began to set at naught the Lord and to forget that God that brought them out of the Land of Egypt when they began to loath his Sabbaths and prophane his Festivals as they did too often the Lord expostulates the matter with them as well for one as for the other When they were weary of the New-moone Amâ—â— 8. 5. and wished it gone that they might sell corn and of the Sabbath because it went not fast enough away that they might set forth wheate to sale the Lord objects against them both the one and the other by his Prophet Amos that they preferred their profit before his pleasure In locum Et Deisolennitates turpis lucri gratia in sua verterent compendia as Saint Hierome hath it When on the other side they did prophane his Sabbaths and the holy Festivals with excesse and furfeiting carowsing wine in bowles 〈◊〉 6. stretching themselues upon their couches and oynting of themselues with the chiefe oyntments the Lord made knowne unto them by his servant Esaiah how much he did dislike their courses The New-moones and Sabbaths Chap. â— â—4 the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemne meeting It seemes they had exceedingly forgot themselues when now their very Festivals were become a sinne Nay God goes further yet your New-moones and your appointed Fâ—asts my soule hateth Chap. 1. 14. they are a trouble to mee I am weary to beare them Your New-moones and your Feasts saith God are not mine Non enim mea sunt quae geritis they are no Feasts of mine Sermo 12. which you so abuse How so Iudaei enim neglectis spiritualibus negotjis quae pro animae salute agenda deus praeceperat omnia legitima sabbati ad ocium luxuriaemque contulere So â—aid Gaudentius Brixianus The Iewes saith he neglecting those spirituall duties which God commanded on that day abused the Sabbaths rest unto ease and luxury Cyrill in Amos 8. For whereas being free from temporall cares they ought to have employed that day to spirituall uses and to have spent the same in modesty and temperanâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the repetition and commemoration of Gods holy Word they on the other side did the contrary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wasting the day in gluttony and drunkennesse and idle delicacies How farre Saint Augustiue chargeth them with the self-same crimes wee have seene before Thus did the house of Israel rebell against the Lord and prophaene his Sabbaths And therefore God did threaten them by the Prophet Hosea Hos. 2. 1â— that hee would cause their mirth to cease their Feast dayes their New-moones and Sabbaths and their solemne Festivals that so they might be punished in the want of that which formerly they had abused 7 And so indeed he did beginning first with those of the revolted Tribes whom he gave over to the hand of Salmanassar the Affyrian by whom they were lead Captive unto parts unknowne and never suffered to returne Those which were planted in their places as they desired in tract of time to know the manner of the God of the Land so for the better means to attaine that knowledge they entertained the Pentateuch or five Books of Moses and with them the Sabbath They were beholding to the Lions which God sent amongst them Otherwise they had never knowne the Sabbath nor the Lord who made it Themselues acknowledge this in an Epistle to Antiochus Epiphanes when hee made havock of the Iewes The Epistle thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. To King Antiochus Epiphanes Ioseph Antiq. li. â— 2. c. 7. the mighty God the suggestion of the Sidonians that dwell at Sichem Our Ancestors enforced by a continuall plague which destroyed their Country this was the Lions before spoken of and induced by an ancient superstition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tooke up a custome to observe that day as holy which the Iewes call the Sabbath So that it seemes by this Epistle that when the Aâ—â—yrian sent backe one of the Priests of Israel to teach this people what was the manner of the God of the Land that at that time they did receive the Sabbath also which was about the yeare of the Worlds Creation 3315. The Priest so sent is said to have been called Dosthai and as the word is mollified in the Greeke Orig 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 4. it is the same with Dositheus who as hee taught these new Samaritans the observation of the Sabbath so as some say he mingled with the same some neaâ— devises oâ— his own For whereas it is said in the Booke of Exodus Let no man go out of his place on the sabbath day this Dositheus if at lest this were hee keeping the letter of the Text did affirme and teach that in what ever posture any man was found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning of the sabbatâ— in the self-same he was to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even untill the evening I say if this were hee and as some say because there was another Dositheus a Samaritan too that lived more neere unto the time of Origen and is most like to be the man However we may take it for a Samaritan device as indeed it was though not so ancient as to take beginning with the first entertainment of the Sabbath in that place and people 8 This transportation of the ten Tribes for their many sins was a faire warning unto those of the house of Iudah to turn unto the Lord amend their lives observe his Sabbaths his sabbata annorum Sabbaths of years aswel as either his weekly or his yearly Sabbaths The Iewes had been regardlesse of them all for neglect of all God resolued to punish them First for the weekly Sabbath that God avenged himselfe upon them for the breach thereof is evident by that one place of Nehemiah Did not your Fathers thus Ch. 13. v. 18 saith he and our God brought this plague upon us and upon our Citie yet yee increase the wrath upon Israel in breaking the Sabbath Next for the Annuall Sabbaths God threatned that he would deprive them of them by his Prophet Hosea as before was said And lastly for his Sabbaths of yeares they had been long neglected almost forgotten if observed at all Torniellus finds three onely kept in all the Scripture Nor are more specified in particular but sure more were kept the certain number of the which may easily be found by the proportion of the punishment God tels them that they should remayn in bondage 2. Chron. 36. 〈◊〉 untill the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths for so long as she lay desolate shee kept sabbath to fulfill threescore and ten yeares So that as many yeares as they were in bondage so many sabbaths of yeares they had neglected Now from the yeare 2593 which was the seventh yeare after their possession of the Land of Canaan unto the yeare 3450 which was
justification so there was some analogie or proportion which this day seemed to hold with the former Sabbath which might more easily induceâ— them to observe the same For as God rested on the Sabbath from all the works which he had done in the Creation so did the Sonne of God rest also on the day of his resurrection from all the works which he had done in our Redemption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Gregory Nyssen notes it for us Orat. in sanct Pâ—scha Yet so that as the Father rested not on the former Sabbath from the works of preservation so neither doth our Saviour rest at any time from perfecting this worke of our redemption by a perpetuall application of the benefit and effects thereof This was the cause and these the motives which did induce the Church in some tract of time to solemnize the day of Christs resurrection as a weekly Festivall though not to keepe it as a Sabbath 4 I say in tract of time for ab initio non fuit sic it was not so in the beginning The very day it selfe was not so observed though it was known to the Apostles in the morning early that the Lord was risen We find not on the newes that they came together for the performance of divine and religious exercises much lesse that they intended it for a Sabbath day or that our Saviour came amongst them untill late at night as in likelihood he would have done had any such performance beene thought necessary as was required unto the making of a Sabbath Nay which is more our blessed Saviour on that dâ—y and two of the Disciples whatsoever the others did were other wise employed then in Sabbath duties For from Hierusalem to Emaus Luke 24. 13. whether the two Disciples went was sixty furlongs which is seven miles and an halfe and so much back again unto Hierusalem which is fifteeene miles And Christ who went the journey with them at least part thereof and left them not untill they came unto 〈◊〉 wâ—s back againe that night and put himselfe into the middest of the Apostles Had he intended it for a Sabbath day doubtlesse he would have rather joyned himself with the Apostles as it is most likely kept themselues together in expectation of the issue and so were most prepared and fitted to beginne the new Christian Sabbath then with those men who contrary to the nature of a Sabbaths rest were now ingaged in a journey and that for ought wee know about worldly businesses Nor may we think but that our Saviour would have told them of so great a faâ—lt as violating the new Christian Sabbath even in the first beginning of it had any Sabbath been intended As for the being of the eleven in a place together that could not have relation to any Sabbath duties or religious exercises being none such were yet commanded but onely to those cares and feares wherewith poore men they were distracted which made them loath to part asunder till they were setled in their hopes or otherwise resolued on somewhat whereunto to trust And where it is conceivâ—d by some that our most blessed Saviour shewed himselfe oftner unto the Apostles upon the first day of the weeke then on any other and therefore by his own appearings did sanctifie that day insteed of the Iewish Sabbath neither the premisses are true nor the sequell necessary The premisses not true for it is no where to be found that he appeared oftner on the first day then any other of the week it being said in holy Scripture that he was seen of them by the space of forty dayes Actâ— 1. 3. as much on one as on another His first appearing after the night following his resurrection which is particularly specified in the book of God was when he shewed himself to Thomas who before was absent Iâ—bâ— 20. 26 That the text tels us was after eight dayes from the time before remeÌ„bred which some coâ—ceive to be the eighth day after or the next first day of the week therupon coÌ„clude that day to be most proper for the Congregations Iâ— Iohn l. â—7 cap. 18. or publick meetings of the Church Diem octâ—â—vum Christus Thomae apparuit Doâ—inicum diem esse necesse est as Saint Cyril hath it Iure igitur sanctae congregationes die octauo in Ecclesia fiunt But where the Greek Text reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 post octo dies in the vulgar Latine after eight dayes according to our English Bibles that should be rather understood of the ninth or tenth then the eighth day after and therefore could not be upon the first day of the week as it is imagined Now as the premisses are untrue so the Conclusion is unfirme For if our Saviours apparition unto his Disciples were of it selfe sufficient to create a Sabbath then must that day whereon Saint Peter went on fishing Iohn 21. â— be a Sabbath also and so must holy Thursday too it being most evident that Christ appeared on those dayes unto his Apostles So that as yet from our Redeemers resurrection unto his ascention we find not any word or Item of a new Christian Sabbath to be kept amongst them or any evidence for the Lords Day in the foure Evangelists either in precept or in practice 5 The first particular passage which doth occurre in holy Scripture touching the first day of the weeke is that upon that day the Holy Ghost did first come downe on the Apostles and that upon the same Saint Peter preached his first Sermon unto the Iewes and baptized such of them as beleeved there being addâ—d to the Church that day three thousand soules This hapned on the Feast of Pentecost which fell that yeare upon the Sunday or first day of the weeke as elsewhere the Scripture calls it but as it was a speciall and a casuall thing so can it yeeld but little proofe if it yeeld us any that the Lords Day was then observed or that the Holy Ghost did by selecting of that day for his descent on the Apostles intend to dignifie it for Sabbath For first it was a casuall thing that Pentecost should fall that yeare upon the Sunday It was a moveable Feast as unto the day such as did change and shift it selfe according to the position of the Feast of Passeover the rule being this that on what day â—oever the second of the Passeover did fall upon that also fell the great Feast of Pentecost â—mend Temp. l. 2. Nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 semper eadem est ferâ—a quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scaliger hath rightly noted So that as often as the Passeover did fall upon the Saturday or Sabbath as this yeare it did then Pentocost â—ell upon the Sunday but when the Passeover did chance to fall upon the Tewsday the Pentecost fell that yeare upon the Wednesday sic de coeteris And if the rule be true as I thinke it is that no sufficient argumeâ—t
Cathol conversationis adviseth us to be attent and silent all the time of Divine Service not telling tales nor falling into jarres and quarrells as being to answer such of us as offend therein for a double fault Dum nec ipse verbum Dei audit nec alios audire permittit as neyther hearkening to the Word of God our selves nor permitting others In the 251. Sermon inscribed De tempore wee are commanded to lay aside all worldly businesses in solennitatibus sanctorum maxime in dominicis diebus upon the festivalls of the Saints but the Lords day specially that wee may be the readier for divine imployments Where note that whosoever made the Sermon it was his purpose that on the Saints dayes men were to forbeare all worldly businesses and not upon the Lords day onely though on that especially And in the same it is affirmed that the Lords day was instituted by the Doctors of the Church Apostles and Apostolicall men the honours of the Iewish Sabbath being by them transferred unto it Sanctieccleâ—â—â— Doctores omnem Iudaici Sabbatismi gloriam in illam transferre decreverunt It seemes some used to hunt on the Lords day then for there it is prohibited as a devilish exercise Nullus in die dominico in venatione se occupet diabolico mancipetur officio with command enough Nay in the 244. of those de tempore it is injoyned above all things with an ante omnia that no man meddle with his wife eyther upon the Lords day or the other holy dayes Ante omnia quoties dies dominicus aut aliae festivitates veniunt vxorem suam nullus agnoscat which â— the rather note though not worth the noting that those who are pressed with so poore a fancie and some such there be would please to be as carefull of the holy dayes as of the Sundayes being alike expressed in the Prohibition One may conjecture easily both by the stile and by the state of things then being in the Christian Church that neyther of these Sermons not to say any thing of the rest which concerne us not could be writ by Austin the latter every thing therein considered by no man of wisedome 2 I say as things then were in the Christian Church that Sermon was not likely to bee Saint Austines It had beene too much rashnesse to prohibit hunting being in it selfe a lawfull sport when such as in themselves were extreamely evill and an occasion of much sinne were not yet put downe The Cirque and Theater were frequented hitherto aswell upon the Lords day as on any other and they were first to be removed before it could be seasonable to inhibit a lawfull pleasure Somewhat to this effect was done in the Age before the Emperours Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius having made a law that no man should exhibit any publicke shew upon the Sunday as before we noted But this prevailed not at the first And thereupon the Fathers of the Councell of Carthage in the first yeare of this first Centurie did then and there decree by publicke order to make petition to the Emperour then being ut spectacula theatrorum coeterorumque ludorum die dominica vel coeteris religionis Christianae diebus solennibus amoveantur c. Their suite was double first that the shewes exhibited on the theaters and other plaies then used might no more be suffered on the Lords day or any other festivall of the Christian Church especially on the Octaves of the feast of Easter what time the people used to goe in greater numbers unto the Cirque or shew-place than the house of God Then that for other dayes no man might bee compelled to repare unto them as they had beene formerly as being absolutely repugnant unto Gods commandements but that all people should be left at liberty to goe or not to goe as they would themselves Nec oportere quenquam christianorum ad haec spectacula cogi c. Sed uti oportet homo in libera voluntate subsistat sibi divinitus concessa so the Canon The Emperour Theodosius thereupon enacted that on the Lords day on the feast of Christs Nativity and after to the Epiphanie or twelfth day as we call it commonly as also on the feast of Easter and from thence to Whitsontide the Cirques Theaters in all places should be shut up that so all faithfull Christian people might wholy bend themselves to the service of God Cod. Theodos. Dominico qui totius septimanae primus est dies Natale atque Epiphaniorum Christi Paschae etiam Quinquagesimae diebus c. Omni theatrorum atque Circensium voluptate per universas urbes earundem populis denegata totae Christianorum fidelium menâ—es dei cultibus occupentur So farre the letter of the law which was enacted at Constantinople the first of February Anno 425. Theodosius the second time and Valentinian being that yeare Consuls Where still observe how equally the principall festivities and the Lords day were matched together that being held unlawfull for the one which was conceived so of the other And so it stood untill the Emperour Leo by two severall Edicts advanced the Lords day higher than before it was and made it singular above other festivalls as in some other things of which more annon so in this particular For in an Edict by him sent unto Amasius at that time Captaine of his Guard or Praefectus pretorio he enacts it thus Cod. l. 3. tit 12. de â—â—riis First generally Dies festos dies altissimae malestati dedicatos nullis volumus voluptatibus occupari that he would have holy dayes which had beene dedicated to the supreame majesty not to be taken up with pleasures What would he have no pleasures used at all on the holy dayes No he saith not so but onely that they should not wholy be taken up with sports and pleasures no time being spared for pious and religious duties Nor doth he barre all pleasures on the Sunday neither as wee shall see anon in the law it selfe but onely base obscene and voluptuous pleasures Then more particularly for the Lords day thus in reference to the point in hand that neither theater nor Cirqueâ—ight nor combatings with wilde beasts should be used thereon and if the birth day or inauguration of the Emperour fell upon the same that the solemnities thereof should be referred to another day no lesse apenalty than losse of dignity and confiscation of estate being layd on them that should offend against his pleasure But for the better satisfaction take so much of the law it selfe as concernes this businesse Nihil eadem die vendicet scena theatralis aut Circense certamen aut ferarum lachrymosa spectacula Etiam si in nostrum ortum aut natalem celebranda solennitas inciderit differatur Amissionem militiae proscriptionemque patrimonij sustinebit si quis unquam spectaculis hoc die interesse praesumpscrit Given at Constantinople Martian and Zeno being consuls 469 of our Saviours birth 3
Canon-law Fiâ—â—â— of the laâ—â— l. 1. c. 3. forbeare their sessions on those dayes the Lord day especially For as our Sages in the law have resolved it generally that day is to be exempt from such businesse even by the Common law for the soleâ—nity thereof to the intent that people may apply themselves 〈◊〉 prayer and â—â—ds publicke service Particularly Fitz-Herbert tells us that no plea shall bee holden Quindena Paschae because it is alwayes on the Sunday Nat. â—revium fol. 17. but it shall be holden â—rastino quindenae pasâ—â—ae on the morrow after So Iustice Dyer hath resolved 1 Eliz. p. 168. that if a writ of scire facias out of the Common pleas beare Teste on a Sunday it is an errour because that day is not dies juridicus in Banâ—o And so it is agreed amongst them that on a fine levied with Proclamations according to the Statute of King Henry the seventh if any of the Proclamations be made on the Lords day all of them are to be accounted erroneous Acts. But to returne unto the Canon where before wee left however that Archbishop Langton formerly and Islip at the present time had made these severall restraints from all â—â—rvile labours yet they were far inough from intertayning any Iewish fancy The Canon last remembred that of Simon Islip doth expresse as much But more particularly and punâ—tually wee may finde what was the judgement of these times in a full declaration of the same in a Synod aâ— â—ambeth what time Iohn Peckam was Archbishop which was in anno 1280. It was thus determined Sciâ—udum est quod obligatio ad feriandum in Sâ—bbato legali expiravit omnino c. Lindw l. 1. tiâ— de offic Archipresb It is to bee understood that all manner of obligation of resting on the legall Sabbath as was required in the Old Testament is utterly expired with the other ceremonies And it is now sufficient in the New Testament to attend Gods service upon the Lords dayes and the other holy dayes ad hoc Ecclesiastica authoritate deputatis appointed by the Church to that end and purpose The manner of sanctifying all which dayes non est sumendus à superstitione Iudaica sed à Canonicis institutis is not to bee derived from any Iewish superstition but from the Canons of the Church This was exact and plaine inough and this was constantly the doctrine of the Church of England Iohannes de Burgo who lived about the end of K. Henry the sixt doth allmost word for word resolve it so in his Pupilla oculi part 10. c. 11. D. 10 Yet finde we not in these restraints that Marketting had beene forbidden either on the Lords Day or the other holy dayes and indeed it was not that came in afterwards by degrees partly by Statutes of the Realme partly by Canons of the Church not till all Nations else had long layd them downe For in the 28. of King Edward the third cap. 14. it was accorded and established that shewing of Wools shall be made at the Staple every day of the wèeke except the Sunday and the solemne Feasts in the yeere This was the first restraint in this kind with us here in England and this gives no more priviledge to the Lords Day than the solemne Festivals Nor was there more done in it Antiq. â—rit in Stafford for almost an hundred yeeres not till the time of Henry the sixt anno 1444. what time Archbishop Stafford decreed throughout his Province ut nundinaâ— emporia in Ecclesiis aut Coemiteriis diebusque Dominicis atque Festis praeterquam tempore messis non teneantur that Faires and Markets should no more be kept in Churches and Church-yards or on the Lords dayes or the other holy dayes except in time of harvest onely If in that time they might bee suffered then certainely in themselves they were not unlawfull on any other further then as prohibited by the higher powers Now that which the Archbishop had decreed throughout his Province Catworth Lord Major of London Fabians Chronicle attempted to exceed within that cittie For in this yeere saith Fabian anno 1444 an Act was made by authority of the common Councell of London that upon the Sunday should no manner of thing within the franchise of the Citty bee bought or sold neither victuall nor other thing nor none Artificer should bring his ware unto any man to be worne or occupyed that day as Taylers garments and Cordwayners shooes and so likewise all other occupations But then it followeth in the story the which ordinance held but a while inough to shew by the successe how ill it doth agree with a Lord Maior to deale in things about the Sabbath Afterwards in the yeere 1451 which was the 28 of this Henries reigne it pleased the King in Parliament to ratifie what before was ordered by that Archbishop in this forme that followeth Considering the abominable iniuries and offenses done to Almighty God 28. H. 6. c. 16. and to his Saints alwayes ayders and singular assistants in our necessities by the occasion of faires and marketts upon their high and principall feasts as in the feast of the Ascension of our Lord in the day of Corpus Christi in the day of Whitsunday Trinity Sunday and other Sundayes as also in the high feast of the assumption of our Blessed Lady the day of All Saints and on Good Friday accustomably and miserably holden and used in the Realme of England c. our Soveraigne Lord the King c. hath ordayned that all manner of faires and marketts on the said principall feasts and Sundayes and Good Friday shall cleerely cease from all shewing of any goods and merchandises necessary victuall onely except which yet was more then was allowed in the City-Act upon paine of forfeiture of all the goods aforesaid to the Lord of the franchise or liberty where such goods be or shall be shewed contrarie to this ordinance the foure Sundayes in harvest except Which cause or reservation sheweth plainely that the things before prohibited were not esteemed unlawfull in themselves as also that this law was made in confirmation of the former order of the Arch-bishop as before was said Now on this law I finde two resolutions made by my Lords the Iudges First Iustice Brian in the 12 of King Edward the fourth declared that no sale made upon a Sunday though in a fayre or market overt for markets as it seemeth were not then quite layed downe though by law prohibited shall bee a good sale to alter the property of the goods And Ploydon in the time of Queene Elizabeth was of opinion Dalâ—ous Iustice. cap. 27. that the Lord of any faire or market kept upon the Sunday contrary to the statute may therefore be eâ—dited for the King or Queene either at the Assises or generall Gaole delivery or quarter Sessions within that County If so in case such Lord may bee endited for any fayre or market kept
Easter 〈…〉 to the Lords day without much opposition of the Easterne 〈◊〉 6 what Iustin Martyr and Dionysius of Corinth have left us of the Lords day with Clemens Aleraâ—drinus his dislike thereof 〈…〉 the Christians of these Ages used to pray standing on the Lords day and the time of Pentecost 8 what is recorded by Tertullian of the Lords day and the assemblies of the Church 9 Origen as his master Clemens had done before dislikes set dayes for the Assemblie 10 Saint Cyprian what hee tells us of the Lords day and of the reading of the Scriptures in Saint Cyprians time 11 Of other holy dayes established iâ— these three first Ages and that they were observed as solemnely as the Lords day was 12 The name of Sunday often used by the primitive Christians for the Lords day but the Sabbath never CHAP. III. That in the fourth Age from the time of Constantine to Saint Augustine the Lords day was not taken for a Sabbath day 1 The Lords day first established by the Emperour Constantine 2 What labours were permitted and what restrained on the Lords day by this Emperours Edict 3 Of other holy dayes and Saints dayes instituted in the time of Constantine 4 That weekely other dayes particularly the Wednesday and the Friday were in this Age and those before appointed for the meetings of the congregation 5 The Saturday as highly honoured in the Easterne Churches as the Lords day was 6 The Fathers of the Easterne Church crie downe the Iewish Sabbath though they held the Saturday 7 The Lords day not spent wholly in religious exercises and what was done with that part of it which 〈◊〉 left at large 8 The Lords day in this Age a day of Feasting and that it hath beene alwayes judged haereticall to hold fasts thereon 9 Of recreations on the Lords day and of what kind those dancings were against the which the Fathers inveigh so sharpely 10 Other Imperiall Edicts about the keeping of the Lords day and the other holy dayes 11 Of publike Orders on the Lords day and the other holy â—ayes at this time in use 12 The infinite difâ—erences between the Lords day and the Sabbath CHAP. IV. The great improvement of the Lords day in the fift and sixt Ages make it not a Sabbath 1 In what estate the Lords day stood in Saint Austins time 2 Stage-playes and publicke shewes prohibited on the Lords day and the other holy dayes by Imperiall Edicts 3 The base and beastly nature of the Stage-playes at those times in use 4 The barbarous and bloody qualitie of the Spectacula or Shewes at this time prohibited 5 Neither all civill businesse nor all kinde of pleasures restrained on the Lords day by the Emperour Leo as it is conceived 6 The French and Spaniards of the sixt Age begin to Iudaize about the Lords day and of restraint of husbandrie on that day in that Age first made 7 The so much cited Câ—non of the Councell of Mascon proves no Lords day Sabbath 8 Of publike honours done in these Ages to the Lords day both by Prince and Prelate 9 No Evening Service on the Lords day till these present Ages 10 of publike orders now established for the better regulating of the Lords day meetings 11 The Lords day not more reckoned of than the greater Festivals and of the other holy dayes in these Ages instituted 12 All businesse and recreation not by Law prohibited are in themselves as lawfull on the Lords day at on any other CHAP. V. That in the next 600. yeeres from Pope Gregory forewards the Lords day was not reckned of as of a Sabbath 1 Pope Gregories â—are to set the Lords day free from some Jewish rigours at that time obtruded on the Church 2 Strange fancies taken up by some few men about the Lords day in these darker Ages 3 Scriptures and miracles in thâ—se times found out to justifie the keeping of the Lords day holy 4 That in the â—udgement of the most learned in these sixe Ages the Lords day hath no other ground than the authoritie of the Church 5 With how much difficultie the people of these westâ—rne parts were barred from following their husbandrie and Courts of Law on the Lords day 6 Husbandry not restrained in the Easterne parts untill the time of Leo Philosophus 7 Markets and Handy-crafts restrained with no lesse opposition that the Plough and pleading 8 Severall casus reservati in the Lawes themselves wherein men were permitted to attend those businesses on the Lords day which the Lawes restrained 9 Of divers great and publike actions done in these Ages on the Lords day 10 Dancing and other sports no otherwise prohibited on the Lords day than as they were an hindrance to Gods publike service 11 The other holy dayeâ— as much esteemed of and observed as the Lords day was 12 The publicke hallowing of the Lords day and the other holy dayes in these present Ages 13 No Sabbath all these Ages heard of either on Saturday or Sunday and how it stood with Sâ—turday in the Easterne Churchesâ— CHAP. VI. What is the judgement of the Schoole-men and of the Protestaâ—tâ— and what the practise of those Churchâ—â— in this Lords-day â—usinâ—sse 1 That in the judgement of the Schoole-men the keeping of one daâ— in seven is not the morall part of the 4. Commandement 2 as also that the Lords day is not founded on divine authority but the authority of the Church 3 A Catalogue of the holy dayes 〈◊〉 up in the Councell of Lyons and the new doctrine of the Schooles â—ouching the naturall sanctitie of the holy dayes 4 In what estate the Lords day stood in matter of restraint from labour at the Reformaton 5 The Reformatiours finde great fault both with the said â—ew doctrine and restraints from labour 6 That in the iudgement of the Pâ—otestant Divines the â—â—â—ctifying of one day in seven is not the morall part of the 4. Commandement 7 As also that the Lords day hath no other ground on which so stand than the authority of the Church 8 And that the Church hath power to change the day and to transferre it to some others 9 What is the practise of the Roman Lutheran and chiefly the Calvinian Churches on the Lords day in matter of devotion rest from labour and sufferance of lawfull pleasure 10 Dancing cryed doâ—ne by Calvin and the French Churches not in relation to the Lords day but the sport it selfe 11 In what estate the Lords day stands in the Easterne Churches and that the Saturday is observed by the Ethiopians as the Lords day is CHAP. VII In what estate the Lords day stood in this Isle of Britaine from the first planting of Religion to the Reforâ—â—tion 1 What doth occurre about the Lords day and the other Festivals amongst the Churches of the Brittans 2 Of the estate of the Lords day and the other holy dayes in the Saxon Hepâ—arâ—hie 3 The honours done unto the Sunday and the other holy
of the Sabbath have resolved accordingly Quod dies ille solennis unus debeat esse in septimana hoc positivi juris est that 's Amesius doctrine And Ryvet also saith the same Lege de Sabbato posâ—tivâ—â— non naturalem agnosciâ—us The places were both cited in the formeâ— Section and both doe make the Sabbath a meere positive Law But what need more be said in so cleere a case oâ— what needs further Witnesses be produced to give in evidence when wee have conâ—â—tentem 〈◊〉 For Doctour Bound who first amongst us here endevoured to advance the Lords day into the place of the Iewish Sabbath and fained a pedigree of the Sabbath even from Adams infancie hath herein said enough to betray his cause and those that since have either built upon his foundation or beautified their undertakings with his collections Indeed saith he this law was given in the beginning not so much by the light of nature as the rest of the nine Commandements were but by expresse words when God sanctified it For though this be in the law of nature that some dayes should be separated to Gods worship as appeares by the practice of the Gentiles yet that it should be every seventh day 2. Edâ—â— p 11. 16. the Lord himselfe set down in expresse words which otherwise by the light of nature they could never have found So that by his confession there is no Sabbath to be found in the law of nature no more then by the testimony of the Fathers in any positive law or divine appointment untill the Decalogue was given by Moses 8 Nay Doctor Bound goeth further yet and robs â—is friends followers of a speciall argument For where Danaeus askes this questioÌ„ Why one of seven rather then one of eight or nine and therunto makes answer that the number of seven doth signifie perfection and perpetuitie First saith the Doctor Ib. p. 69. I doe not see that proved that there is any such mysticall signification rather than of any other And though that were granted yet doe I not find that to be any cause at all in Scripture why the seventh day should be commanded to be kept holy rather then the sixth or eighth And in the former page The speciall reason why the seventh day should be rather kept than any other is not the excellencie or perfection of that number or that there is any mystery in it or that God delighteth more in it than in any other though I confesse saith hee that much is said that way both in divine and humane Writers Much hath been said therein indeed so much 〈◊〉 we may wonder at the strange niceties of some men and the unprofitable pains they have tooke amongst them in searching out the mysteries of this number the better to advance as they conceive In Gen. 2. the reputation of the Sabbath Aug. Steuchius hath affirmed in generall that this day and number is most naturall and most agreeable to divine imployments and therefore in omni aetate inter omnes gentes habitus venerabilis sacer accounted in all times and Nations as most venerable and so have many others said since him But he that lead the way unto him and to all the rest is Philo the Iew who being a great follower of Platos tooke up his way of trading in the mysteries of severall numbers wherein he was so intricate and perplexed that numero Platonis obscurius did grow at last into a Proverbe This Philo therefore Platonizing Tuâ— ad Attic. l. 7. Epl. 13. first tells us of this number of seven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he perswades himselfe De mundi â—pificio there is not any man able sufficiently to extoll it as being farre above all the powers of Rhetoricke and that the Pythagoreans from them first Plato learnt those trifles did usually resemble it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even to Iove himselfe Then that Hippocrates doth divide the life of man into seven ages each age contayning seven full yeares to which the changes of mans constitution are all framed and fitted as also that the Beare or Arcturus as they use to call it and the constellation called the Pleiades consist of seven starres severally neither more nor lesse Hee shewes us also De legis Allâ—g l. 1 how much nature is delighted in this number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as viz. that there are seven Planets and that the Moone quartereth every seventh day that Infants borne in the seventh moneth are usually like enough to live that there are seven severall motions of the body seven intrailes so many outward members seven holes or out-lets in the same seven sorts of excrements as also that the seventh is the criticall day in most kindes of maladies And to which purpose this and much more of the same condition every where scattered in his Writings but to devise some naturall reason for the Sabbath For so he manifests himselfe in another place Ap. Euseb. Praepar l. â— c. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Now why God chose the seventh day and established it by law for the day of rest you need not aske at all of me since both Physicians and Philosophers have so oft declared of what great power and vertue that number is as in all other things so specially on the nature and state of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus saith he you have the reason of the seventh day Sabbath Indeed Philosophers and Physicians and other learned men of great name and credit have spoken much in honour of the number of seven and severally impute great power unto it in the workes of nature and severall changes of mans body Whereof â—ee Câ—nsorinus de die natali cap. 12. Varro in Gellius lib. 3. c. 10. Hippocrates Solon and Hermippus Beritus in the sixt Booke of Clemens of Alexandria besides divers others Nay it grew up so high in the opinion of some men that they derived it at the last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. ab insita majâ—state So Philo tels us Macrobius also saith the same De legis Allâ—gor Apud veteres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocitatur quod graeco nomine testabatur venerationem debitam numero Thus he in Somnio Scipionis 9 But other men as good as they find no such mystery in this number but that the rest may keepe pace with it if not goe before it and some of those which so much magnifie the seventh have found as weighty mysteries in many of the others also In which I shall the rather enlarge my selfe that seeing the exceeding great both contradiction and â—ontention that is between them in these needlâ—â—e curiosities we may the better finde the slightnesse of those arguments which seeme to place a great moralitiâ— in this number of seven as if it were by nature the most proper number for the service of God And first whereas the learned men before mentioned affixe a speciall power unto it
* Strom. l. 6. Clemens Alexandrinus who gives it both the attributes of holinesse and perfection * Qu. ad Antioch 51. Nazianzen and * Oraâ— â—2 Athanasius are as full as they And here this number seemes to mee to have got the better there being nothing spoken in disgrace of this as was before of the seventh by severall Authours there remembred So that for ought I see in case the argument be good for the morality of the Sabbath we may make every day or any day a Sabbath with as much reason as the seventh and keepe it on the tenth day with best right of all Adâ—o argumenta ab absurdo petita inâ—ptos habent exitus said Lactantius truly Nay by this reason we need not keepe a Sabbath oftner then every thirtieth day or every fiftieth or every hundreth because those numbers have been noted also to containe great mysteries and to be perfecter too then others For Origen hath plainly told us that if wee looke into the Scriptures In Gen hâ—m 2. invenies nulla magnarum rerum gesta sub tricenario quinquegenario contineri we shall find many notable things delivered to us in the numbers of thirtie and fiftie Of fifty more particularly Philo affirmes upon his credit De vita contempl that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holiest and most naturall of all other numbers and Origen conceived so highly of it that he breaks out into a timeo hujus numeri secreta discutere In Num. â—om 8. and durst not touch upon that string So lastly for the Centenary the same Authour tels us that it is plenus and perfectus no one more absolute In Gen. hâ—m 2. Wee may have Sabbaths at our will either too many or too few if this plea be good 11 Yea but perhaps there may be some thing in the Scripture whereby the seventh day may be thought more capable in nature of so high an honour Some have so thought indeed and thereupon have mustered up all those texts of Scripture in which thereâ— hath beene any good expressed or intimated which concernes this number or is reducible unto it Bellarmine never took more pains out of that fruitlesse topick to produce seven Sacraments then they have done from thence to derive the Sabbath I need not either name the men or recite the places both are knowne sufficiently Which kind of proofe if it be good we are but where we were before amongst our Ecclesiasticall and humane Writers In this the Scriptures will not helpe us or give the seventh day naturally and in it selfe more capability or fitnesse for Gods worship then the ninth or tenth For first the Scriptures give not more honour to this number in some texts thereof then it detracts from it in others and secondly they speake as highly of the other numbers as they doe of this The Iesuite Pererius shall stand up In Gen. 6. n. 17. to make good the first and Doctor Cracanthorp to avow the second Pererius first resolves it cleerly numerum Septenarium etiam in rebus pessimis execrandis saepenumero positum esse in Scripturaâ— sacra As for example The evill spirit saith Saint Luke brought with him seven spirits worse then himselfe and out of Mary Magdalen did Christ cast out seven Devils as Saint Marke tels us So in the Revelation Saint Iohn informes us of a Dragon that had seven heads and seven Crownes as also of seven plagues sent into the earth and seven Viols of Gods wrath powred out upon it He might have told us had he listed that the purple beast whereon the great Whore rid had seven heads also and that shee sate upon seven Mountaines It 's true saith hee which David tels us that hee did prayse God seven times a day but then as true it is which â—olomon hath told us that the just man falleth seven times a day So in the booke of Genesis we have seven leane kine and seven thinne eares of Corn as well as seven fat Kine and seven full Eares To proceed no further Pererius hereupon makes this generall resolution of the case Apparet igitur eosdem numeros aeque in bonis malis poni usurpari in sacra scriptura Next whereas those of Rome Contra Spalat cap. 30. as before I noted have gone the same way to find out seven Sacraments our Cracanthorpe to shew the vanitie of that argument doth the like for the proofe of two Quod si nobis fas esset c. If it were lawfull for us to take this course we could produce more for the number of two then they can for seven As for example God made two great lights in the Firmament and gave to man two eyes two eares two feet two hands two armes There were two Nations in the wombe of Rebecca two tables of the Law two Cherubins two Sardonich stones in which were written the names of the sonnes of Israel Thou shalt offer to the Lord two Rams two Turtles two Lambes of an yeere old two young Pigeons two Hee-goats two Oxen for a peace-offering Let us make two Trumpets two Doores of the wood of Olives two Nets two Pillars There were two Hornes of the Lambe two Candle sticks two Olive branches two Witnesses two Prophets two Testaments and upon two Commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets saith our Saviour Congruentiis facile vinceremus si nobis in â—une campum descendere libet c. We should saith he presume of an easie victory should we thus dally with congruities as doe those of Rome Hence we conclude that by the light of Scripture we find not anything in nature why either every seventh day should or every second day should not be a Sabbath Not to say any thing of the other numbers of which the like might be affirmed if we would trouble our selves about it 12 It s true this tricke of trading in the mysteries of numbers is of long standing in the Church and of no lesse danger first borrowed from the Platonists and the Pythagoreans by the ancient Hereticks Marcion Valentinus Basilides and the rest of that damned crew the better to disguise their errours and their palliate impieties Some of the Fathers afterwards tooke up the devise perhaps to foyle the Hereticks at their own weapons though many of them purposely declined it Sure I am Chrsostome dislikes it In Gen. hâ—m 24 Who on those words in the 7. of Genesis by seven by seven which is the number now debated doth instruct us thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Many saith hee doe tell strange matters of this fact and taking an occasion hence make many observation out of severall numbers Whereas not observation but onely an unseasonable curiositie hath produced those fictions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence so many heresies had their first originall For oftentimes that out of our abundance we may fit their fancies wee finde the even or equall number no lesse
that so by his example the Iewes might learne to rest from their Worldly labours and be the better fitted to meditate on the workes of God and to commemorate his goodnesse manifested in the Worlds Creation 2 Of any other sanctification of this day by the Lord our God then that he rested on it now and after did command the Iewes that they should sanctifie the same we have no Constat in the Scriptures nor in any Author that I have met with untill Zanchies time Indeed hee tels us a large story of his owne making how God the Sonne came down to Adam and sanctified this first Sabbath with him that hee might know the better how to doe the like Ego quidem non dubito c. I little doubt saith he De creat â—aminis l. 1. ad finem I will speake onely what I thinke without wrong or prejudice to others I little doubt but that the Sonne of God taking the shape of man upon him was busied all this day in most holy conferences with Adam that he made known himselfe both to him and Eve taught them the order that he used in the Worlds creation exhorted them to meditate on those glorious works in them to prayse the Name of God acknowledging him for their Creatour after his example to spend that day for ever in these pious exercises I doubt not finally saith hee but that hee taught them on that day the whole body of divinity and that he held them busied all day long in hearing him and celebrating with due prayses their Lord and God and giving thankes unto him for so great and many benefits as God had graciouâ—ly vouchsafed to bestow upon them Which said he shuts up all with this conclusion Haec est illius septimi diei benedictio sanctificatio in qua filius Dei una cum patre spiritu sancto quievit ab opere quod fecerat This was saith hee the blessing and sanctifying of that seventh day wherein the Sonne of God together with the Father and the Holy Ghost did rest from all the workes that they had made How Zanchie thwarts himselfe in this See n. 5. wee shall see hereafter Such strange conceptions though they miscarry not in the birth yet commonly they serve to no other use then monsters in the works of nature to be seen and shewne with wonder at all times and sometimes with pitie Had such a thing occurred in Pet. Comestors supplement which he made unto the Bible it had been more tolerable The Legendaries and the Rabbins might fairely also have been excused if any such devise had been extant in them The gravity of the man makes the tale more pittifull though never the more to be regarded For certainly had there been such a weighty conference between God and Man and so much tending unto information and instruction it is not probable but that we should have heard thereof in the holy Scriptures And finding nothing of it there it were but unadvisedly done to take it on the word and credit of a private man Non credimus quia non legimus was in some points Saint Hieroms rule and shall now be ours 3 As little likelihood there is that the Angels did observe this day and sanctifie the same to the Lord their God yet some have been so venturous as to affirme it Sure I am Torniellus saith it Annal. d. 7. And though he seem to have some Authors upon whom to cast it yet his approving of it makes it his as well as theirs who first devised it Quidam non immerito existimarunt hoc ipso die in Coelis omnes Angelorum choros speciali quadam exultatione in Dei laudes prorupisse quod tam praeclarum admirabile opus absolvisset Nay he and they who ever they were have a Scripture for it 38. 4 6. even Gods words to Iob Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth when the morning starres sang together and all the sonnes of God shouted for joy Who and from whence those Quidam were that so interpreted Gods words I could never finde and yet have took some pains to seek it Sure I am Saint Austin makes a better use of them and comes home indeed unto the meaning Some men it seemes affirmed that the Angels were not made till after the sixe dayes were finished De Civit Dei l. 11. c. 9. in which all things had been created and he referres them to this Text for their confutation Which being repeated he concludes I am ergo erant Angeli quando facta sunt sydera facta autem sunt sydera die quarto Therefore saith he the Angels were created before the Starres and on the fourth day were the starres created Yet Zanchius and those Quidam be they who they will fell short a little of another conceit of Philos De vita Mosis lib. 3. who tels us that the Sabbath had a privilege above other dayes not onely from the first Creation of the World though that had beene enough to set out the Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but even before the Heavens and all things visible were created If so it must be sanctified by the holy Trinitie without the tongues of men and Angels and God not having worked must rest and sanctifie a time when no time was But to return to Torniellus however those Quidam did mislead him make him think that the first Sabbath had been sanctified by the holy Aâ—gels yet he ingenuously confesseth that saâ—ctifying of the Sabbath here upon the earth was not in use till very many ages after Annal d 7. not till the Law was given by Moses Veruntamen in terris ista Sabbati sanctificatio non nisi post multa secula in usum venisse creditur nimirum temporibus Mosis quando sub praecepto data est filiis Israel So Torniellus 4 So Torniellus and so farre unquestionable For that there was no Sabbah kept amongst us men till the times of Moses the Christian Fathers generally and some Rabbins also have agreed together Which that we may the better shew I shall first let you see what they say in generall and after what they have delivered of particular men most eminent in the whole story of Gods Booke untill the giving of the Law And first that never any of the Patriarkes before Moses time did observe the Sabbath Iustin the Martyr hath assured us Dial. cum Tâ—yph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 None of the righteous men saith he and such as walked before the Lord were either circumcised or kept the Sabbath untill the severall times of Abraham and Moses And where the Iewes were scandalized in that the Christians did eat hot meats on the Sabbath dayes the Martyr makes reply that the said just and righteous men not taking heed of any such observances 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obtained a notable testimony of the Lord himselfe Adv haeres l. â— c. 30. So Irenaeus
of mens secret thoughts yet wee may judge of good mens thoughts by their outward actions Had Ioseph coveted his Masters wife Ioâ— 31. 26. he might have enjoyed her And Iob more home unto the point affirmes expresly of himselfe that his heart was neuer secretly enticed which is the same with this that he did not covet We conclude then that seeing there is particular mention how all the residue of the commandements had been observed and practised by the Saints of old and that no word at all is found which concerns the sanctifying of the Sabbath that certainly there was no Sabbath sanctified in all that time from the Creation to the Law of Moses nor reckoned any part of the Law of Nature or any speciall Ordinance of God CHAP. IV. The nature of the fourth Commandement and that the SABBATH was not kept among the Gentiles 1 The Sabbath first made known in the fall of Mannah 2 The giving of the Decalogue and how farre it bindeth 3 That in the judgement of the Fathers in the Christian Church the fourth Commandement is of a different nature from the other nine 4 The Sabbath was first given for a Law by Moses 5 And being given was proper onely to the Iewes 6 What moved the Lord to give the Israelites a Sabbath 7 Why the seventh day was rather chosen for the Sabbath then any other 8 The seventh day not more honoured by the Gentiles then the eighth or ninth 9 The Attributes given by some Greeke Poets to the seventh day no argument that they kept the Sabbath 10 The Iewes derided for their Sabbath by the Graecians Romans and Egyptians 11 The division of the yeere into weekes not generally used of old amongst the Gentiles 1 THus have wee shewne you how Gods Church continued without any Sabbath the space of 2500. yeares and upwards even till the children of Israel came out of Egypt And if the Saints of God in the line of Seth and the house of Abraham assigned not every seventh day for Gods publick worship it is not to be thought that the posterity of Cain and the sonnes of Canaan were observant of it To proceed therefore in the history of the Lords owne people as they observed no Sabbath when they were in Egypt so neither did they presently after their departure thence The day of their deliverance thence was the seventh day as some conceive it which after was appointed for a Sabbath to them Torniellus I am sure is of that opinion and so is Zanchie two who withall gives it for the reason why the seventh day was rather chosen for the Sabbath In quarium pâ—acep um then any other Populus die septima liberatus fuit ex Aegypto tunc jussit in hujus rei memoriam diem illam sanctificare Which were it so yet could not that day be a Sabbath or a day of rest considering the â—udden and tumultuous manner of their going thence their sonnes and daughters maid servants and men servants the cattell and the strangers within their gates being all put hardly to it and fain to flie away for their life and â—afety And if Saint Austins note be true and the note be his Sâ—rm de temp 154. that on the first day of the week transgressi sunt filii Israel mare rubrum siccis pedibus the Israelites went dry foot over the Red Sea or Sea of Edom then must the day before if any be the Sabbath day the next seventh day after the day of their departure But that day certainly was not kept as a Sabbath day For it was wholly spent in murmuring and complaints against God and Moses Exod. 14. 11. 12. They cryed unto the Lord and they said to Moses why hast thou brought us out of Egypt to die in the wildernesse Had it not been better farre for us to serve the Egyptians Nothing in all this murmurings and seditious clamours that may denote it for a Sabbath for an holy Festivall Nor do we finde that for the after times they made any scruple of journying on that day till the Law was given unto the contrary in Mount Sinai which was the eleventh station after their escape from Egypt It was the fancy of Rabbi Solomon that the Sabbath was first given in Marah and that the sacrifice of the red Coâ— mentioned in the nineteenth of Numbers was instituted at that time also Exod. 15. 26. This fancy founded on thâ—se words in the Booke of Exodus If thou wils diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God c. then will I bring none of those diseases upon thee that I brought on the Egyptians But Torniellus and Tostatus and Lyra though himselfe a Iew count it no other then a Iewish and Rabbinicall folly Sure I am that on the fifteenth day of the second moneth after their departure out of Egypt being that day seven-night before the first Sabbath was discovered in the fall of Mannah we finde not any thing that implies either rest or worship Exod. 16. 2. We read indeed how all the Congregation murmured as they did before against Moses and against Aarâ—â— wishing that they had died in the land of Egypt where they had bread their bâ—llies full rather then be destroyed with Famine So eagerly they murmured that to content them God sent them Quailes that night and rained downe bread from Heaven next morning Was this thinke you the sanctifying of a Sabbath to the Lord their God Indeed the next seventh day that followed was by the Lord commended to them for a Sabbath and ratified by a great and signall miracle the day before wherein it pleased him to give them double what they used togather on the former dayes that they might rest upon the seuenth with the greater comfort This was a preamble or preparative to the following Sabbath for by this miracle this rest of God from raining 〈◊〉 on the seventh day the people came to know which was precisely the seventh day from the Worlds Creation whereof they were quite ignorant at that present time Philo assures us in his third Booke 〈…〉 that the knowledge of that day on which God rested from his works had been quite forgotten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by reason of 〈…〉 which had 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 by this miracle the Lord revived again the remembrance of it And in another place De vita Mosis l. 1. when men had made a long enquiry after the birth day of the World and were yet to seek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. God made it knowne to them by a speciall miracle which had so long beene hidden from their Ancestors The falling of a double portion of Mannah on the sixt day and the not putrifying of it on the seventh was the first light that Moses had to descry the Sabbath which he accordingly commended unto all the people to be a day of rest unto them that as God ceased that day from sending so they should
rest from looking after their daily bread But what need Philo be produced when wee have such an ample testimony from the word it selfe For it is manifest in the story that when the people on the sixt day had gathered twice as much Mannah as they used to doe Exod. 16. 5. according as the Lord had directed by his servant Moses they understood not what they did Vers. 22. at least why they did it The Rulers of the Congregation as the Text informes us came and told Moses of it and he as God before had taught him acquainted them Vers. 23. that on the morrow should be the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord and that they were to keepe the over-plus untill the morning Nay so farre were the people from knowing any thing of the Sabbath or of Gods rest upon that day that though the Prophet had thus preached unto them of a Sabbaths rest the people gave small credit to him For it is said that some of the people went out to gather on the seventh day Vers. 27. which was the seventh day after or the second Sabbath as some think notwithstanding all that had been spoken and that the Mannah stanke not as on other dayes So that this resting of the people was the first sanctifying of the Sabbath mentioned in the Scriptures and Gods great care to make provision for his people on the day before the blessing he bestowed upon it And this is that which Solomon Iarehi tels us as before we noted Benedixit eâ— i.e. in Mannaâ— quia omnibus diebus septimanae descendit Omâ—r pro singuliâ— Câ— 1. n. 2. sexto paniâ— duplex sanctificavit eum i.e. in Mannah quia non descendit omnino Nay generally the Hebrew Doctours doe affirme the same assuring us that the Commandement of the Sabbath is the foundation and ground of all the rest De â—est Iudâ—or c. 3. as being given before them all at the fall of Mannah Vndâ— dicunt Hebraei sabbatum fundamentum esse aliorum praeceptorum quod ante alia praecepta hoc datum sit quando Mannah accâ—perunt So Hospiniaâ— tels us Therefore the Sabbath was not given before in their own confession This hapned on the two and twentieth day of the second moneth after their comming out of Egypt and of the Worldâ— Creation Anno 2044. the people being then in the Wildernesse of Sin which was their seventh station 2 The seventh day after being the nine and twentieth of the second moneth is thought by some I know not upon what authority to bee that day whereon some of the people distrusting all that Moses said went out to gather Mannah as on other dayes Num. 33. but whether they were then in the Wildernesse of Sin or were incamped in Dophkath Alush or Rephidim which were their next removes that the Scriptures say not Most likely that they were in the last station considering the great businesses there performed the fight with Amalek and the new ordering of the Government by Iethroes counsaile and that upon the third day of the third moneth which was Thursday following they were advanced so farre as to the Wildeâ—nesse of Sinai I say the third day of the third moneth For where the Text hath it Exod. 19. 1. In the third moneth when the children of Israel were gone forth out of Egypt the same day came they into the wildernesse of Sinai by the same â— is meant the same day of the moneth which was the third day being Thursday after our Accompt Exod. 19. v. 3. 10 11. The morrow after went Moses up unto the Lord and had commandement from him to sanctifie the people that day and to morrow and to make them ready against the third day God meaning on that day to come downe in the eyes of all the people in Mount Sinai and to make knowne his will unto them That day being come Vers. 17. which was the Saturday or Sabbath the people were brought out of the Campe to meet with God and placed by Moses at the nether part of the Mountaine Moses ascending first to God and descending after to the people to charge them that they did not passe their bounds before appointed It seemes the Sabbaths rest was not so established Vers. 21. but that the people had been likely to take the pains to climbe the Mountain and to behold the wonders which were done upon it had they not had a speciall charge unto the contrary Things ordered thus it pleased the Lord to publish and proclaime his Law unto the peoplâ— in thunder smoake and lightnings and the noyse of a Trumpet using therein the Ministery of his holy Angels which Law we call the Decalogue or the ten Commandements and containes in it the whole morall Law or the Law of nature This had before been naturally imprinted in the mindes of men however that in tract of time the character thereof had been much defaced so dimmed and darkened that Gods own people stood in need of a new impression and therefore was proclaimed in this solemne manner that so the letter of the Law might leave the cleerer stampe in their affections A law which in it selfe was generall and universall Rom. 2. 1 4. equally appertaining both to Iew and Gentile the Gentiles whcih know not the law doing by nature the things contained in the Law as Saint Paul hath told us but as at this time published on Mount Sinai and as delivered to the people by the hand of Moses they obliged onely those of the house of Israel Zanchius hath so resolved it amongst the Protestants not to say anything of the Schoole-men who affirme the same ut Politiâ—ae ceremoniales sic etiam morales leges quae Decalogi nomine significantur De Redempti l. 1. c. 11. Th. 1. quatenus per Mosen traditae fuerunt Israelitiâ— ad noâ— Christiâ—â—â— niâ—il pertinent c. As neither the Iudiciall nor the Ceremoniall so nor the Morall Law contained in the Docalogue doth any way concâ—â—â—â— us Christians as given by Moses to the Iewes but onely so farre forth as it is consonant to the law of nature which bindes all alike and after was confirmed and ratified by Christ our King His reason is because that if the Decalogue as given by Moses to the Iewes did concerne the Gentiles the Gentiles had been bound by the fourth Commandement to observe the Sabbath in as strict a manner as the Iewes Cum verò constet ad hujus diei sanctification 〈◊〉 nunquam fuisse Gentes obligatas c. Since therfore it is manifest that the Gentiles never were obliged to observe the Sabbath it followeth that they neither were nor possibly could be bound to any of the residue as given by Moses to the Iewes Wee may conclude from hence that had the fourth Commandement been meerly morall it had no lesse concerned the Gentiles then it did the Israelites 3 For that the fourth Commandement is
by the hand of Moses Then Epiphanius God saith he rested on the seventh day from all his labours De Pond mensur n. 22. which day hee blessed and sanctified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by his Angel made knowne the same to his servant Moses See more unto this purpose aduers. haeres l. 1. haer 6. n. 5. And lastly Damascen hath assured us that when there was no Law nor Scripture De â—ide Orthâ—d lib. 4. c. 24. that then there was no Sabbath neither but when the Law was given by Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then was the Sabbath set apart for Gods publick worship Adde here that 〈◊〉 and Iâ—stin referre the institution of the Sabbâ—th unto Moses onely of which more hereafter 5 Next that the Sabbath was peculiar onely to the Iewes or those at least that were of the house of Israel the Fathers do affirme more fully then they did the other For so Saint Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sabbath was given unto the Iewes in his first Homily of Fasting Saint Austin so Sabbatum datum est priori populo in otio corporali Èpistola 119. Sabbatum Iudaeis fuisse praeceptum in numbra futuri de Gen. ad lit l 4. c. 11. and in the 13. of the same Booke â—num diem observan dum mandavit populo Hebraeo the like to which occurres Epist. 86. ad Casulanum The Iewes the Hebrewes and the former people all these three are one and all doe serve to shew that Saint Austin thought the Sabbath to be peculiar unto them onely That it was given unto the Iewes exclusively of all other Nations is the opinion and conceit also of the Iewes themselues This Petrus Galatinus proves against them on the anthority of their best Authours Sic enim legitur apud eos in Glossa c. Wee reade Ch 16. 29. saith he in their Glosse on these words of Exodus The Lord hath given you the Sabbath what meane say they these words he hath given it you Quia vobis viz. Iudae is dedit non gentibuâ— saeculi because it was given unto the Iewes and not unto the Gentiles It is affirmed also saith hee by R. Iohannan that whatsoever statute God gave to Israel he gave it to them publickly except the Sabbath and that was given to them in secret according unto that of Exodus Exod. 31. 17. It is a signe betweene mee and the children of Israel Quod si ita est non obligantur gentes ad sabbatum If â—o â—aith Galatinus the Gentiles were not bound to observe the Sabbath A signe between me and the children of Israel It seemes Ainsâ—â—â—th in Exod. 13. 9. the Iewes were all of the same opinion For where they used on other dayes to weare their Phylacteries on their armes or foreheadâ— to be a signe or tâ—ken to them as the Lord commanded they laid them by upon the Sabbaths because say they the Sabbath was it selfe a signe So truly said Procopius Gazaeus In Gen. 2. It a Iudaeis imperavit supremum numen ut segregarent à caeteris diebus diem septimum c. God saith he did command the Iewes to set apart the seventh day to his holy worship that if by chance they should forget the Lord their God that day might call him back unto their remembrances where note it was commanded to the Iewes alone Adde that Iosephus calls the Sabbath in many places a nationall or locall custome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a law peculiar to that people as Antiqu. l. 14. c. 18. de bello l. 2. c. 16. as wee shall see hereafter more at large Lastly so given to the Iewes alone that it became a difference between them and all other people In Ezâ—ch 20. Saint Cyrill hath resolved it so God saith bee gave the Iewes a Sabbath not that the keeping of the same should be sufficient to conduct them to eternall life sed ut haec civilis administrationis ratio peculiaris à gentium institutis distinguat eos but that so different a forme of civill government should put a difference between them and all Nations else Theodoret more fully that the Iewes being in other things like to other people in observatione sabbati propriam videbantur obtinere rempublicam In Ezech. 20. seemed in keeping of the Sabbath to have a custome by themselves And which is more saith he their Sabbath put a greater difference between the Iewes and other people then their Circumcision For Circumcision had been used by the Idumaeans and Aegyptians sabbati verò observationens sola Iudaeorum natio custodiebat but the observation of the Sabbath was peculiar onely to the Iewes Nay even the very Gentiles took it for a Iewish Ceremony sufficient proofe whereof wee shall see ere long But what need more be said in this either that this was one of the Lawes of Moses or that it was peculiar to the Iewes alone seeing the same is testified by the holy Scripture Thou camest downe upon mount Sinai saith Nehemiah Cap. 19. 13. and spakest with them the house of Israel from Heaven Vers. 14. and gavest them right judgements and true lawes good statutes and commandements what more It followeth And madest knowne unto them thy holy Sabbaths and commandedst them precepts statutes and lawes by the hand of thy servant Moses 6 Now on what motives God was pleased to prescribe a sabbath to the Iewes more at this time then any of the former ages the Fathers severally have told us yea and the Scriptures too in severall places Iustin Martyr as before we noted gives this generall reason because of their hard-heartednesse and irregular courses wherein Saint Austin closeth with him Qu. ex Nâ—v Test. 69. Cessarunt onera legis quae ad duritiem cordis Iudaici fuerunt data â—nescis sabbatis neomeniiâ— where note how he hath joyned together new-moones and sabbaths and the Iewish difference betweene meat and meat Particularly Gregory Nyssen makes the speciall motive to be this Testim adveÌ„tâ—s Dâ—i iâ— carne ad sedandum nimium eorum pecuniae studium so to restraine the people from the love of money For comming out of Egypt very poore and bare and having almost nothing but what they borrowed of the Egyptians they gave themselues saith he unto continuall and incessant labour the sooner to attain to riches Therefore said God that they should labour six dayes and rest the seventh Damascen somewhat to this purpose Dâ—â—ide Ortâ— l. 4 â— 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. God saith he seeing the carnall and the covetous disposition of the Israelites appoâ—nted them to keepe a sabbath that so their servants and their cattell might partake of rest And then he addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as also that thus resting from their worldly businesses they might repaire unto the Lord in Psalmes and Hymnâ—s and spirituall songs and meditation of the Scriptures â— 5. iâ— loâ— c.
holy day so it was esteemed amongst them as before is shewn but other dayes esteemed as holy From Homer they produce two Verses wherein the Poet seemes to be acquainted with the Worlds Creation and the perfection of it on the seventh day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 On the seventh day all things were fully done On that we left the waves of Acheron The like are cited out of Linus as related by Eusebiâ—â— from the collections of Aristobulus before remembred but are by Clemâ—ns fathered on Callimachuâ— another of the old Greek Poets who between them thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which put together may be thus Englished in the main though not 〈◊〉 On the seventh day all things were made complete The birth-day of the World most good most great Seven brought forth all things in the starrie Skie Keeping each yeere their courses constantly This Clemens makes an argument that not the Iewes onely but the Gentiles also knew that the seventh day had a priviledge yea and was hallowed above other dayes on which the world and all things in it were complete and finished And so we grant they did but neither by the light of nature nor any observation of that day amongst themselves more then any other Not by the light of nature For Aristobulus from whom Clemens probably might take his hint speaks plainly that the Poetâ— had consulted with the holy Bible and from thence sucked this knowledge Ap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that Authour saith of Hesiod and Homer Which well might be considering that Homer who was the oldest of them flourished about five hundred yeares after Moses death Callimachus who was the latest above seven hundred yeares after Homers time Nor did they speake it out of any observation of that day more then any other amongst themselues The generall practice of the Gentiles before related hath throughly as we hope removed that scruple They that from these words can collect a Sabbath had need of as good eyes as Clemens Strom l. 5. who out of Plato in his second dâ— republ conceives that he hath found a sufficient warrant for the observing of the Lords day above aâ—l the rest because it is there said by Plato that such as had for seven dayes solaced in the pleasant Meadowes were to depart upon the eighth and not returne till foure dayes after As much a Lords day in the one as any Sabbath in the â—ther Indeed the argument is weak that some of those that thought it of especiall weight have now deserted it as too light and triviall Ryvet by naâ—e who cites most of these Verses in his notes on Genesis to prove the Sabbath no lesse ancient then the worlds Creation doth on the Decalogue thinke them utterly unable to conclude that point nisi aliunde suffulciantur unlesse they be well backed with better arguments and authorities out of other Authours 10 Nay more then this the Gentiles were so farre from sanctifying the Sabbath or seventh day themselues that they derided those that kept it The Circumcision of the Iews was not more ridicâ—lous amongst the Heathens then their Sabbathâ— were nor were they more extremely scoffed at for the one Ap. Aug. de civit Dei l. 6. c. 11. then for the other by all sorts of Writers Seneca layes it to their charge that by occasion of their Sabbaths septimam fere aetatis suae partem vacando perdant Hist â— 5. they spent the seventh part of their their lives in sloth and idlenesse and Tacitus that not the seventh day but the seventh yeare also was as unprofitably wasted Septimo quoque die otium placuisse ferunt dein blandiente inertia septimum quâ—que annum ignaviae datum Moses saith he had so appointed because that after a long sixe dayes march the people became quietly setled on the seventh Iuvenal makes also the same objection Sat. 14. against the keeping of the Sabbath by the Iewish Nation quod septima quaeque fuit lux Ignava partem vitae non attigit ullam And Ouid doth not onely call them peregrina sabbata Reme amor l. â— as things with which the Romans had but smal and that late acquaintance but makes them a peculiar marke of the Iewish Religion Quaque die redeunt De Arte l. 1. rebus minus apta gerendis Culta Palestino septima sacra viro The seventh day comes for businesse unfit Held sacred by the Iew who halloweth it Where by the way Tostatus notes upon these words In Exod 20. that sacra sâ—ptima are here ascribed unto the Iewes as their badge or cognizance which had been most improper indeed untrue si gentes aliae servarent sabbatum if any other Nation specially the Romans had observed the same But to proceed Persius hits them in the teeth with their recutita sabbata Sat. 5. â— 4 ep â— and Martial scornfully calleth them Sabbatarians in an Epigram of his to Bassus where reckoning up some things of an unsavoury smell he reckoneth Sabbatariorum jejunia Ap. Iosephum Anâ—iq l. 12. 1. amongst the principall So Agacharcides who wrote the lives of Alexanders successours accuseth them of an unspeakable superstition in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they suffered Pâ—olomie to take their City of Hierusalem on a sabbath day rather then stand upon their guard But that of â—piâ—n the great Clerke of Alexandria Ioseph adv Apiâ—n l. 2. is the most shamefull and reproachfull of all the rest Who to despight the Iewes the more and lay the deeper stain upon their Sabbaths relates in his Egyptian story that at their going out of Egypt having travelled for the space of six whole dayes they became stricken with câ—rtain inflammations in the privie parts which the Egyptians call by the name of Sabbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for that cause they were compelled to rest on the seventh day which afterwards they called the Sabbath Then which what greater calumny could a malicious Sycophant invent against them Doubtlesse those men that speake so â—â—â—picably and reprochfully of the Iewish sabbath had never any of their own Nor did the Greeks and Lâ—tines and Egyptians only out of the plenty or the redundaÌ„ce rather of theiâ— wit deride scoffâ— the Sabbaths celebrated by those of Iewry it was a 〈…〉 on them Cap. 〈…〉 when wit was not so 〈…〉 For so the Prophet Ieremiah in his Lamentations made on the death of King Iosiah 〈…〉 at her sabbaths 〈…〉 this observation All nations else both Grâ—cian and Barbarian had never so agreed together to deride them for it 11 Yet we deny not all this while but that the fourth CoÌ„mandement so much therof as is agreeable to the law and light of nature was not alone imprinted in the minds of the Gentiles but practised by them For
in the sixteenth of Exod. v. 27. And therefore stood the more in need not onely of a watch-word or Memento even in the very front of the Law it selfe but of some sharper course to stirre up their memory Therefore this execution was the more reqvisite at this instant aswell because the Iewes by reason of their long abode in a place of continual servile toyle could not be suddainly drawne unto contrary offices without some strong impression of terrour as also because nothing is â—ore needfull then with extremity to punish the first transgressours of those Lawes that do require a more exact observation for the times to come What time this Tragedy was acted is not known for certain By Torniellus it is placed in the yeare 2548. of the Worlds Creation which was some foure yeares after the Law was given More then this is not extant in the Scripture touching the keeping of the Sabbath all the life of Moses What was done after we shall see in the land of Promise 3 In the mean time it is most proper to this place to take a little notice of those severall duties wherein the sanctifying of the Sabbath did consist especially that we may know the better what we are to looke for at the peoples hands when wee bring them thither Two things the Lord commanded in his holy Scripture that concern the Sabbath the keeping holy of the same one in relation to the people the other in reference to the Priest In reâ—erence to the people he commaâ—ded onely rest from labour that they should doe no manner of worke and that 's contained expresly in the Law it selfe In reference to the Priest Numb 28. he commanded sacrifice that on the Sabbath day over and above the daily sacrifice there should be offered to the Lord two Lambes of an yeare old without blemish one in the morning and the other in the evening as also to prepare first and then place the Shewbread being twelue loaves one for every Tribe continually before the Lordeâ—very Sabbath day These severall references so divided the Priest might do his part without the people and contrary the people doe their part without the Priest Of any Sabbath duties which were to be performed betweene them wherein the Priest and people were to joyne together the Scriptures are directly silent As for these severall duties that of the Priest the Shew-bread and the sacrifice was not in practice till they came to the Land of Canaan and then though the Priest offered for the people yet he did not with them So that for forty yeares together all the life of Moses the sanctifying of the Sabbath did consist onely for ought we finde in a bodily rest a ceasing from the works of their weekly labours and afterwards in that and in the sacrifices which the Priest made for them Which as they seeme to be the greater of the two so was there nothing at all therein in which the people were to doe no not so much except some few as to be spectatours the sacrifices being offered onely in the Tabernacle as in the Temple after when they had a Temple the people being scattered over all thâ— Country in their Townes and Villages Of any reading of the Law or exposition of the same unto the people or publicke forme of prayers to be presented to the Lord in the Congregation wee finde no footstep now nor a long time after None in the time of Moses for hee had hardly perfected the Law before his death the booke of Deâ—teronomy being dedicated by him a very little before God tooke him None in a long time after no not till Nehemiahs dayes as wee shall see hereafter in that place and time The resting of the people was the thing commanded in imitation of Gods rest when his works were finished that as hee rested from the works which hee had created so they might alâ—o rest in memoriall of it But the employment of this rest to partiâ—ular purposes either of contemplation or devâ—tion than not declared unto us in the Word of God but left at large either unto the libertie of the people or the Authoritie of the Church Now what the people did how they imployed this rest of theirs that Philo tels us in his third Booke of the life of Moses Moses saith hee ordained that since the World was finished on the seventh day all of his Common-wealth following therein the course of nature should spend the seventh day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Festivall delights resting therein from all their works yet not to spend it as some do in laughter childish sports or as the Romans did their time of publick Feastings in beholding the activity either of the Iester or common Dancers but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the study of true philosophy and in the contemplation of the workes of nature And in another place De Decâ—log He did command saith he that as in other things so in this also they should imitate the Lord their God working six dayes and resting on the seventh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and spending it in meditation of the works of nature as before is said And not so only but that upon that day they should consider of their actions in the weeke before if happily they had offended against the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that so they might correct what was done amisse and be the better armed to offend no more So in his booke de mundi opificio he affirmes the â—ame that they implyed that day in divine Philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even for the bettering of their manners and reckoning with their consciences That thus the Iewes did spend the day or some part thereof is very probable and wee may take it well enough upon Philo's word but that they spent it thus by the direction or command of Moses is not so easily proved as it is affirmed though for my part I willingly durst assent unto it For be it Moses so appointed yet this concernes onely the behaviour of particular persons and reflects nothing upon the publick duties in the Congregation 4 It 's true that Philo tels us in a booke not extant how Moses also did ordaine these publick meetings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ap. Euseb. Praepar l. 8 7. What then did Moses order to be done on the Sabbath day He did appoint saith he that we should meet all in some place together and there set down with modesty and a generall silence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to heare the Law that none plead ignorance of the same Which custome we continue stiâ—l harkening with wonderfull silence to the Law of God unlesse perhaps we give some joyfull acclamation at the hearing of it some of the Priests if any present or otherwise some of the Elders reading the Law and then expounding it unto us till the night come on Which done the people are dismissed full of divine
Ministery therein hath no such evidence Though God had brought them then into the Land of Promise yet all this while they were unsetled The Land was given after when they had possession So that the next Sabbath which ensued on the removall of the Tabernacle unto Shilâ— was the first Sabbath which was celebrated with its Legall Ceremonies and this was Anno Mundi 2589. In which if we consider aswell the toylesomenesse as multiplicity of the Priest like-offices wee shall soone see that though the people rested then yet the Priest worked hardest First for the Loaves of Proposition Antiqu. Iud. l 3. c. 10. or the Shew-bread however Iosephuâ— tell us that they were baked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day before the Sabbath and probably in his time it might be so yet it is otherwise in the scriptures The Kohathites 1. Chron. 9. saith the Text were over the Shew-bread for to prepare it every Sabbath These loaves were twelue in number one for every Tribe each of them two tenth deales or halfe a peck so the Scriptures say every Cake square ten hand-breadthes long five square and seven fingers high so the Rabbins teach us The kneading baking and disposing of these Cakes must require some labour Aâ—hanâ—s hom de semente 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Where there is baking saith the Father then must be heating of the Oven and carrying in of faggots and whatsoever worke is necessary in the Bakers trade Then for the Sacrifices of the day the labour of the Priest when it was left was double what it was on the other dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostome hath rightly noted Concio 1. de Lazaro The daily sacrifice was of two lambs the supernumerary of the Sabbath was two more If the New-moone fell on the Sabbath as it often did there was besides these named already an offering of two Bullocks a Ramme seven Lambs and if that New-moone were the Feast of Trumpets also as it sometimes was there was a further offering of seven Lambs one Ramme on Bullock And which is more each of these had their severall Meat-offerings and Drink-offerings Persumes and Frankincense proportionable to attend upon them By that time all was done so many beasts kill'd skinned washed quartered and made ready for the Altar so many fires kindled meate and drinke offerings in a readinesse and the sweet Odours fitted for the worke in hand no question but the Priest had small cause to boast himselfe of his Sabbaths rest or to take joy in any thing but his larger fees and that he had discharged his duty As for the people though they might all partake of the fruits hereof yet none but those that dwelt in Shilo or neere unto it at the least could behold the sight or note what paines the Priests tooke for them whilest they themselues sate still and stirred not Had the Commandement beene morall and every part thereof of the same condition the Priests had never done so many manners of worke as that day they did However as it was our blessed Saviour did account these works of theirs to be a publick prophanation of the Sabbath day Math. 12. 5. Reade yee not in the Law saith hee how that upon the Sabbath dayes the Priests in the Temple doe prophane the Sabbâ—th yet hee declared withall that the Priests were blamelesse in that they did it by direction from the God of Heaven The Sabbath then was daily broken but the Priest excusable For Fathers that affirme the same See Iustin Martyr dial qu. 27. ad Orthod Epiphan l. 1. haer 19. n. 5. Hierom. in Psal. 92. Athanas. de Sabb. Circumcis Austin Qu. ex N. Test. 61. Isidore Pelusiot Epl. 72. l. 1. and divers others 10 These were the Offices of the Priest on the Sabbath day and questionlesse they were sufficient to take up the time Of any other Sabbath duties by them performed at this present time there is no Constat in the Scripture no nor of any place as yet designed for the performance of such other duties as some conceive to pertain unto the Levites That they were scattered and dispersed over all the Tribes is indeed most true The Curse of Iacob now was become a blessing to them Forty eight Cities had they given them for their inheritance whereof thirteen were proper onely to the Priests besides their severall sorts of â—ithes and what accrewed unto them from the publick Sacrifices to an infinite value Yet was not this dispersion of the Tribe of Levi in reference to any Sabbath duties that so they might the better assist the people in the solemnities and sanctifyng of that day The Scripture tels us no such matter The reasons manifested in the word were these two especially First that they might be neere at hand to instruct the people and teach them all the statutes Levit. 10. 10 11 which the Lord had spoken by the hand of Moses as also to let them know the difference betweene the holy and unholy the uncleane and cleane Many particular things there were in the Law Leviticall touching pollutions purifyings and the like legall Ordinances which were not necessary to be ordered by the Priests above those that attended at the Altar and were resorted too in most difficult cases Therefore both for the peoples ease and that the Priests above might not be troubled every day in matters of inferiour moment the Priests and Levites were thus mingled amongst the Tribes A second reason was that there might be aswell some nursery to train up the Levites untill they were of age fit for the service of the Tabernacle as also some retirement unto the which they might repaire when by the Law they were dismissed from their attendance The number of the Tribe of Levi in the first generall muster of them from a moneth old and upwards was 22000. just out of which number all from 30 yeares of age to 50 being in all 8580 persons were taken to attend the publicke Ministery The residue with their wives and daughters were to be severally disposed of in the Cities allotted to them therein to rest themselues with their goods and cattaile and do those other Offices above remembred Which Offices as they were the works of every day so if the people came unto them upon the Sabbaths or New-moones 2. King 4 23. as they did on both to be instructed by them in particular cases of the Law no doubt but they informed them answerably unto their knowledge But this was but occasionall onely no constant duty Indeed it is conceived by Master Samuel Purchas Pilgâ— l. 2. c. 3. on the authority of Cornelius Bertram almost as moderne as himselfe That the forty eight Cities of the Levites had their fit places for Assemblies and that thence the Synagogues had their beginnings which were it so it would be no good argument that in those places of Assemblies the Priests and Levites publickly did expound the
most likely that it was the Sabbath His reason makes the matter surer than his resolution The Iewes saith hee upbraid our Saviour that his Disciples plucked the eares of Corne on the Sabbath day to satisfie which doubt hee tells them what was done by David on a Sabbath also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that Father hath it Saint Hierome tells us that the day wheron he fled away from Saul was both a Sabbath and New-moone In Maâ—h 12. ad sabbati solennitatem accedebant neomeniarum dies Indeed the story makes it plaine it could be no other The Shew-bread was changed every Sabbath in the morning early that which was brought in new not to be stirred off from the Table till the Week was out the other which was taken away being appropriated to the Priests and to be eaten by them onely Being so stale before wee may the easier thinke it lay not long upon their hands and had not David come as he did that morning perhaps hee had not found the Priest so well provided in the afternoon Had David thought that breaking of the Sabbath in what case soever had been a sinne against the eternall Law of Nature he would no doubt have hid himselfe that day in the field 1. Sam. 20. Verse 19 24 by the stone Ezel as he had done two dayes before rather then so have run away as well from God as from the King Especially considering that on the Sabbath day hee might have lurked there with more safetie then before he did none being permitted as some say by the Law of God to walke abroad that day if occasion were Neither had David passed it over in so light a manner had he done contrary to the Law That heart of his which smote him for his murder and adultery and for his numbring of the people would sure have taken some impression upon the breaking of the Sabbath had hee conceived that Law to be like the rest But David knew of no such matter neither did Ionathan as it seemes For howsoever Davids fact might be excused by reason of the imminent perill yet surely Ionathans walking forth with his bow and arrowes was of a very different nature Nor did he doe it fearfully and by way of stealth as if he were affraid to avow the action but tooke his Page with him to bring back his arrowes and called aloud unto him to doe thus and thus according as he was directed as if it were his usuall custome Ionathan might have thought of some other way to give advertisement unto David of his Fathers anger rather then by a publick breaking of the Sabbath to provoke the Lords But then as may from hence be gathered shooting and such like manlike exercises were not accounted things unlawfull on the Sabbath day 3 This act and flight of Davids from the face of Saul hapned in Torniellus computation Anno 2974 and forty six yeares after that being 3020 of the Worlds Creation and the last yeare of Davids life hee made a new division of the sonnes of Levi. For where the Levites were appointed in the times before to beare about the Tabernacle as occasion was the Tabernacle now being fixed and setled in Hierusalem there was no further use of the Levites service 1. Chron 23. 4 5 in that kind Therefore King David thought it good to set them to some new employments and so he did some of them to assist the Priests in the publick Ministery some to be Overseers and Iudges of the people some to be Porters also in the house of God and finally some others to be singers to prayse the Lord with instruments that he had made with Harps with Viols and with Cymballs Of these the most considerable were the first and last The first appointed to assist at the daily Sacrifices Vers. 31. as also at the Offering of all burnt Offerings unto the Lord in the Sabbaths in the moneths and at the appointed times according to the number and according to their custome continually before the Lord. The other were instructed in the songs of the Lord. Chap. 25. 7. The other chiefly which were made for the Sabbath dayes and the other Festivals and one hee made himselfe of his owne enditing entituled a Song or Psalme for the Sabbath day Calvin upon the 92 Psalme is of opinion Psal. 92. that hee made many for that purpose as no doubt hee did and so he did for the Feasts also Antiq Iud. l. 7. c. 10. Iosephus tels us that hee composed Odes and Hymnes to the prayse of God as also that hee made divers kinds of instruments and that hee taught the Levites to prayse Gods Name upon the Sabbath dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the other Festivals as well upon the Annuall as the weekly Sabbath Where note that in the distribution of the Levites into severall Offices there was then no such Office thought of as to be Readers of the Law which prooves sufficiently that the Law was not yet read publickly unto the people on the Sabbath day Nor did he onely appoint them their Songs and Instruments but so exact and punctuall was hee that he prescribed what habit they should weare in the discharging of their Ministery in singing prayses to the Lord which was a white linnen rayment such as the Surplice 2. Chron. 5. 12 13. now in use in the Church of England Also the Levites saith the Text which were the singers being arrayed in white linnen having Cymbals and Psalteries and Harps stood at the East end of the Altar c. praysing and thanking God for his Grace and mercies And this he did not by commandement from above or any warrant but his own as we finde and that he thought it fit and decent David the Prophet of the Lord knew well what did belong to David the King of Israel in ordering matters of the Church and setling things about the Sabbath Nor can it be but worth the notice that the first King whom God raised up to be a nursing Father unto his Church should exercise his regall power in dictating what hee would have done on the Sabbath day in reference to Gods publick worship As if in him the Lord did meane to teach all others of the same condition as no doubt he did that it pertaines to them to vindicate the day of his publicke service as well from superstitious fancies as prophane contempts and to take speciall order that his name be glorified as well in the performances of the Priests as the devotions of the people This speciall care wee shall find verified in Constantine the first Christian Emperour of whom more hereafter in the next Booke and third Chapter Now what was there ordained by David was afterwards confirmed by Solomon wherof see 2. Chron. 8 14 Who as he built a Temple for Gods publick worship for the New-moones and weekly Sabbaths and the solemne Feasts as the Scripture tels us so hee or some of
day in Ieâ—â—sophats time 2. Kings 22. But that which followes of Iosiah is more full then this That godly Prince intended to repaire the Temple and in pursuite of that intendment Hilkiah the Priest to whom the ordering of the work had been committed found hidden an old Copy of the Law of God which had been given unto them by the hand of Moses This Booke is brought unto the King and read unto him And when the King had heard the words of the Law Verse 11. hee rent his clothes And not so onely but hee gathered together all the Elders of Iudah and Hiâ—rusalem Chap. 23. 1 2. and read in their eares all the words oâ— the Book of the Covenant which was found in the house of the Lord. Had it beene formerly the custome to reade the Law each Sabbath unto all the people it is not to be thought that this good King Iâ—siah could possibly have beene such a stranger to the Law of God or that the finding of the Booke had beene related for so strange an accident when there was scarce a Towne in Iudah but was funished with them Or what need such a suddain calling of all the Elders and on an extraordinary time to heare the Law if they had heard it every Sabbath and that of ordinary course Nay so farre were they at this time from having the Law read amongst them every weekly Sabbath that as it seemes it was not read amongst them in the sabbath of yeares as Moses had before appointed For if it had been read unto them once in seven yeares onely that vertuous Prince had not so soone forgotten the contentâ— thereof Therefore there was no synagogue no weekly reading of the law in Iosiahs dayes And if not then and not before then not at all till Ezras time The finding of the booke of God before remembred is said to happen in the yeare 3412. of the worlds creation not forty yeares before the people were led Captives into Babylon in which short space the Princes being carelesse and the times distracted there could be nothing done that concern'd this businesse Now from this reading of the Law in the time of Ezra unto the Councell holden in Hierusalem there passed 490. yeares or thereabouts Antiquitie sufficient to give just cause to the Apostle there to affirme that Moses in old time in every Citie had them that preached him Act. 15. â—1 being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day So that we may conclude for certaine that till these times wherein we are there was no reading of the Law unto the people on the Sabbath dayes and in these times when it was taken up amongst them it was by Ecclesiasticall institution onely no divine authoritie 12 But being taken up on what ground soever it did continue afterwards though perhaps sometimes interrupted untill the finall dissolution of that Church and State and therewithall grew up a libertie of interpretation of the holy words which did at last divide the people into sects and factions Petrus Cunaeus doth affirme that howsoever the Law was read amongst them in the former times De republ l. 2. ca. 17. either in publike or in private yet the bare text was onely read without glosse or descant Interpretatio magistrorum commentatio nulla But in the second Temple when there were no Prophets then did the Scribes and Doctors begin to comment and make their severall expositions on the holy Text Ex quo natae disputationes sententiae contrariae from whence saith he sprung up debates and doubtfull disputations Most probable it is that from this liberty of interpretation sprung up diversity of judgements from whence arose the severall sects of Pharisees Essees and Sadduces who by their difference of opinions did distract the multitude and condemne each other Of whom and what they taught about the Sabbath we shall see next Chapter Nor is it to be doubted but as the reading of the Law did make the people more observant of the Sabbath then they were before so that libertas prophetandi which they had amongst them occasioned many of those rigours which were brought in after The people had before neglected the sabbaticall yeares but now they carefully observed them Iâ—seph Ant li. â—1 ca ulâ— So carefully that when Alexander the Great being in Ierusalem anno 3721 commanded them to aske some boone wherein he might expresse his favour and love unto them the high Priest answered for them all that they desired but leave to exercise the ordinances of their fore-fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that each seventh yeare might be free from tribute because their lands lay then untilled But then againe the libertie and varietie of interpretation bredde no little mischiefe For where in former times according to Gods owne appointment thâ— Sabbath was conceived to be a day of rest whereon both man and beast might refresh themselues and be the more inabled for their ordinary labours by canvassing some Texts of Scripture and wringing bloud from thence instead of comfort they made the Sabbath such an yoke as was insupportable Nor were these weeds of doctrine very long in growing Within an hundred yeares and lesse after Nehemiah the people were so farre from working on the Sabbath day as in his time we see they did and hardly could be weaned from so great a sinne but thought it utterly unlawfull to take sword in hand yea though it were to save their libertie and defend Religion A follie which their neighbour Ptolomie Iâ—sâ—ph Ant. li. 12. c. 1. the great King of Aegypt made especiall use of For having notice of this humour as it was no better he entred the Citie on the Sabbath day under pretence to offer sacrifice and presently without resistance surprised the same the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not laying hand on any weapon or doing any thing in defence thereof but sitting still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in an idle slothfulnesse suffered themselues to be subdued by a Tyrant Conquerour This happened Ann. M. 3730. And many more such fruits of so bad a doctrine did there happen afterwards to which now wee hasten CHAP. VIII What doth occurre about the Sabbath from the Maccabees to the destruction of the Temple 1 The Iews refuse to fight in their owne defence upon the Sabbath and what was ordered thereupon 2 The Pharisees about these times had made the Sabbath burdensome by their Traditions 3 Hierusalem twice taken by the Romans on the Sabbath day 4 The Romans many of them Iudaize and take up the Sabbath as other Nations did by the Iews example 5 Augustus Caesar very gratious to the Iews in matters that concerned their Sabbath 6 What our Redeemer taâ—ght and did to rectifie the abuses of and in the Sabbath 7 The finall ruine of the Temple and the Iewish ceremonies on a Sabbath day 8 The Sabbath abrogated with the other Ceremonies 9 Wherein consists the Christian Sabbath mentioned in the Scriptures
either to heale the impotent or relieve the sick or feed the hungrie but he confutes them in them all both by his Acts and by his disputations Whatever â—e maintain'd by argument he made good by practise Did they accuse his followers of gathering corne upon the Sabbath being then an hungred he le ts them know what David did in the same extremitie Their eating or their gathering on the Sabbath day take you which you will was not more blameable nay not so blameable by the law as David's eating of the shewbread which plainly was not to be eate by any but the Priest alone The â—ures he did upon the Sabbath what were they more then which themselves did daily do in laying salves unto those Infants whom on the Sabbath day they had circumcised His bidding of the impotent man to take up his bed and get him gone which seemed so odious in their eyes was it so great a toyle as to walke round the walls of Hiericho and beare the Arke upon their shoulders or any greater burden to their idle backs then to lift up the â—xe and set him free out of that dangerous ditch into the which the hasty â—east might fall aswell upon the Sabbath as the other dayes Should men take care of oxen and not God of man Not so The Sabbath was not made for a lazie idoll which all the Nations of the world should fall downe and worship but for the ease and comfort of the labouring man that he might have some time to refresh his spirits Sabbatum propter hominem factum est the Sabbath saith our Saviour was made for man man was not made to serve the Sabbath Nor had God so irrevocablie spoke the word touching the sanctifying of the Sabbath that he had left himselfe no power to repeale that Law in case he saw the purpose of the Law perverted the Sonne of man even he that was the Sonne both of God and Man being Lord also of the Sabbath Nay it is rightly marked by some that Christ our Saviour did more works of charitie on the Sabbath day then all dayes else Zanchius obserues it out of Irenaeus In Mandat â— Saepius multo Christum in die Sabbati praestitisse opera charitatis quam in aliis diebus and his note is good Not that there was some urgent and extreme necessitie either the Cures to be performed that day or the man to perish For if we looke into the story of our Saviours actions we finde no such matter It 's true that the Centurions sonne and Peters mother in law were even sicke to death and there might be some reason in it why he should haste unto their Cures on the Sabbath day But on the other side the man that had the withered hand Matth. 13. and the woman with her fluxe of bloud eighteene yeares together Luk. 13. he that was troubled with the dropsie Luk. 14. and the poore wretch which was afflicted with the palsie Ioh. 5. in none of these was found any such necessity but that the cure might have beene respited to another day What then Shall it be thought our Saviour came to destroy the Law No. God forbid Himselfe hath told us that he came to fulfill it rather He came to let them understand the right meaning of it that for the residue of time wherein it was to be in force they might no longer be misled by the Scribes and Pharisees and such blinde guides as did abuse them Thus have I briefly summed together what I finde scattered in the writings of the ancient Fathers which who desires to finde at large may looke into Ireâ—aeus li. 4. ca. 19. 20. Origen in Num hom 23. Tertull. li. 4. contr Marcion Athanas. hom de Semente p. 10â—1 1072. edit gr lat Victor Antioch cap. 3. in Marâ—um Chrysost. hom 39. in Matth. 12. Epiphan li. 1. haeres 30. n. 32. Hierom. in Matth. 12. Ambros in cap. 3. Luk. li. 3. Augustin cont Faustum li. 16. ca. 28. lib. 19. ca 9. to descend no lower With one of which last Fathers sayings Cont. Adimant ca. 2. we conclude this list Non ergo Dominus rescindit Scripturam Vet. Test sed cogit intelligi Our Saviours purpose saith the Father was not to take away the Law but to expound it 7 Not then to take away the Law it was to last a little longer He had not yet pronounced Consummatum est that the Law was abrogated Nor might it seeme so proper for him to take away one Sabbath from us which was rest from labour untill he had provided us of another which was rest from sinne And to provide us such a Sabbath was to cost him dearer then words and arguments He healed us by his word before Now he must heale us by his stripes or else no entrance into his rest the eternall Sabbath Besides the Temple stood as yet and whilest that stood or was in hope to be rebuilt there was no end to be expected of the legall ceremonies The Sabbath and the Temple did both end together and which is more remarkable on a Sabbath day The Iews were still sicke of their old disease and would not stirre a foot on the Sabbath day beyond their compasse no though it were to save their Temple and in that their Sabbath or whatsoever else was most deare unto them Nay they were more superstitious now then they were before For whereas in the former times it had beene thought unlawfull to take armes and make warre on the Sabbath day Iosâ—ph de bello li. 4. ca 4. unlesse they were assaulted and their lives danger now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was pronounced unlawfull even to treat of peace A fine contradiction Agrippa layed this home unto them when first they entertain'd a rebellious purpose against the Romans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Id. li. 2. c. 1â— If you observe the custome of the Sabbaths and in them do nothing it will be no hard matter to bring you under for so your Ancestors found in their warres with Pompey who ever deferred his works untill that day wherein his enemies were idle and made no resistance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If on the other side you take armes that day then you transgresse your countrey laws your selues and so I see no cause why you should rebell Where note Agrippa cals the sabbath a custome and their Countrey law which makes it evident that they thought it not any Lâ—w of Nature Now what Agrippa said did in fine fall out the Citie being taken on the sabbath day as Ios. Scaliger computes it or the Parascâ—ve of the sabbath as Rab. Ioses hath determined Most likely that it was on the sabbath day it selfe For Dion speaking of this warre and of this taking of the Citie Lib 65. concludâ—s it thus Lib 65. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierusalem saith he was taken on the Saturday which the Iews most reverence till this day Thus
fell the Temple of the Iews and with it all the ceremonies of the Law of Moses Demonst. l. 1. c. 6 Since when according as Eusebius tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is not lawfull for that people either to sacrifice according to the law or to build a Temple or erect an Altar to consecrate their Priests or anoint their Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or finally to hold their solemne assemblies or any of their Festivals ordained by Moses 8 For that the sabbath was to end with other legall ceremonies is by this apparant first that it was an institute of Mosos and secondlly an institute peculiar to the Iewish Nation both which we have alredy proved and therefore was to end with the law of Moses and the state of Iewrie Fathers there be good store which affirme as much some of the which shall be produced to expresse themselves that we may see what they conceived of the abrogation of the Sabbath And first for Iustin Martyr it is his chiefe scope and purpose in his conference with Trypho Dial. cum Trypâ—on to make it manifest and unquestionable that as there was no use of circumcision before Abrahams time nor of the Sabbath untill Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—o neither is there any use of them at this present time that as it tooke beginning then so it was now to have an end Tâ—rtullian in his argument against the Marciâ—â—â—â—es draws out this conclusion Adv. Marc. l 2. Ad â—empus praesentis cause necâ—ssitatem convaluisse non ad perpetui temporis observationem that God ordained the Sabbath upon speâ—iall reasons and as the times did then require not that it should continue alwayes Hom. de Sab. circum S. Athaâ—â—siâ—s thus discourseth When God saith he had finished the first creation he did betake himselfe to rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and therefore those of that creation did celebrate their Sabbath on the seventh day But the accomplishment of the new-creature hath no end at all and therefore God still worketh as the Gospell teacheth Hence is it that we keepe no Sabbath as the antients did expecting an eternall Sabbath which shall have no end That of S. Ambrose Synagoga diem observat ecclesia immortalitatem comes most neare to this Epist. 72. l. 9. But he that speakes most fully to this point is the great S. Austin what he saith shall be delivered under three severall heads First that the Sabbath is quite abrogated Tempore gratiae revelatae observatio illa Sabbati quae unius diâ—i vacatione figurabatur ablata est ab observatione fidelium The keeping of the Sabbath is taken utterly away in this time of Grace De Gen. ad lit l. 4. c. 13. See the like ad Boniâ—ac l. 3. Tom. 7. contr Faust. Man l. 6. c. 4. Qu. ex N. Test 69. Secondly that the Sabbath was not kept in the Church of Christ In illis decem praeceptis excepta sabbati observatione dicatur mihi quid non sit observandum a Christiano de sp lit c. 14. What is there saith the Father in all the Decalogue except the keeping of the sabbath which is not punctually to be observed of every Christian. More of the like occurres â—e Genesi contr Manich. l. 1. c 22. contr Adimant ca 2. Qu. in Exod. l. 2 qu. 173. And thirdly that it iâ— not lawfull for a Christian to observe the sabbath De Vâ—◠〈◊〉 c. 3. For speaking of the law how it was a pâ—edagogue to bring us unto the knowledge of Christ he addes that in those institutes and ordinances Quibus Christianis uti fas non est quale est sabâ—atum circumcisio sacrificia c. which are not lawfull to be used by any Christian such as are the sabbath circumcision sacrifices and such other things many great mysteries were contained And in another place Quisquis diem illum observat sicut litera fonat Dâ— Sp. l. â— c. 14. carnaliter sapit Sapere autem secundum carnem mors est He that doth literally keepe the sabbath savours of the flesh but to savour of the flesh is death Therefore no sabbath to bee kept by the sonnes of life 9 No Sabbath to be kept at all We affirme not so We know there is a Christian Sabbath a Sabbath figured out unto us in the fourth Commandement which every Christian man must keepe that doth desire to enter into the rest of God This is that Sabbath which the Prophâ—t Isaiah hath commended to us Blessed is the man that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it Quid autem sabbatum est quod praecipit observandum c. What sabbath is it saith S. Hierome that is here commanded The following words saith he will informe us that keeping our hands from doing evill This is the sabbath here commanded Si bona faciens quiescat a malis if doing what is good we do rest from sinne Nor was this his conceit alone the later writers of expound it The Prophet in this place saith Ryvet In Dâ—â—â—log thus prophecies of the Chruch of Christ Blessed is the man that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it and keepeth his hands from doing any evill Vbi custodire sabbatum in Ecclesia Christiana est custodire manus suoâ— Ã malo And in these words saith he to keepe a sabbath in a Christian Church is onely to preserue our hands from doing evill The like spirituall sabbath doth the man of God prescribe unto us in the 58. Chapter of his booke If thou turne away thy foot from the sabbath Verse â—3 14. from doing thy pleasure on my holy day c. not doing thine owne way nor finding thine owne pleasure nor speaking thine owne words then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth c. What saith S. Hierome unto this It must be understood saith he spiritually Aliâ—quin si haec tantum prohibentur in sabbato In loâ—â—m ergo in aliis sex diebus tribuit ur nobis libertas delinqueâ—di For otherwise if those things above remembred are prohibited onely on the sabbaths then were it lawfull for us on the other dayes to follow our owne sinfull courses speake our owne idle words and pursue our owne voluptuous pleasures which were most foolish to imagine And so saith Ryvet too for the moderne writers Perpetuam ab omnibus operibus nostris vitiosis cessationem c. In Decalog That everlasting rest from all sinfull works which is begun in this life here and finished in the life to come is signified and represented by those words of Isaiah ca. 58. They therefore much mistake these Texts and the meaning of them who grounding thereupon forbid all manner of recreations and lawfull pleasures on their supposed sabbath day as being utterly prohibited by Gods holy Prophet M â—â—mon ap Aiâ—s in Ex 20. The Iews did thus
perfect harmonie and agreement which is betweene this Church and the purest times It is our constant prayer to almighty God aswell that he would strengthen such as do stand and confirme the weake as to raise up those men which are fallen into sinne and errour As are our prayers such should be also our endeavours as universall to all sorts of men as charitable to them in their severall cases and distresses Happy those men who do aright discharge their duties both in their prayers and their performance The blessing of our labours we must leave to him who is all in all without whom all Pauls planting and Apollos watering will yeeld poore increase In which of these three states soever thou art good Christian Reader let me be seech thee kindly to accept his pains which for thy sake were undertaken that so be might in some poore measure be an instrument to strengthen or confirme or raise thee as thy case requires This is the most that I desire and lesse then this thou couldst not do did I not desire it And so fare thee well THE HISTORY OF THE SABBATH The second Booke CHAP. I. That there is nothing found in Scripture touching the keeping of the LORDS DAY 1 The Sabbath not intended for a perpetuall ordinance 2 Preparatives unto the dissolution of the Sabbath by our Saviour Christ. 3 The Lords day not enjoyned in the place thereof either by Christ or his Apostles but instituted by the authority of the Church 4 Our Saviours resurrection on the first day of the weeke and apparitions on the same make it not a Sabbath 5 The comming downe of the Holy Ghost upon the first day of the weeke makes it not a Sabbath 6 The first day of the weeke not made a Sabbath more than â—thers by Saint Peter Saint Paul or any other of the Apostles 7 Saint Paul frequents the Synagogue on the Iewish Sabbath and upon what reasons 8 What was concluded against the Sabbath in the Councell holden in Hieruâ—alem 9 The preaching of Saint Paul at Troas upon the first day of the weeke no árgument that then that day was set apart by the Apostles for religious exercises 10 Collections on the first day of the week 1. Cor. 16. conclude as little for that purpose 11 Those places of Saint Paul Galat. 4. 10. Coloss. 2. 16. doe prove invincibly that there is no Sabbath to be looked for 12 The first day of the week not called the Lords day untill the end of this first age and what that title addes unto it 1 WEe shewed you in the former book what did occurre about the Sabbath from the Creation of the World to the destruction of the Temple which comprehended the full time of 4000 years and upwards in the opinion of the most and best Chronologers Now for five parts of eight of the time computed from the Creation to the Law being in all 2540 yeares and somwhat more there was no Sabbath knowne at all And for the fifteene hundred being the remainder it was not so observed by the Iewes themselves as if it had been any part of the Law of Nature but sometimes kept and sometimes broken either according as mens private businesses or the affaires of the republicke would give way unto it Never such conscience made thereof as of adultery murder blasphemy or idolatrie no not when as the Scribes and Pharisees had most made it burdensome there being many casus reservati wherein they could dispense with the fourth Commandement though not with any of the other Had they beene all alike equally natural moral as it is conceived they had been all alike observed all alike immutable no jot nor syllable of that law which was ingraft by nature in the soule of man being to fall unto the ground Luk 16. 17. till heaven and earth shall passe away and decay together till the whole frame of Nature for preservation of the which that Law was given be dissolved for ever The Abrogation of the Sabbath which before we spake of shews plainly that it was no part of the Morall law or Law of Nature there being no law naturall Contr. Marc. l. 2 which is not perpetuall Tertullian takes it for confest or at least makes it plaine and evident Temporale fuisse mandatum quod quandâ—que cessaret that it was onely a temporarie constitution which was in time to have an end c. 16. And after him Procopius Gazâ—eus in his notes on Exodus layes downe two severall sorts of laws whereof some were to be perpetuall and some were not of which last sort were Circumcision and the Sabbath Quae dâ—raverunt usque in adventum Christi which lasted till our Saviours comming and he being come Iâ— Col. 2 16. went out insensiblie of themselues For as S. Ambrose rightly tels us Absente imperatore imagâ— ejus habet autoritatem praesente non habet c. What time the Emperour is absent we give some honour to his State or representation but none at all when he is present And so saith he the Sabbaths and new-moones and the other festivals before our Saviours comming had a time of honour during the which they were observed but he being present once they became neglected But heâ—eof wee have spoke more fully in our former booke 2 Neglected not at once and upon the sudden but leasurely and by degrees There were preparatives unto the sabbath as before we shewed before it was proclaimed as a Law by Moses and there were some preparatives required before that law of Moses was to be repealed These we shall easiliest discover if we shall please to looke on our Saviours actions who gave the first hint unto his disciples for the abolishing of the sabbath amongst other ceremonies It 's true that he did frequently repaire unto the synagogues on the sabbath dayes and on those dayes did frequently both reade and expound the Law unto the people Luk. 4. 16. And he came to Nazareth saith the Text where he had beene brought up and as his custome was he went into the Synagogue on the sabbath day and stood up to reade It was his custome so to do both when he lived a private life to frequent the Synagogue that other men might do the like by his good example and after when he undertooke the ministerie to expound the Law unto them there that they might be the better by his good instructions Yet did not be conceive that teaching or expounding the word of God was annexed onely to the Synagogue or to the sabbath That most divine and heavenly Sermon which takes up three whole Chapters of S. Matthews Gospell was questionlesse a weeke dayes worke and so were most of those delivered to us in S. Iohn as also that which he did preach unto them from the ship-side and divers others Nay the text tells us Luk 8. 1. that he went through every Citie and Village preaching and shewing the glad tydings of God Too great a
darknesse by the light of his most glorious resurrection â—p 119. The like S. Austin Dies Dominicaâ— Christianis resurrectione Domini declaratus est ex 〈◊〉 cepit habere festivitatem suam The Lords day was made knowne saith he unto us Christians by the resurrection and from that began to be accounted holy See the like lib. 22. de Civit. Dei c. 30. serm 15. de Verbis Aâ—stoli But then it is withall to be observed that this was onely done on the authoritie of the Church and not by any precept of our Lord and Saviour or any one of his Apostles And first besides that there is no such preceâ—â— extant at all in holy Scripture Li 5 C. 22. Socrates hath affirmed it in the generall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that the designes of the Apostles was not to busie themselues in prescribing festiuall dayes but to instruct the people in the wayes of godlinesse Now lest it should be said that Socrates being a Novâ—tian was a profest enemie to all the orders of the Church we have the same De Sabb. ◠〈◊〉 almost verbatim in Nicephorus li. 12. cap. 32. of his Ecclesiasticall History S. Athanasâ—us saith as much for the particular of the Lords day that it was taken up by a voluntarie usage in the Church of God without any commandement from above 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. As saith the Father it was commanded at the first that the Sabbath day should be observed in memory of the accomplishment of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so do we celebrate the Lords day as a memoriall of the beginning of a new creation Where note the difference here delivered by that Reverend Prelate Of the Iews Sabbath it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it was commanded to be kept but of the Lords day there is no commandement onely a positive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an honour voluntarily afforded it by consent of men Therefore whereas we finde it in the Homilie entituled De Semente 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Christ transferred the Sabbath to the Lords day this must be understood not as if done by his commandement but on his occasion the resurrection of our Lord upon that day being the principall motive which did induce his Church to make choice thereof for the assemblies of the people For otherwise it would plainly crosse what formerly had been said by Athaâ—asius in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not him onely but the whole cloud of witnesses all the Catholick Fathers in whom there is not any words which reflects that way but much in affirmation of the contrary For besides what is said before elsewhere shall be said in its proper place The Councell held at Paris An. 829 ascribes the keeping of the Lords Day at most to Apostolicall tradition confirmed by the aâ—tority of the Church Cap. 50. For so the Councel ChristianoruÌ„ religiosae devotionis quae ut creditur Apostolorum traditione immo Ecclesiae autoritate descendit mos â—inolevit ut Dominicum diem ob Dominicae resurrectionis memoriam honorabiliter colat And last of all Tostatus puts this difference between the Festivals of the old testament and those now solemnized in the new that in the Old Testament God appointed all the Festivals that were to be observed in the Iewish Church in novo nulla festivitas a Christo legislatore determinata est sed in Ecclesia Praelati ista statuunt but in the new there were no Festivals at all prescribed by Christ as being left unto the Prelates of the Church by them to be appointed as occasion was What others of the ancient writers Cap. 24. V. 10 and what the Protestant â—ivines have affirmâ—d herein we shal hereafter see in their proper places As for these words of our Redeemer in S. Matthews Gospel Pray that your flight be not in the winter neither on the Sabbath day they have indeed beene much alleaged to prove that Christ did intimate at the least unto his Apostles and the rest that there was a particular day by him appoointed where of he willed them to be câ—refull which being not the Iewish Sabbath must of necessâ—â—â— as they thinke be the Lords Day But certainly the Fâ—â—â—ers tâ—ll us no such matter nay they say the contraâ—y and make these words apart of our Redeâ—mâ—rs admâ—â—iâ—ion to the Iewes In Math â—4 not to the Apostles â—aint Châ—ysostâ—â—e hath it so expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Behold saith he how he addresseth his discourse unto the Iewes tels them of the euils which shold fall upon theÌ„ for neither were the Apostles bound to observe the Sabbath nor were they there wheÌ„ those calamities fell upon the Iewish Nation Nâ—t in the winter nor on the Sabbath and why so saith he Because their flight being so quick suddaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither the Iews would dare to flie on the Sabbath for such their superstitioÌ„ was in the later times nor would the winter but be very troublesome in such distresses In Math 24. Theophilact doth affirme expresly that this was spake unto the Iews spoke upon the selfâ—ame reasons adding withall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that before any of those miseries fell upon that Nation the Aposâ—les were all departed from out Ierusalem S. Hierom saith as much as unto the time that those calamities which by our Sauiour were foretold were generally referred unto the wars of Titus and Vespasian and that both in his Comment on S. Mathews Gospel and his Epistle to Algasia Qu. 4. And for the thing that the Apostles and the rest of the Disciples were al departed from Ierusalem before that heavy warre began is no lesse evident in story For the Apostles long before that time were either martyred or dispersed in severall places for the enlargment of the Gospel not any of them resident in Ierusalem after the martyrdome of S. Iames who was Bishop there And for the residue of the Disciples they had forsook the Country also before the warres being admonished so to do by an heavenly vision which warned them to withdraw from thence and repaire to Pella beyond Iordan as Eusebius tels us Hist. Eccl. l. 3. c. 5 So that these words of our Redeemer could not be spoke as to the Apostles and in them unto all the rest of the Disciples which should follow after but to the people of the Iewes To whom our Saviour gave this caâ—tion not that hee did not thinke it lawfull for them to fâ—ie upon the Sabbath day but that as things then were and as their consciences were intangled by the Scribes and Pharisees he found that they would count it a most grievous misery to be put unto it To returne then unto our story as the chiefe reason why the Christians of the primitive times did set apart this day to religious uses was because Christ that day did rise again from death to life for our
can be drawne from a casuall fact and that the falling of the Pentecost that yeare upon the first day of the weeke be meerly casuall the comming of the Holy Ghost upon that day will be no argument nor authority to state the first day of the weeke in the place and honour of the Iewish sabbath There may be other reasons given why God made choice of that time rather then of any other as first because about that very time before he had proclaimed the Law upon Mount Sinai and secondly that so hee might the better countenance and grace the Gospel in the sight of men and adde the more authority unto the doctrine of the Apostles The Feast of Pentecost was a great and famous Festivall at which the Iewes all of them were to come unto Hierusalem there to appeare before the Lord and amongst others those which had their hands in our Saviours â—â—â—ud And therefore as S. Chrysostome notes it did God send down the Holy Ghost at that time of Pentecost In Act. 2. because those men that did consent to our Saviours death might publickly receive rebuke for that bloudy Act and so beare record to the power of our Saviours Gospel before all the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that Father hath it So that the thing being casuall as unto the day and speciall as unto the businesse then by God intended it will afforde us little proofe as before I said either that the Lords Day was as then observed or that the Holy Ghost did select that day for so great a worke to dignifie it for a sabbath 6 As for Saint Peters preaching upon that day and the baptizing of so many as were converted to the faith upon the same it might have been some proofe that now at lest if not before the first day of the weeke was set apart by the Apostles for religious exercises had they not honoured all dayes with the same performances But if we search the Scriptures we shall easily find that all dayes were alike to them in that respect no day in which they did not preach the word of life and administer the Sacraments of their Lord and Saviour to such as either wanted it or did desire it Or were it that the Scriptures had not told us of it yet naturall reason would informe us that those who were imployed in so great a worke as the conversion of the World could not confine themselues unto times and seasons but must take all advantages whensoere they came But for the Scripture it is said in termes expresse first generally that the Lord added daily to the Church such as should be saved Actâ— 2. 47. and therefore without doubt the meanes of their salvation were daily ministred unto them Versâ— 42. and in the fifth Chapter of the Acts that daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Iesus Christ. Acts 8. So for particulars when Philip did baptize the Eunuch either he did it on a working day as we now distinguish them and not upon the first day of the weeke and so it was no Lords day dutie or else it was not held unlawfull to take a journey on that day as some thinke it is Saint Peters preaching to Corneâ—ius and his baptizing of that house was a weeke dayes worke as may be gathered from Saint Hierome That Father tels us that the day whereon the vision appeared to Peter was probably the Sabbath or the Lords Day as we call it now fieri pâ—tuit ut vel sabbatum essâ—t vel dies Dominicus Advâ—rs Iovini an l. 2. as the â—ather hath it and 〈◊〉 you which you will we shall find little in it 〈…〉 Sabbath In case it was on the Sabbath then Peter 〈…〉 keep the Lords day holy as he should have done in case that day was then selected for Gods worship for the Text tells us that the next day he did begin his journey to Cornelius house In case it was upon the Lords day as wee call it now then neither did Saint Peter sanctifie that day in the Congregation Acts 10 24. as he ought to do had that day then been made the Sabbath and his conversion of Corneâ—elius being three dayes after must of necessity be done on the Wednesday following So that we find no Lords day Sabbath either of S. Peters keeping or of S. Philips or elsâ— the preaching of the Word and the administring the Sacraments were not affixed at all unto the first day of the weeke as the peculiar markes and characters thereof So for Saint Paul the Doctour of the Gentiles who laboured more abundantly then the other Apostles besides what shall be said particularly in the following section it may appeare in generall that hee observed no Lords-day-sabbath but taught on all dayes travailed on all dayes and wrought according to his Trade upon all dayes too when he had no employment in the Congregation That he did teach on all dayes is not to be questioned by any that considers how great a worke hee had to doe and how little time That hee did trauaile upon all dayes is no lesse notorious to all that looke upon his life which was still in motion And howsoever he might rest sometimes on the Lords Day as questionlesse he did on others as often as upon that day he preached the Gospel yet when hee was a Prisoner in the hands of the Roman souldiers thâ—re is no doubt but that he travailed as they did Lords Dayes and sabbaths all dayes equally many dayes together In Dominicaâ—â— 17. post Triâ—it Of this see what Saint Luke hath written in the last Chapters of the Acts. Lastly for working at his Trade which was Tent-making on the Lords Dâ—y as well as others Conraduâ— Diatericus proves it out of Hierome that when hee had none unto whom to preach in the Congregation hee followed on the Lords Day the works of his Occupation Hieronymus colligit ex Act. 18. vers 3. 4. quod die etiam Dominica quando quibus in publico conventu concionaretur non habebat manibus suis laboravit So Dietericus speaking of our Apostle Now what is proved of these Apostles and of S. Philip the Evangelist may be affirmed of all the rest whose lives and actions are not left upon record in holy Scripture Their Ministery being the same and their worke as great no question but their liberty was correspondent and that they tooke all times to be alike in the advancing of the businesse which they went about and cherished all occasions presented to them on what day soever What further may be said hereof in reference to Saint Iohn who lived longest of them and saw the Church established and her publicke meetings in some 〈◊〉 we shall see hereafter in his owne place and time Mean while we may conclude for certaine that in the 〈…〉 of the Church he used all dayes equally kept 〈…〉 holy then another and after
when the Church was setled how ever he might keep this holy and honour it for the use which was made therof yet he kept other days so used as holy but never any like a sabbath 7 Proceed wee next unto Saint Paul in his particular of whom the Scripture tells us more then of all the rest and wee shall finde that hee no sooner was converted Actâ—â— 2â— but that forth-with hee preached in the Synagogues that Iesus was the Christ. If in the Synagogues most likely that it was on the Iewish sabbath the Synagogues being destinate especially to the â—abbaâ—h dayes So after he was called to the publick Miâ—istâ—rie he came to Antiochia and went into the Synagogue on the sabâ—ath day and there preached the Word What was the issue of his sermon That the Text inâ—â—rmes us 〈…〉 And when the Iâ—wes were gone out of the 〈◊〉 the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached againe the next sabbath Vers◠〈◊〉 Saint Paul assented thereunto and the next sabbath day as the Text tells us came almost the whole Citie together to heare the Word of God Vers. 44. It seemes the Lords day was not growne as yet into any credit especially not into the repute of the Iewish sabbath for if it had Saint Paul might easily have told these Gentiles that is such Gentiles as had been converted to the Iewish Church that the next day would be a more convenient time and indeed opus diei in die suo the doctrine of the resurrection on the day thereof This hapned in the forty sixt yeare of Christs Nativity some twelue yeares after his Passion and Resurrection and often after this did the Apostle shew himselfe in the Iewish Synagogues on the sabbath dayes which I shall speake of here together that so wee may go on unto the rest of this discourse with lesse interruption And first it was upon the Sabbath that he did preach to the Philippians and baptized Lydia with her houshold Acts 16. Amongst the Thessalonians he reasoned three sabbath dayes together out of the Scriptures Acts 17. At Corinth every sabbaâ—h day with the Iewes and Greeks Acts 18. besides those many texts of Scripture when it is said of him that he went into the Synagogues and therefore probably that it was upon the Sabbath as before wee said Not that Saint Paul was so affected to the Sabbath as to preferre that day before any other but that he found the people at those times assembled and so might preach the Word with the greater profit In Acts 13. 14. Saint Chrysostome for the Ancients hath resolved it so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Father hath it So Calvin for the moderne Writers makes this the speciall cause of Saint Pauls resort unto the places of assembly on the Sabbath day quod profectum aliquem sperabat In Acts 16. 13. because in such concourse of people he hoped the Word of God would find the better entertainment Any thing rather to be thought then that S. Paul who had withstood so stoutly those false Apostles who would have circumcision and the law observed when there was nothing publickly determined of it would after the decision of so great a Councel wherein the Law of Moses was for ever abrogated either himselfe observe the sabbath for the sabbâ—ths sake or by his owne example teach the Gentiles how to Iudaize which he so blamed in S. Peter The sabbath with the legall ceremonies did receive their doome as they related to the Gentiles in that great Councell holden in Hierusalem which though it was not untill after he had preached at Antiochia on the sabbath day yet was it certainly before he had done the like either at Philippos Thessalonica or at Corinth 8 For the occasion of that Councell it was briefly this Amongst those which had joyned themselves with the Apostles there was one Cerinthus a fâ—llow of a turbulent and unquiet spirit and a most eager enemy of all those counsels whereof himselfe was not the Author This man had first begun a faction against S. Peter for going to Cornelius and preaching life eternall unto the Gentiles and finding ill successe in tâ—at goes downe to Antiochia and there begins another against Saint Paul This Epiphanius tells us of him Lib. l. baet 28. n. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The like Philaster doth affirme De haeres iâ— Cerinâ—ha Seditionem sub Apostolis commovisse that he had raised a faction against the Apostles which was not to be crushed but by an Apostolicall and generall Councell This man and those that came downe with him were so inamoured on the ceremonies and rites of Moses that though they entertained the Gospel yet they were loath to leave the Law and therefore did resolve it seemes to make a mixture out of both Hence taught they that except all men were circumcised after the manner of Moses they could not be saved Act 15. â— Where note that though they spake onely of circumcision â—et they intended all the lawâ—â— sabbaths and other legall ordinances of what sort soever Docuit Cerinthus observationem legis Mosaisae necessariam esse circumcsâ—â—nem Sabbata observanda as Philaster hath it The like â—aith Calvin on the place Sola quidem circumcisio hic nominatur sed ex contextu facile patet â—os detota lege movisse controversiam The like Loriâ—us also amongst the Iesuites Nomine circumcisionis reliqua lex totâ—intelligitur Indeed the Text affirmes as much where it is said in termes expresse Acts 15. 5. that they did hold it needfull to circumcise the people and to command them to keepe the Law of Moses whereof the Sabbath was a part For the decision of this point and the appeasing of those controversies which did thence arise it pleased the Church directed by the holy Ghost to determine thus that such amongst the Gentiles as were converted to the â—aith should not at all be burdened with the laws of Moses but onely should observe some necessary things viz. that they abstaine from thingâ— offered unto idols Vers. 29. and from bloud and that which is strangled and from fâ—râ—ication And here it is to be observed that the decree or Canon of this Councell did onely reach unto the Gentiles as is apparant out of the proeme to the Decretall which is directed to the brethren which are of the Gentiles and from the 21 Chapter of the Acts where it is said that as concerning the Gentiles which beleeve we have written and determined that they observe no such thing as the law of Moses So that for all that was determined in this Councell those of the Iews which had embraced the faith of Christ were not prohibited as yet to observe the Sabbath and other parts of Moses law as before they did in which regard S. Paul caused Timothie to be circumcised Act. â—6 3. because he would not scandalize and offend the Iewes The
Christians with the publick meetings that so they might with greater comfort preserve and cherish the memoriall of so great a mercie in reference unto which the Worlds Creation seemed not so considerable By reason of which work wrought on it it came in time to be entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day Apocal 10. which attribute is first found in the Revelation writ by Saint Iohn about the 94 yeâ—re of our Saviours birth So long it was before wee finde the Church tooke notice of it by a proper name For I perswade my selfe that had that day been destmâ—te at that time to religious duties or honoured with the name of the Lords day when Paul preached at Troas or write to the Corinthiâ—ns which as before wee shewed was in the fifty â—eventh neither Saint Luke nor the Apostle had so passed it over and called it onely the first day of the weeke as they both have done And when it had this attribute affixed unto it it onely was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as before we said by reason of our Saviours resurrection performed upon it and that the Congregation might not be assembled as well on them as on the other For first it was not called the Lords Day exclusively but by way of eminencie in reference to the resurrection onely all other dayes being the Lords In Psal. 23. aswell as this Prima sabbati significat diem Dominicum quo Dominus resurrexit resurgendo isti seculo subvenit muâ—dumque ipso die creavit qui ob excellentiam tanti miraculi propriâ— dies Dominica appellatur i.e. dies Domini quamvis omnes sunt Domini So Bruno Herbipolensis hath resoluted it And next it was not so designed for the publick meetings of the Church as if they might not be assembled as well on every day as this For as Saint Hierome hath determined In Gal. â— omnes dies aequales sunt nec per parasceven tantum Christum cruciâ—igi die Dominica resurgere sed semper sanctum resurrectionis esse diem semper â—um caâ—rne vesci Dominica c. All dayes are equall in themselues as the Father tells us Christ was not crucified on the Friday onely nor did hee rise onely upon the Lords Day but that wee may make every day the holy-day of his resurrection and every day eat his blessed body in the Sacrament When therefore certain days were publickly assigned by Godly men for the assemblies of the Church this was done onely for their sakes qui magis seculo vacant quam Deo who had more minde unto the World then to him that made it and therefore either could not or rather would not every day assemble in the Church of God Vpon which ground as they made choice of this even in the Age of the Apostles for one because our Saviour rose that day from amongst the dead so chose they Friday for another by reason of our Saviours passiâ—n and Wednesday on the which he had beene betrayed the Saturday or ancient Sabbath being mean-while retained in the Eastern Churches Nay in the primitive times excepting in the heat of persecution they met together every day for the receiving of the Sacrament that being fortified with that viaticum they might with greater courage encounter death if they chanced to meet him So that the greatest honour which in this Age was given the first day of the week or Sunday is that about the close thâ—â—of they did begin to honour it with the name or title of the Lords Day and made it one of those set dayes whereon the people met together for religious exercises Which their religious exercises when they were performed or if the times were such that their assemblies were prohibited and so none were performed at all it was not held unlawfull to apply themselues unto their ordinary labours as we shall see annon in the following Ages For whereas some have gathered from this Text of the Revelation from S. Iohâ—â— being in the spâ—rit on the Lords Day as the phrase there is that the Lords Day is wholy to be spent in spirituall exercises that their conceit might probably have had some shew of likelihood had it been said by the Apostle that he had been in the spirit every Lords Day But being as it is a particular case it can make no rule unlesse it be that every man on the Lords Day should have dreames and visions and be inspired that day with the spirit of prophecie no more then if it had beene told us upon what day Saint Paul had beene rapt up into the third Heaven every man should upon that day expect the like celestiall raptures Adde here how it is thought by some that the Lords Day here mentioned is not to bee interpreted of the first dâ—y of the weeke 〈…〉 as wee use to take it but of the day of his last comming of the day of judgement wherein all flesh shall come together to receive their sentence which being called the Lords Day too in holy Scripture that so the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord 1. Cor. 5. 5. S. Iohn might see it being rapt in spirit as if come already But touching this we will not meddle let them that owne it looke unto it the rather since S. Iohn hath generally beene expounded in the other sence by Aretas and Andraâ—as Caesariensis upon the place by Bede de rat temp c. 6. and by the suffrage of the Church the best expositour of Gods Word wherein this day hath constantly since the time of that Apostle beene honoured with that name above other dayes Which day how it was afterwards observed and how farre different it was thought from a Sabbath day the prosecution of this story will make cleare and evident CHAP. II. In what estate the Lords day stood from the death of the Apostles to the reigne of Constantine 1 Touching the orders setled by the Apostles for the Congregation 2 The Lords day and the Saturday both festivals and both alike observed in the East in Ignatius time 3 The Saturday not without great difficulty made a fasting day 4 The Controversie about keeping Easter and how much it conduceth to the present businesse 5 The feast of Easter not affixed to the Lords day without much opposition of the Easterne Churches 6 What Iustin Martyr and Dionysius of Corinth have left 〈◊〉 of the Lords day Clemens of Alexandria his dislike thereof 7 Vpon what grounds the Christians of the former times used to pray standing on the Lords day and the time of Pentecost 8 What is recorded by Tertullian of the Lords day and the assemblies of the Church 9 Origen as his master Clemens had done before dislikes set dayes for the assemblie 10 S. Cyprian what he tells us of the Lords day and of the reading of the Scriptures in S. Cyprians time 11 Of other holy dayes established in these three first ages and that they were observed as solemnely as the
very evill Author Therefore as the Iews did by the festivall solemnitiâ— of their Sabbath rejoyce in God that created the world as in the Author of of all goodnesse so they in hatred of the maker of the world sorrowed and wept and fasted on that day as being the birth-day of all evill And whereas Christiâ—â—â— men of sound heleefe did solemnize the Sunday in a joyfull memorie of Christs resurrectioâ— so likewise at the selfe same time such Hereticks as denyed the resurrection did contrary to them that held it and fasted when the rest rejoyced For the expressing of which two last heresies Ignat. it was that he affirmed with such zeale and earnestnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any one did fast either upon the Lords day or the sabbath except one sabbath in the yeare which was Easter Eve he was a murderer of Christ So he in his Epistle ad Philippenses The Canons attributed to the Apostles Can. 65. take notice of the misdemeanour though they condemne it not with so high a censure it being in them onely ordered that if a Clergie-man offended in that kinde he should be degraded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if any of the Laitie they should be excommunicated Which makes me marvell by the way that those which take such paines to justifie Ignatius as Baroniuâ— doth in Ann. 57. of his Grand Annales should yet condemne this Canon of imposture which is not so severe as Ignatius is onely because it speakes against the Saturdayes fast Whereof consult the Annales Ann. 102. Now as Ignatius labours here to advance the sabbath in opposition of those hereticks before remembred making it equally a festivall with the Lords day so being to deale with those which too much magnified the sabbath and thought the Christians bound unto it as the Iews had beene he bends himselfe another way and resolves it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let us not keep the Sabbath in a Iewish manner in sloth and idlenesse for it is written that he that will not labour shall not eate and in the sweat of thy brows shalt thou eate thy bread But let us keepe it after a spirituall fashion not in bodily ease but in the studie of the law not eating meat drest yesterday or drinking luke-warme drinks or walking out a limited space or setling our delights as they did on dancing but in the contemplation of the works of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And after we have so kept the sabbath let every one that loveth Christ keep the Lords day festival the resurrection day the Queene and Empresse of all dayes in which our life was raised againe and death was overcome by our Lord â—nd Saviour So that we see that he would have both dayes observed the Sabbath first though not as would the Ebionites in a Iewish sort and after that the Lords day which he so much magnifieth the better to abate that high esteeme which some had cast upon the Sabbath Agreeable unto this we finde that in the Constitutions of the Apostles for by that name they passe though not made by them both dayes are ordered to be kept holy one in memoriall of the Creation the other of the Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the like l. 8. c. 33. of which more hereafter 3 And so it was observed in the Easterne parts where those of the dispersion had tooke up their seats and having long time had their meetings on the Sabbath day coâ—ld not so easily be perswaded from it But in the Westerne Churches in the which the Iews were not so considerable and where thoseâ— hereticks before remembred had beene hardly heard of it was plainly otherwise that day not onely not being honoured with their publicke meetings but destinate to a setled or a constant fast Some which have looked more nearely into the reasons of this difference conceive that they appointed this day for fasting in memory of Saint Peters conflict with Simon Magus which being to be done on a Sunday following the Church of Rome ordained a solemne fast on the day before the better to obtaine Gods blessing in so great a businesse which falling out as they desired they kept it for a fasting day for ever after Saint Austin so relates it as a generall and received opinion but then he addeâ— Quod eam esse falsam perhibeant plerique Romani That very many of the Romans did take it onely for a fable As for Saint Austin he conceives the reason of it to be the severall uses which men made of our Saviours resting in the grave the whole Sabbath day For thence it came to passe saith he that some especially the Easterne people Adrequiem significandam mallent relaxare jejunium to signifie and denote that rest did not use to fast where on the other side those of the Church of Rome and some Westerne Churches kept it alwayes fasting Propter humilitatem mortis Domini by reason that our Lord that day lay buried in the sleepe of death But as the Father comes not home unto the reason of this usage in the Easterne countries so in my minde Pope Innocent gives a likelier reason for the contrary custome in the Westerne For in a Decretall by him made touching the keeping of this Fast Coâ—cil Tom. â— he gives this reason of it unto Decentius Eugubinus who desired it of him because that day and the day before were spent by the Apostles in griefe and heavinesse Nam constat Apostolos biduo isto in moerore fuisse propter metum Iâ—daeorum se occulâ—isse as his words there are The like saith Platina that Innocentius did oâ—daine the Saturday or Sabbath to be alwayes fasted Quod tali die Christus in sepulchro jacuisset quod discipuli ejus jejunassent In Innocent Because our Saviour lay in the grave that day and it was fasted by his disciples Not that it was not fasted before Innocents time as some vainely thinke but that being formerly an arbitrary practiâ—e only it was by him intended for a binding Law Now as the African and the Westerne Churches were severally devoted either to the Church of Rome or other Churches in the East so did they follow in this matter of the Sabbaths fast the practice of those parts to which they did most adhere Millaine though neere to Rome followed the practice of the East which shewes how little power the Popes then had even within Italie it selfe Paulinus tels us also of S. Ambrose Invâ—ta Ambâ—os that he did never use to dine nisi die sabbati Dominicâ— c. but on the Sabbath the Lords day and on the Anniversaries of the Saints and Martyrs Yet so that when he was at Rome hee used to doe as they there did submitting to the orders of the Church in the which hee was Whence that so celebrated speech of his Cum hiâ— sum nonjejuno sabbato cum Romae sum jejuno sabbato at Rome he did at
Pâ—ntus a fifth in Rome a sixt in Palestine by Theophilus Bishop of Caesaria the Canons of all which were extant in Eâ—febiâ—â— time and in all which it was concluded for the Sunday By meanes of these Synodicall determinations the Asian Prelates by degrees let fall their rigour and yeelded to the stronger and the â—â—rer side Yet waâ—eringly and with some relapâ—es till the great Councell of Nice backed with the authority of as great an Emperour setled it better then before none but some scattered Schismaticks now and then appearing that durst oppose the resolution of that famous Synod So that you see that whether you looke upon the day appointed for the Iewish Sabbath or on the day appointed for the Iewish Passeover the Lords day found it no small matter to obtaine the victorie And when it had prevailed so farre that both the Feast of Easter was restrained unto it and that it had the honour of the publick meetings of the Congregation yet was not this I mean this last exclusively of all other dayes the former Sabbath the fourth and sixt dayes of the week having some share therein for a long time after as wee shall see more plainly in the following Centuries 6 But first to make an end of this this Centurie affords us three particular writers that have made mention of this day First Iustin Martyr who then lived in Rome doth thus relate Apolog ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Vpon the Sunday all of us assemble in the Congregation as being that first day wherein God separating the light and darknesse did create the world and Iesus Christ our Saviour rose againe from the dead This for the day then for the service of the day he describes it thus Vpon the day called Sunday all that abide within the Cities or about the fields doâ— meet together in some place where the records of the Apostles and writings of the Prophets as much as is appointed are read unto us The Reader having done the Priest or Prelate ministreth a word of exhortation that we do imitate those good things which are there repeated Then standing up together we send up our prayers unto the Lord which ended there is delivered unto every one of us bread and wine with water After all this the Priest or Prelate offers up our prayers and thanksgiving as much as in him is to God and all the Clemens Alexandrinus Sâ—rom l. 7. he flourished in the yeare 190 who though hee fetch the pedigree of the Lords Day even as farâ—e as Platâ— which before wee noted yet hee seemes well enough contented that the Lords Day should not be observed at all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We ought saith he to honour and to reverence him whom wee are verily perswaded to be the word our Saviour and our Captaine and in him the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in selected times as some doe amongst us but alwaâ—es during our whole lives and on all occasions The Royall Prophet tels us that he praysed God seven times a daâ— Whence hee that understands himselfe stands not upon determinate places or appointed Temples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much lesse on any Festivals or dayes assigned but in all places honours God though he be alone And a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. making our whole lives a continuall Festivall and knowing God to be every where wee prayse him sometimes in the fields and sometimes sailing on the Seas and finally in all the times of our life what ever So in another place of the self-same book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He that doth lead his life according to the ordinances of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then keeps the Lords Day when he casts away every evill thought and doing things with knowledge and understanding doth glorifie the Lord in his resurrection By which it seemes that whatsoever estimation the Lords Day had attained unto at Rome and Corinth yet either it was not so much esteemed at Alexandria or else this Clemens did not thinke so rightly of it as he should have done 7 Now in the place of Iustin Martyr before remembred there is one speciall circumstance to be consired in reference to our present search for I say nothing here of mingling water with the Wine in the holy Sacrament as not conducinng to the businesse which wee have in hand This is that in their Sundayes service they did use to stand during the time they made their prayers unto the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his words there are Such was the custome of this time and a long time after that though they kneeled on other dayes yet on the Lords day they prayed alwayes standing Yet not upon the Lords day onely but every day from Easter unto Pentecost The reason is thus given by him who made the Responsions ascribed to Iustin that so saith he we might take notice as of our fall by sin so of our restitution by the grace of Christ. Respâ—ad qu 105 Six days we pray upon our knees and that 's in token of our fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But on the Lords Day wee bow not the knee in token of the Resurrection by which according to the Grace of Christ wee are set free from sinne and the powers of death The like saith he is to be said of the dayes of Pentecost which custome as he tels us and cites Irenaus for his Authour did take beginning even in the times of the Apostles Rather wee may conceive that they used this Ceremony to testifie their faith in the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour which many Heretickâ— of those times did publickly gain-say as before we noted and shall speak more thereof hereafter But whatsoever was the reason it continued long and was confirm'd particularly by the great Synod of Nice what time soâ—e people had begun to neglect this custome The Synod therefore thus determined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Câ—n. 20. c. that forasmuch as some did use to kneele on the Lords Day and the time of Pentecost that all things in all places might be done with an uniformity it pleased the holy Synod to decree it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that men should stand at those times when they made their prayers For Fathers which avow this custome consult Tertullian lib. de corona mil. S. Basil. l. de Sp. S. c. 27. S. Hierom. adv Luciferian S. Austin Epist 118. S. Hilaries Praefat in Psalm Ambros. Serm. 62 and divers others What time this custome was laid by I can hardly say but sure I am it was not layed aside in a long time after Decret l. 2. tit 9. c. 2. not till the time of Pope Alexander the third who lived about the yeare 1160 For in a Decretall of his confirmatorie of the former custome it was prohibited to kneele on the times remembred Nisi aliquis ex devotione id velit facere in secreto
Which whosoever doth and is upright in thought word and deed adhering alwayes unto God our naturall Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every day is to him a Lords day It seemes too that he had his desire in part it being noted by the Mandeburgians that every day there were assemblies in Alexandria where he lived for hearing of the word of God Et de collectis quotidie celebratis in quibus praedicatum sit verbum Dei Hom. 9. in Isa. significare videtur as they note it from him Indeed the Proem to his severall Homilies seeme to intimate that if they met not every day to heare his Lectures they met very often But being a learned man and one that had a good conceit of his owne abilities he grew offended that there was not as great resort of people every day to heare him as upon the Festivals Of Sunday there is little doubt but that it was observed amongst them and so was Saturday also as we shall see hereafter out of Athanasius Of Wednesday and Friday it is positively said by Sâ—crates Hist. l. 5 c. 21. that on them both the Scriptures were read openly and afterwards expounded by the Doctors of the Church and all things done appointed by the publicke Liturgie save that they did not use to receive the sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this saith he was the old in Alexandria which he confirmes by the practiâ—e of Origen who was accustomed as he tells us to preach upon these dayes to the Congregâ—â—ion Tertullian too takes speciall notice of these two dayes whereof consult him in his booke adv Psychicos 10 About the middle of this Centurie did Saint Cyprian live another Afâ—ican and he hath left us somewhat although not much which concernes this busines Aurelius Lib. 2. Epist. 5. one of excellent partâ— was made a Reader in the Church I thinke of Carthage which being very welcome newes to the common people Saint Cyprian makes it â—â—wne unto them and withall lets them understand that Sunday was the day appointed for him to begin his Ministerie Et quoniâ—m semper gaudium properat nec mera ferre potest laetitia dominico legit So that as Sunday was a day which they used to meet on so reading of the Scripture was a speciall part of the Sundayes exercise Not as an exercise to spend the time when one doth wait for anothers comming till the assemblie be complete and that without or choice or stint appointed by determinate order as is now used both in the French and Belgicke Churches for what need such an eminent man as Aurelius was be taken out with so much expectation to exercise the Clarks or the Sextons dutie But it was used amongst them then as a chiefe portion of the service which they did to God in hearkening reverently unto his voice It being so ordered in the Church that the whole Bible or the greatest part thereof Preface to 〈◊〉 Common prayer should be read over once a yeare And this that so the Ministers of the congregation by often reading and meditation of Gods Word be stirred up to godlinesse themselves and be the more able toâ— exhort other by wholesome doctrine and to confâ—te them that were Adversaries to the truth as that the people by daily hearing of the Scriptures should profit more and more in the knowledge of God and be the more inflamed with the love of his true Religion Nor for the duties of the people on this day in the Congregation as they used formerly to heare the Word and receive the Sacraments and to powre forth their soules to God in affectionate prayers Decret l. 5. C 7. so much about these times viz. in Ann. 237. it had beene appointed by Pope Fabian that every man and woman should on the Lords day bring a quantitie of bread and wine first to be offered on the Altar and then distributed in the Sacrament A thing that had beene done before as of common course but now exacted as a duty for the neglect whereof Saint Cyprian chides with a rich widdow of his time who neither brought her offering nor otherwise gave any thing to the poore-mans Boxe and therefore did not keepe the Lords day Dâ— pietat Eleemos as she should have done Locuples dives dominicum celebrarete credis quae Corbonam omnino non respicis quae in Dominicum here he meanes the Church sine sacrificio venis quae partem de sacrificio quod pauper obtulit sumis In after times this custome went away by little and little instead of which it was appointed by the Church and retained in ours that Bread and Wine for the Communion shall bee provided by the Churchwardens at the charge of the Parish I should now leave Saint Cyprian here V. l. 3 Epi 8. but that I am to tell you first that he conceives the Lords day to have beene prefigured in the eight day destinate to circumâ—ision Which being but a private opinion of his owne I rather shall referre the Reader unto the place then repeate the words And this is all this Age affords me in the present search 11 For other holy dayes by the Church for Gods publicke service those three Centuries precedent besides the Lords day or the Sunday which came every weeke Origen names the Good Friday as we call it now Cont. Cels. l 8. the Parasceve as he cals it there the feast of Easter and of Penteâ—ost Of Easter we have spoke already For Pentecost or Whitsontide as it began with the Apostles so it continues till this present but not in that solemnitie which before it had For antiently not that day onely which wee call Whitsunday or Pentecost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but all the fiftie dayes from Easter forwards were accounted holy and solemnized with no lesse observation then the sundayes were no kneeling on the one nor upon the other no fasting on the one nor upon the other Of which dayes that of the Ascention or Holy-Thursday being one became in little time to be more highly reckoned of then all the rest as we shall prove hereafter out of Saint Austin But for these 50. dayes aforesaid De Coron 〈◊〉 câ— 3. Tertullian tels us of them thus Die Dominico jejunium nefas ducimus vel de geniculis adorare Eadem immunitate a die Pasehae in Penteâ—osten gaudemus which makes both alike Which words if any thinke too short to reach the point he tels us in another place that all the Festivals of the Gentiles contained not so many dayes as did that one De Idâ— c. 14. Excerpe singulas solennitates nationum in ordinem texe Pentecosten implere non poterunt The like he hath also in his booke adv Psychicos the like Saint Hierom. ad Lucinum the like Saint Ambrose or Maximus Taurinens which of the two soever it was that made those Sermons Serm. 60. 61. In which last it is said expresly of those fifty daies that
all promiscuously to sing in the Church it was observed that in such dissonancie of voyces and most of them unskilfull in the notes of musicke there was no small jarring and unpleasant sounds This Councell thereupon ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conc. Laodic Can. 15. that none should sing hereafter in the Congregation but such as were Canonically appointed to it and skilfull in it By meanes whereof before the shutting up of this fourth Centurie the musicke of the Church became very perfect and harmonious Confess l. 10. cap. 33. suavi artificiosa voce cantata as S. Austin tells us So perfect and harmonious that it did worke exceedingly on the affections of the hearers and did movere animos ardentius in flammam pietatis inflame their mindes with a more lively flame of piety taking them prisoners by the eares and so conducting them unto the glories of Gods kingdome Ibid. S. Austin attributes a great cause of conversion to the powers thereof calling to minde those frequent teares quas fudi ad â—antus ecclesiae â—uae which had beene drawne from him by this sacred musicke by which his soule was humbled and his affections raised to an height of godlinesse The like he also tells us in his ninth Booke of Confessions and sixth Chapter Nor doubt we but it did produce the same effect on divers others who comming to the Churches as he then did to bee partaker of the musicke return'd prepared in minde well disposed in their intentions to be converted unto God Now that the Church might be frequented at the times appointed and so all secret Conventicles stopped in these divided times wherein so many heresies did domineare and that the â—â—ching eares of men might not perswade them to such Churches where God had not placed them so to discourage their owne proper minister it pleased the Fathers in the Councell of Saragossa Anno 368. or thereabouts to decree it thus First Can. 2. Ne latibulis cubiculorum montium habitent qui in suspicionibus perseverent that none who were suspected of Priscillianisme which was the humour that then reigned should lurke in secret corners eyther in houses or in hills but followes the example and direction of the Priests of God And secondly ad alienas villas agendorum conventuum causa non conveniant that none should goe to other places under pretence of joyning there to the assemblie but keepe themselves unto their owne Which prudent Constitutions upon the selfe same pious grounds are still preserved amongst us in the Church of England 12 Thus doe wee see upon what grounds the Lords day stands on custome first and voluntary consecration of it to religious meetings that custome countenanced by the authority of the Church of God which tacitely approved the same and finally confirmed and ratified by Christian Princes throughout their Empires And as the day so rest from labours and restraint from businesse upon that day received its greatest strength from the supreme magistrate as long as hee reteined that power which to him belonged as after from the Canons and decrees of Councells the Decretalls of Popes and orders of particular Prelates when the sole managing of Ecclesiasticall affaires was committed to them I hope it was not so with the former Sabbath which neyther tooke originall from custome that people being not so forward to give God a day nor required any countenance or authority from the Kings of Israel to confirme and ratifie it The Lord had spake the word that hee would have one day in seaven precisely the seventh day from the worlds creation to be a day of rest unto all his people which sayd there was no more to doe but gladly to submit and obey his pleasure nec quiâ—quam reliquum erat praeter obsequij gloriam in the greatest Prince And this done all at once not by degrees by little and little as he could see the people affected to it or as hee found it fittest for them like a probation Law made to continue till the next session and then on further liking to hold good for ever but by a plaine and peremptory order that it should be so without further tryall But thus it was not done in our present businesse The Lords day had no such command that it should bee sanctified but was left plainely to Gods people to pitch on this or any other for the publicke use And being taken up amongst them and made a day of meeting in the congregation for religious exercises yet for 300. yeares there was neyther Law to binde them to it nor any rest from labour or from worldly businesses required upon it And when it seemed good unto Christian Princes the nursing Fathers of Gods Church to lay restraints upon their people yet at the first they were not generall but onely thus that certaine men in certaine places should lay aside their ordinary and daily workes to attend Gods service in the Church those whose employments were most toylesome and most repugnant to the true nature of a Sabbath being allowed to follow and pursue their labours because most necessary to the Common-wealth And in the following times when as the Prince and Prelate in their severall places indeavoured to restraine them from that also which formerly they had permitted and interdicted almost all kinde of bodily labour upon that day it was not brought about without much strugling and on opposition of the people more than a thousand yeares being past after Christs ascention before the Lords day had attained that state in which now it standeth as will appeare at full in the following story And being brought unto that state wherein now it stands it doth not stand so firmely and on such sure grounds but that those powers which raised it up may take it lower if they please yea take it quite away as unto the time and settle it on any other day as to them seemes best which is the doctrine of some Schoole men and diverse Protestant writers of great name and credit in the world A power which no man will presume to say was ever chalenged by the Iewes over the Sabbath Besides all things are plainely contrary in these two dayes as to the purpose intent of the institution For in the Sabbath that which was principally aimed at was rest from labour that neyther they nor any that belonged unto them should doe any manner of worke upon that day but sit still and rest themselves Their meditating on Gods Word or on his goodnes manifested in the worlds Creation was to that an accessory and as for reading of the Law in the Congregation that was not taken up in more than 1000. yeares after the Law was given and being taken up came in by ecclesiasticall ordinance onely no divine authority But in the institution of the Lords day that which was principally aimed at was the performance of religious and Christian duties hearing the Word receiving
fomer plaine-song the adding of particular restrictions as occasion was which were before conteined though not plainely specified both in the Edicts of the former Emperours and Constitutions of the Churches before remembred Yet all this while we finde not any one who did observe it as Sabbath or which taught others so to doe not any who affirmed that any manner of worke was unlawfull on it further than as it was prohibited by the Prince or Prelate that so the people might assemble with their greater comfort not any one who preached or published that any pastime sport or recreation of an honest name such as were lawfull on the other dayes were not fit for this And thereupon we may resolve aswell of lawfull businesse as of lawfull pleasures that such as have not beene forbidden by supreme authority whether in proclamations of the Prince or Constitutions of the Church or Acts of Parliament or any such like declaration of those higher powers to which the Lord hath made us subject are to be counted lawfull still It matters not in case we finde it not recorded in particular termes that wee may lawfully apply our selves to some kinde of businesse or recreate our selves in every kinde of honest pleasure at those particular houres and times which are leâ—t at large and have not beene designed to Gods publicke service All that we are to looke for is to see how farre we are restrained from labour or from recreations on the holy dayes and what authority it is that hath so restrained us that wee may come to know our dutie and conforme unto it The Canons of particular Churches have no power to doe it further then they have beene admitted into the Church wherein we live for then being made a part of her Canon also they have power to binde us to observance As little power there is to be allowed unto the declarations and Edicts of particular Princes but in their owne dominions onely Kings are Gods Deputies on the Earth but in those places onely where the Lord hath set them their power no greater than their empire and though they may command in their owne estates yet is it extra sphaeram activitatis to prescribe lawes to nations not subject to them A King of France can make no law to binde us in England Much lesse must wee ascribe unto the dictates and directions of particular men which being themselves subject unto publicke order are to bee hearkned to no further then by their life and doctrine they doe preach obedience unto the publicke ordinances under which they live For were it otherwise every private man of name and credit would play the tyrant with the liberty of his Christian brethren and nothing should be lawfull but what he allowed of especially if the pretence be faire and specious such as the keeping of a Sabbath to the Lord our God the holding of an holy convocation to the King of heaven Example we had of it lately in the Gothes of Spaine and that strange bondage into which some pragmaticke and popular men had brought the French had not the councell held at Orleans gave a checke unto it And with examples of this kinde must we begin the story of the following Ages CHAP. V. That in the next six hundred yeares from Pope Gregory forwards the Lords day was not reckoned of as of a Sabbath 1 Pope Gregories care to set the Lords day free from some Iewish rigours at that timeâ— obtruded on the Church 2 Strange fancies taken up by some about the Lords day in these darker ages 3 Scriptures and Miracles in these times found out to justifie the keeping of the Lords day holy 4 That in the judgement of the most learned in these six ages the Lords day hath no other ground then the authority of the Church 5 With how much difficulty the people of these times were barred from following their Husbandry and Law-dayes on the Lords day 6 Husbandry not restrained on the Lords day in the Easterne parts untill the time of Leo Philosophus 7 Markets and Handicrafts restrained with no lesse opposition then the plough and pleading 8 Severall casus reservati in the Lawes themselves wherein men were permitted to attend those businesses on the Lords day which the lawes restrained 9 Of divers great and publicke actions done in these ages on the Lords day 10 Dancing and other sports no otherwise prohibited on the Lords day then as they were an hinderance to Gods publicke service 11 The other holy dayes as much esteemed of and observed as the Lords day was 12 The publicke hallowing of the Lords day and the other holy dayes in these present ages 13 No Sabbath all these ages heard of either on Saturday or Sunday and how it stood with Saturday in the Easterne Churches 1 WEe are now come to the declining ages of the Church after the first 600. yeares were fully ended and in the entrance on the seaventh some men had gone about to possesse the people of Rome with two dangerous fancies one that it was not lawfull to doe any manner of worke upon the Saturday or the old Sabbath it a ut die Sabbati aliquid operari prohiberent the other ut dominicorun die nullus debeat lavari that no man ought to bathe himselfe on the Lords day or their new Sabbath With such a race of Christned Iewes or Iudaizing Christians was the Church then troubled Against these dangerous doctrines did Pope Gregory write his letter to the Roman Citizens Epl. 3. l. 11. stiling the first no other then the Preachers of Antichrist one of whose properties it shall be that he will have the Sabbath and the Lords day both so kept as that no manner of worke shall be done on eyther qui veniens diem Sabatum atque dominicum ab omni faciet opere custodire as the Father hath it Where note that to compell or teach the people that they must doe no manner of worke on the Lords day is a marke of Antichrist And why should Antichrist keepe both dayes in so strict a manner Because saith he he will perswade the people that he shall die and rise againe therefore he meanes to have the Lords day in especiall honour and hee will keepe the Sabbath too that so he may the better allure the Iewes to adhere unto him Against the other he thus reasoneth Et si quidem pro luxuria voluptate quâ—s lavari appetit hoc fieri nec reliquo quolibeâ— die concedimus c. If any man desires to bathe himselfe only out of a luxurious and voluptuous purpose observe this wellâ— this we conceive not to be lawfull upon any day but if he doe it onely for the necessary refreshing of his body then neither is it fit it should be forbidden upon the Sunday For if it be a sinne to bathe or wash all the body on the Lords day then must it be a sinne to wash the face upon that day if it be lawfull to
doe ordeine according as it is commanded in the law of God that no man doe any servile worke on the Lords day This in the generall had beene before commanded by his father Pepin in the councell holden in Friuli but he now explicates himselfe in these particulars That is to say that neither men imploy themselves in workes of husbandry in dressing of their Vines ploughing their lands making their hay fencing their grounds grubbing or felling trees working in mines building of houses planting their gardens nor that they pleade that day or goe forth on hunting and that it be not lawfull for the women to weave or dresse cloath to make garments or needle worke to card their wool beate hempe wash cloathes in publicke or sheere sheepe but that they come unto the Church to divine service and magnifie the Lord their God for those good things which on that day he hath done for them After considering with himselfe that faires and markets on this day were an especiall meanes to keepe men from Church he set out his Imperiall Edict de nundinis non concedendis as my author tells me Nor did he trust so farre to his owne Edict as not to strengthen it as the times then were by the authority of the Church and therefore caused those five Councells before remembred to be assembled at one time in foure of which it was determined against all servile workes and Law dayes as also ut mercaâ—tus in ijs minime sit Concil Mogunt Câ—n. 37. ne mercata excerceant Rhemens can 35. and so in those of Tours 40. and Arles 16. That of Chalons which was the fifth did onely intimate that whereas the Lords day had beene much neglected Can. 50. the better keeping of the same was to be established authentica constitutione by some Authenticall constitution of the Emperour himselfe But whatsoever care this Emperour tooke to see his will performed and the Lords day sanctified it seemes his successour Ludovicus was remisse enough which being found as found it was the people fell againe to their former labours ploughing and marketting and Lawdayes as before they did The Councell held at Paris Anno 829 which was but sixteene yeares after the holding of the aforesayd Synods Concil Parisâ—eâ—s â— l. c. 50 much complaines thereof and withall addes that many of the Prelates assembled there knew both by fame and by their owne proper knowledge quosdam in hoc die ruralia opera excercentes fulmine interemptos that certain men following their husbandry on that day had beene killed with lightning and others with a strange convulsion of their joynts had miserably perished whereby say they it is apparant that God was very much offended with their so great neglect of that holy day Rather with their so great neglect of their superiours in that nor declaration of their King nor constitution of the Church could worke so farre upon them as to gaine obedience in things conducing to Gods service Had working on that day beene so much offensive in the â—ight of God likely it is wee might have heard of some such judgements in the times before but being not prohibited it was not unlawfull Now being made unlawfull because prohibited God smote them for their frequent workings at times which were designed to another use not in relation to the day but their disobedience Therefore the councell did advise that first of all the Priests and Prelates then that Kings Princes and all faithfull people would doe their best endeavour for the restoring of that day to its auncient lustre which had so fowly beene neglected Next they adressed themselves particularly to Ludovicke and Lotharius then the Roman Emperours ut cunctis metum incutiant that by some sharpe injunction they would strike a terrour into all their subjects that for the times to come none should presume to plough or hold Law-dayes or Market as of late was used This probably occasioned the sayd two Emperours 853. to call a Synod at Rome under Leo the fourth where it was ordered more precisely Syn. Rom. Can. 30. than in fâ—rmer times ut die dominico nullus audeat mercationes nec in cibariis rebus aut quaelibet opera rustica facere that no man should from thenceforth dare to make any Markets on the Lords day no not for things that were to eate neither to doe any kinde of worke that belonged to husbandry Which Canon being made at Rome confirmed at Compeigne and afterwards incorporated as it was into the body of the Canon Law whereof see Decretal l. 2. tit 9. de feriis cap. 2. became to be admitted without further question in most parts of Christendome especially when the Popes had attained their height and brought all Christian Princes to be at their devotion For then the people who before had most opposed it might have justly sayd Behold two Kings stood not before him how then shall we stand 2 King â—0 Out of which consternation all men presently obeyed tradesmen of all sorts being brought to lay by their labours and amongst those the miller though his worke was â—asiest and least of all required his presence Nâ—c aliquis a vespera diei Sabbati usque ad vesperam diei dominicae ad molendiâ—a aquarum vel ad aliqua alia molere aâ—deat So was it ordered in the Councell of Angeirs of which see Bochellus Anno 1282 wherein the Barber also was forbidden to use his trade 8 Yet were not those restraints so strict as that there was no liberty to be allowed of either for businesse or pleasure A time there was for both and that time made use of there being in the Imperiall Edicts and Constitutions of the Church yea and the decretalls of the Popes many reservations whereby the people might have liberty to enjoy themselves They had beene else in worse condition then the lewes before In the Edict of Charles the Great before remembred though otherwise precise enough there were three severall kindes of carriages allowed and licence on the Lords day i. e. Hortalia carra vel victualia vel si fortenecesse erit corpus cujuslibet ducere ad sepulchrum that is to say carriage of gardening ware and Carts of victuals and such as are to carry a dead corps to buriall So Theodulphus Aurelianensis who lived about the yeare 836 having first put it downe for a positive rule that the Lords day ought with such care to bee observed ut praeter orationes missarum solennia ea quae ad vescendum pertinent Epl. ap Bibl. Patr nil aliud fiat that besides prayer and hearing masse and such things as belong to food there is directly nothing that may be done admits of an exception or a reservation Nam si necessitas fuerit navigandi vel itinerandi licentia datur For if saith he there be a necessary occasion either of setting sayle or going a journey this may be allowed of in case they pretermit not Masse and Prayers This
care of one than of the other 11 And so indeede it had not in this alone but in all things else the holy dayes as wee now distinguish them being in most points equall to the Sunday and in some superiour Leo the Emperour by his Edict shut up the Theater and the Cirque or shewplace on the Lords day The like is willed expressely in the sixt generall Councell holden at Constantinople Anno 692. Can. 66. for the whole Easter weeke Nequaquam ergo his diebus equorum cursus vel aliquod publicum fiat spectaculum so the Canon hath it The Emperour Charles restrained the Husbandman and the tradesman from following their usuall worke on the Lords day The Councell of Melun doth the same for the said Easter weeke and in more particulars it being ordered by that Synod that men forbeare during the time above remembred Can. 77. ab omni opere rurali fabrili Carpentario gynaeceo coement ario pictorio venatorio forensi mercatorio audientiali ac sacrametis exigendis from husbandry the craft of Smithes Carpenters from needle-work cementing painting hunting pleadings merchandize casting of accounts from taking Oathes The Benedictines had but three messe of pottage upon other dayes die vero dominico in praecipuis festivitatibus but on the Lords day and the principall festivalls a fourth was added as saith Theodomare the Abbot in an Epistle to Charles the Great Law-suites and Courts of judgement were to bee layd aside and quite shut up on the Lords day as many Emperours and Councells had determined severally The Councell held at Friburg Anno 895. Conc. Tribu 〈◊〉 26. did resolve the same of holy dayes or Saints dayes and the time of Lent Nullus omnino secularis diebus dominicis vel Sanctorum in festis seu Quadragesimae aut jejuniorum placitum habere sed nec populum illo prâ—â—sumat coercere as the Canon goeth The very same with that of the Councell of Erford Anno 932. cap. 2. But what neede private and particular Synods bee produced as witnesses herein when wee have Emperours Popes and Patriarkes that affirme the same To take them in the order in which they lived Photius the Patriarke of Constantinople Anno 858. Ap. Balsam tit 7. cap. 1. thus reckoneth up the Festivalls of especiall note viz. Seaven dayes before Easter and seaven dayes after Christmasse Epiphanie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the feasts of the Apostles and the Lords day And then he addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that on those dayes they neither suffer publicke shewes nor Courts of justice Emanuel Comnenus next Emperour of Constantinople Apâ— Balsam Anno 1174. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We doe ordeine saith he that these dayes following be exempt from labour viz. the nativity of the Virgin Mary holy-rood day and so hee rockoneth all the rest in those parts observed together with all the Sundayes in the yeare and that in them there be not any accesse to the seates of judgement Lib. 2. tit de ferijs cap. 5. The like Pope Gregory the ninth Anno 1228. determineth in the Decretall where numbring up the holy dayes he concludes at last that neither any processe hold nor sentence bee in force pronounced on any of those dayes though both parts mutually should consent unto it Consentientibus etiam partibus nec processus habitus teneat nec sententia quam contingit diebus hujusmodi promulgari So the Law resolves it Now lest the feast of Whit sontide might not have some respect as well as Easter it was determined in the Councell held at Engelheim Cap. 6. Anno 948. that Munday Tuesday Wednesday in the Whitsun-weeke non minus quam dies dominicus solenniter honorentur should no lesse solemnely be observed than the Lords day was So when that Otho Bishop of Bamberg had planted the faith of Christ in Pomerania Vrspergens Chronic. and was to give account thereof to the Pope then being he certifieth him by his letters Anno. 1124 that having christned them and built them Churches he left them three injunctions for their Christian carriage First that they eate no flesh on Fridayes secondly that they rest the Lords day ab omni opere malo from every evill worke repairing to the Church for religious dueties and thirdly Sanctorum solennitates cum vigiliis omni diligentia observent that they keepe carefully the Saints dayes with the Eves attendant So that in all these outward matters we finde faire equality save that in one respect the principall festivals had preheminence above the Sunday For whereas fishermen were permitted by the Decretall of Pope Alexander the third as before was sayd diebus dominicis aliis festis on the Lords day and other holy dayes to fish for herring in some cases there was a speciall exception of the greater festivals praeterquam in majoribus anni solennitatibus as the order was But not to deale in generals onely Isidore Arch-bishop of Sevill in the beginning of the seventh Century making a Catalogue of the principall festivalls beginnes his list with Easter and ends it with the Lords day as before we noted in the fifth section of this Chapter Now lest it should be thought that in sacred matters and points of substance the other holy dayes were not as much regarded as the Lords day was the Councell held at Mentz Anno 813 did appoint it thus that if the Bishop were infirme or not at home Non desit tamen diebus dominicis festivitatibus qui verbum dei praedicet juxta quod populus intelligat yet there should still be some to preach Gods word unto the people according unto their capacities both on the Lords day and the other festivals Indeed why should not both be observed alike the Saints dayes being dedicated unto God as the Lords day is and standing both of them on the same authority on the authority of the Church for the particular institution on the authority of Gods Law for the generall warrant It was commanded by the Lord and written in the heart of man by the penne of nature that certaine times should bee appointed for Gods publicke worship the choycing of the times was left to the Churches power and she designed the Saints dayes as shee did the Lords both his and both alotted to his service onely This made Saint Bernard ground them all the Lords day and the other holy dayes on the fourth Commandement the third in the Account of the Church of Rome Spirituale obsequium deo praebetur in observantia sanctarum solennitatum unde tertium praceptum contexitur Serm. 3. Super Salve reg Observa diem Sabbati i. e. in sacris ferijs te exerce So S. Bernard in his third Sermon Super salve Regina 12 The Lords day and the holy dayes or Saints dayes being of so neere a kinne we must next see what care was taken by the Church in these presentages for hallowing them unto the Lord. The times were
certainely devout and therefore the lesse question to be made but that the holy dayes were employed as they ought to be in hearing of the Word of God receiving of the Sacraments and powring forth their prayers unto him The sixt generall counsell holden at Constantinople appointed that those to whom the cure of the Church was trâ—sted should on all dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially on the Lords day instruct the Clergie and the people out of the holy Scripture in the wayes of godlinesse I say the Clergie and the people for in these times the Revenue of the Church being great and the offerings liberall there were besides the Parish Priest who had Cure of soules many assisting ministers of inferiour Orders which lived upon Gods holy Altar Somewhat to this purpose of preaching every Sunday yea and Saints dayes too in the Congregation we have seene before established in the Councell at Mentz Anno 813. So for receiving of the Sacrament whereas some would that it should be administred every day singulis in anno diebus as Bertram hath it lib de corp sangu Christi Rabanus Maurus who lived 824 leaves it as a thing indifferent advising all men notwithstanding De Sermon proprietaâ— l 4 10. in case there be no lawfull let to communicate every Lords day Quotidie Eucharistiae communionem percipere nec vitupero nec laudo omnibus tamen dominicis diebus communicandum hortor sitamen mens in affectu peccandi non sit as his words there are And whereas this good custome had beene long neglected it was appointed that the Sacrament should be administred every Lords day Can. 2â— by the Councell at Aken Anno 836. Ne forte qui longe est a sacramentis quibusest redemptus c least saith the councell they which keepe so much distance from the Sacraments of their redemption be kept as much at distance from the fruition of their Salvation As for the holy dayes or Saints dayes there needed no such Canon to enjoyne on them the celebration of the Sacrament which was annexed to them of course So likewise for the publicke prayers besides what scatteringly hath beene sayd in former places the Councell held at Friburg Anno 895 hath determined thus Conc. Friburiens Can. 26. Diebus dominicis sanctorum festis vigilis orationibus nisistendumest ad missas cuilibet Christiano cum oblationibus currendum that on the Lords day and the festivalls of the Saints every Christian was to be intent upon his devotions to watch and pray and goe to Masse and there make his offering It s true the Service of the Church being in the Latine and in these times that language being in some Provinces quite worne out and in some others growne into a different dialect from what it was that part of Gods worship which was publicke prayer served not so much to comfort and to â—dification as it should have done As for the outward adjuncts of Gods publicke service on the Churches part the principall was that of Musicke which in these Ages grew to a perfect height We shewed before that vocall musicke in the Church is no lesse antient than the liturgie of the Church it selfe which as it was begunne in Ignatius time after the manner of plaine-song or a melodious kinde of pronunciation as before was sayd so in S. Austins time it became so excellent that it drew many to the Church and consequently many to the faith Now to that vocall musicke which was then in use and of which formerly we spake it pleased the Church in the beginning of these Ages to adde instrumentall the organ being added to the voyce by Pope Vitalian Anno 653 almost 1000 yeares agoe and long before the aberration of the Church from its pristine piety And certainely it was not done without good advise there being nothing of that kinde more powerfull than melody both vocall and instrumentall for raising of mens hearts and sweetning their affections towards God Not any thing wherein the militant Church here on Earth hath more resemblance to the Church in heaven triumphant then in that sacred and harmonious way of singing prayse and Allelujahs to the Lord our God which is and hath of long beene used in the Church of Christ. 13 To bring this Chapter to an end in all that hath beene sayd touching the keeping of the Lords day wee finde not any thing like a Sabbath either in the practise of the Church or writings of particular men however these last Ages grew to such an height in restraint of labours on this day that they might seeme to have a minde to revive that part of the fourth Commandement Thou shalt doe no manner of worke upon it For where they tell us of this day as before was sayd that it was taken up by custome on the authority of the Church at most on Apostolicall tradition this makes it plaine that they intended no such matter as a Sabbath day though that the Congregation might assemble in the greater numbers and men might joyne together in all christian dueties with the greater force it pleased the Church and principall powers thereof to restraine men from corporall labours and binde them to repaire to the house of God Or if they did intend the Lords day for a Sabbath day its plaine they must have made more Sabbaths than one day in seven those holy dayes which universally were observed in the Christian Church being no otherwise to be kept than the Lords day was and those increasing in these Ages to so great a number that they became a burden to the common people Nor is it likely that being once free from the bondage of the Iewish Sabbath they would submit themselves unto another of their owne devising and doe therewith as the Idolaters of old with their woodden gods first make them and then presently fall downe and worship them Rather they tooke a course to restraine the Iewes from sanctifying their Sabâ—ath and other legall festivals as before they used Statutum est de Iudoeis in the 12 Councell of Tolledo Anno 681 Can. 10. Ne Sabbata coeterasque festivitates ritus sui celebrare praesumant and not so onely Sed ut diebus dominicis ab opere cessent but that they should refraine from labour on the Lords day also Of any Sabbath to be kept in the Christian Church some few might dreame perhaps such filthy dreamers as Saint Iude speakes of but they did onely dreame thereof they saw no such matter They which had better visions could perceive no Sabbath but in this life a Sabbath or a rest from sinne and in the life to come a Sabbath or a rest from misery Plainely Rupertus so conceived it as great a Clerke as any in the times wherein hee lived which was in the beginning of the twelfth Century Nam sicut signum circumcisionis incâ—rnationem c. For as saith he the signe of Circumcision foreshewed the incarnation of our Lord and
with the Schoolemen they tell us generally of the Sabbath that it was a Ceremony and that the fourth Commandement is of a different nature from the other nine That whereas all the other precepts of the Decalogue are simply morall the fourth which is the third in their account is partly morall partly ceremoniall Morale quidem quantum ad hoc quod homo depuâ—et aliquod tempus vitae suae advacandum divinis c. 2 2. qu. 122. art 4. ad 1. Morall it is in this regard that men must set apart some particular time for Gods publicke service it being naturall to man to destinate particular times to particular actions as for his dinner for his sleepe and such other actions Sedin quantum in hoc praecepto determinatur speciale tempus in signum creationis mundi sic est praeceptum ceremoniale But in as much as that there is a day appointed in the Law it selfe in token of Gods rest and the Worlds creation in that respect the Law is ceremoniall And ceremoniall too they make it in referrence to the Allegory out Saviours resting in the grave that day and in relation to the Analogicall meaning of it as it prefigureth our eternall rest in the Heaven of glories Finally they conclude of the fourth Commandement that it is placed in the Decalogue in quantum est praeceptum morale non in quantum est ceremoniale onely so farre forth as it is morall and not as ceremoniall that is that wee are bound by the fourth Commandement to destinate some time to Gods publick service which is simply morall but not the Seventh day which is plainely ceremoniall Aquinas so resolves it In â—raâ— de Sabbato for all the restâ— his judgement in this point if Doctor Prideaux note be true as I have no reason but to thinke so being universally embraced and followed by all the Schoolemen of what sect soever So that in him we have them all all of them consonant in this point to make up the harmony however dissonant enough in many others But that this consent may appeare the more ful perfect we will take notice of two others men famous in the Schooles and eminent for the times in which they lived First Bonaventure who lived in the same time with Aquinas and dyed the same yeare with him which was 1274. hath determined thus Intelligendum est quod praeâ—eptum illud habet aliquid quod est mere morale c. Serm. de dcceâ— precepâ— It is to be conceived saith he that in the fourth Commandement there is something which is simply morall some thing againe that is plainely ceremoniall and something mixt The sanctifying of a day is morall the sanctifying of a seventh day ceremoniall rest from the workes of labour being mixt of both Quod praecipit deus sanctificationem est Praeceptum morale Est in hoc praecepto aliquid ceremoniale ut figuratio diei septimae Item continetur aliquid quod est partim morale partim ceremoniale ut cessatio ab operibus Lastly To status Bishop of Avila in Spaine hath resolved the same aliquid est in eo juris naturalis aliquid legalis In Exod. 20. qu. 11. that in the fourth Commandement there is some thing naturall and something legall that it is partly morâ—ll and partly ceremoniall Naturale est quod dum DeuÌ„ colimus abalij sab stineamus c. Moral naturall it is that for the time we worship God doe abstaine from every thing of what kind soever which may divert our thoughts from that holy action But that wee should designe in every weeke one day unto that employment and that the whole day bee thereto appointed and that in all that day a man shall doe no manner of worke those things hee reckoneth there to be ceremoniall 2 So for the Lords day 2. 2a qu. 122. art 4. ad 4. it is thus determined by Aquinas that it depends on the authority of the Church the custome and consent of Gods faithfull servants and not on any obligation layd upon us by the fourth Commandement Diei dominicae observantia in nova lege â—uccedit observantiae sabbati non ex vi praecepti legis sed ex constitutione ecclesiae consuetudine populi Christiani What followeth thereupon Et ideo non est itae arcta prohibitio operandi in die dominica sicut in die Sabbati Therefore saith he the prohibition of doing no worke on the Lords day is not so rigorous and severe as upon the Sabbath many things being licenced on the one which were forbidden on the other as dressing meate and others of that kind and nature And not so onely but hee gives us a dispensatur facilius in nova lege an easier hope of dispensation under the Gospel in case upon necessity we meddle with prohibited labours then possibly could have beene gotten under the Law The like To status tells us though in different words save that he doth extend the prohibition as well to all the feasts of the Old Testament as all the holy dayes of the new and neither to the Sabbath nor the Lords day onely In veteri lege major fuit strictio in observatione festorum quam in nova lege In Exod. 20. qu. 13. How so In omnibus enim festivitatibus nostris quantâ—cunque sint c. Because saith he in all our festivalls how great soever whether they bee the Lords dayes or the feasts of Easter or any of the higher ranke it is permitted to dresse meate and to kindle fire c. As for the grounds whereon they stood he makes this difference betweene them that the Iewes Sabbath had its warrant from divine commandement but that the Lords day though it came in the place thereof is founded onely on 〈◊〉 constitution In Math. 23. qu. 148. 〈◊〉 Sabbatum â—x man 〈◊〉 cujus 〈◊〉 successit dies dominica tamen manifestum est quod observatio dici dominicae non est de jure divino 〈…〉 Canonico This is plaine enough and this he prooves because the Church hath still a power 〈◊〉 illum diem vel totaliter tollere either to change the â—ay or take it utterly away and to dispense touching the keeping of the same which possibly it neither could noâ— ought to doe were the Lords day of any other institution then the Churches onely They onely have the power to repeale a Law which had power to make it Qui habeâ— institutionem habet destitutionem as is the Bishops plea in a Quare Impedit As for the first of these two powers that by the Church the day may be transferred and abrogated Suarez hath thus distinguished in it verum id esse absolute non practice that is as I conceive his meaning that such a power is absolutely in the Church though not convenient now to be put in practise According unto that of S. Paul which probably was the ground of the distinction All things are lawfull for me but
on those dayes was not held unlawfull si instent hostes in case the enemie bee at hand though otherwise not to be done where no danger was These are the speciall points observed and published by Tostatus And these I have the rather exactly noted partly that wee may see in what estate the Lords day and the other holy dayes were in the Church of Rome what time the reformation of religion was first â—et on foote but principally to let others see how neere they come in their new fancies and devises unto the nicetieâ— of those men whom they most abhorre 5 Thus stood it as before I sayd both for the doctrine and the practise till men began to looke into the errors and abuses in the Roman Church with a more serious eye than before they did and at first sight they found what little pleased them in this particular Their doctrine pleased them not in making one day holier than another not onely in relation to the use made of them but to a naturall and inherent holinessâ— wherewith they thought they were invested Nor did their practise please much more in that they had imposed so many burdens of restraint upon the consciences of Gods people and thereby made that day a punishment which was intended for the ease of the labouring man Against the doctrine of these men and the whole practise of that Church Calvin declares himselfe in his booke of Institutions And therewith taxeth those of Rome l. 2 cap. 8. p. 34. qui Iudaica opinione populum superioribus seculis imbuerunt who in the times before possessed the peoples mindes with so much Iudaisme that they had changed the day indeed as indishonour of the Iew but otherwise retained the former sanctity thereof which needes must bee saith he if there remaine with us as the Papists taught the same opinion of the mysteries and various significations of dayes and times which the Iewes once had And certainely saith hee we see what dangerous effects have followed on so false a doctrine those which adhere to their instructions having exceedingly out gone the Iewes crassa carnalique Sabbatismi superstitione in their grosse and carnall superstitions about the Sabbath Beza his Scholler and Acates sings the selfe same song In Apocal. 1. v. 10. that howsoever the assemblies of the Lords day were of Apostolicall and divine tradition sic tamen ut Iudaica cessatio ab omni opere non observaretur quoniam hoc plane fuisset judaismum non abolâ—re sed tantum quod ad diem attinet immutare yet so that there was no cessation from worke required as was observed among the Iewes For that saith he had not so much abolished Iudaisme as put it off and changed it to another day And then he addes that this cessation was first brought in by Constantine and afterwards confirmed with more and more restraints by the following Emperours by meanes of which it came to passe that that which first was done for a good intent viz. that men being free from their worldly businesses might wholely give themselves to hearing of the Word of God in merum Iudaismum degenerarit degenerated at the last into downe-right Iudaisme So for the Lutheran Churches Chemnitius chalengeth the Romanists of superstition quasi dominicae diei reliquis diebus festis per se peculiarâ—s quaedam insit sanctitas because they taught the people that the holy dayes considered onely in themselves had a native sanctitie And howsoever for his part hee thinke it requisite that men should be restrained from all such workes as may bee any hinderance unto the sanctifying of the day yet he accounts it but a part of the Iewish leaven nimis scrupulose diebus festis prohibere operas externas quae vel quando non impediunt publicum ministerium so scrupulously to prohibit such externall Actions which are at all no hindrance to Gods publicke service and mans Sabbath duties In Mat. 12. Bucer goes further yet and doth not onely call it a superstition but an apostasie from Christ to thinke that working on the Lords day in it selfe considered is a sinnefull thing Si existimetur operari in eo die per se esse peccatum superstitio gratiae Christi qui ab elementis mundi nos suo sanguine liberavit negatio est as his owne words are Then addes that he did very well approve of the Lords day meetings si eximatur è cordibus hominum opinio necessitatis if men were once dispossessed of these opinions that the day was necessary to be kept that it was holier in it selfe then the other dayes and that to worke upon that day in it selfe was sinnefull Lastly the Churches of the Switzers professe in their Confession that in the keeping of the Lords day they give not the least hint to any Iewish superstitions Neque enim alteram diem altera sanctiorem esse credimns Cap. 24. nec otium deo per se probari existimamus For neither as they sayd doe we conceive one day to be more holy than another or thinke that rest from labour in it selfe considered is any way pleasing unto God By which we plainely may perceive what is the judgement of Protestant Churches in the present point 6 Indeede it is not to be thought that they could otherwise resolve and determine of it considering what their doctrine is of the day it selfe how different they make it from a Sabbath day which doctrine that wee may perceive with the greater ease we will consider it in three propositions in which most agree 1. That the keeping holy one day of seven is not the Morall part of the fourth Commandement or to be reckoned as a part of the law of â—ature 2. That the Lords day is not founded on Divine Commandement but onely on the authority of the Church and 3. That the Church hath still authority to change the day and to transferre it to some other First for the first it seemes that some of Rome considering the restraints before remembred and the new doctrine thence arising about the naturall and inherent holinesse which one day had above another had altered what was formerly delivered amongst the Schoolemen and made the keeping of one day in seven to bee the Morall part of the fourth Commandement This Calvin chargeth them withall that they had taught the people in the former times In stit l. 2. cap. 8. 11. 34. that whatsoever was ceremoniall in the fourth Commandement which was the keeping of the Iewes seventh day had beene long since abrogated remanere vero quod morale est nempe unius diei observationem in hebdomade but that the morall part thereof which was the keeping of one day in seven did continue still With what else is it as before was sayd then in dishonour of the Iewes to change the day and to affixe as great a sanctity thereunto as the Iewes ever did And for his owne part he professeth that howsoever he approved of the Lords
And secondly it was resolved on to implore the Civill Magistrate Vt opera omnia servilia seu quotidiana c. quibuâ— tempus pomeridianum diebus Dominicis maxime in pagis plerunque transigi soleret that by their Edicts they would restraine all servile works the works of ordinary dayes and especially games drinking-matches and other profanations of the Sabbath wherewith the afternoone or Sundayes chiefly in smaller Townes and Villages had before beene spent that so the people might repaire to the catechizing By which we also may perceive that there was no restraint on â—undayes in the afternoone from any kinde of seruile works or daily labours but that men might and did apply themselues to their severall businâ—sses as on other dayes As for the greater Townes there is scarce any of them wherein there are not Faires and Markets kirk-masses as they use to call them upon the Sunday and those as much frequented in the afternoone as were the Churches in the Forenoone A thing from which they coulâ— not hold not in Dâ—rt it selfe what time the Synod was assembled Nor had it now beene called upon as it is most likely had not Amesius and some others of our English Malecontents scattered abroad Bounds principles amongst the Netherlands which they had sowne before in England And certainly they had made as strong a faction there before this time their learned men beginning to bandie one against the other in the debates about the Sabbath but that the livelihood of the States consisting most on trade and trafficke cannot spare any day Sunday no more then any other from venting their commodities and providing others So that in generall the Lords day is no otherwise observed with them though somewhat better then it was twelue yeares ago then an halfe-holiday is with us the morning though not all of that unto the Church the after-noone to their imployments So for the French and Germane Churches we may perceive by their Divines Calvin and Beza and Martin Bucer who do so highly charge the Romanist for the restraint of working on the Lords day that they were well enough content to allow the same And for the Churches of the Switzers Zuinglius avoweth it to be lawfull Resp. ad Val. Gentilem Die Dominico peractis sacris laboribus incumbere On the Lords day after the end of Divine Service for any man to follow and pursue his labours as commonly we do saith he in the time of harvest Indeed the Polish Churches formerly decreed in two severall Synods the one at Cracow Ann. 1573 the other at Petricow Ann. 1578. Vt Domini in suis ditionibus prohibeant Dominicis diebus nundinas annuas septimanales That Lords of Mannours as we call them should not permit on the Lords day either Faires or Markets in any of the Townes unto them belonging Neque iisdem diebus coloâ—os suos ullos laboribus aut vecturis onerent nor on those dayes imploy their Tenants in carriages or such servile labours But this was rather done to please the Lutherans amongst whom and those of the Communion of the Church of Rome under whom they live then out of any principle or example of those Churches whom they chiefly followed For recreations last of all there is no question to be made but that where working is permitted and most kinde of businesse a man may lawfully enjoy himselfe and his honest pleasures and without danger of offence pursue those pastimes by which the minde may be refreshed and the spirits quickened Already have we told you what the custome is in the Palatine Churches And for the Belgicke besides it was before declared from the Synod of Dort touching the usuaâ—l spending of that day in games and drinking matches their foure great Doctors Synâ—ps 〈◊〉 disp 21. n. 58. Polyander Ryvet Thysius and Walaeus make recreation to be part of the Sabbaths rest Et inter fines Sabbati esse and to be reckoned as a principall intent thereof Even in Geneva it selfe the mother Church unto the rest as Robert Iohnson tels us in his enlargement of Boterus All honest exercises sâ—ooting in peeces long-bowes crosse-bowes c. are used on the Sabbath day and that in the morning both before and after Sermon neither do the Ministers finde fault therewith so they hinder not from hearing of the Word at the time appointed Indeed there is no reason why they should finde fault the practise so directly rising upon their principles 10 Dancing indeed they do not suffer either in Geneva or the French Churches though not prohibited for ought I can learne in either Germany or any of the Lutheran kingdomes but this not in relation to the day but the sport it selfe which absolutely they have forbidden on all dayes whatever Calvin tooke great offence thereat of so austere a life would he have the people and kept a great ado about it in Geneva when he lived amongst them as hee doth thus relate the story to his friend Farellus Epist ad Fareâ— Corneus and Perinus two of speciall power and qualitie in that Citie together with one Heinrichus one of the Elders of the Church a Syndie which is one of the foure chiefe Officers of the Common-wealth and some others of their friends being merry at an invitation fell to dancing Notice hereof being given to Calvin by some false brother they were all called into the Consistory excepting Corneus and Perinus and being interrogated thereupon Impudenter Deo nobis mentiti sunt they lyed saith he most impudently unto God and us Most Apostolically said At that saith he I grew offended as the indignity of the thing deserved and they persisting in their contumacy Censui ut jure-jurando ad veri confessioâ—em adigerentur I thought it fit to put them to their oaths about it So said so done and they not onely did conâ—esse their former dancing but that that very day they had beene dancing in the house of one Balthasats widdow On this confession he proceeded unto the censure which certainly was sharpe enough for so small a fault for a fault it was if he would have it the Syndick being displaced the Elder turned out of his office Perryn and his wife both clapt in prison and all the rest pudore confusi put to open shame This was in Ann. 1546. And afterwards considering how much he disliked it their Ministers and Preachers cryed downe dancing as a most â—infull and unchristian pastime and published divers tracts against it At last in Ann. 1571. it was concluded in a Synod held â—t Rochel and made to be a part of their publicke discipline viz. that All congregations should be admonished by their Ministers seriously to reprehend and suppresse all dances mummeries and enterludes as also that all dancing-masters or those who make any dancing meetings after they have beene oft admonished to desist ought to be excommunicate for that their contumacie and disobedience Which rigidnâ—â—e of theirs as it is conceived considering how the
recorded to bee made touching the keeping of this day but many actions of great note to bee done upon it These wee will ranke for orders sake under these 5 heades 1 Coronations 2 Synods Ecclesiasticall 3 Councells of Estate 4 Civill businesse and 5 battailes and assaults which we shall summe up briefely in their place and time And first for Coronations which as before I said are mixt kinde of actions compound of sacred and of civill William surnamed Rufus was crowned at Canterbury by Archbishop Lanfrancke the 25 of Sept. being Sunday anno 1087. So was King Steven the 21 of Decemb. being Sunday too anno 1135. On Sunday before Christmasse day was Henry the second crowned at London by Archbishop Theobald anno 1155 and on the Sunday before Septuagesima his daughter Ioane was at Palermo crowned Queene of Sicile Of Richard the first it is recorded that hoysing saile from Barbeflet in Normandie hee arrived safely here upon the Sunday before our Lady day in harvest whence setting towards London there met him his Archbishops Bishops Earles and Barons cum copiosa militum multitudine with a great multitude of Knightly ranke by whose advise and Counsaile he was crowned on a Sunday in September following anno 1189 and after crowned a second time on his returne from thraldome and the holy Land anno 1194. on a Sunday too The royall magnificent forme of his first coronation they who list to see may finde it most exactly represented in Rog. de Houeden And last of all King Iohn was first inaugurated Duke of Normandie by Walter Archbishop of Roane the Sunday after Easter day anno 1200 and on a Sunday after crowned King of England together with Isabell his Queene by Hubert at that time Archbishop of Canterbury For Synods next an 1070 a Councell was assembled at Winchester by the appointement of King William the first and the consent of Alexander then Pope of Rome for the degrading of Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury and this upon the Sunday next after Easter And wee finde mention of a Synod called by Richard Archbishop of Canterbury Anno 1175. the Sunday before holy thursday ad quod concilium venerunt fere omnes Episcopi Abbates Cantuariensis dioeceseos where were assembled almost all the Bishops and Abbats of the whole Province For Councells of Estate there was a solemne meeting called on Trinity Sunday anno 1143 in which assembled Maud the Empresse and all the Lords which held her partie where the Ambassadours from Anjou gave up their account and thereupon it was concluded that the Earle of Gloucester should bee sent thither to negotiate his sisters businesse So in the yeere 1185 when some Embassadours from the East had offered to King Heâ—ry the second the Kingdome of Hierusalem the King desâ—gned the first Sunday in Lent for his day of answer Upon which day there met at London the King the Patriaâ—ke of Hierusalem the Bishops Abbats Earles and Barons of the Realme of England as also William King of Scotland and his brother David with the Earles and Barons of that countrey habito inde cum deliberatione concilio c. and then and there upon mature deliberation it was concluded that though the King accepted not the title yet he would give his people leave to put themselves into the action and take up the Crosse. For civill businesse of another nature we find it on record that on the fourth Sunday in Lent next following the same King Henry Knighted his Sonne Iohn and sent him forthwith into Ireland Knighthood at those times being farre more full of ceremonie then now it is Which being but a preparation to warre and military matters leades us unto such battailes as in these times were fought on Sunday Of which wee finde it in our Annalls that in the yeere 1142. upon a Sunday being Candlemasse day King Sâ—ephen was taken prisoner at the battaile of Lincolne as also that on Holy-Crosse day next after being Sunday too Robert Earle of Gloucester Commander of the adverse forces was taken prisoner at the battaille of Winchester So reade wee that on Sunday the 25 of August anno 1173. the King of France besieged and forced the Castle of Dole in Brittaine belonging to the King of England as also that on Sunday the 26 of September anno 1198. King Richard tooke the Castle of Curceles from the King of France More of this kinde might bee remembred were not these sufficient to shew how anciently it hath been the use of the Kings of England to create Knights and hold their Councells of estate on the Lords day as now they doe Were not the others here remembred sufficient to let us know that our progenitours did not thinke so superstitiously of this day as not to come upon the same unto the crowning of their Kings or the publicke Synods of the Church or if neede were and their occasions so required it to fight as well or the Lords day as on any other Therefore no Lords day Sabbath hitherto in the Realme of England 5 Not hitherto indeed But in the Age that followed next there were some overtures thereof some strange preparatives to begin one For in the very entrance of the 13 Age Rog. de Hovâ—â— den Fulco a French Priest and a notable hypâ—crite as our King Richard counted him and the story proves lighted upon a new Sabbatarian fancy which one of his associates Eustathius Abbat of Flay in Normandie was sent to scatter here in England but finding opposition to his doctrine hee went backe againe the next yeere after being 1202 hee comes better fortified preaching from towne to towne and from place to place ne quis forum rerum venalium diebus Dominicis exerceret that no man should presume to market on the Lords day Where by the way we may observe that notwithstanding all the Canons and Edicts before remembred in the fift Chapter of this booke and the third Section of this Chapter the English kept their marketts on the Lords day as they had done formerly as neither being bound to those which had beene made by forraine states or such as being made at home had long before beene cut in peeces by the sword of the Norman Conqueror Now for the easier bringing of the people to obey their dictates they had to shew a warrant sent from God himselfe as they gave it out The title this Mandatum sanctum Dominicae diei quod de coelo venit in Hierusalem c. An holy mandat touching the Lords day which came downe from Heaven unto Hierusalem found on S. Simeons Altar in Golgotha where Christ was Crucified for the sins of all the world which lying there three dayes and as many nights strooke with such terrour all that saw it that falling on the ground they besought Gods mercy At last the Patriarch and Akarias the Archbishop of I know not whence ventured to take into their hands that dreadfull letter which 〈◊〉 written thus Now wipe your eyes and
upon the Sunday as being contrary to the Statute then by the same reason may hee bee endited for any fayre or market kept on any of the other holy dayes in that Statute mentioned 11 Nor staied it here For in the 1465 which was the fourth yeere of King Edward the fourth 4. Edw. 4. c. 7. it pleased the King in Parliament to enact as followeth Our Soveraigne Lord the King c. hath ordained and established that no Cordwainer or Cobler within the Citty of London or within thrée miles of any part of the said Citty c. doe upon any Sunday in the yéere or on the feasts of the Ascension or Nativity of our Lord or on the feast of Corpâ—s Christi sell or command to be sold any shooes huâ—eans i.e bootes or Galoches or upon the Sunday or any other of the said Feasts shall set or put upon the feete or leggs of any person any shooes huseans or Galoches upon paine of forfeiture and losse of 20 shillings as often as any person shall doe contrary to this ordinance Where note that this restraint was onely for the Citty of London and the parts about it which shewes that it was counted lawfull in all places else And therefore there must bee some particular motive why this restraint was layd on those of London onely either their insolencies or some notorious neglect of Gods publike service the Gentle craft had otherwise beene ungently handled that they of all the tradesmen in that populous ciâ—ty should bee so restrained Note also that in this very Act there is a reservation or indulgence for the inhabitants of S. Martins le Grand to doe as formerly they were accustomed 14 15 of H. 8. cap. 9. the said Act or Statute notwithstanding Which very clause did after move King Henry the eight to repeale this statute that so all others of that trade might bee free as they or as the very words of the statuâ—e are that to the honour of allmighty God all the Kings subiects might be hereafter at their liberty as well as the inhabitants of S. Martins le Grand Now where it seemeth by the proeme of the Statute 17 of this King Edward 4. c. 3. that many in that time did spend their holy dayes in dice quoites tennis bowling and the like unlawfull games forbiddeâ— as is there affirmed by the Lawes of the Realme which said unlawfull games are thereupon prohibited under a certaine penaltie in the Statute mentioned It is most manifest that the prohibition was not in reference to the time Sundayes or any other holy dayes but only to the Games themselves which were unlawfull at all times For publicke actions in the times of these two last Princes the greatest were the battailles of Towton and Barnet one on Palms Sunday and the other on Eaâ—â—er day the grâ—atest fields that ever were fought in England And in this Staâ—e things stood till King Henry the eight 12 Now for the doctrine and the practise of these times before King Henry the eight and the reformation wee cannot take a better view then in Iohn de Burgo Chancellour of the University of Cambridge about the latter end of King Henry the sixt Pupilla Oculips 10. â— 11. D. First doctrinally hee determineth as before was said that the Lords day was instituted by the authoritâ— of the Church and that it is no otherwise to bee observed then by the Canons of the Church wee are bound to keepe it Then for the name of Sabbath that the Lords day 〈…〉 quaelibet dies statuta ad divinaâ— culturam and every day appointed for Gods publicke service may bee so entituled because in them wee are to rest from all servile works such as are arts mechanicke husbandry Law-daies and going to marketts with other things quae ab Ecclesia determinantur which are determined by the Church Id. pars 9. cap. 7. H. Lastly that on those dayes insistendum est orationibus c. Wee must bee busied at our prayers the publicke service of the Church in hymnes and in spirituall songs and in hearing Seâ—mons Next practically for such things as were then allowed of he doth sort them thus First generally Non tâ—men prohibentur his diebus facere quae pertinent ad providentiam necessariorum c. We are not those dayes restrained from doing such things as conduce to the providing of necessaries either for our selves or for our neighbours as in preserving of our persons or of our substance or in avoiding any losse that might happen to us Particularly next si iacentibus c. Id. ib. Iâ— In case our Corne and hay in the fields abroad be in danger of a tempest wee may bring it in yea though it be upon the Sabbath Butchers and victualers if they make ready on the holy dayes what they must sell the morrow after either in open market or in their shops in case they cannot dresse it on the day before or being dressed they cannot keep it non peccant mortaliter they fall not by so doing Id. ib. L. into mortall sinne vectores mercium c. Carriers of wares or men or victualls unto distant places in case they cannot doe it upon other daies without inconvenience are to bee excused Barbers and Chirurgions Smithes or Farriers Id. ib. M. if on the holy dayes they doe the works of their dayly labour especially propter necessitatem â—orum quibus serviunt for the necessities of those who want their helpe are excusable also but not in case they doe it chiefely for desire of gaine Id. ib. N. Messengers Posts and Travellers that travaille if some speciall occasion bee on the holy dayes whether they doe it for reward or not non audeo condemnare are not at all to bee condemned As neither Millers which doe grinde either with water-mils or wind-mils and so can doe their worke without much labour but they may keepe the custome of the place in the which they live not being otherwise commanded by their Ordinaryes secus si tractu iumentorum multuram faciâ—nt Id. ib. O. but if it be an horse-mill then the case is altered So buying and selling on those dayes in some present exigent as the providing necessary victualls for the day was not held unlawfull dum tamen exercentes ea non subtrahunt se divinis officiis in case they did not thereby keepe themselves from Gods publicke service Id. ib. Q. Lastly for recreations for dancing on those dayes hee determines thus that they which dance on any of the holy dayes either to stirre themselves or others unto carnall lusts commit mortall sinne and so they doe saith hee in case they doe it any day But it is otherwise if they dance upon honest causes and no naughty purpose and that the persons be not by law restrained Choreas ducentes maximè in diebus festis caâ—sa incitandi se vel aliâ—s ad peccatuâ— mortale peccant mortaliter similiter si in
c. as their bounden dutie doth require therefore to call men to remembrance of their dutie and to helpe their infinnitie it hath beene wholesomely provided that there should be some certaine times and dayes appointed wherein the Christians should cease from all kind of labour and apply themselves only and wholly unto the aforesaid holy works properly pertaining to true Religion c. Which workes as they may well be called Gods Service so the times especially appointed for the same are called holy dayes Not for the matter or the nature either of the time or day c. for so all dayes and times are of like holinesse but for the nature and condition of such holy workes c. whereunto such times and dayes are sanctified and hallowed that is to say separated from all prophane uses and dedicated not unto any Saint or Creature but onely unto God and his true worship Neither is it to bée thought that there is any certaine time or definite number of dayes prescribed in holy Scripture but the appointment both of the time and also of the number of dayes is left by the authoritie of Gods Word unto the libertie of Christs Church to bée determined and assigned orderly in every Countrey by the discretion of the Rulers and Ministers thereof as they shall iudge most expedient to the true setting forth of Gods glorie and edification of their people Nor is it to be thought that all this Preamble was made in reference to the holy dayes or Saints dayes onely whose being left to the authoritie of the Church was never questioned but in relation to the Lords Day also as by the Act it selfe doth at full appeare for so it followeth in the Act Bee it therefore enacted c. That all the dayes hereafter mentioned shall bee kept and commanded to be kept holy dayes and nonâ— other that is to say all Sundayes in the yeere the Feasts of the Circumcision of our Lord Iesus Christ of the Epiphanie of the Purification with all the rest now kept and there named particularly and that none other day shall be kept and commanded to bee kept holy day and to abstaine from lawfull bodily labour Nay which is more there is a further Clause in the selfe-same Act which plainly shewes that they had no such thought of the Lords day as that it was a Sabbath or so to bee obâ—erved as the Sabbath was and therefore did provide it and enact by the authoritie aforesaid That it shall be lawfull to every Husbandman Labourer Fisherman and to all and every other person and persons of what estate degree or condition he or they be upon the holy dayes aforesaid in Harvest or at any other times in the yeere when necessitie shall so require to labour â—ide fish or worke any kind of worke at their free-wills and pleasure any thing in this Act unto the contrary notwithstanding This is the totall of this Act which if examined well as it ought to bee will yeeld us all those propositions or conclusions before remembred which we collected from the writings of those three particular Martyrs Nor is it to be said that it is repealed and of no authoritie Repealed indeed it was in the first yeere of Queene Mary and stood repealed in Law though otherwise in use and practice all the long Reigne of Queene Elâ—zabeth but in the first yeere of King Iames was revived againe Note here that in the selfe-same Parliament the Common Prayer-Bookâ— now in use being reviewed by many godly Prelates was confirmed and authorized wherein so much of the said Act as doth concerne the names and number of the holy dayes is expressed and as it were incorporate into the same Which makes it manifest that in the purpose of the Church the Sunday was no otherwise esteemed of than another holy day 3 This Statute as before wee said was made in anno 5. 6. of Edward the sixt And in that very Parliament as before wee said the Common Prayer-Booke was confirmed which still remaines in use amongst us save that there was an alteration or addition of certaine Lessons to be used on every Sunday of the yéere 1. Eliz. cap. 2. the forme of the Letanie altered and corrected and two Sentences added in the deliverie of the Sacrament unto the Communicants Now in this Common Prayer-Booke thus confirmed in the fift and sixt yeeres of King Edward the sixt Cap. 1. it pleased those that had the altering and revising of it that the Commandements which were not in the former Liturgie allowed of in the second of the said Kings Reigne should now be added and accounted as a part of this the people being willed to say after the end of each Commandement Lord havâ— mercie upon us and incline our hearts to keepe this Law Which being used accordingly as well upon the hearing of the fourth Commandement as of any others hath given some men a colour to perswade themselves that certainely it was the meaning of the Church that wee should keepe a Sabbath still though the day be changed and that wee are obliged to doe it by the fourth Commandement Assuredly they who so conclude conclude against the meaning of the Booke and of them that made it Against the meaning of the Booke for if the Booke had so intended that that ejâ—culation was to be understood in a literall sence according as the words are layd downe in terminis it then must be the meaning of the Booke that wee should pray unto the Lord to keepe the Sabbath of the Iewes even the seventh day precisely from the Worlds Creation and keepe it in the selfe-same manner as the Iewes once did which no man I presume will say was the meaning of it For of the changing of the day there is nothing said nor nothing intimated but the whole Law laid downe in terminis as the Lord delivered it Against the meaning also of them that made it for they that made the Booke and reviewed it afterwards and caused these Passages and Prayers to be added to it Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury Ridley Bishop of London and certaine others of the Prelates then and there assembled were the same men by whose advice and counsaile the Act before remembred about keeping holy dayes was in the selfe-same Parliament drawne up and perfected And is it possible wee should conceive so ill of those reverend persons as that they would erect a Sabbath in the one Act and beat it downe so totally in the other to tell us in the Service-Booke that wee are bound to keepe a Sabbath and that the time and day of Gods publike worship is either pointed out in the fourth Commandement or otherwise ordained by Dâ—vine Authoritie and in the selfe-same breath to tell us that there is neither certaine time nor definite number of dayes prescribed in Scripture but all this left unto the libertie of the Church I say as formerly I said it is impossible wee should thinke so ill of such
what is appertaining to the law of Nature Now it pertaines unto the law of Nature that for the times appointed to Gods publicke worship we wholy sequester our selves from all worldly businesses Id. ib. naturale est quod dum Deum colimus ab aliâ—s abstineamus as Tostatus hath it and then the meaning of the Homilie will be briefely this that for those times which are appointed by the Church for the assembly of Gods people we should lay by ouâ— daily businesse all worldly thoughts wholy give our selves to the heavenly exercises of Gods true Religion and Service But to encounter them at their own weapon it is expressely said in the Act of Parliament about keeping holy dayes that on the dayes and times appointed as well the other holy dayes as the Sunday Christians should cease from all kinde of labour and only wholy apply themselves to such holy workes as appertaine to true Religion the very same with that delivered in the Hamilie If wholy in the Homilie must bee applied unto the day then it must bee there and then the Saints dayes and the other holy dayes must bee wholy spene in religious exercises When once we see them doe the one wee will bethinke our selves of doing the other As for the residue of that Homilie which consists in popular reproofes and exhorâ—ations that concernes not us in reference to the point in hand The Homilies those parts thereof especially which tend to the correction of manners and reformation of abuses were made agreeable to those times wherein they were first published If in those times men made no difference between the working day holy day but kept their faires and markets and bought and sold and rowed and fâ—rried and drove and carryed and rode and iourneyed and did their other businesse on the Sunday as well as on the other dayes when there was no such need but that they might have tarryed longer they were the more to blame no doubt in trespassing so wilfully against the Canons of the Church Acts of Parliament which had restrained many of the things there specified The Homilie did well to reprove them for it If on the other side they spent the day in ungodlinesse and filthinesse in gluttony and drunkennesse and such like other crying sinnes as are there particularly noted the Prelates of the Church had very ill discharged their duetie had they not tooke some course to have told them of it But what is that to us who doe not spend the Lords day in such filthy steshlinesse what ever one malicious Sycophant hath affirmed therein or what is that to dancing shooting leaping vauâ—ting may-games and meetings of good neighbourhood or any other recreation not by law prohibited being no such ungodlie and filthie Acts as are therein mentioned 7 Thus upon due search made and full examination of all parties we finde no Lords day Sabbath in the booke of Homilies no nor in any writings of particular men in more then 33 yeeres after the Homilies were published I find indeed that in the yeere 1580 the Magistrates of the Cittie of London obtained from Queene Elizabeth that playes and enterludes should no more bee acted on the Sabbath day within the liberties of their Cittie As also that in 83. on the 14 of Ianuary being Sunday many were hurt and eight killed outright by the suddaine falling of the Scaffolds in Paris-garden This shewes that Enterludes and Beare-baitings were then permitted on the Sunday and so they were a long time after though not within the Cittie of London which certainely had not beene suffered had it beene then conceived that Sunday was to bee accounted for a Sabbath But in the yeere 1595 some of that faction which before had laboured with small profit to overthrow the Hierarchy and government of this Church of England now set themselves on worke to ruinate all the orders of it to beaâ—e downe at one blow all dayes and times which by the wisdome and authority of the Church had beene appointed for Gods service and in the steed thereof to erect a Sabbath of their owne devising These Sabbath speculations and presbyterian directions as mine Authour calls them they had beene hammering more then ten yeeres before though they produced them not till now and in producing of them now they introduced saith hee a more then either Iewish or Popish superstition into the Land Rogers in preface to the Articles to the no small blemish of our Christian profession and scandall of the true servants of God and therewith doctrine most erroneous dangerous and Antichristian Of these the principall was one Doctor Bound who published first his Sabbath Doctrines Anno 1595 and after with additions to it and enlargements of it Anno 1606. Wherein he hath affirmed in generall over all the booke that the Commandement of sanctifying every seaventh day as in the Mosaicall decalogue is naturall morall and perpetuall that where all other things in the Iewish Church were so changed that they were cleane taken away as the Priesthood the sacrifices and the Sacraments this day the Sabbath was so chaÌ„ged that it still remaineth p. 91 that there is great reason why we Christians should take our selves as straitly bound to rest upon the Lords day as the Iewes were upoÌ„ their Sabbath for being one of the morall Commandments it bindeth us as well as them being all of equall authority p. 247. And for the Rest upon this Day that it must be a notable and singular Rest a most carefull exact and precise Rest after another manner than men were accustomed p. 124. Then for particulars no buying of Victuals Flesh or Fish Bread or Drinke 158. no Carriers to travaile on that Day 160. nor Parkmen or Drovers 162. Schollers not to studie the liberall Arts nor Lawyers to consult the Case and peruse mens Evidences 163. Sergeants Apparitours and Sumners to be restrained from executing their Offices 164. Iustices not to examine Causes for preservation of the Peace 166. no man to travaile on that Day 192. that Ringing of more Bells than one that Day is not to be justified p. 202. No solemne Feasts to be made on it 206. nor Wedding Dinners 209. with a permission notwithstanding to Lords Knights and Gentlemen hee hoped to finde good welcome for this dispensation p. 211. all lawfull Pleasures and honest Recreations as Shooting Fencing Bowling but Bowling by his leave is no lawfull pleasure for all sorts of people which are permitted on other dayes were on this Day to be forborne 202. no man to speake or talke of Pleasures p. 272. or any other worldly matter 275. Most Magisterially determined indeed more like a Iewish Rabbin than a Christian Doctor Yet Iewish and Rabbinicall though his Doctrine were it carried a faire face and shew of Pietie at the least in the opinion of the common people and such who stood not to examine the true grounds thereof but tooke it up on the appearance such who did judge
thereof not by the workmanship of the Stuffe but the glosse and colour In which it is most strange to see how suddainly men were induced not onely to give way unto it but without more adoe to abett the same till in the end and that in very little time it grew the most bewitching Errour the most popular Deceit that ever had beene set on foot in the Church of England And verily I perswade my selfe that many an honest and well-meaning man both of the Clergie and the Laitie either because of the appearance of the thing it selfe or out of some opinion of those men who first endevoured to promote it became exceedingly affected towards the same as taking it to be a Doctrine sent downe from Heaven for encrease of Pietie So easily did they beleeve it and grew at last so strongly possessed therewith that in the end they would not willingly be perswaded to conceive otherwise thereof than at first they did or thinke they swallowed downe the Hooke when they tooke the Bait. An Hooke indeed which had so fastned them to those men who love to fish in troubled waters that by this artifice there was no small hope conceived amongst them to fortifie their side and make good that cause which till this trimme Deceit was thought of was almost growne desperate Once I am sure that by this meanes the Brethren who before endeavoured to bring all Christian Kings and Princes under the yoke of their Presbyteries made little doubt to bring them under the command of their Sabbath Doctrines And though they failed of that applauded paritie which they so much aimed at in the advancing of their Elderships yet hoped they without more adoe to bring all higher Powers what ever into an equall ranke with the common people in the observance of their Iewish Sabbatarian rigours So Doctor Bound declares himselfe p. 171. The Magistrate saith hee and Governour in authoritie how high soever cannot take any priviledge to himselfe whereby he might be occupied about worldly businesse when other men should rest from labour It seemes they hoped to see the greatest Kings and Princes make suit unto their Consistorie for a Dispensation as often as the great Affaires of State or what cause soever induced them otherwise to spend that Day or any part or parcell of it than by the new Sabbath Doctrine had beene permitted For the endeering of the which as formerly to endeere their Elderships they spared no place or Text of Scripture where the word Elder did occurre and without going to the Heralds had framed a Pedigree thereof from â—ethro from Noahs Arke and from Adam finally so did these men proceed in their new Devices publishing out of holy Writ both the antiquitie and authoritie of their Sabbath day No passage of Gods Booke unransacked where there was mention of a Sabbath whether the legall Sabbath charged the Iewes or the spirituall Sabbath of the Soule from siâ—ne which was not fitted and applyed to the present purpose though if examined as it ought with no better reason than Paveant illi non paveam ego was by an ignorant Priest alledged from Scripture to prove that his Parishioners ought to pave the Chancell Yet upon confidence of these proofes they did alreadie begin to sing Victoria especially by reason of the entertainment which the said Doctrines found with the common people For thus the Doctor boasts himselfe in his second Edition anno 606. as before was said Many godly learned both in their Preachings Writings and Disputations did concurre with him in that argument and that the lives of many Christians in many places of the Kingdome were framed according to his Doctrine p. 61. Particularly in the Epistle to the Reader that within few yeeres three severall profitable Treatises successively were written by three godly learned Preachers Greenehams was one whose ever were the other two that in the mouth of two or three witnesses the doctrine of the Sabbath might bee established Egregiam verò laudem spolia ampla 8 But whatsoever cause hee had thus to boast himselfe in the successe of his new doctrines the Church I am sure had little cause to rejoyce thereat For what did follow hereupon but such monstrous paradoxes and those delivered in the pulpit as would make every good man tremble at the hearing of them First as my Author tells mee it was preached at a market towne in Oxfordshire that to doe any servile worke or businesse on the Lords day was as great a sinne as to kill a man or commit adultery Secondly preached in Somerset-shire tâ—at to throw a bowle on the Lords day was as great a sinne as to kill a man Thirdly in Norfolke that to make a feast or dresse a wedding dinner on the Lords day was as great a sinne as for a Father to take a knife and cut his childes throate Fourthly in Suffolke that to ring more bells then one on the Lords day was as great a sinne as to commit murder I adde what once I heard my selfe at Sergeanâ—â— Inne in Fleet-streete about five yeeres since that temporall death was at this day to be inflicted by the Law of God on the Sabbath-breaker on him that on the Lords day did the works of his daily calling with a grave application unto my masters of the Law that if they did their ordinary workes on the Sabbath day in taking fees and giving Counsell they should consider what they did deserve by the Law of God And certainely these and the like conclusions cannot but â—ollow most directly on the former principles For that the fourth Commandement bee plainely morall obliging us as straitely as it did the Iewes and that the Lords day bee to bee observed according to the prescript of that Commandment it must needs bee that every willfull breach thereof is of no lower nature then Idolatrie or blaspheming of the Name of GOD or any other deadly sinne against the first table and therefore questionlesse as great as murder or adultery or any sin against the second But to goe forwards where I left my Author whome before I spake of being present when the Suffolke Minister was convented for his so lewd and impious doctrine was the occasion that those Sabbatarian errours and impieties were first brought to light and to the knowledge of the state On which discovery as hee tells us this good ensued that the said bookes of the Sabbath were called in and forbidden to bee printed and made common Archbishop Whitguift by his letters and visitations did the one Annâ— 1599. and Sir Iohn Popham Lord Chiefe Iustice did the other Annâ— 1600 at Burie in Suffolke Good remedies indeed had they beene soone inough applied yet not so good as those which formerly were applied to Thacker and his fellow in the aforesaid towne of Burie for publishing the bookes of Brâ—wnâ— against the service of the Church Nor was this all the fruite of so bad a doctrine For by inculcating to the people these new
nititur Verbo Dei was publikely maintained by a Doctor there and by the then Vice-Chancellour so determined neither the following Doctors â—here or any in the other Universitie that I can heare of did ever put up any Antithesis in opposition thereunto At last some foure yeeres after his Majesties Declaration before remembred anno 1622. Doctor Prideaux his Majesties Professour for the Universitie of Oxon. did in the publike Act declare his judgement in this point de Sâ—bbato which afterwards in the yeere 1625. he published to the World with his other Lectures Now in this Speech or Determination hee did thus resolve it First That the Sabbath was not instituted in the first Creation of the World nor ever kept by any of the ancient Patriarkes who lived before the Law of Moses therefore no Morall and perpetuall Precept as the others are Sect. 2. Secondly That the sanctifying of one day in seven is ceremoniall onely and obliged the Iewes not Morall to oblige us Christians to the like observance Sect. 3. 4. Thirdly That the Lords day is founded onely on the Authoritie of the Church guided therein by the practice of the Apostles not on the fourth 〈◊〉 which in the 7. Section he eâ—tituleth a Scandalous Doctrine nor any other authoritie in holy Scripture Sect. 6. 7. Fourthly That the Church hath still authoritie to change the day though such authoritie be not â—it to be put in practise Sâ—ct 7. Fifthly Thâ—â— in the celebration of it there is no such cessation from the workes of labour required of us as was exacted of the Iewes but that wee lawfully may dresse Meat proportionable unto every mans estate and doe such other things as be no hinderance to the publike Service appointed for the day Sect. 8. Sixtly That on the Lords day all Râ—creations whatsoever are to be allowed which honestly may refresh the spirits and encrease mutuall love and neighbourhood amongst us and that the Names whereby the Iewes did use to call their Festivals whereof the Sabbath was the chiefe were borrowed from an Hebrew word which signifies to Dance and to make merry or rejoyce And lastly that it appâ—rtaineâ— to the Christian Magistrate to order and appoint what â—astimeâ— on the Lords day are to be permitted and what prohibited not unto every private person much lesse to every â—anâ— rash Zeale as his owne words are who out of a schismaticall 〈◊〉 debarring men from lawfull Pastimes doth encline to Iâ—daisme Sect. 8. This was the summe and substance of his resolution then which as it gave content unto the sounder and the better part of the Assembly so it did infinitely stomacke and displease the greater numbers such as were formerly possessed with the other Doctrines though they were wiser than to make it a publike Quarrell Onely it pleased M. Bifeild of Surrey in his Reply to a Discoâ—rse of M. Brerewoods of Gresham Colledge anno 1631. to taxe the Doctor as a spreader of wicked Doctrine and much to marvell with himselfe how either he durst be so bold to say P. 161. or having said it could be suffered to put it forth viz. That to establish the Lords day on the fourth Commandement were to encline too â—uch to Iudaisme This the said M. Bifeild thinkes to be a foule aspersion on this faâ—ous Church But in so thinking I conceive that he consulted more his owne opinion and his private interest than any publike maintenance of the Churches cause which was not injured by the Doctor but defended rather But to proceed or rather to goe a little About a yeere before the Doctor thus declared his judgement one Thom. Broad of Gloucestershire â—ad published something in this kind wherein to speake my minde thereof he rather shewed that he disliked those Sabbath Doctrines than durst disprove them And before either M. Brâ—rewood whom before I named had writ a learned Treatise about the Sabbath on a particular occasion therein mentioned but published it was not till after both anno 1629. Adde here to joyne them all together that in the Schooles at Oxon anno 1628. it was maintained by Doctor Robinson now Archâ—eacon of Gloucester viz. Ludos Recreationis gratia in die Dominico non esse prohibitos Divina Lege That Recreations on the Lords day were not at all prohibited by the Word of God 12 As for our neighbour Church of Scotland as they proceeded not at first with that mature deliberation in the reforming of that Church which had beene here observed with us so did they runne upon a Course of Reformation which after was thought fitting to be reformed The Queene was young and absenâ— in the Court of France the Regent was a desolate Widow a Stranger to that Nation and not well obeyed So that the people there possessed by Cnoxe and other of their Teachers tooke the cause in hand and went that way which came most neere â—nto Geneva where this Cnoxe had lived Among the first things wherewithall they were offeâ—ded were the Dâ—nsreis and in the yeere 1592 the Act of the Queene Regent granting licence to keepe the said two feasts was by them repealed Yet finde wee by the Bishop of Brechin in his discourse of the Proceedings at the Synod of 〈◊〉 that notwithstanding all the Acts Civill and Ecclesiasticke made against the superstitious observation and prophane abuse of Zule day the people could never bee induced to labour on that day and wheresoever Divine service was done that day as in townes which have alwaies morning and evening Prayers they were perceived to resort in greater numbers on that day then on any other to the Church As for King Iames of happie memorie hee did not onely keepe the said great festivalls from his youth as there is said but wished them to bee kept by all his subjects yet without abuse and in his Basilicon Doron published Anno 1598 thus declares himselfe that without superstition playes and lawfull games may bee used in May and good cheere at Christmasse Now on the other side as they had quite put downe those daies which had beene dedicated by the Church to religious meetings so they appointed others of their owne authoritie For in their booke of â—â—scipline before remembred it was thus decreed viz. That in every notable towne a day besides the Sunday should bee appointed weekely for Sermons that during the time of Sermon the day should bee kept free from all exercise of labour as well by the master as by the Servant as also that every day in the said great townes there be either Sermon or Prayers with reading of the Scriptures So that it seemeth they onely were â—fraid of the name of holy dayes and were contented well inough with the thing it selfe As for the Lords day in that Kingdome I finde not that it had attained unto the name or nature of a Sabbath day untill that doctrine had beene set on foote amongst us in England For in the booke of discipline set out as formerly was said in
6â—0 they call it by no other name then Sunday ordaining that upon â—oure Sâ—ndayes in the yeere which are therein specified the Sacrament of the Lords Supper should bee administred to the people and in the yeere 1592 an Act of King Iames the third about the 〈◊〉 and other Vigills â—o bee kept holy 〈◊〉 Evâ—nsong to 〈◊〉 was annulled and abrogated Which plaâ—â—ely shewes that then they thought not of a Sabbath But when the Sabbath doctrinâ— had beene raised in Eâ—glaâ—d Annâ— 1595 as before was â—aid it found a present enterâ—â—â—ment with the Brethren there who had before 〈◊〉 in their publicke writings to our Puritans here Davisâ—n p. 20. that both their caâ—ses were most â—eerely linked together and thereupon they both tooke up the name of Sabbath and imposed the rigouâ— yet so that they esteeme it lawfull to hold fâ—sts thereon Altare Damasc. p. 669. quod sapissâ—â—â— in Ecclesia 〈…〉 factum est and use it often in that Church which is quite contrary unto the nature of a Sabbath And on the other side they deny it to be the weekely festivall of the resurrection Id. 696. Non sunt dies Dominici â—esta Resurrectioniâ— as they have resolved it which shewes as plainely that they build not the translation of their Sabbath on the same grounds as our men have done In briefe by making up a mixture of a Lords day Sabbath they neither keepe it as the Lords day nor as the Sabbath And in this state things stood untill the yeere 1618. what time some of the Ancient holy dayes were revived againe in the assemblie held at Perth in which among some other rites of the Church of England which were then aâ—mitted it was thus determined viz. As wee abhorre the superstitioâ—s observation of festivall dayes by the Papists and derest all licenâ—ious and prophane abuse thereof by the Common sort of Professours so wee thinke that the inestimable benefits received from God by our Lord Iesâ—â— Christ his Birth Passion Resurrection 〈◊〉 and â—â—nding downe of the Holy Ghost was commendably and godly remembred at certaine particular dayes and times by the whole Church of the world and may bee also now Therefore the Assembly ordaines that every Minister shall upon these dayes have the 〈…〉 and make choise of severall and pertinent Texts of Scripture and frame their Doctrine and Exhortation thereunto and rebuke all superstitious observation and licentious prophanation thereof A thing which much displeased some men of contrarie perswasion first out of feare that this was but a Preamble to make way for all the other holy dayes observed in England And secondly because it seemed that these five Dayes were in all points to be observed as the Lords day was both in the times of the Assembly and after the dissolving of the same But pleased or displeased so it was decreed and so still it stands 13 But to returne againe to England It pleased his Majestie now reigning whom God long preserve upon information of many notable misdemeanours on this day committed â— Carol. 1. in his first Parliament to enact That from thence-forwards there should be no Méetings Assemblies or concourse of people out of their Parishes on the Lords day for any Sports or Pastâ—mes whatsoever nor any Beare-baitings Bull-baitings common Playes Enterludes or any other unlawfull Exercises or Pastimes used by any person or persons in their owne Parishes every offence to be punished by the forfeiture of 3. s. 4 d. This being a Probation Law was to continue till the end of the first Session of the next Parliament And in the next Parliament it was continued till the end of the first Session of the next which was then to come So also was another Act made in the said last Session wherein it was enacted 3. Carol. 1. That no Carrier Waggoner Waine-man Carre-man or Drover travaile thence-forwards on the Lords day on paine that every person and persons sâ— offending shall lose and forfeit 20. s. for every such offence And that no Butcher either by himselfe or any other by his privitie and consent doe kill or sell any Victuall on the said day upon the forfeiture and losse of 6. s. 8. d. Which Statutes being still in force by reason that there hath not been any Session of Parliament since they were enacted many both Magistrates and Ministers either not rightly understanding or wilfully mistaking the intent and meaning of the first brought Dancing and some other lawfull Recreations under the compasâ—e of unlawfull Pastimes in that Act prohibited and thereupon disturbed and punished many of the Kings obedient people onely for using of such Sports as had been authorized by his Majesties Father of blessed memorie Nay which is more it was so publikely avowed and printed by one who had no calling to interprete Lawes except the provocation of his owne ill spirit That Dancing on the Lords day was an unlawfull Pastime punishable by the Statute 1. Carol. 1. which intended so hee saith to suppresse Dancing on the Lords day as well as Beare-baiting Bull-beating Enterludes and common Playes which were not then so rife and common as Dancing when this Law was made Things being at this height it pleased his excellent Majestie King Charles Declarat Observing as hee saith himselfe how much his people were debarred of Recreation and finding in some Counties that under the pretence of taking away abuses there had beene a generall forbidding not onely of ordinarie Meetings but of the Feasts of the Dedication of Churches commonly called Wakes to ratifie and publish the Declaration of his Majesties Father before remembred adding That all those Feasts with others should be observed and that all neighbourhood and freedome with manlike and lawfull Exercises be therein used Commanding all the Iustiâ—es of Assise in their severall Circuits to see that no man doe trouble or molest any of his loyall and dutifull people in or for their lawfull Recreaâ—ions having first done their dutie to God and continuing in obedience unto him and his Lawes and further that publication thereof be made by order from the Bishops through all the Parishes of their severall Diocesses respectively Thus did it please his excellent and sacred Majestie to publish his most pious and religious purpose of opening to his loyall people that libertie of the Day which the Day allowed of and which all Christian States and Churches in all times before had never questioned withall of shutting up that Doore whereat no lesse than Iudaisme would in fine have entred and so in time have over-ran the fairest and most beautifull Church at this day in Christendome And certainely it was a pious and Princely Act nothing inferiour unto that of Constantine or any other Christian King or Emperour before remembred it being no lesse pious in it selfe considered to keepe the holy-dayes free from superstition than to preserve them from prophanenesse especially considering that permission of lawfull Pleasures is no lesse proper to a Festivall than