Octave, and at Easter, than at other times of the year. In the middle ages, a great wax candle was blessed, to reprefent the light of faith fhining forth to the world. Of this a large account is given from certain ancient Rituals by Martenne (36): Also the bells were rung, and trumpets founded, whilft the profe" Veni fancte Spiritus," was fung after the epiftle at Mafs; which profe Pope Innocent III. first introduced into public use (37), and is faid to have composed (38) himself.

Though the Sacrament of the Holy Ghoft, or of confirmation, is given by the Bishops in all feafons, Pentecoft has always been looked upon as the proper feftival of this Sacrament. In the first ages, Confirmation was administered with the greatest folemnity after baptifm, at Eafter and Whitfontide.

The great Feaft of the Chriftian Pentecoft was undoubtedly inftituted and celebrated by the Apostles themselves, fays Pope Benedict XIV. And this the very ancient Author of the Book of Questions, which has been attributed to S. Juftin Martyr, confirms by the teftimony of S. Irenæus. "This "custom of not kneeling at prayer during the Pafchal "time," fays he, " is derived from the Apostles, as the "bleffed Irenæus, Bishop of Lyons, and Martyr, writes in "his Book on Eafter, where he mentions the Feast of Pen"tecoft, in which we do not kneel; for this season enjoys "the fame privilege with Sunday." S. Leo fays of it (39): "All Catholicks are fenfible that this folemnity is ranked "amongst those feafts which claim our highest veneration " and devotion. Nor can any one doubt what great honour " is due to the day which the Holy Ghoft has confecrated "by the most excellent miracle, and the effufion of his gifts."

CHA P. II.

On the JEWISH FEAST of WEEKS or PENTECOST.

PENT

ENTECOST is a Greek word which fignifies the fiftieth. This name was anciently given to the Jewish

Feaft

(36) Martenne, "De antiqua Ecclefiæ Difciplina in divinis " Offi" ciis celebrandis," c. 28. p. 538. (37) See Vita Notkeri, T. i. Op. p. 237. (38) See it vindicated to Innocent III. by Merati, Part. ii. T. i, p. 1216, and Benedi& XIV. "De Feftis Chrifti D." §. 519, &c. (39) S. Leo Sm. 73. (de Pentecofte.) ed. Quen, Serm. 57. p. 217. n. 11. ed. Roman. 1753.

Feast of Weeks (1), because it was celebrated feven weeks after the Paffover, that is, on the fiftieth day after the fixteenth of the month Nifan, which was the fecond day of the Feast of Paffover (2). They offered at Pentecost the firft fruits of the wheat harvest, which at that time was completed (3). These first-fruits confifted in two loaves of leavened bread of two affarons of meal (a), that is, each loaf of an affaron, or three pints of meal. Befides which they prefented at the temple feven lambs of that year, one calf and two rams, to be offered for a burnt-offering, two lambs for a peace-offering, and a goat for a fin-offering (4). Befides these facrifices appointed for the day of Pentecost, others were ordered during this feftival (5).

Pentecoft was one of the three great festivals amongst the Jews, on which every male was obliged to appear before the Lord at the tabernacle, and afterward in the temple when it was built. Yet we do not find that it had an Octave, The modern Jews celebrate it during two days, which they keep feftival like thofe of the Paffover, refting from all la bour and bufinefs, in the fame manner as on the Sabbath, except that they make fires, drefs victuals, and carry what they want from one place to another (6). God himself for bad all fervile work on this feftival, You shall call this "day moft folemn and moft holy. You fhall do no fervile "work therein. It fhall be an everlasting ordinance, "in all your dwellings and generations (7)." The feaft was inftituted, firft, to give thanks to God for their land and its fruits, and to acknowledge his abfolute dominion over their country, and the whole world, their perfons and their labours; for which they offered him the first fruits of their harvests. Hence it is called "the folemnity of the harvest which (1) Exod. xxxiv. 22. (2) Levit. xxiii. 15, 16. (3) Deut. xvi. 9, 10. (4) Levit. xxi. 18, 19. (5) Num. xxvi. 27. Jof. Antiq. 1. iii. c. x. (6) Leo of Modena, Part. iii. c. 4. p. 134. Buxtorf Synag. Judaic. c. 20. p. 442. (7) Lev. xxiii. 21.

(a) Affaron fignifies Tenth. The Hebrew measure Affaron, called alfo Gomer, or Omer, was the tenth part of an Ephi or Epha, the same in dry, as the Bath was in liquid measures, almoft the Roman Amphora, which held about nine gallons.

Some think that each family offered two fuch loaves of the meal of the new corn; others that only two loaves were offered in the name of the whole nation; which feems to appear from Jofephus, Antiqu. 1. iii. c. 10. See on this subject two Differtations of Conrad Ikenius, " de "duobus Panibus Pentecoftalibus. Bremæ, 1729, 1730. But each family feems alfo to have made the like offering, at least out of devotion.

"(8)," which began at that time. And the "Day of First"fruits (9)." The festival of Pentecoft was also appointed according to the Jewish tradition to return. God, thanks for the law which he gave on Mount Sinai on this day. For this reafon the Jews at Pentecoft drefs the fynagogue and places appointed for the reading of the law, and even their houfes, with green boughs, roses, and other flowers, knit together in crowns and garlands, and that in great quantities. Buxtorf relates feveral ceremonies and practices of the Jews at Pentecoft, which are a commemoration of the giving of the law at this time. From this tradition both of ancient and modern Jews, the Fathers and other Chriftian writers ufually affign this as a fecond motive of the Jewish Feaft of Pentecoft (b); and the Jews at this day ufually call it the Feast of the Law.

CHAP.

(8) Exod. xxiii. 16. (9) Num. xxviii. 26. Deut. xxvi. 2, 10, 13.

(b) Modern Jews celebrate the giving of the law in their whole office on Pentecoft. See Lancelot Addison's Prefent State of the Jews, ch. 19. Alfo Lewis of Modena, Part. 3. c. 4. And moft critics and interpreters agree that the law was given to Mofes on this day. Yet fome pretend that the giving of the law was no part of the intention or devotion of the ancient Jewish fynagogue in this feftival. This is advanced by George Moeb, Dif. Theol. p. 921, and Franc. Gomar.

de Ufu ac Fine Fefti Pentecoftes." Op. p. 226. But they produce nothing of moment to fupport their conjecture. And the common tradition agrees well with the Scripture. The Jews kept the Paffover on the 14th of the month Nifan: arrived at Mount Sinai on the third day of the third month after their coming out of Egypt. Exod. xix. 1. Two days after which Mofes received the law. This must have happened on the fiftieth day after their coming out of Egypt, the intermediate month liar, being only of twenty-nine days. The Jewith Pentecoft was celebrated in the month Sivan, correfponding nearly to our May, as Buxtorf mentions, p. 438, on the Jewish Pentecoft. See Reichardt Diff. de Pentecofte Judeorum, Chriftianorum & Gentilium. Jenæ, 1699. Winckler, Or, "de iis quæ circa Feftum Pentecoftes memorabilia funt;" Lipfiæ, 1734. reprinted in his "Difquifitiones "Philologica," p. 211. Claufwitz, "Progr. de Analogia Pente"coftes, vet. & novi Teftam." Halæ 1741. The Jewish Thalmud Tom Tobb T. ii. Danzius, Program, " de Fefto Judaico Septimanarum "abrogato, & furrogato Fefto Pentecoftali Chriftianorum," reprinted in Meufchenius's "novum Teftamentum ex Thalmude illuftratum," P. 737, 786. Cremer, in "Antiquitatibus Mofaico-Typicis," T. ii. p. 480. John Meyer, "De Temporibus & Feftis Hebræor." c. 13. p. 287. Melchior Leydecker, "De Republ. Hebræor." l. ix. c. 5. P. 353. Cherubihus a S. Jofepho, T. ii. "Apparatus Biblici," P. 352. Lamy, Appar. Bibl. Calmet. Dict. Bibl. and the Interpre On the time of the harvest of the Jews in Palestine, See Hermani Conringii, Comment. reprinted, T. v. " Fafciculorum Tho. Crenii,"

ters.

P. 301.

The Hiftory of the Chriftian PENTECOST, or an Account of the Defcent of the HOLY GHOST.

THE

HE Chriftian Pentecoft is celebrated feven weeks or fifty days after the feast of our Lord's Refurrection. It is one of the three principal feftivals of the year, and as far tranfcends the Jewish Pentecoft, as the law of grace excells the Mofaic difpenfation, and as the accomplishment of

p. 301. All that concerns the Jewish Pentecoft is judiciously dif cuffed by Alphonfus Toftatus, commonly called Abulenfis, 23 Levit. Quæft. 41. who fhews that the Feast of Azymes, was instituted in memory of the deliverance of the Jews from the Egyptian fervitude; and Pentecoft in memory of the law given to Mofes on Mount Sinai. Also, that on the Feast of Azymes, the firft fruits of the year, being a loaf of barley, were offered in the temple, before which it was not lawful for any Jew to taste of the fruits of that year. On the Pentecoft the wheat harvest being over, the laft begun, were offered the first fruits of bread made that year, in two loaves of two Affarons, or about three pints of flour each, made of leavened dough, Levit. xxiii. 17. before which no Jew could make or eat any bread of that crop. The first fheaf of barley was gathered on the 15th of Nifan, in the morning after the day of the Paffover, and offered the next day, with great folemnity and many ceremonies; of which fome account is given by Maimonides, in Temedim, and Mofaphim, and others. These two offerings of the sheaf of barley at the Pafch, and of the loaves of wheat at Pentecoft, were made in the name of the whole Jewish nation. Befides thefe, every private perfon was obliged to bring to the temple his firft fruits of wheat, barley, grapes, figs, apricocks, olives and dates. They brought them in bands preceded by an ox appointed for facrifice, with a crown of olives on his head, and his horns gilded over; and with at least, one musician playing upon the flute all the way to Jerufalem. Every one, even the King, carried his own basket upon his fhoulders, from the foot of the holy mountain into the court belonging to the priefts in the temple, and fet it down on the fide of the altar. The Levites received them finging the first verses of the 29th Pfalm, which in the modern Hebrew text is the 30th. The perfon who brought the offering repeated the words prefcribed, Deut. xxvi. 4, 5, &c. See the Mifnah, in the Treatise Thrumoth and Becorim, and the Commentators on the Mifnah, and on Exodus xxii. 29. xxiii. 19. Every one is obliged to give at the leaft the 60th part of his fruits, but most gave the 40th part. (See Mifnah, Tr. Thrumotb, c. 4. n. 3.) The first fruits and the tenths were the most certain part of the revenue of the priests: but the Rabbins hold that no one is obliged to pay the firft fruits, excepting in the Land of Promife. Beides thefe, when the bread in every family was kneaded, a portion was fet a-part for the priest or Levite of the place. Num. xv. 19, 20. S. Jerom fays this portion was between the 40th and the 60th Part (in cap. 45. Ezech.) Philo teftifies that this law was obferved by the Jews in all parts of the world (1. de Præmiis Sacerd.) It is fill practifed by them in fome countries. See Leo of Juda, part. ii. c. 9.

our great mysteries furpaffes their types and figures. For on this great festival we commemorate the wonderful descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, the promulgation of the gofpel, and the establishment of the church of Christ. What wonders are comprised in the mystery of this day! On it, the third person of the Bleffed Trinity defcended upon men, to bestow on them, with a boundless liberality, the most abundant effufions of his graces and mercies. On this day, our divine Redeemer put the finishing hand to the great work which he had in view in all his myfteries. On this day, he created to himself a new people, who adore his Father in fpirit and truth. On this day, God fent his Holy Spirit on earth to renew the face of the world, to form his church, and to make with his people the new alliance which he had promised by the Prophets, and which is the law of grace and love, the end and confummation of all his mercies and other myfteries in favour of man. And here we not only commemorate, with thanksgiving and praise, a mystery that is paft, as in other feftivals; but which is actually renewed, and accomplished in our own fouls. We must first confider the wonderful manner in which it was wrought in the Apoftles, for the promulgation of the law of the gospel, the establishment of Chrift's fpiritual kingdom on earth, and its propagation through all

nations.

After the Afcenfion of our bleffed Lord, the Apostles withdrew together into a houfe at Jerufalem, which is faid to have been that of Mary, the mother of John Mark, the difciple of our Lord (10), and was fituate on Mount Sion (11). Here they waited for the coming of the Holy Ghost in continual prayer, as Chrift had commanded them (12). S. Luke fays they retired into an upper room, and the word which he uses in the Acts of the Apoftles (c) fignifies the highest room in the house. The roof of the houses in Paleftine being flat, the highest room was often the most decent, and the most spacious, as well as the moft retired. The Jews had ufually their private oratories in the upper parts of their houfes; called Alijoth for the more private exercife of their devotions. Thus Daniel had his Alijoth (13); which

(10) See Conftit. Apoft. 1. v. c. 20. S. Leo ep. 2. c. i. S. Aug. de Civ. Dei, 1. xviii. c. 54. and the Author of Serm. 154, De Temp. now in App. p. 167. T. v. (11) See Baron. ad An. 34. n. 234. Usher, Annal. Pearfon, &c. (12) Luke xxiv. 49. (13) Dan. vi. 10. (c) imepñov A&. i. 13. See A&t. xx. 8. 9.