loathed the Sacraments of the Church, falsely presuming them to be fraught with impious and Antichristian corruptions; which error the God of mercy and truth opening at length their eyes to see, they do not only repent them of the evil which they have done, but also in token thereof desire to receive comfort by that whereunto they have offered disgrace (which may be the case of many poor seduced souls, even at this day): God forbid we should think that the Church doth sin, in permitting the wounds of such to be supplied with that oil which this gracious Sacrament doth yield, and their bruised minds not only need but beg. There is nothing which the soul of man doth desire in that last hour so much as comfort against the natural terrors of death, and other scruples of conscience which commonly do then most trouble and perplex the weak; towards whom the very Law of God doth exact at our hands all the helps that Christian lenity and indulgence can afford. Our general consolation departing this life is, the hope of that glorious and blessed Resurrection which the Apostle St. Paul nameth Eaváσraov,* 1 Cor. to note that as all men should have their áváσraσiv, and be raised again from the dead, so the just shall be taken up and exalted above the rest, whom the power of God doth but raise, and not exalt. This Life, and this Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, is for all men, as touching the sufficiency of that he hath done; but that which maketh us partakers thereof, is our particular communion with Christ; and this Sacrament a principal mean, as well to strengthen the bond, as to multiply in us the fruits of the same communion. For which cause St. Cyprian + termeth it a joyful solemnity of expedite and speedy resurrection;' Ignatius,‡ ́ a medicine which procureth immortality and preventeth death;' Irenæus,§the nourishment of our bodies to eternal life, and their preservative from corruption.' Now because that Sacrament, which at all times we may receive unto this effect, is then most acceptable

* Διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἔπαρσιν. Theophyl. Πάντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀνίστανται, μόνοι δὲ KIOTÒ ÀžioŪVTAI Tãv åyabãv. Ammon. Vide 1 Thess. iv. 17.

сар. 10.

Maturatæ resurrectionis lætabunda solemnia.' Cypr. de Can. Dom.

† Φάρμακον ἀθανασίας, ἀντίδοτον μὴ θανεῖν. Ignat. Epist. ad Ephes. [c. 20.] Iren. lib. iv. cap. 34.

Etsi nihil facile mutandum est ex solemnibus, tamen ubi æquitas evidens poscit, subveniendum est.' Lib. cxxxviii. ff. de Reg. Jur.

xv. 21.

Phil.

iii. 11.

Of Fes

tivaldays,

and the

and

natural

of their

tution.

and most fruitful, when any special extraordinary occasion, nearly and presently urging, kindleth our desires towards it, their severity, who cleave unto that alone which is generally fit to be done, and so make all men's conditions alike, may add much affliction to divers troubled and grieved minds, of whose particular estate particular respect being had, according to the charitable order of the Church wherein we live, there ensueth unto God that glory which his righteous Saints, comforted in their greatest distresses, do yield, and unto them which have their reasonable petitions satisfied, the same contentment, tranquillity, and joy, that others before them, by means of like satisfaction, have reaped, and wherein we all are or should be desirous finally to take our leave of the world, whensoever our own uncertain time of most assured departure shall come. Concerning, therefore, both Prayers and Sacraments, together with our usual and received Form of administering the same in the Church of England, let thus much suffice.

69. As the substance of God alone is infinite and hath no kind of limitation, so likewise his continuance is from everlasting to everlasting, and knoweth neither beginning causes nor end. Which demonstrable conclusion being presupconveni- posed, it followeth necessarily, that besides him, all things ent insti- are finite both in substance and in continuance. If in substance all things be finite, it cannot be but that there are bounds without the compass whereof their substance doth not extend; if in continuance also limited, they all have, it cannot be denied, their set and their certain terms, before which they had no being at all. This is the reason why, first, we do most admire those things which are greatest; and, secondly, those things which are ancientest; because the one are least distant from the infinite substance, the other from the infinite continuance, of God. Out of this we gather, that only God hath true immortality or eternity, that is to say, continuance wherein there groweth no difference by addition of hereafter unto now, whereas the noblest and perfectest of all things besides have continually, through continuance, the time of former continuance lengthened; so that they could not heretofore be said to have continued so long as now, neither now so long as hereafter. God's own eternity is the hand which

leadeth Angels in the course of their perpetuity; their perpetuity the hand which draweth out celestial motion; the line of which motion, and the thread of time, are spun together. Now as Nature bringeth forth time with motion, so we by motion have learned how to divide time, and by the smaller parts of time both to measure the greater, and to know how long all things else endure. For time, considered in itself, is but the flux of that very instant wherein the motion of the Heaven began; being coupled with other things, it is the quantity of their continuance measured by the distance of two instants; as the time of a man, is a man's continuance from the instant of his first breath, till the instant of his last gasp. Hereupon some have defined time to be the measure of the motion of Heaven; because the first thing which time doth measure is that motion wherewith it began, by the help whereof it measureth other things; as when the Prophet David saith, that a man's continuance doth not commonly exceed threescore and ten years, he useth the help both of motion and number to measure time. They which make time an effect of motion, and motion to be in nature before time, ought to have considered with themselves, that albeit we should deny, as Melissus did, all motion, we might notwithstanding acknowledge time, because time doth but signify the quantity of continuance, which continuance may be in things that rest and are never moved. Besides, we may also consider in rest both that which is past, and that which is present, and that which is future; yea, further, even length and shortness in every of these, although we never had conceit of motion. But to define, without motion, how long or how short such continuance is, were impossible. So that herein we must of necessity use the benefit of years, days, hours, minutes, which all grow from celestial motion. Again, forasmuch as that motion is circular whereby we make our divisions of time, and the compass of that circuit such, that the heavens, which are therein continually moved and keep in their motions uniform celerity, must needs touch often the same points, they cannot choose but bring unto us by equal distances frequent returns of the same times. Furthermore, whereas time is nothing but a mere quantity of that continuance which all things have, that are not, as God is, without be

ginning, that which is proper unto all quantities agreeth also to this kind; so that time doth but measure other things, and neither worketh in them any real effect nor is itself ever capable of any. And, therefore, when commonly we use to say, that time doth eat or fret out all things; that time is the wisest thing in the world, because it bringeth forth all knowledge; and that nothing is more foolish than time, which never holdeth any thing long, but whatsoever one day learneth, the same another day forgetteth again; that some men see prosperous and happy days, and that some men's days are miserable: in all these, and the like speeches, that which is uttered of the time is not verified of time itself, but agreeth unto those things which are in time, and do by means of so near conjunction either lay their burden upon the back, or set their crown upon the head, of time. Yea, the very opportunities which we ascribe to time,* do in truth cleave to the things themselves wherewith the time is joined. As for time, it neither causeth things, nor opportunities of things, although it comprise and contain both. All things whatsoever having their time, the works of God have always that time which is seasonablest and fittest for them. His works are some ordinary, some more rare; all worthy of observation, but not all of like necessity to be often remembered; they all have their times, but they all do not add the same estimation and glory to the times wherein they are. For as God by being every where, yet doth not give unto all places one and the same degree of holiness; so neither one and the same dignity to all times, by working in all. For if all either places or times were in respect of God alike, wherefore was it said unto Moses by particular deExod. signation, "That very place wherein thou standest is holy

ground?" Why doth the Prophet David choose out of all the days of the year but one, whereof he speaketh by way Psal. of principal admiration, "This is the day the Lord hath cxviii. made?" No doubt, as God's extraordinary presence hath

24.

hallowed and sanctified certain places, so they are his extraordinary works that have truly and worthily advanced certain times; for which cause they ought to be with all men that honour God more holy than other days. The

Χρόνος ἐστὶν ἐν ᾧ καιρὸς, καὶ καιρὸς ἐν ᾧ χρόνος οὐ πολύς. Hippoc. lib. qui Praceptiones inscribitur. [in init.]

xxxiii.

Wise man, therefore, compareth herein not unfitly the times of God with the persons of men. If any should ask how it comes to pass that one day doth excel another, seeing the light of all the days in the year proceedeth from one sun; to this he answereth, "That the knowledge of the Ecclus. Lord hath parted them asunder, he hath by them disposed 7-12. the times and solemn Feasts; some he hath chosen out and sanctified, some he hath put among the days to number:" even as Adam and all other men are of one substance, all created of the earth: "but the Lord hath divided them by great knowledge, and made their ways divers; some he hath blessed and exalted, some he hath sanctified and appropriated unto himself, some he hath cursed, humbled, and put them out of their dignity." So that the cause being natural and necessary for which there should be a difference in days, the solemn observation whereof declareth religious thankfulness towards him, whose works of principal reckoning we thereby admire and honour, it cometh next to be considered, what kinds of duties and services they are wherewith such times should be kept holy.

manner

Festival

70. The sanctification of days and times is a token of The that thankfulness, and a pattern of that public honour, of celewhich we owe to God for admirable benefits, whereof it brating doth not suffice that we keep a secret calendar, taking days. thereby our private occasions as we list ourselves to think how much God hath done for all men; but the days which are chosen out to serve as public memorials of such his mercies, ought to be clothed with those outward robes of holiness, whereby their difference from other days may be made sensible. But because time in itself, as hath been already proved, can receive no alteration; the hallowing of Festival-days must consist in the shape or countenance which we put upon the affairs that are incident unto those days."This is the day which the Lord hath made (saith the Prophet David); let us rejoice and be glad in it." So that generally offices and duties of religious joy are that wherein the hallowing of Festival times consisteth.* The

* Grande videlicet officium, focos et choros in publicum educere, vicatim epulari, civitatem tabernæ halitu abolefacere, vino lutum cogere, catervatim cursitare ad injurias, ad impudicitias, ad libidinis illecebras. Siccine exprimitur publicum gaudium per publicum dedecus? Tertull. Apol. cap. 35. Dies festos, Majestati altissimæ dedicatos, nullis volumus voluptatibus occupari.' C. I. xii.