the body of all these shadows is and next the libertie giuen by God to the Christian Church mentioned by Isaiah as ye heard before For as by the first we are freed from the bondage of the Law and the obseruation of the set times therein prescribed so by the second all times are sanctified to the worship of God in so farre that the Christian Church may make choyce of any time in the weeke any day in the moneth or yeere for their publique meetings to his worship And as for the Lords Day which hath succeeded to the Iewish Sabbath albeit God hath coÌ„manded to sanctifie it by the publike exercise of religioÌ„ yet neither is the whole publike worship nor any part of it appropriated to that time but lawfully the same may be performed vpoÌ„ any other conuenient day of the weeke of the Moneth or of the yere as the Church shall think expedient Vpon this ground Zanchius affirmed Ecclesiae Christi liberuÌ„ esse quos velit praeter dominic dies sibi saÌ„ctificaÌ„dos deligere And by this warrant did the primitiue Church sanctifie these fiue anniuersarie dayes of Christs Natiuitie Passion Resurrection Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Ghost Where it is obiected that it is onely proper to God to make holidayes I answer That it is onely proper to God to make times and places holy by appropriating to them a diuine worship which may not bee performed lawfully but in these places and on these times such as the Tabernacle and Temple and the Iewish Festiuities vnder the Law were for vnto them was appropriated by God a worship which might not be performed on another day and so these dayes did not only belong to the worship as meere circumstances but were proper parts or points thereof and could not bee omitted without marring of the whole action In which respect these dayes were holier then other dayes because a part of Gods worship consisted in obseruation of them Such holy dayes the Church cannot make But to make times and places holy by consecration of them to an holy vse the Church hath power for the dayes that she appoints are obserued only for order and policie and haue no relation to the worship performed on them as any Rite or religious Ceremonie belonging necessarily to the integritie thereof The Natiuitie of our Sauiour may bee remembred and publike thankes giuen to God therefore vpon any other time as well as vpon the twentie fiue of December likewise the Passion Ascension and the rest of these benefits yet wee remember them at certaine set-times not because the times require such a worship or the worship such a time to the integritie and lawfulnesse thereof but to the end the worship may be performed orderly once euery yeare in euery place vpon one day that all people wheresoeuer they be at home or abroad may bee instructed and admonished to prayse and magnifie the grace of God and goodnesse of their Sauiour Herein the reformed Churches differ from the Papists who Iudaize in obseruation of those Festiuities because they professe to obserue them not for order only but esteeme them to be sacratiores sanctiores alijs diebus pars diuini cultus which we doe not For the Lords Day it hath succeeded to the Sabbath and is holy by diuine Institution hauing for euidence and confirmation thereof both a morall Precept and the exemplarie practice of Christ and his Apostles in Scripture In the forth command after the labour of six dayes the seuenth is appointed to bee sanctified in memoriall of Gods rest from his six dayes worke and the particular day not being expressed in the command was notified to the people either by the exemplary practice of Moses and the Church in the Wildernesse or by tradition of the Fathers going before if so it be that from the Creation that day was obserued Now after the legall shaddowes are abolished whereof the Iewish Sabbath was one if any will demand what day must bee obserued in the Christian Church wee answere that questionlesse for the quotient of the number the day cannot bee altered which by the Law is appointed Heauen and Earth shall perish but one iot of the Law shall not perish Our Sauiour came not to dissolue the Law but to fulfill it In the Law wee heare that God rested the seuenth Day that he blessed and sanctified it and there is a libertie giuen to labour six dayes but the seuenth is commanded to be kept holy so howbeit the Iewish Sabbath which was the shaddow be materially abolished as touching the particular Day yet the Day commanded in the Law formally must remayne and euer be the seuenth after six dayes worke But if yee will aske seeing the seuenth Day in particular is not expressed in the Law and that day which the Iewes obserued is abolished by Christ as the shaddow by the body how the particular and materiall Day may bee knowne that the Christian Church should obserue Vnto this we answere that the particular Day was demonstrated by our Sauiours Resurrection and his Apparitions made thereon by the Apostolicall practice and the perpetuall obseruation of the Church euer since that time of the Day which in Scripture is called the Lords Day as that which the Iewes obserued was called the Lords Sabbath because as the one was appointed by the Lord for a memoriall of his rest after the Creation so the other was instituted by the Lord for a memoriall of his Resurrection after the Redemption For this wee must hold as a sure ground whatsoeuer the Catholike Church hath obserued in all Ages and is found in Scripâ—ure expresly to haue beene practised by Christ and the Apostles such as the sanctification of the Lords Day the same most certainly was instituted by the Lord to bee obserued and his practice in that is exemplar and hath the strength of a particular precept Hereby it is manifest that the sanctification of the Lords Day is of diuine Institution as well by reason of the diuine Precept commanding the seuenth Day in generall to bee obserued as of the diuine practice of Christ and the Apostles their specifying the Day which hath the force of a particular diuine Precept In respect whereof the obseruation of this Day is a point of diuine Worship and is holy not by Ecclesiasticall Constitution but by diuine Institution Moreouer this Day is holy by appropriation of it to a certaine religious vse whereunto no other Day can be applyed namely to bee a memoriall of the Lords rest after the Creation and of his Resurrection after the Redemption As also to be a signe of our sanctification here and of our glorification hereafter as is manifest by the words of the holy Ghost Exod. 31.13 It shall be a signe betweene me and you that I the Lord doe sanctifie you and that of the fourth to the Hebrewes A rest is left to the people of God wherein we should studie to enter For this wee must hold
resurrectio consecrauit nobis diem Dominicum dies Dominicus sacratus est declaratus Christi resurrectione inde coepit habere festiuitatem suam And in Tertullian his time it was indeed esteemed a thing vnlawfull eyther to fast or kneele vpon the Lords Day which custome was confirmed in the Councell of Nice Can. 20. When ye say that if it were appointed for remembrance of Christs Resurrection all the diuine Seruice done on the Lords Day should haue relation only to the Resurrection It is no consequent for albeit God blessed and sanctified the Iewish Sabbath because hee rested thereon there were yet other Scriptures read on their Sabbath then the storie of Creation and God his rest from it Fourthly where ye alledge that it was called the Lords Day because it was instituted by the Lord and for the Lord we will not contend about this prouiding it be not denyed that it is called the Lords Day principally because the Lord rose thereupon as Augustine and other Ancients affirme euery-where The Communion is called the Lords Supper because hee appointed it to be kept for a memoriall of his death till his comming againe The Iewish Sabbath was called the Sabbath of the Lord their God not only because it was consecrated to his worship for then the New-moones and all the other Festiuall Dayes should haue beene so named which they are not but also because it was the signe and memoriall of Gods rest that Day Therefore in the fourth Command it is expressed as the reason why the Lord did blesse and sanctifie the Sabbath He rested the seuenth Day therefore namely because hee rested on it hee blessed and hallowed it euen so is the Sonday sanctified and blessed by our Sauiour and called the Lords Day because it hath imprinted in it by his Institution a perpetuall memoriall of his Resurrection whereby hee abolished all the Sabbaticall shaddowes of the Law as first the strict and precise bodily rest by bringing in the spirituall and eternall Secondly the memoriall of their temporall deliuerance out of Egypt by bringing in the eternall and spirituall deliuery from the tyrannie of Satan the slauerie of sin and the feare of death and thirdly the signe and marke of distinction which separaâ—ed the Iew and Gentile and was a part of the partition wall in respect whereof the Iewes were called Sabbatarij all these shaddowes Christ by his Resurrection â—th abolished and by the obseruation of the Lords Day they are declared to bee abolished which the obseruation of no other day of the weeke could haue done because Christ stamped none of them with the memoriall of his Resurrection but this Day only whereupon he rose Against this ye alledge that it is not typus destinatus but communis factus that is a Type not instituted by God to be a memoriall of Christs Resurrection but a common Type fitted to resemble such a thing the contrary whereof is true For nothing can bee called a common Type but that which hath in it selfe by nature some respect or qualitie wherby it is fitted to make the resemblance of such a thing As in Marriage in the coniunction of the head and members there is a fitnesse naturall to resemble our vnion with Christ So in the Pismire there is a qualitie naturall to resemble the vertuous man and in the Lion and Horse to resemble the strong and stately but in this day by nature there is neither qualitie nor respect more then in any other to make such a resemblance Moreouer common Types are neither memorial prognosticall signes but demonstratiue only all memoriall prognosticall signes which are not naturall are signes destinate either by God or by man If ye affirme that the Lords Day was destinate by man to be a signe of Christs Resurrection then yee must grant that it was instituted by man to bee obserued in remembrance of that benefit and so it shall not be a day of Diuine but humane Institution Lastly all the times which God hath marked with some rare worke or euent and hath therefore appointed to bee obserued solemnely haue euer beene destinate by God to be memoratiue signes of these same things So the seuenth Day marked with Gods rest and therefore blessed and sanctified is a memoriall of Gods rest and is called the Sabbath of Iehouah and it is also a prognosticall signe of the rest of God to be communicated with the faithfull who resemble that rest by a corporall cessation This the Apostle witnesseth Heb. 4.9 There remaynes therefore a rest to the people of God for hee that enters into his rest hee also ceases from his owne workes as God did from his In like manner the fourteenth day of the first Moneth marked with that rare deliuerance from the destroying Angell and their escape out of Egypt and therefore appointed to be solemnly obserued to the honour of God was destinated by God to bee a memoriall of that their deliuerance and called the Passeouer of the Lord. And euen so the Lords Day being marked with that rare and incomparable benefit of the Resurrection and consecrated in the iudgement of all the Ancients to the worship of God insteed of the Iewish Sabbath is a memoriall signe of the Resurrection destinated by the Lord himselfe a demonstratiue signe of our spirituall Resurrection from sinne to newnesse of life and a prognosticall signe of our corporeall Resurrection vnto euerlasting life This Saint Augustine expresseth in the words before cited Dominicus dies Christi resurrectione sacratus aeternam non solum spiritus sed etiam corporis requiem praefigurat In end where yee conclude that the Lords Day was not appointed only for a remembrance of his Resurrection after a mysticall manner but for the remembrance of all his actions and worship in generall if your meaning bee that on the Lords Day all Christs actions may and ought to be orderly remembred as occasion requires and not his Resurrection only it is true that yee say but if your meaning bee that the sanctification of the Lords Day was not ordayned to be a memoriall of Christs Resurrection I deny your assertion preferre to your opinion the iudgement of all the Ancients Vnto that which yee subioyne that it is a superstitious wil-worship and a Iudaicall addition to Christs Institution to diuide Christs actions and appoint Anniuersary and Mysticall dayes for their remembrance I reply that it is a superstitious wil-worship indeed and a Iudaicall addition to Christs Institution so to tye all the worship of God to the Lords Day that no other day nor time may bee appointed for preaching praying or remembring any of Christs benefits seeing vnder the Gospell as Tertullian speakes De Baptismo omnis dies Domini est omnis hora omne tempus habile est baptismo that is euery day is the Lords euery houre and euery time is fit for Baptisme If for Baptisme why not for Doctrine and Prayer and Thankesgiuing and all other parts of Gods
but in the signification and we haue often said before that we obserue no day for signification but the Lords Day onely The rest we obserue as times meet and commodious for the worship appointed to be done on them As to Doctor Willets assertion That the Lords Day is not mysticall to vs I oppone to it Saint Augustines iudgement who calls it as yee heard before a figure and type of life eternall which is confirmed by the Apostle in the fourth to the Hebrewes But Doctor Willet I hope takes mysticall for a darke and obscure shadow of things to come such as the festiuall dayes vnder the Law were kept in remembrance not of spirituall and eternall but of temporall benefits which were shadoweâ— of spirituall and eternall benefits to come And in this sense the Lords Day is not mysticall for it is not kept in remembrance of temporall benefits which are shadowes of spirituall and eternall but in remembrance of Christs Resurrection by whom we are put in present possession of our spirituall rest and life and in hope of eternall In respect whereof as it is a memoriall signe of the Resurrection of our Sauiour so is is a demonstratiue signe of the benefit which wee enjoy of spirituall rest and prognosticall of our eternall and therefore is called a figure and type by Saint Augustine Thus taking a mysterie in a large sense for any significant signe in Religion it may be called mysticall The Sacraments of the new Testament are called mysteries by the Ancients not in the sense that the Sacraments of the old Testament were called mysteries for they were so called because they were darke and obscure shadowes of things to come but our Sacraments are the liuely Images of the things themselues by reason of the plaine and manifest Word of the Gospell annexed to them By this distinction Saint Augustine and Doctor Willet may be agreed PP It is still obiected The benefits of God ought to bee remembred specially Christs notable benefits Ans. It is one thing to remember another thing to remember with solâ—â—â—â— â—â—stiuities To remember is a morall dutie and perpetuall for we ought to keepe not onely an anniuersarie but also a weekely and daily remembrance But to celebrate an Anniuersarie solemnitie and to keepe a Sabbath of rest in remembrance it is a pedagogicall ceremonie of the Iewes c. ANS Wee thinke it sufficient to haue made that obiection once because it hath neuer yet beene answered but yee propone it often to assay if yee shall bee able to fall on some solide solution at last yet like an euill Archer the longer yee shoote yee stray the further from the marke Yee thinke an Anniuersarie remembrance may be kept but an Anniuersarie solemnitie should not bee celebrated yee hide your minde from simple people vnder a mysticall solemnitie of words but to speake that plainly which yee call the celebration of an Anniuersarie solemnitie your meaning must be if yee contradict the Act that preaching should not bee made prayers thanksgiuing and prayses should not be offered on certayne set times in the yeare in remembrance of Christs Natiuitie Passion c. If yee will haue no such exercise to bee vsed what Anniuersarie remembrance is it that yee would haue obserued Is it a priuy meditation in our Chambers whereunto neither God nor Man is priuie or some occasionall remembrance in our Lectures and Sermons as they fall out now and then Is this the thankfulnesse that wee are taught by the light of Nature and the Word of God to render for the inestimable benefits of our redemption which God hath vniuersally and publikely bestowed vpon all Oh but to keepe a Sabbath of rest in remembrance say yee is a pedagogicall ceremonie To keepe a mysticall rest such as the rest of the Sabbath was is pedagogicall but to keepe a rest for the more commodious and solemne performance of a great and diuine action such as the commemoration of Christs Birth Death c. is not pedagogicall but necessary for the commoditie and celebritie of the worship which cannot bee well and worthily performed without cessation from other seruile businesse That this is the vse of the rest commanded in his Maiesties Proclamation is manifest by the reasons set downe therein in these words That euery one may the better attend the holy exercises which are to bee kept in the Church on these times Yee are cunning to deceiue the simple with ambiguitie of words There is a rest that is ciuilly kept which is a cessation from our ordinary workes for some other ciuill employment as for marriages triumphs weapon-shewings and such like this rest is lawfull but it is not Sabbaticall There is a rest kept superstitiously as when men ceasse from their labouâ—s for some foolish feares of ill successe by reason of the time this is not called a Sabbath of rest but a superstitious rest There is a rest kept idolatrously for the honour of idols as the Baechanalia Floralia and the holy dayes proclaymed by the Israelites for honour of their golden Calfe These are damnable rests Finally there is a rest that is kept religiously and this rest is kept either for celebritie and commoditie of the religious action onely or mystically for commoditie and celebritie of the religious seruice a rest is kept in all the solemne times of fasting a rest is kept in the houres of Prayers or Preaching and other diuine Seruice And such is the rest that his Maiestie hath appointed to bee obserued The rest kept mystically was a significant rest of some thing by-past present or to come such was the rest of the Iewish Sabbath and of the Legall Festiuities and such Augustine holds and other many good Diuines our rest on the Lords Day to be from the fourth to the Hebrewes This is called a Sabbath of rest such a rest his Maiestie hath not commanded but a rest for commoditie and celebritie of the diuine Seruice only which in nothing is like to the Iewes Frontlets Phylacteries and such other Legall shadowes PP Pope Alexander the third gaue this reason wherefore the Romane Church kept not a Holy day to the Trinitie Quoniam Ecclesia Romana in vsu non habet c. Because sayes he Glorie to the Father and to the Sonne and to the holy Ghost and other such like things belonging to the praise of the Trinitie are daily vttered The Popes reason is grounded vpon this rule Whatsoeuer is intreated or remembred in the diuine seruice ordinarie ought not to haue a speciall Holy day to celebrate the memorie of the same beside the day alreadie decerned by the Lord. We assume Christs Natiuitie Death Resurrection c. are not onely the continuall meditation of a Christian in priuate but also a remembred and intreated in the ordinarie and publique seruice Euery Communion Sonday is a Passion Holy day Euery Sabbath that Christs Natiuitie is preached is a time of remembrance of his Natiuitie But to ordayne an Anniuersarie
day or houre of rest for commemoration of his Natiuitie or Passion and specially vpon a weeke day is a Iewish rudiment and a preiudice to Christian libertie ANS I answere to the Proposition first and I grant that whatsoeuer is remembred in the ordinarie diuine seruice ordinarily and particularly such as Glory bee to the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost which was said in the diuine seruice ordinarily and particularly that needes not any particular commemoration vpon some speciall time sayes Pope Alexander but the inestimable benefits and actions of our Sauiour which were not ordinarily and particularly remembred in the daily seruice but onely in the rehearsall of the Creede where all the Articles of Religion are remembred Pope Alexander thought that for commemoration of these a set time was necessary So the Proposition which is your ground being taken according to the Popes minde is against you Next I answere your Assumption is false These benefits are not the continuall meditation of Christians in priuate for I am assured if yee bee a Christian yee did not meditate on these things Christianly when yee did meditate this Pamphlet against the honour of Christ his Passion Resurrection Ascension and against the power of the Church Thirdly where yee say That they are remembred in the ordinarie and publique seruice that falleth our sometimes but not purposely When it happens it is by occasion and generally that they are touched because they occurre in your Text perhaps Otherwise they may lye buried seuen yeares before they be purposely remembred And when yee say That euery Communion Sonday is a Passion Holy day I would demand whether it were lawfull on the Saterday or Friday before that Communion Sonday to make a Sermon on the Passion for preparation of the people to the Communion as I hope you haue practised sometime your selfe Now if this which your selfe and many others haue done bee lawfull is it not lawfull also to doe the like on Friday before Easter which is a Communion Sonday by the acts of our Church And this is all that they ordayned by the Act of the Assembly at Perth touching the remembrance of the Passion Further to that which yee say That euery Sabbath whereon the Natiuitie is preached is a time of remembrance of his Natiuitie I answere That it is but occasionall and so falls out by the Text which the Minister teaches but neither doe the people resort purposely to Church to heare the Natiuitie intreated at that time nor does the Minister intreat of it at large as the same ought Finally yee conclude with that often repeated calumnie that to ordayne a certayne anniuersary day or houre of rest for commemoration of these benefits is a Iewish rudiment and a preiudice to Christian libertie The first is false For the appointing of houres and times weekely monethly or yearely for preaching any part of the Gospell is no Iewish rudiment but a lawfull good and wise Christian policie practised 1500. yeares before yee were borne throughout the whole Christian world and allowed by the best Diuines both in the primitiue and reformed Church So farre is it from being a preiudice to Christian libertie that herein a principall part of our libertie consists that we are not astricted in the worship of God to Times Places or Persons and others such circumstances by the Gospell but haue libertie to choose and appoint such as wee thinke most expedient for the honour of God and edification of his people of the which libertie the purpose of your Pamphlet is to spoile vs in the Sacrament astricting vs to the gesture of sitting onely and for Gods publique worship to the Lords Day onely as if the Church had no power to appoint preaching prayers and diuine seruice to be done at any other time or the Sacrament to bee receiued in any other fashion PP As for the fift day of Nouember it is not an Holy day it is not a day of cessation from worke which is one of the chiefe elements of an Holy day c. Anniuersarie commemoration of a benefit with a cessation from worke suppose for a part of a day is Iewish ANS If an Anniuersarie commemoration of a benefit with cessation from worke suppose for a part of the day bee Iewish then the fift of Nouember yee forget the fift of August must bee Iewish for on it there is an Anniuersarie coÌ„memoration of an exceeding great benefit and a cessation from worke during the space of the commemoration which is a part of the day Therefore according to your reason it must be Iewish Where yee say that cessation from workes is one of the chiefe Elements of a holy day it is true if the cessation and rest be a part of the worship but if it bee only accessorie to the worship and a circumstance thereof it is no Element of a holy day The rest of the Iewish Sabbath and Iewish Festiuities was a mysticall part of the worship but the cessation which is only appointed from coÌ„moditie celebrity of the worship such as that which is commanded to be kept by the Proclamation on these fiue dayes and we are in vse to keepe at our weekly preaching and Prayers and vpon the fift dayes of August and Nouember is only accessory and serues for commoditie and celebritie of the worship without which the same could not duly be performed PP Grant the keeping of holy dayes to haue beene at the beginning a matter indifferent and setting aside all the former Reasons yet ought they to be abolished because according to the rule of the Fathers commended to vs by Zanchius Non male igitur fecerunt qui omnia praeter diem Dominicum aboleuerunt Things indifferent when they are abused and polluted with Superstition ought to be abolished ANS If all things indifferent which haue beene polluted with Superstition ought to be abolished then all the Parish Churches in Scotland should be demolished for to preach or not to preach in them is a thing indifferent Ringing of Bels in time of Popery was abused superstitiously kneeling an indifferent Ceremonie which may bee vsed and not vsed at Prayer hath beene most vily abused to Idolatry in praying to Idols singing was abused to Superstition and Idolatry for Hymnes were sung to the Virgin Mary yea to her the hundred and fiftie Psalmes of Dauid were diuerted or peruerted and sung in a strâ—nge Language Shall it therefore follow that there should be no ringing of Bels no kneeling at Prayer no singing or reading of Psalmes This is absurd to say Albeit Zanchius sayes non male fecerunt c. Hee sayes not simply that they ought to bee abolished nor does hee reprooue them who retayned the dayes kept by the ancient Apostolike Church Quanquam Ecclesiae Christi liberum est sayes he quos velit praeter Dominicum dies sibi sanctificandos deligere honestius tamâ—n laudabilius atque vtilius est eos sanctificare quos etiam vetus atque Apostolica
the very beginning of the world it hath beene vsed Parents doe yet confer their blessing in this manner to their children and when spirituall blessings are giuen there can bee no offence to doe it with the like ceremonie But I heare that some cannot abide to heare the word of Confirmation the thing it selfe gladly they admit but they would haue examination or some the like word put for it Not onely the abuse but the very name of the thing abused so tender are the hearts of some men must be put away For this shortly I say that the Scriptures neuer taught vs to place Religion in wordes Saint Luke made no scruple speaking of a street in Athens to call it the street of Mars And the ship that Paul sayled in he names by Castor and Pollux though both these were the Idols of Pagans If names were to be stood vpon we should put our selues to great businesse it behoueth to change the names of our Moneths and Dayes which some haue pressed vnto but wise men know this to be folly Besides the word of Confirmation was vsed in the Church long before Popery was hatched as is manifest by Saint Cyprian Saint Augustine Tertullian Eusebius and others And thus much of Confirmation The Festiuities which are the next are impugned by this Argument amongst others That hereby wee conforme our selues to Papists in the keeping of holy dayes But had this Argument beene of any force would the reformed Churches haue agreed so vniformely in the obseruation of them All of them so farre as I know keepe holy the dayes of Christs Natiuitie Passion Resurrection and Ascension with the Descent of the holy Ghost The Churches of Bohemie Vngarie Polonia Denmarke Saxonie and high Germany The Heluetian Churches the Belgique and those of the low Countreyes The French English and Geneua it selfe in the beginning of reformation obserued them all The day of Natiuitie they yearely celebrate if I be rightly informed the rest are abrogated and by what occasion reade the 115. and 128. Epistles of Caluin where after he had shewed the occasion of their abolishment hee addes Ego neque suasor neque impulsor fui atque hoc testatum volo si mihi delata optio fuisset quod nunc constitutum est non fuisse pro sententia dicturum For the opinions of the rest of our Diuines in this particular Bucer Martyr Bullinger Zanchius Aretius Polanus Paraeus and Tilenus with all that I haue seene speake manifestly for it Tilenus his words in his Systema which came forth the last yeare are these Alios dies praeter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad peculiarium quorundam Dei beneficiorum Christi gestorum solennem anniuersariam in Ecclesia commemorationem celebrari nulla religio vetat modò prudens cautio accedat Ne videlicet vel vllius rei creatae cultui consecrentur vel insitae diebus illis sanctitatis opinio foueatur vel denique ignauo otio foedisque voluptatibus hac occasione fenestra aperiatur I find in a Synod kept at Middleburgh Anno 1584. a Canon there made that all holy dayes should be abolished except the Lords day and the day of Christs Natiuitie and Ascension But if the Magistrates shall require moe to bee kept then the Ministers shall labour by preaching to turne the peoples idlenesse into godly exercises and businesse These be the wordes of that Canon which I haue cited aswell to shew you what that Church ascribes to Magistrates as because our case in this particular is verie like His Majestie as you know hath charged all his Subiects by Proclamation to abstaine from seruile labour in these times and it should become vs wel as that Act speaks to turn them from idlenes to godly exercises For to dispute of the lawfulnes of the prohibitioÌ„ neque huius fori nor will any Subiect that is in his right wits presume to doe it I doe not vrge the testimonies of the Fathers in this poynt because of them you who were at the last Assembly heard enough And they who eleuate the consent of antiquitie in this matter saying That the mysterie of iniquitie was then begun to worke will reuerence as I trust the iudgement of these reformed Writers who haue laboured to discouer that Mysterie and will thinke it no commendation to them to be dissenting from all the Churches that haue beene and are in the world Of the last Article which requires kneeling as the most reuerend gesture in partaking the holy Sacrament of the Communion I haue neede to say much seeing great stirres are made for this and as I esteeme without any cause The Apostle when he professes to deliuer vnto vs that which hee receyued of the Lord speakes not either of sitting or kneeling or standing by which it is euident That situs vel positus corporis in coena as Zepperus speakes is not of the essence of the Sacrament but to be numbered amongst these circumstances which the Church may alter and change at their pleasure Where it is said that wee ought to conforme our selues to Christs action yee know it is answered That if so were it behoued vs to lye along about the Table to communicate with men and not with women And in the Euening after supper receiue this Sacrament which things were ridiculous to affirme Peter Martyr an excellent witnesse of Gods truth In classe secunda Locâ—rum communium Cap. 4. speakes otherwise Nihil interest saith he si coenae Dominicae sacramentum stantes aut sedentes aut genibus flexis percipiamus modò institutum Domini conseruetur occasio superstitionibus praecidatur And in his Defence of the doctrine of the Eucharist aduersus Gardinerum answering the same argument which Bellarmine brings for reall presence Although in receyuing the Sacrament saith he we adore the Lord by kneeling we doe not thereby testifie the realâ— and corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament for adoration the mind not being applied to the elements but to the things signified may lawfully bee vsed Peter Mouline in defence of his Maiesties Apologie against the Frier Copheteau where the Frier alledges some testimonies out of S. Ambrose S. Augustine and S. Chrysostome to proue the adoration of the consecrated Hoste answers That the Fathers say nothing but that which wee willingly graunt Is there any amongst vs saith he who euer denyed that we ought to adore the flesh of Iesus Christ Who euer doubted that wee ought to adore him in the Eucharist But he that adores Iesus Christ in the Eucharist does not for all that adore that which the Priest holds in his hand but he adores Iesus Christ who is in Heauen These worthie men scorne as yee see Bellarmines argument howbeit wee can take out of an enemies mouth and make somewhat of nothing to beare out our owne conceits Th. Beza did not approue this gesture of kneeling yet did he neuer esteeme it Idolatrie as some of our Spirits doe In his 12. Epistle he writes
anger and indignation which diuerse of your selues haue seene I trauelled at the Ministers their earnest solicitation by all the wayes I could to diuert the troubles which before this time most certainly yee would haue felt And all that hath proceeded since ye know So as I spake before I would if it had beene in my power most willingly haue declined the receiuing of these Articles Not that I did esteeme them either vnlawfull or inconuenient for I am so farre perswaded of the contrary as I can bee of any thing but I foresaw the contradiction which would bee made and the businesse we should fall into Therefore let no man deceiue himselfe these things proceede from his Maiestie and are his owne motions not any others I heare others say they could agree with the Articles but that they take them to be introductions of the rest of the English Ceremonies wherewith they cannot away To this I answer That the ready way to haue the rest imposed is to offend his Maiestie by our resisting and the way to be freed of them is to approue our selues in the obedience of these Thereby both yee and wee shall finde a more gracious hearing in any thing that concerneth the Church Call to mind the eourses of former times and tell me if our oppositions did euer gayne vs any thing If experience will not make vs wise what can But this others say is hard to bee done because our preaching and practice haue both beene to the contrarie and a yeelding now cannot but sâ—ayne our credits I will not reply that it is no credit to be constant in euill nor any discredit to change for the better for this would sound harshly in the eares of many onely I shall wish those who stand so much for their credit to lay before themselues Saint Pauls example who became all to all that hee might saue some Hee had preached against Circumcision against the keeping of the Iewish Sabbaths their new Moones and other Rites he had called them yokes burthens impotent and beggarly rudiments and reproued Saint Peter for making the Gentiles conforme to the Iewes in these things yet after all this he circumcised Timothy and practised himselfe diuers of their Ceremonies The reason was that he saw no other way to redeeme the libertie of his Ministerie further the Gospell and increase the Churches In this hee placed his credit and so hee did speed in that hee stood not much what men reported of him If the zeale of God leade vs and the loue of his Church wee will not looke so much to our selues and to our owne reputation as to the furthering of the worke of the Gospell It will be replyed I know that not for themselues but for the offence of the people they feare to admit these things For hauing preached against holy dayes and the rest and hauing defended the Constitutions of the Church which now must be altered there cannot but great offence ensue I can make no other answer to this then say That I trust none of our Preachers haue stood against the keeping of dayes simply but against the superstitious keeping of them as Papists doe and against the lasciuiousnesse of people prophaning those dayes by vnlawfull exercises Nor haue wee taught at any time sitting to be of the essence of the Sacrament and a Rite that may not be changed for in that case it is necessary for the Truths sake to informe them otherwise and make it seene that wee loue Truth more then our owne reputation If our iudgements haue beene misse-led and that we haue misse-led others it is good that we being resolued of the Truth helpe to resolue others also But I doe not suppose any such ignorance in my brethren I know people thinke many times wee contradict our selues when there is nothing lesse for they distinguish not well of things and haue many mistakings Alwayes this is sure the framing of peoples conceits lyes much in our hands The Dayes required to bee obserued haue beene kept this last yeare in the chiefe Burghes by his Maiesties command what offencâ— thereof did we find amongst the people The Communioâ— hath beene giuen and receiued in that reuerend forme Whâ— was scandalized Some few perhaps that would seeme singular for holinesse by the rest and others because they saâ— their Ministers forbeare but generally such as communicâ—â—ted who were not a few number professed that in theâ—â— time they neuer found more comfort and better motionâ— which their teares and deuout behauiour testified to all thâ— beholders But this they say takes not away the offence for Papists will boast that wee are drawing backe towards them and the godly cannot but be grieued that haue a dislike of their Ceremonies For Papists first wee are not to regard them It is their manner to make aduantage of euery thing say or doe what wee will they will still speake euill of the Truth Are the Churches of England Germany and Bohemie in better termes with Papists then wee Yee know not how things goe in the world if yee thinke so Papists are not the fooles we take them to be pleased with shadowes they haue other more substantiall notes by which they discerne their friends then by ceremonies As for the godly amongst vs wee are sorry they should bee grieued but it is their owne fault for if the things be in themselues lawfull what is it that should offend them They say these alterations can worke no good I answer The alteration is necessary if it bee necessary for our Church to inioy his Maiesties fauour and if it be necessary it must also be profitable Naem causa necessitatis vtilitatis aequiparantur in iure But if they thinke that we should regard their offence and offence of other good Christians let them know that the offence of our gracious Soueraigne is more to vs then theirs and a thousand moe Yet were it not better that his Maiestie should by his authoritie inioyne them rather then the Church giue any consent and when the time shall grow better we may then returne to our old custome for these are the motions of some What they call better times I know not but our fathers saw neuer so good times nor is it to be hoped that our posteritie shall see the like Continuance detracts from the worth of things at least in our conceits wee haue enioyed peace and libertie so long that we little know how precious they are But had we beene in the coates of our fathers or could wee remember the straits our first Reformers stood in and were brought vnto in the same Citie when that good Earle Alexander came to their reliefe wee would thinke it no small blessing to haue our Profession countenanced by Authoritie As to that which they desire that his Maiestie should inioyn these things by Authoritie I leaue it to you to iudge how dangerous the same may proue to the Church If coÌ„formity be enioyned be sure it wil not be
Church representatiue giuen An. 1596. did oblige them all who were liuing to the maintenance of the puritie of Religion in Doctrine and Discipline Heere yee acknowledge that the Church representatiue hath power to oblige all liuing within the iurisdiction therefore yee cannot allow of â—his Article according to your grounds The thirteenth Article PP There stand in force diuers Acts of Parliament in fauours of our present order Iacob 6 Parl. 1 cap. 8. Iames 6. Parl. 8. cap. 68. cap. 69. Item in the first Act of Parliament Anno 1592. ANS None of the Acts of Parliament here cited is contrary to â—he alteration The fourteenth Article PP The Ministers of this Church by order of the same printed and inserted before the Psalme Booke at their admissions respectiue promise in the presence of God and of his Congregation assembled to abhorre and vterly refuse all Doctrine alledged necessary to saluation that is not expresly contayned in the olde and new Testament c. Item to submit themselues to all admonitions secretly or publikely giuen ANS Against this promise nothing was concluded by the Assembly at Perth but how this promise is performed by these who disobey the Ordinances thereof let them aduise with their owne conscience The fifteenth Article PP The Subscribers of the Confession of Faith by their oath therein contained promise and sweare to continue in the obedience of the doctrine discipline of this Church to defend the same according to their vocation and power all the dayes of their liues c. And to abhor and detest all contrary religions but chiefly all kind of Papistry in generall euen as they are now damned by the Church of Scotland but in special the Popes fiue bastard Sacraments whereof Confirmation is one with all Rites and Ceremonies and false doctrines added to the Sacraments without the Word of God his absolute necessity of Baptisme c. which Confession is come to the eyes of the World in print and solemnly renued in the Couenant celebrated in the generall and prouincial Assemblies Presbyteries and Church Sessions in the yeere of God 1596. and how shal any man be heard to speak against that whereunto he hath formerly sworne and subscribed For the better vnderstanding of this last Article I will set downe a short discussion of the Oath ANS There is nothing that the Subscribers of the Confession of faith did by their oath oblige themselues to obserue and defend that is contrary to any of the Articles concluded at Perth and no man should bee heard to speake contrary to that whereunto hee hath formerly sworne subscribed And therefore they who haue sworne subscribed in the 21. Article of the Confession of faith confirmed in Parliament Anno 1567. That no policie and order in Ceremonies can bee appointed for all ages times and places but that they may ought to be changed when necessity requireth should not now bee heard affirming the contrary in this Pamphlet that they may not bee changed wherein ye contradict your oath and perswade others to doe the same Of the which oath the discussion set downe by you is a glosse that destroyeth the Text as shall by Gods grace bee made manifest by the examination thereof which followeth The Examination of the Oath discussed BEfore the Penner of this Pamphlet begins to discusse the oath he sets downe the articles controuerted then fiue seuerall obligations whereby as he alledgeth our Church is obliged to exclude and abhorre the particular actes concluded at Perth Thirdly he considers the Oath which is the chiefe of the fiue obligations Keeping his order wee shall seuerally examine his sayings concerning them And first touching the articles controuerted he sayes thus PP The Religion Doctrine and Discipline receiued beleeued and defended by the Church of Scotland namely the publike ministration of Baptisme and the Lords Supper sitting at the Table in the act of receiuing the bread and the wine of that Sacrament The obseruation of the Lords day and the examination of Children for the first time at the ninth yeare of their age for the second at the twelfth for the third at the fourteenth excluding and abhorring priuate Baptisme priuate Communion kneeling in the act of receiuing the Supper Holy dayes or Feasts of Christmas Passion Resurrection Ascension and sending downe of the Holy Ghost were brought in at the reformation of Religion and enioyed euer since in manner and forme as followeth Answ. The Libeller hath forgotten to exclude Confirmation but since it is vnderstood wee answere to the rest First That the solemne ministration of the Sacraments appointed by the Church especially the act of the assembly holden at Edinburgh Anno 1581. which forbiddeth the ministration thereof in priuate houses excludes not the ministration thereof in priuate places when as necessitie vrges cases of 〈…〉 PP 〈◊〉 Obligations whereby wee are bound to exclude the â—onclusions of the Assembly at Perth and to obey defend and maintaine the contrary are first The vniforme iudgement of the Church condemning the one and allowing the 〈◊〉 Secondly Ecclesiasticall Canons publike confessions and solemne protestations of lawful assemblies Thirdly actes of Parliament ratifying the Constitutions of the Church Fourthly The prescription of 59. yeares and fiftly the Oath and subscriptions of the whole Estates of the Realme By all these bands the Church in generall and euery member thereof in particular are obliged to sit at the Communion and to reiect kneeling with the obseruation of the fiue Holy dayes and other things concluded in the Assembly at Perth ANS Yee are not able to produce any warrant for the vniforme iudgement of the Church nor Canon of Assembly nor act of Parliament nor confession of faith nor publike protestation which either condemnes the points concluded at Perth as vnlawfull to bee vsed in the worship of God or establisheth the contrary as things necessary that cannot be altered in no time succeeding And as for your 59. yeares practise it cannot change the nature of things indifferent and make these formes and circumstances which are of themselues alterable become necessary and vnchangeable yea by the contrary the prescription of a long time giues iust cause often of alteration because either the things practised which at the beginning were profitable become hurtfull or that which was conuenient in the time preceding becommeth inconuenient or because the same things are abused to superstition and prophanenesse or because an opinion is bred by long custome of necessitie This I make manifest by the one and twentieth article of the Confession of our faith confirmed in the first Parliament holden by his Maiesty anno 1567. Decemb. 15. which ye affiâ—me your selfe to haue sworne and subscribed The words of the article are these about the end thereof The other end of generall Councels was for good policie to bee constituted â—nd observed in the Church whereas in the house of God it becommeth all things to be done dâ—cently and in order not that wee
Superintendent of Glasgow his Diocesse Cliddisdale Renfrow Monteith Lennox and Cunninghame His Residence in Glasgow The Superintendent of Dumfreis his Diocesse Galloway Carrick Niddisdale Annandale with the rest of the Westdales his Residence in Dumfreis These were the bounds of their Iurisdiction their Office is described as followeth The function and power of the Superintendents THey must not be suffered to liue as idle Bishops hitherto haue done neither must they remaine where gladly they would but they must be Preachers themselues Charge and command shall be giuen them to plant and erect Churches to sett order and appoint Ministers as is prescribed in their Countries After they haue remained in their chiefe Towne three or foure monethes at the most they shall enter in Visitation in the which they shall not onely Preach but examine the life diligence and behauiour of the Ministers as also they shall trie the estate of their Churches and the manners of the People They must further consider how the poore are prouided and the youth instructed they must admonish where admonition needs and redresse such things as by good counsell they are able to appease Finally they must note such crimes as be hainous that by the censures of the Church the same may bee corrected After all this the order of election of Superintendents is set downe which we haue more largely before the booke of our Psalmes in meeter This being one of the chiefe points of policie concluded in that booke how is it that yee haue dispensed with your oath hereabout And by what power is your oath loosed concerning this head Shall men bee tyed by the Oath to the ceremonies prescribed in that booke and not to the substance of the policie to alterable circumstances and formes of actions and not to the power of gouernement whereby they should be disposed and ordered What can be answered to this by him that vrges the Oath for the controuerted points consisting in ceremonies gestures and circumstances for the indifferent Reader iudge But because it is true that one mans fault excuses not another leauing you to your consciences we answere for our selues according to the one and twentieth article of the â—onfession of our Faith That we thinke no policie nor order in ceremonies can be established to endure for all ages times and places and that whatsoeuer things are appointed by men they are all temporall and may and ought to be changed when necessitie requireth Hereupon we say That no man 〈◊〉 by the Oath oblige himselfe to obey and defend that part of Discipline which concerneth these alterable things all the dayes of his life but onely that discipline which is vnchangeable and commanded in the Word Yea we further affirme that euery man who sware to the discipline of the Church in generall by vertue of that oath standeth obliged not only to obey and â—eâ—end the constitutions of the Church that were in force at the time of making his oath but also to obey and defend whatsoeuer the Church thereafter hath ordained or shall ordaine to be obserued for edification comlinesse and deâ—encie whether thereby the former constitutions bee established or altered and abrogated euen as they who sweare to obey the gouernment of a Kingdome or Citie are by their oath not onely obliged to obey the present Actes and â—awes but all which shall afterwards bee made for the Common-wealth howbeit the former be thereby discharged as when Lawes are made for exportation and importation of goods for weights and measures for fishing cutting of woods for peace for warre and whatsoeuer constitutions they bee that are made such as haue giuen their oath of obedience are thereby tyed to reject the former and obey the later I conclude this with the doctrine of that learned Diuine Master CALVINE Instit. lib. 4. cap. 10. sect â—0 God would not saith hee in externall ceremonies and discipline prescribe particularly what we ought to follow because he foreâ—aw that to depend on the condition of times neither â—id he iudge â—ne forme agreeable to all ages Heere then saith he we must flie to the generall rules which God hath giuen that according to them may be defined whatsoeuer the necessitie of the Church requires to be appointed for order and decencie Finally seeing God hath set downe nothing of those matters expressely because they are not necessary to saluation and are diuersely to bee applyed to the manners of euery age and for edification of the Church it is lawfull as the vtilitie of the Church shall require as wel to change and abrogate these that haue been in vse as to appoint new ceremonies I confesse indeed that we should not runne rashly and vpon light motions vnto nouation but what may hurt and what may edifie Charity can best iudge which if wee admit to bee moderatrix all shall be in safetie and goe well Thus farre Caluine whereby he doth manifest that the Church hath power to change and innouate as necessity requireth all the particular ordinances shee maketh of things alterable and they who in generall haue sworne to obey the Discipline of the Church are all bound by their oath to kneele at the Communion to obserue the fiue Holy dayes and to obey all the rest of the Articles concluded at Perth That which yee afterwards subjoyne touching the forme and force of the Oath we approue onely we wish you to consider seeing it is a part of Ecclesiasticall Discipline as well to change and abrogate ceremoeies in vse as to appoint new That yee by all these forcible formes of the Oath which cannot be loosed are obliged to follow the Church in the alterations shee makes and to defend and obey the Actes and Constitutions that concerne the same and that all who disobey in their owne persons or by their exemplary practise and perswasions induce others to disobey and rebell to the disgrace of their Mother the Church and the breaking of the bond of peace whereby the vnitie of the Spirit is conserued doe assuredly lye tyed vnder the fearefull cords and chaines of periury except they seriously repent The Libeller hauing ended his foure Considerations propounds some defences vsed by them who submit â—hemselues to the Actes of Perth whom contumesiously 〈◊〉 calleth Temporizers and to other Defences maketh his owne Replies First saith he they make themselues freed 〈◊〉 the Oath because the nouation was made by the King 〈◊〉 the Church their Superiours vnto this he giueth a 〈◊〉 answere 〈…〉 that this nouation could not bee â—â—wfully made by the King because hee himselfe did â—weare the Confession of Faith Next that the Church â—ould not make any such nouation because all of the Church did sweare the Oath either personally or really â—ersonally all who subscribed the Confession of Faith â—hich he reckons to haue been the generall assemblies of 〈◊〉 Church Synods Presbyteries Schollers passing their â—egrees and Burgesses when they obtained their Liberâ—â—es Really Children sweare in the persons of their Paâ—ents and all the
no waies the obiect of their internal adoration but the principal only wherupon their minds are fixed Yet all of theÌ„ in one voice the Councell of Trent confesse that they exhibite to the Images all the externall reuerence adoration which is due to the principall and that they adore the Image either in liew of Christ or coniunctly wiâ—h him as the robe and vesture wherein hee is clothed and shines Their externall adoration therfore is not abstract from their Images but our externall and internall both are abstract For we are no more enioyned by the act to bow our knee to the sacramentall Elements then to fixe our minds vpon them worship them in our hearts Also when Suarez calleth the Image an occasion a middesse a signe stirring vp a man to adore the principall he neither saies nor meanes that the Image should not be adored externally with that same worship which is due to the principal To be short The Papists make their Images obiects of adoration both actiuely passiuely actiuely because they call men to remembrance of the principall as signes middesse occasions they stir vp meÌ„ to worship Passiuely because the same external worship whereunto men are stirred vp by the Image is first exhibited to the Image by it conueied to the principal So whatsoeuer vse the Image hath besides in their opinion it is manifest by their doctrine that it is externally to be adored with the same worship that is due to Christ. PP The bread and wine or any other creature whatsoeuer differs not in this present case for howsoeuer they were ordained of God to be signes seales of his graces yet they are not in statu accoÌ„modato ad adoranduÌ„ they haue not such state in the seruice of God as that by them or before them God or his Sonne Christ should bee adored ANS I haue shewed shall presently shew by Gods grace the difference in this case to bee as great as is betweene idolatry and the true worship of God First It is idolatry to vse any Image in the worship of God for a signe an occasion or a middesse to stir vp a man to worship God foâ— they are prohibited in the second Comandement and by the Prophet they are called Teachers of lyes because by them properly and truly nothing can be brought to our remembrance for which we should adore God but on the other part it is not possible that either our mindes can be informed to know God or our affections moued to worshâ—ipâ—e him except by the contemplation of the creatures the meditation of the Word and the consideration of the holy Sacraments take these occasions middesse and signes away yee abolish Religion and all the worship of God out of the Word I hope the Reader by this shall see the difference to bee as great in this case as is betweene a lawfull meane of Gods worship commanded by himselfe and the inuention of man prohibited by God Next the Papists will haue these middesse occasions signes not onely obiects of diuine worship actiue that is seruing to stir vp and moue men to worship which is the first degree of their idolatry but they will haue them likewise passiue obiects such as are to be worshipped either in stead of the principall or coniunctly with him this is a higher degree of idolatry In this then they differ also from the Word Sacraments creatures that these being the ordinary obiects instruments whereby men must be stirred vp to worship God so the obiects of diuine adoration actiuely they neither are nor should they be esteemed passiue obiects of adoration that is such as should be adored either coniunctly with God or in his stead This we condemne detest yet must not run on with you to the other extremity say that howsoeuer they were ordained of God to be signes seales of his graces yet they are not in statu accoÌ„modato ad adoraÌ„duÌ„ for although by them before theÌ„ that is to make the obcurities which ye affect plaine albeit they should neither be adored in place of God his Son or coniunctly wiâ—h God his Son as the Papists professe to adore their Images yet certaine it is that there is nothing in nature or religion fit apt to stirre men vp to worship God if the Sacraments be not meet Shall our corporall food when it is presented on table before vs bee in such state as is proper to stir vs vp to worship God with thanksgiuing praier Shall the consideration of the benefit which we haue by the light of the day by our rest sleepe in the night be esteemed motiues of such moment that he who is not thereby moued in the morning when he riseth and at night when he goeth to bed to pray and giue thanks is esteemed a slothfull and ingratefull Christian Shall a seasonable seede time shall the first and latter raine and a faire haruest bee pregnant occasions to remember vs both in priuate and publike to giue thanks and praise God for his goodnesse And shall the blessed Sacrament of the body and bloud of Iesus Christ in the very act when it is in giuing and receiuing not be esteemed to be in proper state to moue vs and stirre vp our hearts to pray and giue thanks for that inestimable benefite euen when our Sauiour hath coÌ„manded that we should do this in remembrance of him It is an absurd opinion Then to conclude If yee hold these two points which ye haue propounded to wit that the Sacrament and creatures of God should not be vsed as occasions middesses and signes to moue vs by the sight and meditation of them to lift vp our hearts to the spirituall obiect of our faith that is to God in Iesus Christ because Suarez saith that their Images haue that vse then certainely you must hold that God should not bee knowne nor worshipped in the World for without this vse of the Word Sacraments and Creatures God cannot bee knowne nor worshipped So whilst yee flye idolatry yee fall into Atheisme Next if yee hold that the Sacraments in the very act of the administration are not in statu accommodato ad adorandum you must take away the chiefe and principall ende of the Sacrament commended to vs by the Lord himselfe in these words Doe this in remembrance of me Saint Paul interprets these words thus So often as yee eate this bread and drinke of this Cuppe yee shall declare the Lords death till he come againe that is as the Confession of our faith which yee haue sworne and subscribed explaines it Yee shall extoll magnifie and prayse his death Now this is a reall act of adoration which both the Lord himselfe and his holy Apostle would haue vs moued vnto by this Sacrament So by these your positions and assertions yee mutilate the Sacrament of one of the most principall ends for the which it was instituted And
which forme of receiuing hath continued to our times But to returne againe to your argument where yee say that the proofes made for standing doe euince that for the space of a thousand yeeres kneeling had no place I will let you see how futile your argument iâ— The Church stood on the Lords day at the Sacrament for the space of a thousand yeeres Ergo say yee they kneeled not for the space of a thousand yeeres May you not by the very same reason conclude The Church laboured not nor fasted on the Lords day for the space of a thousand yeeres Ergo they neither fasted nor laboured at alâ— for the space of a thousand yeeres If during all that time the Sacrament had been onely celebrated on the Lords day your argument were probabâ—e but seeing the Sacrament as S. Augustine writes was giuen euery day and to giue it on the first fourth and sixt dayes of the weeke was held to bee an Apostolike constitution Therefore as on the rest of the weeke dayes except the Lords day they prayed fâ—xis in terram genibus with their knees close to the ground so with that same gesture they receiued the Sacrament for the Church did euer receiue with the same gesture which they vsed in prayer as I haue proued by induction The Apostles receiued with the same gesture which they vsed at the thankesgiuing This yee cannot denie except yee ouerthrow all the grounds that yee laid for the example and precept of Christ to bee obserued The Church on the Lords day hath euer vsed to stand at the Sacrament when they stood at prayer and if you can produce one instance to the contrarie I shall pray you doe it or if not suffer mee to conclude against you that as on the Lords day when they stood and prayed they also stood and receiued so at that same time on the weeke dayes when they kneeled and prayed they kneeled and receiued and this is proued by all these testimonies of the Ancients wherein the people are exhorted to humble themselues externally at the Sacrament as by the mâ—st cleare testimony of Chrysostom I cited before Hereby it is manifest that the gesture of kneeling followed not the errour of Transsubstantiation but was receiued and retained in the Church on the Lords day at publike prayer and receiuing of the Sacrament as it had been vsed before on the weeke-dayes at these religious exercises Thus following your owne foot-steps and building on your owne grounds kneeling is proued to haue been in vse in all ages and with your owne hands yee haue thrust sitting to the doore for the space of 1560. yeares An answere to the last Section entituled Kneeling not practised in the Reformed Churches PP THe Lutheran Churches do acknowledge reall presence by way of Consubstantiation it is no wonder therefore that they approue kneeling The Reformed Churches as they damned bodily presence so haue they reiected the gesture of kneeling in the act of receiuing The Church of Bohemia hath retained this gesture since the dayes of Iohn Husse In their Confession exhibited to King Ferdinand anno 1535. it is thus said Ministri verò Dominicae coenae verba referentes plebem ipsam ad hanc fidem hortantur vt corporis Christi praesentiam adessâ— credant The Ministers are willed to stirre vp the people to beleeue that the bodie of Christ is present the purer sort amongst them as they haue reiected the errour of reall presence so depart they from this gesture In our neghbour Church some of their defenders of kneeling will not haue vs inquisitiue of the maner of Christs presence in the Sacrament And the Bishop of Rochester commends the simplicity of the Ancients which disputed not whether Christ was present con sub in or trans in this Supper Sutton in his Appendix to his Meditations on the Lords Supper condemnes likewise this diligent search of the maner of Christs presence If the maner of Christs presence be not determined there can arise no other but a confused worship of such a confused and determinate presence The Papists acknowledge that there ought to be no adoration but where there is acknowledged a bodily presence in the Sacrament Hence it is that they proue mutually the one by the other It will not follow that we may change sitting into kneeling because the ancient Church and some Reformed Churches haue changed sitting into standing because kneeling maketh so many breaches both in the Institution and in the second Commandement and is no wayes a table gesture By standing we accommodate our selues to a table to participate of the dainties set thereon standing was neuer abused to idolatrie as kneeling hath been we are not bound to imitate other Churches further then they imitate Christ. Our sitting is not Scottish Geneuating but a commendable imitation of the Apostolicall Churches and obedience to Christs Institution They flee vp at last to the Church Triumphant and alledge for kneeling the foure and twenty Elders falling downe before the Lambe but how conclude they this that they that are called to the Supper of the Lamb kneele at the Supper of the Lamb And seeing the blessed soules shall not be clothed with their bodies before the Resurrection how can they conclude materiall geniculation of the blessed Saints in heauen All creatures in heauen in earth or vnder the earth are said to bow their knee at the name of Iesus that is to acknowledge his Soueraigne authority howbeit the celestial Angels blessed soules and infernall spirits haue not knees to bow with The euerlasting felicity of the children of God is the Supper of glory Doe they drinke continually of that felicity vpon their knees Thousands thousands stand before him many shall come from the East and from the West and sitte at the heauenly Table with Abraham Isaack and Iacob may we not then conclude sitting and standing as well as they do kneeling if we looke to the letter of parables visions allegories and prophecies but symbolicall theologie is not argumentatiue Lastly how will they prooue euidently that the falling of the foure and twenty Elders before the Lambe is to bee interpreted of the Church Triumphant rather then of the Church Militant ANS To proue that kneeling is not practised in the Reformed Churches yee cut off in the beginning from their number the Lutherans because they acknowledge the Reall presence by way of Consubstantiation This I grant is an error yet is it not directly fundamentall They abhorre as we doe the Bread-worship and they worship Christ in the Sacrament as we should do their errour is onely in the manner of his presence which errour should not debarre them from the Communion of the Reformed Churches with them yee reckon the Church of Bohemia because in their Confession exhibited to King Ferdinand anno 1535. they say Ministri verò coenae Dominicae c. Let the Ministers when they rehearse the words of the Lords Supper exhort the people to this faith that they may beleeue
a profitable change without losse therefore hee who makes this change according to the Proclamation is not spoyled of his liberty but maketh vantage by the right vse thereof Here it shall not bee amisse to recite Zanchius opinion in this purpose who defending their opinion that esteeme the words to contayne a command moues a doubt and answers it after this manner Verùm enimuerò videtur cum hac sententia pugnare c. That is But this fights against their opinion that hold the words to be a command that it was euer lawfull to Gods people to assemble themselues on other dayes beside the Sabbath to heare Gods Word to bee present at Prayers to offer Sacrifices and such other things belonging to outward worship which farre lesse can bee denyed to vs and therefore beside the Lords Day other dayes are instituted in the Church ad feriandum ab operibus seruilibus to rest from seruile workes if not for the whole day yet for the morning time He answeres Facilis est horum conciliatio sicut opera diuini cultus praeponenda sunt operibus seruilibus ita haec sunt omittenda quando illis vacandum est c. that is These things may be easily reconciled as the workes of Gods worship are to bee preferred to seruile workes so these must be omitted when those are to bee performed And a little after We sinne not against this precept sayes hee when wee ceasse from our seruile labour to waite on Gods worship quoties ordo Ecclesiae aut necessitas postulat so often as the order of the Church and necessitie requires This is Zanchius iudgement vpon the fourth precept of the Law in the sixe hundred sixty two page of that Worke. And if a precept cannot impede the appointing of solemne times for the worship of God farre lesse can a permission The Muscouites saying that it is for Lords to make Feasts and abstaine from labour is true yet amongst them Festiuall Dayes are obserued That the Citizens after diuine Seruice on these Dayes betake themselues to their labour wee doe not reproue because it is agreeable to their policie PP It may be obiected that Constantine the Emperour made a Law that none but the Prince may ferias condere erect an idle day The Prince then may enioyne a day of cessation Answ. The Lawes of the Cod. are not Rules of Theologie A Prince may not enioyne cessation from Oeconomicall and Domesticke workes but for weapon-shewing exercise of Armes defence of the Countrey or other publike workes and affaires But that is not to enioyne a day of simple cessation but to enioyne a politicke worke in place of the Oeconomicall ANS Though the Lawes of the Cod. bee not Rules of Theologie yet where they are not contrary to Scripture they are good Rules of Gouernment to Princes and of obedience to Subiects That the Prince may enioyne a day of cessation from seruile worke for the worship of God is not only not contrary but most agreeable to Scripture The Festiuall Dayes of Purim kept by the Iewes were confirmed by the Decree of Queene Esther Esth. 9.32 It is written in the Booke of Ionah the third Chapter and seuenth verse That ye the Decree of the King of Niniue and his Nobles a Fast was proclamed The Feast of Dedication graced with the presence of our Sauiour was instituted by Indas Machabaeus and the people 1. Mach. 10. And if the King may command a cessation from Oeconomicall and priuate workes for workes ciuill and publike such as the defence of the Crowne the liberty of the Countrey c. What reason haue yee why hee may not enioyne a day of cessation from all kind of bodily labour for the honour of God and exercise of Religion Is hee not custos vtriusque tabulae If the one may be done as yee grant for the weale of the politicall body much more may and should the other bee done for the weale of the Mysticall especially when the order of the Church so requires PP ANS 〈…〉 dayes agrees with Pâ—etie and Charitie but to enioyne the obâ—eruation of a weekly day besiâ—es the Sabbath were against Chaâ—â—tie Euâ—â—tie Is this a good Argumentâ— The Câ—urch may not doe that which is vnlawfull therefore shee may not enioyne that which is lawfull or this The Kâ—â—g may neyther banish not put to death an honest and peaceable Subiect therefore he may not execute a Traytor or banish a seditious man This kinde of reasoning is more then childish PP I say further that the poore Crafts-man cannot lawfully bee commanded to lay aside his Tooles and goe passe his time no not for an houre let be for a day And yet farther that he ought not to be compelled to leaue his worke to goe to diuine Seruice except on the day that the Lord hath sanctified ANS This is a strong argument confirmed with the great authoritie of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I say further But what say yee to that which is ordayned in the first Booke of Discipline out of which yee tooke your first argument in this dispute of daies In the ninth Chapter thereof we haue these words In euerie notable Towne we require that one day beside the Sonday be appoynted to Sermon and prayers which day during the time of Sermon must be kept free from all exercise of labour aswell to the Maister as to the seruant When yee discussed the oath yee cited the ordinances of this Booke as poynts of Discipline sworne vnto and subscribed If it bee not lawfull to commaund and compell a man to goe to diuine Seruice except vpon the Lords day why did yee sweare in the assertorie oath that it was lawfull But yee will say I sware not that he might be compelled but if he may be lawfully commanded to cease from his labour during the time of diuine seruice he may be as lawfully compelled to obey the coÌ„mand Necessitie ye know excuses the breach of the Sabboth it selfe But the precepts of this Booke ye vse or vse not as they may serue to your purpose Such of them as yee allow must all be obserued vnder the paine of periurie others that are contrarie to your opinion must be reputed reiected as vnlawfull PP It is the priuiledge of Gods power to appoynt a day of rest and to sanctifie it to his honour as our best Diuines maintaine c. If the speciall sanctification of a day to an holy vse depends vpon Gods commandement and institution then neither King nor Church representatiue may make a Holy day ANS Dayes are sanctified and made holy as are places two manner of wayes some places were made holy by annexing to them a peculiar worship instituted by God which lawfully could not be performed in another place such were the Tabernacle and the Temple which were also holy by reason of the typicke and mysticall signification wherewith they were clothed by diuine institution These places did appertaine to the worship not as mere circumstances
onely but as essentiall parts and properties thereof The worship which consisted in sacrificing paying of vowes obseruation 〈…〉 to serue aâ— circâ—msâ—ances but by reason also oâ— their mystiâ—ke signification and of the worshâ—p appropriated vnto them which mâ—ght not aâ— another tâ—me be lawâ—ully performed Other times were onely holy by reason of the vse or dâ—uine worship performed on them and not for any mysterie or solemne worshâ—p appropriated to them such as these which were appointed for solemne humiliation in the day of calamitie After the first manner our Diuines hold That it is onely proper tâ— God to make times and places holy but after the second manner it is a prerogatiue and libertie of the Church to make places and times holy by dedication of them to the seruice of God So the feast of Purim and Dedication were made Holy-dayes by Mordecai Indâ—â— Maâ—chabâ—us and by the Church So times are appoynted by our Church for Morning and Euening Prayers in great Townes houres for preaching on Tuesday Thursday c. Houres for weekely exercises of prophecying which are holy in respect of the vse whereunto they are appoynted And such are the fiue dayes which we esteeme not to be holy for any mysticke signification which they haue either by diuine or ecclesiasticke institution or for any worship which is appropriated vnto them that may not be performed at another time but for the sacred vse whereunto they are appoynted to be employed as circumstances onely and not as mysteries This ye know to be the iudgement and doctrine of our best Diuines yet yee presse to refute it in the Section following PP The obseruers of dayes will say they count not their anniuersary dayes holier then other daâ—es but that they keepe them onely for order and policie that the people may be assembled to religious exercises Ans. The Papists will confesse tâ—at one day is not holier then another in its owne nature no not the Lords day But they affirme that one day is holier then another in respect of the end and vse and so doe we They call them Holy-dayes and so doe we They vse â—â—em as 〈◊〉 sâ—gnes of sacrâ—d mysteâ—ies wherof tâ—ey carrie the names as Natiuâ—tâ—e Passion Ascention c. and so doe wee ANS Antiquum obâ—inâ—â— yee keepe still your old cusâ—ome for bâ—fore yee did â—xteâ—uate the Idolatrie of the Papists in adoring Images that with some appearance yee might prooue these that kneele at the Sacrament to be guiltie of the same abomination and now ye trauell to extenuate their superstition in obseruing dayes that yee may inuolue vs in the same impietie Yet our act in the beginning sayes Wee abhorre the superstitious obseruation of the Festiuall dayes of the Papists Thus we professe our disagreement from them in this poynt which they also acknowledge Bellarmine in the tenth Chapter of his third Booke De cultu Sanctorum rehearses the Doctrine of Luther and Caluine to which wee adhere and reproues the same as erronious in these wordes Tertiò docent dies determinatos ad feriandum non debere haberi caeteris sanctiores quasi mysterij aliquid vel piam significationem continerent sed solum haberi tanquam determinatos Disciplinae ordinis ac politiae causa ita vt cum hac determinatione etiam consistat aequalit as dierum in hoc nos accusont quasi habeamus discrimen dierum Iudaico more He sayes that we teach the dayes appoynted for holy exercises not to bee holier then others or to be esteemed as if they contayned any mysterie or diuine signification but onely as determined for discipline order and policie with which determination the qualitie of dayes may consist And hee sayes that we accuse them for putting difference amongst dayes after the Iewish manner which is the doctrine indeed of our best Diuines Against this Bellarmine setteth downe this proposition Festa Christianorum non solùm ratione ordinis politiae sedetiam ratione mysterij celebrantur suntque dies festi verè alijs saenctiores sacratiores pars quaedam diuini cultus that is The Festiuities of Christians are not onely kept for order and policie but also by reason of a mysterie and the Festiuall dayes are more holy and sacred then other dayes and a part of diuine worshippe This is the Papists opinion which wee with all the reformed Churches abhorre as superstitious and idolatrous But yee take part with Bellarmine against the Doctrine of Luther and Caluine labouring to prooue that the reformed Churches obserue these dayes not onely for discipline order and policie but for memoriall signes of sacred mysteries as Papists doe PP The presence of the Festiuitie putteth a man in minde of the mysterie howbeit he haue not occasion to be present in the holy Assembly ANS It follows not of this that we obserue the dayes for signes of sacred mysteries because they put vs not in minde of Christs birth passion c. as ceremonies significant or sacramentall signes instituted by God or the Church for that effect but as circumstances onely determined for celebration of the religious action whereby the commemoration of these benefits is made And there is nothing more vsuall then by considering the circumstances of times places and persons to remember the actions and businesse whereunto they are destinate PP We are commaunded to obserue them in all poynts as the Lords Day both in publique Assemblies and after the dissoluing of the same ANS This is manifestly false for the Lords Day is commaunded to be obserued of necessitie for conscience of the diuine Ordinance as a day sanctified and blessed by God himselfe These are commanded to be obserued onely for ecclesiasticall order and policie and doe not oblige men in conscience to obedience but for eschewing scandall and contempt Secondly the Lords Day is to be obserued as the Sabbath of IEHOVAH that is not onely for a day wherein we are appointed to rest to God but as a day whereon God himselfe did rest after the Creation So it is obserued as a remembrance and resemblance of Gods rest Thirdly the Lords Day is obserued as is the Lords Supper this in remembrance of his death that in remembrance of his resurrection Fourthly the Lords Day is obserued as a pledge of that rest wherein hee that enters shall rest from his labours as God hath done from his And fiftly we obserue the Lords Day as a perpetuall signe betweene God and vs to signifie and declare that the God who hath sanctified vs to be his people and whom wee adore as IEHOVAH the Father who created the World in sixe dayes and rested the seuenth IEHOVAH the Sonne who redeemed the World and rising that day to life abolished sinne and death and brought life and immortalitie to light and IEHOVAH the Holy Ghost who on that day descended vpon the Twelue Apostles sanctifying them and the whole World by them with the truth of Gods Word In none of these fiue poynts doe we obserue
despise the Lords Sabbath and instead thereof appoint some other as the Machomet hath done it were a presumptuous sinne But this wee are farre from acknowledging the Lords Day to bee holy by his institution and appointing the rest to bee kept only for his worship PP We come from priuiledge to fact as de iure none may so de facto none did appoint holy dayes vnder the Law but God and that eyther by himselfe or by some extraordinary direction Therefore none can bee allowed vnder the Gospell without the like warrant Seeing the times vnder the Gospell are not so ceremonious as the times vnder the Law ANS I answered before that if holy dayes bee taken for times whereunto God did appropriate the exercise of some particular forme of worship or for times clothed with some relatiue and respectiue holinesse as to bee signes or types of things to come God only may make dayes holy but if by holy dayes wee vnderstand times dedicated to Gods worship and the commemoration of his benefits as meete circumstances for Discipline Order and Policie such as our Diuines hold the holy dayes vnder the Gospell to bee I denie that either they might not or did not lawfully appoint such dayes vnder the Law or yet may not be appointed vnder the Gospell The answeres which you make to the dayes of Purim instituted by Queene Estther and Mordecai and the Feast of Dedication instituted by Iudas Mâ—cchaâ—aeus are not solid First where ye say that the obseruation was ciuill because Hospinian sayes they might haue wrought vpon the dayes of Purim his opinion in that is not probable seeing these dayes were instituted to bee dayes of feasting and ioy and sending of portions one to another and giftâ— to the poore because on them God had giuen rest to his people froâ— their enemies It is not probable when â—â—ch and 〈◊〉 did feast in remembrance of the rest that God had 〈◊〉 â—hem from their enemies that they did not rest and 〈◊〉 tâ—e dayes according to the Institution for the Text sayes exprâ—sly Est. 9.17 That they rested and kept a day of feastâ—ng and gladnesse with the which seruile labour sorts not Neiâ—hâ—r will it follow that these dayes were not kept for holy Festiuities albeit in them they might haue wrought some kind of labour for on the sixe dayes of the Passeouer and on the sixe dayes of the Feast of Tabernacles seruile worke was not vtterly prohibited but on the first and eight only yet all these dayes are called Festiuall and holy Finally dayes instituted for Documents and Memorials of holy things as of their Fasting and Prayers by which they obtayned deliuerance such as yee affirme these to haue beene cannot bee called nor counted Ciuill And Willet compares them not euill with the fift dayes of August and Nouember but hee does not say this as counting them Ciuill but because they were not diuinae sed Ecclesiasticae institutionis non mysterij sed politiâ—s and if ye thinke the fift of August and Nouember to be ciuill dayes in so farre as vpon them Commemoration is made of his Maiesties Deliuerances with Preaching Thankesgiuing and Prayer you are in a manifest errour for a day which is dedicated to diuine Seruice and the honour of God not to a ciuill vse cannot be esteemed ciuill but sacred and holy Againe where yee say that these dayes had more then humane warrant because it is thought that Mordecai was the Penman of the Booke of Esther and consequently a Prophet and that it appeares that these dayes might not haue beene altered by the Iewish Church which if they had bin of Ecclesiasticke Constitution might haue bin done thoughts and appearances are not sure probations to conclude a certaintie as yee doe of a more then humane warrant And if they had receiued from God any particular direction concerning them the Prophet of God would not haue omitted the same in the Historie A generall warrant they had such as the Church must haue for the determination of circumstances in the worship of God as that of the hundred and fifth Psalme Giue thankes to the Lord call on his Name make knowne his deeds amongst the people Sing vnto him sing Psalmes vnto him talke of all his wondrous workes that he hath done But to say that they had any particular warrant is to be wise aboue that which is written As to the Feast of Dedication yee answere first that if it were Anniuersary in Salomon and Zorobabels time Iudas Macchabaeus followed the example of these who had Propheticall direction and if it was not Anniuersary as first yee leaue it vncertaine yee thinke the saâ—e was an addition of the Pharisies who inlarged the glory of this Feast as they did their Phylacteries but this is a friuolous coniecture and the interpretation of Iunius words out of the Talmude is no better to wit that the Wisemen who decreed that the eighth dayes of that Feast should bee yeerely dayes of ioy were the Pharisies because they are called Sapientes Israelis for it behoued these that appointed the Festiuities not onely to bee Wisemen but men of Authoritie also And therefore it is more probable that the Wisemen in the Talmude were the Masters of the great Synagogue that had power to appoint such Festiuities But how would our Sauiour who censured the Pharisies for inlarging their Phylacteries and corrected the abuses of the Law brought in by them haue omitted such a grosse Errour and Superstition as the Institution and keeping of these holy dayes vnrebuked if it had beene a Pharisaicall Addition and not a lawfull Constitution Then yee teach your Reader a great cunning to play fast and loose in answering all the instances brought from the Iewish Church and that is whether hee grant or denie them to bee lawfull yet to eschew the dint of the Argument for if hee grant them to bee lawfull then he may flye to this refuge that the Iewes had extraordinarie directions which wee want as Prophets who were only Prophets by the Spirit vnto the dayes of Malachie Vrim and Thummim vnder the first Temple and in place thereof vnder the second a slender voyce sounding from Heauen called Bathcoll But if hee denie the same to haue beene lawfull then to alleadge that they were Pharisaicall Additions and that wee should not imitate the Pharisies and fond Iewes I assure my selfe that no honest-hearted man will either follow the Pharisies in their Superstition nor you in vsing such sophisticall euasions of which none will serue against the instances alledged for if yee say that the obseruation of the dayes of Purâ—m or Dedication were Pharisaicall Additions the exact diligence of our Sauiour in rebuking and correcting all such abuses and superstitious Nouations as were brought into the worship of God by the Pharisies will controll you And if ye say that they had extraordinarie directions yee speake without warrant of Scripture which is presumption in you to doe So it remaines for any
ceremoniall for then ciuill and naturall and all kinde of dayes should be ceremoniall but it was the mysticall signification which they had and the ceremoniall worship appropriated vnto them That the Apostle forbiddeth the obseruation of these dayes and not simpliciter of dayes is manifest both by that which goeth before vers 9. and that which followeth vers 21. The dayes whereof hee speakes were Elements of the Law from the which that we might be deliuered Christ was made vnder the Lawe And the obseruation of these dayes was a remayning still vnder the seruile yoake of the Law But there was neuer man before you that did thinke the obseruation prohibited for any naturall respect such as the yeerely weekely or monethly reuolution is but onely for some legall consideration or some heathenish superstition And seeing for these respects onely the religious obseruation of dayes is discharged it is a caption ab accidenti to conclude that the obseruation of anniuersarie dayes is forbidden I answer to the third that to esteeme one day holier then another for any inherent holinesse they haue by nature is superstitious and to esteeme one day holier then another for any sacramentall holinesse that they haue by diuine institution is Iudaicall but for the vse whereunto the day is applied as a meete and commodious circumstance so to esteeme it is no more superstitious and Iudaicall then to esteeme a Temple holier then a priuate house and the instruments vessels and clothes that are vsed in the ministration of Sacraments more holy then other common instruments and vessels These we call holy onely by reason of their separation from a common vse to a religious So this argument is a caption ab homonymia I answer to the fourth That one thing is properly said to be substitute to another when it is applied to the same vse Our Pasche and Pentecost are neyther applied to be memorials of the deliuerance out of Aegypt nor testimonies of our thankfulnesse for the First-fruits of the earth nor to be shaddowes of our spirituall deliuerie to come and of the First-fruits of the Holy Ghost neyther doe wee offer the Passeouer nor the First-fruits nor any legall sacrifice and so in no respect are they substitute to these times but they are dedicated to the commemoration of Christs resurrection and the comming downe of the Holy Ghost not as mysticall and sacramentall ceremonies and a part of the diuine worshippe which the Papists esteeme them to be but as they are fit and meete circumstancess onely for these holy exercises To the fift and last argument I answer That the anniuersarie dayes of the Iewes are abolished in euerie respect for which by them they were obserued and so are the weekely and monethly daies but as the weekly and monthly course was not the respect for which the Sabbath and New-moons are abolished no more is the anniuersarie reuolution of the feasts the respect wherefore they were abrogate but because they were shaddowes of things to come and remembrances of temporall benefits as of their deliuerie out of Aegypt which was also typicall And because they had a legall worship appropriated vnto them which was likewise ceremoniall Now to conclude vpon this that the obseruation of anniuersarie dayes vnder the Gospell is abolished is a caption à non causa pro causa For the anniuersarie daies kept vnder the Gospell are not obserued as any part of diuine worship or as shaddowes of things to come or as memoriall signes and Sacraments of by-past temporall and typicall benefits but they are obserued as commodious circumstances for the worship appointed to be done on them to wit the commemoration of the inestimable benefits of our redemption which are not temporall and peculiar to any People or Nation such as the deliuerance of the Iewes out of Aegypt and their dwelling in Tents remembred by their Pasche and their Feast of Tabernacles but eternall and common to all Nations and People Neither is the worship performed on them legall and ceremoniall but euangelicall and spirituall Thus the obseruation is wholly different The time is appointed to be obserued not as a shadow but as a circumstance onely the wâ—rship is not the sacrificing of beasts or oblation of First-fruits but the Preaching of Christ who is the body the veritie the yea and amen and end of the Lawe and the Oblation of prayers thankesgiuing and praises in his name to the Father and the benefits which are remembred are not temporall and typicall but eternall and spirituall PP The prerogatiue belonging to God in the Old Testament was transferred to Christ God and Man the Law-giuer in the New-Testament one that was faithfull in all the house of God But so it is that Christ neither by his owne commandement nor by direction of his Spirit inspiring the Apostles instituted any other day but the Lords Day c. ANS The Theologie of your Preface or Proposition I vnderstand not I learne in the Scripture that the Prerogatiue of the Father is communicated with the Son and that all power in heauen and in earth is giuen to our Lord Iesus Christ. But I neuer read that God hath made any translation and denuded himselfe of any prerogatiue in the New Testament that belonged to him before in the olde That which ye subioyne that Christ and his Spirit hath instituted no other day but the Lords Day we freely graunt for if it were euident that the fiue dayes had beene instituted by Christ then we behoued to obserue and esteeme them as necessary parts of Gods worship and not circumstances determined by the Church to the worship of God for order and policie which we hold with our best Diuines And therefore wee say in the verie first wordes of our Act Wee abhorre the superstitious obseruation of Festiuall dayes This superstitious obseruation is nothing else but an obseruation of them with opinion of necessitie that is as necessarie parts of Gods worshippe instituted by Christ. So in this wee agree yet I doe not allow of the reasons which yee vse for probation hereof Your first argument is If there had beene any other dayes dedicated to Christ the Apostle spake vnproperly and obscurely when he said Hee was rauished in the Spirit vpon the Lords Day For if there had beene a day for his Natiuitie and another for his Passion he should haue said that he was rauished in the Spirit vpon one of the Lords Dayes This argument is friuolous Although all the Festiuall dayes vnder the Law were dedicated to God and were called Sabbaths yea sometimes Sabbath Sabbathôn yet none of them is called the Sabbath of IEHOVAH or the Lords Sabbath that is reserued to the seuenth day of the Weeke and the seuenth Yeere which resembled Gods rest And although all the Synagogues were Houses dedicated to God yet the Temple is not called one of Gods Houses but the House of God euen so the Day of Christs resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the
excellencie thereof is called the Lords Day albeit other times had beene appoynted for his honour Your next Argument is false in it yee affirme That the Apostle condemnes not onely the obseruation of Iewish dayes and the Iewish obseruation of the Iewish dayes to a typicall vse for the conuerted Iewes yee say did not obserue them as shadowes of things to come for then they had denyed Christ but he condemnes the obseruation of dayes as a Pedagogicall and rudimentarie instruction not beseeming the Christian Church But howbeit the conuerted Iewes did not obserue the Iewish dayes as shadowes of things to come yet they might haue obserued them as memorialls of by-past temporall and typicall benefits and for present temporall blessings as the benefit of their deliuery out of Egypt and for the Fruits of the earth which vse was also typicall Further they did obserue them with opinion of necessitie as things instituted by God for his worship and their saluation which sort of obseruation was Legall but this proceeding from infirmitie and for want of sufficient instruction was not a denying of Christ as it had beene if the same had proceeded from pertinacy after the knowledge of the Truth receiued And this was it which the false Apostles vrged vpon the Galatians and Saint Paul condemnes in that Epistle written to them and not simply the obseruation of any day for as after shall bee made manifest euery obseruation of the Iewish dayes is not damned by the Apostle who did sometime obserue them in his owne person after a most lawfull manner Neither can the obseruation of all dayes bee a Iewish custome and rite and Pedagogicall or rudimentarie instruction but the obseruation onely of these dayes which are prescribed in the Law otherwise the Festiuities appointed by Ieroboam and the festiuall dayes kept by the Heathen should all bee Iewish Customes and Pedagogicall instructions which yee will not say I hope PP Zanchius speaks to this purpose after this manner Magis consentaneum est cum prima institutione cum scriptis Apostolicis vt vnus tantum dies in septimana sanctificetur It is more agreeable to the first institution and the writings of the Apostles that one day of the weeke onely bee sanctified ANS It is your custome I perceiue to falsifie mutilate and corrupt the Acts of Assemblies and testimonies both of the ancient and moderne Diuines Beza his testimony yee adulterated in the dispute of kneeling here yee mutilate Zanchius his testimonie and bring it directly against his owne minde He writing vpon the fourth Precept of the Law pag. 671. mooues this question An plures habere festos debeat Ecclesia Christi c. for answere to this question he setteth downe two Propositions and confirmes them at length the first whereof is this Tametsi magis consentaneum est cum prima institutione cum scriptis Apostolicis vt vnus tantum dies in septimana sanctificetur cum Scripturis tamen minime pâ—gnat si plures vno sanctificentur modò omnis absit superstitio faciant ad aedificationem that is Albeit it be more agreeable to the first institution and the Apostles writings that one day onely in the weeke be sanctified yet it is not repugnant to the Scripture if moe then one be sanctified prouiding that all superstition bee auoyded and that they serue to edification Hauing confirmed this by the testimonies of the Ancients as Euseb. de vita Constant. lib. 4. Sozom. lib. 1. cap. 8. lib. 2. cap. 19. August tom 2. Epist. 118. Epiphan Tertull. de Idololat and the practice of the reformed Churches he concludeth with these wordes Dubitari igitur non potest quin liceat Ecclesiae plures dies festos constituere sanctificare that is It may not be doubted but the Church may lawfully appoint and sanctifie moe festiuall dayes His second position makes a full answere to the question Quanquam Ecclesiae Christi liberuâ—est quos velit praeter Dominicum dies sibi sanctificandos deligere honestius tamen est laudabilius atque vtilius eos sanctificare quos etiam vetus atque Apostolica puriorque Ecclesia sanctificare solita fuit that is Howbeit the Christian Church hath libertie to make choyce of dayes to sanctifie them besides the Lords Day yet it is more honest commendable and profitable to sanctifie these which the ancient and Apostolique and most incorrupt Church hath beene in vse to keepe holy What dayes these were he shewes in the same place numbering out the dayes of the Natiuitie Passion Resurrection Ascension and Pentecost as principall dayes and after their enumeration subjoynes Atque haec sunt Festa quae sicut à veteribus sanctificabantur sic si nunc sanctificentur non solùm improbari non potest sed etiam laudabile est honestum atque vtile quemadmodum in thesi diximus that is These are the festiuals which were kept holy by the Ancients and if wee should now obserue the same not onely is it not to bee improued but also it were commendable honest and profitable as wee said in the Position Thus Zanchius is directly contrary to your opinion for where yee alleadge that the Apostle condemnes the obseruation of dayes simply Zanchius affirmes the obseruation of some dayes beside the Lords Day not to bee repugnant to Scripture as it behoued to be if the same were condemned by the Apostle for a Iewish rite and Pedagogicall instruction By this let the Reader iudge what credit yee deserue in the rest of your reports where there is no proofe but your owne affirmation PP Against this Argument it is first alleadged That the Apostle comporteth with the obseruation of dayes Rom. 14.5 6. Ans. The Apostle beares with the infirmitie of the weake Iewes who vnderstood not the fulnesse of the Christian libertie And the Ceremoniall Law was not as yet buried But the same Apostle reproues the Galatians who had attayned to this libertie and had once left off the obseruation of dayes Next the Iudaicall dayes had once that honour as to bee appointed by God himselfe but the Anniuersarie dayes appointed by men haue not the like honour ANS After yee haue vsed two Arguments to proue That there is no day of diuine institution but the Lords Day a point not controuerted amongst vs yee labour to answere fiue obiections which yee propone against your selfe and the summe of your answere to the first is this That the dayes wherewith the Apostle comported were not the anniuersarie dayes appointed by men but the Iudaicall dayes which had once that honour to bee appointed of God and therefore were to be tollerated in the weake Iewes as long as the Ceremoniall Law wherein they were commanded was not buried the obseruation whereof notwithstanding hee condemned and reproued in the Galatians Out of this answere I forme this Proposition All the dayes whereof the Apostle condemned the obseruation were Iudaicall dayes prescribed in the Ceremoniall Law tolerated by him in weake Christians and that once
had the honour to be appointed by God himselfe This Proposition is yours and is very true I assume But the fiue anniuersarie dayes appointed by the Assembly of Perth are not Iudaicall prescribed in the Ceremoniall Law tolerated by Saint Paul in weake Christians and such as had once the honour to be appointed by God himselfe The Assumption is likewise yours set downe in the last wordes of your Answere and is true also Therefore I conclude That the fiue anniuersarie dayes are not the dayes whereof the Apostle condemnes the obseruation Consequently hee condemnes not the obseruation of dayes simply as a Iudaicall Rite and Pedagogicall instruction contrary to your former Assertion PP 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 seuerall festiuities Ans. It followes not that because Christ did institute the remembrance of one benefit therefore men may institute for other benefits Secondly Christs resurrection was a benefit including the rest of his benefits Thirdly The Lords Day was not appointed to celebrate the memory of Christs resurrection onely for then the resurrection should bee the proper subiect of Diuine seruice euery Lords Day and then it were vnlawfull to fast thereupon Fourthly It is called the Lords Day either because the Lord did institute it as the Communion is called the Lords Supper or else because it was instituted to the Lords honour and worship as the Iewish Sabbath is called the Sabbath of the Lord our God Fiftly Although it may be applyed to the remembrance of Christs resurrection seeing he rose that day and in some sort to be a signe of the heauenly rest yet that is but typus communis factus a common type fitted to resemble such things not typus destinatus that is appointed by God for that end Finally it was appointed for remembrance of all Christs actions and for his worship in generall not in a mysticall manner for the ioyfull remembrance of his resurrection onely So to diuide Christs actions and appoint anniuersary mysticall dayes for their remembrance is superstitious will-worship and a Iudaicall addition to Christs institution in your mind ANS Here onely I haue taken vp the summe of your answere which is this That Chist did not institute the Lords Day for a remembrance of his resurrection in a mysticall manner and therefore wee haue no warrant to appoint mysticall dayes for remembrance of the Natiuitie Passion and the rest of his notable actions Vnto which I answere first generally That it is the iudgement of some recent Diuines that the Lords Day was onely instituted as Ecclesiasticall dayes are for order and policie and hath no further but a circumstantiall vse in the worship of God Others following the Ancients hold that the Lords Day is not onely appointed for order and policie but that it is a memoriall of Christs resurrection and a signe of our eternall rest in hâ—auen Saint August tom 5. de ciuit Dei lib. 22. cap. 30. Dominicus dies Christi resurrectione sacratus aeternam non solùm spiritus sed etiam corporis requiem praefigurat That is The Lords Day which was made holy and sacred by the resurrection of Christ prefigures not onely the eternall rest of the spirit but also of the body Item tom 10. de verbis Apostoli Serm. 15. Domini resurrectio promisit nobis aeternum diem consecrauit nobis Dominicum diem qui Dominicus vocatur quia eo die Dominus resurrexit That is The resurrection of the Lord hath promised vnto vs an eternall day and hath consecrated the Lords Day vnto vs which is so called because the Lord rose vpon that day Item Epist. ad Ianuarium Artic. 119. cap. 13. Dies Domini non Iudaeis sed Christianis resurrectione Domini declaratus est ex illo habere coepiâ— festiuitatem suam Thaâ— is The Lords Day was declared not to the Iewes but to the Christians by the resurrection of the Lord and from that time it beganne to be a festiuall day ibidem cap. 19. Vita prima quae de peregrinatione redeuntibus primam stolam accipientibus redditur per vnam Sabbathi quem diem Dominicum dicimus figuratur That is The first or euerlasting life which is giuen to them that haue ended their peregrination and receiued the glorious robe is figured by the first day of the weeke which we call the Lords Day Iust. Martyr Apol. 2. ad calcem Conuentus autem hos die Solis facimus quia hac die primùm Deus depulsis tenebris formataque materia mundum creauit Iesus Christus quoque noster seruator eadem die resurrexit a mortuis That is We keepe these meetings on the Sonday because on this day first God dispelled darkenesse and formed the matter whereof the world was created our Sauiour Iesus Christ also rose againe from the dead the same day In the iudgement of these Ancients the Lords Day was not onely instituted for the worship of God in generall and in that respect called the Lords Day but because Christ rose vpon that day and by his resurrection stamped it to bee a memoriall as well of his resurrection as of the eternall rest whereunto we shall be raised on the last day In a word it was not onely instituted for order and policie but also for a mysterie and therein differs from Ecclesiasticall dayes which are onely appointed for a circumstantiall and not for a mysticall vse These things being premitâ—ed I come to answere the particulars First where yee say that albeit Christ did institute a day in remembrance of one benefit men may not for other benefits I grant that men maâ— not iâ—â—â—itute a mysticall day to be obserued as â— part of Gods worship yet they may appoint a commodious dâ—y to bâ—e obsâ—râ—ed as a fit time for the worship of God and remembrance of his benefits Next where yee say the resurrection inclâ—dâ—s the rest of Christs benefits it is true in some sense that is either as the beginning or originall of some as the Ascension and sending downe of the holy Ghost or as the perfecâ—ion and consummation of others as of the Natiuitie and Passion And so generally and virtute as wee say in vertue the Resurrection contaynes the rest but it contaynes them not distinctly and expresly as it is necessary we should remember them for then we should not need any moe Articles of our Creede but that one of the Resurrection As the Articles are particular concerning the Natiuitie Passion Resurrection and Ascension so they ought to bee distinctly and seuerally remembred both on the Sabbath and on other conuenient times which the Church shall appoint Thirdly Although the Lords Day was not onely instituted for a memoriall of the Resurrection yet that was one of the principall causes wherefore it was sanctified rather then any other day of the weeke Saint Augustine sayes as before Domini
to Ierusalem to the Pentecost was counsailed or not scandalizing the Iewes to carrie himselfe as one that obserued the Law and practise some legall ceremonies to that effect which he did vsing them not as a part of diuine worship but as indifferent things and meanes expedient to win him credite with the Iewes that hee might edifie them in the truth So himselfe sayes He became all things to all men that he might winne some The keeping of the 14. day by Iohn and Iames is not an argument that they disagreed from the rest in iudgement touching the set day if any then was determined more then the practise of other ceremonies proues their disagreeing from S. Paul in the poynt of Christian libertie for this they did onely by way of condescension So the Apostles in these times might haue kept Easter vpon diuerse daies by the direction of the Spirit because the solemne commemoration of our Sauiours resurrection which we call Easter is not to be kept at any set time for any mystery that one day hath more then another by diuine institution The contentions therefore about the day were iustly blamed by the reformed Churches who acknowledge no day except the Christian Sabbath to haue greater prerogatiue then anotheâ— But the greater part of the world keeping the solemnitie of Easter vpon the Lords Day which followed the 14. of the Moone the Churches of Asia being a fewer number did not well to preferre the singularitie of their opinion and custome to vnitie and conformitie with the greater part of Christendome in such a poynt Againe Victor Bishop of Rome cannot bee excused who first did vrge conformitie pressed it by violence vpon the Churches that were without his Iurisdiction and to excommunicate them was an insolent tyrannie seeing they were not subiect to his power Yet after the Nicene Councell had setled that controuersie and determined the day these must iustly be blamed that contentiously troubled the Christian peace disobeyed the Canon of the Councell and were disconforme to the rest of the Churches not by mistaking the day as some were but through wilfulnesse and pride the parents of contention PP Lasâ—ly they reason with Augustine à posteriorâ— That seeing the Lords passion resurrection ascension comming down of the Holy Ghost is celebrated with anniuersary solemnity through all the World they must needs haue beene ordayned eyther by the Apostles or by generall Councels But so it is that these daies were obserued before there was any generall Councell It must follow therefore that the Apostles ordained them Ans. Augustines distinction is not necessarie for many customes crept in and thereafter preuailed vniuersally which were neither ordained by the Apostles nor generall Councels Socrates in his Historie sayes I am of opiniâ—n c. ANS Socrateâ— in the testimonie which yee alledge lib. 5. cap. 22. for probation of your answere sayes that he is of opinion that the Feast of Easter hath preuailed amongst people of a certaine priuate custome and not by Canon He confirmes his opinion by this reason that they who keepe Easter on the 14. day of the Moone bring Iohn the Apostle for their author Such as inhabite Rome and the West parts of the World alledge Peter and Paul and yet there is none of them can shew in Writing any testimonie for confirmation of their custome First here it is to bee marked that Socrates in this testimonie calls his allegation an opinion onely that is a likely and probâ—ble conceit but that is not sufficient to infringe Saint Augustines rule and the probations that he brings are of no force for first it makes nothing against Augustines rule that the Easterne Churches kept the solemnitie on one day and the Westerne on another because Saint Augustine sayes not that the commemoration of these benefits was made vpon one and the selfe-same day onely hee sayes Anniuersaria solennitate celebrantur 〈◊〉 is They are yearely celebrated after a solemne manner The diuersitie of the day confuteth not this assertion but confirmes rather his saying namely that the solemnitie was obserued through all the World seeing in one part it was celebrated for winning of the Iewes according to the practise of S. Iohn and in the rest of the World on Pasche Sonday whereon our Sauiour rose according to the tradition of Saint Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles So this same solemnitie being kept through the whole Church although not on the same day Saint Augustines rule remains good that the solemne commemoration of Christs resurrection is Apostolicke The next probation is no better to wit that there is no testimonie in writing for the confirmation of that custome for by this reason it would follow that the obseruation of Sonday in stead of the Iewish Sabbath hath preuayled by a priuate custome only For in the Apostolique writings we haue no testimonie for the confirmation of that custome In Scripture we reade that our Sauiour rose on that day that on that day he appeared to his Disciples that on that day the Apostle appointed collections to be made for the poore that on that day at Troas the Disciples were assembled to breake bread and that S. Paul preached All these actions make aswell for the obseruation of Pasche Sonday and as the Bishop of Winchester saith somewhat more seeing it is after a sort the same day by reuolution whereon our Sauiour did rise yet all these practises exercises and meetings on the Lords day had not demonstrate the sanctification of it if it had not beene perpetually and vniuersally obserued afterwards by the Church This constant and vniuersall obseruation of the Church hath declared these practises to be exemplarie and that our Sauiour did consecrate that day by his resurrection and apparitions to be in stead of the Sabbath Vpon this ground S. August Epist. ad Ianuar. 118. sayes Illa quae non scripta sed tradita custodimus quae quidem â—oto Terrarum orbe obseruaÌ„tur dantur intelligi vel ab ipsis Apostolis vel plenarijs Concilijs quorum est in Ecclesia saluberrima auctoritas commendata atque statuta retinere Sicuti quod Domini Passio Resurrectio Ascensio in coelum aduentus de coelo Spiritus Sancti anniuersaria solennitaâ—e celebrantur that is Those things which come to vs by Tradition and not by Writing and yet are obserued in the whole world must bee esteemed to haue beene commended vnto vs and instituted either by the Apostles themselues or by generall Councells whose authoritie hath euer beene wholsome to the Church as by example the Passion Resurrection Ascension and the descent of the holy Ghost from heauen which wee solemnely keepe euery yeare This rule of Saint Augustine if it bee not demonstratiue yet it is more probable then Socrates his opinion for it is more like a custome receiued by the vniuersall Church should proceâ—d from the authoritie of the Apostles or some generall Councell rather then from a priuate obseruation as Socrates
the administration of the Communion to the sicke and to persons who are to suffer Baptisme by Mid-wiues which simply condemnes Rites in buriall of the dead and Festiual dayes which they were vrged by the Prince to resume after they had beene remoued from amongst them But this and such other peaceable and modest aduices giuen by Caluine and other Learned Diuines yee ascribe to want of consideration PP They had not leisure to consider narrowly the corruption of euery errour that preuailed in their time the worke of reformation was so painfull to them I wish therefore that the iudicious Reader would ponder their Reasons set down in this Treatise ANS The ancient Diuines Saint Chrysostome Ambrose Ierome Augustine ye haue condemned of folly now Caluine Zanchius Chemnitius and the best Diuines of the reformed Church yee esteeme inconsiderate in this point But if the Reader shall take leisure to peruse the Learned Dispute of Chemnitius against the Councell of Trent touching this head the profound Doctrine of Zanchius vpon the fourth Command he shall find that these Diuines haue considered the Question narrowly enough Yet I must confesse that neyther they nor any other Diuines haue found out the errours set downe by you in this Pamphlet which if hee take paines to ponder as ye wish he shall find such things therein as no sound Diuine in the Christian World did euer dreame of before you PP As for our Neighbour Church standing in the middest betwixt the Romane and reformed Churches as Bucerus once said they are more liberall in their Feasts as in other Ceremonâ—es then the other reformed Churches as Gretserus the Iesuite hath obserued Caluino-papistae Angli vt in alijs quae adritus Ceremonias pertinent longe liberaliores sunt quam Puriâ—anâ— in Gallia Germania Belgia ita in Festis retinendis longe largiores ANS Hitherto ye haue neither alledged the practice of any reformed Church nor the iudgement of any learned Diuine for your opinion Now ye beginne vnchristianly to inueigh against the renowned Church of England and are not ashamed to bring the impure words of a Puritan Papist wherein as hee vtters his miscontentment on the one side so doe yee on the other both standing for extremities while as hee will haue all and ye will haue none The Church of England keeping the middle course is condemned of both for her moderation but she regardeth little to be iudged of you or of mans day What are yee that iudge another mans Seruant who stands or fals to his owne Master PP They obserue not only the fiue Holy dayes alreadie mentioned but other dayes also dedicated to Christ c. They keepe also a number of Saints dayes so that their dayes in number are more then the Iewes themselues obserued The Reasons alreadie alledged against dayes dedicated to Christ may serue also against dayes dedicated to Saints and Angels ANS If ye haue no stronger reasons to alledge against dayes dedicated to Saints and Angels then ye haue vsed against the fiue dayes dedicated to Christ the Papists who obserue these dayes will not regard your enmitie much lesse the Church of England which obserueth no dayes but such as are dedicated to the honour of God only as we said before PP We may look assuredly that the fiue dayes presently vrged will bring in all the rest to make vp our conformitie with our Neighbour Church which to vs is not lawfull They were neuer remoued from amongst them we haue abandoned and abiured them c. ANS This is an inuidous Prophesie contrarie to the experience we haue had of his Maiestie who for conformitie with our Neighbour Church hath neuer pressed vs with any thing vnprofitable for vs to receiue The obseruation of the fiue dayes restored in our Church makes vs no more conforme with the Church of England then with the greatest number of the best reformed Churches in Europe and with the Primitiue Catholike Church whilest she yet flourished in greatest puritie of Doctrine and Discipline in the dayes of Tertullian Chrysostome Ambrose Augustine Ierome and such other notable Lights And as long as it shall please almighty God to blesse vs with the continuance of his Maiesties most happy Gouernment wee are assured to be preserued from Heresie Superstition Idolatry and such like corruptions I beseech God that our ingratitude murmuring grudging suspitions and misconstructions doe not prouoke God to stop the breath of our nostrils and remooue the Lords Annointed vnder whose shaddow wee haue enioyed peace and quietnesse aboue all the Nations that are about vs. PP To conclude then to esteeme one day aboue another in respect of any mystery certainly knowne or commonly reputed to haue beene wrought vpon that day to testifie this estimation by cessation from worke To deuise a particular seruice to be done vpon it accounting that forme or part of seruice acceptable to God because it is performed on that day is to obserue a day And in this manner doe wee obserue the Anniuersarie dayes The same reason may bee applyed to an Anniuersary houre ANS The Proposition I admit the Assumption I deny for albeit any mysticall or memorable worke were certainly knowne to haue beene wrought vpon such a time yet to esteeme aboue another except it were sanctified by diuine Institution wee count it Superstition So albeit wee certainly know the memorable workes of his Maiesties deliuerance to haue beene wrought vpon the fift of August and the fift of Nouember yet we doe not esteeme these dayes aboue other dayes as if the seruice done on them were more acceptable to God in respect of the time but wee doe only esteeme them as meete circumstances for the thankesgiuing appointed to be made on them to God The same estimation we haue of the fiue dayes as wee haue oft said before That our Sauiour was borne vpon the 25. of December no man I thinke knowes certainly the common reputation we hold as vncertaine Therefore wee doe not thinke the commemoration of Christs Natiuitie vpon that day and our thankesgiuing therefore more acceptable to God by reason of the day nor doe wee thinke cessation from worke on that day a part of diuine worship at it was held in time of Papistry and is yet by many of our common Professours that lacke instruction but the worship we doe in vnto God for his honour not for the day and the cessation from work is for the commoditie and celebritie of the worship The Act of Perth ordaynes the people to be thus instructed and the superstitious conceite of the time rebuked Finally choice is made of this and the other dayes not for any mysterie esteemed to bee in them more then in other dayes but for conformity with the Primitiue Church the reuerence of whose authoritie in matters of this nature must be of great force to draw Churches of diuers iurisdictions that agree in doctrine to vnity in points of externall policie which vnity is far to be preferred to
the priuate custome of any Church or the singularity of any mans opinion and fantasie And therefore ZANCHIVS said well and wisely in the places cited before That albeit the reformed Churches haue liberty to sanctifie what dayes they thinke good yet it is more laudable honest and profitable to sanctifie these which the most pure Apostolick and Primitiue Church sanctified So to conclude we obserue no day for mystery or with opinion of necessitie but only for commodity and policie And this obseruation is approued by the iudgement of the best Diuines in the reformed Church The consent of the Reformed Churches and Diuines for keeping the fiue Holy Dayes Heluetica Confessio de Ferijs Art 24. PRaeterea si Ecclesiae pro Christiana libertate memoriam Dominicae Natiuitatis Circumcisionis Passionis Resurrectionis Ascensionis item in Coelum missionis sancti Spiritus in Discipulos religiosè celebrent maximoperè probamus That is to say If the Churches according to their Christian Libertie doe celebrate religiously the memory of the Lords Natiuitie Circumcision Passion Resurrrection his Ascension to Heauen and the sending downe of the holy Ghost wee doe exceedingly approue it Beza speaking of this Confession in his first Epistle sayes Dico Helueticam Gallicam Confessionem cui innumerabiles paenè Ecclesiae subscripserunt nulla re prorsus differre that is The Church of Heluetia and France differ in nothing and haue but one Confession whereunto innumerable Churches haue subscribed All the reformed Churches did agree in this point of the Confession touching the obseruation of the fiue dayes our Church only excepted which now hauing condescended to a Conformity with the rest by the Ordinance of the Assembly at Perth the same will bee allowed of all that preferre the peace and vnitie of the Reformed Churches to the singularitie of their owne opinions CALVIN Col. 2.16 ATque dicet quispiam nos adhuc retinere aliquam dierum obseruationem Respond Nos dies nequaquam seruare quasi in ferijs esset aliqua religio aut quasi fas non sit tunc laborare sed respectum haberi politiae ordinis non dierum that is Some will say that we yet retayne some obseruation of dayes I answere We keepe not dayes as if there were any Religion in the festiuall time or as if it were not lawfull to labour on them but a respect is had of Policie and Order not of dayes ZANCHIVS in the Confession which hee made to be published when he was seuentie yeares of age in name of himselfe and his Family De Ferijs cap. 15. Sect. 30. POst diem Dominicum non possumus non probare illorum quoque dierum sanctificationem quibus memoria recurrit celebrataque in veteri Ecclesia fuit Natiuitatis Domini nostri Iesu Christi Circumcisionis Passionis Resurrectionis Ascensionis in Coelum Missionisque sancti Spiritus in Apostolos that is Next vnto the Lords Day we cannot but allow the Sanctification of these dayes wherein the memory returnes of the Natiuity of our Lord Iesus his Circumcision Passion Resurrection Ascension into Heauen and the sending downe of the Holy Ghost vpon the Apostles which memorie was celebrated in the ancient Church CHEMNITIVS de diebus Festis in examine Concilij Tridentini ATque haec sunt quae in Scriptura noui Testamenti ad festa pertinentia tradita sunt iuxta quam normam vt deuota religiosa Festorum celebratio ad augendam pietatem restituatur nemo improbat sed omnes pij optant that is These are the things which are deliuered in the Scriptures of the new Testament concerning festiuall times according to which rule no man dislikes the deuout and religious celebration of festiuall dayes but all the godly wish it because it serues to encrease godlinesse To this hee subioynes a long Narration of the dayes obserued in the Primitiue Church which he approues BVLLINGERVS ad Rom. 14. APud Veteres quidem Eusebium inprimis Augustinum inuenias memorias quasdam pijs quibusdam institutas fuisse hominibus sed longè alia ratione ac modo nimirum parùm differente à nostro ritu quo adhuc in Ecclesia nostra Tigurina Natiuitatis Circumcisionis Passonis Resurrectionis Ascensionis Domini Missionisque sancti Spiritus Deiparae Virginis Ioannis Baptistae Magdalenae Stephani Apostolorum Domini Festa celebramus neminem eorum interim damnantes qui post Dominicam aliam nesciunt Festiuitatem videmus enim veterum monumenta perlustrantes liberū hoc Ecclesiae semper fuisse vt quisque quod hisce in rebus minutilis videretur optimum ad pietatem commodissimum sequeretur that is Ye shall find in the Ancients specially in Eusebius and Saint Augustine certaine memorials instituted to some holy persons but farre different from the Papall forme and manner not vnlike the rite which we obserue in our Church of Tigurine in the celebration of the Natiuitie Circumcision Passion Ascension Resurrection of the Lord and the sending downe of the Holy Ghost of the Mother of God the Virgin of Iohn the Baptist Magdalene Stephen and the Apostles of the Lord. In the mean-time we condemne none of these that keepe no festiuall day but the Sabbath For when we looke ouer the Monuments of the Fathers wee find this hath euer beene in the liberty of the Church to doe that which seemed best and most commodious for the aduancing of Pietie in these matters of little moment PARAEVS cap. 14. ad Rom. hyp 4. FEria Dominicalis Natiuitatis Resurrectionis Ascensionis Domini Pentècostès rectè obseruantur à Christianis that is The Lords Day the Feast of the Natiuitie Resurrection Ascension of the Lord and Whitsonday are lawfully keeped by Christians Ibidem Vtile institutum primitiuae Ecclesiae ritè obseruatur tale hoc est vtile enim est praecipuas Dei paetefactiones beneficia in Ecclesiam collata stato tempore publice repetere profiteri aduersus haereticos infideles populo inculcare vt sint notissima in perpetua memoria magis enim mouent haerent in memoria iuuentutis populi quae solenniter anniuersariè simul ab omnibus vno consensu fiunt quà m quae aliás ab alijs fiunt dicuntur that is A profitable Statute of the Primitiue Church is rightly obserued such is this of Holy dayes for it is profitable to remember and professe publikely on a set appointed time the chiefe manifestatiōs of God and his benefits bestowed vpon the Church against Heretickes and Infidels beating them in the eares of the people that they may be familiar vnto them and keeped in a perpetuall remembrance For these things moue more and stick faster in the memorie of youth and common people which are solemnely and yeerely done by all together and with one consent then these things which are done at other times by diuers persons seuerally TILENVS Praecep 4. Th. 17. PRaeter hunc Sabbatismum septimo quoque die recurrentem alios dies
that whatsoeuer vse vnder the Law was proper to the Iewes Sabbath wherein now vnder the Gospell both Iew and Gentile haue interest remaynes yet proper to the Lords Day that succeeded thereto And in that respect this Day differs from all other Dayes being obserued not for policie and order only but for diuine institution and the religious vse whereunto it is appropriate that is to bee a memoriall First of the Creation as hath beene said because after our sixe dayes worke we rest on it being the seuenth as God did from the workes of the Creation Secondly of the Redemption because on it the Lord arose and perfected that worke and thirdly to be a signe of our sanctification namely that God who hath chosen and sanctified vs to be his people and whom we worship is God the Creator who in sixe dayes created the World and rested the seuenth and God the Redeemer who rose on this Day and hauing abolished sinne and death did bring in righteousnesse and life and God the holy Ghost by whose power hee did rise and by whose power we hope also to be raised againe Vnto this holy and religious vse this Day is appropriated whereunto no other Day besides can bee applyed That to conclude the Church hath power to appoint times for the publike worship of God and to appoint such a kind of worship as shee thinketh most expedient to bee vsed on these times for edification although shee hath no power to make the obseruation of any time a point of Gods worship or to appropriate thereto any part of his worship Finally to end this point of the power of the Church when the people are conuened in the ordinarie place and at the times appointed the Scripture hath not set downe whereat the Pastour should beginne how hee should proceed and wherewith hee should close vp this Seruice as whether hee should beginne with singing of Psalmes or praying or reading or preaching and when hee prayes with what petition he shall beginne what he shall subioyne next and so forth what order he shall obserue in baptizing and celebration of the Supper in Marriage in censuring of notorious offenders by Excommunication in Absolution and to bee short in all such other points of Doctrine Discipline and Diuine Seruice there is nothing particularly prescribed Although the substance of all be in the Word yet the order disposition forme and manner are left to be determined by the Church Many of which points are of farre greater moment then any of the Articles concluded at Perth Thus much for the power of the Church We come now to the extent of this power It is certaine that this power cannot reach to any thing essentiall or materiall in the worship of God but to the decencie and order only which is to bee obserued for edification in the circumstances aboue specified Let all things bee done decently and in order saith the Apostle The things themselues that are to be done are partly specified in that same Chapter where this rule is giuen and in the word else-where they are fully and particularly expressed and not left to be prescribed according to the will and iudgement of the Church but by this Precept a power is giuen only to the Church to prescribe the decent manner forme and order how they should be done And so to determine the circumstances which are in the generall necessary to bee vsed in diuine worship but not particularly defined in the Word So by warrant of this Precept the Church hath no power to forme new Articles of Faith new Precepts of Obedience new Petitions of Prayer new Sacraments or new Rites and Ceremonies such as Salt Oyle Spittle Chrisme Ashes holy Water Lights and innumerable such other things which cannot be reduced to any circumstances that in the generall are of necessary vse wherein the Church of Rome abusing her libertie hath laid vpon the Christian Church a burthen of Rites no lesse intollerable then the Legall Ceremonies yea and haue imposed them to bee obserued not onely as things belonging to policie and order but as parts of diuine worship which we of the reformed Church reiect esteeming all that to bee will-worship which men impose to be obserued as necessarie points of the seruice of God which himselfe hath ordayned in his Word Further because the Ceremonies and circumstances left to the determination of the Church cannot alwayes be one and the same by reason of the diuersity of Ages Times People and Nations touching them no constant Law can bee set downe as is acknowledged in the one and twentieth Article of the Confession of our Faith confirmed by Parliament but altered they may be and altered they should be when necessitie requires In which case Charitie sayes Caluine can best iudge what is most expedient Hanc si moderatricem patiemur salua erunt omnia The power of the Church being thus limited it is without controuersie that the Canons made by her touching the circumstances that in the generall are necessary for the worship of God ought to bee obeyed so long as they stand vnchanged or abrogated not because they contayne in them any substantiall or materiall part of Religion or that they haue in them any diuine Authoritie as the Commandements of God which in conscience bind to obedience but because in them an order is established tending to vnitie and peace whereby confusion scandall and Schisme is eschewed and because the power of the Church whereby these Lawes are made is the Ordinance of God and confirmed by the authoritie of his Word commanding vs to obey them that are set ouer vs in the Lord the Canons of the Church must be obeyed for reuerence of the Ordinance and Commandement of God which is the onely direct and immediate obiect of our conscience and the religious band that tyes vs to the obedience of euery humane ordinance for conscience sake But because many excuse their disobedience with a pretext of conscience I will shortly set downe the rules of conscience that by the Word of God we are obliged to follow in our actions The first is whatsoeuer is commanded or forbidden in the Word expresly or by necessary consequence ought to be obeyed The next is whatsoeuer is commanded or forbidden by the Lawes and Ordinances of our Superiours Ciuill or Ecclesiastique the same if it be not contrarie to Gods Word should be obeyed by reason of his expresse command Obey them that haue the rule ouer you and submit your selues Heb. 13. And againe Submit your selfe to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake 1. Pet. 2.13 To this appertaynes lawfull customs hauing the force of a Law where there is no written Law Thirdly touching things that are free and are neither determined by Ciuill nor Ecclesiasticall Constitutions we haue this rule Let euery man stand fully perswaded in his owne minde that he may doe or omit that which hee intends without the offence of God or his Neighbour but