ings about to the East, or Altar, to be superstitious. They are alike Vestiges of the ancient popish Ceremonial Law. One who has left a severe Satire on the Retainers of those Forms and Ceremonies that lean towards popish Superstition, tells us, *"If I were a Papist "or Anthropo-morphite, who believes that God is "enthroned in the East, like a grave old King, I "profess I would bow and cringe as well as any "Limber-ham of them all, and pay my Adoration "to that Point of the Compass (the East): But if "Men believe that the Holy One who inhabits Eternity, is also omnipresent, why do not they "make correspondent Ceremonies of Adoration to 66 every Point of the Compass?" Concession must be made by every Advocate for manly and rational Worship, that there is nothing more in the East, than in the Belfry at the West End, or in the Body of the Church. We wonder therefore how ever this Custom was retained by Protestants. The Cringes and Bowings of the Roman Catholics to the Altar, is in Adoration of the corporal ↑ Presence, their Wafer-God, who is by their Fancies, seated there and enthroned.-In the Homilies themselves towards the Mercy-Seat ;-the Christians after them, in the Greek and Oriental Churches, have Time out of Mind, and without any known Beginning, used to bow in like manner;-they do it at this Day. See Bingham's Antiquities. * Hickeringill's Ceremony Monger, p. 15. † I find in a curious Collection of godly Ballads in the Scotch Language, Edinburgh, 1621, the following Passage, which has Homilies of our Church, this is frequently stiled Idolatry, and the Act of a Fool.-A Regard for Impartiality obliges me to own, that I have observed this Practice in College Chapels at Oxford. -I hope it is altogether worn out in every other Place in the Kingdom; and for the Credit of that truly respectable Seminary of Learning and religious Truth, that it will not be retained there by the rising Generation! The learned Moresin tells us, that Altars, in papal Rome, were placed towards the East, in imi been intended, no Doubt, as an Argument against Transubstantiation: Gif God be transubstantiall, "In Breid with hoc est Corpus meum ; Why are ye sa unnaturall, "To take him in your Teeth and sla him, &c." The Rev. Mr. Joseph Warton, in his Dying Indtan, puts into his Hero's Charge a similar Thought: "Tell her I ne'er have worship'd "With those that eat their God.". Dodsley's Collection, Vol. IV. Thus hath Superstition made the most awful Mysteries of our Faith the Subjects of Ridicule! * Orientem in solem convertitur, qui Deos salutat, aut orat apud nos, et Apul. ait, 2. Metam. tunc in orientem obversus vel incrementa solis augusti tacitus imprecatus, &c. Polyd. lib. 5. cap. 9. Invent. Orientem respicit precaturus et Imagines oriens spectant, ut ingredientes preces eoversum ferant ad ritum Persarum, qui solem orientem venerati sunt. Plutarch. in Numa. Deus interdicit Judæis oriente, prohibet Imagines, Exod. 20. Levit. 26, &c. Cæl. autem lib. 7. cap. 2. ant. lect. dicit, jam illud veteris fuit superstitionis, quod in Asclepio Mercurius scribit, Deum adorantes, si medius affulserit Dies in austrum converti: si vero dies sit occiduus, in occasum: Si se tunc primùm promat Sol, exortiva est spectanda. Qui precabantur ad orientem conversi, erecto vultu,`manibus passis, expansis et in cœlum sublatis ac protensis orabant. Virgil 8 Eneid, Ovid, lib. 4. Fast. &c. &c. Moresini Deprav. Rel. Orig. & Increm. p. 117. tation of the antient and heathen Rome. Thus Virgil's 11th Eneid: Illi ad surgentem conversi lumina solem As to the Position in the Grave," though we "decline (says Dr. Browne, in his Urne-burial) "the religious Consideration, yet in cœmeterial and narrower burying Places, to avoid Confusion "and cross Position, a certain Posture were to be "admitted. The Persians lay North and South; "the Megarians and Phoenicians placed their "Heads to the East;-the Athenians, some think, towards the West, which Christians still retain ; "-and Bede will have it to be the Posture of our “Saviour.”—(This judicious Observer proceeds) "That Christians buried their Dead on their Backs, "or in a supine Position, seems agreeable to pro"found Sleep, and the common Posture of dying; contrary also to the most natural Way of Birth; not unlike our pendulous Posture in the doubtful "State of the Womb.-Diogenes (he adds) was singular, who preferred a prone Situation in the Grave; and some Christians like neither, (Russians, &c.) who decline the Figure of Rest, and "make Choice of an erect Posture." There is a Passage in the Grave-diggers' Scene in Hamlet, "Make her Grave straight," which Dr. Johnson has thus explained. "Make "her Grave from East to West, in a direct Line "parallel “ 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 s should appear in the oriental Part of Heaven. Durand. Rat. Lib. 7. Cap. 33. Or as oor ingenious Mr. Gregory believes, That “ they might be in the Posture of Prayer, with w their Faces to the East, as soon as they were * 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 Greeks to bury their Dead thus : 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 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 were in the Days of the Apostle, who think it u thing incredible that GOD should raise as E 3 |