or other fuch rational amufement, conducive to health and virtue; not in fuch eating and drinking, as may lead us to fet a value on, or feek a happiness in, what is our great humiliation by the paffion of fenfuality, which fo eafily mingles in it, and by the extreme watchfulness and guard which it always requires. Particularly, that eating or drinking can never be allowed, which expofes to immediate dangers of inordinate gratification of fenfuality, or the leaft excels or intemperance, which carries the law very far; as S. Auftin (15), and all the Saints teach us by their doctrine, and much more by their example. Far more horrible and scandalous are masks, promifcuous public dances, gaming, revellings, fotting in taverns, and other fuch criminal diforders; or any fuch as are immediate occafions of fin and fcandal. The whole fyftem of Chriflianity is overthrown, if fuch licentious pleatures are called innocent; or if thofe amufements could be juftified, which are condemned by the voice of reafon, the gofpel, the canons of councils, and all zealous paftors of the church from the primitive ages, down to this pretent time. It is highly criminal and icandalous even to offer to make an apology for amufements which indulge idlencís and floth, or tend only to inflame inordinate defires, and to reduce a man under the ignominious flavery of the senses and paffions; to rescue him from which, is the great defign of religion. The fpirit of a chriftian life is no lefs effemially a conftant fpirit of temperance, watchfulness, and penance, than of humility and charity. The reins are on no occafion to be let loofe in feafons of relaxation and mirth; this law is never to be forgot. The fubtle enemy, and our paffions, would, by fuch-an indulgence, gain a moft pernicious advantage over us, and could not fail giving us many deep wounds. God on his fide withdraws his fuccours from thofe who depart from the rules which he has prefcribed them for governing their appetites and fenfes, and keeping their paffions in fubjection; he is fure to abandon such souls to their own weakness and wicked inclinations, and fuffer them to perifh in their own foolish prefumption, by which they are their own unhappy tempters. Whatever diverfions take off the restraint, which we are bound to put upon cur paffions, or to remove that watchfulnefs, with which it is every one's duty to guard all the motions of his heart, and all the avenues of the fenfes, precipitate the foul headlong. In the inteftine war in which we are engaged

(15) Confeffions, B. x.

engaged against the flesh, we are like a man fwimming against a rapid ftream; if he lets fall his arms he is carried impetuously down, and cannot again recover himself. The unhappy foul in the moments of this unrestrained temper is difpofed unwarily to fwallow the deadly bait, which the crafty enemy, who is always watching to devour, holds forth, and to be intangled in every fnare which he spreads before her. If at any time, a moderate extraordinary allowance at table be neceffary, let the Chriftian fanctify this debt to civil fociety and charity, by fo ftrict government of himself, that he be in no danger of finding in it any incitement to gluttony. The circumftance of the penitential time, the fpirit of the church, and the compunction in which we are difpofing ourselves for Lent, at this time, ought to make us more fevere towards ourselves. Can we fufficiently deplore the blindnefs of those who difpofe themfelves for the faft of Lent by drunkenness, or other fins more heinous than the tranfgreffion of the faft could be, at the thought of which they would fhudder? The learned and pious Dr. Stapleton (16) bids them reflect, that it would, perhaps, have been a lefs evil for them not to have kept Lent, than to have ushered it in fo criminally. The fight of the crimes by which multitudes profane this season, ought more powerfully to excite us to compunction and penance, in order to avert the divine judgments, and make all amends in our power to the offended majesty of our most merciful God. Can we love him, and not pine with David, and all his faithful fervants, with zeal for the honour of his adorable name? Nor can we pretend to have the bowels of fraternal charity, if whilft we see our brethren fin and perish eternally, we can remain infenfible. Mofes (17) when the Ifraelites finned, prayed that God would forgive them with fo much earnestnefs, as to defire to fuffer the feverest effects of God's juft vengeance himself, rather than that they fhould not by fincere repentance be brought to the grace of pardon and mercy, or be cut off in their fin. St. Paul wifhed himself to be an Anathema from Chrift (c), for his brethren the Jews, that they might be converted to God,

(16) Staplet. adv. Bacchanal. T. ii. p. 553.

(17) Exod. xxxii. 32.

(c) Some with S. Jerome apud Algafiam, &c. understand this of corporal death, which blots a man out of the number of the living upon earth. S. Chryfoftom, in Rom. ix. 7. and S. Isidore of Pelufium, vehemently declare against this interpretation, as extenuating the ardour

and his Name glorified by more hearts (18). S. Cyprian declares (19), that when any Chriftian fell into apoftacy, or fin, his bowels feemed torn afunder, fo vehement was his grief and confufion. S. Chryfoftom tells his flock (20), that if any one among them finned, he feemed like one dead, his bowels were disturbed, and his fight loft, fo as not to be able to fee the light. David fainted away at the fight of fin in the ungodly (21). Can we perfuade ourselves that we have any fpark of the divine love, if it does not kindle fomething of this zeal in us, if we can fee with indifference God offended, and by his own chofen people, and his name blafphemed through them among infidels? Upon this double motive of zeal, pious Chriftians more earnestly enter into the fpirit of the church at this time, in their exercifes of compunction and prayer, to which fhe invites and exhorts them, not only for themselves and for a preparation to Lent, but also for the fins of others.

When many profaned New Year's Day with the like heathenish revellings, feveral councils commanded that day, or the Calends of January to be kept a rigorous faft. Of this law, which fubfifted till that abufe feemed fufficiently banished, St. Ifidore of Seville, writes as follows (22): "Our holy Fathers, confidering how many are carried into "excess and fin on this day, have ordained on it through all "churches, over the whole world, a public fast, by which "carnal Chriftians may be brought to understand the enormity of their crime, for which it is neceffary that all "churches

66

(18) Rom. ix. 3.

(20) S. Chryf.

(19) S. Cypr. 1. de lapfis prope initium.
(21) Pf. cxviii.

(22) S. Ifidore de Offic. Ecclef. 1. ii. c. 40.

of the charity of the faints; and the Book of Life means in other places of Scripture the number of the predeftinate. It would be erroneous in faith to understand this of reprobation, as it includes a state of fin, and the hatred of God. It must be reftrained to the external fufferings, with the lofs of the intuitive vifion of God or beatitude; if this were poffible with the divine love. The fuppofition was impoffible, but expreffed the vehemence of his grief, zeal and charity. He spoke this entirely fecure, fays S. Auftin, (1. ii. in Exod. 32. 147. T. 3. ed. Ben.) that the conclufion might be drawn from what follows, that as God would not blot him out of the Book of Life, whilft he perfeveres in his love, he would pardon their fin; yet remark the enormous evil of their fin, which Mofes expiated by the flaughter of great multitudes of them, while he addressed himself to God in fuch words in their favour. The fame Father obferves, Mofes fo vehemently loved them; God himself loved them, who fo much terrified them outwardly by his voice (qu. 149. ib. Col. 465). See S. Tho. Aquinas, Lect, i. in c. ix. Roman. p. 230. Eftius, Fromond. ib.

"churches should faft." S. Ambrose preaching on that occafion fays (23);"Let us then faft, that they may fee their "criminal mirth is condemned by our abftinence and pen"ance." And S. Austin (24): " If we have any true sense "of the spiritual fins and miseries of the idolaters, let us mourn for them; and that our prayers may be more pow"erful, and be heard, let us faft for them." S. Aug. Serm. in Pf. xcviii. n. 5. T. iv. p. 1062. See alfo S. Cæfarius, Serm. vii. in App. Serm. S. Aug. ed. Ben. This faft on new year's day is mentioned by the second council of Tours, can. xvii. the fourth of Toledo, can. xi.

The fecond council of Tours in 567, commands this faft, and it is recorded in the ancient Roman order, or the old Liturgy and Ritual of that church (25), &c.

These exhortations we now more justly apply to the excesses of this feafon; S. Charles Borromeo gave many fevere mandates and paftoral charges and inftructions against the profane diverfions of Shrovetide (26). In one he cries out, "Are these the works of the children of the church? Such "from this time are unworthy to bear that name: they are "indeed children, but unnatural and ungrateful against the "moft tender mother. God calls upon us to mourn, but "defpifing his voice, we run to banquetting. The voice of "the Lord of Hofts hath been revealed in my ears; if this "6 iniquity fhall be forgiven you till you die, faith the Lord "of Hofts, (Ifa. xxii. 14.) by the mouth of his prophet (27)." This holy pastor proceeds tenderly to exhort the faithful not to be of the number of those who are blind and hardened in their courses, but to employ thefe days in difpofing their hearts to a perfect fpirit of compunction, in preparing them felves for a state of penitential exercifes, in pouring forth moft ardent prayers, alfo for their brethren, and weeping for them with the whole church. Cardinal Palæota Archbishop of Bologna, who after S. Charles Borromeo, was a fecond great light of zealous paftors, and an illuftrious inftrument of the divine mercy, in ftemming the decay of piety, and repairing the breaches made by many lukewarm Christians in the difcipline of the church, inflituted at Bologna, perpetual public prayers called of thirty hours, in the monasteries L 2 and

(23) S. Ambrofe, Serm. ii. in Calendas Januarii.

(24) S. Auftin, Serm. in Pf. 98.

(25) Vetus Ordo Romanus, cap. 20.

(26) St. Charles, Acta Ecclefiæ Mediolan. T. ii. p. 920. &c.
(27) St. Charles T. ii. p. 92a. Pontificale Bononienfe p. 344.

and parish churches, during the three days of Shrovetide,
with indulgence and fermons (28). S. Charles, in his fifth
council at Milan, had inftituted and ftrongly recommended
the like devotions. S. Philip Neri, with like zeal and the
moft wonderful fuccefs, inftituted at Rome devout proceffions
to the seven principal churches of devotion, during thefe
three days. The devotions of forty hours prayer, with expo-
fition of the holy facrament, folemn falutations and benedic-
tions, fermons, and other fuch practices, are now inftituted.
in most places during this time, and are strongly inculcated
by Cardinal Camus Bishop of Grenoble, and innumerable
other zealous and learned prelates. Religious perfons of both.
fexes pafs great part of thefe days at the foot of the altars,
and are joined by great numbers of pious feculars, to which
they are ftrenuously exhorted by zealous preachers. Father
Angel of Joyeuse who was once Duke, Peer and Marshal of
France, but renounced his honours and eftates to ferve God
in the auftere penitential state of a Capuchin friar, preached
one year at Lyons against the riotous diforders of Shrove-
tide, with a zeal fparkling in his eyes, and with fuch fruit
that the whole city paffed thofe days in works of piety and
devotion, instead of the accustomed diforders. The learned
Cardinal Lambertini, afterward the great Pope Benedi& XIV.
appointed at Bologna the prayers of forty hours with fermons,
penitential proceffions, the expofition and benediction of the
bleffed Sacrament; and in his mandate, cries out, the world
invites you on one hand, God and his ministers in his Name,
on the other hand. Now you will fhew which you choose to
"follow, under whofe ftandard you fight, whofe cause you
espouse (29). This Pope granted for the ecclefiaftical state,
a plenary indulgence to all who confefs their fins, communi-
cate, and devoutly vifit any church, in which the blessed Sa-
crament is expofed on three days of each of the weeks of
Septuagefima, Sexagefima and Quinquagefima, against the
profanations of Shrovetide. His fucceffor Pope Clement XIII.
extended this grant to the whole church, by a brief dated 23d
July 1765. In the fame he earnestly exhorts all ecclefiafti-
cal perfons, to spend much of that time in prayers, weeping
between the altar and the porch, as God and the church in-
vite them to do, in order to avert his indignation, and pre-
ferve the people from being withdrawn in the day of temp-
tation, from the path of the Lord. Felix of Wazvrans, late
Bishop

(28) Inftr. Paftoral du Card. Camus. Tit. vi. Act. 10.
(29) Ben. XIV. Inftit, xiv.