tion, and such as they ought solemnly and publicly to confess, lament, and humble themselves for it before God; lest, if they persist in their false notions, evasions, and wicked neglect of it, they thereby provoke some judgment of God upon them for their ingratitude and impiety.

2. That the Clergy of the Church of England, and especially of this City, and the Universities, are more guilty in this respect than the rest; because their neglect is not only contrary to the practice of the Apostles, and Primitive Christians, and of the whole Catholic Church of Christ, but even to the constitution of their own Church.

3. That the very Sermons they have preached, and the Books they have printed, are a public testimony against them: (1.) Of self-condemnation, in that their practice is not agreeable to their doctrine: (2.) That either they do not faithfully discharge their duty, that they cannot prevail with so small a number of their Parishes to attend constantly this Solemn Worship; Or, (3.) That God is departed from them, or his blessing is not with them.

Thes. 8. That nothing can be more grievous to that wicked, envious, and malicious Spirit, the Enemy of Mankind, than to see that passion of our Saviour, which he had so maliciously procured, to be so honoured all over the world, according to predictions going before, as to be presented daily in the holy memorials of it before God, as the great propitiation for

the sins of the whole world, and only means of acceptance with him.

Concl. 1. And therefore, that it is not to be doubted, but in the many abuses and mistakes, and great neglect thereof, which have been brought into the Church, he hath exerted the utmost of his subtilty and energy, and been a most active promoter of them.

2. That all such Clergymen of the Church of England, as either discourage others, who have time and leisure, from attending this daily Holy Service, when they have opportunity for it; or make light of the obligation; and, especially, all they who, being desired by their Parishioners to have it every Lord's-day, (and) refuse so much as that; are not only partakers of all the common guilt aforesaid, but, moreover, of a special wilful refusal of their duty: of the special injury done to our Saviour, by the substracting of his Worship; of the special injury done to those particular persons, by depriving them of the benefit of such an Holy Ordinance: and are therein actually instruments of, and subservient unto, an interest and kingdom which they intend not to serve, and greatly gratify those foul spirits, to their own shame and ignominy; and, furthermore, that all they who are much followed for their preaching, and by living in neglect of a more frequent than monthly Communion, do prejudice people's minds against it, as needless, have much to answer upon that account.

3. That such Clergymen, as, upon sufficient admonition of these things, do not repent and reform, and endeavour to repair the indignity done to God and our Saviour, and the injury done to his people, are unworthy of so holy a calling, and of the name they bear, and may expect a correction from God for their impenitence.

And as to the Communion, or Participation:

Thes. 1. By most ancient order in the Church, whoever departed after the reading of the Scriptures, or Sermon, and stayed not at the Communion, and received, were to be excommunicated.

Thes. 2. In the first ages, till about the time of St. Augustine, we find not any doubt or question concerning the obligation of all to communicate daily if they were where it was celebrated, and had no just impediment. But then, when many, especially among the Greeks, began to neglect that holy duty, that question arose among the Latins; and the more devout continued to receive every day, (an argument of daily celebration then,) and others intermitted certain days.

Thes. 3. By ancient Canons, if any neglected to communicate for three Sundays together, they were to be excommunicated.

Thes. 4. It was anciently commonly reputed a grievous thing, to be hindered from receiving the Blessed Sacrament; but to be denied it, a grievous punishment: and such was the

judgment of the Church concerning the importance of it, that to such as were hindered from coming to the Church, it was sent home to their houses by the Deacons.

Thes. 5. It was anciently not only scandalous, but punishable, in a Clergyman to be in a city, or other place where it was celebrated, and not to attend, and communicate.

Thes. 6. These orders of later ages, concerning receiving at least three times in a year, and so indulging a neglect for all the rest, are most justly by Calvin said to be Certissimum Diaboli Inventum.

Thes. 7. It hath been always the practice and advice of all devout people to be very frequent at it; and of most, to neglect no opportunity. Dr. Taylor's conclusion concerning it, in his Holy Living, is very agreeable to the sentiments of the ancients, and deserves to be read by all.

Concl. 1. From all this it appears, how far different the devotion of this age is from that of the ancient genuine Christianity, and short of it.

2. This Holy Service having been constantly performed in this City, in public Churches, ever since the sixth of June,* 1694, and in the heart of the City for a twelvemonth together, and frequented by so few, is a notorious argument of the miserable ignorance and indevotion, for all our pretences, both of Priests and People amongst us.

3. It hath been the opinion of several learned, judicious, * January, in the original: but corrected to June, in the Errata.-P.H.

and observant men, that a great part of the mischief, which hath been in the world in these latter ages, is to be imputed to so woeful a neglect of this Holy Ordinance.

Now for proofs of these things. They who pretend to any kind of learning, I suppose, will be cautious how they require it, lest they betray their own ignorance in antiquity: and for others, they are not so much to be regarded, as to insist upon them merely for them: but if there be occasion, abundant proofs, both old and new, may soon be produced. And, in the mean time, for the satisfaction of such well-meaning people as doubt, they may be referred to Mr. Joseph Mede; Dr. Sherlock, the present Dean of St. Paul's, in the last chap. of his Book of Religious Assemblies; Dr. S. Patrick, the present Bp. of Ely, in his Discourse of Frequency of Holy Communion; Mr. Thorndike, Bp. Andrews, Dr. Jeremy Taylor, and others; who have several considerable passages to the purpose, in several parts of their works, very consonant to the sentiments and practices of the ancient Christians, and the whole Catholic Church.

And, certainly, it is a wonderful thing, that Almighty God should ever permit the Enemy of mankind so to impose upon such as may well be supposed did really intend his Service, and had a great zeal for it, as some leading men in the beginning of the Reformation; and that such men of learning and parts should be so imposed upon, as, by a mistaken zeal against superstition, to abolish and deface so considerable a part of