rest yea from our lawfull and needfull workes For like as it appeareth by this Commandement that no man in the six dayes ought to be slothfull or idle but diligently to labour in that state wherein God hath set him even so God hath given expresse charge to all men that upon the Sabbath Day which is now our Sunday they should cease from all weekly and worke day labour to the intent that like as God himself wrought six dayes and rested the seventh and blessed and sanctified it and consecrated it to quietnes and rest from labour Even so Gods obedient people should use the Sunday holily and rest from their common and dayly businesse and also give themselves wholly to heavenly exercises of Gods true Religion and service So that God doth not onely command the observation of this holy day but also by his owne example doth stirre and provoke us to the diligent keeping of the same Good naturall children will not onely become obedient to the Commandement of their Parents but also have a diligent eye to their doeings and gladlie follow the same So if wee will be the children of our heavenly Father wee must be carefull to keep the Christian Sabbath Day which is the Sunday not onely for that it is Gods expresse Commandement but also to declare our selves to be loving children in following the example of our gratious Lord and Father So the Homily And againe as followeth Thus it may plainlie appeare that Gods will and Commandement was to have a solemne time and standing day in the weeke wherein the people should come together and have in remembrance his wonderfull benefits and to render him thanks for them as appertaineth to loving kind and obedient people This example and Commandement of God the Godly Christian people began to follow immediately after the Ascension of our Lord Christ c. So the Homily and much more VVhence wee plainely observe these conclusions 1. That all Christians ought and are bound in conscience of the fourth Commandement to keep the Lords Day holily 2. That by the force of the fourth Commandement one day in 7. is perpetually to be kept holy 3. That the keeping of the Lords Day is grounded upon and commanded in the fourth Commandement and so is not of humane institution 4. That the Lords Day is and may be called our Christian Sabbath day therefore it is not Iewish to call it so 5. That this day is wholly to be spent in holy rest and dueties of sanctification and therefore no part of it to be spent in vaine pleasures and profane pastimes Now the Author of the Treatise doth overthrow all these conclusions as is to be seene throughout his booke A. I pray you shew some instances hereof B. Pag. 23. his words are This position to wit that the fourth Commandement is properly and perpetually morall and is for quality and obligation equall to the other nine Commandements which for many yeares hath raigned in Pamphlets Pulpits and Conventicles and is entertained as an Oracle by all such as either openly professe or doe leane towards the Disciplinarian Faction is destitute of truth These are his words VVhich comparing with the words of the Homily of our Church already cited are found quite contrary For the Homily sayth that the fourth Commandement is a Law of nature and ought to be retained and kept of all good Christians in as much as it commands one day of the weeke for rest and God hath given an expresse charge to all men that the Sabbath Day which is our Sunday should be spent wholly in heavenly exercises of Gods true Religion and service So as this man doth most unjustly condemne all those Godly Preachers that have for so many yeares maintayned the expresse doctrine of our Church in their writings and Sermons and so hee flatly condemneth our Church and her doctrine of the Sabbath wherein shee is more cleare and sound then any Churches in the world And long may this doctrine still florish amongst us maugre all the malicious opposers thereof who are so bold as to affirme that it is destitute of truth A. I assure you I begin now to suspect the man that hee hath not dealt uprightly in the cause B. Nay it is past all suspition for his words are so expresse that they can admit of no favorable interpretation but that they condemne the cleare Doctrine of our Church touching the perpetuall morality of the fourth Commandement for one day in the weeke and so our Lords Day or Sunday the first day of the weeke our Christian Sabbath day which God hath given expresse charge to all men to keep holy A. I confesse the words of the Homily are most cleare without all ambiguity or obscurity But yet the Author seemes to acknowledge some morality naturall to be in the fourth Commandement For pag. 135. hee sayth Our resting from labour in respect of the generall is grounded upon the Law of nature or the equity of the fourth Commandement B. This is nothing to the purpose to acquit him from being an adversary to the expresse doctrine of our Church Dolosus versatur in universalibus it was the speech of King Iames. The naturall morality of the fourth Commandement is not in generall to imply some individuum vagum some certaine uncertaine indefinite time for Gods worship For the Commandement is expresse for a certaine day in the weeke for the Sabbath day Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it It sayth not Remember to set apart and allow some time for the service of God but it determines the time and day least otherwise being left undetermined man should forget God and himself and allow no time or day at all for Gods service or if hee did God should be beholden to him for it But it is a Law of nature that every Lord and Master should have the power in himself to appoint not onely the kind of service but the time when it should be performed of his servants As Alexander d'Ales sayth upon the fourth Commandement The time of this rest it is not in mans power to determine but Gods Againe the adversary acknowledgeth an equity in the fourth Commandement VVhat equity if as it bound the ancient people of God to one day in the weeke it doe not also bind the Christian people to keep one day in the weeâ—â—nd if it be the equity of the fourth Commandement to prescribe one day in seaven then they are very unjust that deny the keeping of the Lords day to be grounded upon the equity of the fourth Commandement It were well if they would stand to equity But this doth our adversary fly from For hee sayth in the next words The particular forme and circumstances of resting are prescribed unto us by the precepts of the Church Our spirituall actions according to that which is maine and substantiall in them are taught by the Euangelicall Law Their modification and limitation in respect of rituall and externall forme and in
regard of place duration gesture habit and other externall circumstances are prescribed by the Law of the Church So hee Thus you see how hee limits the prescription of circumstances which comprehend time place persons and namely Duration when and how long God shall be served unto the prescription of the Law of the Church which hee expresseth more fully pag. 270. saying It was in the free election of the Church to appoint what day or dayes or times shee thought good or found convenient for Religious dueties for the Euangelicall Law hath not determined any certaine day or time and those actions or circumstances which are not determined by Divine precept are permitted to the liberty and authority of the Church to be determined and appointed So hee But cleare it is that the Church of England disclameth all such power but ascribes all authority of prescribing a time and day of holy rest unto the Lord of the Sabbath who hath expressed his will and pleasure herein in his Law of the fourth Commandement as our Homily sayth A. But the Homily seemes to favour his opinion saying that Godly Christian people began to chuse them a standing day of the weeke c. And therefore it seemes to be at the Churches choyce B. Our choyce doth not necessarily imply a power of institution Wee are sayd to chuse life and truth before death and errour are wee therefore the authors of them Againe our choyce herein is according to Gods Commandement Thirdly the Homily sayth expresly that those Godly Christian people did in their choyce follow the example and Commandement of God Now what example had they but Christs rising and resting on that day after the example of Gods resting the seventh day And for Commandement they had both the fourth Commandement and an Apostolicall precept 1. Cor. 16. and that place in the Revelation appropriating this day as holy to the Lord and so ratified by God himself And who were they which taught those Godly Christian people to keepe this day viz. the Apostles And therefore wee must put a vast difference betweene the unerring Apostles and the succeeding Churches so as the Homily is cleare against him A. But see this seemes to me the maine knott of the whole controversy namely about the designation of the particular and speciall time consecrated to Gods worship whither it be comprehended and prescribed in the fourth Commandement or depends upon the determination of the Church The Adversary confesseth a naturall equity in the fourth Commandement that some time is to be set apart for the service of God but indeputate and left at large to the liberty of the Church to determine and limit the speciall time when and how long what portion and proportion is to be allowed Now although you have a little touched upon this point already yet considering it is the maine hindge of the whole matter in question and the maine ground whereon the whole waight of the controversy relyeth I pray you a little more fully to elucidate this point and the rather not onely for the settling of my judgement but for the clearing of our Homily from all false interpretations which the Adversary might make for the eluding of those things which you have observed out of it B. Your motion is very opportune and no lesse important For the Adversary doth the more easily play fast and loose in the myst of his generalities while though hee cannot or dare not for shame utterly deny the morality of the fourth Commandement which all Divines doe hold yet hee denies any particular speciall determinate time to be commanded or limited therein but will have that wholly put and placed in the power of the Church It will be requisite therefore to stoppe this hole that hee may not have the least evasion but by the cords of strong reasons be bound and forced to confesse that either the fourth Commandement doth prescribe and determine a sett certain fixed proportion of time consecrated by God himself unto his solemne and sacred worship or els that it commaunds to us Christians no certain time or day at all and so the morality of it if ever it had any is quite abolished and no other Law or Commandement now binds us but the precept or practise of the Church This is the very summe and upshot of the matter A. Sir I conceive and apprehend it to be so B. Now I shall proove and make it evident that the fourth Commandement either prescribes a certain proportion of time and a fixed day consecrate to God and in that very respect is perpetually morall binding us Christians to the same proportion or els if it determine no sett proportion of time but leaves it at large to the Church to proportionate whither longer or shorter then there remaines no such obligatory equity in the fourth Commandement as to bind the Church to appoint and allow such or such a proportion of time but that if this time which the Church appointeth be either one day in 20 or 40 or 100 or one day in the yeare or so or but one peece of a day in such a revolution of time and not one whole or intyre day much lesse one whole day in every seven the Church in this sinneth not as being not guilty of the breach of the fourth Commandement which bindeth us Christians to no certain proportion of time as the Adversary himself would have it but in this respect is now abrogated His words are The fourth Commandement in respect of any one definite and speciall day of every weeke was not simplie and perpetuallie morall but positive and temporary onely Which assertion of his as it is directly and in terminis contrary to the doctrine of our Homily fore-alledged which sayth By this Commandement the fourth wee ought to have a time as one day in the weeke c. and this appartaineth to the Law of nature as a thing most Godly most just and needfull for the setting forth of Gods glorie and therefore ought to be retained and kept of all good Christian people So the Homily No sayth D. Whiâ— one day in the weeke was but positive and temporary onely and therefore not appartaining to the Law of nature as a thing most Godly most just and needfull for the setting forth of Gods glory and so ought not in that respect to be retained and kept of all good Christian people But wee will not presse him downe with the bare authority of our Church without showing the grounds and reasons whereupon it is grounded Now first observe wee the words of the Commandement Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy which words sayth the learnest Zanchie are the very morall substance of the fourth Commandement The Lord sayth not Remember to sanctify some convenient and sufficient time as the Church shall thinke fit The Commandement prescribeth a certain and sett time yea a day the Sabbath day one day in the weeke which is the Sabbath day Againe it teacheth us
attend to Gods worship c. So Augustine And you see he speakes this not as his owne particular opinion but as it was the Tenet of the whole Catholike Church So as the whole ancient Catholike Church did not onely observe but call the Lords day the Sabbath of the Lord which they kept in place of the old Sabbath day Thus did H. B. informe me And I remember Hilary calls it so saying Though in the seventh day of the weeke both the name and observance of the Sabbath be established yet wee on the eigth day which also is the first doe injoy the festivity of the perfect Sabbath Lo here this Father also calls the Lords day the day of our perfect Sabbath But this suffice A. It is a very pregnant place for his purpose and sufficient to answer fully all the cavills which are brought to the contrary so as if H. B. doe but alledge this one place it will cleare all the other But Sir here is a huge clamour especially of late dayes raised against the name of Sabbath applyed to the Lords day I pray you may it not be called the Sabbath day And what doth our Church hold concerning this B. That the Lords day may be called the Sabbath day I make no question And that for many reasons 1. Because it is our rest-Rest-day 2. The Apostle calls our rest a Sabbatisme 3. The very name of Lords day imports so much as being the Lords holy day as Esa. 58. 13. and that day whereon the Lord rested from his worke of Redemption and so sanctified by him and to him A. D. Wh. denies that Christ upon the day of his Resurrection rested from the worke of Redemption B. I conferred with H. B. about this because it much concernes him to quitt this question seeing on Christs resting on that day hee grounds the Sabbatisme of it as agreeable to the fourth Commandement And in my judgement if hee can evince and cleare it it will proove unanswerable And hee tells me that hee hath in two severall Treatises in Latin against Theo. Brab fully cleared it and remooved all objections and cavillations that either Th. Br. or F. VVh have or can bring to the contrary And hee purposeth to doe the like to D. VVh And hee made it very cleare to me that Christs Rest from the worke of Redemption from sinne on the Crosse and from death in the grave which was a branch of that worke began not till his Resurrection As for his Ascension that was into the place of rest but his Resurrection was into the state of rest As for D. VVh his objection with Th. Brab that Christ laboured on that day H. B. shewes it to be absurd and ridiculous seeing Christ arose with a body glorifyed and impassible so as his actions that day could not be called a labour that thereby the new Sabbath should be broken But you aske me what our Church holdeth concerning this that the Lords day is called the Sabbath day In brief I have observed that in the Homilies it is no lesse then ten severall times called expresly the Sabbath day 8. times in the Homily fore-cited and twice in the third Homily of Rebellion Also Canon 70. in the Articles of the two last Trienniall visitations of London In K. Iames his Proclamation May 7. 1603 twice In an exhortation at a generall Fast set forth by him in the first yeare of his Raigne In Archbishop Bancrofts visitation Articles for Canterbury Art 75. 76. I might compile a whole volume of instances in this kind Yea there seldome comes forth a Brief but it calls it the Sabbath day But least neither the Church of England in her publike doctrine nor the pious workes of her grave and learned sons may perhaps satisfy the Adversaries importunity yet I hope the writings of his more pious and no lesse learned brother D. Iohn VVhite and those also both republished and vindicated by Fr. VVhite from the Iesuites calumnies white dyed black c. will a little qualify him How D. Iohn VVhite doth not onely call the Lords day the Sabbath day as once Sect. 38. 1. and twice Sect. 43. digress 46. 6. but hee also condemnes all profane sports and recreations on that day and among the rest dauncing for one And for this hee alledgeth the example of the Papists as the most notorious Sabbath-breakers in this kind A. Doth hee so Sir This seemes strange to me that so great a Clerke as Fr. VVhite should so farre forget himself as not to remember what his brother hath write Surely if it be so it will be a cooling card and no small disgrace to his Lo when so worthy and reverend a Brother shall be brought as a witnesse against him But I pray you for my better satisfaction relate to me the very passages and words of D. Iohn VVhite B. I will In Digress 46. the title whereofis Naming certain points of the Popish Religion which directly tend to the maintenance of open sinne and liberty of life Now among many fowle and profane practises as hee calls them this hee notes for one namely the profanation of the Sabbath in these words That they hold it lawfull on the Sabbath day to follow suits travell hunt DANCE keep faires and such like This is it that hath made Papists the most notorious Sabbath-breakers that live So hee And Sect. 38. n. 1. hee sayth Let it be observed if all disorders be not most in those parts among us where the people is most Pope-holy c. And for mine owne part having spent much of my time among them this I have found that in all excesse of sinne Papists have bene the ringleaders in riotous companies in drunken meetings in seditious assemblies and practises in profaning the Sabbath in quarrells and brawles in stage-playes Greenes Ales and all heathenish customes c. Thus this reverend Divine Candore notabilis ipso whom all the Iesuiticall smoke out of the bottomlesse pit cannot besweere or besumdge or dye blacke with all their black-mouthed obloquies A. Surely these are very pregnant passages And it makes me tremble to thinke and amazeth me how one White is so contrary to another as also how the Libertinisme dispensed now a dayes on the Sabbath tendeth to bring us Protestants to be like to the Papists in their profane times in taking up their heathenish savage and barbarous maners and customes B. Wee have all of us cause to lament what wee see and to feare yet more sinfull mischiefs to follow if they be not prevented A. I begin to blame my owne negligence I did not thinke that our Church and the Archbishops and Bishops themselves and K. Iames and others had so familiarly used to call the Lords day the Sabbath day And it seemeth that D. Wh. hath not well read over out owne Church Records how skillfull soever he professe himself to be in Antiquity tanquam in aliena republica 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as
what day in the weeke the Sabbath day is to wit the Sabbath day of the Lord thy God that day in the weeke wherein the Lord our God resteth must be our Sabbath day So that as the Commandement prescribes unto us a weekely Sabbath day to be sanctified so Gods Precedent and example points out unto us what or which day in the weeke wee must rest on to sanctify it And this is not onely the naturall equity which the adversary in generall confesseth but the very naturall Law and substance of the fourth Commandement to prescribe a set solemne day in the weeke to be sanctified and not to leave it in the power of man or of the Church to appoint what time they please The reasons are these 1. because the Commandement expresly limiteth one set day in the weeke being the Sabbath day of the Lord our God as hath bene sayd Now the Commandement prescribing a set and fixed day in the weeke what humain power shall dare to alter it into an indefinite time call it what you will convenient or sufficient to be appointed at the pleasure of man This is with the Papists to commit high sacriledge in altering the property of Gods Commandements For upon this ground of a generall equity they have bene bold to suppresse the second Commandement saying it is comprised in the first As they have robd the people of the cup in the Sacrament saying the blood is contained in the body under the formes of bread So our adversary imagining a generall I wot not what equity in the fourth Commandement of some certain uncertain time for Gods publicke worship doth thereby destroy the very property of the Commandement which expresly prescribeth the Sabbath day in every weeke A second reason why it is not left in the power of the Church to prescribe what time men please is because as it is Gods prerogative as a Maister to appoint his owne worship and service so the time wherein hee will be served This God himself commandeth in the fourth Commandement Now as the King will not take it well that any meddle with his prerogative and arrogate that to himself which is the Kings right so God is justly offended when men presume to assume to themselves that power which is proper and peculiar to God alone If any will take upon him to coyne money by counterfeting the Kings stampe and name his act is treason how then shall they escape if presume to coyne what time they please for Gods solemne worship though they set the counterfeit stampe of God upon it Now the Sabbath day is of the Lords owne making and stamping and therefore called the Lords day A third reason why it is not left in mans power to institute the solemne day of Gods worship his Sabbath day or to appoint him what proportion of time they please is because an indefinite time must either bind to all moments of time as a debt when the day of payment is not expresly dated is liable to payment every moment or els it binds to no time at all For if the Law of God bind us not to an expresse determinate time or day consecrate to his service then the not allowing of him a set time or day is no sinne at all For what Gods Law commaunds not therein man is not bound And where no Law is of a set time or day there is no transgression if a set time or day be not observed So as by this reason if the Law of the fourth Commandement prescribe no set sacred time or day for Rest and sanctification it is a meere nullity For to say there is a naturall equity in it for some sufficient and convenient time and yet no man can define what this sufficient and convenient time is nay all the wits and heads in the world put together are not able to determine it is as to say there is a world in the moone consisting of Land and Sea and inhabitants because there are some black spots in it which yet is not a more lunaticke opinion then that is presumptuous and absurd Hath not the profane world found by wofull experience that of late dayes within these two yeares last past wherein men have taken a liberty to profane and pollute but a part of the Lords day that this is a most horrible sinne And a sinne it cannot be but as a breach of one of Gods holy Commandements For where there is no Law there is no transgression The profanation I say of the Lords day is clearely shewed to be an horrible presumptuous sinne and in speciall a bold breach of the fourth Commandement by those many markable judgements of God which have fearefully fallen upon fearelesse Sabbath breakers and that I say within these two yeares last past the like whereof cannot be paralleld in all the Histories of all the Centuries since the Apostles times Which alone if men were not altogether possessed with the spirit of stupidity and of a croced conscience were sufficient to teach their dull wits that the fourth Commandement is still in force commaunding the Sabbath day to be sanctified the profanation whereof wee see so terribly punished by divine revenge A point also which our Homily hath noted which were sufficient to admonish the adversary of his presumptuous oppositions thereunto A. Sir you have abundantly satisfied me in this point and I suppose every rationall man and true bred-sonne of the Church of England And surely I wonder so learned a man should commit so fowle an errour as not to search better into the Doctrine of our Church so clearely expressed in the Homily B. You need not wonder at it wee have all knowne him to doe as great a matter as that For was not his hand to the Approbation of a Booke in print though afterwards called in by Soveraigne Authority which contaynes and maintayns many sundry Tenents both Pelagian and Popish flatt against the cleare Doctrines of our Church and whereby hee hath as yet made no publike recantation to remoove the scandall from the Church of England and to satisfy so high an offence given Yea in stead of Recantation I my self have heard him in open Court speake against both Iustification that a man might be justified to day and damned to morrow and against Election of some to eternall life and against the sanctification of the Sabbath saying I say there is no sanctification of the Sabbath but Rest Rest onely And therefore cease to wonder that this man should be so feareles either privily to undermine or apertly to oppugne the expresse doctrines of our Church A. Yet I cannot but wonder how hee dare be so bold and upon what grounds hee should thus impune beare himself B. The grounds I examine not as pertayning to those that are more judicious and in highest place over the Church but the fact cannot be dissembled A. But perhaps hee will say this is your private interpretation of the Homily and of a sort of
factions Sabbatarian Novellists But what instances can you bring of any that were eminent in this Church for learning and parts and not any way inclined to the Disciplinarian Faction that concurre with you in the same judgement and understanding of the doctrine of our Church layd downe in the Homily B. First the words of the Homily as you have heard and as every one may plainely see are so expresse cleare and full that they cannot possibly admit of the least ambiguity And for instances I could give many I will content my self with two witnesses enough to establish the matter VVhat say you to the learned Hooker and to the learned Dr. Andrewes were these any way inclined unto the Disciplinarian Faction or were they novell Sabbatarians A. No surely I thinke D. VVh himself will not say so of them but will admit them for very competent witnesses in this cause as without all exception B. First then for Mr. Hooker Hee in his fift booke of Ecclesiasticall Policy Sect. 70. hath these words If it be demanded whether wee observe these times to wit holy dayes as being thereunto bound by force of Divine Law or els by the onely positive Ordinances of the Church I answer to this that the very Law of nature it self which all men confesse to be Gods Law requireth in generall no lesse the sanctification of times then of places persons and things unto Gods honor For which cause it hath pleased him heretofore as of the rest so of time likewise to exact some parts by way of perpetuall homage never to be dispensed withall nor remitted againe to require some other parts of time with as strict exaction but for lesse continuance and of the rest which were left arbitrary to accept what the Church shall in due consideration consecrate voluntarily unto like Religious uses Of the first kind amongst the Iewes was the Sabbath day Of the second those Feasts which are appointed to the Law of Moses the Feast of Dedication invented by the Church standeth in the number of the last kind The Morall Law requiring therefore a seventh part throughout the age of the whole world to be that way imployed although with us the day be changed in regard of a new revolution begun by our Saviour Christ yet the same proportion of time continueth which was before because in reference to the benefit of Creation and now much more of Renovation thereunto added by him which was Prince of the world to come wee are bound to account the sanctification of one day in seven a duety which Gods immutable Law doth exact for ever So hee there VVhere you see how in terminis hee agreeth and jumpeth with the expresse doctrine of our Church in the Homily touching the perpetuall morality of the fourth Commandement Wee are bound sayth hee to account the sanctification of one day in seven which before hee sayth is now the Lords day a duety which Gods immutable Law doth exact for ever The second instance is the late Reverend and learned B. of VVinkc who in his speech in the Starre-chamber which with other of his workes hath been by the great diligence and care of the now Archbishop of Cant. published in print confuting Trasks opinion about the Iewes Sabbath hath these words It hath ever been the Churches doctrine that Christ made an end of all Sabbaths by his Sabbath in the grave That Sabbath was the last of them And that the Lords day presently came in place of it Dominicus c. The Lords day was by the Resurrection of Christ declared to be the Christians day and from that very time of Christs Resurrection it began to be celebrated as the Christian mans Festivall For the Sabbath had reference to the old Creation but in Christ wee are a new creature a new creation by him and to have a new Sabbath And a little after The Apostles they kept their meetings on that day On that day they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is held their synaxes their solemne assemblies to preach to pray to break bread or celebrate the Lords Supper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Supper on the Lords day For these two onely the Day and the Supper have the Epithet of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominicum in the Scriptures to shew Dominicum is alike to be taken in both This for the practise then If you will have it in Precept The Apostle gives it and in the same word still that against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first day of the weeke the day of their assembly every one should lay apart what God should moove him to offer to the Collection for the Saincts and then offer it which was soever in use That the day of oblations So have you it in practise and in precept both c. And after A thing so notorious so well knowne even to the heathen themselves as it was in the Acts of the Martyrs ever an usuall question of theirs even of Course in their examining What Dominicum Servasti Hold you the Sunday and their answer knowne they all averre it Christianus sum intermittere non possum I am a Christian I cannot intermit it And besides others hee cites Athanasius who shewes the abolishing of the Iewes day and the succeeding of the Lords day in place of it and that so full as no man can wish more Last of all hee both quotes and commends the Councell of Laodicea for that Canon 29. That Christen men may not Iudaize or grow Iewes that is not make the Sabbath or Saturday their day of rest but that they are to worke on that day giving their honour of celebration to the Lords day So hee I will adde onely a brief note of the same Author in one of his Sermons on those words This is the day which the Lord hath made The day of Christs Resurrection made by God Dies Dominicus and to it doe all the Fathers apply this verse So hee I might here also adde what is sayd in that Booke which is intituled A Patterne of catecheticall Doctrine and printed at London 1630. which though it have not Dr. Andrewes name prefixt unto it yet it is well knowne it was his worke even ex ungne Leonem being his Catecheticall exercise in Cambridge as I have been credibly informed and whereof I have the Manuscript by mee which I keep as an Antiquity I know the booke will not very well relish with our adversaries palate For there pag. 233. are these passages Quest. But is not the Sabbath a ceremony and so abrogated by Christ Answ. Doe as Christ did in the cause of divorce looke whither it were so from the beginning Now the beginning of the Sabbath was in Paradise before there was any sinne and so before there needed any Saviour and so before there was any Ceremony or figure of a Saviour Object And if they say it prefigured the rest that wee shall have from our sinnes in Christ. Answ.
Wee grant it as comming in afterwards Deuter. 5. 15. as it is in my Manuscript and therefore the day is changed but yet no Ceremony prooved 1. From the Law 1. By the distinction between the Law and a Ceremony Deut. 4. 13. 14. the Law came immediatly from God the Ceremonies were instituted by Moses 2. It were not wise to set a Ceremony in the midst of morall Precepts 3. This is a principle that the Decalogue is the Law of Nature revived and the Law of Nature is the image of God now in God there can be no Ceremony but all must be eternall and so in this Image which is the Law of Nature and so in the Decalogue Secondly from the Gospell Eph. 2. 4. all Ceremonies were ended in Christ but so was not the Sabbath for Mat. 24. 20. Christ biddeth them pray that their visitation be not on the Sabbath day so that there must needs be a Sabbath after Christs death 3. Those which were Ceremonies were abrogated and not changed but those which were not Ceremonies were changed as the Ministry from the Levites to be chosen throughout the world the seats changed so here the day changed from the day of Iewes to the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. So there And my Manuscript addeth And yet a Sabbath Act. 1. 12. So that this lasteth as long as the Church militant So there Now from the premisses in this instance wee observe what was the judgement of that learned Prelate and how consonant to the doctrine of our Church in the Homily touching the Sabbath Hee shewes plainely that the Lords day comming in place of the old Sabbath day and so becomming our Sabbath day is by necessary consequence grounded upon the fourth Commandement the Law whereof is perpetually because naturally morall So as hence I might frame this argument That day which comes in place of the old Sabbath day is commanded in the fourth Commandement But the Lords day is come in place of the old Sabbath Therefore it is commanded in the fourth Commandement The Minor is cleare in D. Andr. and so from all the Fathers universally The Major is no lesse true for if the fourth Commandement command the Sabbath day to be kept perpetually in all ages as sayth our Homily and that Sabbath day of the Iewes is now abolished and an other day the Lords day is now come in place of the old and is the Christians Sabbath day then of necessity doth the fourth Commandement command us Christians to keep the Lords day as our new Sabbath day For instance One is made a present heire yea and Lord of such an inheritance hee enjoyeth it for his life but when hee dyes his next heire succeeds him in the full title So here If they object But Quo jure by what right doth the Lords day take the place of the Sabbath day I answer with D. Andrewes and all the Fathers out of the Psalme God made it so And Christs Resurrection declared it to be so and the Apostles observed it so yea and commanded it so too A. I remember the Treatiser confesseth that the Apostles themselves at sometimes observed this day as Act. 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 2. B. At sometimes onely what no oftener then hee finds expresly mentioned This is like him in Oxford who in his Sermon sayd that the Iewes kept the Sabbath but once in 40 yeares during their abode in the wildernesse This hee gathered because hee found it but once mentioned But hee might have found it twice if hee had looked well So as this is a most beggerly kind of reasoning And how injurious an imputation is it to the Apostles to say that they kept the Lords day sometimes when as they taught and commanded others to observe it weekly as hath been noted did Christian people immediately after Christs Ascension observe this weekely day and did not the Apostles themselves This is too grosly repugnant both to good reason to our Homily and to the witnesses produced A. These two witnesses and instances I perceive come full home to the Homily Onely one thing I observe that D. Andrewes calls the Lords day our new Sabbath This is a very rare thing and that which the adversary in his booke doth much except against not enduring that the Lords day should be called the Sabbath day And I remember one passage in it wherein hee quarrells H. B. for saying that the ancient Fathers did ever usually call it the Sabbath day Wherein hee sayth hee hath wronged and wrested S. Augustine in those places by him alledged B. Concerning that I have spoken with H. B. and hee sayth hee will answer and make good what hee hath sayd against his adversary And hee told me that howsoever indeed those words ever usually might give advantage to the adversary to carpe yet being rightly understood they may passe currant enough For by ever usually hee meant that all the ancient Fathers although they alwayes distinguish between the Lords day and the Iewes Sabbath day yet they ever tooke and observed the Lords day in stead of the old Sabbath day and ever used it for the rest-day or Sabbath day of Christians rest-Rest-day and sabbath-Sabbath-day being all one And H. B. told me that if D. Wh. tooke advantage of that hee could as easily take advantage of that speech of his where hee saith This name Sabbath is not given it the Lords day in holy Scripture or by any of the Godly Fathers of the Church Now saith H. B. was not S. Augustine a Godly Father And hee not onely in those places quarrelled by D. W. and which H. B. will more fully cleare from his cavills but more plainely and without all ambiguity in his 251. Sermon de Tempore speaking of the Lords day hee hath these very words Ac ideo c. And therefore the holy Doctours of the Church have decreed to transferre all the glory of the Iudaicall Sabbath or Sabbatisme unto the Lords day that what they observed in a figure wee might celebrate in truth Let us therefore Brethren observe the Lords day and sanctify it like as it was commanded them of old concerning the Sabbath the Lawgiver saying From evening to evening yee shall celebrate your Sabbaths Let us take heed that our Rest be not vaine but from the evening of the Saturday unto the evening of the Lords day being sequestred from rurall worke and from all businesse we may be vacant onely for the worship of God Thus also we duely sanctify the Sabbath of the Lord as the Lord saith Yee shall doe no worke therein So hee And a little before in the same Sermon Dominicum ergo diem c. Therefore the Apostles and Apostolicall men established the Lords day to be therefore observed with a Religious solemnity because in it our Redeemer arose from the dead And which is therefore called the Lords day that in it wee abstaining from terrene works or the allurements of the world might onely
at all in Cities suburbs towne or any where eis on the Holy-dayes And yet another Councel at Millan Quoniam c. Because it is found by too much experience in this Province that in these corrupted times and manners that people for the most part never meet at dauncing merriments leapings and the like without many and those most greivous offenses of God and that both by reason of filthy thoughts and obscene speeches dishonest actions corruption of manners and most pernicious bates to all the lusts of the flesh perpetually coupled with them and also of murders brawles dissentions whoredomes adulteries and many other evils the most frequent consequences thereof wherefore on Holy-dayes we prohibit leapings sports dancings c. Now these Councels were kept in Italy Yea a Councel at Rome but more ancient Of Feastings not to be made upon Holy-dayes and On Holy-dayes dancing not to be used There be some and specially women which on Holy-dayes by their balling singing filthy songs holding and leading dances so imitating the guise of Pagans doe bring it among Christians such if they come to the Church with lesser sins they returne from it with greater And if upon admonition they desisted not Leo 4. denounceth excommunication against them Lo here this Councel at Rome sayth that dancing on Holy-dayes is a heathen guise brought in among Christians Shall I add one more The Councel of Colen deinde impingunt Againe they offend against this Precept who on Holy-dayes are intent upon sports pastimes dice leaping dancing the ring who are vacant for revellings drinkings superfluous pompe who defile the Holy-dayes with wicked talke and filthy songs such doth the Councel of Carthage and of Toledo decree to be excommunicate For holy solemnities and feasts are not therefore instituted to serve our filthy lusts or that we should collect together our sins but that we should altogether abandon them and not to celebrate them with corporall refection or recreation but spirituall rejoycing And how is it possible that in dances the sanctification of the Sabbath should be kept where modesty it self is not secure from snares So the Councel But what need we goe further then our owne Homily forecited which sayth that in pride in excesse like rats in brawling fighting quarrelling wantonnes toyâ—sh talking and filthy fleshlines God is more dishonoured and the devill better served on the Sunday or Sabbath day then upon all the dayes of the weeke besides Now though moris dances and may-games and the like be not here condemned in terminis yet by consequence they be sith they are the inseparable companions and most pernicious occasions of inflaming the lusts and of manifold mischeifs as hath been noted Therefore by just Ecclesiasticall lawes such sports are prohibited Thirdly They are prohibited by just Civil lawes Besides those instances fore-alleged of the Edicts of Charolus Mag. and Ludovicus Pius his Sonne we may to the honor of our nation and the eternall fame of our religious King Charles produce the first Act of Parlament in I. Caroli the prime gemme in his Royall diadem and which deserves to be writen in golden Characters Forasmuch as there is nothing more acceptable to God then the true and sincere worship and service of Him according to his holy will and that the holy keeping of the Lords day is a principall part of the true service of God which in very many places of this Realme hath been and now is profaned and neglected by a disorderly sort of people in exercising and frequenting Beare-baiting Bull-baiting Enterludes common playes and other unlawfull exercises and pastimes upon the Lords day c. That from henceforth c. there shall be no Bear-baiting Bull-baiting Enterludes common playes or other unlawfull exercises or pastimes within their owne Parishes Hence it is plaine that all manner of sports and pastimes are unlawfull on the Lords day for Beare-baiting and Bull-baiting are prohibited as unlawfull on this day which els are made lawfull on other dayes And therefore dancing Maygames Morrices and the like how ever men may account them lawfull on other dayes yet for the very reasons afore-sayd forasmuch as they are prohibited as unlawfull by Imperiall Edicts of ancient Kings and Emperours of whom our most gratious and religious soveraigne is by the Treatiser acknowledged to be the noble successour in restraining the abuse and scandalous profanation of the Lords day on this day at least they are unlawfull I will add but one instance more and that is out of Iustinian where he seth downe this Imperiall Constitution Die Dominico c. On the Lords day which of the whole week is the first all pleasures of sports and pastimes being denyed to the people through all Cities let the whole minds of Christians be occupied in the service of God and if any shall on this day be taken up with the madnes of Iewish impiety or with the errour and franticknes of brutish Paganisme let him know that there is a difference to be put between the time of prayers and the time of pleasures Yea so religiously was this day observed as if the Emperours birth-day fell upon it it must be put of to another day of the weeke and sayth the Constitution If the people shâ—ll shew lesse reverence towards us then than they were wont let no man be offended with it because men doe give greatest honor to our clemency when the worlds obedience is entirely yeilded to the vertues and merits of Almighty God So there In fine in a booke set forth by King Hen. 8. and inscribted to his loving and faithfull subiects which before had been set forth by the whole Clergie of the Realme with the names of 21. Prelates besides many Doctors prefixed unto it approoved by both the houses of Parlament are these passages Against this Commandement generally doe offend all they which will not cease from their owne carnall wills pleasures that doe not give themselves Intirely and wholly without any impediment unto all holy works and that not onely in the house of God but also in their owne houses but as commonly is used passe the time either in idlenes in gluttony in riot or other vaine or idle pastime which is not according to the intent and meaning of this Commandement but after the usage and custome of the Iews and doth much offend God and provoke his indignation wrath towards us And it is added in the Clergies booke for as S. Austen sayth of the Iewes they should be better occupied labouring in their feilds and to be at the plough then to be idle at home And women should better bestow their time in spinning of woll then upon the Sabbath day to lose their time in leaping dauncing and other idle wanton lose time So there Now tell me Brother what thinke you of this that those Prelates and Clergy of England in the very first duskish dawning of the morning should be so cleare orthodox
the Lamiae who abroad carryed their eyes in their heads but at home closed them up in a box Otherwise I suppose he would not so frequently brand all those for novell Sabbatarians who call the Lords day the Sabbath day B. VVhat is his reason I know not Let him looke to it Me thinks the very reading of the fourth Commandement every Lords day might stop his mouth saving that hee hath found out many inventions to elude the nature and property of this Commandement as pag. 158. 159. c. which I hope H. B. will meet withall A. I shall be glad to see it And yet I somewhat correct my former conceit of D. VVh For I find hee hath read the Homily and Injunction as pag. 224. B. Indeed I thanke you for minding me of it I remember he quotes the Homily in one place of his Booke and that is all as farre as I have observed where hee hath picked out one little peece to maintayne his Christian Libertinisme in point of labour on the Lords day But it is altogether perverted by him for works of great necessity as scathfire invasion of enemyes c. God allowes on the Sabbath And the Injunction of Queene Eliz. 20. hee there also no lesse perverteth while hee confounds the Lords day with other holy dayes which the Injunction doth clearely distinguish for that liberty which it dispenseth with touching worke in harvest time is not spoken of the Lords day or Holy day as it is there called and set alone by it self but of holy and festivall dayes onely of humain institution A. And I thanke you for this observation And falling here upon worke on the Lords day I am occasiotied to aske your judgement of those passages of his touching Recreations on that day in which argument hee hath spent many leaves B. But without any good fruit And as his discourses hereupon are large so they require a large confutation which I hope H. B. will performe For the present a little to satisfy your request thus much Hee distinguisheth Recreations into two sorts 1. Honest and lawfull 2. Vitious and unlawfull For his definitions or descriptions of them I passe them by as requiring a larger answer In summe I note his pitifull enterfeerings by equivocations contradictions and the artifice of his purest naturall wit in spinning a curious web of so fine a thred as wherewith though he may thinke to cover himself yet it is pervious and penetrable to every eye Hee sayth All kinds of Recreation which are of evill quality in respect of their object or which are attended with evill and vicious circumstances are unlawfull and to be refrayned upon all dayes and at all seasons But if they be used upon the Lords day or on other Festivall dayes they are sacrilegious because they rob God of his honour to whose worship and service the holy day is devoted and they defile the soules of men for the cleansing and edifying whereof the holy day is deputed And pag. 259. hee relates out of ancient Imperiall Edicts that all obscene lascivious and voluptuous pastime are prohibited c. And yet pag. 266. hee hath these words This seemeth to me to have been a prime motive to our Religious Governors of allowing the people of the Land some Recreations not prohibited by our Lawes upon the holy dayes For if they should upon Puritan principles restrain them wholly from all repast the Holy-day would be more unwelcome to them then the plough-plough-day and besides it might ingender in peoples mindes a distast of their present Religion and manner of serving God So hee VVhere I note sundry poore and pitifull shifts and shuâ—â—lings For first pag. 258. hee sayth Also our most gracious and Religious Soveraigne is the Lords Vicegerent to restraine the abuse and scandalous profanation of the Lords day And hee is a noble Successor of those glorious Princes which in ancient times by their Royall and Imperiall Edicts and Constitutions prohibited on this day All obscene lascivious and voluptuous pastimes c. If then I might be so bold I would aske him what hee thinkes of promiscuous meetings of wanton youth in their May-games setting up of May-poles dancing about them dancing the Morice and leading the ringdance and the like unto which D. VVh in the former passage 266. doth not obscurely point as it were with the finger Are not these obscene or lascivious and voluptuous pastimes And if so are they not prohibited by Royall and Imperiall Edicts and Constitutions of those glorious ancient Princes whereof our most Gratious and Religious Soveraigne the Lords Vicegerent for restraining the abuse and scandalous profanation of the Lords day is a noble Successor Lo then what a monstrous Contradiction is here A. But doe ancient Emperours in their Imperiall Edicts prohibite such Recreations on the Lords day B. I will give you one instance in stead of many Carolus M. Placuit It is our pleasure that all the faithfull doe reverently observe the Lords day in which the Lord rose againe For if Pagans for the memory and reverence of their gods doe celebrate certain dayes and the Iewes doe carnally observe the Sabbath how much more ought this day to be honorably celebrated of Christians that on this Holy-day they attend not upon vaine fables or idle chat or songs or dances or scoffings standing in the Crosse-wayes or streets as they usually doe but that they have recourse to the Priests or some wise and good man that they may profit by their preaching and good discourses such as concerne the soule In like sort also les shepheards or keepers of cattell by going and returning into the feilds and home againe doe so that all may know such to be true and devout Christians So hee And his Sonne Ludovicus Pius in his Additionalls repeating the selfsame Constitution of his Father verbatim doth add these words Proinde c. Therefore it is necessary that first Preists Kings and Princes and all the faithfull doe most devoutly give all due observance and reverence to this day So hee A. A most noble instance and home For I perceive this Imperiall Decree condemnes all dauncing especially on the Lords day But let me not interrupt you B. To proceed then upon the former passages Secondly I note how poorely hee playes the Divine or Doctor by giving indulgence of more liberty to such as have queasy stomaks and cannot digest those wholesome meates which Gods word and all sound Divines and Doctours doe prescribe This is just as if a sick Patient should refuse some bitter pills or potions which are for his health complayning hee cannot indure the bitternesse of them and then forsooth his palate must be pleased with some delicious thing which corrupts the stomacke and feedeth the disease Or as if a wanton boy must be permitted so many houres play every day because hee hath learned one lesson and complaynes the taske is too hard to learne more Or as if a Servant being set about
his Maisters businesse though it be otherwise easie and tolerable yet complaynes it is too hard a taske and therefore hee must have liberty to take his pleasure one part of the day And surely this followes by good reason from the greater to the lesse from Gods day to mans day and from Gods service to mans service Give man a power thus to dispense with a part of the Lords day which is an incrochment upon the fourth Commandement according to the doctrine of our Church and why may not man assume to himself a power as the Pope doth to dispense with servants or children by allowing them sometime wherein they shall be free from the controll of their Maisters and Parents Thirdly I note what a great blemish hee fastens upon our Religion as if it were either too rigorous or too licentious Too rigorous by laying no other burthen upon them but that of Christ which though in its owne nature it be light and easy yet to the sonnes of Belial it seemes insupportable and intolerable As if sanctitie and purity of life were an over rigid precisenesse and a Puritan principle Or too licentious by giving indulgence and dispensation to loose Libertines and teaching men to become more filthy still and to be as the uncleane Beasts that chew not the Cudde or as the sow that is washed to returne to their wallowing in their profuse and profane sports and pastimes when no sooner they are out of the Church but they runne to their excesse of riot And here I cannot but record an excellent passage in Nazianzen to shame the impudency of these times This Godly Father reprooving the loose carriage of Christians in his time especially on the dayes of solemne and sacred assemblyes as on the Lords dayes sayth Postquam c. After they are gone out of the Church casting aside all that instruction they had there learned they fashion themselves to the vulgar with whom they converse or rather laying aside the false and counterfait vizard of gravity they are discovered to be such as they were not knowne to be before and having seemed to give some reverence to Gods word while it was preached they leave it and out of the Church they fall to delight and sport themselves in an impious maner and with love songs with the noise of Minstrells as piping clapping the hands being full of strong drinke and defiled with all kind of muddy and dorty pleasures And whilst they chant it over and over they who celebrated the honour of immortality by and by fall to a most wicked recantation Let us eate and drinke for to morrow wee shall dye And these are not dead to morrow but indeed are now dead unto God burying the dead that is themselves in the grave of death So hee Which liberty even the Papists themselves and Bellarmine abundantly doe with open voyce declame against and are ashamed of so farre will they be from being willing to be drawn to such a Religion by the motives of such liberty And herein doth our Treatiser miserably abuse the Scripture and so turne the Grace of God into wantonnes For pag. 257. hee sayth The Law of Christ is sweet and easie Mat. 11. 30. and his Commandements are not grievous 1. Ioh. 5. 3. And what then Is Christs Law so sweet and easie as that it gives indulgence to profane Libertinisme This is to make the Gospell a sweet fable as that Atheisticall Pontifician sayd Or as an other in his Sermon upon those words of Christ The sonne of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day thence inferred that Christ had given us liberty to play on the Sabbath And this the Treatiser calleth Christian liberty and on the contrary the holy and Religious keeping of the Lords day a superstitious Iudaicall fancy and rigid Ordinances of our Sunday-Sabbatarians Whereas the ancient Godly Fathers called the loose profaning of the Lords day by dancing and revelling a Iewish Sabbatising A point well to be observed Fourthly I observe a very improper and so untrue speech where hee sayth If they should upon Paritan Principles restraine them wholly from all repast Who I pray you doe restraine the people from all repast on the Lords day Or is profane sport a repast to feed the humour of the rude vulgar It seemeth so And liberty to youth is as their meat and drinke Fiftly pag. 266. hee sayth Some Recreations not prohibited by our lawes our Religious Governors allow upon Holy-dayes And pag. 232. Civil recreation not prohibited in termes neither yet by any necessary consequence from the law cannot be simply unlawfull And pag 231. No just law divine Ecclesiasticall or Civil doth totally prohibite the same To this I reply that those sports fore-specified are prohibited by law both divine Ecclesiasticall and Civil 1. by divine law as Rom. 13. 13. Gal. 5. 21. 1. Pet. 4. 3. In the fourth commandement for as Bucer sayth writing to K. Edw. 6. His diebus On these to wit Holy-dayes the works of the flesh are not to be allowed nor profane businesses nor licentious sports nor unseemly drinkings and other vitious pleasures Indeed the people are to be allowed honest recreations at fit seasons but seeing God hath so severely forbidden works profitable for the body to be done on dayes sanctified to his Name how much more greivously is hee offended when thâ—se dayes are profaned with wanton and for the most part wicked works Six dayes sayth hee thou shalt doe all thy worke to wit such as concerneth the sustentation or els the recreation of this present life but the seventh day is the Lords Sabbath on it thou shalt not doe any worke not any which the Lord himself hath not commanded to be done on that day but those which hee hath commanded they are all most religiously to be observed on the Holy-dayes And of so weake and slippery faith are we all as the dayly renewing and confirming of the same is very necessary for us Whereas most men more greivously offend and provoke Gods Majestie on these dayes then on other dayes By all meanes therefore it is the office of your sacred Majestie against this so great dishonor of God and lawles profanation of his Holy-dayes to revive the authority of Gods law and therein also to follow the examples of pious Princes c. So he Secondly Those foresayd sports are prohibited by Ecclesiasticall lawes for all Councels doe universally condemne them To instance one or two The Councel of Millan Nefasesse c. It is impious that sacred dayes instituted for the commemoration of the greatest benefits of God and to render our best prayses unto him should be transferred to those things which most of all abhorre from that service as leapings sports daunces enterludes or shewes which being inticements to filthy pleasures do much delight the Devill the enemy of mans salvation And another of Millan That no sports or vaine sights dancings leaping be used
and zealous in the point of the Sabbath and now in the Meridian of the Gospell so many with their eyes closed up doe with both hands fight against this truth A. I confesse it is to me no small matter of wonder But Sir now that you have so fully cleared the poynt about Recreation from all the subterfuges of him that hath so moyled himself to make some thing of nothing and therein also have vindicated the Lawes both Divine Ecclesiasticall and Civill from giving any countenance or connivence to such Recreations there remaynes yet one thing to be cleared and that is about the judgement of the reformed Churches beyond the Seas which the opposite authour pleadeth to be all for him B. It s true And I cannot but smile when I thinke of it That they which make no bones even in open Court to vilifie the prime pillars of those Churches yea and to nullify the Churches themselves as if they were no true Churches as having no lawfull Ministers because no Prelatés to put them in orders should notwithstanding daigne to grace them so much as to call them in and to account them competent witnesses in the cause But a bad cause is glad of any Patron or Advocate to plead for it though the Client have openly stigmatized him for a 〈◊〉 But what stead will the Reformed Divines stand him in Certainly in the point of Sports and Recreations they will utterly faile him yea and disclame him too In the point of the Institution of the Lords day indeed and the obligation of it to Christians a great part is for him though the better part is for us This is confessed of us A. But I pray you are they against him in the point of Sports and Recreations I have been credibly informed that the contrary report hath made a strong impression of perswasion in some gentle and generous breasts whose credulity subtile insinuations can prevaile so with as to make them beleeve the Moone is made of green cheese I pray you therefore cleare this one point and I will weary you no longer at this time the night now drawing on apace B. In a word then True it is that many and most of those Churches for the vulgar generality come farre short of the due esteeme of the Lords day in poynt of practise But yet for the Ministers of the 17. Provinces Reformed and of the neighbouring Churches in Germany even all those that were of the Councill of Dort did unanimously make some Canons and Decrees joyntly to petition the States Generall of the United Provinces for the reformation of the manifold profanations of the Lords day For in the 14. Session are these words Ne autem c. And least the people on the Lords dayes in the afternoone being taken up with other affayres or exercises be withdrawne from the afternoon-sermons the Magistrates are to be supplicated that they by more severe Edicts prohibit all servile or dayly works and especially sports drinkings and other profanations of the Sabbath whereby the afternoone time on the Lords dayes and specially in villages is usually spent that so by this meanes also they may be brought to those afternoone Sermons and so may learne to sanctify the whole Sabbath day And D. VVallaeus in his Preface before his Treatise of the Sabbath hath set downe so much of the Synods Petition to the States as was drawne into forme for this purpose in these words Vt gravissimae illae c. That these most grievous and manifold profanations of the Sabbath which are dayly committed by Faires wakes banquets of societies Watchmen Neighbourhoods Mariages by the exercise of Armes by hunting fishing fowling playing at ball by Histrionicall acting of Comedies by dauncings Port-hale of goods drinkings that many other like things which in these Countryes doe every where abound to the great scandall reproach of the Reformed Religion and to the great hinderaÌ„ce of Gods worship may be most strictly prohibited c. So the Synod Thus in one brief view you see the unanimous judgement of the Divines of that Synod for the due sanctification of the Lords day or Sabbath day as they often call it although the streame of a wicked custome in point of practise hath made an universall inundation in those Provinces which I feare will in time drowne them up in their profanenesse And the Synods judgement in the poynt of Institution by Divine authority and that from the fourth Commandement seemes to be no lesse sound and consentient sith they so often call the Lords day the Sabbath day and so zealously plead for the due sanctification thereof 〈◊〉 enough of this A. Sir I heartily thanke you for this your sweet conference which I could be content might last yet a whole summers day but that as I sayd the day now bidding us farewell leaves us to bid one another good night B. And so good night to you Brother A. And to you also good Brother Deo gratias Octob. 2. 1635. * Declaration about the dissolving of the Parliament And Declaration before the 39 Articles Communion Booke Catech expounded by Beve Pag. 20. Alex. d'Ales P. 3. q. 32. m. ar Ibid. * Pag. 90. In the High Commission at the Censure of Th. Brabourne B. Andrewes speech in Starte-chamber against Mr. Traske Dominicus dies Christi resurrectione declaratus est Christianis ex illo coepit habere festivitatem suam Aug. p. 119. c. 13 * Thus D. Andr. is point blanck against D. Wh. who pag. 270. quoted before saith that the Euangelicall Law hath not determined any certain day or time Yet lo here a certain day determined by the Euangelicall Law delivered by the Apostle Serm. 1. of the gunpowder treason on Psa. 118 23. 24. A Patterne of Catecheticall Doctrine And the whole Decalogue succinctly judiciously expounded ‡ So there should be confusion Manuscr Pag. 211. 189. ☜ Pag. 207. * Aug. de Temp. Ser. 251. De eo quod scriptum est vacate videte quoniam ego sum Deus Ac ideo sancti Doctores Ecclesiae decreverunt omnem gloriam Iudaici Sabbatismi in illam Dominicam transferre ut quod ipsi in figura nos celebraremus in veritate observemus ergo diem Dominicam fratres sanctificemus illam sicut antiquis praeceptum est de Sabbato dicente Legislatore A vespere usque ad vesperam celebrabitis Sabbata vestra Videamus â—e otium nostrum vanum sit sed a vespera diei Sabbati usque ad vesperam diei Dominici sequestrati à rurali opere ab omni negotio soli Divino cultui vacemus Sic quoque sanctificamus ritè Sabbatum Domini dicente Domino Omne opus non facietis in eo Hilar in Psalm explanato Prologus Cum in septimo die Sabbati sit nomen observantia constituta tamen nos in octava die quae ipsa prima est perfecti Sabbatum festivitate laetamur Heb. 4 see Zanchy de hominis creatione lib. 1. cap. 1. Sect. 36. ☞ The way to the true Church Ibid. Sect 43. Digress 46. n. 6. Ibid Sect. 38. n. 1. Pag. 224. Pag. 229. Caroli M. Leges Ecclesiast lib. 6. cap. 202. Ludovic Pius ibid. Additio c. 9. Clem. Alex. Poedag lib. 3 c. 11. nere the end Hee lived about the yeare of Christ 200. * Pag. 268. * Pag. 249. * See Aug. de Consensu Euangelist l. 2 c â—7 ☞ * Gloss Interlin Haec sunt opera tenebrarum * Opera carnis ibi M. Bucer de Regno Christi lib. 2. ca. 10. Scripta Anglicana Concil Mediolan 4. Concil Mediolan 1. Concil Mediolan 3. Conc. Rom. anno 826. Conc. pars 3. Bin. Can. Conc. Colon. anno 1563. explic in Deoalogum Iustinian Cod. 15. tit 5. * A necessary Doctrine for a Christen man * Printed 1537. The Institution of a Christen man * Vpon the fourth Commandement * Institution fol. 77. 2. Sess. 177.