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A69228 A discourse of the Sabbath and the Lords Day Wherein the difference both in their institution and their due observation is briefly handled. By Christopher Dow, B.D. Dow, Christopher, B.D. 1636 (1636) STC 7088; ESTC S110113 45,823 80

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A DISCOVRSE OF THE SABBATH AND THE LORDS DAY WHEREIN THE DIFFERENCE BOTH IN THEIR INTSITUTION and their due OBSERVATION is briefly handled BY CHRISTOPHER DOW B. D. LONDON Printed by M. FLESHER for JOHN CLARK and are to be sold at his shop under S. Peters Church in Cornhill MDC XXXVI To the Reader THe substance of this discourse being at first the materialls of some letters written for the satisfaction of a private friend was afterwards drawne together into the forme in which it now appeares and found the favour from some unto whom it was communicated to bee desired to the Presse for which end it hath lyen in the Licensers hand now above a yeare expecting the cōduct of that Reverend Prelate who upon speciall occasion then offered as it appeares by command undertook this argument Which having performed like himselfe with such variety of learning and profoundnesse of judgement this Pamphlet of mine may now justly seeme as unnecessary to follow as heretofore it was unable and unworthy to leade the way yet considering that the brevity of it might make it passe and finde acceptance with some and that being of a mean straine it might better meete with common capacities then larger and more elaborate tractates I was willing it should see the light and that in its owne garbe without any polishing or alteration And so I commend thee and it to Gods blessing PErlegi hunc tractatum Theologicum cuititulus est A discourse of the Sabbath and of the Lords day c. in quo nihil reperio sanae doctrinae aut bonis moribus contrarium quominus cum utilitate publicâ imprimi possit ita tamen ut si non intra tres menses proximè sequentes typis mandetur haec licentia sit omnino irrita Ex Aedibus Lambethanis Novemb. 18. 1635. GUIL BRAY. R. P. D. Arch. Cant. Capel Domesticus A DISCOVRSE OF THE SABBATH AND LORDS DAY THat men may not bee deceived with shewes and mistake Iudaisine for Christianity or that they who so mistaking use to disrellish all things which suit not with the principles of their Catechismes may not thinke they have ingrossed all Religion and Piety to themselves and they thereby incouraged to proceed in their hard censures of those that concurre not with them And that the piety and religious care which is eminent in the Governours of our Church and State may appeare in their true lustre and outshine those mists wherewith some seeke to obscure them And that it may appeare also that they whose chiefest care next to their duty to God is to yeeld all ready and cheerefull obedience to Gods Vicegerent and to those Reverend Fathers which under God and His Sacred Majesty have the oversight of this Church are not hood-winkt in their obedience or blindly led to yeeld to their Commands without respect to religion or conscience as if they had rather obey them then God I have adventured upon that obloquie which hath beene the lot of such as though upon never so good grounds dissent from these men in opinion And this I the rather doe in this subject for as much as in it I have not onely the authoritie of the sacred Scriptures which are the rule of things to be beleeved and done but the consent also of the whole Church of Christ neither the Ancient Fathers nor the Reformed Churches to omit the Church of Rome whose Doctrine though in this case not to be condemned is of little credit with those whom I dissent from ever teaching other Doctrine then that which I shall endeavour the defence of For whereas in other things which they dislike among us they have for Patrons the principall Authors of the Reformation abroad and the Prime Doctors among them whose learning and piety much admired by them may seeme to pleade for their over-earnest and heedlesse embracing of their Principles In these Sabbatarian Paradoxes they are singular and left alone without the Patronage of those whom otherwise they so much admire and without the example of any Church in Christendome And I beleeve further being ledd thereunto by their doctrine delivered in their Writings extant and by the generall and constant relation of all that have knowne their practise and compared it with ours that there is not a State in Christendome who have made better provision for the due observance of the Lords Day and the decent performance of the sacred Acts of Gods Worship then are to bee found in the Ecclesiasticall and Temporall Lawes of this Realme nor where such Lawes are more duely executed by those in Authority or more generally observed or practised by all then they are at this day among us These considerations have animated mee to this worke hoping thereby to settle the mindes of such as are contrary minded rather for want of due consideration then out of wilsulnesse and contempt of Authority Hee that goes about to vindicate the just liberty of Christians in the use of lawfull recreations on the Sunday shall finde himselfe upon a double disadvantage 1. In regard of the preconceived opinion among weake people of their pietie and religious zeale which hold the contrary And 2. in that the strict observance of that day is by some made a prime character of a good Christian to distinguish him from a carnall Worldling and so the Question in hand accounted as an infallible marke to know the state of Religion which stands or falls according as it is either way determined It behoves mee therefore to walke with a wary and sure foot and following the truth to strike an equall course betweene an over nice strictnesse and a profane licence and so to speake in this cause as that the soberly religious shall have no just cause to complaine nor the profane be incouraged to go on in licentiousnesse Either of which wayes as it is easie to offend so in whether of the two a man offends most is as uneasie to determine the one letting loose the other ensnaring mens consciences the one shutting up the kingdome of Heaven and making the way thither more narrow then it is the other making it broader and enlarging the mouth of Hell My aime and endeavour shall bee to avoid both Among those things which have occasioned the generall prevailing of the Opinion That the Sunday or Lords Day ought to bee observed with such strictnesse as will admit no works which may be called Ours that is as they call them workes of our particular Callings and much lesse Recreations it is none of the least that now of a long time among us contrary to the use of the Primitive Church yea and of our owne in the memory of our Fathers it hath lost its Christen name and entertained the Iewish being vulgarly knowen and called by the name of the Sabbath Whence it comes to passe that men prone more to respect names then things never heeding the difference betweene the old Sabbath and our Sunday or thinking it to bee little or none