supercilious disdaine rash and peremptory censures rigorous usages of such as have had the advantage of the upper ground to trample on those that were placed below them which hath been a principall cause of the great hatred and contempt of the Prelacie so that it is not now taken by many as an honour to the man but the man an honour and succour to it who takes the calling of a Bishop as Saint n Episcopatus nomen est operis non honoris August de Civit. Dei lib. 9. cap. 19. Augustine said of it rather for a matter of duty then of dignity which binds him o Quantum quis praecelsi culminis obtinet locum tanto necesse est praecedat caeteros gratiâ meritorum Concil Toletan 11. cap. 2. tom 4. pag. 820. Edit Parisiis 1636. to so much more diligence as hee hath the higher preheminence and that duty p Ibid. Item Concil Constantinop 6. can 19. tom 5. Concil pag. 328. Concil Trident. Sess 24. Can. 4. tom 9. pag. 414. chiefly to consist in preaching of the Word making more account of the Canons which concerne the substance then the ceremonies of their calling as all men see your Grace doth preaching every week in the Parish of your abode according to the Canon of the q Episcopus si infirmitate non fuerit impeditus Ecclesiae cui proximè fuerit die Dominico deesse non debet Concil Aurel. can 33. tom 1. p. 723. first Aurelian Councell and abiding there though with disadvantage and inconvenience to your selse where you may doe most good making the choice of the Prophet Jeremy I will get mee to the great men and speake unto them for they saith hee have knowne the way of the Lord Jer. 5.5 If they had not known it he might have come to teach it them and if our great men know it already you will make them know it much better smoothing the difficulties and clearing the doubts of faith in such sort that their minds may bee settled in assurance of that which before they had but in fancie or held but in opinion and this in a plaine and easie way yet full of power and authority so that I may say of your Grace as the people said of our Saviour reserving a just measure of preheminence to him that spake as never man spake Jo. 7.46 you teach as one having authority and not as the Scribes Luke 7.29 not as they who write all they say and can say nothing but what they have written who preach coldly as Erasmus noteth because they are word-bound to a peece of paper and not as the Scribes because they said and did not Matth. 23.3 but your life is a patterne as well as your doctrine and a rule of religious conversation and therefore I doubt not but God shall have much honour among the honourable by your ministery unto them and intercourse with them at Court and elsewhere for if Plato his presence and example wrought so much change in the Court of Dionysius a Tyrant that upon his comming thither there followed a wonderfull modestie and temperance in Feasts and banquets and other reformations so that as r Plutarch in the life of Dion p. 972. Plutarch noteth the Court was cleane changed how much rather may we expect that the Court of so good a King as blessed bee God wee have should bee much bettered by your Graces addresses to his Majestie and your preaching and practice so much observed so highly esteemed by the best of all sorts Which was one cause that induced mee to dedicate this preparative discourse of the Sabbath to your Grace for that being the chiefe of dayes for honour to God and holinesse in men it was meet the defence of it should bee countenanced with a name which is eminent in both Besides which gives your Grace more interest both in mee and what now I present to publick observation the better to furnish and further mee in the prosecution of this cause you have beene pleased to communicate unto mee divers MS. Treatises of the Sabbath such I could not hope for from any other treasurie of learning then yours which aboundeth with exquisite variety not to be found either in Booksellers shops or common Libraries and to promise mee under your hand any help of that kind Wherein I am like enough my Lord to take you at your word and sure enough that you will keepe it when upon just occasion I shall present my desires to your Grace to that purpose It may be some will think I should have dispatched the difference about the title of our Christian Holiday in a shorter discussion and to them I shall oppose others who have read it and are wise enough to censure it that say there is nothing idle or impertinent in it nothing vainely or tautologically repeated and the more sit to bee somewhat large because so many adversaries which are not to bee sleighted have so long opposed it and one of them with so much acceptation among some yong Students in the University Dr. Pocklingt his Book as that for their delight they have read his booke at their common sires which the high Court of Parliament judged to the fire to bee burned and by mine intentive handling of that which is of smaller moment though the least things in Religion as the filings of Gold be very precious I was willing to engage my selfe to a proportionable care and diligence in those more important parts of my Sabbatary Treatises which hereafter by Gods assistance I shall set forth It is time I should draw towards an end lest I make my porch too large for the pyle of building that belongeth to it and yet I beleeve no Reader will think me too long but your Grace nor you but that you will thinke I grace you too much and indeed my Lord if I did not know you had so much humilitie with all that excellencie of knowledge and goodnesse which is obvious to all unblemished eyes that no prayses are like to puffe you up and were not confident that you know mee too well to take mee for a flatterer I would not allow my selfe to make such a dedication unto you But while I apprehend you as you are in your selfe and as I conceive towards mee I cannot thinke I have offended in excesse but I should bee very faulty in defect if I should not adde to all that I have said an Advertisement to your Grace touching the generall both observation and expectation which now especially is set upon you which I am sure will never be frustrate by your default Your great abilities and your acceptation with the greatest make many of the best and some of the wisest confident that you can and your answerable zeale and sincerity makes them of strong hope that you will take all the faire opportunities that God puts into your hands to helpe forward the casting of all scandals out of the Church and the setting up
Lords sacred ordinance of the Sabbath Some endeavouring to undermine and supplant the fabricke of it from the very foundation on which it is set and others piling upon it so many over rigorous positions and observances as with their sad and sullen weight may incline it to crack and fall asunder Thirdly The necessary instruction of the people in the heads of Catechisme pressed by especiall command of our dread Soveraigne that late was and of his Majestie that now is maketh the Decalogue and within it the Commandement of the Sabbath a more common Theme for popular discourses and therewith all a more fruitfull ground of erroneous descants then heretofore if in such variety of opinions which cast a mist upon the truth there be not some more means to cleare it and to guide men to that choice from which too many now endeavour to seduce them Fourthly I observed that as some set their wits on worke to impeach the piety of the doctrine of the Sabbath so many set their wils either to worke or play and so to pursue their profit or pleasure as to make the Lords holiday every way in practice as unholy and profane as in position it could be Irreligion and Libertinisme being a descent from Sion hill which hath no need of hands to thrust it downewards towards hell It was well said of a grave c The Bish of S. Asaph Prelate when hee heard of some too indulgent doctrines this way that therules of manners should be strict for mens behaviour would incline fast enough to loosenesse of themselves Besides there is a sinister zeale in some against superstition which proveth many times prejudiciall to the practice of religion for as our late learned d King James his Cign cant â— 8 Soveraigne hath observed under colour of weeding out superstition it will pluck up by the roots many plants of Paradise And wee see but too many ill harvest men using the weeding hooke to the wheat which should bee exercised onely to plucke up the tares of whose ill worke I shall beware for my selfe and I hope shall give such warning unto others as may not only withhold them from the like but may bee a direction to the simpler sort what to take and what to take heed of as either of them shall bee offered to their choice Fifthly While men make no scruple to violate the holy rest of the Lords day they become the more bold to disobey their Superiours whether supreme or subordinate for Mat. 22. v. 31. as giving to God the things that are Gods and unto Caesar the things that are Caesars are sociable duties and well sort together so commonly where dues are denyed detained from God the King is not like to receive his right either for aid or obedience for the fourth and fifth Commandements are so neere neighbours that the like lot whether of observance or of sleighting is like to befall them which wee may well perceive if wee doe but observe how our people have lately fallen not onely from piety but from civility and broke out into manifold offences against the lawes of the King since they were taught a lesson too easily learned to make light of this holy Commandement of God Nor is there any cause to expect any better behaviour among them untill their consciences let loose from this bond bee tucked up to it by a more religious regard both of the authority and observation of the Sabbath Then may wee have more hope and not till then under our Governours for whom the Apostle prescribeth all manner of prayer to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Sixthly These motives were the more sharpned and I the more quickned for the safer conduct of them that doubt to set out my light whether candle or torch I must leave to other men to judge by severall sollicitations of many religious and learned friends but especially by a joynt Letter the copie whereof I shall present to the view of the Reader next after this Preface sent me under the hands of many of my Brethren of the Ministery of whom there are divers for their gifts and parts of especiall note and all of them painefull and profitable Preachers in their places and such as build up the walls of our Jerusalem as with both hands with sound doctrine and religious conversation Seventhly Since that time I have received not onely incouragement but incitement to the same service with a Manuscript Treatise of the Sabbath from the hand of a great Prelate a glorious Starre of the first magnitude shining illustriously in the Church both by his admirable learning and answerable living Eighthly I was not a little provoked to lend my poore ability to the protection of the truth herein by the importunate pressing of Master Breerewood whereby Master Nic. Byfield was forced to the field when hee had no thought nor minde to fight as wee shall seasonably note in another place for when hee had excused himselfe for being unwilling to enter the lists of controversie with him as wanting warrant to leave his calling and to spend his time about such confutations Mast Breerwood returnes upon him with this patheticall expostulation e M Breerw his first Treat of the Sabbath p. 89 90. How Sir is the defending of the doctrine you have taught a leaving of your calling Are you called to teach the truth and not to defend it Are not Gods Ministers to defend Christs truth is that no part of their calling or have you no warrant say you for such confutations What no warrant to confute them in the behalfe of the truth whom ye yet condemn for adversaries of the truth Why Christ is the authour of the truth John 14.6 or the truth it selfe you are a Minister of Christ there is a warrant for you The holy Ghost is the spirit of truth Ephes 1.13 and he sanctified you to that Ministry there is a warrant for you The Gospel is the word of truth you are a Preacher of the Gospel there is a warrant for you The Church is the Pillar of truth you are a Pillar of the Church there is a more warrant for you For would not the Authour of the truth the spirit of truth c. and to all these you owe your service and allegiance have their Minister to defend the truth A strange thing that Christs Ministers should have no warrant to confute oppositions made against the truth who are bound to give their lives in defence of it Must they spend their life and bloud for confirmation of it and may they not spend a little labour and time about such confutations So farre he Where whether the goodnesse of Master Breerwood his cause or the apprehension of his owne better abilities and more list and leasure then Master Bifield had to reciprocate disputes of this sort did more prompt him to these braving provocations may bee better discerned when
Jewish in opinion as n Mast Brab in his discours pag. 44. Master Braburne was in this point affixe the name Sabbath to Saturday whence it is that hee in his plea against applying the name to the Lords day appealeth to the Jewes at Amsterdam and elsewhere who call Saturday the Sabbath day o Ibid. whereto saith hee I may adde the Jewes reckoning of the dayes of the weeke Saturday they call Sabbath day Sunday they call the first day of the Sabbath Munday the second of the Sabbath c. In which accompt saith he no day is called Sabbath but Saturday nor can the Jewes or those that are Jewish abide to have the Lords day to be called Sabbath because they would exclude it from all right and title to the fourth Commandement as is plaine enough by that wee have already noted out of Master Brab and therefore that of p Doct. Pockl. Visit Serm. pag. 6. Doctor Pocklington before remembred viz. That a Jew should bee the Godfather and give it the name Sabbath as hee saith is a fancie which both superstitious Jewes and religious Christians will deny and deride Fourthly let those that thinke to call the Christian weekly Holiday by the name of Sabbath is Jewish consider whether it bee not now either Jewish or foolish to call Saturday by that name rather then the Lords day since Sabbath signifieth Rest and to say that Saturday must now be a day of Rest is Jewish and if it bee a workeday as wee take it to entitle it with a name so contrary to work is little lesse then foolish especially since wee have a day of rest to which that name with more congruity may be applyed For now to give Saturday a workeday with us that name of rest and to deny it to the Lords day wherein wee rest indeede is as if wee should call the body of a deceased King by the name of a King and deny that Royall title to the living person of his surviving Sonne and heire the heire of his Crowne Lastly For that which Master Ironside saith of gratifying the Jewes by applying the name Sabbath to ours Lords day and of their abhorring of the title Lords day as the greatest blasphemy I answer That wee shall gratifie the Jewes and those that are Jewish much more by giving up the name and title Sabbath unto their day then by applying it to ours for q M. Brab des of the Sab p. 54. Master Braburne when hee was most Jewish in this point made his exhortations to Ministers and people to refraine putting the name Sabbath day on the Lords day and with forbearance of the name hee requireth them r Ib. pag. 55. 288. to forbeare the use of the fourth Commandement the name Sabbath day therefore and the fourth Commandement saith hee must goe unseparable together hold the one and hold the other Ibid. renounce the one and renounce the other also But for the name of Lords day he was well enough pleased that it should be applyed to the day wee celebrate for when hee had exhorted to a forbearance of the name Sabbath hee enforceth his exhortation by this reason Å¿ Ibid. pag. 54. Wee have names enough besides wee may call it Sunday Lords day or First day of the weeke And which is more hee was then when hee did so Judaize in that point as never Christian did before him so farre from being offended at the title Lords day that hee pleaded for a right in it to the Jewes Sabbath t M. Brab defensâ— pag. 238. and in his discourse pag. 8. The Sonne of man saith hee is Lord of the Sabbath wherefore the seventh day may bee truely called the Lords day And if hee had beene a compleat Jew and so would not have allowed Christ to be called Lord yet it would have offended him more to heare the Lords day called Sabbath then Lords day simply For the name Sabbath in his conceipt dignifieth the Lords day with too high and holy a title u M. Brab his defence p. 52. for saith hee it is as if one should rob the Mistresse of her Jewels and bestow them on her Maid or should take the Crowne off the head of a King and set it upon a common subject as before wee had occasion to observe For Saturday saith hee hee meaneth as the Sabbath * Ib. pag. 53. is as the King or Mistresse to the Lords day which is x Ib. p. 52. but a common working day in Gods accompt And for that y M. Ironside cap. 12. of his quest of the Sab. pag. 121. Master Ironside saith of the Christians crossing of the Jewes in fasting on Saturday when they feasted it was not generall nay the greater part of the Christian world in z Aug. Ep. 19. ad Hier. p. 81. Saint Augustine his time did not fast on Saturday as hee hath recorded in his Epistle to Saint Hierom. Ob. 6. Yet by keeping up the name Sabbath some pretenders of piety cite many places of Scripture under that title which may incline to Jewish rigour and so cometh in the perill of Judaisme which the Bishop of Elie seemeth to suspect in the former objection Doctor a D. Pockl. Visitation Serm. p. 19. Pocklington more plainely complaineth of it when hee saith thus they must make a Sabbath of Sunday and keep up that name otherwise their many citations of Scripture mentioning onely the Sabbath applyed to Sunday will appeare so ridiculously distorted and wry neck'd that they will be a scorne and derision to the simplest of their deluded Auditorie And so doth b M. Brab def p. 53. Master Braburne in his Discourse By translating the name Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday saith hee the common people when they reade in the Scripture any thing of note touching the Sabbath day they presently cast that in their mindes upon the Lords day thinking it to bee meant of that The like is objected by c M. Irons Sab. quest 3. cap. 12. pag. 121 122. Master Ironside The name Sabbath may be and is become a snare to many weake ones and especially in reading of the Scriptures for wheresoever they finde the name Sabbath they presently conceive it to bee spoken of the Lords day and many times by this meanes fall into flat Judaisme as appeares by their quoting of the old Testament in the question in hand Answ First This objection if it have any weight in it maketh more against the reading of the fourth Commandement in our Communion Book and the Prayer annexed to it for inclination of the heart to keep that Law then against the simple name or title Sabbath for there is much more conformity with the Jewes in that then in this especially as some expound the Commandement with particular limitation of it to the Saturday Sabbath and whether it reach not also in part to prohibite the publick reading of some parts of Canonicall Scripture I will not determine