The Lords Day, Book 2 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
The time aſſigned to the Treatiſes of the ancients; namely, how long they continued their Treatiſes, were not long, uſually about an hour: but they were not tyed to an hour: None was to go out before the Treatiſe was ended.
FOr the fuller diſcovery of theſe Treatiſes out of Holy Scripture, ſomething is in the third place to be added, of the time aſſigned by the ancients to their Treatiſes: touching which, a double queſtion doth occurr: firſt, how long their Treatiſes laſted, ſecondly, how often treated they in the week.
For the continuance of their Treatiſes,Their Treatiſes were not long. the Fathers troubled themſelves but a little: and therefore they continued their Sermons an hour, and ſometimes longer: and that they were not long in their Treatiſes, may be obſerved from Origen's, and all the other Fathers (who drew not out their Sermons to any long time with the people) their manner of Treating. For they thought it to be much more adviſed to teach often, than long: and thoſe who Treated out of the Scripture, looked to that, of which once Hierom admoniſhed Auguſtin; namely,*Aug. Ep. 11. leſt the Sermon being drawn out too long, could not be understood; for they knew well enough, that a ſatiety in a Sermon was no leſs an enemy to the ears, than too much meat to the body, as Greg. Nazianz. Orat. 42. therefore, leſt their unpleaſant prolixity ſhould beget in the Hearers a loathing of the Sermon, they were cautious for this reſpect. Baſilius M. †Hexam. Hom. 8.being moved with this conſideration, ended his morning Sermon [the ſooner] lest he ſhould make his auditors more dull against the evening aſſembly.
Beſides, they judged, that holy Doctrine was to be inſtilled by little and little, for defect of underſtanding in the people: which *Hom. 3. de Lazaro, 1. 5. p. 242.Chryſost. declares by a ſimilitude from a Mother that makes way to bring a ſucking infant to ſolid meat: ſhe doth not pour much at once into the mouth of a meer infant, leſt, what was poured in, be forthwith caſt up again of the child: therefore the mother doth pour in by little and little, and ſo what is given, is preſently by the child ſent through him without any trouble. After this manner, the Fathers propounded not many things to their hearers, at one and the ſame time, leſt what they had propoſed, ſhould ſlip out of their Auditors minds; and therefore they choſe rather to propound what they had to ſay, at diſtinct times. Chryſoſtome alſo, Hom. 15. in Gen. aſſignes this very reaſon; namely, that they might better conſider with themſelves what they had heard.
But although they did not protract their Sermons very long, yet was there a time ſet for the doctrine of the Sermon, that neither the Teachers ſhould weary themſelves with the multitude of words, nor the hearers. *Chryſ. Hom. 2. de verbis Iſaiae, t. 5. p. 13….And he that ſhall ſay, that the time of a whole Sermon was determined within the ſpace of about an hour, will not much miſs it: as appears from Baſil's ſecond Sermon in Pſal. 14. where he ſaith, that he could not finiſh yesterday his Sermon with them, under an houres ſpace, and what remained, he deferred till the following day. †Hom. 2. in Num.Origen reproved ſome men that rather followed their worldly, than ſpiritual affairs; becauſe they aſſigned one or two hours of a whole day to God, and come to prayer in the Church; but ſpend their principal care about the regard of the world and their belly. From which, it's given to underſtand, how long they were preſent at the Churchaſſembly; namely, one or two hours.
Auſtin confeſſeth, that he carefully avoided ſpeaking in his Sermons to the people, of the abominable ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, becauſe he could not finiſh this queſtion, which of all he judged the greateſt, aSer. 11. de verb. Dom.within the ſpace of an hour. (namely, at the publick-aſſembly.) The ſame appears out of Chryſoſtom, when he reproves thoſe that forſook the Communion, and Congregation of the Saints; eſpecially, becauſe, whereas the week having an hundred ſixty eight houres, God hath ſet apart one for himſelf, and they would ſpend this about ſecular, and ridiculous matters. Hom. de Euchar. And elſewhere, Hom. de non contemnenda Eccleſ. t. 7. p. 891. he makes mention of two hours in which the Church is to attend ſpiritual affairs. idem, t. 5. p. 523.
But they were not ſo tyed to anTreatiſes not tyed to an hour…. houres ſpace, as that upon any neceſſary occaſion emerging, they might not continue their Sermon longer to the people. What Austin aEp. 86.anſwers to Urbicus, about the continuance of Faſts, may be referred hither; he thought that if any neceſsity aroſe, a dinner was not to be preferred to a more urgent action. Which he confirms by the example of the Church, Act. 20. which thought it not much to hear St. Paul continuing his Sermon till midnight. To judge the ſame of Treatiſes (which upon ſome urgent neceſſity, may be longer continued than ordinary) who will judge it to be alien from the Chriſtian Faith?
Yet whether their Treatiſes were longNo going out before the Treatiſe ended. or ſhort, he that went out of the Auditory, before the Treater had finiſhed his Sermon, was obnoxious to the Churches cenſure. Chryſoſtom, for this cauſe, dothHom. 83. in Matth. ſeverely pinch ſome that waited not for the laſt ſentence of the myſtery. And elſewhere he requires it of all, that none go out of the Church before they be diſmiſſed. For if any went out before the diſmiſſion, he was, as a fugitive, required his reaſon. Homil. de non contemnenda Eccleſ. In the fourth Council of Carthage, Canon 24. it is provided, that he that goes forth while the Prieſt is ſpeaking, ſhall be noted with the terrible cenſure of Excommunication. See the twenty eighth Canon Concil. Aurelian. 1. ann. 507. Alſo Can. 27. Concil. Agathenſis, ann. 306.
Laſtly, Becauſe the Auditors were not to go out of the Church-aſſembly till the end of the Treatiſe, the Treaters, when they had ended their Treatiſes, conferred their help in pouring out their Prayers; as formerly hath been ſhewn in the fourth Chapter. I onelyonly add this, that Chryſoſtome commends his hearers that received his admonitions with great chearfulneſs, and that they were not offended with their prolixity, but preſerved a continual deſire of hearing, with an extreme ſetledneſs of vigour, even to the end. In princip. Homil. 15. in Geneſin.