The Lords Day, Book 2 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
On the Lords Dayes they were wont to Treat twice out of the Holy Scriptures.
THat the ancients, when a fit occaſion was offered, did treat out of the Scripture every day, their own records do teach us: but, as I ſaid in the former Chapter, they eſpecially buckled themſelves to this work on the Lords day: aCa…. 19. Concil. in Trullo.For it be…oveth thoſe that are ſet over Churches, on all dayes, but eſpecially Lords dayes, to teach all the Clergy and people the oracles of piety, and the right Religion.
And as they took pains to explain the Scripture every day, ſo they judged, that all times of the day were fit for a ſpiritual diſcourſe, Chryſ. Hom. 10. in Gen. Yea, though night gr…w on, himſelf being judge, it prejudiced not ſpiritual Doctrine. And hence it was, that we read, that the ancients explained the Scriptures not only in the morning, but evening (for at both times the Church aſſembled, as is ſhewn in the firſt Chapter;) This their very words will tell us.
It appears from the beginning of Baſils Two Treatiſes on the Lords day.ſecond Hom. that one of thoſe Sermons was had in the morning, and the other after noon: for he ſaith, We took time in a few words from the firſt dawning of the day, &c. Hexaem. Hom. 2. and he kept the ſecond Hom. about the evening. While on it he interpreted the evening Hom. of the firſt day, he ſaith, Theſe our diſcourſes of that evening, being now occupied from this evening, do here put an end to our Oration. Hexaem. Hom. ſecun. circa finem. And he ſaith in the beginning of his third Hom. that one part of theſe Homilies brought morning aliment, and the other evening joy to his hearers.
In the end of his ſeventh Hom. he admoniſhes his hearers to give thanks, and to talk among themſelves of thoſe things which both early, and in the evening, his Oration yesterday had offered them.
In the concluſion of the eighth Hom, he puts an end to the morning feaſt, leſt the exuberant ſatiety of ſpeech make his auditors more dull to receive his evening banquets.
In the beginning of the following Hom.Hom. 9. had upon the ſame day, he ſaith, that his Oration had ſet a banquet before his auditors in the morning, and that Oration was had about the evening: for he concludes it in this manner, Behold, the Evening time commands us ſilence, the Sun being now ſet a pretty while ſince, here therefore we think it meet, that this our Oration ſhould bring us to our bed, or reſt. All theſe to teſtifie that Baſil the Great held a double Treatiſe out of the Scriptures the ſame day. For he makes mention both of his evening and morning labour undertaken in performing that office by him.
Neither did Great Chryſoſtom give place to Baſil, although he was called Magnus, in the diligent treating out of Scripture, who ſaith, What we have ſaid to day, is very like to …. 5. p. 362.that which we yet have determined to ſpeak to day. Hom. oportet haereſes eſſe. That place doth ſhew evidently enough, that Chryſoſtom preach'd twice on one and the ſame day; and if the Church were but to meet once a day to hear the word of God, with what face could Chryſoſtom have reproved thoſe his auditors that refuſed to come after their carnal table to a ſpiritual banquet? which thing we find him to have done not once. So Hom. 10. in Gen. & Hom. 9. ad Populum. Contrariwiſe, he commends thoſe that obeyed this admonition, becauſe when they had dined they met in the Church. Hom. 10. ad populum.
In the beginning of 67 Oration, T. 6. of the Greek Edition, foreign, &c. he ſaith, that he, being wearied with the labours of the morning Sermon, reſerved the reſt, (namely, till afternoon) and was wonderfully refreſhed with the preſence of Flavianus. This teſtifies, that he preached twice that day, otherwiſe Biſhop Flavianus had not been preſent to hear him in the afternoon.
He that ſhall look into the beginning of the ſecond Sermon of Auſtins in Pſ. 88. will grant, that Auſtin did the ſame. For he commands his auditors to bend their mind to the reſt of the Pſalm, of which he had been ſpeaking in the morning.
Being content with theſe authorities of the Fathers, (although we meet with much more in them) we will add no more. And he that ſhall weigh theſe in an equal ballance, will with a little adoe find, that theſe grave Authors did endure the labour of Treating twice a day out of the Scriptures. Now, if any one (whoſe palate nau…atingClj. the old path that leadeth ſtraight to the eternal ſalvation of the ſoul, and ſeeking a new one, the premiſes do not pleaſe) ſhall object to me, that from the aforeſaid teſtimonies it is not evident, that the Fathers did undergo thoſe labours, in interpreting and treating out of the Scripture twice on the Lords day, which I ſhould have proved:Anſw. Surely, he that ſhall ſay ſo, will not work me much trouble, nor will he enervate my opinion of the Fathers labours declared in this ſenſe; unleſs he ſhall firſt demonſtrate, that the Church did on all dayes beſides the Lords, keep evening aſſemblies (on which they had theſe Sermons) and that they laboured to ſanctifie other dayes more than the Lords Dayes; which thing, I ſuppoſe, he will demonſtrate from their grave writings, about the time of later Lammas.
Moreover, if on other dayes, on which the Church was permitted to attend on worldly labours, they took pains in ſo often interpreting of Scripture, who will be ſo far a ſtranger to right reaſon, as that he ſhould believe, that they would not beſtow ſo much labour for this buſineſs, on the Lords dayes, (on which they, abſtaining from all others, were only intent on Divine worſhip)? much rather, and better …ould they ſay, in my judgment, if on other dayes they Treated twice out of Scripture, they would, if occaſion ſerved, much oftener give themſelves to this labour on the Lords day. As ſometimes Siſinnius beingSocr. 6. 20. asked, why he would waſh himſelf twice every day in the publick bath, being a Biſhop? he anſwered, becauſe I cannot waſh thrice. So the ancient Biſhops of the Church were ſeriouſly intent twice on the Lords dayes, on the explication of Scripture. And if they could get any juſt occaſion to do more than this, they would not avoid the labour of doing it the third or fourth time; as may be ſeen by that Sermon in Auſtin; when he, whoever he was that was the author of that Sermon, had twice performed the office of explaining Scripture, when a new occaſion was offered, (which was an extraordinary one) on the ſame day, he did the ſame the third time. For thus he begins, Wonder not, dear brethren, if I to day this third time, by Gods aſſistance, preach unto you. Serm. 33. ad fratres in eremo.
We have formerly ſeen ſome of Baſils, both morning and evening Sermons; we read alſo, that he preach'd twice before noon. In the beginning of his Hom. in Pſalm. 114. he excuſeth himſelf, that he came ſomewhat late to ſome that had waited on him from midnight, and gives the reaſon, becauſe before he came to them, he had preached in another Church: yet thoſe Vigils were onelyonly continued from mid-night to mid-day.
And thus theſe things ſhew, that the Fathers did oftener than once treat out of the Scripture, on one and the ſame day.