THOUGHTS. Against evil Thoughts-Collect for the fifth Sun day after Easter. UNBELIEVERS. For Jews, Turks, Infidels and Heretics-The third Collect for Good-Friday. GOOD WORKS. For fruitfulness in Good Works-Collects for the fifth Sunday after Easter, and the first, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, seventeenth and twenty-fifth Sundays after Trinity. OF THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS. Long before the division of the sacred Books into chapters and verses, (which is a modern invention, and unknown to antiquity,) it was customary both in the Greek and Latin Churches, to read, at the celebration of the Eucharist, some of the plainest and most instructive portions of the New Testament. With respect to the different portions which we read, they are so judiciously selected, that it would be difficult to find other passages more interesting, and more pertinent to the occasion and the season. The Epistles either enforce the practice of Christian virtue, or contain manifestations of divine mercy, and assurances of pardon and forgiveness. The Holy Gospel relates either some remarkable narrative of the life or death of Christ; some eminent miracle, important parable, or some striking part of his divine discourses. The Epistles convey instruction in the mysteries of our salvation; but the Gospel presents us with the example of Jesus, to the imitation of which all other knowledge is but subservient *. Of these portions of Scripture, which we read in our Communion Office, under the title of Epistles and Gospels, many were in the ancient Church selected for the Sundays and Holidays on which they are now used. In the works of the Fathers there are homilies upon them, which are said to have been preached on the very days, to the service of which they are now appropriated. According to Dr. Com ber, the following are the principal variations made at and since the Reformation. Epistles and Gospels for St. John's Day. Sunday after Christmas. Circumcision. Epiphany. 4 Sunday after Epiphany. 6 Sunday after Epiphany. Monday before Easter. Wednesday before Easter. Thursday before Easter. Good Friday. Easter Even. 25 Sunday after Trinity. * Variations made. 1 John i. 1, by Edw. VI. instead of a lesson out of Wisdom. Gosp. Mat. i. 1, by Edw. VI. instead Ep. and Gosp. both changed by Epist. Eph. iii. 1, by Edw. VI. in stead of a passage out of Isaiah. Ep. Rom. xiii. 1, by Edw. VI. before, the same with the first Sunday in Advent. 1662. Ep. and Gos. both new, Gos. John xix. Epist. Heb. ii. 1, by Ep. and Gosp. both new by Edw. VI. instead of two passages from the Old Testament. Ep. and Gos. both new, Ed. VI. Ephes. iv. 13. Variations made. Ep. Eph. ii. 19, by Ed. VI. To which statement Dr. Comber subjoins the following remark. 66 "There are some Epistles and Gospels which are "not in the Lectionary, but were changed in the Roman Breviary for the better. The Reformers took "these out of the Breviary, viz. the Gospels for St. Thomas, St. James, and All Saints' Days; the Epistle for Simon and Jude; both Epistles and Gos 66 66 pels for St. Paul, St. Matthias, and the Annuncia"tion." The Doctor here, probably in the moment of inadvertency, mistakes the Breviary for the Missal. The Breviary contains no part of the Office of the Holy Communion. See note on the Breviaries, page 22. The Epistles and Gospels above alluded to, were taken from the Missals in use at the time of the Reformation: and they are retained without variation in more modern Missals, as well as in our Book of the Administration of the Sacraments. OF THE HOLIDAYS OR FESTIVALS OF THE CHURCH. OF THE SEASON OF ADVENT, ITS ORIGIN AND INSTITUTION. ADVENT, a term equivalent to coming, is the name given to the season immediately preceding ChristmasDay; which ecclesiastical usage has prescribed as a time of solemn preparation, by exercises of piety, for the Advent or coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The offices of the Church directed our meditation to a double or twofold Advent; our Lord's coming in the flesh, and his coming to judgment. "The end pro 66 66 posed by the Church, in setting these two appearances of Christ together before us, at this time, is, "to beget in our minds proper dispositions to cele"brate the one, and expect the other; that so, with 66 joy and thankfulness, we may now go to Bethle"hem, and see this thing which is come to pass, " which the Lord hath made known unto us: even "the Son of God come to visit us in great humility; " and thence, with faith unfeigned, and hope immove"able, ascend in heart and mind to meet the same "Son of God in the air, coming in glorious majesty, "to judge the quick and dead *." My more immediate business at present is to enquire into the original appointment of this holy season; and I conceive no apology will be necessary for passing by without examination the opinion of such Roman Ritualists as pretend that St. Peter himself was the institutor of Advent. It seems reasonable to believe, however, that the observance of it is nearly coeval with the feast of the Nativity itself; if we limit the meaning of such observance to prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and such devotional exercises, as were calculated to prepare the faithful for the worthy celebration of this great festival. Still it is not easy to shew what were the regulations of the Church respecting Advent for the first four or five centuries of the Christian era; nor do we indeed. know that any regulations had then been made, concerning either the particular rites, or the length of time for which they were to be observed. And it is not unworthy of remark, that the term Advent itself does not appear to have been employed to denote this season, before the seventh or eighth century. EGBERT, Bishop of York, who lived in the eighth century, attributes the institution of Advent to the |