when all the world knows both that they are the Kings and that he cannot be ignorant that they are so But of this before They hold and teach that it is more agreeable to Christian piety to be blinde rather than thus quick-sighted in our obedience and approve that of S. Gregory True obedience doth not discusse Vera obedientia nec Praepositorum intentionem discutit nec praecepta dece nit nescit enim judicare quisquis perfectè didicerit obedire D. Greg. l. 2. c. 4. in 1 Reg. the intention of superiours nor make difference of precepts He that hath learned perfectly to obey knowes not how to judge To be blind so as not to see the imperfections and failings of Superiours nor to be lesse ready for these to performe their commands and to looke onely at Him whose place they hold To be blind so as not to search the reason or to look at the causes why but to thinke it enough to know the things to be commanded and by them that are in place and power Lastly They would have obedience to be better sighted and not so blind as M. Burton hath shewed himselfe They would have obedience to have eyes to see what God commands as well as what the King and to discerne God to be the greater of the two and to be obeyed in the first place but they would not have men mistake their owne dreames and fancies for Gods commands And not this onely but to see what is commanded by their superiours and who it is that commands and to know them to be Gods Deputies to whom obedience is due as unto God himselfe And they have learned of Solomon that where the word of a King is there is power and who may Eccles 8. 2. say unto him what dost thou This is no novell Iesuiticall doctrine but sound Divinity and that which this Church ever taught and the Law of the Land ever approved if it be good Law which was long agoe delivered by Bracton with which Bract. de leg consuet Ang. c. 8. Ipse sc Rex sub nullo nisi tantum sub Deo Si ab eo peccatur c. I will shut up this point The King saith hee is under none but onely God And a little after If he do amisse because no writ goes out against him there is place for supplication that he would correct and amend his deed which if he doe not it is enough punishment for him that the Lord will punish it For no man must presume to enquire or discusse his actions much lesse to goe against them CHAP. IX Of the Doctrine of the Sabbath and Lords-day falsely accused of Novelty The summe of what is held or denyed in this point by those whom Mr B. opposeth The Churches power and the obligation of her precepts The maintainers of this doctrine have not strained their braines or conscience THe last innovation in doctrine that he mentions pag. 126 is concerning the doctrine of the Sabbath or Lords-day wherein he saith our novell Doctors have gone about to remove the institution of it from the foundation of Divine authority and so to settle it upon the Ecclesiasticall or humane power Thus he But in this as in the rest he betrayes most grosse and palpable ignorance and malice 1. In that he accuseth that doctrine of novelty which was ever as hath beene sufficiently demonstrated the doctrine of the Ancient Church and of the Church of England and of the reformed Churches beyond the Seas and the principall of the learned among them as Calvin Beza c. 2. In accusing those that teach this doctrine with removing the institution of the Lords day from the foundation of divine Authority See B. of Ely p. 271. c. edit 1. which taken together and as he delivers it is most false For They acknowledge the appointing of set times and dayes to the publick and solemn worship and service of God to be not onely divine but morall and perpetuall and that the common and naturall equity of the fourth Commandement B. of Ely p. 120 obligeth all man-kinde to the end of the world Secondly They affirme that the institution of the Lords day and other set and definite dayes 2 De dispens c. c. 12. Quid enim interest utrū per se an per suos ministros sive homines sive Angelos hominibus innotescat suum placitum Deus and times of Gods worship is also of divine authority though not immediately but by the Church which received her power from the holy Ghost and that Christian people are to observe the dayes so ordained in obedience to the equity of the fourth Commandement to which those dayes are subordinate and their observation to be reduced Thirdly they grant that the resting from labour on the Lords day and Christian holy 3 B. of Ely p. 121 dayes in respect of the generall is both grounded upon the law of nature and the perpetuall equity of the fourth Commandement Fourthly they grant a speciall sense of that 4 Commandement of perpetuall obligation So that they have not absolutely removed the institution of the Lords day from the foundation of divine Authority Nor is the fourth Commandement wholly abolished as he falsely and unjustly clamours That which they deny in this doctrine and concerning the fourth Commandement may be reduced under these heads They deny the fourth Commandement to be wholly morall so doth M. Burton Particularly they deny the morality and perpetuall obligation of that Commandement as it concernes the seventh day from the creation which is our Saturday And this is the Apostles Col. 2. 17. doctrine who calls it a shadow which M. Burton also granteth They deny that the peculiar manner of the sanctification of the Iewish or seventh-seventh-day Sabbath in the observation of a strict and totall rest and surcease from ordinary labours can by vertue of that commādement be extended to the Lords day or Christian holy dayes but that it together with the day on which it was required is expired and antiquated And this also M. Burton must needs grant 1. Because there is the same reason of the day and the rest required upon it both being appointed for a memoriall of Gods rest from his worke of creation and other typicall respects 2. Because otherwise he will contradict his fellowes and those that side with him in this argument who generally allow some Perkins cases Amesius Med. Theol. l. 2. c. 15. n. 23. things to bee lawfully done on the Lords day which on the Jewish Sabbath were not permitted They deny that the fourth Commandement determins the set time of Gods publick worship either to one day in the revolution of seven or to any other seventh save onely that which is there mentioned and that therefore the Lords day cannot thence bee said to have its institution as being another day than that which the Commandement speaks of which to conceive to be there meant is to
counterfeit these and what danger it may bee for men to question or reject these I leave to bee judged by those that are best able and armed with Authority But if it were his Majesties sure it was procured by some ungracious persons and ill-affected to Religion And who can they bee but the Prelates and yet hee knowes not upon which of them to lay it but hee would have the people to know whom to guesse at For hee saith it was done presently after the L. of Cant. tooke possession p. 59. of his Grace-ship and that his Grace was very zealous for the pressing of it to be read in all Churches of his province All which might very well bee and yet his Grace have no hand in the procuring of it But though I cannot affirme it be it so for I beleeve his Grace holds it no dishonor to bee the meanes of procuring or urging obedience to any Act which so just and religious a King shall avow to be his Yet must he needs for that bee degraded and deprived of that honourable Title which the King the State and Church have given him and his Predecessors ever enjoyed Must hee needs slip from his Grace presently and become the jeere of presumptuous detraction Malicious pride whither wilt thou Durst any but a wicked Edomite a Doeg thus draw out the sword of his tongue against the Lords High Priest Shall not the Ephod and Tiara inscribed Holinesse to the Lord bee a sanctuary from the violence of reprochfull taunts If pride and malice had not Disâ—at aliquando reticere qui nunquam didicit loqui Hieron advers Helvid quite bereft this man of reason or modesty and made his tongue cast his bridle He though hee never knew how to speake would have here learned to hold his peace And of all others have spared him to whose obedience he is bound by his spirituall sonne-ship if I may reckon those for sonnes who thus spit at their Fathers by the sacred tie of holy Orders and by all those names that may command reverence and esteem I speake this of the dignity of his place To which if wee joine the worth and eminency of his person so in all things suitable to so great a height of Authority and dignity so in all things becomming his Gracious Title I cannot but wonder what spirit possest this man thus to rob him of his deserved honour yea to use him with such contempt and scorne as hee hath done throughout these Sermons and the rest of his books But what doe I goe about to vindicate His Honour or to speake in his praise who is above the reach of my praises as well as of his revilings It shall suffice me that so judicious and religious a Majesty hath past his Royall sentence upon his merits and judged him most worthy to sit in the highest Chaire of this Church To proceed then The Declaration it selfe hee hath used in the same manner that hee hath done the Authors of it stiling it by all the names hee could devise to make it odious and to harden others in their obstinacy against it For answere whereunto I shall briefly oppose these five following Propositions to his so many unjust criminations First The Declaration is no in-let to profanenesse or irreligion or hindrance of the due sanctification of the Lords day 2. That the sports permitted by it to be used are lawfull and such as are not prohibited either p. 57. by Gods law or the law of the Land 3. That it is no meanes of breaking the fifth p. 61. Commandement nor doth allow any contempt of Parents or Masters authority over their children and servants 4. That the reading of it by Ministers in their p. 55. severall Congregations was injoyned and intended by his Majesty and that it is a thing that may lawfully be done by them 5. That such as refuse to publish it accordingly are justly punished and their punishment no cruelty or unjust persecution CHAP. XI Of the 1. Proposition The Declaration no inlet to profanenesse His Majesties respect to Piety in it Recreations onely permitted not imposed Of the 2. Proposition The sports allowed are lawfull on those dayes and in themselves not against the Law of the Land Mr. Burtons seeming respect of the Fathers Of Revelling Of mixt dancing how unlawfull and how condemned by the Ancients and by the Imperiall Edicts Of Calvins judgment in this point Of the 3. Proposition The Book no meanes of violation of the 5. Commandement FOr the first It is most evident to any impartiall Reader that shall peruse the Declaration that his Majesty intending onely to take away that scandall which some rigid Sabbatarians had brought upon our Religion to the hindering of the conversion of Popish Recusants and to allow especially to the meaner sort such honest recreations as might serve for their refreshment and better enabling them to goe through with their hard labours on other dayes His Majesty I say in this his charitable intention did not forget his wonted respect to Piety and the service of God or due sanctification of the Lords day For first Hee doth straitly charge and command every person first to resort to his owne Parish Church Secondly Hee doth expressely provide that none shall have the benefit of the liberty granted that will not first come to the Church and serve God thereby excluding all Recusants and idly profane persons who absent themselves from Gods house and service Thirdly He doth enjoine that they to whom it belongeth in office shall present and sharply punish all such as in abuse of this his liberty will use the exercises allowed before the ends of all Divine-services for that day Which things rightly cónsidered if they be as well put in execution as they were piously intended by his Majesty are so farre from hindering that they are a great furtherance of the due service of God upon that day in as much as thereby many that otherwise would not may bee allured and compelled to present themselves in the Church at the publicke worship of God Yea by this meanes the publike worship and service of God shall have its due honour and be preferred before even our otherwise honest and lawfull recreations so as till that be ended these cannot be used nor by any that have not first in that tendred their duty to God and if any shall presume to doe otherwise those in Authority have power to punish them and barre them from the benefit of their liberty which for ought I know no Law or Canon before did ever enable them to doe It is manifest in that his Majesty doth onely permit and not impose the use of recreations upon Bishop of Ely p. 255. any which notwithstanding devout Christians who are piously affected and able may upon the Lords day sequester themselves from secular businesse and ordinary pleasures to the end they may the more freely attend the service of God and apply their mindes
make the Commandement to speake riddles and arrant non-sense They deny that there is any Commandement given in the New Testament for the observation of the Lords day Though they acknowledge sufficient ground there to warrant the Churches institution and observation of that day And this they suppose they may justly maintaine till Mr. B. or some other of his mind in this point produce the place where it is written which if they would once do they would easily bring off the Bishops and others who agree with them to make a recantation and to subscribe to their better information That which they ascribe unto the Church in this argument is 1. The institution of the Lords day and other holy dayes that is the determination of the time of Gods publick worship to those dayes 2 The prescription of the manner of the observation of these dayes both for the duties to be performed and the time manner and other circumstances of their performance Concerning which they affirme 2. things Bishop of Ely p. 149. First That the Church hath liberty power and authority thus to do Secondly that Christians are in conscience bound to observe these precepts of the Church and that they that transgress Bern. de praec et dispens c. 12. Obedientia quae majoribus praebetur Deo exhibetur quamobrē quicquid vice Dei praecipit homo c. them sin against God whose law requires that we must obey every lawfull ordinance of the Church And as S. Bernard speakes The obedience that is given to Superiours he speakes of the Prelates and governors in the Church is exhibited to God wherefore whatsoever man in Gods stead commands if it be not for certaine such as displease God is no otherwise at all to be received than if God had commanded it For what matters it whether God by Himselfe or by his Ministers men or Angels make known his pleasure to us So hee and much more to that purpose in that place So that they which maintaine the institution of the Lords day to be from the Church doe not thereby as they are wrongly charged discharge men from all tye of obedience and give them liberty to observe it or not at their owne pleasure which no man will affirme but those onely who have learned to under-value and despise the Church of God and her rightfull Authority Now these things have beene so fully proved so plainly demonstrated already that it is needless yea impossible for me to adde any thing and as impossile for Mr. B. or any other to gain-say with any reason or evidence of truth Which because he cannot do hee betakes him to the forlorne hope of contentious spirits railing against his opposers and traducing the doctrine which he knowes not how to confute For his opposers he saith that in this point they have strained all the veines of their conscience and braines and that they are so mad upon it that no shame will stay them pag. 126. till confusion stop their mouthes But God bee praised they have not neither need they much to straine either Their conscience need not be strained at all in delivering that doctrine and acknowledging that truth which is after godliness And for their braines it is not Mr. Burtons Tit. 1. 1. Pamphlets or lawless Dialogues that can straine them No nor his larger answer which he threatens in answer to my L. of Elyes Treatise which were it not that simple and well meaning people might haply be seduced and made to thinke them unanswerable were quickly answered with that which best befits them silence and scorne As for that grave and learned Prelate whom he useth with such contempt and base language The world hath seene his humility joyned with that masse of learning which is lodged in that venerable brest that he hath not disdained to stoope to answer this railers railing dialogue of A. and B. which hee hath done like himselfe with great strength and evidence of reason and solidity of judgement and yet blessed be God hath not sacrificed the least dramme of reason which yet remaines in so great yeares to admiration quick and pregnant and will be able if need be to discover Mr. Burtons arrogancy and bold-fac't ignorance So that he must be faine to sacrifice the remainder of his modesty and honesty if any be yet left him to finde any thing to reply CHAP. X. Of his Majesties Declaration for sports c. Mr. Burtons scandalizing the memory of K. James about it His wicked censure of His Majesty for reviving and republishing it His abusive jeere upon my Lords Grace of Cant. Five propositions opposed to his so many unjust criminations in this argument THis is all he saith of his supposed innovations in doctrine But before I part with this last point I must annexe somewhat of his Majesties Declaration concerning lawfull sports to be used upon Sundayes as depending hereupon and being the great pretended grievance in this argument This Declaration and the publishing of it according to his Majesties Royall intent and command hath afforded Mr. Burton plentifull occasion of calumniation and caused him to utter many shamefull and slanderous invectives not onely against the Declaration it selfe but against the Royall authority commanding and those whom hee conceives procurers of it or that in obedience to his Majesty have urged the publishing of it and punished any that have obstinately refused For first hee hath endeavoured to blase the Honour of that great Patron of the Church K. Iames of Blessed memory by an odious and base insinuation of I know not what extraordinary temper wherein the King should be when this Declaration was first published a passage so unworthy and execrably scandalous that I will not so much as mention it Nor hath he dealt better but farre worse 2 with his sacred Majesty that now is in making his reviving and republishing of his Fathers Act to tend to the publick dishonour of God the annihilation of the holy Commandement touching the Sabbath p. 56. the alteration of the doctrine of the Church of England the violation of his solemne Royall protestations all which and more supposing the republishing of this Declaration to be his Majesties Act and by his Authority hee layes to his Majesties charge Indeed hee seemes not willing that the world should take notice of these blasphemies as directly sent out against his Majesty and therefore would make men beleeve that this Act was none of his Majesties But then I would Declaration concerning the dissol of the last Parliament demand of him how he knowes any Declaration or Proclamation to be set forth by his Majesty and in particular how he knows that Declaration to be his which he puts His Majesty so often in minde of Sure I am he can have no greater evidence for any than hee hath for this His Majesties name prefixed his Royall Test subscribed And who is there without danger of being found guilty of high treason can