factions Sabbatarian Novellists But what instances can you bring of any that were eminent in this Church for learning and parts and not any way inclined to the Disciplinarian Faction that concurre with you in the same judgement and understanding of the doctrine of our Church layd downe in the Homily B. First the words of the Homily as you have heard and as every one may plainely see are so expresse cleare and full that they cannot possibly admit of the least ambiguity And for instances I could give many I will content my self with two witnesses enough to establish the matter VVhat say you to the learned Hooker and to the learned Dr. Andrewes were these any way inclined unto the Disciplinarian Faction or were they novell Sabbatarians A. No surely I thinke D. VVh himself will not say so of them but will admit them for very competent witnesses in this cause as without all exception B. First then for Mr. Hooker Hee in his fift booke of Ecclesiasticall Policy Sect. 70. hath these words If it be demanded whether wee observe these times to wit holy dayes as being thereunto bound by force of Divine Law or els by the onely positive Ordinances of the Church I answer to this that the very Law of nature it self which all men confesse to be Gods Law requireth in generall no lesse the sanctification of times then of places persons and things unto Gods honor For which cause it hath pleased him heretofore as of the rest so of time likewise to exact some parts by way of perpetuall homage never to be dispensed withall nor remitted againe to require some other parts of time with as strict exaction but for lesse continuance and of the rest which were left arbitrary to accept what the Church shall in due consideration consecrate voluntarily unto like Religious uses Of the first kind amongst the Iewes was the Sabbath day Of the second those Feasts which are appointed to the Law of Moses the Feast of Dedication invented by the Church standeth in the number of the last kind The Morall Law requiring therefore a seventh part throughout the age of the whole world to be that way imployed although with us the day be changed in regard of a new revolution begun by our Saviour Christ yet the same proportion of time continueth which was before because in reference to the benefit of Creation and now much more of Renovation thereunto added by him which was Prince of the world to come wee are bound to account the sanctification of one day in seven a duety which Gods immutable Law doth exact for ever So hee there VVhere you see how in terminis hee agreeth and jumpeth with the expresse doctrine of our Church in the Homily touching the perpetuall morality of the fourth Commandement Wee are bound sayth hee to account the sanctification of one day in seven which before hee sayth is now the Lords day a duety which Gods immutable Law doth exact for ever The second instance is the late Reverend and learned B. of VVinkc who in his speech in the Starre-chamber which with other of his workes hath been by the great diligence and care of the now Archbishop of Cant. published in print confuting Trasks opinion about the Iewes Sabbath hath these words It hath ever been the Churches doctrine that Christ made an end of all Sabbaths by his Sabbath in the grave That Sabbath was the last of them And that the Lords day presently came in place of it Dominicus c. The Lords day was by the Resurrection of Christ declared to be the Christians day and from that very time of Christs Resurrection it began to be celebrated as the Christian mans Festivall For the Sabbath had reference to the old Creation but in Christ wee are a new creature a new creation by him and to have a new Sabbath And a little after The Apostles they kept their meetings on that day On that day they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is held their synaxes their solemne assemblies to preach to pray to break bread or celebrate the Lords Supper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Supper on the Lords day For these two onely the Day and the Supper have the Epithet of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominicum in the Scriptures to shew Dominicum is alike to be taken in both This for the practise then If you will have it in Precept The Apostle gives it and in the same word still that against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first day of the weeke the day of their assembly every one should lay apart what God should moove him to offer to the Collection for the Saincts and then offer it which was soever in use That the day of oblations So have you it in practise and in precept both c. And after A thing so notorious so well knowne even to the heathen themselves as it was in the Acts of the Martyrs ever an usuall question of theirs even of Course in their examining What Dominicum Servasti Hold you the Sunday and their answer knowne they all averre it Christianus sum intermittere non possum I am a Christian I cannot intermit it And besides others hee cites Athanasius who shewes the abolishing of the Iewes day and the succeeding of the Lords day in place of it and that so full as no man can wish more Last of all hee both quotes and commends the Councell of Laodicea for that Canon 29. That Christen men may not Iudaize or grow Iewes that is not make the Sabbath or Saturday their day of rest but that they are to worke on that day giving their honour of celebration to the Lords day So hee I will adde onely a brief note of the same Author in one of his Sermons on those words This is the day which the Lord hath made The day of Christs Resurrection made by God Dies Dominicus and to it doe all the Fathers apply this verse So hee I might here also adde what is sayd in that Booke which is intituled A Patterne of catecheticall Doctrine and printed at London 1630. which though it have not Dr. Andrewes name prefixt unto it yet it is well knowne it was his worke even ex ungne Leonem being his Catecheticall exercise in Cambridge as I have been credibly informed and whereof I have the Manuscript by mee which I keep as an Antiquity I know the booke will not very well relish with our adversaries palate For there pag. 233. are these passages Quest. But is not the Sabbath a ceremony and so abrogated by Christ Answ. Doe as Christ did in the cause of divorce looke whither it were so from the beginning Now the beginning of the Sabbath was in Paradise before there was any sinne and so before there needed any Saviour and so before there was any Ceremony or figure of a Saviour Object And if they say it prefigured the rest that wee shall have from our sinnes in Christ. Answ.
Wee grant it as comming in afterwards Deuter. 5. 15. as it is in my Manuscript and therefore the day is changed but yet no Ceremony prooved 1. From the Law 1. By the distinction between the Law and a Ceremony Deut. 4. 13. 14. the Law came immediatly from God the Ceremonies were instituted by Moses 2. It were not wise to set a Ceremony in the midst of morall Precepts 3. This is a principle that the Decalogue is the Law of Nature revived and the Law of Nature is the image of God now in God there can be no Ceremony but all must be eternall and so in this Image which is the Law of Nature and so in the Decalogue Secondly from the Gospell Eph. 2. 4. all Ceremonies were ended in Christ but so was not the Sabbath for Mat. 24. 20. Christ biddeth them pray that their visitation be not on the Sabbath day so that there must needs be a Sabbath after Christs death 3. Those which were Ceremonies were abrogated and not changed but those which were not Ceremonies were changed as the Ministry from the Levites to be chosen throughout the world the seats changed so here the day changed from the day of Iewes to the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. So there And my Manuscript addeth And yet a Sabbath Act. 1. 12. So that this lasteth as long as the Church militant So there Now from the premisses in this instance wee observe what was the judgement of that learned Prelate and how consonant to the doctrine of our Church in the Homily touching the Sabbath Hee shewes plainely that the Lords day comming in place of the old Sabbath day and so becomming our Sabbath day is by necessary consequence grounded upon the fourth Commandement the Law whereof is perpetually because naturally morall So as hence I might frame this argument That day which comes in place of the old Sabbath day is commanded in the fourth Commandement But the Lords day is come in place of the old Sabbath Therefore it is commanded in the fourth Commandement The Minor is cleare in D. Andr. and so from all the Fathers universally The Major is no lesse true for if the fourth Commandement command the Sabbath day to be kept perpetually in all ages as sayth our Homily and that Sabbath day of the Iewes is now abolished and an other day the Lords day is now come in place of the old and is the Christians Sabbath day then of necessity doth the fourth Commandement command us Christians to keep the Lords day as our new Sabbath day For instance One is made a present heire yea and Lord of such an inheritance hee enjoyeth it for his life but when hee dyes his next heire succeeds him in the full title So here If they object But Quo jure by what right doth the Lords day take the place of the Sabbath day I answer with D. Andrewes and all the Fathers out of the Psalme God made it so And Christs Resurrection declared it to be so and the Apostles observed it so yea and commanded it so too A. I remember the Treatiser confesseth that the Apostles themselves at sometimes observed this day as Act. 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 2. B. At sometimes onely what no oftener then hee finds expresly mentioned This is like him in Oxford who in his Sermon sayd that the Iewes kept the Sabbath but once in 40 yeares during their abode in the wildernesse This hee gathered because hee found it but once mentioned But hee might have found it twice if hee had looked well So as this is a most beggerly kind of reasoning And how injurious an imputation is it to the Apostles to say that they kept the Lords day sometimes when as they taught and commanded others to observe it weekly as hath been noted did Christian people immediately after Christs Ascension observe this weekely day and did not the Apostles themselves This is too grosly repugnant both to good reason to our Homily and to the witnesses produced A. These two witnesses and instances I perceive come full home to the Homily Onely one thing I observe that D. Andrewes calls the Lords day our new Sabbath This is a very rare thing and that which the adversary in his booke doth much except against not enduring that the Lords day should be called the Sabbath day And I remember one passage in it wherein hee quarrells H. B. for saying that the ancient Fathers did ever usually call it the Sabbath day Wherein hee sayth hee hath wronged and wrested S. Augustine in those places by him alledged B. Concerning that I have spoken with H. B. and hee sayth hee will answer and make good what hee hath sayd against his adversary And hee told me that howsoever indeed those words ever usually might give advantage to the adversary to carpe yet being rightly understood they may passe currant enough For by ever usually hee meant that all the ancient Fathers although they alwayes distinguish between the Lords day and the Iewes Sabbath day yet they ever tooke and observed the Lords day in stead of the old Sabbath day and ever used it for the rest-day or Sabbath day of Christians Rest-day and Sabbath-day being all one And H. B. told me that if D. Wh. tooke advantage of that hee could as easily take advantage of that speech of his where hee saith This name Sabbath is not given it the Lords day in holy Scripture or by any of the Godly Fathers of the Church Now saith H. B. was not S. Augustine a Godly Father And hee not onely in those places quarrelled by D. W. and which H. B. will more fully cleare from his cavills but more plainely and without all ambiguity in his 251. Sermon de Tempore speaking of the Lords day hee hath these very words Ac ideo c. And therefore the holy Doctours of the Church have decreed to transferre all the glory of the Iudaicall Sabbath or Sabbatisme unto the Lords day that what they observed in a figure wee might celebrate in truth Let us therefore Brethren observe the Lords day and sanctify it like as it was commanded them of old concerning the Sabbath the Lawgiver saying From evening to evening yee shall celebrate your Sabbaths Let us take heed that our Rest be not vaine but from the evening of the Saturday unto the evening of the Lords day being sequestred from rurall worke and from all businesse we may be vacant onely for the worship of God Thus also we duely sanctify the Sabbath of the Lord as the Lord saith Yee shall doe no worke therein So hee And a little before in the same Sermon Dominicum ergo diem c. Therefore the Apostles and Apostolicall men established the Lords day to be therefore observed with a Religious solemnity because in it our Redeemer arose from the dead And which is therefore called the Lords day that in it wee abstaining from terrene works or the allurements of the world might onely
A brief ANSWER to a late Treatise OF THE SABBATH DAY Digested Dialogue-wise between two Divines A. and B. A. BRother you are happily mett B. And you Brother also A. I would I might spend an houre or two with you in private conference in a point wherein I have of late been not a little perplexed B. Why what is the matter Brother A. Have you not seene a late Treatise of the Sabbath Day pubished by an eminent Antistes in this Church B. Yes I have both seene and perused it A. I pray you what thinke you of it B. I thinke it is a very dangerous Booke A. What meane you by that B. I 〈…〉 to the Author if it were well examined before 〈…〉 A. How so I pray you B. Because it overthrowes the doctrine of the Church of England in the point of the Sabbath A. Pardon mee that seemes to mee impossible B. VVhy A. Because hee sayth expresly in the very title page of his booke that it contayneth A Defence of the Orthodox all Doctrine of the Church of England against Sabbatarian novelty And therefore I am confident hee will looke to make that good B. But be not too confident you know the Proverbe Fronti rara fides The fowlest causes may have the fairest pretences A. That is true you say But yet I cannot be perswaded that so great a Personage would so farre overshoot as to give that advantage to those whom hee makes his adversaries Nay you know his Booke is dedicated to the Archbishop of Canterbury by whose direction and that according to his sacred Majesties command hee was set upon this worke both for the preventing of mischief as himself sayth in his Epistle dedicatory to the sayd Archbishop and to settle the Kings good subjects who have long time been distracted about Sabbatarian questions Now if hee mayntaine not but as you say overthrow the doctrine of the Church of England hee will have small thanks from his sacred Majestie for his paines who is the Defender of the Faith of the Church of England and hath often solemnely protested and that in his publike Declarations in print that hee will never suffer therein the least innovation And what thanks then can hee expect from the Archbishop trow you And in stead of preventing hee will pull on greater mischiefs and in stead of setling the Kings good subjects hee will fill their minds with greater distractions And therefore Brother in so saying you lay a heavy charge upon him It s dangerous so to charge a person of that dignity and esteeme in the world Take heed therefore what you say You know also that hee is a great Scholar deeply learned a reverend Father of the Church so as his judgment is taken almost for an Oracle And you know also what is sayd in a late Booke allowed by authority that the holy Fathers in God the Bishops are to be guides in Divinity unto the whole Clergy of inferior order so as all Priests are to submit unto their Godly iudgements in all matters pertayning unto Religion And the reason is given because the Fathers of the Church now and alwayes doe in the great mystery of Godlinesse comprehend many things which the common people doe not yea also some things which Ministers of the inferior order doe not apprehend So as it is expected of those holy Prelates that wee must lay our hand on our mouth when they speake and be altogether regulated by their profound Dictates B. I remember well the booke And I cannot but wonder that those passages were not expunged with many others when the booke was called in and then the second time published You know wee live in a learned age and wee deny the Popes infallibility or that it can convey it self as from the head and so confine it self within the veines of the bodie of the Prelacy or that a Rotchet can conferre this grace ex opere operato And beleeve mee Brother when wee see such a Papall spirit begin to perke up in this our Church is it not high time trow you to looke about us Shall wee stumble at noone day and in this Meridian of the Gospell close up our eyes and become the sworne vasalls of blind obedience No no. In this case therefore were Goliah himself the Champion I would by Gods grace try a fall with him A. Brother such a resolution had need have a good ground to stand upon And being a matter of such moment it requires our best zeale and strength especially to vindicate the doctrine of our reverend Mother the Church of England which wee have sucked from her purer breasts Nor onely so but to vindicate her name from reproach For if it be so as you have sayd that the doctrine of our Church is by that booke overthrowne then consequently as I conceive shee must deeply suffer and be wounded through the sides of those whom hee so often in his booke brandeth with the odious name of Novell Sabbatarians B. Brother you conceite a right For in truth all those calumnious and odious termes which hee gives to those whose opinions except Brabournes onely hee impugneth in his Treatise as venimous serpents noysome Tares pestilent weeds and uncleane beasts termes to be abhorred of all true Christians and in a word Novell Sabbatarians they all result upon our deare Mother the Church of England For who are the most of those or rather all whom hee thus stigmatizeth Are they not or were they not in their time the true bred children of the Church of England all unanimously professing and maintayning her Orthodox doctrines Can therefore the mother be free when her pious sonnes are so traduced and reproached and that for defending those very doctrines which by her meanes they sucked from the breasts of both the Testaments A. That must needs follow I confesse Now then I pray you satisfy my earnest desire in this by declaring how hee overthrowes the doctrine of the Church of England in this point of the Sabbath B. I will make it most cleare unto you Now the doctrine of the Church of England concerning the Sabbath is most clearely and fully set forth in the Booke of Homilies which Booke the 35 Article to which all wee Ministers doe subscribe doth commend as contayning a Godly and whole some doctrine and necessary for these times and therefore judged to be read in Churches by the Ministers diligently and distinctly that they may be understanded of the people Now the Homilie of the time and place of prayer part 1. sheweth that our Lords Day is grounded upon the fourth Commandement in the Decalogue in these words Whatsoever is found in the Commandement appertaining to the Law of nature as a thing most Godly most just and needfull for the setting forth of Gods glory it ought to be retained and kept of all good Christian people And therefore by this Commandement wee ought to have a time as one day in the weeke wherein wee ought to
rest yea from our lawfull and needfull workes For like as it appeareth by this Commandement that no man in the six dayes ought to be 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 weekly and worke day labour to the intent that like as God himself wrought six dayes and rested the seventh and blessed and sanctified it and consecrated it to quietnes and rest from labour Even so Gods obedient people should use the Sunday holily and rest from their common and dayly businesse and also give themselves wholly to heavenly exercises of Gods true Religion and service So that God doth not onely command the observation of this holy day but also by his owne example doth stirre and provoke us to the diligent keeping of the same Good naturall children will not onely become obedient to the Commandement of their Parents but also have a diligent eye to their doeings and gladlie follow the same So if wee will be the children of our heavenly Father wee must be carefull to keep the Christian Sabbath Day which is the Sunday not onely for that it is Gods expresse Commandement but also to declare our selves to be loving children in following the example of our gratious Lord and Father So the Homily And againe as followeth Thus it may plainlie appeare that Gods will and Commandement was to have a solemne time and standing day in the weeke wherein the people should come together and have in remembrance his wonderfull benefits and to render him thanks for them as appertaineth to loving kind and obedient people This example and Commandement of God the Godly Christian people began to follow immediately after the Ascension of our Lord Christ c. So the Homily and much more VVhence wee plainely observe these conclusions 1. That all Christians ought and are bound in conscience of the fourth Commandement to keep the Lords Day holily 2. That by the force of the fourth Commandement one day in 7. is perpetually to be kept holy 3. That the keeping of the Lords Day is grounded upon and commanded in the fourth Commandement and so is not of humane institution 4. That the Lords Day is and may be called our Christian Sabbath day therefore it is not Iewish to call it so 5. That this day is wholly to be spent in holy rest and dueties of sanctification and therefore no part of it to be spent in vaine pleasures and profane pastimes Now the Author of the Treatise doth overthrow all these conclusions as is to be seene throughout his booke A. I pray you shew some instances hereof B. Pag. 23. his words are This position to wit that the fourth Commandement is properly and perpetually morall and is for quality and obligation equall to the other nine Commandements which for many yeares hath raigned in Pamphlets Pulpits and Conventicles and is entertained as an Oracle by all such as either openly professe or doe leane towards the Disciplinarian Faction is destitute of truth These are his words VVhich comparing with the words of the Homily of our Church already cited are found quite contrary For the Homily sayth that the fourth Commandement is a Law of nature and ought to be retained and kept of all good Christians in as much as it commands one day of the weeke for rest and God hath given an expresse charge to all men that the Sabbath Day which is our Sunday should be spent wholly in heavenly exercises of Gods true Religion and service So as this man doth most unjustly condemne all those Godly Preachers that have for so many yeares maintayned the expresse doctrine of our Church in their writings and Sermons and so hee flatly condemneth our Church and her doctrine of the Sabbath wherein shee is more cleare and sound then any Churches in the world And long may this doctrine still florish amongst us maugre all the malicious opposers thereof who are so bold as to affirme that it is destitute of truth A. I assure you I begin now to suspect the man that hee hath not dealt uprightly in the cause B. Nay it is past all suspition for his words are so expresse that they can admit of no favorable interpretation but that they condemne the cleare Doctrine of our Church touching the perpetuall morality of the fourth Commandement for one day in the weeke and so our Lords Day or Sunday the first day of the weeke our Christian Sabbath day which God hath given expresse charge to all men to keep holy A. I confesse the words of the Homily are most cleare without all ambiguity or obscurity But yet the Author seemes to acknowledge some morality naturall to be in the fourth Commandement For pag. 135. hee sayth Our resting from labour in respect of the generall is grounded upon the Law of nature or the equity of the fourth Commandement B. This is nothing to the purpose to acquit him from being an adversary to the expresse doctrine of our Church Dolosus versatur in universalibus it was the speech of King Iames. The naturall morality of the fourth Commandement is not in generall to imply some individuum vagum some certaine uncertaine indefinite time for Gods worship For the Commandement is expresse for a certaine day in the weeke for the Sabbath day Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it It sayth not Remember to set apart and allow some time for the service of God but it determines the time and day least otherwise being left undetermined man should forget God and himself and allow no time or day at all for Gods service or if hee did God should be beholden to him for it But it is a Law of nature that every Lord and Master should have the power in himself to appoint not onely the kind of service but the time when it should be performed of his servants As Alexander d'Ales sayth upon the fourth Commandement The time of this rest it is not in mans power to determine but Gods Againe the adversary acknowledgeth an equity in the fourth Commandement VVhat equity if as it bound the ancient people of God to one day in the weeke it doe not also bind the Christian people to keep one day in the weeâ—â—nd if it be the equity of the fourth Commandement to prescribe one day in seaven then they are very unjust that deny the keeping of the Lords day to be grounded upon the equity of the fourth Commandement It were well if they would stand to equity But this doth our adversary fly from For hee sayth in the next words The particular forme and circumstances of resting are prescribed unto us by the precepts of the Church Our spirituall actions according to that which is maine and substantiall in them are taught by the Euangelicall Law Their modification and limitation in respect of rituall and externall forme and in
at all in Cities suburbs towne or any where eis on the Holy-dayes And yet another Councel at Millan Quoniam c. Because it is found by too much experience in this Province that in these corrupted times and manners that people for the most part never meet at dauncing merriments leapings and the like without many and those most greivous offenses of God and that both by reason of filthy thoughts and obscene speeches dishonest actions corruption of manners and most pernicious bates to all the lusts of the flesh perpetually coupled with them and also of murders brawles dissentions whoredomes adulteries and many other evils the most frequent consequences thereof wherefore on Holy-dayes we prohibit leapings sports dancings c. Now these Councels were kept in Italy Yea a Councel at Rome but more ancient Of Feastings not to be made upon Holy-dayes and On Holy-dayes dancing not to be used There be some and specially women which on Holy-dayes by their balling singing filthy songs holding and leading dances so imitating the guise of Pagans doe bring it among Christians such if they come to the Church with lesser sins they returne from it with greater And if upon admonition they desisted not Leo 4. denounceth excommunication against them Lo here this Councel at Rome sayth that dancing on Holy-dayes is a heathen guise brought in among Christians Shall I add one more The Councel of Colen deinde impingunt Againe they offend against this Precept who on Holy-dayes are intent upon sports pastimes dice leaping dancing the ring who are vacant for revellings drinkings superfluous pompe who defile the Holy-dayes with wicked talke and filthy songs such doth the Councel of Carthage and of Toledo decree to be excommunicate For holy solemnities and feasts are not therefore instituted to serve our filthy lusts or that we should collect together our sins but that we should altogether abandon them and not to celebrate them with corporall refection or recreation but spirituall rejoycing And how is it possible that in dances the sanctification of the Sabbath should be kept where modesty it self is not secure from snares So the Councel But what need we goe further then our owne Homily forecited which sayth that in pride in excesse like rats in brawling fighting quarrelling wantonnes toyâ—sh talking and filthy fleshlines God is more dishonoured and the devill better served on the Sunday or Sabbath day then upon all the dayes of the weeke besides Now though moris dances and may-games and the like be not here condemned in terminis yet by consequence they be sith they are the inseparable companions and most pernicious occasions of inflaming the lusts and of manifold mischeifs as hath been noted Therefore by just Ecclesiasticall lawes such sports are prohibited Thirdly They are prohibited by just Civil lawes Besides those instances fore-alleged of the Edicts of Charolus Mag. and Ludovicus Pius his Sonne we may to the honor of our nation and the eternall fame of our religious King Charles produce the first Act of Parlament in I. Caroli the prime gemme in his Royall diadem and which deserves to be writen in golden Characters Forasmuch as there is nothing more acceptable to God then the true and sincere worship and service of Him according to his holy will and that the holy keeping of the Lords day is a principall part of the true service of God which in very many places of this Realme hath been and now is profaned and neglected by a disorderly sort of people in exercising and frequenting Beare-baiting Bull-baiting Enterludes common playes and other unlawfull exercises and pastimes upon the Lords day c. That from henceforth c. there shall be no Bear-baiting Bull-baiting Enterludes common playes or other unlawfull exercises or pastimes within their owne Parishes Hence it is plaine that all manner of sports and pastimes are unlawfull on the Lords day for Beare-baiting and Bull-baiting are prohibited as unlawfull on this day which els are made lawfull on other dayes And therefore dancing Maygames Morrices and the like how ever men may account them lawfull on other dayes yet for the very reasons afore-sayd forasmuch as they are prohibited as unlawfull by Imperiall Edicts of ancient Kings and Emperours of whom our most gratious and religious soveraigne is by the Treatiser acknowledged to be the noble successour in restraining the abuse and scandalous profanation of the Lords day on this day at least they are unlawfull I will add but one instance more and that is out of Iustinian where he seth downe this Imperiall Constitution Die Dominico c. On the Lords day which of the whole week is the first all pleasures of sports and pastimes being denyed to the people through all Cities let the whole minds of Christians be occupied in the service of God and if any shall on this day be taken up with the madnes of Iewish impiety or with the errour and franticknes of brutish Paganisme let him know that there is a difference to be put between the time of prayers and the time of pleasures Yea so religiously was this day observed as if the Emperours birth-day fell upon it it must be put of to another day of the weeke and sayth the Constitution If the people shâ—ll shew lesse reverence towards us then than they were wont let no man be offended with it because men doe give greatest honor to our clemency when the worlds obedience is entirely yeilded to the vertues and merits of Almighty God So there In fine in a booke set forth by King Hen. 8. and inscribted to his loving and faithfull subiects which before had been set forth by the whole Clergie of the Realme with the names of 21. Prelates besides many Doctors prefixed unto it approoved by both the houses of Parlament are these passages Against this Commandement generally doe offend all they which will not cease from their owne carnall wills pleasures that doe not give themselves Intirely and wholly without any impediment unto all holy works and that not onely in the house of God but also in their owne houses but as commonly is used passe the time either in idlenes in gluttony in riot or other vaine or idle pastime which is not according to the intent and meaning of this Commandement but after the usage and custome of the Iews and doth much offend God and provoke his indignation wrath towards us And it is added in the Clergies booke for as S. Austen sayth of the Iewes they should be better occupied labouring in their feilds and to be at the plough then to be idle at home And women should better bestow their time in spinning of woll then upon the Sabbath day to lose their time in leaping dauncing and other idle wanton lose time So there Now tell me Brother what thinke you of this that those Prelates and Clergy of England in the very first duskish dawning of the morning should be so cleare orthodox