in vaine they are yet in their sinnes I shall speake of these in their order Of the time the place the persons I. And as for the chiefe time I call it as I ought the Lord's Day or Sunday because the Sabbath as ceremoniall was abolished at the death of Christ as in the second Chapter to the Collossians is declared And why a day must be still observed is inregard of what is morall in the fourth Commandement For it is absolutely and directly of the Law of Nature that some time be set apart for the publique worshippe and solemne services of God And why one day in seven is not in regard of what is strictly morall in respect of Nature dictating but in respect of Nature informed by the Divine instruction of the God of Heaven For whereas Nature knew not how to make choice or put a difference betweene one number and another it pleased God to instruct and informe Nature that thereby that which is not strictly morall ratione naturae might bee knowne and accounted as morall ratione disciplinae of which condition is the quota pars both for Tythes and for the time of God's publique worshippe And next why this part of one in seven hath since the ceasing of the Sabbath beene observed by us ratheÌ„ ron the first then second third or any other day of the weeke is not in regard of any precept expressely commanding it but in regard of the Churches practice at all times and in all Ages ever since Now they that began it were the Apostles being led thereunto by our and their Lords resurrection and by his often apparitions to them upon that very day rather then upon any other day beside For as they knew the Sabbath to be abolished by Christs death In like manner by his resurrection they had ground sufficient to direct them to the choice of a peculiar day for the observation of a new and chiefe Festivall and so much the rather because Christ used then as I sayd to appeare unto them Hence therefore it is Revel 1.10 Ignat. epist ad Magnes that Saint Iohn makes mention of a Day which he calleth Dies Dominicus the Lord's Day And Ignatius one of Saint Iohns Disciples telleth us that it was the first day of the weeke the very Queene and chiefe of Dayes renowned by our Lord's resurrection So also sayth Saint Austine Aug ad Ianua epist 119. c. 13 the Lord's Day was declared to Christians by the resurrection of the Lord and from that time began to be celebraeted De verb. Apost Serm. 15. And in another place The raysing of the Lord hath promised to us an eternall day and hath consecrated for us the Lord's Day By which he meaneth that Christ thus honouring this day did thereby as it were point it out as the onely day to be made choice of for the religious and solemne services of God Or to use againe his owne words Demonstrare consecrare dignatus est Ad Ianuar. epist 119. c. 9. He did vouchsafe to demonstrate and consecrate it Thus they and their successours first tooke it up Apostoli Apostolici viri This was their ground and from them to us the observation thereof hath proceeded and is still retained in the Christian Church Yea Iust apol 2. ad Anton. Imperat ppope finem and further even this Day which was thus frequently called the Lord's Day Iustine Martyr calls also Sunday and may fitly be so named not because the Pagans dedicated that day to their Idoll of the Sunne but because as another Father speaketh The Sonne of righteousnesse which enlightneth every one of us Saint Ambr. Serm. 61. did then arise Neither was it knowne to have so much as the name of Sabbath ever after in the Church of God without some distinction added to distinguish it from that of the Iewes For in a proper and litterall sence it cannot bee called the Sabbath Day as being neither that day which the Iewes observed nor of such strickt rest as was that Day of theirs And indeed the very stricktnesse of their rest gave the name of Sabbath to the Day which they were to keepe but was not the principall thing wherein the sanctification of it consisted For though the rest was strictly exacted yet but accidentally annexed and therefore now removed in the removall of that yoke of outward observances which for the time was laid upon them Gala. 4. For as the effect abideth so long as the cause remaineth but perisheth when the cause ceaseth so the strictnesse of Rest was to remaine so long as the Day and memoâ—y of the things vailed under the strict rest thereof abided But the Day being taken away the end and reason of the sayd Rest is gone and also the strict Rest it selfe which being figurative could not be too strict For the more exact the figure is the better it signifieth as in the Lambe for the Passeover well appeareth which was to be alwaies such as had no blemish And that this Rest of theirs thus strictly exacted was but accidentally annexed will be manifest if we consider the many causes more then the chiefe and principall for which they were to keepe it For though such a Rest be alwaies requisite as may promote the divine duties of God's publique worship and not be contrary to the observance of that precept which requires the performance of them Yet if there be other ends beyond that which the solemne service of God requireth those ends must bee examined whether they be connected with that end which participates with the moralitie of that Commandement which leades us to the setting apart of some time for God's publique and solemne service We denie nothing to be abolished which is as a meanes requisite to that end for which a Day is set apart But if in the Iewish rest there were things figurative and to signifie something which was either past present or then to come We are nothing bound either to the name of their day to the day it selfe or to the strict observance of such a rest as that day of theirs required For if this be not granted wee retaine not onely the substance but ceremonie likewise of the Sabbath their many ends of rest beside that for which the day was chiefely set apart must needes be the cause of an extreame stricknesse But being to signifie as aforesayd it was to them and not to us that God intended such a Rest For first they rested in memorie of the Creation which on that particular day was ended sixe dayes being spent in Creating Exod. 20.11 before that day of Rest approached From the memorie of which after the manner that they remembred it we are now called in regard that the observation of the day it selfe is ceased Col. 2.16.17 Not that we doe hereby deny God to bee our Creatour but acknowledge Christ to be our Redeemer And indeed the benefit of Redemption being greater then that
of Creation the memorie of the first is obscured by the last and so the one is to give place unto the other as in a case not much unlike it the Prophet Ieremâ—e hath declared Ier. 16.14 15. Nor againe doth this last impose a like commemoration with the former in regard of Rest because our Saviour did not so much rest upon that day whereon he arose as valiantly overcome the powers of death It may be rather said that he rested before whil'st he lay in the Grave and so they who are dead bee sayd to rest from their labours but to rise againe implyes a breaking off from rest and a beginning of labour which even in this cannot but be granted if the consideration be taken up with relation to that rest which went before it whil'st the bodie lay in the quiet Grave till the time appointed Nor doe I thinke it strange to say that on our Day of the Lord the memorie of the Redemption be come in place of that of Creation For tho we have the proper solemnitie of Christ's Resurrection upon that day which is called Easter yet this weekely day of publique worship being as Saint Austine speaketh consecrated to us by our Lords Resurrection doth not onely deserve to be made choice of for the peculiar day of our solemne Assemblies but to be judged also to relate in some sort to the benefit of Redemption Secondly their strict resting was a memoriall of their deliverance from the hard labours which they had lately suffered in the Land of Aegypt as is expressely mentioned in Deut. 5.15 Now this was a thing peculiarly belonging unto them and not to us Therefore they and we are not both bound to one and the same strictnesse unlesse their condition and ours were both alike Thirdly Ezek. 20 12. this their Sabbath was given them for a signe Psal 147.20 that God had then chosen them from among all the Nations of the earth to be his people For the Heathen had no knowledge of his Lawes but they had the partition wall was then unbroken In token of which favour they had the Sabbath which they were strictly to observe not doing their owne will nor speaking so much as their owne words as in these Scriptures is declared Exod. 31.13 Ezek. 20.12 and Esa 58.13 And albeit all Christians now be likewise the people of God yet because they are of more Nations then one and live in times of more maturitie they are not tyed to such a strict yoake as if they were still in the dayes of the Law but differenced from that Heire who whil'st he is a Child must live as a servant as the Apostle speaketh Gala. 4.1 For when the fulnesse of time was come the condition of God's people was altered as at the fift verse of the foresayd Chapter is declared And at the seventh verse thus Thou art no more a servant but a Sonne And therefore though bound to bee obedient yet freed from those hard taskes which of old were strictly required from the Jewish people Last of all their Sabbath was a type whereby was prefigured that Rest Heb. 9.4 which as the Apostle speaketh and of which their Canaaen likewise was a figure remained for the people of God to be purchased for them by Christ who being come and gone into his Fathers house Ioh. 14.2 wherein are many mansion places went to prepare them as was prefigured in the foresaid Rest of the Jewish Sabbath And therefore seeing Christ hath actually purchased that which was then prefigured it were injurious to Christ to lay the same yoake still upon our neckes Yea in a word by what hath beene said it cannot but appeare that although our Lord's Day or Sunday hath of late yeares beene vulgarly knowne and called by the name of the Sabbath yet of right neither the name nor manner of keeping it appertaines thereunto For there is so great a difference betweene the old Sabbath and our Sunday that it is a manifest mistake to urge those Scriptures upon us which peculiarly belonged to them in the observation of their Day But if the Sunday be no Sabbath Quest why then doth the Church in her Liturgie retaine still the fourth Commandement and say Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath day c. yea and why are the people bound to pray at the end thereof Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keepe this Law For answer whereunto Sol. this is first that although all the other Commandements are to be kept ut sonant according to the letter as St Austin speaketh yet this of the Sabbath is of another kinde being partly morall partly ceremoniall And if so then in part it is abolished and in part retained And being but in part abolished it must upon necessity have still a place among the other precepts For so farre as 't is morall 't is still of force and is therefore put among the Precepts of the Decalogue for that which is morall in it For as I said formerly it proceedeth from the Law of Nature that some time be set apart for Gods publicke service And therefore this being revived in the Law of the fourth Commandement ought to be remembred and kept upon one day in seven which last though unknowne till Nature was informed is now to be reckoned as that principal portion of time which God requireth And so last of all being bound to the morality of the precept there is good reason that we pray to have the Lord incline our hearts to the keeping of it for being strengthned by his assistance there will be care had that we decline not away from the observation thereof And whereas I formerly gave notice that it is the very chiefe of Dayes or as I then expressed it Gods chiefe Schoole-day I had reason for it because there is no Holy Day which the Church hath appointed to be kept of such eminency and excellency as is this Day of the Lord according to that of St. Austin in his 251 Sermon De tempore at the very beginning therof in these words saying Sciendum est Fratres charissimi quod ideo à sanctis patribus nostris constitutum est christianis mandatum ut in solennitatibus Sanctorum maxime in Dominicis diebus otium haberent à terreno negotio vacarent ut paratiores promptiores essent ad divinum cultum In which words appeareth not only the excellency of this Day above other Festivalls but the necessity also of such a Rest as may be no hindrance but a furtherance to Gods publicke worship For such a Rest as this is as a means requisite for that end for which the Day is set apart The ancient Sabbath had as hath beene shewed other ends which here in this Day can take no place because the Day it selfe is now abolished and gone and the armes of the Church extended further then to one only Nation All that can be added more is this
and their beauty made apparent in a glorious and well beseeming manner Which because it was not so at the first the Gentiles made a mock at Christians as if they had neither Churches nor Altars whereas in very deed they had them both Churches though no such stately structures as were erected by the Gentiles and Altars too though not for such sacrifices as were theirs For indeed though persecution kept the Christians under yet they laboured what they could to have prepared places for their holy worship never meeting elsewhere but when necessity urged them to it And in this though dead they cry against our sick-braine Schismaticks who upon no necessity are in a manner as well devoted to any one place they care not where either to a wood a Chamber a Parlour or a Barne as to a place separated and dedicated on purpose to the God of heaven This therefore makes them preach in chaires and maintaine their faction in private conventicles to the harme and detriment of God his Church For 't is without question that although Churches are not necessay necessitate absoluta yet necessary necessitate conditionata that is when we may enjoy them we must upon necessity provide them and being provided we must frequent maintaine honour and reverence them as the Houses of God and places of his speciall presence here upon earth So that as on the one side we blame all Schismaticks in that already mentioned in like manner on the other side we blame both them and all rude kindes of people who are not afraid to make as bold with God's house as with their owne putting no difference betweene things sacred and prophane betweene things set apart and things of common use God grant they repent not when it is too late For it is Theodorets observation that against all Senacharibs army the Lord sent forth but one Angel only but against the prophaners of his Temple six For when Ezekiel painted forth the abominations of the Temple Ezek. c. 8. c. 9. he saith Behold there came six from the way of the upper gate which looked towards the North and every one of them had vasa interfectionis the vessels of slaughter in his hand Dan. 5.23.24 c. And when Balthasar was quaffing in the vessels of the Temple the hand-writing came against him to signifie that he was weighed in the Ballance and found too light And in times which do more neerly touch us who hath not heard of that filthy Iulian who was uncle to the Apostata who hath not heard I say both of his irreligious actions and his punishment This Iulian comming into a Church beautified and adorned by that zealous Constantine made no more regard of it then if he had beene in a common Iakes or Stable whereupon we reade that he feared not to pisse against the Holy Table as Theodoret hath recorded Theod. lib. 3. c. 12.13 But the God of heaven abhorring this wrong done to his House and Altar in it soone after laid his heavie hand upon him and struck him with such a fearfull disease that his excrements forgat all their former passages and found no other way then his wicked mouth to evacuate themselves from his hatefull body So in like manner do we read of Felix who only for scoffing at the plate belonging to that blessed Sacrament of the body and blood of our Saviour was pursued by divine punishment For so it was that both night and day quickly after he never ceased to vomit blood till the rivolets of his veines Idem ibid. and every other part of his body became empty and so he dyed being overcome by the immediate hand of a just Revenger And therefore Procul ite prophani for neither is this a place of common use nor in these vessels may you drink your mornings draughts nor use them safely at your common boards The case you see is not altered yet 'T is nune ut olim still Christs comming hath not altered it For as before he came Balthasar was punished so since his comming not only were the buyers and sellers whipt out of the Temple but Iulian and Felix have beene met with In which passage I would that this should be likewise marked that it was not in the time of divine Service when Iulian pissed against the Table no holy congregation was then assembled nor yet were the vessels employed about holy actions when filthy Felix scoffed at them and therefore in these things and places there is such a relative propriety as never ceaseth but makes them alwayes Holy and alwayes His to whom they be dedicated and set apart Which how it makes for those who think that they have yeelded farre enough if they honour God's house on the Sunday though they disrespect it or behave themselves rudely in it all the week after let any man be Iudge for such thoughts are apparently deceitfull and therefore such men must rectifie themselves and returne to a better minde otherwise they persist in a banefull evill Saint Austin I remember reporteth that the Goths having sackt Rome as many of the people as betook themselves to the Churches of Saint Peter and Saint Paul remained free so much could the respect of sacred places prevaile even with those cruell Barbarians Ambr. lib. 5. epist 33. Saint Ambrose also witnesseth that the reverence of holy Altars prevailed so far with the foresaid Souldiers that they willingly fell downe and kissed them And Saint Hierom against Vigilantius saith Confiteor timorem meum I confesse my feare when entring into the Temple of the * Churches are not crected to Saints or Martyrs but to their and our God in memory of them So also concerning Holy dayes Martyrs I conceive any anger or evill thought in my minde But what shall I need to say any more seeing the very feasts of Charitie were driven hence as in the Councell of Laodicea at the twenty eighth Canon is declared And next whereas some make doubt whether it be lawfull for Christians in the contriving of their Churches to have an eye upon the Fabrick of Solomons Temple My answere is that as that proportion of time for Gods holy worship is most warrantable which he himselfe ordained So that forme or fashion of place is best to be followed which he himselfe delivered other fashions have no warrant It is true indeed that they were Iewes and we are Christians and therefore there must be a difference between us Yet the difference herein needs not to be in the forme of our Fabricks but in the use of the Courts and places which are so divided as if the one tooke patterne from the other And so indeed they did for as to the one there was an Atrium exterius an Atrium interius a Sanctum and a Sanctum Sanctorum So to the other a Locus Poen tentium Auditorium Presbyterium and Sacrarium Of the first and second Eusebius speaketh in the sixt booke and 33th Chapter of his Ecclesiasticall
what dost thou here if thou art too pure to be one among us Verily might these men have their wills there should be no face of religion nor order in the Christian world They professe themselves to be Hearers but if you talke with them they are then become Preachers rather then Hearers bragging that Lay-men know the meaning of the Scriptures as well as Priests and therefore need none of their directions excepting when they direct according to what is already fixed in such a peoples fancy For I know well enough the bent of their bowes either we must preach what and how they will heare or they will not heare what or how we preach All or the most of them hate a written Sermon as abominable But as before they might have remembred not only that the Scriptures are not of private inter pretation and that the Priests lips are to preserve knowledge Mal. 2 7. Jer. 36. Baruck 1.5 and that inquiry is to be made at his mouth so also now that Baruck wrote at the mouth of Ieremie that is as Ieremy did indite so Baruck wrote Yea and Baruck also declareth that he wrote and read his owne Sermons To which purpose I may likewise adde what I have often read in the stories of the Church of one Atticus Bishop of Constantinople who preached many Sermons yet because they were done extempore 〈◊〉 l. 7. c. 2 Non ejus genoris fuere saith mine author ut merito vel ab auditoribus studiose perdiscerentur vel monumentis mandarentur literarum ad posteritatem But what care they for this and therefore to please the fancies of not a few we must roll out our Sermons without premeditation or else their tongues are fierce against us And now because every one will not produce such abortives nor doe the worke of the Lord so negligently for feare of that curse in the Scriptures they cry out and say We have an unpreaching Minister Ier. 48.10 a dumb Dog an idle Drone not at all considering that even they themselves are in the meane time possessed with that Divell which makes them deafe For if it were otherwise they could not but be better husbands and huswives of what they have heard and shew the truth of their zeale by the light of their practice Beside which this also should be remembred that as all have not received a like measure of gifts so neither have all a like measure of strength but are impaired either through age sicknesse want or other calamities Now in such cases if they stand so much upon Sacrifice that they forget Mercy where is their charity But do I speak any jot of this to beget a dearth of Sermons it is farre from me for I know that there is no famine like that of the Word Doe I not rather speake it to correct our Schismatickes in their idle wandrings and to inkindle the fire of a godly zeale in them towards the orders of our Church and forme of our prayers They may remember if they please that Hee who was daily teaching in the Temple said also that his Fathers House was an house of prayer not to one only people but to all nations Math. 21.13 Nay more there is this order to be observed in Gods service that prayer is to have the first place For We will give our selves continually to prayer and to the ministration of the Word say the blessed Apostles Act. 6.4 Or againe Doe I speake it to incourage the idle to goe and hide their talents glut themselves with pleasures or leave the Word to follow the world That be also farre from me for he that hath the meanest gift Math. 25.28.29 1 Tim. 4 14.15.16 as by using it he may increase it so by hiding it he may chance to lose it And therefore let every one of God's Ministers be conscionably carefull to feed that flock over which the Holy Ghost hath placed him to the utmost of his power and withall let his sheepe know that they are bound to hearken and listen to him and not forsake him to follow strangers For if the worst be said of him thus set over thee that can be I hope he will be able so long as he is with thee Act 15.21 to preach unto thee as Moses was preached being read in the Synagogue every Sabbath day or as the Epistles of Saint Paul were preached in the Churches wither he sent them 1 Thess 5.27 Act. 16.4 or as the orders of our Church injoyne us by the reading of Homilies Can 49. All which is called Preaching and may without question be profitable to such as apply themselves to be taught thereby Rom. 10.17 Mark 4 24. 1 Tim. 4.2 Esa 18.1 Heb. 4.12 For as faith cometh is increased and mannersamended by hearing and hearing by the Word of God So also by this kinde of hearing in which or in nothing you heare the Word of God For it came to passe when Shaphan read the booke of the Law before the King that herent his clothes 2 King 2◠11.19 enquired of the Lord humbled himselfe and was moved in his heart as the Scriptures beare us witnesse in 2 King 22.10.11.19 And last of all neither is it but the opinion of Martin Bucer that our Homilies were penned by some eminent Preachers such as that age did then afford of which kinde of Preaching * Sunt sanè quidam qui henè pronunciare possunt quod si ab altis sumant eloquenter sapienter est conscriptum memorie que commendent at que ad populum proserart si eam personam gerunt non improbe faciunt Aug. de doct Christ lib. 4. Saint Austin well approveth as may be seene towards the latter end of his fourth booke De doctrina Christiana For if he holds concerning some in his time who knew better how to pronounce then to make a Sermon that they did not amisse to seeke the benefit of their people by preaching what others had written then it must needs follow as an order fit to be embraced that we neglect not the reading of Homilies at such times as we have no other Sermons for hereby having the more time to provide us our owne Sermons will be the better and fitter to be preached They who have a charge under them and be not able to doe this if aged must be helped if indiscreet and ignorant doing things ridiculously or abusing things they meddle with ought to be removed for they have but crept in to the dishonour of the Ministery like him among the guests and want their wedding garment Wherefore all these things being well weighed they be more nice then wise more rude then learned more envious then charitable who inveigh so much at they know not what 4. The last are next Let them be summed up and thus they stand The wandring hearer the wondring or curious hearer the accidentall hearer the pleasing hearer the scoffing hearer the criticall or cavilling
jurisdiction and a Court for determining of Ecclesiasticall affaires What then remaineth but that the Officers belonging to such Iudicatures make uprightnesse their ayme that thereby all just cause of scandall may bee taken away from these their lawfull Courts For when they have done their best either ignorance or malice or both will be readie enough to traduce them and therefore so much the more are they like to be exclaimed against when indirect courses are plaine and manifest But herein care must be had that the scandall of injustice be not layd upon such as are free enough from it If some base minded under Officers abuse their places it is no good argument to prove that therefore Bishops are maintainers of unjust practises For we know for certaine the Church like a carefull Mother hath provided Laws to suppresse such abuses as she feared might be fostered in these her Courts Witnesse those many Canons concerning the jurisdiction of Arch bishops See the Canons of out Church Bishops and Archdeacons yea concerning Iudges Proctors Registers and Apparatours As in Canon the 92. that none bee cited into divers Courts for Probate of the same Will And in Canon 115 that Ministers and Churchwardens bee not sued for presenting And in the 116 and 117 Canons that Churchwardens bee not troubled for not presenting oftner then twice a yeare excepting at Visitations or that the custome of the Dioces be otherwise And in Canon the 121 that none be cited into severall Courts for one and the same crime but that the officers cerrifie each to other what hath beene presented to them And in Canon the 123 that no act be sped but in open Court And in Can. 127. 128. that Iudges and Surrogates be well qualified And in Canon the 129 that no Proctors retaine causes unlawfully And in Canon the 133 that Proctors be not clamorous in Courts And in Canon the 134 that Registers abuse not their places And in Canon the 135 that no Ecclesiasticall officer exact more than his ordinary fees And in Can. 136 that a Table of their said feees be set up in open view in Courts and Registers And in Canon the 138 that Apparitours shall not take upon them the office of Promoters or Informers for the Court. All which had beene never done if the Prelates had intended the upholding of wrong and robbery for by these Constitutions it well appeareth that they are no wayes bent to countenance the courses of unjust proceedings but to punish and subdue all such offenders And therefore to be as many I thinke are too ready to blame Bishops for maintainers of pouling Courts is as one truly speakes a matter in a slanderer to be punished and not a fault in a Bishop to be blamed In a word such is the generall loosenesse of these miserable times This was proved true a long while since as may be seen in an old ancient booke called an Admonition to the people of England printed anno Dom 1589. that all kinde of justice among too many is growne into hatred and contempt and men disdaine to bee ruled by it And therefore when they are called convented and punished for such things wherein they have offended or be bridled from that they would do disorderly they grudge at it their stomackes rise against it and thinke all that is done to be unlawfull although it be never so just And because they are not able otherwise to be revenged they cry out that they be cruell and pouling Courts But as I said before in advice to officers Let uprightnesse be their ayme so now to offenders in the words of God by his holy Prophet Esay 5.18.20 21. Woe be to them that draw on iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with a cartrope that call good evil evil good that put light for darknes and darknes in the stead of light that thereby they may the better nouzle themselves in feigned colours and imagined excuses although in so doing they do but like unto that wicked generation Who curse their Father and doe not blesse their Mother I should now come to the next particular were it not that stil I find another thing which the factious first and others next distaste and sleight too much And that 's the celebration of such holy dayes as they who live within the pale of our Church are urg'd to keepe But let mee tell them that in this they also go astray For though some sticke not to affirme that it is a * This they affirme because the Commandement saith Six daâ—es 〈◊〉 on shalt labour breach of the fourth Commandement and so a sinne to make more Holy Dayes than one in seven yet shall they never be able to prove why it should be a sinne rather now than heretofore For shall the Iewes be no transgressors of the Law though they have more daies than their weekly Sabbath and must the Christian offend in consecrating dayes beside the Sunday Yes say some for they were led thereunto by God's expresse command For some I grant they were but for other some againe they were appointed no otherwise than their Church ordained Ester 9.21 For did they not every yeare solemnize and keepe holy the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the moneth Adar in remembrance of their great delivery from the treason of Haman 1 Mac. 4.59 And had they not likewise their yearly feast of Dedication Ioh. 10.22.23 for the observation of which there was no precept and yet Christ himselfe refused not to observe it with them 'T is sure they had And therefore to say Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and not let to keepe holy any other day than one is an idle cavil and scarce worth the answering Howbeit for thy further satisfaction take this also with thee that God who might challenge all our time for his worke doth there shew that he is willing to remit * Which part is ordinarily six dayes though not alwayes as the Iewes themselves do beare us witnesse part of his right for thine owne workes yet so as he doth not restraine thee from doing publike service to him on any of those dayes which the Church shall appoint for except there be superstitious ends aymed at on the dayes set apart this which I say must needs be granted But say some againe though we yeeld to the observing of such weekly dayes as are either in honour of the Saviour of the world for the diverting of some judgment or for the testification of thankes for some great benefit yet why should the Church presse upon us the keeping of Saints dayes too as well as these Why because the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance as the Psalmist speaketh Psal 112.6 and the memory of the just be blessed Prov. 10.8 as the sonne of the Psalmist hath expressed Or because of that knot of fellowship which is betweene the dead Saints and the living this being that Communion
which we confesse and beleeve in the Apostles Creed so that as they pray to God for our good in generall in like manner we praise God for them in particular account their memory precious set their examples before us as the glasses of our lives and desire to be made partakers with them of the glorious resurrection in the life to come I would to God therefore that none but Puritanes were guilty of this sinne in sleighting such Holy Dayes others also cut off their esteeme more than is meet For that I may close up all with full satisfaction our Church appoints no set dayes for titular Saints such is are many in the Church of Rome but for such as were Apostles Evangelists and Martyrs indeed whom Christ honoured so much as to make some of them establishers and others as it were founders of that Kingdome which cost him his dearest blood and accounted them worthy to suffer death for his sake so that as one truly saith Mr Dow of the Sabbath and Lords Day pag. 62.64 and I speake it in his owne words we may justly solemnize either the dayes wherein those burning and shining Lights first appeared to the world or the dayes of their departure hence which were the dayes of their happy inauguration into the Kingdome of Glory when they both left to the Church Militant the glorious example of their Christian fortitude and became an occasion of new joy to the Church Triumphant by the accession of new citizens to that heavenly society On which dayes we honour God as the authour of all that good which either they or we by them are partakers of for our prayers and prayses are to him though with reference to them in what they have done So that they are honoured only as God's instruments and as those who having beene imitatours of our blessed Saviour are worthy patternes of our imitation Neither is such a day more holy than another but in relation to the separation of it to such holy and religious duties which the Church ordaineth to be performed on it And therefore lest in the revolution of time ingratefull forgetfulnesse should obliterate the blessed memory of such just ones we have these solemne Feasts and set Dayes in an annuall memoriall of them to the glory of him whose Instruments they were And so an end to this Section SECT IV. I Come now to a fourth particular namely that the people no way hinder their spiritual Fathers whether Bishops or others from going on cheerfully in their offices for if through default of their flocke they goe on Gementes it cannot in conclusion but be wofully grievous unto those over whom they watch Heb. 13.17 Consider therefore and marke it well and withall observe that he who hath said Touch not mine Anointed 1 Chron. 16.22 Psal 105.15 said also And doe my Prophets no harme Yea and further that the word of God may have a free passage Pray for us saith another Scripture For as we desire that to you may be a doore of entrance Ephes 6.19 whereby you may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus so is it also on your parts to provide that our doore of utterance bee not barred through your occasion All which in a word tends to this that you afflict not trouble or molest your ghostly Fathers For if you must study to be quiet 1 Thess 4.1 Rom. 12.18 1 Thess 5.13 Ephes 6.15 Esa 32.17 and have peace with all men then much more with those who preach the glad tidings of such good things as Peace and divide aright unto you the Bread of Life on which your soules except you meane to be damned dye and perish must bee sure to feed What I wonder is it that * You who vex your Pastors peace Luke 10.3 you thinke You are but Wolves if you worry those who are sent like Lambes among you Christ hath said it nay did foresee it and the Church of God especially the Ministers of truth Gal. 4.16 have alwayes found it and may therefore in the Herauldry of their Divinity take up the Crosse as their most significant Armes and paint it forth in a sable field portraying for the Crest a Wolfe rampant crushing in his pawes an Innocent Dove or an Harmlesse Lambe out of whose mouth may come this Posie or Motto Facere bonum habere malum For thus it was with Christ Hee pittied Iohn 7. and was mocked hee healed and was hurt Yea and thus hath it beene not seldome since with those whom he sendeth after him bee they never so wary how they walke or never so carefull how they instruct SECT V. BUt here is not all Impoverish not is another branch Luke 10.7 Jam. 5.4 For the Labourer is alwayes worthy of his hire and to detaine it from him is a crying sin The old Pharisee was therefore in this an honest man Hee would not rob the Church but payed tithes of all that he possessed not neglecting so much as Mint Annise and Rue Which practice of his was welapproved by our Saviour not as a thing arbitrary but as a thing necessary Christ setteth an oportet upon it Math. 23.23 Luke 11.42 or a necessity of so doing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These things ought ye to have done And Saint Paul also teacheth it in such Texts of Scripture as I shall afterwards mention Howbeit men for the most part now are of another minde For that which God requires not only as a token of his Universall dominion and liberall donation but as a meanes to uphold his worship and service is too eagerly cried down by them who rob the Church saying as did Iudas of the precious ointment Ad quid perdito haec Wherefore is all this waste For thus do the sacrilegious worldlings in their hungry zeale gape after the spoile and ruine of the Church And although many of them may perhaps seeme more devote than the residue of that crew yet may we expect as little good from them to the Church of God as from the rest who march more openly For many will goe with the Wisemen from the East to seeke Christ yea and will fall downe and worship him but they are grown too wise to open their treasures except it be in a manner of a scant almes to a wandring Levite fitting to their fancies or if more perhaps some miserable mod cum by way of stipend to a discontented Separatist who beareth as little love to the Church in her Governours as they in her revenewes or honourable maintenance This makes us heare much talke many times of competencies stipends and benevolence But as for tythes if the Clergy should have them all then farewell to the Laity cry these small friends to God Almighty They would therfore that tythes should be every where abolished excepting from their owne hands that thereby they may the better bring the Priests to impotency scorne and misery Not remembring that whilst they contend to