word participation of the sacraments Commemoration of divine misteries may be performed upon the ordinary sabbath but to make up a festival day Bellarm. requireth a determination of a day signification and representation of the misteries wrought on such dayes Scaliger observeth that the ordinary sabbothes were never called Chaggim as the anniversarie solemnities were 1. Reason against festivall dayes Six dayes shalt thou labour and doe all that thou hast to doe These words are either a command to doe the works of our calling as many both Iewish and Christian divines doe interprete or els a permission as others doe interpret If they contein a command no countremand may take it away If a permission no human authority may spoile men of the liberty that God hath granted unto them as long as they haue any maner of worke to doe for the sustentation of this life The Muscovits therefore say very well that it is for Lords to keepe feasts and abstien from labour The Citizens and Artificers amongst them upon the festivall dayes after divine service do betake themselues to their labour and domestick affaires as Gaguinus reporteth It may be objected that Constantine the Emperour made a law that none but the Prince may ferias coÌ„dere erect an idle day the Prince then may inioyne a day of Cessation Answer The Lawes of the â—od are not rules of theologie A Prince may not inioyne Cessation from Oeconomicall and domestick works but for weapon shewing exercise of armes defence of the country or other publick works and affaires But that is not to injoyne a day of simple Cessation but to inioyne a politick work in place of the oeconomicall Every particular member ceassing from their particular work exerciseth another work serving for the preservation of the whole bodie The curse that Adam shall eate with the sweate of his browes is mitigated by the permission of six dayes labour The Lord permitteth unto man six lest he devoure the seventh day which is sanctified What if the Kirk representatiue injoyne a weekly holy day as another sabboth ought the Kirke to be obeyed what power hath the Kirk representatiue to inioyne an anniversary day more then a weekly or hebdomadary holy day If a day of simple Cessation from all maner of work Oeconomicall and politicall may not be inioyned a festivall day may not be inioyned I say further that the poore craftsman can not lawfully be commanded to lay aside his tooles and goe passe his time no not for an houre let be for a day as long as he is willing to worke and perhaps urged with the sharpnes of present necessity And yet farther that he ought not to be compelled to leaue his worke to goe to divine service except on the day that the Lord hath sanctified The second Reason It is the priuiledge of Gods power to appoint a day of rest and to sanctifie it to his honour as our best Divines mainteine Zanchius affirmeth that it is proper to God to choose any person or any thing to consecrate and sanctifie it to himselfe as it belongeth to him alone to justify Catechismus Hollandicus saith no wise man will deny that this sanctification belongeth onely to God that it is manifest sacriledge to attribute these things to men which are onely of divine ordination Willet sayth It belongeth onely to the Creator to sanctifie the Creature In the booke of Ecclesiasticus cap. 33.7.8 it is demanded Why doth one day excell another when as the light of every day of the yeare is of the Sun It is answered By the knowledge of the Lord they were distinguished and he altered seasons and feasts Some of them hath he made hie dayes and hallowed them Some of them he hath made ordinary dayes The common tenent of the Divines was acknowledged by the pretended Bishop of Galloway in his Sermon at the last Christmas It may offend you sayd he that this is an holy day I say there is no power either civill or Ecclesiasticall can make an holy day no King no Kirk onely the Lord that made the day and distinguished it from the night he hath sanctified the seventh day The like was acknowledged by M. P. Galloway in his Christmas Sermons If the speciall sanctification of a day to an holy use dependeth upon Gods commandement and institution then neither King nor Kirke representatiue may make an holy day The observers of dayes will say they count not their anniverserie daies holier then other dayes but that they keep them only for order and policie that the people may be assembled to religious exercises Answer The Papists will confesse that one day is not holier then another in its owne nature no not the Lords day for then the Sabboth might not haue been changed from the last to the first day of the weeke But they affirme that one day is holier then another in respect of the end and vse And so doe wee They call them holy dayes and so doe wee They vse them as memoriall signes of sacred mysteries whereof they carie the names as Nativitie Passion Ascension c. And so doe wee The presence of the festivitie putteth a man in minde of the mysterie howbeit he haue not occasion to be present in the holy Assembly We are commanded to obserue them in all points as the Lords day both in the publick Assemblies and after the dissoluing of the same Yea it is left free to teach any parte of Gods word on the Lords day but for solemnitie of the festiuall solemne texts must be chosen Gospels Epistles collects Psalmes must be framed for the particular service of these dayes and so the mysticall dayes of mans appointment shall not onely equall but in solemnity surpasse the morall sabboth appointed by the Lord. Doth not Hooker say that the dayes of publick memorials should be cloathed with the outward robes of holines They aledge for the warrant of anniversary festivities the Ancients who call them Sacred and misticall dayes If they were instituted only for order and policie that the people may Assemble to religious exercises Wherefore is there but one day appointed betwixt the Passion and Resurection fortie dayes betwixt the Resurrection and Ascension Ten betwixt the Ascension and Pentecost Wherefore follow we the course of the Moone as the Iewes did in our moveable feasts making the christian Church cloathed with the Sunne to walk vnder the Moone as Bonauentura alludeth Wherefore is there not a certain day of the moneth kept for Easter as well as for the nativitie Doth not Bellarmine giue this reason out of Augustine that the day of the Natiuity is celebrate only for memorie the other both for memorie and for sacraments Ille celebratur solum ob memoriam ideo semper die 25. Decembris at lâ—fe celebratur ob memoriam sacramentum ideo variatur If the anniversarie commemorations were like the weekely preachings as the two forenamed preachers made the comparison why
indured after the dayes of Malachi as Drusius afirmeth They had Vrim and Thummim under the first Temple and in place thereof a slender voyce sounding from the heaven called Bathkol under the second Temple as Tremellius hath observed Next the Pharisees and degenerating Iewes filled their Kalendar with fond feasts of their owne invention as the festivities of the Equinoctiall and festivall dayes other wayes called the feasts of the Tekuphas or converted any ancient order into a solemne feast as the day appointed for carying wood to the Temple to maintein the fire of the altar Nehem. 10.34 they turned into a feast called the feast of Xylophoria A holie day is to be observed not by a few but by all but all were not appointed to bring wood but those only who were designed by lot It is no wonder therefore that they took the like course with the dayes of Purim But wee are not to imitate the Pharises and fond Iewes The fourth Reason The observation of anniversarie dayes pertained to the ceremoniall law but so it is that the ceremoniall law is abolished The anniversarie dayes were distinguished from the morall sabboth Many were the preheminences of the ordinary sabboth aboue the anniversary 1. It was more ancient given to Adam in the state of innocencie 2. vttered by Gods owne mouth 3. Written with Gods owne finger in durable stone 4. The Lord himself in a manner rested on it when as he rained not Manna that day 5. It was more strictly observed then the other holy dayes therefore some say it was called Shabbath Shabbathon Therefore likewayes the Iewes measured unto it a sabboth dayes journey 6. Other holy dayes were celebrated either in remembrance of a by-past benefite or to signify somthing to come It excelled them in both faith Bellarmine 7. Other holy dayes gaue place unto it The Iewes made a Canon that two Sabbothes should not concurre together propter olera propter mortuoâ— that is because they could not keepe in that hote region their sodden meats two dayes together nor the bodies of the dead unburied for stink and putrifaction Therefore they transferred this sabboth of extraordinary solemnity immediatly proceeding the ordinary sabboth to the ordinary sabboth They were drawne to it it was never drawen to them See Causabonus In a word the Iewes held it in greater estimaton then the rest They called it The Queene of the holy dayes and the secrete of the living God The three solemnities called Regalim were Temple feasts They were bound to celebrate them at the Temple the publick theater of all the Iewish ceremonies The Apostle calleth them Weake and beggerly elements Galat. 4.9.10 The elements of the world Coloss. 2.20 Shadowes of things to come Coloss. 2.16.17 The Apostle saith not the observation of Iudaicall dayes but simpliciter the observation of dayes served to the people of God for a typicall use and a rudiment of religion If the observation of some anniversary dayes was prescribed to the Iewes as elements and rudiments for their instruction it followeth that the observation of anniversarie dayes is of it selfe a rudimentary instruction otherwayes the Apostles reason will not hould The Apostle condemneth difference of dayes as he condemneth difference of meats To esteeme some meats cleane and some uncleane is Iudaicall howbeit we obserue not the same difference that the Iewes did Dayes and meats are parallelled together to esteeme one day holier then another not so discerned by the Lords commandement must be also Iudaicall The Kirk vnder the Gospell hath past the rudiments and therefore the observation of anniversary daies doth not beseeme her To substitute other dayes in place of the Iewish a Christian Pasâ—â—e and Pentecost for the Iewish is but to substitute rudiments and elements ro the Iewish not to chase away but to change the Iewish holy dayes as Bellarmine doth Non est sublata sed mutata significatio â—et discretio dierum The Iewish frankincense was a perfume the Popish is a simple frankincense without any other ingredient The Iewish lights were of oyle the popish of wax and yet wee charge them with Iudaizing The Iewes had no anniversary dayes but such as were abrogate They were abrogate not only as shadowes of things to come but also as memorials of bygone benefites Even as they were dayes of remembrance they belonged to the pedagogy of the law Converted Iewes may not lawfully obserue the Iewish festivities even as remembrances of bygone benefits In every respect all their anniversary dayes are abolished and they had none other but such as were abolished Therefore in every respect they belonged to the ceremoniall Law The observation therefore of anniversary dayes even in respect of remembrance was to the Iewes pedagogicall rudimentary and elementary and counsequently ceremoniall The Bishop of Chester confesseth that all the solemne feasts were of a ceremoniall nature If the Iewes had no anniversary solemnities to indure after Christs comming when they should be converted to Christianisme how can the observation of anniversary dayes be taken up by Christians The fifth Reason The prerogatiue belonging to God in the old Testament was transferred to Christ God and Man the law-giver in the new Testament one that was faihfull in all the house of God But so it is that Christ neither by his own coÌ„mandement nor by direction of his spirit inspiring the Apostles instituted any other day but the Lords day If there had been any other dayes dedicated to Christ the Apostle spoke unproperly and obscurely when he sayd he was ravished in the spirit upon the Lords day If there had been a day for his Nativity another for his passion he should haue sayd he was ravished in the spirit upon one of the Lords dayes Seeing Iohn out-lived the rest of the Apostles It followeth that there was no other holy day observed in the Apostolicall times Neither was the institution of the Lords day so much a new institution as a change of the ordinary Sabboth The extraordinary Sabboths were in every respect ceremoniall The ordinary Sabboth had both substance and ceremony By reason of the substance it was changed into the Lords day answering analogically to it The morall use of the ordinary sabboth was for the service of God in generall both private and publick The mysticall use was to be a memoriall of things by-past and a shadow of things to come The morall use indureth the mysticall uses are evanished Christ appeared the first day of the weeke and every eighth day thereafter untill he ascended saith Iunius And that therefore the Apostles delivered to the Kirke the observation of this day from Christs example and institution which he confirmeth with the iudgement of Cyrillus and Augustine The blessing of the seventh day was translated to this day instituted by Christ because all sanctification floweth to Christians from Christ. But it is sufficient that the Apostles inspired by his Spirit haue recommended this day to the
Sermon Thursday 27. Aug. the third day of the Assembly WIlliam B. of Galloway made a Sermon his Text Rom· 14.19 His doctrine was far contrary to that which he taught before the estates of Parliament An. 1606 He set at naught the ancient order of our Church sometime highly commended by himselfe and extolled his new light He presumed to teach them a new kinde of Catechisme under whom he himselfe might be as yet catechised The second and last Session of this assembly began after dinner and ended this day The Kings Commissioners and the Bishops masters of this Assemblie determined to end all this after noone and hauing the assise enclosed for that effect assured them that out of that house they should not go untill his Majestie were satisfied of his desire The pretended Moderator earnestly aggreadged the nncessity of yeelding and instantly urged present voting without furder delay strongly enforcing that his Maiestie behoved to bee satisfied and assureing them that his Highnesse would accept of no other answer but yeelding To effectuate his purpose hee blew out many threatnings in most peremptory maner Hee insulted uppon the ministers assembled as if they had been hirelinges saying I know you all well ynough There is neuer a one of you will suffer so much as the losse of your stipends for the matter Think not but when the act is made I will get obedience of you There is none of you that voteth in the contrary mindeth to suffer Some men said hee pretend conscience and feare more to offend the people then the King but all that will not doe the turne Albeit he had formerly affirmed in the case of requiring consent that although the act were made his Majestie would be mercyfull in vrgeing obedience thereto And they knew him to be more fauourable to his brethren then any Bishop of England Hee tooke it also vpon his conscience though it was not trew that there was neither lass nor ladde rich nor poore in Scotland some few precise persons excepted who were not onlie content but also wished that order of kneeling to be receiued whereof he had profe and experience in his own citie of S. Andrewes and in this Town since he came hither Hee made mention of a pamphlet casten in the pulpit at Edinburgh wherein it should haue been affirmed that the Bishops were bringing in Papistry and that good professors will fight in defence of their own religion By way of answer thereto he confessed that the ceremonies make not the separation betwixt us and the Romane Church but their Idolatry the which if the Romanists would forsake they would meet them mid-way and ioyne with them And as if the Ministers had known any such professors disposed to fight for the religion or had been of purpose to ioyne with them he disswades them to leane to such words for he had seen the like of that before time at the 17. day of December Hee wished if such a thing should happen it would please his Maiesty to make him a Captaine never any of these braggers would come to the field After these blasts and terrours the Ministers with modest importunity insisted that the matters depending might be better cleared by further reasoning and advisement so much the rather because these matters had not been reasoned in full Assembly for the information of all that had interest After much dealing and many earnest speeches and desires to be heard some fashion of liberty was granted to a few but with such checkes and limitations to the partie that preased to propone and reason that quickly they were cut off and sourely rebuked rather borne downe with authority then satisfied with reason His Maiesties chiefe Commissioner pretended Moderator straitly enioyned them either to propone a new reason or else to hold their peace when as the argument either had not been proponed in conference or if proponed not answered or if answered not suffered to be replied unto And suppose all this had been done in the conference yet all was new to the full Assembly and ought to haue been repeated and fully discussed for information of all voters Yea many Ministers had not so much a◠accesse to heare or propone one argument they had no seates provided for them as the other party had Gentlemen thronged in before them The defenders of the Articles were permitted to discourse as long as they pleased to gybe mocke and cavill so light account made they of the matters in hand or the fearfull schisme ensuing upon such disorders that their behaviour was offensiue to the beholders The best arguments and answers were taken from the authority of the Kings sword Hee will ranverse all except we yeeld or the authority of his word as when it was alledged out of Zanchius upon the fourth commandement that things indifferent abused to Idolatry should be altogether removed The pretended Moderator opponed the iudgement of the King of Great Britaine to the iudgement of Zanchius or any of the learned In a word the pretended Moderator professed plainly that neither their reasons nor their number should carry away the matter These Articles must be concluded and should be concluded although there were none but the eleven Bishops with the authority of his Maiesties Commissioners they shall impose them After some few reasons proponed and answered as is said it was confessed that if his Maiesty could haue been pleased or put off they would haue reasoned against these Articles and the introducing of them in this Church Doctor Lyndesay being posed in conscience confessed that they had neither reason nor Scripture nor Antiquity for them yet to avert rhe Kings wrath of this Church yeelding was best Kneeling was chiefly agitate Some velitation there was made against Holy dayes Nothing spoken of the three other Articles boasting and posting confounded all The ministers not being permitted to reason and pursue their arguments verbally with such liberty as of reason should haue been granted and fearing prejudice in voting gaue in some difficulties in writing to be considered and removed before the articles should passe in voting like as they were ready if place had been granted to present in writing particular reasons against every one of the said articles as was plainly professed But for cutting them short of that intention the presenter of the said difficulties in a bosting manner was commanded to subscribe the same and rebuked as not haveing commission They suspected a protestation against the proceedings of this Assembly for preventing whereof they had declamed before against the protestation subscribed at the last parliament as treasonable and seditious But when it was perceaved that he sought a penne for subscribing of the same the Moderator receaved them Two of them was read but no wayes respectted the rest were suppressed The ministers notwithstanding of the preceding terrours most humbly and earnestly requested his Majesties Commissioners that the concluding of the articles might be continued which their reasons in writing were sent to
from Christ an inestimable benefit ought not a subject kneele when he receiveth a benefit from a Prince to testifie his thankfulnes Answer this relation from Christ to the Sacrament as betweene the giver and the gift is common to all the Sacraments both of the old and new law ordinary and extraordinary Next we receaue the mysticall pledges not out of the hands of God himselfe or his Son Christ immediatly but out of the hand of the Minister The person who receaveth the gift from the King is supposed to receaue it immediatly and suppose mediatly yet ceremonies of Court mediate ciuil worships are not rules of religious adoration which should ever be immediate Thirdly the manner of delivery of the gift and the will of the giuer are to be considered If the Prince call his Nobles to a banket it is his will that they sit at table with him as Iohanathan and Dauid sat at King Sauls table Christ hes declared by the Institution after what maner he wold haue vs receaue these mysticall pledges Kneeling cannot agree with the actions and precepts of the Institution The second breach of the second commandement made by kneeling is the shew of conformity with the papists The Lord forbade his people to be like the Gentiles Leuitie 18.3 and 19.27 Deut 12. the christians were forbidden to decore their houses with bay leaves and greene boughes because the paganes vsed so to doe or to rest from their labours those dayes that the Paganes did If conformity in things not haueing state in Idolatrous seruice but onely glanceing at the honor of the Idoll be condemned far more is conformity in the grossest act wherin the life and soul as it were of their Idolatrie standeth Such as is the gesture of kneeling among the papists And for this cause Hooper in his sermon before King Edward for the same cause condemned this gesture This outward conformity tickleth the papist and offendeth the godly The third breach of the second commandement made by kneeling is the reteining of a monument of vile idolatrie All humane inuentiones polluted with idolatrie except they be of necessarie vse ought to be remoued from Gods seruice This gesture had a spot of profanation from the beginning being at the first birth in this act dedicat to Idolatrie The brasen serpent set up at Gods own command was not spared when it was abused We detest the very garment of a theese or a whore though it be innocent Biza sayeth many things may be tollerate for the weake which may not be restored after they are tane away He commendeth them who haue abolished kneeling amongst other things tanquam apertas Idolomanias The fourth breach of the 2 d comandement made by kneeling is the continuall occasion and danger of idolatry Wee are forbiden all occasions and provocations of idolatry There is a naturall pronnesse in all men to idolatry great ignorance in the common people and Superstition rooted in the hearts of men Papistes daily increase the idol of the bready God is still in great accompt in the Romane Kirks round about us and in private corners amongst us and yet men are not ashamed to say that all memory of former superstition is past and no perill is to be feared againe The virgines in Cyprians time granted they walked with yong men talked with them went to bed with them but when it came to the act they absteined Cyprian answereth Nou est locus dandus diabolo nemo diu tutus periculo proximus i. Place should not be given to the devill no man is long safe who is neare the point of danger The Belgick Kirks in their Synods permitted not liberty of kneeling for the same respect of bread-worship as may be seene in the harmony of their Synods set forth of late by Festus Homius Liberum est stando sedendo vel eundo caenam celebrare non autem geniculando ob artolatreias periculum If a lawfull use could be devised yet this danger cannot be eschued Information by preaching is a sufficient remedy meate doth not nourish so fast as poyson doeth corrupt The watchmen are some time ignorant or negligent many want doctrine It is better to fill up the pitt then to set one beside it to warne the passengers that they fall not in such ceremones ought to be appointed which by their goodnes and edification may help the preaching of the word and not such as the word must daily haue need to correct The strength of many poore Christian soules should not be tryed by bringing them to the very brink of danger The fift breach of the second commandement made by kneeling is a shew of wisdome in wil-worshipe and humility Coloss. 2.23 a worship is set up by mans voluntary devotion in a principall part of Gods service under colour of humility We ought to come indeed and receaue with humility these misticall pledges but is there no reverence and humility but in kneeling Swarez sayth that humility and adoration are distinguished in their proper motiues and respects in propriis honestatibus et motivis It was not manerly for the disciples to use any gesture they pleased at Christs table It was his honor to command and their humility to obey Sitting was not pomp glorious pride or prophane gesture as men are not ashamed so to call it because it was obedience to the Lord. This their pretended humility is a naturall humility like unto Peters when he refused that Christ should wash his feet Obedience is better then sacrifice Fenner in the doctrine of the Sacraments hath a notable saying that the whole honor of the Sacraments is that they remaine unto the Church of God in that simplicity he left them and that no action here is worth any thing but by reason of Gods word which is sanctified to a profitable use and made an instrument of the working of the holy Ghost Object There is no new worship appointed but an action already appointed for Gods service is applyed to the said Supper Answ. The parts of Gods worship may not be applyed to other when comlines commodiousnes institution and command will not suffer A man may not kneele all the time of the Sermon he may not reade in the act of receaving baptisme may not be ministred in the midst of the communion and many such instances might be alledged Aquinas sayth Superstuum in his quae ad divinum cultum pertinent esse potest no secundum substantiam quanti sed secundum alias circumstantias puta quia cultus divinus exhibetur cui non debet exhiberi vel quādo non debet vel secūdum alias circumstantias prout non debet That superfluity in things pertaining to the worship of God is to be considered not according to the quantity for we cannot worship God exceedingly enough but is to bee considered according to other circumstances viz. when the worship of God is not exhibited to whom it ought to be exhibited or
is the husbandman forced to leaue his plough at the one and not at the other Why hath the one proper service and not the other Why did not M. Galloway curse the people for absence froÌ„ the one as wel as from the other Whey are the dayes of the one changeable and not the other To make solemne commemoration of Christs nativitie vpon any other day then upon the putatiue day of his nativity would be thought a great absurdity siclike of his Passion Ascension c. And last how could M. Galloway affirme that the evidence of Gods Spirit appeared in the Christmas Sermons that are extant more liuely then in any other Sermons Next it may be objected that the people of God might haue indicted dayes of fasting at their owne determination and an interdiction of all kynd of work Answer They had a generall warrant from God Ioel. 2.15 to proclaime a generall fast according to the occurrence of their calamities and other affaires of the kirk The light and law of nature leadeth a man to this observation of an occasionall fast nature teacheth him presently to withdraw his hand and heart from worldly affaires and to lift them up to God to deprecate his wrath when his judgement is aboue our heads The like may be said by analogie of thanksgiuing that we ought to praise God in the mean time wheÌ„ we receiue the benefit But to make of the occasionall dayes of fasting or feasting aniversarie and set festivall and fasting daies is without warrant It remaineth therefore that it is the Lords soueraignty to make or ordaine a thing to be holy God first sanctifies by commandement and institution man sanctifieth thereafter by observation applying to an holy use the time sanctified by God It was a part of the Idolatry of the golden calfe to proclaime a holy day It is numbred among one of Ieroboams sins that he ordained a feast after the deuise of his own heart 1. King 12 33â— Musculus sayeth If any man shall attempt to make holy at his pleasure the things that God hath not Sanctified is not only Superstitious but challengeth vnto himself that which belongs onely to God When God blesseth and sanctifieth a day then may man looke for a blessing in sanctifieing it The third Reason Wee come from priuiledge to fact As de jure none may so de facto None did appoint holy dayes vnder the law but God and that either by himself or by some extraordinary direction Therefore none can be allowed vnder the Gospell without the like warant Seeing the tymes vnder the Gospell are not so ceremonious as the tymes under the law Against this reason two instances are commonly alledged the one of the dayes of Purim instituted by Mordecai the other of the feast of dedication instituted by Iudas Maccabeus and graced with Christs presence as is alledged Ioh. 10. But the answer is easie The dayes of Purim were simply called the dayes of Purim not the holy dayes of Purim They are neither called Chag nor Mogned nor Gnatsarah as the other anniuersarie feasts are called in the old Testament No mention is made of holy conuocations on these dayes nor divine service proper to them notwithstanding of their returne to the temple and promise that the memoriall of the dayes of Purim should not fall from among them nor perish from their seede Ester 9.27.28 It is true that now a daies they read the booke of Ester And therefore call it the feast of Megilla after the reading wherof they spend the rest of the time in revelling more madde then the Gentiles were in their Bacchanalis This reading was not the first institution but an addition of the later Iewes The dayes of Purim were instituted onlie for ciuill dayes and the ordinance required no farther but that they should make them dayes of feasting and joy and sending of portions one to another and gifts to the poore Ester 9.19.22 to be documents and testimonies of their fasting and crying that is in remembrance of their fasting and prayers by which they obtained that deliverance At the instant time of their deliverie it is sayd they rested but in the Edict when the daies were made anniversarie rest from all kind of worke was not forbidden therefore Hospinian sayth In festo Phurim operari prohibitum non est they were not forbidden to work And Willet compareth it with the fift of November and affirmeth the like Next it is to be considered that Mordecai is thought to be the pen-man of the book of Ester and consequently a Prophet He was one of the 120. masters of the great Synagogue amongst whom were both Priests and Prophets Ezra and his society Daniel his companions Zachary Malachy c. Thirdly it appeareth Ester 9.28 that it was an order to endure as long as the feast dayes appointed by the Lord himself and in no case to be altered Holy daies of Ecclesiasticall constitution are not of such a nature as D. Fulk acknowledgeth Whatsoever therefore was the quality of these dayes whether holy or civill the warrant was more then ordinary The feast of Dedication whereof mention is made Iohn 10. some take for the dedication of the Temple in Zorobabels time as the Magdeburg Centuries So likewise Chrysostom Theophilactus Cajetanus Abulensis Euthymius and others as Barradius reporteth But let it be meant as is alledged If the feast of dedication in Salomon and Zorobabels time was anniversary then the Maccabees did follow the example of these who had Propheticall direction If they were not anniversarie as indeed Toletus leaveth it as uncertaine then this annuall memory was an addition of the Pharisees who enlarged the glory of this feast as they did their Phâ—lacteries Iunius relateth out of the Talmud that the wise men decreed that the eight dayes of that feast should be yearly dayes of ioy By the wise men are meant the Pharisees who were called Sapientes Israelis The renewment of the Altar and of certain other decayed places was honoured by them with an annuall memory whereas the whole Temple with all the implements and furniture thereof in Salomon and Zorobabels time had not the like honour Neither doe we read that any annuall memory was instituted by Hezekias after the prophanation of the Temple by Ahaz and Prias nor by Iosias after that it was polluted by Manasses Amon. Christs walking in Salomons Porch maketh nothing for approbation of this feast He had remained in Ierusalem from the feast of the Tabernacles and came not up of purpose to keepe that feast He taketh old of the present opportunity to thrust his sickle into a thicke harvest Wee haue to consider for a generall answer to all instances alledged from the Iewish Kirk first that they had extraordinary directions which wee want They had prophets by office or commission who ended in Malachi They had prophets who were only prophets by the Spirit as Daniell David and Salomon who
to keepe their Station there was no intermission of the daily sacrifice no interruption of the courses till the destruction of the Temple as Scaliger proveth in the end of his booke By the calculation from the 22. of November at the dedication made by Maccabeus he maketh Iohn the Baptist to be conceived after the 28. day of Iuly and consequently Christs birth to fall out about the end of September an hot time of the yeare when the Shepheards were watching in the field Casaubon saith That the custome of the Kirke of Alexandria doth wonderfully confirme the calculation of Scaliger The day of the weeke when Christ was borne can no mortall man know sayth the same Scaliger They who were of one family diuided the services among themselues as it fell by lot some fell to offer Incense some to dresse the lampes some to order the wood on the Altar 1. Chron. 23.28.29.30.31 And the booke of the Iewish Liturgies testifies the same So you see how it fell Zachary to offer up incense and that he was not high Priest If antiquitie erred so grossely in the matter it selfe that is in taking the 25. day of December for the day of Christs nativity might they not haue erred as grossely in appointing any day at all Nay let us utter the truth December-Christmas is a iust imitation of the December-Saturnall of the Ethnicke Romans and so used as if Bacchus and not Christ were the God of Christians It is commonly obiected that we may as well keepe a day for the nativity as for the resurrection of Christ. We haue answered already that Christs day or the Lords day is the day appoynted for remembrance of his nativity and all his actions and benefites as well as for the resurrection Next the one is morall and weekly the other is mysticall and anniversary The Lords day it selfe is no longer to us mysticall but morall sayth Willet and therefore Pasâ—h-day is a mysticall Sabboth and anniversary whereas the Lords Sabboth should be onely morall It is still objected the benefits of God ought to be remembred specially Christs notable benefits Answ. It is one thing to remember another thing to remember with solemne festivities To remember is a morall duety and perpetuall for we ought to keepe not onely an anniuersary but also a weekly and dayly remembrance But to celebrate an anniversary solemnity and to keep a sabboth of rest in remembrance it is a pedagogicall ceremonie of the Iewes The Lord helped there vnderstanding with types and figures their affections with instruments of Musick Their memories with frontelets and Phylacteries to put them in mynd of Gods Law But wee are to keepe sayeth lerome not a literall by outward signes but a spirituall memorie of Gods law Euery thing set vp for remembrance of God is not acceptable to him for so the Lutheran shall defend his images As oft as the Gospell is preached Christ is remembred When the word is preached Christ is crucified and by the same reason hee may be said to be borne to rise againe to ascend c. When the sacrament is ministred Christs death and Passion is remembred and that with solemnity Wee cannot worship Christ privatly or publickly but we must remember his birth and his passion Pope Alexander 3. gaue this reason wherefore the Romane Kirk kept not a holy day to the Trinity Quoniam Ecclesia Romana in usu non habet quod in aliquo tempore buiusmodi celebret specialiter festivitatem cum singulis diebus gloria Patri fâ—â—io Spiritui Sancto coetera simitia dicantur ad laudem pertinentia Trenitalis because faieth hee Glorie to the father and to the Sonne and to the holy Ghost and other such like things belonging to the praise of the trinity are uttered daily The Popes reason is grounded vpon this rule Whatsoeuer is intreated or remembred in the ordinary divine service ought not to haue one speciall holy day to celebrat the memory of the same beside the day already discerned by the Lord. We assume Christs nativity death resurrection c. Are not only the continuall meditation of a Christian in private but also are remembred and intreated in the ordinary and publick service Every communion sunday is a passion holy day Euery sabboth that Christs nativity is preached is a time of remembrance of his Natiuity But to ordain an anniversary day or houre of rest for commemoration of his nativity or passion and specially vpon a weeke day is a Iewish rudiment and a prejudice to Christian libertie As for the 5. day of November it is not an holy day It is not a day of cessation from work which is one of the chiefe elements of an holy day The bonefires set out in token of joy are no part of Christian sanctification of the day Bellarmine telleth vs Ignis accendi solet ad letitiam significandam etiam in rebus prophanis that fire vseth to be kindled even in ciuill and prophane things Scaliger calleth the candels and torches lightned vpon Midsomer even the foote steps of auncient gentility Anniversary commemoration of a benefite with a cessation from worke suppose for a part of a day is Iewish To praise God with publick thankesgeving in the instant tyme of receiueing the benefit was our duetie But to appoint an anniuersary houre of cessation and publicke commemoration is not competent to the times of the new Testament Willet compareth this day to the daies of Purim Be it so But these dayes were of a ceremoniall nature as we haue said The seventh Reason Grant the keeping of holy dayes to haue been at the beginning a matter indiffrent and setting aside all the former reasons yet ought they to be abolished because according to the rule of the Fathers commended to us by Zanchius Non malè igitur fecerunt qui omnia praeter diem Dominicum aboleverunt Things indifferent when they are abused and polluted with superstition ought to be abolished In this ranke he placeth holidayes and therefore inferreth that they haue not done evill who haue abolished all other holidayes but the Lords day When he sayth They haue not done evill it is all one as if he had sayd They had done well for they haue done according to that laudable rule Sure it is that in former times holidayes haue not onely been abused to iâ—lenesse and licentiousnesse but also polluted with the opinion of worship merit necessity and Iudaicall conceit that the Divell did not tempt on these dayes as he did on other dayes Therefore the same Zanchius faith in the place aforesayd If any feasts were celebrate before religiously and holily but thereafter were contaminate with superstition and Idolatry that worthily they were taken away by our Reformers who imitate herein the example of Hezekias brusing to powder the brasen Serpent when it was abused to idolatry And againe he sayth The number the abuses the superstitions the false worships the will-worships
of feasts so increased that there is nothing in the Kirke so unsavoury to God so pernicious to men as to sanctifie such and so many dayes We pretend that we place no part of Gods worship in the observation of dayes But how can wee obserue a day to the honour of Christ and not worship him by that observation That were to make his honour no honour Wee vse to reason against the Papists after this manner To dedicate daies to Saints is religious worship Is it not then religious worship to dedicat a day to Christ yea surely and wil-worship And so they were not onely polluted with wil-worship but are at this houre of themselues a meere wil-worship The 8. Reason That which lawfully hath been abolished by civile and Ecclesiasticall lawes and by consent and uniforme practize in the contrary without interruption and beyond the prescription of time allowed to things moueable put the case holy dayes were things moueable and indifferent and hath been borne downe by sermons of all the most reverent Preachers since the reformation corrected with censures and abjured by publick oaths of Preachers and professors cannot lawfully be received and put in practize againe Hooker and Saravia urged for maintenance of their ceremonies Law custome prescription and craveth that the impiety and unlawfulnes of their ceremonies be proved or els that the non-conformists conforme May we not plead after the same manner for our former order so long established and that they proue it was impious and unlawfull before we make a change And so much the rather because we haue sworn Our oath by it selfe bindeth more then Law custome and prescription farre more when it concurreth with them The assumption is evident by that which I haue already set downe in the beginning If Zanchius aproved the abolition of holy dayes in some Kirks where they were because they haue been poluted and grossely abused much more would he and other divines knowing the trueth of our case think it unlawfull to reinduce them amongst us The iudgement of the Reformed Kirkes Of the ancient Kirks I haue spoken before Some excuse the Ancients with good intention because to winne the Gentiles they converted their dayes into Christian holy dayes Others excused them with the circumstance of time that dwelling among Paganes they made profession before their eyes of Christs birth Passion resurrection c. by observing such dayes But the wisdome of their intention has proven folly as the 7. reason maketh manifest The like circumstance of time is not offered Therefore we may not be excused It is grosse ignorance to say that holy dayes were so many hundreth yeares before Papistry For Papistry hath been in the Kirk ever since the dayes of the Apostles yea the mystery of iniquitie was working in their times The errors of the Orthodoxe Kirk were the beginnings of Papistry at length they grew to a great masse So how beit the whole lump was not formed till the Antichrist came to his full strength yet many particulars were entered before and like brooks came into the great river As the Antichrist was borne and did grow in yeares so did Papistry As for the reformed Kirks except our neighbour Kirke they haue abandoned dayes dedicate to Saints Some admit dayes dedicate to Christ some two some fiue But not with the full consent and good liking of the learned But either forced by the authority of the Magistrate or wilfulnes of the people or because remaining in the midst of their enimies they are not permitted otherwayes to do Farrellus and Viret removed all holy dayes out of the Kirk of Geneva as Calvin testifies The same decree which banished Farellus and Caluin out of Geneva brought in other holy dayes They were all again abrogate except the sabboth day Howsoever after came in the keeping of Pasche and the Nativity Caluin was so far from liking of holy dayes that he was flandered of intention to abolish the Lords day The Belgick Kirks in their Synod holden at Dost anno 1578. wished that onely the Lords day might be celebrate Yea Luther himselfe in his booke de bonis operibus set forth anno 1520. wished that there were no feast dayes among Christians but the Lords day And in his booke to the Nobilitie of Germanie he saith Consultum esse ut omnia festa aboleantur solo Dominico die retento It were expedient that all feast dayes were abrogate the Lords day only retained Howsoever forraigne divines in their Epistles Councels speak somtime sparingly against holy dayes when their advice was sought of Kirks newly risen out of Popery and greatly distressed they never advised a Kirke to resume them where they were removed neither had they leasure to consider narrowly the corruption of every errour that prevailed in their time the work of reformation was so painfull to them I wish therefore that the judicious Reader would ponder the reasons set down in this treatise As for our neighbour Kirk standing in the midest betwixt the Roman and reformed Kirks as Bucerus once said is more liberall in their feasts as in other ceremonies then the other reformed Kirks as Gretzerus the Iesuit hath observed Calvino-Papistae Angli ut in aliis quae ad ritus et ceremonias pertinent longe liberaliores sunt quam puritani in Gallia Germania Belgia ita et in festis retinendis longe largiores They obserue not onely the fiue holy dayes already mentioned but other dayes also dedicate to Christ. The feast of circumcision was not remembred in the Kalendars but within this 500. year Nazianzen is the first that maketh mention of the Epiphanie day Neither was it institute at the first for the wise men There is no homily of any farther extent for the feast of purification before the dayes of Iustinian The feast of the Trinitie was not keept at Rome it selfe in the dayes of Alexander the 3. They keepe also a number of Sancts dayes so that their dayes in number are moe then the Iewes themselues observed The reasons already alledged against dayes dedicate to Christ may serue also against dayes dedicate to Sancts and Angels We may looke assuredly that the fiue dayes presently urged will bring in all the rest to make up our Conformity with our neighbour Kirk which to us is not lawfull They were never remoued from amongst them we haue abandoned and abjured them If the Apostle reproved the Galatians so sharply that beginning in the spirit they returned to the flesh that is to the ceremonies of Moses Law some time ordained by God what reproofe deserue we after wee haue begun in the Spirit and runne so well and so long if we returne to human traditions superstitiōs To cōclude then to esteem one day aboue another in respect of any mystery certainly known or commonly reputed to haue been wrought upon that day To testifie this estimation by cessation from worke To devise a particular service to be done upon it accounting that forme or
Kirke There is another reason to proue that there were no other dayes appoynted in the Apostles times The Apostle had occasions to treat of holy dayes reasoning against the observation of Iewish dayes they direct them to no other as the purpose required The Apostle condemneth not onely the observation of the Iewish daies nor the Iewish observation of the Iewish daies to a typicall use For the converted Iewes did not obserue them as shadowes of things to come for then they had denied Christ but he condemneth observation of dayes as a Iewish custome and rite as a pedagogicall and rudimentary instruction not beseeming the Christian Kirke Zanchius speaketh to this purpose after this manner Magis consentaneum est cum prima institutione cum scriptis Apostolicis ut unus tantum dies in septimana sanctisicetur It is more agreeable to the first institution and the writings of the Apostles that one day of the weeke onely be sanctified Against this Argument is first alledged that the Apostle compareth with the observation of dayes Rom. 14.5.6 Answ. The Apostle beareth with the infirmity of the weake Iewes who understood not the fulnesse of the Christian liberty And the ceremoniall law was as yet not buried But the same Apostle reproveth the Galatians who had attained to this libertie and had once left off the observation of daies Next the Iudaicall dayes had once that honour as to be appointed by God himselfe but the anniversary dayes appointed by men haue not the like honour It is secondly obiected that seeing the Lords day was instituted in remembrance of Christs resurrection the other notable acts of Christ ought likewise to be remembred with their severall festivities Answer It followeth not that because Christ did institute in remembrance of one benefite therefore men may institute for other benefites 2. Christs resurrection was a benefite including the rest as an accomplishment of the worke of redemption and answered anagogically to the common benefit of creation by the beginning of a new creation 3. We deny that the Lords day was appointed to celebrate the memory onely of Christs resurrection For then the Lords resurrection the proper subiect of all Homilies Sermons Gospels Epistles Collects Hymnes and Psalmes belonging to the Paschall seruice should be the proper subject of deuine seruice euery Lords day Then the Lords day shovld be a festivall day and it were vnlawfull to fast on it It was instituted for the remembrance of all his actions and generalie for his worship Athanasius sayth In Sabathâ— conuenimus ut Dominum Sabathi Iesum adoremus Wee conuene on the Sabboth that wee may adore Iesus the Lord of the Sabboth Augustin sayth Domineus hic dies idâ—irco dicitur quia eo die Dominus resurrexit vel ut ipso nomine doceret illuÌ„ Domino consecratum esse debere It is called the Lords day because the Lord rose that day or that the name might teach us that it ought to be consecrate to the Lord. It is called the Lords day either becase the Lord did institute it as the dayes of Purim are called Mordecaies dayes in the second of the Maccabees and the communion is called the Lords Supper Or els because it was instituted to the Lords honour and worship The Iewish Sabboth was the Sabboth of the Lord our God The Christian sabboth is the Sabboth of Christ our Lord God and Man The name of Lord was more frequent in the mouths of Christians in the Apostlick times then the name of Christ as Rhenanus hath obserued When it is called commonly the Lords day it is all one as if it were commonly called Christs day Changeing the title but not the purpose If the ordinary sabboth be Christs day appointed by himselfe or his Apostles at his direction for the remembrance of all his actions and for his worship in generall to diuide his actions and appoint anniversary and mysticall dayes for their remembrance is superstitious wil-worship and a Iudaicall addition to Christs institution Christs day answereth analogicallie to the morall sabboth It may be applied to the remembrance of Christs resurrection seeing he rose that day and in some sort to bâ— a signe of the heavenly rest But that is typus communis factus A common type fitted to resemble such things But not typus distinâ—â—us appointed by God for that end It resteth then that Christs day or the Lords day is the Christian sabboth a continuation of the morall sabboth and to be obserued in a morall maner for all the paise of Gods worship in and through Christ and not in a misticall maner for the joyfull remembrance of Christ resurrection onely It is thirdly objected that Paul kept the feast of Pentecost Act. 20. 1. Cor. 16. I answer It was the Iewish Pentecost whereof mention is made in these places Paul needed not to haue travelled to Ierusalem for he might haue observed the Christian Pentecost euery where Bellarmin himself wil not be so bold as to affirme that it was the Christian Pentecost Francolinus putteth it out of doubt and sayth it is against the common exposition of the interpreters for sayeth he Tune temporis non erant celebres christianorum festivitates cum Euangelium non esset ad huc plenè promulgatum the festiuities of Christians were not as yet celebrated for the Gospell was not yet fully published It is fourthly objected out of the Epistles of Policarpus Pollycrates extant in the history of Eusebius and out of Beda following Eusebius that the Apostles kept the feast of Easter Answer Beda was but a fabler and a follower of fabulous reports Eusebius was little better treading vnknowne foot-steps as himself confesseth in the beginning of his storie The Epistles alledged are counterfeit for it is said in these Epistles that Iohn was a Priest and bare on his forehead the Patalum that is the golden plate like that of the high Priests Exod. 37.36 But no man will graunt sayth Scaliger Neutrum concedit quisciverit nullam Christi Apostolum sacerdotem fuisse nulli preterquam Summo Sacerdoti Petalon gestare licuisse That either Iohn or Iames bare it who vnderstand that none of Christs Apostles was a priest and that it was lawfull to none but the hie priest to beare the golden plate And yet these Epistles are the eldest records that Eusebius can ground vpon The Bishop of Elie in his sermon taketh needlesse pains to prove the antiquity of Ester But when he proveth it to be Apostolicall he shooteth short His eldest antiquity is the counterfeit Epistles before alledged His proofe out of scripture Psalm 118.8 1. Cor. 5.7.8 are very weake For the first testimonie is applyed to euery Lords day and is not to be restrained to Pasche day Christ crucified and refused of the builders was demonstrate to be the corner stone For that day he was demonstrate to be the son of God by his resurrection according to Dauids Prophesie To