by Epiphanius that howsoever it was not so in the Isle of Cyprus which it seemes held more correspondence with the Church of Rome than those of Asia Expos. fidei Cathol 24. Yet in some places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they used to celebrate the holy Sacrament and hold their publicke meetings on the Sabbath day So as the difference was but this that whereas in the Easterne and Westerne Churches severall dayes were in commission for Gods publike service the Lords day in both places was of the Quorum and therefore had the greater worship because more businesse 6 They held their publike meetings on the Sabbath day yet did not keepe it like a Sabbath The Fathers of this learned age knew that Sabbath had beene abrogated and profest as much The Councell of Laodicea before remembred though it ascribe much to this day in reference to the Congregations then held upon it yet it condemnes the Romish observations of the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is not fit for Christians â—aith the 29. Canon to Iudaize and doe no manner of worke on the Sabbath dayes but to pursue their ordinarie labours on it Conceive it so farre forth as they were no impediment to the publike meetings then appointed And in the close of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any should be found so to play the Iewes let them be Anathema So Athanasius though he defend the publike meetings on this day stands strongly notwithstanding for the abrogation of the Iewish Sabbath Not on the by but in a whole discourse writ and continued especially for that end and purpose entituled De Sabbato circumcisione One might conjecture by the title by coupling of these two together what his meaning was that he conceived them both to be of the same condition And in his homily De semente he tels us of the New-moones and Sabbaths that they were vshers unto Christ and to be in authoritie till the master came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Master being come the Vsâ—er grew out of all imployment the Sunne once risen the lampe was darkened V p. 1. chapt 8. Two other of the Fathers which have said as much and whereof we have spoken in a place more proper adde Nanianz Orat. 43. S. Cyril of Hierusalem Cat. 4. and Epiphanius in the confutation of those severall hereticks that held thâ— Sabbath for a necessary part of Gods publike worship and to be now observed as before it was Of which kinde over and above the Ebionites and Cerinthians which before wee spake of were the Nazaraei in the second Century who as this Epiphanius tells us differed both from the Iew and Christian. First from the Iew in that they did beleeve in Christ next from the Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that they still retaine the law as Circumcision and the Sabbath and such things as those And these I have the rather noted in this place and time as being so Saint Austine tels us Cont. Cresconium l. 8. the Ancestors or Originall of the Symmachiani who held out till this very Age and stood as much for Sabbaths and legall ceremonies as their founders did whereof consult S. Ambrose preface to the Galatians Now as these Nazarens or Symmachiani had made a mixt religion of Iew and Christian Narianz Orat. 19. so did another sort of heretickes in these present times contrive a miscellanie of the Iew and Gentile Idols and sacrifices they would not have and yet they worshipped the fire and candle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Sabbath also they much reverenced and stood upon the difference of uncleane and cleane yet by no meanes would be enduced to like of Circumcision These they called Hypsistarij or rather so those doughty fellowes pleased to call themselves Adde here that it was counted one of the great dotages of Appollinaris and afterwards of all his sect viz. that after the last resurrection every thing should be done againe Baâ—il epl 74. according to the former law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That we should be circumcised and observe the Sabbath and absteine from meates and offer sacrifice and finally of Christians become Iewes againe Then which saith Basil who reports it what can bee more absurde or more repugnant to the Gospel By which it is most plaine and certaine that though the Christians of the East retained the Saturday for a day of publicke meeting yet they did never meane it to bee a Sabbath reckoning them all for heretickes that so observed it 7 Next let us looke upon the Sunday what they did on that For though it pleased the Emperour by his royall edict to permit workes of husbandry in the Country and manumissions in the Citties on that sacred day yet probably there were some pure and pious soules who would not take the benefit of the declaration or thinke themselves beholding to him for so injurious and profane a dispensation This we will search into exactly that so the truth may be discovered And first beginning with the Councell of Eliberis a Towne of Spaine in the beginning of this Age it was thus decreed Si quis in civitate positus Can. 21. per tres dominicas ecclesiam non accesserit tanto tempore abstineat ut correptus esse videatur If any inhabitant of the Citties absent himselfe from Church three Lords dayes together let him be kept as long from the holy Sacrament that he may seeme corrected for it Where note Si quis in civitate positus the Cannon reacheth unto such onely as dwelt in Citties neere the Church and had no great businesse those of the Country being left unto their husbandry and the like affaires no otherwise than in the Emperours Edict which came after this And in the Councell of Laodicea not long after Can. 29. which cleerely gave the Lords day place before the Sabbath it is commanded that the Christians should not Iudaiâ—e on the Sabbath day but that they should preferre the Lords day before it and rest thereon from labour if at least they could but as Christans still The Canon is imperfect as it stands in the Greeke text of Binius edition no sense to be collected from it But the translation of Dionysius Exiguus which he acknowledgeth to be more neere the Greeke then the other two makes the meaning up Diem dominicum praeferentes ociari oportet si modâ— possint And this agreeably both unto Zonar as and Balsamon who doe so expound it and saw no doubt the truest and most perfect copies Thus then saith Zonaras It is appointed by this Canon that none abstaine from labour on the Sabbath day which plainely was a Iewish custome and an anathema layed on those who offend herein In Canon Conc. Laoâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c but they are willed to rest from labour on the Lords day in honour of the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour But here we must observe that the
of the Sacraments praysing the â—ord for all his mercies and praying to him joyntly with the Congregation for the continuance of the same Rest and cessation from the workes of labour came not in till afterwards and then but as an accessory to the former duties and that not setled and established in a 1000. yeare as before was sayd when all the proper and peculiar duties of the day had beene at their perfection along time before So that if we regard either institutions or the authority by which they were so instituted the end and purpose at the which they principally aimed or the proceedings in the setling and confirming of them the difference will be found so great that of the Lords day no man can affirme in sence and reason that it is a Sabbath or so to be observed as the Sabbath was CHAP. IV. The great improvement of the Lords day in the fift and sixt Ages make it not a Sabbath 1 In what estate the Lords day stood in S. Austins time 2 Stage-playes and publicke shewes prohibited on the Lords day and the other holy dayes by Imperiall Edicts 3 The base and beastly nature of the Stage-playes at those times in use 4 The barbarous and bloody quality of the Spectacula or shewes at this time prohibited 5 Neyther all civil businesse nor all kind of pleasure restrained on the Lords day by the Emperour Leo as some give it out The so much cited Canon of the Councell of Mascon proves no Lords day Sabbath 6 The French and Spaniards in the sixt Age begin to Iudaize about the Lords day and of restraint of husbandry on that day in that age first thought of 7 The so much cited Canon of the Councell of Mascon proves no Lords day Sabbath 8 Of publicke honours done in these Ages to the Lords day by Prince and Prelate 9 No evening service on the Lords day till these present ages 10 Of publicke orders now established for the better regulating of the Lords day-meetings 11 The Lords day not more reckoned of than the greatâ—r festivalls and of the other holy dayes in these ages instituted 12 All businesse and recreation not by Law prohibited are in themselves as lawfull on the Lords day as on any other 1 WEe are now come unto the times wherein the Church began to settle having with much adoe got the better hand of Gentilisme and mastered those stiffe heresies of the Arians Macedonians and such others as descended from them Vnto those times wherein the troubles which before distracted her peace and quiet being well appeased all things began to grow together in a perfect harmony what time the faithfull being united better than before in points of judgement became more uniforme in matters of devotion and in that uniformitie did agree together to give the Lords day all the honour of an holy festivall Yet was not this done all at once but by degrees the fift and sixt Centuries being well nigh spent before it came unto that height which hath since continued The Emperours and the Prelates in these times had the same affections both earnest to advance this day above all others and to the Edicts of the one and Ecclesiasticall constitutions of the other it stands indebted for many of those priviledges and exemptions which it still enjoyeth But by degrees as now I sayd and not all at once For in S. Austins time who lived in the beginning of this fift Century it was no otherwise with the Lords day then as it was before in the former Age accounted one of those set dayes probably the principall which was designed and set apart for Gods publicke worship Amongst the writings of that Father which are his unquestionably we finde not much that doth conduce to our present businesse but what we finde we shall communicate with as much brevity as we can The Sundayes fast he doth abhominate as a publicke scandall Epi. 86. Quis deum non offendit si velit cum scandalo totius ecclesiae die dominico jejunare The exercise of the day he describes in briefe Dâ—civitat l. 22. c. 8. in this forme that followeth Venit Pascha at que ipso die dominico mane frequens populus praesens erat Facto silentio divinarum Scripturarum lecta sunt solennia c. Easter was come and on the Lords day in the morning the people had assembled themselves together All being silent and attent those lessons out of holy Scripture which were appointed for the time were read unto them when wee were come unto that part of the publicke service which was allotted for the Sermon I spake unto them what was proper for the present festivall and most agreeable to the time Service being done I tooke the man along to dinner a man hee meanes that had recovered very strangely in the Church that morning who told us all the story of those sad calamities which had befallen him This is not much but in this little there are two things worth our observation First that the Sermon in those times was not accounted eyther the onely or the principall part of Gods publicke service but onely had a place in the Common Liturgy which place was probably the same which it still retaines post Scripturarum solennia after the reading of the Gospel Next that it was not thought unlawfull in this Fathers time to talke of secular and humane affaires upon this day as some now imagine or to call friends or strangers to our Table as it is supposed S. Austin being one of so strict a life that he would rather have put off the invitation and the story both to another day had hee so conceived it Nor doth the Father speake of Sunday as if it were the onely festivall that was to be observed of a Christian man Cont. Adimant c. â—6 Other festivities there were which he tells us of First generally Nos quoque dominicum diem Pascha solenniter celebramus quaslibet alias Christianas dierum festivitates The Lords day Easter and all other Christian festivalls were alike to him And hee enumerates some particulars too Epi. 118. the resurrection passion and ascention of our Lord Saviour together with the comming of the holy Ghost which constantly were celebrated anniversaria solennitate Not that there were no other festivalls then observed in the Christian Church but that those foure were reckoned to be Apostolicall and had beene generally received in all ages past As for the Sacrament it was not tyed to any day but was administred indifferently upon all alike except it were in some few places where it had beene restrained to this day alone Alij quotidie communicant corpori sanguini dominico alij certis diebus accipiunt alibi Sabbato tantum dominico alibi tantum dominico as he then informes us As for those workes ascribed unto him which eyther are not his or at least are questionable they informe us thus The tract de rectitudine
c. as their bounden dutie doth require therefore to call men to remembrance of their dutie and to helpe their infinnitie it hath beene wholesomely provided that there should be some certaine times and dayes appointed wherein the Christians should cease from all kind of labour and apply themselves only and wholly unto the aforesaid holy works properly pertaining to true Religion c. Which workes as they may well be called Gods Service so the times especially appointed for the same are called holy dayes Not for the matter or the nature either of the time or day c. for so all dayes and times are of like holinesse but for the nature and condition of such holy workes c. whereunto such times and dayes are sanctified and hallowed that is to say separated from all prophane uses and dedicated not unto any Saint or Creature but onely unto God and his true worship Neither is it to bée thought that there is any certaine time or definite number of dayes prescribed in holy Scripture but the appointment both of the time and also of the number of dayes is left by the authoritie of Gods Word unto the libertie of Christs Church to bée determined and assigned orderly in every Countrey by the discretion of the Rulers and Ministers thereof as they shall iudge most expedient to the true setting forth of Gods glorie and edification of their people Nor is it to be thought that all this Preamble was made in reference to the holy dayes or Saints dayes onely whose being left to the authoritie of the Church was never questioned but in relation to the Lords Day also as by the Act it selfe doth at full appeare for so it followeth in the Act Bee it therefore enacted c. That all the dayes hereafter mentioned shall bee kept and commanded to be kept holy dayes and nonâ— other that is to say all Sundayes in the yeere the Feasts of the Circumcision of our Lord Iesus Christ of the Epiphanie of the Purification with all the rest now kept and there named particularly and that none other day shall be kept and commanded to bee kept holy day and to abstaine from lawfull bodily labour Nay which is more there is a further Clause in the selfe-same Act which plainly shewes that they had no such thought of the Lords day as that it was a Sabbath or so to bee obâ—erved as the Sabbath was and therefore did provide it and enact by the authoritie aforesaid That it shall be lawfull to every Husbandman Labourer Fisherman and to all and every other person and persons of what estate degree or condition he or they be upon the holy dayes aforesaid in Harvest or at any other times in the yeere when necessitie shall so require to labour â—ide fish or worke any kind of worke at their free-wills and pleasure any thing in this Act unto the contrary notwithstanding This is the totall of this Act which if examined well as it ought to bee will yeeld us all those propositions or conclusions before remembred which we collected from the writings of those three particular Martyrs Nor is it to be said that it is repealed and of no authoritie Repealed indeed it was in the first yeere of Queene Mary and stood repealed in Law though otherwise in use and practice all the long Reigne of Queene Elâ—zabeth but in the first yeere of King Iames was revived againe Note here that in the selfe-same Parliament the Common Prayer-Bookâ— now in use being reviewed by many godly Prelates was confirmed and authorized wherein so much of the said Act as doth concerne the names and number of the holy dayes is expressed and as it were incorporate into the same Which makes it manifest that in the purpose of the Church the Sunday was no otherwise esteemed of than another holy day 3 This Statute as before wee said was made in anno 5. 6. of Edward the sixt And in that very Parliament as before wee said the Common Prayer-Booke was confirmed which still remaines in use amongst us save that there was an alteration or addition of certaine Lessons to be used on every Sunday of the yéere 1. Eliz. cap. 2. the forme of the Letanie altered and corrected and two Sentences added in the deliverie of the Sacrament unto the Communicants Now in this Common Prayer-Booke thus confirmed in the fift and sixt yeeres of King Edward the sixt Cap. 1. it pleased those that had the altering and revising of it that the Commandements which were not in the former Liturgie allowed of in the second of the said Kings Reigne should now be added and accounted as a part of this the people being willed to say after the end of each Commandement Lord havâ— mercie upon us and incline our hearts to keepe this Law Which being used accordingly as well upon the hearing of the fourth Commandement as of any others hath given some men a colour to perswade themselves that certainely it was the meaning of the Church that wee should keepe a Sabbath still though the day be changed and that wee are obliged to doe it by the fourth Commandement Assuredly they who so conclude conclude against the meaning of the Booke and of them that made it Against the meaning of the Booke for if the Booke had so intended that that ejâ—culation was to be understood in a literall sence according as the words are layd downe in terminis it then must be the meaning of the Booke that wee should pray unto the Lord to keepe the Sabbath of the Iewes even the seventh day precisely from the Worlds Creation and keepe it in the selfe-same manner as the Iewes once did which no man I presume will say was the meaning of it For of the changing of the day there is nothing said nor nothing intimated but the whole Law laid downe in terminis as the Lord delivered it Against the meaning also of them that made it for they that made the Booke and reviewed it afterwards and caused these Passages and Prayers to be added to it Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury Ridley Bishop of London and certaine others of the Prelates then and there assembled were the same men by whose advice and counsaile the Act before remembred about keeping holy dayes was in the selfe-same Parliament drawne up and perfected And is it possible wee should conceive so ill of those reverend persons as that they would erect a Sabbath in the one Act and beat it downe so totally in the other to tell us in the Service-Booke that wee are bound to keepe a Sabbath and that the time and day of Gods publike worship is either pointed out in the fourth Commandement or otherwise ordained by Dâ—vine Authoritie and in the selfe-same breath to tell us that there is neither certaine time nor definite number of dayes prescribed in Scripture but all this left unto the libertie of the Church I say as formerly I said it is impossible wee should thinke so ill of such
〈◊〉 23. 21. So also for the Feast of Expiation Levit. 23. 31. and for the Feast of Tabernacles Levit 23. 41. Where note that by these words forâ—ver and throughout their generations it is not to be understood that these Iâ—wisâ— Festivallâ— were to be perpetâ—all for then they would oblige us now as they did the Ieâ—es but that they were to last as long as the Republick of the Iewes should stand and the Mosaicall Ordinaâ—ces were to be in force Per generationes vestras i.e. quam diâ— Resâ—â—b Iudaica constaâ—â—t as Tâ—status notes upon this twenty third of Leviticus For the solemnity oâ— these Feaste the presence of the high priests was as neceâ—â—ary in the one as in the other bello l. 6. 6. The high priests also saith â—â—â—epâ—us 〈◊〉 with the priests into the Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet not alwayes but onely on the Sabbaths and New-moones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as also on those other Feasts and solemne assemblies which yeâ—â—ely were to be observed according uâ—to the 〈◊〉 of the Country And hitherto wee finde no difference at all but in the manner of the rest there appeares a littlâ— between the weekly Sabbath and some of the Annuall For of the weekly Sabbath it is said expresly that thou shalt doe no manner of worke as on the other side of the Passeover the Penâ—icost the Feast of Trumpets and of Tabernacles that they shall do no servile work which being well examined will be found the same in sence iâ— 23. 7 21 36. though not in sound But then again for sence and â—ound it is expresly said of the Expiation that therein thoâ— shalt do no manner of work as was affirmed before of the weekly Sabbath So that besides the seventh day Sabbath there were seven Sabbaths in the yeare in sixe of which viz. the first and seventh of unleavened bread the day of Pentâ—cost the Feast of Trumpâ—ts and the first and eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles they were to doe no servile workâ— and on the Expiation dâ—y no worke at all So that in thiâ— respect the wâ—ekly Sabbath the day of Expiation were directly equall according to the very letter In other things the day of Expâ—atâ—â—n seemes to hâ—ve 〈…〉 the high Priest 〈…〉 indutus attired in his 〈◊〉 might goe into the Sanâ—tum sanctorum or the holiest of all to make aâ—â—onement for the people whereof see Levâ—â— 1â— And secondly in that the sacrifices for this day 〈◊〉 more and greater then those appointed by the Lord for the weekly Sâ—bbaths which last is also true of the other Festivals For where the sacrifâ—câ— appointed for the weekly Sabbath conâ—isted onely of two Lambes over and above the daily sacrifice with a meat-offering and a drink-offering thereunto proportioned on the Nâ—w-moones and all the Annuall Sabbaths before remembred the saâ—rifices were enlarged nay more then trebled as is expressed in the 28. and 29. of the booke of Numbers Nay if it hapned any time as some times it did that any of these Festivals did fall upon the weekly Sabbath or that two of them as the New-moones and the Feast of Trumpets feâ—l upon the same the â—ervice of the weekly Sabbath lessened not at all the sacrifices destinate to the Annuall Sabbath but they were all performed in their severall turns The Text it selfe affirmes as much in the two Chapters before specified and for the practice of it that so it was it is apparant to be seen in the Hebrew Calendars Ap. Aâ—swâ—rth in Num. â—8 Onely the difference was this as Rabbiâ—Maimony informes us that the addition of the Sabbath was first performed and after the addition of the New-moone and then the addition of the Good day or other Festivall So that in case the weekly sabbath had a priviledge above the Annuall in that the Shew-bread or the loaves of proposition were onely set before the Lord on the weekly Sabbaths the â—nnuall Sabbaths seeme to have had amends all of them in the multiplicitie of their sacrificâ—s and three of them in the great solemnity and concourse of people all Israel being bound to appeare before the Lord on those three great Festivals the Passeouer the Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles As for the pâ—nalty inflicted on the breakers of these solemne Feâ—â—â—vals it is expresly said of the weekly sabbath that whosoever doth any wâ—rks 〈…〉 31. 15. and in the Versâ— before that whosoever doth any worke therein that soule shall be cut off or as the Chaldee Paraphrase reads it that man shall be destroyed from amongst his people Which if it signifie the same 〈◊〉 by the Chaldee Paraphrase it seemes to doe it is no more then what is elsewhere said of the Expiation for so saith the Text. Leviâ— 23 30. And whatsoever soule it be that doth any wâ—rke in that same day that sâ—â—le will I destroy from amongst his people But if the phrase be different as the Rabbins say the difference is no more then this that they that breake the weekly Sabbath are to be put to death by the Civill Magistrate and they that worke upon the Feast of Expiation shall be cut off by God by untimely deaths As for the other Annuall Saâ—baths the Rabbins have determined thus Ap. Ainsworth in Levit. 23. 7. that whosoever doth in any of them such works as are not necessary for food as if he build or pull downe or weave and the like hee breaketh a Commandement and transgresseth against this prohibition yee shall not doe any servile worke and if he doe and there be witnesses and evident proofe hee is by law to be beaten or scourged for it So that we see that whether we regard the institution or continuance of these severall Sabbaths or the solemnities of the same either in reference to the Priests the Sacrifices and concourse of people or finally the punishment inflicted on the breakers of them the difference is so little it is scarce remarkable considering especially that if the weekly Sabbaths do gain in one point they loose as often in another For the particulars we shall speake of them hereafter as occasion is 4 As for the time when they began their Sabbaths and when they ended them they tooke beginning on the evening of the day before and so continued till the evening of the Feast it selfe The Scripture speaks it onely as I remember of the Expiation which is appointed by the Lord to be observed on the tâ—â—th day of the seventh moneth Levit. 23. 27. yet â—o that it is ordered thus in the 31 It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest and yee shall afflict your soules on the ninth day of the moneth at even And then it follâ—weth From even to even shall yee celebrate your Sabbath But in the practice of the Iewes it was so in all either because they tooke those words for a generall precept or else because they commonly did accompt their day from even to even
taske to be performed onely on the sabbath dayes and therefore doubt we not but that all dayes equally were taken up for so great a businesse So when he sent out his Apostles to preaâ—h the kingdome of God he bound them not to dayes and times but left all at libertieâ— that they might take their best advantages as occasion was and lose no time in the advancing of their Masters service Now as in this he seemed to give all dayes the like prerogative with the sabbath so many other wayes did he abate that estimation which generally the people had conceived of the sabbath day And howsoever the opinion which the people generally had conceived thereof was grounded as the times then were on superstition rather then true sence of pietie yet that opinion once abated it was more easily prepared for a dissolution and went away at last with lesse noise and clamour Particulars of this nature we will take along as they lâ—e in order His casting out the uncleane spirit out of a man in the Synagogue of Capernaum on the Sabbath day his curing of Peters wives mother and healing many which were sicke of divers diseases on the selfe same day being all works of marvellous mercy and effected onely by his word brought no clamour with them But when he cured the impotent man at the poole of Bethesda Ioh. 5. and had commanded him to take up his bed and walke then did the Iews begin to persecute him and seeke to slay him And how did he excuse the matter Hom. 23. in Numer My Father worketh hitherto saith he and I also worke Oâ—tendens per haec in nullo seculi hujus Sabbate requiescere Deum à dispensationibus mundi provisionibus generis humani Whereby saith Origen he let them understand that there was never any Sabbath wherein God rested or left off from having a due care of mankinde and therefore neither would he intermit such a weighty businesse in any reference to the Sabbath Which answer when it pleased them not but that they sought their times to kill him he then remembreth them how they upon the sabbath used to circumcise a man Ioh. 7. and that as lawfully he might do the one as they the other This precedent made his disciples a little bolder then otherwise perhaps they would have beene Matth. 12. Pulling the eares of corne and rubbing them with their hands and eating them to satisfie and allay their hunger Li 1. â—aeâ—es 30. n. 32. which Epiphanius thinks they would not have done though they were an hungred had they not found both by his doctrine and example that the Sabbath did begin to be in it's declination For which when he and they were joyntly questioned by the Pharisees he choaks them with the instances of what David did in the same extremitie when he eate the shew-bread and what the Priests did every sabbath when they slew the sacrifices In which it is to be considered that in these severall defences our Saviour goes no higher then the legall ceremonies the sacrifice the shew-bread and the Circumcision No argument or parallell case drawne for his justification from the morall law or any such neglect thereof on the like occasions Which plainly shews that he conceived the sabbath to be no part or member of the morall law but onely to be ranked amongst the Mosaicall ordinances Luk. 6. â— It happened on another Sabbath that in the synagogue he beheld a man with a withered hand Hom de Semente and called him forth and made him come into the midst and stretch out his hand and then restored it Hereupon Athan notes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Christ reserved his greatest miracles for the Sabbath day and that he bade the man stand forth in deâ—iance as it were of all their malice and informing humour His healing of the woman which had beene crooked 18. yeares and of the man that had the dropsie one in the synagogue the other in the house of a principall Pharisee are proofe sufficieÌ„t that he feared not their accusatioÌ„s Ioh. 9. But that great cure he wrought on him that was born blinde is most remarkable to this purpose First in relation to our Saviour who had before healed others with his word alone but here he spit upon the ground and made clay thereof and anointed the eyes of the blinde man with the clay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. 1. Hâ—â—res 30. â— â—2 but to mould clay and make a plaster was questionlesse a worke so saith Epiphanius Next in relation to the patient whom he commanded to go into the poole of Siloam and then wash himselfe which certainly could not be done without bodily labour These words and actions of our Saviour as before we said gave the first hint to his disciples for the abolishing of the Sabbath amongst other ceremonies which were to have an end with our Saviours sufferings to be nailed with him to his Crosse and buried with him in his grave for ever Now where it was objected in S. Austins time why Christians did not keepe the Sabbath since Christ affirmes it of himselfe that he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it the Father thereto makes reply that theâ—efore they observed it not Coâ—t Faust. l. 19. c. 9. Quia quod ea figura profitebatur jam Christus implevit because our Saviour had fulfilled what ever was intended in that Law by calling us to a spirituall rest Lib. 1 â—aer 30 â— 32. in his owne great mercie For as it is most truly said by Epiphanius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He was the great and everlasting Sabbath whereof the lesse and temporall Sabbath was a type and figure which had continued till his comming by him commanded in the law in him destroyed and yet by him fulfilled in the holy Gospel So Epiphanius 3 Neither did he or his disciples ordaine another Sabbath in the place of this as if they had intended onely to shift the day and to transferre this honour to some other time Their doctrine and their practise are directly contrary to so new a fancie It 's true that in some tract of time the Church in honour of his resurrection did set apart that day on the which he rose to holy exercises but this upon their owne authoritie and without warrant from above that we can heare of more then the generall warrant which God gave his Church that all things in it be done decently Hom. de Semeâ—â—re and in comely order This is that which is told us by Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we honour the Lords day for the resurrection Hom. 3. de Penteâ—osâ— So Maximus Taurinensis Dominicum diem ideo solenâ—em esse quiain eo salvatur velut soloriens discussis infernorum tenebris luce resurrectionis emicueriâ— That the Lords day is therefore solemnely observed because thereon our â—aviour like the rising Sunne dispelled the clouds of hellish
aquarum cap. 16. §. 2. à die Sabbati post vesperas usque ad diem lunae post ortum solis from Saturday after Evening prayer untill Sunne-rising on the munday This after was confirmed in the first Parliament of King Iames the first and is to this day called the Saturdaies Slop So easily did the Popes prevalle with our now friends of Scotland that neither miracle nor any speciall packet from the Court of Heaven was accounted necessary 8 But here with us in England it was not so though now the Popes had got the better of King Iohn that unhappy Prince and had in Canterbury an Archbishop of their owne appointment even that Steven Langâ—on about whom so much strife was raised Which notwithstanding and that the King was then a Minor yet they proceeded here with great care and caution and brought the holy dayes into order not by command or any Decretall from Rome Ap. Lindâ—ood but by a councell held at Oxford Annâ— 1222 where amongst other ordinances tending unto the government of the Church the holy dayes were divided into these three rankes In the first ranke were those quae omni veneratiâ—ne servanda erant which were to bee observed with all reverence and solemnity of which sort were omnes dies Dominici c. all Sundayes in the yeere the feast of Christs Nativity together with all others now observed in the Church of England as also all the festivalls of the Virgin Mary excepting that of her Conception which was left at large with diverse which have since beene abogated And for conclusion festum dedicationis cujuslibet Ecclesiae in sua parochia the Wâ—kes or feasts of dedication of particular Churches in their proper parishes are there determined to bee kept with the same reverence and solemnity as the Sundayes were Nor was this of the Wakes or feasts of dedication any new devise but such as could pleade a faire originall from the Councell held in Mentz anno 813 If it went no higher For in a Catalogue there made of such principall feasts as annually were to bee observed they reckon dedicationem templi the consecration feast or wake as wee use to call it and place it in no lower ranke in reference to the solemnity of the same then Easter Whitsontide and the rest of the greater festivalls Now in those Wakes or feasts of dedication were either held upon the very day on which or the Saints day to which they had first been consecrated But after finding that so many holy dayes brought no small detriment to the commonwealth it came to passe that generally these Wakes or feasts of dedication were respited untill the Sunday following as wee now observe them Of the next ranke of feasts in this Councell mentioned were those which were by Priest and Curate to bee celebrated most devoâ—tly with all due performances minoribus operibus servilibus secundum consuâ—tudinem lâ—â—i iâ—â—is diebus interdictis all servile workes of an inferiour and lesse important nature according to the custome of the place being layd aside Such were Saint Fabian and Sebastian and some twenty more which are therein specified but now out of 〈◊〉 and amongst them the festivall of Saint George was one which after in the yeere 1414 was made by Chicheley then Archbishop a Majus duplex and no lesse solemnely to be observed then the feast of Christmasse Of the last ranke of 〈◊〉 were those in qâ—ibus post missaâ— opera rusticana â—oncedebantur sed antequam non wherein it was permitted that men might after Masse pursue their Countrey businesses though not before and these were onely the Octaves of Epiphanie and of Iohn the Baptist and of Saint Peter together with the translations of Saint Benedict and Saint Martin But yet it seemes that on the greater festivalls those of the first ranke there was no restraint of tillage and of shipping if occasion were and that necessity did require though on those dayes Sundayes and all before remembred there was a generall restraint of all other works For so it standeth in the title prefixt before those festivallsâ— haec sunt festa in quibus prohibitis aliis operibus conceduntur opera agriculturae carrucarum Where by the way I have translated carrucarum shipping the word not being put for plough or Cart which may make it all one with the word foregoing but for shipps and sayling Carruca signifieth a shippe of the greater burden such as to this day wee call Carrects which first came from hence And in this sense the word is to bee found in an Epistle writ by Gildas Illis ad sua remeantibus emergunt certatim de Carruchis quibus sunt trans Seyticam vallem avecti So then as yet tillage and sayling were allowed of on the Sunday if as before I said Math. Westmâ—naster occasion were and that necessity so required Of other passages considerable in the reigne of K. Henry the third the principall to this point and purpose are his owne coronation on Whitsonaaâ— anno 1220 two yeeres before this Councell which was performed with great solemnity and concourse of people Next his bestowing the order of Knighthood on Richard de Clare Earle of Gloucester accompanied with forty other gallants of great hopes and spirit on Whitsunday too anno 1245 and last of all a Parliament assembled on mid-lent Sunday Parliamentum generalissimum the Historian calls it the next yeere after 9 This was a faire beginning but they staid not here For after in a Synod of Archbishop Iâ—â—ippes he was advanced unto that see anno 1349. Lindw l. 2. tiâ— de feriâ—s it was decreed de fratrum nostrorum consiliâ— with the assent and counsaile of all the Prelates then assembled that on the principall feasts hereafter named there should bee generally a restraint through all the Province ab universis servilibus operibus etiam reipubl utilibus even from all manner of servile works though otherwise necessary to the Commonwealth This generall restraint in reference to the Sunday was to beginne on Saturday night ab hora diei Sabbatâ— vespertina as the Canon goes not a minute sooner and that upon good reason too nâ— Iudaic ae superstitionis participes videamur lest if they did beginne it sooner as some now would have us they might bee guilty of a Iewish superstition The same to bee observed in such other feasts quae suas habent vigilias whose Eves had formerly beene kept As also that the like restraint should bee observed upon the feast of Christmasse S. Steven S. Iohn c. and finally on the Wakes or dedicationâ— feasts which before we spake of Now for the woâ—kes before prohibited though necessary to the Commonwealth as wee may reckon husbandry and all things appertayning thereunto so probably wee may reckon lawdayes and all publicke sessions in Courts of Iustice in case they had not beene left off in former times when as the Iudgâ—s generall being of the Clergy might in obedience to the