A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

Of the necessary Dispositions to communicate worthily.

NOne of the Fathers have spoken more powerfully and largely than S. Chrysostom, concerning the necessary Dispositions to communicate worthily, nor more dreadfully against unworthy Communicants.

He requireth in the first place, that those who draw near to the Lord's Table, should put away their Sins.

It is written (saith he in the First Sermon of Penance) That without Holiness no Man shall see God; but whosoever is unworthy to see God, is not worthy to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ; wherefore S. Paul will have a Man to examine himself, &c. Reform the Disorders of your life past, and then come to that holy Table, and participate of that Sacri∣fice with a pure and unspotted Conscience.

He saith the same things in the 22d. Homily of Statues; Seeing we are advancing into Lent, let us advance in Vertue; it is in vain to run, except we get the prize of the Race: Our Au∣sterities and Fastings will profit us nothing, if we come not to the holy Table with an exact purity of Heart: For Lent, Prayers and Sermons are appointed in the Church, for no other purpose, but to make us participate safely of the unbloody Sacrifice, and to wash away with the Waters of Repentance, the filthinesses of our Sins; without this our labour is vain: But if by Abstinence you have corrected one Vice, and gained one Vertue, and put off one evil habit, then you may boldly take place at the Table of the Lord.

He recommends the same thing in the Homily of Seraphims. I tell you plainly, saith he, I pray, I beseech you not to come to the Lord's Table with a Conscience defiled with Crimes: For to communicate in this condition, is not Communion, but Condemnation; and tho' you should a thousand times come to the Body of Jesus Christ in that condition, yet instead of recei∣ving benefit by it, you would become the more guilty. Let Sinners therefore keep away; that is, those who persevere in their Sin. This I warn you of betimes, even now, that when the day of that heavenly Feast shall come, you may not say, I am unprepared, you should have gi∣ven me warning.... I know that we are all guilty, that no man can boast of having a pure heart in this World: That's not the worst; but that not having a pure heart, they will not draw nigh unto him that can purifie them.

But to be pure is not sufficient, according to S. Chrysostom, to partake of that holy Table; Men must have a care besides, that they come not thither negligently.

Let no Man (saith he in the 83d. Homily upon S. Matthew) approach this Sacred Table with disgust, negligence or coldness; but let all come with a longing desire, with zeal and love.... You ought there∣fore to watch over your own actions carefully, knowing that those who receive unworthily the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, are threatned with a dreadfull punishment. If you cannot endure, without horrour, Judas's crime, who sold his Master; and the Jew's ingratitude, who crucified their King; beware also of becoming guilty of profaning the Body and Blood of Je∣sus Christ: Let no Judas, no covetous Man come hither; let none but true Disciples of Jesus Christ be present at that Feast, &c.

For this Reason this holy Father observes in the Homily of Judas's Treachery, that this holy Altar is not to be approached unto without reverence.... That no Hypocrite, no Man full of iniquity ought to come near to this Sacred Table.

According to these Principles, (he saith in the 17th. Homily upon Hebrews) That, generally speaking, no reckoning is to be made either of those who communicate but once in the Year, or of those that doe it often, or such as receive seldom; but of those that communicate with a pure Conscience, a clean Heart, and a blameless Life. Let as many as are thus disposed come always; and as many as are not, let them not come once, because they cannot but draw God's Judgments upon themselves, and become worthy of Condemnation. Doe you think that Forty days Penance is sufficient to cleanse you from all your Sins?

See upon the same Subject the 52d. Homily against those that Fast at Easter; the Homily upon the Nativity of Jesus Christ; the 7th. Homily upon S. Matthew; the 24th. 27th. and 41st. upon 1 Cor. the 3d. upon the Epist. to the Ephesians; the 17th. upon the Epist, to the Hebrews; the 5th. upon Titus and several other places.