The Lords Day, Book 2 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
The ancients Treated every day out of Scripture: and did not prohibit thoſe that taught others diligently, from that their diligence in teaching.
IN the ſecond place, it will not be unprofitable to find out, how often we read that this was done by the ancients, within a weeks compaſs, or how often the Fathers were wont to treat out of the Scripture to the people. To which queſtion I anſwer briefly, and ſay, that they buckled themſelves to this work every day, (as occaſion offered) but eſpecially on Lords Dayes, on which they were not wanting twice to ſuſtain this labour, when they had liberty for perſecution.
But becauſe this, through ſome mens prejudice, may ſeem a thing hard to believe, we will plead with the very teſtimonies of the graveſt authors, and will teach both, by the grace of God, out of their records.
In the firſt place, they uſed to preach toThe ancients Treated out of Scriptures every day. the people every day, which will appear to him that looks into their Treatiſes. For how often do we meet with this phraſe in the beginning of their Treatiſes, Yeſterday's Sermon?—Ambr. de Sacramentis, l. 5. c. 1. Alſo l, 3. c. 1. alſo Serm. 92. which he begins in the ſame manner.
Chryſoſtom thinks it neceſſary that a Biſhop ſhould preach every day; and he ſhews the fruit of this diligence, that by continuance in teaching, the auditors minds might retain the Sermon. Chryſ. de ſacerdotio, lib. 6. And what burden the grave Father impoſed upon other mens ſhoulders in this buſineſs, yet he declined it not himſelf through a Phariſaical auſterity, though it were hard to be born, which his Sermons ſhew.
Ye made yeſterday, which had been the Devils Festival, to be the Spirits Feaſt-day, becauſe ye received what we ſaid to you, with a great deſire of mind, &c. Hom. de Lazar.
Hom. 34. in Gen. he ſaith, Ye learned yeſterday the excellent modeſty of the Patriarch
Hom. 22. in Gen. thus he begins; The reliques of yeſterdayes table, I ſet before you to day. Such prefaces as theſe do frequently occurr in his Homilies.
Hom. 5. ad Populum. Although I have ſpoken to you of this matter, yeſterday, and the day before yeſterday, yet ſhall I not perſwade you to it to day, nor to norrow, nor the next day after to morrow, &c.
Hom. 13. ad Populum. With the ſame beginning, and like prefaces, with which I begun yeſterday, and the day before yeſterday, I will alſo begin to day.
Theſe, and many others, that may be obſerved in him, do plainly ſhew, that he performed the office of Treating out of Scripture every day to the people. Greg. Nyſſ. Orat. 2. de 40 Martyribus, makes mention of the things he had ſpoken the day before to the people; and in an Oration next after that, he calls to their remembrance what he had declared yeſterday.
Auſtin thus begins his ſecond Sermon in Pſalm 68. The later part of the Pſalm upon which we ſpoke yeſterday to your charity, remains to be explained by me to day. Tract. 16. in Joh. he mentions, Yeſterdays labour, and yeſterdayes leſſon. Tract. 18. in Johan. & Tract. 21. He begins Tractat. 22. after this manner, This dayes leſson out of the Goſpel follows the Sermons that I repeated to you, yeſterday, and the day before yeſterday, &c.
Cyprian by his daily Treating out of the Goſpels, endeavoured to encreaſe the ſaith and knowledge of his hearers. Nicephorus affirms, that Alexander comforted the Church daily, with his Divine inſtructions. Hiſt. l. 8. c. 5.
And thus much for the daily labours of the Doctors of the Church, which they ſpent in the explication of Scripture: whoſe diligence was ſo great, over their flocks commended to their charge, to feed them ſaithfully with the bread of life, that they would not abſtain from the continual labours of Treating. They became not at that time lookers after their ſecular affairs, relicta cathedra [i. leaving the chair] (which thing was a grief to Cyprian, De Lapſis, ſect. 4.) as afterwards they were; or did they grow too rank with exceſſive ſtipends: but, as their chief charge was bounded in Doctrine, ſo they thought not much to beſtow their moſt diligent labour in this office, though very toylſome: and the more frequently and officiouſly they executed the charge of preaching to the people, the greater honour had they from all good men, according to the Apoſtles Canon, 1 Tim. 5. 17. which Theodoſius junior did piouſly obſerve. Socr. l. 7. c. 22.
Nor do I remember that I have read any where in the ancients, that any man was interdicted (who being not deprived of the faculty of preaching, by the Church, or was not ſubject to its cenſure) that he ſhould not, ſo often as conveniently he could, inſtruct the people committed to him in the knowledge of the Scriptures. Cyprian asked the Presbyters, in his abſence, that they would ſeriouſly execute both their own, and his part, in the inſtructing the Church of Chriſt, Ep. 5. and he commends the Presbyters that did corroborate every one with their daily exhortations, Ep. 40. The Roman Clergy exhorted the Clergy of Carthage, to conſtancy in executing their office, and to encourage the Chriſtians to perſevere in the confeſſion of Faith, and deteſtation of idolatry, by arguments drawn out of the Holy Scriptures, Cypr. Ep. 3. But neither Cyprian, nor the Romans, did prohibit the Presbyters of Carthage from the diligent function of this office: but provoked them forward to perform it upon every occaſion that was offered. This St. Chryſostom teacheth elegantly and pithily Homil. 15. in 2 Tim. while he exciteth all the Doctors of the Church (whom he contends ought ſo to be called, becauſe they teach) to labour in the Word and Doctrine, and ſtingeth ſome, that ſay, that there is no need of the Word and Doctrine: becauſe, in his judgment, it tendeth no little to the edification of the Church, if thoſe that are over the Church excell in the grace of teaching: without which, many things in the Churchdiſcipline will periſh. He doth not therefore greatly reprove thoſe that applied themſelves to Doctrine, but ſhews, they are to be greatly honoured.