d, the Wednesday and Friday
services, particularly enjoined by the canon, were held in the London
parish churches almost without exception, and very generally in country
parishes.[992] But as the idea of daily public worship became in the
popular mind more and more obsolete, these also were gradually neglected
and laid aside. In the middle of the century we find many more allusions
to them than at its close. Secker, in his Charge of 1761, said there
should always be prayers on these days.[993] John Wesley wrote, in 1744,
to advocate the careful observance of the Wednesday and Friday 'Stations
or Half-fasts;'[994] the poet Young held them in his church at
Woolen;[995] they formed part of the duty at a church to which Gilbert
Wakefield, in 1778, was invited to be curate.[996] James Hervey, at a
time when his health was fast failing, said that he still managed to
preach on Wednesday evenings, except in haytime and harvest,[997] &c. In
1824 there were Wednesday and Friday services in only a small minority
of the London churches.[998]

Very similar remarks may be made in regard of the observance of Saints'
days. In Queen Anne's time they were still generally kept as holy days,
and business was even in some measure suspended.[999] There were
services on these festivals in all the London churches.[1000] We find,
it is true, a High Church writer of this date, regretting that of late
years the observance of these days had not been so strict as heretofore.
He attributed this backwardness mainly to superstitious scruples derived
from Puritan times, and to the immoderate pursuit of business.[1001] The
wonder rather was, that having been, for a considerable portion of the
previous century, 'neglected almost everywhere throughout the
kingdom,'[1002] Church festivals should have recovered as much respect
as they did. The extensive circulation of Robert Nelson's 'Festivals,'
and the number of editions through which it passed, is in itself a
sufficient proof that a great number of English Churchmen cordially
approved a devout observance of the appointed holy days. But by the
middle of the century the neglect of them was becoming general.

Burnet wished that Lent were not observed with 'so visible a
slightness.'[1003] It was observed, certainly, and very generally, but
also very superficially. In London there were a considerable number of
special sermons on Wednesdays and Fridays in Lent, the place and
preachers being notified beforehan