther evident in antiquity, because 'tis plain from Irenæus and Tertullian, that there was no fuch long Faft of Forty Days then in the Church. Irenaus's words are these ;

chic. 6.13.

Orig. He

wil. X. in Levit. Po

Eufeb. Hift.

193

P, 322.

Adver lychic

C. 14. P.

Ερίβ. ad σοδε γε μόνον τεὶ τῆς ἡμέρας ἔζιν ἡ ἀμφιβήτησις, Τα ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ το είδος αυτό το νησείας, οἱ μεγὺς δ Eucl. L. V. οίον 3 μίαν ἡμέραν δεῖν αὐτὲς νηςεύειν, οἱ ἢ δύο, 6.141.192, οἱ ο' πλείονας, οἱ 5 τεσσαράκοντα ώρας ἡμερι Εν c. 18. νάς τε καὶ νυκτερινάς Συμμετρεσ τω ἡμέραν ἀν των. Which account is very agreeable to the Rules of the Conftitutions, relating to this Pafchal Faft; and fhews that fome Chriftians would choose to keep even the Solemn Time of that Fast, the fame Number of Hours, that the other was appointed for Days; Probably not without fome regard to the fame. Tertullians Words follow: Certe in Evangelio illos dies jejuniis determinatos putant [Pfychici, five Catholici in quibus ablatus eft fponfus ; & hos effe jam folos legitimos jejuniorum Chriftianorum, abolitis legalibus, & Propheticis vetuftatibus. De catero autem indifferenter jejunandum ex arbitrio, non ex imperio nove difciplina, pro temporibus & caufis uniufcujufque. Sic & Apoftolos obfervaffe, nullum aliud imponentes jugum certorum & in commune omnibus obeundorum jejuniorum. Nay, it appears elfewhere from the fame Tertullian, that the very Montanifts had but about Three Weeks of Solemn Fafting in all the Year. Yet were they accus'd by the Catholicks, as introducing an unwarrantable Burden upon the Vind Ca Faithful. But as for Bishop Beveridg's Lear19. ned Differtation concerning this ens p. 138. or Quadragefima, fo far I mean as he pre

2

non L. III.

169

"

tends

tends to prove it Forty Days long; he is plainly entangled with the Antient Teftimonies, and utterly at a lofs how to Account for them. Nor can he make out thofe Forty Days any other way than by fuppofing our modern way of Computation from Awednefday by fuppofing Saturdays to be Days of Fafting; and by including the Pafchal Faft under this of Forty Days, in every point directly contrary to Antiquity. For this means is exprefly appointed to begin the Second Day of the Week, whereas. Wednesday is the Fourth. Saturdays were alfo never Days of Fafting in those early Ages, one excepted, (when the lying of Chrift in the Grave was commemorated.) And the marengs was moft directly diftinguifh'd from the Eafter Faft in the Primitive Church, and was obferv'd before it, as appears elfew here, and particularly here in the Conftitutions. 'Tis alfo own'd by Bishop Beveridge, that a Faft of Thirty Six c. 3.p.142, Days, nay of Two or Three Weeks only, 143, 144 are in this Cafe frequently call'd by the fame Name, wangs. Which gave occafion, when the true Reason of that Name was loft, for the wonder of Socrates and others, that fuch different and fhorter kinds of Faft, fhould ftill be every one call'd moveangn in thofe Ages. Which miftake, by the way, feems gradually to have introduc'd a change

the Faft it felf, and from an half Faft of

Five

Five Days, for the Forty Days before us, to have gradually brought on a new Faft of Lent, or a fet Faft of Forty Days, for

fo many Days of Chrifts Fafting and Temptation: To which yet there is not the leaft Sign of its Relation, in all the foregoing Ages of the Church. Such ftrange and ill grounded Confequences have followed Mens leaving the original Laws of the Gofpel, or Apoftolical Conftitutions, and pursuing the contrary Decrees of Synods or Princes, and running after the vain Imagination of their own Hearts in matters of this Nature.

Corollary (1) We may here obferve a New, and moft Powerful Argument for the certainty of the Fundamental Fact of Chriftianity, the Refurrection of our Blessed Saviour: Since we now fee that he did not meerly appear fuddenly to a few, or to many for a few Minutes only, but that befides thofe Appearances, known by all from the Gospel Hiftories, he came to, and abode with the Eleven Apoftles fo often, and so long, as to Reveal to them all the Laws and Conftitutions of Chriftianity, contain'd in the Book before us; and this in a fet Place, where they conftantly met together for Divine Worship. So that the Apoftles certainty that their Lord was Rifen from the Dead, was hardly less than that of his living among them, and converfing with them, before his Paffion.

Corollary

Elays. VI.

P.

Corol. (2) We may here alfo obferve Serm. & of what Confequence that Affertion is, 145. which I have prov'd elsewhere, and which 181 I fhall ftill farther confirm hereafter; viz. that our Lord Afcended firft up to Heaven, on the very Day of his Refurrection from the Dead: The Inauguration into his Kingdom in Heaven of neceffity preceding this his Royal Power and Authority, which was fo eminently exercis'd, in his Delivery of these his Divine and Heavenly Laws and Conftitutions to us. How many Texts of Scripture alfo that Propofition and this compar'd together will afford Light to, which of late have been mifunderftood, I fhall not here pretend to enumerate. The careful Reader will obferve them upon occafion, all along the Courfe of his Studies.

II. As Paul, the Apoftle of the Gentiles, had no knowledge of thefe facred Conftitutions, at this Time of their original delivery by our Lord, fo was he at firft unconcern'd with the other Apoftles, either to Learn the fame from them, or to joyn with them in their delivery to the Church; fince he received them, together with the rest of his knowledge of the Gofpel, by immediate Revelation from Chrift himself, and diftindly communicated them to his Companions and Attendants, and thereby to the reft of the Church. Nor does he appear with the reft at the famous Council of Jerufalem, about