AN EXAMINATION AND CONFVTATION of a Lawlesse Pamphlet INTITVLED A briefe Answer to a late Treatise of the SABBATH-DAY Digested Dialogue-wise betweene two Divines A and B. By Dr. FR. WHITE L. Bishop of ELY â— COR. 13. We can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth Hieronymuâ— de Luciferianis dicit Facilius eos vinci posse quam persuaderi LONDON Printed by Richard Badger and are to be sold in S. Pauls Church-yard 1637. TO THE CHRISTIAN AND IVDICIOVS READER THe Reason and Occasion inducing my Superiours to imploy mee in a service of the Church for penning and publishing a Treatise of the Sabbath and of the lord's-Lord's-day is delivered in my Epistle Dedicatory to the Lord's Grace of Canterbury And my intention in performing thereof was to deliver and maintaine the Orthodoxall Doctrine of the Primitive Church and the Doctrine of the Church of England authorised by the Lawes and Statutes of our Kingdome against the Sabbatarian Error of one Theophilus Brabourne and because this Errant had grounded the most of his Arguments upon certaine Principles borrowed from some Moderne Teachers of our owne Nation I was compelled to examine and confute the same This service being with much Care and Diligence performed by me I expected some thankes for convicting and converting that Errant and for preventing the farther spreading and infection of his Error But at least I presumed to have obtained a charitable Construction of such Passages in my Treatise as were subservient to a farther discovery of Verity and that if any had found cause of dissenting from me they would in a charitable and peaceable manner have propounded their Exceptions It hath now so fallen out that contrary both to my desert and expectation A certaine clamorous and audacious Scripturient a Person of a very weak judgement but yet exceeding confident and arrogant hath vented a Lawlesse and unlicensed Pamphlet digested Dialogue-wise c. wherein he Proclaimeth with open mouth that my Treatise of the Sabbath overthroweth the publike Doctrine of the Church of England touching that Question Now the whole matter and frame of his Dialogue is so rude and indigested and the Author thereof is so notorious for his ignorance envy and presumption that it rather merits execration than confutation and many Persons of worth and quality have perswaded me rather to contemne than to confute either the worke or the workeman But when I consider the cause it selfe and the humour of factious people who are alwaies ready to conceive their owne fancies to be irrefragable Verities if they passe in publike without just reproofe I conceive it can be no indiscretion in Me or dishonour for Me to appeare in defence of Veritie against falsitie and iniquitie how base and unworthy soever the Author is with whom I shall contest Now all which I shall desire of the judicious Reader is first that he take into consideration the maine accusation of the Dialogist which is That in my Treatise of the Sabbath I have overthrowne the publike Doctrine of the CHURCH of ENGLAND touching this Question Secondly that he will duely and impartially consider and examine in the ballance of true judgement the Adversaries Exceptions and Objections against my Arguments and Positions and my Answere and confutation of the same Concerning the maine accusation of the Objector before mentioned the Reader may easily discerne the falsity and iniquitie of it for the Doctrine of the Church of England concerning the Sunday and other Holy dayes is in plaine and expresse termes delivered in the Statute of Quinto and Sexto of King EDWARD the sixt cap. 3. in manner following Neither is it to be thought that there is any certaine time or number of dayes prescribed in holy Scripture but that the appointment both of the time and also of the number of the dayes is left by the authoritie of God's Word to the libertie of CHRIST'S Church to be determined and assigned orderly in every Countrey by the discretion of the Rulers and Ministers thereof as they shal judge most expedient to the setting forth of God's glorie and the edification of their people Be it therefore enacted by the King our Sovereigne Lord with the assent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled by the authority of the same that all the dayes hereafter mentioned shall bee kept and commanded to be kept holy dayes and none other that is to say All Sundayes in the yeere The dayes of the Feasts of the Circumcision of our Lord IESUS CHRIST of the Epiphanie of the Purification of the blessed Virgine of S. Matthias the Apostle c. And that none other day shall be kept holy day or to abstaine from lawfull bodily labour The former Statute being repealed Anno primo Mariae cap. 2. was revived An. prim R. IACOBI cap. 25. and is at this day in force as appeareth by the booke of Statutes pag. 894. and by the judgement of the Reverend Iudges and Masters in our Lawes A Second passage which I desire the judicious Reader to observe is That the Doctrine concerning the Sabbath day and the Lord's day maintained in my Treatise agreeth exactly with the unanimous Tenet of the Orthodoxall Catholike Church of ancient times and the same agreeth likewise with the Tenet both of all the Schoole Doctours ancient and moderne and also with the Tenet of the best learned and most religious Divines of the reformed Churches beyond Sea And lastly the same is agreeable to the Tenet of the Holy Martyrs of our owne Church Bishop Cranmer Iohn Frith William Tindall D. Barnes c. And the other opinion That the fourth Commandement is a Precept of the Law of Nature and purely and intirely Morall And that the observation of the Lord's Day is expresly commanded by that Precept of the Decalogue is a novell Position repugnant to all or most Orthodoxall Divines who have instructed Christian people in the wayes of godlinesse in former or moderne times Every one of the former passages is so fully prooved and confirmed in my Treatise of the Sabbath that no just exception can be taken against my proceeding in handling this Question and therefore the boldnesse and impudency of this blattering Dialogist is detestable when he affirmeth that my Treatise of the Sabbath overthroweth the Doctrine of the Church of England Lastly all the Reward which I desire to reape for my travell in this or in any other service of the Church is that the Truth which I have faithfully delivered may bee maintained and my integrity be protected against gracelesse impudent and irreverent Calumniators such as the Author of the Dialogue hath proclaimed himselfe to be in this and in some other of his lewd and lawlesse Pamphlets For although this Dialogue penner hath concealed his name yet Ex ungue Leonem the world may easily conjecture who the Creature is by his foule paw The Scope of his writing in his Pamphlets is to magnifie his owne Zeale piety
of prescribing a time and day of holy rest unto the Lord of the Sabbath who hath expressed his will and pleasure herein in his Law of the fourth Commandement as our Homily saith Answ The Bishop acknowledgeth a morall equity in the fourth Commandement for the observation of necessary sufficient and convenient times dayes houres c. For Gods publike worship and the performance of spirituall and Religious of fices And for ought this Objector hath said or can say to the contrary more than this cannot bee proved out of the Law of the fourth Commandement or by any necessary illation from any sentence of the Commandement Or from any principle of the Law of Nature b Lorea 1. 2. de leg Disp 8. Legis naturae alia sunt prima principia practica per se nota alia sunt conclusiones ex principiis deductae coÌ„clusiones autem aliae universaliores proximiores primis principiis aliae quae à primis principiis magis distant sunt specialiores de particularibus objectis For the Principle of naturall Law is God is duly and religiously to be worshipped but unlesse convenient and sufficient time be appointed God Almighty cannot bee duly and religiously worshipped Therefore a necessary convenient and sufficient time must bee appointed c Alex. Hal. 3. q. 32. m. 2. De ratione benè ordinata est quod cum semper non possumus vacare Deo propter temporales corporales necessitates quod aliquaÌ„do vacemus oportet igitur habere tempus aliquod determinatuÌ„ either expressely by God Himselfe or by such as he hath ordained to bee his Stewards and Officers in the Church for Divine worship 2 The fourth Commandement enjoyned the Iewes to keepe holy the seventh day being our Saturday but from hence we cannot conclude by necessary inference that the fourth Commandement enjoyneth Christians to keep holy the Sunday being the first day of the weeke For the speciall and proper materiall object of every Law is a substantiall part of that Law but if the substantiall part of any Law be changed and taken away a new Subject or materiall Object is no part of the old Law but another law must be ordained for the seâ—ling of that new Subject and materiall object in the place of the former 3 Whereas the Objector pretendeth that the Church of England disclaimeth all power of setling the particular time of God's publike worship how then commeth it to passe that this Church commandeth the solemne observation of Easter Whitsuntide Christmasse and of many other Holy-dayes to be dayes and times for the religious service of God and Christ A. But the Homily seemes to favour his opinion saying godly Christian people began to chuse them a standing day of the weeke c. and therefore it seemes to be at the Churches choyce B. Our choyce doth not necessarily imply a power of institution we are said to chuse life and truth before death and error are we therefore the Authors of them Againe our choyce herein is according to God's Commandement Thirdly the Homily saith expressely that those godly Christian people did in their choyce follow the example and Commandement of God Now what example c The Example of God specified in the fourth CoÌ„mandement was his own resting ceasing upon the olde Sabbath Day from the worke of prime Creation and not our Saviour his resting from the work of Resurrection upon the first day of the weeke had they but Christ's rising and resting that day after the example of God's resting the seventh day And for Commandement they had both the fourth Commandement and an Apostolicall Precept 1 Cor. 16. d No generall commandemâ—t common to all Christians for the weekely observation of Sunday is delivered in these two Texts of holy Scripture And that place in the Revelation appropriating this Day as holy to the Lord and so ratified by God himselfe And who were they which taught those godly Christian people to keep that day viz. The Apostles And therefore we must put a vast difference betweene the unerring Apostles and the succeeding Churches so as the Homily is cleare against him Answ The Objector saith The Churches choice doth not necessarily imply a power of institution c. It is answered making choyce many times implyes a free election and institution both in Scripture Deut. 26.2 1 Sam. 17.8 and in Ecclesiasticall and Humane Authors and that it is thus to be understood in the Homily is proved in manner following The sense of the Homily is according to the authorized Doctrine of the Church of England But the authorized Doctrine of the Church of England is That the appointment both of the time and number of dayes is left by the authority of Gods Word to the liberty of the Church to be assigned orderly by the discretion of the Rulers and Ministers thereof as they shall judge most expedient to the true setting forth of Gods glory and the edification of the people Ergo the Churches choyce according to the Homily is a free election of a convenient day and of other convenient and sufficient time for the service of God and the edification of Christian people 2 There is a great difference betweene a Precept and an Example The Homily saith that godly Christians to wit by imitation of God's example observed a seventh day but it affirmeth not that they did this by an expresse Commandement of any Divine Law Also godly Christians made the fourth Commandement of the Decalogue a motive to induce them to make one day of seven a weekly Holy day but that which is only a motive or a reason inducing and perswading to performe an action is not an expresse imperative or formall Law The sense therefore of the Homily is That Christians made choyce of a weekely standing day by the rule of the equity of the fourth Commandement and not by any expresse or formall Divine Law c Walaeus d. Sab. â— 7. Nec Christus nec ipsi Apostoli ex praescripto Christi de observatione hujus diei ulluÌ„ expressum mandatum quemadmodum de aliis pietatis officiis reliquerunt Non videtur autem ullo modo verisimile Si Christus nos ad observationem ullius diei ut partem cultus voluisset astringere fuisse fucurum ut id nullo praecepto indicasset Bulling Apoc. 2. Non legimus eam ullibi praecepâ—am Hospinian d. seâ— cap. 8. Non invenitur Apostolos aut alios lege aliqua aut praecepto observationem ejus instituisse 3 Our Saviour's Resurrection upon one Sunday in the yeare cannot of it selfe unlesse some precept were added be a Law to enjoyne Christians to observe every Sunday of the Weeke throughout the whole yeare reade pag. 302. 4 The fourth Commandement is directly and in plaine termes for Saturday pag. 182 183. and therefore if that Commandement is still in force according to the literall sense then the Christian Church is obliged to observe the old legall
The Church in this sinneth not as being not guilty of the breach of the fourth Commandement which bindeth us Christians to no certaine proportion of time as the Adversary himselfe would have it but in this respect is now abrogated c. Answ The Objector at his entrance saith Now I shall prove â—nd make it evident c Q. Curtius Apud Bactrianos dici solet Canem timiduÌ„ vehementius latrare quùm mordere c. and then falsifieth his word for his Argument is of no force at all If saith Br. B. the naturall equity of the fourth Commandement determineth not one particular and certaine day of the week but only a sufficient and convenient time for Divine worship Then there is no obligatory equity in the fourth Commandement And the Church sinneth not if it appoint one day in twenty forty a hundred or one day or halfe a day in a yeere or in an age c. But the Adversary maintaineth that the naturall equity of the fourth Commandement prescribeth only a sufficient and convenient time but no one certaine or fixed day of the weeke Ergo. The Adversary leaveth it in the Churches liberty and arbiterment to allow as small a proportion of time to wit one day in 20. 40. 100. or in the whole yeare c. as it pleaseth The consequence of the former argument is a Lame Giles for one day in 20. 40. 100. or in the whole yeare Or one halfe day in a Weeke Moneth or Yeare c. is not a competent and sufficient time for God's service or for religious duties and for the spirituall edification of Christian people Therefore the naturall equity of the fourth Commandement requiring a necessary competent and sufficient time for Divine worship obligeth the Church to allow a greater measure and proportion of time than one only day in 20. 40. 100. c. B. Argument 1. Observe we the words of the Commandement Remember the Sabbath Day a Praemittitur memento quia nimirum cum non siâ— naturale praeceptâ— poterant illud facile Iudaei oblivisci to keepe it holy which words saith the learned Zanchy b Zanc. d. oper Redemp in 4. Mand. Adjecimus sine ulla conscientiae obligatione fuisse hunc diem divino cultui destinatum Hoc liquet è sacriâ— literis Nullibi enim legimus Apostolos hoc cuipiam mandasse tantum lâ—gimus quid solitâ— fuerâ—â—t facere Apostoli fideles illâ— die liberum igitur reliquerunt Walaeus de Sabb. pag. 156. Nec Christus nec ipsi Apost ex praescripto Christi de observatione hujus diei ullum expressum mandatum quemadmodum de aliis pietatis officiis reliquerunt are the very morall substance of the fourth Commandement The Lord saith not remember to sanctifie some convenient and sufficient time as the Church shall thinke fit The Commandement prescribeth a certaine and set time yea a day the Sabbath Day one day in the weeke which is the Sabbath day Againe it teacheth what day in the week the Sabbath day is to wit the Sabbath day of the Lord thy God that day in the weeke wherein the Lord our God resteth must bee our Sabbath Day So that as the Commandement prescribes unto us a weekely Sabbath day to be sanctified So God's president and example points out unto Vs what or which day in the weeke we must rest on to sanctifie it And this is not only the naturall equity which the Adversary in generall confesseth but the very naturall Law and substance of the fourth Commandement to prescribe a set solemne day in the weeke to be sanctified and not to leave it in the power of Man or of the Church to appoint what time they please The Reasons are these 1. because the Commandement expressely limiteth one set day in the week being the Sabbath day of the Lord our God Now the Commandement prescribing a set and fixed day in the weeke what humane power shall dare to alter it into an indefinite time call it what you will convenient or sufficient to be appointed at the pleasure of man This is with the Papists to commit high sacriledge in altering the property of God's Commandements For upon this ground of generall equity they have beene bold to suppresse the second Commandement saying it is comprised in the first As they have robbed the people of the Cup in the Sacrament saying the bloud is contained in the body under the formes of Bread So our Adversary imagining a generall I wot not what equity in the fourth Commandement of some certaine uncertaine time for God's publike worship doth thereby destroy the very propertie of the Commandement which expressely prescribeth the Sabbath Day in every weeke Answ 1. This argument is downe right for Theophilus Brabourne's Tenet concerning the Saturday Sabbath For Saturday is the set fixed and particular day in the weeke concerning which God said Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy That speciall weekely day which is called the Sabbath of the Lord thy God This only day and no other was it In which the Lord God rested from the worke of prime Creation and God's example expressed in the fourth Commandement pointed out this particular day of the weeke and not any other of the sixe dayes The Law and substance of the fourth Commandement was fulfilled in the religious observation of this very day and during the time of the Old Law it was not in the power of the Church or of any humane creature to alter this day into any other Now from hence it is consequent that if the Christian Church stands obliged to observe that weekely day which was stiled the Sabbath of the Lord thy God and which is thus marked and pointed out in the fourth Commandement Then wee must observe the Legall Sabbath day according to Th. Brab his Tenet It might bee admired but that the pride and stupid ignorance of this Goose-quill is notorious that he should not foresee the consequence so directly concluding for the observation of the Old Legall Sabbath Secondly Whereas this Babler saith that they which deny that the fourth Commandement in time of the Gospell prescribeth a set and fixed weekely day for publike worship comply with the Pâ—pists who take away the second Commandement and the Cup from the people c. Our answer is 1. Let him resolve us whether Calvin Beza Bullinger P. Martir Rivetus b Rivet in Exod. 20. pag. 184. Quaestio agitatur an salâ—em unus è septem diebus etsi non à creatione septimus sed in unaquaque septimana in orbeÌ„ reâ—urreÌ„s septimus ex quarti praecepti vi ut qua morale est â—â—t necessario obserâ—andus in Ecclesia Christiana Resp pag. 186. ArgumeÌ„ta pro negativa parte talia sunt ut me moveant ne disceâ—am ab ea quam Calvinus probavit â—inâ—entia c. who mainâ—ained the former position complied with the Papists 2 Hee should first have proved by firme arguments but his manner is to
prate and not to prove that Christians under the Gospell have received an expresse Commandement from God for the Observation of a certaine particular day in every weeke In such manner as they have received the Commandements touching the non-adoration of Images and giving the Cup in the Eucharist But untill hee performe this which will bee impossible hee declareth himselfe a Rude Accuser and withall a foolish and babling disputer B. A second reason why it is not left in the power of the Church to Prescribe what time men please is Because it is God's prerogative as a Master to appoint his owne worship and service So the time a The time commanded in the fourth Commandement is Saturday the Old Legall Sabbath wherein hee will bee served This God Himselfe commandeth in the fourth Commandement Now as the King will not take it well that any meddle with his prerogative and arrogate that to himselfe which is the King 's right So God is justly offended when men presume to assume to themselves that power which is proper and peculiar to God alone b God is wel pleased when the Church assumeth such ministeriall power as he hath granted If any will take upon him to coine money by counterfeiting the King's stamp and name his act is Treason How then shall they escape who presume to coine what time they please for God's solemne worship though they set the counterfeit stamp of God upon it Now the Sabbath Day is of the Lord 's owne making c The Sabbath day of the fourth Commandement was of God's owne immediate making and if this day is the Lord's day Then Th. Brab is in the right and stamping and therefore called the Lord's Day Answ There is no colour of truth in this second reason 1 The Author of it dealeth falsely For the Bishop maintaineth not that it is in the Churches power to appoint what time men please for Divine Worship But hee saith the contrary to wit The Church must appoint such a measure and proportion of time for God's worship and for Religious Offices as is convenient competent and every way sufficient But hee that teacheth this leaveth it not in the power and liberty of the Church to prescribe what time men please Because such time as men please to appoint may be inconvenient incompetent and insufficient for so great and holy a worke 2 The argument it selfe is of no force For although all power of constituting time for his owne worship bee eminently and originally in God himselfe as likewise is the teaching of all supernaturall truth Matth. 23.8 Yet there is given to the Pastors of the Church a derivative delegate and ministeriall power both to teach God's people and likewise to appoint set fixed and convenient dayes and times and places for religious worship pag. 187. Where the great Lord and Master himselfe hath by his owne expresse or immediate Law ordained a particular day or time for his owne worship It is not lawfull for man to alter the same and therefore the Iewes in the Old Law might not change their Sabbath into another day But the Church by ministeriall and delegate power may adde and increase the number of Religious holy dayes if it be necessary or expedient for the peoples edification For in the very time of the Old Law when many festivall dayes were ordained by God's speciall mandate the Iewish Church notwithstanding upon speciall occasions appointed some new Holy Dayes Hest 9. 17. 1 Machab. 4.56 and our blessed Saviour Himselfe honoured one of these feasts with his owne presence Ioh. 10.22 But now in the time of the N. Test the Church of Christ must of necessity have power to ordain set times and festivall dayes for Divine worship and the spirituall edification of People because such dayes and times are necessary to the ends aforesaid and the Lord Himselfe by no expresse particular mandate of Holy Scripture hath commanded them 3 The Objector's similitudes borrowed from Royall Prerogative and coining or stamping monies are nothing worth for although no Subject may lawfully usurpe the Kings's authority or prerogative yet a Subject may receive power from the King's authority and Prerogative to do many things which otherwise were unlawfull for him to doe As appeareth in Iudges who from the King's prerogative in sundry cases have power of life and death In privy Counsellors c. So likewise the Pastors of the Christian Church by a Ministeriall power given them by Christ exercise authority many wayes in ordering times and places and many other actions and circumstances which concerne God's worship Also It is very lawfull for subjects to Coine and stampe monies when the King being supreme Lord granteth them licence and authority It is Treason in such only as presume to doe it without license and because it is a thing prohibited by Lawes and Royall Authority And so it fareth with the Governours in the Christian Church If they presume to appoint any thing which God hath prohibited they are Delinquents But if in their Ecclesiasticall Precepts they exceed not the power given them by Christ they doe well and they ought to be obeyed 4 This Mangie Objection which the Dialogue-dropper hugs in his bosome and when he blatters it out of his wooden deske he is applauded with the loud Hem of his seduced Auditory is borrowed from Old Thomas Cartwright who in his dayes poysoned many credulous people with such Scabby Similitudes and with some other such like popular insinuations pag. 95. B. A third Reason why it is not left in Man's power to institute the solemne day of God's worship his Sabbath Day or to appoint him what proportion of time they please is Because an indefinite time must either binde to all moments of time as a debt when the day of payment is not expressely dated is liable to payment every moment Or else it bindes to no time at all a The natural equity of God's positive Law requires convenient and sufficient time The precept of the Church determines the day or time in speciall Now tâ—is being performed the dâ—y and time for the solemne worship of God is made definite and certaine For if the Law of God binde Vs not to an expresse determinate time or day consecrate to his service Then the not allowing of him a set time or day is no sin at all For what God's Law commands not therein man is not bound And where no set Law is of a set time or day there is no transgression if a set time or day be not observed So as by this reason If the Law of the 4th Commandement prescribe no set sacred time or day for rest and sanctification it is a meere Nullity For to say there is a naturall equity in it for some sufficient and convenient time and yet no man can define what this sufficient and convenient time is nay all the heads and wits in the world put together are not able to determine it it is as
to say there is a world in the Moone consisting of Land and Sea and inhabitants because there are some blacke spots in it which is yet not a more Lunaticke opinion than that is presumptuous and absurd Hath not the profane world found by woefull experience and that of late dayes within these two yeares last past wherein men have taken a liberty to prophane and pollute but a part of the lord's-Lord's-Day that this is a most horrible sin And a sin it cannot be but as a breach of one of God's Holy Commandements for where there is no Law there is no transgression The profanation I say of the Lord's Day is clearely shewed to bee an horrible presumptuous sin and in speciall a bold breach of the fourth Commandement by those many remarkeable judgements of God which have fearefully fallen upon fearelesse Sabbath breakers and that I say within these two yeares last past the like whereof cannot be parallell'd in all the Histories of all the Centuries since the Apostles times Which alone if men were not altogether possessed with the spirit of stupidity and of a croced conscience were sufficient to teach their dull wits that the fourth Commandement is still in force commanding the Sabbath-day to be sanctified the profanation whereof we see so terribly punished by divine revenge A point also which our Homily hath noted which were sufficient to admonish the Adversary of his presumptuous oppositions thereunto Answ 1. Divine Lawes being generall or indefinite oblige to obedience in particulars when the speciall Object commanded or prohibited by any other just Lawes is reduced to the Divine generall Law by lawfull consequence For example Thou shalt not steale is generall Therefore thou shalt not without license from the Owner or without other lawfull authority take away thy Neighbours Oxe or his Asse and yet Meum and Tuum thy Neighbours Oxe and his Asse are made his owne by humane Law So likewise in this present Question the generall equity of the Divine Law is Christian people must observe a convenient and sufficient time for Divine Worship c. And Christian Princes and the Bishops and Pastors of the Church having lawfull Authority to appoint such Observations as are subservient to true Religion have ordained Christmasse Easter and the Lord's day of every Weeke for Divine Worship and Religious Duties Ergo Christians are obliged by the generall Equity of the Divine Law to observe Christmasse Easter and the Lord's-day after that the Rulers and Pastors of the Church have appointed the same to be done to God's glory It is a frantick Paradox to maintaine That Christians are obliged to nothing but such things only as are definitely and in particular commanded by some expresse written Law of GOD in holy Scripture For many things which are in Nature and kinde indifferent when they are commanded by Parents Masters Magistrates or any other lawfull authoâ—ity come within the compasse of God's generall Law and that generall Law obligeth people to performe them Mediante Praecepto Parentis Heri Magistratus Ecclesiae c. by a mediate precept of Parent Master Magistrate or Church pag. 93. 2 To the Objector's Argument the answer is Where God's Law commandeth not either in particular or in generall there is no sin but if God's Law command in generall That we must obey every lawfull ordinance of the Church being subservient to God's glory and the edification of his people and the Church commandeth us religiously to observe the Lord's-day Christian people are bound in conscience to obey a Bernard d. Praecept Dispens cap. 12. Sive Deus sive homo viâ—â—rius Dei mandatum quodcunque tradiderit pari profecto obsequendum est cura pari reverentia deferenduÌ„ ubi tamen Deo contraria non praecipit homo and if they doe otherwise they transgresse God's Commandement and are guilty of sin pag. 93. 3 Whereas this Scribler affirmeth that no man is able to define a convenient and sufficient time for God's worship c. and compares the undertaking thereof to the imagination of the being of a World in the Moone c. I doubt not but that this quaint conceit makes him prick up his eares but upon due examination it will prove as ridiculous as the Man in the Moone For if any one presume to define things which are remote from humane cognisance not having sufficient meanes to prove his affirmation he justly deserves to be condemned of rashnesse and folly But the Governours in the Christian Church want not compleat and sufficient meanes to enable them to set downe and determine convenient and sufficient time for God's publike worship for they have many generall Rules laid downe in holy Scripture for the ordering of Ecclesiasticall affaires they have likewise Presidents of the Divine Law in ancient time they have the practise and example of the Saints of God to direct and leade them and Christian prudence hath enabled them in former ages to appoint sufficient and convenient dayes and times for God's solemne worship and in these dayes they have both understanding and authority to do the like 4 God's vengeance upon malicious profaners of the Lord's-day is no sufficient argument to prove that this day is expressely or literally commanded to bee observed in the Christian Church by the particular Precept of the fourth Commandement For wilfull transgression of the Precepts of the Church commanding such actions and offices as are religious holy and subservient to God's glory brings God's heavie judgements upon profane and disobedient people 5 In the close of the former Argument Brother B. casts dirt in the Face of him whom he stileth his Adversary saying This were sufficient to admonish the Adversary of his presumptuous oppositions thereunto But where or when hath his Adversary delivered any Position in his late Treatise or elsewhere in defence of profanenesse upon the Lord's-day or upon any other day For honest and sober recreation upon some part of the Holy-day is farre more remote from profanenesse than the factious and viperous deportment c Aug. c. Petilian li. 2 Idipsum vipereum est non habere in ore firmamentum veritatis sed venenum maledictionis of this Roarer against such as comply not with him in his presumptuous Dictats B. Mr. Hooker Eccles Pol. lib. 5. Sect 70. hath these words If it be demanded whether we observe these times to wit Holy-dayes as being thereunto bound by force of Divine Law or else by the only positive Ordinances of the Church I answer to this That the very Law of Nature it selfe which all Men confesse to be God's Law requireth in generall no lesse the sanctification of times than of places persons and things unto God's honour For which cause it hath pleased him heretofore as of the rest so of time likewise to exact some parts by way of perpetuall homage never to be dispensed withall nor remitted againe to require some other parts of time with as strict exaction but for lesse continuance
proprie significare membranam extrema qua faetus vaccarum obtegitur in qua ipsa vestigia duntaxat oculorum apparent as blinde as a Calves Kell who cannot discerne the rudity and falsity of it As for example The Sacrament of Baptisme succeeded and came in place of Circumcision The Holy Eucharist in place of the Legall Passeover Evangelicall Sacrifices in place of Legall and Leviticall The Evangelicall Law in place of Moses Law If now one shall argue Ergo the Sacrament of Baptisme is commanded by the Old Law of Circumcision and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper by the Old Law of the Legall Passeover c. shall he not declare himselfe to be voyde of common understanding Although therefore the Lord's-Day came in place of the Old Sabbath day of the fourth Commandement Yet it was not commanded or observed in the Christian Church by authority of that Law any more than Baptisme is command by the Law of Circumcision But now the contrary to that which the Objector imagineth may be concluded by this argument namely That day which comes in place of the Old Sabbath Day is not commanded by the Old Law but by some other new Law For these two dayes differ in kinde the one being Legall and the other Evangelicall now even as that which is meerely Legall is not commanded by the Law of the Gospell but by the Old Law even so that which is meerely Evangelicall is not commanded by a precept of the Old Law But the observation of the lord's-Lord's-Day considered as a particular Holy day grounded upon our Saviour's Resurrection is meerely Evangelicall according to Brother B. himselfe a H. B. Law and Gospell reconcil p. 51. That which gave it a stampe of divine institution was the Lord's own act in blessing and sanctifying this Lord's Day with his blessed and glorious Resurrection Therfore the Observation of the Lord's-Day is not commanded by the Old Law of the fourth Commandement A. I remember the Treatiser confesseth that the Apostles themselves at sometimes observed this Day as Acts 20.7 1 Cor. 16.2 pag. 211. B. At sometimes only What no oftner than he findes expressely mentioned This is like him in Oxford who in his Sermon sayd that the Iewes kept the Sabbath but once in 40. yeares during their abode in the wildernesse This he gathered because he found it but once mentioned but he might have found it twise if hee had looked well So as this is a most beggerly kinde of reasoning How injurious an imputation is it to the Apostles to say that they kept the Lord's-Day sometimes when as they taught and commanded b This bold companion powreth out his owne fancies takes that as granted which is impossible to bee proved Zanch. de oper Red pag. 610. Nullibi legimus Apostolos hoc cuipiam mandasse tantum legimus quid soliti fuerint facere Apostoli fideles eo die Liberum igitur reliquerunt others to observe it weekly as hath beene noted Did Christian People immediately after Christ's Ascension observe this weekely day and did not the Apostles themselves This is too grossely repugnant to good reason to our Homily and to the witnesses produced Answ 1. The Bishop's words pag. 211. are The Apostles themselves as sometimes observed this day c. Now the ingenuous Reader must consider the reason why the Bishop spake thus reservedly which was Theo. Brab had objected against the Lord's-Day that it could not be proved by Holy Scripture that the Holy Apostles constantly observed the Lord's-Day or that they commanded the observation thereof two weekes or one Moneth together in all Christian Churches In answer to this Objection the Bishop held it not sufficient to cry out this is too grossely repugnant to good reason and to the Homily and to Doctor Andrewes and it is impudent but if hee would speake to purpose hee must confirme his answer by testimonies of Scripture Now when he had searched with much diligence hee could finde none such Therefore hee carryed himselfe like himselfe in affirming no more than hee was without quiâ—â—ies and cavills well able to prove It 's an easie matter like a Pâ—â—-gun to blurt out paper shot but if one have to deale with an intelligent adversary he shall be sure to come off with disgrace if he make a noyse only and prove nothing 2 The Objector saith that it is an injurious imputation to the Apostles to say that they kept the Lord's-Day sometimes when as they had taught Christian people immediately after Christ's Ascension to observe it generally in all Churches Now in this assertion there is 1 Petitio principii for this Dictator neither already hath nor at any time hereafter will be able to demonstrate out of Holy Scripture That the Apostles presently and immediately after Christ's Ascension commanded all Christian Churches to observe the Lord's-Day For the Apostles themselves and namely Saint Peter were not resolved of the cessation of all Legall Ceremonies presently after Christ's Ascention Act. 10.14 2 Vntill the Conversion of the Gentiles the Christian converts among the Iewes observed the Old Sabbath Day and the Apostles joyned with them in their Synagogues preaching the Gospell to them upon that day Acts 13.14 They came to Antioch and went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath Day and after the reading of the Law and the Prophets the Rulers of the Synagogue said unto them Yee men and brethren if yee have any word of Exhortation for the People say on Chap. 16.13 and Chap. 17.2 And Paul as his manner was went in unto them and three Sabbath Dayes reasoned with them out of the Scriptures 3 Saint Paul was not called to be an Apostle of the Gentiles at the very instant of time of Christ's Ascension and yet he was the first of all the Apostles who in holy Scripture above twenty yeares after Christ's Ascension is reported to have preached the Gospell and broken bread upon the Lord's Day Acts 20.7 c. A. These two witnesses Bishop Andrewes and Mr. Hooker and these instances I perceive come full home to the Homily and Dr. Andrewes calls the Lord's-Day our New Sabbath Answ I doe earnestly intreate the impartiall Reader to consider that this Dialogue-former hath not one sound or probable argument in his whole Treatise either to prove his owne Tenet or to confute his Adversary His only colour is and this may mis-leade a weake and improvident Reader to wit certaine passages in the Homily and in some moderne Authors of our Nation which according to outward sound of words may seeme to favour him Therefore it must be observed 1 The greatest Doctors a Aug. de Praed sanct c. 14. Quid opus est ut eorum scrutemur opuscula qui priusquam ista haeresis oriretur noÌ„ habuerunt necessitatem in hac difficili ad solvendum quaestione versati quod procul dubio facerent si respondere talibus cogerentur at sometimes and before Errors and Heresies are openly defended are
the Sacrament of Baptisme instead of Circumcision Ergo the Ancient Fathers did ever usually stile the Sacrament of Baptisme by the name of Circumcision B. Saint Augustine d. temp Ser. 251. affirmeth That the Holy Doctors of the Church have decreed to transferre all the glory of the Iudaicall Sabbath or Sabbatisme unto the lord's-Lord's-Day c. We must observe the same from evening to evening c. that being sequestred from Rurall workes and from all businesse we may be vacant only for the worship of God Thus we duly sanctifie the Sabbath of the Lord c. You see hee speaketh this not as his owne particular opinion but as it was the Tenet of the whole Catholike Church so as the whole ancient Catholike Church did not only observe but call the Lord's-Day the Sabbath c. Answ 1 This Sermon seemeth to be none of Saint Augustine's as appeareth by the stile Nolite in Ecclesia verbosari In Ecclesia garriunt verbosantur Cogunt Presbyterum ut abbreviat Missam 2 The Author of this Sermon requireth the same Vacancie and sanctity upon the Birth dayes of Saâ—nts as he doth upon the Lord's-Day b Idcirco fratres mei non sit vobis molestum in Dominicis diebus in natalitiis SaÌ„ctorum divino studere cultui 3 He affirmeth that the Holy Doctors of the Church translated the glory of the Iudaicall Sabbath upon the Lord's-Day c Ideo Sancti Doctores Ecclesiae decreverunt omnem gloriaÌ„ Iudaici Sabbatismi in illam transferre c. And therefore he could not without contradiction ground the Observation of the Lord's-Day upon the letter or expresse words of the fourth Commandement 4 He makes the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement and the Lord's-Day two distinct and diverse dayes of the week and when he saith sic quoque rite sanctificamus Sabbatum Domini c. He useth the word Sabbath in a mysticall and analogicall sence and not in a Legall or literall signification 5 It is an untruth that Saint Augustine d Aug. ad Ascllic Epist. 200. Cum quisque isto modo fuerit verus germanusque Christianus utrum etiam Iudaeus aut Israelita dicendus sit merito quaeritur Quod quidem si non in carne sed spiritu hoc esse intelligitur non debet ipsuÌ„ nomen sibi imponere sed spiritali intelligentia retinere ne propter ambiguitatem vocabuli quam non discernit quotidiana locutio illud profiteri videatur quod est inimicum nomini Christiano Non debemus consuetudinem sermonis humani inepta loquacitate confundere c. inepta insolentia si dici potest imperita scientia makes it the common stile of the Catholike Church to call the Lord's-Day the Sabbath for he was so far either himselfe from stiling the Lord's-Day the Sabbath in a proper or ordinary course of speaking or from approving this forme of speech in others that hee holdeth it inept and insolent to give Iudaicall names and Appellations to Persons or things which are Christian or Evangelicall and hee gives a reason hereof because by such ambiguous formes of speaking a Christian might seeme to professe that which is repugnant to true Christianity B. Hilary Prolog in Psal Though in the seventh day of the week both the name and observance of the Sabbath be established yet we on the eighth day which also is the first doe enioy the festivitie of the perfect Sabbath Answ The Question is not Whether the Ancient Fathers have at any time stiled the Lord's-day a Sabbath in a mysticall and spirituall sense that is a day wherein Christian people ought to abstaine from sin For in this sense they have stiled every day of the Weeke b Clem. Alex. strom l. 5. c. â— Qui perfectus est ratione operibus cogitationibus perpetuo haerens verbo Deo naturali nostro Domino semper agit dies Domini nunquam non habet DominicuÌ„ Tert. c. Iud. c. 4. Vnde intelligimus magis Sabbatizare nos ab omni opere servili semper debere non tantuÌ„ septimo quoque die sed per omne tempus Chrys in Mat. ho. 40. Quid Sabbato opus est illi qui per totaÌ„ vitam agit solennitatem qui peccatorum immunis virtutes observat colit wherein Christians rest from sin a Sabbath pag. 203 204. But whether the Fathers did ever and usually name the Lord's-day the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement in a proper and literall sense The Bishop hath proved the Negative with so many pregnant testimonies of the Fathers pag. 202. that no reasonable person can take any just exception A. Dr. Wh. denies that Christ upon the day of his Resurrection rested from the work of Redemption B. I conferred with H. B. about this because it much concernes him to quit this Question seeing on Christ's resting on that day he grounds the Sabbatisme of it as agreeable to the fourth Commandement And in my judgement if he can evince and cleare it it will prove unanswerable And he tels me that he hath in two severall Treatises in Latine a Maintaining your own principles that the fourth CoÌ„mandement is purely simply morall and of the Law of Nature it will be impossible for you either in English or in Latine to solve Theoph. Brab his Objections against Theophilus Brab fully cleared it and removed all Objections and Cavillations that either Theophilus Brabourne or Francis White have or can bring to the contrary and he purposeth to do the like to D. Wh. And he made it very cleare to me that Christ's rest from the worke of Redemption from sinne on the Crosse and from death in the Grave which was a branch of that worke began not till his Resurrection as for his Ascension that was into the place of rest but his Resurrection was into the state of rest The Bishop's words are Christ was in action on that day but the word labour is of Br. B. his owne coining As for D. Wh. his Objection with Theophilus Brabourne That Christ laboured on that day H. B. shewes it to be absurd and ridiculous seeing Christ arose with a body glorified and impassible So as his actions that day could not bee called a labour that thereby the new Sabbath should bee broken Answ 1. Our Saviour began his Rest from those workes of Redemption by which he made paiment of a price by his bloud for our sins c Liturg. diddest give thine only Son IESVS CHRIST to suffer death upon the Crosse for our redemption who made there by his owne oblation of himselfe once offered a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice oblation satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world c. Ordering of Priests after hee had made perfect our redemption by his death c. upon the latter part of Goodfriday immediately upon his saying Consummatum est and giving up the ghost Iohn 19.30 Heb. 10.14 Then he continued in his Grave and Bed of rest the
Sabbath-day following upon the Sunday he began his operations of Application of the fruit and benefit of his Passion and he did no more rest or cease from those actions upon Sunday than he did forty dayes after 2 Christ rested as fully upon the Munday Tuesday and upon every day following the day of his Resurrection from all his afflictive and satisfactory Passions as he did upon the Sunday If therefore it were granted that Christ began his Rest upon Sunday it must be confessed that he continued his Rest and Cessation from Redemptive actions every day after and so the Sunday was not the only day or time of his Rest And if it shall be further objected that even as notwithstanding the Lord God ceased and rested from the worke of prime Creation on every day of the weeke following as much as he did on the first Sabbath yet the seventh day was made the Sabbath because the Lord on that day began his Rest Therefore because Christ began his rest upon Sunday the same must bee the Christian Sabbath of the fourth Commandement Our answer is that God's resting or ceasing from the worke of Creation did not ordaine the Seventh day of the Week to be the Sabbath day a Walaeus d. Sab. c. 7. Deus in creatione rerum quievit die septimo sed nisi Deus hanc suam quietem in exemplum adduxisset et praecepto confirmasset nunquam ecclesia Vet. Testamenti ad ejus hebdomadalem observationeni fuisset divinitus obligata Quemadmodu etiam de die Paschatis Pentecostes qui Dei singularibus beneficiis sunt consecrati judicandum est eos noÌ„ nisi propter Dei accedens mandatum in veteri Testamento necessario fuisse observandos for it was God's expresse Commandement and Law which did this and his Rest was onely a Motive and that meerely in his owne good pleasure of sanctifying that particular Day But now concerning the Lord's-day we finde no such expresse and particular divine Law or Commandement in holy Scripture and therefore Christ's resting from all his Penall sufferings upon the day of his Resurrection cannot make that day of the weeke a particular Sabbath-day of divine institution unlesse some such expresse divine Law as the Iewes received for their Sabbath can be produced But if the Objector will obstinately contend that the Resurrection of Christ in it selfe containeth a Mandatory Law to observe the Lord's-day let him first deliver a true definition of a Law and then prove that the said definition belongs to the Resurrection of Christ A Law say the Iurists is a Precept of a Superiour being in authority containing a Rule or Measure of things to be done or not to be done But neither this nor any other true definition of a Law b Aquin. 1.2 q. 90. ar 4. Lex nihil aliud est quam quaedaÌ„ rationis ordinatio ad bonum commune ab eo qui curam communitatis habet ordinata Salas d. leg Lex est quod Rex vel Respublica jubet verbo vel scripto ab eo qui curam communitatis habet premulgata or of a Commandement agrees to the Resurrection of Christ Therefore the Resurrection of Christ may be a motive or cause impulsive inducing the Church to make a Law but it is not of it selfe any formall Law And if our Saviour's Resurrection hath the force of a Law to ordaine the day on which hee rose to be the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement We can observe no reason why the day of his Ascension b Walaeus d. Sabb. pa. 158. Quod affertur Christum eo die resurrexisse ac proinde eundem ad cultum suum Resurrectione sua coÌ„secrasse necessariuÌ„ argumentum non habet Quia Christus diem Iovis suo in coelos ascensu consecravit nec propterea tamen sequitur eum singulis septimanis in memoriam ascensus ejus esse observandum Nam licet haec Christi resurrectio argumentum praebuerit Ecclesiae Apostolicae ut hunc diem caeteris ad habendos conventus praeferret Non tamen sequitur Christum hoc suo facto eundem diem in eum sinem instituisse on which he entred into his eternall Rest should not likewise have the force of a Law to ordaine Thursday to be a Christian Sabbath because if our Saviour's beginning to rest shall make a Sabbath certainly the perfecting of his Rest should much more do the like 3 This Objector falsifieth the Bishop's words foisting in the word Labour instead of the word Action and then he brayes in his rude tone absurd and ridiculous But every reasonable Creature knowes there may be action without labour as appeareth in the actions of God Almighty c Aug. d. Civ â—â— lib. 12. cap. 17 NoÌ„ itaque in ejus vacatione cogitetur ignavia desidia inertia sicut nec in ejus opere labor conatus industria Novit quiescens agere agens quiese ere and in the actions of the blessed Angels and of the glorified Saints in Heaven And therefore bold B. is a false brother in corrupting and perverting the Bishop's forme of words and the Bishop's assertion is most true That our Saviour having finished all sorrow and labour upon his Passion-day He was in action upon his Resurrection day and he was in Action likewise forty dayes after B. Lest neither the Church of England in her publike Doctrine nor the pious workes of her grave and learned Sons may perhaps satisfie the Adversarie's importunity yet I hope the writings of his more pious and no lesse learned Brother D. Iohn White and those also both republished and vindicated by Fran. White from the Iesuites Calumnies White dyed black c. will a little qualifie him How D. Iohn White doth not only call the Lord's-day the Sabbath-day as once Sect. 38. 1. and twice Sect. 43. digress 46. 6. But he also condemnes all profane sports and recreations on that day and among the rest Dancing for one And for this he alleageth the example of the Papists as the most notorious Sabbath-breakers in this kinde A. Doth he so Sir This seemes strange to me that so great a Clerk as Fran. White should so far forget himselfe as not to remember what his Brother hath writ Surely if it be so it will be a cooling-Card and no small disgrace to his Lp. when so worthy and reverend a Brother shal be brought as a witnesse against him But I pray you for my better satisfaction relate to me the very passages and words of D. Iohn White B. I will in digress 46. the Title whereof is Naming certaine points of the Popish religion which directly tend to the maintenance of open sinne and liberty of life now among many foule and profane practises as he cals them this he notes for one namely the profanation of the Sabbath in these words That they hold it lawfull on the Sabbath-day to follow Suits Travell Hunt Dance keep Faires and such like This is that hath made Papists the
d. Pec. Mer. Remiss li. 1. ca. 16. Et li. 2. ca. 4. A seventh Passage of Brother B. All were the true bred Children of the Church of England c. who maintained Brother B. his dictats concerning the old Sabbath and the lord's-Lord's-day witnesse Master Cartwright Master Fenne Old Master Gilby Master Snape Master Lord Master Dâ—d Mr. Cleaver Mr. Oxenbridge Master Sheere-wood Master Iohnson Master Nutter c. An eighth Passage of Brother B. The fourth Commandement is simply and intirely morall binding Vs Christians to observe the Lord's-Day The reason is because the Law of the fourth Commandement according to the proper and literall sence thereof was given to the Iewes only for keeping holy the Saturday and not to the Gentiles for the observation of Sunday A ninth Passage of Brother B. The Holy Apostles presently and immediately after Christ's Ascension taught and commanded all Christians to observe the Lord's-Day weekely and to renounce the Old Sabbath The reason because Saint Paul some twenty yeares after Christ's Ascension a Chytr in Cronol Anno Christi quinquagessimo quinto venit Paulus in Troadem inde in Macedoniam commanded the Corinthians to give Almes upon the first day of the weeke 1 Cor. 16.2 and Saint Iohn many yeares after that stiled Sunday by the name of the Lord's Day A Tenth Passage of Brother B. The first day of every weeke throughout the whole yeare is the Sabbath day of the 4th Commandement because our Saviour began to rest from some of his Redemptive actions upon the latter part of Good-Friday and because he rested in his grave the whole Sabbath day before his Resurrection and because hee rested as much upon Munday Tuesday and upon other dayes following as â—e did upon Sunday An Eleventh Passage of Brother B. To give Christian people any liberty to doe any manner of worke or to use any bodily exercise or pastime upon any part of the Sunday is to imitate the Pope in dispensing against God's morall Law Proved because brother B. is able to produce no Divine or Evangelicall Law recorded in holy Scripture which prohibiteth all bodily exercise and sober and honest recreation upon some part of that day A Twelfth Passage of Brother B. It is unlawfull to use any sober and honest recreation to wit such as is neither vicious in quality or circumstance upon any part of the Lord's-day because all profane ungodly obscene and lascivious pastime is prohibited upon that day and upon all other dayes throughout the yeare as if one should say it is not lawfull to eat or drink upon Sunday because surfeâ—ting and drunkennesse are unlawfull upon that day and upon all other dayes A Thirteenth Passage of Brother B. The Bishops of the Church of England have not power to instruct the inferiour Clergie in matters of Religion because they have not received miraculous grace Ex opere operato Proved because brother B. by his mother wit without ordinary grace or morall honesty supposeth himselfe qualified like an Apostle to correct and instruct all men both simple and learned in the most profound Questions of Theologie A Fourteenth Passage of H. B. It is a grosse Solecisme in Divinity Law and Gospell reconciled pag. 52. to admit an Institution to be Apostolicall and yet to deny it to be of Divine Authority and consequently to make it temporary and mutable Proved because Episcopall Authority was of Apostolicall institution c Iren. lib. 3. ca. 3. Fundantes igitur instruentes beati Apostoli Ecclesiam Lino EpiscopatuÌ„ administrandae Ecclesiae tradiderunt Succedit autem ei Anacletê° post euÌ„ tertio loco ab Apostolis EpiscopatuÌ„ sortitur Clemens Polycarpus in Asia in ea quae est Smyrnis Ecclesia constitutê° Episcopus ab Apostolis Tertul. c. Haer. cap. 32. Hier. Catalog in Clement Ignatio Polycarpo c. neverthelesse according to Br. B. the same is not Divine but the Prelats of the Church of England who exercise such Authority are Veines of the Pope and the maintainers thereof are guided by a Papall spirit Dialog pag. 3. A Fifteenth Passage of H. B. The fourth Commandement being a part of the Law written in Adam's heart needed not any expresse Commandement more than the rest d Ib. pag. 42. Proved because it was made knowne by Divine Revelation only and not by a naturall impression that God created Heaven and Earth in six dayes and rested the seventh and if the observation of the Sabbath was commanded Adam the same was the Saturday Sabbath of every weeke and not the Sunday and God Almighty himselfe appointed the first day of the Weeke to be one of the six working dayes A Sixteenth Passage of H. B. Ib. pag. 45. The seventh Day being an inseparable Circumstance of the substance of the fourth Commandement cannot be separated from the Sabbath The Reason because Christians were taught by the Apostles to make the first day of the week their weekly Festivall and not the seventh day A Seventeenth Passage of H. B. To rest from all labour Ib. pag. 47. is of the very Essence of the Sabbath The Reason because our Saviour maintained that some labour which was not of absolute necessity might lawfully be used upon the Sabbath-day An Eighteenth Passage of H. B. Who can deny the keeping of the Sabbath to be morall Ib. pag. 41. but he must withall proclaime open enmity to God's worship and Man's salvation The reason because the Apostles taught Christians to observe the Lord's-day being not the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement but a new Holy day grounded upon the Resurrection of Christ A Nineteenth Passage of H. B. The Commandement of the Sabbath is morall and so no lesse perpetuall than all the rest Ib. pag. 38. The reason because it was a shadow of good things to come and it was abrogated by the Apostles and changed into another day The last remarkable Observation concerning Br. B. It is lawfull when a man cannot otherwise solve an Objection to passe by both the Premisses of an Argument propounded in due forme and to deny the Conclusion for example No Law which is mutable in respect of the proper materiall Object is a Law of Nature But the fourth Commandement of the Decalogue was mutable in respect of the proper materiall Object Ergo the Law of the fourth Commandement was not a Precept of the Law of Nature Againe no morall action is unlawfull unlesse it be prohibited by some Divine Law expresse or virtuall or by some humane or Ecclesiasticall Law But bodily exercise or Recreation not being vicious in quality or circumstance if it bee used upon some part of the Holy day is prohibited by no Divine Law expresse or virtuall nor by any humane or Ecclesiasticall Law Ergo some bodily exercise or Recreation not being vicious in quality or circumstance may be permitted and used upon some part of the Holy day This Doctor indocilis when hee meeteth with any such Arguments will not be so
the former Principles stiled the Lord's Day an Idoll and a Superstitious Tradition The Bishop thought it his duty to vindicate the honour of that Day and to deliver the true grounds upon which the Christian Church observeth it also to declare the Antiquity of the Observation thereof and the more to advance the honour of the Day he collected out of the Primitive Fathers Ecclesiasticall Histories and Ancient Records sundry remarkeable observations concerning the Religious use and sanctification of this Day Page 196. c. Lastly because some Novell Teachers here in England had wronged this Day by converting it into a Legall Sabbath and likewise they had presumed without any lawfull authority to lay heavy and unreasonable burdens upon God's people Affirming that all bodily exercise and all civill passe-time and Recreation although the same be sober and honest is simply unlawfull upon all houres of the Lord's Day and not only unlawfull but a mortall and enormious crime of the same quality and iniquity with Murder Adulterie Theft c. The Bishop had just reason to discover the error and falsiâ—ie of such principles and arguments upon which these presumptuous Dogmatizers grounded their rigid edicts pag. 235. unto pag. 250. Now after all this the Bishop himselfe is perswaded and so likewise are his Honourable and Religious Superiours that he hath performed faithfull profitable and necessary service to the Church whereof he is a member in composing and publishing his Treatise of the Sabbath And likewise his confidence is that those honourable and Reverend Commanders who imployed him in this religious service will ever protect him a Aug. de Doctr. Christ Sic Doctor bonam eligat vitam ut etiam bonam non negligat famam against base envious and scurrilous abuses and detractions such as hee is rudely and injustly loaded withall by this unmannerly and foule-mouth'd Dialogue-Broacher Neverthelesse if any learned judicious and modest Reader shall at any time note or observe any passages in his Treatise seeming to thâ—â—epugnant to Orthodoxall Verity b Aug. de Trin. li. 3. In omnibus literis meis non solum pium lectorem sed etiam liberuâ— correctorem desidero let 〈◊〉 proceed soberly substantially and modestly in propounding their exceptions c Ib. Noli meas literas ex tua opinione vel contentione sed ex divina lectione vel inconcussa ratione corrigere The Bishop is and ever will bee ready without giving the least offence to yeeld them a just and reasonable satisfaction But rude envious and clamorous Carpers such as this Dialogue-Broacher is and hath ever bin c Hieron ad Iulian. Gloriae animal popularis aurae vile mancipium are incompetent Iudges in Questions and Controversies of this quality for such Mens Tractats and Pamphlets containe nothing but only that which is Verball Illiterate and no wayes sufficient to discover or settle Truth The end also of their writing is not Verity but they study onely to flatter an irregular Multitude which is adverse to Ecclesiasticall Regiment setled in our Church and the Leaders of this Anarchicall Sect by applying themselves to the humour of these Proselytes gaine popular applause d Greg. Nazian Orat. 8. de pace Ex rebus novis claritatem famae venantur Chrys In Ioh. He. 65. Prava doctrina nihil aliud est quam inanis gloriae silia and likewise authority to make their own fancies and traditions to be no lesse esteemed than Divine Oracles For being wily as Serpents they have by long and subtill experience observed that impetuous speaking clamorous inveighing virulent declaming prevaile more with that generation than solid materiall and substantiall disputing e Hieron ad Nepotian Nihil tam facile quam vilem plebeculam indoctam concionem linguae volubilitate decipere â— quicquid non intelligit plus miratur Id. c. Ruffin li. 1. Quotidie in plateis sictus hariolus stultorum nares verberat obtorto scorpione dentes mordentiâ—m quatit miramur si imperitorum libri lectorem inveniant Now this verball forme hath the worthlesse penner of this Dialogue observed both in this and in all other his unlicensed Pamphlets The Bishop of Ely his Positions concerning the Old Sabbath Day and the Lord's-Day which are opposed by the Dialogue-Broacher Thesis 1a. The Law of the fourth Commandement concerning the religious observation of the Seventh Day Sabbath of every weeke was not purely morall or of the Law of Nature like as were the other nine Commandements of the Decalogue This Position is confirmed by Demonstrative arguments in the Bishops Treatise of the Sabbath pag. 26. unto pag. 37. Thesis 2a. The Law of the fourth Commandement concerning the Seventh Day Sabbath was Legall in respect of the speciall Day designed by the letter of that Commandement The same Law in respect of the literall Object thereof is ceased under the Gospell and obligeth not Christians to the religious observation thereof as it did the Iewes in time of the Old Law This Position is confirmed by many weighty arguments and by the Vnanimous testimony of the Ancient Fathers Page 6. 7. 8. 148. 161. 276. Thesis 3a. The Christian Church in the New Testament hath received no speciall or expresse divine precept in holy Scripture commanding the same to observe any one particular or individuall day of every weeke rather than another for their Sabbath Neither hath the Christian Church received any Divine mandate to observe any day of the weeke according to the rule of the fourth Commandement pag. 189. 239. Thesis 4a. The observation of the LORD'S-day is not grounded upon the particular Law of the fourth Commandement But onely upon the Equity of that Commandement and upon the practice and example of the holy Apostles and of the Primitive Church And after such time as the Persecutions of the Christian Church by Infidels ceased Then godly Lawes and Canons were framed by Constantine the great and by other succeeding Emperors Theodosius Valentinian Archadius Leo and Antoninus and by Bishops in their Synods for the religious observance of the LORD'S-day pag. 109 110. 135. 143. 189. 211. Thesis 5a. The Sabbath day of the fourth Commandement and the LORD'S-day both in holy Scripture and in the writings of the godly Fathers are made two distinct dayes of the weeke Neither was it the ordinary stile of the Fathers and Primitive Church to name the LORD'S-day the Sabbath-day in a proper and literall sense to wit in such a sense as the Iewes stiled their Seventh day the Sabbath day pag. 201 202. Thesis 6a. There is no Divine Law extant in the old or in the New Testament prohibiting all secular labour and all bodily exercise and honest recreation upon some part of the LORD'S-day namely at such time of the day as the religious offices thereof are ended much lesse is there found any divine Law which maketh honest and sober recreation in manner aforesaid an enormous crime equall to Murder and to Adultery pag. 229.
quality with the Law it selfe and therefore if the Law be intirely and naturally morall then the expresse and speciall object of the same is of the same quality For example in the fifth Commandement of the Decalogue Honour thy father and thy mother c. Naturall Parents are the prime speciall and expresse Object of that Law therefore although other Objects may be added as honour the King give honour to Presbyters that rule well honour Masters c. Yet naturall Father and Mother being named expressed and specified in the Commandement remaine indelible because they are the prime Object thereof In like manner if the fourth Commandement were naturall and intirely morall like unto the fifth then the particular day expressed and described therein namely Saturday must be observed although the Apostles and Christian Church might adde the Lord's-day and some other Festivals for the enlarging of the service of Christ 4 The Bishop also in his Treatise 235. c. 249. c. hath observed certaine desperate passages in those mens Sermons and Tractats whom he stileth Novell Sabbatarians to wit To doe any servile worke or businesse upon the lord's-Lord's-day is as great a sinne as to kill a man or to commit adultery To throw a Bowle on the sabbath-Sabbath-day is as great a sinne as to kill a man And to make a Feast or Wedding-dinner on the Lord's day is as great a sin as for a father to take a knife and cut his childes throat To ring more Bels than one upon the Lord's-day to call the People to Church is as great a sin as to commit murder In Harvest time though the Corne be in danger yet better were it for us that it should rot on the ground than for us by carrying it in with the breach of the Sabbath to treasure up unto ourselves wrath c. It is not lawfull for people to go out of their houses to walke in the fields These former Dictats are borrowed from the old Pharisees and the moderne Authors who have revived and maintained them comply herein with Sabbatarian Hereticks Thus to satisfie my judicious Reader I have delivered the reasons inducing me to stile certaine new Scripturients and Predicants whose opinions I impugned Novell Sabbatarians and if Br. B. and his Allies are offended and hold this Title odious let them right themselves not by raging and thrusting out rayling and libelling Pamphlets marching up and downe in blew Iackets but by renouncing and recanting those scandalous Positions which are apt to impoyson Christian People with Iudaical and Sabbatarian heresie 5 Those persons which the Bishop intended when he used that terme of Novell Sabbatizers were so far from being the true bred children of the Church of England that they were either in heart or in open profession adheres to the Presbyterian Policy and they sucked not their Doctrine of the Sabbath from the breasts of both the Testaments but partly from the corrupt Fountaines of Ancient Heretickes and partly out of the broken Cesternes of their owne private fancies B. The Doctrine of the Church of England concerning the Sabbath is most clearely a If Br. Asotuâ— had said clearely and left out the word most he had said more than he could have made good and fully set forth in the Booke of Homilies which Booke the 35. Article to which all we Ministers doe subscribe doth commend as containing A godly and wholesome Doctrine and necessary for these times and therefore judged to be read in Churches by the Ministers diligently and distinctly that they may be understood of the People Answ The Homily setteth forth the Doctrine of the Church of England if the words and sentences thereof be rightly expounded to wit according to the rule of the Scripture the common vote and consentient testimony of the Orthodoxall Catholike Church of Christ in all ages and the precedent and subsequent Lawes Statutes and Canons of the kingdome and Church of England But if the words and sentences thereof be not rightly expounded b Tertul. d. Prascript ca. 17. Tantum veritati obstrepit adulter sensus quantum corruptor stilus according to the foresaid rules but according to mens private interpretation then the same may bee a meanes to lead people into error for so it fareth sometimes even with holy Scripture it selfe c Hieron Com. in Eph. 1. Interpretatione perversa ex Evangelio Domini sit Evangelium hominis quod pejus est Diaboli Id. c. Lucifer Nec sibi blandiantur si de scripturarsi capitulis videntur sibi affirmare quod dicunt cuÌ„ diabolus de scripturis aliqua sit locutus scripturae non in logendo consistunt sed in intelligeÌ„do 2 Some passages in the Homily are ambiguous Therefore the doctrine of the Church of England is not most clearely set forth in the same The Antecedent is proved by these Instances The Homily saith As for the time which Almighty God hath appointed his people to assemble together solemnly it doth appeare by the fourth Commandement of God Remember thou keepe holy the Sabbath day Vpon which day it is plaine in the Acts of the Apostles ca. 13. the people accustomably resorted together and heard diligently the Law and the Prophets read among them In this passage the Homily might seeme to those who maintaine the Saturday Sabbath to make that day a weekly festivall because the Apostles upon that day even after Christs Ascension entred into Synagogues and did there performe Christian religious offices Act. 13.14 44. and Chap. 17.2 It followeth in the Homily God doth not binde Christians so straightly to observe the utter Ceremonies of the Sabbath in forbearing of work and labour in time of great necessity In this passage the Homily hath not clearely and explicitely declared 1. How farre forth the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement was Ceremoniall 2. What kinde of worke and labour in particular Christians may lawfully use upon the Holy day Br. B. pag. 22. Will admit no work or labour upon the Sunday but such only as is of absolute necessity as in time of Scar-fire invasion of enemies c. But the Ancient Imperiall lawes permitted sundry workes of lesse necessity than the former upon the Sunday pag. 219. and grave Divines as Calvin Bucer Beza c. approve the same a Walaeus de Sab. pag. 1â—9 Non audemus improbare quod post concilium Arelatense Constantinus in suis constitutionibus tempore pluvio aut alio necessitatis casu permittit ut messes aut vindemiae etiam die Dominico colligantur Quia si ad famis propriae solatium licuit Discipulis sabbato aristas vellere Cur non liceat in tali casu â—d pulsionem praeventionem famis communis terram coÌ„serere messem aut vindeâ—iam salvare Bez. in Cantic Ho. 30. Vt autem Christiani eo die a suis quotidianis laboribus abstinerent praeter id temporis quod in caetu ponebatur Id neque illis Apostolicis temporibus mandatum neque prius
fuit imperatum quam id ab Imperatoribus Christianis nequis à rerum sanctarum meditatione abstraheretur neque ita praecise sancitum est It seemes therefore that the Homily hath not most clearely and fully declared all things necessary to be knowne touching this question Againe the Homily saith Whatsoever is found in the fourth Commandement appertaining to the Law of Nature as a thing most godly most just and needfull for the setting forth of God's glory it ought to be retained of all good Christians Our of the former words it may be collected that nothing in the fourth Commandement is simply morall and of the Law of Nature but that which is most godly most just and necessary for the setting forth of Gods glory And if this be the sence of the Homily as no doubt it is then the fourth Commandement is not in force according to the letter but only according to the equity and Analogie thereof Lastly the Homily saith God hath given expresse charge to all men that upon the Sabbath Day which is now our Sunday they should cease from all weekely and worke-day labour and God doth command the observation of this Holy day and we must be carefull to keep the Sabbath day which is the Sunday Out of the former passage these questions arise 1. What the Homily intendeth in saying God hath given expresse charge c. and God hath commanded c. Whether God hath immediately by any Divine Law expressely commanded the Observation of Sunday and in what Texts of Scripture this Law and Commandement touching Sunday is to be found Or whether the meaning of the Homily is not that God hath thus commanded Christians by a mediate or ministeriall Law and precept of his Church It may beâ— questioned likewise in what sence the Homily stileth the Sunday the Sabbath day whether in a proper and literall sence according to the stile of the old Law or in a mysticall and analogicall sence as Christ is called our Passeover 1 Cor. 5.7 Now from the precedent observations it is consequent that the Doctrine of the Church of England is not most clearly or so plainly and expressely set forth in the Homily as this Objector pretendeth when he saith pag. 13. The words of the Homily as you have heard and every one may plainely see are so expresse cleare and full that they cannot possibly admit the least ambiguity Reasons to the contrary 1. Evidens censeri solet illud quod ita sufficienter movet intellectum ut in libera hominis potestate non sit dissentire a Aqu. Sum. Greg. Valent. Et alij Scholast Doctores Aug. c. Crescon Gram. li. 3. Ipsa sententia loquatur cujus verba sic fulgerit ut si eam veliâ— abscondere quarumlibet tenebrarum latebras suo nimio splendoâ—e perruâ—peâ—â—t That onely is to be reputed cleare and evident which in such sort affecteth the understanding that it is not in the free power of an intelligent Person to dissent from it But this definition of cleare and evident cannot bee applyed to the words of the Homily for the reasons before delivered 2. According to Tertullian b Tertul. d. Resur Carnis ca. 33. Sententiae et definitiones quarum est aperta natura aliter quam sonant non sapiunt Sentences and Definitions which are cleare and evident cannot be expounded otherwise than as the words sound But the words of the Homily concerning the Sabbath which this Objector produceth doe neither force the understanding of every intelligent Reader to yeeld assent to Br. B. his Exposition and unlesse wee expound them otherwise than the words seeme to sound we shall fall into many absurdities Ergo. It is false which the Objector delivereth to wit The words of the Homily are so expresse cleare and plainely delivered as that they cannot admit the least Question or Ambiguity B. The Homily of the time and place of prayer part first sheweth That our Lord's Day is grounded upon the fourth Commandement of the Decalogue in these words Whatsoever is contained in the Commandement appertaining to the Law of Nature as a thing most godly most just and needefull for the setting forth of Gods glory it ought to be retained and kept of all good Christian people and therefore by this Commandement we ought to have a time as one day in the weeke wherein we ought to rest yea from our lawfull and needfull workes For like as it appeareth by this Commandement that no man in the sixe dayes ought to be slothfull or idle but diligently to labour in that state wherein God hath set him even so GOD hath given expresse charge to all men that upon the Sabbath day which is now our Sunday they should cease from all weekely and worke day labour to the intent that like as God Himselfe wrought sixe dayes and rested the Seventh and blessed and sanctified and consecrated it to quietnesse and rest from labour even so God's obedient People should use the Sunday holily and rest from their common and daily businesse and also give themselves wholly to heavenly excercises of God's true Religion and Service So that God doth not onely command the Observation of this Holy Day but also by his own example doth stir and provoke us to the diligent keeping of the same Good natural children wil not only becom obedient to the Commandement of their Parents but also have a diligent eye to their doings and gladly follow the same So if we will bee the children of our Heavenly Father wee must be carefull to keepe the Christian Sabbath Day which is the Sunday not only for that it is God's expresse Commandement but also to declare our selves to bee loving children in following the example of our Gracious Lord and Father Againe thus it may plainely appeare that God's will and Commandement was to have a solemne time and standing day in the week wherein the People should come together and have in remembrance his wonderfull benefits and to render Him thankes for them as appertaineth to loving kind and obedient People This example and Commandement of God the godly Christian people began to follow immediately after the Ascension of our Lord Christ c. So the Homily and much more whence we plainely observe these conclusions 1 That all Christians ought and are bound in conscience of the fourth Commandement to keep the Lord's-day holily 2 That by the force of the fourth Commandement one day in seven is perpetually to be kept holy 3 That the keeping of the Lord's-day is grounded upon and commanded in the fourth Commandement and so is not of humane institution 4 That the Lord's-day is and may bee called our Christian Sabbath-day therefore it is not Iewish to call it so 5 That this Day is wholly to be spent in holy rest and duties of sanctification and therefore no part of it to be spent in vaine pleasures and prophane pastimes Now the Author of the Treatise doth overthrow all these conclusions for
it 2 It is granted that the fourth Commandement is expresse for a certaine day for a particular day Namely for Saturday But if it be expresse for Saturday and for that Individuall day only Then it is not expresse for Sunday and the observation of Sunday must either be grounded upon the naturall equity of the fourth Commandement or else it cannot be grounded upon that Commandement at all 3 Brother B. saith in this passage of his Dialogue The fourth Commandement is expresse for a certaine day But in another of his treatises hee delivereth the contrary to wit The Commandement saith not Remember the Seventh day to sanctifie it but Remember the Sabbath whatsoever it be to sanctifie it Now a certaine day is definite and a Sabbath day whatsoever it be is indefinite Therefore if the fourth Commandement enjoyneth a Sabbath Day whatsoever it be it commandeth a day indefinite and not a particular and certaine day 4 If the fourth Commandement is expresse for the lord's-Lord's-Day then it either nameth this day in particular or it describeth the same by some Characters by which it is distinguished from other dayes But the Commandement neither nameth the Lord's Day in particular nor yet describeth it by any speciall Characters but on the contrary it both nameth the Seventh day and describeth it by a speciall Character whereby it is distinguished from other dayes to wit by God's resting from his grand worke of prime Creation Therefore the fourth Commandement is not expresse for the keeping holy of the Lord's-day but if wee will have the day expressely commanded we must observe the Old Sabbath Day according to Theoph. Brabourne's Tenet 5 Whereas the Objector saith the Commandement must determine the particular time and day in Individuo because otherwise if the same be lef◠indetermined man should forget God and himselfe and allow no time at all for God's service The answer is there can be no just reason for people to forget God and to allow no time at all for his service if a sufficient and convenient time be indefinitely commanded by the Law of Nature and a definite and particular day and time be appointed by the Pastors of the Church For the precepts of the Church being godly and holy and subservient to God's glory and being grounded upon Apostolicall example oblige Christian people to their particular duty in observing time and place and many other circumstances concerning God's service and Christians are obliged to observe all such godly precepts when the same are meanes to execute God's generall Law which is Let all things in the Church be done decently and in good order and to edification c. pag. 99. B. It is a Law of nature that every Lord and Master should have the power in himselfe to appoint not only the kinde of service but the time when it should be performed of his servants As Alexander d. Ales a Alex. Hal. part 3. quaest 32. saith upon the fourth Commandement The time of this Rest it is not in Man's power to determine but God's Answ The chiefe Lord and Master of the family hath the supreme authority to determine the time and circumstances of his owne service But hee may delegate subordinate power to his Steward or other Officers to performe the same In the Old Law God Almighty prescribed the particular day and place of his publike worship to wit the Saturday of every weeke c. and the Tabernacle c. But in the Evangelicall Law he hath not expressely or literally appointed either a particular day or a particular place But Christian Kings being nursing Fathers and the Bishops being Pastors and Governours in the Church and Stewards of this great Lord by a delegate and ministeriall power may lawfully performe this pag. 187. I desire the judicious Reader to consider that the former Objection is a pestilent drug borrowed from Schismatickes and from Separatists pag. 95. and if the same bee admitted it takes away all power from the Kings Majesty and from the Church to appoint any set place for God's publike service or to ordaine any holy dayes or festivall solemnities or to determine the houres of the day for peoples resorting to Church and their continuance at the Church Lastly it denies the Churches power of composing any externall forme or Liturgy for God's publike and solemne worship B. Againe the Adversary acknowledgeth an equity in the fourth Commandement What equity If as it bound the ancient people of God to one day in the weeke it doe not also binde the Christian People to keep one day in the Weeke And if it be the equity of the fourth Commandement to prescribe one day in seven then they are very unjust that deny the keeping of the Lord's-Day to be grounded upon the equity of the fourth Commandement It were well if they would stand to equity But this doth our Adversary flye from for he saith in the next words The particular forme and circumstances of resting are prescribed unto us by the precepts of the Church our spirituall actions according to that which is maine and substantiall in them are taught by the Evangelicall Law Their modification and limitation in respect of rituall and externall forme and in regard of place duration gesture habit and other externall circumstances are prescribed by the Law of the Church So He. Thus you see how hee limits the prescription of circumstances which comprehend time and place persons and duration when and how long God shall bee served unto the prescription of the Law of the Church which he expresseth more fully pag. 270. saying It was in the free election of the Church to appoint what day or dayes or times she thought good or found convenient for religious duties a P. Martyr in Genes 2. Quod hic dies magis quam ille eligatur ad Dei cultum liberū fuit ecclesiae per Christum ut id consuleret quod magis ex re judicaret Bulling Cō in Apoc. 1.10 Sponte vero Ecclesiae receperuntillam diem non legimus eam ullibi praeceptam Hospin de Orig. Fest ca. 8. Et si ex hijs constet Dominicum diem jam tum Apostolorum temporibus Iudaici Sabbathi loco fuisse solennem non invenitur tamē vel Apostolos vel alios lege aliqua aut praecepto observationē ejus instituisse sed illam fuisse liberam c. In primitiva Ecclesia ipsius quoque Dominicae diei observatio nulla certa lege praecepta sed libera fuerit c. For the Evangelicall Law hath not determined any certaine day or time And those actions or circumstances which are not determined by divine precept are permitted to the liberty and authority of the Church to be determined and appointed So He. But cleare it is that the Church of England disclaimeth all such power a Reade the words of the Statute recited in the Preface to the Reader and it will be evident that Br. B. is a deceiver but ascribes all authority
most notorious Sabbath-breakers that live And Sect. 38. n. 1. He saith Let it be observed if all disorders bee not most in those parts among Vs where the people is most Pope-holy c. And for mine own part having spent much of my time among them this I have found that in all excesse of sinne Papists have beene the Ring-leaders in riotous Companies in drunken meetings in seditious assemblies and practises in prophaning the Sabbath in quarrels and brawles in Stage-Playes Greenes Ales and al Heathenish customes c. Thus this reverend Divine Candore notabilis ipso whom all the Iesuiticall smoak out of the bottomlesse pit cannot besmeare or besmudge or dye blacke with all their black mouth'd obloquies A. Surely these are very pregnant passages And it makes me tremble to thinke and amazeth me How one White is so contrary to another As also how the Libertinisme dispensed with now a dayes on the Sabbath tendeth to bring Vs Protestants to be like to the Papists in their prophane times in taking up their Heathenish savage and barbarous manners and customes Answ This rude Dialogist hath a Palsie in his braine which causeth him to tremble For the matter it selfe affoordeth no occasion of any such passion For there is not any contradiction between the two brethren in their Doctrine For the one brother called the Lord's-Day the Sabbath in a mysticall sence And the other brother saith it is not the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement in a literall and proper sence One brother condemneth Papists for using prophane ungodly savage and heathenish pastimes upon the Lord's-Day The other Brother maintaineth that some kinde of pastime and recreation namely such as is not Vicious either in forme or quality or in Circumstance may be lawfully used upon the Lords-Day But the Objector as his manner is wasteth many words but avoydeth and declineth the true state of the question B. Me thinkes the very reading of the fourth Commandement every Lord's-Day might stop his mouth saving that he hath found out many inventions to elude the nature and property of this Commandement as pag. 158. 159. c. which I hope H. B. will meete withall Answ It was one of Theoph. Brabourn's arguments ad hominem to prove that we are to observe the literall Sabbath of the fourth Commandement because this Commandement is read in the Church every holy day and after the reading thereof we beseech God to incline our hearts to keepe that Law For that Commandement enjoyned the observation of the seventh day Sabbath to wit the same Sabbath which the Old Testamen established and the Iewes observed Now this argument being popular and plausible The Bishop is perswaded he did good service in solving the same upon true grounds And because this Objector is not able holding his own Principles to give any solution or satisfactory answere to it He should not like the Dogge in the manger have barked against others and done nothing himselfe B. The twentieth Injunction of Queene Elizabeth He also perverteth whiles he confoundeth the Lord's-Day with other Holy dayes which the Injunction doth clearly distinguish for that liberty which it dispenseth with touching worke in Harvest time is not spoken of the Lord's-Day or Holy day as is there called and set alone by it selfe but of Holy and festivall dayes only of humane institution A. I thanke you for this observation Answ In which words doth the Injunction clearely distinguish the Sunday from the other Holy dayes in respect of labour in Harvest bold Br. B. cease to prate and out-face and prove what you say otherwise none will credit you but Goslings of your owne brooding 1 The Queenes Injunction speaketh in generall of all holy dayes in the yeare and it setteth down no difference betweene Sunday and the other Holy dayes concerning working in Harvest 2. Queene Elizabeths Injunction was taken Verbatim out of an Injunction of the same quality of King Edward the sixth which was grounded upon the Statute Quinto Sexto of Edward the sixth Now in this Statute 1 The Sunday is made one of the ordinary Holy dayes of the yeare All the dayes hereafter mentioned shall bee kept and commanded to bee kept Holy dayes and none other that is to say all Sundayes in the yeare the dayes of the feast of Circumcision Epiphany c. 2 In this Statute no special priviledge for abstinence from necessary labour is given it more than the rest Statute Edward sixt provided alwayes and it is enacted by the authority aforesaid it shall be lawfull to every husbandman labourer fisherman c. upon the Holy dayes aforesaid in harvest or at any other time of the yeare when necessity shall require to labour ride fish or worke any kinde of worke at their free wills and pleasure any thing in this act to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding 3 In our present Liturgie the Sunday is ranked among the other Holy dayes in these words These to bee observed for Holy dayes and none other That is to say all Sundayes in the yeare the dayes of the feast of the Circumcision of our Lord Iesus Christ of the Epiphanie of the Purification of the blessed Virgin c. 4 The Homily formerly cited by the Objector granteth liberty to people to exercise some labour on the Sunday in time of great necessity and Queene Elizabeth's Injunction agreeing with ancient Imperiall Lawes a Cod. Iustinian li. 3. Tit. 12. §. 3. Constant A. Elpidio Omnes Iudices urbanaeque plebes cunctarum artium officia venerabili die solis quiescant Ruri tamen positi agrorū culturae libere libēterque inserviant quoniam frequēter evenit ut non aptius alio die frumenta sulcis aut vineae scrobibus mandentur ne occasione momenti pereat commoditas caelesti provisione concessa specifieth one kinde of bodily labour to wit working in harvest Therefore the Homily by labour understands not only bodily workes of absolute necessity such as are mentioned by the Objector to wit about scare-fires and invasion of enemies but all labour in generall which is of urgent necessity and which was not in those times prohibited by Civill or Ecclesiasticall Law A. I am occasioned to aske your judgement of those passages of his touching Recreations on that day in which argument he hath spent many leaves B. But without any good fruit And as his discourses are hereupon large so they require a large refutation which I hope H. B. will performe He distinguisheth Recreations into two sorts 1. Honest and Lawfull 2. Vicious and unlawfull c. I note his pitifull enterferings by equivocations contradictions b Let the Iudicious Reader examine by what Arguments this blūdering beast confirmes his rude accusation and the artifice of his purest naturall wit in spinning a curious webbe of so fine a thred as wherwith though he may thinke to cover himselfe yet it is pervious and penetrable to every eye Answ Whosoever shall reade the Treatise with impartiall judgement
will perceive that the Bishop in his Doctrine concerning Recreations hath proceeded plainely distinctly and without equivocations or contradictions For. 1. He delivereth a definition of Recreation in generall out of approved Authors pag. 229. 2 He divideth Recreations into two kindes to wit into honest and lawfull and into such as are vicious and unlawfull 3 He defines these two species of Recreations approoving the first kind if they be used in due time and with due circumstances and condemning the latter upon all dayes and seasons But it seemes this sonne if confusion is offended because the Bishop's Treatise concerning Recreations is so cleare and exact that he can finde no defective passage in it on which he might fasten his envious jawes B. If I might bee bold a You haue superlative boldnesse but little truth and honesty I would aske him what he thinkes of promiscuous meetings of wanton youth in their May-games setting up of May-poles dancing about them dancing the Morice and leading the Ring-dance and the like unto which Dr. Wh. in the former passage pag. 266. doth not obscurely point as it were with the finger Are not these obscene or lascivious and voluptuous Pastimes Answ 1. This Momus deales like one Vrbicus in Saint Augustine Who wanting Arguments to prove That Christians were obliged to make the Sabbath of every weeke a fasting day fell into a bitter invective against luxurious feasting drunken bâ—nquetting and lewde drinkings a Aug. Ep. 86. Cum cum argumeÌ„ta deficiunt quibus probet Sabbato jejunandum in luxurias convivarum temulenta convivia nequissimas ebrietates invehitur quasi non jejunare hoc sit inebriari Brother B. is destitute of firme Arguments to prove that all bodily exercise and civill recreation is simply unlawfull upon any part of the Sunday and therefore he imitates that Sectarian and declaimeth against lascivious and prophane sports and pastimes Now his Adversary maintaineth no Recreation which is prophane and lascivious or which is vicious in quality or circumstances either upon Sunday b Clem. Apost Const. li. 5. ca. 9. Neque in Dominicis diebus qui sunt dies laetitiarum permittimus vobis quicquam inhonestum loqui aut agere or upon any day of the Weeke Page 229 c. 2 Whereas the envious man demandeth what wee thinke of promiscuous meetings of wanton youth setting up May-Poles c. Our answer is that when hee hath proved by sound arguments such meetings and pastimes as the lawes of our kingdom and the Canons of our Church have permitted after that the Religious offices of the day are performed to be in quality or circumstance dishonest or vicious we must proclaime them to be unlawfull at all times but especially upon the holy day c B. Ely Treat p. 230. If they bee used upoÌ„ the Lord's Day or on other festivall dayes they are sacrilegious because they rob God of his honour to whose worship and service the Holy day is devoted they defile the soules of men for the clensing and edifying whereof the Holy Day is deputed B. I note how poorely he playes the Divine or Doctor by giving indulgence or more liberty to such as have quesie stomacks and cannot digest those wholesome meats which God's word and all sound Divines and Doctors doe prescribe a This Goose-quil antiquum obtiner for be gaggles only but produceth no sentence of Gods word truly applyed nor one sound Divine or Doctor who is adverse to the Bishop's Tenet c. Give Man a power thus to dispense with part of the Lord's-day which is an incroachment upon the fourth Commandement according to the Doctrine of our Church and why may not Man assume unto himselfe a power as the Pope doth to dispense with Servants and Children by allowing them some time wherein they shall bee free from the Controle of their Masters and their Parents Answ If there be no Divine Law prohibiting people to use honest and sober recreation upon some part of the Holy-day then he is no poore Divine or Doctor which yeeldeth such liberty to people as God hath not denyed them But there is no Divine Law written or unwritten prohibiting people to use honest and sober recreation upon some part of the Holy-day Therefore hee that yeeldeth such liberty to people is no poore Divine or Doctor But hee which upon false grounds denieth it them is a proud Pharisee 2 They which grant liberty to Children and Servants to disobey their Parents and Masters take upon them power to dispense with a Divine Law which is properly morall and of the Law of Nature But they that grant license to Christian people to use sober and honest recreation upon some part of the Holy-day dispense with no Divine Law either Morall Naturall or Positive Therefore the Objector's comparison is betweene things which are altogether unlike B. Our Treatiser doth miserably abuse the Scripture and so turne the grace of God into wantonnesse for he saith p. 257. The Law of Christ is sweet and easie Mat. 11.30 And his Commandements are not grievous 1 Iohn 5.3 Answ He abuseth not the Scripture who expoundeth and applyeth the same rightly But the Bishop hath expounded and applyed the two Texts of Scripture Matth. 11.30 and 1 Iohn 5.3 truly and rightly Therefore the Objector is a false accuser in saying the Treatiser hath abused the Scripture The Assumption is proved in manner following The Bishop delivered this Proposition All Divine Evangelicall Ordinances necessary to the salvation of every Christian are possible with ordâ—nary diligence and likewise with comfort to be observed for the Law of Christ is sweet and easie Mat. 11.30 and his Commandements are not grievous 1 Iohn 5.3 Now the foresaid Texts are truly expounded and they do fully confirme the Bishop's Proposition Therefore the Dialogue-dauber is a rude Blatterant a Hieron ad Ripar Quicquid amens loquitur vociferatio clamor est appellandus in saying the Treatiser hath miserably abused the Scripture B. And what then is Christ's Law so sweet and easie as that it gives indulgence to profane libertinisme This is to make the Gospell a sweet Fable as that Atheisticall Pontifician said Answ 1. Christ's Law is so sweet and easie as that it commandeth no externall service or duty necessary Necessitate medii to be performed by all Christians which they may not by the assistance of Divine Grace be able to performe with ordinary diligence and comfort b Arausic Concil ca. 25. Hoc etiam secunduÌ„ fidem catholicaÌ„ credimus quod accepta gratia per baptismum omnes baptizati Christo auxiliante cooperante quae ad salutem pertinent possint â—c debeant si fideliter laborare voluerint adimplere This Position is confirmed by the Bishop pag. 257. both by sentences of holy Scripture and by testimonies of ancient Fathers And from hence it is consequent that it is no sin much lesse no mortall crime equall to Murder Adultery and
England concerning the old Sabbath and the Lord's day is the same which the Fathers of the Primitive Church received from the holy Apostles and which they taught Christian people in ancient time pag. 13. But the Bishop in his Treatise maintaineth the same Doctrine which the Primitive Fathers received from the Holy Apostles and which they taught Christian people in ancient time Ergo The Bishop in his Treatise hath not overthrowne the Doctrine of the Church of England concerning the old Sabbath and the Lord's-day 3 The present Doctrine of the Church of England concerning the old Sabbath and the Lord's-day is the same which is commonly maintained by all Reformed Churches in Christendome But the Bishop in his Treatise consenteth with all the Reformed Churches in their common Doctrine of the old Sabbath and of the Lord's-day pag. 271. Ergo The Bishop in his Treatise hath not overthrowne the Doctrine of the Church of England concerning the old Sabbath and the Lord's-day 4 That the Homilies appointed to be read in the Church of England must not alwayes bee expounded according to the sound of words but according to the Line and Rule of holy Scripture is the Tenet of H. B. in his Plea to an Appeale pag. 14. The Bishop in his Treatise hath expounded the Homily of the Time and Place of prayer appointed to be read in the Church of England according to the Line and Rule of Holy Scripture and according to this sense and exposition nothing is delivered in the Homily repugnant to the Bishop's doctrine concerning the old Sabbath and the Lord's-day Ergo The Bishop in his Treatise hath not overthrowne the Doctrine of the Church of England contained in the Homily of the time and place of prayer Brother B. in his Dialogue hath these remarkable Passages following 1 The Tenet of the Dialogist is That the 4th Commandement of the Decalogue delivered in this forme of words Remember that thou keepe holy the sabbath-Sabbath-day c. The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt doe no manner of worke c. The Lord rested the seventh day c. commandeth in expresse termes the religious observation of the Lord's-day and the same is a commandement of the Law of Nature Now from hence it is consequent 1. That Saturday and Sunday being two distinct and severall dayes of the Weeke if the Commandement be naturall and expresse for the one it cannot be naturall and expresse for the other unlesse the one day were named expressed or described in the same as well as the other 2 That the Iewes were obliged to the religious observation of the Saturday by the Law of the fourth Commandement which was Positive in respect of that day and Christians are bound to keepe holy the Sunday by the very same Commandement as by the Law of Nature Now all judicious men confesse that the 4th Commandement concerning keeping holy the saturday was a Positive Law Therefore we desire Br. B. to cleare this contradiction to wit how it is possible that the Law of the fourth Commandement concerning Saturday being Positive The same Law according to his Tenet commanding Sunday can be Naturall Againe let this bould Bayard resolve Vs how the observation of the Lord's-day can be said to be expressely commanded in the fourth Precept of the Decalogue when Saturday only and no other day is expressed either by the words of that Precept or is concluded from the words or sentences thereof by any formall or necessary illation Lastly let him resolve Vs how we may rightly conclude from the expresse words of the fourth Commandement that Sunday is to be kepr holy by that Law For if this man will argue rightly hee must proceed in this or the like manner The fourth Commandement literally and expressely enjoyneth the Observation of Saturday and the Precept concerning Saturday is Legally Positive Therefore Christians must observe Sunday by vertue of such a Law as was Legally Positive for keeping of Saturday Gentle Br. B. licke over your Calfe once again and please not your selfe nor abuse your Reader with such absurd Bulls and contradictions a Chrysost in 1. Corinth Ho. 38. Nihil est errore magis imbecillum suis ipsis alis implicatur nec oppugnatione aliunde opus habet transfigit ipse se A second Passage of Brother B. Vnlesse the keeping the first Day of the weeke for Sabbath bee commanded H. B. Dialog manuscript cited in tâ—e Bishop's Treatise of the Sabbath pag. 89. the Divine Authority of it will not appeare saith Br. B. for only God's Commandement bindeth the Conscience But no Divine Commandement is expressely delivered in the Old or New Testament concerning the Religious Observation of the Lord's-Day Therefore if Br. B. his first proposition is true and if hee bee not able to produce some Divine Commandement out of the Scripture for the Religious Observation of the Lord's-Day he must if he adhere to his owne principles be compelled to grant Theoph. Brabourne that the observation of the Lord's-Day is an act of superstition and will-worship A third Passage of Brother B. H. B. Dialog pag. 15. 16. It were not wise to set a Ceremony in the midd st of morall precepts It is a principle in God there can be no ceremony but all must bee eternall and so in his Image which is the Law of nature and so in the Decalogue There can be no Ceremony at all in the Law of the fourth Commandement because Saint Paul reckoned the Sabbath Day among the Ceremonies of the Old Law Colos 2.16 And all the Primitive Fathers ranked the Sabbath and Circumcision in the number of Legall Ceremonies A fourth Passage of Brother B. The Primitive Fathers did ever and usually stile the Lord's-day the Sabbath day of the 4th Commandement in a proper and literall sence The reason because sometimes but yet very seldome They named it Sabbatum in a mysticall and analogicall sence that is an Holy day on which Christian people must have a speciall care to abstaine from sin A fift Passage of Brother B. Because the Lord's-Day succeeded and came in place of the Old Sabbath Therefore the Observation thereof is commanded by the particular Law of the Old Sabbath As if one should say Baptisme succeeded and came in place of Circumcision Ergo it is commanded Christians by the Old Law of Circumcision A sixt Passage of Brother B. The Bishop's of England may not use the Testimony of Divines of reformed Churches because they dissent from them in some Theologicall questions As if one should argue Protestants may not use Saint Augustine's testimony against Pontificians or Pelagians because they have refused his Tenet concerning the absolute damnation of Infants departing this life before they were baptized a Aug. Epist 106. Parvulos non baptizâ—tos vitam habere non posse ac per hoc quamlibet tolerabilius omnibus qui etiam propria peccata committunt tamen aeterna morte mulctari Id.
admit the Doctors aforesaid were adverse to us and we to them in many more Positions than indeed we are yet notwithstanding it might be lawfull for us to use their Testimony in all Questions wherein they maintaine Catholike and Orthodoxall Verity b Iren. li. 4. ca. 14. Vera contradictioni minime obnoxia est probatio quae ex dictis adversariorum elicitur S. Paul used the Testimony of Heathen Poets in matter of truth notwithstanding they were enemies to Christian piety c Chrys in Gen. Hom. 57. Infidelium adversantiuÌ„ religioni testimonia majorem habent fidem Et hoc est ex omnipotenti sapientia Dei ut inimici veritatis fiant ipsi testes veritatis August c. Petilian Don. li. 2. ca. 30. and Christians likewise use the Testimony of Iewes and Rabins concerning the number and integrity of the Bookes of Canonicall Scripture S. Augustine used the Testimony of Saint Cyprian against Donatists and Pelagians d Aug. d. Bapt. c. Don. l. 2. c. 1. l. 3. c. 11. l. 4. c. 1. l. 6. c 7. c. Crescon Gram. l. 3. c. 1. d. praedest sanctor c. 14. d. pec mer. remis l. 3. c. 5. c. Gaudent l. 3. c. 1. Epist 107. who was adverse to him in the point of Rebaptizing Tertullian Origen Lactantius c. had their errours yet they that use their testimony when they speake divinely were never as yet censured by any sobero conscientious Writers as maintainers of a bad cause or bringers in of Rascals to be their Advocates B. Certainly in the Point of Sports and Recreations Reformed Churches will utterly faile him yea and disclaime him too c. For the Ministers of the Seventeene Provinces reformed and the neighbouring Churches in Germany petitioned the States of the Vnited Provinces for the reformation of the manifold profanation of the Lord's-day Answ The Bishop maintaineth not but opposeth and condemneth all profanation of the Lord's-day And as for honest and sobeâ—â— recâ—â—â—tion the best Divines of the Vnited Provinces approve the same upon some part of the Lord's-day The Divines of Leidan in Synopsi purioris Theologiae Disp 21. write as followeth Neque tamen omnis recreatio hic prohibetur ut quae etiam inter fines Sabbati est scilicet quae divinum cultum non impedit sacris peractis honeste decenter moderate sine scandalo offensione fit Neverthelesse all bodily recreation upon the Lord's-day is not here prohibited because the same is one of the ends of the Sabbath namely such bodily exercise and recreation as is no impediment to Divine worship and which is used in honest decent and moderate fashion without scandall or offence after such time as the sacred and religious offices of the day are performed And in like manner Walaus himselfe whom the Obiector citeth de Sab. â—ap 6. pag. 131. Vltimo quaeritur an recreationis â—t oblectationis opera fidelibê° Sabbato sint concessa Recreationis quaedâ—m opera hoc die esse concessa non 〈…〉 Deus inter sines Sabbati hoc quoque refere Exod. 23 〈◊〉 respiret Iunius vertit 〈◊〉 recreetur filius 〈…〉 tuae Et Christus ipse die Sabbati 〈…〉 Luc. 14. Et sanc cum dies Sabbati fuerit fostus refeâ—â— quoque Laetitiam Coeli hominis recreatio atque anima corporis vlres reficit quemad modâ—m sapiâ—ns inquit Prov. 17. Animus laetus medicinam facit spiritus autem fractus exsiccat ossa Atque ideo etiam in Ecclesia Apostolica Agapae erant institutae translatae ut videtur ex conviviis sacrificiorum Veteris Testamenti ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mutuam testandam honestam recreationem usurpandaÌ„ 1 Cor. 14.20 Iude v. 12. Imo diebâ—s Dominiâ—is ad gaudium propter memoriam resâ—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 … are in Ecclesia Primitiva â—â—fâ—â—â—uiâ— Aug. Epist 〈◊〉 ad 〈…〉 We dare not deny some kinde of râ—creatiâ—â— to bee lawfull upon the Lord's-day for God himselfe makes the refreshing of the sonne of the Handmaid and of the Stranger one of the ends why the Sabbâ—th 〈◊〉 ol … â—â—od 23.12 And Iunius translates the word refreshed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 recreated Also Christ himselfe upon the Sabbath-day went to a Feast Luke 14.1 And forasmuch as the Sabbath is a Festivall day honest recreation upon that day is a represent of heavenly joy and according to the Wiseman's saying Prov. 17.22 A merry heart doth good like a Medicine Also in the Apostolicall Church certaine Love-Feasts called Agapae being translated from Feasts used at Sacrifices in the old Law were ordained to testifie brotherly love among Christians and for the exercise of honest recreation and upon the Lord's-day to the end Christians might testifie their rejoycing for the memory of Christ's Resurrection it was held a nefarious thing in the Primitive Church to make that day a fasting day as S. Augustine sheweth 86. Ep. ad Casulanum Rivetus in Exod. 20. a Honestae tamen recreationes quae spiritus refocillent mutuum alant consortium à solennitate illius diâ—i non sunt excludendae Honest recreations which refresh the spirits and cherish mutuall society ought not to be excluded from the solemnity of that day A. Sir I heartily thanke you for your sweet conference which I could be content might last yet a whole Summers-day But the Day now bidding us farwell leaves us to bid one another good night B. And so good night to you Brother A. And to you also good Brother Answ After a due and impartiall Examination of the former Dialogue the Bishop protesteth once againe that he hath observed no one passage in it which meriteth any approbation And therefore Brother A. is fallen in love with his owne shadow when he stileth the same a sweet conference a Ambros Ep. 40. Vt filii etiam deformes delectant sic etiam scriptorem indecores sermones sui palpant Lud. Vives Sicu pueri complectuntur exosculantur specula in quibus imaginem sui aspiciunt c. But let not Brother Asotus deceive himselfe for his Dialogue is neither sweét nor savoury either in matter or in forme but very rude wilde malicious and factious The maine Position of this Dialogue to wit That the Bishop's Treatise of the Sabbath overthroweth the Doctrine of the Church of England c. is confuted in manner following 1 The Doctrine of the Church of England concerning the Lord's-day and all other Holy dayes is the same at this present it was in the raigne of King Edward the 6th and in the raigne of King IAMES Anno primo But the Bishop in his Treatise consenteth with the Doctrine concerning the Lord's-day and other Holy dayes maintained by Statute in the raigne of King Edward the 6th and in the raigne of King IAMES Anno primo Ergo The Bishop in his Treatise hath not overthrowne the Doctrine of the Church of England concerning the lord's-Lord's-day and other Holy dayes 2 The present Doctrine of the Church of