CHAP. VI.

I. Her Zeal. II. Her Justice. III. Her Moderation. IV. Her Charity.

Her Zeal.

H

ER ZEAL is laudable and Confpicuous, plainly manifeft in meet Expreffions and agreeable Efforts, which are numerbut few.

ous, tho' I obferve She requires (a) all Priests and Deacons, not reasonably hindred, to fay daily the Morning and Evening Prayer, either privately or openly; and Parish Curates to say the fame in Churches and Chapels, where they minifter, at the toll of a Bell, that the People may come and joyn with them. Which

(a) See Rubrick under the Title, Concerning the fervice of the Church.

would

would they but do, in how many Parishes might God be ferved publickly every day, where, for want of their reforting to it, His Worship is fain to be omitted.

Befides Sundays, fhe appoints other Holydays to be folemnly kept,

for the Glory of God,

Feasts, and Fafis,

and the good of Souls; and (a) commands all perfons within this Church to celebrate her Festivals religioufly, by doing Acts and Offices of Piety and Charity upon the fame. And as the (b) orders the prefcript form of Divine Service to be used on Holy-days, and their Eves, as well as on Sundays; and the Litany to be read on Wednesdays and Fridays: So fhe advises Every Houfholder within half a mile of the Church, either to come, or fend, one of his Family fit to joyn with the Minister.

;

In Cathedral and Collegiate (c) Churches, and in Colleges where are many Priests and Deacons, fhe appoints a Communion every Sunday and enjoyns every Parishioner to communicate three times a year at least (perhaps taking pattern from the Jews, all whofe Males were to appear three times in a year before the Lord, Deut. xvi. 16.) and to invite, and encourage them thereto, and in

(a) Can. 13. (6) Can. 14. 15. (c) Rubrick after

the Communion Office.

fome

fome measure to direct their Preparation for it; the requires Minifters, when they give notice of a Sacrament, to read one of the pious Exhortations relating to the fame. And that notorious ill livers might not profane it by unworthy Approaches, (a) fhe lays it upon Ministers to repel fuch, till they declare themselves truly Penitent.

As fhe is happy in an Act of Parliament for the better observation of the Lord's Day ; fo another for the more effectual fuppreffing of profane Curfing and Swearing, is to be read in all Churches and Chapels four times in every year, on four fet Sundays. A Law moft feafonable, as well as neceffary, when the Name of God is fo lewdly prophan'd, which, our Lord has taught us to pray, may be hallowed.

The Jews feem to have over-acted here. For thro' too much tenderness and Scrupulofity they fuffer'd not the Tetragrammaton (or Name of God confifting of four Letters) to be utter'd above once a year, and by not using it, its proper pronunciation by their culpable Niceness was loft for ever. And fo that, which they called the Separate, or incommunicable Name; the Glorious Name; the Bleffed Name;

(a) Rubr. before the Communion,

the Great Name, is now to them in effect xo Name at all, because they know not how to express it. Even no more than the Greeks do, who want Letters to pronounce it aright, and therefore term it 'evensvatov, or "apasov, the Ineffable Name. This inconvenience the Hebrews fell into by fuperftitious Squeamishnefs in abstaining from the ufe of that divine Name; but our fault (God in Mercy forgive it) lies on the other hand. For there's fcarce one Sacred Venerable Name belonging to the Deity, but Loose Men amongst us tofs and tear it, as it were, with Irreligious Tongues and Regardless Oaths.

To this Laudable and Needful Alt, I may fubjoyn (in way of folemn remembrance) a Royal Proclamation of our late Gracious King's for the Encouragement of Piety and Virtue, and for the Preventing and Punishing of Vice and Immorality, which is to be read as openly and as often.

These things to the Pious must be highly pleafing, as being very aufpicious; for they fhew our Kings, and Queens, and the Legiflative part of the Nation to have been always fet to discountenance, and beat down Sin, and to promote, as well as establish Goodness.

But then at the fame time they are Fair and Laudable expressions of a noble and pre vailing Zeal, which fhining fo gloriously in

the

the higher Powers, fhould influence thofe of Lower quality, and inflame them to fuitable Imitation. Which God grant they may do.

And as our Church is eminent in Active Zeal, fo doubtlefs fhe would be the fame in Paffive, were there occafion for it. The Carriage of those Prelates who a while ago went couragiously to the Tower, when they knew not but their Imprisonment was a great step to their Martyrdom, may be a Lively pledge, or Bright and Lafting Token of this. And notwithstanding some Bishops are now traduced, as if they were no real Friends to our Church; we need not question, but feveral of them have fuch Zeal for Her happy Conftitution, that they would rather confirm it with their Blood, than do any thing to overturn it.

Her Juft

ice.

II. Her JUSTICE is admirable; and here I don't mean only, that fhe has taken due care to diftribute Justice in proper Courts, where Caufes are to be Judged by fit and good Laws, and in orderly methods, and by our Venerable and Impartial Judges; but moreover that in Her Liturgy fhe urges Men to Equity, and fets the Duty home upon their Confciences by awful and repeated Charges.

Thus with Greatcft Serioufness, when warning is given for the Communion (a) fhe preffes Men to make reftitution and fatisfaction (a) Exhortation ft.

according