Chap. V. manifest in the flesh, when he was presented in the

Candle

whence so

called.

Temple.

On the Purification the ancient Christians used abunmas day, dance of lights both in their churches and processions, in remembrance (as it is supposed) of our blessed Saviour's being this day declared by old Simeon, to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, &c. which portion of Scripture is for that reason appointed for the Gospel for the day. A practice continued with us in England till the second year of King Edward VI. when Bishop Cranmer forbad it by order of the Privy Council 39. And from this custom I suppose it was, that this day first took the name of Candlemas-day.

St. Mat

on what

§. 5. St. Matthias's day being generally differently obthias's day, served in Leap-years, viz. by some on the twenty-fourth, day to be and by others on the twenty-fifth of February; I think it observed in not amiss to state the case in as few words as I can. And Leap-year. to do it clearly, I must begin with the ancient Julian year,

which is known to have consisted of three hundred sixtyfive days and almost six hours: but because of the inconvenience of inserting of six hours at the end of every year, they were ordered to be reserved to the end of four years, when they came to a whole day, and then to be inserted at the twenty-fourth of February. For the old Roman year ended at February the twenty-third, and the old intercalary month was always inserted at that time*. And because the intercalary days (according to the method of the Egyptians) were never accounted any part of the month or year, but only an appendix to them 40, therefore the Romans in the Julian year accounted the twenty-third day of February, i. e. the sixth of the calends of March, two days together, which is the reason that in our calenLeap-year, dar Leap-year is called Bissextile, or the year in which whence the sixth of the calends of March came twice over. Now sextile. we in England having been very anciently subjects of the

called Bis

*This shews Mr. Johnson's mistake in correcting Doctor Wallis for affirming the twenty-fourth to be the intercalary day. For certainly the day which follows the twenty-third, if counted for any day, must be called the twenty-fourth 41.

39 Collier's History, vol. ii. page

241.

40 Cato in Tit. Dig. §. 98. expressly says of the practice of the Romans, Mensem intercalarem additi

tium esse, omnesque ejus Dies pro momento temporis observandos.

41 Addenda to the Clergyman's Vade Mecum, at the end of his two cases, pages 108, 109.

Sect.

Roman empire, received the Julian account; and agreeable to the method of the Romans, our Parliament, in the XXVIII. twenty-first year of King Henry III. A. D. 1236, passed an Act, that in every Leap-year the additional day, and the day next going before, should be accounted but for one day. Now the additional day being inserted, as I have observed, between the sixth and seventh of the calends of March, i. e. between the twenty-fourth and twenty-third day of February*; it follows, that, according to the Roman way of reckoning, (who reckoned the calends backwards from the first day of the month,) the day which, in our way of reckoning, was in ordinary years the twenty-fourth of February, would in Leap-years be

* Here again Mr. Johnson endeavours to correct Dr. Wallis, when he himself is mistaken. His words are these: "Dr. Wallis "says, that the intercalary day is between the sixth and seventh "calends of March. He certainly meant between the sixth and "fifth. It is absurd to suppose that the first six calends, which is "February the twenty-fourth, should be Bissextus, and the twenty"ty-fifth simply Sextus. Primo Sextus must of necessity precede "Bissextus. And Bissextus is but another word for the intercalary "day. The mistake seems to have arisen from the Doctor's for"getting that the computation of the calends is retrogradous 42." I desire Mr. Johnson to think again, and then to recollect who it is that is forgetful of this retrograde computation. He rightly indeed observes that Primo Sextus must of necessity precede Bissextus: but which, I would ask, is the Primo Sextus? That which stands next to the fifth of the calends, or that which stands a day farther off? Now the fifth calend of March being February the twenty-fifth, and the calends being to be computed in a backward order, (as Mr. Johnson well observes,) I would ask again, whether February the twenty-fourth is not the Primo Sextus? and consequently whether the day before that (i. e. in order of time) be not the Bissextus or intercalary day; and whether the intercalary day be not (as Dr. Wallis asserts) between the sixth and seventh calends of March, or between the twenty-fourth and twenty-third of February, though indeed, as we now reckon, it cannot be called any other than the twenty-fourth? So that Queen Elizabeth's Reformers were not mistaken in thinking the twenty-fourth the intercalary day, as Mr. Johnson asserts. And therefore he himself . must lay claim to the excuse he has made in the same page for Dr. Wallis, who now, it seems, has no need of it, viz. That "the happiest memories, with the greatest knowledge, cannot secure "men against such lapses."

42 Addenda to the Clergyman's Vade Mecum, at the end of his two cases, pages 108, 109.

Chap. V. the twenty-fifth. And consequently St. Matthias being fixed on that day, which in ordinary years was the twenty-fourth, must in every Leap-year be observed upon what in our account we call the twenty-fifth; though in the Roman way of reckoning both in common years and Leap-years, it is kept the same day, viz. the sixth day inclusive before the first day of March. And this is according to the known rule, as old as Durand's time at least;

Bissextum Sexta Martis tenuere Calenda:

Posteriore Die celebrantur Festa Mathiæ.

And agreeable to this rule stood the rubric in relation to the intercalary day, in all the Missals, Breviaries, &c. to the Reformation, directing also that in Leap-years, St. Matthias's day should be always kept upon the twentyfifth of February, which is still the order and practice in the Church of Rome. But in both the Common Prayer Books of King Edward VI. that old rubric was altered, and the following one put in its room.

This is also to be noted, concerning the Leap-years, that the twenty-fifth day of February, which in Leap-years is counted for two days, shall in those two days alter neither Psalm nor Lesson: but the same Psalms and Lessons which be said the first day shall serve also for the second day.

This Dr. Nichols and others think to be a mistake in our Reformers; and that they were not apprised which was properly the intercalary day: but I cannot imagine so many great men to be ignorant both of the rubrics and practice of their own Church. I therefore suppose that this alteration was made with design, that there might be no confusion in the observation of the holy-day; but that it should be kept on the twenty-fourth in Leap-years as well as others. However, when Queen Elizabeth's Common Prayer was compiled, it was thought proper to return to the old practice and rule: and accordingly in that book the rubric was thus altered.

When the years of our Lord (i. e. when the number of years from the birth of Christ) may be divided into four even parts, which is every fourth year, then the Sunday Letter leapeth*; and that year the Psalms and Lessons, which serve for the twenty-third day of February, shall be read again the day following, except it be Sunday, which hath proper Lessons

* Hence every such fourth year receives the name of Leapyear.

for the Old Testament appointed in the table to serve to that purpose.

Now according to this rubric St. Matthias's day must again be kept in Leap-years, as it used to be, viz. not on the twenty-fourth day of February, which was looked upon in this rubric to be the intercalary day; but on the day following, which we call the twenty-fifth. For if the Lessons for the twenty-third were also to be read upon the twenty-fourth in Leap-years, then that day could not be St. Matthias. For the first Lessons appointed for St. Matthias were Wisdom xix. and Ecclus. i. whereas the first Lessons for the twenty-third of February were at that time the ivth and vth of Deuteronomy. And thus stood the rubric till the Restoration of King Charles; when the revisers of our Liturgy observing, I suppose, that the twenty-ninth of February was in our civil computation generally looked upon as the intercalary day; they thought that it would be more uniform, and that it would prevent more mistakes in the reading of the Common Prayer, to make it so also in the ecclesiastical computation. For which reason the aforesaid rubric was then left out, and a twenty-ninth day added to February, which has Lessons of its own appointed, and till which day the Sunday or Dominical Letter is not changed: but whereas F used to be doubled at the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth days, C, which is the Dominical Letter for the twenty-eighth day, or else D, which is that for the first of March, is now supposed to be repeated on the twenty-ninth, notwithstanding Mr. Johnson, without giving any reason, animadverts upon me for saying so43; though he himself had formerly asserted February the twenty-ninth to be the modern intercalary day 44; and that, as I take it, upon better grounds than he now shews for retracting his opinion. So that there being now no other variation of the days, than that a day is added at the end of the month, St. Matthias's day must consequently be always observed on the twenty-fourth day, i. e. as well in Leap-years as others. But notwithstanding the case is so clear in itself, yet some almanack makers, still following the old custom of placing St. Matthias's day in Leap-years on the twenty-fifth, and not on the twenty-fourth of February, are the occasion of that day's being still variously observed in such years. For which reason, on February the fifth, A. D. 1683, Archbishop Sancroft (who was himself one

43 Addenda, ut supra. 44 Clergyman's Vade Mecum, vol. i. page 207.

Sect.

XXVIII.

Chap. V. of the reviewers of the Liturgy, and was principally concerned in revising the Calendar, and whose knowledge in that sort of learning excelled 45) published an injunction or order, requiring all Parsons, Vicars, and Curates, to take notice, that the feast of St. Matthias is to be celebrated (not upon the twenty-fifth of February, as the common almanacks boldly and erroneously set it, but) upon the twenty-fourth of February for ever, whether it be Leap-year or not, as the Calendar in the Liturgy, confirmed by Act of Uniformity, appoints and enjoins.

St. Philip

and St. James.

Dr. Wallis indeed informs us, that "the Archbishop "(upon seeing a letter drawn up by him upon the subject, "and upon discourse with others to the same purpose) "seemed well satisfied that it was his mistake; and pre"sumes that if he had continued Archbishop to another "Leap-year, and in good circumstances, he would have "reversed his former orders, and directed the almanacks "to be printed as formerly." But this I conceive to be only a mere presumption of the doctor's46. The Archbishop perhaps might think he had deviated from the ancient rule though indeed from 47 Micrologus, who lived about the year 1080, (two hundred years before Durand, who is the first that I can find to mention the contrary practice,) it appears, the ancient custom was to keep St. Matthias, as our present Liturgy now enjoins, even in Leap-years, upon the twenty-fourth. However, let the ancient custom have been what it will, since the Archbishop's leaving out the rubric and altering the calendar was confirmed by the King, both in Convocation and Parliament, it was not in his power to make any alteration without the consent of the same authority.

§. 6. Upon the day of St. Philip and St. James, till the last review, the Church read the eighth chapter of the Acts for the morning second Lesson, therein commemorating St. Philip the Deacon; but now in the room of that she appoints part of the first chapter of St. John, and commemorates only St. Philip the Apostle, and St. James the brother of our Lord, the first Bishop of Jerusalem, who wrote the Epistle that bears that name, part of which is appointed for the Epistle for the day. The other St.

45 See Mr. Walton's Life of Bishop Sanderson.

46 Advertisement to his Treatise concerning St. Matthias's day, &c. page 2.

47 In Bissextili Anno Nativitatem S. Matthiæ. Apostoli columus in illa

Die, quæ Vigiliam ejus proxime sequitur, non in alterâ, quæ propter Bissextum eo Anno in eodem Calendario iteratur. Microlog. de Ecclesiast. Observat. c. 47. apud Bibliothec. Patrum, tom. x. p. 159. Paris. 1654.