from mine own wardrope at least have had recourse to many other learned men who have written of it For that the difference of time is varied according to the difference of longitudes in divers places of the earth may be made manifest to every mans understanding out of these two principles First if the earth is sphaericall and secondly that the Sunne doth compasse it about it twenty foure houres From hence it comes to passe that places situate Eastward see the Sunne sooner then those do that are placed Westward And that with such a different proportion of time that unto every houre of the Sunnes motion there is assigned a certaine number of miles upon the Earth every fifteen degrees which is the distance of the Meridians being computed to make one houre and every fifteene miles upon the earth correspondent to one minute of that houre By this wee may perceive how soone the noon-tide hapneth in one City before another For if one City stands Eastward of another the space of three of the aforesaid Meridians which is 2700. miles it is apparant that it will enjoy the noon-tyde no lesse then three houres before the other and consequently in 10800. miles which is halfe the compasse of the earth there will be found no lesse then twelve houres difference in the rising and setting of the Sunne as also in the noon and midnight The reason of which difference of times is as before we said the difference of longitudes wherein to every houre Cosmographers have allotted fifteene degrees in the Suns diurnall motion so that fifteen degrees being multiplied by twenty foure houres which is the naturall day the product will be 360 which is the number of degrees in the whole circle Now in these times wherein the sonnes of Noah dispersed themselves in case the Sabbath was to have been kept as simply morall it must needs follow that the morall Law is subject unto manifold mutations and uncertainties which must not be granted For spreading as they did over all the earth some farther some at shorter distance and thereby changâ—ng Longitudes with their habitations they must of meet necessity alter the difference of times and daies and so could keepe no day together Nor could their issue since their time observe exactly and precisely the self-same day by reason of the manifold transportation of Colonies and transmigration of Nations from one Region to another whereby the times must of necessity be supposed to vary The Authour of the Practice of Pietie though he plead hard for the moralitie of the Sabbath cannot but confesse that in respect of the diversitie of the Meridians and the unequall rising and setting of the Sunne every day varieth in some places a quarter in some halfe in others an whole day therefore the Iewish Sabbath cannot saith he be precisely kept in the same instant of time every where in the World Certainly if it cannot now then it never could and then it will be found that some at least of Noahs posterity and all that have from them descendâ—d either did keep at all no Sabbath or not upon the day appointed which comes all to one Or else it needs must follow that God imposed a Law upon his people which in it selfe without relation to the frailty ne dum to the iniquity of poore man could not in possibility have been observed Yea such a Law as could not generally have been kept had Adam still continued in his perfect innocence 3 To make this matter yet more plaine It is a Corollary or conclusion in Geographie that if two men doe take a journey from the self-same place round about the earth the one Eastward the other Westward and meet in the same place againe it will appeare that hee which hath gone East hath gotten and that the other going Westward hath lost a day in their accompt The reason is because hee that from any place assigned doth travaile Eastward moving continually against the proper motion of the Sunne will shorten somewhat of his day taking so much from it as his journey in proportion of distance from the place assigned hath first opposed and so anticipated in that time the diurnall motion of the Sunne So daily gaining something from the length of day it will amount in the whole circuit of the Earth to twenty foure houres which are a perfect naturall day The other going Westward and seconding the course of the Sâ—nne by his own journey will by the same reason adâ—â— as much proportionably unto his day as the other lost and in the end will lose a day in his accompt For demonstration of the which suppose of these two Travellers that the former for every fifteen miles should take away one minute from the length of the day and the latter adde as much unto it in the like proportion of his journey Now by the Golden Rule if every fifteene miles substract or adde one minute in the length of the day then must 21600. miles which is the compasse of the Earth adde or substract 1440 minutes which make up twenty foure houres a just naturall day To bring this matter home unto the businesse now in hand suppose we that a Turk a Iew a Christian should dwell together at Hierusalem whereof the one doth keep his Sabbath on the Friday the other on the Saturday and the thiâ—d sanctifieth the Sunday then that upon the Saturday the Turke begin his journey Westward and the Christian Eastward so as both of them compassing the World do meet again in the same place the Iew continuing where they left him It will fall out that the Turke by going Westward having lost a day and the Christian going Eastward having got a day one and the self-same day will be a Friday to the Turke a â—aturday unto the Iew and a Sunday to the Christian in case they calculate the time exactly from their departure to their returne To prove this further yet by a matter of fact The Hollanders in their Discovery of FretuÌ„ le Maire Anno 1615. 1615. found by comparing their accompt at their comming home that they had cleerly lost a day for they had trauailed Westward in that tedious Voyage that which was Munday to the one being the Sunday to the other And now what should these people do when they were returnd If they are bound by nature and the morall Law to sanctifie precisely one day in seven they must then sanctifie a day a part from their other Countrymen and like a crew of Schismaticks divide themselves from the whole body of the Church or to keepe order and comply with other men must of necessity be forced to go against the law of nature or the morall law which ought not to be violated for any by-respect-whatever But to return unto Noahs sonnes whom this case concernes It might for ought we know be theirs in this dispersion in this removing up and downe and from place to place What shall we thinke of those that planted
Sabbath then put of circumcision to a further day Hence grew it into a common maxime amongst that people Circumcisio pellit Sabbatum that Circumcision drives away the Sabbath as before I noted Nor could it be that they conceived a greater or more strict necessitie to be in circumcision then in the Sabbath the penaltie and danger as before we shewed you being alike in both for in the Wildernesse by the space of 40. yeares together when in some sort they kept the Sabbath most certaine that they circumcised not one not one of many hundred thousands that were borne in so long a time Againe had God intended Circumcision to have beene so necessarie that there was no deferring of it for a day or two he either had not made the Sabbaths rest so exact and rigid or else out of that generall rule had made exception in this case And on the other side had he intended that the Sabbaths rest should have beene literally observed and that no manner of worke should be done therein Iust. Marâ—yn cont Tryph. he had not so precisely limited circumcision to the eight day onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea though it fell upon the Sabbath but would have respited the same till another day The Act of circumcision was not restrained unto the eight day so precisely but that it might be as it was sometimes deferred upon occasion as in the case of Moses children and the whole people in the Wildernesse before remembred Indeed it was not to be hastened and performed before Not out of any mystâ—rie in the number which might adapt it for that busiâ—esse as some Rabbins thought but because children till that time are hardly purged of that bloud and slime which they bring with them into the world Vpon which ground the Lord appointed thus in the law Leviticall Levit. 22. v. 27. When a bullocke or a sheepe or a goat is brought forth it shall be seven dayes under the damme and from the eighth day and thence-forth it shall be accepted for an offering to the Lord. This makes it manifest that the Iewes thought the Sabbath to bee no part of the Morall law and therefore gave precedencie to circumcision as the older ceremony Not because it was of Moses but of the Fathers that is saith Cyrill on that place L. 4. in Iâ—â— c. 49 because they thought not fit to lay aside an ancient custome of their ancestors for the Sabbaths sake Quia non putabant consuetudinem patrum propter honorem Sabbati contemnendam esse as the Father hath it Nay so farre did they prize the one before the other that by this breaking of the Sabbath they were perswaded verily that they kept the law Moses saith Christ our Saviour gave you circumcision Ioh. 7. 22. and you on the Sabbath day circumâ—â—se a man that the law of Moses should not be broken It seemes that circumcision was much like Terminus and Iuventus in the Romane story who would not stirre nor give the place not to Iove himself More of this point see Chrysost hom 49. in Ioh. 8 But to proceed the next great action that occurres in holy Scripture reducible unto the businesse now in hand is that so famous miracle of the Sunne 's standing still at the prayers of Iosuah Ios. 10. 13. when as the Sunne stood still in the middest of heaven and hasted not to go downe about a whole day Cap. 4â— 4. as the text hath it Or as it is in Ecclesiast Did not the Sâ—nne go backe by his meanâ—s and was not one day as long as two The like to take them both together in this place was that great miracle of mercy shewed to Hezekiah 2 King 20. by bringing of the shadow ten degrees backward by which it had gone downe in the diall of Ahaz In each of these there was a signall alteration in the course of nature and the succession of time so notable that it were very difficult to finde out the seventh day precisely from the worlds creation or to proceed in that account since the late giving of the law So that in this respect the Iews must needs be at a losse in their calculation and though they might hereafter set apart one day in seven for rest and meditation yet that this day so set apart could be precisely the seventh day from the first creation is not so easie to be proved The Author of the Practise of Piety as zealously as he pleads for the morality of the sabbath confesseth that in these regards the sabbath could not be observed precisely on the day appointed And to speake properly saith he as we take a day for the distinction of time called either a day naturall consisting of 24. houres or a day artificiall consisting of 12. houres from Sunne-rising to Sunne-setting And withall consider the Sunne standing still at noone the space of an whole day in the time of Iosuah and the Sunne going backe ten degrees viz. five houres which is almost halfe an artificiall day in Hezekiahs time the Iewes themselves could not keepe their Sabbath on that precise and just distinction of time called at the first the seventh day from the creation If so if they observed it not at the punctuall time according as the law commanded it followeth then on his confession that from the time of Iosuah till the destruction of the Temple there was no Sabbath kept by the Iewes at all because not on the day precisely which the law appointed 9 This miracle as it advantaged those of the house of Israel in the present slaughter of their enemies so could it not but infinitely astonish all the Canaanites and make them faint and flie before the conquerours Insomuch that in the compasse of five yeares as Iosephus tels us there was not any left to make head against them So that the victory being assured and many of the Tribes invested in their new possessions Ios. 8. 1. it pleased the Congregation of Israel to come together at Shilo there to set up the Tabernacle of the Congregation And they made choice thereof Antiqu. Iud. l 5. c. 1. as Iosephus saith because it seemed to be a very convenient place by reason of the beauty of the place Rather because it sorted best with Iosuahs liking who being of the Tribe of Ephraim within whose lot that Citie stood was perhaps willing to conferre that honour on it But whatsoever was the motive here was the Taberâ—acle erected and hitherto the Tribes resorted and finally here the legall ceremonies were to take beginning God having told them many times these and these things ye are to do when ye are come into the land that I shall give you viz. Levit. 14. and 23. Numb 15. Deut. 12. That Gâ—lgal was the standing lampe and that the Levites there laid down the Tabernacle as in a place of strength and safety iâ— plaine in Scripture but that they there erected it or performed and legall
in processe of time Gen 4. 3. at the yeares end as some expound it For at the yeares end as Ainsworth noteth men were wont in most solemne manner to offer sacrifice unto God with thanks for all his benefits having then gathered in their fruits Exod. 23. 16. The Law of Moses so commanded the ancient Fathers so observed it as by this place we may conjecture and so it was accustomed too among the Gentiles their ancient Sacrifices and their Assemblies to that purpose Ethic. l. 8. as Aristotle hath informed us being after the gathering in of fruits No day selected for that use that we can heare of This Sacrifice of Noah as it was remarkable so it was occasionall an Eucharisticall Oblation for the great deliverance which did that day befall unto him And had it hapned on the seventh day it were no argument that hee made choice thereof as most fit and proper or that he used to sacrifice more upon that day then on any other So that of Abraham in the twelfth of Genesis was occasionall only The Lord appeared to Abraham saying Gen. 12. 7. unto thy seed will I give this land the land of Canaan And then it followeth that Abraham builded there an Altar unto the Lord who appeared unto him The like hee did when hee first set his footing in the promised land and pitched his Tents not farre from Bethel Vers. 8. and when hee came to plant in the Plaine of Mamre Vers. 18. in the next Chapter See the like Gen 21. 33. 1. 22 13. Of Isaac Gen. 26. 25. Of Iacob Gen. 28. 8. 31. 54. 33. 20. 35. 7. 14. No mention in the Scripture of any Sacrifice or publick worship In Gen. 8. 20. but the occasion is set downe Hoc ratio naturalis dictat ut de donis suis honoretur imprimis ipse qui dedit Naturall reason saith Rupertus could instruct them that God was to be honoured with some part of that which he himselfe had given unto them but naturall reason did not teach them that one day differed from another CHAP. III. That the SABBATH was not kept from the Floud to Moses 1 The sonnes of Noah did not keepe the Sabbath 2 The Sabbath could not have been kept in the dispersion of Noahs sonnes had it been commanded 3 Diversity of Longitudes and Latitudes must of necessity make a variation in the Sabbath 4 Melchisedeck Heber Lot did not keepe the Sabbath 5 Of Abraham and his sonnes that they kept not the Sabbath 6 That Abraham did not keepe the Sabbath in the confession of the Iewes 7 Iacob nor Iob no Sabbath-keepers 8 That neither Ioseph Moses nor the Israelites in Egypt did observe the Sabbath 9 The Israelites not permitted to offer Sacrifice while they were in Egypt 10 Particular proofes that all the Morall Law was both knowne and kept amongst the Fathers 1 WEE are now come unto the hither side of the Floud to the sonnes of Noah To whom the Hebrew-Doctors say their Father did bequeath seven several Commandements which they and thâ—ir posterity were bound to keepe Iâ— Lexico p. 1530. Septem praecepta acceperunt filii Noah c. as Shindler reckoneth them out of Rabbi Maimony First That they dealt uprightly with every man Secondly That they should blesse and magnifie the Name of God Thirdly that they abstained from worshipping false gods and from all Idolatry Fourthly That they forbeare all unlawfull lusts and copulations The fift against shedding bloud The sixt against theft and robbery The seventh and last a prohibition not to eat the flesh or any member of a beast taken from it when it was alive whereby all cruelty was forbidden These precepts whosoever violated either of Noahs sonnes or their posterity was to be smitten with the sword Yea these Commandements were reputed so agreeable to nâ—ture that all such Heathens as would yeeâ—d to obey the same were suffered to remaine and dwell amongst the Israelites though they received not Circumcision nor any of the Ordinances which were given by Moses â—o that amongst the precepts given unto the sonnes of Noah we find no footstep of the Sabbath And where a Moderne Writer whom I spare to name hath made the keeping of the Sabbath a member of the second precept or included in it it was not so advisedly done there being no such thing at all Cunaeus de repub Hebr. 2. 19. either in Schindler whom he cites nor in Cunaeus who repeats the selfe-same precepts from the self-same Rabbi Nay which is more the Rabbin out of whom they cite it doth in another place exclude expresly the observation of the Sabbath out of the number of these precepts given the sonnes of Noah The man and woman-servant Ap. Ainsworth in Exod. 20. saith he which are commanded to keepe the Sabbath are servants that are circumcised or baptized c. But servants not circumcised nor baptised but onely such as have received the seven Commandements given to the sonnes of Noah they are as sojourning strangers and may do worke for themselves openly on the Sabbath as any Israelite may on a working day So Rabbi Maymony in his Treatise of the Sabbath Chap. 20. § 14. If then wee finde no Sabbath amongst the sonnes of Noah whereof some of them were the sonnes of their Fathers piety there is no thought of meeting with it in their children or their childrens children the builders of the Tower of Babel For they being terrified with the late Deluge as some conjecture and to procure the name of great undertakers as the Scripture saith resolved to build themselves a Towre unto the top whereof the waters should in no wise reach A worke of a most vast extent if we may credit those reports that are made thereof and followed by the people Antiqu Iud l. â— cap. 5. as Iosephus tells us with their utmost industry there being none amongst them idle If none amongst them would be idle as likely that no day was spared from so great an action as they conceived that worke to be Those that durst bid defiance to the Heaven of God were never like to keepe a Sabbath to the God of Heaven This action was begun and ended Anno 1940 or thereabouts 2 To ruinate these vain attempts it pleased the Lord first to confound the language of the people which before was oâ—e and after to disperse them over all the earth By meanes of which dispersion they could not possibly have kept one and the same day for a Sabbath had it been commanded the dayes in places of a different longitude which is the distance of a place from the first Meridian beginning at such different times that no one day could be precisely kept amongst them The proofe and ground whereof I will make bold to borrow from my late learned friend Natha Carpenter that I may manifest in some sort the love I bore him though probably I might have furnished out this argument
Apostolicall Mandate no Sabbath set on foot by them upon the first day of the weeke as some would have it much lesse that any such Ordinance should be hencâ— collected out of these words of the Apostle 11 Indeed it is not probable that hee who so opposed himselfe against the old Sabbath would erect a new This had not been to abrogate the ceremony but to change the day whereas hee laboured what he could to beat down all the difference of dayes and times which had been formerly observed In his Epistle to the Galatiaâ—s written in Anno 59 he layes it home unto their charge that they oberued dayes and moneths Cap. 4 v. 10. and times and years and seemes a little to bewaile his own misfortune as if he had bestowed his labour in vain amongst them I know it is conceived by some that Saint Paul spake it of the observation of those dayes and times that had been used among the Gentiles and so had no relation to the Iewish Sabbath or any difference of times observed amongst them Saint Ambrose so conceived it and so did Saint Augustine In loâ—um Dies observant qui dicunt crastino non est proâ—iciscendum c. They observe dayes who say I will not goe abroad to morrow or begin any worke upon such a day because of some unfortunate aspect as Saint Ambrose hath it it seemâ— Saint Aâ—gustine learnt it who in his â—19 Epistle directly falls upon the very same expression Eâ—s inculpat qui dicunt non proficiscor quia posterus dies est aut quia lâ—na sic fertur vel proficiscar ut prospere cedat quia ita se habet positio syderum c. The like conceit he hath in his Enchâ—iâ—idiâ—n ad Laurentium cap. 79. But whatsoever S. Ambrose did Saint Augustine lived I am sure to correct his errour observing very rightly that his former doctrine could not consist with Saint Pauls purpose in that place which was to beat down that esteeme which the Iewes had amongst them of the Mosaicall Ordinances their New-moons and Sabbaths I shall report the place at large for the better cleering of the point Vulgatissimuâ— est Gentilium error nt vel in agendis rebus vel expectandis eventibus vitae ac negotiorum suâ—rum ab Astrologis Chaldaâ—is notatos dies observent This was the ground whereon he built his former errour Then followeth the correction of it Fortassâ— tamen non â—pus est ut haec de Gentilium errore intelligamus ne intentionem caâ—sae mark that quam ab exordio susceptam ad fiâ—em usque perducit â—ubitâ— in aliud temere detorquere velle videamur sed de his 〈◊〉 de quibus â—avendis â—um agere per tâ—tam Epistolam appâ—â—et Nam Iudae iserviliter observant dies menses annos tempora in carnali observatione sabbati neâ—meniae c. But yet perhaps saith hee it is not necessary that we should understand this of the Gentiles lest so we vary from the scope and purpose oâ— the Apostlâ— but rather of those men of the avoyding of whose Doctrines hee seemes to treat in all this Epistle which were the Iewes who in their carnall keeping of New-moones and Sabbaths did observe dayes and yeares Cap. 8. n. 33. and times as he here objecteth Compare this with Saint Hieromes preface to the Galathians and then the matter will be cleere that Saint Paul meant not this of any Heathenish but of the Iewish observation of dayes and times So in the Epistle to the Colossiaâ—s writ in the sixâ—teth yeare after Christs Nativity he layes it positively downe that the Sabbath was now abrogated with the other ceremonies which were to vanish at Christs comming Coâ—oâ—â— 2. 16. Let no man judge you saith the Apostle in meat and drinke or in respect of an holy-day or of the New-moon or of the Sabbath dayes which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ. In which the Sabbath is well matched with meats drinks new-mones and holy-dayes which were all temporary ordinances and to go off the stage at our Saviours entrance Now whereas some that would be thought great sticklers for the Sabbath conceive that this was spoken not of the weekly morall Sabbath as they call it which must be perpetuall but of the annuall ceremoniall Sabbaths which they acknowledge to be abrogated this new devise directly crosseth the whole current of the ancient Fathers who do apply this Text to the weekly Sabbath It is sufficient in this point to note the places The Reader may peruse them as leisure is and looke on Epiphan lib. 1. hâ—â—res 33. n. 11. Ambrose upon this place Hieromes Epistle ad Algas qu. 10. Chrysost. hom 13 in Hebr. 7. August cont Iudaeos cap. 2. cont Faust Manich. l. 16. c. 28. I end this list with that of Hierome Praefat. in Galaâ— Apocal. 10. Nullus Apostoli serâ—o est vel per Epistolam vel praeâ—entis in quo non laboret docere antiquae legis onera deposita omnia illa quae in typis imaginibus praecessere i. e. otium Sabbati circumcisionis injuriam Kalendarum trium per annum solennitatum recursus c. gratia Evangelii subrepente cessasse There is saith he no Sermon of the Apostles either delivered by Epistle or by word of mouth wherein he labours not to prove that all the burdens of the Law are now laid away that all those things which were before in types and figures namely the Sabbath Circumcision the New-moones and the three solemne Festivals did cease upon the preaching of the Gospell 12 And cease it did upon the preaching of the Gospell insensibly and by degrees as before wee fore we said not being afterwards observed as it had bin formerly or counted any necessâ—ry part of Gods publick worship Onely some use was made thereof for the enlargement of Gods Church by reason that the people had been accustomed to meet together on that day for the performance of religious spirituall duties This made it more regarded then it would have been especially in the Easterne parts of Greece and A sia where the Provinciall Iewes were somewhat thick dispersed and being a great accession to the Gospell could not so suddenly forsake their ancient customes Yet so that the first day of the weeke began to grow into some credit towards the ending of this Age especially after the finall desolation of Hiâ—rusalem and the Temple which hapned Anno 72 of Christs Nativity So that the religious observation of this day beginning in the Age of the Apostles no doubt but with their approbation and authoritie and since conâ—â—nuing in the same respect for so many Ages may be very well accounted amongst those Apostolicall traditions which have been universally received in the Church of God For being it was the day which our Redeemer honoâ—â—â—d with his resurrection it easily might attain unto that esteeme as to be honoured by the
Lords day was 12 The name of Sunday often used for the Lords day by the primitive Christians but the Sabbath never 1 WE shewed you in the former Chapter what ever doth occurre in the Acts and Monuments of the Apostles touching the Lords day and the Sabbath how that the one of them was abrogated as a part of the Law of Moses the other rising by degrees from the ruines of it not by authoritie divine for ought appeares but by authoritie of the Church As for the duties of that day they were most likely such as formerly had beene used in the Iewish Synagogâ—es reading the Law and Prophets openly to the Congregation and afterwards expounding part thereof as occasion was calling upon the Lord their God for the continuance of his mercies and singing Psalmes and Hymnes unto him as by way of thankfulnesse These the Apostles found in the Iewish Church and well approving of the same as they could not otherwise commended them unto the care of the disciples by them to be observed as often as they met together on what day soever First for the reading of the law In Ios. hom 15. Origen saith expresly that it was ordered so by the Apostles Iuâ—aicarum histooriarum libri traditi sunt ab Apostolis legendi in Ecclesiis as he there informes us To this was joyned in tract of time the reading of the holy Gospell and other Evangelicall writings it being ordered by S. Peter that S. Marks Gospell should be read in the Congregation Hist l. 2. 15. as Eusebius tells us and by S. Paul 1. Thes. ca. ulâ— v. 17. that his Epistle to the Thessalonians should be read unto all the holy brethren and also that to the Colossians to be read in the Church of the Laodiceans as that from Laodicea Ca ulâ— v. 16. in the Church of the Colossians By which example not onely all the writings of the Apostles but many of the writings of Apostolicall men were publickly read unto the people and for that purpose one appointed to exercise the ministerie of a Reader in the congregation So antient is the reading of the Scriptures in the Church of God To this by way of Comment or application was added as we finde by S. Pauls dirâ—ctions the use of prophecie or preaching 1 Cor. 14. â— 3. interpretation of the â—criptures to edifying and to exhortation and to comfort this exercise to be performed with the head uncovered 1. Coâ— 11. 4. as wel the Preacher as the hearer Every man praying or prophecying with his head covered dishonoureth his head as the Apostle hath informed us Where we have publicke prayers also for the Congregation the Priest to offer to the Lord the prayers and supplications of the people and they to say Amen unto those prayers which the Priest made for them These to conteine in them all things necessarie for the Church of God which are the subject of all supplications 1. Tim. 2. prayers intercessions and giving of thanks and to extend to all men also especially unto Kings and such as be in authoritie that under them we may be godly and quietly governed leading a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie For the performance of which last duties with the greater comfort it was disposed that Psalmes and Hymnes should be intermingled with the rest of the publicke service which comprehending whatsoever is most excellent in the booke of God and being so many notable formes of praise and prayer were chearfully and unanimously to be sung amongst them And thereupon S Paul reprehended those of Corinth 1. Cor. 14. 26. in that they joyn'd not with the assemblie but had their psalmes unto themselves Whereby it seemes that they had left the true use of psalmes which being so many acclamations exultations and holy provocations to give God the glory were to be sung together by the whole assemblie their singing at that time being little more then a melodious kinde of pronuntiation such as is commonly now used in singing of the ordinarie psalmes and prayers in Cathedrall Churches And so it stood till in the entrance of this age Ignatius Bishop of Antiochia one who was conversant with the Apostles brought in the use of singing alternatim course by course according as it still continues in our publicke Quires where one side answers to another some shew whereof is left in Parochiall Churches in which the Minister and the people ansâ—er one another in their severall turnes To him doth Socrates referre it Hist. li. 6. â— 8. and withall affirmes that he first learn't it of the Angels whom in a vision he had heard to sing the praise of God after such a manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that Author hath it And where Theodoret doth referre it to Flavianus and Diodorus Priests of Antiochia Hist. l. 2 c. 24. during the bustlings of the Arian Hereticks In Dâ—maso and Platina unto Damasus Pope of Rome Theodoret is to be interpreted of the restitution of this custome having beene left off and Platina of the bringing of it into the Westerne Churches For that it was in use in Ignatius time who suffered in the time of Trajan and therefore probablie began by him as is said by Socrates is evident by that which Plinie signified to the selfe same Trajan where he informes him of the Christians Quod soliti essent stato die ante lucem convenire carmenque Christo tanquam Deo dioere secum invicem c. Their greatest crime said he was this that at a certaine day but what that day was that he tells not they did meet together before day-light and there sing hymmes to Christ as unto a God one with another in their courses and after binde themselves together by a common Sacrament not unto any wicked or unjust attempt but to live orderly without committing robberie theft adulterie or the like offences 2 Now for the day there meant by Plinie it must be Saturday or Sunday if it were not both both of them being in those timeâ— and in those parts where Pliny lived in especial honour as may be gathered from Ignatius who at that time flourished For demonstration of the which we must first take notice how that the world as then was very full of dangerous fancies and hereticall dotages whereby the Church was much disquieted and Gods worship hindred The Ebionites they stood hard for the Iewish Sabbath and would by all meaneâ— have it celebrated as it had beene formerly observing yet the Lords day as the Christians did in honour of the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Eusebius tells Hisâ— l. 3 c. â— 3. The like saith Epiphaâ—ius of them l. 1. Haeres 30. n. 2. And on the other side there was a sort of Hereticks in the Easterâ—e parts whereof see Irenaeus li. 1. ca. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. who thought that this world being corruptible could not be made but by a
of the Sacraments praysing the â—ord for all his mercies and praying to him joyntly with the Congregation for the continuance of the same Rest and cessation from the workes of labour came not in till afterwards and then but as an accessory to the former duties and that not setled and established in a 1000. yeare as before was sayd when all the proper and peculiar duties of the day had beene at their perfection along time before So that if we regard either institutions or the authority by which they were so instituted the end and purpose at the which they principally aimed or the proceedings in the setling and confirming of them the difference will be found so great that of the Lords day no man can affirme in sence and reason that it is a Sabbath or so to be observed as the Sabbath was CHAP. IV. The great improvement of the Lords day in the fift and sixt Ages make it not a Sabbath 1 In what estate the Lords day stood in S. Austins time 2 Stage-playes and publicke shewes prohibited on the Lords day and the other holy dayes by Imperiall Edicts 3 The base and beastly nature of the Stage-playes at those times in use 4 The barbarous and bloody quality of the Spectacula or shewes at this time prohibited 5 Neyther all civil businesse nor all kind of pleasure restrained on the Lords day by the Emperour Leo as some give it out The so much cited Canon of the Councell of Mascon proves no Lords day Sabbath 6 The French and Spaniards in the sixt Age begin to Iudaize about the Lords day and of restraint of husbandry on that day in that age first thought of 7 The so much cited Canon of the Councell of Mascon proves no Lords day Sabbath 8 Of publicke honours done in these Ages to the Lords day by Prince and Prelate 9 No evening service on the Lords day till these present ages 10 Of publicke orders now established for the better regulating of the Lords day-meetings 11 The Lords day not more reckoned of than the greatâ—r festivalls and of the other holy dayes in these ages instituted 12 All businesse and recreation not by Law prohibited are in themselves as lawfull on the Lords day as on any other 1 WEe are now come unto the times wherein the Church began to settle having with much adoe got the better hand of Gentilisme and mastered those stiffe heresies of the Arians Macedonians and such others as descended from them Vnto those times wherein the troubles which before distracted her peace and quiet being well appeased all things began to grow together in a perfect harmony what time the faithfull being united better than before in points of judgement became more uniforme in matters of devotion and in that uniformitie did agree together to give the Lords day all the honour of an holy festivall Yet was not this done all at once but by degrees the fift and sixt Centuries being well nigh spent before it came unto that height which hath since continued The Emperours and the Prelates in these times had the same affections both earnest to advance this day above all others and to the Edicts of the one and Ecclesiasticall constitutions of the other it stands indebted for many of those priviledges and exemptions which it still enjoyeth But by degrees as now I sayd and not all at once For in S. Austins time who lived in the beginning of this fift Century it was no otherwise with the Lords day then as it was before in the former Age accounted one of those set dayes probably the principall which was designed and set apart for Gods publicke worship Amongst the writings of that Father which are his unquestionably we finde not much that doth conduce to our present businesse but what we finde we shall communicate with as much brevity as we can The Sundayes fast he doth abhominate as a publicke scandall Epi. 86. Quis deum non offendit si velit cum scandalo totius ecclesiae die dominico jejunare The exercise of the day he describes in briefe Dâ—civitat l. 22. c. 8. in this forme that followeth Venit Pascha at que ipso die dominico mane frequens populus praesens erat Facto silentio divinarum Scripturarum lecta sunt solennia c. Easter was come and on the Lords day in the morning the people had assembled themselves together All being silent and attent those lessons out of holy Scripture which were appointed for the time were read unto them when wee were come unto that part of the publicke service which was allotted for the Sermon I spake unto them what was proper for the present festivall and most agreeable to the time Service being done I tooke the man along to dinner a man hee meanes that had recovered very strangely in the Church that morning who told us all the story of those sad calamities which had befallen him This is not much but in this little there are two things worth our observation First that the Sermon in those times was not accounted eyther the onely or the principall part of Gods publicke service but onely had a place in the Common Liturgy which place was probably the same which it still retaines post Scripturarum solennia after the reading of the Gospel Next that it was not thought unlawfull in this Fathers time to talke of secular and humane affaires upon this day as some now imagine or to call friends or strangers to our Table as it is supposed S. Austin being one of so strict a life that he would rather have put off the invitation and the story both to another day had hee so conceived it Nor doth the Father speake of Sunday as if it were the onely festivall that was to be observed of a Christian man Cont. Adimant c. â—6 Other festivities there were which he tells us of First generally Nos quoque dominicum diem Pascha solenniter celebramus quaslibet alias Christianas dierum festivitates The Lords day Easter and all other Christian festivalls were alike to him And hee enumerates some particulars too Epi. 118. the resurrection passion and ascention of our Lord Saviour together with the comming of the holy Ghost which constantly were celebrated anniversaria solennitate Not that there were no other festivalls then observed in the Christian Church but that those foure were reckoned to be Apostolicall and had beene generally received in all ages past As for the Sacrament it was not tyed to any day but was administred indifferently upon all alike except it were in some few places where it had beene restrained to this day alone Alij quotidie communicant corpori sanguini dominico alij certis diebus accipiunt alibi Sabbato tantum dominico alibi tantum dominico as he then informes us As for those workes ascribed unto him which eyther are not his or at least are questionable they informe us thus The tract de rectitudine
it being no where to be â—ound that it was commanded Gualten more generally that the Christians first assembled on the Sabbath day as being then most famous and so most in use but when the Churches were augmented prâ—ximus à sabbatâ— dies robus sacris destinatus the next day after the Sabbath was desâ—gned to those holy uses If not before then certainly not so commanded by our Saviour Christ and if designed onely then not enjoyned by the Apostles Yea Beza though herein hee differ from his Master Câ—lvin Apoc. 1 10. and makes the Lords day meetings to be Apostolicae verae divinae traditionis to be indeed of Apostolicall and divine tradition yet being a tradition onely although Apostolicall it is no commandement And more then that In Act. â—0 he tels us in another place that from Saint Rauls preaching at Troas and from the Text. 1. Corinth 16. 2. non inepte colligi it may be gathered not unfitly that then the Christians were accustomed to meete that day the ceremony of the Iewish Sabbath beginning by degrees to vanish But sure the custome of the people makes no divine traditions and such conclusions as not unfitly may be gathered from the Text are not Text it selfe Others there be who attribute the changing of the day In Gen. to the Apostles not to their precept but their practice So Mercer Apostoli in Dominicum converterunt the Apostles changed the Sabbath to the Lords day in Gen. 2. Paraeâ—s attributes the same Apostolicae Ecclesia unto the Apostolicall Church or Church in the Apostles time quo modo autem facta fit haec mutatio in sacris literis expressum non habemus but how by what authoritie such a change was made In Thesiâ— p. 733. is not delivered in the Sâ—ripture And Iohn Cuchlinus though hee call it an consuetudinem Apostolicam an Apostolicall customâ— yet hee is peremptory that the Apostles gave no such Commandement Apostolos praeâ—ptum reliquisse constanter negamus So Simler calls it onely consuetudinem tempore Apostolorum receptam Defâ—stis Chr p. 24. a custome taken up in the Apostles time And so Hospinian although saith hee it be apparant that the Lords day was celebrated in the place of the Iewish Sabbath even in the times of the Apostles non invenitur tamen vel Apostolos vel alios legâ— aliqua praecepto observationem ejus instituisse yet find we not that either they or any other In 4. praecepâ— did institute the keeping of the same by any law or precept but left it free Thus Zanchius nullibi legimus Apostoles c. we doe not read saith hee that the Apostles commanded any to observe this day Wee onely read what they and others did upon it liberum ergo reliquerunt which is an argument that they left it to the Churches power In 〈◊〉 â—alat To those adde Vrsin in his exposition on the fourth Commandement liberum Ecclesiae reliquit alios dies eligere and that the Church made choice of this in honour of our Saviours resurrection Arctius in his Common-places Christianiâ—â— Dominicum transtulerunt Gomarus and Ryvet in the â—racts before remembred Both which have also there determined that in the choosing of this day the Church did exercise as well her wisdome as her freedome her freedome being not obliged unto any day by the Law of God her wisdome ne majori mutatione Iudaeos offenderet that by so small an alteration she might the lesse offend the Iewes who were then considerable As for the Lutheran Divines it it is affirmed by Doctour Bound that 〈◊〉 the most part they ascribe too much unto the liberty of the Church in appointing dayes for the assembly of the people which is plain confession But for particulars Brentius as Doctour Prideaux tells us calls it civilem institutionem a civill institution and no commandement of the Gospell which is no more indeed then what is elsewhere said by Calvin when he accounts no otherwise thereof then ut remedium retinendo ordini necessarium as a fit way to retaine order in the Church And sure I am Chemnitius tells us that the Apostles did not impose the keeping of this day as necessary upon the consciences of Gods people by any law or precept whatsoever sed libera fuit observatio ordinis gratia but that for orders sake it had been voluntarily used amongst them of their own accord 8 Thus have we proved that by the Dâ—ctrine of the Protestants of what side soever and those of greatest credit in their severall Churches eighteene by name and all the Lutherans in generall of the same opinion that the Lords Day is of no other institution then the authoritie of the Church Which proved the last of the three Theses that still the Church hath power to change the day and to transferre it to some other will follow of it selfe on the former grounds the Protestant Doctours before remembred in saying that the Church did institute the Lords day as we see they doe confessing tacitely that still the Church hath power to change it Nor do they tacitely confesse it as if they were affraid to speak it out but some of them in plaine termes affirme it as a certaine truth Zuinglius the first reformer of the Switzers hath resolved it so in his Discourse against one Valentine Gentilis a new Arian heretick Audi mi Valentine quibus modis rationibus sabbatum ceremoniale reddatur Tom. 1 p 254 â— Harken now Valentine by what wayes and means the Sabbath may be made a ceremony if either we observe that day which the Iewes once did or thinke the Lords day so affixed unto any time ut nefas sit illum in aliud tempus transferre that wee conceive it an impietie it should be changed unto another on which as well as upon that we may not rest from labour and harken to the Word of God if perhaps such necessity should be this would indeed make it become a ceremony Nothing can be more plaine then this Yet Calvin is as plain when hee professeth that hee regarded not so much the number of seven ut ejus servituti Ecclesias astringeret as to enthrall the Church unto it Sure I am Doctour Prideaux reckoneth him as one of them who teach us that the Church hath power to change the day and to transfer it to some other In Orat. de Sab. and that Iohn Barclaie makes report how once hee had a Consultation de transferenda Dominica in feriam quintam of altering the Lords day unto the Thursday Bucer affirmes as much as touching the authoritie and so doth Bullinger and Brentius Vrsine and Chemnitius as Doctour Prideaux hath observed Of Bullinger Bucer Brentius I haue nought to say because the places are not cited but take it as I think I may upon his credit But for Chemnitius he saith often that it is libera observatio a voluntatie observation that it is an especiall part of our Christian
c. as their bounden dutie doth require therefore to call men to remembrance of their dutie and to helpe their infinnitie it hath beene wholesomely provided that there should be some certaine times and dayes appointed wherein the Christians should cease from all kind of labour and apply themselves only and wholly unto the aforesaid holy works properly pertaining to true Religion c. Which workes as they may well be called Gods Service so the times especially appointed for the same are called holy dayes Not for the matter or the nature either of the time or day c. for so all dayes and times are of like holinesse but for the nature and condition of such holy workes c. whereunto such times and dayes are sanctified and hallowed that is to say separated from all prophane uses and dedicated not unto any Saint or Creature but onely unto God and his true worship Neither is it to bée thought that there is any certaine time or definite number of dayes prescribed in holy Scripture but the appointment both of the time and also of the number of dayes is left by the authoritie of Gods Word unto the libertie of Christs Church to bée determined and assigned orderly in every Countrey by the discretion of the Rulers and Ministers thereof as they shall iudge most expedient to the true setting forth of Gods glorie and edification of their people Nor is it to be thought that all this Preamble was made in reference to the holy dayes or Saints dayes onely whose being left to the authoritie of the Church was never questioned but in relation to the Lords Day also as by the Act it selfe doth at full appeare for so it followeth in the Act Bee it therefore enacted c. That all the dayes hereafter mentioned shall bee kept and commanded to be kept holy dayes and nonâ— other that is to say all Sundayes in the yeere the Feasts of the Circumcision of our Lord Iesus Christ of the Epiphanie of the Purification with all the rest now kept and there named particularly and that none other day shall be kept and commanded to bee kept holy day and to abstaine from lawfull bodily labour Nay which is more there is a further Clause in the selfe-same Act which plainly shewes that they had no such thought of the Lords day as that it was a Sabbath or so to bee obâ—erved as the Sabbath was and therefore did provide it and enact by the authoritie aforesaid That it shall be lawfull to every Husbandman Labourer Fisherman and to all and every other person and persons of what estate degree or condition he or they be upon the holy dayes aforesaid in Harvest or at any other times in the yeere when necessitie shall so require to labour â—ide fish or worke any kind of worke at their free-wills and pleasure any thing in this Act unto the contrary notwithstanding This is the totall of this Act which if examined well as it ought to bee will yeeld us all those propositions or conclusions before remembred which we collected from the writings of those three particular Martyrs Nor is it to be said that it is repealed and of no authoritie Repealed indeed it was in the first yeere of Queene Mary and stood repealed in Law though otherwise in use and practice all the long Reigne of Queene Elâ—zabeth but in the first yeere of King Iames was revived againe Note here that in the selfe-same Parliament the Common Prayer-Bookâ— now in use being reviewed by many godly Prelates was confirmed and authorized wherein so much of the said Act as doth concerne the names and number of the holy dayes is expressed and as it were incorporate into the same Which makes it manifest that in the purpose of the Church the Sunday was no otherwise esteemed of than another holy day 3 This Statute as before wee said was made in anno 5. 6. of Edward the sixt And in that very Parliament as before wee said the Common Prayer-Booke was confirmed which still remaines in use amongst us save that there was an alteration or addition of certaine Lessons to be used on every Sunday of the yéere 1. Eliz. cap. 2. the forme of the Letanie altered and corrected and two Sentences added in the deliverie of the Sacrament unto the Communicants Now in this Common Prayer-Booke thus confirmed in the fift and sixt yeeres of King Edward the sixt Cap. 1. it pleased those that had the altering and revising of it that the Commandements which were not in the former Liturgie allowed of in the second of the said Kings Reigne should now be added and accounted as a part of this the people being willed to say after the end of each Commandement Lord havâ— mercie upon us and incline our hearts to keepe this Law Which being used accordingly as well upon the hearing of the fourth Commandement as of any others hath given some men a colour to perswade themselves that certainely it was the meaning of the Church that wee should keepe a Sabbath still though the day be changed and that wee are obliged to doe it by the fourth Commandement Assuredly they who so conclude conclude against the meaning of the Booke and of them that made it Against the meaning of the Booke for if the Booke had so intended that that ejâ—culation was to be understood in a literall sence according as the words are layd downe in terminis it then must be the meaning of the Booke that wee should pray unto the Lord to keepe the Sabbath of the Iewes even the seventh day precisely from the Worlds Creation and keepe it in the selfe-same manner as the Iewes once did which no man I presume will say was the meaning of it For of the changing of the day there is nothing said nor nothing intimated but the whole Law laid downe in terminis as the Lord delivered it Against the meaning also of them that made it for they that made the Booke and reviewed it afterwards and caused these Passages and Prayers to be added to it Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury Ridley Bishop of London and certaine others of the Prelates then and there assembled were the same men by whose advice and counsaile the Act before remembred about keeping holy dayes was in the selfe-same Parliament drawne up and perfected And is it possible wee should conceive so ill of those reverend persons as that they would erect a Sabbath in the one Act and beat it downe so totally in the other to tell us in the Service-Booke that wee are bound to keepe a Sabbath and that the time and day of Gods publike worship is either pointed out in the fourth Commandement or otherwise ordained by Dâ—vine Authoritie and in the selfe-same breath to tell us that there is neither certaine time nor definite number of dayes prescribed in Scripture but all this left unto the libertie of the Church I say as formerly I said it is impossible wee should thinke so ill of such