our glorification hereafter as is manifest by the words of the holy Ghost Exod. 31.13 It shall be a signe betweene me and you that I the Lord doe sanctifie you and that of the fourth to the Hebrewes A rest is left to the people of God wherein we should studie to enter For this wee must hold that whatsoeuer vse vnder the Law was proper to the Iewes Sabbath wherein now vnder the Gospell both Iew and Gentile haue interest remaynes yet proper to the Lords Day that succeeded thereto And in that respect this Day differs from all other Dayes being obserued not for policie and order only but for diuine institution and the religious vse whereunto it is appropriate that is to bee a memoriall First of the Creation as hath beene said because after our sixe dayes worke we rest on it being the seuenth as God did from the workes of the Creation Secondly of the Redemption because on it the Lord arose and perfected that worke and thirdly to be a signe of our sanctification namely that God who hath chosen and sanctified vs to be his people and whom we worship is God the Creator who in sixe dayes created the World and rested the seuenth and God the Redeemer who rose on this Day and hauing abolished sinne and death did bring in righteousnesse and life and God the holy Ghost by whose power hee did rise and by whose power we hope also to be raised againe Vnto this holy and religious vse this Day is appropriated whereunto no other Day besides can bee applyed That to conclude the Church hath power to appoint times for the publike worship of God and to appoint such a kind of worship as shee thinketh most expedient to bee vsed on these times for edification although shee hath no power to make the obseruation of any time a point of Gods worship or to appropriate thereto any part of his worship Finally to end this point of the power of the Church when the people are conuened in the ordinarie place and at the times appointed the Scripture hath not set downe whereat the Pastour should beginne how hee should proceed and wherewith hee should close vp this Seruice as whether hee should beginne with singing of Psalmes or praying or reading or preaching and when hee prayes with what petition he shall beginne what he shall subioyne next and so forth what order he shall obserue in baptizing and celebration of the Supper in Marriage in censuring of notorious offenders by Excommunication in Absolution and to bee short in all such other points of Doctrine Discipline and Diuine Seruice there is nothing particularly prescribed Although the substance of all be in the Word yet the order disposition forme and manner are left to be determined by the Church Many of which points are of farre greater moment then any of the Articles concluded at Perth Thus much for the power of the Church We come now to the extent of this power It is certaine that this power cannot reach to any thing essentiall or materiall in the worship of God but to the decencie The Church hath power to determine generall circumstances necessary for Gods worship and order only which is to bee obserued for edification in the circumstances aboue specified Let all things bee done decently and in order saith the Apostle The things themselues that are to be done are partly specified in that same Chapter where this rule is giuen and in the word else-where they are fully and particularly expressed and not left to be prescribed according to the will and iudgement of the Church but by this Precept a power is giuen only to the Church to prescribe the decent manner forme and order how they should be done And so to determine the circumstances which are in the generall necessary to bee vsed in diuine worship but not particularly defined in the Word So by warrant of this Precept the Church hath no power to forme new Articles of Faith new Precepts of Obedience new Petitions of Prayer new Sacraments or new Rites and Ceremonies such as Salt Oyle Spittle Chrisme Ashes holy Water Lights and innumerable such other things which cannot be reduced to any circumstances that in the generall are of necessary vse wherein the Church of Rome abusing her libertie hath laid vpon the Christian Church a burthen of Rites no lesse intollerable then the Legall Ceremonies yea and haue imposed them to bee obserued not onely as things belonging to policie and order but as parts of diuine worship which we of the reformed Church reiect esteeming all that to bee will worship which men impose to be obserued as necessarie points of the seruice of God which himselfe hath ordayned in his Word Further The Lawes that the Church makes in their matters are alterable because the Ceremonies and circumstances left to the determination of the Church cannot alwayes be one and the same by reason of the diuersity of Ages Times People and Nations touching them no constant Law can bee set downe as is acknowledged in the one and twentieth Article of the Confession of our Faith confirmed by Parliament but altered they may be and altered they should be when necessitie requires In which case Charitie sayes Caluine can best iudge what is most expedient Hanc si moderatricem patiemur salua erunt omnia The power of the Church being thus limited The obedience due to the Ordinances of the Church it is without controuersie that the Canons made by her touching the circumstances that in the generall are necessary for the worship of God ought to bee obeyed so long as they stand vnchanged or abrogated not because they contayne in them any substantiall or materiall part of Religion or that they haue in them any diuine Authoritie as the Commandements of God which in conscience bind to obedience but because in them an order is established tending to vnitie and peace whereby confusion scandall and Schisme is eschewed and because the power of the Church whereby these Lawes are made is the Ordinance of God and confirmed by the authoritie of his Word commanding vs to obey them that are set ouer vs in the Lord the Canons of the Church must be obeyed for reuerence of the Ordinance and Commandement of God which is the onely direct and immediate obiect of our conscience and the religious band that tyes vs to the obedience of euery humane ordinance for conscience sake But because many excuse their disobedience with a pretext of conscience I will shortly set downe the rules of conscience that by the Word of God we are obliged to follow in our actions The first is whatsoeuer is commanded The rules of Conscience or forbidden in the Word expresly or by necessary consequence ought to be obeyed The next is whatsoeuer is commanded or forbidden by the Lawes and Ordinances of our Superiours Ciuill or Ecclesiastique the same if it be not contrarie to Gods Word should be obeyed by reason of his expresse
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 on t 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 Which that it may appeare I will set downe the Act it selfe as it was concluded The Act about Festiuities AS Wee abhorre the superstitious obseruation of festiuall dayes by the Papists and detest all licentious and profane abuse thereof by the common sort of Professors so Wee thinke that the inestimable benefits receiued from God by our Lord Iesus Christ his Birth Passion Resurrection Ascension and sending downe of the holy Ghost was commendably and godly remembred at certayne particular dayes and times by the whole Church of the world and may be also now Therefore the Assembly ordaynes that euery Minister shall vpon these dayes haue the Commemoration of the foresaid inestimable benefits and make choyce of seuerall and pertinent Texts of Scripture and frame their Doctrine and Exhortations thereto and rebuke all superstitious obseruation and licentious profanation thereof In the narratiue 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 superstitious obseruation and licencious profanation 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 quae non scripta sed tradita custodimus quae quiden toto terrarum orbe obsernantur dantur intelligi vel ab ipsis Apâ—stolâ—s vel à plenarijs Concilijs quorum est in Ecclesia saluberrima autoritas commendata atque statuta retinere sicuti quod Domini Passio Resurrectio Ascensio in coelum adâ—eâ—tus de coelo Spiritus Sancti anniuersaria solennuate 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 Church vniuersally keepes Similiter etiam si quid horum tota per orbem frequentat Ecclesia nam hoc quin ita faciendum sit disputare insolentissimae insaniae est This conclusion of the Church his Maiesties pleasure was to ratifie by Act of Councell and command cessation from labour vpon these fiue dayes to the end the holy Exercises appointed to be done thereon might be the better attended PP Piscator describes a festiuall day on this manner Festum propriè loquendo est publica solennis ceremonia mandata à Deo vt certo anni tempore cum singulari laetitia obeatur ad gratias agendum Deo pro certo aliquo beneficio in populum suum collato A feast in proper speech is a publique and solemne ceremonie commanded by God to bee celebrated a certayne time of the yeare with singular gladnesse to giue thankes to God for some certayne benefit bestowed on his people Hooker intreating this Argument entitules the subiect Festiuall dayes He makes festiuall solemnities to be nothing else but the due mixture as it were of these three elements Prayses set forth with chearfull alacritie of minde Delight expressed by charitable largenesse more then common bountie and sequestration from ordinary labours By these descriptions wee may see that the Sabbath day is not properly a festiuall day The ordinary Sabbath is weekely The festiuall is Anniuersary Wee may fast vpon the ordinary Sabbath but wee cannot fast and mourne vpon a festiuall day c. Vpon the ordinary Sabbath all the parts of Gods worship may bee performed Vpon festiuall dayes proper Texts Epistles Gospels Homilies and Sermons are framed for the mysterie of that day So that the ordinary Sabbath is morall and for the worship of God in generall the festiuall is mysticall Essentialia festi the essentiall parts of a festiuall day are cessation from worke hearing of the Word participation of the Sacraments commemoration of diuine mysleries may be performed vpon the ordinary Sabbath but to make vp a festiuall day Bellarmine requires a determination of day signification and representation of the mysteries wrought on such dayes ANS The description made by Piscator is proper onely to the festiuall
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 Souday 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 premitted 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 may not institute a mysticall day to be obserued as a part of Gods worship yet they may appoint a commodious day to a 〈◊〉 â—…rued as a fit time for the worship of God and rememâ—… of his benefits Next where yee say the resurrection includes 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 perfection 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 Angustine sayes as before Domini resurrectio consecrauit nobis diem Dominicum dies Dominicus sacratus est declaratus Christiresurrectione inde coepit habere festiuitatem suam And in Tertullian his time it was indeed esteemed a thing vnlawfull eyther to fast or kneele vpon the Lords Day which custome was confirmed in the Councell of Nice Can. 20. When ye say that if it were appointed for remembrance of Christs Resurrection all the diuine Seruice done on the Lords Day should haue relation only to the Resurrection It is no consequent for albeit God blessed and sanctified the Iewish Sabbath because hee rested thereon there were yet other Scriptures read on their Sabbath then the storie of Creation and God his rest from it Fourthly where ye alledge that it was called the Lords Day because it was instituted by the Lord and for the Lord we will not contend about this prouiding it be not denyed that it is called the Lords Day principally because the Lord rose thereupon as Augustine and other Ancients affirme euery-where The Communion is called the Lords Supper because hee appointed it to be kept for a memoriall of his death till his comming againe The Iewish Sabbath was called the Sabbath of the Lord their God not only because it was consecrated to his worship for then the New-moones and all the other Festiuall Dayes should haue beene so named which they are not but also because it was the signe and memoriall of Gods rest that Day Therefore in the fourth Command it is expressed as the reason why the Lord did blesse and sanctifie the Sabbath He rested the seuenth Day therefore namely because hee rested on it hee blessed and hallowed it euen so is the Sonday sanctified and blessed by our Sauiour and called the Lords Day because it hath imprinted in it by his Institution a perpetuall memoriall of his Resurrection whereby hee abolished all the Sabbaticall shad dowes of the Law as first the strict and precise bodily rest by bringing in the spirituall and eternall Secondly the memoriall of their temporall deliuerance out of Egypt by bringing in the eternall and spirituall deliuery from the tyrannie of Satan the slauerie of sin and the seare of death and thirdly the signe and marke of distinction which separated the Iew and Gentile and was a part of the partition wall in respect whereof the Iewes were called Sabbatarij all these shaddowes Christ by his Resurrection at h a bolished and by the obseruation of the Lords Day they are declared to bee abolished which the obseruation of no other day of the weeke could haue done because Christ stamped none of them with the memoriall of his Resurrection but this Day only whereupon he rose Against this ye alledge that it is not typus destinatus but communis factus that is a Type not instituted by God to be a memoriall of Christs Resurrection but a common Type fitted to resemble such a thing the contrary whereof is true For nothing can bee called a common Type but that which hath in it selfe by nature some respect or qualitie wherby it is fitted to make the resemblance of such a thing As in Marriage in the comunction of the head and members there is a fitnesse naturall to resemble our vnion with Christ So in the Pismire there is a qualitie naturall to resemble the vertuous man and in the Lion and Horse to resemble the strong and stately but in this day by nature there is neither qualitie nor respect more then in any other to make such a resemblance Moreouer common Types are neither memorial prognosticall signes but demonstratiue only all memoriall prognosticall signes which are not naturall are signes destinate either by God or by man If ye affirme that the Lords Day was destinate by man to be a signe of Christs Resurrection then yee must grant that it was instituted by man to bee obserued in remembrance of that benefit and so it shall not be a day of Diuine but humane Institution Lastly all the times which God hath marked with some rare worke or euent and hath therefore appointed to bee obserued solemnely haue euer beene destinate by God to be memoratiue signes of these same things So the seuenth Day marked with Gods rest and therefore blessed and sanctified is a memoriall of Gods rest and is called the Sabbath of Iehouah and it is also a prognosticall signe of the rest of God to be communicated with the faithfull who resemble that rest by a corporall cessation This the Apostle witnesseth Heb. 4.9 There remaynes therefore a rest to the
people of God for hee that enters into his rest hee also ceases from his owne workes as God did from his In like manner the fourteenth day of the first Moneth marked with that rare deliuerance from the destroying Angell and their escape out of Egypt and therefore appointed to be solemnly obserued to the honour of God was destinated by God to bee a memoriall of that their deliuerance and called the Passeouer of the Lord. And euen so the Lords Day being marked with that rare and incompatable benefit of the Resurrection and consecrated in the iudgement of all the Ancients to the worship of God insteed of the Iewish Sabbath is a memoriall signe of the Resurrection destinated by the Lord himselfe a demonstratiue signe of our spirituall Resurrection from sinne to newnesse of life and a prognosticall signe of our corporeall Resurrection vnto euerlasting life This Saint Augustine expresseth in the words before cited Dominicus dies Christi resurrectione sacratus aeternam non solum spiritus sed etiam corporis requiem praesigurat In end where yee conclude that the Lords Day was not appointed only for a remembrance of his Resurrection after a mysticall manner but for the remembrance of all his actions and worship in generall if your meaning bee that on the Lords Day all Christs actions may and ought to be orderly remembred as occasion requires and not his Resurrection only it is true that yee say but if your meaning bee that the sanctification of the Lords Day was not ordayned to be a memoriall of Christs Resurrection I deny your assertion preferre to your opinion the iudgement of all the Ancients Vnto that which yee subioyne that it is a superstitious wil-worship and a Iudaicall addition to Christs Institution to diuide Christs actions and appoint Anniuersary and Mysticall dayes for their remembrance I reply that it is a superstitious wil-worship indeed and a Iudaicall addition to Christs Institution so to tye all the worship of God to the Lords Day that no other day nor time may bee appointed for preaching praying or remembring any of Christs benefits seeing vnder the Gospell as Tertullian speakes De Baptismo omnis dies Domini est omnis hora omne tempus habile est baptismo that is euery day is the Lords euery houre and euery time is fit for Baptisme If for Baptisme why not for Doctrine and Prayer and Thankesgiuing and all other parts of Gods 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 condemued 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 euery day the sacramēt 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 necessitie or of any mysterie in the time but Euangelicali 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 sense 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
your reason it must be Iewish Where yee say that cessation from workes is one of the chiefe Elements of a holy day it is true if the cessation and rest be a part of the worship but if it bee only accessorie to the worship and a circumstance thereof it is no Element of a holy day The rest of the Iewish Sabbath and Iewish Festiuities was a mysticall part of the worship but the cessation which is only appointed for cōmoditie celebrity of the worship such as that which is commanded to be kept by the Proclamation on these fiue dayes and we are in vse to keepe at our weekly preaching and Prayers and vpon the sift dayes of August and Nouember is only accessory and serues for commoditie and celebritie of the worship without which the same could not duly be performed PP Grant the keeping of holy dayes to haue beene at the beginning a matter indifferent The seuenth Reason and setting aside all the former Reasons yet ought they to be abolished because according to the rule of the Fathers commended to vs by Zanchius Non male igitur fecerunt qui omnia praeter diem Dominicum aboleuerunt Things indifferent when they are abused and polluted with Superstition ought to be abolished ANS If all things indifferent which haue beene polluted with Superstition ought to be abolished then all the Parish Churches in Scotland should be demolished for to preach or not to preach in them is a thing indifferent Ringing of Bels in time of Popery was abused superstitiously kneeling an indifferent Ceremonie which may bee vsed and not vsed at Prayer hath beene most vily abused to Idolatry in praying to Idols singing was abused to Superstition and Idolatry for Hymnes were sung to the Virgin Mary yea to her the hundred and fiftie Psalmes of Dauid were diuerted or peruerted and sung in a strange Language Shall it therefore follow that there should be no ringing of Bels no kneeling at Prayer no singing or reading of Psalmes This is absurd to say Albeit Zanchius sayes non male fecerunt c. Hee sayes not simply that they ought to bee abolished nor does hee reprooue them who retayned the dayes kept by the ancient Apostolike Church Quanquam Ecclesiae Christi liberum est sayes he quos velit praeter Dominicum dies sibi sanctificandos deligere honestius tamen laudabilius atque vtilius est eos sanctificare quos etiam vetus atque Apostolica puriorque Ecclesia sanctificare solita fuit Now if ye demand what Zanchius vnderstood by the Apostolike Church hee answeres it himselfe Nomine veteris Apostolicae Ecclesiae cam 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 consuted 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 he 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