the pastors reserve to themfelves a liberty of altering the times as they judge fit upon emergencies. The paftor gives notice a week beforehand, that the Lord's Supper is to be difpenfed. In moft places there are held private meetings of Christians on fome day of the week preparatory to the communion: And it is a frequent thing for the pastor to be prefent at fome or other of them; or elfe, perhaps, to hold a public lecture (b).

.. From the form of difpenfing the facraments, compofed by Calvin for the ufe of the church of Geneva (i), it appears, that the Lord's Day preceding, intimation was made to the people, that they might prepare for that holy ordinance; and that ftrangers, who inclined to communicate, might converfe with the minifter. On the Sacrament Day, the minifter, at the end of the fermon, explained the defign of that ordinance, and how it ought to be received: Or, if he judged it neceffary, fpent his whole fermon on that fubject. How often in the year the facrament was dispensed, is not there mentioned; but from Calvin's zeal to revive even weekly com municating, it is probable it was at least once a month especially as Calvin approved the Book of common Order of the English church at Geneva, where Knox was minifter; which Book takes notice, that the Lord's Supper was commonly used by them once a month, fo oft as the congregation think expedient (4).

(4) Apud (k) Book of

(b) Cotton Mather's Account of the Difcipline in the Churches in New England, p. 95, 96. Calvini Tract. Theolog. p. 39, 40. common Order, &c. Preamble to chap. x.

I had almoft forgot to take notice, that the Greek church celebrate the facrament every Sunday, and folemn Festival, in their great churches, and that the laity are obliged to receive it four times a year (m).

§ 5. I now go on to represent the practice of our own church in her best times.

Before the reformation, in the year 1558, the few godly preachers that were in the kingdom, were forced by perfecution (like the primitive Chriftians, Acts ii. 46.) to teach God's word, and adminifter the facrament in the fields, or in private houses (n): fo that their fituation did not admit of ftated times for communicating.

The 29th of April 1560, the great council of Scotland, laid their orders upon fix minifters, whereof Mr. John Knox was one, to commit to writing their judgment touching the reformation of religion. Upon this they drew up the first book of difcipline, and prefented it to the great council, May 20th, 1560. Mr. Knox warmly urged, that it should be publickly approved. And though he could not obtain this, yet, as private men, the whole body of the first Reformers figned it, the 17th January, 1561, acknowledging it to be good, and according to God's word, and promifing to fet it forward to the uttermost of their power. The general affemblies, July 30th, 1562, December 25th, 1562, and December 25th, 1563, feem to consider it as binding on the church.

Their opinion touching the times of difpenfing the Lord's Supper, they give in these words (0),

(m) Smith's Account of the Greek Church. (n) Mr. Wodiow's manufcript of Mr. Row's Hiftory, p. 5. (0) First Book of Discipline, chap. xi. § 5. of Dun、 lop's edition.

<< Four

"Four times in the year we think fufficient to "the adminiftration of the Lord's Table, which

we defire to be diftincted, that the fuperfti"tions of times may be avoided fo far as may

be; for your honours are not ignorant how

fuperftitiously the people run to that action at "Pafche, even as if that time gave virtue to the "facrament; and how the rest of the whole year "they are careless and negligent, as if it apper"tained not unto them, but at that time only. "We think therefore moft expedient, that the "first Sunday of March be appointed for one "time to that fervice: the first Sunday of June "for another; the first Sunday of September for "the third; and the first Sunday of December "for the fourth. We do not deny, but any fe"veral kirk, for reasonable caufes, may change "the time, and may minifter oftener; but we "study to reprefs fuperftition." An injunction follows to catechife, efpecially fuch whofe knowledge was fufpected, before the adminiftration of the facrament. But there is not the least hint of week-day's fermons before or after the communion.

At the fourth general affembly which was holden at Edinburgh, December 25th, 1562, and of which Mr. John Knox was moderator, it was concluded, "That an uniform order fhould be "kept in the adminiftration of the facraments, "folemnization of marriage, and burial of the "dead, according to the book of Geneva. Item, "That the communion be miniftred four times in "the year within burrows, and twice in the year "in the country parifhes. The fuperintendents <6 were appointed to confer with the Lords of "Secret

4.

"Secret Council anent the charges to be bestow❝ed for the elements at the Lord's Supper (p).”

It being reported in the general affembly holden at Montrofe, in March 1600, that some abstained from the communion, under colour of deadly feuds, and other light caufes, it was ordained, "That the prefbyteries command every particu

lar minifter, within their bounds, to take up "the names of all within their parish, that they 66 may communicate every year once at least; "and thereafter fummon them to compear be"fore the prefbyteries, to hear and fee them"felves ordained to communicate within three months "after the charge (q)." From this it feems plain, "that the facrament was then difpenfed once every three months; and this is my only defign. in mentioning it; for in other refpects it was highly blame-worthy.

The general affembly met at Glasgow, 1638, appointed a committee to confider what conftitutions fhould be revived or made of new. The 12th article of their report was anent or"der to be taken that the Lord's Supper be more "frequently adminiftered, both in burgh and land

ward, than it hath been thefe years bygone; "it were expedient that the act at Edinburgh, *December 25th, 1562, be renewed, and fome courfe be taken for furnishing the elements, where the minifter of the parifh hath allowGL ance only for once in the year (r)." This fhews, that in the times betwixt 1600 and 1638,

(p) Mr. Wodrow's copy of Calderwood's manufcript Hiftory, vol. I. p. 792. See alfo Calderwood's printed Hiftory, p. 816. (9) Ibid. p. 837. (r) Acts of the general affembly from 1638 to 1649, p. 50.

feldom

feldom communicating had again crept in. We all know thefe times were none of the beft. However, even then there were fome, and these the best friends of the Presbyterian intereft, who difpenfed the communion oftener than once a year. I need only mention the celebrated Mr. David Dickson, then at Irvin, who difpenfed the communion twice in the year (s); and Mr. Robert Blair, who difpenfed it four times in the year, at leaft after he went over to Bangor, in the county of Down in Ireland, where he was a chief Inftrument of the great revival of religion in that corner (t). If I had leisure to confult the printed or manufcript Lives of other eminent men in thefe times, I doubt not but many fuch inftances could be given.-But to return; the good men

(s) Chriftians from many other places of the country reforted to the communions at Irvin twice in the year. Account of Mr. Dickson in Livingstone's manufcript Account of the Minifters and Profeffors of his Time, p. 144. of Mr. Wodrow's copy.

(t) The work of the Lord began to profper. Mr. Cuningham of Holywood helped us very much, and his little parifh was a good example to ours. We often preached the one for the other. We agreed also among ourselves to celebrate the facrament of the Lord's Supper eight days in the year, four in his, and four in mine. So that proficients in both did all these times communicate together. Mr. Blair's manufcript Account of his own Life, p. 71. of Mr. William Hog's copy. It is evident from that fame manufcript, p. 94,-97. that the minifters in the bounds of the county of Down and Antrim, who were many of them Scotfmen, had, at least, one stranger affifting at their communions, and a fermon on the Saturday, and another on the Monday. But all this was in the church where the facrament was difpenfed. For Mr. Blair mentions it as fomething unusual, that by an unexpected croud, he was obliged to preach in the court of a Castle.

concerned