OfR E pENT AN c E, Semton 5. gcfimam,(ecundtlmtraditionem Apoftolomm;wehave but one Lcnt(thc Ul1ontanijls had three) but,that o_ne was delivered us by theApojflcs (faith Sr. Hierome.) -Whyfhould I weary you With reckoning them up~ What one moreancient Writer than other ls there, but youfhallfinde it in him exprelly, even up to Ignatiru, who lived with theApoftlesthem[elves ~ Apoftoliknhen, iris ; and for fuch Saint Himmea– VO\VCS it; and when thatisfaid, enough isf.1idfor it;l rhinke. Yet it is good(you know it) the fajf foddivered, ~nd by thechurcb ever and every wherefo kepr,the CouncellofGangrahath laydan Anathema on them that kapcit not,avoyd it how they can that keepe it nor. ' And filre.in generall,that this power fi10uld remaine in theC1111rch,roprcfcribe"' {et times, was moll: behoofefull. Every man(fo we would have it) robe left ro him· fdfe,for prAyer, faJ!ing, far;r.,nent, Nay for Religion too (now)and all~ For God's fake,letitnot befo: let us not be left altogether to our fdvcs; No,nor in Prayer. Pri. vate Prayerdothwell; butlet us be ordered rocome to churcb, and to do~ it rhcre Pharifee's, Publican's, Peterand Johnand all: Letushaueour dayesappointed and ou~ hor1ru fer for it. If all were left to us, G o n knowes, 1durft nor promife,whac !houldbecome ofPrayer it felfe.The like fay 1for rheSacrament : Ler ushave aCum whentocomerothat,too. And fofor Fajiing: Fajf privately inGo n"s name: But l1eare you, let not the church rrufi to that. Nor Shehath not held it wifedome fo to do : but,'as in both them, (Prayer,and theSacrament) So in this, holds us to ourorder Dj dayes andtimes ejlablifbed. Them ifwe keep,So it is: Othcrwife,werc it not for the Churches iimes,I doubt,there would bee takenfcarce any timeat aJI. Now yec,fomc. what is done : but,leaveus once at libertie,libertie hath loft us Come already,and will lofe ustherefi,ifitbenotlooked to in time. The refl:,are matters ofDifcipline,rather thanDoflrine : 'The.nrtmberoffourt)' ;. ·· The feafonof the yeare : l Themanner of abfl:inence. Somewhat may be faydro contentus : But remember,ircame from the Apoflles : that isit that binds us ; that is ir,rhat fets it fall:. Tbl(a!i{••fit; That whichhath beene faid, is for fome (et timeat large, for aCrmt: but, why this Cum, "at this time, now~ Why forty dayes.? Why beforeEajfer? Why this f ajl i' Iris of aJI hands confefl:,thatordaincd it was,as apart of theDifciplineof Re– penwm : And much W<lS done in it,about Pttblike penitents. Yer nor for them onely• .But, even with them, out of the bowels of a0l1other, the Cbllrcbher[elfe would becomeaPenitent,andhave all her Childrendoe the like. H~r felfe become qne;For, 'J.' the whole body 'of the churchbath her faults (befidethe private offences ofevery particular member) for which there was a feverall fer facriftce in the Law.· For us :to becomepenitents likewife: For, who knowes whether we be not as faulty inprivate, :as they (the openPenitents) in publike ~ As greatfinnersas rhq , though nor knowne forfuch~ So,rhec.tufe is generlll, thatfoee withthem, and1ve with her and ,•ith them : with themandfor them : For ihem, and for our [elves, in ,vholeand inpart, all in one,uni– formely might performea fo!emne annual/Repentance to God. i . As to the number of dayes : Gon faith (in theRevelation) 'Dedi ei tempsu4d :!'d:;;~" ifP':nitend11m. Hee gave a tz~e for t_orepent in : What timewas that He gave~ The • Apoc.t . •• ttme that Godgave was b fortte dayes,uithefAmoru repentanceof Nmtve: happy forthe Ho•·3·+. iffue ;recommendedby CHR1ST's ownemouth, and propounded rous as apatterne. Other fer time (fave thii) Jhe found not : She took the fame rhen: S heecould nor reil how,or when totake a better,than rh:u ofGon's ownegiving. The rarher,rhat v1·fd– {es,ElitU, andCHR1sT himfelfe had hirupon the fame number intheir f ajf. It is nGt nothing that it containeth,rhoughit be but an imperfect exprefling ofthepanernc of fo worthy authors; of CH 1t 1sT's fpccially. Ignatifli harhfayditbefo.remc:I dare fay it after him. For
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