bread and wines are the same (as to their substance), after consecration, that they were before; and are only, in a spiritual sense, the flesh and blood of our Saviour Christ, by the participation of which we shall be immortalized, and live for ever.

12. And, Lastly, For that great, comprehensive point of our religion, the foundation of our faith, the Holy Scriptures: here we may see what opinion these holy men had of the Divine Inspiration of them; what deference they paid to them; and how they looked upon them to contain the true words of the Holy Ghost.

13. Such is the doctrine of faith, that is here delivered to us. If from thence we pass (Secondly) to what concerns the public order and government of the Church, in the first establishment of it; here we may see by what persons it was directed, and how exactly our own Church does in this particular resemble the primitive, perhaps beyond any other at this day in the world, in the apostolical orders of bishops, priests, and deacons.

14. How necessarily they esteemed it their duty, to keep up a strict communion with these governors, and how little they thought the very name of the Church could belong to those who separated from them, we are here likewise taught. And how light soever some may make of the business of schism' now, yet it is plain these holy men had a very different apprehension of it, and hardly thought that such could be saved as continued in it.

15. And the same, or rather much worse, was their opinion of heretics', and apostates: to the latter of which, as they seem even to have denied repentance, if their apostacy was joined with blasphemy; so it is manifest, that, without it, they thought the others must perish. And in the mean time, they declare, that we ought not to have any communication with them: only we must pray for them, that they may be converted, which yet they supposed would be very hard.

16. As for those who continued in the doctrine and communion of the Church'; here we may see how zealous they were in attending all the public offices of it. How constantly they assembled together for the worship of God, notwithstanding all the malice and fury of their enemies against them, upon the account of it. Here we may observe how, from the beginning, they had their set times and places of worship: and how they looked upon such offertories, both as more acceptable unto God, and more prevalent with him, than any private addresses that they could make to him.

17. In these assemblies, they not only put up their prayers to God, but received also the Holy Sacrament' of the LORD's Supper. And in that part of their service, none officiated but either the bishop himself, or he who was appointed, or allowed of, by him.

18. For this purpose, they had in every such place of their assembling, one table or altar, upon which their oblations were presented to God by the bishops and priests*. And they communi

1 See the Index, Heretic, Apostate.

Ibid. Worship, &c.

3 Ibid. Sacrament, Bishop.

4 Ignat. Epist. to the Ephes. sec. 5.

cated after the same manner, that our Saviour Christ had set them the example; that is to say, both of the consecrated bread and wine; and the former taken from one common loaf, which was broken and distributed to them, not in little, separate, and unbroken wafers, as some now do.

19. Nor was this all: in these assemblies, the Holy Scriptures were read to them; and (as I have before shewn) some of the very Treatises I have here subjoined, together with them. And the bishop himself instructed the people, and expounded the doctrine of Christ to them.

20. By the bishop were the Christians blessed, and joined together in the holy state of matrimony: and indeed without him was nothing done of all that pertained unto religion.

21. In those times the clergy' were married, as well as laity; nor do we find it esteemed the least scandal for them so to be.

22. Here we may see what the ancient manner of fasting was; and what was thought requisite to render such exercises acceptable to God, and profitable to our own souls.

23. In short, here we may perceive what their opinion was of repentance for sins; and how hardly they thought of those who were still repenting, and yet still continued to sin on, notwithstanding their frequent repentance. But, especially, here we are told, that we must finish our repentance before we die; for that there is no place for repentance after.

24. And though they prescribed confession 1o,

'Ignat. Mart. sec. 2.

See the Index, Marriage, Bishop.

7 Ibid. See Priest.

Ibid. Fast.

9 Ibid. Repentance.

10 Ibid. Confession.

as

one act of repentance, and necessary to be performed in order to our forgiveness: yet we find no confession mentioned to be made to any but to God only; which therefore seems to intimate to us, that they accounted that alone to have been sufficient.

25. But the care of their bishops' in those first times was not confined within the narrow bounds of their own churches, but extended to all the faithful, wheresoever they were. And they were still ready to look to those who were at the greatest distance from them, whenever they thought their advice or authority might be either useful to them, or for the honour and benefit of their religion.

26. From this, and from the general piety and excellence of their lives, joined to the greatness of their character in the Church, came that mighty respect that was paid to the bishops in those days; and how great it was the following Treatises abundantly shew.

27. But much greater was their veneration for those who not only governed well, and adorned their holy profession by an exemplary life, but confirmed. the truth of it with their 'blood! They were indeed of opinion, that no man ought causelessly to expose himself unto suffering'; but if God called any one to it, they doubted not but that our Saviour Christ would both support him in his conflicts, and most gloriously reward him for the enduring of them. Hence was it their opinion, that martyrdom blotted out all sins: that they who suffered for the faith, should have

1 See Ignatius's Epistles and Martyrdom, &c.

2 See the Index, Bishop.

3 Ibid. Martyrs..

4 Ibid. Suffer.

a degree of glory peculiar to themselves, above all other saints in God's kingdom. And when God shewed such regard for them, they concluded that they could never do enough to testify their respect to them.

28. To this we must ascribe the care they took to gather up their remains, the honour which they paid to them, and the solemnities with which they deposited them in the earth: hence came their custom, which we here find, of writing down the particulars of their conflicts, and sending them abroad to the Churches round about: hence their anniversary meetings at their tombs and monuments, where they recited the acts of their martyrdoms, and sometimes made express discourses in praise of their martyrs, and to exhort one another to the like constancy.

29. But not to insist any longer upon these particulars: there is yet a Third sort of matters contained in these Discourses, and those of no less use to us than either of the foregoing; and that is, the practical rules of life that are here delivered to us.

30. Here we may see what care we are to take, not only not to sin ourselves; but, as far as in us lies, not to let any that belong to us continue in sin, lest we also become partakers of their evil-doings.

31. Here we are taught not only to have a care of our words and actions", but of our 'very thoughts and desires; which must not be indulged in any instances of sin, nor be suffered, if it be possible, to wander on any thing that is in the least measure wanton or irregular.