of mind that the State of his Kingdom waxed worse and that he fought with unhappy success against the Goths the source of so great an evil being a little more deeply sought out he reproved the Bishops which sed not with Gospel Doctrines the people committed to them who by their profligate manners stirred up the wrath of a revenging God against him to prevent which evil for the future it was ordained in a Council That the Lords day should be kept religiously The pattern of this most Christian King while the victory in this our age inclineth to the enemies perswades us devoutly to keep the L. day solemnity for which we have â—ought unsuccessfully almost these twenty years against the enemies of our liberty that have roared in the Churches of God to our great sorrow When we count the causes of this will why should we not apply our minds with Gunther amnus to bewail the heynous violation of the Lords day and with the ancient Fathers who observed that the Lords day was not reverently kept ordained That first of all the Priests then Kings and Princes and all the Faithfull should chiefly see to it that the due observation and Religious Devotion of so great a Day now in so great a part neglected be hereafter for a sign of Christianity more devoutly exhibited and that the Christian Magistrates excellency be humbly desired of the Priests that in honour and reverence of so great a Day all may be put in fear that men presume not to keep markets do their own pleasure and works on this Holy and Venerable Day For when this solemnity is either taken away or neglected there is no more hopes of the other parts of Religion than there is of the bodies safety when the head is cut off Neither can there be used a more excellent remedy for curing the other malady than the holy observation of this Festival for the zeal of Religion waxing cold and purity of holy Doctrine being obscured what will be more fit to heal errours and stirr up the languishing strength of zeal than that an entire Worship be offered up both publickly and privately to God on this day while the holy Word of God is piously preached attentively heard the Sacred Mysteries devoutly and according to Christs institution celebrated Prayers poured into the hearts of the Faithful by the Holy Ghost are with all humility offered up to God Sacred Hymns sound in the Church with a godly joy the afflicted members of Christ and the poor provided for bountifully by the rich and those that are sound in mind do mercifully comfort them that are sorrowful These are those exercises of the Lords Day which will uphold Religion when it is falling which if they be religiously observed of the Church every one seeth how great an access will be made from thence to the Christian Religion which we all profess And these are the things Most Holy Church of Christ which in this elaborate Treatise I do not utter foolishly of my self but humbly offer all things to Thee as they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures where they afforded me any light in discussing of this dispute and the lights of purer Christianity not because as sometime Chrysostome Homil. post prioris exilii reditum Thou stand'st in need of my Doctrine which indeed I acknowledge to be but small but that I might testifie my good will to thee and that at length thy natural Sons to whom Religion is both their care and their pleasure may in some sort see what works they are to attend on that Day and from what to abstain and with what authority the institution of this solemnity is supported With Gods assistance I will briefly shew from the Holy Scriptures and Fathers of better credit asserting all these things Thou hast therefore most Beloved Mother the purpose of my mind in sending forth this little work Do thou then of thy humanity to thy friends pardon the mistakes how great soever they be in collecting these things and take in good part the slenderness of my wit which endeavoured according to its power to benefit chiefly thy natural sons that sojourn in Germany which I love upon many accounts This doth he humbly ask of thee Who loves Thee and Thine with a sincere Love in Christ Theophilus Philo-kuriaces Loncardiensis AN INDEX OF THE CHAPTERS BOOK 1. THe Preface in which first is propounded the Scope of this Treatise Secondly is shewn why we meet with more things about the duties of the Lords Day in the later than in the former Councils Thirdly how far the Church at this day may be obliged by the authorities of Provincial Councils that ordain these duties although some things of lesser value be put among their Canons Fol. 1. Chapter 1. That to the solemn Worship of God a determined time is necessary Concerning the Assemblies of the Apostles and how they were present in the Jewish Synagogues on the Sabbath day 1. Chap. 2. The ordinary time observed for celebrating the publick worship of God after Christs death was the Lords day solemnly used by the Christian Church in the very Apostles age Three Texts of the New Testament namely Acts 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 2. and Rev. 1 10. are briefly weighed 14. Chap. 3. After the Apostles death the Church met upon other dayes than the Lords The antient Christians observed the Sabbath not as an holy day the differences between the observation of the Lords day and Sabbath How Constantine the Great ordained the Parasceve to be observed Anniversary Festivals were not celebrated with that solemnity as the Lords Day Anniversary Festivals not to be preferred to the Lords days anciently they bowed not the knee on the Lords Day 30. Chap. 4. The chief of the Fathers make mention of the Lords day solemnity the authority whereof depends not upon the Emperours Constitutions When it was first ordained that Judges should cease from hearing Law-suits on the Lords day the Christians were punished for observing it VVhat it is Dominicum agere 52. Chap. 5. The reason of observing the Lords Day It 's called the first day of the week by the Evangelists and Fathers and the Lords day Sunday also and why the Sabbath and Christian Sabbath VVhy the Fathers used so seldome the name Sabbath VVhat Synaxis may signifie with the Ancients 66. Chap. 6. The whole Lords Day is to be sanctified to God and not onely some part thereof 77. Chap. 7. The ordinance of the Lords day is not properly to be reckoned amongst unwritten Traditions It was instituted of Christ by the Apostles The Apostles prerogatives above other Ministers of the Church the things ordained by the Apostles are of Divine right 90. Chap. 8. In the compass of a week one day was sanctified from the beginning of the world This is affirmed by Jews and Christians How Adam had need of the Sabbath Mention of a seventh day observed amongst the Heathen The authorities are weighed wherein the observation
manifest which it will be worth the while to know that for convocating the Church ordinarily more days were set apart after the Apostles death than the former Church observed Concerning the Assemblies of the Church while the Apostles were yet alive some things observable do occurr in the Evangelists the Holy Ghosts amanuenses and the faithful describers of the Acts of the Apostles in declaring whereof we will first consider what is recorded of the Apostles in this thing and then of the other members of the Church And first of all we will shortly touch upon the assemblies of the Apostles although they cannot truly be reputed amongst the ordinary conventions of the Church because which way soever the Apostles turned they took every occasion to preach the Gospel because they open us a way to understand others After the saving Passion of Jesus Christ our most merciful Redeemer the mention of the first of these at which were present the rest excepting Thomas occurrs Joh. 20. 19. in which Christ vouchsafed his presence The occasion of which meeting is not mentioned but doubtless as all Interpreters conjecture this was done that by their mutual presence they might comfort one another For as many as are Christs do perpetually incline to communicate all things whether their sorrows or joyes among themselves and then their Lord being gone their greatest fear was of the Jews for which cause we read that the place wherein they held their meeting was shut and barred when the Apostles were assembled they conferred among themselves of what divers related of Christs Resurrection the time of this meeting is noted in John it was the first day of the week and about evening of that day or after Sun-set at which time Christ having conquered the grave and death presented himself to them alive Secondly after eight dayes or the eighth day current from his appearing the same Evangelist tells us John 20. 26. that they were all met together where Jesus came again and stood in the midst of them Here some make a question whether the day of their second meeting was the eighth from the first or after the eighth day Cyril affirms it was the eighth or Lords day the first and last being reckoned neither doth it hinder that it 's said after eight dayes Christ taught that the Son of man must suffer many things c. and after three dayes rise again Mar. 8. 31. yet Christ rose from the dead on the third day from his burial not after the third day So also 't is said Luke 2. 21. When eight dayes were accomplished for the circumcising of the Child i. e. on the eighth very day for the H. Ghost speaks of the eighth day current and not finished so here after eight dayes or on the eighth day are all one It must be added also that Christ appeared in the evening of that day Afterwards some of the Apostles were together when they went to fish to whom also Jesus appeared Thirdly the General convention of all the Apostles is declared Act. 1. 4. in which they were commanded not to depart from Jerusalem but there wait for the promise of the Father and thither they came after the glorious Ascension of Christ where being gathered together they tarried for the Spirit promised of God the Father and Christ Luke reports that women also were present at this Congregation of the Apostles where they continued their meeting till the Feast of Pentecost abiding with one accord in Prayer and Supplication which fell out also on the first day of the week So thinks Isychius who sayes the day of Pentecost fell out on that day which our Saviour rose on and indeed whoever shall compare his reckoning with the Law of God about keeping Pentecost will find that Isychius in this misses not the truth at all For the day of Pentecost which the Scripture elsewhere calls the Feast of Weeks or of New-fruits because on that day the Shew-bread was offered out of the new fruits was the fiftieth inclusively from the day of offering the First-fruits Lev. 23. which was the day immediately next after the Passover on which the Lord Jesus who was the first-fruits of the dead lay in the Grave and the fiftieth day from that inclusively was the first in the week upon which the H. Ghost descended on the Apostles as they were that day assembled Act. 2. These are the meetings which the Holy Scripture testifies the blessed Apostles held upon the fiftieth day from Christs resurrection which being held upon the first day of the Week Christ oftentimes honoured with his presence But why they met on that and not another day it is not easie to declare although one may guess at the cause of the first and last meeting yet hath the Holy Ghost shewn us nothing of the second occasion And it 's uncertain whether Christ before his death or for those forty dayes wherein he reasoned with them after his resurrection of things pertaining to the Kingdome of God gave his Apostles any command for setting apart some new time for their meetings Epiphanius sayes they knew very well that the Sabbath was at an end from his converse with them and Doctrine before his Passion This at least is an indubitable truth that they met on the first day of the week and that Christ made renowned their meeting held on that day by his own gracious presence and mission of the Holy Ghost And St. Cyril must be credited Holy Congregations are held at this day of right in Churches because on that day Jesus appeared to his Apostles as they were met together Nor doth Isychius think otherwise in the place afore quoted Therefore according to those most grave Fathers because the eighth day was made famous with the presence of Christ and the gifts of the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven it is at this day also by the Church solemnized with a more honourable worship Afterwards the Apostles together with the faithful are said daily to meet to hear the word of God and receive bread Act. 2. 46. Yea the Apostles ceased not to teach from house to house and in the Temple Act. 5. 42. And these are the things which the Holy Ghost hath afterwards left us written in the Holy Scriptures concerning the Apostles meetings to the solemnizing whereof we read not that they observed a certain or set time because they had to do with the Jews to whom before others according to the ancient prophecies the Gospel was to be declared Therefore the Apostles were often present at the Jews assemblies â—nd that upon their Sabbaths And whether the Apostles when first they went forâ—â—â—o preach the Gospel met apart from the Jews amongst themselves on other daâ—â—s the Holy Ghost is silent in the Scriptâ—re But at that time the Candidates of Christianity being hindred with fear of the Jews could not without great difficulty meet together We must then think they held their
called did occurr therefore since he tarried there but only for one Sabbath it cannot be said he preached to them on one of the Sabbath◠neither is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as divers observe ever read in the New Testament for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It follows therefore from thence necessarily that Sabbatum should be taken for the whole week and then on one or the first of the Sabbaths will be all one In which sense that phrase occurrs else where as in Mar. 16. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. very early in the morning the first day of the week as in the ninth verse of the same chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there the Evangelist expounds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. one by the first And so the Greek Fathers next the Apostles times interpreted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Martyr Dial. cum Tryph. sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. One of the Sabbaths remaining the first of all the dayes according to number the spaces of all the dayes being run again into a circle is called the eighth and remaineth the first as it is p. 201. Chrysoft Hom. 43. in Act. Apostol expounds one of the Sabbaths by the Lords Day So Hieronymus Nor otherwise Augustine Ep. 86. One of the Sabbaths sayes he was then called that day which now is called the Lords which is more plainly found in the Gospel Some also by breaking of bread understand a private banquet not the Lords Supper of which doubt this seems to be the cause In that age the Christians meeting in the Church did sup together and also received the H. Eucharist and so both tables the common and sacred were joyned together as Chrysostom teaches Hom. 26. in 1 Cor. Upon set dayes they made common tables and when the assembly was ended after communion of the Sacraments they went to eat and drink together And hence it was as Chrysostom thinks that they Acts 20. 7. met to break common bread because when the communion was celebrated the common table followed and Chrysostom affirms in the beginning of that Hom. that the day on which they met was the Lords and that all things that there were done were joyned to preaching But the breaking of bread in the foresaid place is to be expounded of the Holy Eucharist for there were sundry there and Paul took bread not at Supper time but mid-night In that Text therefore the duties of a Christian Sabbath such are an holy assembly breaking of bread or admistration of the Lords Supper preaching of the Word devout Prayers c. are read to be performed of the Church on that day which holy duties were not performed of them on another day otherwise Paul having stayed there the space of seven dayes could not have deserred them to this day especially when he was to depart the day following neither doth Luke affirm the Apostle to have proclaimed this meeting of the Church as extraordinary because he was to depart the day after but he teacheth that the Church met namely as it was wont to break bread and not to take leave of the Apostle and St. Augustine consesses that Pauls departure was the express cause of continuing his speech because he desired sufficiently to instruct them The received custome therefore of the Church and not the blessed Apostles departure from Troas gave occasion to this assembly For he stayed there seven dayes not so much for the Eucharist as waiting for the Lords Day Whence it appears that that Text shews that the Apostolical Church kept solemnly the Lords Day in the publick exercises of Religion But upon what authority the Christians met on that day we will afterwards examine here it 's enough for me only to demonstrate that they did meet on that day The second Text out of which the celebration of the Lords Day is shown is 1 Cor. 16. 1. 2. Now concerning the collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. upon the first day of the week c. The former place taught us that the Apostle Paul did celebrate the Lords Day with the Church this that he commands it to be celebrated by the Church And his practise is not here only recorded but here is mention made of his Apostolical ordination about that thing Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be taken distributively for upon the first day of every week In which Apostolical command nothing is commanded the Church of Corinth which is not also required of the whole Church of Christ according to the golden rule of Tertullian very profitable for understanding of the Scripture Some things saith he uttered specially are to be understood generally which rule cannot but have place in this Text because what things the Apostle writ to the Church of Corinth the same belong to all that call upon the name of Christ in every place he himself being witness 1 Cor. 1. 2. Moreover who will deny that all who have given their name to Christ are bound to relieve their necessities For you must not think sayes Chrysostom that these things were written to the Corinthians alone but to every one of us and all that shall be after us Let us do therefore as Paul prescribes us and let every one of us lay by him at home on the Lords Day the Lords riches i. to be employed for such use as the Lord hath prescribed and hereupon let it become a low and immutable custome c. Therefore in Chrysostoms judgment the Apostle applies the manner of the Church in collecting almes on the Lords Dayes for the benefit of afflicted brethren which were then at Hierusalem which office of Christian Charity although no brethren liv'd in that place ought not to be omitted of Christians but in Chrysostoms opinion is to be established by an inviolable law for ever as it was done even as it appears by Justin Martyr and Tertullians Apologies in the succeeding Church I only add this Although a general law for making collections on that day to the use of the poor be set down by the Apostle yet they that at this day do it at other times must not be judged transgressors of the Apostles law That kind of collection was not so affixed to the Lords Day as it could not be done on other dayes although a peculiar reason was in it why they did rather on that than another day namely for the Church-assemblies held at that time and no time as Chrysostom witnesseth which we shall see afterwards is more fit to perform that office on than the Lords Day Others again set to another Engine by which they oppose the usual interpretation of the Apostles foresaid phrase and contend that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie every day of the week singulam Sabbatum This they assert not because it 's the probable construction of the Apostles words but that they might
elude if they could the genuine interpretation received every where of the Church But whoever shall weigh with himself the blessed Apostles purpose who did studiously provide that his ordinances should not be a burden to the Churches of Christ which in those dayes for most what consisted of men of an inferiour condition will not easily admit that the Apostle did so ordain that collections should be made daily neither is it like that he should ordain that these should be gathered on every Sabbath properly so called since when the Apostle was present at Corinth the Christians could not meet in one place much less after his departure from them was it safe for them to frequent the Jewes Synagogues on the Sabbath day Let that place Act. 18. 17. be consulted Lastly neither must we believe that the Christian Corinthians did hold their publick meetings on the Sabbath day amongst themselves since they were held on the Lords dayes in every place neither is there extant any testimony in the whole Volume of the Scriptures by which it can be shown that the Christians kept Sabbath-day meetings among themselves or apart from the Jews Therefore the received Exposition of the Apostles words is to be retained namely that the Apostle did ordain in the Church of Corinth yet when they met for Religion weekly as the Lords dayes returned almes should be collected for the poors use and they seem privately to have laid aside what their condition permitted to bestow for the comfort and relief of the poor and that which was thus laid aside they kept with themselves till the first day in the week at what time they deposited it with the Rulers of the Church for the poors use He that shall more considerately weigh the Apostles phrase may well enough see this was his meaning for he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. against the first day in every week or when the first of every week comes so as is said amongst the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Water ready for washing ones hands In like manner the Almes which were privately laid aside of every one were deposited on the first day of the week for the help of the needy and then when the Church met are said to be gathered because their collection was made of those who privately had laid them aside on the Lords day or or first day of the week Le◠admonished his hearers because on the Lords day there should be a Collection toprepare themselves for a voluntary devotion and that every one according to his ability might have fellowship in that most sacred oblation from which testimony one may easily gather that the Christians laid aside by themselves their Collections against the Lords day which then they deposited with the Rulers of the Church to be bestow'd Although Chrysostom thinks that the people reserved their almes laid aside on the Lords day till the Apostle himself came to whom they should be brought in but the former exposition doth more agree with the custom of the Church The third place is Rev. 1. 10. where there is had express mention of the Lords day out of which almost all Writers fetch the custome of the Lords day solemnity from the very Apostles time For the Lords day as we see is expounded by as well ancient as late Interpreters of Scripture to be the first day in the week and some new expositions of that phrase which cannot stand with the signification of the Lords day in the Evangelists themselves and some famous Writers next the Apostles age are solidly resuted by divers and therefore omitting them we set it down for a certain that in the Apostles age that I may use Ribera's words on Rev. 1. the solemnity of the Sabbath was changed into the Lords Day being consecrated by the Resurrection of our Lord. For it 's not once that it appears from Scripture that the Apostolical Church kept solemn the Lords Day by celebrating the Supper preaching the Word and collecting of Alms in which the true manner of solemnizing it doth consist Yea the history of the Apostles travels lets us know that the Christians of that time held not their ordinary meetings but upon the Lords day He that shall teach the contrary confiding in Scripture authority I will freely hear although after the Apostles death the succeeding Church in some places as afterwards we shall see kept their meeting on the Sabbath dayes In the mean time we find that the Lords day in the Apostles age the sacred records attesting the same was solemnly observed Which thing was first to be proved by us CHAP. III. After the Apostles death the Church met upon other dayes than the Lords The ancients observed the Sabbath not as an holy day The differences between the observation of the Sabbath and Lords Day How Constantine the Great ordained the Parasceve to be observed Anniversary Festivals were not celebrated with that solemnity as the Lords Day Not bowing the knees on the Lords Day Anniversary Festivals not to be preferred to the Lords Day NOne who will diligently look into the gravest writers of the following ages shall be ignorant that after the Apostles were dead the Church did in all Nations celebrate the Lords Day which that it may more plainly be known to all we must know as I said in the first Chapter when the Apostles were translated to Heaven the number of dayes on which ordinarily the Church-meetings were had received an increase For while the Apostles were alive the Christians ordinarily held their meetings on the Lords dayes only but afterwards the ordinary time for performing the exercises of publick worship was not only weekly but anniversary that came every week this but once every year But here we will not speak of the extraordinary and anniversary festivals that were used by the succeeding Church but of the ordinary time returning every week destined for Religious exercises Where in the first place it will be for the Readers profit to consider that although the use of the Lords day spread abroad through the world in the Church of God yet in some places the Church had weekly her publick meetings on other dayes besides the Lords Socrates acknowledges the Sabbath and Lords Day for feasts returning every week on which meetings were wont to be kept Hist 6. c. 8. And elsewhere when he treats of the sundry rites of Churches l. 5. c. 22. he tells us that the Presbyters and Bishops of Cappadocia Cesaria and Cyprus did interpret the Scriptures on the Sabbath and Lords Day When Sozomen noteth the time of calling the Church together he sayes some met on the Sabbath and the day after the Sabbath Epiphanius in Panario contr Heresi lib. 3. T. 2. acknowledgeth that the Church met upon the Wednesday instead of the Sabbath and Lords Day When St. Austin shews what Christians must do when they see the customes of Churches to vary he confesses that
some do daily partake of the Lords blood and body on the Lords day which all the ancients do witness was done in the Church-assembly and others only on the Sabbath and Lords day and in other places only on the Lords day Hierom acknowledges the Christians did observe Quartam Sabbati Parasceven and the Lords day although he shews they differed from the Jews in the observation of those dayes The testimonies of the Fathers hitherto mentioned do shew that although the use of the Lords day grew every where yet the Church had in some places oftener in others more rarely their weekly meetings whereupon it seemed equal and just to some to ordain other dayes which the succeeding Church proclaimed for publick meetings to be equallized with the Lords day and that chiefly for three causes first the publick meetings of the Church were held on other dayes besides the Lords Secondly the Christians were bound to the same duties of Religion on other dayes appointed by the Church for meetings which were required by the Church on the Lords day Lastly some Feasts the Anniversary namely were more esteemed in the Church than the Lords and these things are confidently enough affirmed that they might shew if by any means they could that the original and obligation of the Lords day and other Festivals is the same both which they set forth to the world for humane but let them look to it to whom they affirm it lest they be twit with that of Ezek. 43. 8. But that the prerogatives of the Lords Day above others may more clearly appear let us by Gods help weigh of what value the reasons are with which they contend for other feasts to be equallized with the Lords day which that it may be done with plainness we will first clearly distinguish the Church-assemblies held on the Sabbath dayes from others which were held on the Lords day relying upon the gravest testimonies of the ancients then by Gods assistance we will shew the peculiar excellency of the Lords Day for the dignity whereof it is superiour to other dayes while others contend against it in vain First we affirm that excepting the Lords there was no other weekly we speak of stated and ordinary holy day with the whole Church next the Apostles We have heard in the first Chapter that the Christians met on the first day of the week and for the allegations in this chapter out of the Fathers and Historians for the observation of the Sabbath they cannot demonstrate that the Sabbath was observed by the Christian Church as an holy day which unless it be first explicated they that peruse the records of the Ancients will haply fall into a troublous matter After the Apostles death Socrates Sozomen Epiphanius Hieronymus Augustine and if there be any more say that the Church in the publick assembly did perform the duties of piety as the Sabbaths came about yet whoever shall say that the Sabbath was neither accounted holy nor equalled to the Lords day will do no wrong to the truth Who will say the Sabbath is holy when in the holy Records a tittle cannot be read of its institution or observation in the Christian Church as is of the Lords day but that the Lords day was instituted of the Apostles indued with extraordinary power and moved by the Holy Ghosts inspiration we will afterwards by the Grace of God inform you Yea let him tell who can that the Christians in the Apostles age met by themselves on Sabbath dayes which thing yet they did on the Lords dayes is apparent enough from the Scriptures but after the Apostles death I deny not that the Christians met together on Sabbath dayes although they accounted not the Sabbath holy and those assemblies were chiefly in use with the Oriental people according to some because the Jews dispersed in the Orient and accustomed to the Sabbatical solemnity could not easily be contented to be plucked from it although they observed the Lords Day which what is it else to do but brand them with Ebionism or as Baronius thinks because certain Hereticks reproached the Sabbath that the God of the Hebrews whom they called Evil rested on that day therefore they fasted on the Sabbath Contrariwise the Catholicks not Judaizing but that they might worship him as God the Father Creator of heaven and earth with a solemn celebrity said that in honour of him the Sabbath as well as the Lords day to the glory of Christ ought to be celebrated Thus they To whom Vedelius in his notes on Ignatius's tenth Epistle numb 6. doth answer Learnedly and Orthodoxly enough Or because the Sabbath hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. a regard of creation as is defined in the Constitutions which they call the Apostles But how much these kind of conjectures are to be valued that are supported with no reasons of any authority or genuine testimonies of the Fathers let others judge It 's without controversie that the Oriental Christians and others did at that time hold assemblies on the Sabbath day although upon what reasons they were chiefly moved to this it is not well enough known by the Writers of that age Yet did they not hold the Sabbath day holy The difference of the Eastern from the Western Church in observing the Sabbath teacheth this while the Oriental people kept holy day on the Sabbath most in the West fasted I say the most of them because they of Millain though in the West and divers others of the West were not attentive to fast on Sabbath dayes but dined soberly Ambrose had a custome to dine on the Sabbath Witness Paulinus Ambrose confesseth this of himself in Augustine Augustine acknowledgeth he dined on the Sabbath without superstitious vacation Ep. 86. Yet the Roman Church and some others and at length every where even they of the East fasted on the Sabbath These things about those who fasted on the Sabbath do not declare that they acknowledged it for a Feast or holy day on which fasting was altogether to be forborn according to the custome of the Church Aug. Ep. 86. and other Authors being witnesses yet that the Lords day was accounted holy at that time is granted of all Moreover the Sabbath was not every where amongst the Christians observed with that solemnity of the Church as the Lords day For the meetings were not held in the same manner on Sabbaths as on the Lords dayes Some things touching both observed out of the Fathers will shew this 1. What things are reported of Historians and others about observing the Sabbath touching gathering assemblies were not used in every Church every where For in the Churches of Rome and Alexandria the manner of meeting on the Sabbath held not Witness Sozom. Hist l. 7. c. 19. and afterwards in other Churches it grew out of use Athanasius Hom. de semente glorieth that he never medled with the Sabbath after the Jews manner namely Tertul.
manner as the Church did in remembrance of the Lords Resurrection doth make mention of this day whence it is collected that the Church did celebrate the Lords day otherwise Eusebius had not affirmed that the Ebionites had done it after the same manner as the Church did And the testimonies which follow teach us the same Cyprian mentions this day which he calls the first after the Sabbath Basilius M. saith the Church standing up made their supplications on the first day of the week which he calls the beginning of dayes De Sp. Sanct. c. 27. Chrysostom saith on the first day of the week or the Lords day the Christians ceased from all labour that by their relaxation and holy dayes the minds of the offerers might become more cheerful Ambrose on the Lords day after the readings and treating of the Creed communicated Baptism to the Competentes i. to those who being instructed in the Christian faith sought Baptism Aug. Retract lib. 1. ch 17. libro de Fide operibus cap. 6. at the Fonts of the Church We meet with frequent mention of this day in St. Austin Ep. 119. c. 13. and in the end of those Books De Civit. Dei lib. 22. c. 30. also Serm. 15. de verbis Apostoli and many times elsewhere Hilary saith the Church doth joyfully celebrate a Festival on the eighth day which is also it self the first of a perfect week Prol. in Psalmos Amongst the Holy-dayes confirmed by the laws of the Emperours Valens Theodosius and Arcadius the Sundayes which their Ancestors rightly called the Lords-dayes were reckoned Leo also and Athenius ordain the Lords day to be alwayes venerable and honoured a Leo in the same place by his eleventh law ordains that all should cease from their labours on the Lords dayes I can also bring forth many more testimonies for confirming the truth of this solemnity yea of all that have flourish'd in the Church of Christ to this very day But I will add no more lest I should seem to lend light to the Sun and those that have been cited hitherto do abundantly enough declare that the Lords day was alwayes solemnly kept of the Church because the holy Fathers acknowledge it for the chief yea for an holy day On it the Church ceased from their labours on it solemn assemblies were kept or they rejoyced in the festival of the Sabbath perfected on it the Scriptures were handled the Sacraments were administred on it the Church made supplications and therefore it is numbred amongst the chief solemnities of the Christians and is provided for by the laws of godly Emperours that studied all they could to promote the Worship of God that the holy solemnity of that day should not be defiled by labours or any pleasures But although those most Religious Emperours ordained the Lords day as was fitting to be celebrated it would be ridiculous from thence to conclude that the Lords Festival was not celebrated in the Church before they came to the Empire The Christians as hath appeared from the premises attended to celebrate this Festival when as yet there were no Magistrates Christian on whose authority the ordination of the Lords day doth not depend even over the whole world when the preaching of the Gospel came For which cause as we shall by and by hear divers under Dioclesians Reign were punished But when the Emperours became Christian they ordained that the solemnity which was before observed of the Christians by Christs authority should also by their own laws be celebrated and took care that others should not defile it by worldly businesses or the pleasures of the Flesh but they did not institute it at the first Constantine the Great the first of the Christian Emperours having got the whole Roman Empire by publick Edict commanded his Subjects that they should observe the Christian Religion as witnesseth Sozomen yet no man well in his wits will thence inseâ—r that the Christian Religion was then first known to the world although the free exercise of it was not safe before he was set happily over the Government of the Empire So must we think of the Lords solemnity which the Church of God observed not without great danger before the Emperours embraced the Christian Faith but after that the Emperours became nursing-fathers of the Christian Religion they did it freely a Law being made of the Emperours for this end Moreover let none be offended that before the times of Constantine publick Judges did attend the hearing of Law-suits on the Lords day which to do was declared unlawful in his Reign as though if the Lords day had been formerly known to the World Magistrates had been forbidden the exercise of publick judicatures on that day that most godly Emperour greatly contended by all means that he could to promote our Religion and for the greater solemnity of this Festival provided that all Court clamour should on that day cease Before his most auspicious Government the publick Magistrates did attend Judicatures even on the Lords day and no wonder for before he got the stern of Government the Judges were not Christian but under his Reign the Christians began to bear almost all the Offices of the Roman Empire most whereof he dignified with authority some with the Senators office many also with the Consular dignity But after the Judges embraced the Christian truth they submitted themselves to this law of celebrating the Lords day with greatest good will and did rest the parties from their controversies in honour of that day I might also add this It was needful that one law being made for observing the Lords day by another he should interdict the Judges from the cognizance of causes on that day For it was provided by the Roman Laws That no Judge should presume on his own authority to make any holy dayes He therefore made this Law in favour of the Judges who might know on what dayes they should attend the Office which the Emperour committed to them and on what they should keep holy dayes free from the same These things thus being weighed in an equal scale it appeareth that the Law for not hearing Law-suits on the Lords day doth detract nothing from the honour of its solemnity but rather much conduce to favour it That I may at length put an end to this Chapter We have seen how the Fathers have piously admonished the Church to celebrate the Lords day and the Emperours by their Laws made for this purpose very carefully provided that the Christian people should obey their admonitions so also we may find it observable from the Writers of those times that the Christians did celebrate this day's solemnity with as much devotion of Religion as they could and therefore while they prayed on that day towards the East they fell into a suspicion of worshipping the Sun with the Heathen amongst whom they lived that hated the Christian name Yet could they by
CHAP. V. The Reason of observing the Lords Day was the Resurrection of Christ on that day it is called the first day of the week by the Evangelists and Fathers and Lords day and Sunday also and why the Sabbath and Christian Sabbath whereupon the Fathers did rarely use the name of Sabbath what the word Synaxis may signifie with the ancients THe things that are observed thus far have taught us that the Lords day was alwaies solemnized in the Church of Christ from his Resurrection now let us enter both upon opening the reasons for which the Primitive Christians were induced to this and also the names by which they usually called this day First one and the same reason of this days solemnity is assigned every where in the Fathers then it 's pointed out by the self-same names of them all though far remote from one another and the testimonies observed in the former Chapter do witness both these The Fathers plainly affirm that the Lords day was sacred with the Christians by reason of the Lords Resurrection and that he had a festival ever since that time So Ignatius Justin Martyr Constant Mag. Augustine c. in the places fore-cited But we meet with the reason of this Festival no where more accurately and to the life as they say painted out than in Athanasius de Sabb. Circumcis Of which place this is the summ to which because it is large I referr the Reader There Athanasius mentions a double world to the former whereof he tells us the saving Passion of Christ at which the Sun appeared not put an end and the beginning of a new creation came after it which took its beginning in our Saviour The Church relying on this reason which all the other Fathers acknowledge hath hitherto alwaies from the Resurrection of Christ had in reverence the Lords day namely because of the Lords Resurrection now the Resurrection presupposeth Christs Nativity and Death or the Resurrection is as it were the consummation of our Redemption therefore when the Apostles office is described of Luke Acts 1. 22. they are called witnesses of the Resurrection not because they testified of the Resurrection alone but since the Resurrection without which the Faith of Christians would be vain the great Apostle being witness 1 Cor. 15. is the chief article of the Gospel when they are said to give testimony of the Resurrection iqis as much as if they bore witness of the whole Gospel Hence it was that the ancients preferred the Passovers solemnity to all other Festivals Greg. Nazianzen calls it the festival of festivals a solemnity of solemnities which saith he doth so far excell all the other not only the humane and earthly but those also of Christ himself and are celebrated for his sake as the Sun excelleth the Stars because if he had not risen again neither had his Nativity nor Baptism nor the other Mysteries of Christ been confirmed nor made us believe them Therefore Gregory Nazianzen thinks the honour of that festival is far to be preferred to the solemnities of others as his interpreter Nicetas thinks Therefore while the Fathers consess that the Lords day was consecrated in memory of the Resurrection it 's the same as if they had said in memory of our Redemption which Resurrection is the chief point of the Gospel to hear and handle which on that day the Church is sequestred from Worldly affaires Some assign other reasons but this former is omitted by none although to it other are added by others Nor is there less harmonious consent amongst the ancient Fathers of the Church in the Name of this Festival than in assigning its reason and in its appellation they follow the Evangelists agreeing amongst themselves who were the Holy Ghosts amanuenses in whom it 's called by two names First it 's called by the Evangelists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 28. Mar. 16. Luk. 24. Joh. 20. So Acts 20. 7. and 1 Cor. 16. 2. as we have observed in the second Chapter In which places una Sabbatoruni must be expounded by the Lords day saith Chrysostom Whose interpretation Hierom follows and expounds the reason thereof Ad Hebidam Quest 4. Because saith he every week is divided into the Sabbath and into the first and second and third and fourth and fifth and sixth day which the Heathens called by the names of their Idols and Elements and therefore in those Fathers opinion una Sabbatorum by Enallage of the plural number for the singular for it s seldome read in the singular number in the Old Testament which manner the Writers of the New Testament do imitate and prima Sabbatorum are all one for the name of Sabbath among the ancients denoteth not only the last day in the week but the whole week also which from finishing the creation and the day of rest is called the Sabbath for its excellent dignity as Theophylact in Luc. 18. 2. that is to say for the reverence of this day the Hebrews called the whole week the Sabbath And in this sense is the Pharisee to be understood about the Sabbath when being puffed up with extream Pride amongst other things he glories of Fasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi twice a Sabbath There by Sabbath we must of necessity understand the whole Week by an Hebraism and not the last day thereof For the Pharisees as the most learned searchers of Hebrew antiquity have often observed which thing also Epiphanius puts us in mind of instituted two Fasts every week namely on Munday and Thursday therefore the Lords day was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or una Sabbatorum as in the Evangelists and Apostles so in the Writers of the following age he that will look into their writings shall find examples enow And this for the first name of this day in the Scriptures The second is extant in Rev. 1. 10. where that which was before called of all the Evangelists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John calls it denominative with an article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Lords Day and is hitherto called by that agnomination amongst the most ancient Fathers both Greek and Latine since the Apostles age which he that will consult them shall not deny So Ignatius Epist ad Magnes Eusebius when he speaks of the Ebionites Hist l. 3. c. 21. de Dionysio Corinthiaco Hist l. 4. c. 22. Cyp. Ep. 59 c. after the name of our Saviour Constantine the Great saith it 's called Dominicum because as Austin the Lord made it This reason perhaps will be of no great weight with some since the Lord made all other dayes but he seems to have made this day after a special manner namely by his Resurrection the commemoration of which benefit succeedeth the memory of the Creation from the dead whereby he perfected our Salvation or else because it was then destinated for worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ Austin assigneth both these reasons when he saith
the Lords Resurrection hath consecrated for us the Lords day and it seems properly to belong to the Lord. It is therefore called the Lords because the Lord hath instituted its solemnity as the Lords Prayer is so called because the Lord endited it or the Lords Supper because Christ instituted it or else because it was chiefly instituted for the Lord and his worship while the Lord Christ is worshipped upon it but some others contend it is so called because that by the Lords Resurrection a way is opened to an eternal Sabbath but the former is more common and received of most Justin Martyr calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sunday about the beginning of his second Apology and his follower Tertullian writes that he and the Church gave themselves to rejoyce on the Sunday But in this they agree with the Heathen who use this word to whom they both directed their Apologies in which it is so named and to whom the names used by the Church were unknown For they distinguished the names of the seven dayes in the week by the names of the Planets yet in the Church it was called the Lords day so Justin disputing against Trypho a Jew useth a name accommodated to the man and calleth the Lords day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tertullian also when he deals with the Christians useth the name Lords day as in his Book de Corona cap. 3. and lib. de Idol c. 14. and very seldome Sunday Hierom although spurious yet very willingly confesseth that it may be called Sunday because on it light arose to the world and the Sun of righteousness with healing in his wings A speech also which is reckoned amongst Ambrose's saith that the day which is called the Lords day in the Church by the men of the world is called Sunday where the name is set down by which it was called both by the Church and others In other Authors it is also called Sunday but Austin shews us that the Manichees rather than the Christians called it so Ye saith he to the Manichees worship the Sun on that day which they call Sunday as we call the same the Lords day because on it we reverence not the Sun but the Lords Resurrection And elsewhere he is earnest that Christians should not call dayes by Heathen names for the Church manner of speaking comes better from a Christian mouth Moreover also I am not ignorant that other of the Fathers do sometime express this day otherwise Cyprian sometimes calleth it the eighth because it is the eighth from the beginning of the Creation sometimes the first after the Sabbath So Tertullian Of Basil it is called the onely the first the eighth de Sp. Sanct. c. 27. By Hilary the eighth and first in his Prol. to the Expos of the Psalms So Aug. Epist 119. c. 13. While Chrysostom nippeth the Jews for abusing the Sabbath to idleness he sharply taxeth others also that indulged their vices on festival dayes under the name of the Sabbath The Feasts of Christians are called Sabbaths by Ruffinus the enemies saith he do deride our Sabbaths Ruffinus speaks there of the Christian not Jewish Sabbaths Athanasius says that he observed the Sabbath day not as it was prima aetate in the beginning of the world The Lords day with Origen is the Sabbath and the Christian Sabbath Where without doubt Origen speaks of the Lords day otherwise men must cease all the dayes of their life from worldly affairs which is required on the Christian Sabbath ibidem In the Council of Friuli Can. 13. the Sabbath is called Dedicatum Domini i. e. Dedicated to the Lord. But although the ancients have sometimes called the Lords day the Sabbath from its parent as it were the Jewish Sabbath as in the Scriptures the Holy Ghost calls Baptism Circumcision yet it 's certain they very rarely do note this day by the name of the Sabbath especially because they opposed the Jews that gloried in the Sabbaths solemnity whose observation they judged necessary to obtain eternal life as appears from Trypho in Justin Martyr and that contemned the Gospel And like as the Christians had nothing to do with the Jews in celebrating the Feast of the Passover because they abhorred to keep it with them at the same time as witnesseth Socrates lib. 5. cap. 22. so they abstained from names of Feasts in use with the Jews lest as St. Austin when he enquires whether a true Christian be to be called a Jew or Israelite for the ambiguity of the word which usual speech discerneth not that might seem to be uttered which is an enemy to the Christian name we ought not to confound the custome of mans speech by foolish loquacity for this reason we meet with the name of Sabbath rarely amongst the ancients This is also to be added because while the first Fathers were alive both the Sabbath and Lords day were observed of the Church although not in the same manner as we have before shewed out of the Fathers While therefore they spake of the Lords day they were forced to abstain from the word Sabbath that they might distinguish the Lords day from it and that difference they have also observed strictly in other things Like as what Collecta is with the Latines with the Greeks it is Synaxis namely a meeting of the Church as the word means And although it be derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence also the word Synagogue yet the first Christians which the learned Casaubon observeth for the nonce have abstained from the word Synagogue that they might discriminate the Christian meetings from the Jewish Synagogues therefore they called their assemblies Synaxes not Synagogues by Synaxin is meant the meeting of the Church it 's plain from Socrates speaking of the Alexandrians administring all things pertaining ad Synaxin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. besides the celebration of the Mysteries where he plainly distinguisheth between Synaxin and Eucharistiae administrationem So not once in Chrysostom the name of Synaxis is general which comprizeth all things that were wont to be done in the Christian assemblies and is distinguished from their oblation Hom. 18. in Act. Ap. where he teaches that in the Churches of Villages and Towns the Sacrament was wont to be celebrated only on Lords dayes but Prayers and hymns and Synaxes every day But this by the bye that it may appear to us how it was ordinary with Christians to abstain from words in use with the Jews therefore they are read seldome to have used the word Sabbath but as once Alexander Hales because the Sabbath day taken in determinately is called the day of rest or vacation to God after this manner the Lords day may be called the Sabbath day without any prejudice of the Christian name or scandal of Christians More names of this day do also occurr in other of the Fathers who only obiter ex re
nata have so named that day but when they speak of it properly then they call it the Lords day which cannot but appear to him that vieweth their writings And thus far of the reason of observing this solemnity and of its names CHAP. VI. The whole Lords day is to be sanctified to God and not onely some part of it THus far these notes although scribled with an hasty pen have told us that Christians must keep holy the Lords day and that they largely enough shew was done from the very Apostles age The second Question which I have propounded follows namely Whether the Church must keep the whole Lords day holy Some there are who grant that the Lords day must be sanctified yet contend that the whole and entire day is not to be celebrated in the religious devotion of Piety in whose judgment as much as this solemnity requires is done if onely some although but some small part thereof be dedicated to Divine Worship neither do they judge otherwise of the Lords day alwayes to be counted dear amongst Christians than the Heathens anciently did of those dayes amongst them called intercisi which were common to the Gods and men for at some hours of them it was lawful to sit in judgement and in some not But who well in his wits shall judge that a day in this manner is to be dedicated to the Good and Great God The Lord hath not reckoned the other dayes of the week thus for our use neither will he suffer willingly his day to be sanctified of us by halves It was provided under the Law that if any had by vow consecrated a thing to God and he afterwards repented of his vow and would not suffer that thing to be sold or prized openly but determined to keep it to himself then was he to be fined in a fifth part over and besides the ordinary estimation of the thing for his levities sake If nothing must be diminished of those things that are dedicated to God although once they were in our own power much less will it be safe to detract any thing from the time consecrated to God but rather add something to it of our own for what is consecrated to God must not be be converted to another use Therefore they that compare the Jews inhabiting Tiberias with others that dwell in the Mountains do judge those and deservedly far to be preferred to these for it was a familiar thing with them who had the shorter day to add something of the profane to the sacred but these that were sited in the Mountains who had the longer day added to the profane taking something from the sacred If it be better in those mens judgment to add of the profane to the sacred than to take from the sacred and add to the profane in what case are they to be reckoned who are not afraid to steal a great part of time from the Lords day consecrated of the Lord by his Apostles to sacred uses and apply it to profane Yet although some here impatient of true Piety do seek a knot in a bulrush as the Proverb is yet by these mens leave I will say He that will follow the wholsome counsel of Irenaeus shall indeed find it is no Gordian Knot Irenaeus gives pious counsel in any question when a disputation doth arise we must have recourse to the most ancient Churches from whom may be learned what we must judge of the present question Indeed if we would but here follow the advice of this Reverend Prelate it will be an easie thing to untie that knot by the authorities of the ancients In the first place when the Fathers speak of sanctifying a day they make mention not of some small portion thereof but of a whole day and to what end should not a day consist of the same termes with us as it did with the ancients Since Austin piously teacheth us that in the equality of all modern years and dayes which have terminated in the same space of time in former ages as have now being determined within the diurnal and nocturnal course of twenty four hours there is the same space of time with the former And for what he addeth of the forty dayes whereon continual great rain is mentioned which were not determined in the space of two hours or little more the same we may safely conclude of the Sanctification of the Lords day since it consists of the same term of hours that other dayes in the week do the manner of its solemnity is not to be judged by the space of two or three houres Nor doth Austin think otherwise if that Sermon may be reckoned among his genuine writings who judgeth that on the Lords dayes we must attend Divine worship only and exhorts to celebrate the Lords day with a religious solemnity as the ancients were commanded about the Sabbath yea and not without indignation doth he reprove those that refused to follow the custom of the Church in this thing who as he speaketh reckon one point of this day to the service of God and the remaining space of the day together with the night to their pleasures According to the grave judgment of this Author whoever he was the entire day and not some small part of it is to be assigned to the service of God and that according to the custom of the Church and though he differ from some others in defining the period of time at which the sanctification of this day should begin namely from Evening yet hath he others agreeing with him in the continuance of this sanctification for before him Origen upbraids some that reckoned one or two hours of the whole day to God and came to Church to Prayer or heard the word of God in transitu but spent their chief care about this world and their belly The same thing doth St. Chrysostom require who thinks that the whole day must be sanctified I think saith he that one of these seven dayes and that of right is to be spent in the worship and service of the God of us all Hom. 3. in Joh. Chrysostom shews that a day must be sanctified and he his own best interpreter will teach us what he understands by the name of a day From the beginning sayes he God insinuated this Doctrine to us teaching us that in the compass of a week one whole day is to be set apart and reserved for our spiritual work Hom. 10. in Genes From his authority it also appeareth that a whole day and not some small portion thereof is to be set apart from other affairs to perform the duties of piety thereon in a spiritual manner The same author more plainly doth seriously contend with his Auditors in another place for sanctifying the whole day Hom. 5. in Math. The Sabbaths according to Irenaeus did teach persevering to serve God the whole day what other thing doth perseverantiam totius diei mean but that a
no be bound by the Fourth Command in the Decalogue to sanctifie one day weekly Amongst equal estimates of things saith the foresaid Learned Divine it cannot but be without controversie that it is as well for Christians as Jews having finished their labours on the six dayes to sanctifie the seventh that with the Jews they acknowledge that they worship the most blessed and Almighty God the Maker of Heaven and Earth But although in this both Jew and Christian do agree that when they have spent six dayes in their labours on the seventh they should rest yet they differ amongst themselves in the determination or designation of the day destined to this holy rest For the Christians keep holy that day which to the Jews was the first in the week and call it the Lords day that they might prove themselves the servants of God who in the dawning of that day subdued the Devil that spiritual Pharaoh and redeemed his people from a spiritual servitude by raising up Jesus Christ our Lord from the dead who hath regenerated the Christian Church not unto a sublunary Canaan but unto a lively hope of an immortal inheritance preserved for us in the Heavens And that I may dispatch in a word The Christian by sanctifying the Lords day doth prosess that he is a Christian that is as St. Peter interprets it believes in hinâ— that raised up Christ from the dead Hence it easily appears that both Jews and Christians though the same day be not solemnized amongst them both were led by the same reason to sanctifie the seventh day which to the Jews might call to mind their liberty restored from Egypt and servitude of a worldly Pharaoh and to Christians from a spiritual Egypt and Pharaoh But lest any one should object unto me Christians might profess this by sanctifying the last day in the week I add moreover they could not do so by right for if the Christians should keep holy day after the manner of the Jews then they would declare that their spiritual Redemption was not yet perfected but yet did look for it especially whenas the Redemption of Israel out of Egypt by the Ministry of Moses was a type and pledge of our future and spiritual liberty by Christ and the inheritance of the earthly Canaan which those that were freed from Egyptian bondage did seek after prefigured a celestial inheritance which the redeemed by the holy Blood of Christ did look for Since therefore the shadow vanished when the body was present we must not believe in God foretelling future things by types and shadows but in him that hath most faithfully accomplished the truth according to the prophecies foretold by him So Austin against Faustus the Manichee It is not saith he a diverse doctrine but a different time it was one thing for these things that they must be foretold by figurative prophecies and another thing that they must now be fulfilled by the truth made manifest and accomplished As by an apt similitude Mr. D. G. illustrateth it There is saith he in all Nations the same law of all the Stars and the same motion although a great variety may arise from the difference of the Horizon whereupon it may be our day when it 's night with our Antipodes so the law of Nature is the same with us and the Jews yet in some things it admitteth of some mutation from the difference of the Horizon as I may say whilst they inhabited the old world and we the new that is the Sun of Righteousness on the seventh day came to their Meridian by Creation to ours on the eighth day by Christs Resurrection whence that which was a festival to them to us is none Although the Sabbath be translated to the Lords day yet for that reason its being a sign between God and his people is not taken away but translated to another day Neither is the thing changed that was signified by that sign but only the manner and circumstance of time and clearness of signification I will hasten therefore to demonstrate the cessation of celebrating the Sabbath after the Jewish manner and substitution of the Lords Day into its place both out of Scriptures and Fathers The holy writings of the Apostles do testifie that the observation of the Jewish Sabbath as well as other festivals in use amongst them is removed from off the Christians shoulders So St. Paul Col. 2. 16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the new moon or of the Sabbath dayes In that Chapter while the Apostle mentions various corruptions of the Sacred Religion which he teacheth will be profitable for the Church diligently to shun he reckons up three sorts of them the first whereof by false teachers was drawn from Philosophy the second from humane traditions the third from the rudiments of the world Now by the rudiments of the world he means the pedagogy of Moses out of which ver 16. he brings forth two corruptions to wit of the choice of meats prohibited by the Law and sanctifying of Festivals observed under the same Amongst the Jews there were divers Feasts some of great name and authorty celebrated yearly namely of the Passover Pentecost and Tabernacles and then besides these they celebrated their New Moons every Month and their Sabbath every week the Apostle affirms that all these Festivals which after a manner were the shadow of Christ to come and Christ their truth and body that is they did portend what afterwards were truly exhibited of Christ had their end when Christ was once come for when the body is come the shadow vanisheth Even as in the Emperours absence his image hath authority but when he is present hath not so these things also before the coming of the Lord in their time were to be observed but when he is come do want authority And therefore they that contend for observing the Sabbath after the Jewish manner do deny that Christ is come witness the blessed Apostle for gaping at the shadow they embrace not the body There was a time when they were to be trained up by the shadow but he that follows the shadow when the body is present is deceived Therefore from that place of the Apostle we must believe that the Jewish Sabbath of which he speaks under the number of a Multitude Sabbaths because it was celebrated every week and seldome do we meet with it in the singular number as before was observed is ceased by the coming of Christ or that Christ is not yet come The same Apostle sharply taxeth the Galatians for observing of days that having rejected the wholsom Doctrine of the Gospel they returned to the same beggarly Elements that is legal observations Gal. 4. 10. Ye observe saith he dayes and months and times and yeares Where according to Tertullian contra Marcion lib. 1. c. 20. Chrysostom Theodoret Primasius c. in Gal. 4. by dayes the Apostle understandeth
Festival namely Christ whom he tells us translated the Sabbath day into the Lords and then denies that the Church of her self or by her own authority did ordain that translation for saith he we set not light by the Sabbath of our selves Therefore Athanasius being Judge it appears that the Church doth not of her self but by the authority of Christ whereby the Lords day was ordained observe its solemnity and honour it as he else where speaketh And let it move no body that while he expresseth the honour wherewith the Church honoureth it he doth not speak in that manner of its institution as of the Sabbath of which when he speaks he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as God hath commanded but when he mentions the Lords day he only saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we hnour the Lords day Nor doth he say that this honour is given of the Church to the Lords day by authority of any Divine precept Let this I say move no body as if Athanasius had acknowledged the institution of this solemnity to be received from the Churches ordination and not Christs for if this grave Prelate had so meant it he would have contradicted himself as appeareth out of the place forecited Homil de sement in which he plainly acknowledgeth not the Church but the Lord to be the author of the Lords day neither can any thing else be inferred from that later phrase which Athanasius useth When Subjects do openly profess that they with all honour do honour their own Kings and Magistrates shall not I therefore conclude that they are not obliged by Divine authority to this duty No verily but the Subjects perform this to their Princes with a most ready will because by Divine Law and authority they are bound to perform this duty So Christians honour the Lords day because the Divine institution of this Festival by Christ which Athanasius makes mention of in the same place requires this by right of them Chrysostom in the often fore-cited place acknowledges God to be the author of instituting one day in the week to be set apart for spiritual work When Eusebius gathers divers arguments to demonstrate the Divine power of Christ above all the Heroes of the Heathens amongst the rest he adds this Who saith he meaning what God of the Heathen or Heroes hath prescribed to all the inhabitants of the whole world whether they be on land or sea that meeting weekly on one day they should celebrate the Lords Festival and ordain that as they fed their bodies with food so they should refresh their Souls with divine instructions Therefore in Eusebius's judgment the solemnity of this day is ascribed to Christs institution And Leo acknowledges this solemnity to be received from the Holy Ghost and Apostles ordained by him Augustine confesses that the Lords day was consecrated by Christs Resurrection where he intimateth that the Church did not only take occasion from the Resurrection of Christ to celebrate this solemnity on that day but that the very Resurrection of Christ did administer it unto Christians and if the Resurrection of Christ hath consecrated the Lords day which he confesses as well in this place as elsewhere Serm. 15. de verbis Apostoli then Christ and no other is to be reputed for the author of its institution for his Resurrection hath consecrated that day and since that time he began to have his festival Moreover if Augustine had not believed that God was the author of this Festival by what right could he have derided Urbicus speaking after this manner as if there were one Lord of the Sabbath and another of the Lords day if he had not esteemed him for the author of the Lords day who was author of the Sabbath the contrary whereof he thought Urbicus judged Augustine would never have blamed him for that which yet the premises do testifie he did And he that shall look over that Epistle shall see that he in round words doth acknowledge that there is one Lord of the Sabbath and Lords day pag. 389. He adds It was made the Lords Day through Christ pag. 383. And while that Learned Father renders a reason why it is called the Lords day he assigns this because saith he the Lord made it And how since he is the author of all dayes yet may be said especially to make that we have before chap. 4. out of Augustin himself explained And after Augustin the Fathers in Concil Forojubensi have also explained this The Lord hath sanctified it by the glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ What needs more It 's enough to point at briefly the Divine institution of this day and these things manifest enough do suffice in a matter smelling of Piety Therefore as Basil the Great sometime concluded his Sermon of the perpetual virginity of the blessed Virgin These reasons saith he we think are sufficient because Christian ears cannot endure the contrary so also we being content with these testimonies which although few in number are yet we trust of great authority with equal estimators of things we will add no more And though many badges of this day have thus far been observed as that Christ rose again on that day Luke 24. 6. on that oftener than once he appeared to his Disciples Joh. 20. 19 26. on that day the Apostles taught and administred the Sacraments Act. 20. 7. on that day John received a Divine Revelation Rev. 1. 10. I could also reckon up others mentioned by divers as on this day the world received its beginning on this by the Resurrection of Christ both death received its destruction and life its beginning on this the Apostles took up thetrumpet of the Gospel to preach to all nations on this lastly the Holy Ghost came down from the Lord on the Apostles More badges are also extant in Austin of the Lords Day Serm. 154. de Tempore And others relate that other Miracles were done on that day These are indeed great badges but because amongst certain some of these are reckoned for uncertain they are not proper enough in their judgment to demonstrate the truth only whereas at every perfect period of time the very Heathens do testifie that certain festival dayes were to be celebrated for some eminent benefits of God conserred upon us and when any thing eminent was ordained of God it was done in honour of this day the reason of whose observation arises not from the foresaid prerogatives but is founded in the authority of God the institutor I am more easily induced to believe with the ancients its solemnity was instituted of God Here I could out of the Fathers tell you the punishments of some that violated the solemnity of the Lords Day In Concil Parisiensi so we read Many of us by the sight of our own countrey men and many of us by the relation of others have been informed that certain men exercising on this day their
rural works have been slain with Lightning others punished with contraction of their limbs others having their bodies and bones also consumed in an instant by visible fire and on a sudden resolved into ashes have died in great torment as many other terrible judgments have been and to this day are by which it is declared that God is offended at the dishonour of so great a day These tremendous judgments of God do shew that God the avenger of all sin is angry as the Fathers speak at the impious violators of this solemnity But if the holy festival of the Lords Day were not Gods own ordinance his severe anger would not be so hot upon those that are guilty of the violation thereof We therefore of right do esteem the Lords Day above other dayes and that by reason of its solemnity because it was by a positive determination of Christ by the Apostles set apart from other days in the week that it might supply the room of the ancient Sabbath that it might preserve Religion and the external Worship of God both publick lest the disorderly congregating of the people should diminish their faith in Christ and also private that all might be obliged to attend meditations and pious exercises on a certain stated day which otherwise would seldome or never be done by men attending on the world rather than God therefore is the Lords day ordained that they being at liberty from worldly things might give up themselves wholly to Divine matters Lastly It only remaineth that this question may sufficiently be satisfied Whether it be in the Churches power to abrogate the Lords Day and substitute another in its room Surely he that saith that so innocent a custome so long received of the Church and that through authority of God by the Apostles caught not to be troubled with a change seems to be in the right unless any think that now greater authority doth reside in the Church than the Apostles were endued with wherewith it being endued it can change those things which were ordained of the Apostles or unless some greater occasion than the Resurrection of Christ do occurr than which the world never saw a greater miracle And Chrysostom calls the Lords day or the first day of the week Hom. 2. Tom. 6. because of Christs Resurrection the birth day of the whole humane nature Lastly if the custome of the Church from which arguments are not once fetched by the Apostle as 1 Cor. 11. 26. grounded on the word of God be of any right amongst Christians I see not why the Lords Festival celebrared first by them of Hierusalem secondly by them of Troas thirdly by the Galatians and Corinthians fourthly by them of the Isles Rev. 1. fifthly by the Greeks and Latines and lastly by the whole Churh through the world professing Christs name I say why this innocent custome which is attended with no incommodity but much profit happily continued from the very Apostles age hitherto should not be by us derived to our posterity Whilst Julius blames the preposterous irruption of Georgius the Arrian into the Bishoprick of Athanasius he uses this argument It is not fitting that this new manner of canons should be brought into the Church for where is there such an Ecclesiastical Canon or such an Apostolical tradition so we say here It is by no means fitting that a new custome should be introduced against an innocent order so long received by the Church which is neither supported by the Canons of the Church or tradition received from the Apostles None in this found mind can grant that things ordained by the Apostles can be changed of the Church I confess all the ordinances of the Apostles were not of the same kind for some of them pertained to Doctrine some to rites as Wallaeus observes chap. 7. those are perpetual neither any wayes obnoxious to change he must be anathematized that preacheth any other Gospel than what we have received from the Apostles Gal. 1. 8. but these which respect the rites or circumstances of Divine worship are of a double nature for either their causes were singular and such as perpetually should not have place in the Church therefore these ordinances were to be varied because when the cause was taken away the ordinances themselves ceased but other ordinances respecting rites were not to be changed whose occasions perpetually continued in the Church such was the laying on of hands in the ordinations of Ministers and therefore when the causes of ordinances made by the Apostles are changed the ordinations themselves are to be changed but while the cause remains the ordinances also remain unmoved Which things being considered it 's easie to see that the ordinance about the Lords day is not to be varied because no greater cause than what it 's bottomed on can ever occurr for whose sake it should be changed neither hath the Church ever thus far since the Apostles age once attempted this Therefore the foresaid question is superfluous that I may say no worse and altogether unworthy a farther answer especially whenas we know that many priviledges necessary for a Church to be founded were granted by God to the Apostles which were not derived from them to the Doctors of the Church founded for they were personal and could not lawfully be challenged by others which is shewn more at large in the seventh chapter CHAP. XI In what things the sanctification of the Lords day doth consist Where about resting from gainful labours which the Fathers carefully cautioned against that they should not be used on that day A place of Chrysostom Gregory and the Council of Laodicea is explained also a Canon of the Council of Matiscon WE have seen by the judgment of the Fathers that the Lords Day is to be sanctified and that by Divine authority Now it remaineth which we undertook in the third place to be proved to find out in what the solemn observation thereof consisteth The Fathers think that to Christians the Lords day succeeded in place of the old Sabbath and therefore as Hilary speaketh is to be celebrated with the festivity of the Sabbath that is as August Serm. de Temp. 251. even as the ancients observed the Sabbath Now it appeareth by the Scriptures of the Old Testament that the observation of the Jewish Sabbath consisted first in the rest and secondly in the sanctification of this rest and in the observation of these things their records will inform us that the Lords day was solemnized by the ancients As for the rest the Church of Christ hath used it not as necessary of it self to the worship of God but only as an help thereto without which the worship commanded of God could not conveniently be performed of the people For while men are intangled in the affairs of this world they cannot religiously attend as is fitting on the things that pertain to God and his worship The Sabbath was not allowed for idleness but that men
〈◊〉 in its native signification doth plainly signifie any thing belonging to sustain life and getting sustenance or any thing for the use of this life whence Clem. Alexand. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is administring necessaries for this life also in the same man it occurrs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all necessity pertaining to life But amongst Divines as Stephanus observes when it is spoken of a man then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is secular or one that is addicted to the affairs of this secular life And so it often occurrs in Chrysostom as Hom. 9. in Col. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and Hom. 3. de Lazaro c. In the same sense in Justin Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is opposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where he that lives in common life is distinguished from him that lives in solitariness a Monk Therefore according to the native signification of Chrysostoms words by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are denoted things that pertain to life and sustenance from the sober use whereof no Christian is debarred on the Lords day How little those things conduce to the defence of secular businesses being undertaken on that day they know who look into Chrysostom We will omit any disputation about the propriety and use of the word because it pertains to the Grammarian and ought to be left to others we will produce the rest which Chrysostom himself helpeth us to Secondly we intreat the Reader to consider that Chrys in the aforesaid place is displeased with those that after they are returned from the Church-meeting are intangled in businesses which are contrary to the exercise as he speaks which is held in the Church-assembly Surely if in Chrysostoms judgment worldly matters might safely be medled with on the Lords day he would never have reproved those that looked after them which yet his very words shew that he sharply did Thirdly he thinks it is too much yea altogether extreme indevotion to spend five or 6 days in wordly matters not to employ one in spirituals He that weighs this will easily grant that Chrysostom would never have any part of that day consecrated to affairs that smell not of piety And he that abuses the authority of this holy Father to palliate the using of labour on that day although I scruple to accuse him of too much indevotion yet I am troubled that he hath no more religious a care of the Lords festival Fourthly this he layes as a law upon his Auditors in the same place that they bestow that onely day of the whole week on which they meet to hear all of it in the meditation of those things that are delivered He that requireth that the rest of the day which remaineth after hearing the Word in the publick Church meetings should be spent about meditation conference of the things they have heard will allow no liberty after the aforesaid meetings are ended to dispatch worldly affairs by which pious meditation may be hindred If therefore Chrysost being judge no other exercises be to be medled with on the Lords day out of the Church-assembly which are contrary to the duties of piety performed in those assemblies if by his grave judgment it be thought a very irreligious thing not to spend one whole day in the exercises of piety yea if he earnestly require it from his Auditors that they consecrate that whole day to their devotion of all which he tells us his judgment in these very words then surely it was far from Chrysostoms mind to give liberty for ordinary labours on the Lords Day Lastly if his words which make mention of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be stretched to that sense because sometimes in Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a secular person Chrysost did that which Gregory the Great in an other sense did whom the custom of the Laityes seasting on the Lords day usually vexed yet thought they were not to be punished by law lest that being made against them they should become worse and therefore to avoid the danger of schisme left them to themselves so that what he approved not being constrained through the necessity of the time he permitted So here whatever Chrysostom indulged the people in he did it against his will for their sakes whose minds were not so easily called back from earthly things to whom yielding in some things he did gradually bring them on to higher exercises of piety and indulged them that which he did not approve lest any thing worse should happen he as it were unwilling willed it But as for his part he judged that a whole day should be consecrated to the exercises of Religion any part whareof as we have seen he would not have employed in worldly affairs And thus we have seen St. Chrysostom vindicating himself from some mens foolish gloss nor is there any body whose senses either stupour or phlegmatickness hath not dulled which will think otherwise Origen also takes it ill that some do but assign an hour or two of the whole day to God and come to prayer in the Church while they spend the rest of the day about the world and their belly but if Christians were at liberty when their assemblies are ended to betake themselves to their worldly occasions then this reproof of his had been unjust against which they might truly answer that the custom of the Church was to define the sanctification of the day within the terms of two or three houres Gregory the Great 's judgment is also for ceasing from earthly labour on the Lords day Indeed in the beginning of that Epistle he tells us that Antichrist will make both the Sabbath and Lords day to be kept free from all labour But lest any one should unwarily deceive himself by not well considering the phrase as if Gregory had judged that Antichrist would forbid labour on the Lords day it is to be noted that he intimates this that Antichrist will have an equal regard of the Sabbath as of the Lords day because as Gregory thinketh Antichrist would call back the observation of the Sabbath and directs the stile of the former part of his Epistle against those that forbid the working of any thing on the Sabbath day Nor can the sense of those words of his be otherwise expounded who thought that labour was to be undertaken on the Sabbath from which yet we ought to abstain on the Lords day but i◠never came into Gregory's mind to reckon rest from labour on the Lords day for an interdiction of Antichrist since Gregory himself doth plainly condemn labour undertaken on that day Augustine It is therefore called the Lords day that we abstaining on it from earthly works and worldly pleasures should onely attend on Divine worship giving honour and reverence to this day for the hope of our resurrection which we have in it Augustin or whoever was the author of that Sermon doth plainly prohibit Christians attending their labours
unjust If therefore Conscience dictate as Chrysostom thinks that the very art of this pleasure be dishonest and unjust let them who commend them to the Church see where those sober and modest dances which they speak of can find any place and to those that expound choreas ducere only of lascivious dances we will in a form of speech commodious enough interpret these dances to be meant of all dancings whatsoever otherwise St. Cyprian had not affirmed that David danced before God unless any should think that the Bl. Martyr which never came into his mind would brand the Royal Prophet with a mark of lascivious and obscene dancing And if there be any that think that dancing be sober and modest they are at their liberty for me to abound in their own sense at least with Octavius that good defender of the Christian Religion and other lights of Reformed Christianity it seems meet for me to repute them as obscene and evil pleasures Lastly let the patrons of those dances which they call sober bring forth any testimony out of approved Authors whereby any dances on the Lords Dayes can be defended and then we will believe them that such dances were not prohibited by the Fathers which till it be done we will with the ancients say we ought not to lead dances or effeminate our ears with pipes and harps The ancients cursed those kinds of pleasures which then were in use If the things which at this day are highly esteemed by the world and are reckoned as sober had in their age put up the head doubtless they would have condemned them with the same zeal and holy fervour of spirit as being contrary to the Lords solemnity and which hindred the sanctification thereof In the mean while since we see that sports and dances by St. Cyril all pleasures by Leo and Anthemius sports and dances by the Fathers of Colen dancings by the Council of Millain to be condemned the pleasures of showes to be reckoned evil of Octavius and Chrysostome to reprehend dances as leading to the Devil we affirm that these worldly showes which are the very fomes of pleasures and whose art witness Chrysostom is dishonest and unbeseeming the Christian name are not to be kept on the Lords day Moreover neither are the fore-mentioned prohibitions so to be expounded as if dances and showes were only forbidden while the sacred exercises of piety were held on the Lords day in the publick assemblies which being finished who will may lawfully be employed in them for that indeed would be nothing else but to go straight out of Gods Church into the Devils But God grant that such a desire of destructive pleasure be prevented from his people We have in the fifth Chapter declared that Christians must keep all the whole day holy and afterwards God willing will teach what duties of piety are to be done by Christians when Church-meetings are ended And thus from the premises we find that the Lords Day is to be violated by no pleasures For we must honour this day with a spiritual honour not in feasting and drinking not in drunkenness and dances c. The End of the First Book THE Lords-Day THE SECOND BOOK In Which It 's shewed at large out of the Records of the ancients what things are required to the sanctification of the Lords Day CHAP. I. The Lords Day ordinary duties were both publick and private publick Church-assemblies on the Lords Day the mention of which we oftener meet with in the following than in the former Church Night-meetings and why abolished Meetings before day and on the day in the morning and in the evening WHat we have recited in the foregoing Book do shew that the Lords day was alwayes solemnized by the Church and what things they were which did ordinarily hinder the solemnity thereof amongst the men of this world now we come to those things in which the solemn sanctification thereof consisteth for we must not onely abstain from labours and pleasures on that day but also we must attend upon Divine worship neither is the rest commanded on the Lords day to be dedicated to our affections sports pleasures or sins but to the Worship of God alone which the pious practise of the Apostles and of the Church following them doth declare Among the ancients there were Lords day solemnities or ordinary duties which were performed in the Church and what they were the same author explains in the same Chapter namely reading of the Scriptures singing of Psalms Adlocutiones q. d. speakings unto and Prayers By those Adlocutiones which were uttered in the Church assembly the Battologies as Pamelius on that place would have it frequently repeated in the Mass as Dominus vobiscum The Lord be with you Pax vobiscum Peace be to you Oremus Let us pray Gratias agamus Domino Let us give thanks to God c. which are in the Mass offices repeated ad nauseam are not to be understood but by adlocutiones in Tertullian are meant the Ministers Sermons to the people after the Scriptures were read in the assembly For those that expounded the Scriptures spoke to the people by exhortations admonitions c. as afterwards will appear And in this sense of ours we meet with the word adlocutio in Cyprian de Lapsis sect prima Those offices also to be performed on the Lords day are extant in Clemens Constit p. 2. c. 59. The Lords day solemnities wherewith they honoured this day are the duties that appertain to godliness whereof some were of a publick others of a private right those were to be performed by every Church in the publick assemblies and these of the faithful members of the Church when they were returned home the publick assembly being ended This place therefore requireth that something be added about the publick meetings of the Church being held on the Lords dayes In describing whereof we will first teach that they were in use with the Church of God even from the Apostles age Secondly we will enquire what was done in them by the Church Thirdly we will add something of the places wherein they were held Although the ancients as we have seen in the former book ch 5. did destinate the whole Lords day or the first day of the week to the exercises of Divine Worship yet did they hold their publick assemblies at certain hours and what time remained besides they spent it also privately in holy duties Whence we may easily observe that there was a solemn and religious observation of the Lords day both publick and private the publick was performed in the publick conventions of the Church and that Christians in what part of the world soever they lived so often as they could for persecution were wont to meet together in one place to handle the duties of piety is so clear from divers places of the New Testament that it wanteth no testimony These assemblies could not be held without a stated time
by the fifteenth Canon Conc. Laod. that none should sing in the Church besides certain that were chosen for singing the reason of which Canon is assigned by Baronius to be this Because saith he when the people and Clergy sung promiscuously through the unskilfulness of the singers it oft fell out that by the disordered sound of voices the diversity marred that harmonious singing which was congruous to the Churches dignity therefore it was prohibited the people in the Church that none should sing but those unto whom this work was assigned To confirm this conjecture he hath recourse to Chrysostom the same doth Binius Conc. T. 1. in Notis Conc. Laodic To me it is not manifest what was the true reason of ordaining the Laodicean Canon After the Laodicean Council the fore-observed testimonies have shewed us that it was an usual thing for the Christian people to sing with others in the Church but as for the place in Chrysostom cited by Baronius it brings no help at all to establish the conjecture of Baronius For in that place of which we have formerly heard in this Chapter St. Chrysost only blames that unseemly manner of singing which was borrowed from the Theatres Mimicks and Dancers and confisted of clamours which signified no certainty But he hinders not the people from the liberty of singing in the Church This none will deny that looks into the place of Chrysostom cited by Baronius When all is done saith he we forbid not jubilation the contrary whereto is affirmed by Baronius and his follower Binius but a voice that signifies nothing not the voice of praise but a rude voice of absurdity the vain and rash throwing up of the hands into the air stamping with the feet unseemly and effeminate songs which are the playes of them that sit idle in the Theatres and at Horse-races Thus Chrysostom which is far from the sense for which Baronius brought it Which doth also more evidently appear from the end of that Homily in which he speaks to his hearers that they would come to God with a calm and repressed voice and not lift up their hands in disorderly motions but present them to God both together Which things being well observed with what face can the Papists alledge Chrysostom for denying the people a liberty to sing in the Church Now from the premises it may easily be observed that the Fathers approved not of that which they call Broken Musick that consists rather in the noise of the voice than the fervour of the spirit as if from such Musick God neither got any praise or the Church profit Therefore passing over that they prescribed the Church simple singing It displeased Gregory the Great that those who were chosen to office of preaching and the holy Ministry should having that charge betake themselves to singing in a Synod at Rome held in the time of Mauritius Gregory would not have so much time taken up in singing and almost no place left for preaching Zonaras also teacheth that Readers in the Church ought rather to attend the care of singing than the reading of holy bookes To conclude I leave it for others to judge what to think of that Popish singing which is fitted to the exact measures of all kind of Musick since Cornelius Agrippa one of their own profession hath copiously enough painted out the liberty of Musick which they allow for setting out of hymns There is saith he at this day such a licentiousness of Musick in Churches that even a deal of bawdy songs on the Organs have equal place with the Canon of the Mass and they chaunt the Divine offices holy mysteries and prayers having hired a company of wanton Musicians with a great sum of money not to the Hearers understanding not to the Elevation of the Spirit hearken here you Papists that number your Psalms but love to bray them out like Asses without understanding them but for lecherous tickling not with mens voices but belluine clamours while the boyes whine the descant others bellow the tenor others bark the counterpoint others roar the treble others grunt the base and they make that many sounds may be heard but no words or sentences be understood but the authority of judgment is taken away both from the ears and mind Thus he who warrs with you in your tents De vanitate Scientiarum in the end of the sixteenth chapter in which he doth paint out to the life as they say the bawdry of Roman Musick in their holy mysteries well enough befitting the Babylonish whore and the incommodities thereof little agreeing to the holy worship of God And the like doth Polydor Virgil De inventione rerum lib. 6. c. 2. And these are the things which I had to mention of the two exercises of Religion comprehended under the Ministry of the Word and Prayer that were to be performed upon the Lords Day CHAP. XIII Administration of the Sacraments on the Lords Day THe third thing among the publick exercises of Religion wherein the observation of the Lords day was solemnized among the ancients follows viz. the administration of the Sacraments Which although not tied to the Lords day were administred on the Lords day the Scriptures bearing witness Acts 20. 7. the Disciples being gathered together on the first day of the week to break bread Paul preached to them c. where breaking of bread is not to be expounded of a domestick feast but of the H. Supper as we have shewn Book 1. chap. 2. For having continued his speech until midnight St. Paul took bread the comparing of ver 7. with 11. evinces this now the Disciples met not at that time of night to break their daily bread But we must make account that there was a solemn day proclaimed amongst them for celebrating the Holy Supper which should be more commodious than all the other and that was the first day in the week on which that place doth evidently enough conclude that the Church met together And the Apostle teaches that it met in the same place to eat the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. 20. Justin in the place above so often cited doth witness that the Eucharist or as Tertull lib. 2. ad Ux. cap. 4. the Lords Feast was wont to be administred by the Church on the Lords day So Chrys Hom. 18. in Act. Ap. Ambrose delivered to the Catechumeni whom he calls Competentes that is those that were instructed in the Christian faith suing for Baptism on the Lords day after the reading and Treatise the Symbol of the Church in the fonts which we understand of Baptism without which none were admitted to the Eucharist That the Sacraments were administred on the Lords day none doubts concerning the administration whereof I leave the prolix narration to be drawn out of the learned Commentaries of Divines of whom this age by the grace of God reapeth a fruitful crop who professedly handle common places of Divinity lest I should
those that were absent of what they heard in publick after they were departed from the publick assembly So Chrysostom Hom. 10. in Gen. And he sharply taxes those that did not thus Hom. 32. in Joh. whom when they are gone home he affirms they set upon no work beseeming a Christian Whilst they do not search out the sense of the Scriptures which they heard in the assembly And at length requires them that when they are gone home they endeavour the doing of what they are commanded c. Hom. 3. in Joh. Bafil was of the same mind who seriously wished that what they had heard at both morning and evening assembly all that might be the table talk to the hearers that is when they sat down to table they should talk of what they heard St. Austin counsels his hearers to conferr with those that were absent of what they heard and so their memory would be as his voice Praef. in Psal 50. And in the end of the interpretation of that Psalm he saith As it belongeth to us to speak in the Church to you so it belongeth to you to speak of it in your houses Thirdly Because the Lords Day is not onely ordained for a pious celebration of the memory of Christs Resurrection but also Basil the Great being witness is an image of the world to come although it be no type of the rest and happiness in the life to come yet as after he explaines it that in this daily commotion we neglect not to provide viands for a removal into that life that never will have end Basil de Spiritu Sancto cap. 27. Such viands shall he provide that on that day while he hath leisure from external things shall seriously think with himself that this is not his Countrey but he an Exile and at length he must remove hence into Heaven the Countrey of all the faithful Augustine or whoever it was else affirms in the Book De decem chordis cap. 3. that a Christian is commanded to observe the Sabbath spiritually in hope of the future rest which the Lord promiseth And elsewhere The Lords Day being consecrated by the Resurrection of Christ doth not onely prefigure the eternal rest of the Spirit but body also Aug. de Civitate Dei lib. 22. cap. 30. Christians therefore are on this day principally to think of this eternal rest taking an occasion from the rest of the Lords Day although as I said it be not properly instituted to signifie this rest as a type of that thing What Ignatius Epist ad Magnes delivers of the manner of observing the Sabbath may fitly be applied to the celebration of the Lords Day He would have every one to keep a Sabbath in a spiritual manner in meditating of the Law not in refreshing and releasing of the body and admiring the works of God which especially do agree to the solemnity of a Christian Sabbath on which Christians are to bend their care hither to recollect themselves and feed their souls with the pious thoughts of that eternal rest of which the Lords Dayes rest is an image according to Basil in the world to come by what means they can Therefore when the publick meeting was ended there followed also a pious meditation which very well agreeth to the sanctification of the Lords Day when the minds of men by hearing of the Word publick Prayers and other publick Offices of Religion performed on that day are inflamed with exceeding love to desire heavenly things And that the Ancients were of that mind the testimonies cited Book 1. Chap. 5. without me saying ought do bear witness For the Fathers as we have seen do acknowledge that the Lords Day was dedicated to Divine Worship and judged that nought was to be done on that day by Christians whether in their assemblies or after they were dismissed from them but what tended to the salvation of the soul This Origen alone for all will manifest Hom. 23. in Num. who while he shews in what things the observation of the Christian Sabbath consisteth bids in among other things to think of heavenly things to be careful about the future hope to have before our eyes the Judgment to come and not to look at present and visible things but at invisible and future These things do shew that pious meditation is of necessity to be had on the Lords Day by help whereof the minds of Christians may be carried up from earthly to heavenly things to the end that their conversation may be in heaven from whence they look for the Saviour Phil. 3. 20. even while they live on earth Chrysostom is earnest with his hearers Hom. 15. in Gen. that they would remember what was spoken in the Auditory and that they would weigh all things with themselves that what they had heard might settle in their thoughts Nor doth he ask this onely of them but doth also earnestly request it of God that not onely while they were present in the Auditory they would remember what he had said but that they would weigh them at home by themselves and in the market and wheresoever they did abide Hom. 5. ad Pop. Now if a Religious meditation on the Lords Day of what we have heard be a way to the eternal observation of a Sabbath in the Heavens for Christians for whom there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remaineth a Sabbatism Heb. 4. 9. if they are to have before their eyes the future hope and the tremendous judgment on that day and to exhilerate their minds with the thoughts of a future life if they are to hearken to what is said with an attentive mind not onely while they are present in the Auditory but after their their departure thence where-ever they abide they be to call to mind what they have heard Lastly if those vigilant Fathers were earnest with God that their Auditors minds might be perswaded to do this all which are manifest by the cited testimonies then not without cause have we affirmed that when the publick assemblies are ended Meditation upon what we have heard is of necessity required of Christians Fourthly we read that Gifts which afterwards they called Collects were given on the Lords Day for the use of the poor So St. Paul gave order 1 Cor. 16. 2. That upon the first day of the week every one of you lay by you in store as God hath prospered him c. The Apostle did very fitly make choice of a day of a sacred assembly for gathering Almes on That the minds of Christians might by hearing the Word publick Prayers and holy Lessons had on that Day be the better inflamed to bestâ—â— them upon the poors use Add also the consent of the antient Church Justin Martyr Ap. 2. saith that when the Church was met on the Sunday there was a larger contribution as their ability would bear and what they so gathered they committed to him that was the Praepositus to be bestowed for the use of all that were
DIES DOMINICA OR THE Lords Day Ignat. Epist. ad Magnes After the Sabbath let all that love Christ celebrate the Lords Day as being consecrated to the Lords Resurrection the Queen and Princess of all dayes THE Lords-Day OR A SUCCINCT NARRATION Compiled Out of the Testimonies of H. SCRIPTURE and the Reverend Ancient FATHERS and Divided into Two Books In the former whereof is declared That the observation of the Lords Day was from the Apostles and by the Christian Church solemnized in a continual series that its Institution was Divine and what things do hinder its solemnity In the Later is shewn In what things its Sanctification doth consist In both which also Several Ecclesiastical Antiquities not unworthy to be known are explained Lately Translated out of the Latine Aug. de verb. Apost Serm. 15. The Lords Resurrection hath promised us an eternal day and consecrated for us the Lords Day which is called the Lords Day because it seemeth to belong properly to the Lord. Acta Martyrum apud Baronium an 303. n. 37 c. The Martyrs being called into judgment and ask'd of the Proconsul Whether they had done their Collect or celebrated the Lords day answered with the same words often repeated that they were Christians that they had done thes Lords Collect and celebrated the Lords Day with a congruou devotion of Religion because it could not be intermitted London Printed by E Leach and are to be sold by Nevil Symmons at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1672. TO THE READER Reader IN the midst of our distractions confusions and desolations our declinings and the increase of wickedness in the land it would be no small reviving to our hopes if we could but procure a more general and conscientious observation of the Lords day I mean not a Judaizing Touch not Taste not Handle not Go but a Sabbath dayes journey Heal not on the Sabbath day Rub not the Ears of Corn to eat c. but a holy diligence all the day in learning the Will of God in reading and hearing his Word in singing and speaking out his praises in calling upon his name in the Communion of Saints in the Sacramental Commemoration of the Death and Resurrection of our Saviour till he come Nor do I mean the preferring of the Name of the Sabbath before the naming of it The Lords Day But the real separation of it for these Holy works from all works that are common and unclean not calling that unclean which God hath cleansed but avoiding all unnecessary things which are a true impediment to the duties of the day and to the edification and comfort of our Souls Could we but procure a general Conscience of this Holy day and work Oh what a blessed means would it prove to the increase of knowledge and holiness among us How could men spend one day of seven in the serious reading and hearing of Gods Word and not grow in the understanding of it How could they spend each week a day in hearing heavenly discourses and in holy prayers praises and thanksgivings and not become themselves more holy if they did this in good earnest and not with hypocritical formality Where there is a profitable publick Ministry what a furtherance would this be to its success Where there is not O what a supply would this be in Families If Parents and Masters did but spend the day in Catechising their Children and Servants and reading to them the Word of God and holy profitable Books and in praying singing of Psalms and fruitful Conferences how much would it make up the loss of a profitable Ministry where there is none But I confess for those many thousand families where none is able thus to Read or Pray the case is hard in these times when they dare not come to their neighbours families that can help them But O that the love of our souls were as strong as natural self-love is in the preservation of our lives If prohibited persons did put the case to me Whether it were lawful for them against their Rector's wills to go beg bread at their neighbours houses rather than famish or feed on grass I think their resolutions would anticipate my answer And if he have not the love of God in him who seeth his brother in need and shutteth up the bowels of compassion from him I may inferr that he neither rightly loveth God nor himself who will suffer his Soul and Family to famish and deny God his Worship and spend the Lords own Day unprofitably and think it a sufficient excuse to say I was forbidden and man must be obeyed Nor will it excuse Neighbours from helping one another who live out of the reach of publick helps as alas too many do especially in the remote parts of the Kingdome to cast the blame on negligent Ministers or to cry out It is the Prelates that famish so many souls nor to complain of the silencing of Faithful Teachers For every man hath his own part to do in building up the City of God And if you do not your own work you do but condemn your selves while you complain of others Was that your Covenant with Christ that you would serve him if others did or if none forbad you or else not If others perform not their duty will you sin for company and yet condemn them If you think they do ill why will you imitate them If well why do you blame them Do you cry out of silent or unprofitable Ministers and do you think that silence and unprofitableness in the Governour of a Family is no crime What if all the rest of the Town denied food or cloathing to the poor Would your obligation to feed and cloath them think you be the less or the greater As ever you would have your families to be under the blessing and protection of God and not exposed to the miseries of such as he forsaketh see that you dedicate them as holy Societies to God and set up his Government over them and his worship among them especially in the Holy Improvement of the Lords Dayes And I take it to be a merciful and comfortable prognostick that God hath suddenly stirred so many to write on this subject and to confute all that is said against this duty And some more are ready if not hindred shortly to come forth Among them all I take this Book to be of singular weight and worth which having declared in my own lately published on this subject it hath occasioned many to enquire after it and a worthy Knight who had this Translation by him to be willing to publish it I confess I intended no more than to provoke the Learned to take more notice of the Book as it is in the Latin Tongue For being strong in the testimonies of Antiquity and the opening of Church-customes on which as an historical evidence of fact I laid in this controversie no small stress I thought it fittest for the perusal of the Learned But seeing it
of the Sabbath among the Patriarchs is denied VVhy the Heathens are not upbraided with the profanation of the Sabbath 107. Chap. 9. One day in the week is even under the Gospel to be sanctified The morality of the Fourth Command which is perpetual requires this Christ hath not abolished the Law How the Sabbath is said to be a sign between God and the Church 134. Chap. 10. A day in every week is to be sanctified under the Gospel which is not the seventh but first The cessation of the Jewish Sabbath Col. 2. 16. and Gal. 4. 10. are considered The places on which the observation of the Lords Day in the New Testament is bottomed The Fathers acknowledge its Divine authority The Church cannot change that day and substitute another in its room 145. Chap. 11. VVherein the sanctification of the Lords day consisteth where something is said about resting from gainful labours which the Fathers carefully cautioned against that they should not be used on that day A place of Chrysostom Gregory M. and of the Coun. of Laodicea is explained And a Canon of the second Coâ—nâ— of Matiscon 178. Chap. 12. How far forth on the Lords Day we may attend labours namely of necessity and piety Countrey men are bound to sanctifie the Lords day The indulgence granted to Countrey men by Constantine the Great is examined and revoked The fact of Paula and the practice of the Coenobiteâ— or Monasticks in Hierom is weighed The sense also of a Canon of the Council of Orleans Manumissions and certain transactions on the Lords day 197. Chap. 13. The Lords day not to be profaned by surfeting Servants not to be called off from sanctifying the Lords day We are not to fast on the Lords day Whether St. Ambrose was wont to feast on the Lords Day 218. Chap. 14. Sports are not at all to be held on the Lords day by the judgment of divers Fathers and Emperours Four kinds of showes condemned by the Fathers and not to be acted on the Lords day and not onely while the sacred meetings are kept 2â—9 BOOK II. Chap. 1. THe Lords Dayes solemnities were both publick and private publick assemblies of the Church on the Lords Day the mention whereof we meet with more frequently in the succeeding than the former Church Night meetings and why abolished at this day Meetings before day and on the day in the morning and in the evening 249. Chap. 2. What was done in the publick meetings of the Church Reading of the Scriptures What Scriptures were read Humane writings were also read in the Church The order in reading of Scriptures The Readers of Scripture stood in the sight of the whole people 262. Chap. 3. Explaining of Scripture on Lords Dayes which was called Treating Whose office it was to do this Who the Clerici were among the ancients Bishops q. Watchers Overseers and Superintendents The Bishops interpreted the Scriptures Presbyters Deacons sometimes Catechists and sometimes also private men did the same 274. Chap. 4. Converning the manner of expounding Scriptures in use with the ancients Treating begunwith Prayer The text of the Treating The Scriptures that were read applyed to the peoples use The Treaters did sometime stand and sometimes sit After Treating followed Prayer when that was ended a Psalm was sung to God 285. Chap. 5. Whether the bare reading of Scripture in the Church assembly be properly preaching and how the reading of the Scripture may be called preaching 295. Chap. 6. The time assigned to the Treatises of the ancients namely how long they lasted Their Treatises were not long ordinarily about an hour but they were not tied to an hour None were to go forth before the end of the Treatise 301. Chap. 7. The ancients treated every day out of the Scriptures Neither did they prohibit others who taught diligently from that their diligence in teaching 307. Chap. 8. They were wont on the Lords dayes to Treat out of the Scriptures 312. Chap. 9. Both in the Old and New Testament in celebrating the Sabbaths solemnity after reading of the Scriptures followed their interpretation It 's considered whether amongst the Jews before the Babylonish captivity the interpreting of the Law was used on their Sabbath dayes 318. Chap. 10. The Church used Prayers on the Lords Day Conventicles for Churches Prayers onely to God the Praefectus began them He prepares the people to pour them out The Sursum corda in Prayer the voice of all that worshipped was one They prayed as the Holy Ghost suggested to them How this custome for what the Church prayed The posture of the body in prayer 335. Chap. 11. Concerning Psalms and Hymns that were sung on the Lords Day The use of Hymns was but of late time in the Western Churches although Baronius think otherwise Whence the matter of Hymns was taken 353. Chap. 12. The manner of singing in the Church was modest and sober the incommodities of a sweeter voice in singing The commodity of a well moderated singing Antiphones Organs How none were to sing in the Church but those that were chosen for that purpose Broken Musick disallowed A censure of that Musick which is in use with the Papists 359. Chap. 13. Administration of the Sacraments on the Lords Day 373. Chap. 14. Who was to be present at all the offices of the Liturgy and who not The Catechumeni Audientes Competentes Poenitentes and their sundry degrees namely some Lugentes others Audientes others Substrati others Consistentes others Sacramentorum participantes At what offices these were to be present and what not 375. Chap. 15. Of places in which the Churches publick assemblies were held 390. Chap. 16. Private Duties of Religion to be performed on the Lords Day Examining of what they heard Conferring on the same Meditating of the life to come Amesigâ—thâ—â—ed for the poors use 〈◊〉 Chap. 17. The Conclusion 407. A Table of the Fathers and other Writers out of whom this Narration is transcribed together with the places where and times when they were set forth Since nothing can with that faithfulness be brought to light out of the pleasant Gardens of the Ancients against which malevolous detractors do not whet their spiteful tongues therefore knowing the temper of such men I thought it would be for the Readers profit in the very entrance of the Treatise to make mention of the Places and times of the Editions of the Grave Fathers and others whose Testimonies are here alledged to the end that both the Detractors may be prevented and also if the Reader who thirsted after Truth should any where stick doubting he might the more easily make recourse to the Authors cited and consult their meaning and so all occasion of doubting being cut off he might at length willingly embrace the Truth set before his eyes A AGrippa de vanitate scientiarum Colinae Agrippinâ— 1598. Ambrosius excusus Basileae 1567. Amesii Medulla Amsterodami 1627. Antonius de Dominis de Repub. Christiana part 2. Londini 1620. Arnobius contra
Gentes Parisiis 1605. Athanasius Graeco Latin ex officina Commetiana 1601. Athenaeus Lat. Lugduni 1583. Augustinus Basileae 1556. B Baronii Cardin. Annales Moguntiae 1691. Basilius Mag. Graece Basileae 1551. Basil Magn. Lat. Basileae 1565. Bellarmini Cardin. Controv. Coloniae 1620. Bernardus Antuerpiae 1616. Bibliotheca Patrum Parisiis 1614. C Canones Ecclesiae Afric per Justellum Parisiis 1614. Casauboni exercit in Baron Annal. Francof 1615. Centuriae Magdeburgicae Basilae 1624. Chrysostomus Graece Londini Chrysostomus Latine Basileae 1530. Clement Constitut Graeco-Latin Parisiis 1618. Clemens Alex. Graeco-Lat Lugduni 1616. Conciliorum Tomi per Severinum Binium Coloniae 1606. Corpus Juris civilis Genevae 1626. Cyprianus apud Joannem le Preux 1593. Cyrillus Alexandrinus Lat. Paris 1615. D Damascenus Graeco-Lat Paris 1575. Dionysius Areopagita Graeco-Lat Paris 1625. E Epiphanius Graece Basileae Epiphanius Latine Coloniae 1617. Eusebii hist Graeco-Lat Colo. Allobrogum 1612. Eusebius de praep Evangel Lat. Paris 1534. Examen Concil Trident. per Chemnit Francof 1599. F Flavius Josephus Lat. Colo. Agripin 1693. G Gratiani Corpus Jur. Canon Paris 1507. Greg. Nazianz. Graec. Basileae 1550. Greg. Nazianz. Lat. Basileae 1671. Greg. Nyssenus Lat. Basil 1571. Greg. Magnus Paris 1518. Galatinus apud haered Andreae Wecheli c. 1603. Gelasius de artis Concil Nicaeni Paris per Marcellum H Hieronymus Basiliae 1526. Hilarius Basileae 1560. Hist Ecclasiasticae Scriptores Graec-Lat Colo. Allobr 1612. Hist Ecclestiastica Tripart Parisiis 1574. I Ignatius Graeco-Lat Genevae 1623. Iâ—enaeus Basileae 1572. Isidori Pelus Epist Graeco-Lat Parisiis 1585. Isychius Parisiis 1584. L Lactantius Basileae 1563. M Macrobius Lugduni 1628. Minutii Felicis â—ctâ—avius Paris 1605. Mortonii Apologia Londini 1605. N Nicephori Historia Paris 1576. Nomocanon Phothii Paris 1615. O Origenes Basileae 1572. Optatus apud Commelinum 1599. P Philo Judae Graec-Lat Colo. Allobrogum 1613. Plutarchi vitae Lat. Basileae 1558. Plutarchi Moralia Lat. Basil 1570. Platina de R. Pontificum vitis Colon. 1600. Primafius in Epistolas Lugduni 1537. R Ruffinus Parisiis 1580. Rivetus in Decalogum Leidae T Tertullianus Antuerpiae 1584. Theodoret. Lat. Colon. Agripp 1527. Theodoreti Questiones Graece Paris 1558. Z Zonaras in Concilia Graeco-Lat Parisiis 1618. The Lords Day The first day of every week is to be sanctified in the exercises of Religion whose institution is Divine Sanctification consisteth in ceasing from worldly matters A. attending on Divine Worship B. A. Therefore not to be profaned by gainful labour or by Surfeiting Sports B. Here the duties of Religion are of right publick private C. in every Chur. meeting as namely the Ministry of the Word in and Prayer Singing Psalms Administration of the Sacraments reading expounding of Scripture C. When the faithful were dismissed from the publick Assembly in contemplating of the works of God Eternal Life or in meditating discoursing of what they had heard comforting the weaker relieving the poorer brethren A PREFACE TO THE READER In which is propounded first the scope of this Treatise Secondly is shewn why we meet with more things about the duties of the Lords Day in the latter than in former Councils Thirdly how far the Church at this day may be obliged by the authorities of Provincial Councils ordaining these dayes although some things of smaller value be put amongst their Canons THat old Serpent the perpetual hater of Divine truth and true piety hath busied himself to remove every stone since the first promulgation of the Holy Gospel that he might turn aside the minds of men bewitched with an impure hatred of light and godliness from a sincere love to the same Therefore having stirred up a terrible flame of persecution he hath sometimes disheartened the favourers of the Gospel from all affection to godliness by most crafty means to hinder the happy progress of Gods Word sometimes by the diligent care of pious Princes ihis unhappy flame of persecution being quenched he hath not feared either to set together by the ears the very Professors of Religion not attentively enough observing his tricks and snares or shamefully to alienate them mens minds being inclined to lust and a too great love of this present world from the holy practice of godliness and from all exercise of true Religion But this in vain For so long as a door is open to hear Gods Word at a time solemnly observed for the publick Worship of God and the private practice of Godliness not neglected through the Divine Providence it shall happen that maugre the enemies of the Gospel godliness shall flourish Faith shall abound and Charity the manifest token of Christs Disciples shall not wax cold and mens minds shall be stirred up with a greater desire of unfeigned love to the Gospel and the violent shall take the Kingdome of Heaven by force This thing that masked Serpent observeth with no small disdain whilst that he considers he is a falling like lightning from Heaven by the power of Apostolical preaching and upon that account by his Emissaries employes all his power that he might retard the course of preaching the Gospel Nor could he take a more ready way to promote this unhappy enterprize than either by utterly abolishing the time appointed from heaven for this work or by corruptly perverting the use thereof Which being once obliterated out of mens minds at length piety would decay and all care of Religion would lye extinct For it 's well enough known that the Professors of Christian Religion do there most endeavour after godliness and that Church by God is most abundantly adorned with all manner of gifts where with greatest reverence and strictest observation the Lords Day is wholly spent in Divine exercises For if the Lords Day be the Queen of Dayes that Church which gravely studieth the setting forth of this solemnity is deservedly to be reputed the Queen of Churches But the deadly enemies of piety with all their strength endeavour to relax the observation of the Lords day whereon they willingly suffer not themselves to be holden bound by the exercises of godliness and to extricate themselves from this burden thereby rovingly to give up themselves without check to impiety and idleness Wherefore Constantine the Great that most godly Emperour not ignorant of these mens temper when he determined with himself to obviate this evil and begun with greatest care to practise the true Religion of Christ and provoke his Subjects to observe it he made a law for a diligent observing the Lords solemnity as witnesseth Sozomen For since it 's the Churches part intermitting the affairs of this world to meet together for the exercises of piety such Conventions cannot fitly be holden without a certain and determinate time The time therefore destined for performing the the holy duties of Religion being abolished the minds of men will not be intent upon the offices of Religion Whence of necessity piety must fail and that being extinct what other thing can men expect but that a tempest of all evils should be ingruent
de Idol cap. 14. saith the Sabbaths are extraneous to Christians and that Holy dayes were sometime time beloved of God The Nazaraei observing the Sabbath are branded for Heresie by Epiphanius l. 1. num 30. and likewise the Ebionites If it had been the Christians duty to observe Sabbaths why had the Catholicks imputed its observation as a fault to the Hereticks which yet they have done more than once as sure as sure can be But Christians have celebrated their Lords day every where without brand of heresie or any other crime and therefore since the festivity of the Sabbath was not every where in use with the Christian Church nor doth any where occurr any Apostolical ordination for continuing it in the Church we do by good right affirm that Christians are not obliged to its celebration which to affirm of the Lords day that was observed in the Apostles age and ever after is an heirrous thing 2. When meetings were held on Sabbath dayes they met not weekly on all Sabbaths as they came about for on one Sabbath publick Conventions were to be omitted if we may believe the foresaid Constitutions so it 's ordained Constit Ap. lib. 5. cap. 19. and what that is they explain the Sabbath in the great week Constit Ap. c. 24. lib. 7. The Sabbath of the Lords burial on which it's fit we should fast but not celebrate a festival So also August to Casulanus Ep. 86. but for the omitting Church-assemblies on the Lords day as often as it came about and were safe for the Church for the Persecution of the Tyrants we read nothing was ever ordained of the ancients There is a sanction in the same Constitutions that the Lords day should be celebrated without intermission Lib. 7. cap. 31. 3. In populous Cities where without dammage to their Estates they could be present at reading of Scripture and their interpretation meetings were more frequently kept Therefore the Council of Laodicea decrees that the Gospels should be read on the Sabbath Can. 16. Ambrose treated of Prayer the same day de Sacram. lib. 4. c. 6. But all the exercises of piety were not every where performed in those assemblies that yet were not omitted on the Lords day Augustine saith in another place On the Lords day only the Communion of the Lords Body and Blood is used Socrates doth not record that they of Alexandria and Rome did celebrate those mysteries on the Sabbath While Chrysostom requireth it of the rich Lords of Villages that they build Churches in them Hom. 18. in Act. he distinguisheth those congregations that were on other days from those that were held upon the Lords day Upon those Congregations Prayers and hymns were had in these an oblation was made on every Lords day and for that cause the Lords day is in Chrysostom called dies panis i. the day of bread Athanasius purgeth himself of a calumny imputed to him for breaking the cup because it was not the time of administring the holy mysteries for it is not saith he the Lords day Whence it is evident that the Lords Supper was administred on the Lords dayes otherwise the argument wherewith Athanasius purgeth himself were of no weight Although therefore they met upon the Sabbath day yet did they not every where observe it equally to the Lords day on which they celebrated all the mysteries of Religion 4. The people were free to be present or absent from Sabbath-day meetings as they saw good that is they were not obliged by any necessity of law to meet on that day for the Sabbatarii contending for a necessary observation of the seventh day were of the whole Christian Church condemned of heresie in this behalf as I have briefly shewn before I confess Origen reproves his hearers which came seldom to hear the Word of God that scarce did come to the Church on Feast dayes Gregory Nyssen in that Oration which he made against those that would scarce endure reproofs nips the people that met not on the Sabbath With what eyes saith he lookest thou on the Lords Day that despisest the Sabbath Dost thou not know that these dayes are Sisters that if thou reproach the one thou offendest the other But he speaks of those who had oftener liberty to meet for hearing the Word which they regarded not to embrace out of a certain supine negligence or being puffed up with pride despised the Church-meetings on Sabbath-dayes Whether it was the sluggishness or arrogance of these men it was deservedly blameable whenas they might divers dayes meet at Church without dammage of their worldly affairs which yet to do they were not easily moved although the duties of their calling would bear it In the old Testament some hours in a week were consecrated to Gods Worship Numb 28. 3. but yet all the day long the whole people of Israel should not attend on the holy duties of piety this was only enjoyned to them that could commodiously do it So in the Churches planted by the Apostles they met on other dayes as often as they could besides the Lords dayes but on the Lords dayes appointed for this end they were bound to be present at the publick assemblies and their absence for a certain time from these on the Lords day was to be reprehended by the sentence of the first Concil Eliberitan Can. 21. And yet where are any Canons established for punishing their absence from Sabbathday-meetings Although the Fathers do often reprove those that come seldome on the Sabbath and other dayes to hear the Word 5. Although on the Sabbath dayes they might meet to hear the holy Oracles of God yet when that dayes meetings were ended they might not be idle but an Anathema is denounced to them that work not on that day Conc. Laodic Can. 29. Ignatius in an Epistle to the Magnesians exhorts them to spend the Sabbath in labours without rest and therefore the Sabbath had not its vacation from labours So Athan. de semente Ambros Ep. 72. which we never read was ordained of the Lords day on which it's a sin to give our selves to labour And let these things suffice for the Lords dayes prerogatives above the Sabbath by which we find that the Sabbath day was not kept holy of the Church i. e. the ancients did not separate it from common use and labour nor consecrate it wholly to God in an holy rest that on it the acts of Divine Worship and those things that pertain to a spiritual life should only be exercised neither were the conventions on that day to be compared with those held on the Lords day which things surely once to define had been much to our profit For the Institution of other dayes to hold meetings on it 's not needful to take much pains since we have nothing writ of it in the Word of God as of the Lords day and many things which were not instituted of the Apostles but first arose in
particular Churches were introduced by little and little into other which at length in process of time are made more common which Socrates ascribes to the Bishops of divers Churches and those that received such rites from the Bishops transmitted them as a law to Posterity as in other things so in the meetings of the Church it 's to be observed whose original was not used by the Church in the Apostles age Epiphanius in Panario tells us of Synaxes Ecclesiae quarta Prosabbato Dominico fartas Constantine the Great ordained by Law the Parasceve to be celebrated of which nothing is yet extant in Scripture but Sozomen seems to touch upon the cause of its institution who sayes that Constantine gave great honour to the holy Cross both for the help that was brought him in managing his wars against his enemies through its vertūe and also for the heavenly Vision that was offered him about it which things teach us that Constantine if we may say so of so godly an Emperour did very superstitiously worship the Cross whence it happened that he attributed more to the Cross than was fitting and for that cause instituted that day to be set a part for meetings in memorial of Christs Passion on that day accomplished Yet who will from that sanction compare the observation of that day ordained of Constantine and not of the Apostles with the Lords day which was long before Constantines dayes observed of the Church which we must take for certain did so often meet to hear the word of God as it fitly could Afterwards we shall see that the Fathers did treat to their people out of the Scriptures almost every day yet I trust none will equallize every day on which these assemblies were holden to the Lords day But these assemblies were free neither was the universal Church obliged by any law to keep them which yet we acknowledge of the Lords day therefore I will add no more of them And from what hath been said the attentive Reader will easily perceive that no day was observed of the whole Catholick Church with that solemnity that the Lords day was and that on the Sabbath day the Christians did not intermit their ordinary labours Now having gotten out of a very troublesome disputation I hasten to that which in the third place I thought to enquire about namely Whether Anniversary Feasts were observed of the Church with greater solemnity than the Lords day as some think especially because amongst the ancients they were sometimes equalled to the Lords day and sometimes far preferred to it From the Passover-holy-dayes until Pentecost being intentive on Prayers they did no more bend the knees than on the Lords dayes yea the answer in Justin affirms the same things that Pentecost was in equal power with the Lords day The same is ordained in the twentieth Canon Conc. Nic. 1. Mention also is made of this custome in other Fathers Basil de S. Sancto cap. 27. Tertul. de corona milit cap. 3. Hieron advers Luciferianos Aug. Epist 118. cap. 15 17 c. From their freedom from kneeling some conclude the equality of these dayes which I acknowledge was interdicted on those dayes and they were glad for their immunity at that time from their Fasts and yet I do not think that those dayes are to be compared with the Lords Verily if these prerogatives had constituted an holy day they that for this cause judge the dayes of Pentecost to be equalled to the Lords had said something but if they so think I doubt not at all but they are mistaken and what St. Austin sometime answered Urbicus disputing against those that dined on the Lords day is hither to be referred Austin concludes the Lords day must be preferred to the Sabbath for the faith of the Resurrection not for custom of refection that is they prefer not the Lords day to the Sabbath because they remit fasting on it which yet they do not on the Sabbaths but because it was declared to the Christians to be the Lords day by the Resurrection of the Lord and thereupon began to have its own festivity So we say here the dayes of Pentecost are not to be compared with the Lords Day although as well on those as on this the time was passed without bowing and fastings because the ordination whereby bowing and fasting were interdicted them was merely humane Austin thinks it is not defined by the Lords command or the Apostles on what dayes to fast and not many ages since while the Lords solemnity remained in the Church that ordination was vanisht No body therefore that 's alwaies one can by right compare the solemnity of Pentecost with the Lords whose institution afterwards we will prove Divine neither is there in the places cited made any comparison of that with this amongst the Fathers but only in regard of that immunity Ambrose saith For these fifty dayes the Church knoweth not fasting as the Lords day Afterwards he addeth they are all as the Lords day because upon them as he said as on the Lords day there was a relaxation of fasting After the same manner are Justin Martyr and Tertullian de cor mil. to be understood That I may therefore dispatch in a word if the Lords day had not been celebrated in the Apostles age and if it had been honoured with no other prerogatives than immunity from bowing and fasting then certainly they would have equallized them to this day but that this is false even as the Proverb is the blearcyed and barbers know and so they conclude arguing like Sophisters from that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus far of the equality of some dayes with the Lords which some men dream of It will farther also be worthy our consideration to know whether some Feasts which they call anniversary were preferred of the Church to the Lords day To those that think thus it is enough to answer them once after this manner Whereas we cannot read that the Holy Ghost in Scripture affords a testimony to the institution or observation of these they are to be received as humane institutions which omitting others may be cleared by this one argument If those feasts had been instituted of the Apostles then they had been observed every where by the Church in the same manner and time according to the rule of Vincentius Lirinensis yet the contrary doth plainly appear by Ecclesiastical Writers and Fathers which it will not be irksome to demonstrate in some of them If the Feast of the Passover had been ordained by the law of Christ or his Apostles sayes the learned Chamier then that law had unanimously been propounded of the Apostles and accordingly celebrated of all Churches in the same manner at least at the beginning But that is not to be found which the unhappy controversie about this matter whereby the concord of divers Churches hath wonderfully been interrupted sheweth
They of Asia contend it must be celebrated on the fourteenth day they of the West on the Lords day only and which is more those acknowledge their opinion received by tradition from John these from Peter and Paul This controversie Eusebius Hist l. 5. explains more at large Who therefore can be brought to believe if the festivity of the Passover was ordained by the Apostles authority that so soon divers Churches that were governed of the very Apostles Scholars would make a departure from so holy a precept and that in celebrating the Lords day all the Churches of Christ through the whole world should follow one and the same rule Why had they not also done the like in the Feast of the Passover if it had been instituted by Apostolical authority It is not likely therefore it was ordained of the Apostles And yet I cannot but wonder at the wit of some men who hold the Passovers festivity which the Scriptures are silent in for divine and yet they repute the Lords day whose observation we meet with in Scripture for Ecclesiastical and humane If therefore the Passovers festivity was instituted of the Apostles no man can justly prefer it to the Lords day ordained of Christ by his Apostles Nor must we judge otherwise of the Feast of the happy Nativity of Christ whose solemnity was anniversary but on what day of the year to be celebrated it 's uncertain Chrysostom although he conjectures Christ was born on the eighth before the Calends of January in December recites divers opinions about this matter but follows his own opinion without condemning of others and permits every one to abound in his own sense till such time as the Lord shall reveal to every one of us what must be holden for certain St. Hierom if so be that Sermon de Nativitate Domini which goes commonly under his name be Hieroms saith Whether the Lord Jesus was born to day or baptized to day a different opinion is carried about in the world and according to the variety of traditions is the sentence diverse In this authors judgement whoever he was it was uncertain what day the blessed Nativity of Christ fell out on The Learned Casaubon Exercit. ad apparat Bar. annal num 68. tells us there were of old divers opinions in the Church about Christs Nativity Some writing that he was born on the sixth of January others on the nineteenth of April others on the nineteenth of May some in the month of September most on the twenty fifth of December Now these divers opinions about these feasts which are taken for chief ones do teach us that they were ordained by no law of the Apostles otherwise in their writings without doubt we should have met with a direct assigning of the time to be set aside for keeping them in Memory as it is observed of the Lords day which yet it 's plain no where can be found Moreover if their ordination had been derived from the Apostles they had either all been equal among themselves or it had been known some way to the Church which amongst them had been of greater authority and right But the contrary appeareth from the most grave Fathers which differ from one another about this thing and therefore one is sometimes preferred before another of them Chrysostom calls the Feast of Christs Nativity the Mother of all Feasts Orat. de Philognio Gregory Nyssen calls it the holy of holies and feast of feasts Gregory Nazianzen judgeth it to be preferred far before all others that are Christs and are celebrated in honour of him Since therefore it is not agreed on amongst the Fathers of the Church of the first institution of these Festivals and their prerogatives none will doubt that their institution was not received from the Apostles Which things being supposed it can be inferred by no necessary consequence that these are to be compared much less to be preferred to the Lords day From all which it appeareth that the observation of the Lords day was far different from that of the Sabbath and other dayes because the Sabbath day amongst Christians had on it no cessation from worldly labours neither was it observed with such solemnity of the whole Church as was the Lords day yea the Sabbath is not read to be observed of the whole Church whenas yet the premises do evince that the Lords day was ever solemnized from the very Apostles age in the Church dispersed through all Nations and we have observed that other Festivals of Christs are not to be compared with much less to be equallized or preferred to the Lords Day CHAP. IV. The chief of the Fathers make mention of the Lords Day its authority depends not on the Constitutions of Emperours when it was at first ordained that Judges should cease from hearing Law-suits on that day the Christians were punished for observing it What it is Dominicum agere BEtter to manifest the celebrity of the Lords Festival I will moreover bend my mind to two things by which in the first place I will demonstrate that the Lords Day all along in the Church from the very Apostles age was consecrated to perform religious exercises on Secondly that on all that day the Church was wont to be vacant from all worldly matters which two things will clearly enough shew its solemnity above all other dayes to which these things agree not amongst men that relish the truth In demonstrating the fiâ—st of these we will prove that the Lords day was alwayes celebrated and will briefly open both the reasons of its solemnity and its names which we meet with amongst the ancients Let it be sufficient to illustrate the first that there is none of any note in the ancient Church who doth not give an ample testimony to this its solemnity Amongst the renowned witnesses of this truth let St. Ignatius come forth who thus charges us Let every lover of Christ celebrate the Lords day which was consecrated to the Lords Resurrection as the Qneen and Prince i. the chief day as Constantine the Great in Euseb de vit ejus lib. 4. cap. 18. of all other dayes Justin Martyr in the end of his second Apology confesseth that on that day which they call Sunday were holden solemn assemblies of all that lived both in villages and cities and he tells us more at large what was done in those assemblies of which afterwards we shall hear more Dionysius Bishop of Corinth when he mentions Clements Epistle to the Corinthians in Eusebius saith he kept holy the Lords day Tertullian reckoneth the Lords day which he calls the eighth namely from the Creation amongst the Christians solemnities The same doth Origen although otherwise he was not at one with himself about the times for performing Religious exercises lib. 8. contra Celsum Eusebius when he speaks of the Ebionites whom he reports did observe the Lords dayes after the same
no punishments be deterred from celebrating the same but when they were by the Heathens carried to punishment they demanded of the Christians whether they had kept the Lords day as we may see in the Acts of the Martyrs by Baronius As sometimes the bloudy Papists when other arguments failed wherewith they might stop the Protestants mouths who with singular dexterity and great acuteness of wit being happily illuminated with a notable light of the Scripture did refute their dotages at length setting upon them with this Question would fish out what their opinion was of the Sacrament of the Altar as they speak incongruously whereupon then as they desired they might have a pretence to pronounce them guilty of death according to the cruel laws enacted by them so the Heathens asked of the Christians whether they had been at their Collect and kept the Lords day and when they confessed they had been at the Collect and celebrated the Lords day with a congruous devotion of Religion as St. Dativus then had they whereupon to threaten the sentence of cruel death against them inasmuch as having done against the Emperours command Yet the Martyrs answered to this Question with an unanimous consent that they could not intermit the Lords day because they were Christians and the Law namely of God as the Martyrs themselves expound it num 51. not of the Church as is noted by Baronius in the margin num 48. had warned them to keep it So the Martyrs But it will be for the Readers profit here more throughly to weigh what it is Dominicum agere or celebrare especially for the sake of Baronius's candor in rehearsing the Acts of these Martyrs he contendeth that by Collecta Collectio and Dominicus in the Acts of the Martyrs must alwayes be understood the sacrifice of the Mass but whoever shall look more narrowly into their acts will easily perceive that Baronius's Gloss deceives the Reader Dominicum agere and Dominicum celebrare in the acts of the Martyrs are both one and this is that I may use Hieroms words the same as if they should say they celebrate the Lords day having received the Lords body or according to Tertullian it is to celebrate the Lords solemnities which by the succeeding Church were called Solemnities appointed by God So in Concil Tarraconensi Can. 4. And those were celebrated of the Church being gathered together Tertullian witnessing it in the place fore-cited and were all the exercises of Religion which Baronius foolishly following the use of his age comprehendeth under the name of the Mass altogether unknown to the Church of that age dedicated to Divine Worship and performed on the Lords day in whose number the administration of the Lords Supper is reckoned which in those first times was oftentimes celebrated every Lords day but never without other publick duties of Christian Religion of which solemnities more hereafter by the Grace of God when we treat of the Sanctification of this day Let this for the present suffice the Reader that the Martyrs being asked by the Proconsul de Dominico answer se Dominicum egisse and we meet with Dominicum in the African Writers for the Lords day Cyprian Ep. 33. saith of Aurelius an ordained Reader Dominico legit where without doubt he meaneth the Lords day It is sometimes put for the place that 's set aside for the Church to meet in comest thou in Dominicum without a sacrifice saith Cyprian de opere eleemosynis Sometimes also for the Symboles of the Lords Supper Numquid saith Cyprian Dominicum post coenam celebrare debemus In the foresaid Acts of the Martyrs the word Dominicum is taken in all its significations whenas therefore they answer se Collectam Dominicam egisse what can it be else but as they add that se ad Scripturas Dominicas legendas in Dominicum i. e. there was a publick meeting for the Church although for the Persecution they met in private houses because as they answer they were all present aderat prebyter convenisse or ex more Dominica Sacramenta celebrasse Num. 36. that is all the Mysteries of Christian Religion at that time prohibited of the Heathen Emperours were faithfully performed on the Lords Dayes in the assemblies of the Christians For when any thing is opposed to a negative command we must consider it from the nature of the thing forbidden therefore the genuine sense of this phrase Dominicum agere Dominicum celebrare in Dominicum convenire c. in the Acts of the Martyrs cannot better be demonstrated than from the very words of the Emperours edict in which charge is given for burning the Scriptures destroying the Temples and prohibiting the Christians meetings which they celebrated on the Lords day Saturninus because he gathered together the Martyrs against the Emperours Mandates was brought to punishment When therefore the Proconsul demands of them Why Dominicum egissent c it is the same as if he should ask Why they kept their meetings as the Proconsul himself expresseth it or Dominicam Collectam egissent in which the duties of piety were observed And when were such sort of meetings kept but at that time whereon the congregations of the common people were made as Austin of the same Martyrs in breviculo Collationis tert diei cap. 4. that is but upon the Lords dayes according to the command of Christ and the custome of the Church founded upon this command and in those meetings of the Martyrs they did perform all the rites and offices of their Religion entirely for which cause as I said they were aceused namely because Collectam Dominciam celebrarunt i. e. they met or synaxes egerunt in the Lords name to celebrate the Lord on the Lords day Dominicum i. e. the offices of the Christian Liturgy which were prohibited by the Imperial edict under the name of a meeting as they expound it afterâ—â—â—d cum fratribus celebrarunt namely ad Scripturas Dominicas legendas in Dominicum convenerunt Dominica Sacramenta ex more celebranda idque ex authoritate legis Dei These are the excellent offices of Piety which were performed of them with the greatest devotion 〈…〉 Religion although they were interdicted by the Emperour for whose sake as I said they were complained of by the Proconsul From which things it 's plain to any that Dominicum agere or celebrare is the same amongst the Martyrs that Dominica solemnia celebrare was to their Countrey-man Tertullian whose Phrase doth in a Parallel answer to this of the Martyrs or to perform solemnities for the honour of God on the Lords day By what hath been said it is also manifest that the authority of the Lords Day was great in the Church because the Christians would not intermit the celebrating of it according to the law prescribed them by God although they were straitly forbidden of the Emperours upon great danger of life
whole day must be reserved as Chrysostom before to spiritual work As afterwards the Fathers in Conc. Turonensi do speak being sequestred from servile work to persevere in praising God and giving of thanks No otherwise then as anciently among the Romans the daily sacrifices were continued from the beginning of the day to the middle of the following night But I will not weary the Reader by rehearsing apart the testimonies of the several Fathers in a matter so clear whose writings he that will but lightly look into shall grant that a whole day according to their opinion must be assigned to perform religious exercises upon which will better appear from those rules that occurr in their writings for the sanctification of this day three whereof I will not refuse to reckon First they exhort the Church to regard on that day the things that pertain to their souls salvation where Hierom accommodates as he shews in the following words what the Prophet speaks of the Sabbath to those whom Christ hath made free And if any have a mind to see what it is to regard the things that pertain to the souls salvation the fourth Canon Conc. Tarraconensis will inform him namely that men on the Lords day only perform to God the appointed solemnities and what should be done on them we have formerly heard ex Turonensi Concil namely that they should abstain from servile work and persevere to the evening in giving of thanks But lest any one should grant that those exercises of Piety are to be done on that day whenas yet he might deny that the whole day were to be spent in them therefore the Fathers add Secondly That excepting those things that pertain to the fouls salvation nothing else at all must be done on that day So Hierom Austin Conc. Tarracon in the fore-cited places with whom agree also the Fathers in the Council of Friuli who ordain that on the Lords day the vacation must be to no other purpose but for Prayer and other offices of piety And in the Council of Paris it is ordained that it 's convenient for those that are redeemed by the grace of Christ to abstain on that day whereon the Author of Life rose again and gave them hope of a Resurrection from these things that are fore-mentioned i. e. from this worlds pleasures and their own and rural works as there they speak and be filled onely with spiritual joyes and busily vacant with all their heart in restless praises The same particle of restriction is added in Conc. Triburiensi Can. 35. where they ordain that it 's the peoples part on the Lords dayes only to labour in the holy service of God And afterwards they add that they must only attend on God on the Lords dayes Greg. Mag. shews also they were wholly to be employed in prayers on the Lords dayes Thirdly they do not only think that this 〈…〉 must be religiously kept and wholly â—â—ployed in the worship of God on it but â—hey farther do define the term of time which they must spend in the work thereof namely a whole day So Chrysost Hom. 10. in Gen. and Hom. 5. in Math. Let your eyes and hands be spread out to God all that whole day This is to persevere in performing its services until the evening Concil Turon 3. cap. 40. Or as in Conc. Trull cap. 90. From the evenings ingress to the Altar on the Sabbath till the following evening on the Lords day Now if in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established the premises do evidently enough shew that the sanctification of all the day is required since that not only the Fathers do determinate that we must cease from our worldly matters and attend on God but moreover that nothing must be done but a work of Piety on all that day that is from the beginning to the end thereof Neither do I think good to confirm the truth in this matter by reasons over and besides these testimonies that are not to be contemned although they be not to seek wherewith to stop the mouths of dissenters if they be angry and the entire sanctification of the whole day may be vindicated against the too earnest seekers of a profane liberty First As if the day be commanded to be held holy by common sense it follows that a day not some hours is to be sanctified So Aug. Serm. 251. de Temp. Secondly Moreover if there were any term of that dayes holiness before the day it self were determined then such a term would appear either from the Scriptures or from some of the Fathers piously interpreting them but what no where is extant he that can shew it Erit Mihi Magnus Apollo The Ancients who thought good to fast on the Sabbath sometimes continued their fasts to the ninth hour which being past they were not afraid to relaxe their fast and refresh their strength with meat Socrat. Hist l. 5. c. 22. And sometimes till the Cock-crow of the Lords day growing light as in the Sabbath of the great week as Epiphanius teaches in Panario When therefore they judged that they must simply fast on the Sabbath then they added nothing of the termes of the fast before the Sabbath it self ended but because some judged that they must not abstain on all Sabbaths for a whole day from meats therefore they signified how long their fast was to last We may say the same of the Lords day's duration if the Church must not keep holy day by a Religious solemnity from worldly affairs for a whole day then the term without whose knowledge the Church-would be ignorant how long the day were to be sanctified and the minds of men would stick pendulous of this solemnity would some way be known to us from the Scriptures nor would the Holy Ghost have passed it by untouched and formerly we have observed from their writings that the Fathers would determine nothing to be done on this whole day that is from the Sun-rising to the setting but what relates to Piety who being excited with an holy zeal have exploded the half sanctification of the Lords Day Thirdly If the glory of the Jewish Sabbath be translated to the Lords day which is not denied of the Fathers I do not see why we should not interpret this day in the same manner as it was prescribed about the Sabbath to the worshippers of God in old time for to the Jews and that by Divine authoritie it was given in command that they being sequestred from all worldly business through the whole Sabbath should attend Divine Worship alone With what face therefore and upon what authoritie relying can Christians bestow their Lords day or any part thereof in worldly affairs setting aside the worship of God let them look to 't that have a care of their salvation This reason hath the most pious Leo approved with his judgement and authority for
saith he if they that did observe a certain shadow and figure did so greatly reverence the Sabbath Day that they wholly abstained from all work how is it not fitting that those should reverence that day that is honoured of God who love the light of grace and the truth it self 4. Lastly the rule of equity and justice requires the same if we look at what time the Lord hath indulged us for our uses whose large benevolence hath allowed us six whole dayes to overcome the labours of this world and dispatch our own business with Why should it therefore be tedious to us weighing this in an equal ballance for to set apart one whole day for his praise and sincere worship Neither can any one think this an absurd form of arguing who shall but observe Chrysostom arguing in this matter from the duty of servants towards us to our observance towards God he judgeth it ridiculous if we would have our servants alwayes employed in our business and and we give no service to God And we likewise contending for the sanctifying of the whole day do say that it is much more ridiculous if we should reckon those dayes for whole ones which are allowed us to dispatch the affairs of this life in for our use and interpret a day set aside for Gods worship by Divine authority not an entire one but a small part thereof to be dedicated to Divine worship It would be ridiculous yea plainly impious to arrogate to our selves and our affairs what we refuse to bestow on God Chrysostom judgeth it an irreligious thing to consume six dayes in carnal and be unwilling to spend one in spiritual matters So also Leo in the foresaid place How is it not the part of a wholly dissolute Religion whereas one of the seven dayes is consecrated to the honour of God not to preserve it inviolate to God but to make it common But we must not contend with reasons but testimonies for the prejudices of some men who condemn the truth in this matter as novelty and he that shall undervalue the foresaid testimonies of greatest authority will esteem at little reasons although every way valid like the Leviathan that esteemeth iron as straw and brass as rotten wood And therefore I will put an end to this labour And thus far being furnished with the authorities of the ancients I have taught you that they have stood for sanctifying of the whole day which they have judged necessary for the Church How the sacred Exercises of Divine worship performed on that day were so disposed that in performing thereof the whole day was spent by the ancients when I shall speak of the sanctifying of the Lords Day then by the grace of God shall be made manifest CHAP. VII The Ordinance of the Lords day is not to be reckoned amongst unwritten Traditions It was instituted of Christ by the Apostles The Apostles prerogatives above other Ministers of the Church Things ordained of the Apostles are Divine WHen the Jews had observed John to use another form of Doctrine than was commonly received and to begin a new Ceremony of Baptisme they ask who he was i. e. by what authority he did set upon these new things and unheard of in former ages that being informed in that thing they might in time consider what they should do So since that we have found out of Scriptures and Fathers that the Lords day was solemnized by the Church under the Gospel insomuch that mens minds are to be masculously applied to the duties of Piety not on the last as under the Law but first day of the week a question is made by what authority Gods Holy Church doth this thing For it was not so kept holy from the beginning from whence even till the happy Resurrection of our Saviour the Lord commanded that the Seventh day in every week should be held holy and for sanctifying the first day of every week divers men seek for a command which they confidently enough cry out is not extant in all the holy Scriptures and divers more other wise Divines of great note do greatly toyle in heaping up arguments whereby to enervate the Divine Authority of this day It is an ordinary thing with sundry of the Papists although some amongst them especially of the School-men do think otherwise who strenuously contend for unwritten Traditions on whose weak authority as on a solid foundation many of their dotages are grounded to reckon up the observation of the Lords Day among this sort of Traditions which cannot be fince the mention thereof doth so often occurr in the Sacred Word of God Whilst the most learned Dr. Whitaker doth studie soberly to prevent as his manner is this errour of the Papists he is scourged of Gretser Yet the learned Vedelius in his notes upon Ignatius doth strongly defend Whitaker against the vain fooleries of Gretser Others contend that the Lords day should be held solemn â—ure divino Lastly Others do acknowledge it received from Apostolical ordination We will by Gods assistance shew that solemn celebration of the Lords day was instituted of God by the Apostles The Holy Scriptures do testifie that the Lords day was observed of the Church while the Apostles were yet alive nor is there much doubt of this observation This is the onely thing as I said of which the question is Whether this solemnity was instituted of the Apostles or of the Church according to that power allowed them by the Lord And if it be ascribed to the Holy Apostles Whether they of themselves and by their own authority or by Divine command have prescribed it to the Church since the observation of the Lords day grew in use with the Church of Christ while the Apostles were yet alive it seems equitable and agreeable to sound reason to take them for the authors of this observation because the chief care of Ecclesiastical Government was by God devolved upon them every one whereof as a wise master-builder laid a foundation upon which their successors builded and all other modern Doctors of the Church how great soever they were gave place unto them Ignatius for that reason saith of himself I do not command as an Apostle And elsewhere in an Epistle Ad Philadelphienses he doth not challenge Apostolical authority to himself Neither would Ambrose claim Apostolical glory to himself which he acknowledgeth is by right due to them whom the Son of God hath chosen and he affirmeth that by how much we are inferiour to the Apostles in time we are so much inferiour to them in merit Chrysostom also confesses that he is far from the Apostles dignity neither doth he account himself worthy to be called their shadow and Christ hath deservedly joyned them to him as individual companions out of the number of all his Disciples or that I may speak with Tertullian lateri suo adlegavit i. made themselves Legates a latere Secondly He hath sent
them out furnished with special authority to gather the Church to lay whose foundations belong to the Apostolical dignity out of the promiscuous multitude of all nations and so they were sent out by Christ to all Nations without any exception for which cause when a Church was planted in any part of the world whither they came they fixed not but removed some other way Thirdly They were endued with that abundance of Grace of the Holy Ghost for the Ministry committed to them by the Lord that they preached the truth of the Gospel infallibly I know sayes Hierom how to esteem of the Apostles in one manner of other Doctors after another that those alwayes taught the truth these in some things did erre as men Whence the Doctrine commended to the Church by the Apostles was alwayes accounted for the rule and Canon of all Christian Religion Fourthly The Apostles at the beginning of the Church by the visible sign of imposition of hands conferred the gifts of the Holy Ghost upon others that were instructed of them in the Doctrine of the Gospel and they were endued with divers other gifts of Miracles by which their call was rendred clear both to themselves and others Matth. 10. 8. And these are the signs by which the blessed Apostle teaches us that he had executed the office of a true Apostle in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 12. 2. Deservedly for these causes were they that were elected to the honourable state of Apostolical dignity preferred to other Ministers of the Church not only in the chief eminency of Order but of Power and hence it was that all questions respecting the affairs of the whole Church were propounded to be discussed by the Apostles whom all the Churches consulted in doubtful cases as may be seen Acts 15. 2. 1 Cor. 7. 1. and whatever they determined the whole Church every where embraced which made a conscience of departing a fingers breadth from those things that were committed to them by the Apostles If therefore the solemnity of the Lords Day was celebrated while the Apostles were living which the Scriptures testifie was done as we have seen chap. 2. it must of right chiefly be imputed to their ordination otherwise without doubt the Universal Church had not followed it Baronius thinks that all who are well in their wiâ—â— will say that since it is found that it was done in the Apostles times it could not be ordained and commanded to be kept of any other but of themselves Neither is any thing worthy consideration brought to the contrary except it be because the Blessed Apostles have left no singular command with the Church for the observation of this day although he that shall attend their practise may lawfully deny this since their example and practise hath the force of a precept But who will deny that some things were instituted of the Apostles in the Church whose use while they were alive I pass not for Traditions introduced into the Church when the Apostles were dead was grown out with the primitive Christians of whose first institution or necessary continuation afterwards no precept is extant in the Scriptures yet who will be bold to extenuate the authority of these commands or will affirm that the Church at this day is not obliged to observe them because their observation being mentioned in Scripture is as it were a command by vertue whereof the Church is bound to continue them The thing will be more plain by examples The Apostles ordained Deacons Act. 6. and Elders in every Church Act. 14. 23. In the Ordinations of all Ministers imposition of hands was used but where is there extant an express commanâ— from Christ for perpetuating the ordination of those the institution of these or for the use of this ceremony yet none doubts but that the Apostles in performing of these were acted by a Divine instinct of the Spirit and that the Church at this day is bound to them by vertue of Apostolical institution But that I may briefly shew that the blessed Apostles and no others were the authors of this solemnity that which follows may suffice If it were observed while they were yet living which the Scriptures do evidently enough manifest it is deservedly to be ascribed to their ordaining it for it was either instituted by them and their authority or by some other Doctors of the Church without their consent a third way is not given the latter whereof is absurd and never to be admitted of any exercised in the Christian Faith because the Apostolical authority as formerly we have abundantly enough shewn was supreme in the Church it belonged to them to declare to the Christian flock what was best to be done in all things and not to the Church to prescribe them Statutes and Laws Why therefore did it not appertain to the Apostles the faithful founders of the Church amongst other things to commend this also to the Church and not to the Church to prescribe it the blessed Apostles Moreover the general consent of all Churches in celebrating this festival evinceth the same otherwise they had dissented from one another as in other observations not received from the Apostles but observed for a time by the succeeding Church as in the Feast of the Passover in observing Fasts c. so doubtless it would have happened in celebrating the Lords Day if by Divine authority received from the Apostles its observation had not been used amongst the Christians Thirdly if the Christian Church had ordained that day to be celebrated without the advice of the Apostles either those that turned Christians from Jews or Gentiles had done this but not those to whom the cessation of their old Sabbath was not known but by the Apostles much less would they attempt to do this by themselves or on their own authority Neither will any wise man think that those whom the Apostles invited from Heathenism to embrace the Christian faith were the authors of this Festival because it is not usual with them to Sabbatize after the manner of the Church unless so far as they were instructed to it by the Apostles Fourthly if the Holy Apostles by authority committed to them from Christ had not instituted the Lords Day but had left its observation free to the judgment of the Church then we might on good reason have called the Church the Queen of the Sabbath which yet is a very clear argument of Christs Divinity as the Learned Dr. Paraeus piously for none is Lord of the Sabbath but he that hath instituted the Sabbath c. The Sabbath is of the Lord they God Lastly if its authority did depend upon the Churches institution then it may by it be again abolished when it shall think good but this was never hitherto since Christs ascension attempted because the Lords day being taken away the publick worship of God must of necessity fall Since therefore the observation of the Lords day was used while the Apostles were
by God for the use of the Ministers of the Church they must of necessity grant that God hath appointed a time in which they must attend his worship to whom in their opinion he hath granted Tythes because it is the same authority that must both define the Worship and a fit time for performing of that Worship Now for establishing the Divine institution of this day we must not have recourse to that spurious scroul that as it 's reported in the third tome of Councils was sent down from Heaven to Hierusalem because that what things the Holy Ghost hath revealed to us in Scripture they do demonstrate it to all to be Divine of those that embrace the truth and for the fabulous fooleries about this matter we leave them to the Papists whose Kingdome had long since fallen without their support and we will briefly according to our manner examine what light may be brought out of the New Testament to manifest the truth in this matter Here three things come to be examined First Whether in the compass of every week must the Church keep holy a certain day by Gods institution Secondly Whether the Jewish Sabbath be abrogated Thirdly What can be brought out of the books of the New Testament to confirm the keeping holy the first day in the week The first of these is more obscure the other two may plainly enough be observed out of the Holy Scriptures and Fathers and one of them depends upon another Of the last many things have been observed out of the Scriptures in our second third c. Chapters but the truth about the two former Questions being made manifest by the testimonies of the ancients it will appear with little ado what is to be enquired into in the third place CHAP. VIII Within the compass of a week one day was sanctified from the beginning of the world this is affirmed both by Jews and Christians How Adam had need of the Sabbath The mention of observing the seventh day amongst the Heathens The authorities are weighed wherein the observation of the Sabbath among the Patriarchs is denied Why the Heathens are not upbraided with the abuse of the Sabbath AS to the first Question namely That in the compass of seven dayes one is to be set apart for spiritual operation as saith Chrysostom why should I fear to affirm it Especially since this opinion is approved by the suffrage of the greatest Divines and clearly enough taught by the manifest testimonies of the ancients We shall see that the Church of God since the History of the Creation was known did alwaies set apart one day of the weekly systeme for his worship the verity of which thing may be observed in the three Epocha's or junctures of years the first whereof is from the Creation to Moses the second from Moses till the Gospel was preached by the Apostles the third follows to be considered from that time till the end of the world in all which we shall find that one of the seven was alwayes set apart for the publick worshipping of God We read it was so done from the beginning of the world till Moses from Moses till the Resurrection of Christ from thence to this very day The controversie at this day is chiefly about the first and last Epocha none doubts of the second In demonstrating the first that the Sabbath was observed before Moses yea from the first beginning of the world both the Holy Scriptures and the Reverend Fathers their faithful Interpreters do attest it to prove the truth whereof we will first bring the authority of Moses which is had Gen. 2. 2 3. of which places divers have given the genuine sense and especially the Learned Rivet in Gen. and doth Orthodoxly enough defend his Exposition against those that think otherwise in his dissertation de Sabbato chap. 2. and removes a Prolepsis that is devised by the modern in commenting upon Moses's Text for Moses in the foresaid place doth not relate what God did when he writ the History of the Creation but what God did after that the stupendious work of Creation was finished namely that he ceased from creating any new work and ordained by a Law promulgated that the seventh day should be set apart by men to his worship in memorial of the Creation This is related by Moses Neither was that fore mentioned prolepsis which the best amongst the Christians allow not known to the Jews And if we follow the simple and literal sense of Moses his words they all make for us For how unjust is it when all the Verbs are of the same Mood and Tense Vajecol Vaijsboth Vajebarech and be finished and ceased and blessed to restrain the two former to the present and to extend the latter as some do to a time to come two thousand years after this would be too harsh a construction of the words But let us see how the Jews understood this place Tertullian tells us of them that they affirm that God from the beginning did sanctifie the seventh day by resting on it from all the works that he made and thereupon Moses said to the People Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day c. Where Tertullian delivers the Jews opinion of the Sabbaths observation from the beginning of the world and then he affirms that according to the Jews the Command in the Decalogue for keeping it respects the original observation of the Sabbath namely because God at the Creation sanctified the seventh day This was the opinion retained amongst the Jews in Tertullians age which he produces when he disputes against them and no where doth Tertullian deny that the seventh day was sanctified from the beginning Neither do the Jews themselves deny this The title of Ps 92. apud Jonath who translated the Bible into the Chaldee is thus A Praise and Song which the first man spoke for the Sabbath day From which inscription it appears that the ancient Jews even before the first coming of Christ thought that Adam observed the Sabbath For. Jonathan lived according to Galatinus forty two years before Christs Nativity Josephus a very learned Jew acknowledgeth that God rested on the seventh day and ceased from his works and for that cause do the Jews celebrate a vacation on this day which they call the Sabbath Josephus therefore confesses that the Jews ceased from their works on the Sabbath because the Lord ceased from the Creation on the seventh day Of the same opinion is Philo the Apostles contemporary After saith he that nature was perfected in six dayes the Father added honour to the seventh day following which when he praised he vouchsafed to call it holy Also de vita Mosis lib. 3. he confesses that the Sabbath day had a priviledge by nature since the birth day of the world And a little before in the same book he saith Moses thought it sitting that all those who were enrolled in this City should following the law of Nature
authority of this command then that morality doth plainly perish when now there is not any other weekly Sabbath besides the Lords day without which as I said the Moral part of the Sabbath in the New Testament would not remain By right therefore as Alexander Hales hath it the vacation of the Lords day is the Moral part of the Decalogue in the time of grace as the seventh day in the time of the Law Moreover some may with great reason doubt why the Jewish Sabbath should be translated to the Lords day which yet we see hath been done for above one thousand six hundred years if so be that Christians be not obliged to observe the fourth Command as it is moral whenas otherwise there would be no need of any festival to succeed in place of the ancient Sabbath But because that Law doth perpetually bind all the worshippers of God to the observation of the Sabbath it necessarily follows that the day on which the Sabbath is to be observed must be determined by some positive Law and is designed by God for this purpose to be the seventh day in the Old Covenant and the the first in the New For it 's not for man saith Alexander Hales quaest 32. fol. 128. to determine but God when that time is c. It 's in Gods power only to define a fit time for performing his worship But we read this question of the Morality of the fourth Command discussed at large by divers amongst whom the famous Wallaeus doth it most excellently who to the great fruit of the Church hath copiously taught us what is Ceremonial and what Moral in writing of that Command of the Sabbath I will not therefore add any more about this question but do send the Reader to the learned labours of others in which this question is examined I will only add this one thing for a conclusion out of the observations of this Learned Divine namely an explication of the Sabbath's being a sign between God and men Since saith he it is in bred by nature in all Nations that in the external worship of that Deity which they take for supreme they should have some Symbole of Document which may shew to others whom they take for God as may be observed in the sacrifices of Bacchus and therefore in the Revelation they that worshipped God and the Lamb are read to have the mark of God in their foreheads Rev. 14. 1. and they that worshipped the Beast received his mark in their forehead or hand Rev. 14. 9. which were nothing else but external tokens by which they would plainly signifie that they worshipped either God or the Beast So of old we read that the Sabbath was instituted of God that it might be a symbole or sign to manifest to all the world who was the God of the Jews So Ezek. 20. 20. the Sabbaths are said to be signs between God and them that it might be known that the Lord was their God Now what it was that was shewn by that sign Moses tells us in divers places especially in Exod. ch 31. 16 17. Therefore the children of Israel shall observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual Covenant It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever he speaks of the Sabbath for in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed As if he should say the pious observation of the Sabbath amongst them when every seventh day returns doth intimate that the Almighty Creatour of Heaven and Earth is their God In this sense Athanasius de Sabbatho Circumcisione saith The Sabbath is a sign whereby the day might be known on which the Creation was finished which being known they might ascend to the knowledge of the Creatour And by observing the Sabbath they attained unto that two manner of wayes First inasmuch as one day of the seven was solemn or because after they had ended their labours in the six dayes they must rest on the seventh Secondly by determining that rest on the last day of the weekly compass both wayes the Jewes signified that they worshipped none other than God the Creatour of Heaven and Earth because whereas they sanctified the seventh day after the six dayes labours were ended they openly professed that they were worshippers of that God who created Heaven and Earth and having finished his labour in beautifying that stupendious work on the seventh day he ceased from working for which cause he enjoyned them the observation of the seventh day that they might follow his fore-going example both in working and in resting He hath commanded saith Philo de Decalogo that whosoever received these Institutions as in other things so in this also they should follow God in working six dayes and resting the seventh and attending on the contemplation of things and study of VVisdome c. Afterwards Follow God thou hast Gods example and prescript in working six dayes And farther they set apart no other day in the weekly course but the seventh for the exercises of piety that they might profess they were the servants of that God which redeemed the Israelites out of the Land of Egypt and brought them out of the house of bondage which is collected from the repetition of the Decalogue Deuteronom 5. 15. where Moses omitting the argument taken from the Creation which he had used in the Decalogue doth excite them to sanctifie the Sabbath from their being freed out of the Land of Egypt namely because whenas they served in the Land of Egypt the Lord their God brought them out thence with a strong hand and stretched out arm and therefore he commanded them that they should observe the very day of the Sabbath in whose morning watch they came out of Egypt as the Learned Junius observes in his notes on Deuteronom 5. out of Exod. 12. 15. This seems to have been the cause of appointing this day rather than any other And thus much of the Jews Sabbath whereby as by a manifest document they professed to worship the Lord the Creator of this universe and their mighty Redeemer out of Egypt for which cause the Sabbath was had for a sign between God and them CHAP. X. A day in every week is to be sanctified under the Gospel which is not the seventh but first the celebrating of the Jewish Sabbath Col. 2. 16. and Gal. 4. 10. examined the places whereon the observation of the Lords Day in the New Testament is bottomed The Fathers acknowledge its Divine authority neither can the Church change that day and substitute another in its place A Stated Day in every Week being granted to perform Gods Worship on it remaineth now farther to find out what day is determined by God for his worship since the Light of the Gospel was up and down dispersed And whereas thus far we have spoken of the Jews Sabbath it remains in the second place to be considered Whether Christians or
Church when the image is removed Ruffinus contendeth for observing the Sabbath though not carnally or in Jewish delights To these let be added a place in Constit Apost lib. 7. cap. 37. which tells us that the Lords day supplies the room of the Sabbath All these things argue that the pious Fathers did not under the Gospel explode that precept in the Decalogue about the Sabbath and therefore sometimes under the name of the Sabbath which to them the Lords day is signified as we have seen chap. 3. For they yield that Christ fulfilled and not destroyed the Law by his coming and that Christians are to rejoyce on the Sabbaths festival and that the solemnity of this festival is grounded on the Command in the Decologue and seem only to stand for this that now it should not be in that manner celebrated of Christians that the Sabbath was amongst the Jews They celebrated the Sabbath on the seventh day and flinging off the weighty care of godliness gave themselves up to idleness and delights of this world but the Fathers taught that Christians ought not so to keep the Sabbath who should keep the first day of the week holy not carnally but spiritually For they judged it far better under the light of purer Christianity as after shall appear to labour on the Sabbath than to attend on the alluring pleasures of the world But though they abhorred the Jewish manner of observing the Sabbath yet they alwayes ordained one day of the seven as Chrysostom speaks to be bestowed in the worship and service of the common Lord of us all And therefore passing by the abrogating of observing the Sabbath in the Jewish manner being confirmed by testimonies both of Scriptures and Fathers Thirdly it remains to be considered what may be brought from the same fountains to assert the authority of observing the Lords day For it is most sure that the Apostle although he call back in the foresaid places the Church from observing the festival of the Sabbath in the Jewish manner doth not forbid Christians all observing of every day otherwise the Apostle himself had given an offence to the Church in keeping the Lords day with a Church which it appears he did Act. 20. which to think of him the candour of a Christian mind will not admit Therefore we doubt not but by the Apostle's sentence whom we believe did not ordain it by that ordinary power which yet continueth in the Church a certain day is to be employed about spiritual labour otherwise the Church had not met at a stated time in the dayes of the Apostles And whereas a certain day is appointed whereon weekly Divine worship is to be attended only that neither diminisheth nor abolisheth Christian liberty it only directeth Christians that their minds fluctuate not in observing it which is not to destroy Christian liberty but rightly to instruct Christians in the use thereof the better that they miss it not in performing service to their God Now for the weekly conventions of the Christian Church no day was deputed of the Apostles but the Lords day the first mention whereof in their writings we meet with is Rev. 1. 10. where John saith that he was in the spirit on the Lords day And although that be the first time that it 's mentioned in the Scriptures under that appellation yet might it before John writ the Revelation be known in the Church by that name No Evangelist before St. John called Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the Word yet the same author being witness In the beginning was the word Joh. 1. 1. So that day doubtless was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day before not as by some new institution which lately was established in the Church but as a thing well known to the Church otherwise he would not so have named that day without farther explication but that he knew for certain it was named in the Church by that agnomination Which shews that the Lords day was celebrated in the Church before that John was in the Spirit Neither could the Lords day be so solemn throughout all Churches in John's time but that all the Apostles before him had dispersed abroad this Doctrine Secondly it appears from Scripture also that this day was by Apostolical ordination destined to the collecting of almes 1 Cor. 16. 2. Where he gives order that upon the first day of the week every one should lay by him in store the Collection for the Saints of which he had spoken in the former verse The primary intention indeed of that place is to give order about the collections made for relieving the necessity of the poor but since he orders that they may be made on the Lords day there is no doubt but he changes them to celebrate the day it self For whenas he requires the end why should he not also prescribe the means directly conducing to that end without doubt the effect which was on that day to be performed presupposeth the day it self and in commanding the end the command of the means is alwayes included without which we obtain not the end To Chrysostom that searches out the causes of this Apostolical ordination that time seems very commodious to exercise mercy on First because the mind being free from labours it is more easily perswaded to commiâ—eration And secondly because the communicating of celestial holy things being had on that day will strongly provoke men to the duties of mercy Tertullian and Justin Martyr do testifie that almes were collected on that day doubtless by authority of the aforesaid Apostolical ordination which they had laid by them in store till this day as we have seen in the second chapter These collections were by the Christian people observed of their own accord as pledges of piety as Tertullian which Iustin Martyr affirms in his second Apology were on the Sunday deposited with the President out of which provision was made for pupils widows and those who were in want through sickness or any other cause Thirdly it also appears by the Scripture that on that day assemblies were held for hearing the Word and administring the Eucharist which are chiefly to be counted amongst the sacred offices of holy dayes St. Paul as in the second Chapter although he abode seven dayes at Troas we read not that the Disciples met to break bread but on the first day of the week Whence it is collected conveniently that even then the Church had on that day solemn conventions to perform the sacred exercises of Religion on in the preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments neither did this custome grow out of use with the succeeding Church as after when we shall treat of sanctifying the Lords day we will shew but the devout preaching of Gods Word being happily begun on that day by the Apostles Acts 2. 1. was ever after continued at the same time to the honour of God and
being withdrawn from the cares of temporal things its rest should be spent in spirituals as Chrisostom Hom. 1. de Lazaro Athanasius of the same judgment de Sabbat Circumcis for he saith the end of the Sabbath was the knowledge of the creation and not idleness that men keeping holy that day they might know God who rested on that day having finished the work of Creation In the third Council of Orleans it 's provided that men abstain from rural labour and they shew the end of this abstinence that they might go more easily to Church to pray Therefore by the very dictates of nature the Priests affirmed that Holy dayes were polluted if any work was done upon their proclaimed and moveable Feasts Numa Pompilius ordained that alwayes on the Priests Festivals the Cryers should go before them through the city who should give charge that men should rest and cease from their works He thought it was fit that he who worshipped the Gods should be freed from other things and in worshipping of the Gods to apply the mind as to a thing greatly conducing to piety Therefore the minds of men without a cessation from worldly things cannot be applied in a holy devotion to Divine Worship Handy labour saith Cyril is forbidden on a Feast day that you may exercise your selves more entirely in Divine matters The ancients thus ordained that we must cease on a Festival day from all secular works and no worldly thing is to be done on that day which may hinder its sanctification Now in worldly matters men are intent either upon gain or pleasure but here must be a cessation from both First and foremost the observation of the Lords day is not to be profaned by gainful labour for which cause it was provided for by the ancients that Christians should wholly abstain from all things whereby the body is either wearied or the mind alienated from divine to humane things Which clearly enough shews that they were not of that opinion which Austin reports Seneca sometimes was Seneca derided the Jews especially for their Sabbaths that lost the seventh part of their life time in idleness and did not many urgent affairs in their season Christians were not so intent upon their labour for profit as not to be pulled from it to attend Religion They would not give themselves up to their commodities when the season called for obedience When Origen describes how a Christian ought to observe the Sabbath he concludes nothing of worldly actions must be done and he must abstain from all secular works as we have observed before in Chap. 10. where we cited a place in which there is a truly golden and pious image of the Christian Sabbath which Origen divinely inspired hath happily drawn to the life as they say and in which are elegantly described what things are on that day by Christians to be followed and what to be fled while he teacheth us that leaving earthly works on the Lords day we must attend on Divine which that it may be done with greater advantage we must go to the Church in which he exhorts us to attend on the things of Religion and if men shall faithfully do this they will make it evident to all that they have a greater care of their hope for the future inheritance reserved in Heaven than of the profits of this present life Chrysostom confesses that the Lords day is free from business and labours and hath a rest appointed for it and elsewhere Hom. against those that run to playes he accuseth those that meddle with worldly cares on that day although they may pretend poverty necessity of getting food and other urgent occasions But although Chrysostom seems manifestly â—o think that gainful labour is not on the Lords day to be undertaken by Christians yet some make a question whether according to Chrysostom all the day or only so long as the publick assemblies of the Church are held there ought to be an abstinence from labours especially whenas he doth indulge his hearers when they are returned from the Church-assembly if they shall repeat the Scriptures and discourse of that which they have once heard then go to look after the things which are necessary for this life But I will set down the very words of the Father lest I should either keep in suspense the well-minded Reader or seem to darken the truth You must not saith he when you are returned from the Church-meeting intangle your selves in businesses contrary to this exercise but returning home straightway repeat the holy Scriptures and call your wife and children together to confer of those things that have been spoken and these things being fixed more deeply and thoroughly in their mind than to go and look after the things which are necessary for this life c. it never came into St. Chrysostom's mind who asserts that the Lords day should be free from labour and doth not so much as grant any on the Lords day to labour for getting food or avoiding poverty to give any liberty that they should freely attend any worldly affairs which hinder piety And he that sayes thus will do Chrysostom no wrong but rather he who affirms that he indulges men to use these kind of labours on that day which he often finds fault with will fasten the lye on him And I fear not to say this of them that so assert that by their crooked interpretation they do apply the words of that grave Father to quite another sense than Chrysostom thought of This will be evident with a small adoe to him that observes the cited place and compares him with other places that do occurr in him in which it is Chrysostoms purpose to check them who though in the Church they did attentively enough hear what was said yet being departed and forth with mingling themselves with their secular affairs do extinguish the fire of devotion which the Word praeach'd had kindled in them For this evil he prescribes this remedy that so soon as they are returned home they read the holy Scripture and commune amongst themselves about those things that were spoken which things being deeply fixed in their mind then to go and look after those things that they judge necessary for this life they may freely for him as afterwards Bedâ— relates after the exercises of piety are finished there was liberty to take care to refresh the flesh but to care for any other secular businesses than those that pertained to their sustenance he gave them no liberty Which also we read was done by Gunteramnus Baron 588. 26. Because first the very phrase of Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may in a sense commodious enough be expounded of things pertaining to life so Arrianus translates the words of Chrysostom even Trapezuntius one of Greece approving it for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie life to which death is opposed or sustenance and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
on that day and thinks it is to be honoured with Divine Worship for the day which is called the Lords day is by right to be dedicated to the Lord. Constantine the Great about the year 300 ordained that all the Subjects of the Roman Empire should on those dayes called by our Saviours name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. rest from all work So Sozomen lib. 1. cap. 8. Divers passages occurr amongst the ancients which shew that no earthly labour for the sake of gain is to be undertaken on that day which would be needless to run over severally since the premises demonstrate the truth to all that reject it not But lest any should be deceived in Can. 29. of the Council of Laodicea held before Constantines time I will add something to illustrate the true meaning thereof In which Christians are commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. that honouring the Lords day they should rest if they can as Christians By which exception if they can Zonaras on Can. 29. Conc. Laodic thinks that labour on the Lords day was prohibited all Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except the Husbandmans works to whom the civil Law grants an indulgence Whose opinion the patrons of labouring on that day do follow But in this doubtless Zonaras derives them and they others who adhere to his gloss For first the very words of the Canon shew that Christians as Christians ought on that day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rest whence it appears that labour on the Lords day is unlawful to Christians Now the exception which the Canon mentions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they can ought rather to be understood with a respect had to the time in which the Council was gathered than to performing namely of harvest labours For the Council was assembled before Constantine the Great entred upon the Empire at what time the inseriour sort of Christians were compelled by their heathen Lords to whom they were subject and not of their own minds to perform worldly works on that day as on others as a long time after that Council was congregated the Christians were forced to sit and see the playes for remedy whereof the Africans ordain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no Christian should be forced to those playes For their sakes therefore who were forced to labour by others was that exception added by the Laodicean Fathers not that labours used on that day were approved by them but because of those that were in bondage to others and by their severe authority or impetuousness compelled to undergo them on the Lords dayes I say for the comfort of these they put in this exception if any contrary to their minds were forced by others to do so Although divers that were stronger in the faith rather died for it than that they would any wayes violate the Lords day as formerly we heard out of Baronius under the reign of Dioclesian And that this which we have brought is the genuine sense of the Laodicean Canon divers authorities of Fathers before the Council of Laodicea wherein Christians are prohibited earthly labours do shew neither can there from thence any in this our age in which all God be thanked have given up their name to Christ take a pretence to defend the using of worldly labour on the Lords day since now it is the fashion as well of Masters as servants to rest from their labours on that day And secondly that Civil Law on whose authority Zonaras exposition depends was made by Constantine of which briefly anon wherein the countrey men had liberty freely to attend their countrey labours on the Lords day Now the Laodicean Fathers being gathered before the first Council of Nice could have no respect unto a law made some time after the meeting of their Council but are to be understood as I said according to the condition of that age in which the Christians although they of themselves rested from labours were by others compelled that had not yet embraced the Christian faith to undergo them In the second Council of Matiscon Can. 1. about the year 588. it is ordained that none give themselves to labours as on private dayes as they speak for this is in a rash manner to give up the Lords day to contempt But the words of the Canon come a little more narrowly to be examined lest at the first sight the Reader be imposed upon through some mens perverse interpretation of them First the Fathers ordain that if any have a Church near him that he betake himself thither These words are not so to be expounded as if none were bound to be present at Church-meetings but those that had neighbouring Churches at hand from which they that lived farther off might at their pleasure be absent He that will attentively read the beginning of that Canon will not say that this was the sense of the Bishops in that Council who had it put upon them by King Guntheramnus's command that by all means they could they look to that the Christian people should not in a rash manner give up the Lords day to contempt and therefore the Bishops admonished all Christians in this matter from which admonition they neither exempt Lawyers nor Countrey men nor the Clergy or Monks as the words of the Canon do shew And when Guntheramnus required it of them that the body of all the people should assemble on that day to exercise their devotion he decrees that those who set at nought this admonition should by right be corrected with canonical severity or the punishment of the Law If therefore he by his own authority according to the vigor of the Bishops decree allowed none a liberty to be absent from Church assemblies none can interpret the aforesaid words of the Canon as if only those that are near to Churches were bound to be present at them since all as well near as far off are bound by one and the same law when therefore they say if any have a Church near him it is the same with Let all go to the Church as afterwards in Concil Foroju Can. 13. Secondly Let none wonder that the Matiscon Fathers reciting the exercises of the L. Day in that Canon do there only make mention of Prayers Hymns as if there were no other exercises of piety besides Prayers and singing of Psalms to attend on that day for afterwards in the same Council they have ordained something of the Sacraments Can. 6. And Guntheramnus doth faithfully charge his Bishops that by frequent preaching they study to amend the people by Gods providence committed to their charge Therefore they declare that no offices of piety be pretermitted on that day Nor do they define those things only for the exercises of Hymns or Prayers but peradventure they mention hymns and prayers because they direct the Canon to the people whose part it was to attend these offices and celebrate the same and not to preach the Word Thirdly The
they in City were obliged to be present at Church-assemblies Which things being considered I see not to what purpose any should conclude out of the Elib Council that they which live in the Countrey are not to attend on the Lords Festival although in the Canon there be express mention of those who live in Cities because the Bishops and Presbyters to whom it belonged to go before the other members of the Church in celebrating the Lords day did dwell in the Cities and in that age there was not every where a supply of them afforded for the Villages therefore the Fathers of that Synod by name did express these who were supplied with them that laboured in the Word And a long time after the Eliberitan Council was gathered divers Villages were not furnished with Churches witness Chrysostom Hom. 18. in Act. Besides when it 's plain that the unlearned and unbelievers were admitted into the Church-assembly in the Apostles dayes 1 Cor. 14. 23. why should not the Countrey men after the Apostles death be bound to be present at the assemblies of the Church as if they who had bestowed their pains in tilling the earth had forthwith forsworn their barbarity And because they who live in the Countrey are as well Members of Christ as Citizens why should not Christ impart his communion as well to these as those in the exercises of Religion on the Lords dayes It is expresly commanded in the Constitutions which they call the Apostles that on the Lords day servants attend in the Church to hear the Doctrine of Religion And Sozomen tells us that amongst the Arabians and Cyprians he found ordained Bishops in Villages If at that time Bishops were set over some Villages then certes they who inhabited them were instructed by the Bishops in the Doctrine of Christ on all especially the Lords dayes as the custome of the Church was Eusebius also confesseth that men and women old men and children bond and free noble and ignoble learned and unlearned did almost daily assemble together in every place where-ever the men lived to receive the discipline of Christ from the rising of the Sun to the setting thereof If all men of whatever condition or quality were daily intent upon the Doctrine of Christ then they that lived in the Countrey did not refuse it on the Lords day Yea the same Author as formerly we have seen affirmeth that Christ hath prescribed all the inhabitants of the world whether at land or sea to celebrate the Lords day Eusebius therefore acknowledges not that it 's only for Noble men and others of great name to be present at Church-assemblies from which servants and those of inferiour condition should be excluded but saith that the Lord himself hath otherwise commanded Also in Theodoret that pious Emperour Theodosius witnesseth that the doors into the holy Temple are open for servants and beggars and therefore in this age they were present with other Christians in the Church-assembly and were not excluded from the same But let us return to examine that indulgence granted by the Emperour Constantine to Countrey men for working their labours on the Lords day Where first we may make a question with the learned Divine Mr. S. A. Whether any such was ever granted of him for the countrey mens sakes or no since Eusebius who was Constantius's contemporary and who well enough knew all things that the Emperour did speaking of the Law he made about observing the Lords day makes no mention of this indulgence Euseb de vita Constantin l. 4. c. 18. but only relates how the Emperour commanded that all should rest from their works In the same manner Sozomen recites the same law although lib. 1. c. 18. and in both there be a deep silence about excepting country labours Which things being considered it may justly be doubted whether ever such an indulgence were granted by that Emperour of blessed memory But come on and granting this indulgence for the authority of the Book relating it let us seek out the reason and sense thereof This was the true reason of that liberty if there was any granted Because Constantine subjected all the subjects of the Roman Empire whether they had embraced the Christian faith or had not yet tasted it to the law of observing the Lords day witness Eusebius Which though it could be known by no other argument might be judged of by this that he calls not that day in the Church manner as Baronius The Lords day but by the Heathen manner Sunday Thence I say may it be gathered that the same Law was not prescribed by him to Christians only but Heathens also for whose sake he uses an appellation peculiar to them Since therefore the Gentiles also were to rest from their labours by virtue of the Law made by â—…stantine therefore he granted them a liberty to look after their countrey labours Whereas he knew that those who were not turned Christians could not easily be brought in to be bound by the Christians lawes he yielded something for these mens sakes and Constantine was sufficiently hated by them for neglecting their idolatry and therefore by little and little he studied to draw them to the true worship of God as Eusebius ubi supra Moreover the liberty of medling with countrey labours on the Lords day was granted to countrey men only in case of necessity which thing the very words of the indulgence do declare lest through occasion of a moment the profit yielded by the heavenly providence perish by the occasion of one moment the profit of fruits might perish therefore in gathering in the fruits sometimes a regard of a moment may be had no labours are therefore permitted but to undergo which they were induced by a certain necessity lest the fruits should perish in which case also we have observed worldly labour is permitted That exception therefore of Constantine cannot be brought to patronize labour used upon no necessity because he indulged this liberty for the sake of the Heathen only whom he with all lenity studied as far as he could to perswade them to embrace the Christian faith and in case of necessity which being afterwards continued a while Leo declares void by a new law set forth to the contrary and calls that indulgence a decree differing from the Apostles But because Leo doth very aptly answer the reason of this indulgence assigned by Constantine I will set down his very words for the Readers sake Because saith he it is apparent that another law doth contradict that law which commands all to reverence the day of the Lords Resurrection by a cessation from labours which determines that all generally are not prohibited working others have a liberty to work for it saith Let all Judges c. as above in the Law of Constantine the cause of which profaning that day is grounded on no reason for although the preservation of fruits may be pretended yet that is of
no weight and in very deed is foolish since not the diligence of husbandry but the virtue of the Sun when it seems good to the bestower of fruits doth afford the abundance of fruits because I say such a law is come forth as vilisies the Lords worship and is a decree differing from those that by the Holy Ghost have gotten the victory against all their adversaries we ordain also which seemed good to the Holy Ghost and the Apostles instituted of him that all persons cease from labour that day whereon our innocency was restored he speaks of the Lords day and let neither husbandmen nor any others go about any unlawful work on that day For if they who observed but a certain shadow and figure did so greatly reverence the Sabbath day that they wholly abstained from all labour how is it not reasonable for those who honour the light of grace and the truth it self to reverence that day which is of God enriched with honour and on which deliverance from shameful destruction was wrought for us Thus Leo Novel 54. Leon. And so according to that common Proverb The later day is scholar to the former what by too much facility which suited not with the Lords solemnity was formerly granted by them that followed who saw the inconvenience of the former liberty was afterwards amended In divers Councils also it was ordained that no rural labours should be exercised on that day as about the year 413. in one and the same year all servile and rural labours and markets are forbidden Concil Aceratensi 14. Can. 16. in Turonensi Can. 40. in Moguntino Can. 37. in Rhemensi Can. 35. in Conc. Aurelianensi 3. where they think fit to determine of rural work that is concerning husbandry or the vineyard or pruning or reaping winnowing or cutting hedge that coming to the Church they moght more easily attend upon prayer Can. 27. Also in Conc. Narbonensi cap. 4. it 's ordained that they should not yoke oxen In Concil Antisiodorensi Can. 16. It is not lawful to yoke oxen on the Lords day or to exercise other labours Also in Concil Calibonensi Can. 18. We define that none at all presume to work any rural labours on the Lords day that is to plow to reap make sale or any thing that pertains to husbandry But although these things do very abundantly shew that on the Lords dayes we are not to employ our work for gainful labour since as well they were to be punished by the supreme authority of the Prince as by the censure of the Church who did the contrary yet there are some who having no respect either to the worship of God or to the promoting mens salvation do affirm that Christians may on the Lords day safely attend any labours when the duties of the publick service are ended to establish which opinion they first wrest the authority of Hierom and them of the third Council of Orleans Hierom. in Epitaphio Paulae ad Eustochium tells us that the women returning from the Church on the Lords day with Paula were busie about their task and either made clothes for themselves or others In the Council of Orleans they determine that on the Lords day that to be lawful which was lawful before to be done only rural labours excepted Hence some gather that men are to cease from their labours no loâ—â—â—r on the Lords dayes than while collectam faciunt as Hierom there speaks But first let the Reader well weigh whether Hierom in that place may seem to speak of womens labour which they bestowed about their works on other than the Lords dayes and whether revertentes ab Ecclesia in him be the same as if he had said when they are not present at Church they are busie at work Nor doth this sense of Hierom's words want reason especially because Hierom sayes they went only to the Church on the Lords day And in another place Hierom contends that on the Sabbath he speaks to those whom Christ had made free not the Jews men should only do those things which pertain to the salvation of the soul Now if those women had on that day plied their labours they would have done somewhat that had not pertained to the souls salvation which by Hierom's judgment they should not have done And of others Hierom speaks who on the Lords dayes did only attend on Prayer and reading Epist. ad Eustochium de custodia virginit But Hierom sayes not this as if on the Lords day to attend the duties of piety had been only appropriated to the Coenobitae of whom he speaks and other Christians on that day had employed their work oâ—â—â—daily labours from which the Coenobitae ceased No by no means But the Holy Father doth distinguish the works undertaken by the Coenobitae on the Lords day from others which they undertook on the other dayes of the week on which they fell about stated works as he speaks and those being ended they attended on Prayer and reading also which thing they also did every day when they had ended their labours but on the Lords day they were intent on nothing else but the duties of piety Secondly If it should be granted that those women did attend their ordinary works on the Lords day it was proper to them onely and then what we must think of that fact appears out of St. Cyprian who while he affirms that the Aquarians did bottom on no author or will of Christ insinuateth this Doctrine to us namely that the custome of some men is not to be followed unless first we enquire whom they followed whose grave authority we may very fitly accommodate to the aforesaid women We are to consider not only what those women did but upon what authority they did it If they attended on the Lords day their daily works and labours they were invited thereunto neither by the authorities of Christ nor his holy Apostles nor the lawful practise of the Church which restrained Christians from those works And I believe no body of a sound mind will impose as a law on other mens shoulders a certain singular custome confirmed by no law or authority but contrary to the general practice of the whole Church especially when Hierom himself and other grave Fathers do conclude that nothing but the works of piety or of some emergent necessity is to be done on that day as formerly from their writings hath been observed We do with St. Austin commend a custom which is known to usurp nothing against the Catholick faith Thirdly Charles the Great in his Constitutions ordains that on the Lords day women sow not their clothes Now we prefer justly the religious ordinance of a pious Emperour depending upon various authorities of Ecclesiastical Canons to a custome of women confirmed by no antiquity Lastly I 'le only add this What if those silly women believed it to be a work of charity by the
reconciled to one another and then come and offer their gift which reconciliation could not be made without mention of their bargains and transactions upon whose account they were at difference And thus much for avoiding worldly affairs and especially gainful labours on the Lords day CHAP. XIII The Lords Day not to be profaned by surfeiting Servants not to be called off from sanctifying the Lords day we ought not fast on the Lords Day whether Ambrose was wont to banquet on that day EVen as the solemn observation of this day is not to be profaned by labour tending to our profit so neither is it for us to give our selves to the pleasures or delights of the world on it We do not saith Primasius in Gal. 4. celebrate festival dayes in luxury and banquettings and that justly for if a work be for bidden on a feast day that by the body may be exercised for necessity of life that we may more entirely attend on Divine matters are not those things by better right prohibited which cannot be done without sin and grievous offending of God It 's for Christians therefore neither by surâ—eiting nor sports to defile the religious observation of this day In celebrating festivals divers of the Fathers do to their power reprove rioting and drunkenness Greg. Naz. when he describes the manner how Christian festivals are to be celebrated admonisheth that we rejoyce not with the varnish of the body nor change of garments and their gorgeousness not in rioting and drunkenness whose fruit you have learned chambering and wantonness are nor let us crown our streets with flowers nor our tables with the deformity of oyntments neither let us adorn our porches nor let our houses shine with a visible light nor sound with a concord and shouting of Minstrels for this is the manner of Heathens celebrating their festivals c. when he judgeth all kind of luxury is to be removed from Christians in their festivals not only because the body being stuffed with meat and overcharged with wine easily falleth into wantonness but because amongst the Heathens with whom the Church in celebrating festivals ought to have nothing common this was an usual thing Festivals are not to be celebrated in drinking off cups of wine but in renewing the spirit of the mind and purging the heart for he that facrificeth to the belly and Bacchus doth more stir up to anger the Lord of the celebrity Scholion 5. in Johannis Chinacâ— gradum decimum quartum de Gula. It grieved Cyril that so many amongst the Christians did on festival dayes give up themselves either to honest sports surfeiting dances or other vanities of the world and he affirms that these rites tend to no other end than the derision of Gods name and slighting of the day and they that follow these things do grievously sin the rather that they go about these things at a more holy time for surely they that give the reins to the belly and pleasures cannot celebrate a festival day St. Chrysostom by two arguments of great weight and authority doth perswade his hearers spiritually to observe the Lords day In the first place from the various good things which we do enjoy on that day and secondly from our happy freedome from evils and at length descends to remove those means whereby that spiritual honour is wont to be hindred not by banquetting not by pouring out wine nor attending on drunkenness in his judgment such wicked deeds as these do no little detract from the honour of the Lords day Yet many in this our age especially the richer sort for these causes cannot avoid a just reprehension who above measure on the Lords day filling themselves with surfeit keep their servants at home to prepare meat finer than ordinary to satisfie their insatiable luxury and think much to give them leave to go to Church to feed their souls with the holy bread of life It once grieved Ambrose that a certain Christian in the time of a fast did draw with him to an hunting some servants that were accidentally hasting to the Church because thereby he heaped others sins on his own pleasures not knowing that he would be both guilty of his own offence and the perdition of the servants And why should not we as well grieve when we see divers professing themselves Christians to the world not to be more careful for promoting the salvation of their Christian servants whilst they hinder them from the publick assemblies of the Church on the Lords day that they may serve their lust Especially while as saith Ambrose they do not consider that although they be servants in condition yet are they brethren by grace for they have as well put on Christ partake of the same Sacraments and have the same God for their father which their Masters have St. Paul would eat no flesh whilst the world stood rather than that his eating should make his brother to offend 1 Cor. 8. 13. David scrupled the very once tasting of the water which was drawn out of the well of Bethlem by his Worthies with the great peril of their lives 2 Sam. 23. With how more heinous a spot do they brand themselves therefore who do expose the souls of their servants whom they detain at home from the publick meeting of the Church to serve their vanities unto so great a danger a wickedness it is rather beseeming those that sacrifice to Bacchus than those that keep a festival to God In the Council of Paris this very same wickedness grieved the Fathers for though the Lords day seemed to be kept in some reverent manner by certain Masters yet was it found very seldome to be observed with due honour of their servants under subjection I wish that the Christian Religion even defiled with the blot of this wickedness in our age were not ill spoken of amongst divers At least I beseech in Christ those that are the cause of others absence from the publick exercises of piety that they would with their servants which they keep at home be pleased to do that which Chrysostom requires of his hearers namely to discourse of what they heard with them that were absent by which means they might hear and learn from them what they lost themselves in preparing of corporal food being held from spiritual Let them consider this who cause those that are under them to be hindred of spiritual food that they may prepare corporal meat for their use Gregory allowed not at all the custom of Laicks feasting ordinarily on Lords dayes from which they could not easily be moved In the mean while I am not ignorant that in the old Church divers Canons are extant of not keeping fasts on the Lords day Although they condemned not a Fast of it self and in the general as a work contrary to Gods command or that is repugnant to his Word because divers illustrious examples thereof are afforded in the rules both
cloyed with luxurious banquets drunken feasts and lewd drunkenness cannot devoutly consecrate the Lords day to God so they that delighting in luxury do give up themselves to pleasures are unfit for the sanctifying thereof because with their pleasures they defile the Lords holy day pleasure is the individual companion of drunkenness and intemperance in many becomes a cause of lasciviousness as we say in the Proverb When the belly is well filled then follow dances we read that these have been condemned with great fervour of mind and most holy zeal with the old friends of sincere piety which Chrysostom Hom. de Eleemosyna would not have any attend on and no wonder for all such worldly spectacles with Chrysostom are called Sathans Festivals from which he exhorts his hearers to abstain and sharply reproveth Parents that bring their children to spectacles and exhort them not to Doctrine Cyril was sorry as we have seen in the former Chapter that Christians should on feast dayes run to playes pageants and dancings because in his judgment these things cannot be done without mocking of Gods name and violation of the day for the holiness of festivals is miserably distained by petulant dancings therefore Leo and Authemius those good Emperours ordain that festivals being dedicated to the most High Majesty are by no pleasures which afterwards in detestation of them they call obscene to be defiled They say also We decree the Lords day alwayes to be so honourable and reverent that it be excused from all executions c. And after Nor yet do we relaxing the rest of this holy day suffer any one to be witholden by obscene pleasures Let the scene of the Theatre or the fights in the Cirque or the doleful sights of wild beasts challenge nothing to themselves on that day and if any solemnity fall out to be celebrated on our Birth-day let it be deferred If any one shall ever be present at â—â—ghts on this Feast-day he shall sustain the loss of his command in the Militia and the sale of his patrimony and likewise the Serjeant of every Judge that under pretence of either publick or private business doth believe that these things which are ordained in this law are to be violated The Fathers in the Council of Carthage were of the same mind who provided that no sights should be shewed on the Lords day or any other of the festivals Yea even in the thickest darkness of Popery so solemn was the splendour of this day that the Cimmerian darkness of Antichristianism could never overcome it Therefore it was provided Can. 10. part 9. of the Provincial Council of Colen that there should be an abstinence from these Wherefore say they it is our mind that on these dayes they speak of Festivals Fairs be prohibited Taverns be shut Riot Drunkenness Expences Strifes wicked Sports Dances full of madness evil Communication Bawdy Songs be avoided briefly all Luxury for by these and the blasphemies and perjuries which usually attend these the name of God is profaned and the Sabbath which admonisheth us to cease from doing perversly and learn to do well is defiled In the third Council also of Millain they decree Let the Bishop carefully prohibit and see to it that it be done that not only no leapings and dancings but no riot playes in honour of the Saints and other profane actions unmeet for the worship of those festival dayes and pious institutions be any wayes publickly acted on these dayes or brought in under pretence or occasion of them If men brought up in the Cimmerian darkness of Antichristianism declining the pure light of the Gospel like Owls yet could not through the splendour of truth but bear an illustrious testimony to the Lords festival and thereupon condemned what was opposite to its sanctification as dances which they call full of madness and wicked sports by which the Sabbath on which Christians are to cease from doing evil is violated if by no means under any pretence they permit leapings and danings to be acted to how tremendous a judgment do the ill-employed Libertines of this age expose themselves who now having the face of the Church happily discovered by the sacred Light of the Gospel are not afraid to tread under foot the holiness of this day by giving the reins to pleasures and dances running out into folly so often condemned by the Fathers As if they made haste to pass over into the heretical tents of the Heicetae who in other things following the Churches authority in their Monasteries by a company of Monks praised God using tripudiations and dances thereunto A wickedness indeed more becoming Hereticks than Christians What once the learned Morton in his Catholic Apolog lib. 2. cap. 14. related of Tollet we will apposirely apply to the Patrons of dancing on the Lords day Tollet affirms that a man is bound under a mortal sin to sanctifie a Festival but he is not bound to SANCTIFIE IT WELL. On the other side Morton cryes out and that justly What the foul ill what a sanctifying is this that wants Well without which no action can be acceptable to God So these mens sanctifying of this day while they grant the Lords day must be sanctified but labour not to sanctifie it Well is rather to be reckoned a profanation than sanctification thereof Alas Are these fruits beseeming so long a preaching of the holy Gospel while men do on the Lords day so profusely serve the pleasures of the flesh The primitive Christians whose souls are now in rest celebrated not so the Lords day who made conscience of intermitting its solemnity upon any occasion If on holy dayes we must abstain from lawful and necessary labours must we therefore attend upon unlawful vain and unhonest works God forbid The women of the Jews had better on the Sabbath day spin than dance on their New Moons as Augustin judgeth And on Psal 39. It is better to dig than dance on the Sabbath But these things are not so to be expounded as if St. Austin had commended the undertaking of gainful labour on that day but that grave Father doth praise the scope of those men rather who do apply their just and lawful labour than their unlawful vanities as otherwhere he relates of Socrates that swore by flesh a stone or any thing that was at hand to swear by not that he approved Socrates's fact but by this means he would instruct his hearers that although neither be agreeable to reason yet it is better to transferr Gods honour to Gods workmanship than to the works of mens hands So although we must not attend on the Lords day on labour undertaken for gain-sake but only on Divine worship yet the good Father judged it better on that day to employ our pains about labours lawful on other dayes than about vanities alwayes unlawful and severely condemned of God although neither will very well agree with the solemnity of that day If
any one till his ground on the Lords day he violates the holy rest but if the refore he leaving his husbandry be drunk or commit whoredome shall he not be thought to profane the holiness of the Lords Day If all profaneness and carnal delight ought to be banished from the Church then especially it should when man doth peculiarly apply himself to the worship of God If Tertullian thought it an uncomely thing and altogether alien from the Religion of publick joy to celebrate those dayes which were dedicated to the Nativities of the Emperours with that vanity which the Heathens abused in such kind of Festivals whereas what was acted on the solemn birth-dayes of Princes would not be thought comely on other dayes with what spirit are they acted to whom unchaste dancings obscene sports and mad tripudiations shall seem lawful on the Day dedicated to our Lords honour Shall the licentiousness of evil manners be piety an occasion of Luxury be reckoned Religion We must rather say with Tertullian That it is for men of the true Religion to celebrate both the Emperours solemnities and the Lords day out of conscience rather than licentiousness And if any like dancing I earnestly ask it of him that he would apply his mind to those spiritual dances which Chrysostom mentions in which there is much comeliness and modesty with which Christians must dance not to the measures of harp and pipe for they themselves ought to be both harp and pipe to the Holy Ghost and when others lead the dance to the Devil these being in the Church offer themselves the organs and vessels to the Spirit and afford their souls as musical instruments which the Holy Ghost should play upon and move and they give their hearts as Organs into which he may inspire his grace These are those dances of the Angels and what can be more blessed than upon the earth to imitate the dance of Angels approved by the Holy Ghost and worthy the Christian name in which he that on the Lords day shall diligently be busied will not bend his mind to those immodest leapings or dancings which Chrysostom calls Diabolical Hom. 55. in Gen. because where this wanton dancing is there the Devil is Chrysost Hom. 49. in Math. so often condemned but will refresh his soul wearied with the sad burden of his fins by the spiritual joy of these dances and prepare himself the better to celebrate that eternal Sabbath in the Heavens which must be observed for ever with all the Saints And that this is the solemnity which beseemeth the Feasts of Christians Gregory Nazianzen sheweth at large and exhorts us to take hymns for timbrels singing Psalms for filthy and ribald songs a clapping of hands when we give thanks for clapping the hands in the Theatre gravity for laughter prudent speech for drunkenness comliness and honesty for delicious pleasures And if it be convenient for thee when thou celebratest a Festival merrily to dance then dance yet not the dance of Herodias but of David when he danced for the resting of the Ark by which I think mystically is meant the nimbleness and volubility of our holy journeying and that which is pleasing to God Thus he Ephrem Syrus gives the same counsel whose testimony deserves to be added here Let us honour saith he the Lords Festivals divinely not in a worldly manner but spiritually not after the custome of the Heathens but Christians let us not lead dances nor effeminate our ears with pipes and harps You both small and great men and women let us in a Christian manner celebrate the Lords Festivals in Psalms and Hymns in spiritual Songs and Angelical melody That blessed Soul uttered this about the Lords Festivity the reason of all which is extant in Chrysostom There is saith he a time for Prayers not for drunkenness and that alwayes and especially at solemnities For a solemnity is therefore instituted not to live filthily nor to abound in sin but to extoll present things These and many other testimonies of the Ancients do shew that all carnal following of worldly delights whereby the sparks of the Holy Ghost being stirred up in the Lords day holy exercises of piety are choaked by which either Divine worship may be hindred or the fruit thereof prevented ought far to be banished from the Christian Church For it is as sure as can be as sometimes Ruffinus that when we are idle and negligent when we lift not up our mind in heavenly desires when we grow cold in the love of our Lord when we spend the day in fables and wicked cogitations then we more attend upon the Devil than God And after The enemy derides our Sabbaths when they see us to be at leisure for the idleness and vanities of the evil spirit If Plutarch thought that the Jews did worship Bacchus on their Sabbath because they then strove at their cups and riotings and gave themselves wholly to drunkenness and for that cause called the Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Bacchus or the son of Bacchus how much more truly might he at this day say it of many in the Church if he observed how they are given to Bacchus Venus sports and mad dances and yet these sins do rage all abroad without danger of punishment to the great ignominy of the Christian name for there is no wickedness so heinous which is not most of all committed on the Lords holy day While the greatest part of men do daily more and more spend the rest of Festival dayes not in praying not in hearing the Scriptures for which cause the rest was given but for all manner of encreasing the corruption of good manners saying that they do it for their mind sake as if they were altogether of Plato's mind who said that for that very purpose did God institute such holy Festivals And he repeats the same complaint in his Exposition of the Lords Prayer when he explains the fourth Petition and thus laments At this day no time is usually more spent in all manner of sports in dances wanton love company-keeping dicing bargains and fairs These do abundantly shew that dancings sports and sights were both forbidden of the Emperours and Fathers that they should not at all be kept on the Lords day which he that views the sacred Decrees of the one and the grave Records of the other will not deny Yet when all is done lest some think whom the Doctrine of the â—…e delights and those who release their minds to pleasure more than is fitting that not all but some kinds of those sports were forbidden and that only while the Church-assemblies were held as though the Christian people were at their liberty to use certain kinds of dances and sights even upon the Lords day when the publick Church-assemblies were finished to whom it seems such extrinsecal solaces of the eyes and ears do nothing interrupt the Religion in their mind and conscience
himself in handling his Lectures upon Scripture in prooemio Epistolae Johannis And he addeth that the book of the Acts of the Apostles was every year read at an anniversary solemnity after the Lords Passion He reports also that Ps 21. was wont to be read every year in the last week before the passion-Passion-day of Christ all the people being attentive Tract 13. in Joh. Moreover also when there were divers Feasts constituted in the Church some certain and peculiar lessons of Scripture were read every Feast-day which were annually so carefully observed that no others could be more Aug. in prooem Epist Jo. The same appears from a Sermon of Chrysostom against those that only met upon Feast-dayes who thinks it unseasonable at the solemnity of Pentecost to continue the Text formerly begun on and omit the commemoration of the benefits conserred on the Church at that time and after Pentecost he prosecutes the Text he was on before I will add no more testimonies for reading lessons out of the Holy Scripture in the Church-assembly in a case that is plain enough lest by repeating many things I cause weariness in the Reader I will now relate the second thing which I intended for the candid Readers sake namely forasmuch as the ancients judged the H. Scripture should be read in their conventions therefore they designed certain persons for to do that particular office whom they called Readers Cyprian ordained one Saturus a Reader in the Church He tells the Clergy and people that Aurelius a Confessor was ordained a Reader by him Ep. 34. and he designed the office of a Reader to Celerinus Ep. ead Now although this office was offered to some yet usually it was the Deacons work to read the Scripture in the holy Church-assembly Hierom reproved Sabinianus because after he had sollicited a Virgin to whoredome he as a Deacon read the Gospel Sozomen l. 7. c. 19. and Niceph. l. 12. c. 34. do witness that this office amongst divers was translated to the Deacons and the Deacons are judged worthy to read what Christ spoke in the Gospel Conc. Vasens 2. c. 2. And thereupon Optatus a Sub-deacon in Cyprian Ep. 24. is called Doctor audientium i. e. the teacher of them that hear The Audientes of whom more afterwards were called those that were lately admitted as if one should say the tyro's or new beginners in the Christian faith so called ab audiendo from hearing who though they were not admitted to the holy Eucharist yet might be present at the reading of the Scriptures and therefore the Readers to them were called Doctors or teachers In divers Churches also only the Priests and upon solemn dayes the Bishops performed this office as Sozomen Hist l. 7. c. 19. Lastly they that read the Scripture stood in a pulpit or tribunal of the Church as Cyprian Ep. 34. i. e. in some higher place than the rest from whence the lessons were read and Cypr. calls that place a tribunal metaphorically for the tribunal was an high place out of which Judgment was given to the tribes or wards So that he who performed publickly the offices of Religion in the Church-assembly was not severed from the presence of the people into an angle of the Church there secretly to celebrate the offices of Divine Worship like some Conjurer that mutters to himself what he sayes as now it is the practice in Popish Churches but in the sight of all he uttered what he had to say or read with a loud voice which all that were present might understand as once the holy man Ezra stood in a pulpit of wood which he had made for the purpose that he might speak freely in the face of the congregation Neh. 8. So in Cyprian's age he that read the Law and the Gospel of our Lord being raised up with the advantage of an higher place was seen of all the people that the reading of the Scriptures might better be observed of the hearers and the reader being set on high might be seen of the people that stood about him Eusebius confesses that the Scriptures were so publickly read in the Temples that through the world were erected to God that they might be heard of all De praepar Evang. l. 5. c. 1. Const. Ap. l. 2. c. 57. it is appointed that the Reader should read out of an high place That was also a token of reverence to the Scriptures as once it was amongst the Jews Neh. 8. 5. and therefore because a Bishop at Alexandria rose not up when the Gospel was read it is recited as an unusual fact in the Church Sozom. 7. 19. And thus much for the publick reading of the Scriptures every day especially on the Lords dayes in use among the ancients CHAP. III. Explaining of Scriptures on the Lords dayes which was called Tractatus or treating upon or handling a place Whose office it was to do this Who the Clerici were among the ancients Bishops q. Watchers Overseers Superintendents The Bishops interpreted the Scriptures the Presbyters Deacons Catechists and sometimes also private men did the same SInce the Sabbath was given for understanding the Creatour and not for Idleness sake as Athanasius de Sabb. Circumcis therefore the ancients have to the uttermost of their power endeavoured that by what means they could they might augment the Churches knowledge by their labours on that day For this end the Church being assembled the Holy Scriptures from whence the knowledge of Divine things flowes were distinctly read after the reading whereof followed their explication This was used in the Church while the Apostle was alive While he prescribes the manner to those that prophecy in the Church he charges them to look to that what they speak they may promote men in the study of piety while to that work they either make make use of exhortation or comfort 1 Cor. 14. 3. Neither was the use of prophecying left off in the following Church as may every where easily be observed in the Fathers After the Apostles and Prophets writings the Minister made an Oration wherein he instructed the people and exhorted them to the imitation of such excellent things Ambrose interpreted the appointed Lessons and did apply them to the peoples present use Origen saith the Christians in their readings and the explication of them did exhort the people to piety towards the blessed and great God and to other virtues the inseparable companions of piety Contra Celsum l. 3. After the ordinary Scriptures were read saith Austin I came to my Sermon The same appears every where out of the Fathers Treatises This explication of the Scriptures with us is called Sermon but with the ancients a Treatise Origen exhorteth to reading the Scripture and Treating Hom. 23. in Num. Ambrose l. 5. ep 33. Cyprian de bono pudicitiae And they that explained the Scriptures were called Tractatores Treatisers or Treaters Hieronym adv errores Joh.
for ever Amen August de Trinit â— 4. c. 16. No sober man will hold an opinion against reason no Christian man against Scripture no peaceable man against the Church FINIS Sozom. 7. 12. Ep. ad Alex. * Ut profit hominibus si fieri potest multis si minus paucis si minus proximis si minus sibâ— Senec. de â—tio sapientis Ps 74. 9. â—onc Maâ—â—sâ— 2. c. 1. Conc. Paris Can. 50. a Ignat. Epist ad Magn. c. 57. l. 1. c. 8. Chrysost hom 10. in Gen. T. 5 Macrob. Saturn l. 1. c. 16. p. 226. The sum of those things handled in this book Why mention of the day is more frequently made in the latter than former Councils a An. Dom. 588. b Can. 18. c An 〈…〉 a An. 829. b Can. 50. How other Churches may be bound to Provincial Assemblies T. 1 p 640. Exempl profession in Conc. 2. Tolet. Conc T. 1. p. 565. a Cypr. Ep. 20. b Cypr. Ep. 29. a Cypr. Ep. 97. sect 3. b l. 6. c. 18. What vve are to think of the Canons that ordained some incon siderable things about observing the Lords Day Can. 53. So Conc. African Can. 95. a Hom. 1. c. 1. p. 81. The extraordinary time for Divine worship a Tertul. Apol. cont Gentes c. 39. The ordinary time for the worship of God The meetings that were held by the Apostles a Ioh. 20. 19. b l. 12. in Joâ— c. 58. p. 1026. a Ioh. 21. b Act. 1. 14. c in Levit. l. 2. c. 9. a 1 Cor. 15. 20 23. Ioh. 20. 26 Contr. Ebion haer 30. â—â— 32. â—ibi prius How the Apostles and other Christeans were present at the Jews Synagogues Act. 16. 13. Hom. 43. in Act. Tert. lib. de Idol c. 10. Dial. cum Tryphon All Interpreters of Scripture are not at one with themselves 1 Cor. 14. 30. Socr. Hist l. 1. c. 8. Hom. 18. in 2 Cor. Aug. prolog in Retract Aug. ibid. Ap. Marâ—â—rat â— Calvin Sozom. Hist 8. c. 12. Act. 20. 7. is considered Hom. 43. in Act. Ep. 86. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. De specta cap. 3. Hom. 2. â— 6. a Suidas a Baron An. 44. n. 68. b Hom. 43. in 1 Cor. Rev. 1. 10. c Wallaeus de 4. Praec c. 7. doth learnedly confute some of the foolish expositions which some make of the name of this day The Christians met on the Sabbath a l. 7. c. 19. Feria b Epist ad Jan. 11. 8. cap. 2. a Lib. 2. in Gal. c. 4. The ancients celebrated the Sabbath not as an holy day * Eus 3. 21. a An. 57. n. 202. 203. b l. 8. c. â—â— The ancients fasted on the Sabbath Aug. Ep. 86. a Paul de vit Ambros b Ep. 86. c Bar. 57. n. 204. 205. Conc. Eliber can 26. Conc. Agatheus can 12. The difference between observing the Sabbath and Lords day 1. The Sabbath was not observed every where 2. They met not every Sabbath 3. All exercises of Religion were not performed on the Sabbath a Ep. 118. c. 2. b Hist lib. 5. c. 22. * Synaxes c Apol. 2. 4. Meetings on the Sabbath were free a Hom. 10. in Gen. a Item Concil Trull Can. 80. Concil Sard. Can. 11. 5. Though they met on the Sabbath yet they abstained not from labour on that day a Hist l. 5. c. 22. b Ens de vit Const l. 4. c. 18. c Hist l. 1. c. 8. Anniversary Feusts were not equalled to the Lords day a Just Mart. quad orth 115. a Ep. 86. b Aug. Epist 119. c Ep. 86. d in Luc. l. 8. c. 17. Anniversary feasts not to be preferred to the Lords dâ—â— Sozom. l. 7. c. 19. a De Natio Baptistae Hom. 27. b De Nat. Dom. Hom. 34. It is uncertain which of the Anniversary Feasts do excell a Orat. pro Basilio b Orat. 42. in Pasch Mention of observing the Lords day may be meâ— with in the chief of the Fathers a Epist ad Magnes an 111. An. 150. An. 170. a Eus Hist l. 4. c. 22. b Ann. 200 de Idol c. 14. c An. 261. an 320. d Hist l. 3. c. 21. an â—492 e Epist 59. an 380. f Serm. de â—leemasyn an 380. g l. 5. Ep. 33. An. 430. An. 440. Cod. l. 3. T it 12. de feriis legeâ— septima a Leo Constit 54. The authority of the Lords day depends not on the determination of Emperours a l. 1. c. 7. 〈…〉 Law-suits on the Lords day a Sozom. 1. c. 8. b Euseb de vit Constant l. 4. c. 1. a â—od de feriis l. 4. tit 12. Christians were punished for observing the Lords day b Tertul. ap advers gen c. 16. a An. 303. n. 35 c. What it is Dominicum agere An. 303. num 39. a lib. 2. â—â— Gal. b De fugeâ— vet a Sect. 14. b â—â— 63. a Bar. an 303. n. 36. b Bar. an 303. n. 35. c n. 45. a n. 51. 45. n. 39. b 〈…〉 39. c 〈…〉 43. d 〈…〉 51. e 〈…〉 â—6 f 〈…〉 51. Christs Resurrection the cause of this solemnity Lords day is prima Sabbati a Hom. 4â— in 1 Cor. a Luk. 18. 12. b Contr. Haer. l. 1. c. 10. Why called the Lords day a Euseb de vit Const l. 4. c. 18. b q. ex utroque q. 106. c De verbis Apostoli Serm 15. It 's called Sunday a Ap. adv Gent. c. 16. b Dial. ad Tryphon c Hieron in Ps 117. T. 4. a Ambros Serm. 61. b Aug. contra Faust Man l. 18. c. 5. c Aug. imp in eâ—â—rr in Ps 93. d Ep. 59. de Idol cap. Conc. 1. de Lazaro 1. 5. p. 257. a in Ps 47. b Athan. de Sab. circum Hom. 23. in num Why the Lords day is seldome called the Sabbath by the ancients Dial. cumâ— Tryphone Ep. 200. a Exercit. 16. ad Bar. a l. 5. c. 22. b part 3. qu. 32. a Macrob. Saturn l. 1. c. 16. b Lev. 27. a l. 3. c. 4. The whole day to be sanctified to God De Civit. Dei l. 15. c. 13. Serm. de Temp. 251. Ibid. a Hom. 2. in numer a l. 4. c. 30. b an 813. cap. 40. c Macrob. Saturn l. 1. c. 3. a Hierom in Is 56. An. 517. b An. 40. Conc. Tur. 3 Nothing but the works of piety is to be done on the Lords day Con. Foro. ejuti Can. 13. An. 791. An. 829. Can. 50. An. 895. Ep. l. 11. c. 3. indict 6. An. 558. a Concil Maliscon 2. cap. 1. apud Zenoad 2 Cor 13. 1â— 1. 2. 3. Leo Const 54. 4. Hom. 2. in Joan. Hom. 5. in Matth. Job 41 27. Christs instituting of the Lords Day by the Apostles The Apostles prerogatives 1 Cor. 3. 10. a Epist ad Tralleâ—â—â— b Ofiâ— l. 1. c. â— c Serm. 20. d Hom 〈…〉 in Math. Mark 3. 14. e Adâ—…res 〈…〉 f 〈…〉 Epist ad Theophil 〈…〉 58. â— â—â— Whatever is ordained by the Apostle is Divine a De prascripti adv haer
c. 6. Ep. Wiâ—tâ—niensis in resp ad Epist 1. Petri Motinaei Leo Constitut 54. Ubi supra Hexa l. 4. c. 4. a Hom. 44. a p. 1448. Hom. 10. in Gen. The Sabbath was observed from the beginning of the world 〈◊〉 Jud. c. 4. l. 1. â— 3. De mundi â—pificio Trâ—ct 20. in Joh. a An. 170. Biblioth Pal. T. 2. l. 2. b An. 200. Contr. Marcion l. 4. c. 12. An. 250. c De Spiritu S. sect 8. an 309. a l. 7. de div praem c. 14. an 180. b Dâ— Sab. â—ircum c De Resur Châ—isti oâ—at 1. d Hom 10. in Gen. An. 410. Ep. 86. a Quaest 21. in Gen. An. 430. Quest 43 in Exod. a Part. 3. quast 39. fol. 128. An. 1240. Ubi supra Adam had need of the Sabbath 1. 2. 3. Tâ—â— Sabbath observed though no mention of its observation occurr De bello Juda câ— l. 7. c. â—1 The 7th day celebrated amongst the Heathens a Stroncat lib. 5. b l. 13. c. 7. Sueton. in Tiber. Why the beathen are not upbraided with the abuse of the Sabbath Ubi supra Dissert de Sab. c. 9. The authorities are weighed which deny that the Patriarchs kept the Sabbath a Advers Jud. c. 2. c. 4. Ubi prius a Adv. Jud. c. 4. a qu. 32. fol. 134. a in Gal. 4. b in sent 3 distinc 37 q. unica a in Gal. 4. How the Sabbath is a sign between God and the Church 1 Pet. 1. â—1 a lib. 〈…〉 c. â— The cessation of the Jewish Sabbath Col. 2. 16. Ambros in Col. 2. Epist 119. c. 7. â— 4. a Ep. 59. ad Fidum b Ep. adv Jud. c. 6. The Fatherâ— affirm not simply that the Sabbath is abrogated c Hil. prolog in Psalm exposit a â— 16. c. 28. a Tract 4. in Joh. de decem chordis c. 3. b Hom. 232 in Num. a De Sab. Circumcis b Ep. 59. c in Ps 32. Hom. 2. in Joh. The ordaining of the Lords day is gathered from Scripture Rev. 1. 10. 1 Cor. 16. 2. Hom. 43. in Corin. Ubi supra Ap. adv gen c. 39. Act. 20. in 4 praec c. 7. It s institution is divine Epis Winton resp ad 3 Ep. Petri Mâ— linaei De Die Dominicae determ Infant-baptisme justified Baptisme not to be repeated Ps 118. 22. Sabb. Circum Obj. Resp a Hom. in Gen. b Eus orat de laudibus constant circa finem c Constit 54. a Decivit Dei l. 22. c. 30. b Aug. Ep. â— 19. c. 13. c Ep. 86. a quast ex utrâ—que mixâ— cap. 106. b Can. 13. c Hom. de human Chr. gener Divers badges of the Lords day Leo Ep. 81. â— 1. Can. 50. Hier. in Gal. The Church cannot change the Lords day to another Athan. Apol. 2. a Prolog in Psalmos How far we must rest from labour on the Lords day a Can. 27. b Macrob. Saturn l. 2. c. 16. a Plut. in Num. Pom. b Lib. 8. c. 1. in Joan. We must rest from gainful labour a De Civit Dei â— 6. c. 11. b Aâ—â—â— cont gentes l. â— c Hom 23. in Num. a Hom. 43. in 1 Cor. Tom. 5. hom 14. A place of Chrysostom in hom 5. â—â— Matth. 〈◊〉 a Centur. Magdeb. 8. c. 6. de Cerem b Strom. 1. 7. Pag. 500. Resp ad qu. 19. Ubi supra Distinct 5. cap denique Hom. 2. in Num. †Ep. lib. 11. c. 3. The place of Gregory weighed a Serm. de Temp. 251. Eus de vit Const l. 4. c. 10. The sense of 29 Can. of the Counc of Laodicea considered Carthag Concil Can. 67. ap Zonar Conc. Matisc 2. Can. 1. is explained Gunt Ep. ad Episc p. 704. a Maetth 12. 5. b Ad â—â— â— 2. c. 21. c Cod. li. 3. Tit. 12. de feriis leg 3. â— Countrey men are bound to sanctifie the Lords Day a Can. 21. b Macrob. Saturn l. 1. c. 16. c Hom. 29. in Num. a l. 8. c. 33. b l. 7. c. 19. c De praepar Evan. l. 1. c. 13. a Orat. de laud. Const b Hist l. 5. c. 17. The indulgence granted by Constantine the Great is examined a De vita Const l. 4. c. 19. b An. 321. n. 12. This indulgence revoked An. 413. An. 540. An. 589. An. 590. An. 664. Paula her fact in Hierom is examined Can. 27. * Make Prayer Hier. in Tes 50. * They that lived in a Monastery together Epst 63. Epist adâ— Casulanum Cent. 8. c. 6. de moribus Christianorum Canon Conc. Aurel is considered a Hierom Ep. ad Euagr. Manumissions performed on the Lords day Conc. T. 3. p. 566. a Soz. l. 9. Ap. Zonâ—ram Cod. l. 3 tit 12. leg 11. Mat. 5. 24. a Cyril lib. 8. in Joh. c. 5. a Orat. 48 in Iulian. 2. Ubi supra Hom. de Eleemos 2. l. 5. p. 819. Servants not to be called off from sanctifying the Lords day Ser. 33. Ubi supra Can. 50. Hom. 10. in Gen. a Dist 5. cap. deuiâ— We oughâ— not to fast on the Lords daye b Ep. ad Phil. An. 324. c In Can. 52. Conc. in Tralla Aug. Ep. 86. Ep. 86. a Ep. ad Lucin. a Aug. Ep. 86. * De Civ Dei lib. 22. cap. 8. a Possid de vita Aug. c. 22. b Paulin. de vit Amb. c An. 375. n. 24. Idem a Possid de vita Aug. cap. 27. a An. 484. n. 142. b Ep. 86. ibidem Hierom in Is 58. Hom. 32. in Joh. a Hom. 3. in Johan b l. 8. in Jo. c. 5. â— Cod. l. 3. tit 12. de feriis l. 11. a Câ—â— 67. Circa An. 1556. An. 15 3. a Damasc de Haeic Aug. devera rel c. 2. Tert. adv Gen. c. 35. Hom. 1. de Laz t. 5. p. 220. * Basil Ep. 1. ad S. Gregor Orat. 48. in Jul. 2. 〈…〉 Serm. de cruce Dom. Hom. 26. in 1 Cor. * in Ps 45. a Sympos l. 4. q. 5. a Polid. Vir. de invent rerum l. 6. c. 8. b Tert. de specta 29. a Tertul. de spectac c. 1. Four kinds of sights anciently Ap. adv Gent. c. 38. * Tert. de spect c. 22. It is not for Christians to be present at sights Can. 51. Can. 67. ap Zona * Cypr. de spectac No worldly pleasures to be used on the Lords day De spec c. 2. Ubi prius Hom. 38. in Matth. * Chrysost Hom. 41. in Ioh. * De spec Ser. 2. No dancing after Church-meetings * Tertul. de spec 11. sect 25. * Chrys Hom. 2. T. 6. †Tertul. de Anima c. 9. Lords day solemnities Publick assemblies on the L. Day In Lev. l. c. c. 9. They met oftener in the following than in the former Church The Church met twice on the Lords day Meetings in the night Vigils In Math. 25. Bas in 114 Ps T. 1. Ap. adv Gen. c. 2. Certain hours appointed for publick meetingâ— a Ath. Ap. 1. a De anima c. 9. Meetings in the morning
is now translated I hope it will also be profitable to many especially of the more judicious sort of Readers who have no more than the English tongue The Author was a man eminent in his time for great Learning Judgment Piety Humility but especially for his acquaintance with the Writings of the Antient Teachers of the Churches and the Doctrine and Practise of former ages The Lord bless this and all other Labours of his Faithful Servants for the preservation of Knowledge Holiness and Concord which Satan and his forces are so fiercely and alas so successfully assaulting throughout all the world Thy fellow Servant in the Faith Labour and Patience of Believers Richard Baxter Sept. 2. the anniversary day of Londons flames 1671. To the HOLY ORTHODOX CHURCH OF CHRIST Happily cleansed from the filth of POPERY My dear Mother GRACE and PEACE THe Church of Christ in old time appealed to the Scriptures Councils and Records of the Ancients in deciding of questions whereby the Peace of the Church was disturbed or course of the Gospel retarded and then the Antients did interpret the Scriptures not as they were by the crooked interpretations of Sectaries or Hereticks accomodated to their own dreams but according to the Analogy of Faith by the consent of other Scriptures In the Church there hath alwayes been great profit by and very much need of Councils and in conclusion if ill-employed men had rejected the Records of the Antients they were forthwith exploded by the Church To these I say did the Church go straightway as to an holy anchor when any tempest arose as may be seen in Sisinnius who perswaded Theodosius studying to put an end to the unseasonable controversies of that time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. to avoid disputations with Sectaries to require of them Whether they would receive those who before the distraction of the Church were the interpreters of the Scripture and Doctors Unto whom pronouncing judgment on the questions emergent according to the Scriptures they should submit themselves I judged the same was to be done by me O Spouse of Christ and beloved Mother when this unhappy question about the Lords Day solemnity alwayes in use and esteem in the Christian Church arose that the things which the Lord hath written upon this matter in the Holy Records being first observed I might betake my self to the Councils and Records of the Antients by whose engines for no new ones do I judge to be necessary to vanquish the enemies which oppugn the solemnity of this Festival I may assault the adversaries of this ordination both with the authority of Scriptures and likewise with the consent and records of reverend Antiquity plainly attested in gathering whereof I thought it expedient to discover to Thee the purpose of my mind which take briefly thus First of all I gathered into one the judgments of the Antients upon this Subject not that I ascribe more to Antiquity than Truth for that I leave to the Papists but I am determined with St. Hierom to read the Antients try all things hold fast what is good and not recede from the faith of the Catholick Church I run not unweaponed that is deprived of spiritual knowledge revealed in Gods Word to the Antients as to the Philistian Smiths for sharpening my husbandry instruments but because I see that the Holy Ghost hath very sparingly delivered himself in the Scriptures although in them he hath recommended to us its name use and Apostolical institution about the Lords Day I therefore consult the Antients who faithfully retain what they received from the Lord by the Apostles that their pious opinion and practise being observed we may observe likewise what we are to do in this case Secondly Divers have set out sundry things upon this subject to the great profit of the Church but few have touched what was the sacred practise of the more pure Church in keeping this solemnity entirely These things gave me occasion to enquire more deeply into the question not onely to help me against my own forgetfulness but also to mitigate tediousness to others into whose hands Ecclesiastical Writers have not either fallen or being detained with the weighty offices of their charge could not peruse them It was in my design hereby to make provision for both vacancy and studies whilst I present unto their eyes a brief account of the antiquity of the Lords Day This is required of every man even nature dictating it That he profit many if it can be if not so yet a few if not so yet his neighbours if not so yet himself Thirdly I judged it not unseasonable in this deplorate state of the Church to set forth this solemnity and that for a two-fold reason because the abominable and un-christian-like violation of the Lords Day doth expose the holy Worship of God Almighty to the wicked's scorn and from hence even hence hath flown an inundation of all that misery whereby the darkened glory of the Church hath fallen Alas with what squalor and miseries is the face of the Church sometimes shining and happy now in all Nations obscured They who love it with a sincere love do see and lament it although they who are bewitched with the malignant spirit of Popery see and rejoyce at it Neither is there among us any that knoweth how long the godly are fallen by the sword the little ones are dashed together and they that are with child are cut asunder oh woe is me Quis talia fando Temperat à lacrymis Who can forbear At telling such events to shed a tear This afflicted face of Christs Church doth call us to true repentance in performing whereof the violation of the Lords Day which bringeth fuel to this fire in the Church of every Nation ought to grieve us For this Festival hath been solemnized as was fit in the exercises of piety according to the rule of Gods Word but by few which the many Fairs upon it for gainful labour in all Nations feasts drunkenness dancings and the impious profanations of it by Stage-playes do testifie These flagitious Crimes which do obscure the grace of Christianity and give farther occasion of slander to those who blaspheme the name of Christ and which the purer Church abhorred do every where rage on the Lords Dayes without punishment to the great scandal of Religion In another respect also any man sees that this argument agrees not with the secure condition of these times because in this age if ever Religion among many languisheth under a bare profession of the Gospel and its power lies down almost extinct and dead I judge the sanctification of the L. day to be a present remedy for both these maladies First it will prepare a way to extinguish that vehement flame where with the Church is every where a burning This may easily be taught by the example of Gunther amnus that most pious King of France who after he had observed not without grief
living it must altogether be ascribed to them as the first founders of the Church Moreover if it should be granted that this solemnity was instituted of the Apostles others ask Whether therefore doth this Ordination lean upon a Divine right We passing by this rather curious than sound Disputation Whether the Ordinance of the Lords day be an institution of God or his Apostles discussed by some doltish and drowsie men do acknowledge with all willingness as the ancients did that it was introduced by Divine authority And although its authority should be granted to be of Apostolical institution it would not thence follow that it is not Divine unless something be ordained in the Church by the Apostles which the Holy Ghost did not inspire them with which will not easily be admitted of any that is in his senses because the postles in all matters delivered those things to the Churches which they received from Christ as St. Paul witnesseth 1 Cor. 11. 23. and according to Christs precept taught men that embraced the Gospel to observe those things which Christ had commanded them Matth. 28. 20. So judgeth Tertullian The Apostles saith he chose nothing which they brought in at their own pleasure but faithfully appointed to the nations that discipline they received from Christ. And why should I believe that the Apostles were less acted with the Divine Spirit in their Sacred Institutions which they imposed upon the Churches than in promulgating the Doctrine of the Gospel For there is nothing Apostolical done by a right that is not Apostolical i. e. Divine and nothing done by them but the Holy Ghost endites it to them and therefore what they did they did by Divine right and that their facts which are certain and not onely their saying or writings are of Divine right cannot be denied The Apostle shews it necessary that he that is a Prophet or spiritual man must acknowledge that they are the Lords Precepts which he hath written to the Churches 2 Cor. 14. 37. Surely nothing was enjoyned the Church by the Apostles which was not first prescribed by the Lord because the Apostles were to teach what they learned of Christ which thing they performed with great faithfulness neither will any one who savours the things of the spirit deny this and yet I acknowledge that some things were instituted of them for a time inasmuch as whose occasions were singular and not to be continued wherefore those ordinations were mutable which yet cannot be affirmed of the Lords Day If there be any of the Fathers therefore who think that the institution of the Lords day was made by the Apostles they are not so to be understood as if they acknowledged it not for Divine but Humane because the same Fathers elsewhere are not affraid to ascribe it to God and Christ and they acknowledge that the blessed Apostles were not the authors of this solemnity but the Holy Ghosts amanuenses i. e. as Leo interprets it who writ their Decrees by virtue of a Divine authority in propounding it to the Church For which cause the most pious Leo hath ordained abstinence from labours on the Lords Day because this seemed good to the Holy Ghost and the Apostles instituted thereby and confesseth that that day was abundantly honoured by the Lord. The Lords Day therefore was instituted of the Apostles as the faithful Architects of the Christian Church by extraordinary power which continues not now in the Church and by inspiration of the Holy Ghost that Christians might be obliged not by Humane but by Divine authority to keep holy Convocations and to celebrate the private exercises of godliness on that day Apostolical grace saith Ambrose hath raised up the dead which although it was not the grace of the Apostles but of Christ as the Apostles themselves confess Acts 3. 12. 16. is called Apostolical because it was poured out upon them and by his help they raised up the dead So here the Lords day is called an Apostolical Institution not because it is a mere ordinance of the Apostles as they were Christians but because it was instituted of Christ by those who were endowed with extraordinary power But as I have said this is the onely thing that vexes them that call in question the authority of this institution that there is no place extant in Scripture in which by Divine authority the solemn observation of this day seems to be enjoyned These are men of subtil wits who as the Proverb goes cannot see the wood for trees Whose opinion when I consider that in the Author Oper. Imperf in Matthae comes into my mind where the Priests of old that rail'd upon the people that paid not their tythes are sharply reproved for not reproving those that sinned against God If any of the people faith he offer not his tithes the Priests did so reprove him as if he had committed some great fault because he had not offered the tenth part of any thing though never so little but if any of the people had sinned against God or injured any one or done any such thing none cared for reproving him as though he had committed no fault who had sinned against God and very careful they were of their own gain but careless of the glory of God and salvation of men Whose fault in this thing he accommodates to the Bishops Elders and Deacons of the Church as guilty of this crime Even so must we judge of these men With what heat of mind and earnestness do the very authors of this doubt contend for tythes which they cry out that the Lord hath indulged to the Church under the Gospel by a Divine right whenas yet they cannot produce one plain testimony out of the New Testament for their bestowing on the Ministers of the Gospel but about the Lords Day whose being observed more than once by the Christian Church is plain enough in the Scriptures their faith is wavering nor can they be perswaded to believe that its authority can be demonstrated out of the Word of God Let others judge whether they be worthy Tenths who deny Sevenths if I may say so to God But for their sakes admitting the Law about Tythes I would ask this Whether it 's likely that the most good great and wise God who hath put the seasons of times in his own power Act. 1. 7. would determine any thing certain of a Salary to be bestowed on the administrators of his Worship when yet he left nothing certain in the Church of the time in which his worship should be performed It 's a wise mans part first to determine the work and a fit time to do it in and then the wages where with they that under went it are to be rewarded The Parable Math. 20. relates how the housholder hired Labourers but first he signified what he would have them do and then he agreed with them for a penny a day If therefore they assert that Tythes are allowed
Hierosolymitan saith he esteems of Apostles after one sort and of other Treaters after another And Ep. ad August he calls those Treaters that did interpret the Holy Scriptures Aug. Ep. 11. In explicating this Section about Treatises upon Scriptures first we will consider whose office it was to interpret them Secondly the manner which they used in explaining of them In the third place something shall be added about the time at which the ancients did attend these In the first place we will speak of the Treaters themselves Those to whom the administration of the Word was committed by God in the Scriptures they were by a name familiar enough to the Fathers called Clerici the Clergy or in Clerum ascripti admitted into the Clergy either because Matthias was chosen by lot who was the first that we read of that was ordained by the Apostles so Augu. in Psal 67. or because they are the Lords lot 〈…〉 should possess him for their lot and inheritance with the children of Levi for ever So Austin in Prolog in Psal if that Preface be Austins Hierom gives almost the same reason who fatih they are the Lords lot and because the Lord himself is the lot that is the portion of the Clergy The Apostle comprehends all to whom any publick charge in the Church of the Philippians was committed under Bishops and Deacons Philip. 1. 1. Where under the name of Bishops he understandeth all that especially executed the office of teaching and under the name of Deacons he intimates others that ministred The name of Bishop is a general appellation signifying all those that labour in the Word of God and attend upon the cure of souls Whence the office of an Apostle is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Bishoprick Act. 1. 20. and by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are elegantly described men that administer the Word according to the Scriptures For it signifies both indulgently to attend as shepherds their flocks as Jacob Gen. 32. 38 39 40. that they may drive away wild beasts from the sheep and to watch like watch-men Ezek. 3. 17. I have made thee a watch-man to the house of Israel namely that thine adversaries come not near thee who threaten thee destruction So Heb. 13. 17. the teachers of the Gospel are said to watch for the souls of the Church The Holy Scripture calls these watchmen who watch the actions of all men and with an aim of religious curiosity spie out how every one liveth with his houshold in his house how with the Citizens in a City Where the duties of Bishops or Watchmen is excellently set out Ambrose interprets Bishops super inspectores overseers lib. de dignitate sacerdotali cap. 6. Hierom contends that they are most truly called Superintendentes because they are to look diligently over or superintend every one in their flock and Ep. ad Evagrium he renders the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by superintendentes These words therefore do not signifie any perfunctory inspection which only is undertaken for knowledge sake but a diligent and accurate watchfulness that ought to be Bishops that they might make provision of necessary means to feed their flocks and instruct them to live piously As Alipius was whom Austin Ep. 35. acknowledges to be a Pastor carefully governing the Lords pasture sheep Under the title of Bishop both Bishops and Presbyters are comprehended And though there be some that distinguish not a Presbyter from a Bishop yet I do with Austin who expounds the words Oratio Precatio Postulatio choose to understand that by these words which all or almost all the Church doth often use Ep. 59. Therefore since according to the custom of the Church or according to the words of honour which the Church useth the office of a Bishop is greater than that of a Presbyter the highest Ministry in the Church is now signified under the title of Bishop The Bishops work was especially to interpret the Holy Scriptures when the Church was gathered together and therefore I think their power was of the Ancients signified in the name Cathedra because chiefly it consisted in teaching Optatus saith the first gift of the Church was Cathedra whereby is signified that the Churches power is instructive and for this cause Aug. confesses that Christs Chair or cathedram succeeded Moses chair i. e. the Apostles of Christ succeeded the Interpreters of Moses and the Prophets The Bishops duty therefore is to instruct the people commended to their care and Hierom thinks this ability to be so necessary for them that it can profit a Bishop nothing at all to have the testimony of his virtues in his own mind except he be able to instruct the people committed to him And Hilary acknowledges that by the necessary virtue of his office he is bound to serve the Church in preaching the Gospel And therefore Athanasius excited Dracontius to take upon him a Bishoprick to which he was elected with this reason because the people by whom he was made Bishop did expect that he would bring them meat out of the Doctrine of Scripture Neither did the greatest Bishops decline that charge but rather for a Bishop to abstain from preaching seemed to Gregory the Great a foul shame and wicked act and he saith that he is dead that walks without the sound of preaching ibid. Since therefore the principal duty of Bishops is terminated in Doctrine to which by necessity of office they are obliged and without which although they otherwise live a pious life they are not to be adorned with the title of Bishops their first and principal charge was to interpret the Word of God the onely subject for all doctrine of Ministers in the Church Luk. 24. 27. when the Church was assembled for hearing the same that the most vigilant Bishops of old did this with great praise and for the great fruit of the Church their most learned Treatises which are extant among their works do testifie But to explain the Holy Scripture in the Churches publick assembly did not only lie upon Bishops but upon Presbyters also and that ex officio So 1 Pet. 5. 2. Therefore the second chair in the Church was assigned them by the Fathers So Clem. Alexand. Strom. l. 6. Origen saith that some Deacons in his age did seek after the first chairs of them who are called Presbyters If the chair was assigned to them then it was their duty to instruct the people in the doctrine of the Gospel if it had not been their duty to feed the Church with the food of the Word and Sacraments why should St. Paul charge them to take heed unto themselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost had made them overseers to feed the Church of God Augustine being yet a Presbyter while Valerius was alive edified the Church with the Word and Sacraments It was the custome at Alexandria
See the beginning of Serm. 5. The same he does in lib. 5. Ep. 33. And Chrysostom confesses that he fulfilled that charge by convincing rebuking and admonishing Moreover these Treaters as they expounded the Scriptures did sometimes stand 1 Cor. 14. and sometimes they sate For the Bishops seat whose office it was chiefly to treat out of Scripture was set in the midst of the Church on either side whereof the Presbyters sate Constit Ap. lib. 2. cap. 57. When Chrysostom preach'd unto the people he sate in the pulpit or chair as his manner was Niceph. lib. 13. c. 4. Chrysostom himself confesses that he sate in the pulpit and taught Hom. de non contemnenda Ecclesia t. 7. p. 891. All sate when they taught the people in Optatus his time although Hierom taxeth the superciliousness of some Bishops smelling of the pride of this world who being set as in a watch-tower will scarcely vouchsafe to look upon mortal men and otherwise their fellow servants And the Epistle of the Council of Antioch reckoneth this amongst the portentous manners of Samosatenus that he being not content with a mean one as a Disciple of Christ hath erected himself an ascent in the Church and a chair of state like one of the Princes of this world Euseb Hist 7. c. 24. Gregory Nazianzen also nippeth the pride of Ministers who fit upon high thrones and that lift up their superciliousness higher than the Theatres themselves Fourthly As they begun their Treatises with Prayer so when they were ended they stirred up the people to call upon God This did Athanasius when he ended his Sermon de Semente But because saith he our discourse hath proceeded far enough let us arise and stretch forth holy hands that having called upon the God of all things we may enjoy his assistance through Christ our Lord. The same did Basil as appears from the end of Hom. 7. Hexaemer When the Minister saith Justin Martyr hath finished his Sermon we all rise up and pour out our Prayers Ap. 2. After exposition the Priests by appointment lift up their hands to Heaven Isychius in Levit. lib. 2. c. 9. The Prayer of St. Austin which he used after all his Sermons and Treatises is extant in the end of his Commentaries upon the Psalms in these words We being converted to the Lord God our omnipotent Father let us with a pure heart give him so far as our weakness is able great and unfeigned thanks praying with our whole mind for his singular meekness that in his good pleasure he would vouchsafe to hear our Prayers and that by his power he would expell the enemy from our actions and thoughts multiply our faith rule our mind afford us spiritual cogitations and bring us to his blessedness Through Jesus Christ his Son and our Lord who liveth and reigneth with him being God in the unity of the Holy Ghost through all ages Amen This very same Prayer is extant also Serm. 30. de verbis Domini Lastly when Prayers were ended they sung Hymns or psalms to God It is ordained Concil Toletan 4. Can. 11. circ ann 671. that not before but after the Gospel be preach't Hymns be sung So Basil Neither did they begin to sing Psalms before their having made confession to God they rose up from Prayer Chrysostom teaches the same from the example of Christ Hom. 83. in Matth. CHAP. V. Whether the bare reading of Scriptures in the Church-assembly be properly preaching and how the reading of Scripture may be called preaching THese are the things which are chiefly to be observed touching the great labours which the Fathers took in their continual Treatises upon the Holy Scriptures whom he that shall seriously observe will evidently find with a small ado that the pious and laborious Fathers in instructing the people were not of that mind as if the naked reading of Scripture were sufficient to instruct the Christian people in the understanding of them without undertaking any farther explication of them to the peoples use which divers Treaters of this age are not ashamed to urge They that assert this do either not excell in any faculty to interpret the Scriptures or the Holy Ghost hath indued them with no meet gifts to undergo that office to which they are wanting through their carelesness with dexterity and to the Churches great profit And that such should stand for the bare reading of Scripture and decline painful treating out of the same I no more wonder at them than at the Fox as it is in the fable that had his own tayl cut off the want of which he thought himself truly disgraced by who perswaded the other Foxes also to cut off their â—ayles as if they were both a burden and blemish to them So these men being unfit to expound Scripture themselves could not envy others this ability If these mens eye Mat. 20. 15. be not evil out of which in due time it would be convenient to pluck their beam let them consider As for those that judge they may safely forbear labour in expounding the Scriptures although they be of God endued with a tolerable ability to undergo that burden I cannot without grief of mind consider and admire their slothfulness and yet they contend for the Scriptures as if to them nothing was more dear than reading of the Scriptures which they glory of before others that they highly value When the learned Divine Mr. S. A. seriously weighed the temper of these men with himself it came into his mind how Aurelius Fuscus blamed Livy for commending Thucydides writings for he praised Thucydides writings not for Thucydides sake but because he thought that he could the more easily overcome Sallustius if he preferred Thucydides first so any man though of no fine judgment may here smell out these mens disposition they commend the bare reading of the Scriptures to the Church not because they are delighted therein but that under this pretence they may oppose their necessary explication in which while they give up themselves to idleness they observe others not without some stomaching carnestly to bestow their pains There is no body so shameless as to deny that the reading of Scripture in the Church-assembly is necessary for increasing both the faith and knowledge of the people and he that readeth Scripture doth after a manner preach them I deny not since any may either by hand or writing evangelize i. e. declare abroad But this word Preaching is here more strictly to be taken under which after reading of the Scriptures alwayes in use and esteem in the Church of God as formerly hath been shown both their interpretation and application to the Hearers are comprehended which the Father 's used when the reading of Scripture was ended as the testimonies cited in the fore-going Chapter do manifest Nor do the Scriptures say otherwise for it 's said Act. 15. 21. that Moses was preached when he was read every Sabbath day because