An enquiry into the constitution, discipline, unity & worship of the primitive church that flourished within the first three hundred years after Christ faithfully collected out of the extant writings of those ages / by an impartial hand.

CHAP. IX.

§ 1. Of the Primitive Feasts, two-fold, Occasional, and Fix'd, § 2. Of Easter. § 3. Of Whit∣sunday. § 4. Of Christmas: On what Day of the Year Christ was born. § 5. Of Epiphany. § 6. Besides these no other Feasts in Comme∣moration of Christ, the Virgin Mary, or the Apostles. The Apostles not called Saints in the Primitive Writings. § 7. Festivals in Comme∣moration of the Martyrs: Observed on the An∣nual Day of their Martyrdom. Persons ap∣pointed to take an exact Account of the Day of their Decease. § 8. Why those Festivals were observed. The Day of the Martyrs Death ter∣med their Birth days. § 9. The Place where these Festivals were Solemnized: Of the Bury∣ingplace of the Ancients. § 10. The manner of the Observation of these Festivals.

§ 1. AS the Primitive Fasts were two-fold, so likewise were their Feasts, either Occasional, or Fixed. As for those that were Occasional, I shall pass them over, because not controverted, and come immediately to en∣quire into their Fixed Feasts, which, as their Fasts, were also two-fold, either Weekly or Annual. Of their Weekly Feasts, which were Sundays, and in the Oriental Churches Saturdays, I have already discoursed, so that there only remains an Enquiry into their

Annual Feasts, which, befides the Martyrs Festivals, were two, viz. Easter and Whitsun∣day, or at most Three, viz, Easter, Whitsunday, and Christmass, of each of which in their Or∣der.

§ 2. I begin with Easter, as being the an∣tientest Feast of all, concerning which Tertul∣lian writes, 1 We Cele∣brate Easter in the first Month every Year. Cy∣prian mentions their 2 Easter Solemnities. And Origen reckons 3 Easter as one of the four Festi∣vals observed in his time. But that they Solemnized Easter, is a thing so well known, that it will be unne∣cessary to prove it, especially since every one knows, or at least might easily know, those sharp Contests and Debates that were in the Church about the time when it should be kept; the whole Affair hath been at large related by several Hands in our own Tongue; amongst others, by the most learned Dr. Cave, in his Apostolici, in the Life of Irenaeus, to which I refer the Curious, contenting my self with gi∣ving a very brief Account of the Controversie, which was this: The Churches of the Lesser Asia kept their Easter the same day that the Jews kept their Passover, on what day of the Week soever it happen'd. The Church of Rome, with other Churches, kept it the Lords Day after. This Diversity of Customs

created a violent Disorder and Confusion a∣mongst the Christians; for the Church of Rome would impose their Usages on the Chur∣ches of the Lesser Asia, unto which the latter peremptorily refused to submit. To appease these Heats and Storms, Polycarp Bishop of Smirna came to Rome to confer with Anicetus Bishop of that Church about it, who 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that every Church should be left to follow its own Custom, as accordingly they were to the times of Pope Victor, who revived this Con∣troversie, and was so turbulent and imperi∣ous, as that he excommunicated the Asiaticks, for refusing to comply with the Church of Rome in this matter, condemning them as Hereticks, loading them with the long and frightful Name of Tessareskaidekatitae, or, Quar∣todecimani, so called because they kept their Easter Quarta Decima Luna, upon the Four∣teenth Day after the appearance of the Moon, or at the Full Moon, on what Day soever it happened. But however the Asiaticks stood their Ground, and still maintained their old Custom, till the Council of Nice, Anno 325. by their Authority decided this Controversie, decreeing, that throughout the whole Christi∣an World, Easter should be observed not on the Day on which the Jewish Passover fell, but on the Lord's Day ensuing, as it was ever after observed and followed.

§ 3. The next Feast that was observed was Whitsunday, or Pentecost, in Commemoration of the Holy Ghosts Descent on the Apostles,

which also was very ancient, being mentioned several times by 1 Ter∣tullian; and reckon'd by Origen for one of the 2 four Festivals observed in his time, the other Three being Sundays, Saturdays, and Easter.

§ 4. As for Christmass, or the time of Christs Nativity, there is a Passage in Clemens Alexandrinus, which seems to intimate, that it was then observed as a Festival: For speak∣ing of the Time when Christ was born, he says, that those who had curiously search'd into it, affixed it to the 25th Day of the Month Pachon. But the Basilidian Hereticks held otherwise, 3 who also observed as a Feast, the Day of Christs Baptism. From which Words who also, if that be the meaning of the Words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 one might be apt to infer, that the meaning of Clemens Alexandrinus was, that the Basilidians not only feasted at the time of Christs Nativity, but also at the time of his Baptism. But whether this Interpretation will hold, I leave to the Learned Reader to determin. On the contrary, there are other Considerations, which more strongly insinuate, that this Festival was not so early solemni∣zed, as that when Origen reckons up the

Feasts observed in his Age, he mentions not one Syllable of Christmas; and it seems improba∣ble that they should Celebrate Christs Nati∣vity, when they disagreed about the Month and Day when Christ was born.

Clemens Alexandrinus reckons 2 from the Birth of Christ to the Death of Commodus, exactly one hundred ninety four Years, one month, and thirteen days; which years must be computed according to the Na∣bonassar, or Egyptian Account, who varied from this in our year, in that they had only 365 days in a year, never taking notice of the odd Hours, or Quadrant of a Day, that every fourth Year makes a whole Day, and are ac∣cordingly by us then added to the Month of February, which maketh the Bissextile or Leapyear. So that though the Egyptians al∣ways begun their Year with the first day of the Month Thoth, yet making no Account of the Annual odd Hours, that Month wande∣reth throughout the whole Year: And where∣as now the first Day of that Month is the first Day of our March, about Seven Hundred Years hence, it will be the first of September; and after Seven Hundred Years more, or near thereabouts, it will come to the first of March again. Wherefore that we may reduce unto

our Style this Calculation of Clemens Alexan∣drinus, we must deduce, for those odd Hours which are not accounted, one Month and Eighteen Days, and so reckoning the Birth of Christ from the Death of Commodus, which happened on the first Day of January, to be One Hundred Ninety Four Years, wanting five or six Days, it will appear that Christ was born on the 25th or 26th of the Month of December, according to the Julian Account, which is the Epoch we follow.

But as the same Father farther writes in the same place, 1 There were some, who more curiously searching after the Year and Day of Christs Na∣tivity, affixed the latter to the 25th of the Month Pachon, Now in that Year in which Christ was born, the Month Pachon commenced the twentieth Day of April: So that according to this Computation Christ was born the 16th Day of May. Nay, there were yet some o∣ther ingenious Men, as the same Father con∣tinues to write, 2 that assigned Christ's Nativity to the 24th or 25th of the Month Pharmuthi, which answers to our 16th or 17th of April: So that there were Diversities of Opinion concerning the Time of Christs Birth, which makes it very pro∣bable, that there was then no particular Feast

observed in Commemoration of that Glori∣ous and transcendent Mercy.

§ 5. There is yet another Feast called by us Epiphany, wherein there is a Commemora∣tion of Christs Baptism, which I find to have been peculiarly Solemnized by the Basilidian Hereticks. For thus Clemens Alexandrinus re∣ports it to be a parti∣cular Custom of theirs, 1 to keep as a Festival the day of Christs Bap∣tism. The Day on which Christ was bap∣tized, 2 they said to be the fifteenth of the Month Tyby, in the fifteenth Year of the Reign of the Emperor Tiberius, which answers to our One and Thirtieth of Decem∣ber; or as others ima∣gin'd it, 3 On the Ele∣venth of the Month Ty∣by, which was the Se∣ven and Twentieth of our December.

§ 6. Besides these forementioned Festivals, there were none others observed to the Hon∣our of the blessed Jesus, nor of the Virgin Mary, nor of the Holy Apostles and Evan∣gelists; and which may be a little observable, it is very seldom, if ever, that the Ancients give the Title of Saints to those Holy Per∣sons,

but singly style them, 1 Peter, 2 Paul, 3 John, &c. not St. Peter, St. Paul, or St. John.

§ 7. But now there was another sort of Festivals, which every Church Celebrated in the Commemoration of its own Martyrs, which was, on the Anniversary Day of their Martyrdoms: They assembled together, where they recited the Martyrs Glorious Actions, exhorted to an Imitation of them, and blessed God for them. So says Cyprian, 4 The Passions of the Martyrs we Celebrate with an Anniversary Com∣memoration. And so writes Tertullian, 5 Vp∣on the Annual Day of the Martyrs Sufferings, we offer Thanks to God for them. When this Practice began, cannot certainly be determi∣ned; it is first found mentioned in the Letter of the Church of Smirna to the Church of Philomilium, touching the Death of Polycarp, wherein they write, 6 That they had gathered up his Martyr'd Bones

and buried them in a de∣cent place, where, say they, if possible, we will meet to celebrate with Joy and Gladness the Birth∣day of his Martyrdom. Hence that they might be certain of the very day of the Martyrs Sufferings, there were some appointed to take an exact Account of them, and faithfully to register them, that so there might be no mi∣stake. Thus Cyprian writ from his Exile to the Clergy of his Church, 1 That they should take special care, exactly to note down the very day of the Martyrdom of the Faithful, that so they might be commemorated amongst the Memories of the Martyrs, and to sig∣nifie to him the precise time of their departure to a glorious Immortality, that so he might also ce∣lebrate it.

§ 8. The Reasons for which they observed these Festivals, we find in the forementioned Letter of the Church of Smirna, wherein they write 2 That they would meet to celebrate with Joy and Gladness the Martyr∣dom

of Polycarp, for the Commemoration of those who had already gloriously striven, and for the Confirmation and Pre∣paration of others by their Examples. So that their Design was two-fold, to animate and encourage others to follow the glorious Examples of those Heroick Mar∣tyrs, who were commemorated before their Eyes, and to declare the Honour and Vene∣ration, that they had for those invincible Champions of Jesus Christ, who by their Mar∣tyrdoms were now freed from all their Mise∣ries and Torments, and Translated to a blessed and glorious Immortality, in an happy man∣ner experiencing the Truth of that Scripture in Ecclesiastes 7. 1. That the day of a Man's Death is better than the day of his Birth. Whence the Time of the Martyrs Deaths was usually termed their Birth-Day, because then was a Period of all their Grief and Trouble, and a beginning of their everlasting Bliss and 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Thus in the forementioned Letter of the Church of Smirna concerning the Death of Polycarp, they write, 2 That they would meet to celebrate with joy and gladness the Birth-day of his Martyrdom. And so Tertullian says, that 3 they annually commemora∣ted the Birth-days of the Martyrs; that is, their

Deathdays; as he writes in another place con∣cerning St. Paul, 1 That he was born at Rome, when he suffered Martyr∣dom there.

§ 9. As for the Place where these Anni∣versary Solemnities were performed, it was at the Tombs of the Martyrs, who were usu∣ally buried with the rest of the Faithful, in a distinct place from the Heathens, it being their Custom to interr the Christians by themselves, seperate from the Pagans; accounting it an hainous Crime, if possibly it could be preven∣ted, to mingle their Sacred Ashes with the defiled ones of their Persecuting and Idola∣trous Neighbours. Wherefore in the Ratifi∣cation of the Disposition of Martialis Bishop of Astorga by an African Synod held Anno 258, this was one of the Articles alledg'd against him, 2 That he had buried his Sons after the Pagan manner, in Gentile Sepulchres, a∣mongst Men of another Faith. And for this Reason it was, that the surviving Christians would run upon ten thousand Hazards, to collect the scattered Members of the Dead Martyrs, and decently to inter them in the common Repository of the Faithful. As when Emilian the barbarous Prefect of Egypt, forbad any, under Severe Penalties, to entomb the Dead Bodies of the murdered Saints, and se∣duously

watched if any would durst to do it. Yet 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a Deacon of Alexandria 1 resolute∣ly ventured upon it; And it is applauded by the Historian as an Act of Religious Boldness and Freedom, whereby Asturias a Roman Sena∣tor rendred himself renouned, in that when 2 he saw the Martyrdom of Marinus at Caesarea, he took his martyred Bo∣dy, cloathed it with a pre∣cious Garment, bore it away on his own Shoulders, and magnificently and de∣cently 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it. And in a Letter from the Christians of Lyons and Vienna in France to the Churches of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, concerning their sore and grievous Persecuti∣ons, we find them passionately complaining of the Inhumane Cruelty of their Persecutors, 3 that neither Prayers nor Tears, neither Gold nor Silver, could prevail with them, to permit them to collect the dead Bodies of their murthered Brethren, and decently to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them. As on the other hand, the Faithful or the Church of Smirna re∣joyced, that they had gotten the most precious

Bones of Polycarp, which they buried 1 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 decebat, where they ought, as Va∣lesius renders it; that is, as seems most proba∣ble, at the common Burying Place of the Christians.

Now it was at these Tombs and Sepulchres that the Memories of the Martyrs were solem∣nized. Thus in the forecited Letter of the Church of Smirna to the Church of Philomili∣um, they write, that 2 in that place where they had interr'd the Bones of Polycarp, they would by the Blessing of God assem∣ble together, and celebrate his Martyrdom; which was a Practice so usual and constant, as that the Heathens observed it: So that as on the one hand, under the Persecution of Valerian, AEmilian the Prefect of Egypt threatned Dionysius Alexandrinus and his Fellow-Sufferers, that for their Obstinacy and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, as he termed it, he would send them into Lybia, to a desert place called Cephro, 3 where they should not meet together, or go to those places called Ce∣meteries. That is, the places where the Mar∣tyrs and the rest of the Faithful were buried; so on the other hand when Galienus Valerian's Son restored Peace

to the Churches, he published an express E∣dict 1 for returning to the Christians the Ceme∣teries that were taken from them.

§ 10. If in the next place it shall be enquired, how they observed these Festival Days. I answer, that they did not, according to the fashion of the Heathens, spend them in Riot and Debauchery, in Bacchanalian Revellings and Luxury, but in Religious Exercises and Employments, in Pray∣ers and Devotions. 2 He, saith Origen, truly keeps a Festival, who does what he ought to do, al∣ways praying, and by his Prayers offering up un∣bloody Sacrifices unto God.

The Solemnites of these Feast Days were not Drunkenness and Gluttony, but Acts of Piety and Charity. Now they publickly as∣sembled, as the Church of Smirna writes in her Letter concerning the Death of Polycarp, 3 to commemorate the Martyrs Courage and Triumphs, and to exhort and prepare others to the same glorious and renown∣ed Actions. Or as Ter∣tullian expresses it, 4 now they offered Oblations.

as Cyprian, 1 They offered Oblations and Sacrifi∣ces; that is, they offe∣red Thanks and Praise to God, that had given Grace to those Mar∣tyrs, to Seal his Truths with their Blood, and in evidence of their Gratitude distri∣buted of their Substance to the Poor and 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

Notes

• 1

  Pascha celebramus annuo circulo in mense primo. De Jejun. p. 651.
• 2

  Solennia Paschae. E∣pist. 53. § 2. p. 131.
• 3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Contra Cel sum, lib. 8. p. 392.
• 1

  De Coron. Milit. p. 340. De Baptism. p. 604. & De Idololatria, p. 623.
• 2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Contra Celsum. lib. 8. p. 392.
• 3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Strom. lib. 1. p. 249.
• 1 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Contra Celsum. lib. 8. p. 392.
• 2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Strom. lib. 1. p. 249.
• 1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Ibid. p. 249.
• 2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Ibid. p. 249.
• 1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Strom. lib. 1. p. 249.
• 2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Ibid. p. 249.
• 3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Ibid.
• 1

  A Petro ordinatum. Tertul. de Praescript. advers. Haeret. p. 78.
• 2

  Tunc Paulus, &c. Idem. Scorpiac. advers. Gnostic. p. 615.
• 3

  Ab Johanne conlocatum. Idem de Praescript advers. Haeret p 78
• 4

  Martyrum Passiones & dies anniversaria comme∣moratione celebramus. Epist. 34. § 3. p. 80.
• 5

  Oblationes pro de∣functis, pro 〈◊〉〈◊〉 an∣nua die facimus. De Co∣ron Milit. p. 339.
• 6

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. A∣pud Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 15. p 135.
• 1

  Dies eorum, quibus ex∣cedunt, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, ut com∣memorationes eorum in∣ter memorias Martyrum celebrare possimus—Sig∣nificet mihi dies quibus in carcere beati fratres 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ad immortalitatem glorio∣sae mortis exitu 〈◊〉〈◊〉, & celebrentur hic a nobis oblationes & Sacrificia ob commemorationes eorum Epist. 37 § 2. p 87, 88.
• 2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Apud Eu∣seb. lib. 4. cap. 15. p. 135.
• 1 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Apud 〈◊〉〈◊〉. lib. 4. cap. 15. p. 135.
• 2

  Oblationes pro de∣functis, pro natalitiis an∣nua die facimus. De Coron Milit. p 339.
• 1

  Tunc Paulus civitatis Romanae consequitur na∣tivitatem, cum illic Mar∣tyrii renascitur generosita∣te. Scorpiac adv. Gnostic. p. 615.
• 2

  Filios—exterarum gentium more apud pro∣fana Sepulchra depositos, & alienigenis consepultos. Apud Cyprian. Epist. 68. § 7. p 202.
• 1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Dionys. Alexand. apud 〈◊〉〈◊〉. lib. 7. c. 11. p. 61.
• 2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 16. p. 264.
• 3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Apud Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 1. p. 169.
• 1

  Apud Euseb. lib. 4 cap. 15 p 135.
• 2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Apud Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 15. p. 135.
• 3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Dion. Alex. apud Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 11. p. 258.
• 1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Apud. Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 13. p. 262.
• 2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Contra Celsum, lib. 8. p. 392.
• 3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Apud Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 15. p. 135.
• 4

  Oblationes facimus. De Coron Milit. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 339.
• 1

  Celebrentur hic a no∣bis oblationes & Sacrificia Epist. 37. § 2. p. 88.