Heaven, he was taken up Eastward, and his Disciples worshipped him that Way. And therefore chiefly it was, that in the ancient Church they prayed with their Faces to the East; and that many of our own Church at this Day, turn their Faces to that Quarter of the World, at the Repetition of the Creed. What may more confirm this, and speak it to have been the universal Opinion of the Church, is the ancient Custom of burying the Corpse, with the Feet to the East, and the Head to the West; which Custom is continued to this Day in the whole Church of England: This was observed for the same Reason, That, at the Coming of CHRIST to Judgment from the oriental Part of Heaven, our Bodies might be found in a praying Posture, with their Faces towards the East. Our learned Countryman Gregory tells us, "That the holy Men of Jerusalem hold a Tra 66 dition generally received from their Anci"ents, that our SAVIOUR himself was buried "with his Face and Feet towards the East." It is affirmed by the Geographers of the holy Land. And Bede says, *That as the Holy Women * Introeuntes ab oriente in domum illam rotundam quæ in petra excisa est, viderunt angelum sedentem ad meridianam partem Women enter'd at the Eastern Part into the Round-house, which is hewn out in the Rock, they saw the Angel sitting at the South Part of the Place, where the Body of Jesus had lain, that is, at his Right Hand; for undoubtedly his Body having his Face upwards and its Head to the West, must have its Right Hand to the South. Cassalion says, * The Faithful of old were so observing of this Ceremony of looking towards the East, that they not only strictly observed it in their Prayers when living; but even when they were dead, their Bodies were placed with their Faces upwards in the Sepulchre, looking towards the East. The learned Dr. Comber, in his Discourse of the solemn Interment, hath these Words upon this subject," We may note the Positure and Position of the Corpse, which among the "Christians hath always been to turn the partem loci illius, ubi positum fuerat corpus Jesu; hoc enim erat in dextris, quod nimirum, corpus, quod supinum jacens caput habebat ad occasum, dexteram necesse est habere ad ausBed. in Dic. Sanct. Pascha, Tom. 7. trum. * Adeo tenaces fuere prisci illi fideles in hoc ritu respiciendi in orientem, ut non solum ipsi viventes, hoc in eorum precibus exacte servarent, verum etiam mortui eorum corpora supina in sepulchris facie orientem respicerent. Cass. de Vet. Rit. Christ. P. 30. "Feet to the East, with the Head to the "West; that so they may be ready to meet "the LORD, whom the Ancients did believe "should appear in the oriental Part of Hea 66 66 ven. Durand. Rat. Lib. 7. Cap. 33. Or as our ingenious Mr. Gregory believes, That they might be in the Posture of Prayer, with "their Faces to the East, as soon as they were 66 raised. There are some ancient Authors "tell us, That the old Inhabitants of Attica "buried thus before the Days of Solon, who, "as they report, convinced the Athenians, "that the Island of Salamis did of Right be long to them, by shewing them dead Bodies looking that Way, and Sepulchres turned "towards the East, as they used to bury. Diog. Laert. Vit. Solon, &c. And the Scho"liast upon Thucidides says, It was the Man"ner of all the Grecks to bury their Dead thus : 66 . Though a learned modern Writer supposes these Authors mistaken, and cites Plutarch "and Elian to prove, that the Athenians turned their Dead towards the West. However "it is certain, that all Nations had one certain Way of placing the Corpse, from which 46 66 they would not vary; and we Christians "have so great Antiquity for our Custom, that "we ought not out of Singularity to alter it." 5 No No doubt but this learned Man had great Reason for this Conclusion, as well knowing that this ancient Rite was struck at by the whole Herd of Sectaries, as a silly Fancy and an idle Dream: Who never would observe it, were it not that they are sometimes obliged; but would with those who are not obliged, act the very Reverse, and bury North and South. I wish there were no powerfuller Enemies to it, than them now a Days; but, as a Man's Enemies are too often those of his own Houshold; so, 'tis to be lamented, that some who pretend to be of our own Church, are upon all Occasions secret Advocates against this Ceremony. When therefore there is such Opposition without, and such Treachery within, 'tis high Time to be on the Guard against our Enemies; least a Ceremony so venerable for its Antiquity, and so useful in its Observation, be laid aside: Was it but for this one Thing, that it speaks the Hope of the whole Christian Church, since the earliest Times of Christianity, about the Resurrection of the same Body. It is too true, that there are some at this Time of the Day, as well as were in the Days of the Apostle, who think it a thing incredible that GOD should raise the Dead; some really disbelieving the Resurrection of any Body, and others that of the same Body. But as long as this Ceremony is in Being, it will always be a ready Proof, that the whole Christian Church did not only believe the Resurrection of the Body, but of that very Body which was laid down in the Grave. For they observed it, that they might be ready with their Faces to meet their SAVIOUR at his coming to Judgment, which certainly implies that they believed that very Body should rise again. OBSERVATIONS ON CHAP. V. WE may add to Mr. Bourne's Remarks, that the Custom is still retained in many Churches, of turning to the Altar while the Congregation are repeating the Creed.-The Forms are both derived to us from the same Origin. We need not hesitate to pronounce as well the Bowings as the turn ** ings * Aulam regiam, id est. Ecclesiam ingredientes ad altare inclinamus, quod quasi Regem milites adoramus; eterni enim Regis milites sumus. Durandi Rational. p. 226. The learned Mr. Mede tells us, that what reverential Guise, Ceremony, or Worship they used at their Ingress into Churches, in the Ages next to the Apostles (and some he believes they did) is wholly buried in Silence and Oblivion. The Jews used to bow themselves |