come frequently, being worthily disposed, is certainly the product of love and holy hunger, the effect of the good Spirit, who, by his holy fires, makes us to thirst after the waters of salvations. As much then as love is better than fear, so much it is to be preferred, that true penitents, and well grown Christians, should, frequently, address themselves to these sacramental unions with their Lord.

2. The frequent use of this divine sacrament proceeds from more, as well as from more noble virtues. For here is obedience and zeal, worship and love, thanksgiving, and ob→ lation, devotion and joy, holy hunger and holy thirst, an approach to God in the ways of God, union and adherence, confidence in the divine goodness, and not only hope of pardon, but a going to receive it: and the omission of all these excellencies, cannot, in the present case, be recompensed by an act of religious fear; for this can, but by ac cident, and upon supposition of something that is amiss, be at all accounted good; and, therefore, ought to give place to that, which supposing all things to be as they ought, is directly good, and an obedience to a divine commandment.

For we may not deceive ourselves: the matter is not so indifferent, as to be excused by every fair pretence. It is unlawful for any man, unprepared by repentance and its fruits, to communicate; but it is necessary, that we should be prepared that we may come. "For plague and death threaten them that do not communicate in this mysterious banquet; as certainly as danger is to them who come unduly, and as it happens."-" For the sacrament of the Lord's body is commanded to all men," saith Tertullian. And it is very remarkable what St. Austin' said in this affair; "The force of the sacrament is of an unspeakable value; and, therefore, it is sacrilege to despise it. For that is impiously despised, without which, we cannot come to the perfection of piety." So that although it is not, in all cases, the mere not receiving that is to be blamed, but the despising it, yet when we

* S. Bonavent. de profectu Relig. lib. ii. c. 77.

h Stultus est timor et reverentia minus prudens illius, qui ad Dominum, se vocantem et invitantem, non accedit, sed procrastinat.— Gerson in Magnificat.

1Ωσπερ τὸ, ὡς ἔτυχε, προσιέναι κίνδυνος, οὕτως τὸ μὴ κοινωνεῖν τῶν μυστικῶν δείπνων incívar apòç nal Dávaros.- Hom. 24. in 1 Cor. 10.

* Tertul, de Coron. mil. c. 3.

Lib. xix. c. 11. ad Faustum.

consider, that by this means we arrive at perfection, all causeless recusancy is next to contempt by interpretation.

One thing more I am to add, whereas some persons ab stain from a frequent communion from fear, lest, by frequency of receiving, they should less esteem the divine mysteries, and fall into lukewarmness and indevotion; the consideration is good and such persons, indeed, may not receive it often, but not for that reason; but because they are not fit to receive it at all. For whoever grows worse by the sacrament, as Judas after the sop, hath an evil spirit within him: for this being by the design of God a savour of life, it is the fault of the receiver if it passes into death, and diminution of the spiritual life. He, therefore, that grows less devout, and less holy, and less reverent, must start back and take physic, and throw out the evil spirit that is within him; for there is a worm in the heart of the tree, a peccant, humour in the stomach; it could not be else, that this divine nutriment should make him sick.

QUESTION II.

But is every man bound to communicate that is present, or that comes into a church where the communion is prepared, though but by accident, and without design; and may no man, that is fit, omit to communicate in every opportunity?

To this I answer, that in the primitive church it was accounted scandalous and criminal to be present at the holy offices, and to go out at the celebration of the mysteries. "What cause is there, O hearers, that ye see the table, and come not to the banquet?" said St. Austin". "If thou stand by, and do not communicate, thou art wicked, thou art shameless, thou art impudent:" so St. Chrysostom: and to him that objects, he is not worthy to communicate, he answers, that "then neither is he fit to pray."-And the council of Antioch and of Bracara commanded that those who did not communicate, should be driven from the churches. And Palladius tells, that when St. Macarius had, by his prayers, cured a poor miserable woman that was bewitched, and fan

cied herself to be a horse; he advised her, " Never to depart from the church of God, or to abstain from the communion of the sacraments of Christ. For this misfortune hath prevailed upon you, because, for these five weeks, you have not communicated."

P

Now this was but a relative crime; and because their custom was such; which is always to be understood according to their acknowledged measures, viz. that only pious persons were to be meant, and required in that expectation; this will not conclude, that, of itself, and abstracting from the scandal, it was, in all cases, unlawful to recede from the mysteries at some times. For sometimes a man may be called off by the necessities of his calling, or the duties of charity or piety. A general of an army, a prince, a privy counsellor, a judge, a merchant, may be very unfit to communicate, even then when they cannot, or, it may be, ought not to stay. But if he can stay, and be a good man, and rightly disposed by the habits of a good life, he ought to stay and communicate; and so much the rather, if it be in any degree scandalous to go away. The reason is; because if he be a good man, he can no more be surprised by an unexpected communion, than by a sudden death; which although it may find him in better circumstances, yet can never find him unprovided. But in this case, St. Austin's moderate determination of the case is very useful," Let every one do, as he is persuaded in his mind;" for a man may, with a laudable fear and reverence, abstain. If he shall be persuaded that he ought not to communicate, unless, besides his habitual grace, he hath kindled the fires of an actual devotion and preparation special: and so much the rather, because he may communicate very frequently, and to great purposes and degrees of a spiritual life, though he omit that single opportu→ nity in which he is surprised; and though it be very useful for a good man to communicate often, yet it is not necessary that he communicate always. Only let every pious soul consider, that it is an argument of the divine love to us, that these fountains are always open; that the angel frequently moyes these waters; and that Christ says to every prepared

P. S. Cyprian, lib. iv. ep. 7. S. Ambros. lib. v. de Sacr. c. 4. St. Aug. Epist. 118. Euseb. lib. i, de Demonstr. Evạn, c. 10.

heart, as to the multitudes that followed him into the wilder-ness, "I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way." And if Christ be ever ready offering his holy body and blood, it were very fit we should entertain him: for he never comes but he brings a blessing.

QUESTION III.

But how often is it advisable, that a good man should communicate? Once in a year, or thrice, or every month, or every fortnight; every Sunday, or every day ?

This question hath troubled very many; but to little purpose. For it is all one, as if it were asked, How often should a healthful man eat; or he that hath infirmities, take physic?' And if any man should say, that a good man should do well to pray three times a day;' he said true; and yet it were better to pray five times, and better to pray seven times; but if he does, yet must leave spaces for other duties. But his best measures for public and solemn prayer, is the custom of the church in which he lives; and for private, he can take no measures but his own needs, and his own leisure, and his own desires, and the examples of the best and devoutest persons, in the same circumstances. And so it is in the frequenting the holy communion.—The laws of the church must be his least measure; the custom of the church may be his usual measure; but if he be a devout person, the spirit of devotion will be his certain measure; and although that will consult with prudence and reasonable opportunities, yet it consults with nothing else; but communicates by its own heights and degrees of excellency. St. Jerome advises Eustochium, a noble virgin, and other religious persons, to communicate twice every month. Some did every Sunday; and this was so general a custom in the ancient church, that the Sunday was called the day of bread,' as we find in St. Chrysostom and in consonancy to this, the church of England commands that the priests, resident in collegiate or cathedral churches, should do so: and they, whose work

¶ Metuebat Maria, ne amor Magistri sņi in corpore suo refrigesceret, si corpus ejus non inveniret: quo viso, recalescebat. — Origen. homil. 1, ex variis. s Homil. 5. de Resurrect.

Ad Eustoch. Virg. c. 9.

and daily employment is to minister to religion, cannot, în such circumstances, pretend a reasonable excuse to the contrary. But I desire these things may be observed:

1. That when the fathers make a question concerning a frequent communion, they do not dispute whether it be advisable, that good people should communicate every month, or every fortnight, or whether the more devout, or less employed, may communicate every week; - for of this they make no question:- but whether every day's communion be fit to be advised, that they question. And I find, that as they are not earnest in that, so they indefinitely give answer, that a frequent communion is not to be neglected at any hand, if persons be worthily prepared.

2. The frequency of communion is to be estimated by the measures of devout people in every church respectively. And although, in the apostolical ages, they who communicated but once a fortnight, were not esteemed to do it frequently; yet now, they who communicate every month, and upon the great festivals of the year besides, and upon other solemn and contingent occasions, and at marriages, and at visitations of the sick,-may be said to communicate frequently, in such churches where the laws enjoin but three or four times every year, as in the church of England, and the Lutheran churches. But this way of estimating the frequency of communion, is only when the causes of inquiry are for the avoiding of scandal, or the preventing of scruples'; but else the inward hunger and thirst, and the spirit of devotion married to opportunity, can give the truest mea

sures.

3. They that communicate frequently, if they do it worthily, are charitable and spiritual persons, and, therefore, cannot judge or undervalue others that do not; for no man knows concerning others, by what secret principles and imperfect propositions they are guided. For although these measures we meet with in antiquity, are very unreasonable, yet few do know them; and all of them do not rely upon them, and their own customs, or the private word of their own guides, or their fears, or the usages of the church in which they live, or some leading example, or some secret impediment which ought not, but is thought sufficient; any of these, or many other things, may retard even good per