had the honour to be appointed by God himselfe This Proposition is yours and is very true I assume But the fiue anniuersarie dayes appointed by the Assembly of Perth are not Iudaicall prescribed in the Ceremoniall Law tolerated by Saint Paul in weake Christians and such as had once the honour to be appointed by God himselfe The Assumption is likewise yours set downe in the last wordes of your Answere and is true also Therefore I conclude That the fiue anniuersarie dayes are not the dayes whereof the Apostle condemnes the obseruation Consequently hee condemnes not the obseruation of dayes simply as a Iudaicall Rite and Pedagogicall instruction contrary to your former Assertion PP It is secondly obiected that seeing the Lords Day was instituted in remembrance of Christs resurrection the other notable acts of Christ ought likewise to be remembred with their seuerall festiuities Ans. It followes not that because Christ did institute the remembrance of one benefit therefore men may institute for other benefits Secondly Christs resurrection was a benefit including the rest of his benefits Thirdly The Lords Day was not appointed to celebrate the memory of Christs resurrection onely for then the resurrection should bee the proper subiect of Diuine seruice euery Lords Day and then it were vnlawfull to fast thereupon Fourthly It is called the Lords Day either because the Lord did institute it as the Communion is called the Lords Supper or else because it was instituted to the Lords honour and worship as the Iewish Sabbath is called the Sabbath of the Lord our God Fiftly Although it may be applyed to the remembrance of Christs resurrection seeing he rose that day and in some sort to be a signe of the heauenly rest yet that is but typus communis factus a common type fitted to resemble such things not typus destinatus that is appointed by God for that end Finally it was appointed for remembrance of all Christs actions and for his worship in generall not in a mysticall manner for the ioyfull remembrance of his resurrection onely So to diuide Christs actions and appoint anniuersary mysticall dayes for their remembrance is superstitious will-worship and a Iudaicall addition to Christs institution in your mind ANS Here onely I haue taken vp the summe of your answere which is this That Chist did not institute the Lords Day for a remembrance of his resurrection in a mysticall manner and therefore wee haue no warrant to appoint mysticall dayes for remembrance of the Natiuitie Passion and the rest of his notable actions Vnto which I answere first generally That it is the iudgement of some recent Diuines that the Lords Day was onely instituted as Ecclesiasticall dayes are for order and policie and hath no further but a circumstantiall vse in the worship of God Others following the Ancients hold that the Lords Day is not onely appointed for order and policie but that it is a memoriall of Christs resurrection and a signe of our eternall rest in hâ—auen Saint August tom 5. de ciuit Dei lib. 22. cap. 30. Dominicus dies Christi resurrectione sacratus aeternam non solùm spiritus sed etiam corporis requiem praefigurat That is The Lords Day which was made holy and sacred by the resurrection of Christ prefigures not onely the eternall rest of the spirit but also of the body Item tom 10. de verbis Apostoli Serm. 15. Domini resurrectio promisit nobis aeternum diem consecrauit nobis Dominicum diem qui Dominicus vocatur quia eo die Dominus resurrexit That is The resurrection of the Lord hath promised vnto vs an eternall day and hath consecrated the Lords Day vnto vs which is so called because the Lord rose vpon that day Item Epist. ad Ianuarium Artic. 119. cap. 13. Dies Domini non Iudaeis sed Christianis resurrectione Domini declaratus est ex illo habere coepiâ— festiuitatem suam Thaâ— is The Lords Day was declared not to the Iewes but to the Christians by the resurrection of the Lord and from that time it beganne to be a festiuall day ibidem cap. 19. Vita prima quae de peregrinatione redeuntibus primam stolam accipientibus redditur per vnam Sabbathi quem diem Dominicum dicimus figuratur That is The first or euerlasting life which is giuen to them that haue ended their peregrination and receiued the glorious robe is figured by the first day of the weeke which we call the Lords Day Iust. Martyr Apol. 2. ad calcem Conuentus autem hos die Solis facimus quia hac die primùm Deus depulsis tenebris formataque materia mundum creauit Iesus Christus quoque noster seruator eadem die resurrexit a mortuis That is We keepe these meetings on the Sonday because on this day first God dispelled darkenesse and formed the matter whereof the world was created our Sauiour Iesus Christ also rose againe from the dead the same day In the iudgement of these Ancients the Lords Day was not onely instituted for the worship of God in generall and in that respect called the Lords Day but because Christ rose vpon that day and by his resurrection stamped it to bee a memoriall as well of his resurrection as of the eternall rest whereunto we shall be raised on the last day In a word it was not onely instituted for order and policie but also for a mysterie and therein differs from Ecclesiasticall dayes which are onely appointed for a circumstantiall and not for a mysticall vse These things being premitâ—ed I come to answere the particulars First where yee say that albeit Christ did institute a day in remembrance of one benefit men may not for other benefits I grant that men maâ— not iâ—â—â—itute a mysticall day to be obserued as â— part of Gods worship yet they may appoint a commodious dâ—y to bâ—e obsâ—râ—ed as a fit time for the worship of God and remembrance of his benefits Next where yee say the resurrection inclâ—dâ—s the rest of Christs benefits it is true in some sense that is either as the beginning or originall of some as the Ascension and sending downe of the holy Ghost or as the perfecâ—ion and consummation of others as of the Natiuitie and Passion And so generally and virtute as wee say in vertue the Resurrection contaynes the rest but it contaynes them not distinctly and expresly as it is necessary we should remember them for then we should not need any moe Articles of our Creede but that one of the Resurrection As the Articles are particular concerning the Natiuitie Passion Resurrection and Ascension so they ought to bee distinctly and seuerally remembred both on the Sabbath and on other conuenient times which the Church shall appoint Thirdly Although the Lords Day was not onely instituted for a memoriall of the Resurrection yet that was one of the principall causes wherefore it was sanctified rather then any other day of the weeke Saint Augustine sayes as before Domini
thing ye haue said that holy dayes were and might bee lawfully kept vnder the Law without any particular warrant from God But put the case that the same might not haue beene done vnder the Law it followes not that the Christian Church hath not libertie to appoint dayes and times for religious exercises without particular direction For vnder the Law God not only set downe the substance of his worship but all the circumstances also as the persons in particular by whom the place where and the times when he should be worshipped so fully as little or nothing was left to the abitrement of the Iewish Church and as yee say these times were so ceremonious that the greatest part of the externall worship consisted in Ceremonies vnder the Gospell it is not so for in the Gospell the substance of these Ceremonies and of the worship of God is perfectly set downe but the circumstantiall Ceremonies of time place persons and formes which are no part of the worship but pertinences only are left to bee determined by the Church according to the generall Rules of Order and Decencie It is true because the Iewes had one place only appointed by God for his worship to wit the Temple and Tabernacle whereunto the people could not resort at all times therefore to their owne election was permitted the appointing of other commodious places for their Synagogues And now vnder the Gospell there is one onely Day of diuine Institution to wit the Lords Day whereunto to tye the worship of God is a Iudaicall Pedagogie against the Christian libertie and practice For the time is now come that from one new Moone to another and from one Sabbath to another all flesh shall come and worship before God Isa. 66.23 According to the which Prophesie the Apostolike and Primitiue Church did not only conuene on the Lords Day to worship God but on such other times as they thought commodious to obserue Saint Paul taught often on the Iewish Sabbath and at Ephesus daily for the space of two yeares in the Schoole of one Tyrannus Saint Augustine testifies that in some Churches they conuened daily not onely to preaching praying and Lectures but to the celebration of the Sacrament also Epiphanius in his Epitomie or Abridgement of Christian Faith affirmeth Apostolos instituisse synaxes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Apostles to haue instituted their holy meetings for diuine Seruice on Wednesday Friday and the Lords Day Soâ—rates witnesses that on these dayes through the whole World for the greatest parâ— the holy mysteries were celebrated Hereby it is manifest albeit the Church was tyed to worship God solemnly and publikely on the Lords Day that yet they were not tyed to that Day only but that all dayes weâ—e sanctified by Christ that the Church might chooâ—e and deâ—ermine of them for the Seruice of God as she pleased So to conclude the Church vnder the Gospeâ—l hath power without any particular warrant of Goâ— keeping the general Rules of Pietie Charitâ—e and Decencie to dedicate times and places and set downe formes and orders for the worshâ—p of God The Ceremonies in the Iewes Câ—urch were not only Circumstantiall but Mysticall for the greatest part and a part of diuine worship it selfe such as the Church vnder the Law and vnder the Gospell hath no power to institute but the Ceremonies vnder the Gospell are meerely Circumstantiall for the greater part not Mysticall and a part of the worship it selfe but onely accessorie thereto these the Christian Church hath power to appoint And such are the fiue dayes of old obserued by the Primitiue Church and now restored againe in our Church and such were the dayes of Purim and the Feast of Dedication which were not obserued as a part of religion instituted by God but only for commemoration of Gods benefits bestowed vpon his people in these times PP The obseruation of Anniuersary dayes pertayned to the Ceremoniall Law but so it is that the Ceremoniall Law is abolished Ye confirme the Antecedent by the reasons following First The Anniuersary Dayes were distinguished from the Morall Sabbath many were the preheminences of the ordinary Sabbath aboue the Anniuersary dayes Secondly The Apostle cals them weake beggerly rudiments Gal. 4.9.10 The elements of the world Col. 2.20 Shaddowes of things to come Col. 2.16 17. The Apostle sayes not the obseruation of Iudaicall dayes but simpliciter the obseruation of dayes serued to the people of God for a typicall vse and rudiment of Religion If the obseruation of some anniuersarie dayes was prescribed to the Iewes as elements and rudiments for their instruction it followes that the obseruation of anniuersarie dayes is of it selfe a rudimentarie instruction Otherwise the Apostles reason will not hold Thirdly Dayes and Meates are paralelled therefore as it is Iudaicall to esteeme some meates cleane and some vnclean so to esteeme one day holier then another is Iudaicall Fourthly To substitute other dayes in place of the Iewish as a Christian Pasche and Whitsonday for the Iewish is to substitute rudiments to the Iewish and not to chase them away Fiftly The Iewish anniuersarie dayes were not onely abrogated as shaddowes of things to come but as memorials of by gone benefits In euery respect all their anniuersarie daies are abolished Therefore in euery respect they belong to the Ceremoniall Law ANS These arguments yee vse to prooue the obseruation of anniuersarie dayes to be ceremoniall I answer them one by one First where yee say that anniuersarie dayes in the Law were distinguished from the morall Sabbath if ye will of this conclude that the anniuersarie dayes were not morall but typicall I will not deny it But if yee conclude anniuersarie daies to be therefore simply ceremoniall I say it followes not and that your argument is a caption à dicto secundum quid ad dictum simplicitèr The obseruation of a weekely day amongst the Iewes was not onely morall but a typicall shadow of things to come Is the Lords Day then because it is weekely not onely morall but also typicall But perhaps ye reason thus Anniuersarie dayes are eyther ceremoniall or morall but so it is they are not morall ergo To this I say that your diuision is not full nor perfect for there be anniuersarie dayes that are naturall as the Aequinoctiall and Solstitiall Others that are ciuill as dayes of Markets and Weapon-shewings c. And there be dayes Ecclesiasticall which are neyther morall nor mysticall but meerely circumstantiall to the worship whereunto they are appoynted To the second I answer that anniuersarie dayes are not called by the Apostle Elements and Rudiments otherwise then the New-Moones which are monethly dayes and Sabbaths which were weekely dayes And therefore if the Aposâ—le had called dayes Shadowes by reason of their yeerely reuolution he could not haue concluded that Sabbaths and New-moones were Shaddowes It is neither the weekly nor monethly nor anniuersarie reuolution that made these dayes
the very beginning of the world it hath beene vsed Parents doe yet confer their blessing in this manner to their children and when spirituall blessings are giuen there can bee no offence to doe it with the like ceremonie But I heare that some cannot abide to heare the word of Confirmation the thing it selfe gladly they admit but they would haue examination or some the like word put for it Not onely the abuse but the very name of the thing abused so tender are the hearts of some men must be put away For this shortly I say that the Scriptures neuer taught vs to place Religion in wordes Saint Luke made no scruple speaking of a street in Athens to call it the street of Mars And the ship that Paul sayled in he names by Castor and Pollux though both these were the Idols of Pagans If names were to be stood vpon we should put our selues to great businesse it behoueth to change the names of our Moneths and Dayes which some haue pressed vnto but wise men know this to be folly Besides the word of Confirmation was vsed in the Church long before Popery was hatched as is manifest by Saint Cyprian Saint Augustine Tertullian Eusebius and others And thus much of Confirmation The Festiuities which are the next are impugned by this Argument amongst others That hereby wee conforme our selues to Papists in the keeping of holy dayes But had this Argument beene of any force would the reformed Churches haue agreed so vniformely in the obseruation of them All of them so farre as I know keepe holy the dayes of Christs Natiuitie Passion Resurrection and Ascension with the Descent of the holy Ghost The Churches of Bohemie Vngarie Polonia Denmarke Saxonie and high Germany The Heluetian Churches the Belgique and those of the low Countreyes The French English and Geneua it selfe in the beginning of reformation obserued them all The day of Natiuitie they yearely celebrate if I be rightly informed the rest are abrogated and by what occasion reade the 115. and 128. Epistles of Caluin where after he had shewed the occasion of their abolishment hee addes Ego neque suasor neque impulsor fui atque hoc testatum volo si mihi delata optio fuisset quod nunc constitutum est non fuisse pro sententia dicturum For the opinions of the rest of our Diuines in this particular Bucer Martyr Bullinger Zanchius Aretius Polanus Paraeus and Tilenus with all that I haue seene speake manifestly for it Tilenus his words in his Systema which came forth the last yeare are these Alios dies praeter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad peculiarium quorundam Dei beneficiorum Christi gestorum solennem anniuersariam in Ecclesia commemorationem celebrari nulla religio vetat modò prudens cautio accedat Ne videlicet vel vllius rei creatae cultui consecrentur vel insitae diebus illis sanctitatis opinio foueatur vel denique ignauo otio foedisque voluptatibus hac occasione fenestra aperiatur I find in a Synod kept at Middleburgh Anno 1584. a Canon there made that all holy dayes should be abolished except the Lords day and the day of Christs Natiuitie and Ascension But if the Magistrates shall require moe to bee kept then the Ministers shall labour by preaching to turne the peoples idlenesse into godly exercises and businesse These be the wordes of that Canon which I haue cited aswell to shew you what that Church ascribes to Magistrates as because our case in this particular is verie like His Majestie as you know hath charged all his Subiects by Proclamation to abstaine from seruile labour in these times and it should become vs wel as that Act speaks to turn them from idlenes to godly exercises For to dispute of the lawfulnes of the prohibitioÌ„ neque huius fori nor will any Subiect that is in his right wits presume to doe it I doe not vrge the testimonies of the Fathers in this poynt because of them you who were at the last Assembly heard enough And they who eleuate the consent of antiquitie in this matter saying That the mysterie of iniquitie was then begun to worke will reuerence as I trust the iudgement of these reformed Writers who haue laboured to discouer that Mysterie and will thinke it no commendation to them to be dissenting from all the Churches that haue beene and are in the world Of the last Article which requires kneeling as the most reuerend gesture in partaking the holy Sacrament of the Communion I haue neede to say much seeing great stirres are made for this and as I esteeme without any cause The Apostle when he professes to deliuer vnto vs that which hee receyued of the Lord speakes not either of sitting or kneeling or standing by which it is euident That situs vel positus corporis in coena as Zepperus speakes is not of the essence of the Sacrament but to be numbered amongst these circumstances which the Church may alter and change at their pleasure Where it is said that wee ought to conforme our selues to Christs action yee know it is answered That if so were it behoued vs to lye along about the Table to communicate with men and not with women And in the Euening after supper receiue this Sacrament which things were ridiculous to affirme Peter Martyr an excellent witnesse of Gods truth In classe secunda Locâ—rum communium Cap. 4. speakes otherwise Nihil interest saith he si coenae Dominicae sacramentum stantes aut sedentes aut genibus flexis percipiamus modò institutum Domini conseruetur occasio superstitionibus praecidatur And in his Defence of the doctrine of the Eucharist aduersus Gardinerum answering the same argument which Bellarmine brings for reall presence Although in receyuing the Sacrament saith he we adore the Lord by kneeling we doe not thereby testifie the realâ— and corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament for adoration the mind not being applied to the elements but to the things signified may lawfully bee vsed Peter Mouline in defence of his Maiesties Apologie against the Frier Copheteau where the Frier alledges some testimonies out of S. Ambrose S. Augustine and S. Chrysostome to proue the adoration of the consecrated Hoste answers That the Fathers say nothing but that which wee willingly graunt Is there any amongst vs saith he who euer denyed that we ought to adore the flesh of Iesus Christ Who euer doubted that wee ought to adore him in the Eucharist But he that adores Iesus Christ in the Eucharist does not for all that adore that which the Priest holds in his hand but he adores Iesus Christ who is in Heauen These worthie men scorne as yee see Bellarmines argument howbeit wee can take out of an enemies mouth and make somewhat of nothing to beare out our owne conceits Th. Beza did not approue this gesture of kneeling yet did he neuer esteeme it Idolatrie as some of our Spirits doe In his 12. Epistle he writes
Doctrine and Discipline whereunto the Swearers did oblige themselues by their assertory and promissory Oath By the Gospell it is not certaine That our Sauiour and the Apostles did sit at the Supper and albeit he had sitten yet sitting is no more commanded to be obserued in that sacred action then the vpper chamber where he sate or the night season when the Supper was celebrated or the sex and number of the Communicants who were twelue men and no women or the qualitie of the element which was vnleauened bread or the order finally after Supper All these howbeit they be certaine yet none of them are esteemed exemplary far lesse can sitting which is vncertaine be esteemed such And for the rest of the points Neither kneeling at the Communion nor the administration of the Sacraments in priuate houses when necessitie requires nor the commemoration of Christs inestimable benefits on certaine set times of the yeare nor the triall of yong childrens education by the Bishop at his Visitation none of these I say are either expresly or by necessary consequence forbidden in the Gospell nor are hey condemned by many notable Churches and Realmes nor abiured in the Confession of our Faith confirmed by actes of Parliament and so cannot be counted the matter of this Oath But to remooue all scruple that may arise touching the matter of this Oath It is true That in the promissorie Oath the Swearers thereof binde themselues to continue in the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of Scotland and to defend the same according to their vocation and power all the dayes of their liues vnder the paines contained in the Law and danger both of body and soule in the day of the Lords fearefull iudgement Heere touching the Doctrine praised be God there is no controuersie amongst vs all the doubt concerneth Discipline and that is remoued also if it be taken only for that which is reuealed in the Gospell or receiued beleeued and defended by many notable Churches and Realmes or that which is set downe in the Confession of Faith as is already declared But because the Discipline of the Church may be extended beyond these limits and made to comprehend all Ecclesiasticall constitutions and determinations of generall circumstances formes and ceremonies belonging to the worship of God and the decent ordering of his house let vs consider this point more particularly If by the Discipline of the Church in the words of the Oath that part of Ecclesiasticall policie bee meant which concernes the censuring of manners in which sense it is taken in the order set downe before our Psalme bookes and in the seuenth hâ—ad of the first booke of Discipline intituled of Ecclesiasticall Discipline and in the second booke wheresoeuer it is mentioned and by all Ecclesiasticall writers most frequently Then it is certaine that the fiue Articles controuerted belong nothing to the Discipline wherein the Swearers binde themselues by their oath to continue to their liues end But if therby be meant the whole policie of the Church in which sense it is sometimes taken though rarely then first it containes all the precepts of policie prescribed in the Word in which precepts there is no determination concerning these articles as before we said Next it comprehendeth all the ordinances of the Church touching formes ceremonies and order to be obserued in Diuine Seruice and in the exercise of Ecclesiasticall Censures according as the circumstances of time place and persons In this part of Discipline it is true that all the controuerted points are contained But as I shewed before it is manifest by the limitations of the matter of the Oath that this part of the policie is excluded for it is neither expressely nor by necessary consequence contained in the Word nor is it receiued beleeued and defended by many notable Churches and Realmes nor is there any thing concerning it set downe in the Confession of Faith confirmed by actes of Parliament onely this generall wee haue that no constant order and policie can be set downe in ceremonies and that constitutions made by men may and ought to be altered when need requires Furthermore in the booke of Policie that was published after the Oath anno 1581 and subscribed by sundrie Ministers there is no mention made of these fiue Articles now in question In the first booke of Discipline penned anno 1560 there are some conclusions set downe touching sitting at the Sacrament the abolition of Holy dayes dedicated to Saints in Popery and the Feast of Christmas imposed vpon the consciences of men as also the administration of Baptisme vpon ordinary dayes of preaching for remouing the Papisticall opinion of absolute necessitie and if by the discipline mentioned in the Oath yee vnderstand the conclusions of Policie set downe in that booke and hold that the Swearers did by their Oath oblige themselues to obey all the conclusions thereof to their liues end then I demand what is the cause that yee and your followers do not only refuse to obey but improue and impugne the most principall point of policie set downe in that booke namely the office of Bishops whose prouision jurisdiction power and election are particularly described in the first head of that booke vnder the name of Superintendents But because the booke is rare and not at euery mans hand I will draw out of it onely some few things touching the jurisdiction and power of the Superintendents that the posterity may see what was the judgement of their Predecessors the Reformers of Religion touching the Office-bearers and gouernment of the Church And to beginne with the bounds of their jurisdiction the same is set down with this Title The names of the places of residence and seueral Diocesses of the Superintendents INprimis the Superintendent of Orknay his Diocesse shall be the Iles of Orknay Caâ—thnes and Strathneuer his residence in the Towne of Kirkwall The Superintendent of Rosse his Diocesse shall comprehend Rosse Sutherland Murray and the North Iles called the Skie and Lewes with their adjacents his Residence the Chanonrie of Rosse The Superintendent of Argyle his Diocesse shall be Argyle Kintyre Lorne the South Iles Arrane and Boote with their adjacents and Lowhaber His Residence in Argyle The Superintendent of Abirdene his Diocesse betweene Die and Spae containing the Shirrefdomes of Abirdene and Banff His Residence in old Abirdene The Superintendent of Brechin his Diocesse the whole Shirrefdomes of Mernis and Angouse with the Brae of Marre to Die His Residence in Brechin The Superintendent of Fife his Diocesse the Shirrefdomes of Fife and Fotthringham to Striuiling and the whole Shirrefdome of Perth his Residence in Saint Andrewes The Superintendent of Edinburgh his Diocesse the Shirrefdome of Lowthian and Striuiling on the South-side of Forth wherto is added by the consent of the whole Church Merse Lawderdale and Weddale his Residence in The Superintendent of Iedburgh his Diocesse Tauiotdale Liddisdale Tueddale with the Forrest of Ettrick his Residence in The
Christianae venerationis ac proinde olim potuit cum fructu vsurpari That is Kneeling at the receiuing of the Elements hath a shew and forme of holy and Christian adoration and therefore of olde might haue beene vsed profitably Petrus Martyr Class 4. locus 10. Sect. 49. 50. IN Sacramento distinguimus symbola à rebus symbolis aliquem honorem deferimus nimirum vt tractentur decenter non abijciantur sunt enim sacrae res Deo semel deputatae quo verò vel res significatas â—as promptè alacriter adorandas concedimus inquit enim Augustinus hoc loco Non peccatur adorando carnem Christi sed peccatur non adorando Adoratio interna potest adhiberi sine periculo neque externa suá naturá essct An Answere to the reasons vsed by the penner of the Pamphlet against the Festiuall DAYES PP FRom the beginning of the Reformation to this present yeere of our Lord 1618. the Church of Scotland hath diuers wayes condemned the obseruation of all Holy-dayes the Lords day onely excepted In the first Chapter of the first Booke of Discipline penned Anno 1560. the obseruation of Holy-dayes to Saints the feast of Christmas Circumcision Epiphanie Purification and others fond Feasts of our Lady are ranked amongst the abominations of the Romane Religion as hauing neither commandement nor assurance in the Word It is further affirmed that the obstinate maintainers and teachers of such abomination should not escape the punishment of the Ciuill Magistrate The Booke aforesaid was subscribed by the Lords of secret Counsell ANS This Booke was neuer authorised by Act of Counsell Parliament or by any Ecclesiasticall Canon and Iohn Knox as we said before complaines of some in chiefe Authoritie that called the same Deuote imaginations yet let vs giue vnto it the Authoritie which yee require the same will not serue your purpose For in the explication of that first head which yee cite we haue these words which yee haue omitâ—â—â— In the Bookes of old and new Testaments We affirme that 〈…〉 necessarie for instruction of the Church and to make 〈…〉 of God perfect are contained and sufficiently expresses By the contrarie doctrine waâ— vnderstand whatsoeuer men by Lawes Counceâ—s or 〈…〉 imposed vpon the conscâ—ences of men 〈…〉 expresse commandement of Gods word 〈…〉 c. By which worâ—s 〈…〉 the obâ—eruation of dayes here coÌ„demne◠〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 Church and 〈…〉 as our 〈…〉 But such 〈…〉 of men â—s a necessitie point of Diuine 〈◊〉 This obseruation vrged vpon the peopâ—e of God and practised 〈◊〉 opinion of necessitie and 〈◊〉 was vtterly to be abolâ—shed And to banish this opinion together with the superstitious Idolatrie and prophanenesse which was otherwise conioyned of banqueting drinking playing quarreâ—ling and such like 〈…〉 was thought expedient that on these dayes the people should be 〈…〉 from their ordinarie labours and that no 〈◊〉 â—eruice should be done in places where there 〈…〉 a dayly Exercise of Religion as well because of the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 to informe people â—oucâ—ing the lawfull obseruaâ—â—on of dayes and the eschewing of their Idolatrous and superstitious abuse as because it appeared that extraoâ—dâ—narie Exercises on these dayes would rather foster supersâ—ition then edifie people in true godlâ—nesse Neither could there better order be taken as matters then stood but our Church did neuer presume to condeme religious Exercises vpon these dayes which now the Assembly at Pâ—rtâ— hath appointed for that had beene to condemne both the Primitiue Church and all the Reformed Churches now in the World who practised the contrarie And all the exceptions Acts and complaints made to Authoritie against Holy-dayes were rather against dayes dedicated to Saints or against the prophane and superstitious obseruation of Christmas which we call Zule or serued to maintaine the order taken by the Church for the same as shall bee made manifest in the particulars alledged by you PP In the generall Assembly holden at Edinburgh Anno 1566. the latter Confession of Heluetia was approoued but with speciall exception against some Holy-dayes dedicated to Christ These same very dayes that now are vrged ANS By this exception the Assembly did not condemne the iudgement and practise of the Heluetian Church as vnlawfull superstitious or prophane but onely declared that by their approbation they did nothing preiudiciall to the order and policie of their owne Church PP At the Assembly holden Anno 1575. complaint was made against the Ministers and Readers beside Abirdene because they assembled the people to Prayer and Preaching vpon certaine Patrone and Feastiuall dayes ANS This complaint was made for the contempt and breach of the order of the Church and the offence which people might take thereat not for the religious Exercise vsed at the time PP Complaint likewise was ordained to be made to the Regent vpon the Towne of Drumfreis for vrging and conueying a Reader to the Church with Tabret and Whissell to reade the Prayers all the Holy-dayes of Zule or Christmas vpon refusall of their owne Reader ANS This was a iust complaint because the Fact was not onely contrarious to the order of the Church but superstitious and prophane also in it selfe PP Item An Article was formed to be presented to the Regent crauing that all dayes heretofore kept holy in time of Papistrie beside the Lords day such as Zule day Saints dayes and other like Feasts might be abolished and a ciuill penaltie appointed against the obseruers of the said dayes ANS In this Article wee must vnderstand by Dayes not the Time it selfe materially for that cannot bee abolished but the superstitious cessation from labour on these dayes with an opinion of necessitie and the profane excesses of banquetting playing c. which the Act of Perth hath also condemned PP In the Assembly holden in April Anno 1577. it was ordayned That the Visitor with the aduice of the Synodall Assembly should admonish Ministers preaching or ministring the Communion at Pasche Zule or other like superstitious times or Readers reading to desist vnder the paine of depriuation ANS This Ordinance was made to withdraw people from the superstitious opinion they had of these times as is manifest by the wordes Or other like superstitious times and this our Pastors are also ordayned still to rebuke PP Dedicating of Dayes was abjured in the Confession of Faith penned Anno 1580. an Article was formed in the Assembly 1581. crauing an Act of Parliament to bee made against the obseruation of feast-dayes dedicated to Saints and setting out of Bone-fires ANS The dedicating of dayes abiured in the confession is in these words We abiure his to wit the Popes canonization of men calling vpon Angels or Saints departed worshipping of imagery reliques and crosse dedicating of Churches Altars Dayes Vowes to creatures c. What is here dayes dedicated by the Pope are abâ—ured but the fiue dayes concluded by the Church to be kept were not dedicated by the Pope but obserued long before his vsurped authoritie
aboue the Church Neither are they obserued in the reformed Churches or ordayned to be obserued in ours according to the intention of the Papall dedication of dayes that is as Bellarmine sayes tanquam sanctiores sacratiores alijs diebus tanquam pars diuini cultus as more holy and sacred then other dayes and a part of diuine worship but onely as fit circumstances for the worship of God appointed to be done vpon them ordinis politias causa for order and policie Further by the words of the Confession and by the Article formed Anno 1581. it is manifest that the dayes abiured are the dayes dedicated to creatures but our dayes are dedicated to Christ and therefore not abiured PP In the Assembly holden in February Anno 1587. it was humbly moued to his Maiestie that Pasche and Zule were superstitiously obserued in Fife and about Drumfreis ANS So would we complaine if any of these dayes were superstitiously obserued for by the act of Perth it is ordayned that Pastors in their Sermons vpon these dayes should rebuke the superstitious obseruation and licentious profanation thereof PP In the Assembly holden 1590. his Maistie in open audience of the Assembly praised God for that he was borne to bee a King in the syncerest Church in the World syncerer then our neighbour Church of England syncerer then Geneua it selfe for they obserued Pasche and Zule ANS His Maiestie from his youth vp hath euer kept these solemne times and wished the same to be kept by all his Subiects without abuse So who will beleeue you that such a speech was vâ—â—ered in that assembly for at that time neither were yee present your selfe not hauing passed aâ— that time your degrees in the Schooles noâ— does it appeare by the matters intreateâ— in that meeâ—ing that the occasion of any such speech was offereâ— And put the case such a saying had beene 〈◊〉 by his 〈◊〉 at that time a young King and of â—â—sse experience in matters 〈◊〉 â—ame should not controll the iudgment of an old wise Monâ—râ—a whom a long time and great experience 〈◊〉 â—aught â—â—comparable prudence You may remember that of the Apostle When I was a child I 〈…〉 and it is a true speec◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latesâ— cogiâ—ationâ— are wisest PP In the Parliament holden Annâ— 1592. The act of King Iameâ— the third about the Saturday and other vigils to bee kept holy from Euen-song to Euen-song was anulled Item the act made by Queene Regent granting licence to keepe Zule and Pasche ANS The licence granted by the Queene Regent did authorise the Papisticall that is the superstitâ—ous obseruation of Zule and Pasche therefore it was rightly annulled But to what purpose alleadge ye the Act of vigils PP In the Assembly holden Anno 1596. when the couenant was renued superstition and idoâ—atrie breaking forth in keeping of festiuall dayes setting out of Bone-fires and singing of Carrols are reckoned amongst the corruptions which were to be amended The Pulpits haue sounded continually against all festiuall dayes The censures of the Church haue beene put in execution in all due forme against the obseruers ANS Yet the commemoration of the inestimable benefits of our redemption vpon these fiue dayes was not reckoned amongst the corruptions to be amended Neither did Pulpits sound nor were censures put in execution against preaching prayers and other holy exercises in these dayes for at that time the Preachers gaue all obedience to the acts of the Church made concerning these things But doe yee not see by the regraite made at this Assembly and by the acts complaints and ordinances by your selfe rehearsed that the abstayning from preaching and reading at these times hath not remoued from people their superstitious opinions of the times nor yet abolished the enormities and abuses committed in them Certainly nothing is so powerfull to abolish prophanenesse and roote out superstition of mens hearts as the exercise of diuine worship in preaching praying and thanksgiuing chiefly then when the superstitious conceits of merit and necessitie are most pregnant in the heads of people as doubtlesse they are when the set times of these solemnities returne for then it is meetest to lance the oposteme when it is ripe Vpon these and such other reasons it pleased his Maiestie to require and our Church to condescend that commemoration of the benefits purchased to vs by the Natiuitie Death Resurrection and Ascension of our Sauiour should be made solemnely on these dayes according to the practise of all other reformed Churches And there is no question the errours of the multitude shall hereby bee farre more easily remoued then by any prohibition that can be made to the contrary and therewithall the people better instructed in the principall grounds of Religion then they could by occasionall Doctrine as also the honour of God more highly aduanced for wee know that ordinary seruices are performed with lesse regard and more coldly then these which come more rarely to bee celebrated Of all these the hope is the greater that now wee owe it to our King vnder God the Churches are planted with able and sufficient Pastors meete to discharge these duties So by the Assembly at Perth there is nothing concluded either contrarious to any former constitution of the Church or to any sound Doctrine deliuered from Pulpits in former times 〈…〉 The Act about Festiuities In the 〈◊〉 of this Act the Assembly professes to abhorre all that was condemned by any Ecclesiasticall Constitution touching the obseruation of these dayes It is therefore consonant to former Acts. In the Conclusion the Pastors are appointed to rebuke all supersâ—â—tious obseruation and liceâ—cious profâ—â—â—tion thereof This agrees with all the sound Doctrine deliuered from Pulpits concerning this point That which is interlaced in the Canon Saint Augustine affirmes to bee Apostolique Epist. 118. ad Ianuarium Illa autem qua non scripta sed traditâ— custodimus quae quidem toto terrarum orbe obseruantur dantur intelligi vel ab ipsis Apostolis vel à plenarijs Concilijs quorum est in Ecclesia saluberrima autoritas commendata atque statuta retinere sicuti quod Domini Passio Resurrectio Ascensio in coelum aduentus de coelo Spiritus Sancti anniuersaria solennitate celebrantur si quid aliud tale occurreret quod seruatur ab vniuersa quacunque se diffundit Ecclesia that is Whatsoeuer things are not written but by Tradition obserued through the whole world must be thought to haue beene prescribed by the Apostles themselues or then to haue beene ordayned by generall Councells whose authoritie hath euer beene great in the Church as namely The anniuersary celebration of the Passion Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord with the descending of the holy Ghost or any such like thing that is obserued by the whole Church diffused through the world And in the same Epistle hee affirmes that it is most insolent madnesse to doubt if that should bee obserued which the
the Festiuall dayes as the Lords Day PP It is lest free to teach any part of Gods Word on the Lords day but for solemnitie of the festiuall solemne Texts must bee chosen Gospels Epistles Collects Psalmes must bee framed for the particular seruice of these dayes and so the mysticall dayes of mans appointment shall not onely equall but in solemnities surpasse the morall Sabbath appointed by the Lord. ANS If by the solemnitie of the Festiuall yee vnderstand the honour done to the Day wee deny that wee are appointed to choose any Text or frame our Doctrine and Exhortations thereto but if by the solemnitie of the Festiuall yee vnderstand the coÌ„memoration of the benefits made on these daies it is true that euery Minister is ordayned to choose pertinent Texts and frame his Doctrine and Exhortations thereto But vpon this yee will neuer conclude that these dayes which yee falsly call mysticall doe not onely equall but surpasse the morall Sabbath in solemnitie for the whole solemnitie hath onely respect to the benefits which on these times are remembred and no respect at all to the Time The solemnitie not being obserued for the Time but the Time for the solemne remembrance of these benefits The Lords Day otherwise is not onely obserued for the diuine seruice that is performed thereon but the same seruice and publike worship which may bee omitted on all the sixe dayes must be performed on the Lords Day because God hath appointed it to be sanctified with these holy Exercises PP If they were instituted onely for order and policie that the people may assemble to religious exercises wherefore is there but one day appointed betwixt the Passion and the Resurrection Wherefore fortie dayes betweene the Resurrection and Ascension and ten betweene the Ascension and the Pentecost Why follow we the course of the Moone as the Iewes did in our moueable feasts making the Christian Church clothed with the Sunne to walke vnder the Moone as Bonauentura alludes Wherefore is there not a certayne day of the Moneth kept for Easter aswell as for the Natiuitie Does not Bellarmine giue this reason out of Augustine that the day of Natiuitie is celebrated onely for memorie the other both for memorie and for Sacraments ANS Saint Augustines opinion alleadged by Bellarmine is not receiued by the reformed Churches as the reason moouing them to obserue these times for they expresly deny that they keepe these times for any mysterie or Sacrament that is in them but onely for order and policie which directeth all things to bee done to edification and allowes vs to make choyce of such circumstances as are most meet to promoue the spirituall businesse whereunto they are applyed And this is a kinde of Christian prudence and dexteritie for who knowes not what moment there is in the opportunity of Times and Places to aduance actions Now because no times can be found more conuenient for a solemne commemoration of the Birth Passion c. then these which are either he same indeed by reuolution or in coÌ„mon estimation they follow in this the iudgement of the primitiue Church esteeming it pietie to prefer vnitie with the Catholike church in things indifferent and lawfull to the singularitie of any priuate mans opinion or the practice of any particular Church The allegation of Bonauentura his allusion in such a graue point is ridiculous for if the Sunne and the Moone bee taken mystically as they are in the Reuelation in this case the Church clothed with the Sunne that is with the light of the Gospell walkes not vnder the Moone that is according to the opinions and fashions of the world but treading these vnder foote followes the rules of order and decency for edification If by the Sunne and Moone these two Planets be vnderstood which God created for signes seasons dayes and yeares So long as the Church is militant on earth shee must vse the benefiâ— of these Creatures in the determâ—nation of times for all her actions PP If the Anniuersary commemorations were like the weekely preachings Why is the Husband-man forced to leaue his plough at the one and not at the other Why did not Master Galloway curse the people for absence from the one aswell as from the other ANS I answere Although the circumstance of Time whereon the Anniuersary commemoration is made differs not in holinesse or any mysticke signification from the weekly dayes of preaching yet it differres in frequency and raritie for the dayes of weekely preaching doe returne and to astrict the Husband-man to leaue his plough so often were against equitie and charitie but the times of these commemorations being so rare to wit three seruile dayes onely in the yeare and the exercise so profitable Reason would if the Husband-man willingly did not leaue his plough at these times that by authoritie he should be forced aswell for his owne benefit as for eschuing scandall and contempt And Master Galloway had reason to curse these who for contempt and with offence of their Brethren absented themselues from the Sermons of Christs Natiuitie Lastly the difference of the seruice on these dayes from the weekely and ordinary makes them not to differ in holinesse or mysterie from the weekely dayes more then the difference in seruice which is performed on the fift of August and fift of Nouember makes these two dayes to bee mysticke or more holy then other times PP To make solemne commemoration of Christs Natiuitie vpon any other day then vpon the putatiue day of his Natiuitie would be thought a great absurditie ANS If yee haue not fallen into this absurditie yee must grant that yee neuer made in your time any solemne commemoration of Christs Natiuitie And I verily beleeue that in this omission yee haue many companions by whose negligence God hath beene defrauded of the honour due to him for this benefit and the people lacked instruction in a principall Article of Faith This Article is the ground of all the rest for as Chrysostome sayes If our Sauiour had not beene borne he had neither suffered nor risen againe from the dead and thereupon he calls the day of this commemoration Metropolim omnium Festorum Euen for this it was expedient that a certayne time of the yeare should haue beene appointed for this commemoration which otherwise would haue been neglected and as yee say thought absurd But to returne to your Argument The commemoration of Christs Natiuity is no more astricted to the 25. of December then to any other time for although the 25. of December by ordinance of the Church bee dedicated to that religious seruice yet the seruice is not astricted to the time as the seruice of the Iewish festiuities which lawfully might not be performed on any other dayes then the festiuall The commemoration appointed by our Church to bee made on these fiue dayes may lawfully be performed at other conuenient times although on these dayes the same must not bee omitted For the seruice ar I
Worship For albeit the Lords Day be consecrated to the Worship of God yet the Worship is not tied to it but from one Sabbath to another and from one New-Moone to another all flesh may appeare before the Lord. That which ye speake of diuiding Christs actions and the appointing of mysticall dayes is partly foolish and partly false Is it not a folly to thinke that the actions of Christ ought not to bee diuided and seuerally remembred in Lectures and Sermons seeing the Spirit of God hath diuided them in this Storie and that it is impossible at once to remember them all And it is false also because for rememberance of them no day is appointed to bee kept mystically as a part of the worship but only circumstantially for order and commoditie which kinde of obseruation is not a superstitious wil-worship but a lawfull determination of commodious times for the worship of God belonging to the power and policie of the Church PP It is thirdly obiected that Paul kept the Feast of Pentecost Act. 20. 1. Cor. 16. I answere it was the Iewish Pentecost c. ANS If it was the Iewish Pentecost then Saint Paul did not only obserue an Anniuersary Day but such also as was legall and abrogated by the Gospell and such as hee discharges the Church to obserue Yet I hope yee will not say that his obseruation was Superstitious or Pedagogicall because he obserued it not as a necessary part of Gods worship prescribed in the Law in respect whereof only it was Pedagogicall but as a fit circumstance and opportunitie for the worke of his Ministerie like as he did often obserue the Iewish Sabbaths which was not onely lawfull but in those times verie expedient to be done by him Hereby it is manifest that the obseruation of dayes is not condemned by the Apostle as a Iewish Rite because Anniuersarie Monethly or Weekly but because it was conioyned with opinion of necessitie and vsed as a Legall worship therefore although vpon the Iewish Sabbath or vpon their Pentecost diuine worship was performed as the Euangell preached the Sacraments celebrated Prayers publikely conceiued c. If these things were done without any mysticall relation or respect had to the day but only because the time was opportune and happily fit for Gods Worke the exercise was lawfull and could not bee condemned So wee finde in some churches that on eueryday the sacrameÌ„t was ministred that on the Iewish Sabbath they had an ordinarie Fast and no well aduised Christian did euer thinke these to be vnlawfull by reason of the day For if to the cleane euery thing be cleane all dayes are cleane and sanctified to euery lawfull exercise of the man who is himselfe made cleane by the bloud of Christ Consequently euery day whether it be Weekly or Anniuersarie is cleane and sanctified by Christ to the exercise of any part of his Worship which shall bee thought meete by the Church to be performed to his honour and the edification of her selfe The Legall Sabbath and Pentecost which were abrogated could not make the Euangelicke Worship which was performed on them by the Apostles vnlawfull farre lesse can the Lords Day such as the Christian Pasche and Whitsonday are or any other day of the Weeke Moneth or Yeare which were neuer legally obserued make the Doctrine Prayers and Sacraments administred on them vnlawfull and superstitious To conclude I finde in this Obiection a Solution to all your Arguments for here I find that there may be a lawfull obseruation of dayes which are abrogated let be of dayes which are not discharged so the obseruation bee not legall with opinion of necessâ—tie or of any mysterie in the time but Euangelicall with knowledge of our Christian libertie and for opportunitie of time onely which both may bee lawfull and expedient So Saint Paul keeped many Sabbaths and the Pentecost whereon Saint Peter also conuerted three thousand by his first preaching This is the obseruation for which only we stand against which ye haue neuer concluded a contradictory but either against the Legall of the Iewish or superstitious of the Gentiles So all your Arguments fall vnder one forme of Caption which wee call ignorantia Elenchi when a contradiction seemes to bee where there is none because the tearmes in the apparant contradiction are not taken in the same sâ—nse PP It is fourthly obiected out of the Epistles of Polycarpus and Polycrates extant in the Historie of Eusebius and out of Beda following Eusebius that the Apostles kept the Feast of Easter Answ. Beda was but a Fabler and a follower of fabulous Reports Eusebius was a little better c. ANS Thus it pleaseth your pride to disdaine these ancient learned and holy Writers because they crosse your Nouelties by the truth of Antiquitie not vnlike the Painter of whom Sadeel writes Qui cum gallum gallinaceum infeliciter pingeret verum gallum á tabula abigebat Hauing drawne a Cocke vnskilfully that his errour should not bee perceiued he chased away the liuing Cocke that stood by him so the Papists forbid the vse of Scriptures that their Errors should not be discouered Nouators cannot sustain the authority of the Ancients But ye make mention of Polycarpus Epistle extant in Eusebius and in Eusebius there is no Epistle of Polycarpus onely Irenaeus in a Letter that hee sends to Victor mentions him The Epistles of Polycrates yee affirme to bee counterfeit and vpon what reason Because ye say that it is said in the Epistles that Saint Iohn bore on his fore-head pontificale petalum that is the golden plate or the High Priests Mitre Polycrates ye thinke would not haue written so because Scaliger sayes that no man will grant that eyther Iohn or Iames did beare it who vnderstand that none of Christs Apostles was a Priest and that it was lawfull to none but the High Priest to beare the golden plate It is true that Polycrates in propertie of speech would not haue written so but what is more frequent amongst the Ancients then by such flowers colours of Rhetorick to describe the Euangelick Ministers amoÌ„gst whom such as Polycarpus Thrasias and others by him named Iohns authoritie was as great as was the High Priests aboue the inferiour vnder the Law Therfore to distinguish him froÌ„ them Polycrates attributes to him the name and ornament of the High Priest So Tertullian de Baptismo distinguisheth the Bishop from the Elder and the Deacon calling him the High Priest Dandi quidem habet ius summus Sacerdos qui est Episcopus dehinc Presbyteri Diaconi Shall wee esteeme this Treatise of Tertullian counterfeite because hee calleth the Bishoppe an High Priest This is too weake a warrant whereon to build an improbation against so strong a partie as Eusebius PP The Bishop of Elie in his Sermon takes needlesse paines to proue the Antiquitie of Easter but when he proues it to be Apostolicall he shoots short his eldest Antiquitie is the counterfeit Epistles
to Ierusalem to the Pentecost was counsailed or not scandalizing the Iewes to carrie himselfe as one that obserued the Law and practise some legall ceremonies to that effect which he did vsing them not as a part of diuine worship but as indifferent things and meanes expedient to win him credite with the Iewes that hee might edifie them in the truth So himselfe sayes He became all things to all men that he might winne some The keeping of the 14. day by Iohn and Iames is not an argument that they disagreed from the rest in iudgement touching the set day if any then was determined more then the practise of other ceremonies proues their disagreeing from S. Paul in the poynt of Christian libertie for this they did onely by way of condescension So the Apostles in these times might haue kept Easter vpon diuerse daies by the direction of the Spirit because the solemne commemoration of our Sauiours resurrection which we call Easter is not to be kept at any set time for any mystery that one day hath more then another by diuine institution The contentions therefore about the day were iustly blamed by the reformed Churches who acknowledge no day except the Christian Sabbath to haue greater prerogatiue then anotheâ— But the greater part of the world keeping the solemnitie of Easter vpon the Lords Day which followed the 14. of the Moone the Churches of Asia being a fewer number did not well to preferre the singularitie of their opinion and custome to vnitie and conformitie with the greater part of Christendome in such a poynt Againe Victor Bishop of Rome cannot bee excused who first did vrge conformitie pressed it by violence vpon the Churches that were without his Iurisdiction and to excommunicate them was an insolent tyrannie seeing they were not subiect to his power Yet after the Nicene Councell had setled that controuersie and determined the day these must iustly be blamed that contentiously troubled the Christian peace disobeyed the Canon of the Councell and were disconforme to the rest of the Churches not by mistaking the day as some were but through wilfulnesse and pride the parents of contention PP Lasâ—ly they reason with Augustine à posteriorâ— That seeing the Lords passion resurrection ascension comming down of the Holy Ghost is celebrated with anniuersary solemnity through all the World they must needs haue beene ordayned eyther by the Apostles or by generall Councels But so it is that these daies were obserued before there was any generall Councell It must follow therefore that the Apostles ordained them Ans. Augustines distinction is not necessarie for many customes crept in and thereafter preuailed vniuersally which were neither ordained by the Apostles nor generall Councels Socrates in his Historie sayes I am of opiniâ—n c. ANS Socrateâ— in the testimonie which yee alledge lib. 5. cap. 22. for probation of your answere sayes that he is of opinion that the Feast of Easter hath preuailed amongst people of a certaine priuate custome and not by Canon He confirmes his opinion by this reason that they who keepe Easter on the 14. day of the Moone bring Iohn the Apostle for their author Such as inhabite Rome and the West parts of the World alledge Peter and Paul and yet there is none of them can shew in Writing any testimonie for confirmation of their custome First here it is to bee marked that Socrates in this testimonie calls his allegation an opinion onely that is a likely and probâ—ble conceit but that is not sufficient to infringe Saint Augustines rule and the probations that he brings are of no force for first it makes nothing against Augustines rule that the Easterne Churches kept the solemnitie on one day and the Westerne on another because Saint Augustine sayes not that the commemoration of these benefits was made vpon one and the selfe-same day onely hee sayes Anniuersaria solennitate celebrantur 〈◊〉 is They are yearely celebrated after a solemne manner The diuersitie of the day confuteth not this assertion but confirmes rather his saying namely that the solemnitie was obserued through all the World seeing in one part it was celebrated for winning of the Iewes according to the practise of S. Iohn and in the rest of the World on Pasche Sonday whereon our Sauiour rose according to the tradition of Saint Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles So this same solemnitie being kept through the whole Church although not on the same day Saint Augustines rule remains good that the solemne commemoration of Christs resurrection is Apostolicke The next probation is no better to wit that there is no testimonie in writing for the confirmation of that custome for by this reason it would follow that the obseruation of Sonday in stead of the Iewish Sabbath hath preuayled by a priuate custome only For in the Apostolique writings we haue no testimonie for the confirmation of that custome In Scripture we reade that our Sauiour rose on that day that on that day he appeared to his Disciples that on that day the Apostle appointed collections to be made for the poore that on that day at Troas the Disciples were assembled to breake bread and that S. Paul preached All these actions make aswell for the obseruation of Pasche Sonday and as the Bishop of Winchester saith somewhat more seeing it is after a sort the same day by reuolution whereon our Sauiour did rise yet all these practises exercises and meetings on the Lords day had not demonstrate the sanctification of it if it had not beene perpetually and vniuersally obserued afterwards by the Church This constant and vniuersall obseruation of the Church hath declared these practises to be exemplarie and that our Sauiour did consecrate that day by his resurrection and apparitions to be in stead of the Sabbath Vpon this ground S. August Epist. ad Ianuar. 118. sayes Illa quae non scripta sed tradita custodimus quae quidem â—oto Terrarum orbe obseruaÌ„tur dantur intelligi vel ab ipsis Apostolis vel plenarijs Concilijs quorum est in Ecclesia saluberrima auctoritas commendata atque statuta retinere Sicuti quod Domini Passio Resurrectio Ascensio in coelum aduentus de coelo Spiritus Sancti anniuersaria solennitaâ—e celebrantur that is Those things which come to vs by Tradition and not by Writing and yet are obserued in the whole world must bee esteemed to haue beene commended vnto vs and instituted either by the Apostles themselues or by generall Councells whose authoritie hath euer beene wholsome to the Church as by example the Passion Resurrection Ascension and the descent of the holy Ghost from heauen which wee solemnely keepe euery yeare This rule of Saint Augustine if it bee not demonstratiue yet it is more probable then Socrates his opinion for it is more like a custome receiued by the vniuersall Church should proceâ—d from the authoritie of the Apostles or some generall Councell rather then from a priuate obseruation as Socrates
thinks Yet to confirme his opinion yee say that Iustine Martyr mentions no Holy day but the Lords Day What then Hee had not the occasion yet Tertullian who flourished but fortie yeares after him in the second booke directed to his wife hath these wordes Quis denique solennibus Paschae abnoctantem seeurus sustinet And in his booke De Praescriptionib aduers. Haereticos mentions one Blastus whom hee calls an Heretike for maintayning that Pasche should bee kept on the 14. day of the Moone as the Iewish custome was Tertullian flourished in the yeare of our Lord 183. and speaking thus of Pasche not as of a new Constitution but as of a custome long before receiued in the Church does confirme the Bishop of Winchester his iudgement That in all lâ—kelihood this obseruation was Apostolique By Apostolique I meane not a doctrinall point which is to bee obserued as a substantiall part of diuine worship or a condition necessary to saluation but the imitation onely of an Apostolique practice concerning order and policie neither doe I meane such a practice as is expresly set downe in Scripture and vniuersally obserued through the world such as the Lords Day is for such a practice hath the strength of a diuine Precept but I vnderstand such a practice as albeit it be not recorded in Scripture to haue beene done by the Apostles themselues or the Churches in their time yet the same being vniuersally receiued in the world and obserued since the Apostles dayes is most probably presumed to haue beene practised in their times and allowed by them And in this the Lords Day differs from Pasche and the other three dayes mentioned by Saint Augustine that the Lords Day hath not onely the vniuersall and perpetuall obseruation of the Church since the dayes of the Apostles but also the practice of our Sauiour his Apostles and the Church in their times expresly recorded in Scripture The other haue onely an vniuersall and constant practice of the Church since the Apostles time which not the lesse ought to be preferred to any priuate or late particular custome And to returne to the Act of Perth it ordaynes none of these dayes to be kept for Diuine and Apostolique but onely that on them once in the yeare a solemne commemoration be made of the benefits of our Redemption and therefore the Reasons ye bring to proue that these dayes are not Apostolique impugne no wayes the lawfullnesse of the act Where yee say that the obseruation of the Passion day hath brought into the church set dayes of fasting condemned by our Diuines I aske you how yee doe proue that affirmation It is enough yee haue said it But to conclude this point I doe verily thinke That to fast and pray at some set times were lesse offensiue to God then to bee often feasting and surfetting pratling and lying traducing our Brethren and condemning the good order and policie of Gods Church PP If it had beene Gods will that the seuerall acts of Christ should haue beene celebrated with seuerall solemnities the holy Ghost would haue made knowne to vs the dayes wheron they were done Secondly if the actions of Christ aduance the dayes wherein they were wrought as Hooker sayes or consecrate them as Bellarmine sayes they ought to be knowne otherwise it will fall out that we shall keepe the dayes holy that were neuer aduanced nor consecrated by Christs action on institution But so it is the day of Christs Natiuitie is hid from mortall men ANS It is true that if it had beene Gods will to haue aduanced and consecrated the dayes of Christs Natiuitie Passion c. by annexing to them some particâ—lar exercise of Religion such as the festiuall dayes of the Iewes had and clothing them with some mysticall signification the holy Ghost had made the dayes knowne otherwise they could not haue beene obserued But from the beginning we haue declared according to the iudgement not of Bellarmine but of our best reformed Churches and Diuines that these dayes are not kept for any relation that the worship hath to them as if by Christs actions or institution they were to be honoured with some religious exercise but for order and policy only as the most meet and oportune occasions in the iudgement of the primitiue Church and in our estimation most meet for testifying our conformitie with her and with the whole Christian world euer since The long discourse and dispute which yee subjoyne to proue the time of Christs Natiuitie to be vncertayne because it is not contradictoriâ— to the Act made at Perth and the practice thereof in our Church I passe it as superfluous Onely to your last words of the Section I answere PP Nay let vs vtter the Truth December Christmasse is a iust imitation of the December Saturnall of the Ethnicke Romanes and so vsed as if Bacchus and not Christ were the God of Christians ANS This protestation yee might haue made and craued licence if your custome were to lye but to the purpose If Christmasse hath beene thus abused I am sure the abuse hath not come by preaching on that day and the exercise of diuine worship thereon for that wee haue lacked these 57. yeares by-past in our Church yet riot profanenesse surfet and drunkennesse hath not beene wanting What hath beene the cause hereof and by what meanes the abuse may be best remedied wise men will easily consider PP It is commonly obiected That wee may aswell keepe a day for the Natiuitie as for the Resurrection of Christ. We haue answered already That Christs day or the Lords Day is the day appointed for remembrance of his Natiuitie and all his actions and benefits aswell as for the Resurrection Next the one is morall and weekely the other is mysticall and anniuersarie The Lords Day it selfe is no longer to vs mysticall but morall sayes Willet and therefore Pasche day is a mysticall Sabbath and anniuersarie whereas the Lords Day it selfe should be onely morall ANS The answere which yee haue already made is already confuted The Lords Day is generally appointed for remembrance of all his actions therefore none of his actions may or should bee remembred at any other set time This consequence is not necessary for then we may not remember his actions in the morning and euening Lectures wee may not remember them in Sermons Exercises on weekly dayes nor may wee remember them in Catechizing the people Your next answere is That the day of the Natiuitie is mysticall This is contrarie to that which yee cited out of Saint Augustine pag. 68. Ille celebratur ob memoriam solùm ideo semper die vigesimo quinto Decembris at iste celebratur ob memoriam Sacramentum But I pray you How proue yee obseruation of the day of Natiuitie to bee mysticall because it is anniuersarie yee say If this be your Argument for I finde no other here it is not good for in the reuolution of time there is no mysterie
but in the signification and we haue often said before that we obserue no day for signification but the Lords Day onely The rest we obserue as times meet and commodious for the worship appointed to be done on them As to Doctor Willets assertion That the Lords Day is not mysticall to vs I oppone to it Saint Augustines iudgement who calls it as yee heard before a figure and type of life eternall which is confirmed by the Apostle in the fourth to the Hebrewes But Doctor Willet I hope takes mysticall for a darke and obscure shadow of things to come such as the festiuall dayes vnder the Law were kept in remembrance not of spirituall and eternall but of temporall benefits which were shadoweâ— of spirituall and eternall benefits to come And in this sense the Lords Day is not mysticall for it is not kept in remembrance of temporall benefits which are shadowes of spirituall and eternall but in remembrance of Christs Resurrection by whom we are put in present possession of our spirituall rest and life and in hope of eternall In respect whereof as it is a memoriall signe of the Resurrection of our Sauiour so is is a demonstratiue signe of the benefit which wee enjoy of spirituall rest and prognosticall of our eternall and therefore is called a figure and type by Saint Augustine Thus taking a mysterie in a large sense for any significant signe in Religion it may be called mysticall The Sacraments of the new Testament are called mysteries by the Ancients not in the sense that the Sacraments of the old Testament were called mysteries for they were so called because they were darke and obscure shadowes of things to come but our Sacraments are the liuely Images of the things themselues by reason of the plaine and manifest Word of the Gospell annexed to them By this distinction Saint Augustine and Doctor Willet may be agreed PP It is still obiected The benefits of God ought to bee remembred specially Christs notable benefits Ans. It is one thing to remember another thing to remember with solâ—â—â—â— â—â—stiuities To remember is a morall dutie and perpetuall for we ought to keepe not onely an anniuersarie but also a weekely and daily remembrance But to celebrate an Anniuersarie solemnitie and to keepe a Sabbath of rest in remembrance it is a pedagogicall ceremonie of the Iewes c. ANS Wee thinke it sufficient to haue made that obiection once because it hath neuer yet beene answered but yee propone it often to assay if yee shall bee able to fall on some solide solution at last yet like an euill Archer the longer yee shoote yee stray the further from the marke Yee thinke an Anniuersarie remembrance may be kept but an Anniuersarie solemnitie should not bee celebrated yee hide your minde from simple people vnder a mysticall solemnitie of words but to speake that plainly which yee call the celebration of an Anniuersarie solemnitie your meaning must be if yee contradict the Act that preaching should not bee made prayers thanksgiuing and prayses should not be offered on certayne set times in the yeare in remembrance of Christs Natiuitie Passion c. If yee will haue no such exercise to bee vsed what Anniuersarie remembrance is it that yee would haue obserued Is it a priuy meditation in our Chambers whereunto neither God nor Man is priuie or some occasionall remembrance in our Lectures and Sermons as they fall out now and then Is this the thankfulnesse that wee are taught by the light of Nature and the Word of God to render for the inestimable benefits of our redemption which God hath vniuersally and publikely bestowed vpon all Oh but to keepe a Sabbath of rest in remembrance say yee is a pedagogicall ceremonie To keepe a mysticall rest such as the rest of the Sabbath was is pedagogicall but to keepe a rest for the more commodious and solemne performance of a great and diuine action such as the commemoration of Christs Birth Death c. is not pedagogicall but necessary for the commoditie and celebritie of the worship which cannot bee well and worthily performed without cessation from other seruile businesse That this is the vse of the rest commanded in his Maiesties Proclamation is manifest by the reasons set downe therein in these words That euery one may the better attend the holy exercises which are to bee kept in the Church on these times Yee are cunning to deceiue the simple with ambiguitie of words There is a rest that is ciuilly kept which is a cessation from our ordinary workes for some other ciuill employment as for marriages triumphs weapon-shewings and such like this rest is lawfull but it is not Sabbaticall There is a rest kept superstitiously as when men ceasse from their labouâ—s for some foolish feares of ill successe by reason of the time this is not called a Sabbath of rest but a superstitious rest There is a rest kept idolatrously for the honour of idols as the Baechanalia Floralia and the holy dayes proclaymed by the Israelites for honour of their golden Calfe These are damnable rests Finally there is a rest that is kept religiously and this rest is kept either for celebritie and commoditie of the religious action onely or mystically for commoditie and celebritie of the religious seruice a rest is kept in all the solemne times of fasting a rest is kept in the houres of Prayers or Preaching and other diuine Seruice And such is the rest that his Maiestie hath appointed to bee obserued The rest kept mystically was a significant rest of some thing by-past present or to come such was the rest of the Iewish Sabbath and of the Legall Festiuities and such Augustine holds and other many good Diuines our rest on the Lords Day to be from the fourth to the Hebrewes This is called a Sabbath of rest such a rest his Maiestie hath not commanded but a rest for commoditie and celebritie of the diuine Seruice only which in nothing is like to the Iewes Frontlets Phylacteries and such other Legall shadowes PP Pope Alexander the third gaue this reason wherefore the Romane Church kept not a Holy day to the Trinitie Quoniam Ecclesia Romana in vsu non habet c. Because sayes he Glorie to the Father and to the Sonne and to the holy Ghost and other such like things belonging to the praise of the Trinitie are daily vttered The Popes reason is grounded vpon this rule Whatsoeuer is intreated or remembred in the diuine seruice ordinarie ought not to haue a speciall Holy day to celebrate the memorie of the same beside the day alreadie decerned by the Lord. We assume Christs Natiuitie Death Resurrection c. are not onely the continuall meditation of a Christian in priuate but also a remembred and intreated in the ordinarie and publique seruice Euery Communion Sonday is a Passion Holy day Euery Sabbath that Christs Natiuitie is preached is a time of remembrance of his Natiuitie But to ordayne an Anniuersarie
puriorque Ecclesia santificare solita fuit Now if ye demand what Zanchius vnderstood by the Apostolike Church hee answeres it himselfe Nomine veteris Apostolicae Ecclesiae eam intelligo quae à tempore Apostolorum per annos fere quingentos durauit vsque ad Gelasium qui praefuit Romanae Ecclesiae Anno 495. I maruell how ye can cite Zanchius so confidently for you as if he had disallowed the obseruation of these dayes And if ye will stand to his doctrine and iudgement our controuersie shall soone be at an end For this hee sayes expresly that the Church hath power to make choice of the dayes shee likes best and sanctifie them besides the Lords Day If ye will haue vs yeelding to Zanchius when he sayes non male fecerunt doe ye also yeeld to him when hee sayes Ecclesiae liberum est quos velit dies sibi sanctificare But to the end the singularitie and noueltie of your doctrine may bee euident and our defence may bee seene to agree with the Primitiue Church her practice and the iudgement of the best Diuines amongst the reformed wee grant with Zanchius that they who abolished all dayes did not ill but well in respect of the time and estate of their Church As for example it was not euill done by our Church to discharge the obseruation of all Festiuall Dayes because in the beginning they could not be lawfully obserued for the raritie of Preachers at least vniuersally for in Congregations where Pastours were wanting to inform the people the obseruation of them should haue entertayned the superstitious conceit which the Papists formerly had of them Neither did they euill in Zanchius iudgement that retayned the dayes obserued by the Primitiue Church consequently in appointing on these 5 dayes Sermons to be preached and diuine Seruice done cannot be euil Specially if we shall consider how notwithstanding of all the Acts Ciuil and Ecclesiastick made against the superstitious obseruation and prophane abuse of Zule day our people could neuer bee induced to labour on that day and leaue their idlenesse and wheresoeuer diuine Seruice was done that day as in Townes that haue alwayes morning and euening Prayers they were euer perceiued to resort in greater numbers on that day then any other to the Church So these dayes being spent prophanely by the greatest sort and superstitiously by many these euils could not be better remooued then by Doctrine and diuine Seruice whereby the time is well spent and these conceits of the people driuen away and their opinions confuted in the time when the same are most pregnant Saint Paul tooke occasion by inscription of the Altar in Areopage To the vnknowne God to preach the true God to the Gentiles thereby he did not authorize their Superstition which hee there cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but refuted it with a diuine Sermon he also kept the Iewish Sabbaths and Pentecost which both were abolished not to confirme the Iewes in the Pedagogie of the Law but to take the commoditie of the time and confluence of people in it for preaching the Gospell that he might draw them with time from the shaddowes to the substance and truth in Christ. So wee who haue the like occasion by confluence of our people on that day to Church haue not done euil to appoint sermons to bee made on the day of the Natiuitie that the people may thereby be drawne from profanenesse and superstition to the true worship of God and to the religious exercises vsed in the Primitiue Church on that day whereof the Sermons preached by Saint Augustine and many others yet extant in their Monuments beare witnesse as also that in obseruing this and the remanent dayes we might keepe a conformitie with them which Zanchius holds to be honest laudable and profitable Finally that in so lawful a thing we might giue odience to his Maiestie our Souereign desiring an vniformity amongst the Churches of his Maiesties Dominions in things which are neither against pietie nor good manners and haue beene obserued vniuersally throughout the World in the most pure Ages of the Church PP The same Zanchius sayes in the place aforesaid If any Feasts were celebrate before religiously and holily but therafter were contaminate with Superstition and Idolatry that worthily they were taken away by our Reformers who imitated herein the example of Ezechias breaking to poulder the brazen Serpent when it was abused to Idolatry ANS Zanchius in these words compares not the Brazen Serpent with the diuine Worship and Sermons appointed to bee made by our Church vpon the fiue dayes for in them there is neither superstition nor false worship nor is there any burthen layd vpon the Church but a profitable policie established hee onely compares the Brazen Serpent abused to Idolatry to the abuses superstitions false worships wil-worships and the intollerable burthens laid on the Church in Popery by the multiplication of Festiuall Dayes which were indeed to bee abolished because the same did not only equall but surpasse the Legall Ceremonies of the Iewes PP Wee pretend that wee place no part of Gods Worship in the obseruation of dayes But how can wee obserue a day to the honour of Christ and not worship him by that obseruation ANS We worshippe not Christ by obseruation of the day but by the obseruation of an euangelicke and lawfull worshippe done to him vpon the day With this ambiguitie from the beginning ye presse to abuse the Reader for the obseruation of a day is taken as wee said before two waies eyther for a sacramentall and mysticall obseruation that is when the day is obserued as a type of some spirituall or eternall benefit to come This obseruation of a day is a part of the worship and we condemne it as yee doe or it is taken for the obseruation of a fit occasion and time to the exercise of religious and diuine Seruice as we obserue the dayes of fasting houres of prayers preaching and exercise This manner of obseruation is onely accessorie to the worship and is no part thereof and so we obserue the fiue dayes The Papists in dedicating dayes to Saints appointed dayes to be kept mystically and not circumstantially onely When we dedicate a day to Christ we dedicate it not as a mysticall signe and make it a part of his worship but as a meete circumstance for the worship to be performed to him And whosoeuer he bee that holds Christ may not be worshipped on these dayes and on all dayes and times priuately and publiquely is a dogmatist and teacher of will-worship for if the Apostle call this a Doctrine of will-worship Touch not taste not such and such things as are in themselues indifferent certainely by the same reason he who out of the temeritie of his singular proud and wilfull opinion sayes Teach not on such a purpose Heare not such a purpose Worship not after such a manner Giue not thanks for such a benefit vpon such a day not because the
of Discipline touching the abolishing of Holy-dayes anno 1560. is altered by the late generall Assembly holden at Perthe and by the same Reason whereby yee esteeme your selfe absolued from the gouernement of Superintendents yee should thinke your selfe freed of the act touching the abolishing of Holy-dayes which yee would doe if ye were not contentious PP If Zanchius approued the abolition of Holy-Dayes in some Churches where they were because they had been polluted and grossely abused much more would he and other Diuines knowing the truth of our case thinke it vnlawfull to reinduce them amongst vs. ANS It is true that in the Churches of Bearne Mattins and Euening-Song were abolished for the abuse thereof in Poperie and not many yeares since there was great contention before these Churches could be induced to receiue Morning and Euening Prayers in stead of them So the Popes cursing was abolished out of the Church of Geneua and great contradiction made as Beza testifies in Caluines life before excommunication could be established in place therof yet I hope neither Zanchius nor your selfe will thinke that the reinducing of these was vnlawfull although formerly excluded If Zanchius vnderstood the case of our Church as I haue set it down a little before how we haue not reinduced the Popish obseruation of dayes but made choice of these times for special seruices to be performed on them with a speciall direction to Ministers to rebuke superstition and licentiousnesse both he and other Diuines would approue the constitution of our Church and condemne this your seditious Pamphlet whereby the simple are abused and the peace and quietnesse of our Church disturbed The iudgement of the Reformed Churches of Holy-daies PP OF the ancient Church I haue spoken before Some excuse the Ancients with good intention because to winne the Gentiles they conuerted their dayes into Christian Holy-daies Others excuse them with the circumstance of time that dwelling amongst Pagans they made profession before their eies of Christs birth passion c. by obseruing such dayes But the wisdome of their intention hath proued folly as the seuenth reason maketh manifest The like circumstance of time is not offered therefore we may not be excused ANS Before the penner of this Pamphlet bring the iudgement of the reformed Churches some reason he must pretend for his credâ—te why he reiects the doctrine and practise of the reformed Church which stands wholly in his contrarie First he sayes that he hath spoken before of the Ancient Church But what hath he spoken before that they obserued Easter-day by custome and not by tradition this is all What argument hath he brought against their doctrine against their religious custome and practise of this poynt He sayes some excuse them with their intention Who be these he is ashamed of their names and so he may be for where there is no fault to make an excuse is a sort of calumnious and secret accusation But for their intention who did acquaint him with their intention In Tertullian Chrysostome Ierome Ambrose Augustine and others who all make mention of these dayes there is not so much as any coniecture to bee found for that intention In the end he concludes that the intention of the Ancients hath proued folly and this he sayes is manifest by the seuenth reason because the obseruation of these daies hath beene abused to superstition But so hath the Lords Day beene so hath the Word so haue the Sacraments beene abused and all the other parts of Gods worship Shall therefore the intention of the Holy-Ghost and his wisdome in prescribing these meanes to the Church be esteemed folly They who abuse the good intention of God and his Church to their owne damnation are fooles indeed but Wisdomâ— is iustified of her owne children And although the winning of the Gentiles was one good end wherefore the Ancients obserued these dayes yet their principall end was the honour of God and edification of his Church These ends doe still remaine and iustifie the obseruation of these dayes by the reformed Churches which no man that loues the honour of God and the weale of his Church will condemne PP It is grosse ignorance to say that Holy-dayes were so many hundreth yeares before Papistrie for Papistrie hath been in the Church euer since the daies of the Apostles yea the mysterie of iniquitie was working in their times The errours of the Orthodoxe Church were the beginnings of the Papistrie at length they grew to a great masse So howbeit the whole lumpe was not formed till the Antichrist came to his full strength yet many particulars were entered before and like brookes came into the great riuer As the Antichrist was borne and did grow in yeares so did Papistrie ANS Here ye insinuate that the obseruation of the fiue Daies in the Primitiue Church was Papistrie or else this Discourse is idle But Papistrie it could not be before it was receiued and confirmed by the Pope so in these dayes it was not Papistrie formally And if it were not an errour of the Orthodoxe Church but a lawfull order as at length we haue proued it was neyther materially nor formally Papistrie The obseruation of these dayes with a superstitious and idolatrous worship is Papistrie Such was not the obseruation of the Primitiue Church and such is not the obseruation of the Reformed But as the lawfull obseruation vsed in the Primitiue Church was abolished by the introduction of a superstitious and idolatrous worship in Papistrie so is the superstitious and idolatrous obseruation in Papistrie abolished in reformed Churches by the restitution of the lawfull and religious obseruation vsed in the Primitiue Church which of all reformations is the most perfect and profitable Iehu abolished Idolatrie of the Heathen but he restored not the true worship of God therefore his reformation was imperfect But the reformation made by Ezechias and Iosias was perfect because Idolatrie was not onely abolished but the true worship of God established in place thereof This was not so sufficiently prouided for at our reformation in this poynt for the want of Pastours and is well supplied by the Act made at Perth PP As for the reformed churches except our neighbor Church they haue abandoned daies dedicated to Saints ANS Now yee come to the iudgement of the reformed Churches And here I wish the iuducious Reader to obserue whether ye bring either the iudgement of any reformed Church or of any learned Diuine that consents with you in opinion namely that the obseruation of the fiue anniuersarie dayes with the lawfull exercise of true Religion is a Iudaicall Pedagogie a rudimentarie instruction and a superstitious wil-worship And to the end all that ye say may be exposed to the view of the World I shall set all fully downe which yee bring to this purpose First where ye alledge that all the reformed Churches haue abandoned the dayes dedicated to Saints In this their practise is no way contrarie to the Act made at
Perth for by it no day is ordained to be kept which is or was dedicate to any Saint except vnder the name of Saints yee reprehend him who is the most holy Next the exception ye make of our neighbour Church is calumnious and false It is a calumnie that they obserue any day dedicated to Saints All the dayes which they obserue are dedicated to the honour of God either for the inestimable benefits that by our Sauiour he hath bestowed vpon the World or in regard of the blessings that haue come to man by the Ministrie of his seruants and Saints And it is false that all the reformed Churches except they haue refused the obseruation of these dayes For Bullinger in his Commentary vpon the 14. to the Romans affirmes that the Church of Tigurie obserues the Feasts of the blessed Virgin of S. Iohn the Baptist of Magdalene of Stephen and of the Apostles PP Some admit dayes dedicated to Christ some two some fiue but not with the full consent and liking of the learned but either forced by the authoritie of the Magistrate or wilfulnesse of the people or because remaining in the middest of their enemies they are not permitted otherwise to doe ANS They in Geneua who obserue the day of Natiuitie and Easter approue the practise and order of the Church of Heluetia who obserue all the fiue and there is as great reason why on the other three dayes the Passion Ascension and sending downe of the holy Ghost should be remembred as the Natiuitie and Resurrection If by the learned ye vnderstand these whom ye doe afterwards name Farellus Viret and Caluine I am perswaded no man will thinke that either they or any other such Pastors of the Church would haue bin forced to practise that which was vnlawfull in it selfe and a superstitious will-worship either by Magistrate or People PP Farellus and Viret remooued all Holy-dayes out of the Church of Geneua as Caluine testifies The same decree which banished Farellus and Caluine out of Geneua brought in other Holy-dayes They were all againe abrogate except the Sabbath day Howsoeuer after came in the keeping of Pasche and the Natiuitie ANS The iudgement of Caluine touching the abolition of the Festiuall dayes in Geneua may be seene in his 118. Epistle where he professes that it was done se inscio ac ne optante quidem And a little after subioynes Ex quo sum reuocatus hoc temperamentum quaesiui vt Christi Natalis celebraretur vestro more alijs autem diebus extraordinariae supplicationes tabâ—rnis mane clausis fierent à prandio ad suas operas res agendas quisque abiret And albeit in that place he confesses that the abrogation of the Festiuall dayes did not grieue him yet he protests as followes Hoc tamen testatum esse volo si mihi delata optio fuisset quod nunc constitutuÌ„ est non fuisse pro senteÌ„tia dicturum If Caluine had thought as ye doe that December Christmas is a iust imitation of December Saturnall of the Ethnicke Romanes and that the obseruation of the rest of the Festiuall dayes had beene a superstitious kinde of Will-worship and a Iudaicall Pedagogie he would neuer haue consented to the keeping of that Natiuitie and would not only haue abolished the holy dayes by his suffrage if the same had beene in his option but also testified to the world his dislike of them by his Pen and writing But that all may see how different his iudgement is from yours he concludes with these words Nec tamen est cur homines adeo exasperentur si libertate nostra vt Ecclesiae aedificatio postulat vtâ—mur quemadmodum nec vicissim praeiudicio esse morem nostrum aequum est By these words it is manifest that in Caluines iudgement the obseruation and abrogation of these dayes consists in the power and libertie of the Church and that the obseruation of them in it selfe is not vnlawfull but a thing indifferent to be vsed and not vsed as the edification of the Church requires which iudgement wee imbrace and follow PP Caluine was so farre from liking of Holy dayes hee was slandered of intention to abolish the Lords Day ANS His Doctrine shewes the last to bee a calumnie his practise and iudgement declares that hee did not mislike the obseruation of the dayes vsed in the Primitiue and other reformed Churches PP The Belgike Churches in their Synode holden at Dort Anno 1578. wished that only the Lords Day might be celebrated Luther himselfe in his Booke De bonis Operibus set forth Anno 1520. wished that there were no Feast Dayes amongst Christians but the Lords Day And in his Booke to the Nobilitie of Germany he sayes Consultum esse vt omnia festa aboleantur solo dic Dominico retento ANS This wish Luther and the Belgike Churches conceiued out of their miscontentment at the number corruptions and superstitions of the Festiuall dayes besides the Lords Day as ye doe The late Councell holden at Dort Anno 1618. did celebrate the Feast of Christs Natiuitie most solemnely for the space of three dayes so the practise of these Churches and of Luther shewes that they agree in iudgment with vs touching the obseruation of the fiue dayes PP Howsoeuer forreine Diuines in their Epistles and Councels speake sometimes sparingly against Holy dayes when their aduice was sought of Churches newly risen out of Poperie and greatly distressed they neuer aduised a Church to resume them where they were remoued ANS If forreine Diuines had esteemed the obseruation of these fiue dayes a Iudaicall Pedagogie a rudimentary instruction a superstitious wil-worship as ye doe they had spoken no more sparingly thereof then they do of other like things in the Papisticall Church Where yee say that they neuer aduised Churches to resume them who had once remooued the same Caluine in his one and fiftieth Epistle aduises the Monbelgardens not to contend against the Prince for not resuming of all Festiuall dayes but only such as serued not to edification and were seene to be superstitious such as the Conception and Assumption of the blessed Virgin In festis non recipiendis sayes hee cuperem vos esse constantiores sic tamen vt non litigetis de quibuslibet sed de eis tantum quae nec ad aedificationem quicquam factura sunt supertitionem prima ipsa facie prae se ferunt c. And in the end of the Epistle answering one Obiection which is frequently vsed in our Church he saies Quod autem vos terret offendiculorum periculum si quam nouam agendi formam receperitis quae non sit nostris Ecclesiis vsitata id quidem meritò facitis Sed quia non eò ventum est perfectionis quin optemus adhuc progredi hic timor vos impedire non debet ab ijs ritibus admittendis quos alioqui non liceat penitus improbare What these Ceremonies were whereof he speakes ye will find in the same Epistle to wit
the administration of the Communion to the sicke and to persons who are to suffer Baptisme by Mid-wiues which simply condemnes Rites in buriall of the dead and Festiual dayes which they were vrged by the Prince to resume after they had beene remoued from amongst them But this and such other peaceable and modest aduices giuen by Caluine and other Learned Diuines yee ascribe to want of consideration PP They had not leisure to consider narrowly the corruption of euery errour that preuailed in their time the worke of reformation was so painfull to them I wish therefore that the iudicious Reader would ponder their Reasons set down in this Treatise ANS The ancient Diuines Saint Chrysostome Ambrose Ierome Augustine ye haue condemned of folly now Caluine Zanchius Chemnitius and the best Diuines of the reformed Church yee esteeme inconsiderate in this point But if the Reader shall take leisure to peruse the Learned Dispute of Chemnitius against the Councell of Trent touching this head the profound Doctrine of Zanchius vpon the fourth Command he shall find that these Diuines haue considered the Question narrowly enough Yet I must confesse that neyther they nor any other Diuines haue found out the errours set downe by you in this Pamphlet which if hee take paines to ponder as ye wish he shall find such things therein as no sound Diuine in the Christian World did euer dreame of before you PP As for our Neighbour Church standing in the middest betwixt the Romane and reformed Churches as Bucerus once said they are more liberall in their Feasts as in other Ceremonâ—es then the other reformed Churches as Gretserus the Iesuite hath obserued Caluino-papistae Angli vt in alijs quae adritus Ceremonias pertinent longe liberaliores sunt quam Puriâ—anâ— in Gallia Germania Belgia ita in Festis retinendis longe largiores ANS Hitherto ye haue neither alledged the practice of any reformed Church nor the iudgement of any learned Diuine for your opinion Now ye beginne vnchristianly to inueigh against the renowned Church of England and are not ashamed to bring the impure words of a Puritan Papist wherein as hee vtters his miscontentment on the one side so doe yee on the other both standing for extremities while as hee will haue all and ye will haue none The Church of England keeping the middle course is condemned of both for her moderation but she regardeth little to be iudged of you or of mans day What are yee that iudge another mans Seruant who stands or fals to his owne Master PP They obserue not only the fiue Holy dayes alreadie mentioned but other dayes also dedicated to Christ c. They keepe also a number of Saints dayes so that their dayes in number are more then the Iewes themselues obserued The Reasons alreadie alledged against dayes dedicated to Christ may serue also against dayes dedicated to Saints and Angels ANS If ye haue no stronger reasons to alledge against dayes dedicated to Saints and Angels then ye haue vsed against the fiue dayes dedicated to Christ the Papists who obserue these dayes will not regard your enmitie much lesse the Church of England which obserueth no dayes but such as are dedicated to the honour of God only as we said before PP We may look assuredly that the fiue dayes presently vrged will bring in all the rest to make vp our conformitie with our Neighbour Church which to vs is not lawfull They were neuer remoued from amongst them we haue abandoned and abiured them c. ANS This is an inuidous Prophesie contrarie to the experience we haue had of his Maiestie who for conformitie with our Neighbour Church hath neuer pressed vs with any thing vnprofitable for vs to receiue The obseruation of the fiue dayes restored in our Church makes vs no more conforme with the Church of England then with the greatest number of the best reformed Churches in Europe and with the Primitiue Catholike Church whilest she yet flourished in greatest puritie of Doctrine and Discipline in the dayes of Tertullian Chrysostome Ambrose Augustine Ierome and such other notable Lights And as long as it shall please almighty God to blesse vs with the continuance of his Maiesties most happy Gouernment wee are assured to be preserued from Heresie Superstition Idolatry and such like corruptions I beseech God that our ingratitude murmuring grudging suspitions and misconstructions doe not prouoke God to stop the breath of our nostrils and remooue the Lords Annointed vnder whose shaddow wee haue enioyed peace and quietnesse aboue all the Nations that are about vs. PP To conclude then to esteeme one day aboue another in respect of any mystery certainly knowne or commonly reputed to haue beene wrought vpon that day to testifie this estimation by cessation from worke To deuise a particular seruice to be done vpon it accounting that forme or part of seruice acceptable to God because it is performed on that day is to obserue a day And in this manner doe wee obserue the Anniuersarie dayes The same reason may bee applyed to an Anniuersary houre ANS The Proposition I admit the Assumption I deny for albeit any mysticall or memorable worke were certainly knowne to haue beene wrought vpon such a time yet to esteeme aboue another except it were sanctified by diuine Institution wee count it Superstition So albeit wee certainly know the memorable workes of his Maiesties deliuerance to haue beene wrought vpon the fift of August and the fift of Nouember yet we doe not esteeme these dayes aboue other dayes as if the seruice done on them were more acceptable to God in respect of the time but wee doe only esteeme them as meete circumstances for the thankesgiuing appointed to be made on them to God The same estimation we haue of the fiue dayes as wee haue oft said before That our Sauiour was borne vpon the 25. of December no man I thinke knowes certainly the common reputation we hold as vncertaine Therefore wee doe not thinke the commemoration of Christs Natiuitie vpon that day and our thankesgiuing therefore more acceptable to God by reason of the day nor doe wee thinke cessation from worke on that day a part of diuine worship at it was held in time of Papistry and is yet by many of our common Professours that lacke instruction but the worship we doe in vnto God for his honour not for the day and the cessation from work is for the commoditie and celebritie of the worship The Act of Perth ordaynes the people to be thus instructed and the superstitious conceite of the time rebuked Finally choice is made of this and the other dayes not for any mysterie esteemed to bee in them more then in other dayes but for conformity with the Primitiue Church the reuerence of whose authoritie in matters of this nature must be of great force to draw Churches of diuers iurisdictions that agree in doctrine to vnity in points of externall policie which vnity is far to be preferred to