Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	doctrine_n	homily_n	2,004	5	11.8804	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17418	The doctrine of the Sabbath vindicated in a confutation of a treatise of the Sabbath, written by M. Edward Breerwood against M. Nic. Byfield, wherein these five things are maintained: first, that the fourth Commandement is given to the servant and not to the master onely. Seecondly, that the fourth Commandement is morall. Thirdly, that our owne light workes as well as gainefull and toilesome are forbidden on the Sabbath. Fourthly, that the Lords day is of divine institution. Fifthly, that the Sabbath was instituted from the beginning. By the industrie of an unworthy labourer in Gods vineyard, Richard Byfield, pastor in Long Ditton in Surrey.	Byfield, Richard, 1598?-1664.	1631 (1631)	STC 4238; ESTC S107155	139,589	186

and vilifying of God Thirdly but what an argument is here The obligation of our thankefulnesse is more than theirs though the obligation of his commandement be lesse herein therefore the Christian should be more devout than the Iew. I had thought the commandement had bound to Devotion and the greater the more I had thought the Greatnesse of benefits whence the debt of thankfulnesse is greatned had increased the obligation of the commandement and our obedience to it But now you yeeld his commandement some what obligeth on our Sabbath though lesse when before you utterly denyed any breach of any divine commandement in laboring that day and so any obligation To strengthen this argument you expresse your wish that most religiously with all abstinence and all attendance it were kept Doe you wish this with all your heart and yet bend all your might to overthrow the commandement of God Would you or could you thinke that your wish should prevaile more than Apostolike truth Fourthly have wee in one breath these contradictory sentences No constitution of the Church obliging to the strict desisting from labour And the constitutions of some ancient Councels restraining that prophanation Fifthly you come in with the Edicts of Princes as one that would have the observation of the Lords day depend upon constitutions of the Church and Edicts of Princes only and so not to differ from another holy day Most wicked Popish worse than Popish and against all the famous lights ancient and moderne Or doe you mention Princes Edicts and Churches constitutions to glose with ours Ours detest your Tenet and you seeke herein to wound Church and Prince for how they hold of the Lords day that it is directly grounded on the fourth commandement appeareth in the Liturgie in the booke of Homilies and in the Statutes and godly Provisions for redresse of prophanations This is the Doctrine of our Church d Homil. of the place and time of prayer part 1. pag. 125. By this commandement speaking of the fourth wee ought to have a time as one day in the weeke wherein we ought to rest yea from our lawfull and needfull workes For like as it appeareth by this commandement that no man in the sixe daies ought to bee slothfull or idle but diligently to labour in that state wherein God hath set him even so God hath given expresse charge to all men that upon the Sabbath day which is now our Sunday they should cease from all weekely and worke-day labour of these lawes to reject their commandements touching matter of worke or service on the Sabaoth or any other day Answer First I might put off all this still because it is upon this false ground that the Commandement of God doth not enjoyne our Sabbath with the like But I willingly goe on with you to see if there bee one true stitch through your whole Discourse And here before wee come to particulars h Though the Lawes of men should not take hold of servants in this case yet the Lawes of God doe let all note that that odious terme and calumniating phrase of Servants rebellion against their masters is your owne and commeth from an evill heart and crafty head We teach that Princes unlawfull commands are not to bee executed yet we teach not that any so commanded must rebell but not obey and be so farre from rebellion if it should be urged that hee suffer even to blood patiently without so much as reviling judging or the like but onely committing his cause to him that judgeth righteously But to come to your matter you hold First That the Churches Constitutions and the Edicts of Princes never intended to forbid light and labourlesse worke nor doe their censures take hold on men therefore Secondly against this what the Doctrine of our Church is you heard before which taught that God condemned all weekely and worke-day labour all common businesse and to give themselves wholly to heavenly exercises c. The doctrine of the Church of Ireland i Articles of Religion in a Synod at Dublin 1615. is consonant hereunto which teacheth thus The first day of the weeke which is the Lords day is wholly to be dedicated to the service of God and therefore wee are bound therein to rest from our common and daily businesse and to bestow that leasure upon holy exercises both publike and private In a Councell k Concilium Matiscon 2. c. 1. in the yeare 588. it was decreed that no worke on the Lords day bee done but the eyes and hands stretched out to God that whole day and that if a Countrey man or servant should neglect this wholesome Law he should bee beaten with more grievous strokes of Clubbes For these things saith that Councell pacifie God and remoove the judgements of diseases and barrennesse And againe understanding while they sate in the Councell l C. 4. that some absented themselves from the Assemblies they decreed under paine of Anathema that on all Lords dayes all both men and women received the Communion In another General Synod there was made this decree m Sancitum est ut domini in suis ditionibus diebus dominicis prohibeant nundi●as annuas s●ptimanales item conventicula in Tabernis compotationes alearum chartarum similes varios lusus concentus musicorum instrumentorum usum atque choreas Synod general Petricoviensis Anno 1578. It is ordained that the Lords in their severall dominions doe prohibit on the Lords dayes the yearely and weekely Faires also meetings in Tavernes Compotations or Gossipings Dice Cards and divers the like sports singing in Concents as now many in merry meetings have their singing of Catches and their roarings as they are called the use of musicall Instruments and Dancing In a Councell at Nice it was ordered that those who either kept Court bought or sold or otherwise prophaned the Sabbath should bee prohibited the Communion because that whole day we ought onely to rest and spread abroad our hands-in prayer to God n Toto hoc die tantummodò vacandum quia toto hoc die manus Deo expandendae Canutus o Canutus lege 14. 15. a King in this Land before the Conquest enacted in a Councell at Winchester that Sunday should be kept holy and Faires Courts Huntings and worldly workes on that day should be forborne Guntramnus p Praeceptio Guntramni ad Episcop dat in Concil Matiscon 2. King of France commanded that on the Lords day no bodily worke should be done besides what was prepared to eate to maintaine life conveniently Secondly you affirme that neither constitution of the Church nor edict of Princes doe free servants from their Masters power to command them to worke or their obedience to worke at their Masters command that day more than others Thirdly what the Doctrine of our Church is in this point is cleare in the Homily of the place and time of prayer delivered in these words Sithence which time meaning the time of our

was I ever greatly inflamed with ambitious heat they containe in briefe large justifications of himselfe but how rightfull this Treatise and Reply doe manifest let one instance serve here he requireth a reason for the injury and harme done to his Nephew and him for vexing his Conscience and to confesse the errour and injury and in pag. 95. hee confesseth and retracteth his owne errour in judgement and manners for provoking Mr. Byfield about this point The fifteenth Section answered To this reason that Master Breerwood sought more victory than truth Master Breerwood replieth that victory will attend truth I answere it will but one that seekes victory more than truth will runne over truth to reach at victory and that in your writing it may bee seene you sought victory more than truth appeareth for else you would have answered the arguments found in the writings of Divines in these cases about the Sabbath And whereas you aske If Master Byfields zeale to truth be not as fervent to truth as your affection to victory if it should not it is no more than that which is found oft-times in the best but his zeale was at least as fervent though not attended with an itch to mispend it The sixteenth seventeenth and eighteenth Sections answered Master Breerwood undertakes to giue him warrants to warrant him in this worke which Master Byfield pleads he could not finde To which I answere All his warrants warrant not a Minister to leave the Instruction of his charge to write confutations of a private opinion that infecteth neither his charge nor the Churches of Christ no not where the contending partie liveth the case is altered now this Treatise hath broken prison Master Byfield was no lover of contention neither by nature inbred nor by custome purchased and the Woe to them by whom offences come is the wofull portion of them that give the offence The Doctrine of our Saviour was an offence to the covetous envious proud hypocriticall and blind Pharises but yet no woe I hope to him for that Herein this Worthy man was conformed to Christ and yet is now more conformed Gods Children suffer not all their afflictions while they live Both these reasons therefore are good and reasonable Furnishing with gifts is not alwayes enough to make an inward calling to a particular action there must bee the seasonablenesse of the Action the evidence of good to issue from such an Action some sufficient notes of Gods separation of that man to that Action for all that are able are not presently inwardly called to an action and in a word d Rectè facit animo quando obsequitur suo quod omnes homines facere oportet dumid modo fiat bono Plaut in Anplitr malè respondent coact● ingenia Senec. Psal 31. 18. a mans inclinations which may not be forced and if they spring not from a corruptroote ought to be heeded next to abilities Master Byfield then though able might not finde himselfe inwardly called How farre M. Byfield was from Enthusiasmes with which you charge him proudly contemptuously and falsly as alwayes lying lips can speake grievous things against the Righteous let all testifie that knew his preaching and yet may see it in his writings no man ever so exact in keeping close to the expresse Word of God so free from ventring or upholding matter of opinion The nineteenth Section answered Master Byfield pleads needlesnesse of his Answere and referreth Master Breerwood to Master Greenham he replieth Master Greenham impugneth not any of his Conclusions No doth Let us try the matter Master Breerwood teacheth our Sabbath day to bee an ordinance of the Church This Master Greenham impugneth as the Doctrine of the Papists pag. 129. Master Breerwood teacheth that light workes were never forbidden on the Sabbath and that the rest for strictnesse was ceremoniall Master Greenham teacheth that light works are forbidden in the fourth Commandement as light oathes are in the third pag. 162. sl●ight in keeping the Sabbath and full of sleight oathes and that the rest of the Sabbath is as needfull for us as for the Iewes pag. 136. Master Breerwood teacheth that servants have not the Commandement given to them and that they are for labour equall in subjection unto beasts Master Greenham teacheth that no lawfull calling and such is the servants implieth any necessity of forgoing the worship of God on the Sabbath and that to make the servant equall to beasts on the Sabbathis to hast to hell not thinking whither they are going pag. 163. your reasons also are answered most of them in that Treatise of Master Greenhams That weake shall I say or wicked taxing of Mster Gareenham that his affection was better than his judgement abundantly testifieth the pride of your spirit But this is usuall with the loose Atheisticall spirits of our times to account of all they call Puritanes for no great Schollers The 20. and 21. Section answered These give sufficient testimony of Master Byfields modesty and wisedome and of Master Breerwoods bold brags and rash censures and therefore I turne them over The 22. and 23. Section answered That Master Breerwood would disquiet Gods people as Master Byfield chargeth him was apparant though hee gaine-say it for hee sent the Treatise to Master Ratcliffe of Chester unsealed with these words in his Letter with which it was sent I have left the Treatise unsealed that you might if you please reade it and after make it up and as soone as you can deliver it And afterwards in that Letter hee giveth him instructions in the reading of it to reade with leasure and attendance with the like I have the originall of this Letter dated Iune 9. 1611. And that Master Breerwoods opinion is private is cleare because no man ever so interpreted the commandement touching servants save himselfe and how ill it agreeth with the renour of the commandement let the indifferent judge by the answer I have given to this Treatise When you say therefore that those determinations of yours have every where resounded in the Church of God this is false unlesse the Papacy be the Church or Anabaptists and Familists For what if Master Broad and two or three more make a clamor is that sufficient to make the Doctrine publike The publike Doctrine of the Church of England I have shewed out of the booke of Homilies and the Communion booke and all other famous Lights in our Church For my paines I looke not for thanks from your side much lesse such a reward as a 1000. of books worth a 1000. French Crownes The 24. Section answered Master Byfield would that Master Breerwood should should have spared his verdict about the fitnesse of Doctrine that should bee taught till hee had charge of soules Master Breerwood saith not so Ordination conferreth outward abilitie to exercise the function of a Pastor or Doctor in the Church but no inward ability This is somewhat of truth but not all the truth for it causeth more advised thoughts for

danger and a stinte set beyond which if they went their judiciall lawes condemned them to death as you ignorantly avouch Thirdly you say that the name of Sabbath was never applyed to the Lords day by any Apostle or other Christian for many hundred yeeres after Christ The Apostle in Heb. 49. doubted not to apply the name of Sabbath to the Christian people and our rest saying That the People of God have their Sabbatisme left unto them Yet admit your strong conceit had bin as strong a Truth what would follow thence That our Saviour intended our Sabbath in that place of Matthew because the Apostles call it the Lords day In no case For to use the name of distinction in times of the Church wherein the Saturday was called Sabbath cannot either make the Apostles faultie or the name of Sabbath incompatible to that day The seventh Section answered First that at the time of the siege of Ierusalem all ceremonies Zuares de l●gib l. 9 c. 19. of the old law were deadly you denie and we affirme for if our Saviours death be not the time of the ceremonies deadlinesse you confesse you lost your labour to the one halfe of your Reply hereto indeede St Hierome sets that for the period but you have not answered one of his arguments but to let that passe the terme prefixed is this Looke when the Ceremoniall law was dead throughout the whole world it began at the same time to bee deadly also through the world now the ceremoniall law was dead when the Gospell was published for that obliging the other ceased to oblige and that published the other was utterly evacuated Therefore in that point of time in which a sufficient promulgation of the Gospell was accomplished instantly the old law was deadly This you partly saw when you said in this Section and not onely dead they were but deadly also I confesse to Christians to whom he was certainely revealed to be the Saviour This time was before the eversion of Ierusalem as the Apostle testifieth in Col. 1. 6. that the Gospell was come unto and brought forth fruite also in all the world and proclaimeth to the Churches that the Ceremoniall law was deadly both in that Epistle to the y Col. 2. 20. 21. Gal. 5. 3 4. 4. 9. 10. 11. Colossians and in the Epistle to the Galathians Secondly for your assertion about the old Sabbath that it did remaine and was observed in the East Churches three hundred yeeres and above after our Saviours death it is utterly false that it was observed either Iewishly or as a Sabbath or in Obedience to the fourth Commandement No such observation was Anathematized in the Councell z Ignat. ad magn of Laodicea and Ignatius charged those Christians to worke that day If you meane this observation was the performance of some religious duties publikely then you might say every day in the weeke was observed religiously by them for that is knowne that many of the Greeke fathers as well as the Latine preached every day and a Aug. Ianuar. Ep. 11● Augustine tels of divers customes in the Churches Some communicated at the Lords table every day some some certaine dayes some on the ancient Sabbath and the Lords day some onely on the Lords day But you must needs intend the Iewish observation of the Sabbath for these words you adde all ceremonies therefore and particularly of the old Sabbath at the time by you mentioned were not deadly Thirdly and when you say that the name of Sabbath was not given in the Church to any other day than the Iewes Sabbath for more hundred of yeeres than three hundred Augustine saith b Serm. de temp 251. So we also sanctifie the Sabbath the Lord saying Ye shall not doe any worke therein The eighth ninth tenth eleventh and twelfth Sections answered In the eighth Section you set forth slanderous reports of Master Byfield which you tooke in by retayle some about his Doctrine concerning late repentance of this the Church of England knoweth his wholesome propositions imprinted in his bookes on the Coloss and on the first Epistle of Peter Some about his Discipline as you terme it but those in and about Chester know his goings in and out then among them In the fourth page of the Treatise you tell of Rebellion against mens lawes and mischiefes to the common-wealth and in the 53. page that few drew so freely of this vessell as he all which cannot agree to a resolution of a private case and those words wherewith Mr Byfield chargeth you and you deny viz. that this doctrine tended to the corrupting of the estate where your kindred and acquaintance and your selfe had lived are expresse in a letter written Iune the ninth 1611. Therefore he justly charged you for charging him unjustly in these respects and did not calumniate you And whereas you say that the doctrine of the Sabbath which you opposed was not for pulpits but for Corners you might have knowne it hath sounded in pulpits and is in print by divers Divines This of the ninth Section But what doe I indeed these nor the other Sections containe nothing worthy an Answere The hands are joyned with scorners and the replies borrowed from wicked men let them alone The thirteenth Section answered That you did adjure Mr Byfield which yet you deny will be manifest if your forme of speech in the end of your Treatise and the nature of an Adjuration be compared together * Zauch in tertium precept de adjuratione An Adjuration is an action in which in the Name of God or by his Name either we require an oath of any one whereby hee should binde himselfe to doe or not to doe something or wee binde him to it by command or intreaty without an oath exacted and that our desire may be more surely obtained we interpose the Name of God Your words are these I challenge you as you will answere it at the judgement Seat of Almighty God when your accounting day shall come to repaire the ruine you have made in his Conscience True here you require not an oath to binde him to this yet you require it with an interposition of the Name of God and a denunciation secretly of Gods anger if he doe it not and so you fall under the second kinde of Adjurations The fourteenth Section answered Here begin Mr Byfields reasons why he would not yeeld to answere the Treatise though adjured Mr Breerwood would refell them Take M. Byfields words together and they are a sufficient reason for every strangers vaine challenge ought not to be answered Now this challenge of M. Breerwoods was vaine because the Injury was but a Conceit no Reality and the doctrine of M. Breerwood abundantly answered in Writers at his hand Thus all M. Breerwoods words are to no purpose and a meere beating of the Ayre By the way note M. Breerwoods Parenthesies no man lesse curious or inquisitive of other mens affaires neither