second fall But that specification of persons bound to 〈◊〉 worke was not a ceremonie but a needfull 〈◊〉 in respect of the time The reason in the precept is morall and the end of the cessation and rest is morall to wit to sanctifie and keepe holy the sabbath-day To sanctifie is taken in a generall notion and without reference to ceremoniall exercises or legall more then evangelicall The legâ—ll offices were commanded by other lawes which were positive But White to prove that the word sanctifie is taken in a particular notion alledgeth Deut. 5. 12. Remember to sanctifie the sabbath-sabbath-day as the Lord thy God â—ath commanded thee This maketh nothing to the purpose for the word sanctifie may be still taken in a generall notion to sanctifie the sabbath as the Lord commanded before at the deliverie of the law Suppoâ—e the word were to be taken in a particular notion in that place Moses applying it as an interpreter and expounder to that present time it followeth not that it was so taken at the promulgation and engraving in â—ables of stone for at that time there was no sacrifices appoâ—â—ed for the sabbath but afterward Numb 28. and sâ—â—â—ing on the shew-bread Levit. 24. But these things were ceremoniall belonged onely to the priests and not to all and every one of the people and were commanded afterward So was the precept of kindly fire which was but temporall and that the sabbath be observed as a memoriall of their deliverie out of Egypt Deut. 5. 15. which saith Master Ainsworth seemeth to have fallen forth upon the sabbath day To be a signâ— that the Lord did sanctifie them was also set downe afterward as one of the ends of the observation Exod. 31. but yet that was not to be signum obsigâ—â—ns a sealing ligne or sacrament but onely a declarative sigâ—â— or indicant or document that God was the santifier of his people or an argument as others call it or a publick note and signe of their profession to distinguish betweene the observers of the sabbath as a holy and sanctified people from others But this may bee common to Iewes and Christians The mutabilatie of the seventh day from the creation maketh it not ceremoniall for a thing may bee mutable and not ceremoniall To appoint the seventh day to bee observed and sanctified is not a ceremonie unlesse the word ceremonie be abused and taken more largely then for a thing significant or typicall It is properly but a politick order determining a time for the worship of God To bee a memoriall of the creation and Gods rest the seventh day followed indeed upon the observation of that day but was not the only nor principall end of the institution for then that should have beene the chiefe or onely exercise on that day to contemplate and meditate upon the creatures God propoundeth his worke of creation and resting the seventh day not as the onely subject to bee mused upon but as an example for the observation of a seventh day sabbath Howbeit of the setting of that seventh day from the creation the prerogative it had to bee the day of Gods rest from the worke of creation and therefore made choise of yet perse directè of it selfe and directly as Suarez speaketh it was not appointed for commemoration of such a worke but to worship God for himselfe for his owne majestie and excellencie To end this point wee must not confound precepts concerning obâ—ervancies and ceremonies with morall The ceremonials are only appendicles and have their owne positive lawes for their ground If because there be some ceremoniall precepts concerning the sabbath delivered afterward or apart from the promulgation of the decaloguâ— the fourth precept shall be holden partly morall partly ceremoniall by that reason other precepts also of the decalogue shall bee partly morall partly ceremoniall for both the ceremoniall and judiciall law saith Master Dow have in them something which is juris moralis and so farre forth are contained under the morall precepts Swarez likewise saith Nihilominus tamen in illis ceremoniis seu observant iâ—s sunt quaedum rationes generales que secundum se pertinent ad moralem rationam virâ—utum uâ— de se abitrâ—hunt à particulari significatione ritu veteris legis In a word there is nothing ceremoniall in the fourth precept no positive worship either legall or evangelicall enjoyned but only sanctification in generall without determination either of the one or other no type or signification of things to come expressed yea or intended saith Swarez but only the institution it selfe renewed with accommodation to the state of man after his fall of which I made mention a little before All the determination which is added over the naturall and morall obligation to se apart a time to holy exercises is divine positive not ceremoniall or typicall for divine postive is more generall and comprehendeth also other lawes imposed by God for order and policie in his Church Howbeit wee 〈…〉 distinguish betwixt in the fourth preâ—ept concerning the sabbath and the sabbath as it was observed by the people of God upon the imposition of more precepts concerning ceremonies and observances yet even in their observation wee may observe some markes whereby it might be discerned from their anniversarie feasts and to bee ordained prâ—marly for a morall use The sabbath was observed every where throughout the land and abroad where they remained in the wildernesse in the places of their captivity and dispersion The ceremoniall feasts on 〈◊〉 Iâ—rusalem whither Iews and proseâ—iâ—s resorted from all countries as at the Pentecost when the firle tongues were sent downe and whereat the Apostle Paul hastened to bee present Next the ceremoniall feasts had some sâ—crifices and ceremonies appropriate unto them which might not bee used at other times The sabbath had only the doubling of the daily sacrifice at the appointed place beside the ordinarie exercises throughout the land Thirdly the sabbaths of anniversarie feasts were transfeâ—red to the ordinarie or weekly sabbath if it was to follow immediatly because the dead corps and meat prepared specially of herbs could not be preserved without spilling or putrifying specially in those hote countries Non facimus inquâ—â—â— duo contin a sabbatha propter olera propâ—et mortuos 〈…〉 restraineth this custome to the store moneth Tâ—â—ri But the ordinarie or weekly sabbath was not drawne to the sabbaths of these anniversarie feasts Fourthly at the anniversarie feasts they might not fast they were dayes of joy and festivity which â—orreth not with mourning of fâ—sting See Nehem. 8. 10. Exod. 12. 14. Num. 29. 15. And therefore these dayes were called Chaggim which is derived from a word signifying wheeling about leaping or dancing The most solemne day of these feasts was called jom tob a good or merrie day The ordinarie sabbath-day was not called jom tob See Casaubonus nor yet Chag They were not forbidden to fâ—st yet they might fast That injunction
communion Your honourâ— arâ— not â—gnor an t how superstitâ—ously the people run to that action it Pasche even as if the time gave vertue to the sacrament and 〈◊〉 the rest of the wholâ— yeare they are carelesse and negligent as if it â—ppertained not to them but at that time onely And for this reason other times were appointed by that booke for that holy action In the generall assembly holden anno 1590. King James praised God that he was bâ—rne to be a king in the sincerest Church of the world sincerer then the Church of England for their â—ervice was an 〈◊〉 â—asse in English sincerer â—hen Geneva it selfe 〈◊〉 they observed Pasch and Yoo le and what wâ—rrant 〈…〉 for that In the assembly holden anno 15â—6 when the covenant wâ—s renewed superstâ—tâ—on and idolatrie breâ—â—ing forth in keeping of festivall dayes setting out of bâ—nefires and singing of carrols are reckoned among the corruptions which were to bee amended In the parliament holden anno 1592. wee have acts to this purpose The pulpits have founded from time to time against all show of observing these dayes But in the pretended and null-assembly holden at Perth anno 1618. it was concluded by a number not having power of voice or broken with threats or allurements that every minister shall make commemoration of the birth passion resurrection ascension of Christ and sending downe of the holy Ghost upon the dayes appointed for that use that they make choise of severall and pertinent texts of scriptures and fraime their doctrin and exhortations accordingly This their conclusion was â—â—tified by act of counsell and proclamation was 〈…〉 upon the 26. of October following commaâ—ding cessation from all kinde of labour or 〈…〉 these five dayes appointed to be dedicate 〈…〉 to the effect the subjects may the better at end the exercises which are to be keeped in the Churches at these times REASONS AGAINST THE FESTIVALL DAYES WE shall consider these dayes first as they are called holy next as they are called festivall Our first reason GOd only hath power to sanctifie a day and 〈◊〉 it holy that is to separate it from a common â—se â—o holy exercises Zanchius affirmeth that it is proper to God to choose any person or any thing to consecrate and sanctifie it to himselfe Willets that it belongeth only to the Creatour to sanctifie the creature Perkinse Kuchlinus and others say the like Master Cowper pretended bishop of Galloway confessed no King no church could make an holy day The like was acknowledged by Master Galloway in one of his Christmas sermons But so it is that God hath permitted six dayes to man for the worke of his calling and selected the seventh to himselfe to be spent in his service Seeing therefore God hath given libertie to man to worke six dayes and counteth them common and prophane no man ought to be compelled to keep them holy but when God himselfe maketh exception as hee did by the yoke of some anniversarie dayes under the law or calleth us to a present humiliation or thanksgiving The civill magistrat may command cessation from worke for a politick end as weapon-showing exercise of armes defence of a city or sort of the countrey but that is not to enjoyne a holy day nor yet a meere idle day but that oeconomicall and privat worke give place to publike and politick Paraeus in epist ad Romano cap. 14. dub 4. Tametsi rectè quidem sacra quotidiana concionum precum publicè instituuntur tamen omnes ad ea adstringere durum esset The Doctour saith some dayes were made holy not onely because they were dedicated to the worship of God but because a speciall worship was appointed by God and appropriated to them as the feast of the passeover or whiâ—sunday Other times were holy onely by reason of the use or divine worship performed on them and not for mysterie or solemne worship appropriated to them He saith our divines meane only that it is only proper to God to make dayes holy after the first manner but not after the second which is false as may appear by their description of sanctifying a day which is generally to set it apart to an holy use and not to a mysticall only Next by such an answer men make holy dayes like the Lords day His comparison with the temple of Jerusalem and the synagogues and Christian churches will not helpe him unlesse the synagogues and Christian churches answer in holinesse to the sabbath and the Lords day as hee saith the temple did to the anniversarie feasts which I trust hee will not maintaine And this same comprison of time and place shall cleare and confirme our argument For as no man can sanctifie a place or make it holy but God that is set it so apart from all worldly uses that it shall bee a prophaning of it to entertaine any worldly purpose or â—riste in it or carrie a vessell through it and to be bound to holy exercises in it otherwise it cannot bee said to be sanctified and set apart to God if it stand up like an idol so no man can sanctifie a day that is set it so apart to God that when it recurreth weekly monethly or yearly we must not use worldly but must use holy exercises But the first is true none but God can appoint such a place and under the new testament he hath appointed no such place Christian churches or houses are builded for the commoditie of Gods people to defend them from the injurie of the weather to serve them to sit in commodiously when they are conveened to serve God which use is civill and is common to houses builded for civill meetings The congregation may permit the use of their church to a civill meeting without prejudice to their owne libertie to meet when they have occasion Nexâ— the congregation is not bound to meet in that house but may forsake it and take them to another But if it were sanctified and set apart to God they should be bound to use it Our churches then are dedicate to the communalty of the faithfully wâ—thin such a precinct for the uses foresaid as a statehâ—â—â—e or judgement hall may bee dedicate to a citie but they are not sanctified and made holy to God Our prayers are not more holy or better heard in this or that temple then at home saith Whittaker in his answer to Durâ—us but that God is more moved when the faithfull meet together to pray Impertinently doth the Doctour alledge the houres appointed for preaching in the weeke or prayers morning and evening For these are not houres sanctified or consecrated to Gods service but the most convenient times men finde in their wisedome when most may resort to hearing of sermons and prayers which mâ—y and ought to be changed when occasions offer a more convenient time So time is designed occasionally not dedicat or sanctified Time is made to serve Gods people and not Gods people made to serve
the time or to serve God because it is a holy time After I had finished this worke of reexamination there came to my hands some unsound tractats upon the sabbath Whereupon I thought good to insert in this place as the most pertinent this short disconrse following OF THE SABBATH THe light of nature leadeth a man acknowledging that there is a God and to be worshipped to acknowledge also that timâ—s should be set a part for his worship and not onely that but also competent and sufficient times But nature cannot lead us without further direction to setle upon one of the seven dayes more then upon one of eight ten or twelve The Lord set downe one in the circle of seven to bee observed perpetually and universally by all that were to worship him In his wisedome he could best discerne what time might be spared In respect of this perpetuity and universality this determination participateth of the nature of a law morall For this cause it was placed in the decalogue among the precepts purely morall and participated with them of the same prerogatives It was delivered by God himselfe written in tables of stone and preserved in the arke as the rest were The determination of such a seventh day in particular was made also by the Lord. Both the determinations are divine positive the first unchangeable the second changeable but yet only by divine authoritie The ten precepts of the decalogue are called ten words Deut. 4. 13. that is as one expoundeth ten sentences or as Vossius addeth Soultentiae praecipientes preceptive sentences And yet there are fourteene sentences for precepts in the decalogue How then are there but ten words hee answereth there are ten chiefe and principall the rest are secundarie and like appendicles Primum istud in confesso est quamâ—is quatuiordeâ—im inveniantur sententâ—â— in decalogo quibus aliquid praecipiatur tamen decâ—m esse duntaxat primarias principes Caeteras secundarias altarum quasi appendices Vnde Moses decem verba Graci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellarunt In the fourth commandement there are three preceptive sentences The first is the principall Some reason after this manner The Lord saith not Remember thou keepe holy the seventh day but Remember thou keepe holy the sabbath-day and in the end he sanctified the sabbath-day hee saith not that seventh day from the creation howbeit it was so for the time But that seventh was to be changed and the sabbath was to be fixed upon another seventh day But to come nearer to the purpose that this commandement requireth not directly the seventh day from the creation but the seventh day in generall appeareth by the reason which enforceth not necessarly the seventh day from the creation that wee should rest the same day that the Lord rested but that wee should rest from our workes the seventh day as hee rested from his Which seventh as under the law he appointed to be saturday so under the Gospell sunday the substance of the commandement remaining See Master Cartwrights Catechisme But to come yet nearer The Lord might have created the world in six houres as easily as in six dayes Hee might have done it in a moment or have taken eight ten or twelve dayes The Lord would do neither the one nor the other but conformed himselfe to that space of time which in his wisedome he thought sufficient for man to doe all manner of workes of his owne This paterne doth not concerne his peculiar people of the Jewes onely but both Jew and Gentile and not for a time onely but to the end of the world as if the Lord would reason after this manner with mankinde What needed me to have spent six dayes in creating the world for I might have done it in one or wherefore stinted I my selfe at six I might have taken ten you may easily then consider wherefore I have done it I did it that thou may doe the like Do all thy workes and businesse in six dayes and rest the seventh The imitation lieth in this then not so much that wee rest upon such a seventh day as upon a seventh There is equitie in it indeed that seeing the Lord hath granted us six dayes to worke wee should rest the seventh but the force of the reason lieth chiefly in this that the Lord purposly tooke six dayes and rested the seventh to be a paterne to men howbeit with all in setting downe that paterne he considered that equity That the precept concerning the sabbath concerned not the Jewes onely but all mankinde appeareth also by this that it was given to Adam in the beginning Gen. 2. 2 3. Whereas some would have here an anticipâ—tion and the words to be referred to the time when the Lord rained Manna and forbad his people to gather upon the seventh day Exod. 16. as if the sabbath had never beene institute or observed before This were a strange anticipation to make mention of the blessing and sanctifying the seventh day without so much as an inckling of the proper time which is assigned by them which fell not forth till 2453 yeares or thereabout after the weake of the creation Next the words are knit together by the same copulative with the present historie Hee ended his worke on the seventh day and herested on the seventh day and he blessed the seventh day and he sanctified it The blessing and sanctifying then were not destinate to bee done 2453 yeares or thereabout afterwards but presently when he had ended all his worke of creation hee blessed and sanctified that is by blessing sanctified that is separate to a holy use as the minister blesseth when he separateth bread and wine from a common to an holy use at the Lords suppeâ— Or he blessed and sanctified that is praised it and sanctified For the originall word signifieth also praising or rejoycing as Gomarus himselfe bringeth exemple of praising out of Psal. â—8 27. And Philo Judaeus expresseth it by praising Every dayes workes had the owne commendation but now looking upon the whole frame the order and harmonie of it he rejoyced and praâ—sed it and sanctified that day After he had perfited the worke in six dayes he added honour to the seventh day following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Philo â—udaeus that is Which when hee had praised or commended incontinent hee deinzed to call it holy as Gelenius translateth Further there is no mention of blessing the seventh day Exod. 16. Gomarus alledgeth that twice as much Manna fell on the sixt day as upon any other day there is no warrant for it but onely that they were commanded to gather twice as much that day Suppose his conjectute were true that were a blessing of the sixt day and not of the seventh But as I have said there is no mention of blessing in that place But so it is thâ—t when he blessed he sanctified And seeing wee reade not that he blessed it when he ceased from raining
Exod. 16. 23. was a permission not a command or for preparation onely not for eating the day following Yea they not only might fast but did it usually at lest to the twelft houre as Hooker proveth by testimonies out of Josephus Justinus Suctonius Balsam upon the 66. Canon called the Apostles saith Wee fast not upon the sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest wee should seeme to imitate the Jewes Augustine saith God spake nothing concerning dining or fasting upon the sabbath when he sanctified the seventh day nor afterward when hee gave precepts concerning it to his people Of these differences the reader may finde more in Altare Damascenum page 667 668 669. The Jewish sabbath which was the seventh day from the creation was abolished at the resurrection of Christ because it had types and ceremonies annexed to it which were shadowes of things to come The ground ceasing the observation of that day ceased also for the shadowes flee away when the body commeth in place Yea further I will yeeld that the abrogation was meant by the Apostle Coloss. 2. 17. and under the name of sabbath there is to bee meant onely the weekly sabbath which is more then White craveth Not that I thinke they answer sufficiently to those who will have the word to be applied to the first and last day of anniversary feasts which were also called sabbaths But because I thinke these to bee comprehended under the name of feasts whereof these sabbaths were the principall and most solemne dayes So that here is a perfite division of all their solemne dayes to wit that they were either feasts to wit anniversarie dayes or new moones which returned monethly or the sabbath which returned weekly I so thinke the rather because we have the like division 1 Chron. 23. 31. where the Levits office is set downe to offer burnt sacrifices unto the Lord in the sabbaths in the new moones and on the set feasts And againe in Esay 1. 13 14. wee have the like As for that that the word Sabbath is in the plurall number it crosseth not this sense for so is the weekly sabbath usually expressed by the Greek translaters of the old testament and in the new testament also Matth. 12. 1 5 10 11 12. Matth. 2â— 1. Mark 1. 12. Mark 2. 23 24. Mark 3. 2 4. Luk. 4. 31. Luke 6. 9. Luke 13. 10. Act. 13. 14. Act. 16. 13. In these places the word is taken either for one sabbath-day onely or for moe And so it may bee taken in this place Coloss. 2. and translated either sabbath or as the late english translation hath sabbath dayes The sabbath-day is expressed in the plurall number for the frequent and often returning By the way observe that the old sabbath was not reckoned among the Jewish festivall dayes Sâ—atiger saith Manifestò sabbata distinguuntur to wit Esay 1. 13 14. à magnis diebus The sabbaths are â—early dâ—stinguished from the great dayes which were all one with Chaggim The Iewish sabbath then seeing it shadowed things to come behoved to bee abolished Suppose it had not beene a shadow yet even as it was but a circumstantiall point of the fourth precept which is morall positive it might have beene changed for a greater reason then was the occasion of the choice of the former For the resurrection of Christ and beginning of his triumph after he had ended his course of humiliation was a greater reason for making choice of the first day of the weeke then resting from the worke of creation was for the seventh day before The first respect of necessitie required abolition The 〈…〉 congruity The first day of the weeke succeeded in the roome of the last day of the weeke and hath beene observed in the Christian Church from her infancie to this day without any change or contradiction The Apostles were conveened together that day when the holy Ghost descended upon them Act. 2. When Paul had stayed at Troas seven dayes upon the first day of the weeke being the seventh day of his abode the disciples conveened together to break-bread and Paul preached and conferred with them till break of day Act. 20. 7. 11. The originall hath upon one of the sabbath but sabbath is put for weeke because from the sabbath as the principall day they numbred the rest of the dayes of the weeke to the next sabbath in order first second third fourth c. of the sabbath and distinguished them not by the names of the planets As when the pharisie said I fast twice in the sabbath that is twice in the weeke Luke 18. 12. When Jesus was risen early the first day of the sabbath that is of the weeke Mark 16. 9. And Levit 23. 15. seven sabbaths shall bee compleat that is seven weekes Likewise one according to the forme of speach familiar to the Hebrewes is taken for first The evening and morning were one day that is the first day This place cannot bee trâ—â—slated one of the sabbaths for the Apostle stayed but seven dayes in which there was but one sabbath day Nor yet is it likely that the Christians did assemble upon the Iewish sabbath to their exercises Howbeit the Apostle went in to their synagogue Act. 13. upon their sabbath that was not for the observation of their sabbath but because hee could not finde the Iewes assembled together at any other time or place that hee might have occasion to winne them as yee may see at that time hee found occasion to deliver a word of exhortation Wee have the first day of the weeke expressed with the like phrase 1 Corin. 16. 2. where the Corinthians are directed to lay aside some thing for the poore the first day of the sabbath that is of the weeke or every first day of the weeke Now although this text of S. Paul maketh no expresse mention of Church assemblies this day yet because it was the custome of Christians And likewise it is a thing convâ—nient to give almes upon the church-dayes it cannot wâ—ll hee gainsaid but that if in Corinth and Galatia the first day of evâ—ry weeke was appointed to be a day for almes and charitable contributions the same was also the Christians weekly holy day for their religious assemblies saith White and to this purpose citeth Chrysostome in 1 Corin. hom 43. where he sheweth that the time was fit for collections because that day they had receaved many great benefites and the first of the sabbath hee interpreteth the Lords day So do the translations of the Bible expound both the former and this place of the first day of the week the Belgike the French the Italian the Spanish the late English Beza's and Tremellius out of the Syriack With frivolous cavillâ—tion doe some few to their great discredite preasse to another sense which is to the full overthrowne by Walâ—eâ—s and Amesius This first day of the weeke Revel 1. 10. is called not the day of the Lord as sometime in
the scripture the time of some heavie judgement is called the day of the Lord or because the Lord revealed to him upon a day these great mysteries for that day had beene uncertaine the sense caâ—to logicall as if John should have said I was ravished in the spirit that day I was ravished in the spirit But John maketh mention of this day as a thing knowne before to the Churches to designe the time when he saw thâ—se visions And he calleth it not the day of the Lord but the Lords day or the dominicall day and so it hath ever beene called in the Christian Church since the dayes of the Apostles Justiâ—uâ— câ—llâ—th it Apoc. 2. Diem solis Sunday because the apologie was directed to an ethnick and in his dialogue with Trypho the first day of the weeke because Trypho was a Jew It were superfluous to cite testimonies to prove that in everie age this day hath beene called the Lord day and observed by Christians in every age Notwithstanding it bee cleare and evident that the Lords day was observed in the Apostles times it is questioned whither it was instituted by Christ or by the Apostles or if by the Apostles whither by them as ordinarie pastours or as extraordinarie office-bearers assisted with the infallible direction of the spirit Master Daw It concerneth us little to know whither it was delivered by the Apostles themselves or their next after commers Those who come after are equalled by him with the Apostles who were assisted extraordinarly in laying the foundation wherein the Church was builded and setting down the government and unchangeable policie of the Church Either every Church had power to hallow a day like the Lords day or else the Church universall If every nationall Church then they might have differed and hallowed sundrie dayes If the Church universall that could not be brought to passe but in the representative an oecumenicall councell None such could be had for 300 yeares after Christ. But so the hallowing of such a day had beene suspended for 300 yeares If the Church may institute such a day it may abrogate it also and change at pleasure If the Church or ordinarie pastours may institute such a day they may make lawes binding the conscience For wee are bound in conscience to observe the Lords day even out of the case of scandall and contempt in secret as well as in publike with internall worship as well as externall or els we sinne howbeit the Church cannot take notice of it or judge upon it If there be no such day for the Lord then wee deny to him that which the verie law of nature granteth to him for the law of nature requireth such a day Seeing no ordinarie pastours may doe it it followeth that if the Apostles did it they did it not by vertue of their pastorall power and office which was common to them with their successours as Master Dow speaketh but by that power which was properly apostolicall and that it cannot be called an ordinance of the Church as Master Dow alledgeth it may Even Bellarmine distinguisheth between traditions divine apostolicall and ecclesiasticall and confoundeth not apostolicall with ecclesiasticall The apostolicall constitutions may be also called divine saith he because they were not instituted without the assistance of the spirit and divine may be called apostolicall not that they were instituted by the Apostles sed quod ab eis primùm ecclesiâ— traditae sunt cum ipsi seorsim eas à Christo accepissont that is that by them they were first delivered to the Church after they had first receaved them apart from Christ himselfe The observation of the Lords day is not like the Papists unwritten verities for it is extant in the scripture but the question is about the precept We confesse practice say they but where is precept I answer their practice was a paterne to us and hath the force of a precept Rivetue himselfe in his exercitations upon Genesis answers In such things we need no expresse precept if wee have practice and example namely of such as we know to be the first institutours of good order by vertue of a speciall calling such as were the Apostles but chiefly where the practice is repeated for then it is inculcat if there be no necessarie reason craving a change Respondeo in talibus non opus esse praecâ—pto expresso si habeamus exemplum praesertim eorum quos scimus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in ecclesia fuisse ex speciali vocatione primos institutores quales fuerunt Apostoli In talibus enim exemplum praxis vim aliquam habet pracepti praesertim ubi praxis illa repetitur tum enim inculâ—atur si nulla ratio necessaria mutationem requirat Adde also that the observation was uniforme in all the Churches and constant which presupposeth a precept an ordinance or institution For what likelihood is there that one began and the rest every one after other followed the example of others that went before in practice and that this way the observation crept in by exemple and did grow to a custome The places above cited make mention of the first day of the weeke and the Lords day not as then begun but as knowne and observed before even at the Pentecost before the holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles And yet Rivetus inferreth a precept out of 1 Corin. 16. where the Corinthians are directed every first day of the weeke to lay aside some thing for the poore where howbeit the chiefe intention of the Apostle is to give direction for the helpe of the poore yet because hee will have it to be done the first day of the weeke it followeth that hee willeth also that they should dedicate the Lords day to the solemne assembling of the Church for hee that intendeth the end intendeth also the midst Vbi etsi prima intentio Tauli sit de collecta statuere tamen quia vult eam primo diâ— hebdomadis fieri inde sequitur voluisse etiam ut diem Dominicam solemni ecclesiae congregationl dedicarent Qui enim vuâ—t finem vult etiam media si nihil in eis sit illegitimum aut verbo Dei prohibitum Yet his words would bee somewhat corrected for the Apostle enjoyneth them not to observe that day as if they had never observed it before but maketâ— mention of it as a thing knowne and as Chrysostome observed would move them to bee the more free-hearted because of the benefites which they had receaved that day He enjoyneth them no new thing but concernidg the collection for the Saints as he had given order to the Churches of Galatia Yet this direction implieth a direction to continue in the observation of that day for in directing them to doe a little farre more would he have them to performe greater duties Bellarmine giveth some rulâ—s to trie genuine apostolicall traditions which if yee will admit howbeit they cannot be justly applied to their unwrâ—tten verities yet
very well to the observation of thâ— Lords day When the universall Church observeth any thing that none might appoâ—nt but God and yet nowhere is it found written it behoveth to averre that it was delivered by Christ and his Apâ—stles Anotâ—eâ— rule What the universall Church hath observed at all â—â—mes before justly we may beleeve that it was in 〈…〉 Apostles howbeit it bee of â—uch a qualitie as 〈…〉 iâ—stituted by the Church To this purpâ—seâ—â— quoteth Augâ—stine lib. 4. contra Donatist as cap. 23 These are the words That which the universall Châ—rch 〈◊〉 and hath not beene instituted by Councels but ever maintaâ—ned is to be beleevâ—d in all 〈◊〉 reason not to have been ordained by oâ—her power then the apostoâ—ique authoriâ—â— Quod universateâ— eccleâ—â—a nec conciâ—iis instituâ—â—â— sed sempâ—r â—â—tentum non nisi authoritate apâ—stâ—ica traâ—dituâ— certissime creditur But seeing the ordinances of the Apostles were of two sorts Some were temporarie and to endure onely for a time as abstinence from bloud and strangled which was enjoyned only for avoiding the offence of the weake Jewes others were to bee observed constantly Of this sort was the observation of the Lords day Experience hath proved the perpetuall observation of it hitherto and no reason can bee given wherefore it should bee changed hereafter as I shall show It were superfluous to cite the testimonies of divines referring the institution of this day to the Apostles Walaeus hath quoted a number dissertat pag. 165. After hee hath laid downe his reasons consenting with them in judgement hee concludeth that the first day of the weeke was substituted to the sabbath by the Apostles not onely by an ordinarie power such as all pastours have to order rites meerly indifferent in their Churches but by a singular power as by such as had inspection over the whole Church and to whom as to extraordinarie office-bearers was concredit to be faithfull not onely to deliver certaine precepts of faith and manners but also of comely order in the Church Vt quis dies in septimana ex vi anal gia quarti praecepti esset servandus ne dissâ—nsio aut confusio ex eo inter ecclesias oriretur omnibus ubique Christianis constaret as that it might bee knowne to all Christians what day in the weeke is to bee observed by vertue and analogie of the fourth precept least dissention or confusion should arise there about 〈◊〉 the Churches He citeth other divines concluding likewise that the Apostles being guided by the holy Ghost substituted the Lords day in place of the Jewish 〈◊〉 bath But others referre the institution to Christ himselfe which is more likely for after his resurrection hee appeared sundry times taught the Apostles things pertaining to the kingdome of God that is the instruction and government of his Church and gave them commandements Act. 1. 23. These commandements and instructions they delivered after to the Churches and set them downe in their canonicall writes Next Christ himselfe appeared the day of his resurrection five times At the third appearance hee appeared to the two disciples going to Emaus at which time hee celebrated the holy supper according to the judgement of great divines At the fifth appearance he appeared to all the disciples save Thomas who were conveened together before Then he gave them commission to goe and teach all nations and in conferring his spirit hee breathed upon them John 20. Mark 16. Eight dayes after that is the eighth day after as Luke 2. 21. when eight dayes were accomplished for the circumcision of the childe that is when the childe was circumcised upon the eight day Christ appeared againe and Thomas was present at which time he cured his unbeliefe It would appeare their meeting was not frequent at other times and that Christ appeared purposly at that time And therefore it is likely that every eight day after ordinarily they conveened and Christ appeared unto them wherein that great divine Junius is confident Die ipso resurrectionis octavo quoque die usque dum in coelos ascendit apparuit discâ—pulis in conventum eorum venit At last upon the Pentecost which fell upon the eight day that is the first day of the weeke that yeare Christ sent downe the holy Ghost in the likenesse of firie tongues upon the Apostles conveened together There is no speciall time noted for any of Christs apparitions but the first and eighth day which seemeth to be done of purpose Therefore Cyrillus lib. 12. in 〈…〉 8. willeth us to observe that the Evangelist is noâ— content with a simple narration but addeth carefully after eight dayes and all being gathered together in one place The Lords day could not have beene observed so long as Christ remained upon the earth without his direction And this appeareth to be one of the commandements which he gave them Eusebius ascribeth the institution of this day to Christ advancing Christ above all the great poteâ—tats of the Gentiles who could not prescrive to all the inhabitants of the earth to conveene every weeke and observe the Lords day as Christ did Athanâ—sius cited by White pag. 78. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord hath changed â—r translated it meaning the sabbath into the Lords day The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may as well import that it was so called because the Lord was the authour and institutour of it as because it was instituted for the honour and worship of our Lord. As the Lords prayer is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords prayer because the Lord was the authour of it Zanchius is of opinion that when the Lord blessed the seventh day the sonne of God spent that whole day in instructing Adam and Eva exercising them in the worship of God and admonishing them to teach their posteritie to doe the like for it beloved Adam to understand the sanctification of that day which the Lord had blessed and sanctified Wee have farre greater reason to thinke being certaine that Christ was here on earth appearing to his disciples at sundrie times from the day of his resurrection till the day of his ascension and instructing them in things belonging to his Church that hee instructed them in this point also Yea yee see hee conveened with them and in a manner observed it also Whither Christ himselfe instituted the observation of this day or the Apostles by the inspiration of the Spirit the authoritie is divine For howsoever Bellarmine distinguisheth traditions in divine and apostolicall the distinction is but imaginarie saith Junius in his answer and Bellarmine himselfe acknowledgeth that the apostolicall traditions in respect of the assistance of the spirit may be called also divine howbeit they were not delivered immediatly by Christ himselfe Tratitiones verè apostolice sunt divinae saith Polanus Beza in his great annotations upon Apocal. 1. 10. calleth it Apostolicam verè divinam traditionem Atradition truely divine howbeit Apostolicall Cornelius
à Lapide joyneth both together Christ and his Apostles Vnde à Christo Apostolis festum à sabbato in dominicum est translatum Some saith Dow ground the institution of the Lords day upon the fourth commandement some upon the sanctification of the seventh day at the creation other seeke for authority out of the new Testament but all these three agree in one For the fourth commandement was but a renovation of the first institution after the creation The substance of the commandement is to observe a seventh day the renewing the appointment of that seventh day of the first weeke was a circumstantiall point and therefore it was changeable like as for some types and ceremonies annexed to it it behoved to bee changed The institution of the Lords day was but a substitution of another day to that which was the substance remaining to wit that the seventh day of a weeke be sanctified For as I observed before the force of Gods example alledged in the fourth commandement lieth in this chiefly that God purposly tooke six dayes to create the world whereas he might have done it in six houres and rested upon the seventh not in this that he created in those six dayes and rested upon that seventh day which followed immediatly after for the Lord saith for in six dayes not for in those six dayes God made choise of that seventh day at that time to sanctifie it to bee a memoriall of his rest from the worke of creation that seventh day When Christ rose from the dead and a new creation as it were of a new world was begunne there was greater reason to sanctifie that day howbeit there had beene no types and ceremonies annexed to the former farre more seeing it behoved to bee abolished The seventh day in the precept is to be considered materially as it were or formally As it is considered formally and in generall it is of the substance of the command but consider it materially as the seventh from the creation it is not of the substance of the commandment The seventh day may bee considered both the wayes Septimuâ— autem dies intelligi potest vel ille qui est septimus dâ—es à creatione numerando à primo die creationis que dici potest veluâ—imaterialis numeratio vel potest dici septimus quasi generatâ—m seu formaliter ille qui est ultimus in septenario numero dierum sicut Aristoteles dixit ultimam unitatem esse formam numeri The institution then of the Lords day is nothing els but a substitution of another seventh day to the former seventh day considered materially These are the common phrases of divines that the old sabbath was changed into the first day of the weeke that the glorie and excellencie of the old sabbath was translated into that day that that day succeeded or was substitute to the old sabbath What can these phrases import but that vis praecepti the force of the precept yet remaines and only the materiall numbring for great respects was changed Philoâ— Judaeus in his booke de opificio mundi in the place above cited upon occasion of the sabbath discourseth at large upon the mysteries of the sacred septenarie as hee calleth it or number of feven Peter Martyr saith that God delighteth in the number of seven and hath closed up great and wonderfull workes within the compasse of the number of seven Scaliger saith that the number of seven dayes is instituted by a divine power because it is so commodious for all the course of the year called Solar and hath into it some divine thing Divinitus igitur institutus est numerus dierum septenarius qui ad omnem civilis anni Solaris rationem commodissimus est ut dixi nescio qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habet But in the institution of the sabbath God had not an eye to the mysteries or hid vertue which is in the number of seven but to the abilitie of man The sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath Our reason theÌ„ for the perpetuity of a sevenths day sabbath to be sanctified that this order cannot be changed that it is of the substance of the fourth commandement are these First if by vertue of the fourth precept of the decalogue wee bee not bound to sanctifie one day of seven then we have no divine precept for any certaine circle or circuit of dayes for the sanctification of a certaine day for no where in scripture have we any precept for any other revolution of dayes to observe one of them Without a certain and set systeme of dayes there would arise great confusion and division in the Church of God some judging one of ten others perhaps one of twenty or thirty suffiâ—ient c. It behoved thâ— Lord therefore by his supreme authoritie to sâ—int the time to exeeme all Scruples out of mens mindes and to prevent all confusion and disorder No humane authoritie could have bound mens conscience to the observation of it The Lord no where hath done it but in the fourth precept Next the reason in the precept concerneth us all for as I have said before the Lord tooke six dayes to creat the world no moe no fewer and rested the seventh to be a paterne to man many hundred yeares before the Iewes became a nation and in that precept which was a renewing of the institution commandeth us to follow that paterne Thirdly the proportion betweene the six dayes for man to doe his owne businesse and the seventh to be dedicated to God is so just that it cannot bee altered without prejudice for to give man but five were an heavie burthen to give him seven or eight or moe the time set apart for God would not be sufficient Vnlesse wee will thinke God exacted more then was sufficient when he required the seventh But we must acknowledge that God is good and wee professe equity in his precept in that he hath given us six dayes and taken but the seventh to himselfe And who was so wise as to finde out this proportion without prejudice either to God or man Aquinas distinguisheth morall precepts in three rankes The first are such as naturall reason doth yeeld to incontinent The second are of such as need the more subtile consideration of the wiser sort considering sundry circumstances A third sort are of such as need divine instruction to help mans reason to judge and condescend These of the first ranke are absolutâ— de lege natura simply or absolutly of the law of nature the rest are attained unto by humane discipline and instruction as these of the second ranke or â—vâ—ne inseâ—uctioâ— as these of the third And to this ranke may this proportion bee referred But wee are content to urge it onely as divine positive but unchangeable as the rest of the morall precepts are So that the fourth precept is partly divine naturall that God must have a time set for his worship partly
divine positive that he must have one whole day of seven Fourthly Christ or the Apostles would not varie from this circle when they changed the seventh day from the last to the first day of the weeke but keeped themselves within that circle which they might and would have done if the fourth precept had beene given onely to the Jewes or the circuit had been ceremoniall and had relation onely to the Iewish sabbath And this is an argument by the way that this systeme of seven or circuit of the weeke was set from the beginning The reason of the institution of the Lords day saith Bellarmine was that it might succeed to the sabbath for divine law required that one day in the weeke should bee dedicated to divine worship Nam jus divinum requirebat ut unus dies hebdomadae dedicaretur cultui divino And seeing it was not convenient that the old sabbath should bee still observed it was changed into the Lords day For the perpetuity of one of seven the testimonies of many divines may bee alledged Chrysestome Jam hinc ab â—nitio doctrinam hanc nobis insinuat Deus erudiens in câ— culo hebdomadae diem unum integrum segregandum seponendum in spiritualem operaâ—ionem Theodoretus Septem d ebus circulum omnem dierum conclusit Beza in Apocal. 1. 10. Quartum praeceptum de septimo quoque die sanctificando quo ad cultum Deâ— aâ—â—â—net esse legâ—â— moralâ— immotae P. Martyr in his common places that it is stable and firme that one day in the weeke bee dedicated to God Zanchius upon the fourth precept that it is morall so farre as it commandeth us to consecrate one day of seven to Gods externall worship Junius saith it is natural that the seventh day bee consecrated to God Praelecti in Genes cap. 2. Suarez acknowledgeth that the dedication of the seventh day howbeit hee calleth it an ecclesiasticall precept cannot be changed by the ordinarie or ordinat as he calleth it power of the Church Because some ecclesiasticall precepts are so neare and like to divine institutions so conforme to the law of nature fenced with so many reasons of honestie and religion so ancient and strengthened by universall custome that simplie or by the ordinate power of the Church they cannot be abrogated Among which precepts he ranketh that of the dedication of the seventh day And therefore he inferreth that by the absolute power of the Church and the Popes it may be abrogated tamen practice moralitâ—â— dici posse aliquo modo immutabile licet ecclesiasticum sit that is it may be said in some sort to be morally and for practice unchangeable Which is as much as to say with little honestie or credit can it bee put in practice Such shifts are sophists driven unto when they would advance the authority of the Church too high as if the Church onely in imitation of God had dedicated one of seven and had not direction from God Alwayes yee see hee acknowledgeth that to observe holy one of the seven dayes is conforme to the law of nature This seventh day to wit the Lords day cannot â—e changed as the old seventh day which was the last of the weeke It is not onely unfit and unconvenient but it cannot bee changed Not because of the nature of the day for it differeth not in nature from another day more then the former sabbath If the former sabbath had beene holier in nature then other dayes it could not have beene changed But the reason of the immutabilitie of the Lords day is that it was set downe by divine authority and therefore cannot bee abrogated by humane authoritie of princes pastours or prelates Wee must not looke for Christ till his comming againe nor for any to arise hereafter equall in power and authority to the Apostles Next the consideration taken in making choise of this day cannot serye for another day Christ is not to suffer death and rise againe at any other time A weightier consideration to make a new change will never fall forth then the resurrection of Christ. And therefore nowbeit the Church had instituted it it cannot be changed At verò ecclesiasticum praeceptum â—ititur mysterio resurrectionis Chrâ—sti â—am faâ— lo quod ut sic immutabile est Nec enim potest Câ—ristus non resurrexisse nec potest non vivere glories postquam resurrexit saith Suarez Seeing Christs resurrection fell forth that day it can never be true that Christ rose not that day Therefore for the dedication of such day to wit the Lords day Suarez saith the reasons are perpetuall and unchangeable which have so fixed the determination that this precept of the Church cannot reasonably be abrogated and that the holy Ghost which governeth the Church will not suffer such a change to bee made against reason and the utilitie of the Church But if it bee of divine institution and not the Churches it cannot bee changed but by the like divine institution For what ever be the considerations in making choise of the day the determination or as they call it taxatio diei dependeth chiefly upon the will of the institutour Of the divine institution I have treated a little before I referre the Reader for more to Willets his Synopsis Perkins cases of conscience Fulke against the Rhemist Apoc. 1. 10. and other worthie Divines The places alledged Rom. 14. and Galat. 4. maketh not against all difference of dayes but the ceremoniall or dead judaicall The weaker Jewes Rom. 14. thought the holy dayes commanded by God in the old law were still holier then other dayes The Apostle willeth such to be borne with till they come to the fuller knowledge of their Christian libertie The Galathians had beene converted from paganisme had begun in the spirit but were now by the persuasion of the false apostles like to end in the flesh beginning to observe the dayes moneths and yeares which the Jewes observed of old Dayes that is their weekly sabbaths Moneths that is their new moones Yeares that is their yearly dayes or anniversarie feasts or tymes and yeares that is Statuta tempora annorum the appointed times of the yeares For by the same reason that moneths may be taken for new moones yeares may be taken for yearly dayes I see no likelihood that they observed the seventh or fifty yeare This exposition agreeth with the division of the Iewish solemnities whereof I made mention before The observation of such dayes is taxed here as were in some respect of the quality of the new moones and yearly feasts Now these were the sabbaths This ceremoniall difference was abrogated but the morall use of a set holy day was not taken away For 〈◊〉 the same time the Lords day was observed and by the Galathians in particular as yee may see 1 Corin. 16. 1. where the Apostle maketh mention of the Churches of Galatia Now to set a day is not a shadowing ceremonie more
and patrons of the prophanation of the Lords day usurpe dispensation with Gods morall precepts The very light of nature leadeth a man to acknowledge that what time is set apart as holy it should not bee prophaned with worldly businesse or exercises howbeit this light hath beene detained in unrighteousnesse among the Gentiles who would not spend the time as they ought to have done or were ignorant and thought their games and playes were a hononring of their gods I need not to reekon particular workes this generall ingraft in mans minde by nature that a holy day should be spent in holy exercises will direct every one in the particulars This or that will be an impediment to the spirituall exercises whereunto I am bound this day In hoc pracepto est aliquid quod est morale ut vacare id est intendere Deo orando colendo meditando quae sunt in dictamine legis natura Et ista hodie in lege Christiana magis manent in virtute quà m in lege veteri Ex statutis synodalibus dioecesis Lingonensis anno 1404. Here yee see in the statutes of that diocie it is acknowledged morall in the fourth precept to pray worship meditate that nature diteth this much and that these dueties remaine more in strength under the Gospell then under the old law This statute with the rest was approved by a Cardinall Ludovicus de Barro In a councell holden at Mascone 588 the people is exhorted to spend the Lords day in hymnes and praises prayers and teares Sunt oculi manusque vestrae toto illo die ad Deum expanse Let your eyes be bent and hands spread toward God all that day They require also spirituall exercises in the night it selfe In the synods holden in France by the Popes legates Galo and Simon it was ordained under the paine of excommunication that none grind at watermills or any other mills from saturday at evening till the Lords day at evening Cardinall Galo and Simon were sent legates to France about the yeare 1812. In a synod holden in Angeâ—â—s 1282. the like ordinance was made against grinding at milles notwithstanding of the abuse for a long time before for that sins are the more hainous the longer miserable fouls are bound to them cumali qua praescriptio contra praecepta decalogi locum sibi vindieare non possit Seeing no prescription can take place against the precepts of the decalogue Yee see they ground their ordinance upon the fourth precept and conclude ex vi quartâ— praecepti that Christians may not grind at milles that day from evening to evening They inhibited also cutting or shaving of beards that day or any other exercise of barbar â—raâ—t under the paine of excommunication but in case of imminent perill of death or grievous disease This strictnesse then required of us admitteth not lawfull and honest games shooting bowling wrastling c. farrelesse unhonest and unlawfull wâ—iâ—h ought at no time to bee suffered For honest games and passe-times howbeit honest may be impediment to spirituall exercises and distract the minde as much as the lawfull workes of our calling Refreshment by meat and thanke was allowed by God himselfe when hee provided for the seventh day and by Christ himselfe who being invited went to the pharisees house upon the sabbath to dinner Aman may recreate himselfe with the free aire of his garden or the fields if family dueties or the like hinder him not providing hee spend the time in holy exercises or holy conference with some other But games and passe 〈◊〉 cannot consist with such holy exercises Workes of pietie as to travell to the places of publike worship or charitie as to visit the sicke and of necessity as to preserve the life of man and beast in danger are lawfull The Jewes suffered themselves rather to beâ— killed then take armes upon the sabbath-day 〈◊〉 after better advice they resolved to fight if any invaded them 1 Maccab. 2. 41. The Hebrew Doctours have a saying Periculum animae impellit sabbatum the perill of the life driveth away the sabbath Yet we should pray to be free of those necessities Christ foretelling his disciples Matth. 24. 20. the destruction of Ierusalem biddeth them and in their name other disciples who were to follow after pray that their flight might not be in winter nor on the sabbath-day wherefore not on the sabbath-day but because it would be an hinderance of their holy and spirituall exercises upon that day Now the destruction of Jerusalem fell not forth till fourtie yeares after Christs ascension But so it is the Iewish sabbath was one of the dead ceremonies which obliged not to necessarie obedience after the passion of Christ. Christ meant then of the Christian sabbath I have exceeded farre the bounds I set to my selfe and therefore I am forced to end this discourse THE DEFINITION OF A FEstivall day IUdicious Piscator defineth thus a festivall day â—â—stum propriè loquendo est publica folennis ceremonia mandata à Deo ut certo anni tempore cum singulari letitia obeatur ad gratias agendum Deo pro certo aliquo beneficio in populum suum collato that is A feast or festivall day is a publike or solemne ceremonie commanded by God to be executed at a certaine time of the yeare with singular gladnesse to give God thankes for some certaine benefite bestowed on his people Hooker the master of ceremonies maketh festivall solemnitie to be nothing els but the divine mixture as it were of these three elements praises set forth with cheerefull alacritie of minde delight expressed by charitable largenesse more then common bounty and sequestration from ordinarie workes The sabbath under the law was never called jom tob a good that is a merrie day as were the solemne anniversarie feasts Other dayes also which were not solemne feasts were so called as dayes of banketing and feasting Drusius in his annotations upon Ester 9. citeth Elias Thesbite to this purpose Master Aiusworth in his annotations upon Exodus 16. citeth the Chaldee paraphrase speaking of the sabbaths and good dayes that is the solemne feasts as distinct things Puxtorsius also in abbreviaturis So the Lords day succeeding to the old sabbath should not be ranked among the festivall dayes or feasts as the word is taken in our common language The definitions agree not to the Lords day It is not an anniversarie but a weekly day It is not instituted for the commemoration of a particular benefite but for the worship of God at large as the morall law requireth and as the old sabbath did For howbeit that day was made choise of which was the day of Christs resurrection yet it was not instituted onely for the commemoration of that particular benefit but for the worship of God in generall It hath no peculiar service of epistles gospels collects or sermons and homilâ—es for Christs resurrection The Church invented afterward a feast or festivall day to wit Easter for
that purpose which is called the feast of the resurrection Sâ—â—rez having reckoned the many prerogatives of the Lords day as that Christ rose that day the holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles c. hee willeth us to observe that howbeit all these prerogatives might have beene considered in the determination of the day yet the day of it selfe and directly was not instituted for the peculiar commemoration of these â—â—rkes of God but to worship God for himselfe and his owne exellencie Nihilominus per se ac directè non referri vel istitui hunc diem ad peculiaerem commemorationem illorum operum Dei sed ad Deumipsum propter se colendum propter suam excellentiam majestatem It wee had no dayes but festivall for some particular benefits we should have no day for the worship of God in generall The Lords day therefore may justly bee called the schoole-schoole-day of Christians as Petrus Ramus calleth it Thirdly as the sabbath of old was distinguished from the yearly feast which were called good that is merrie dayes so is the Lords day from the yearly feasts invented afterwards by men Vpon the anniversarie feasts called good dayes they might not fast as yee have heard before Mirth and mourning could not stand together But upon the sabbath they might lawfully fast Ne quando sanctificaâ—it De is diem septimum quia in illo requievit ab omnibus operibus suis aliquid de jejunio vel prandio expressit nec cum postea populo Hebraâ— de ipsius dici observatione mandavit aliquid de alimentis sumendis vel non sumendis locutus saith Augustâ—ne that is God enjoyned nothing concerning fasting or eating either the first time that he sanctified the seventh day or afterward when he gave the manna The Lords day succeeding in the roome of the old sabbath as it standeth in the decalogue is of the same qualitie Wee may lawfully fast upon the Lords day which were absurd to d ee upon our anniversarie feast dayes It is true that in the ancient Church it was thought a hainous thing to fast upon the Lords day So did they also forbid to pray kneeling that day to signifie their joy for Christs resurrection This use of signification or testification was the fountaine of much superstition and brought in a heap of ceremonies some of which the Papists themselves were â—shamed of long since The same ceremonie of not kneeling in time of prayer upon the Lords day is worne out of use nigh 500 yeares since saiâ—h Bellarmine If the reason of the institution had beene solide it should become us no lesse then them to pray standing upon the Lords day But the ground was naught The like may bee said of not fasting upon the Lords day Some reason they had indeed not to fast upon this day when the Manichees and Priscillianists fasted for the Manichees fasted ordinarily upon the Lords day lest they should seeme to rejoyce for the resurrection of Christ which they beâ—eeved not The Priscillianists fasted likewise ordinarily upon the Lords day and the nativitie day But when there are no knowne Manichees nor Priscillianists there is not the like reason for not fasting But the extremities should be avoided To thinke it unlawfull to fast that day or unlawfull to dine and breake our fast are both without warrant and superstitious But to fast upon occasion or in time of any imminent judgement is lawfull When Paul continued preaching upon the sabbath till midnight at Troas before the tasted any thing or the rest were refreshed with meat this conceat of not fasting upon the Lords day had not entred in the Church Was Paul a Manichaean saith Hierome because hee and those who were with him fasted on the Lords day His words are extant in Gratians decree Atqui utinam omni tempore jejunare possimus quod in Actibus Apostolorum diebus Pentecostes die dominico Apostolum Paictum cum eo credentes fecisse legimus Non tamen Manicheae haereseos accusandit sunt If any had resolved to fast seven dayes or moe he might have fasted upon the Lords day included as ye may see in Balsamo and Zonaras upon the constitutions falsly called apostolicall and Augustine epist. 86. ad Casulanum Whitaker defending the occasionall fasâ—s of our Church telleth Duraeus that the respects the ancients had concerne not us Etsi illîs temporibus die dominica jejunare nefas fuit propter haerelices Judaeos qui Christi resurrectionem impugnabant jam dudum tamen illa offensio nullum in ecclesia locum habet ut planè nugatorum sit quod tu de nostris in Anglia Scotia◠〈◊〉 calumniaris quasi eò spectent ut his cuniculis resurâ—â—ctiâ—â—â— fidem evertamus In a pronounciall synod holden at Dort anno 1574 it was ordained that there bee three sermons on the Lords day when a fast is to be keeped on â— It is to observe a day to say the morne is the Loâ—ds day therefore it is unlawfull to fast saith Chamter Alstedius Jejunandum etiam die dominica si necessitas flagitet What need I multiply testimonies that is sufficient which Augustine saith What dayes wee ought to fast and what not I finde it not defined by any precept given by our Lord or any of the Apostles Quibus diebus non oporteat jejunare quibus oporteat praecepto Domini vel Apostolorum non havenio definitum epist. 86. But if the Lords day were a festivall day it should follow that we should not not fast on it at all Now we proceed in our reasons against festivall dayes THE II. REASON NOne appointed holy festivities under the laws when the times were more ceremonious but God himselfe The dayes of Purim were called simply the dayes of Purim not the holy dayes of Purim They were not called Chaggimâ— No peculiar sacrifice was appointed nor any holy convocation of the people enjoyned The ordinance required but feasting and joy and sending of portions to other The rest mentioned Esther 9. was onely from their enemies So much worke as might stand with a feasting day was not forbidden Suppose they had rested altogether from worke that would only prove an idle day but not an holy day Our Doctour therefore hath no warrant to say that they were made holy dayes by Mordecay Afterward it 〈◊〉 true whâ—n the Jews become more superstitious they read the book of Estheâ— after the reading whereof they spâ—nt the rest of the day in revelling and riotousnesse Next these dayes were instituted by Mordecai and therefore were called Mordecai's dayes 2 Maccahab last chap. vers 37. Sixtus Senensis saith he is thought to be the penman of the booke of Esther he was one of the 120. of which the great synagogue consisted of which number were Zacharie Daniel Ezra and Malachie Whitaker thinketh Mordecai did this God inspiring him or perhaps by the advice or warrant of some Prophet and doubteth not
A re-examination of the five articles enacted at Perth anno 1618. To wit Concerning The communicants gesture in the act of receaving The observation of festivall dayes Episcopall confirmation or bishopping The administration of baptisme in privat places And The supper of the Lord in privat places Printed anno 1636. To the Reader YOu know good Reader if a man have a pretious Iewel hee will bee exceeding carefull to keep it from any tash True religion is more pretious then the most pretious jewel it should be the breath of our nosthrils and the â—oy of our hearts Wee finde that in all ages the preservation of religion in puritie hath beene dearer to the godly then their very lives As the preservation of religion in puritie hath been maintained so hath the restauration to puritie beene purchased with the bloud of Martyres and grievous troubles of many confessors The reformation of the Church within this realm was not obtained without the martyrdome of some and the hazard of the lives and estates of many other of our worthie predecessours The temple was throughly built and the head-stone brought foorth with the acclamation of other reformed Churches the Church of England which as Bucerus observed in histime standeth in the midst betwixt the Romane and reformed only excepted crying Grace grace unto it No where was the doctrine sounder the divine worship purer the government fitter for the building of Gods house But of late yeares the doctrine is leavened with Arminianisme and poperie the worship of God defiled with superstition and idolatrie the joint government of Pastors in presbyteries synodall and generall assemblies with subordination of presbyteries to synods and synods to generall assemblies is changed into tyrannicall oligarchie So that it may bee observed in our times to bee true which was noted by Aventinus to have beene done among the Popes in his time that the same deedes are at one time branded with the mark of superstition and at another time set out with the glorious title of pietie at one time attributed to Antichrist at another time to Christ at one time judged tyrannicall and unjust at another time just and righteous That which before we rejected as superstitious or idolatrous is now called truely religious that which before was called Antichristian and tyrannicall is receaved now as ancient and Apostolicall Is it not lamentable to see that government which maintained the kingdome of Antichrist in former times and with much paines thrown foorth to bee reestablished Some idle ministers deserting their owne particular flocks have taken upon them to bee diocesan pastors the principall and only pastors of all the congregations within an whole diocie to plant and transplant Ministers without consent of presbyteries to stay their proceedings against hainous offenders to sit as Princes amongst priests at their diocesan synods to suspend and deprive Ministers by the power of the high Commission without the consent of any lawfull let bee pretended assemblie of the Church to fine confine imprison Ministers or other professours without consent of the estates to sit in the Checker Counsell Session and to bear offices of estate to vote in Parliament in name of the Church without consent of the Church many of the Ministrie repyning and none consenting but upon conditions and cautions which are not regarded to send Commissioners to Court as directed from the Clergie or Church who return with articles in favours of Papists or for advancement of their estate is not the office of Deane and election of bishops by deane and chapter rejected as Popish by our generall assemblies recalled again without consent of the Church or so much as a pretended assemblie Are not the best qualified exspectants debarred from entrie to the Ministrie unlesse they subscrive such articles as the pretended bishops have devised and others obtruded upon congregations to their great grief Ministers are troubled by them with the acts of pretended assemblies whereas themselves transgresse the acts of many laudable assemblie Ministers are become dissolute and erroneus doctrine is taught without controlement We have cause to fear ere it be long that sound and faithfull Ministers shall become as rare as wedges of gold Consider further that soone after the government was changed idolatrous superstitious and ridiculous ceremonies were introduced into the worship of GOD with the five famous articles of which we are now to treat Moe are intended in the cannos lately â—â—blished and yet moe expected with the liturgle not yet printed neither can wee look for an end till the whole worship of God be defiled And yet these ceremonies are either commended as ancient or slighted as matters indifferent It is called in question if not altogether denyed whether the Pope bee the great Antichrist or not the possibilitie of reconciliation with Rome is maintained and to this end erroneous points of doctrine delivered in publick or defended in pâ—ivate or our differences from the Romish church slighted as not fundamentall Bookes of this kinde are printed with priviledge in our neighbour church and in private commended by such amongst us as apprehend the maintainance of this course to bee the easiest way to preferment Doctor Francis White in his treatise of the Sabbath ranketh among the traditions of the church the baptisme of infants religious observation of the Lords day the administration of baptisme and the Lords supper in publick assemblies and congregations the deliverie of the elements of the holy communion in both kindes the service of the church in a known language The Reader may finde more of this stuffe in Cozâ—ns devotions in Montagues Gagg and Appeal and in Shelfords sermons Have wee not need to fâ—ar the burning of our owne house when our neighbours house is in fire Have wee not greater cause to fear and bestirre our selves when the fire hath seased upon the thack of our own house and poysonable errours are vented amongst our selves Do wee then complain without iust cause or for matters of no importance The reconcilers cry peace peace but mean to peace till wee bee at peace with Rome The Prelates charge us with shisme and sedition but they mean to peace without peaceable possession of their places and obedience to their directions They call us shismaticks and yet cannot endure generall assemblies the ordinarie remedie of division and shismes as was acknowledged by the Kings Commissioners and such as were acquainted with his Maiesties minde at Linlithgow anno 1606. To what end was it enacted with their owne consent at Glasgow 1610. that those who were called bishops should be lyable to the triall and censure of the generall assemblie for their office and benefice life and conversation if we have not yearly or set generall assemblies to try them or censure us if we shall be found guiltie of shisme Grievances presented by Ministers to parliamâ—nts which should be the chief sanctuaries of refuge to all distressed subiects are suppressed and not suffered to be read in publick before the Estates
import this gesture because I will have occasion to treat of them in the second part Only let it be observed that the occasionall circumstances of the first supper were not followed as the gesture was but upon speciall occasion By the practise of the Apostles wee see the time was indifferent Act. 2. and 20. Neque Apostoli ad tempus vespertixum sese adstrinxerunt sedipro oâ— asione coenam administraruâ—t alià s dâ—urno tempore 〈◊〉 legeâ—e est Act. 2. 46. alià s intempesta nocte ut Act. 20. quo pacto satis ostenderunt tempus câ—enae esse indiâ—â—eâ—ens As for the denomination of supper it doth not import that we should celebrat ever at night It is true in our language this word Supper signifieth only the evening meal but the originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth indefinitly the repast that a man takeâ—h any time of the day The proper Greek word for a supper is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I referre the Reader for further clearing of this point to Câ—saubon his exercitations The like may be said of the number the sex the parlour the manner of sitting c. They were not continued by the Apostolical Churches as sitting was which was also continued at some times and in some places in the ages following CHAP. III. That sitting in the act of receaving hath continued to our times HOwbeit the supper of the Lord soone after the Apostles dayes began to bee stained with some rust as M. Calvine observeth yet was this gesture of sitting continued at some times namely upon the Thursday which is now called Maundie thursday the day of the Lords supper because upon that day the Lords supper was fâ—rst celebrate and institute Mornaeus reporteth that in the monasteries of S. Bennet they have no other forme of Masse for three dayes before Easter but this following The Abbot sanctifieth the bread and the wine and the Monks do communicate sitting receaving the elements out of the Abbots hand and this forme is by them called Mandatum the commandement But Bullinger more plainlie that not only in the monasteries of the Benedictines but also in the cathedrall kirks upon this day the tables are set in order they sit downe break bread and reach the cup every one to other every man following the footsteps of the ancient supper Vnde nimirum ritus ille ad nos dâ—manavit quo vel hodie incathedralibus ecclestis in Monasteriis Benedict â—orum â—n die coenae Domini ante parasceuen Coeâ—â—a Doâ—iâ—â— palam splendidius celebratur Nam Evangelium Iohannis à diacono publice praelegitun dulcissima câ—llo â—uia Christ 〈◊〉 abiturus cum discipulis habuit recitaâ—â—ur iâ—terim or 〈◊〉 disposi is mensis convivae assident panem azymum frangen es calioem invicem propinantes in toâ—um veteris coenae vestigium praeferentes Now it was the custome of old not onlie for the Monks but also other Christians to communicate upon this day except offenders as appeareth evidently in Gratians decree And therefore the glosse both old and new upon that place hath these words Sic olim modo non sic est sed Monachi faciunt that is It was so of old that the faithfull did communicate but it is not so now only the Monks doe it Augustine epist. 18. ad Ianuarium reporteth that in his time the custome was in many kirks to communicate after supper upon Thursday And whereas there is sundrie Canons for communicating fasting yet that anniversarie Thursday was excepted as yee may see in Concâ—l Carthag 3. can 31. Ne Sacramenta altaris nâ—si a jejunis hominibus celebrentur excepto uno die annâ—versario quo coena Domini celebratur What the Monks of S. Bennets order retained wee may verie well judge it to have beene the auncient forme of celebration upon that day For no doubt in that other Christians celebrated after meat which they needed not they neglected not sitting and distributing The two thousand souldiers who were reconciled to the Emperour Mauritius about the year 590. by the travell of Gregorius Bishop of Antioch receaved the Sacrament sitting upon the ground as Euagrius reporteth Doctor Lindsay alledgeth the like done to the Scottish armie at Bannockburn in the dayes of King Robert Bruce But beside this day which was called Coena Domini that all the faithfull did communicate wee finde that at other times also the people communicated in sundrie places immediatly after meat as Socrates reporteth of the Aegyptâ—ans who dwelt neere to Alâ—xandrâ—a and the inhabitants of Thebais Nam ubiepulati sunt varâ—is cibariis se saturâ—runt sub vesperam oblatione fact a mysteriis communicant Niâ—ephorus reporteth the same Balsamo upon the 90 〈◊〉 of Concilium Trullanum saith the devoter sort upon Saturday at midnight fate in the kirk and communicate Alexander de Holes in the second part of his tractat concerning the Masse sayeth The Pope communicateth sitting in remembrance that the Apostles at the last supper communicated sitting Si quaeratur quare Dominus Papa sed endo communicat Potest dici quod hoc fit in recordationâ—m quod â—eatus Petrus alii Apostoli sedendo corpus Domini in coena ultima acceperunt The Waldensâ—s who are justly called the pure seed of the auncient kirk and have continued since the dayes of Pope Silvester some think from the dayes of the Apostles saith Rainerius the Inquisitor and their enemie celebrated the Communion sitting Concernâ—ng the supper of the Lord their faith was that it was ordaâ—nâ—d to be eaten and not to bee shewed or worshipped for a memoriall not for a sacrifice to serve for the present ministration and not for reservation to be received at table and not to be carried out of doores according to the use of the primitive Church when they used to communicat sitting and this they prove by an old Chronicle called Chronica gestorum saith Master Fox in his acts and monuments His warrant I finde in their apologie against one Doctour Augustine which is extant in Lydii Waldensia Existo manifestum est quod primitiva ecclesia hane fidem habuit illam confessa est non fecit reverentiam huâ—c sacramento quia illo tempore exemplo Christi sedentes statim acceperunt nihil retinuerunt nec extra domum extulerunt haec institutio diâ—stetit sicut Chronica gestorum estendunt The like they have in the confession of their faith sent to Vladiflaus king of Hungarie Namque discipulis Christus discumbentibus dedie utendum Luther expounding the epistle upon Saint Stephens day saith Christ so instituted the sacrament that in it wee should sit at the sacrament But all things are changed and the idle ordinances of men are come in place of divine ordinances Zwinglius setting downe the forme of câ—lebration used at Berne Zurick Basile and other neighbour townes saith Sedentes tacite auscultantes
of wiâ—e to others which cappe they called philotefia metonymicaâ—â—y because it was a symbole of love or frâ—endship which name any man may justly impose upon the cup of the hol supper of the Lord saith Stuâ—kius In iis eaim amicitiae ergo humaniteâ—se mutâ—â— accipiâ—nâ—es vini calicem sibi invicem porrigebâ—â—â— quem philoâ—esiam appellaâ—an metonym ce nimirum quia symbolum erat amoris amicitiae quo nom ne verâ—ssiâ— me quis illud sacrosancti Domâ—ni coenae poculum insigniâ—rit One of our Doctours saith That they had in the primitive Church other tokens of love and friendship as love-feasts and the kisse of peace but one token should not justle out another Beside that both are worne out of use and the kisse is turned into the kisse of the pax So much the rather should that signe and token which was recommended by Christ himself be preserved If there were no more but reaching of the cup from one to another and deviding of it it were sufficient to exclude kneeling howbeit the communicants did not breake and distribute the bread to other For what reason were there to kneel at the receaving of the bread and not at the receaving of the cup. Were it not also absurd to see the Communicants reaching the cuppe to other and the minister walking along to give to every one the bread Is the bread holier then the wine Analogy requireth that the bread should be distributed by the Communicants as well as the wine When the Evangelists say Christ gave the bread they meant not to every one severally more then when he gave the cup or the disciples the bread to five thousand Matth. 14. 19. for Mark 6. 4. they set the bread before five thousand Pilat gave the body of Christ that is commanded it to be given Mark 15. 45. Matth. 27. 17. Christ said in the plurall number Take ye caâ—ye this is my body as well as he said 〈◊〉 devide ye It is probable saith Piscator that 〈◊〉 brake the bread in two parts and gave one of them â—o him that sateâ— arest on the right hand the other to him that sate on the left and that they reached in order to the nearâ—st Tossanus upon Matth. 26. saith the like and Hospinian and Estius a popish writer Sit autem Chrâ—sti discipulos in ulâ—ima coena feâ—â—sse nonest improbabile ut quibus Chrâ—stus dâ—â—erit accipite dividite inter vâ—s Luc. 22. quâ—d et side calicedâ—ctum sit nihil tamen vetat dâ—pine similiter intell giâ— Beza saith That the manner of their sitting could not permit Christ to give every one severally the Bread but as he gave the cup to the nearest and the nixt reached to the nearest so it is probable that those who sate most remote receaved the bread from the nearest Moulins maintaineth That Christ might with as good reason have said Eat ye all of this as drâ—nke ye all of this his reason is Considerâ—ng that being set at table among 〈◊〉 persons he could not deliver the bread into every one of the disciples hands especially considering that the parties lying halfe a long upon beds at the table tooke up more roome then they do now adayes The Canon of the Masse hath Drinke ye all of this Mandâ—cate ex eo omnis which Bellarmine alleâ—geth they have receaved by tradition from the Apostles But to us there is the like force in the words Eat ye and Eat ye all of this for speaking in the plurall number he spake to all The Apostolicall Churches and such as in the ages following celebrated as near as they could to the â—â—terne continued this distribution P. acknowledgeth page 92. 101. 104. that the Communicants at the first supper did communicate the bread and cup one with another as also in the Apossles times pag. 95. Of the Monks of Saint Bennets orders yee may see before and that was a footstep of the order observed universally before upon the anniversarie day called the day of the Lords supper Frier Raynerius saith The Leonists for so he calleth the Wâ—aldâ—rses celebrate the sacrament of the â—ucharâ—st in their conventicles so it pleased the Frier to call the assembly of the persecuted râ—hearsing the words of the Gospel at their table and participating mutually as was done at Christs supper In conventiculis suis celebrant verba illa evangelii recâ— anâ—es in mensasua sibique mutuo participantes sicut in Christi coena Bullâ—nger saith That the supper of the Lord is then rightly celebrated when the communicants distribut the bread and the cup among themselfes Idcirco legittime coenam Domini celebrantes muâ—â—ò inter se panem Demin de manibus ministrorum Christi acceptum fran unt distribu 〈◊〉 manducant poculum insuper Domini de manibus mâ—nistrorium Christi acceptum inter sedistributam omnes potaâ— And again Primogenâ—â— simplie tati institutioni magis convenâ—t sedere sacramâ—nt aln manus proprâ— as accipere de man bus praesidentium deinde verò frangere percipere alliis impertir Vt enâ—m Dominus ad mensam cum discipulis accubuiâ— ita dixit porrectis symbolis 〈◊〉 pite dividite inter vos And againe Acconstat veteres non exhibuisse ca nantibus buccellas sed mutuum fr gisse panem It is well known saith he that the anâ—ien's gave no to the Communicants at the suppermorsels but they brake bread one with another Gualter in his homilies upon Mark setting downe the best forme of celebration requireth that they breake the bread to other and distribute the cup deinde cum solenni gratiarum actione panem inter se mutuò frangant poculum Demian distribuâ—◠〈◊〉 que in coetum illum convenorunt And when hee 〈◊〉 hee saith Est hic ritus simplicissimuâ— Christi 〈◊〉 nititur quae sola nebis in omnibus sufficere debeâ— This is the most simple for me and is grounded upon Christs 〈◊〉 which alone should bee sufficient to us in all things Tindall in his tractat upon the Lords supper pag. 477. requireth that every man breake and reach foorth to his neighbour In the later consession of Holvetia which was approved by many reformed Churches and by our own anno 1566. The bread is offered by the Minister and the words of the Lord are heard Receave it this is my bodie divide it amongst you Drink yee all of this This is my blood The Lords supper was denominate breaking of bread from that rite or ceremonie of breaking of the bread by the faithfull It is said Act. 2. 42. that the Christians continued in breaking of bread This place is interpreted of the sacrament breaking not only by ancient but also modern writers both popish and Protestant as also Act. 20. And the Syrian interpreter translateth it eucharist in both the places But the breaking of the bread in both the places is attributed not to the Ministers or Pastors only
were not recommended to us nor had no other profitable use make it only lawfull this is a most profitable use that it is a barre to hold out so many corruptions The first assault therefore was made upon it at a meeting in Saint Andrewis in the year preceeding Perth assembly But that meeting neither was nor is acknowledged to be a free generall assembly For as long as wee retaine the distribution by the communicants they perceave there was no place for kneeling Therefore as wee would stand for the preservation of that holy action from being prophaned with confusion of actions and polluted with privat communion superstitious receaving out of the ministerâ— hand and the idolatrous gesture of kneeling let us stand for this distribution What shall we say then of those who this day â—â—ke away the chiefe parts of the Lords institution to wit the bâ—e kâ—ng of the brâ—ad and distribution and involve this most wholesome mâ—ster ewâ—th superstitious and contentious 〈◊〉 They may perhaps have the popes supper or somâ— other mens whom they propâ—ne to themselfes to be imitated but they cannot have Christs supper till leavâ—ng the iâ—vâ—ntions of meâ— they foll wâ—le first institution â—aith Guâ—ltâ—r Quid ergo de illis hodièd cemâ—ts qui praecipuas institution is dom nâ—ae partes fractionem 〈◊〉 mirum distributionem tollunt simulque mysterium 〈◊〉 saluberrimum superstitiosis contentiosis opiniâ—nibus involvunt Habent illi fortassis caenam Pape aut alterius cujusdam quem sibi imitandum proponunt At Christi Jesu caenam non habebunt nisi relictis hominum ad inventionibus primam ejus institutionem sequantur If any man then will aske where is kneeling forbidden in the act of receaving We answer In the institution For the whole frame of the paterne forbiddeth it where magisterio vel exemplo by precept or exemple as Cyprian speaketh wee are directed to celebrat after the forme of a feast or banket to fit which is the usuall gesture and most suteable to a feast and to breake and distribute Christs forme was most perfite saith Bullinger and to what purpose is it the Lord himself having devised aâ—â—st simple and perfite forme and the Apostles receaving it to devise another Who can devise a better then the Sonne of God himselfe the supreme high Priest of his Church Quorsum attine simpli issima optima perfectissima que illa coenandi formula ab ipso Christo tradita ab Apostolis ejus accepta comminisâ—i aliam Quis enim mâ—liorem tradet ipso Dei filio pontifice catholiae ecclesiae summo If another more commedious and better forme could have beene devised out of all doubt saith Hospinian Christ would have devised it and the Apostles would have recommended it to the Churches and therefore willeth that if any thing be found different either in the nature and proper sense of words or in rite or externall ceremonie from this rule that it be amended according to the same as the most holy most excellent most uncorrupted and most certaine rule Sed vide frater charissime si quis de antecessoribus nostris velignoranter vel siplmiciter non hoc servaviâ— tenuit quod nos Dominus magisterio exemplo suo docuit potest simplicitati ejus de indulgentiâ Domini venia concedi nobis verò non poterit ignosci qui nunc a Domino â—dmoniti instructi sumus But see most deare brother if any of our ancestours either through ignorance or simplicitie hath not keeped or holden that which the Lord hath taught us both by precept and example his simplicitie may be pardoned of the Lords indulgence but wee cannot bee forgiven who now are admonished and instructed saith Cyprian The testimonie ye may finde in Gratian. Doctour Mortoun in his late worke of the institution of the supper saith It was good divinitie in Cyprian and pope Iulius dayes to argue from the example of Christs institutiâ—n negatively by rejecting such acts and accounting them as centrarie to the institution of Christ which accord not with his example and which are not comprised within the Canon of Christ his hoc facite Bellarmine himselfe putteth It out of all doubt that that is best which Christ did and what he did is to be done Neque enim dubitaâ—i potest quìn illud sit melâ—us faciendum quod Christus feciâ— Deâ—ucharist lib. 4. cap. 7. And yet Master Struther was not ashamed to averre that Christs forme might be bettered THE FOVRTH PART CHAP. IV. It maketh us conforme to the Papists in a rite devised by man horribly abused and not necessarie WE ought not to keepe conformitie in the worship of God with idolaters papists in speciall in any rite or ordinance devised by man specially the man of sinne if after it hath beene abused or be still abused to idolatry or superstition if the same be not necessarie though the originall were lawfull farre more if the first use or institution of it was unlawfull The Lord forbad his people to round the corners of their heads or marte the corners of their beard Levit. 19. 26. and 49. 32. The Egyptians and other Gentiles saith Becanus thought the Gods delighted in the round figure therefore they rounded their heads and builded round temples to them least the Jewes should seeme to be like the Gentiles they were forbidden to imitate them in this The Lord would have his people to bee dignosced by other people by their very habiâ—s Therefore they were frobidden to wear linsey-woolsey because the Gentiles used such in the worship of their gods saith Aquinas They were forbidden to sow their field with mingled seed The priests were forbidden to make their heads bald or shave off the corner of their beard for the dead Levit. 21. 5. 5. These fashions were observed by Egyptians Arabians Syrians Canaanits and others saith Iunius upon that place The priests shall neither shave their head nor suffer their locks to grow long they shall only powle their head Ezech. 44. 20. Bellarmine saith This shaving was not forbidden because it was evil in it selfe but least they should seeme to be like to the priests of the Gentiles beside whom they dwelt who sacrificed to their idols with their whole head shaven Iunius saith Howbeit the matter was free the equitie or reason remaineth Ne vel signâ— vel specie quidem communicare nos cum superstitione piet iti adversa opertere That is We must not by any signe or shew communiâ—te with superstition which is contrarie to pietie They might not plant any groves of trees near the altar of the Lord Deut. 16. 22. the Gentiles did so Exod. 34. 13. Say not how did these nationâ— se ve their gods so will I do likewise thou shalt not do so to the Lord thy God Deut. 12. 30. After their doing ye shall nâ—t do nor after their ordinances Levit. 18. 3. the words are generall howbeit in
that chapter be brought in some instances of their wicked and impious deeds for he opposeth to that generall the judgements and ordinances of the Lord in generall on the other side And some instances we have already brought of facts in themselfes not abominal le Although rounding or cutting the haire was in it selfe indifferent yet God would not have it indifferent to his people but will have them to be altogether unlike to the aliens and uncircumcised specially in those rites wherein religion was shewed Lyra on Lev. 18. â— Intendit excludere e filiis Israelitum omnem Gentilem ritum He intended to exclude from the children of Israâ—l every rite of the Gentiles The Gentiles worshipped their Gods in and by images God would not be so worshipped but expresly forbad it in the second commandment And therefore saith Zanchius That the summe of the second precept is that we must not devise of our owne heads any thing in ceremonies or the worship of God nor borrow from the rites of idolatrous nations but to be content with these rites and ceremonies which God hath prescrived Tertullian saith That Christians might not wash their hands meaning for a ceremonie or lay aside their cloaks before prayer Sic enim adeunt ad idola nationes because the Gentiles go after that manner to their idols And such like that they might not sit upon beds after prayer meaning for a ceremonie Porâ—ò cum perinde faciunt nationâ—s adoratis sigillaribus suis residendo vel prepterea in nobis reprehendi meretur quod apud idola câ—â—e bretur because the Gentiles do sit after they hâ—ve â—dored their small imagâ—s it deserveth to be reproved in us which is obsâ—â—ved beside idoâ—s When he hath rebuked Christians for observing some of the Ethnicks dayes he cryeth out That the nations have a greater regard to their owne sect who will claime to no solemnitie of the Christians not the Lords day nor pentecost and if they know them they will not communicate with them in that observation timerent enim ne Christiani viderentur for they wouâ—d be asrayâ—d last they should seeme to be Christian. He standeth mâ—ch upon this that a Christian man ought not to goe wich a lawrell garlâ—nd upon his head because the Heathen used so to go August ne saith his mother Menica leâ—t bringing of wine and cakes to the church for that shee was warâ—ed it was a resemblance of the superstition of the Heathen Quòd superstitioni Gen ilium essent simillima In the second councell of Bracara it was decreed that Christians deck not their houses with laurell and greene boughes upon the first day of the moneth quia tota haec observatio paganismi est because all this custome is heathnish The ancients having the like reason carried themselfes after the same manner toward Jewes and Hereticks Thâ—y would not keepe Easter on that day that the Jewes did If they had carried themselfes so constantly both toward Jewes and Gentiles so much superstition had not entred into the Church as wee heare of this day Because the Manichees fasted on the Lords day they forbore fasting on that day saith Augustine The fourth councell of Tolledo decreed That once dipping in baptisme only be used not three nâ— videantur apud nos qui tertio mâ—rgunt haereticorum approbare assertionem dum sequuntur morem least these who dippe thrice seeme to approve the assertion of heretick while they follow their custome The first councell of Bracara forbad clergie men â—bstinence from eating of flesh to cut off all suspition of the Priscillâ—an heresie To come to our owne times Even Suarez the Jesuit saith The Church shunneth all fellowship or appearant conformitie with Iewes or other infidels in ceâ—emonies and observances as may be gathered out of Augustine epist. 119. and Epiphanius 3. booke against heresies about the end I said That conformity is to be avoided not only in things impious but even in things indifferent when they are abused to idolatrie or superstition except they have some necessarie uses howbeit their first use or institution hath beene lawfull Zanchius hath this ground writing upon the second precept Rivetus likewise writing upon the fourth precept of the dâ—â—logue It is a rule that things indifferent not being necessarie if they be polluted with idolatrie are to be abolished Adiaphora non necessaria horrenda idolomania polluta esse adolenda Nay the light of nature hath taught even a Pope to acknowledge this much howbeit it hath not beene put in practise as oft as occasion required Si non nulli ex praedecessoribus nostris fecerunt aliqua quae illo tempere potuerunt esse sine culpâ— postea vertâ—ntur in enrorem superstitiâ—nem sine tanditate aliqua magna cum authoritate destruantur saith Pope Stephen That is If some of our ancestours have done some things which in the meane time might be without blame and after are turned to eâ—rour or superstition let them be abolished without delay for thâ—y have a good warrant to wit the exemple of Ezâ—kias who brake the braâ—en serpent in pieces This is registred in Gratians detree And the glosse upon this place saith Successories debere mutare facta instituta 〈◊〉 â—essorum etiam bona si vid rint ea ess pern ciâ—sa exemplâ— Successours should change the deeds and ordinaries of the â—ancestours howbeit good if they see they become pernitious by ill exemple I added that clause unlesse they be of necessâ—rie use to answer to such as object the abuse of Gods creatures and things profitable for the use of man For the sunne moone starres and other creatures have been abused and adored but they are Gods creatures and of necessarie use Gold silver temples are profitable helps unto the necessities of mans life as Tertullian speaketh Certa subsidia necessiâ—atibus vite humanae procurâ—nt The gold brasse and iron of Jericho taken into the Lords treasurie were the civill goods of idolaters and had no state in their idolatrous worship as kneeling hath Wee should shun conformitie with Papists in special because the Pope their head is the great Antichrist and wee are more troubled with rites abused and polluted by him then by any other wee dwell neerer to papists then to any other idolaters and they dwell or converse amongst us For this câ—use perhaps saith Bâ—llarmine priests were not shaven in Hierome and Ambrose time for yet in their time the priests of Isis were shaven Is it not very frivolous which our Doctor answereth that by this reason wee should not pray kneeling nor rest upon the Lords day because the papists pray kneeling to Saints and rest on the Lords day seeing the one is allowed by God to himself and the other commanded Such-like the burning of incense howbeit abused to the worship of the brasen serpent our question is of humane inventions If ye would know
also but that statio signifieth only standing in Tertullians phrase when he saith Solennior statio or solvere stationem I have insisted the longer upon this testimonie because Doctour Burges doth so confidently gather out of it which never man did before that the Christians then did and before had used to take the sacrament kneeling This raw but too confident antiquarie his collection may be refuted by other testimonies witnessing that sâ—metimes they saâ—e of which we have alledged some before or at other timâ—s stood Pionysius Alexandrinus writing to Xystus bishop of Rome concerning one that was in sorrow because hee was baptised by hereticks saith he duâ—st not baptise him over againe because he had a long time stood at the table and reached forth his hand to receave the holy food and had beene for a long time partaker of the body and bloud of Christ. Iustinus telleth us That the people rose and the deacons gave to every one to partake of the bread and the wine Is it likely that they kneeled when the deacons gave the elements In the homily which goeth under the name of Chrysostome Stemus trementes timidi demissis ocutis Let us stand trembling with fear aâ—d our eyes casten downe So yee see both before and after Tertullians time testimonies for standing There was an ancient custome in the Church which Bellarmine saith was left off but about 500. yeare before his time to stand upon the Lords day even in time of prayer Zovaras in synod 6. can 90. sâ—ith That no wayes might they kneel betwixt the evening service on satterday and the Lords day at evening Die dominico de geniculis ad orarenesaâ— saith Tertullian And such like betwixt easter and pentecost not only upon the Lords day but no day of the weeke might they kneele Yea by the decree of Alexandâ—r the third they might not kneel upon the Lords day in publike but only at the consecration of Bishops and giving of orders he that did consecrate and he that wâ—s consecrated might kneel and this was decreed about the yeare 1159. at which 〈◊〉 it seemeth this one exception entred in Now will any man affirme That they never communicated upon the Lords day for a thousand yeare or 1159. or imagine as Doctour Burges doth that because they might not kneel that all this time they tooke the sacrament standing in the Church and went home to their houses where they eated kneeling or to their seats in the Church where they might not kneel L. page 52. confesseth That the communicanâ—s in the primitive Church stood at the table when they receaved the sacrament on the Lords day Well say they seeing they prayed standing they used that gesture in the receaving of the eucharist which they thought fittest for prayer I answer they thought not that gesture fittest for prayer The authour of the questions extant in Iustinus saith Genuâ—m inclinatio in precatione magis peccatores Deo commendat quâ—m sistantes orent He preferreth yee see kneeling in prayer before standing But both are indifferent They stood to signifie their joy for Christs resurrection and not because they though it the fittest gesture for prayer It was a conceat they tooke up which entred not in the Apostle Pauls minde for wee finde Acts 20. that he kneeled betweene Easter and Pentecost Alwise by that custome ye may see they communicated standing The testimonies above cited have not relation to any day and the custome observed yet to this day in the orientall Churches to communicate standing notwithstanding that other custome hath ceased declareth that they intended never geniculation in the act of receaving Ephraim Placit in his Christianographie descriving the manner of the administration of the Lords supper in the Greek Church in the Churches of the Mengrellians Circassians Georgians Muscovits Melchits or Syrians Armenian Iacobits the Christians falsly called Nestorians the Cophti or Egyptian Christians the Abyssinos or Ethiopian Christians produceth no instance for kneeling in the act of receaving eating drinking which he would not have pretermined being conforme and dedicating his booke to the bishop of Elie. Cassander in his Liturgicks descriving the order observed in the Churches of the Armâ—nâ—ans Muscovits and in the kingdome of preste Iohn maketh no mention of kneeling but of standing Ilâ—ssie in his 4. boâ—ke of the Masse trusseth up all in few words Quarè orientales ecclesiae adorationem sacramenti admiserunt nusquâ—m non quae patriarchae Consta tinopolitano obsequuntur nâ—n quae Antiocheno Et in Abyssnis etiam ipsis hodie stâ—ntes sacramenta participant nec â—â—minus reverenter The orientall Churches no where admitted edoration of the sacrament not those which are obedient to the patriâ—rch of Constantinople or yet the patriarâ—h of Antioch And the Abyssins themselfes participate of the sacrament standing and yet not without reverence Where by adoration he meaneth kneeling whereunto be opposeth standing If ever kneeling in the act of receaving had beene in use among them it had not beene left off considering mans pronnesse to idolatrie and superstition and delight to stick in the mire when he is wallowing in it It resteth then that kneeling is only found in the Churches subject to the Pope of old or at the present Other Churches howbeit they followed not the paterne using another forme and gesture not was sutable to this first yet they degenerated not so 〈◊〉 as the Roman Church did The Muscovite Graecians 〈◊〉 Lâ—tine Priest chance to say Masse upon one of their altars they forthwith breake them downe as defiled and polluted And they â—old the priests of the Latine Church to be no letter then hereticks and vouchsafe not to salute them Willets out of Sacranus We have not yet heard of any authentick testimonie for kneeling which is adoration in proper and strict sense for the space of a thousand year after Christ which is the date we set downe Nor yet till after the dayes of Pope Honorius the third who lived â—bout the yeare 1220. And he decreed nothing 〈◊〉 â—owing not of the knee but of the head or superiour bulk of the body at the elevation in â—he masse The bowing of the knee at the elevation entred not till afterward yea prevailed not universally even in our dayes For I finde in Bochellus a decree made in a popish synod at Rhems anno 1583. Quoriam apud omnes sere catholicos usus modo obtinuit ut procumbentes adorent divinâ—â— eucharistiam Because the use 〈…〉 prevailed almost among all catholicks that falling 〈◊〉 they aâ—ore the divine eucharist the holy synod exhorteth that if there be any Church useth another custome aâ—d 〈◊〉 the body of Christ in this sacrifice standing that they fâ—ll downe herâ—after while the holy mysteries are set forth to be adored Sancta synodus hortatur ut si quae ecclesia altero more adhuc utatur stando Christi corpus iâ— hoc sacrificio adoreâ— proeumbat 〈…〉 sancta
and breaking of bread with other and receaved out of the minister or deacons hand Other words were substitute in place of Christs words In processe of time the women might not receave the bread with their naked hand but in a clean linnen cloath or napkin And in many places the cuppes had pipes whereby they sucked the wine out of the cuppe At length the Communicants were not suffered to receave with their hands but in at their mouther And this proceeded from a supâ—rstitious reverencing of the signes which ended at last in bread worship saith Vossius Et sanâ— consuetudo altera ingâ—râ—ntli panem in os circa annum sexcâ—nt simum demum â—â—pisse videtur neque id aliunde quam à superstitiosa veneration signorum quae in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tandem evasit Adde also the corrupting of the doctrine with the opinion of the reall presence and worshipping of images which entered both about one time After the worshipping of images which Master Moulins calleth the elder sister followed bread-worship An advertisement to the Communicants WE are all bound to maintaine the puritie and integritie of Gods ordinances which wee had in possession since the reformation And therefore cannot communicate where the gesture is changed and distributing of the elements by the communicants is wanting No man will be so carelesse of his legge or arme as to suffer them to be cut off but will venture himselfe for their preservation or preservation of the least joynt of his fingers howbeit they bee not such noble parts of the body as the head and the heart without which the body can not subsist Farre lesse ought we to tollerate such a horrible stumbling block as kneeling in the act of receaving the sacramentall elements eating and drinking Whosoever countenanceth such communions is accessorie to that deformation and mutilation For if none would communicate with the ring-leaders and introducers they would be forced to desist had desisted long ago for shame and had returned to our former practice The kneeler is the thiefe but the communicant is the recetter Some thinke they may if they have liberty to sit themselves and to reach to the nearest But they should not looke to their owne personall priviledge but to the liberty of the whole Church and congregation where they are members If some citisens would give way to the enemie upon condition they enjoyed their owne liberty would they not bee counted traitours and betrayers of the city Next that liberty shall be permitted only for a time till others be drawn in after them and then they shall be deprived of that libertie But ye will say shall I separate from a Church I answer when a congregation is devided that part which doth not communicat is a part of that Church as well as that which communicateth and both maketh up but one congregation or Church howbeit they bee devided in that particular act As both the parts of the house make up but one house notwithstanding there be a rift in the wall Next the part which communicateth not adhereth to the reformed Church of Scotland of which every particular congregation is but a part Now the most part if not the two parts of the congregations have admitted no alteration And as for the number of kneelers it is very small in comparison Yet it is hard say ye to want the benefite and comfort of the sacrament But what comfort or benefite can yâ—e finde if ye be accessorie to the introduction of such alterations and setling of such a stumbling block in the congregation When we cannot communicate but by committing a sinne our forbearing is no contempt and the Lord who hath promised to bee a little sanctuarie to his people when they were to bee scattered among the heathen Ezech. 11. 16. will supply our want Doctour Featlie saith That neither the only nor principall thing to bee regarded in the sacrament is our benefite but Gods glorie and the testification of our obedience to his ordinance Non potest autem videri sacramenta contempsisse cui non licet eaita percipere ut sunt à Domino constituta aâ—sit ut ullos necessitatis casus imaginemur in quibus liceat ordinationem Domini violâ—re That is Wee cannot seeme to have contemned the sacraments who aâ—e not permitted to partake of them as they are appointed by the Lord. Farre be it from us to imagine any causes of necessity by which wee may violate the Lords ordinance saith Beza This answer may serve if the case were so hard that they could not have the occasion of the right and pure administration of the sacraments else where But praised be GOD as yet they may have it not farre from the dores OF FESTIVALL DAYES IN the explication of the first head of the first booke of discipline penned anno 1560 the first yeare of universall reformation it was thought good that the feasts of Christmas Circumcision Epiphanie with the feasts of Apostles Martyrs and Virgine Marie be utterly abolished because they are neither commanded nor warranted by the Scripture and that the obstinate maintainers of those and the like abominations be punished by the civill magistrat Here utter abolition is craved and not a reformation of abuses only and that because observation of such feasts have no warrant from the word In the generall assembly holden at Edinburgh anno 1566. the later confession of Helvetia was approved but with speciall exception against the same five dayes which are now urged upon us It was not then the popish observation only with the popish opinion of worship and merit but simpliciter all observation that was disallowed by them In the assembly holden anno 1575 complaint was made against the ministers and readers beside Aberdeene because they assembled the people to prayer and preaching upon certaine festivall dayes Yee see not onely prophanitie but preaching and prayer of purpose upon festivall dayes were judged rebukable It was ordained likewise that complaint be made to the Regent upon the towne of Dunfreis for urging and convoying a reader to the Church with tabret and whisle to reade prayers all the holy dayes of Christmas upon the refusall of their owne reader Item an article was formed to bee presented to the Regent craving that all dayes heretofore keeped holy in time of papistrie beside the Lords day be abolished and that a civâ—ll penalty bee inflicted upon the observers In the assembly holden in Aprill anno 1577. it was ordained that the visitour with the advice of the synodall assemâ—ly shall admonish ministers preaching or ministring the communion at Easter or Christmas or other like superstitious times or readers reading to desist under the pain of deprivation Ye see reading preaching and ministring the communion at thâ—sâ— times was forbidden and not onely cessation from worke and excesse of banketting playing c. In the ninth head of the first booke of discipline wee have this reason set downe against Eâ—ster
Manna but when he had ended the worke of creation it followeth that then he sanctified Consider againe that in Exod. 16. mention is made of the sabbath as a time of rest appointed before vers 23. To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord. Vers. 25. To day is a sabbath unto the Lord. Vers. 26. But on the seventh day which is the sabbath They had neglected or were forced to neglect that day in Egypt where they were not suffered to rest on that day and therefore he putteth them in minde of it and exacteth the observation of it which was now neglected of other nations Consider againe that soone after when the decalogue was promulgate upon mount Sinai the reason given for the observation of the sabbath was not that the Lord rained Manna six dayes and desisted the seventh which concerned onely the Iewes but that hee created all in six dayes and rested the seventh which concerned all mankinde Were it not ridiculous to imagine that God spent six dayes in creating the world and rested the seventh onely for the Iewes to whome hee was to intimate the sabbath 2453. yeares after But ye will say what needed Adam a sabbath-sabbath-day in the state oâ— innocencie I answer because the dressing of the gardâ—n was committed to him and he was to live an animall life which would draw with it some distraction Therefore the Lord would have a day appointed wherein he might be wholy sequestrat from other affaires Further howbeit Adam was in the state of innocencie yet his state was mutable Whereas it is alledged that there was no positive precept given to Adam in paradise but the eating of the forbidden tree I answer none meerly positive but that But this is not meerly positive but determinative of the indefinit time required by the law of nature which urgeth a time for sequestration Some thinke that Adam fell the same day that he was created and therefore that the sabbath was sanctified after his fall But the imposing of the names upon the creatures the precept concerning the forbidden tree the tentation of Adam and Eve c. move others to thinke otherwayes Lyd at agreeth not either with too short time or yet three yeares which were too long but with those who alledge eight moneth wanting a week that hee might be the more sensible of his fall and defection after hee had for a certaine space enjoyed the pleasures of that estate But suppose Adam fell upon the sixt day yet the sanctification of the sabbath after was for all mankinde and not the Iewes onely But yet we have no mention made that the Patriarchs observed it What then It is sufficient that it was instituted howbeit the observation had beene neglected But wee must judge more charitably of the holy Patriarchs that they were observant of the institution receaved by tradition from Adam They receaved the law of sacrifices and other positive lawes by revelation by oracle and by dâ—vine inspiration saith Doctour Francis White in his treatise of the sabbath Is it likely then they observed not a set day or wanted direction what day to observe or that the Lord would havâ— set any other day for ordinarie Some gather the observation from Noahs sending forth the dove the seventh day after her returne and againe the seventh day That it is likely Noah was taken up with holy exercises every seventh day hee sent forth the dove and that he sent it forth rather then then any other time because hee was craving and expecting good successe But I will not stand upon this Junius approveth the opinion of the Hebrew Doctours who all agree that there passed seven dayes betweene the going of the people out of Egypt and the drowning of the Egyptians in the red sea and therefore there were seven dayes appointed for the feast of the passeover He confirmeth their opinion with his owne reckoning in his annot upon Exod. 12. Vpon Deut. 5. he noteth that is was the sabbath that day Pharaohs hoast was drowned and the people of Israel sang that song of triumph Exod. 15. The Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes chap. 4. proveth that there is a sabbatisme me or keeping of a sabbath yet remaining for the people of God and all beleevers whereinto the incredulous were not to enter and to this purpose citeth a passage out of the psalmes There the incredulous are threatned to be excluded from rest which was to come For there were two rests already past in Davids time the one beginning at the rest of God from his workes which were finished from the foundation of the world and the other when Josue brought the people into the land of Canaan The Apostles enumeration had not beene sufficient if the sabbath day had not beene observed from the beginning for he maketh not mention of another sabbatisme past before Davids time but two whereinto man entred There was no othâ—r sabbath then in Davids time beside that rest in Canaan except that which was from the beginning and consequently the sabbath observed in his time was all one with that which was observed from the beginning The rest of the sabbath is called Gods rest or sabbath because God was the instituter of it gave exemple himselfe to man and appointed it for his owne worship Levit. 23. 1. and 28. 2. Jesa 56. 4. Ezech. 20. 20. Exod. 16. 23. If the words of the Apostle were taken only for Gods owne proper rest or sabbath the Apostles reasoning had not beene pertinent for David maketh mention of a rest whereinto men might enter and were exhorted to enter in but men cannot be said to enter in Gods owne proper rest The sabbatisme which is to come is called Gods rest and yet men are said to enter in it Further if the first rest were so called only because it was Gods owne peculiar rest it would folâ—ow the thy sabbath enjoyned to man had beene omitted and the Apostles induction had beene unsufficient Requies sâ—bâ—ati dicitur â— ei tum foâ— maliter quia in die septimo quiâ— vit Peus à creatione tum exemplaâ—â—ter efficienter quiâ— quies hominum in sabbato cultus sabbati institutus est à Dâ—o ad exemplar quietis Dei in sabbato saith Cornelius a Lapide a professour in Lovaine And a little before after hee hath opened up the three restâ— the rest of the sabbath enjoyned to man the rest of the people of God in the land of Canaan and the eternall rest in heaven hee inferreth that the rest of the sabbath was in use before the law of Moses even from the beginning of the world or else the Apostles reasoning cannot hold Hinc satis clarè elicitur evincitur sabbati cultum requiem in usâ— fâ—isse apud homines ante leâ—em Mosis ab origine 〈…〉 licet id neget Abulensis in c. 23. Levit. 4. 3. ut sâ—â—i eâ—diem septimum homines colerent eoque à laboribus quiâ—sâ—râ—nt in
memoriam gratiarum actionem creationis 〈◊〉 sui quam totius mundi quam Deus complevit die septimo alioqui enim vim non haberet discursus argumentum Pauli ut patet exdictis Howbeit scripture bee sufficient for confirmation of this truth I will adde for superaboundance some footsteps of the first institution which were found among the Gentiles Whence came the name of Septimane weekes to be receaved among the Ethnicles of old Not from the Jewes for they abhorred their customes and derided their sabbaths Not from Astrologians for distinction of dayes by weekes was more ancient then the imposing of the names of the planets upon the dayes of the weeke Or Ptolemâ—â— his time who wrote about the yeare of our Lord 140 as Rivetus proveth by the testimonie of Georgius Syncellus and Philoponus The ancient Greek Poets cited by them for the name of weeke I omit I onely adde the testimonie of Scaligâ—r 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex diebus dicitur septimanâ— res omibus quidem orientis populis ab ultima usque antiquitaâ—e usâ—ata nobis autem Enrop eis vix tandem post Christianâ—smum recepta Hee saith from the upmost antiquitie his systeme of dayes in a weeke was in use among all the orientall nations But that was the part of the world which was first planted and where the holy Patriarches lived Whereas he saith this colection or distinction of dayes in weekes was not receaved in Europe till Christiani 〈◊〉 entred testimonies of Ethnick Poets alledged by â—â—vetus make good that the name of weekes was more ancient even among the Latines I adde also that place in Genes 29. 27. where Laban saith to Jacob Fulfill her weeke Whither he meant a weeke of dayes or as others interpret a weeke of yeares it is all one For seven yeares was never called a weeke of yeares but where seven dayes was called a weeke of dayâ—s Whence then could this so ancient a circuit or circle of dayes come but from the Patriarches who observed that circle because of the seventh-dayes-sabbath or from the first weeke of the creation it selfe Wee have not onely the traces of weekes among the ancient Ethniks but also of the seventh day in speciall I pretermit the testimonies cited by Rivetus out of Homer Linus and Callimachus who make mention of the perfiting of the worke of creation the seventh day I content mee with the testimonies alledged for observation in some sort of the seventh day by Casaubon commencing upon that place of Suetoniâ—â—â— Diogenes grammaticus disputare sabbutis Rhodi solitus vententem ut se extra ordinem audiret non admiserat ac per servaluâ— suum in septimâ—â— diem disâ—ulerat Where he bringeth in Lucian making mention of resting dayes granted every seventh day to children who were at schoole Vulâ—atius Gallicanus that souldiers exercised themselves upon the seventh day in archerie and armes Dampridius that Alexander Severus went up to the Capitoll upon the seventh day when hee was in Rome and frequented the temples In this same place Suetonius reporteth of Diogenes the Grammarian that if any were desirous oâ—heare declamation or discourse he differred them to the seventh day Eusebius saith That almâ—st all as well phâ—losophers as Poets understood that the seventh day was more sacred then other dayes Philâ— Judâ—eus 〈…〉 cited saith It was an holy day not of one 〈◊〉 region only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but of all And in another place he sâ—ith Our law admonisheth all of duetie 〈◊〉 Grecians the inhabitants of the â—les and the continent 〈◊〉 the orientall people the Entropâ—cans and the 〈…〉 even the whole habitable world to the uttermost coasts for who doth not honour that holy day returning every weeke Buxtorsius telleth us that the Jewes at this day thinke Christians and others shall bee phnished because they keepe not their sabbath And this I beleeve they thinke not of their other holy dayes I will close this point concerning the first institution of the sabbath with pointing at the testimonies both of ancients and neotericks Tertullian reporteth that the Jewes hold that the Lord sanctified the seventh day from the beginning and that thereupon when the law was given the Lord said Remâ—mber Gen 〈◊〉 ardus in his chronologie affirmeth that the Hebrew Doctours taught so Peter Martyr citeth Rabbi Agnâ—â— Broughtoun in his concent alledgeth Rambam and Aben-Ezra Philo Judaeus his consent ye had a little before Cyprian de Spiritu sancto Chrysostome hom 10. in Genes 2. Epiphanius contra heresin Anoetâ— haeres 51. The doretus 〈◊〉 est in Genesin Augustine epist. 86. ad Casulannm Waleus in his dissertatio de sabbatho citeth Luther Calvine Zwinglius Beza P. Martyr Bullinger Zanchius Vrsinus Gualtor Aretius Bertramus Mercerus Antoniuâ— Faius Juntus Paraeus Alstedius Rivetus in his dissertatio de origaine sabbathi addeth other Neoterikes Danâ—ws Hoâ—pinianâ—s Chimnitius Gerardus Marloratus with some others and popish writers Eugubinus Genâ—brardus Cornelius à Lapide and Emanuel Sa. A diligent reader may easily finde moe affirming that the sabbath was instituted at the beginning Seeing the sabbath was observed from the beginning it was not instituted in the wildernesse but only renewed to the people of God and enjoined to them with solemnitie both because of their owne neglect or forced prophanation in Egypt as also because it was neglected among other nations who observed it not or not in the right manner but rather prophaned then sanctified it The question ariseth whether it was then onely morall or partly morall partly ceremoniall But the question should bee stated other wayes For there is a difference betweene these two questions whether the sabbath of the Jewes was partly morall partly ceremoniall or whether the fourth precept as it standeth in the decalogue was partly morall partly ceremoniall That the Iewish sabbath was partly morall partly ceremoniall is the commun and receaved opinion which for mine owne part I would be loath to contradict even taking ceremoniall for typicall and profigurative of our 〈◊〉 purchased forus by Christ. But it followeth not that the fourth precept as it standeth in the decalogue is partly morall partly ceremoniall in that scene that is typicall and prefigurative There is nothing in the 〈◊〉 precept as it was promulgat upon mount Sinai ranked among the rest of the morall precepts placed in the midst and written with Gods owne finger in â—ibles of stone that soundeth any way to typicall ceremonie At other times when the ceremonies of the law were intimated then were typicall and ceremoniall precepâ—s delivered It is true when the fourth precept was promulgated it was accommodated to the state of man after his fall â—or strangers within our gates must cease that day from all manner of workes which might give offence to Gods people which needed not to be enjoyned in the state of innocencie or if mankinde had continued in the bosome of thâ— Church and had not made defection falling in a
then to designe a place for the congregation to meet in but a matter belonging to order But there was more required to this day For it was not instituted only for order and policie that the people might know what dayes to conveene to publike exercises howbeit it was one respect Times may bee appointed for preaching and prayer on the weeke dayes by any particular Church But there is more required here a day to be obseved holy by the universall Church not only for publike worship but also for privat not onely for externall but also for internall which could not be done but by divine authoritie which is supreme and onely able to binde the conscience to internall as well as externall to privat as well as to publick worship as I have said before The last point which I am to touch is concerning the strictnesse of the observation Whither we be bound to as strict observation of the Lords day as the Jewes were of their sabbath The superstitious observation of the Iewes wee are not bound unto For they observed that day more precisely then God required They found fault with Christ healing of the sicke man upon the sabbath and the sicke mans carrying home of his bed They have had and have many foolish observations as not to pull to an herb on the sabbath nor to eat an aple which they pluck upon that day nor claw with their nailes in publike nor catch a flea unlesse it bite Let us then see what God hath forbidden them They were bidden â—ake that which they had to bake upon the sixt day and seeth that they had to seeth Exod. 16. 23. and forbidden to kindle a fire upon the seventh day But that which was baken and seethed upon the sixt day a part of it was not reserved to the seventh day but that which remained over unbaken and unsodden The text importeth no further for if it had beene baken or sodden they would perhaps have attributed the not putrifying upon the seventh day to the baking or seething It was food that might bee eaten without baking like comfites or fruit It seemeth then this injunction was given onely during the time the manna rained If this direction had beene to bee observed afterward they might not have eaten any thing which was baken two dayes before Is it likely that Christ and others bidden to the Pharisees house upon the sabbath-day had no meat dressed for them by baking of seething The kindling of fire was forbidden not simply but for baking or seething the manna as some thinke and therefore endured onely so long as the manna lasted howbeit the most superstitious sort of the Jewes in later times observed it It is noted of the Essens a strict sect of the Jewes as singular in them that they kindled no fire upon the sabbath-day They were commanded Exod. 16. 29. to abide every man in his place and not to goe out of their tents at lest out of the campe This was but temporarie Afterward they might take journey upon the sabbath to the Prophets or synagogues 2 King 4. 23. Levit 23. 3. Yea if they were not to journey for that the Scribes prescrived to them 2000 cubits that is a mile or thereabouts out of a towne or citie which was called the sabbath-dayes-journey But afterward they became more superstitious not taking up the Lords intent in that place of Exodus as the Jew that would not be drawne out of the jackes wherein he had fallen upon the sabbath-day So howbeit the Iewes should be superstitious now in not kindling fire that is no warrant that the direction was not â—â—â—oratie Some thinke this prohibition served onely during the workmanship of the tabernacle But let it bee granted that both the one direction and the other were to endure during the policie of the Iewes I denie that they were forbidden by vertue of the fourth precept of the decalogue They would and might have kindled fire notwithstanding of the fourth precept Their rest upon the sabbath was ceremoniall and figurative And because ceremoniall and figurative therefore saith Bellarmine and Dow after him with others it behoved to be more strict exact and rigid For the more exact the figure is the better it representeth and signifieth So granting that dressing and preparing of meat by fire were not a temporarie precept during the manna yet it depended upon the ceremoniall rest and typicall state of Gods people under the law They abstained from the buriall of the dead upon the sabbath-day 2 Maccab. 12. 39. because if any touched the dead or entred into the house where the dead lay or touched a grave was uncleane seven dayes Numb 19. 14. 16. and consequently they might not enter into the tabernacle Here a duty forbidden for legall uncleannesse which bindeth not us The prophanation of the sabbath was a capitall crime Exod. 31. 14. but this law bindeth not us The workes depending upon the ceremoniall rest or any particular ceremonie bindeth not us but only the workes inhibited in the fourth precept wherein the ceremoniall and iudicall precepts are not included but onely annexed to them as peculiar unto that people which was under the tutorie and paedagogie of the law Aquinas saith that the ceremoniall and judiciall precepts are not contained in the decalogue Ad secundum dicendum quod judicialia praecepta sunt determinationes moralium praeceptorum prout ordinantur ad proximum sicut ceremonialia sunt quaedam determinationes praceptorum moralium prout ordinatur ad Deum unde neutra praecepta continentur in daecalogo If then these workes were not forbidden by vertue of the fourth precept we are not bound to for beare them If our observation of the Lords day praefigure that blessed and glorious life which we expect as some doe hold then our rest should be also as exact and rigid because figurative Dominicus dies qui Christi resurrectione sâ—â—xatâ—â—e â— â—e ernam requiem spiritus corporis praefigurat saith Augustine But wee will not build strictnesse of rest upon such a weake ground It may bee fill drawne to resemble heavenly and spirituall things but that is not any end of the institution It is not â—â—puâ—destinatuâ— instituted for any shadow or signification though â—t may befitly applied unto such an use saith Willet Our rest upon the Christian sabbath is only subservient to the sanctifying of the day The strictnesse required of old by the vertue of the fourth precept is required of us As Whit maketh sunday an holy day only by the ordinance of the Church pag. 109. 150. so the particular forme and circumstances of resting are prescribed unto us saith hee by the Church pag. 135. meaning the Church governours the prelates So doth Bellarmine allow such workes as shall be permitted by the prelats or have beene used by long custome Tertiopera concessa à pralatis Quartò opera quae ex consuetudine sunt licita Our holy fathers the prelats paternes
but it was done by divine authoritie Many things might have beene done then by their direction the like whereof wee have not now Thirdly it appeareth Esther 9. 28. that this custome was to bee observed as long as the feasts appointed by the Lord himselfe Holy dayes of ecclesiasticall constitution are not of such a nature as Doctour Fulk acknowledgeth Fourthly it was not done without consent of the people of the Jewes themselves as Junius observeth The Jewes tooke upon them and their seed to keepe these two dayes Esther 9. 27. Howbeit they were not religious but politike dayes Mordecai would not impose them without their consent The equitie of this is seene in the Canon law where bishops are forbidden to appoint any particular festivall dayes within their diocies without consent of the people And there is good reason seeing they are to be withdrawne from their calling I put now the case they had power to make a holy or festivall day Lastly can any prince or state make the like ordinance for the posteritie to feast and send portions and gifts one to other or were it seemly to command feasting in a Christian common-wealth howbeit allowed and in a manner commanded to the Jewes Alstedius denieth that the Christian Church can imitate the Jewes in the like The memoriall dayes of the dedication mentioned Joh. 10. 22. serve as little for their purpose for first they are not called either 1 Macchab. 4. or here the feast of dedication howbeit the English translatours without warrant have translated the word dedication so which the Rhemists retaine without such a supplement If any supplement were needfull it may be translated the dayes of dedication as the former were called the dayes of Purim And so they are called 1 Maccab. 4. 59. and in the testimonie cited by Junius out of the Talmud Joh. 10. If yee will call them the feast of dedication because of their bodily feasting yet unlesse there was holy convocations to divine service upon them and cessation from worke they cannot bee made a president for holy festivities composed of Hookers three elements nor aâ—e they anniversarie holy dayes added to those the Lord himselfe appointed There was offering of sacrifices singing and playing upon instruments at the time of dedication of the altar eight dayes but not enjoyned at the yearly memoriall Thirdly Judas Maccabaeus and his brethren had the consent and assistance of the whole congregation of Israel to this ordinance 1 Macc. b. 4. 59. which is wanting to our festivall dayes But Junius citeth a testimonie out of the Talmud bearing that the wise men for the time instituted eight dayes of dedication in memorie that a little quantitie of oil which was found in the temple scarce sufficient to entertaâ—ne the lamps one day vet sufficed eight dayes till new oil was pressed out of the olives By the wise men are meant the Pharisees Nam sapientes Pharisaei synomina sunt saith Drusius We are not to imitate the inventions of Pharisees or of such corrupt times as those of the Maccabces There was no yearly remembrance by solemnitie of feast not so much as of one for the dedication of the whole temple either the first under Salomon or the second under Zorobabel nor for restoring of the temple by Ezekias after it was prophaned by Ahaz and Vrias or by Josias after it was polluted by Manasses and Amon. But now there was an annuall memorie appointed for renewing of the altar only and other decayed places of the temple As for Christs conference in the porch of the temple in the dayes of dedication it proveth not that he honoured that feast as they call it with his presence Only the circumstance of the time is pointed at when that conference was as the dayes of the shew-bread Act. 20. and of the fast Act. 27. are mentioned to note a circumstance of time but not that Paul observed them Christ came up to the feast of the tabernacles before and stayed in Jerusalem In the meane time the dayes of dedication fell forth as Scaliger hath observed So Christ came not up to Ierusalem for this feast and went away in the time of it immediatly after this conference Further Christ and his Apostles tooke occasion of frequent meetings to thrust their sickles in thick harvests In a word the dayes instituted to Gods people beside such as God himselfe appointed were either appointed by extraordinarie warrant or were not holy dayes or were the inventions of the pharisees and corrupter times THE III. REASON NEither Christ nor his Apostles appointed festivall dayes to be observed by Christians but rather inhibited the observation of them and changed onely the old sabbath to the first day of the weeke The anniversarie solemnities were not changed but abrogated because ceremoniall Wee finde not the Apostles or Christian Churches in their time observed any festivall or anniversarie dayes That pentecost mentioned 1 Corin. 16. and Act. 20. was the Iewes Pentecost Bellarmine himselfe dare not affirme that it was the Christians The Apostle having occasion to treat upon this subject condemneth observation of dayes Gal. 4. Coloss. 2. Suppose which is more likely that the Galatians embraced the observation of the Iewish dayes Galate potius Judaizabant quam astrologicas regidas servabant Yet the Apostle reasoneth against all observation of such like dayes as judaizing As if he had said the observation of ceremoniall dayes moneths and yeares was convenient for Gods people under the law for their instruction and to shaddow things to come because of their non-age and was a pedagogicall and rudimentarie instruction which beseemeth not the state of a Christian Church and clear light of the Gospell These dayes were all ceremoniall yea the very dayes of Purim and the dayes of dedication Doctour Mortoun saith were of a ceremoniall â—aâ—re To celebrate the memorie of any particular act of Christ at a set time in the yeare with cessation from worke sermons gospels epistles collect and hymnes belonging thereto with mirth and gladneâ—e without admitting of a fast at any time is not to observe a day morally but ceremonially Not to fast when such a day of the yeare or weeke returneth but to hold it festivall is to observe a day as to fast yearly upon another day No doubt the Galatians observed not these dayes with the Iewish worship of sacrifices and oblations or as shadowes of things to come for then they had denied Christ. Neither is it likely that they neglected the Iewish Easter and Pentecost but yet the Apostle calleth it a returning to the Iewish rudiments that is Iudaizing He instructeth the Corinthians how they shall observe Easter to wit all the yeare long with the unleavened bread of sinceritie and truth not after the Iudaicall manner If there had beene other festivall dayes which might have beene observed by Christians the Apostle having so faire occasion would have directed them to the observation of
them and not spoken so generally Chamieraom 3. l. 19. c. 6. embraceth a more generall exposition that the Apostle condemneth both Iewish and Ethnick observation of dayes Non est verisimile Apostol um adeo incautâ— locutum ut generaliter observationem damnare videtetur si aliquam excipiebat saith Chamierus Or is it likely that the dayes appointed by God himselfe being abolâ—shed the Apostles would have brought in other in their roome Is it reason then that others should bring them in Zanchius confesseth That it is more agreeable to the first institution and writings of the Apostles that one day of the weeke onely bee san ctified Magis consentaneum est cum prima institutione cum scriptis Apostolicis ut unus tantum dies in septimana sanctificetur There was but one day observed in the Apostles times and called the Lords day If other dayes had beene dedicated to Christ they should all have beene the Lords dayes Beatus Rhenanus in his annotations upon Tertullian De corona militis observeth that in the primitive times the word Lord was more familiar and frequent in the mouthes of Christians then the name of Christ. So it was as much as to say Christs day The Lords day then was Christs day and Christ had no other dayes of nativitie passion c. Eusebius treading unknowne footsteps as himselfe confesseth in the beginning of his storie filleth up his booke with some old fables Among the rest he maketh mention of an epistle of Polycrates bishop of Ephesus to Victor bishop of Rome wherein he reporteth that hee and his predecessours even upward to John the Evangelise celebrated Easter upon the fourteenth day of the moone That epistle may be marked for a counterfite for it beareth that Iohn was a priest and bare in his forehead the petalum that is the golden plate like that of the high priests The Doctour calleth such gay tales Rhetoricall flowres But saith Scaliger Neutrum concedet qui sciverit nullum Christi Apostol um sacerdotem fuisse nulli praeterquà m summo sacerdoti petalum gestare licuisse Augustine who lived in the fift age after the Apostles could not resolve upon the originall of our five festivall dayes but floated betweene two opinions and not one of them sure For they were neither instituted by the Apostles nor by generall Councel Socrates in his historie commeth nearer to the point I am of opinion saith â—e that as many other things crept in of custome in sundrie places so the feast of Easter to have prevailed among all people of a certaine privat custome and observation in so much that not one of the Apostles hath any where prescrived so much as one rule of it to any man A little after They that keepe Easter the fourteenth day of the moneth bring forth Iohn the Apostle for their Authour Such as inhabite Rome and the west parts of the world alledge Peter and Paul for themselves that they should leave such a tradition yet there is none of them that can shew in writing any testimonie of theirs for confirmation and proofe of that custome It hath beene an old refuge when any countrie or province could not finde the beginning of their customes to father them upon the Apostles A notable exemple whereof wee had in this same I le when there was hote contention about the formes of shaven crownes Hierâ—â—â— himselfe saith Vnaquaeque provincia pracept a majerum leges Apostolicas arbitretur Let every province esteeme the traditions or precepts of their forefathers to bee Apostolicall lawes It will rather follow that the Apostles observed not nor appointed Easter to be observed at all For the Apostle being directed infallibly by the spirit had agreed upon the day as well as upon the thing it selfe and not left occasion of contention to the Christian world Quae aliter atque aliter observabantur non possunt ab Apostolis esse instituta quorum ab eodem spiritu eruditorum non potuit non esse individuus consensus Neque unquam piis fuit persuasum ab Iohanne institutum pascha decima qua ta Luna à I etro autem post eam quomodo jactabant veteres It is well said in the preface to the harmonie of confessions that the old contention about the celebrating of Easter tossed very hotly the space of two hundred yeares or thereabout betwixt the Greekes and the Latines was long since of us thought worthy of laughter Whitaker wondereth at their frivolous contentions and he saith there was no necessitie to observe it any day Chamierus saith Si institutum fuisset ab Apostolus eodem ubique modo fuisset institutum observatum quod falsum esse jam olim observavit Socrates Seeing they have no sooting for the Apostles appointing of the observation of Easter farre lesse will they be able to prove the Christians pentecost and other festivities that came in after as of Christs nativitie ascension c. to have beene instituted by the Apostles Iustinus questions Clemens constitutions some sermons ascrived to Cyprian all suppositious workes are the most ancient proofes they alledge for them THE IIII. REASON IF it had beene the will of God that the severall acts of Christ should have beene celebrated with severall solemnities the holy Ghost would have made knowne the day of his nativitie circumcision presentation to the temple baptisme transfiguration and the like For it is kindly say they to remember opus diei in die suo the notable worke of a day in the owne day Bellarmine saith that Christs acts did consecrat the dayes and times wherein they were wrought Hooker saith that the wonderous workes of God did advance the dayes and times wherein they were wrought There is not a day in the yeare wherein some wonderous worke of God hath not beene wrought All the dayes of the yeare saith Leo are full of Christs miracles If Christs actions advance and consecrate the dayes where on they were wrought they ought to have beene made knowne lest we keep holy such dayes as were never consecrated or advanâ—ed But it is confessed that the day of Christs nativitie and consequently of the rest depending thereupon as of his circumcision presentation baptisme have beene hid from mortall men And therefore the day of Christs nativitie was observed diversly of old by some in one moneth by some in another The 25. of December was grounded upon an erroneous conceat that Zacharie the father of Iohn the Baptist was high priest which errour is yet fostered by observing that day Yee see then as God hid the bodie of Moses for avoiding of idolatrie so hath he the day of Christs nativitie for avoiding superstition And this is sufficient to declare the will of God concerning other notable acts which were knowne to wit that not the act but divine institution maketh a day holy Gods resting upon the seventh day made it not holy but his sanctifying of it and instituting it to
be observed as holy Ratio convenientiae non fuisset sufficiens nisi praecessisset mandatum divinum Rivetus in Decalogum pag. 167. Christs actions did no more consecrate the times wherein they were wrought then his body did the manger or the crosse by touch And suppose this might have beene it would not follow that all mangers and crosses are consecrated no more would it follow that every 25. day of December should bee consecrated and made holy because that whereon he was borne I put the case it were true was consecrated Verum etiam non est dies illos fuisse consecratos per actiones aut passiones quae talibus diebus acciderunt Idenim si verum esset nullus fuisset dies qui aliqua Christi actione non esset nobilitatus consecratus Rivetus in Decalogum pag. 204. As for remembring of Christs nativitie no man denieth but it is needfull and so it is wheresoever the Gospel is preached But we deny that the memorie of it must be celebrated with the solemnitie of a festivall holy day with cessation from worke with feasting or forbearance of fasting and a proper service THE V. REASON SUppose the observing of holy dayes had at the first beene a matter indifferent yet seeing they have beene abused and polluted with superstition they ought to bee abolished Upon this ground Zâ—nchâ— us inferreth Non ma è igitur f'cerunt qui omnia proâ—er diem dom nicum aboleverunt They have therefore not done amâ—sse who have abolished all other holy dayes but the Lords day If Ezekias fact in breaking the brazen sâ—rpent belandable by which he confirmeth that pule then their fact is laudable also But sure it is that in former ages holy dayes have not onely beene abused with prophane and licentious revelling and surfetting but also polluted with the opinion of worship merite necessitie and a judaicall conceat that the devill is not so bold to tempt men on these dayes as at other times And therefore saith Zanchius Magicians observe holy dayes to exercise their magâ—call feats with the greater efficacie The Lords day it selfe may bee abused but because the observation is necessarie in respect of divine institution it cannot bee removed for the abuses of men But the festivall dayes were not appointed by God The number the abuses the will-worships of feasts so increased that there is nothing so unsavourie to God so pernicious to men as to sanctifie such and so many dayes faith the same Zanchius Holy dayes devised for the honour of Christ drew on holy dayes to saints Easter brought on a superstâ—tions lent to attend upon it made baptisme wait for her moone conformed our Lords supper unto the Jewish passeover in unleavened bread It was the first aple of contention among Christians the first weapon wherewith the bishop of Rome played his prâ—ses against other Churches and after flew so many Britons with by Austin the Monke saith Doctour Ames Even in Chrysostomes time the people would forbeare to communicate at other times But at Easter they would communicate howbeit they had committed recently some hainous sinne whereupon he exclameth O consuetudinem o presumptionem O custome O presumption Because people ranne superstitiously to that holy action at Easter as if the time gave vertue to the sacrament and were carelesâ—e the rest of the yeare our reformers appointed other times free of superstition as ye may see in the first booke of discipline pag. 58 59. Therefore seeing the observation of festivall dayes is not commanded by God and it cannot be denyed but it hath beene much abused it ought not to be continued farre lesse introduced where it hath beene disused suppose it might be now used without these abuses because it may degener after the same manner as before But what if it be not nor cannot be free of abuse and superstition They say they esteeme them not holier then other dayes or place any worship of God in the observation of them but only keep them for order and policie that the people may be assembled to religious exercises and instructed in the mysteries of religion But that is false howbeit an old shift The Papists themselves confesse that one day is not holier then another in the owne nature no not the Lords day but in respect of the use and end And in this respect our Formalists esteeme their festivall dayes holier then other dayes call them holy dayes and maintaine as yee have heard before that they may be observed as holy dayes If the observing of a day holy for the honour of a saint be a worshipping of the saint the observing of a day to the honour of Christ cannot bee without opinion of worship If the observing of the Lords day as a festivall as it is in their accompt be worship the observing of their holy dayes is worship Whereas they alledge that it is not worship because they hold not the like necessitie in observing the one as the other it will not helpe them For that doth not alter the nature of worship but maketh the one necessarie because God instituted it the other arbitrarie and voluntarie and consequently will-worship The same matter forme and end is in both but God instituteâ—h the one and therefore lawfull the other is instituted at the pleasure of man so it is worship but a vicious worship Further some other Formalists have of late maintained the mutabilitie of the Lords day it selfe What our Doctour will doe now let any man judge who knoweth him to be temporizâ—r and a sceptike Master Dow p. 58. saith as other holy dayes it goeth paripassu in their canons and ancient statutes which require the same observances under the same penalty Thâ—y are not only holy dayes but also mysticall howbeit the Doctour denieth it For els he must disclaime his ancienâ—s who call them so Are they not appointed for the solemnitle of some mysterie of religion Doe they not carrie the names of Christs nativitie passion ascension c. Are they not ordered according to the knowne or supposed times when such things fell forth If it were for order and policie they were observed that the people may assemble and be instructed wherefore is there but one day betweene the passion and the resurrection fourty betwixt the resurrection and ascension and then againe but ten betwixt the ascension and whitsontide Wherefore follow wee the course of the moone in our moveable feasts and observe not a certaine day in the moneth as we doe for other If we observed dayes only for order and policie then wee would not sticke to dayes as we doe for the commemoration of Christs nativitie passion ascension c. The Doctour saith we do not observe festivall dayes as the Jewes did which were holy not only for the use whereunto they were appointed to serve as circumstances but by reason also of their mystik signification and of the worship appropriated to them which might not bee performed at
another time But that will not save the maâ—ter For a day is called mystike not onely for shadowing things to come but also for the mysteries solemnely remembred And as for appropriation doe wee not appropriat to the day of Christs nativitie a peculiar kinde of service of epistles gospels collects hymnes homilies belonging to Christs nativitie and thinke it absurd to performe the like service upon another day with the like solemnitie of cessation from worke and supâ—rstitious forbearing of fasting Wee thinke it likewise absurd to performe upon the nativitie day that peculiar service which belongeth to easter Yea the Doctour saith the commemoration appointed to bee made upon the five dayes must not bee omitted on these dayes If it bee absurd to celebrate another day after the same manner with the same service and no other service will serve on these dayes is there not a peculiar service appropriated to our festival dayes as of old among the Jewes That shift is of no weight that a minister may preach or wee may meditate upon Christs passion another day then the nativitie For that is not to celebrate with solemnitie To use another day with the like solemnitie in the place of it or both would be thought very absurd The Jewes themselves without the service appropriated to their feasts might remember these same benefites and mysteries upon other dayes but not with the like solemnitie and peculiar service And so the solemnitie is tyed to the time To observed dayes after this manner is not like the appointing of houres for preaching or prayers on weeke dayes or times for the communion according to the policie and order set downe by everie particular congregation we tye not our selves to them not any peculiar service to any of them Wee use time then onely as a circumstance and for order and not as a sacred time let be as a holy festivitie Wee observe dayes after the same manner that the Jewes did howbeit not the same dayes nor with the same kinde of worship The change of the circumstance the day and manner of wotship doth not free us of Judaizing Non sublata sed mutata est significatio dierum saith Bellarmine and so it is with the Formalists Wee doe not say that the anniversarie revolution made the Jewish festivals ceremoniall for in the revolution of time there was no mysterie but the tying of such a peculiar service to the time of anniversarie resolution with such solomnitie To performe the same duty in substance upon the morall sabbath as occasion served had not beene ceremoniall What then they say ought not Christs inestimable benefites and notable acts to be remembred I answer Yes and so they are for where the gospell is preached his acts are published Christ is set forth crucified by the preaching of the word every communion day his passion and death is and will be remembred to his comming againe The Eucharist saith Bellarmine est memoriale omnium miraculorum quasi compendium vitae passionis resurrectionis Domini In the written word sermons prayers creeds catechismes his nativitie passion ascension c. are remembred It followeth not they should bee remembred therefore their memorie should be celebrated severally with the solemnity of a festivall day For the Lord hath appointed an holy day which we call the Lords day and may call Christs day as I said before for publishing all Christs acts and benefites Pope Alexander the 3. gave this reason wherefore the Romane Church doth not observe an holy day to the Trinitie to wit because glorie to the Father and to the Sonne and to the holy Ghost and other like things belonging to the praise of the Trinitie are published daily Ecclesia Romana in usu non habet quòd in aliquo tempore hujusmodi celebrat specialiter festivitatem cum singulis diebus gloria patri filio spiritui sancto catera similia dicantur ad laudem pertinentia trinitatis The Popes ground must bee this Whatsoever is treated on or remembred in the ordinarie divine service needeth not a speciall holy day to celebrat the memorie of the same I assume The nativity passion resurrection ascension of Christ and sending downe the holy Ghost are not only remembred in privat but also in publike and in the ordinarie service specially on the Lords day If all be true that is affirmed by a councell holden at Constantinoplâ— that Christ was borne on this day the starre shined to the wisemen on it Christ fed 5000. persons with five loaves and two fishes on it that hee was baptized rose and sent downe the holy Ghost on it the light was treated on it and which Pope Leâ— affirmeth that the Lords day is consecrated with so many mysteries dispensed on it that whatsoever notable thing was done on earth was done to the honour of this day it appeareth that the Lord would have us to observe only this day as holy and sanctified by himself for the proclaiming of all his worthy acts and not to presume to institute holy festivities upon our owne heads There is no danger but the memorie of Christs nativitie c. will be preserved to the end of the world without observing such solemnities and making holy dayes which lyeth not in the power of man This pretext of remembring and putting in minde hath beene a cloak to bring in crosses images surplices and other popish garments with much other superstition and among the rest these memoriall dayes THE JVDGEMENT OF FORraine Divines I Passe by the Petrobrusians the Waldenses and Wicleffs followers and come to later times Luther in his booke de bonis operibus set forth anno 1520. wished that there were no festivall dayes among Christians but the Lords day only were observed And in his booke to the nobilitie of Germanie he saith Consulâ—â— nesse ut oâ—nia festa aboleantur solo die dominico retentâ— That is It were expedient that all feasts were abolisâ—ed tâ—e Lords day onely being retained Farellus and Viâ—et râ—nâ—â—ed all holy dayes out of the Church of Geneva as Calvine epist. 118. testifieth The same decree which banished Farellus and Calvine out of Geneva brought in other holy dayes In a nationall synod holden at Dort anno 1578. of the Belgick Almaine and French Churches we have these words Optandum forâ—t nostros sex diebus laborare diem solum Dominicum celebrare That is It were to be wished that our countrie people laboured six dayes and celebrated only the Lords day So yee may see festivall dayes are rather tolerated by them because of the wilfulnesse of the magistrates and people then commended or allowed Among the articles agreed upon and concluded concerning ecclesiasticall policie in the Palatinaâ— anno 1602. we have this following Omnes Feriâ— per annum festi dies tollendi è medio All the festivall dayes through the yeare are to be abolished Yee see where they finde the opportunity they abolished them Bucer howbeit not
one of the precisest reformers upon Mathew 2. hath these words as I finde him cited by Amesius in his fresh suit pag. 360. I would to God that evâ—ry holy day whatsoever beside the Lords day were abolished That zeal which brought them first in was without all warrant or example of the Scripture and onely followed naturall reason to drive out the holy dayes of the pagans as it were to drive out one nail with another Those holy dayes have beene defiled with so grosse superstitions that I marvell if there be any Christian who doth not shake at their very names Seeing then festivall dayes have no warrant we ought not to hear the sermons delivered on these dayes of purpose for the day for that is the chiefe element of a festivall day to use a peculiar kinde of service proper to it And without divine service it were but an idle day not a holy day The word of God is good of it selfe but may bee abused to charming and to foster superstition whereof we should keepe our selves free that wee be not guiltie of the prophanation of the name of God Our preachers went to rebuke the people when they conâ—eened more frequently to the Church npon any festivall day falling upon an ordinarie day of teaching howbeit neither time nor text was changed But how farre have both preachers and professours degenered without appearance of amendment At the beginning of the late novations they were skar but now many have digested that scruple OF CONFIRMATION OUr act it is true alledgeth that the Papists have made of the triall of young children their education and how they are catechised a sacrament of confirmation as if no such thing were aimed at but the said triall yet in respect that by that act the pretended bishop shall cause them to bee presented before him that hee may blesse them with prayer for the increase of their knowledge and continuance of his heavenly grace with every one of them and wee know that they dare and will take upon them the rest of the rites used in the English Church laying of hands c. we reason as before against confirmation as it is used in the English Church Yet two things I perceave in the act as it standeth The one is that the bishop is not â—ound to try by himselfe every one that is to be presented before him but only to try whither the minister hath beene remisse in catechising and yet he must upon the report of others blesse them with prayer for the increase of knowledge and continuance of grace Next that he must blesse who hath not a calling to blesse that hee must blesse as if hee were the pastour of all the souls within the diocie old and young which charge that null and pretended assembly could not give him seeing it hath beene acknowledged before in free assemblies to have no warrant in the word of God and hath beene suppressed by our Church as a damnable office Therefore his blessing is but a prophanation with his fingers But what language is this to say that the bishop shall blesse them with prayer for to blesse is one thing and to pray another For prayer seeketh of God good things for us but to blesse is in Gods name to assure us that the blessing of God is upon us and shall accompanie us But let us come to their paterne That which now the Papists make the sacrament of confirmation was of old a part of the solemnitie of baptisme After the person was baptized they laid on hands that is prayed for increase and continuance of grace to the baptized as we doe now but without laying on of hands because it was a rite indifferent without any use but to designe the person for whom the prayer was made and afterward abused to make up another sacrament Afterward entred a superstitious device to strike Chrisme that is oile of olives tempered with balme in manner of a crosse upon the forehead of the baptized This anointing in the forme of a crosse was called signation or consignation because of the signe of the crosse made upon the forehead This unction or consignation and imposition of hands became in the mindes of superstitious men so necessarie that without them they thought they had not gotten their perfite christendome that the signe of the oily crosse perfited baptisme and conferred the spirit of God upon the baptized Tâ—â—s consignation and imposition of hands at the closure of baptisme was called confirmation like as the giving of the cup to the communicants after they have receaved the bread was called also confirmâ—tion as Cassander hath observed but the 〈◊〉 controued onely with the first The bâ—shops arrogated to themselves the unction or consignation and imposition of hands to advance their estate They doe that part which consummateth baptisme which maketh a fall and peâ—fite Christian. But when it was found that the bishop could not bee present at every baptisme the priest was permitted after baptisme to anoint the baptized in the top of the head with holy Chrisme but he must not crosse the forehead That must bee reserved to the bishops leasure Then they were presented to the bishop to be confirmed and get their perfite Christendome by ritâ—s which were appendicles and câ—remonie of baptâ—sme before Thâ— English at their rude reformation reserved imposition of hands to the bishop and gave their priest power to make the signe of the crosse upon the forehead of the baptized but without chrisme Howbeit there bee no greater antiquitie for the crossing without it then with it they call notwithstanding the bishops imposition of hands onely confirmation and not their priests crossing of the forehead And yet when the priest crosseth he saith Wee receave this childe into the congregation of Christs flock in token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confesse the faith of Christ crucified and manfully to fight under his banner against sinne the world and the devill and to continue Christs faithfull souldier unto his lifes end Which words agree according to their doctrine better with confirmation For doe they not say that in baptisme infants 〈◊〉 admitted to live in Gods family but in conf 〈◊〉 they are rabled to fight in the armie of God That in baptisme they beleeve the remission of sinne unto justification in confirmation they are emboldened to make open professon of this beleefe unto salvation And this is just the doctrine of the Papists So they have parted the rits of confirmation or els they must acknowledge that they have two-confirmations which is as absurd But let us come to the last and that which they call confirmation or laying on of hands It is true in their articles set forth anno 1562. they deny confirmation to be a sacrament and acknowledge that it flowed from a naughtie imitation of the Apostles But Doctour Rainolds in the conference holden at Hampton court alledged that that article was contradicted by
or have warrant to baptise but pastours or ministers It is necessitas medii then that driveth them to such courses The English service book permitteth in privat baptisme to omit the doctrine concerning the institution and use of baptisme and also to spare the Lords prayer if the time will not suffer That booke supposeth likewise that some things essentiall to this sacrament may bee omitted in the privat ministration through feare or haste in such extremitie Is this reuerent using of the holy things of God or is it sure worke that forceth them to flie to a conditionall baptisme The case of baptisme and circumcision is not alike for the Lord appointed a precise time for circumcision to wit the eight day which in no casâ— they might prevent suppose the infant should die in the meane time It might have beene delayed if there were some urgent occasion to hinder as in the wildernesse for many yeares because they behoved to be in readinesse to remove according to the moving of the cloudy rollar But Moses had no urgent occasion therefore the Lord chastised him and Sephora circumcised the childe Moses being sicke Her example was not imitated by the Jewes themselves after and the Church of God was yet in families When synagogues were erected and places for the publike service of God circumcision was ministred onely in publike as some thinke and so it is an this day in the synagogues where a synagogue is to bee had Others hold that the Lord committed not the act or office of circumcision to the priests or Levits but that the infants were circumcised at home the family and nighbours being conveened because present remedy was to be provided for curing of the wound Barraillus the Jesuit saith that circumcision required not either a peculiar place or a peculiar minister Suarez saith that at this day he that is called the circumciseth circumciseth indifferently in the house or the synagogue But it is not so in baptisme as it cannot be ministred but by a lawfull minister so likewise only in the publicke assembly The make of circumcision was permanent and by it the circumcised might bee easily discerned whither they were counterfite professours or not But it is not so in baptisme The paschall lambe was eaten only in families and small societies conveened in some chamber on parlour and might not be eaten in publick assemblies But who dare affirme that the Lords supper howbeit it be the sacrament answerable to it must be celebrated after the same manner Different is the case betweene the sacraments of the old law which belonged to one nation and the sacraments under the Gospel belonging to the whole Christian world The Lords supper is the sacred banket of the whole Church assembled together saith Bullinger in his Decades and therefore saith he the Apostle requireth the Corinthianâ— to assemble together to partake of this supper 1 Corin. 1â— 32. It is a finew of publicke assemblies a hadge of our profession a band of love and representation of 〈◊〉 communion and fellowship which is and ought to bee among the members of the congregation It is not a part or two or three but the whole body of the congregation which is compared to one bread when the Apostle saith We that are manie are one bread and one body for we are partakers afore bread Corin. 10. 17. Because it is not possible to us to celebrat a sacramentall union with the whole Church militant the Lord hath appointed us to keepe a sacramentall communion with some particular congregation or visible Church The Doctour borroweth an absurd answer from Bellarmine and the Rhemists that were have sacramentall communion with the whole militant Church howbeit it be not so visible as with any one particular Church and his reason is because wee are partakers of the same sacrament I reply with Master 〈◊〉 answer to the Rhemists Although all the faithfull even those that never receaved the sacrament by faith communicate with Christs body yet doe they alone communicate sacramentally which have their communion sealed by the outward action of eating of one sacramentall bread And that the Apostle meaneth of these that in one congregation or Church eat together and not of the communion of us with those that receave the sacrament in another Church it is evident for that he placeth the seal of this communion in eating all of one bread and of one table Whereas they that communicate in another congregation communicate not of one table or bread with them that are so removed no more then they that celebrated the passeover in divers houses were partakers of one lambe or kid It is the same sacrament in spece or kinde but not in number Wee communicate in one fruit or effect because we all receave the same Christ but that is a spirituall not a sacramentall communion saith Chamier For it was never heard saith he that these in Jerusalem communicate sacramentally with those in Alexandria Otherwise what needed the bishop of Rome to send the eucharist to other bishops when they come to Rome The Lords supper then should not be celebrated but in the assembly of the faith for united together in one bodie of a Church A companie conveened apart from the rest to communicate with the sicke person is not unied by themselves into the body of a Church farre lesse three of foure asttake the English service booke meaneth to be a number sufficient seeing they allow the communion to bee ministred to three or foure in the Church and in the time of plague sweat or such other like contagious sicknesses the minister may communicate with the person diseased alone Ergo coena Domini non est privata sed publica nulli privatim danda Et quoniam non est publicus vel generallis catus quandò quatuor aut quinque cum agro communicant nihil dicunt quia not apud agros coenam instrui pâ—sse si alis quoque simul coenent saith Bullinger That is Seeing it is not a publicke or generall meeting when three or foure communicate with the sicke they say nothing to purpose who say that the supper may bee celebrated beside the sicke if others also communicate Suppose a companie of the faithfull in a family be called a Church Rom. 16. 7. because the whole family consisting of Christians and frequently exercised in religious exercises resembleth in some sort a Church and may be called ecelesiola as it were a little Church Yet it is not that Church which hath the power and right to use the sacraments and censures for then every family in a Christian commonwealth might celebrate the sacraments at home So howbeit the name be communicated for the greater commendation of such a family yet the definition doth not agree And yet that place may be applied to the Church which used to conveene in Aquila and Priscilla's house In that same chapter Gaius is called the host of the whole Church See
Cor. 11. Hieron in Psal. 147. Oecumenâ—us in 1 Cor. 11. Origen in num Homil. 23. 16. The third reason examined L. p. 74. pag. 46. The intent of the church of England in kneeling D. B. of kneeling p. 30. Reply 2. part pag. 50. The pretence of prayer examined Of the eucharist p. 95. De eucharistia l. 8. c. 3. num 22 23. Doctour Lindseves proceedings at â—e th page 5â— page 336. De sacram lib. 1. c. 10. s. 7. pag. 68. P. pag. 334. pag. 299. No pretence of prayer in our act The intent of the kneeler must be interpreted by the act Of the manner of their adoration D. Ames 1. reply pag. 54. part 2. Hooker l. 5. s. 67. pag. 142 145. Epist. 76. De Eucharis lib. 1. cap. 2. pag. 70. Kneeling in the act of receiving can not be free of idolatrie The first argument Treatise of idolatieâ— pag. 142. The uncovering of the head not like kneeling Occasionall â—neeling not warrant â—â—r ordinarie â— pag. 88. Levit. 9. 23 24. The originall of unbeâ—eef pag. 332. Salomons kneeling at the dedication of the temple Of kneeling pag. 7. The pretence of objectum a quo significative De imaginibus cap. 19. 20. 21. De cultu adorat Disp. 108. num 73. De adorat disp 108. num 90. num 132. 134. disp 110 num 34. Disp. 109. num 7. De adorat disp 106. num 2. 6. Disp. 108. num 128. pag. â—5 pag. 84. 85. 81. 92. D. B. of kneeling pag. 33. Reply 2. part pag. 65. No difference betweene images and the elements in the case of adoration L. pag. 77. De adorat disp 104. num 24. pag. 68. De adorat disp 110. Solut. p. â—62 Mediat civill worâ—â—ip no good warrant De civitat Dei lib. 10. cap. 4. Chamier de Imagin c. 6. num 9. pag. 228. Gods extraordinarie presence in the arke De cultu Sanct. l. 3. c. 4. Their relative adoratioâ— The second argument De adoratione disput 93. num 45. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. B. pag. 68. P. pag. 387. Decret pag. 366. Lib. 3. de natura Dâ—â—rum Suarez in 3. part tom 3. p. 780. Bellar. de eâ—char l. 2. c. 3. l. 4. c. 29. Alger de saâ—cram altar l. 2. c. 3. Tarnov de ministeâ— 10. l. 2. c. 31. The pretence of mentall prayer pag. 102. 109. pag. 112. 〈…〉 disp 93. num 11. pag. 199. pag. 236. Drusti praeterita in Matth. 6. The pretence of reall prayer or thanksgiving L. pag. 107. Exercit. p. 517. Willets qu. 1. of the sacraments Pezel refutatio Catechismi Iefuit pag 421. 〈…〉 cit pag. 224. De Missa l. 1. c. 13. lib. 2. c. 9. The pretence of receaving a benefite In 3. tom 1. 〈◊〉 p. 93. num 20. 21. Contra Gardiner col 735. edit 1581. De consecrat dist 2. cap. 56. dist 4. c. 131. Dist. 2 c. 47. Bellarm. de Euchar. l. 1. cap. 11. Becan de Coena calie c. 11. Reply to Harding art 1. Whittakerus de sacram pag. 68. Hom. 3. in epist ad Ephesios Vazquez de adorat disp 94. num 7. If we may receave upon our knees what we crave upon our knees The pretence of humility and reverence Of the institution of the supper p. 63. Theses theolog pag. 476. Of the Lords supper 1. part pag. 40. The great sacriledge of the Church of Rome pag. 206. Confess c. 4. Nota. The 11 12 13 14 15. lines in the 33. page are not Master Moulines words but the authours Festivall dayes aboliâ—â—ed by our Church That is Easter and Châ—istâ—â—s The first reaâ—â—â—â— against festival dayâ—s Zanehâ—tom 4. col 655. Willet Synop p. 501. Kuchiliâ—us in Catechismo Perkins Galat 4. Whittakers opera pag. â—â— What changeable what unchangeable in the 4. precept Theses Theolog. pag. 528. pag 110. DE opificio 〈◊〉 undi in fol. pag. â—5 The sabbath observed before Moses time pag. 45. 〈◊〉 epist. ad 〈◊〉 Hebr. â— 4. v. â— De emeâ—â—at temp lib. 1. Dissertatio â—e origine sabbathi Lib. 3. 32. Euseb. de prepar evangel l. 13. c. 7. De vita Mosis l. 2. Buxtors synag Iudaica c. 11. p. 287. Adversus Iudaeos c. â— In Gen. 2. pag. 47. De diebuâ—â—estis cap. 4. pag. 7. De festis c. 1. num 12. De festâ—s c 2. Differences betwixt the sabbath and anniversarie feasts See Casâ—ub exercit pag. 482. Scaliger de 〈…〉 Exortat pag. Epist. 86. ad Casulanum The saturday sabbath changed Addenda prolegomenis in libroâ— de emendatione temporuâ— The Lords day observed in and from the Apostles times pag. 211. 212. Discourse pag. â—3 pag. 43. De verbo Dei non script cap 3. â— pag. â—2 De verbo Dei non serâ—pto pâ—o c. 9. Dissert pag. 172. Praelect in Genes cap. 2. Orat. de laudib Constantini De operiâ— Dei part 3. â— 1. c. 〈◊〉 539. Syntag. lib. 1. cap. 47. In Genes cap. 2 3. The Lords day substitute to the old sabbath Sâ—arez de diebus festis cap. 1. nu 15. The perpetâ—ity of a seventh day â—â—non Iâ—â—â—g p. 198. 1. 2. quaest 100. art 1â— De cultu sanct lib. 3. c. 11. Homil. 10. in gen 2. quaest in Gen. De festis c. 4. num 9. The Lords day unchangeable De festis c. 4. num 10. Num. 10 11. All diffeâ—ence of dayes not abrogated The manner of observation Drusius de tribus sectis lib. 4. pag. 31. Secunda secundae quâ—â—st 122. art 1. aâ—â— secundum Dâ—civie De lib. 22. c. 30. Synops. pag. 500. De 〈◊〉 sancâ— c. 10. Galaâ— 4. 10. Policie 5. book sect â—2 The Lords day not a festivall De festis c. 4. Epist. 86. ad Casulanum De cultuâ— sanctorum cap. 11. Diâ— 76. c. 11. Câ—erum toâ—â—â—1 p. 227. Tom. 3. l. 29 cap. 6. num 6 Theolog polemica p. 509 The dayes of Purim pag. 18. Biblioth li. p. 20. De sacram pag. 206. Against the Rhem. Apoc. 1. 10. Contr. 3. l. 4. cap. 17. 〈◊〉 5. 3 part decre â—i dist 3. c. 2. De â—etal titulo de Faeriis cap. Conquestus Alstedii polemic p. 399. The dayes of dedication 〈◊〉 in Marc. 2. 18. De emendat temp The third reason against festivall dayes The Apostles observed no festivall dayes Bellar. de cultu sanctor cap. 13. Whitak cont 1. quest 6. cap. 12. Defence of the ceremonies pag. 64. Decanone lib. 9. cap. 21. num 15. â—omâ— col 671. â—5 c. 24 25. pag. 53. Elench trihaeresiâ— c. 2â— lib. 5. c. 21. Epist. ad Luciâ—â—um Chamier com 3. l. 19. cap. 7. n. 37. Whitak de scriptura quaest 6. c. 9. Tom. 3. l. 19. c. 7. num 9. The fourth reason against festivall dayes Epist. 4. The fifth reason against festivall daye Tom. 4. col 678. Col. 679. Col. 678. â—resh 〈◊〉 2. â—art pag. 84. Homil. 61. 2d populuâ—n Antiocheâ—um pag. 18. 23. pag. 25. pag. 23. 18. De eucharist l. 3. c. 9. Decretal l. 2. tit 9. cap. Concil Constantinop 6. Can. 8. The judgement of forraine Divines The act examined The originall of the act of the sacrament of confirmation Cassand Liturg p. 218. Chemier tom 4. l. 4. cap. 11. Spalato l 5. c. 5. Hooker l. 5. p. 353. Hooker l. 5. p. 354. Hockwells serâ—ron of confirmation The Formaâ—ists hold confirmation to be a sacrament De politera l. 3. c. 16. Parkerus de politeia l. 3. c. 16. l. 12. Defence l. 3. c. 4. l. 6. Ordinarie imposition of hands a gesture of prayer De rep l. 5. c. 5. nun 33. cap. 11. Ordinarie imposition of hands 2 â—esture of â—rayer In penâ—ate uc Fin. p. 370. De confirm cap. 7. Imposition of hands used as a sacrament 〈◊〉 2 de baptism c. 16. Estius in l. 4. dist 7. The bishop not the proper minister of confirmation In lib. 4. dist 7. num 17. In lib. 4. dist â— Quaest Quaest. 101. In 3. tom 3. disp 36. sect 1. Synt. part 1. disp 25. De rep l. 5. c. 12. num 23. Amach l. 3. 〈◊〉 quaestionum lib. 11. Dist 45. c. 6. Adversus Luciferianos Decretal l. 1. 〈…〉 De rep l. 5. c. 12. n. 24. Suarez in 3. to n. 3. disp 36. sect 1 Adversus Luciferianos Institut l. 4 c. 19. sect 9. Beda in ps 26. Notae 〈◊〉 dispâ—â—aboritrr p. 28. The preteÌ„ce of catechising young children Di polit l. 3. c. 16. sect 11. Obedience pag. â—52 The judgement of our church concerning ad Ministration of the sacrament in privat places Reasons against povat administration Tiâ—â— insyâ—ag de haâ—â—â— parte 〈…〉 pag. 110. Part 3. quest 7 artic 5. The distinction of ordinarie and extraordinary frivolous Where two or three are gathered c. Against privat baptisme Epist. 185. Censura c. 9. Reasons Privat baptisme hath bred the necessitie of baptisme Lib. 5. â— 21. Baptisme prophaned by privat administration Proceedings pag. 105. The case of baptisme and circumcision different Bueanus lec 46. Zepperus de sacram pag. 251. Chamier tom 4. lib. 5. c. 14. Barrad tom 1. l. 9. c. 2. Suar. in 3. partem tom 3. disp 29. sect 2. Reasons against privat communion Decad. 5. ferm 9. pag. 117. 118. On 1 Corin. 11. §. 14. Tom. 4. l. 7. c. 13. num 33. Dead 5. serm 9. The preteâ—â—ded necessitie of privat communions Miscellan pag. 166. Epist 361. Decad 5. serm 9. Disp. 61. thes 36. On Job 6. 1. 8. Râ—eti Cathol Câ—thodo tom 2. pag. 198. Privat communion hath bred neglect and irreverence Ricti cathol orthod tom 2. p. 199. De eucharist lib. 4. cap. 23.