very well to the observation of thâ— Lords day When the universall Church observeth any thing that none might appoâ—nt but God and yet nowhere is it found written it behoveth to averre that it was delivered by Christ and his Apâ—stles Anotâ—eâ— rule What the universall Church hath observed at all â—â—mes before justly we may beleeve that it was in 〈…〉 Apostles howbeit it bee of â—uch a qualitie as 〈…〉 iâ—stituted by the Church To this purpâ—seâ—â— quoteth Augâ—stine lib. 4. contra Donatist as cap. 23 These are the words That which the universall Châ—rch 〈◊〉 and hath not beene instituted by Councels but ever maintaâ—ned is to be beleevâ—d in all 〈◊〉 reason not to have been ordained by oâ—her power then the apostoâ—ique authoriâ—â— Quod universateâ— eccleâ—â—a nec conciâ—iis instituâ—â—â— sed sempâ—r â—â—tentum non nisi authoritate apâ—stâ—ica traâ—dituâ— certissime creditur But seeing the ordinances of the Apostles were of two sorts Some were temporarie and to endure onely for a time as abstinence from bloud and strangled which was enjoyned only for avoiding the offence of the weake Jewes others were to bee observed constantly Of this sort was the observation of the Lords day Experience hath proved the perpetuall observation of it hitherto and no reason can bee given wherefore it should bee changed hereafter as I shall show It were superfluous to cite the testimonies of divines referring the institution of this day to the Apostles Walaeus hath quoted a number dissertat pag. 165. After hee hath laid downe his reasons consenting with them in judgement hee concludeth that the first day of the weeke was substituted to the sabbath by the Apostles not onely by an ordinarie power such as all pastours have to order rites meerly indifferent in their Churches but by a singular power as by such as had inspection over the whole Church and to whom as to extraordinarie office-bearers was concredit to be faithfull not onely to deliver certaine precepts of faith and manners but also of comely order in the Church Vt quis dies in septimana ex vi anal gia quarti praecepti esset servandus ne dissâ—nsio aut confusio ex eo inter ecclesias oriretur omnibus ubique Christianis constaret as that it might bee knowne to all Christians what day in the weeke is to bee observed by vertue and analogie of the fourth precept least dissention or confusion should arise there about 〈◊〉 the Churches He citeth other divines concluding likewise that the Apostles being guided by the holy Ghost substituted the Lords day in place of the Jewish 〈◊〉 bath But others referre the institution to Christ himselfe which is more likely for after his resurrection hee appeared sundry times taught the Apostles things pertaining to the kingdome of God that is the instruction and government of his Church and gave them commandements Act. 1. 23. These commandements and instructions they delivered after to the Churches and set them downe in their canonicall writes Next Christ himselfe appeared the day of his resurrection five times At the third appearance hee appeared to the two disciples going to Emaus at which time hee celebrated the holy supper according to the judgement of great divines At the fifth appearance he appeared to all the disciples save Thomas who were conveened together before Then he gave them commission to goe and teach all nations and in conferring his spirit hee breathed upon them John 20. Mark 16. Eight dayes after that is the eighth day after as Luke 2. 21. when eight dayes were accomplished for the circumcision of the childe that is when the childe was circumcised upon the eight day Christ appeared againe and Thomas was present at which time he cured his unbeliefe It would appeare their meeting was not frequent at other times and that Christ appeared purposly at that time And therefore it is likely that every eight day after ordinarily they conveened and Christ appeared unto them wherein that great divine Junius is confident Die ipso resurrectionis octavo quoque die usque dum in coelos ascendit apparuit discâ—pulis in conventum eorum venit At last upon the Pentecost which fell upon the eight day that is the first day of the weeke that yeare Christ sent downe the holy Ghost in the likenesse of firie tongues upon the Apostles conveened together There is no speciall time noted for any of Christs apparitions but the first and eighth day which seemeth to be done of purpose Therefore Cyrillus lib. 12. in 〈…〉 8. willeth us to observe that the Evangelist is noâ— content with a simple narration but addeth carefully after eight dayes and all being gathered together in one place The Lords day could not have beene observed so long as Christ remained upon the earth without his direction And this appeareth to be one of the commandements which he gave them Eusebius ascribeth the institution of this day to Christ advancing Christ above all the great poteâ—tats of the Gentiles who could not prescrive to all the inhabitants of the earth to conveene every weeke and observe the Lords day as Christ did Athanâ—sius cited by White pag. 78. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord hath changed â—r translated it meaning the sabbath into the Lords day The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may as well import that it was so called because the Lord was the authour and institutour of it as because it was instituted for the honour and worship of our Lord. As the Lords prayer is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords prayer because the Lord was the authour of it Zanchius is of opinion that when the Lord blessed the seventh day the sonne of God spent that whole day in instructing Adam and Eva exercising them in the worship of God and admonishing them to teach their posteritie to doe the like for it beloved Adam to understand the sanctification of that day which the Lord had blessed and sanctified Wee have farre greater reason to thinke being certaine that Christ was here on earth appearing to his disciples at sundrie times from the day of his resurrection till the day of his ascension and instructing them in things belonging to his Church that hee instructed them in this point also Yea yee see hee conveened with them and in a manner observed it also Whither Christ himselfe instituted the observation of this day or the Apostles by the inspiration of the Spirit the authoritie is divine For howsoever Bellarmine distinguisheth traditions in divine and apostolicall the distinction is but imaginarie saith Junius in his answer and Bellarmine himselfe acknowledgeth that the apostolicall traditions in respect of the assistance of the spirit may be called also divine howbeit they were not delivered immediatly by Christ himselfe Tratitiones verè apostolice sunt divinae saith Polanus Beza in his great annotations upon Apocal. 1. 10. calleth it Apostolicam verè divinam traditionem Atradition truely divine howbeit Apostolicall Cornelius
memoriam gratiarum actionem creationis 〈◊〉 sui quam totius mundi quam Deus complevit die septimo alioqui enim vim non haberet discursus argumentum Pauli ut patet exdictis Howbeit scripture bee sufficient for confirmation of this truth I will adde for superaboundance some footsteps of the first institution which were found among the Gentiles Whence came the name of Septimane weekes to be receaved among the Ethnicles of old Not from the Jewes for they abhorred their customes and derided their sabbaths Not from Astrologians for distinction of dayes by weekes was more ancient then the imposing of the names of the planets upon the dayes of the weeke Or Ptolemâ—â— his time who wrote about the yeare of our Lord 140 as Rivetus proveth by the testimonie of Georgius Syncellus and Philoponus The ancient Greek Poets cited by them for the name of weeke I omit I onely adde the testimonie of Scaligâ—r 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex diebus dicitur septimanâ— res omibus quidem orientis populis ab ultima usque antiquitaâ—e usâ—ata nobis autem Enrop eis vix tandem post Christianâ—smum recepta Hee saith from the upmost antiquitie his systeme of dayes in a weeke was in use among all the orientall nations But that was the part of the world which was first planted and where the holy Patriarches lived Whereas he saith this colection or distinction of dayes in weekes was not receaved in Europe till Christiani 〈◊〉 entred testimonies of Ethnick Poets alledged by â—â—vetus make good that the name of weekes was more ancient even among the Latines I adde also that place in Genes 29. 27. where Laban saith to Jacob Fulfill her weeke Whither he meant a weeke of dayes or as others interpret a weeke of yeares it is all one For seven yeares was never called a weeke of yeares but where seven dayes was called a weeke of dayâ—s Whence then could this so ancient a circuit or circle of dayes come but from the Patriarches who observed that circle because of the seventh-dayes-sabbath or from the first weeke of the creation it selfe Wee have not onely the traces of weekes among the ancient Ethniks but also of the seventh day in speciall I pretermit the testimonies cited by Rivetus out of Homer Linus and Callimachus who make mention of the perfiting of the worke of creation the seventh day I content mee with the testimonies alledged for observation in some sort of the seventh day by Casaubon commencing upon that place of Suetoniâ—â—â— Diogenes grammaticus disputare sabbutis Rhodi solitus vententem ut se extra ordinem audiret non admiserat ac per servaluâ— suum in septimâ—â— diem disâ—ulerat Where he bringeth in Lucian making mention of resting dayes granted every seventh day to children who were at schoole Vulâ—atius Gallicanus that souldiers exercised themselves upon the seventh day in archerie and armes Dampridius that Alexander Severus went up to the Capitoll upon the seventh day when hee was in Rome and frequented the temples In this same place Suetonius reporteth of Diogenes the Grammarian that if any were desirous oâ—heare declamation or discourse he differred them to the seventh day Eusebius saith That almâ—st all as well phâ—losophers as Poets understood that the seventh day was more sacred then other dayes Philâ— Judâ—eus 〈…〉 cited saith It was an holy day not of one 〈◊〉 region only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but of all And in another place he sâ—ith Our law admonisheth all of duetie 〈◊〉 Grecians the inhabitants of the â—les and the continent 〈◊〉 the orientall people the Entropâ—cans and the 〈…〉 even the whole habitable world to the uttermost coasts for who doth not honour that holy day returning every weeke Buxtorsius telleth us that the Jewes at this day thinke Christians and others shall bee phnished because they keepe not their sabbath And this I beleeve they thinke not of their other holy dayes I will close this point concerning the first institution of the sabbath with pointing at the testimonies both of ancients and neotericks Tertullian reporteth that the Jewes hold that the Lord sanctified the seventh day from the beginning and that thereupon when the law was given the Lord said Remâ—mber Gen 〈◊〉 ardus in his chronologie affirmeth that the Hebrew Doctours taught so Peter Martyr citeth Rabbi Agnâ—â— Broughtoun in his concent alledgeth Rambam and Aben-Ezra Philo Judaeus his consent ye had a little before Cyprian de Spiritu sancto Chrysostome hom 10. in Genes 2. Epiphanius contra heresin Anoetâ— haeres 51. The doretus 〈◊〉 est in Genesin Augustine epist. 86. ad Casulannm Waleus in his dissertatio de sabbatho citeth Luther Calvine Zwinglius Beza P. Martyr Bullinger Zanchius Vrsinus Gualtor Aretius Bertramus Mercerus Antoniuâ— Faius Juntus Paraeus Alstedius Rivetus in his dissertatio de origaine sabbathi addeth other Neoterikes Danâ—ws Hoâ—pinianâ—s Chimnitius Gerardus Marloratus with some others and popish writers Eugubinus Genâ—brardus Cornelius à Lapide and Emanuel Sa. A diligent reader may easily finde moe affirming that the sabbath was instituted at the beginning Seeing the sabbath was observed from the beginning it was not instituted in the wildernesse but only renewed to the people of God and enjoined to them with solemnitie both because of their owne neglect or forced prophanation in Egypt as also because it was neglected among other nations who observed it not or not in the right manner but rather prophaned then sanctified it The question ariseth whether it was then onely morall or partly morall partly ceremoniall But the question should bee stated other wayes For there is a difference betweene these two questions whether the sabbath of the Jewes was partly morall partly ceremoniall or whether the fourth precept as it standeth in the decalogue was partly morall partly ceremoniall That the Iewish sabbath was partly morall partly ceremoniall is the commun and receaved opinion which for mine owne part I would be loath to contradict even taking ceremoniall for typicall and profigurative of our 〈◊〉 purchased forus by Christ. But it followeth not that the fourth precept as it standeth in the decalogue is partly morall partly ceremoniall in that scene that is typicall and prefigurative There is nothing in the 〈◊〉 precept as it was promulgat upon mount Sinai ranked among the rest of the morall precepts placed in the midst and written with Gods owne finger in â—ibles of stone that soundeth any way to typicall ceremonie At other times when the ceremonies of the law were intimated then were typicall and ceremoniall precepâ—s delivered It is true when the fourth precept was promulgated it was accommodated to the state of man after his fall â—or strangers within our gates must cease that day from all manner of workes which might give offence to Gods people which needed not to be enjoyned in the state of innocencie or if mankinde had continued in the bosome of thâ— Church and had not made defection falling in a
be observed as holy Ratio convenientiae non fuisset sufficiens nisi praecessisset mandatum divinum Rivetus in Decalogum pag. 167. Christs actions did no more consecrate the times wherein they were wrought then his body did the manger or the crosse by touch And suppose this might have beene it would not follow that all mangers and crosses are consecrated no more would it follow that every 25. day of December should bee consecrated and made holy because that whereon he was borne I put the case it were true was consecrated Verum etiam non est dies illos fuisse consecratos per actiones aut passiones quae talibus diebus acciderunt Idenim si verum esset nullus fuisset dies qui aliqua Christi actione non esset nobilitatus consecratus Rivetus in Decalogum pag. 204. As for remembring of Christs nativitie no man denieth but it is needfull and so it is wheresoever the Gospel is preached But we deny that the memorie of it must be celebrated with the solemnitie of a festivall holy day with cessation from worke with feasting or forbearance of fasting and a proper service THE V. REASON SUppose the observing of holy dayes had at the first beene a matter indifferent yet seeing they have beene abused and polluted with superstition they ought to bee abolished Upon this ground Zâ—nchâ— us inferreth Non ma è igitur f'cerunt qui omnia proâ—er diem dom nicum aboleverunt They have therefore not done amâ—sse who have abolished all other holy dayes but the Lords day If Ezekias fact in breaking the brazen sâ—rpent belandable by which he confirmeth that pule then their fact is laudable also But sure it is that in former ages holy dayes have not onely beene abused with prophane and licentious revelling and surfetting but also polluted with the opinion of worship merite necessitie and a judaicall conceat that the devill is not so bold to tempt men on these dayes as at other times And therefore saith Zanchius Magicians observe holy dayes to exercise their magâ—call feats with the greater efficacie The Lords day it selfe may bee abused but because the observation is necessarie in respect of divine institution it cannot bee removed for the abuses of men But the festivall dayes were not appointed by God The number the abuses the will-worships of feasts so increased that there is nothing so unsavourie to God so pernicious to men as to sanctifie such and so many dayes faith the same Zanchius Holy dayes devised for the honour of Christ drew on holy dayes to saints Easter brought on a superstâ—tions lent to attend upon it made baptisme wait for her moone conformed our Lords supper unto the Jewish passeover in unleavened bread It was the first aple of contention among Christians the first weapon wherewith the bishop of Rome played his prâ—ses against other Churches and after flew so many Britons with by Austin the Monke saith Doctour Ames Even in Chrysostomes time the people would forbeare to communicate at other times But at Easter they would communicate howbeit they had committed recently some hainous sinne whereupon he exclameth O consuetudinem o presumptionem O custome O presumption Because people ranne superstitiously to that holy action at Easter as if the time gave vertue to the sacrament and were carelesâ—e the rest of the yeare our reformers appointed other times free of superstition as ye may see in the first booke of discipline pag. 58 59. Therefore seeing the observation of festivall dayes is not commanded by God and it cannot be denyed but it hath beene much abused it ought not to be continued farre lesse introduced where it hath beene disused suppose it might be now used without these abuses because it may degener after the same manner as before But what if it be not nor cannot be free of abuse and superstition They say they esteeme them not holier then other dayes or place any worship of God in the observation of them but only keep them for order and policie that the people may be assembled to religious exercises and instructed in the mysteries of religion But that is false howbeit an old shift The Papists themselves confesse that one day is not holier then another in the owne nature no not the Lords day but in respect of the use and end And in this respect our Formalists esteeme their festivall dayes holier then other dayes call them holy dayes and maintaine as yee have heard before that they may be observed as holy dayes If the observing of a day holy for the honour of a saint be a worshipping of the saint the observing of a day to the honour of Christ cannot bee without opinion of worship If the observing of the Lords day as a festivall as it is in their accompt be worship the observing of their holy dayes is worship Whereas they alledge that it is not worship because they hold not the like necessitie in observing the one as the other it will not helpe them For that doth not alter the nature of worship but maketh the one necessarie because God instituted it the other arbitrarie and voluntarie and consequently will-worship The same matter forme and end is in both but God instituteâ—h the one and therefore lawfull the other is instituted at the pleasure of man so it is worship but a vicious worship Further some other Formalists have of late maintained the mutabilitie of the Lords day it selfe What our Doctour will doe now let any man judge who knoweth him to be temporizâ—r and a sceptike Master Dow p. 58. saith as other holy dayes it goeth paripassu in their canons and ancient statutes which require the same observances under the same penalty Thâ—y are not only holy dayes but also mysticall howbeit the Doctour denieth it For els he must disclaime his ancienâ—s who call them so Are they not appointed for the solemnitle of some mysterie of religion Doe they not carrie the names of Christs nativitie passion ascension c. Are they not ordered according to the knowne or supposed times when such things fell forth If it were for order and policie they were observed that the people may assemble and be instructed wherefore is there but one day betweene the passion and the resurrection fourty betwixt the resurrection and ascension and then againe but ten betwixt the ascension and whitsontide Wherefore follow wee the course of the moone in our moveable feasts and observe not a certaine day in the moneth as we doe for other If we observed dayes only for order and policie then wee would not sticke to dayes as we doe for the commemoration of Christs nativitie passion ascension c. The Doctour saith we do not observe festivall dayes as the Jewes did which were holy not only for the use whereunto they were appointed to serve as circumstances but by reason also of their mystik signification and of the worship appropriated to them which might not bee performed at
That he turned his face to the altar They turned their face ordinarily to that part of the temple where the arke was the place of Gods extraordinarie presence The arke was metonymically called God 1 Sam. 4. 7. The Lord 1 King 9. 25. The Lord of hosts the King of glorie Psal. 24. The face of the Lord Esa. 1. 12. for it the tabernacle was made and the temple It represented Gods seat and God delivered his oracles from the mercie seat above it What likelihood then is there that they kneeled ordinarly in their prayers looking toward the altar or that they come never before the altar but kneeled before it for the altar was but dedicated at this time It was not already dedicated but in fieri saith D. B. Augustine lib. 2. ad Simplicianum qui. 4. saith David prâ—yed before the arke Quia ibi sacratior commendatior presentia Domini erat because the presence of the Lord there was more sacred and more to bee respected The like answer may bee given to that place Micha 6. 6. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God They bowed themselves before the high God sitting betweene the Cherubims not toward the altar they bowed when they had offered their oblations not to their oblations As when they presented the basket with first fruits they first set it downe and after bowed themselves before Jehovah their God and so went out Deut. 26. 24. 10. What if they had bowed when they were offering to God When wee are in the act of receaving eating drinking we are receaving and not offering They say the sacramentall elements are only as objectum à quo significative that is as an active object moving them to worship the things signified or God Put case that were true So said Purandus Holcot and Picus Mirandula That they adored the prototype or samplar before the image which put them in minde of the samplar and spake in as abstract a manner of their worship as the Formalist doth when he pretendeth the purest intent he can in he manner of his adoration And yet were they never ranked among the Iconomachi but by the Papists counted good Catholiks It is true Bellarmine and Suarez are not content with this adoration which they call improper adoration when any person or thing is honoured in place of another as when the ambassadour is honoured with the honour due and proper to the king but for the king or as when all the ceremonies are celebrat about a statue in steed of the true corps Bell irmine granteth notwithstanding that Coram illa vel in illa aut per illam adoratur exemplar that after their manner of worship the samplar is adored before the image or in the image or by the image Vazquez proveth That these Doctours made the image objectum quod the very object passive of adoration and that both the samplar and the image were adored simul cum imaginibus exemplaria proximè ut quód adorari For they used the same respect to the images that other Catholiks used they uncovered their head to them they bowed toward them kneeled before them and kissed them And this he defendeth to be the right manner when the image and the samplar are adored with one adoration the inward motion and submission of the minde being carried to the samplar and the outward signe of submission to the image being transmitted by the spirit or in thought and defire to the samplar That all the Catholiks agree in this that the kisse be so fixed upon the image and the body be bowed before it that the affection being inflammed with the remembrance of the samplar be carried to it with inward reverence Virtute cujus externum esculum in ipsum etiam veluti sagittam transmittat by vertue or power whereof it transmitteth the outward kissâ— as an arrow to the samplar it selfe So kneeling before the image prostration or any other signe of submission is to be transmitted by the image to the samplar after the same manner For saith he in the time of the 7. synod there were some enemies to images who were content that images were brought into the Church not only for decorement sed etiam ad excitandâ—m fâ—delibus memoriam exemplaris ut coram eis ipsum solum ven rentur illis tamen nullum signum honoris aut submissienis neque osculo nec inclinatione corporis nec alio modo exhiberent id enim idolatriam esse dicebant â—ut also to stirre up the remembrance of the samplar to the faithfull that before them they might reverence only the samplar but exhibite no signe of honour or submission either by kisse or bowing of the body or any other way for they said that was idolatrie Quare nec osculabantur imagines neque ipsis corpus inclinabant nec thurificabant sed recti coram eis in memoriam ex emplaris exictati in ipsum mente sola ferebantur And therfore saith he they neither kissed images nor bowed their body to them nor offered incense but standing upright before them being stirred up to the remembrance of the samplar they were carried only in their winde to it In another place he saith Iconomachi qui ad solam recordationem imaginibus utuntur ante illas genua non flectunt nec se prosternunt sic enim ipsas nota extcriori adorarent sed erecti absque ullo gestu corporis qui reverentiâ—m judicet coram imagine exemplaris recordantur ipsum spiritu solùm adorant That is The adversaries to images who use images only to put them in remembrance of the samplar they neither kneel nor prostrat themselves before them for so they should adore them with the outward note or signe but standing upright without any gesture of the body before the image which might be a shew of reverence they remember the samplar and adore it in spirit only But these Doctours above mentioned howbeit their inward reverence was directed to the samplar yet the outward signe of submission was first directed to the image Ye see then that taking the images only as objectum à quo significativè as instruments and meanes to stirre up their remembrance these mangrels who were called Semiprobi would not kneel before them for then saith Vazquez they should have adored them which he in his Popish judgement thinketh they should have done but these Doctours did so So if the elements be used only as objectum à quo significativè to stirre up their remembrance why kneel they before them Nay why are not the elements lifted up as among the Papists after they have said This is my body for say they it is made then a sacrament that the people being stirred up at the elevation with the sight of the signifying object may kneel in whatsoever part of the Church they be And howsoever the Doctour seemeth to disallow the elevation pag. 119. 120. 121. Yet he saith