Easter-Day. St. John Baptist. St. Peter. St. James. St. Bartholomew. St. Matthew. St. Simon and St. Jude. St. Thomas. All Saints. "Q. The Prayer-book speaks of ‘Days of fasting or abstinence; what is the difference between them? "A. It was a difference well understood at the time when the direction was first given; namely, that fasting is a lessening of the quantity, as well as a change in the quality, of our food; abstinence the latter only. "Q. Explain yourself. A. We conform to the rule of a fast-day in keeping from flesh-meat wholly, and from all food at least till noon, and making but one meal in the course of the day. On an abstinence-day we are obliged only to keep from fleshmeat. [The same injunctions and distinctions occur in Baines, pp. 32, 33.] "Q. Will not a Christian then feel himself bound to do more in this way than to comply with the mere rule? "A. Without doubt, health permitting. Q. Are persons in bad or weak health obliged to fast or abstain, or, again, very young persons? A. No; in all such cases the rule is relaxed: children, for instance, keep abstinence-days when seven years old, but fasting-days not till they come of full age. "Q. In other cases, then, may you decide this question for yourself? "A. No; we should apply to our clergyman. 'Q. Can you mention any passages in Holy Scripture which direct us to fast? "A. Yes; in the 6th chap. of St. Matthew, 16-18, our Lord directs his disciples how to fast. Again, in the 5th of St. Luke, 35th verse, He says, The days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast in those days' (!!) and in 2 Cor. xi. 27, St. Paul, in the enumeration of his sufferings, says, 'In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often.' "Q. Which are the days of fasting or abstinence appointed by our Church? "A. 1. The forty days of Lent. 2. The Ember-days. 3. The Rogation-days. 4. All Fridays in the year, except Christmas-day when it falls on a Friday. "Q. Which of these are days of fasting, and which of abstinence? "A. Our Church has not positively defined; but the general practice of Christendom is, to treat the week-days of Lent and the Ember-days as fasts; the Rogation-days and the Fridays as abstinence-days. "Q. How do Christians in general keep the week-days of Lent? "A. Throughout the western Church, Christians are universally allowed during Lent to eat meat at least on two days in the week besides the Sundays; but even on those days one full meal only is allowed. Q. Are the Vigils to be kept as fasts? แ A. Yes, they are. 66 Q. Which are the Ember-days? A. The Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after, 1. the first Sunday in Lent, 2. the Feast of Pentecost, 3. the 14th of September, 4. the 13th of December. "Q. Does our Church encourage the people to seek counsel of the clergy? "A. Yes; for the disburdening of conscience and the quieting of scruples and doubts, especially before holy communion."-(p. 50-57.) Hooker, at least, was not one of the " good and holy men of our own Church," who "have felt themselves bound" by such rules as these. There is but little "counterpart" to this system in the following emphatic words-" Why should the later ages of the Church be deprived of the liberty the former had? Are we bound while the world standeth to put nothing in practice but only that which was at the very first?"-Vol. ii. p. 94, Keble's edit. As little countenance is afforded to such a notion by our Art. XXXIV. "It is not necessary that traditions and ceremonies be in all places one or utterly alike." And it is in express contravention of the injunction of the compiler's diocesan-" You are not to take as your rule and model in this respect [ancient customs] the early Church, nor the primitive Church, but the Church of England."— (Charge, 1842, p. 51.) "Q. Can you mention any other pious rules or customs of the Church with which we should comply? "A. Yes; observing the proper postures of devotion; bowing at the holy name of Jesus, and at the Gloria Patria ; saying the words, Glory be to Thee, O Lord, at the giving out of the Gospel, and thanking God at the close of it," &c. This "&c." is surely ominous. TRACTARIAN. and are cleansed from original sin, and also from actual sins, if we have been guilty of any. (p. 60.) "Q. Can the same person receive this sacrament more than once? "A. No, he cannot; and it would be a great sacrilege to attempt it. "Q. How can infants be christened, who have no actual faith? "A. Infants are baptized in the faith of the Church, and of their godfathers and godmothers; the promises made by them the child is bound to perform, when he comes to an age to know what a solemn vow has been made for him.-(p, 61.) "Q. How do the outward forms of bread and wine convey the blessed body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ? 'A. Through Christ's blessing and the consecration of the priest making them effectual to that end. "Q. Is the holy eucharist a sacrifice? A. Yes; it is a sacrifice commemorative of the one sacrifice upon the Cross, or, as the fathers call it, the unbloody sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ. 66 Q. Is it not also a propitiatory sacrifice? "A. It is; it renders God propitious to us when rightly used, and is a mode in which the great sacrifice upon the cross is applied to ourselves and to others. "Q. What are the benefits of this Sacrament worthily received? "A. It increases grace, and nourishes our souls in spiritual life. "Q. Are there any other ends for which we offer up this sacrifice! "A. Yes; 1. For God's honour and glory. 4. And for obtaining for our- PAPIST. and are cleansed from original sin. and also from actual, if we be guilty of any."-(Baines, p. 35). "Q. What sin is it to baptize twice? "A. A mortal sin of sacrilege. "Q. How can infants be christened which have no actual faith? "A. In the faith of the Church and of their godfathers and godmothers."-(Abridg. c. xi.) "Q. How are the bread and wine changed into the body and blood of Christ? "A. By the power of God, to whom nothing is impossible or difficult. Q. When is this change made? "A. When the words of consecration, ordained by Jesus Christ, are pronounced by the priest in the mass." (Baines, p. 37). "Q. Is the most holy eucharist or mass a sacrifice? "A. It is the unbloody sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, which he himself instituted at the last supper, "-(Abridg. chap. xi.) "Q. What are the ends by which we are to offer up this sacrifice? "A. 1st, for God's honour and glory. 2dly, In thanksgiving for all his benefits, and as a perpetual memorial of the passion and death of his Son. 3dly, For obtaining pardon for our sins. And 4thly, For obtaining all graces and blessings through Jesus Christ. TRACTARIAN. and blessings through Jesus Christ our Saviour. "Q. How should we receive this holy Sacrament? A. With very great reverence and devotion."—(pp. 61—63.) PAPIST. "Q. How must we hear mass? "A. With very great attention and devotion."-(Baines, p. 38.) But hear the Bishop of the diocese in which this catechism is published, speaking ex cathedrá, "We hold, in opposition to the Church of Rome, that the offering of a propitiatory sacrifice to God is not one of the functions and privileges of the Christian ministry. Jesus Christ "by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified;" and we derogate from the absolute worthiness and sufficiency of that offering, if we suppose that any supplementary sacrifices are necessary for the purpose of propitiation."-Bishop of London's Charge, 1842, p. 10. Language in strict conformity with the Articles-"The offering of Christ once made is that perfect redemption, propitiation and satisfaction, for the sins of the have whole world, both original and actual.” TRACTARIAN. CHAPTER XI. Confirmation, Holy Orders, and "Q. Name the other principal ordinances of our church. "A. Confirmation, holy orders, and matrimony. "Q. What is confirmation? "A. Confirmation is a sacramental ordinance in which we take upon ourselves the promises made for us in holy baptism, and by which we receive the Holy Ghost through imposition of hands, to confirm us in the Christian life, and make us good soldiers of Jesus Christ. "Q. Who is the ordinary minister of this rite? "A. A Bishop only. Q. How does the bishop administer it? "A. He prays that the Holy Ghost may come down upon us, and he imposes his hands on our heads. PAPIST. "Q. What is confirmation? "A. Confirmation is a sacrament, by which we receive the Holy Ghost, in order to make us strong and perfect Christians, and soldiers of Jesus Christ. "Q. Who is the ordinary minister of this sacrament? "A. A Bishop only. "Q. How does the Bishop administer this sacrament? "A. He prays that the Holy Ghost may come down upon us; he imposes his hands over us; and makes the sign of the cross with chrism on our foreheads, at the same time pronouneing a set form of words."-(Baines, p. 36.) TRACTARIAN. "Q. What is holy orders? A. Holy orders is a sacramental ordinance by which bishops, priests, and deacons are ordained, and receive power and grace from the Holy Ghost to perform their sacred duties. "Q. What is the office of a deacon? A. To minister in spiritual things in his own district or parish under the direction of the priest. 66 "Q. What is the office of a priest? "A. The office of a priest is to do certain solemn acts not permitted to a deacon; to consecrate the holy sacrament of the altar, and to absolve penitent sinners. "Q. What is the office of a bishop? "A. The office of a bishop is to do certain solemn acts not permitted to priests or deacons; such as confirmation, and especially to consecrate or ordain other bishops, priests and deacons; to consecrate churches, churchyards, &c."-(pp. 64-66.) Preaching is even less in favour with Tractarians than with Romanists, though the Church of England makes it the first essential in her definition of a church, see also Canons XIII. XIV., the Litany, the Prayer for the Church Militant, the conclusion of the Baptismal Service, and the Collect for the third Sunday in Advent. Her description of the office of a priest is equally significant. It is "to be messengers, watchmen and stewards, of the Lord; to teach and to premonish, to feed and provide for Christ's sheep that are dispersed abroad, and for his children who are in the midst of this naughty world, that they may be saved through Christ for ever." (The Ordaining of Priests). |