fuit imperatum quam id ab Imperatoribus Christianis nequis à rerum sanctarum meditatione abstraheretur neque ita praecise sancitum est It seemes therefore that the Homily hath not most clearely and fully declared all things necessary to be knowne touching this question Againe the Homily saith Whatsoever is found in the fourth Commandement appertaining to the Law of Nature as a thing most godly most just and needfull for the setting forth of God's glory it ought to be retained of all good Christians Our of the former words it may be collected that nothing in the fourth Commandement is simply morall and of the Law of Nature but that which is most godly most just and necessary for the setting forth of Gods glory And if this be the sence of the Homily as no doubt it is then the fourth Commandement is not in force according to the letter but only according to the equity and Analogie thereof Lastly the Homily saith God hath given expresse charge to all men that upon the Sabbath Day which is now our Sunday they should cease from all weekely and worke-day labour and God doth command the observation of this Holy day and we must be carefull to keep the Sabbath day which is the Sunday Out of the former passage these questions arise 1. What the Homily intendeth in saying God hath given expresse charge c. and God hath commanded c. Whether God hath immediately by any Divine Law expressely commanded the Observation of Sunday and in what Texts of Scripture this Law and Commandement touching Sunday is to be found Or whether the meaning of the Homily is not that God hath thus commanded Christians by a mediate or ministeriall Law and precept of his Church It may beâ— questioned likewise in what sence the Homily stileth the Sunday the Sabbath day whether in a proper and literall sence according to the stile of the old Law or in a mysticall and analogicall sence as Christ is called our Passeover 1 Cor. 5.7 Now from the precedent observations it is consequent that the Doctrine of the Church of England is not most clearly or so plainly and expressely set forth in the Homily as this Objector pretendeth when he saith pag. 13. The words of the Homily as you have heard and every one may plainely see are so expresse cleare and full that they cannot possibly admit the least ambiguity Reasons to the contrary 1. Evidens censeri solet illud quod ita sufficienter movet intellectum ut in libera hominis potestate non sit dissentire a Aqu. Sum. Greg. Valent. Et alij Scholast Doctores Aug. c. Crescon Gram. li. 3. Ipsa sententia loquatur cujus verba sic fulgerit ut si eam veliâ— abscondere quarumlibet tenebrarum latebras suo nimio splendoâ—e perruâ—peâ—â—t That onely is to be reputed cleare and evident which in such sort affecteth the understanding that it is not in the free power of an intelligent Person to dissent from it But this definition of cleare and evident cannot bee applyed to the words of the Homily for the reasons before delivered 2. According to Tertullian b Tertul. d. Resur Carnis ca. 33. Sententiae et definitiones quarum est aperta natura aliter quam sonant non sapiunt Sentences and Definitions which are cleare and evident cannot be expounded otherwise than as the words sound But the words of the Homily concerning the Sabbath which this Objector produceth doe neither force the understanding of every intelligent Reader to yeeld assent to Br. B. his Exposition and unlesse wee expound them otherwise than the words seeme to sound we shall fall into many absurdities Ergo. It is false which the Objector delivereth to wit The words of the Homily are so expresse cleare and plainely delivered as that they cannot admit the least Question or Ambiguity B. The Homily of the time and place of prayer part first sheweth That our Lord's Day is grounded upon the fourth Commandement of the Decalogue in these words Whatsoever is contained in the Commandement appertaining to the Law of Nature as a thing most godly most just and needefull for the setting forth of Gods glory it ought to be retained and kept of all good Christian people and therefore by this Commandement we ought to have a time as one day in the weeke wherein we ought to rest yea from our lawfull and needfull workes For like as it appeareth by this Commandement that no man in the sixe dayes ought to be slothfull or idle but diligently to labour in that state wherein God hath set him even so GOD hath given expresse charge to all men that upon the Sabbath day which is now our Sunday they should cease from all weekely and worke day labour to the intent that like as God Himselfe wrought sixe dayes and rested the Seventh and blessed and sanctified and consecrated it to quietnesse and rest from labour even so God's obedient People should use the Sunday holily and rest from their common and daily businesse and also give themselves wholly to heavenly excercises of God's true Religion and Service So that God doth not onely command the Observation of this Holy Day but also by his own example doth stir and provoke us to the diligent keeping of the same Good natural children wil not only becom obedient to the Commandement of their Parents but also have a diligent eye to their doings and gladly follow the same So if we will bee the children of our Heavenly Father wee must be carefull to keepe the Christian Sabbath Day which is the Sunday not only for that it is God's expresse Commandement but also to declare our selves to bee loving children in following the example of our Gracious Lord and Father Againe thus it may plainely appeare that God's will and Commandement was to have a solemne time and standing day in the week wherein the People should come together and have in remembrance his wonderfull benefits and to render Him thankes for them as appertaineth to loving kind and obedient People This example and Commandement of God the godly Christian people began to follow immediately after the Ascension of our Lord Christ c. So the Homily and much more whence we plainely observe these conclusions 1 That all Christians ought and are bound in conscience of the fourth Commandement to keep the Lord's-day holily 2 That by the force of the fourth Commandement one day in seven is perpetually to be kept holy 3 That the keeping of the lord's-Lord's-day is grounded upon and commanded in the fourth Commandement and so is not of humane institution 4 That the lord's-Lord's-day is and may bee called our Christian sabbath-Sabbath-day therefore it is not Iewish to call it so 5 That this Day is wholly to be spent in holy rest and duties of sanctification and therefore no part of it to be spent in vaine pleasures and prophane pastimes Now the Author of the Treatise doth overthrow all these conclusions for
desperate cause B. The Homily saith All Christians ought and are bound in conscience of the fourth Commandement to keepe the Lord's-day holily Ans 1. The equity and Analogie of the fourth Commandement obligeth Christians to observe a convenient and sufficient time for Gods worship and service and for the exercise of spirituall and religious duties 2 After such time as the Orthodoxall Catholike Church hath upon the example of the holy Apostles and for other weighty reasons devoted the Sunday of every Weeke to the exercise of Religious duties Christian people in obedience to the Law of the Church grounded upon the equity of the fourth Commandement and the example of the Apostles are bound in conscience to observe that Day holily in the performance of religious duties pag. 100. B. The Lord's-day is and may be called our Christian Sabbath-day and therefore it is not Iewish to call it so Answ 1. The Lord's-day is not the litterall Sabbath of the fourth Commandement and therfore in propriety of speech it cannot be called the Sabbath-day expressely or in particular commanded in the Decalogue but the same is stiled by the Homily our Christian Sabbath in a mysticall and analogicall sense even as mortâ—fication is called Circumcision Rom. 2.29 and sincerity and truth are called unleavened bread 1 Cor. 8.5 B. That this day is wholly to be spent in holy rest and duties of sanctification and therefore no part of it to be spent in vaine pleasures and profane pastimes Answ 1. The Homily according to the Tenet also of other Divines a Bucer in Mat. 12. p. 113. Eximatur è cordibus hominum opinio necessitatis ne quis credat eum diem per se esse aliis sanctiorem vel operari in eo per se esse peccatum Danaeus Eth. Christ l 2. c. 9. Nobis Christianis non tanta tamve severa rigida observatio ne laboremus in die Dominica imposita est Nam ex lege Constantini licet serere metere in die Dominica si commodum sit Aquin. 2. 2. q. 122. ar 4. ad 4. Non est ita arcta prohibitio operandi in die Dominica sicut in die Sabbati sed quaedam opera conceduntur in die Dominica quae in die Sabbati prohibebantur sicut decoctio ciboruÌ„ c. permitteth some kinde of labour upon the Sunday Therefore by wholly it understandeth not every houre and minute of the day but so much thereof as is necessary and morally sufficient for the performance of the religious duties of the day pag. 218 219. 225. 231. 2 If the Objector would have proceeded sincerely he should have declared whether by vaine pleasures and profane pastimes he understandeth all bodily exercise and recreation in generall or such only as is vitious in quality or by reason of circumstances pag. 229. If he meane the first we finde no words in the Homily condemning in generall all recreation to wit such as is sober and honest in quality and which is not attended with evill circumstances But if he understand the Homily in the latter sense to wit that it condemneth ungodly pastimes Then he might have observed the Bishops words pag. 258. The Lawes of our Church and Common-wealth condemne and chastise all things profane and vitious upon the Lord's-day And pag. 259. All obscene lascivious and voluptuous pastimes are prohibited on this day And pag. 229. All kindes of Recreations which are of evill quality in regard of their object or which are attended with evill circumstances c. If they bee used upon the Lord's-day or on other Festival daies they are sacrilegious c. And in the Ep. Dedicat. Profanation of the Lords-day and of other solemne Festivall dayes which are devoted to religious offices is impious and hateful in the sight of God and all good men and therfore to bee avoided by such as feare God and to be corrected and punished in those which shall offend and pag. 109. 110. This Ordinance and observation of the Lord's Day began in the holy Apostles age and hath universally beene continued ever since to the great honour of Christ our Saviour and to the marvellous benefit of Christian soules who upon that holy day are edified weekely in godlinesse vertue and true Religion And therefore we justly account all those who maligne the honour of this blessed day prophane and sacrilegious A. The Author seemes to acknowledge some morality naturall to be in the fourth Commandement for pag. 135. He saith Our resting from labour in respect of the generall is grounded upon the Law of Nature or the equity of the fourth Commandement B. This is nothing to the purpose to acquit him from being an Adversary to the expresse doctrine of our Church Dolosus versatur in Vniversalibus it was the speech of King Iames. The naturall morality of the fourth Commandement is not in generall to imply some Individuum Vagum some certaine uncertaine indefinite time for God's Worship a Vrsin Cat. de Sabba Non sumus allegati ut diem vel Iovis vel Saturni vel Mercurij vel ullum alium certum habeamus Rivet in Exod. 20. pag. 193. Petitur principium cum id pro confesso sumitur ad substantiam maÌ„dati quarti quatenus morale est pertinere circumstantiam dieâ— septimi Phil. Melancht loc Com. d. 3. praecepto Recte dicitur in tertio praecepto duas esse partes unam naturalem seu moralem seu genus altera pars est caeremonia propria populo Israel seu species de die septimo De priore dicitur naturale seu genus esse perpetuuÌ„ non posse abrogari videlicet mandatuÌ„ de conservaÌ„do ministerio publico sic ut aliquo die populus doceatur caeremoniae divinitus institutae exerceantur Species vero quae nominatim de septimo die loquitur abrogata est for the Commandement is expresse for a certaine day in the weeke for the Sabbath Day Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it It saith not remember to set apart and allow some time for the service of God but it determines the time and day lest otherwise being left undetermined man should forget God Himselfe and allow no time or day at all for God's service or if he did God should bee beholden to him for it Ans 1. Is he Dolosus a deceiver who maintaineth there is a generall equitie in Divine Positive Lawes No man living is able to justifie this For in the Old Iudiciall Lawes yea in many Ceremoniall Lawes there is contained a generall Equity grounded upon the Law of Nature In the judiciall Law set downe Exod. 22.1 2. there is a generall equity implyed obliging Christians to restitution of goods unjustly by them taken away In the Law of Deuteronomy 25.4 Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne there was contained a generall naturall equity 1 Corinth 9.9 Therefore he is not Dolosus who maintaineth a generall equity in the fourth Commandement but he is a Dolt who denies
cap. 37. De nullo ante ipsius finem pronunciari potest quod in electorum gloria sit futurus ut perseverantem humilitatem utilis metus servet qui star videat ne cadat Conclus It is evident by the former Positions of S. Augustine that his constant and expresse Tenet in his Confutation of the Pelagians was That some persons really justified might afterwards bee overcome by temptations and fall away from saving and justificant grace And therefore H. B. is mendacious in accusing the Appealer of Popery and Pelagian Heresie for we trust he will not honour the Papals so much as to make S. Augustine one of theirs And that cannot in any charitable construction be a Pelagian Heresie which S. Augustine the grand Adversary of those Hereticks in his Answers and Confutations constantly maintained against them B. Yea instead of recantation I my self have heard him in open Court speake against both justification that a Man might be justified to day and damned to morrow and against election of some to eternall life and against the sanctification of the Sabbath saying I say there is no sanctification of the Sabbath but Rest Rest only And therefore cease to wonder that this man should be so fearelesse either privily to undermine or apertly to oppugne the expresse Doctrines of our Church Answ 1. It was the Tenet of S. Augustine a Aug. d. Prad Sanct. cap. 14. and of the faithfull in his dayes that if a just person forsake his righteousnes in qua diu vixit wherin hee hath lived long and shall depart this life in wickednesse in qua non unum annum sed unum diem duxerit wherin hee continued not one yeare but one day in poenas iniquis debitas hinc iturum hee shall passe from hence into eternall punishment due to the wicked Huic perspicuae veritati saith Saint Augustine quis fidelium contradicit what faithfull Christian contradicts this evident or perspicuous verity Now if the former doctrine was maintained for Catholike and Orthodoxall in Saint Augustine's daies then he who saith a man may be justified to day and be in perill of damnation the next day b D. Overall Confer Hampt Court p 41. Whosoever though before justified did commit any grievous sinne as Adultery Murder Treason and the like did become ipso facto subject to God's wrath guilty of damnation or were in state of damnation quo ad praesentem justitiam untill they did repent Against which doctrine he said some had opposed teaching That all such persons as were once truely justified although after they fell into never so grievous sinnes yet remained still just 〈◊〉 in the state of justification before they actually repented of these sinnes Yea and although they never repented of them through forgetfulnesse or sudden death yet th y should be saved w thout Repentāce hath delivered nothing savoring of Pelagianisme or repugnant to sound Doctrine in the Article of Iustification 2 Br. B. is false in saying he hath heard his Adversary in open Court speake against God's Election for the Bishop firmely believeth That God hath freely without any merit of their owne in his meere bounty and love for the merit of Christ elected all those to eternall life which shall be glorified in the world to come 3 The Bishop truly affirmed pag. 143. That the fourth Commandement of the Decalogue according to the literall sence thereof enjoyned not such spirituall and Evangelicall duties as Theop. Br. mentioned in his Objection to wit preaching of Christ crucified and raysed from the dead Prayer to God the Father in the name of Christ receiving Baptisme and the Holy Eucharist But he maintaineth that the equity of the fourth Commandement together with the Evangelicall Law requireth not only rest from secular labour and negotiation but also the performance of spirituall and evangelicall duties upon the Lord's-Day and upon other Holy dayes and times devoted by the Church to the service of Christ pag. 143. A. The Adversary in his Booke doth much except against and cannot endure that the Lord's-Day should be called the Sabbath Day And I remember one passage in it wherein he bequarrelleth H. B. for saying that the ancient Fathers did ever and usually call it the Sabbath Day B. Concerning that I have spoken with H. B. and hee saith he will answer and make good what he hath said against his Adversary And howsoever those words indeed ever and usually might give Advantage to the Adversary to carpe yet being rightly understood they may passe currant enough for by ever usually hee meant that all the ancient Fathers although they distinguish betweene the lord's-Lord's-Day and the Iewes Sabbath Day yet they ever took and observed the lord's-Lord's-Day instead of the Old Sabbath and ever used it for the Rest day or Sabbath of Christians Answ 1. The Bishop's words pag. 201. are I have diligently searched into Antiquity and observed in the Fathers their formes of speech when they treate of the Lord's-Day and I finde it farre differing from the usuall language of the Fathers to stile the Lord's-Day the Sabbath Day And they by the name Sabbath either understand the Old Legall Sabbath taken away by Christ Or the mysticall and spirituall Sabbath which was tiped and represented by the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement 2 In the former passage the Bishop speaketh not of moderne writers neither hath he denied that any of these especially here in England have stiled the Lord's-Day by the name of Sabbath or Christian Sabbath for his assertion was onely concerning the Ancient Fathers a Igna. ad Magnes post Sabbatū omnis Christi amator dominicam celebret diem c. Orig. in Exod hom 7. In nostra dominica semper pluit Manna in Sabbato nō pluit Clemens Apost Constit li. 7. ca. 24. Sabbatū Dominicum festos dies agite quod ille quidem dies recordatio sit fabricationis mundi hic vero Resurrectionis Athanas Epist ad Marcel Si psallere vis in Sabbato habes Psalm 91. Vis gratias agere in dominico habes psal 23. Ambros d. sacram lib. 4. cap. 6. Greg Nyssen orat d. castigat August Epist 86. Hilar. Prolog in Psalm Socrat. hist Eccl. lib. 6. cap. 8. Tripertit hist lib. 1. cap. 9. And therefore Br. B. fighteth with his owne shadow when he produceth moderne authorities to confirme that which concerneth not the point in question 3 The Bishop pag. 205. makes cleare ostension that H. B. had falsified three places of Saint Augustine And to prove himselfe an impudent Prevaricator he had foisted in these words Hoc est Dominicum into Saint Augustine's very text Contra Adimant Manich. Cap. 15. 4 This Br. B. for his last refuge propoundeth a miserable and ridiculous argument to wit The Fathers observed the Lord's-Day in stead of the Old Sabbath Ergo they ever and usually called the same the Sabbath Day This argument may be paralleld with one like unto it The ancient Fathers observed
the Sacrament of Baptisme instead of Circumcision Ergo the Ancient Fathers did ever usually stile the Sacrament of Baptisme by the name of Circumcision B. Saint Augustine d. temp Ser. 251. affirmeth That the Holy Doctors of the Church have decreed to transferre all the glory of the Iudaicall Sabbath or Sabbatisme unto the Lord's-Day c. We must observe the same from evening to evening c. that being sequestred from Rurall workes and from all businesse we may be vacant only for the worship of God Thus we duly sanctifie the Sabbath of the Lord c. You see hee speaketh this not as his owne particular opinion but as it was the Tenet of the whole Catholike Church so as the whole ancient Catholike Church did not only observe but call the Lord's-Day the Sabbath c. Answ 1 This Sermon seemeth to be none of Saint Augustine's as appeareth by the stile Nolite in Ecclesia verbosari In Ecclesia garriunt verbosantur Cogunt Presbyterum ut abbreviat Missam 2 The Author of this Sermon requireth the same Vacancie and sanctity upon the Birth dayes of Saâ—nts as he doth upon the Lord's-Day b Idcirco fratres mei non sit vobis molestum in Dominicis diebus in natalitiis SaÌ„ctorum divino studere cultui 3 He affirmeth that the Holy Doctors of the Church translated the glory of the Iudaicall Sabbath upon the Lord's-Day c Ideo Sancti Doctores Ecclesiae decreverunt omnem gloriaÌ„ Iudaici Sabbatismi in illam transferre c. And therefore he could not without contradiction ground the Observation of the Lord's-Day upon the letter or expresse words of the fourth Commandement 4 He makes the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement and the Lord's-Day two distinct and diverse dayes of the week and when he saith sic quoque rite sanctificamus Sabbatum Domini c. He useth the word Sabbath in a mysticall and analogicall sence and not in a Legall or literall signification 5 It is an untruth that Saint Augustine d Aug. ad Ascllic Epist. 200. Cum quisque isto modo fuerit verus germanusque Christianus utrum etiam Iudaeus aut Israelita dicendus sit merito quaeritur Quod quidem si non in carne sed spiritu hoc esse intelligitur non debet ipsuÌ„ nomen sibi imponere sed spiritali intelligentia retinere ne propter ambiguitatem vocabuli quam non discernit quotidiana locutio illud profiteri videatur quod est inimicum nomini Christiano Non debemus consuetudinem sermonis humani inepta loquacitate confundere c. inepta insolentia si dici potest imperita scientia makes it the common stile of the Catholike Church to call the Lord's-Day the Sabbath for he was so far either himselfe from stiling the Lord's-Day the Sabbath in a proper or ordinary course of speaking or from approving this forme of speech in others that hee holdeth it inept and insolent to give Iudaicall names and Appellations to Persons or things which are Christian or Evangelicall and hee gives a reason hereof because by such ambiguous formes of speaking a Christian might seeme to professe that which is repugnant to true Christianity B. Hilary Prolog in Psal Though in the seventh day of the week both the name and observance of the Sabbath be established yet we on the eighth day which also is the first doe enioy the festivitie of the perfect Sabbath Answ The Question is not Whether the Ancient Fathers have at any time stiled the Lord's-day a Sabbath in a mysticall and spirituall sense that is a day wherein Christian people ought to abstaine from sin For in this sense they have stiled every day of the Weeke b Clem. Alex. strom l. 5. c. â— Qui perfectus est ratione operibus cogitationibus perpetuo haerens verbo Deo naturali nostro Domino semper agit dies Domini nunquam non habet DominicuÌ„ Tert. c. Iud. c. 4. Vnde intelligimus magis Sabbatizare nos ab omni opere servili semper debere non tantuÌ„ septimo quoque die sed per omne tempus Chrys in Mat. ho. 40. Quid Sabbato opus est illi qui per totaÌ„ vitam agit solennitatem qui peccatorum immunis virtutes observat colit wherein Christians rest from sin a Sabbath pag. 203 204. But whether the Fathers did ever and usually name the Lord's-day the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement in a proper and literall sense The Bishop hath proved the Negative with so many pregnant testimonies of the Fathers pag. 202. that no reasonable person can take any just exception A. Dr. Wh. denies that Christ upon the day of his Resurrection rested from the work of Redemption B. I conferred with H. B. about this because it much concernes him to quit this Question seeing on Christ's resting on that day he grounds the Sabbatisme of it as agreeable to the fourth Commandement And in my judgement if he can evince and cleare it it will prove unanswerable And he tels me that he hath in two severall Treatises in Latine a Maintaining your own principles that the fourth CoÌ„mandement is purely simply morall and of the Law of Nature it will be impossible for you either in English or in Latine to solve Theoph. Brab his Objections against Theophilus Brab fully cleared it and removed all Objections and Cavillations that either Theophilus Brabourne or Francis White have or can bring to the contrary and he purposeth to do the like to D. Wh. And he made it very cleare to me that Christ's rest from the worke of Redemption from sinne on the Crosse and from death in the Grave which was a branch of that worke began not till his Resurrection as for his Ascension that was into the place of rest but his Resurrection was into the state of rest The Bishop's words are Christ was in action on that day but the word labour is of Br. B. his owne coining As for D. Wh. his Objection with Theophilus Brabourne That Christ laboured on that day H. B. shewes it to be absurd and ridiculous seeing Christ arose with a body glorified and impassible So as his actions that day could not bee called a labour that thereby the new Sabbath should bee broken Answ 1. Our Saviour began his Rest from those workes of Redemption by which he made paiment of a price by his bloud for our sins c Liturg. diddest give thine only Son IESVS CHRIST to suffer death upon the Crosse for our redemption who made there by his owne oblation of himselfe once offered a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice oblation satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world c. Ordering of Priests after hee had made perfect our redemption by his death c. upon the latter part of Goodfriday immediately upon his saying Consummatum est and giving up the ghost Iohn 19.30 Heb. 10.14 Then he continued in his Grave and Bed of rest the
sabbath-Sabbath-day following upon the Sunday he began his operations of Application of the fruit and benefit of his Passion and he did no more rest or cease from those actions upon Sunday than he did forty dayes after 2 Christ rested as fully upon the Munday Tuesday and upon every day following the day of his Resurrection from all his afflictive and satisfactory Passions as he did upon the Sunday If therefore it were granted that Christ began his Rest upon Sunday it must be confessed that he continued his Rest and Cessation from Redemptive actions every day after and so the Sunday was not the only day or time of his Rest And if it shall be further objected that even as notwithstanding the Lord God ceased and rested from the worke of prime Creation on every day of the weeke following as much as he did on the first Sabbath yet the seventh day was made the Sabbath because the Lord on that day began his Rest Therefore because Christ began his rest upon Sunday the same must bee the Christian Sabbath of the fourth Commandement Our answer is that God's resting or ceasing from the worke of Creation did not ordaine the Seventh day of the Week to be the Sabbath day a Walaeus d. Sab. c. 7. Deus in creatione rerum quievit die septimo sed nisi Deus hanc suam quietem in exemplum adduxisset et praecepto confirmasset nunquam ecclesia Vet. Testamenti ad ejus hebdomadalem observationeni fuisset divinitus obligata Quemadmodu etiam de die Paschatis Pentecostes qui Dei singularibus beneficiis sunt consecrati judicandum est eos noÌ„ nisi propter Dei accedens mandatum in veteri Testamento necessario fuisse observandos for it was God's expresse Commandement and Law which did this and his Rest was onely a Motive and that meerely in his owne good pleasure of sanctifying that particular Day But now concerning the Lord's-day we finde no such expresse and particular divine Law or Commandement in holy Scripture and therefore Christ's resting from all his Penall sufferings upon the day of his Resurrection cannot make that day of the weeke a particular Sabbath-day of divine institution unlesse some such expresse divine Law as the Iewes received for their Sabbath can be produced But if the Objector will obstinately contend that the Resurrection of Christ in it selfe containeth a Mandatory Law to observe the Lord's-day let him first deliver a true definition of a Law and then prove that the said definition belongs to the Resurrection of Christ A Law say the Iurists is a Precept of a Superiour being in authority containing a Rule or Measure of things to be done or not to be done But neither this nor any other true definition of a Law b Aquin. 1.2 q. 90. ar 4. Lex nihil aliud est quam quaedaÌ„ rationis ordinatio ad bonum commune ab eo qui curam communitatis habet ordinata Salas d. leg Lex est quod Rex vel Respublica jubet verbo vel scripto ab eo qui curam communitatis habet premulgata or of a Commandement agrees to the Resurrection of Christ Therefore the Resurrection of Christ may be a motive or cause impulsive inducing the Church to make a Law but it is not of it selfe any formall Law And if our Saviour's Resurrection hath the force of a Law to ordaine the day on which hee rose to be the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement We can observe no reason why the day of his Ascension b Walaeus d. Sabb. pa. 158. Quod affertur Christum eo die resurrexisse ac proinde eundem ad cultum suum Resurrectione sua coÌ„secrasse necessariuÌ„ argumentum non habet Quia Christus diem Iovis suo in coelos ascensu consecravit nec propterea tamen sequitur eum singulis septimanis in memoriam ascensus ejus esse observandum Nam licet haec Christi resurrectio argumentum praebuerit Ecclesiae Apostolicae ut hunc diem caeteris ad habendos conventus praeferret Non tamen sequitur Christum hoc suo facto eundem diem in eum sinem instituisse on which he entred into his eternall Rest should not likewise have the force of a Law to ordaine Thursday to be a Christian Sabbath because if our Saviour's beginning to rest shall make a Sabbath certainly the perfecting of his Rest should much more do the like 3 This Objector falsifieth the Bishop's words foisting in the word Labour instead of the word Action and then he brayes in his rude tone absurd and ridiculous But every reasonable Creature knowes there may be action without labour as appeareth in the actions of God Almighty c Aug. d. Civ â—â— lib. 12. cap. 17 NoÌ„ itaque in ejus vacatione cogitetur ignavia desidia inertia sicut nec in ejus opere labor conatus industria Novit quiescens agere agens quiese ere and in the actions of the blessed Angels and of the glorified Saints in Heaven And therefore bold B. is a false brother in corrupting and perverting the Bishop's forme of words and the Bishop's assertion is most true That our Saviour having finished all sorrow and labour upon his Passion-day He was in action upon his Resurrection day and he was in Action likewise forty dayes after B. Lest neither the Church of England in her publike Doctrine nor the pious workes of her grave and learned Sons may perhaps satisfie the Adversarie's importunity yet I hope the writings of his more pious and no lesse learned Brother D. Iohn White and those also both republished and vindicated by Fran. White from the Iesuites Calumnies White dyed black c. will a little qualifie him How D. Iohn White doth not only call the lord's-Lord's-day the sabbath-Sabbath-day as once Sect. 38. 1. and twice Sect. 43. digress 46. 6. But he also condemnes all profane sports and recreations on that day and among the rest Dancing for one And for this he alleageth the example of the Papists as the most notorious Sabbath-breakers in this kinde A. Doth he so Sir This seemes strange to me that so great a Clerk as Fran. White should so far forget himselfe as not to remember what his Brother hath writ Surely if it be so it will be a cooling-Card and no small disgrace to his Lp. when so worthy and reverend a Brother shal be brought as a witnesse against him But I pray you for my better satisfaction relate to me the very passages and words of D. Iohn White B. I will in digress 46. the Title whereof is Naming certaine points of the Popish religion which directly tend to the maintenance of open sinne and liberty of life now among many foule and profane practises as he cals them this he notes for one namely the profanation of the Sabbath in these words That they hold it lawfull on the Sabbath-day to follow Suits Travell Hunt Dance keep Faires and such like This is that hath made Papists the
d. Pec. Mer. Remiss li. 1. ca. 16. Et li. 2. ca. 4. A seventh Passage of Brother B. All were the true bred Children of the Church of England c. who maintained Brother B. his dictats concerning the old Sabbath and the Lord's-day witnesse Master Cartwright Master Fenne Old Master Gilby Master Snape Master Lord Master Dâ—d Mr. Cleaver Mr. Oxenbridge Master Sheere-wood Master Iohnson Master Nutter c. An eighth Passage of Brother B. The fourth Commandement is simply and intirely morall binding Vs Christians to observe the Lord's-Day The reason is because the Law of the fourth Commandement according to the proper and literall sence thereof was given to the Iewes only for keeping holy the Saturday and not to the Gentiles for the observation of Sunday A ninth Passage of Brother B. The Holy Apostles presently and immediately after Christ's Ascension taught and commanded all Christians to observe the Lord's-Day weekely and to renounce the Old Sabbath The reason because Saint Paul some twenty yeares after Christ's Ascension a Chytr in Cronol Anno Christi quinquagessimo quinto venit Paulus in Troadem inde in Macedoniam commanded the Corinthians to give Almes upon the first day of the weeke 1 Cor. 16.2 and Saint Iohn many yeares after that stiled Sunday by the name of the Lord's Day A Tenth Passage of Brother B. The first day of every weeke throughout the whole yeare is the Sabbath day of the 4th Commandement because our Saviour began to rest from some of his Redemptive actions upon the latter part of Good-Friday and because he rested in his grave the whole Sabbath day before his Resurrection and because hee rested as much upon Munday Tuesday and upon other dayes following as â—e did upon Sunday An Eleventh Passage of Brother B. To give Christian people any liberty to doe any manner of worke or to use any bodily exercise or pastime upon any part of the Sunday is to imitate the Pope in dispensing against God's morall Law Proved because brother B. is able to produce no Divine or Evangelicall Law recorded in holy Scripture which prohibiteth all bodily exercise and sober and honest recreation upon some part of that day A Twelfth Passage of Brother B. It is unlawfull to use any sober and honest recreation to wit such as is neither vicious in quality or circumstance upon any part of the Lord's-day because all profane ungodly obscene and lascivious pastime is prohibited upon that day and upon all other dayes throughout the yeare as if one should say it is not lawfull to eat or drink upon Sunday because surfeâ—ting and drunkennesse are unlawfull upon that day and upon all other dayes A Thirteenth Passage of Brother B. The Bishops of the Church of England have not power to instruct the inferiour Clergie in matters of Religion because they have not received miraculous grace Ex opere operato Proved because brother B. by his mother wit without ordinary grace or morall honesty supposeth himselfe qualified like an Apostle to correct and instruct all men both simple and learned in the most profound Questions of Theologie A Fourteenth Passage of H. B. It is a grosse Solecisme in Divinity Law and Gospell reconciled pag. 52. to admit an Institution to be Apostolicall and yet to deny it to be of Divine Authority and consequently to make it temporary and mutable Proved because Episcopall Authority was of Apostolicall institution c Iren. lib. 3. ca. 3. Fundantes igitur instruentes beati Apostoli Ecclesiam Lino EpiscopatuÌ„ administrandae Ecclesiae tradiderunt Succedit autem ei Anacletê° post euÌ„ tertio loco ab Apostolis EpiscopatuÌ„ sortitur Clemens Polycarpus in Asia in ea quae est Smyrnis Ecclesia constitutê° Episcopus ab Apostolis Tertul. c. Haer. cap. 32. Hier. Catalog in Clement Ignatio Polycarpo c. neverthelesse according to Br. B. the same is not Divine but the Prelats of the Church of England who exercise such Authority are Veines of the Pope and the maintainers thereof are guided by a Papall spirit Dialog pag. 3. A Fifteenth Passage of H. B. The fourth Commandement being a part of the Law written in Adam's heart needed not any expresse Commandement more than the rest d Ib. pag. 42. Proved because it was made knowne by Divine Revelation only and not by a naturall impression that God created Heaven and Earth in six dayes and rested the seventh and if the observation of the Sabbath was commanded Adam the same was the Saturday Sabbath of every weeke and not the Sunday and God Almighty himselfe appointed the first day of the Weeke to be one of the six working dayes A Sixteenth Passage of H. B. Ib. pag. 45. The seventh Day being an inseparable Circumstance of the substance of the fourth Commandement cannot be separated from the Sabbath The Reason because Christians were taught by the Apostles to make the first day of the week their weekly Festivall and not the seventh day A Seventeenth Passage of H. B. To rest from all labour Ib. pag. 47. is of the very Essence of the Sabbath The Reason because our Saviour maintained that some labour which was not of absolute necessity might lawfully be used upon the Sabbath-day An Eighteenth Passage of H. B. Who can deny the keeping of the Sabbath to be morall Ib. pag. 41. but he must withall proclaime open enmity to God's worship and Man's salvation The reason because the Apostles taught Christians to observe the lord's-Lord's-day being not the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement but a new Holy day grounded upon the Resurrection of Christ A Nineteenth Passage of H. B. The Commandement of the Sabbath is morall and so no lesse perpetuall than all the rest Ib. pag. 38. The reason because it was a shadow of good things to come and it was abrogated by the Apostles and changed into another day The last remarkable Observation concerning Br. B. It is lawfull when a man cannot otherwise solve an Objection to passe by both the Premisses of an Argument propounded in due forme and to deny the Conclusion for example No Law which is mutable in respect of the proper materiall Object is a Law of Nature But the fourth Commandement of the Decalogue was mutable in respect of the proper materiall Object Ergo the Law of the fourth Commandement was not a Precept of the Law of Nature Againe no morall action is unlawfull unlesse it be prohibited by some Divine Law expresse or virtuall or by some humane or Ecclesiasticall Law But bodily exercise or Recreation not being vicious in quality or circumstance if it bee used upon some part of the Holy day is prohibited by no Divine Law expresse or virtuall nor by any humane or Ecclesiasticall Law Ergo some bodily exercise or Recreation not being vicious in quality or circumstance may be permitted and used upon some part of the Holy day This Doctor indocilis when hee meeteth with any such Arguments will not be so
page 23. his words are This Position to wit that the fourth Commandement is properly and perpetually morall and is for quality and obligation equall to the other nine Commandements which for many yeares hath raigned in Pamphlets Pulpits and Conventicles and is entertained as an Oracle by all such as either openly professe or doe leane towards the disciplinarian faction is destitute of truth These are his words which comparing with the words of the Homily of our Church already cited are found quite contrary For the Homily saith That the fourth Commandement is a Law of Nature and ought to be retained and kept of all good Christians in as much as it commandeth one day of the Weeke for rest and God hath given an expresse charge to all Men that the Sabbath-day which is our Sunday should be spent wholly in heavenly exercises of God's true Religion and Service Answ The Summe of the former accusation is That the Bishop in his Treatise overthrowes the Doctrine of the Church of England in the point of the Sabbath For his Doctrine is repugnant to the Homily c. which teacheth that the fourth Commandement is of the Law of Nature c. and that all Christians ought to keep it holily and one day in seven is perpetually to be kept holy the keeping of the lord's-Lord's-day is commanded by the 4th Commandement The lord's-Lord's-day may be called the Christian sabbath-Sabbath-day Lastly the lord's-Lord's-day ought wholly to be spent in holy rest and duties of sanctification Now the Bishop saith the Objector hath opposed all these positions for he hath affirmed in his Treatise of the Sabbath that the fourth Commandement is not properly intirely and perpetually morall like as are the other nine and he hath permitted some bodily exercise and recreation to wit such as is honest and sober upon the Sunday and hee denies that in a legall sense the Lord's-day is to be called the Sabbath-day To the former the Bishops answer is that the Objector hath snatched some words of the Homily but he hath not duly observed the true sense and meaning thereof Athanas Orat. 1. c. Arrian Verba quidem profert veram tamen inde sentontiam sufferatur Tertul. ad Praxean Malo te ad seâ—â—um â—â—i quâ— ad sonum vocabuli exerceas For first the Homily doth not affirme that the fourth Commandement is purely intirely and properly morall and of the Law of Nature like as are the other nine But that whatsoever is found in the Commandement appertaining to the Law of Nature being most godly most just and needfull to the setting forth of Gods glory ought to be retained Now if nothing else in the fourth Commandement is of the Law of Nature but only that which is most just godly and needfull to the setting forth of Gods glory then the Homily maketh not the letter of that Commandement of the Law of nature but the intent and meaning thereof is That the fourth Commandement in respect of the naturall equity b Al. Hal 3. â— 32. m. 5 ar 1. Hoc praecepto praecipitur tempus vacationis aliquoâ— secundum hoc est morale legis naturae hoc secundum indâ—terminationeÌ„ hoc modo secundâ— indeterminationem praecipitur Dominica dies tempore gratiae which is that the Rulers of the Church must appoint necessary convenient and sufficient time for Divine Worship and for religious offices is morall and of the Law of Nature And if the Objector will straine the words of the Homily to a further sense let him well consider into what absurdities and contradictions he will be forced to plunge himselfe For if this Commandement be intirely purely and properly Morall a H. B. Gosp and Law recon p. 38. The CoÌ„mandement of the Sabbath is morall and so no lesse perpetuall then all the rest for if none of the rest of the CoÌ„mandements be abolished then neither the fourth Pag. 42. 49. The Law of the Sabbath was imprinted in Adams heart by the Law of Nature and of the Law of Nature like as the other nine Then it must have all the essentiall characters of the Law of Nature and of Precepts purely and entirely morall But it wanteth all these as is proved by demonstrative arguments in the Bishops book pag. 26. untill pag. 37. and pag. 172. Neverthelesse that I may more fully discover the ignorance and presumption of this Dialogist I shall propound an argument against him which he will hardly be able to solve to wit The Law of Nature was made knowne to all mankinde b Isidor Etimol l. 5. ca. 4. Ius naturale commune est omniuÌ„ nationum eo quod ubique instinctu naturae non constitutioneâ— aliqua habetur by the Common light of naturall reason The same is immutable unchangeable c Decret Dist 5. Naturale jus ab exordio rationalis naturae nec mutatur tempore sed immutabile permanet Aug. Confess l. 2. c. 4. Lex scripta in cordibus hominum quam nec ipsa quidem delet iniquitas eternall indispensable But the fourth Commandement concerning the Sabbath was not imprinted naturally or made knowne to all mankinde by the common light of naturall reason but it was made knowne only and wholly by divine and supernaturall revelation Also the fourth Commandement was changeable and mutable for the Sabbath of that Commandement which was Saturday according to the Objectors owne Tenet was changed into Sunday And lastly it admitted sundry dispensations pag. 34. 67. Now the premises being indubitate Verities The conclusion is firme to wit That the fourth Commandement of the Decalogue is no precept of the Law of Nature d Theod. in Ezek. 20.12 Illud non moechaberis non furtum facies alia cum his conjuncta alios quoque homines naturae lex edocuit At Sabbati observandi non natura magistra sed latio legis Walaeus Alii Synops purior Theolog. disp 21. n. 20. Sabbati praeceptum non est à naturae necessitate ut reliqua praecepta quae menti insita per se cognita sunt sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex voluntaria Dei institutione D. bound d. Sab. l. 1. p. 11. Indeed this Law was given in the beginning not so much by the light of Nature as the rest of the Commandements were but by expresse word For though this be the Law of Nature that some dayes should be separated to Gods worship yet that it should he every seventh day that the LORD himselfe set downe neither is it purely intirely and properly morall like the other nine but meerely positive in respect of any one particular day of the Weeke specified in the same The Bishop desires to receive some reasonable answer from Br. B. to this and to other the like arguments delivered in his Treatise of the Sabbath for if he shall according to his rude manner barke and blatter against his adversaries Positions and dissemble his arguments it is apparent that he maintaines a forlorne and
of prescribing a time and day of holy rest unto the Lord of the Sabbath who hath expressed his will and pleasure herein in his Law of the fourth Commandement as our Homily saith Answ The Bishop acknowledgeth a morall equity in the fourth Commandement for the observation of necessary sufficient and convenient times dayes houres c. For Gods publike worship and the performance of spirituall and Religious of fices And for ought this Objector hath said or can say to the contrary more than this cannot bee proved out of the Law of the fourth Commandement or by any necessary illation from any sentence of the Commandement Or from any principle of the Law of Nature b Lorea 1. 2. de leg Disp 8. Legis naturae alia sunt prima principia practica per se nota alia sunt conclusiones ex principiis deductae coÌ„clusiones autem aliae universaliores proximiores primis principiis aliae quae à primis principiis magis distant sunt specialiores de particularibus objectis For the Principle of naturall Law is God is duly and religiously to be worshipped but unlesse convenient and sufficient time be appointed God Almighty cannot bee duly and religiously worshipped Therefore a necessary convenient and sufficient time must bee appointed c Alex. Hal. 3. q. 32. m. 2. De ratione benè ordinata est quod cum semper non possumus vacare Deo propter temporales corporales necessitates quod aliquaÌ„do vacemus oportet igitur habere tempus aliquod determinatuÌ„ either expressely by God Himselfe or by such as he hath ordained to bee his Stewards and Officers in the Church for Divine worship 2 The fourth Commandement enjoyned the Iewes to keepe holy the seventh day being our Saturday but from hence we cannot conclude by necessary inference that the fourth Commandement enjoyneth Christians to keep holy the Sunday being the first day of the weeke For the speciall and proper materiall object of every Law is a substantiall part of that Law but if the substantiall part of any Law be changed and taken away a new Subject or materiall Object is no part of the old Law but another law must be ordained for the seâ—ling of that new Subject and materiall object in the place of the former 3 Whereas the Objector pretendeth that the Church of England disclaimeth all power of setling the particular time of God's publike worship how then commeth it to passe that this Church commandeth the solemne observation of Easter Whitsuntide Christmasse and of many other Holy-dayes to be dayes and times for the religious service of God and Christ A. But the Homily seemes to favour his opinion saying godly Christian people began to chuse them a standing day of the weeke c. and therefore it seemes to be at the Churches choyce B. Our choyce doth not necessarily imply a power of institution we are said to chuse life and truth before death and error are we therefore the Authors of them Againe our choyce herein is according to God's Commandement Thirdly the Homily saith expressely that those godly Christian people did in their choyce follow the example and Commandement of God Now what example c The Example of God specified in the fourth CoÌ„mandement was his own resting ceasing upon the olde Sabbath Day from the worke of prime Creation and not our Saviour his resting from the work of Resurrection upon the first day of the weeke had they but Christ's rising and resting that day after the example of God's resting the seventh day And for Commandement they had both the fourth Commandement and an Apostolicall Precept 1 Cor. 16. d No generall commandemâ—t common to all Christians for the weekely observation of Sunday is delivered in these two Texts of holy Scripture And that place in the Revelation appropriating this Day as holy to the Lord and so ratified by God himselfe And who were they which taught those godly Christian people to keep that day viz. The Apostles And therefore we must put a vast difference betweene the unerring Apostles and the succeeding Churches so as the Homily is cleare against him Answ The Objector saith The Churches choice doth not necessarily imply a power of institution c. It is answered making choyce many times implyes a free election and institution both in Scripture Deut. 26.2 1 Sam. 17.8 and in Ecclesiasticall and Humane Authors and that it is thus to be understood in the Homily is proved in manner following The sense of the Homily is according to the authorized Doctrine of the Church of England But the authorized Doctrine of the Church of England is That the appointment both of the time and number of dayes is left by the authority of Gods Word to the liberty of the Church to be assigned orderly by the discretion of the Rulers and Ministers thereof as they shall judge most expedient to the true setting forth of Gods glory and the edification of the people Ergo the Churches choyce according to the Homily is a free election of a convenient day and of other convenient and sufficient time for the service of God and the edification of Christian people 2 There is a great difference betweene a Precept and an Example The Homily saith that godly Christians to wit by imitation of God's example observed a seventh day but it affirmeth not that they did this by an expresse Commandement of any Divine Law Also godly Christians made the fourth Commandement of the Decalogue a motive to induce them to make one day of seven a weekly Holy day but that which is only a motive or a reason inducing and perswading to performe an action is not an expresse imperative or formall Law The sense therefore of the Homily is That Christians made choyce of a weekely standing day by the rule of the equity of the fourth Commandement and not by any expresse or formall Divine Law c Walaeus d. Sab. â— 7. Nec Christus nec ipsi Apostoli ex praescripto Christi de observatione hujus diei ulluÌ„ expressum mandatum quemadmodum de aliis pietatis officiis reliquerunt Non videtur autem ullo modo verisimile Si Christus nos ad observationem ullius diei ut partem cultus voluisset astringere fuisse fucurum ut id nullo praecepto indicasset Bulling Apoc. 2. Non legimus eam ullibi praecepâ—am Hospinian d. seâ— cap. 8. Non invenitur Apostolos aut alios lege aliqua aut praecepto observationem ejus instituisse 3 Our Saviour's Resurrection upon one Sunday in the yeare cannot of it selfe unlesse some precept were added be a Law to enjoyne Christians to observe every Sunday of the Weeke throughout the whole yeare reade pag. 302. 4 The fourth Commandement is directly and in plaine termes for Saturday pag. 182 183. and therefore if that Commandement is still in force according to the literall sense then the Christian Church is obliged to observe the old legall
prate and not to prove that Christians under the Gospell have received an expresse Commandement from God for the Observation of a certaine particular day in every weeke In such manner as they have received the Commandements touching the non-adoration of Images and giving the Cup in the Eucharist But untill hee performe this which will bee impossible hee declareth himselfe a Rude Accuser and withall a foolish and babling disputer B. A second reason why it is not left in the power of the Church to Prescribe what time men please is Because it is God's prerogative as a Master to appoint his owne worship and service So the time a The time commanded in the fourth Commandement is Saturday the Old Legall Sabbath wherein hee will bee served This God Himselfe commandeth in the fourth Commandement Now as the King will not take it well that any meddle with his prerogative and arrogate that to himselfe which is the King 's right So God is justly offended when men presume to assume to themselves that power which is proper and peculiar to God alone b God is wel pleased when the Church assumeth such ministeriall power as he hath granted If any will take upon him to coine money by counterfeiting the King's stamp and name his act is Treason How then shall they escape who presume to coine what time they please for God's solemne worship though they set the counterfeit stamp of God upon it Now the Sabbath Day is of the Lord 's owne making c The Sabbath day of the fourth Commandement was of God's owne immediate making and if this day is the Lord's day Then Th. Brab is in the right and stamping and therefore called the Lord's Day Answ There is no colour of truth in this second reason 1 The Author of it dealeth falsely For the Bishop maintaineth not that it is in the Churches power to appoint what time men please for Divine Worship But hee saith the contrary to wit The Church must appoint such a measure and proportion of time for God's worship and for Religious Offices as is convenient competent and every way sufficient But hee that teacheth this leaveth it not in the power and liberty of the Church to prescribe what time men please Because such time as men please to appoint may be inconvenient incompetent and insufficient for so great and holy a worke 2 The argument it selfe is of no force For although all power of constituting time for his owne worship bee eminently and originally in God himselfe as likewise is the teaching of all supernaturall truth Matth. 23.8 Yet there is given to the Pastors of the Church a derivative delegate and ministeriall power both to teach God's people and likewise to appoint set fixed and convenient dayes and times and places for religious worship pag. 187. Where the great Lord and Master himselfe hath by his owne expresse or immediate Law ordained a particular day or time for his owne worship It is not lawfull for man to alter the same and therefore the Iewes in the Old Law might not change their Sabbath into another day But the Church by ministeriall and delegate power may adde and increase the number of Religious holy dayes if it be necessary or expedient for the peoples edification For in the very time of the Old Law when many festivall dayes were ordained by God's speciall mandate the Iewish Church notwithstanding upon speciall occasions appointed some new Holy Dayes Hest 9. 17. 1 Machab. 4.56 and our blessed Saviour Himselfe honoured one of these feasts with his owne presence Ioh. 10.22 But now in the time of the N. Test the Church of Christ must of necessity have power to ordain set times and festivall dayes for Divine worship and the spirituall edification of People because such dayes and times are necessary to the ends aforesaid and the Lord Himselfe by no expresse particular mandate of Holy Scripture hath commanded them 3 The Objector's similitudes borrowed from Royall Prerogative and coining or stamping monies are nothing worth for although no Subject may lawfully usurpe the Kings's authority or prerogative yet a Subject may receive power from the King's authority and Prerogative to do many things which otherwise were unlawfull for him to doe As appeareth in Iudges who from the King's prerogative in sundry cases have power of life and death In privy Counsellors c. So likewise the Pastors of the Christian Church by a Ministeriall power given them by Christ exercise authority many wayes in ordering times and places and many other actions and circumstances which concerne God's worship Also It is very lawfull for subjects to Coine and stampe monies when the King being supreme Lord granteth them licence and authority It is Treason in such only as presume to doe it without license and because it is a thing prohibited by Lawes and Royall Authority And so it fareth with the Governours in the Christian Church If they presume to appoint any thing which God hath prohibited they are Delinquents But if in their Ecclesiasticall Precepts they exceed not the power given them by Christ they doe well and they ought to be obeyed 4 This Mangie Objection which the Dialogue-dropper hugs in his bosome and when he blatters it out of his wooden deske he is applauded with the loud Hem of his seduced Auditory is borrowed from Old Thomas Cartwright who in his dayes poysoned many credulous people with such Scabby Similitudes and with some other such like popular insinuations pag. 95. B. A third Reason why it is not left in Man's power to institute the solemne day of God's worship his Sabbath Day or to appoint him what proportion of time they please is Because an indefinite time must either binde to all moments of time as a debt when the day of payment is not expressely dated is liable to payment every moment Or else it bindes to no time at all a The natural equity of God's positive Law requires convenient and sufficient time The precept of the Church determines the day or time in speciall Now tâ—is being performed the dâ—y and time for the solemne worship of God is made definite and certaine For if the Law of God binde Vs not to an expresse determinate time or day consecrate to his service Then the not allowing of him a set time or day is no sin at all For what God's Law commands not therein man is not bound And where no set Law is of a set time or day there is no transgression if a set time or day be not observed So as by this reason If the Law of the 4th Commandement prescribe no set sacred time or day for rest and sanctification it is a meere Nullity For to say there is a naturall equity in it for some sufficient and convenient time and yet no man can define what this sufficient and convenient time is nay all the heads and wits in the world put together are not able to determine it it is as
most notorious Sabbath-breakers that live And Sect. 38. n. 1. He saith Let it be observed if all disorders bee not most in those parts among Vs where the people is most Pope-holy c. And for mine own part having spent much of my time among them this I have found that in all excesse of sinne Papists have beene the Ring-leaders in riotous Companies in drunken meetings in seditious assemblies and practises in prophaning the Sabbath in quarrels and brawles in Stage-Playes Greenes Ales and al Heathenish customes c. Thus this reverend Divine Candore notabilis ipso whom all the Iesuiticall smoak out of the bottomlesse pit cannot besmeare or besmudge or dye blacke with all their black mouth'd obloquies A. Surely these are very pregnant passages And it makes me tremble to thinke and amazeth me How one White is so contrary to another As also how the Libertinisme dispensed with now a dayes on the Sabbath tendeth to bring Vs Protestants to be like to the Papists in their prophane times in taking up their Heathenish savage and barbarous manners and customes Answ This rude Dialogist hath a Palsie in his braine which causeth him to tremble For the matter it selfe affoordeth no occasion of any such passion For there is not any contradiction between the two brethren in their Doctrine For the one brother called the Lord's-Day the Sabbath in a mysticall sence And the other brother saith it is not the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement in a literall and proper sence One brother condemneth Papists for using prophane ungodly savage and heathenish pastimes upon the Lord's-Day The other Brother maintaineth that some kinde of pastime and recreation namely such as is not Vicious either in forme or quality or in Circumstance may be lawfully used upon the Lords-Day But the Objector as his manner is wasteth many words but avoydeth and declineth the true state of the question B. Me thinkes the very reading of the fourth Commandement every Lord's-Day might stop his mouth saving that he hath found out many inventions to elude the nature and property of this Commandement as pag. 158. 159. c. which I hope H. B. will meete withall Answ It was one of Theoph. Brabourn's arguments ad hominem to prove that we are to observe the literall Sabbath of the fourth Commandement because this Commandement is read in the Church every holy day and after the reading thereof we beseech God to incline our hearts to keepe that Law For that Commandement enjoyned the observation of the seventh day Sabbath to wit the same Sabbath which the Old Testamen established and the Iewes observed Now this argument being popular and plausible The Bishop is perswaded he did good service in solving the same upon true grounds And because this Objector is not able holding his own Principles to give any solution or satisfactory answere to it He should not like the Dogge in the manger have barked against others and done nothing himselfe B. The twentieth Injunction of Queene Elizabeth He also perverteth whiles he confoundeth the Lord's-Day with other Holy dayes which the Injunction doth clearly distinguish for that liberty which it dispenseth with touching worke in Harvest time is not spoken of the Lord's-Day or Holy day as is there called and set alone by it selfe but of Holy and festivall dayes only of humane institution A. I thanke you for this observation Answ In which words doth the Injunction clearely distinguish the Sunday from the other Holy dayes in respect of labour in Harvest bold Br. B. cease to prate and out-face and prove what you say otherwise none will credit you but Goslings of your owne brooding 1 The Queenes Injunction speaketh in generall of all holy dayes in the yeare and it setteth down no difference betweene Sunday and the other Holy dayes concerning working in Harvest 2. Queene Elizabeths Injunction was taken Verbatim out of an Injunction of the same quality of King Edward the sixth which was grounded upon the Statute Quinto Sexto of Edward the sixth Now in this Statute 1 The Sunday is made one of the ordinary Holy dayes of the yeare All the dayes hereafter mentioned shall bee kept and commanded to bee kept Holy dayes and none other that is to say all Sundayes in the yeare the dayes of the feast of Circumcision Epiphany c. 2 In this Statute no special priviledge for abstinence from necessary labour is given it more than the rest Statute Edward sixt provided alwayes and it is enacted by the authority aforesaid it shall be lawfull to every husbandman labourer fisherman c. upon the Holy dayes aforesaid in harvest or at any other time of the yeare when necessity shall require to labour ride fish or worke any kinde of worke at their free wills and pleasure any thing in this act to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding 3 In our present Liturgie the Sunday is ranked among the other Holy dayes in these words These to bee observed for Holy dayes and none other That is to say all Sundayes in the yeare the dayes of the feast of the Circumcision of our Lord Iesus Christ of the Epiphanie of the Purification of the blessed Virgin c. 4 The Homily formerly cited by the Objector granteth liberty to people to exercise some labour on the Sunday in time of great necessity and Queene Elizabeth's Injunction agreeing with ancient Imperiall Lawes a Cod. Iustinian li. 3. Tit. 12. §. 3. Constant A. Elpidio Omnes Iudices urbanaeque plebes cunctarum artium officia venerabili die solis quiescant Ruri tamen positi agrorū culturae libere libēterque inserviant quoniam frequēter evenit ut non aptius alio die frumenta sulcis aut vineae scrobibus mandentur ne occasione momenti pereat commoditas caelesti provisione concessa specifieth one kinde of bodily labour to wit working in harvest Therefore the Homily by labour understands not only bodily workes of absolute necessity such as are mentioned by the Objector to wit about scare-fires and invasion of enemies but all labour in generall which is of urgent necessity and which was not in those times prohibited by Civill or Ecclesiasticall Law A. I am occasioned to aske your judgement of those passages of his touching Recreations on that day in which argument he hath spent many leaves B. But without any good fruit And as his discourses are hereupon large so they require a large refutation which I hope H. B. will performe He distinguisheth Recreations into two sorts 1. Honest and Lawfull 2. Vicious and unlawfull c. I note his pitifull enterferings by equivocations contradictions b Let the Iudicious Reader examine by what Arguments this blūdering beast confirmes his rude accusation and the artifice of his purest naturall wit in spinning a curious webbe of so fine a thred as wherwith though he may thinke to cover himselfe yet it is pervious and penetrable to every eye Answ Whosoever shall reade the Treatise with impartiall judgement